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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
TIME IS 1:21 AM PM EXCUSE ME, FEELS LIKE AM TIME IS 1:21 PM ON THE 26TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2023.
I'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
[ ITEMS ]
ITEM TODAY.IT'S A POSTLI POSTS SOLICITATION BRIEFING ON OUR ARPA ALLOCATION.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT IN, IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF 2022, THE COUNCIL APPROVED A SPENDING FRAMEWORK, UH, THAT INCLUDED SEVEN SPENDING CATEGORIES WITHIN OUR ARPA, UH, PLAN.
UM, THOSE PLANS WERE SENT TO THREE INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS THAT WOULD GUIDE THE USE OF THE FUNDS.
AND, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, THE, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE USE OF THOSE ARPA FUNDS CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL GUIDELINES, WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ADDRESSING THE DIRECT HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS, UH, OF THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC, AS WELL AS, UH, CONFRONT THE UNDERLYING CHALLENGES, UH, THAT HAVE, THAT EXASPERATED THE PANDEMIC'S NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND, AND COMMUNITIES.
UM, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES CHARGED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS WERE PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMUNITY HEALTH, AND, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE, AND THE WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES.
UM, THAT WORK CONCLUDED, UH, MID 2022, AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS LAST SUMMER.
UM, FUNDING IS FUNDING ALLOCATED TO SMALL BUSINESS ARTS NONPROFIT IMMIGRATION SERVICES, UM, HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT INTO PRODUCTION AND WERE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
AND THOSE ARE HAVE BEEN EXECUTED TODAY.
UM, THIS AFTERNOON, WE'RE GONNA BRING RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ON THE POST SOLICITATION TO AWARD FUNDS TO AGENCIES IN THE AREAS OF MENTAL HEALTH, YOUTH, SENIORS, AND NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES.
UM, THE TOTAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED, UH, TO THE SOLICITATION WAS A LITTLE OVER $40 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE RECEIVED PROPOSALS EXCEEDING 145 MILLION.
UM, THE EVALUATION MEMBERS, UH, THAT PARTICIPATED IN, IN SCORING THESE PROPOSALS, THERE WERE 58 IN TOTAL, UH, CAME FROM COMMUNITY FUNDERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS CITY STAFF.
AND WE'LL COVER THAT IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, IN THE PRESENTATION, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, FUNDS, UH, BE AWARDED TO 59 AGENCIES AND THOSE SERVICES, UH, THAT THE RECOMMENDED AGENCIES WILL PROVIDE REALLY DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PRIORITIES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
UM, IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT AREAS OF FOCUS THAT WE UTILIZE DURING THE SOLICITATION, WHICH WAS THE EQUITY ATLAS.
UM, YESTERDAY, WE NOTIFIED THE AGENCIES, UM, THIS IS A POST SOLICITATION BRIEFING.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDED THE COUNCIL A BINDER THAT INCORPORATES THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AS WELL AS THE SCORING MATRIX FOR ALL 97 AGENCIES THAT SUBMITTED PROPOSALS.
UM, SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, JESSICA DOLINA, OUR D H S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, HER AND JESSE HIGGINS, OUR CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER, WILL BE MAKING, UH, THE PRESENTATION TODAY BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, UM, WE, UM, UH, WE ARE ANTICIPATING BRINGING THIS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL ON NEXT WEEK'S, UH, AGENDA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS JESSICA VELINA, ASSISTANT HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
TODAY, JESSE HIGGINS AND I ARE PROVIDING A POST SOLICITATION BRIEFING ON ARPA FUNDING CATEGORIES FOR NONPROFITS, SENIORS, YOUTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE BEFORE WE BEGIN THAT THESE PLANS REALLY DO RESPOND TO THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT C OVID 19 HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY, BOTH IN THE SHORT TERM AND AS WE WORK TOWARDS LONG-TERM RECOVERY.
THEY WERE ALSO DEVELOPED WITH SIGNIFICANT POLICY DIRECTION FROM CHECK E W D C AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES, AND THE INPUT FROM MORE THAN A HUNDRED ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
FOLLOWING TODAY'S PRESENTATION, BOTH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES STAFF ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
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RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION, THE SOLICITATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL REVIEW THE COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCESS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NEXT STEPS DURING TODAY'S SESSION.
COMBINED, AS ERIC MENTIONED, THESE PLANS ALLOCATED ABOUT $45 MILLION IN SPECIFIC COVID IMPACT AREAS WITHIN THE IDENTIFIED SPENDING CATEGORIES.
THIS INCLUDED 4 MILLION ALLOCATED TO NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, OF WHICH 1.5 MILLION WAS PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT IMMIGRATION SERVICES THROUGH A SEPARATE COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
5 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED FOR SENIOR SERVICES TO SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS.
10 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED FOR YOUTH SERVICES, AND THAT INCLUDES A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT IS ALLOCATED TO THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION TO MAKE ADDITIONAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
LASTLY, 26 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AND OF THAT AMOUNT, 3.3 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO EXPAND HOURS AT OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS, AS WELL AS EXPAND THE TEEN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND STANDUP SA AS BACKGROUND ON THE COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCESS ON AUGUST 18TH, YOU APPROVED IMPLEMENTATION PLANS FOR NONPROFITS, SOCIAL SERVICES, YOUTHS, AND SENIOR SERVICES, AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, YOU ALSO APPROVED THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THESE PLANS WERE APPROVED ALONG WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED SCORING CRITERIA AND PRIORITY FOR THE SOLICITATION.
USING COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, WE DEVELOPED AND RELEASED A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
AND TODAY, AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL BE PRESENTING A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'LL RETURN TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK TO PROVIDE ACTUAL AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPROVAL.
FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU DO ADDRESS THE TARGETED C OVID 19 IMPACT AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN EACH OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
THESE WERE IMPACT AREAS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY COMMITTEES AND APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, SPECIFICALLY IN NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES PHASE TWO PLAN, WE ADDRESSED TWO IMPACT AREAS, WHICH FOCUSED ON DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS AND INCREASED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR NONPROFITS.
IN SENIOR SERVICES, WE FOCUSED ON THREE COVID IMPACT AREAS, MITIGATING SOCIAL ISOLATION, ADDRESSING OLDER ADULT INCREASED FOOD AND RESOURCE INSECURITY, AND ALSO ADDRESSING INCREASED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CAREGIVERS.
THAT WAS EXACERBATED BY C OVID 19.
IN THE AREA OF YOUTH SERVICES, WE'RE ADDRESSING THE LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION WORKFORCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR YOUTH THAT ARE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT ARE TRANSITIONING OUT OF OR AT RISK FOR GANG INVOLVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY AND HOMELESS YOUTH.
ADDITIONALLY, WE FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE LACK OF STEAM, STEM AND OTHER ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH TO SUPPORT ECU UH, LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN SCHOOL READINESS.
IN THE AREA OF MENTAL HEALTH, THERE WERE FOUR SPECIFIC IMPACT AREAS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
THESE INCLUDED SOCIAL ISOLATION, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION FOR BOTH YOUTH AND OLDER ADULTS.
INCREASED HOMELESS POPULATION WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES AND COLLABORATION TO ADDRESS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS ACROSS BEAR COUNTY.
PRIOR TO RELEASING THE R F P D H S AND HEALTH DID HOLD SIX ARPA INFORMATION SESSIONS AT COUNCIL DIRECTION IN IDENTIFIED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM SEPTEMBER 6TH THROUGH THE EIGHTH.
THE R F P THEN OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, AND FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE R F P, WE HELD A PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCE AND TRUE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS THAT WERE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN A HUNDRED PARTICIPANTS.
THE, THE GOAL OF THESE WORKSHOPS WAS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT AGENCIES AND ENSURE THAT AGENCIES UNDERSTOOD THE SCOPE FOR THE R F P, UNDERSTOOD THE PROCESS TO APPLY, AND ALSO UNDERSTOOD HOW TO SUBMIT IT ONLINE.
SINCE WE MOVED TO AN ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL, THE R F P THEN CLOSED ON OCTOBER 28TH.
AN EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONDUCTED SCORING AND EVALUATION OVER THE COURSE OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
AGAIN, WE WILL RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK TO REVIEW THE RECOMMENDED AWARDS IN MORE DETAIL AND REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT CONTRACTS WILL BEGIN IN MARCH.
IN TOTAL, OF THE 45 MILLION, 40.2 MILLION WAS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE R F P PROCESS.
ONE OF OUR KEY GOALS THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAINED AN EQUITY FOCUS.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE DID THIS.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE FOCUSED ON UTILIZING THE EQUITY ATLAS TO DETERMINE SERVICE AREAS.
WE ALSO MADE SURE THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH A SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS AND REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE NEW AGENCIES AND SMALL AGENCIES TO APPLY.
WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND DID THAT OUR EVALUATION PANELS
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WERE DIVERSE IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO SERVE.THE SOLICITATION WAS OPEN TO NON-PROFIT, FAITH-BASED AND PUBLIC ENTITIES.
AND SCORING WAS BASED ON A HUNDRED POINT SCALE, AND WE DID GIVE PRIORITY PREFERENCE TO SMALL ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE THAT DEMONSTRATED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND THOSE THAT DEMONSTRATED INNOVATION.
IN TERMS OF OUR, OF OUR EVALUATORS, WE DID INCLUDE COMMUNITY FUNDERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, POLICY EXPERTS, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AS WELL AS CITY STAFF FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES.
WE ALSO HAD INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
SO WE HAD INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE FORMERLY HOMELESS, FORMERLY OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, FORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OLDER ADULTS, CAREGIVERS AND VETERANS TO NAME A FEW.
IN TOTAL, 97 AGENCIES APPLIED FOR NEARLY $146 MILLION OF THOSE APPLICATIONS.
STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING AWARDS TO 59 AGENCIES, AND THE DOES INCLUDE FUNDING TO 27 NEW AGENCIES RECOMMENDED AWARDS, TOTAL 36.4 MILLION.
AND EACH OF THE AWARDS, UM, ARE AT LEAST A MINIMUM OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR A TWO YEAR TERM.
BASED ON OUR PANEL EVALUATIONS, 38 AGENCIES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING, AND THOSE REASONS THAT WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THEM FOR FUNDING REALLY FALL WITHIN THREE BROAD CATEGORIES.
IN SOME CASES, WE HAD STRONG APPLICATIONS, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT FUNDING TO FULLY FUND ALL STRONG APPLICATIONS WITHIN THAT APPLICATION CATEGORY.
IN OTHER CASES, WE HAD LOW SCORES.
SO WE, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE NOT TO SCORE ANY PROPOSALS THAT SCORED BELOW 60.
LASTLY, WE HAD SOME AGENCIES THAT DID NOT ADDRESS THE SCOPE OF WORK THROUGH THE APPLICATION.
SO, AS EXAMPLES OF THAT, THAT THERE WERE TWO AGENCIES THAT REQUESTED SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL FUNDING, AND THREE AGENCIES THAT PROPOSED DIFFERENT SERVICES FROM THE SCOPE OF WORK WE WERE SEEKING THROUGH THE R F P.
THROUGH THIS R F P, WE DID HAVE TWO PRIMARY TARGET AREAS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TARGETING SERVICES TO RESIDENTS THAT LIVED IN AN AREA OF THE CITY WITH AN EQUITY ATLAS INDEX SCORE OF SIX OR HIGHER.
