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IF YOU COULD PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
THE TIME IS 2:02 PM ON MAY 10TH, 2023.
WE'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COURAGE PRESIDENT.
[ ITEMS ]
QUORUM.WE HAVE ONE BIG PRESENTATION TODAY, SO, UH, I EXPECT, UH, A FAIRLY LENGTHY DISCUSSION.
WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTERWARDS TODAY, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ERIC WALSH TO GET US STARTED.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS, UH, REALLY GONNA COVER, UM, FIVE PARTS.
UH, THE FIRST IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF OUR MID-YEAR, UH, SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL UPDATES.
UH, SECONDLY, UM, OUR FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, THIRD, OUR TRIAL BUDGET FOR F Y 24 BASED ON THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION IN, UH, APRIL AT THE GOAL SETTING.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENTS THAT'LL BE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND THEY ENTAIL SPECIFICALLY, UM, FUNDING, ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, PRE-FUNDING SOME OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES IN THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS PUTTING INTO EFFECT THE ADDITIONAL TWO SA CORE TEAMS THAT WE HAD RESERVED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND THEN THE LAST PART WILL BE OUR FISCAL UPDATE ON THE ARPA FUNDS.
WE WERE REQUIRED AND DID SUBMIT, UM, OUR QUARTERLY UPDATE TO, UH, THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AT THE END OF APRIL.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL WRAP UP ON THAT.
I WILL, I WILL SAY, AND THERE'LL BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION YOU'LL HEAR FROM, FROM, UH, JUSTINA, TROY, UM, IN PARTICULAR THAT, UH, WE WILL LIKELY NEED TO TIME AND SCHEDULE ANOTHER JUNE CONVERSATION FOR THE COUNCIL ONCE WE GET, UM, UH, BETTER APPRAISAL DISTRICT NUMBERS FROM BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
UH, SO THE COUNCIL CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT POLICY LEVEL CONVERSATION ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE TAX RATE.
AND TROY WILL WALK THROUGH A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS, UH, THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I THINK JUNE WILL BE ALSO HELPFUL BECAUSE WE'LL KNOW WHERE THE STATE SETTLES OUT IN TERMS OF OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE BEING DEBATED UP IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
SO MORE WORK TO DO, AND I FORESEE US NEEDING TO SCHEDULE ADDITIONAL TIME IN JUNE.
SO WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF WITH, UM, JUSTINA, UM, AND, UH, SHE'LL KICK US OFF ON THE PRESENTATION.
JUSTINA, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME'S JUSTINA TATE AND I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
TODAY WE'LL BE COVERING OUR FISCAL YEAR 20 23 6 PLUS SIX FINANCIAL REPORT, THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST, AND OUR TRIAL BUDGET FOR 2024, AND THE PLAN FOR 2025.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL PROVIDE A FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST FOR A COUPLE RESTRICTIVE FUNDS TO INCLUDE THE SOLID WASTE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
FINALLY, WE'LL GO OVER THE RECOMMENDED FISCAL YEAR 2023 MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS AND THE NEXT STEPS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF OUR SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.
THE FINANCIAL, UH, POSITION FOR THE CITY FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS IS POSITIVE.
WITHIN OUR GENERAL FUND, OUR SALES TAX REMAINS STRONG.
WE HAVE COLLECTED ABOUT 5.8% MORE THAN OUR SALES TAX AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
FOR OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, OUR COLLECTIONS HAVE EXCEEDED PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE REVENUES COLLECTED BY THE ALAMO DOME AND THE CONVENTION CENTER HAVE ALSO EXCEEDED PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
AS FOR THE AIRPORT, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS WE HAVE SEEN FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR 2023 IS ABOUT 16% HIGHER THAN THE SAME TIME AS LAST YEAR.
AND BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2023, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE MONTHLY PASSENGER COUNT WILL BE AT PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
FINALLY, FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THE BUILDING ACT, THE BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY IS SLOWING.
HOWEVER, OUR COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS REMAIN HIGHER.
THE TOTAL CITY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023
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IS $3.4 BILLION.IT'S COM COMPRISED OF THREE MAIN COMPONENTS, THE FIRST BEING OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS.
THE RESTRICTED FUNDS ARE GOVERNED BY EITHER FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LAWS.
AND REVENUES COLLECTED BY THESE FUNDS MUST BE USED ON A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR AIRPORT FUND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL LAWS, AND ALL REVENUES GENERATED AT THE AIRPORT MUST BE USED FOR AVIATION ACTIVITIES.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THIS TAX IS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW AND ALL FUNDS MUST BE USED FOR CON CONVENTION, HOTEL INDUSTRY, AND THE ARTS.
THE SECOND LARGE COMPONENT IS OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM AT $651 MILLION.
THIS INCLUDES FUNDING FOR OUR LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO INCLUDE THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM AS WELL AS AIRPORT PROJECTS.
AND FINALLY, THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS THE LARGEST OPERATING FUND OF THE CITY AT $1.5 BILLION.
THE GENERAL FUND PROVIDES FOR THE CITY'S CORE BASIC SERVICES TO INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, PARKS, MAINTENANCE, AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL FUND, IT'S FUNDED THROUGH FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS.
OUR LARGEST BEAM PROPERTY TAX, WHICH WAS BUDGETED AT $435 MILLION C P S, IS OUR SECOND LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE, WHICH IS PROJECT WHICH WAS BUDGETED TO, UH, GENERATE ABOUT $392 MILLION.
AS A REMINDER, THE CITY RECEIVES 14% OF ALL C P S GAS AND ELECTRIC GROSS RE GROSS REVENUES AS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES.
OUR FINAL LARGE COMPONENT IS OUR SALES TAX, WHICH WAS BUDGETED AT ABOUT $388 MILLION.
THE OTHER RESOURCES, WHICH IS BUDGETED AT $280 MILLION INCLUDE REVENUES SUCH AS OUR E M S, TRANSPORT, FINES, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
ALL THESE COMBINED PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OUR BASIC CITY SERVICES TO INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY AT ABOUT 60.5% INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARKS.
NOW LET ME MOVE ON TO OUR FINANCIAL REPORT.
FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS AND OUR PROJECTIONS FOR YEAR END, BASED ON SECOND QUARTER PERFORMANCE, WE ARE PROJECTING THAT OUR REVENUES WILL BE 2.8% AHEAD OF BUDGET BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THIS IS DUE TO ADDITIONAL SALES TAX COLLECTION AS WELL AS C P S FOR EXPENSES, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT WE'LL END THE YEAR LESS THAN ONE HALF OF 1% BELOW THE ADOPTED FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET.
NOW, FOR IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT 2.8% AHEAD OF BUDGET BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THIS IS DUE TO SALES TAX COLLECTIONS AND C P S.
WITH REGARDS TO SALES TAX, WE CONTINUE TO SEE STRONG, STRONG COLLECTIONS, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE ABOUT 5.8% AHEAD OF COLLECTIONS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
FOR YEAR END, WE ARE PROJECTING TO COLLECT 4.5% MORE THAN WHAT WE COLLECTED IN FISCAL YEAR 2022.
WE CONTINUE TO SEE STRONG PERFORMANCE IN INDUSTRY SECTORS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RETAIL AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTORS.
WITH C P S, WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT 4.8% AHEAD OF BUDGET BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, WE SAW OUR FUEL PRICES HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT PROJECTING THIS TREND TO CONTINUE AS WE'VE STARTED TO SEE DECLINE IN OUR FUEL PRICES.
IN DECEMBER, GAS PRICES WERE BETWEEN FOUR AND $5 PER, UH, B T U.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE ENERGY INTER INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, AS OF MAY, THAT PRICE HAS DROPPED TO $2 AND 10 CENTS.
THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT PROJECTING ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE BEYOND THE MONTHLY BUDGET FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
SO BASED ON OUR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE ASSUMPTIONS, WE ARE ANTICIPATING TO BE ABOUT 4% AHEAD OF THE ADOPTED BUDGET BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
IN TERMS OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS, I'LL START WITH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS BUDGETED AT $101 MILLION, AND WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THAT BY ABOUT 1.5%.
AND THIS IS DUE TO THE PROJECTED PRICE PER ROOM NIGHT THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING.
FOR CONVENTION CENTER, WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE AHEAD OF BUDGET BY 11.3%, AND THIS IS DUE TO ADDITIONAL SHORT-TERM BOOKINGS THAT WE HAVE SEEN AND ARE ANTICIPATING IN 2023.
FINALLY, IN TERMS OF THE ALAMO DOME, OUR REVENUES, WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT 43% AHEAD OF OUR BUDGET.
THIS IS DUE TO BETTER PERFORMANCE AT THE EVENTS THAT WERE HELD THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR, AND ADDITIONAL THREE CONCERTS THAT WERE ADDED AFTER THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED.
SO OVERALL, OUR HOT TAX AND THE RELATED REVENUES CONTINUE TO BE STRONG AND PERFORM BETTER THAN OUR PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
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THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS A, THE ACTUAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 2019 AND FISCAL YEAR 2022.AND THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THAT WE, WITH OUR 2023 ESTIMATE, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET, WE ARE AHEAD OF WHERE WE WERE PRE PANDEMIC IN FISCAL YEAR 2019.
THIS NEXT SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX ARE SLIGHTLY BELOW BUDGET OR AT BUDGET.
SO OVERALL, WITH THE ADDITIONAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUES AS WELL AS CONVENTION CENTER AND ALAMO DOME, WE ARE PROJECTED TO THE END OF THE YEAR ABOUT 7.9 MILLION AHEAD OF BUDGET FOR OUR AIRPORT FUND.
UH, THE THIS FUND IS $104 MILLION AND PROVIDE FUNDS TO SERVICE BOTH THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL ANDIN AIRPORTS.
WE ARE PROJECTING OUR REVENUES TO BE ABOUT 4.3% AHEAD OF BUDGET, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO OUR NON-AIR AIRLINE REVENUES AS A RESULT OF MORE THAN ANTICIPATED, UH, PASSENGERS TO INCLUDE OUR CONCESSION CONTRACT PARKING FEES.
AND ADDITIONALLY, OUR INTEREST INCOME FOR EXPENSES, WE ARE SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE BUDGET PROJECTING TO BE AHEAD OF THE BUDGET BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THIS IS A RESULT AS SLIGHTLY HIGHER COSTS FOR MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING OF FACILITY DUE TO THE PASSENGER TRAFFIC.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 ON PANDEMIC, UH, COVID TO 19 PANDEMIC ON AIR TRAVEL AT THE AIRPORT IN 2019.
YOU CAN SEE OUR PASSENGERS WERE 10.4 MILLION, AND THAT DROPPED IN 2020.
HOWEVER, SINCE MAY OF 2020, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO RECOVER.
AND FOR 2023 WE'RE PROJECTING 10.3 MILLION PASSENGERS.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE AIRPORT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
IN TERMS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND, THIS IS ROUGHLY A $48 MILLION FUND THAT IS SUPPORTED BY FEES PAID FOR BY DEVELOPERS FOR PLAN REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS.
FOR OUR REVENUES, WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT 1% AHEAD OF BUDGET, AND THIS POSITIVE VARIANCE IS AS A RESULT OF OUR COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS, WHICH WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO BE ABOUT 25% MORE THAN FISCAL YEAR 2022.
AND DEPARTMENT SPENDING IS SLIGHTLY BELOW BUDGET.
OVERALL, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND WILL END THE YEAR APPROXIMATELY 600,000 AHEAD OF BUDGET.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND THE PERMIT ACTIVITY.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDE, OUR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS ARE PROJECTED TO BE DOWN AS COMPARED TO 2022 BY ABOUT 27%.
AND OUR COMMERCIAL PERMITTING HAS LEVELED, UM, AS COMPARED TO 2022, WE ARE SLIGHTLY DOWN AS COMPARED TO 2022.
HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED, THE COMMERCIAL VALUATION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE ABOUT 25% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
FINALLY, AS OUR SOLID WASTE FUND, UH, THIS IS ROUGHLY $145 MILLION FUND THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE SOLID WASTE FEE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE.
WE ARE SLI WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW BUDGET FOR OUR REVENUES BY ABOUT TWO POINT SE SIX 2.7%.
AS A RESULT OF OUR COMMODITY PRICING BEING LOWER THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED, WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT 1.7% BELOW BUDGET.
AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECTED DEFICIT IN THIS FUND.
WE ARE, UH, WE ARE PLANNING TO DELAY PURCHASES FOR OUR LARGE EQUIPMENT AND REDUCE TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR STREET MAINTENANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 TO MITIGATE THE PROJECTED DEFICIT IN THE SOLID WASTE FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
THE TRIAL BUDGET IS A PRELIMINARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND ALSO INCORPORATE CITY COUNCIL POLICY DIRECTION PROVIDED IN APRIL FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS.
THIS SERVES AS A BEGINNING POINT LEADING TO A MORE REFINED PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 10TH.
THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST IS AN EARLY FINANCIAL OUTLOOK FOR THE CITY.
AS THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BEGINS FOR 2024, THE FORECAST PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUED CITY COUNCIL POLICY DISCUSSION ON THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE FORECAST IS NOT A BUDGET, IT IS JUST WHAT WE KNOW IN TERMS OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES BASED ON A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS.
SO OVERALL, THE TRIAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND 2025 IS BALANCED.
HOWEVER, CHALLENGES EXIST BEYOND 2026.
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THE FORECAST AND THE TRIAL BUDGET ASSUMES PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, WHICH TROY ELLIOT WILL DISCUSS IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES, AND IT ALSO MAINTAINS THE GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE AT LEAST 15% THIS YEAR.UH, WE HELD, AS WE DID LAST YEAR, WE HELD THE GOAL SETTING SESSION EARLY IN APRIL TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM CITY COUNCIL IN PREPARATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRIAL BUDGET AS WELL AS THE 2024 PROPOSED BUDGET.
DURING THE MEETING, THE FOLLOWING BUDGET PRIORITIES WERE IDENTIFIED AND ARE ADDRESSED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET.
THESE INCLUDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL PATROL OFFICERS, A NEW AND A NEW E M S UNIT FOR 2024, AND A LADDER COMPANY FOR 2025.
ADDITIONALLY, PRIORITIES INCLUDED US IMPLEMENT CONTINUING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOUSING PLAN, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN, AND HOMELESS OUTREACH.
FINALLY, UH, THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED INCLUDED EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO INCLUDE STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND VISION ZERO, AND COMMUNITY SAFETY, FOCUSING ON GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM AND THE DANGEROUS ASSESSMENT RESPONSE TEAM.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, TROY ELLIOT, DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TO TALK ABOUT PROPERTY TAX.
WE DECIDED TO BREAK UP THE PRESENTATION TO GIVE JUSTINA A LITTLE BIT OF A BREATHER IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS AND TALK ABOUT PROPERTY TAX.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME'S TROY ELLIOT, I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
WE TALKING ABOUT, UM, ASSUMPTIONS RELATED TO PROPERTY TAX AND THOSE ASSUMPTIONS ARE ROLLING INTO OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
PROPERTY TAX IS ONE OF OUR THREE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES.
UM, THE ONE THING THAT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT, AND I THINK ERIC TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN HE KICKED OFF THE, UM, THE B SESSION PRESENTATION, IS THAT THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY WITH RESPECT TO PROPERTY TAX ARE BASED ON VERY PRELIMINARY INFORMATION COMPARABLE TO LAST YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP BUILDING UPON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE OBTAINED FROM THE BEARER COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
CONTINUE TO REFINE THOSE ESTIMATES AND COME BACK IN IN JUNE WITH A MORE REFINED, UM, RECOMMENDATION AND REFINED DATA.
BUT TODAY'S PRESENTATION WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU KIND OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE BUILT INTO OUR TRIAL BUDGET THAT ACCOMPLISH THE, UM, PRIORITIES THAT CAME OUT OF GOAL SETTING.
YOU'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF THESE SLIDES BEFORE, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH REITERATING.
UM, FOR 2024, OUR TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH FOR SAN ANTONIO AS A WHOLE.
THIS DID NOT CHANGE WHEN I SHARED WITH Y'ALL IN GOAL SETTING, UH, BASED ON THE PREMIUM INFORMATION FROM B C, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IS ABOUT 11.8% MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AT 17.9 AND COMMERCIAL AT 13.3.
THIS COMPARES TO A SAN ANTONIO TOTAL OF 15.9% THE SAME TIME IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
AS WE TALK, AS BEXAR COUNTY, UM, GETS PROTESTS AND APPEALS IN, AS WE FOCUS ON THE MAY 15TH DATE, THESE NUMBERS WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE AND REDUCE, UM, BASED ON WHAT COMES INTO BEXAR COUNTY.
THIS IS BASED ON OUR BEST ESTIMATES AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE THREE EXEMPTIONS.
YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN TERMS OF INCREASING AND OVER 65 EXEMPTION FROM 65,000 TO 85,000.
UM, DISABLED PERSON'S EXEMPTION FROM 12,500 TO 85,000 AND A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION INCREASE FROM 0.01 TO 10%.
IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE PRIOR YEAR, WE KIND OF DIPPED OUR TOE INTO THE WATER WITH THE EXEMPTIONS AND HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, UM, TO 10%.
THERE ARE ABOUT 240,000 HOMESTEADS RELATED TO, UM, UM, TO OUR RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEADS.
OF THAT ABOUT 103,000 ARE SENIOR AND FROZEN REPRESENTS ABOUT 43% OF OUR, UM, RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEADS.
I THINK OUT OF ALL OF OUR EXEMPTIONS AND THE BIGGEST BENEFIT THAT WE HAVE IS THE TAX FREEZE.
I DON'T THINK WE TALKED MORE ABOUT THAT AND A COUPLE OF SLIDES, I'LL PROBABLY PROVIDE Y'ALL SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW VALUABLE THAT TAX FREEZE IS, UM, COMPARED TO THE EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
AND WE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE ONLY LARGE CITY IN TEXAS THAT HAS A TAX FREEZE NEXT TO FORT WORTH AND CORPUS, THE VALUE OF THESE EXEMPTIONS AND TAX FREEZE PROVIDE ABOUT $95 MILLION IN TOTAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKOUT IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER OF HOW THAT EQUATES TO THIS SLIDE YOU'VE SEEN IN PRIOR YEARS.
UM, DIVIDED INTO TWO PIECES, KIND OF THE HISTORICAL, UM, HISTORICAL LOOK AND THEN THE PROJECTIONS OVER THE FUTURE.
HISTORICALLY, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE'VE HAD AN AVERAGE OF INCREASE IN TAXABLE VALUE OVER 6.8%.
LOOKING TO THE RIGHT OF THE DOTTED LINE, UM, WE'RE PROJECTING IN THE FORECAST AN AVERAGE OF 6%.
YOU CAN SEE IN 2024, AS I JUST MENTIONED, WE'RE ABOUT 13.2% IN TAXABLE
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VALUE GROWTH BEFORE IS THE FORECAST.AND WHAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR FORECAST FOR 25 IS 5% IN 25 TOTAL, 4.5% IN 26, 4% IN 27, AND 28% IN 3.5%.
LOOKING TO THE LEFT OF THE, THE DOTTED LINE, IF YOU COULD COMPARE 24 TO 23, THE ONE THING YOU'LL NOTICE, AND I GUESS THE ONE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS IF WE WERE AT 15.5% LAST YEAR IN TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH AND WE'RE AT 13.2, WHY ARE WE SHOWING 10.5% FOR 23? THAT'S A RESULT OF THE PROCESS AND THE APPEALS AND THE DIRECT PROPERTY LEAVES THAT COUNCIL PUT IN PLACE IN 23 THAT LOWERED THAT TAXABLE VALUE FROM THAT 15% TO 10.5.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF SENATE BILL TWO, BILL TWO EFFECTIVELY CAPPED OUR ROLLBACK RATE AND REDUCED IT FROM 8% TO 3.5%.
THAT WENT TO PLACE IN 2020 OR, UM, RIGHT BEFORE 2021.
THE ONE THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IN 21 AND 22, IF YOU LOOK@THAT.IN THE YELLOW LINE AT 3.5%, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE WAS, WE DIDN'T HIT THE CAP AND THERE WAS SOME UNUSED INCREMENT THERE.
UNDER SB TWO, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BANK THAT UNUSED INCREMENT AND ROLL IT FORWARD AND USE IT ABOVE THE 3.5% CAP.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, WITH THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TAXABLE VALUE, UM, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE ON THE M AND O SIDE WILL DECREASE.
UM, THE DEBT SERVICE RATE REMAINS UNCHANGED, BUT THE TOTAL TAX RATE WILL GO DOWN.
SO COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT WITH THE TAXABLE VALUES THAT THE, BASED ON OUR ASSUMPTIONS AND THE PRELIMINARY DATA THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THAT THE RULE WILL BE A TAX RATE DECREASE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT BASE AS WE MOVE TOWARDS, UM, UH, CERTIFICATION SHARING WITH YOU THE TAX RATE HISTORY OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, THE TAX OR THE LAST 30 YEARS, THE TAX RATE HAS BEEN REDUCED EIGHT TIMES BASED ON OUR ESTIMATES, THIS WOULD BE THE NINTH YEAR THAT IT WOULD BE REDUCED, UM, OR THAT SAME TIMEFRAME.
THAT'S EQUATES, INCLUDING OUR ESTIMATES TODAY.
TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, THE LAST TWO YEARS, IF OUR ESTIMATES STAND WITH A CONTINUED REDUCTION IN TAX RATE, THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL, THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL TWO POINT CENT REDUCTION FOR EVERY CENT REDUCTION BASED ON TODAY'S DOLLARS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WORTH ABOUT $16 MILLION IN TAX RELIEF.
AS I MENTIONED UNDER SB TWO, IT ALLOWS US TO BANK AND ACCUMULATE ANY UNUSED PASS AMOUNT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
WE HAVE TWO YEARS OF UNUSED INCREMENTS THAT ARE REMAINING 21 AND 22.
YOU CAN SEE THAT UNUSED INCREMENT, UH, FOR 21 IS ROUGHLY ABOUT HALF A CENT.
AND IN TOTAL WE HAVE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF CENTS BANKED FOR 2021.
