* 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.
          [00:00:03]
          SO RO IS GONNA TAKE ROLE, UH, COUNCIL MC CASTILLO AND, UM, VEO HDA, THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY. 
          READY? GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          CAVEO. 
          HDA. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO HERE. 
          CHAIR ELIAS HERE. 
          UM, SIR, WE HAVE QUORUM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [Approval of Minutes
 ]
THE FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS WE'RE GONNA BE APPROVING OUR MINUTES FROM MARCH 8TH, UH, MEETING OF I G R, USUALLY COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA HAS THEM MEMORIZED. 
          I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          SO SHE'S MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SECOND. 
          A SECOND. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          THAT WAS UNANIMOUS. 
          NOW WE'RE MOVING ON 
          [Briefing and Possible Action on
 ]
TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MR. COYLE ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED E S D. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, CHAIRMAN, WE'RE GONNA GIVE A, A STATE LEDGE UPDATE. 
          UM, SALLY AND I WILL TAG TEAM IT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF YOUR OFFICES MAY HAVE BEEN GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT REPS. 
          SO WE WANTED TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATION AND MAKING SURE YOU'RE FULLY BRIEFED ON, ON WHERE WE ARE. 
          SO, GO AHEAD. 
          CLIFF. 
          WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ESSENTIALLY IS, UH, A BILL THAT HAS BEEN FILED BY REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ AND SENATOR MENENDEZ. 
          AND ACTUALLY, LET ME BACK UP ONE STEP. 
          YOU MAY RECALL, UH, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, SEVERAL E S D REPRESENTATIVES FROM, I THINK IT WAS MOSTLY E S D FIVE, WENT BEFORE THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND TOLD THEM THAT THE CITY HAD BEEN DELAYING APPROVAL OF THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAMS AND PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK, AND ULTIMATELY CONVINCED THE COURT TO, UH, APPROVE A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR LEGISLATION TO TAKE SOME OF THE CITY'S AUTHORITY AWAY. 
          UM, THE FACTS WEREN'T ALL PRESENTED IN THAT MEETING, AND I'LL GET INTO THOSE SO THAT, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FULL PICTURE. 
          BUT IT LED TO THE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE SENATOR, UH, FILING THIS BILL AT THE REQUEST OF THE ESDS AND, AND I GUESS THE COUNTY AS WELL. 
          THAT BILL HAS NOT BEEN HEARD IN COMMITTEE. 
          AND SO I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND. 
          GO AHEAD, CLIFF. 
          UM, JUST FOR, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, UH, ESDS, WERE ARE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE THAT ARE CREATED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICE, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. 
          SO IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE, THESE ESDS FORM TO PROVIDE FIRE AND E M S, UH, PROTECTION, UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY CREATED THROUGH A, A PETITION AND ULTIMATELY AN ELECTION OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. 
          AND THEY ARE ALLOWED TO IMPOSE A PROPERTY TAX AND A SALES TAX. 
          UH, AND, UM, SO THEY'RE REALLY PARTNERS TO THE CITY. 
          WE SERVE THE CITY THROUGH OUR SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          ESDS SERVE THE AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. 
          UM, AND WHEN THE BO BOUNDARIES CHANGE, WHEN THE CITY ANNEXES TERRITORY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE E S D WHOLE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH OF THEIR TAX BASE WE TAKE IN. 
          SO IF WE TOOK IN A, A ONE 10TH OF THEIR TAX BASE THROUGH AN ANNEXATION, WE WOULD OWE ONE 10TH OF ANY OUTSTANDING DEBT THAT THEY HAVE AT THE TIME. 
          SO, AS A RESULT, NEXT SLIDE, CLIFF. 
          UM, WE, WE HAVE A, A SECTION IN STATE LAW THAT WAS PUT IN THERE, ACTUALLY, BUT BY BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. 
          THE CITY AND COUNTY SUPPORTED THIS, UH, I THINK IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT WHEN ROBERT PUENTE WAS A STATE REP. 
          UH, WE PUT LANGUAGE IN STATE LAW THAT SAYS WHEN THE ESDS ARE CREATED, UH, THE COUNTY AND CITY CAN NEGOTIATE SOME TERMS, UH, SOME CONDITIONS OF THEIR CREATIONS. 
          SPECIFICALLY THAT ANY DEBT THAT THE E S D WANTS TO TAKE ON TO BUILD A FIRE STATION OR BUY EQUIPMENT, UH, IF IT'S ABOVE $20,000 IN TOTAL, THEY HAVE TO COME GET THE CITY'S CONSENT. 
          AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THAT PROVISION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ON THE HOOK FOR IT IF WE ANNEX A PORTION OF THEIR TAX BASE. 
          SO WE EN WE APPROVE THEIR DEBT ON THE FRONT END SO WE KNOW WHAT DEBT THEY HAVE OUTSTANDING AND, UH, AND WHAT OUR OBLIGATION WOULD BE SHOULD OUR BOUNDARIES CHANGE. 
          THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS ARE THAT WE REQUIRE, UH, COMPATIBLE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, UH, FIRE TRUCKS AND FIRE STATIONS THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH US WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          AND WE REQUIRE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS. 
          SO IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, UH, IN THE FRINGES OF OUR CITY OR IN THEIR TERRITORY, WE'LL HELP EACH OTHER RESPOND, UH, TO EMERGENCIES. 
          UH, SO THOSE ARE THE, BASICALLY THE THREE CONDITIONS THEY, THAT WERE PUT ON THE CREATION OF EVERY SINGLE E S D IN BEXAR COUNTY. 
          UM, AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON THE BALLOT WHEN VOTERS APPROVED THOSE ESDS IN THE AREAS. 
          SO, NEXT SLIDE. 