AND AGENCIES THROUGH THEIR APPLICATIONS WERE ASKED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THEY AS AN AGENCY WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY C OVID 19, AND HOW THE RESIDENTS THEY WERE PROPOSING TO SERVE WERE ALSO DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED.
WITHIN THE SPECIFIC CATEGORY RECOMMENDATIONS IN NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING 2.5 MILLION THAT WOULD SUPPORT 11 AGENCIES TO SERVE MORE THAN 170,000 RESIDENTS.
SPECIFIC FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS AREA FOCUS ON TWO PRIMARY AREAS.
WE WANNA STABILIZE FAMILIES THAT ARE STILL EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL CRISIS, AND WE WANNA ALSO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS FOR LONG-TERM ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLD AND FOR THEMSELVES.
THROUGH THESE SERVICES, WE ANTICIPATE THAT 150,000 RESIDENTS WOULD BE CONNECTED TO ONLINE RESOURCES AND NAVIGATION OPTIONS.
1200 WOULD OBTAIN OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT STATUS, AND 300 HOUSEHOLDS WOULD HAVE IMPROVED FINANCIAL SECURITY.
THE REMAINING 1.5 MILLION IN NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES IS RECOMMENDED TO ASSIST AGENCIES.
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDED SERVICES WITH FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVEMENTS, EXPANSION OF EXISTING AND NEW PROGRAMMING TO MEET NEW RESIDENT NEEDS, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND LANGUAGE ACCESS SERVICES.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT 15,000 RESIDENTS WOULD P WOULD BE ASSISTED THROUGH THESE ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS WITH THESE AGENCIES THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IN SENIOR SERVICES.
A TOTAL OF 4.9 MILLION WAS RECOMMENDED ACROSS THREE C OVID 19 IMPACT CATEGORIES OF THIS AMOUNT, 2 MILLION IS RECOMMENDED SPECIFICALLY TO ASSIST IN DECREASING SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONGST OLDER ADULTS.
AND RECOMMENDED SERVICES IN THIS AREA INCLUDE SUPPORTING A CHAT LINE FOR OLDER ADULTS TO CONNECT WITH PEERS, TO HAVE JUST ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, UH, INFORMAL RESOURCE NEED CONVERSATIONS, WHATEVER THAT NEED IS, CONNECTING THEM TO VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION TO SUPPORT DAILY LIVING, WHETHER THAT'S MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS OR ERRANDS ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR SENIORS THAT ARE HOME BOUND, AND IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH LOVED ONES, TO CONNECT WITH PROGRAMMING, AND TO CONNECT WITH RESOURCES THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT 5,000 OLDER ADULTS WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH RESOURCES TO IMPROVE ISOLATION, AND 2000 WOULD BE CONNECTED TO TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES.
AN ADDITIONAL 2 MILLION IS RECOMMENDED TO ADDRESS INCREASED SOCIAL, UH, IS PARDON INCREASED FOOD AND RESOURCE INSECURITY FOR OLDER ADULTS.
RECOMMENDED SERVICES IN THIS AREA WOULD FOCUS ON EXPANDING AWARENESS, CONNECTION
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AND ENROLLMENT IN PUBLIC BENEFITS, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, OLDER ADULTS HAVE ACCESS TO NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED FOOD, COMMODITIES AND RESOURCES AND PANTRIES, PROVIDING ACCESS TO HYGIENE PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS ENHANCING CONNECTION TO HEALTH SERVICES THAT ARE LOW COST OR FREE.IN TOTAL, WE ANTICIPATE THAT 35 OLDER ADULTS WOULD BE CONNECTED TO MONTHLY FOOD, COMMODITIES AND RESOURCES.
AND OF THOSE SERVED, WE ANTICIPATE THAT 85% WOULD REPORT IMPROVED FOOD AND RESOURCE SECURITY.
THE REMAINING $900,000 IN THIS CATEGORY IS RECOMMENDED TO SUPPORT CAREGIVERS IN THIS AREA.
WE WOULD FOCUS ON EXPANDING RESOURCES TO TARGETED EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
EXAMPLES OF THAT INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, ARE WORKING WITH AN OLDER ADULT THAT HAS DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S TO INCREASE AWARENESS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, WE WOULD ALSO BE WORKING ON CONNECTING CAREGIVERS AND OLDER ADULTS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
A 24 HOUR, UH, SEVEN DAY A WEEK HELPLINE, COUNSELING AND GROUP THERAPY.
AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING GROUP ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE CAREGIVERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING EARLY STAGE ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA, AS WELL AS RESPITE RESOURCES.
IN TOTAL, WE ANTICIPATE THAT 2000 CONNECTED, UH, OLDER ADULTS WOULD BE CONNECTED TO TRAINING RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN THIS CATEGORY.
IN YOUTH SERVICES, 9.7 MILLION IS PROPOSED ACROSS FOUR IMPACT AREAS OF THIS AMOUNT.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT 1.7 MILLION SUPPORT YOUTH THAT ARE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND RECOMMENDED SERVICES WOULD SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON TUTORING, MENTORING, PEER SUPPORT, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
WHERE THAT'S NEEDED THROUGH THESE SERVICES, 800 FOSTER CARE YOUTH WOULD BE PROVIDED ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING CONNECTION TO READY TO WORK.
$800,000 IS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO ASSIST YOUTH TRANSITIONING OUT OF OR AT RISK FOR GANG INVOLVEMENT AND SPECIFIC RECOMMENDED SERVICES FOCUSED ON TUTORING, MENTORING, CASE MANAGEMENT, CAREER EXPLORATION, AND INTERNSHIPS.
THROUGH THESE FUNDED PROGRAMS, 200 YOUTH WOULD RECEIVE EDUCATION, CAREER, AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO IMPROVE BOTH SOFT SKILLS AS WELL AS JOB READINESS.
2.7 MILLION IS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO ASSIST OPPORTUNITY IN HOMELESS YOUTH IN THIS AREA, WE ARE RECOMMENDING SPECIFIC SERVICES THAT WOULD FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING, COACHING AND CASE MANAGEMENT, INTERNSHIPS, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
NEARLY 1500 YOUTH WOULD RECEIVE EDUCATION, WORKFORCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THROUGH PROGRAMS FUNDED IN THIS CATEGORY.
LASTLY, THE REMAINING 4.5 MILLION IN YOUTH SERVICES IS RECOMMENDED TO FUND OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING AND SPECIFICALLY OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING THAT FOCUSES ON STEM AND STEAM ACTIVITIES.
IN ADDITION, SERVICES PROVIDED IN THIS AREA WOULD FOCUS ON WORKFORCE EXPLORATION, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 7,000 STUDENTS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE PROVIDED WITH STEM STEAM FOCUSED ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES IN THIS AREA THROUGH THIS FUNDING.
THAT DOES CONCLUDE MY PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, AND I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO JESSE HIGGINS TO REVIEW THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND NEXT STEPS.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE HERE TODAY PRESENTING THESE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU.
EACH RECOMMENDATION REPRESENTS INCREDIBLE RESOURCES THAT WILL INCR ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 14.25 MILLION.
WE LOOKED AT THE EQUITY INDEX SCORE OF SIX OR HIGHER, AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT AREAS OF OUR CITY WITH A HIGH MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITALIZATION RATE AND AREAS WITH HIGH NINE ONE ONE CALL VOLUME.
FOR THIS AREA, WE HAVE 18 AGENCIES RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING FOR A TOTAL OF 7,700 YOUTH SERVED.
OUR FIRST AREA IN THIS IS TO ADDRESS INCREASED SOCIAL ISOLATION, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION IN SCHOOL AGED YOUTH AND CHILDREN, AGES 12 TO 19 THROUGH INCREASED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
WE HAVE $12.75 MILLION IN THIS AREA, AND WE'VE GOT RECOMMENDED SERVICES OF INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, GROUP COUNSELING, CASE MANAGEMENT, FAMILY SUPPORT, AND EDUCATION AND MEDICATION SERVICES.
WE ANTICIPATE 7,000 YOUTH AND 900 FAMILIES TO BE SERVED WITH THE IMPACT OF DECREASED DEPRESSION, INCREASED WELLBEING, INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF RESOURCES.
OUR NEXT AREA IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH IS FOR PROPOSALS TO ADDRESS THE INCREASED WAIT LIST FOR CHILDREN IN NEED OF DIAGNOSIS OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
FOR THIS CATEGORY, WE HAVE 1.5 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR
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THE PROPOSED SERVICES OF ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS CONNECTION TO APPROPRIATE RESOURCES.WE ANTICIPATE 700 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVED WITH AN IMPACT OF REDUCTION IN WAIT LIST FOR DIAGNOSIS, IMPROVED WELLBEING AND IMPROVED ACCESS TO SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE INCREASED, UH, SOCIAL ISOLATION, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION.
FOR OLDER ADULTS, WE HAVE $250 MILLION IN FUNDING AND SEVEN AGENCIES RECOMMENDED FOR A TOTAL OF 23,000 OLDER ADULTS SERVED.
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE PEER SUPPORT AND HOME VISITATION, CONGREGATE, OLDER ADULT RECREATION AND PROGRAMMING, CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT 22,000 OLDER ADULTS CAN BE CONNECTED TO ONLINE RESOURCE.
NAVI NAVIGATION, 1300 CONNECTED TO PHYSICAL AND GROUP ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL WELLBEING.
AND 400 OLDER ADULTS WILL REPORT DECREASED SOCIAL ISOLATION AND IMPROVED MENTAL WELLBEING FOR HOMELESS SERVICES, WE HAVE 2.56 MILLION TO ADDRESS THE INCREASED HOMELESS POPULATION WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE CONCERNS IN THIS AREA, WE HAVE FOUR AGENCIES WITH AN ESTIMATED 3,500 YOUTH, AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE AND HOMELESS VETERANS SERVED.
OUR RECOMMENDED SERVICES DO FOCUS ON THESE TWO AREAS AND WILL PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, AND HOUSING SERVICES.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT 2,900 PEOPLE WILL IMPROVE THEIR HOUSING STABILITY.
1,900 PEOPLE WILL BE ENGAGED IN GROUP THERAPY AND OR COUNSELING, AND 1500 PEOPLE WILL BE ENGAGED IN SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT.
IN TOTAL STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING FUNDING TO 59 AGENCIES FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $36.4 MILLION.
A TOTAL OF 3.7 MILLION REMAINS UNALLOCATED THROUGH THESE AWARDS, AS THE REMAINING PROPOSALS IN THESE CATEGORIES DID NOT ADDRESS THE RE REQUESTED SCOPE OF WORK OF THIS AMOUNT, $240,836 AND $72,661 IS UNALLOCATED AND USED IN OLDER ADULT SERVICE PLANS RESPECTIVELY.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ISSUE THESE FUNDS THROUGH THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS AS PART OF THEIR F Y 24 BUDGET PROCESS.
WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT 159,000 IN DECLINED FUNDING FROM THE NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES OF PHASE ONE PROCESS BE ALLOCATED THROUGH THE HUMAN SERVICES CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS.
2.4 MILLION IN MENTAL HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FUNDING FOR FOSTER YOUTH AND HOMELESS IS RECOMMENDED TO BE REISSUED THROUGH A COMPETITIVE BID IN FEBRUARY.
AND THE REMAINING $1 MILLION IN MENTAL HEALTH COLLABORATION FUNDING IS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND COORDINATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO SEEK FEEDBACK ON NEXT STEPS.
IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS FOR US, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER STAFF AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT WEEK ON FEBRUARY 2ND.
