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[Approval of Minutes ]
SIR.THE LAST TIME WE MET WAS APRIL 25TH OF THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE ARE MINUTES FROM THAT MEETING, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU.
COUNCILMAN ROCHA, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[Briefing and Possible Action on the following items ]
THAT WAS UNANIMOUS.UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE, UH, WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT OUR CAPACITY BUILDING AND BONDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE MICHAEL SEND AND THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M AN ADMINISTRATOR WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND LIKE YOU ALL SAID, I'M GONNA BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON OUR CAPACITY BUILDING AND BONDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO, TO START, UM, FOR SOME BACKGROUND, THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES MANDATE THAT CONSTRUCTION BASED PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTS REQUIRE AWARDED VENDORS TO OBTAIN PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BONDS BEFORE WORKING ON A PROJECT.
THESE BONDING REQUIREMENTS SERVED A GUARANTEE, A VENDOR SUBMITTED BID AMOUNT, AS WELL AS THEIR CAPABILITIES TO PERFORM, UH, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THE COMPLETION OF A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
HOWEVER, THE COST TO OBTAIN THESE BONDS REQUIRE BUSINESSES TO HAVE AVAILABLE CAPITAL, AS WELL AS CERTAIN BONDING CAPACITY LEVELS THAT ARE DICTATED BY THINGS LIKE CREDIT SCORES, UM, IN ORDER TO, UM, OBTAIN THOSE BONDS.
SO IT'S A BARRIER FOR SMALL MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO OBTAIN IN ORDER TO WORK ON THOSE PROJECTS.
THIS FEEDBACK WAS IN FACT, REFLECTED IN OUR PREVIOUS DISPARITY STUDIES, AS WELL AS THE MOST RECENT ONE WE RELEASED, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, VALIDATING WHAT WE'VE HEARD.
AND WHILE WE DID HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE, UM, WE SET UP A PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THESE BARRIERS IN 2011.
AND WHILE THAT PROGRAM WAS IN PLACE AND HELPFUL TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE WERE APPROACHED IN 2020, UM, TO CONSIDER REVISING THE PROGRAM TO OFFER A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
AS A RESULT, A WORK GROUP WAS ESTABLISHED.
UH, IT INCLUDED CITY STAFF, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDED EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS THE FAIR CONTRACTING COALITION, SURETY AGENTS, UM, AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS.
ESSENTIALLY, THE WORK GROUP RECOMMENDED, UM, THAT THEY ESTABLISH A REVOLVING POOL OF FUNDS TO OFFSET SMALL BUSINESS COSTS INCURRED WHEN BIDDING ON CITY CONTRACTS.
THEY ALSO CALLED FOR THE REEVALUATION OF THOSE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS.
THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM HAD, AS WELL AS WRAPAROUND SERVICES EMBEDDED, UM, WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
AND LAST, THEY CALLED FOR THE CITY TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO FIND A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, UM, WHO WILL MANAGE THIS PROGRAM AND PROVIDE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE WORK GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON JUNE 3RD, 2022 TO ESTABLISH THIS NEW CAPACITY BUILDING AND BONDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF THE FUNDING AGREEMENTS.
UH, TOTAL VALUE $500,000 WAS USED TO ESTABLISH THE REVOLVING POOL OF FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM, AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, WAS USED FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
THE NECESSITY FOR THE FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS DUE TO, UH, TEXAS STATUTE ASURITY COMPANIES ARE GRANTED THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO PROVIDE GUARANTEES OF A VENDOR'S ABILITY, UM, TO BID AND PERFORM.
IN ADDITION, THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, UH, PROHIBITS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY FROM LENDING ITS CREDIT TO OFFSET BONDING, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR A VENDOR.
SO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ALLOWS US TO OVERCOME THESE STATUTORY LIMITATIONS.
UH, FURTHER ON JUNE 13TH, 2022, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ALSO M INCORPORATION ALSO APPROVED THE FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
SO IT WAS APPROVED ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDED THE SELECTION OF JIM SWINDELL DOING BUSINESS AS ALAMO SURETY BONDS, WHO IS THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, UM, FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND HE'S HERE WITH US TODAY.
UH, JIM DOES HAVE OVER 34 YEARS OF SURETY EXPERIENCE, UM, AND HAS O AND HAS OWNED ALAMO SURETY BONDS, WHICH IS A CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS IN SAN ANTONIO FOR 21 YEARS.
UM, HE HAS HISTORICALLY CONTRACTED WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PROVIDING SIMILAR TYPE OF SERVICES FOR DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES, AND HE'S AN EXPERT WITNESS IN LEGAL CASES INVOLVING, UM, SURETY BONDS.
AS FOR THE SCOPE OF SERVICES, JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL WHEN YOU APPROVE THIS A FEW MONTHS BACK, UM, THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A PERSONALIZED INTAKE ASSESSMENT FOR EVERYBODY WHO COMES THROUGH THE DOOR.
UM, IT'S, IT IS BASICALLY WILL EVALUATE FACTORS, PASS BOND APPLICATIONS, AND THIS WILL ALLOW THEM TO ASSIGN EDUCATIONAL COURSES THAT ARE TAILORED TO THEM, AS WELL AS PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING DOWN THE ROAD AND TAILORED REFERRALS TO OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST.
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UM, ALAMO SURETY BONDS IS ALSO CHARGED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE $500,000 REVOLVING POOL OF FUNDS, AS WELL AS MARKETING THE PROGRAM, UM, REVIEWING METRICS, GETTING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, RECOMMENDING IMPROVEMENTS, IDENTIFYING GOALS, UM, AND, AND DEVELOPING OUR PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION REGARDING ELIGIBILITY.UM, BUSINESSES MAY JOIN THE PROGRAM IF THEIR BUSINESSES IN FACT HEADQUARTERED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF SAN ANTONIO, IF THEY'RE CLASSIFIED AS A SMALL BUSINESS PER THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND IF THEY WORK IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
AND UNDER THIS PILOT PROGRAM STRUCTURE, WE WERE LOOKING TO SERVE 30, UH, PARTICIPANTS ANNUALLY IN THE HOPE TO ULTIMATELY PROVIDE 10 OF THOSE, UH, WITH FUNDING FROM THOSE REVOLVING POOL OF FUNDS TO COVER THOSE BONDING COSTS WHEN THEY BID AND ARE AWARDED A CITY CONTRACT.
SO, MOVING PAST THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION, I'M EXCITED.
UM, TO NOTE THAT WE DID LAUNCH THE PILOT PROGRAM IN OCTOBER 3RD, 2022.
UH, THAT LAUNCH DID REQUIRE QUITE THE LIFT, AS THERE WASN'T, SAY, AN OUT OF BOX SOLUTION FROM DAY ONE.
IN ORDER TO LAUNCH, UH, A PROGRAM, PROCEDURES MANUAL HAD TO BE CONFIGURED ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS FORMS YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, THIS INCLUDES A BOND PREQUALIFICATION PACKET, UM, AND BOND REQUEST FORMS, WHICH BASICALLY PROVIDES A ROADMAP TO PARTICIPANTS ON WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THEM TO SUBMIT A BOND.
THIS ALLOWS THEM TO GET THEIR DOCUMENTS IN ORDER NOW AS BIDS MOVE FAST SO THEY CAN SATISFY BONDING REQUIREMENTS WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY NEEDED.
AS FOR THE BOND ASSESSMENT SCORECARD, THIS DOCUMENT DOES ALLOW GEM, OR, I'M SORRY, ALAMO SURETY BONDS TO REVIEW A VARIETY OF KEY ELEMENTS FOR THE PARTICIPANT, SUCH AS THEIR PERSONAL CREDIT, FINANCIAL STATEMENT, QUALITY LARGEST JOBS COMPLETED WORK IN PROGRESS, ULTIMATELY, WHERE HE PROVIDES AN ASSESSMENT SCORE TO THEM AND, AND GIVES THEM THAT ROADMAP ON HOW TO IMPROVE UPON PROGRAM LAUNCH.
WE ALSO WANTED ALAMO SURETY BONDS TO IMPLEMENT AND EXECUTE ON A APPROVED, UH, MARKETING PLAN THAT INCLUDES TARGETED EFFORTS TO OVER 30 SMALL BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS THAT MEET THE VARIOUS DIVERSITY GOALS.
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND LAST, UM, ONCE ALMA SURETY BONDS GET GOT THIS PROGRAM UNDERNEATH THEIR FEET, WE'RE GONNA BE ROLLING OUT A FUNDRAISING PLAN, UM, TO TARGET MULTIPLE LENDING INSTITUTIONS IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN THEIR TRUST AND SPONSORSHIP TO HOPEFULLY SUPPLEMENT THOSE 500, $500,000 PULL OF FUNDS I HAD REFERENCED EARLIER.
SO ON THE PREVIOUS SIDE, YOU SAW A SYLLABUS WAS, WAS ESTABLISHED.
UM, THIS INCLUDES THOSE EDUCATIONAL COURSES THAT ALAMO SURETY BONDS WAS PROVIDING TO PARTICIPANTS.
AS YOU SEE, THERE'S A NUMEROUS CLASSES SUCH AS UNDERSTANDING SURETY BONDS, UM, THE S B A BOND GUARANTEE PROGRAM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHY CONTRACTORS FAIL AND BONDING SUBCONTRACTS.
UM, NOTE THAT PARTICIPANTS, PARTICIPANTS DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ALL 11 CLASSES.
WE REALIZE THEY'RE EXTREMELY BUSY.
SO THROUGH JIM'S, UH, PERSONALIZED INTAKE ASSESSMENT, HE WILL BASICALLY ASSIGN THESE CLASSES TO THOSE VENDORS BASED ON THEIR NEEDS, BUT ALSO IF THEY WANT THEM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEFINITELY ALLOWED TO ATTEND.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PILOT PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE WE'VE LAUNCHED.
IT INCLUDES THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY 10 BUSINESSES HAVE ENTERED THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH IS OUR ASPIRATIONAL GOALS REGARDING THE TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS WE WANTED IN THE PROGRAM, MOST ALL OF THEM ARE BEING MET OUTSIDE OF A FEW, UH, WHICH ARE FOR ASIAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES AS WELL AS WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
TO DATE, ALMA SURETY BONDS HAS ADMINISTERED 21 CLASSES TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND 46 1 0 1 CONSULTANT HOURS.
HOWEVER, THE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE, UM, BY FAR ARE THE NOTES YOU'RE GONNA SEE AT THE BOTTOM ABOUT INCREASING THE PARTICIPANTS' BONDING CAPACITY AS WELL AS THOSE BID SUBMISSIONS YOU SEE.
SO LET'S START WITH BONDING CAPACITY.
SO FAR, THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE COLLECTIVELY MOVED FROM 1.4 MILLION IN BONDING CAPACITY TO 3.1 MILLION.
THAT IS A 1.7 MILLION INCREASE IN THEIR CAPACITY, OR 120%.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST OVER THOSE FIRST SIX MONTHS.
FURTHER, PARTICIPANTS ARE NOW SUBMITTING BIDS THEY WEREN'T BEFORE.
THEY'RE NOW SUBMITTING BIDS TO BOTH CSA PROJECTS, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROJECTS, AS WELL AS OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCY CONTRACTS.
AND, AND THIS, THESE ARE THE TWO FACTORS.
ULTIMATELY, WE WANT SOME WINS FROM THOSE BIDS, BUT THESE ARE THE TWO FACTORS THE PROGRAM WAS INTENDED TO, TO PRODUCE.
UM, BASICALLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS FIRMS CAN PERFORM ON THROUGH THEIR INCREASED BID CAPACITY, WHICH IS HAPPENING, AND THEN GET THEM IN THE GAME BY ACTUALLY BIDDING.
BEFORE I WRAP UP THIS PRESENTATION, UH, WANTED TO SHARE SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM CONTRACTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM TODAY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS FROM JARVIS MOORE INCORPORATED, WHO IS A SMALL, UH, MINORITY AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED BUSINESS.
THE SECOND ONE IS FROM MAX'S CONTRACTORS GROUP, WHO IS A SMALL MINORITY HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, EACH PARTICIPANT IS DEVELOPING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR BOND ABILITY, UM, IS MORE PREPARED WHEN BONDS ARE NEEDED, AND HAS ACTION STEPS IN WHICH TO IMPROVE.
AS FOR PROGRAM NEXT STEPS, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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CORPORATION PLANS TO EXTEND THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ALAMO SURETY BONDS FOR ANOTHER YEAR.AS YOU RECALL, IT WAS A TWO YEAR AGREEMENT, ONE YEAR BASED TERM WITH ONE YEAR EXTENSION TERM.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO WORK WITH ALAMO SURETY BONDS IN DEPLOYING EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGING MORE PARTICIPANTS TO JOIN.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL START TARGETING BUSINESSES WHO ARE ATTENDING OUR PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCES WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE BIDDING ON MAYBE LOWER LEVEL CONTRACTS AND WANT TO MOVE UP TO HIGHER LEVEL CONTRACTS TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT THAT FUNDING PLAN, UM, I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH THOSE LENDING INSTITUTIONS TO HOPEFULLY GAIN SPONSORSHIP TO INCREASE THE POOL OF FUNDS AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPANTS WHO BID AND WIN CITY CONTRACTS.