          [00:05:01]
AND SO THESE ARE THE, THE ESDS WE HAVE, WE HAVE 12 EDUARDO, AM I RIGHT? 12. 
          12 ESDS CURRENTLY, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, SERVING ALL THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS AROUND THE CITY. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE, THE FACTS WERE NOT EXACTLY CORRECT WHEN, UH, THE E SS D FIVE WENT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. 
          UH, SINCE 2013, THE PAST DECADE WE'VE APPROVED, THE CITY IS APPROVED ACTUALLY THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, $80 MILLION IN DEBT REQUESTS FROM THE E S D. 
          SO MANY OF THEM HAVE BUILT FIRE STATIONS, BOUGHT FIRE TRUCKS AND SO FORTH BASED ON MONEY THEY BORROWED WITH THE CONSENT OF THE CITY. 
          OUR AVERAGE TIME WE'VE PUT THE, THE DATE WE RECEIVED THE COURT REQUEST, AND THE DATE THAT IT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE'VE DONE IT IN AN AVERAGE OF TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. 
          SO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE ARE SAYING NO, BLOCKING THEM FROM SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES OR, OR TAKING UNNECESSARILY LONG IS NOT CORRECT. 
          WHAT IS CORRECT, IF YOU LOOK ON THAT TABLE IS THAT, UH, WE'VE DENIED E S D FIVE'S REQUESTS. 
          THAT'S IN SOUTHWEST BEXAR COUNTY OUTSIDE OF PRECINCT OF DISTRICT FOUR. 
          AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES IN THAT E S D THAT WERE UNDER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WHERE WE AGREE THEY WERE, THEY WERE KEPT AS AGRICULTURE PROPERTIES. 
          AND THE CITY SAID, OKAY, WE WON'T ANNEX AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THEM IN AN AGRICULTURE STATE. 
          AND SOME OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS VIOLATED THOSE AGREEMENTS AND, AND STARTED DEVELOPING, UH, GOT PERMITS FOR SUBDIVIDING, PUT FIREWORK STANDS ON THEIR PROPERTY, VARIOUS THINGS THAT VIOLATED OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR NON-DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. 
          SO WE MOVED TO BRING THEM INTO THE CITY, AND THE E S D JOINED SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN SUING US OVER THAT, TO STOP THE TERRITORY CHANGING HANDS FROM THE E SS D TO THE CITY. 
          AND THE CITY HAS PREVAILED IN BOTH DISTRICT COURT AND APPEALS COURT, AND THE ESDS HAVE PUSHED THIS TO THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH HAS NOT YET TAKEN UP THE CASE. 
          SO, UH, WITHOUT HAVING SUCCESS IN THE COURTROOM, THE E S D I'LL CHARACTERIZE IT, THESE, THIS IS MY CHARACTERIZATION, HAS GONE A POLITICAL ROUTE AND GONE TO THE COUNTY AND NOW TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO TRY TO TAKE AWAY OUR BLANKET AUTHORITY TO APPROVE THESE, THESE DEBT CONSENTS. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND SO, UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THEM. 
          UH, THE CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY, MYSELF, SALLY, UH, WENT UP TO A MEETING THAT WAS CONVENED BY REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO IN AUSTIN, AND MET WITH ALL THE ESDS. 
          ES D FIVE WAS NOT THERE, WHICH WAS PROBLEMATIC. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN FOR, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, THE BIG ISSUE. 
          THE OTHER ESDS SAID, LOOK, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ASK YOU GUYS FOR CONSENT ANYMORE. 
          NO OTHER ESDS AROUND THE STATE HAVE TO DO THAT. 
          AND THAT'S TRUE. 
          UH, THE, THE STATUTE THAT I REFERRED TO AT THE BEGINNING IS BRACKETED TO SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY. 
          IT WAS THE WISDOM OF THE CITY AND COUNTY AT THE TIME TO HAVE PUT THAT IN STATE LAW. 
          UM, BUT IT DOESN'T APPLY ACROSS THE STATE. 
          AND THEY SAID, WE JUST, WE JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO, TO DEAL WITH IT. 
          AND WE SAID, WELL, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THE SYSTEM'S WORKING. 
          THE PROCESS IS WORKING. 
          UH, THE ONLY ISSUE IS THIS FIGHT WITH E SS D FIVE, AND WE DO STILL HAVE A PENDING REQUEST FROM E S D 12 THAT HAD NOT GIVEN US ALL THE INFORMATION YET TO COMPLETE OUR REVIEW. 
          SO ALL OF THAT SAID, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID, LOOK, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE LOCAL FIGHTS AT THE CAPITOL. 
          I'D LIKE YOU GUYS TO WORK THIS OUT. 
          PLEASE COMPROMISE AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES, AND I'M GONNA HOLD THE BILL UNTIL I HEAR MORE. 
          AND SO WE MET THEN LOCALLY LAST WEEK, MYSELF, MARIA VILLA GOMEZ, UH, REPS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND WE SAID TO THE ESDS, LOOK, THIS IS THE CHECKLIST OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE REQUIRED FROM YOU TO APPROVE YOUR DEBT REQUESTS. 
          WE'RE GONNA PAIR IT WAY DOWN. 
          UM, IT'S, WE ONLY NEED A PROJECT DESCRIPTION, THE LOCATION OF YOUR STATION WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT, THE LOAN TERMS, AND YOUR PROFORMA FOR PAYING IT BACK. 
          AND WE WILL COMMIT TO YOU THAT WE WILL TAKE OUR TWO AND A HALF MONTH APPROVAL PROCESS AND CUT IT DOWN TO 30 DAYS. 
          WITH THAT, UM, THEY COUNTERED WITH, HOW ABOUT YOU DON'T APPROVE US AT ALL? AND IT'S AN INFORMATION SHARING MODEL WHERE WE TELL YOU WHEN WE'RE BORROWING MONEY, AND YOU TELL US WHEN YOU'RE ANNEXING TERRITORY. 