THAT UNUSED INCREMENT ISS ABOUT EIGHT POINT $19 MILLION.
IT'S WORTH 18 POINT $19 MILLION AND WE'RE GONNA BE RECOMMENDING TO ROLL THAT FORWARD TO MEET THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES OUT OF GOAL SETTING AND TO BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE SCENARIOS COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES OR ON THE NEXT SLIDE PRICE.
PROBABLY SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON THIS SLIDE.
THERE ARE, THESE ARE THE SCENARIOS THAT WE LOOKED AT, THE FIVE DIFFERENT COLUMNS STARTING ON THE LEFT.
THAT IS OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 2023 AS OUR CURRENT TAX RATE AT 54 CENTS, WE EVALUATED A 20 PER 20% HOMESTEAD WITH ROLLING IN THAT UNUSED INCREMENT FOR 2021.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT A 15% HOMESTEAD PLUS THAT UNUSED INCREMENT.
THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT IN WHICH WILL BE OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL AS WHY THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, THE, UM, THE CURRENT TAX RATE UNDER THREE POINT UNDER SB TWO WITH A PARTIAL UNUSED INCREMENT OF THE HALF CENT, THEN GOING TO 2024, THAT IS WHAT I WILL CALL THE BASE UNDER SB TWO, REDUCING OUR TAX RATE SUBJECT TO THE CAP OF 3.5%.
IT REDUCES A TOTAL TAX RATE ABOUT 52 50 3 CENTS.
WHEN WE LAYER NOW MOVING FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT TO THE NEXT COLUMN, WHEN WE LAYER IN THAT UNUSED INCREMENT, THAT INCREASES THE TAX RATE, UM, SLIGHTLY TO 0.53186.
AND THEN AS WE START LAYERING IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, THE TAX RATE STARTS TO INCREASE TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT REVENUE.
SO AS WE LAYER IN THE 15% HOMESTEAD, YOU SEE THAT TAX RATE CREEP UP TO 0.35.
AS WE MOVE TO 20%, WE SEE THE TAX RATE CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO 0.35993.
THE ONE THING I'D POINT OUT IS AS WE LAYER IN THAT 20% HOMESTEAD PLUS THE UNUSED INCREMENT, THAT TAX RATE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE CURRENT TAX RATE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR PURPOSES OF THE TRIAL BUDGET, LEVERAGING
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THAT UNUSED INCREMENT SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT ADDITIONAL $8 MILLION AND ROLL IT INTO TRIAL BUDGET TO MEET COUNCIL PRIORITIES.BUT ALSO IT CREATES MORE OF A BALANCED APPROACH.
IT CREATES A BALANCED APPROACH ON SEVERAL LEVELS.
IT CREATES REVENUE FOR THE TRIAL BUDGET SO WE CAN MEET THOSE PRIORITIES.
IT ALSO PROVIDES TAX RELIEF FOR BOTH MULTI-FAMILY, COMMERCIAL AND OUR RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEADS.
NOW, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, I THINK THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
I WOULD CALL THIS A SOFT RECOMMENDATION AND AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION AND IT'S GONNA MOVE TO THE, UM, JULY, OUR JUNE TIMEFRAME, WE CAN COME BACK REFINE WITH REFINED UM, ESTIMATES.
THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT'S WORTH MENTIONING IS UNDER THE, UM, CURRENT STATE LEGISLATURE, THERE ARE SEVERAL CONSIDERATIONS BEING CONSIDERED THROUGH HOUSE BILL TWO AND SENATE BILL THREE, UM, PROVIDED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
I THINK THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE THERE AND PROBABLY SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE THERE IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL.
SO RECOMMEND CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THIS, LOOK AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND LOOK FOR A BALANCED APPROACH AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THE ONE THING I THOUGHT VALUE TO HIGHLIGHT, AND THIS CAME UP IN GOAL SETTING, I DON'T THINK I DID A GOOD JOB EXPLAINING IT, BUT SEVERAL TIMES THE DISCUSSION CAME UP ABOUT INCREASING THE SENIOR, UM, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OR THE, UM, THE SENIOR EXEMPTION OR THE DISABLED EXEMPTION.
THERE IS VALUE WITH AN INCREASE IN THE EXEMPTION WHEN SOMEONE TURNS 64 TO 65, THAT EXEMPTION GETS PUT IN PLACE, BUT THEIR TAX RATE FREEZES.
SO THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE AND THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON TO THE MATH, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT SHOWS IS THAT IN YEAR ONE, IF YOU TURN 65, YOUR VALUE CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN THIS EXAMPLE FROM 210,000 TO 260,000.
IN YEAR FOUR, THEIR TAX BILL IS FROZEN.
SO LAYERING IN ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS MAY NOT HAVE THE INTENDED IMPACT BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT BENEFIT FOR OUR SENIORS AND OUR DISABLED PERSONS IN THAT ONCE THEY TURN 65, THEIR TAX BILL FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS FROZEN AND IT NEVER CHANGES FOR THE DURATION.
AND THAT TAX BILL CAN BE PASSED ON TO A SURVIVING SPOUSE AS WELL.
A COUPLE OF KEY DATES HERE TO POINT OUT.
WE PASSED THE A APRIL 1ST, WHICH WAS A NOTICE FOR APPRAISED VALUE.
MILITARY MAY 15TH IS GONNA BE A KEY DATE 'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE DEADLINE TO FILE PROTESTS AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAN ACTUALLY START REFINING OUR NUMBERS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR ESTIMATES ARE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM B C A D.
JULY 25TH WOULD BE THE CITY RECEIVES A CERTIFIED ROLE, AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 14TH WE WOULD, UM, THE CITY WOULD ADOPT THE TAX RATE.
SO IN SHORT, WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO, COME BACK TO YOU IN JUNE WITH REVISED, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AFTER WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE INFORMATION FROM B C A D, UM, AND REFINE THOSE ESTIMATES, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO JUSTINA TO TALK ABOUT SALES TAX.
SO WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR OTHER REVENUE SOURCES.
UH, FIRST STARTING OFF WITH OUR SALES TAX.
THIS GRAPH ILLUSTRATES OUR SALES TAX COLLECTIONS FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR AVERAGE GROWTH RATE IS ABOUT 5.8% OVER THAT SAME 10 YEARS.
AND, UH, OUR PROJECTED GROWTH FOR THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
SO WE ARE PROJECTING ON AVERAGE ABOUT 4% FOR THE LIFE OF THE FORECAST FOR THE GROWTH IN SALES TAX.
AND THIS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'VE AC WHAT WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN ACTUAL COLLECTION GROWTH IN TERMS OF C P S, UH, THIS REV THIS, UH, GRAPH ALSO ILLUSTRATES THE CHANGE, UH, THE CHANGE FROM PRIOR COLLECTIONS FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS FOR C P S AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING FOR THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST.
C P S IS ONE OF THE MOST VOLATILE REVENUES AND IS DIFFICULT TO FORECAST AS IT CAN VARY WIDELY DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, FUEL PRICES AND OFF SYSTEM SALES.
OUR AVERAGE GROWTH FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS HAS BEEN ABOUT 3.1% AND WE'RE PROJECTING TO INCREASE C P S BETWEEN 1.1% AND 3.1% FOR THE LIFE OF THE FORECAST, OR AN AVERAGE GROWTH OF ABOUT 2.7%.
NOW MOVING ON TO SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR EXPENSE ASSUMPTIONS.
SO THE TRIAL BUDGET AND THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS BASED ON A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS TO FORM AN EARLY FINANCIAL OUTLOOK AS PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, THE FORECAST REFLECTS FUNDING TO PROVIDE TODAY'S LEVEL OF CITY SERVICES.
[00:30:02]
IT INCLUDES INCREASES IN MEDICAL INFLATION AS WELL AS INFLATIONARY INCREASES FOR COMMODITY.AND OUR SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED, AND AS I MENTIONED, IT MAINTAINS THE GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE OF AT LEAST 15% AS THE FISCAL YEAR, I'M SORRY, AS THE 2017 AND 22 BOND PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED.
THE FORECAST INCLUDES THE EXPENSES NEEDED TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THOSE FACILITIES.
SOME OF THESE FACILITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED ARE THE WORLD HERITAGE FACILITY, CIVIC PARK, AND ALAMO PLAZA PARKS DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR AND FOR THE 2022 BOND PROJECTS.
SOME OF THE PROJECTS INCLUDE THE DISTRICT ONE MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER, ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER, THE CARVER BRANCH EXPANSION EXPANSION, THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES VETERINARIAN HOSPITAL, AND A NEW POLICE SUBSTATION.
IN TERMS OF OUR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, THE FORECAST ASSUMES FUTURE CHANGES TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
FUNDING IS INCLUDED FOR CIVILIANS TO ADDRESS COMPRESSION, INCLUDES FUNDING FOR ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASES AND REVIEWING THE ENTRY WAGE FOR POLICE AND FIRE.
THE FORECAST ASSUMES OR IS IN LINE WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS FOR POLICE.
THE TRIAL BUDGET FOR 2024 INCLUDES A 3.5% INCREASE IN APRIL OF 2024.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT FOR POLICE EXPIRES IN SEPTEMBER OF 2026 FOR FIRE.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE AND A HALF A PERCENT LUMP SUM THAT WILL BE PAID IN JANUARY OF 2024.
THE FIRE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT EXPIRES AT THE END OF FISCAL OF CALENDAR YEAR 2024 IN DECEMBER.
NOW, AS YOU COMBINE ALL THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT I MENTIONED, THE TABLE ON THE TOP OF THIS CHART OR OF THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS OUR PROJECTED RESOURCES AS WELL AS OUR PROJECTED EXPENSES, ASSUMING CURRENT SERVICES MANDATES AND EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, THE PROJECTED REVENUE CONTINUES THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED LAST YEAR AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 TRIAL BUDGET.
IT INCLUDES THE PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION AS PRESENTED EARLIER, BUT TAKES AN AFFORDABLE APPROACH TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, WHICH WILL PROVIDE RELIEF ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT PROPERTY TYPES WITH THESE ASSUMPTIONS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, THE, THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE FORECAST ARE, ARE BALANCED AND POSITIVE.
WE FACE CHALLENGES IN 2027 AND 2028.
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE IMPACT OF THE BUDGET PRIORITIES AS THEY'RE LAYERED IN TO THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST.
THESE INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
CONTINUING OUR SA TOMORROW PLAN AS WELL AS ESSAY FORWARD AND INCLUDES A MILLION FOR HOMELESS OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENTS.
A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN OUR TRIAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES ADDING A HUNDRED OFFICERS, 50 OFFICERS WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH OUR ANTICIPATED TO BE FUNDED THROUGH THE CSS GRANT, AND THE REMAINING 50 OFFICERS WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES 65 OFFICERS ADDED IN 2025, SO THAT OVER THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, 360 OFFICERS WOULD BE ADDED IN TERMS OF FIRE.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES A NEW E M S UNIT, WHICH WOULD BE ADDED IN 2024 AND A LADDER COMPANY TO BE ADDED IN 2025.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDING, AS I MENTIONED, TO ADDRESS THE ANIMAL CARE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL AS CONTINUING ESSAY TOMORROW.
SO THE 20, THE 1.4 MILLION THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET WOULD ALLOW US TO START AND, AND COMPLETE PHASE FOUR OF THE ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN.
AND WE ALSO INCLUDE 1.4 MILLION IN 2026 OF THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST TO COMPLETE THE ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN ESSAY FORWARD, WE CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE ESSAY FORWARD PLAN AND BEGIN SHIFTING THAT, UH, THOSE EXPENSES TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM OUR GRANTS.
AND FINALLY, AS I MENTIONED, THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES A MILLION DOLLARS FOR HOMELESS OUTREACH TO, FOR HOMELESS OUT OUTREACH AND TO ADDRESS ENCAMPMENTS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE AMOUNT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 TRIAL BUDGET FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:35:02]
WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET ALMOST 113 MILLION FOR STREET MAINTENANCE AND 21 MILLION FOR SIDEWALKS.ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE SHIFTED INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING TO ALLOW FOR AN INCREASE IN PAVEMENT MARKINGS AND STREET STRIPINGS FROM OVER 5 MILLION TO 8.9 MILLION.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, THERE'S 4.5 MILLION INCLUDED FOR OUR NAMP PROGRAM.
2.2 MILLION INCLUDED FOR ALLEY MAINTENANCE AND 1 MILLION INCLUDED EACH FOR BIKE FACILITIES, GUARDRAIL AND VISION ZERO.
NOW I'LL MOVE ON TO SOME OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE GROWTH IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE BUDGET FOR THE SOLID WASTE FUND.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDE, THE FUND WAS STRUCTURALLY BALANCED IN 2019.
HOWEVER, OVER THESE FIVE YEARS, OUR REVENUES HAVE GROWN AT ABOUT 6.3%.
WHILE OUR EXPENSES HAVE GROWN 15%, WE HAVE FUNDED INCREASES IN COST OF SERVICE AND NEW SERVICE THROUGH THE EXISTING FUND BALANCE.
HOWEVER, THE FUND IS NOT STRUCTURALLY BALANCED.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR SOLID WASTE FEE HISTORY.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE, OUR EXPENSES HAVE GROWN ABOUT 15% BETWEEN 2019 AND 2023.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE HAD NO FEE INCREASE SINCE 2019.
IN 2019, WE INCREASED THE LARGE CARD BY ABOUT $4 AND REDUCED THE SMALL CART BY A LITTLE LESS THAN A DOLLAR.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD ONE RATE CHANGE TO THE SMALL CART WHERE, WHERE WE REDUCED IT BY $2 IN 2020.
AND NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION FEE.
SO FOR OUR SOLID WASTE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST, THE FORECAST REFLECTS TODAY'S LEVEL OF SERVICE.
IT INCLUDES INCREASES TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND INCORPORATES THE NEW RECYCLING CONTRACT THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE FISCAL YEAR 2022.
THE FORECAST ALSO ADDRESSES LANDFILL FEES.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE CURRENT 30 YEAR AGREEMENTS WITH OUR LANDFILL, UH, CONTRACTS EXPIRE IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
THE FORECAST ALSO INCLUDES INFLATIONARY INCREASES FOR COMMODITIES IN OUR SERVICES.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST ASSUMES NO FEE INCREASES ON THE SOLID WASTE FEE OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, AND MAINTAINS OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FORECAST, WE ARE FACING DEFICITS IN ALL THE YEARS OF THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST IF WE DO NOT CHANGE THE SOLID WASTE FEE OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE.
SO OVER THE SUMMER, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE OPTIONS TO BALANCE THE SOLID WASTE FUND.
IN AUGUST, WE'LL COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDED FEE INCREASE FOR THE SOLID WASTE AND OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE.
THE POTENTIAL SOLID WASTE FEE INCREASE COULD RANGE BETWEEN $3 AND 50 CENTS TO $5 AND A POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEE INCREASE COULD RANGE BETWEEN 75 CENTS AND A DOLLAR 25.
WE'LL ALSO LOOK TO REDIRECT THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY TO RESILIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND.
AND OVER THE SUMMER WE'LL WORK TO CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE WAYS TO REDUCE COST AND MAINTAIN SERVICES.
NEXT IS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY FUND.
AS A REMINDER, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE IN SAN ANTONIO IS 16.75% ON EACH ROOM NIGHT.
OF THAT, THE, THE CITY RECEIVES 9% 7% FUNDS, UH, ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE CONVENTION CENTER FACILITIES VISIT SAN ANTONIO HISTORY AND PRESERVATION AND ARTS.
THE REMAINING 2% IS A RESTRICTED SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION DEBT, AS WELL AS FUTURE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECTS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE PROJECTED HOT REVENUES.
IN OUR 10 YEAR HISTORY, THE FORECAST ASSUMES AN AVERAGE GROWTH RATE OF ABOUT 4% OVER THE FIVE YEARS.
THIS IS IN LINE WITH OUR PREVIOUS, UH, PREVIOUS GROWTH RATE BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019.
WE SAW THE HOT TAX GROW BY ABOUT 4% EACH YEAR.
THIS NEXT SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
OVERALL, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS BALANCE FOR 20 24, 20 25, AND 2027, AND WE FACE MANAGEABLE CHALLENGES IN FISCAL YEAR 26 AND 2028.
LAST IS OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND.
[00:40:01]
FORECAST DOES NOT ASSUME ANY FEE INCREASES OVER THE FIVE YEARS, AND IT IS BALANCED.IT ALSO MAINTAINS A FINANCIAL RESERVE TO ASSIST IN SMOOTHING FLUCTUATIONS IN THE DE IN IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
NOW I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE THE OVERVIEW OF OUR RECOMMENDED MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO INCREASE THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT BY $848,000.
AND THIS IS TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS FUNDING WILL PROVIDE FOR AN EXPANDED FIELD APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
IT'LL INCREASE OUR SPAY NEUTER CAPACITY, EXPAND THE HOURS AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND SUPPORT QUALITY CARE, AND IMPLEMENT A ROBUST EDUCATION AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
AND FINALLY, EXPAND OUR TRANSPORTS.
UM, SO AS, AS A REMINDER, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET, WE, WE SET ASIDE $2 MILLION AFTER THE PILOT WAS COMPLETED IN MARCH TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF THE SA CORE.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TWO ADDITIONAL TEAMS FOR A TOTAL OF THREE TEAMS FOR THE SA CORE.
THIS WILL ADD SIX CLINICIANS ON THE TEAM AND TWO FOLLOW-UP CLINICIANS.
WE'LL ADD SEVEN UNIFORM OR SIX PARAMEDICS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL, WELL AS THE LIEUTENANT AND SEVEN POSITIONS, UNIFORM POSITIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SIX PATROL OFFICERS OR SIX POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE SERGEANT.
THE PROJECTED COST FOR THIS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 IS 750,000, AND WE ARE PROJECTED COST FOR 2024 IS 2.7 MILLION.
THE MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT IS ALSO RECOMMENDING AN ADJUSTMENT TO GIVE THE CITY MANAGER AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT GRANTS.
THIS WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THIS YEAR WHERE WE, WHERE WE RECEIVED QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS AS TO WHY WE WE'RE TAKING SMALLER, SMALL DOLLAR CONTRACTS TO CITY COUNCIL.
AFTER REVIEW OF OUR PRACTICES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT GRANTS OF UP TO $150,000.
SO AS I WRAP UP, UM, WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR TRIAL BUDGET COMMUNITY INPUT.
SO STARTING TOMORROW, THE CITY WILL BE CONDUCTING A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY BETWEEN MAY 11TH AND JUNE 7TH TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE SAMPLING WILL ENSURE THAT RESULTS ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT AND THEY'RE ALSO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY'S POPULATION WITH RESPECT TO AGE, RACE, GENDER, AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS.
THE RESULTS PROVIDED BY THE SURVEY WILL BE ANALYZED BY E T C AND PROVIDED, UH, A SUMMARY REPORT WILL BE PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 22ND.
FINALLY, THE NEXT STEPS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO AS I MENTIONED TOMORROW WILL BEGIN THE COMMUNITY INPUT FOR THE TRIAL BUDGET AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED AS IN PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
BETWEEN JUNE AND JULY, WE'LL BEGIN DEVELOPING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 FOR PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 10TH.
BETWEEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER WE'LL HOLD A, A NUMBER OF CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSIONS AS WELL AS RECEIVE COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND FINALLY, THE BUDGET IS ANTICIPATED TO BE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 14TH.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, JUSTINA AND, AND TROY, I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS AND, UM, MAYBE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
OVERALL, I THINK A, A GOOD REPORT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE FROM A REVENUE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, TROY, COULD YOU COME UP AND JUST TALK A LITTLE TAX RELIEF? UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THE MESSAGE IS PRETTY CLEAR.
WE ARE GONNA SEE SOME FORM OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FROM THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
UM, THE QUESTION IS WHAT FORM DOES THAT TAKE? IS IT, IT A, UM, UH, SIMPLY A DECREASE IN OUR TAX RATE, WHICH IS ONE LEVER WE CAN PULL? OR IS IT, UM, LOOKING AT THE EXEMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND CURRENTLY THE ONLY EXEMPTION THAT WE DON'T HAVE MAXED OUT IS THE HOMESTEAD.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, ON THE HOMESTEAD AND ON THE HOMESTEAD WILL MAX OUT AT 20% AND THEN ARE OVER 65 AND DISABLED.
THOSE ARE ALREADY WHAT, THE OVER 65 AND THE DISABLED, THERE IS NOT
[00:45:01]
A MAXIMUM.NO, THEY'RE, THEY ARE NOT MAXED OUT.
THERE IS NO MAXIMUM ON OR OVER 65 AND DISABLED.
BUT YOUR POINT IS THAT ONCE THE 65 IS, IS, UM, REGISTERED, THEN THE, THE TAX RATE IS FROZEN OR THE TAX BILL IS FROZEN FOR OVER 65 ALREADY? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT IS A HUGE BENEFIT FOR OUR SENIORS AND OUR DISABLED PERSONS.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE WANT TO TARGET THE TAX RELIEF AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
AND WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY LIMITED TOOLS TO DO THAT LEVERS THAT WE CAN PULL.
UM, HAVE YOU DONE ANY, HAVE YOU RUN ANY ANALYSIS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HOME VALUE AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THE TAX BILL IF WE DID CERTAIN THINGS, WHETHER THAT'S TAX RATE OR, OR HOMESTEAD OR WE HAVE NOT YET.
THE INFORMATION IS SO PRELIMINARY, I'D BE HESITANT TO DO THAT.
I THINK WHEN WE COME BACK IN JUNE, WE CAN SHOW YOU A VARIETY OF SCENARIOS OF HOW IT WOULD IMPACT A RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD, NOT ONLY A RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD IF WE HAVE AN IMPACT OR LOWERING THE TAX RATE, WE COULD ALSO PROBABLY SHOW YOU THE IMPACT ON MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL AS WELL.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE, WITH THE HOMESTEAD, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, WITH THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY ROLLBACK, UH, WE WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON THOSE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY OWNERS FOR THAT TO TRICKLE DOWN TO THE RENTER.
THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GUARANTEED AND THAT'S CORRECT.