AND LAST, ONCE THIS PILOT IS CONCLUDED, UM, IN LATE 2024, WE'LL OF COURSE DO AN EVALUATION, UM, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE END OF THIS AGREEMENT.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, MY PRESENTATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF, AS WELL AS I JUST WANNA NOTE, UH, JIM SWINDELL WITH ALAMO SURETY BONDS IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, TWO REQUESTS, UH, ONE, BY THE WAY, WELCOME MR. LINDELL.
UM, UM, TWO, UH, TO WHAT EXTENT, IF ANY, HAVE WE PRESENTED THIS TO THE ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC CONTRACTORS? OKAY, GREAT.
YEAH, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD A DIRECTOR FOR LIKE OVER A YEAR, BUT THEY DO NOW.
UH, DOROTHY, I BELIEVE IS HER NAME.
SO I AM WORKING WITH HER TO DO JUST THAT.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE SOME EVENTS TO OUTREACH, AND SHE TOLD ME SHE WANTS THEIR CONFERENCE CENTER FILLED EVERY WEEK, SO I SAID FINALLY.
THANK YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN ANOTHER IMPORTANT PARTNER OF OURS, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THESE FIRMS AND THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE IS ACOG.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, ALEX, I, I THINK I KNOW SOMEONE WHO HANGS OUT AT ACOG BOARD MEETINGS, UH, AND, UH,
SO, UH, MAYBE WE, WE CAN GIVE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS MATERIAL TO HAND OFF TO DIANE RATH, AND MAYBE WE'LL SEND IT TO, DIRECTLY TO DIANE WRATH.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY ONLY REQUESTS AND COMMENTS.
UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, MICHAEL, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
RIGHT,
MY ONLY QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, DO THE BDOS PLAY, UM, WITH THIS PILOT? SO WE HOPE ALL STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS WE'RE TARGETING THROUGH OUR MARKETING PLAN ARE PLAYING SOME ROLE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY'RE SPREADING THIS INFORMATION TO THEIR MEMBERSHIP, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND GETTING THIS OUT.
SO THEY'RE A VITAL ROLE, JUST LIKE WITH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND PUSHING OUT PROGRAMMING WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO, UM, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THE 10 PARTICIPATING FIRMS, WERE THERE ANY FIRMS THAT APPLIED AND WEREN'T ABLE TO QUALIFY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PILOT MM-HMM.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THE REASON WAS THAT THEY AREN'T IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, CITY LIMITS.
THEY WERE RIGHT OUTSIDE IN THE COUNTY AREA.
AND AT THIS TIME, JUST, JUST GIVEN WHERE WE ARE WITH THE PROGRAM, WE'RE RESTRICTING IT TO THOSE IN OUR CITY LIMITS.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A, A, A GREAT PILOT.
IF EVERYONE WHO APPLIED WITHIN CITY LIMITS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND I, THIS REMINDED ME ON FRIDAY WE HAD A SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST MEETING MM-HMM.
SO I JUST REALIZED THAT THEY MIGHT BE A KEY AUDIENCE AS WELL FOR YOU ALL TO REACH OUT TO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT BEFORE I FORGOT.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE CONSTRUCT, SO I, I KNOW IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, AND IS THAT BECAUSE, IS, IS THERE A REASON SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT? IS, IS THAT THE SECTOR THAT OFFERS THE MOST BIDDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? IS THAT WHY? UM, I THINK IT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE ON A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE A, YOUR COSTS DON'T RUN OVER.
WHEN WE'RE, WHEN Y'ALL ARE EXECUTING AN AGREEMENT ON THE DAAS THAT YOU WON'T NEED MORE FUNDS DOWN THE LINE, AND SECOND, THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY PERFORM ON THAT PROJECT, THAT THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO GET IT DONE.
SO TODAY, I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION OVER LUNCH WITH SOMEONE IN CONSTRUCTION, AND HE WAS TELLING ME THAT, UM, HE'S HAVING DIFFICULT TIME WITH, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS.
AND THE SUBCONTRACTORS SPECIFICALLY ARE SHUTTING DOWN SHOP.
AND SO, AND HE SAID, AND US WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER SO WE COULD EAT THESE COSTS, RIGHT.
BUT FOR OTHERS THEY CAN'T MM-HMM.
AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE LOOKING INTO SUBCONTRACTORS SPECIFICALLY, OR HOW, HOW WE LOOK AT, AT THAT DEMOGRAPHIC.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE, I MEAN, BY ALL MEANS, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING AFTER THE PRIME CONTRACTORS, BUT FOR THOSE WHO EVEN WANT TO GET ON
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HIS SUBCONTRACTORS, UM, JIM WELCOMES THEM INTO HIS PROGRAM, AND THERE'S EVEN A, A CLASS ON SUBCONTRACTOR BONDING THAT HE HAS, THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO THEM.SO BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU HAVE FOLKS IN THAT CATEGORY, PUSH THEM OUR WAY.
UM, WE WANT TO HELP THEM BEYOND EVEN BONDING ASSISTANCE WITH OUR OTHER PROGRAMS. GREAT.
AND THEN, UM, WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR MARKETING PLAN LOOK LIKE? SO I MM-HMM.
SO WE CREATED A MARKETING PLAN TO GUIDE, UM, ALAMO BONDS ON THAT EFFORT.
UM, THEY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE, UM, PRINT MEDIA, ALSO DIGITAL EFFORTS, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA, THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO GET THE WORD OUT.
AND IT INCLUDES OVER, I BELIEVE, OVER 30 DIFFERENT SMALL BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE OUR OWN EFFORTS INTERNALLY, BUT THAT JIM'S ALSO REACHING OUT AND OFFERING TO SHOW UP TO A MEETING.
THEY MAY HAVE A MONTHLY MEETING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION OR AT LEAST WALK AROUND HANDING OUT FLYERS OR HAVING BOOTHS.
HE HAS TO DEMONSTRATE ALL THIS.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'LL MEASURE HIS EFFORTS AGAINST THOSE ASPIRATIONAL GOALS YOU SAW IN THERE.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE WHAT HIS EFFORTS WERE, IF ANY OF THOSE WEREN'T MET.
AND THE WORKFORCE, OR I THINK IT'S AN ACADEMY THEY'RE CALLING IT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
F Y I, SO WHEN IT'S COMING UP IN THE FALL.
UM, AND THEN DOES FINANCE AND PUBLIC WORKS HAVE A LIST OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT SUBMITTED BIDS AND I'M, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE TARGETING THEM AUTOMATICALLY? YES.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO USE THE PERMITS PROGRAM WITH D S D? HMM.
WE CAN DEFINITELY COORDINATE WITH THEM MOVING FORWARD, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, OR MAYBE THAT, THAT MIGHT BE AN UNTAPPED MARKET.
UM, AND THEN WHICH LENDING INSTITUTIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED? DID YOU GIVE THAT LIST? I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT.
SO I DIDN'T PROVIDE THE LISTING.
THERE'S ABOUT 25 LENDING INSTITUTIONS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE A LOT OF 'EM ARE MORE LOCAL BASED YEAH.
SO WE'LL BE ROLLING THAT OUT SOON.
THE, UM, ASPIRATIONAL GOALS SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY WERE MET FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND FOR HISPANIC AMERICAN, BUT FOR WOMEN IT'S UNDER, IT'S AT 10%.
AND FOR VETERANS IT'S ALSO, UH, AT 10, WELL, ACTUALLY THAT ONE WAS MET OR, BUT THE WOMEN SPECIFICALLY, SO TELL ME ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT SURE THING.
SO TO BE CLEAR, LIKE IT'S WOMEN OWNED AND, AND ASIAN OWNED BUSINESSES, I BELIEVE, WHO ARE NOT MEETING THE GOAL.
SO THE MA MARKETING PLAN WE PUT IN PLACE HAS THOSE ORGANIZATIONS VERY MUCH TIED TO IT, THAT FOCUSES ON, LET'S SAY, WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION OR ASIAN BUSINESS CONTRACTORS.
WE WILL HAVE TO RAMP UP EFFORTS TO THEM ON MAKING SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THE PROGRAM TO COME IN.
IS THERE A LIMIT? I MEAN, I GUESS IT'S JUST A FUNDING.
WE, WE WERE TARGETING ABOUT 30 A YEAR.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, COURSE WE THINK AROUND 10 COULD GET FUNDED.
AND THEN I SAW ON THAT LAST SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE THAT OUR TARGET IS PRIME CONTRACTORS WHO ATTEND FREE SUBMITTAL CONFERENCES OR WHO ARE ALREADY CURRENTLY BID ON CITY CONTRACTS.
UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHY WE DON'T OUTREACH TO THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT ALREADY BID AS, AS PRIME CONTRACTORS, BECAUSE MAYBE THEY'RE THE ONES WITH THE LIMITED ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
AND SO, UM, AND WITH OBTAINING THAT CERTAIN BONDING CAPACITY LEVEL MM-HMM.
SO, JIM'S DOING A GREAT JOB OF GETTING FOLKS WHO'VE PROBABLY NEVER BID WITH US AND AREN'T ON A CITY PROJECT.
THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF TARGETING ANOTHER GROUP OF BUSINESSES WHO MAYBE ARE BIDDING ON LOWER LEVEL CONTRACTS, BUT WANT TO GO TO A MILLION OR 2 MILLION.
SO MAKING SURE THEY KNOW THE PROGRAM IS THERE FOR THEM AS WELL.
I THINK I KEEP THINKING OF JANE AND TALKING ABOUT THE TEENAGE COMPANIES, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN CAN WE INCLUDE ADDITIONAL, UM, GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF NEW BIDDERS MM-HMM.
SO IT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN US AND ALAMO SURETY BONDS.
WE'LL BE APPROACHING THOSE LENDING ENTITIES MUTUALLY.
WHAT ABOUT THE OVERALL PILOT EVALUATION? SO THAT DOES LIE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SOLELY.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, MIKE? MM-HMM.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THE PROGRESS YOU'VE MADE.
UM, THIS IS EXACTLY THE DIRECTION I WAS HOPING WE'D GO IN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE GREAT FOR, UH, HELPING SMALL MICRO BUSINESSES GROW AND BE ABLE TO DO BUSINESS WITH OUR CITY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE COMPETITION THEN, AND IT'S GONNA DELIVER MORE VALUE FOR OUR TAXPAYERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE WOMEN BUSINESSES, UM, AND THAT NUMBER, UH, I FEEL LIKE IT, I FEEL LIKE IT MAY BE SOMETHING IN OUR, UM,
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OUR ADVERTISEMENT POSSIBLY, UM, IN, IN THAT'S NOT MAKING THE CONNECTION.SO I THINK WE NEED TO, TO REVIEW HOW WE'RE GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT TO THOSE WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, UM, AND THE, UM, AND THE, UH, ASIAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES ALSO AGREED.
SO IF WE COULD JUST WORK ON THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS.
UM, THANK YOU MR. LINDELL FOR, FOR COMING.
AGAIN, THANKS FOR, UH, LENDING THESE, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES AT HAND.
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS A BRIEFING ON OUR BILOCAL ASSESSMENT.
I'M A MANAGER, UH, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT BILOCAL.
THE CITY'S FIRST INITIATIVE, UH, WITH BILOCAL, WHICH YOU MAY RECOGNIZE WAS THE BILOCAL GROW S A INITIATIVE.
AND IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH MY ESTRO ENTREPRENEUR CENTER.
UH, ESSENTIALLY IT IS A FREE CENTRALIZED DATABASE THAT BUSINESSES COULD PARTICIPATE AND IT WOULD OFFER RESOURCES.
AND IT WAS THE FIRST STEP INTO BRINGING AWARENESS TO BUY LOCAL CULTURE IN SAN ANTONIO.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, WE OFFERED THE FIRST BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS BRINGING AWARENESS, UH, DURING THE HOLIDAY TIME TO BUYING FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND THAT WAS LEADING US INTO CONDUCTING A BILOCAL ASSESSMENT IN EARLY 2022.
UM, THOSE, THE FINDINGS OF THAT ASSESSMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION LAST SUMMER.
AND THEN JUST RECENTLY, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE UPDATED THEM ON, UM, THE RESULTS OF C CIVIC ECONOMICS STUDY AND, UH, BUY LOCAL NEXT STEPS.
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT WHEN IT COMES TO GOALS FOR BUY LOCAL? WELL, WE WANNA BETTER UNDER OR OF THE ASSESSMENT, WE WANT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR.
UM, AND WHAT IS THE VALUE OF BUYING LOCAL? HOW CAN WE PUT, UM, MARKET SHARE, UH, NUMBERS TO THAT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW IT IN A QUANTITATIVE MA MANNER? AND THEN HOW DO WE IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP A BUY LOCAL CULTURE IN SAN ANTONIO? THERE WERE TWO WAYS THAT WHICH WE DID THIS.