          AND WE SAID, THAT'S NOT REALLY GONNA WORK. 
          WE, THIS IS THERE FOR A REASON TO PROTECT OUR TAXPAYERS AND ORGANIZATION AND FORCE SOME COOPERATION WHEN, WHEN DOING CAPITAL PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S WHERE WE STAND TODAY. 
          WE'RE GONNA MEET WITH THEM AGAIN ON TUESDAY. 
          I'VE BEEN KEEPING REPRESENTATIVE CORTES INFORMED ALL ALONG, UM, AND I'M, THEY MAY BE WATCHING THIS. 
          OUR MESSAGE TO THEM, UH, NEXT TUESDAY IS WE'VE, WE'VE COMPROMISED, WE'VE CHANGED OUR PROCESS. 
          WE'RE WILLING TO MEET YOU HALFWAY, BUT TO WIPE OUT THE, THE PROTECTIONS 
          [00:10:01]
WE HAVE IN STATE LAW, WE'RE NOT WILLING TO GO THAT FAR. 
          UM, I THINK GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          DID WE PUT THIS? YES. 
          UM, AND HERE'S ONE BIG REASON FOR THAT. 
          THE PROPERTIES IN RED ARE ALL PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNDER A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, AND OR A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO COME INTO THE CITY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FIGHTS WITH THE ESDS OVER THOSE ANNEXATIONS, THIS IS GONNA GO ON FOR YEARS. 
          SO OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO, TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THESE PROPERTIES, UH, WILL BE CITY TERRITORY AT SOME POINT, SHAPE THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAMS AROUND THAT FACT, BUILD THEIR STATIONS IN AREAS THAT ARE, THAT RECOGNIZE THAT FACT AND HOPEFULLY GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE WORK TOGETHER MOVING FORWARD. 
          I JUST WANT TO NOTE, UM, IF YOU LOOK ON THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THAT MAP, THOSE TERRITORIES IN RED DOWN, IN, DOWN IN THAT AREA, THEY'RE NOT IN FAR FLUNG AREAS OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS. 
          THEY'RE ACTUALLY WITHIN THE GENERAL SORT OF TERRITORY OF THE CITY, THOSE PROPERTIES. 
          SO HALF OF THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WERE DEVELOPED VIOLATIONS OF AGREEMENTS THAT WE MOVE TO BRING IN. 
          AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, THERE ARE 80 PARCELS MORE IN THAT AREA THAT WILL COME INTO THE CITY ROUGHLY AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. 
          SO OUR HOPE IS WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THINGS WITH S D FIVE OUTSIDE OF COURT, UH, AND THAT, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE COMPROMISED AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM. 
          UM, I'LL SAY ONE LAST THING WITH OUR PAIRED DOWN LIST OF REQUIREMENTS. 
          WE WENT, WE TOOK OUR, THE PENDING E S D 12 REQUEST AND HAVE PUT IT, OR WE'LL PUT IT IF AFTER THIS DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT THURSDAY, SO THAT, UH, IN A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH, UH, WE WILL, UH, UH, CONCUR TO, OR, UM, CONSENT TO THEIR $18 MILLION REQUEST. 
          IT'S FOR A FIRE STATION, UH, TRAINING FACILITY AND SOME OTHER, UH, EQUIPMENT. 
          UM, AND WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I'LL, I'LL STOP THERE, BUT THAT'S THE ISSUE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IN A NUTSHELL. 
          UM, COUNCILMAN CASTRO, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC? NO, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA. 
          UM, THANK YOU, JEFF FOR, UH, THAT WAS A GREAT EXPLANATION. 
          IT WAS, BY THE WAY. 
          SO I WAS LIKE, HEY, HE DID A GREAT JOB. 
          UM, BUT I I, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE ESDS FOR A LONG TIME. 
          I FEEL LIKE WE, UM, ALMOST ARE BEING BULLIED BY, UH, BY, BY ENTITIES, RIGHT? AND SO I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS APPROACH AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE DECIDED TO HOLD AND, AND SEE WHAT WE'RE, UM, WORKING ON. 
          I AM NOT, UH, KINDA LIKE YOU ALL, I I, THE 30 DAYS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING BETTER THAN WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. 
          SO, UM, THE E S D FIVE, LIKE YOU SAID, IS IN MY AREA. 
          WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ANNEXATION STILL THAT WOULD BE UPCOMING. 
          UM, AND WE ALSO, BY THE WAY, HAVE TWO FIRE STATIONS, LIKE RIGHT WITHIN THAT AREA. 
          SO HAVE, WE DID HAVE, HAVE WE DONE A SERVICE MAP OVERLAY OVER THE ESDS? DO WE HAVE THAT BY ANY CHANCE? I THINK THAT MIGHT JUST BE A GRAPHIC TO HAVE MAYBE FOR MY COLLEAGUES NEXT WEEK, JUST SO THAT THEY CAN SEE. 
          WE CAN ASK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. 
          YEAH, I KNOW THEY'RE VERY WELL AWARE OF, OF, AND, AND, AND DO WORK TOGETHER THAT CHIEF HOOD WAS AT THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK ON THIS ISSUE, UM, AND TOLD ME THAT WE REGULARLY RESPOND, UH, IN THOSE E S D AREAS WHERE WE DON'T LET THE POLITICAL BOUNDARIES STOP US FROM RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS HEARD FROM THE FIREFIGHTERS, RIGHT? THAT IT'S, THEY'RE GONNA SAVE LIVES NO MATTER WHAT. 
          AND SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT IT, IT MIGHT JUST BE SOMETHING NICE TO HAVE IN CASE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU, YOU DO, AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, OF, UM, WHAT YOU HAVE RECOMMENDED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UNDER, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, CHIEF ES STEP, RIGHT? UH, THE HEAD OF E S D FIVE, I BELIEVE IS HIS NAME. 
