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[ PROCEDURAL ]
MORNING EVERYONE.WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
THE TIME IS 9:05 AM ON THE NINTH DAY OF MARCH, 2023.
I'LL CALL OUR A SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SPECIAL GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
LET ME TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR.
TODAY WE'LL BE, UH, HAVING AN INVOCATION FROM REVEREND DR.
HE IS A SENIOR PASTOR AT STONE OAK CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THAT, BY THE WAY, IS THE SAME GROUP THAT ESTABLISHED TRINITY UNIVERSITY.
MARK WAS BORN IN POLAND, PREVIOUSLY EAST PRUSSIA, GERMANY, AND GREW UP IN A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FAMILY.
HE GRADUATED FROM THE HIGHER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY OF WARSAW, POLAND.
HE WAS TRAINED AND GRADUATED FROM AERO LEADERSHIP INTERNATIONAL.
HE GRADUATED WITH A DOCTOR IN MINISTRY FROM MEMPHIS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
HE HAS PREACHED AND, AND TAUGHT AT THE UNI UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN, IN, IN ENGLAND, SWEDEN, GERMANY IN SWITZERLAND, SPAIN, ITALY, AND THE UNITED STATES.
FROM 2006, HE SERVED VARIOUS CHURCHES IN TENNESSEE, OKLAHOMA, AND TEXAS.
HIS CONGREGATION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS A VISION AND A MISSION TO SERVE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND REPRESENTS RESPONSIBLE AND REASONABLE VALUES REPRESENTING OUR CHRISTIAN TRADITION AND PATRIOTIC CIVIC CIVIC MODEL.
I RECENTLY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF JOINING PASTOR SANKY AND HIS CONGREGATION AT THE OPENING OF A NATURE TRAIL ON THEIR PROPERTY IN THE HILLS OF STONE OAK THAT IS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE IS MARRIED TO HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, KINGA, WHO HOLDS A MASTER OF EDUCATION.
TOGETHER THEY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, CAMILA.
SHE GRADUATED WITH A MASTER OF LAW AND WORKS AT POLAND'S PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE.
PASTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCIL MAN AND PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.
IT IS PRIVILEGED TO ME TO BE HERE AND I WOULD LIKE SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE WORDS OF PRAYER AND BLESSINGS.
MY MINISTRY AND HUMAN MINISTRY IS FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY, THEREFORE, WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BE UNITED IN OUR VISION AND MISSION AND ACHIEVE MORE AND MORE FOR OUR GREAT CITIES, SAN ANTONIO, MAY
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I PRAY, OH GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE AND GOODNESS.MAY YOUR FACE CONTINUALLY SHINE UPON US SO THAT YOUR WAYS MAY BE KNOWN IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL OUR CIVIL SERVANTS, THANK YOU FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND SACRIFICE.
MAY YOU CONTINUALLY BLESS THEM.
MAY YOU GENEROUSLY GIVE TO EACH OF THEM WISE AND DISCERNING HEARTS TO SKILLFULLY GOVERN THE PEOPLE IN OUR GREAT CITY.
IF THE MAYOR, CITY LEADERS, STAFF, AND CITY COUNCIL WISDOM SO THAT IT MAY SOLVE PROBLEMS DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG AND BRING ORDER STABILITY AND PROSPERITY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
LORD, I THANK YOU FOR OUR MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL AND LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL IN OUR CITY, GIVE THEM GRACE TO BRING TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND PROSPERITY.
GIVE THEM POWER TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND TO RULE IN FAIRNESS, MAY OUR COMMUNITY BE KNOWN FOR ITS EQUALITY AMONG US AND EQUAL APPLICATION OF THE LAWS THAT IT ALWAYS PROSPER FROM THE INFLUENCE OF GOOD MEN AND WOMEN.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WISDOM AND WE ASK YOU TO FILL US WITH WISDOM AND REVELATION BY THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT.
GIVE YOUR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY A SPIRIT OF UNITY AS WE FOLLOW YOU SO THAT WITH ONE HEART AND ONE MIND, WE MAY WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CITY AND GLORIFY YOUR NAME.
I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE HONORED AND LIFTED UP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
GIVE US YOUR HUMILITY, LORD, AND LET ALL BARRIERS, WALLS, STRONGHOLDS AND DIVISIONS THAT KEEP US SEPARATED FROM YOU AND ONE ANOTHER COME DOWN.
ALL RIGHT, THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 15 AND 16, 20 23.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE I SECOND.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION CLARIFICATIONS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, IF YOU ARE HERE, IF YOU COULD TURN ON YOUR VIDEO AND GIVE US A VOICE VOTE A MOTION CARRIES.
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
I SAID, WE HAVE MANY SPECIAL GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US, UH, AND A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS TO, UH, RECOGNIZE.
SO LET ME START THAT PROCESS BY TURNING THE FLOOR OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, UH, WITH A SPECIAL RECOGNITION.
THIS PAST SUNDAY, MARCH 5TH WAS THE 81ST BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS, BETTER KNOWN AS THE NAVY CBS.
THE CBS HAVE A STORIED HISTORY.
NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS WERE CONCEIVED AS REPLACEMENTS FOR CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN COMBAT ZONES AFTER THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.
BUT THEIR CON CONTRIBUTION TO OUR NATION'S ARMED FORCES GOES DEEPER THAN CONSTRUCTION.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, BEFORE I GO ON, WHAT CAN I INVITE THE CBS UP TO COME AND STAND HERE.
CBS HAVE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION.
THEIR SKILL AND BRAVERY HAVE PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN COMBAT LOGISTICS AND IN COMBAT ITSELF.
THEY'RE AMONG THE FIRST TROOPS TO ENTER THEATERS OF WAR WITH VITAL, SPECIALIZED SUPPORT.
THERE ARE MANY CBS VETERANS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THEM THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS A FORMER DISTRICT SIX COUNCIL MEMBER,
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UH, BOBBY RERA AND THE MAYOR HAS A A, A SPECIAL PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY, MAYOR.WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UM, LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR UNITED STATES NAVY AND, UH, ALWAYS HAVE TO NOTE THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS ALSO A NAVY MAN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, ANDY.
UH, BUT IT GIVES ME GREAT HONOR TO PRESENT THIS OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY SEABEES IN HONOR OF YOUR 80TH BIRTHDAY.
ON MARCH 5TH, 2023, THE US NAVY COMMEMORATES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SEABEES BY REMEMBERING THEIR HERITAGE AND EXTENSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO NAVAL HISTORY.
OVER THE PAST 80 YEARS, THE SEABEES PROVIDE TACTICAL AND EXPEDITIONARY ENGINEERING EXPERTISE IN REMOTE LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD IN SUPPORT OF THE FLEET AND OUR NATION'S PRIORITIES.
CBS PROVIDE THE NAVY AN UNCONVENTIONAL ASSET, FOUND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.
THEY DEDICATE THEIR UNMATCHED HIGHLY SPECIALIZED TRADE SKILLS AND MILITARY PROWESS TO PROTECT OUR NATION AND OUR CONSISTENTLY INVOLVED IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, DISASTER RECOVERY INITIATIVES AND HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS EVEN IN TIMES OF PEACE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE PROUD TO JOIN YOU IN CELEBRATING THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION, AND WE FURTHER EXTEND OUR SINCERE BEST WISHES FOR MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS.
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY TO THE NAVY SEABEES PRESENTED THIS NINTH DAY OF MARCH, 2023.
AT THIS PRESENT TIME, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE TOKEN TO YOU FROM THE NAVY SEABEES OURSELVES A HUNDRED YEARS OF SERVICE.
WE JUST THANK GOD THAT WE ALL SERVE PROUDLY AND HONORABLY, AND WE MADE IT, WE ALL MADE IT BACK HOME IN ONE PIECE, AND NOW WE'RE AT PEACE OURSELVES.
WE STARTED A US NAVAL OUTFIT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GROWING.
WE COME FROM THE NORTH SIDE, EAST SIDE, SOUTH SIDE, AND WEST SIDE, AND ALL OVER THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
BUT AT THIS PRESENT TIME, WE LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE GIFT OF TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION TO YOU.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR SENIOR CHIEFS.
WHAT'S HIS MAYOR TO RECOVERY? OH, HE'S, OH, HE'S GONNA STAY, UM, AS WE ALL, WELL, THE MAYOR MAKES HIS WAY BACK UP.
UH, UH, WE ALL KNOW MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WHEN WE HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO EVENTS IN HISTORY AND TO OUR WORLD.
TODAY, I'M PROUD TO SIT ON THIS DI DAYAS WITH FORM FORMIDABLE WOMEN WHO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CITY EVERY DAY WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP IDEAS AND ENERGY.
AND I'M PROUD THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE JOINED ME THIS MORNING AS WE CELEBRATE THE WOMEN WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US, MANY WHOSE NAMES WILL NEVER KNOW THAT LAID THE GROUNDWORK THAT WE STAND ON TODAY.
WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO EVERY SECTOR AS A MATTER OF FACT.
WE'LL, UM, LET'S INVITE THE WOMEN THAT WE INVITED UP TODAY.
SIA, I'M GONNA NAME YOU OFF HERE IN A MINUTE.
WHERE'S AMANDA? IF Y'ALL WILL COME UP AND, UH, STAND AT THE, UH, AT THE PODIUM.
TODAY, WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO EVERY SECTOR, INDUSTRY, AND PROFESSION IN SOCIETY.
AND AS WE DO SO, WE'RE ALSO LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR, FOR WOMEN WHO WILL FOLLOW US INTO LEADERSHIP, A A YOUNG ONE OF WHICH IS WHO, WHO IS HERE TODAY WITH US.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THE HISPANIC CHAMBER, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF ERICA PROSPER, DID A STUDY
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ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO.THEY FOUND WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY IS OVER $2 BILLION OF LABOR.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CELEBRATED AND HONORED.
I TAKE A MOMENT THIS MORNING TO CELEBRATE THE WOMEN OF SAN ANTONIO, WHO DON'T ALWAYS MAKE THE HEADLINES, BUT WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THESE ARE WOMEN WHO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU, WHO ARE IN THE FRONT LINES, CARING FOR THE REST OF US, HEALING US, TEACHING US, NURTURING US, SUPPORTING US, AND SHELTERING US WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST.
WHEN THE MOVIE ENCANTO CAME OUT, EVERY WOMAN RELATED TO LOUISA, RIGHT? EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE ALL HAD A LITTLE TEAR IN OUR EYE.
FOR POOR LOUISA, THE STRONG, RESILIENT SISTER WHO CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF HER VILLAGE ON HER SHOULDERS, THE WOMEN YOU SEE HER TODAY ARE CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THIS CITY ON THEIR SHOULDERS.
TODAY, I'VE ASKED SOME INSPIRING WOMEN, UH, MY FELLOW LOUISAS, IF YOU WILL, TO JOIN US THIS MORNING.
ESIA MOORE WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MAYBE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND SO PEOPLE KNOW.
UH, SYLVIA CANTU, A MOM WHO RECENTLY WENT BACK TO WORK.
MEGAN JANSSEN, A CITY EMPLOYEE, SANDRA CANTU FROM REN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
STACY GARCIA, ALSO FROM RED MIDDLE SCHOOL.
PATRICIA CASTILLO, THE PEACE INITIATIVE.
SHOUT OUT
JOANNE TURNER, AND LISA CRUZ, TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
AND YOUNG JILLIAN HERE WITH US.
I HONOR THESE WOMEN AND THE THOUSANDS OF WOMEN IN OUR CITY THAT THEY REPRESENT, THAT DO THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK THAT KEEPS OUR CITY GOING, OUR FAMILIES SAFE AND HEALTHY, OUR CHILDREN LEARNING AND OUR COMMUNITY STRONG.
I HOPE YOU'RE INSPIRED BY ALL THESE STRONG WOMEN AROUND YOU AND KNOW YOU WILL BE ONE OF THESE WOMEN.
YOU WILL BE BETTER THAN ANY ONE OF US.
I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL JOIN ME IN THIS CELEBRATION, SO I'LL PASS.
UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT.
LADIES, MAYBE TURN AROUND THERE MIGHT BE FOR PHOTOS.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO DOWN FOR THE PHOTO, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA PASS THE MIC TO COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN.
AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH TODAY, MY POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE GUESTS ARE WOMEN MAKING HISTORY IN BUSINESS.
BUSINESSES ARE THE FOUNDATION OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY AND THESE, THESE WOMEN THAT I'M, UH, BRINGING UP TODAY, THREE, BECAUSE ONE OF 'EM IS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND COULD NOT MAKE IT 'CAUSE SHE WAS TENDING TO HER BUSINESS, HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS, UH, AMOUNT OF WORK, HAVE SUPPORTED THE COMMUNITY, AND WORKED VERY HARD TO MOVE THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO I'LL ASK THEM ALL TO COME UP, BUT I WILL KIND OF SHARE THEIR STORY.
SO IF I COULD GET CONNIE GONZALEZ WITH BROOKS.
CONNIE IS THE CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER OF BROOKS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BROOKS GIVES BACK NONPROFIT.
CONNIE LEADS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES.
SHE SERVED AS THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF THE SOUTH TEXAS BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS WORKED TO REBRAND THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T JUST COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT THAT WE LED OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UH, AND THAT WAS FORMERLY THE SOUTH, UH, SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
SHE WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE TEXAS 100 INFLUENTIAL PROFESSIONALS TO WATCH IN 2023 AND WAS SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL'S 40 UNDER 40 WOMEN OF THE YEAR.
MY NEXT BUSINESS PERSON, AND I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, MRS. VEDA AND, UH, LINDA LAZO COME UP WITH LINDA'S BEAUTY SALON.
LINDA'S BEAUTY SALON HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
IN 2020, SHE OPENED HER SECOND LOCATION IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC, UH, CALLED LINDA'S DE DEVOTE DE NOVO AT BROOKS.
LINDA WAS BORN IN NICARAGUA AND MI MIGRATED TO AMERICA AS SHE ESCAPED FROM COMMUNISM AND HOPING FOR A BETTER FUTURE WITH HER EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY.
NOW HER GOAL HAS BEEN TO CARRY ON THE MISSION OF HELPING KIDS IN NICARAGUA, RIDING AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND SOON BEGIN HER OWN PRODUCT LINE.
LINDA'S FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, OPTIMISM, AND HER HEART FOR THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO HAS OPENED MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND BUILD GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.
SHE'S GRATEFUL FOR HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, SUPPORT.
THEY'VE SUPPORTED HER ALL THESE YEARS.
HER PASSION, PRIDE, AND DEDICATION FOR THE ART OF HAIR HAS MADE AN IMPACT IN MANY LIVES.
AND THE ONE THING IS WE WENT THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES.
IT WAS LINDA'S STORY ABOUT HOW THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN, HOW THEY HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THAT I COULD GO INTO THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SAY WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT OUR SERVICE INDUSTRIES.
WE NEEDED TO SEE HOW THIS WAS IMPACTED.
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AND THEN TODAY I AM HONORED TO HAVE, UM, MRS. LETICIA SEPULVEDA WITH DON PEDRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT, UM, AT MR. MR. SEPULVEDA PASSED, UM, LAST YEAR, AND WE REMEMBERED HIM HERE.BUT I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY BECAUSE YOU ARE CONTINUING TO THRIVE.
UH, DON PEDROS IS CELEBRATING THEIR 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND WE WANTED TO HONOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT MRS. SEPULVEDA AND HER FAMILY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SOUTH SIDE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO DON PEDROS, IT IS A PLACE WHERE IF YOU WALK IN WITH 12 OR 22 PEOPLE, THEY CAN FIND YOU.
ROOM
SHE WAS TRAINED IN THE KITCHEN BY HER MOTHER, UH, COOK EXTRAORDINAIRE.
SHE BROUGHT MANY MEXICAN DISHES AND RECIPES FROM MONTEREY FOR CUSTOMERS TO EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING CAPTO AND CHILI RIANO.
MY FAVORITE IS THE KESSO AND THE ORIGINAL SUMMER SPECIAL PLATE, WHICH IS A BI CHALUPA AVOCADO AND CHEESE.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN ORDER IT OFF MENU
UM, BUT, UH, AND THEN, UH, DISTRICT FOUR HAS JUST REMINDED ME HERS IS THE QUICKIE PLATE.
UM, SO EVEN TODAY, MRS. VEDA IS OFTEN IN THE KITCHEN CHECKING QUALITY AND TASTE AND OFFERING MORE DELICIOUS PLATES, UM, WHICH IS JUST ASADA DECO.
I I CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO, WE'RE GONNA GET HUNGRY,
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THE THING WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR WOMEN MAKING HISTORY IN, IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WHEN THIS IS THE TIME, IT'S NOT LATER, IT'S NOT AFTER THEY MAKE THIS ACHIEVEMENT, IT'S WHEN THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU LADIES FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND I'LL BRING MY FOURTH BUSINESS OWNER BACK UP FOR ANOTHER TIME.
BUT THANK Y'ALL ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND CELEBRATING THIS WITH US.
AND I BELIEVE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO HAS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO SHARE TOO.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T CELEBRATE THE DISTRICT FIVE STAFF DURING OUR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION.
OUR STAFF IS PREDOMINANTLY WOMEN AND RUN BY A, A TEAM OF STRONG, BOLD WOMEN WHO NOT ONLY ASSIST OUR CONSTITUENTS ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT EDUCATE AND INSPIRE THEM TO ACHIEVE MORE.
I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE THE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM, NAMELY RACHEL, STEPHANIE, CHRISTINE SAKINA, AND OUR U T S A INTERN ALLISON.
THEY FORM THE BACKBONE OF OUR DISTRICT AND ENABLE US TO CARRY OUR DUTIES EFFECTIVELY.
I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO THEM AND ENTRUSTING ME WITH THEIR DEDICATION AND FOR JOINING HANDS WITH US TO SERVE THE WONDERFUL CONSTITUENTS OF DISTRICT FIVE.
SO I WANNA THANK, UH, MY DISTRICT FIVE TEAM, BUT ONTO ANOTHER BOLD LEADER.
I WANNA INVITE NATALIE CLIFFORD TODAY, UH, UP TO THE PODIUM, I INVITED NATALIE CLIFFORD TO THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
TODAY NATALIE IS A TEACHER AT HARLANDALE ISDS MCCULLUM HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SHE IS AN EMERGENT BILINGUAL SPECIALIST SERVING AS THE MAIN TEACHER FOCUSED ON SUPPORT FOR NEW NEWCOMER IMMIGRANT STUDENTS.
SHE HAS BEEN AN EDUCATOR AT MCCULLUM FOR CLOSE TO FOUR YEARS AND HAS NOW OVER 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
NATALIE IS EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND YOU CAN TELL ASIDE FROM BEING A FULL-TIME TEACHER, HER COLLEAGUES RECENTLY VOTED HER AS TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR HER CAMPUS IN THE 20 21 20 22 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SHE WAS RECENTLY ELECTED AS A UNION PRESIDENT FOR THE HARLANDALE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, WHERE THEY WORK TO ENSURE THAT EDUCATORS ARE ADEQUATELY COMPENSATED, THAT THEY ARE AN ACTIVE PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND KEEPING TO PUSH, UH, KEEP OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUBLIC.
IN OTHER WORDS, MAKING SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS SERVE EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
NATALIE IS ALWAYS THINKING UP WAYS TO CONNECT HER STUDENTS AND THE MCCOLLUM COMMUNITY TO RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AS YOUNG PEOPLE.
SHE HAS BROUGHT HER STUDENTS TO FIELD TRIPS LIKE GOING TO THE TEXAS STATE CAPITAL TO LOBBYING SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SPEAKING AT THE NATIONAL CHICANO STUDENT WALKOUTS CONFERENCE IN 2019 AND RECENTLY WITNESSING THE PLAY OF CRYSTAL CITY, 1969, HIS AT THE HISTORIC GUADALUPE THEATER IN 2021.
SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ESTABLISHING THE DREAM CENTER ON THEIR CAMPUS.
THE DREAM CENTER IS A SPACE WHERE BILINGUAL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE CONNECTED TO RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH INTENT OF BUILDING COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
THEY RECENTLY WORKED WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, CASSIDY ON A BEAUTIFUL MURAL WITH A SLOGAN INTENTIONALLY WRITTEN IN SPANGLISH THAT STATES EVERYTHING BEGINS
LASTLY, I'LL ADD THAT NAT IS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE SHE HAS GREAT MUSIC TASTE, UH, AND THAT SHE HAS, UH, TWO OF THE HER FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE PRINCE AND BAD BUNNY BECAUSE BOTH HAVE USED THEIR PLATFORM TO ADVOCATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CHANGE.
