* 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.
          [00:00:02]
          GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. 
          IS SOMEBODY OVER THERE ROLLING? ARE WE GOOD? ARE WE GONNA BE OKAY? OH, THERE YOU ARE. 
          SORRY. 
          I HADN'T SEEN. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WE WILL GET STARTED WITH TODAY'S COMMUNITY HEALTH E ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, UM, ON THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 27TH, 2023. 
          WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. 
          PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA GRAND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO HERE. 
          CHAIR ROJA GARCIA. 
          HERE, CHAIR. 
          WE HAVE A QUORUM. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY FOR, UM, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          I KNOW IT'S FIESTA, UM, BUT WE'LL START, WE HAVE SOME VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS TO COVER. 
          WE'LL 
          [Approval of Minutes
 ]
START WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR MARCH THE 15TH OF THE CHECK COMMITTEE. 
          SO I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM. 
          IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO, MOVE SECOND. 
          THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? WE HAVE NO, UH, PUBLIC MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. 
          OKAY, WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE I SEE A COLLEAGUE OF MINE IN THE ROOM, COUNCILMAN ELAS, IS IN THE BACK. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILMAN. 
          UM, 
          [Briefing and Possible Action on
 ]
WE HAVE, UH, TWO ITEM, OR SORRY, WE HAVE THREE ITEMS. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS, UH, COMMITTEE COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY DR. 
          CHRISTINE RENAN TODAY. 
          AND SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE HER UP AND THEN WE WILL, UH, TAKE THE, UM, C C R ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFTER THAT. 
          SO, DR. 
          RENAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR YOUR HELP AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COLLEAGUES. 
          I ASKED, UH, FOR THIS TO, TO BE A PRESENTATION BY DR. 
          RENAN. 
          I HAD SOME OF YOU ALL REQUEST, SPECIFICALLY COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ, UM, UH, AND MYSELF WANTED TO HEAR A PRESENTATION ON HEALTH EQUITY. 
          AND SO DR. 
          RENAN IS HERE TO PRESENT SOME INFORMATION. 
          SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS. 
          MY PLEASURE. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 
          WE'RE ALL OBVIOUSLY HERE BECAUSE OF A SHARED CONCERN OVER THE CLOSURE OF ONE OF OUR HOSPITALS. 
          AND GO FORWARD. 
          I, OKAY. 
          YEAH, IT'S, HE'S WORKING. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW IT'S GONNA BE ALL MESSED UP. 
          , YOU CAN JUST GIVE A PUNCHLINE. 
          . 
          LET'S, LET'S SKIP TO THE END. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW TRY. 
          WE'RE GOOD? NO, JUST FOR NEXT SLIDE. 
          GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THIS SLIDE NORTH? GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          SO, UM, SO THE COUNCILWOMAN ASKED ME TO, TO GATHER DATA, RIGHT? UM, OF THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE MEDICAL ASSETS, AND HERE IT GOES. 
          NOW IT'S GOING WITH THIS , THE MEDICAL ASSETS IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          PERFECT. 
          UM, AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THIS CLOSURE, WHICH I'VE BEGUN. 
          WE HAD A VERY SHORT TIME WINDOW, SO WE'VE BEGUN, AND I WANNA SHOW YOU NOW, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S AN INVITATION TO A GREATER CONVERSATION, AND THAT WILL THEN GUIDE FURTHER DATA COLLECTION. 
          SO I THANK HER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR, AND TO JEAN RODRIGUEZ FOR HELPING ME WITH DATA COLLECTION. 
          THIS SEEMS LIKE A SUPPLY AND DEMAND RELATIONSHIP, RIGHT? UM, WHERE THERE'S A DEMAND SUPPLY SHOULD FOLLOW WHEN SUPPLY OUTSTRIPS, DEMAND PRICES, FALL, SUPPLY DIMINISHES, PRICES ADJUST ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          IT'S ALMOST LIKE MAGIC, RIGHT? SO LET'S JUST SEE IF, AND, AND LOOK AT IT. 
          IT IS A SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE, AND SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE AT ALL. 
          SO I'M GONNA START WITH DEMAND. 
          AND THAT'S US, RIGHT? WHERE ARE WE? WHO ARE WE? AND COMMON SENSE WOULD TELL US AGAIN THAT SUPPLY FOLLOWS DEMANDS. 
          WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE. 
          SO TOO WOULD BE THE SUPPLY OF MEDICAL ASSETS. 
          AND HERE WE ARE. 
          THAT'S US, RIGHT? WE'RE FAIRLY RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COUNTY. 
          REALLY SIMILAR PATTERNS TO MOST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. 
          UM, THE INNER CITY IS A LITTLE LESS LIGHTLY POPULATED THAN THE, THAN THE SUBURBAN AREAS, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN ALREADY BEGIN TO SEE SOME OF THE GENTRIFICATION AS PEOPLE MOVE BACK, RIGHT? BUT THIS IS A HEALTH STUDY. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, A MORE CAREFUL AND A, A MORE FOCUSED VIEW ON WHO WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          AND I REALLY WANNA TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE IN TERMS OF HEALTH. 
          UM, SO WE, SO WE HAVE A NEED FOR MEDICAL SERVICES, RIGHT? AND IN ALL HONESTY, SOME OF US HAVE GREATER NEED. 
          IN THE PERFECT SCENARIO, MEDICAL SERVICES WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AS A FUNCTION OF THE POPULATION, BUT IT'S AN IMPERFECT WORLD. 
          [00:05:01]
SO THEY MIGHT BE DISTRIBUTED WHERE THE NEED WAS, THE GREATEST. 
          SOME HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE USED TO MEASURE OR INDICATE AREAS OF POPULATION OF HIGHER NEED ARE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. 
          OBESITY AND DIABETES ARE TWO OF THOSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLICATED DISEASES. 
          THEIR INDICATORS ARE POOR HEALTH, BUT ALSO OF CHALLENGING LIFE CONDITIONS. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, UM, WHEN I LOOK AT DATA, AND I DO SO GEOGRAPHICALLY BECAUSE I AM A GEOGRAPHER BY TRAINING, AND I THINK IT'S MUCH MORE PERSUASIVE AND ENLIGHTENING TO LOOK AT DATA CARDIO GRAPHICALLY RATHER THAN IN A, IN A, IN TEXT OR IN A TABLE. 
          AND WE CAN START TO SEE SOME OF THESE PATTERNS. 
          SO IF WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION IN GENERAL, WE'RE FAIRLY WELL DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COUNTY. 
          BUT WHEN WE START TO LOOK AT VULNERABILITY, UM, AND ESPECIALLY IF I MEASURE IT WITH THESE TWO DISEASES, I CAN START TO SEE THAT THERE ARE AREAS OF OUR CITY THAT, THAT REALLY ARE MORE VULNERABLE THAN OTHER AREAS. 
          THE GREATEST INDICATOR THOUGH OF THAT IS LIFE EXPECTANCY, RIGHT? THE GREATEST INDICATOR OF HEALTH VULNERABILITY WOULD BE LIFE EXPECTANCY. 
          THE LIFE, THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN SAN ANTONIO'S ABOUT 78 YEARS OLD, BUT THE RANGE IS 68 TO 88. 
          MEANING THAT IN, AGAIN, I'VE COLOR CODED THIS BY QUANTITY WITH DARKER COLORS. 
          SO IN THE AREAS OF LIGHTER COLOR, YOU CAN EXPECT TO LIVE A LIFE OF THAT'S 68 YEARS OLD IN THE AREAS OF DARKER COLOR YOU CAN EXPECT, RIGHT? TO LIVE A LIFE OF 88 YEARS, THAT'S AN ENTIRE GEN. 
          THAT'S MORE THAN A GENERATION, WHICH IS 17 YEARS, RIGHT? THAT MEANS THAT SOME, SOME PEOPLE WILL, MAY NOT EVEN MEET THEIR GRANDKIDS, OTHER WILL OTHERS WILL SEE THEIR GRANDKIDS GROW UP. 
          SO, SO, UH, SO IT'S, I AND I AND I OFFER LIFE EXPECTANCY IS PROBABLY THE GREATEST INDICATOR OF HEALTH VULNERABILITY. 
          SO THIS, THIS REALLY RECOGNIZES THE OFFERING YOU THOSE THREE INDICATORS THAT HEALTH IS, HEALTH IS REALLY A COMPOSITE. 
          IT'S GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY. 
          IT'S OUR BODIES OURSELVES. 
          BUT I'M GONNA MAKE THE CLAIM, AND IT MIGHT BE A, A BROAD CLAIM THAT GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY ARE FAIRLY RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND ANY POPULATION, RIGHT? BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOCIAL DETERMINANTS, AND THOSE INCLUDE YOUR EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, YOUR ACCUMULATED WEALTH, THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU LIVE IN, YOUR ECONOMIC AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND YOUR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. 
          SO AGAIN, I'M THINKING OF THE DEMAND FOR HEALTH SERVICES AND WHERE ARE THOSE DEMANDS, GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY, AGAIN, I'M GONNA MAKE THE CLAIM THAT THEY'RE RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED. 
          SO, SO SHOULDN'T REALLY ENTER INTO THIS, BUT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, RIGHT? THOSE WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION. 
          AND IN THIS MAP, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREES. 
          AND I JUST WANNA MAKE THE, MAKE AN IMPRESSION THAT THESE ARE NOT RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED AT ALL THESE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, BUT WE REALLY DO SEE A VERY DISTINCT GEOGRAPHIC, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THEM THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. 
          UM, ECONOMIC STABILITY BEING MEASURED BY AVERAGE ME OR MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. 
          AGAIN, WE SEE SOME OF THE SAME PATTERNS BEGIN TO REPEAT. 
          UM, AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. 
          THESE ARE OUR GENERAL ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS. 
          THEY'RE THE GENERAL ADMITTING HOSPITALS THAT SOMEBODY WOULD GO TO, ESPECIALLY AT, IN, IN, IN ACUTE NEED, RIGHT? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT LONG-TERM CARE, BUT IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN CRISIS, THIS, THESE ARE THOSE THAT YOU WOULD GO TO. 
          AND I'VE ACTUALLY CODED THEM BY THEIR CAPACITY OR THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN THEM. 
          BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. 
          IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BUILDING, IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE ABILITY TO PAY. 
          AND SO IF WE LOOK AT WHO HAS HEALTH INSURANCE AND WHO DOES NOT, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE UNINSURED HERE IS, IS, AGAIN, CODED BY COLOR, SHOWING THAT THE DARK COLORS ARE THOSE WITH A GREATER, PER GREATER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNINSURED. 
          IF I START TO PUT THESE TOGETHER TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR, OUR, OUR POPULATION OF GREATEST HEALTH VULNERABILITY OR OF NEED IS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION IS COMPLETELY, UM, OVERLAPPING IN ALL OF OUR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. 
          SO IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND IN WEALTH, AND IN, AND IN THE PERCENTAGE OF UNIN UNINSURED, THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT MAKES THEM INCREASINGLY VULNERABLE. 
          AND IF I PUT THOSE TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, THE DISEASE INDICATORS THAT I SHOWED YOU, THEY'RE THE SAME, RIGHT? SO WE AS JUST AS INDIVIDUAL BODIES MIGHT BE FAIRLY RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED, BUT OUR DEMAND FOR HEALTH HEALTH SERVICES IS NOT THE MEDICAL ASSETS. 
          SECOND POINT. 
          SO WE TALK ABOUT MEDICAL NEEDS, BUT THE MEDICAL ASSETS, AND WE WANNA SEE IF THESE THINGS MATCH UP. 
          SO WHERE ARE THEY? RIGHT? UM, AND THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT? THERE THEY ARE ON THE, ON, ON THIS ONE LEFT. 
          THE LEFT IS JUST WHERE THE, WHERE'S THE BUILDINGS? 
          [00:10:01]
AND I'VE ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE DOWN TO THE SOUTHWEST, THE TEXAS VISTA MEDICAL CENTER. 
          UM, AND THEN AGAIN, I'VE CODED ON THE, ON THE RIGHT, THE, THE CAPACITY OF THESE DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS. 
          HOW MANY, ACTUALLY, HOW MANY BEDS DO THEY HAVE? AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THAT DATA IS THANKS TO JEAN. 
          SO THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT? THE GENERAL ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE BUILDINGS, IT'S THE CAPACITY. 
          THE BUILDINGS, THE, THE, THE, UM, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RECOMMENDS THAT, THAT CITIES OR POPULATIONS HAVE TWO AND A HALF BEDS PER THOUSAND PEOPLE. 
          WE HAVE OVER FIVE. 
          WE HAVE, IF WE TAKE THE STATISTICS FOR THIS ENTIRE CITY, WE HAVE OVER FIVE BEDS FOR EVERY THOUSAND PEOPLE. 
