* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION FOR THE FY 2024 BUDGET. THE TIME IS 9:12 AM ON THURSDAY, APRIL 13TH, 2023. WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER VIE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAVE VARDA. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. I APOLOGIZE. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. HERE. MAYOR NURNBERG. HERE, SIR. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT. AS YOU'VE ALREADY NOTICED, THE MICS ARE PRETTY HOT, SO IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, IF YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TURN YOUR MIC OFF. UH, JUST A FEW WORDS TODAY ON PROCESS AND, AND, UM, WHERE WE'RE HERE. AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE BROADCASTING NOW. SO GOOD. UM, ALRIGHT, [ ITEMS  ] SO THIS IS OUR BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION, AND FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ELECTED IN THIS, UH, LAST CYCLE. THIS WILL BE YOUR THIRD BUDGET MEETING OR BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WE'VE EVER DONE IT BEFORE. THIS PROCESS IS KICKING OFF SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER, AND THAT IS IN RESPONSE TO THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PREVIOUS CYCLES OF WANTING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION ON POLICY, BIG PRIORITIES HAPPENING FIRST OR BEF SOONER SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME, UH, MORE STRATEGIC DECISIONS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE REST OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. UM, THE REST OF THE BUDGET CALENDAR WILL LOOK THE SAME AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, UH, THE TOWN HALLS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO, BOTH BEFORE THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND ALSO AFTER THE PROPOSED BUDGET, BEFORE COUNCIL ADOPTION WILL ALL BE TAKING PLACE AND CITY STAFF WILL GO THROUGH THE CALENDAR OF THOSE EVENTS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON OR TODAY, UM, FOR, UH, THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A RESTROOM, YOU EXIT THE DOORS AND GO TO YOUR LEFT. THEY'RE AT THE, AT THE BACK OF THE HALL THERE. UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE FLOW OF TODAY'S, UH, MEETING, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A PRETTY TIGHT SCHEDULE. UH, WE'LL FIRST GO THROUGH THE, UH, DISCUSSION ON THOSE ASPECTS OF OUR BUDGET THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROCESS. AS YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET IS NOT JUST A SNAPSHOT. THIS IS ALSO AN ORGANIZATION ON THE MOVE. THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE A RESULT OF INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE LAST YEAR AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO STAFF WILL GIVE US A SENSE OF WHERE THOSE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND, AND, UH, HOW THOSE ARE, UH, MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON, UH, COUNCIL PRIORITIES, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE TOP, THE TOP. THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY TALK ABOUT BIG PICTURE, WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF INVESTMENT IN, UH, DEPARTMENTAL SPENDING THAT YOU'RE MOST CONCERNED WITH OR, OR MOST INTERESTED IN. UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, DISCUSSION FROM, UH, A NUMBER OF KEY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN OUR POLICY FOCUS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO. WE'LL BREAK FOR LUNCH AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AROUND AND HAVE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD DURING THE DAY. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY INTERACTIVE SESSION TODAY. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR DISCUSSIONS TO KEEP US MOVING. UH, THERE WILL BE TIME DISCUSSION. SO YOU'VE SEEN, YOU SEE HERE, UH, WE EXPECT TO HAVE, UH, THE UPDATE ON PROPERTY TAX AROUND 10, 10 15. UH, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'VE GOTTA KEEP THE INITIAL DISCUSSION VERY TIGHT, SO AURORA WILL BE MARKING TIME FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS HEARD. UH, AND THEN THE DISCUSSION LATER THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE A LITTLE BIT LESS STRUCTURED. BUT LET'S KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING. STAY FOCUSED. AGAIN, APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD DAY TODAY. I'LL SAY THE FIRST UPDATE ON PROPERTY TAX, UH, WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. UH, AND I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT FY 2024 WILL BE A YEAR OF ADDITIONAL TAX RELIEF FOR OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION FOR US TO HAVE. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LEMME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND, AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION. UM, I WANTED TO COVER A COUPLE OF AREAS ON THE FRONT END, BUT WE'VE STRUCTURED TODAY A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. AND, AND, UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU LATER ON IN THE DAY, THE ACTUAL CALENDAR THAT WE'LL BE OPERATING UNDER FOR THE, BETWEEN NOW AND THE, UH, END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. UM, AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME, SOME LARGE SIGNIFICANT, UH, DATES THAT'LL BE COMING UP. [00:05:01] UM, WE STILL HAVE OUR TRIAL BUDGET AND FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO COUNSEL ON MAY 10TH. UM, AND THE TRIAL BUDGET, AND JUST A REMINDER IS A RELATIVELY NEW THING FOR US. WE DID IT, UM, IN, UH, IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, I'M SORRY, THE SUMMER OF 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, MORE OUT OF A, A, A, A SITUATION OF NECESSITY BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL POSITION WE FOUND OURSELVES IN. BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID SEE IS THAT WE GOT AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY. THE COUNCIL HAD AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY THAT YEAR TO SEE THE, SEE THE BUDGET. UM, AND SO IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO REFINE SO THAT WE CAN SHOW YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, UM, WHAT DOES A TRIAL BUDGET LOOK LIKE. IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE TRIAL BUDGET. WE GO BACK, WE WORK ON, UM, FINALIZING A PROPOSED DOCUMENT DURING, UH, THE MONTH OF JULY, AND THEN BRING YOU THE PROPOSED DOCUMENT, PROPOSED BUDGET IN AUGUST. SO IT HAS BECOME A, UM, AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS, BOTH FROM A COUNCIL POLICY CONVERSATION LEVEL, BUT ALSO FROM A PUBLIC, UH, INPUT STANDPOINT. SO, UM, THE, UM, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S SESSION AS THE MAYOR ITERATED IS TO, IS TO REALLY REVIEW THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES. AND THAT DOES INCLUDE THE INPUT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE COUNCIL OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ON SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES. AND I'LL, I'LL HIGHLIGHT THEM HERE SHORTLY. UH, IT'S TO IDENTIFY THE DESIRED RESULTS OR OUTCOMES THAT YOU AS THE COUNCIL WANT TO SEE, UH, BROADLY, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL RECALL THAT LAST WEEK, UM, I MENTIONED THAT, UM, WHERE APPLICABLE, IF WE CAN, UH, THE FRAMEWORK WE UTILIZED FOR ARPA, THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT GAVE US THE STAFF, THE GUIDANCE TO GO, UH, PULL TOGETHER AND WORK TO DETERMINE, UM, HOW TO SPEND THE ARPA WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK WAS HELPFUL FOR US. AND, AND AGAIN, UH, THE FIRST TIME WE'D EVER DONE THAT. UM, BUT, UM, I THINK, I THINK, UM, UM, FROM, FROM THE STAFF STANDPOINT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN A HELPFUL PROCESS TO MOVE ALONG, UM, AND GET TO PRODUCTION IN TERMS OF THE ARPA DOLLARS. UM, SO, UM, THIS ALSO TODAY, UH, TODAY'S CONVERSATION WILL HELP BETTER INFORM US ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT TRIAL BUDGET, AS I MENTIONED. SO BASED ON COUNCIL POLICY DISCUSSIONS OVER INCLUDING THE LAST WEEK, UM, THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF, OF THINGS THAT WE KNOW, AREAS THAT WE KNOW ARE PRIORITIES, AND, AND THEY WERE INCLUDED IN ONE PAGERS IN THE DOCUMENT YOU GOT LAST WEEK. UM, AND THEY'RE THE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, WE HAVE SPENT SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE KNOW. SO THIS LIST IS THE THINGS WE KNOW ARE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE ALREADY HAD. UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, EVERYTHING FROM STREETS TO VISION ZERO, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WE KNOW IS A, UM, IS A TOP PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WE LAID OUT TO THE COUNCIL HERE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. WE DO HAVE A PORTION OF THE PRESENTA OF OUR PRESENTATION TO YOU THIS MORNING TO BRING TO YOU THE THINGS THAT WE THINK WE CAN START DOING THIS FISCAL YEAR WITHIN OUR CURRENT BUDGET. UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION FOR A MID-YEAR, UH, A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT WITH OUR ORDINANCE ON, UH, MAY 11TH, THAT, UM, THAT WILL ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS SO WE CAN START TO TACKLE SOME OF THE, THE, UH, UPSTREAM A C S ISSUES. SO, DAVID MCCURY IS GONNA TALK US TO US TO THAT ABOUT THAT HERE, UH, SHORTLY. LET ME, LET ME GO BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR A SECOND. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T COVER TWO THINGS. ONE, WE DO KNOW THAT BASED ON THE CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, AND I, AND I ANTICIPATE MORE CONVERSATION TODAY, UM, THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS AND AS WE RECOMMENDED LAST WEEK IN TERMS OF PATROL, WAS TO THE CONCEPT BASED ON DR. WEISS'S EARLY WORK TO MOVE TO A, UH, 40, 40% PROACTIVE, 60%, I'M SORRY, 40% ON CALL, 60% PROACTIVE RATIO IN TERMS OF PATROL AND WHAT THAT WOULD REQUIRE IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS. UM, THAT WAS GOOD CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING MORE TODAY, BUT WE, THAT, THAT WE DO KNOW THAT THAT IS A PRIORITY. I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS LAST WEEK TALKED ABOUT OTHER SPECIALIZED UNITS. UM, AND SO, UM, FURTHER CON CONVERSATION TODAY WILL BE HELPFUL. UH, A REMINDER, WE KNOW THAT FIRE CONTINUES TO BE, UH, A PRIORITY AND WE HAVE, I THINK WE MENTIONED IT LAST WEEK. UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, [00:10:01] A E M S UNIT, A NEW E M S UNIT SCHEDULED TO COME INTO THE SYSTEM, INTO THE DEPARTMENT NEXT YEAR. WE HAD IT BUILT INTO LAST YEAR'S TWO YEAR BUDGET AND ARE STILL, UH, ASSUMING THAT GOING FORWARD, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, UM, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO LAST WEEK. ALSO, UM, AS WE KICK OFF, UH, WORKING THOSE ADDRESSES THAT HAVE THE HIGH VOLUME CALLS, UM, WE COMMITTED TO COMING BACK AND LAYING OUT WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WE MAY NEED BASED ON THAT WORK AS PART OF THE BUDGET. WE KNOW THAT'S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR COUNCIL, UM, DART, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, ALSO TALKED ABOUT. UM, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS SUMMER TO SEE IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL DART WE CAN DO AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR REDIRECTED RESOURCES. UM, THE SA CORE, AS A REMINDER OF THE COUNCIL, WE KNOW WE BUDGETED $2 MILLION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. UM, AND WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UM, ON THE OTHER APRIL 18TH MEETING TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND, UM, CREATE TWO ADDITIONAL SA CORE TEAMS. UM, THOSE POSITIONS WILL NEED TO BE ADDED IN THE MID-YEAR BUDGET, UH, UM, UH, ORDINANCE THAT IS A CRITICAL FUNCTION, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT YOU SAW A, A LOT OF THE HIGH FLYER CALLS OR ADDRESSES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, A LOT OF 'EM ARE MENTAL HEALTH BASED. SO THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UM, WITH THE MONEY WE'VE GOT BUDGETED, UH, WE'LL BE MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, UH, CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY. UM, AND, UM, IN ALL ASPECTS, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO ENSURING THAT THERE ARE, UM, THAT, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE HAVING CODE ISSUES ARE GETTING CONNECTED TO OPPORTUNITIES TO RESOLVE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. UM, YOU HEARD A BIG PART OF THAT YESTERDAY AT B SESSION. WE KNOW THAT FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT, UTILIZING BOTH THE DOLLARS WE HAVE IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, UH, BUT ALSO THE BOND DOLLARS IS CRITICAL AND WILL BE A MAJOR, CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR EFFORT NEXT YEAR, NEXT WEEK, NEXT YEAR, AND NEXT WEEK. UM, HOMELESS OUTREACH, LOW BARRIER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COUNCIL. UM, PART OF THAT WAS ALSO YESTERDAY'S CONVERSATION. UM, I, I'LL ADD, UH, THAT, THAT IN ADDITION TO HOMELESS OUTREACH, UH, I WILL, UH, I, I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TALKED ABOUT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, DOING OUR BEST IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, UH, ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS, UM, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES THAT, THAT EXIST. SO IN MY MIND, THAT IS A, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE TWO GO HAND IN HAND IN TERMS OF PRIORITY. WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE, THE METRO HEALTH SA FORD PLAN AS A PRIORITY, AND THEN ONGOING SMALL BUSINESS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT HERE IN A SECOND, BUT WE DO HAVE A WHOLE SLEW OF ARPA DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS THAT ARE REALLY GEARED INTO THAT FRAMEWORK. UM, THAT, THAT, UM, IDEALLY AS WE DO THINGS WITHIN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, THEY GO HAND IN HAND WITH, WITH THOSE OTHER EFFORTS. SO JUST, UH, UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT WE SEE ARE RIGHT NOW, AND THESE ARE MULTI-YEAR, UM, PROJECTS, BLESS YOU, MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE, UM, NOT ONLY NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. I MEAN, UH, THE AIRPORT EXPANSION OF THAT WORK, WHICH IS ALREADY UNDERWAY, THE CONTINUATION OF THE 2022, UH, BOND PROGRAM. UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, UH, CONVERT AND UPDATE OUR, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS A, UH, A LARGE PROJECT, UM, THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR. UM, THE, THE WORK THAT WE BEGAN, REALLY BASED ON THE CONVERSATION LAST SUMMER ON RESILIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY. UM, THAT ISSUE, UH, WE KNOW WAS GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A, A PRIORITY AND A LARGE WORK ITEM FOR US. UM, SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE, WE DO, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO COME BACK AND UPDATE YOU ON MAY 31ST OF THIS YEAR IN B SESSION. UM, IT'S, IT'S THE, UH, SECOND PART OF THE, UM, UPDATE. UH, WE GAVE YOU THE, UH, ANOTHER UPDATE, UH, THE FIRST UPDATE IN JANUARY, AND WE'VE MADE A PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS IN TERMS OF THOSE AREAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN JANUARY. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AT THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF MAY. AND THEN, AND THEN WE HAVE ARPA IMPLEMENTATION AS I, AS I MENTIONED. SO TODAY IS, UM, TODAY IS REALLY ABOUT, UH, I'LL REITERATE, GETTING SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNCIL AS A GROUP ON, ON THE OUTCOMES AND THE RESULTS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. AND I, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT I THINK YOU'LL HAVE THIS AFTERNOON. UM, CERTAINLY THE PROCESSES IS, UM, AS I, AS I SAID EARLIER, HELPED GUIDE US [00:15:01] FOR THE ARPA, UH, FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE UTILIZING. AND YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU KIND OF WHAT OUR SPENDING IS GONNA BE FOR ARPA AND THESE CATEGORIES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, UM, AS WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT, UH, THIS, THIS ASPECT OF OUR BUSINESS, UH, WE'LL ALSO BE ADMINISTERING THIS. AND SO THIS IS A, UM, UM, IN AND OF ITSELF IS A LARGE EFFORT. AND, AND AS WE DO THESE THINGS, I THINK YOU'VE SEEN, AND I THINK AS WE LOOK BACK AT, AT WHAT WE'VE DONE, THE MAYOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TALKED ABOUT, IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE BEEN IN A PERPETUAL BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. WELL, IT'S BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE, UM, AND, UM, AND EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE, EVERYTHING THE COUNCIL'S DONE HAS BUILT UPON, UH, THE WORK AND THE FRAMEWORK, AND IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT AND IT HASN'T BEEN EASY. AND I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL BECAUSE I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS I'VE TALKED TO, AS WE'VE TALKED TO OTHER CITIES, OR YOU GO ON THE, THE, UH, TRE'S WEBSITE TO LOOK AND SEE HOW OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, CERTAINLY I THINK THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST, UM, ORGANIZED, UM, PROBABLY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN TERMS OF, OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE, WE'VE TARGETED IN TERMS OF SPENDING AND, UM, UM, AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO SPEND THESE DOLLARS, UH, IN THE TIMELINE, UM, THAT WE HAVE. SO, UH, I ALREADY SAID ALL THAT, AND, UH, THAT'S TODAY'S GOAL. SO WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF AND START, UM, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UM, THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL HAVE TROY COME UP THE, UM, TALK ABOUT THE, UM, UH, UPDATE ON PROPERTY TAXES AND IF, UM, IF, UM, MAYOR, IF, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANNA SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE START WITH TROY, JUST TO KIND OF SET THE FRAMEWORK. OKAY. SO, UM, YOU HEARD THE OVERVIEW, SO THIS IS A TIME NOW FOR US TO JUST GIVE VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF PRIORITIES THAT YOU'LL BE THINKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT COULD BE REFLECTED IN THE CONVERSATION. SO, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP, UH, FOR CONVERSATION. I'LL START JUST WITH THE LIST OF PRIORITIES YOU MENTIONED, ERIC. UM, FIRST ON A C S UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DISCUSS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD ON OUR EFFORT TO, UH, ACCOMPLISH THE A C S STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES WITH ROAMING DANGEROUS DOGS, HOLDING IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE, AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. I WOULD ADD TO THAT ALSO, OUR ONGOING EFFORTS, UH, TO REACH NO KILL. SO ENSURING THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY BUDGETING FOR ACCOMPLISHING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN A C S, UH, WITH RESPECT TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, WE KNOW WE HAVE, UH, WORK, UH, THAT WILL BE UNDERWAY TO, UH, ADD ADDITIONAL PATROL OFFICERS. UH, YOU MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT, UH, LIKELY IN THIS FIRST YEAR BUDGET, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A CONTINGENT OF 100 PATROL OFFICERS. CERTAINLY SUPPORT THAT. UM, IN MY VIEW, IF WE ARE STRUCTURALLY BALANCED AND WE, UH, WHILE ALSO INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE 66% LAST WEEK. UM, THE REASON WHY I THINK THAT THAT MEASURE MAY BE ARBITRARY IS BECAUSE IF WE ARE ADEQUATELY FUNDING COMMUNITY PROJECTS, HOUSING, ET CETERA, UH, AND ALSO GROWING THE DEPARTMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH POPULATION GROWTH AND NEEDS OF SERVICES, THAT NUMBER'S GONNA CONTINUE TO DECLINE OVER TIME. UM, IT'S NOT A BUDGET TWO NUMBER 66%. IT'S A MEASURE OF ARE WE HEALTHFULLY INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY? SO, IN MY VIEW, UH, WE'RE AT, I BELIEVE, 61% OR SO THIS YEAR. UH, THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN MAKING BETTER INVESTMENTS, UH, FROM A COMPREHENSIVE STANDPOINT INTO OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT THAT, UH, NUMBER WILL CONTINUE TO, TO FALL AS WE CONTINUE TO ADD RESOURCES AND, AND, UM, FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES IN TERMS OF STAFFING PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS EQUIPPING THEM. UH, A COUPLE OTHER NOTES. UM, WITH RESPECT TO VIA, WE MADE A COMMITMENT IN 2017 TO ADD FROM OUR GENERAL FUND $10 MILLION A YEAR. THAT WAS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF FUNDING. UH, I DIDN'T HEAR IT DISCUSSED EARLIER, BUT I WANT US TO CONTINUE THAT INVESTMENT. UH, IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE OPERATIONS AND BUILD OUT OF OUR A R T LINES. UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE, UM, ABOUT THEM ALSO, UH, MATCHING OUR $10 MILLION THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP US GROW VIA, UH, IN A, IN A PROPER WAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. FINALLY, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM. THIS IS WELCOME. IT ALSO SHOWED US, I THINK, UM, SOME WEAKNESSES WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF [00:20:01] DATA. UM, THEY'RE NOT STATIC, OBVIOUSLY. WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, BETTER USE OF DATA AS WE GET DEPARTMENTS ALIGNED AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER OUT OF THEIR SILOS. I WOULD LIKE US TO SEE, I WOULD LIKE US TO, UH, SUPPORT NECESSARY FUNDING FOR THE PROMOTION, UH, AND DEPARTMENTAL LINE ALIGNMENT OF SAN ANTONIO'S OPEN DATA PORTAL. IT'S NOT JUST, UH, AN ISSUE WITH A C S AND PUBLIC SAFETY. OUR OPEN DATA WOULD ALLOW US TO BE INNOVATIVE AND, AND FORWARD LOOKING IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS I THINK THAT WE CAN'T EVEN ANTICIPATE YES, YET. SO, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING, UH, OUR DATA AS, AS WELL AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. WE KNOW THERE'S GROUPS ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE CITY THAT UTILIZE O THAT UTILIZE OPEN DATA AND BRING US, UM, TOOLS BY USING THAT DATA. WE CAN DO THAT WORK INTERNALLY AS WELL, USING THE SAME DATA. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE, THE MAPPING THAT WAS JUST DONE OF OUR BICYCLE FACILITIES. THAT WAS DONE BY SOMEONE WHO USES OUR OPEN DATA. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT DATA AS WAY FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO INNOVATE, UH, AND IMPROVE OUR, OUR CITY SERVICES. SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY. LET ME, UM, I DON'T HAVE A QUEUE, SO IF I CAN JUST SEE A HAND COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, AND WE'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES ON, ON THIS, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO OUR PROPERTY TAX DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, AND I FIGURED I'D BRING IT UP HERE, UM, AND, AND I TALKED TO MARIA A. LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HEALTH EQUITY IN THE SOUTH SIDE, AND WE KNOW THAT A HOSPITAL'S CLOSING, WE'RE GONNA BE AT A DEFICIT OF 356 BEDS OF THOSE, I THINK IT'S 56 THAT ARE PSYCH BEDS. AND SO I'M REALLY WORRIED, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO POINTED OUT THAT TEXAS A AND M STUDENTS AND FOLLOW OUT THE STUDENTS, UM, RECEIVE CRITICAL SUPPORT THERE. SO I'M, I'M WORRIED BEYOND JUST THE FACT THAT, UH, A LOT OF OUR, OUR RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTH SIDE WILL BE WITHOUT A HOSPITAL. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WANTED TO, UM, REQUEST SOME SUPPORT FOR HERE FROM MY COLLEAGUES TODAY IS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE AREA. AND THE REASON BEING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOSING, UM, AT LEAST 600 EMPLOYEES IN THAT AREA. AND I'M REALLY AFRAID OF WHAT THAT'S GONNA CAUSE SMALL BUSINESSES. AND SO, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPACTED. AND, UM, WE, WE WILL FOCUS, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA WORK ON IT, AND I KNOW THAT THE, THE MAYOR AND, AND ERIC AND, UM, I WILL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT WHAT TO DO, UH, IN THE MEANTIME FOR HEALTH EQUITY. THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE CHALLENGE. BUT IN ADDITION, I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE AREA AND ANYTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL. AND SO, UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I, I, UH, WANTED TO START OFF WITH THAT AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE CONCENTRATION, FOR INSTANCE, ON, ON NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UM, ON INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS SPECIFICALLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FOR TENANTS RIGHTS. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UH, BUDGETING REQUESTS, AND SO I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, UM, IN THE ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING, UH, THAT, THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT SPECIFICALLY TO DISTRICT FOUR. UM, BUT ALSO I, I, I LOOK AT MY, MY PARTNERS, MY NEIGHBORS, D FIVE AND D THREE, UM, AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE CAN, CAN LEVERAGE SOME FUNDING. THERE'S A LEVERAGE FUNDING THAT ALSO NEEDS TO BE DONE IN MY, UM, IN MY OPINION WITH TDOT FOR SOME OF THESE, UH, AREAS. AND SPECIFICALLY I'M THINKING ABOUT THE SOUTHWEST MILITARY CORRIDOR, WHERE MILITARY CITY, U S A, UM, AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A HOME FOR MILITARY FAMILIES TO STAY IN THE AREA WHEN THEY COME TO GRADUATION, 50 OUTTA THE 52 WEEKS. UH, SO, UH, SO THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ONE OF, OF MY BIG CONCERNS. AND THEN, UM, ALSO, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY THE, THE HEALTHCARE ACCESS. AND SO BACK TO THE PSYCH BEDS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND, AND THE LOSS OF THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE REROUTED. I ASKED, UM, VIA TO SUPPORT AND TO HELP PLAN OUT HOW TO GET TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL. THEY'RE DOING THAT THEY ACTUALLY ALREADY SENT OVER A DRAFT. I'M REALLY CONCERNED OF HOW RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE GONNA LACK. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA PAY FOR PARKING AT SOME OF THE HOSPITALS THAT CHARGE FOR PARKING. SO THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE WORKS. BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY ALSO TO HELP WITH THAT INFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THERE, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE ACCESS IN THE MEANTIME, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT, UM, DURING THAT STRETCH, RIGHT, BETWEEN THE, THE LOCAL PLAN THAT THE MAYOR HAS TALKED ABOUT AND THE NEW HOSPITAL OPENING, UM, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR OUR RESIDENTS? AND THE REASON THAT I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE WE, UM, HAVE SEEN, UH, A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE GOING UP. AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD [00:25:01] BE ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH A LITTLE BIT MORE ALSO AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH INEQUITY COMMITTEE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE, UM, UH, FOCUSED A, A WHOLE LOT ON IT, BUT THIS SEEMS TO, UH, BE ONE OF THE BUDGET PRIORITIES. AND I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S A BUDGET PRIORITY, UH, MAYOR. BUT I, I'D LIKE TO ALSO INCLUDE THE HEALTH EQUITY ASPECT OF IT. THE RESIDENTS IN, IN MY DISTRICT, FOR INSTANCE, CAN'T AFFORD TO GO OUT AND GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED, EVEN IF THEY HAVE IT. AND SOME OF THE SCHOOLS DON'T OFFER IT. SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT. AND THEN ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND, AND MAYOR, YOU WERE ON A PANEL AT N L C AND, UM, ONE OF THE MAYORS WAS, WAS TALKING ABOUT A QUICK RESPONSE FOR THE FENTANYL CRISIS. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BEING PLANNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FENTANYL CRISIS IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AT THE FOREFRONT AS WELL. UM, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE BIG ISSUE ITEMS. I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF LITTLE DISTRICT FOUR ISSUES, UM, BUT I WANT TO START OFF WITH THE, THE ONES THAT MIGHT BE, UM, CITYWIDE, BUT THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, AND AGAIN, JUST SIGNAL ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO JUMP IN ON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH, UH, A FEW OF, OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WE HAVE IN DISTRICT NINE AND REALLY ACROSS THE CITY. AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT TODAY WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH A LOT OF RESOLUTIONS, BUT I THINK THESE NEED TO BE TOPICS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK FOR ALL OF US IS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND WE KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING 360 POLICE OFFICERS OVER THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. I THINK THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY THAT WE NEED TO FULFILL. UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, PARTICULARLY E M S. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ADDING ONE UNIT. I I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T ADD TWO. SOME ARE GETTING OLD. THE CITY'S GROWING. IT'S SPREADING OUT. UH, AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, I ALSO THINK ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH, BECAUSE I THINK WE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND SO, UH, I'M, I'M PLEASED WITH THE PROGRAM THAT'S MOVING FORWARD IN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THAT. UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON MY LIST IS TAX RELIEF. AND MARY, YOU MENTIONED THAT, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF, PART OF THAT, PARTS OF THAT THAT WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE? ARE THEY GONNA BE INTRODUCING ANY KIND OF TAX RELIEF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITIES FOR US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF? AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THE BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT? I HEAR ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME FROM PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A CITY, UH, TO HAVE MORE INFLUENCE ON THAT APPRAISAL PROCESS, IF ANY. AND, UH, I WANT US TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT INCREASING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED, BUT OVERALL, I HOPE THAT WE MAY BE IN A GOOD FISCAL POSITION TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OVERALL TAX RATE ONE MORE TIME AND SEE IF WE CAN OFFER TAX INCENTIVES THAT BENEFIT EVERYBODY, NOT JUST HOMEOWNERS. UH, ANOTHER BIG ISSUE IS ALWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, AND, AND I'VE HAD MY CONCERNS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE. INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND I THINK THAT, UH, THAT'S LED TO LONG TIMELINES TO GET THINGS DONE. AND THEN WE'VE HAD, UH, WORK WITH CONTRACTORS WHO EITHER HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE SAID THEY'D DO, OR HAVE RUN INTO ALL KINDS OF DELAYS IN, IN THEIR ABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR CONTRACTS. UH, I WONDER, ARE WE DOING TOO MUCH WITH TOO FEW RESOURCES IN THAT AREA? AND, AND THE PROBLEMS CONSTRUCTION CAUSES TO BUSINESSES NEAR THESE PROJECTS THAT, THAT ARE ONGOING. SO I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE'S IMPORTANT. I'D LIKE TO SEE US ALSO INCR INCREASE THE DISTRICT CAPITAL FUNDS THAT, THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US BECAUSE WE HAVE EYES ON THE GROUND IN OUR DISTRICT. I'LL GIVE YOU A GREAT EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW, I DO PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, AND I'VE HAD THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY DECIDE HOW TO SPEND A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS. MOST OF IT IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS OF A MILLION THAT WE HAVE. ALSO, IT'S C C P F ALSO, IT'S NAMP FUNDING. UH, AND THESE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED 150 PROJECTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY. NOW, A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS WERE ALREADY ON OUR LIST OF THINGS TO BE DONE ON THE, UH, I M P OR, OR THROUGH OTHER PROJECTS. BUT WE ENDED UP HAVING ALMOST 30 THAT THE COMMUNITY THOUGHT THAT WEREN'T COVERED BY ANYTHING ELSE. WE'VE APPROVED 10 OF 'EM IN A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT THE COMMUNITY SEES THAT I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN THOSE. UH, AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE. UH, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IS STILL A TOP CONCERN. AND I WONDER, ARE WE MEETING OUR SHIP GOALS? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING, I KNOW WE, WE LOOKED AT $150 MILLION OF BOND MONEY THAT WE'RE DEDICATED TOWARD HOUSING. BUT EVEN IN THOSE PROJECTS, [00:30:01] ARE WE MEETING OUR SHIP GOALS? AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, IT'S ONE THING TO BUILD, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO BUILD, TO MEET THE REAL NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN MANY PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND HOMELESS IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD ESTIMATES OF SPENDING $77 MILLION ON HOMELESS ISSUES IN PAST YEARS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE SPENDING MORE THAN THAT. UH, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT, I THINK IN THE LAST YEAR, THEY MEASURED THIS. WE SAVED 8,000 FAMILIES FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. AND DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, WE SAVED OVER 12,000 FAMILIES FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. SO A LOT OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING IS NOT JUST HELPING THE 3000 HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, BUT MAKING SURE WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE FROM BECOMING HOMELESS BY WORKING THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MORE CONTINUED SUPPORT THERE FOR HOMELESS ISSUES LIKE THAT. ANOTHER CONCERN I HAVE THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY ADDRESSING IS EMPLOYEE RETENTION. I HEAR IT FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE I TALK WITH IN DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS, THAT THEY'RE LOSING PEOPLE FOR HIGHER PAY OR BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY SEE IN OTHER AREAS. WE NEED TO RETAIN THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US. SO THOSE ARE A FEW OF THE ISSUES. I'VE GOT A FEW MORE, BUT I'LL, THAT'S MY TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MORE LENGTHY DISCUSSION. WE CAN GET INTO THE DETAILS OF SOME OF THESE PRIORITY AREAS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRA, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, I AM REALLY HOPEFUL TO SEE THAT, UH, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING INVESTING IN THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM AND ADEQUATELY FUNDING ANIMAL CARE SERVICE TO BRING THEM UP TO THE STANDARD THAT, UM, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN, TO BE QUITE FRANK. UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SS A P D STAFFING, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHILE WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BEING, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE HAVING A CRISIS WITH FENTANYL AND OPIOIDS HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN SPECIALIZED UNITS LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AND OUR SAFE UNITS. BECAUSE WHAT THESE SPECIALIZED UNITS DO IS THEY SCAFFOLD, THEY TRIAGE, AND IT'S US BEING INTENTIONAL WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, WHEN WE INVEST IN THESE SPECIALIZED UNITS, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DISTRICT OFFICE HAS LESS REQUESTS FOR PATROLS IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE PROACTIVE SAFE OFFICERS. THEY'RE TRIAGING, UH, DOING THAT CASE MANAGEMENT, TACKLING THE CRIME WHERE IT'S AT. UM, SO I BELIEVE IT'S, UM, IRRESPONSIBLE GO OUT IN WITH, UH, A HUNDRED PATROL OFFICERS WITHOUT A FULL STUDY. UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONSULTANT HAS PASSED, HOWEVER, THE STUDY'S INCOMPLETE. UH, AND I FEEL IT SETS PRECEDENT BY TAKING ON, UH, AN INCOMPLETE STUDY TO SHAPE BUDGET AND POLICY. UM, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, UM, WHEN WE HAVE A DIFFERENT CONSULTANT REVIEW IT, AND THEN REVIEW WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. HOWEVER, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT WE DO NEED TO INCREASE, UM, FOLKS OUT ON THE STREETS, THAT WE ARE INTENTIONAL WITH THE SPECIALIZED UNITS WITH SAFE AND MENTAL HEALTH. UM, THE IMPACT THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, UH, AND SA CORE TEAM PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE'RE INCREASING IT UP TO TWO UNITS IS, UH, VERY IMPACTFUL TO COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES. UH, ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO PARTICIPATE IN A RIDE-ALONG. 'CAUSE YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE COMMUNITY IMPACT THAT THESE OFFICERS AND CLINICIANS HAVE, UH, OUT IN COMMUNITY AND ADDRESSING AND ENSURING THAT, UM, THEY REDUCE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIME TO OCCUR. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL, UH, WITH THESE SPECIALIZED UNITS. AND MY, UH, REQUEST AND, UH, DIRECTION WOULD BE THAT WE EXPLORE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AS WELL AS OUR SAFE OFFICERS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN, UM, ADD MORE OF THOSE SO THAT WAY OUR SAFE OFFICERS HAVE SMALLER AREAS TO PATROL, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY, IN MY OPINION, SUCCESSFUL AT CASE MANAGEMENT AND MINIMIZING, UM, THE CRIME IN THE AREA BY BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND, UM, RECOGNIZING WHO'S WHO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT, UH, ON ANOTHER NOTE, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ALSO INCREASING OUR FUNDING FOR NAMP AND C I P, UM, TO THE POINT THAT THE COUNCILMAN RAISED. UM, WE RECEIVED SO MANY REQUESTS AND THERE'S SO MUCH NEED, UH, OUT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WITH OUR PARKS, WITH ENSURING THAT WE'RE KEEPING UP OUR LIBRARIES, UH, UP TO PAR IF THAT'S RESURFACING THE PARKING LOT. UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE C I P GO UP TO 2 MILLION. UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THOSE DETAILS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EXPRESS THAT NOW, UH, AS WELL AS INCREASING N UM, PARTICULARLY AS A DISTRICT THAT WAS RECENTLY REDISTRICTED, UH, WE INHERITED, UH, A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEED. AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT, UM, MY NEW CONSTITUENTS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK ON A SIDEWALK. UM, FURTHER, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HIT ON, UM, I KNOW THERE'S A NEED FOR A SENIOR CENTER OUT ON THE WEST SIDE. UM, AND WHETHER IT'S IN D SIX WHERE I'M HEARING REQUEST AS WELL AS THE EDGEWOOD CONSTITUENTS, [00:35:01] I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF A PLAN, UM, TO SECURING A A TO PLAN A SENIOR CENTER OUT IN, UH, DISTRICT SIX, BECAUSE IT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED. UM, THERE'S NOT A CITY SENIOR CENTER OUT IN THAT AREA. UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PLENTY MORE DISCUSSION. UH, I I'M REALLY HOPEFUL TO SEE THE INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE MADE IN MOVING THE SHIP FORWARD. BUT ULTIMATELY, I KNOW LAST YEAR WE WERE, UM, ABLE TO INVEST IN, UM, THE HOUSING TRUST, UH, FUND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CONTINUANCE OF THAT AS WELL. BUT, UH, REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THIS CONVERSATION. UM, I SEE OPPORTUNITY TO SHIFT THINGS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND BE STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL WITH, UM, MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS, UM, THE SAFE TEAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU ERIC, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I'LL JUST GO, UM, LINE BY LINE ON TERMS OF YOUR PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. UM, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT ALL OF THEM ARE, ARE GREAT AND THINGS THAT I WOULD'VE BROUGHT UP. I DO HAVE A FEW EXTRA TO GET US TO 12, UH, PRIORITIES, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON COMPLETE STREETS. THAT INCLUDES, UH, ALL THE DRAINAGE WITH SAWS, THE DIGITAL THAT WE HAVE COMING IN NOW, AND C P SS MOVING THE POLES, AND ALSO SAFETY WHEN WE HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE ASKING FOR SPEED BUMPS OR, UM, SHARED ROADS WHERE WE HAVE BIKES, A BIKE, AND, UM, A STREET. SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE MONEY. IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I AM COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THE 100% FOR PATROL. WE NEED THAT 40, 60. WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE CALL TIME. WE HAVE A BACKYARD THIEF IN DISTRICT THREE. HE HIT MY HOUSE YESTERDAY. I WAS THERE. I HAD TO RENT HIM OFF. AND IT WAS NOT FIVE MINUTES WHEN I HEARD FROM THE OFFICER. AND SO, AGAIN, I KNOW HE HAD TO MAKE THE THING. I HAD A SOMEBODY STOLEN LAWN LAWNMOWER IN MY BACKYARD AND WIGS. AND WHAT COULD THE OFFICER DO? HE HAD TO GO ONTO THE NEXT CALL BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE SHORT-STAFFED. SO THAT 40 60 IS IMPERATIVE. AND I'LL HAVE A LIST OF TESTIMONIALS FROM MY RESIDENTS REGARDING WHY THEY WANNA SEE MORE PATROL, UH, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. UH, SPAY AND NEUTER IS KEY. I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PRIORITIZING MORE VETS USING THE BROOKS AND SPAY NEUTER CLINIC IF IT'S NOT AS A FACILITY TO HOUSE OTHER STRAYS THAT GET PICKED UP. UM, I HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS FOR THAT TO HELP WITH, UM, PILOT PROGRAMS ALSO. SO I'M GLAD WE'RE PRIORITIZING THAT. I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON EUTHANIZING LESS DOGS AND HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN, UH, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, NUMBER FIVE, IN TERMS OF, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE, THAT IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE THAT'S COMING UP IN THE PECAN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HILLS, HIGHLAND PARK, HARLEM DEL MCCULLUM, BASICALLY EVERYWHERE AROUND DISTRICT THREE. AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WEEKEND OR EXTENDED HOURS AND MAYBE FINDING A PATTERN OF WHEN WE NEED THOSE, THAT, THAT OVERTIME, WHETHER IT'S ON THE WEEKEND, DURING THE SPRING OR IN, IN, IN WINTER TIME. UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THING IS, WHEN WE TALK CODE COMPLIANCE, I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER TO TALK SOLID WASTE BECAUSE MAKE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THAT BULKY ITEM AND BRUSH PICKUP THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND ALSO, UH, HAVING THE DIAL A TRAILER PROGRAM AND OUR DIAL A TRAILER PROGRAM IN DISTRICT THREE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO LOOK AT READY TO WORK AND HOW WE'RE MOVING PEOPLE UP IN THEIR, UH, IN THEIR SALARY. 'CAUSE IF WE HAVE PEOPLE GOING FROM 30 A M I TO 40 OR 60 A M I, BECAUSE READY TO WORK IS GOING TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THEM BETTER PAYING JOBS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR THEM. SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, THIS SESSION AND MOVING IN THE FUTURE. AND THEN, UH, NUMBER NINE, WITH SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM, I REALLY THINK WE NEED DISTRICT, UM, FOR SMALL BUSINESS, WE NEED DISTRICT SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS BECAUSE A SMALL BUSINESS IN DISTRICT THREE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN A SMALL BUSINESS IN DISTRICT EIGHT, NINE, OR 10. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE OFFERING THEM IN TERMS OF SERVICES. AND THEN THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAINTAINING, UM, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A LINE ITEM TO MAKE SURE THAT MAINTENANCE IS DONE [00:40:01] THERE. UM, BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DEPENDENT ON THE HOT TECHS. THE OTHER IS, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE OUTDOORS IN OUR PARK SPACE, AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE TIME FOR FREE PLAY IN OUR PARK SPACE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, CELEBRATE THOSE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE OUT THERE HELPING AND CLEANING OUR PARKS AND, AND WORKING ON PROGRAMS FOR THAT. AND THE OTHER IS THE SENIORS. OUR SENIORS NEED TRANSPORTATION, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE FOR THEM. SO ANY TALK OF, OF VIA AND WORKING WITH THEM, I NEED VIA AND OUR OTHER, UH, PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SENIORS HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO, TO MOVE FORWARD. SO, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BUDGET SESSION. I, I HAVE LOTS OF TESTIMONIALS FROM MY, UM, MY RESIDENT. SO I, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BIRAN. COUNCIL MEMBER KWA. HDA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, ERIC FOR YOUR REMARKS. EVERY BUDGET CYCLE IS A RENEWED PROMISE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. IN MY OPINION, IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO. UM, SAN ANTONIO, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. AND THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE NEED TO REFLECT THAT. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF PLAYING CATCH UP. SO I APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID HERE TODAY. OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS PROVIDING SERVICES FOR OUR FAMILIES AND OUR BUSINESSES ARE ABSOLUTELY NE NECESSARY. THEY'RE NOT A, A, UM, A LUXURY. IT'S, IT'S A NECESSITY. WE NEED TO BALANCE BEING STEWARDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS TAX DOLLARS, OBVIOUSLY, WITH ENSURING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SAN ANTONIO AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A SMART, EFFICIENT WAY. UM, I'LL FIRST START WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. ENSURING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, POLICE OFFICERS HAVE RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY AND SAFE BUILDINGS TO WORK IN AS WE WORK TO COMPLETE THE PERSON, UH, THE POLICE PERSONNEL STUDY, WE NEED TO DO A STUDY, I THINK ALSO ON FIRE PERSONNEL, UM, IN PARTICULARLY OUR BUSIEST STATIONS, SUCH AS 44 IN IN DISTRICT SIX. WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR E M S PERSONNEL APPROPRIATELY EXPAND OUR FULL-TIME MEDIC STAFF. OUR A C S TEAM OBVIOUSLY NEEDS, UH, EXPANSION AS WELL. ADDITIONAL BITE AND DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATORS AND SUPERVISORS, AS WELL AS A CANVASSING TEAM IS NECESSARY. LOOKING FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTREACH EXPANDING. UM, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE SOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS IS FINDING A WAY TO SPAY AND NEUTER AS MANY, UM, UH, ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE. AND, OF COURSE, INVESTING IN OUR A C S TEAM, UH, INCLUDING THEIR MARKETING TEAM, GETTING THAT EDUCATION OUT THERE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UM, TO BE BETTER PET OWNERS. FINALLY, A CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE. AND I INCLUDE, UH, OUR A C S TEAM IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, ENDEAVOR AS WELL. OBVIOUSLY, OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE FEELING A HEAVY TAX BURDEN. WE ARE ALL FEELING A HEAVY TAX BURDEN RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY, UH, WITH PROPERTY TAXES JUST COMING OUT. I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT INCREASING OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. IN ADDITION, WE NEED TO LOOK TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO OUR TEACHERS AND INCREASE INCENTIVES FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO CHOOSE TO BUY HOMES AND LIVE IN THE SAN ANTONIO CITY LIMITS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK INTO A RESIDENTIAL TAX FREEZE FOR LOW INCOME CENSUS TRACKS THAT ARE HAVING SUBSTANTIAL CREEKWAY AND OR CITY, UM, CITY PROJECT IMPROVEMENTS DONE WHILE ON HOUSING. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS, UH, MAYBE OUTREACH FUNDS FOR OUR TENANTS RIGHTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT EDUCATION OUT THERE. AND, UM, THEY UNDERSTAND, UM, THEIR RIGHTS PARKS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY. IT HAPPENS TO BE SOMETHING I FEEL REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT. WE JUST HAD OUR EASTER HOLIDAY, AND SO MANY SAN ANTONIO'S ARE ENJOYING OUR PARKS AND CELEBRATING WITH EACH OTHER. UM, EVERY PARK IN THE CITY SHOULD HAVE THE BEST FACILITIES POSSIBLE IN MY OWN DISTRICT, BUT ACROSS OUR CITY, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME PARKS THAT ARE, UH, JUST LOOK A LOT NICER. THEY'RE NEWER IN, IN A LOT OF WAYS THAN OTHER PARKS. UM, AND I HAVE A, A LOT OF ISSUES WITH, UH, PARTICULARLY QUAR PARK AT EDGEWOOD THAT NEEDS A LOT OF UPGRADES. AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, WITH PARKS FOR A LONG TIME ON THAT, AND THEY'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB. BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE FUNDING FOR A PARK EQUITY INDEX, UM, MAINTENANCE ROTATION OUTSIDE OF THE BOND CYCLE. FOR DISTRICT SIX. SPECIFICALLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ALLOCATION OF, OF 3 MILLION FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. SIDEWALKS CONTINUE TO BE A POINT OF DISCUSSION, OF COURSE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IN, IN ADDITION TO KEEPING OUR NAP BUDGETS, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN OR INCREASING IT, THAT'D BE GREAT ALSO. BUT AN INCREASE OF DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO 2 MILLION FOR PROJECTS. THOSE, THOSE FUNDS GO PRETTY QUICKLY AND, UM, THEY'RE ALL IN SERVICE TO, UM, OUR COMMUNITIES. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE A SIDEWALK REPAIR EQUITY FUND OUTSIDE OF N AND FUNDING FOR EXECUTION OF A SIDEWALK, A D A STUDY TO IMPROVE MOBILITY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY NETWORKS, OUR CITY SIDEWALK NETWORK. WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. SAN ANTONIO IS IN UNIQUE POSITION OF EXPERIENCE IN GROWTH WHILE RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC, CONTINUING TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANTS FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY CITY IMP. UM, CITY IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO IMPORTANT. WE HAVE BEEN LESS, UH, BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE 0% [00:45:01] INTEREST LOAN FUND RUN BY LISC. UM, THESE FUNDS RESOURCES WERE DEPLETED, I BELIEVE BY FEBRUARY. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE, UH, OF DOUBLING TO A MILLION IF WE CAN. UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT VANDALISM AND THEFT AND SMALL BUSINESSES FACE. I'D LIKE TO SEE A, A FUND FOR, UH, BUSINESSES, ALSO NON-PROFITS, A LOT OF CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE AFTER EXPERIENCING SEVERE THEFT AND, UM, AND VANDALISM. I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE ABOUT THE NEED TO REDUCE THE TAX BURDENS OF OUR SENIORS. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UM, ALSO INCREASING THE PRINT BUDGET TO ENABLE US TO HAVE BETTER OUTREACH TO OUR MORE VALUE, OUR MORE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES GIVEN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, SOMETIMES OLD SCHOOL PAPER AND BLOCK WALKING AND GETTING OUT THERE IS NEEDED TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, ALSO AFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO VIA BY INCLUDING THE, THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR, TO HELP THEM. AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THE VIA LINK PROGRAM EXPANDED. I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT'S VERY USEFUL TO OUR SENIORS. ALSO, EXPANDING ACCESS TO LOW COST BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS AND TREATMENT, UM, FOR WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH. THERE ARE GREAT NONPROFITS IN THE CITY THAT PROVIDE MOBILE CARE, AND I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS FUNDING FOR THOSE SERVICES. TO THAT END, I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONTINUE SEEING AN EFFORT AT FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR OUR FOSTER YOUTH. OKAY. I HAVE TWO MORE. CAN I KEEP GOING OR REAL QUICK? , WELL, JUST THE FOSTER YOUTH, UM, AND AN EXPANSION OF THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR ENHANCED LIBRARY CARDS. PERIOD. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, COO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER S THANKS, MAYOR. I'VE, I'VE, UH, I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE ALWAYS SAID, WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, I THINK OUR NUMBER ONE OBLIGATION THAT, UM, WE SHOULD NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. OUR NUMBER ONE OBLIGATION IS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, PREVENT FATALITIES, UM, AND TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UH, FATALITIES OUT THERE AND RISKS THAT ARE COMPLETELY FORESEEABLE, UM, AND A HUNDRED PERCENT PREVENTABLE. AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT THERE'S FEWER FUNERALS ON OUR WATCH, QUITE HONESTLY. AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, THIS WEEK WE HAD YET ANOTHER MURDER, UM, AT THE HANDS OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PERPETRATOR. UM, AND ANOTHER SAN ANTONIO WOMAN DIED. THIS IS THE, UM, THIS HAS BECOME THE NORMAL IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND IT'S, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, UNACCEPTABLE. UM, BEFORE SIDEWALKS, BEFORE PARKS, BEFORE AIRPORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I WOULD SAY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHOULD BE, UH, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THE CITY. UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB, ERIC, WITH REGARDS TO THE DOWNSTREAM, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, SHELTERING, RIGHT, UH, CARING FOR VICTIMS, BATTERERS INTERVENTION AND ALL THAT. BUT WHERE I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SHORE UP AND REALLY FOCUS ON GOING FORWARD IS, UM, THE UPSTREAM RIGHT, WHICH IS BEFORE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAPPENS, UM, AND PREVENTING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MOSTLY MEN, UH, FROM, UH, FROM EVEN CONTEMPLATING, UM, HITTING THE WOMEN IN THEIR LIVES AND THE CHILDREN IN THEIR LIVES. AND SO, UM, I DO THINK WE NEED TO INVEST SOME, SOME MONEY AND, UH, SOME TIME INTO THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THE FAITH COMMUNITY, PARENTS, TEACHERS, EMPLOYERS, UH, PRE-K FOR ESSAY, UH, TO START TALKING TO, UH, BOYS AND MEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND TO START TALKING TO YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COULD HELP US ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES SUPERIMPOSED UPON THAT. LITERACY RATES, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOMELESSNESS. UH, I THINK WE NEED TO PULL FROM ALL, CONTINUE TO PULL FROM ALL LEVERS, UH, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL, UM, BY, UH, MEANINGFULLY FUNDING, UM, UPSTREAM, UPSTREAM, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES. UM, THE SECOND THING IS, ERIC, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THE RESILIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, UM, PLAN THAT, THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN A MEETING. I WOULD TELL YOU THAT QUITE FRANKLY, I, I, I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THAT MEETING. I FELT LIKE THAT MEETING WAS MOSTLY SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, WHICH IS GREAT. UM, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. UM, AND MOSTLY LITTLE R RESILIENCY. UH, BUT THAT WAS NOT A MEETING ABOUT ACUTE SHOCKS. UM, AND THAT WAS NOT A MEETING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. UM, THAT WAS NOT A MEETING ABOUT HOW WE WERE GONNA BE READY FOR THE NEXT HURRICANE HARVEY. THAT, AND I, I DON'T THINK [00:50:01] WE'RE READY FOR HURRICANE HARVEY. UM, PART, YOU KNOW, PART TWO, PART TWO, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY FOR TRILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER. UM, YOU KNOW, BEING POURED ON TOP OF THE MEDICAL CENTER AND PARALYZING THIS CITY'S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO, UH, EMERGENCIES. THIS, I THINK IS, UM, A PRIMORDIAL, UH, OBLIGATION OF OURS. UM, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO GUARANTEEING THAT THERE'S FEWER FUNERALS ON OUR WATCH, UM, ATTRIBUTED TO PREVENTABLE AND FORESEEABLE DEATHS. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE AT THE NEXT HURRICANE. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THOSE FAMILIES, UM, IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS TO, UM, TO GET IN FRONT OF THAT. UH, BEFORE WE GET, YOU KNOW, UH, IN FRONT OF SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING TODAY THAT ARE IMPORTANT, BUT CERTAINLY NOT AS IMPORTANT AS GETTING YOUR HOME SWEPT AWAY AND HAVING TO WATCH YOUR FAMILY DROWN IN A DISASTER. LASTLY, UM, WE, UH, ARE GONNA BE FILING A C C R WITHIN MINUTES, UM, OF THIS MEETING. UM, THANK YOU TO THE, MY COLLEAGUES WHO SIGNED YESTERDAY, UM, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCILMAN CASTRO AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UM, SOME OF YOUR TEACHERS. AND THAT'S WHY WE PICKED, WE PICKED YOU ALL TO SIGN THIS. UM, THE NEW NORMAL IN THE UNITED STATES IS MASS SHOOTINGS AT SCHOOLS. UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE ARE, UM, TOO AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING. UM, THEY'RE AFRAID OF THE N R A, THEY'RE AFRAID OF, OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING EMBROILED IN A CULTURE WARS, UH, CONVERSATION TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING TO ROLAND GUTIERREZ. THEY REFUSE TO LET 'EM TO SPEAK. AND SO, I'M GONNA BE HANDING ON A C C R FOR ALL OF YOU TO LOOK AT, WHICH ERIC CALLS FOR THE, UH, CITY TO FUND, UH, SCHOOL HARDENING VIOLENCE PREVENTION, MASS SHOOTING PREVENTION, AND MASS MASS SHOOTING RESPONSE. AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSES THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF OUR ESSAY FORWARD PLAN. PAT WALLACE IS HANDING YOU GUYS A COPY OF THE C C R. THOSE ARE MY THREE PRIORITIES TODAY, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. I THOUGHT I SAW A HAND. I'M SORRY. I'LL KEEP GOING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. SO MY OFFICE PUSHED OUT A SURVEY SO WE COULD ASK DIRECTLY OUR, OUR OWN CONSTITUENTS WHAT, UH, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE. AND THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE WAS PARK IMPROVEMENTS. AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA STEAL COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ'S THUNDER, BUT YOU KNOW, HE HAS AN IDEA OF, UM, OF, OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING LAND FOR MORE PARKS. AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IT IMPROVES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, BUT FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE MORE PARKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. I KNOW WE HAVE A PARK SCORE, UH, THAT'S USED NATIONALLY, WHO LIVES WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF A PARK, UH, 10 MINUTE WALK OF A PARK. UH, BUT ABOVE AND BEYOND IMPROVING YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE, IT'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY JENNA FROM THE GREATER S A T X CAME AND VISITED US, AND I ASKED HER, WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT TALENTED YOUNG WORKERS ARE LOOKING FOR? AND SHE SAID, ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO IF WE WANT TO KEEP OUR, OUR TALENTED WORKFORCE HERE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING FOR THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, MY CONSTITUENTS ALSO WERE INTERESTED IN STREET REPAIR, UM, INCREASING THE SIZE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT RESPONDERS, UM, FUNDING MORE SENIOR SERVICES. UM, THEY, THEY WERE INTERESTED IN MORE SAFE OFFICERS. AND THEN, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO A C S, THEY WANT TO SEE ADDITIONAL CITY VET, LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES. SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN FUNDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL VETERINARIAN. I BELIEVE WE'VE ALREADY SECURED ONE THAT'S GONNA BE STARTING ANY DAY NOW, BUT THEY WANT THAT, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET ANOTHER ONE. SO I WANNA SEE FUNDING FOR, FOR ANOTHER VET ON TOP OF THAT, UM, THEY ALSO WANTED TO SEE FUNDING FOR, UH, MARKETING AND TRANSPORTATION OF STRAY DOGS, UH, TO HAVE THEM ADOPTED OUTSIDE OF THE TEXAS WHERE THERE'S MORE DEMAND SO WE CAN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, UH, LOOSE DOGS ON OUR STREETS AS WELL. UM, THEN, UH, WHEN I GOT INTO OFFICE, WE DOUBLED OUR, OUR SIDEWALK REPAIR CREWS THAT THE CITY HAS. AND IT SOUNDS GREAT, BUT WE ONLY HAD ONE REPAIR CREW FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, AND WE HAVE SO MANY BROKEN AND DANGEROUS SIDEWALKS. I WAS AT A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, UH, ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD A RESIDENT WHO FELL ON A BROKEN SIDEWALK AND HAD BRAIN BLEEDING. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE SO MANY BROKEN AND DANGEROUS SIDEWALKS. AND SO I WANT TO DOUBLE IT AGAIN FROM TWO, TWO SIDEWALK REPAIR CREWS TO FOUR, SO WE CAN MAKE SOME REAL PROGRESS ON THAT. UH, SINCE I GOT INTO OFFICE, WE'VE ALSO HAD A, A STREETLIGHT GAP ANALYSIS, AND, UH, THE GAPS ARE HUGE. I KNOW WE HAVE CLOSE TO 600 GAPS IN DISTRICT ONE ALONE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE. AND [00:55:01] IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE PROGRESS ON FILLING THOSE GAPS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT SOME, DEDICATE SOME MORE FUNDING TOWARDS THAT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ASKED FOR IN THEIR SURVEY. THEY ALSO ASKED FOR MORE TRAFFIC CALMING. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A COMBINATION PROBABLY OF THINGS LIKE SPEED HUMPS, BUT ALSO IT'S PROBABLY, UM, FOR, FOR SOME OF THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING TO OUR FORCE. I THINK SOME OF THAT IS FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PULLING PEOPLE OVER FOR SPEEDING. WHAT I HEAR IS THAT, THAT POLICE ARE NOT, ARE NOT WRITING TICKETS FOR, UH, SPEEDING AT THE LEVELS THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO SEE. AND FURTHERMORE, WHEN I, WHEN I TALKED TO PUBLIC WORKS AND I WAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN REDUCING THE BARRIERS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE WHEN MY NEIGHBORS COME AND THEY ASK FOR SOMETHING, WE OFTEN FIND THERE'S SOME BUREAU BUREAUCRATIC REASON WHY WE CAN'T DO IT. AND SO I WANTED, I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE REDUCE THOSE BARRIERS? AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IN TRAFFIC TO CALMING DEVICES IS ONLY, IS ONLY DESIGNED TO RE TO, TO REDUCE MOST, UM, DRIVERS FROM SPEEDING. BUT THE OTHER PART IS YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES THERE TOO. UM, ON TOP OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, SINCE WE GOT INTO OFFICE, WE, UH, RIGHT AFTER WE GOT INTO OFFICE, WE GOT TO WORK ON A, A BICYCLE MASTER PLAN FOR OUR CITY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS LONG OVERDUE. IT HADN'T, WE HADN'T, UH, UPDATED THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN IN OVER 10 YEARS. WE'RE FINALLY DOING THAT NOW. UM, BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A DELAY IN DOING THIS, IN DELIVERING THIS AND IT'S, IT'S ABOUT TO BE DELIVERED, I THINK, TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. UM, IN THE NEXT MONTH. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDS TO REALLY GET TO WORK AND, AND IMPLEMENTING THAT AT AN ACCELERATED PACE. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, A LARGE PORTION OF FUNDING GOING TO, TO BEING ABLE TO REALLY GET MOVING ON IMPLEMENTING THE CITY'S BICYCLE MASTER PLAN. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE, UM, FUNDING TO EXPAND OUR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM AND, UH, TO INCREASE OUR COUNCIL STAFF SIZE. AND I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY WANTS MORE COUNCIL STAFF, UM, BUT WE ALL REPRESENT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOR A REASON. WE HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS IN OUR DISTRICTS. AND SO I WANT TO ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT ME IN THAT. AND I THINK WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, UM, WAS REALLY REASONABLE WHERE SOME PEOPLE SAID, I'LL TAKE SOME EXTRA INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY INSTEAD. AND I'M FINE WITH THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANKS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THE BUDGET IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR, AND I, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE GET TO START NOW. IF WE HAD MY, IF I HAD MY WAY, WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET ALL THE TIME. UM, I'LL START WITH A FEW OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE IN DISTRICT TWO, AND ONE IS THAT, UH, ONE IS OF COURSE COMMUNITY HEALTH. DISTRICT TWO HAS SOME OF THE WORST HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THE CITY, PARTICULARLY THE, THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDE. AND WE'VE BEEN WITHOUT A HOSPITAL FOR A WHILE. AND I KNOW SOME FOCUS WILL BE ON THE SOUTH SIDE DUE TO THE RECENT CLOSURE. AND I KNOW THAT'S OF DIRECT SIGNIFICANCE TO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SOUTHWEST. BUT THAT NEED HAS EXISTED AS WELL FOR QUITE SOME TIME IN THE EAST SIDE. AND SO I, I DO FEEL A NEED TO KEEP REMINDING EVERYONE OF THAT. AND I HOPE THAT, I KNOW WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION TO CHECK, BUT IT'S WORTH STATING HERE THAT WE SHOULD FIND A WAY AND A ROLE TO ASSERT OURSELVES IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL FACILITIES. BECAUSE AT THE ROOT, THAT LACK OF ACCESS IS WHY WE FOUND OURSELVES AMONG THE HIGHEST RATES OF, UH, OF COVID DEATH ON THE SOUTH, UH, EAST AND WEST SIDES OF TOWN. UM, I WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO MAKE A LARGE INVESTMENT IN A DIABETES, UH, CONTINUUM OF CARE AND IN FOOD ACCESS. AND I HOPE THAT CLAUDE CAN SHARE THE PRESENTATIONS THAT HE GAVE TO CHECK, UH, TO FULL COUNSEL EARLY IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK IT WILL BE OF, UM, I THINK IT WILL BE, UH, OF INTEREST TO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES. UM, ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY, AND I HOPE THAT AS WE DISCUSS INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN INCORPORATE LANDSCAPING AND GREEN SPACE AND EVEN PARKS INVESTMENT IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. AND I ECHO D SIX'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO PARK EQUITY. UM, ONE OF MY SPECIFIC GOALS IS TO TRANSFORM OUR VACANT CITY OWNED LOTS INTO PARKS. SO THAT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A NEED, UH, THAT WOULD REQUIRE INCREASED PARKS CAPACITY TO MANAGE THESE PARKS. ONCE THAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO DOUBLE INVESTMENT IN C I P TO 2 MILLION, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE INCREASE IN NAMP LARGELY. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN A FISCAL YEAR, AND I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO MESS WITH THE I M P TOO MUCH. AND SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THAT ALLOW US TO DO THAT. UM, I ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE GOAL WE SET LAST YEAR ABOUT GETTING ALL DISTRICTS TO AN 80% P C I SCORE, AND WITHIN FIVE POINTS OF, UH, ONE ANOTHER BY 2030. AND SO I WANNA KNOW WHERE WE ARE AT NOW AS IT RELATES TO THAT, AND WHAT INVESTMENTS DO WE HAVE TO MAKE BETWEEN NOW AND 2030 TO SEE THAT THROUGH TO FRUITION. UM, MY FIRST BUDGET, WE INVESTED IN A STREET LIGHTING INDEX AND WE INVESTED ABOUT 5.3 $5.8 MILLION IN IT. IT'S [01:00:01] BEEN TWO YEARS NOW. AND SO I WANNA SEE WHERE WE'RE AT IN THAT, AND IF MAYBE THERE'S MONEY THAT'S STILL UNALLOCATED. AND I ALSO HAVE, IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, I HAVE A SPECIFIC BEEF WITH THE COUNTY THAT THERE'S BEEN VIRTUALLY NO COUNTY INVESTMENT IN MY DISTRICT AND MY CONSTITUENTS PAY COUNTY TAXES. AND THE EXCUSE THAT WE'LL GET IS THAT THE CITY DOESN'T MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THE COUNTY, BUT THE COUNTY IS NOT PAYING CITY TAXES. SO I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE IF MAYBE THERE'S SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, THAT MIGHT BE, UH, WORTH A JOINT INVESTMENT. AND I'D LIKE US TO GET THERE TOGETHER. AND IF WE AS A FULL BODY DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO APPROACH IT THAT WAY, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE SOME INFLUENCE THERE. A C S OF COURSE, I'M GLAD THAT A C S IS A PRIORITY, THIS BUDGET, AND IT'S BEEN A PRIORITY FOR ME SINCE DAY ONE. UM, AND I THINK THE INTENTION SHOULD BE LONG TERM BECAUSE I, I HAD A CALL WITH SHANNON YESTERDAY, AND THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF GOALS AND THINGS THAT I WANNA DO, AND HE HAS THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE ABILITY TO SAY, OH, WELL, THESE 90 THINGS WILL BE BARRIERS TO THAT GOAL. AND SO IF WE WANNA GET, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WANTED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE DOUBLING OUR SPAY NEUTER CAPACITY, GETTING TO THE POINT WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE DOING, SAY, A HUNDRED THOUSAND SURGERY SURGERIES ANNUALLY, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHAT WILL THAT TAKE AND WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES THAT WILL, THAT, UH, WILL BE IN OUR WAY IN ORDER TO REACH THAT GOAL? AND I WANT US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. MAYBE, UM, I KNOW A SPECIFIC FOCUS OF YOURS, ERIC, THIS SE THIS SPECIFIC SESSION IS UNDERSTANDING OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT. AND I THINK AS WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUTCOMES, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT SPECIFIC BARRIERS THERE ARE SO WE CAN REMOVE THOSE. AND MAYBE THAT'S THE PRIORITY OF THIS SPECIFIC BUDGET. UM, AS, AND I GUESS THE LAST PART IS, UH, RELATED TO THE, UH, PRINT BUDGET THAT COUNCILMAN COO, HOWEVER, TO JUST MENTIONED, IS I'D ALSO LIKE TO INCREASE OUR PRINT BUDGET. AND I WANNA SHARE THAT OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR GREATEST FORMS OF OUTREACH. AND WE OFTEN HAVE THE COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH TEAM, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM ASK US, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING AS AN OFFICE? AND THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE TOOL. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF, UH, CONSTITUENT FEEDBACK ON OUR PERFORMANCE THIS PAST YEAR AND A HALF. AND THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING. AND SO IF THERE'S ANY COUNCIL OFFICES THAT WE CAN SUPPORT IN THAT, AND YOU WANNA KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING IT OR HOW WE STREAMLINED IT, 'CAUSE IT IS A FAIRLY TEDIOUS TASK, I WOULD LOVE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT AS WELL, BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM IT. UM, I'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ECHO SOME OF Y'ALL'S THINGS LATER ON IN THE DAY. THANK Y'ALL. AND I'M SO EXCITED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. THIS, UH, THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME OF THE YEAR AND, AND AS I'VE SAID EVERY YEAR, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR OTHERS SAY IT, THAT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB THAT WE DO ON COUNCIL IS THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY FOR THE REST OF THE, THAT YEAR, IT REVOLVES AROUND THIS BUDGET. SO IT'S THOSE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE THAT WE'RE GONNA LIVE BY IN, UH, 2024. SO, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, MY TOP THREE PRIORITIES HAVE NOT CHANGED OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. THAT'S, UH, UH, PROPERTY TAX, SAFETY AND SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. AND LET ME START ON THE PROPERTY TAX. YOU KNOW, YEAR AFTER YEAR, OUR PROPERTY VALUES CONTINUE TO RISE. AND, UM, I WAS, UH, GLAD TO SEE US IMPLEMENT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND THEN RAISE THAT TO 10%. AND GUESS WHAT? THE COUNTY ACTUALLY FOLLOWED US. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, AND NOW THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED ONE AND THEY'VE GONE UP TO THEIR MAXIMUM, WHICH IS A 20%. AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET A BRIEFING ON THIS HERE SHORTLY FROM TROY, BUT I THINK IT'S, UH, REALLY INCUMBENT ON US TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE'RE COLLECTING IN PROPERTY TAXES AND, AND LET'S MAX THAT OUT FOR, UH, SAN ANTONIO, ALSO FOR THE CITY PORTION, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE STATE IS DOING. AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL COME THROUGH WITH THEIR, UH, CHANGES IN THAT. BUT, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE, CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THAT AND SHOW, UH, FOLKS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AND TRYING TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR HOMES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I, I SEE IN THE BRIEFINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RATE HIKES AGAIN, AND, AND FEES. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES GET THAT MONEY FROM? WELL, THEY, THEY'RE NOT GETTING IT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S CREATING ISSUES FOR THEM TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, UH, SAFETY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. UM, AND AGAIN, UP IN DISTRICT 10, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS HERE WITH A, A DEATH, UH, AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, ANOTHER SHOOTING LAST NIGHT. UM, PEOPLE ARE NOT FEELING SAFE AROUND THE CITY. AND WE'VE GOT THIS STUDY NOW THAT SAYS WE'RE 360 OFFICERS SHORT. UH, I THINK WE NEED TO PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS, INCLUDING LOOKING AT THAT 66%, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT IN THAT 'CAUSE THAT IS, UH, UH, AN IMAGINARY LINE THAT WE'VE DRAWN SAYING NOT TO GO OVER THAT FOR OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY, [01:05:01] BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT FEELING SAFE IN THIS CITY. WE'RE 360, UH, AUTHORIZATIONS SHORT. WE NEED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET AS CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR AND NOT STRETCH IT. PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T WANNA WAIT FIVE YEARS FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE OFF OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREETS. I WOULD SAY WE NEED TO AT THE LEAST GET THAT DONE WITHIN THREE YEARS AND, UH, PUT AN EMPHASIS ON IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE LOOK AT WHAT THE CRIME RATES HAVE DONE OVER THIS LAST YEAR. THEY'RE CONTINUING TO GO UP. AND SO, UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO PUT THE RESOURCES OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR AND EXPECT, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE, UM, MY FIRST, UH, YEAR ON COUNCIL. WE ALMOST DOUBLED OUR YEARLY I W P, OUR I M P. AND, UM, I, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT PRESSURE ON AND KEEP INCREASING THAT. YES, OUR NUMBERS ARE GETTING BETTER OVER THE YEARS, AND WE'RE PUTTING A LOT TOWARDS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE BOND, UH, THAT THAT WAS PASSED. RECORD, RECORD BOND NUMBERS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT OUR YEARLY BUDGET, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UH, EMPHASIZE GETTING RID OF THESE D AND F STREETS. WE STILL HAVE A HUGE BACKLOG OF D AND F STREETS. PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING TO TRAVEL AND LIVE AND WORK AND PLAY, UH, AROUND THESE FAILED STREETS. AND, AND I, I THINK THAT'S A TRAVESTY THAT WE STILL HAVE THOSE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE NEED TO INCREASE THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGETS TO GET THOSE THINGS OFF OF OUR BOOKS AND GET IT ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE, UH, ON MAINTENANCE TO KEEP 'EM, UH, AT LEAST PASSABLE UP IN THE SEVENTIES OR THE, THE C AND, AND BETTER RANGE INSTEAD OF THE D'S AND F'S ACROSS THE CITY. SO I THINK THAT'S, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUT PRESSURE ON IN OUR BUDGETS TO, TO ADD MORE IN OUR, PARTICULARLY IN THE STREETS SECTION. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING LOOMING IN OUR HORIZON, AND IT'S THE NEW ATLAS 14, UM, UH, FLOOD MAPS HERE IN TOWN. THEY'RE BEING UPDATED. AND GUESS WHAT'S HAPPENING? THESE FLOOD MAPS ARE EXPANDING. THEY'RE PUTTING MORE AND MORE HOMES IN THE, IN THE FLOODPLAINS. WE NEED TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THAT. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A NEW COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT MORE CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE DRAINAGE ACROSS THE CITY TO KEEP PEOPLE FOR OUT OF THESE FLOODPLAINS BECAUSE IT'S HERE NOW AND WE NEED TO PLAN FOR IT AND START FUNDING MORE DRAINAGE PROJECTS. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. UH, ERIC, BEFORE I TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, UH, TO START OUR PROPERTY TAX DISCUSSION, JUST A COUPLE THINGS. UM, APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEY RODRIGUEZ REMINDING US THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR FOCUS REALLY SHOULD BE ON OUTCOMES, UM, AND HOW WE RESOURCE THE DEPARTMENTS TO GET TO THOSE OUTCOMES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CONVERSATION HAPPENING ABOUT THE 360 OFFICERS. THE GOAL OF THAT STAFFING UP IS TO GET US TO A 60 40 PROACTIVE REACTIVE RESPONSE TIME. SO AS IT PHASES IN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AN OUTCOME OF MORE PROACTIVE POLICING STRATEGIES. CURRENTLY AT 40 60, WE WANT TO GO TO 60 40 IF THAT'S THE OUTCOME WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESOURCE. UM, BUT SIMILARLY, UM, REMINDED ME IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATION, WE ALL WANT TO GET TO, UH, BETTER MEASURES ON P C I ACROSS THE BOARD. UH, AS WE'VE SEEN IN CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, UH, WE'VE GOTTA BE, UH, CAUTIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH WE PUT THROUGH THAT PIPE. 'CAUSE NOT NECESSARILY PUTTING MORE THROUGH THE PIPE GETS US BETTER OUTCOMES. WE'VE GOTTA BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE SCHEDULE THOSE, UH, HOW WE MAP OUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TAKING PLACE SO WE CAN ALSO WORK TO MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY DISRUPTION AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK TAKES PLACE. UH, LASTLY, UM, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, UH, RAISED READY TO WORK. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PROPER SUPPORTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WITH MIKE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE. UH, WE'RE LAUNCHING THIS PROGRAM, IT'S GAINING MOMENTUM, BUT WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING PEOPLE THROUGH THE PIPELINE. AND I THINK SOME SUPPORTS ON OUR SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT WANT TO CREATE AN UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY, ABSOLUTELY. BUT WE'LL GET MORE INTO THIS. BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PROPER SUPPORTS WITHIN READY TO WORK TO ACHIEVE, UH, THE OUTCOMES. UM, IT'S ALREADY ACHIEVING EXTRAORDINARY OUTCOMES FOR FAMILIES. SCALING THAT UP WILL, WILL REQUIRE SOME WORK. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK. UM, FINALLY, A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. WE'RE GONNA HEAR IN A MOMENT, UM, FROM, FROM TROY ABOUT THAT. WE'LL NEED TO THINK THROUGH THE OPTIONS BASED ON [01:10:01] THE ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATIVELY. UH, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WILL BE SEEING ADDITIONAL TAX RELIEF. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION NOW. TURN IT OVER NOW TO YOU, ERIC. THANKS. GREAT, THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR. UM, TROY. ALL RIGHT. YOUR FIRST STEP AT BAT, STRIKE OUT . YEAH, I HOPE THAT'S GOOD. NOT A LOT OF ROOM UP HERE. UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, AND THANK YOU ERIC FOR THE INTRODUCTIONS. UH, THIS MOR. MY NAME'S TROY EIGHT, I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU, UH, AN UPDATE ON PROPERTY TAX. I WORK THIS THING. YEAH, NOPE. ALRIGHT, I THINK I'M FIGURING IT OUT. UM, BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. THE, UM, NOTICES JUST WENT OUT ON APRIL 1ST, FROM APRIL 1ST. NOW THROUGH CERTIFICATION, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT ON REFINING THESE NUMBERS. UH, BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THERE'S GONNA BE SEVERAL APPEALS AND PROTESTS THAT WILL BE FILED THAT WILL IMPACT, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. UH, BEN GZA, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER LAST WEEK, SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AND AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. THERE'S TWO KEY FINANCIAL POLICIES IN THERE THAT WE RELY ON ANNUALLY WHEN WE'RE PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ON PROPERTY TAX AND PROPERTY TAX OPTIONS. THE FIRST IS TO ANNUALLY REVIEW THE IMPACT OF THE STATE IMPOSED 3.5% TAX CAP ON SERVICE DELIVERY. AND THEN WITH THAT IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY, WILL IT HAVE AN IMPACT? AND DO WE NEED TO ADJUST THE PROPERTY TAX RATE? THE SECOND, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, IS TO REVIEW PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WITH A FOCUS ON HOMEOWNERS. AND WE KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE DEVELOP OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE COME BACK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE. LAST YEAR THESE, THESE ITEMS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE, UM, IN PROVIDING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL. CITY COUNCIL PASSED, AT LEAST IN MY TENURE WITH THE CITY, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PACKAGE THAT I'VE SEEN. UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, THESE EXEMPTION INCREASES CHANGED FROM THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 0.01 OR A BASE OF $5,000 TO 10%, AS COUNCILMAN PERRY. UM, NOTED. THE OVER 65 INCREASE FROM 65,000 TO 85,000 DISABLED PERSON FROM 12,500 TO 85,000. WE ALSO HAVE A TAX FREEZE IN PLACE, AND WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST TEXAS CITIES TO ACTUALLY HAVE A TAX FREEZE. AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO OUR, UM, OVER 65 POPULATION IN OUR DISABLED PERSONS. AS FAR AS WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. YOU KNOW, ON THE LEFT SIDE, I WON'T GO OVER THEM AGAIN, BUT THOSE ARE OUR CURRENT PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS. THIS EQUATES TO ROUGHLY 95 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF OR FOREGONE REVENUE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. ALSO BELOW IN THE FOUR RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT 95 MILLION BREAKS OUT IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. 20 POINT 28.8 MILLION IN THE HOMESTEAD, 45.2 MILLION IN RELIEF TO OVER AGE 65, 2 0.8 MILLION TO DISABLED PERSONS. AND 18.1 MILLION, UM, RELATED TO THE TAX FREEZE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF KEY TERMS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH THE APPRAISAL THAT, UM, YOU KIND OF HEAR IN THE MEDIA, YOU HEAR TALKED ABOUT A LOT. ONE KIND OF WANTED TO GO THROUGH THESE, 'CAUSE YOU'LL HEAR THESE A LOT THROUGH MY PRESENTATION AND FUTURE PRESENTATIONS. SALES PRICE, KIND OF COMMON SENSE. WHAT IS THAT? IT'S WHAT YOU CAN SELL YOUR PRICE FOR. MARKET VALUE IS WHERE YOU HEAR A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS WHEN PEOPLE GET THEIR NOTICE OF APPRAISED VALUE IS MY MARKET VALUE WENT UP. AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT THINKS THAT YOU CAN SELL YOUR HOUSE FOR MARKET VALUE'S IMPORTANT, BUT PROBABLY NOT AS IMPORTANT AS A TAXABLE VALUE IS. WHAT WERE TAX RATES GONNA BE APPLIED TO AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ON. THERE'S ALSO AN ASSESSED OR APPRAISED VALUE THAT IS A MARKET VALUE WITH A 10% APPRAISAL CAP. REPLIED, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION ON THIS AS WE IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN A COUPLE MINUTES. BUT THAT APPRAISAL CAP IS ONLY APPLIED TO THE RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD. IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO MULTIFAMILY, IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO THE COMMERCIAL, UM, PROPERTIES. WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE APPRAISAL CAP, UM, AND YOU DEDUCT EXEMPTIONS, WE COME TO OUR TAXABLE VALUE AND THAT'S WHERE WE CONCENTRATE FOR PURPOSES. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT HERE IN OUR PRESENTATION. AS I MENTIONED, THE NOTICES WENT OUT ON APRIL 1ST. I'M SURE Y'ALL ALL HAVE ALL GOTTEN CALLS FROM YOUR CONSTITUENCIES. WE'VE SEEN IT IN THE MEDIA KNOW PROPERTY VALUES [01:15:01] HAVE GONE UP. UM, WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST PRELIMINARY LOOK FROM THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, UM, MONDAY OF THIS WEEK. WITH THOSE, WE MADE CERTAIN ESTIMATES, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT DO WE THINK THE PROPERTY VALUE LOSS IS GONNA BE AS A RESULT OF, UM, PROTEST AND APPEALS. AND SO THIS IS INCLUDE, THIS INCLUDES CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, UM, WITH THOSE ASSUMPTIONS. OUR TAXABLE VALUE INCREASE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ABOUT 13.2% INCREASE OVERALL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THAT COMPARES TO THE PRIOR YEAR, THE SAME POINT IN TIME LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 15.9%. SO STILL HIGH, NOT AS HIGH AS LAST YEAR. SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL INCREASE 11.8% BASED ON TAXABLE VALUE THAT CAN, THAT COMPARES TO 16.8% IN THE PRIOR YEAR. MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL INCREASED 17.9%, COMPARES TO 21.9% IN THE PRIOR YEAR. COMMERCIAL, UM, INCREASED 13.3%. AND THIS IS THE ONE CATEGORY THAT ACTUALLY INCREASED WHEN WE COMPARE AND WE TALK ABOUT LAST YEAR. SO COMMERCIAL INCREASED BY 13.3% COMPARED TO 12.6% LAST YEAR. THIS IS A SLIDE I SHOWED IN THE PRIOR YEARS. UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD REFRESHER. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. AS I MENTIONED, ALL HOMESTEADS IN TEXAS ARE LIMITED TO 10% APPRAISAL VALUE INCREASE. UM, THESE APPRAISAL CAPS WERE IN PLACE REALLY TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM SPIKES IN VALUES LIKE WE SAW IN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR. AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT TOPIC IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AS WELL. IN 2019, IN STATE LEGISLATURE, WE ALSO HAD THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL TWO. THIS BASICALLY REDUCED THE PROPERTY TAX ROLLBACK RATE, OR NOW THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE FROM 8% TO 3.5%. THIS 3.5% CAP IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OR REFER THE M AND O PORTION OF THE TAX RATE. THE REVENUE CAP APPLIES TO BASE GROWTH ONLY. IT IS NOT APPLIED TO NEW IMPROVEMENTS. SO NEW IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE TO GROW IN AN UNCAPPED VALUE. WE CAN'T GO ABOVE THIS 3.5% REVENUE CAP. AND IF WE DO, THEN IT'S GONNA TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC ELECTION. WE DO HAVE THE, UM, ABILITY TO USE PREVIOUS YEAR'S UNUSED INCREMENT THAT FALLS BELOW THAT 3.5%. THAT'S BEGINNING TO ERODE QUICKLY. SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN OUR INCREASING PROPERTY TAX ENVIRONMENT, OUR VALUES ARE GOING UP. THERE'S ONLY ABOUT ONE YEAR WITHIN THAT THREE YEAR TIMEFRAME THAT HAS ANY UNUSED INCREMENT LEFT. YOU KNOW, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WITH THESE INCREASED PROPERTY, UM, VALUES AND THAT TAX VALUE INCREASE, WE ARE AT A, I MENTIONED WE'RE A TAXABLE VALUE INCREASE OVERALL AT 13.2%. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE WILL BE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN TERMS OF A RATE REDUCTION. UM, THE M AND O TAX RATE, CURRENT TAX RATE IS 33 CENTS. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT AMOUNT YET. AS I MENTIONED, WE JUST RECEIVED THE TAX ROLL, THE PRELIMINARY TAX ROLL ON MONDAY. MY TEAM AND I ARE CONTINUING TO ANALYSIS IT AND ANALYZE IT. BUT WITH THAT SIGNIFICANT TAX RATE INCREASE, WE KNOW THERE WILL BE A TAX RATE REDUCTION. WE STILL NEED TO FINALIZE THAT OVER THE MONTHS TO COME AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. AND THAT TAX RATE REDUCTION WILL BE DEPENDENT ON SEVERAL THINGS AS WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OF PRIOR YEAR. IN THE EVENT THAT WE WOULD PUT IN PLACE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD IMPACT THAT TAX RATE AND THAT WOULD ACTUALLY RE, UM, IT WOULD INCREASE THE TAX RATE SLIGHTLY. UH, IT WOULDN'T BE REDUCED AS MUCH. DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE STAYS UNCHANGED, BUT THE OVERALL TAX RATE WILL BE REDUCED. ALSO IN THE PRIOR YEAR, REMEMBER WHEN WE MADE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, WE HAD OUR TAX, WE HAD OUR EXEMPTIONS PUT IN PLACE. WE ALSO HAD A TAX RATE REDUCTION, AND WE PRESENTED A BALANCE APPROACH TO WHERE WE HAD OUR EXEMPTIONS, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME TAX RATE RELIEF ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. SO WE DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FULL 20%, UM, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MANAGE THAT RATE AND PROVIDE SOME TAX RELIEF TO OUR BUSINESSES OR MULTI-FAMILY IN OUR COMMERCIAL, UM, PROPERTIES. Y'ALL SEE, I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE SLIDE. Y'ALL SEEN THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO GO BACK AND LOOK. HISTORICALLY, OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, THERE'S BEEN EIGHT TIMES THAT WE HAVE REDUCED THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. THIS WOULD MAKE THE NINTH YEAR IN WHICH WE WOULD HAVE A PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION. AND AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE SLIDE, PUT A LITTLE QUESTION MARK THERE, THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT AND COME WITH A PROPOSAL. UM, IN THE FUTURE FOR US, WHAT THAT REDUCTION WILL BE ONCE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ANALYZE THE, UM, INFORMATION WE RECEIVE FROM B C A. THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ON THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES. WE, UM, WE TALK ABOUT EXEMPTION. IN THE PAST, I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. WE HAVE OUR OVER 65 EXEMPTION, AND WE HAVE A DISABLED PERSON'S EXEMPTION. THAT DISABLED PERSON'S EXEMPTION IS WHAT WE AS A CITY, Y'ALL AS COUNCIL PEOPLE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO. ON [01:20:01] THE OTHER SIDE, THERE'S THE STATE EXEMPTIONS. THERE ARE VETERANS EXEMPTIONS THAT WE CANNOT INFLUENCE THAT ARE BASED, THAT ARE BASICALLY, UM, EMBEDDED IN STATE, UM, STATE STATUTE, AND THEY PROVIDE RELIEF TO OUR VETERANS. THEY HAVE A PARTIAL DISABLED VETERAN AND A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED VETERAN. THE PARTIAL DISABLED VETERAN CAN PROVIDE EXEMPTIONS DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY FROM RANGES TO 5,000 TO 12,000, ARE CURRENTLY ABOUT 23,000 INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EXEMPTION WITH A TOTAL REVENUE IMPACT OF, OF SLIGHTLY LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS. YOU ALSO HAVE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED VETERAN. THIS BASICALLY PROVIDES A HUNDRED PERCENT EXEMPTION OF THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THE HOMESTEAD. CURRENTLY ABOUT 11,000 EXEMPTIONS WITH A TOTAL BENEFIT TO, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT $18.4 MILLION. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS UP 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A SOURCE OF CONFUSION. THERE REALLY ARE TWO TYPES OF DISABLED EXEMPTIONS. ONE WHICH WE AS A CITY CAN CONTROL AND YOU AS A COUNCIL, PEOPLE, COUNCIL PERSONS CAN INFLUENCE. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE STATE EXAMPLES FOR STATE EXEMPTIONS FOR VETERANS THAT ARE INGRAINED IN STATE STATUTE THAT WE CAN'T INFLUENCE, WE CAN'T INFLUENCE AS A CITY. THE OTHER ITEM I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE SAFES PROGRAM. UM, THE SAFES PROGRAM STANDS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO VOLUNTEER EXEMPTION FOR SENIORS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO INTRODUCED US AS A C C R IN APRIL OF 2022. AND WE PROPOSED A RECOMMENDATION, WENT TO GOVERNANCE IN AUGUST, THIS, AND WE PROPOSED BASICALLY PUTTING IN PLACE A PILOT PROGRAM TO TEST THE WATERS. ONE TO SEE HOW THIS IS WORKING, UM, AND THEN ACT POTENTIALLY INCLUDED IN FUTURE BUDGETS AS A FULL-BLOWN PROGRAM. BUT IN THIS PROGRAM, THE SENIOR RECEIVES A TAX BENEFIT AGAINST THEIR TAXES OWED FOR EACH HOUR OF VOLUNTEER WORK THEY PERFORM. THESE HOURS ARE BASICALLY PAID AT THE FEDERAL MINIMUM TAX RATE OF $7 AND 25, $7 AND 25 CENTS. THE TAX BENEFIT CAN ONLY BE APPLIED TO CURRENT TAXES AND THE SERVICE PERIOD AND THE CONTRACTS THEY ENTERED INTO WITH THE CITY CANNOT BE LONGER THAN THAN ONE YEAR. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS NOW, ACCORDING WITH THE CITY DEPARTMENTS. HOPEFULLY HAVE A RECOMMENDATION DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. THE OTHER ITEM, UM, THIS COUNCIL MADE AN INVESTMENT IN, UM, PROPERTY TAX HELP IN THE LAST BUDGET. UM, INCLUDED $250,000 IN THE BUDGET, BASICALLY PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS TO HELP HONE HOMEOWNERS IDENTIFY WAYS THEY CAN LOWER THE PROPERTY TAX BILL. WORKING WITH VERONICA AND GARCIA AND HER TEAM, THEY'VE SCHEDULED A TOTAL OF 18 SESSIONS FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER WITH MOST OF THE SESSIONS BEING HELD BEFORE THE MAY 15TH, UM, TAX PROTEST DEADLINE PROVIDE, UM, EDUCATION AND RESOURCES FOR THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS INCLUDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMEOWNERS FOLLOWING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS AND EXPERT LED INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPEAL TO THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. I THINK AS MANY OF YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S SEVERAL MOVING PARTS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON WITH GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS. UM, 88 LEGISLATURE. THERE ARE A LOT OF BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE PRIOR SESSION, AND THERE CONTINUE TO BE A LOT OF BILLS FILED IN THIS CURRENT SESSION. OUT OF THE 200 BILLS THAT WE'VE SEEN, THERE ARE TWO THAT, UM, THAT ARE REALLY BEING SPONSORED BY STATE LEADERSHIP AND REALLY ARE GETTING TRACTION THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON. ONE IS HB TWO AND THE OTHER IS HSB THREE. THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS IN THESE BILLS. UM, AMONG THOSE OTHER THINGS, HB TWO WOULD ESTABLISH A 5% APPRAISAL CAP ON ALL RURAL PROPERTY. THIS REQUIRES A VOTE TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER AND WOULD BE PUT IN PLACE FOR FUTURE, UM, FUTURE YEARS IF, IF IT PASSES BY THE VOTERS, WHICH I EXPECT IT WOULD FULLY PASS BY THE VOTERS. ONE OF THE THINGS I POINTED OUT IS OUR CURRENT 10% EXEMPTION APPLIES TO THE RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD. AS THIS IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED, THE 5% DOES NOT ONLY APPLY TO THE RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD, BUT APPLIES ACROSS THE BOARD TO RESIDENTIAL, MULTI-FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL. SO IT WOULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT TAX RELIEF, BUT IT WOULD ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE REVENUES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MODEL AND LOOK AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND PUT, UM, PROVIDING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY OF COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE. THE OTHER IS SSB THREE. UM, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF 40,000. THEY'RE PROPOSING INCREASING THAT AGAIN FROM 40,000 TO 70,000. THIS ALSO REQUIRES A VOTE, UM, AND WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY IF PASSED IN NOVEMBER, 2023. A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT DATES AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, MAY 15TH IS A DEADLINE TO FILE A PROTEST, UM, OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE YOUR NOTICE. JUNE 30TH IS A DEADLINE TO ADOPT A NEW PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. JULY 25TH, WE RECEIVED THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLL, AND ON 14TH WE ADOPT A NEW TAX RATE. [01:25:04] SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, THERE'S A LOT, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS. WE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOME TIME TO SEE WHERE THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO END UP AND SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS US, NOT ONLY IN THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT IN THE FUTURE YEARS ACROSS THE FORECAST. SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UM, KIND OF TAKE, UH, THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, COME BACK TO Y'ALL, UM, DURING THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST IN THE MIDYEAR, UM, ON MAY 10TH, UM, TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE Y'ALL RECOMMENDATIONS WHILE WE KIND OF SEE HOW THINGS UNFOLD IN THE LEGISLATURE AND GIVE SOME TIME TO REALLY ANALYZE AND MODEL SOME SCENARIOS TO COME BACK TO Y'ALL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. MAYOR, CITY MANAGER. THAT INCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TROY. UM, FOR THIS, UH, WE'LL JUST HAVE A QUICK COUPLE MINUTE REACTION IF YOU HAVE ONE. UM, TO SHARE WITH TROY AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT THEY WILL MAKE WILL COME TO US IN THE FIVE YEAR OR, UH, FORECAST, WHICH IS WHEN TROY MAY 10TH, I BELIEVE. MAY 10TH. MAY 10TH. OKAY. SO THAT'S PRETTY SOON. UH, WHAT I'LL JUST SAY IS THAT AS WAS THE DISCUSSION LAST YEAR, UM, SOME FOLKS NEED THE RELIEF MORE THAN OTHERS. SO IN YOUR EVALUATION OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE GIVEN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I WOULD SEE, YOU KNOW, BRING US RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE WE CAN TARGET, UH, RESIDENTS, UH, WITH THE MOST RELIEF WHO NEED IT THE MOST. UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S AN INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE HOMESTEAD AND THE TAX RATE, ET CETERA. WHICH BRINGS ME TO ONE OTHER POINT. I AM A BIG SUPPORTER AS SOON AS I HEARD ABOUT IT, UH, OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S, UH, PROPOSAL ON THE SAVES PROGRAM. I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE DEVELOPING THE OPTION. WHAT STRUCK ME ON, ON SLIDE 11 THOUGH, IS THAT WE WOULD, UM, UH, THE RELIEF THAT THEY WOULD BE QUALIFIED FOR IS BASED ON THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S NOT A LIVABLE WAGE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY ANYMORE. WE KNOW THAT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT INTO OUR PROPOSAL? IT'S ACTUALLY IN STATE STATUTE, SIR. IT IS, YES. OKAY. WELL, IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO CHANGE THAT OR, OR WORK AROUND THAT TO MAKE IT, WHAT WOULD BE A LIVABLE WAGE EQUIVALENT, UH, THAT SENIORS WOULD QUALIFIED FOR? THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY FIRST REQUESTS OF, OF THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU MADE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OPTIONS EXIST IF ANDY HAS, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF RENTERS IN OUR CITY. AND I WAS LOOKING HERE AT, UM, TROY, AT YOUR NUMBERS FOR THE TAXABLE VALUE INCREASES. AND I SAW A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL WENT UP BY 11.8%. MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL WENT UP BY 17.9%. SO PEOPLE LIVING IN APARTMENTS, THEIR TAXABLE VALUE WENT UP ABOUT 50% MORE THAN, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL. UH, WE DO HAVE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS WHO ARE RENTING AS WELL. BUT, UM, MY CONCERN THERE IS, UH, HOW ARE WE AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR, OUR MORE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS? AND I DO WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME, SOME KIND OF EMPHASIS ON TAX RELIEF THERE THAT'S GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LEAVE THEM BEHIND AND LET THEIR PROPERTY TAXES GO UP EVEN MORE AND CONTINUE TO INCREASE, UH, THE COST OF LIVING TO RENTERS. UM, SO THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTS, UH, CITY TAX BILL IS USUALLY AROUND 22% OF THEIR TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL. AND SO EVEN IF WE WERE TO DO A BIG CUT AND CUT PROPERTY TAXES COMPLETELY BY 10%, THAT CUTS OUR HOMEOWNER'S TAX BILL BY 10% OF 22%. SO WE'RE ONLY CUTTING THEIR TAXES BY ABOUT 2%. AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY GONNA TAKE AN EFFORT FOR US TO GO OUT TO THE OTHER, THE OTHER ENTITIES, THE COUNTY, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, THE RIVER AUTHORITY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND SEE WHERE CAN WE COLLECTIVELY DO CUTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND SO AT THE, AT, SO THAT PEOPLE SEE A REAL DIFFERENCE AT THE END OF, OF THE DAY ON THEIR BILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TROY FOR THE PRESENTATION. I AM REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS COHORT OF CITY COUNCIL HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN DOING OUR PART IN REDUCING THE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. AND THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE ON THE, THE SAVES PROGRAM. UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I WAS AT, UH, A DOOR AND, UH, I WAS ASKED ABOUT IT AND I, I LET THEM KNOW THAT CITY STAFF WAS WORKING ON IT, BUT I WAS JUST VERY, UM, SURPRISED AND, AND, AND SO MANY EMOTIONS, RIGHT? THAT A SENIOR WAS SAYING LIKE, HEY, WHERE'S THIS AT? WHAT'S THE UPDATE? AND I LET HER KNOW THAT WE WERE ON IT AND NEARLY SHED A TEAR WHEN I WALKED AWAY FROM THAT DOOR. UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION, READING OUR NEWSLETTERS , UH, AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES, RIGHT? UM, AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT WITH SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IS, UM, WHAT NH N H SS D HAS BEEN TACKLING WITH THE OUTREACH [01:30:01] PROGRAMS TO LET FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. BUT I ALSO SEE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO DO MORE, RIGHT? AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS, UM, PROVIDING THAT ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES THAT NEED IT THE MOST. AND I KNOW THE MEXICAN AMERICAN UNITY COUNCIL IS CREATING, UM, A HUB OF DIFFERENT HOUSING ARMS, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S, UH, UH, TEXAS, RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID, UM, AND, AND N H S D TO HOUSE A HUB OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, RIGHT? AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS CONNECTING RESIDENTS, UM, FROM ALL OVER THE CITY, UM, BUT HOUSE NEAR DOWNTOWN, CLOSE TO N H S D U T S A AND SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, UM, TO WALK THEM THROUGH, UM, APPLYING FOR THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO WALK THEM THROUGH PROTESTING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT IS POTENTIALLY SUPPORTING THE MEXICAN AMERICAN UNITY COUNCIL WITH THAT HUB. AND IT WOULD BE A PILOT, RIGHT? ULTIMATELY EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SERVING AS A MODEL TO MEET RESIDENTS WHERE THEY ARE WITH, UM, THE RESOURCES TO PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AS WELL AS APPLY FOR EXEMPTIONS. BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EXEMPTIONS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE AN ESTIMATE FROM YOUR OFFICE ON WHAT WOULD BE THE, UH, BENEFIT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND WHAT WOULD BE THE, UH, LOSS OF REVENUE TO THE CITY IF WE WOULD EXPAND, UH, OVER 65 AND DISABLED PERSON EXEMPTIONS TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO TRY AND KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH IN VALUES. UH, ALSO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE VETERANS, I SEE WE HAVE EXEMPTIONS FROM THE CITY FOR 5,000 TO 12,000. DOES THAT DEPEND ON THE LEVEL OF DISABILITY? YES, SIR. AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN EXEMPTION FOR THE CITY, IT'S A STATE EXEMPTION, BUT IT DOES, IT DOES DEPEND ON THE LEVEL OF DISABILITY AND THE TYPE OF DISABILITY. OKAY. SO THE, THE STATE MANDATES A HUNDRED PERCENT IF THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED. WHAT ABOUT IF THEY'RE 10 OR 20%? ARE THOSE STATE LIMITATIONS AT 5,000 TO 12,000? YES, SIR. IT IS. AND THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE MUCH LEEWAY IN THAT. NO, WE DON'T. OKAY. IF SOMEBODY HAS A DISABILITY OF LET'S SAY 20, 30, 40, 50% AS A VETERAN, WHAT KIND OF DISABILITY BREAK DO THEY GET FROM THE CITY, UM, BASED ON THEIR DISABILITY? DOES IT MATTER? IT DEPENDS AGAIN. OKAY. THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT BASICALLY, UM, LOOK AT THE VETERAN'S DISABILITY, THE FEDERAL OLD AGE DISABILITY INSURANCE, DEPENDING ON YOUR QUALIFY FOR THAT INSURANCE. UM, THE TYPE OF DISABILITY YOU RECEIVE UNDER THAT INSURANCE WILL ACTUALLY PLAY INTO THE TYPE OF DISABILITY OR THE EXEMPTION LEVEL THAT YOU RECEIVE IN THE CITY. UM, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AT TIME WHERE YOU CAN, DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY, THAT YOU COULD GET THE CITY'S DISABLED EXEMPTION, AND YOU COULD GET A DIFFERENT EXEMPTION AS A VETERAN UNDER THE PARK. OKAY. SO THEY DO OVERLAP SOMEWHAT. UH, I'M CONCERNED WHEN I SEE THAT OUR CITY'S TAXABLE VALUE, AND I REALIZE IT'S PRELIMINARY AND IT DEPENDS ON THE APPEALS PROCESS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. BUT WE'RE SAYING OUR, OUR TOTAL VALUE INCREASE IS 13.2%. HOW WOULD THAT EQUATE TO THE STATE'S LIMIT OF NO MORE THAN 3.5% GROWTH IN OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION? WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT. AS I MENTIONED, WE JUST GOT THE, UM, THE, UM, ROLE ON MONDAY. WE'RE STILL DOING THE ANALYSIS AND WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TROY FOR, UH, FOR THE CONSIDERATIONS AND FOR YOUR STAFF WORKING ON, ON, UH, COUNCILMAN'S REQUEST. I TOO, LIKE THE MAYOR WAS SURPRISED WITH THE $7 ONE. SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE CITY EMPLOYEES WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING ALSO THROUGH READY TO WORK. SO, UM, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR TO, TO LOOK AT, AT SOMETHING HIGHER. AT LEAST $15 WOULD BE MY, UH, RECOMMENDATION. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S, UM, ALSO SOME, SOME DISTRIBUTIONS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. UM, I ALSO, UH, I'M THE APPOINTEE TO THE BERK COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICTS. UH, UM, YOU ALL HAVE HEARD THAT, UH, MR. AMESQUITA IS RETIRING. SO, UH, OUR NUMBER ONE JOB IS TO HIRE THE CHIEF APPRAISER. AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A, A QUICK, UM, UPDATE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, THAT THE BOARD APPROVE A BOARD DESCRIPTION. IT'S, UM, GOING TO BE POSTED HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE MONTH. IT MIGHT BE MAY, UM, BUT, UH, WE'LL BE ADVERTISING, OBVIOUSLY IN ALL OF THE, THE, THE REGULAR PLACES, BUT AS WELL AS THE T A A D, UM, A NATIONWIDE, UM, OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. THE APPRAISAL INSTITUTE, AND THEN THE LARGEST APPRAISAL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS, UM, ARE ALSO GOING TO HELP US WITH THE POSTING. BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE AS YOU ALL KIND OF HEAR IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE, UH, WORKING HARD AT IT. AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE ANOTHER UPDATE AS SOON AS I HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KE HABER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, MAYOR BERG'S REMARKS ON FOCUSING ON OUR, OUR, UM, WHERE WE REALLY NEED THE TAX RELIEF, WHERE WE NEED THE, [01:35:01] THE, WHERE WE CAN ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN SOMEWHAT. UM, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S, UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING. VETERANS, SENIORS, UM, PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. UM, I ALSO INCLUDED, UM, TEACHERS IN THAT I AND I, UM, ALSO LOW INCOME CENSUS TRACKS THAT ARE HAVING THAT SUBSTANTIAL WORK DONE AROUND THEIR, UM, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND CREEK WAYS AND IMPROVEMENTS. UM, I, I DO, I AM A LITTLE CONFUSED, I THINK IT WAS, UH, SLIDE 10 ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OR LESSEN THE BURDEN FOR OUR VETERANS. THERE REALLY IS NOT A WHOLE LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND US AS A CITY TO INFLUENCE THAT. UM, THESE ARE ACTUALLY STATE EXEMPTIONS. UM, THE ONLY EXEMPTIONS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPACT ARE THE HOMESTEAD A DISABLED PERSON. SO IF'S NOT A VETERAN. AND OVER AGE 65, HOW CAN WE GO AHEAD TO DO THIS? IT WOULD TAKE, UM, A CHANGE IN STATE STATUTE. OKAY? SO, UH, NOT FOR VETERANS, BUT YES, FOR SPECIAL NEEDS AND, UM, FOR DISABLED PERSONS, WE CAN, WE CAN INFLUENCE THOSE. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY, UH, OF OUR QUALIFYING VETERANS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THIS, UM, THIS BENEFIT? UM, FOR THE PARTIAL, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ABOUT 23,000 THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PARTIAL, AND THERE'S ABOUT 10, 11,000. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE A HUNDRED PERCENT. AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT, I MEAN, WELL, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T, I GUESS I, I, I'M CURIOUS HOW WE CAN GET MORE, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTREACH. YEAH, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER. I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE IF HOW MANY ELIGIBLE VERSUS HOW MANY ACTUALLY TAKE PART. OKAY. I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, UH, THANK YOU TROY. AND I JUST WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES COMMENTS IN TERMS OF WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT TAX RELIEF. UH, WHEN YOU COME BACK FOR US, IT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE DATA, BUT IF WE LOOK AT OUR POVERTY RATE, WHICH IS 22% HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT'S PRIMARILY WOMEN HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD. I'M VERY INTERESTED TO KNOW WHERE THESE WOMEN HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE LIVING BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE IN THE MULTIFAMILY, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. IF THEY ARE IN HOMES, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. UH, ALSO, UH, AS WE LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THE RELIEF, BECAUSE IT'S, IT, WE NEED TO MOVE WOMEN OUT OF POVERTY, AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS TO DO THAT. BUT IF WE, WE CONTINUE TO PUT THAT BURDEN ON THEM, OR WE DON'T PROVIDE ANY TAX RELIEF FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO BE RENTERS, WE WE'RE IN A, IN A PREDICAMENT OF, OF NOT MOVING THE NEEDLE. UH, THE OTHER I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS SENIORS. UM, I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS. WE DID ONE INITIALLY, I THINK ALL OF US WERE DOING SOMETHING DISTRICT-WIDE WHEN WE HIT THAT 15%. AND THE CITY CAME IN LIKE ROCK STARS AND STARTED DOING THE SESSIONS. THE ONE THING I THINK WE NEED FOR SENIORS IS MAYBE A BIG ONE STOP SHOP. UM, I HAVE A V F W, COMMANDER ALVARADO IS TAKING CARE OF OUR VETERANS. MAYBE WE DO SOMETHING AT THE V F W WHERE WE BRING ALL OUR SENIORS. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THEY NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT ALL THEIR EXEMPTIONS ARE POSSIBLY, UH, BEFORE AND, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PROTEST BEFORE THEY GET TO THIS RATE. SO IF WE COULD LOOK AT, AGAIN, THE SENIORS, I KNOW WE HAVE THE EXEMPTION, BUT GOING OUT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR EXEMPTIONS, THEY KNOW THE RELIEF. AND THEN IF WE HAVE THAT BIGGER CONVERSATION, BRINGING ALL OUR REHAB PROGRAMS THERE, UM, SO THEN IN ONE DAY OR A WEEKEND, THEY CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION THEY NEED. SO THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, HEARING THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IN A FEW WEEKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE, ROTARY USE. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, I HAVE A, AND THIS MAY NOT BE HELPFUL SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU, BUT I, I DO HAVE A STRUGGLE WITH OUR MESSAGING AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY 'CAUSE RELIEF FOR US MEANS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AS MUCH RELIEF FROM OUR PORTION OF THE BILL. UM, BUT IT CONFLICTS WITH THE FACT THAT OUR BUDGET INCREASES EVERY YEAR. AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE PROPOSE TO INCREASE CITY FEES SUCH AS, UH, WITHIN SOLID WASTE, FOR EXAMPLE. SO TO MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS, IT SEEMS SOMEWHAT DISHONEST WHEN IT'S REALLY AN ISSUE OF SEMANTICS. AND I'LL ALSO ADD THAT, UH, I DO WANNA ADD THAT THE CITY TAKES THE BLAME FOR QUITE A BIT. WE TAKE THE BLAME FOR, UM, HIGH PROPERTY TAX BILLS BECAUSE WE'RE THE MOST ACCESSIBLE GOVERNMENT ENTITY, AND WE DON'T DO OURSELVES ANY FAVORS BY NOT CLEARLY ARTICULATING THAT WHILE BILLS ARE GOING UP, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN DO TO BALANCE, INCREASE NEED FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY, WHILE ALSO TRYING TO MINIMIZE HOW MUCH OUR BUDGET INCREASES. AND WE CAN SHOW UP TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS OR ANSWER DOORS WHILE THE THING TOP OF EVERYONE'S MIND IS THEIR TAX BILL. AND WE CAN EXPLAIN THAT WE'VE DECREASED OUR RATE AND RAISED OUR EXEMPTIONS, BUT AGAIN, IT MEANS ALMOST NOTHING IF THEIR ENTIRE BILLS GO UP BECAUSE THEIR APPRAISAL LED TO AN INCREASE IN VA IN VALUE IN THE REST OF THEIR BILL. AND SO, I'M ALSO NOT GONNA PRETEND TO BE, UH, FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, BECAUSE TO ME THAT MEANS [01:40:01] THE FIRST THING TO BE CUT AND THE LAST THING TO GROW ARE SOCIAL SERVICES. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I'LL LIKELY NEVER RECOMMEND THAT WE CUT OUR BUDGET ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT TO MEET OUR NEEDS WITH OUR GROWTH, WHILE ENDURING MULTIPLE CRISES WILL NEED TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR. UM, AND TO DO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUES WANNA DO, LIKE ADD 360 OFFICERS, THAT WILL REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE YEAR AFTER YEAR. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A STRATEGY DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY BILL, ALL THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY THE, UH, APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WHAT WE DO IS WHAT WE DO, BUT THE RELIEF CANNOT COME FROM US SOLELY ALONE. WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY FROM OTHER ENTITIES. AND SO, UM, I THINK GENERALLY JUST, AND I SAY ALL THE, ALL THIS BECAUSE I FEEL AS THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE BIT DISHONEST TO SAY WE'RE PROVIDING RELIEF IN A WAY THAT IS, UH, COMMUNICABLE, COMMUNICATE, UH, COMMUNICATED TO OUR RESIDENTS. IT'S RELIEF TO US, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. YEAH, AGAIN, ON THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BUSINESS. UH, UH, WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, UH, UH, C P S RATE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE SAWS IS COMING OUT HERE SOON WITH ANOTHER RATE INCREASE. WE HAVEN'T HEARD THAT OFFICIALLY, BUT I'M, I'M SAYING THAT THAT'S PROBABLY DUE FOR AN INCREASE. WE GOT SOLID WASTE HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INCREASE. ALL THESE OTHER INCREASES TO MY COLLEAGUES', UH, COMMENTS. WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO REDUCE THAT TAX BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS OUT HERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE STRUGGLING IN A LOT OF, LOT OF AREAS IN THIS CITY. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES AT MY H O A MEETINGS GOING TO THE SENIOR CENTERS, DEALING WITH FOLKS THAT COME UP AND SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ESTABLISHING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, RAISING IT UP TO THE 10%. AND WE WANT, WE WANT YOU TO LOOK AT RAISING IT UP TO THE MAX, JUST LIKE THE COUNTY DID. AND, UH, UH, THAT MEANS A LOT. THAT MEANS A LOT TO THEM. IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT OF MONEY HERE ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, STAGE, BUT IT IS A LOT TO FOLKS THAT ARE ON FIXED INCOMES THAT CAN'T AFFORD INCREASES CARTE BLANCHE ACROSS ALL THE CITIES AND, UH, SERVICES THAT THEY, UH, EXPECT AND PAY FOR, UH, ACROSS, ACROSS THE CITY, C P S SAWS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY, THEY PAY FOR OUT THERE. SO I, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US. LET'S, LET'S FOLLOW THE COUNTY'S LEAD AND BUMP IT UP TO THE 20%, AND THEN WE'RE AT THE MAX. WE CAN'T DO ANY MORE THAN THAT. AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE STATE. AND AS WAS MENTIONED TO OTHER TAXING ENTITIES HERE TO DO THEIR PART, LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE, UM, SAN ANTONIO, UH, RIVER AUTHORITY, ALL THESE OTHER TAXING EN ENTITIES THAT CAN DO THE SAME THING. SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL FOLLOW THE COUNTY AND OUR LEAD IN, IN OFFERING SOME, UH, TAX RELIEF ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. ALRIGHT, UH, TROY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATE COMING UP HERE IN, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ERIC? YEAH, JUST A REAL QUICK MAYOR. SO I'LL REEMPHASIZE WHAT TROY SAID ON, ON MAY 10TH. WE'LL, WE'LL BE BRINGING TO YOU THE, UH, FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND THE TRIAL BUDGET. WE WILL TAKE, UH, THE FEEDBACK TODAY AND THAT YOU PROVIDED, UH, ALONG WITH THE ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS, MONITORING STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THEN BE, UH, INCORPORATE WITHIN THE TRIAL BUDGET A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES. REMEMBER, WE STILL HAVE YOU, YOU STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. ANY ACTION HAS TO BE TAKEN BEFORE JULY 1ST, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE YOU SOME, UH, UH, SOME GOOD OPTIONS TO LOOK AT THERE IN MID-MAY. LAST THING, MAYOR, AND I'LL, UM, I APPRECIATE COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ'S, UM, COMMENTS BECAUSE, UM, AS WE GO AROUND AND, AND EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR BUDGET, UM, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WE ARE 20% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET. SO TAX RELIEF TO US IS HARD TO TRANSLATE. THAT MESSAGING IS CERTAINLY KEY. AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR THIS MORNING IS ABOUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. SO, YOU KNOW, TAX RELIEF, HOW THAT'S BALANCED AGAINST THE PRIORITIES OF PUBLIC SAFETY OR INFRASTRUCTURE OR A C S OR PUBLIC HEALTH, IS THE BALANCING ACT THAT WE, UM, HAVE TO DO. AND, UM, IT IS A BALANCING ACT THAT HAS TO BE DONE IN A BALANCED WAY, UM, THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. AND, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL KIND OF REITERATE WHAT I SAID EARLIER. YOU KNOW, IDEALLY THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL AS A GROUP SET THAT FRAMEWORK FOR US. UM, AND, UM, UM, THAT GIVES US THE GUIDANCE WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT MEETS THOSE PRIORITIES. AND, UM, [01:45:01] IT, IT, UM, UM, WE TRY TO DO, WE TRY TO DO A LOT WITH WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THERE IS UTMOST NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. WE DO NOT HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES TO DO EVERYTHING. AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE PLAIN REALITY. AND, AND SO THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE COUNCIL'S HAVING TODAY, UM, ARE CERTAINLY KEY TO SETTING THAT FRAMEWORK GOING FORWARD. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE THE MESSAGING IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU, ERIC. AND YEAH, AND IF WE'RE BUDGETING OUTCOMES, THEN EVERYTHING WILL HAVE A COST. AND WHERE DO WE WANT TO DIAL BACK CERTAIN THINGS, INCLUDING OUTCOMES TO ACHIEVE OTHERS? SO, UH, WE DO HAVE A QUICK BREAK HERE. UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO STAY AS CLOSE TO ON TIME AS POSSIBLE. THE NEXT SESSION IS GONNA BE THREE SUCCESSIVE DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT A BREAK. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A, A QUICK, LET'S SAY EIGHT MINUTE BREAK. COME BACK AT 1105, WE'LL START AT 1105. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE ALL ARE ALL BACK IN RECORD TIME, ONLY FOUR MINUTES LATE. SO DAVID, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE US, GET US STARTED WITH OUR NEXT PRESENTATION ON SOLID WASTE SERVICES. THANK YOU, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT HAS TWO PRIMARY BUSINESS UNITS. THAT WOULD BE THE SOLID WASTE SIDE, AS WELL AS THE, UH, FLEET SERVICES SIDE SOLID WASTE. UH, THE SOLID WASTE BUSINESS UNIT IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND. WE HAVE JUST SHY OF 700 POSITIONS. IT'S 143.7 MILLION BUDGET. WE ALSO HAVE A FLEET, UH, BUSINESS UNIT, AND WE MAINTAIN REPAIR OUR GARBAGE TRUCKS AS WELL AS LARGE TRUCKS AND TRAILERS AND OFF-ROAD EQUIPMENT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UH, THAT SECTION HAS 113 POSITIONS AND A AND IT'S A $25 MILLION BUDGET. SO ALL IN, WE HAVE 805 POSITIONS AND A $168 MILLION BUDGET FOR F Y 23. WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE SOLID WASTE SIDE TODAY. UH, OUR SERVICES CAN BE CATEGORIZED INTO THREE BASIC CATEGORIES. WE'LL START WITH CURBSIDE COLLECTION SERVICES. WE PROVIDE WEEKLY GARBAGE RECYCLING AND ORGANICS COLLECTION TO 370,000 CUSTOMERS. WE OFFER TWICE A YEAR BRUSH COLLECTION AND TWICE A YEAR BULKY COLLECTION. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH SERVICE, WE ALSO HAVE A BAGGED LEAF COLLECTION, AS WELL AS OUT OF CYCLE COLLECTION FOR BRUSH OR BULKY, OR BOTH AS WELL AS A, A CART. CUSTOMERS WOULD NEED TO CALL 3 1 1 TO ARRANGE FOR THAT. WE HAVE FOUR DROP-OFF SITES ACROSS THE CITY. YOU CAN SEE THE ADDRESSES ON THE LEFT. UH, OUR CUSTOMERS CAN BRING MATTRESSES, APPLIANCES. UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S FENCING THAT'S BEING BROUGHT IN THAT PICTURE THERE. UH, WHATEVER WON'T FIT IN THE CART, YOU CAN BRING IT TO THESE, UH, DROP-OFF SITES AT THREE OF THOSE LOCATIONS. WE ALSO OFFER HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL. HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE ARE ITEMS LIKE PAINT, OIL, BATTERIES. UH, THEY ARE THINGS THAT, UH, ARE POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE. UM, THEY'RE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT IN THE GARBAGE CAN BECAUSE WHEN WE PICK THEM UP AND PUT THEM IN THE TRUCK, IT MAY CAUSE FUMES OR A FIRE, WHICH WE HAVE HAD. AND SO THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO DISPOSE OF THOSE. AND THAT'S THROUGH THESE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE LOCATIONS. AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR BITTERS BRUSH RECYCLING SITE WHERE WE TAKE BRUSH FROM RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS CITY CREWS, AND WE GRIND THAT INTO MULCH. THE LAST CATEGORY IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR CITYWIDE, UH, SERVICES. THIS WOULD BE ILLEGAL DUMPING COLLECTION IN F Y 22. YOU CAN SEE WE DID 254 HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. UH, THIS YEAR. UH, WE, WE, UH, ADDED A CREW THIS YEAR AND THIS YEAR OUR, UH, UH, PROJECTION WAS 300, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HIT 400, UH, CLEANUPS THIS YEAR. WE ALSO COLLECT THE GARBAGE AND RECYCLING AND THE DOWNTOWN LITTER BASKETS, AS WELL AS COLLECT DEAD ANIMALS. AND WE HAVE A SECTION THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR CLOSED CITY LANDFILLS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPEN LANDFILLS, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OLD ONES THAT WE MAINTAIN AN OBLIGATION TO MONITOR AND TAKE CARE OF. OUR BILLING STRUCTURE IS CONSIDERED A PAY AS YOU THROW TYPE OF BILLING STRUCTURE. SIMPLY PUT, UH, THE SIZE OF THE GARBAGE CART IS WHAT OUR CUSTOMER PAYS. SO YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, IF YOU HAVE THE SMALL CART, THAT'S $14 AND 76 CENTS A MONTH, IF YOU HAVE THE LARGE CART, THAT WOULD BE $26 AND 76 CENTS PER MONTH. THERE IS ALSO AN ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, THE SOLID WASTE [01:50:01] PORTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, WHICH, UH, ALL RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, ANYONE THAT HAS AN ENVIRONMENT, EXCUSE ME, ANYONE THAT HAS A ELECTRICAL METER WOULD PAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE. UH, AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, THAT'S A DOLLAR 74, AND THE TOTAL IS BELOW THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS. THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SUBSCRIBING TO THAT PARTICULAR CART. SO THE LARGE CART, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 286,000 CUSTOMERS THAT SUBSCRIBE TO THAT CART. A COMPARISON OF OUR SERVICES AND OUR BILLING RATE TO OTHER CITY, TO OTHER CITIES. YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE TOP THAT SAN ANTONIO, UH, AND YOU CAN SEE OUR FEES. OUR SERVICES, UH, IN MY OPINION, ARE, ARE BETTER THAN THE OTHER CITIES. UH, WE HAVE WEEKLY RECYCLING. I I TALKED ABOUT THE BRUSH AND BULK BULKY, AND WE ALSO HAVE WEEKLY ORGANICS. THE CITY THAT MAY COME CLOSEST TO US IN SERVICE DELIVERY WOULD BE THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UH, HOWEVER, UH, THEY COLLECT RECYCLING EVERY OTHER WEEK AS OPPOSED TO OUR WEEKLY. I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY ARE A GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT. UH, THIS, THIS FEE IS AN ESTIMATE THAT I MADE. UH, I DID TALK TO THEIR DIRECTOR ABOUT IT, AND IT IS MISSING SOME OF THE EXPENSES. UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONE BEING CAPITAL. SO THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE NEW TRUCKS OR ANY TYPES OF, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE CAPITAL. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE GROWTH THAT HAS, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE, UH, EXPENSES THAT IS OUTPACED OUR REVENUE. SO IN 2019, OUR FUND WAS STRUCTURALLY BALANCED. OUR REVENUES OF 126.4, UH, GENERALLY MATCHED OUR EXPENDITURES. UH, SINCE THEN, OUR GROWTH WAS 6.3% AND REVENUES, BUT OUR EXPENSES, UH, OUTPACED THAT AT 15%. SO WE HAD A GAP, UH, AND THIS YEAR, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UH, OF ABOUT, UH, 9 MILLION. AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THIS SLIDE. SO, THE REVENUES ARE ACROSS THE TOP, THE TOP ROW. YOU CAN SEE THAT FROM 19 TO 23, UH, THE REVENUES GREW BY 8 MILLION. UH, HOWEVER, GARBAGE RECYCLING ORGANICS, UH, FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD GREW BY 12.5 MILLION. CURBSIDE BRUSH AND BULKY GREW BY 1.4 MILLION. UH, JUST ABOUT EVERY SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE GREW TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE A, UM, A GAP OF $10 MILLION. AND THIS, BY THE WAY, WE DO FUND SUSTAINABILITY. UH, AND THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THESE NUMBERS. SO, AS IT'S BEEN STATED EARLIER, UH, WE WILL BE RETURNING WITH THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT IN A MONTH OR LESS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE FINANCIAL FORECAST FOR F Y 24. AND ON INTO THE FUTURE. THERE ARE A LOT OF DETAILS THAT WE NEED TO WORK OUT. UH, SO WE DON'T QUITE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AND WHAT THOSE EXPENSES AND WHAT THOSE SAVINGS MAY BE FOR F Y 24. UH, BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR AND, AND ASK FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON HOW WE PROCEED. AS WE DEVELOP THE BUDGET, WE CAN, UH, RAISE THE RATE, AND THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED. WE COULD REDUCE SERVICE, UH, OR WE COULD DO A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO THINGS, AND TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF, OF RATE INCREASE AND, AND WHAT THAT IMPACT MIGHT BE. UM, IF YOU TOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, 25 CENTS AND ADDED IT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER BASE IS 635,000 CUSTOMERS, THAT WOULD YIELD UP ALMOST $2 MILLION. THE SAME 25 CENTS INCREASE TO ALL OF THE CARTS. 370,000 CUSTOMERS YIELDS JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A MILLION. ANOTHER OPTION, AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST AS WELL, IS WE'VE ONLY APPLIED A RATE INCREASE TO THE LARGE CART OR THE LARGE AND MEDIUM CART, GIVING OUR CUSTOMERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERHAPS MOVE DOWN A CART SIZE AND ACTUALLY SAVE SOME MONEY. THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, AND I, I WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AND, AND QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SO, MAYOR, LET ME JUST ADD TO THAT. SO, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, UM, THE COUNCIL'S COMMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION, UM, THE, THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FUND, THE SOLID WASTE FUND IS A SEPARATE ENTITY, BUSINESS ENTITY WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. AND, AND WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN EXPENSES RISE. NOW, PART OF THOSE EXPENSES ARE, ARE, UM, UH, WAGE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE MADE. AND, UM, TO COUNCILMAN KURT'S COMMENT [01:55:01] AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION, UH, YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM HR, UH, HERE SHORTLY. UH, THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE FOR US GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WE DO NEED TO KIND OF ADJUST GOING FORWARD WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SLIDE, COMPARING WHAT WE, WHAT, WHAT OUR RATES ARE AND OUR SERVICE COMPARED TO OTHER MAJOR CITIES. HANDS DOWN, WE HAVE PROBABLY THE, UH, THE, THE MOST EQUITABLE RATE STRUCTURE AND THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICE ACROSS THE BOARD. UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR OUR CITY. UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A, A LOT OF POSSIBILITY FOR US TO LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UM, MAYBE GO DOWN A SIZE AND INCREASE THE LARGE CART SERVICE. UM, UH, AS DAVID SAID, WE DID THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO. THAT HELPS US IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS. UH, ONE THAT'S LESS WASTE TO THE, TO THE, UH, TO THE, UH, DUMP WHERE WE'RE PAYING TO DUMP. UM, AND, AND IF WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE USE OF THE RECYCLING. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, MY RECYCLING BIN IS FULL EVERY WEEK. AND I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE NOT, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT EVERY OTHER WEEK. 'CAUSE THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. BUT I, I WANT TO KEEP THE SERVICE. I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP THE SERVICE LEVEL HIGH BECAUSE I THINK THE PUBLIC EXPECTS IT. AND, UM, AND BACK TO COUNCILOR MCGEE, RODRIGUEZ'S COMMENT ABOUT MESSAGING. THIS IS ABOUT MAINTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE. UM, THEY DO A GREAT JOB, UM, AND, UH, THE PUBLIC EXPECTS IT, BUT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SOME BUSINESS ADJUSTMENTS. AND HOW WE MESSAGE THAT IS GONNA BE KEY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ERIC. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. DAVID. JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS FROM ME. UH, COULD YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE SEVEN? AND IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT FEES, WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND WHERE WE STAND. UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT OUTCOMES, ONE OF OUR LARGER OUTCOMES HERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE, UH, TRANSITIONAL INTO RECYCLING AND REDUCE OUR SOLID WASTE STREAM OVERALL. SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, UH, FEE CHANGES, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DO THAT IN A WAY THAT CONTINUES TO INCENT REDUCING, UM, THE SOLID WASTE STREAM. SO KEEPING THE, THE SMALLER CART OR THE SMALLER CARTS, UH, AT THE SAME LEVEL WHILE LOOKING AT THE OTHER AREAS, I THINK WOULD BE PREFERABLE IN MY VIEW. UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, LOOKING AT EL PASO AND JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT I SEE ON A, UM, SEMI-ANNUALLY, UH, PICKUP ON BRUSH AND BULKY AROUND MY COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE I LIVE HAVE, HAVE WE STUDIED WHAT BRUSH AND BULKY ONLY BY REQUEST WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR SAN ANTONIO. AND, AND HOW LESS EXPENSIVE OR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THAT MIGHT BE FOR US. WE, UH, WE DID MANY YEARS AGO. SO, UH, THE NUMBER I HAVE IN MY HEAD I THINK IS A BIT OUTDATED. ANOTHER CONCEPT WOULD BE, AND THIS IS COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WOULD BE COMBINING BRUSH AND BULKY TOGETHER, UH, AND MAYBE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THE BRUSH. OKAY. UH, WELL, AT ANY RATE, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL WORK YOU GOTTA DO, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE, WHERE WE SHOULD LAND. I AGREE WITH ERIC. I THINK OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE NEEDS TO STAY HIGH, UH, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST CORE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE EXPECT FROM A QUALITY LIFE STANDPOINT. SO I, I LIKE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH, WITH REGARD TO SERVICE. UM, BUT AGAIN, TRYING TO INCENT WHAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS TO REDUCE OUR, OUR OVERALL SOLID WASTE STREAM. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK ALL OF US APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT SOLID WASTE DOES AND HOW IT HELPS KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND CLEAN. AND I'M LOW TO RAISE ANY FEE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A QUARTER. YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, WHICH IS 70, UH, A DOLLAR 74, YOU RAISE IT A QUARTER, IT'S STILL UNDER $2, BUT IT'S STILL ANOTHER INCREASE IN A FEE. UH, IF YOU RAISE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE CART FEE, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BECOMES A HIGHER FEE THAT PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT AND SAY, UHOH, NOW IT'S OVER 27 OR WHATEVER. IT, IT GOES OVER A CERTAIN LIMIT. UM, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I'LL I'LL SAY MAYBE IT WAS 2019, WE HAD RESERVES IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THOSE RESERVES? SINCE THAT TIME? THE BUDGET FOR F Y 23 BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO ABOUT 400,000. AND THAT'S THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. SO ESSENTIALLY THERE ARE NO RESERVES. YEAH. AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE RESERVES? 'CAUSE THEY WERE IN THE MILLIONS. THAT FUNDING GAP THAT I SHOWED ON ONE OF THE PRIOR SLIDES, UH, WAS [02:00:01] HERE. THAT'S, WE WERE RECONCILING THE BUDGET WITH THOSE RESERVES. OKAY. UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF DOING ANY MORE NEGOTIATION ON OUR WASTE DISPOSAL FEES? WHAT WE'RE PAYING? WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, OUT ON THE STREET ACTUALLY THE, UH, THE NEW CONTRACT, WHICH WOULD NEED TO GO INTO EFFECT BY 2025. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THOSE RESPONSES. WE'RE KIND OF IN THAT, THAT SOLICITATION PERIOD RIGHT NOW FOR JUST THAT. AND COUNCILMAN THOSE YOU RECALL AT THE B SESSION? THOSE WERE 30 YEAR AGREEMENTS THAT ARE EXPIRING? YES, SIR. THOSE ARE GONNA BE LONG-TERM AGREEMENTS AND, UM, UM, THAT IS A BIG DRIVER OF OUR RATE. RIGHT. DO WE, DO WE ANTICIPATE WE COULD FIND, UH, DECLINE IN THAT LONG TERM? IT'S POSSIBLE. WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPETITION, UH, FOR THAT, SO MAYBE. OKAY. UM, HOW IS THE, OH, MY TIME'S UP, BUT PERHAPS, UH, NO, IT, WE ARE ACTUALLY EXPECTING IT TO GO UP. COUNCILMAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE 10 FOR ME? AND THEN WHAT I'LL ASK YOU IS WHO ARE THE, UM, 370,000, LIKE, IF YOU COULD JUST GENERALLY DESCRIBE WHO ARE THE 370,000 CUSTOMERS AND WHO ARE THE 635,000? THE 635,000 IS EVERY, UH, ELECTRIC METER IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THERE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL FEE PLACED ON THAT. THE 370,000 ARE THE CUSTOMERS THAT WE SERVE AND DO GARBAGE COLLECTION AND BRUSH AND BULKY FROM PRIMARILY, THOSE ARE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS IN TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT MULTIFAMILY, NOT APARTMENTS. AND IF YOU GO TO SLIDE SIX, YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW THEY, THE SIZE CART THEY HAVE, THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THERE AT THE BOTTOM. PERFECT. UM, I GUESS, AND I, I HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL FOR YOU. I KNOW THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON, UM, OUTCOMES. AND SO THE MAIN OUTCOMES I WANNA SEE IS I DO WANNA MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT IN SOME WAY, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO EITHER INCREASE THE FEE OR, UH, I AM ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN, UH, WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING ABOUT OTHER CREATIVE WAYS TO POTENTIALLY, UM, REDUCE SERVICES THAT WILL NOT IMPACT, UH, IMPACT PEOPLE, UH, TOO MUCH. I WOULD SAY THAT IF I, IF I WAS LEANING TOWARDS EITHER ONE OF THE OPTIONS, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE IS PROBABLY WHERE I'M LEANING TO. UM, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS I'M IMPARTIAL TO THOSE TWO OPTIONS. BUT I WOULD LIKE, UM, THE OUTCOME I'M EXPECTING THEN IS MAIN MAINTENANCE OF SERVICE, HIGH QUALITY OF SERVICE, AND THEN AS LITTLE IMPACT AS POSSIBLE. SO IF, MAYBE THAT MEANS GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT MAYBE WEREN'T PRESENTED TODAY, UM, SUCH AS WHAT THE MAYOR HAD MENTIONED, I I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HEAR OTHER OPTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER GRA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DAVID. UM, I AM EXCITED 'CAUSE, AND, AND AS I SAY, EVERYTHING THAT DOESN'T GET IN THE TRASH BIN SEEMS TO FLOW SOUTH, SO ON THE RIVER, SO I WANT THEM TO GET INTO THE TRASH BINS. I THINK ONE THING WE MISSED FROM HERE FROM YOUR PRESENTATION IS TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AND LOOK HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THE TECHNOLOGY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, SOMEONE ON FLORES IS ONLY TAKING OUT THEIR BIN EVERY OTHER WEEK, AND MAYBE THEY NEED TO RIGHTSIZE THEIR CART TO A SMALLER CART. UH, IF THEY'RE NOT RECYCLING OR USING THEIR, UM, THEIR ORGANIC, UH, THEIR ORGANICS, MAYBE WE SEND OUT SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THEY CAN DO THAT. UM, BECAUSE I, I AM LEANING TOWARDS, MAYBE WE KEEP IT AT THE LARGER CARTS FOR A RATE INCREASE SO WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO RIGHTSIZE THEIR CART. UH, I THINK IT'S KEY THAT WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO RECYCLE THAT. WE TALK ABOUT OUR RETURN IN INVESTMENT WHEN WE SEND IT TO, I KNOW PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE HUGE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR AND JUST HOW THAT HELPS US IN, IN THE PROCESS. UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, I KNOW WE'VE ANNEXED AREAS IN THE CITY THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, THE SOLID WASTE SERVICES. AND IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT IN THE FUTURE, WOULD IT BE, COULD WE OFFER SERVICES TO THEM? I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER, UH, SUBDIVISIONS THAT HAVE TO HIRE THEIR OWN. UM, CAN WE OFFER THOSE SERVICES TO THEM [02:05:01] IF WE CAN'T BECAUSE THEIR, UM, THEIR STREETS ARE TOO NARROW? BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME REALLY BIG TRUCKS, UH, HOW WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT AND AND AND COMING IN HAS THE ABILITY FOR OUR SOLID WASTE, UH, FLEET TO GET IN THERE. AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE IS ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR TRUCKS AND OUR TRUCK SERVICES AND OUR MAINTENANCE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GROIN. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, NO DOUBT ILLEGAL DUMPING CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND SOLID WASTE HAS BEEN DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB AT ADDRESSING, UH, THOSE CONCERNS AND CALLS WITHIN COMMUNITY. AND I ALWAYS POINT TO SEVERAL STUDIES FROM THE EAST COAST. THERE'S, UH, ONE IN NEW YORK WHERE THEY FOUND THAT INVESTING IN THEIR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, UH, REDUCED, UM, THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME AS WELL AS CRIME. UM, THERE IS A STUDY IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA WHERE THEIR SOLID WASTE CREW, UM, AND ACTIVATING VACANT LOTS ALONGSIDE THEIR CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, REDUCED GUN VIOLENCE IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S, UM, LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF VACANT PROPERTIES, RIGHT? MM-HMM. . SO DRAWING A PARALLEL TO THE CONCERNS THAT WE'RE SEEING OUT IN COMMUNITY AND THE ROLE THAT SOLID WASTE, UH, PLAYS IN PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I, I DON'T SEE REDUCING SERVICES AS AN OPTION, UM, BECAUSE IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHY AND SAFE AND, AND FREE OF DEBRIS, UH, IS IMPORTANT TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, BUT, BUT WITH THAT, UM, WITH THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE IS THAT USED TO SUPPORT THE SUSTAINABILITY, UM, EFFORTS FOR THE CITY. IT'S USED PRIMARILY FOR, UH, THE COLLECTION OF GARBAGE AND, AND HOW WE, UM, UH, DISPOSE OF THAT, WHETHER IT'S RECYCLE OR WHATEVER. DID YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE IS USED FOR THE DROP OFF CENTERS, THE CITY LANDFILL MAINTENANCE, THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS WHERE THE SOLID WASTE FEE IS REALLY, UM, FUNDING THE GARBAGE AND ORGANICS COLLECTION. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. JUSTINA. AND I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHY, UM, WHAT I, I I THINK WE NEED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, RIGHT? FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO THESE LAND FOLKS TO GET RID OF DEBRIS RATHER THAN, UM, FEELING THE NEED TO LEAVE IT IN A VACANT LOT. UM, SO I, I DON'T THINK REDUCING SERVICES IS AN OPTION BECAUSE I THINK YOU ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT, UM, YOU KEEP SAN ANTONIO, UH, HEALTH ANTONIO, UH, HEALTHY BY, UM, PLAYING THOSE ROLES. SO, THANK Y'ALL. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. I WANNA, UH, ESPECIALLY TAKE, UH, THE TIME TO SAY THAT I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR TEAM AS ALWAYS, ON TOP OF THE DUMPING THAT HAPPENS ALONG QUINTANA ROAD, WHICH IS RIGHT WHERE THE, UM, MIGRANT MEMORIAL IS. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO KEEP THAT, UM, AREA CLEAN. WE ARE COMING UP ON THE UNFORTUNATE ONE YEAR, AND SO, UM, YOUR TEAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL. SO I, I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU. UM, I DO AGREE WITH THE, WITH THE, WHAT ERIC SAID AND WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. AND I USE LIKE THE, THE SMALLEST, THE SMALL, THE, THE GARBAGE CAN IS THE SMALLEST ONE. I HAVE THE BIGGEST RECYCLE. SO I THINK THAT MAYBE LOOKING AT INCREASING, UH, LARGE CART SIZE, UM, MIGHT, MIGHT BE, UH, THE WAY TO GO. I AM WITH THE, UH, AN AGREEMENT ALSO WITH COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN HAVE A REDUCTION OF SERVICES. THERE'S JUST, I FEEL THERE'S, THERE'S TRASH, UH, ALL OVER THE CITY. AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT, THAT WE SHOULD DO THAT. UM, AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE A RECYCLING FACILITY THAT'S COMING UP. IT'S GONNA BE IN DISTRICT FOUR. WE JUST, UM, HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY LAST WEEK. UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORTS FOR RECYCLING. SO, UM, I HAVE, I HAVE, WITH THAT, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGING? AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A NEW ACTIVITY BOOK FOR KIDS THAT IS, IS REALLY NEAT. UM, BUT HOW ELSE ARE YOU ENCOURAGING RECYCLING OTHER THAN THROUGH THE PSAS THAT YOU ALL HAVE RIGHT NOW? AND IS THE RESERVE THAT DWINDLED QUITE A BIT? 'CAUSE I REMEMBER, UM, MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO, COUNCILMAN PERRY BROUGHT THIS UP. UM, AND THE RESERVE SEEMED TO SEEM TO BE LIKE IN THE MILLIONS. I CAN'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW. I DIDN'T BRING MY PAST BUDGET BOOKS, BUT NOW IT'S ONLY 400,000. SO I'M WONDERING WHERE IT WAS SPENT. UM, AND IF YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT. CA COUNCILWOMAN, IT WAS SPENT MAINTAINING SERVICES. OKAY. SO, AND IT WAS SPENT ON INCREASING COMPENSATION. OKAY. THE PRICE OF, OF EQUIPMENT HAS GONE UP AND DAVID'S GOT A BACKUP SLIDE. PERFECT. SO OUR COST OF HAVE INCREASED AT A, AT A MUCH RAPID RATE, UH, A HIGHER RAPID RATE THAN OUR REVENUE. AND, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IF YOU REMEMBER THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE TALKING TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT POTENTIALLY INCREASING THE RATE, UH, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. AND WE HELD OFF ON THAT. UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE REALITY. OKAY. THAT, WERE [02:10:01] YOU GONNA SHOW US LIFE? I WAS ATTEMPTING TO, BUT I, I CAN'T GET TO THE BACKUP SLIDES. OKAY. IT'S PROBABLY ME AND TECHNOLOGY. UH, AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE, THE RECYCLING, WE ARE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND WE'RE ROLLING OUT THAT CAMPAIGN. LOOK, LOOK FOR THAT ONE. OKAY. UH, BUT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY CIRCLE BACK ON THE RECYCLING. AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU DAVID, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION HERE. UH, I TOO HATE RATE INCREASES. UM, AND JUST, UH, GOING BACK, LOOKING AT THE, UH, CURRENT CART FEES, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE THREE DIFFERENT SIZES AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AND WHERE THE, THE, UH, UM, AMOUNTS PER SIZE. BUT WHEN, WHEN DID WE GO TO THIS CART? DIFFERENT SIZE CARTS? OH MY GOODNESS. UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 15 YEARS AGO, I THINK, UH, MAYBE, UH, THAT WAS LESS THAN THAT. IT WAS PROBABLY 10, 8, 9 YEARS AGO. YEAH, IT SEEMS, SEEMS ABOUT AROUND EIGHT, MAYBE NINE YEARS AGO. THE, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS, DID WE DO AN ANALYSIS BACK THEN SHOWING THAT WE REDUCED OUR SOLID WASTE TIPPING, UM, COMMENSURATE WITH RE YOU KNOW, GOING TO THESE SMALLER, SMALLER CARTS? 'CAUSE I, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I DID. I WENT TO THE SMALLER CART. I DIDN'T GENERATE ANY MORE OR LESS GARBAGE, BUT I WENT TO THE SMALLER CART BECAUSE IT WAS CHEAPER. UM, HAVE WE EVER DONE THAT ANALYSIS TO SEE IF WE GOT A REDUCTION IN OUR, UM, SOLID WASTE BECAUSE OF THE SMALLER CARTS? UH, WE MAY HAVE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I'M NOT SURE I CAN REMEMBER IT. YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ANALYSIS TO SEE IF THERE REALLY WAS A REDUCTION IN THAT. OKAY. AND LOOKING AT, UH, YOUR, UH, VARIANCE CHART THERE, THAT'S $10 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SHORT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON THAT SLIDE? UM, ON SLIDE NINE. OKAY. 2016, THAT'S, UH, WE'RE, NO, THAT WAS FOR, THAT IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 23. THAT IS THIS YEAR. OKAY. ARE YOU, WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR PROJECTION FOR 24? IS IT GONNA BE AROUND $10 MILLION AGAIN OR LESS THAN THAT? IT'S, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET. COUNSEL'S THE ONE I WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL THE FINANCIAL FORECAST. I, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THAT $10 MILLION AND WITH THE 25 PER 25 CENT INCREASE IN BOTH OF THOSE, THAT'S ABOUT $3 MILLION INCREASE TOTAL FOR THOSE TWO. AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $10 MILLION, THAT'S NOT EVEN GONNA COVER THAT. I, I, THE 25 CENTS WAS JUST AS AN EXAMPLE. OKAY. IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING. WELL, I DON'T LIKE ANY INCREASE. YES, SIR. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU DAVID. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER KIO. HDA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I FIRST WANNA THANK, UH, ALL OF THE SOLID WASTE IN THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. THERE WAS A RECENT, UH, ADJUSTMENT, UM, TO NOT DELIVERING ON WEEKENDS. AND I KNOW MY NEIGHBORHOODS WERE REALLY ANXIOUS ABOUT IT, BUT IT USED TO BE THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT WAS, UM, THEY WOULDN'T GET PICKED UP UNTIL MUCH LATER IN THE DAY. AND NOW THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THAT WE'RE ALL RUNNING OUTSIDE IN OUR JAMMIES EARLY IN THE MORNING TO HURRY AND GET THE, UH, THE, UH, OUR TRASH IN OUR RECYCLING OUT THERE. BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB AND VERY EFFICIENT. UM, MY QUESTION REALLY IS REGARDING THE 25 CENTS. I, I, UM, UH, CONCUR WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT A REDUCTION IN SERVICES JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE AN OPTION TO US. UM, BUT THE 25 CENTS, UH, EITHER COMING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL OR THE CART FEE, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, MONETARILY HOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO US. BUT WHAT IS THAT GOING TO GET US? WHAT, WHAT IS THAT MILLION OR, OR POTENTIALLY 2 MILLION? WHAT, WHAT GAP IS THAT FILLING? WHY THE 25 CENTS? WELL, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE MM-HMM. , UM, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY WAS, WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS TOO. IF WE WERE JUST, JUST LOOKING AT FISCAL YEAR 23 WHERE WE HAVE A 10 MILLION GAP, THAT ADJUSTMENT OF 25 CENTS TO SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE IS ONLY 1.9 MILLION. SO IT DOES NOT GET US TO THE 10 MILLION GAP. SO, OKAY. SO THE 25 CENTS WAS JUST A SAMPLE JUST TO, YEAH. SO YOU HAVE A, SO THAT, YOU KNOW THAT FOR EVERY 25 CENTS IT GENERATES $2 MILLION, 2 MILLION. SO, OKAY. UM, WE COULD HAVE DONE IT, WE COULD HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY, FOR EVERY UM, DOLLAR IS GONNA GENERATE, UM, 8 MILLION, UH, 8 MILLION. SO IT'S JUST A, AN EXAMPLE FOR I SEE. FOR, FOR YOURSELF. SO THE PROPOSAL ISN'T TO RAISE IT BY 25 CENTS. EXACTLY. WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING FOR FEEDBACK ON, ON THESE OPTIONS AT THIS POINT. OKAY. WELL, I, IT'S, THAT'S A DIFFICULT CHOICE FOR US 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA REDUCE SERVICE, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTOOD, INCREASE A RATE AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOTTA GIVE THERE. SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE NOT REDUCING, UH, IMPACTING THE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HDA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS, [02:15:01] WELL FURTHER DISCUSSION, UH, IF YOU'VE ALREADY MADE SOME REACTIONS TO WHAT WE'LL DO AT THE END, 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO INTO FURTHER DEPTH ON, ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES. SO, ALRIGHT, ERIC, BACK TO YOU. WE'RE, WE'RE ALMOST ON TIME. SO, UH, DAVID MCCAREY IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. UH, WE SENT A MEMO LAST, UH, FRIDAY TO THE COUNCIL ON A NUMBER OF THE FOLLOWUP ITEMS FROM DEPTHLESS WHERE HE IS GONNA GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT. AND THEN HE'S GOING TO COVER, UH, THE, THE THINGS, THE, THE INITIATIVES THAT, UH, WE BELIEVE WE CAN BEGIN THIS YEAR THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE A C S STRATEGIC PLAN THAT DON'T REQUIRE ANY ADJUSTMENT IN BUDGET AND WHAT WE CAN DO. AND THEN THERE'S A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON A MIDYEAR BUDGET, UH, ADJUSTMENT, UH, TO, UH, BEGIN ON OTHER AREAS OF A C S STRATEGIC PLAN. ALL OF THIS IS PRE-WORK AND ACTUALLY I SHOULDN'T CALL IT PRE-WORK. IT IS EARLY WORK ON RECOMMENDATIONS RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE SUMMER, UM, BUDGET DISCUSSION. SO, DAVID, YEAH, THANK YOU ERIC. HEY, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I ACTUALLY HAVE THE PLEASURE OF COVERING ANIMAL CARE SERVICES GOAL SETTING UPDATE FOR YOU TODAY. SO WE'LL GET STARTED. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TELL YOU IS THAT FOR A QUICK OVERVIEW, WE WILL TALK ABOUT OUR FIVE FOCUSED AREAS THAT'S A PART OF THAT NEW STRATEGIC PLAN. WE'RE ALSO GONNA DIVE INTO OUR CURRENT ACTION PLAN AS ERIC HAD MENTIONED. AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR MID-LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS FOR OUR MID-YEAR. AND NOT ONLY WILL WE COVER AND END, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT INCIDENT RESPONSE AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO, ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN FIRST. YOU KNOW, WE OWE IT TO THE PUBLIC AND WE OWE IT TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO ENSURE A SAFE COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE ALSO HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PROTECT THE SAFETY AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF PETS. A PART OF THAT INCLUDES SUPPORTING THE PLACEMENT OF PETS FOR LIFE. BECAUSE WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOSTER A POSITIVE CONNECTION WITH OUR COMMUNITIES. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET TO EMPOWER A HEALTHY AND THRIVING WORKFORCE AT A C S. THESE FIVE FOCUS AREAS ARE PARAMOUNT TO ACSS WORK. LET'S MOVE ON TO CURRENT ACTIONS. YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR WORK, AND THAT DOES REQUIRE THAT WE WORK WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY. AND AS A PART OF THAT, WE WANT TO VIEW OUR WORK WITH AN EQUITY LENS. SO, UNDER THIS CURRENT ACTION THAT YOU SEE HERE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE LOOKING FOR THESE ACTION PLAN TARGETS AND FOLLOWING PROGRAMS FOR OUR WELLNESS CLINICS. OKAY. AS WELL. THERE ARE CURRENT ACTION TARGETS AND FOLLOWING PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO. SO LET'S START OFF WITH OUR WELLNESS CLINICS. WE WILL PROVIDE LOW COST WELLNESS CLINICS TO MICROCHIP AND VACCINATE 500 ADDITIONAL PETS UNDER OUR SPAY AND NEUTER. WE WILL SPAY AND NEUTER 600 ADDITIONAL FURROW CATS. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO AUGMENT CONTRACT COORDINATION TO EXECUTE AND MONITOR SPAY AND NEUTER CONTRACTS. COUNCILWOMAN VIA GR THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US ON OUR SCHEDULE AT BROOKS. THAT SCHEDULE FOR OUR SPAY AND NEUTER ON APRIL THE 24TH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND ALSO, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF OUR NEW CONTRACT WITH BROOKS CLINICS, UH, AS WELL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT IS ABOUT OUR NEW CANVASSING PROGRAM. IT IS A PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT APPROACH. OUR CANVAS PROGRAM CREATES THROUGH, IS CREATED THROUGH DATA MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS NOW THAT ALLOWS DATA TO ACTUALLY BE OUR GUIDE FOR PERFORMANCE MEASURES. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT. I WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAILS HERE SHORTLY ON OUR CANVASSING PROGRAM. OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR YOU IS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT VEHICLES AND LAPTOPS. THESE RESOURCES ARE VERY CRITICAL ASSETS TO THE OPERATIONS. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO THE FRONT. WE'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY FRONT LOAD ADDITIONAL KENNEL TRUCKS. WE WANT TO RETROFIT ALL TRUCKS WITH DURABLE LAPTOPS, AND THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE ASSETS AND OPERATIONS UNDER CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE WILL REFOCUS FIELD AND LIVE RELEASE STAFF FOR CRITICAL NEEDS [02:20:01] AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IF Y'ALL CAN ALLOW ME TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR MID-YEAR PROPOSALS FOR OUR MID-YEAR PROPOSALS, WE ARE ASKING TO INCREASE OUR INVESTIGATION CAPACITY. NOW WHAT THAT DOES FOR US IS ALLOWS US TO OVER HIRE 15 ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS, APPRENTICE POSITIONS AT $341,000. UNDER SPAY AND NEUTER, WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TARGET EFFORTS TO ADD 120 FREE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO ADD 600 FREE SURGERIES TO OUR BRACKEN RIDGE AND BROOKS FACILITIES. WE ALSO WILL ENSURE 13,000 LOW COST SURGERIES WILL REMAIN AFFORDABLE. WE KNOW THAT'S CRITICAL, AGAIN, KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT EQUITY LENS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT FUNDING IS $181,000. UNDER QUALITY OF CARE ON CAMPUS, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR OPERATION HOURS. WE WILL MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF DISEASES MEANING, UH, SUCH AS PARVO AND DISTEMPERED. SO WE'RE WORKING TO DO THAT AS WELL AS A PART OF THAT, THAT COST IS $176,000. NOW THROUGH RADIO, TV, PRINT CAMPAIGN, WE WILL CREATE A CALL TO ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO STOP ALLOWING PETS TO FREELY ROAM WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S $150,000. WE WILL ALSO BEGIN A NEW PILOT. THIS IS OUR TRANSPORTATION PILOT NOW. THAT'S TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT INITIATE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES CITIES AND TRANSPORTERS WHERE WE COULD JUST ALIKE HAVE PARTNERS WITH OTHER CITIES TO SHARE THE BENEFITS AND PET ADOPTIONS UNDER OUR INCIDENT RESPONSE. SINCE THE TRAGIC EVENT OF FEBRUARY THE 24TH, A C S HAS BEEN WORKING IN TANDEM WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS AND SS A P D TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF PET OWNERS. A C S HAS SEEN A SURGE IN DANGEROUS DOGS REPORTS. IN MARCH A C S CREATED AN EASY TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTION GUIDE THAT EXPLAINS THE SWORN STATEMENT PROCESS TO RESIDENTS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. 83 NEW DANGEROUS AGGRESSIVE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN INITIATED SO FAR. ALSO NOTE, YOU'LL NOTICE, UH, OUR NOTICES OF HEARING A C S ISSUED A 206 CLASS C MISDEMEANORS. THOSE ARE YOUR CRIMINAL CITATIONS VERSUS YOUR CIVIL CITATIONS IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. THAT'S A 400% INCREASE ABOVE THE LAST YEAR'S MONTHLY AVERAGE. SINCE MARCH THE 20TH, A C S HAS SERVED 17 NOTICES OF HEARING TO NON-COMPLIANCE DESIGNATED DANGEROUS OWNERS, A C S COMMUNITY CANVASSING PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. JUST SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW, THIS PROGRAM IDENTIFIES HIGH IMPACT ADDRESSES WITH TWO OR MORE BITE CASES. ALSO, IT IDENTIFIES HIGH AGGRESSIVE CALL HISTORY IN THE SAME AREAS. THIS ALLOWS A C S TO APPROACH THIS IN AN ORGANIZED WAY. SO WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT. AS IT RELATES TO STATE LEGISLATION, UH, WE ARE IN A HOLDING PATTERN. WE HAVE, UH, WAITING TO HEAR ON A COUPLE OF BILLS, UH, THAT ARE CENTERED AROUND CHANGES TO DANGEROUS DOG UH, LAWS. WE ALSO HAVE ONE THAT SPEAKS TO ACCESS TO VETERINARIAN CARE BILL. SO WE'RE IN THAT HOLDING PATTERN AND WE'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION AS THAT TIME PROGRESSES. I WANT TO THANK OUR A C S ADVISORY BOARD. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MUNICIPAL COURTS, OUR SS A P D FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF ENFORCEMENT. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND ABOVE ALL, I WANT TO THANK ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TEAM BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE IN THE TRENCHES EACH AND EVERY DAY, AND THEY WANT TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITIES. [02:25:01] UH, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION. I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ERIC, AS LONG AS YOU'RE THANKING EVERYBODY. DAVID, I WANNA THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE STAYED ON TOP OF ALL OF IT. SO, SIR, UM, JUST TO RECAP, SLIDE THREE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE ADJUSTING NOW AND WE CAN DO WITHIN OUR, OUR BUDGET. THIS WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION AT THE B SESSION. SLIDE FOUR ARE, UM, ITEMS FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE ARE PULLING FORWARD TO BEGIN EXECUTION NOW RATHER THAN WAIT. UM, AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE MID-YEAR PROPOSAL OF $848,000 IN THE TRIAL BUDGET. AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE KNOW A C S IS A, IS A, IS A PRIORITY. AND A LOT OF YOUR COMMENTS, UH, EARLIER THIS MORNING, WE WILL BUILD THE BALANCE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN INTO THE FORECAST AND INTO THE TRIAL BUDGET THAT YOU'LL SEE ON MAY 10TH. SO THANK YOU, DAVID. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. AND, AND SO I THINK THAT UNDERSCORES THE FACT THAT, UM, OUR STAFF, OUR TEAM, UM, UNDERSTANDS FULLY THAT THIS WILL BE A COUNCIL PRIORITY TOO. SO GETTING A HEAD START ON IT IS, UH, GOOD NEWS. UH, ONLY OTHER THING I'D SAY, UH, DAVID IS, UH, SIMILAR TO MY OPENING COMMENTS, UH, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM ALSO HIGHLIGHTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CROSS DEPARTMENT, UM, UTILIZE DATA IN AN INNOVATIVE WAY AND, AND REALLY GET AHEAD OF CHALLENGES THAT WE MIGHT EXPERIENCE, UH, DOWN THE ROAD. SO WHATEVER RESOURCES ARE NECESSARY, NOT JUST WITHIN A C S BUT, YOU KNOW, WRIT LARGE, THE, THE ORGANIZATION I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY DIVING IN AND MAKING USE OF THE DATA, THE OPEN DATA PORTAL AS BEST WE CAN, WOULD BE MY PRIORITY. SO, UM, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, YOU KNOW, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR LONG-TERM STRATEGIES AND AN INCREASE IN RESOURCES TO A C S BEGINNING WITH MY REQUEST FOR AN A C S MASTER PLAN AND MY ADVOCACY FOR THE A C S HOSPITAL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HEARD AT DOORS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND IN, IN D TWO AT LEAST. UM, AND I, I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED A STAFFING ANALYSIS CONDUCTED IN THE WAY THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, FOR SS A P D. AND SO I, MY REQUEST IS THAT, UH, WE GET THAT DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UM, JUST TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A C S IS CURRENTLY DOING, WHAT THE WORK, WHAT THE EXISTING NEED IS AND OUR STAFFING LEVELS. AND RIGHT NOW I'M WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN FAVOR OF INCREASING THE STAFFING OF A C S, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO AN INCREASE IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS, SIMILARLY TO WHAT WE SEE WITH CODE AND SS A P D. YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE BELIEVES THEY SHOULD BE STAFFED ADEQUATELY TO PROVIDE LIAISONS TO EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. AND MY OFFICE HAS REQUESTED A C S MANY TIMES TO APPEAR AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY, UM, TO CONSTITUENT REQUESTS. AND VERY OFTEN THEY HAVE TO PULL FROM THEIR CAPACITY TO INVESTIGATE, UM, AND RESPOND TO 3 1 1 CALLS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THESE REQUESTS. AND I ASSUME THAT THEY ALSO GET THESE REQUESTS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL. SO IN ORDER TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE A C S ISSUES, I THINK WE NEED TO GO BEYOND THIS, UH, INITIAL, THE INITIAL REQUEST FOR A C S STAFFING AND MOVE TO INCREASE THEIR STAFFING IN THIS MANNER AS WELL. UM, SO IF WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE TRUE NEED FOR SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES, WE NEED TO RAMP UP OUR CAPACITY. UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO SPEED THROUGH, 'CAUSE I SAY I ONLY HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT. I WANT TO EXPLORE OUR CURRENT AND POTENTIALLY FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF RESCUE AND FOSTERS I'D LIKE US TO FURTHER SUPPORT. WE CANNOT AFFORD FOR THEM TO BURN OUT. AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE RIGHT THERE. UM, IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT SOME OF OUR ANIMALS NEED TO BE MORE MARKETABLE IN ORDER TO GET ADOPTED. AND SO I'D LIKE FOR US TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THAT. AND MAYBE THAT MEANS WE PROVIDE FREE TRAINING CLASSES FOR THOSE WHO ADOPT HARD TO ADOPT ANIMALS. MAYBE IT MEANS WE CONTRACT WITH AN, AN AGENCY THAT TRAINS BULLY BREEDS TO ACT AS THERAPY DOGS OR PROVIDE SOME OTHER TYPE OF SERVICE. WE CAN FIX SOME OF OUR SYSTEMIC ISSUES AND WE SHOULD, BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE ANIMALS THAT ARE HARDER TO PLACE THAN OTHERS. AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT THIS BUDGET CYCLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU DAVID, FOR THE PRESENTATION. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR MOVING WITH URGENCY TO ENSURE THAT WE LOOK AT THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE GET A, A HEADSTART ON PROVIDING ANIMAL CARE SERVICE WITH THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. UH, I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. UM, AND I AM ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, A SIMILAR, UH, A C F STAFF, A C S STAFF STUDY, UM, TO UNDERSTAND MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ANIMAL CARE SERVICE. ON MY WAY HERE. I LIVE A BLOCK AWAY FROM HIGH SCHOOL, TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND THERE WERE THREE STRAY, NOT STRAY. THERE WERE THREE ROAMING DOGS. THEY HAD COLLARS, SO THEY BELONGED TO SOMEONE. AND MY WORRY WAS ONE, IT WAS ABOUT EIGHT O'CLOCK, SO KIDS ARE WALKING TO SCHOOL. UM, BUT, UM, KNOWING THAT THERE'S, UM, SO MANY STRAYS AND ROAMING DOGS OUT THERE, I APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE [02:30:01] AND THE CAMPAIGN, UM, A AROUND, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY OF ROAMING ANIMALS. I WAS ABLE TO TUNE INTO ONE COMMERCIAL, UH, AND I HEARD IT AND I WAS VERY SURPRISED. I WAS LIKE, OH, WOW. UM, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY ALREADY MOVING WITH THESE ADS AND ADVERTISEMENTS, UH, ON PUBLIC RADIO. SO I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT YARE MOVING THERE, UH, WITH THAT URGENCY. BUT, UH, MOVING FORWARD I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO SEE AN INCREASE FOR SPAY AND N NEUTER SERVICES, UH, FOR ANIMALS. AND I, I APPRECIATE AND VALUE THE SUPPORT THAT ANIMAL CARE SERVICE ALREADY PROVIDES WITH THE TRAINING I'VE BEEN NEEDING TO TAKE BAM BAM BACK OUT THERE 'CAUSE HE'S A HANDFUL. UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, I'M REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE EMPOWERING A HEALTHY AND THRIVING WORKFORCE COMPONENT, RIGHT? RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, ANIMAL CARE SERVICE IS A PIECE OF PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING THEY FEEL UNSAFE WALKING AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. 