PROBABLY VERY LITTLE OF THAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO RENT RELIEF FOR FOLKS.
BUT, UM, IN MY PERSPECTIVE, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY HOW THIS IS GONNA PLAY OUT THE LEDGE YET, OR WHAT THOSE ANALYSES LOOK LIKE FROM YOU, I'M INCLINED TO INCREASE THAT HOMESTEAD AND PERHAPS EVEN TO MAX IT OUT, UM, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT, THAT IT'S REALLY FAMILIES THAT ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE BURDEN OF RISING COSTS, RISING INFLATION, ET CETERA.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, TO LEAVE THAT ON THE TABLE.
AND EVEN IF WE DID DO THE HOMESTEAD, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PROPERTY VALUATIONS FINALLY END UP WITH, WITH B C AD, WE'D STILL BE LOOKING AT A ROLLBACK FOR ALL PROPERTIES, EVEN WITH A HOMESTEAD INCREASE.
I, I JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT ON THE TABLE.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT IN GIVING A SOFT RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT AS LONG AS THOSE OPTIONS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE, UH, AND WE CAN COME BACK AND SEE WHERE, WHERE DOES IT TARGET OR WHERE DOES IT IMPACT THE MOST FOR FOLKS, UM, THROUGH YOUR ANALYSIS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UM, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE BACKUP MATERIALS, ERIC, UH, THAT YOU PROVIDED, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA IN THERE WITH REGARD TO HOW, UH, DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING AND, AND I WOULD SAY MOSTLY OVERALL, UH, GOOD NEWS AND OR, UM, GOOD PERFORMANCE GIVEN THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT DESPITE THE CREEP ON RESPONSE TIMES IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT, PRIORITY CALLS IN SS A P D, UH, CALL, TIME HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN.
I THINK I DON'T WANT TO GET THAT TO GET LOST.
THE CALLS THAT ARE HIGHEST PRIORITY WHERE WE NEED TO SEND, UH, POLICE OUT, UH, WITH THE SPEEDIEST RESPONSE, WE'RE ACTUALLY REDUCING THE, THE RESPONSE TIMES.
BUT I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE BEGIN TO ADD THE E M S UNIT, THE FIRE UNIT, UM, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL CORE TEAMS, WHICH I SUPPORT THAT WE ARE GONNA BE GETTING THOSE RESPONSE TIMES IN THE OTHER, UH, IN THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
IS THAT THE INTENT? IT IS MAYOR, UM, AND E EVEN WHEN, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PROGRAM LIKE THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, WHICH, UM, HELPS LONG-TERM ADDRESSING THE, THOSE FREQUENT CALLS AND THAT RELIEVES OFFICERS AND IMPROVES AVAILABILITY.
I THINK PART OF IT IS ALSO, UM, IF WE MOVE DOWN THE TRACK OF GETTING TO 60% PROACTIVE TIME, THAT ALLOWS THAT AVAILABILITY INCREASE, UH, TIME INCREASE SO THAT OFFICERS IN, IN THE CASE OF POLICE CAN RESPOND ON THE E M SS SIDE.
I MEAN, IT, IT IS A CONSTANT BALANCE AND WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS E M S EDITION.
IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES THAT ADDITION AS PART OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, THEN THAT GIVES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A CHANCE TO RESHIFT AROUND OUR PEAK PERIOD OVERTIME STAFFING, UM, AND IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS ALL WITH THE GOAL OF, OF DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY AND REDUCE RESPONSE TIMES IN BOTH DEPARTMENTS.
UH, JUST A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY FULLY SUPPORT THE HEAD START.
WE'VE GOT ON A C SS AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT IN THE F Y 24 BUDGET.
SAME THING WITH OUR, UH, OTHER ELEMENTS OF A A C S.
I DID SEE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING BEHIND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON IS FOR IT, BUT FOR THE SPAY AND NEUTER THAT WE'RE OFFERING TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO START INCREASING THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ON SPAY NEUTER, I ASSUME THAT IT
[00:50:01]
WAS GONNA GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, BUT, BUT IT WE'RE NOT YET.AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE, UH, AGENDA ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK WE'VE GOT, UH, THREE SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTS THAT ARE COMING TO INCREASE DOLLARS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE BROOKS, UH, LEASE ON THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK.
ALL OF THE IDEA OF KIND OF OPENING UP THAT PIPELINE AND, AND, AND MAKING SURE WE ALSO HAVE, UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, VET POSITIONS FILLED.
UH, THE LAST ONE COMES ON BOARD IN JUNE.
I MET THE NEW VET LAST WEEK, UH, OUT THERE WITH, UH, AT THE A C S FACILITY.
SO, UM, YOU'LL SEE THOSE ON THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN LASTLY, JUST TO ADD MY COMMENTS AGAIN, TO THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, UH, FEE, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT, THAT'S GET GOTTEN UNDERWATER BECAUSE WE'RE DELIVERING SERVICES AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY AROUND THE TABLE WHEN WE WERE AT THE BUDGET GOAL SETTING WANTED TO REDUCE SERVICES IN SOLID WASTE.
SO THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT THERE.
MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO, UH, INCENTIVIZE REDU REDUCTION OF THE WASTE STREAM.
SO IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE SMALLEST CANS FROM CHANGING, UH, THE FEE OR THE, THE FEE CHANGES, KEEP THE SMALL CAN AS STABLE AS POSSIBLE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DISINCENTIVIZE THE LARGEST WASTE STREAMS, UH, IN THE, THE CHANGING THE FEE.
AND, AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE.
ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S CONTINUE WITH DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND, UH, I AGREE WITH MUCH OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, ESPECIALLY THE PORTION JUST NOW ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE FEE AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP THE SMALLEST SPENDS, UM, AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I THINK IN, IN TERMS OF THE TAX RELIEF, AND I, I SAID THIS AT THE LAST, AT THE BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE US CREATE, UM, STRONGER MESSAGING ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THE CITY CAN DO, WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND WHAT IS OUR CAP.
BECAUSE ONCE WE, ONCE WE GO UP TO THE 20% FOR THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WE'RE FAIRLY LIMITED ON ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO.
BUT PEOPLE ARE, WE CAN SAY WE'RE GONNA DECREASE OUR PROPERTY, OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE, BUT REVENUE STILL INCREASES AND PEOPLE'S PROPERTY TAXES STILL GO UP SO IT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH PEOPLE.
AND IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT DISINGENUOUS TO SAY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING RELIEF EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING.
THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE'S OTHER LEVER LEVERS THAT NEED TO BE PULLED ELSEWHERE AND I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY, UM, STRATEGIZE ON HOW WE MESSAGE THAT.
UM, I WANNA FOCUS MU MUCH OF MY COMMENTS.
I WANNA REITERATE MUCH WHAT I SAID DURING THE GOAL SETTING SESSION STILL STANDS, UM, FOR THE SIX PLUS SIX, I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF MY FOCUSES, I THINK IF WE CAN MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO 3 1 1, UM, WE'RE HAVING QUITE A BIT OF PROBLEMS. UM, AND AS WE KNOCKED ON DOORS IN OUR DISTRICT, UM, AND SPOKE WITH CONSTITUENTS, IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT, UM, THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH 3 1 1, MEANING THEY'RE CALLING 3 1 1 AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANSWERS.
THEY'RE BEING BOUNCED AROUND FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT.
THEY'LL ASK FOR SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE SUCH AS, UH, POTHOLES OR FOR SOMETHING RELATED TO SOLID WASTE PICKUP.
AND THEY'RE BEING SENT TO MY OFFICE, WHICH THEN IS FRUSTRATING FOR MY EMPLOYEES.
AND IT THEN IT LEADS ME TO WANT TO ASK FOR MORE STAFF TO MAKE UP FOR THE FACT THAT WE'RE GETTING SO MANY CALLS WHEN REALLY THAT BUG IS RIGHT THERE AT 3 1 1.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PRESENTATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORE STAFFING OR DIFFERENT TRAINING, BUT, UH, THAT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FOR MYSELF, MY TEAM, AND MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO I THINK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN MAKE, UH, ADJUSTMENTS THERE, I WOULD LIKE TO, I'LL WAIT TILL THE END.
IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WANTED TO RESPOND, UM, WITH THE ESSAY CORE TEAM, UM, I HAD A EXPERIENCE WITH A FRIEND, UM, WHO ACTUALLY LIVES IN 7 8 2 0 7.
AND I COULD, WE HAD CALLED, UH, 9 1 1 TO REQUEST HELP AND ASKED VERY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SA CORE TEAM, BUT THREE OFFICERS CAME OUT INSTEAD.
THEY DID NOT SEND ANYONE FROM THE CORE TEAM, UM, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
AND THEN THE ISSUE PERSISTED WITH, THEY ENDED UP LEAVING, WEREN'T ABLE TO DO ANYTHING, UM, AND THE ISSUE PERSISTED.
AND SO LATER ON I CALLED CHIEF MCMANUS DIRECTLY AND SAID, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE NEED THE SA CORE TEAM, UH, EXPLICITLY.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT FOR ME.
AND THAT'S A PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE THAT MANY DON'T HAVE.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A SERVICE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE BECAUSE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, IF THEY CALL AND THEY ASK AND OR THEY, MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW SA CORE SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEY SAY THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT SERVICE OR THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT HELP, WHAT GOOD IS IT? AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I THINK WAS A CONCERN I HAD AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UH, MAKE MEANINGFUL, UH, HAVE MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION ABOUT, WHICH IS THE FAMILY DID NOT WANT TO HAVE OFFICERS THERE.
THEY DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE.
THEY SAID, I DON'T WANT THE HELP YOU CALLED POLICE.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
WE'RE GOOD ON OUR OWN, WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THIS.
AND THAT WAS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ISN'T, THAT'S
[00:55:01]
NOT A ONE-OFF ISSUE.AND THAT COULD HAVE STOPPED SOMEBODY WHO NEEDED A SERVICE, WHO NEEDED TO BE, THEY ENDED UP AT TEXAS VISTA ACTUALLY.
AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ISSUES I THINK THERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IT'S SO VALUABLE, IT'S SO NECESSARY.
UM, BUT THAT WAS A, A PROBLEM THAT I HAD.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE A DEEPER CONVERSATION WITH, I I HAD SPOKEN TO COUNCILWOMAN KDA ABOUT THIS AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER, UH, YOU TWO AND THEN CHIEF MCMANUS AS WELL, JUST 'CAUSE I, I WANT TO SUPPORT EXPANSION OF SA CORE, BUT I ALSO WANNA SEE THOSE CORE ISSUE IS ADDRESSED.
WE'LL GET ON YOUR CALENDAR COUNCILMAN BEFORE THE 18.
AS I MENTIONED, WE ONLY HAVE ONE TEAM, UH, HANDLING SA CORE CALLS.
WE'LL ADD THREE AND THOSE WILL BE AVAILABLE CITYWIDE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE ALSO HAVE ALL OTHER MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'LL VISIT WITH YOU AND GET INTO MORE DETAIL.
UM, ASIDE FROM THAT, UH, FULLY SUPPORT THE INCREASED A C S INVESTMENT, UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO DISCUSS IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE, UM, UH, INCREASED CONSTITUENT FACING STAFF.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE CONSTITUENTS WOULD LIKE TO DIRECTLY SPEAK TO A, A D TWO REPRESENTATIVE OR SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE WHO CAN ADDRESS THEIR CONCERN OR GIVE THEM SOME SORT OF ANSWER.
BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE FOLK FEEL LIKE THEY'RE CALLING A C S AND THEY, IT'S, THEY'RE JUST SO OVERBURDENED THAT THEY CAN'T GET THE RESPONSE OR THE IN INTERACTION AS A CONSTITUENT THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY WANT.
AND MY OFFICE IS A LITTLE LIMITED IN OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE AND I SEE SHANNON IN THE BACK.
UM, SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND THEN AS WELL, ONE OF MY HIGHEST PRIORITY REQUESTS, AND THIS IS LIKE A A DREAM THING, RIGHT, IS UM, A SENIOR CENTER WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE IDENTIFIED LAND, UM, AS I MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS BUDGET CYCLES.
UM, WE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR A LOCATION STUDY AND WE IDENTIFIED IT AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE FUNDS NECESSARY TO PURCHASE THE LAND.
AND I'M WORKING WITH THE D H S TEAM AND THE PROJECT MANAGER AND I'M EXTREMELY PLEASED TO BE AT THAT POINT.
MY REQUEST FOR THIS, UM, WAS BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT C I P, UM, AND I WANTED TO USE FUNDS THERE TO PURCHASE LAND OR TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN USE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO REACH THE NEXT STEP TO GET THE PROJECT SHOVEL READY ONCE WE'VE DONE ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF MY HIGHEST, HIGHEST, HIGHEST PRIORITY REQUESTS.
AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
THAT'S MY END GOAL, UH, OF THE, OF THAT REQUEST OF THE C I P.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WITH THE STREET LIGHTING INDEX WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF APPLICATION.
WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN A BRIEFING ON THE FULL INDEX.
AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS OF INTEREST A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN WE UH, AGREED TO FUND THE INDEX.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME RIGHT NOW.
I'LL KEEP IT PRETTY SHORT AND I'LL RESPOND TO ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAYBE I HEAR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE
JUST ONE, UH, COUNCILMAN, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE.
I'M, WE DON'T TYPICALLY ROUTE CALLS AT 3 1 1 TO THE COUNCIL OFFICES, SO IF THAT'S HAPPENING, I'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT SO I CAN CORRECT IT 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT IS, UM, OUR OPERATING PROCEDURE AT 3 1 1, BUT WE CAN VISIT OFFLINE ABOUT THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA, THANK MAYOR.
AND I'LL START, UM, WITH ONE, UH, AND, AND THANK YOU JUSTINA AND TROY AND EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, ON ITEM NUMBER TWO ON SERVICE AREA ONE, PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S S A FS SA FIRE DEPARTMENT, I C TWO HOOD IN THE BACK.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A HOSPITAL THAT'S CLOSED ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND I'M WONDERING IF YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE, IF THAT INCLUDES THAT NOW, LIKE FOR RESPONSE TIMES? 'CAUSE I AM, I I KNOW IT'S GONNA ADD RESPONSE TIME, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE WILL INCLUDE NEXT CORA COUNCIL? I'M SORRY, I COULD NOT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY BACKGROUND IS.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE AND IT'S ADDRESSING RESPONSE TIMES.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S BEING, IF THAT'S GONNA ADDRESS NOW THE LIMITATION WITH THE CLOSING OF THE HOSPITAL.
SO THE BEAUTY OF THIS NEW E M S UNIT COMING IN, IT'S GONNA GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL 24 HOURS OF RESOURCES THAT WE CAN STRATEGICALLY DEPLOY WITHIN THE CITY.
ALSO WITH THE JOINT BA JOINT BASE, UH, THAT'S GONNA GIVE US MORE RESOURCES AROUND THE BASIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA ADD, BE ADDING ALMOST TWO UNITS FOR ONE WITH THIS NEW E M S UNIT.
SO THAT IS AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS LONGER TRANSPORTS TO THE HOSPITAL FROM YOUR AREA.
SO IT ONCE IT'S ALL GO AHEAD ERIC.
WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING,
[01:00:01]
BUT, BUT SO WHEN THE, WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STRUCTURES THAT AND, AND ANALYZES IT, IT'S RESPONSE TIME TO THE CALL AND THEN IT'S HOW LONG IS THAT E M S UNIT OUTTA SERVICE, WHETHER THEY'VE GOTTA GO FROM, YOU KNOW, SOUTHEAST MILITARY TO THE MEDICAL CENTER, HOW LONG THEY'RE AT THE HOSPITAL.SO ULTIMATELY THROUGH THAT ACCREDITATION PROCESS, THAT'LL HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT, UH, TEXAS VISTA WAS A MAJOR OFFLOAD FOR THE E M S SYSTEM.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'LL BE INCLUDED IN THAT ANALYSIS.
AND, AND WHILE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT ARE FINALIZING THAT LETTER TO GEORGE HERNANDEZ AND THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL GET A COPY OF IT, INVITING THEM TO THE NEXT CHECK COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU ERIC, AND THANK YOU, CHIEF.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, AND AGAIN, SO I JUST WANTED TO TO BE AHEAD, RIGHT? BECAUSE EVEN IF, IF THEY WEREN'T BEING USED, I'M, I'M JUST REALLY AFRAID OF TRAGEDY STRIKING OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY, I DON'T SEE ANY MEASURES ON CASEWORK OR CASES SOLVED AND SUBMITTED TO THE DA'S OFFICE.
WHERE DO WE CALCULATE THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I'VE DONE MY RIDE-ALONGS LIKE THAT TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME.
SO THE METRICS THAT YOU SEE ON THE BINDER THAT WE PROVIDED TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THOSE ARE 24 7.
SO IT IS JUST TO TAKE A PULSE OF THE ORGANIZATION, BUT IT DOESN'T REFLECT ALL THE METRICS THAT WE MAINTAIN IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE'LL DO A FOLLOW UP ON THAT, ON THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION.
AND THEN UNDER CODE COMPLIANCE, UM, WELL, THE PROACTIVE INSPECTION, UH, PROGRAM, THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM, WILL IT HAVE ITS OWN DASHBOARD NEXT GO AROUND? KIND OF LIKE THE ONES THAT WE SEE WITH, UM, TIER ONE AND TIER TWO CODE ENFORCEMENT? SURE.
UM, UH, UNDER THE SENIOR CENTER PARTICIPANTS, DO WE ALSO, I KNOW WE, WE MEASURE THEIR LEVEL OF, UH, HAPPINESS WITH THE SENIOR CENTERS, ET CETERA, AND I KNOW THAT THEY LOVE IT.
DO WE ALSO MEASURE LIKE PARTNERSHIPS THAT, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, WHEN THEY GO ON FIELD TRIPS AT DIFFERENT PLACES, AND, UM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING OUR SENIORS BEYOND THE WALLS OF THE SENIOR CENTER AND, AND WHAT WE'RE LIKE, IS THERE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE TARGET, TARGET, ET CETERA? THERE'S NOT A NUMBER THAT WE TARGET.
WE WORK WITH EACH SENIOR CENTER TO, UM, ADDRESS THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WANT TO, TO PLAN EACH YEAR.
SO EACH CENTER HAS AN ADVISORY COUNCIL MADE UP OF THE SENIORS, AND WE WORK WITH THEM ON THAT.
AS FAR AS MEASURING, UM, OUTCOMES FROM FIELD TRIPS OR CENTERS, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT CURRENTLY.
IT'S PART OF OUR OVERALL SATISFACTION.
WE DO MEASURE THE OUTCOMES OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING IN THE CENTERS, YOU KNOW, AND THEIR RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND I KNOW, AND I, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT A COUPLE OF MY SENIORS NOW HAVE TOLD ME WE HAD DOLLAR ZOO DAY BEFORE, AND THEY WOULD TAKE US FROM THE SENIOR CENTER TO THE ZOO.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO THAT WAS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE'LL, LOOK AT IT.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY LIKE, WHAT, HOW ELSE, WHERE ELSE ARE WE TAKING THEM? UM, BUT THEN, UH, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON EARNED MEDIA.
AND THAT'S, UM, ITEM NUMBER 55, SERVICE AREA SEVEN.
DOES THAT INCLUDE OUR PRESS RELEASES THAT OUR COUNCIL OFFICES DO THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE EARNED MEDIA? GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN? UM, NO, IT DOES NOT.
WE TRACK DEPARTMENT AND CITYWIDE NEWS RELEASES IN THAT MEASURE.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HIGHER, BUT, OKAY.
UM, AND THEN ON VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE, UM, I JUST, IT'S FROM 9.8 TO 2.8.
AND I'M WONDERING THERE, THAT'S A HUGE VARIATION IN HR, VOLUNTARY TURNOVER, ITEM 56, JUST ONE QUARTER.
AND I GUESS WHILE, WHILE WE LOOK AT THAT, I'LL ASK FOR MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UH, FOR 3 1 1, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD PULL THE NUMBER OF READY TO WORK CALLS THAT HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO OR HAVE BEEN WHEN PEOPLE CALL 3 1 1 AND ASK FOR READY TO WORK.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT NUMBER.
WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION YESTERDAY AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE ABOUT THAT, BUT SORRY, WE, OUR VOLUNTARY TURNOVER IS ACTUALLY TRACKING THE SAME, ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS IT WAS LAST YEAR, THE 2.80.
IT IS FOR, UH, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE, OF FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN I DON'T SEE ANY METRIC ON TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S RELATED TO AQUIFER PROTECTION.
UM, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE TRACKING THAT? HOW ARE WE DOING THERE? UM, WE'RE ON TRACK AND WE CAN, WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN AN UPDATE, UH, WITH THE CASE, UH, INFO ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT ABOUT THE PARK SPACE AND, UH, PARK CLEANLINESS, ALL OF THAT? UH, THAT ONE I'LL HAVE TO CHECK ON COUNSELING.
AND THEN ON THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN, UM, I NOTICED
[01:05:01]
THAT, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY USING A HUX BIN MAP TO BREAK DOWN THE CITY INTO A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD USE THAT DATA AND REFLECTED WITH SOME OTHER DATA POINT, LIKE INCOME LEVELS? COUNCILMAN, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE CRIME PREVENTION PLAN, RIGHT? UHHUH
SO, UH, PHASE TWO OF, OF THE PLAN THAT IS PROBABLY GONNA START, WE SAID SIX MONTHS INTO THE CALENDAR YEAR, PROBABLY JUNE, JULY, WE'LL, UM, OVERLAY THE INFORMATION FROM THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, WHICH IS THE HOTSPOTS WITH, UM, ALSO 3 1 1 CALLS, ANOTHER CALLS FOR SERVICE.
SO WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT AS PART OF THAT PHASE.
AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE, SO, SO ANOTHER EXAMPLE WITH THE, THE, THE DATA LEVEL, I SAW 84% OF CODE ENFORCEMENT COMPLIANCES RATES CITYWIDE, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S MUCH LOWER IN MY DISTRICT, FOR INSTANCE.