          I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD JOIN, UM, WITH, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE OR JOIN FORCES WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY VIOLATING THEIR PROMISES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BREACHING THESE CONTRACTS. 
          UM, WHY, WHY PICK THAT SIDE AS OPPOSED TO THE SIDE OF, UH, OF JUST HONORING, YOU'RE HONORING THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT? I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM. 
          AND, UH, CAM I DON'T THINK THAT'S WITHIN YOUR AREA OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          SO I DON'T SEE DEBBIE HERE, BUT, UM, I THINK ESSENTIALLY IT WAS AN ARGUMENT OVER WHETHER WE HAD THE RIGHT TO ANNEX THEM, UM, AFTER, AFTER THEY VIOLATED THOSE AGREEMENTS. 
          YOU KNOW, PART OF ERIC MADE THIS COMMENT CORRECTLY THAT WE'RE STUCK IN A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN TWO ERAS. 
          YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO 2017, CITIES COULD UNILATERALLY ANNEX TERRITORY. 
          THERE WAS A WHOLE LENGTHY PROCESS, BUT WE HAD THE, THE SOLE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE 
          [00:15:01]
WHEN TO BRING AREAS INTO THE CITY LIMITS. 
          2017, THAT CHANGED, AND YOU HAVE TO GET A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC IN THAT AREA. 
          SO THE ONLY ANNEXATIONS THAT HAPPEN NOW ARE ONES THAT WERE UNDER AN AGREEMENT FROM YEARS AGO, UH, OR ARE VOLUNTARY. 
          AND THOSE DO STILL HAPPEN. 
          WE HAVE DEVELOPERS COME TO US REGULARLY SAYING, I'M GONNA SUBDIVIDE THIS PROPERTY AND I'D LIKE IT TO BE IN THE CITY. 
          UM, SO I THINK THIS, THE LITIGATION WAS ESSENTIALLY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. 
          AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE PREVAILED AT EVERY STEP SO FAR. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE E S D FIVE, UH, FORGOT WHAT ITS MISSION IS AND IS, UH, COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES HERE AND GETTING, GETTING WAY AHEAD OF ITS SKIS. 
          UM, I'M, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE CITY COUNCIL PERSON OUT THERE THAT THINKS IT'S OKAY FOR ONE E S D TO HOLD THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES HOSTAGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF FIREWORKS VENDORS. 
          SO, UM, I, UH, I CONGRATULATE YOU GUYS ON, UH, KICKING THEIR BUTTS AT DISTRICT COURT, AT APPELLATE COURT. 
          I HOPE THAT THAT BUTT KICK CAN CONTINUES IF THEY CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ISSUE. 
          THAT SAID, I HAVE VISITED WITH THE, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE, UM, OF THE E S D ASSOCIATION, KEVIN CLARKSON, FULL DISCLOSURE. 
          KEVIN AND I WORKED TOGETHER MANY YEARS AGO. 
          HE IS AN OLD FRIEND, AND BY THAT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED MANY YEARS AGO, BUT ALSO, HE'S VERY OLD. 
          HE'S WATCHING, I KNOW, UH, THE, UH, AND WE TEASE EACH OTHER THAT WAY. 
          BUT THE, I I DO THINK THAT HE'S COMING TO THE TABLE IN GOOD FAITH. 
          UM, I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE. 
          UM, I DO THINK THAT EVERY E SS D THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH, UH, WE'VE DEALT WITH IN GOOD FAITH, UM, WE'VE NEVER HEARD COMPLAINTS FROM THEM. 
          UM, EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE THAT WE'VE HAD TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS COMMITTEE OVER THE SIX YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, UM, HAS RESULTED IN US APPROVING, UH, THEIR REQUEST AND ALSO THANKING THEM, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. 
          AND BEING OUR PARTNERS. 
          I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALWAYS TAKEN IT VERY SERIOUSLY, UH, THAT RELATIONSHIP. 
          I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT FIRE CHIEF HOOD AND, UH, YOUR OFFICE, JEFF, AND THAT ERIC WILL STOP TAKING THAT SERIOUSLY. 
          UM, MY HOPE IS THAT THIS E S D FIVE SILLINESS GET RESOLVED SOON. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND, UH, IF ANYTHING CHANGES, PLEASE LET US KNOW. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. 
          UM, APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. 
          SO WE WILL HAVE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA TWO THINGS. 
          THIS COMING WEEK, THE APPROVAL RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF E S D TWELVE'S REQUEST. 
          OKAY. 
          AND BY THE WAY, IF WE SETTLE WITH E S D FIVE AND THEY RESUBMIT THEIR REQUEST, WE'LL MOVE IT JUST AS QUICKLY TO FULFILL THAT. 
          AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM WILL BE ERIC WANTS US TO ACTUALLY CODIFY WHAT THAT CHECKLIST OF WHAT WE ASK OF THEM TO REVIEW THEIR DEBT REQUESTS. 
          'CAUSE ONE OF THEIR COMMENTS WAS, WELL, YOU SAY THIS NOW, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW IT DOESN'T CHANGE IN A YEAR? AND SO WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN ORDINANCE AND ASK YOU TO APPROVE THAT. 
          SO, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY WHAT OUR PROCESS IS. 
          UH, LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN PRODUCTIVE AND RESPECTFUL, EVEN WITH FIVE, THEY CAME TO THE TABLE VERY POSITIVELY LAST WEEK. 
          AND, UH, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT IT'S IN ALL OF OUR INTERESTS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY TO THESE AREAS. 
          NOBODY WANTS TO GET IN THE WAY OF THAT. 