'CAUSE THERE'S ROAMING DOGS AND STRAYED DOGS. SO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT'S, UH, COMPUTERS, UM, ENOUGH VEHICLES AND THE KENNELS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET THE, THE DOGS OFF THE STREETS. UH, IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT JUST THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL'S CONTINUED WORK. UH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO SEE HOW WE CAN PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DAVID. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME WORKING WITH ME. UM, I THINK YOU KNOW HOW PASSIONATE I AM ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND THE ONE THING I DO NOT SEE IN THIS PRESENTATION IS THE NUMBER OF DOGS BEING EUTHANIZED, THE NUMBER OF DOGS THAT ARE HEALTHY, BEING EUTHANIZED, AND THE NUMBER OF PUPPIES BEING EUTHANIZED. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER BECAUSE AGAIN, I WILL STRESS THAT IT SPAY AND NEUTER IS HOW WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS CITY. AND WE DO NEED TO HAVE LARGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CREATING AN ORDINANCE. UH, THE, I KNOW IT'S PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, BUT IF THE THE DOG IS CONTINUALLY GETTING OUT, WE NEED TO HAVE AN AVENUE TO FIX THAT DOG. UM, THE OTHER, UH, ASPECT OF IT IS WE NEED, WE NEED BI BILINGUAL OFFICERS. UH, SO IN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE MID-YEAR PROPOSAL, I AM NOT FOR THE OVER HIRE OF 341,000 BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO GO INTO THE DISTRICTS, TALK TO THE RESCUES, AND DO MORE OF A PEER PROGRAM, A POWER PEER PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY TO TALK TO THOSE NEIGHBORS. I AM STILL UNCLEAR ON WHAT THESE INVESTIGATORS ARE GOING TO DO OTHER THAN BRING THEN, THEN MAKE CITIZENS, UH, QUARANTINE THEIR DOGS FOR 10 DAYS AT THEIR EXPENSE. I'M STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE INVESTIGATORS DO BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO IN AND TELL THEM TO FIX THE FENCE. OR CAN WE, WE, I NEED MORE INFORMATION IF WE'RE GONNA HIRE MORE INVESTIGATORS BECAUSE WHAT MY RESIDENTS WANT ARE MORE, THEY WANT MORE STRAYS PICKED UP. AND I'VE TOLD THEM MORE STRAYS MEANS MORE EUTHANIZED DOGS. SO HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT OUT? HOW DO WE HAVE A FACILITY TO HELP WHERE WE TAKE THESE DOGS AND THEN TRY AND GET THEM RESCUED OR GET THEM FIXED? I, I DO, I'M STILL UNSURE ON WHAT THESE INVESTIGATORS ARE GOING TO DO. UH, I'VE HEARD STORIES MY RESIDENTS WANT, UM, ANSWERS BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S, THERE'S EMPTY TRUCKS THERE WAITING ON EMERGENCIES, NOT TAKING DOGS THAT THEY'RE RESCUING. AND I ALSO WANNA SEE THE NUMBER OF DAYS IT IS TAKING FOR A C S TO GET TO DOGS THAT PEOPLE ARE, HAVE HOUSED IN THEIR YARDS. THANK YOU. MAYOR, CAN I HELP SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERON. GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO THE, THE, THE, UM, AS DAVID SAID IN THE PRESENTATION, THOSE, THE, THE, THE, UM, THOSE OFFICERS ARE US GETTING AHEAD ON CANVASSING BITE INVESTIGATIONS AND DANGEROUS DOG WORK AND, AND VERY CLEARLY THIS COUNCIL, WHAT I HEARD WHEN WE DID THE B SESSION WAS THAT, ALTHOUGH I THINK THE ANALOGY I USED, WE'VE GOTTA MOVE THREE FOOTBALL, THREE FOOTBALLS DOWN THE FIELD AT ONCE. THE SPAY NEUTER BALL, THE, UM, HEALTHY RESCUED ADOPTED DOG BALL AND THE ENFORCEMENT BALL. UM, AND, AND CLEARLY I HEARD AT THE B SESSION THAT ENFORCEMENT WAS A PRIORITY. AND, AND WE HAVE, BASED ON THE FEBRUARY 24TH INCIDENT, WE HAVE MOVED OFFICERS AROUND TO FOCUS ON THAT. AND WE KNOW THAT BITE INVESTIGATIONS, DANGEROUS DOG DESIGNATIONS, THE CANVASSING PROGRAM, UM, ARE GONNA BE TOP PRIORITIES IN 2024. SO FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY, I DON'T REALLY WANNA WAIT UNTIL AUGUST TO RECOMMEND IT TO YOU AND THEN YOU APPROVE IT IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN WE HIRE IN THE FALL. WE, WE KNOW IT'S A PRIORITY. WE OUGHT TO GET IT DONE NOW. SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE OFFICERS ARE [02:35:01] GONNA DO. ENFORCEMENT CLEARLY HAS TO BE A PRIORITY AND I THINK, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL AT THE B SESSION. BUT WE'VE GOTTA MOVE ALL THOSE BALLS DOWN THE FIELD AT ONCE. THANK YOU ERIC. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ENFORCE IT? COUNCIL MEMBER VIE WE CANNOT STAY OR NEUTER THEM. WE'LL DISCUSS. NO, WE'LL DISCUSS THIS ISSUE. WE CAN'T GIMME A RESPONSE LIKE THIS AND NOT TELL ME HOW WE ARE GOING TO ENFORCE IT. WE'LL DISCUSS EACH OF THESE ITEMS IN DEPTH AT THE END OF THE DAY. THIS IS FOR REACTION AND INITIAL QUESTIONS. SO ERIC, BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THIS IN MORE DEPTH. I'M MORE THAN HAPPY. YES, SIR. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU DAVID, APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION HERE. UM, I MADE SOME COMMENTS AT, AT THE B SESSION, WHICH WAS, WE'VE BROUGHT ON I THINK LIKE 30 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. WE'VE ADDED, UH, $5 MILLION TO THE BUDGET EACH YEAR NOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. AND, AND YET THE METRICS HASN'T CHANGED. IN FACT, THEY GOT WORSE SINCE 2019 IN BRINGING ON THESE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND, AND THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT YOU'RE NOW ASKING FOR THE MID-YEAR REVIEW. WHAT'S GONNA CHANGE? BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE NUMBERS CHANGE OVER THE LAST COUPLE, SEVERAL YEARS. YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL TELL YOU IS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AND WE'RE DOING OUR INCIDENT RESPONSE, THE FACT THAT NOW WE HAVE A GUIDE TO OUR RESIDENTS TO HOW DO YOU NOTIFY US AS TO WHEN SOMETHING'S NOT GOING RIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? THE FACT THAT WE HAVE OVER 400% INCREASE IN ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THOSE DANGEROUS DOGS AS THEY'RE REPORTING, WE'RE JUMPING ON THOSE THINGS RIGHT AWAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CANVASSING PROGRAM HAS REALLY DONE FOR US THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS IT ALLOWS US TO USE THE DATA FROM THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE CALLING 3 1 1 NOTIFYING US TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT CANVASSING PROGRAM, JUST IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THEY HAD TO TAKE 145 DOGS BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL OWNER. THEY HAD CHIPS, WHICH MEANS WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME DOING OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD BE FOCUSED ON THOSE DIRECT CONNECTIONS THERE. OKAY. AND WE'RE STILL HAVING THE ATTACKS, UH, TO OTHER DOGS BECAUSE THEY'RE OFF PROPERTY AS WELL AS TO HUMANS. OKAY. WELL THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS YOUR ORG CHART. UH, THE NUMBERS AGAIN, THAT ARE EUTHANIZED. UH, HOW DO WE WORK WITH THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW DO WE FIT IN VOLUNTEERS INTO THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION AND HOW, HOW THEY HELP. SO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR LATER DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU. WILL DO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. SO I GUESS ONE THING I I WANT TO KNOW IS, UM, ARE WE, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL VET ON TOP OF WHAT WE WERE ALREADY AT RIGHT NOW? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR? NO, THAT IS TRUE. WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR VETERINARIAN, UH, STRATEGY AS WELL. OKAY. WE'VE GOT TWO ALREADY HERE, BUT WE'RE READY TO LOOK AT ADDING MORE, BUT THAT WILL BE A PART OF OUR 2024 BUDGET PROCESS. OKAY. OR, OR MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUST ADJUSTMENT. YEAH. OR MID YEAR. SO WE'LL START LOOKING AT THAT TOO. YES, SIR. OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE THING THAT I LIKE SEEING IS THE, UM, THE PLANS TO, I'M GOING THE WRONG WAY. THE, THE PLANS TO, UM, LOOK AT PET TRANSPORT, BUT WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS PILOT TO ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HEAR RIGHT NOW FROM OUR C IS URGENCY TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS TO, FOR LIVE RELEASE OUTTA THE STATE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, I GUESS THERE'S A, A BETTER SUPPLY AND, UH, AND DEMAND SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN, IN ADOPTING OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND, BUT WHEN I HEAR PILOT THAN I'M WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE US THREE YEARS TO SCALE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS. AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE SCALE UP AT A FASTER RATE TO TO, YEAH. WHAT I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE PILOT IS THAT WE HAVE TO FIRST ANALYZE WHICH CITIES ARE IN NEED OF PUPPIES OR PETS, WHICH ONE HAS NOT A SURPLUS OF IT, BUT ACTUALLY NEEDS IT. THEN WE HAVE TO ALSO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TRANSPORT. THAT PART IS THE PILOT WHERE WE CAN TEST MAYBE EVEN THROUGH RFPS ONCE WE IDENTIFY THAT CITY. SO THAT PORTION IS REALLY SMALL. I'M GONNA JUMP IN DAVID 'CAUSE I'M RUNNING OUT TIME REAL QUICK. GO AHEAD. SORRY. BUT, BUT I THINK ONE WAY WE CAN ADDRESS THIS IS A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEER ALAMO AND WELFARE ADVOCATES ALREADY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PARTNERING WITH THEM. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US MAYBE HIRE SOME STAFF WHO ACTUALLY CAN SPEND TIME, YOU KNOW, ALMOST LIKE VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS, COMMUNITY LIAISONS [02:40:01] THAT ARE WORKING WITH ALL OF THESE, UH, VOLUNTEER ADVOCATES WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY SO WE CAN BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND, AND BETTER PARTNER WITH THEM. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO, ERIC PART, PART OF THAT PILOT, UH, COUNCILMAN. I MEAN, I, I UM, AND THIS IS PART OF OUR INTERNAL CONVERSATION. WE'LL HAVE MORE AS WE DO THE TRIAL BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET. BUT, UM, I DON'T WANNA RE IF THERE'S, IF THERE TRULY IS A PATH TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS OUT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, I'M NOT SURE I WANNA RELY UPON VOLUNTEERS AND I'M NOT SURE I WANNA RELY UPON NONPROFITS. WE, WE MAY HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO DO THAT OURSELVES IF IT, IF THERE'S TRULY, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BUILD A PIPELINE OUTWARD. THAT'S PART OF THE PILOT ASPECT OF THIS. BUT, BUT, UM, WE HAVE DONE, WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT NONPROFITS AND OTHERS THAT HAVE DONE ONESIES AND TWOSIES IN TERMS OF TRANSPORT WITH US. WE DON'T DO AS MUCH AS WE USED TO. UM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY. AND IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A, WE MAY NEED TO SPEND OUR OWN MONEY ON. AND THAT'S PART OF THAT PILOT. AND I, I AGREE. I THINK WE COULD JUST, UM, THEY COULD INFORM US TO WHAT CITIES TO GO TO. ALRIGHT. WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET FURTHER INTO THAT ISSUE TOO. 'CAUSE THAT'S, SEE, UH, SHANNON WANTS TO, UH, YEAH, HE JUST WANTED TO REMIND ME THAT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A CONTRACT COORDINATOR THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS IF WE DO. GREAT. TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ERIC, BACK TO YOU. UM, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR OUR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, DAVID. THANK YOU. SO, UM, RENEE WILL KIND OF GIVE YOU, UH, KIND OF WHAT, IN TERMS OF, UH, WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THE 24 BUDGET FOR EMPLOYEES. UM, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UH, HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD EARLIER IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION. EMPLOYEE RETENTION IS STILL KEY FOR US. WE'RE DOING BETTER IN TERMS OF VACANCY RATES OVERALL. UH, BUT WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES IN CERTAIN AREAS AND RENEE WILL KIND OF WALK THROUGH. MANY OF YOU SAW YESTERDAY THE, UM, UH, UH, THE, UH, U F C P I CAME OUT FOR MARCH. IT CAME DOWN A LITTLE AT 5%, BUT IT'S STILL RELATIVELY HIGH. AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ROLLED OUT. UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WHETHER IT'S SOLID WASTE OR 9 1 1 OR ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE, WE INVEST A LOT OF MONEY IN TRAINING OUR EMPLOYEES. WE, WE, WE WANNA MAINTAIN OUR POSITION IN THIS COMMUNITY AS A TOP EMPLOYER. AND, UM, AND THAT'S KEY TO, TO DELIVERING THE SERVICE AT THE END OF THE DAY. SO, RENEE, THANK YOU ERIC. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M RENEE FRIEDA AND I'M THE CITY'S HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN COURAGE FOR HIS, FOR HIS COMMENTS. IT'S, IT'S NICE THAT WE ALL HAVE A SHARED GOAL OF, OF ATTRACTING AND RETAINING OUR CITY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONES DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING ON OUR CITY MISSION AND ALL THE PRIORITIES THAT WE IDENTIFY HERE TODAY. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT, AT OUR EMPLOYEE GROUP. UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN THIS YEAR'S AUTHORIZED BUDGET, 13,369 POSITIONS. UH, ROUGHLY 4,300 OF THOSE ARE UNIFORMED WITH THE REST BEING CIVILIAN. UH, OF THOSE POSITIONS CURRENTLY FILLED FOR OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE 7,804 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND 504 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES. LAST YEAR, WE IMPLEMENTED SOME SIGNIFICANT COMPENSATION AND BENEFIT CHANGES AIMED AT REMAINING AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE. IF YOU REMEMBER, IN MARCH OF 22, WE IMPLEMENTED MARKET SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR, UH, 106 OF OUR HARDEST TO FILL JOBS. AND THAT IMPACTED ABOUT 2000 OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THEN OCTOBER ONE, UM, YOU APPROVED AN INCREASE TO OUR ENTRY TO OUR ENTRY WAGE FROM 1560 TO 1750. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THAT ENTRY WAGE WAS APPLIED NOT ONLY TO OUR FULL AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT TO OUR SEASONAL AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AS WELL. UM, WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED THE RESULTS OF OUR MARKET REVIEW, UM, AND ALL OF OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES SAW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A TWO AND 15% MARKET INCREASE. AND FINALLY, IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH WAGE GROWTH AND THE INCREASE IN C P I, WE IMPLEMENTED A 5% ACROSS THE BOARD, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST THAT WE'D SEEN IN THE PAST 20 YEARS. FOR OUR UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES. THEIR PAY INCREASES ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. UM, THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, UM, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, FIRE UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES GOT A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE AND A HALF PERCENT LUMP SUM. AND JUST, UH, IN APRIL, OUR POLICE EMPLOYEES RECEIVED A 3.5% INCREASE LAST YEAR. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THAT WE SOUGHT EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK AND OVER 70% OF OUR EMPLOYEES RESPONDED TO OUR EMPLOYEE SURVEY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TOLD [02:45:01] US WAS THAT BENEFITS COSTS WERE A PRIMARY CONCERN FOR THEM. UM, AND SO THIS PAST YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED A 20% PREMIUM REDUCTION FOR OUR POST, UH, 2009 EMPLOYEES BRINGING THEIR PREMIUMS A LITTLE CLOSER TO THOSE, UH, WHO WERE HIRED, UH, PRE OH NINE. UH, BUT OUR PRE OH NINE EMPLOYEES WEREN'T LEFT OUT. THEY WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT 10% PREMIUM, UH, REDUCTION THAT WE HAD IMPLEMENTED THE PRIOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR. UM, OUR UNIFORMED EMPLOYEES, UH, HAVE BENEFITS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. SO DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE, MARKET CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO REMAIN A CHALLENGE. UM, WHILE ERIC MENTIONED IT, IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS LAST YEAR. UM, C CPIS CONTINUES TO GROW, YOU KNOW, UM, WE SAW YESTERDAY IT CAME OUT THAT WE WERE AT 5% GROWTH THUS FAR THIS YEAR. AND JUST TO GET A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE IN, UH, 2019, WE WERE LOOKING AT C P I OF ABOUT 2.3%. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE, UM, THAT INCREASE IN COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES IS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO 5%, UM, IT'S, IT'S STILL LIKE EIGHT OR NINE I THINK FOR, FOR GROCERIES AND UTILITIES. AND, AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR OUR EMPLOYEES TALKING ABOUT, IT'S EVEN GREATER THAN THAT 5%. UM, WE CONTINUE TO SEE A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR WORKERS. UM, UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN, UM, AND SO WE HAVE FEWER PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WORK. UM, I MENTIONED TO THIS TO Y'ALL LAST YEAR, AND IT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE. WE'RE GETTING ABOUT, UM, HALF AS MANY APPLICANTS, UH, PER JOB POSTING AS WE DID IN THE PAST AND ABOUT TWICE AS MANY DECLINES WHEN WE OFFER A POSITION. UM, ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, UM, NOT ONLY ARE ARE PEOPLE LOOKING TO FILL THE VACANCIES THEY HAVE, WE CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, UH, HEALTHY JOB GROWTH IN SAN ANTONIO AT, WE'RE AT 5.5%. UH, A LOT OF NEW POSITIONS IN, IN CATEGORIES LIKE HEALTH AND EDUCATION AND LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY. UM, FILLING VACANCIES CONTINUES TO BE OUR FOCUS. UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK HERE, OUR VACANCY RATE, WHICH WAS AT 14.9%, UH, AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 11.8. UM, THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF CHOICE THAT EXISTS IN THE JOB MARKET FOR EMPLOYEES. UM, AND JUST AN INDICATION THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE. NOW, I MENTIONED THAT WE COMPLETED THE MARKET, UH, SURVEY LAST YEAR, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD DONE THAT FOR ALL OF OUR POSITIONS SINCE 2008. UM, AT THAT TIME I SHARED THAT, AND ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE WAS IMPORTANT EVEN WHEN IMPLEMENTING THOSE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH INFLATION AND, AND, AND C P I. UM, SO THIS YEAR, ONCE AGAIN, UH, WE ARE GOING TO BE RECOMMENDING AN ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE, WE'LL ALSO BE, UH, AND THAT THAT INCREASE, THESE INCREASES THAT I SPEAK TO WILL IMPACT ALL OF OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS OUR L G C EMPLOYEES. WE'LL ALSO BE, UH, RECOMMENDING AN AN INCREASE TO OUR ENTRY WAGE. WE STRUGGLE TO, TO RETAIN THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS. UM, AND FINALLY, UH, WE'LL BE PROPOSING SALARY ADJUSTMENTS AIMED AT ADDRESSING COMPRESSION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I GO OUT INTO THE DEPARTMENTS AND I HOLD, UH, HR LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE I JUST ASK EMPLOYEES, WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE COULD DO TO, TO, TO EARN YOUR, UM, LOYALTY AND HAVE YOU STAY WITH US? AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR NO MATTER WHERE I GO IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH VASTLY DIFFERENT, UM, TENURE AND EXPERIENCE ALL KIND OF GROUPED AT THE ENTRY LEVEL OF, OF, OF THE SALARY RANGE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE HOPE TO BRING FORWARD A PROPOSAL FOR THIS YEAR. SO OVER THE COMING MONTHS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO SEEK OUT EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK. WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH OUR EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF COMING TO YOU, UH, WITH A MORE FLUSH OUT PROPOSAL DURING THE TRIAL BUDGET. UM, WE RECOGNIZE THIS ISN'T GONNA BE A ONE AND DONE PROCESS. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A SCALABLE APPROACH, UM, THAT, UH, ALLOWS US TO WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR BUDGET, UM, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING PACE WITH MARKET AND WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT COMPRESSION AND ALLOWING FOR SALARY GROWTH FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. LET ME JUST ADD THAT, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW DOING A SURVEY OF ALL EMPLOYEES. UM, WE'VE HIRED AN OUTSIDE GROUP TO DO THAT. AND SO THAT'LL BE KEY IN HELPING TO, HELPING US IDENTIFY THOSE KEY ISSUES FOR EMPLOYEES AS WE GO FORWARD. AND I WANT TO KINDA REITERATE THAT, THAT THE BALANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STRIKE BETWEEN COMPRESSION AND OBVIOUSLY KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION AND, UH, CO AND A ACROSS THE BOARD, THE COMPRESSION ISSUE, UH, UM, IS, IS KEY IN A LOT OF OUR AREAS. AND IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND, AND WHEN, WHEN RENEE SAYS SCALABLE, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS IT. IT'S, IT'S, IT'LL BE UNLIKELY. WE CAN DO THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION [02:50:01] AT ONCE, BUT IT IS GONNA REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT. AND, AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS, UM, AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, A C S OR, OR, UM, PUBLIC WORKS OR SOLID WASTE, THE ONLY THING THAT ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACHIEVED AND, AND, AND DELIVERED BY, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S A GOOD, SOLID POSITION TO BE IN AS AN EMPLOYER IS KEY TO ACHIEVING ALL THAT. RIGHT. THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, RENEE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A VERY COMPLEX TASK AHEAD OF US, UH, TO MAKE THE CORRECTIONS AND ALSO GET, UH, EMPLOYEES BACK ON A, UH, RETENTION PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES WHATEVER THE NEXT STEP PLAN LOOKS LIKE. I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE THAT ANALYSIS COME FORWARD. UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMPRESSION ISSUE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT, AND WE DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT FIRST. THE OTHER CHALLENGE, OF COURSE, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION ALSO MEANS LOOKING AT OUR ENTRY WAGE, WHICH ONLY CREATES FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH COMPRESSION. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UM, REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU INTEND TO BE, NOT JUST FOR THIS BUDGET, BUT YOU KNOW, TWO AND FOUR AND SIX YEARS FROM NOW IN TERMS OF ENTRY WAGE. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT HAS REALLY ADJUSTED MARKET WIDE, NOT JUST FOR PUBLIC AGENCIES, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD IN SAN ANTONIO AND ELSEWHERE. AND WE CERTAINLY NEED TO COME UP WITH THAT. SO I APPRECIATE THE COMPLEXITY OF WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH, BUT THOSE ARE A SENSE OF MY PRIORITIES. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S WORRISOME WHEN I SEE ON SLIDE SIX THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, RIGHT NOW 11.8, ALMOST A 12% VACANCY RATE, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE VACANCY RATES THAT HIGH. SO THAT TELLS ME THAT THE REST OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE VACANCY RATES EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT TO COME UP WITH THAT KIND OF AN AVERAGE, EVEN AT 12%, THAT MEANS ONE OUT OF EVERY EIGHT, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES JOBS ARE VACANT. AND THAT'S A LOT. MM-HMM. . UH, AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING MUCH MORE CLOSELY AT HOW WE FILL THOSE VACANCIES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT RETENTION, UH, BECAUSE WE STRUGGLE SOMETIMES TO GET THE JOBS DONE THAT, THAT WE HOPE TO GET DONE IN OUR DISTRICTS. I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT IT, TALKED, WE'VE TALKED TO A C S ABOUT IT. WE TALKED TO, UH, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THOUGH, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THE, MAY MAY BE A BETTER WAY OF EVALUATING THE PAY SCALE FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES, BUT WITH POLICE AND FIRE. HOW ARE POLICE AND FIRE SALARIES AND BENEFITS DOING COMPARED TO OTHER POLICE AND FIRE, UH, DEPARTMENTS IN TEXAS AND MAYBE EVEN REGIONALLY? DO WE, DO WE KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS SINCE NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LOOKING AT FIRE AGAIN TO RENEGOTIATE? NO ANSWER. NO. NO. I, I WASN'T SURE IF RENEE WAS GONNA ANSWER. I'LL ANSWER. UM, WHEN YOU'LL RECALL WHEN WE LAST UPDATED THE POLICE, UM, LAST YEAR WHEN WE FINALIZED THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND BASED ON THE SCHEDULE, UM, UH, AND WE HAD P F M DO THE ANALYSIS, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF, OF TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR POLICE OFFICERS, WE WERE EITHER NUMBER ONE OR NUMBER TWO, DEPENDING ON THE RANK. UM, WE WILL BE PREPARING THAT INFORMATION FOR FIRE AND ANTICIPATION OF NEGOTIATIONS. BUT WHEN WE DID IT LAST WITH THIS, WITH CURRENT ARBITRATION, WE WERE THE SAME. WE WERE EITHER NUMBER ONE OR NUMBER TWO, DEPENDING ON RANK, TOTAL COMPENSATION AND OUT, UM, UM, IS, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THREE, UH, EMPLOYEE GROUPS, THE CIVILIANS, POLICE AND FIRE, IN TERMS OF WHAT PAY WAS IN 2022, UM, FIRE WAS NUMBER ONE FOLLOWED BY POLICE AND THEN THE CIVILIANS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGES, AND WE'VE GOT THAT INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO FIRE. OH, THANKS. UM, I SEE THAT FEMALES REPRESENT 10% OF THE WORKFORCE THERE. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO INCREASE THAT? IS ANYONE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE NUMBERS BEING SO SMALL? UH, AND DO WE HAVE FUNDS THAT GO IN TO HELPING INCREASE THAT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. JUST TO GIVE YOU MORE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT YOU SAW ON THE SLIDE, ABOUT 10% OF OUR FIRE AND POLICE WORKFORCE IS COMPRISED OF WOMEN. WHEN YOU BREAK THAT OUT BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 12%, AND ON THE FIRE SIDE IS ABOUT 5%, UH, THOSE NUMBERS [02:55:01] ARE SLIGHTLY HIGHER, JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. SO THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE IN OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE SEE IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WITH THAT SAID, UH, BOTH DEPARTMENTS, POLICE AND FIRE HAVE PROGRAMS TO, UM, PROMOTE THE DEPARTMENT AND TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UH, FEMALE APPLICANTS WHEN THEY COME TO THE ACADEMY. RIGHT NOW, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE AVERAGING 20 TO 25% OF CADETS THAT ARE COMING IN, UM, ARE WOMEN. AND WE HAVE A GOAL IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE THAT TO 30% IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, PROGRAMS OUT THERE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY BEGAN A PROGRAM THAT IS CALLED HERO, LIKE HER, AND IS PROVIDING EDUCATION TO, UH, OUR YOUNGER WOMEN, OUR, UM, GIRLS, TO UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF THE, OF THE PROFESSION. UH, BOTH OUR, IN BOTH DEPARTMENTS, THE, THE FEMALE OFFICERS AND THE FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS DO QUITE A BIT OF OUTREACH AT THE SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE MORE WOMEN AND APPLYING AND ALSO, UH, SUPPORTING THOSE WOMEN AS THEY COME INTO THE DEPARTMENTS. WE HAVE MENTOR PROGRAMS IN BOTH DEPARTMENTS TO HELP 'EM THROUGH OTHER CAREER. AND OUR GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEM, FOR THEM TO PROMOTE AND BE PART OF OUR COMMAND STAFF, UH, WITHIN BOTH DEPARTMENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. LET ME ASK YOU THEN ON, CAN I, SINCE I HAVEN'T TALKED MUCH, CAN I, YEAH. CAN I HAVE THREE MORE MINUTES? MARIA TOOK ALL YOUR TIME. GO AHEAD AND TAKE ONE MORE MINUTE. THANK YOU, ROSIE. UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE AREAS THAT ARE HAVING SHORTAGES OR WHERE PEOPLE LEAVE CONSTANTLY, ARE THERE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THOSE PROBLEMS? IT'S REALLY, IT'S ACROSS THE CITY. I, I TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT YESTERDAY TO SEE IF IT WAS EVEN INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS MORE THAN OTHERS. BUT IT, IT REALLY IS ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. UM, I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, UM, A DIFFICULT TIME IN THE, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS FILLING THINGS LIKE C D L DRIVERS AND, UH, OUR TRADES FOLKS. AND, AND THAT CONTINUES. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER SEEING A DIFFICULT, UH, HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FILLING POSITIONS IN FINANCE AND, AND WITH OUR FISCAL POSITION. SO IT REALLY IS ACROSS THE BOARD. WELL, WHAT I'M WONDERING, IS THERE ANY WAY TO ROLL IN, UH, POLICE AND FIRES SPECIFICALLY FOR WOMEN OR SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH INTO THE READY FOR WORK? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KESSER, GO AHEAD AND RESPOND TO THAT, AND THEN WE WILL PICK THIS UP ON THE AFTERNOON SESSION TOO. ABSOLUTELY. SO, SO WE PARTNER WITH MIKE RAMSEY, UM, UH, WITH READY FOR WORK. UM, WE'VE HIRED, UM, A LITTLE OVER PROBABLY ABOUT 88 EMPLOYEES, UM, FROM, FROM THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM. AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OTHER ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, UH, TO, TO DO THAT. AND WE'RE FLAGGING ANY, ANY PARTICIPANT READY TO WORK WHEN THEY APPLY FOR A CITY JOB, THEY'RE FLAGGED AND, AND WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE. 'CAUSE WE WANNA USE THAT PIPELINE TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU. UH, RENEE, I REALLY LIKE YOUR, UM, BUDGET CONSIDERATION. I GUESS I THOUGHT THEY WERE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THE CONSIDERATIONS, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THAT THE, WE COMPRESSION ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASES AND ENTRY WAGE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE COMPENSATING ALL OF OUR STAFF WELL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE'RE MAKING IT HARD FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO COME AND MAKE FINANCIAL OFFERS TO POACH OUR STAFF FROM US. SO, UH, I, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CARE ABOUT IN MY OFFICE AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT IS, UM, IF SOMEBODY STEPS AWAY FROM THEIR CAREER TO GO BECOME A STAY AT HOME PARENT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEY MIGHT STEP AWAY FOR A, A DECADE OR MORE AND THEN COME BACK AND, UH, THEN THEY'RE NOT BEING COMPENSATED ANY DIFFERENTLY. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT DECADE WHEN THEY WERE AWAY OR, OR MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE GAINING WISDOM, THEY WERE TRAINING PEOPLE, LITTLE PEOPLE, BUT THEY WERE TRAINING PEOPLE, THEY WERE MANAGING BUDGETS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, AND THEY COME BACK WITH MORE SKILLS, AND WE'RE NOT COMPENSATING THEM FOR ANY OF THOSE SKILLS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MAY HAVE LEFT AFTER COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WENT AND THEY DECIDED TO START HAVING CHILDREN. AND SO IT'S AT MAYBE AT 24 YEARS OLD AND THAT NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK AT 40 YEARS OLD AND WE'RE PAYING THEM LIKE A 24 YEAR OLD. AND I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO FIX THAT. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THE BUDGET REFLECT THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU RENEE. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A QUICK PRESENTATION. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS I'M INTERESTED TO SEE IN YOUR INTERNAL PROMOTION RATE. I THINK THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN HERE IN, IN, IN MERIT THAT, UH, THAT THAT CONSIDERATION, UM, TO ME, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS, IS CRITICAL. AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THERE. UM, COUNCILMAN CASTRO MENTIONED APPRENTICE OR [03:00:01] MENTIONED READY TO WORK, AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU ALL HAVE, UM, DONE ANYTHING TO MOVE ON APPRENTICESHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS BEYOND THE SOLID WASTE ONE WITH, UH, READY TO WORK, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A PRIME AUDIENCE. AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOT HEAR ABOUT IS THE STEP PLAN. AND SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN WHERE WE ARE WITH THE STEP PLAN. AND THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WAS PROPOSED IN A C C R IN 2019 BY COUNCILMAN VIA GRAND, THE OTHER ONE, AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. AND IT WAS TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT, UM, UH, GENDER, RACE, ET CETERA. AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS. I KNOW THAT THEY ROLLED OFF. I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A POLICY THAT IT ROLLS OFF, BUT I THINK IT'S CRITICAL. WE HAVE 93 WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS RIGHT NOW. OUT OF THE 1200 FIREFIGHTERS. I WORK WITH THEM ALL THE TIME ON THE CAMP HERO, UH, OR HERO LIKE HER, UH, PROMOTION. UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE 11 FEMALES RIGHT NOW GOING THROUGH THE ACADEMY, AND SO WE SHOULD BE AT A HUNDRED FEMALES. AND I'VE BEEN WAITING TO CELEBRATE THAT BIG DAY. UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND SS A P D RECENTLY HOSTED A WOMEN IN POLICING AND I GOT TO SPEAK AT IT AND THEY HAD A FULL HOUSE. SO I KNOW THAT THEY'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE, BUT I THINK THEY'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT, UM, INNOVATIVE ON THEIR OWN. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WE ARE DOING ON THE CITY SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO BEING INNOVATIVE. AND I THINK THAT THAT C C R WOULD'VE BEEN CRITICAL. AND I'M SORRY I DUMPED OUT ALL MY QUESTIONS IN ONE, BUT MY TIME IS IS TICKING. SO I NEED TO GET THEM ALL OUT. BUT, UM, MAYBE START WITH THE STEP PLAN AND THEN THE C C R. THANK YOU. SURE. UM, SO IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WE'VE ALL KIND OF COME TO THE CONCLUSION. YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T LEVEL SET THE STEPS IN WITHIN A SALARY RANGE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE SALARY RANGE APPROPRIATE. AND SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS MORE OF A PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE MOVED TO MARKET AND WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT COMPRESSION FIRST, AND THEN WE'D COME BACK AT A LATER DATE WITH STEP. UM, BUT, BUT I THINK IT'S, I, BUT I'M SORRY, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE THAN THAT, THAT THE, WE HEARD THAT VERY LOUD. I HEARD THAT VERY LOUD AND CLEAR MY FIRST YEAR OF CITY MANAGER. SO IN THAT FIRST BUDGET WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO REDO THE STEP PLAN, AND THEN MARCH OF 2020 HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IT THAT SAME SPRING AND EVERYTHING GOT PUT ON HOLD FOR 2020 AND 2021. WE CAME BACK. AND THEN WE HAD THE ISSUE OF, OF LABOR OR WAGE RATES. SO WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK TO 2019, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE ENTRY WAGES HAVE GONE UP. RIGHT. WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES. AS RENEE POINTED OUT, WE HAD COMPRESSION. THE, THE ISSUE WITH PAY, WITH THE, WITH THE, UM, UM, WITH THE STEP PLAN BACK THEN WAS COMPRESSION, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU HAD, YOU HAD A 10 YEAR EMPLOYEE DOING THE SAME JOB AS A 17 YEAR EMPLOYEE. AND THE COMPLAINT WAS THEY WERE MAKING THE SAME. SO IT, IT, IT WAS COMPRESSION BACK THEN. SO WE'VE KIND OF COME FULL CIRCLE. WE'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH THE COMPRESSION ISSUE. SO HOW, WHETHER WE DEAL WITH IT, DEAL WITH IT WITH, IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT OR BACK IN 2019, DEALING WITH, WITH THE COMPRESSION IS GONNA BE KEY. 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEP PLAN BACK THEN. UM, AND THAT'S THE, WE, WE KIND OF GOT THROWN OFF TRACK FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE OF STUFF, AND WE GOTTA GET BACK TO IT. YEP. AND THEN ON READY TO WORK, UM, ALEX CAN ANSWER THIS REALLY QUICK IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. UM, UH, AND YOU'LL BE SEEING SOME OF THIS AS PART OF THE B SESSION NEXT WEEK. SO YES, WITH SOLID WASTE, WE ARE, THEY HAD A GREAT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND WE ARE STARTING THERE AS WELL. BUT I T S D HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OTHER POSITIONS THAT LEND THEMSELVES TO THAT MODEL AS WELL. THANK YOU. UM, AND RENEE, MAYBE IN AT THE END, UH, IF YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE C C R. I BELIEVE WE, WE SENT THAT THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO WE, WE, UNLESS YOU HAVE AN UPDATE NOW, WE, WE DELIVERED A REPORT. IT WAS ON, UH, UH, GENDER PAY PARITY. AND, AND THAT WAS DELIVERED BY LORI STEWART PRIOR TO HER DEPARTURE. GOT IT. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. YEAH. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANT TO THANK EVERY CITY COUNT. I'M SORRY. EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE THAT WE'VE GOT, RIGHT? I, I NEVER CEASED TO BE, UM, IMPRESSED. UM, AND AFTER ALL THE DEALINGS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, I'M, I'M ALWAYS PROUD THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT THESE, THIS EXCELLENT ARMY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE. UM, I ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIME REMINDING, UM, MY, MY HOMEOWNERS AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SMALL BUSINESSES WITH WHOM I MEET. I ALMOST ALWAYS START THE MEETING BY REMINDING THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAN ANTONIANS WHO SERVE THEM ARE THEIR NEIGHBORS. UM, THAT THEY WANT THE EXACT SAME THING THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS, RIGHT? CLEAN STREETS, SAFE, UH, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, ACCESSIBLE PARKS, UH, LESS TRAFFIC. RIGHT? AND, UH, I'M, UH, AND THAT USUALLY BRINGS SOME PERSPECTIVE. REMIND THEM WE PROBABLY HAVE A JOB FOR THEM TOO. YEAH. . AND, UH, THAT, THAT USUALLY KIND OF CALMS THEM DOWN A [03:05:01] LITTLE BIT. 'CAUSE THEY COME IN SOME, THEY COME IN HOT SOMETIMES, RIGHT? MM-HMM. . AND WHEN WE REMIND THEM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS, WE'RE, AND THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SEND THEIR KIDS TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WORSHIP AT THE SAME CHURCHES AND ALL THAT. THEY, THEY, THEY KIND OF STOP AND THINK, AND THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY. THEN THEY TAKE A DEEP BREATH. AND, UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT, UM, WORKING FOR THE CITY, RIGHT? AND THAT IS THAT THESE AREN'T JUST OUR EMPLOYEES. THESE ARE ALSO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, I'LL TELL YOU, I GOT TO MEET WITH THE TEACHERS OF, UH, PRE-K FOR ESSAY, ERIC. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR REQUEST HASN'T CHANGED, RIGHT? THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE, UM, THE KIND OF EMPLOYEES THAT ENJOY ALL THE BENEFITS AND OF BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE, UM, AND THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT, UM, ALL THOSE BENEFITS, RIGHT? UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE RIGHTS THAT COME WITH BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE. AND SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THESE FOLKS AND FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP, UH, AND, AND MAYBE EVEN MANAGE THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS. BUT, UM, I, I, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THOSE ARE. UM, AND I'LL, I, I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU OFFLINE ABOUT IT AT SOME POINT. UM, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I MAY BE CATCHING YOU BY SURPRISE WITH, WITH THESE COMMENTS RIGHT NOW, BUT, BUT THAT'S IT, THAT'S REALLY MY CONCERN. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE STRUCTURED THAT WAY AT PRE-K FOUR SA. THANK YOU. YEAH. LET ME JUST CLARIFY THAT, UH, WHEN YOU SAY BENEFITS, YOU DON'T MEAN, UH, PENSION AND T M R S AND HEALTHCARE AND ACCESS TO TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTION. YES. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. AND THAT HAS BEEN A LONG, UH, CONVERSATION AND THERE'S CERTAINLY IS A, UH, SOME LOGIC BEHIND WHY THEY ARE DIFFERENT AND, UH, FUNDED THROUGH A SALES TAX INITIATIVE. BUT I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. AND YES, I AM AWARE THAT HAS BEEN A, AN ISSUE FOR SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES FOR A WHILE. THANKS, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLIE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MARIN. THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, IN REGARDS TO THE VACANCIES, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE IS WHEN THE VACANCY IS POSTED AND THEN IT'S FILLED? HOW LONG DOES THAT TYPICALLY TAKE? YEAH, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 45 DAYS, I THINK, IS WHAT, YEAH. AND IS THAT DUE TO, UH, CAPACITY OF YOUR TEAM? OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE 45 DAYS IS A, A, A LARGE WINDOW. UM, SO IS THAT, UH, STRATEGIC ON INTENTIONAL THAT IT'S 45 DAYS? IT'S ACTUALLY VERY A, A STREAMLINED PROCESS BECAUSE THAT'S THE, THE TIME TO POST. UM, AND THEN THE APPLICANT APPLIES MM-HMM. , WE BRING THEM IN FOR A PANEL INTERVIEW. THEY'RE, AND AS A SELECTION HAS MADE, THEY GO FOR THEIR BACKGROUND SCREENING. THEY, THAT INCLUDES THE TIME THAT THE APPLICANT IS GIVING NOTICE WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER BEFORE THEY COME TO WORK FOR US. MM-HMM. . UM, SO THAT'S FROM THE TIME THEY APPLY TO, WE HAVE THEM IN THE DOOR MM-HMM. , UM, AND IN SOME CASES IT, WE HAVE STREAMLINED IT WHERE IT'S JUST A FEW DAYS MM-HMM. AND WITH SOME OF OUR HARDEST TO FILL POSITIONS, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED CONSOLIDATED HIRING EVENTS WHERE WE'VE GONE OUT AND HIRED MAINTENANCE WORKERS AND, AND MANAGED TO GET THEM THROUGH THAT BACKGROUND PROCESS SO THAT THEY COULD START IN A MATTER OF DAYS MM-HMM. , UM, YEAH. 'CAUSE A, A, A MATTER OF DAYS AND 45 BE LIKE, ARE WE TRACKING WHY FOLKS ARE NOT ACCEPTING A JOB? THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEN THEY DECLINE OR RE-TRACKING WHY THEY DECLINE AFTER GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE, WE DO KIND OF ANECDOTALLY, IF, IF THEY SHARE IT WITH US, THEY DON'T ALWAYS SHARE WHY THEY HAVE DECLINED. UM, UH, WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN LOSE CANDIDATES IF WE DON'T MOVE QUICKLY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE STRESS TO, TO EVERYONE. UM MM-HMM. , WE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE'D SEND A, A DEPARTMENT AN, AN E LIST AND SAY, HERE'S YOUR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, AND WE'D LEAVE IT UP TO THEM TO DECIDE WHEN THEY WERE GONNA SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS. NOW WE'RE CALLING AND SAYING, THAT POSITION'S GONNA CLOSE IN TWO DAYS. DO YOU HAVE A CONFERENCE ROOM RESERVED AND YOUR PANEL SET UP? MM-HMM. BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DELAY. UH, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S A VARIETY OF REASONS. A LOT OF TIMES IT'S, IT'S THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN ANOTHER OFFER OR, UM, THEY'VE USED THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER TO, TO, TO MAYBE GET AN A RAISE TO STAY. OKAY. JUST, UM, AGAIN, WRITE THE 45 DAY WINDOW PRETTY LARGE. IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT, UH, YOU SEE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT YOU ALL IN CLOSING THAT, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, CLOSE SOME OF THOSE VACANCIES, UH, JUST PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO. HDA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANKS TO THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. RENEE, DID YOU DISCUSS THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT? THAT'S IN ACROSS THE BOARD. THAT'S WHAT, OKAY. THAT'S IN ACROSS THE BOARD. SO THEN MY ONLY OTHER ISSUE, OF COURSE, WAS COMPRESSION. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LOT. UM, AND I KNOW IT'S AN ONGOING, UH, CONVERSATION, BUT I APPRECIATE, UM, THE, UM, THE THOUGHTFULNESS ABOUT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. I, I ALWAYS SAY THAT THEY'RE LIKE THE BACKBONE OF THE CITY. THEY KEEP US RUNNING EVERY DAY. SO I, I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THEM. UM, ALSO, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS WOULD, UH, UM, INVOLVE OUR BUDGET EXACTLY, BUT ALLOCATING TIME FOR CITY EMPLOYEES DURING THE, THEIR ORIENTATIONS TO DISCUSS, UH, OR, OR HEAR A PRESENTATION. PRESENTATION BY AFSCME, UM, AND HOW THEY CAN, UM, MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON JOINING THE UNION, UM, IF THAT, THAT, UH, OP OPPORTUNITY WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO [03:10:01] THEM DURING ORIENTATION. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, ION, THANK YOU, RENEE. UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOUR CONSIDERATIONS RIGHT NOW ARE COMPRESSION WAGE INCREASES IN THE ENTRY WAGE, AND I AGREE. UM, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING WAGE INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF AND ACROSS THE BOARD WAGE INCREASE, I BELIEVE IT'S WARRANTED AND NECESSARY TO KEEP US COMPETITIVE. UM, THESE ARE INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING YEARS, AND WE'RE SEEING, WE'RE EXPECTING A HIGH QUALITY OF WORK. AND IN MANY INSTANCES, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE CARRYING THE SLACK OF UNFILLED POSITIONS AND OF OUR INCREASING EXPECTATIONS. UM, REGARDING AN ENTRY WAGE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE. I WAS LOOKING AT A, A LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR PRODUCED BY MIT'S DEPARTMENT OF URBAN STUDIES AND PLANNING, AND BASED ON SAN OUR COST OF LIVING AND OUR AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE OF THREE, A LIVABLE WAGE FOR TWO ADULTS WITH ONE FOR ONE OF TWO ADULTS WITH ONE CHILD RIGHT NOW IS $18 AND 88 CENTS. AND I'D REALLY LIKE US TO GET AT LEAST THERE FOR THE ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND I WOULD EVENTUALLY LIKE TO SEE US GET TO GET CLOSER TO 2324. I WANT TO, I WANT US TO REALLY DRIVE THAT IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND THEN REGARDING VACANCIES AND TURNOVER, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SOME SORT OF FEEDBACK FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO QUIT, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE TURNED DOWN JOB OFFERS WITH US, AS COUNCILMAN CASTILLO HAD MENTIONED. UM, IN ADDITION TO CHECKING IN WITH CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO SEE WHERE THINGS LIKE, HONESTLY WHERE THINGS CAN BE IMPROVED, UM, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY WE MAY BE, MAY BE HAVING TROUBLE HIRING OR WITH TURNOVER IN VERY SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS. AND THEN I THINK THAT ONCE WE HAVE THAT AND WE HAVE DATA QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE, THAT WE SHOULD BE, UH, ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES SPECIFICALLY, INCLUDING EVEN IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S INTERVIEWING WITH US SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE, GET A MORE COMPETITIVE OFFER, OR THEY'RE ACCEPTING A COMPETITIVE OFFER ELSEWHERE. I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO, TO NOT HAVE THAT BE AN ISSUE AS FREQUENTLY. AND THEN ALSO, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT COUNCILMAN KEO HAVER MENTIONED ABOUT, UM, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT FOLK CAN JOIN AFSCME AT THEIR ORIENTATION. I WOULD ALSO, UH, BE INTERESTED IN THAT. THANK YOU. OR A PRESENTATION FROM . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU. UH, I WAS A SEVEN YEAR EMPLOYEE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO UNDER THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, AND, UH, LEARNED A LOT. MY DAD WAS A CITY MANAGER, UH, NOT A CITY MANAGER. MY DAD WAS A CITY EMPLOYEE UNDER ALEX ZENIO AND LOU FOX. HE WAS, HE WAS ON STAFF FOR A LONG TIME WITH THE CITY. SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY AND HOW IT WORKS AND COMPRESSION WAGES, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT. I THINK, UH, IT'S KEY. I KNOW THIS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET OUR TEAM TO GO INTO THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE WHEN WE DO THIS. UM, I TOO, UH, WHEN I WAS HIRED ON, UH, THE UNION AT THE TIME WAS SS E I U AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THERE, AND I JOINED THE UNION AT THAT TIME, AND IT DID HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LOT ABOUT COMMUNITY AND WHERE I COULD GET OTHER RESOURCES. SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT I THINK ASKED ME SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT AT THAT ORIENTATION AND, UM, AND KIND OF BE PART OF THAT FEEDBACK PROCESS, BECAUSE I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE REGIONALLY AND, UH, REGIONALLY WHAT'S GOING ON FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH WITH THE DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES. SO, UH, THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO, UH, ASK ABOUT IS IN THE POSITIONS, THE 13,369, DOES THAT INCLUDE OUR PRE-K, OUR CONTRACT AND OUR GRANT EMPLOYEES ALSO? YES. OKAY, GREAT. AND, UM, AND IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD GET US THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FULL-TIME OF HOW MANY ARE CONTRACTED IN GRANT AND THE PART-TIME? HOW MANY ARE CONTRACTED IN GRANT EMPLOYEES? YES. OKAY, GREAT. AND, UM, AND THE OTHER THING, UH, I I JUST WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO THE POLICE FOR THEIR EFFORTS, BECAUSE THEY DO WOMEN IN POLICING EVERY WEEKEND TO GET US TO THAT 12%. WE'RE HOPING IT'LL, IT'LL INCREASE REAL, UH, REAL QUICK, REAL SOON. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. MAYBE OUR PUBLIC WORKS. I KNOW SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT HAS SOME AWESOME WOMEN DRIVING THOSE TRUCKS, SO WE NEED TO, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT HIGHLIGHTED TOO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRA COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I, I JUST GOT A COUPLE COMMENTS HERE, JUST LOOKING AT YOUR DATA ON SLIDE NUMBER. UH, YEAH, NUM NUMBER SIX HERE. UM, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS? I MEAN, UM, LOOKING AT LIKE WHAT OUR VACANCY RATE IS NOW, 11.8%, UH, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN INDUSTRY STANDARDS IS, IS ACTUALLY WORSE THAN THAT. UH, MORE THAN, UH, 11.8%. [03:15:01] SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY LOOKING PRETTY GOOD AS FAR AS ACROSS THE BOARD COMPARING US TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS OR WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW. SO, UH, WHAT IS OUR GOAL? IS IT TO GET IT TO ZERO? OR WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR GOAL? YEAH, WE'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET TO ZERO, RIGHT? UM, PRE PANDEMIC, GOOD ANSWER. PRE PANDEMIC, WE WERE AT ABOUT 8% AND I'D LOVE TO SEE US AT LEAST GET BACK TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS OR, OR OR BELOW. UM, WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T YOU SAY THAT WE'RE HEADING IN THAT DIRECTION BASED ON THE 22 DATA AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY? I CERTAINLY HOPE SO, 'CAUSE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF EFFORT, TRY TRYING TO GET THERE THAT, UM, WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I STILL, STILL A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR, OUR TURNOVER RATE. I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO BRING THAT DOWN. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE WITH THE VACANCY RATE, UH, THAT'S ALL OF OUR VACANCIES, INCLUDING VACANCIES THAT, UM, MAY BE ON HOLD BECAUSE WE'RE IN LEWING THEM TO ANOTHER POSITION OR, OR, UH, UH, FOR A NEW PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, WE ARE DEFINITELY HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YEAH, I, I GUESS, AND JUST MY COMMENT IS MAYBE WE NEED TO GIVE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME INSTEAD OF RUSHING INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL, UH, COSTS AND EXPENDITURES IN THIS AREA, JUST TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE IT IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. ERIC, YOU WANNA WRAP UP THIS SECTION? UH, NO, THAT WAS GREAT FEEDBACK. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. UM, WE ARE ALMOST ON TRACK HERE, UH, BUT WE ARE, UM, NOW AT THE MIDPOINT, UH, TIME FOR LUNCH. THIS IS WHAT I'LL SUGGEST THAT WE DO. UM, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO EAT OVER THERE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE MAYBE 20 MINUTES FOR LUNCH. YOU CAN BRING IT BACK HERE, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE. WELL, THE, SO LET ME HAVE SOME FEEDBACK HERE, BECAUSE IF WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A, A NICE, UH, I THOUGHT YOU DON'T CHEW YOUR FOOD ANYMORE, PERRY . JUST KIDDING. UM, ALRIGHT. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO, UM, HAVE A GOOD BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION IN DEPTH ON A LOT OF THESE TOPICS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE AND LOOSEN UP THE TIME, UH, LIMITS AND EVERYTHING SO WE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF, YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM OUR COLLEAGUES AND REACT TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. SO, UH, IF WE CAN HAVE AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, TWO HOURS, MAYBE TWO AND A HALF TO DO THAT, WE, WE SHOULD BRING IT BACK HERE. SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHOW OF HANDS, ARE WE ALLOWED TO VOTE ON LUNCH? ANDY? MAYOR, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO VOTE ON LUNCH. THAT'S OKAY. UH, GIMME A SHOW OF HANDS IF YOU'D LIKE TO EAT AT YOUR DESK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, UH, WHILE WE WILL, WE HAVE LUNCH. WOW. COME BACK AT LUNCH, . OKAY. AND WILL WE COME BACK AT ONE ? ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU EAT IN 20 MINUTES? LET'S DO IT. YES. OKAY, WELL LET'S COME BACK AT ONE O'CLOCK. THANKS Y'ALL. ALRIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. WE'RE RECONVENING, UH, FROM A LUNCH BREAK. THAT WENT A LITTLE LONG. UM, BEST LATE INTENTIONS. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, THIS IS THE POINT OF OUR GOAL SETTING, AGAIN, VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, UH, THAT ALLOWS US TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT POLICY PRIORITIES AND REALLY REFLECT ON THIS MORNING'S BRIEFINGS IN DEPTH. SO IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL, I THINK THE BEST WAY WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, UH, EFFECTIVELY HERE AND GIVE US SOME GOOD TIME FOR INTERACTION, UM, I'LL ASK WHOEVER WANTS TO SPEAK FIRST, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE FIVE MINUTES. WE'LL GO THROUGH AN INITIAL CUE, FIVE MINUTES IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR PRIORITIES. AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, WE'LL JUST HAVE AS MANY ROUNDS AS WE NEED TO THREE MINUTES EACH. SO WE CAN JUST CONTINUE TO HAVE INTERACTION, BUT AGAIN, IN FIVE MINUTES ON YOUR INITIAL PRIORITIES AND TO GET THE DISCUSSION KICKSTARTED. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, REST OF THE TIME TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HAS AGREED TO KICK US OFF, SO, UH, I'LL TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE GREAT DISCUSSION THIS MORNING ALREADY. SO, JUST TO RECAP, I HAD MENTIONED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, UH, REGARDING THE HOSPITAL CLOSING AROUND, UM, OR IN DISTRICT FOUR. AND SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA AFFECT BUSINESSES, SO I WANNA GET AHEAD OF THAT BEFORE IT DOES. UM, BUT KEEPING, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE HOSPITAL DOES CLO CLOSE ON MAY 1ST. WE MIGHT ALREADY BE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THERE. UM, ALSO THE OTHER THING THAT I HAD MENTIONED WAS, UH, FUNDING FOR THE SOUTHWEST MILITARY DRIVE, CORRIDOR MASTER, UH, FUND MASTER PLANNING. UM, MAYBE MAYBE LEVERAGING THAT WITH TDOT, BUT NOW I'LL GET TO THE, UH, TO THE THINGS THAT I HAVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR. AND SO SPECIFICALLY I'M LOOKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING. AND THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 FOR [03:20:01] THE SOLAR WALK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AT PEA SOUTH PARK, IT CAYMAN OVER BUDGET. UM, WE HAD HADN'T ANTICIPATED THAT. AND SO, UM, I'LL BE REQUESTING THAT OR LOOKING TO SEE IF WE COULD EXPAND THE PARKING LOT AT ONE OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS AT THE VIRGINIA GALE COMMUNITY CENTER. SO THAT'LL, THAT LOOKS TO BE ABOUT $150,000. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR SOME YEARS. UM, I DO WANT TO SUPPORT STAFF SPECIFICALLY IN THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM AND SOME ADDITIONAL STAFFING NEEDS THAT I THINK THAT, UM, MIKE SHANNON'S TEAM WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT WE MIGHT NEED. SO DEFINITELY WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. AND THEN ALSO IN THE O H P FOR THE VACANT BUILDING LOT PROGRAM, SUPPORTING THE EXPANSION OF THE, THE C C R THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UH, AND I DRAFTED TOGETHER TO LOOK FOR, UM, VACANT STRUCTURES. I THINK THAT'LL BE ALSO PLAY IN REALLY NICELY WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ WANTS TO DO, RIGHT? SO IF WE HAVE IDENTIFIED CERTAIN LOTS, WHAT WE CAN DO AFTERWARDS, SO I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. UM, THERE IS, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR A CORRIDOR STUDY FOR RAY ELLISON FROM FOUR 10 TO HIGHWAY 90. UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD HELP FUND THE ENGINEERING STUDY, GATHER COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AND PREPARE FOR AN EVENTUAL BOND PROJECT. AND I KNOW IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY EARLY ON. WE'RE JUST WORKING ON THE 2022. UM, BUT I'D STILL LIKE TO START THAT PROCESS SOONER THAN LATER. AND THEN THE ALLEY AND EASTMAN LIGHTING PROGRAM, UM, COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ HAD WORKED ON US HAVING A PILOT PROGRAM IN 2023, AND I WANTED TO SEE IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM CITYWIDE, OR HOW FAST ENOUGH WE COULD CONTINUE IT. UH, WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL FOUR YEARS AGO, I DID OUR OWN LITTLE LIGHTING PROGRAM. AND SO WE HAD 87 OUT OF 115 LIGHTS THAT WERE INSTALLED WITHIN, UH, A COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SO I THINK THAT IT, IT GAVE MY RESIDENTS SOME, UH, SENSE OF SECURITY TO SEE THOSE LIGHTS UP. UM, THERE'S, UH, ALSO, AND I'M, I'M GLAD THAT COUNCILMAN CASTRO MENTIONED THIS ABOUT THE RECRUITMENT SPECIFICALLY OF WOMEN AND COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND AS WELL MENTIONED IN SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS. BUT, UM, CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN PALS MENTIONED WAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HOW WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT GIRLS KNOW THAT, UM, THAT, THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. THE GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT DOES THAT. I'VE BEEN, UM, WORKING WITH MARIA VIA GOMEZ AND HER STAFF, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT, UH, WE'LL BE CONTINUING, BUT I'D LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, PARTICIPATE AND HAVE SOME OF THEIR GIRLS IN THEIR DISTRICTS PARTICIPATE AS WELL. AND THEN THE EXPANSION OF THE CURRENT, UH, SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO HAD BROUGHT UP, UM, SOME, SOME IDEAS AT, AT ONE OF OUR, UH, CHECK MEETINGS. AND SO I DO THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD CONSIDER HOW WE CAN, UH, POSSIBLY FUND PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THEIR SIDEWALKS. AND IT'S, UH, A MAJORITY OF THEM ARE SENIORS. A LOT OF THEM ARE DISABLED. AND SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS FAR AS A PILOT PARTY PILOT STUDY, UH, OR A PILOT PROGRAM TO HELP FUND THAT. AND THEN, UM, ONE OTHER THING. AND I'M WORKING WITH, UH, UH, DR. MATA IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND, AND INCLUSION, UH, UH, LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. I KIND OF FELL OFF THE MAP, UM, BUT I KNOW THAT, THAT WE CAN WORK ON IT AGAIN. AND I KNOW THAT DEBBIE RUCKER HAS BEEN, UM, VERY SUPPORTIVE. WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK AND IT WAS WITH THE N L C AND WE ARE PART OF A COHORT OF CITIES THAT ARE WORKING ON LEADERSHIP, UM, SPECIFICALLY DIVERSITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. AND THAT WILL ALSO ADDRESS WOMEN IN, UH, THESE POSITIONS. BUT JUST IN GENERAL, IT'LL BE, UH, FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE HOW WE COULD SUPPORT THAT AS A COUNCIL, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ALL OF US WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT. UM, IN ADDITION THIS MORNING, UH, THERE WAS THE, THE QUESTION THAT I WAS ASKING, AND I'M SO SORRY THAT I WASN'T SPECIFIC, ERIC. IT WAS, UM, IN REGARD TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CAN BE USED FOR, BUT ARE THOSE THE ONES THAT ARE EXHAUSTED? BECAUSE THERE WAS, UH, THERE'S $145 MILLION IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW, WHAT CAN WE USE THAT ON AND, UH, HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE THAT BEFORE WE DO ANY TYPE OF INCREASE? BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY PRIORS AND MY QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO REACT TO? JUSTINA? I THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. MY NAME'S JUSTINA T I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR. SO WHAT THOSE FEES CAN BE USED FOR, FOR SOLID, THE SOLID WASTE FEE CAN BE USED FOR GARBAGE RECYCLING AND ORGANIC COLLECTION. AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, WE USE THAT FOR OUR DROP-OFF CENTERS. CITY LANDFILL MAINTENANCE, DEAD ANIMALS, ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND OUR HAZARDOUS, UM, HOUSEHOLD WASTE. IS THAT THE ENTERPRISE FUND? THAT IS THE ENTERPRISE FUND. OKAY. YES MA'AM. SO, SO WE CAN, SO DO WE STILL HAVE A HUNDRED? HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE? WHAT IS OUR BALANCE NOW? WE HAVE, OUR BUDGETED ENDING BALANCE IS ABOUT $500,000. SO WE [03:25:01] ARE STRUCTURALLY UNBALANCED. SO OUR REVENUES ARE ABOUT 135 MILLION. OUR EXPENSES ARE ABOUT 145 MILLION. SO WE'RE STRUCTURALLY UNBALANCED AT THIS POINT, AND WE'VE BEEN USING THE FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THOSE INCREASES IN SERVICES WHILE MAINTAINING A, UH, A, UM, FIXED RATE. SO IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S SUSTAINABLE THEN, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, LET ME, UH, INTERJECT MINE 'CAUSE I DIDN'T OPEN WITH MY OWN, BUT, UH, I'LL GET TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERN IN JUST IN A MINUTE. UH, IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER TODAY, UH, ERIC, OR MAYBE THIS IS AN UPDATE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, I REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE DISCUSSED THIS, AND I THINK IT'S STILL AN AREA OF CRITICAL NEED, ESPECIALLY AS WE UP, UH, IMPROVE AND EXPAND OUR, UH, MINOR AND MAJOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. THIS IS, UM, A BIG AREA OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS, UH, TITLE CLEARANCE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR, UH, ENGAGING IN OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR AND MAJOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS IS CLEAR TITLE. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT STILL HAVE THAT ISSUE. I'D LIKE US TO, UM, STAND UP A PROGRAM THAT CAN BE LINKED TO THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS TO ENOW ENABLE MORE OF OUR RESIDENTS TO MAKE USE OF THAT 'CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY ALLOW US TO, UH, GET A BAD HANDLE ON THE MOST AFFORDABLE OF OUR HOUSING STOCK, WHICH IS WHAT WE CAN PRESERVE. UM, IN ADDITION, I DO KNOW THAT THE, WHILE, UH, WE MAY BE MOVING ON IN MANY WAYS IN THIS COUNTRY AND EVEN LOCALLY FROM, UH, THE PANDEMIC IMPACTS, THERE IS STILL A VERY LONG TAIL TO WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED FROM THE PANDEMIC. THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL INCREDIBLY COST BURDENED IN THEIR HOMES, UH, OUTSIDE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH INFLATION AND, UM, TAXATION, ET CETERA, NEED FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. AT THE SCALE WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, PROBABLY NOT, BUT SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN WHAT INITIALLY STARTED AS A RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM AND, UH, WHAT WE SAW AS, AS, UH, THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM DURING THE COVID. SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME IN TERMS OF THE HOUSING AREA, WHICH I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES. KEEPING OUR SCHEDULE, KEEPING ON TRACK WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SHIP IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. FINALLY, I'LL JUST REITERATE AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED, GIVEN THE GREAT WORK ON DATA THAT, UH, BRIAN DILLARD AND HIS TEAM ARE DOING, ALONG WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, WHAT WE'VE SEEN AS AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY THROUGH A GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, UH, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IN WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF A PERSONNEL CONTINGENT OR SUPPORT IN THAT AREA, DATA, DATA ANALYSTS, ET CETERA, TO COLLECT, UH, SHARE AND UTILIZE THE DATA THAT WE HAVE ALREADY THROUGH OUR OPEN DATA PORTAL, I THINK WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO US IN THE LONG RUN IN, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. SO ENSURING THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT PROCESS AS WE, UH, MAKE USE OF THAT DATA. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A FEW THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS A LITTLE EARLIER. UM, ONE OF THEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, I THINK IT'S NOT JUST, UH, THE POLICE, BUT IT'S ALSO LOOKING AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS AND WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THEY NEED TO KEEP UP WITH, UH, WHATEVER WE MAY BE DOING, UH, GOING FORWARD ON PUBLIC SAFETY. AND, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT THE RESOURCES TO MEET ANY GROWTH AND, UM, ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY THE CITY, UH, REFERS TO THEM. UH, ANOTHER CONCERN WE HADN'T REALLY TOUCHED ON VERY MUCH IS VISION ZERO. AND, UH, I, I KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING SOME PRETTY GREAT STEPS IN THAT AREA. ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND IS THAT WE HAVE MORE RADAR FEEDBACK. SIGNS INSTALL PERMANENTLY AROUND MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. I'M SURE ALL OF US HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPEEDING ON OUR MAJOR ARTERIES AND EVEN OUR MINOR ARTERIALS THAT CONNECT INTO NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF, IF IT'S, IT'S A WAY OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR OBLIGATION WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING. UH, AND SO I THINK IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL TOOL AS MUCH AS AN A MANAGEMENT TOOL. YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE HAS PURCHASED FOUR PORTABLE ONES THAT WE PUT AROUND DISTRICT NINE, BUT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE 'EM PERMANENT. UH, AND I THINK A LOT OF US WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO SEE THAT. ALSO RELATED TO THAT IS, UM, ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS A MAJOR CROSSWALK IN SIGNAL MID STREET ON HEIMER ROAD. IT'S BETWEEN THE LIBRARY, UH, AND, UM, THE SCHOOL AND, UH, BROOK HOLLOW. A LOT OF TRAFFIC GOING DOWN THERE, BUT THERE'S BIG NEIGHBORHOODS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. THERE'S NO WAY TO CROSS FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. WE DON'T WANNA SEE SOMEONE HIT OR KILLED BEFORE [03:30:01] WE PUT UP, UH, THESE KINDS OF TRAFFIC MITIGATION TOOLS, BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT WE END UP DOING AND OUTGOING THERE AFTER THE FACT AND TRYING TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE THE NEED THAT THAT EXISTS TODAY. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK ALL OF US SUPPORT THE ARTS AND ALL OF US SUPPORT THE CULTURE OF SAN ANTONIO. AND, UH, ONE OF THOSE CULTURE ISSUES THAT I THINK IS STILL BEING NEGLECTED IS THE SAN ANTONIO, PHIL HARMONIC. I THINK WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WAS A COMMITMENT TO, TO FUND THEM. THEY DIDN'T GET FUNDED. I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM GET FUNDED. ALSO, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TEAM UP MORE WITH U T SS A TO HELP REJUVENATE AND REINVIGORATE THAT FACILITY BECAUSE IT REALLY REPRESENTS THE MIXED CULTURES OF ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS, AND IT HAS FOR OVER 50 YEARS. AND TO LET IT BE AS NEGLECTED IT AS AS IT HAS BEEN, OR LET IT GET DEMOLISHED AND TORN DOWN, UH, TO BUILD APARTMENTS OR SOMETHING, I THINK IS TOTALLY AGAINST, UH, THE CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF HEMISPHERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US MAKE A COMMITMENT FINANCIALLY, ALONG WITH, I KNOW THE STATE GIVES AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TOWARDS THAT. I DON'T THINK U T S A HAS KEPT UP THEIR FAIR SHARE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PARTNER MORE WITH THAT. UM, LET'S SEE. I'VE STILL GOT A MINUTE AND A HALF. GOOD. UH, I, I SHARE, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ALL OF IT, IF YOU DON'T MIND. OH, YEAH. OH YEAH. I'LL TAKE ANYONE ELSE'S TIME TOO. UH, I THINK READY TO WORK IS STILL, UH, IN NEED OF GREATER, UH, SUPPORT. UH, THE LAST I HEARD READY TO WORK HAS PLACED LESS THAN A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN A JOB. UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED EMPLOYERS WHO SAY THEY'RE WILLING TO HIRE PEOPLE, AND WE'VE HAD HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMPLETE THE WORK, UH, I'M, I'M STRUGGLING TO FIND OUT WHY EVERYBODY WHO COMPLETES THAT TRAINING DOESN'T HAVE A JOB WAITING FOR THEM. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE, WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT COMMITMENT WE'VE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE'RE TAKING $200 MILLION IN SALES TAX AND DEVOTING IT INTO THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM. UH, LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS I, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE, UH, SENIOR TRANSPORTATION. UH, I KNOW DEPARTMENT OF, UH, HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORT SENIORS GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SENIOR CENTERS, BUT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF SENIORS WHO ARE JUST ISOLATED AND THEY, THEY CAN'T GET ANYWHERE. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. VIAS GOT A NICE PROGRAM TO MOVE PEOPLE AROUND WITHOUT BUSES IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF TOWN AND ANOTHER PART OF TOWN. BUT THERE'S NO VIA SERVICE IN DISTRICT NINE, SO TO SPEAK, OF, ESPECIALLY NORTH OF 1604. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SENIORS ISOLATED IN MANY PARTS OF THE CITY THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET TO EVEN AN H E B TO SHOP OR TO GO TO OTHER, UH, FACILITIES. UH, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A GREATER PARTNERSHIP AND COMMITMENT BETWEEN THE CITY, THE COUNTY, UM, ACOG TO PROVIDE MORE TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIORS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON. THANK YOU. I HAVE LOTS OF PRIORITIES, BUT I'LL, I'LL RETURN TO A C S. UM, SO I WANT MORE A C S STAFF, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ANOTHER VETERINARIAN AND VA TECHS TO HELP THIS PERSON COULD BE AT A C S FACILITY OR AT THE BROOKS FACILITY OR IN DOING MOBILE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE. I I DON'T, I'M STILL NOT HAPPY WITH THE TERM A C SS APPRENTICES. UH, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS MORE A C F, UH, A C SS FIELD OFFICERS WHO ARE BILINGUAL, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW RESIDENTS ARE HAVING TO TRANSLATE FOR N FOR NEIGHBORS WHO DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH IN OUR DISTRICT. AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TEAMS THAT HA ARE NOT JUST FOCUSED ON INVESTIGATION, BUT THAT ALSO PICK UP STRAYS, UM, HELP WITH THOSE THAT ARE FOSTERING DOGS, EDUCATING THEM, AND A TEAM THAT ALSO HELPS WITH ADOPTION. SO I THINK WE NEED STAFF THAT DOES ALL THREE OF THESE THINGS AND NOT JUST ONE IN PARTICULAR. UH, THE BROOKS CENTER HAS NOT BEEN IN OPERATION FOR ALMOST A YEAR. WE NEED TO GET THAT FACILITY BACK TO A HUNDRED PERCENT. WE NEED NEW, LARGER FACILITIES TO HOUSE STRAY PICKUPS. UH, RESIDENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO HOUSE ANIMALS TWO TO THREE DAYS UNTIL AN OFFICER CAN GET OUT TO THEM. UH, SO I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. AND WE ALSO NEED TO FIND A NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM THAT HELPS THESE RESIDENTS THAT ARE FOSTERING THESE ANIMALS OR HOLDING THESE ANIMALS UNTIL A C S CAN COME PICK THEM UP, BECAUSE THAT'S A FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THEM. I ALSO HAVE RESIDENTS THAT ARE ASSISTING THEIR [03:35:01] NEIGHBORS BY DRIVING, UM, THE DOGS TO GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED. UH, BUT THEY NEED HELP WITH GAS VOUCHERS. THEY NEED HELP WITH DISCOUNTS FOR RABIES CO CONES AND PA PAIN MEDS AND CARE AFTER SURGERIES. AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED IS MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS, IS AFFORDABLE AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE IN. WE NEED DISTRICT SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST TO CITYWIDE. WE THINK THIS IS WHAT, WHAT'S GOING TO WORK. AGAIN, MY PRIORITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT EUTHANIZING MORE DOGS THAN WE HAVE TO. AND SO WE NEED TO DO AN OPT TO ADOPT PROGRAM AND HELP THESE PE PEOPLE THAT ARE, WANT TO BE PET PARENTS, HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO COST TO THEM FINANCIALLY, AND THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BUY THE WET DOG FOOD OR THE FANCY DOG FOOD TO, TO KEEP THEIR, THEIR PET SAFE. SO THAT'S MY A C S PRIORITIES AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THAT MORE. MY NEXT, UH, PRIORITY OF COURSE IS PUBLIC WORKS AS, ONCE AGAIN, DISTRICT THREE IS IN THE TOP THREE, FOUR F STREETS AND SIDEWALK GAPS. I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT CREATING COMPLETE STREETS, NOT PIECEMEALING. ALSO MAKING SURE THAT IN THIS PROCESS WE LOOK AT VISION ZERO, WE LOOK AT WALKABILITY. UM, WE HAVE AREAS WHERE THE CITY ANNEXED COUNTY PROPERTY OVER 20 YEARS AGO, AND THE COUNTY JUST IGNORED THAT. AND HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF THAT NOW THAT THEY'RE PART OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? AGAIN, WE NEED MONEY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICALLY. GOLIAD, PRESA. PRETTY SOON ROOSEVELT WILL BE PART OF THAT. AND, UM, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE SLOW THAT DOWN. I LIKE COUNCILMAN KURT'S IDEA WITH THE, UM, WITH SLOWING PEOPLE DOWN WITH CREATIVE IDEAS IN TERMS OF SPEED, UM, INDICATORS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS SPEED HUMPS. AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE ANSWERS OUT THERE THAN, UM, SPEED HUMPS. SO, UH, WITH PUBLIC WORKS, I JUST WANNA CONTINUE. AND, AND IF WE HAVE, UH, IF WE GO BACK ONE OF MY PRIOR PRIORITIES AND AS IF WE ARE DISCUSSING, UH, C P S OVERAGES THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT GIVING THAT BACK TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WE, AS WE MOVE IN THE FUTURE. ANOTHER, UH, PRIORITY OF MINE IT OF THE DISTRICTS ALSO IS D SS D AND CODE COMPLIANCE AND UNDERSTANDING, UH, THAT IS A CONCERN OF MY CONSTITUENTS. IF WE NEED WHAT WEEKEND OFFICERS, IF WE NEED, UH, OVERNIGHT OFFICERS, I'M NOT GONNA GO AS FAR AS 24 7 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK WE NEED, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT. AND WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT, IF THE MAJORITY OF CALLS ARE HIGH GRASS, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? UM, AND SAFETY IS ANOTHER CONCERN. AND NOT JUST SS A P D, BUT MAKING SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF, UH, THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND OTHER AREAS THAT MAY JUST NEED SECURITY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING. WHAT, WHAT IS PARK POLICE'S ROLE IN, IN AND AROUND THE MISSION REACH AREA. AND I HAVE A NUMBER OF REQUESTS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS REGARDING, UM, A C S AND THEY WANT MORE EDUCATION FOR DOG OWNERS. AND, UM, THEY WOULD LIKE, UH, BETTER ACCESS RESPONSE TIME FOR A C S AND FOR OFFICERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON. COUNCIL MEMBER COVEO. HAARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M GONNA JUST LIST OFF MY, MY TOP THREE PRIORITIES, UM, ARE, UM, AS MENTIONED BY COUNCIL MAN CASTILLO, A SENIOR CENTER IN EDGEWOOD, BORDERING FIVE AND SIX, UH, AT LEAST A STUDY TO START THAT PROCESS OF HOW WE CAN HAVE A STANDALONE, I WANT A FANCY, FANCY SENIOR CENTER LIKE DISTRICT NINE HAS, UH, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EDGEWOOD. UM, UH, ALSO SECONDLY, A FIRE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. EARLIER I MISTAKENLY SAID STAFFING. I MEANT MORE SPECIFICALLY A, A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT, UM, A, A FUNDING FOR POLICE IT, AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS. THOSE ARE MY TOP THREE. AFTER THAT, UM, UH, HOUSING INCENTIVES FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND TEACHERS. UM, A FUND FOR BUSINESSES AND NON-PROFITS AFFECTED BY VANDALISM INCREASE INCREASING C I P FUNDS TO 2 MILLION. UM, UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ACTUALLY. UM, THE HOSPITAL THAT'S FUND THE, THE A C S HOSPITAL THAT WAS FUNDED IN THE BOND IS, IS, CAN THOSE FUNDS ALSO BE USED FOR STAFFING, FOR EXAMPLE, A VETERINARIAN OR DOES HAVE TO BE JUST FACILITY? NO, MA'AM. JUST FACILITY. OKAY. UM, WELL THEN, UH, I AGREE THAT WE NEED INCREASED STAFFING FOR A C S, UM, TO INCLUDE, UM, AT LEAST ONE OTHER VETERINARIAN, UM, INCREASED SPAY AND NEUTER FUNDS, UM, FUNDING TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. UH, A WOMEN'S HEALTH PROGRAM WITH NONPROFITS, WORKING WITH NONPROFITS AND, UH, ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD EXPANSIONS [03:40:01] TO NOT JUST THE FIVE, BUT ALL LIBRARY BRANCHES AND THE COUNCIL PRINTING BUDGET. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR VIA MAKING SURE WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT GIVE THANK YOU. NOTHING BIG. JUST ALL THAT GO AGAIN. THANKS THERE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CABELL, HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, DISTRICT FIVE PRIORITIES CONTINUE TO BE ENSURING THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY INVESTING IN OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE. AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS INCREASING FUNDING FOR OUR CAPITAL MAINTENANCE FUND, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE C I P FUNDING, UM, UP TO 2 MILLION PER DISTRICT. UM, FURTHER ENSURING THAT WE, UH, INCREASE NON-SERVICE ALLEY MAINTENANCE TO TACKLE THOSE, UH, ILLEGAL DUMPINGS THAT'S OCCURRING IN OUR ALLEYS. UM, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE, ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES IS ONE OF THE PIECES OF THE NEWLY REDISTRICTED AREA OFF OF RUIZ. UM, I'M NOT OVER EXAGGERATING WHEN IT'S BLOCK AFTER BLOCK THAT HAS A FAILED STREET, OR IT'S IN NEED OF A SIDEWALK. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I PULLED UP, UH, IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL ON GOOGLE MAPS AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET ON FOUR, UH, 9 48 HAMILTON, THERE IS NO SIDEWALK RIGHT ACROSS FROM, UH, ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO TACKLE THOSE NEWLY REDISTRICTED AREAS, THEIR FAILED STREETS AND THEIR NEED FOR SIDEWALKS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME. UM, AS WELL AS, UH, VACANT LOT ACTIVATION. UM, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AGAIN, IS PARTNERING WITH, UH, D S D, UH, AND SOLID WAYS TO ACTIVATE THESE VI UH, VACANT LOTS TO REDUCE, UH, THE PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND, UM, THE GUN ACTIVITY THAT'S GOING ON AROUND AND AT THESE VACANT LOTS. UM, WHAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR, UM, IS, UM, THE NEED FOR SPEED HUMPS AND SIDEWALKS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. A LOT OF THESE REQUIRE TRAFFIC STUDIES. SO I'D LIKE TO, FOR US TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ENGINEERS. UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT STANDUP ESSAYS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US, AND SCALING UP THAT PROGRAMMING, UM, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MEDIC UNITS SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, STATION 21 AND 26 AND 40, AND MOVING THOSE E M S UNITS FROM PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME. UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CLOSURE OF THE HOSPITAL AND THE SOUTH SIDE. UM, I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, STAFFING OR, UM, AN EQUIPMENT STUDY FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL, UM, TO SEE WHERE WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND E M S WORKERS. UH, EXPANSION OF THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD IS ALSO A PRIORITY FOR US IN ENSURING THAT THAT'S ACCESSIBLE AT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES, UH, AND CONTINUING TO INVEST IN NAMP. UH, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT WITH NAMP IS THAT WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO SUBMIT FROM 16 TO 24. UM, I AM CONTINUING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, SUPPORTING THE WORK OF, UH, DISTRICT, UH, TWO WITH THE STREET LIGHTING INDEX AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING ADEQUATE FUNDING, UH, TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE LIGHTS, AS WELL AS ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMMING IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, MAN, I WENT THROUGH THOSE QUICK AND I STILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. . YEAH, SO WHAT I'M GONNA ADD IS, UM, UH, I SUPPORT AS WELL AS THE PLANNING STUDY FOR THE SENIOR CENTER AS WELL AS EXPLORING SOUTHWEST MILITARY. UM, DISTRICT FIVE IS SOUTH SIDE AS WELL. UM, AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM OUR SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS IS THE NEED FOR ACCESS TO, TO MORE RESOURCES, UH, AND BASIC NECESSITIES IN THE SOUTH SIDE. AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, SOUTHWEST MILITARY. WE'RE ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM MILITARY. UM, SO WITH THAT, ENSURING THAT WE ALSO SUPPORT THE CODE COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE FUND, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE QUICKLY RUN THROUGH. UH, BUT KNOWING THAT OUR SENIORS, UM, NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THAT. AND I THINK THAT, UH, RUNS IN ALIGNMENT WITH SUPPORTING, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGES AND DR. CHE C C R ON VACANT LOTS. UM, ENSURING THAT THERE'S FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS BEHIND THAT C C R. UM, MAN, I WENT THROUGH THAT QUICK. ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO USE MY, LIKE, SQUEEZE OUT MY HOME MINUTE. SO , TAKE YOUR TIME. SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, AGAIN, RIGHT? I, I KNOW THAT THERE, IT, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN APPETITE TO SUPPORT A SAFE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, BUT I KNOW THAT'S WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKING FOR. SO I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE THAT REQUEST. UH, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE CODE INSPECTION TEAM FOR MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, UM, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE THE ADEQUATE SUPPORT. UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY, RIGHT, WHAT'S KEY IS THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE N THE C I P, UH, ENSURING THAT THE NEWLY REDISTRICTED AREAS, UM, ARE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, IN THE MODERN MODERNITY THAT IT DESERVES. 'CAUSE IT'S JUST SO MUCH NEED WITHIN THE NEWLY REDISTRICTED AREA. AND THOSE ARE ALL MY, UH, COMMENTS FOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CHU RODRIGUEZ. [03:45:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'LL START BY, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY STATED OUR SUPPORT FOR, UM, A C S AND INCREASING STAFF AND FUNDS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND SPAY NEU TO ORGANIZATIONS. UM, IT'S BEEN A PRIORITY FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW. A CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE. UM, WE ARE HIRING A CRIME AND RECIDIVISM PREVENTION COORDINATOR IS PART OF THIS PA THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. AND BECAUSE MY C C R IS NOW IN PUBLIC SAFETY, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THE COMMITTEE CAN CREATE A UNIFIED DIVISION FOR WHAT AN OFFICE LIKE THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. UM, AND HOW WE CAN EXPAND ON THE WORK THAT THE COORDINATOR WILL BE DOING, UH, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT INCREASES TO THE C I P AND THE NAMP BUDGET. UM, IDEALLY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE C I P DOUBLE TO 2 MILLION AS WELL. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS IN MY DISTRICT. AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S NOT ALWAYS FEASIBLE TO MOVE OTHER PROJECTS ON THE I M P OR ADD THEM TO THE END OF OUR FIVE YEAR LIST AND TELL MY CONSTITUENTS THEY HAVE TO WAIT FIVE YEARS FOR THEIR SAFETY, FOR THEIR SAFETY CONCERN. UM, SO THIS IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST PRIORITIES, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO PRIORITIZE DOUBLING THE C I P BUDGET AND FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THAT. UM, IN TERMS OF PARKS, UH, SPECIFICALLY VACANT LOTS AND VACANT LAW ACTIVATION, WE HAVE VACANT LAND THAT SITS AND PEOPLE ARE MAINTAINING IT FOR US. WE GET, WHENEVER I GO TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THEY TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. AND I THINK WE WOULD ALL BENEFIT FROM KNOWING HOW MANY VACANT LOTS OR VACANT PROPERTIES WE HAVE IN EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS, AND ESTABLISH PLANS TO EITHER LAND BANK, CREATE GREEN SPACE, OR ESTABLISH HOUSING BASED ON OUR OWN DISTRICT'S NEED. UM, AND AT THE ROOT, I'D LIKE TO PLAY A LAR AT THE ROOT OF THIS REQUEST. I'D LIKE TO PLAY A LARGER ROLE IN THE FUTURE OF CITY OWNED LOTS, UM, WITH INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS. AND IN MY CASE, UM, THAT MEANS MORE GREEN SPACE. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SUPPORT, AGAIN, COUNCILMAN CAVE'S, UH, PRINTING BUDGET, UH, INCREASE REQUESTS. MY PRIORITY IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER. I STARTED IT AS A WAY TO USE MY CARRY FORWARD FROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGETS, BUT IT'S BECOME SUCH A NECESSARY TOOL FOR MY OFFICE TO, UH, INCREASE ENGAGEMENT, SHARE UPDATES AND FEEDBACK, AND TO HELP ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. AND IT IS, AT THIS POINT, A NEED, NOT A WANT TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THIS SERVICE. AND I WONDER, UM, AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE CREATIVE IN ANSWERING, IS THERE A WAY TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 100 K TO OUR OFFICE BUDGETS THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED TO ANY OF OUR LINE ITEMS, WHETHER IT BE ADDITIONAL STAFFING, PRINT AND BINDING OFFICE MAINTENANCE, OR OTHER DISCRETIONARY USE. AND SO MAYBE IF LIKE I HAVE A $50,000 BUDGET REQUEST, OR SOMEBODY HAS A STAFF REQUEST, MAYBE WE CAN DO THAT ALL AS ONE, UM, AS ONE ITEM. UM, IN TERMS OF THE STREET LIGHTING, I WANNA SEE AN UPDATE. UM, MY TEAM HAS BEEN BLOCK WALKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET SIGNATURES FROM HOMEOWNERS, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR EASEMENT ACQUISITION. BUT THIS IS A HUGE ENDEAVOR AND IT TAKES SO MUCH WORK, AND IT IS OFTEN NOT FRUITFUL. AND I WONDER IF MAYBE THERE CAN BE AN ADDED, UH, ADDED D S D MEMBERS WHO CAN DO THAT WORK FULL-TIME SO WE CAN CLOSE LIGHTING GAPS QUICKER AND MORE PROACTIVELY, AS WAS THE INTENTION OF THE STREET LIGHTING INDEX. IN ADDITION, UM, FOR D H SS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN INCREASE TO OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH STAFF. THEY, THEY OFFICE OUTTA THE CLOUD BLACK OFFICE. AND SO I GET TO INTERACT WITH THEM ALMOST DAILY, AND I SEE ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING, AND I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT CAN PROBABLY USE MORE RESOURCES. AND THAT IS ONE WHERE HOUSELESSNESS CONTINUES TO BE, UH, A CONCERN FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEY'RE PROVIDING A VITAL, VITAL RESOURCE. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO EXPLORE SHORT TERM METHODS TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS OF ENCAMPMENTS, WHETHER THAT MEANS CONTRACTING PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICES THAT SPECIALIZE IN HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, HAVING LARGE WASTE BENDS THAT CAN BE PLACED AT KNOWN ENCAMPMENT SITES. SO WASTE ISN'T ON THE GROUND OR SOME OTHER CREATIVE SOLUTION. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ENCAMPMENTS AND WE'RE MAKING LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS, BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE MORE HUMANE WAYS TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM ASIDE FROM A, A ABATEMENTS. AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH ENCAMPMENTS UNTIL THOSE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS ARE FRUITFUL. UM, I HAVE A MINUTE. LI UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO EXPLORE, UH, SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE ENHANCED LIBRARY IDS PROGRAM TO TAKE PLACE AT ALL LIBRARIES. I WANNA SEE HOW WE CAN GET THERE, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL BE THE YEAR THAT WE DO IT. AND I, I'M VERY INTRIGUED BY, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND COUNCILWOMAN CAB H'S. UH, INTEREST IN SENIOR IN A SENIOR CENTER. I BELIEVE EVERY DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SENIOR CENTER LIKE DISTRICT NINE. I LOVE IT. UM, OURS RIGHT NOW IS, UH, IN A SHARED BUILDING WITH AN AUTO SUPPLY SHOP. AND SO FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, UM, WE'VE FUNDED A LOCATION STUDY AND A DESIGN FOR A NEW SENIOR CENTER. AND MY NEXT PRIORITY IS FINDING LAND BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY FOR MY DISTRICT. AND SO, UM, I WANNA SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR ENDEAVOR IN GETTING A, A STANDALONE SENIOR CENTER, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE ONE. AND SO IF WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ALL OF IT, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. MY NEXT, UH, I THINK MY NEXT BIT OF TIME I'LL GO THROUGH AND TRY TO SUPPORT, UH, A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES IN WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. SO I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST [03:50:01] OF ALL, WE'D LIKE TO SAY WE'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE A C SS BUDGET REQUEST. AND IF THERE IS A WAY TO INCLUDE A VET THAT WOULD BE GREAT. WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD PROGRAM IN ALL THE LIBRARIES. UH, AND IT IS IN FIVE NOW. AND I THINK SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN CODE OFFICERS FOR DART AND FOR THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UM, AND THAT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT DURING BUDGET. AND I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH INSPECTORS TO CARRY OUT WHAT WE SET UP FOR THE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS IN DISTRICT SEVEN. PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THEIR SAFE OFFICERS, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE THERE. UM, THEY TRUST THE OFFICERS, THEY FEEL SAFE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY EARLIER. UH, THESE ARE FOLKS THAT THEY FEEL ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN THEY HEAR FROM THEM, THEY'RE HEARING THE TRUTH AND THAT THEY'RE TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO WILL GO OUT, INVESTIGATE AND TRY TO GET THE JOB DONE. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME INCREASE, INCREASE IN THE, UH, ENCAMPMENT PERSONS. UH, WE HAVE SOME LARGE ENCAMPMENTS, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT CLEANING UP AND THROWING PEOPLE OUT. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THESE FOLKS COME INTO AN ENCAMPMENT AND IT TAKES THEM A WHILE TO EARN THE TRUST OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE SO THAT THOSE PEOPLE MIGHT BE HELPED TO FIND A BETTER PATH. I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S SERVICES THAT COULD BE PERIOD, PERIODICALLY DELIVERED AT AN ENCOMP ENCAMPMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, SOME HEALTH SERVICES, UM, THAT COULD BE THINGS LIKE VACCINATIONS. UM, SOME MINOR FOOT CARE, DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES THAT COULD BE OFFERED ON SITE. UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT VISIONS. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT. AND FOR US, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IN PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE IN OUR DISTRICT, AND IT HAS HAPPENED FOR A WHILE, WE'RE EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. WE HAPPEN TO OWN PART OF ONE OF THE DEADLIEST STREETS, WHICH IS RA. AND I KNOW THERE IS SOME WORK BEING DONE ON THAT. UM, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A COORDINATION, BOTH OF EDUCATION AND OF BEING ABLE TO DO SIMPLE THINGS LIKE STRIPING. FOR AN OLDER PERSON LIKE ME, IT'S VERY HARD SOMETIMES WHEN THERE'S NOT STRIPING ON THE STREET TO KNOW IF YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT LANE TO TURN OR NOT, OR TO NOT GO INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S LANE. WE SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT. UM, JUST RECENTLY, AND I WAS GONNA TALK WITH ERIC TOMORROW, JUST RECENTLY, WE'VE HAD A, A RASH OF CARS THAT DON'T STOP AT TWO-WAY STOP SIGNS. SO THEY GO THROUGH INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND INTO PEOPLE'S YARDS. WE'VE HAD FIVE OF THEM ALREADY. SO THERE'S SOME SIMPLE SOLUTIONS LIKE THE MARKINGS THAT SAY, STOP HERE. UH, VERY SIMPLE SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, BUT THAT MIGHT HELP MITIGATE THAT PROBLEM. SO AGAIN, EDUCATION AND SOME OF THESE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT RI IS GOING TO HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR THE YEAR. UM, I'D LIKE TO ALSO, I KNOW MY FRIEND OVER HERE TALKS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT AND TO DO, CONTINUE TO PUT SOME MONEY IN. I WANNA SUPPORT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, UH, ROCHE GARCIA IN TERMS OF THAT HOSPITAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THAT'S A BIG BLOW FOR THE SOUTH SIDE. IT'S A BIG BLOW FOR THE COLLEGES THERE, BOTH WITH HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH. UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF BOTH OF THOSE ISSUES. THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT HAS REALLY KIND OF BOTHERED ME, AND YOU PROBABLY CAN GIVE AN ANSWER TO THIS, AND THAT IS THAT I THINK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES IN MY NEIGHBORHOODS AND SO MANY THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS DURING C O V I D PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD SMALL BUSINESSES IN EDGEWOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. UM, AND SUDDENLY THEY'RE GONE. AND WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS WHETHER WE HAVE COME UP WITH A PLAN, SHOULD SOME OTHER DISEASE HIT, THAT WE CAN HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AHEAD OF TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY FOUND IN SOME OF THE AREAS LIKE DISTRICT FIVE IN LOOKING AT RESTAURANTS, UH, PEOPLE IN THESE SMALL RESTAURANTS DID NOT REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO, [03:55:01] UM, THE INTERNET. THEY DID NOT KNOW TO PUT THEIR MENUS ON THE INTERNET SO THAT PEOPLE COULD JUST DRIVE THROUGH. UH, AND I'LL STOP THERE. WE'LL HAVE MY MORE TIME LATER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. ALRIGHT. UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A LARGER N PROJECT, UH, PROGRAM. IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE A LARGER C I P PROGRAM TO, UH, BE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE QUICKLY TO, UH, UH, PROBLEMS IN EACH DISTRICT. SO, UH, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. I HAVE A, UH, INDIVIDUAL PROJECT THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND MY PREDECESSOR WORKED ON IT FOR A YEAR OR TWO, WAS, UH, WE HAVE A, UH, AN ABANDONED CEMETERY RIGHT ON OUR MAIN CORRIDOR, PARITAL NACODOCHES. AND, AND IT'S AN ISO. UH, WE, UH, WE NEED TO TAKE THAT CEMETERY OVER AND REPLACE THE FENCE. IT'S AN OLD CHAIN LINK FENCE AROUND IT. IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, REPLACED WITH SOMETHING NICER AND SPRUCE UP THAT WE'RE ALWAYS CHASING TO GET VOLUNTEERS TO MAINTAIN THAT CEMETERY. AND, UM, I KNOW, UH, ERIC, I WROTE A LETTER TO YOUR STAFF SAYING, HEY, LET'S, LET'S DO SOMETHING WITH THIS THING AND, AND GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. SO WE'D REALLY LIKE TO GET SUPPORT ON, UH, FUNDING, UH, THAT FENCE AROUND IT, UH, AFTER WE TAKE IT OVER. 'CAUSE IT'S ABANDONED. NOBODY OWNS IT. NOBODY WANTS IT. AND, UH, WE HAVE SOME VERY HISTORICAL NAMES IN THAT PARTICULAR CEMETERY. A LOT OF OUR ROADS THAT ARE NAMED IN DISTRICT 10, THE, THOSE PEOPLE ARE, UM, BURIED THERE IN THAT PARTICULAR CEMETERY. SO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT THING FIXED. UM, THE, UM, THERE'S A, A SAFETY HAZARD IN, IN THE ENTRANCE INTO NORTHERN HILLS WHERE WE'VE HAD, UH, CARS LOSING CONTROL AND LITERALLY DRIVING INTO, AND IT DESTROYED, ACTUALLY DESTROYED AN ENTIRE HOUSE, UH, IN THE PAST. AND LUCKILY, NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED YET. BUT, UH, THIS, THIS SITUATION, UH, CONTINUES TO EXIST AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS, WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO, BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THOSE HOUSES AROUND THAT DANGEROUS CURVE THERE IN, IN NORTHERN HILLS. SO THOSE ARE TWO SPECIFIC AREAS THAT, UH, LIKE TO GET SUPPORT ON THIS, THIS YEAR AND GET, GET MOVING. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE LARGER C I P, UM, FUNDING AND THE, UH, NAMP PROGRAM, MORE FUNDING ON THAT PROGRAM. THAT'S IT. I'M GIVING TIME AWAY. I'LL TAKE THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. I RAN OUT OF TIME WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, INCREASING COUNCIL STAFF SIZE. AND I KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY'S NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR THAT, UH, BUT I REALLY THOUGHT WE HAD A GREAT COMPROMISE, UH, IN THE LAST BUDGET WHERE WE ENDED UP WITH SOME PEOPLE, TOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IN, UH, IN YOUR DISTRICT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVERY COUNCIL HAS ITS OWN NEEDS AND, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM THAT WORKS REALLY HARD, UH, BUT I DON'T WANNA BURN THEM OUT EITHER. AND, UH, SO IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM TO NOT BE, TO BE ABLE TO RIGHT SIZE OUR STAFF. UM, I ALSO WANT, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE JUST GOT BRIEFED ON THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO CRACK DOWN ON NUISANCE PROPERTIES. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UH, WE CAN OPERATE THAT EFFICIENTLY. AND, UM, SO THAT THAT CAN BE REALLY IMPACTFUL. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HIRE, THAT WE HAVE FUNDING TO HIRE DEDICATED STAFF TO OVERSEE THAT PROGRAM. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE CITY. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, ERIC, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA THAT YOU TOOK, UH, ONE OF YOUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, JOHN PATER, AND PULLED HIM FROM HIS REGULAR DUTIES AND PUT HIM IN CHARGE FOR 90 DAYS OF DOING NOTHING BUT OVERSEEING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING 'EM DELIVERED ON TIME, INTERFACING WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THEIR NEEDS AND HOW WE DELIVER THESE PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE ANY KIND OF DISTURBANCES. AND I THINK WE NEED MORE STAFF PERMANENTLY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH ALL OF THE, UM, WITH ALL, WITH, WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION, THE UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE HAVE SOME FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR SOME SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO HELP OVERSEE THOSE PROJECTS AND, AND INTERFACE WITH, UH, THE BUSINESSES AND, AND THE, THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE, ARE DIRECTLY, UH, FACING THOSE PROJECTS AND IMPACTED BY THEM. UH, I ALSO SUPPORT, UM, INCREASING THE C I P AND NAMP FUNDS SO WE CAN DELIVER MORE PROJECTS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS COME TO, BUT WITH SIDEWALKS OR OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. UM, I ALSO SUPPORT THE, UH, THE ASK FOR INCREASE THE, THE PRINTING BUDGET. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO I'M KNOCKING THE DOORS OF, UH, ARE NOT ON THE INTERNET. AND, UH, THIS IS A WAY THAT WE HELP BRIDGE [04:00:01] THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. IT'S WHEN WE CAN JUST DIRECT MAIL THEM, UH, USING TRADITIONAL MAIL. UM, I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO OFFICE, I, I ASKED US FOR US TO, UM, TO, UH, SET ASIDE FUNDING TO HELP PEOPLE PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. I'M GLAD THE CITY HAS TAKEN THAT ON. I THINK PREVIOUSLY ALL OF OUR OFFICES WERE INDEPENDENTLY PUT DOING, PUTTING THOSE WORKSHOPS ON. THIS IS NOW A WAY FOR THE CITY TO, TO HAVE A CONSISTENT, UH, WORKSHOP THAT WE CAN PUT ON ACROSS, ACROSS THE CITY. UH, BUT WE'RE NOT PROACTIVE YET. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR NEXT TIME TO BE PROACTIVE TO GO AND CONTACT THE PEOPLE WHO WE BELIEVE DO NOT HAVE THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS OR OTHER EXEMPTIONS AND SHOULD HAVE THEM. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, INCLUDING PERFORMING ARTS. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES OUR CITY GREAT AND, UH, FOR ALL PERFORMING ARTS. BUT SPECIFICALLY, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. I WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR ASK FOR, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE PHIL HARMONIC. UM, AND THEN I THINK WHAT I'M MISSING IS, UH, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UH, I BELIEVE LIKE LEGAL SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH UNCLEAR TITLES. AND I THINK YOU WERE SPECIFIC TO, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, D DIFFERENT, UH, HOUSING ASSISTANCE OR ASSISTANCE WITH HOME REPAIRS OR WHATEVER. AND I'D LIKE TO EVEN EXPAND THAT, AND I THINK THERE'RE GONNA BE OTHER SITUATIONS AS WELL WHERE PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING WITH UNCLEAR TITLES. AND SO IF WE COULD HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR A, UH, A TEAM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED MAYOR, FOR, UH, ASSISTING, UH, LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WITH, UM, WITH, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE CLEAR TITLES, I THINK WE, WE CAN REMOVE A LOT OF OBSTACLES FOR THEM. AND SO I'D LIKE TO JUST BROADEN THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, I WANNA SUPPORT COUNCILMAN MCKEY RODRIGUEZ'S, UM, REQUEST FOR SOME FUNDING TO CONVERT VACANT LOTS INTO PARK SPACE. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE TRIED TO ACTUALLY PURCHASE A, OR I'VE MADE EFFORTS TO, TO PURCHASE SOME LAND THAT ONE OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS CAME TO ME AND ASKED WHEN THEY FOUND SOME LAND, UH, FOR SALE. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA GO THROUGH OR NOT, BUT I THINK WHEN WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEM. I ALSO WANT TO INCREASE, UM, UH, HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AND EXPAND THE LIBRARY CARD PROGRAM. UM, AND I FINISHED WITH 16 SECONDS LEFT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER . THANKS, MAYOR. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, ERIC, AND I HOPE THAT WE DO GET, UH, SOME TIME TO DO, IS TO REALLY HIT THE RESET BUTTON ON THESE, UM, INNOVATION ZONES THAT WE CREATED PRE COVID. AND, YOU KNOW, COVID KIND OF WIPED ALL THE CHESS PIECES OFF THE BOARD, BUT I, I, I THINK IT'S TIME TO REENGAGE IN THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, I THINK 30 PLUS MILLION PEOPLE WHO VISIT SAN ANTONIO EVERY YEAR, UH, 10 MILLION THROUGH THE AIRPORT. I THINK THAT THAT PRODUCES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE'RE NOT COLLECTING, UH, THAT WE COULD, IF WE ATTACKED IT FROM A SMART CITY POINT OF VIEW, UM, IT WOULD HELP US WITH SIGNAGE, POLICING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, IT WOULD HELP CENTRO, IT WOULD HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, GO RIO. I, I I, I THINK THAT WE CAN ENHANCE, UM, THE EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT OF OUR VISITORS. IT WOULD HELP OUR ALAMO, UM, OUR ALAMO REDESIGN PLAN. AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE BEGUN TO KICK OFF THE IDEA OF DOING, UM, YOU KNOW, SWARM ANALYTICS AND DATA ANALYTICS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH THIS BUILDING, THROUGH THE AIRPORT THROUGHOUT ALL OF DOWNTOWN SO THAT WE CAN BETTER LEARN FROM THOSE MOVEMENTS AND MAKE OUR OPERATIONS MORE EFFICIENT AND MAYBE EVEN MORE, UM, MORE APPEALING AND, AND MORE INTERESTING TO, TO OUR VISITORS. UM, AND THEN IF WE COULD LEARN FROM THAT SWARM, WE COULD HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ENHANCE THEIR SERVICES AND, UH, BE BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER, UM, AND, UM, MORE INTERESTING TO EVERYBODY. SO I, I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RE-ENGAGE IN THAT, UH, ERIC, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I INTEND TO BRING UP ON OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS GOING FORWARD. SO, JUST MORE THAN ANYTHING, JUST A HEADS UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. BLA I THINK WE'RE HEADED NOW INTO OUR DISCUSSION PHASE. ADDITIONAL, UH, GO AROUND THE DAIS. I'VE GOT A FEW FOLKS THAT ALREADY WANT TO JUMP IN, BUT LET ME REACT TO A COUPLE THINGS THAT I DID HERE. UM, I REMEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO FIRST, UH, BUDGET HERE, UM, IN 2018, THIS CAME UP AND, AND I LEARNED THEN I DON'T, I'M NOT GONNA GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT, BUT I, I THINK WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY $500,000 ANNUALLY ON LANE STRIPING FOR ALMOST 5,000, [04:05:01] UH, LINEAR FEET OR LINEAR MILES OF ROADWAYS. WE INCREASED THAT DRAMATICALLY IN THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE VERY REASON YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING I 100% SUPPORT, UH, YOUR CALL TO REEVALUATE THAT. MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET FIRST DOLLARS SHOULD GO TO THE ONES THAT WILL BE MOST IMPACTFUL IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND TRAFFIC. AND IF WE'RE, IF WE HAVE FALLEN BACK INTO THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS IN TERMS OF LANE STRIPING, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT BUMP UP AGAIN. I'D RATHER, YOU KNOW, DELAY A FEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN FAVOR OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING STRIPING, CLEAR STRIPING ON STREETS, IF THAT'S A, IF THAT'S A CHOICE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE, UH, SO FULLY SUPPORT THAT. UM, I DID HEAR A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANNA REFLECT ON. I I DO AGREE. UM, WE'VE GOTTA KEEP OUR EYES ON VISION ZERO. UM, YOU AND I ALL, I MEAN, ALL OF US KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION IN TERMS OF PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES ON OUR ROADWAYS, BICYCLISTS, UH, FATALITIES AND INJURIES AS WELL. UM, LET ME SEE, YEAH, ON, ON PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, HEARD A FEW TIMES NOW REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME HOLISTIC WAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT, UM, AND PERSONNEL CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LIVING UP TO BEST PRACTICES. BUT LET ME SPEAK SPECIFICALLY AGAIN ABOUT THE, THE PLAN TO ADD PATROL OFFICERS. UM, I KNOW OUR INITIAL DISCUSSION ON THIS, ERIC, YOU, YOU HAD EARMARKED, HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE BACK IN THE COPS GRANT, UM, DISCUSSION FOR THE COMING YEAR. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL BE LOOKING FOR, AT LEAST IN THE INITIAL TRANCHE OF PATROL OFFICERS THAT WE PLAN TO ADD, IF WE DON'T GET THAT COPS GRANT, WE DO NEED TO SEE A PLAN B BECAUSE I'VE HEARD, UH, AROUND THE DIOCESE AND AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT WILL REMAIN A PRIORITY WHETHER OR NOT WE GET A FEDERAL GRANT TO ACCOMPLISH IT. SO A PLAN B IN THE NEXT ROUND OF CONVERSATIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL. COUNCIL MEMBER GROM, THANK YOU. AND, UH, I DO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, I WANT US TO MAKE SURE IF WE COULD PRIORITIZE ADDRESSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND SEEING WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS THEY BRING DOWN MONEY. I KNOW WE'VE STARTED THAT PROCESS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE. UM, AND I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD LOOK LIKE TO SEE IS THAT THE CITY IS LEADING THESE EFFORTS WITH AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY AND, UM, AND BEING KIND OF THE GURU ON HOW WE GATHER OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND MAKING THAT CLEAR AS WE MOVE TO THE FUTURE. UM, ALWAYS IMPORTANT. UH, AND I'LL, I'LL AGREE WITH, UH, CLEARING UP THOSE TITLES IN TERMS OF HOUSING SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS AND ADDRESSING, UM, WHAT THEY NEED TO AGE IN PLACE IF THEY CHOOSE TO. UH, AND IF NOT, TO LOOK AT CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE AREAS THAT THEY CURRENTLY LIVE IN. I ALSO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHO SAY WE NEED, UH, MORE HOMELESS OUTREACH. UH, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT IN ADDITION, I THINK WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THE LOW BARRIER, UH, WHETHER IT COMES IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR OTHER FORMS OF LOW BARRIER HOUSING FOR, FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNHOUSED. UM, THE OTHER PRIORITY IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CSSA EMPLOYEES, JUST MAKING SURE THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE BEING PAID EQUALLY AND REVISITING THAT PERFORMANCE PAY, BECAUSE I THINK IN SOME DEPARTMENT, IT, IT, IT WORKS WELL. UM, IN ARTS, I I AM ADAMANT FOR A LINE ITEM FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE PUBLIC ART. AND THEN I WOULD BE, UH, INTERESTED IN SEEING ITEM FOR THE THEATERS AND MAYBE THE THEATERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SAN ANTONIO PHIL HARMONIC, GETTING THEM AT ONE OF OUR THEATERS, WHETHER, WHETHER IT BE THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC THEATER, THE MAGIC THEATER, OR THE LILA COCKRELL, UM, IN PARKS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS DOING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MAYBE THE MORE FOOD FOREST AND POSSIBLY THE COUNTY IF THEY WOULD BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO OUR, OUR EFFORTS. AND THEN THE, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAKING SURE, UH, C AND E COMMUNICATIONS HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO COORDINATE WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE PR COMPANIES UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, SA SPEAK UP AND THAT DEPARTMENT IS LEAD WHEN WE PUT OUT EVENTS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICTS, UH, LIKE DISTRICT THREE THAT HAS SOUTH SIDE LION'S NAME ON PRACTICALLY FOUR LOCATIONS THERE. AND THEN, UH, I WANNA AGREE WITH THOSE WHO WANT THE LIBRARY CARD, UH, EXPANDED. UH, AND, AND IF I DIDN'T MAKE MYSELF CLEAR, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MONEY FOR THE C I P, WHETHER IT CAN COME IN THE BUDGET OR THROUGH OUR SURPLUS WITH C P S. AND, UM, THE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO [04:10:01] SEE THAT WE, UH, WE MAINTAIN, AS COUNCILMAN COURAGE SAID, UH, OUR TRANSPORTATION AND OUR PROGRAMMING FOR OUR SENIORS. I'D LIKE TO SEE A PROGRAM WHERE ALL OUR SENIORS GET CONNECTED OR REGISTERED WITH ONE OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS. AND IF THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED MORE STAFF, THAT WE LOOK INTO THAT SO THAT WE CAN, THAT MAYBE THEY DON'T GO EVERY WEEK OR, UM, EVERY MONTH, BUT THEY'RE CONNECTED TO A CENTER. SO IF THERE EVER COMES A TIME THEY NEED THE MEALS, THEY, THEY KNOW WHICH CENTER IS THEIRS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR OFFERING US A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION A FEW THINGS WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT. UM, I WANT TO GO BACK TO KIND OF, UH, READY TO WORK FOR A MINUTE AND TALK ABOUT BARRIERS. UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A REAL BARRIER TO THE SUCCESS OF READY TO WORK DUE TO CHILDCARE AND THE LACK OF CHILDCARE. THE, EITHER THE AVAILABILITY OR THE COST, OR THE FACT IF SOMEBODY CAN'T AFFORD CHILDCARE, THEY ALSO CAN'T LEAVE THEIR CHILDREN WHILE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THESE TRAINING AREAS. I'VE TALKED TO BOTH, UH, READY TO WORK DEPARTMENT ABOUT IT. I'VE ALSO TALKED TO, UH, PRE-K FOR SA. UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO HELP OVERCOME THAT BARRIER THAT PEOPLE MAY FACE TO JOINING OUR READY TO WORK PROGRAM. AND I'M WONDERING, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, UH, EMPLOYMENT, IF THERE MAY BE A BARRIER, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THE CITY HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE DRUG POLICY, AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT HAS CREATED ANY BARRIER ON RETAINING OR RECRUITING, UH, ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE OR WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. AND I'M WONDERING HOW MANY HAVE HAVE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M AFRAID 'CAUSE I'VE SMOKED MARIJUANA. I'LL, I'LL NOT PASS A DRUG TEST, SO I'M NOT GONNA APPLY TO WORK FOR THE CITY, OR HOW MANY HAVE BEEN FIRED BECAUSE OF THAT. AND WE KNOW MARIJUANA'S AN ISSUE ON PROPOSITION A FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT, BUT WE KNOW A LOT OF OTHER CITIES AND A LOT OF OTHER STATES HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT, AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT MAY BE A BARRIER TO HIRING REALLY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T RESPONSIBLE TO DO THEIR JOB, BUT ON THEIR OWN TIME THEY DECIDED TO IMBIBE IN DRINKING OR MARIJUANA. SO I JUST WONDER IF WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND UNDERSTAND, UH, IF THAT'S A BARRIER TO BRINGING ON REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYEES. UH, ANOTHER ISSUE I WANNA, UH, TALK ABOUT, AND I MENTIONED IT TO THE CITY MANAGER BEFORE, AND YOU JUST TOUCHED ON IT, COUNCILMAN CASTRO. AND THAT IS THE STRIPING SITUATION. AND I, I WAS PROPOSING MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS CLEAN THOSE STRIPES, POWER WASH 'EM, AND THEN MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPAINT 'EM SO OFTEN. OR MAYBE THEY'LL LOOK AT WELL ENOUGH THAT THEY'LL HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT OR OLDER PEOPLE SEE THOSE STRIPES ON THE ROAD AND, AND FOLLOW THOSE DIRECTIONS. AND MAYBE THAT'S CHEAPER THAN GOING OUT WITH A CREW TO REPAINT THEM. SO I'D JUST LIKE US TO LOOK AT THAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND MAYBE A WAY OF SAVING MONEY, BUT STILL PROVIDING THAT, THAT IMPORTANT TRAFFIC GUIDANCE. UH, ANOTHER ISSUE I WANT TO JUST BE SUPPORTIVE OF IS MORE A C S AND MORE CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, PEOPLE WORKING THERE FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST JOB TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS. OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW ABOUT THE VALUE OF A C S AND, UH, WHAT IT SHOULD BE DOING TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM BEING BITTEN. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH A HAZARD, AND IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. BUT THE SAME THING CAN BE SAID ABOUT CODE COMPLIANCE AND, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM PUBLIC WORKS OR DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES OR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR PARKS. I MISS HEARING ABOUT THOSE. THANK YOU, . IT'S A LONG YEAR, JOHN. SO MAKING NOTE OF THAT. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. K, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UH, YOU WANT TO REACT TO ERIC FROM THAT, PARTICULARLY ON THE, UH, HR STUFF, OR ANDY, LET, JUST LET US KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT. NO. OKAY. WELL, UM, I DO WANT TO, UH, MENTIONED TO COUNCIL MEMBER KURZ ABOUT THE, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER ISSUES, UH, THAT PEOPLE WANNA RAISE WITH REGARD TO SUPPORTING READY TO WORK. UH, THERE WILL BE A BUDGET DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY, UH, COMING UP HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, I BELIEVE. SO I, I DO WANNA BRING UP THE STRIPING AND, AND, UM, SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE, UM, BROUGHT THAT UP AND FRANKLY, I'VE NOTICED IT MYSELF AS YOU'RE AROUND SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND, UH, KINDA GAUGE THE, THE, THE, THE COUNCIL'S REACTION TO TWO THINGS RE RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, ONE IS STRIPING AND THE SECOND IS THE RUE STREET AREA. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO MENTIONED [04:15:01] THAT TO ME ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO. UH, I DROVE OVER THERE AND, UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S POCKETS, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE SMALL, BUT THERE'S POCKETS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, THERE'S SOME IN D THREE ACTUALLY, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE IN D THREE THAN THERE ARE IN ANY OTHER DISTRICT, BUT THERE'S SMALL POCKETS AND THEY'RE LIKE, UM, THEY'RE LIKE FORGOTTEN STREETS. IT'S LIKE, UH, THIS, THESE STREETS GOT TAKEN CARE OF IN THIS BOND PROGRAM. THESE GOT TAKEN CARE OF IN A BOND PROGRAM SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND, AND THE ONES IN, IN BETWEEN AND THEY'RE SMALL. AND, UM, WHEN I, UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR THE COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE BEING A PRIORITY, MY REACTION IS TO NOT, AND NO OFFENSE TO ANYBODY IN HERE, MY REACTION IS NOT TO JUST PUT A BUNCH OF MONEY IN I M P THAT GOES ALL OVER THE CITY. IS THERE ANY SENSE THAT, THAT IF WE JUST SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT AREA, WE, AND, AND THOSE RU EAST LIKE AREAS, GIVE US THE TOP 10 LIST AND LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE FIRST FOUR THIS YEAR AND THE SECOND FOUR NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, UM, THEY JUST CONTINUE TO GET WORSE AND WORSE. UM, AND, AND THE STRIPING IS THE SAME WAY. UM, WE ARE NEARING MAX CAPACITY ON STREET MAINTENANCE. UM, AND, UH, WITH THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM AND OUR, OUR SPEND ON ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE, WE, WE ARE AT CAPACITY. AND, AND, UM, BUT IN TERMS OF EFFORT, WE MAY GET, WE MAY GET A BETTER RESULT IN TERMS OF SAFETY, IN TERMS OF, UH, LESS ACCIDENTS, UM, IF WE FOCUS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS ON STRIPING, WHILE WE ARE DEALING WITH MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. SO SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT IN OUR FOCUS, BECAUSE STRIPING, UM, THE, ACTUALLY THE MAYORS BROUGHT UP STRIPING AS WELL, AND I THINK, AND I THINK WE CERTAINLY NEED TO LOOK AT IT, BUT, BUT, UM, I'D, I'D LIKE SOME REACTION ON, ON BOTH THOSE ISSUES, WHICH ARE INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED BUT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE'RE GONNA MAYBE DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF FOCUS AREAS AND SPENDING. RIGHT. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT, SO I'LL REACT TO IT. THAT WAS THE INTENT, OR FROM THE FIRST YEAR WE IMPROVED THE STRIPING, IS THAT WE KNOW JUST INTRINSICALLY FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, WE'RE GONNA GET MORE BANG FOR OUR BOOK THAN WAITING FOR A STREET MAINTENANCE PROJECT TO BE FINISHED. UM, I MEAN, IT INTERSECTS PRETTY WELL WITH THE VISION ZERO ISSUES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT DATA ALREADY EXISTS RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE WITH LANE STRIPING, BUT YOU KNOW, ALL OF US CAN DRIVE DOWN A PARTICULAR PART AND GIVE YOU A CALL OR RIDE A CALL OR RAZZY A CALL THAT, HEY, WE NEED TO STRIPE THIS MEAN. AFTER THE WAR B CORRIDOR WAS FINISHED, UH, OUR SIDE OF WAR BACH WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY UNS STRIPED FOR A WHILE. IT'S BEEN IMPROVED, BUT, UM, THEY'RE ALL OVER TOWN. I, I DO THINK, UH, JUST FROM A RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THAT'S THE MOST IMMEDIATE IMPACT, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE SEEING, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES FOR, UM, FOR STREET MAINTENANCE BEING AT CAPACITY COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I, AND I DIDN'T MENTION IT EARLIER ABOUT OUR E M SS SERVICES ON, UH, UH, WAIT TIMES FOR THE AMBULANCE OR TRANSPORT. UM, I WOULD, UH, AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE THAT WE NEED TO ADD, UH, ONE OR MAYBE EVEN TWO TO GET THAT DOWN. OUR, OUR, UH, MEDICAL RESPONSE FAR OUTWEIGHS THE FIRE RESPONSES HERE IN TOWN. AND, AND, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO WORK TO GET THAT RESPONSE TIME DOWN FOR THE, UH, THE TRANSPORT PORTION OF THAT. AND, UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE ONE OR, UH, EVEN TWO ADDITIONAL, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET. UH, SPEAKING OF STRIPING, UH, I THOUGHT WE WERE ON A ONCE EVERY, WE USED TO BE ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND WE MOVED IT TO ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS FOR ALL OF OUR STREETS. I DON'T KNOW COUNCILMAN, BUT I THINK WE'RE BEHIND. I MEAN, INTUITIVELY, I'M NOT SURE WE'RE BEHIND, BUT I MEAN, IT, IT LOOKS, IT LOOKS BAD. I, I, SO I, I THOUGHT WE MOVED IT TO ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS AND IT, IT DOES LOOK BAD AND MAYBE WE NEED TO MOVE THAT UP EVEN FURTHER. BUT, UH, UH, I THOUGHT WE, WE INCREASE THE, THE, UM, FREQUENCY OF STRIPING ALL OF OUR STREETS. SO, UM, ANYWAY, ROZY. YEAH, ROZY WAS, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. WELL, I DO KNOW THIS WAS THE DISCUSSION AT THE F Y 18, BUT YEAH, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY IT. SO DECRE OR IN INCREASE THE FREQUENCY. COUNCILMAN K THANK YOU FOR MISSING US. YOU TELL YOU ARE MISSING PUBLIC WORKS AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE MAKE US HAPPY. OUR BUDGET, FIRST OF ALL, MARY IS CORRECT, USED TO BE $1 MILLION, NOVICE, 5.6 MILLION. WE DO THE MAJOR CORRIDOR IN DOWNTOWN ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS. EVERYTHING ELSE [04:20:01] WE DO ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE DO THERMOPLASTIC NUT PAINT. THEY HAVE THREE, THREE YEARS LIFECYCLE. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE ARE DOING FIVE YEARS, IT'S ALREADY TOO OLD. ONE OF THE CHALLENGE WE ARE HAVING WITH THIS STRIPING LACK OF RAIN, WHEN WE HAVE RAIN, IT WASHES THOSE STRIPING, IT MAKES ULTRA CLEANING THAN IT WAS BEFORE. AND NOW WE ARE NOT GETTING AS MUCH AS RAIN WE USED TO GET. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE MUCH, MUCH DARKER THAN SUPPOSED TO BE. THANK YOU, ZI. SO, UH, IF YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION IN THE FOLLOW UP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO? YEAH, JUST TWO THINGS ABOUT IT. ONE THAT WE FOUND IN OUR DISTRICT IS THAT, THANK YOU. IT'S MY TIME. ONE WE FOUND WAS THAT, UM, IT OFTEN WE LOSE THE STRIPING AFTER A STREET HAS BEEN WORKED ON. AND SO IT WORKS, IT'S BEEN WORKED ON, AND THEN NOBODY COMES BACK TO DO THE STRIPING. UH, AND THAT'S HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE ASK FOR A STUDY BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS SAID THEY WANT RED LIGHTS OR THEY WANT SOMETHING OR OTHER, AND THEN IT GOES TO PUBLIC WORKS AND IT STARTS THE STUDY, BUT THEN IT SAYS, THE STUDY'S CLOSED, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHY IT GOT CLOSED. WE DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME. AND IF WE KNEW THE OUTCOME, WE CAN TELL THAT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WELL, IT DIDN'T GET DONE BECAUSE OF THIS OR THAT. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF IT THAT IF WE HAVE THE INFORMATION, WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK, THANK YOU. AS PROMISED, I HAVE MORE COMMENTS NOW. I'VE, UH, I'VE BEEN LISTENING AND I KNOW WE'RE CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT, UH, THAT GOES INTO THE RESERVE AND CONSIDERING INCREASING THE AMOUNT THAT GOES INTO THE RESERVE. AND I, I DON'T THINK I SUPPORT IT. WE'VE SPENT THE LAST, YOU KNOW, FEW YEARS EXPRESSING THE URGENCY TO USE OUR RESOURCES TO ADDRESS OUR MOST PRESSING NEEDS, AND WE AREN'T THERE YET. AND MANY OF OUR REQUESTS TODAY, I FEEL LIKE COULD BE FUNDED IF WE DON'T INCREASE THIS RESERVE JUST YET. MAYBE THAT'S THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THING. UM, YOU KNOW, I I SUPPORT AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOMETHING, UH, COUNCILMAN KEO HOWARD HAD TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE A VICTIM'S FUND FOR VICTIMS OF PROPERTY THEFT AND DAMAGE. AND FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, MAYBE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE, TO CREATE SOME SORT OF A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE WE PROVIDE, UM, INSURANCE GRANTS SO THAT SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ACHIEVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF INSURANCE THAN THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE. UM, AND I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, UM, WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THAT, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT. UM, I'LL ALSO NEVER SAY THAT AN ADDITIONAL FT WOULDN'T BE USEFUL. I WOULD LOVE ONE. UM, AND SO I WANNA SUPPORT THAT. I KNOW OTHERS MAY NOT HAVE THE NEED OR APPETITE FOR INCREASING THE F T E. AND SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN CREATIVELY PROVIDE THAT NEED FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO COULD USE THE SUPPORT, UM, OR FILL SOME OTHER NEEDS. SO IN LIKE INCREASING OUR PRINTING AND BINDING BUDGET, UM, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW EACH OTHER'S OFFICES WORK BASED ON HOW OUR OWN OFFICE WORKS. BUT EACH OF OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE VERY UNIQUE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR, OF HOW OUR OFFICES SHOULD OPERATE. AND FOR ME, THAT'S TIED MY HANDS TO OPERATING TWO FIELD OFFICES. AND I KNOW THAT'S THE CASE FOR, UH, A FEW OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES AS WELL. UM, I WOULD SUPPORT THE EQUIPMENT STAFFING STUDY FOR FIRE AND NEEDS, UH, STUDY FOR FIRE AND E M SS. UM, IN REGARDS TO THE 100 OFFICERS, I'D FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF THEY WERE ALLOCATED TO THE SAFE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS. IF WE'RE DEAD SET ON 100 PATROL, I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HELD OFF ON THAT UNTIL THE ENTIRE STUDY WAS COMPLETED. I JUST THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUPPORT COUNCILMAN BRAVO'S REQUEST TO DOUBLE OUR CAPACITY FOR THE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM. UM, AND I'D ALSO, I'LL ADD THAT EARLIER I MENTIONED CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND HEALTH DISPARITIES, UM, AND I BELIEVE, UH, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD MENTIONED BREAST CANCER AND OTHER, UH, WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES. AND I THINK RIGHT NOW IS A IMPORTANT TIME TO, UM, TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE THERE. UM, REGARDING COUNCILMAN PERRY'S COMMENTS ON CEMETERIES, I WAS LISTENING TO THAT, AND I KNOW THIS IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT HE SAID THE WORD CEMETERIES, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CEMETERIES THAT MAKE UP THE ENTRY TO THE EAST SIDE, RIGHT PAST ST. PAUL SQUARE, PAST IDEA CARVER, PAST THE FREDERICK BUILDING. UM, AND THE STATE OF THE CEMETERIES COMPOUND A SENSE OF BLIGHT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE THIS BUDGET, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, A CEMETERY MASTER PLAN BECAUSE THE, THE CEMETERIES DO NOT HAVE TO BE HORRIFIC. AND ESPECIALLY FOR ME, WHEN THEY MAKE THE ENTRY INTO THE EAST SIDE, I THINK IT'S A DISSERVICE IF THEY'RE NOT, UM, BEAUTIFIED AND MAINTAINED. AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE OUR CEMETERIES THAT ARE, UH, OUR CEMETERIES COMPARABLE TO SAY THE, THE CEMETERIES ON THE MILITARY BASIS. SO THOSE ARE, I THINK, WHAT I HEARD AND WHAT I, OH, AND ALSO MORE LOCATIONS AND POSITIONS FOR STANDUP SA I SEE THAT SO FAR. UM, AND I'LL, IF WE CHIME IN AGAIN, I GUESS I'LL ADD MORE COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON THE TOPIC OF INFRASTRUCTURE, [04:25:01] I WOULD BE, UH, MORE INCLINED TO SUPPORT THE INCREASE IN, UH, C I P AND NAMP. UM, I, I'M NOT TOO SURE IF THE QUESTION WAS TO FOCUS PRIMARILY ON, UM, SMALLER AREAS OR HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITH C I P AND N. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE QUESTION OR THE CLARIFICATION YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. NO, I, UM, I GUESS THE QUESTION I WAS ASKING, UM, INSTEAD OF ADDING MONEY TO I M P OR ADDING MONEY TO NAMP, UM, IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS LIKE RUIZ MM-HMM. AND, AND SAYING, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THIS AREA 'CAUSE THIS IS THE WORST OUT OF THE TOP 10 MM-HMM. , FOR INSTANCE. UM, SO EITHER OR. OKAY. YEAH, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO BOTH. YEAH. I, I, I WOULD, UH, BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE I M P AND NAMP. GIVEN THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE VAST NEEDS, THERE IS A HUGE CONCENTRATION OF NEED WITHIN THAT RUIZ AREA. AT THE SAME TIME, PARALLEL TO THAT, WE HAVE, UH, DRAINAGE CONCERNS WHERE SIDEWALKS CAN BE, UM, DEPENDING ON DESIGN USE TO CHANNEL WATER AWAY FROM THE HOMES. SO I THINK NAPA AND I M P GIVE US THAT FLEXIBILITY TO MEET, UH, THOSE, UH, THOSE NEEDS. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT I EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE TITLE CLEARANCE PROGRAMMING, AND THAT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN UNITY COUNCIL'S HOPING TO DO, UM, AND CAN DEFINITELY USE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. UH, YESTERDAY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAD A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS OF OPPORTUNITY HOME TO EXPRESS SOME MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY CONCERNS. UM, I KNOW OTHER CITIES HAVE, UH, CREATED A FUND TO SUPPORT THEIR HOUSING AUTHORITIES FOR BASIC, UM, MAINTENANCE. UM, I'D BE INTERESTED IN US EXPLORING HOW TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT WHILE, UH, WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AND LOBBY FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS TO SUPPORT OUR HOUSING AUTHORITIES. UH, ANOTHER NEED THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE FOR VERY, VERY MINOR, UM, MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR HOMES. BUT, UM, BUT, BUT BIG MODIFICATIONS TO OUR SENIORS IN PARTICULAR. AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF SENIORS WHO CALL IN, UH, LOOKING FORCES TO INSTALL, UH, HANDLES, TO GET HANDLES TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE SHOWER, TO INSTALL HANDRAILS, TO GET, UH, UP AND DOWN THEIR PORCH. AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MANY, UH, PROGRAMS OR RESOURCES FOR THAT. UH, I WOULD LIKE SUPPORT ON IDENTIFYING A NONPROFIT THAT DOES THAT WORK, SO THAT WAY WE CAN PROVIDE THESE, UH, MANY MODIFICATIONS, IF YOU WILL, TO OUR SENIORS WHO JUST, UH, NEED, UH, SUPPORT WITH ACCESSIBILITY. UH, THE COUNCILMAN COURAGE TOUCHED ON A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A, A, A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT. AND THAT'S, UH, CHILDCARE AND ACCESS TO CHILDCARE. AND I THINK, UH, EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CITY FACILITIES TO CREATE A CHILDCARE FACILITY FOR, UM, CITY EMPLOYEES IS IMPORTANT AND WILL HELP US FILL THOSE VACANCIES. UM, THERE IS A, A CHILDCARE, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED A DESERT, UM, CLOSE TO THE INNER CITY. AND PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT, UM, FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, I THINK WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING IS SHIFTING AS A CITY TO PROVIDE, UH, ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE. UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT IF THERE ARE OFFICES THAT NEED SUPPORT WITH FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. UM, THAT WE ALL HAVE VERY DIFFERENT NEEDS. UM, SOME OF US ARE VERY CONSTITUENT SERVICES HEAVY, AND SOME ARE MORE POLICY. IT JUST DEPENDS ON OUR, THE DEMOGRAPHICS WE REPRESENT. UM, SO I THINK PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER ELA. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ERIC, UH, ART AS SHA STRU SHADE STRUCTURES, SHADE STRUCTURES IS ART. UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID YOU, YOU GUYS WERE WORKING ON, I'D LIKE TO GET A FEEL SOMETIME SOON FOR WHERE WE ARE IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA START GETTING HOT AGAIN IN, UH, UH, MAY, UH, UH, WE SHOULD FULLY EXPECT A HUNDRED PLUS DEGREE WEATHER. UM, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, WE HAD A REALLY SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO, UH, INDIA. I WALKED AWAY, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT OTHER CITIES MAY BE, UH, MINING FOR GOLD IN THOSE HILLS, UM, BY HAVING A MORE PERMANENT PRESENCE THERE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS CASA SAN ANTONIO DOWN IN MEXICO. I DO THINK IT'S WORTH EXPLORING, UM, EXPANDING OUR REACH IN ASIA, UH, PARTICULARLY IN INDIA, UM, BY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HIRING CONSULTANT OR, UH, SETTING UP SOME SORT OF PROGRAM, MAYBE EVEN PARTNERING UP WITH A MEDICAL SCHOOL IN U T SS A TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT PEOPLE HERE. THE OTHER THING ALSO IS, UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, BUT POLICE OFFICER SUICIDES ARE STILL, UH, YOU KNOW, A CRISIS THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MORE, MAYBE MORE PSYCHOLOGISTS, MORE COUNSELORS, UM, YOU KNOW, A BETTER, UH, MORE ROBUST PLAN THAT WE CAN, UM, THAT WE CAN ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. UM, YOUR, YOUR FRIENDS AND MINE, ERIC, UM, THE, UH, THE CRICKET LEAGUE OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, THEY'RE ASKING FOR LIGHTING AND BLEACHERS AT THEIR PARKS. UH, WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 700 PEOPLE EVERY WEEKEND, UM, PLAYING CRICKET AND IN THESE LEAGUES. AND, UM, IF WE'VE [04:30:01] GOT THAT MANY PEOPLE WANTING, WANTING LIGHTING AND SOME BLEACHERS, I THINK I, I THINK IT'S WORTH, UH, IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING. THAT'S IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. I GUESS MAYBE I WOULD LIKE FOR ERIC, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, CLARIFICATION ON THE C I P AND WHAT YOU WERE, WHAT YOU WERE DISCUSSING AS ALTERNATIVES. UM, WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS, UM, IF WE WERE TO DOUBLE OUR C I P, EVERY DISTRICT WOULD HAVE 2 MILLION. UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A MILLION, RIGHT? AND I HEARD A FEW MAJOR ASK, LIKE I'M THINKING ABOUT IN, UH, D SIX AND D FIVE, I HEARD THE SENIOR CENTER. THAT'S A OF IMPORTANCE FOR ME. I KNOW COUNCILMAN CAB ALSO MENTIONED PARKS. IF, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY, IF I HAD, IF I HAD THE MONEY, I WOULD LIKE TO USE C I P DOLLARS TO PURCHASE LAND FOR THE SENIOR CENTER. UM, AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD WANT TO USE IT FOR. IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE A PROJECT IMMEDIATELY, IT WOULD BE GETTING THAT LAND. AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND MAYBE, UH, D SIX COULD USE ALL, UH, COULD USE THAT FUNDING TO USE ALL OF THOSE STEP TO, TO COMPLETE ALL OF THOSE STEPS. SO THEY'RE IN A SIMILAR POSITION AS ME. UM, OTHERS MIGHT WANT TO USE IT SPECIFICALLY ON PARKS LIKE I'M DOING THIS YEAR. UM, WE'RE TURNING SOME OF OUR VACANT LOTS INTO A PARKS, AND SO I'M REALLY, THAT'S WHERE I, I'M THINKING OF C I P AS JUST A VERY FLEXIBLE TOOL FOR US. AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE THAT MAYBE I'M NOT SEEING, THEN I DON'T KNOW. I, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS A LITTLE BIT MORE OR A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHERE YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR ALL THIS MM-HMM. . THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING. SO, I MEAN, WE DON'T, WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A CAPITAL ALLOTMENT MM-HMM. . UM, AND WE MAY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY, BUT, UH, WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET. REALLY, A LOT OF IS DETERMINED UPON THE, THE FINAL TAX RATE. UM, I'M HEARING THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, UH, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAPITAL NEEDS I'M HEARING, WELL, THREE I M P AND NAMP COUNCIL SPECIFIC ALLOCATIONS MM-HMM. , AND THEN CAPITAL ASKS, UM, LIKE THE TWO SENIOR CENTERS TO BUY PROPERTY. UM, UH, THE, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THAT, THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DELIVER ON IS IMPLEMENTING THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM. AND SO, UM, WE DON'T HAVE, I MEAN, I THINK THE ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH IS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE, THERE MAY BE A DESIRE TO HAVE A SENIOR CENTER IN A PART OF THE CITY, UM, AND SPENDING MONEY TO BUY PROPERTY. UH, REALISTICALLY, I DON'T KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T FUND A SENIOR CENTER, A $12 MILLION SENIOR CENTER IN OUR BUDGET. MM-HMM. . SO THAT'S REALLY FOR THE 2027 BOND PROGRAM, POTENTIALLY AS IT SITS NOW IN TERMS OF OUR PLANNING. SO IS IT BETTER TO SPEND, THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT I WILL ASK THE STAFF. IS IT BETTER TO SPEND THAT MONEY NOW OR DO WE GO FIX THE STREET OFF OF RUIZ? RIGHT? THAT'S THE CAPITAL CONVERSATION. SO I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO GET A RELATIVE SENSE ABOUT WHAT THE GROUP IS LOOKING FOR. UM, AND, UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER CONSIDERATION, I THINK, IN ALL HONESTY IS, IS WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DELIVER WHAT THE COUNCIL'S ASKING FOR. BECAUSE ABSENT, UM, ABSENT ANYTHING NEW, WE WE'RE, WE'VE GOT, WE'RE DELIVERING ON A, ON THE MOST EVER, WE'RE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO DELIVER ON THE MOST EVER. WE'VE SET ASIDE IN TERMS OF STREETS, UH, THE NEW F STREETS, THE MONEY WE SET ASIDE WITH ARPA AND THE LARGEST BOND PROGRAM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW. AND SO THE, THE, THE CONSIDERATION IN MY HEAD IS MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO AS PART OF THE SUMMER AND COME BACK TO PRESENT TO YOU, THAT WE LITERALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. AND IF WE DON'T, WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? AND THAT'S THE ANALYSIS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS SUMMER. IF I COULD JUST CLOSE MY THOUGHTS, I GUESS IT WOULD BE THAT, UM, SO IF WE'RE THINKING WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE 22 TO 27 BOND PROGRAM, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT MADE SOME DISTRICTS, UH, MADE SOME PROJECTS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS IN GETTING, UH, IN NUMBER ONE BEING PROPOSED AND THEN ALSO MAKING THEM FEASIBLE, UH, MORE AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN 2027, HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR NEEDS LIKE A SENIOR CENTER, UH, TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE? AND IF WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, A LOT OF THE GROUNDWORK DONE, LIKE LAND PURCHASED AS WAS DONE WITH THE, UH, DISTRICT THREE POLICE SUBSTATION, UM, I THINK WE'RE THINKING THAT IN 2027, MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT MAKES THOSE PROJECTS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER FRUITION. THERE'S ALSO, IF THEY WERE TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, A SENIOR CENTER WAS TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT. THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE HOUSING BOND, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE TS AND OTHER, AND THE HOUSING TRUST. AND SO I THINK THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO MAKE THOSE PROJECTS SUCCESSFUL THAT IF WE COULD JUST GET THE LAND, WE MIGHT FIND, UH, THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE MORE REALISTIC. AND, AND WE DID NOT BUY THE, WE SET ASIDE MONEY, BUT WE DID NOT BUY THE LAND FOR, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, SOUTHEAST SIDE SERVICE CENTER [04:35:01] IN ADVANCE. PART OF THAT SPOKE, YEAH. IN FACT, UH, UM, THAT JUST GOT COMPLETED HERE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. DIFFERENT STRATEGY, BUT STILL POINT STANDS. THANK YOU, . THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA SUPPORT COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S ASK FOR, UH, PLANNING FOR SENIORS FOR THINGS SUCH AS WHEELCHAIR RAMPS, HANDRAILS, UH, AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. UH, I DEFINITELY WANNA SUPPORT, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGES ASK FOR, UH, SUPPORT FOR MORE CHILDCARE ACCESSIBILITY. UM, AND THEN, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING FOR LARGE AREA TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME AREAS IN TOWN WHERE, YOU KNOW, A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND THEY MIGHT DO A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, BUT IT'S JUST FOR THAT IMMEDIATE AREA RIGHT AROUND THEM. BUT IF YOU HAVE A CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENTS IN AN AREA, WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR OUR TRAFFIC IMPACTS? AND IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME LARGER SCALE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, MAKE SURE WE HAVE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THE ONLY THING I REALLY WANT TO ADD IS, IS MY, UH, SECOND TO THE IDEA THAT WE CAN AFFORD WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S ASKING TO EXPAND OUR RESERVES. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THEM BY 1%, YOU'RE STILL TALKING PROBABLY ABOUT 10, $15 MILLION OR MORE. AND IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT ANY MORE THAN THAT, THEN IT'S EVEN MORE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE FILE NUMBERS ARE, BUT IF WE ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE KIND OF RATINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD, EVEN THROUGH TOUGH TIMES WITH 15%, THEN I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO STRIVE TO GET TO 16 OR 17 OR 18, AT LEAST NOT IN THIS BUDGET YEAR COMING FORWARD. I THINK. SO. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. ANY FURTHER POINTS? MAYOR, ONE POINT, AND, UH, THE CHIEF HAD TO STEP OUT. CHIEF HOOD HAS TO STEP OUT TO MAKE A CALL, BUT, UH, AND I WANTED HIM TO, TO DO THIS, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO IT MYSELF AND WE'LL, WE WILL INCORPORATE IT WITHIN THE MIDYEAR. SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT FIRE NEEDS AND A PART OF WHAT, UH, THE OTHER, NO, THE OTHER CHIEF, SORRY, , I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED. SORRY. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY CHIEFS. TOO MANY CHIEFS IN THE ROOM. . SO, UM, IS, IS WE, IT IS TIME AND THEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED. WE'VE GOTTA GO BACK THROUGH THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. UH, THERE'S AN EXAMINATION ON RESOURCES, UH, BOTH, UH, STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY THAT THAT GETS, UH, LAID OUT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. AND IT'S IN ORDER FOR US TO REMAIN AT AN ACCREDITED FIRE DEPARTMENT, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAD THE BASIS FOR, UM, MANY OF THE THINGS WE'VE ADDED IN OUR BUDGET THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, AS WELL AS THE E M S UNIT PROPOSED FOR NEXT YEAR, IS THAT IT WAS LAID OUT AS PART OF A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT ACCREDITATION ANALYSIS. SO, UM, UM, SINCE SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, A SIMILAR ANALYSIS WITH FIRE, PLEASE KNOW THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY STARTED AND WE'LL BE LAYING OUT, UM, LATER ON THIS YEAR, WHAT, THAT IT'S IN, UH, FALL OF FALL OF THIS YEAR, MARIA. SO IT'LL BE AFTER THE BUDGET, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS. UM, IT WILL REQUIRE, UH, PROBABLY ADDITIONAL UNITS, ADDITIONAL STAFFING, ADDITIONAL FACILITIES, UH, CHANGES TO TECHNOLOGY. AND JUST LIKE WE DID IN, IN 2017, WE'LL INCORPORATE THAT WITHIN THE FIVE YEAR BUDGET. AND WE'VE, WE'VE USED THAT AS A GUIDE TO ADD THE LADDER COMPANIES, THE E M S UNITS, THE ENGINE COMPANIES, AND THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. SO THAT'LL REALLY GIVE US A LEG UP IN WHAT WE NEED TO DO GOING FORWARD. AND I'LL, I'LL JUST, UH, MAYOR, WILL YOU INDULGE ME FOR A SECOND? I NEED TO DO A MIA CALL CALL. DO I HAVE A CHOICE? GO AHEAD. EAR. EARLIER I TALKED ABOUT, UH, ADDING E M S AND I, I THINK I CALLED OUR E M S UNITS OLD, AND I NEED TO APOLOGIZE THAT BECAUSE WE REPLACE OUR E M S UNITS ABOUT EVERY FOUR YEARS OR SO. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OLD E M S UNITS. NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY OLD THINGS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, PERIOD. WELL, WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR THE, THE, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT WANTING TO DO ANALYSIS, I THINK OF MY FAVORITE YOGI BEAR QUOTE, WHICH IS, UH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, THEN YOU'LL END UP SOMEPLACE ELSE. WE REALLY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE BE AT WHAT LEVEL IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS? AND, UH, GIVE US A, A SENSE OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR US TO GET THERE. SO, UM, THE ONLY THING, OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION, UM, JUST IN, BECAUSE I'M GONNA CLOSE US NOW WITH, WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF WHERE I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMENTS, UM, AND MAYBE SOME DIRECTION FOR YOU, ERIC. AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO, UH, REFLECT ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT NAMP AND CAPITAL FUNDS AND IN [04:40:01] THE PARTICULAR COUNCIL OFFICES, AND I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE AN OLD MAN, BUT WHEN MY FIRST NAMP BUDGET WAS $250,000, UM, IT'S GROWN QUITE A BIT FROM THERE. MY ONLY CAUTION ON THE CONVERSATION ABOUT N FUNDS AND INCREASING WITHIN THE SPECIFIC COUNCIL DISTRICTS IS THAT THE MORE OF THE COUNCIL OR THE MORE OF THE BUDGET THAT WE CONTINUE TO CHOP UP IN 10 EQUAL PIE PIECES OF THE PIE. THE FURTHER AND FURTHER WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM OUR BIGGER VISION ON EQUITY. WE KNOW THAT DISTRICT FIVE AND DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE, UM, ARE PROBABLY IN THE MOST NEED OF SOME OF THESE CAPITAL, UH, INVESTMENTS LESS SO THAN, THAN PERHAPS OTHERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, STREETS BUILT ON LIMESTONE. UM, SO THE MORE THAT WE'RE CHOPPING UP OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, WANTING TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS, THE FARTHER WE ARE GETTING AWAY FROM THE VISION OF EQUITY, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS US HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? I MEAN, IF IT IS ALL CLEAR THAT WE DO NEED A SENIOR CENTER IN DISTRICT TWO, WE NEED A SENIOR CENTER IN DISTRICT FIVE. I DON'T ARGUE WITH THAT WHATSOEVER. MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE C I P IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT, BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS SOME FLEXIBLE DOLLARS IN THOSE AREAS. WE ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. I JUST, UH, I JUST WANT TO CAUTION US, LET'S NOT BE SO, UH, ACCELERATE SO MUCH TOWARDS CUTTING UP MORE OF OUR BUDGET BY 10 EQUAL PIECES AND, AND MORE LOOK AGAIN TOWARDS WHAT, WHAT YOU MENTIONED COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AT THE TOP, WHICH IS WHAT'S THE OUTCOME WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. UM, COUPLE OTHER THINGS, JUST, UH, AGAIN, ERIC AND I, YOU NEED TO CHECK MY MATH HERE, BUT A LOT OF, UH, CONVERSATION AGAIN ON LANE STRIPING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND PRIORITIZING LANE STRIPING. I HEARD NO, UH, DISAGREEMENT, ALTHOUGH SOME, UH, IN TERMS OF WANTING, WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PERSONNEL, UH, AND INVESTIGATIONS. BUT THE A C S STRATEGIC PLAN, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT. UM, PRETTY UNANIMOUS, UH, COMMENTS ON HOUSING, STAYING FOCUSED ON HOUSING. WE TALKED ABOUT FIRE. UH, I DID HEAR A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE STAFFED AND RESOURCED FOR THE PROACTIVE IN APARTMENT INSPECTIONS, THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING INSPECTIONS THAT, THAT ALREADY CAME FORWARD TO COUNCIL. UM, I THINK WE NEED A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON, ON ALTERNATIVES, DAVID, ON, UH, SOLID WASTE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO KEEP OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AT OR ABOVE WHERE IT'S AT. UH, SO WE'LL NEED SOME, SOME THERE. UH, THERE STILL IS DISCUSSION LEFT TO GO ON, ON PUBLIC SAFETY STAFFING, BUT, UH, IF I'M CALLING CONSENSUS CORRECTLY, WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH, UM, GETTING STARTED ON THE PATROL OFFICER CONTINGENT, UM, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS OUTREACH. AND, UM, AND THEN THERE'S LOTS OF COMMENTS, ONE'S AND TWOS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES. I CAN NAME SEVERAL OF THEM. I'LL JUST, UM, I'LL JUST, UH, MAKE A MENTION OF TWO VISION ZERO AND THEN THE, UM, LIBRARY CARDS MOVING THAT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE INTO ALL OF THE FACILITIES SO THEY'RE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM. UM, THOSE ARE MY, UM, SUMMARY COMMENTS. IT'S BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE A LOT OF THIS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO US, ERIC, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES WITHIN EACH DISTRICT. UM, BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO, AGAIN, TO REFLECT WHAT'S BEEN SORT OF A, A, A COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE END OF IT. UM, AT THIS POINT, ERIC, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, BUT I, I KNOW WE WANT TO GO THROUGH OUR OUTREACH STRATEGY FOR THE REST OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO OVER TO YOU, ERIC. THANK YOU. AND, AND I'LL, UH, GATHER MY THOUGHTS WHILE ALANA COMES UP AND GIVES, UH, THE COUNCIL QUICK PRESENTATION ON THE SURVEY. WE INTEND TO, UH, KICK OFF THE DAY AFTER THE TRIAL BUDGET, SO THAT'LL BE ON MAY 11TH. WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME. AND, AND, UH, ALANA WILL WALK THROUGH THAT AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TRY TO CHECK, UM, MY LIST ALSO. MAYOR, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ALANA REED. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SHARE THIS YEAR'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH APPROACH FOR OUR F Y 2024 BUDGET. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH THIS YEAR, BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK LAST YEAR TO BEST UNDERSTAND OUR COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS, NEEDS OF CITY SERVICES AND BUDGET PRIORITIES IN THE FORM OF A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY. THE SURVEY WILL BE SHAPED AROUND THE PRIORITIES SET TODAY AND THE RESULTS WILL BE PRESENTED TO HELP INFORM RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FUNDING PRIORITIES. [04:45:04] THE STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY WILL BE CONDUCTED BY E T C INSTITUTE. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS WORKED WITH E T C INSTITUTE IN THE PAST, AND THEY'RE A NATIONAL SURVEY FIRM WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING COMMUNITY SURVEYS. THEY ACTUALLY CONDUCTED OUR 2022 COMMUNITY SURVEY AND THE 2021 POLICE SERVICES SURVEY. SO HOW WILL RESIDENTS BE SELECTED FOR THE SURVEY? THEY WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR THE SURVEY BASED ON THEIR ADDRESS WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING AT LEAST 100 VALID SURVEYS COMPLETED IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT. SO THAT'LL BE 1067 SURVEYS TO BE COMPLETED CITYWIDE WITH A 95% LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE AND A PLUS OR MINUS 3% PRECISION. THE SAMPLE WILL BE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE RESULTS REPRESENT OUR CITY'S DIVERSE POPULATION WITH RESPECT TO AGE, RACE, GENDER, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS. AND THE SURVEY WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. THE SURVEY WILL BE MAILED TO A RANDOM SAMPLE OF AT LEAST 5,000 HOUSEHOLDS. THAT'S 500 PER COUNCIL DISTRICT. AND PARTICIPANTS CAN COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE BY MAIL OR BY CALLING A TOLL-FREE NUMBER. THERE WILL BE BILINGUAL FOLLOW-UP BY EMAIL AND BY PHONE TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION TOO. AND THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY, E T C INSTITUTE WILL MONITOR THE GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC RESULTS AND CONDUCT OVERSAMPLING IF NEEDED, TO ENSURE EVERYONE IS WELL REPRESENTED. SO WHAT WILL WE LEARN FROM USING THE STATISTICALLY VALID METHOD? THE QUESTIONS WILL ME MEASURE WHAT RESIDENT LEVEL OF NEED IS FOR CITY SERVICES, HOW WELL THOSE NEEDS ARE BEING MET, AND HOW IMPORTANT THOSE SERVICES ARE TO RESIDENTS. THE DATA WILL SHOW US PRIORITY INVESTMENT RATINGS FOR SERVICE CATEGORIES THAT WILL BE FURTHER SEGMENTED INTO DEMOGRAPHIC CATEGORIES. IN ADDITION TO THE STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY, COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT WILL HOST AN OPEN-ENDED INPUT FORM ON SA SPEAKUP.COM THAT ANYONE CAN USE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRIAL BUDGET PROCESS. WE'LL ALSO MARKET THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, DIGITAL AND, AND PRINT. AND 3 1 1 WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE CALLS TO RECEIVE INPUT AS WELL. THE OPEN-ENDED INPUT RESULTS WILL BE ANALYZED BY E T C INSTITUTE AND INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT TO COUNCIL. SO THIS IS OUR TIMELINE. THE SURVEY BEGINS ON MAY 11TH, AND WE'LL RUN FROM MAY 11TH TO JUNE 7TH. AND THEN THE RESULTS WILL BE PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 22ND. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALANA. JUST, UH, IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION FOR ALANA, PLEASE, UH, LET ME KNOW. DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION THOUGH, ALANA. I THOUGHT WE DID, UM, THE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK, UM, SURVEY EVERY TWO YEARS, SO THAT WOULD BE OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY. OKAY. THIS IS DIFFERENT. THIS IS SPECIFIC FOR THE BUDGET. GOT IT. OKAY. SO THIS IS JUST THE BUDGET INPUT PROCESS, CORRECT. I BELIEVE IN THE PAST THEY HAD INCLUDED A QUESTION ON THOSE SERER ON SERVICE AND WHAT THE BUDGET PRIORITIES SHOULD BE. GOT IT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALANA, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, I APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH THAT YOU ARE GOING TO CONDUCT. UM, MY SUGGESTION, AND I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON IT, THAT THERE WILL BE A OPEN-ENDED OPTION. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT, UH, TAKING A STEP FURTHER, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE SURVEY WHEN WE'RE ASKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICE, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE BREAK DOWN, UH, EACH UNIT WITHIN PUBLIC SAFETY WITHIN S A P D 'CAUSE I WANNA ENSURE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO LET US KNOW WHICH UNIT THEY HOPE WE INVEST IN. IS IT TRAFFIC, IS IT MENTAL HEALTH? IS IT PATROL? UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GATHER THAT DATA OF, OF WHICH UNIT, UM, THE CONSTITUENTS WANT US TO INVEST IN. WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. WE WERE ALSO THINKING PERHAPS FOR TAX QUESTIONS AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. AND WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UM, TO REVIEW THE SURVEY PRIOR TO IT BEING SENT OUT AND POTENTIALLY, UH, IN COMMITTEE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY, OR A GENERAL B SESSION FOR US TO REVIEW [04:50:01] THE LANGUAGE PRIOR TO IT GOING OUT? I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW IT BEFORE IT GOES OUT AS WELL. ALL RIGHT, WONDERFUL. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY UH, FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ALANA? COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. OF COURSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND YOU TOLD ME BEFOREHAND THAT I WOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT YOUR PRESENTATION AND I AM. YAY. UM, I AM INTERESTED IN THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE BE GONNA BE ASKED, AND I COMPLETELY TRUST THE ENTITY THAT'S GONNA BE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO REVIEWING IT. I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON OUTCOMES, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE SURVEY TO DO THE SAME THING. SO IF SOMEONE SAYS, THIS IS, I LIKE, I BELIEVE THIS GO AROUND, UH, A LOT OF SURVEYS ARE GONNA BE BASED ON WHAT'S TYPE TOP OF MIND FOR RESIDENTS. AND SO I IMAGINE THAT IF WE ASKED A SURVEY SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS YEARS, THE TOP TWO, TOP THREE E C SS IS GONNA BE THERE BASED ON RECENT EVENTS. AND I, I DON'T WANT THINGS TO BE REACTIVE IN NATURE IN THAT WAY. I WOULD RATHER, UM, A SURVEY, A SURVEY STATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR INTER WHAT IS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU INTERACT WITH THE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU EXPECT THEM TO BE DOING THAT THEY'RE DOING WELL? WHAT IS IT YOU EXPECT THEM TO BE DOING THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL? OR WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU THINK COULD USE IMPROVEMENT UPON? AND I THINK IT TOUCHES ON A LITTLE BIT OF THE SURVEY YOU WERE DISCUSSING, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S STILL VALID FOR THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE. AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S. UH, POINT ABOUT BREAKING DOWN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LAR ESPECIALLY OUR LARGER DEPARTMENTS, LIKE SS A P D AND FIRE, AND DETERMINING WHICH SPECIFIC UNITS AND WHICH SPECIFIC, UH, DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, UH, MOST IMPORTANT OR MOST SIGNIFICANT TO A SPECIFIC RESIDENT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. IN OUR BACKUP SLIDES THERE'S ACTUALLY A SAMPLE AS WELL, SO THAT YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OH, BEAUTIFUL. OF WHAT THE RESULTS WILL LOOK LIKE. SO I THINK IT'S THE VERY LAST ONE. THERE YOU GO. SO THAT'S A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE PRIORITY RATINGS WILL LOOK LIKE. AND UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CATEGORIES ARE GONNA BE DIFFERENT BASED ON WHAT WAS DISCUSSED TODAY, BUT, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE RED WILL SHOW HIGH PRIORITY RATINGS. UM, MEDIUM WILL BE BLUE AND LOW WILL BE IN GREEN. BUT THAT, THAT'S JUST TO GIVE YOU A SAMPLE. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT WHAT THOSE CATEGORIES WILL LOOK LIKE. THAT IS REALLY COOL. AND I'M WONDERING AS WELL WITH THE GENERAL, WITH THE OPEN-ENDED SURVEY THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING OUT, I WOULD LOVE TO, AS SOON AS IT IS AVAILABLE, I WANNA KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP GET THE WORD OUT. AMAZING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ ISN'T IF ANYBODY'S JOTTING DOWN THOSE NUMBERS, THAT IS A COMPLETE RANDOM SAMPLE THAT'S NOT ACTUAL REFLECTIVE. THIS IS, NO, THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT, OF WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE. YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALANA. APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND PRESENTATION, ERIC. SO JUST, UM, LET ME ADD ONE THING ON THERE. WE, WE, THE, THE SURVEY HAS, UM, I KNOW BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION IN THE PAST. WE ARE HIRING SOMEBODY WHO DOES THIS AND HAS DONE SIMILAR SURVEYS. AND SO, UH, WE'RE HOPING WE END UP WITH A BETTER PRODUCT THAT IS CERTAINLY, UM, AN OBJECTIVE VIEW, UM, STATISTICALLY VALID. AND, AND FRANKLY, WE'RE USING THIS AS A GUIDE. IT'S AN ADDITIONAL GUIDE FOR THE, FOR, FOR ALL OF US. UM, I THINK ALANA MENTIONED IT, BUT IF SHE DIDN'T, WE WILL, WE DO OUR, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BRING BACK THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY BEF I THINK ON JUNE 21ST. UM, AND SO THAT'LL BE THE, THE LAST COUNCIL, IT'S THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE, UM, THE JULY BREAK. WE'LL BRING THE RESULTS BACK. UM, MAYOR I, I, I KIND OF RAN THROUGH MY LIST, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY AS WELL. UH, THERE'S JUST, UM, UM, THREE CLARIFICATIONS I'D LIKE TO MAKE. UM, ONE, I MEAN, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, HOMELESS OUTREACH. I'M, I'M GONNA SUGGEST BASED ON THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT BROADER IN TERMS OF, OF THE JUST OUTREACH. IT'S, UM, POTENTIALLY ENCAMPMENTS SERVICES KIND, SO A BROADER HOMELESS CATEGORY. UM, WE ALSO HEARD, UM, THREE DIFFERENT COMMENTS THAT ARE ALL KIND OF THE SAME. I THINK ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE, UH, UTILIZE UTILIZING VACANT CITY LOTS AND, UM, PARK IMPROVEMENTS. SO ALL THOSE KIND OF IN A GENERAL CATEGORY. AND THEN, UM, I'M GONNA SUGGEST AND I'LL SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE COUNCIL. I WAS THE MAYOR AND I WERE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT OVER HERE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COUNTY RELATED ITEMS THAT CAME UP THROUGHOUT THE DAY, MORE THIS MORNING. AND I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE HAVE, UM, ANOTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT ENGAGING, UH, WITH THE COUNTY AND LEADERSHIP ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT, UM, NO, NO LINES OF BOUNDARY AND, UH, DOING THAT EARLY ON, UM, BEFORE THEY GET TOO MUCH FURTHER INTO THEIR BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL. AND I'LL TAKE THE LEAD ON, UH, COORDINATING AND, AND ORGANIZING THAT WITH YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ERIC. AND IT IS, UM, MAYOR, I'M SORRY. THERE'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT WE [04:55:01] FORGOT TO MENTION, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK. IT WAS THE MAYOR'S BIRTHDAY. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS, UM, THERE'S A BAKED PRODUCT, UH, THAT A CAKE MAYBE, UH, FOR YOU. AND, UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, WISHING YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOGETHER AND, UH, JOHN COURAGE WILL LEAD US IN SONG. OKAY, EVERYBODY ALL TOGETHER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR RON, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU AND MANY MORE DEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WAS GONNA START CLOSING THIS SESSION BY SAYING HOW PAINFUL THESE PROCESSES USUALLY ARE. UH, YOU'VE MADE IT ADDITIONALLY MORE PAINFUL FOR ME, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BUT, UH, NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THESE, UH, SESSIONS TEND TO BE SOMEWHAT PAINFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REACH PRETTY DEEP INTO WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO IMPROVE. AND THAT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS. BUT THE CITY HAS JUSTIFIABLY GOTTEN THE REPUTATION OF HAVING ONE OF THE MOST INCLUSIVE AND TRANSPARENT BUDGETING PROCESSES OVER THE LAST PROBABLY 10, 15 YEARS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF IT. WE'VE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION. IT IS SOMEWHAT GRATIFYING, ERIC, UM, SINCE YOU MENTIONED THE COUNTY, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOME OUTREACH WITH THEM, THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN THOUGHT PROCESSES ABOUT HOW THEY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR BUDGET AND WHAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO. SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN. KUDOS TO, UH, OUR STAFF, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES. THIS IS A GREAT, UH, BEGINNING. WE'VE MADE AN ADDITIONAL CHANGE. WE'RE DOING THIS A LOT EARLIER, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA RESULT IN A, A MUCH BETTER, UH, BUDGET FOR US AS WE GO TO FORWARD TO 24. ANYTHING ELSE? I WAS JUST GONNA THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THE CONVERSATION. UM, WE'LL TAKE THIS INFORMATION. UM, YOU WILL, WE'LL BE PRESENTING THE TRIAL BUDGET TO YOU IN ON MAY 10TH. UM, AND ALONG WITH THE FORECAST, UM, AND, UH, DOING OUR VERY BEST TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING FOR THE COUNCIL TO REACT TO AND, UH, GIVE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK. UM, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY AND, AND, UH, THANK ALL THE STAFF, UH, JUSTINE AND THE BUDGET STAFF FOR ORGANIZING AND KEEPING US ON TASK TODAY. AND SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF BUDGET SESSIONS BEFORE, AND WE ARE DONE EARLY. SO CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY AT THREE O'CLOCK ON THE 12TH, THE 13TH, UH, OF APRIL, 2023. WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYBODY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.