ONE WAS A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, AND THAT WAS, UM, THE QUALITATIVE SIDE OF IT, CONDUCTED BY JAMIE HOLLY CONSULTING.
UM, SHE CONDUCTED COMMUNITY-WIDE SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, SPOKE WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO GET FEEDBACK TO PUT TOGETHER THE ASSESSMENT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
VERY UNIQUE CULTURE AND, UH, LEVERAGE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN ON QUANTITATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS, THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY CIVIC ECONOMICS.
AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE, UM, MATT CUNNINGHAM, UM, JOINING US VIRTUALLY, UM, FROM CIVIC ECONOMICS, AND HE'LL BE AVAILABLE LATER FOR QUESTIONS.
BUT, UH, THAT ANALYSIS WAS TO ESTIMATE WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A 10% SHIFT TO, UM, CONSUMER BEHAVIOR TO BUY MORE LOCAL.
SO, ASSESSMENT FINDINGS SHOW THAT OVERALL SANTON ARE REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF BUY LOCAL.
THEY HAVE AWARENESS, BUT THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VALUES AND THEIR ACTIONS.
IN FACT, ONLY 35% OF, UM, OUR, OUR LOCALS ARE SHOPPING BY, UH, GOING TO LOCAL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS OR RESTAURANTS MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE, UH, ECONOMICALLY TO SHIFT TO CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, QUANTITATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS.
SO THAT IS WHAT CIVIC ECONOMICS WORKED ON, AND THAT'S TO MEASURE THE CURRENT STATE OF INDEPENDENT RETAIL AND RESTAURANT BUSINESSES IN THE CITY.
AND WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GROWING THOSE BUSINESSES? THE, THE COMPONENTS OF THAT STUDY INCLUDE, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT THE LOCAL MARKET SHARE OF CHAINS AS COMPARED TO LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.
UM, THE, THE DATA'S AVAILABLE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL FOR CHAINS, AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL THAT TOGETHER AND DEDUCE FROM THAT WHAT THE MARKET SHARE OF LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES IS.
THERE WAS ALSO A SURVEY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND THEY PAIRED THAT WITH NATIONAL, UM, NATIONAL SURVEY STATISTICS THAT THEY HAD FROM MORE THAN 300 SURVEYS IN 21 MARKETS.
AND THEN THE ESTIMATE IS, UH, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR A 10% INCREASE IN THE MARKET SHARE? UH, 10% INCREASE IS ISN'T A, A NUMBER THAT THEY USE TO PUT FRAMEWORK AROUND.
SO WE CAN, AND PUT SOME MEASUREMENTS TO IT, BUT IT'S ALSO, UM, SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY COULD DO.
10% IS NOT THAT MUCH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENT CHOICES IN THE WEEK.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HEAD OVER TO, YOU KNOW, YOUR EARTH BURGER INSTEAD OF, UH, MCDONALD'S IF YOU'RE GOING, UH, FOR FAST FOOD THAT DAY.
SO THERE WERE SEVERAL IN THE RETAIL CATEGORY THAT WERE CONSIDERED, AS WELL AS FULL SERVICE RESTAURANTS AND LIMITED SERVICE RESTAURANTS,
[00:25:01]
LIMITED SERVICE RESTAURANTS IS FAST FOOD.SO TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT THE NUMBERS.
SO SAN ANTONIO CONSUMERS SPEND LESS ON MAJOR RETAIL CHAINS.
SO WE WANT THE NUMBER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOR SAN ANTONIO TO BE LOWER THAN THE TEXAS AVERAGE AND THE UNITED STATES AVERAGE.
BUT THERE'S A VERY BIG CONSIDERATION HERE, AND THAT'S THAT H E B IS CONSIDERED A LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS.
SO THEY ARE BRINGING THAT, THAT MARKET SHARE DOWN FOR US.
UM, SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HAIR SALONS, COFFEE SHOPS, UM, IN GENERAL AND MARKET SHARE OF MAJOR RESTAURANTS.
UH, SAN ANTONIO CONSUMERS ARE SPENDING MORE AT MAJOR CHAIN RESTAURANTS.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING.
OF COURSE, WE'RE A CITY OF ASTRONOMY.
WE HAVE, UM, LOTS OF GREAT CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO LOCALLY INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS.
ONE THING THAT THE STUDY DID POINT OUT IS SOME OF THOSE ARE, AS SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO GROW, AND THOSE URBAN AREAS ARE DEVELOPING, THERE'S MORE CHAIN, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING IN.
AND THAT'S AFFECTING THE NUMBER SHOWING SAN ANTONIO IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UH, FOR CHAIN RESTAURANTS, LIMITED SERVICE RESTAURANTS.
WE'RE IN LINE WITH TEXAS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE UNITED STATES FOR BOTH.
BUT THERE ARE LESS OPTIONS, UM, IN THAT CATEGORY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO LOCALLY OWNED RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS, THEY RECIRCULATE REVENUE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH FIVE MAIN MECHANISMS. THAT'S PROFIT PAID TO LOCAL OWNERS.
SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO OUR, OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK TO A CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS.
THE WAGES ARE PAID TO LOCAL EMPLOYEES TO LOCAL EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S THE CASE AS WELL WITH CHAINS.
BUT, UM, LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, ARE ALSO GONNA PROCURE GOODS AND SERVICES LOCALLY MORE OFTEN.
UH, AND THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, PRODUCE GOODS FOR RESALE THAT ARE MORE OFTEN COMING FROM OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UM, THERE'S A, A, A VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY CALLED PLENTIFUL SWEETS ON MAIN STREET.
UM, THEY C UH, THEY CARRY TACOS FROM THE PLANT OF KOREA THAT JUST OPENED, UH, A STOREFRONT ON BROADWAY.
AND THEY'RE ALSO SELLING, UH, A VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE BREAD FROM SWEET POTATO BAKERY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A STOREFRONT.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE KEEPING IT CLOSE AND HELPING EACH OTHER, UM, AND KEEPING THE DOLLARS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO CHARITABLE GIVING, LOCAL, INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES ARE TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GIVE BACK TO CHARITY, UH, THAN CHAIN BUSINESSES.
SO INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES RECIRCULATE A FAR HIGHER PROPORTION OF REVENUE THAN CHAINS.
LOOKING AT, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE RECIRCULATION OF REVENUE HERE, SPECIFICALLY AT INDEPENDENT RETAILERS AND THEIR CHAIN COMPETITORS, THAT'S 52 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR IS STAYING IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR LOCALLY INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES, UH, COMPARED TO ONLY 13 CENTS.
WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT CHAIN RETAILERS, IT'S EVEN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER FOR, UH, INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS.
64 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR STAYING IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND 30 CENTS, UH, AS COMPARED TO 30 CENTS FOR THE CHAIN RESTAURANTS.
A 10% MAR SHIFT IN MARKET SHARE TO INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES WOULD PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT.
IT WOULD PRODUCE, UH, 6,000 MORE JOBS, $267 MILLION IN LOCAL EARNINGS, AND AN OVERALL $720 MILLION TOTAL IMPACT.
SO, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, RECAPPING SAN ANTONIO CONSUMERS ARE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, BUYING FROM LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS, BUT THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VALUES AND THE ACTIONS.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, IN UNIQUE, UH, HISTORY AND CULTURE, UM, AND A CITY OF ASTRONOMY DIVERSITY HERE TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE FOR, UH, BUILDING A BILOCAL CULTURE.
AND THE ASSESSMENT FOUND, UH, THAT A RECOMMENDATION OF A CITYWIDE EFFORT TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT STEPS IN AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN? UM, THE, UH, IN THE, THE, THE SOLICITATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, UM, THAT WE RELEASED LAST SUMMER AND ACTUALLY WAS EVALUATED OVER THE FALL TIME, JUST RECENTLY WENT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL IN APRIL.
UH, THE SOLICITATION INCLUDED A LOCALISM, UM, AS, AS ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE DID NOT RECOMMEND, UH, PUTTING FORTH A VENDOR FOR THAT AS, UM, THE, IT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH, UH, THE VISION FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, TYPE OF EFFORT.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ENGAGE JAMIE HOLLY.
UM, SHE CONDUCTED THE, UH, COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT
[00:30:01]
THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.UM, SO SHE HELPED TO BUILD SOMETHING IN CHARLESTON, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
SHE BUILT A LOCAL FIRST ALLIANCE.
UM, SHE HAS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
SO ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS IS WHY DO WE WANNA BRING SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE TO BUILD BY LOCAL HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? WELL, SHE'S GONNA BE A FACILITATOR.
THIS IS VERY MUCH GOING TO BE A LOCAL EFFORT.
THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF WHAT'S, UH, GOING TO PUT TOGETHER A LOCAL FIRST ALLIANCE FOR SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO INCLUDE LOCALS.
AND SHE WOULD SUBCONTRACT WITH A LOCAL LIAISON, BUILD A STEERING COMMITTEE OF SIX TO 10 LOCAL LEADERS, AND CONVENE WORKING GROUPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ENGAGE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS MODEL AND AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE MOVING FORWARD.
AND TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT BUSINESS MODEL.
UM, THERE WILL BE COMMUNITY INPUT AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO OVERALL, UM, ONCE STARTED, THAT PROCESS WOULD TAKE ABOUT A YEAR, UM, FROM START TO FINISH.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
SORRY, IS THIS, IS THIS MONEY ALREADY DESIGNATED? SO WE'VE MADE THE DECISION, THIS IS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IS GOING FOR A PLAN TO PAY FOR A PLAN.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION.
THIS MONEY WAS DESIGNATED IN THE ARPA SMALL BUSINESS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO LET ME, UH, LET ME TELL YOU, UH, SOME OF THE ISSUES I HAVE WITH THIS, UH, DISTRICT THREE, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS RIGHT NOW, THEY, THEY LIKE TO EAT AT CHANG'S.
I MEAN, I, THAT IS, THAT IS A SHIFT IN THINKING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE GREAT LOCAL RESTAURANTS, BUT I HAVE A CHINESE RESTAURANT AND MY RESIDENTS STILL STILL TELL ME THEY WANNA P F CHANG'S.
SO BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY THAT FEELS LIKE THIS IS THEIR TREAT TO GO OUT TO A CHEDDAR'S TO GO OUT TO A BJ'S ON THE WEEKEND.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW SOMEONE NOT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO COME IN AND, AND CHANGE THAT AND ADDRESS THAT.
AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW, NINE OTHER COLLEAGUES THAT ARE GONNA TELL ME IT'S DIFFERENT SOMEWHERE ELSE DOWN IN THE PEARL LOCAL, DOWN IN THE PEARL WORKS WORKS GREAT FOR SOME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT THREE, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST AREA.
SO THEY LIKE THEIR RESTAURANT ROW AT ONE END OF MILITARY DRIVE AND THE OTHER, SO I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT'S GOING TO HELP.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO GO TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING THE MARKET DAYS ARE, UM, ARE SOAP MAKERS THAT CAN'T QUITE GET THAT BRICK AND MORTAR STORE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO GO TO A PLAN TO TELL ME WHAT MY COMMUNITY THINKS.
UM, SO I I I HAVE, I HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS WITH THAT.
UH, I I, WE UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCILMAN.
AND, AND THEN JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A PLAN TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN.
THIS IS THROUGH THE ASSESSMENT, BOTH THE QUALITATIVE PIECE THAT JAMIE ORIGINALLY COMPLETED AND SUPPORTED BY THE DATA FROM THE QUANTITATIVE ANA, UM, ANALYSIS THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND CERTAINLY IT'S, IT'S NOT AN, AN EITHER OR, IT'S NOT.
WE, YOU KNOW, SHOP AT CHANGE, OR WE SHOP AT LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.
BUT IN, IN, AND, AND I'M, THERE'S A GREAT, UM, LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS ALL ACROSS THE CITY, NOT NECESSARILY IN THE RESTAURANT SPACE, IN THE RETAIL SPACE, THE, THE VENDORS AT TRADER'S VILLAGE AND, AND THE VARIOUS, UM, UM, MARKETS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO IT'S, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THEM THROUGH, UM, AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS LOCALLY FOCUSED.
SO WE KNOW WE HAVE OUR, OUR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, BUT THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S NOT ONLY FOCUSED TO PROMOTING BUYING LOCAL, BUT DEVELOPING THOSE LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.
UM, AND, AND ALMOST SERVING AS AN ADDITIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, BUT WITH A FOCUS TOWARDS THOSE LOCAL INDEPENDENTS.
WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE WANTING TO EXPAND FROM, UM, HAVING A, A SIDE HUSTLE WEEKEND JOB TO HAVING THAT BRICK AND MORTAR EVENTUALLY, UM, TO THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED, UH, LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS.
SO THIS IS REALLY DEVELOPING SOMETHING THAT SUPPORTS THEM GOING FORWARD.
AND, AND SEE WHAT I HEAR IS YOU'RE DOING WHAT THE CHAMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
AND I'VE GOT TWO CHAMBERS THAT ARE STILL LOOKING FOR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR PRESIDENT AND C E O.
UM, THE OTHER THING I'M HEARING AGAIN, IS NOT THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, BECAUSE I WISH ALL MY LOCAL WERE AT TRADERS VILLAGE, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
THEY'RE UP AND DOWN ROOSEVELT'S, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP POP-UP TENTS.
SO I, I JUST, DATA ASIDE, 'CAUSE WHAT I REALLY SEE IS RESTAURANT DATA AND RE RE RETAIL DATA.
AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WHERE EVERYBODY'S SHOPPING ONLINE
[00:35:01]
AT AMAZON.AND I'VE GOT AN AMAZON DISTRIBUTOR IN DISTRICT THREE, UH, STATION THAT, SO I, SO MY RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE BY LOCAL AMAZON'S AT BROOKS, I AM BUYING LOCAL.
SO I JUST, I, I, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY TO DO WHAT I EXPECT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCES TO DO, BECAUSE WHAT I REALLY ANTICIPATED WAS REALLY HELPING THOSE MARKET PEOPLE, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF MY ROOSEVELT STREET GET INTO EITHER THE FLEA MARKET OR MARKET DAYS.
SO THEY'RE NOT UP AND DOWN ROOSEVELT.
AND, UM, I, AGAIN, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DONE IF THEY DON'T KNOW THE COMMUNITY.
AND I, I HEAR COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND'S CONCERNS.
UM, I DO, BUT I DO, I DO THINK, OKAY, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR A 10, 10% SHIFT IN MARKET SHARE TO INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES COULD PRODUCE 267 MILLION IN LOCAL EARNINGS.
I'M THINKING IF, IF YOU ACHIEVE HALF THAT, THEN IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THERE SOME PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THEIR PREFERENCES OF, UH, CHAIN RESTAURANTS, AND SOME PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THEIR PREFERENCES OF INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS.
I WONDER HAVE, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU FACTORED IN OR TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT MAKES SAN ANTONIO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CITIES? WHEN WE WANT PEOPLE TO CHOOSE SAN ANTONIO, WHEN WE WANT PEOPLE TO, LIKE IF PEOPLE GO OFF TO COLLEGE IN ANOTHER CITY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THEY, THEY, THEY, UM, GAIN GREAT JOB SKILLS AND THEY BECOME PART OF THE TALENTED WORKFORCE AND THEY GET TO EXPERIENCE FOODS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.
AND THEN LIKE, WHAT MAKES THEM COME BACK? YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE OFFERING THAT'S UNIQUE? BECAUSE CHAIN RESTAURANTS, YOU CAN, YOU CAN EAT THE SAME THING EVERYWHERE.
SO LIKE, WHAT DO YOU CARE IF YOU LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO VERSUS DALLAS VERSUS AUSTIN VERSUS NEW YORK IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE JUST EATING AT CHAIN RESTAURANTS.
BUT WHAT ARE WE, HAVE YOU TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT UNIQUE OPTIONS WE HAVE HERE AND HOW, WHAT THAT IMPACT IS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF KEEPING A TALENTED WORKFORCE HERE WHEN POST PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TALENTED WORKERS CAN CHOOSE TO WORK REMOTELY AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE ANYWHERE.
I, I THINK THAT'S A KEY PIECE OF HAVING A, A BILOCAL FOCUS FOCUSED ORGANIZATION, IS THAT THEY CAN HIGHLIGHT THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT MAKE US UNIQUE, UM, AND BRING IT TO THE FOREFRONT.
BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THOSE, THOSE HIDDEN GEMS, BUT OFTEN THEY STAY HIDDEN BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ONE, SOMEONE OR AN ORGANIZATION ADV ADVOCATING, UM, ADVERTISING, BRINGING TO THE FOREFRONT THOSE, THOSE GROUPS.
SO HAVING THAT CONCENTRATED FOCUS THAT HAS REPRESENTATION FROM ALL THOSE GROUPS, THAT HAS THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT MAKE, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO UNIQUE AND THAT DESTINATION, UM, AND ALSO SOMETHING FOR LOCALS TO SHARE IN THAT RAISE THAT LIFTS THOSE ORGANIZATIONS UP AND DEVELOPS THEIR CAPACITY ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JAMIE HAS REALLY BROUGHT THROUGH THIS TO THE FOREFRONT OF NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT DO THIS.
AND WHETHER IT'S HAVING FOOD FESTIVALS OR MARKET DAYS OR FARMER'S MARKETS, YOU SEE THESE THINGS SPRINGING UP ORGANICALLY BECAUSE THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY, THOSE NETWORKS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT IS THE LACK OF CONNECTIVITY AND NETWORKS AMONGST THOSE LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.
THEY HAVE THAT NEXUS NOW THAT ANCHOR ORGANIZATION THAT IS, UM, AGNOSTIC OF GEOGRAPHY THAT SAYS WE ARE LOCAL.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE REAL BENEFIT AND THE OPPORTUNITY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IS CREATING THAT, THAT CONNECTIVITY IN THOSE MARKETS THAT SPAWNS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS LOCAL? HOW DO YOU DEFINE LOCAL, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT I THINK ABOUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, SOME, THERE MIGHT BE A, A NATIONAL RESTAURANT CHAIN, BUT SOMEBODY WHO LIVES HERE HAS AN INDEPENDENT FRANCHISE, AND SO THEY MIGHT DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS LOCAL AND GIMME A SECOND.
SO, SO THEN THERE'S, OR THERE MIGHT BE, UM, SOMEBODY WHO HAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A A CHAIN OF BARS, RIGHT? UM, AND IT'S THE SAME BAR, BUT THEY BRAND THEM DIFFERENTLY IN EACH CITY, RIGHT.
AND MAYBE THEY, THEY, SO IT'S A UNIQUE BAR.
IT'S THE ONLY BAR IN THE NATION THAT HAS THAT NAME, YOU KNOW, UM, EVEN BUT THE, THE OWNER DOESN'T LIVE HERE AND IT'S PART OF A, YOU KNOW, A CHAIN OF THESE.
UM, AND VERSUS, AND, YOU KNOW, DO SOME OF THOSE GET LIKE A PARTIAL CREDIT OF BEING LOCAL IF IT'S, IF IT'S INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AN INDEPENDENT FRANCHISE AND THE OWNER LIVES HERE, OR, YOU KNOW, ARE WE ONLY SAYING THIS IS A UNIQUE RESTAURANT THAT IS SOLELY OWNED HERE? ALL THE REVENUE STAYS HERE? I DON'T YEAH.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE WAY THE REPORT WAS ANALYZED, THEY DID NOT FACTOR IN FRANCHISES THAT WERE OWNED LOCALLY.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOCAL FIRST ALLIANCE AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND A LOCAL ECONOMY, ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF
[00:40:01]
FRANCHISE OWNERS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY OWNED SMALLER TYPE OF, UH, CHAINS, UM, WOULD EXACTLY BE CONSIDERED A CHAIN IF IT'S MOSTLY LOCAL, YOU KNOW? SURE.AND THEN, AND THEN I'M ALSO WONDERING, WHAT IF YOU'RE A, UM, A LOCAL INDEPENDENT RETAIL STORE THAT'S SELLING PRODUCTS THAT ARE MADE HERE LOCALLY VERSUS A LOCAL RETAIL STORE THAT'S SELLING STUFF THAT, AND IT'S, IT'S LOCALLY OWNED, BUT IT'S SELLING STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, IS MADE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT'S TRUE
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, STILL YOU HAVE THAT MULTIPLIER EFFECT IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY SELLING A VARIETY OF ITEMS. SOME OF THEM ARE LOCAL, UM, SOME MAY BE PURCHASED FROM OTHER SOURCES, BUT THEY'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, GOING TO OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES TO, UH, FOR THEIR LEGAL ADVICE OR BACK OFFICE SUPPORT OR FACILITY MAINTENANCE.
SO THAT STILL CREATES A MULTIPLIER EFFECT.
AND I, SO I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THINKING THAT THERE'S, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S VARIOUS SHADES OF LOCAL, AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU ALL THINK ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S ABOUT IT BEING AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
I'M THINKING OF, OF ROYAL BLUE GROCERY RIGHT THERE ON HOUSTON STREET, OBVIOUSLY NOT A LOCAL BUSINESS, BUT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY DO STOCK LOCAL GOODS.
THEY HAVE SUITES FROM MISS CHICKPEAS OUT ON A, UM, 10 IN CALLAHAN.
AND SO THEY'VE REALLY HAD AN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING LOCAL, INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES HERE.
SO I THINK THIS IS NOT ABOUT SAYING YOU'RE, YOU'RE FROM AUSTIN, YOU'RE NOT IN, IT'S HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE CONNECT MORE BUSINESSES LIKE ROYAL BLUE THAT, THAT WANNA COME HERE, BE GOOD, GOOD CITIZENS, GOOD BUSINESS MEMBERS, AND CONNECT THEM TO THOSE MISSED CHICKPEAS OF THE WORLD AND, AND GET THOSE PRODUCTS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY? SO I THINK THERE WOULD BE ROOM, THIS IS NOT, AGAIN, ABOUT PUSHING PEOPLE OUT, BUT HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THAT? THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, A A COUPLE OF THINGS, RIGHT? I, I SHARE THE SAME SENTIMENTS AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES REGARDING, UM, YOU KNOW, MINDSET, RIGHT? AND ULTIMATELY, I, I KNOW THE, THE PRESENTATION SITES THAT THERE'S A, A DISCONNECT BETWEEN LIKE VALUE AND THEN THE ACTION, RIGHT? I THINK A HUGE PIECE OF THAT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE NATION'S, UH, MOST IMPOVERISHED ZIP CODES, AND YOU CAN HAVE LOCAL SHOPS, BUT IF OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO SHOP THERE, RIGHT? THAT DOESN'T BENEFIT THE BUSINESS.
AND OUR CONSTITUENTS DON'T HAVE THE CAPITAL TO PURCHASE, UH, AT THESE SPACES.
AND I JUST HEARD THIS LAST WEEK FROM ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS, LIKE, UM, SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PEARL AND SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE COULD WALK AROUND IT, BUT SHE CAN'T EAT THERE, SHE CAN'T SHOP THERE.
AND THERE'S A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF LOCAL BUSINESSES THERE, RIGHT? UM, BUT I'M SURE IF SHE HAD THE CAPITAL AND THE INCOME, SHE'D BE ABLE TO ENJOY THOSE, UH, AMENITIES.
SO I THINK A PIECE IN THIS STUDYING CONVERSATIONS THAT'S MISSING IS FOLKS HAVING THE CAPITAL AND THE RESOURCES TO AFFORD MANY OF THESE, UH, LUXURIES, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE DEFI RESIDENTS DO SHOP LOCAL, BUT WE'RE GOING TO D FOUR AND D THREE TO THE MISSION AND THE PETITE FREE MARKET
AND YES, I'M TREATING MYSELF, BUT I CAN ENJOY IT.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A, A MISSING COMPONENT.
UM, AND, AND I DO SHARE SENTIMENTS, RIGHT? THERE'S, UM, I KNOW THE MEMO MENTIONS RIGHT, THAT THERE IS A UNIQUENESS TO SAN ANTONIO AND ITS RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE, BUT I THINK THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING, GROUNDING THAT NEEDS TO, TO HAPPEN TO YOU TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE NEXT STEPS ON HOW TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, UM, AND SORT OF TO ECHO COUNCILMAN
SO THERE, THERE'S SOME SORT OF A MENTALITY, UM, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH.
I THINK THAT TELLING THE MESSAGE OF HOW WE COULD HELP EACH OTHER MORE IF WE SHIFT THAT MENTALITY IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
UM, BUT THEN I DO ALSO ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF COUNCILMAN CASTILLO.
I MEAN, I JUST SHOPPING AROUND THE PEARL, LIKE IT'S WINDOW SHOPPING FOR A LOT OF US ACTUALLY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE DRESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN, UM, GET AT TRADERS' VILLAGE FOR $35 ARE LIKE $400 AT THE PEARL, AND I GET IT, THERE'S A MARKUP BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAVELERS.
LIKE, LITERALLY, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, I, I'VE GOTTA HOLD ON THIS, RIGHT? BEAUTIFUL DRESSES, AND I GET THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL TO TOURISTS.
BUT BACK TO COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S POINT IS THAT MY RESIDENTS CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
AND BY THE WAY, TO PARK EITHER.
SO I KNOW RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE THIS, THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM, LIKE THROUGH JUNE 30TH, I THINK FROM 10 TO TWO YOU GET FREE PARKING, BUT THAT'S
[00:45:01]
MORE ANGLED AT BUSINESSES AND AT US WHO WORK DOWNTOWN AND WHO CAN GO AND HAVE LUNCH AT THE PEARL, RIGHT? UM, AND SO I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A DISCONNECT THERE.AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL GO, WE, WE CAN GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UM, OR, OR IN A, IN A DIFFERENT, UM, REGARD BECAUSE I THINK THAT OUR AREAS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE ARE REALLY UNIQUE IN THAT I THINK THAT WE TRY TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND, UH, AND, AND DO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR POPUPS.
LIKE I, I, I BOUGHT FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AT A POPUP ON SATURDAY.
LIKE, I LITERALLY STOP, I MAKE IT A POINT TO TRY TO STOP AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, FORGET, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T COME OUT OR THEY DON'T DRIVE OUT INTO THAT AREA.
AND THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES THERE.
UM, WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DID YOU GET FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION AFTER THE ASSESSMENT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM? UH, LAST JULY.
CAN YOU REMIND ME? UM, AFTER THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT, THERE WAS A, A LOT OF, OF THIS, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR CONCERNS ON MAKING SURE THAT IF SOMETHING IS BUILT, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE SAN ANTONIO FOCUSED.
UM, THAT THE IDEA OF NEEDING TO CONNECT THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES WAS DEFINITELY A NEED.
THEY HAD HEARD THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, UM, AND, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW AND, AND DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, AND, AND, UH, WE, WHEN WE PRESENTED IT AGAIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AGAIN, EMPHASIS ON BUILDING SOMETHING FOR SAN ANTONIO AND INCORPORATING THOSE VOICES FROM THE, THE BUSINESSES.
SO I, I, I THINK WE, WE HEAR THAT LOUD AND CLEAR AND, AND WANNA BE ENGAGED WITH, WITH THEM, UM, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE WITH, WITH THE ARPA DOLLARS TO, TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING AND, AND TO GENERATE THAT INTERNAL DEMAND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN TOURISM WENT AWAY DURING THE PANDEMIC, IF WE HAVE A MECHANISM TO KEEP THAT DEMAND GOING, AND PEOPLE KNOW OF THE WONDERFUL POPUPS THAT ARE HAPPENING ORGANICALLY, UM, IN DISTRICTS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, THAT THEY CAN GO TO THOSE BECAUSE THERE IS A MARKET FOR THAT JUST AS MUCH AS THERE IS A MARKET FOR GOODS AT, AT THE PEARL, THERE'S A MARKET FOR THE, YOU KNOW, ARTISAN THINGS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, YOU KNOW, AND MADE ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE WANNA STAY ENGAGED WITH THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE, BUT CONCERNED ABOUT BUILDING SOMETHING FOR US.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, UH, THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE LES
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING WITH PALO ALTO COLLEGE, WE'RE, THEY'RE INVITING, UH, FOOD TRUCKS AS WELL.
ONE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR IS A KETO FRIENDLY TRUCK.
AND SO THAT'S NEVER BEEN SEEN LIKE TO ME IN THE SOUTH SIDE, RIGHT? AND, BUT WE NEED IT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DIABETES AND ALL SORTS OF ISSUES ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF SMALL BUSINESS THAT I THINK ABOUT.
RIGHT? AND SO, AND I, IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I'M DRIVING DOWN AND I LIVE THERE, AND SO I SEE THIS ALL OF THE TIME.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY MIND GOES WHEN I THINK OF THAT.
BUT THEN CAN I GET A COPY OF THE CIVIC ECONOMICS REPORT? OR, OR WHERE CAN I FIND THAT? AND REMIND ME WHO PAID FOR THAT? WAS IT OUT OF E D D? YES.
WE, WE WILL GET, UH, A COPY OF THAT TO YOU.
AND YES, IT, IT WAS PAID FOR, UM, WITH FUNDS FROM THE E D D BUDGET.
AND SO WHAT'S THE REASONING FOR USING THE $475,000 FOR, BECAUSE IT SAYS, FOR A BUSINESS MODEL, FOR A FIRST LOCAL ALLIANCE AND FACILITATE ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO, AND I KNOW THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED TO COUNCILMAN BRAN, WELL, THIS ISN'T, UH, UH, FUNDING A PLAN.
SO CAN, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE THEN BETWEEN THE BUSINESS MODEL THAT YOU ALL ARE REFERENCING IN THE FIRST LOCAL ALLIANCE VERSUS WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU WERE, UM, TRYING TO DESCRIBE? SO WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING WITH THIS FUNDING TO ENGAGE WITH, WITH JAMIE HALEY IS SAYING, OKAY, JA, WE HAVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE COULD DO WITH IT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT HAVING A PLAN THAT SITS STATIC, BUT ACTUALLY ENGAGING THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF LOCAL LEADERS, WORKING WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THAT MISSION, VISION AND GOALS, DEVELOP THE BRANDING, START TO ENGAGE THE BUSINESS.
SO REALLY SERVING AS AN ACCELERATOR TO GET US UP OFF THE GROUND BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE THE BLUEPRINT WE ARE IN, IN BUILD IT MODE.
SO TO SAY THAT IT'S JUST BUILDING THE PLAN AND LETTING IT SIT THERE.
UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT THIS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO END UP A YEAR AND NOW A YEAR FROM NOW COMING BACK TO REPORT TO THIS COMMITTEE ON THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE'VE ENACTED IT, AND, AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS WE'VE HAD THUS FAR.
SO WHAT PREVENTS US FROM DOING THAT THROUGH E D D, LIKE, WHY CAN'T WE DO IT AT E D D CAPACITY? OKAY.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THE STEERING COMMITTEE, AND I SEE IT ON THE BULLET POINTS ON THE LAST, UM, UH, PAGE HERE, BUT SO DO WE REALLY NEED A STEERING COMMITTEE? CAN IT GO THROUGH A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE? LIKE, LIKE, TELL ME ABOUT WHY THAT WAS RECOMMENDED? WE RECOMMEND THAT IT BE INDEPENDENT OF SPAC.
I THINK WORKING IN VERY CLOSE COORDINATION WITH
[00:50:01]
THEM.BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, AGAIN, ENGAGING THE BUSINESSES THAT MAY NOT BE ON SS A C, UM, THOSE VOICES THAT REALLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT DURING THIS, THAT ARE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, UM, WAS THE IDEA BEHIND HAVING SOMETHING COMPLETELY STANDALONE, WORKING WITH JAMIE, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING HOW, HOW DO WE DO THIS? UM, AND SO THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THAT.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED TO PROMOTE SPECIFICALLY LOCALISM AND TO SUPPORT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS? SO, UM, I MEAN, IN ADDITION TO THE ARPA FUNDING THAT WE WOULD USE TO GET THIS UP OFF THE GROUND, PART OF WHAT IT WOULD, UH, IN ENACTING THIS WOULD BE DEVELOPING THAT FINANCIAL MODEL, UM, TO CARRY IT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER, WHATEVER THE END PRODUCT IS AND, AND WHERE THAT LIVES IS, WHAT DOES THAT FINANCIAL MODEL TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
SO, UM, SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE, UM, THEY HAVE MEMBERSHIP FEES.
UM, OR THEY WILL HAVE, UM, PHILANTHROPIC, PHILANTHROPIC DONATIONS OR EVEN REACHING OUT TO THE CHAIN BUSINESSES TO FUND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO FILLING, FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE FUND THIS GOING FORWARD, MAKING SURE THAT ACCESSIBILITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT AND IF THERE IS A, A MEMBERSHIP THAT IT'S NOT A BARRIER TO THE BUSINESSES, UM, BUT SOMETHING THAT IF A BUSINESS DOES WANNA CONTRIBUTE TO THAT AND GET, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT, THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS WELL.
SO HOW MUCH MONEY OF THE 4 75 K IS GOING TO THE CONSULTING? SO THE CONSULTANTS' FEE WOULD BE, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS 98, 98, 90 $8,000, AND THE REST WOULD BE TO DO THE WORK.
AND SO TO DO THE WORK, DO SMALL BUSINESSES GET ANY OF A PORTION OF THE 475,000 THEN AT ALL? THEY GET THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE SERVICES, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE FUNDS DIRECTLY TO THE BUSINESS.
ALTHOUGH THEY, THEY COULD CHOOSE TO CONTRACT WITH A LOCAL PR FIRM OR WEBSITE DEVELOPER, I WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD LEVERAGE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES TO DO THAT WORK.
AND I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MY POINT WOULD, WOULD BEING LIKE, WE HAVE ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK ALREADY.
WE'VE KIND OF BEEN SITTING ON IT, WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY TO DO, SO WHY NOT JUST PUT TOGETHER A TOOLKIT AND GIVE THEM ALL OF THE PR AGENCIES THAT THEY COULD GO HIRE, ELIMINATE THE MIDDLEMAN, GIVE THAT 475,000 TO STRAIGHT, STRAIGHT TO THE, TO THE BUSINESSES TO EMPLOY OTHERS.
LIKE SAYING LIKE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS CONSIDERED, BUT I JUST THINK THAT AT, AT THIS POINT, RIGHT, OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND, AND RESTAURANT AND RETAIL INDUSTRY, THEY ARE CLEAR ON THE CHALLENGES THEY'RE FACING.
LIKE THERE'S JUST NO IFS ANDS, OR DOUBTS ABOUT IT.
AND SO, UM, UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR IS THAT MARKETING IS ONE OF THEM.
THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO SPIN ON THEIR MARKETING.
UM, BECAUSE THEY WOULD RATHER, THEY, THEY HAVE THIS, THEY ALSO HAVE THIS MENTALITY THAT THE FIRST THING THAT THEY SHOULD CUT IS THEIR MARKETING BUDGET, NOT REALIZING THAT YOU NEED TO BRING PEOPLE IN.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING, LIKE, WOULD IT BE, WOULD THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECONSIDER AND REALLY SHIFT AND COVER MARKETING EXPENSES FOR THE BY LOCAL, UM, LIKE FOR, FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO BUY IN? I, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS GETTING AT.
UM, BECAUSE I, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE IT'S ANOTHER, IT'S ANOTHER B D O I MEAN, NOT, NOT TO SAY THAT IT IS, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE, I'M SORRY, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHAT CHAMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND PEOPLE PAY INTO CHAMBERS.
THIS IS WHAT VISIT SAN ANTONIO SHOULD BE DOING.
THERE'S TWO OF US ON THE BOARD HERE.
THIS IS WHAT THE SAN ANTONIO RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, I KNOW A COLLEAGUE THAT IS VERY INVOLVED WITH THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, AND I JUST WOULD HATE NOT TO SPEND THAT, THAT MONEY IN THE RIGHT AREA.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT WAS CONSIDERED AT ALL.
AND YOU'RE RESEARCHING PROPOSAL YOU'RE DESCRIBING AS FAR AS MARKETING? YEAH.
MAKING SURE THAT WE AS LOCAL RESIDENTS KNOW WHERE WE CAN GO AND BUY CERTAIN THINGS YEAH.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THE R F P.
WELL, THAT BEING SAID, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET ANYBODY MM-HMM.
UM, WE DIDN'T, LIKE, NOBODY KIND OF UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
IT, IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS A WEBSITE THAT I COULD GO TO AND SAY, I WANNA BUY CANDLES, WHO ARE THE LOCAL CANDLE VENDORS THAT I COULD GO TO? YEAH.
BUT WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW.
CHAMBERS ARE NOT GONNA BE SELECTIVE TO JUST LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UM, AND THERE IS THAT COST PROHIBITIVENESS OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA PROMOTE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE THEIR MEMBERS.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S AN APPETITE AND SUPPORT TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE INCLUSIVE.
[00:55:01]
IT.AND ONE OF THE THINGS, AND ALEX, AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, IT REMINDED ME, SO METRO HEALTH HAS ALL OF THESE FOOD LICENSES, RIGHT? AND SO, SO IT, IT WOULD BE EASY TO KIND OF PLOT AND FILTER OUT THE CHAIN RESTAURANTS AND SEE LIKE, WHERE CAN I GO? BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S BACK TO TIE IN WITH THE SAN JOHN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND RESTAURANT WEEK, RIGHT? LIKE, HOW DO MY, MY, UH, RESTAURANTS IN MY AREA TIE IN WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS OFFERING ON THAT BIG LONG WEBSITE FROM KRIA, RIGHT? LIKE, I NEVER SEE A DE FOUR RESTAURANT PARTICIPATING IN IT, RIGHT? SO, SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, WHERE I'M GOING TO, AND I KNOW THAT THE SLIDE NUMBER 13, LIKE THAT'S A SHOCKER FOR ME, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST, UM, IF PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS, LIKE THEY WOULD MOVE, LIKE, LIKE I THINK THAT EVEN, LIKE EVEN THINKING IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE NORTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE, LIKE INVITING PEOPLE OVER TO, TO THE SOUTH SIDE TO TRY SOME OF THESE RESTAURANTS, ET CETERA, RIGHT? LIKE EVEN THAT, IT TO ME WOULD BE A STRONGER MARKETING TACTIC THAN JUST DOING WHAT, WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED TODAY.
BUT ANYWAY, SO I, I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM MY CHAIR AND ANY ANYONE ELSE ON FEEDBACK, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS, UM, THIS IS WHY COMMITTEES EXIST, RIGHT? IS SO THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS CAN HAPPEN DOWN HERE AND THAT WE CAN KICK THESE IDEAS AROUND AND SCRUB THEM.
UM, I'M, UH, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS VERY REAL CONVERSATION.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU THE WAY I VIEW THIS AS, UM, FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, THAN SOME OF THE COMMENTS I'VE HEARD TODAY.
UM, ONE OF THE ANXIETIES THAT I, I HEAR FROM SAN ANTONIANS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ONE GENERATION, IS THAT THE CITY IS GROWING WAY TOO FAST FOR THEM, AND THAT THE CHARACTER OF THE CITY IS CHANGING.
AND THEY, THEY FEAR THAT WE'RE NO LONGER THAT SMALL BIG TOWN OR THAT BIG SMALL TOWN, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND, AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE HEARD THAT SENTIMENT, RIGHT? THAT, UM, IN, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND ON THE NORTH SIDE, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE WAY WE HEAR IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMEN ALL VOTE FOR YOU, BUT YOU GOTTA GO TELL ALL THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE THAT WE'RE CLOSED FOR BUSINESS.
NO MORE BIG BUSINESSES COMING TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE STUDENTS AT U T S A NO MORE GROWTH, RIGHT? AND WHAT THEY'RE TELLING YOU IS WE'RE SICK OF THE TRAFFIC.
UH, AND ALSO I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN SAN ANTONIO WAS SLEEPY COOL.
AND I KNEW EVERYBODY, RIGHT? UM, AND IT MAKES THEM, AND THIS GROWTH, AND I THINK THE CORRECT WORD IS, IS EXPONENTIAL, RIGHT? WE'VE SEEN THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS EXPERIENCED EXPONENTIAL GROWTH THAT WE'RE THE NUMBER ONE FASTEST GROWING MUNICIPALITY DURING COVID, UM, IN TERMS OF POPULATION.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, UH, I I DO, I, I'D BE SURPRISED IF ALL OF US HADN'T HEARD THIS AT LEAST A FEW TIMES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, OVER OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR TENURES OF CITY COUNCIL SERVICE THAT, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND SAN ANTONIO'S GROWING.
I JUST DON'T WANT WHAT MAKES US US TO CHANGE, RIGHT? AND SO THE ONE THING THAT WE KNOW THAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT SAN ANTONIO IS OUR FOOD SCENE.
WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT? SO MUCH SO THAT THE UNITED NATIONS, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZED IT.
AND WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES ON THE PLANET THAT'S RECOGNIZED FOR THIS KIND OF DISTINCTION IN, UM, IN GASTRONOMY.
UM, AND PEOPLE DON'T COME HERE SO THEY CAN GO, YOU KNOW, TO THE TACO BELL BY U T S A, RIGHT? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE VISIT FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, UH, TO GO TRY
AND THAT NOISE IS THE PRODUCT OF BILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS FROM NATIONALLY OWNED CHAINS, RIGHT? I MEAN, TRY TO BREAK THROUGH IF YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ON YOUR TACOS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE FACE OF A NEW MCDONALD'S MCRIB CAMPAIGN, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S HARD.
SO WE'RE, UM, I I, I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD THING TO TALK ABOUT LOCALISM, RIGHT? UM, IF, IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PROTECTING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, BY WAY OF GIVING THEM A LITTLE BIT OF WIND IN THEIR SAILS WHEN IT'S TIME TO MARKET AGAINST THESE BEHEMOTHS, RIGHT? UM, I, I'M, I, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS LOCALISM THING, FOR ME IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC OF VA OF THE VALUE OF, YOU KNOW, MINDFULLY SPENDING THEIR DOLLAR, RIGHT? AND SO WE TELL PEOPLE, HEY, YOU KNOW, DON'T LITTER, UH, WE DO THAT.
WE ALSO TELL PEOPLE, HEY, YOU KNOW, EAT A LITTLE HEALTHIER, RIGHT? 'CAUSE 'CAUSE OF DIABETES, I MEAN, THAT SHOULD BE THE FUNCTION OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS AND GONZABA AND ALL THAT.
BUT WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT HEAVY LIFTING.
WE TELL PEOPLE, HEY, DON'T HIT YOUR SPOUSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT COULD BE THE HEALTH, THE, THE ROLE OF, OF OTHER AGENCIES.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO THAT COULD BE THE ROLE OF OTHER AGENCIES.
UM, BUT WE DO THEM BECAUSE, UM, MAYBE THOSE OTHER AGENCIES AREN'T OUT THERE NECESSARILY FIGHTING FOR THE SMALLEST AND MOST VULNERABLE.
SO I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, I THINK THAT CLEARLY YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD YOU, YOU'VE BEEN HEARING, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT IDEAS FLOATING AROUND HERE, BUT WE'RE ALL, I, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA SCRUB THIS, UH, AND POLISH IT UP TO WHERE WE'RE, WE'LL ALL BE ABLE TO REACH A POINT WHERE WE AGREE.
[01:00:01]
THE GOOD WORK AND, AND I'LL INVITE ANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES IF YOU WANNA JUMP BACK IN.HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
I, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, E EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR WHAT, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, UM, STATED ABOUT, UH, ENSURING THAT THESE DOLLARS GO BACK TO SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND HEARING THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? I THINK OF THE, THE, THE BDOS AND THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN TASKED TO DO, AND HOW CAN THESE FUNDS USE TO HELP THEM SCALE UP AND BUILD CAPACITY TO EXECUTE, UH, THE, THE BUSINESS MODELS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY, UH, RESEARCHED AND DONE SOME PLANNING ON.
UM, SO THAT WAY OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES OR SMALL BUSINESSES CAN SEE MATERIAL IMPACT ASAP, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND I'M JUST HESITANT TO SEE MORE FUNDING GOING TOWARDS CREATING AN ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE OR ALLIANCE, UM, TO DISCUSS THE FACILITATION OF PLANS THAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS CREATE AND, AND STUDY AND PLAN FOR.
UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE MORE PLANNING, UM, WHEN THE SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AND TO THE, THE COMMITTEE'S, UH, POINT, RIGHT? THE, THE CHAMBERS AS WELL, UM, ALL HAVE PLANS FOR THIS.
AND, AND ULTIMATELY WHAT I HEAR FROM, UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, PROSPER WEST AND WHAT I'VE SEEN FROM MARO IS, YOU KNOW, SCALING UP WOULDN'T HURT THEM TO HELP EXECUTE THESE PLANS.
UH, AND, AND JUST HESITANT TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT WAS IT, THE 98 GOING TOWARDS THE CONSULTANT AND THE REST BEING TO IDENTIFY A PLAN.
AND THEN THAT'S THE, THE BENEFIT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS IS A PLAN, UH, WHEN A, AGAIN, THESE SMALL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ALREADY CREATED A PLAN.
IT'S JUST SEEMS LIKE A DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS AND JUST OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE, ARE ASKING FOR HELP.
AND, UH, WE SAW THAT WITH, UM, OTHER PIECES, UH, WITH THE ARPA CONVERSATION THAT, THAT THEY NEED MATERIAL IMPROVEMENTS NOW AND SUPPORT NOW.
AND, AND I, I THINK OF, UM, I THINK OF THE KOVAL LIVING CENTER IN DISTRICT THREE WHO DIDN'T GET ANY ARPA DOLLARS BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T LOSE ENOUGH MONEY, NEEDS A NEW ROOF, UH, THAT LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES A SERVICE AND THIS ISN'T GOING TO HELP HER.
UH, AND THE OTHER THING IS SHE'LL TELL THE STORY WHERE SHE HAS HER EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR DECADES, HAS THE PERSON SHE WANTS TO TAKE TO TAKE OVER WHEN SHE RETIRES.
YOU, YOU HAVE THIS GREAT SLIDE ON 13 6,000 JOBS, 267 MILLION IN LOCAL EARNINGS.
BUT WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT, UM, HOURLY? BECAUSE THE OTHER THING I TELL MY MOM AND POP, UM, RESTAURANTS IS LIKE, YEAH, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PAY THE $15 AN HOUR OR THE $12 AN HOUR, BUT YOU'RE SUPER FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES OR YOUR FAMILY.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS FIRST ALLIANCE IS GOING TO HELP.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER PUSH OUR, OUR CHAMBERS BECAUSE THEY NEED PUSHING TO ADDRESS A BUY LOCAL INCENTIVE FOR THEM AND PAY THEIR MEMBERSHIP DUES.
'CAUSE THE OTHER THING I'M NOT HEARING IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS SPEND A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, 98 OF 88, 90 $8,000 OF THAT ON A CONSULTANT TO ONLY TWO YEARS FROM NOW, COME BACK FOR A BUDGET, ASK, UH, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
'CAUSE THAT THAT IS NOT SU THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED, THEY'RE JUST QUESTIONS I HAVE.
SO WHEN YOU SEND THE REPORTS, UM, THAT WERE DONE TO OUR OFFICES, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SEND THE REPORT OF WHAT YOU DID IN TERMS OF IF, IS THIS A FAMILY BUSINESS WHERE IF IT'S A FAMILY BUSINESS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY THEM.
THE MINIMUM WAGE IS WHAT ARE THEY PAYING THEM IN TERMS OF MINIMUM WAGES? UH, DID WE ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW LONG THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, WITH THIS SMALL BUSINESS? I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS TO SAY, YES, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH A ANOTHER B D O.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS, UM, THAT MARKETS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND WE, WE WON'T HAVE A GUARANTEE.
AND WHAT THEY MARKET IT, AND I THINK ABOUT THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY AND
DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSLATE IN THREE LANGUAGES IN OUR AFGHAN, AFGHANISTAN REFUGEES THAT ARE HERE? I MEAN, I, I JUST, I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO WORK OUT ON THIS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ON ABSORBING AND SYNTHESIZING SOME OF THESE COMMENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO SUMMARIZE VERY QUICKLY IF I'M, IF I'M CAPTURING THE SENTIMENT CORRECTLY,
[01:05:01]
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA THAT THE SHIFT IN SPENDING THE, THE CONSUMER SPENDING SHOULD, WE SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING TO SHIFT MORE OF THAT, UM, TO LOCAL BUSINESSES.HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT? WHAT RE WHAT CURRENT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE MAYBE ARE, ARE USED EITHER CURRENT ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, THEMSELVES TO DO THIS WORK? BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE CONCEPT IN GENERAL OF, UM, IMPACTING THE CONSUMER VERSUS, BECAUSE WE, OUT OF THE $30 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS ASSIGNED FOR SMALL BUSINESS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT WENT DIRECTLY TO SMALL BUSINESSES TO ASSIST THEM WITH THEIR NEEDS.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS KIND OF INTENDED TO HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO KIND OF BE MORE OF THAT SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE OF GETTING YOU MORE CUSTOMERS.
OUR, OUR THOUGHT WAS HOW CAN WE GET THEM, HOW CAN WE GET LOCAL BUSINESSES MORE CUSTOMERS? SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S STILL INTEREST IN THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO MAYBE EXPLORE OTHER WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING IT.
YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT WAS LAID DOWN.
UH, OUR NEXT ONE IS PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE BY MR. PATERA.
I DON'T THINK MAYBE UNLESS YOU ASK SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN S FOR ASKING TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ON OUR SMART CITIES ROADMAP WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THIS IS PERFECT TIMING.
WE JUST LAUNCHED, UH, IN DENVER, UH, LAST WEEK AT THE, UH, MOST KIND OF PREVALENT, UH, SMART CITIES CONNECT CONFERENCE IN THE NATION.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD RECEPTION THERE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR, SO I'M HAPPY TO BE PRESENTING OUR SMART CITIES ROADMAP, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SMARTER TOGETHER.
UM, KINDA OVERVIEW, I'LL GIVE SOME BACKGROUND OF SMART CITIES AND THE TEAM AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
UH, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROADMAP LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN WE'LL DIG INTO THE ROADMAP AND NEXT STEPS.
AS FAR AS BACKGROUND, UM, 2017, UH, CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME AND MAYOR AT THE TIME BOTH ESTABLISHED THAT WE WANTED TO, UH, BRING A SMART CITIES PROGRAM TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AT THAT SAME TIME, WE ESTABLISHED THREE INNOVATION ZONES, BROOKS DOWNTOWN AND MEDICAL CENTER IN 2018.
UH, LATE 2018, OUR STAFF WAS HIRED ON, UH, THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME JOINING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS EMILY ROYAL, OUR SMART CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, AND WE KIND OF CAME INTO THIS IDENTIFYING WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SMART CITY TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR RESIDENTS.
UH, WE DID AN INNOVATION ZONE SURVEY, AND WE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE SMARTEST, A PARTNERSHIP AMONG THE PARTNERS THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THERE.
2019, UH, WE, WE GOT OUR, WE GOT OUR CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE INTERLOCAL DATA SHARING AGREEMENT, WHICH ACTUALLY WON US A NATIONAL AWARD.