AND SO, AND I'VE HEARD COUNCILMAN CASTILLO ALSO ASK ABOUT OVERLAYING, AND I'M JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE PLAYING WITH, WITH ANYTHING THAT WE CAN AND, AND FIGURING OUT AND SOLVING FOR PROBLEMS THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EXIST YET.
AND SAME THING, YOU KNOW, WE, AS WE DO THE GOOD, UM, NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, AS WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE OVERLAYING NOT ONLY THE 9 1 1 CALLS FOR POLICE AND FIRE, BUT ALSO THREE ONE ONE'S CODE ENFORCEMENT A C S.
AND THEN WHAT ARE WE ADDRESSING WITH THE PROPOSED $1.4 MILLION IN ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN? I KNOW THAT IN THE OTHER BOOK THAT WE GOT ON PAGE 19, IT SAYS PHASE FOUR, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT PHASE FOURS.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL GET PHASE FOUR.
SO THE 2024 TRIAL BUDGET WOULD INCLUDE ONE POINT, INCLUDES THE 0.4 MILLION, CORRECT.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER, MAYBE PARENTHESES, 'CAUSE I, I CAN'T REMEMBER THAT YOU GIVE YOU THE NAMES OF THE AREAS 'CAUSE WE PUT THAT ON HOLD.
UM, YES, WE CUT THAT BUDGET DURING THE, THE, UH, PANDEMIC.
AND THEN WHAT PLANNING HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON IS USING, FINISHING ALL THE PLANS THAT THEY HAD IN PLACE.
AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT THAT POINT WHERE WE'LL NEED TO START FUNDING THE, THE NEXT ROUND AND WE'LL GET YOU WHO, WHAT PHASE FOUR IS.
AND THEN WHAT DOES AN ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS GET US FOR THE HOMELESS OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENTS? LIKE DOES IT ADD STAFF? WHAT DOES IT DO? UM, IT, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF, IT'S, IT'S A ROUND, IT'S A VERY ROUND NUMBER THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS SUMMER.
I THINK THERE'S, BASED ON THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION, UH, IN APRIL, UM, THERE IS BOTH OUTREACH WORK AND THERE'S ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP WORK.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED TO ADDRESS BOTH ENDS, BUT WE'LL WORK THROUGH THE DETAILS.
UM, WE WANTED TO SET ASIDE SOME MONEY IN THE TRIAL BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO BOTH.
UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE PLAN ON SLIDE 39 IS AT $152.8 MILLION.
AND I'M WONDERING ONE, HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO PAST SEVERAL YEARS? BUT, UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S $21.5 MILLION FOR SIDEWALKS.
AND IS THAT SPECIFICALLY FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR ARE WE ALSO INCLUDING THE, UH, PET MOBILITY FUNDS? SO THAT INCLUDES BOTH, UH, THE GENERAL FUND.
THE, UH, ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION FUND, AS WELL AS SOME BOND FUNDING.
AND THEN IN THE A C S STRATEGIC PLAN, WILL ANY OF THE 848,000 BE USED FOR ADDITIONAL STUFF? SO OF THE 848,000, THERE IS A PROPOSED TO EXPAND THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICE OR THE ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UM, FOR THE UNDERLYING ISSUES, HOW ARE WE ENSURING EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESOURCES BASED ON WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE BEING REPORTED FOR A C S? AND THAT'S MY FINAL QUESTION.
WE'LL WORK ON THAT DURING THE SUMMER.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK A QUESTION OR TWO ABOUT A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
I THINK, UM, SLIDE 16, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HEARD SOMETHING RIGHT.
IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING A STREET WORK OR SOMETHING.
UH, WHAT WAS THAT, THAT I HEARD? SO ON, ON SLIDE 16, THIS IS A QUARTERLY UPDATE ON SOLID WASTE.
SO AS, AS PART OF, TO ADDRESS THE DEFICIT THAT WE ARE PROJECTING THE SOLID WASTE TRANSFERS FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL, I'M SORRY, FROM SOLID WASTE TO THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP PAY FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING, AS, AS PART OF OUR ESTIMATE, WE ARE GOING TO REDUCE THAT TRANSFER JUST FOR 2023 IN ORDER TO HELP MITIGATE OUR DEFICIT IN SOLID WASTE.
SO THAT MEANS WE WON'T HAVE MONEY, AS MUCH MONEY IN THERE FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
WE'LL CONTINUE FUNDING STREET MAINTENANCE AT THE SAME LEVEL OKAY.
[01:10:01]
BE SURE OF THAT.UH, ON SLIDE, UM, 30 AND, UH, I THINK 31 BOTH, WE HAD, UM, SALES TAX GROWTH RATE, UH, ON SLIDE 30.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S PROJECTED THAT IN THE PAST THE SALES TAX GROWTH RATE, UH, AND I GUESS THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA RESPOND TO THIS, BUT THE GROWTH RATE WAS LISTED AS, UH, 5.8% FOR MANY YEARS, BUT THE PROJECTION NOW IS ONLY 4%.
WHY A DEDUCTION OR A REDUCTION IN WHAT WE THINK THE SALES TAX IS GONNA BE? SURE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE 10 YEARS, OUR GROWTH IN SALES TAX, IT, IT RANGES BETWEEN ACTUALLY NEGATIVE GROWTH IN 2020.
SO THAT 5.8% IS AN AVERAGE OF ALL THOSE CHANGES IN GROWTH.
SO IN ORDER TO, AS, AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, CAN FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT 4% OVER THE LIFE OF THE FORECAST.
WELL, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG REDUCTION.
THAT'S LIKE A 30% REDUCTION IN SALES TAX THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES FROM 5.7 TO FOUR.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE UNREALISTIC.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A STATISTICIAN.
I JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT NUMBERS.
UH, BUT THE SAME THING FOR C P SS.
I SEE, UH, YOU'RE PREDICTING, UH, THE AVERAGE HAD BEEN 3.1%.
NOW YOU'RE SAYING IT'S GONNA BE 2.7%, BUT THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO AGAIN, I'M WONDERING WHY, YOU KNOW, A 10% REDUCTION IN WHAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA GET FROM C P S OVER A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WE LOOK AT 2020 AND 2021 IS OUTLIERS, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THE OUTLIERS OUT, WE SEEM TO BE REALLY LOWERING OUR PROJECTIONS.
SO COUNSEL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT HISTORY, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE ANYWHERE FROM GO REMOVE THE PANDEMIC NEGATIVE 0.1% UP TO 13%.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AGAINST OUR ADOPTED BUDGET, THERE ARE YEARS WHERE WE'RE FLAT AND THERE ARE YEARS WHERE WE CAN EXCEED THAT.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BE MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE WITH OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS BECAUSE OF OUR, UH, RESERVE POLICY.
WE DON'T CARRY LARGE FINANCIAL RESERVES OF THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE CAN'T AFFORD FOR ONE OF THOSE YEARS WHERE WE'RE PROJECTING A A, A LARGE INCREASE FOR IT TO COME IN UNDER THAT WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACT OUR RESERVES AND, AND, AND HAVE THE IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
BY THE WAY, OUR GROWTH RATE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, ABOUT 2.3%.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT SWINGS WITH C P SS IS IT'S NOT, WELL, NONE OF THESE ARE LINEAR.
SO WHEN WE RUN THESE MODELS, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL LINEAR WHEN WE DO THAT THREE POINT, IT'S COMPOUNDING WHEN YOU LOOK AT SALES TAX OR C P S IS NOT LINEAR.
SO WHEN I TAKE THAT AND I DROP IN A YEAR WHERE YOU'VE GOT LOWER GROWTH OR NEGATIVE GROWTH, THAT CHANGES THE ENTIRE IMPACT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE RECEIVE IN REVENUES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL WITH.
DO OUR PROJECTIONS HERE MIRROR THE PROJECTION FROM C P S ENERGY ON THIS? NO, THEY DON'T.
ARE ARE PROJECTIONS LOWER OR HIGHER THAN THEIRS? THEY'RE LOWER.
A AND LET ME, UM, ADDRESS THAT POINT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT CP S'S PROJECTIONS, WE'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES.
C P S ON FUEL FOR THEM IT'S A PASS THROUGH.
SO IF THEY PURCHASE FUEL AT $2, THEY'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND PASS THAT THROUGH AT $2 THE NEXT MONTH.
IF THEY PAY 10, THEY'RE GONNA PASS THROUGH 10.
BUT THERE'S A VERY DIFFERENT IMPACT TO US IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT GROSS REVENUE PAYMENT WOULD BE PER A $2 GAS PAYMENT VERSUS A $10 GAS PAYMENT.
SO THERE'S A VERY DIFFERENT FOCUS ON THAT.
AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T BE ASSUMING WE'RE GONNA GET $5 $8 GAS AND IT COME IN AT TWO.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN, UH, A POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO PUT THOSE INTO PLACE.
COULD SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE THOSE INTENDED TO BE? UH, YOU KNOW, FROM THREE 50 TO FIVE OR 75 CENTS TO A DOLLAR 25? I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT IN, IN MONEY IF WE WERE TO TAKE THE LOWEST OR THE HIGHEST OF EITHER OF THOSE? SO CURRENTLY, UM, IN TERMS OF AN INCREASE TO ON THE FEE, SO OUR CURRENT FEE FOR OUR LARGE CARD IS ABOUT $26 AND 76 CENTS FOR THE, FOR THE GARBAGE CART.
SO THAT COULD INCREASE BETWEEN $3 AND 50 CENTS UP TO $5 PER MONTH FOR A RESIDENT.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LARGE CART, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S FOR.
I THOUGHT IT SAID NO, IT'S FOR THE SOLID WASTE FEE.
WELL, BUT I MEAN, WHAT'S THAT? WE, WE DON'T KNOW.
YOU'RE JUST SAYING IT COULD BE FROM TWO AND FROM, AND TWO.
I'D SURE LIKE TO SEE WHAT NUMBERS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A $10 MILLION DEFICIT.
SO HOW MUCH WOULD THOSE BE IF WE RAISED IT TO
[01:15:01]
FIVE? I KNOW IT'S A PROJECTION AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT ARE WE THINKING ABOUT FOR DOLLARS? SO IT DIDN'T, SO A 25 CENT INCREASE IS ABOUT $1.1 MILLION FOR, UM, FOR THE SOLID WASTE FEE.SO COUNCILMAN, WE WE'RE, UM, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, AND, AND WE, THE REASON WHY WE GAVE YOU A RANGE IS BECAUSE WE WANNA WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT I THINK THAT, THAT ACTUALLY THE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED.
HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE AND NOT JUST ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, THE RANGE, UM, IF WE TARGET IT.
AND SO THE LARGE CARTS, UH, WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE A LARGER INCREASE THAN IF WE MAKE A INCREASE TO ALL THREE LEVELS, I THINK.
AND, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS SUMMER.
YOU GUYS TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT IN APRIL.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE, UM, TO MAKE UP ABOUT A $20 MILLION DEFICIT FROM AN OPERATING STANDPOINT WITH CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS.
WE REDUCED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR AND WE'RE STILL OVER ABOUT A MILLION.
AND SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE, UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO COME UP WITH MORE OF A FINANCIAL PLAN.
WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
AND I THOUGHT I HEARD, UM, THAT THE ESTIMATE IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT A 4% GROWTH EACH YEAR.
UM, AND IF THAT'S TRUE, I WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE JUST SAYING, WELL, IT'S GONNA BE 4%, 4%, WHAT ABOUT, UH, WHEN THE N C A A IS COMING IN HERE AND WE PREDICT THE CITY'S GONNA MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, WHY DON'T WE REFLECT IN THIS BUDGET THAT THE YEAR THE N C A A IS GONNA HAVE ITS TOURNAMENT HERE THAT WE MIGHT MAKE MORE THAN 4%? SURE.
AND THOSE, THOSE THAT INCREASES IS INCLUDED IN OUR ALAMO DOME, UH, REVENUE PROJECTIONS AS PART OF THAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
SO WE ARE INCREASING THE ALAMO DOME REVENUES AS A RESULT OF THE, WELL, AS OF THE RESULT OF THE 2020.
SO IT'LL BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HERE FOR A WEEK.
THAT'S A LOT OF HOTEL REVENUE AND WE'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR IT, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WE ACCOUNT FOR DOWN THE LINE.
WELL, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT MID, MID-YEAR, UH, ADJUSTMENTS TOO TO THE BUDGET.
AND SO I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
THE, IN THE MID-YEAR FORECAST, I SEE $36 MILLION ABOVE BUDGET SO FAR THAT WE'VE COLLECTED.
AND WE'RE PROJECTED EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, YOUR MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING TODAY, UH, ERIC IS REALLY JUST 1.6 MILLION FOR A C S AND CORE FOR THIS THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, YEAH, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER ISSUES WE OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT IN A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT WHEN WE'VE GOT THAT KIND OF FUNDING AVAILABLE.
PERSONALLY, I WANT TO SEE US FUND THE PHIL HARMONIC.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE HAVEN'T ACTED ON.
UH, AND I'VE TALKED TO BOTH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT IT.
UH, AND WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT.
UH, NOW USING WHATEVER PROCEDURE WE NEED TO DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT EXPEDITED.
I'VE GOT DRAINAGE ISSUES IN MY DISTRICT.
I'VE GOT A TWO YEAR OLD DRAINAGE ISSUE THAT I KEEP GETTING PUSHED BACK BECAUSE PEOPLE CHANGE IN DEPARTMENTS AND ONE PERSON INTERPRETS SOMETHING A DIFFERENT WAY.
YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
WE'VE HAD, UH, BOND PROJECTS THAT WE INITIATED, WE WERE PUTTING IN TREES THAT ARE NOW DEAD, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE REPLACING THOSE TREES IN THOSE AREAS.
I DON'T HEAR ANY ACTION ABOUT THE, I HAD SUGGESTED I'D LIKE TO SEE US TALK ABOUT IT CLEANING UP THE ROAD MARKINGS ON THE STREET.
WHY DON'T WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DESIGNATE A MILLION DOLLARS TO SET UP A TEAM AND GET OUT THERE AND CLEAN THOSE UP SO THAT WE DON'T IGNORE THEM, OR SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY TO PAINT THEM OVER IN, IN THREE MONTHS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS I'D LIKE TO SEE CONSIDERED AS A MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
I WAS JUST GONNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE, THE TRIAL BUDGET DID INCREASE TO TUNE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, $3.4 MILLION FOR DOING MORE, REDUCING THE FREQUENCY ON MARKINGS AND STRIPINGS CITYWIDE.
UM, AND THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AS WE CONTINUE THESE, THESE DISCUSSIONS, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP THREE ITEMS. I, I'D LIKE TO BE DISCUSSED AND, UM, STILL LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
I DIDN'T SEE IT, UM, HERE TODAY, BUT I MENTIONED AT OUR, UM, GOAL SETTING SESSION ABOUT, UH, TALKING ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY BREAST CANCER SCREENING.
I READ AN ARTICLE, UM, THAT THE, UM, THE US PREVENTATIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE IS REDUCING THE AGE FOR, UM,
[01:20:01]
MAMMOGRAMS TO 40.AND IT'S MAINLY BECAUSE, UM, OF THE, THE HIGH RATE AT WHICH, UH, WOMEN ARE, ARE CONTRACTING BREAST CANCER, MUCH YOUNGER ALSO.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT WE SCREEN EVERY OTHER YEAR UNTIL, UH, AGE 74.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SCREEN NOW EVERY YEAR.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE, UM, THAT INSURANCE WON'T COVER THAT, UH, EVERY YEAR.
IT'S GONNA BE NOW EVERY OTHER YEAR.
THERE IS A, UH, A TASK FORCE, OF COURSE, THAT THEY PUT ALL TOGETHER AND, UM, A WEBSITE I CAN GIVE TO ANYBODY.
BUT THEY ALSO CITE THAT BLACK WOMEN ARE 40% MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM BREAST CANCER, UM, BECAUSE OF JUST EQUITY ISSUES AND LACK, LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US TALKING MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW WE CAN WORK WITH, THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, I KNOW THERE'S BETTY AND COMPANY IN WINGS THAT, THAT PROVIDE EXAMINATION SCREENINGS THAT, UM, UH, NO OR A LOW COST.
SO I'D LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN, AS A CITY CAN HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT OR, OR FIGURE OUT WAYS TO HELP OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST BREAST CANCER, OVARIAN CANCER, UH, UTERINE CANCER.
ALL OF THEM CAN BE VERY FAST KILLERS.
AND SO I THINK WE, WE NEED TO DO OUR PART TO, TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT WAY AND NOT IGNORE WOMEN'S HEALTH.
UM, I ALSO TALKED ABOUT A PARK EQUITY INDEX, SO I'LL TELL YOU BE VERY QUICK ABOUT IT.
UM, IN MY, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, IN EDGEWOOD, THERE'S AQUA PARK, WHICH IS A VERY, UM, LOVELY AND FREQUENTED PARK.
AND THERE'S THE EDGEWOOD PONY LEAGUE.
THE SANTOS BROTHERS HAVE RUN IT FOR SOMETHING LIKE 25 YEARS, AND THEY HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THE, UM, IT'S PART OF THEIR LEASE.
THEY HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH LEVELING THE FIELDS AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE.
UH, EDGEWOOD, UM, THE EDGEWOOD PONY LEAGUE, I THINK IT'S $25 TO BE A PART OF IT, BUT NOT EVERY FAMILY CAN PAY.
SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE FINDING FUNDS.
I'VE HELPED THEM WITH PRIVATE FUNDING TO, TO FIX UP THE PARK, BUT THEY CAN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
AND WHAT THEY SAY TO ME A LOT OF TIMES IS, THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AT MCALLISTER PARK.
THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AT, YOU KNOW, A PARK ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HEAR A LOT, I KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT THEY'RE SEEING IT EVERY DAY, AND IT'S ULTIMATELY THEIR KIDS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE SUFFERING.
AND, UH, AND, AND DEALING WITH THESE PARKS.
I'VE BEEN OUT THERE WHERE THE LIGHTS JUST LIKE RANDOMLY TURN OFF WHILE THE KIDS ARE ON THE BALL FIELD.
SO I, I, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT INSPIRED ME TO TALK ABOUT THE PARK EQUITY INDEX.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME, SOME WAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SCORING OUR PARKS, MUCH LIKE WE DO STREETS.
UM, AND ON THAT SAME NOTE, ALSO A SIDEWALK GRADING SOLUTION.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO SAY THAT WE HAVE THE LOWEST SIDEWALK GAPS, UH, IN DISTRICT SIX, BUT WE HAVE, UH, OLD, OLD SIDEWALKS AND, AND AS, AS WE DO ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE, WHERE THOSE SIDEWALKS ARE, UM, ONES THAT ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO OUR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY, ONES THAT ARE FALLING APART FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF REASONS.
UM, THIS CAME TO ME AGAIN FROM A CONSTITUENT WHO IN AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR SIDEWALK WAS BUSTED UP.
THEY HAVE AN ELDERLY MEMBER, UH, OF THEIR, OF THEIR, UM, HOUSEHOLD WHO CAN'T, UM, ROLL THEIR WHEELCHAIR OVER IT, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF A TREE.
SO THE CITY, OF COURSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE, IT'S UP TO THE, THE HOMEOWNER TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SIDEWALK.
THIS HOMEOWNER CANNOT PAY FOR THAT SIDEWALK.
SO HOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A CITY TO HELP OUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, WITH, WITH ISSUES LIKE THAT? SO ALSO A, UM, A SIDEWALK GRADING SOLUTION.
AGAIN, MUCH LIKE WE DO WITH, WITH, UH, OUR ROADS.
UM, WELL, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T HAVE A LOT OF F STREETS, BUT WE HAVE THAT GRADING SYSTEM, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ALSO DONE FOR OUR, OUR, UM, OUR SIDEWALKS.
UM, I'M ALSO REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE FULL FUNDING OF THE A A C S STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE WORK AS I'VE D DIVED INTO THIS ISSUE AND TALKED TO A LOT OF RESCUE ORGANIZATION AND A LOT OF, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE.
I KNOW I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, WORK DONE ON TRANSPORTING OUR STRAY ANIMALS, UM, TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WE HAVE.
THEY ARE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MANDATORY SPAY AND NEUTER FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF REASONS, BUT THEY, THEY WANT TO RESCUE DOGS.
THEY WANNA ADOPT, UH, ANIMALS, NOT JUST DOGS.
AND, AND HERE WE HAVE, IT'S A BASIC KIND OF BUSINESS ISSUE TO ME, RIGHT? WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE, THEY HAVE A SCARCITY.
HOW DO WE GET OUR, UM, OUR, OUR ANIMALS TO THOSE COMMUNITIES? IT'S BY TRANSPORTING, WELL, THAT'S EXPENSIVE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN DO THAT, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE AS A CITY CAN HAVE MORE OF A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET OUR, UM, OUR STRAY ANIMALS, UM, TO, TO COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT, THAT HAVE THAT SCARCITY AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY SAVE THESE ANIMALS AND, AND HOPE AND, AND PUT 'EM INTO LOVING HOMES.
SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, I, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
I HAVE OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE BIG, THE TOP THREE FOR ME, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, PART OF THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE B SESSION, UH, WHEN SHANNON PRESENTED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO TRANSPORTING AND, AND, AND NOT RELYING UPON THE NON-PROFITS TO DO IT.
WE MAY HAVE TO SPEND OUR OWN MONEY.
THAT'S PART OF NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA ITEM.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.UH, JUSTINA AND TROY FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS.
I'M PLEASED TO SEE, UM, SUPPORTING THE SA CORE TEAM AGAIN.
UH, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, VISIT WITH THE DENVER STAR PROGRAM AND WAS JUST LIKE VERY SHOCKED AFTER I DID MY RIDE ALONG WITH THE SA CORE TEAM, THINKING LIKE, WOW, WE'RE DOING THIS IN SAN ANTONIO AND I'M OVER HERE TRAVELING TO DENVER TO LOOK AT THIS DIFFERENT MODEL.
UM, SO VERY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A SUPPORT TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL TEAMS. AND I'M HOPING MOVING FORWARD WE CAN LOOK AT GROWING CAPACITY THERE AS WELL.
UM, AS WELL AS, UM, EXCITED TO SEE THE MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT FOR ANIMAL CARE SURVEYS.