          SO THE MORE INTERESTING QUESTIONS IS, IS WHERE ARE THE BEDS AND WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE, WHAT I'VE DONE HERE, RIGHT? AND I'M GONNA TAKE YOU INTO SOCIAL SCIENCE, KIND OF DEEP QUANTITATIVE WORLD FOR A SECOND HERE. 
          BUT THIS IS AN ALGORITHM THAT ALLOWS ME TO CALCULATE POLYGONS AROUND EVERY POINT THAT OUR MEASUREMENTS OF PROXIMITY, RIGHT? SO ANY LOCATION WITHIN THESE POLYGONS IS CLOSER TO THAT POINT. 
          AND THESE ARE HOSPITALS THAN TO ANY OTHER POINT, RIGHT? SO ESSENTIALLY THEY TELL US WHERE, IF I WAS IN CRISIS, AND I'M JUST A RATIONAL, FUNCTIONING ADULT WITH TRANS, WITH SOME TRANSPORTATION, WHERE I WOULD GO IN CRISIS, RIGHT? YOU WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND YOUR CHILD OR YOUR PARTNER IS, IS, IS AGAIN IN CRISIS. 
          WHERE'S THE CLOSEST PLACE THAT YOU WOULD GO? AND THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT? UM, WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOUGH, TRANSPORTATION AND WHERE ARE PEOPLE WITHOUT A CAR? AND I'M NOT EVEN GONNA TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, BUT IT FOLLOWS SOME OF THE SAME PATTERNS. 
          IF I PUT THESE NEEDS AND THE SUPPLY OF HOSPITALS TOGETHER, WE CAN SEE THAT SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS, INCLUDING THAT, THE, THE, THE ONE ON THE, ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, HAVE A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO PR TO REALLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, OTHER HOSPITALS, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHEN WE HAVE A REAL, WHAT WE WOULD CALL AGGLOMERATION OF HOSPITALS. 
          IT'S ACTUALLY IN A, IN HEALTHIER PARTS OF TOWN. 
          AND THERE'S PROBABLY A FEEDBACK LOOP THERE AT WORK. 
          BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE CLOSURE OF THAT, RIGHT? SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT BY THE END OF THE WEEK, WE'LL LOSE. 
          UM, AND SO IN THE FOLLOWING MAPS, I'M GONNA ELIMINATE IT FROM MY CONVERSATION. 
          SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE IT HIGHLIGHTED THERE IN THE BOTTOM SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE CITY. 
          AND AGAIN, HERE'S THAT, HERE'S THE, HERE'S THE MAP WITH THE POLYGONS ON IT. 
          AND IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE TO THE CLOSEST PLACE, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, I'VE ELIMINATED IT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE POLYGONS START TO SHIFT, RIGHT? AND ESPECIALLY AGAIN, ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY, SOME THEY SHIFT AROUND. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS IS A MATHEMATICAL ALGORITHM THAT I'M RUNNING, AND THEY, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND THE FEED, THE FEED LOOP FEEDER AREAS FOR SEVERAL OF 'EM HAVE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. 
          SO LET ME ADD SOME DATA TO THIS. 
          IF I ADD JUST THE POPULATION THAT'S BEING SERVED IN EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT POLYGONS, OR EVEN EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT FEEDER AREAS FOR, FOR THESE HOSPITALS, AGAIN, COATED BY, COATED BY COLOR. 
          SO THE DARKER COLOR IS THE, IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THOSE POLYGONS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 
          ON THE, ON THAT WAY, WESTERN EDGE IS THAT NEW CHRISTUS, THE CHRISTUS HOSPITAL OVER IN WESTOVER HILLS, THEY'RE SERVING A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE, THE HOSPITALS AROUND THE MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH ARE FEW SERVING FAR FEWER, AND TO THE NORTH. 
          SO AROUND THE MEDICAL CENTER, THEY'RE SERVING BETWEEN 18 AND 36,000 PEOPLE. 
          OUR HOSPITALS TO THE SOUTH, THE SOUTH AND THE SOUTHWEST ARE SERVING BETWEEN 190 AND 300,000 PEOPLE, YET THEY'RE SMALLER. 
          THE OTHER THING TO NOTICE HERE IS HOW THE POLYGONS HAVE CHANGED, RIGHT? SO THE POLYGON THAT USED TO SERVE, UM, TEXAS V SO MEDICAL CENTER OR WHATEVER THEY CALL THEMSELVES NOW, EXTENDS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE INNER CITY, RIGHT? UM, AND THAT, AND THAT THE NUM AND, AND THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THAT FEEDER LOOP HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. 
          THAT'S GONNA PUT PRESSURE ON ALL THE HOSPITALS AROUND IT. 
          THIS IS NOT JUST A D FOUR ISSUE. 
          ONCE WE TAKE THAT HOSPITAL OUTTA THE EQUATION, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT SYSTEMICALLY. 
          ALL OF THESE ARE RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER, AND IT'S NOT JUST A POLITICAL ISSUE. 
          THE HOSPITAL COMMUNITY ALSO SHOULD BE REALLY ALARMED BY THIS. 
          BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP, AND I'VE PUT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS ON THERE, THIS IS IMPACTING THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF D TWO, D THREE, D FOUR, D FIVE, D SIX, AND D SEVEN, RIGHT? AND THEN OF COURSE, IT'S GETTING INTO EIGHT, NINE, AND 10, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SHIFTING THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF THOSE IS SHIFTING 
          [00:15:01]
AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF BEDS PER PERSON, SAME KIND OF DATA, NUMBER OF BEDS PER PERSON IN THESE CATCHMENT AREAS, AGAIN, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RECOMMENDS TWO AND A HALF PER THOUSAND PEOPLE, AND THAT SHOULD BE LABELED LIKE THAT. 
          UM, IN SAN ANTONIO, THE AVERAGE IS FIVE AND A HALF. 
          YAY US, RIGHT? LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THOUGH, AROUND THE MEDICAL CENTER, WE HAVE, OH, YOU KNOW, IN SOME AREAS BETWEEN 10 AND A HUNDRED BEDS PER PERSON IN THOSE CATCHMENT AREAS. 
          BUT ON THE SOUTH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, A HALF OF A BED PER THOUSAND PEOPLE OR ONE, RIGHT? 20% OF WHAT THE, OF WHAT THE CITY HAS. 
          AND LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT THE W H O RECOMMENDS. 
          ONCE WE TAKE THAT ONE OUT OF THE EQUATION, AGAIN, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE STRESS THAT, THAT, THAT PUTS ON SOME OF THESE OTHERS. 
          AND ESPECIALLY OUT INTO THE NEW HOSPITAL OVER IN WESTOVER HILLS, NOW THEY'RE DOWN AT LESS THAN HALF OF A BED. 
          SO DEMAND AND SUPPLY, NO, NO, IT'S NOT WORKING AT ALL. 
          BUT WHY? RIGHT? SO WHY WE'RE STRUCK WITH THIS AS FAR AS WHAT'S GOING, WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE? AND WE KNOW, RIGHT? WHY IN AREAS OF HIGH MEDICAL NEED, DO WE SO SEE SO FEW HOSPITALS, RIGHT? BUT THESE ARE OLD. 
          WE'VE BEEN ASKING THESE QUESTIONS OF OURSELVES FOREVER. 
          WHY IN AREAS OF LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT DO WE ALSO HAVE STRUGGLING SCHOOLS? WHY IN AREAS OF HIGH UN UNEMPLOYMENT DO WE ALSO HAVE FEWER JOBS? WHY IN AREAS OF LOW CAR OWNERSHIP, DO WE HAVE FEWER BUSES? WHY IN AREAS OF LOW FINANCIAL LITERACY DO WE HAVE FEW BANKS? RIGHT? I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN ASKING OURSELVES THESE QUESTIONS FOR A LONG TIME. 
          THESE ARE NOT NEW. 
          AND PROBABLY WE'RE NOT EVEN SURPRISED, RIGHT? UM, SO LIKE, HERE, LIKE A RATED SCHOOLS, WHERE'S THE A RATED SCHOOLS? THEY'RE ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE WITH, WHERE THE, WHERE THOSE POPULATIONS ARE MUCH LESS VULNERABLE. 
          H E B IS ACTUALLY A GREAT PLAYER. 
          H E B DOES FOLLOW THE POPULATION, RIGHT? SO THE STORES ARE THERE, THE INVENTORY DIFFERS, THOUGH. 
          THE INVENTORY DIFFERS FROM ONE PLACE IN THE CITY TO ANOTHER. 
          BUT OUR HOSPITALS ARE, LIKE, OUR HOSPITALS ALSO SHOW THIS SAME PATTERN, RIGHT? SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR A LONG TIME. 
          WE ASK OURSELVES WHY, BUT WE KNOW THIS, WE KNOW THE ANSWER. 
          IT'S A PRODUCT OF OUR ECONOMIC SEGREGATION. 
          THESE ARE CENTURIES OF POLICIES THAT PRODUCED A LANDSCAPE OF LUXURY AND A LANDSCAPE OF DISPARITY, OF STABILITY AND SECURITY, AND OF VULNERABILITY. 
          AND BY DEFINITION, PRIVATE SECTOR GOODS AND SERVICES FOLLOW THE MONEY, RIGHT? WE CAN MAKE A POPULATION IN NEEDS ARGUMENT WHEN WE CONSIDER PUBLIC SECTOR AND NONPROFIT GOODS AND SERVICES, BUT NOT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, RIGHT? AND WE'VE ALLOWED OUR MOST CRITICAL SERVICES TO BE PRIVATIZED. 
          SO THE PROBLEM IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES, ABSOLUTELY. 
          BUT ALSO THE PROBLEM IS THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN OUR CITY AND THE PRIVATIZATION OF SERVICES. 
          AND THAT'S THE ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE TO CHOOSE, WHICH, WHICH ONE WE'RE GONNA HAVE. 
          WE CAN ALL MAKE POSTERS. 
          I'M LIKE ALL ABOUT IT. 
          IF WE WANNA HAVE AN EVENT AND MAKE POSTERS AND GO TO THE CAPITAL AND MARCH ABOUT HEALTHCARE, WE CAN GET, GET A BUS, WE COULD GET A VW VAN. 
          BUT LOCALLY, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? IS WE, WE HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT THE, THE ECONOMIC SEGREGATION AGAIN, LIKE WE DID SEVERAL YEARS AGO. 
          BECAUSE I WOULD ARGUE WITH ANYBODY THAT IF WE WEREN'T AS ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED AS WE ARE, THAT HOSPITAL PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE CLOSING, RIGHT? AND IT, AND IT COULD CONTINUE TO SERVE THESE POPULATIONS. 
          SO I REALLY THINK RIGHT, THAT, YOU KNOW, AND PUTTING ALL MY ASSETS ON THERE AGAIN, UM, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT, THAT THE GREATEST THING THAT I CAN OFFER TO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION IS THIS, IS THIS AWARENESS OF THE GLOBAL IMPACT. 
          NOT GLOBE, GLOBE, BUT GLOBAL COUNTY, GLOBAL CITY, GLOBAL M S A GLOBAL METRO METROPOLITAN AREA. 
          'CAUSE I HAVEN'T EVEN INCLUDED THE RURAL POPULATIONS IN THIS WHOLE ARGUMENT. 
          UM, A SEEMINGLY SMALL, EXTREMELY LOCALIZED DECISION LIKE THIS ONE THAT SEEMS TO IMPACT, WELL, D FOUR AND UNFORTUNATELY D FOUR DURING FIESTA HAS GOT A LOT LARGER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          AND IN, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA OVER EXAGGERATE, BUT FOR SOUTH TEXAS, UM, AND IT'S, AND FOR OUR M S A, SO IT'S A SEEMINGLY SMALL DECISION FOR A SEEMINGLY SMALL BUILDING, RIGHT? BUT IT DOESN'T ONLY IMPACT THE SOUTH SIDE AND IT, AND IT DOESN'T IMPACT ONLY US. 
          IT IMPACTS OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM. 
          SO WE NEED TO START THINKING SYSTEMICALLY. 
          WE NEED TO REALIZE, LIKE WHEN WE TURN, USE THE TERM EQUITY, OTHERS ARE USING IT ALSO, BUT IN VERY, VERY DIFFERENT WAYS THAN WE ARE. 
          AND WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO GET EDUCATED ON THAT, RIGHT? AND THEN, AND, AND BE AWARE THAT WE, WE BIG, WE GLOBAL, WE HAS HAVE ALLOWED THE PRIVATIZATION OF THESE, OF THESE REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL SOCIAL SERVICES. 
          AND THIS IS HOW IT'S STARTING TO PLAY OUT. 
