[00:00:41]
WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2018.
>> MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD MORNING.
WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WORK THROUGH A FEW TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO ALERT MY COLLEAGUES.
THE SPEAKER QUEUE IS WORKING, SO IF YOU DO WANT TO SPEAK, GO AHEAD AND PRESS YOUR BUTTON AS NORMAL.
VOTES WILL BE DONE AS A VOICE VOTE, THOUGH, BECAUSE THE VOTING BUTTON DOES NOT WORK ON YOUR MACHINE.
SO FOR EVERY ITEM FOR ACTION WE
[1. Invocation]
WILL TAKE A VOICE VOTE OF THE COUNCIL.I'LL ASK NOW, COUNCILMAN SHAW, TO WELCOME OUR INVOCATOR.
THIS MORNING WE'RE BLESSED AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO HAVE REVEREND DR. TREVOR ALEXANDER.
HE WAS BORN IN ESSEX IN ENGLAND AND MARRIED TO EMMA AND THEY HAVE THREE WONDERFUL LITTLE GIRLS.
REVEREND DR. ALEXANDER HOLDS AN UNDERGRADUATE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD.
HE IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS A PROTESTANT CHAPLAIN FOR THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY MISSION AND MINISTRY AND IS ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD.
RIVER HE WAS RECENTLY APPOINTEDR THE TEXAS SOUTHWEST REGION WHERE HE WAS CARRIED HIS HEALING MESSAGE TO CANADA, THE WEST INDIES AND VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN AFRICA.
IN 2016 HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE SAN ANTONIO BLACK WORSHIP HALL OF FAME.
>> MR. MAYOR AND TO THIS WONDERFUL BODY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT IS MY HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU TO OFFER THIS INVOCATION.
AND BEFORE I OFFER THIS INVOCATION I HAVE A SHORT POEM I FIND VERY INSPIRATIONAL.
IT'S BY DR. BENJAMIN MAYS AND THE TITLE IS "GOD'S MINUTE." AND IT SAYS I'VE ONLY JUST A MINUTE, 60 SECONDS IN IT.
FORCE UPON ME, I CAN'T REFUSE IT.
DIDN'T SEEK IT, DIDN'T CHOOSE IT.
I'M GOING TO SUFFER IF I LOSE IT.
JUST A TINY LITTLE MINUTE, BUT ETERNITY IS IN IT.
HOLY GOD, WE PAUSE TODAY BEFORE THIS WORK OF THIS WONDERFUL BODY TO CONFESS THAT WE NEED YOUR GUIDANCE.
TO GIVE YOU THANKS TO SHARE OUR BURDENS AND TO PRAY FOR OUR CITY, THE CITY WORKERS, AND THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE OFFER THAT SOMETIMES THAT WE ARE WARY AND WORN BY POLITICAL CLIMATES THAT OFTEN DIVIDES US, NOT UNITE US.
BUT WE PRAY TODAY THAT YOUR PRESENCE WILL BE WITH THIS CITY MEETING.
GOD OF JUSTICE AND MERCY, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE.
WE COME BEFORE YOU TO PRAY FOR THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN THIS AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.
HELP THEM TO ACT WITH CHARACTER AND CONVICTION.
HELP THEM TO LISTEN WITH UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL.
HELP THEM TO SPEAK WITH CHARITY AND RESTRAINT.
GRANT TO THEM THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE, REMIND US ALL THAT WE ARE STEWARDS OF YOUR AUTHORITY.
GUIDE THEM AS THE LEADERS OF THIS CITY THAT WE NEED.
HELP THEM TO SEE THE HUMANITY AND DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO THEY MAY DISAGREE.
AND FINALLY, RENEW THE STRENGTH
[00:05:01]
WITH YOUR PRESENCE OF JOY AS THEY BUILD THIS COMMUNITY.THIS COMMUNITY CALLED SAN ANTONIO.
A COMMUNITY THAT WILL BE A BEACON OF LIGHT FOR OTHERS TO EMULATE.
WE ASK THIS AS YOUR BLESSINGS OF YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO ARE KNOWN BY MANY NAMES.
BUT TODAY WE PRAY TO THE INCARNATE WORD, THE WORD MADE
[2. Pledge of Allegiance]
FLESH.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REVEREND.
WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES.
[3. Approval of Minutes for the City Council Regular Meetings of October 10 - 11, 2018]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL SESSIONS OF OCTOBER 10 AND 11.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 10 AND 11.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION, CLARIFICATION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR
[4. Approving the following three Ordinances relating to the November 6, 2018 Elections: [Leticia M. Vacek, City Clerk]]
SAY AYE.>> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
>> ITEM NO. 4 IS APPROVING THE FOLLOWING THREE ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 ELECTION.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'LL MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
SO THIS IS THE CANVASSING RESULTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 CITY ELECTION.
SO THE UNDERVOTES WILL REPRESENT ELECTRONIC AND PAPER BALLOTS, WHICH WERE VOTED WITH NO MARKING OR SELECTION.
AND THE OVERVOTES REPRESENT MORE THAN ONE MARK ON A PAPER BALLOT.
CHARTER AMENDMENT A, DECREASING REQUIRED NUMBER OF SIGNATURES TO 20,000 FOR REFERENDUM PROCESS.
THE NUMBER FOUR IS 164,148 VOTES.
AGAINST IS 197,837 VOTES WITH SEVEN OVERVOTES.
CHARTER AMENDMENT B, TERM LIMIT AND SALARY CAP FOR CITY MANAGER.
AGAINST IS 149,423 VOTES WITH NINE OVER VOTES AND 20,082 UNDER VOTES.
CHARTER AMENDMENT C, BINDING ARBITRATION FOR FIREFIGHTERS, FOR IS 184371.
FOUR OVER VOTES AND 22,920 UNDER VOTES.
SO THE VOTE TABULATION, TOTAL VOTES CAST, INCLUDING OVER, UNDER, AND OVERSEAS BALLOTS IS 386,215 REGISTERED VOTERS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS 801,748 FOR A TOTAL TURNOUT OF 48,017.
THIS IS OPTION ONE, 398 VOTES.
NO OVER VOTES AND 212 UNDER VOTES.
FOR THE VOTE TABULATION FOR CAMP BULLIS, CAMP STAN LEE, TOTAL ARE 10,097 WITH REGISTERED VOTERS IN THAT AREA OF VOTER TURN OUT IS 67.18% .
FOR LACKLAND AIR FORCE MEDINA TRAINING ANNEX, OPTION ONE GARNERED 1,827 VOTES.
[00:10:03]
OVER VOTES BY ONE, UNDER VOTES BY 670.THE VOTE TABULATION FOR THAT AREA IS 12,048 TOTAL VOTES CAST.
REGISTERED VOTERS FOR THAT AREA IS 26,020 VOTES.
VOTER TURNOUT FOR THE AREA IS 46.3% THE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TABULATION.
THEY ARE 908 OUTSTANDING COUNTY-WIDE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS, AND NONE OF THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS TODAY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE TABULATION OF THESE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.
AS NONE HAD MARGINS SMALLER SUBMITTED AND COMPLETE RESULTS WILL BE UPDATED.
AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I BELIEVE THAT NUMBER, 4900, IS NOT CORRECT.
SO AT THIS POINT IT'S UP TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO ACCEPT THE CANVASS RESULTS OF THE VOTES TODAY FOR THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION AND THE TWO SPECIAL ANNEXATION ELECTIONS WITH THE STIPULATION THAT THE PROVISIONAL VOTES BE ADDED WHEN AVAILABLE FROM BEXAR COUNTY.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MADAME CLERK.
WE DO HAVE TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NO. 4, WHICH IS ACTION BY THE COUNCIL.
>> I'M THE NUMBERS GUY FOR SAMBA, SAN ANTONIO MAKING BUREAUCRACIES ACCOUNTABLE.
I WILL REFER TO REVELATIONS THAT ARE POSTED AT OUR WEBSITE.
YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED SAMBA'S REVELATION NO. 36 MARKED URGENT, WHICH SUMMARIZES REASONS FOR THE STRONG APPROVAL OF CHARTER AMENDMENT 2 AND OUTCOME EXPRESSING NO CONFIDENCE IN MS. SCULLEY'S ADMINISTRATION.
AS YOU EVALUATE HER ROLE, CONSIDER TWO CONSTRAINTS ON MAYOR NIRENBERG'S LEADERSHIP OF WHICH YOU SHOULD BE AWARE.
FIRST, THE MAYOR WILL TAKE CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL SCULLEY DELIBERATIONS, DIRECTING YOU TO SUPPORT THE OUTCOME HE WANTS, ALTHOUGH OUR CHARTER SAYS, QUOTE, ALL POWERS OF THE CITY SHALL BE VESTED IN AN ELECTED COUNCIL WHICH WILL CONSIST OF 11 MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
THIS REALITY IS REINFORCED IN THE 2017 HANDBOOK FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS PUBLISHED BY THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, QUOTE, DECISION MAKING IS TO BE EXERCISED BY THE FULL COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR IS TO BE CONSIDERED THE SAME AS ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL FOR POLICY PURPOSES, UNQUOTE.
WE WITNESSED THE MAYOR'S INTIMIDATION AT REVELATION 25 WHEN HE UNILATERALLY ORGANIZED THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
MAYOR NIRENBERG WILL REFER TO SCULLEY'S CONTRACT BUT SHE HAS NO CONTRACT, AS ATTORNEY DAVID VAN HOS HAS ADVISED BECAUSE SECTION 45 PART 2 SAYS MS. SCULLEY IS SUBJECT TO AND AT WILL EMPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENT THAT GIVES THE COUNCIL THE POWER TO DISMISS HER AT ANY TIME AND BY IMPLICATION FOR ANY REASON.
MR. NIRENBERG WILL DISPLAY AN ORDINANCE, AN ORDINANCE THAT USES THE WORD SCULLEY AND CONTRACT, BUT AN ORDINANCE DOES NOT OVERRULE OUR CHARTER.
AN ORDINANCE IS ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL.
THE CHARTER IS ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE.
WE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE AT ITEM 2 OF REVELATION 25.
THE MAYOR HAS OVERRULED THE CHARTER WITH AN ORDINANCE BEFORE.
I HAVE ADDRESSED YOU, MEMBERS OF OUR COUNCIL, BECAUSE OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES MUST FAITHFULLY REPRESENT AND OUR NOVEMBER 6 NO CONFIDENCE VOTE.
WE DID NOT ELECT SHERYL SCULLEY.
IN CLOSING, I REPEAT THE NOW FAMOUS QUOTE AT THE FOOT OF REVELATION NO. 32.
QUOTE, GOOD GOVERNMENT IS BASED IN GOOD LAW.
I HAVE COPIES OF THE PRESENTATION FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. MITCHELL.
[00:15:05]
>> WELL, MAYOR RON NIRENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER.
THIS IS THE ACTION WHEREBY YOU THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES WHAT WAS RECORDED BY THE ELECTION DEPARTMENT.
WE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE CONTRACT -- RETURN THE CAMERA TO THE PODIUM FOR A MOMENT, IF YOU WOULD.
WE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE CONTRACT WITH BEXAR COUNTY TO CONDUCT OUR ELECTION FOR US.
THEY IN TURN APPOINT AN ELECTION MANAGER FOR THE ELECTION PROCESS.
THAT PERSON THIS TIME WAS THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTION DIRECTOR, MS. JAQUELINE JACKY CALALLEN.
SHE HAS COME UNDER FIRE FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS IN RECENT DAYS, BUT IN MY OPINION THEY ARE ALL THE WRONG THINGS.
SHE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE A DECENT JOB ELSEWHERE IN HER JOB, BUT IN ONE BIG BLACK SPOT SHE'S DONE A VERY TERRIBLE JOB.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT POLL WATCHERS.
POLL WATCHERS ARE A CREATION OF THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY HAVE THERE TO REPRESENT CANDIDATES SO THAT THEY, THE WATCHERS, CAN WATCH OVER THE SHOULDERS OF POLL WORKERS AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE PROPERLY.
WELL, MS. CALALLEN HAS FLOUTED THAT LAW FOR NOT JUST THIS TIME BUT FOR YEARS.
ELECTION AFTER ELECTION AFTER ELECTION.
HOW DO WE KNOW THE RESULTS OF ANY RACE, ANY BALLOT MEASURE ARE BONA FIDE? IF YOU CANNOT HAVE PEOPLE DOING THEIR JOB PROPERLY.
MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN, DISPLAY WHAT WAS SENT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE TEXAS.
YEAH, MR. CHARLES PENNY, SECRETARY OF STATE OF TEXAS.
HE, IN A LETTER TO ONE OF THE COUNTY POLITICAL PARTY CHAIRS, HE SAID, NO, THE COUNTY MAY NOT -- AND I UNDERLINE NOT, EXCLUDE POLL WORKERS, WATCHERS FROM THE TABULATION ROOM.
IT ALLOWS A POLL WATCHER TO OBSERVE ANY ACTIVITY AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE WATCHER IS SERVING AND ALLOWS THE WATCHER TO SIT OR STAND CONVENIENTLY NEAR THE ELECTION OFFICIALS CONDUCTING THE OBSERVED ACTIVITY.
THEY CANNOT PREVENT THE WATCHER FROM ABLE TO OBSERVE THE PROCESS.
NOW MS. CALALLEN STOPPED ALL OF US, AT LEAST EIGHT OF US THAT NIGHT -- RETURN THE CAMERA, PLEASE.
THAT NIGHT ON THE ELECTION DAY.
SHE DID THAT AND SHE FAILED TO EVEN SWEAR US IN.
HOW DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS VOTE IS RIGHT?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER.
AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM NO.
4, WHICH IS THE CANVASSING OF THE VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO. 4.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? AND THAT IS FOR A, B, AND C.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Consent Agenda]
MOTION CARRIES.AT THIS TIME I WILL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
>> VIAGRAN: MAYOR, 17 AND 8, PLEASE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ITEM 17 AND ITEM 8?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> SALDANA: ITEM NO. 14 AND NO. 21.
SO I HAVE ITEMS 8, 14, 17, AND 21 TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY.
THE BALANCE WILL BE ON CONSENT.
IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO THERE'S A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: AND THAT IS FOR ALL ITEMS SAVE 8, 20, 21, 14, AND 17.
AND WE DO HAVE A FEW CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT.
[00:20:04]
JACK FINGER.>> WELL, MAYOR NIRENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WONDERFUL SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
INTERESTING TO SEE HOW Y'ALL HAD NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ELECTION PROCESS WHATSOEVER.
EVEN WHEN A CITIZEN COMES UP AND POINTS IT OUT TO YOU.
WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT OTHER SCANDALS THEY CAN IGNORE TODAY.
ITEM NO. 17, YES, IS A -- WELL, WHAT IS IT? IT'S A RESOLUTION, YEAH, SUPPORTING WOMEN'S SAFETY AND HEALTH AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SOUNDS PRETTY INNOCUOUS, AT LEAST ON THE SURFACE, BUT WHEN YOU START ASKING YOURSELF ABOUT IT, WELL, WHAT IS THERE NOT TO SUPPORT ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, ET CETERA HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? WHO WOULD POSSIBLY BE AGAINST IT? DON'T THEY ALREADY HAVE IT? I MEAN, WOMEN ARE SUPPOSEDLY HAVE BEEN CREATED Y'ALL.
WHO SAYS THEY'RE NOT GETTING A FAIR SHAKE? AND IF THEY'RE NOT GETTING A FAIR SHAKE, DO WE NOT ALREADY HAVE LAWS STOPPING THEM FROM NOT GETTING A FAIR SHAKE? WELL, I LOOKED AT THE BACK UP DOCUMENTS ON THIS AND, YEAH, LET'S SEE WHAT IT SAYS.
BASICALLY, WELL, MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN, LET'S LOOK AT THE WHOLE PARAGRAPH HERE.
BACK UP DOCUMENTS [INDISCERNIBLE] YEAH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN JANUARY 2018, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN RECOMMENDED A REVIEW OF GENDER AND MINORITY INEQUITIES IN THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL REQUESTED AN ECONOMIC STATEMENT [INDISCERNIBLE] COMPRISED -- THE RESULT OF THE ASSESSMENT IS AN ACTION PLAN DESIGNED TO ENHANCE MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY ON CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND REDUCE IMPLICIT BIAS.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES ALSO HAS MADE IT A PRIORITY TO EXAMINE GENDER COMPOSITION OF THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN.
MY QUESTION TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A QUOTA BILL, A QUOTA RESOLUTION.
YOU WANT CERTAIN NUMBERS OF WOMEN TO BE ON COMMISSIONS.
I TAKE IT REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITIES AND THEIR MERITS.
I'M SORRY, THAT DOESN'T CUT IT.
ALSO, MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN, IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, YES, NO. 20.
LOOK AT THE CIRCLED AREA THERE.
IT SAYS CITY OPPOSES REDUCED --
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NO. 9 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A BOND PROJECT WITH HARLANDALE PARK.
FOR A VERY LONG TIME WE'VE BEEN NEEDING SOME WORK DONE AT THE PARK AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO CAME OUT AND VOICED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THIS PARK AND WHAT THE IMPROVEMENTS WERE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
SPECIFICALLY I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE TEENS THAT USE THE PARK, BECAUSE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ALLOWED US TO MAKE THESE CHANGES THAT WE NEEDED TO IN THE BOND PROJECT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, DID YOU --
>> GONZALES: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AL ROCHA.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S HERE OR NOT, BUT HE WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE.
AND HE ALSO SERVES AS ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AL, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVE FOR 8, 14, 17, 20, AND 21.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[17. Resolution supporting women’s safety, health, and economic opportunity in the City of San Antonio. [Maria Villagomez, Assistant City Manager; Alex Lopez, Interim Director, Office of Equity]]
MOTION CARRIES.EXCUSE ME, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM 17 BECAUSE OF A GUEST IN THE GALLERY FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO 14.
>> ITEM NO. 17 IS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING WOMEN'S SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
I KNOW WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, SO IF WE COULD HAVE THAT, PLEASE.
[00:25:02]
RESOLUTION.>> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
ITEM 17 IS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING WOMEN'S SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
THIS RESOLUTION IS SPONSORED BY COUNCILMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN, COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALES, AND COUNCILWOMAN ANA SANDOVAL.
THERE ARE THREE AREAS THAT ARE IN THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION, AND THAT INCLUDES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR WOMEN, AND ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES .
AS A WAY OF BACKGROUND IN OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WITH 1.4 MILLION IN POPULATION, 51% OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS ARE WOMEN.
WOMEN PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL AND INDISPENSABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY PROSPERITY.
IN THE AREA OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, FACTUAL DATA INDICATES THAT WOMEN ARE IMPACTED MORE BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE NUMBER OF CASES IN THIS AREA HAVE INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS.
IN MAY OF 2018, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES COMBINED EFFORTS AND PRESENTED TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THE DATA IN TERMS OF CASES ACROSS THE CITY AND WHERE THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO ADDRESS THESE AREAS OF CONCERN.
THIS WORK CONTINUES AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS NOW THE ONLY PROVIDER OF SERVICES IN THIS AREA, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO COMBINE ALL THE DATA AND PRESENT A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THE GOAL TO ALIGN CITY SERVICES WITH OUR PROVIDERS AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT AND DO A BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION IN OUR SERVICES.
IN THE AREA OF HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR WOMEN, TWO SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE HIGHLIGHT.
IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THE TEEN PREGNANCY RATE IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN OUR CITY AND BEXAR COUNTY AND WE HAVE SEEN A 53% DECREASE SINCE 2006.
HOWEVER, SAN ANTONIO'S RATE OF TEEN PREGNANCY IS STILL 49% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE RATE FOR THE AGES OF 15 TO 19 TEEN WOMEN.
IN THE AREA OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTHCARE PROGRESS, THIS HAS TOLD IN RECENT YEARS.
OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS MADE THIS A KEY PRIORITY IN THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN AND WE'LL BE WORKING TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THOSE AREAS .
IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, THE FACTS ARE THE SAN ANTONIO WOMEN EARN LESS MONEY, OWN FEWER BUSINESSES, AND HAVE LESS ACCESS TO CAPITAL THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS.
OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS ADDRESSING THIS CONCERN AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS AND HIGHLY SKILLED WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LUNCH SA AND PROJECT QUEST.
THEY ARE SUPPORTING WOMEN IN CREATING AND GROWING BUSINESSES AND COMPLETING EMPLOYMENT TRAINING WHILE PROVIDING ROLE MODELS ANDMO MENTORS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS .
AS AN EXAMPLE, WITH OUR SMALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART, WHEN WE COMPARE THE WOMEN HAVING CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY AND MINORITIES IN 2011 TO 2017, WE HAVE SEEN A 14% INCREASE IN THIS AREA.
SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT MORE WORK TO DO.
AS PART OF OUR EQUITY STRATEGY, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY WILL BE WORKING WITH THOSE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO NORMALIZE, ORGANIZE, AND OPERATIONALIZE EQUITY IN OUR CITY BUSINESSES.
WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A SHARE UNDERSTANDING OF EQUITY AND ITS DEFINITIONS.
WE'RE BUILDING PARTNERS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND WITH THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS EQUITY ON CITY SERVICES.
AND WE'LL BE USING THESE TOOLS TO ADDRESS THE THREE KEY PRIORITY AREAS OF THIS RESOLUTION THAT INCLUDES ELIMINATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, PROMOTING POSITIVE WOMEN'S HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND ADDRESSING INEQUALITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
[00:30:01]
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MARIA.
WE DO HAVE SOME CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 17.
MS. TORRES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MONICA TREVINO ORTEGA.
MAYOR NIRENBERG, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER, MY NAME IS SOPHIE TORRES.
I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER.