BUT CAN SOMEONE REMIND ME, UM, WITH THE MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT, HOW MANY, UM, SUPPORT STAFF FOR THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT AND THEN FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET, HOW MANY SUGGESTED STAFF THERE? SO A TOTAL OF HOW MANY FOR MID-YEAR? AND THEN FOR THE RECOMMENDATION FOR 2024 FOR THE MIDYEAR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ADJUSTMENT, THERE ARE ACTUALLY NO POSITIONS.
IT INCLUDES 30 POSITIONS TO BE ADDED.
AND I'M ASKING, 'CAUSE THE, THE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS RECENTLY PUT OUT THIS ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTING, UM, THE ZIP CODES WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS MM-HMM.
UM, AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS MENTIONED, RIGHT, THAT AS COUNCIL, WE CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE WE COULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
UH, AND THAT WOULD BE ONE PIECE THAT I THINK IS MUCH NEEDED.
THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR ASPECTS OF THE, OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, I, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, I, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO WAIT TILL OCTOBER 1ST,
UM, AND ONE CONCERN THAT I DO HAVE, AND IF SOMEONE COULD PROVIDE ME AN EXAMPLE ON, UM, WITH THE $150,000 GRANTS, WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION THAT INITIATED THAT, UM, TO WHERE, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME TO A SESSION? SO, COUNCILMAN, WE WERE PRESENTING A GRANT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OF, UM, I THINK TWO MILLIONS AGO.
AND IT WAS FOR A POLICE GRANT, AND IT WAS, UM, ABOUT $25,000.
AND A QUESTION, WHY DO WE HAVE TO BRING THOSE TO THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL? THE CITY MANAGER HAS THE AUTHORITY FOR, UH, PROCUREMENT UP TO $50,000 BEFORE COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO WE DID AN ANALYSIS OF THOSE GRANTS THAT ARE BELOW $150,000, AND IT RANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 50.
UM, SO THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION.
SO IT IS, UH, A, A PROCESS THAT WILL SAVE US SOME ADMINISTRATIVE TIME, UM, TO, TO BRING THOSE TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR AUTHORIZATION.
SO THAT IS THE, THE REASON WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING IT.
AND, AND I TAKE SOME CONCERN WITH THAT, AND THAT I FEEL THAT I BELIEVE RATHER THAT IT TAKES AWAY AND CHIPS AWAY AT THE AGENCY AS OUR ROLE WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I, I DON'T SEE THE HARM IN LEAVING IT ON A SESSION AND PULLING TO ASK QUESTIONS IF NEEDED, UM, BECAUSE OUR, OUR CONSTITUENCY DESERVES THAT.
UM, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE, THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT, UH, I, I, I THINK IT REMOVES THE, THE AGENCY AS US AS ELECTED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT GRANTS THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR AS A CITY COMPLETELY UP TO Y'ALL.
BUT THE REQUEST FOR GRANTS THAT STILL HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL MM-HMM.
I, I ALL REQUESTS AND APPLICATIONS AND COMMITMENTS THAT ALL HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THIS IS JUST THE ACCEPTANCE ON THE, ON THE BACKEND WHEN RECEIVED, ACCEPTING IT'S FOR ACCEPTING, NOT APPLYING.
IT'S JUST THE ACCEPTING, THE APPLYING, APPLYING STILL HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
I I, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, ENSURING THAT WE IDENTIFY AND FAST TRACK THE SUPPORT FOR TRACK, THE SUPPORT FOR THE PHIL HARMONIC SYMPHONY.
UM, THEY RECENTLY HAD A CONCERT AT THE GUADALUPE PLAZA, AND IT WAS A, A AMAZING, AND IT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH WAS GREAT.
BUT, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST FOR THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT IS, UM, SUPPORT FOR, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, ASSISTANCE FUND.
UM, IT'S VERY, A VERY SMALL FUND, BUT IT, UM, PROVIDES SO MUCH SUPPORT TO SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WHO ARE, ARE STRUGGLING A BIT FINANCIALLY TO KEEP THEIR HOME UP TO CODE.
UH, AND I KNOW OUR CODE OFFICERS ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, ONCE THOSE FUNDS RUN OUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT MUCH THEY CAN DO TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT.
UM, AND THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION I'D LIKE TO SEE WITH THE MIDYEAR IS, UH, TO PORT, TO SUPPORT RATHER CODE WITH, UM, AN INCREASE TO THEIR, UH, COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE FUND.
THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
[01:30:01]
PUT ME AFTER COUNCILMAN PERRY.THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GO FIRST.
UM, OKAY, SO THIS IS THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT HERE.
UH, AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE MENTIONED IT, BUT HOW MUCH ARE YOU PROJECTING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THIS YEAR? IS THAT ON A SLIDE SOMEWHERE FOR SOLID WASTE? FOR THE ENTIRE BUDGET GENERAL? SO WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT 4% AHEAD OF THE BUDGET, UH, FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
4% IS WHAT, WHICH IS ABOUT 60 $60 MILLION.
SO WE'RE, WE WILL BE AHEAD OF BUDGET, CORRECT.
UM, UM, SO OUT OF THAT, YOU'RE SHOWING, HOW MUCH ARE WE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE SET ASIDE FOR, UH, SO FAR OUTTA THAT 60 MILLION? WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE HOW MUCH? SO 60 MILLION WOULD WE ARE PROJECTED TO BE ADDITIONAL ENDING BALANCE THAT WOULD FLOW THROUGH INTO FISCAL YEAR 2024 TO HELP BALANCE THE, UM, 2024 BUDGET BUDGET.
BUT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING HOW MUCH MONEY TO BE MOVED INTO OTHER PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW FOR THIS YEAR? OH, I'M SORRY.
SO LESS THAN A MILLION MILLION, AND WE'RE PROJECTING 60 MILLION ABOVE THE BUDGET.
UM, WELL, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, UH, UH, CONCERNED ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME REQUIREMENTS THAT WE KNOW OF RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF 'EM THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS A NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS HERE IN TOWN WHERE WE'RE, UH, I THINK IT'S 360 POLICE AUTHORIZATIONS SHORT FOR SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE HAD A SLIDE UP THERE THAT SAID, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT OVER FIVE YEARS.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE WAITING FIVE YEARS TO FILL THOSE AUTHORIZATIONS, UH, WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AT, FOR THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE NEED TO STEP FORWARD THIS YEAR AND TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY AND FUND SOME OF THOSE, UH, AUTHORIZATIONS.
NOW, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING ADDITIONAL PATROL OFFICERS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING IN MY DISTRICT.
THEY WANNA SEE, THEY WANNA SEE ADDITIONAL PATROLS NOW.
SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE FORWARD, UH, TO THIS YEAR WITH SOME OF THAT MONEY THAT, UH, IS, UH, SITTING OUT THERE.
UM, THE, WE'RE SHOWING ONE ADDITIONAL E M S UNIT, WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO OUR RESPONSE TIME FOR ONE UNIT? IS THAT GONNA BRING IT DOWN? HOW, HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA BRING IT DOWN TO, HEY, CHIEF COUNSEL, HOW YOU DOING? SO THE ADDITION OF ADDING ONE E M S UNIT IN THE COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE DOING WITH CORE M I H AND GOOD SAM IS GONNA CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WE TRANSPORT.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ONLY TRANSPORTING ABOUT 30% OF THE PEOPLE THAT CALL US.
SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME STRATEGIES TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE DISPATCH RUNS THAT WE DO TO ADD WITH THIS UNIT, AND AGAIN, TO THOSE TWO 12 HOUR SLOTS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF UNITS.
AS WE MENTIONED, WE JUST DID SOME INFORMATION WHERE WE'RE ONLY TRANSPORTING ABOUT 30% OF THE TIME WHEN OUR UNITS ARE DISPATCHED.
SO THIS SHOULD IMPROVE THE RESPONSE AVAILABILITY FOR THE SYSTEM.
AND, AND WHENEVER THIS COMES UP, AGAIN, WHEN WE GET INTO THE DETAILS, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT IS THE PROJECTION OF LOWERING THAT OVERALL RESPONSE TIME FOR TRANSPORT.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, IS IT THAT THAT NUMBER IS STILL REALLY, REALLY HIGH FOR THE TRANSPORT PORTION OF E M S? AND WHAT WILL THIS ADDITIONAL UNIT BRING IT DOWN TO, OR SHOULD WE ADD TWO THIS NEXT YEAR VERSUS THE ONE? SO, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE ONE THAT WE'RE ADDING MM-HMM.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
WELL, YEAH, IF, IF WE CAN SHOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA BRING THAT NUMBER DOWN TO WITH THIS ADDITIONAL UNIT, AND MAYBE THAT'S, IT'S NOT BRINGING IT DOWN ENOUGH AND WE NEED TO DISCUSS MAYBE TWO THIS NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONE.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THE MAYOR SAY, UH, ABOUT THE HOME STATE EXEMPTION.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, STARTED IT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE WENT UP TO 10% AND WE'RE STILL GETTING ADDITIONAL, UM, REVENUES FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND, AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, WE SAW, UH, WHAT WAS IT, 13% GOING UP THIS NEXT YEAR, UH, FOR RESIDENTIAL, TROY, WHAT IS THAT IN DOLLARS? DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE A,
[01:35:01]
A GLOBAL ESTIMATE FOR THE 13% INCREASE? WHAT IS THAT IN DOLLARS THAT OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP AS FAR AS THE FORECAST IS CONCERNED IN THAT 13% AND WHAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO THE TRIAL BUDGET? YEAH.SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, 11.8.
SO 12%, UH, 13%, 11% FOR RESIDENTIAL.
IN TERMS OF THE FORECAST THAT EQUATES TO, IN THE COURSE IN THE FORECAST, WE ALSO HAD THE UNUSED INCREMENT BUILT IN.
SO AN ADDITIONAL 10% GOING UP TO 20%, THAT MEANS MAXING OUT OUR CITY'S PORTION.
HOW MUCH MONEY IS THAT PROJECTED? SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN? IF, IF WE WENT UP TO 20% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THE CITY'S PORTION, HOW, WHAT'S THE AMOUNT FOR THAT? REMEMBER WHEN YOU, UM, BASED ON SB TWO, WHEN YOU HAVE A CAP IN PLACE THAT THE TAX RATE SOLVES TO PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE IN, IN THE PRIOR YEAR, SO AS YOU INCREASE YOUR EXEMPTIONS, THE TAX RATE'S GOING TO INCREASE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE SLIDE.
UM, BUT THE REVENUE STAYS CONSTANT OR DOESN'T MATERIAL CHANGE FROM, UM, FROM SCENARIO TO SCENARIO.
OKAY, MAYBE I'M NOT MAKING MYSELF CLEAR, BUT I GUESS THAT'LL COME OUT IN THE NEXT ITERATION WHERE IT, IT WOULD REALLY BE GREAT TO NOT JUST DEAL IN PERCENTAGES, BUT SHOW HOW MUCH MONEY I, THE POINT I'M MAKING IS WE'RE GETTING A HUGE BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES COMING INTO THE CITY.
THE PORTION, IF WE WENT UP TO 20% IS, IS NOT THAT BIG.
SO I'M SAYING I'M, AGAIN, PROPOSING, LET'S TAKE IT UP TO THE MAX, JUST LIKE THE COUNTY DID THIS LAST YEAR AND TAKE IT UP TO THE MAX HERE FOR THE CITY, ALSO COMBINED WITH WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING, COMBINED WITH WHAT THE STATE IS DOING, WHERE IT MAKES IT A MEANINGFUL TAX RELIEF PACKAGE FOR OUR HOMEOWNERS HERE.
SO I'M, I'M JUST SAYING THAT AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, UH, WHAT, WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE, AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, FOR MENTIONING THAT, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT.
UM, INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, I KNOW WE PASSED A BIG BOND AND WE HAD A SLIDE THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH WE'RE, WE'RE ALLOCATING FOR PARTICULARLY STREETS, BUT TOTAL OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, $152 MILLION.
BUT IS THAT GONNA MAKE A DENT IN OUR F STREETS? THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS AND HAS BEEN LAST SEVERAL YEARS, IS WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT PUTTING ENOUGH INTO F STREETS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE F STREETS HERE IN TOWN.
UM, CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME OUT THERE? HOW, HOW MUCH ARE WE WITH THIS PROJECTION ALONG WITH A BOND, HOW MUCH ARE WE GONNA HAVE AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING INTO OUR, UM, STREET CAMPUS STREETMAN? THAT'S SOME OF THE DETAILED WORK WE'LL DO THIS SUMMER.
YEAH, I, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE KEEP, 'CAUSE YEAR AFTER YEAR OUR D STREETS ARE TURNING INTO F STREETS AND IF WE DON'T PUT MORE INTO F STREETS, WE WILL NEVER, NEVER CLEAR THOSE OUT OF THE, OUR SYSTEM.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING.
AGAIN, THEY'RE TAX DOLLARS GOING TO WORK FOR THEM ON PROVIDING THEM ADEQUATE SURFACES TO, TO GET AROUND TOWN AND AWAY FROM THEIR HOME AREAS.
UM, THERE'S, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT A C S AND I, I KNOW I WAS VERY CRITICAL ABOUT THAT LAST TIME WHEN A C S WAS BRIEFED ABOUT THEM GETTING AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION A YEAR.
UH, BUT THE METRICS DIDN'T CHANGE.
IN FACT, THE METRICS WENT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, UH, WITH THAT INCREASED FUNDING.
SO I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, THE RESULTS OF THAT BEFORE WE START PLUSING UP THEIR BUDGET THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, UM, TO SEE WHERE, WHERE THAT, ARE WE GETTING OUR BANG FOR THE BUCK OUT OF A C S? SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A REQUEST TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT EXTRA MONEY AND MANPOWER OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.
THE INCREASES THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING INTO, BUT THE METRICS HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T IMPROVED.
UM, UH, AIRPORT, THE AIRPORT PROJECTIONS FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, AND NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH A BIG INCREASE OF, UH, PEOPLE FLOWING OUTTA THE AIRPORT AREA.
THERE ARE THESE PROJECTIONS WITH THE MIGRANT NUMBERS OR OUTSIDE OF THE MIGRANT NUMBERS.
WELL, THO THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON REVENUE OF ALL
[01:40:01]
PASSENGERS THAT GO THROUGH THE FACILITY.BUT I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE, WE HAVE A BIG INCREASE OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE BORDER SITUATION.
IS THAT, IS THAT REFLECTED IN THESE NUMBERS? THE, THE IN PLAINED ESTIMATES FOR THE, FROM THE AIRPORT DO INCLUDE EVERYBODY THAT'S USING THE AIRPORT, INCLUDING THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
UH, WHEN WE TALK, I THINK THE COUNCIL STILL NEEDS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE VARIANCE.
AND WHILE C P S VARIANCE IS 4.8% CURRENTLY, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION OF WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT GETS ANY LARGER, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE A REFUND AGAIN.
SO WE NEED TO DECIDE ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH DOLLARS WHEN WE HAVE AN EXCESS, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A 4%, UM, OVER BUDGET, THERE ARE PILOT PROGRAMS WE COULD DO.
THERE ARE LONG-TERM STREET PROJECTS THAT WE COULD WORK ON.
AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US AS A COUNCIL PRIORITIZE THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ALLEYS AND THE SERVICE, AND THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PILOT PROGRAM, THE 2.2 MILLION IS, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT A PROGRAM THAT ASSESSES SERVICE ALLEYS, WHICH ONE SOLID WASTE IS USING OUR NON-SERVICE, OUR UTILITY EASEMENT ALLEYS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE NON-SERVICE ALLEYS, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPLAINTS, UH, WE GET IN OUR OFFICE, UH, REGARDING WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS.
AND I HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE JUST SETTING UP SHOP IN SOME OF THE ALLEYS AND USING THEM AS PARKING GARAGE, UM, PARKING SPACES IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
I ALSO AGREE THAT OFFICERS NEED TO BE A PRIORITY IN TERMS OF THE TIME.
I APPRECIATE EV ALL THIS IN DEPTH, UM, INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED AND IT JUST KIND OF BRINGS MORE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF RESPONSE TIMES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR SPECIALIZED UNITS ARE FULLY STAFFED AND WHEN THERE'S A MOVE IN OUR SPECIALIZED UNITS, ESPECIALLY SAFE WHEN WE LOSE OFFICERS THAT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY IS INFORMED ABOUT THAT SITUATION.
AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S FLEET, UM, WE NEED TO DISCUSS THE INOP.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A CAUTION THERE IN THE 24 7 THAT YOU PRESENTED, BUT I KNOW SENIOR VANS, WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THOSE, UH, SPEED TRAILERS, UH, OUR SOUTH SUB STATIONS SPEED TRAILER IN THE SHOP.
AND THEN I KNOW WE HAD A MOBILE SHOWER AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT WALKING AROUND.
SO IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE IN TERMS OF WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE DONE, DO WE, IS IT TIME TO GET A NEW VEHICLE? ESPECIALLY FOR THE SENIORS IN TRANSPORTATION WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO AND FROM THEIR HOMES.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF A, A PRIORITY.
AND THEN JUST THE DISAPPOINTMENT IN THAT SOLID WASTE IS GONNA HAVE TO WAIT ON THEIR VEHICLES.
I THINK ONE THING THAT THE RESIDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND WITH THOSE TRUCKS AND WHEN THEY GO OUT THERE IS MANEUVERING AND ALL THE TRAFFIC WITHIN THE STREET, UH, OF, OF, OF PARKED CARS AND CARS THAT CAN'T BE MOVED BECAUSE THEY, THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
AND IT, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOLID WASTE.
GIVE US THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH LONGER IT MAKES THE TRIP AND HOW MUCH MORE DIFFICULT IT MAKES THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED TO, UH, LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE FEE TO MAKE SURE SOLID WASTE CAN GET THE, THE JOB DONE BECAUSE THIS, THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
BUT I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR THAT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD PENALIZE THOSE USING THE SMALLER TRASH CANS, BUT WE NEED TO START ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO RIGHT-SIZE THEIR TRASH CAN AND ALSO USE THE, UM, THE RECYCLE AND, UH, THE ORGANICS.
UM, THE OTHER I'LL, I'LL SAVE THAT ONE FOR LIKE CODE COMPLIANCE, OF COURSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'D LIKE MORE WEEKEND CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS IS WHAT'S THE ASK IS.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC WORK INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE HEARD SOME OF THIS FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, I UNDERSTAND THE SIDEWALK GAPS AND I UNDERSTAND THE F STREETS, BUT IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN LOOK AT THE UN WALKABLE SIDEWALKS OR THE NON A D A COMPLIANT SIDEWALKS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A GRADING SYSTEM FOR THAT AND INCORPORATE THAT WITH OUR F STREETS BECAUSE, UM, IN, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, IN DISTRICT THREE, WE HAVE POLES AND SIDEWALKS, WE HAVE SIDEWALKS JETTING UP BECAUSE OF TREES AND THEN WE HAVE A TREE ORDINANCE THAT THEY CAN'T CUT DOWN THE TREES.
[01:45:01]
JUST BECOMES A CYCLE OF EXPENSE FOR MY RESIDENTS.SO IF WE COULD LOOK AT THAT, UM, WHEN WE GET INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE STREETS.
AND THEN THE OTHER IS, UM, SOME OF THESE, I LOVE THE SURVEY, THE 24 7, UH, BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE ONES WITH THE, UM, NOT MEETING THE TARGET.
AND THAT IS, UH, A C S AND I AND I AM, I AM TRYING TO DO ALL I CAN TO HELP ALONG WITH THAT PROCESS.
I'M STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
WHAT IS THAT GOING TO HELP? IS THAT GOING TO HELP JUST THE DANGEROUS DOGS? IS THAT GOING TO HELP, UH, THE OWNERS THAT REFUSE TO, TO GET THEIR DOGS SPAYED AND NEUTERED? UM, IS THAT GOING TO HELP THE, THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE THE FENCES? I, I AM STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT HOW AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO PAY THESE APPRENTICES BECAUSE I DON'T, WHAT I WANT, I DON'T WANT THEM DOING IS DOING OFFICER A C S OFFICER WORK AND GETTING PAID A LOWER SALARY.
SO THE, THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM, AS WE SET IT UP, ONE OF THE KEY HURDLES THAT WE FOUND WHENEVER WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE UP THE BALANCE OF OFFICERS IS THAT, UH, THE ONE YEAR OF, OF CERTIFIED ANIMAL HANDLING EXPERIENCE WAS A TREMENDOUS HURDLE TO FOLKS WANTING TO GET INTO THE ANIMAL CARE OFFICER FIELD.
UH, THIS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM DOES ALLOW US TO BRING IN FOLKS WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, GET THEM THEM ON, GET THEM THE, ON THE JOB TRAINING, LEFT SEAT, RIGHT SEAT WITH AN EXPERIENCED OFFICERS.
AND, UH, IT IS, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING A C O TYPE WORK, BUT THEY'RE JUST A, A SMALL MARGIN BELOW, UH, THE ACTUAL A C O PAY.
UH, WE'RE USING THIS AS A TRAINING TRACK.
IT ALLOWS US TO GET THE OFFICERS IN OR THE APPRENTICES IN, GET THEM TRAINED UP THROUGH THE THREE MONTH PROCESS, DO THEIR F F T A RIDE-ALONGS OR F T O RIDE-ALONGS RATHER, AND THEN READILY PUSH THEM OUT INTO THE FIELD, FULLY QUALIFIED, READY TO ROLL AS THEY MOVE INTO THE FIELD.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IS, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE HIRING OR STARTING TO DO INTERVIEWING FOR THOSE, UH, THAT WE HAVE THEM TRAINED UP BY THE OCTOBER TIMEFRAME.
AT THAT POINT, THEY'LL BECOME PATROL OFFICERS AND EXPERIENCED PATROL OFFICERS WILL THEN BECOME DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATORS, UH, AND BYS INVESTIGATORS.
UH, THANK YOU BECAUSE I, WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE A READY TO WORK PROGRAM.
CAN WE MAKE IT PART OF OUR READY, READY TO WORK PROGRAM? UM, NO, BUT, UH, THANK YOU.
'CAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
I, MY BELIEF IS, IS SPAYING SPAY AND NEUTER IS THE KEY AND MAKING PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS AND LETTING THEM KNOW COMPLETELY HOW MUCH, UH, HAVING A DOG IS, UH, AND THE COST.
AND, UM, AND THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A PET, THERE'S A TIME WHERE YOU HAVE TO LET GO AND, UM, AND SAY GOODBYE TO THAT PET.
AND THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING TOO.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN OUR, IN OUR EDUCATION FOR PET OWNERS THAT WE DO TALK ABOUT THE LIFE OF A PET AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PET COMES TO THE END OF THEIR LIFE.
HOW, HOW DO WE, WE TREAT THAT PET WITH LOVE AND DIGNITY.
SO I THINK, I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO GET DONE WHERE THAT'S CONCERNED.
AND I DO THINK VETS ARE KEY AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PRIORITY, UM, WHAT, UH, THE BROOKS SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC AND THAT FACILITY AND THE USE OF THAT FACILITY AS A SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC, AND IF NOT, WHERE WE CAN PUT DOGS SO WE CAN IMPACT THAT, THAT, UM, THAT LIVE RELEASE RATE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT GOOD.
UH, IT'S JUST NOT GOOD WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, TO, TO SOME OF THESE PUPPIES AND ANIMALS.
UM, OTHER THAN I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE IN A DEEPER DIVE ON SOME OF THESE, UM, RED NOT MEETING THEIR TARGET, UH, THINGS LIKE CAFE COLLEGE, UM, AND, AND OTHER, OTHER SERVICES LIKE THAT, IF WE COULD GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL TO HELP, OR IF THIS IS JUST A PROGRAM THAT, OR IF THESE NOT MEETING THEIR TARGET IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS, UH, NEEDS TO SHIFT AND CHANGE.
I WANTED BEN TO KIND OF RECAP AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT A POLICY ON, ON, UH, IF WE EVER FIND OURSELVES IN THAT POSITION AS LAST SUMMER, WHAT DOES IT WILL DO TO ADDRESS THE COUNCILMAN GROS COMMENTS? SO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ON THE, ON THE C P S FRONT, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS A FINANCIAL POLICY THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING TODAY, UH, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH YOU ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
THAT IF THE VARIANCE ON C P S REVENUES EXCEED 10%, THAT AMOUNT
[01:50:01]
ABOVE 10% WOULD BE, UH, SOMETHING WE WOULD THEN BRING TO YOU ALL.AND YOU'D HAVE A CONVERSATION ON WHAT TO DO WITH THAT, WHAT PRIORITIES YOU WANNA DO INSIDE OF 10%, IT GOES INTO THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
BECOMES PART OF THAT BALANCE THAT, THAT JUSTINA TALKED ABOUT AND GOES TOWARDS FUNDING THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
UH, WITH IN GOAL SETTING, RIGHT NOW WE ARE UP 4.8% THROUGH MARCH.
UM, THAT WAS ABOUT $18.6 MILLION.
UH, WE DIDN'T INCREASE THE BUDGET.
UH, OUR, OUR PROJECTIONS FROM UM, APRIL TO SEPTEMBER, I WILL TELL YOU FOR APRIL, WE'RE, WE'RE, I'VE GOT THE PRELIMINARY NUMBER, WE'RE DOWN A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, AGAINST THE BUDGET.
AND THEN I'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LOAD IN FOR MAY.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE DOWN AGAIN, PROBABLY ANOTHER MILLION OR TWO.
SO BASED ON WHAT I HAVE TODAY, WE'RE ACTUALLY RUNNING UNDER WHAT IS IN THE FORECAST AND WHAT IS IN THE TRIAL BUDGET.
UM, THE FUEL PRICES WILL CERTAINLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT.
GOING INTO LAST SUMMER, THEY WERE TRENDING UP THIS TIME THEY WERE PROBABLY AROUND FOUR OR $5 PER M M B T U ON NATURAL GAS.
IT GOT US HIGH IS ON THE SPOT MARKET, PROBABLY EIGHT $10 IN THE SUMMER.
UH, SINCE ABOUT DECEMBER, JANUARY TIMEFRAME, ROUGHLY, IT HAS BEEN DECLINING AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $2, MAYBE $2 AND 10, $2 AND 15 CENTS PER M M B T U.
AND SO IT HAS FALLEN RESERVE LEVELS FOR NATURAL GAS ARE VERY HIGH.
UM, THEY LOOK AT KIND OF A STORAGE LEVELS IN TERMS OF A FIVE YEAR AVERAGE.
WE'RE ON THE UPPER END OF THAT, SO THERE ISN'T A LOT OF PRESSURE THERE.
FROM A DEMAND PERSPECTIVE, THE ENERGY INFORMATION AGENCY'S FORECAST HAS US IN ABOUT A $3 RANGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA TURN RAPIDLY AND WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT KIND OF THING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TREND IS GOING DOWN INTO THE SUMMER, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, IF SOMETHING SHIFTS IN JUNE AND JULY AND WE'RE OVER THAT 10%, THAT'LL BE THE FIRST, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSION ABOUT WHAT TO DO, UM, FOR THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIND, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
UM, I, I ALSO, UH, WANT TO ECHO THE, THE MAYOR'S REQUEST FOR INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
UM, I'M LOOKING FOR MORE TAX RELIEF AND I'M HEARING A LOT FROM MY CONSTITUENTS.
UM, AND DO, DO WE LOSE JEFF COYLE? OH, JEFF, JEFF, I JUST WANTED TO ASK REAL QUICK IF, UH, YEAH, NO, WE LOST HIM.
SO THE QUESTION I HAD IS, UM, AND WE, WE CAN ANSWER, IT CAN BE ANSWERED ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'M REALLY CURIOUS AS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY LIMITED IN OUR TOOLS, UM, THAT WE HAVE FOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO APPLY TAX BREAKS.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY MOMENTUM AMONG ANY OF, OF THE, THE, UM, ADDITIONAL TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN STATE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE AND, UM, ON TAX RELIEF, YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE REALLY HAVE IS THAT FOR A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS, THE THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT THEY'RE PAYING FROM THE CITY ONLY REPRESENT ABOUT 22% OF THE TAXES THAT, THAT THEY PAY OF THEIR TOTAL BILL.
AND SO EVEN IF WE DOUBLE OUR, OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 10% TO 20%, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TAKING 10% OFF THAT BILL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING OFF 10% OF 22% OF THEIR TOTAL BILL, WHICH IS 2.2%.
AND SO ARE THEY SEEING MEANINGFUL, UM, CHANGE AT THE END IS, IS THAT IMPACTFUL? AND I THINK REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE CITY STAFF COME WITH SOME KIND OF PROPOSAL FOR HOW DO WE DO A BETTER JOB OF PROTECTING LEGACY HOMEOWNERS FROM BEING TAXED OUTTA THEIR HOMES.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY CAN LEAD ON AND THAT WE CAN GO TO THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES AND BE ABLE TO TAKE SOMETHING TO THEM AS WELL.
UM, SO THEN I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, SOMETHING I'VE HEARD, UM, THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY CAME UP WITH THE, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM JUST TO JUST MAYBE A MONTH OR SO AGO.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM THAT I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT MY FIRST TWO YEARS HERE IN OFFICE.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, SCALE THAT PROGRAM RAPIDLY.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR STAFF TO COMPLETE, TO OVERSEE IT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GROW THAT PROGRAM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GONNA, UM, I THINK IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME, SOME BIG WINS WHEN IT COMES TO NUISANCE PROPERTIES AND CRIME HOUSES.
AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA HELP SAVE US ON THE, ON THE BACKEND.
SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY GOOD, UH, INVESTMENT IN, IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SA CORE TEAM GROW, GROW IN, IN SIZE.
UM, I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO THE OFFICE, WE ONLY HAD ONE SIDEWALK REPAIR CREW FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, AND WE DOUBLED THAT LAST YEAR.
SO WE NOW HAVE TWO, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH FOR A CITY OF OUR SIZE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE US, EXCUSE ME, I'D LIKE TO SEE US DOUBLE THAT AGAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GRO WAS TALKING ABOUT THESE, THESE HUGE UH, DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ARE IN OUR SIDEWALKS WHERE THERE'S, UM, SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE BUCKLED.
AND, UM, I CAN SAY JUST IN THE LAST
[01:55:01]
TWO MONTHS, I, I'VE TALKED TO, UM, UH, WELL, I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE TOLD ME A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN WHO, WHO TRIPPED OVER HER SIDEWALK BECAUSE IT WAS BUCKLED AND SHE HAD INTERNAL BRAIN BLEEDING AS A RESULT OF THAT.I CAN ALSO SAY THAT I TALKED TO A, A GENTLEMAN IN, UM, IN NORTHMORE WHO SAID THAT, UH, HIS 82 YEAR OLD WIFE TRIPPED AND FELL OVER HER BUCKLED SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE AND KNOCKED HER FRONT TEETH OUT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, I'VE SEEN WAY TOO MANY OF THESE ALL ACROSS MY DISTRICT, AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE, UM, MORE SIDEWALK REPAIR CREWS OUT THERE.
ANOTHER THING AS I'VE BEEN GETTING OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS RECENTLY I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT, UM, CONSISTENTLY IS PEOPLE SPEEDING THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, USING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AS CUT THROUGHS.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR SPEED HUMPS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT SPEED HUMPS DON'T SLOW EVERYBODY DOWN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE SPEED HUMPS ON THE SIDE STREET NEXT TO MY HOUSE, AND WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE REGULARLY DRIVE 40, 50 MILES AN HOUR OVER THERE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY GONNA TAKE SOME KIND OF ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
AND WHAT I LEARNED IN TALKING TO MY SAFE OFFICERS IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN RADAR GUNS.
AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, THAT I THINK THERE'S ONLY MAYBE ONE RADAR GUN PER SUBSTATION THAT THEY SHARE.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT THE WAY SOMEONE CHECKS OUT A LIBRARY BOOK.
SOMETIMES YOU GO TO CHECK OUT A LIBRARY BOOK AND YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA WAIT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE YOU CAN GET IT BACK.
SO, AND I'M SEEING THAT THAT MAY NOT SOME NODDING AS THOUGH THAT MAY NOT BE TRUE.
BUT THIS IS
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH RADAR GUNS FOR OUR SAFE OFFICERS SO THAT THEY CAN RESPOND WHEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE HAVE TOO MUCH SPEEDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT WE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB.
UM, SO STREET LIGHTING, I WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE STREET LIGHTING, UH, GAP ANALYSIS, AND I WANT TO, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE ON GETTING THAT FILLED.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE PROJECTIONS ARE FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE US TO COMPLETELY FILL THOSE GAPS.
UM, AND THEN SEE THAT THAT'S GONNA HELP INFORM US ON HOW MUCH, UH, FUNDS WE'RE WE NEED TO BE ASKING FOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE TIMELINE FOR FILLING THOSE GAPS IS GONNA MEET OUR EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO WE KNOW, UM, HOW MUCH FUNDS FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR IN THAT NEXT BUDGET.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PHIL HARMONIC FUNDED.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME FUND, SOME FUNDING FOR THEM THERE.
AND THEN ON ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, ERIC, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE SUPPLY AND DEMAND CHALLENGES FOR, UM, THE AMOUNT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PETS WE PICK UP AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES VERSUS PEOPLE THAT ARE READY TO ADOPT IN TEXAS.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE THAT ARE LOOKING TO ADOPT, AND WE JUST, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT.
BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THOSE, THE, THE TYPE OF TRUCKS OUTFITTED FOR TRANSPORT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A A YEAR BACKLOG.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I, I WANT US TO HAVE FUNDING JUST TO GO BUY SOME CARGO VANS OFF THE LOT AND JUST PUT SOME KENNELS IN THERE AND BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT LIKE THAT SO WE CAN START, START THAT RATHER THAN WAITING FOR ANOTHER YEAR FOR ANY KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR TRANSPORT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, THROW IN MY SUPPORT FOR, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S REQUEST FOR CODE COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER BELA IS, THANK YOU, ERIC.
I, UH, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK ON THIS AND, UH, TO YOUR TEAM.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS PUT IN LATE NIGHTS TO PREPARE THIS REPORT FOR US, AND, UM, THE, THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY THOROUGH.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONE THING I WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND, AND OFFLINE, I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS, UH, SOLID WASTE FUND, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THE PLAN IS TO RAISE THE FEES, UH, AND BRING BALANCE, BRING STRUCTURAL BALANCE BACK, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESSING SARAH, SEEING WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND, UM, EFFICIENCIES, RIGHT? AND REDUCE COSTS.
HOWEVER, UM, I, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, HOW, HOW THIS STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, CAME ABOUT.
AND THEN, UH, BECAUSE IF WE HAVEN'T RAISED FEES SINCE 2019, MY FEAR IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, I'M GONNA SEE ANOTHER SLIDE THAT SAYS STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AGAIN, RIGHT? AND SO HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? UM, AND I, I, AND AGAIN, JUST SOMETHING FOR US TO HAVE A DISCUSSION LATER, UH, TWO, UH, WITH REGARDS TO YOUR ERIC'S, UM, AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT GRANTS, NOT AUTHORITY, TO GO OUT AND SEEK GRANTS, WRITE GRANTS AND APPLY FOR THEM, BUT AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT GRANTS.
I MEAN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE'RE REALLY, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS YOU GETTING THE CALL AND SAYING, HEY, UM, THE CHECK IS, YOU KNOW, HAS ARRIVED.
WE NEED TO DEPOSIT THE CHECK, RIGHT? OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU GUYS BE WILLING TO TAKE THIS MONEY FROM US IN THE FORM OF, OF GRANTS? AND I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW,
[02:00:01]
A $5,000 GRANT, UH, A $10,000 GRANT RIGHT NOW, EVEN IF IT WAS JUST A DOLLAR, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL JUST TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THAT DOLLAR.UM, AND CONSIDERING WE'VE GOT AN AIRPORT PROJECT COMING UP, UM, WHERE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE VERY, VERY QUICKLY ON PULLING DOWN SOME OF THIS FEDERAL MONEY, CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GRANT APPLICATIONS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENT FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
UM, THE, UM, AS FAR AS JUST GIVING YOU THE AUTHORITY TO GO DEPOSIT THE CHECKS THAT COME IN WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE A COUNCIL VOTE AND HAVE A LONG, YOU KNOW, HAVE A B SESSION, THEN HAVE AN A SESSION AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, THE THIRD THING IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS MENTION ABOUT THE REFUND FROM C P S LAST YEAR, AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN, SHOULD WE, OR SHOULD WE NOT REPEAT, UH, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR? I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T JUST TOO LONG AGO, IT WAS JUST WEEKS AGO, I THINK THAT, UH, WE WENT UP TO AUSTIN TO GO TESTIFY AGAINST SSB 11, 10, SENATOR, I'M GONNA MISPRONOUNCE HIS NAME.
SCHROER'S, UH, BILL, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT BILL BASICALLY PROPOSED A CATACLYSMIC GUT PUNCH, UH, TO OUR ABILITY TO FUND THIS CITY.
AND SO THE ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND POSSIBLY STOPPING THIS BILL IN ITS TRACKS IS WHEN MR. GOEL GOT UP THERE AND TOLD THE SPONSORING SENATOR, THE AUTHOR, HEY, WE GAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BACK TO PEOPLE WHEN WE MAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MADE A, YOU KNOW, A PROFIT, RIGHT? AN UNANTICIPATED PROFIT.
HE STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS AND SAID, HUH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
AND SINCE THAT DAY AND SINCE THAT MOMENT, THAT BILL, WE HAVEN'T HEARD A PEEP FROM THEM.
AND THERE IS SOME HOPE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WORKED, RIGHT.
AND SO, KNOCKING ON LAMINATED WOOD HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT REFUND MAY HAVE SAVED OUR ABILITY TO RUN THE CITY AND NOT FUND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE TO GO SEEK, YOU KNOW, HIGHER TAXES AND INCREASE OR CUT SERVICES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD TO REPLAY THAT ALL OVER AGAIN, YEAH, I'D, I'D, UH, I'D VOTE FOR THAT ALL OVER AGAIN.
UM, AND I'D DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UM, I, I HAVE A LOT OF OTHER QUESTIONS I'LL ASK ONLINE, UM, BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANNA TAKE A SECOND SWING AT, UH, ASK SOME QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD AGREED TO, UH, WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET RETREAT, AND ONE OF THEM WAS THE CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD TALKED AT SOME POINT OF HAVING THE, SOME INCREASE, UM, WITH THE NEW BUDGET.
I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT OUR DISCUSSION HAD BEEN.
AND SO I'M REAL CONCERNED AND WOULD LIKE TO ECHO THOSE, UH, THAT HAVE TALKED ABOUT GOOGLE COMPLIANCE, THAT WE REALLY DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHORE UP THAT OFFICE.
UM, ALSO WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE LIBRARY ENHANCEMENT CARTS, AND SOME OF US DID ANYWAY, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE WERE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT ALL THE LIBRARIES.
HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD NOT BE A VERY COSTLY PIECE, BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT INCLUDED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE FOR
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE CENTER THIS COMING YEAR, AND I KNOW THEY COULD USE SOME FUNDING, UH, BOTH FOR STAFFING AND FOR OPENING THAT OFFICE.
THE SAFE OFFICERS ARE ANOTHER THING THAT FOR OUR DISTRICT, OUR STAFF REALLY FEELS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF SPREAD OUT.
WE'RE ALMOST TWO DIFFERENT LITTLE CITIES.
UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS THAT THESE, THOSE SAFE OFFICERS OFTEN HELP WITH INCLUDING A C S ISSUES AND OTHERS LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE ARE WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST.
NOW, I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE REST OF WHAT IS UP THERE IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES, UM, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THESE OTHERS.
YEAH, JUST A COUPLE MORE THINGS ON THE, UH, UH, SOLID WASTE.
UM, IT'S STILL CONCERNING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A FEE INCREASE, AND I KNOW THERE'S A RANGE UP THERE, BUT I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
WE NEED TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING FOR WHAT SIZE OF CARTS AND WHAT SERVICES, BUT HAVE WE, ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE TO SCRUB WHAT WE'RE DOING? AND IS ANY OF THIS DEFICIT DUE TO OUR REARRANGED SCHEDULES
[02:05:01]
AND, AND THE NEW SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE? YES.UH, WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO A LOT MORE WORK THIS SUMMER.
AND NO, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, REBALANCING WE DID EARLIER IN THE YEAR, IF ANYTHING, THAT PROBABLY, UH, SAVED US SOME EFFICIENCIES AND DOLLARS.
SO Y'ALL ARE STILL GONNA BE SCRUBBING THIS TO GET IT DOWN TO THE, UH, BARE MINIMUM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT BEING SAID.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IF WE CAN MAKE PEOPLE GET THE RIGHT SIZE GARBAGE CANS, WELL, UH, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA INCREASE OR DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF GARBAGE GOING TO THE LANDFILLS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LARGER CAN VERSUS A SMALLER CAN.
UH, THEY GENERATE WHAT THEY GENERATE AND, UM, UH, IT MIGHT SAVE THEM THE AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING TO A SMALLER CAN.
HAVE WE SEEN ANY INCREASES OR DECREASES IN, IN SIZING OF THE CANS? I MEAN, HAS, HAS THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF GARBAGE GOING TO THE LANDFILLS DECREASED? BECAUSE WE WENT TO A SMALLER CAN.
WE'VE DONE A WASTE CHARACTERIZATION A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND WHAT WE FIND IN THAT IS THAT IN THE GARBAGE CAN, THERE ARE ITEMS THAT COULD GO IN THE ORGANICS OR COULD GO INTO THE, THE BLUE CART.
SO IF OUR CUSTOMERS DID SEPARATE THAT OUT, WE WOULD HAVE LESS GOING TO THE LANDFILL.
SO THAT'S ADDITIONAL CANS, NOT THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE CANS ITSELF.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IF THEY SEPARATED OUT INTO ORGANICS AND RECYCLABLES THAT IT WOULD REDUCE THAT.
AND THEY COULD GO TO A SMALLER CART.
WE MAY HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON, ON, UM, COMMUNITY EDUCATION YEAH.
AS WE, AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND THE LAST THING, UM, UH, ON THE ACTUAL SURVEY THAT'S GONNA BE SENT OUT, UM, MAY 11TH TO JUNE 7TH, HOW ARE WE GONNA ADVERTISE THAT? ARE WE GONNA, ARE WE, IS IT JUST GONNA GO OUT? ARE WE JUST GONNA GIVE THIS OVER TO THE COMPANY AND THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA DO THEIR SURVEY THING? OR HOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA TRANSLATE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY OUT THERE? GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN.
THE SURVEY FIRM HAS A SAMPLING PLAN THAT THEY WILL BE UTILIZING TO ENSURE A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'LL START OUT BY MAILING NOTICES.
THEY'LL ALSO BE DOING SOME TARGETED ADVERTISING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENSURE THAT THEY GET THAT REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT IS THE SAMPLING SIZE? BECAUSE I, I CAN TELL YOU I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED LAST TIME.
I THINK IT WAS ONLY 500, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE SAMPLING SIZE WAS 500.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE AGAIN? OR IS IT GONNA BE, I I I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SMALL FOR A COMMUNITY OF OVER A MILLION PEOPLE, ONLY 500.
AND I'M GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE ALANA COMMIT IN INTO THAT ONE.
SO, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE VENDOR WAS A HUNDRED PER DISTRICT.
THESE ARE THE ONES THAT'LL BE VALID, BUT THEY DID SAY THEY'RE GONNA BE SENDING OUT MORE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WANT, UH, AS MANY RESPONSES AS WE CAN.
SO IF MORE PEOPLE RESPOND, WE WILL PRESENT THAT DATA.
SO, UM, SO A HUNDRED PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR.
I WANTED TO GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT ARTS AND THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND, UH, BECAUSE TWO OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, UM, THE PHIL HARMONIC AND THE ONE THING, UH, 15% OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY IS, IS GREAT.
BUT I STILL WOULD LIKE TO PUSH TO SEE IF WE CAN'T GET A LINE ITEM FOR, UM, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE.