          SO THIS 
          [00:20:01]
IS, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE CLOSED BY THE END OF THE WEEK, RIGHT? UM, AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER IS THE BEGINNING OF A CONVERSATION. 
          AND I HOPE THAT YOU FIND IT HELPFUL. 
          AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT I CAN AID IN, IN THIS CONVERSATION AS IT GOES FORWARD, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO FIND ME. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, DR. 
          RENAN. 
          UH, AND, AND YOU'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING. 
          AND I'M JUST GONNA TAKE EVERY MAP AND PRINT IT AND MAKE IT LARGE. 
          AND I'M LOOKING AT MY STUFF ALREADY BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE TO SHARE THIS STORY. 
          AND THAT WAS THE POINT. 
          UM, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE KEEP SAYING, OH, YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE. 
          WELL, YEAH, LEMME TELL YOU HOW THIS IMPACTS ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT POINT. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND BY THE WAY, HOW IT IMPACTS LIKE MY COLLEAGUES. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ COULD USE TO MAKE HIS POINT AS WELL ABOUT THAT EAST SIDE. 
          YEP. 
          AND SO, UM, AND, AND MY COLLEAGUES ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL. 
          AND SO I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE SAW THE INEQUITIES DURING COVID. 
          UH, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. 
          WE SAW THEM COME TO LIFE AND, UM, WE SAW THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ILLNESS, THE NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION. 
          UM, AND WE'VE HAD IN, IN THE BEXAR COUNTY COLLABORATIVE REPORT AS WELL, THE CLEAR INDICATION FOR THESE DIFFERENT HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT, THAT HAVE EXISTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. 
          WE HAVE BEEN OF FOR A LONG TIME. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK OF THE OPINION THAT, WELL, HEALTHCARE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CITY'S BUSINESS, BUT I THINK THAT OVER COVID, IT SHOWED US THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON IT AND WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF HOSPITALS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, UH, NEXT WEEK, THE THE HOSPITAL'S CLOSING, AND IT'S NOT TIME TO POINT FINGERS, IT'S TIME TO JUMP INTO ACTION AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          AND SO, SO FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UM, I, ONE THING THAT I COULD FIND WAS AN EASY SOLUTION. 
          I TOLD YOU ALL, UM, WORKING WITH VIA TO SHOW THE ROUTES TO GET TO THESE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS. 
          IF YOU'RE A CARETAKER, IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS TO GET THERE. 
          UM, AND THEN ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS TO GET BACK. 
          BUT NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. 
          NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, RIGHT? EXACTLY. 
          AND SO, UM, YOU MENTIONED FIESTA, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'M ALWAYS CHICKEN LITTLE ERIC WALSH KNOWS THAT I, HE PROBABLY THINKS I AM CHICKEN LITTLE, THE SKY'S ALWAYS FALLING IN, IN MY, IN MY AREAS. 
          HOWEVER, I AM SO AFRAID YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT FIESTA. 
          UM, WHAT IF A MASS CATASTROPHE HAPPENS? AND WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN, IN THE SOUTH OR WEST PART, LIKE WE WILL NEED TO SAVE LIVES. 
          AND THOSE MINUTES, THOSE ADDITIONAL MINUTES TO GET TO THAT NEAREST HOSPITAL COULD COST SOMEONE'S LIVES. 
          SO I'VE BEEN TERRIFIED, RIGHT? EVER SINCE WE KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD THIS, WE'VE TRIED TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT ENTITIES. 
          UM, I MEAN, EVERYBODY SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE, THEY, THEY TRIED, UM, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT IT'S CLOSING ON MAY 1ST. 
          SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW? UM, AND THIS IS, I'M VERY GRATEFUL BECAUSE OUR CITY MANAGER, UM, ALLOWED US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY. 
          AND, UM, AND HE'S HERE. 
          SO I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'M SURE HE'LL, HE'LL WANT TO SAY SOMETHING IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO EXPLAIN TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS WHY I RAN TO DR. 
          RENAN AFTER A PRESENTATION THAT I HEARD. 
          AND SHE PUT THIS TOGETHER IN PROBABLY TWO WEEKS TOPS, MAYBE A WEEK OR SOMETHING. 
          AND, AND JEAN RODRIGUEZ ON MY STAFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE, THE DATA. 
          AND I WAS SEEING THE MESSAGES GO BACK AND FORTH. 
          AND SO THANK YOU TO OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHO IS HERE ALL ON THE FRONT ROW LISTENING AND PROVIDED US A LOT OF INFORMATION AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS CRITICAL THAT WE SHOWCASE THESE, THESE MAPS SO THAT WE COULD SEE THE URGENCY. 
          UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY DOESN'T RUN A HOSPITAL. 
          WE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA RUN A HOSPITAL, BUT WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME? BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOUR YEARS FOR THAT NEXT HOSPITAL TO BE OPEN. 
          AND LIKE I TOLD SOMEONE EARLIER, NOBODY IS GONNA TELL A HEART ATTACK, WAIT FOUR YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY OPEN THE NEW HOSPITAL, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN, RIGHT? AND SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE STRESS THAT IT'LL PUT ALSO ON OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES. 
          AND, UM, SO, SO WE WANTED TO TAKE THIS CONVERSATION JUST TO HAVE AN OPEN DIALOGUE, REALLY, UH, OF COURSE, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HOSTS HOLDS US TO, AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER. 
          BUT I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. 
          AND, UM, I'LL START WITH GIVING THE FLOOR TO COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ. 
          COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU. 
          AND I, I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE, UH, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, AND I HOPE WE HAVE, I HOPE THIS CAN BE A SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC. 
          UM, I APPRECIATED YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I ALWAYS LOVE GETTING YOUR PRESENTATIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE, UH, SAD, THEY'RE VERY SAD, BUT THEY GROUND US IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE REALITY OF, OF OUR WORLD AND OF OUR SOCIETY, AND OF OUR CITY, AND, UM, SHOULD INFLUENCE OUR DECISION MAKING. 
          AND, UM, WHEN I ENTERED OFFICE IN 2021, UM, WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, THE 
          [00:25:01]
MATERNITY WARD AT THE NORTHEAST BAPTIST HOSPITAL CLOSED, AND IT WAS THE ONLY MATERNITY WARD ON THE EAST SIDE AND THE ONLY ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE FACILITY FOR MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS. 
          AND SO MY OFFICE MET WITH CONCERNED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS THEN, UM, UH, CONSTITUENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, TO DISCUSS WHAT, IF ANYTHING COULD BE DONE, UH, TO STOP THE CLOSURE, TO FIND RESOURCES FOR FOLK WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED AND NEEDING CARE. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT THE BLACK MATERNAL DEATH RATES OUTPACE, UH, THOSE OF THAT OF OTHER RACES, UM, FOR THOSE WITHOUT THEIR OWN CARS, IT WOULD TAKE AN HOUR ON THE BUS, UH, TO GET TO THE MEDICAL CENTER FROM CLAUDE BLACK, WHICH IS WHERE MY FIELD OFFICE IS LOCATED, VERY ACCESSIBLE. 
          UH, AND WITHOUT LOCAL ACCESS TO NECESSARY MEDICAL CARE, UM, WE CONTINUE TO FURTHER NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES THAT WE CONSTI AND IN THE, AS WE ENTER THE TAIL END OF THE PANDEMIC, IT'S, THIS SHOULD BE TOP OF MIND FOR EVERYONE. 
          AND IT'S BEEN A HEAVY CONCERN FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND MYSELF TO EXIST WITHOUT A FULL SERVICE HOSPITAL ON THE EAST SIDE. 
          UM, THIS IS SYSTEMIC RACISM AT WORK. 
          AND IT WAS, UH, AND I MENTIONED THIS WHEN WE HAD, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED DISCUSSING THIS AT THE LAST, UH, CHECK MEETING, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS THAT MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE HAD FOR GOING ON YEARS OR YEARS. 
          UM, AND THE CLOSURE ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE ADDS THAT EXTRA BIT OF STRAIN AND STRESS THAT IS NOW NOT ONLY ARE WE WITHOUT, BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPETING YET AGAIN WITH ANOTHER HIGH NEED POPULATION. 
          AND WHEN DECISIONS AROUND HEALTHCARE, UH, ARE GOING TO BE MADE, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT GONNA IMPACT THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ON THE WEST SIDE, THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THE EAST SIDE, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL INTERCONNECTED IN WAYS THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGE. 
          AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT TODAY'S CONVERSATION UNDERSCORES THE STATE OF HEALTHCARE IN OUR COUNTRY, UM, WHERE PRIVATE INTERESTS DETERMINE WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE MORE PROFITABLE INSTEAD OF SERVING AS A PUBLIC GOOD FOR ALL. 
          AND I APPRECIATED THAT PART OF YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UH, ARE OFTEN REFLECTIONS OF SELFISH POLICY DECISIONS WHEN WE SHOULD BE WORKING TO ENSURE, ENSURE THAT CARE IS ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE, AND CENTERED ON HEALING, UM, VERSUS PROFIT. 
          UM, I'M WONDERING, AND I WANNA ASK THIS QUESTION, ERIC, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD SEGUE TO, UH, WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ASSERT OURSELVES IN THE CONVERSATION AND IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS REGARDING HEALTHCARE AND HOSPITAL ACCESS WHERE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PREVIOUSLY? WHAT LEVERS CAN WE PULL? WHAT POWER CAN WE UTILIZE AND WHAT INFLUENCE CAN WE HAVE CREATE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE? WELL, I, I, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE BEYOND THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, AND, UM, I THINK THERE IS, UM, I THINK THERE'S A REALIZATION AND, AND AS, AS, UM, THE LARGEST GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY IN THE COUNTY, THE COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY HAS A GREATER ROLE IN MY EYES. 
          AND, AND I DON'T SAY THAT JUST 'CAUSE I'M THE CITY MANAGER, BUT IN MY EYES, YOU REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHIN A TAXING DISTRICT CALLED, UM, THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM, WHICH IS IN ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCESS TO CARE ISSUES. 
          AND SO I THINK I, I THINK WE NEED TO GO BEYOND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL TO TALK ABOUT WHAT DOES ACCESS TO CARE LOOK LIKE IN THAT STANDPOINT, UM, AND, AND HOW DOES IT, UH, THE 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND, AND CONTINUE TO GROW. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK, UM, STARTING THE CONVERSATION AMONGST YOURSELVES IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, ENGAGE THE BOARD AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND, UM, GEORGE HERNANDEZ, UM, AND HAVE A LITTLE BETTER INSIGHT INTO WHAT ARE THE UPCOMING PLANS THAT THEY HAVE. 
          UH, THE, THIS, THE METRO HEALTH USED TO RUN 20 SOME ODD HEALTH CLINICS, AND THEN IN, UM, LATE 2008, 2009, THEY WERE ALL TRANSITIONED TO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM. 
          THE CITY REDUCED THEIR PROPERTY TAX RATE AT THAT TIME, AND U H S INCREASED THEIR, SO THAT NET ZERO IMPACT TO THE PUBLIC. 
          BUT, BUT THEY WERE GOING, THE, THE FLAG THAT WAS PLANTED WAS THAT METRO HEALTH WAS GONNA FOCUS ON PUBLIC HEALTH, PREVENTATIVE ASPECTS OF HEALTH EDUCATION, AND U H S WAS GONNA TAKE CARE OF ACCESS TO CARE. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, BEYOND, UM, THE ISSUE OF, OF THE TEXAS VISTA HOSPITAL, THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT A, WHAT DOES ACCESS TO CARE LOOK LIKE IN SOME PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY? AND SO I, I MEAN, I THINK THERE ARE, THERE'S ANOTHER PART OF, ARE THERE'S ANOTHER PART OF THE FORMULA THAT'S MISSING THAT THAT BELONGS AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION. 
          AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A CONVERSATION THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF AS WELL. 
          THANK GOD. 
          I JUST, UM, JUST ADDING ONTO WHAT I WAS SAYING, 'CAUSE I, I THINK, UH, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, UM, THE SCOPE OF METRO HEALTH IS CLEAR TO ME, AND I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO NECESSARILY ADJUST THAT 
          [00:30:01]
TOO MUCH. 
          UM, WHAT I WAS GETTING AT, WHICH IS I'M GLAD THAT YOU GOT, UH, TO THE POINT OF, UH, THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, AND THE BOARD, HOW DO WE GET A SEAT THERE? HOW DO WE, LIKE WHAT IS OUR POWER THERE AND HOW DO WE, UM, HOW DO WE GET A GREATER VOICE THERE? AND DO YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? WELL, YOU KNOW, PRE PANDEMIC, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMISSIONERS AND GEORGE, HOW DO WE, THIS THIS  THERE IS IS THAT THE, DOES, SHOULD THE COUNCIL HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPOINT BOARD MEMBERS ON THAT BOARD THAT IS PROVIDING HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY? UM, AND, AND, AND TO BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY, THAT ALL GOT PUT ON THE, ON, ON THE SIDELINE WHEN, WHEN COVID HIT. 