SHOULD AWARDS BE APPROVED, CONTRACTS WOULD BEGIN MARCH OF 2023.
THESE CONTRACTS WILL BE AWARDED FOR A TWO YEAR TERM ENDING ON MARCH OF 2025.
AND WE ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
BEFORE WE GET INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION, ANDY, YOU WANTED TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS? YES, MAYOR.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT ALTHOUGH THIS IS A BRIEFING ONLY FOR THE COUNCIL, THAT THE COUNCIL WILL, UH, CONSIDER AND VOTE ON THE ITEM NEXT WEEK.
UH, SO TO THE EXTENT YOU WOULD HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF BECAUSE OF AN ASSOCIATION WITH A SPECIFIC AGENCY OR AGENCIES, UH, AT THIS MEETING, PLEASE DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR THOSE SAME AGENCIES OR, UH, THAT YOU WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF FOR.
UM, WELL, I, FIRST LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, TO GO AHEAD AND QUEUE IN USING THE SYSTEM.
UH, ALSO THANK YOU TO OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, ALONG WITH THE STAFF THAT HAS BEEN VETTING, UH, INNUMERABLE APPLICANTS.
UM, WE'RE STILL IN A RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC IN SO MANY WAYS AND, AND THESE ARPA DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ARE INVALUABLE, UH, FOR EVERY COMMUNITY THAT'S USING THESE RESOURCES.
SO WE THANK OUR, OUR PARTNERS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, AS WE WORK TOWARDS, UH, THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF THESE DOLLARS THAT WILL HAVE THE MOST MEANINGFUL IMPACT.
LEMME GO TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND I WANTED TO START OFF JUST BY ASKING YOU ALL HAD A, A REALLY NICE MAP WITH THE EQUITY SCORES.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT SHOWS WHERE THE NONPROFITS THAT WILL BE RECEIVING THE PROPOSED FUNDING KIND OF OVERLAYS? YES.
COUNCIL, WE'LL HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
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IT, IT WILL BE SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATION AS, AS MOST AGENCIES DID NOT RECEIVE THE AMOUNT THAT THEY REQUESTED, BUT WE HAVE, BASED ON THEIR PROPOSALS, WE'LL DO THAT.AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF WE'RE FUNDING THEM AT LESS, THEN HOW CAN WE GUARANTEE THAT THOSE AREAS THAT WERE MOST IMPACTED BY C O V I D WHO HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED, ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE ALMOST GUARANTEED TO RECEIVE THAT FUND? BECAUSE, AND YOU, YOU HEAR ME SAY THIS OVER AND OVER, RIGHT? SO, UM, HEALTH EQUITY IS IMPORTANT IN THE SOUTH SIDE, AND SO MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT.
MY RESIDENTS CAN'T ACCESS THAT.
THEY CAN'T PAY THAT DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
YOU ALL, YOU ALL KNOW MY, MY MY, MY SPEECH ALREADY.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA GUARANTEE THAT THOSE AGENCIES, UM, COMMIT SOMEHOW TO FOCUSING ON THOSE MOST NEEDED AREAS.
AND WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON THAT THROUGH THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANY GAPS IN IMPORTANT SERVICE AREAS AND, AND MANDATING THAT AS PART OF THE A THE CONTRACT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HAU.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND OF COURSE TO ALL OF CITY STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE REVIEW PANEL, UH, THAT SPENT SO MUCH TIME WORKING ON THIS.
OF COURSE, THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN THE WATERSHED EVENT OF OUR TIME.
WE TALK ABOUT THE PANDEMIC IN TERMS OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BEFORE COVID AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE AFTER, OR WHAT IT IS LIKE AFTER.
BUT TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS PART OF THAT IDEA.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, UM, TO RECOVER REALLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC, EVERYTHING WAS AFFECTED.
SCHOOLS, SCHOOL, CHILDREN, TEACHERS, BUSINESSES.
OUR, OUR DAILY LIVES CAME TO A STANDSTILL IN THAT MOMENT.
WE WERE ALL AFFECTED, Y'ALL KNOW, UM, AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I, I GUIDED, UM, OUR, OUR COMMITTEE THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH ALLOCATIONS, WHICH WAS 26 MILLION, UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST POT OF MONEY.
SO IT, IT'S, IT WAS IN EVERY DOLLAR, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE DOLLARS MEANS SOMETHING.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT 26 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH IS NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH FOR OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY NOW.
UM, THE PLAN PRIORITIZES THIS PLAN, I THINK PRIORITIZES CHILDREN, YOUTH, SENIORS, AND THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, WHICH ARE ALL, UH, UM, POPULATIONS THAT ARE VERY DEAR TO MY HEART, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
IT CONSIDERS THE EFFECT OF ISOLATION AND THE TRAUMA THAT MANY OF OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FELT WHEN OUR LIVES WERE SUDDENLY ALTERED.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE DECIDED TO LEAN ON THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY IN THIS WORK.
NONPROFITS ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE EVERY DAY, AND THEY'RE BEST EQUIPPED TO LEAD OUR RESPONSE.
THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH CARE WAS OVERWHELMING AND SHOWED HOW MUCH HELP WAS, WAS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
AND WE PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN HEAR FROM HALF OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING THAT WORK.
I HAVE CON CONSISTENTLY VOICED CONCERN FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE FOR FOSTER YOUTH AGING OUTTA THE SYSTEM.
VETERANS ARE, I MENTIONED, OUR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND CONTINUING SHINE A LIGHT ON THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH IS VITAL.
UH, SOME OF YOU KNOW, I'M A DISABILITY ATTORNEY BY TRADE, THAT'S MY OTHER JOB.
AND I TAKE, UH, MY CLIENTS WHO, UM, HAVE COMORBIDITIES, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH IMPAIRMENT.
AND I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT THE SYSTEM JUST DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
SO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, MY SILVER LINING OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SO FOCUSING ON MENTAL HEALTH, UH, IN, IN THIS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND WITH THESE ARPA DOLLARS, IS A WAY TO KIND OF PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
AND SO I, I THANK EVERYBODY FOR, FOR APPLYING AND, UM, I'M GRATEFUL WE'RE ABLE TO HELP AT LEAST SOME, SOME MENTAL HEALTH CARE OPERATORS OUT THERE.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, DOES THE ARPA MONEY, CAN WE USE THE, THE FUNDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY GO ON TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES? I'M NOT SURE WHO I'M ASKING.
I COUNCILWOMAN THE, YOUR ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES.
HOWEVER, ON THIS R F P, WHAT WE FOLLOW WERE THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WERE APPROVED WITHIN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
AND CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
UM, OF THE PROPOSED GROUPS RECEIVING FUNDING, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY ARE HELPING FOSTER YOUTH? SO, I'M GONNA RELY ON JESSICA A. LITTLE BIT.
SO, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SOME IN THE, IN THE NONPROFIT SECTION, IN THE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SECTION, WE HAVE ONE THAT'S IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH THAT'S PROVIDING THERAPY TO YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO THAT'S IN THAT HOMELESSNESS, UH, LINE ITEM THAT'S PROVIDING HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH.
IN, UH, YOUTH SERVICES WE HAVE, IT'S, IT'S THREE THAT ARE PROVIDING SUP UM, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SUPPORT THOSE.
UH, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF OUR MOST VULNER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OR, UH, FOSTER CHILDREN THAT
[00:30:01]
ESPECIALLY THAT ARE AGING OUT OF THE SYSTEM.UM, CAN YOU EXPAND TO ME ON THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR REISSUANCE OF THE R F P? I THINK IT WAS, IS IT 2.4? AM I GETTING THAT RIGHT? YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, IS THAT, THAT'S FOCUSED ON WHAT EXACTLY? WE'RE GOING TO REFOCUS THAT ON YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL DO IT, UH, THROUGH A COMPETITIVE BID, UH, NOT AS WE, WE DECIDED NOT TO DO IT THROUGH CONSOLIDATED FUNDING SO THAT WE COULD DO IT EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND GET THE MONEY OUT SOONER.
UM, I HOPE WE CONTINUE ALONG THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I FEEL, I MENTIONED I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS POPULATION.
UM, MET A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING GOOD WORK OUT THERE.
AND I THINK REISSUANCE OF THAT R F P FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING TOWARDS FOSTER YOUTH, AGING OUT OF THE SYSTEM IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT MAYBE MOVING THAT 2.4 TO SOMETHING, SOME OTHER, UM, AREA, SOME OTHER, UM, TO BENEFIT SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION.
AND, UM, WHAT I'LL SAY TO THAT IS, I THINK THAT'S PARTLY WHY THIS, THIS POPULATION KEEPS GETTING KICKED DOWN THE ROAD.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEM.
AND SO I WANNA SHOW THEM, UH, AND I THINK, UM, I KNOW THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF FOSTERING OF FOSTER YOUTH, UH, THAT, THAT WE ARE, AGAIN, PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA PUSH THEM TO THE SIDE IN FAVOR OF A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, OF, UM, OF ORGANIZATION.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, UM, YOUR THOUGHTS.
I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT, UM, MAYBE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL WAIT.
UM, MARIA, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, ON THIS 3.7, BASICALLY THAT'S MONEY THAT Y'ALL, Y'ALL IS STILL ON THE TABLE THAT, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT GOING OUT WITH ANOTHER R F P, UH, FOR WHICH, WHICH CATEGORIES HERE? UH, YES.
SO THEY ARE, UH, THREE CATEGORIES, UH, YOUTH, SENIORS, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING US.
AND I THINK KIND OF TO COUNCILMAN HALVER'S QUESTION, WE, WE HAD SEVERAL PILLARS, UH, FOR THIS ARPA FUNDING.
AND ONE WAS ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES OR BUSINESS SUPPORT ALSO.
UM, IS IT OUT, I MEAN, CAN WE REALLOCATE THAT MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN ALLOCATED SO FAR TO ANOTHER PILLAR, LET'S SAY, TO THE BUSINESS SUPPORT? UH, SHOULD THE COUNCIL DECIDE TO TRANSFER THE DOLLARS TO A DIFFERENT CATEGORY? YES.
UH, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S, UM, CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
AND YES, THE COUNCIL COULD MAKE THAT ACTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN A SPECIAL INTEREST ITEM IN MIND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HERE IS ABOUT THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
WHAT, WHAT WAS OUR LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT AGAIN? UH, THE LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT, AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT JESSICA, MAKE SURE I GET THIS RIGHT.
IT WAS LAST YEAR, UH, IN JANUARY, 2022.
AND ROUGHLY THE COUNT WAS ABOUT 2100, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE HOMELESS DURING THAT NIGHT.
AND IT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE ENTIRE POPULATION, BUT ONLY THOSE, UM, THAT WERE UNSHELTERED AND SHELTERED THAT NIGHT THAT WE DID THE COUNT.
UH, AND DID THAT GO UP OR DOWN FROM THE LAST ONE? SO, UM, IT, IT, IT STAYED PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH 2020, UH, IN 2021 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
WE ONLY COUNTED THE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE SHELTERED.
AND NOT THOSE THAT WERE UNSHELTERED.
AND THEN, UM, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE SPENDING PER YEAR RIGHT NOW FOR, FOR THE HOMELESS? UH, IN DIRECT AND INDIRECT? SO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ROUGHLY OVER $30 MILLION.
UM, BOTH DIRECT ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 17 MILLION.