BECAUSE IF WE KNOW THAT OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT WE WANT TO FUND CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS IN, AND WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC ART, UH, OUR MAINTENANCE OF OUR PUBLIC ART, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT PRIORITIZING, UH, A LINE ITEM, WHETHER IT'S FOR STAFF, WHETHER IT'S FOR, UM, UH, ANNUAL PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW ARE CONTINUING WITH ARTS AND CULTURE THAT WE, WE START INCLUDING THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND INSTEAD OF WAITING ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
BECAUSE AS GREAT AND AS EXCITED I AM ABOUT WHERE OUR PROJECTIONS ARE AND WHERE THEY'RE HEADED, UH, WE KNOW WHAT IT, WHAT IT DID.
WE KNEW WE KNOW WHAT THE PANDEMIC DID TO, UM, TO THIS INDUSTRY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND WE KNOW WHAT, AND, AND JUST FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW
[02:10:01]
WHAT, UH, GETTING BLACKLISTED BY THE N C A A COULD MEAN TOO.SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, KIND OF LOOK AT THAT SO THAT WE CAN FUND THE THINGS THAT WE PRIORITIZE.
AND JUST A QUESTION, YOU ALL PROVIDED AN ARPA UPDATE, SO THAT'S NOT SO I, I GOTTA WAIT ON THIS QUESTION.
SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT AT THE END OF THAT PRESENTATION.
SO WE'LL DO, WE'LL DO THAT PRESENTATION NEXT.
SO THEN I'LL HOLD ON MY QUESTION.
UH, NEXT, AS IN RIGHT NOW, ERIC OR
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE ON ON THIS PREVIOUS ONE.
I JUST WANTED TO STAKE MY FLAG IN THE TRIAL BUDGET BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, I TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS MORE RELATED TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK A C S NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY, BUT I THINK TAX RELIEF, UH, WHICH WE'VE HEARD IS A PRIORITY.
AND I WANNA SAY I WANNA SEE AN EXEMPTION FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED RAISED UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND I WANNA SEE A 20%, UH, EXEMPTION FOR ALL OTHER HOMEOWNERS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET A GENERAL TAX RATE REDUCTION FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
UH, I WANNA SEE US TALKING ABOUT PERMANENT RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS MORE OF THEM.
I THINK ALL OF US HAVE TALKED ABOUT SPEEDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND REMIND THEM ABOUT THEIR OBLIGATION WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING AN ISSUE THAT WE BROUGHT UP, AND IT'S RIGHT NOW BEFORE THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT I HOPE WE GET A POSITIVE RESULTS OF IS SAFE BABY BOXES AND PUTTING THEM IN AS MANY AS A DOZEN FIRE STATIONS IN THE CITY TO HELP PRESERVE THE LIVES OF NEWBORNS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST AN EXPLORATION OF THAT IN THE BUDGET, PARTICULARLY IF IT SHOULD PASS THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UH, I, I DO PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING AND I HAVE FOR THREE OUT OF THE, UH, FOUR OUT OF THE LAST SIX YEARS.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS DO IT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR ALL DISTRICTS TO DO PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, WHERE THEY ALLOW THEIR VOTERS TO DECIDE WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE THAT ARE PRE PREFERRED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS SALARY COMPRESSION.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE A BUDGET ITEM.
I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, UH, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT EXPANDING CHILDCARE OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT TO WORK PRO READY TO WORK PROGRAM AND PRE-K FOR SA FOR FUNDING TO ASSIST SO THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER THE RIGHT TO WORK READY TO WORK PROGRAM.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO MAKE SURE THE POLICE HAVE RADAR SPEED, GUNS AND NOISE AND SOUND METERS IN THEIR VEHICLES SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY ENFORCE CODE COMPLIANCE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE, OR ONLY SOME DO.
ON OCCASION, I'D LIKE TO SEE US TALK MORE ABOUT SENIOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AND I THINK WE NEED TO EXPAND THE CODE COMPLIANCE, A SYSTEM ASSISTANCE FUND.
UH, AND SOME OF THESE DON'T ALL HAVE TO COME OUT OF THE GENERAL BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, D S D CAN EXPAND CODE COMPLIANCE, ASSISTANT MONEY, LIKE I SAID, READY TO WORK PRE-K FOR SA COULD BE INVOLVED IN EXPANDING CHILDCARE AND USING SOME OF THEIR FUNDING.
UH, THERE'S OTHER WAYS BESIDES JUST OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO DO THESE THINGS.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE MADE A NOTE OF THIS, UH, ERIC, SO THAT THESE CAN BE EXPLORED FURTHER AS WE CONTINUE ON THE BUDGET.
AND THEN JUST WITH REGARDS TO TAX RELIEF, ERIC, I, UH, I I I I, I ALWAYS THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TAX RELIEF AS AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE SHOOTING FOR EVERY SINGLE TIME.
MY PROBLEM IS, IS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS LOONY, UH, LEGISLATURE'S GONNA BE DOING
AND SO I'M NOT COMFORTABLE COMMITTING TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF AN INCREASE FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, OR I'M NOT COMFORTABLE COMMITTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DECREASED SALES TAX OR DECREASING ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER UNTIL I KNOW AFTER THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION EXACTLY WHAT THESE FOLKS IN AUSTIN ARE PLANNING ON DOING TO US.
I MEAN, WHEN THEY TELL YOU YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR THAT THEY'VE GOT THEIR KNIFE SHARPENED FOR CITIES, YOU, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO BELIEVE THEM WHEN YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, THEY, THEY CUT US.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M ALL, I'M ALL AT EARS WITH REGARDS TO TAX RELIEF, BUT UNLESS WE'VE GOT SOME DEFINITIVE IDEA OF WHAT
[02:15:01]
THESE FOLKS HAVE IN STORE FOR US, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M ALSO MANAGING ANGER'S EXPECTATIONS.THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PLI.
UM, AND MADE EVEN MORE COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT IF THE SPEAKER AND THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CAN'T AGREE, WE MIGHT END UP WITH HAVING A SPECIAL SESSION ON TAX RELIEF AS WELL.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THAT MESSAGE HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
YOU GUYS ARE STILL PUTTING FORWARD A SOFT RECOMMENDATION, BUT A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS STILL ON THE TABLE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AS WE GET INTO CLOSURE OF THE, OF THE SESSION.
ERIC, YOU WANNA GO STRAIGHT INTO ARPA? UM, YES SIR.
WELL, BEFORE WE GO, I'M, I'M, UH, UM, KIND OF TENTATIVELY PLANNING IN MY HEAD, RESPECTIVE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN AUSTIN THAT THE SECOND WEEK IN JUNE IS WHEN WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, SO THAT WE LEAVE OURSELVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANY ACTION BEFORE THAT JULY 1ST DEADLINE.
SO THAT'S WHERE'RE I'M KIND OF SHOOTING FOR IN MY HEAD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU.
MY NAME IS GWEN ESTRADA AND I'M THE ARPA EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE C OVID 19 RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, AND ALSO A STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR ARPA BALANCES.
SINCE SINCE MARCH, 2020, THE CITY HAS INVESTED A TOTAL OF 1.28 BILLION IN RESPONDING TO C OVID 19, WITH 80% OF THOSE FUNDS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND 13% COMING FROM LOCAL FUNDS.
INCLUDED IN THE FEDERAL INVESTMENT IS THE CITY'S AWARD OF 326.9 MILLION FROM ARPA STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS.
FOR THE FORCED PORTION OF THIS PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA COVER THE CITY'S COVID 19 RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE CITY BEGAN ITS RESPONSE TO COVID 19 IN JANUARY, 2020, AND TOOK MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO AMONG CITY EMPLOYEES.
IN JUNE, 2020, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN TO HELP THE COMMUNITY RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC.
THIS PRESENTATION PROVIDES YOU WITH A FINANCIAL UPDATE.
THE TABLE YOU SEE HERE PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET SPENT, COMMITMENT AND BALANCE PER PROGRAM.
A TOTAL BUDGET OF, EXCUSE ME, OVERALL, THEY'RE THROUGH MARCH.
THERE'S A TOTAL BUDGET OF 729.4 MILLION.
AS MOST PROGRAMS ARE COMPLETED, WE HAVE 40.6 MILLION COMMITTED TO SPEND PRIMARILY IN HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND OTHER CARES PROGRAMS. AND WE HAVE A BALANCE COMING FROM THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN WAS APPROVED IN JUNE, 2020 AND INCLUDES FOUR PILLARS, HOUSING SECURITY, SMALL BUSINESS, DIGITAL INCLUSION, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THE BALANCE YOU SEE HERE IS IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILLAR FOR THE TRAIN FOR JOBS PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SKILLS AND ASSESS SKILLS AND CAREER ASSESSMENT WHERE OVER 5,500 PARTICIPANTS HAVE ENTERED INTO A TRAINING PROGRAM.
OVER 3,900 HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING, AND OVER 2300 WERE PLACED AND NEW JOBS.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES FREE TUITION AND STIPENDS WHILE IN TRAINING FOR OTHER CARES PROGRAMS. THIS INCLUDES ARPA HEALTH, CHILDCARE, HEADSTART, AND LIBRARY.
ADDITIONALLY, OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE RESERVE FOR FEMA COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMS AND ESSAY FORWARD PROGRAMS. FOR THE SECOND PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA COVER THE CITY'S ARPA FUNDS.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, ARPA WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN MARCH, 2021 TO PROVIDE AID DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
ADDITIONALLY, IT ADDRESSES THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT WERE EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC ON VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND COMMUNITIES.
ARPA ESTABLISHED THE STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS WHERE THE CITY RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 326.9 MILLION.
WE RECEIVED THE FIRST HALF IN MAY, 2021 AND THE SECOND HALF JUNE, 2022.
AS A REMINDER OF FUNDS MUST BE OBLIGATED BY DECEMBER, 2024, AND SPENT BY DECEMBER 26.
THE CITY HAS ALSO RECEIVED OTHER UPPER GRANTS, WHICH INCLUDE AIRPORT HOUSING AND CHILDCARE SERVICES.
THE SLIDE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS A BACKGROUND AND REMINDER OF THE WORK WE DID FROM MAY, 2021 THROUGH FEBRUARY, 2022.
THE ALLOCATION OF THE CITY'S AWARD OF THE 326.9 MILLION HAS FOLLOWED A TWO PHASE STRATEGY, WHICH IS ILLUSTRATED, UM, IN THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT.
THESE FUNDS WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COVER LARGE LOSSES IN THEIR REVENUES DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, AND ALLOW FOR RECIPIENTS TO REPLACE PUBLIC SECTOR REVENUE LOSS.
THIS MEANS THAT RECIPIENTS CAN USE THEIR AWARDS ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES,
[02:20:01]
PROVIDED THAT THEIR REVENUE AT LOSS EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF THEIR AWARD.AS YOU ARE AWARE, THIS IS A CASE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE ARE UTILIZING OUR WARD TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICES TO AID IN THE RECOVERY OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
OVER ONE YEAR AGO NOW, IN MARCH, 2022, CITY STAFF MET WITH YOU CITY COUNCIL ON A POLY POLICY DISCUSSION FOR PROGRAM OUTCOMES FOR SPENDING CATEGORIES, WHICH INCLUDED ARTS, NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES, BUSINESSES, YOUTH AND SENIORS.
FOLLOWING THE SESSION, CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES WORK WITH STAFF TO DEVELOP AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR SPENDING FOR THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK CATEGORIES, AND THEY WERE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
NOW, I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH A FINANCIAL UPDATE OF ALL ARPA GRANT AWARDS.
THIS HERE COLLECTIVELY REPRESENTS THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE FROM FEBRUARY, 2022 WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK THROUGH MARCH, 2023.
THE TABLE PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS OVERALL THROUGH MARCH, 2023.
WE HAVE A BUDGET OF 552.2 MILLION AND ARE 54% SPENT.
SOME OF THE LARGEST BUDGETS ARE HOUSING SECURITY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS AIRPORT CHILDCARE SERVICES AND HEALTH GRANTS.
ALSO, OVERALL PROGRAMS ARE ONGOING, AND WE HAVE A BALANCE OF 29.7 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INTEREST INCOME, AND PROGRAM SAVINGS.
THE BALANCE WILL BE COVERED IN THE NEXT SLIDE OF THE PROGRAMS YOU SEE HERE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AMAZING WORK THAT OUR HARDWORKING CITY STAFF HAS BEEN DOING FOR HOUSING SECURITY.
WE'VE ASSISTED OVER 17,000 FAMILIES WITH RENTAL AND UTILITIES ASSISTANCE.
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND CURRENTLY HAVE INCLUDED THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM IN THE 2022 BOND HOUSING SOLICITATION.
THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND IT IS INTENDED TO ADD 288 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES AND SUPPORTS THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO C OVID 19 BY PROVIDING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH VACCINATIONS, CONTACT TRACING, ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND ENSURING THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CITY SERVICES WITH PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
SMALL BUSINESS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES, AS YOU MAY RECALL.
PHASE ONE IS COMPLETE, WHICH INCLUDED GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY THE CO, BY COVID AND CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
A TOTAL OF 521 SMALL BUSINESSES RECEIVED GRANTS INCLUDING 135 RECEIVING CONSTRUCTION COMPLEX SUPPLEMENT.
PHASE TWO IS UNDERWAY AND CONSISTS OF PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND INCLUDES CAPACITY BUILDING, ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, GROWTH FUND, AND LOCALISM.
ADDITIONALLY, PHASE TWO INCLUDES A GRANT PROGRAM FOR BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY CITY CONSTRUCTION, A TOTAL OF 21 SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS THROUGH MARCH.
APPLICATION REVIEWS ARE IN PROGRESS THROUGH MAY 19TH, AND AWARD NOTIFICATIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY JUNE WITH THE UTILITIES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IT'S NEARLY COMPLETE.
THIS PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED ASSISTANCE FOR BILLS AND ARREARS FOR RESIDENTS FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY C OVID 19 THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH C P S ENERGY AND THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
THIS PROGRAM HAS ASSISTED OVER 16,000 C P S ENERGY TAXPAYERS OVER 20,000 SAWS PAYERS.
AND OF THE 1.3 MILLION COMMITTED TO SPEND, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS MOVING THIS BALANCE TO C P S ENERGY FOR ELIGIBLE PAYERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH NON-PROFITS, YOUTH AND SENIORS.
THE SECOND COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION IS UNDERWAY.
THE R F P WAS OPEN MARCH 13TH THROUGH APRIL 27TH.
AND EVALUATION AND SCORING ENDS TODAY.
POST SOLICITATION COUNCIL APPROVAL IS ANTICIPATED ON JUNE 1ST WITH CONTRACTS TO BEGIN JULY, 2023.
ALSO, AS ERIC MENTIONED LAST WEEK, YOU RECEIVED OUR LATEST ARPA QUARTERLY TREASURY REPORT AND ACCOMPANYING NARRATIVE, WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN POSTED ON OUR ARPA WEBSITE.
MOVING ON TO THE ARPA BALANCE, CITY STAFF WILL BE WORKING TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE USE OF THE $29.62 MILLION BALANCE THAT WOULD ADJUST EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
THIS WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU CITY COUNCIL AS PART OF THE F Y 2024 BUDGET PROCESS IN AUGUST.
SO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, REMEMBER WHEN WE DID, WHEN WE SET THE ARPA FRAMEWORK, WE HAD, UH, YOU SAW IT ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, WE SET ASIDE $50 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS.
'CAUSE AT THE TIME, WE WERE KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY GUESSING, BUT WE WERE KIND OF GUESSING HOW MANY SPIKES WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN TERMS OF, UM, OF, UH, VARIANCE.
UM, WE HAD ONE SPIKE AND THEN WE, WE UTILIZED THOSE FUNDS.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A REMAINING BALANCE.
I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, IT WAS IN THE CATEGORY OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS.
I THINK THE RESPONSE PART IS DONE,
[02:25:01]
AND I THINK WE FOCUS ON THE PREPAREDNESS PART OF THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET, AND THEN LAY THAT OUT TO THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF SOME OPTIONS THIS SUMMER.UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE FACILITY WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RESILIENCY CENTERS, THE COUN, COUNCILMAN LIAS MENTIONED AT THE GOAL SETTING.
UH, ARE WE REALLY, ARE WE REALLY PREPARED, UH, FOR, UM, ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY? AND, UH, WE'VE DONE SOME WORK AS, AS RELATED TO LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE FULFILL THAT OUT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, GWEN DIDN'T SAY, UH, AS PART OF THE QUARTERLY REPORT, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME TALK, UH, IN DC REGARDING, UM, THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, DEBT LIMITATION CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT CLAWING BACK ARPA DOLLARS.
UM, NUMBER ONE, YOU GUYS APPROVED A FRAMEWORK.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE BEEN MOVING POST-HASTE.
UM, WE HAVE SPENT HALF OF THE MONEY AND, UM, ALMOST THE ENTIRE BALANCE BEYOND THAT IS COMMITTED.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT RISK OF UNSPENT MONEY.
NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA ALSO INCLUDES $5.2 MILLION EXTRA THAT TREASURY HAS SENT TO US FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ESTABLISHED A PRETTY GOOD TRACK RECORD OF SETTING THE PLAN, GETTING IT COMMITTED, AND UH, UM, I WOULD, UM, UH, STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT WE DO THAT WITH THAT REMAINING BALANCE IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND, AND GET, UH, AND GET OUR PLAN SET.
I, I'LL PICK UP WHERE, WHERE YOU LEFT OFF ON THAT.
ERIC, COULD YOU GO TO SLIDE EIGHT? UM, SO GWEN, THE, THE, UH, BUDGET, UH, JUST SO I FULLY UNDERSTAND, I THINK IT'S TRANSPARENT.
THIS IS, THIS IS BRAIDED FUNDING.
SO THIS IS ALL, I MEAN, THE ENTIRETY OF OUR ARPA ALLOCATION, BUT ALSO SOME GENERAL FUND DOLLARS ARE IN THAT BALANCE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO ON THE COMMITTED SLIDE, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PROPORTION OF THE COMMITTED DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED? WELL, WELL, I'LL RUN DOWN THE LIST.
WHILE WHEN IS LOOKING AT THAT HOUSING SECURITY COMMITTED AND CONTRACTED, UM, PART OF THAT IS, UH, THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ITEM THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL'S GONNA HEAR ABOUT.
'CAUSE THAT, SO JUST REAL QUICK, WHAT, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT COMMITTED DOLLARS ARE THOSE THAT CATERED BY ACTION THROUGH THE COUNCIL.
RIGHT? SO, UM, THAT'S ONE LAYER OF PROTECTION AGAINST ANY CONGRESSIONAL WEIRDNESS.
UH, BUT IF WE WANT TO BE FULLY CLEAR, GETTING THOSE DOLLARS CONTRACTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IS OUR BEST BET.
WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO, UH, TAKE THAT FAR RIGHT COLUMN AND, UH, UM, AVOID ANY CONGRESSIONAL WEIRDNESS TO USE YOUR TERM MAYOR.
SO, BUT DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MUCH OF THAT COMMITTED DOLLAR THOSE COMMITTED DOLLARS ARE, ARE ALREADY OUT THE DOOR IN TERMS OF A CONTRACT? WELL, UM, PROBABLY, UM, BALLPARK, THE MAJORITY OF IT, UH, GWEN JUST MENTIONED YOU WE'RE GONNA, THE, THE SCORING CLOSED ON MENTAL HEALTH PART TWO.
YOU'LL SEE THE COUNCIL WILL SEE THAT IN JUNE, WILL SEE THAT IN JUNE.
SO WE'LL GET THAT PRETTY QUICKLY TAKEN CARE OF.
UH, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY IS, UH, IS CONTRACTED ALREADY.
AND, AND, UM, I WOULD AGREE, I THINK GETTING THE ADDITIONAL, UM, EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESILIENCE DOLLARS, UH, AS PART OF THE FY 20 BUDGET, 24 BUDGET WOULD BE, WOULDN'T BE VERY, VERY GOOD.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, GWEN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO OF THE $29.62 MILLION, I KNOW THAT WE'RE SAYING THAT IT WOULD ADDRESS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUDGETED FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
AND YOU READ SOMETHING A WHILE AGO.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE READING FROM, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THAT, BUT I THINK I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE.
AND IT WAS RESPONSE TO COVID C OVID 19 TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA FOCUS ON TODAY.
AND WE, I, I KEEP BRINGING IT UP, BUT WE CLOSED A HOSPITAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT ON THE COUNTY TO OPEN THE HOSS, THE NEXT HOSPITAL FOR FOUR YEARS.
WE'RE STILL ALL GONNA BE AT A DEFICIT.
UM, WE'RE AT A DEFICIT FOR PSYCH BEDS.
WE WERE ALREADY AT A DEFICIT FOR A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING PSYCH BEDS FROM THE CLOSURE OF THE NICKS IN 2019.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS ALL OF THIS IS JUST TRYING TO SEE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO USE ANY OF THAT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, FOR THAT GAP TIME FOR THE FOUR YEARS IF IT CAME, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, TO A COMMITTEE, TO TO, TO DIRECT SOME OF THAT FUNDING, SOME OF THAT $29.62 MILLION.
THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
[02:30:01]
UM, AND THEREBY YOU, IT WOULD LIKELY EITHER GO THROUGH A B SESSION OR MAYBE COUNCIL COMMITTEES, AND THAT WAY WE CAN RECEIVE YOUR DIRECTION.I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE USING THIS RESIDUAL FUNDING FOR CRITICAL HIGH NEED AREAS.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE AREAS THAT WERE MOST AFFECTED BY COVID PANDEMIC, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY C O DEATHS, IT WAS A MAJORITY IN, IN, IN THE DISTRICTS TO THE SOUTH.
AND SO, UM, IF WE ARE STILL USING ARPA FUNDING AND IT WAS INTENDED FOR COVID RECOVERY AND RESPONSE, I, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE MERIT A CONVERSATION.
I KNOW THAT ERIC HAS INVITED, UM, GEORGE HERNANDEZ TO COMMUNITY HEALTH INEQUITY, UH, TO, TO COME TALK ABOUT THEIR PLANS, ET CETERA.