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SS G AND SAN ANTONIO ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU HERE AS AN EDUCATOR WHERE YOU USE YOUR TEACHING PLATFORM TO ADVOCATE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF OUR YOUTH.AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS.
SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL OF MAYOR NUREMBERG.
I FIRST WANT TO PROFUSELY THANK DISTRICT FIVE, COUNCILMAN TERRY CASTILLO AND HER EXCELLENT TEAM OF STAFF FOR KINDLY INVITING ME HERE TODAY.
IT'S TRULY AN HONOR AND I AM VERY HUMBLED, UH, TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU ALL DO TO BUILD AN INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE SAN ANTONIO EVERY DAY.
I ALSO WANNA GIVE A MAJOR SHOUT OUT TO MY STUDENTS S
UM, THE BILINGUAL YOUTH I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO SUPPORT EVERY DAY ARE BRILLIANT HUMAN BEINGS FROM FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, MEXICO, HON, GUATEMALA, AND NICARAGUA.
ONLY ABOUT THE STORY OF SAN ANTONIO'S VERY OWN LEGEND
MY STUDENTS ARE CAPTIVATED BY EMMA'S PASSION, HER PRIDE IN HER LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, AND HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO TELLING THE TRUTH ALONGSIDE OTHERS.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT LATER IN LIFE, EMMA WORKED AS A BILINGUAL READING TEACHER WITH MIGRANT STUDENTS AND HARLAND DEL I S D.
MY STUDENTS ARE A SHINING REFLECTION OF HER LEGACY.
THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO AND MAYOR NUREMBERG FOR LEADING THE EFFORTS TO RENAME A SOUTH SIDE STREET.
AND EMMA'S HONOR SO THAT HER STORY IS NEVER FORGOTTEN ON THE GROUND IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS EVERY DAY WE CONTINUE TO WITNESS THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
THANKFULLY, HARLANDALE, I S D HAS ESTABLISHED THE HARLANDALE CARE CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, FAMILIES, AND ANYONE WHO RESIDES WITHIN THE 14 SQUARE MILES OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, THE RESPONSE TO THESE SERVICES HAS BEEN SO OVERWHELMING TO THE POINT THAT THE CARE CENTER HAS HAD TO START WAIT LISTS THREE DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS FOR THE TOTAL OF HIGH 517 REFERRALS THIS SCHOOL YEAR ALONE.
ON THAT NOTE, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY HOPE THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT EFFORTS LIKE THOSE OF THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION AND THEIR TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND EVERY COMMUNITY RECEIVE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY DESERVE TO THRIVE WITH DIGNITY.
TO CONCLUDE, AND THE WORDS OF MY FAVORITE ARTIST PRINTS FROM MY OWN HOMETOWN OF MINNEAPOLIS, QUOTE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIX THE SYSTEM.
WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND NEW LIFE.
AND QUOTE, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD TOGETHER.
AND UH, ONE LAST THING IS NAT IS WORKING WITH SAN ANTO CULTURAL ARTS IN DISTRICT FIVE AND S C I S D TO WORK ON A JOINT MURAL IN D FIVE THAT TELLS THE HISTORY AND THE CONNECTION OF THE SOUTH SIDE AND WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT WORK OF NAT HARLAND DALE, I S D SS, C I S D IN SAN ANTO CULTURAL ARTS.
UH, AND WITH THAT I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO.
UH, TODAY I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT A PERSON WHO'S NOT HERE, BUT I REALLY ALWAYS ENJOY TALKING ABOUT HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A PERSON THAT INSPIRED MANY OF US TO LOOK AT HELPING PEOPLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
AND THAT IS MARIA ANTONIO, WHO WAS THE COUNCILMAN IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, AND WAS ELECTED IN 1981.
MARIA, WHEN SHE WAS ELECTED, THAT DID MANY EXTRAORDINARY THINGS, ONE OF WHICH WAS TO NAME ABOUT 80 TO 90% OF HER BOARDS AND COMMISSION WERE WOMEN.
UH, THE OTHER WAS THAT SHE STARTED AN ORGANIZATION ALONG WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY CALLED UNI, AND EZ HELD CONFERENCES EVERY YEAR OR TWO.
AND I CAN REMEMBER YOUNG PEOPLE COMING TO ME AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, MY MOTHER AFTER DIVORCE WAS VERY DEPRESSED.
SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW SHE WAS GONNA RAISE US.
SHE ATTENDED AN
AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS IS A TIME WHEN IT'S NOT LIKE THIS FULL OF WOMEN AND, UH, WHO ARE DOING EVERYTHING.
IT'S A SMALLER GROUP OF WOMEN THAT ARE JUST COMING OUT NOW TO BE ABLE TO BE IN DIFFERENT CAREERS.
AND THIS YOUNG MAN TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN SHE CAME OUT OF THAT CONFERENCE, SUDDENLY THE DEPRESSION HAD LIFTED.
SUDDENLY SHE FELT SHE WAS NOT ALONE.
SHE COULD CALL ON ALL THESE WOMEN IN DIFFERENT AREAS TO HELP.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MARIA
[00:30:01]
WAS, HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY, UH, HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT HER, THE CONNECTION THAT SHE HAS OF HELPING WOMEN COME TOGETHER.PATRICIA CASTILLO IS HERE, AND SHE'S ONE OF THOSE WOMEN THAT HAS ALWAYS HELPED OTHER WOMEN AND HAS BEEN A GREAT FRIEND, OFTA FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
MARIA HAS WRITTEN A BOOK, UH, CALLED MARIA DAUGHTER OF MIGRANTS, AND IT TALKS ABOUT A GREAT DEAL OF NOT ONLY THE GOOD STUFF THAT HAPPENED ON COUNCIL, BUT SOME OF THE DIFFICULT THINGS THAT SHE WENT THROUGH AND ALSO THAT HER PARENTS WENT THROUGH.
BUT THE ONE THING ABOUT MARIA THAT I I KNOW, IS THAT SHE HAS ENCOURAGED MANY, MANY WOMEN TO STEP OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE TO TRY FOR SOMETHING GREATER.
TO KNOW THAT EVEN IF YOU LOSE, YOU WIN TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE.
AND THAT WAS THE THEME OF HER MAYORAL CAMPAIGN IN 1991.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE IN OUR CITY TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT THE CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.
AND SO TODAY, WHILE ANTA IS HOME AND SHE TAKES CARE OF HER HUSBAND, WHO IS ILL, UM, SHE DOESN'T GET OUT AS MUCH ANYMORE.
BUT NO MATTER WHAT, WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE, THEY STILL GO VISIT ANTA, NOT ONLY TO GET HER BLESSING, BUT TO HEAR FROM HER THE WISDOM THAT SHE HAS LEARNED OVER THE YEARS.
SO THANK YOU MARIA ANTA, FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR THE CASTRO FAMILY AND FOR ALL THE FAMILIES OF SAN ANTONIO.
I WOULD LIKE NOW TO CALL UPON COUNCILWOMAN MELISSA.
I, I'M MY LITTLE HEART JUST FLUTTERED BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT, BUT
TODAY, WE HONOR THESE AMAZING WOMEN.
THEY'RE THE STRONG ONES WHO LIFT US, WHO KEEP US MOVING, GROWING, AND THRIVING.
THEY CARRY US WITH DEVOTION UNDER ENORMOUS PRESSURE WITH GRACE UNDER HUGE BURDENS.
WOMEN HAVE BEEN DOING THIS THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND WE'RE PROUD TO CELEBRATE THEM THIS MONTH.
UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CABELL HARVARD, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING, UH, ERICA.
UH, IN THAT STUDY THAT WAS DONE WITH THE HISPANIC CHAMBER A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, IT DID HIGHLIGHT THE WORK, UH, THAT WE STILL HAVE TO DO WITH GENDER EQUITY, UH, FOR WOMEN IN FIELDS AND WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT.
UH, SO WHEN WE HAVE THE CAUSE TO CELEBRATE THAT, I THINK WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE IT.
AND CERTAINLY I'VE BEEN ON THIS DAIS WHEN WE CELEBRATED, UH, ONE IMPORTANT OCCASION WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST, UH, MAJORITY FEMALE COUNCIL ELECTED.
SO BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, NOW, I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S MORE BARRIERS BEING BROKEN.
AND I WAS JUST LOOKING UP SOME EQUITY ISSUES WITH REGARD TO GENDER AND HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND THIS IS JUST IN US BUSINESS SCHOOLS.
WOMEN STILL ACCOUNT FOR LESS THAN ONE FI IN FIVE DEANSHIPS LESS THAN ONE IN THREE FULL-TIME FACULTY, AND LESS THAN ONE IN FOUR TENURED FACULTY IN US BUSINESS SCHOOLS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DISPARITIES THAT STILL REMAIN.
IF OUR CAUSE IS TO CELEBRATE, THAT'S WONDERFUL, BUT ARE ALSO OUR CAUSE IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CHANGE.
AND SO I WANT TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, WHO BY THE WAY, YESTERDAY AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY, WAS JUST GRANTED A TENURED, FULL TENURED POSITION AS PROFESSOR.
IT HAPPENED, BY THE WAY, ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, SO THAT WAS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
UM, SINCE WE CELEBRATED YESTERDAY, WE WERE RECOGNIZING WOMEN WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND THE POLITICAL WORLDS.
AND I AM SO HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH THIS GROUP OF WOMEN WHO SIT ON THE DAES.
UM, YOU ALL KNOW, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID THAT I, UH, I WAS IN A GROUP WITH THE, THE FIRST WOMEN ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH, WITH COUNCILWOMAN CAVEO HDA AS WELL.
AND TODAY AS WE CONTINUE CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE SO MANY WOMEN HERE IN THE CROWD AND SO MANY YOUNG GIRLS.
AND WE'LL RECOGNIZE A FEW OF THE, OF THE LEADERS HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I WANNA THANK ALSO CITY STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR ORGANIZING A SERIES OF EVENTS IN MARCH TO COMMEMORATE AND HONOR WOMEN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
I'VE SEEN A LOT OF YOU AT THE DIFFERENT
[00:35:01]
EVENTS SO FAR, SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, MY STAFF WHO REALLY FOCUSES ON WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IS ANA GAVI IN DISTRICT FOUR, AND ANA'S PROBABLY RUNNING AROUND, UH, BUT HER AND MEGAN JANSEN ARE KEY, UH, COMPONENTS IN THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM, JUST A LITTLE BIT TOGETHER WITH MARIA VILLAGOMEZ.
AND I SEE MEGAN WAS RECOGNIZED EARLIER AND SHE'S HERE.
THANK YOU, MEGAN, FOR ALL YOU DO.
AS WE CONTINUE CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, I WANNA TAKE, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HELPED PLAN THE EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT.
I'VE BEEN A CHAMPION OF THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT SINCE OUR FIRST EVENT, WHICH WAS PLANNED IN MARCH OF 2020, BUT CANCELED THE MORNING THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT THE FIRST COMMUNITY SPREAD CASE OF COVID HAPPENED SINCE THEN.
WE HOSTED TWO VIRTUAL EVENTS, ONE IN 2021 AND 1 20 22.
BUT I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR FIRST IN-PERSON EVENT IS HAPPENING NEXT FRIDAY, MARCH THE 17TH IN DISTRICT FIVE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE, AND VERY HAPPY THAT WE COULD HAVE IT THERE.
THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT IS A TWO DAY EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DE DEPARTMENT, DESIGNED FOR GIRLS AGES 13 TO 18.
FRIDAY SESSION IS A ONE DAY SUMMIT TO PROMOTE NON-TRADITIONAL CAREER ROLES AND TO SUPPORT WOMEN TO BECOME LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST LIKE THE LEADERS THAT WE SEE HERE TODAY.
THE SESSIONS ON SATURDAY WILL BE HELD AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINING FACILITY AND THEY HELP YOUNG WOMEN LEARN TO BE A FIREFIGHTER, LEARN ABOUT A CAREER IN FIREFIGHTING.
SOME OF OUR PARTNERS INCLUDE THE BOARDROOM PROJECT, AND I WANNA THANK SELENA GPO FOR SERVING AS THE MC AND UPLIFTING ONE ANOTHER AND CREATING A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE, UH, SOCIETY.
I ALSO WANT, WANT TO THANK THE Y W C A TEAM FOR SUPPORTING THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT AND LEADING A SESSION ON WAGE EQUITY.
AND I SEE THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE TODAY AND BRIGHT ORANGE.
THANK YOU LADIES FOR BEING HERE.
DURING FRIDAY'S LUNCHEON, WE'LL BE HOSTING A MENTORING LUNCH WHERE PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE LUNCH AND LEARN FROM SOME SUCCESSFUL WOMEN LEADERS FROM SAN ANTONIO.
WE'VE HAD WOMEN LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY AND DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES VOLUNTEER TO BE MENTORS FOR THE GIRLS.
SEEING OUR YOUNG LEADERS CONNECT WITH WOMEN WHO ARE IN DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS WILL SURELY BE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EVENT.
IN ADDITION TO A PRESENTATION ON THE FINDINGS FROM OUR NEW STATUS OF GIRLS REPORT BY OUR MALE ALLY, DR.
ROGELIO, SCIENCE FROM U T SS A, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE FULL REPORT AND HAVING FUTURE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR YOUTH TO LEARN HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO HELP SUPPORT ENSURE GIRLS HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPOWERING GIRLS GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS.
BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS, LATINAS SIGNIFICANT, YOU PEARLS THE BOARDROOM PROJECT, THE LEMONADE CIRCLE, THE YOUNG LEADERS LEAD YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHO HAS TWO STUDENTS WITH US TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THEM THE EMPOWER HOUSE AND Y W C A SAN ANTONIO, OF COURSE, AND MANY, MANY MORE.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AS WELL AS THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY AND REMINDING US THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK TO DO, BUT PLENTY OF INDIVIDUALS ARE READY AND WILLING TO HELP.
OUR CITY IS MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WOMEN WHO ARE SHAPING OUR WORLD AND LEAVING A LASTING IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS.
LIKE I STATED LAST YEAR, SO LONG AS THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DOUBT THE CAPABILITIES OF WOMEN OR WHO QUESTION THEIR APTITUDE, THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE, BARRIERS TO BE ELIMINATED, AND EXPECTATIONS TO BE EXCEEDED.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IN EMPOWERING WOMEN AND BUILDING THE CONFIDENCE OF YOUNG GIRLS SO THAT THEY CAN REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL AND BECOME THOSE FUTURE LEADERS.
I, I'D LOVE TO CONTINUE UPLIFTING ONE ANOTHER AND CREATING A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY THAT SHOULD BE EMBEDDED INTO EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIFE.
LASTLY, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND MY COLLEAGUES AND CITY STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR SUPPORTING PROGRAMS LIKE THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT AND EMPOWERING WOMEN OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS.
ALRIGHT, WELL WELCOME, UM, EVERYONE AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM HERE, AND IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE A NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR PERSIAN COMMUNITY TO SAN ANTONIO, UH, WHO NOT TO SAN ANTONIO, TO CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, PART OF MANY CELEBRATIONS, PART OF MANY IMPORTANT EFFORTS.
YOU MAY SEE THE PIN ON MOJANG'S, UH, BLOUSE ON HER JACKET THAT SAYS, COME ON UP HERE, MOJ.
UM, BEFORE I GET INTO THE CELEBRATION, EXPLAIN WHAT'S ON YOUR SURE JACKET.
[00:40:01]
MY SISTER'S MAKING THESE, ACTUALLY, SHE'S RIGHT HERE.AND, UM, WE WERE HERE IN DECEMBER.
I GAVE A SHORT SPEECH ABOUT THE REVOLUTION, THE WOMEN LIFE FREEDOM REVOLUTION THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN IRAN FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, UM, WHICH IS ALSO LED BY WOMEN, AND IT'S A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, PEACE, JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN, UH, UNDER OPPRESSION FOR THE PAST ALMOST 44, WELL, 44 YEARS NOW, AS OF FEBRUARY.
AND, AND AS I MENTIONED, UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO A MORE CELEBRATORY NOTE, UM, JUST TO WRAP UP THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, MADE NOTE OF THE FACT THAT, UH, YESTERDAY WAS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
IT'S NOT WOMEN'S DAY IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S NOT WOMEN'S DAY IN TEXAS OR THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE FIGHT FOR, UH, WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAT WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO ALL LEAN INTO AND RECOGNIZE, UH, AREN'T JUST OURS ALONE, BUT THAT ARE SHARED ACROSS THE WORLD.
AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT, UH, MOSIN FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND BRINGING OUR ATTENTION TO THIS.
AND, AND SO TODAY WE WANNA BRING YOU IN TO CELEBRATE WHAT IS NOW PERSIAN NEW YEAR HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, IF ALL OF OUR, UH, ALL OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AND LEADERSHIP COULD COME UP, UH, YOU MAY RECOGNIZE SOME, SEVERAL OF THE FOLKS HERE.
UH, SOME OF THEM WORK FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WE HAVE THE QUEEN OF DATA, UH,
UM, OUR SHERRY DEHI MAY HAVE ALREADY DEPARTED, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE SHE HAD A NINE 30 MEETING,
OKAY, WELL, IT GIVES ME GREAT HONOR TO PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS DURING THE SEASON OF SPRING, THE MEIR FOUNDATION, SAN ANTONIO PERSIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY WILL JOIN IRANIANS AND 300 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD TO CELEBRATE NOR RU'S PERSIAN NEW YEAR, AN ECO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY WHICH CHAMPIONS UNITY, PEACE, SOLIDARITY, GROWTH, AND RENEWAL BETWEEN GENERATIONS STARTING ON MARCH 20TH 23.
AND WHEREAS ON THE DAY OF NO'S OR NEW DAY, A WIDESPREAD TRADITION IS THE PREPARATION OF NO'S TABLE IN WHICH A NUMBER OF SYMBOLIC OBJECTS ARE PLACED TO SYMBOLIZE PURITY, BRIGHTNESS, ABUNDANCE, HAPPINESS, AND FERTILITY FOR THE NEW YEAR.
DURING THE CELEBRATION, PEOPLE FEAST, EXCUSE ME, PEOPLE FEAST VISIT FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AND EXCHANGE GIFTS.
AND WHEREAS A BELOVED NO'S NEW NEW YEAR TRADITION IS THE GROWING OF SAB SZE OR SPROUTS MADE FROM LENTILS OR WHEAT SEEDS, WHICH CREATES AN EDIBLE CENTERPIECE TO SYMBOLIZE BIRTH AND REGROWTH.
AND WHEREAS DURING THIS OBSERVANCE, VARIOUS EVENTS WILL BE HELD TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR, TO PROMOTE VALUES OF PEACE AND SOLIDARITY BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND WITHIN FAMILIES, AS WELL AS RECONCILIATION AND NEIGHBORLINESS THROUGH THUS CONTRIBUTING TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND FRIENDSHIP AMONG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON BERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 20TH, 2023 TO BE NORA'S PERSIAN NEW YEAR IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
YOU TOOK MY SPEECH AWAY,
I'M, I'M HUMBLED TO BE HERE, UM, TWICE IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.
UM, AND TO BE HERE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TO BE AMONG, UM, ALL OF YOU FABULOUS CITY LEADERS.
UM, MY NAME IS MOJ PANA AND IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE REPRESENTING THE IRANIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
I WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR NIERENBERG, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL COUNCILMAN PAL, UH, WHOSE DISTRICT I LIVE IN AND MANY OF US, UH, LIVE IN AND WORK IN AND, UH, CITY OFFICIALS FOR EMBRACING US AND OUR CULTURE.
MARCH IS, AS WE SAID, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND YESTERDAY WAS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AGAIN TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE IRANIAN WOMEN ACROSS THE GLOBE LEADING THE WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM REVOLUTION.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE NRU, THE IRANIAN NEW YEAR.
NRU IS AN ANCIENT TRADI TRADITION CELEBRATED WITH THE COMING OF THE VERNAL SPRING EQUINOX, DATING BACK MORE THAN 3000 YEARS NRU, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS, AS THE MAYOR SAID, A NEW DAY IS THE NEW YEAR.
NOT JUST FOR IRANIANS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IN TURKEY, SYRIA, PAKISTAN, INDIA, AND EVEN ETHNIC GROUPS IN UKRAINE, ALBANIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN CENTRAL ASIA AND EUROPE.
WHILE IN ANCIENT PERSIA, DURING NRU, PEOPLE FROM THE KINGDOM WOULD ARRIVE ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE CAPITOL TO PAY TRIBUTE AND RESPECT TO THE KING.
TODAY, NRU IS A MEANS FOR KEEPING OUR CULTURE ALIVE.
WHAT BEGAN AS A CELEBRATION OF VICTORY OVER DARKNESS AND A FEAST DAY FOR RAAN AND PERSIA.
NRU IS NOW A TIME FOR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES TO GATHER IN KINDNESS.
[00:45:01]
IT IS A TIME FOR ENDING QUARRELS AND EMBRACING FRIENDSHIPS.NRU IS A TIME FOR PROSPERITY, HEALTH, AND MOST OF ALL FOR LOVE.
IRAN OR PERSIA IS THE BIRTHPLACE TO MANY A GREAT POET, ONE OF THEM BEING EZ OF SHIRAZ WHO WROTE THE DAYS OF SPRING ARE HERE.
THE EGLAND T THE ROSE, THE TULIP FROM THE DUST HAVE RISEN.
AND THOU WHY LIES THOU BENEATH THE DUST LIKE THE FULL CLOUDS OF SPRING.
THESE EYES OF MINE SHALL SCATTER TEARS UPON THY PRISON TILL THOU TWO FROM THE EARTH.
NOUS HAS MANY TRADITIONS AND ONE OF THEM CALLS FOR THE ELDER IN THE FAMILY TO GIFT THE YOUNGER FOLKS A GIFT.
AND SO I WILL TAKE ON AND WE ARE TAKING ON THE ROLE OF ELDERS IN THE FAMILY TODAY, AND WE'VE GIFTED YOU, UM, ON YOUR, I BELIEVE IN, IN FRONT OF YOU IS A BOX OF, UH, PERSIAN SWEETS COMPLIMENTARY OF PASHA AND BAKLAVA BAKERY AND COMRAN HAJI VANDI, WHO COULD NOT BE HERE WITH US TODAY BECAUSE HE'S BUSY WORKING.
UM, AND ALSO A TRADITIONAL GOOD LUCK CHARM WHO MY SISTER NAZY HAS SO KINDLY HANDMADE FOR YOU.
AND THERE'S A DESCRIPTION THERE FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO HANG THAT AROUND YOUR NECK OR WHEREVER YOU'D LIKE, UM, TO KEEP AWAY THE EVIL.
SO THOSE ARE GIFTS FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THEM.
FOR MAYOR NUREMBERG, WE DO HAVE A PAINTING FROM LOCAL ARTISTS, FABO FARAD, WHO IS HERE TODAY AND HAS ASKED ME TO READ A DESCRIPTION OF THE PAINTING FOR YOU.
YOU WANNA HOLD IT UP? MAYOR NIERENBERG, THIS IS A HUMBLE NRU GIFT TO YOU AND THE PERSIAN FROM THE PERSIAN COMMUNITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THE CREATION OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE IS AN ABSTRACT VISIONARY PAINTING BASED ON THE THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HUMANITY FROM 4,000 YEARS AGO.
IN PERSIA, ONE SHOULD PRACTICE GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS, AND GOOD DEEDS.
RACAN BELIEVE IN ONE OMNI IN GOD CALLED AURA MAZDA OR FARHA, MEANING WISE LORD AURA MAZDA IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING WHICH CAN AND NOT CANNOT BE SEEN.
THE ETERNAL, THE PURE, AND THE ONLY TRUTH.
THIS PAINTING DEPICTS THE MOMENT THAT AURA MAZDA CREATED THE UNIVERSE.
IRAN'S MAP AND A FEW ARTIFACTS FROM ANCIENT TIMES REPRESENT THE RICH CULTURE OF THE PERIOD.
THE BULLHEAD COLUMN IS A REMINDER OF PERIS, WHICH WAS THE ANCIENT PERSIAN CAPITAL.
FIRE REPRESENTS THE LIGHT OF GOD AS WELL AS THE ILLUMINATED MIND.
IANS BELIEVE THAT FIRE IS THE SUPREME SYMBOL OF PURITY AND THEY MAINTAIN SACRED FIRES IN FIRE TEMPLES.
ALL ZOAN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES ARE PERFORMED IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS SACRED FIRE.
THE WRITING AT THE TOP OF THE PAINTING IS AN OLD PERSIAN UNIFORM AND A SEMI ALPHABETIC UNIFORM SCRIPT THAT WAS THE PRIMARY SCRIPT FOR THE OLD PERSIAN LANGUAGE.
THEY WERE MOSTLY INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE TIME OF DARIUS THE GREAT AND HIS SON XERXES, AND THE CALLIGRAPHY IS IN FARSI AND TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.
WE WILL LEAVE THIS BEHIND FOR YOU.
UM, I WOULD BE AMISS IF I DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR COUNTRY MEN AND WOMEN IN IRAN ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND PEACE, AND THAT OUR FRIENDS IN TURKEY, SYRIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY THE DISASTROUS EARTHQUAKES ARE LIVING THROUGH SOME OF THEIR MOST TRYING DAYS.
WE PRAY THAT THE SNOW BRINGS THEM ALL THE STRENGTH AND PATIENCE THEY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS BETTER DAYS, AND WE HAVE MANY, MANY TURKISH, UH, FRIENDS IN THE CITY AS WELL.
IN 2009, UNESCO, THE CULTURAL ARM OF THE UNITED NATIONS LISTED NRU ON ITS REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY, NOTING THAT NRU PROMOTES VALUES OF PEACE AND SOLIDARITY.
WE HOPE THAT FROM THIS DAY FORTH AND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME, NRU BECOMES A LOCAL TRADITION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ITS DIVERSE CITIZENS TON NRU, NORTON, PERUS, WHICH MEANS MAY ALL YOUR DAYS BE A NEW DAY AND MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE PROSPEROUS.
I AM TRULY HUMBLED ON BEHALF OF THE PERSIAN COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EMBRACING US, FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WISH ALL OF YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN THE UPCOMING CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS.
THANK, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
[00:50:01]
YOU.ALL RIGHT, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE HERE ON BUSINESS, UH, FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'RE GONNA GET NOW INTO OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.
I'LL NOTE THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
ALL THEIR ITEMS ARE LISTED FOR CONSENT.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
COLLEAGUES NOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.ANY OTHERS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FOUR, 10, AND 12.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN, OR ACTUALLY A COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER NINE, SO I'LL CALL THEM NOW.
ALSO ON ITEM NINE, JACK FINGER.
MAYOR NURNBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER.
WELL, ITEM NUMBER NINE ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA IS ABOUT, UH, WELL, IT'S ABOUT RECEIVING EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
YES, MR. RIDGE, I'M GONNA PUT THAT UP THERE.
SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT THIS THING IS ALL ABOUT HERE.
IF YOU CAN READ IT, A LITTLE BLEACHED OUT THERE, BUT IT SAYS IN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING 3 MILLION AND CHANGE FOR REALLOCATED EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND TO EXPAND THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL RESIDENTS RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
UH, UH, TURN THAT ONE OVER, MR.
LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE IT SAYS THERE.
BASICALLY THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS HERE SAY THAT, UH, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS INTENDED AS A TEMPORARY EMERGENCY PROGRAM AIMED AT PROVIDING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES FACING EVICTION DUE TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIP RESULTING IN THE FROM THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC.
I REPEAT THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC THAT, UH, ENDED SOME TIME AGO.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, IN MAY OF 2222, THE CITY LAUNCHED A HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RENTAL AND UTILITIES ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE LOW INCOME HOUSING HOUSEHOLDS FACING C OVID 19 RELATED HARD FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS.
WE MAY, MAN, TURN, TURN THE CAMERA.
YOU KNOW, UH, FOLKS, I THINK THIS, UH, LAST TIME I CHECKED THE, UH, THE PANDEMIC WAS OVER WITH, I MEAN, PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID SO HIMSELF, UH, SOME MONTHS AGO, AND YET WE'RE STILL DISTRIBUTING FUNDS FOR THE EFFECTS EFFECTS OF C OVID 19.
ESSENTIALLY, THESE ARE, ARE WELFARE FUNDS AND I, UH, I WHY, WHY ON EARTH ARE WE, WE DOING THIS TO PROVIDE COUNSELING TO FAMILIES FACING EVICTIONS AS, AS WELL AS EXPAND HOUSING STABILIZATION SERVICES AND APARTMENT NAVIGATION TO SUPPORT FAMILIES RELOCATING TO AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING.
UH, I GUESS IT JUST KIND OF REITERATES THE, UH, THE OLD PHRASE THAT THERE'S NOTHING NOTHING SO PERMANENT AS A TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT PROGRAM.
YEAH, THAT WAS READ, READ BY A FAMOUS PRESIDENT SOME TIME AGO.
WHY, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST GET SMART AND JUST SAY NO TO THIS STUFF? I MEAN, WE'RE THE TAXPAYERS ARE THE ONES HAVING TO FUND ALL THIS, YOU KNOW.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT.
SO WE'LL GO NOW INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
GIVE A MOMENT TO EVERYBODY TO, UH, QUEUE UP.
I'M NOT SEEING ANYBODY IN THE QUEUE, SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST WAVE TO ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, HIGHLIGHTING ITEM, UH, LET'S SEE, WHAT NUMBER IS IT? SEVEN.
UH, THE HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA GRANT.
THE MISSION IS TO REDUCE DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN
[00:55:01]
AREA BY INSTITUTING INNOVATIVE NARCOTIC ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATIONS AND THE SEIZURE OF ILLEGALLY OBTAINED ASSETS TO REDUCE THE PROFITABILITY OF NARCO NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING.THERE IS CURRENTLY EIGHT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT WORK UNDER THE HAIDA GRANT TO HELP REDUCE TRAFFICKING AND I THANK ALL OUR OFFICERS AND, AND OTHER AGENCIES FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND VERY DANGEROUS WORK TO REDUCE DRUG TRAFFICKING.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO VARDA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FOUR, 10 AND 12.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
[ACTION ITEMS FOR STAFF BRIEFING]
GO NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE USE OF $6,313,108 IN ARPA STATE AND LOCAL FEDERAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS TO BE INVESTED IN MENTAL HEALTH, YOUTH AND SENIORS, AND ESTABLISHING CRITERIA FOR SUCH FUNDING.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL TODAY.
I'M THE CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER AND TODAY JESSICA VELINA, THE ASSISTANT HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR AND I ARE REVIEWING AND REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BALANCE OF AR, RPA FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH YOUTH AND SENIOR ADULT IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
DURING THIS MORNING'S PRESENTATION, WE WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE ALLOCATION OF A LITTLE MORE THAN $6 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS FOR SERVICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH, FOR NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT SUPPORT YOUTH AND OLDER ADULTS AND SERVICES FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND SENIOR ADULTS.
WE WILL ALSO PRESENT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND CHECK COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS THROUGH A NEW COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND REVIEW THE PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR THAT PROCESS.
ON FEBRUARY 2ND OF THIS YEAR, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED CONTRACT AWARDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $36.4 MILLION FOR 59 AGENCIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES, SENIOR SERVICES AND YOUTH SERVICES.
A BALANCE OF 3.75 MILLION WAS UNALLOCATED FROM THIS COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THIS BALANCE TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE FOR DIS FOR DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL REINVESTMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, ON FEBRUARY 9TH OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL WAS PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE C OVID 19 RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN IN THE ARPA SS L F R F PROGRAM.
DURING THIS PRESENTATION, STAFF INDICATED THAT $3.9 MILLION WAS AVAILABLE TO BE ALLOCATED FROM INTEREST INCOME AND PROGRAM BALANCES.
THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THIS BALANCE TO ALSO BE DISCUSSED AT THE FEBRUARY 15TH GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, ALONG WITH THE 3.75 MILLION FROM THE UNALLOCATED AMOUNT.
AFTER DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TOOK THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS.
IT ALLOCATED $4.63 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE INVESTMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY PRI FUNDING PRIORITIES, $1.5 MILLION TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE FOR ADDITIONAL YOUTH AND SENIOR SERVICE INVESTMENTS AND 1.9 1.49 MILLION FOR C OVID 19 CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE ADDED TO THE ONGOING PROCESS THAT STARTED ON FEBRUARY 13TH.
ONE MORE FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ALLOCATION OF $4.63 MILLION, $3 MILLION FOR YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE AND AT RISK YOUTH TO ADDRESS INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
THIS INCLUDES WRAPAROUND SERVICES LIKE HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
1 MILLION TO ADDRESS INCREASED 9 1 1 CALLS FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE.
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SERVICES, LEGAL SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FAMILIES, AND $600,000 FOR HARM REDUCTION TO ADDRESS INCREASED SUBSTANCE USE AND OVERDOSES.THIS WOULD INCLUDE AN INCREASED ACCESS TO NARCAN AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT.
I'LL NOW HAND OVER THE PRESENTATION TO JESSICA VELINA TO PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CHECK AND NEXT STEPS.
BASED ON CHECK COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE ARE PROPOSING TO DISTRIBUTE 1.67 MILLION TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING PRIORITIES THROUGH A NEW COMPETITIVE PROCESS OF THIS AMOUNT, 500,000 WOULD SUPPORT NONPROFIT AGENCIES THAT PRIMARILY SERVE SENIORS AND YOUTH.
674,916 WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL YOUTH INVESTMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON HOMELESS AND OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, AND 500,000 WOULD SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SENIOR SERVICES INVESTMENTS TO FOCUS ON ADDITIONAL FOOD AND RESOURCE INSECURITY NEEDS, AS WELL AS THE NEEDS OF UNPAID AND INFORMAL CAREGIVERS.
THESE ALLOCATIONS DO ALIGN WITH THE IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES THROUGH THE PRIOR COMPETITIVE PROCESS, AND THEY'RE ALSO BASED ON ORIGINAL FUNDING ALLOCATED BY CITY COUNCIL PER PRIORITY FUNDING AREA, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL CITY COUNCIL AND CHECK COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND THE NEEDS THAT WE SAW THROUGH THE PRIOR COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
FOLLOWING TODAY'S SESSION, WE ARE PROPOSING TO REISSUE TWO COMPETITIVE PROCESSES WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE NOT FUND AGENCIES THAT HAD RECEIVED ARPA FUNDING THROUGH THE PRIOR CYCLE.
WE WOULD ISSUE, AS I MENTIONED, TWO SEPARATE SOLICITATIONS.
THE FIRST WOULD FOCUS ON THE INVESTMENTS FOR NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES.
AGAIN, PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON YOUTH AND SENIOR SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN ADDITIONAL YOUTH AND SER AND SENIOR SERVICES INVESTMENTS AND PROGRAMMING.
THE SECOND WOULD FOCUS ON FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INVESTMENTS.
FOLLOWING RELEASE AND SCORING OF THE PROPOSALS, WE WOULD RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL FOR AWARD RECOMMENDATION APPROVAL FOR A TWO YEAR CONTRACT TERM.
WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE TWO SOLICITATIONS DO FOLLOW THE SAME TIMELINE WITH RELEASE OF THE R F P SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 13TH.
FOLLOWING THAT, WE WOULD HOST A PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON MARCH 23RD AND TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SESSIONS ON MARCH 28TH.
THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WOULD CLOSE ON APRIL 27TH, AND THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY OUR REVIEW AND SCORING PROCESS BY CITY STAFF AS WELL AS OUTSIDE, UH, PANELISTS, EXTERNAL PARTNERS, AND THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT WOULD OCCUR FROM MAY 5TH THROUGH THE 10TH.
AND WE WOULD RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS IN JUNE WITH CONTRACTS INTENDED TO START IN JULY.
AS JESSE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ALSO DIRECTED THAT 1.49 MILLION BE ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL C OVID 19 CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
APPLICATIONS FOR THIS PROCESS WERE ACCEPTED IN FEBRUARY AND ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A REVIEW, UM, PROCESSED BY STAFF WITH THE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION, A TOTAL OF 3.74 MILLION WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE BROUGHT TO CITY COUNCIL IN LATE MARCH BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
AND THAT DOES CONCLUDE STAFF'S PRESENTATION.
THE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS AND NEXT STEPS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, JESSICA.
UH, WE DO HAVE A FEW CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, FIRST WE HAVE MADELINE BANEZ.
MS. BANEZ WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY BETHANY HALL SUMMERS.
HELLO CIA TEACHING EVERY ONE OF YOU.
UH, MY NATIVE NAME IS URI, UH, ORIGINAL.
UH, MY US NAME IS, UH, MADELINE SANTEZ AND I AM THE CHAIR FOR THE SAN ANTONIO, UM, S A T X HARM REDUCTION COALITION.
AND I WANT TO FIRST THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR, UM, INCLUDING HARM REDUCTION AS A CATEGORY FOR FUNDING IN THIS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
IN RECENT WEEKS, WE, THE S A T X HARM REDUCTION COALITION HAVE OBSERVED A STARTLING INCREASE IN OVERDOSE DEATH THROUGHOUT, THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH INCLUDES OVER 15 NONPROFITS AND INITIATIVES, UM, THAT GO TO 35 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
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YOU KNOW, OVERDOSE FROM PRESCRIPTION PILLS, UM, SYNTHETIC, UM, PILLS, COCAINE, INJECTABLE SUBSTANCES, AND SAN ANTONIO'S NOT UNIQUE.OVER 150 PEOPLE DIE, UH, EVERY DAY IN THIS COUNTRY FROM OVERDOSE RELATED, UM, AND SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS LIKE FENTANYL.
AND NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS XYLAZINE AND BENZO DOPE REACHING OUR STREETS, UM, THAT CAUSE SEVERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SKIN INFECTIONS WHILE OUR TEAM CONTINUES TO SEE A RISE IN DEATH DUE TO OVERDOSE IN THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.
OVERDOSES HAPPENING IN ALL COMMUNITIES, BUT ONE'S PROXIMITY TO TREATMENT, FUNDING AND COMMUNITY AND HEALTHCARE IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH.
SO, UM, AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WE ACTUALLY HOUSE ONE OF THE LEGAL, THE ONLY LEGAL SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAMS AND DROP-IN CENTERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE ONLY HOMELESS DAY CENTER IN THE CITY AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH.
WE ORGANIZED, UM, THE S A T X HARM REDUCTION COALITION, UM, COMPRISED, AS I SAID, OVER OVER 15 ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATIVES, HELPING TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCES OF OVERDOSE AND TRANSMISSION OF BLOODBORNE DISEASES SUCH AS H I V AND HEPATITIS C.
AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WE HAVE CREATED IMMEMORIAL IN HONOR OF MORE THAN 300 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE HAVE LOST TO OVERDOSE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
LAST YEAR ALONE, SAN ANTONIO, UM, REPORTED OVER 2000 OVERDOSES, UM, OVER 75% OF THEM RELATED TO OPIOIDS.
AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH, WE PROVIDED A SAFE SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOUSELESSNESS AND ARE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.
OVER 200 INDIVIDUALS WALK THROUGH THAT SACRED SITE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND WE WANNA ENCOURAGE A UAH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT SITE AS IT IS A HUB FOR MANY ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING THESE CRUCIAL SERVICES, INCLUDING
WE KNOW ADDICTION IS TREATABLE, CHRONIC, THIS CHRONIC, UH, MEDICAL DISEASE INVOLVES A COMPLEX INTERACTIONS AMONG BRAIN CIRCUITS, GENETICS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFE EXPERIENCE.
SO WE THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU GRACIAS FOR INCLUDING UM, US IN THIS RESCUE PLAN.
BETHANY HALL SUMMERS, MS. SUMMERS, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER.
I'M THE PASTOR AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH AND I GET THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH MAVE AND SO MANY OTHER INCREDIBLE HARM REDUCTION, HOMELESS OUTREACH, AND OTHERS WHO POUR THEIR LIVES OUT FOR THE HEALING OF SAN ANTONIO.
I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THESE ARPA FUNDS GOING TOWARDS HARM REDUCTION AS WELL.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO WE HAD A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR OVER 300 PEOPLE FROM SAN ANTONIO WHO DIED FROM OVERDOSE.
IT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR THE STORIES OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND MOTHERS AND LOVERS AND BEST FRIENDS WHO ARE GONE FOREVER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS IMPORTANT HEALTHCARE.
