* 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. ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING [00:00:01] EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL SESSION FOR TODAY, OUR SECOND DAY OF THE FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS FOR THE CITY MANAGER CANDIDATE. OUR ONLY ITEM FOR TODAY IS OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK, UH, OUR CLERK TO READ THE, THE ROLE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAVINO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HALL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE WILL BE HERE AT NINE 30. I WAS TOLD. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT. UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA CONVENE DOWNSTAIRS IN ROOM 1 51. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE NUMBER. UM, [1. Interview City Manager candidates and deliberate the duties, appointment, and employment of City Manager candidates pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074 (personnel matters), and discuss related legal issues, pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.071 (consultation with attorney).] SO THE TIME IS NOW 9:07 AM ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2019. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND INTERVIEW CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES DELIBERATE THE DUTIES APPOINTMENT EMPLOYMENT OF CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND TO DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071. CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY 5:30 PM ON THIS TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2019. AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, VERY SHORTLY. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL COMMENT, BUT FIRST LET ME READ THE FOLLOWING. WE WILL BE MEETING TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE NEXT CITY MANAGER BY CONDUCTING A SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH SELECTED CANDIDATES. THE CANDIDATES WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED ARE MARIA VILLA GOMEZ AND ERIC WALSH. AND AT THAT TIME, UH, WE WILL CONVENE AN OPEN SESSION TO HEAR OPENING STATEMENTS FROM EACH CANDIDATE. THEN WE'LL CONVENE THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. UM, I'LL SAY, UH, JUST TO START, THIS WAS, UH, UH, AN ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT TASK, UH, TO NARROW DOWN OUR CANDIDATES. UH, FIRST FROM THE 31 TO THE EIGHT, UH, AND THEN FROM THE EIGHT TO THE TWO THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD TO THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS. UM, SEVERAL THINGS WERE EVIDENT TO ME, UH, THE FIRST BEING THAT OUR CITY IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, A VERY QUALIFIED, EXCEPTIONAL, AND DEDICATED GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE LEADING THE CITY FORWARD, UH, AND HAVE DONE QUITE WELL OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREERS. UM, EACH ONE OF THEM BRINGS THEIR STRENGTHS, UM, TO THE TABLE AND COUNCIL DELIBERATED, UH, VERY CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY, UH, TO ARRIVE AT, UM, THE NEXT ROUND TODAY. UH, AND OF COURSE, THE EXTERNAL CANDIDATES WHO CAME, UH, ALL THIS WAY TO INTERVIEW AS WELL, UH, BROUGHT, UH, EXTRAORDINARY QUALIFICATIONS ALONG WITH THEM THAT WE CONSIDERED AND FOUND, UH, COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, OUR TEAM HERE. SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST THANK EVERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS, TO PUT FORWARD APPLICATIONS, UH, TO VIE TO BE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER OF ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN AMERICA. WE THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, AND AT THE END OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, WE WILL HAVE A VERY CAPABLE CITY MANAGER TO KEEP THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE CITY, UH, THAT WE'VE ENJOYED FOR SO LONG. SO, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS BEFORE WE CLOSE OFFICIALLY, COUNCILMAN BLI, UH, MAYOR, UH, MY KIDS RECENTLY ASKED ME WHICH ONE OF THE AVENGERS WAS MY FAVORITE. AND, UH, THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL AMAZING. UH, AND I THINK THAT THE SAME DIFFICULT QUESTION HAS BEEN POSED TO US IN HAVING TO SELECT FROM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT AMAZING CANDIDATES. AND I'LL TELL YOU, THE DIFFICULTY FOR ME WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT SEVEN OF THOSE CANDIDATES ARE MY FRIENDS AND, UH, THAT I LIKE THEM ON, ON A VERY PERSONAL LEVEL. AND I'VE GOTTEN TO OBSERVE THEM, UM, IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AS WELL. THIS IS NOT EASY, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF US STRUGGLED WITH, UH, WHITTLING IT DOWN TO JUST THIS TOO. UM, BUT DESPITE THAT, I AM PROUD OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING, UH, DONE THE YEOMAN'S WORK AND THE HEAVY LIFTING OF MAKING SURE THAT WE DID BRING FORWARD, UM, A TWO CONSENSUS CANDIDATES. AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PRODUCT OF CONSENSUS AND LESS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FLAWS OR DEMERITS THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE THROWING AWAY OF THOSE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T GET THE NOD. UM, I'M, I WOULD TAKE ANY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WE INTERVIEWED OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS INTO BATTLE WITH ME. I'D BE DELIGHTED TO STAND AND PROUD TO STAND NEXT TO ANY ONE OF THEM AS I DO EVERY SINGLE DAY. UM, AND I THINK THAT THE PROCESS THAT WE ENGAGED IN WAS, UH, TRANSPARENT AND HEALTHY. AND I CONGRATULATE YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND BRINGING US AROUND THIS TABLE AND MAKING THIS GO SO SMOOTH. GO SO SMOOTHLY. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BLI. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. [00:05:02] THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I THANKED EVERYONE WHO CAME FORWARD FOR, FOR THE INTERVIEWS. UH, WE HAD, UH, AS YOU KNOW, SIX INTERNAL CANDIDATES AND TWO EXTERNAL CANDIDATES. UM, AND EVERYONE DID, DID VERY, VERY WELL. THIS WAS NOT AN EASY DECISION, BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, I WAS, I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATES REALLY HAD A GRASP OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO AND TO US AT THIS TIME AS A COUNCIL. AND I THINK, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING WE WERE, I WAS, UH, LOOKING FOR IN, IN THE CANDIDATES. I ALSO FELT THAT, UM, VERY CONFIDENT, UH, THAT, I'M SORRY. I ALSO FELT THAT OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATES WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THEIR DEFERENCE TO COUNCIL DIRECTION AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO GIVE US IMPARTIAL INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE TO BECOME CITY, CITY MANAGER TO HELP US MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THIS CITY. AND THAT THEY ALL EXPRESSED, UM, THAT WILLINGNESS AND THE DESIRE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME IN SELECTING SOMEONE AS WE GO FORWARD. SO, I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD FROM OUR CANDIDATES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. AS I MENTIONED, I THINK, UH, AFTER MY HUSBAND, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, I THINK THAT I'LL MAKE IN MY LIFETIME. NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S GONNA IMPACT, UH, US HERE ON THE COUNCIL, BUT IT COULD IMPACT US FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME. SO I, I TAKE THIS, UH, DECISION WITH, UH, INCREDIBLE, UH, SERIOUSNESS. UH, AND THE QUALITIES THAT, UH, I WOULD LOOK FOR IN A LIFE PARTNER, UH, IS WHAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR IN OUR CITY MANAGER. UH, INTEGRITY, A WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD, A WILLINGNESS TO GET US THROUGH THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN OUR LIVES. AN ABILITY TO HAVE A VISION FOR WHAT THAT FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, UH, AND AN ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, UH, FOR COMMON GOALS. AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE, UH, EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT WE MET TODAY PRESENTED THOSE QUALITIES, BUT I'M ESPECIALLY, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TWO THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD. AND, UM, UH, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION TOMORROW AS WE, UH, MAKE THIS VERY, UH, HEAVY AND IMPORTANT DECISION FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE CANDIDATES, UH, AND AS, AS BEEN STATED, UM, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE CREDIBLE POOL OF TALENT HERE INTERNALLY. AND, UM, I THINK THESE, THESE INTERVIEWS REALLY BROUGHT, UH, TO LIGHT SOME OF THE GREAT GREAT HEART THAT'S RUNNING OUR CITY. AND I THINK, UH, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THEM FOR PARTICIPATING FOR, UH, OFFERING SOME GREAT IDEAS AND INTERVIEWING VERY, VERY WELL. UM, I THINK THESE CHO THIS CHOICE IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT CHOICE MOVING FORWARD. I LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S, UH, INTERVIEWS. UM, AND I WANNA SAY THAT I KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC IS REALLY LOOKING AT THIS CHOICE AS AN IMPORTANT CHOICE FOR THE MOMENTUM AND GROWTH OF OUR CITY FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME. AND, UH, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR AND FEEL THAT, UM, THIS POOL OF CANDIDATES HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN INCREDIBLE APTITUDE FOR THE ABILITY TO RUN THIS CITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. BEFORE I CLOSE, I JUST WANNA ALSO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE TABLE. UM, UH, THIS, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AND, AND ANDY AND LIZ AND, AND LETICIA AND THE HR TEAM, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED VERY, UH, PROFESSIONALLY, UH, TRANSPARENTLY. AND, AND I THINK, UH, MYSELF, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I'M SURE I SPEAK ON, ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, THAT THEY'RE, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN DONE SO WELL AND HANDLED SO WELL, UH, IN THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. * 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.