AND THEN THE BALANCE IS SUPPORT SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
AND FOR A TOTAL OF HOW MUCH THE, THE TOTAL IS ABOUT $33 MILLION.
AND WHAT DOES, UH, $77 MILLION REPRESENT? THAT INCLUDES, UH, FUNDING FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, OUTSIDE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BUDGET NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
THAT COMMUNITY INVESTMENT OF OVER $70 MILLION IS NOT ALL COMPREHENSIVE SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PERHAPS OTHER CHURCHES THAT PROVIDE SERVICES.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE, THAT WE, UM, ARE AWARE ARE, UH, SPECIFICALLY SPENT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO RIGHT NOW WE CAN ACCOUNT OR HAVE DATA FOR $77 MILLION, BUT THAT DOESN'T COUNT THESE OTHER, LIKE, FAITH-BASED THAT DON'T REPORT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ACROSS, CORRECT.
SO IT COULD BE A LOT MORE THAN $77 MILLION ALTOGETHER.
[00:35:01]
INDIVIDUALS.AND, UM, UM, AND HOW, HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE, HOW MUCH IN THESE RFPS IS SLATED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES ON TOP OF THAT? THAT AT THIS POINT? SO, UM, THE HOMELESS CATEGORY WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND IT WAS A TOTAL OF $5 MILLION ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR TWO TARGET POPULATIONS, VETERANS AND, UM, YOUTH AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER SYSTEM.
SO THE FUNDING IS FOR TWO YEARS.
UH, HOWEVER, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR AWARD THOSE AGENCIES THAT APPLY FOR FUNDING, AND THERE'S A BALANCE OF ABOUT $2.3 MILLION THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING ANOTHER R F P FOR THAT SPECIFIC, UM, UM, SECTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHICH IS FOSTER YOUTH, UM, AGING OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
SO YOU SAID ABOUT 5 MILLION IN ADDITION ON THESE RFPS FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO THAT'S 77 PLUS THE FIVE IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT IT.
IT'S, IT'S, I WOULD SAY TWO AND A HALF MILLION.
THIS, THE ARPA FUNDING IS ONE TIME? YEAH.
SO THE 77 MILLION IS AN ANNUAL AMOUNT.
SO IT'S A ONE TIME INJECTION OF $5 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, SO TWO AND A HALF, CORRECT.
UM, UM, WHAT ABOUT, UH, IN THESE RFPS? WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING RIGHT NOW, THE METRICS, HOW, HOW ARE Y'ALL CALLING OUT FOR MEASUREMENTS ON THE METRICS ON, ON THESE PROPOSALS? SURE.
AND JESSICA WILL ADDRESS THAT QUESTION, PLEASE.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A BACKUP SLIDE THAT WE WILL, UH, MOVE TO, THAT FOCUSES ON THAT, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO EACH OF THE, UM, EACH OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS INCLUDED A FOCUS ON EQUITABLE OUTCOMES BY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AREA.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON HERE, UM, SORRY.
SO YOU'LL SEE ON HERE FOR THE NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES EQUITABLE OUTCOMES WITHIN THE AREA OF DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS.
ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE FOCUSED ON IS AN EQUITABLE OUTCOME WAS WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WERE CONNECTED TO ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS AND ACCEPTANCE INTO PUBLIC BENEFITS.
AND SO THAT'S OUR EQUITABLE OUTCOME, ONE OF THE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR THAT SPECIFIC TARGET AREA.
AND THEN THE EXAMPLE METRIC THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK AGENCIES TO REPORT ON IS THE PERCENT OF FAMILIES ENROLLED IN PUBLIC BENEFITS PROGRAMS. AND WE HAVE THAT FOR EACH OF THE CATEGORIES UNDER EACH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ABOUT THE METRICS BECAUSE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENROLLING IN A PROGRAM AND ACTUALLY COMPLETING AND, AND, UM, WHAT THE OUTCOME IS.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM, TO ME, THAT'S NOT AN OUTCOME.
UH, THE OUTCOME IS WHAT COMES OUT THE END WITH GETTING, GETTING A HOME OR GETTING WHATEVER SERVICE IT IS AND BEING ABLE TO GO FROM THERE, THE ACTUAL OUTPUT OF WHAT THAT RE REQUIREMENT IS.
SO, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, UM, SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON TALKING ABOUT THE METRICS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE REAL, WHAT'S THE REAL OUTCOME FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
UH, AGAIN, TO ME JUST ENROLLING IN A PROGRAM IS NOT AN OUTCOME.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THE METRICS ON THESE, AND IN, IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA, COUNCILMAN.
SO, UM, SERVICES FOR IN, UH, RESIDENTS WITH DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY WOULD FOLLOW ALONG THE SPECTRUM.
SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO STABILIZE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN FINANCIAL CRISIS.
SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT THE PUBLIC BENEFITS ENROLLMENT WOULD BE, TO BRING ADDITIONAL CASH INTO THE HOUSEHOLD TO HELP STABILIZE THAT FAMILY.
BUT THEN WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM TO ENROLL THEM IN WORKFORCE, UH, MAYBE CONTINUING EDUCATION IN AN EFFORT TO EITHER GET A JOB OR IMPROVE AND GET A BETTER JOB THAT WOULD THEN INCREASE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.
SO IT WOULD BE A SPECTRUM OF SERVICES THAT WE WOULD WALK INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS THROUGH.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE ON, UH, THE FOLLOW THROUGH AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY'VE RECEIVED THAT, THAT IT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY AND THEY'RE BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE MM-HMM.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING IN THE METRICS, UH, FOR EACH ONE OF THESE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[00:40:01]
EAGER TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH NEXT WEEK WHEN WE APPROVE THIS ITEM BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE MANY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.UH, FOR EXAMPLE, MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM CONTINUES TO GET PHONE CALLS FROM SENIORS WHO ARE OVERWHELMED WITH THEIR UTILITIES AND THE COST OF, OF GROCERIES, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE ASKING, WHERE'S THE NEAREST FOOD PANTRY? WHERE CAN I GET FOOD? SO, SEEING, UH, THAT THERE FOLKS LIKE KING'S COMPASSION, WHO PROVIDE THAT OUTREACH WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, UH, MAY BE RECEIVING FUNDING IS, UH, VERY MUCH NEEDED.
SO, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S, UM, SOME FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO POTENTIALLY GAUGE LIKE A, A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF EACH COUNCIL OFFICE WITH CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
AND WHAT ARE THOSE CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING? RIGHT? I, I KNOW MY OFFICE ISN'T THE ONLY ONE GETTING CALLS ABOUT SENIORS NEEDING ACCESS TO FOOD.
UH, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, RIGHT? HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE APPLIED TO MEET THEIR, UM, THE, THE FUNDING AMOUNT THAT THEY APPLIED FOR? UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, ANY INITIATIVE THAT SUPPORTS AT RISK YOUTH, UH, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF REALLY GRATEFUL TO SEE, UM, THE CONTINUED WORK OF SA YOUTH.
UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT WORK, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, HOMELESSNESS AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE PUTTING TOWARDS, UH, THAT.
BUT IF WE ADDRESS AND SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT OUR YOUTH WHO ARE STRUGGLING, UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MITIGATE, UH, HARDSHIP IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT? SO, UM, ENSURING THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY FUNDING AND SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN, UH, REALLY RELY ON THOSE RESOURCES TO IMPACT, UH, THE LIVES OF OUR YOUTH, HAVE MY SUPPORT.
UM, I WAS TRYING TO QUICKLY SKIMM THROUGH, UM, THE BINDER THAT WAS PROVIDED.
DID BIG MAMA SAFE HOUSE APPLY FOR ANY FUNDING? AND, UH, ARE THEY GOING TO RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT OR RECOMMENDED SUPPORT RATHER? SO COUNCILWOMAN, THEY ARE RECOMMENDED FOR AN AWARD.
UM, IT'S IN A DIFFERENT, IT'S UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME, BUT IT'S THE SAME ORGANIZATION.
UM, TRYING TO FIND THIS, UH, ONE SOUL, UH, ONE CHURCH, ONE SOUL MINISTRY.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE DOING AMAZING WORK IN, IN MY DREAM WORLD, WE'D HAVE ONE IN DISTRICT FIVE AS WELL.
UH, SO I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SEE THEM SUPPORTED FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK AND RESOURCES THAT THEY PROVIDE TO THE, THE CITY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, RIGHT? UH, EARLIER ON, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION.
THEY RECEIVED $100,000 OF ARPA DOLLARS FOR THEM TO, UH, DEVELOP A PLAN FOR CAN SOMEONE BRIEFLY, UH, LAY OUT TO THE COUNCIL WHAT THE YOUTH DECIDED THOSE PILLARS WERE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FUNDING, UH, ALLOCATED TOWARDS.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN.
AND SO THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
RIGHT NOW, THEIR STRONG FOCUS IS TEEN MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, THEY'RE ABOUT TO ISSUE A SECOND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY.
AND SO THAT WILL, UM, ALSO DRIVE USING THOSE FUNDS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
BUT THAT'S THEIR, THAT'S THEIR FOCUS.
AND, AND THOSE DOLLARS WILL GO INTO SUPPORTING TEEN MENTAL HEALTH AT, UM, UH, INITIATIVES, BUT ALSO PEER-TO-PEER INITIATIVES.
UH, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE YOUTH COMMISSIONS MEETING WHERE THEY DEVELOPED THOSE PILLARS.
UH, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE YOUTH COMMISSION, UH, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO ADDRESS THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PRIORITIES, BUT MATERIALLY, RIGHT.
BY HAVING THAT FUNDING AVAILABLE TO HAVE THOSE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT THEY DISCUSSED.
BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT OLD, BUT I'M ALSO NOT LIKE 14.
AND THEY HAD SUCH GREAT IDEAS, UH, AND THEY HAD THE DATA TO BACK IT UP TOO.
UH, SO I THINK IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO BE AN EFFECTIVE BOARD, UH, COMMISSION RATHER, UH, I, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
I KNOW MANY OF THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, CAN REALLY USE THE FUNDING 'CAUSE THEY'RE DOING SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE AND JUST, WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE DUE DILIGENCE AND THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS.
I HAVE, I RECEIVED MY BRIEFING ON TUESDAY AND SAW THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS ON THE SPREADSHEET DIGITALLY.
AND I, AS SOON AS WE GOT TO THIS, THE, UM, THE PAGE OF THE SPREADSHEET WHERE I LIST ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING, I, YOU KNOW, I STATED THAT THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE SOME PROBLEMS. AND, UM, WHAT WAS FRUSTRATION AS I'M GOING THROUGH THE BINDER AND I'M, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME MATH AND SEEING WHICH ORGANIZATIONS
[00:45:01]
I SEE THAT ARE HEADQUARTERED IN D TWO AT THE LEAST, UM, SERVICE IS ANOTHER ISSUE.UM, IT'S HARD FOR THAT FRUSTRATION NOT TO TURN INTO SOME, SOME FORM OF ANGER.
RIGHT? UM, I ASKED FOR, UH, ON TUESDAY, AND I KNOW IT WAS A SHORT TURNAROUND, BUT TUESDAY'S, WHEN I GOT MY BRIEFING, UM, I ASKED FOR A LIST OR, UM, SOME SORT OF MAP OR SOME WAY TO TELL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDING, WHAT AREAS OF TOWN THEY SERVE, AND HOW MUCH OF THOSE ORGAN, HOW MANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS SERVICE MY DISTRICT, UM, LARGELY THE EAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'M LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT THE, AT THE SPREADSHEET, AND I'M ONLY GONNA GO BASED OFF OF WHERE THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN THE ONES THAT I CAN EASILY IDENTIFY AS, OH, THAT'S IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, AND FIVE OF THE 57 PROPOSALS AT 1.3 OF THE 17 MILLION FOR NONPROFIT SERVICES, UM, ARE IN DISTRICT TWO.