IT ALLOWS YOUR WORST DAY TO NOT BE YOUR LAST DAY, AND IT GIVES HOPE INTO THE FUTURE.
SAN ANTONIO IS A CITY OF COMPASSION AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN HARM REDUCTION.
REACHING OUT TO SOMEONE WHEN THEY'RE AT THEIR WORST AND MOST HURTING AND PROVIDING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO STEP INTO HEALING AND THEN EXTEND THAT HEALING TO OTHERS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY AND FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO SHOW COMPASSION TOGETHER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. SORS, JACK FINGER.
WELL, MAYOR NURNBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT THAT WAS BACK IN 2020, AS I RECALL, UH, 2021, THE CONGRESS, US CONGRESS ALLOCATED BILLIONS.
I MEAN, LITERALLY, MAYBE A, MAYBE A TRILLION.
I THINK IT WAS CLOSE TO TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ALL OF US FOR A SO-CALLED RECOVERY FROM THIS PANDEMIC.
I MEAN, YOU AND I GOT, ACTUALLY GOT, UH, A THOUSAND DOLLARS CHECKS IN THE MAIL FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP US RECOVER FROM ALL THIS, FROM THE, FROM THE BIG DISEASES THAT WE WERE SUPPOSEDLY SUFFERING.
AND THAT WAS ABOUT, WELL, GOING ABOUT LIKE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
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AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN ACT, AS I RECALL.BUT MY GOODNESS, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS? THAT WE'RE STILL RECEIVING FUNDS.
THE GOVERNMENT'S STILL DOLING OUT MONEY FOR SOME SUCH THINGS THAT SUPPOSEDLY ABOUT A DISEASE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM.
I MEAN, THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO, WE SUPPOSEDLY WERE OVER THIS DISEASE.
AND WELL, WHAT ELSE DOES IT SHOW? WHAT IS THAT? THIS SUPPOSEDLY MONEY IS GOING TO? IT SHOWS THAT, UH, WELL, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE USE OF ABOUT 6 MILLION IN CHANGE FOR THE A AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN ACT, STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS TO BE USED, INVESTED IN MENTAL HEALTH, YOUTH AND SENIORS, AND ESTABLISHING CRITERIA FOR SUCH HA, SUCH FUNDING.
WELL, I'M SORRY THAT, THAT WHY? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MONEY IS NEEDED FOR THINGS OTHER THAN RECOVERY FROM A DISEASE.
TURN OVER THE PAGE THERE, MR. VIS.
WHAT ELSE DID, DOES IT SHOW THIS MONEY'S GOING FOR ADDRESSING DECREASED MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE AND AT RISK YOUTH, AS IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH ORPHANED YOUTH AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
HOW DOES A PHYSICAL DISEASE, WHERE, WHERE IS THE CONNECTION HERE? WHERE, WHERE WE NEED MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FROM C O V I D, UM, AND THEN ADDRESS INCREASED NINE 11 CALLS FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE.
A MILLION BUCKS THERE FOR SO-CALLED NAVIGATION SERVICES,
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT C O I D.
HOW DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH N NAVIGATION SERVICES? WHAT'S THAT? AND THEN FURTHER ON DOWN, INCREASE ACCESS TO NARCAN.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE OPIOID, UH, REMEDY THAT PEOPLE USE.
THE, THIS IS, THIS IS ONE GIGANTIC MISALLOCATION OF FUNDS, AND WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE, WE SHOULDN'T BE SEND SEND 'EM A MESSAGE AND SAY NO TO IT ALL.
UH, WE'LL GO NOW INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UM, AND I'LL JUST START BY NOTING THAT TODAY IS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
AND FOR SO MANY COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, THIS HAS BEEN A LIFELINE FOR US TO RECOVER FROM THE IMPACTS OF THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC.
UH, AND THE WORST OF THE HEALTH IMPACTS MAY BE OVER.
BUT DON'T LET ANYBODY CONVINCE YOU THAT THE LONG TAIL OF COVID STILL REMAINS IN TERMS OF THE DISPROPORTIONATE ECONOMIC AND HEALTH IMPACTS ON MOST DISADVANTAGED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR STAFF, UH, AND OUR COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE THOUGHTFUL DELIBERATION OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK THAT MADE MOST SENSE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THERE, IF YOU GO TO ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS RECEIVED DIRECT ALLOCATION THROUGH ARPA, EACH OF THEIR ALLOCATIONS WILL BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE NEEDS IN EACH COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT.
OURS ARE, UM, BASIC, UM, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST ALLOCATIONS TO EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE OF ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, CERTAINLY THOSE, UH, ISSUES ARE NOT RESOLVED, UH, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOTTA SHIFT TO SOME OTHER IMPACTS, INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS, DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, YOUTH HEALTH SERVICES, ET CETERA.
UH, SO THE PROCESS TO DO THIS HAS BEEN ARDUOUS, UH, BUT IT'S BEEN A LOT OF TEAMWORK FROM ACROSS THE DIOCESE AND ACROSS OUR CITY AND, AND FRANKLY, ALSO SOME COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THESE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UH, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEES HAVE WORKED, UH, VERY DILIGENTLY TO MOVE THE LAST OF THE, THE FUNDS THROUGH, UH, VERY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE NEEDS ARE, ARE PRETTY DIRE.
UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE ALLOCATION TO HARM REDUCTION, IF ANY OF YOU GO TO THE CORONE, UH, FACILITY THERE AND GET THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING SERVED BY THAT FACILITY ON A DAILY BASIS, OR THE VOLUME OF, UH, OF CASES, OR FRANKLY, THE THOUSANDS OF LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH THE USE OF NARCAN, UH, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE HAD TO, UH, CUT TO THE VERY CORE, WHAT IS THE MOST IMMEDIATE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF 'EM.
UH, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE ALLOCATION, UH, TO HARM REDUCTION.
UM, THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THESE, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, NEED FOR THEM.
SO, UH, ERIC, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD PAST THE ARPA, UH, THAT WE CONTINUE TO, TO GO BACK TO THIS FRAMEWORK AS A LITTLE BIT OF A TOUCHSTONE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH,
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WITH IMPACTS AND WILL BE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.UH, FINALLY, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, BIPARTISANSHIP IS VERY HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
BUT, UH, THIS WAS A RESULT OF SOME OF THAT, UH, IN A TIME OF GREAT NEED, OUR COUNTRY PASSED AND SIGNED THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT INTO LAW AND GAVE US A LIFELINE.
UM, THAT'S NOT WITHOUT HARD WORK.
I DO WANT TO THANK, UM, SOME OF THE FOLKS IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THAT.
GENE SPERLING, WHO IS THE NATIONAL, UH, ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR UNDER BOTH PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND OBAMA.
UH, BUT MEMBER, MANY MEMBERS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CITY IN THE COUNTRY HAD A LIFELINE TO GET THROUGH THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, THE WORST IS, UM, POTENTIALLY BEHIND US, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO GO AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO NEED THAT COLLEGIALITY AND WORK, UM, IN THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND FRANKLY, IN EVERY OTHER.
SO, THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, WE'LL BEGIN DISCUSSION NOW, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PALAIS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE HAD TO LIVED UNDER A ROCK OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, AND NOT KNOW THAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE QUARANTINED IN THEIR HOMES WITH THEIR ABUSERS, UM, AND WHO HAD LOST JOBS AND THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
AND, UH, WE SAW A SPECTACULARLY HEARTBREAKING SPIKE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENTS.
WE SAW A HUGE SPIKE IN SUICIDES.
WE'RE STILL SEEING THAT SPIKE TODAY.
WE SAW AN ENORMOUS SPIKE IN KIDS HAVING TO, UH, BE ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAMS AT THE CHILDREN'S BEREAVEMENT CENTER BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DIED.
WE SAW AN ENORMOUS SPIKE IN FOSTER CARE REFERRALS AND KIDS, UM, SUFFERING FROM THE, UM, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR PARENTS' OPIOID ADDICTIONS AND OVERDOSES.
WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF DISASTER TO REMEDIATE, AND THE REMAINING ARPA DOLLARS ARE, UM, GOING TO JUST HELP US DO A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S ORGANIZATIONS LIKE RAISON.
IT'S, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, UH, LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE APPLYING FOR THESE FUNDS THAT I, I THINK ARE DOING WELL.
I THINK THEY'RE DOING GOD'S WORK HERE.
AND I, I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR SUPPORTING THE EFFORT TO GET THIS MONEY OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
ERIC, UH, OR MARIA OR WHOEVER, UH, HOW IS IT WE ARE GOING TO AMPLIFY, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY.
UH, AND, AND LET ME START FIRST BY SAYING, DID WE LEARN ANY LESSONS FROM THE LAST ROUND AS FAR AS HOW WE'RE GONNA ADVERTISE AND, AND GET THAT MESSAGE OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE AND THIS MONEY IS THERE FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO, TO RECEIVE? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA, WHAT LESSONS WERE THEY? AND THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THOSE LESSONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER AS MUCH GROUND AS POSSIBLE? SO WHILE JESSICA'S GOING UP TO, TO THE PODIUM, I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED, AND, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT, UH, LAST WEEK AT B SESSION DURING THE DELEGATE AGENCY, UH, PRES SOLICITATION, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PROVIDING, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF A FOCUSED EFFORT IN TERMS OF TECHNICAL, UM, UM, ASSISTANCE ON APPLYING.
UH, WE SAW THAT AS A, AS A, UH, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE, WE'D DONE THAT MUCH, UH, IN ADVANCE OF THE LAST ROUND OF ARPA.
YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD LAST WEEK WE'RE INCORPORATING THAT IN THE DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS.
UM, AND, UH, BUT, BUT I'LL LET JESSICA TALK ABOUT THE OUTREACH PART OF WHAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, SO WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH AGENCIES THAT WEREN'T FUNDED THROUGH THE PRIOR ARPA CYCLE.
WE'VE BEEN UPDATING THEM AS THIS MOVES THROUGH BOTH COMMITTEES.
UH, FIRST WITH THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ACTION, AND THEN WITH THE ACTIONS RECOMMENDED BY CHECK AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND OUR INTENTION IS REALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE RELEASING AN APPLICATION THAT VERY CLOSELY MIRRORS WHAT WE RELEASE THROUGH THE PRIOR ARPA, UH, SOLICITATION PROCESS WITH A FEW CHANGES TO SCOPE OF WORK, SO THAT IT'S A SEAMLESS PROCESS FOR AGENCIES THAT HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH SOME OF THOSE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SESSIONS.
IN ADDITION, WE'RE GONNA HOLD SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SESSIONS THAT'LL WALK THROUGH HOW TO APPLY FOR THE R F P PROCESS, HOW TO SUBMIT IT ONLINE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE METRICS AND, UM, PROGRAM PLANS.
AND THEN, UH, ON THE BACK END, WE'LL ALSO BE PROVIDING DEBRIEFINGS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT DIDN'T MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND LEARN FROM THE PROCESS.
AND IN THOSE DEBRIEFING MEETINGS, WE DO HAVE MEMBERS FROM OUR PROCUREMENT TEAM AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENTS THAT OVERSAW THE PROCESS AND SPECIFICALLY THE PEOPLE THAT
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REVIEWED THE APPLICATION.SO WE CAN GIVE THEM VERY CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE REVIEWERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO H THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MET AND DISCUSSED HOW THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED.
WE GAVE STAFF BASIC CRITERIA THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND, THE COMMITTEE'S ORIGINAL GOALS AND, UH, PRINCIPLES, BUT ALSO REMINDING THAT, REMINDING US THAT THE CITY IS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF MENTAL HEALTH.
SO WE'RE RELYING ON THE NONPROFITS THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE DOING THAT WORK.
AND, UM, AND A LOT OF TIMES BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, GOT BEHIND, UH, AND SO THEY, THEY'RE HAVING TO FILL THAT GAP THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR DURING, UM, THE WORST TIMES OF THE PANDEMIC.
THE FUNDS, UH, THAT WILL BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, HARM REDUCTION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AT-RISK YOUTH, FOSTER CHILDREN.
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME, UM, SINCE WE'RE SORT OF GETTING A SECOND BITE AT THE APPLE THAT WE WERE INCLUDING, UM, SOME OF THE, WE'RE FILLING SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WE DIDN'T IDENTIFY IN THE ORIGINAL APA PROCESS.
AND I, I WANNA BE, UH, I WANNA, OF COURSE, THANK THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR THEIR WORK ON IT, BUT WE DID RECEIVE, UH, INPUT FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S A LOT OF WHY HARM REDUCTION, UH, ENTERED THE CONVERSATION.
AND AT-RISK YOUTH, MY INTENT WAS THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THOSE GAPS, UM, AND, AND THAT WE'RE HELPING TO FILL THEM.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S STILL CHALLENGES.
WE NEED TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, ALL OF THIS MONEY, IT'S SO MUCH MONEY, BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT REALLY IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND AT-RISK YOUTH AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FOSTER CHILDREN.
UM, BUT THESE CHALLENGES PERSIST.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE FUNDING DOES NOT PERSIST.
SO, UH, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET CREATIVE, BUT RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS GETTING THROUGH THE, THE DEFICITS THAT WERE CREATED DURING THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO THESE HEALTH FUNDS ARE GONNA HELP OUR NONPROFITS DO WHAT THEY DO BEST, ASSIST OUR NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HAS DONE TO CONTINUE THE EMPHASIS ON IMPROVING OUR RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH, THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT ONE OF THE SILVER LININGS OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT WE ARE AT, AT, WE ARE ALL TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OUR PART AS A CITY TO HELP REMOVE THAT STIGMA.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT THE FUNDING AND THIS ROUND OF ARPA FUNDING AND THE ONE THAT CAME BEFORE IT HELP US TO CONTINUE TALKING MORE OPENLY ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE WAY COVID COVID HAS FORCED US TO DO.
UH, IT'S, UM, A SORT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, BUT, UM, A FORTUNATE ONE.
AND WITH THAT SAID, I, I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER VIE GRAND.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
AND I, I THINK I COMMUNICATED, UH, IN DURING COMMITTEE MEETINGS JUST HOW IMPORTANT WE, IT IS THAT WE PRIORITIZE, UM, FAMILY VIOLENCE, UH, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
AND I'M A, I'M SO GLAD THAT MY, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, POLITES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, A, A BIG ADVOCATE FOR THIS ALSO, TO MAKING SURE THAT WE, WE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND, AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD.
I'M HOPING THAT ALL THE AGENCIES, UH, THAT WE DIDN'T MAKE THE FIRST ROUND ENGAGE AGAIN, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO JUST, UM, GET THESE DOLLARS SPENT AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE, AND, AND THEN TALK WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, TALK WITH OUR NONPROFITS, AND SEE WHAT OTHER DOLLARS WILL BE COMING OUT.
BECAUSE I THINK AS WE ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH, AS WE ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, AS WE ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, ALL THINGS THAT WE'RE AMPLIFIED DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE, UM, GROUPS, CITIZENS, ORGANIZATIONS, UH, CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
SO THANK YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM FOUR? COUNCIL MEMBER RAVO.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE GETTING TO THE END OF THESE FUNDS, AND THERE'S SO MANY NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THESE CATEGORIES, THESE ARE ALL AREAS OF NEED.
YOU KNOW, I THINK TOO OFTEN, UM, YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE JUST, UM, UNSEEN.
UM, AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A FAMILY VIOLENCE PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO HARM REDUCTION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN TREMENDOUS SUCCESS WITH THE, THE HARM REDUCTION THAT WE'VE BEEN PILOTING HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S A FANTASTIC INVESTMENT IN SAVING LIVES.
[01:25:04]
THANK YOU.YEAH, I DIDN'T SERVE ON THE COMMITTEES THAT REVIEWED THESE, BUT I HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN THE WORK THAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE PUT INTO THIS IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S COME FORWARD AND ASKED FOR A CONTINUANCE AND AN EXTENSION OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT SERVICES.
UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY IS FIRST AND FOREMOST IN MY MIND, AND I KNOW IT IS IN ALL OF US.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH OR WE TALK ABOUT SENIORS, OR WE TALK ABOUT CHILDREN, OR WE TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT, UH, THESE ISSUES WHEN THEY COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND I'LL SUPPORTING THESE ARPA FUNDS TODAY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE WITH THE TABLET QUEUE.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS, UM, I WANNA EXPRESS MY THANKS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE MAYOR AND CITY STAFF FOR, UH, LISTENING TO THE COUNCIL, UH, CONVERSATION AND THOSE PRIORITIES, PARTICULARLY AROUND HARM REDUCTION AND YOUTH AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND AT RISK YOUTH.
UM, I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE HARM REDUCTION COALITION THAT HAS BEEN BRIEFING OUR TEAM, UH, AND KEEPING US UPDATED AS WELL AS, UH, ONE CONSTITUENT IN PARTICULAR, HIS NAME'S ALBERT, AND HE LOVES TO COME BY OUR OPEN OFFICE HOURS AND WILL, UM, SHARE WITH ME, UH, QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS AROUND AGENDA ITEMS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT HE'S SEEING OUT ON THE GROUND, UH, AND HE'S, UH, THE CONSTITUENT WHO CONTINUALLY EXPRESSES, UH, THE NEED FOR INVESTMENT IN HARM REDUCTION AND THE WEIGHT THAT HE CARRIES WITH HIM WHEN HE IS ENABLED TO ACCESS NARCAN TO HELP SOME OF HIS NEIGHBORS.
UM, AND MY, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL IN THAT AS WE ENTER BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, MANY OF THESE PARAMETERS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, UM, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE.
UM, WHAT I'VE VALUED ABOUT THE ARPA PROCESS IS IT'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UM, KEEP OUR SLEEVES ROLLED UP IN THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, AND WITH THE NEEDS OF FOLKS OUT ON THE GROUND, UM, FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO HOUSING, UM, FOR THE NEED FOR EXTENDED HOURS FOR OUR SENIOR CENTERS, UM, HEARING THOSE, UH, CONTINUED INPUT SESSIONS, RIGHT, I THINK IS GOING TO MAKE THIS UPCOMING BUDGET SESSION, UH, IN MY OPINION EVEN MORE SMOOTH, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN NONSTOP GETTING THAT INPUT FROM OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
UH, AND, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN TO CITY STAFF AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR, UM, THESE PARAMETERS AND FILLERS.
THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FOUR HEARING.
NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
OKAY, WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 10 I.
[Grant Applications and Awards ]
10 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FEMA, NATIONAL BOARD OF EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM, E F SS P AND SHELTER AND SERVICES PROGRAM, S S P GRANTS FOR RELATED FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO MIGRANTS TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO IN COORDINATION WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IN THE AMOUNT OF UP TO $6,543,876 FOR THE PERIOD OF APRIL 1ST, 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO UTILIZE FEMA CONTINGENCY FUNDS IF NEEDED, AND AUTHORIZING ANY NECESSARY CONTRACTS.ALRIGHT, UM, DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION? YES.
UH, MELODY, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND HEAR THAT.
I'LL GET THE CITIZENS, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION.
UM, SO GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS ITEM PROVIDES AN UPDATE AND REQUESTS ACTION REGARDING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MIGRANT OPERATIONS.
SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT REIMBURSEMENT FUNDING FROM FEMA FOR LOCAL MIGRANT SUPPORT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 6.5 MILLION FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 1ST TO DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
[01:30:03]
THIS ITEM ALSO REQUESTS AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE NECESSARY GRANT AND SERVICE RELATED DOCUMENTS AND AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS FROM THE CITY'S FEMA CONTINGENCY FUNDS IF NEEDED.WHILE THE CITY, UH, AWAITS REIMBURSEMENT FROM FEMA SINCE JANUARY OF 2021, THE CITY AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS, INCLUDING CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOOD BANK, CORONE INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION, HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 380,000 MIGRANTS TRANSITING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO LEGALLY IN ROUTE TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION DUE TO FEDERAL BORDER.
BORDER POLICY CHANGES, THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS SEEKING ASYLUM DROPPED BY 80, FROM 85% FROM DECEMBER OF 22 TO FEBRUARY OF 23.
UM, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AS WELL AS BORDER, LOCAL AND NATIONAL PARTNERS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE LIFTING OF TITLE 42 IN MAY, AND, UH, POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW BORDER POLICIES IN MAY AS WELL.
UM, AND WHAT THAT IMPACT WILL HAVE ON SAN ANTONIO ARRIVALS.
BASED ON THE CURRENT REDUCTION IN ARRIVALS, HUMAN SERVICES, FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE ADJUSTING STAFFING AND SUPPORT FOR MIGRANT OPERATIONS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.
AND SO, AS BACKGROUND, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES, CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, CENTRA DEEN VENITA THROUGH THE PART.
THIS PARTNERSHIP CATHOLIC CHARITIES PROVIDES DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE SITE, INCLUDING CENTRALIZED RECEIVING AND INTAKE SERVICE, REFERRAL, FOOD, AND ASSISTANCE WITH CASE MANAGEMENT AND ONWARD TRAVEL AS NEEDED.
THE CITY OVERSEES THE LEASE AND PROVIDES BUILDING, BUILDING MAINTENANCE, SHELTER MANAGERS, DATA MANAGEMENT, LOCAL TRANSPORTATION AND SECURITY AT THE SITE, AS WELL AS ONGOING SERVICES TO MIGRANTS AT THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT.
SO THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A OVERVIEW OF BOTH FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS AND LOCAL ORDINANCES RELATED TO MIGRANT SUPPORT SERVICES.
IN MARCH OF 2021, $110 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO FEMA TO REIMBURSE LOCAL COMMUNITIES COSTS THAT ARE, WERE ASSOCIATED WITH ASSISTING MIGRANTS RELEASED BY BORDER PATROL.
THE BIPARTISAN YEAREND OMNIBUS THAT WAS SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN IN DECEMBER TRANSFERRED 800 MILLION TO FEMA TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE TO MIGRANTS.
LAST MONTH, 350 MILLION OF THE 800 MILLION WAS PROVIDED TO THE FEMA EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM FOR INITIAL CALENDAR YEAR 2023 EXPENSES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ON JUNE 23RD AND DECEMBER 15TH, 2022.
CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED STAFF TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT REIMBURSEMENT OF LOCAL MIGRANT COSTS THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2023.
THROUGH TODAY'S ITEM, WE ARE REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT FUNDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
AND SO THIS TABLE PROVIDES SORT OF A, A SUMMARY OF FUNDING, EXPENDITURES AND REIMBURSEMENTS TO DATE.
FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2022, THE CITY SPENT 13000013.8 MILLION AND HAS APPLIED FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
WE HAVE RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT OF 4.7 MILLION FOR EXPENSES INCURRED THROUGH JUNE OF THIR JUNE 30TH, 2022.
AND THAT DOES INCLUDE 2.1 MILLION ADVANCED TO THE CITY BY FEMA FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
9.2 MILLION IS PENDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS OF 2022, JULY 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER, UM, 31ST OF OF 2022.
AND SO I WANNA GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON, UM, INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM FEMA THIS WEEK ON MONDAY, MARCH 6TH, THE UNITED WAY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY LOCAL EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD NOTIFIED HUMAN SERVICES THAT FEMA, UM, E F SS P WILL REVIEW THE CITY'S APPLICATION JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER APPLICATION, TOTALING $5.8 MILLION NEXT WEEK.
WE ANTICIPATE REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE MADE BY APRIL OF 2023, AND THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT
[01:35:02]
OF REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR COSTS FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THESE AWARDS.UM, E F S P WILL BEGIN REVIEW OF THE OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER, 2022 REIMBURSEMENT APPLICATION, WHICH IS IN THE AMOUNT OF $3.5 MILLION.
AND YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD APPROVED ADVANCED FUNDING OF $2.1 MILLION TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO COVER MARCH AND APRIL OPERATIONS EXPENSES, HUMAN SERVICES WILL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL ADVANCED FUNDING FOR THE PERIOD MAY 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2023 FOR ANTICIPATED TOTAL COSTS.
IN SUMMARY, STAFF IS REQUESTING APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT REIMBURSEMENT OF FUNDING FROM FEMA IN THE AMOUNT OF $6.5 MILLION FOR APRIL 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, ALSO AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE RELATED GRANT AND SERVICE DOCUMENTS AND AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE FUNDS FROM FEMA CONTINGENCY FUNDS SHOULD THEY BE NEEDED WHILE THE CITY AWAITS FUNDING AND ADVANCEMENTS FROM FEMA STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM AS PRESENTED TODAY.
AND THIS DOES CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MELODY, WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 10, JACK FINGER.
MAYOR NURENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
LET'S SEE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH ITEM NUMBER 10 HERE? WELL, LET'S LOOK AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENT ON THAT, MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAN.
LET'S SEE WHAT THE UNDERLINED AREA HAS TO SAY.
UH, BASICALLY IT'S AN ORDINANCE ABOUT, UH, GETTING $6 MILLION IN CHANGE FOR LOCAL COSTS INCURRED TO ASSIST MIGRANTS TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO IN COORDINATION WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
YOU KNOW, THE WORD IMMIGRANT USED TO HAVE A GOOD CONNOTATION.
NO LONGER SINCE, UH, PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS, UH, OPENED UP THE BORDER AS HE HAS ALL THE, UM, PEOPLE, MR. BRAVO, YOU KNOW, SURROUNDING THAT LIVE AROUND THAT, UH, PLACE ON SAN PEDRO, UH, HAVE CONSIDERED THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BEING INVADED BY THE PEOPLE COMING FROM THE SOUTH.
AND THEY CONSIDER, YOU ASK THEM, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THEY CONSIDER THAT THAT, UH, BIG, UH, CENTER ON SAN PEDRO.
WELL, I DON'T WANNA CALL, I DON'T WANNA SAY IT'S A HELLHOLE, BUT THAT'S THEIR WORDS FOR IT.
WHY? BECAUSE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THEIR, THEY, THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY THE PEOPLE THAT WE, THE CITY HAVE ASSISTED GOING, COMING TO OUR CITY AND US TRANSFERRING TO THAT CENTER AND THEN TRANSFERRING OUT AGAIN.
WHAT DOES THIS ORDINANCE DO? IT ASKS, WE THE CITY, IT ALLOWS US THE CITY TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY TO KEEP THIS STUFF GOING.
DOES THIS MEAN ANYTHING TO ANYBODY HERE TO ASSIST MIGRANTS TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO? NO.
UH, DO WE ASK THEM IF, IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UM, SEEKING ASYLUM OR DOES THAT QUESTION EVEN COME UP? WE'RE HEARING REPORTS THAT, THAT THE PE, THE OFFICERS, IMMIGRANT SECURITY AND SO FORTH FROM ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER CAN'T EVEN ASK 'EM THESE QUESTIONS ANYMORE.
THEY'RE TOO BUSY COUNTING THE NUMBERS COMING IN.
IF THESE PEOPLE ARE TRULY A SEEKING, SEEKING ASYLUM, IT, IT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS, WE KNOW THESE THINGS.
THERE'S NO USE PRETENDING ANYMORE.
WHY DON'T WE JUST SUDDENLY START SAYING, NO, MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS.
MAYBE WE NEED TO GET RID OF THIS STUFF.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 10.
[01:40:02]
SECOND.UM, ACTUALLY WE NEED, UH, SO LET ME, LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, WITH A SPECIFIC MOTION ON THE ITEM.
AND THANK YOU, UM, MEL, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND, UH, LORI, THANK YOU AS WELL.
YOU ALWAYS KEEP US UPDATED AND, AND UP TO SPEED.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALSO TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND DEA GOVIA FOR, UM, ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY, UH, ON TOP OF THIS MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 10 AS PRESENTED BY STAFF TODAY.
UM, ALRIGHT, UH, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 10 AS PRESENTED, UH, BY MELODY.
UH, BEFORE I START DISCUSSION, LET ME THANK, UM, UH, ANTONIO FERNANDEZ, WHO IS HERE FROM CATHOLIC CHARITIES, WHO'S BEEN OUR REMARKABLE OPERATOR, UH, AND FRANKLY A CRISIS MANAGER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, IF OURS WERE TO SOLVE THE IMMIGRATION ISSUES OF THE COUNTRY, WE WOULD CERTAINLY GET TO WORK ON THAT, AND I WOULD TRUST THE PEOPLE AROUND THE DIOCESE COULD FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT UNTIL CONGRESS DOES THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS WHAT IMMIGRATION LOOKS LIKE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN ORDER, IN ORDER FOR US TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION, UH, WHO PRESENT THEMSELVES AT OUR BORDER LEGALLY, UH, THIS IS THE BEST WAY WE CAN DO THAT WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS BEEN TO THIS POINT, 100% REIMBURSED THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO, UH, MY THANKS TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, TO THE STAFF, TO OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES, TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND FAITH COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE LEANED INTO THIS OPERATION TO HELP US CONTINUE TO UPHOLD OUR VERY PRINCIPLES OF BEING A COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE AS WE DEAL WITH A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, UH, THROUGH THE LACK OF IMMIGRATION, UH, SYSTEM MODERNIZATION.
UM, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS, I THINK, UNTIL WE DO SEE THOSE POLICY REFORMS. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO BE SEEN AS A MODEL FOR DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
SO, AGAIN, THANKS TO THE WHOLE TEAM THAT'S INVOLVED.
UH, LET ME TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, WHO PULLED THE ITEM.
UM, JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE ABOUT, ABOUT THE FUNDING AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT, UH, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS FUNDING.
AND ERIC, THANK YOU FOR SENDING OUT, UH, YOU SENT OUT AN EMAIL LAST NIGHT KIND OF RECAPPING WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND, AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
UH, IT SAYS THAT, UH, TO DATE, WE'VE SPENT 13 POINT RIGHT AT $13.8 MILLION, UH, FOR THE M R C.
AND OUT OF THAT $9.2 MILLION, UH, IS PENDING TO BE REIMBURSED TO THE CITY.
UM, AND OUT OF THAT WE HAD TWO SEPARATE REQUESTS, 5.8 MILLION AND 3.5 MILLION.
BUT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED A DIME OF THAT YET.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN REIMBURSED THAT YET.
FEMA HAS NOT REVIEWED THOSE APPLICATIONS, AND THEY WILL START DOING THAT NEXT WEEK.
SO WHAT'S BEEN THE HOLDUP? UH, WHAT HAVE THEY TOLD US? WHAT WE, WHAT, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE GONE TO THEM ASKING THEM, HEY, WHERE'S OUR MONEY? WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HOMELAND, THE OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AS WELL AS FEMA AND NATIONAL, UM, EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE'VE STAYED IN CONSTANT CONTRACT.
OUR, UH, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS GROUP HAS ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION, WE SUBMITTED THEM TIMELY, WE'VE STAYED IN TOUCH AND WE'RE PENDING, UM, THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE BEING RE BEING REIMBURSED A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, ONCE WE GET THAT, WHICH WE EXPECT NOW IN APRIL, WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR, WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR RESPONSE? UH, I'M ASSUMING THAT AT LEAST ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK, WHERE'S OUR MONEY? WHERE'S OUR MONEY? WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN THEIR RESPONSE? SO THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, HASN'T BEEN REVIEWED.
YEAH, COUNCILMAN, I, WE, WE ARE, UM, CONSTANTLY PUSHING, UM, FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND, AND, UM, THEIR RESPONSE IS, UM, IMMATERIAL BECAUSE I, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I THINK THEY'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF OTHER LOCALITIES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE.
BUT I'M ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE WE GET REIMBURSED.
AND SO WE TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF EVERYBODY ELSE, WHETHER THAT IS ASKING THE MAYOR TO REACH OUT TO THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE, WHETHER IT IS MAKING SURE THAT JESSICA IS REACH AND MELODY ARE REACHING OUT CONSTANTLY AND IN WRITING WITH, UH, THEIR CONTACTS OR, OR, OR, OR I'VE SENT LETTERS.
[01:45:01]
IT'S MAKING SURE THE LOCAL DELEGATION KNOWS WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS ARE.UM, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY PROBABLY, THE FEMA PROBABLY GETS OVERRUN BY REQUESTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT, BUT WE, WE TRY TO BE A, A BURR UNDERNEATH EVERYBODY'S SADDLE.
A GENTLE BURR OR A GENTLE REMINDER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I FRANKLY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET REIMBURSED.
UH, UM, BUT THIS MONEY ISN'T FREE.
I, I MEAN, IT'S COMING FROM SOMEWHERE.
WHERE IS THIS MONEY COMING FROM THAT WE WE'RE FRONT, FRONT FUNDING FOR THIS? WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? OR WHAT POT OF MONEY IS IT COMING FROM? GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER GRANT THAT THE CITY RECEIVES, UH, WHERE IT WORKS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, MEANING THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY, SUBMIT THE REQUEST, AND THEY GET REIMBURSED.
SO WE, UM, UH, USE FUNDS WITHIN THE CITY'S TOTAL, UH, CASH THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL BE REIMBURSED BY THOSE, UM, GRANTORS THAT WE APPLIED FOR.
THIS IS THE SAME, THE SAME THING.
WE HAD ALREADY BEEN TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE REIMBURSED, UH, FOR EXPENSES THROUGH, UH, DECEMBER.
SO WE SPEND THE FUNDS OUT OF THE CITY'S CASH BALANCE.
AND, UH, WE SUBMITTED THAT REQUEST.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER GRANT THAT, THAT THE CITY RECEIVES THAT WORKS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS.
BUT SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THIS FUNDING GOES BACK LAST FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WHAT POT OF MONEY DID THAT COME OUT OF THAT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT REIMBURSEMENT YET.
AND WHERE WILL THAT MONEY GO? ONCE WE RECEIVE, UH, WE'RE ASSUMING WE'RE GONNA GET THAT MONEY, BUT WHERE IS THAT MONEY GONNA GO ONCE WE RECEIVE IT? SURE.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN, I'M GONNA GET A LITTLE TECHNICAL ON YOU HERE, BUT IN, IN, UM, IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, WE, UH, BOOK THAT AS A, AS A RECEIVABLE.
WE HAVE THE EXPENSES THAT WE'RE INCURRING THE INCOME STATEMENT AND THE BALANCE SHEET WILL SAY DUE FROM FEMA, AND THAT'S HOW WE REPORT, UH, OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE AUDITORS.
SO IT COMES FROM THE OVERALL CASH BALANCE OF THE CITY, AND THERE'S A RECEIVABLE THAT IS DUE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND WHEN YOU SEE THE FINANCIAL, THE, THE FINANCIALS, UH, OUR, OUR FINANCIAL AUDIT HERE SHORTLY, WE TRACK ALL THAT SEPARATELY, UM, SO THAT IT IS SET ASIDE AND WE TRACK THAT AND IT CAN REPORT IT SEPARATELY.
SO IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS RIGHT, UH, 13.7 MILLION THAT WE'VE SPENT TO DATE, 9.3 MILLION IS WHAT WE'VE REQUESTED.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL SHORT ABOUT FOUR, $4.4 MILLION.
WHERE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA REQUEST THAT OR WHERE IS THAT IN THE PROCESS? SO THAT $4 MILLION HAS ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED BY THE CITY.
THAT, THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION ON THAT.
BUT I, I GUESS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THESE REQUESTS IN, WE HAVEN'T BEEN REIMBURSED YET, AND THEN WE'RE TOLD THAT CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS NOW TAKING OVER THAT WHOLE OPERATION.
WHAT, WHY ARE WE STILL SPENDING MONEY ON THE M R C IF CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAVE TAKEN OVER THE OPERATION? SO WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES COUNCILMEN.
THEY PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE SERVICES AT THE, AT THE M R C, INCLUDING THE DAILY OPERATIONS, TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS, FOOD, AND SOME LEVEL OF SECURITY.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HOLDS THE LEASE TO THE BUILDING.
WE ALSO PROVIDE BUILDING MAINTENANCE JANITORIAL TYPE OF SUPPORT, TRANSPORTATION TO THE AIRPORT.
SO IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO.
BUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES, UM, UH, IS, IS BURIED IN THE MOST OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A M R C.
YEAH, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT BREAKOUT IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AND WHAT OUR, WHAT WE'RE GONNA OUTLAY FOR THE M R C VERSUS CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
WHAT ARE THEY PAYING VERSUS WHAT WE'RE PAYING, AND THEN SHOWING WHAT THAT REIMBURSEMENT IS GONNA BE AND WHEN, WHEN WE'RE EXPECTING TO BE REIMBURSED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THAT.
YEAH, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN, IN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AGAIN, NOT NOT FIXING OUR IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, BUT ALSO, HEY, WE'RE OUTLAYING MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE'RE GONNA BE REIMBURSED AND WE STILL ARE WAITING, UH, FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY.
SO YEAH, REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THAT, THAT, UH, UM, WE'RE NOT GETTING, GETTING, UH, PAYMENTS AS WE WERE TOLD WE WERE GONNA BE GETTING 'EM.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER ELA.
UM, THIS MAY BE A, THIS MAY BE AN ANDY ISSUE, BUT I, I NOTICED IN YOUR PRESENTATION IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE AUTHORIZING ERIC TO
[01:50:01]
APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE PAST DUE, BUT ALSO FROM APRIL 1ST ON DE DECEMBER, 2023.BUT I LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA ITEM, ANDY, AND, UH, IT DOESN'T MENTION DECEMBER 20, DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
IT ACTUALLY SAYS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.
AND, UH, WE HAD LEARNED JUST RECENTLY ABOUT THE INCREASED WINDOW FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MATERIAL CHANGE, UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE, WHEN WE PRESENTED IT, WE HAD THE ACTUAL DATE AND THAT'S WHY THE MOTION SAYS TO APPROVE AS, AS PRESENTED AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE ORDINANCE HAS THE UPDATED DATE ON THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
UM, WHILE I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO MANY CONVERSATIONS TO TALK ABOUT ACCEPTING A GRANT, AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO DO BETTER IN B SESSION, UH, TO MAKE SURE OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS MONEY WE'VE ALREADY SPENT OUT.
I DO LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY AS BEING COMPASSIONATE, UH, WORKING IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED, WE DO NOT HAVE OUR IMMIGRATION ISSUE ON A FEDERAL LEVEL SORT OUT.
I WANNA THANK CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOR CONTINUING TO, UM, BE THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS IN TERMS OF THE COMPASSIONATE CITY THAT WE ARE.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT TEXAS IS A COMPASSIONATE STATE WHEN IT COMES TO CRISIS.
SO I, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK THAT'S THE IDENTITY OF SAN ANTONIO BEING COMPASSIONATE, BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR, THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE.
AND THAT'S WHY I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS TODAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION ABOUT GETTING, BEING A LITTLE FASTER ABOUT HOW THEY PAY US.
'CAUSE WHEN THEY DON'T, IT SLOWS EVERYTHING DOWN FOR US.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, I SHARE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S FRUSTRATION, UH, WITH THESE DELAYS IN GETTING REIMBURSED.
UM, AND I AGREE THAT OUR, OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN.
UH, OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED US.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOR STANDING UP WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS FAILING US ON THIS ISSUE AND DOING THE RIGHT THING AND GETTING THE JOB DONE.
AND, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY GET REIMBURSED, HOPEFULLY SOONER THAN LATER.
I'VE ALREADY ASKED ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO HELP US TO EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS.
AND I'LL BE CALLING OUR OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HERE THAT REPRESENT US IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THAT AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 10? OKAY, HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION TO SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 10 AS PRESENTED.
[Miscellaneous ]
GO TO ITEM NUMBER 12.ITEM NUMBER 12 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR AN ON-CALL ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SERVICES FOR THE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THE AIRPORT CONCESSIONS PROGRAM, AIR SERVICE INCENTIVE PROGRAM AT THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT SYSTEM WITH K G B, TEXAS MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC.
D B A K G B, TEXAS COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $10 MILLION FOR AN INITIAL TERM OF THREE YEARS WITH TWO ONE YEAR RENEWAL OPTIONS.
FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT IS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2023.
AIRPORT OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE FUND.
BUDGET FUNDING FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS IS CONTINGENT UPON CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET.
ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA.
IS THERE NOT A PRESENTATION? IS THERE A PRESENTATION ON ITEM 12? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE PRESENTATION.
MORNING MAYOR, THE SU SIGN'S DIRECTOR OF AIRPORTS HERE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THIS IS FOR AS WE GO INTO, UH, THE REQUEST FOR
[01:55:01]
TODAY, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A FULL SERVICE AGENCY TO PROVIDE MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATION ACTIVITIES FOR THE AIRPORT.AS WE LOOK AT, UH, THE REBOUND EFFORT THAT'S ONGOING WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC, UH, IN LATE 2022, WE COMPLETED AN OVERALL FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE AIRPORT.