BUT, UM, I, I KNOW ERIC AND THE MAYOR HAVE, UH, VOICED THEIR SUPPORT FOR A LOCAL PLAN.
SO I'D HOPE THAT SOME OF THIS MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT LOCAL PLAN.
BUT, SO THOSE, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR I, I GUESS ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION AT, AT ANOTHER COMMITTEE OR, OR AT A V SESSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER RACHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK THE, WHEN I'M THINKING OF EMERGENCIES AND WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR, THE ONES THAT MOST LIKELY, THE ONES THAT COME TO MIND, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AS LIKELY, OBVIOUSLY CLIMATE RELATED EMERGENCIES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, HEALTH RELATED.
AND THEN I THINK MOST RECENTLY I'VE BECOME VERY CONCERNED BY WHAT I'M SEEING AS IT RELATES TO AI AND CYBERSECURITY.
REALLY, THE POTENTIAL THAT'S THERE NOW WITH AI AND WHAT FOLK ARE DOING WITH VOICES AND IMAGES, I THINK IS, UH, A RATHER SCARY THING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE STARTING TO PREPARE FOR AS IT JUST IN WEEKS, IT'S ADVANCED SO RAPIDLY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE US TO THINK OF.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE ANYTHING IN THIS 29 MILLION, BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT, UH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, THAT'S, I WOULD LIKE US TO START TO THINK THERE.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE, UM, PRIORITY OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE AREAS MOST IMPACTED BY, UM, THE PANDEMIC MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED BY FUTURE HEALTH RELATED EMERGENCIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS, THERE'S NO HOSPITAL ON THE EAST SIDE, AND NOW THERE'S AN EVEN GREATER NEED NOW THAT TEXAS VISTA IS CLOSED.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK OF IT AS NECESSARILY AS, UM, NECESSARILY AS COMPETING FOR RESOURCES OR FOR HEALTHCARE, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS NOW A CITYWIDE NEED AND A CITYWIDE DEFICIT.
UM, AS WELL, THERE WAS A, UM, A C C R, THE, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA AND I CO-AUTHORED, WHICH WAS THE INSULIN COST SHARE PROGRAM.
AND AT CHECK, UM, WE FORWARDED THE, UM, WE FORWARDED A RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY COUNCIL FOR ABOUT $1.6 MILLION FOR A DIABETES CARE CONTINUUM.
AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, HEALTH, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HEALTH OUTCOMES.
UM, DIABETES IS ONE OF THOSE THAT'S LARGELY IMPACT, LARGELY FELT ON THE EAST, SOUTHEAST, AND WEST SIDE OF TOWN.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF MAYBE THERE'S ROOM TO FUND THAT PROPOSAL HERE, BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE THINKING OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND GETTING OUR COMMUNITY READY FOR A FUTURE EMERGENCY, A PART OF THAT IS GETTING, UH, CONNECTING THOSE FOLK WITH HEALTHCARE, WITH HEALTHCARE, BUT ALSO, UH, ADDRESSING THEIR EXISTING HEALTHCARE NEEDS.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I THINK, UM, SOMETHING OF INTEREST TO ME, AND SOMETHING THAT WAS A CONCERN WHEN WE HAD, WHEN WE OPENED UP THE FOUR WARMING CENTERS IN THE CITY, AND THEN THE TWO COUNTY ONES, UM, MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS WERE LIKE, WHY ISN'T THERE ONE IN DISTRICT TWO? WHY IS THERE NOT A WARMING, UH, IN, WHAT'S IT CALLED TECHNICALLY A WARMING CENTER? WHY ISN'T THERE A WARMING CENTER IN DISTRICT TWO? MM-HMM.
AND SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE FACILITIES, WHETHER THAT'S CITY OWNED FACILITIES, OR, UM, IF WE HAVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE FACILITIES AND THEY WOULD LIKE US TO ASSIST THEM IN CREATING A SPACE, I WOULD LOVE IF WE COULD USE SOME OF THESE DOLLARS FOR THAT.
BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE WHERE WE SAY, OH, WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THIS.
AND WE ARE NOW WITHOUT, UH, A FACILITY, BUT WE HAD MIL, WE HAD MILLIONS HERE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE, THAT'S, UH, A FEW OF MY PRIORITIES.
LET ME, UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, THAT I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT I THINK THE COUNCIL HAD IN FEBRUARY OF 22 WHEN WE SET ASIDE THAT MONEY AND OBVIOUSLY HARDENING SOME OF THOSE CITY FACILITIES FOR THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS.
UM, IT DAWNED ON ME, MARY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL JUST TAKE 30 SECONDS, UH, BECAUSE COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA COUNCIL, MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN, UM, CASTRO, WERE AT THE CHECK COMMITTEE WHERE THIS ACCESS TO CARE, UM, ISSUE CAME UP.
AND, UM, I SIGNED THE LETTER TODAY, UM, AND THE, I COUNT, I COPIED THE, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, THE GEORGE HERNANDEZ, ABOUT ANOTHER, A NUMBER OF STRATEGIC RELATED QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD, UM, AND
[02:35:01]
INVITING HIM TO THE COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT.AND, AND REALLY IT'S THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS OF ACCESS TO CARE.
WHAT IS, HOW IS U H SS PLANNING FOR THOSE ACCESS FOR CARE GAPS IN THE COMMUNITY? UM, AND, UH, BOTH THE COMMITTEE AND IN THE LETTER I TALKED ABOUT INITIALLY, THIS IS A, A CHECK COMMITTEE INVITATION, BUT PROBABLY WARRANTS AN ENTIRE COUNCIL CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S THE GAME PLAN IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO CARE AS IT RELATES TO ALL THINGS, UH, WHETHER IT'S HEALTHCARE OR MENTAL HEALTH.
COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ.
UH, ERIC, JUST WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT, I WOULD ALSO ADD IN THE SPECTRUM OF ACCESS TO CARE.
UM, ALSO LOW BARRIER SHELTER, UH, LOW BARRIER HOUSING, WHICH IS A, A GAP WITHIN OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND IF IT'S A POTENTIAL USE FOR THESE DOLLARS TOO, I WOULD ADD THAT TO THE LIST.
UM, ON THIS LIST ON, UM, THE SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE ON, WHERE IN THAT LIST, DIDN'T WE HAVE SEVEN? I THINK IT WAS AROUND $75 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR THIS, UH, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM OR, UH, WORK PROGRAM, A TRAINING PROGRAM.
WASN'T THAT PART OF ARPA DOLLARS THAT WE USED? THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
BUT DIDN'T WE INITIATE A, A WORK TRAINING PROGRAM WITH ARPA DOLLARS DOLLARS? WE DID.
IT'S, IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY.
THIS IS THE ARPA PLAN THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SLIDE.
WAS THAT THE CARESS ACT CARES ACT? YES, SIR.
UH, JUST LOOKING BACK TOWARD, IS ALL THAT MONEY SPENT, IS THAT GONE? SO WE ARE, WE ARE ALMOST SPENT AT THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE REMAINING WITH PROJECT QUEST IS GONNA END SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT ARE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM, THEY'RE GONNA BE, CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO GRADUATE.
SO THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE ENROLLED, AND IT'S GONNA BE CONTINUING TO, UM, PHASE OUT.
AND WE SW THE, WE SWEPT THOSE DOLLARS, UM, UH, ABOUT, UM, LAST YEAR.
UM, WILL WE GET ANY KIND OF METRICS ON THE FINALIZATION OF THAT PROGRAM, THE CARESS ACT MONEY, WHAT IT WENT TO, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? UH, WHAT ARE THE OUTPUTS OF EACH CATEGORY? IT, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE WHAT WE GOT FOR OUR DOLLARS OR FOR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS IN THE CARES ACT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, WITH THAT, UH, THE SAME THING WITH HERE.
I SEE A LOT OF DOLLARS HERE, BUT WILL THERE BE ANY KIND OF METRICS SHOWING THE, THE, UH, OUTCOMES IN EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS? UM, SO IN THE PRIOR, LET ME GO BACK.
WERE WE ALREADY THERE? I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION.
UM, SO ON, ON THIS SLIDE, I DID COVER, UH, FOR THE TRAIN FOR JOBS PROGRAM, UM, THROUGH MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE, UH, ASSISTED OVER 5,500 PARTICIPANTS.
THEY'VE ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM, UM, AND OVER 3,900 HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING, AND OVER 2300 HAVE BEEN PLACED INTO NEW JOBS.
IF, IF, UH, AT THE CLOSE OF THE, THE PROGRAM, I'D LIKE TO SEE, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE METRICS, UH, TO REFLECT THAT MIKE RAMSEY HAD A GREAT CHART THAT SHOWED THE PROGRESSION OF MONEY VERSUS WHAT THE OUTPUT WAS.
UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ON THIS PROGRAM, ALSO ON THE CARESS CARESS FUNDING, BUT ON THE, UH, SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING SECURITY, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, HEALTH DISPARITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS WHAT THE BUDGET WAS, WHAT WAS SPENT, WHAT'S COMMITTED, AND THEN WHAT THE BALANCE IS.
BUT DO WE HAVE METRICS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE LINE ITEMS, WHAT WE ACTUALLY GOT FOR, FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE LINE ITEMS? YES, WE DO.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF THAT COULD BE SENT OUT AS WELL.
ON WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S OUR, UH, FAMOUS WORDS RETURN ON INVESTMENT ON EACH ONE OF THESE? SURE.
COUNCILMAN AND ACTUALLY, UM, I T S D AND WHEN ARE WORKING ON A DASHBOARD THAT WILL, WAS DISCUSSED AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE THAT AVAILABLE LATER THIS MONTH.
SO YOU CAN SEE NOT ONLY THE BUDGET, BUT ALSO THOSE METRICS THAT IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
IT, IT GETS CONFUSING BETWEEN ARPA FUNDS AND CARES ACT FUNDS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF THAT COULD BE SEPARATED AND MADE DISTINCT TO SHOW WHAT THOSE FUNDING STREAMS WERE AND, AND WHAT WE GOT FOR THAT ON THE ALMOST $30 MILLION AT THE END.
I, I HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS MONEY, AGAIN, WAS ONE TIME MONEY, AND, UM, UH, I HEARD VARYING, UM, USES FOR THAT.
BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS ONE TIME MONEY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF FUNDS TO, UH, MAINTAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HEALTH
[02:40:01]
PROGRAMS AND THAT KIND OF THING.SO IF WE START SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN THIS POT OF MONEY FOR, UH, FUTURE, FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US, UH, UH, DOUBLE DOWN WITH THIS MONEY AND GET THESE RESILIENCY, UH, CENTERS ESTABLISHED.
GET 'EM OUTFITTED, GET THE GENERATORS SET UP, IDENTIFY MORE FACILITIES IF NEEDED, LIKE IN DISTRICT TWO OR WHEREVER, UH, TO, UH, USE THIS MONEY TO, AGAIN, BE PREPARED FOR THAT NEXT WHATEVER IT IS, TO, UM, GET IT SET UP, GET 'EM SET UP.
AND, UM, UH, I KNOW IN THE SENIOR CENTER, UM, ON THOUSAND OAKS, IT, IT, WE'RE IN THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE THE WE PAD BUILT FOR THE GENERATOR, BUT THE GENERATOR'S NOT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BOUGHT YET OR NOT, BUT, UH, THERE ARE PROVISIONS BEING, UH, PUT TOGETHER FOR THAT FACILITY.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS OUGHT TO BE THE POT OF MONEY TO BE READY, UH, OR BE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER COMES NEXT.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE WHERE I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS MONEY GOING.
UM, I AGREE WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN TERMS OF HEALTHCARE AND ACCESS.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE US TO MAYBE END THE MAYOR, UH, AND HIS SUGGESTION, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ALSO, AND IF THERE'S, UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THE TELEHEALTH, UM, MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE ACCESS THAT THEY NEED.
EVERYTHING NOW IS ONLINE, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF THE EMERGENCY, UH, RESPONSE THAT PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER S THANKS, ERIC.
UM, THE REQUEST AND THE, THE MONEY, UH, TOWARDS RESPONDING TO AND PREPARING FOR DISASTERS, UM, IS, IS IMPORTANT IN, UM, IN US MEETING OUR MOST BASIC OBLIGATIONS.
I WILL TELL YOU, ERIC, THIS MORNING, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, COUNCILMAN HOARD AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTER, AND I SAT THROUGH A I G R COMMITTEE MEETING, AND I'M, I'M SORRY I MISSED THAT COUNCILMAN.
BUT, UM, WE HAD, UH, THE, UM, HEADS OF MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THEIR, THEIR POLICE CHIEFS HERE, AND WE HAD THE, UM, REGION 20 REPRESENTATIVES IN B C E C, UH, TALKING TO US ABOUT SORT OF WHAT IS THE REAL, UM, SITUATION AS IT RELATES TO SCHOOL SAFETY.
UM, IN RESPONSE TO THIS PHENOMENON OF INCREASED SCHOOL MASSACRES.
UH, WHAT THEY'VE TOLD US JUST MADE, JUST BROKE OUR, MY HEART AND I, AND WE HEARD FROM EVERY COUNCIL PERSON HERE, MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT IF YOU SEND YOUR KID TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THIS STATE, YOUR KID IS ALLOTTED $9 AND 72 CENTS FOR SECURITY.
AND THAT'S BEEN IT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND WE HAVE, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ALL OF WHICH, WHO ARE TELLING US LOUD AND CLEAR, AND THEY CAN'T BE LOUDER OR MORE CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT PREPARED FOR MASS SHOOTINGS.
UM, AND THAT IT IS JUST BY SHEER LUCK THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN SAN ANTONIO.
'CAUSE WE'RE DOING ANYTHING RIGHT.
IT JUST HASN'T HAPPENED IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOCKED ON WOOD EARLIER, I'M KNOCKING ON WOOD AGAIN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HOPE AND KNOCKING ON WOOD IS NOT A STRATEGY.
UM, A STRATEGY IS ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, UP UNTIL NOW, DEDICATING $0 OF OUR MONEY TO PROTECT OUR KIDS AND HELPING THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ARE ALSO JUST ABUSED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND DEFUNDED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UM, IS, UM, MAY HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN AND IF ONE OF THESE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ACTUALLY HAPPENS, THEY'RE GONNA COME TO US AND SAY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT DID YOU DO? RIGHT.
AND, UM, I MEAN, IF WE SAY, WELL, WE SENT THE COPS OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, THAT'S SOMETHING.
BUT WHAT DID WE DO TO HELP MAKE THOSE SCHOOLS MORE SAFE FOR OUR KIDS? UH, COUNCILMAN HDA, YOU AND I BOTH SEND KIDS TO SCHOOLS.
I'VE RECENTLY WALKED INTO MY KIDS' N I S C SCHOOL, I'VE WALKED AROUND THE SCHOOL, AND THERE WASN'T AN ADULT WHO STOPPED ME AT ALL.
UM, AND I KNOW I SEEK PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF MULTIPLE DOORS.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW TO TAKE THESE SCHOOLS AND LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, THAT'S A SAFE PLACE FOR YOU TO SEND YOUR KIDS.
AND I'VE YET TO MEET A PARENT OUT THERE WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO DISAGREES THAT THERE'S A ROLE FOR THE CITY TO PLAY IN SOME WAY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO THROW THIS OUT THERE, BUT, UM, BASED ON WHAT I HEARD THIS MORNING FROM THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, UM, I CAN'T IMAGINE A BIGGER EMERGENCY AT THIS POINT THAT WILL BRING US TO OUR KNEES THAN MULTIPLE CHILDREN KILLED IN THE SAN ANTONIO SCHOOL.
SOME OF THIS MONEY COULD BE USED, UM, TO HELP THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE LEAST PREPARED IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, MAYBE THEY'RE IN DISTRICT FOUR, MAYBE THEY'RE IN DISTRICT TWO,
[02:45:01]
MAYBE THEY'RE IN DISTRICT ONE.BUT, UH, SOME OF THESE FUNDS COULD BE USED, UM, UH, TO HELP THEM DO SOME OF THE SHEER, MOST BASIC THINGS LIKE, UM, BULLETPROOF, UH, UM, FILMS ON THEIR WINDOWS, THE WAY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR B SESSION ROOM, UH, ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, THESE SCHOOLS HAVEN'T DONE IT BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
UM, SOME OF THESE THINGS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, LIFTING SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EDUCATION STUFF.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, IF I'M NOT TRYING, YOU KNOW, IF I'M NOT PUTTING THIS OUT THERE, I'M NOT DOING MY JOB, I'D LIKE TO SEE $10 MILLION OF THIS MONEY SET ASIDE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY, UM, AND THEN USE THE REMAINING 19 POINT WHATEVER, UM, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T DIE IN STORMS SO THAT THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, DROWN.
SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO EVACUATE THEM FASTER, UH, SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BEFORE THE STORM HITS.
AND SO, UM, THAT TO ME IS WHAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS.
UH, AND I'LL STOP THERE AND I'M OPEN TO DISAGREEMENTS OR AGREEMENTS.
UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH THE 29.6 MILLION FOR, UM, PLANNING FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
DO WE KNOW IF THAT WOULD INCLUDE OR HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO INCLUDE, UM, ELEVATION CERTIFICATES FOR HOMES NEAR OR IN A FLOOD ZONE? AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD GET OFFLINE, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
UM, BUT JUST THE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS.
IS THIS GOING TO GO TO, UM, A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR IS IT GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO B SESSION FOR US TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATION AROUND THE ARPA FUNDS? IT'S GONNA, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING IT COMES AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
'CAUSE I, I WOULD LIKE TO, OR I GUESS A, A ONE-ON-ONE BRIEFING TO TALK ABOUT THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE PARAMETERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE ARPA PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION? COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I GUESS JUST SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE HANDLED ARPA THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, I THINK MAYBE BEFORE GOING, I GUESS MAYBE PRELIMINARILY, IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU COULD GO TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE POTENTIALLY WITH A DISCUSSION FOR A DISCUSSION ON THIS JUST ONE MORE TIME BEFORE, UH, TRIAL BUDGET.
AND THEN WE JUST LET THE CONVERSATION GO FROM THERE.
BUT I, I THINK THAT'S WORTHWHILE, A WORTHWHILE CONTINUED DISCUSSION.
WELL, I'LL, UM, I'LL DEFER TO THE COUNCIL, BUT, UM, THE SETTING OF THE FRAMEWORK WAS FROM THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
THE ENTIRE COUNCIL SET SET THE BUCKETS FOR THE BY COMMITTEE.
SO IF, IF, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO SEND IT TO AN INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEE, I GET, I'D LIKE TO HEAR NOW OR WE'LL JUST BRING IT TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, COUNCILMAN, I GUESS.
SO THE POINT THERE, UM, OR I GUESS MY END RESULTS IS I WOULD RATHER HAVE A DISCUSSION BEFORE IT COMES BACK AS A PART OF A TRIAL BUDGET, THIS SPECIFIC POT OF MONEY.
BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A BILL, YOU KNOW, BILLION PLUS DOLLAR BUDGET, UM, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS $30 MILLION THEN BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE A SMALLER CONVERSATION, WHETHER THAT'S FULL COUNSEL OR PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IT FELT LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY MIGHT BE A QUICKER WAY TO DO IT, BUT EITHER WAY WORKS FOR ME.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL JUST, ERIC, THIS POT OF MONEY, UH, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE RECOVERY DOLLARS, WAS THAT A A COMMITTEE DISCUSSION OR WAS THAT FULL COUNSEL? THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL FRAMEWORK THAT WAS SET.
AND FROM THE WHOLE BUDGET, AND TO BE HONEST, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE COUNCIL.
THE, THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE WAS FOR RESILIENCY AND HARDENING AND THOSE WARMING CENTERS.
I MEAN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE NEXT PIECE OF THAT.
I MEAN, I, MY PERSPECTIVE IS I'VE, I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT RANGE FROM HEALTH ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT UP A HOMELESSNESS ISSUE TO, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, TO ME IF WE CAN SCHEDULE MAYBE A B SESSION JUST TO MEET OUT FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS PIECE OF IT BEFORE WE GO TO TRIAL BUDGET, IT'D PROBABLY BE MORE EFFICIENT.
'CAUSE IF YOU GO TO COMMITTEE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL ANYWAY.
WE DON'T HAVE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS? GWEN? GO AHEAD.
I JUST HAD, UM, I JUST HAD ONE, UH, ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO STATE REGARDING METRICS.
WE ALSO HAVE HAD OUR, UM, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY DASHBOARD AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR, IT'S BEEN ONLINE FOR, I DON'T KNOW, OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, MAYBE NOW.
AND SO THAT PROVIDES METRICS ON, UM, ALL OF THE, ALL OF THESE FUNDS THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN AND COVID 19 RESPONSE.
NOW THE ARPA DASHBOARD, UM, THAT MARIA BROUGHT UP A FEW MOMENTS AGO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO INCORPORATE METRICS INTO THAT.
[02:50:01]
SO IT'S GONNA BE REVAMPED, UM, FROM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW ON THE ARPA WEBSITE.I GUESS JUST CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
SO WHAT I CAN EXPECT TO COME BACK TO FULL COUNSEL ON THIS DISCUSSION WILL BE, UH, BASICALLY, UH, THE PLAN, A DRAFT PLAN.
IS THAT ACCURATE? NO, IT'LL BE MORE THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION.
WE'LL WORK ON THE DRAFT PLAN AFTER WE GET THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION.
I GUESS MAYBE WHAT WOULD BE GOOD TO COME, BECAUSE MY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS YOU JUST GET THE SAME THING THAT WE JUST ALL SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
MAYBE IF YOU COULD SUM WE'LL IN A PRESENTATION FORM WHAT YOU HEARD, WELL, WE'LL PROPOSE, WE'LL PROPOSE A BREAK OUT OF THE 29 PERFECT MILLIONS.
IT JUST WON'T BE ALL ENGINEERED OUT.
WELL THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT DOESN'T LEAVE US TIME FOR AN EXEC SESSION, WHICH WE'LL PUSH TILL TOMORROW.
UH, BUT THE TIME IS 4:53 PM ON MAY 10TH, 2023.
UH, DON'T FORGET, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ACROSS THE STREET IN ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES.