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CITY COUNCIL, REGULAR B SESSION OF DECEMBER THE FIFTH, 2018.COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL V SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:11 PM THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM, UH, I, I DO REALIZE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS ITEM TWO, WHICH IS OUR TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
ITEM ONE SHOULD MOVE VERY QUICKLY, UH, AND THERE IS A CONSULTANT FROM OUT OF TOWN, SO WE WANT TO CLEAR THAT OUT QUICKLY IF POSSIBLE.
SO WE'LL START WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE, CITY MANAGER, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE.
UH, TODAY WE'RE PRESENTING THE RESULTS OF OUR 2018 COMMUNITY SURVEY.
THIS IS THE SIXTH ANNUAL BIANNUAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY GATHERING INPUT FROM OUR RESIDENTS ON THEIR SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES.
WE STARTED THIS PROCESS 12 YEARS AGO AND EVERY TWO YEARS WE SURVEY THE PUBLIC AND MEASURE OUR IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WE HIRED AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO CONDUCT THE SURVEY INDEPENDENT OF CITY STAFF.
WE HIRED E T C INSTITUTE TO CONDUCT THE SURVEY AND THEY CONDUCT SURVEYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THAT ENABLES US TO COMPARE OUR RESULTS WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN THE US UH, AND BENCHMARK OURSELVES.
HE'S THE E T C EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AND HE'S GOING TO BE SHARING THE RESULTS IN JUST A MOMENT.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THE SURVEY THAT SPEAK TO THE RESULTS THIS YEAR.
OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES IN SAN ANTONIO IS 19.
NINE PROS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AMONG LARGE TEXAS CITIES.
SAN ANTONIO RANKS FIRST IN OVERALL SATISFACTION AND FROM 2016 TO 2018.
THE LAST SURVEY THAT WE DID, WE'VE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HIGH PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, SUCH AS OUR AIRPORT 3 1, 1 SPEAK UP BUDGET PARTICIPATION.
AND ONE COULD ARGUE OUR FOCUS ON EQUITY BECAUSE WE SAW A 9% INCREASE IN RESPONDENTS WHO AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT.
THE CITY IS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR, OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THEN PERHAPS NO SURPRISE, BUT OUR LIBRARY FIRE DEPARTMENT, SOLID WASTE, PARKS AND RECREATION, ALL HAVE SATISFACTION RATINGS, UH, AT 90% OR HIGHER.
THAT SAID, UH, THE SURVEY ALSO INDICATED SOME POTENTIAL AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UH, WE USE THIS INFORMATION IN OUR EXECUTIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEW.
SO IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE NEED IMPROVEMENT, THE PERFORMANCE PLANS FOR OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF, UH, HAVE A COMPONENT TIED TO, UM, OUR SURVEY OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES THROUGH OUR, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UH, SO TODAY FOLLOWING, UH, THE PRESENTATION, OUR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WILL SHARE THE RESULTS IN DETAIL WITH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN FOR EACH OF THEM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO BEST SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, WITH THAT SAID, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CHRIS HAM.
UH, HE'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THE RESULTS AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF TODAY.
BUT, UH, WE AS STAFF ARE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ONE-ON-ONE BRIEFINGS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS.
MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK.
UH, AS CITY MANAGER SAID, OUR FIRM SPECIALIZES IN HELPING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UH, GET INPUT FROM RESIDENTS TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
WE, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
I'VE ACTUALLY MANAGED OVER 2000 SURVEYS.
IN FACT, ALL THE OTHER TEXAS CITIES THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE DATA FOR IN THIS PRESENTATION, I'VE MANAGED THEM ALL.
AND WE DO WORK FOR NEARLY THREE DOZEN COMMUNITIES HERE IN TEXAS, PLUS OVER 900, UH, NATIONWIDE.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WE COME OR OUR SKILLSET BRINGS IS WHEN PEOPLE RATE THINGS, OFTENTIMES
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IT'S IMPACTED BY CULTURAL NORMS. IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE TEND TO LIKE PARKS, THEY TEND TO LIKE POLICE, THEY TEND TO NOT LIKE CODE EN ENFORCEMENT AS MUCH.SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT DATA, YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'RE DOING WELL UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME COMPARATIVE NORM.
SO I'M GONNA SHOW HOW YOU STACK UP TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WE GO THROUGH, UH, THE SURVEY DATA TODAY.
UH, AS FAR AS THE OVERALL, I GUESS WE'RE LOCKED UP HERE.
AS FAR AS THE SURVEY ITSELF, UH, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, YOU DO IT EVERY TWO YEARS.
IT'S TO GIVE YOU REALLY AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE AVERAGE RESIDENT THINKS.
AND LEMME PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT FOR YOU.
WE DID A NATIONAL STUDY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO AND WE ASKED PEOPLE, HAVE YOU SHOWN UP, UH, OR ATTENDED A PUBLIC MEETING IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY? AND A WHOPPING 7% OF PEOPLE NATIONWIDE SAID, YES, THEY HAD DONE THAT.
WE THEN DID A FOLLOW UP QUESTION AND WE ASKED THEM, WAS IT REALLY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR? AND AS PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THEY REALIZED, OH, THAT DROPPED TO 3%.
WE THEN ASK PEOPLE WHY DID THEY GO TO THE MEETING? NUMBER ONE REASON TO GET RECOGNITION OR SEE SOMEONE ELSE BE REC RECOGNIZED.
NUMBER TWO, THEY HAD A COMPLAINT THEY WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE CITY.
NUMBER THREE, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO YOUR OPERATIONS.
AND SO PUBLIC PROCESSES AND MEETINGS ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO YOU CAN HEAR FROM THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE AVERAGE RESIDENT JUST WANTS TO GO ABOUT THEIR LIFE AND EXPECT GOOD LOCAL SERVICES.
AND WITHOUT A TOOL LIKE THIS, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE AVERAGE RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY THINK? ARE WE DOING WELL? ARE WE NOT DOING SO WELL? WHAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED? AND A TOOL LIKE THIS, UH, HELPS WITH THAT PROCESS.
WHAT WE DID IS WE SELECTED A RANDOM SAMPLE OF HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CITY, AND OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA WAS STATISTICALLY VALID FOR EACH OF THE 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESULTS, YOU'LL FIND THAT WE HAVE A HUNDRED RANDOMLY SELECTED RESPONDENTS FROM EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
UH, THE SURVEY WAS ABOUT FIVE PAGES LONG, TOOK MOST PEOPLE ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO COMPLETE, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SEND IT BACK, UH, BY MAIL.
UH, WE CALLED SOME FOLKS AND IT WAS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND WE DID IT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND MONITOR THE DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION TO MAKE SURE DESPERATE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS WERE PROPERLY REPRESENTED.
IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, UH, CHART HERE, IT JUST SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION BY KEY DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES SUCH AS GENDER, UH, HISPANIC ANCESTRY AND RACE.
AND I KNOW THE FIRST QUESTION SOMEBODY'S GONNA ASK IS, WELL, THE RACE DOESN'T ADD UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THAT'S 'CAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAD AN OTHER CATEGORY.
A LOT OF FOLKS DIDN'T IDENTIFY WITH THOSE RACES.
THEY MIGHT'VE SEEN THEMSELVES AS MEXICAN OR ITALIAN OR SOME, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT ALL IN ALL, WE FELT GOOD COMFORTABLE ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.
UH, WE ALSO FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN A SURVEY LIKE THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY'S WELL REPRESENTED.
AND YOU'LL SEE ON THIS MAP THAT WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED PLUS DOTS IN EACH OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
I'VE ALSO GOT A COUPLE MAPS TODAY AND THERE'S A LOT MORE IN THE REPORT WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE ON MAPS HOW PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT RATE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WITH THAT SAID, THE FIRST MAJOR FINDING WE HAVE TODAY IS THIS.
GENERALLY PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY ARE VERY GOOD.
AND I WANNA JUST EMPHASIZE THAT FOR A LARGE CITY, SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY SETTING THE STANDARD AMONG CITIES IN THE, NOT JUST HERE IN TEXAS, BUT THE ENTIRE NATION.
THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPS OUT TO ME IS 85% OF RESIDENTS GIVE THE CITY A RATING OF GOOD OR EXCELLENT AS A PLACE TO LIVE.
THE NUMBER THAT ARE GIVING A SMALL IS JUST 2%.
SO FOR EVERY PERSON THAT SAYS, THIS IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO LIVE, THERE'S 50 PEOPLE AT LEAST THINK IT'S OKAY.
UH, AND 42 PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS REALLY GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
AND AS YOU LOOK DOWN THE LIST AS A PLACE TO WORK, A PLACE TO RETIRE, A PLACE TO START A BUSINESS, AND FEELINGS OF SAFETY, THERE'S VERY LITTLE NEGATIVITY.
AND WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE STRATEGIC HEALTH ISSUES FOR A MAJOR CITY.
IF I'M GONNA LOOK AT A CITY'S FUTURE AND HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING, I TEND TO LOOK AT THESE ITEMS. AND IF YOU ARE DOING WELL IN THESE AREAS, YOU TEND TO BE A CITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO, THAT BUSINESSES WANT TO COME TO, AND THAT PEOPLE WANT TO STAY IN EVEN AS A PLACE TO START A BUSINESS.
MOST OF YOUR PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT REALLY INVOLVES.
ONLY 8% OF YOUR FOLKS GAVE NEGATIVE RATINGS COMPARED TO 64 GIVING POSITIVE.
SO YOU'VE GOT AN EIGHT TO ONE RATIO OF POSITIVES TO NEGATIVES WHEN IT COMES TO PERCEPTIONS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OR HOW EASY IT IS TO START A BUSINESS.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S REALLY GREAT IS THERE'S A LOT OF EQUITY.
AND I KNOW ON CERTAIN SERVICES THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR DISTRICTS, AND I KNOW EACH OF YOU REPRESENTS THOSE DISTRICTS, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK CITYWIDE, ALL DISTRICTS EXCEPT FOR ONE, THE AVERAGE PERSON GAVE EXCELLENT RATINGS, UH, FOR THE CITY AS A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE LIGHT BLUE AREA, THE AVERAGE PERSON GAVE GOOD RATINGS.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, PEOPLE HAVE PRETTY GOOD OPINIONS ABOUT THE CITY.
IN FACT, WHEN YOU SEE HOW YOU STACK UP TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, YOU'LL NOTICE WHEN IT COMES AS A PLACE TO LIVE, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS JUST 54% FOR LARGE CITIES, YOU'RE 31 POINTS ABOVE THAT.
UH, WHEN IT COMES AS A PLACE TO AS A FAMILY, YOU'RE AT 30 POINTS ABOVE
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THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.YOU'RE AT 80 NATIONAL AVERAGES, 50 AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY DOWN PRETTY MUCH EVERY AREA YOU'RE AT OR SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE AVERAGE.
SO THE CITY HAS DEFINITELY BEEN DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT YOU GOT HERE.
I'VE BEEN DOING SURVEYS FOR THE CITY FOR OVER A DECADE, AND I'VE SEEN THAT THE CITY HAS CONSTANTLY TAKEN A LOOK AT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
AND YOUR PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED SINCE I'VE DONE SURVEYS.
AND YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB FROM WHAT THE DATA TELLS US OF BEING RESPONSIVE TO THOSE NEEDS.
WHEN IT COMES TO HOW YOU'RE STACKING UP, UH, WITH OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE ASK PEOPLE OVERALL, HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH CITY SERVICES, IT'S USUALLY VERY HARD FOR A LARGE CITY TO EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE CITY SERVICES AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS.
YOU'LL CERTAINLY HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES WHEN IT COMES TO CODE ENFORCEMENT MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IF YOU DRILL DOWN IN THE DATA.
BUT YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE ENTIRE CITY IS IN THE SAME COLOR OF BLUE.
THAT MEANS THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, WHICH DISC YOU'RE IN, OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH, THE CITY'S ABOUT THE SAME.
AND THAT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR A LARGE CITY TO ACCOMPLISH, ESPECIALLY ONE AS DIVERSE, UH, AS THIS CITY IS.
SO YOU'RE TO BE CONGRATULATED ON THAT.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU'RE 19% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES.
UH, IN ADDITION, WHEN WE BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE SPECIFIC SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE MAJOR DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES LISTED ON THIS.
AND TODAY, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO EVERY ITEM THAT WAS RATED SINCE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME.
BUT YOU'LL SEE FOR THE MOST PART, THERE'S A LOT OF SERVICES THAT GET REALLY GOOD RATINGS.
FIRE, PUBLIC, LIBRARY, SOLID WASTE, PARKS AND RECREATION 3 1 1 OR ALL 70% OR MORE GIVING POSITIVES.
AND THEY ALL HAVE FEWER THAN 10% NEGATIVES.
AND YOU MIGHT LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL, WHAT IS NEUTRAL? PEOPLE ALWAYS LIKE, DO THEY DON'T KNOW? WELL, SOMEBODY DOESN'T KNOW.
BUT I WANT YOU TO, TO REMIND YOU, WE TOLD PEOPLE TO RATE THINGS ON A SCALE.
SO NEUTRAL'S KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT FIVE POINT SCALE.
AND IT SIMPLY MEANS, OKAY, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU PEOPLE PROBABLY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED SOMETHING REALLY GOOD OR REALLY BAD, BUT YOU'RE DOING A DECENT JOB.
BUT AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY DOWN, YOU NOTICE THINGS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
UH, PLANNING SERVICES, CODE ENFORCEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE FEWER THAN 50% GIVING POSITIVE RATINGS AND RATHER SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS GIVING NEGATIVE RATINGS.
AND THEY REALLY FALL INTO TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES.
YOU'VE GOT YOUR KINDA YOUR HOUSING AND CODE ENFORCEMENTS, WHICH ARE NEIGHBORHOOD RELATED.
AND YOU'LL SEE YOUR PLANNING OFTEN HAS A REFLECTION ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC FLOW AND OBVIOUSLY YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT PEOPLE RIGHT NOW HAVE THE GREATEST CONCERNS ABOUT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW YOU STACK UP TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, YOU'LL SEE ACROSS THE BOARD YOU'RE SETTING THE STANDARD IN MOST AREAS.
IN FACT, YOU'RE AT OR ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN EVERY AREA EXCEPT FOR ONE.
AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE REASONS THAT NEIGHBORHOODS AND YOUR CODE ENFORCEMENT RATINGS ARE RATED LOWER OVERALL BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.
I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED AS A CITY, YOU'VE SET A HIGH STANDARD FOR SERVICE DELIVERY AND PEOPLE GET USED TO HAVING LOTS AND LOTS OF GOOD SERVICES.
AND SO THEN WHEN SOMETHING ISN'T QUITE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, IT TENDS TO RISE UP AS A PRIORITY.
WANNA COMPLIMENT THE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM, SOLID WASTE PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND YOUR PUB POLICE SAFETY SERVICES.
ALL OF THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
SO GREAT JOB FOR EACH OF THOSE AREAS.
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR POLICE SAFETY SERVICES, WHAT I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH IS THAT EVERY SINGLE AREA RATED SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
SO YOU'RE REALLY DOING SOMETHING RIGHT WITH YOUR POLICE.
SO YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHY IS PUBLIC SAFETY MORE AVERAGE WHERE PERCEPTIONS OF THE SERVICES ARE SO MUCH HIGHER? AND A LOT OF THAT'S REALLY BEEN A FUNCTION IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
IF YOU REMEMBER A FEW SLIDES AGO, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF NEGATIVITY, BUT SOME OF THESE MAJOR, UH, TERRORIST TYPE EVENTS OR WHERE PEOPLE HAVE GONE IN AND SHOT PEOPLE FROM HOTELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE CAUSED PEOPLE TO FEEL LESS CONFIDENT IN THEIR SAFETY.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE ISN'T NECESSARILY A REFLECTION OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING.
IT'S MORE A CONCERN THAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY IN LARGE COMMUNITIES WHERE SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN SCHOOLS AND OTHER PLACES HAVE HAPPENED.
BUT JUST GREAT JOB IN THE POLICE SAFETY SERVICES SIDE AND YOUR SOLID WASTE.
NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE, BUT YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND DIFFICULTY FOR MOST LATE LARGE CITIES.
IN FACT, WHAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS THE AVERAGE FOR A BULKY ITEM AND CURBSIDE BRUSHES, 54%, YOU'RE AT 88%.
AND PUTTING THAT PERSPECTIVE, THAT MEANS IN THE AVERAGE COMMUNITY, ONLY ONE OUTTA TWO PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED.
SO YOU'VE REALLY ESTABLISHED A HIGH STANDARD FOR PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SOLID WASTE.
SO YOU'RE TO BE COMMENDED ON THAT.
IN ADDITION, YOUR PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM, AMONG THE VERY BEST IN THE NATION, LOOK AT YOUR CITY SWIMMING POOLS NATIONALLY.
IT'S ONLY FOUR OUTTA 10 PEOPLE FEEL
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GOOD ABOUT THEIR POOLS.YOUR RATING IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT 82% WALKING AND BIKING TRAILS, YOU'RE NEARLY 30 POINTS ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
MORE THAN 20 POINTS ABOVE THE NATIONAL IS HOW YOU MAINTAIN YOUR PARKS AND YOUR RECREATION SITTERS.
NINE OUTTA 10 PEOPLE GIVE POSITIVE RATINGS.
SO AGAIN, LOTS OF GOOD THINGS THAT WE FOUND IN THE DATA.
UH, WHEN WE COMPARED YOU TO OTHER LARGE CITIES, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE STACK UP? WE ACTUALLY DO THESE SURVEYS.
IN FACT, I JUST FINISHED THE AUSTIN SURVEY, SO I'LL BE PRESENTING THAT SHORTLY.
UH, BUT I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED AND SEE HOW DO YOU STACK UP TO HOUSTON, AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND FORT WORTH.
AND I WANT YOU TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TOP LINE.
YOU ARE FIRST, YOUR SATISFACTION RATING OVERALL IS AT 64%.
AND THAT'S EIGHT PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE THE SECOND HIGHEST RATED CITY AT FORT WORTH.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, THE SURVEYS ARE ALL DONE THE SAME WAY ALL BY OUR FIRM.
AND WE PROVIDED ALL OBJECTIVELY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO WHEN ONE OF THOSE CITIES DOESN'T DO GOOD, I SHOW UP AND LET 'EM KNOW THEY DIDN'T DO SO WELL.
AND I'VE BEEN DOING WORK WITH ALL THESE CITIES FOR MANY YEARS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOUSTON, WHICH HAS BEEN MORE ON AND OFF OVER TIME.
IN ADDITION, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT YOU'RE IN THE TOP HALF OR YOUR FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD IN EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE FOUND THAT REALLY GREAT CITIES HAVE IS YOU DON'T HAVE AN AREA THAT'S JUST A REAL PROBLEM.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH YOUR DATA HERE, THAT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THOSE ARE THINGS I THINK YOU NEED TO, UH, PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE THEY'RE GREATER CONCERNS.
BUT ALL IN ALL, YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PARKS AND RECREATION AND LIBRARIES AND A LOT OF THE CORE THINGS THAT PEOPLE TRULY EXPECT DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CAN REALLY CLAIM TODAY IS THAT YOU'RE DEFINITELY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I'M JUST SAYING IT TO YOU FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
I'M SAYING IT TO YOU FROM YOUR CITIZENS' PERSPECTIVE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, 57% OF YOUR RESIDENTS THINK THE CITY IS BETTER OR MUCH BETTER, UH, THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
UH, ONLY 20 ANOTHER 22% SAID IT IS AT LEAST THE SAME.
ONLY 10% THOUGHT IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.
SO FOR EVERY PERSON WHO PROBABLY SHARES THEIR OPINION THAT THEY THINK THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE, THERE'S ALMOST SIX PEOPLE THAT COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO THINK THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.
SO YOU'RE DEFINITELY DOING THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING PEOPLE TO FEEL POSITIVE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
IN FACT, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA AND THE TRENDS, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF NOTABLE INCREASES.
AND I THINK THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THIS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS, BUT YOU'VE ACTUALLY BEEN EMPHASIZING THINGS LIKE 3 1 1, UH, YOUR AIRPORTS, UH, PARTICIPATION IN THE BUDGET PROCESS THROUGH SA SPEAK UP.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ALL OF THESE AREAS LISTED HERE, YOU HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, PARTICULARLY IN THE ONES THAT YOU'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON.
YOU'LL SEE THE ONE AREA WE SAW SIGNIFICANT DECREASE.
IN FACT, IT WAS THE ONLY MAJOR SERVICE THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE HAD TO DO WITH SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH INCREASED, UH, EXPECTATIONS.
WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY ISSUES ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, RECYCLING GLOBAL, UH, WARMING.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE RISING, AT LEAST AS PEOPLE'S EDUCATION.
AND ONE OF THE RESPONSES THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE IS TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE.
YOU MAY HAVE THE SERVICES OUT THERE, BUT THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WERE SOME DECREASES.
FIRE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION WAS DOWN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANALOGS.
THOSE ARE THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE SAW SIGNIFICANT DECREASES.
BUT ALL IN ALL, THINGS WERE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO WITH THAT SAID, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHAT SHOULD WE FOCUS ON? AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME AND WE DEVELOPED A FEW YEARS AGO, A TOOL THAT DOESN'T JUST LOOK AT HOW WELL YOU'RE DOING.
IT ALSO LOOKS AT WHAT PEOPLE THINK IS IMPORTANT.
AND THE REASON I TELL YOU, AND WE USE THIS TECHNIQUE IS SUPPOSE THAT YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT AND YOU WERE ASKED HOW SATISFIED YOU WERE WITH NAPKINS, UH, THE COST OF THE MEAL AND THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD.
WELL, YOU MIGHT BE REALLY SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD AND DISSATISFIED WITH THE NAPKINS THAT YOU GET, BUT THE NAPKINS MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR OVERALL PERCEPTION OF THAT RESTAURANT.
SO IF YOU ONLY LOOK AT THE SATISFACTION DATA, YOU MIGHT END UP, SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, WOW, PEOPLE ARE REALLY DISSATISFIED WITH THE NAPKINS, SO WE SHOULD DO A LOT MORE AND DO GOLD-PLATED NAPKINS OUT THERE AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT.
AND THE SAME THING IS TRUE WITH YOUR CITY SERVICES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT HOW STRONGLY CORRELATED ARE THE OVERALL RATINGS FOR EACH DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE WITH OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE CITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I WANNA DO IS FIND OUT THE WAY PEOPLE RATE WHICH SERVICES REALLY IMPACT THEIR OVERALL RATING FOR THE CITY.
AND WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE ON THIS CHART IS THE SERVICE THAT HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT OR IS MOST STRONGLY CORRELATED, WHAT WE CALL THE IMPORTANCE IS POLICE SAFETY SERVICES.
IN FACT, IT HAS A GREATER INFLUENCE ON HOW PEOPLE RATE THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
NUMBER TWO IS TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
THREE, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING FOR IS IF YOU COME DOWN YOUR PARKS AND RECREATION, FIFTH
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IS YOUR SOLID WASTE.SIXTH IS PLANNING SERVICES AND SEVENTH IS CODE ENFORCEMENT.
THE OTHER THING WE WANNA LOOK AT THOUGH, HOW WELL ARE YOU DOING IN THOSE AREAS? SUPPOSE THAT EVERYBODY IS SATISFIED WITH POLICE.
CAN YOU MAKE PEOPLE MORE SATISFIED BY SPENDING A HUNDRED MORE MILLION DOLLARS? PROBABLY NOT.
IN FACT, IF PEOPLE SEE YOU SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY IN AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE ALREADY SATISFIED, THEY MIGHT NOT THINK YOU'RE USING RESOURCES WELL.
SO THAT'S WHY WE THEN TAKE A LOOK AT HOW YOU'RE DOING IN THE AREAS.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE FOUR ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE AREA SHADED RED, THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU RATE THE LOWEST.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT COMMUNITIES THAT FOCUS THEIR RESOURCES IN AREAS THAT ARE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE, THAT HAVE LOWER SATISFACTION, THOSE TEND TO YIELD THE GREATEST IMPROVEMENTS OR THE GREATEST ENHANCEMENTS ON OVERALL SATISFACTION RATINGS IN THE FUTURE, WHICH IS THE REASON WE'VE RECOMMENDED THOSE FOUR AS THINGS FOR YOUR FOCUS ON.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE DOING FIRE SERVICES AND PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES, BUT THOSE HAVE MUCH LESS INFLUENCE ON PEOPLE OVERALL SATISFACTION TODAY.
SO YOU COULD SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY IN THE AREAS, BUT IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT CHANGE THEIR OVERALL VIEW OF THE CITY.
WHEREAS IF YOU INVEST IN THOSE AREAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, THOSE WILL HAVE SOME OF THE BIGGEST IMPACT AS YOU MOVE FORWARD.
AS FAR AS SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT THAT WERE JUST CONSISTENT WITH THESE FINDINGS, AS WE ASKED PEOPLE HOW THEY THOUGHT THE LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR VARIOUS BUDGET ITEMS SHOULD CHANGE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BIG LIST HERE, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES IN BLUE, THE INCREASES IN WHITE.
YOU'LL NOTICE OF THE FOUR THINGS ON THERE, I WOULD TYPICALLY EXPECT TO SEE POLICE FIRED AND US.
THAT'S TYPICALLY THE TOP OF A CHART LIKE THIS.
BUT YOU'LL NOTICE THAT YOUR STREET MAINTENANCE, TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE, AND SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION ARE ALL IN THE TOP FOUR.