THAT CONSISTED WITH HOW ARE WE GOING TO REBOUND FROM THESE EFFORTS AND ACTIVITIES.
UH, IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AS WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT AIRLINES TO CONTINUE TO COME TO THE AIRPORT AS WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PASSENGERS AND IMPROVE OUR ALL LEVEL OF SERVICE AS WE EMBARK ON A BRAND NEW TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, UH, THE AIR SERVICE, THE CONCESSIONS, THE PARKING, AND OTHER PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRPORT, ALL OF THESE EFFORTS ARE TO SUPPORT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM'S ROLE AS A KEY ECONOMIC DRIVER INTO THE OVERALL COMMUNITY REGION AND TO THE STATE.
WE WORK TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UM, THE WORK THAT'S TO BE INCLUDED IN HERE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH, AGAIN, ADVERTISING, MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS.
WE WANT TO, UH, THIS EFFORT IS TO ASSIST THE AIRPORT WITH POSITIONING AS A PREFERRED BRAND.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COMPETITORS WHETHER EAST OR WEST OR NORTH OR SOUTH, THAT ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING TOWARDS WHETHER IT'S TRYING TO ATTRACT PASSENGERS TO COME TO OUR AIRPORT OR USING OTHER AIRPORTS.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN A SUBSEQUENT SLIDE, THE IMPACT THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING ON THIS SPECIFIC STRATEGIC EFFORT THAT WE HAVE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND COMMUNICATIONS.
IT PROVIDES SUPPORT AND MATERIALS IN ALL TYPES OF CREATIVE, UH, DEVELOPMENT ACROSS ALL CAMPAIGNS.
IT DEVELOPS AND IMPLEMENTS ANNUAL MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLANS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT DEVELOPS AND IMPLEMENTS TARGETED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, AND IT, IT ALSO EVALUATES AND PERFORMS ANALYSIS TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS TO TRACK CAMPAIGNS AND OVERALL ENGAGEMENTS.
WITH REGARDS TO THE AIRPORT, THE CONTRACT CAPACITY, WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THE COVID PANDEMIC AND THE REBOUND THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS YOU THE AMOUNT THAT WE'VE SPENT THAT, THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE HAD VERSUS THE AMOUNT OF SPEND SPECIFICALLY TO AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING.
YOU CAN SEE IN 2021, THE FRAMEWORK THAT'S THERE ON THE BUDGETED AMOUNT VERSUS THE SPEND IN 2022, WE DID HOST ROOTS, SO THAT WAS A BIG PORTION OF THAT.
YOU SEE THE BUDGETED AMOUNT AND THE SPEND.
AND THEN IN 2023, AS WE START THE FISCAL YEAR OF, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR, WE LOOK AT THE BUDGETED AMOUNT AND SPEND, UH, FOR THE 2023 AMOUNT, WHAT'S THE IMPACT? UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY ALWAYS ASKS ME, JESUS, WHAT'S OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT? THIS IS A SLIDE THAT REPRESENTS EXACTLY WHAT THE, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TO THE TUNE OF $291 MILLION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING CONTINUING TO ATTRACT OUR SERVICE.
YOU LOOK AT THE YEAR OF 2021, WHETHER IT'S INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC ROUTES THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, JUST YESTERDAY, WE LAUNCHED THE BRAND NEW ROUTE FOR SPIRIT AIRLINES.
THAT'S GOING NOW TO LOS ANGELES.
IN, IN, IN, IN, IN THE FIRST DAYS OF APRIL.
UH, SOUTHWEST HAS ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS THAT THEY'RE ANNOUNCING JUST A FEW HOURS AGO THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING INTO SAN ANTONIO.
ALL OF THESE ARE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
YES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO THE STATE, TO THE NATION AND GLOBALLY AS WE PUT SAN ANTONIO ON THE MAP, AND CONTINUE TO MARKET AND ADVERTISE WHO WE ARE AND THE DESTINATIONS THAT WE CAN REACH ANNUALLY.
THUS FAR IN 2023, WE ALREADY HAVE $103 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS CITY.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? AS I STATED EARLIER, IT CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL REGION'S ECONOMIC GROWTH.
IT SUPPORTS CURRENT AIR SERVICE AND ATTRACTS NEW FLIGHTS, PROMOTES NON AERONAUTICAL REVENUE AND GROWTH SUPPORTS OUR CONCESSIONS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE, UH, NEW OPENINGS.
UH, A TON OF CREDIT GOES TO OUR CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, JENNIFER MILLS PICHER AND HER ENTIRE TEAM, AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO AS IT RELATES TO CLOSE TO 30,000 SQUARE FEET THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
I'LL TELL YOU JUST IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY ALONE, WE'RE AT A 215% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO WHEREAS LAST YEAR, WE KEEP THESE METRICS EVERY SINGLE MONTH WE HAD $7 IN CHANGE PER SQUARE FOOT THAT WE MADE IN REVENUE THIS YEAR WE'RE ALREADY OVER $20.
WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE OF ADINAS MARKET THAT WE OPENED OF WHATABURGER THAT WE'VE OPENED, BEER CODE THAT WE'VE OPENED, AND ALL OF THE, UH, SUPER THAT WE JUST OPENED, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS.
THE WAY THAT WE'RE SELLING OUR PARKING OPERATIONS AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE BRAND NEW VALET SERVICE THAT WE'VE INTRODUCED.
[02:00:01]
ARE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT PASSENGERS CAN EXPECT WHEN THEY COME TO OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM NOW.SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT NON AERONAUTICAL REVENUE GROWTH.
WE WANT TO SUPPORT OUR CONCESSIONS AND COMMUNICATE THE IMPACT OF THE TERMINAL PROGRAM AS WE START THIS NEW EXPANSION AND COMMUNICATE, ADVERTISE, MARKET, AND INFORM EVERYONE, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR AIRPORT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE PASSENGER AND IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE PASSENGER GETS A SPECIFIC LEVEL OF SERVICE WHEN THEY COME INTO OUR AIRPORT COMPLEX.
SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ELEVATE THE OVERALL PASSENGER EXPERIENCE, THE SOLICITATION PROCESS, UH, WE BROUGHT THAT TO THE B SESSION IN, UH, THE MIDDLE OF MAY LAST YEAR.
WE WENT THROUGH THE SOLICITATION IN ADVERTISING IN JULY AND AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, DID THE SCORING EVALUATION IN THE, THE LAST, UH, MONTHS OF LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THE POST ELICITATION IS OBVIOUSLY TODAY TO BRING TO YOU A REQUEST TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, UH, TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR STRATEGIC EFFORTS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THE INITIAL VALUATION CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF FIVE, UH, COMPANIES THAT WERE INTERESTED.
WE HAD THREE THAT WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, SO MOVED ON TO THE SECOND PHASE.
THE DECISIONS WERE BASED ON EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, AND QUALIFICATIONS.
ONCE WE MOVED FORWARD FROM THESE THREE, WE DID AN INITIAL INTERVIEW OF THOSE THREE CANDIDATES AND THE TOP TWO WERE VERY CLOSE, AND WE CONTINUED WITH A SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEW WITH THOSE TWO SPECIFIC ONES TO REALLY CHALLENGE THEM.
HOW ARE THEY GOING TO SELL SAN ANTONIO? HOW ARE THEY GOING TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD? SO THERE WERE SPECIFIC TASKS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THEM AND BROUGHT FOR THEM TO INTERVIEW.
IT WAS VERY COMPETITIVE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO SAY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ENSURE BASED ON THE THI THE NEEDS THAT WE NEED FOR OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS IN THE FUTURE? THE FINAL BID MATRIX CAME BACK WITH K G B B AND THE SELECTED, UH, PARTICIPANT, UH, WITH A TOTAL SCORE OF 72 88, AND HAD A PRETTY LARGE SEPARATION TO THE, UH, ATKIN ATKINS GROUP THAT WAS ALSO IN THERE.
THE CONTRACT TERM HAS STATED SHORT WHILE AGO, THREE YEARS WITH AN OPTION FOR EXTENSION, UH, FOR TWO ONE YEAR PERIODS.
I WILL TELL YOU IT'S TASK DRIVEN.
WE DECIDE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE STRATEGICALLY MOVING IN THE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS.
AS YOU'VE SEEN BY THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WE HAVE FROM AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, THAT CAN CHANGE.
WE HAVE DOMESTIC ROUTES THAT WE'RE VERY FOCUSED, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE OUR OVERALL NONSTOP DESTINATIONS.
WE HAVE INTERNATIONAL ROUTES, NOT ONLY IN MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA, BUT IN EUROPE AND IN CANADA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO SAN ANTONIO.
A LOT OF THIS, UH, PACKAGE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND THE GROWTH OF AIR SERVICE COMING INTO SAN ANTONIO.
AND AS I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER, THIS CAPACITY IS REFLECTIVE JUST ON AIR SERVICE ALONE, YOU SEE THE $290 MILLION IMPACT FOR THE INVESTMENT OF $10 MILLION.
THE FUNDING SOURCES, OBVIOUSLY WE RECEIVE A I P GRANTS FROM THE F A A AND ALSO, UH, OUR AVIATION CAPITAL AND OPERATING FUNDS PAY FOR THIS AMOUNT.
THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
JESUS, COUNCIL MEMBER K H THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE R F P.
UM, THE, I WONDER IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE, COULD, COULD WE GET A, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PROCEED WITH DISCUSSION.
UM, THE, WELL, I'M JUST GONNA START ASKING YOU QUESTIONS.
DOES K G B HAVE ANY MINORITY OWNERS? YES, THERE IS A MINORITY, UH, THAT'S INVOLVED WITH IT, UH, WITH, WITH THIS ELICITATION, AND IT IS, I BELIEVE IT IS A LOCAL FIRM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FIRM, YES.
IS THERE A MINORITY OWNER OF K G B? NOT A MINORITY OWNER.
THE THE AGENCY IS OWNED BY KATIE HARVEY.
IT'S A WOMAN OWNED AGENCY, BUT IT'S 100% OWNED BY KATIE HARVEY.
UM, WERE ANY OF THOSE APPLICANTS, UH, ON THAT SLIDE? MINORITY OWNED? I, I, I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT, THAT ANSWER FOR YOU, COUNCILMAN.
UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, OF COURSE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, UM, CHEERING FOR THE AIRPORT AND I, I PUSH IT FORWARD AND THIS IS A, UM, A CHANCE TO TELL OUR STORY.
MY, MY CONCERN HERE IS, AND I MEAN, I HAVE TO MAKE THE POINT, WE'RE A MINORITY MAJORITY CITY, AND WE HAVE A NON-MINORITY OWNED FIRM THAT'S GONNA TELL OUR STORY.
AS A SAN ANTONIO, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOCAL AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, BUT, UM, I WONDER IF, MY CONCERN HERE IS WE HAD A CAMPAIGN, UH, FOR A DIFFERENT, UM, ENTITY THAT CAME THROUGH AND ALL OF THEIR, THEIR SELLING OF SAN ANTONIO WAS FOLK LOCO DANCERS AND MARIACHIS AND ROS AND ALL THAT IS GREAT.
[02:05:01]
IS PART OF US, BUT YOU SAID IT, WE ARE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT K G B AND AS THE, THE ENTITY THAT WE'RE, UH, VOTING ON TODAY IS GOING TO TAKE OUR STORY AND LOOK AT THE FUTURE, NOT SELL, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE, THE, THE STEREOTYPE OF A LATINO IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A NARRATIVE OF OUR CITY.
UM, IT'S ABOUT OUR CULTURE, AND AGAIN, NOTHING ABOUT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS OR THEIR CAPACITY, BUT I ASK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WELL, MAYBE THIS IS FOR K G B, ARE THEY HERE? YES.
CAN, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP? SURE.
UM, HOW, HOW WILL YOU ENGAGE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN SAN ANTONIO TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS CAMPAIGN IS REFLECTIVE? YEAH.
FIRST LET ME STATE THAT OUR AGENCY IS FULLY BILINGUAL.
WE HAVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE, THE EMPLOYEES ARE HISPANIC OR, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR.
UM, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM ALSO, WE HAVE FIVE PARTNERS, TWO OF WHOM ARE HISPANIC.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A PROFILE OF THE AGENCY, BUT ALL ALSO COUNCILWOMAN, YOU KNOW, THE WOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IS FULLY BILINGUAL, UH, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE.
WE'RE VERY EXPERIENCED IN RUNNING CAMPAIGNS ACROSS THE CITY IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FOR VIA, FOR C P S ENERGY AMONG OTHERS.
UM, AND REACHING OUT, UM, WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, A LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, A LOT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS IN ENGLISH, IN SPANISH.
AND, UM, SO WE WE'RE, WE'RE FULLY AWARE OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND WE, WE HAVE DELIVERED IT AND WE WILL DE DELIVER IT.
UH, AND I MEAN, AS WE GO FORWARD, I ASK THAT, UM, THAT YOU ENGAGE US.
WE REPRESENT, UM, THE COMMUNITY OF COURSE AS WELL.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, AS YOU GO FORWARD, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, THAT THAT OTHER AGENCY, WHEN THEY BROUGHT US THE CAMPAIGN, THEY BROUGHT IT TO ME ABOUT THREE DAYS BEFORE THEY WERE GONNA PRESENT IT.
AND I, I, IT WAS A, A FARCE ASKING ME FOR THE, UM, MY, MY INPUT.
AND I, UH, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I GOT BURNED THAT TIME.
RIGHT? I, I HAVE A REAL ISSUE WITH US TELLING THIS STORY OF US JUST BEING THESE SUPERFICIAL DANCING, HAPPY, HAPPY, UM, PEOPLE.
AND, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT INCLUDING, I ASKED YOU ALL TO INCLUDE, AND THERE WE HAVE FRIENDS UP HERE.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UM, AND I'M GLAD Y'ALL ARE AFFILIATED, WHICH I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
SO I'M APPRECIATE THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE TALKING NOT ONLY ABOUT OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES, OUR ASIAN COMMUNITIES, UH, OUR PERSIAN COMMUNITIES, THAT, THAT WE'RE TELLING ALL OF THAT STORY AND SHOWING THAT REAL DIVERSITY, THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO TELL OUR STORY.
WE GET A LOT OF CRITICISM AS, AS JESUS AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU, YOU SHOW UP IN THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN SAN ANTONIO AND IT TAKES MORE THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FOLK POLITICAL DANCER ON THE WALL.
RIGHT? I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE ARE TELLING THAT STORY IN A REAL AND TRUE WAY, AND IT'S, IT'S GOING FORWARD.
SO, UM, I'LL ASK, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT OUR AIRPORT, UM, SHOWS THAT WE ARE A WORLD CLASS CITY.
THAT WE ARE A, A MOVING FORWARD, THAT WE SHOW THE DIVERSITY, UM, THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE CULTURE IN THIS CITY THAT I THINK THAT, THAT PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS HAVE HAVE SHOWN.
UM, I DO, I I THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING, UM, MAKING SURE THAT MINORITY VOICES ARE BEING HEARD IN THIS CAMPAIGN.
I, I, I WISH THAT THERE WAS A MINORITY OWNER.
I, I THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THE, THE, THE OWNERSHIP BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHOWING SAN ANTONIO NOW, BUT SAN ANTONIO HOW WE STRIVE TO BE IN GOING FORWARD.
SO I ASK AGAIN THAT YOU, YOU CONTINUE TO INCLUDE US, UM, AND, AND ASK THESE QUESTIONS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
I KNOW JESUS, I'M SURE WILL BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN, IN OUR CAMPAIGN, BUT YOU SAID IT, UM, WE ARE REBOUNDING, BUT THIS IS OUR, OUR CHANCE TO TELL OUR GREAT STORY AND NOT JUST OUR PAST, OUR FUTURE.
AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT WELL, JESUS STATE NATION, GLOBALLY, AND, AND, UH, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND I DIMENSION THAT WE DO HAVE A 20% D B E PARTNER, MELISSA, AG AND ASSOCIATES.
AND MELISSA, I'LL ASK YOU TO SAY A WORD.
WELL, HELLO, THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE, COUNCILMAN.
WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, I HAVE OWNED MY COMPANY FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS NOW AND HAVE BEEN ON THIS TEAM, UH, I'M SORRY, 12 YEARS.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THIS TEAM FOR THIS CONTRACT FOR SEVEN YEARS AS WELL UNDER THE PREVIOUS, UM, UH, CONTRACTOR.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH K G B A LOCAL WOMAN-OWNED FIRM, AND, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS.
UM, SO YOU'RE SUB SUBBING WITH, ARE YOU SUBCONTRACTING WITH YES.
SO ION CREATIVE IS GETTING 20% OF THE WORK AS WELL AND 20% OF THE WORK.
IS DO YOU HAVE OVERSIGHT? UM, WE'RE, WE'VE PRETTY MUCH COME INTO IT AS, YOU KNOW,
[02:10:01]
I, LIKE I DID BEFORE I WAS MANAGING WHATEVER PIECES, UM, I WAS GIVEN.SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT SAME KIND OF DEAL.
AND I DID EVENT PLANNING, MARKETING, ALL KINDS OF, YOU DON'T, I KNOW YOU'RE GOOD.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT.
AND ALSO, I KNOW K G B IS GOOD.
I, I JUST, I WANNA BE SURE THAT VOICES ARE BEING HEARD, THE COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T THE, THE STEREOTYPES OF, OF, OF THE TYPICAL, UM, YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGN.
BUT I, I WANNA RE REITERATE TOO, I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT LATINO COMMUNITY.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, UM, ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES I MENTIONED.
ERIC, DID YOU WANT TO MAKE POINT? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, I'M, I'M, UM, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, A LOT OF THE THINGS COUNCILMAN YOU TALKED ABOUT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE, THAT WE'VE INCLUDED WITHIN THE, THE CONVERSATIONS ON ADVANCED PLANNING AND DESIGN.
AND SO THEY'RE GONNA REMAIN CRITICAL, BUT I ALSO, AND, AND I'M ALL FOR MAKING SURE THAT CONTRACTORS, UM, ARE GET, ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT THE COUNCIL TO THINK THAT, HEY, ZEUS AND I ARE HANDING OVER FREE MARKETING REIGN TO THE CONTRACTOR BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UM, AND, AND, AND CERTAINLY, AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH, UM, UM, OTHER EXAMPLE YOU'RE REFERRING TO COUNCILWOMAN, BUT I, I WE'RE NOT HANDING OVER THE REINS OF ANYTHING.
IT, UM, JESUS MENTIONED THE PRESENTATION, IT'S TASK ORDER BASED.
THEY WILL BE, THEY WILL BE WORKING BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION, OUR, OUR DIRECTION.
AND IT'S GONNA BE MANAGED VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE, UM, JESUS LIVES WHAT HE AND BREATHES WHAT HE SAYS IN MAKING SURE THAT THAT AIRPORT IS BUILT FOR THE FUTURE, FOR THIS CITY FIRST, FOR PEOPLE THAT USE THAT AIRPORT, THAT LIVE HERE FIRST.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE THINGS ARE REFLECTED.
BUT I, I, I DON'T WANT THE COUNCIL TO THINK THAT WE'RE HIRING A VERY WELL QUALIFIED COMPANY AND ASKING THEM TO COME UP WITH A BUNCH OF GREAT IDEAS AND COME BACK AND SHOW US RIGHT BEFORE THEY GET RELEASED, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE DRIVEN BY US.
COUNCIL MEMBER S SO, I, I THINK THIS IS, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
THIS IS, THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN, UM, IN OUR REPUTATION, RIGHT? ON A, ON A LOCAL, STATE, COUNTRY, GLOBAL LEVEL.
I, I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF MONEY, UH, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT IT'S YOU WHO'S, WHO'S HELPING US OVERSEE THIS, UH, COMPARED TO THE OTHER AIRPORTS THAT YOU'VE WORKED ON.
THIS ONE IS, UH, A SMALLER ENDEAVOR, RIGHT? BUT I, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, I THINK THIS INVESTMENT IS COMMENSURATE WITH OUR PLACE AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMPARATOR CITIES.
I THINK IT'S COMMENSURATE WITH OUR IMPORTANCE ON THE WORLD STAGE AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, A CITY WHERE WE WANT TO ATTRACT BUSINESS AND ATTRACT OTHER, UM, VISITORS.