          SO I, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONVERSATION. 
          IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT NOT ONLY WE HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE U H S, BUT ALSO COMMISSIONER'S COURT ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO, TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S, UH, ACCESS TO CARE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I, AND WITH THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, AND PROPERTY TAXES IS A CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENS AND, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT TAXING ENTITIES, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT. 
          BECAUSE WHEN I'M GOING DOOR TO DOOR AND I'M TELLING FOLK WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, BUT THEY'RE NOT FEELING THAT THEY'RE FEELING THE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, INCREASE FROM THEIR APPRAISAL, INCREASING FROM THE OTHER, OTHER TAXING ENTITIES, BUT THEY'RE NOT FEELING THE FRUSTRATION COMES WHEN THEY DON'T FEEL THE INVESTMENT. 
          I DON'T FEEL THE INVESTMENT IN MY STREETS GETTING DONE, THE INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL SERVICES THAT IMPACT THAT. 
          I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ACCESS TO INVESTMENT IN HEALTHCARE INVESTMENT IN X, Y, Z THING. 
          AND SO WE, UM, AND I MENTIONED THIS DURING THE BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION, THAT MAYBE WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT HOW THEY INVEST IN, IN INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. 
          BUT THEN I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW ARE YOU ENSURING THAT THE FOLK IN THE CITY WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE, MOST MARGINALIZED, HAVE E HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS? AND SO I APPRECIATE THE START OF THIS CONVERSATION, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING ME AND MAKE SURE THAT I WAS ABLE TO BE HERE. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN KATRA. 
          I'M WONDERING WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, WHETHER THAT'S A, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO REALLY EXPLORE. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THERE WAS A GROUP OF LATINO DOCTORS IN THE SOUTH SIDE THAT HAD LOOKED AT THE, THE FACT THAT THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOMEHOW HELP THAT NOT TO OCCUR OR TO TAKE SOME OWNERSHIP, BUT THEY COULDN'T DO IT ALONE. 
          SO I WONDER IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EXPLORATION THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE TAXING AGENCIES, BUT ALSO WITH SOME OF THESE PRIVATE DOCTORS IN THE SOUTH SIDE THAT ARE ALREADY DEDICATED TO THE SOUTH SIDE THAT MAY NEED FUNDING OR MAY NEED OTHER RESOURCES THAT PERHAPS WE ALONE CAN'T DO. 
          BUT BETWEEN THE FEDS AND PRIVATE DOLLARS AND ALL THE REST OF 'EM, WE COULD HELP PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER. 
          THE OTHER ASPECT IS, CAN WE INVOLVE ALAMO COLLEGES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S GOING NOW INTO A NURSING PROGRAM OR OTHER ENTITIES THAT COULD TAKE A PIECE OF THAT ACTION THERE TO MAINTAIN, UM, TO MAINTAIN IT AS A HEALTH FACILITY? IS THAT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE BUILDING? DO WE KNOW? NO, MA'AM. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE WAS A, I THINK, I THINK SOME OF THE INITIAL CONVERSATION WAS AT THAT, THAT HOSPITAL THAT THAT PRIVATE EQUITY GROUP WANTED TO SELL THAT BUILDING, WANTED U H S TO TAKE IT OVER. 
          BUT I DON'T KNOW THE CONDITIONS OF THAT BUILDING. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW LONG TERM WHAT'LL HAPPEN, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF CONVERSATION, THE IDEA THAT THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OR ENGAGING WITH DOCTORS TO ENSURE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT THERE'S ACCESS TO CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT NEED IT. 
          WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE U H S AT THE TABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. 
          I MEAN, I, I I, I, I COULD NOT TELL YOU WHAT THEIR STRATEGIC VISION IS. 
          I, I KNOW THAT IF WE'RE, IF WE GOT A PART OF TOWN THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LIBRARY OR A FIRE STATION, WE PUT TOGETHER, WE KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS. 
          WE'RE NOT HAVING THOSE SERVICES. 
          WE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, WE BUILD A FIRE STATION, WE BUILD A LIBRARY OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. 
          AND I'M SURE THAT, THAT THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM LOOKS AT IT THAT WAY. 
          BUT, BUT THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THIS. 
          AND, AND I SHOULD HAVE ADDED AS PART OF COUN COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ'S ANSWER, I DID TALK TO GEORGE HERNANDEZ LAST WEEK, AND I TOLD HIM THAT THIS ITEM WAS COMING. 
          SO I FULLY EXPECT, AND I'VE, I'VE, I'VE, YOU KNOW, I SHARED WITH HIM LAST WEEK, I SAID, YOU SHOULD ANTICIPATE 
          [00:35:01]
A LETTER FROM THE CITY MANAGER NEXT WEEK WITH A LIST OF THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO KNOW, AND THEN, AND THEN BRING YOU TO THE COM TO THIS COMMITTEE FIRST, AND THEN TO INFORM AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, AND THEN AS PART OF THE FULL COUNCIL CONVERSATION, SO THAT WE ARE ALIGNED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT BECAUSE, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, 1.4 MILLION OF HIS FOLKS HAPPEN TO BE REPRESENTED BY THE COUNCIL. 
          AND YOU ARE THE MAJORITY, YOU ALL ARE THE MAJORITY SHARE HERE. 
          IT'S NOT, UH, THE SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES OR UNINCORPORATED BEXAR COUNTY. 
          SO, SO HOW ARE WE, JUST GIVE US A SNEAK PEEK INTO YOUR VISION OF HOW WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH HEALTHCARE IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START. 
          WELL, DO YOU KNOW HOW THE COMMISSIONERS ARE FEELING, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR THEY SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION OR? NO, MA'AM. 
          I MEAN, OTHER THAN I, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ WAS PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS PRE PANDEMIC WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND I, BUT I'VE HAD NO CONVER, AND I'M, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMISSIONERS. 
          UM, COUNT, THE ONLY COMMISSIONER THAT I'VE HEARD EXPRESS THAT WE CAN ONLY WAIT TILL THE HOSPITAL'S BUILT IN FOUR YEARS WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES. 
          BUT, UM, COMMISSIONER GRANT MOODY ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST COMMISSIONER TO REACH OUT TO ME WHEN HE HEARD, I DO HAVE TO GO ON RECORD, BUT SAYING THAT HE REACHED OUT TO SEE HOW HE COULD HELP. 
          SO I KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO HELP. 
          AND THEN I'LL ALSO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE MET WITH LOCAL UNIVERSITY TO SEE IF THEY WOULD TAKE OVER THE HOSPITAL. 
          UM, WE'VE MET WITH TWO PRIVATE EQUITY GROUPS. 
          UM, AND SO, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT ME TO SEE THAT THEY'RE TRYING, RIGHT? SO, UM, A A LOT OF THE STUFF, UH, INVOLVES N D A. 
          SO I, THERE'S, THERE'S, I DIDN'T SIGN NDA A, SO IT WAS VERY HIGH LEVEL. 
          IT WAS JUST KINDA LIKE, COME IN. 
          BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING, AND, AND ONE OF THEM WAS A GROUP OF LOCAL DOCTORS AS WELL. 
          AND SO FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, IT HASN'T WORKED OUT. 
          NOW, ONCE THE HOSPITAL CLOSES ON MAY 1ST, THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND IT IS THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GRANDFATHERED IN WITH SOME OF, I GUESS THE, THE BUILDING SPECS AND EVEN, I GUESS SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT, HOWEVER, THEY WILL LOSE THE STATE LICENSE ONCE IT CLOSES. 
          SO IF SOMEBODY WOULD'VE TAKEN IT OVER BY APRIL 30TH, THEN THEY COULD HAVE KEPT OPERATING. 
          BUT BECAUSE IT CLOSES MAY 1ST, NOW THEY HAVE TO GO IN AND APPLY AGAIN AT THE STATE LEVEL, IF YOU WILL, FOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          WELL, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT TEXAS, UH, RURAL HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN LOST AT A GREAT NUMBER. 
          I WONDER HOW MANY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECOUP OR COME BACK AND HOW THEY DID IT. 
          YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT WE COULD USE AS A MODEL? AND I'M NOT SURE THEY HAVE RECOUPED, BUT I KNOW I'VE READ ARTICLES ABOUT ALL THESE HOSPITALS THAT HAVE GONE BUST IN THE RURAL AREAS. 
          HAVE ANY OF THEM COME BACK? AND HOW DID THEY DO IT? AND COUNCILWOMAN, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALSO THAT, UM, ERIC AND THE MAYOR AND JUDGE SKAY AND, UM, ALL OF THE CEOS OF EVERY HOSPITAL MET A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. 
          UM, AND THE, THE REASSURANCE THERE WAS THAT OUR PATIENTS WOULD BE REROUTED, UH, THAT PHYSICIANS WOULD BE PICKED UP. 
          THERE'S 800 EMPLOYEES OF THE HOSPITAL, 600, BY THE WAY, LIVE IN OUR AREAS. 
          UM, BUT, UH, SO THERE'S, SO THERE'S AT LEAST THAT COMMITMENT, RIGHT? THE PSYCH BEDS WE'RE LOSING 56 PSYCH PSYCH BEDS. 
          WE HAD ALREADY LOST, I DUNNO HOW MANY, WHEN THE KNICKS CLOSED IN, IN 20 19, 41, 50. 
          YEAH. 
          SO WE'RE DOWN AT LEAST 200 OR SO, 200 AND SOMETHING BEDS. 
          UM, AND WE KNOW THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS GROWING, AND SO IT'S BEYOND THE ACUTE, IT'S BEYOND THE HEART ATTACK THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY. 
          IT'S BEYOND, UNFORTUNATELY, THE MASS SHOOTING THAT COULD HAPPEN, RIGHT? IT IT ALSO AFFECTS THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH. 
          AND SO, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S WHY THE REASON TO, TO BRING IT TO A FULL DISCUSSION, I FEEL, OR AT LEAST START AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL WAS, WAS CRITICAL. 
          BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME HOSPITAL SYSTEMS EVEN THAT HAD LOOKED AT THE HOSPITAL. 
          SO THAT, SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE. 
          ERIC, DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE OR, UM, NO, I, I, UH, WHY ARE YOU MOVING ON? YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, OH, OKAY. 
          SO IT'S ONLY YESTERDAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, I, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY TO, I'LL WORK WITH THE STAFF AND WE'RE GONNA SUMMARIZE, BUT, UH, I HAVE A, I THINK I HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS. 
          AND I, I CERTAINLY AM AWARE OF QUESTIONS THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE TALKED TO ME ABOUT INDIVIDUALLY. 
          AND WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT REQUEST AND AN INVITATION, WE'LL CALL AN INVITATION, A DRAFT INVITATION TO COME TO THIS COMMITTEE. 
          AND I, MY MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE CLEAR THE DECK OF ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, RIGHT? AND THAT IT BECOME, YOU KNOW, HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GREATER ROLE IS, 
          [00:40:01]
WHAT THE PLANS ARE, SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THE COUNCIL CAN START TO HAVE SOME INPUT, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE DARK GREEN AREAS OR LIGHT GREEN AREAS, SORRY, IN THE MAP ARE, ARE COVERED. 
          UM, AND, UH, AND, AND ONCE WE WILL SHARE THAT WITH Y'ALL, THAT YOU GET SOME FEEDBACK ON IT, AND THEN WE'LL SEND THAT TO GEORGE AND GET THAT SCHEDULED, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU, ERIC AND I, I DO THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT COMMITTEE TO START. 
          UM, AND SO, UM, SO DEFINITELY WE, IT'S A MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION. 
          UM, IT'S BEEN NEEDED AND I, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT, UH, DR. 
          DORNAN WAS ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER SUCH GREAT SLIDES ON, ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE AGAIN. 
          AND SO, UM, WE, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM. 
          I THINK THAT, THAT MY STAFF WAS SHOWING THEM, BUT SHE WAS LITERALLY WORKING EVEN TILL LIKE, UH, JUST VERY LAST MINUTE. 
          SO WE, WE SHOULD HAVE THE, THE, THE CLOSING, UH, SLIDES. 
          BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT YOUR WORK SPECIFICALLY ON REDLINING IS, IS, UM, A, A MAJOR FACTOR IN THIS. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU CAME OUT HERE AND, AND, AND PRESENTED TO OUR COLLEAGUES. 
          AND I SEE ONE OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO HAPPENS TO HAVE THE MEDICAL CENTER IN HIS AREA THAT HAPPENS TO BE HERE FOR ANOTHER ONE. 
          SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL AND SEE IF HE HAS ANY IDEAS. 
          BUT REALLY THANK YOU DR. 
          RENAN, FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU ERIC. 
          'CAUSE I THINK HE LEFT SOME OTHER MEETING TO BE HERE WITH US TODAY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          HE'S BEEN RUNNING AROUND. 
          REALLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, THEN IF, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE, IF IT'S OKAY FOR THAT DIRECTION THAT ERIC'S TAKING TO HAVE A FORMAL INVITE. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. 
          RENAN, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU, ERIC. 
          UM, SO WITH THAT, WE WILL GO INTO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A POTENTIAL APPROACH IN RESPONSE TO A CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST REQUESTING, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION SIGNAGE IN PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. 
          AND THIS IS A C C R BY MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN MANNY PE. 
          AND, UM, HE IS HERE AND I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO, UH, INVITE HIM UP TO JUST DO A, A QUICK INTRO OF, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS C C R. 
          AND THEN WE WILL GET ONTO THE, THE PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMAN FOR BEING SO PATIENT. 
          THANKS. 
          UH, WHILE I WAS SITTING OVER THERE, UM, UH, LISTENING TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS, MY MOM TEXTED ME SOMETHING. 
          THERE'S A STORY OUT, UM, GIVING US AN UPDATE ABOUT A WOMAN NAMED MARY CLAIRE. 
          UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST GONNA READ IT TO YOU. 
          A MOTHER AND HER TWO-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WERE ATTACKED DURING AN ALLEGED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RAMPAGE HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND WERE RECOVERING WITH FAMILY. 
          MARIAH CLAIRE 28 WAS RELEASED LAST WEEK, AND HER DAUGHTER ROSALIE WENT HOME ON TUESDAY WITH FAMILY, THEIR INJURY FROM A SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 10TH ON THE NORTH SIDE BY HER EX-HUSBAND WHO CAME TO VISIT THE CHILDREN. 
          AND WHAT STARTED AS PLACED, PLAYTIME ESCALATED WHEN STEVEN CRANE PULLED A GUN AND SHOT MARIAH CLAIRE, AND THEN ATTACKED THEIR DAUGHTERS WITH A KNIFE. 
          ONE OF THE CHILDREN, 11 MONTH OLD WILLOW, DIED FROM HER INJURIES. 
          S A P D SAYS ROSALIE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND RECOVERED IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT BEFORE SHE WAS RELEASED. 
          THE HUSBAND HAS SINCE BEEN CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER IN TWO ACCOUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON. 
          THIS IS A STORY THAT HAS PLAYED OUT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS. 
          I'VE BEEN WORKING, UM, REPRESENTING MOMS, UM, SINGLE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, SINGLE MOMS ALL TOO OFTEN, UM, WHO ARE ATTACKED BY THEIR EXES SOMETIMES, UM, ATTACKED BY EVEN THEIR EX'S FAMILY. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TELLING ME FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, AND THEY'VE TOLD MANY OF YOU, IS THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WERE RESOURCES OUT THERE TO HELP THEM, UM, THAT NOBODY HAD EVER TOLD THEM YOU CAN CALL A HOTLINE, RIGHT? NOBODY HAD EVER TOLD THEM, EVEN THE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU IF HE HITS YOU RIGHT, IT'S OKAY TO RUN AWAY, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED HERE IS A SIMPLE STICKER ON THE WINDOW NEXT TO THE STICKER THAT SAYS, PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS IN THE RESTROOM, OR THE STICKER THAT SAYS, IF YOU EAT RAW FISH, YOU MIGHT GET SICK IF YOU'RE PREGNANT, RIGHT? OR IF YOU DRINK, DON'T DO THAT. 
          RIGHT? IF YOU'RE PREGNANT, IT'S JUST ONE STICKER THAT SAYS, IF YOU'RE A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. 
          AND HERE'S THE PHONE NUMBER. 
          WE'VE, UH, SPOKEN TO MOST INDUSTRY PLAYERS. 
          UH, AND, AND BY THE WAY, THE REQUEST IS FOR IT TO BE IN BATHROOMS OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. 
          WE'VE SPOKEN TO THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION, THEY ENTHUSIASTICALLY SAID, WE AGREE THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THEIR INDUSTRY AS WELL. 
          UM, AND THEY AGREE THAT THEY HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO, UM, THESE STICKERS. 
          WE SPOKE TO THE MOST COMMON, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAYERS IN THE CONVENIENCE STORE AND RETAIL INDUSTRY WHERE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY USES A RESTROOM ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. 
          THEY SAID, WE AGREE. 
          THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, RIGHT? WE'VE SPOKEN TO THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN BRING 
          [00:45:01]
THEM, UM, ON BOARD. 
          THEY HAD SOME OBJECTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS MIGHT BURDEN SOME SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          THEY'RE NOT WRONG. 
          THE LAST THING WE NEED TO DO IS GO AROUND FINDING BUSINESSES. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES A PUBLIC RESTROOM IS THE SANCTUARY THAT AN ABUSER NEEDS WHERE HER ABUSER, I'M SORRY, WHERE A VICTIM NEEDS WHERE ABUSER CAN'T FOLLOW HER IN THERE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT YOU GUYS CONSIDER THIS. 
          UM, I, I APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE, UH, SIGNED ONTO THE C C R, UM, AND THE PRESENTATION YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING FROM STAFF IS, IS, UH, POWERFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. 
          AND WE'RE READY FOR THIS STAFF PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT HEARING ME WELL ENOUGH WEARING THE EXTRA HIGH SHOES TODAY. 
          SO WE HAVE TO ADJUST THE MICROPHONE. 
          UH, MY NAME IS ERICA HELLER STEVENSON. 
          I'M THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AREA AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THIS DOES INCLUDE OVERSIGHT OF OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH METRO HEALTH AND IN COORDINATION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 
          WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY IS UPDATE YOU ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE LAST TIME WE PRESENTED TO THIS COMMITTEE. 
          WE'RE ALSO GOING TO SHARE SOME PUBLIC SURVEY RESULTS AND GIVE YOU THE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION. 
          I'M GOING TO BREEZE THROUGH QUICKLY THE BACKGROUND ON THIS, JUST GETTING EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED. 
          UM, BUT THE DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE SLIDES FOR YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER AYAS FILED THREE CCRS RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OCTOBER OF 2021. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST BULLET THAT IS ITALICIZED AND BOLDED FOR YOU THERE, WHICH IS ABOUT REQUIRING SIGNAGE FEATURING RESOURCES TO BE DISPLAYED IN PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. 
          WE MADE OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TO THIS COMMITTEE IN MARCH OF 2022. 
          WE RETURNED IN AUGUST OF 2022. 
          AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING MORE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH FROM NOVEMBER, 2022 TO JANUARY, 2023. 
          SO OVER THIS MOST RECENT WINTER, WE COLLECTED PUBLIC FEEDBACK THROUGH AN ONLINE SURVEY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. 
          WE SPOKE WITH THE COLLABORATIVE COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, OF WHICH THERE ARE CITY AND COUNTY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS NON-PROFITS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO WORK IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          AND THEN IN THE CURRENT MONTH, UH, WE SPOKE WITH THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION DIRECTLY, AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PLY HAS SUMMED THIS UP VERY WELL. 
          I JUST WANNA REITERATE THE PURPOSE OF THIS C C R IS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE ABLE TO FIND THE RESOURCES THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          WE ALSO, SECONDARILY WANT TO INCREASE COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. 
          AND ULTIMATELY THIS FEEDS INTO METRO HEALTH'S PURPOSE OF ALIGNING PUBLIC HEALTH BEST PRACTICE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES. 
          SO I'M GONNA GO INTO THE PUBLIC SURVEY NEXT. 
          IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND THEN I'LL SPEAK KIND OF GENERALLY AND WE CAN COME BACK AND CATCH MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE THEM. 
          AS I MENTIONED, WE ADMINISTERED THE SURVEY FROM NOVEMBER TO JANUARY OVER THE MOST RECENT WINTER. 
          AND THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO GET A SENSE OF COMMUNITY OPINION ON AN ORDINANCE RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SIGNAGE, UH, IN PUBLIC SPACES. 
          WE RECEIVED JUST OVER 1400 RESPONSES AND WE WERE ABLE TO USE JUST OVER 1200 OF THEM. 
          THE ONES WE WERE DISCARDED WERE BECAUSE THEY WERE INCOMPLETE OR TEST EFFORTS, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          UH, SO WE GOT ABOUT 1200 TO WORK WITH. 
          WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS PRETTY GOOD REPRESENTATION IN THE RESPONSES ACROSS ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS. 
          UH, GOOD REPRESENTATION AMONG DIFFERENT ADULT AGE GROUPS. 
          AND THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC BREAKDOWN MIRRORED THE PROPORTIONS THAT WE SEE COMMUNITY WIDE. 
          UM, SO THAT IS VERY HELPFUL. 
          IN THAT EFFORT, WE DISTRIBUTED ADVERTISEMENTS ABOUT THE SURVEY TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN VARIOUS BUSINESS CHAMBERS. 
          WE ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE AND CONDUCTED NUMEROUS INTERVIEWS. 
          WE POSTED THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PAID MEDIA, AND MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO SHARED IT IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS AND THEN THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, WE WORKED THROUGH OUR EXISTING CHANNELS, UH, THAT FUNCTION OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          ANYWHERE WHERE WE HAVE CLINICS OR WE GO OUT INTO PUBLIC SPACES, WE ASKED OUR STAFF TO SHARE AN AWARENESS OF THIS SURVEY BEING AVAILABLE. 
          SO HIGH LEVEL ANALYSIS OF THIS SURVEY, I WANNA GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHO RESPONDED. 
          I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT WE HAD GOOD DISTRIBUTION AS FAR AS WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS. 
          WE ASKED A QUESTION DEFINING WHETHER A PERSON IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS AFFILIATED WITH A BUSINESS IN SOME WAY OR NOT AFFILIATED WITH A BUSINESS IN SOME WAY IN WHICH WE CALLED THEM A COMMUNITY MEMBER. 
          SO 17% OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE AFFILIATED WITH THE BUSINESS AND THE REST WERE NOT. 
          AND THEN IN TERMS OF GENDER, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THIS. 
          AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, UM, FOR THE RESULT, 73% OF RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED AS FEMALE, 
          [00:50:01]
WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED ON AN ISSUE SUCH AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHERE WOMEN ARE MORE OFTEN THE PEOPLE AFFECTED, UH, AS THE VICTIM. 
          THEN WE ASKED A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          WE ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE CALL THE MANDATE IN THE SURVEY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND. 
          AND WE EXPLAINED IT THAT IT WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE A CITY LAW, UM, AND TRIED TO MAKE THAT KIND OF ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION TO FOLKS. 
          UH, SO ULTIMATELY THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR THE ORDINANCE, UM, PRETTY OVERWHELMINGLY, AND WE BROKE THIS DOWN IN THIS GRAPH TO SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPPORT. 
          UH, SO YOU CAN SEE 65% STRONGLY SUPPORTED AND 15% GENERALLY SUPPORTED. 
          UH, AND THEN WE HAVE AROUND 13% WHO OPPOSED, AND 7% WHO WERE UNSURE. 
          AND THEN BREAKING THIS DOWN BY THE AUDIENCE, WHICH WAS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR ALSO TO TEASE OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE SIMILAR TO THIS. 
          ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SLIDE SLIDE, THAT BAR IS FOCUSED ON JUST THE COMMUNITY MEMBER RESPONSES AND THE BAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE BUSINESS MEMBER RESPONSES. 
          AND WHAT WE DID WAS COMBINE STRONGLY SUPPORT AND SUPPORT INTO ONE TOTAL AND THEN STRONGLY AGAINST AND AGAINST INTO ONE TOTAL, SO THAT YOU HAVE BASICALLY SUPPORT, SUPPORT AND OPPOSE. 
          SO ON THE LEFT SIDE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS UH, INDICATED THAT 84% SUPPORTED AN ORDINANCE. 
          UH, 11%, UH, WERE OPPOSED IT. 
          AND THEN FOR BUSINESS MEMBERS, 59% SUPPORTED IT, 28% OPPOSED. 
          AND THEN THERE WAS A LARGER MARGIN OF PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHO ARE UNSURE ABOUT THEIR LEVEL OF SUPPORT. 
          WHEN WE ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER PEOPLE WOULD SUPPORT A VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN, THIS WAS ALSO WELL SUPPORTED, UH, BY ALL RESPONDENTS AND ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT SIMILARLY TO THE IDEA OF AN ORDINANCE. 
          AND THEN WE BROKE IT DOWN AGAIN BY A COMMUNITY MEMBER VERSUS BUSINESS MEMBER. 
          YOU'LL SEE AGAIN THAT THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR A VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FOR BOTH AUDIENCES. 
          THEN I WANTED TO GIVE YOU, UH, A COMPARISON SLIDE WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT THE COLLECTIVE SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO AN ORDINANCE ON THE LEFT IN THE RED, AND THEN A VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN ON THE RIGHT IN THE BLUE. 
          YOU CAN SEE REALLY SIMILAR TOTALS FOR SUPPORT. 
          FOR BOTH OF THOSE OPTIONS, WE DID NOT ASK THE QUESTION, UH, IN A WAY TO FORCE PEOPLE TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN THEM. 
          WE ASKED ABOUT THE SUPPORT FOR EACH OF THOSE. 
          SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NEXT IS TAKE YOU THROUGH OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR AN ORDINANCE. 
          YOU'LL SEE AN EXAMPLE OF OUR SIGN ON THE SLIDE, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY BASED ON SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS. 
          WE UPDATED IT JUST TO GIVE US A PROTOTYPE TO WORK WITH, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE AIMING FOR SOMETHING AROUND FIVE INCHES BY SEVEN INCHES. 
          SO IT DOESN'T TAKE UP THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE OF A MIRROR IN A BATHROOM, UM, BUT IS BIG ENOUGH TO READ, OFFERED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON THE SAME STICKER. 
          FEATURES TWO PHONE NUMBERS. 
          ONE IS LOCAL AND THE OTHER IS NATIONAL. 
          AND THE PURPOSE FOR ADDING THE NATIONAL PHONE NUMBER IS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE SEEING THE STICKER WHO DO NOT RESIDE WITHIN THE BEXAR COUNTY LIMITS. 
          AND THEN WE WANNA FEATURE A QR CODE. 
          THAT'S THE WAY TO TAKE PEOPLE TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. 
          SO PEOPLE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER THEY CAN CALL, AND THEN THEY HAVE A QR CODE TO FIND A MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE LIST OF RESOURCES THAT ARE MORE TAILORED. 
          THEY CAN LOOK FOR PARTICULAR THINGS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN. 
          UH, THIS IS A BIT WORDY, BUT I'LL FEATURE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU ON THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. 
          IT WOULD REQUIRE SIGNAGE FEATURING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES TO BE POSTED IN ALL PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. 
          THOSE SPACES ARE DEFINED AS EVERY BUSINESS WITHIN THE CITY, WHETHER WHOLESALE OR RETAIL, AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND OFFERS FOR COMPENSATION, ANY PRODUCT, SERVICE OR FACILITY. 
          THE SECOND BULLET, UH, OFFERS SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF THAT, AND I AM GONNA LEAVE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO ANSWER MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS ON THAT BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR EXPERTISE AND NOT MINE. 
          THE REQUIREMENTS AROUND THE SIGNAGE PLACEMENT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE SIGN MUST BE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH MUST FEATURE A WAY TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES AND BE PROVIDED IN ALL RESTROOMS AT THE ESTABLISHMENT. 
          IT SHOULD BE POSTED ON A RESTROOM MIRROR. 
          IF THERE IS NO MIRROR AVAILABLE, IT NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE BACK OF A RESTROOM DOOR. 
          AT EYE LEVEL METRO HEALTH WILL DICTATE THE DESIGN AND CONTENT OF THE SIGN, AND WE RECOMMEND A SIX MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDINANCE. 
          THAT HELPS US EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ORDINANCE AND GET THEM PREPARED FOR THE START OF IT ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE COMPLAINT BASED. 
          UH, ANOTHER TERM FOR THAT IS PASSIVE, UH, ENFORCEMENT, WHICH MEANS A 
          [00:55:01]
PERSON WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT IN ORDER TO DRAW US OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. 
          UM, THERE JUST ARE NOT APPROPRIATE MEANS, UH, TO COVER AN ACTIVE ENFORCEMENT TECHNIQUE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THE STATE AND, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON USE A COMPLAINT BASED APPROACH, AND THIS IS MORE SIMILAR TO KINDA WHAT THEY'RE DOING WOULD BE ENFORCED BY METRO HEALTH. 
          AND THEN WE WILL WORK TO BRING THE ESTABLISHMENT INTO COMPLIANCE. 
          WE'LL PROVIDE THE SIGNAGE AND THE RESOURCE MATERIALS FOR THE FACILITIES THAT ARE IN NON-COMPLIANCE. 
          THE EFFORT HERE IS TO GET PEOPLE INTO COMPLIANCE AND PROVIDE THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          UM, SORRY, MISSING ONE LITTLE PIECE THERE. 
          UM, WE ALSO ARE NOT RECOMMENDING A FINE BE ATTACHED TO THAT. 
          ULTIMATELY, THE ENFORCEMENT IS THAT YOU GET AN EXTRA VISIT FROM US, UH, AND YOU'RE SEEING US AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. 
          AND THE FOCUS IS ON EDUCATION AND ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN, IN THE EFFECT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S MAKING THESE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. 
          WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GONNA HAVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION. 
          WE RECOMMEND, UH, STARTING FROM WORKING WITH CITY FACILITIES THAT ARE COMMON STOPPING POINTS FOR PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY AREAS THAT SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT FOLKS. 
          IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET INFORMATION OUT THERE. 
          UM, WE CAN MAKE A LIST OF ONSITE A LIST OF DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AVAILABLE ONLINE. 
          AND THEN WE WOULD USE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS, THE PEOPLE WHO INSPECT RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS THROUGH THE COURSE OF THEIR REGULAR DUTIES. 
          COST OF THE SCIENCE IS FAIRLY MINIMAL. 
          UH, WE WERE ESTIMATING IF WE, THERE'S NO FONT PERFECT NUMBER FOR THE NUMBER OF PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, UH, BUT WE KIND OF BASED IT ON WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT LICENSES FOR OCCUPANCY NUMBERS OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, AND MADE A GUESS THAT WE FELT PRETTY SAFE WITH, UH, AND THINK THAT WE NEED ABOUT 65,000 SIGNS FOR THE LAUNCH, WHICH WOULD BE TWO PER FACILITY TOTAL OF JUST UNDER $20,000. 
          OF COURSE, THEN THERE ARE THE LABOR COSTS INVOLVED WITH THE EDUCATION AND DISTRIBUTION, AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PREPARED MATERIAL. 
          AND WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS. 
          GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, SO A FEW YEARS AGO, MAYBE IT WAS, UH, THREE YEARS AGO OR SO, I REMEMBER GOING TO, UM, SO I, I MISSED OUT ON A B SESSION BECAUSE I HAD PROMISED MY KID THAT IF THE ASTROS WENT TO THE WORLD SERIES, WE'D GO. 
          AND SO IT HAPPENED TO BE THAT IT FALL FELL LIKE THE, THE ONLY B SESSION I THINK THAT I'VE MISSED FOR LIKE A PERSONAL THING. 
          UM, AND I REMEMBER TEXTING, UM, I THINK IT WAS, I, I DON'T THINK I TEXTED ERIC. 
          I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO I TEXTED. 
          IT WAS, OH, I TEXTED YOU, COUNCILMAN AND I, IT WAS, IT WAS BAD BECAUSE I WAS IN THE RESTROOM STALL, BUT I WAS LIKE, LIKE, DON'T MIND THAT I'M IN THE RESTROOM STALL, BUT THE ASTROS HAVE THIS SIGN BE LIKE, IN EVERY RESTROOM STALL. 
          'CAUSE THEN I WAITED AND I WAS LIKE LOOKING, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THEY'RE IN EVERY RESTROOM STALL. 
          AND THEY WERE SIMILAR TO THIS, RIGHT? UM, BUT OF COURSE, BY THE WAY, I THINK THE STICKER IDEA IS MUCH EASIER BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL. 
          'CAUSE LIKE NOW YOU COULD SEE THEY WERE KIND OF FALLING ALREADY. 
          BUT THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTICED, UM, IS THAT A LOT OF, UH, AIRPORT FACILITIES THAT, THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH RECENTLY HAVE THE UNIVERSAL SIGN FOR HELP. 
          SO I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE EVEN KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE EVEN KNOW WHAT THE UNIVERSAL SIGN FOR HELP IS IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING. 
          AND SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SEE, LIKE FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE, I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS REALLY COOL THAT THEY HAVE THAT ON THERE, BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT, BUT, BUT SO DEFINITELY. 
          SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF MY ONLY FEEDBACK IN, IN TERMS OF THAT. 
          I LOVE THAT WE HAVE A, UM, LOCAL NUMBER, AND THEN I LOVE THAT WE HAVE A QR CODE AND THEN THE NATIONAL NUMBER OF COURSE. 
          UM, SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIORITY FOR US. 
          AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN, UM, ELAS, BECAUSE, UH, I DO THINK THAT PUBLIC SPACES ARE WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY RESTROOMS, RIGHT? IS, IS THE ONLY PRIVATE TIME THAT ANY ANYBODY REALLY GETS. 
          SO, UM, WHILE SOME BUSINESSES I THINK MIGHT VIEW THIS AS AN EXTRA BURDEN, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY AND THAT WE COULD PROBABLY CONVINCE THEM, RIGHT? AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT IT'S, IT'S MINIMAL EFFORT THAT IT TAKES REALLY. 
          UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE CONVERSATION AGAIN. 
          THANKS. 
          THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUE. 
          UM, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ, GO RIGHT AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I REMEMBER WHEN THIS FIRST CAME TO COMMITTEE, AND, UH, I, THIS WAS NOT THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          THE RECOMMENDATION WAS BASICALLY NOTHING. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL CAME BACK WITH, UH, WITH THIS. 
          AND I GUESS I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          UM, I WOULD AT FACE VALUE BE SUPPORTIVE OF AN ORDINANCE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ROUGHLY, UM, 40% OF THE BUSINESS, UH, BUSINESSES WEREN'T NECESSARILY SUPPORTIVE OF AN ORDINANCE WITH 28% AGAINST, BUT 
          [01:00:01]
SOMETIMES IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAND STRONG, UH, FOR PUBLIC GOOD, UM, IN ORDER TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR PUBLIC GOOD AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. 
          AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE I AM IN INITIALLY. 
          UM, THERE, I DO WONDER, NORMALLY I THINK UNDER DIFFERENT CONTI CONDITIONS, THERE WOULDN'T BE TOO MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORDINANCE OF THIS NATURE, A RESOLUTION OR JUST A PROGRAM THAT WE DO. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          BUT I'M WONDERING, UM, WITH THE ORDINANCE ROUTE, WOULD STATE IF THE LEGISLATION THAT'S WORKING ITS WAY FROM THE HOUSE TO THE SENATE, UM, IF THAT WERE TO PASS, WOULD THAT, HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO ENFORCE THIS? I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON THAT. 
          I WAS LOOKING, COULDN'T QUITE ANSWER, ANSWER. 
          I SORRY. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I CAN'T TELL  BECAUSE IT IS IN ESSENCE OF REGULATION. 
          AND SO I'M WONDERING, YES, IT, IF THERE WERE TO BE A STATE LEGISLATION THAT, UH, WOULD COVER THIS ORDINANCE THAT THE CITY WOULD PASS, THEN, UH, IT POTENTIALLY WE COULD BE PREEMPTED, BUT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT, UH, LEGISLATION MM-HMM. 
           WOULD PASS, UH, WE, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AT THAT POINT. 
          YEAH. 
          COUNCILMAN, REMEMBER, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTION ABOUT THAT PREEMPTION BILL, WHAT IT COVERS AND WHAT IT DOESN'T. 
          WHAT A MESS, . 
          AND SO, I, MY ADVICE IS TO IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND DON'T TRY TO GUESS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. 
          LOVE, LOVE, LOVE WITH THAT BILL. 
          I GUESS, UH, THE DEEPER QUESTION IS, IN THIS INSTANCE, WE'RE SAYING AN ORDINANCE, AND WITH NO TRUE PENALTY, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT PENALTIES WITH NO TRUE PENALTIES. 
          IT IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM. 
          IF IT'S JUST, OH, WE'RE GONNA KEEP BOTHERING YOU UNTIL YOU PUT THIS UP, THEN IT'S USING OUR RESOURCES WITHOUT A, A NECESSARY, WITHOUT A GUARANTEED END RESULT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          UM, AND SO I, I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY TO INCLUDE, UM, AN ADDITION OF FUNDS FOR, UH, AN OUTREACH TEAM TO, UM, TO CALL BUSINESSES, TO MAKE PROACTIVE OUTREACH AND TO, UH, MAYBE EVEN MAKE DELIVERIES. 
          BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T THINK VERY OFTEN DO MOST OF THE BUSINESSES IN MY COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY COME OUT TO MY FIELD OFFICE. 
          THEY'RE RUNNING A BUSINESS, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, I ALSO AM GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME COMING OCTOBER 18TH, 2021, AS WE'RE GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE, UM, TO SEND THIS DIRECTLY THE RECOMMENDATION DIRECTLY TO AN A SESSION. 
          UM, AND I WOULD REQUEST THAT, UH, YOU MAKE, UM, YOU MAKE PRESENTATIONS TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          'CAUSE I THINK THIS ALSO WITH A BUDGETARY, UH, ASK SHOULD BE BAKED INTO THE BUDGET. 
          IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT COMES AFTER THE FACT. 
          I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE, UM, DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO I'LL MOVE TO SENATE THE RECOMMENDATION TO A SESSION, AND I'LL SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          WE'LL CONTINUE WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. 
          COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A GOOD THING TO HAVE. 
          UM, I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL HAVE WORKED ON IT AND COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS. 
          I'M SURE THAT THERE'S PROBABLY A WAY TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, UM, AS TIME GOES BY AND PERHAPS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ENFORCEMENT. 
          BUT I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE DOING IT. 
          AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WORKING ON IT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          LET'S TAKE A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? NO. 
          ABSTENTIONS. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          SO, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILMAN. 
          AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING A MIGRANT MEMORIAL. 
          AND IT'S GOING TO BE LED BY CRYSTAL JONES, CRYSTAL. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE. 
          UM, I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT A PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING A MIGRANT MEMORIAL AND LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION FROM THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REMEMBERING THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED, UH, LAST JUNE. 
          SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET INTO THE PRESENTATION. 
          SO ON JUNE 27TH OF LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 64 MIGRANTS THAT WERE FOUND IN AN ABANDONED, NON-AIR CONDITIONED TRACTOR TRAILER ON QUINTANA ROAD. 
          AND AS A RESULT OF THIS AWFUL TRAGEDY, 53 PEOPLE DIED THAT DAY. 
          UM, THERE WERE 48 PEOPLE WHO WERE FOUND DEAD ON SITE, AND THEN FIVE DID DIE FOLLOWING THE RESCUE FROM BEING EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. 
          UH, THESE VICTIMS WERE FROM MEXICO, GUATEMALA, AND HONDURAS. 
          AND THE YOUNGEST VICTIM WAS ONLY 13 YEARS OLD WITH MAJORITY OF VICTIMS BEING IN THEIR TWENTIES AND THIRTIES. 
          AGAIN, THESE WERE, UM, VICTIMS THAT WERE LOOKING TO SEEK A BETTER LIFE. 
          I WANTED 
          [01:05:01]
TO GIVE YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, UM, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BACKGROUND ON THE LOCATION. 
          UH, THERE ARE CURRENTLY IN THAT LOCATION, WOODEN CROSSES AND MEMENTOS THAT ARE HONORING EACH PERSON WHO LOST THEIR LIFE. 
          AND ON SITE THERE ARE ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS, THERE ARE PHOTOS OF MANY OF THE VICTIMS, UH, THESE CROSSES HAVE THEIR NAMES ON, ON THEM. 
          AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, BOTTLES OF WATER THAT ARE LEFT FOR OFFERING, UH, UH, ROSARIES CLOTHING. 
          UM, IT'S JUST A, A, A REALLY SIGNIFICANT MEMORIAL SITE THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY THE COMMUNITY. 
          I WILL SAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THAT, ON THAT PARTICULAR STREET, IT IS VERY NARROW. 
          UM, AND, AND IT'S A REMOTE ROAD, AND IT DOESN'T, UM, ACCOMMODATE MANY, MANY VISITORS, BUT YOU CAN TELL AT ONE TIME. 
          BUT YOU CAN, UH, TELL THAT THERE'S MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE, AGAIN, LEFT THESE MEMENTOS, THESE OFFERINGS FOR, UM, THE MEMORY OF THESE VICTIMS. SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, AND IN TALKING TO COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, UH, A RECOMMENDED PROCESS IF WE WERE TO COME UP WITH A PERMANENT MEMORIAL FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN. 
          AND THERE'S A FEW OPTIONS, UH, THAT I WANTED TO PRESENT SO THAT WE CAN GET YOUR FEEDBACK. 
          THE FIRST IS, IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, TO ENGAGE WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS SITE AND WITH THIS RECOVERY EFFORT. 
          AND ALSO, UH, THE ULTIMATE TRAGEDY OF THESE LOST LIVES. 
          SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND OUR IMMIGRANT LIAISON WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND WE WOULD LIKE TO ALSO WORK, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCOMMODATING ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF THIS MEMORIAL SITE. 
          WE DO NOT WANNA, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNICATION IS LEFT OPEN. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. 
          IF WE WERE TO FOLLOW A DEDICATED PUBLIC ART PROCESS, UH, THERE WOULD BE A FEW THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO. 
          THE FIRST IS, WE WOULD SCOPE CITY OWNED LOCATIONS IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT ARE NEAR KENTANA ROAD. 
          WE, THERE'S PEARSALL PARK, THERE'S A NUMBER OF LIBRARIES. 
          UM, THERE'S EVEN A FIRE STATION ON KENTANA ROAD. 
          BUT REALLY LOOKING AT LOCATIONS WHERE WE OWN THAT THERE COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE OF A MEMORIAL THAT'S PUBLIC ART BASED. 
          UH, WE WOULD WORK THROUGH THE PUBLIC ART PROCESS TO SELECT ARTISTS. 
          AND AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED IN THAT ARTIST SELECTION. 
          SO WORKING WITH THOSE KEY STAKEHOLDERS. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON IS DOCUMENTING THE MEMENTOS WITH PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY FOR DIGITAL ARCHIVE. 
          I DO WANNA MENTION THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ARTISTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE ALREADY TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO MOVED BY WHAT HAPPENED THERE, THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THESE ITEMS DOCUMENTED, EVEN IN THE, IN THE LAST YEAR, NOT EVEN JUST RECENTLY. 
          SO WE COULD GET SOME OF THAT ARCHIVED IMAGES AS WELL, THAT'S ALREADY ON FILE, AND THEN CREATING A QUINTANA ROAD MEMORIAL MARKER. 
          UM, AND SO I WANTED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING THE BASE OF, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO STILL GO TO WHERE THIS SITE AND WHERE IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. 
          SO MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT LASTS PERMANENTLY. 
          NOW, THE ESTIMATED TIMELINE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PUBLIC ART PROCESS TO DO A SCULPTURE OR A MURAL, ESPECIALLY OF THIS MAGNITUDE, BECAUSE WE WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH ALL OF THE CONSULATE OFFICES. 
          UH, COMMUNICATING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS WOULD BE ABOUT TWO YEARS AT 24 MONTHS. 
          AND AN ESTIMATED BUDGET, IF WE WERE TO DO A MURAL OR A SCULPTURE OFFSITE, WOULD BE ABOUT 350,000 TO $500,000. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT $350,000 IS THE MURAL RANGE AND THE $500,000, UH, IS MORE OF A SCULPTURE ELEMENT. 
          NOW, WHAT I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT WE HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND DISTRICT FOUR ABOUT, UH, WAYS THAT WE CAN HONOR AGAIN, THOSE VICTIMS THERE ON SITE, AND THEN ALSO POTENTIALLY INCORPORATE THE THEME OF THE MIGRANT STORY AND JOURNEY THAT'S LARGER OF, 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MANY VICTIMS, UH, TO TRA HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 
          AND SO, UH, ONE ITEM THAT I DID WANNA MENTION IS THAT IF WE WERE LOOKING TO DO, IF YOU KNOW THE, THE BRONZE HISTORIC MARKERS, THE, THE CIRCLES THAT ARE DONE BY THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, OR MAYBE EVEN THE TEXAS COMMISSION, A COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, THEY'RE LITTLE BRONZE MARKERS. 
          AND YOU COULD PUT EACH VICTIM'S NAME AND ALSO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. 
          AND WE COULD WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS. 
          AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THEM ABOUT DOING SOMETHING JUST ON THIS, ON THE SIDE OF QUINTANA ROAD, TO HAVE THOSE MARKERS THERE, UH, TO MEMORIALIZE THEM. 
          WE ALSO DO HAVE, UH, FOUR BOND PROJECTS IN DISTRICT FOUR. 
          THERE ARE TWO LOCATIONS THAT ARE NEAR KENTANA ROAD. 
          SO WE COULD ABSOLUTELY ADD THE, THE MIGRANT STORY, THE IMMIGRATION STORY TO, AS A THEME TO EXISTING PUBLIC ART PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          THE COMMUNITY DOES CHOOSE, ULTIMATELY CHOOSE WHAT THEME THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HAVE FOR A PUBLIC ART PROJECT. 
          BUT I WANTED TO PRESENT THIS IDEA AS WELL, AND I'M SORRY IT DIDN'T HAVE THE EXACT BUDGET, BUT IF WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING 
          [01:10:01]
SOMETHING ON SITE, IF IT WAS A MEMORIAL MARKER WITH SOME CONCRETE OFF TO THE SIDE, WE'D BE LOOKING AT ABOUT $35,000 TO $50,000. 
          IT WOULD DEPEND ON EXACTLY HOW MUCH TEXT EACH MARKER WOULD BE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE THAT FIGURE AS WELL, IF WE WANTED TO GO THE ROUTE OF HAVING THE, THE MEMORIAL ONSITE AND THEN INCORPORATING THE THEME AND A EXISTING PUBLIC ART PROCESS, UM, AND PROJECT. 
          SO REALLY, MY SLIDES ARE, ARE VERY SHORT, BUT I WANTED, UH, TO REALLY GIVE THIS TIME TO THE COMMITTEE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON HOW YOU'D LIKE US TO PROCEED. 
          WE ARE VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO HELP COORDINATE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          WE, WE KNOW THAT ART IS A SOURCE OF HEALING, AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO COORDINATE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS IS OUR PUBLIC ART PROCESS. 
          AGAIN, THAT 24 MONTH PERIOD, I DID WANNA JUST REFRESH OUR MINDS ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS. 
          UH, WE HAVE THE INITIATION. 
          WE ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH PICKS THE THEME OF THE PUBLIC ART PROCESS. 
          THAT COMMUNITY ALSO SELECTS THE ARTIST, AND THEN IT GOES INTO DESIGN AND FABRICATION. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE A DEDICATION. 
          UH, SO WITH THAT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO FEEDBACK, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU, CRYSTAL. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, FOR MY COLLEAGUES, AND I AM SORRY WE HAD SOME REALLY HEAVY SUBJECTS TODAY TO COVER. 
          SO I'M, I'M, I'M SO SORRY THAT THEY ALL KIND OF LANDED ON THE SAME TIME. 
          BUT WE ARE, UH, COMING UP TO THE ONE YEAR, UH, OF THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED AND, UM, ALL THE WAY IT HAPPENED IN DISTRICT FOUR COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN ANY ONE OF OUR AREAS. 
          AND IT'S THE LARGEST TRAGEDY OF ITS KIND THAT'S EVER HAPPENED. 
          SO, UM, THINKING ABOUT THE IH 35 CORRIDOR, THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT WE, WE KNOW HAPPENS, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE FULL, UH, COMMITTEE FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE EQUITY AND WE'RE ARTS AS WELL, RIGHT? AND SO ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT. 
          UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MARIA VIA GOMEZ, AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY BECAUSE BOTH MARIA VIA GOMEZ AND ERIC WALSH ARE HERE TODAY, UH, TO, TO LISTEN IN. 
          AND ALEX IS AWESOME. 
          SO I'LL PLUG HER IN RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE HAVE LIKE THREE, UH, A, A, THE A C M D C M AND CITY MANAGER TODAY. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, AND I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT THEY'RE HERE FOR THESE VERY, UH, IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS. 
          I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MARIA FOR A LONG TIME, UM, ALREADY ABOUT THIS. 
          AND WE WANTED TO LET THE COMMUNITY GRIEVE. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO SEE WHERE THEIR LOVED ONE TOOK THEIR LAST BREATHS, LITERALLY. 
          AND SO WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT. 
          UM, UH, THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE AREA, WHICH IS DISTRICT FOUR, TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO AND BUY THE WOOD FOR THE CROSSES TO GO AND, AND, UM, AND TAKE CARE OF IT. 
          THEY, THERE'S A, A LADY IN PARTICULAR, MRS. ANGIE VERA, WHO WE HAVE TO BE VERY GRATEFUL TO. 
          SHE WAS OUT THERE LIKE EVERY DAY, GIVING PEOPLE WATER AND HAVE FRESH FRUIT, ET CETERA, AS THEY CAME TO, TO MOURN THEIR LOVED ONES LOST. 
          UM, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE SHOULDN'T LET GO AND, AND FORGOTTEN. 
          AND AS A COMPASSIONATE CITY, WE HAVE TO SOMEHOW REMIND OTHERS OF, UH, THE ISSUES THAT THAT PERSIST. 
          ONE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTED A BETTER, BETTER LIFE, RIGHT? FOR THEIR FAMILIES. 
          AND SO, UM, I AM, I'M GRATEFUL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS COME TOGETHER AND DONE THE, WELL, WE CAN CALL IT A TEMPORARY OR A, UH, COMMUNITY MEMORIAL, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT. 
          I AM OF THE OPINION, AND I I'VE SHARED THIS, UM, WITH MARIA, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING THERE. 
          HOWEVER, UM, IT'S A SMALL STREET THAT NEEDS A LOT OF REINVESTMENT. 
          AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 15, $17 MILLION WAS A BALLPARK. 
          AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRAFFICKED, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PRIORITY, AND WE ALL DEAL WITH THIS, RIGHT? IT'S REALISTICALLY WE PROBABLY, UM, WOULD BE WAITING A LONG TIME. 
          I DON'T WANNA WAIT AND HAVE THOSE CROSSES FALL DOWN, OR THE MEMORY SWEEP SWEPT AWAY. 
          SO I ASKED IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING ON SITE, AND THE MARKER SEEMED TO BE THE MOST LOGICAL IDEA. 
          HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE ARE A COMPASSIONATE CITY, I WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOU ALL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST HAVE THE MURAL IN D FOUR. 
          UM, WE CAN, THERE'S IDENTIFIED SPACES, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER AREA THAT CAN BETTER TELL THE STORY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT KEEP COMING TO TRY TO FIND THE AMERICAN DREAM. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT IT TO THIS COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR. 
          SO BEYOND THE, THE REGULAR MARKERS OF THE 53 LIVES THAT WERE LOST, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW HOW WE ARE COMPASSIONATE CITY U S A AND, UM, AND, AND THAT THEIR MEMORY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. 
          SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR BRINGING IT TODAY. 
          UM, SO I'LL START, UH, NOW BY, BY OFFERING SOME, UH, COMMENTS 
          [01:15:01]
FOR, FOR, OR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. 
          AND I'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN CASTRO THIS TIME TALKING ABOUT  FOR THE IDEA AND FOR WORKING ON IT. 
          UH, AND FOR THE WORK THAT WILL CONTINUE, I THINK IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO. 
          UM, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT REMOVING WHAT IS THERE NOW AT ALL, RIGHT? THAT'S GONNA STAY, THAT, THAT HAS NOT BEEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION, OKAY? MM-HMM. 
          . 
          UM, SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE MARKERS. 
          UM, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE COULD ALSO DO THERE THAT IF I REMEMBER THE AREA COULD PROBABLY WORK. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE SOME FLORAL KINDS OF, UH, LIKE A GARDEN, A MEMORY GARDEN OR SOMETHING, A SMALL ONE EVEN THERE THAT COULD ALSO HONOR THE FOLKS BEYOND THE MEMORIAL THAT YOU HOPE TO DO MAYBE SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          UH, BUT, BUT THAT WOULD AT LEAST HAVE, UH, AND WE CAN GET SOME HARDY PLANTS THAT DON'T NEED A LOT OF WATERING. 
          UM, BUT THAT WOULD AT LEAST BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME AND PRAY OR SIT AND MAYBE A BENCH OR TWO OR SOMETHING, AND A COUPLE OF TREES. 
          UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT PLACE PRESERVED. 
          UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR ARTISTS, WITH OUR POETS, ALL, ALL OF THESE FOLKS, I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL COME UP WITH A GOOD IDEA. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SUGGEST, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MIGRATION TRIP. 
          UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE KNOW THAT IN A FEW MONTHS IT'S GONNA GET ROUGHER. 
          UM, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT IT'S GONNA GET TOUGHER, BE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE THROWN BACK OUT. 
          UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE INSTITUTE OF TEXAS CULTURE DID A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THEY DID SOME VERY GOOD WORK AROUND THAT MIGRATION AND WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM, WHERE THEY STOPPED AND HOW FAR THEY HAD TO. 
          SO THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THERE THAT WOULD HELP INFORM THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO DO THIS, OR THAT COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO A MEMORIAL. 
          SO I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO CECILIA BAI OVER AT THE INSTITUTE. 
          BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN FOR COMING UP WITH THE IDEA AND, UH, TO OUR FOLKS FROM THE CITY THAT HAVE WORKED ON IT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF A HEALING GARDEN, BY THE WAY. 
          I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT. 
          SO, UM, BUT I'LL LET COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ OFFER HIS REMARK NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I'LL START OFF WITH THE MARKER AT THE ACTUAL SITE. 
          I THINK THAT, UM, AND COUNCILMAN CASTRO, WHO TOUCHED ON THIS POINT A BIT, BUT WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THE WAY IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY OR A SINGLE PERSON EVEN HAS, UH, HAS CHOSEN TO GRIEVE, UM, IT'S A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT AND WE SHOULD BE DELICATE WITH, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BE DELICATE WITH. 
          AND SO I WOULD , MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT I'D LIKE TO AVOID WHAT COULD FEEL LIKE AN INTERRUPTION OR AN INTERJECTION OR A DISRUPTION TO THE WAY THE COMMUNITY HAS CHOSEN TO GRIEVE. 
          SO THAT SITE WHERE THE MARKERS ARE OR WHERE THE, UH, THE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS CALLED THE CROSSES AND, UH, WHERE THOSE ARE AT. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR FOLK, THE FOLK TO HAVE THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO DO THAT, TO STILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT MIGHT A MARKER LOOK LIKE? WOULD IT INCLUDE ALL THE NAMES, UM, THE DATE? LIKE IS THAT GENERALLY WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE? YEAH, I, UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT PRICING THESE OUT, 'CAUSE WE WANTED TO BRING AN ESTIMATE TO YOU, UH, WE WERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NAME, WE COULD ADD THE AGE AND THEN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. 
          OH, YOU DID SAY THAT. 
          THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A WREATH ON THE OUTSIDE MM-HMM. 
          , BUT IT WOULD BE MORE OF LIKE A HISTORIC MARKER WITH EACH PERSON'S NAME THAT WOULD BE INSET INTO CONCRETE THINK, I GUESS MY DIRECTION WOULD BE TO, ANYTHING THAT WE DO SHOULD BE IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. 
          SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE MARKER. 
          I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, THE HEALING GARDEN. 
          ANYTHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE, UH, IN ADDITION TO, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL AND SHOULD SUPPLEMENT AND COMPLIMENT, UH, THE PRACTICES THAT'S, THAT ARE ALREADY BEING MAINTAINED. 
          UM, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT COST. 
          YOU KNOW WHAT THE 350 TO FOUR 500 K WOULD BE, IT WOULD GET YOU EITHER A MURAL OR UP TO A SCULPTURE. 
          UM, AND YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT ARE THERE ANY BOND PROJECTS NEAR THE SITE THAT COULD BE UTILIZED? AND I WOULD SAY, UM, HONESTLY, IF THERE'S A BOND PROJECT THAT IS, IS NEAR THE SITE AND IS SLATED FOR AN ART PROJECT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL USE. 
          AND, UM, I GUESS THAT'S, I AGREE WITH THE, I AGREE WITH THE PROCESS YOU'VE LAID OUT. 
          UM, THAT SEEMS LIKE THE EASIEST WAY TO GET MONEY FOR THE PROJECT RIGHT, WOULD BE IF IT'S ALREADY A BOND PROJECT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          SALM SUPPORT . 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, THANK YOU. 
          AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE Y'ALL THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT. 
          THAT, UM, IT'S, IT, IT IT'S THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND WE, WE HAVE 
          [01:20:01]
THE ABILITY TO DO BOTH. 
          BUT, UM, SO, BUT, BUT OF COURSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMETHING CLOSE AND YEAH, IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED TECHNICALLY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND DID, UM, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO GO AGAIN, BUT DID, UM, WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE? WHAT DOES THAT COST AND WHAT, I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IF WE GOT THE GO AHEAD FOR THE BOND PROJECT AND SOMETHING THAT COMMUNITIES WITH AND FOR, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD, THAT COULD GET STARTED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER? UH, YEAH. 
          SO WHAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, FOR THE EXISTING BOND PROJECTS, WE WILL SCOPE OUT WHAT THE WORK IS GOING, UM, TO HAPPEN. 
          WHETHER IT BE A PARK WITH PARKS AND REC OR PUBLIC WORKS, WE GET AN IDEA FOR WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THE SITE, AND THEN WHERE EXACTLY A PIECE COULD GO. 
          SO WHEN WE INITIATE THE PROJECT, WE TYPICALLY ARE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH PARKS OR PUBLIC WORKS TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHERE CAN WE START THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? BECAUSE WE, WE ALSO WANNA BE MINDFUL TO NOT, I MEAN, WE WOULD LIKE TO START IT EARLY, BUT WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE THIS HUGE GAP IN BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE ARTIST SELECTION. 
          ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WHEN WE DO HAVE STAFF WORKING ON PROJECTS, THEIR TIME IS BEING CHARGED TO THE PROJECT. 
          SO, UM, AS SOON AS WE GET AN IDEA OF WHICH BOND LOCATION WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT ADDING THIS AS A THEME, UH, WE COULD START THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT IN THE NEXT, FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND NEXT, WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, STARTING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          AND, AND PARDON ME, COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT ARE THE, SO I'M JUST NOW THINKING ABOUT IT AND WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE NEAR THE SITE? 'CAUSE I WOULDN'T, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A DRAINAGE PROJECT, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S WHERE I WOULD, BUT WHAT ARE THE, SO, UM, I THINK THAT SPECIFIC, SORRY, GO AHEAD, CHRIS. 
          OH, UM, I, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT. 
          I DO HAVE, UH, SO THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THE, THE BOND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE COMMUNITY RANKED WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO SEE PUBLIC ART. 
          AND I DO HAVE TWO PROJECTS IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT WE'VE MAPPED THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE LOCATION AT THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES. 
          SO ONE WOULD BE THE MILLER'S POND PARK COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER, AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THE, UH, BYNUM AVENUE, PHASE TWO, ITS STREETS, IT'S A NUMBER OF STREETS MM-HMM. 
          , UH, SO IT WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME DRAINAGE, CURBS, SIDEWALKS, BUT THERE MIGHT BE AN ELEMENT. 
          BUT, UH, THE FIRST ONE THAT THE COMMUNITY DID PICK WAS THAT MILLER'S POND, COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE TWO CLOSEST. 
          AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY EVEN THE NU ONE, IN MY OPINION WOULD WORK, UM, BECAUSE THAT CORRIDOR TRAVELS RIGHT ALONG, UM, THE TRAIN TRACKS. 
          AND SO WHEN WE THINK OF, OF THE, THE TRAGEDIES THAT HAVE ALSO OCCURRED BY PEOPLE JUMPING OFF TRAINS MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND SO, SO, SO I THINK THAT, THAT WE COULD MAKE EITHER WORK. 
          I MEAN, UH, UH, MILLER'S POND IS LIKE THE CLOSEST ONE TO OUR FIELD OFFICE, FOR INSTANCE. 
          SO IT'S STILL RELATIVELY CLOSE. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT, THAT EITHER ONE OF THOSE COULD WORK AS WELL FOR SURE. 
          I THINK THAT'S BEAUTIFUL AND THAT, I THINK THE REASON I WAS ASKING THAT IS 'CAUSE I WAS THINKING TO MY BOND PROJECTS AND, UM, IF THE COMMUNITY'S CELEBRATING A COMMUNITY CENTER OR THEY'RE CELEBRATING A LIBRARY, UM, THERE MIGHT BE A CERTAIN, UH, FEELING OF, YOU KNOW, DO YOU PUT A MEMORIAL AT THIS SITE? AND DO YOU, IS THAT THE VIBE AND THE FEEL OF AN ART PROJECT THERE THAT YOU WANT? AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE THOSE ARE, UM, TWO POSSIBLE PROJECTS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE IDEA WOULD GEL, I'M SUPPORTIVE, IT WOULD ALMOST BE MORE LIKE A MEMORIAL WAY AND IN MY OPINION, RIGHT, MM-HMM. 
           AND SO MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, ALLOWING THE OP ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN . 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS THE LAST ITEM FOR TODAY. 
          SO THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES. 
          WE WILL ADJOURN AT 3 25. 
          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.