          SO WE WANNA RESOLVE ALL OF THIS AND, AND, AND MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY WHERE WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE COLLECTIVE GOOD OF THESE AREAS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          NEXT TOPIC. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN AUSTIN. 
          YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, LET ME GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE. 
          I'M GOING TO CONTINUE IN THE VEIN OF ESDS WITH ONE MORE BILL FOR YOU TODAY. 
          AND THEN I WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE OF OTHER BILLS THAT I'VE PRESENTED, UM, TO YOU BEFORE, UH, THIS COMMITTEE AND THE FULL COUNCIL THAT WE ARE TRACKING VERY CLOSELY AND, UM, THAT ARE MOVING. 
          I'LL KICK IT OFF WITH HB, UH, 1204. 
          THAT'S A REP MARTINEZ BILL RELATED TO EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS. 
          AGAIN, UM, THIS BILL AUTHORIZES ESDS TO OBJECT TO THE REMOVAL OF ANNEX TERRITORY BY A CITY. 
          ESSENTIALLY 1204 GIVES ESDS, UH, VETO POWER OVER ANY ANNEXATION, UM, WITHIN THEIR, WITHIN THEIR TERRITORY. 
          UM, JEFF MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, WE IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED, UH, CHIEF HOOD NADIA, UH, ON MY TEAM USHERED, UM, CHIEF HOOD, UH, THIS WEEK THROUGH 13 MEETINGS THAT INCLUDED ALL, UM, HOUSE AND LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UH, COMMITTEE OFFICES. 
          THEY ALSO MET WITH THE BILL AUTHOR, REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO MARTINEZ, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK TO DISCUSS THE CITY'S CONCERNS. 
          AND WE ALSO MET WITH, UM, A GROUP OF OUR, UH, BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION MEMBERS. 
          ALL REALLY GREAT, UH, DISCUSSIONS. 
          UM, THE CO THIS PARTICULAR BILL WAS LEFT PENDING IN HOUSE LAND AND RESOURCE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UH, REP MARTINEZ, UM, ON OUR, UH, CONCERNS. 
          MOVING ON TO THE FINANCE, UH, BUCKET, UH, 2220. 
          [00:20:01]
UM, THIS IS A SENATOR MENENDEZ BILL. 
          UM, THIS PARTICULAR BILL WOULD ADD COSA TO THE LIST OF ELIGIBLE CITIES, UM, THAT CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A PROJECT FINANCE ZONE. 
          UH, 2220 WOULD ALLOW SAN ANTONIO TO HAVE UP TO A THREE MILE ZONE CENTERED AROUND A CONVENTION CENTER OR ARENA IN WHICH THE INCREMENT OR THE INCREASE IN STATE HOTEL TAXES ARE REBATED FOR A 30 YEAR PERIOD. 
          UM, SPECIFICALLY THE TAXES INCLUDED ARE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, SALES MIXED BEVERAGES, UH, THAT CAN BE COLLECTED, UH, BY THE ZONE. 
          UH, JEFF, UH, BEN AND MARK ANDERSON FROM V S A, UH, VISITED WITH SENATOR BIRDWELL AND REPRESENTATIVES CLARDY AND MEYER, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. 
          ALL REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS TO, UM, ADVOCATE AND, AND SUPPORT THIS BILL. 
          CURRENTLY, THE BILL IS REFERRED TO SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          UM, SPECIFICALLY JUST TO ADD ANOTHER NUGGET, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE INCREMENT, ANY GROWTH ESSENTIALLY IN THE HOT TAXES COLLECTED WOULD BE REBATED TO THE CITY WITHIN THIS, UM, 30, 30 YEAR PERIOD. 
          THIS WOULD ESSENTIALLY HELP FOR IMPROVEMENTS, UH, RENOVATIONS OR EXPANSIONS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, TO OUR CONVENTION CENTER. 
          UM, THIS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED ESSENTIALLY AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. 
          UM, IN ORDER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, UM, OUR CONVENTION CENTER FACILITIES. 
          I'VE PROVIDED, UH, VARIOUS UPDATES ON THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. 
          THESE DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE UP IN AUSTIN. 
          AS YOU RECALL, THERE ARE TWO COMPETING BILLS, HB TWO BY MEYER ON APPRAISAL CAPS. 
          UM, AND I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT SB THREE BETTEN COURT, UM, HERE MOMENTARILY. 
          AS YOU RECALL, HB TWO REDUCES. 
          THE LIMIT ON ANNUAL APPRAISAL INCREASES FROM 10, UH, TO 5%. 
          UM, THIS PARTICULAR BILL HAS SOME OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME. 
          THERE ARE SEVERAL BUSINESS GROUPS AND, UM, HOUSING EXPERTS, UM, THAT, UM, ARE NOT HAVING, UH, THIS BILL SUCCEED. 
          SO THE SPEAKER'S PROPOSAL DOES HAVE, UH, AN UPHILL BATTLE HERE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS SAID THAT ESSENTIALLY HB TWO, UM, WILL NOT HAVE, UM, A GOOD ENDING ON THE SENATE SIDE, AND IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE, UH, DEAD ON ARRIVAL. 
          UM, ON SB THREE, THIS IS A BETTEN COURT BILL. 
          YOU RECALL. 
          THESE ARE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. 
          IT INCREASES THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 42, UH, 70%. 
          IT PASSED THE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY ON MARCH 23RD. 
          AND IT'S BEEN REFERRED TO THE HOUSE, UM, WAYS AND MEANS. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THAT IF EITHER ONE OF THESE WERE TO PASS, UH, THEY'VE BEEN CLASHING PUBLICLY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCES TO STILL IRON OUT. 
          UM, FOR THESE TWO BILLS, UH, BOTH WOULD HAVE TO GO, UH, BEFORE THE VOTERS, UM, IN, IN NOVEMBER, ANOTHER LOOK, UH, YOU RECALL HB 2127 BY BOROUGHS. 
          THIS IS THE SUPER PREEMPTION, FIELD PREEMPTION BILL. 
          IT SEEKS, UH, TO PREVENT CITIES AND COUNTIES FROM ADOPTING OR ENFORCING LOCAL ORDINANCES OR ORDERS RELATED, UM, TO ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED IN THE EIGHT CODES. 
          UM, THERE'S A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE BILL THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS REVIEWING. 
          IT'S DIFFERENT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY BETTER. 
          AND SO IT'S REALLY, ESSENTIALLY CREATED A MANY, MANY MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE ALREADY HAD. 
          UM, WITH, UH, THE BILL AS FILED. 
          UH, IF YOU RECALL, WE SHARED THAT JEFF TESTIFIED ON MARCH 15TH, AND THEN WE OPPOSED THE SENATE, THE SENATE COMPANION, UM, SHORTLY AFTER THAT. 
          SSB, UM, EIGHT 14, UM, 2127, UH, DID PASS OUT OF COMMITTEE. 
          UM, ON APRIL, UH, 23RD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UH, T M L, UH, THE BIG CITY MAYORS AND OUR COUNTERPARTS AT OTHER CITIES. 
          UH, WE ARE, WE HAD BEEN HEARING, UM, IN THE LAST 24 HOURS THAT THIS BILL WOULD LIKELY BE SENT TO THE FLOOR, UM, IN SPEEDY FASHION. 
          UM, HOWEVER, JUST, UH, THIS MORNING, AS CHRISTINE ALERTED ME A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, IT'S BEEN SENT BACK TO COMMITTEE. 
          THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS. 
          IT COULD BE A TECHNICAL ISSUE. 
          THEY COULD RESOLVE IT TODAY. 
          IT MIGHT GIVE US A COUPLE DAYS BUFFER. 
          REGARDLESS, WE ANTICIPATE, AND WE'RE HEARING THAT THIS BILL, WE WILL BE SENT, UM, TO THE HOUSE FLOOR SOON. 
          A SPECIAL NOTE, UH, THE HOUSE COMPANION HAS NOT BEEN SET FOR A HEARING YET, UM, ONTO SSB 1 75. 
          THIS IS THE TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING BILL. 
          YOU RECALL, I'VE UPDATED YOU ON THIS BEFORE. 
          THIS IS RELATING TO THE USE OF A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, UM, THAT USED PUBLIC FUNDS FOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES. 
          UM, WE HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND THE B C M GROUP. 
          THEY SUBMITTED A COLLECTIVE BIPARTISAN LETTER ON MARCH 16TH, UM, IN OPPOSITION OF THE BILL. 
          [00:25:01]
IT, UH, PASSED THROUGH THE SENATE FLOOR ON APRIL 6TH, AND RECEIVED ON, IT WAS RECEIVED ON THE HOUSE ON APRIL 11TH. 
          UM, THIS BILL TO, UM, THE SENATE, UH, THE HOUSE COMPANION HAS NOT, UH, BEEN, UH, SET FOR A HEARING. 
          THIS IS ANOTHER BILL THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK, UH, REALLY, REALLY CLOSELY WITH T M L, UM, AND THE OTHER BIG, UH, CITY, UH, UH, GROUP. 
          AND, UH, WORKING TO, UH, ALSO CLOSELY WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AS WELL AS WITH OUR, UM, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, MR. CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          I WILL SHARE THAT NEXT WEEK. 
          I WILL PROVIDE A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE, UM, AT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, FULL COMMITTEE, FULL MEETING THAT WILL INCLUDE, UH, MANY MORE ITEMS THAT WE'RE TRACKING AND REPORTING ON. 
          THANKS SALLY. 
          AND THANKS TO CHRISTINE AND THE WHOLE TEAM FOR HELPING WITH THIS. 
          UM, WHAT IS THE, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THE SUPER PREEMPTION BILL WILL IMPACT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING HERE? THE PREEMPTION BILL? YEAH. 
          SO THE EIGHT CODES THAT ARE INCLUDED, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN ARE, UM, AGRICULTURE, BUSINESS AND COMMERCE, FINANCE, INSURANCE, UH, LABOR, NATURAL RESOURCES, OCCUPATION, AND, UH, PROPERTY CODES. 
          UM, THERE WAS ONE, UH, SHIFT UNDER THE FINANCE CODE THAT, UM, PRESERVES EXISTING PAYDAY LENDING. 
          HOWEVER, WE CANNOT, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ADOPT ANY NEW ORDINANCES OR AMEND OUR EXISTING ORDINANCES IF THIS BILL WAS, WAS TO PASS. 
          CURRENTLY. 
          UH, AND I KNOW JEFF HAS A FEW VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES THAT WERE PART OF HIS TESTIMONY. 
          OUR C A O OFFICE IS WORKING ON IDENTIFYING THE VERY SPECIFIC ORDINANCES THAT WOULD IMPACT THE CITY, AND THEN WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS, UM, TO OFFER, UM, ON THE FLOOR. 
          YEAH, AND I'LL JUST ADD, S SALLY SUMMED IT UP, RIGHT? THE, THE REAL DANGER AND PROBLEM OF THIS BILL IS THAT IT'S SO VAGUE. 
          UM, IT'S NOT CLEAR. 
          IT, IT, IF A, IF AN INDUSTRY IS JUST REFERENCED IN ONE OF THOSE CODES, WE FEAR THAT SOMEBODY, THAT THE BILL ALLOWS ANYBODY TO BRING LITIGATION AGAINST THE CITY AND ULTIMATELY COLLECT ALL THE COSTS OF BRINGING THAT LI LAWSUIT. 
          UM, SO ANYTHING THAT'S EVEN REFERENCED. 
          SO I GAVE EXAMPLES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HEAVY, UH, HEAVY DUTY, UH, TRUCK DRIVERS ARE LICENSED IN THE TRANSPORTATION CODE. 
          SO DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN'T TELL A HEAVY DUTY TRUCK DRIVER NOT TO DRIVE THEIR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS THROUGH OUR DOWNTOWN STREETS, FOR EXAMPLE? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I, WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING ON 18 WHEELER PARKING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          YEP. 
          UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO, UM, THERE, THERE'S THE UNKNOWN OF THE FUTURE, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT THIS BILL REALLY IS TRYING TO DO, IS ONLY ALLOW US TO HAVE ORDINANCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT THEY EXPLICITLY SAY WE CAN. 
          SO THE, THE ISSUE THAT COMES UP IN THE FUTURE THAT NOBODY'S ANTICIPATED YET, THAT THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO ADDRESS, UH, WE MAY FIND OUR HANDS TIED. 
          I WILL ADD THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE BILL GOT WORSE IN ONE VERY IMPORTANT WAY. 
          IT EXPLICITLY ADDED, I FORGET THE LANGUAGE, BUT IT'S RELATED TO, UH, UH, ANIMALS AND PET SALES. 
          SO THE ORDINANCE THAT ALL OF YOU PASSED TO PROHIBIT, UH, TO BASICALLY REQUIRE ANYONE SELLING PETS IN THE COMMUNITY TO SOURCE THEIR ANIMALS FROM SHELTERS RATHER THAN, UH, PUPPY MILLS, THAT ORDINANCE WOULD BE UNDONE WITH THIS. 
          SO THE, THE ANIMAL COMMUNITY IS VERY UP IN ARMS ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT, UH, IN, I'LL, LAST THING, I'LL SAY FULL, FULL CANDOR HERE. 
          UM, THIS ONE DOES NOT LOOK GOOD FOR US. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UH, IT, THE, IT HAS A FEEL TO IT OF THE CITIES GETTING, GETTING ROLLED HERE. 
          THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CALENDARS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE COMMITTEE THAT SETS EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. 
          SO ANY MEMBER THAT WOULD STAND UP AND OPPOSE WHAT IS HIS PRIORITY BILL, WOULD FACE CONSEQUENCES POTENTIALLY, OF THEIR OWN LEGISLATION, NOT NOT GETTING HEARD. 
          SO, UM, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. 
          UH, I THINK IT'LL BE A BIG UGLY FLOOR FIGHT WITH 101 AMENDMENTS ATTEMPTED, AND WE'LL SEE WHERE ALL OF IT LANDS AFTER THAT. 
          AND OF COURSE, THERE'S STILL THE OTHER SIDE IN THE SENATE, BUT THERE IS A SENATE COMPANION. 
          UM, AND WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ONE FOR SURE. 
          WELL, ONE SHOULD NEVER UNDER, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED PAYDAY LENDING IN THERE MM-HMM. 
          , RIGHT. 
          ONE SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THEIR, UH, YEARNING DESIRE TO COME TO THE AID OF, OF, UH, PAYDAY LENDERS, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE TO PUT OBSTACLES IN THE FRONT OF, UH, CITIES. 
          AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT DICHOTOMY SHOULD ALWAYS, UH, MAKE YOU SCRATCH YOUR HEAD. 
          COUNCIL, MC CASTILLO, ANY ISSUES, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, SALLY AND JEFF, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, I, I'M, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UH, SENATE BILL 20 22 20, THE PROJECT FINANCE ZONE. 
          UM, DOES THIS PUT A LIMIT ON HOW MANY PROJECT FINANCE ZONES, UH, MUNICIPALITY CAN IMPLEMENT? 
          [00:30:01]
AND HAVE WE DONE AN ANALYSIS OF IF THIS WILL OR WILL NOT IMPACT, UH, ARTS FUNDING SINCE IT WILL BE, UH, UH, A REBATE FOR A 30 YEAR PERIOD? SURE. 
          THAT GREAT QUESTIONS. 
          UM, IT'S, LET ME BACK UP, ACTUALLY. 
          IT'S, IT'S IN, IN-STATE LAW TODAY, AND IT ONLY APPLIES TO DALLAS AND FORT WORTH. 
          AND, AND IT WAS PUT IN THERE IN 2013. 
          SO, UH, FORT WORTH, FOR EXAMPLE, CREATED THIS THREE MILE ZONE. 
          THEY CAPTURED FROM THE HOTELS, THE HOTEL, THE, THE STATE'S PORTION OF THE HOTEL TAX, SALES TAX, AND MIXED DRINK TAX. 
          AND THEY USED IT TO FUND THE BUILDING OF THEIR DICKIES ARENA IN DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH. 
          DALLAS, MEANWHILE IS IN, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG EXPANSION OF THEIR CONVENTION CENTER. 
          UM, SO HOUSTON IS PUSHING THIS BILL THIS SESSION, WHICH WOULD REALLY LEAVE US BEHIND, UH, IF ALL OF OUR BIG, THE OTHER BIG CITIES IN TEXAS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF DRAWING MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS HERE, AND, AND WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WITHOUT THAT TOOL, UH, IT, IT COULD BE VERY HARMFUL TO US. 
          TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHAT IT, IT ONLY ALLOWS FOR ONE ZONE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , IT'S A THREE MILE ZONE AROUND THE CITY'S CONVENTION CENTER. 
          EVERY HOTEL WITHIN THAT ZONE, UH, COLLECTS HOTEL TAXES, SALES TAXES, MIXED DRINK TAXES, AND THERE'S A STATE PORTION AND A CITY PORTION. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , THIS WOULD ONLY APPLY TO THE STATE PORTION. 
          OKAY. 