UH, AND WE ALSO ESTABLISH ESTABLISHED OUR SMARTEST A FRAMEWORK AMONG THOSE PARTNERS.
HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER IN UTILIZING THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE IN ALL OF OUR AGENCIES? AS FAR AS THIS ROADMAP, THE GOALS WE SET OUT FOR OURSELVES WAS TO PROVIDE A VISION FOR SAN ANTONIO AS A SMART CITY, BACKED BY COMMUNITY-DRIVEN GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UH, TO GUIDE INVESTMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS.
KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING GRANTS AND PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT INVOLVED.
HOW DO WE UTILIZE THOSE AND HOW DO WE PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT THAT MEANS? UH, PRESENT AN OPEN CALL TO PROBLEM SOLVERS.
SO KNOWING THAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN'T SOLVE THIS ON THEIR OWN, UH, AND WE SHOULDN'T, WE SHOULD INCORPORATE THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, DEFINE THE ROLE OF SMART CITIES TEAM.
PRESENT A SERVICE MODEL AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO GET INVOLVED.
A LOT OF TIMES WE GET VENDORS COMING IN, PITCHING THESE KIND OF BOILERPLATE SOLUTIONS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO WHAT WE NEED AT THE TIME IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SET THE GUIDE RAILS FOR THEM AND TELL THEM, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED SOLVED.
THIS ROADMAP WAS BUILT BY THE TEAM BEHIND ME, WHICH IS OUR SMART CITIES TEAM.
UM, EMILY, LAUREN, CARLA AND JEFFREY.
UH, THEY DID THE GROUNDWORK AND WENT OUT AMONG THESE PARTICIPANTS.
UH, WE HAD ENGAGEMENTS IN ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE THE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES THAT RESIDENTS ARE PORTRAYING TO US.
WE ALSO DID AN INTERNAL SURVEY TO IDENTIFY HOW DO WE BENEFIT CITY DEPARTMENTS A LOT MORE WITH THIS EFFORTS.
ONE THING WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS CREATE MORE BURDENS FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS.
WE ARE HERE TO CREATE BENEFITS, EASE, AND EFFICIENCY.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE DID A LOT OF SMART S A PARTNERSHIP ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PARTNERS THAT YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SCREEN, RAGING FROM C P S TO SAWS, TO DVIA TO U T S A IN CASES.
SAN ANTONIO IS THAT SAN ANTONIO IS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF DIGITAL INNOVATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, THE SMART CITIES PROGRAM IS AN ACCELERATOR THAT ENHANCES AND CONNECTS EXISTING INNOVATION ACROSS OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
IF FOLKS ARE ALREADY DOING GOOD WORK, WE WANT TO IDENTIFY HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THAT.
WE ALSO ALIGN OUR COMMUNITY'S VISION AND CITY DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS WITH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO LEVERAGE DATA TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION THAT IMPROVE IN FUTURE PROOF CITY SERVICES.
ALL OF THIS IS DONE WITH OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THE 40 PLUS CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AS FAR AS THE COMPONENTS, WE'LL RUN THROUGH THESE REALLY QUICKLY, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND I'LL REMIND YOU, THESE ARE ALL IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUR IN-PERSON SURVEY EVENTS, WHETHER THERE WAS COMMUNITY OR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, STARTING OFF WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY, MAKING SURE WE'RE BREAKING THOSE BARRIERS BETWEEN THE
[01:10:01]
RESIDENTS AND CITY SERVICES.DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS TO DATA SERVICES AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES AND IDENTITIES.
MAKING SURE THAT CITY GOVERNMENT IS ACCESSIBLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
UH, A CONNECTED CITY, UH, AN EFFICIENT CITY.
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CITY SERVICES BY REDUCING WASTE WHILE MAXIMIZING EXISTING RESOURCES.
WE KNOW THAT'S FOREFRONT OF EVERYBODY'S MIND AS WE OPERATE IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S A GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR US AS WELL.
INFORMED, MAKING SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT.
HOW DO WE MAKE THE DECISIONS? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS ACCESSIBLE TO THEM? AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS SAFE.
PREVENT AND PROTECT SAN ANTONIO'S COMMUNITIES FROM DANGER AND CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SECURE AND HAVE THE FREEDOM TO THRIVE.
AS FAR AS INTERNALLY, WHAT ARE OUR STRATEGIES FOR GETTING THIS WORK DONE? NUMBER ONE STRATEGY IS BUSINESS OPERATIONS.
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR FELLOW CITY DEPARTMENTS DOESN'T STOP NOW THAT WE HAVE A ROADMAP, THIS IS THE TIME TO EXECUTE AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND BUILDING THOSE RESOURCE, SHARING THE CAPACITY AND EXPERTISE AROUND ALL THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND EMERGING, UM, UH, ADAPTATIONS.
STRATEGY TWO IS ABOUT DATA GROW.
CONTINUING TO GROW A CULTURE OF DATA INFORMED DECISION MAKING AT CITIES OF SAN ANTONIO THAT TIES TECHNOLOGY FOR CITY MAKING TO MEASURABLE OUTCOMES FOR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITIES.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS OUR RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT.
ENSURING THAT EVERYONE IN SAN ANTONIO CAN PARTICIPATE IN DIGITAL GOVERNMENT BY TESTING TOOLS AND APPROACHES THAT MEET RESIDENTS WHERE THEY ARE.
I WILL REMIND YOU ON THAT LAST PART, OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM ORIGINATED WITHIN OUR SMART CITIES TEAM.
VERY EXCITING WHERE IT'S AT NOW.
UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS TEAM, CONTINUE TO DO THAT TYPE OF WORK.
AS FAR AS COMMUNITY CHALLENGES NOW, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE OPERATING IN ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, RESILIENCE, SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
AGAIN, THESE WERE SHAPED BY WHAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOLD US WERE THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE, THEIR INTERESTS, THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS.
WE WILL EXECUTE ON THESE THROUGH PILOTS, PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT FALL INTO THESE AREAS, WHICH MAKE UP THE SMARTER TOGETHER TEST BED.
NOW, YOU MAY THINK OF A TEST BED AS BEING A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
WE THINK WE SHOULD BE OPERATING IN AREAS OF NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WHERE THEY LIE.
OUR PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA INCLUDES EQUITY IMPACT FEASIBILITY, AND INNOVATION ZONE ACTIVATION.
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THOSE INNOVATION ZONES.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO ACTIVATE THOSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS AN OPEN CALL FOR SOLUTIONS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE NOW PROVIDING GUIDE RAILS AND FRAMEWORK FOR VENDORS TO COME IN AND IDENTIFY THOSE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE TRULY RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
MY LAST SLIDE HERE IS OUR WEBSITE, UH, FREE TO ACCESS.
UH, WE HAVE RESOURCES HERE FOR VENDORS, FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WANNA JOIN TOGETHER.
OR IF YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER CITY THAT WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, THIS IS WHERE WE WILL BE MAINTAINING UPDATES ON THE PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD OVER THE NEXT TWO, FIVE YEARS.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO EXECUTING ON A FEW, UH, OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, AND I'M EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON, UM, ON, ON THE MOST NEEDED SERVICE AREAS.
AND I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE GIVEN THE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, HAD WITH LIKE, UH, THE B I L AND THE I L G A, DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE BULK OF THIS IS GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, LIKE PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION FOR SMART CITY SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT? I I, I DON'T WANT TO DESCRIBE WHERE THEY WILL GO THROUGH, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE GOING THROUGH OUR OFFICE PER SE.
WE DO HAVE CAPITAL FUNDS AVAILABLE AT THIS MOMENT.
AND SO WE'LL ALLOCATE THOSE TO THE PROJECTS IN THE FIRST KIND OF ITERATION OF THIS.
SO OUR JOB IS TO LAUNCH THESE EFFORTS WITH THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT TAKES OVER OWNERSHIP OVER THE LONG TERM.
SO I SEE THIS AS MORE OF A PROCESS, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I'VE GOT THREE DEPARTMENTS THAT I KNOW NEED PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, A C S D H S, AND D S D.
ARE YOU WORKING WITH THOSE? YES, MA'AM.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I'M, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE A C S ONE RIGHT? COPIES AND SO, SO THAT IS, UH, MY, OUR OTHER TEAM IN OUR OFFICE, OKAY.
WHICH IS PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE.
UH, WE ACTUALLY DID THE WORK, UH, ON THEIR STRATEGY FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, WE ARE STILL CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM AS THEY PIVOT A LITTLE BIT, HONESTLY, WE'RE REFLECTING ON THEIR PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND HOW THAT DATA'S COLLECTED.
HOW ARE WE, UM, PROVIDING THAT DATA TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AS FAR AS THEIR EXECUTION OF OPERATIONS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STARTING TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN THAT, IN THAT TEAM THOUGH, SO, OKAY.
WHERE, WHERE DOES, UM, AND SO F Y I, ALEX, DID YOU NOTICE I DIDN'T SAY E D D EVEN THOUGH I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS,
UM, BUT, UM, WHERE DOES ALSO LIKE PROGRAMS LIKE FOR INSTANCE, READY TO WORK, UH, WOULD THAT FALL UNDER SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT? YES, MA'AM.
SO OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, OUR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE TEAM ACTUALLY HELPED STAND UP THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE FROM SCRATCH.
UM, SO WE WERE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THAT.
[01:15:01]
WE HAVE STEPPED AWAY FROM THAT, UM, AFTER THEY GOT THEIR LEADERSHIP IN PLACE AND EVERYTHING.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M UP TO CITY MANAGER'S LEADERSHIP TO TELL ME IF WE NEED TO JUMP BACK IN AT SOME POINT.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES GET A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ON I M P AND N AND ALL OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS WHO ASK GOOD QUESTIONS ON SAS AND C P SS AND VIA, BECAUSE PEOPLE, THEY, THEY JUST THINK OF CALLING THE CITY, RIGHT? AND I GET IT, WE'RE WE'RE THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, DO WE ANTICIPATE ON, ON SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, UM, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON ON SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, ARE WE ALSO WORKING, LIKE, DO THEY ALSO HAVE, UM, I GUESS INNO INNOVATION PEOPLE LIKE, UH, SMART CITY FOCUS? YES.
SO TELL ME ABOUT HOW WE PARTNER WITH, WITH OTHER ENTITIES AS WELL.
SO WE EITHER WORK WITH THEIR DIRECT DIRECTORS OF INNOVATION OR THEIR DIRECTORS OF TECHNOLOGY AND, AND I'LL SAY WE'RE HIP TO HIP WITH IT, OUR IT DEPARTMENT.
SO CRAIG HOPKINS HAS THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, UH, BUILT VERY DEEPLY FROM EVEN WHEN WE JOINED.
UH, HE HAS CONNECTED THOSE INTO US, AND NOW WE HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
OF COURSE, THEIR GOVERNANCE IS YEAH, SOMEWHAT SEPARATE, AND SO THAT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF AN OBSTACLE.
BUT WE'RE LEARNING TO GET PAST THOSE SILOS.
WE'RE LEARNING TO GET TO DOING THE WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO, BACK TO MY AND MY NM PEN, THE I M P E, UH, QUESTION, FOR INSTANCE.
I FEEL LIKE IT, THOSE ARE SUCH COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS THAT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEM, RIGHT? AND SO IS THERE A WAY FOR YOU ALL TO EDUCATE, UM, RESIDENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE? AND I, I THINK EVEN LIKE LAST WEEK AT COUNCIL, WE HAD, UM, A VERY FAMILIAR, UM, RESIDENT TO BE HEARD THAT SIGNED UP ON PUBLIC COMMENT AND QUESTIONED THE READY TO WORK INITIATIVE AND WHY I WAS GOING THROUGH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CORPORATION, RIGHT?
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE ALSO LOOKING AT BEYOND LOOKING AT PROCESSES.
UM, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP SOMEBODY UNDERSTAND SOMETHING REALLY COMPLICATED LIKE NAMP OR I M P OR READY TO WORK, UM, FOR, FOR PEOPLE LIKE WHO, WHO TAKES OVER THAT IN THAT AREA, SINCE IT'S, IT'S MORE INFORMATIONAL? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING THROUGH SMART CITIES PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE THAT? JUST EDUCATION, I GUESS COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS.
UH, AT THIS TIME, WE ARE NOT, I MEAN, THE CLOSEST WE GET TO IT IS OUR SMART, I SAY SANDBOX EVENTS WHERE WE HAVE THOSE, THOSE PARTNERS OUT THERE ANSWERING QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTS ON CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES OR CURRENT APPROACHES, BUT ALSO FUTURE APPROACHES THAT ARE COMING BEFORE THEY HIT THE STREETS.
UH, I THINK WE COULD MAYBE FOCUS IN A LITTLE MORE ON THAT.
AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TALKING TO MY LEADERSHIP ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE EASY, RIGHT? UH, OR SOMETHING.