I THINK ALSO THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S COMMENSURATE, AND ANDY SAYS THIS ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? IT'S COMMENSURATE WITH OUR, UH, OUR NEED TO START ACTING LIKE THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND I, I THINK THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN, IN THAT DIRECTION, RIGHT? TO MAKE US MORE ADMIRED, MORE ATTRACTIVE, MORE COMPETITIVE.
AND I, I, I WILL COMMENT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO, UH, INCLUDING ME, I MEAN, YOU HEARD THE LAST TIME YOU WERE UP AT THE PODIUM, UM, YOU KNOW WHO, WHO KNOW, RIGHT? THAT OUR AIRPORT IS NOT THE THINGS I JUST DESCRIBED.
AND WE ARE, UM, AND THIS IS A CITY THAT'S HUNGRY TO, UM, TO HAVE AN AIRPORT, WHICH IS AN ASSET THAT DELIVERS ON THAT LIST OF, OF, UM, OF THINGS THAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
AND SO, I, I THINK THAT, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, ONE BAD REVIEW ON YELP AND TRIPADVISOR DOES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE, RIGHT? AND IT'S COSTLY.
IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY IN PR TO UNDO THE DAMAGE THAT ONE BAD REVIEW WILL GET YOU.
AND I THINK THAT IN THE PAST, WE HAVEN'T REALLY INVESTED WHAT WE NEED TO TO COMBAT THAT ONE BAD REVIEW.
AND, AND THE REASON IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE, AND YOU TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, JONATHAN AND MELISSA, YOU, Y'ALL ARE THE EXPERTS, RIGHT? BUT, UH, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING IS MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE WITH EACH YEAR THAT PASSES BECAUSE WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH THE NOISE, RIGHT? MORE PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO, I DON'T KNOW, HUNTER BIDEN'S EMAILS OR JOHNNY DEPP AND AMBER HEARD THAN THEY ARE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF AN AIRPORT, RIGHT? AND JUST TO GET IN FRONT OF THOSE FOLKS REQUIRES A LOT OF CREATIVITY AND A LOT OF ENERGY AND A, AND A SERIOUS INVESTMENT.
BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS INVESTMENT IS WARRANTED.
UM, AND YOU'LL HAVE MY SUPPORT.
I THINK, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT TODAY.
I THINK THE ONE THING, UH, TRAVELING AND, AND BEING PART OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO BEFORE THIS IS,
[02:15:01]
IT CAN GET VERY GENERIC FROM AIRPORT TO AIRPORT, AND IT CAN GET VERY, UM, BLAND.AND THE ONE THING I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IS THAT WE TOLD A SAN ANTONIO STORY.
WE TOLD A SAN ANTONIO STORY THAT RESONATED WITH, UH, THOSE FROM SAN ANTONIO THAT HAVE TO SPEND A COUPLE OF HOURS THAT WE TELL THE SAN ANTONIO STORY AS YOU'RE WELCOMED.
AND MAYBE WE HEAR MORE VOICES THAN, UH, OUR MAYORS, UH, ON THE
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, I'D LIKE TO HEAR A FEMALE VOICE TOO.
SO AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THE ONE THING IS TO, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT, UM, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, UH, KEO HDA HAS, HAS EXPRESSED.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, UM, JUST TALK TO THE PEOPLE.
HAS, JESUS AND I WERE BOTH, AND, AND COUNCILMAN RE GARCIA IN LONDON AND ALL, I THINK WE NEED LIKE, MAPS ALL AROUND THE AIRPORT TO SAY, YOU ARE HERE IN TEXAS, IN THIS PORTION OF TEXAS.
'CAUSE OUR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS, I DON'T THINK FULLY UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LARGE THIS IS.
AND IF YOU COULD DO A MAP WHERE THEY, YOU SEE ALL THE CONGESTION FROM AUSTIN TO SAN ANTONIO SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO FLY IN TO SAN ANTONIO IF THEY WANNA GET HERE, UH, I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TOO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK PART OF IT IS HAVING THAT COMMUNICATION, TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WANNA TELL THEIR STORY.
THERE'S SO MANY STORIES OUT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT AND, UM, JUST CONTINUING TO DO THAT JOB BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT I THINK WE HAVE HERE IS A SAN ANTONIO SOLUTION FOR OUR MARKETING, UH, AT THE AIRPORT.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT.
UM, JESUS, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND I REALLY LOVE THOSE SLIDES THAT SHOWED THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AIRPORT ON, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST, I, I QUESTIONED ABOUT $10 MILLION FOR MARKETING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A CLOSED, UM, UM, AGENCY HERE.
THERE'S NO OTHER AIRPORTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WE NEED TO MARKET FOR, BUT IT'S MORE THAN THAT.
IT'S MARKETING TO THE AIRLINES, IT'S MARKETING ON ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WHAT YOU'VE DONE, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IS AMAZING.
ESPECIALLY THE, THE, THE RETURN ON THE, UM, DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT THAT REALLY IMPRESSES ME, UM, FROM SEVEN UP TO $20 PER SQUARE FOOT, THAT, THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD ON, ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, AND BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS THAT ARE BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
UM, THE $10 MILLION, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA SPEND THAT $10 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO THAT'S JUST THE CEILING THAT YOU'VE SET AT THIS POINT.
AND JUST LOOKING AT THAT ONE SLIDE, YOU'VE NEVER SPENT THAT MUCH.
IT'S AROUND 1.5, $1.6 MILLION AND GOT A LONG WAY TO GO THIS YEAR, UH, TO GET ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT THIS YEAR IN 23.
SO, UH, THAT DOES SHOW SOME ROOM TO GROW.
UM, JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOWING THE SLIDES WHERE K G B, UH, THEY STARTED OFF IN THIRD PLACE AND GOT TO SECOND, AND THEN THEY GOT TO FIRST PLACE.
WHAT REALLY DISTINGUISHED THEM ABOVE THE OTHER, UH, CONTRACTORS? I, I, THE INITIAL PROPOSAL WAS JUST ON PAPER, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT, PUT 'EM OVER THE TOP.
YEAH, I, I WOULD SAY, UH, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PIECE WAS IN THE FINAL INTERVIEWS, COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN, YOU KNOW, UH, WE BROUGHT EVERYONE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, EQUALLY TO DEMONSTRATE, UM, THEIR PROPOSAL ON PAPER.
THE, THE GROUP THAT WAS SELECTED WAS A VERY, UH, DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MADE THE DECISIONS THAT TOOK IT TO THE FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS.
AND THEN WE HAD THREE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, UH, CLOSE.
SO WE BROUGHT THOSE TO THAT FIRST SET OF INTERVIEWS.
BUT WHEN WE DID THAT TWO REALLY SEPARATED THEMSELVES, WHICH WAS ATKINS AND K G B.
AND THEN WHEN WE DID THE SUBSEQUENT FINAL INTERVIEW, UM, WE ISSUED SPECIFIC TASKS TO TELL US HOW WERE THEY GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND TO THE, SPECIFICALLY TO THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THOSE MATERIALS IN FRONT OF ME, I APOLOGIZE, COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT WE CAN SHOW YOU THE WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED AND THE NOTES THAT WERE TAKEN ON THEIR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON THE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AS IT RELATES TO THE AIRPORT, WHETHER IT BE ON THE CONCESSIONS PROGRAM, ON HOW WE'RE SELLING THAT, UM, THE OVERALL
[02:20:01]
EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO US BEING MILITARY CITY, U S A AS IT RELATES TO THE WORK THAT WE DO IN THE PARKING AREAS.AND THEN THE BIGGEST PARCEL OF THIS ENTIRE CONTRACT IS RELATED TO AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT.
AND AS THAT'S REALLY WHY WE SHOWED THAT SLIDE.
'CAUSE WE WANTED EVERYONE TO SEE THE LARGEST ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THAT.
SO ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS, UH, IN CULMINATION IS WHAT LED TO THE OVERALL DECISION BY THE ENTIRE TEAM THAT, THAT, UH, SELECTED K G B, SIR.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT JUST LISTENING, UH, STARTED TO CONCERN ME A LITTLE BIT.
THIS WAS A FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS, UM, PROGRAM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE WE'RE EXCEEDING OUR, UH, EVERY YEAR WE'RE GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER WITH A NUMBER OF AWARDS AND, AND, UH, CREDITS THAT WE'RE GIVING AND CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
AND I, I, I GUESS I GET A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED WHEN WE'RE, WHEN COMMENTS ARE MADE THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH OR WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS CONTRACT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO, UH, A MINORITY BUSINESS.
AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE KIND OF, UH, COMMENTS THAT MIGHT RESTRICT ON PEOPLE OR AGENCIES ACTUALLY BIDDING ON CONTRACTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL BUSINESS HERE WHEN, UH, COMMENTS LIKE THAT CAN TURN OFF BUSINESSES FROM EVEN BIDDING ON SOMETHING IF THEY KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS GONNA BE, UH, DIRECTED TOWARDS A PARTICULAR GROUP OR, UM, UM, PART OF THE, UM, POPULATION HERE IN TOWN.
SO I, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT HEARING STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM THAT, UM, UH, WE MEET, MEET NUMBERS AND EXCEED NUMBERS EVERY YEAR.
SO, UM, I'M GLAD THAT THIS WAS FULL AND OPEN AND WENT THROUGH A FULL COMPETITION.
THERE'S, THERE'S SMALL BUSINESS GOALS, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS HERE IN, UH, FOR THE CITY AND THE AIRPORT AND OTHER AGENCIES HERE.
SO I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
AND, AND, UM, CONGRATULATIONS.
MARY, IF I COULD, IF I COULD JUST MAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, UM, TODAY, YOU KNOW, AS WE CELEBRATE THIS MONTH, UM, SO MANY WOMEN THAT ARE HERE, I CAN'T HELP BUT THANK ON MY, MY
I KNOW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ROCHA GARCIA, YOU ASKED ME, HEY, WHERE'S THE WOMEN IN THIS GROUP? SO THERE'S, THERE'S A POWERHOUSE THAT'S HERE THAT WORKS SO HARD ON THIS, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM 'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DO ALL THE WORK.
I GET TO GO UP, COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT THE WOMAN THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME, UM, KAREN, JENNIFER, IF YOU GUYS COULD PLEASE STAND, ROBIN, ANDY, TANYA.
THEY MAKE IT HAPPEN DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR US AS WE CELEBRATE THESE WOMEN AND ALL THE WOMEN THAT ARE BACK AT THE AIRPORT AS WELL.
POOR BRIAN ESA KEEPS STATED, BUT HE DOES A GOOD JOB TOO, TOO.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO, I'M SURE YOU'RE GROOMING THEM TO BE AIRPORT MANAGER OR THE SUPERVISOR ONE DAY.
UM, LET ME JUST SAY, LET ME START BY ASKING THIS QUESTION.
WHO HAS HAD THIS CONTRACT BEFORE THE MARKETING CONTRACT FOR THE AIRPORT? UH, PAVLOV WAS THE COMPANY THAT HAD IT BEFORE.
THEY'RE A COMPANY OUT OF DALLAS, TEXAS.
AND, AND HOW MANY YEARS HAS THAT BEEN THE CASE? THAT WAS A TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS.
AND SO THIS ONE POTENTIALLY COULD ALSO BE FIVE YEARS? IT IS, YES MA'AM.
IT'S A THREE PLUS ONE PLUS ONE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND TWO SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
AND THE PREVIOUS, UM, CONTRACTOR, DID THEY HAVE A MINORITY PORTION OF THIS TOO? THEY DID, YES, MA'AM.
THEY ALSO DID, LET ME ASK YOU, WHEN, WHEN Y'ALL REVIEWED THE PROPOSALS, WAS THIS FIRM ABLE TO SHOW YOU CONCRETE EXAMPLE VIDEO EXAMPLES OF THE ADS? THEY, THEY WERE, SO, UM, PAVLOV WAS IN THE FINAL THREE, UH, THAT WENT TO THE INTERVIEW.
SO THEY TOO WERE IN THAT, UH, LISTING.
WE STARTED FIRST WITH THE, THE FIRST INTERVIEWS WHERE WE HAD SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST AND FINAL INTERVIEW, WE HAD SOME MORE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM.
BUT, UH, EACH OF THEM IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS WERE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT EVEN IN THE, UH, SOLICITATION THAT WENT OUT, UH, FOR THE PROPOSALS, EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE US RIGHT.
[02:25:01]
ABLE TO DO.YEAH, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT, WITH SAHA.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE THE COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF THING WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW THE CITY IS SOLD.
UH, BECAUSE LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN, I HAVE OFTEN JUST SEEN THESE HORRIBLE ADS, NOT SAYING FROM Y'ALL, BUT THAT LOOK AT OUR CITY, UM, IN A WAY THAT I WOULD NEVER WANNA TO LOOK AT IT.
UM, SO LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES WOULD PROBABLY HELP, I KNOW, WOULD HELP ME TO DETERMINE WHETHER I WOULD WANNA VOTE FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT WOULDN'T TAKE VERY LONG TO DO, BUT I THINK IT WOULD HELP TO LOOK AT HOW ARE WE PROJECTING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE GROWING FACE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
UM, AND I SAY THAT TOO BECAUSE I GUESS I WOULD DISAGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I SEE IN SO MANY OF THESE CONTRACTS IS THE SAME NAMES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.
SOME COMPANIES HAVE TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO, TO BOND, THEY HAVE TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE CERTAIN NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET TO A POINT WHERE TRULY IN CONTRACTING, WE'RE GETTING THE BEST, BUT WE'RE ALSO GIVING THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES TO A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO HAVE THOSE CONTRACTS.
I ALSO, MR. MAYOR, WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN TACKING ON A QUESTION TO CONTRACTORS ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE HIRING FROM OUR TRAINING PROGRAM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF INCENTIVE THAT MIGHT HELP THE TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO GROW AND TO PUT PEOPLE IN POSITIONS THAT PERHAPS THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY COULD BE IN.
BUT THAT'S A SUGGESTION I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TOO, BECAUSE I THINK IT, UH, FOR ME, IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ERIC, DID, DO YOU WANT TO INTERJECT REAL QUICK? UM, THE POINT ON THE TRAINING PROGRAM AND WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY ASKING FOR THAT? YEAH.
UM, JEFF AND I WERE JUST HUDDLING UP OVER HERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN A, THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL'S HAD ON SEVERAL SOLICITATIONS.
AND, AND, UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE CONTINUE TO, TO PRESS NOT ONLY WITH POTENTIAL CONTRACTORS, BUT, BUT ALSO, I MEAN, I HEARD IT LAST WEEK ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT DELEGATE AGENCIES UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM IN TERMS OF HIRING, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND, AND MAYBE IT, THAT, THAT, THAT PROBABLY NECESSITATES A, A LARGER BRIEFING TO THE COUNCIL.
WE CAN DO A MEMO UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE APPLYING THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT AND, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO'S, RIGHT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TYING UP AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE, THAT INVESTMENT WE'VE GOT WITH READY TO WORK.
YEAH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I I, I THINK THE CONTRACTING COMMUNITY SHOULD KNOW WHAT OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES ARE.
AND SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC CONTRACTS, IT WOULD CERTAINLY RAISE EYEBROWS IN A GOOD WAY HERE, KNOWING THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA BE LEANING INTO THE TRAINING PROGRAM AND, AND HELPING, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PROGRAM GAIN, UH, ACCESS TO NEW CAREERS.
SO, BUT HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THAT IN A MORE FORMAL WAY WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, THE OTHER THING I'D MENTION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO IS, UH, POINTS ON, UM, ENSURING THAT MORE FIRMS HAVE ACCESS TO THE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO ACROSS PUBLIC AGENCIES AS A PRIORITY.
UH, WE RECENTLY CONVENED A ROUND TABLE OF ALL THE PROCUREMENT OFFICERS IN THE PUBLIC AGENCIES HERE, UH, AT THE, UM, URGING OF YOUR SON.
UH, AND WE'RE UNDERWAY IN A PROCESS TO HELP, UH, ALIGN OUR PROCUREMENT EFFORTS, POLICY PRIORITIES, BUT ALSO TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR VENDORS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO ACCESS PUBLIC CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR A SMALL BUSINESS, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
THE, THE PROCESS IS OBTUSE, UH, TO ACCESS SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 13 DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND THERE'S 13 DIFFERENT APPLICATION PROCESSES.
THERE'S 13 DIFFERENT WAYS THAT, UH, THEY WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO THE SIMPLE GOAL OF ALIGNING THOSE TO HAVE ESSENTIALLY ONE FRONT DOOR INTO ALL OF THESE UNIVERSE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS ACCESS THESE, UH, CONTRACTS IS, IS ENORMOUS, UH, POTENTIAL.
BUT THEN ALSO, UH, TO ALIGN THE, THE POLICY PRIORITIES, AGAIN, OF GIVING LOCAL RESIDENTS ACCESS AND, UM, CAREER PATHWAYS IS, IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH AT THAT TABLE.
SO, UM, MORE TO COME ON THAT, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, THOSE
[02:30:01]
POINTS.COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO APPLIED AND, AND, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY TO, TO YOUR TEAM AT THE AIRPORT.
I THINK EVERYBODY DOES A WONDERFUL JOB.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE WOMEN WITH YOU TODAY.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'M ALWAYS ASKING ABOUT, UM, WOMEN, RIGHT? AND SO YOUR REPRESENTATION, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU ALL, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE TRIED TO INVOLVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AT LEAST I, I KIND OF FEEL MORE INVOLVED.
AND SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE MAKING AN EFFORT, UM, TO DO THAT, OR YOU ARE, ARE LISTENING.
I, IN MY OPINION, A LITTLE BIT, UM, EVEN CLOSER TO, TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK FIRST, AND THEN I'LL GO INTO SOME, SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.
HOW MANY OTHER CONTRACTS DOES K G B UH, TEXAS HAVE? JEFF WITH THE CITY? YES, WITH THE CITY.
CURRENTLY NO OTHER CITY CONTRACTS RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, IN, SO IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, I HAD GONE OVER TO YOUR WEBSITE AND I DID SEE THAT YOU ALL, UM, I KNEW THAT YOU WERE A WOMAN-OWNED AGENCY.
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT WAS A WO WOMEN, A MAJORITY WOMEN PARTNER AS WELL AGENCY.
I NOTICED THAT WE HAD THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAD THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO LOGO, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKING.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANOTHER THING THAT, THAT MAYBE I HAD MISSED.
BUT LEE, UH, JONATHAN, IF YOU WANNA, IF YOU WANNA COME UP, I KNOW, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT YOU, UM, ARE ALSO WORKING WITH SA TO DC SO I APPRECIATE THAT THE EFFORTS THERE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE UNDERTAKING.
BUT CAN YOU TELL ME ALSO, UM, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU HEAR THE VOICE OF THE CONSUMER, UM, WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE AND, AND IN YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS MORE ABOUT, UH, THAN JUST ABOUT ADVERTISING THE AIRPORT.
IT'S ABOUT THE TERMINAL TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE NEED A LOT OF HELP WITH.
WE NEED SOME, UM, SOME, SOME MARKETS THAT HAVE BEEN UNTAPPED FOR A LONG TIME, SPECIFICALLY ONE OF THE ONES THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THE, UH, DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE WANNA HEAR THEIR VOICES AS WELL.
WE WANT TO SEE, WE WANNA SHOWCASE MORGAN'S WONDERLAND.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO IS INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS.
SO NOT JUST, UH, IN GENERAL LOOKING AT THE, THE CULTURE OF SAN ANTONIO AS A HISPANIC CULTURE, BUT ALSO MILITARY CITY, U S A, UM, INCLUSION CITY, U S A, I MEAN, YOU NAME IT.
AND SO I WANNA ASK HOW YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF THE CONSUMER THERE, AND THEN ALSO HOW YOU PLAN TO FOCUS ON AIRPORT CONCESSIONS AND BRINGING THEIR VOICE TO THE TABLE.
BECAUSE AS I, UM, WAS, AGAIN, PREPPING IN THE MEMO, I NOTICED THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE AIR.
WELL, NOT ONLY HAVE THE AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH YOU ALL WILL BE HELPING AIRLINES WITH MARKETING INCENTIVES.
AND THEN I ALSO, UM, MY NEXT QUESTION, BY THE WAY, FOR JESUS IS GONNA BE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE $10 MILLION IS GOING FOR THAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CONCESSIONAIRE THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, WE ARE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE AIRPORT CONCESSIONS, DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES PROGRAM.