TWO OF THE 31 PROPOSALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDING IS ABOUT 3.7%.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING, 29 OF THE 67 PROPOSALS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING CAME FROM DISTRICT TWO.
AND SO, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS BIG OF A DISPARITY, WHERE VERY FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I KNOW, UM, RECEIVED, UH, ANY AMOUNT OF SUPPORT, THAT'S REALLY DISCOURAGING TO ME.
AND COUNCIL MADE THE REQUEST, RIGHT? FOR THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND THE WORKSHOPS FOR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.
I MADE THAT REQUEST EXPLICITLY.
AND MY GOAL WAS TO GET AS MANY ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE EAST SIDE AS MANY OF THE, OF THE SMALL ORGS WHO MAY NOT BE USED TO CREATING, UH, RESPONDING TO RFPS.
I WANTED TO GET THEM ASSISTANCE.
AND WE GAVE THEM, UH, WE GAVE THEM HOPE.
WE SAID, HEY, THE CITY'S GONNA HELP YOU.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE WORK.
YOU'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK FOR HOWEVER LONG, AND THAT'S ENOUGH.
AND SO, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT 29 OF THE 67 REJECTED PROPOSALS, AND THEY'RE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SAW GO TO THOSE MEETINGS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT REACHED OUT TO US DURING BUDGET, DURING, UH, THE DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS A FEW YEARS AGO.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THAT, IT'S REALLY HARD NOT TO BE UPSET.
AND SO I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THIS LIST.
THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED, UM, YOU KNOW, I, MANY OF THEM DO SUCH AMAZING WORK, AND I KNOW THAT SOME MANY OF THEM DO, UH, PROVIDE SOME AMOUNT OF SERVICES IN DISTRICT TWO AND IN THE EAST SIDE.
BUT I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS, AND I NEED TO CONVEY THAT.
AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY FOR NEXT WEEK, UM, IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO RECTIFY THIS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO RECEIVE.
UM, I KNOW YOU HAD, I KNOW MARIA, YOU HAD MENTIONED IT'S KIND OF, UH, THE ABILITY TO TELL ME HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT ZIP CODES EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY SERVE IS LIMITED.
I WOULD LIKE, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GIVE ME, BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT WITH THIS, AND IT'S, IT'S UPSETTING.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UM, AND I, I FAILED THE CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER PELA.
UM, I, I, UH, MARIA, I, I, I NEED TO PREFACE THIS BY TELLING YOU THAT, UM, I WAS A HAPPY COUNCILMAN WHEN YOU AND I TALKED, WAS IT YESTERDAY ABOUT THIS, OR DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY? UM, I GOT TO SEE THE LIST.
IT WAS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AN EXCEL SHEET WITH THE LIST AND THE AMOUNTS AND ALL THAT.
30 MINUTES, NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR US TO COVER EVERYTHING.
I, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND TO HEAR FROM ME, I THINK YOU GUYS DID PUT INTO THIS A GOOD FAITH EFFORT.
UM, IN, IN ARRIVING AT THIS LIST, UM, I'M, I'M GOING TO, UH, I HAVEN'T EVEN LOOKED AT WHAT PART OF TOWN THESE, THE MAILING ADDRESS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS IS.
I, I DON'T CARE WHAT DISTRICT THE, THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE IN.
THEY SERVE ALL OF SAN ANTONIO.
WHAT I DO CARE ABOUT, HOWEVER, IS, UM, THAT NOWHERE, ANYWHERE IN HERE HAVE I SEEN THE WORD DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COME UP.
AND I THINK THAT THIS WAS A LEADERSHIP TEST FOR US.
AND I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR THIS LIST AT ALL UNLESS THERE'S A REAL SERIOUS INVESTMENT IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GOING FORWARD.
UM, THE, UH, WE'VE GOT ONE IN THREE WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO WHO HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL, OR WILL HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL.
LITERALLY RIGHT NOW, ACROSS THE STREET, THERE IS A MURDER TRIAL, A WOMAN ASSASSINATED BY HER HUSBAND.
EVERY SINGLE WEEK WE HEAR ABOUT ATTEMPTED MURDERS OR ASSASSINATIONS, SOMETIMES IN FRONT OF THEIR VERY OWN CHILDREN.
UM, AND I, I'VE GOT A LIST HERE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE FUNDING, AND NONE OF THEM REALLY DEDICATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
[00:50:01]
TANGENTIALLY, ONE OF THEM MAY ACTUALLY PROVIDE SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES, BUT THAT'S NOT AN INVESTMENT.AND SO, UH, I, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I, WHAT I'M READING HERE, I SEE THE WORD GANGS FIVE TIMES, MARIA, I SEE, I SEE GANGS MENTIONED FIVE TIMES IN HERE, RIGHT? WHY CAN'T IT BE FOUR TIMES IN MAYBE ONE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCY, RIGHT? I SEE THE, I SEE THE RICHEST ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
U T S A HAPPENS TO BE IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
UT HEALTH HAPPENS TO BE IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
I PROPOSE ZEROING OUT THOSE PROPOSALS.
THESE ARE THE RICHEST ORGANIZATIONS IN ALL OF TEXAS WHO DON'T NEED OSA'S MONEY, RIGHT? IN FACT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE JUST DID, YOU KNOW, A HUGE DEAL FOR THEM WITH A PROTON CENTER.
AND WE HELP THEM OUT TO THE TUNE OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR WE WILL FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, TEACHING HOSPITAL.
UM, U T S A HAS GOTTEN A GREAT DEAL FROM US DOWNTOWN.
I MEAN, WE THREW A LOT OF, OF VALUE.
UH, AND IF YOU PUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT TO WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THEM DOWNTOWN, UM, IT EXCEEDS ANY, ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, ANY OF WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION ON THESE LISTS, COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS.
I LOVE MY FORMER COLLEAGUE RAY ALDANA, BUT I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY.
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS GOT $133 MILLION FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT.
THEY CALLED IT A SEA CHANGE, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT, RIGHT? I SEE ALSO THAT IN THIS LIST, WE'VE GOT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MENTIONED THREE TIMES CATHOLIC CHARITIES, WHO BY THE WAY, IS GETTING A LOT OF MONEY TO DO OUR MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER WORK.
MENTIONED THREE TIMES FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS. CASA, WHO I LOVE, RIGHT? UM, AND I NO LONGER HAVE A CONFLICT, ANDY, UH, BUT LAST TIME I REMEMBER, UH, WE GAVE CASA IN THE LAST BUDGET $800,000.
UM, AND WE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK FOR TWO VERY WORTHY PROGRAMS, RIGHT? UM, SALVATION ARMY MENTIONED TWICE Y W C A, WHO WE LOVE, MENTIONED FOUR TIMES CULT LINGUA HAS AN ARABIC CAMP THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, FOR 146 K AND A $701,000 FOR A IMMIGRANT WELCOME PROGRAM.
UM, MENTIONED TWICE FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATIONS MENTIONED THREE TIMES, MEALS ON WHEELS, WHO WE FUND IN OTHER, IN OTHER WAYS.
AND I THINK THEY EVEN HAVE A CITY CONTRACT WITH US.
SA YOUTH MENTIONED TWICE SACRED MENTIONED TWICE.
SAM MINISTRIES MENTIONED THREE TIMES.
IF YOU INCLUDE THE A HUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT'S BEING ASKED FOR, UH, BRIDGES, FROM, BRIDGES OF MUSICAL BRIDGES, WHATEVER.
I PROPOSE ZEROING THAT OUT, RIGHT? UM, SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE LIST, UM, AND ANDY, YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION.
I'M NOT, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PROUD.
THOSE PEOPLE PROVIDE, UM, COUNSELING SERVICES FOR KIDS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE MURDERED BY AN ABUSER AT HOME, RIGHT? THAT'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FOR HER, WHICH IS IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDES COUNSELING FOR, UH, FOR FAMILIES AND FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, THE ECUMENICAL CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY PROVIDE COUNSELING FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE TRYING TO OVERCOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, I, I, I CAN'T, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS.
I JUST CAN'T, SO LONG AS THIS LIST REMAINS, UM, NOT COMMITTED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, AND COMMITTED MORE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR GANGS, WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BUT FIVE TIMES, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T DO IT FOUR TIMES.
AND SO LONG AS WE'RE GIVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR PROPOSING TO GIVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE U T S A AND UT MED WHO ARE GONNA BE REALLY TICKED OFF OF ME AFTER THIS MEETING WHEN, UH, WHEN I GET A CALL FROM THEM AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I THINK THAT'S A, A THAT WOULD BE A LEADERSHIP FAILURE ON MY PART.
SO I DO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE URBAN CHAMPIONS ACADEMY, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, I'M, I'M CHANGING GEARS ON YOU NOW.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE UNINTENTIONALLY, AND I, AND AGAIN, I THINK ALL OF YOU'RE APPROACHING THIS IN GOOD FAITH.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE UNINTENTIONALLY.
HOWEVER, UM, BEING LIKE LUCY, WHEN SHE PULLS THE FOOTBALL AWAY FROM CHARLIE BROWN, EVERY TIME CHARLIE BROWN SAYS, OKAY, THIS TIME, DON'T PULL THE FOOTBALL AWAY.
WE LITERALLY TOLD THAT GROUP, STAND DOWN ON THE BOND DISCUSSIONS RIGHT? LATER.
THERE'LL BE ARPA MONEY LATER, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE A, A BUDGET DISCUSSION.
WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP YOU.
I GOT TO GO TO ONE OF THEIR PROGRAMS. UM, MAYOR ED GARZA.
WAS THERE HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN? THAT'S NOT A SOCCER PROGRAM.
IT'S A, IT'S A GO TO COLLEGE, STAY OUTTA TROUBLE PROGRAM, UM, STAY IN SCHOOL, DON'T, DON'T DO DRUGS PROGRAM.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF RICH KIDS WHO ALL BELONG TO SOCCER CLUBS.
UM, AND THEY DON'T NEED, YOU KNOW, UH, THE MORE LEADERSHIP CLASSES AND ALL THAT.
'CAUSE THEY GET PLENTY OF IT IN THESE VERY WEALTHY SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THEY'VE GOT ALL THE SERVICES THEY NEED.
WE'RE GIVING THESE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CLUB SOCCER.
AND IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE HOOK TO GET THEM IN SO THAT ALL OF THESE COACHES, ALL THEY DO IS JUST BEAT INTO THEM OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
COLLEGE, COLLEGE, COLLEGE, STEM, STEM, STEM.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT WAY, UM, TO, TO ADVANCE THAT.
[00:55:01]
OUR BOND SELECTION PROGRAM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DURING OUR BOND SELECTION PROGRAM, WE TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, HEY, FOR YOUR CHAMPIONS ACADEMY AND THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL, UM, COME ON BACK FOR THE ARPA FUNDS.AND THIS TIME, WE'RE ZEROING THEM OUT.
NOW, I KNOW THAT THEY ASKED FOR WHAT IS A LOT OF MONEY, RIGHT? BUT, UM, I, I PROPOSE THAT YOU GUYS GO BACK AND LOOK AT A WAY TO BAKE THEM BACK INTO THE PROPOSAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, MEALS ON WHEELS ONLY GETS MENTIONED ONCE, RIGHT? MACHEN, MAYBE SACRED ONLY GETS ONE TRANCHE OF THIS FUNDING AS OPPOSED TO TWO.
UM, MAYBE THE Y W C A GETS THREE INSTEAD OF FOUR TRANCHES OF FUNDING, RIGHT? SO, UM, ANYWAY, THAT, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO REACT HOWEVER YOU WANT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT I'M KIND OF BEATING UP ON YOU.
BUT, UM, MAYOR, THOSE ARE, THAT'S IT.
SO, YEAH, COUNCILMAN, I, UM, THE, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT IS THAT WE HAVE $145 MILLION WORTH OF REQUESTS FOR $40 MILLION ROUGHLY.
UM, AND IT'S MORE THAN JUST A GOOD FAITH EFFORT THAT I THINK THE CITY'S GONE THROUGH.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH FRAMEWORK DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, DETAILED OUTCOME DISCUSSIONS AT EACH COMMITTEE, BROUGHT THEM BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
AND THEN THAT WAS THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE SOLICITED FOR.
SO, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE, THE, THE SOCCER PROGRAM, UH, CAME TO THE BOND, UH, COMMISSION MEETINGS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING ARPA, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COUNCIL SET FRAMEWORKS FOR THE OUTCOMES THAT THEY DESIRED IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SOLICITED FOR.
IT WAS NOT JUST A GOOD FAITH EFFORT.
WE FOLLOWED A PROCESS AND WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENT.
THE UNFORTUNATE PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT THERE IS A LOT MORE NEED THAN THERE ARE RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, WE, I THINK WE WERE ALL TAKEN ABACK AT THE CITY ABOUT HOW MANY RESPONSES WE RECEIVED.
I THINK IT'S INDICATIVE OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM, I'LL SAY THAT, THAT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO, TO, TO NOTE IS THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, JUST LIKE WITH ANYTHING ELSE, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT AT YOUR LEVEL.
UM, AND, AND, AND I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THROUGH A PROCESS THAT IS WATCHED SO CLOSELY, UH, AS ARPA, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING ABLE TO, WE'RE ABLE TO TIE BACK TO EVERYTHING THE COUNCIL HAS DONE AND THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
LASTLY, AND WHILE I HAVE THE MICROPHONE, I'LL, I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, I MENTIONED IT LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE, WHEN YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UM, UH, A SMALL BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION, UH, PLAN THAT WE, UH, THAT WE HAD AT B SESSION.
JUST TO, JUST TO PLANT ANOTHER FLAG.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IT COMING ON FEBRUARY 8TH OF, UH, HERE IN TWO WEEKS, WE'LL BE GIVING YOU THE, THE THREE PLUS NINE FINANCIAL UPDATE FOR THE CITY.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE GIVING YOU AN ARPA AND RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY UPDATE BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO CLOSE ON RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY.
WE'RE TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOORS ON THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME, UH, AVAILABLE DOLLARS.
I MENTIONED THAT TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND THEN ON THE RECOVERY AND ON ON THE ARPA, UM, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO LOOK AT MAYBE REALLOCATING MONEY IN, IN AREAS THAT YOU'LL HAVE HERE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE NEED ON DIGITAL DIVIDE, 'CAUSE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THOSE SOLICITATIONS.
UM, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE TALKED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO ABOUT POTENTIALLY USING ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY TO ADD TO THE $2.25 MILLION IN SMALL BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE STAFF, WE HAVE $8.1 MILLION IN REALLY SOLID, UH, PROPOSALS THAT WE JUST RAN OUTTA MONEY FOR.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD PUT ON THE TABLE.
UM, THE ARPA IS UNLIKE OUR BUDGET PROCESS, WE DO IT ONCE A YEAR AND WE'RE DONE WITH IT.
ARPA HAS, AS WE'VE TREATED, IT, HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROCESS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE GET MONEY PUT OUT INTO PRODUCTION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE TIMELINES.
AND, AND THAT'S FAIR, ERIC, AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD SAY IF I WAS, IF I WAS IN YOUR CHAIR.
BUT I, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THE LAST BUDGET WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS ADAMANT ABOUT MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WE WEREN'T MAKING MEANINGFUL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENTS THE WAY I'D HOPED WE WERE, THAT, YOU KNOW, AT ALL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD, I WOULD BEAT THE DRUM EVEN LOUDER AND LOUDER AND LOUDER JUST SO THAT WE NEVER FORGET.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M WORRIED THAT WE'VE GOT MISSION CREEP HERE, MARIA, WE PUT YOU AND, UH, MONIQUE DIAZ OVER THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE.
AND I JUST DON'T FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM STANDING UP THAT TASK FORCE THAT WE'VE MADE A COMMENSURATE INVESTMENT AND HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT, AND WE'RE NOT SPENDING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY FEELINGS, ERIC.
AND, AND I'LL, I'LL TALK TO YOU OFFLINE ABOUT THAT.
UH, I, I, I JUST, I'M FRUSTRATED AS YOU CAN TELL.
NO, I, WELL, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND, AND I, I WANNA REITERATE THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS INGRAINED THIS WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION.
WE ALLOCATED OVER 16 POINT HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THROUGH THE ARPA PROGRAMMING OVER THE TWO
[01:00:01]
YEARS.UM, BUT, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO FOLLOW A PROCESS THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING ISN'T ANY LESS WORTH.
UM, UH, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW THE, THE GUIDELINES AND THE, AND THE, THE GUIDANCE WE GOT FROM THE COUNCIL.
BUT WE'RE THAN HAPPY TO TALK FURTHER.
UH, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN.
I AM SO GLAD WE ARE HERE TO TODAY, UH, HERE TODAY.
I KNOW YOU TRY TO TAKE ALL OUR DIRECTION FROM THE SESSIONS WE HAD, AND I GOT PLENTY OF BRIEFINGS 'CAUSE I WAS ON EVERY COMMITTEE THAT HEARD ABOUT THIS.
SO I KNOW THAT WE GAVE YOU SPECIFIC DIRECTION, AND I FEEL LIKE THE DIRECTION WE GAVE YOU BACK IN THE FALL, UH, YOU MET AND, AND YOU BROUGHT THAT FORWARD.
I THINK WE HAVE QUESTIONS NOW ABOUT ZIP CODES.
UM, AND YOU ALL KNOW FROM THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ALSO THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WAS A PRIORITY OF MINE.
BUT I WAS PERSU, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT SAT ON COMMITTEES FELT IF WE ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, IF WE ADDRESS THE GANG VIOLENCE, IF WE ADDRESS THIS, WE'LL HELP PREVENT THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I, I SAW FOR, FOR HER THERE AND I WAS LIKE TO HEAR WE JUST RAN OUTTA MONEY.
BUT I, I KNOW TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, WHERE DO WE TAKE FROM? BECAUSE I KNOW ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CASA ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE CATHOLIC CHARITIES, ALL THE ONES THAT WERE MENTIONED, TRY AND DO THOSE UPSTREAM ISSUES.
SO WE DON'T GET TO THOSE POINTS.
SO WE DO AT, AT THIS COUNCIL ON THIS, AND IN THIS DIOCESE, A B SESSION NEED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
NEED TO TAKE A STRONGER STAND ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN VIOLENCE IN, IN THE FAMILIES FOR THOSE, UM, THAT CHOOSE A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE OR A DIFFERENT PRONOUN.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING TOO.
BUT WHAT WE SAW AND WHAT WE HAD A FLOOD OF COME OUT OF PEOPLE COME OUT AND SAY, IS THE YOUTH ARE HURTING.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU TRY TO DO.
SO I, I AM INTERESTED IN HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THAT 3 MILLION.
IF WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, SOME, SOME PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUE.
I DO ALSO WANT TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE PRIORITIES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I WILL STATE, IF WE EVER GET A SURPLUS OF FUNDS LIKE WE SAW THIS LAST FALL, WE NEED TO MAKE OUR PRIORITIES CLEAR.
AND THAT IS SERVING THE ZIP CODES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
AND THIS IS A GOOD TALKING POINT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.
AND I KNOW IT'S HARD BECAUSE I, THE IDEA OF, OF KIDS NOT, YOU KNOW, BEING STUCK AT A SCHOOL, BUT BEING OUT ON THE SOCCER FIELD IS GREAT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WITH, WITH THE AMOUNTS THAT WE SAW COMING IN FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, IT WAS LIKE, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
AND I, I ACKNOWLEDGED CHILD SAFES WORK AND MAYBE WE SEND THIS BACK OUT IN R F P AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS BRING US A PROGRAM THAT, THAT, UM, THE PANEL CAN GET BEHIND.
SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, THE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, I, I THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PROCESS FOR ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE, UH, ON THE LIST, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WEREN'T, UH, WE ARE STILL COMMITTED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TO LEAD OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND GET YOUR INPUT TO DO SO.
AND I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
AND SO, AND I AGREE, AND WHEN WE HAD OUR, OUR SMALL PRE-BRIEFING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, BEING LEFT OUT.
AND SO COUNCILMAN, I, I ALSO NOTICED THAT.
SO, UM, I WASN'T SURE UNTIL WE SAW THE FULL LIST TODAY AND I WANTED TO HEAR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES COMMENT.
SO I, I'LL JUST, UH, ECHO MY SENTIMENT WITH COUNCILMAN VRAN, WHO HAS A LONGSTANDING RECORD OF WORKING WITH VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ALSO WITH COUNCILMAN PAL'S LONGSTANDING ADVOCACY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. I WAS NOT ON, ACTUALLY, I THINK I WAS ONLY ON ONE OF THE COMMITTEES.
SO, UM, SO SOME OF IT IS, IS STILL KIND OF NEW.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA ASK MY NEXT QUESTIONS ON THIS.
UM, ON ONE CHURCH, ONE SOUL MINISTRY, UH, I SAW, I, I THINK I SAW WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THE GANG REDUCTION ELIMINATION, ELIMINATING AFFILIATION TIES.
I TRY TO LOOK THEM UP ON CHARITY NAVIGATOR, AND THEY WEREN'T ON THERE AND THEY SAY THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN HOUSTON.
I JUST WANNA VERIFY WE HAVE A PRESENCE HERE, RIGHT? I JUST, I, OR, OR SOMEBODY'S CHECKING THAT.
'CAUSE I'M JUST SPOT CHECKING AT THIS POINT.
SO, SO COUNCILMAN, THAT'S ACTUALLY BIG.
[01:05:01]
WORKING IN DISTRICT TWO.UM, AND THEN ALSO ON, UH, WELL, I WON'T COMMENT ON THE ONES THAT I'M GONNA HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF, BUT I HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT, SO I'LL ASK, UH, ANDY OFFLINE ON THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE ITEMS, CAN WE GO THROUGH JUST QUICKLY GLANCING THROUGH SOME OF THESE, I FEEL THAT SOME OF THEM MIGHT ALREADY BE WORKING OR MAYBE THEY PUT IN APPLICATIONS TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THEN IT FEELS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE, AND AND IT'S NOT BY ANY FAULT OF THEIR OWN, BUT IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE DOUBLE DIPPING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING WITH ONE ORGANIZATION, THEY'RE WORKING WITH ANOTHER, I'M ASSUMING SOMEBODY JUST CROSS-CHECKED AND, AND MADE SURE THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT LIKE THAT, THAT THEY WERE GONNA BENEFIT FROM.
THERE'S PARTNERSHIPS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENED.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOCUSED ON IN THE R F P SCORING WAS, UH, COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.
SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR INFORMAL, INFORMAL PARTNERSHIPS AND ACTUALLY INCENTIVIZE THEM TO DO THAT, BUT NOT IN A SENSE OF DUPLICATING SERVICES, BUT TO BRING SERVICES THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY'RE OFFERING.
AND THEN, UM, MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS THE, THE ONE ABOUT THE MAP, RIGHT? AND TO SEE THAT WE MADE SURE.
AND SO ERIC, UM, I THINK YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION AND, AND YOU SAID, OR, OR MAYBE YOU WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
NO, JESSICA ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
SO, SO, BUT THE MAP IS IMPORTANT, THE MAP OF THE SERVICE AREAS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE'RE CONTRACTING FOR, AND THAT KIND OF GETS TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP, UH, A LOT OF US MAYBE FEEL MORE, MORE AT EASE WHEN WE SEE HOW MANY, UH, OF OUR RESIDENTS, UM, ARE, ARE BENEFITING FROM THAT.
AND, AND I GET IT, IT'S CITYWIDE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE, THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED, RIGHT? WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS.
THERE IS A GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SAN ANTONIO ITEM ON THERE.
IT'S AN EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
SO I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED BECAUSE I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WOULD GO HERE INSTEAD OF IN ANOTHER POCKET.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN JUST SOMEBODY WALK ME THROUGH IT.
NOT THAT I AM ADVOCATING AGAINST IT, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE LOGIC? HOW DOES IT END UP HERE? IS IT BECAUSE IT'S JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS? IS THAT HOW, SO IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, THEY APPLIED UNDER DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS.
SO PART OF THAT, WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY HELPING INDIVIDUALS TO OBTAIN AND OR IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYMENT OKAY.
AND I THINK MAYBE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE I'M JUST HAVING A HARD TIME KIND OF LEAFING THROUGH ALL OF THIS, AND I JUST GOT IT.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE BUCKET.
SO WHEN YOU SAID THAT DECREASE IN ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS, HOW MANY OTHERS APPLIED OR, I SEE LIKE AN LACK OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WORKFORCE TRAINING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
UM, THE U T S A ONE FOCUSES ON FOSTER YOUTH.
I, I, I ACTUALLY HAD A WHOLE, UM, BRIEFING ON, ON SOME, SOME THINGS THAT U T S A IS WORKING ON THAT THE COUNTY HAD PUT IN MONEY FOR.
DID WE EVER FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY THE COUNTY IS PUTTING INTO ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS? DID DID WE EVER GET THAT OF WHAT THE COUNTY IS FUNDING? NO, MA'AM.
LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO? CAN WE, WHEN WHEN WILL WE, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY.
DO WE DO, CAN I SUBMIT AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST AT THIS POINT? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN MONTHS, LIKE IT'S BEEN SINCE LIKE MAY OF LAST YEAR.
AND SO I, I WILL SAY THAT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE OF THE EFFORTS THAT THE COUNTY'S UNDERTAKEN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, COORDINATED PRETTY WELL ON THAT FRONT.
UM, BUT UM, ONLY ON THAT FRONT.
WELL, MAYBE I'LL WORK WITH THE MEDIA ON SUBMITTING A, A FOIA REQUEST TO THEM BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO KEEP STEP.
AND I, AND I'LL REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AGAIN TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I KNOW, UM, FUNDING FOR THE HOMELESSNESS CAME UP EARLIER IN THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL AS THE POINT IN TIME COUNT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STEADY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND I, MARK ANDERSON WAS IN HERE EARLIER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALREADY LEFT WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
I KNOW THEY TRACK HOMELESSNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE NATION, THEY LOOK AT HOW DO WE COMPARE WITH OUR PEER CITIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE'VE BEEN CHALLENGES SINCE COVID WITH HOMELESSNESS, WE WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING BETTER THAN A LOT OF OUR PEER CITIES RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, AND IN TERMS OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, ACTUALLY, THE MAYOR AND I WERE, UM, OUT TWO NIGHTS AGO, UH, AT THE CORTISONE DAY CENTER, AND THEY WERE CONDUCTING THEIR ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'LL GET THE RESULTS FOR THAT.
[01:10:01]
PROCESS ALL THAT DATA, BUT WE HAD 400 VOLUNTEERS GO OUT, AND THAT WAS REALLY A GREAT MOMENT, UH, AND SHOW OF FORCE AND COMPASSION FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO GO OUT AND, AND COUNT ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS.BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, ONE OF 'EM IS WITH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND WE PUT OUT OUR FIRST EVER R F P TO BUILD PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TO HELP ADDRESS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THAT WENT OUT IN NOVEMBER.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO, I THINK, UM, THE PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS GONNA BE GETTING, UH, A PRESENTATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THAT R F P IN, IN MARCH, AND THEN IT'LL COME TO FULL COUNCIL IN APRIL.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
THAT'S GONNA HELP US MAKE HUGE STRIDES WITH OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO CUT BACK ON RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
AND SO I REALLY SUPPORT THAT IN, IN THESE ARPA FUNDS.
I I JUST REALLY WANT TO, UH, GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT ERIC SAID ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED.
AND, UM, COULD YOU PUT UP SLIDE, PUT UP SLIDE NUMBER THREE, PLEASE.
AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO FELT LIKE, GOD, THIS WAS SUCH A LONG PROCESS, BUT WE'RE FINALLY, UH, HERE, UH, WELL, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GIVE AWAY THE MONEY NEXT WEEK.
SO, UM, I GUESS I WANNA WALK THROUGH, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YET.
UM, FOR THE SAKE OF ANY OF ANYBODY WATCHING WHO MAY THINK THAT WE WERE NEGLIGENT OR SHIRKED OUR DUTY IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES, UM, I, I'M GOING TO ECHO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT ECHOES WHAT ERIC SAID ABOUT HOW WE DID THIS.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES WHICH WERE AWARDED, UM, LESS THAN $10 MILLION OR $4 MILLION FOR NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES AND $5 MILLION FOR SENIORS, WE DISCUSSED THOSE AT THE COMMITTEE THAT I, THAT I CHAIRED.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT $4 MILLION SET ASIDE WAS PULLED FROM, UM, THE BUSINESS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS CATEGORY.
AND WE DIDN'T WANT THOSE NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES TO HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE THOUGHT THEY WERE REALLY APPLES AND ORANGES.
SO, UM, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SET ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
WAS IT LIKE 30 MILLION OR 40? IT WAS, IT WAS IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL ASIDE 4 MILLION.
UH, SMALL BUSINESS WAS 26.25 MILLION.
UH, SO WE WERE ABLE TO, IT HAD BEEN 30 MILLION, SO WE PULLED ASIDE ABOUT, UH, 4 MILLION.
UM, AND, UH, THIS COUNCIL, THE, THE COMMITTEE AND THIS COUNCIL AGREED TO AWARD 1.5 MILLION OF THAT TO IMMIGRANT SERVICES, WHICH WAS, UH, WHICH WAS APPROVED.
SO WE HAD $2.5 MILLION LEFT TO SPLIT AMONG OTHER NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES AND SENIORS.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE WERE GOING, IF WE WERE GOING TO SET A PRIORITY, UH, TO FOCUS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH THIS FUNDING, THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
I MEAN, I, I GUESS IT COULD HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED IN OTHER WAYS.
SO THE OTHER CATEGORIES, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK TO A PRESENTATION THAT CAME TO COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER WHEN WE APPROVED THIS FRAMEWORK.
AND IT'S ON MY COMPUTER AND YOU ALL CAN'T SEE IT
SO WHEN WE AGREED TO FUND NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES, THIS WASN'T DONE SOLELY IN COMMITTEE.
THIS CAME TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BY EVERYBODY, AND WE CHOSE THE COMMITTEE THAT I, THAT I SIT ON, THAT I CHAIR OR CHOSE TWO TOPICS TO FOCUS ON INCREASED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED BY C OVID 19, AND ADDRESSING DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS.
THAT WAS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND THE COMMITTEE SUPPORTED IT AND THE COUNCIL SUPPORTED IT.
I, AT THAT TIME, I DON'T RECALL A DISCUSSION ABOUT ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES, UH, BEING BROUGHT IN OR THAT WE LEFT OUT.
SO, UM, IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUTH SERVICES, TO ME, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHERE THE, THE SOCCER PROGRAM WOULD HAVE GONE.
AND COUNCILMAN FLIES IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WAS THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HAD WITH MAYOR GARZA ABOUT REAPPLYING.
AND IF WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE FUNDING PRIORITY INVESTMENTS FOR THAT CATEGORY, WHICH WERE DEVELOPED IN THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, I DON'T SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE.
AND I BELIEVE THE COUNCILMAN CHAIRS THAT COMMITTEE WHERE INCREASED SOCIAL ISOLATION, INCREASED FOOD AND RESOURCE INSECURITY.
OH, NO, SORRY, THAT'S OLDER ADULTS,
[01:15:01]
YOUTH SERVICES HAD ACTUALLY FIVE AREAS.UM, I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, IF THAT SOCCER PROGRAM WOULD HAVE, UM, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN, WOULD IT HAVE BEEN COMPETITIVE IN ANY OF THOSE FIVE AREAS? IT REALLY DEPENDED ON HOW THEY STRUCTURED THE PROPOSAL.
SO IF THEY COULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, TO DECREASED ACCESS TO STEM, STEAM AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, IT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DID THEY APPLY? THEY DID APPLY.
UH, THEY DID NOT APPLY UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
WHAT CATEGORY DID THEY APPLY UNDER? THEY APPLIED TO DHS, THEY APPLIED UNDER NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND THEY DID APPLY IN MENTAL HEALTH ALSO.
UM, SO I, LOOK, I, I'M GONNA STAND BEHIND MY VOTE, NOT THAT WHAT I, I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE NEXT WEEK, BUT FOR TODAY, I'M GOING TO STAND BEHIND MY VOTE AT COMMITTEE AND IN SEPTEMBER ABOUT WHAT WE FELT WAS IMPORTANT AT THE TIME, BECAUSE WE LET STAFF GO.
WE ASK THEM TO DEVELOP RFPS BASED ON THOSE PRIORITIES, AND HUNDREDS OF STAFF HOURS WERE SPENT ON THAT.
AND HUNDREDS OF NONPROFITS IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COMMUNITY SPENT HOW MUCH TIME PUTTING AN OUR, UH, PROPOSAL TOGETHER FOR THAT.
I'VE HEARD COUNCILMAN PERRY TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT COMPANIES SPEND ON PUTTING TOGETHER PROPOSALS AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING SOMEBODY'S FOOTBALL BEFORE THEY KICK IT, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IF WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE WHAT WE PUT OUT THERE IN SEPTEMBER.
LASTLY, SINCE IT'S KIND OF MY LAST DAY HERE,
DON'T YOU RECALL WHEN WE SET THIS FRAMEWORK, THERE WERE THREE BIG AWARDS MADE AND THEN ONE SMALL $50,000 ONE, AND THAT WAS BIOMED SA MORGAN'S WONDERLANDS MAC, AND THE FACILITY AT THE TEXAS A AND M CAMPUS.
AND IF YOU RECALL, THERE WAS ONE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO DIDN'T WANT CHILD SAFE TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE WORK TO GET THE MONEY FOR THEIR PROPOSAL.
AND BY SIMPLY SAYING THE WORD ON THIS DAIS, HE GOT THE CITY MANAGER TO GIVE THEM $50,000.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER HEARD ANYBODY ELSE GET $50,000 SO EASILY AND SOMEONE'S GONNA COME HERE AND THROW A TANTRUM BECAUSE EVERYBODY FOLLOWED THE RULES.
I, YOU GUYS KNOW WHERE MY VOTE WOULD BE NEXT WEEK? THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HARVARD, I REALLY APPRECIATE, I REALLY ENJOY THAT.
I LOVE THE
UH, I JUST WANNA QUICKLY REMIND EVERYONE WE MET AS COMMITTEES.
WE DISCUSSED OUR FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR THIS INVESTMENT.
WHILE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION IS A CAUSE WE ALL BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY, AND THAT ISSUE WASN'T NAMED AS A PRIORITY FOR THESE FUNDS.
WE, AS A COUNCIL GAVE DIRECTION AND CITY STAFF FOLLOWED A PROCESS TO CONTINUE THE FOOTBALL ANALOGY.
WE DON'T WANNA MOVE THE GOALPOSTS HERE AT THE END.
THESE ORGANIZATIONS, SOME OF THEM NAMED TODAY, CASA, UH, CULTURE LING LINGUA, I'M NOT SURE I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT.
CULTURE LINGUA, Y M C A AND MEALS ON, I'M SORRY, Y W C A, MEALS ON WHEELS.
THEY HAVE COMPLICATED BUDGETS.
I VENTURE TO SAY THAT LIKE THE CITY BUDGET, THEY MAY HAVE GENERAL FUNDS AND RESTRICTED FUNDS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, U T S A THEMSELVES ARE NOT EVEN GETTING THESE FUNDS.
THEY'RE ACTING AS A FISCAL AGENT FOR PROBABLY MANY ORGANIZATIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE BEXAR COUNTY FOSTERING FOR YOUTH SUCCESS.
THAT ORGANIZATION IS NOT ROLLING IN MONEY.
SO JUST REMEMBER THAT, THAT SOME OF THESE ARE FISCAL AGENTS.
WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS HELPING THE COMMUNITY, SENIORS, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS BEING FUNDED AND, UM, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES, URBAN CHAMPIONS INCLUDED CAPITAL, UH, PROJECTS IN THEIR FUNDING, AND I'M SURE OTHERS DID AS WELL.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS WERE ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THE R F P LANGUAGE.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MOVE THE GOALPOSTS EITHER FOR THE R F P LANGUAGE OR FOR OUR FUNDING PRIORITIES.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THESE MONTHS OF PROCESS AND IT'S, IT'S TIME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FUNDING THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? I'LL JUST MAKE A A JUST A COUPLE QUICK COMMENTS ON SPECIFICALLY, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES.
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, UM, UNDERSTANDING THESE NUMBERS IN THE SAME WAY.
I KNOW WE DO AN ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES VIS-A-VIS OTHER COMMUNITIES AND ALSO VIS-A-VIS ALL THE OTHER, UH, PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY.
BUT, UH, FOR ANYONE TO ASSUME THAT THAT'S THE ONLY, UH, FOLKS THAT WE DEAL WITH
[01:20:01]
IN TERMS OF HELPING RELIEVE HOMELESSNESS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THAT IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH.UH, UPWARDS OF EIGHT TO POSSIBLY EVEN 10,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY RELY ON HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.
UH, AND WE COUNT ONE NIGHT TO GET A, AN ANNUAL CENSUS, IF YOU WILL, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT GOES INTO IT.
AND SO, UH, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET A, A A PER PERSON KIND OF, UH, METRIC OUT OF THAT.
BUT, UH, JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CASE VERY CLEAR, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE RELIEF AND RECOVERY OF, UH, MEASURES THAT WE'RE, UM, ALLOCATING RESOURCES TOWARDS.
I, I DO AGREE THAT WE'VE DELIBERATED A LOT AND HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FRAMEWORK.
UM, I DON'T, UM, I SYMPATHIZE WITH, WITH, UH, FOLKS WHO, WHO WANT TO SEE ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED.
ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS IN MY MIND HAVE A MERIT TO THEM.
UH, AND WE WANT TO SEE AND, AND POSSIBLY HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
AND, AND THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING PROCESS.
UH, I WILL SAY WITH REGARD TO, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, WE AS A NATION ARE UNDERCUTTING OUR NEED.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, MY, MY MY HOPE IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE TAKES THEIR, UH, JOB VERY SERIOUSLY THIS SESSION.
UM, THEY HAVE $50 BILLION OF A SURPLUS TO DEAL WITH, AND THEY'VE MADE SOME VERY STRONG STATEMENTS WITH REGARD TO NEED TO, UH, ASSESS MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND PROVIDE SERVICES WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
UM, MY HOPE IS THAT THEY PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS.
MY HOPE IS ALSO LEGISLATORS PROVIDE MORE TOOLS TO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC OFFENDERS DON'T REPEAT.
AGAIN, PRIMARILY TAKING WEAPONS AWAY FROM DOMESTIC OFFENDERS, MAKING IT EASIER FOR JUDGES IN OUR COMMUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT.
WE'RE TAKING OUR PART OF IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO ALLOCATE THESE RESOURCES AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AS AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS AS WE CAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, THANK YOU.
AND I DID WANT, SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO INDICATE THAT I WANTED TO TALK, BUT THEN HE STARTED TALKING, IT'S WANTED TO LISTEN.
UM, COUNCILMAN VO REMINDED ME OF THE ARPA VOTE, AND I WAS THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO VOTED AGAINST IT FOR THE SPECIFIC REASON THAT THESE THREE LARGE ORGANIZATIONS GOT A BUNCH OF MONEY.
AND I WONDER IF THEY WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, HOW MUCH WOULD THEY HAVE GOTTEN THEN? UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN AS MUCH.
UM, IT GOES BEYOND, UH, FOR ME, I, WE JUST HAD THE HOUSING BOND CONVERSATION THE FIRST ROUND, AND I WATCHED, AND I ACCEPTED GRACIOUSLY THE WEST SIDE GETTING ALMOST EVERY SINGLE HOUSING BOND PROJECT.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ARPA, I'M SEEING YET AGAIN, A NUMBER OF EAST SIDE ORGANIZATIONS GET NOTHING.
AND SO IT'S BEYOND JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME ORGANIZATIONS AREN'T GONNA GET MONEY, SOME ARE, AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT FEELS, UM, LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THE SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT WE ALWAYS SEE INTENTIONAL OR NOT.
AND SO I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT CAN BE DONE? SO ONCE YOU GET THE MAP WHERE THE SERVICE AREAS ARE, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO WE HAVE TO CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN SO THAT MAYBE SOME OF MY CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED? WELL, COUNCILMAN, UM, USING THE EQUITY ATLAS AS OUR, AS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GUIDES, UM, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT, THAT THE SERVICES IN ALL THESE CATEGORIES WILL BE IN THE AREAS OF THE CITY THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
UM, UM, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT IS THE, IS WHERE THE AGENCIES ARE LOCATED AT KIND, CAN I DO, I'M, SO I AM MOSTLY ASKING ABOUT THE SERVICE AREA.
I'M ONLY ABLE TO, BASED ON THIS, I'M ONLY ABLE TO LOOK RIGHT NOW AND SEE WHICH ONES ARE IN THE DISTRICT.
AND BECAUSE OF PROXIMITY, MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHO THEY SERVE.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT AREN'T IN DISTRICT TWO THAT SERVE DISTRICT TWO, AND, BUT, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE EAST SIDE IS FULLY COVERED AND REPRESENTED BY THIS LIST, BUT BASED ON WHAT I SEE, I DOUBT IT.
BUT, BUT BECAUSE WE USE THE EQUITY ATLAS AS THE GUIDE, AND, AND I THINK JESSICA ANSWERED THIS QUESTION EARLIER WITH COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, WE DRIVE AND MANDATE THROUGH THE CONTRACT WHERE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED.
UM, THE, THE REASON WHY WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS EFFORT AND THE REASON WHY WE HAVE AN EQUITY ATLAS AND ENVELOPED IT INTO EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE, IS BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S MENTAL HEALTH, YOUTH SERVICES OR, UM, SENIOR SERVICES, THEY SHOULD BE, BE THEY WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING THAT IT BE PROVIDED IN THE AREAS OF THE GREATEST NEED.
WHAT IS NOT SOLVABLE, I THINK UNLESS THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO IT AT THE DAIS, IS THE AGENCIES THEMSELVES AND WHERE THEIR ADDRESSES ARE AT.
BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT A, A DELIMITER OR A REQUIREMENT FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IT WAS THE SERVICES THAT, THAT WE NEED OR THE OUTCOMES THAT THE COUNCIL WANTED THROUGH ARPA DOLLARS.
[01:25:01]
WHO CAN PROVIDE IT, I GUESS I'LL USE MY LAST FEW SECONDS ON THIS, IS THAT WE CAN SAY WE WANT TO COVER A CERTAIN AREA, THAT MUST BE A REQUIREMENT.BUT IF YOU GIVE ORGANIZATIONS THE OPTION AND WE SELECT THEM BECAUSE THEY MEET THAT REQUIREMENT, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ORGANIZATION SERVE HIGH EQUITY AREAS, BUT THAT SOME OF THOSE AREAS ARE LEFT OUT WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THROUGH THE CONTRACTING THAT THEY'RE NOT LEFT OUT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
THIS HAS BEEN A HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE ITEM BACK AT THE D FOR ACTION.
ERIC, DID YOU WANNA WRAP US UP? WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA, THE, THE BIG WRAP UP FOR US IS THE MAP THAT COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, BECAUSE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, IS BEING ABLE, IS, IS BE ABLE TO SHOW IN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES AND SERVICE AREAS WHERE THE OUTCOMES AND THE SERVICES ARE GONNA BE, UM, DELIVERED, UM, AND FOCUSED ON, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A KEY TAKEAWAY FROM US, AND WE WILL GET THAT DONE.
I DON'T HAVE YOU IN THE QUEUE.
UH, ON THE CONVERSATION OF WHERE THESE ENTITIES AND THESE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE.
I, I WOULD ARGUE THAT MAYBE IT'S IMPORTANT TO GAUGE THE, THE, THE, THE FOLKS YOU UTILIZE THE SERVICES.
OG MADRID IS IN THE WEST SIDE, AND THEY WILL BE RECEIVING FUNDING IF APPROVED.
HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN WHO ATTEND THAT, THAT CENTER, DON'T LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
BUT IT SERVES THE GREATER GOOD OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO, TO GAUGE WHO'S USING THOSE COMMUNITY CENTERS DESPITE WHICH DISTRICT THEY'RE IN? UH, SO I THINK IT'S, UM, A, A BLURRED LINE, RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER SENIOR, ANOTHER CENTER THAT MAY BE RECEIVING SOME FUNDING, UH, AND AGAIN, RIGHT? THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FOLKS LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
UM, BUT I THINK WE, WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM LIKE, ME, ME, ME AND THE GREATER GOOD OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND WHAT BENEFITS WORKING FAMILIES AS A WHOLE.
AND, AND, AND THE DATA THAT WE'LL BE ABLE WILL BE UTILIZING WILL NOT BE BASED ON COUNCIL DISTRICT.
IT'S, IT'S BASED ON, ON WHERE THE NEED'S AT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
TIME IS 2:48 PM ON THE 26TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2023.