'CAUSE THE DATA'S ALREADY THERE, BUT JUST MAKE IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
WHEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMEONE, I ALWAYS STOP PEOPLE AND SAY, JUST PRETEND I'M A THIRD GRADER, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN IT TO A THIRD GRADER? AND THEN I COULD GO FROM THERE, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT IT, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS BECOME A PART OF THE SOLUTION, RIGHT? EVEN BECAUSE IF THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM, MAYBE THEY'RE, THEY HAVE THIS BRILLIANT IDEA AND THEY CAN SHARE IT WITH US.
SO ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, BRIAN.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL, UM, ARE ALWAYS READY, UH, TO HELP DEFORD, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TO THE SANDBOX EVENT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST FUN EVENTS I, I'VE ATTENDED OUT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU, RYAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING PRESENTATION AND I SEE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, COLLABORATION WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND PARTICULARLY AROUND, UH, BIOSWELLS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC CALMING, RIGHT? UH, AND I THINK DENVER'S A GREAT MODEL OF HOW TO USE, UM, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND USE VEGETATION TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC.
UH, IN COMPARISON TO SPEED HUMPS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH ARE ROUGHLY LIKE $35,000 PER SPEED HUMP, RIGHT? AND THE IMPACT THAT $35,000 OF TREES CAN HAVE, UH, ON DRAINAGE ISSUES.
UM, THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, AND SO MANY, UH, SO MANY MORE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING, I THINK CAN BE VERY IMPACTFUL.
UH, IN DENVER AS WELL, A LOT OF THEIR VEGETATION IS EDIBLE.
UM, SO THEY'RE GROWING BROCCOLI AND CABBAGE, AND THAT'S ALL ACCESSIBLE FOR, UH, UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO ACCESS IF NEEDED.
AND IT'S ALSO VERY PRETTY AS IT'S GROWING.
UM, SO I, UM, HEARING THE PRESENTATION, UM, AND LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH, UH, SMART CITY OPPORTUNITIES, UH, I, I THINK THERE'S, UM, IT'S REALLY EXCITING, RIGHT? OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT, UM, WE CAN ESTABLISH WITH THE D H SS, WHETHER IT'S GROWING THAT FOOD IN URBAN FARMS, UH, OR LOOKING AT INNOVATIVE MEASURES FOR TRAFFIC CALMING.
UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THE 2018 PROJECTS AND SEEING THAT IT DID INCLUDE URBAN AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS, UH, AND HOW CAN WE SCALE THAT UP, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE A TREE FUND THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR THESE GRANTS.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW, UH, SOME OF THOSE PHOTOS ARE FROM BROOKS.
[01:20:01]
A VERY, IT WAS, WE GOT STUCK ON WHAT TO PRIORITIZE,SO I AM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET EVERYBODY CONNECTED, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE.
I THINK, UM, SMART CITIES WHEN DONE WELL, AND OF COURSE EVERYBODY THINKS OF THE, UM, THE, THE CITIES, UH, THE BIG CITIES OVER IN, UH, THE MIDDLE EAST AND HOW THEY, THEY KNOW WHEN THERE'S A LINK, UH, THEY KNOW WHEN A POT THEY KNOW BEFORE THE POTHOLE EVEN BEGINS, THAT IT'S COMING.
UH, SO I, I LIKE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION.
I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE, AS YOU TALK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS IS, IS THE COST FOR THE NEWER TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT? AND WE CAN'T, CAN'T FORGET THAT BECAUSE AS, AS, UH, TECHNOLOGY MOVES, AS, AS WE GET BETTER STREETS, BETTER LIGHTING, UH, BETTER LIGHT BULBS, THAT WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO TO OUR BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS INVESTMENT IN SMART CITIES IS, IS EFFECTIVE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE.
I HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS BECAUSE I THINK ONCE WE GET THIS STARTED, WE CAN ROLL OUT POLICY IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR ADDRESSING OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
IF WE HAVE A RESTAURANT AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOT 25 CARS IN THE DRIVE-THRU, THEY HAVE TO, IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS YOU NEED TO CLOSE DOWN THE DRIVE-THRU, I THINK THAT WE CAN REACH THOSE GOALS WITH THE SMART CITY AND SEEING THAT.
AND THE OTHER ASPECT THAT I WANNA SEE TALK ABOUT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE DRONES.
AND MAYBE WE CAN GET TECH PORT TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THAT TOO, AS WE ARE MONITORING, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF WE COULD USE DRONES, UH, DOWNTOWN WHEN WE HAVE BIG CONCERTS SO WE CAN MANAGE THE TRAFFIC FLOW THERE.
SO, UM, I'M JUST, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT'S HARD BECAUSE YOUR TEAM IS SMALL, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO THINK IN THE FUTURE, AND I, AND I'VE BEEN PUSHING THIS AS WE GET A TEAM THAT KIND OF IS OUR ON CALL, UH, PROJECTS TEAM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT GOES WHEN YOU HAVE A BIG PROJECT OR SURVEY, THEY'RE, THEY WORK WITH YOU.
IF YOU PASS THAT ON TO PUBLIC WORKS, THEY WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ADDRESS IT HERE AT ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT REALLY LOOKING AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE STAFF YOU NEED TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I SEE THAT YOU HAVE, UH, ESTABL, I GUESS, IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY CHALLENGES.
I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE AN OPEN CALL FOR SOLUTIONS.
UM, I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING, I'M, HAVE YOU, I BENCHMARKED WHERE WE ARE ON ANY ISSUES AND HOW ARE YOU DEFINING SUCCESS AND WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE DO YOU HAVE FOR THAT? UM, SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT AS WE START TO EXECUTE ON THESE NEW PROJECTS.
UH, WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, AND HONESTLY, IT'S BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A SMART CITY.
I KNOW IT'S DECADES OF OLD, OF A PROGRAM, UH, BUT WE, A LOT OF TIMES THE US CITIES HAVE TO COMPARE THEMSELVES TO CITIES THAT ARE MORE ADVANCED OVERSEAS.
UM, THOSE CITIES OFTENTIMES CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME GOVERNMENT STYLE AS WE DO IN THE US.
UH, THAT'S FEDERAL, LOCAL, STATE.
UH, AND SO IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO DO THE COMPARISON.
SO IF WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO LIKE SINGAPORE, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO
UH, BUT I, I THINK WE, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER US CITIES THAT FACE THOSE SAME KIND OF RESTRICTIONS AND REGULATIONS, UH, THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY NOT ONLY HOW TO MOVE QUICKER, BUT HOW ARE WE COMPARING AS WE MOVE QUICKER TO THOSE OTHER CITIES.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, WE, WE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA EXECUTE ON.
I DON'T THINK I KNOW WE'RE GONNA EXECUTE ON.
SO I, I INVITED YOU HERE, UH, TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID TODAY.
UH, GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT'S UP TO AND WHERE, UH, WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.
CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON DENVER.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A BIG SUCCESS AND YOU GUYS ARE HIGH OFF OF THAT.
UM, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO BRIAN A. LITTLE BIT, UH, NOT ENOUGH AS, NOT AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO, BUT A LITTLE BIT LATELY.
AND I, I AM HEARING EVERYTHING THAT I NEED TO HEAR TO MAKE ME COMFORTABLE, UM, IN, UM, IN THAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE LOOKING AT THE PROBLEMS, UM, THE WAY YOU SHOULD BE.
I, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT FRUSTRATES ME WHENEVER I GO TO THESE CONVENTIONS, SO LIKE I, ALL OF US GO TO NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES OR TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, BUT I ALSO GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, THE NATIONAL AND TEXAS SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
IT'S THE SAME VENDORS AND THEY'RE ALL JUST THROWING, YOU KNOW, SHINY THINGS AT YOU AND SAYING, SMART CITIES, SMART CITY.
BUY THIS SMART CITY, TELL YOUR CITY MANAGER OR YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, AND IF IT'S GOT BLUETOOTH IN IT, RIGHT?
[01:25:01]
OR, OR THEY JUST WRITE AI ON IT.LOOK, IT SAYS AI, IT'S SMART CITY.
AND SO THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORD SMART CITY IS THAT IT NOW MEANS EVERYTHING.
UM, AND WHEN SOMETHING MEANS EVERYTHING, IT MEANS NOTHING.
RIGHT? AND BACK, BACK, BACK IN THE DAY, THE WORDS NEW URBANISM WHERE THE, WAS THE CATCHPHRASE, RIGHT? AND EVERYTHING WAS NEW, URBANIST AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT MEANS NOTHING ANYMORE.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, UM, I I I THINK THAT YOUR APPROACH IS SOBER, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT, RIGHT? YOU COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SHOWN US PICTURES OF SINGAPORE AND OF THE LINK AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER MAJOR CITIES ARE DOING WITH THEIR SHINY STUFF.
BUT YOU, YOU'RE NOT CHASING THE SHINY, YOU'RE CHASING THE ACTUAL SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE FACING US THAT I THINK IS, UM, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A TROPHY FOR SEXY.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA GET, YOU'RE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA GET THE TROPHY FOR ACTUALLY SOLVING THE PROBLEMS. RIGHT? UM, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S SO TEMPTING IN THIS SMART CITIES CONVERSATION TO GO FOR THAT.
UM, AND SO I'M, UM, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE IN THE, UH, ARE ARE GONNA BE HITTING YOUR MARKS.
I I WILL TELL YOU I'M WORRIED THOUGH.
UM, AND I, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR MAYBE THE NEXT TIME WE TALK TOGETHER, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE THREE INNOVATION ZONES, RIGHT? UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO AND SAYING, LOOK, WE WANT TO DO PILOT PROGRAMS THERE.
WE WANT TO USE THESE AS LIVING LABORATORIES.
YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS BROOKS THE MEDICAL CENTER IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE DOING AROUND THOSE ZONES? CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT? SO, YES.
UM, SO WITH BROOKS, WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP.
UH, WE ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A RAISE GRANT, UH, LAST YEAR WITH THEM ON A BIG PROJECT ON THE, UH, SYDNEY BROOKS, UM, STREET THERE.
UH, WE DID NOT GET THAT GRANT UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, BUT FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, WE WERE VERY HIGH UP ON A CONSIDERATION LIST.
UM, THE SMART STREETLIGHT PILOT THAT WE DID, WE DID THAT IN ALL THREE INNOVATION ZONES.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH CENTRO RIGHT NOW TO IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN WORK ON SOME THINGS REGARDING, UH, LOCATION INTELLIGENCE OF SORTS, UM, TRYING TO IDENTIFY LIKE, IS THAT, DOES THAT HAVE A PLACE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? UH, DOES IT HAVE A NEED HERE? UM, IN THE FUTURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE ARE HAVING A COUPLE WORKSHOPS AHEAD OF US THAT ARE HOSTED BY SOME OTHER ENTITIES.
UH, ONE, MAINLY THE TEXAS INNOVATION ALLIANCE IN JULY.
AND OUR MAIN FOCUS ON THAT IS ACTUALLY TO WORKSHOP.
WHAT CAN WE EXECUTE NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS ROADMAP IN FRONT OF US, NOW WE HAVE OUR GUIDELINES, WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY EXECUTE WITHIN THOSE INNOVATION ZONES SPECIFICALLY? UH, SO YOU WILL SEE SOME EXECUTION ON THAT.
WE HAVE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST BRAINS IN BEXAR COUNTY AND EMILY ROYALE.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS IT GOES, SERIOUSLY, EMILY, I MEAN, UM, AND I REMEMBER WHEN YOU CAME TO SAN ANTONIO, UM, AND YOUR JOB WAS, UH, TO BASICALLY TEACH US THE POWER OF DATA AND HOW TO DIVE INTO DATA AND COME OUT WITH SOMETHING VALUABLE, RIGHT? AND, UH, TO COUNCILMAN ROCHA, GARCIA'S POINT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S ABILITY, UM, TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CITY IS ONLY GONNA BE LIMITED BY OUR ABILITY TO SERVE UP THE INFORMATION THEY NEED ON A SILVER PLATTER, RIGHT? OR TO MAKE IT HARD FOR THEM TO, TO ACCESS AND THEN CONSUME, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHERE NATURAL LANGUAGE SEARCHING AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT, ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF, OF GETTING THAT DATA NEED TO BE JUST EASIER, RIGHT? UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT OF, OF HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT LIKE, IF ANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS WERE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCILMAN SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT I M P AND NAMP, I'M GONNA GO TO OSA'S WEBSITE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT I M YOU KNOW, I M P AND NAMP, GUESS WHAT? THAT'S GONNA BE KIND OF A HARD THING FOR THEM TO DO.
'CAUSE THERE'S JUST NO EASY WAY TO FIND THAT INFORMATION.
AND WHEN THEY DO FIND IT, THAT INFORMATION'S NOT VERY CONSUMABLE.
UM, AND SO I, I, I, AND THAT APPLIES TO PRETTY MUCH ANY OTHER ACRONYM, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE'VE GOT OUT THERE.
AND SO I DON'T ENVY YOUR JOB, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY ON THE PART OF ALL OF US, I THINK TO MAKE OUR WEBSITE, UH, A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO CHEW ON FOR AND DIGEST FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
BUT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING FURTHER, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A TERRIFIC WEEK.