THAT'S REAL CONSISTENT WITH YOUR TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AND CONSISTENT WITH THE FINDINGS THAT WE FOUND IN THE IMPORTANT SATISFACTION ANALYSIS WE DID.
WHICH ONE IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED THAT TO YOU? SO JUST KIND OF WRAPPING THINGS UP, THE CITY IS CLEARLY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.
IT SHOWS ME THAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE ALIGNED WITH WHAT CITIZEN EXPECTATIONS ARE.
HOWEVER, YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO BETTER ISSUES WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OPPORTUNITIES TO DO BETTER IN TRANSPORTATION, TAKING CARE OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ALL IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THEM.
BUT YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY CELEBRATE, AT LEAST FOR A MOMENT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT GOING ON TODAY.
I USUALLY GET TO DELIVER BAD NEWS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER IS FOR EVERY GOOD NEWS THERE'S BAD NEWS.
SO I HOPE YOU'LL AT LEAST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT YOUR OVERALL SATISFACTION RATING IS 19% ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
YOU'RE THE NUMBER ONE RATED MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS, AND YOU ARE RATED ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 33 OF 35 AREAS THAT DIDN'T COME BY ACCIDENT.
SO YOU'RE TO BE CONGRATULATED FOR THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS, UH, CITY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ON THAT WITH THAT, UH, UH, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR, IF THERE ARE ANY.
GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I NOTE A REMARKABLE ABSENCE IN MEDIA WHEN YOU DELIVERED THAT NEWS.
OH, YOU, JOEY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I DIDN'T SEE? UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ FOR THE RECORD.
SO THANK YOU, UM, VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I JUST, I I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE HEAR AS COUNCIL MEMBERS FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE, ARE ALSO FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SEE HERE.
PEOPLE'S PRIMARY CONCERN IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND THEN AFTER THAT STREETS, DRAINAGE, SIDEWALKS, UM, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN I THINK FAIRLY CONSISTENT.
I KNOW FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS, BUT WE WERE PRESENTED A SURVEY, UH, AND THEN NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I, I FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN N P O MEETING IN, IN OUR, UM, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION, UH, MEETING WHERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
AND WHAT THE PRESENTATION SHOWED WAS THAT ACTUALLY THE TRAFFIC IS AS BAD AS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, BUT PEOPLE WERE MORE TOLERANT OF IT BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTEN USED TO BEING MISERABLE.
I MEAN, THAT WAS WHAT THE, AND I'M SURE SOMEBODY HERE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, I I THINK I'VE, I WAS THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO PRESENTED THAT, SO, OKAY.
AND I THINK I WAS CALLING YOU OUT ON THAT WERE, BECAUSE I WAS SAYING I DON'T, THAT CAN'T BE GOOD POLICY FOR US, RIGHT? LIKE, WE CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERYBODY'S USED TO BEING MISERABLE, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND STAY THE COURSE.
UM, SO WHAT IS, UM, HOW IT COULD THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT ALL IN YOUR STUDY? WELL, I, I THINK THE REALITY IS, IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT STUDY IS THAT LOOKING VERY SPECIFICALLY JUST AT TRANSPORTATION, AND THE POINT FOR THAT WAS, IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BECOME MORE TOLERANT.
IF YOU LIVE IN CHICAGO, YOU'RE MORE TOLERANT OF TRANSPORTATION THAN YOU ARE IN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.
AND SO OVER TIME PEOPLE DO GET USED TO TRAFFIC BLOW.
GETTING WORSE DOESN'T MEAN YOU WANT THAT.
AND SO, AND PEOPLE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THAT.
AND SO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT THIS DATA, IT SAYS
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THAT TRANSPORTATION'S ONE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES.THEY WANT YOU TO INVEST IN TRANSPORTATION AND THEY DON'T WANT IT TO GET WORSE.
AND SO TO SAY THE STRATEGY IS WE'RE JUST GONNA MAKE EVERYBODY MISERABLE AND GET TRANSPORTATION WORSE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GREAT PUBLIC STRATEGY, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE IS SOME TOLERANCE PEOPLE WILL BUILD UP OVER TIME.
BUT I CAN SAY I'VE SURVEYED, UH, FOLKS IN AUSTIN THE SAME MANY YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN SURVEYING YOU, AND THEY'VE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL DECREASES IN TRAFFIC FLOW BECAUSE THEY DID HAVE AN EMPHASIS NOT TO DO ANYTHING WITH THEIR HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND THAT'S HAD A REAL COST ON SOME OF THEIR RATINGS IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
THEY USED TO BE ALMOST TIED WITH YOU FOR THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION RATING.
AND IF YOU LOOK IN THE DATA NOW, YOU CAN SEE YOU'RE SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS, UM, A DIFFERENT, I MEAN, THAT WASN'T THE CITY, RIGHT? IT WAS THE ENTIRE REGION.
UM, AND SO I GUESS I, I, UH, I OF COURSE THIS IS GREAT NEWS.
I DON'T WANT TO QUESTION YOUR DATA TOO MUCH.
WELL, UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION, UH, THAT I HAD, UM, ABOUT IT.
SO I, I I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT, UM, IT'S ACCURATE GIVEN THE FACT THAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL, AND THAT IT IS TRUE.
I THINK MOSTLY WHEN WE HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, IT'S TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THINGS, UH, AND NOT NECESSARILY TO SAY WHEN THINGS ARE RUNNING WELL.
SO THIS GIVES US A GOOD SNAPSHOT OF, UM, OF WHAT PEOPLE IN FACT, UH, ARE SAYING, BECAUSE THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT GONNA SAY, I'M REALLY SATISFIED WITH X, Y, Z.
UM, THEY'RE JUST GONNA SAY THEY'RE DISSATISFIED WITH SOMETHING.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO KIND OF REASSURE MYSELF, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THIS.
UH, HAS YOUR COMPANY, UH, DONE THE EXACT SAME KIND OF SURVEY IN ALL OF THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU SAID WERE RATED AGAINST? YEAH.
THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS NOT DONE IT REGULARLY, LIKE YOU IS HOUSTON.
WE'VE DONE SOME WORK IN HOUSTON AND WE'VE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS IN HOUSTON, BUT THE CITY OF ITSELF HAS NOT BEEN A REGULAR CLIENT OF OURS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT DALLAS, YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN, YOU LOOK AT, UH, I GUESS FORT WORTH, WE'VE BEEN DOING SURVEYS FOR EACH OF THOSE PLACES FOR MORE THAN A DECADE LIKE WE HAVE WITH YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING THIS GOOD NEWS.
AND UM, ALSO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF WELL-MANAGED DEPARTMENTS.
SO THANK YOU CHERYL, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, AS OUR MANAGER AND HAVING GREAT LEADERS AS OUR DIRECTORS IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WHO LISTEN AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DIRECTION.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHERYL.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN OR, OR DESCRIBE MORE ON WHAT DID THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT DECREASED MEAN? WHAT DOES TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, HOW WAS THAT DEFINED? YEAH, IT'S NOT REALLY SPECIFICALLY DEFINED.
THESE ARE, SOME OF THESE ARE HIGH LEVEL QUESTIONS TO BE MORE WHAT I CALL STRATEGIC INDICATORS.
IS IT RAILROAD CROSSINGS? IS IT STOPLIGHTS? UH, BUT COMPARED TO WHERE YOU WERE TWO YEARS AGO, PEOPLE'S SATISFACTION WITH BASICALLY GETTING AROUND HAS GONE DOWN.
AND SO I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE COUNCIL.
WOMEN'S COMMENT BEFORE THAT THERE IS SENSITIVITY ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW.
UH, AND PEOPLE'S SATISFACTION HAS DECREASED, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANT, IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY CLEAR, ASIDE FROM THE MAJOR CATEGORIES ABOUT T C I, THERE ARE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ASKED WITHIN IT.
SO WITHIN THE T C I CATEGORY, THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE QUALITY OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, OF FLOOD CONTROL EVENTS, OUTREACH EFFORTS TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
SO OF THE SEVEN QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED WITHIN T C I, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT SHOWED A NOTABLE DECREASE, THE OTHERS DIDN'T.
AND YOU DID MENTION THAT YOU HAVE, UM, YOU ALSO HAVE MAPS OR THE ANSWERS PER DISTRICT AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO SAW THE ONE ON TRANSPORTATION WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.
UM, UH, I'D LOVE TO GET THE, UM, THE RESULTS AS WELL AS THE QUESTIONS SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, HOW THIS WAS DONE.
UM, I HAVE, HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY.
DO WE KNOW IF WERE THEY ASKED IF THEY HAD USED THAT PARTICULAR SERVICE? YEAH, I BELIEVE FOR SOME OF THEM, YES, BUT NOT FOR ALL OF THEM.
[00:30:01]
THIS, UH, THE OTHER DAY WHERE WE THINK, UM, THIS IS GREAT OVERALL INFORMATION, BUT WHEN WE REALLY WANNA DRILL DOWN INTO PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND HOW PEOPLE ARE REALLY, UH, ENJOYING OR NOT ENJOYING OUR OUR SERVICES, WE REALLY WANNA GET TO THE USER, RIGHT? AND, UH, AND FIND OUT HOW THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS SO WE'LL, AND THAT, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT.WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE SURVEYS JUST FOR YOUR LIBRARIES.
WE'VE DONE SURVEYS FOR YOUR PARKS FOLKS, WE'VE DONE SURVEYS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO THIS IS REALLY YOUR HIGH LEVEL STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE, KINDA LIKE YOUR WELL HEALTH, PHYSICAL MM-HMM.
AND THEN IF YOU FIND OUT YOU'RE NOT DOING SO WELL, YOU MIGHT THEN DO SOME BLOOD TESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF I WANT TO GIVE YOU A METAPHOR.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY DO DO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTAL SURVEYS FOR YOU AS WELL TO, TO DIVE INTO THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS.
COUNCILWOMAN, THERE ISN'T A QUESTION AHEAD OF TIME WHETHER YOU'VE USED THE SERVICE, BUT THERE IS AN OPTION THAT WASN'T SHOWN IN THE SLIDES OF NO OPINION.
SO SOMEBODY'S ASKED ABOUT THE ESSAY SPEAKUP PROCESS OR, OR OPENING A BUSINESS IN THE CITY AND, AND IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THEM.
THEY'RE GIVEN THE OPTION OF SELECTING THAT ALSO.
UM, SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE, THE NOTABLE INCREASE IN ESSAY SPEAKUP.
GREAT JOB TO, TO G P A, UH, ON THAT.
AND UH, I GUESS I, UH, I HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION TO COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT IS SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE EVALUATED, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THEM HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE EQUIVALENT IN OTHER AREAS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU, COULD YOU TALK TO HOW YOU DO THAT COMPARISON? SO NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES, THAT'S NEW FOR US.
UH, TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, SEPARATE FUNCTIONS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH.
WHAT WE DO IS A LOT OF YOUR, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO WE LOOK WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE, UH, COMPARATIVE DATA, THOSE, THE REASON WE ONLY HAVE 35 FOR YOU IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DO ARE NAMED OR WORKED OR ORGANIZED VERY UNIQUELY COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
YOU HAVE LIBRARIES, OTHER PLACES DON'T HAVE LIBRARIES.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO COMPARISONS FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT FOR THE ITEMS WHERE THERE IS PRETTY MUCH A CLEAR, UH, WAY THAT WE ASK IT ON THE SURVEY COMPARED TO THE WAY WE ASK IT FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, THOSE ARE WHERE WE PROVIDE THE COMPARISONS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT.
I WAS REALLY SORRY TO SEE THAT LIBRARIES HAD THE LOWEST RANK OF
HOW DID YOU DETERMINE THAT? WELL, IT, IT'S, YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE.
LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT TO FOLKS, BUT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING SO WELL, THEY'RE NOT IN MAKING A, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IS THE IMPORTANCE RATING IS NOT HOW, WE DIDN'T SAY HOW IMPORTANT ARE LIBRARIES.
WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE CORRELATION COEFFICIENT WITH SOME STATISTICAL STUFF THAT LOOKS AT HOW DO PEOPLE'S RATINGS FOR LIBRARIES CORRELATE WITH THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION FOR THE CITY.
AND IF THERE'S NOT A STRONG CORRELATION, THAT MEANS LIBRARIES RIGHT NOW IN THIS POINT IN TIME RATINGS FOR THAT AREN'T REALLY IMPACTING WHAT PEOPLE LOOK AT THE OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE CITY.
AND THAT'S WHERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MOST IMPORTANT RATING, YOU SEE THE THINGS, NUMBER ONE IS POLICE.
AND THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
PEOPLE CARE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, THEY WANT TO BE SAFE.
UH, FIRE RATINGS ARE SO HIGH RIGHT NOW.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF I WERE TO JUST ASK PEOPLE, IS FIRE IMPORTANT, THEY'D SAY, ABSOLUTELY IT WOULD BE ONE OF YOUR TOP THREE MOST IMPORTANT BY PEOPLE SAYING IT.
BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT HOW IT IMPACTS OVERALL SATISFACTION, YOU'LL SEE IT'S FURTHER DOWN THE LIST.
AND PART OF THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT FIRED SO GOOD ABOUT LIBRARIES, THEY'RE NOT REALLY IMPACTING THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE CITY AS MUCH RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER CONCERNS LIKE THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU.
WHAT WHAT KIND OF CORRELATION COEFFICIENT DID YOU GET? UH, IT, IT RANGES.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY ANYWHERE, SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO SIX, SOME ARE DOWN TO 0.2, WHICH ARE BASICALLY
AND I THINK FOR THE RECORD, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYONE ON CITY COUNCIL HAS SAID CORRELATION COEFFICIENT.
SO
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL TAKE IT, UH, FOR WHAT IT IS.
UM, MORE FOR, UH, CHERYL AND THE TEAM.
UM, THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON THIS LIST, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T ASK EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN, RIGHT? PEOPLE WILL ONLY TAKE SO MANY QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY HANG UP ON YOU OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DID IT.
UM, HOMELESSNESS IS NOT ON THIS LIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, OPIOID, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALL THAT STUFF.
AND SO THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
AND SO CHERYL, HOW, WHAT WOULD, WHAT ARE YOUR PROPOSED NEXT STEPS, IF ANY, RIGHT.
UM, TO SORT OF DRILL DOWN ON SPECIFIC, UH, AREAS HERE OR TO BEEF UP THE NEXT TIME WE DO THIS SURVEY? 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON THIS COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE, UH, SORT OF A PERCEPTION OR SATISFACTION RATING, YOU KNOW, SHOWING ME THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR CITIZENS, LET'S SAY.
I DON'T KNOW, CHRIS OR JEFF, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
WE DID HAVE A SECTION ON PUBLIC HEALTH, SO WHY DON'T, YES, THERE WERE, OH, GO AHEAD JEFF.
[00:35:01]
WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP THIS BRIEF THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THERE ARE QUESTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES THERE.THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, CA WAS BAKED INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A LARGER QUESTION ABOUT HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICES ALTOGETHER.
SENIOR FAMILY ASSISTANCE, HOMELESSNESS, EARLY CHILDHOOD.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT TEASED OUT.
WE TRY TO KEEP THE SURVEY BRIEF, AND THIS ACTUALLY GOES BACK TO COUNCILMAN KURT'S QUESTION IN YEARS PAST, I AND I HAVE SAT DOWN WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH KRISTA, PUT THE SURVEY TOGETHER AND SAID, UM, CAN WE REWRITE THIS QUESTION? CAN WE SHORTEN THIS? CAN WE DO THAT? AND AS SOON AS WE DO THAT, IT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR ABILITY TO BENCHMARK AGAINST OTHERS.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE IT'S GOTTA BE DONE THE SAME WAY.
SO WE, WE, IT'S A BALANCE TO TRY TO, ALTHOUGH AS WAS MENTIONED, WE DO DO SOME MORE SPECIFIC SURVEYS IN PARTICULAR AREAS.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK WITH THE COUNCIL OR TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK AFTER THIS MEETING ABOUT THOSE AREAS THAT YOU WANT US TO DIVE DEEPER INTO.
WE, IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN TRYING TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHERS AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATE TO THE COUNCIL WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE IMPROVING.
AND FOR US IT'S ABOUT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
WE WANT EVERY TWO YEARS AND WE HOLD THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ACCOUNTABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE SCOOTERS 10 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED
UH, THE SURVEYING WORK AND OUR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE THEN.
SO, UH, BUT WE CAN GET MORE SPECIFIC AND HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU MORE ABOUT IT.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THERE.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO A YEAR TO YEAR COMPARISON OR A SURVEY TO SURVEY COMPARISON? IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS THE RESULTS FOR EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS IN 2016 IN THE SAME, IN A SIMILAR PRESENTATION.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO FROM ONE PRESENTATION TO ANOTHER TO TRY AND FIND HOW THEY WORK AND CORRELATE TO EACH OTHER.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS EVERY OTHER YEAR, SO WE COULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT SHOWS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIBRARY SERVICES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS OR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
SO WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN ORGANIZE IT IN THAT WAY.
I I THINK WHAT CHRIS SAID EARLIER THOUGH WAS THAT WE'VE BEEN ON AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY.
SOME ARE NOT AS UPWARD AS WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO BE.
IF YOU LOOK JUST THE LAST COUPLE YEARS YOU'VE REALLY DONE WELL AND YOU WERE KIND OF AT A REALLY HIGH POINT IN THE, AROUND THE TIME THAT EVERYTHING WENT TO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ECONOMY IN 2008 AND WE SAW KIND OF A DOWNWARDS ACROSS THE NATION.
A LOT OF FOLKS STILL HAVEN'T RECOVERED, BUT YOU CERTAINLY HAVE.
AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY TREMENDOUS, UH, WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AS LEADERS AS FAR AS MAKING DECISIONS TO PRIORITIZE.
AND IT'S, AND THAT'S A HUGE PIECE, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO THE EXECUTION, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT YOU PRIORITIZE AND YOU'RE DOING BOTH WELL.
AND THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR CITIES AS BIG AS THIS PARTICULARLY THAT ARE GROWING AS FAST AS SAN ANTONIO IS.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH CHRIS.
AND, AND, UM, THE POINTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE VERY END WERE THE ONES THAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, WHICH IS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS AND LOOK AT THE TRENDS.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT, UH, AT LEAST THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE CITY, UH, WE AS A BODY ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY THIS IS A, A, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S DEDICATED TO CONSTANT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
SO, UH, WE WON'T BE RESTING ON OUR LAURELS.
WE HOPE TO GET A GOOD REPORT, UH, AT THE NEXT ITERATION.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
UH, OUR SECOND ITEM, UH, THIS AFTERNOON IS ABOUT OUR TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
UH, THE VISITOR INDUSTRY IS A KEY ECONOMIC GENERATOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND SAN ANTONIO HOSTING APPROXIMATELY 30 MILLION VISITORS IN PROVIDING MORE THAN 130,000 LOCAL JOBS.
SO VISIT SAN ANTONIO WAS TASKED WITH MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF SAN ANTONIO TO CONVENTION GROUPS FOR LEISURE AND BUSINESS TRAVEL, UH, AS WELL AS SOME MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED IN, UH, OVER THE PAST DECADE.
AFTER A YEAR OF STUDY AND COMMUNITY INPUT, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE TRANSITION OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO, UH, TO A 5 0 1 C THREE SIX, A PUBLIC PRIVATE ENTITY.
AND THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2016.
AND AS I SAID, THERE WAS, UH, A TASK FORCE OF LOCAL COMMUNITY BUSINESS AND TOURISM INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES THAT WORKED ON THAT TRANSITION.
UM, SO ONE OF THE KEY CHARGES FROM THAT TRANSITION WAS TO ALLOW VISIT SAN ANTONIO TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPAND THE MARKETING INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO EXPAND THEIR SALES AND MARKETING, VISIT SAN ANTONIO WITH THE HOTEL
[00:40:01]
AND LODGING ASSOCIATION PROPOSE THE CREATION OF A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AS PROVIDED FOR IN-STATE LAW.UH, ON JUNE 21ST OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED SOME AGREEMENTS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED CREATION OF WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO AS A TPI.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND APPROVED THE SERVICE PLAN, INCLUDING THE ASSESSMENT PLAN.
AND BILL, UH, BEN GOEL, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, WORKED WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT LANGUAGE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED ALONG WITH CASSANDRA MATE, OUR C E O OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
SO STATE LAW REQUIRES PETITIONS FROM AT LEAST 60% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE OF TAXABLE REAL PROPERTY THAT WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE ASSESSMENT.
AND THE SIGNATURES THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, WERE VALIDATED REPRESENTING 64.5% OF THE RECORD OWNERS AND 74% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE, THEREBY MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS BY STATUTE FOR THE CREATION OF THE TPI.
SO THE ORDINANCE CREATING THE TPI IS PROPOSED FOR YOUR APPROVAL ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TOMORROW, DECEMBER 6TH.
AND THIS BRIEFING WILL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WILL BEGIN WITH BEN GOEL TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE STATUTE, UH, AS WELL AS CASSANDRA MATE AND LISA
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, BEN GOEL.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THANK YOU CHERYL.
UM, AS CHERYL SAID, UH, JOINING ME IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE CASSANDRA MATE, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO, LISA BAR PRESIDENT AND C E O OF SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN I WANTED TO INTRODUCE ONE OTHER INDIVIDUAL.
SCOTT JOSS IS HERE AS WELL AS A RESOURCE.
SCOTT IS THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF THE TEXAS HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION.
SCOTT ACTUALLY SERVES AS GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE THREE EXISTING T PIDS THAT EXIST IN TEXAS TODAY.
THOSE ARE IN FORT WORTH, DALLAS AND ARLINGTON.
HE ACTUALLY ALSO HELPED DRAFT THE LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS, UH, MUNICIPALITIES AND ENTITIES TO CREATE A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
SO HE'S HERE AS A RESOURCE AS WELL.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH JUST SOME BACKGROUND FIRST ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SOME STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME POLICIES THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED LOCALLY, SOME OF WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN OUR BOND DOCUMENTS THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTED THE, UH, FINANCING FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
CURRENTLY OUR HOT TAX IS AT 16.75%.
THAT'S ADDED TO, UH, THE, THE GROSS COST OF A ROOM.
1.75% GOES TO THE COUNTY, AND THE REMAINING 9% COMES TO THE CITY AND IT'S DIVIDED INTO TWO PORTIONS.
THE 2%, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE CONVENTIONS IN OUR EXPANSION HOT, ALL OF THAT FUNDING IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORT DEBT SERVICE ON THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN THE 7% HOT, WHICH PRIMARILY FUNDS OPERATIONAL CATEGORIES, BUT ALSO SUPPORTS DEBT SERVICE ON, UH, THE DEBT THAT WE'VE ISSUED FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE DID BACK IN 2012 AS PART OF THAT BOND FINANCING, HAVE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE RESOLUTION THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE BOND DOCUMENTS.
AND REALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT TALKS ABOUT THE FLOW OF FUNDS AS WE COLLECT HOT TAXES, HOW DO WE USE THE HOT TAXES? AND THE FIRST THING THAT WE DO IS, AGAIN, WE USE ALL OF THE 2% HOT.
WE'VE GOTTA USE THAT BY LAW FOR, UH, PAYING FOR DEBT SERVICE FOR THE EXPANSION.
BUT THEN IN ORDER TO FINANCE THE EXPANSION, WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND WE NEEDED TO USE PART OF THE 7% HOT THAT WE WERE USING FOR OPERATIONS.
SO WHAT THAT POLICY SAYS IS THAT ON THE 7% HOT SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OFF WHAT WE NEED TO TO FUND THAT SERVICE.
AND THEN WHAT'S LEFT, WE CALL THAT THE NET HOT, UH, COLLECTIONS.
THEN WE APPLY THE FIF UP TO 15% FOR ARTS, THE 15% FOR HISTORY AND PRESERVATION.
AND THEN THE OTHER CATEGORIES GO TOWARDS, UH, A DESIGNATION OF 35% PER VISIT SAN ANTONIO, AND THEN 35% TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER FACILITY.
SO THAT WAS IMPORTANT FROM A BOND PERSPECTIVE.
AND FOR OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO FINANCE THAT EXPANSION, WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE HAD AN APPROPRIATE FLOW OF FUNDS THAT COULD SUPPORT THAT BOND ISSUE.
AND REMEMBER, THE EXPANSION WAS $325 MILLION.
WE ALREADY HAD SOME HOT REVENUE BONDS OUTSTANDING THAT WE REFINANCED ALSO.
SO WE'VE GOT JUST OVER A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS OF BONDS THAT THIS RESOLUTION APPLIES TO IN TERMS OF HOW WE HANDLE DOLLARS THAT COME INTO THE FUND.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US NOT ONLY FROM THE CREDIT RATING OF THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION.
[00:45:01]
THE HOT FUND ALSO PERFORMS LIKE AN ENTERPRISE FUND.SO WE HAVE HOT COLLECTIONS THAT COME INTO THE FUND, THEY SUPPORT OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE, UM, REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED BY THE ALAMO DOME AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, THINGS LIKE CONCESSIONS AND RENTAL REVENUES.
ALL OF THAT GOES INTO THIS HOP PRO FORMA.
AND WE USE IT AGAIN TO FUND THE OPERATIONS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT THE OTHER BIG PIECE OF THIS IS FUNDING THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE EXPANSION, UM, BUT ALSO OUR FUTURE CAPITAL NEEDS.
WE'VE GOTTA ENSURE THAT THE TWO BUILDINGS, THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMO DOME REMAIN ATTRACTIVE THAT THEY'RE, UM, MARKETABLE AND COMPETITIVE.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ALAMO DOME OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THAT ARE GONNA HELP US HOST THE N C A FINAL FOUR IN A FEW YEARS.
SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT LIFECYCLE REPLACEMENT THINGS IN THOSE FACILITIES THAT WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, ROOFS, ESCALATORS, ELEVATORS, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING ON A TIMELY BASIS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS FUND, WE LOOK AT THE HOT TAXES COMING IN, WE LOOK AT ALL THESE ADDITIONAL REVENUES THAT GET GENERATED, ALL OF THAT IS USED TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND THE CAPITAL PROGRAM.
JUMPING OVER TO, UM, THE TPIT SIDE AND JUST DOING A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AGAIN, VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS OUR DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF SAN ANTONIO.
AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, IN 2016, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, WHICH WAS A NEWLY CREATED 5 0 1 C SIX PUBLIC PRIVATE ENTITY.
AND IT WAS MEANT TO ACCOMPLISH MOVING OR TRANSITIONING THE MARKETING AND PROMOTION FUNCTION FROM A CITY DEPARTMENT TO THIS OUTSIDE PUBLIC PRIVATE ENTITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS WE MADE THAT MOVE WAS TO ALLOW V S A TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND FROM THE INCEPTION, WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS TRANSITION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED AS A POSSIBLE FUNDING ALTERNATIVE TO BRING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO, UH, THE PROGRAM WAS THE CREATION OF A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT OR A T P ID.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY FUNDING OPTIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
THERE IS A STATUTORY PROCESS, AS WAS MENTIONED, THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO CREATE APID STATE LAW REQUIRES PETITIONS FROM MORE THAN 60% OF THE RE RECORD OWNERS OF TAXABLE REAL PROPERTY THAT ARE WITH, THAT ARE GOING TO BE LIABLE FOR THE ASSESSMENT.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA, THAT'S GOTTA REPRESENT MORE THAN 60% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THE TAXABLE PROPERTY THAT'S LIABLE FOR THE ASSESSMENT.
SO WE'VE GOTTA MEET BOTH OF THOSE THRESHOLDS.
THE CITY CLERK'S GONNA PRESENT TOMORROW INFORMATION THAT SHE HAS CERTIFIED AT BOTH OF THOSE THRESHOLDS HAVE BEEN MET, MET FOR CREATION OF THE T I D.
THOSE PETITIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL AS A CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION.
AND THEN AS PART OF THE CREATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE T I D, YOU'VE GOTTA INCLUDE A SERVICE PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE KEY MANAGEMENT PARAMETERS, HOW THE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE OVER, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO OVERSEE THE, THE FUNDS, THE FUNDING, AND THE BUDGET CATEGORIES.
PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE ALSO REQUIRED FOR THE CREATION OF THE T I AND THE TPI ASSESSMENT.
NOW, I MENTIONED THAT THE TPI WAS TALKED ABOUT IN 2016 AS WE WERE LOOKING AT CREATING V S A AND TALKING ABOUT THIS TRANSITION.
SO THEY BEGAN WORK WITH THEIR STAKEHOLDERS, HOTEL OWNERS, ABOUT THIS CONCEPT, ABOUT CREATING A TPI AND BEGINNING THAT PROCESS AND VETTING AND DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AS THEY BROUGHT THIS FORWARD TO US AND SAID, WE'RE NOW READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TPI AND WE'D LIKE TO CREATE THIS.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THEY GAVE US OR PRESENTED TO US THAT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WE LOOKED AT THE PETITION, THE DRAFT PETITION AND THE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT.
ONE WAS THAT AS THEY WENT OUT AND PRESENTED THIS TO HOTEL OWNERS AND SAID, WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT TO CREATE THIS TPI, THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUTLINE EXACTLY WHAT THE TPI FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE USED FOR.
SO THAT WAS CLEARLY INDICATED SO THAT HOTEL OWNERS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE SIGNING UP FOR.
THE SECOND PART WAS THAT THE FUNDING THAT WAS TO COME OUT OF THE TPI WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTAL AND NOT, WOULD NOT SUPPLANT WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING TODAY.
IN OTHER WORDS, NOT REDUCE THE FUNDING TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND HAVE TPI FUNDS REPLACE THAT, BUT RATHER MAINTAIN THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR VISITS SAN ANTONIO AND ENSURING THAT THE TPIT FUNDS WERE AN INCREMENTAL AD TO WHAT, UH, WHAT WAS BEING DONE TODAY.
SO JUST KIND OF A TIMELINE IN TERMS OF HOW WE GOT TO TODAY.
UM, AGAIN, THEY DID A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE, UH, AFTER THE TRANSITION WAS MADE TO V S A, IT WAS PROBABLY AROUND THE SPRING, UH, EARLY SPRING TIMEFRAME WHEN THEY APPROACHED US WITH THE WANTING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CREATION OF THE TPI D AND WE BEGAN TO ENGAGE ON, UH, THE DRAFT PETITION, THE MANAGEMENT
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CONTRACT, AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO CREATE, UH, THE T I D.IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN AUGUST 30TH, THERE WAS A B SESSION WHERE, UH, CASSANDRA DID MENTION AS PART OF HER BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT THEY WERE DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE ON THE T I D AND THAT THAT WAS LOOKING FAVORABLE AND THAT THEY WOULD BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
UM, THERE WAS SOME, UH, INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL AND STAKEHOLDER BRIEFINGS THAT OCCUR.
STAKEHOLDERS IN MOST OF THE, IN, IN, IN MANY OF THESE CASES WERE THE HOTEL OWNERS OWNERSHIP GROUP AND THE INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF, OF BEING BRIEFED ON WHAT THE PLAN WAS.
AND THEN AS STAFF, WE DID GO TO THE ECONOMIC AND WORK WORKFORCE CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE AND OUTLINED WHAT WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY BROUGHT THAT TO A SESSION ON JUNE 21ST.
AND BOTH OF THOSE MEETINGS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW WE WERE SETTING UP THE T I D, WE REITERATED THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO, AGAIN, THE INDUSTRY, WAS THAT ONE, THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME CERTAINTY AROUND WHAT THE TPI FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE USED FOR.
AND SECONDLY, THAT WE WOULDN'T BE, UM, SUPPLANTING WHAT WE WERE DOING TODAY, BUT SUPPLEMENTING WHAT WE WERE DOING TODAY.
AND BECAUSE THOSE DRAFT PETITIONS AND THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE GOING TO BE APPROVED BY YOU ALL IN JUNE, THEN THEY WOULD BEGIN THE PROCESS TO GO GET SIGNATURES.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE AMEND WHAT, UM, HAS BEEN PROPOSED OR BOUGHT FOR TODAY? THAT THAT'S WHERE THE CHALLENGE REALLY COMES FROM, IS THAT ONCE WE APPROVE THE DOCUMENTS IN JUNE, THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE USED IN ORDER TO GET, IN ORDER TO, UM, UH, PROVIDE TO THE HOTEL OWNERS SO THAT WE COULD GET THEIR SUPPORT TO CREATE THE TPI.
AND SO THERE WERE REPRESENTATIONS MADE IN THOSE DOCUMENTS ABOUT HOW THE T I D FUNDING WOULD WORK, UM, AGAIN, UH, SUPPLEMENTING NOT SUPPLANTING WHAT WE WERE DOING TODAY.
AND SO THOSE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE THOSE REPRESENTATIONS AND THAT WAS, THAT'S WHAT WAS SIGNED BY THE HOTEL OWNERSHIP AND THEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR VERIFICATION.
IN TERMS OF TOMORROW, UM, WELL, I'LL GO BACK.
SO ON JUNE 21ST, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DOCUMENTS YOU DID APPROVE.
YOU DID APPROVE THE MASTER CONTRACT, WHICH IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY V SS A AND THE SS A T P, UH, CORPORATION, WHICH IS A PRIVATE CORPORATION THAT'S BEEN CREATED TO OVERSEE THE T I FUNDS.
THE PETITION, WHICH IS WHAT THE DO WAS THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE HOTEL OWNERSHIP, WHICH INCLUDES THE PARAMETERS AND, AND SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIONS I TALKED ABOUT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM FOR THEIR SIGNATURE.
AND THEN A SERVICE PLAN, WHICH WILL COME BACK TO YOU ALL ANNUALLY, UH, FOR ADOPTION.
BUT THAT SERVICE PLAN'S GOTTA BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PETITION AND THE EIGHT YEAR PLAN THAT WAS OUTLINED THERE.
THAT SERVICE PLAN ESTABLISHES KEY MANAGEMENT PARAMETERS, THE FUNDING OF THE BUDGET CATEGORIES, WHICH ARE 45% MARKETING, 45% SALES, 5% INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, AND 5% RESEARCH AND ADMIN.
SO ALL OF THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE APPROVED BACK IN JUNE.
AND AGAIN, UM, THAT'S WHAT WAS USED, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW IS ACTUALLY A PUBLIC HEARING TO LOOK AT, AND THIS IS COMING FROM STATE LAW.
THEY REFER TO IT AS THE ADVISABILITY OF THE CREATION OF A TPI.
YOU'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO ASSESS, UH, UP TO A 1.25% ASSESSMENT RATE.
SO IT'S AN UP TO ASSESSMENT RATE.
WE'VE GOT THE CITY CLERK ON THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW AS WELL THAT WILL PRESENT THE VERIFICATION OF THE PETITIONS.
AND AGAIN, SHE'LL PRESENT THAT WE HAVE MET BOTH OF THOSE THRESHOLDS AND SHE HAS CERTIFIED THAT.
ONCE THAT CERTIFICATION IS DONE, THEN YOU'LL BE ASKED TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING THE, UH, T I D AND THE ASSOCIATED MASTER CONTRACT AND THE SERVICE PLAN.
AND AGAIN, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WAY IT WAS DRAFTED AND THE WAY IT WAS OUTLINED, UH, WITH THE PETITIONS AND WHAT WE DID BACK IN JUNE.
AND MOVING FORWARD TO TOMORROW, WHAT YOU'LL BE ASKED TO DO IS EITHER SUPPORT AND ACCEPT THE VERIFICATION OF THOSE SIGNATURES, UM, AND TO THE CREATION OF THE TPI D.
AND CERTAINLY YOU HAVE THE PREROGATIVE TO NOT ACCEPT THE TPI VERIFICATION AND NOT CREATE THE TPI.
YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
UM, WHAT BECOMES DIFFICULT IS AMENDING OR CHANGING, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE PETITION HAD VERY, VERY, UM, OUTLINED PARAMETERS IN TERMS OF HOW THE FUNDING COULD BE USED.
WE'VE REVIEWED IT AND CITY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE ITEM TOMORROW.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, CASSANDRA MATEE AND LISA BARCE, WHO ARE GONNA GO THROUGH MORE OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE WITH THE TPI FUNDING AND HOW THAT PROCESS WILL WORK.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AND GLAD TO BE HERE.
HELD, UH, ITS ANNUAL MEETING LAST FRIDAY.
UM, WE HAD OVER 500 STAKEHOLDERS AND MANY OF YOU ATTENDED, SO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, ANNOUNCED WERE OUR NEW ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBERS, AND, UH, WE PARTNERED WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND TOURISM COUNCIL.
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AND WE'RE DELIGHTED AND TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE INDUSTRY IS THRIVING AND IT'S GROWING, AND IT THAT MEANS IT'S ALSO GROWING THE IMPACT TO THIS VERY COMMUNITY.SO WE'RE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT TODAY FROM OUR 2017 NUMBERS, WE REPRESENT A 15.2 ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ME ALL SAY IT MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY IS BIG BUSINESS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WELCOME OVER 31 MILLION VISITORS TO THE CITY AND BEXAR COUNTY IN 2017, AS WELL AS THE COMMU, THE HOSPITALITY AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES UPWARDS OF 419 MILLION IN TAXES AND FEES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THAT'S OVER 200 MILLION TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK PEOPLE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, YES, VISITORS STAY IN HOTELS, THEY PAY A HOTEL TAX, BUT THEY ALSO SHOP AND DINE, DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE CITY, WHICH ALSO GENERATES SALES TAX.
AND THERE'S INCREMENTAL GROWTH TO SALES TAX THAT OBVIOUSLY GOES INTO, UH, GENERAL FUND THAT CAN BE USED FOR, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY ROADS, ET CETERA.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE A, WE EMPLOY OVER 140,000 PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE TRAVEL SECTOR, AND THAT IS ONE IN SEVEN THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY OUR INDUSTRY.
VERY PROUD TO BE SUCH A BIG EMPLOYER.
IN FACT, IT MAKES US THE TOP THIRD INDUSTRY IN SAN ANTONIO.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, AND THEN I AM GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LISA, WAS KIND OF TO BACK UP OF SOME OF THE KEY PRINCIPLES, WHY WE WERE LOOKING TO GROW OUR BUDGET IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY.
ONE, AND THESE WERE ALL VERY MUCH PARALLEL OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I WOULD TELL YOU IN THE LAST SEVEN TO 10 YEARS, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THAT VSA VISIT, SAN ANTONIO'S BUDGET HAD REMAINED RELATIVELY FLAT.
SO WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING TO SPEND A DOLLAR ON MARKETING EXPENDITURES, BUT YET YOU'RE USING THE SAME DOLLAR, AND THERE'S, THERE'S GROWTH AND COST INFLATION, THAT DOLLAR DOESN'T GO AS FAR.
BUT COUPLE THAT WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE IN DALLAS AND HOUSTON, THEY PRACTICALLY DOUBLED THEIR BUDGET AND THEY STARTED MARKETING IN WHAT WE CAPTURED THE LEISURE MARKETING, UM, SEGMENT.
AND SO WE SAW THAT EVEN IN OUR OWN STATE, THAT THERE WAS SOME COMMIT COM COMPETITIVE THREATS TO SOME OF THE MARKET SHARE THAT WE ARE CAPTURING.
AND THEN YOU COUPLE THAT IN ITS PARALLEL THAT WE WERE, IF YOU LOOK AT A 10 YEAR PERIOD WITHIN THE STATE, WE'RE STARTING TO LOSE SOME MARKET SHARE IN THIS SEGMENT.
IN OUR OVERALL OCCUPANCY RATES, OUR OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGES, UH, IN THE HOTEL COMMUNITY HAS REMAINED VERY FLAT.
SO THOSE WERE THE DRIVERS OF WHY WE FELT IT VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO GROW THE OVERALL SALES AND MARKETING BUDGET.
IN JANUARY OF 2018, WE LAUNCHED A MEMBERSHIP MODEL.
WE HAVE OVER 315 MEMBERS, UM, OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
SO TRADITIONAL PARTNERS, NON-TRADITIONAL PARTNERS, UM, ARE ALL MEMBERS OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO WE, WE, WE HAVE PRIVATE DOLLARS SEGMENT, UH, PRIVATE DOLLARS, PART OF OUR BUDGET THROUGH THAT MECHANISM.
BUT WE KNEW IN ORDER TO, UM, KIND OF CAPTURE AND GROW TO WHAT SOME OF OUR COMPETITIVE SET WERE, WE NEEDED SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS.
AND WE FELT LIKE THE T P I D WAS THAT MECHANISM TO REALLY SEE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OF INDUSTRY INVESTING IN INDUSTRY.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO LISA AGAIN, THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF THE HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION BECAUSE THEIR ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN REALLY LEADING THIS EFFORT.
AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING US TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA BEGIN WITH HOW IT WORKS.
SO WE ARE, WE PROPOSE A 1.25% FEE, SORRY, YEAH.
FEE ON THE HOTEL ROOM NIGHT STAY.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT REVENUE COLLECTION WILL BE PART, IT WOULD BE COLLECTED ALONGSIDE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
SO THE RULES THAT GOVERN HOT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION WILL BE THE SAME RULES THAT GOVER GOVERN OVER THE HO THE, UM, TPI FEE.
SO IF YOU ARE EXEMPT FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, YOU'LL ALSO BE EXEMPT FROM THE TPI D FEE.
UM, AND THE REVENUE THAT WILL BE COLLECTED WILL BE GIVEN, UM, TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
AND IT'LL BE PART OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S OVERALL BUDGET.
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THERE WON'T BE A TPI BUDGET AND A VISIT SAN ANTONIO MARKETING BUDGET, THE, THE TPI REVENUE WILL BE ABLE TO ENHANCE WHAT VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO DO WITH THEIR OVERALL MARKETING BUDGET.AND IT ALSO, UM, ALIGNS IN THE TERMS OF THE TPI.
IT'LL BE ABOUT A, AN EIGHT YEAR COMMITMENT, AND IT'LL ALIGN WITH THE EIGHT YEAR COMMITMENTS LEFT AND THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE, WE KNOW THAT, UM, HISTORICALLY IN WHAT CONS CASSANDRA MENTIONED IN DALLAS, WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND BOOSTING THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY IS GOING TO POSITIVELY IMPACT JOB GROWTH, QUALITY OF LIFE OPPORTUNITIES, INCREMENTAL TAX GROWTH, AND OF COURSE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
SO IN TERMS OF THE ALLOCATION, ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLY IN THE PROCESS, UM, THAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM HOTEL OWNERS AND IN OUR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS IS THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON THE INVESTMENT IN THE BUDGET.
AND SO WE COMMITTED EARLY ON IN, IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH CASSANDRA THAT WE WANTED 90% THE LION'S SHARE OF THE, THE REVENUE COLLECTION TO GO TOWARDS, SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS SALES AND MARKETING.
UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE NEGOTIATED BECAUSE WE FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT BECAUSE OF THE FLAT BUDGET, THAT THERE WAS THIS, UM, FLAT HOTEL OCCUPANCY, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WHICH IS THEN WHY WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR INDUSTRY SELF-ASSESSING A FEE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THIS AND TAKING THIS BUSINESS RISK.
AND ULTIMATELY, WE, UM, WE PROJECT AND WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR THAT THERE'LL BE A $10.4 MILLION REVENUE.
UM, AND THAT, UM, ONCE WE ESTABLISH OUR CORPORATION BOARD, THAT THEY WILL THEN HAVE OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A SEVEN TO ONE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT FOR HOTEL OWNERS.
AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE, THE, UM, THE MANAGE, NOT THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, THE, THE SERVICE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND WAS SIGNED BY HOTEL OWNERS.
AND SO, UM, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE CRAFTED IT AND PROPOSED IT TO HOTELS IS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TWO ZONES, A DOWNTOWN CENTRAL BUSINESS ZONE, WHICH WE REFER TO AS ZONE ONE.
AND THEN HOTELS, ALL THE REST OF THE HOTELS WHO PAY THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT HAVE 100 ROOMS OR MORE IS, UM, WOULD BE IDENTIFIED AS ZONE TWO.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER T PIDS IN THE STATE DO NOT HAVE DIFFERENT ZONES, BUT WE FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THOSE HOTELS WITHIN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES FOR HOW MARKETING DOLLARS WOULD BE SPENT.
UM, DOWNTOWN, OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPACTED BY CONVENTIONS THAT WOULD BE A FOCUS ON INVESTMENT AND HOW WE WOULD BOOST, UM, OPPORTUNITIES DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN IF YOU ARE OUT ON 1604, OR IF YOU ARE, UM, OUT AT THE, THE AIRPORT, UM, MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES LOOK DIFFERENT FOR YOU AND YOUR INTEREST IN, UM, BOOSTING MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT THOSE OF THE, THOSE HOTEL OWNERS IN ZONE ONE.
SO THIS IS UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THE DIVERSE NEEDS, UM, OUR TEPID CORPORATION BOARD WILL HAVE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF, UH, HOTELS THAT ARE LARGE BRANDS, INDEPENDENT, FULL SERVICE, SELECT SERVICE OWNERS, UM, SALES, UM, OPERATORS, GENERAL MANAGERS.
SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT, HAVING LOTS OF REPRESENTATION, UM, FOR IDENTIFYING THE PRIORITIES FOR, FOR THE T P D.
UM, SO THE PROCESS, UM, IN ORDER TO MEET OUR COMMITMENT THAT WE SET OUT IN BOOSTING THE BUDGET, WE STARTED A DIALOGUE TWO YEARS AGO.
WE STARTED CREATING, UM, UM, MEETINGS.
WE, UM, TOOK OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD AND HAD TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT HOTEL OWNERS ARE LOOKING FOR, WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.
AS BEN MENTIONED, THERE WAS SOME NEGOTIATION THAT WE WERE HOPING TO ACHIEVE TO, TO PROVIDE SOME CERTAINTY FROM HOTELS OR FOR HOTELS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT BY, BY HOTELS IN ORDER TO MOVE THE, THE NEEDLE ON WHAT WE CAN DO COLLECTIVELY.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EDUCATING AND A LOT OF COLLECTING INPUT.
OF COURSE, WE'VE, WE'VE ALL MET WITH YOU ALL MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, AND, UM, SO ONCE WE GOT COUNCIL ADOPTION, UM, THEN WE WENT OUT, UM, AT THE JUNE MEETING, THEN WE WENT OUT TO START COLLECTING SIGNATURES.
AND, UM, WE, I MEAN, WE, IT WAS A FULL COURT PRESS.
WE HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN ON HOW WE WERE GONNA GO COLLECT THEM.
WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, WE HAD TO EDUCATE A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS
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TO GO AND THEN EDUCATE THEIR, UM, OWNERS.UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL HOTEL OWNERS ARE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AS THE CITY CLERK HAS LEARNED, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED SCENARIO OF WHO ARE THE OWNERS WHO CAN SIGN, UM, WHO REPRESENTS WHO THERE ARE ASSET MANAGERS, THERE ARE PROPERTY MANAGERS OR GENERAL MANAGERS.
IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED INDUSTRY.
AND SO, UM, WE WENT OUT AND, UM, WENT OUT AND GOT SIGNATURES AND IN, IN FACT, SURPASSED THE MINIMUM NEED THAT, THAT THE STATE, UM, REQUIRED.
UM, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CONVINCE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS IS GOING TO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A BUSINESS RISK AND IT'S A SELF-ASSESSED FEE, THAT THIS ULTIMATELY WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT AND BENEFIT THE, THE INDUSTRY, BUT REALLY IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT AND IMPACT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT KINDA WRAPS UP MY, MY COMMENTS, BUT AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE TODAY.
I, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO TELL IT ONE MORE TIME.
UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LISA AND CASSANDRA AND BEN, UM, SO I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, OTHER ISSUES.
BUT I FIRST WANNA SAY THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, I'VE HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT V SS A WHEN IT STARTED IN 2016.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WAS I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT, UH, RELINQUISHING THE CITY COUNCIL'S, UM, OVERSIGHT OF THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS, UH, BUSINESS WAS A SILVER BULLET TO THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO STAY COMPETITIVE.
WHAT I HAD CHARGED, UH, V S A WITH IS FINDING NEW REVENUE AND NOT FROM THE CITY, UH, FINDING, UH, REVENUE STREAMS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE MARKET SHARE OR KEEP UP WITH THE MARKET SHARE, REALLY, UH, BUT ALSO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN A, IN AN INCREASINGLY DYNAMIC INDUSTRY.
UH, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT IT, IT, IT'S NOT LOST IN ANY OF US HERE, THAT, UM, THE VISITOR AND TOURISM BUSINESS IS THE BENEFICIARY, BUT ALSO THE BENEFACTOR OF A LOT OF PROGRESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, UH, OUR ECONOMY HAS GREATLY DIVERSIFIED SINCE THEN.
UM, WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF NEW INDUSTRIES.
WE'RE, UH, EXER EXPERIENCING A GREAT GROWTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE VISITOR INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST, SO IN THAT, AND HAS REMAINED A STRONG AND PILLAR INDUSTRY.
SO, UM, I REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF THE T P I D.
UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO LEAN ON DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, WE DON'T ABANDON, UH, THE, THE STRENGTH OF ANY SINGLE ONE INDUSTRY.
SO, UM, I DO APPRECIATE, UH, THE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
AND I HOPE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME STATEMENTS ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, TODAY.
UH, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SERVICE AGREEMENT, THE CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED IN JUNE, UH, REMAINS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
AND I REMAIN FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, AND I HOPE THE COUNCIL WILL AS WELL.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, AND I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA GO A COUPLE ROUNDS OF THIS.
AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO, TO CASSANDRA AND LISA AND TO SCOTT FOR VISITING WITH US.
UH, WE HAD A ONE-ON-ONE, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE AGREEMENTS, SOME OF THE SPECIFICS.
BUT IF I CAN, MAYBE I, I'D LIKE TO START WITH BEN, UH, ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS.
LET ME, LET ME FIRST START OFF BY SAYING I'D LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO NOT BE A HEADACHE.
AND TO THOSE FOLKS FOR, FOR WHOM I HAVE BEEN A HEADACHE FOR ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, MORE THAN ANYTHING, I'D LOVE TO WALK IN HERE AND BE AGREEABLE AND GO ALONG AND GET ALONG ON THIS.
BUT WITH AN EIGHT YEAR CONTRACT WORTH OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, I THINK IT'S, IT'S WELL WITHIN, UM, MY POSITION AS COUNSEL AND POLICYMAKER TO, TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS.
I, I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE TOO LONG, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST, UH, THIS IS ONE OF MANY OPPORTUNITIES WE'VE HAD TO DO THIS, BUT THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE LAST, BARRING OUR VOTE TOMORROW, BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS WILL BE 2027.
AND IN TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE EXPIRATION OF V SS A AND TPI.
SO LET ME FIRST, UH, TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS COMING TO THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT IT AND SAID, UH, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT, I'VE TALKED, THEY'VE TALKED TO ME ABOUT THE PROPOSAL I HAD TO TRY TO USE SOME OF THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO INCREASE THE, THE, THE, THE COST TO STAY IN OUR CITY? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO INCREASE, UH, TAXES ON TOURISTS? AND I SAID, LOOK, I DIDN'T, UH, THIS IS NOT A CITY COUNCIL LED INITIATIVE.
THIS IS NOT A MAYOR LED INITIATIVE.
THIS DIDN'T COME FROM THE CITY,
[01:10:01]
UH, WHO PUT THIS PARTI PETITION BEFORE US THAT WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT, UH, V S A AND THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION BROUGHT THAT PETITION FORWARD AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE STARTED IN 2016 AS WE TRANSITIONED THEM TO A PUBLIC PRIVATE ENTITY.WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING COULD BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE TO HELP MARKET SAN ANTONIO PROMOTE SAN ANTONIO.
THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THEN, I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND THE SPRING TIMEFRAME WHEN THEY APPROACHED US AND SAID, BASED ON OUR DUE DILIGENCE, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CREATION OF THE T I D.
SO IN IN SIMPLE TERMS, I'M, I'LL, I'LL TAKE SOME CRITICISM FOR ANYTHING AND EV EVERYTHING THAT COMES AT ME, BUT AT LEAST WANT IT TO BE TRUE.
SO IT IS NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, ANYBODY ON THE COUNCIL WHO WANTS TO INCREASE THE COST OF STAYING IN A HOTEL IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS PETITION WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY V S A AND THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, 'CAUSE, 'CAUSE WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE TO MANY FOLKS IS A TAX ON TOURISTS.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A STRETCH OF A DEFINITION IF I, YOU CAN OFFER FEEDBACK, BUT YOU'RE CREATING AN ASSESSMENT AND YOU'RE CREATING A DISTRICT FOR THAT ASSESSMENT.
IT LOOKS LIKE A TAX, SOUNDS LIKE A TAX, AND I'M GONNA CALL IT A TAX, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, BUT LET'S, LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS SPECIFICALLY.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO SPEND IT, AND THAT IS BEING, THAT'S LAID OUT PRETTY CLEARLY IN THE MASTER AGREEMENT.
BEN, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN PART OF THAT PROCESS.
YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAS HAVE, HAVE HAD AT LEAST HAD SOME INPUT ON, ON YOUR SIDE.
THEY BROUGHT US A, A MASTER CONTRACT WITH A PETITION THAT OUTLINED HOW THEY WANTED TO UTILIZE THE DOLLARS.
AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, THE TPI DOLLARS ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UM, AREAS.
AND IT FOCUSES ON MARKETING, SALES, INDUSTRY, PARTNERSHIPS AND RESEARCH AND ADMIN.
SO, UM, THOSE WERE THE AREAS THEY FELT LIKE THEY WANTED TO, UH, UTILIZE THE DOLLARS IN TO AGAIN, PROMOTE SAN ANTONIO, DO MORE MARKETING, MORE OUTREACH, UH, PROMOTE US AS A DESTINATION.
SO AFTER THIS WAS, UH, CONSULTED BY IN YOUR OFFICE, DID IT CHANGE AT ALL? DID IT CHANGE IN COMMITTEE? DID IT CHANGE, UH, BY THE COUNCIL DURING THE JUNE 21ST? ANY SENTENCE PERIOD SUGGESTION? SINCE THEN, THERE WERE NEGOTIATIONS NOT ON THE USE OF WHAT THE SERVICE PLAN WAS GOING TO, WHAT THE FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE USED AT UNDER THE SERVICE PLAN.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAD A LOT OF NEGOTIATION DISCUSSION BACK AND FORTH ON LANGUAGE THAT WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE T I D AND THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH V S A, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THAT RESOLUTION THAT WAS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BOND DOCUMENTS WHEN WE DID THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
SO THAT THERE'S A FLOW OF FUNDS IN THERE, IT TALKS ABOUT AND GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE FUND V S A, THE CONVENTION CENTER ARTS, HISTORY AND PRESERVATION IN THE EVENT OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, UM, RECESSIONS WHERE IF WE SAW ANOMALIES IN HOTEL TAXES, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, UH, ABILITY TO ADJUST BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA MEET DEBT SERVICE AT THE END OF THE DAY AND WE'VE GOTTA A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN BONDS.
THEY ACTUALLY, THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT ACTUALLY INCREASES OVER TIME.
STARTS AT ABOUT 20, IT'S AT ABOUT $23 MILLION THIS YEAR.
IT GETS UP TO ABOUT $62 MILLION BY THE TIME WE GET TO YEAR 30.
SO IT FOLLOWS THE HOT TAX GROWTH.
SO WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAID NOT, UM, SUPPLEMENTING, NOT SUPPLANTING AS WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT DIALOGUE, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE STAYED CONSISTENT WITH THAT BOND DOCUMENT.
UM, LET ME, LET ME SORT OF MAKE A STATEMENT, UM, NOT DIRECTED AT YOU, UM, BEN, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A SORT OF QUALITY STATEMENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I THINK EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL SUPPORTS, UH, TOURISM IN THE INDUSTRY.
AND I THINK WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS, IS, IS KILL THE IDEA OF WHAT I THINK IS THE PRIMARY GOAL HERE WITH, UH, THE TPI, THE SPIRIT OF THE TPIT IS WE NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE, UH, WITH OUR CITY.
SO MAYBE I'LL ASK CASSANDRA, I'D LIKE TO TRY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BE COMPETITIVE.
AND PART OF THAT IS INCREASING YOUR BUDGET FOR SALES AND MARKETING.
AND IF WE PASS THE T I D, UH, IT'LL GET $10 MILLION ANNUALLY JUST TO START.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT WILL GROW IN INCREMENTS IF YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB, UH, THAT THAT 10 MILLION COULD MOVE TO, TO 12 MILLION.
AND I THINK YOUR ESTIMATES THAT I'VE SEEN MOVE IT UP TO 14 MILLION A YEAR.
SO CURRENTLY V S A, UH, HAS AN ALLOCATION, MAKE SURE I'VE, I'VE GOT THIS NUMBER RIGHT.
IS IT 24 20 3 MILLION THAT GOES TO V S A? RIGHT.
SO, WELL, IT'S FROM THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, WHAT'S APPROPRIATED FROM THE CITY? THE 35% FROM THE CITY IS RIGHT AROUND, UM, 24 20 TH YEAH, 24 MILLION.
UM, BUT AS I MENTIONED, WE WANNA BE COMPETITIVE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T STAGNATE.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, WE'RE ALLOCATED THE 24 MILLION.
UM, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE LAUNCHED A MEMBERSHIP MODEL AS WELL AS WE HAVE, UM, VERY AGGRESSIVELY LOOKED AT OTHER WAYS TO GROW OUR,
[01:15:01]
OUR BUSINESS.AND SO WE ALSO RECEIVE PRIVATE DOLLARS FOR MARKETING CO-OPS.
SO WE MAY BE PARTNERING WITH SOME OF OUR KEY ATTRACTIONS MUSEUMS, UM, TO GET OUT IN CERTAIN MARKETS.
AND THEY WILL PARTNER WITH US, PARTNER WITH US.
SO THEY'LL PUT FUNDS, UM, AND WE'LL PUT FUNDS TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GROW THAT PARTICULAR MEDIA, BUY, MARKETING, BUY, WHATEVER THAT STRATEGY WOULD BE.
THE OTHER THING IS WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT VARIOUS, UM, CORPORATE PARTNERS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I ANNOUNCED, UH, THIS LAST YEAR IS WE WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH JAMES AVERY AND WORKING WITH THEM ON A MARKETING AGREEMENT FOR THEM TO CREATE A TRICENTENNIAL COLLECTION.
BUT THEN IN RETURN, WE RECEIVED BENEFITS AND ALL OF THEIR STORES, ALL OF DILLARD'S, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DID THAT LEAD TO CASH TO V S A TO INCREASE THE 24 MILLION? IT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY.
SO THERE IT WAS IN KIND MM-HMM.
SO WE DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR EXPOSURE IN THOSE STORES WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, BUT IT WAS AN IN KIND AMOUNT.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT WE, SO IN THEORY, IT HAS ALMOST INCREASED SOME OF THE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, BUT, BUT WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MARKETING CO-OPS WITH PARTNERS, THAT CERTAINLY IS DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT MEMBERSHIP, UM, THAT IS PRIVATE DOLLARS.
SO WHEN YOU SAY, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME COMPETITIVE, JUST TO KIND OF BACK UP, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TRANSITION, THERE WAS A PRIVATE PUBLIC TASK FORCE THAT DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND CAME BACK TO THAT THEN COUNCIL WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME WE WERE THE ONLY, UM, CITY IN THE, UM, TOP 50 CITY, TOP 50 CITIES ACROSS THE US THAT WAS STILL A GOVERNMENT ENTITY.
BUT ALSO REALLY COMPARING AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THAT, IF WE WERE REALLY STRIVING FOR, UH, A BUDGET AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? AND WE FELT LIKE 30 TO 35 MILLION WOULD HELP US BE MORE COMPETITIVE.
I WILL TELL YOU THERE'S THIRD PARTIES OUT IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY THAT WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE NEED 200 MILLION, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR COMP SET WITHIN THE STATE, DALLAS OR HOUSTON, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NATIONAL COMPETITION, UM, SAN DIEGO, WE COMPETE A LOT WITH PHOENIX, UH, CHICAGO, INDIANAPOLIS, UH, NEW ORLEANS IS A BIG COMPETITOR OF OURS.
UM, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STATE, WHEN AN, WHEN A MAJOR EVENT, WHETHER IT'S THE FINAL FOUR OR A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF X, Y, Z IS LOOKING AT THE STATE AND WE GET AN R F P, IF ANOTHER TEXAS CITY WINS THAT BID, IT'LL BE A TWICE THE CYCLE BEFORE WE'LL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THAT CONFERENCE AGAIN.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT CONFERENCE THE FIRST TIME, AND IT'S ANOTHER TEXAS CITY THAT WOULD HAVE A FAR FUTURE OPPORTUNITY WITH THEM.
SO LET ME ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION.
IS THE NAME OF THE GAME JUST MONEY? IF YOU'VE GOT MORE MONEY THAN YOUR COMPETITOR, YOU WENT OUT ON THE TOURIST DESTINATION? WELL, I THINK HONESTLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, AS I MENTIONED, UM, INFLATION, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING MARKETING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TO FIND WAYS TO UTILIZE THE DOLLARS THAT WERE ALLOCATED, THAT WERE IN OUR BUDGET.
AND WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN A LOT OF WAYS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU, BUT WE HAVE NOTICED THAT WE ARE STARTING TO LOSE MARKET SHARE.
AND SO IN A MARKETING ORGANIZATION, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE VOICE.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE ALSO, WE HAVE TO BALANCE COUNCILMAN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE SOME OF THOSE KEY TARGETS SUCH AS DALLAS AND HOUSTON, THAT WE KNOW ARE OUR NUMBER TWO, OUR NUMBER ONE AND TWO MARKETS FROM A LEISURE STANDPOINT.
BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE CALCULATED RISKS BASED ON SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE FOR NEWER MARKETS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE OUR BASE.
BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE AFFORDABILITY TO TRY SOME OF THE OTHER NEW MARKETS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT NEW WAYS.
WE PARTNER, UM, WITH RUSS IN THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT WHEN WE HAVE A NEW DIRECT FLIGHT.
WE TOOK A WHOLE GROUP OF PARTNERS AND VISIT SAN ANTONIO, EMBARKED ON TORONTO.
SO WHEN WE HAD THAT DIRECT FLIGHT, NONSTOP FLIGHT THAT WE COULD THANK YOU, THAT WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, GO INTO THE CITY FROM A MEDIA, PR, MARKETING, ET CETERA, TO MAKE A BIG BOOST TO PROMOTE THAT.
SO, SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A, THE QUE THE ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS THE, THE DEFINITION OF BEING COMPETITIVE.
AND, AND WE THINK THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OUT THERE THAT WOULD MAKE US FEEL COMFORTABLE AS A CITY TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
LET'S JUST USE THEM AS A TEXAS COMPETITOR CITY, UH, THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.
AND, AND DALLAS IS AT CLOSER TO 36 OR 37.
UH, HOUSTON IS AT 30 MILLION, I BELIEVE IT'S START NOW.
IT'S GETTING CLOSER TO 40 MILLION.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, JUST WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT
[01:20:01]
A NUMBER TWO YEARS AGO, IT'S ALWAYS GROWING, RIGHT? THEIR BUDGETS ARE GROWING OUR EVERYBODY'S, UM, BUDGET.AND THAT'S WHERE IT KIND OF GAVE US PAUSE THAT OUR BUDGET HAD REMAINED RELATIVELY FLAT.
CORRECT? I, SO I JUST WANNA BE WITHIN THE BALLPARK WHEN WE SAY WE'RE COMPETITIVE AT ROUGHLY 34, 30 $5 MILLION IN TODAY'S, IN TODAY'S TERMS, IN TODAY'S DOLLAR.
SO OUR GOAL IS NOT TO BE FRONT OF THE MARKET IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY AS A V S A VEHICLE.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE COMPETITIVE.
WELL, I GUESS AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE KNOW WE'RE A REVENUE GENERATING INDUSTRY AND WE DID A STUDY, UM, STATEWIDE AND LOCALLY, STATEWIDE, FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SPENT ON TOURISM PROMOTION, THERE'S A $7 RETURN IN, IN LOCALLY.
FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND IN MARKETING, WE GET A $5 RETURN.
SO I, I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING WHAT WE DO, ARTS AND CULTURE, THEY GET MORE FUNDING, HISTORY PRESERVATION GETS MORE FUNDING.
I WOULD ARGUE THERE'S INTIMATE, INCREMENTAL HEALTHY GROWTH IN THE SALES TAX.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE SALES AND MARKETING ARM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DRIVE REVENUE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT, SURE, IF WE COULD GROW OUR BUDGET BE, UM, THE HEALTHIEST BUDGET IN THE STATE, I THINK THAT WE WOULD SEE EQUAL RESULTS, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE THAT REVENUE GENERATOR.
LEMME LEMME JUST SORT OF SOUNDBOARD WITH YOU ON THIS, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION, UM, MAYBE I'M NAIVE, BUT, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS, UH, ELEMENTS JUST AS IMPORTANT AT OUR, AS OUR MARKETING BUDGET.
AND SO IF I'M THINKING WE GET V S A TO 32, 33, 30 $4 MILLION A YEAR, UH, WHAT, BESIDES OUR ABILITY TO PUT AD BUYS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, WHAT, BESIDES OUR, OUR ABILITY TO SALES AND MARKETING OUR WAY TO THE TOP, UH, WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND MAYBE I'M TAKING A BROADER PERSPECTIVE WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE, WE HAVE OF THE TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE ALAMO AND THE RIVERWALK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL.
WHEN I CONSIDER THAT WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE LARGEST AND, AND, AND NEWEST CONVENTION CENTERS BUILT THAT $300 MILLION THAT WE'RE ALL IN.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A CITY, THIS IS A COMMUNITY AND A CITY COUNCIL THAT HAS MADE COMMITMENTS TO IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS BENEFITED FROM, THAT WE ALL BENEFIT FROM.
AND, AND SO I GUESS AS I'M PULLING BACK AND I'M THINKING, OKAY, THE HOTEL LEADERS HAVE COME TOGETHER AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT GOES INTO SALES AND MARKETING, UH, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS POTENTIALLY OVER EIGHT YEARS.
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR ESTIMATE IS AM I OUT OF OFF BASE BY SAYING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OVER EIGHT YEARS? WELL, I THINK IF, IF IT'S, IT'S 10, 10 MILLION ESTIMATED TODAY, AND THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME GROWTH, SOME GROWTH, I THINK YOU'RE IN THE BALLPARK.
SO FOR AN INDUSTRY THAT IS, IS GOING INTO A CONTRACT FOR EIGHT YEARS, BRINGING IN, UH, THAT MUCH MORE, IF I WERE TO GO TO A WEBSITE AND LOOK UP A HOTEL'S REVIEWS, I IMAGINE THAT THE, SOME OF THE BIGGEST SELLING PIECES THAT Y'ALL SEE, SEE ON TRIPADVISOR ORBITS WHEN I LOOK AT THE COMMENTS IS HOW FOLKS DISCUSS FRIENDLY STAFF, GREAT FRONT OFFICE, THE FOLKS WHO ARE CLEANING THEIR BEDS, THE FOLKS THEY INTERACT WITH, THE WAITERS, THE SERVERS.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IF THE INDUSTRY IS GETTING POTENTIALLY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF THE EIGHT YEARS, HOW DO THE EMPLOYEES BENEFIT? DO THEIR SALARIES GO UP? DO THEIR BENEFITS GET BETTER? I CAN I I'LL TURN A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND.
UM, BUT I, BUT REAL QUICK BEFORE WE ANSWER THAT DIRECT QUESTION, THE ONE THING I DID WANNA BRING UP IS BECAUSE OF VISITATION TO THE CITY AND BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT INTO HOTEL TAX, THAT IS WHAT HELPED GET THE TOBIN CENTER.
THAT IS WHAT IS FUNDING THE EXPANSION OF THE, OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AS WELL AS ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RIVERWALK.
SO WHEN I SAY IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL THAT IT BENEFITS NOT ONLY THE VISITORS THAT COME HERE, WE INVEST AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE AS CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY ALSO BENEFIT WITH A FANTASTIC QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO WHEN WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION, IT IS FUNDED BY HOTEL TAX.
SO AGAIN, IT'S INDUSTRY AND BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE GENERATION OF AN INDUSTRY, WE HAVE SEEN AMENITIES GROW.
I MEAN, AND, AND I JUST DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT.
THAT WHY I GET UP EVERY DAY IS BECAUSE WE IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE I LOVE SALES, WHICH I DO AND I LOVE THIS DESTINATION, BUT IT'S ALSO BECAUSE WE IMPACT THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DO AND OUR SUCCESS IS IN INTERLINK.
AND I ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING.
I'M SCOTT JAZA, PRESIDENT, C E O OF THE TEXAS HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION IS THEY NOTED EARLIER.
I'M ALSO GENERAL COUNSEL FOR ALL THE TOURISM DISTRICTS THAT EXIST IN TEXAS.
[01:25:01]
UH, AND THEN AUTHOR OF THE LEGISLATION, UH, WHAT I WOULD INDICATE OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE TOURISM DISTRICTS AND, AND IT'S KIND OF ONE OPPOSITE TO THE OTHER.WHEN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS LOWER OCCUPANCY AND, AND, AND LESS SUCCESS, WHAT WE SEE IS WE HAVE TO LET EMPLOYEES GO, OR WE CAN'T AFFORD MAYBE AS ROBUST AN INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR OUR EMPLOYEES OR BENEFIT PROGRAMS OR PROFIT SHARING PROGRAMS OR WHATEVER PROGRAMS WE OFFER FROM ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE HAVE TO CUT BACK WHEN THE INDUSTRY ISN'T DOING AS WELL.
AND THEN WE SEE HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS, UH, UH, GO DOWN.
AND ALL OF THAT AFFECTS OUR ABILITY TO BE, UH, AS GENEROUS AND IMPLORE AS WE'D LIKE TO SEE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE DON'T, UH, UH, AS WE'VE DONE THESE TOURISM DISTRICTS, LIKE IN DALLAS, UH, WE DID A TOURISM DISTRICT THAT'S ADDING 15 TO $20 MILLION A YEAR ABOVE WHAT THE TRADITIONAL C V B BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT A THIRD OF ALL THE HOTEL TECHS THAT COMES INTO DALLAS, GOES TO THE, UH, VISIT DALLAS ENTITY, THEN THEY ADD ANOTHER 15 TO 25 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE TOURISM DISTRICT.
THAT FUNDING HAS ALLOWED DALLAS TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF CITY-WIDES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GENERATE IN THEIR CITY.
THEY WENT FROM CONVERTING ABOUT, UH, UH, 20, UH, UH, 3% OF THE BIDS THAT THEY PUT OUT FOR CITY-WIDE CONVENTIONS.
YOU REALIZING THAT INTO ACTUAL CONVENTIONS, TO REALIZING 46% OF THE BIDS THEY PUT OUT THEY WERE WINNING AS CITY-WIDES.
WHEN THAT DOUBLES THAT NUMBER IN DALLAS FOR CITYWIDE, THOSE ARE CONVENTIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN COMING TO SAN ANTONIO, COULD HAVE BEEN COMING TO HOUSTON, COULD HAVE BEEN GOING TO PHOENIX OR OTHER AREAS.
AND THAT BRINGS A LOT OF PRODUCTIVE VALUE AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND BENEFITS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WE COULDN'T DO OTHERWISE WITHOUT THAT BUSINESS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED, AND I THINK I SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL BACK ON LAST SUMMER, AND THAT SURPRISED ME 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN WITH THE HOTEL INDUSTRY FOR OVER 19 YEARS NOW.
AND BEFORE THAT I WAS CHIEF OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND LEAD ATTORNEY FOR TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
UM, CVBS HAVE A POT OF MONEY FOR BIDDING ON, ON CONVENTIONS AND INCENTIVES.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MEETINGS THAT DALLAS WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE BID ON THAT THEY COULD, THEY JUST RAN OUT OF INCENTIVE MONEY, RAN OUT OF SALES MONEY.
AND SO THEY WENT TO PHOENIX OR LOS ANGELES OR, OR, OR SAN DIEGO OR SAN ANTONIO OR OTHER LOCATIONS 'CAUSE THEY HAD MONEY AVAILABLE TO GO AHEAD AND HOST THAT MEETING AND OFFER UP A, A ROBUST SET OF INCENTIVES THAT REALLY BRING THAT NOT ONLY THE BUSINESS OF THE HOTELS, BUT THE PRIMARY BENEFIT WERE THE RESTAURANTS AND THE RETAIL AND THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND THE GAS STATIONS AND ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES.
AND NOT ONLY THE SALES TAX, BUT WHAT'S THE KIND OF A LOSS BENEFIT THAT PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT AS MUCH.
ALL OF THE LODGING INDUSTRY WE'RE VALUED ON THE INCOME APPROACH.
AS WE IN, AS WE INCREASE OUR INCOME AT LAMAN OR AT A LA QUINTA OR AT A WYNDHAM PROPERTY, OUR PROPERTY TAXES INCREASE.
'CAUSE YOU MULTIPLY OUR TOTAL INCOME IN A YEAR BY A A FACTOR.
THAT'S WHAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT DOES AND THAT'S WHAT YIELDS OUR PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTION.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON EMPLOYEES, IT'S GONNA BE ON EMPLOYEES NOT ONLY IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, BUT EVERY COMMUNITY CITIZEN, BECAUSE OUR PROPERTY TAX GROWTH IS, IS INCREASED OUR SALES TAX, OUR ALCOHOL TAX AND ALL OF THAT, WHICH IS UNDEDICATED REVENUE THAT YOU CAN USE FOR ANY PUBLIC PROGRAM.
SO AS WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE THAT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, WE NOT ONLY IMPACT OUR OWN SECTOR, WE IMPACT DRY CLEANERS AND RESTAURANTS.
SCOTT, CAN I JUMP IN AND BARS? YES SIR.
I, I'M GLAD TO HAVE YOU 'CAUSE YOU'RE SORT OF SEEN AS AN EXPERT ON THIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR TEA PIS.
UM, AND I, I WANNA ASK A QUESTION I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WERE INTERVIEWED ON TODAY'S HOTELIER, WHICH YOU SAID SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS, I THINK, UM, ABOUT WHY TPIS EXIST.
AND I THINK PART OF IT, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SORT OF, YOU'VE TOLD THE TRUTH, LOOK, TPIS EXISTS SO THAT WE CAN FIND A REVENUE SOURCE THAT'S CONTROLLED BY HOTELIERS, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS SOMETIMES THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
AND I GET THAT UHHUH, I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, UHHUH.
AND I THINK THAT COMES FROM A HISTORY WHERE MAYBE THAT'S HAPPENING SOMEWHERE.
I MEAN, I I, I DON'T SEE EVIDENCE IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE WE'VE EVER USED A HOT TAX OR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO TOURIST AND WENT TO SOMEONE SOME OTHER ISSUE.
SO MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE, OR MAYBE YOU COULD TELL US THAT THEY USED A TPI OR A HOTEL TAX AND THEY'RE USING IT ON SOMETHING THAT'S COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO THE INDUSTRY.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF EXAMPLES.
UNFORTUNATELY, COUNCIL MEMBER, I WILL TELL YOU THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE, UH, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD AS C E O OF THE TEXAS HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION, WE HAD ABOUT A MILLION DOLLAR FUND THAT THEY CALLED THEIR LEGAL DEFENSE FUND.
AND THAT WAS IN CASE CITIES WERE UTILIZING THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FOR PURPOSES THAT WEREN'T AUTHORIZED UNDER STATE LAW.
I'VE BEEN ON BOARD FOR 19 YEARS.
WE HAVE NEVER USED A SINGLE DOLLAR FROM THAT.
BUT IT ISN'T THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD PROBLEMS, IT'S THAT WE TAKE OVER 900 INCO LEGAL INQUIRIES A MONTH ON LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING HOTEL TAX AND HOTEL INDUSTRY.
AND WHAT WE DO IS I HAVE A STAFF OF FOUR ATTORNEYS.
WE JUST CALL THE CITY ATTORNEY.
I KNOW MOST OF THE MAYORS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
[01:30:01]
YOU'RE UTILIZING THIS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FOR YOUR PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL.BUT RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AREN'T AN AUTHORIZED CATEGORY UNLESS THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED FOR HOSTING REGIONAL, STATE, OR NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS.
AND THEN THEY GO AHEAD AND THEY WORK WITH US.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT BACKGROUND AND THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, BECAUSE WE'RE CONSIDERED EXPERTS IN THE USE OF HOTEL TAX, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH CITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
WE'VE ALSO, THROUGH THE LAST 19 YEARS, WE'VE UPDATED THE, THE LEGISLATION ON USE OF HOTEL TAX TO REQUIRE, THERE'S A PROVISION THAT SAYS THE LOCAL HOTEL TAX CAN'T BE USED FOR GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF A CITY.
THAT WAS BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, UH, CHAIRMAN WOOLENS, UM, UM, CAME FORWARD AND SAID THERE WERE A LOT OF ABUSES WHERE THEY WERE USING HOTEL TAX FOR ALL KINDS OF PURPOSES FOR GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF A CITY.
BUT THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DIRECTLY PROMOTING TOURISM IN HOTEL AND CONVENTION INDUSTRY.
SO I COULD GO THROUGH A A AND WE'VE DONE AUDITS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND, AND, AND, BUT WE TRY TO LOOK FORWARD AND WORK WITH THEM AND SAY, HEY, YOU MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE STATE LAW.
THERE'S BASICALLY NINE CATEGORIES FOR USE OF THE TAX, BUT EVERY EXPENDITURE NEEDS TO DO TWO THINGS.
IT NEEDS THE ONE FIT INTO ONE OF THOSE NINE CATEGORIES.
AND SECOND, IT NEEDS TO DIRECTLY PROMOTE TOURISM AND THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION INDUSTRY.
AND THERE ARE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS, AS YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE THAT, THAT SAY THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT IT PROMOTE TOURISM AND IT NEEDS TO FIT INTO ONE OF THE NINE CATEGORIES.
AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT IT FITS INTO ONE FOR HOT TECH OF THE NINE CATEGORIES.
IT ALSO HAS TO ALSO DIRECTLY PROMOTE TOURISM FOR HOT TECHS.
THAT'S FOR STRICTLY FOR THE CHAPTER 3 51 MUNICIPAL, UM, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THERE'S THE TPI THERE'S A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE TID THE TPI, UH, IS BASICALLY A SPECIAL DISTRICT AND THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, TWO TYPES OF DISTRICTS THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE UNDER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT LAW.
AND THIS IS GOING BACK TO MY MANTRA WHEN I WAS AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
BUT TYPICALLY YOU'LL HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS.
AND THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS WILL PROVIDE SERVICES WITHIN A SET GEOGRAPHIC AREA LIKE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, LIGHTING, SIDEWALKS, UM, UM, SECURITY SERVICES IN A, IN A, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEN YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AS YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE CENTRO HERE TO DO PUBLIC SAFETY WITHIN DOWNTOWN SERVICES, MARKETING PROGRAMS LIKE THAT UP.
CAN I FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER QUESTION? I KNOW, YES, PLEASE.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, BUT SO THE, I GUESS THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS, IS THIS, UH, CONTRACT, AS YOU'VE READ IT, I'M IMAGINING THE MASTER AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, THE SERVICE PLAN.
IS IT WRITTEN A WAY THAT IT'S, IT'S CONTROLLED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE HOTEL INDUSTRY ON PURPOSE? I WOULD IMAGINE.
I MEAN, I, IF I'M SIGNING OFF SAYING, I WANT TO SUPPORT THIS FEE, I DON'T WANT THE SILLY CITY COUNCIL GETTING IN THE WAY AND DECIDING HOW TO SPEND THIS.
IT'S WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IS, IS DECIDING THE GENESIS OF THE SERVICE PLAN IS BASICALLY, TO ME IT'S A PERFECT CHECK AND BALANCE.
YOU, YOU DON'T GET A, A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT UNLESS YOU GET A PETITION FROM ALL.
I MEAN, THE CITY COUNCIL COULDN'T IN AND OF ITSELF JUST CREATE A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND SUBJECT ALL OF THE HOTELS.
SO THE HOTELS HAD TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO THIS, HAVE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.
HERE'S WHAT WE PROPOSE AS OUR SERVICE PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WHEN WE CAME BACK TO YOU AND, AND, YOU KNOW, LAST SUMMER AND, AND, AND WELL BEFORE THAT, AND IN MEETINGS WITH INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER SORTS OF DISCUSSIONS, THAT SERVICE PLAN WE DEVELOP IN ADVANCE TO SAY, WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPACTFUL WAY TO USE THIS MONEY THAT'LL BENEFIT AND HAVE A DIRECT BUSINESS IMPACT.
BECAUSE LEGALLY WHEN WE DO AN ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE OMNI OR AGAINST THE LA QUINTA OR AGAINST A DRURY HOTEL MM-HMM.
OR LEGALLY THEY CAN PETITION TO, THEY, THEY CAN ASK EITHER TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DISTRICT OR THEIR ASSESSMENT REDUCED.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A VALUE IN THE SAME WAY, IF I HAVE A, A RESIDENTIAL, UH, DISTRICT OR A DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, THERE HAS TO BE COMMENSURATE VALUE.
SO THAT SERVICE PLAN BASICALLY IS DEVELOPED BY THE INDUSTRY.
WE BROUGHT IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE, WE WORKED IT OUT WITH CITY STAFF AND SAID, HERE'S WHERE WE WANNA SPEND THE MONEY.
ONCE YOU GUYS APPROVE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT DISTRICT AND THOSE CATEGORIES, IT'S LIKE A BOND PROPOSITION.
WE DON'T GET TO WEIGH IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AFTER THAT WE DON'T GET TO WEIGH IN AFTER THE SERVICE AGREEMENT IS VOTED ON AND DONE.
ONCE THE SERVICE AGREEMENT IS VOTED ON AND APPROVED, THEN WE TOOK IT AND DID THE, THE, THE, UH, UH, SIGNATURES BY ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AT THAT POINT.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THE TERMS OF THAT SERVICE PLAN, THOSE BUDGET CATEGORIES OR WE VIOLATED THE, THE, WE'D HAVE TO START ALL OVER WITH THE PETITIONS.
THAT'S WHY WHEN, UH, BEN USES THE TERM, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE THE SERVICE AGREEMENT.
TOMORROW THE PROPER WORD IS PROBABLY NOT POSSIBLE.
YOU CANNOT CHANGE IT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE REJECTING THE ENTIRE TPI.
WE WOULD HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN.
AND SO I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS, WELL THIS IS, MAYBE THIS IS NOT ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY OR OUR CITY, BUT WHY DOES THE, WHY DOES THE, WHY DO THE HOTEL LEADERS MISTRUST CITY COUNCIL SO MUCH? OH GOODNESS.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF MISTRUSTING.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, THIS IS A BIG EXACTION
[01:35:01]
TO ASK FOR HOTELS.IF YOU THINK IT WAS EASY FOR US TO GO TO ALL THE OWNERSHIP GROUPS AND SAY, WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.
WE HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT'S GONNA INCREASE THE LEVY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ON ALL OF YOUR GROUP BUSINESS AND, AND YOUR CONVENTION BUSINESS AND YOUR TRANSIENT TRAVELERS, AND WE THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA, WE WANT YOU TO JUST SIGN RIGHT HERE.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA CREATE THIS DISTRICT AND THEN, AND, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL LEAD TO GOOD THINGS.
WE HAD TO SHOW THEM THAT IT WAS A VERY DIRECT AND TARGETED BUSINESS PURPOSE THAT THEY COULD TRUST THAT WHEN WE SAID WE WERE GONNA SPEND IT ON THIS MONEY.
'CAUSE WHAT THEY'RE USED TO HONESTLY IS, AND, AND, AND THIS IS TO PUT ON MY MUNICIPAL CAP.
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE FIGHTING A HUGE BATTLE.
NEXT SE OF THIS, THIS UPCOMING SESSION ON REVENUE CAPS.
AND THE LEGISLATURE ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, UH, BULLSEYE TARGETS ON MUNICIPALITIES AND THEIR ABILITY TO GENERATE REVENUES.
THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR'S NOT UNAWARE OF THAT.
AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS IS A LOT OF THE TRADITIONAL USES OF MARKETING AND, AND CONVENTION CENTERS AND, AND, AND, UH, UH, HEAVY TOURISM, UH, IMPACT PROGRAMS, THERE'S BEEN PRESSURES ON CITY MANAGERS AND CITY COUNCILS TO DIVERT THOSE FUNDS TO OTHER PURPOSES TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE USED TO SPEND PROPERTY TAX ON THIS.
LET'S TRY TO SPEND THE HOTEL TAX ON THIS INSTEAD.
UH, WE JUST SAW 3 MILLION TRANSFERRED IN, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FROM, UH, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION VISITORS BUREAU TO HISTORICAL PROGRAMS. AND THE HISTORICAL PROGRAMS WERE PRIMARILY CITY FACILITIES THAT WERE HISTORICAL.
AND THEY DID THAT TO GET UP TO THEIR 15% CAP.
UH, SAN ANTONIO IS ALREADY AT THE 15% CAP FOR HISTORICAL AND AT THE 15% CAP FOR THE ARTS.
SO WE SEE THAT PRESSURE AND WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THIS.
I WOULD NOT SAY AT ALL, IT'S A DISTRUST, BUT THEY WANT TO HAVE A BUSINESS CERTAINTY THAT IF THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THIS RISK WITH THEIR CLIENT BASE, THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA BE SPENT FOR.
AND PART OF THE REASON, YEAH, I MEAN IF, IF, IF YOU LOOK IN DALLAS AND THEIR SUCCESS RATE, THEY HAD, THEY, THEY SET OUT A 10 TO ONE R O I REQUIREMENT THEIR ACTUAL R O I REQ, UH, UM, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT HAS BEEN $16 IN ROOM NIGHTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR THEY SPEND.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE HOTELIERS ON THIS BOARD THAT ARE SO, UH, SHREWD ABOUT HOW THEY MANAGE THESE INVESTMENTS AND, AND MANAGE THESE, THE, THIS ASSESSMENT.
I JUST DON'T WANNA GET FILIBUSTERED, BUT, AND LOSE EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION ON THIS.
SO LET ME JUST ASK A, A QUESTION OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE AT, AT THIS POINT.
AND YOU, YOU, YOU CAN WEIGH IN, BUT I THINK EVEN ANDY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME WEIGH IN AS WELL TOO ON THIS QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, IF WE, I'M THINKING HYPOTHETICALLY YES, ANDY, IF WE WERE TO, UH, VOTE DOWN THE TPI TOMORROW MM-HMM.
THEORETICALLY, IF WE VOTED DOWN THE TPI, UH, AND THAT WAS SCRAPPED, WE STARTED ANEW, YOU COULD FEASIBLY PUT TOGETHER AN AGREEMENT THAT SAID WE WILL TAKE ALL OF THE SAME TERMS IN THE PREVIOUS PPI THAT PA TPI THAT PASSED, BUT UH, MAKE AN MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT WHERE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THIS GOES TO, UH, TO THE, TO THE HOTELIERS AND V S A AND SALES AND MARKETING, BUT THE 20 20% GOES TO SOMETHING LIKE HOMELESSNESS IN THEORY.
COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
SO IF, IF THE COUNCIL VOTES DOWN THE TPI AND SERVICE AGREEMENT YEAH.
YOU WOULD BE CREATING A NEW SERVICE AGREEMENT.
COULD YOU CREATE A NEW TPI LATER ON NEXT YEAR? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME COUNCIL, AS QUICKLY AS IT COULD BE DONE, I IMAGINE.
CERTAIN JANUARY YOU WOULD HAVE, YEAH, WELL, THEORETICALLY, YES.
BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE, UH, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE, THE HOTEL INDUSTRY ONCE AGAIN START START FROM SCRATCH AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
BUT UNDER THOSE NEW PARAMETERS.
AND THEY COULD, THEY COULD VOTE IT DOWN AND SAY, LOOK, THE R O I FOR US IS NOT THERE.
THEY COULD SAY, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THE INDUSTRY.
IF THERE'S OTHER INPUT, PLEASE.
I KNOW, I DON'T WANNA CUT ANYBODY OFF.
I WANNA GET AS SMART AS POSSIBLE ON THIS BEFORE TOMORROW.
I, I WANT TO BE VERY FRANK ABOUT IT.
UM, THE REASON WE BROUGHT THIS PROPOSAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL WAS THAT WE HAD TO HAVE MAXIMUM CREDIBILITY WHEN WE WENT BEFORE THOSE OWNERSHIP GROUPS.
IT IS VERY HARD TO GET BEFORE THEM, BEFORE THE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, BEFORE THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, BEFORE THE OWNERS.
AND WE COMMITTED TO THEM THAT YOU CAN TRUST THAT THIS IS THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO BACK.
IN FACT, IT'S NOT THAT, I DON'T KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO INDUSTRY LEADERS.
THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO STARTING ALL OVER, HAVING A WHOLE NEW PETITION AND A DIFFERENT SORT OF THING.
'CAUSE IN THEIR MINDS THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, WE COULD DO THIS AND GO THROUGH ANOTHER EFFORT OF ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN ANOTHER COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM, UH, IDEA WOULD COME FORWARD AND WE'D HAVE ANOTHER.
AND HOW DO WE TRUST THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THIS IS THE FINAL DEAL.
THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THAT WORD TO THEM MATTERED A LOT.
AND THAT ABILITY, TRUST AND, YEAH.
AND SO YOU ASK, WHY WOULD WE TRUST, WELL, WE HAD AN AGREEMENT SIX MONTHS AGO AND NOW WE'RE COMING FORWARD AFTER WE'VE GOTTEN OVER A HUNDRED OWNERSHIP GROUPS TO ALL SIGN ON AND THERE'S A NEW PROPOSAL.
[01:40:01]
SO THAT DOESN'T YIELD GREAT TRUST.AND I'D BE VERY, UH, CONCERNED.
I'LL LET LISA ADDRESS 'CAUSE YOU'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL LEADERS.
UM, BUT I WORKED WITH ALL THE OWNERSHIP GROUPS, GROUPS ACROSS THE STATE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMING BACK AND GETTING THE SIGNATURES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND IF I COULD JUST ADD THAT THE GENESIS OF THIS WAS BECAUSE WE SAW THAT THERE WAS ONE, THERE WAS A COMMITMENT FROM OUR INDUSTRY TO, TO THIS BODY THAT WE WERE GONNA DO SOMETHING TO BOOST THIS REVENUE AND BOOST THEIR BUDGET.
SO THE GENESIS OF THIS, AND THE REASON WHY THIS INDUSTRY IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS MOVED THIS FORWARD IS BECAUSE WE MADE A COMMITMENT AND WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
WE GOT YOUR WORD AND WE TOOK IT TO THE HOTEL OWNERS.
WE HAD TO DO A BANG UP JOB TO CONVINCE THEM THAT SELF-ASSESSING A FEE AND ADDING TO THEIR CHALLENGE OF COMPETITION WAS GONNA BE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST IN ALL OF OUR BEST INTERESTS.
AND TO BRING THIS BACK TO YOU TODAY, TO, TO, TO CREATE THE, THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, OUR, OUR, I MEAN, EVEN GOING THROUGH THE BOARD APPLICATION PROCESS THERE, NOT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO APPLIED TO BE ON THE LEADERSHIP TEAM HAD AN INITIAL FAVORABLE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS SIMILAR TO MAYOR NURENBERG.
UM, CAN YOU CONVINCE ME THAT THIS IS GONNA BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST? WELL, WE TOLD THEM, WE NEGOTIATED WITH THE CITY.
WE WERE GONNA ENSURE THAT THEY WERE NOT, THE MONEY WAS NOT GONNA BE SUPPLANTED.
WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THIS NEGOTIATION.
THE CITY, UH, KIND OF SURPRISINGLY WAS ABLE TO HELP US AND, AND ENSURE THAT THAT MONEY WAS GOING TO, UM, ONLY GROW THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD TO GO SELL IT.
WE, IT WAS A FULL COURT PRESS ON GOING OUT THERE, HAVING A STRATEGY, GETTING OUR MEMBERS ENGAGED TO TALK TO THEIR OWNERS.
I MEAN, IT, THIS WASN'T AN EASY TASK TO SELL.
TELL ME ABOUT, TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
YOU, YOU SAY IT WAS DIFFICULT.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS DIFFICULT.
I SAID IT WAS, WE HAD TO WORK HARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
DID YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD TO CONVINCE HOTEL LEADERS TO MAKE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS MORE? SIR, IT'S NOT GOING INTO THEIR POCKETS.
I IMAGINE EXPORTING INTO THE BUSINESS.
THIS REVENUE THAT'S BEING GENERATED IS GOING TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO IN HOPES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE DEMAND FOR OUR MARKETS.
SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO THE HOTEL YEARS.
WE'RE NOT RAISING $10 MILLION TO BENEFIT OUR LOCAL HOTELS.
WE'RE WE ARE, WE ARE TAKING A BUSINESS RISK.
OUR OWNERS ARE TAKING A BUSINESS RISK BY MOVING THIS FORWARD TO SAY, HEY, VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE OUR $10 MILLION AND BOOST SALES AND BRING MORE PEOPLE TO SAN ANTONIO, WHICH WILL IN TURN BRING MORE PEOPLE TO SAN ANTONIO.
BOOST ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY PROVIDES FOR ARTS, FOR PRESERVATION, THE SALES TAX BOOST, THE ADDITIONAL JOBS THAT WILL COME FROM IT THAT PEOPLE WHO WILL IN OUR INDUSTRY, NOT ONLY GET A JOB, BUT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROMOTED AND, AND TRAVEL THE WORLD BECAUSE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR INDUSTRY PROVIDES.
WELL, LEMME NOT MISCHARACTERIZE.
I DON'T, I'M NOT, I DON'T ASSUMING A HUNDRED MILLION IS GOING INTO HOTELIER OWNERS' POCKETS, BUT I DO THINK IT'S GOING INTO A BUDGET THAT THEY CAN CONTROL HOW IT'S SPENT.
AND, AND I GO BACK TO WHO MAKES UP THE DECISION MAKERS ON VS.
IS IT A STRETCH TO SAY THAT THE THE MAJORITY OF THAT ARE HOTELIERS AND HOTEL OWNERS? SO THE STAKEHOLDERS, OKAY.
UM, SO THE COMPOSITION OF THIS VISIT, SAN ANTONIO BOARD, ACTUALLY THE LION'S SHARE IS, IS REPRESENTED BY CITY, UH, TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER SERVES AND MANY OF THE DIRECTORS, UM, OF THE CITY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT THERE WAS THAT KEY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY ON A 22 PERSON BOARD.
THERE'S THREE SPOTS FOR HOTELIERS.
THE REST ARE MADE UP OF, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE, UH, ATTRACTIONS, RESTAURANTS, UH, AT LARGE, UM, UH, APPOINTEES.
SO IT IS VERY DIVERSE AND, AND IN FACT, UM, THAT WAS VERY KEY AS WE WERE TRANSITIONING THAT IT WOULD BE A DIVERSE BOARD.
WELL, MAYBE I'M LEARNING SOMETHING NEW.
UH, IS IT, IS IT, SO AFTER THIS, IF, IF WE'RE ASSUMING THIS PASSES ON THURSDAY, UH, ISN'T IT THE TASK THAT THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION IS TASKED WITH CREATING A BOARD S A TID BOARD? YES, SIR.
THERE WAS ALREADY A CALL FOR APPLICATIONS TO SEE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE APPLICANTS.
UH, BUT YES, THERE WOULD BE A T P BECAUSE BY STATE LAW IT SAYS THAT THAT BOARD OF A T ID CORPORATION BUS MUST BE, UH, MADE UP OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT PAY INTO THE DISTRICT.
SO, AND THEN AGAIN, JUST TO RE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE,
[01:45:01]
THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD IS TO PROVIDE PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FOR THE REVENUE TO HER BUDGET.SO BASED ON THE SERVICE PLAN? BASED ON THE SERVICE PLAN, IT IS NOT THE DIRECTION AND THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD TO SAY HOW THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT.
IT IS THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD TO PROVIDE PRIORITIES ON WHAT, WHAT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO OVERALL BUDGET.
I, I SUPPOSE I WAS LOOKING AT, AT, AT YOUR WEBSITE, LISA, THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION, AND WHEN I READ THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE SS A T PIT UNDER THE OVERSIGHT, THE S A T PIT BOARD COMPOSED SOLELY OF HOTELIERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF THE SELLING PIECE.
AND THAT'S, I IMAGINE HOW, HOW YOU CAN SELL IT TO SOMEBODY TO SAY, I'LL VOTE FOR THIS.
I MEAN, THERE, IT'S A VARIETY OF PEOPLE WITHIN HOTELS.
THERE IS A, A, A, A DIVERSE GROUP THAT WE WILL WANT SELECT SERVICE, FULL SERVICE, UH, OWNERS.
WELL, I, I, AND IT'LL BE PART OF THEIR BOARD.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITY REPRESENTATIVES ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD WHO WILL TAKE PART IN THAT VOTE IN ADOPTING THE BUDGET TO INCLUDE COUNCILMAN TREVINO, COUNCILWOMAN BRAN, THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ADVISORY POSITIONS, BUT YES, THERE'S LOTS OF, UH, ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD.
SO, SIX REPRESENTATIVES, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE.
UH, OUR AVIATION DIRECTOR, RUSS HANDY, THE CONVENTION CENTER DIRECTOR, UH, PATRICIA CANTOR MOSQUE, AND JUAN AALA, OUR MILITARY AFFAIRS DIRECTOR.
I'M, HOW, HOW BIG IS THE BOARD? 22.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MAYBE I'M MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT ANYBODY BUT WHO, THE SIX THAT THE COUN THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER OUTLINED MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF A THAN THE INDUSTRY.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE IS A VOTING AS A BLOCK THAT MIGHT HAPPEN THAT COULD ASSU ASSUME A HOTELIER OR A HOTELIER INDUSTRY OR A TOURISM INDUSTRY WHOSE FOLKS WHO GET UP IN THE MORNING THINKING ABOUT HEADS AND BEDS AND SERVICE ENTRY.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE WHO GET UP IN THE MORNING AND THINK ABOUT OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE NOT JUST HOTELS AND BEDS ON THE V S A.
THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I THINK WE LOST TO THE MAYOR'S POINT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONVENTION OF VISITORS, BRIO BEING A MORE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WELL COUNCILMAN, I, I, I'M SORRY, BUT I, BUT WHEN WE, WE ALSO HAVE THREE AT LARGE, AND THEY ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF, UM, FROST BANK.
THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM SPUR SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, UM, THAT THERE'S A CHAMBER REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR BOARD.
THERE IS, UM, A HERITAGE MEMBER OF OUR BOARD.
SO THE WAY THE BOARD IS MADE UP, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ONE ENTITY OF THE INDUSTRY SECTOR TO HAVE A VOTING BLOCK.
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO SORT OF FINISH UP HERE WITH THE IDEA THAT I, I THINK THAT, UH, AS THE TERMS ARE CURRENTLY WRITTEN ON THE TID THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT GIVE AND TAKE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, OF, OF GIVE FROM THE INDUSTRY WITHIN THE AGREEMENT TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF TAKE IN MY OPINION.
I'M, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A WINDFALL IN A GIVEAWAY, UH, TO THE INDUSTRY.
I'M HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS AT ONCE TO GET TO OUR ORIGINAL POINT, CASSANDRA, I'M HOPING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE INDUSTRY COMPETITIVE TO GET IT TO 32, 33.
UH, BUT THAT SOME PERCENTAGE, UH, OF THE TPI WOULD GO TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, UH, IN, IN MY, IN MY EYES, I THINK THERE'S A INTERLINKED CONNECTION.
I COULD DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND HOMELESSNESS AND, AND THEM HAVING A STAKE IN VESTED INTEREST IN HOMELESSNESS.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH A PERCENTAGE OF THE TPI GOING TO SUPPORT A HAVEN FOR HOPE OR A NONPROFIT THAT DOES HOMELESSNESS.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRYING TO PLUG A GENERAL FUND GAP, HOPE FOR US, OR IT'S NOT ASKING FOR US TO, UH, SUPPORT SWIMMING POOL HOURS OR LIBRARY HOURS.
BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE INDUSTRY WOULD HAVE A, A VESTED INTEREST.
I, LIKE I SAID, I CAN ALMOST DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS LITERALLY AT YOUR DOOR IN SOME CASES.
I THINK THE HOTEL OWNERS WILL TELL YOU THAT.
AND, AND I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE PUT IN, YOU KNOW, FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT HAVEN.
WE PUT A NUMBER OF OTHER, UH, DOLLARS CITY TAXPAYER DOLLARS INTO SUPPORTING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THE ONLY OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING THIS ARE THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I MEAN, IT'S THE VALEROS OF THE WORLD, THE USAA OF THE WORLD, THE HEBS.
I CAN'T DRAW STRAIGHT LINES BETWEEN WHY SOMEBODY WOULD DONATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ACCUMULATE TO 50 MILLION, UH, OTHER THAN THEY WANTED TO SUPPORT HOMELESSNESS IN THE DOWNTOWN.
BUT I CAN DO THAT WITH THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
WHY? WHICH IS WHY I THINK IT'S NOT A LEAP, UH, OR A STRETCH TO, TO LOOK AT THIS TPI THAT IS MORE FLEXIBLE THAN STATE FUNDS AND ASK THAT A PERCENTAGE OF THAT BE DEDICATED TO HOMELESS.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THAT.
AND I, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN SEPTEMBER, UM, AND I KNOW IT'S GONNA SOUND LIKE THIS IS A NEW IDEA THAT JUST CAME
[01:50:01]
OUT LAST WEEK, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR OFFICE.WE'VE BEEN, UH, I'VE BEEN CHATTING WITH OUR, MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT IT.
