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ANTONIO TIME IS 2:01 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2023.
UH, FIRST OFF, UH, LET ME WELCOME OUR NEW DISTRICT 10 COUNCILS MEMBER, MARK WHITE, TO HIS FIRST B SESSION.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA GRAND COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, UH, AS YOU'LL NOTICE, WE ARE GOING SOMEWHAT OLD SCHOOL.
WE'VE GOT THE PRESENTATIONS ON THE LAPTOPS TODAY, UH, FOR QUEUING UP.
UH, JUST SIGNAL ME AND I'LL KEEP A RUNNING QUEUE, UH, FOR DISCUSSION
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PURPOSES.SO, UH, WITH THAT, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO, ONE ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, UH, IS A BRIEFING ON SEVERAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING OUR, UH, RESILIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND.
OUR, UH, SOLAR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, UH, AN UPDATE ON, UH, FEDERAL I R A, POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND OUR, UH, URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM.
IT'S A FOLLOW UP TO THE DECEMBER PRESENTATION THAT WE GAVE, UH, LAST YEAR.
UM, UH, DAVID, UH, MCCAREY, JEFF, UH, COYLE, AND, UH, JONATHAN T HEINA FROM C P S WILL BE GIVEN THE PRESENTATION.
SO AS YOU'LL HEAR IN THE PRESENTATION, WE'VE MADE, UH, PROGRESS ON SEVERAL FRONTS, UM, AS WE LAID THOSE OUT IN DECEMBER.
UM, AND, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE TODAY.
UM, AND ALSO TALK ABOUT, UM, SOME IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS SUMMER TO, TO BRING BACK TO YOU AS PART OF THE, THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DAVE TO KICK US OFF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M DAVID MCCAREY, YOUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
I DO HAVE THE PLEASURE TODAY OF NETWORKING WITH BOTH JEFF AND JONATHAN, UH, TO BRING YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.
SO, AS ERIC HAD POINTED OUT, THIS HAS BEEN SINCE DECEMBER THE 14TH, SINCE WE HAD A CHANCE TO BRING YOU WITH AN UPDATE.
I LIKE TO GO TO THIS OVERVIEW SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TODAY.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY LAUNCHED THROUGH GRANTS.
WE'LL ALSO GET A CHANCE FOR THE ADDITIONAL REESE FUNDING PROGRAM, WHICH WE'LL CALL PHASE TWO, AND THE CONCEPTS FOR THAT.
YOU'LL ALSO HEAR ABOUT OUR ONSITE SOLAR, UH, FOR OUR MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND THE STATUS THAT WE HAVE THERE.
ALSO, C P S ENERGY WILL BRING US AN UPDATE ON OUR FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ALIGNMENTS, AND JEFF WILL GET A CHANCE TO DIAL BACK ON OUR I R A.
YOU KNOW, LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, WE DIDN'T KNOW ALL THE PARTICULAR GRANTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE, BUT NOW WE KNOW SO
THEN WE'LL ACTUALLY END WITH OUR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS OUR APPROACH.
OUR REESE FUND WAS CREATED IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, FUNDED WITH A PORTION OF THE CITY'S PAYMENT FROM C P S ENERGY ON THE STEP RECOVERY.
HERE IS AN ACTUAL UPDATE ON THE INITIAL STRATEGIES OF OUR REESE FUND SINCE ITS INCEPTIONS.
THE FIRST REESE FUND PROGRAM IS OUR ECO SCHOLAR SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM.
AS A REMINDER, THIS ECO SCHOLAR GRANT CATEGORIES ARE 3,005,000 AND $10,000
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RESPECTIVELY FOR EACH OF THE GRANTS.THIS IS FOR BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT RANGE ALL THE WAY FROM YOUR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL ACROSS ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
SUBMISSIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY JUNE, 2024.
SO OUR PROJECTS INCLUDE, BUT THEY'RE NOT LIMITED TO OUR RESOURCE REDUCTION RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING, SOLAR ENERGY, WATER CONSERVATION, GARDENING.
YOU HAVE YOUR C O TWO MONITORING AND OTHER IMPACTS TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
THIS $1 MILLION GRANT OPPORTUNITY WAS DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED WITH OUR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO THOSE INITIAL FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO 146 APPLICANTS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
KUDOS TO MARCUS LEE AND THE LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT HE GOT SUPPORT FROM JOSEPHINE VALENCIA AND DAVID NEWMAN.
NEXT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REESE FUND PROJECTS OF OUR COOL PAVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.
THIS IS WHERE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION COMES INTO EFFECT THROUGH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
THIS PAST DECEMBER, WE PRESENTED A COOL PAVEMENT PROPOSAL UTILIZING $1 MILLION OF THE REESE FUND TO INSTALL COOL PAVEMENT MATERIALS.
AS A REMINDER, COOL PAVEMENT IS A COATING APPLIED TO STREETS TO INCREASE REFLECTIVITY.
THESE EXTREMELY TESTED MATERIALS HELP TO REDUCE SOLAR, AB, UH, ABSORPTION AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES.
SAN ANTONIO IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST CITY IN TEXAS TO TEST THESE MATERIALS.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO MURRAY MYERS AND, UH, SUPPORT WITH ANTHONY CHUCKLE DOULA IN PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR COORDINATION OF MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, DOUG AND RAZZIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN YOUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND TEAM.
OUR SECOND PHASE OF THE COOL PAVEMENT PILOT IS THE EVALUATION OF VARIOUS MATERIALS.
CSA HAS CONTRACTED WITH U T SS A TO CONDUCT TWO COOL PAVEMENT RESEARCH STUDIES BETWEEN THE MONTH OF JUNE THROUGH AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST STUDY WILL EVALUATE HOW EFFECTIVE THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS REDUCED SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROLLED STREET ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT COOL PAVEMENT.
THE SECOND STUDY WILL EVALUATE PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS IMPACTS ON SKID RESISTANCE, DRIVING GLARE AND LANE MARKINGS.
U UTSA'S RESEARCH WILL PRODUCE THE FINAL REPORT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
ONCE WE HAVE THE RESULTS, WE WILL DETERMINE WHICH PRODUCT, IF ANY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE AS A PART OF OUR STREET URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS. NEXT STAFF HAS DEVELOPED THREE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGH REESE.
NEXT PROGRAM IS A SA CLIMATE READY COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROJECTS WITH MEASURABLE OUTCOMES CONSISTENT WITH SA CLIMATE READY MITIGATION ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY GOALS.
THE NEXT INITI INITIATIVE EXPANDS TO OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION PROGRAM TO BUILD ON THE RESULTS OF THE COOL PAYMENT PILOT.
AND RESEARCH IS BEING CONDUCTED BY U T S A TO IDENTIFY THE HOTTEST AREAS IN EACH OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A COOL PARKING LOT PILOT FOCUSED ON MULTIPLE STRATEGIES OR COOL ROOFS, COOL PAVEMENTS, STREET TREES, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, SHADE STRATEGIES OR STRUCTURES, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.
FINALLY, EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT ARE KEY TO SA CLIMATE READY'S PLAN TO PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES BASED ON ORGANIZATION FOR GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT AND EXPAND ON EXISTING TEACH OUR TEACHERS SUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY HAS REACHED OUT TO US TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP A CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE CENTER.
THEY'RE LOOKING TO NOT ONLY TRAIN STUDENTS FOR LEADERSHIP AND TECHNICAL ROLES IN THIS RAPIDLY EMERGING AREA OF CLIMATE SCIENCE, BUT ALSO THEY'RE LOOKING TO PROVIDE SAL WITH ONGOING CLIMATE ACTION TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
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WE ARE EXPLORING POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR THE CITY IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY WITH OUR PARTNERSHIPS.WE WILL ALSO EXPLORE POTENTIAL GRANTS THAT MAY BE OUT THERE AS WELL TO SUPPORT OUR CLIMATE EFFORTS.
WE ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR COSA SOLAR, OUR SOLAR R F P.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL TURN OF OUR QUALIFYING SOLAR, UH, INSTALLERS TO PROVIDE ONSITE SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY DIRECTLY TO OUR CITY FACILITIES.
NOW BASED ON PHASE ONE RESPONSE, COASTAL REQUEST SELECTION RESPONDENTS TO PROVIDE THEIR BEST AND FINAL OFFER FOR 42 MUNICIPAL LOCATIONS THAT INCLUDE ROOFTOP PARKING LOTS THAT ARE ALSO WERE DUE THIS PAST MONDAY.
AND I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THREE RESPONDENTS.
WE'LL ALSO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THOSE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS SUMMER AS WELL.
WE ALSO ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO ACHIEVING OUR GOAL OF A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY FOR OUR MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL OF YOU TO INCLUDE, UH, C P S ENERGY.
I'D LIKE TO THANK GOLDA, UH, AS WELL FOR HER SUPPORT, AS WELL AS DOUG.
I'M GONNA NOW TURN IT OVER TO JEFF COYLE AND LET HIM GO FROM THERE.
AS A REMINDER, UH, DESPITE ITS, ITS, UH, SEEMINGLY IRRELEVANT TITLE, THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT WAS THE LANDMARK CLIMATE RELATED LEGISLATION, UH, PASSED OVER THE, THE PAST FEW YEARS HERE PAST, REALLY EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT INCLUDED $369 BILLION IN CLIMATE INITIATIVES.
THOSE CAME IN THE FORM OF TAX CREDITS AND GRANTS AND, AND LOANS, UH, AND IN REBATES TO CONSUMERS.
UM, IF YOU'LL OBLIGE ME, I'M GONNA TELL A PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THE TAX CREDITS.
MY HOUSE IS OUT OF AC RIGHT NOW.
MY FAMILY'S AT HOME WITH FANS BLOWING IN EVERY ROOM AFTER 10 YEARS.
OUR AC UNIT DECIDED IT WASN'T UP FOR ANOTHER TEXAS SUMMER.
SO OUR HVAC TECHNICIAN SENT ME A, UH, INVOICE THIS MORNING FOR A NEW UNIT.
UH, I CALLED OUR FRIENDS AT C P S AND, AND, AND JONATHAN CONNECTED ME WITH, WITH THE RIGHT EXPERT WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU BUY A HIGHER EFFICIENCY UNIT THAN THE ONE THEY'RE RECOMMENDING, UH, WE HAVE A REBATE AT C P S ENERGY.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT $1,100 WORTH.
UH, AND WHEN I DO MY TAXES NEXT YEAR, I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO CLAIM A $600 TAX CREDIT, UH, ON MY TAXES.
AND THAT'S BEFORE I START, UH, REALIZING THE BENEFITS OF A UNIT THAT THAT USES TWO THIRDS OF THE ENERGY OF OUR EXISTING ONE.
SO EVERY SAVINGS THAT WE GET OVER THE COURSE OF MONTHS, TWO TO THREE YEARS, THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS HIGH EFFICIENCY UNIT VERSUS THE ORIGINAL ONE IS PAID OFF.
AND OUR FAMILY'S BENEFITING FROM LOWER BILLS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE EFFORTS IN THE CLIMATE HERE.
SO, I'VE BECOME AN EVANGELIST JUST TODAY, AS IT TURNS OUT,
AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I JUST BOUGHT A USED ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AND WE'RE GONNA GET A $4,000 TAX CREDIT THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, AND WE HAVE PRODUCED IN THE, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY, LOTS OF MATERIALS FOR YOU ALL TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS SO THAT PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE, OF THE THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, ONTO THE GRANTS.
AS DAVID MENTIONED IN DECEMBER, WE DIDN'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT.
THE FEDERAL AGENCIES WERE ALL REALLY PUTTING, PUTTING THESE NEW PROGRAMS TOGETHER.
UH, BUT SINCE THEN, A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS HAVE ROLLED OUT AND WE'RE CHASING DOLLARS, AND THERE ARE SOME COMING, UH, LATER THIS SUMMER THAT WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT.
UH, FIRST IS THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM.
THE FIRST PHASE IS A NON-COMPETITIVE $1 MILLION PLANNING GRANT TO, UH, OUR METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA, OUR REGION, UM, NON-COMPETITIVE, MEANING THAT MONEY IS THERE FOR US.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE TO DRAW DOWN THAT MONEY AND DO SOME PLANNING ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO OPEN THE DOOR TO PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE REAL PRIZE, FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.
SO IN, UH, MARCH, THE MAYOR AND MYSELF, A NUMBER OF US MET WITH THE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR AT THE E P A AND EXPLAIN THAT, WELL, MOST THESE PLANNING DOLLARS ARE FOR COMMUNITIES TO COME UP WITH CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLANS.
WE ALREADY HAVE ONE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY SAID, THAT'S
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OKAY.DRAW DOWN YOUR MILLION DOLLARS, REFRESH YOUR PLAN, UH, AND EXPAND IT BEYOND YOUR CITY LIMITS.
THIS IS FOR THE M SS A, UH, SO, SO DOUG AND HIS TEAM HAVE WORKED WITH ACOG, AND, UH, WE ARE GONNA REFRESH OUR PLAN.