I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TO EXPRESS SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION PRESENTED SUPPORTING WOMEN'S SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE VALUE AND PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN OUR SOCIETY AS UNSUNG HEROES WHO PREFER TO WORK DILIGENTLY FROM THE SHADOWS THAN TAKE CENTER STAGE.
IN REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE WOMEN HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO, THE HISPANIC CHAMBER COMMISSIONED AN ECONOMIC STUDY ON WOMEN AND THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMY EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH THE FINAL REPORT TO BE ANNOUNCED NEXT YEAR.
EARLY FINDINGS IN THE STUDY HIGHLIGHT INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, INCLUDING ACCOUNTING FOR THE INCREASED NON-MARKET HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTION.
IE, THE AMOUNT OF WORK WOMEN DO AT HOME AS UNCOMPENSATED LABOR, THE WAGE GAP, AND HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO GENERALLY EARN 83 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR A MAN EARNS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE SAN ANTONIO AND SAN ANTONIO ALONE, IF A WOMAN WERE PAID THE SAME AS THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS AND THE VALUE OF UNPAID WORK WOMEN PERFORM AS A WAGE EARNER, THE GDP FOR THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN AREA COULD BE AS MUCH AS 40% HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT 109 BILLION REPORTED IN 2016, WHICH WOULD ADD TO OUR ECONOMY AS INCREASED SPENDING, JOBS, AND OPPORTUNITIES.
PART OF OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS.
WE WORK TIRELESSLY AS ADVOCATES FOR SWIMBY AND SBEDA.
TO START A BUSINESS, STUDIES SHOW THAT WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS FOCUS ON STABILITY OF THEIR BUSINESSES TO PRODUCE STEADY REVENUE GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THEIR FAMILY .
THE SOCIAL AND PERSONAL DYNAMICS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR ECONOMY.
DESPITE VARIOUS EFFORTS TO REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, TEEN PREGNANCY RATES, AND IMPROVE MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH, SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO FACE CHALLENGES IN THESE AREAS.
EACH YEAR WE CELEBRATE UNSUNG HEROES DURING OUR ANNUAL WOMEN'S AWARD LUNCHEON, MARKING A MARK ON THE WORLD.
SINCE 2009, WE HAVE HONORED OVER 75 WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE AN IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS RESOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: MONICA TREVINO ORTEGA FOLLOWED BY BRIEO ENDSLER.
MY NAME IS MONICA TREVINO ORTEGA, AND I HAVE MADELEINE MENDEZ.
SHE HAS YIELDED HER TIME FOR ME TO SPEAK FOR HER.
I'M HERE WITH MY GROUP, THE LATINO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, A PROGRAM THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
IT'S A SIX MONTH PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BUILD THE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND CONFIDENCE THAT TODAY'S LATINO LEADERS NEED TO SUCCEED IN THE POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS OF RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICE, APPLYING FOR POSITIONS ON LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL BOARDS, APPLYING FOR WHITE HOUSE APPOINTEE POSITIONS, AND THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN LEADERSHIP ROLES WITHIN POLITICAL CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT.
I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THIS PROGRAM AND I STAND HERE TODAY WITH MY SISTERS.
WE ARE A GROUP OF 90 WOMEN STRONG, GOING INTO OUR FOURTH COHORT IN 2019.
WE RECENTLY WROTE A LETTER TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, SANDOVAL, AND GONZALES IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST FOR AN EQUITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
IN THE LETTER WE APPLAUDED THE EFFORTS TO ENSURE EACH BOARD AND COMMISSION IS REPRESENTED WITH DIVERSITY AND GENDER EQUITY.
WE ALSO IDENTIFIED TWO EQUALLY IMPORTANT AREAS FOR CONCERN FOR CONSIDERATION OF WOMEN, AND THAT WAS THE GENDER PAY GAP AND WOMEN'S HEALTH.
I'M HERE TODAY TO PUSH FOR PAY EQUALITY.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE RECENTLY OF WRITING FOR A LOCAL PUBLICATION ON TOPICS OF THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE AS WELL AS THE LEAPS AND BOUNDS WOMEN HAVE MADE IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
IN RESEARCHING IMAGES FOR THIS ARTICLE, I CAME ACROSS SEVERAL PHOTOS OF WOMEN PROTESTING FROM THE 1920S ON UP TO PRESENT DAY.
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STOOD OUT TO ME WAS WHEN YOU PUT THESE PHOTOS IN BLACK AND WHITE, YOU CANNOT TELL WHICH ERA THEY'RE FROM, BECAUSE ALL THE SIGNS ARE THE SAME.EQUAL PAY, GENDER PARITY, EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE A GENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
TODAY I'M STILL FIGHTING THE SAME BATTLES THAT MY GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER FOUGHT.
A 3-YEAR-OLD AND A 10-MONTH-OLD.
AND I HAVE MADE IT MY LIFE'S WORK SO THAT 30 YEARS FROM NOW THEY'RE NOT FIGHTING MY BATTLE OF EQUAL PAY.
THE LATINO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IS READY, ACTIVATED, CONNECTED AND MOBILIZED.
PLEASE CONSIDER OUR GROUP FOR IN OUTREACH, RESOURCES, COMMITTEES, OR ADVOCATES FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. TREVINO.
BRIEO ENDSLER FOLLOWED BY MADELEINE MENDEZ.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS MAKE 41% LESS THAN MALE ENTREPRENEURS.
A RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WOMEN MAKE GREAT ENTREPRENEURS.
WE TAKE RISKS, WE START MULTIPLE BUSINESSES, WE HAVE INCREASED BUSINESS RETURNS AND PAYOUT.
WE START BUSINESSES WITH ONLY HALF AS MUCH CAPITAL AS MEN.
IF WE HAVE A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 2 WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO EVEN ENGAGE IN ENTREPRENEUR SHIP.
AND IF WE DO START A COMPANY AS A MOTHER WE FACE MANY MORE HURDLES THAN OUR MALE COUNTERPARTS.
THE BARRIERS WE FACE ARE SIGNIFICANT AND EQUITY IS A HUGE PART.
IT'S TIME WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE STAKE.
I REPRESENT A GROUP OF 191 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.
WOMEN WHO OWN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, MARKETING FIRMS, HOSPITALITY, AND SERVICE COMPANIES.
WOMEN OF ALL AGES, RACE, AND BACKGROUNDS.
WE ASK EACH OF YOU TO THINK OF EQUITY AS YOU MAKE INVESTMENTS INTO OUR CITY, AS YOU MAKE CHANGES TO THE WAY THE CITY DOES BUSINESS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES, AND IN WAYS YOU HELP PREPARE OUR WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE.
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ARE A SURE BET.
IN THE LAST DECADE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS NATIONWIDE HAS GROWN BY 3.5 MILLION, REPRESENTING 38% OF ALL BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WOMEN OWNED AND FOUNDED BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO GREW AT 45%, COMPARED TO MEN'S GROWTH AT 9%.
WE ARE A FORCE IN THIS GROWING CITY.
WE ARE CREATING JOBS AND EXPANDING THE CITY'S TAX BASE.
SAN ANTONIO'S THE SEVENTH MOST POPULAR CITY FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MS. ENDSLER.
SHE YIELDED HER TIME? NO ONE FURTHER HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU, LADIES, THE LATINO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE FOR BEING HERE, THE LEADERS OF YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND OUR FUTURE.
I HAVE TO THANK MY MARIA VILLAGOMEZ AND ALEX.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER AND HER LEADERSHIP.
AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I HAVE TO THANK MY DAUNTLESS COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WHO WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THIS, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE AND, COUNCILWOMAN, SOME OF THE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT WE'VE WORKED ON ROOMS AT CITY HALL AND IN OUR AIRPORT.
WORKING ON SAFETY AS PEOPLE ARE WALKING -- AS WOMEN WALK TO PARKING GARAGES IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO, AND GETTING ANOTHER THOUGHT OF WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE FOR A WOMAN TO WALK TO A PARKING GARAGE DOWNTOWN AT NIGHT BY THEMSELVES? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO TAKE STAFF AND TO ALL OF THE WOMEN HERE.
AS LONG AS I'M ON HERE, AND I THINK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PLATFORM FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT MIRROR LOOKING AT OURSELVES TO SEE WHAT ARE WE DOING CORRECTLY AND WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING CORRECTLY AS A
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CITY ORGANIZATION AND AS A CITY AS A WHOLE.IN MY INAUGURAL SPEECH, I GUESS, THIS 2017, PART OF IT DISCUSSED HOW I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT A STOP TO INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND SEXISM.
I THINK THIS IS A PART, THIS RESOLUTION IS ONE STEP THAT WE CAN BE REFLECTIVE OF OURSELVES AND, TWO, MAKE THOSE STEPS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES IN OUR CITY WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND ECONOMIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A LONG TIME, WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, TO PUT THOSE PRIORITIES MOVING FURTHER.
WE HAVE OUR CHAMPION EXPERT NOW ON THE COUNCIL WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, AND OUR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND ALSO HER WORK WITH CHILD ABUSE, WE WILL CONTINUE -- I KNOW I WILL CONTINUE TO HELP, TO USE OUR VOICE TO LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP AND LIFT UP THE ISSUES OF THE WOMEN HERE ON THE COUNCIL.
TO LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND NOT TO TEAR ONE ANOTHER DOWN.
I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT -- AND I APPRECIATE WHAT WAS MENTIONED, THOSE UNSUNG HEROES.
THOSE WOMEN THAT WORK EVERY DAY, THAT MAY BE DO NOT HAVE A TITLEF C.E.O., BUT WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICES GET HEARD.
AND I KNOW SOME OF THOSE WOMEN ARE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW, SO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
I AM APPRECIATIVE OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, LIKE THE LATINA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, LIKE THE PUBLIC POLICY AND TRAINING PROGRAM.
THESE HELP GET WOMEN INTO THE POSITION TO KNOW THEY HAVE A VOICE AND THEY CAN BREAK STRONGHOLDS TOGETHER AND THAT WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER.
AND I'M APPRECIATIVE BECAUSE OF THE CCR.
NOW WE ARE MAKING THE STRATEGIES TO EMBED EQUITY IN THE ENTIRE CITY ORGANIZATION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL REDUCE THE IMPLICIT BIAS.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY ARE APPLYING PROPORTIONATELY -- THEY ARE GETTING APPOINTED PROPORTIONATELY TO WHAT THEY'RE APPLYING, BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING ENOUGH WOMEN APPLY FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
BUT WHEN THEY APPLY, WE AS A BODY ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM THAT CHANCE.
BECAUSE THEY ARE QUALIFIED AND THEY ARE READY TO SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 51% OF THE WOMEN HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND THEY ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY.
I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING, THAT IS LONG OVERDUE, AND THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
BECAUSE AS WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS A CITY WE NEED TO CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY WORK, WHEN THEY GET THAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
WE HAVE TO PROMOTE THOSE BUSINESSES AS WELL, TO USE OUR PRIORITIES TO FOCUS ON WOMEN IN THESE AREAS.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE STEP, BUT I DO WANT TO READ JUST A SAYING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT FOR ME, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE, ON THIS COUNCIL, HAVE A FIXED AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND THAT WE CAN DO ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU CAN BY ALL THE MEANS THAT YOU CAN, IN ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN, IN ALL THE PLACES YOU CAN AND ALL THE TIMES YOU CAN, TO ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN AS LONG AS YOU EVER CAN.
AND SO IN THIS POSITION I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN AND TO SAVE WOMEN'S LIVES AS WELL WITH THESE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES AND WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES.
WITH THAT, MAYOR, IT IS MY HONOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE TO SECOND IT.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES SECONDED.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO. 17.
>> GONZALES: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN AND SANDOVAL FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO SEVERAL OF US AND PERHAPS SOME OF YOU ALL HERE IN THE AUDIENCE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A LUNCHEON.
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WOMAN NAMED JENNIFER PALMERI, AND SHE WROTE A BOOK CALLED "DEAR MADAME PRESIDENT." AND SHE WAS THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO HILLARY CLINTON WHEN SHE WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.AND I RECENTLY, WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE BOOK THAT SHE WROTE CALLED "DEAR MADAME PRESIDENT." AND THE THING THAT STRUCK ME ABOUT THE BOOK WAS ONE PARTICULAR THEME THAT KEPT COMING UP AGAIN AND AGAIN WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON, AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT I DON'T LIKE.
AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT I JUST DON'T TRUST.
AND AFTER DIGGING VERY DEEP, WHAT THEY FOUND, AFTER MANY YEARS OF STUDYING, LOOKING BACK 30 YEARS WHEN SHE WAS -- WHEN HILLARY CLINTON WAS WORKING IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIEIES.
AND WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT SOCIETY, OUR CULTURE, JUST DOESN'T LIKE AMBITIOUS WOMEN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN WHO DOES IT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF AN AMBITION.
IT'S A TRAIT THAT WE RECOGNIZE IN MEN AND WE ADMIRE IN MEN, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO A WOMAN WHO'S AMBITIOUS, WE DON'T LIKE IT.
SO THEY TRIED TO CHANGE THE PHRASE FOR HER AND THEY SAID THAT SHE WAS DOING IT IN SERVICE TO OTHERS.
SO AS LONG AS WE, AS WOMEN, ARE WORKING IN SERVICE TO OTHERS, THEN PEOPLE WILL ACCEPT IT.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE.
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO MAKE THESE CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AS A CITY, BUT ALSO AS A COUNTRY, AS A WHOLE TO ADDRESSED ISSUES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
IN SAN ANTONIO WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALMOST ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF CHILDREN BORN ADDICTED TO OPIOIDS ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF SIDS, BABIES DYING RIGHT AFTER CHILDBIRTH, IN THE STATE.
AND IN ORDER TO REALLY TACKLE THESE ISSUES WE NEED TO HAVE AMBITIOUS WOMEN WORKING ON THEM.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE ARE IN SERVICE TO OTHERS, WHICH WE ARE, BUT THIS IS A FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES AND WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT FIGHT VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE AMBITIOUS WOMEN ON THIS DAIS, BUT ALL YOU AMBITIOUS WOMEN IN THERE TOO.
KEEPING YOUR POTENTIAL LOW IS NOT GOING TO GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
WOMEN OF COLOR ARE ALSO NOT ONLY ARE WOMEN EARNING 83% OF MEN, BUT WOMEN OF COLOR, IT'S EVEN LESS, SOMETHING LIKE 57% WOMEN ARE EARNING IN COMPARISON TO MEN.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THAT GAP CHANGE, BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON IT.
WE AS WOMEN NEED TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE EACH OTHER'S AMBITION.
I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE ITEMS THAT WE APPROVED THIS CANVASSING REPORT AND THE VOTES THAT CAME UP IN REGARDS TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND HER SALARY AND HER AMBITION AND HER DETERMINATION WAS THE RESULT OF THE FACT THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY DON'T LIKE AMBITIOUS WOMEN.
AND SO I URGE ALL OF YOU OUT THERE TO PLEASE HELP US CHANGE THAT STIGMA.
THAT WE CAN BE AMBITIOUS AND WE CAN BE FIGHTERS AND WE CAN BE STRONG AND WE CAN BE POLITE TOO.
AND NOT TO MISTAKE THAT POLITENESS FOR A LACK OF AMBITION.
SO I'M VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS.
IT'S TAKEN US QUITE A LONG TIME TO GET HERE, EVEN ON THE DAIS.
BECAUSE I FELT THAT SOME OF THE WORDING THAT WE HAD EARLY ON AS WE WERE ADDRESSING THIS RESOLUTION MADE WOMEN FEEL LIKE VICTIMS. AND WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH HIGH RATES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH HIGH RATES OF CHILD ABUSE.
AND BECAUSE WOMEN ARE THE ONES MOSTLY BEARING THE BRUNT FOR THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I FELT THAT THE LANGUAGE WAS VERY VICTIMIZING.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN IT RIGHT.
THAT WE HAVE CHANGED THAT LANGUAGE TO BE ONE OF STRENGTH.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT TODAY WITH THE FACT THAT WE ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER IN THAT VEIN AND NO BE AFRAID OF A WOMAN WHO'S AMBITIOUS.
NOT BE AFRAID OF A WOMAN WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES, THEY MAKE OTHER PEOPLE FEEL
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UNCOMFORTABLE.THAT'S ALSO WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO.
A WOMAN WHO IS AMBITIOUS MAKES OTHER PEOPLE FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
WE HAVE TO START CHANGING THAT.
THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT SHE MENTIONED IN HER BOOK, THAT PROFESSIONAL REALLY MEANT MORE LIKE A MAN.
AND SO WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR STRENGTHS AND TO MAKE PROFESSIONALISM FEEL MORE LIKE A WOMAN.
AND I HOPE THAT THIS RESOLUTION DOES THAT TODAY.
AND I SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF ALL THE VERY AMBITIOUS WOMEN ON THIS DAIS, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, SANDOVAL, SCULLEY, MY DEAR FRIEND CHOCKA MESA, AND ALL THE LATINA LEADERSHIP WOMEN, ALL THE HISPANIC CHAMBER WOMEN, CHRISTINA ALDERETE WHO ARE RUNNING OUR CHAMBERS.
AND LET'S HOLD EACH OTHER UP AS THE AMBITIOUS WOMEN THAT WE ARE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
FIRST OFF I WANT TO THANK MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMEN, REBECCA VIAGRAN AND SHIRLEY GONZALES FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND LEADERSHIP ON THIS RESOLUTION.
I DO AGREE IT'S SO MUCH STRONGER AND WE HAVE COME TO A WONDERFUL RESOLUTION.
I ADMIRE THE TENACITY THAT YOU HAVE AND THE HARD WORK YOU'VE SHOWN ON CITY COUNCIL.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE ALL THOSE COUNCILWOMEN WHO CAME BEFORE US, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN TERMS OF WOMEN'S EQUITY, I IMAGINE IT WAS HARDER 10, 20, 30, 40 YEARS AGO.
SO A SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THEM FOR PAVING THE WAY FOR US.
MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE BEEN ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND THANKS TO THE STAFF, MARIA AND ALEX.
AND ALSO A BIG THANK YOU TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR ASSISTING WITH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THIS EQUITY IMPACT ANALYSIS.
THE RESOLUTION RAISES SOME KEY ISSUES AND IT PROVIDES SOME GREAT POLICY PRIORITY FOR US.
AND IT'S REALLY SHEDDING A LIGHT ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND IT'S SAYING WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE WILL DO BETTER.
IF WOMEN ARE LIMITED, I FEEL THAT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IS LIMITED.
SOFHIE SAID WE'RE CHANGING OUR WOMEN'S GDP BY 40% BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF WOMEN'S EQUITY.
SO WHEN WOMEN LOSE, WE ALL LOSE.
WOMEN ARE MOTHERS AND IF THEY CAN'T SUCCEED, NEITHER CAN THEIR FAMILIES AND NEITHER CAN THEIR CHILDREN.
I HAD MY STAFF RUN SOME NUMBERS ON HOW MANY WOMEN WE HAD HAD ON COUNCIL SINCE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS SINCE 1977.
AND I WANT TO SAY IT'S VERY FITTING THAT DISTRICT 3 HAS HAD THE ABSOLUTE MOST WOMEN ON COUNCIL, SEVEN, SINCE 1977.
AND SO YOU ARE VERY MUCH FOLLOWING IN THAT PATTERN.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DISTRICTS THAT HAVE NEVER HAD A WOMAN ON COUNCIL.
I'LL LET YOU FIND THOSE OUT ON YOUR OWN.
[LAUGHTER] BUT, OVERALL, WE HAVE HAD 28 WOMEN MAYORS OR COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND 75 MEN.
SO WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
I'M GOING TO WRAP UP WITH ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES BY JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG.
SHE SAID WHEN I'M SOMETIMES ASKED WHEN WILL THERE BE ENOUGH WOMEN ON THE SUPREME COURT, AND I SAY WHEN THERE ARE NINE.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NINE MEN AND NOBODY'S EVER RAISED A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
I COME TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY KNOWING THAT I'M GOING TO BUMP INTO SOME VERY STRONG FEMALE LEADERS AND THAT THEY FIGURED OUT EVERY TIME THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT THEY'RE VERY, VERY STRONG.
AND I LEARN FROM THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I'M A BETTER MAN BECAUSE I AM SURROUNDED BY THEM.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO NAME A FEW.
MARIA VILLAGOMEZ, SHERYL, LIZ.
THERE'S MORE THAN I CAN NAME THAT I GET TO WORK WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT JUST MAKE ME A
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HUMAN BEING THAT IS BETTER THAN THE HUMAN BEING I WAS THE DAY BEFORE.AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MARISSA BONO A WHILE AGO AND I TOLD HER, YOU KNOW, I FEAR ALWAYS JUMPING INTO THE TOPIC OF, YOU KNOW, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF EITHER PANDERING OR SOUNDING PATRONIZING OR EVEN INVOKING THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER OR MY WIFE, BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, TOO MANY GUYS DO THAT.
THEY SEE AND TALK ABOUT IT THROUGH THEIR POSITION AS FATHERS AND HUSBANDS, OR WHATEVER.
BUT MARISSA SAID, LOOK, YOU'RE AT THE TABLE.
AND HOWEVER YOU GOT TO THE TABLE, DOESN'T MATTER.
AND SO I WILL PREFACE THOSE COMMENTS BY SAYING I AM INFORMED ONLY BY THE FACT THAT I'M THE SON OF A VERY, VERY STRONG WOMEN.
AND THAT I'M THE HUSBAND OF A VERY BRILLIANT SCARY SMART LADY AND THAT I'M RAISING A DAUGHTER IN SAN ANTONIO WHO, I'M CONVINCED, IS THE ANSWER TO ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY FAVORITE EPISODES OF THE WEST WING, THERE'S A SCENE WHERE MARTIN SHEEN IS TALKING TO LILY TOMLIN.
IN ARABIC IT JUST MEANS FATHER OF DAUGHTERS.
FATHER OF DAUGHTERS ARE SPECIAL.
AND I'LL LET YOU WATCH THE EPISODE.
BUT I'M REALLY BLESSED TO BE THE FATHER OF MY DAUGHTER.
AND I POUR ALL OF MYSELF INTO THE JOB OF BEING HER FOREIGN LANGUAGE].
AND MY GOAL IS THAT SOPHIA GROWS UP TO HAVE A PREPARED, COMPETENT, MINDFUL, RESILIENT WOMAN.
MY JOB AS A PARENT TO BOTH MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON IS TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE PATH.
BUT MY SON'S PATH IS DIFFERENT THAN MY DAUGHTER'S, SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN.
MY DAUGHTER IS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT TO BE A VICTIM OF VIOLENCE.
AND SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN AND NO OTHER REASON.
MY DAUGHTER IS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT TO GET PAID LESS THAN HER BROTHER, AND NOT GET A BANK LOAN.
AND NOT GET THE JOB THAT SHE MAY DESERVE MORE THAN HER BROTHER.
MY JOB AS LANGUAGE] AND CITY COUNCILMAN AND MY JOB AS A MAN WHO IS CONSCIOUS OF THESE INEQUITIES IS NOT JUST PREPARE MY DAUGHTER FOR THE PATH BUT ALSO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES AND DESTROY THOSE REALLY IMMORAL MANMADE OBSTACLES THAT ARE IN THE WAY OF HER ABILITY TO THRIVE.
ANYBODY WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE IS MISINFORMED, IS OBTUSE.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE.
REALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THEY'RE LIVING IN.
BUT I DO GOT TO TELL YOU THAT ONE FACET OF THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM THAT WORRIES ME, MAYOR, AND TO THOSE, MY FEMALE COLLEAGUES ON THIS COUNCIL -- AND I'M HOPING YOU'LL JOIN ME IN THIS EFFORT.
IS TO REALLY TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AS IT AFFECTS OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
IT TURNS OUT IF YOU'RE STRAIGHT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE LESS LIKELIHOOD OF BEING PHYSICALLY ABUSED BY YOUR INTIMATE PARTNER THAN IF YOU'RE LGBTQ.
IF YOU'RE LGBTQ YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO AVAIL YOURSELVES OF THE PROTECTION OF COURT AND POLICE INTERVENTION.
AND SO WE DID, SHERYL, WITH YOUR HELP WE SET ASIDE EXTRA FUNDS THIS YEAR IN OUR 2019 BUDGET TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR INVESTMENT IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT.
MY REQUEST FOR THIS COUNCIL IS TO HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT EXTRA RESOURCE AND GOING FORWARD TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT ONE SUBSET OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AUDIO] WHO IS DOING BETTER BY ALL OF ITS CITIZENS WITHOUT REGARD TO WHOM IT IS THAT THEY LOVE.
SO, WITH THAT, SHIRLEY, REBECCA, ANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS.
THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MY LITTLE GIRL.
YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE OTHER LITTLE GIRLS LIKE HER.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PELAEZ.
AND THANK YOU FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE WOMEN ON THIS COUNCIL, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, NOTHING ANY WOMAN SAYS
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OR DOES SURPRISES ME.I CONSIDER ANY WOMAN TO BE AN EQUAL AND, MANY TIMES, SUPERIOR TO ME IN MANY ROLES.
I SEE MANY STRONG QUALIFIED LEADERS IN THIS AUDIENCE TODAY.
MANY OF YOU WE HAVE WORKED WITH, I'VE WORKED WITH AND UNDERSTAND THE VALUE THAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK AS A CULTURE WE NEED TO OVERCOME OUR GENDER BIAS AND STRIVE FOR MORE GENDER EQUITY AND GENDER RESPECT, AND HUMAN DIGNITY.
I THINK THIS RESOLUTION AND OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INCORPORATING WHAT IT SIGNIFIES INTO OUR CORPORATE CULTURE IS OUR OBLIGATION TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I HOPE THAT IT BECOMES SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT 30 YEARS FROM NOW WOMEN WON'T BE STRIVING FOR EQUALITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, GONZALES, AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
I TRULY APPRECIATE THIS RESOLUTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO ALSO THANK THE PREVIOUS APPOINTEES AND CURRENT APPOINTEES TO THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, JEANETTE AND DR. ERICA GONZALES, AS WELL AS ALL THE WOMEN THAT ARE APPOINTED TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS REPRESENTING DISTRICT 1.
I APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT, YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE HARD WORK THAT THAT ROLE REQUIRES OF YOU.
IT HAS MADE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, FEMALE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED TRUE LEADERSHIP.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF IT HERE SHORTLY ON AN ITEM THAT'S COMING UP.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THE WOMEN ON MY STAFF.
YOU KNOW, ANYBODY KNOWS MY STAFF KNOWS THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH MUCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
IT MEANS A LOT TO ME THAT YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT AND YOU'RE COMMITTED TO DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK THAT HAVING A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS IS AN EXEMPLARY EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE GROWING, EVOLVING AS A CITY.
AND WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS OF OUR CITY.
LASTLY, I WOULD JUST SIMPLY LIKE TO THANK MY MOTHER FOR TEACHING ME THE LESSONS OF RESILIENCY AND HOW TO PERSEVERE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
AND I WANT TO BE SHORT IN SAYING THAT I THINK THAT I AM FORTUNATE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND FORTUNATE AS A RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO TO HAVE -- TO GET TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT RECOGNIZES AND KNOWS THE STRENGTH, THE AMBITION, AND THE POWER OF WOMEN.
WE'VE SEEN WOMEN AS BUDGET DIRECTORS, HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, AS FIREFIGHTERS, AS POLICE OFFICERS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT OUR COLLEAGUES ASKED US TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THAT WE SEE THEM, IN SOME CASES, THE ISSUE IS ONE OF MATH.
AND THE MATH IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF FEMALE C.E.O.S, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF FEMALE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE MATH IS WHAT WE ARE PUSHING FORWARD IN THESE CASES.
AND I THANK MY COLLEAGUES, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A RESOLUTION TODAY HAPPENING THAT IS A SIMPLE MOMENT IN TIME, THAT IS A SIMPLE GESTURE, BUT RECOGNIZE THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE PUSHED THIS MESSAGE WITH US INTERNALLY, HAVE PUSHED THIS MESSAGE, AND THAT HAS LED TO HELPING THE MATH.
I KNOW THE LATINA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS OFTEN GET THE ABILITY TO SELECT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, LEADERS WHO EVENTUALLY WILL INCREASE IN THE RANKS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO PROMOTE AND TO FIND WOMEN TO HELP STEP UP.
AND THE LAST WEEK WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT WHEN WE APPOINTED SOME NEW STRONG IN AUDIO] WHO OUTPACE EVERY MAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN TERMS OF THEIR ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, THEIR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, THE SKILLS, TALENT, PASSION, AND
[01:05:01]
AMBITION THAT THEY BRING TO THIS SERVICE.SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE LIVE IN A CITY THAT GETS TO SEE THESE EXAMPLES AND GRATEFUL TO A CITY LED BY STRONG FEMALE COLLEAGUES WHO WANT TO SEE THAT MATH CHANGE.
AS USUAL, WE ARE FOLLOWING RIGHT BEHIND YOU ALL, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THIS EFFORT AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT MATH.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> BROCKHOUSE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
JUST A QUICK THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, GONZALES, AND SANDOVAL.
I KNOW IT WILL BE AN HONOR FOR ME TO SUPPORT YOUR RESOLUTION TODAY AND TO STAND WITH YOU.
AND JUST A QUICK NOTE, I JUST WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING TO REBECCA.
BEFORE I GOT ELECTED, I KNEW YOU, RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN? WHEN I CAME ON THIS DAIS I THINK COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES USED THE WORD AMBITIOUS A LOT.
YOU HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AMBITIOUS ABOUT THIS.
AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS I THINK IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IS YOU'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO HELP ME LEARN, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
IT'S RELENTLESS, AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP, GROWING FOR ALL OF US.
IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE SUPPORTIVE, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, I'M LEARNING FROM IT.
I THINK WE HAD A BREAKFAST ONE TIME.
YOU SAT DOWN AND WALKED ME THROUGH IT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE AND HELPING ME BE A BETTER COUNCIL PERSON.
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE TABLE SO WE CAN SUPPORT THIS WITH PRIDE TODAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
>> PERRY: I DO WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK THROUGH OUR HISTORY, NOT ONLY IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. WHEN WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE GOING BACK AS FAR AS JUST TO GET THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND I SPENT 21 YEARS IN THE AIR FORCE.
AND WOMEN HAVE COME INTO THE MILITARY SERVICE.
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT YEARS AGO? AND JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS DOWN AT COMANCHE PARK AND IT WAS A HALLOWEEN EVENT FOR CHILDREN, AND THE FIRE TRUCK SHOWED UP.
YOU KNOW, FIREFIGHTERS GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND THERE WAS A LADY.
AND I WENT UP AND TALKED TO HER FOR A LITTLE BIT.
AND I SAID, HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS JOB? SHE SAID THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.
AND, TO ME, THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE ARE NO LIMITS FOR WOMEN IN ANY JOB, ANYWHERE.
AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE AMAZING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I AM JUST VERY PROUD TO BE UP HERE ALONG WITH MY WOMEN COLLEAGUES, AND PROUD THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EQUALS AND, AS COUNCILMAN COURAGE SAID, EVEN OUR SUPERIORS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AGAIN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FULLY SUPPORT THIS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
I WOULD BE REMISS, I DIDN'T MENTION LIZ PROVINIO.
I THANK HER FOR HER DILIGENCE AND HER PATIENCE WITH ME AS WELL.
ALSO TO THE POINT OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND GONZALES, TALKING ABOUT AMBITION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WORK TOWARDS AS WELL IS DISMANTLING IN THE CITY, DISMANTLING WHAT'S A PATRON MENTALITY.
BUT NOT TO REPLACE IT WITH A DIFFERENT MENTALITY, BUT TO CREATE AN ALLIANCE.
AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE FORWARD THIS GREAT CITY.
AND WE ARE TAKING A STEP HERE.
AND THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S JUST A STEP BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL TOWARDS STRATEGIES OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
AND MARISSA BONO, WHO HAS WORKED VERY HARD WITH THIS AS WELL.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
WE NEED TO HAVE THIS ALLIANCE.
AND I WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES -- SPECIFICALLY I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN PELAEZ AND COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN INTO THE CHAOS WHEN THEY HAVE SEEN THEIR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, THE WOMEN, WHO HAVE BEEN DOING CERTAIN THINGS.
[01:10:02]
WHO HAVE BEEN ATTACKED ON CERTAIN THINGS.THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING INTO THAT CHAOS.
BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TOGETHER AS A BLESSED ALLIANCE FOR THIS CITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
AND I'LL JUST WRAP BY JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL HAS MADE EQUITY A FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
AND I'M GRATIFIED BY THE WORK OF MY COLLEAGUES TO BRING US THIS RESOLUTION.
BUT I THINK WE DO HAVE TO ASK WHAT IS A RESOLUTION? AND TO ME IT'S AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR VALUES AS A COMMUNITY THAT'S PLACED INTO THE HISTORICAL RECORD.
IT BECOMES PART OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD AND NOTHING MORE THAN A RECORD UNLESS WE ACT UPON IT.
AND I'M ALSO GRATEFUL THAT THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY WE SEE A REVIVAL OF THE SENSE THAT WE CAN DO MORE.
AND THAT'S REFLECTED HERE IN MY COLLEAGUES AND THEIR WORK TO DATE AND WORK MOVING FORWARD.
IN FACT, ON ANY GIVEN THURSDAY YOU CAN SCAN THE GALLERY AND YOU CAN SEE ICONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT TWO OF THEM RIGHT NOW, LINDA AND CARMEN RIGHT HERE ON THE FRONT ROW WHO HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR SO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WOMEN INCLUDED.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR CONTINUED GOODWILL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
TODAY IS AN IMPORTANT MARKER FOR SAN ANTONIO AS WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO GENDER EQUALITY.
THIS WOMEN'S EQUITY RESOLUTION IS A PUBLIC PLEDGE THAT AS A COMMUNITY WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING PROSPERITY FOR ALL SAN ANTONIANS.
THE BASIS OF OUR EQUITY PRINCIPLE.
SO I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, COUNCILMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN, SHIRLEY GONZALES AND ANA SANDOVAL AND FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT AND STRIVING TO MAKE THIS RESOLUTION A REALITY.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY STAFF FOR WORKING SO HARD ON THIS AS WELL, OUR CITY MANAGER SHERYL SCULLEY, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS MARIA VILLAGOMEZ, LORI HOUSTON, AS WELL AS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, LIZ PROVINCEO, OUR CLERK, LETICIA VACEK, AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF.
THE HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO THE PROSPERITY OF OUR CITY ARE IRREFUTABLE.
OUR HISTORY OF STRONG WOMEN LEADERS IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SECTORS.
I WON'T LIST NAMES BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAVE SCORES, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OUT.
AND IT SETS A STAGE FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE NORMA GONZALES.
YOU THINK ABOUT THE JANE MACONS, THE MARIAS, THE ROSEMARIES, THE LILA COCKRELLS OF THE WORLD, ARE SAN ANTONIANS BY BIRTH.
THE NEED REMAINS TO ADVANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS A CITY, WE CAN ONLY THRIVE IF EVERYONE IS FREE TO PURSUE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
FOR THAT TO OCCUR, AS THE MATH POINTS OUT, WE MUST REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE MUST DECREASE DISPARITIES IN HEALTH AROUND MATERNAL CARE THAT HOLD WOMEN BACK.
AND WE MUST EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP SO THAT MORE WOMEN CAN START THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
THIS VISION OUTLINE AND MEASURED IN SA2020 INCLUDES THESE GOALS, BUT THE COUNCILWOMEN HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT WE MUST ELEVATE OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR SPONSORING THE WOMEN'S EQUITY RESOLUTION AS ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS IMPROVING OUTCOMES IN HEALTH, SAFETY, AND OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY FOR WOMEN BUT FOR ALL OF US.
AND I'D LIKE TO CLOSE BY THANKING THE STRONGEST WOMAN IN MY LIFE, MY WIFE, ERICA, WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M INCLUDING HER WORK AS A CHAIRWOMAN FOR THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I WAS SO PROUD WHEN SHE CONCLUDED THE WORK ON THE RISE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM THAT WOULD POSITIVELY AFFECT SO MANY FAMILIES IN YEARS TO COME, NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO BUT AROUND THE WORLD.
AND OF COURSE THE WORK TO CLOSE THE STUDY ON WOMEN'S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
BEAR TOGETHER WITH THE WORK THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE STARTED TODAY WITH THE RESOLUTION.
SO WITH THAT, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE A MOTION? YES, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO.
[20. Ordinance approving the City's State Legislative Program for the 86th State Legislative Session. [Carlos Contreras, Assistant City Manager; Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO SHUFFLE THE DECK A LITTLE BIT.
THE COUNCILWOMAN WILL NEED TO STEP OFF THE DAIS MOMENTARILY.
WE'LL TAKE UP AT THIS TIME ITEM NO. 20.
[01:15:01]
APPROVING THE CITY'S STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 86TH STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.>> COURAGE: AT THIS TIME WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE SCHEDULED TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK ON ITEM NO. 20.
I'LL CALL THEM UP AT THIS TIME.
HE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A GROUP.
THAT WOULD BE JOLENE GARCIA, YANETTE FLORES, AND AUSTIN DOLAN.
>> GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE RECESS UNTIL WE HAVE A QUORUM ESTABLISHED AGAIN.
>> COURAGE: MR. FINGER, I'M SURE YOU DON'T OBJECT.
AND SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND RECONVENE.
AGAIN, I'LL CALL UP OUR SPEAKERS, JACK FINGER FOLLOWED BY A GROUP, MS. GARCIA, MS. FLORES, AND MR. DOLAN.
WELL, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER.
I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THEM.
AND I NOTICE ONE IN PARTICULAR.
MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN, GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT ON THERE.
MAYBE ENLARGE IT A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU CAN THERE.
CITY OPPOSES A REDUCED ROLLBACK RATE WHICH WOULD PROVIDE MINIMAL TO NO RELIEF TO TAXPAYERS WHILE LIMITING THE CITY'S ABILITY TO DELIVER PUBLIC SAFETY, ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER CRITICAL SERVICES.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS UPON A -- YEAH, TO PAY LOBBYISTS TO GO UP TO AUSTIN AND SAY WE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, DO NOT WANT YOU TO GIVE TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, BY MEANS OF YOUR LEGISLATION.
DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO ROLLBACK THEIR TAXES.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S RIGHT THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE.
I GUESS I REALLY GET -- I ALMOST HAVE TO CHUCKLE EVERY TIME YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL -- AND FOR THAT MATTER, OUR CITY MANAGER, SHERYL SCULLEY, WHO IS NOT IN HER SEAT TODAY.
SHE ACTUALLY TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE TEXAS SENATE COMMITTEE'S HEARINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAD NOT RAISED TAX RATES.
AND SHE WAS COMPLETELY ALMOST RODE OUT ON A RAIL FOR THAT.
BECAUSE THE SENATE PANEL KNEW THE TRUTH.
THEY KNEW HOW MUCH OUR TAX LEVIES HAVE GONE UP HERE.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT BASED ON THE ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT OUR PROPERTIES -- PUT IT THIS WAY.
YOU GUYS KEEP THE RATE -- YOU SAY YOU KEEP THE RATE THE SAME BUT IT'S BASED ON THE PROPERTY VALUES.
AND BECAUSE THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE SKYROCKETED, YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD AND KEEP -- WELL, I SAY LYING THROUGH YOUR TEETH AND SAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T RAISED TAXES ON US WHEN THEY HAVE GONE UP, LIKE I SAY, SKYROCKETED.
HERE'S A CHANCE FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND YOU WANT TO QUASH THAT EFFORT, WITH OUR OWN TAX DOLLARS YOU ARE PAYING TO CITY-PAID LOBBYISTS.
YOU REALIZE HOW DESPICABLE THAT IS? HUH? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE Y'ALL ADDRESS THAT IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER.
NEXT GROUP JOLENE GARCIA, YANETTE FLORES, AUSTIN DOLAN.
[01:20:19]
MAYOR PRO TEM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD OUR VOICES ON BEHALF OF WORKING TEXANS FOR PAID SICK TIME.
AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MOVES TO ADOPT ITS 2019 STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, THE WORKING TEXANS FOR PAID SICK TIME COALITION APPLAUDS THE INCLUSION OF THE PRIORITY ITEM ENTITLED PRESERVING LOCAL DECISION MAKING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR PACKET.
IN THIS ITEM, THE CITY WILL FIGHT TO PRESERVE LOCAL DECISION MAKING AND FIGHT TO PRESERVE ITS OWN RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF OUR CITIZENS TO PASS LAWS THAT WE DETERMINE ARE CRITICAL FOR OUR CITY OR FOR THE WELL-BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS.
ON AUGUST 16 OF THIS YEAR, THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL PASSED A VERY CRITICAL ORDINANCE.
AND IT WAS ONE THAT WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT WORKING FAMILIES.
AND IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT BUSINESSES.
WE PASSED THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE AND NOW IT IS ALL OUR JOBS TO DEFEND IT AT THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE.
THERE ARE MANY OPINIONS ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT WHAT'S GOOD FOR SAN ANTONIO.
FOR INSTANCE, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FORT WORTH HAS ALREADY PREFILED A BILL THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY TAKE AWAY PAID SICK TIME FROM THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIO WORKING FAMILIES.
AND THAT'S FROM FORT WORTH REACHING OVER HERE INTO SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO STAND FOR THIS.
WE BELIEVE THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THE VOICE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS.
THE DECISIONS MADE BY OUR VOTES AND THE LAWS PASSED BY OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE THAT WE ALL FOUGHT SO HARD TO PASS.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU, AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, WILL STAND WITH US TO VIGOROUSLY DEFEND THE PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE AT THE 2019 TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND, AGAIN, THE LEGISLATURE IS COMING UP IN JANUARY.
WE'RE MOBILIZING AND WE'RE PREPARED.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US WHEN WE GO TO THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE TO FIGHT, TO DEFEND PAID SICK TIME FOR ALL WORKING FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA.
JEFF COYLE, I BELIEVE YOU MAY HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US.
>> I DO HAVE THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE B SESSION.
I CAN DO IT AGAIN IF YOU LIKE, OR I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US A BRIEF?
AS YOU KNOW THE ALLEGED PROGRAM IS COUNCIL APPROVED, ASSUMING YOU ALL APPROVE IT TODAY, GUIDELINE FOR US TO GO UP AND ADVOCATE FOR POSITIONS AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
THIS IS WHAT GIVES US OUR MARCHING ORDERS AS STAFF TO REPRESENT THE CITY ORGANIZATION AND ITS RESIDENTS AT THE LEGISLATURE.
I'LL SKIP THROUGH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND HERE.
LET ME JUST PAUSE TO SAY THAT THE ELECTION CHANGED A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE ON NOVEMBER 6 IN THE HOUSE.
DEMOCRATS GAINED A NET 12 SEATS, SO THE MAKEUP IS NOW 83 REPUBLICANS, 67 DEMOCRATS.
IN THE SENATE, DEMOCRATS PICKED UP TWO SEATS.
AND SO THE MAKEUP THERE IS 1912 IN THE SAME, THAT REMAINS, BY ONE VOTE, A SUPERMAJORITY FOR REPUBLICANS, MEANING THE SUPERMAJORITY IS WHAT IS REQUIRED TO BRING UP ANY BILL FOR DISCUSSION ON THE SENATE FLOOR, AND REPUBLICANS HAVE THE ES TO DO THAT .
WE WILL HAVE A NEW SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE NEWS IN THE PAST WEEK OR SO, DENNIS BONNI, CHAIRMAN UNDER SPEAKER STRAUS HAS COME FORWARD WITH REPORTEDLY 109 VOTES IN THE HOUSE TO BECOME THE NEXT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
THAT CAN'T BE OFFICIAL UNTIL THE HOUSE GAVELS IN IN JANUARY, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY THE WAY IT'S LOOKING RIGHT NOW.
OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IS BROKEN UP AS SUCH WITH OUR PRIORITIES FIRST.
THIS IS WHAT WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME ON.
WE HAVE A FEW EVERY SESSION INITIATIVES THAT REQUIRE A TWEAK
[01:25:02]
IN LAW THAT A DEPARTMENT ASKED US TO MAKE THEIR JOBS EASIER.IT REQUIRES A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY TO PASS A BILL, SHEPHERD IT THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A HIGH-PROFILE ITEM.
WE ENDORSE POSITIONS OF OTHER ENTITIES.
WE FIGHT TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY'S INTEREST, WE HAVE SOME OMNI BUS LANGUAGE IN THERE FOR ALL THE BILLS THAT COME UP THAT MAY NOT BE ANTICIPATED IN THE FRONT END, AND WE HAVE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN PELAEZ IS VERY BIG ON US WORKING WITH OTHER GROUPS AND WE DO THAT EVERY SESSION.
WHY DON'T I TOUCH ON PRIORITIES AND THEN I CAN ANSWER OTHER QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST IS MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
THE STATEMENT THAT WE ARE MAKING IN THIS PROPOSED AGENDA IS THAT WE SUPPORT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
YOU HEARD ONE OF THE RESIDENTS SPEAK A MINUTE AGO ABOUT ONE OF THE BULLETS ABOUT OPPOSING A REDUCED ROLLBACK RATE.
THAT'S ONE OF ONLY THREE POINTS UNDER MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX.
WHAT WE SUPPORT IS THE LEGISLATURE PUTTING MORE FUNDING INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE BULK OF MOST PEOPLE'S PROPERTY TAX BILLS, LOCAL SCHOOL TAXES.
SO WITH MORE STATE FUNDING IT ALLOWS FOR A LOWER BURDEN ON THE PROPERTY TAX PAYER AND IS ULTIMATELY, IN OUR VIEW, THE REAL WAY TO GET TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
THE ROLLBACK RATE THAT WAS MENTIONED THERE HAD BEEN PROPOSALS IN PAST SESSIONS TO REDUCE THE 8% ROLLBACK TO A HARD CAP OF 4, 5, 6% THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY VOTERS TO GO OVER.
AND OUR ESTIMATES IN PAST YEARS WAS THAT THAT WOULD SAVE THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER TWO TO THREE DOLLARS A MONTH, THE PAST PROPOSALS.
WE AGREE THAT THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, AND THE WAY TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR OUR TAXPAYERS IS TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SECONDLY, WE SUPPORT SAWS AND CPS AND WOULD OPPOSE ANYTHING THAT WOULD HARM THE CITY'S AND THE TAXPAYERS' INVESTMENT IN THOSE UTILITIES.
WE PRESERVE LOCAL DECISION MAKING, YOUR AUTHORITY AS AN ELECTED LOCAL BODY TO PASS ORDINANCES THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT CAPTURES A LOT OF ISSUES.>E AND FIGHT FOR MILITARY CITY USA.
YOU HEARD GENERAL AYALA SAID YESTERDAY THE MILITARY CAN'T GO UP AND ADVOCATE AT THE STATE CAPITOL, BUT WE FEEL IT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT THEY NEED, GOOD OR BAD FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
WE SUPPORT KEEPING THE CITY'S ECONOMIC EFFECTIVELY, THAT MEANS OPPOSING THINGS LIKE DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HURT OUR COMPANY'S ABILITY TO FIGHT FOR EVENTS AND WE SUPPORT LOCAL OPTIONS TO GENERATE MORE FUNDING.
IT ALSO MEANS PROTECTING THE VOTER APPROVED PROPS 1 AND 7 THAT HAVE ADDED STATE MONEY TO THE SYSTEM.
I'LL WRAP IT UP THERE, AND I CAN GO BACK TO ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE, BUT THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR AGENDA.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, JEFF.
MY COMMENTS WILL BE SHORTER THAN I ANTICIPATED.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF TELLING JEFF COYLE AHEAD OF TIME WHAT YOU MIGHT ASK THEM IS THAT HE ANSWERS THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU EVEN GET TO ANSWER THEM.
>> PELAEZ: NO, DON'T APOLOGIZE.
TWO THINGS: ONE, NOWHERE IN THERE IS THERE GOING TO BE AN EFFORT INTO UNDOING PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCES.
WE'RE SORT OF LETTING THAT PLAY OUT ON ITS OWN.
>> COYLE: WE DON'T SPEAK TO IT AT ALL.
THERE IS A STATEMENT SAYING WE SUPPORT YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE LOCAL DECISIONS.
THE MESS SANG THAT I'VE -- MESSAGE THAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE GROUP, THE COUNCIL PASSED IT AND THAT'S THE ORDINANCE THAT APPLIED TODAY.
THERE IS A RECOGNITION THAT THERE LIKELY IS TO BE A DISCUSSION AT THE STATE LEVEL ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND IN SOME CASES, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN A LOCAL ORDINANCE IS REPLACED BY A STATEWIDE LAW THAT IS ADEQUATE AND CLOSELY ENOUGH ALIGNS WITH THE ORDINANCE THAT HAD BEEN PASSED LOCALLY.
AND IN THOSE CASES, WE WILL COME TO YOU AND THEN OFTEN GO BACK UP AND REMOVE OPPOSITION TO IT.
THE BILL THAT WAS MENTIONED, SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, IS JUST A FLAT OUT PRE-EMPTION.
THERE'S BEEN ONE BILL FILED TO MY KNOWLEDGE SO FAR SAYING MUNICIPALITIES MAY NOT REGULATE, REQUIRE BUSINESSES TO OFFER PAID SICK LEAVE.
IT DOES NOT REPLACE IT WITH ANY STATEWIDE FRAMEWORK, BUT WE EXPECT THAT OTHER PIECES OF LEGISLATION WILL COME FORWARD, AND AS ALWAYS, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS.
I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER, AND I'VE JUST GIVEN YOU A LONG RAMBLING ONE, WE'LL BE BACK TO
[01:30:03]
YOU AS TO WHAT BILLS SMEEK -- SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE SO THAT YOU ALL AS A BODY CAN GIVE US DIRECTION.>> PELAEZ: ANOTHER TOPIC OF PROPERTY TAXES, I -- MY FRIEND AND I HAVE A VERY PROPERLY DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHY TAXES ARE THE WAY THEY ARE IN SAN ANTONIO.
MY CONCERN HOWEVER IS WHEN WE DO GO UP TO AUSTIN, THAT WE REALLY DO TELL OUR STORY ABOUT WHY WE THINK -- AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO ALSO DO HAVE SOME AGREEMENT AS TO THE UNDERLYING ROOT CAUSES OF, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT APPRAISALS HAPPEN AND WHAT THE COMPTROLLER IS NOT DOING CORRECTLY AND WHAT THE STATE LEG COULD BE DOING.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, ALL OF LAST YEAR WHILE THEY WERE PROMISING TAX RELIEF, THEY WERE SPENDING MOST OF THEIR TIME ON CHASING PEOPLE OUT OF BATHROOMS AS OPPOSED TO REALLY WORRYING WHAT IMPACTS EVERY TEXAN.
SO MY REQUEST IS AT THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO TELL THAT STORY AND TALK ABOUT IT, THAT YOU GIVE US SOME HEADS UP AND TAKE US WITH US.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ENOUGH ISSUE TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY DO SEE US OUT THERE ADVOCATING FOR EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL TAX REFORM.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, FUNDING SCHOOLS.
>> PELAEZ: YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATRICK LOVE TALKING ABOUT TAX REFORM AND LOVE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY LIKE FINDING WAYS TO NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THEY'RE VERY CREATIVE ABOUT NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT, SO WITH THAT, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I VOLUNTEER TO GO UP THERE AND HELP TELL THE TAXPAYERS' STORY.
AND THEN ALSO I WILL DOUBLE-DOWN AND REITERATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE KEEP TRACK CONTINUOUSLY OF CALENDARS AND EFFORTS AND INITIATIVE THAT'S OTHER GOVERNMENT RELATION SHOPS, JEFF, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT NOW, MORE THAN YOU GUYS WERE DOING IT BEFORE, BECAUSE I THINK I BUGGED YOU ABOUT IT FOR SO LONG.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A HEAD'S UP, I WILL CONTINUE TO BUG YOU ABOUT IT AND SEARCH FOR MORE WAYS FOR US TO BE MORE ROBUST IN THE EFFORT OF, YOU KNOW, BEING MORE IN THE WEEDS WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 20.
>> SALDAÑA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, JEFF. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE POST JANUARY, THIS IS WHEN YOU AND YOUR TEAM EARN YOUR KEEP.
>> SALDAÑA: AND YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCY IS SOMEWHAT FUSED BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN, SO WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE GOING UP AND TAKING THIS MESSAGE AND OUR AGENDA WITH YOU.
I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF INTERPLAY BETWEEN COUNCILMEMBERS GOING UP, TESTIFYING, FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSES THAT ARE LAID OUT, WHETHER THAT'S ABOUT MILITARY PROTECTION, EXPANSION, WHETHER IT'S ABOUT FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS, AND YOU'LL SEE ME UP THERE FIGHTING FOR ANYTHING WHO -- THAT PRE'EMPTS OR GOES AFTER LOCAL DECISION THAT WE'VE MADE AS A COUNCIL CARTE BLANCH.
IF THAT MEANS SCOOTER REGULATION F THAT MEANS UBER REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, 18 -- THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED TO MAKE TOBACCO ILLEGAL FOR ANYBODY PURCHASING THAT IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18, I'LL PROTECT THAT.
AND I'LL ALSO GO UP AND PROTECT OUR PAID SICK LEAVE DECISION THAT WE'VE MADE HERE, SO WHETHER I'M WEARING THE BANNER OF CHAIR OF IGR OR GOING AS SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I REITERATE THAT TO YOU.
SO DON'T BE SURPRISED OR CONFUSED WHEN WE'RE UP THERE FIGHTING FOR THINGS THAT WE'VE PASSED HERE LOCALLY.
SO THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS, AND WISH YOU ALL LUCK, IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER WORK FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS STARTING IN JANUARY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE MY SUPPORT AND I KNOW ALL OF OUR COUNCIL'S SUPPORT IN WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN HAVING THE STATE BETTER FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT YOU MADE ABOUT HOW THAT WILL HELP WITH TAX RELIEF.
BUT I THINK EVEN A GREATER, MORE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS, WE NEED TO CONSIDER IS THAT IT'S THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT DRIVES THIS COMMUNITY: EDUCATION, AND SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION.
AND WE KNOW A LOT OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE AT THE -- ON THE EDGE OF BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE BEST WITH THE DECLINING AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING.
AND SO BY ALL MEANS, THIS PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE WORKED AT VERY HARD.
AND I'M COMMITTED TO GO UP THERE AND TALK AS A TEACHER WHO'S BEEN IN THAT CLASSROOM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND URGE THE LEGISLATURE TO DO THEIR JOB, FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHICH WILL PROVIDE
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TAX RELIEF AND FUTURE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO OUR CITY BY HELPING EDUCATE A WORKFORCE THAT'S GOING TO ATTRACT MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES TO OUR COMMUNITY.>> COYLE: COUNCILMAN, I THINK -- I'M GLAD YOU BRING IT UP, BECAUSE THAT IS A REAL -- IT'S NUANCED, BUT IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SHIFT IN OUR AGENDA THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE ALWAYS GONE UP THERE AND SAID WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, THE REAL SOLUTION IS BETTER STATE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BUT THE IGR COMMITTEE MADE CLEAR TO US THAT IT'S NOT JUST THAT ISSUE ALONE, BUT THAT WE HAVE A VESTED STAKE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE NEED TO BE, AS OUR CHAIRMAN PUTS IT, WE NEED TO HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME UP THERE.
SO WE'VE BROUGHT ALL THE SUPERINTENDENTS INTO IGR BACK IN THE SPRING AND TALKED ABOUT IT.
I'M IN REGULAR DIALOGUE WITH MY COUNTERPARTS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I JUST WENT THROUGH NORTH SIDE'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OVER THE PHONE LAST FRIDAY, AND SHERYL AND I MET WITH DR. WOODS AS WELL, SO WE INTEND FOR THIS TO BE A VERY, VERY -- MAYBE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AS PART OF BOTH MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSED POSITION WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
JEFF, GREAT WORK ON THIS, AS USUAL.
THE WHOLE TEAM, THE WHOLE IGR TEAM AS WELL AS OUR CONSULTANTS UP THERE IN AUSTIN.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK OF COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA IN CHAIRING THE IGR COMMITTEE.
IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY ACTIVE SESSION.
I THINK WE'RE GETTING IT FROM A NUMBER OF ANGLES THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE'VE SHOWN A LITTLE BIT OF FORTITUDE THROUGH THE RECENT FIGHTS IN 2017, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES, AND AS I'VE HEARD THIS WHOLE DAIS TELL YOU, WE'RE ALL AT YOUR DISPOSAL IN PURSUIT OF BETTER OUTCOMES FOR SAN ANTONIO, SO DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ANY OF US.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANKS A LOT, JEFF.
WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 20.
[14. Ordinance amending the Unified Development Code (UDC), Chapter 35 of the City Code, replacing current language in the following Sections: [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Michael Shannon, Director, Development Services] (Continued from November 1, 2018)]
MOTION CARRIES.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM 14 BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING VERY PATIENTLY IN THE GALLERY AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THAT SO THEY CAN MOVE ON WITH THEIR DAY.
>> CLERK: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE UDC CHAPTER 35 OF THE CITY CODE REPLACING CURRENT LANGUAGE IN THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS.
ITEM 14A IS 18-6287, SECTION 35-343.
ITEM 14B IS 18-6289, SECTION 35- 341, MIXED USE DISTRICT.
AND 14C IS 18-6290 SECTION 35-310.0 5-A, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN TREVINO? ACTUALLY, COUNCILMAN TREVINO WILL TAKE IT IN JUST A MINUTE.
WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO LET ME CALL THEM FIRST.
WE'LL START WITH PASTOR PATRICK JONES.
IS PASTOR JONES STILL HERE? ELDER RAYMOND BRYANT? RAY MONTH BRYANT? CYNTHIA SPIELMAN?
>> HELLO, I'M CYNTHIA SPIELMAN, I'M A MEMBER OF THE BEACON HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE MARK SPIELMAN WHO IS THE CHAIR OF OUR ZONING URBAN DESIGN COMMITTEE WHO WILL MAKE OUR STATEMENT.
>> YES, WE'D LIKE TO URGE YOU TO APPROVE THE ISSUE BEFORE YOU.
WE THINK IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT ONE.
THERE'S BEEN AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK ON THIS, THERE'S BEEN THOUGHTFULLY PROPOSED.
IT DOESN'T -- IT ISN'T A PERFECT SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS, BUT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S SO OPEN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THE IDZ, WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE EASIER FOR DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT WILL ALLOW FOR A LOT MORE GUIDELINES THAT WILL MAKE THIS SITUATION GOING FORWARD A LOT MORE VIABLE.
RIGHT NOW, TWO OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP BEFORE COMMITTEES ALL THE TIME ARE THE SETBACKS PARTICULARLY, AND USING THE IDZ AS A WORKAROUND FOR SITUATIONS WHERE A DEVELOPER HAS GONE IN AND WORKED WITHOUT
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PERMITS TO GET HIMSELF INTO A SITUATION WHERE HIS PROPERTY REALLY DOESN'T CONFORM ANYMORE.AND IT SEEMS INAPPROPRIATE IN SOME OF THE WAYS THAT IDZ CAN BE APPLIED.
THESE GUIDELINES MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE AND, AGAIN, URGE YOU TO SUPPORT IT.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, CYNTHIA AND MARK SPIELMAN.
SEAN PRICE? FOLLOWED BY RICKY KUSHNER.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING DISTRICT 1 SPECIFICALLY WEST END IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, AND I'M HERE TODAY AS A COCHAIR OF THE WEST END HOPE AND ACTION NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT WE ARE IN FAVOR FOR THE PROPOSED CHANGES THAT HAS COME OUT TO THE ZONING CODE BASED UPON THE EFFORT OF THE IDZ TASK FORCE.
ON SPECIFICALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE R-1 AND THE R-2 ZONING CODES.
THESE CODES ARE VERY IMPERATIVE TO THE WEST END AND OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE IT TO WHERE CONSTITUENTS ARE THERE WHO LITERALLY WORK PAYCHECK FOR PAYCHECK IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
RIGHT NOW, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, COMMUNITIES LIKE THE WEST END WHICH ARE LOW INCOME AND ALSO IN THE INNER CITY HAVE BEEN ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN DONE INTENTIONALLY, BUT BASED UPON THE PROCESSES REQUIRED, IT IS VERY IMPLICIT.
FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY IF ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE A HOME& THAT SITS ON A LOT THAT IS DEEMED SUBSTAN DARD, THAT'S A LOT THAT'S UNDER 3,000 SQUARE FEET, IF THEY WANT TO GO TOWN TO PERMITS TO MAKE ANYTHING WHICH IS MORE THAN A MINOR REPAIR TO THEIR HOMES, THEY WILL HAVE TO GO TO DO WHAT'S CALLED A REZONING IDZ, WHICH REQUIRE A NUMBER OF MORNING MEETINGS, A SITE PLAN BEING SUBMITTED, AND FEES OF AT LEAST $800.
FOR THESE CONSTITUENTS, IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE, AND WITH THAT, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THERE IS ALMOST DISCRIMINATION WRITTEN INTO THE ZONING CODE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT'S BEEN BURNT DOWN, THAT'S BEEN KNOCKED DOWN FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INSTEAD OF IT BEING BUILT AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, IT WILL REMAIN AS A VACANT LOT.
AND THESE SAID COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE SCENARIOS TO WHERE THEY BECOME EYE SORES IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO BECOME VERY PALATABLE FOR CRIME AND FOR DRUGS AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE, AND THEN IT CONTINUES THE NARRATIVE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING THESE CONSTITUENTS DO NOT HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
I PRAY AND HOPE THAT TODAY YOU HAVE NOT COME HERE TODAY WITH YOUR MINDS ALREADY MADE UP BASED UPON THE FEAR OF DEVELOPERS LOOKING FOR A LOOPHOLE TO MAKE MONEY, BUT RATHER THAT WE USE EMPATHY TO CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN SUPPRESSED AND REMAIN VOICELESS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SO FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MR. RICKY KUSHNER? FOLLOWED BY JOHN COOLEY.
>> I'M FREDERICKA KUSHNER, AND I LIVE IN TOBIN HILL.
AND BEFORE I MAKE ANY SORT OF A -- READ ANYTHING, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WE IN TOBIN HILL HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DEAL WITH INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONE ZONING.
AND IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN DOES NOT ALLOW FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA, AND YET OUR CITY HAS ENCOURAGED IT, AND SO YOU WILL SEE LITTLE POT MARKS ALL OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAP THAT ARE IDZ, INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
WE WOULD PREFER SOMETHING THAT -- THAT WORKS BETTER WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONE, WHEN YOU FIRST THINK ABOUT THE WORDS, I ALWAYS THINK OF -- ABOUT INNER CITY, LARGE BUILDING ON ONE SIDE, A LARGE BUILDING ON ANOTHER, AND A VACANT LOT IN BETWEEN.
IT'S UNDERUTILIZED, FILL IT IN.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
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SO I THINK THAT THIS PLAN TO REVISE INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONING AND ALSO TO ADD R-1 AND R-2 AND MXD IS GOING TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS QUITE A BIT.THE AMENDMENTS TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE PERTAINING TO IDZ R-1 AND R-2 AND MXD ZONING DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME IN COMING.
THEY ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO CONTROL DEVELOPMENT IN THE INNER AND MIDCITY NEIGHBORHOODS, MUCH OF IT BROUGHT ON BY THE SA TOMORROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THEY WILL HELP BOTH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE DEVELOPERS.
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT PERFECT, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AND LESS UNPREDICTABLE THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
I URGE YOU TO APPROVE THESE AMENDMENTS.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. KUSHNER.
JOHN COOLEY FOLLOWED BY CHERISH AURORA ALAGRINI.
JOHN COOLEY? MRS. AURORA ALAGRINI? DR. CHRISTINE DRENEN?
>> HI, I'M CHAR REESE ALAGRINI WITH THE LAVACA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I ACTUALLY WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK, BUT I WILL SINCE I'M HERE.
AND WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THESE CHANGES.
THE LAVACA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS AN HISTORIC DISTRICT SO WE HAVEN'T HAD SOME OF THE PRESSURE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE HAD, HOWEVER WE DO FEEL THE PROBLEM WITH HOUSING AND PROPERTIES THAT ARE INCORRECTLY ZONED.
AND SO WE FEEL THAT THESE CHANGES WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES FOR BOTH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS THE WHOLE INNER CITY, WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF THESE ISSUES ARE OCCURRING.
SO WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. ALAGRINI.
DR. CHRISTINE DRENEN? FOLLOWED BY ANN ANGLET.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE URBAN CITY'S PROGRAM AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE CREATION OF THE TWO NEW ZONING CODES NEW ZONING CODES , THERE THEY ARE, R-1 AND R-2.
CURRENTLY I'VE COUNTED ABOUT 2,075 LOTS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE UNDER 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
58 ARE VACANT, 1,986 HAVE A SINGLE HOUSE ON THEM.
AND THESE MAPS OF THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS, THE LITTLE TINY TEENY PINK DOTS ARE THESE LOTS THAT ARE RIGHT NOW CONSIDERED SUBSTANDARD AND UNABLE TO BUILD ON OR HAVE -- A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THEM HAVE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES ON THEM.
THEY EXIST IN EVERY SINGLE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
BUT IN DIFFERENT FORMS, AND WITH DIFFERENT POTENTIAL.
THESE SMALL LOTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY VACANT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE ZONING RESTRICTIONS.
THOSE THAT HAVE A HOUSE ARE LARGELY VULNERABLE DUE TO INAPPROPRIATE CURRENT ZONING.
IN THE EARLY STAGES OF A SEVERE HOUSING SHORTAGE.
MANY SAY THAT THE SOLUTION TO OUR HOUSING CRISIS LIES WITH THE STATE, BUT WE KNOW THAT IF WE WAIT FOR THE STATE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY ISSUE, IT WILL BE TOO LATE AND OUR CRISIS WILL DEEPEN, SO WE MUST LOOK FOR AND CREATE LOCAL TOOLS THAT ARE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHILE PRESERVING THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE IN FAVOR OF THE CORRECTION OF R-1 AND R-2, THUS RECOGNIZING THAT THESE SMALL LOTS ARE A VALUABLE PIECE OF OUR HOUSING INVENTORY.
THESE LOTS -- THESE TOOLS ARE SOPHISTICATED ONES, BECAUSE THEY SERVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS IN DIFFERENT PLACES, AND IF DEPLOYED PROPERLY, ARE CAPABLE OF DIFFERENT OUTCOMES IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
IN SOME AREAS THEY ARE TOOLS OF PRESERVATION.
AND AS WE MOVE MORE AND MORE DEEPLY INTO PROPERLY LED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN NEIGHBORHOODS BEAR THE COST BECAUSE THEY RESIDE ON PROPERTY THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY NOT BEING USED IN THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE IF DEFINED ECONOMICALLY.
MANY SETTLED IN THESE -- SETTLED AND BUILT NEIGHBORHOODS IN ONCE UNATTRACTIVE AND LESS VALUABLE LAND AROUND THE INNER CITY, NEAR THE CREEKS, NEAR THE OLD SLAUGHTER HOUSES, NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND WE'VE LOST A LOT OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
IN TIME, THAT PROPERTY'S INCREASED IN VALUE AND NOW IS DESIRED BY OTHERS, OFTEN DUE TO PUBLIC INVESTMENT, YET WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE BLEJED TO SAVE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND PRESERVE
[01:50:01]
THEM.SO THIS TOOL IS CRITICAL IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
THESE SMALL LOTS ARE CURRENTLY ZONED INAPPROPRIATELY.
MOST FREQUENTLY MF33 AND MAKING THEM VULNERABLE.
IN THESE AREAS THE TOOLS ARE -- OUR TOOLS ARE PRESERVATION.
AND THIS WOULD ALSO ENABLE US TO CREATE SOME OF THE DENSITY THAT WITHOUT CHALLENGING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS.
IN OTHER AREAS THESE SAME TOOLS ARE TOOLS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE VACANT SMALL LOTS THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT GENERATING THE INCOME THAT WE DESIRE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, DR. DRENEN.
>> HI, I'M ANN ANGLET AND I LIVE IN DELLVIEW, AND I'M ALSO SUPPORTING FOR THE BOLIN CENTER FOR ADVOCACY.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO KNOW ABOUT ZONING AND PLANNING, SO BEAR WITH ME.
BUT I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER AND THE THE CULTURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ONE OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE IS IF WE DON'T -- LIKE IN DELLVIEW, THE SUBAREA PLANNING PROCESS IS COMING UP IN 2020, IF WE DON'T HAVE OUR LAND USE AND ZONING MAPS TAKEN CARE OF, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE INCORRECT DATA TO LOOK AT.
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IS OUR ZONING PLAN OF 2002 FOR DELLVIEW.
IN THIS MAP, THIS WAS DONE IN ABOUT 2010, MAYBE, AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE TWO YELLOW MARKINGS ON THAT DOCUMENT RUN FROM ESSENTIAL LISA VAN THAT TO FREE LANE, AND THAT'S HOW THE CURRENT LOOK OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS RIGHT NOW.
HOWEVER, IN LOOKING AT THE NEW GSI -- THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR -- THE GSI MAP, THOSE SAME AREAS THAT THOSE DARK YELLOW SPOTS, AND THAT ENTIRE ZONING AREA IS NOW GOING IN FOR COMPLETE BLOCK, SOMETIMES EIGHT TO 10 HOUSES DEEP RIGHT OFF THE CORRIDOR OF VANCE JACKSON VERSUS ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY ZONED FOR ONLY WHAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE ONE TO TWO HOUSES IN.
INSTEAD NOW, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, THIS DATA JUST HAPPENS TO SHOW UP, CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED.
AND I FIND THAT TO BE SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC.
SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TURNOVER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED, AND I THINK WITH THE ZONING -- AUDIO] -- THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT LAST MONTH, SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE WORKING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MAN, DISTRICT 1'S OFFICE, SHOWING ME SOME OF THESE THINGS AND HOW TO USE THE GSI MAP, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE'S MANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT AS THIS ONE, AND SO I'M LOOKING AT WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SO THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND WE CAN STOP IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE NEED THE IDZ.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MRS. ANGLET.
COSAMA COAL -- COOLEY -- COLVIN.
MR. GARCIA, IT SAYS YOU'RE YIELDING TIME TO -- MR. GARCIA, YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP AND USE YOUR TIME AFTER?
>> YEAH, I THINK I CAN DO MINE IN THE THREE MINUTES, ALTHOUGH BEFORE I START, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCILWOMEN GONZALES, VIAGRAN AND SANDOVAL FOR THEIR WORK AND THE ENTIRE COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING THE WOMEN THIS MORNING AND FOR THOSE WOMEN THAT ARE IN THE ROOM THAT I GET TO WORK WITH AND THAT I RESPECT AND THAT I ADMIRE FOR THE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY IN THE CITY.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS.
THE TEAR 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION IS A GROUP OF SAN ANTONIO INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS ORGANIZED TO PROMOTE BROAD BASED CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.
TEAR 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION ADVOCATES FOR A SENSIBLE BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTING AND ENHANCING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT OF SAN ANTONIO'S OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC POLICIES WHILE PRESERVING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND CULTURE.
THE TIER 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE SUPPORTS THE ORDINANCES FOR INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONING, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING R-1 AND R-2 AS WELL AS MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND VETTED BY THE IDZ TASK FORCE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE BELIEVED THE PROPOSED IDZ ORDINANCE WHICH SEPARATES IDZ
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INTO THREE CATEGORIES BASED ON INTENSITY OF USE, SIZE OF LOTS AND CORRESPONDING LEVELS OF SITE REQUIREMENTS ADDRESSES NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS THAT PROMPTED COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S AND MEDINA'S CCR IN APRIL OF 2017.THIS ORDINANCE IS A FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS AND PROVIDES AN INCREASED LEVEL OF TRANCE TRANSPARENCY FOR NAIBTS AND DEVELOPERS ALIKE.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE ALSO SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING CATEGORIES R-1 AND R-2.
THIS TYPE OF ZONING WOULD ADDRESS IMPROPERLY ZONED SMALLER RESIDENTIAL LOTS FOUND IN SAN ANTONIO'S OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW AN ACCURATE DEVELOPMENT OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES ON THESE SMALLER LOTS.
THIS NEW RESIDENTIAL ZONING THAT RELIES ON SETBACKS AND HEIGHT STANDARDS WOULD BE AUGUSTMENTED BY CURRENT CITY CODES.
[INDISCERNIBLE] IN OUR INNER NEIGHBORHOODS CHARACTER.
FURTHER MORE THE COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE SUPPORTS BECAUSE IT OFFERS FLEXIBILITY IN DEVELOPING NEIGHBORHOOD CORRIDORS MAKING FOR A MORE WALKABLE AND SUSTAINABLE MIXED USE ENVIRONMENT.
A SITE PLAN REQUIREMENT WITH LOT SPECIFICATIONS AND BUILDING STIPULATIONS OFFERS A LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR ABUTTING SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICTS WHILE STRENGTHENING CORRIDORS.
THE TIER 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE VIEWS THESE PROPOSED ORDINANCES AS A FIRST IN A SERIES OF COMPROMISING STEPS ENSURING OUR LEGACY NEIGHBORHOOD'S PARTICIPATION IN SAN ANTONIO'S FUTURE.
AS A LATERALLY ALIGNED COALITION OF NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ENCOURAGE OUR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES, BUT WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTED THE MAJORITY OF THEM FAIRLY.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. COLVIN.
>> GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEMBERS.
MY NAME IS TONY GARCIA, I LIVE IN THE MONTE VISTA HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF THE MONTE VISTA HISTORIC ASSOCIATION AND A COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE COALITION.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CITY'S IDZ TASK FORCE.
THE ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF IDZ, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING R-1 AND R-2 AS WELL AS THE AMENDED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ZONING MXD.
WE BELIEVE THE PROPOSED IDZ ORDINANCE IS THE FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT OUT -- THAT BROUGHT OUT THE CCR BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND FORMER COUNCILMAN MEDINA BACK IN APRIL OF 2017.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CREATES A SET OF STANDARDS WHICH INCREASES THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND LEVEL OF CLARITY THAT ALLOWS FOR BETTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS, DEVELOPERS AND THE CITY.
WE BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE IS GOOD FOR BOTH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE DEVELOPER.
RESIDENTIAL ZONING OF R-1 AND R-2 ADDRESSES A ZONING NEED IN MANY OF OUR INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
SINCE NO ZONING EXISTS IN THE UDC FOR THESE SMALLER LOTS, MANY OF THESE LOTS CURRENTLY EXIST WITH INAPPROPRIATE ZONING.
WE BELIEVE R-1 AND R-2 WITH THEIR BUILD STANDARDS WILL BE A GUIDE FOR APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT AND A STIMULUS FOR AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IN OUR INNER CITY.
FINALLY WE SUPPORT THE AMENDED MXD ORDINANCE WHICH ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ALONG OUR CORRIDORS AND OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.
THE ORDINANCES ALSO AFFORDS THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR ADJACENT SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICTS.
IN SUMMARY, THE ASSOCIATION IS IN FAVOR OF THESE PROPOSALS AS IT ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, INCREASES THE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY, ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS, DEVELOPERS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTING SENSITIVE INFILL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.
WE ASK THE SUPPORT OF CITY COUNCIL.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MR. GRACE ROSE GONZALES?
MY NAME IS GRACE ROSE GONZALES AND I'M A BUSINESS OWNER AT THE INCOMING PRESIDENT OF KEYSTONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE PAST ZONING COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND DURING MY TENURE ON ZONING, I SAW SERIOUS NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO THIS IDZ ON INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE BEACON HILL,
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ALTA VISTA AND TOBIN HILL.THE ZONING MEETINGS WOULD BE FILLED WITH COMMITTEE AND HOMEOWNERS DEVASTATED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRUCTURES THAT DID NOT FIT IN THE FABRIC OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY FELT OVERWHELMED.
BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE, I APPROACHED COUNCILMEMBERS TREVINO AND MEDINA AND A CCR WAS GENERATED FOR THE WORK ON IDZ.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN -- COUNCILWOMAN ANNA ANA SANDOVAL R CONTINUING ON THIS EFFORT, AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP TO PROTECT RICH BUT FRAGILE INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND TIER 1, A CONSORTIUM OF OVER 40 INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THEIR WORK TO MAKE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS RESPECTED, PROTECTED AND MADE BETTER.
AND I JUST SORT OF HAVE A SMALL STORY.
AS WE WERE WALKING THROUGH, I GUESS A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I CONVEYED TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO THAT AS A STUDENT IN ARCHITECTURE, I SAT IN FRONT OF HOUSES AT FULTON STREET AND DREW THEM.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT WAS AN ASSIGNMENT, YOU HAD TO GO AND FIND SOME REALLY INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, ARCHITECTURE.
AND SO ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I SAW THIS YOUNG MAN PHOTOGRAPHING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS HE DOING? I WALKED OUTSIDE, I SAID EXCUSE ME.
OH, I'M AN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT AND I'M PHOTOGRAPHING SOME REALLY WONDERFUL HOMES, AND I LOVE YOUR HOME.
I WAS LIKE, OH, THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED LEGACY.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I HOPE ALL OF YOU SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. GONZALES.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE MISSION SAN JOSE ASSOCIATION AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR ASSOCIATION TO SUPPORT THE IDZ ORDINANCE.
WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE R-1 AND R-2 ADDITIONS SINCE BOTH WOULD ALLOW FOR HOMES TO BE BUILT ON SMALLER LOTS THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY DOES NOT ALLOW.
MANY MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO BUILD SMALLER HOMES ON THEIR SMALLER LOTS.
OUR ORGANIZATION ALSO SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT WOULD ASSIST NEIGHBORHOODS AND DEVELOPERS TO WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP MIXED USE CONSTRUCTION THAT FITS IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S CHARACTER.
THE POLICIES THAT THE IDZ COMMITTEE WORKED ON FOR THE LAST YEAR ARE POSITIVE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS, DEVELOPERS AND FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THROUGH, MRS. ZUNIGA.
YENA FLORES FOLLOWED BY ROSE HILL.
>> MY NAME IS YENA FLORES, I'M WITH THE ESPARANZA CENTER.
TODAY WE ARE HERE IN AGREEMENT WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
WE BELIEVE THAT IMPLEMENTING R-1 AND R-2 ZONING CODES IS RETURNING POWER TO THE COUNTLESS FAMILIES WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN LOT SIZE BETWEEN 1002000 SQUARE FEET, MANY OF THESE HISTORIC HOUSES ARE A PART OF SAN ANTONIO'S UNIQUE HISTORY.
THIS IS A SMALL STEP TOWARDS CREATING A MORE COMPASSIONATE AND COMMUNITY CENTERED CITY.
WE HAVE SEEN THESE DEVELOPERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR COMMUNITY TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THEY ARE DESTROYING THE VERY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAKE SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO.
CURRENTLY THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS THAT CONTINUE TO MAKE ANY UPDATE TO THESE HOMES INACCESSIBLE, AND TODAY WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT IMPLEMENTING R-1 AND R-2 CODING AND DO SO IN FAVOR OF SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORIC WEST SIDE.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THROUGH MRS. FLORES.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON CITY COUNCIL, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN CRUZ.
MY NAME IS ROSE HILL AND I'M PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
FIRST OF ALL I'D JUST LIKE TO ADVISE YOU THAT GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE HAS WORKED VERY HARD THE LAST YEARS TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE TAKEN THE HARDEST HIT WHEN DEVELOPMENT
[02:05:01]
CAME INTO OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS THE COMMUNITY INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONFUSES US IS HOW DO YOU STOP GROWTH? HOW DO YOU STOP IT? BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY CAN TELL ME, PLEASE DO.THE TIME -- IT'S LIKE A TIME CLOCK, IT DOESN'T STAND.
WE DO WANT TO PRESERVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED TO US AT THE PEARL BREWERY JUST TOOK OFF AND WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS RUNNING THAT FAST.
AND HERE WE ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH IT.
I DO -- I AM IN FAVOR OF THE R-1 AND R-2, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ASK COUNCILMAN TREVINO ALSO TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT ON THE SMALLER LOTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT THE BIGGER LOTS? WHEN YOU HAVE THESE BIGGER LOTS THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR THESE FAMILIES TO COME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT THEM AT? WE JUST DON'T KNOW THOSE ANSWERS.
AND PEOPLE ARE ASKING US EVERY DAY, WE WANT TO LIVE IN GOVERNMENT HILL.
WE WANT TO MOVE IN AND WE WANT TO BRING OUR CHILDREN, WE WANT TO BRING OUR FAMILIES IN, BUT WHAT DO WE TELL THEM? THAT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT AS A PRESIDENT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
IT'S HARD FOR US AS PRESIDENTS TO COME AND BE EABL TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND BE ABLE TO BE FAITHFUL AND HONEST WITH BOTH SIDES, THE ONES THAT ARE FOR IT AND THE ONES THAT ARE AGAINST IT.
AND IT PUTS US IN A SITUATION WHERE LIKE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE AND WE'RE GOING, LIKE, OKAY, WHAT'S THE RIGHT WAY AND WHAT'S THE WRONG WAY? SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY ANSWERS TO THAT, PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS, LET US KNOW, BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE OUR JOB A LOT EASIER.
AS IDZ IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPERS BECAUSE THEY'VE COME IN AND I WANT TO THANK THE ZONING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE -- THEY'RE ADAMANTLY ABOUT TELLING THESE DEVELOPERS COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS FIRST BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THAT PROCESS WITH US.
WE THE BOARD DON'T MAKE THE DECISIONS, WE TAKE IT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO OUR MEMBERS, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAKE THE DECISIONS.
SO ULTIMATELY, I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR ACTUALLY HAVING THAT DIALOGUE WITH US SO WE CAN HAVE A COLLABORATION WITH THE DEVELOPERS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THOSE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE GOOD, AND YOU HAVE THOSE ONES THAT ARE BAD.
WE'RE FORTUNATE WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT, BUT --
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. HILL.
THAT CONCLUDES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM 14.
>> THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
MY NAME IS DAWN HANSON AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 1 AND I'M ALSO A COFOUNDER OF SAN ANTONIO NEIGHBORHOODS FOR EVERYONE, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR IDZ2 AND CURRENTLY IN IDZ, THERE'S NO PARKING REQUIREMENT, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M OPPOSED TO NOW REQUIRING PARKING WITH IDZ.
THE TWO BIGGEST THREATS TO AN EFFECTIVE INEFFICIENT MODERN TRANSPORTATION -- OR TRANSIT SYSTEM ARE A CITY FAILING TO UPZONE AND A CITY WITH TOO MUCH PARKING.
SAN ANTONIO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP WITH OTHER MODERN CITIES WITH BUS RAPID TRANSIT OR TRACKLESS TRAINS, BUT IF IT DOES, WE WILL QUICKLY LEARN THAT THE POLICIES THAT ARE CREATED TODAY WILL STUNT THE GROWTH OF TRANSIT TOMORROW.
THERE ARE NO OTHER EXAMPLES OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND HOSTILE AS STATED GOALS OF THE CITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAN REQUIRING OFFSTREET PARKING.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE REQUIREMENT OF OFFSTREET PARKING GENERATES ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, INCREASED VEHICLE'S MILES TRAVEL, REDUCES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRANSIT, CREATES UNSAFE WALKING AND BIKING ENVIRONMENTS, REDUCING THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND IMPACTS OUR ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM.
MANY CITIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CINCINNATI, JACKSONVILLE, HOUSTON ARE CHANGING ZONING AND PARKING REQUIREMENTS TO REDUCE AND/OR ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT AND ARE ADEQUATELY PRICING PARKING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DRIVERS IN THE URBAN CORE.
SOME CITIES LIKE MEXICO CITY ARE EVEN TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER AND GETTING RID OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND ONLY ALLOWING A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARKING SPACE TO BE BUILT.
SO CONSIDER THIS, A DEVELOPER COULD BUILD MORE HOME AND APARTMENTS THAT ARE MORE LARGE CANOPY STREET TREES, INVEST IN WIDER SIDEWALKS AND BIKE LANES, SO BY THE TIME SHE'S 16, THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES OR PARKING.
THE FUTURE IS SHARED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, MASS TRANSIT, WALKING AND BIKING.
IF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO BUILD USELESS PARKING IT WILL AGAIN SEE ITSELF DECADES BEHIND OTHER MODERN CITIES WITH ITS
[02:10:01]
POLICIES IT TAKES POLITICAL WILL TO GO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE GREATER GOOD THAN DOING WHAT A FEW LOUD CONSTITUENTS DESIRE.SO WE ASK THAT YOU REMOVE THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE REFORMED IDZ [INDISCERNIBLE] WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION AND PRESERVING CHARACTER, I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE LEGACY IS PRESERVING.
IF YOU GO BACK TO THE HISTORY OF ZONING, BACK TO THE '40S AND '50S, LARGE LOT SINGLE FAMILY ZONING WAS CREATED TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE.
TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE OF COLOR, TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE OF LOWER CLASS, SO THAT'S THE LEGACY THAT WE'RE PRESERVING WITH PRESERVING THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, MRS. HANSON.
THAT CONCLUDES THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM NUMBER 14.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
>> TREVINO: THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
AT THIS MOMENT, I THINK MIKE SHANNON HAS A PRESENTATION TO GO THROUGH AND THEN WE'LL TAKE COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCILMEMBERS.
SO I'M HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROPOSED IDZ UPDATES ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER SECTIONS INCLUDING MXD AND R-1, R-2 WHICH YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.
SO AS YOU HEARD, THIS ALL STARTED OVER A YEAR AGO WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO, FORMER COUNCILMAN MEDINA AND ALSO SUPPORTED BY COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WHICH WAS A CCR THAT ASKED THE CITY STAFF TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT IDZ ZONING DISTRICT WHICH HAD BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT YOU JUST HEARD IS THE CONTINUED USE OF THE IDZ, THE WAY WE HAVE IT IN OUR CODES NOW, HAS PUT A PRESSURE ON SOME EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO MODIFY OUR CODE TO LOOK AT PROTECTING THE CHARACTER INTEGRITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE TOOK THAT ON AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT IDZ, JUST A REFRESHER, THE INFILL DEVELOPMENT ZONE, PART OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 2001.
IT'S ONLY ALLOWED INSIDE LOOP 410 AND IT HAS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY, REDUCTION AND SETBACKS, ELIMINATION OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS, BUFFERS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, SO THAT HAS LED TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT LED TO THE CCR.
SO WHAT DID WE DO? VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ALWAYS DO WHEN WE TRY TO TACKLE ONE OF THESE LARGE PROBLEMS THAT COULD TOUCH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, DEVELOPERS AND REALLY A LOT OF OTHERS, SO WE CONVENED THE TASK FORCE THAT YOU HEARD OF, SOME OF THE MEMBERS HERE GOT UP AND SPOKE, A LOT OF THEM WERE NOT HERE, BUT WE HAD A VERY BALANCED TASK FORCE OF NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WERE SEEING A LOT OF ZERO THIS INFILL PRESSURE, THIS INFILL DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE WANTING TO DEVELOP INFILL DEVELOPMENT, THAT WANT TO COME TO THE TABLE, WANT TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND FIND THOSE RULES THAT CAN MEET BOTH OF THOSE GOALS.
IT WAS GOING ON FOR -- FROM OCTOBER THROUGH JULY.
AND THEY REALLY DID A LOT OF GREAT WORK OVER -- I THINK IT WAS OVER 15 MEETINGS.
WE EVEN WENT OUT TO THE GENERAL COMMUNITY AND GAVE PERIODIC UPDATES.
SO THE BIGGEST ISSUE, WE'LL START WITH THE IDZ.
SO INSTEAD OF HAVING JUST 1IDZ ZONE, WHICH IS IN THE CODE TODAY, WHAT THEY QUICKLY REALIZED IS THAT ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL, RIGHT? SO BASED ON THE LEVEL OF INTENSITY OF A DEVELOPMENT, THE TASK FORCE QUICKLY IDENTIFIED THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS OR THREE DIFFERENT PROPOSED IDZS, WE'RE JUST GOING TO CALL THEM IDZ ONCE, TWO AND AT LEAST.
I'LL GO OVER THEM HERE IN A FEW SECONDS.
THE OTHER ITEM WAS REQUIRING MORE INFORMATION THROUGH THE PROPOSED ZONING PROCESS.
SO AS YOU ALL KNOW WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO WANT TO REZONE THEIR PROPERTY, THE CURRENT IDZ REQUIRES A SITE PLAN BUT IT'S VERY BASIC.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION.
SO HOW CAN WE GET A MORE DETAILED SITE INFORMATION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND IT THROUGH THE PROCESS SO THAT CITY STAFFS, NEIGHBORHOODS AND EVENTUALLY THE ZONING COMMISSION AND YOU ALL WHO HAVE TO MAKE THAT FINAL DECISION.
SO WE ALSO CREATED SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT, DEPENDING ON YOUR INTENSITY.
THE SETBACK ISSUES WERE ADJUSTED A LITTLE BIT, AND THERE HAVE BEEN -- AND TWO OF THEM, THERE WILL BE SOME MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
STILL SOME FLEXIBILITY FROM BASIC, BUT WE'LL GO TO THE 50% NUMBER.
SO HERE'S THE COMPARISON SLIDE.
I HATE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IT'S TOO SMALL, TOO DETAILED.
IT'S A GREAT ONE TO PUT IN YOUR OFFICE TO USE, IT'S A GOOD SUMMARY, BUT I HATE GIVING A PRESENTATION WITH IT, BUT I'LL USE IT.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THE LIMITED INTENSITY IDZ 1, MIDDENSTY, 2, AND HIGH DENSITY, 3.
SO REALLY WHAT IT LOOKS AT IS USES, IT GETS MORE INTENSE AS YOU GO UP THE LADDER.
THE DETAIL SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE GROUND PLAN COMPARISON FORM WAS DEVELOPED AS A REQUIREMENT, AND THEN ALSO THE MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT.
BUT THE BIG ISSUE THERE IS THERE WILL BE MORE OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPERS AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITY STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSIONS AND YOU-ALL TO FIND
[02:15:01]
THE RIGHT IDZ, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THAT PARTICULAR SITE.SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE SITE PLAN, AND WE LOOKED AT THE BEFORE AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, SO THE BEFORE SITE PLAN WAS JUST HERE'S MY LOT OR LOTS, AND ON THE LEFT WE CALL OUT SOME USES, SOME COMMERCIAL AND MIXED RESIDENTIAL USES, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND WHAT REALLY THAT DOESN'T GIVE A LOT OF INFORMATION, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A MORE DETAILED SITE PLAN.
SHOW US WHERE THE BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO BE, SHOW US WHERE THE PARKINGS ARE GOING TO BE, SHOW US WHERE THE BUFFERS ARE GOING TO BE AND THOSE TYPE.
IT CAN STILL BE A SCHEMATIC SITE PLAN, BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CITY STAFF, ZONING COMMISSION TERES TERES -- COMMISSIONERS AND YOU-ALL KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
WHEN WE PRESENTED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS IS THIS GOING TO BURDEN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BY CREATING A VERY ENGINEERED OR ARCHITECTED EXPENSIVE SITE PLAN.
YOU'RE STILL ALLOWED TO DO KIND OF A HAND DRAWING, AND WE HAVE STAFF THAT HELP THEM WITH A HAND DRAWN SITE PLAN USING SOME GRAPHING PAPER.
WE DO THAT NOW WITH SOME OF OUR SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, AND, AGAIN, THE SITE PLAN WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL IDZ 1 AND SMALLER IDZ 2 AND 3.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE PROCESS THIS PROCESS IS WAIVED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT A SINGLE FAMILY HOME LOOKS LIKE, THE RULES AND SETBACKS, AND SO I THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO WAIVE THAT.
THERE WILL BE A MAJOR AND MODERN AMENDMENT PROCESS ASSOCIATED.
THERE'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A HAND DRAWN APPROPRIATE SITE PLAN THAT HAS ALL THE EXTRA INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO THE OTHER ISSUE THAT CAME OUT, THIS IS A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU ALL HEAR IN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WE DO NOW IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, ESPECIALLY -- AUDIO] -- INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS, IDZ3 IS TO FILL OUT THIS FORM, IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO FILL OUT, IT'S NOT ONEROUS, BUT WHAT IT SAYS IS NOT ONLY WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING BUT WHAT ARE THOSE PROPERTIES AROUND YOU, WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? ARE THEY SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE STORY HOMES THAT ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM YOU, NEXT TO YOU? SO THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHAT IS COMPATIBLE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO APPROVE OR DENY A PROCESS, BUT IT BRINGS MORE INFORMATION TO THE TABLE.
SO HERE ARE SOME SITE PLANS ON THE LARGER PROJECTS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE STILL VERY SCHEMATIC, THINK OF THE PEARL BREWERY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THAT STARTED, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE DETAILS BUT WE DO HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR THE IDZ 2, 3, THAT THEY HAVE TO SHOW PROPOSED USERS AND BUILDABLE AREA.
SO AGAIN, IDZ 1, 2 AND 3, NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL BUT IT HELPS US GET MORE INFORMATION, MORE OPTIONS TO BOTH THE APPLICANTS, THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND YOU-ALL EVENTUALLY WHEN YOU'RE DECIDING ON THESE.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, OR YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEXT PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS WHAT ABOUT OUR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
AND WHAT THE TASK FORCE FOUND OUT WAS, HEY, IT'S BEEN IN THE BOOKS FOR, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS OR SO, BUT NO ONE'S REALLY USING IT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY RESTRICTIVE, MEANING THEY'RE PUSHING TOWARDS THE IDZ BECAUSE IT'S GIVING THEM A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY.
SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A COUPLE OF TWEAKS TO THE MIXED USE DISTRICT, WE'RE STREAMLINING THE SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW SOME AMENDMENT FLEXIBILITY, LIKE WE DO WITH OTHERS, WHETHER IT BE A CONDITIONAL USE OR THE MPCD ZONING DISTRICT.
WE ADDED SOME SETBACK AND HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS TO THIS TO PROTECT SINGLE FAMILY AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MIGHT BE NEXT DOOR TO A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THAT WANTS TO USE THIS, SO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY HEIGHT RESTRICTED, IF YOU'RE WITHIN 50 FEET OF THAT.
AND THERE WILL BE SOME LOCATION REQUIREMENTS ON THAT SITE PLAN.
SO THEN THE LAST ITEM, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF TESTIMONY ALREADY OR COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS WAS THE CREATION OR -- OF R-1 AND R-2.
AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR SMALLEST SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT IS R-3.
WE'RE PROPOSING AN R-1 AND R-2 DISTRICT, AND THIS WOULD ALLOW JUST A BASIC SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL R-1 OR R-2 FOR MUCH SMALLER LOTS THAN WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE CODE FOR MINIMUM OF 3,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE R-1 WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 1250 AND THE R-2 WOULD BE 2000.
AGAIN, MORE OPTIONS SO THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE TO JUMP TO THE IDZ SEWN -- ZONE AND ASK FOR THAT TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY.
THIS WOULD BE AN OPTION THAT WOULD TELL PEOPLE IT'S GOING TO BE A SING M FAMILY HOME, WITH BASIC RULES, SETBACKS, HEIGHTS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
WHAT I WILL TELL YOU THAT CAME OUT OF THE TASK FORCE WAS A LIMITATION OF 10 ACRES ON THAT.
WHEN WE WENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THAT THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO GET STARTED WITH.
THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO LIMIT THAT TO 1 ACRE WHICH IS WHAT I'M PROPOSING TODAY.
[02:20:02]
1 ACRE DEVELOPMENTS FOR R-1 AND R-2.A AND THERE'S SOME PROS AND CONS AS YOU CAN SEE THAT.
ALTERNATIVE TO IDZ, I MENTIONED THAT, MAXIMUM USE OF LAND FOR THOSE THAT ARE SMALL PARCELS.
SOME OF THE CONS, OR THE NEGATIVES WE HEARD, WELL, THIS MIGHT -- IT MIGHT CREATE A VERY DENSE SMALL HOMED SUBDIVISION, MAYBE WE DON'T NEED IT SO MUCH IF WE HAVE THE IDZ CHANGES WE WILL, BUT WE THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO GO FOR AN R-1 AND R-2 TO BE ADDED TO THE CODE.
SO THE OVERVIEW OF THE UPDATES, THEY'RE LISTED AS A, B AND C IN THE ITEM TODAY, BUT THE IDZ 1, E REVISION OF THE IDZ, SOME UPDATES TO THE MXD CODE AND THE CREATION OF R-1 AND R-2.
WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE GETTING TO THE END IF I CAN HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON.
AND THAT WAS THE TIMELINE, SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A WHILE.
WE CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THOSE THREE ITEMS AS I JUST DESCRIBED AND THEN, OF COURSE, MANY OF THOSE THAT WERE HERE TO SPEAK ALREADY, WE REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM.
THEY PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK INTO THIS, THE TASK FORCE, OUR CITY STAFF, CAT AND MELISSA, THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
REALLY A LOT OF WORK PUT INTO THIS TO BRING IT FORWARD TODAY.
WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN TREVINO?
>> TREVINO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANKS, MIKE.
THANK YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, I WANT TO THANK ROD, CAT, MELISSA FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
THIS IS A METHODICAL PROCESS, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON IT.
I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO THANK THE TASK FORCE THAT HAS WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THIS, ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SERVED ON THIS IDZ TASK FORCE CREATED IN THE MIDDLE OF 2017, AS YOU POINTED OUT, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS AND THE APPROACH TO THIS.
GRACE ROSE, THANK YOU AGAIN FROM WAY BACK, YOU KNOW, IT'S -- THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO APPOINT PEOPLE TO YOUR COMMISSIONS THAT THEY CAN GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT AND WHILE SHE WAS NOT MY APPOINTEE, SHE WORKED A LOT WITH MY APPOINTEE AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE KIND OF ISSUES AND WHAT IS BEING SEEN BY THE ENTIRE ZONING COMMISSION AND HOW WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY ADDRESSING OR HAPPENING IN LEGACY AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ZONING MISTRANSLATIONS.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, MIKE, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD SITE PLANS, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE SIMPLY JUST, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S UP AND SO I HAD -- I HAD CHRISSY, MY STAFF, JUST COMPILE -- THIS IS JUST DISTRICT 1 APPROVED SITE PLANS AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF JUST A HAND DRAWN SITE PLAN.
SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HIRE AN ARCHITECT TO GET YOU THERE.
THIS IS JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WANT TO MAKE IT WORK.
AT THE HEART OF THIS IS JUST THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, RIGHT? IDZ, AND HERE IT IS FOR THE RECORD -- IDZ, I CALLED IT A WILDCARD BECAUSE IT JUST SORT OF DEFAULTED TO THAT.
IT'S JUST THE -- WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, SO LET'S GO TO IDZ.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE SIMPLY SAYING IS WE ARE BREAKING THIS OUT INTO DIFFERENT PARTS SO THAT WE CAN GET BETTER UNDERSTANDING, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE MORE CLARITY AND DISCUSS.
I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN WORK WITH PROPONENT THROUGH THE ZONING APPLICATION PROCESS, WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THAT'S A KEY ELEMENT IS WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
>> TREVINO: AND AT THE HEART OF THIS, TOO, I THINK IT'S ALSO CRITICAL TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS ALSO A GOOD DEVELOPMENT TOOL, RIGHT? SO TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY DEVELOPERS, THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPERS FOR THAT MATTER, THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE FACT THAT THIS IS -- THIS IS NOT RESTRICTIVE IN ANY WAY.
>> SHANNON: YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY SO.
SO THE TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS COMPRISED OF BOTH, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS, NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY WERE REALLY ALL WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SAME GOAL.
WE WANT DEVELOPMENT, WE WANT HAPPEN, SO THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT PROCESS AND RULES TO ENSURE THAT KIND OF MUTUAL GOAL.
>> TREVINO: AGAIN, AS WE KNOW, ONE OF THE -- ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS THAT DRIVES A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY WITH REGARDS TO ZONING IS HOW NEIGHBORHOODS FEEL THEY'RE BEING IMPACTED, RIGHT? AND AT THE HEART OF THIS IS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT -- SOME NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE THOSE PLANS AND HOW WE WANT TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, THOSE THAT ARE DEVELOPING THEIR PLANS AND HOW WE WANT TO HELP SUPPORT
[02:25:01]
THAT.HOW -- HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY HELP SHAPE SOME OF THIS -- THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING QUITE OFTEN, SPECIFICALLY IN THE INNER CITY?
>> SHANNON: WELL, I THINK THE PROPOSED CHANGES TODAY, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT DISCUSSION OF, YOU KNOW, MORE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND HAVING DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO BEST FIT NOT ONLY THE DEVELOPER'S NEEDS BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NEED TO PROTECT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN, I THINK HAVING MORE OPTIONS LIKE THAT, THAT WILL JUST -- YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND DEVELOPERS, AND ALSO CITY STAFF.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF DEFAULTS GOING TO IDZ WITH THE CURRENT CODE TREIVES RIGHT.
>> SHANNON: IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR A LOT OF PROJECTS, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN TODAY'S TIME, WE NEED THESE PROPOSED CHANGES TO REALLY FIND THAT RIGHT IDZ OR THE RIGHT R-1 OR R-2, BECAUSE, AGAIN, I THINK I MENTIONED, ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THAT WE'RE FINDING RIGHT NOW AND THIS WILL CERTAINLY HELP WITH THAT.
IN FACT, I THINK IT HELPS TO DRIVE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MORE CHOICES, WE HAVE MORE OPTIONS, AND THEREFORE WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO -- TO BUILD COMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT'S AT THE HEART OF THIS, SO WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, AGAIN, THE WAY WE'RE SORT OF TRYING TO FIT THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE TOGETHER.
ONE COMPONENT OF THAT IS R-1 AND YESTERDAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
THIS IS HOW YOU DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THE FACT WE HAVE AREAS IN MY DISTRICT AND AS WILL SHOW IN EVERY DISTRICT, THAT REALLY HAVE THIS BARRIER FOR DEVELOPMENT OR IMPROVEMENT, FOR THAT MATTER.
AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT R-1, R-2 CAN HELP ADD TO OUR AFFORDABLE STRATEGY FOR THE CITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EXAMPLES ON THE WEST SIDE, AS WAS MENTIONED BY PASTOR SHAUN PRICE, THAT JUST NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND R-1/R-2 CAN HELP PROVIDE SOME OF THAT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT AN OPTION BUT ALSO CORRECTIVE ZONING MEASURES, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> TREVINO: SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN OUR OFFICE IS LAYER ON ALL THESE PIECES OF THIS VERY COMPLEX PUZZLE TO HELP ALIGN THE STARS.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST SIMPLY RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY ON MY STAFF, BECAUSE I GAVE THIS PERSON A BIG SWORD AND SAID GO AND CONQUER AND GET IT DONE.
CHRISSY, YOU'VE BEEN SWINGING A BIG SWORD.
[APPLAUSE] YOU KNOW, AT THE HEART OF THIS IS WE ABSOLUTELY WANT DEVELOPMENT.
WE ABSOLUTELY WANT GROWTH IN OUR CITY.
WE WANT TO ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, THE NEW GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE COMPATIBLE IN THAT DEVELOPMENT.
AND, CHRISSY, YOU HAVE TAKEN THAT CHARGE SERIOUSLY AND YOU REALLY HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB FOR US.
SIMPLY WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE URBAN CORE AND THE HERITAGE NEIGHBORHOODS OF SAN ANTONIO DESERVE OUR PROTECTION AS WE EMBRACE CHANGE, REDISCOVERY, AND GROWTH IN THE VERY AREAS.
BY RESPONSIBLY CRAFTING POLICIES THAT PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND PLACES OF OUR INNER CITY.
WE WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE EXCITED TO BE PART OF MOVING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE FUTURE.
LASTLY, THE LAST SPEAKER SPOKE ABOUT SIDEWALKS.
ABSOLUTELY, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE A PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY OFFICER POSITION.
WHICH IS WHY I DEMAND A SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN.
WHY IS WHY I WON'T GIVE UP ON SIDEWALKS.
IT'S ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AND I'M NOT GOING TO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT THIS IS A BIG PUZZLE AND I'M JUST GLAD WE'RE GETTING THIS PIECE DONE TODAY.
I ENTHUSIASTICALLY MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 14.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU, ROD, AND THE WHOLE TEAM.
COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND CHRISSY FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK GRACE ROSE GONZALES FOR HER ADVOCACY IN GETTING THE CCR TO COUNCIL IN THE FIRST PLACE AND FOR SEEING THIS THROUGH WITH US TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GRACE ROSE.
[02:30:02]
I WANT TO THANK JORGE DEL GARZA FROM DISTRICT 7 WHO SERVED ON THE TASK FORCE AND LED ONE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES.AS YOU STATED, THIS IS THE RESULT OF OVER PRETTY MUCH A YEAR OF WORK WHICH BEGAN BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
AND FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND THANKS TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL.
MIKE, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND THE REDUCED BY 50% UNDER IDZ 2 AND IDZ 3, DOES THAT APPLY TO BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL?
ONE OF THE SPEAKERS BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THEM ALTOGETHER RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE DO IN THE FUTURE WANT TO LOOK FORWARD AT A COMPREHENSIVE PARKING POLICY THAT WILL ENCOURAGE TRANSIT USE.
I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT -- I THINK IT WAS SHAUN WHO CAME UP AND TALKED ABOUT THE HOURS OF SERVICE AT DSD.
ARE THOSE JUST BASICALLY 8:00 TO 5:00?
>> OUR TYPICAL SERVICE HOURS ARE 7:45 TO 4:30 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
ALTHOUGH WE GENERALLY ARE OPEN UNTIL ABOUT 5:30 SERVING CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE WALKED IN PRIOR TO THE 4:30 HOUR.
SO WE DON'T TURN ANYBODY AWAY IF THEY CAME IN BEFORE.
>> SANDOVAL: HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY REQUESTS TO HAVE EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE?
>> SPORADICALLY I THINK WE HAVE.
BUT WE'VE ACCOMMODATED THOSE UNIQUE REQUESTS TO HELP THEM.
BUT WE DON'T GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR THAT.
I JUST -- SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
SO THANKS FOR YOUR WORK AND I'L.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY REAL QUICKLY.
WE DID EXPERIMENT WITH HAVING THE CENTER OPEN ON WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS.
WE TRACKED THE FOOT COUNT THAT WAS COMING IN.
IT JUST DIDN'T JUSTIFY OPENING UP ON SATURDAYS AND EVENINGS, SO WE DISCONTINUED A COUPLE YEARS BACK.
I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE PROPOSAL TODAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
GREAT JOB AND GREAT WAY TO PUT THIS TOGETHER THAT IS VERY LOGICAL AND GIVES OPTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE THING THAT EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING FOR.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, THOUGH, ON THESE SMALL R-1 AND R-2 AREAS HERE AS FAR AS THE LOT SIZE AND SETBACK REQUIREMENTS ON THOSE.
I KNOW THESE ARE SMALL LOTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD SOMETHING IN THERE, A SMALL HOUSE.
BUT ON THE SETBACK I THINK THE FRONT SETBACK WAS 10 FEET?
>> I'LL JUST PUT THAT SLIDE BACK.
SO THERE'S THE CURRENT PROPOSED ITEMS TODAY FOR R-1 AND R-2.
SO THE MAXIMUM -- THERE'S NO MAXIMUM LOT SIZE PROPOSED RIGHT NOW HERE, BUT THERE'S A MINIMUM LOT SIZE OF 1250 AND 2,000, RESPECTFULLY, AND THE SETBACK IS 10 FEET FOR BOTH AND THE SIDE SETBACK IS FIVE.
THE IDEA IS YOU WOULD CREATE VERY DEFINED SIDE AND FRONT SETBACKS LIKE WE DO IN THE R-3, R-4, AND R-5S.
>> PERRY: I HAVE SEVERAL COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE SINGLE-CAR GARAGE AND THEY'RE NOT VERY BIG.
AND NORMALLY THEY TURN INTO STORAGE UNITS.
THEY DON'T FUNCTION AS A GARAGE.
AND THERE'S A SHORT, VERY SHORT DRIVEWAY THAT THEY CAN'T PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IT STICKS OUT OVER THE SIDEWALK.
SO IT'S FORCING THOSE PEOPLE TO PARK IN THE STREETS.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE HOUSES FACING EACH OTHER, YOU HAVE TWO CARS OUT, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE STREET.
AND IT ACTUALLY MAKES IT TOUGH FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO RESPOND PASSES CODE.
HOW WILL THAT BE HANDLED IN THESE TWO INSTANCES HERE?
>> WELL, THE PROPOSAL IS THE MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK OF 10 FEET.
CERTAINLY, BASED ON THE ACTUAL LOT, IF YOU WERE DEALING WITH SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN 1250 OR BIGGER THAN 2,000,
[02:35:02]
IF YOU CHOOSE.AS YOU DEVELOP IT, YOU CAN DEVELOP A 12 OR 15 OR MORE.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT'S A VERY SMALL LOT COMPARED TO THE TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, R-4, R-5, 4,000, 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
THOSE ISSUES WOULD BE HERE BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY PEOPLE, THEY COULD PARK IN THEIR DRIVEWAY, WHETHER IT'S 10 FEET OR MORE.
THEY CAN'T EXTEND OVER PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS, SIDEWALKS, THAT'S A VIOLATION.
IT IS ALLOWED TODAY TO PARK ON STREETS.
THAT'S ALLOWED IN EVERY SUBDIVISION THAT WE HAVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A SPECIAL NO PARKING ZONE.
>> PERRY: IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ON THE STREET WIDTH BETWEEN THOSE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ON-STREET PARKING ON BOTH SIDES?
I THINK THE PROPOSED R-1 AND R-2 RIGHT NOW DOESN'T ADDRESS ANY CHANGES TO THE NORMAL STREET WIDTHS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CODE TODAY.
CERTAINLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND THIS GETS PASSED TODAY AND WE START SEEING THESE BEING USED, WE COULD TRACK THAT AND LOOK AT OUR 2020 UDC AMENDMENTS, SO IF THERE ARE R-1 AND R-2 TRACTS OF LAND THERE THAT NEED WIDER STREETS, THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE SOMETHING WE LOOK AT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT NEED WILL DEVELOP IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT.
>> PERRY: WELL, THAT HAS DEVELOPED UP IN DISTRICT 10 IN A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AGAIN, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS TO THERE.
IN FACT, YOU CAN'T EVEN GET A FIRE TRUCK THROUGH ON SOME OF THESE STREETS.
DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'LL DO IF THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY UP IN THERE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE JUST NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
>> PERRY: THAT IF THESE DEVELOPMENTS DO START HAPPENING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW GET THEIR CARS OFF OF THE STREETS.
BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, THE SMALL ONE-CAR GARAGES NORMALLY TURN INTO STORAGE UNITS AND THEN THEY CAN'T PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE HANGING OVER THE SIDEWALK.
SO, ANYWAY, JUST SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT IN THE FUTURE IF THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS DO OCCUR HERE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> SALDANA: THANK YOU MICHAEL AND ROD AND THE ENTIRE TEAM.
AS I LOOK THROUGH THE ITEM AND READ THE BACK UP, IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO CAMPAIGN FOR OFFICE WHEN I WAS KNOCKING ON DOORS.
I'LL TELL PEOPLE ABOUT EXPANDING GREEN SPACES AND FILLING POTHOLES AND AMENDING UDC CHAPTER 35 AND HOW I WAS GOING TO BE THERE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE MINUTIA.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'D NEVER REALLY ANYBODY WORRYING ABOUT TOO MUCH UNTIL NEIGHBORHOODS START REALIZING THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS GOING ON THAT WE CAN BLOCK, THAT WE CAN SUPPORT, THAT WE CAN EXPAND TOOLS FOR TO HELP PROTECT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THIS IS ONE THAT IS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF, GOSH, I REALLY ACTUALLY HAVE TO START DIGGING INTO THIS AND UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE WHILE IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY -- WELL, IT DOES APPLY TO ALL DISTRICTS, BUT IT IS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO SOME DISTRICTS THAT SEE THIS MORE.
AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO APPLY AN OPEN MIND, THE WORK THAT IT TOOK TO GET TO THIS POINT.
I APPLAUD COUNCILMAN TREVINO, HIS STAFF, CHRISSY, AND THE TIER ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WHO HAVE BECOME A POWERFUL FORCE HERE AT CITY HALL.
BECAUSE, IN MANY CASES, THEY KNOW THE UDC CODE AND YOUR JOB, MICHAEL, BETTER THAN SOME OF US DO SOMETIMES.
SO I'VE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ON THIS ONE AND I'VE BECOME OPEN MINDED.
I'VE SHIFTED IN MY OPINION TO SUPPORT THE R-1 AND THE R-2.
BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED IN HAVING LARGER DISTRICTS AND DEVELOPERS COME IN AND SAY TAKE DOWN A TEN-ACRE LOT AND GO IN AND START USING THIS NEW TOOL, R-1 AND R-2, WHEN IT'S DESIGNED TO SUPPORT SOME OF THESE SMALLER EMPTY PROPERTIES AND SMALLER LOTS TO HELP PROVIDE TOOLS TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO INVEST AND BUILD.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND IT NOW AND IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET TO THE POINT THAT THIS IS REALLY WHAT IT MEANS.
IN SORT OF PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCING ACT, I TALKED TO A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES AND WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT WAYS WE CAN AMEND IT, IF POSSIBLE, TO NOT AFFECT THE WORK THAT D-1 AND THEIR TEAM HAVE PUT TOGETHER AND THE TIER ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO HAVE COME HERE TO SPEAK LOOK LIKE.
I'M GOING TO READ AN AMENDMENT THAT COUNCILMAN AND I WERE LOOKING AT THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT HIS WORK BUT WOULD HELP US GUARD AGAINST WHAT MIGHT BE A LARGER DEVELOPER TAKING DOWN TEN ACRES IN DISTRICT 8, DISTRICT 4, NAME YOUR DISTRICT, AND DOING THESE SMALLER HOMES IN OPEN PLOTS.
[02:40:01]
IT'S THREE AMENDMENTS.SO I WANT TO MOVE TO APPROVE -- I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FOLLOWING THE AMENDMENTS TO 14C.
ONE, ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM LOT SIZE OF 1,999 SQUARE FEET IN AUDIO].
NUMBER TWO, REMOVE THE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT FOR R-1 AND R-2.
AND, NUMBER THREE, ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM SIZE OF 2,999 SQUARE FEET FOR A ZONING REQUEST FOR R-1 AND R-2 WHICH SHALL NOT APPLY TO CITY INITIATED ZONING CASES.
MICHAEL, I DON'T THINK I'M BRINGING THIS UP AS A SURPRISE.
IF YOU WANT TO TALK THROUGH ANYTHING WE NEED TO OUT LOUD ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS.
>> NO, I THINK WHAT THAT STILL DOES IT STILL ALLOWS THE R-1 AND R-2 TO BE UTILIZED WHERE IT'S MOST NEEDED, BUT IT DOES ADD A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S REALLY FOR SINGLE LOTS.
NOT FOR CREATING LARGE SUBDIVISIONS OF TEN ACRES OR MORE, ONE ACRE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT CHANGE IS VERY CLEAR AND I THINK WOULD STILL ALLOW WHAT WAS REALLY REQUESTED.
>> SALDANA: AND SO SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY, HEY, WHY 2,998 SQUARE FEET? AND THE IDEA THAT -- YEAH, I WOULD OFFER THOSE THREE OPTIONS THAT I HOPE THAT THE CITY CLERK WOULD HAVE IN THE RECORD AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
WE HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ACCEPTED BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND BY HIS SECOND.
>> SALDANA: IF SOMEBODY IS ASKING WHY 2,999, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR 3,000 THAT WOULD BE AN APPLICATION FOR R-3, CORRECT?
>> SALDANA: IF I'M ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT THESE AMENDMENTS, SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT THIS AFFECTING ALL THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE?
>> NO, THIS KEEPS THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE ATTEMPTED TO DO THROUGH THE TASK FORCE, AND EVEN THE LAST FEW MEETINGS.
SO I THINK THIS KEEPS EVERYTHING WHOLE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND FOR THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS REVIEW OF THE IDZ AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I SIGNED IT ORIGINALLY.
I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED IN THE COMMENTS IT WAS TOO EASY BEFORE TO BE USED AS A WORKAROUND AND OFFERED UNCERTAINTY TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE BUSINESSES IN AND AROUND THE AREA.
BUT NOW THIS IS BRINGING CLARITY FOR ALL OF US INVOLVED.
AND IT'S ALSO BRINGING CLARITY AND MORE CLARITY FOR AREAS WITH THESE LOTS TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUILD SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES ON THESE SMALLER LOTS IF NEEDED TO.
AND I THINK THIS ADDITIONAL FRIENDLY AMENDMENT HELPS WITH CLARITY FOR THE AREA, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK.
SPECIFICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ROSEMARY ZUNIGA WHO SPOKE FOR THE MISSION SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
BECAUSE IT IS HER BIRTHDAY AND SHE DECIDED TO COME HERE.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL HER WORK AND EVERYONE IN IF TIER ONE AND ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WHO ALSO CALLED AND E-MAILED TO MAKE SURE WE MOVED THIS FORWARD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IDZ FOR QUITE SOMETIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN GRACE AND I WERE ON ZONING TOGETHER AND WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS GOVERNMENT HILL.
IDZ HAS BEEN LIKE OFTEN MENTIONED, A WAY TO GET AROUND THE RULES.
AND WE HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO I COMMEND THE COUNCILMAN AS WELL AS CITY STAFF FOR LOOKING AT THIS IN DETAIL AND FIGURING OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO PUT AN ORDINANCE TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE PROTECTED.
I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH THE AGENDA ITEM AS WELL AS THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SHAW.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THERE, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
BECAUSE THAT REALLY TAKES AWAY MY CONCERN ABOUT DOING ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THIS.
THAT TAKES CARE OF MY ISSUE WITH THAT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
AND, MIKE, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, YOUR STAFF, ALL OF THE COLLEAGUES WITHIN THE CITY ORGANIZATION THAT CHIPPED IN FOR THIS.
AND CERTAINLY OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE TIER ONE ASSOCIATIONS WHO HAVE KEPT THIS ISSUE FRONT AND CENTER UNTIL WE FOUND A WAY TO COMPLETE IT IN A WAY THAT MADE SENSE FOR ALL NEIGHBORHOODS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE AND THOSE EFFORTS.
SO, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL
[02:45:02]
OF ITEM NO. 14 AS AMENDED BY COUNCILMAN SALDANA.ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[21. Ordinance approving a Development Agreement with ACG St. Mary’s GP, LLC in an amount not to exceed $2,875,000 from the Tax Increment Fund for the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone; and approving a Chapter 380 Economic Development Loan Agreement in an amount not to exceed $564,000.00 from the Inner City Incentive Funds for the Museum Reach Lofts project. The project is to be located at 1500 N. St. Mary’s and 405 W Jones, and within the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. [Peter Zanoni, Deputy City Manager; Veronica Soto, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services]]
OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.>> ITEM NO. 21 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH ACG ST. MARY'S GP LLC IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,875,000 FROM THE TAX INCREMENT FUND FOR THE MIDTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE AND APPROVING A CHAPTER 380 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN AGREEMENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $564,000 FROM THE INNER CITY INCENTIVE FUNDS FOR THE MUSEUM REACH LOFTS PROJECT.
THE PROJECT IS LOCATED AT 1500 NORTH ST. MARY'S STREET AND 405 WEST JONES AND WITHIN THE MIDTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
I DON'T NEED A FULL PRESENTATION ON THIS, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS THE EXAMPLE, THE MODEL THAT I THINK WE ALL WANT TO SEE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO THREAD THE NEEDLE AND GET SOME AFFORDABILITY OPTIONS IN THE URBAN CORE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS WITH LAND COSTS, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS WITH ODD-SHAPED PROPERTIES.
THIS ONE FITS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE BILLS.
IT'S IN THE DOWNTOWN, IT'S AN ODD SHAPE, BUT SOMEHOW WE WERE ABLE TO THREAD THE NEEDLE AND THROW A PERFECT PASS HERE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, IF YOU CAN AND PERHAPS WITH LORI'S ASSISTANCE, TALK ABOUT THE DNA OF HOW THIS CAME TO BE.
DID THIS START WITH THE PFC? DID THIS START WITH THE ACQUISITION OF THE 9% TAX CREDIT? HOW CAN YOU REPLICATE THIS? SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW IT CAME TO BE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, VERO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THE DEVELOPERS ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT.
THEY CAN TELL YOU A LOT MORE ABOUT THE STORY OF HOW THIS CAME TO BE.
I THINK THE KEY FOR THIS PARTICULAR ONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY, HAS BEEN THAT IT DID RECEIVE A 9% LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT AWARD.
AND THEY HAVE OTHER PARTNERS BESIDES THE CITY AS WELL.
I KNOW LIZ IS ONE OF THEIR PARTNERS.
AND SO THE LOCAL INITIATIVE SUPPORT CORPORATION IS HELPING WITH THE FINANCING.
AND THEN THE TIRZ AS WELL AS THE LOAN THAT IS INCLUDED IN TODAY'S ITEM IS WHAT'S MAKING SURE WE DRIVE THAT AFFORDABILITY AT THE DEEPER LEVEL THAT THIS HAS ACHIEVED.
SO ALL THAT FINANCING IS WHAT HAS MADE THIS ONE POSSIBLE IN AN AREA THAT HAS NOT SEEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CONSISTENTLY.
>> SALDANA: THIS IS REALLY GREAT TO TALK ABOUT, VERO.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE -- I WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE.
BUT BEFORE THAT, JUST KIND OF DESCRIBING THE HIGH LEVEL HERE.
THIS IS 94 APARTMENT UNITS, AND FOR THE LOCATION OF FOLKS CONSIDERING WHERE IT MIGHT BE, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE SAN ANTONIO CURRENT BUILDING, NEXT TO PROVIDENCE AND CENTRAL CATHOLIC AND SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART.
AND I'M READING A BREAKDOWN HERE THAT SHOWS OF THE 94 UNITS, THERE'S GOING TO BE NINE UNITS THAT ARE 30% OF AMI.
NOT 60%, WHICH WE HOLD AS THE GOLD STANDARD, BUT 30% OF AMI.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR REAL PEOPLE AT 30% AMI, NINE OF THEM WHICH EXIST HERE.
>> THE UNITS AT 340% -- 30% -- FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TWO BEDROOM, 265.
COMPARED TO THAT UNIT AT MARKET RATE WOULD BE OVER $1,000.
THEY ALSO HAVE UNITS FOR FAMILIES AT 50% AND BELOW OF THE AMI.
THE RENT FOR THAT IS PROJECTED TO BE, AGAIN, LOOKING AT A TWO BEDROOM, $651.
SO A TWO-BEDROOM UNIT FOR 30% AMI WOULD BE $365.
AND THEN THE MARKET RATE WOULD BE $1,008.
THE RENT FOR 60% AMI AS WELL WOULD BE $794.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENTIAL IN THOSE RATES.
AND, YES, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF THREE UNITS THAT ARE FOR FAMILIES AT 30% OR BELOW OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
>> SALDANA: DID YOU SAY THREE UNITS?
>> SALDANA: AND THE REASON AGAIN THAT I'M PULLING THIS IS
[02:50:01]
BECAUSE IT'S RARE FOR ME TO GET TO SEE ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA FEED OR TRAFFIC, FRIENDS OF MINE WHO I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH, WHO I FOLLOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.THEY CAUGHT WIND OF IT ON THE NEWS AND SAID HEY TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A UNIT IN THE DOWNTOWN -- CRAZY IDEA, BUT YOU COULD SPEND AS LITTLE AS $365 FOR A UNIT DOWNTOWN.
THERE IS AN APPETITE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE IN THE DOWNTOWN WHO ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO WHO WANT TO BE IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT THERE IS THIS ZEST AND FLAVOR FOR FINDING SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE.
I WAS REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THIS PROJECT EXISTS.
SO I'LL CALL UP THE DEVELOPER HERE ON THIS PROJECT AND SHE CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT THE PLAYBOOK ON HOW YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT COMES DOWN THE SHELF AS A PLAYBOOK THAT IS PLAYED OFTEN.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERS.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF HANDS WHO HAVE DEFINITELY HELPED US ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT STARTED THIS PROJECT, AND I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, IS THAT WHAT ATTRACTED US TO THIS AREA IS THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE FIVE REGIONAL CENTERS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE REGIONAL CENTERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE STARTED TO LAY OUT THESE MAPS AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS A HIGH EMPLOYMENT AREA.
THIS IS PROJECTED TO BE A HIGH EMPLOYMENT AREA.
WE HAVE CPS, WE CERTAINLY ARE THE MUSEUM OF ART THERE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYERS COMING TO THE AREA.
AND WITH ALL OF THOSE JOBS COMES THE NEED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT WAS SPELLED OUT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
SO AS WE LOOKED AT THAT AREA IT KIND OF WAS A PERFECT STORM.
THERE WASN'T A TAX CREDIT PROJECT IN THE AREA.
THERE ISN'T ANY WORKFORCE HOUSING PROVIDING THIS LEVEL OF FLICK.
AND SO WE MANAGE TO, AFTER DRIVING AROUND A LOT, FIND A COUPLE OF PARCELS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE AND THEN SUBMIT A TAX CREDIT APPLICATION.
YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, IT IS A PERFECT STORM.
THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
AND THEY MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO KIND OF CREATE THIS OPPORTUNITY? YES, PROBABLY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT BEING CREATIVE AND IT'S ABOUT BRINGING ALL THE PARTNERS TO THE TABLE.
I THINK VERO MENTIONED WE DID, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH LISC.
YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND CHRISSY AND HIS STAFF WAS CERTAINLY VERY HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, REPRESENTATIVE DIEGO, LORI.
EVERYBODY HAS REALLY HAD A HAND IN HELPING US MOVE THIS PROJECT ALONG.
AND IT DOES HAVE SOME REALLY DEEP AFFORDABILITY IN IT.
AND CAN I ASK -- YOU DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO WAIT FOR THE PERFECT STORM.
IN THIS CASE I'M GLAD WE GOT IT.
WHAT KIND OF ELEMENTS, INGREDIENTS EXIST IN A PERFECT STORM, AND IF THE BIGGEST ONE IS RECEIVING THE STATE TAX CREDIT.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THIS?
>> SURE, THE TAX CREDIT IS A BIG COMPONENT.
THE TAX CREDITS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRIVATE EQUITY THAT COMES FROM THE OUTSIDE.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BANKER EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, EQUITY FROM THE WELLS FARGOS AND BANK OF AMERICAS WHO POOL THEIR EQUITY TOGETHER AND INVEST THEM IN THEIR FUNDS THAT HELP US BUY DOWN THE RENTS.
THEY PROVIDE THAT UP-FRONT CAPITAL FOR US TO BUILD THE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THEN IT'S OTHER THINGS LIKE THE TIRZ, YOU KNOW, THAT NANCY SHEPARD AND HER DEPARTMENT HELPED US PUT TOGETHER.
IT'S THE CCHIP INCENTIVES THAT LORI WORKED WITH US ON.
IT'S A LOT OF THE OTHERS THAT COME IN AND LAYER ON TOP OF THAT TO HELP US.
IT'S KIND OF THAT LASAGNA THAT WE HAVE TO BAKE.
THAT HELPS US DRIVE DOWN THAT RENT.
>> SALDANA: I THINK WE HIT A FIRST WITH -- WE'VE HAD A SPORTS ANALOGY, FOOD, WE HAVE A WEATHER ANALOGY.
>> WE OFTEN REFER TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS LASAGNA.
LET ME ASK A QUESTION OF LORI HOUSTON, IF I CAN.
I THINK THERE'S A SLIDE WE CAN USE FOR THIS THAT BREAKS DOWN THE CCHIP, A MIDTOWN TIRZ AND THE 9% HOUSING TAX CREDIT.
[02:55:01]
THOSE PIECES?IN YESTERDAY'S PRESENTATION WHEN WE WERE PRESENTING ON THE CENTER CITY HOUSING INCENTIVE POLICY, WHAT WE SPOKE TO WAS THAT TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAPPEN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA YOU REALLY NEED TO LAYER ALL THESE TOOLS TOGETHER.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE DONE A LAYERING OF THE CENTER CITY HOUSING INCENTIVE POLICY, A LAYERING OF THE -- IF YOU CAN GO TO SLIDE 11, PLEASE.
A LAYERING OF THE INNER CITY INCENTIVE FUNDS.
A LAYERING OF MIDTOWN TIRZ DOLLARS.
AND THEN A LAYERING OF THE 9% HOUSING TAX CREDIT.
AND WHAT THAT DID WAS IT PROVIDED A SUBSIDY OF $160,000 PER UNIT.
>> SALDANA: I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT SLIDE WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INCENTIVES.
>> SALDANA: DOES A LASAGNA HAVE LEVELS? IS THAT WHY WE'RE USING THIS?
SO YOU HAVE $27,000 IN CITY FEE WAIVERS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE TIRZ FUNDING.
THEN YOU HAVE THE CCDO DEVELOPMENT FORGIVABLE LOAN.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE 9% TAX CREDITS.
NOW, WHEN WE DID THE COMPLETE SYNDICATION AND RAN THAT OUT FOR THE TERM, WE SHOWED THAT ALL THESE INCENTIVES PROVIDE AT LEAST $160,000 PER AFFORDABLE UNIT IN A SUBSIDY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
YOU CAN SEE THE HEAVY IN THERE IS THE ACTUAL 9% TAX CREDIT.
THAT IS A VERY COMPETITIVE TAX CREDIT.
AS JENNIFER GONZALES ALLUDED TO, IT MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
THEY LOOK AT THAT AREA THE PROJECT IS IN, SO THERE'S A TWO-MILE RADIUS ISSUE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THOSE HOUSING TAX CREDITS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN, LOOKING AT THE PFC AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT TO PROVIDE THIS DEEPER AFFORDABILITY.
BUT, AS COUNCILMAN TREVINO MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES YESTERDAY, IT'S ABOUT JUST LAYERING ALL THESE TOOLS.
JENNIFER MENTIONED ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE WORKING WITH HER TO MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.
I THINK THIS CREATES A PROOF OF CONCEPT, ALTHOUGH DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITH ALL OF THE PIECES COMING TOGETHER ALL AT ONCE.
IT DOES GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST.
I THINK THE HEAVIEST INGREDIENT HERE, THE HEAVIEST LAYER IS THAT 9%, IT'S $12 MILLION.
BUT IT ACCOMPLISHES WHAT MS. GONZALES DESCRIBED, WHICH IS IF YOU WERE LOOKING TO BUILD IN AN AREA THAT PROVIDED EASY ACCESS OR ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT.
AND LET ME STRESS THAT AS MUCH AS I CAN HERE.
ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF MY RESIDENTS ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHO DRIVE VERY FAR DISTANCES TO GET TO DISTRICTS 9 OR DISTRICTS 8, WHETHER THEY'RE AT A MEDICAL CENTER OR CALL CENTER.
PEOPLE WILL GO WHERE THE JOBS ARE.
IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER HOW WE BUILD HOUSING AND ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES, WHERE PEOPLE AND EMPLOYMENT ARE.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR ANALYSIS WENT THROUGH.
AND WE NEED TO NOT BE AFRAID OF BIG NUMBERS LIKE $12 MILLION, IF IT ACCOMPLISHES IMPORTANT THINGS FOR OUR RESIDENTS ON ALL SIDES OF TOWN.
I WOULD ARGUE FOR THIS PROJECT DOWNTOWN AS FAR AS AFFORDABILITY IN OTHER NODES THAT MAY EXIST OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT IS IN THE MEDICAL CENTER OR BEYOND 1604/281, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE JOBS ARE OR THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE, OR THE QUALITY OF SCHOOLS BUT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A HOME IN THOSE AREAS.
IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE ONE PROOF OF CONCEPT AND TO GET TO SEE THE LAYERS SO THAT WE'RE EXPOSED TO IT.
IF WE SEE IT AGAIN WE KNOW THAT IF A PROJECT IS GOING TO WORK, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE THIS LEVEL OF COORDINATION.
SO I'M EXCITED AND PROUD TO SEE THIS AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL IF THERE ISN'T ALREADY ONE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS, WHETHER YOU'RE MAKING LASAGNA OR ENCHILADAS, THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE IT WORK.
AS YOU SAW, THERE'S ALSO SOME COMPLEXITY ABOUT HOW IT HAPPENS AND THE TIMING.
I SEE LEILA POWELL IS ABOUT TO LEAVE.
I WANT TO THANK THEM AND LISC FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
BUT THEN, AGAIN, LET'S PEEL BACK THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.
THOSE 9% TAX CREDITS WERE CRITICAL.
WE HAD TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL.
[03:00:03]
IT'S A BIG DEAL.AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT MEETING THE DEMANDS OF COSTS AND HOW WE CAN ARRIVE THERE.
IT'S GOOD PEOPLE LIKE ALAMO THAT'S REALLY TRYING TO HELP TRANSFORM THE WAY WE PROVIDE AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
>> COURAGE: YES, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE EFFORT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND SOME OTHER SUITABLE PIECES OF PROPERTY IN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE EFFORTS IN THE FUTURE.
I KNOW THE 9% STATE FUNDING REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET, SO I COMMEND EVERYBODY WHO WORKED ON THIS PROJECT.
AND IT DOES SHOW THAT WE CAN PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOWNTOWN IN THE INNER CITY CORE FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND WORKING INDIVIDUALS.
SO I JUST CONGRATULATIONS, I HOPE WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT SEVERAL MORE TIMES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 21.
[8. Ordinance approving a Funding Agreement with Brooks Development Authority in the amount not to exceed $2,664,948.31, for the City's funding of Brooks City Base South New Braunfels Avenue (Lyster Road to Aviation Landing); Brooks City Base Stinson Corridor (Research Plaza to South Presa Street); and Brooks City Base Inner Circle Road (Louis Bauer Drive to Research Plaza), a 2017-2022 Bond Funded Project located in Council District 3. [Peter Zanoni, Deputy City Manager, Mike Frisbie, Director, Transportation & Capital Improvements]]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM, STRANDED ITEM WE HAVE TO GO TO, ITEM NO. 8.
ITEM NO. 8 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH BROOKS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 2 MILLION AUDIO] FOR THE CITY'S FUNDING OF THE BROOKS CITY BASE SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS AVENUE.
LYSTER ROAD TO AVIATION LANDING.
BROOKS CITY BASE STINSON CORRIDOR RESEARCH PLAZA TO SOUTH PRESA STREET AND BROOKS CITY BASE INNER CIRCLE ROAD, LOUIS BAUER DRIVE TO RESEARCH PLAZA, A 2017-2022 BOND FUNDED PROJECT LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 3.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
I DO NOT NEED THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION, BUT THERE'S JUST ONE SLIDE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PUT UP, SLIDE NO. 4 OF THE PROJECT LOCATIONS.
AND THE REASON I PULLED THIS, MAYOR, IS BECAUSE I THINK VOTING TO APPROVE THIS BOND AND, TWO, US BEING PROACTIVE IN ALLEVIATING CONGESTION HERE.
WE HAVE OAKEN BPS THAT WILL BE COMING HERE, WE HAVE THE NEW CAST MED HIGH SCHOOL STARTING IN AUGUST 19.
AND WE HAVE SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT GOING IN AND AROUND THE BROOKS AREA .
WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE IN ALLEVIATING CONGESTION.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT THESE WERE ALSO STARTED AND SLATED YEAR AGO.
AND SO I THINK BEING PROACTIVE IN OUR TRAFFIC PATTERNS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I WANT TO THANK MIKE AND YOUR STAFF AND, OF COURSE, THE BROOKS STAFF AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS A PRIORITY.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION TO APPROVE.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO. 8.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WELL, WE HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS NOW.
WE ARE GOING TO CONVENE IMMEDIATELY INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE ALSO HAVE A ZONING AGENDA AT
[Additional Item]
2:00.BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
AND FIRST IS TO RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, WHO WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COLLEAGUE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THE SECOND IS TO CONGRATULATE COUNCILMAN SALDANA AND HIS WIFE JESSICA FOR THE BIRTH OF THEIR FIRST BABY, WHICH HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND THE LAST ONE IS ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES WILL BE CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY WHILE WE'RE ON BREAK FOR THEIR THANKSGIVING.
SO I'D LIKE TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL NOW IN SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN CRUZ
[03:05:07]
SHAW.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: A FEW WORDS.
SHERYL, DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT?
>> SCULLEY: MAYOR, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME I'LL SEND I HAD
[Executive Session]
TO YOU BY E-MAIL AND IT WILL BE POSTED.I KNOW WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO MOVE TO.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THE TIME IS NOW 12:21 P.M. ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018.
THE CITY COUNCIL, SAN ANTONIO, WILL NOW RECONVENE ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT BEGAN ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071 AND DELIBERATION OR DISCUSS THE ITEMS
[Zoning Consent Agenda]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: , EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO OUR ZONING SESSION AGENDA.
CITY COUNCIL'S RECONVENED FROM ITS EXEC FIF SESSION AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN.
I HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, P1 AND Z1, P4 AND P-5, Z6 AND Z7.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA.
THE ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION ARE P1 AND Z1, P4 AND Z5, Z6 AND Z7, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA.
I DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR CONSENT ITEMS, JACK FINGER.
>> WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON TO OUR MAYOR NIRENBERG AND OUR BUSINESS AS USUAL CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER.
AND BY GOLLY, LET'S SEE WHAT WE DO THIS AFTERNOON HERE.
A FEW SCANDALS I WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SOME OF YOU HAVE A PULL FOR LIBERATION AND SOME ARE JUST GOING TO SAIL RIGHT ON THROUGH.
WELL, MR. TREVINO, IN YOUR DISTRICT, P1, Z1, YES, QUITE A FEW RED FLAGS HERE, SIR.
PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF, THEY BOTH RECOMMENDED DENIAL ON P1 AND Z1, THEY BOTH -- AND BOTH THE ZONING COMMISSION AND STAFF RECOMMEND DENIAL ON Z1 AS WELL.
THIS TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OPPOSES IT, AT LEAST THREE, MORE THAN ONE OR TWO, THREE PEOPLE SPOKE AGAINST IT AT THE COMMISSION -- AT THE HEARINGS, AND FOR TWO REASONS: THIS ONE LOCATED ON EAST EUCLID STREET, THE -- WELL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THINKS THAT IT'S ACTUALLY THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS A HISTORIC, AND THEY DON'T REALLY WANT IT ATTORNEY DOWN -- TORN DOWN THERE, SIR.
YOU AS AN ARCHITECT SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HISTORIC LOCATIONS AND THEY THINK THE DENSITY IS TOO HIGH FOR THE SURROUNDING AREA AS WELL.
LET'S SEE IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY NO TO THAT THERE.
Z2, MR. TREVINO, ANOTHER USED CAR LOT.
DO WE REALLY NEED MORE OF THOSE THERE, MR. TREVINO AROUND DISTRICT 1, HUH? WHY DON'T WE JUST SAY NO TO THESE THINGS, HUH? HOW MANY ARE THERE IN THAT SURROUNDING AREA, JUST WITHIN A MILE OF IT THERE? HAVE YOU EVER COUNTED THEM? SOMEBODY HAS.
THE -- AND IN MR. SALDAÑA, IN YOUR DISTRICT, P4 AND Z5, QUITE A FEW RED FLAGS THERE.
STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE STAFF AND THE ZONING COMMISSION, ALL FOUR OF THEM HAVE SAID NO TO THIS DARNED THING.
IT IS -- WHAT IS IT? IT'S A TRAILER PARK.
TRAILER PARK, YEAH, THEY WANT TO PUT ONE THERE.
AND THEIR BIG CONCERN ABOUT THIS IS ABOUT THE LOCAL AIRCRAFT LOCATION, THE AIRPORT.
THEY THINK IT'S GOING TO CAUSE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF THE POTENTIAL FOR AIRCRAFT NOISE THERE.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THERE, SIR, SO MAYBE YOU WANT TO SAY NO TO THAT.
MAYBE I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE.
AND FINALLY, Z6, MR. BROCKHOUSE,
[03:10:01]
YOU KNOW, THIS THING WAS CONTINUED FROM LAST MONTH THERE, SIR.WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR SAYING NO TO IT THERE, SIR.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE JUST -- WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OUR BREATH AND SAY IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY THERE, YEAH.
ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL ENCROACHMENT IN THE MORE TRAFFIC, NOISE AND OTHER THINGS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVE FOR ITEMS P1 AND Z1.
P4 AND Z5, Z6 AND Z7, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA.
HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR
[P-1. PLAN AMENDMENT CASE # 18078 (Council District 1): Ordinance amending the Tobin Hill Neighborhood Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Master Plan of the City, by changing the future land use from “Low Density Mixed Use” and “Low Density Residential” to “High Density Mixed Use” on 0.5880 acres out of NCB 829, located at 1817 North St. Mary’s Street and 824 East Euclid Street. Staff and Planning Commission recommend Denial, with an Alternate Recommendation. (Associated Zoning Case Z2018250) (Continued from October 18, 2018) Z-1. ZONING CASE # Z2018250 (Council District 1): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "RM-4 UC-4 AHOD" Residential Mixed North Saint Mary's Street Urban Corridor Airport Hazard Overlay District and "C-3R UC-4 AHOD" General Commercial Restrictive Alcoholic Sales North Saint Mary's Street Urban Corridor Airport Hazard Overlay District to "IDZ UC-4 AHOD" Infill Development Zone North Saint Mary's Street Urban Corridor Airport Hazard Overlay District with uses permitted in "MF-65" Multi-Family District and "C-2" Commercial District on 0.588 acres out of NCB 829, located at 1817 North St. Mary's Street and 824 East Euclid Street. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Denial, with an Alternate Recommendation, pending Plan Amendment. (Associated Plan Amendment 18078) (Continued from October 18, 2018)]
SAY AYE.>> CLERK: PLAN AMENDMENT 18078 IN ZONING CASE Z2018250 AMENDING THE TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN FROM LOW DENSITY MIXED USE AND LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE FROM RM4 AND C-3 R TO [INDISCERNIBLE] WITH USES PERMITTED IN MF65 IN C-2 LOCATED AT 1817 NORTH ST. MARY'S STREET AND EIGHT TWOWR EAST EUCLID STREET.
SAF ZONING RECOMMEND DENIAL, 31 NOTICES MAILED, TWO IN FAVOR, ONE OPPOSED.
TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED AND THE APPLICANT HAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE SITE PLAN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON P.
I AM A RESIDENT OF TOBIN HILL.
I HAVE BEEN IN ON THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE WHATEVER WITH THE DEVELOPER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND THERE IS ROOM IN TOBIN HILL FOR ALL SORTS OF DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE MANY SMALL APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SOME DATING FROM THE '20S AND '30S, AND THE EAST AND WEST AREAS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY WITH BLOCKS OF NEW APARTMENTS AND TOWNHOUSES.
BUT THE LAND USE SECTION OF THE TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, WHICH IS THE LEGAL EXPRESSION OF THE INTENT OF THE RESIDENTS AND OWNERS OF TOBIN HILL RECOMMENDS LOW DENSITY MIXED USE FOR THIS PART OF THE RESIDENTIAL CORE.
LOW DENSITY MIXED USE IN TOBIN HILL -- IN THE TOBIN HILL PLAN CALLS FOR MAXIMUM DENSITY OF MF-25.
WE URGE YOU TO VOTE TO PRESERVE THE PLAN.
I WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE REQUEST IS FOR HIGH DENSITY IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTION OF TOBIN HILL.
THERE'S HIGH DENSITY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RESIDENTIAL SECTION, AND THE RESIDENTIAL SECTION IS ONLY ABOUT 1/3 OF THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MF-25 WILL ALLOW FOR A REASONABLE NUMBER OF APARTMENTS.
MF65 WILL ALLOW FOR HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT.
THE DEVELOPER HAS ALREADY ASKED -- AT ONE POINT WANTED TO PUT IN FOR 10 STORIES.
I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THE HEIGHT HAS GONE DOWN, BUT THE DENSITY IS STILL TOO MUCH FOR A RESIDENTIAL -- A ONE-STORY AND TWO-STORY RESIDENTIAL SECTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I -- I URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST THIS REQUEST.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MRS. KUSHNER.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE APPLICANT HERE TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT?
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL, PATRICK KRISTEN SON, IN WORKING WITH THE COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE AND BOTH TOBIN HILL ASSOCIATIONS WE ARE AMENDING OUR REQUEST TO LOW DENSITY MIXED USE FOR THE PLANNED AMENDMENT COMPONENT AND WE SUBMITTED A REVISED SITE PLAN THAT CAPS OUR UNIT TO NO MORE THAN 20 AND NO MORE THAN THREE STORIES.
>> TREVINO: THANK YOU, PATRICK.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE STATEMENTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFIED.
WE'VE SPENT MANY MONTHS CONSIDERING THIS PROPERTY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS, THAT DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT COULD HAVE ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
[03:15:01]
THE DIFFERENT VOICES OF THE AREA, WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION TO ASSIST THE DEVELOPER WITH COMPATIBLE STYLE OF DENSITY.THE PROJECT HAS MOVED FROM FIVE, SEVEN-STORY TOWERS WITH 31 UNITS TO A MORE CONVENTIONAL TOWNHOME DESIGN WITH A FOOTPRINT OF 20 UNITS.
AFTER CAREFULLY WEIGHING THE INPUT FROM INDEPENDENT RESIDENTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING THE TOWNHOME DESIGN FOR 20 UNITS.
THIS WEIGHTED HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF THE AREA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION BUT STILL ACCOUNTS FOR THE LETTERS AND CALLS WE RECEIVED IN FAVOR OF THE ORIGINAL REQUEST.
THEREFORE I MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS P1 AND Z1 AS AMENDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[P-4. PLAN AMENDMENT CASE # 18082 (Council District 4): Ordinance amending the West/Southwest Sector Plan, a component of the Comprehensive Master Plan of the City, by changing the future land use from “Agribusiness Tier” to “Suburban Tier” on 13.530 acres out of NCB 11212, located at 9040, 9042, and 9048 Somerset Road. Staff and Planning Commission recommend Denial. (Associated Zoning Case Z2018262) Z-5. ZONING CASE # Z2018262 (Council District 4): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R-4 MLOD-2 MLR-1 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District and "C-3 S MLOD-2 MLR-1 AHOD" General Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District with Specific Use Authorization for a Wireless Telecommunications System to "MHP MLOD-2 MLR-1 AHOD" Manufactured Housing Park Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District on 13.530 acres out of NCB 11212, located at 9040, 9042, 9048 Somerset Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Denial. (Associated Plan Amendment 18082)]
AYE.>> CLERK: 18082 AND ZONES CASE Z2018262 AMENDING THE WEST/SOUTHWEST SECTOR PLAN FROM AIR BUSINESS TIER TO SUBURBAN TIER, FROM R4 AND C-3 S WITH SPECIFIC USE FOR WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS TO MHP.
STAFF, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND DENIAL, SEVEN NOTICED MAILED, 0 IN FAVOR, 0 OPPOSED AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CONTINUANCE TO DECEMBER 6?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA?
THIS IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN DENIED BY ZONING AND PLANNING.
I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE GENTLEMAN, BUT I THINK HE MIGHT -- DID YOU -- AUDIO] --
>> WE WANT TO CONTACT EACH COUNCILPERSON INDIVIDUALLY, AND SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A CONTINUANCE UNTIL THE SIXTH FOR THAT PURPOSE AND THEN PRESENT THAT PROPOSAL.
I -- WE'LL JUST SORT OF SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE HERE, BECAUSE IN THIS CASE, THIS IS ONE THAT -- I'M IMAGINING IN MY HEAD, IF IN TWO WEEKS IF YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL WITH MEETING WITH COUNCILMEMBERS, YOU LAY OUT THE CASE, IT WON'T CHANGE THE OPINION I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE IT WON'T CHANGE THE OPINION OF THE AIR FORCE AND THE MILITARY IN THIS CASE, SO WITH THAT BEING -- AUDIO] -- I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN DEVELOPMENT ALONG THOSE AREAS, AND WE'VE PUSHED WHERE WE CAN ON SOME DEVELOPMENT TO TRY TO GET AROUND SOME OF THOSE ACCIDENT PROTECTION ZONES, THE MILITARY HAS COME DOWN WITH A DECISION ON THIS.
I THINK MEG WIT MAN IS THE PERSON THAT'S WORKED WITH OUR STAFF AND YOU'VE TALKED WITH MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR DENIAL OF THIS CASE, SIR.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR DENIAL OF ITEMS P4 AND Z5.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Z-6. ZONING CASE # Z2018256 (Council District 6): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R-6 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2NA AHOD" Commercial Nonalcoholic Sales Airport Hazard Overlay District on Lot 15, Block 1, NCB 15586, located at 2311 Westward Drive. Staff recommends Denial, with an Alternate Recommendation. Zoning Commission recommends Denial. (Continued from October 18, 2018)]
AYE.ANY OPPOSED? IS MOTION CARRIES.
>> CLERK: Z2018256 FROM R-6 TO C-2 NA LOCATED AT 2211 WESTWARD DRIVE.
STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL WITH AN -- EXCUSE ME, ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DENIAL, 20 NOTICED MALED, 0 IN FAVOR, 4 OPPOSED AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CONTINUANCE TO DECEMBER 6.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE?
>> BROCKHOUSE: WE'VE BEEN WORKING THIS ISSUE, AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON IT.
BUT I'M STILL WAITING ON A SITE PLAN, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND I'M GOING TO ASK -- I'M GOING TO MOVE TO CONTINUE THIS ITEM TO DECEMBER 6 IN ANTICIPATION OF A SITE PLAN.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z6 TO DECEMBER 6.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Z-7. ZONING CASE # Z2018311 CD (Council District 10): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "O-2 AHOD" High Rise Office Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 CD AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District with Conditional Use for a Welding Shop on Lot P-5A, NCB 15722, located at 12751 O'Connor Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval, with Conditions.]
AYE.>> CLERK: 2018 3-1-1 FROM 02 TO C-2 CD WITH ADDITIONAL USE FOR WELDING SHOP LOCATED AT 12771 O'CONNOR ROAD.
STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS, A 6 FEET FENCE, NO TEMPORARY SIGNAGE, 15-FOOT LANDSCAPER BUFFER YARD ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY LINE, DOWNWARD LIGHTING POINTING AWAY FROM THE RESIDENTIAL USES, NO VEHICULAR INGRESS/EGRESS FROM LAST COMPANA STREET, VALENCIA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN PERRY?
[03:20:02]
>> CLERK: YOU WANT ME TO READ THEM AGAIN?
>> CLERK: A 6-FOOT SOLID SCREEN FENCE ALONG RESIDENTIAL USES UP TO 8-FOOT.
NO TEMPORARY SIGNAGE, A 15-FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER YARD ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY LINE, DOWNWARD LIGHTING POINTING AWAY FROM THE RESIDENTIAL USES, NO VEHICULAR INGRESS/EGRESS FROM LAST COMPANA STREET.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THESE CONDITIONS AS READ.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM Z7 WITH CONDITIONS AS READ.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THAT'S THE BALANCE OF OUR ZONING
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.