SAID, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN IF, IF THEY CAME BACK TO US WITH A SOLUTION THAT LOOKED LIKE A DIFFERENT TPI THAT HAD A PERCENTAGE, MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE OPEN-MINDED.
BUT OF COURSE, IT IS CONTINGENT UPON THE V S A AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AGREEING THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO.
THAT'S A BIG, IF, I WOULD HOPE THAT SORT OF LEVEL HEADS PREVAILED IN THAT CASE.
AND THEY SAID, ALL RIGHT, LOOK, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO CONSIDER DOING THIS, BUT UNLESS YOU CAN CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT THAT TAKING LESS MONEY IS BETTER THAN TAKING MORE MONEY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA WIN IN THAT ARGUMENT.
WHICH IS WHY I THINK I, I STRUGGLED.
BUT WHEN YOU'VE GOT, I THINK, AN INDUSTRY THAT IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR IN INDUSTRY, ASKING TO COME INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR EIGHT YEARS WHERE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS GO, GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THAT INDUSTRY, UM, I THINK IT, THERE'S NO GIVE AND TAKE THERE.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU CAN DO TWO AT ONCE.
I THINK YOU CAN STILL GIVE 80% OF THE TPI TO THIS INDUSTRY AND GET YOU ALL AT 30% OR $30 MILLION COMPETITIVE WITH DALLAS, COMPETITIVE WITH AUSTIN WAY MORE THAN, UH, WAY MORE THAN AUSTIN HAS TODAY, AND STILL HAVE ALL OF THE UNIQUE FEATURES THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS TO SELL ITSELF.
AND SO I, I JUST THINK WE'RE BEING VERY, VERY UNCREATIVE IN, IN OUR APPROACH HERE.
AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU ALL TO GO AND HELP BUILD THIS PARKS, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF WHAT I THINK ANY TOURISM INDUSTRY OR HOTELIER WOULD CONSIDER TO BE RELEVANT TO THEIR WORK.
IT, I MEAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT, WELL, COUNCILMAN YOUR COMMENTS TO THAT.
I AM, I COULD NOT WAIT FOR YOU TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
SO I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE VALEROS, IT'S NOT JUST THE, UM, BUS OTHER BUSINESS INTERESTS.
IT, IT'S THE, THE MARRIOTTS, IT'S THE DRIES.
UM, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF, OF EXAMPLES OF HOTELS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS COMMUNITY IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, THERE IS A HOTEL THAT GIVES $175,000 ANNUALLY.
THEY RAISE ANNUALLY TO GIVE TO THE SAN ANTONIO CHILDREN'S, UM, HOSPITAL.
THERE'S ANOTHER HOTEL THAT IS GIVEN, UM, A $1.8 MILLION TO A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, ANOTHER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL THAT'S NOT THE SAME HOTEL.
INDIVIDUAL HOTELS GIVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THERE'S A HOTEL THAT HAS A PROGRAM FOR EVERY RESERVATION THAT THEY MAKE THAT IS BOOKED TO THEIR HOTEL.
THEY PROVIDE A MEAL TO THE FOOD BANK.
EVERY HOTEL DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE A MAJOR CORPORATION LIKE WHATABURGER.
THEY CAN SAY, HERE'S ALL OF OUR CHARITABLE GIVING THAT WE CAN PRESENT TO YOU.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OWNERS OF HOTELS, AND THEY ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT CHARITY.
I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, THERE, UM, THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES, WITH GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, WITH RESTORE EDUCATION, WHERE THEY CALL, THEY, THEY LITERALLY, THEY HAVE SOMEBODY IN HOTELS THAT THEY SAY, HEY, I HAVE THIS PERSON WHO IS LOOKING FOR A JOB.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S A LOW UNEMPLOYMENT.
THERE ARE LOTS OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THERE ARE, I MEAN, COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF, OF EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO STARTED IN A LOW, AN LOW ENTRY POSITION, WHO HAVE EXCELLED AND WHO ARE NOW NOT ONLY A MANAGER OR A GENERAL MANAGER, BUT THEY'RE RUNNING THE CORPORATIONS.
THEY ARE, THEY ARE THE MANAGERS OF MARRIOTTS.
UM, SO THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE ARE NOT, OF COURSE, IMMUNE FROM THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE.
AND WE HAVE TOLD EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WE ARE WILLING AND, UM, INTERESTED IN BEING A PARTNER IN A SOLUTION TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
AND OF COURSE, THIS DIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
AND THE GENESIS FOR THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WAS TO MOVE THE, THE NEEDLE ON A BUDGET FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
THAT OUR INDUSTRY INDEPENDENTLY HAS GONE FORWARD TO SAY, WE WILL SELF-ASSESS A FEE ON OUR CUSTOMERS TAKING A RISK IN HOPES THAT VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO BOOST REVENUE AND BOOST GENDER DEMAND FOR THE, THE INDUSTRY.
BUT IT ALSO WILL BENEFIT THE WHOLE ENTIRE CITY.
SO, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR? WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE PERSONALLY INDEPENDENTLY CONTRIBUTING.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A SILENT AUCTION WHERE THERE'S NOT, UM, FREE NIGHTS FOR, OR, UM, SILENT AUCTION ITEMS THAT DONATED FOR A HOTEL STAY, A SPA TREATMENT, A RESTAURANT, SIX FLAGS? ALL THOSE ARE IN OUR INDUSTRY MAKING PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND OUR COMMUNITY, AS WE'VE MENTIONED, IT'S A, IT'S A REVENUE GENERATION
[01:55:01]
COM.UM, COMCOM COMMIT, UM, INDUSTRY, WE ARE CENTRO.
UM, WE ARE ALSO THE LARGEST, UM, PARTICIPANT, UM, FINANCIALLY WITH THE CENTRO, UM, WITH THE CENTRO PI, WITH ARE THE MAJORITY INVESTOR.
AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AT CENTRO THAT RELATE TO HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SO THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF WAYS THAT OUR INDUSTRY IS DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY IMPACTING THIS COMMUNITY IN LARGE WAYS, IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS.
AND WE, AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO TELL THAT STORY.
UM, I HAVE SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
THEY, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM CAN TELL A STORY ABOUT, UM, DONATIONS, VOLUNTEER TIME.
THERE'S A HOTEL THAT, THAT, UM, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES IS EXPECTED TO VOLUNTEER.
UM, EVERY YEAR THEY HAVE, THAT'S PART OF THE, PART OF THEIR PROGRAM.
IT'S, YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU ARE EMPLOYED HERE, YOU ARE GOING TO VOLUNTEER.
AND SO AGAIN, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A DECK OF DIRECT BENEFIT, AND WE ARE WILLING TO BE AT THE TABLE.
THIS VEHICLE DIDN'T, THIS WAS NOT THE INTENT OF THIS VEHICLE.
SO WHAT MOVES FORWARD IN A COMMUNITY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS, MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER TWO YEAR PROCESS.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING A PART OF IT.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO BEING, TO HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE.
BUT, UM, BUT THIS IS NOT THE, THE GENESIS OF THIS IS NOT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN WHAT WE HAVE PRO PROVIDED YOU TODAY AND WHAT WE PRESENTED YOU TODAY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
COUNCILMAN, IT'S AWESOME THAT WE, THIS HAS SPARKED ANOTHER INTEREST IN, UM, AN ISSUE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY INCLUDING US.
WELL, UH, CASSANDRA, UH, I, CASSANDRA AND LISA AND SCOTT, I, I HOPE YOU'LL FORGIVE ME THAT, THAT THERE IS, UH, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT I CARE ABOUT.
AND, AND IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN I THINK WHAT YOU ALL MIGHT CARE ABOUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WORK FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, I WORK FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT ME.
AND, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING TO FOLKS THAT I MIGHT ASK ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SAY NO.
THE HOTEL INDUSTRY HAS EVERY RIGHT TO SAY NO.
BUT THEY ALSO SHOULDN'T, UM, FIND IT SURPRISING THAT A CITY COUNCIL WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IS INTERESTED IN GOING AFTER SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T PUT PRESSURE ON THEM AND, AND THEIR, OUR BUDGET, BUT ACTUALLY ASKS TOURISTS, UM, TO HELP SUPPORT A, A ISSUE THAT IS, IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO TOURISM.
UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS HOMELESSNESS.
AND AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT I HOPE IS TWO THINGS AT ONCE BY SAYING THAT WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE, UH, AT 80 AND 90% OF THE TID AND NET A REVENUE OF 9 MILLION A YEAR OVER EIGHT YEARS, AND STILL BE ABLE TO SAY, AT THE END OF MY HOTEL BILL, THERE WILL BE SOMETHING AT THE BOTTOM THAT SAYS A PORTION OF THIS FEE AND ASSESSMENT GOES TO LESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A CRAZY IDEA, BUT HEY, LOOK, I'M, I'M, UH, I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, SET OF CONSTITUENTS THAT I ANSWER TO.
AND, AND I THINK YOU ALL ARE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU ANSWER TO A DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCY THAT I DO.
AND FOR, FOR YOUR INDUSTRY AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF, OF WORKING TO TRY TO GET HEADS IN BEDS, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
UM, AND, AND WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY COMES FORWARD WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY TRY TO GET CREATIVE, AND I WOULD'VE HOPED THAT THE ANSWER FROM THE INDUSTRY WAS, LET US CONSIDER IT.
LET US GO BACK TO, UH, SOME OF THE BOARDS INTERNALLY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANSWER WAS NO TO, TO BEGIN WITH.
AND I THINK THAT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO ME.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS NAIVE FOR ME TO TRY TO EXPECT A DIFFERENT ANSWER, COUNCILMAN.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL SAY TO THAT IS IT WAS NO, IT WAS NOT, NO, AT THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN THIS WAS EVEN, UM, AN IDEA, WE WERE AT LIKE TWO DAYS AWAY FROM GIVING ALL THE SIGNED PETITIONS TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
WE'VE BEEN PART OF THIS PROCESS FOR TWO YEARS.
IT WAS A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SELL THE INDUSTRY TO SELF ASSESS SELF FOR THE KNOWING THAT THERE IS GONNA BE GREAT COMMUNITY-WIDE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WAS THAT IN SEP, WAS THAT IN SEPTEMBER THAT YOU WERE TWO DAYS AWAY FROM SUBMITTING? EXACTLY.
AT THAT POINT, WE HAD HAD MAJORITY OF OUR SIGNATURES ALREADY, UM, WRAPPED UP AND THEN, AND VERY SHORTLY AFTER, TURNED THEM IN, UH, TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME IT TAKES A MONTH AND A HALF FOR US TO GO OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENCIES AND GET THE PULSE ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO? NO, IT TOOK, WE STARTED AT THAT POINT IN, UM, JUNE, ONCE WE RECEIVED YOUR APPROVAL AT THE END OF JUNE ON THE LEGAL, ON THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S MY TALL ASK.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO TO A HOTEL, A HUNDRED HOTEL OWNERS AND ASK THEM IF THIS IS A BAD IDEA, AND THEY'LL SAY YES OR NO TO IT.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, WILL THEY BE, WE ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO ONE QUESTION.
IF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THIS GOES BACK TO THE INDUSTRY AND SALES AND MARKETING, THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION I DON'T KNOW, IS WOULD THEY STILL SUPPORT THIS IF 10, 15, 20% WENT TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN, WHICH IS SOLVING HOMELESSNESS? AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS BEING CREATIVE, BECAUSE IT'LL COST US A
[02:00:01]
FEW MONTHS TO DO THIS.I I GRANT YOU, IT'LL TAKE US INTO THE NEXT YEAR, BUT THIS IS A, AN AGREEMENT FOR EIGHT YEARS.
THE NEXT TIME WE TALK ABOUT IS 2027.
AND SO THE, THE IDEA FOR ME THAT THIS WOULD COST US A FEW MONTHS, UH, BUT WOULD BE A CONTRACT THAT WE SIGNED FOR EIGHT YEARS, IS, IS A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW IN TERMS OF, OF WHY THIS IS SUCH A TALL, TALL ASK.
UM, COUNCILMAN, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT OUR INDUSTRY WANTS TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY-WIDE, NOT ONLY DISCUSSION, BUT AN ACTIVE SOLUTION.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WILL MEAN INVESTMENT.
UM, WE JUST DO NOT FEEL BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH HOTEL OWNERS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE.
BUT WE HAVE TOLD EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT BEING PART OF NOT ONLY THE DISCUSSION, BUT AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT AS AN INDUSTRY TO HELP WITH THIS ISSUE.
ONE, ONE THING I WOULD NOTE COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM HOTEL OWNERSHIP GROUPS IS THAT WHAT WE WOULD ENVISION AS A CREATIVE SOLUTION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATIVITY, IS HOMELESSNESS NOT ONLY AFFECTS, UH, COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES SUCH AS HOTELS, IT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR RESTAURANTS, ALL OF OUR RETAIL, ALL OF OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, ALL OF OUR PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THAT DISTRICT OR THAT AREA, IN FACT, CITYWIDE, I WOULD ARGUE.
AND SO TO US, A CREATIVE SOLUTION DOESN'T MEAN YOU SIMPLY TAKE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND SAY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE A SOLE REVENUE STREAM FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR TO US.
WE OUGHT TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND LOOK AT HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THE ENTIRE COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM ADDRESSING THE SITUATION.
AND I'LL BE A PARTICIPANT IN THAT.
AND, AND, AND WE WOULD BE AT THAT TABLE AND TRY TO HELP IN A, IN, IN A POSITIVE AND ACTIVE WAY.
SO THAT THAT'S, THAT THAT'S PART OF THE CONCERN.
IT'S NOT THAT THAT WE, WE'VE SAID NO, WE'VE SAID THIS MAY NOT BE THE VEHICLE, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A VEHICLE THAT IS A MORE COLLECTIVE APPROACH FOR THE ENTIRE COMMERCIAL SECTOR.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT BEGETS THE QUESTION OF ARE AM I SINGLING OUT THE HOTEL INDUSTRY? AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
I THINK WHAT I'M DOING IS, IS CALLING OUT AN INDUSTRY THAT HASN'T BEEN SUPPORTING TO THE LEVEL THAT OTHERS HAVE ON THIS ISSUE.
I I, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT THE 20TH CENTURY SAN ANTONIO HISTORY WHERE WE WERE ONLY A TWO ECONOMY TOWN WITH, WITH MILITARY AND TOURISM.
WE HAVE DIVERSIFIED THE, THE WAY THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED SAN ANTONIO AND WE BRING IN REVENUE.
I THINK THAT GIVES US, UH, FULL AUTHORITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WE CAN FEASIBLY ASK WITHOUT BEING OUTTA BOUNDS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE CAN ASK IS, IS THERE, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US NOT TO DIG INTO OUR BUDGET, UH, NOT TO ASK ANY COMMERCIAL RESIDENT TODAY TO PAY MORE OUT OF WHAT THEY CURRENTLY PAY, UH, AND ASK TOURISTS, UH, TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS, THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE WE HAVE A CONNECTION TO WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
AND I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT WHILE STILL GETTING, BEING COMPETITIVE WITH ANY OTHER CITY, BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU ANOTHER EIGHT, NINE PLUS MILLION A YEAR.
LEMME PASS IT TO MY, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
THEY HAVE A LOT TO SAY, AND, AND I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO BACK AND FORTH ON THIS.
BUT LOOK, WE'RE HAVING A BETTER DISCUSSION TODAY THAN WE HAD ON THE 21ST.
I APOLOGIZE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS ON THE 21ST.
BUT IF WE HAVE A VOTE, WE STILL HAVE EVERY AUTHORITY AND EVERY VOICE AND EVERY RESPONSIBILITY AS A COUNCIL TO CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATION, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN NET TO SUPPORT ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND LOOK, I'M BIASED THAT, THAT I WANNA SUPPORT A HAVEN FOR HOPE BECAUSE I KNOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE LIFTED THEMSELVES UP FROM THAT WE SUPPORT TO THE NET, TO THE, TO THE TUNE OF $4.5 MILLION EVERY SINGLE YEAR OUT OF OUR BUDGET.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS KICKED IN, IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, AT A SCALE, MUCH LARGER THAN I THINK ANY HOTEL INDUSTRY OR OWNER HAS.
AND THE QUESTION IS, LET'S NOT ASK ANY TAX OR, OR MORE BURDEN FOR THE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
IF THEY'RE COMING TO US KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR SAYING, WE WANT TO CHARGE OUR OUR FOLKS MORE, THEN WHY DON'T WE ASK THEM TO HAVE A CREATIVE CONVERSATION AROUND SUPPORTING AN ISSUE THAT WE CARE ABOUT? AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK I'M PROPOSING.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST GIVING ME A LITTLE SPACE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT, EITHER I HAVE A BAD IDEA OR I HAVE BAD TIMING, CRITICIZE ME ON THE TIMING, BUT THEN TELL ME THAT THIS IDEA IS TERRIBLE, THAT WE SHOULD ASK TOURISTS TO PAY INTO, UH, HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESS SOLUTIONS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN, UM, SALDANA, AND, AND LET ME JUST SAY, UM, I'M HEARING SOME VOCAL REACTIONS.
THE COUNCILMAN IS WELL WITHIN HIS RIGHT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE, UH, AT ODDS HERE.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, DOING THAT, UH, WITH THOUGHTFULNESS AND ALSO WITH, UM, COLLEGIALITY.
UM, I WOULD EXPECT THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD TREAT, UH, THIS DISCUSSION THE SAME WAY.
UM, UH, CHERYL, DO YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS YOU WANT ADD? NO, JUST FACTUALLY TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL, UH, OVERVIEW.
SO THE HAVEN FOR HOPE ANNUAL BUDGET IS 20 MILLION, ABOUT 38% OF THAT COMES FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, 4.5 MILLION
[02:05:01]
TO THE ACTUAL HAVEN FOR HOPE.AND THEN WE DO ANOTHER OVER 3 MILLION TO AGENCIES AT HAVEN FOR HOPE, LIKE THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND THE FOOD BANK AND, UH, ST.
SO OUR TOTAL APPROACH IS $8 MILLION ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT SERVICES.
THERE, ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION TO HAVEN FOR HOPE ITSELF.
BUT THE STATE GRANTS ARE 5 MILLION.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 650,000.
BEX COUNTY DOES JUST UNDER 1 MILLION UNITED WAY, 1.3 MILLION.
SO ABOUT 38% IS COMING FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR THE ANNUAL HAVEN FOR HOPE BUDGET OF 20 MILLION.
AND MOST OF THAT, AND I'LL GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO BILL GREEHEY AND THE FAMILY FOUNDATION AS WELL AS NEUSTAR FOUNDATION, BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE A MAJORITY OF THAT PRIVATE SECTOR MONEY.
SO, UH, BUT JUST SO YOU HAVE THE FACTS ABOUT THE ANNUAL BUDGET, ABOUT 38% IS PRIVATE.
AND LET, LET ME MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE KIND OF OPENED IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY ON HOMELESSNESS AND SO FORTH, UM, THEN I'LL PASS IT, UH, TO COUNCILMAN AYAS, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT JUST THIS ONE FOR, BUT FOR MANY YEARS.
IN 2006, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THEN MAYOR PHIL HARDBERGER, A TASK FORCE WAS APPOINTED AND CO-CHAIRED BY COUNCILWOMAN PATTY RADEL AND NEU STAR NEUSTAR CHAIRMAN BILL GREEHEY, TO STUDY THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDED A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP A CAMPUS OF COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.
THE HAVEN FOR HOPE CAMPUS OPENED IN 2010, HAS BEEN WELL SUPPORTED AND HAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND HAVEN FOR HOPE.
THE CITY PURCHASED THE LAND WHERE THE CAMPUS IS LOCATED TODAY, AND BILL GREEHEY PRIVATELY RAISED $61 MILLION OF THE $100 MILLION CAMPUS.
AS A TESTAMENT TO THIS PARTNERSHIP, THE CITY HOLDS A 60 YEAR GROUND OPERATING LEASE AGREEMENT WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE, AND HAS SUPPORTED ITS OPERATIONS.
SINCE ITS OPENING TODAY, THE CITY FUNDS 4.6 MILLION OF THE $20 MILLION ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THIS, THIS CITY, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, PROVIDES $3 MILLION FOR HAVEN FOR HOPE PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE FOOD BANK AND THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
THE GREEHEY FAMILY FOUNDATION AND BILL GREASY HAVE SIMILARLY MADE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO HAVEN FOR HOPE ENDOWMENT AND CAMPUS OPERATIONS.
SINCE ITS OPENING, IT IS A GOLD STAR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
ADDITIONALLY, NEUSTAR ENERGY CONTRIBUTES $3 MILLION ANNUALLY FROM THE NEW HOPE GOLF TOURNAMENT GOING TOWARDS HAVEN'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
THESE INVESTMENTS HAVE INDEED SHOWN RESULTS, AND WE ARE ALWAYS HONING IN ON OUR APPROACH TO HA TO HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.
THAT INCLUDES FAR MORE THAN JUST THE HAVEN CAMPUS.
SINCE 2010, CLOSE TO 4,500 INDIVIDUALS HAVE EXITED THE TRANSFORMATIONAL CAMPUS AND MOVED TO PERMANENT HOUSING, AND WE HAVE SEEN A 20% DECLINE IN CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS SINCE 2011.
WE'VE SEEN A 35% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS VETS DUE IN LARGE PART, TO THE EXTRAORDINARY COORDINATED EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN, WE CANNOT REST ON OUR PROGRESS IN SOME AREAS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SEEN A 19.6% DECREASE OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS PER CAPITA SINCE 2010, THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS PEOPLE INCREASED LAST YEAR BY MORE THAN 300.
THIS IS WHY WE MUST KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA FOR WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THIS CONVERSATION WILL STAY AT THE FOREFRONT, GIVEN THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT HAVEN FOR HOPE PLAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE CITY MANAGER IDENTIFIED MORE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING ALTERNATIVES IN EARLY NOVEMBER.
AND SO I'M ASKING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY STAFF TO WORK WITH THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AS WE HAVE HEARD CLEARLY ON THE RECORD VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVES THAT COULD BE PART OF A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR HAVEN FOR HOPE, AND THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THEY PROVIDE TO OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
EVERYONE MUST COME TOGETHER TO DO THEIR PART TO TACKLE THIS ISSUE.
AND WE HAVE TO PROMISE OURSELVES AROUND THE DAIS THAT THIS ISN'T JUST, ISN'T JUST A CONVERSATION.
WE'RE STARTING TO GET OVER THE INITIAL CONTROVERSY AND THAT IT FADES AWAY, BUT THAT WE COME BACK WITH AN ACTUAL STRATEGIC PLAN TO GET IT DONE.
A SPENDING PLAN THAT ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS, THE FUNDING ALTERNATIVES MERIT A MORE DEPTH IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.
AND THAT IS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT A BROADER STRATEGY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS AND HOW FUNDING WILL BE USED TO EXECUTE THAT STRATEGY.
THE GOOD, TO BE GOOD FISCAL STEWARDS MUST, WE MUST ENSURE THAT PUBLIC DOLLARS ARE USED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
AND SO I'M REQUESTING THAT OUR CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY STAFF COME BACK TO THIS CITY COUNCIL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE A B SESSION, UH, AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR BEFORE THE MID-YEAR FINANCIAL REVIEW.
SO WE WILL HAVE OPTIONS IN THE NEAR TERM AND ALSO, UH, THE BEGINNING AT LEAST, OF A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR HAVEN.
AGAIN, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE STOPPED
[02:10:01]
SHORT OF DURING.SO, UM, BUT I, I I WANNA SAY THIS, THIS COUNCIL IS NOT A RUBBER STAMP.
AND SO WE HAVE A SERVICE PLAN THAT WE AGREED TO UNANIMOUSLY WE HAVE A CONTRACT AND WE HAVE A MISSION OF V SS A TO PROMOTE THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAS FAR MORE BENEFITS THAN JUST HOTELS.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE WITH THAT, BUT TO SUGGEST THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA IS NOT WITHIN HIS RIGHT TO BRING UP A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, IS FALLING SHORT OF OUR DUTIES AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO I APPLIED YOUR EFFORTS, UH, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION TO ITS CONCLUSION, BUT THAT THE DEEP HEAD IS, IS FINE, AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD AS IS COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, SO FOLLOWING UP ON THOSE COMMENTS, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UH, EVERY SINGLE CITY COUNCIL PERSON ON THE TA AT, AT THE, YOU KNOW, IN THIS ROOM, UM, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, HAS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT LEADERSHIP IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR DIFFERENT, UH, INITIATIVES, RIGHT? I, I CAN'T THINK, WELL, EVERY SINGLE ONE, THAT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, MR. PERRY AND MR. COURAGE AND MR. BROCK HOUSE AND MS. UH, UH, SANDOVAL AND MS. GONZALEZ HAVE ALL, UM, PICKED FIGHTS, RIGHTEOUS FIGHTS, GOOD ONES, AND, UM, SOMETIMES I DISAGREE AND SOMETIMES I AGREE.
YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP IS, UM, ASKING HARD QUESTIONS AND THE WILLINGNESS TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND CHALLENGING BELIEFS, UM, EXPLORING REALLY CREATIVE IDEAS, TAKING THE RISK OF BEING CRITICIZED FOR THOSE IDEAS, INVITING DEBATE, RIGHT? SERVING UP REALITY CHECKS, UM, AND NEVER, UM, MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, RIGHT? AND SO, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, I LOVE THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN SALDANA, YOU'RE RIGHT TO BRING IT TO OUR ATTENTION, AND YOU'RE RIGHT TO BRING IT TO THIS TABLE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS, I'LL, I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU, HOMELESSNESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HUNGRY FOR THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN, IN THAT SOLUTION.