          IT WOULD ALLOW US THAT RATHER THAT MONEY BE SENT UP TO AUSTIN TO GO TO THE GENERAL FUND UP THERE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , WE WOULD CAPTURE IT AND, AND BE ALLOWED TO USE IT FOR EXPANDING OUR CONVENTION CENTER, OUR, UH, RENOVATING OUR ALAMO DOME, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO, UH, WE, WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED SPECIFIC PLANS FOR THOSE THINGS YET, BUT WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE THOSE NEEDS IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE SAME TOOL. 
          MM-HMM. 
           ARTS FUNDING, UH, THE LOCAL, LOCAL ARTS FUNDING WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. 
          AND THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD AFFECT ARTS FUNDING IS THE CONTE IN THE CONTEXT OF MONEY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO THE STATE AND BE PART OF THE STATE'S BUDGET. 
          MM-HMM. 
           FOR ARTS. 
          BUT THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THERE, IT'S NOT A DIRECT IMPACT AT ALL. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, RIGHT. 
          'CAUSE A, A CONCERN I WOULD HAVE IF WE WEREN'T IN TEXAS IS HOW WOULD IT IMPACT, LIKE AT THAT POINT, IF IT GOES TO THE STATE GENERAL FUND, HOW WILL IT IMPACT EDUCATION? BUT THE STATE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE  INVESTING IN EDUCATION. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SS THINK ONE OF THE, THE, WELL OBVIOUSLY THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT, UH, IS THE, THE PREEMPTION. 
          AND SO I ASKED LAST TIME, AND, AND SALLY MENTIONED, UM, HOW T M L IS IS WORKING WITH US, BUT WHAT ARE YOU HEARING, UM, SPECIFICALLY FROM FROM T M L AND IS THERE, UH, LIKE WHAT'S OUR FULL FORCE STRATEGY? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE THERE RIGHT NOW. 
          SO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AS EARLY AS THIS MORNING, UM, WITH, UM, BIG CITY LOBBYISTS GROUP AND, UH, THE BIG CITY MAYORS. 
          SO THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE, UM, AN ALL HANDS ON DECK STRATEGY. 
          UM, THIS ISN'T GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ALONE CAN INFLUENCE. 
          SO OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS IN DETERMINING, UM, MULTIPLE LAYERS TO A STRATEGY WHERE EVERYONE IS GONNA HAVE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY, UM, WITH OUR, UH, DELEGATION MEMBERS. 
          UM, AS JEFF SAID EARLIER, UM, GOING THE AMENDMENTS ROUTE AND HAVING THAT FIGHT ON THE FLOOR IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT, UM, IN EVERY SESSION WITH ANY OF THESE BAD BILLS, UM, WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN ONCE THEY MAKE IT OUT OF COMMITTEE. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, ENGAGING OUR, OUR DELEGATION. 
          WE SENT, UM, A NOTE, UH, YESTERDAY TO THEM. 
          WE'VE KEPT THEM ABREAST OF THE MOVEMENT OF 2127. 
          UH, WE SENT THEM A NOTE, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE HEARING THAT IT WAS HEADED TO THE FLOOR. 
          AND, UH, SO WE'LL BE DOING VISITS, UM, ON MONDAY WITH ALL OF THEM. 
          AND AS WE ADD OTHER LAYERS OF THIS STRATEGY, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO KEEP THIS COMMITTEE, UH, NOTIFIED, UH, BECAUSE IT WILL BE AN ALL HANDS ON DECK. 
          AND IS, UM, ARE, ARE MAYORS GOING AND, AND ADVOCATING? LIKE, DO YOU SEE THAT? 'CAUSE UH, I KNOW THAT ERIC WALSH, LIKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND BEN GELLE CLEARED THEIR SCHEDULES AND THEY MADE, UM, THE C P S ISSUE A PRIORITY. 
          SO I, I'D ASSUME THAT, UM, THE MAYOR AND, AND MAYBE OUR CHAIR WOULD, WOULD BE DOING THE SAME. 
          IS THAT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING? OR WHAT'S THE STRATEGY TO, TO GET THEM THERE? HIGHLY LIKELY, UH, WE'LL KNOW MORE BY THIS AFTERNOON AND BY MONDAY, UH, TO DETERMINE, UH, THE VARIOUS, UH, STRATEGY APPROACHES, UH, IN COORDINATING WITH THE OTHER CITIES. 
          SO WE JUST THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE POWER IN NUMBERS TO TRY AND INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME AND CONVERSATIONS ON THE FLOOR. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE'LL KEEP YOU ALL NOTIFIED, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF, UH, WHAT THOSE STRATEGY MOVEMENTS ARE. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU 'CAUSE, UH, YOUR RECAP. 
          UM, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK WHEN, WHEN YOU SENT THE LATEST ONE. 
          SO I, I FEEL LIKE I KEEP UP TO DATE EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE MEETINGS. 
          SO I WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU JEFF. 
          AND THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          THANK YOU CHRISTINE. 
          AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL REITERATE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF TIMES FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO AREN'T IN THE ROOM TODAY, THAT 
          [00:35:01]
THEY'RE EAGER, UH, TO JOIN THE FIGHT WHENEVER YOU CALL ON THEM, AND TO, UH, GO UP TO, UH, GO UP TO AUSTIN TO, UH, TO TELL SAN ANTONIO STORY AND, UH, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UP THERE UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR DECISIONS IMPACT OUR DISTRICTS ON A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL. 
          AND SO, UM, I KNOW EACH OF US HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN OUR DISTRICTS, UM, THAT WILL BE, UM, THAT WILL BE IMPACTED FOR THE BETTER OR FOR THE WORSE. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO CARRY THE VOICES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS UP THERE. 
          SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE ARE COMPLETE HERE. 
          UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, WE ARE ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. 
          THANK YOU.
* 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.