AND SO HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICE IS, IS HEARD AS WELL? AND THEN WE INCLUDE EVERYBODY.
LONG QUESTION, BUT THERE YOU HAVE.
SO LET ME TRY TO FOLLOW THOSE.
UM, I FAILED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FOR THE RECORD, I'M JONATHAN GITZ.
I AM A PARTNER WITH K G B TEXAS COMMUNICATIONS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I DID ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE, I, I HAVE THE ACCOUNT LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT WILL BE WORKING ON THIS.
SO COUNCILWOMAN, THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE IN, IN TOUCH WITH YOU, UM, LADA LOPEZ AND VERONICA JIMENEZ, ALONG WITH MELISSA AONE.
SO THIS IS WHO YOU'LL BE SEEING, UM, IN WORKING WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE CITY.
UM, I ALSO DID WANNA MENTION THAT IN ADDITION, WE, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING AS A SUBCONTRACTOR TO PAVLOV FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS ON THIS.
SO ALONG WITH MELISSA, AND WE'VE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH A ION AND ASSOCIATES FOR 10 YEARS ON A VARIETY OF PROJECTS.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE TRUSTED PARTNER.
UM, SO WE ARE HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING ON THIS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ON WITH THE AIRPORT FOR FIVE YEARS.
UM, WE DECIDED THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO GO OUT ON OUR OWN TO TRY TO, UH, WIN THIS CONTRACT WITH ION AND ASSOCIATES AS A LOCAL WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS.
AND SO WE WERE, WE'RE PLEASED TO, TO BE THE FINALIST AND TO BE THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UH, THE FIRST QUESTION YOU ASKED, UM, WAS ABOUT HOW WE, WE, WE MEASURE SENTIMENT OR HOW WE, HOW WE GET FEEDBACK.
SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS WE WE COULD DO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WAYS IS JUST LOOKING AND, AND LISTENING.
COUNCILMAN PALS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT REVIEWS, SEEING WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO THAT'S ONE THING IS MONITORING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO THERE IS WE ACTUALLY GO OUT THERE AND WE TAKE SURVEYS.
[02:35:01]
WE ARE GOING UP PERSON TO PERSON WHO PEOPLE IN THE TERMINAL ASKING THEM ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, UM, ASKING THEM A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, ABOUT CONCESSIONS, ABOUT T S A, LINES, EVERYTHING.UM, AND GATHERING THAT INFORMATION.
SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE PART OF IT AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY AT THE AIRPORT, BUT AROUND THE CITY, TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE WANT, WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S IN, IN, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, MEETING WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVERY, I I WOULD SAY THAT EVERY TOOL IS, IS THAT IS AVAILABLE, IS ONE THAT WE WOULD USE.
UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, FOR, FOR OTHER CLIENTS.
AND WE WOULD LOOK FOR YOUR, YOUR DIRECTION AND SUGGESTIONS ON, ON HOW WE COULD DO THAT BETTER.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES, UM, IT, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES ABOUT WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE, HOW WE CAN BEST HELP THEM WORK WITH THE AIRPORT STAFF TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, HOW, HOW WE CAN ACCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US IN, IN, IN THAT, UH, PURSUIT.
BUT A ABSOLUTELY, WE HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND TALK TO, TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES AND GET THEIR INPUT.
ONE OTHER POINT, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
WE HAPPENED TO BE IN AUSTIN LAST WEEK FOR, UM, THE VIVA SAN ANTONIO DAY RAN INTO GORDON HARTMAN.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
WE SAID, UM, WE, WE KNEW WE WERE THE RE RECOMMENDED AGENCY, AND WE TALKED TO GORDON ABOUT HOW CAN WE HIGHLIGHT SAN ANTONIO AS A CITY OF ACCE OF ACCESSIBILITY, AND HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT, UH, SHOWCASE THAT AT OUR AIRPORT.
SO HE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, WE, UH, WENT TO, UH, COUNCILMAN
AND SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON, ON THAT AS WELL.
WE'RE, UM, STRUGGLING, I THINK AS A CITY.
UM, WE
UH, AND ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT INTERVIEWED ME HAD NOT DONE HIS HOMEWORK AND, UM, THOUGHT THAT WE WERE IN SOUTH AMERICA
AND SO, SO WE KIND OF HAD TO REMIND THE PERSON THAT, WELL, ACTUALLY WE'RE IN TEXAS, YOU MIGHT KNOW TEXAS.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE GET CONFUSED WITH IS THAT EVERYBODY ASKS, UM, FOR OUR BOOTS AND OUR HORSES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT, THAT WE KIND OF HAVE TO FIGHT THE STEREOTYPE OF THE TYPICAL TEXAS CITY, RIGHT? AND I LOVE THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND I'M PROUD OF YELLOW ROSES AND EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN THINK OF ASSOCIATED WITH TEXAS.
BUT I DO THINK THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS A VERY DISTINCTIVE, DISTINCTIVE CULTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE MOST IMPRESSED ABOUT WAS WITH OUR, OUR FUSION, RIGHT? OUR CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHEN I'M AT THE AIRPORT, I'M LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO EAT, RIGHT? AND SO, AND I'M THINKING THAT THE TRAVELER THAT'S COMING TO SAN ANTONIO SHOULD ONLY BE FOCUSED ON GRABBING A MARGARITA, WHICH THEY'RE REALLY GOOD.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE FOOD SCENE, RIGHT? OR SO, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT MAYBE THEY, THEY KIND OF MISSED.
AND SO AS WE THINK OF, OF THESE THINGS TO MARKET, UM, MAYBE THE, THE, THE FOCUS IS, IS ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE JUST YET, RIGHT? SO I LOVE THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE THE RIVER WALK.
THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE PICTURES OF THE ALAMO, THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE IMPORTANT TOO.
BUT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE MISSED IS THAT CREATIVE CITY OF ASTRONOMY DESIGNATION, RIGHT? UM, THE INCLUSION ASPECT.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PICTURES ARE OUT THERE SHOWCASING OUR INCLUSION, UH, AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THE CITY OF THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S A CITY, CITY OF DIVERSITY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AND SHOWCASE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FORGET ABOUT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE, UM, ALWAYS FORGET IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVENTIONS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THESE PEOPLE COME HERE FOR THREE, FOUR DAYS AT A TIME, BUT WE WANNA GET THEM TO COME BACK.
WE WANNA GET THEM TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES.
SO WHILE THEY'RE SITTING THERE AT THE AIRPORT, UM, I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE MISSED FOR, UM, SOME TIME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THEM HOW WONDERFUL OF A CITY THAT THIS IS TO BRING THEIR FAMILY.
LAST WEEK I WAS IN ANOTHER MEETING WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, AND THERE WAS A, A YOUNG WOMAN FROM CHICAGO WHO HAD NEVER BEEN HERE.
AND SO IT WAS HER FIRST TIME AND SHE SAID, COUNCIL, AND I'M ALREADY PLANNING ON, I'M COMING BACK.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS FOR THE KIDS TO DO.
LIKE I WAS TALKING TO HER ABOUT THE MUSEUM.
SHE COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW COOL OF A, A MUSEUM THAT WAS, RIGHT? AND SO JUST SOME
[02:40:01]
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT, THAT TARGET MARKET THAT IS CAPTIVATED THERE FOR US.AND GOING BACK TO THE, TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILWOMAN HDA MADE IS THAT WE REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK SOME STEREOTYPES HERE.
AND SO WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC ART OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RESTAURANTS, OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS WE HAVE, WE CAN GO BEYOND THE MARIACHIS AND BEYOND THE, THE, THE, UH, MARGARITAS AND SHOWCASE OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN, OUR ASIAN PACIFIC, ALONG WITH HISPANIC, ALL THE GROUPS THAT, THAT MAKE SAN ANTONIO SUCH A UNIQUE PLACE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO.
WANTED TO, UM, ONE MORE IDEA THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT I THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, ATLANTA HAS ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT IS KIND OF THE MECCA FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TERMS OF INSTITUTIONS, POLITICS, EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE'RE BUILDING THAT IN SAN ANTONIO.
YOU HAVE, UM, THE BLACK MUSEUM THAT'S COMING ON BOARD, BOTH ACROSS THE STREET, ONE WITH THE ALAMO AND THE OTHER BLACK MUSEUM ACROSS THE STREET.
YOU HAVE NOW, UM, RI THE MEXICAN AMERICAN, EQUAL MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHERS THAT HAVE COME ON BOARD, UM, THAT COULD BE PACKAGED ALONG WITH THE LATINO COLLECTION AT THE LIBRARY, THE JEWISH COLLECTION THERE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLECTION THERE, THE MISSIONS, UH, I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO PACKAGE SOME OF THIS IN A WAY THAT SHOWS WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN IN TEXAS, WHICH IS SAN ANTONIO IS THE HEART OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS, AND OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR CULTURE, WITH OUR ART, UM, ART AND CULTURE, ANOTHER WHOLE AREA THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S ENOUGH LOOKED AT, BUT WE'VE GOT INCREDIBLE ARTISTS HERE.
UM, WE JUST SAW THE DEATH OF ONE OF THEM.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN LOOK AT LITERATURE, ART, AND THESE INSTITUTIONS, WE CAN SHOW THE FACE OF A MODERN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SO OUR CITY'S GROWING A LOT AND OUR AIRPORT NEEDS TO GROW WITH IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR EXPANSIONS.
UM, AND AS THAT HAPPENS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE'S NO MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO FLY TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE NEED TO LET THEM KNOW IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE OUR FLIGHTS SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS.
AND I'VE SEEN KGB TEXAS'S WORK, AND I TRUST YOU ALL TO DO THIS.
I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH YOUR WORK, UM, AND WITH AG AND ASSOCIATES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I LIKE THE FACT THAT OUR CITY HAS BEEN PURPOSEFUL ABOUT TRYING TO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBPRIME CONTRACTORS AND, AND HELP THEM TRANSITION UP TO BEING PRIME CONTRACTORS.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT WITH A LOCAL SUBPRIME NOW GOING TO PRIME.
UM, SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THAT AND THAT YOU HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE ALREADY.
YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK AND NOW YOU GET TO LEAD THE WORK.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, ONE THING I DON'T WANT US TO FORGET, ERIC, IS WE ARE INVESTING A LOT IN THIS AIRPORT.
WE'RE GONNA BE DRIVING MORE PEOPLE THERE, AND THAT PUTS PRESSURE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AROUND THE AIRPORT.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TELLING THE STORY, BUT LIKE, WE NEED TO ACTUALLY SHOW UP FOR THOSE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
THERE'S GONNA BE MORE CONGESTION IN THAT AREA.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THERE THAT HAVE CHALLENGES TURNING INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND LEAVING THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFELY.
AND SO IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT TOO.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GONNA BE RE REMINDING THE ENTIRE COUNCIL ABOUT AND, AND OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR BUDGET TEAM ABOUT, UH, AS WE GO INTO BUDGET SESSION, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE NOT JUST TELLING THE STORY, BUT HOW ARE WE TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE IMPACTED RIGHT NEXT TO THE AIRPORT? THANK YOU.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI, UM, I FORGOT TO MENTION, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S THE FORMER CHAIR OF SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL, AND I GOT ROPED INTO, I WAS SERVING ON THE BOARD NOW.
AND THE MORE AND MORE I'VE, I'VE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, STEEPED IN THIS, THE MORE I REALIZE THAT THAT'S AN ASSET FOR US AND OUR SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIPS ARE ASSET FOR ASSETS FOR US.
AND, UM, MY REQUEST IS THAT Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, BAKE INTO THE PLAN, UH, OUR STRONG RELATIONSHIPS TO THOSE CITIES AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SECOND, AND JESUS, I, I TEXTED YOU ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK THIS IS, IT'S WORTH MENTIONING.
UH, I WAS AT THE AIRPORT, WAS IT LAST WEEK? JESUS.
[02:45:01]
AND, UH, LITERALLY THE LAST PERSON I SPOKE TO BEFORE GETTING ON THAT AIRPLANE WAS THE TICKET AGENT.AND SHE WAS SO MEAN, UH, AND SHE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE HAD A CATTLE PROD AND SHE WAS JUST MEAN, MEAN TO EVERYBODY.
AND SHE WAS YELLING AT ME AND, UH, AND I ASKED HER TO, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE TO BE NICER.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I WAS THREATENED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE PLANE IF I TOLD HER TO BE NICE AGAIN AND MEAN, AND, UH, I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF THE OLD LINE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUDGED BY YOUR EXITS AND YOUR ENTRANCES, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT ALSO WE ARE JUDGED BY THE LAST EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAVE AT THAT AIRPORT, RIGHT? AND THAT MAYBE JESUS, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THIS TEAM TO EXPRESS TO EVERYBODY WHO WORKS AT THE AIRPORT THAT THEIR PARTNERS IN THIS MARKETING.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SPENDING $10 MILLION AND IT ALL IT TAKES IS ONE GATE AGENT TO RUIN THAT EXPERIENCE, THEN THAT WAS $10 MILLION, THEN WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE JUST LIT ON FIRE, RIGHT? AND ONE PERSON CAN DO THAT.
I MEAN, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THIS GREAT EXPERIENCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT THEY'RE HERE.
AND SO I I I I, I DUNNO HOW TO GET TO WHAT I, WHAT I WANT HERE, BUT MAYBE HAVING THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE AIRPORT BE PRESENTED WITH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AN INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING, HERE IT IS.
AND THAT THEY HAVE THE POWER EITHER TO HELP OR TO SABOTAGE, RIGHT? AND, UM, ANYWAY, I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE.
YEAH, NO, THE, THE BEST WAY, UM, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN HOFF STARTED THIS IN, IN REALLY THE, THE BEST WAY IS WHAT I WOULD SAY.
AND IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN I ARRIVED IN 2020 AND, AND WE AS A TEAM STARTED TO ESTABLISH THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WAS THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT WE COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.
AND IN THAT, UM, WE HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND PLUS DIRECTOR INDIRECT FEEDBACK FROM ALL 10 OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? TO TALK TO THEM.
AND WE WENT OUT TO THAT COMMUNITY AND SAID, TELL US.
AND THAT CAME BACK WITH FOUR RESOUNDING PILLARS.
AS WE TALK ABOUT WHAT, UH, CITY MANAGER WALTZ JUST STATED AS, IT'S GONNA BE A TASK DRIVEN.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, WHETHER WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH THE CUSTOMER PERS, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSPECTIVE LED BY, UH, KAREN ELLIS, WHETHER IT'S, UH, THE AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S LED BY BRIAN PRATT, WHO'S HERE AS WELL, OR WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, CREATING ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS AND AND IMPROVING OUR OVERALL, UH, NON AERONAUTICAL REVENUES AND AERONAUTICAL REVENUES.
ALL OF THOSE GO BACK TO FOUR FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS THAT GO BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HAROL STATED.
AND THAT IS, WE ARE WHO WE ARE AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE ANYBODY ELSE.
WHETHER YOU TALK ABOUT THE CULTURE, WHETHER YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY, WHETHER YOU TALK ABOUT THE NATURE OR YOU TALK ABOUT THE MILITARY, THOSE ARE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS THAT WE HAVE ENCOMPASSED THAT WE'RE GONNA ESTABLISH IN THE STRATEGIES AS WE WORK WITH THEM AND START TO ISSUE OUT THE TASK OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA GO PERFORM.
WE'RE COMPETING EVERY DAY NONSTOP.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT TO ENSURE THAT WHETHER IT'S THE 400 PLUS THAT WORK AT THE AIRPORT, AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OR THE 25,000 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE BADGED THAT WORK AT OUR AIRPORT EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT THEY TOO ARE WORKING TO ELEVATE THE OVERALL PASSENGER EXPERIENCE THAT'S AUTHENTIC HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, JUST A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS.
I, I'M LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE A COMPELLING STORY TO TELL THROUGH THE AIRPORT ABOUT SAN ANTONIO? I THINK, I THINK IT'S ABOUT THE AIRPORT ITSELF.
YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY, AND THE MESSAGE THAT IT SENDS ACROSS THE WORLD ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, BUT AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC ELEMENTS, UH, TO INCORPORATE IN THE MARKETING OF THE AIRPORT, UM, ONE THING CONTINUES TO COME TO MIND FOR ME, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, TEXAS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE BRANDS IN THE WORLD.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA GET AROUND, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A PART OF IT.
UM, BUT WHAT'S, WHAT ALWAYS BRINGS PEOPLE BACK TO WHAT MAKES SAN ANTONIO UNIQUE IN MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES, UH, AND HOW PEOPLE CREATE COMMUNITY OUT OF THAT DIVERSITY.
UH, AND I'VE BEEN OFTEN ASKED, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO GOOGLE SAN ANTONIO, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP FIRST? MY ANSWER IS ALWAYS DREAM WEEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BECOME ALMOST A TWO WEEK CELEBRATION AROUND THE DIVERSITY AND THE MESSAGE OF DR.
KING AND THE LARGEST MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
MARCH IN THE COUNTRY AS A, AS A UNIQUELY SAN ANTONIO STORY.
AND THE MISSION OF DREAM WEEK IS, IS ALSO SOMETHING I THINK IS UNIQUELY SAN ANTONIO.
I WOULD JUST URGE YOU, AS YOU DEVELOP THE PLANS,
[02:50:01]
VISIT WITH SHOW NAKIA, UH, ABOUT THAT, UH, IN, IN, IN SOME WAY, TRY TO EXTRACT THAT MESSAGE INTO THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU BRING FORWARD.I'M, I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.
UM, BUT IF, IF IT INCORPORATES SOME OF THAT, I THINK IT CAPTURES WHAT, UH, COUNCILS MEMBER PALS WAS, WAS MENTIONING AS WELL, AS WELL AS, UM, THE COMMENTS FROM MY, MY COLLEAGUES.
BUT, UH, THAT TO ME WOULD BE A POWERFUL STATEMENT ABOUT SAN ANTONIO IN THE FUTURE, UM, LOOKING FORWARD, NOT JUST, UH, THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, GREAT JOB AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 12.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION THEN WE'LL CALL THE VOTE.
UM, PLEASE VOTE IF YOU SEE IT ON THE SCREEN.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A MOTION CARRIES.
THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA.
[City Manager's Report ]
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? YES, SIR.JUST ONE ITEM AT THE EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT VIDEO.
UM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE CERTAINLY HAVE ASSOCIATED METRO HEALTH WITH, UH, THE PANDEMIC AND THE WORK THEY DID.
BUT WHILE THAT WAS GOING ON, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, OF PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS THAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS, UM, UH, INCLUDING OUR ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM.
AND SO TODAY'S VIDEO HIGHLIGHT IS ONE OF OUR DENTAL HYGIENIST, UH, JODY HOSTETTER.
JODY'S BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND DOES A GREAT JOB.
SO LET'S ROLL THE VIDEO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE YOUR I'M A REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 13 YEARS.
THE BEST THING ABOUT MY JOB IS BEING ABLE TO COME TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
UH, BEING ABLE TO INTERACT WITH ALL OF THESE CHILDREN BY THE TIME THEY LEAVE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO TURN THEIR TEARS AND WIPE THEM AWAY AND MAKE THEM HAPPY AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS REALLY A HAPPY VISIT, IT'S A WIN.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS.
THE DAY TO DAY IS VERY DIFFERENT.
UH, GENERALLY WE START OUT OF SCHOOL, WE WILL PROVIDE OUR SERVICES OF SEALANTS AND FLUORIDE.
WE WRAP UP THE CLINIC AND WE HEAD TO THE NEXT SCHOOL TO SET UP, UH, TO DATE.
WE NOW PROVIDE SERVICES IN EIGHT DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHICH TOTALS OUT TO 153 SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A VISIT FROM THE MILES OF SMILES PROGRAM.
PUBLIC HEALTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE'RE HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE RIGHT GUIDANCE, THE RIGHT EDUCATION THAT'S GOING TO HELP THEM SUCCEED IN THEIR ORAL HEALTH SO THAT THEY CAN PASS THAT ON TO THEIR CHILDREN.
IT'S A UNIQUE PROGRAM, NOT JUST IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THESE PREVENTIVE SERVICES, BUT THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THESE CHILDREN'S VERY DRY.
I'M NOT JUST PART OF THE ORAL HEALTH TEAM, BUT I'M A BIGGER PART OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE A BIG, A BIG PART OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, ANDY, DO WE HAVE AN EXEC SESSION? NO EXEC TODAY.
NOW TIME,