UM, AND IF YOU HAD AN IDEA ON HOW TO DO IT, I'LL LISTEN TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR IDEAS, AND I'LL LISTEN TO ANYBODY AT THIS TABLE, UH, WHO HAS GOOD IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ON THE ISSUE OF, OF HOMELESSNESS AND, AND PANHANDLING.
UM, AND I'M SURE YOU GOT IDEAS AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE, YOU TOO.
AND MR. BROCK HOUSE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN COMMITTEE, I THINK SET UP OR, OR SOME SORT OF ANALYSIS THAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR DISTRICT, UM, WHICH IS REALLY ADMIRABLE TOO.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT STEALING YOUR IDEA.
UH, BUT, UH, THE, UM, UH, BUT EVERY ONE OF US NEEDS TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD THIS REALLY ROBUST CONVERSATION JUST HAPPENS TO BE AT A MEETING WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DISCUSSING THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I KNOW THIS IS FRUSTRATING FOR YOU GUYS, UM, AND THAT YOU'VE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD ON IT, BUT I DO SUPPORT COUNCILMAN ALANA'S, YOU KNOW, EFFORT TO GET YOU GUYS TO TALK ABOUT IT, RIGHT? AND I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ALLERGIC TO THE CONVERSATION AND THAT YOU'RE UP THERE WILLING TO CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, UH, ASSUMPTIONS AND IDEAS AS WELL.
UH, AND I TAKE YOU AT YOUR WORD, CASSANDRA, AND I, I AM GONNA CHALLENGE YOU WHEN THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS TEA PIT ISSUE IS BEHIND US, AND THAT IS TO REALLY INVITE YOU ALL BACK TO THE TABLE TO SEE IF YOU REALLY MEAN IT, RIGHT? AND TO CASH THE CHECK THAT YOU GUYS JUST WROTE WITH YOUR MOUTHS, WHICH IS WE WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND FIND A SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS DO.
I I AM WORRIED ABOUT HAVEN FOR HOPE.
CHERYL, THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPLORING THE DIFFERENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES HERE JUST TO CALL EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION TO, YOU KNOW, ONE PROBLEM IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, BILL GREEHEY HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC BENEFACTOR OF, OF HAVEN FOR HOPE, UH, AND SO IS NEUSTAR.
I MEAN, TENS UPON TENS UPON TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UM, OF THEIR OWN MONEY.
BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA LAST FOREVER.
YOU KNOW, BILL GREEHEY IS ONE DAY GONNA, YOU KNOW, DO OTHER THINGS AND NEUSTAR MAY DECIDE TO REDEDICATE THOSE FUNDS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND IF WE DON'T FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE INJECTING, UM, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES INTO HAVEN FOR HOPE, WELL THEN THAT'S ON US.
AND SO I, I WILL WORK WITH YOU, MAYOR, AND I'LL WORK WITH ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MISSION SUCCEEDS.
UM, TWO, I THINK THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, UM, YOU GUYS GET A BAD RAP SOMETIMES.
I'M A, I DUNNO IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THE TEXAS HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION.
UM, MY, MY LAW FIRM IS, AND I'VE, I'VE LEARNED SOME REALLY COOL THINGS THIS YEAR ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
I WENT TO A CONVENTION RECENTLY, UM, IN COLORADO WHERE, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH ALL THE VENDORS FOR MATTRESSES AND TOWELS AND PILLOWS AND, YOU KNOW, POINT OF SALE, YOU KNOW, SOFTWARE AND OTHER THINGS, THERE'S BOOTHS UPON BOOTHS OF NONPROFITS WHO SET UP THEIR BOOTHS THERE, LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE HEART ASSOCIATION AND NONPROFITS DEDICATED TO HOMELESSNESS AND CHILDREN AND ALL THAT.
[02:15:01]
AND TALKING TO THEM, I SAID, WHY ARE YOU GUYS HERE? AND THEY SAID, NO, WE ALL COMPETE TO GET IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY BECAUSE THEY SIGN US UP AS PARTNERS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE FLAG THAT FLIES, UM, IS, REQUIRES THE HOTEL OWNERS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DEDICATE A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE ROOM NIGHTS BACK TO THESE NONPROFITS.AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, BE A PART OF THAT.
I MEAN, WITH, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE STAYING IN HOTELS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
YOU KNOW, JUST THINK ABOUT THE SHEER AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT GO BACK TO NONPROFITS, LOCAL AND NATIONAL.
AND, AND, UM, THE PROBLEM IS, IS I'M JUST NOT SURE YOUR INDUSTRY IS REALLY GOOD AT TELLING THAT STORY.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE YOU GOT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF REMIND SAN ANTONIO ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO DO, UM, AND, UM, THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, WELL THAT'S MAYBE A MANAGEMENT FAILURE ON, ON YOUR INDUSTRY'S PART.
IT SEEMS LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO BEEF THAT UP.
SO, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, UM, THE ISSUE OF THE T I D, WOULD YOU BE THE GENERAL COUNSEL OF THIS T I SCOTT, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MANAGEMENT TRUCTURE.
YEAH, THAT HASN'T WE, WE HAVE A NONPROFIT STATE HOTEL ASSOCIATION, AND WE GENERALLY VOLUNTEER BECAUSE I HAVE A STAFF OF LAWYERS THAT ARE EXPERTS ON 'EM.
WE WOULD BE GLAD TO VOLUNTEER IF THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T FORMALLY ARRANGED ANY SORT OF, UH, UH, STATUS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THE ONE I WALKED INTO THIS ROOM REALLY WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING, AND IT'S BAD ON ME BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU YESTERDAY, HOW IS, LIKE, WHAT IS THE SORT OF STRUCTURE OF IT? WHO MANAGES IT, WHO APPOINTS? HOW DOES A PERSON GET ON THIS BOARD? SO, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
THE STRUCTURE IS THAT THE TAID CORPORATION WILL BE ESTABLISHED.
THERE'S LANGUAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE FILED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, I BELIEVE, TO FORMALIZE THE, UM, THE ACTUAL CORPORATION, AND INCLUDING WITH THE BYLAWS, WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE, UM, THE BOARD, THE NEWLY APPOINTED BOARD OVERSEE, LOOK, TAKE A LOOK AT THE BYLAWS BEFORE WE FORMALLY DO THAT, UM, JUST TO GET INPUT.
AND SO, UM, IN SHORT ORDER, THOSE THINGS WOULD HAPPEN IN ORDER TO FORM THE BOARD, AND THEN IT'LL BE A NEWLY CREATED ENTITY AND WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
SCOTT, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ONE OF THESE T PIDS AMENDED, UM, BY A CITY, YOU KNOW, AFTER A FEW YEARS? NO, THE NATURE, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE HAVING A BOND PROPOSITION ONCE YOU PUT TOGETHER.
WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS OF THAT, THAT PROPOSITION? THOSE ARE THE, THAT'S THE OUTLINE.
YOU CAN AMEND IT SLIGHTLY WITHIN, LIKE MAYBE IN THE MARKETING OR IN THE SALES OR IN THE RESEARCH OR ADMINISTRATION.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALLOCATE DIFFERENT, UM, MINOR AMENDMENTS, BUT OTHERWISE, IF IT'S ANYTHING OTHER THAN MINOR AMENDMENTS, IT WOULD VIOLATE THE TERMS OF THE PETITION AND THE SERVICE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED.
UM, AND THIS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? SO THERE'S NOT SUBJECT TO ANY SORT OF TAXATION CORRECT.
ON THE REVENUE REALIZED FROM THIS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IT'S A, IT'S A 5 0 1 C SIX ENTITY THAT IS CREATED A NONPROFIT.
IT'S CALLED A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION.
WHERE'S THAT MONEY BANKED? UM, TYPICALLY THE T P I D DOESN'T MANAGE OR HOLD, WELL, IT OVERSEES THE MONEY, BUT THE CV, THE CITY ALLOCATES IT IN A CHECK TO THE C V B THAT KEEPS IT USUALLY IN A SEPARATE FUND FOR THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE C V B MANAGED IT, JUST LIKE THEY MANAGE THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX FUNDS.
COUNCILMAN PALIS, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE.
UM, COUNCILMAN MY COLLEAGUE ONCE, UH, COUNCILMAN SALANI SAID ONCE SAID TO ME AFTER I SPOKE AND HE FOLLOWED ME, THAT THERE WAS A BUFFET OF ITEMS FOR HIM TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ON.
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A, A BUFFET OF THINGS TO UNPACK, UH, COMMENTS AND STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
AND I WILL DISAGREE WITH A COUPLE POINTS, UH, ON THE FACT THAT I THINK THERE ARE INTENTIONS AND MOTIVES.
UH, WHILE IT IS ADMIRABLE TO BRING UP ISSUES, THERE'S ALSO A TIMING PIECE TO THINGS TOO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, COMMITMENTS AND THINGS YOU'VE MADE TO PEOPLE WHO YOU WORK WITH.
AND THE BIGGEST THING WE HAVE COMING OUTTA CITY COUNCIL, THE LAST THING WE HAVE THAT'S MEASURABLE IS IF I SAY I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING AND I COMMIT TO IT, THAT I COMMIT TO IT AND I DO IT.
UH, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE MEASURABLE TOOL OF LEADERSHIP, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ISSUE IS, YOU KNOW, WE STICK TO WHAT WE COMMIT TO.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I REITERATE MY 100% SUPPORT, UH, FOR THE TPI.
TO COUNCILMAN PAL'S POINT ECHO THE SAME FACT.
MANY OF US ARE DOING HOMELESS WORK DAY IN, DAY OUT.
YESTERDAY, MY TEAM AND I WERE AT 10 HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS YESTERDAY AND WE ENCOUNTERED A DOZEN HOMELESS PEOPLE AND WE WERE WORKING HARD AND THE,
[02:20:01]
THE WORK, AND THERE WAS COUNTLESS CITY DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE, HAVEN FOR HOPE IS OUT THERE.PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THIS.
AND, AND AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION, AT THE VERY LEAST, IT'S, IT'S RISEN TO A POINT WHERE I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD WE, IT'S OBVIOUS.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MUCH MORE FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, PERIOD.
IT'S TIME FOR PROBABLY A HAVEN FOR HOPE RESET TO SEE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE WITH THAT GOING FORWARD.
BUT THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY ZERO TO DO WITH THE TPI.
UH, AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT YOU ARE A RESPECTED INDUSTRY, UM, AND YOU DO ENOUGH TO HEAR A COLLEAGUE SAY YOU DON'T DO ENOUGH, I THINK IS DISAPPOINTING.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, I THINK YOU DO AND I THINK YOU DO A FANTASTIC AMOUNT OF STUFF BECAUSE YOU CAN'T QUANTIFY IT.
AND MAYBE YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN TELLING THE STORY.
WE CAN ALL DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN TELLING THE STORY.
UH, BUT I THINK YOUR INDUSTRY IS PROVIDING RESOURCES, SERVICES, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS, YOU'RE DOING THE THINGS THAT THIS COUNCIL'S ATTEMPTING TO TRY TO CORRECT.
YOU'RE COMING AT IT FROM MULTIPLE AREAS, THE PEOPLE YOU EMPLOY AND WHAT THIS MONEY, WE DON'T HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
WE REALLY DIDN'T TOUCH ON THAT.
THIS MONEY COMING BACK IN AND BUILDING INDUSTRY AND BUILDING OPPORTUNITY AND BUILDING BENEFITS.
WE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOUR ABILITY, AND I THINK IT'S ADMIRABLE THAT YOU ARE TAXING YOURSELF.
YOU'RE COMING ASKING TO RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL YOUR MARGINS JUST A LITTLE TIGHTER MAYBE, RIGHT? MAYBE TO PUSH THEM JUST TO SAY, I GOTTA CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAT I CAN GET A LITTLE BIT OF PROFITABILITY SO THAT I CAN TURN AROUND AND THEN REINVEST THAT, RIGHT? WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, THE HOPES OF DRAWING MORE INCOME AND OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE A COUPLE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT WHAT DO I, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE MINIMUM AMOUNT I HAVE TO DO TO BE COMPETITIVE? THAT IS NOT A WINNING STRATEGY, RIGHT? JUST TO SAY WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE TINIEST AMOUNT OF AT COMPETITIVE? AND THEN I CAN STOP RIGHT THERE THAT THAT'S NOT IN THE GAME.
I DON'T HEAR ANY, YOU KNOW, TO USE A SPORTS ANALOGY, I DON'T HEAR ANY TEAM WALKING IN, WELL MY MAN, IF I GOTTA SCORE 12 POINTS, IF THEY AVERAGE 11, MAN, I HAVE TO SCORE 12.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU TRY TO DO.
I THINK YOU GET IN THE GAME AND IF WE HAVE THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES, WE NEED TO PUT DALLAS, HOUSTON, AND AUSTIN THESE CITIES AWAY WITH THE INVESTMENT.
WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT BENCHMARK BENCHMARKING OURSELVES TOWARDS THEM.
THE MINIMUM COMPETITIVENESS IS NOT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
SO I HOPE YOU CAN GRAB AS MUCH CASH AS YOU CAN THROUGH THIS AND INVEST IT.
AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT MEASURING TO DALLAS OR OR BEING COMPETITIVE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE, IT'S ABOUT PUTTING A PRODUCT ON THE MARKET THAT ENHANCES THE RE THE, THE, THE TOURISM AND VISITOR RELATIONSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO, PERIOD, RIGHT? IT'S THE TOP INDUSTRY WE'RE CARRYING.
WE TALK A ALL ABOUT THE THINGS WE DO DOWNTOWN.
AND I WILL AGREE AS WELL THAT THIS IS A, A, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT'S A TAKEN FOR GRANTED INDUSTRY, BUT IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE.
UM, SO I THINK FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TOMORROW, I THINK A LOT OF THAT MATTERS.
AND THE TRUTH IS, UH, ALSO WHEN I SEE THIS AND I I LOOK AT THE TIMING PIECE OF IT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE QUOTED YOU IN THE, THE MEDIA.
UH, I WOULD JUST CALL ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT MY COLLEAGUE ALSO SAID IN THE MEDIA THAT, UH, HE DIDN'T WANT TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE IN OF ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, WELL MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, YOU NOT DOING ENOUGH TO HELP IF HOMELESSNESS MATTERS, IT'S A YEAR-ROUND CONVERSATION.
IT'S NOT JUST HAD AFTER AN ELECTION CYCLE.
SO THERE ARE MOTIVES THAT ARE, ARE GOING ON HERE THAT ARE BEYOND JUST ATTEMPTING TO AID THE HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE.
SOMEBODY SEES A POT OF MONEY AND THEY WANNA TAKE A PIECE OF IT TO FUND A PROJECT.
WE'VE HAD A YEAR TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THIS ENDED UP ON A B SESSION, FRANKLY, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET ITEMS ON B SESSIONS AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET IT DONE.
UH, HE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY HALL REDESIGN DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT THIS MIRACULOUSLY FINDS ITSELF ONTO A B SESSION JUST PRIOR TO THE VOTE.
SO WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A ISSUE FOR ANOTHER TIME.
BUT THIS WAS A DONE PUT TO BED FINISHED ARGUMENT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, OWN OUR PIECES HERE.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MANY OF 'EM.
TOURISM IS CONTRIBUTING GREATLY TO THE DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH BUSINESS, DON'T DEMAND THESE CHANGES.
UM, AND I THINK WHEN WE COME IN AND WE SAY, AND WE TRY TO SHAME SOMEONE INTO DOING MORE, THAT'S NOT A RELATIONSHIP.
AND THAT'S WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE WORD IS, WHY DOES THE HOTEL INDUSTRY DISTRUST CITY COUNCIL? AND THEN YOUR RESPONSE IS, WE DON'T DISTRUST CITY COUNCIL.
THE FACT IS, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THERE'S TRUST ISSUES AT CITY HALL, UH, COMING IN AT THE LAST MINUTE AND ATTEMPTING TO DO UNDO OUR COMMITMENTS.
UM, I THINK YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT, YOUR PIECE IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY.
I LIKE THAT MIX AND, AND WHERE THE PERCENTAGES AND THE MONIES ARE GOING.
I HOPE THAT THAT SEES THESE SEES THROUGH YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE CHARGING YOURSELVES, WHICH I THINK IS ADMIRABLE.
PUT THE MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACE WHERE IT MATTERS.
UM, AS FOR THE FUNDING MECHANISMS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST ASK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY STAFF, I MEAN, WHEN THE, WHEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS CAME OUT, WHY WAS THERE A RECOMMENDATION JUST TO NOT DO ANYTHING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD TO
[02:25:01]
FIND, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IT SAID WE CAN TAKE THE 3 MILLION FROM THE TPI.ANOTHER OPTION WAS, I BELIEVE, HOLD ON A SECOND HERE.
LEMME GET IT, LEMME GET IT ACCURATE.
THE OTHER OPTION WAS, UM, THE, THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
AND THEN, UM, OR INCREASING THE GENERAL OR TAKING IT FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, I MEAN, JUST 60 DAYS AGO WHEN WE HAD, IF HOMELESSNESS MATTERED, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE, BUT WE DIDN'T.
UM, SO AN INCREASE IN GENERAL FUNDS, I MEAN, AT THE END OF THAT BUDGET CYCLE LAST YEAR, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
WE WERE FIGHTING OVER A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AT THIS TABLE.
AND APPARENTLY WE CAN CREATE $3 MILLION OUT OF THIN AIR TO GET THAT WORK.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO WONDER WHY WE'RE NOT, UH, HAVING AN OPTION OF LET'S NOT DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT OPTION OR THE RIGHT TIME FOR IT.
SO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, THESE, I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF ANY OF THESE FUNDING OPTIONS FOR IT.
WE NEED TO REEXAMINE EXACTLY WHERE WE SHOULD BE SPENDING THE MONEY AND, AND, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S GONNA COME FROM.
SO, UM, YEAH, AND REALLY JUST LOOK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I JUST A TON OF NOTES.
I JUST WAS WRITING SO MUCH DURING MY COLLEAGUE'S COMMENTS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, CAN'T STAY SILENT ON THE ISSUE THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH.
UM, WE NEED TO, IF WE'RE GONNA BELIEVE IN THIS, WE GOTTA COME OUT AT IT AND WE GOTTA HAVE THE ARGUMENT AND I HOPE WE DO.
UM, WHETHER OR NOT WE GET INVOLVED OR THEY PUT MORE CASH IN IT, I THINK WE HAVE TO ALSO ASK, IS THAT THE RIGHT PLACE WHERE WE PUT THE MONEY? AND THAT'S A REDESIGN AND PROBABLY A REVISIT OF WHAT HAVEN FOR HOPE IS IN ITS ENTIRETY.
UH, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT AND PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE IT A LOT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE FAIR WITH THE CONVERSATION AND, AND REALIZE THAT CASH AND MONEY, UH, IS IMPORTANT AND NEEDS TO GO PLACES.
I WOULD RECOMMEND, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HERE, THAT 3 MILLION BUCKS, LET'S CUT IT FROM THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE.
I'D RECOMMEND THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, RIGHT? IT'S A HOUSING TASK FORCE.
WHAT BETTER HOUSING INITIATIVE THAN TO PUT A HOMELESS PERSON IN A HOUSE? I MEAN, THERE YOU CAN GENERATE 3 MILLION BUCKS FROM THAT TOMORROW AND NOT HURT OF ONE OF US AND NOT HAVE TO PULL IN THIS CASH OUT ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE AVENUES FOR US TO FUND THE MONEY.
UH, I JUST THINK TOMORROW IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PASS A GOOD PIECE OF LEGISLATION, UH, TO PARTNER WITH THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE RELATIONSHIP AND TO MOVE FORWARD AS WE CAN TO DRIVE BUSINESS TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND LET'S DO THE BEST WE CAN TO REPRESENT THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD AND MAKING US THE BEST TOURIST DESTINATION, NOT JUST IN THE STATE, BUT YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE NATION AND, AND IF NECESSARY TO DRIVE PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HERE.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK.
IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED AND I HOPE YOU WALK OUTTA HERE KNOWING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE REALIZE THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR IT AND TO EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO SUPPORT THIS AS WELL.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PASSAGE TOMORROW MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WE REALLY TAKE A HARD SELF-EXAMINATION OF WHERE WE CAN FIND THE MONEY FROM AND LET'S GET IT FROM WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS.
UM, YEAH, I I JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, ON, ON THIS, UH, AND THEN SOME COMMENTS, BUT WHAT IS THIS, IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT IN THIS PACKAGE THAN WHAT WE SAW ORIGINALLY? NO, SIR.
ANY, ANYTHING AT ALL? NO, SIR.
SO WE VOTED ON THIS, IT SAYS HERE ON JUNE 21ST.
CORRECT? WAS IT UNANIMOUS IN CONSENT? YES.
SO GETTING TO COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE'S COMMENT, HOW DID THIS GET ON THE B SESSION? WHO PUT IT ON THE B SESSION? I DID.
AND BASED ON, WAS THERE ONE COUNCIL PERSON OR TWO OR THREE OR I'VE HEARD FROM FOUR OR FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS ON THE ISSUE.
UM, AND IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT, UH, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL IN A B SESSION.
AND SO I PUT IT ON SINCE IT'S, UH, FOR A VOTE TOMORROW.
UM, AND I DID THAT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR AND OKAY.
WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE AGAIN, I, I THINK WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO STUDY THIS AND IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION BEFORE.
IT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION TODAY.
YOU KNOW, I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT IT ORIGINALLY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND, AND, UH, I KNOW THERE'S SOME WORKS THERE TO TRACK THIS.
GIVE IT, SHOW US WHAT OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS HERE FOR THE CITY AND THE TOURISTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HEARD, YOU KNOW, OPEN THE DOOR ABOUT THIS HOMELESSNESS THING, UM, ABOUT SOLVING HOMELESSNESS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER GONNA SOLVE HOMELESSNESS THAT'S BEEN HERE SINCE BEGINNING OF TIME THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
UM, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE SPENDING ON HOMELESSNESS TODAY? UH, MELODY, UM, APPROXIMATELY, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, SIR, APPROXIMATELY 8 MILLION.
AND THAT'S TO HAVEN FOR HOPE AS WELL AS THE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.
[02:30:01]
HOW MUCH TOTAL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL INVESTMENTS IN SAN ANTONIO AND BAYER COUNTY IS THERE ON HOMELESSNESS.ACCORDING TO MARIA VILLA GOMEZ.
SO HERE WE HAVE 55, 50 5 MILLION THAT, YOU KNOW, IN DIRECT DOLLARS, UM, HOW MUCH TOTAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS ARE GOING TOWARDS THE HOMELESSNESS POPULATION? UH HMM.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY OF THE SAME AGENCIES FUNDED THROUGH UNITED WAY.
I GAVE YOU NUMBERS A FEW MINUTES AGO JUST WITH REGARD TO THE HAVEN FOR HOPE BUDGET MILLION AGENCIES OF LIFE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.
MARIA SAID YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE OTHER FINANCIAL, UM, 34 MILLION, OKAY.
PRIVATE SECTOR DOLLARS FOR TOWARD HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE A TOTAL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL INVESTMENT OF $55 MILLION.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL DOLLARS IS $33 MILLION.
SO THAT'S THE TOTAL OF $88 MILLION.
WHAT WAS OUR LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT MELODY, OUR LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT FOR A POPULATION OF HOMELESSNESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, 2066, SHELTERED IN SHELTER.
COUNT OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN HOMELESSNESS ALREADY.
I'M AND HAVEN FOR HOPE IS ONE PART OF THAT TOTAL INVESTMENT.
UM, AGAIN, I LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, ARE WE GONNA SOLVE HOMELESSNESS HERE? PROBABLY NOT.
BUT WHAT, WHAT IS ENOUGH DOLLARS TO THIS PROBLEM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR US TO, UM, RAISE THE ISSUE OR TRY TO TAKE CARE OF IT? $88 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY.
THAT'S, UH, ABOUT $27,000 A PERSON PER YEAR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GIVEN TO THIS PROBLEM.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE BEING DOWN ON THEIR LUCK.
I STARTED A TASK FORCE IN DISTRICT 10.
WE ACTUALLY GOT A HOMELESS COORDINATOR TO COORDINATE OUR EFFORTS PAID FOR IT WITH CITY FUNDS.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE USING THAT PERSON TO GO OUT THERE AND FOCUS OUR EFFORTS, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, OR NON-GOVERNMENTAL, UH, AGENCIES TO FOCUS IN ON THE HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW HOW THAT GOES.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK, WE'RE NOT GONNA KEEP, WE'RE NOT GONNA KEEP DOING THAT.
BUT THAT'S A RESOURCE THAT I ASKED FOR.
Y'ALL SUPPORTED ME ON THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA USE IT AND SEE HOW IT GOES.
AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.
BUT AGAIN, IS THIS, THE QUESTION WAS, IS THIS IDEA IDEA TERRIBLE? WELL, I CAN SAY YES BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKED TWO YEARS ON THIS AND GOT TOTAL AGREEMENT.
AND IF I WAS A HOTELIER HERE IN TOWN AND YOU CHANGED THE DEAL ON ME AND SAID, HEY, NO, WE WE'RE GONNA RAKE OFF SOME OF THAT FUND FUNDS FOR ANOTHER PROGRAM, I'D SAY, NOT ONLY NO, BUT HELL NO.
AM I GONNA SUPPORT THAT FROM THEN ON? SO I, I GOT A PROBLEM WITH US GOING BACK ON WHAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN BRIEFED, BEEN WORKING FOR, FOR TWO YEARS, AND WE'RE AT THIS POINT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON IT TOMORROW.
I GOT A PROBLEM WITH IT COMING BACK TO B SESSION AGAIN.
BUT THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M READY TO VOTE, I'M READY TO SUPPORT THIS.
UH, IT, MY SUPPORT WAS CONTINGENT ON A GOOD MEASUREMENT SYSTEM ON A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE VOTE TOMORROW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH? THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR.
AND, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE MAKING OUR COMMENTS TODAY, SO TOMORROW WE CAN JUST VOTE.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
UM, AND, UH, I, I JUST, I WANNA ALSO THEN TAKE THE MOMENT TO PERSONALLY, UH, THANK BILL GREEHEY FOR ALL HIS GENEROSITY IN THE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE WHOLE CITY DOES BENEFIT FROM A PLACE LIKE HAVEN.
UM, NOT JUST THE DOWNTOWN, UH, NOT JUST, UM, THE AREA SURROUNDING, BUT THE WHOLE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THIS SERVICE AVAILABLE THAT ALMOST NO OTHER CITY HAS IN THE COUNTRY, OR AT LEAST WE WERE THE FIRST, UH, TO START THIS KIND OF PROGRAM.
[02:35:01]
LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THIS KIND OF A PROGRAM.AND I KNOW THE MAYOR MENTIONED IN HIS REMARKS THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
BUT I WOULD EVEN BE CURIOUS IN, YOU KNOW, 2007 WHEN THIS WAS DEVELOPED, WHAT WAS THE, I'M SURE THAT THERE WERE SOME, UM, IDEAS ABOUT HOW IT WOULD CONTINUE TO GET FUNDED, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU WOULD SERVE, UH, WHAT THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME WOULD BE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS A MODEL FOR HOW WE DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS ALSO HAS CHANGED, UH, SINCE THAT STARTED BECAUSE, UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, 2007 NOW, UH, 12 YEARS LATER, PERHAPS IT'S JUST NOT THE RIGHT, UH, SOLUTION SINCE WE SEEM TO BE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT THE TID.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UH, AS WE HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, UM, ABOUT HOW WE DEVELOP RESOURCES, UH, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT IT'S THE WHOLE CITY'S PROBLEM.
NOT ONE INDUSTRY, NOT DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN CARRIES THE TAX BURDEN FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE CITY.
WE'VE SEEN THAT IN NUMEROUS REPORTS ALREADY, THAT IT'S THE DOWNTOWN AND THE NEAR DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SUPPORT THE REST OF THE CITY WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS AND WITH THEIR INVESTMENTS.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK IT'S CURIOUS THAT WE JUST, YOU KNOW, EARLY ON HAD THE, THIS, UH, SURVEY ABOUT PEOPLE AND HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THEIR CITY.
UH, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT A GREAT CITY WE HAVE.
UH, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF STUFF LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT, ALL THOSE THINGS, AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A PLACE LIKE HAVEN, UH, TO WHERE THERE THE HOMELESS CAN COME AND GET SUPPORT.
UH, AND SO THEY REALLY ARE SORT OF RELEVANT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF, UH, THE INDUSTRIES, LIKE THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, RESTAURANTS, QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, WHY PEOPLE LOVE THIS CITY, BECAUSE IT'S OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND, UM, IT, IT IT IS, UH, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE PROMOTE AND GET BETTER JOBS.
THE INDUSTRY HAS NOT DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF PROMOTING ITSELF.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SOME OF THOSE STATISTICS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE STARTED THEIR CAREERS IN, UH, INDUSTRIES LIKE THE HOTEL, ENTERTAINMENT, RESTAURANT BUSINESS.
SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THAT.
BUT, UM, I DO, UM, JUST AS WE PROGRESS WITH HOW WE CONTINUE TO FIND, UH, HOMELESSNESS TO CONSIDER AN OPTION BEYOND A SINGLE SOURCE LOCATION, UH, I WOULD GO ON TO SAY, UH, AS MUCH AS I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE, I THINK THE ONE PART OF THE CITY THAT HAS NOT BENEFITED IN TREMENDOUS WAYS FROM A SHELTER LIKE HAVEN FOR HOPE IS THE PROSPECT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE I LIVE.
UH, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE CENTRAL LOCATION FOR EVERYTHING IS.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE, IT'S HARD TO NOW THEN PROJECT LONG-TERM IN THE FUTURE, BUT PERHAPS, UH, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MORE, UH, CREATE A MORE, UH, BEST USE OF THAT PROPERTY IN THE NEAR DOWNTOWN THAN A 20 PLUS CAMPUS HOMELESS SHELTER.
SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS EVOLVE, UH, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UH, AND ALSO HOW WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AND UNLIKE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, PERRY, I DO THINK THAT IT'S A WORTHY INVESTMENT TO HELP PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE OUR MOST VULNERABLE.
SO, UH, AND WE CAN'T JUST, UM, TURN OUR BACKS AND SAY, WELL, HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? UM, I THINK THE VERY, VERY MOST THAT WE CAN, UM, SPREAD OUT EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, AND NOT IN JUST ONE INDUSTRY OR ONE BUSINESS OR, UH, ONE, UH, AREA OF TOWN.
UM, JUST I'LL START OFF BY SAYING, I, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE T P I D AND I WANT TO WANNA THANK ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GOT GONE INTO MAKING THIS, THIS HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LISA, UH, CASSANDRA, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, I, I KNOW YOU GUYS WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THIS, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, I SURELY RESPECT WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS, UH, HAVE DONE AND HOW YOU'VE ORGANIZED THIS.
AND YOU HAVE MET WITH ME SEVERAL TIMES.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE WELL RESPECTED, UH, FROM EVERYBODY HERE ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE.
UH, IT'S CRITICAL TO POINT OUT THOUGH THAT, UH, I DO, UH, BELIEVE THAT WHAT COUNCILMAN SALDANA IS BRINGING UP IS, IS, UH, NOT JUST A, A, A SUBJECT THAT IS TIMELY, BUT, UH, A SUBJECT THAT I THINK IS INCREDIBLY
[02:40:01]
COMPLEX.AND SO, NUMBER ONE, I JUST THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
UH, YOU SHOW A LOT OF GUTS ON THIS COUNCIL.
UH, WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT I THINK WHAT, WHAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE WAS DRIVING AT WAS, WAS ASKING QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS IS SAY, WELL, OKAY, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETHING MAY BE SET UP A CERTAIN WAY, BUT IS THERE A WAY, RIGHT? AND, AND SO THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT HE'S ASKING ON BEHALF OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHEN HE SAYS, MY CONSTITUENT, THAT, THAT THAT'S ALL OUR CONSTITUENTS, BY THE WAY.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, FOR ME, I, I THINK THAT THERE, THERE HOPEFULLY CAN BE SOME KIND OF A COMPROMISE, A BRIDGE THAT, THAT HELPS US TO, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TOUGHEST ISSUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME ISSUES HAVE NO FINISH LINE.
THERE JUST ISN'T A FINISH LINE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T TRY, UH, OR, OR CARE ABOUT IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN FACT, SOME OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES ARE JUST THAT.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE SHOULD REALLY TRY THE HARDEST.
UM, AND SO IN ASKING ABOUT THE TPIT, YOU, WE, WE, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT'S SET UP A CERTAIN WAY AND THEREFORE THE, THE, THE WAY THE LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN, UM, THERE IS, THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY, AS THE COUNCILMAN REQUESTED FOR THERE TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THAT LANGUAGE.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO WANT TO SAY, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, I HEARD THE MAYOR SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CONVERTED, CONVERTED THE C V B TO V S A, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A HARD CONVERSATION.
THAT WAS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT WAS ABOUT HOW DO WE REMAIN PARTNERS, RIGHT? HOW DO WE REMAIN, HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THIS PARTNERSHIP IN A WAY THAT WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT HOW, HOW V S A WILL DO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS TO GO, GO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND ALSO BE A GOOD PARTNER TO OUR CITY, RIGHT? PARTNER WITH US CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND AS YOU HEARD, THERE'S A LOT OF US.
THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF US THAT SIT ON THAT BOARD FOR THAT VERY REASON.
AND BEN, I HEARD YOU SAY, SO MAYBE BEN, CAN YOU GO UP THERE FOR A MINUTE? UM, YOU, I WROTE DOWN WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SAID, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO V S A FUNDING, RIGHT? EXPLAIN TO US HOW, HOW WE LOOK AT THAT AND THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THAT.
'CAUSE YOU SAID THAT THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY IN SPENDING DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCIES OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CITY MIGHT NEED.
EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO UNDER THE DOCUMENT OR THE RESOLUTION THAT BECAME PART OF THE BONDING, UH, BOND DOCUMENTS, WHEN WE DID THE CONVENTION CENTER FINANCING IN 2012, WE OUTLINED A POLICY THAT TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WOULD UTILIZE HOT REVENUES.
AND THEY GO TO FUND CONVENTION FACILITIES, THE 15% TOWARDS THE ARTS, 15% TO HISTORY AND PRESERVATION.
THAT IS DONE AFTER WE TAKE WHATEVER WE NEED FOR DEBT SERVICE OUTTA THE HOT REVENUES TO PAY FOR DEBT.
THAT ALLOCATION IS DISTRIBUTED AMONG THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
WITH V S A, IT'S A DESIGNATED 35%, BUT IT'S SUBJECT TO, UM, ECONOMIC, WE CAN ADJUST IT FOR THINGS LIKE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
SO WE HAD TO MAINTAIN THE FLEXIBILITY.
SO WE DON'T PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE GOTTA MAKE DEBT PAYMENTS, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE A MAXIMUM, UH, CONTRIBUTION OR THE, THE, UH, 35% DESIGNATION TO V S A AND DEBT SERVICES CLIMBING WHILE HOT REVENUES ARE FALLING.
SO IT'S MEANT TO REALLY GIVE US SOME FLEXIBILITY TO, TO DEAL WITH THE, THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THINGS, NOT SO MUCH OF A POLICY ISSUE.
UM, IN, IN, IN PART, THANK YOU, BEN, UH, IN PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, I I I WANTED TO GIVE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE THE, THE TIME TO, TO, UH, EXPLAIN EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS HIS GOAL ON THIS.
AND I, AGAIN, I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT WHAT, WHAT HE'S, WHAT HE'S, UH, GOING AFTER.
AND PART OF THE, IN PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, UM, I CONTACTED THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT YOU JUST HEARD IS, IS PART OF WHAT I CAN HOPE MAY BE A COMPROMISE.
AND, AND I'M PUTTING THIS OUT THERE BECAUSE
[02:45:01]
AGAIN, NOBODY SHOULD EVER SAY THAT IT'S TOO LATE TO BE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING.WE SHOULD ALWAYS, IN FACT, THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT COUNCILMAN SA SAID WAS SO CRITICAL AS, AS A, AS A ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE, YOU'RE THE VOICE.
AND SO IT, IT SHOULDN'T MATTER.
UH, WHEN YOU BRING IT UP, THE FACT THAT YOU BRING IT UP IS WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
AND SO WE, HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE ALL TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY, AND I RESPECT EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR THEIR VIEWPOINTS AND HOW THEY ARE TACKLING IT.
UH, BUT I ALSO WANNA FIND SOME KIND OF A RESOLUTION OR SOLUTION OR EVEN A PATH FORWARD, UM, BECAUSE BIG CHALLENGES LIKE THIS REQUIRE BIG EFFORTS.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA REQUIRE VERY COMPREHENSIVE THEY EFFORT.
AND WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE HAVE BIG ISSUES IS WE, WHAT, THAT WE WAIT AROUND OR, OR WE DON'T THINK OF THE TIMELINE THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO IT SUNDAY, OR THERE'S GONNA BE A TASK FORCE THAT WE'LL GET TO, YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK, I THINK THAT THE POINT OF THIS IS TO SAY, LET'S, LET'S STOP TALKING AND START DOING.
AND EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT, EVEN IF IT'S INCREMENTAL, I THINK THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
UM, SO I'D LIKE FOR, FOR US TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS, UH, THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT HOW WE CAN STRUCTURE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THAT, THAT WE ARE GOING TO FIND WAYS TO INCREMENTALLY CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, SUCH A BIG ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WON'T OUTLINE ALL OF IT 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY, UM, GETTING CLOSE TO PAST FIVE O'CLOCK, BUT, UH, I'LL ASK THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
THOSE, THESE ARE SOME OPTIONS.
UH, I'VE SPOKEN WITH COUNCILMAN SALDANA ABOUT THIS.
UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A BRIDGE, UH, AND A STEP FORWARD TOWARDS A, A, A POTENTIAL RESOLUTION TOWARDS HOW EVERYBODY'S WILLING TO PITCH IN.
AND BY THE WAY, I'LL SAY THIS, I, IT, IT, THE CASSANDRA AND LISA BARCHA, THEY, THEY'VE ALSO SAID THE SAME THING.
SO THE POINT OF THIS ENTIRE RESOLUTION IS CONCEPTUALLY HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ACHIEVE SOME KIND OF INCREMENTAL APPROACH SO THAT WE CAN PITCH IN AS WE'RE DEVELOPING REVENUE MODELS THAT SHOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE MONEY.
UM, I SAY THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE TPI, AND I THINK THAT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN RAISING THE $10.42 MILLION AND BEYOND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE AS A CITY ARE, ARE LOOKING AT EVERY YEAR WE'RE CONTRIBUTING $24 MILLION, AND THAT'LL GROW, HOPEFULLY.
UH, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF GOING NORTH OF THAT AND HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN, WE CAN BET ON OUR SUCCESS AND SAY, LET'S, LET'S CONTRIBUTE SOME KIND OF INCREMENT TOWARDS THIS, THIS ISSUE BECAUSE, UH, NO ONE INDUSTRY OR NO ONE PERSON SHOULD BEAR THE ENTIRE BURDEN.
NOW, THIS IS WHERE I AGREE WITH CASSANDRA AND LISA BAR, THAT IT'S, IT SHOULDN'T BE ALL ON THEM, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO PITCH IN SOMEHOW, AND WE NEED TO FIND SOME CREATIVE RESOLUTIONS.
UM, SO AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY CREATIVE RESOLUTIONS COMING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, I, I WILL ADVOCATE FOR, FOR A FEW THAT I THINK MAY OR MAY NOT WORK.
SO I WILL ASK THAT, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SHARE, UH, SOME OF THAT, UH, CONCEPTUAL, UM, RESOLUTION, IF I MAY, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
BUT I MEAN, THE MAYOR DID ASK THE, THE CITY MANAGER AND HER STAFF TO COME UP WITH SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS YOU TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, BEN AND MARIA AND CARLOS IN TERMS OF COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT WORK COLLECTIVELY FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN WE WOULD PRESENT THOSE TO THE STAFF.
I'M, BUT I'M, I'M TALKING SPECIFICALLY OF THE ONE THAT I SPOKE WITH RAY RODRIGUEZ ABOUT.
I WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT ONE.
I JUST, ON THE RECORD, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, RAY RODRIGUEZ MM-HMM.
UH, I THINK THIS COULD, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT, THAT, UH, SHOULD BE DISCUSSED.
AND I WON'T, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE SHED SOME LIGHT ON, ON
[02:50:01]
SOME OF THOSE, THOSE THINGS WE DISCOVERED.WE'LL, AGAIN, WE WILL SHARE THAT, WE'LL REFINE IT AGAIN BASED ON SOME INFORMATION WE GOT FROM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HELP IN TERMS OF, OF REFINING THAT IDEA IN A WAY THAT IT'S, IT, IT MAKES IT MORE FEASIBLE.
AND WHAT'S THE TIMING ON THAT? UM, IT PROBABLY AS, I MEAN, THE MAYOR WANTED SOMETHING NEXT YEAR, BUT WE CAN, UM, WE CAN, WELL, IT TAKES SOME YEAR.
SO WE HAVE, I THINK ONE COUNCIL SESSION LEFT, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO I'D LIKE SOMETHING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN THE EARLY YEAR.
BUT WE NEED TO CONVENE A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN OUR SERVICE PLAN TO BEGIN WITH.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THOUGH.
IF IT'S GONNA BE A NEAR TERM SOLUTION FOR ANYTHING, WE NEED IT BEFORE THE MIDTERM REVIEW.
I, I JUST DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYTHING OUT HANGING.
SO, I MEAN, LET'S, LET'S PLEASE, LET'S, AGAIN, I, I WANNA GO BACK TO OUR TIMELINES AND HOW WE SHOULD BE TACKLING SOMETHING.
SO LET'S, LET'S PUT A, LET'S PUT A DATE ON IT.
I, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT NEXT YEAR MEANS.
AND SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO, TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THAT.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE CAN TRY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.
UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A COMPROMISE.
AGAIN, COUNCILMAN SALIA, I, I THINK I APPLAUD YOU FOR, FOR YOUR EFFORT.
AND, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TIME THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY, UNDER EVERY ROCK UNDER, UNDER EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO, TO HELP US FIND A WAY TO HELP OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
AND, AND YES, I MEAN, I, I AGREE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVEN FOR HOPE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE MODEL FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY.
AND, UM, AS, AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SPENT THE NIGHT THERE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL TO POINT OUT HOW HOW MANY PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM THOSE SERVICES AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN, WHAT, WHAT A SERIOUS IMPACT IT WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE ON OUR ENTIRE CITY TO NOT HAVE A, AN AMAZING PLACE LIKE HAVEN FOR HOPE.
UM, SO I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE END OF MY COMMENTS.
I THINK IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE, WE HAVE THIS, THESE OPTIONS, UH, LAID OUT FOR US SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN START TO INCREMENTALLY TACKLE THIS ISSUE.
UM, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UM, LISA BAR AND CASSANDRA MATE AND BEN GOEL FOR ALL OF THE WORK, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE ON THIS.
UM, I WAS THERE AS A BOARD MEMBER AND EXECUTIVE BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO WHEN WE WERE PART OF THE SERVICE AGREEMENT OR THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT DURING THE TRANSITION.
AND I SAW HOW MUCH NEGOTIATION BETWEEN BEN AND CITY ATTORNEYS AND VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
THAT HAD TO HAPPEN AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE ONSET, AND EVEN DURING THIS T I D CONVERSATION, THE BACK AND THE FORTH IN THE CONVERSATION FOR OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO KNOW AS WELL.
I, UM, AS SITTING ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF VISITS, SAN ANTONIO, CASSANDRA, AND LISA ALWAYS ASKED ME, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WHO DO WE NEED TO TALK TO? I TOLD THEM MULTIPLE TIMES THEY NEEDED TO MAKE THEIR ROUNDS WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET THEIR INPUT ON THE SERVICE AGREEMENT THAT WAS GOING TO GO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN JUNE MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS, I THINK, ONE THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET 64.5% OF THE OWNERS ABOVE THE NEAR NEEDED PETITIONS FOR THIS.
I THINK THAT WHAT THAT TELLS ME, LISA AND CASSANDRA, IS THAT THE HOTELIERS TRUST YOU AND TRUST VISIT SAN ANTONIO, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DELIVER ON THIS.
THAT IS WHY YOU HAD 64.5% OF THEM TO SIGN ONTO THIS PETITION.
AND THAT WAS NOT AN EASY TASK.
'CAUSE SOME OF THESE HOTELIERS ARE REALLY MEAN
UM, AND I THINK, SO I THINK THAT YOU HAD SOMETHING UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO GO AND DELIVER TO THEM.
AND IT WAS YOUR WORD VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S WORD, WHICH IS ALSO MY WORD SINCE I SIT ON THIS BOARD.
AND ALSO FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, LOOKING AT THE TPI AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO.
AND THE, EVERYONE ON THE BOARD, I'M ALSO, I'M STILL ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND SITTING HERE LOOKING AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
[02:55:01]
SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, HAVE EXTRA EYES ON EVERYTHING AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD.THAT THIS, THESE DOLLARS AMOUNT, DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE GOING TO BE PUT FORWARD WITH MARKETING AND OUTREACH FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL SAN ANTONIO AND SAN ANTONIONS, MY RESIDENTS, MY CONSTITUENTS WHO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY.
AND I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ASSURED OF THAT.
MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE ASSURED OF THAT.
UM, SO THAT IS MOVING FORWARD AND I DO SUPPORT THIS AND KNOWING THAT THIS IS SUPPLEMENTING AND NOT SUPPLANTING.
THANK YOU, BEN, FOR SAYING THAT ABOUT SEVEN TIMES BECAUSE, UM, I, I GOT THAT AND THAT WAS WHERE THIS WAS GOING TO, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BECAUSE THIS IS A DIRECTIVE THAT THE COUNCIL GAVE VISIT SAN ANTONIO AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT ONSET TO INCREASE OUR, OUR FUNDING VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S FUNDING.
AND I, UM, SO I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A RISK, AND I KNOW WE ALL, UM, ARE TAKING A RISK ON THIS.
THE CITY VISIT SAN ANTONIO, THE HOTELIERS, EVERYBODY IS BECAUSE THIS IS A SEVEN TO ONE RETURN THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DELIVER.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I AM, I, I THANK YOU.
AND I THANK YOU THAT WE HAVE NOW AN NOW THE IDEA THAT HAS COME UP OR THE, THE THOUGHT THAT HAS COME UP IN HOMELESSNESS.
AND I, I HAVE TO SAY, UM, FIRST MAYOR, I TAKE EXCEPTION TO SOME OF THE THOUGHT, THE REMARKS THAT YOU MADE, BECAUSE WE, ME, AS A DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVE, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH FOR YEARS NOW.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND WE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS.
THAT IS WHY I HOLD TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
THAT IS WHY DISTRICT THREE WAS THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAM TWO BUDGET CYCLES AGO, TO HAVE THIS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH AND TASK FORCE.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND FAITH-BASED INITIATIVES.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS.
THIS HAS JUST NOT COME UP AND WE ARE BEEN WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER.
SO I, I JUST TAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S, WE'RE THE, THE REMARKS THAT I FELT WERE JUST LIKE, OH, IT'S JUST COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE TAKING A FORCEFUL LOOK AT IT.
CHERYL, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH MONEY DID WE INCREASE THE HOMELESS OUTREACH IN THIS BUDGET THIS PAST YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A $300,000 INCREASE, A LITTLE OVER 200,000 BY, I THINK ABOUT 230,000 WENT TO HAVEN FOR HOPE AND THE REST, TWO OTHER AGENCIES WHERE WE INCREASED THEIR FUNDING.
AND I AM ABSOLUTELY ON BOARD WITH HAVING A CONVERSATION, A POLICY DIRECTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH OUR HOMELESS, UM, OUTREACH AND OUR HOMELESS ADDRESSING THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
BECAUSE YES, THE HOTELIERS KNOW VERY CLEARLY THAT HOMELESSNESS IS AN ISSUE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY TELL US EVERY TIME AT THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BROUGHT UP AT THE ANNUAL MEETINGS FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO AS WELL, AND EVERYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT HAS TO BE A THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY, ROBUST CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO HAVE EVERYONE'S SKIN IN THE GAME.
SO I'M GLAD, MAYOR, THAT WE NOW HAVE A PATH FORWARD AND DIRECTION THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS AS OUR NEXT BIG POLICY, UM, CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE, WE HAD THE ALAMO, WE HAD THE HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE, AND NOW LET'S BE THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH ON THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS THAT IMPACTS EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT THAT I HEAR ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MY DISTRICT.
AND AS A RESULT, WE WILL ADDRESS THIS AND REP, I WILL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT MY DISTRICT THREE CONSTITUENTS, UM, ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
IT'S A, A DRUG AND A CRIME ISSUE BECAUSE OF, OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IT'S A WHOLE, IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT THE T P I D IS GOING, SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.
AND I, I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO MOVE THE TPI FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY, ALL
[03:00:01]
THE SAN ANTONIANS, AS WELL AS, UM, OTHER PARTS OF OUR BUDGET LIKE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ARTS AND CULTURE.THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
I'LL JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, UM, WHAT IS, WHAT IS LACKED IN THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION IS A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, UH, FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IN HOMELESSNESS AND A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO A HAVEN FOR HOPE.
AND SO I BELIEVE, UH, STRONGLY THAT THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO HAPPEN, UH, AND IT WILL AS A RESULT OF OUR DISCUSSION HERE TODAY.
WHAT IS CLEAR ABOUT THE TPI THOUGH, AND LET ME BE, UH, CLEAR ABOUT THIS.
UH, WE BROUGHT THIS TO, UH, THE B SESSION BECAUSE THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONFUSION OF WHAT THE TPI ACTUALLY IS.
AND WE'RE VOTING ON AN EIGHT YEAR PLAN TOMORROW.
UH, AND AT THE, UH, AT THE, UM, AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH THE V S A AND WITH MY COLLEAGUES, WE PLACE THIS ON THE AGENDA SO THAT WE WOULD ELIMINATE THAT CONFUSION.
YOU CAN ALL HAVE CONFIDENCE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A SERVICE PLAN AND THERE IS AN EIGHT YEAR AGREEMENT, AND IT IS GOING FORWARD TOMORROW.
UM, I WILL JUST WRAP BY SAYING THAT, UH, AGAIN, THERE, THIS IS A HEALTHY CONVERSATION.
UH, AND THE VISIT, UH, VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THE HOTEL INDUSTRY HAS DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO AS IT RELATES, UH, TO THE T I D.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE VOTE TOMORROW TO MOVE ON, BUT ALSO TO THE CONVERSATION THAT WILL RESULT AS A, UH, FROM THIS, UH, DISCUSSION.
THERE IS A CITIZEN TO BE HEARD SESSION AT SIX, UH, AND WE ARE GOING TO CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
THAT'S, THAT IS NOT AN ADJOURNMENT.
WE ARE GONNA CONVENE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, UH, TOMORROW DURING COUNCIL.