AND WHAT WE MEAN BY REFRESHING IS WE HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF, OF ACTIONS IN THE, IN THE CLIMATE PLAN, AS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, THEY'RE NOT PRIORITIZED, AND THEY CERTAINLY AREN'T, UH, MEASURED AGAINST WHAT THE FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ARE THAT DIDN'T EXIST WHEN THAT CAP WAS CREATED.
SO WE'RE GONNA REPRIORITIZE THE ACTIONS AND BETTER LINE THEM UP WITH FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND MEANWHILE, ACOG IS GONNA REACH OUT TO THE OTHER POLITICAL JURISDICTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND, UH, AND TRY TO HELP THEM BUILD CLIMATE PLANS, UH, DO, DO, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS, UH, INVENTORIES, AND BEGIN TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO LEAD THE WAY ON.
THE SECOND ONE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT IN DECEMBER.
WE HAD JUST FOUND OUT AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE RECEIVING $1.2 MILLION IN AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT.
IT, UM, IT WAS NOT COMPETITIVE.
IT WAS, UH, ALLOCATED TO OUR REGION, BUT WE HAD TO COME UP WITH PROGRAMS TO, TO COME BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SAY, THIS IS HOW WE PLAN TO USE IT.
AND SO WE'VE DIVIDED IT UP THAT DO THOSE DOLLARS UP INTO THREE AREAS.
THE FIRST IS TO DO AN AIRPORT ENERGY MASTER PLAN TO IDENTIFY ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR US TO BE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND MAKE IT THE, THE GREENEST TERMINAL BUILDING.
UH, SECOND IS A, UH, MULTIFAMILY, UH, CHARGING INCENTIVE PROGRAM WHERE ESSENTIALLY OWNERS, DEVELOPERS OF MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A, UH, REBATE FROM THE CITY IF THEY INSTALL CHARGING STATIONS, ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS ON THEIR PROPERTIES.
AND THE VALUE OF THAT, OF COURSE, IS THAT OTHER THAN THE MOST EXPENSIVE, UH, SORT OF LEVEL ONE CHARGERS, THE LEVEL TWO CHARGERS THAT ARE MORE COMMONPLACE, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY TAKE A WHILE.
AND SO THE IDEA OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO PARK THEIR VEHICLES OVERNIGHT, CAN CHARGE THEM OVERNIGHT AND THEN BE, AND THEN BE MOVING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE OF THIS IS AN EBA E-BIKE REBATE PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA PILOT IT TO SEE HOW POPULAR IT IS.
IT'LL BE TARGETED TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
UH, AND THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT SOMEONE WHO GOES AND BUYS AN E-BIKE, YOU KNOW, A HIGH, UH, A POWERED BIKE, THAT THAT IS MUCH BETTER FOR COMMUTING THAN JUST A TRADITIONAL BIKE, ALTHOUGH I MIGHT ARGUE WITH THAT.
UM, BUT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE A REBATE TO THEIR LOCAL BIKE SHOP AND GET A BIG, UH, PORTION OF THE COST, UH, COVERED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN E-BIKE AND USE THAT FOR EVERYDAY COMMUTING.
UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS GOTTEN REALLY CREATIVE AND IS TARGETING A TRANSPORTATION GRANT TO LEVERAGE THE EXISTING BOND PROJECT OUT AT NORMAL OIL PARK.
UH, THIS IS A HIGH URBAN EAT URBAN HEAT ISLAND AREA.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE OWN PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN USED, UH, SORT OF INDUSTRIALLY, UH, NEXT TO NORMAL OIL PARK.
AND WE'RE NOW EXPANDING THE PARK TO ESSENTIALLY DOUBLE THE SIZE.
AND HOMER AND TEAM HAVE WORKED WITH SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY TO COME UP WITH A CONCEPT OF A GREEN CORRIDOR ALONG ZA ZAMORA THAT WOULD CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS TO THIS PARK.
SO IT WOULD BE, UH, IT WOULD HAVE, UH, POTENTIALLY COOL PAVEMENT.
IT WOULD HAVE, UH, TREE SCAPING.
IT WOULD'VE OTHER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP ADDRESS URBAN HEAT E ISLAND IMPACTS AND, AND TIE THAT PARK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO THE, THE OVERALL COST OF THE PROJECT IS $20 MILLION.
IT WOULD BE FOUR FOR A TOTAL OF 24.
TWO THAT ARE, ARE COMING OUT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION YET.
SO LIKE DECEMBER, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GIVING YOU THE HIGH LEVEL AT THIS POINT UNTIL THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ARE RELEASED.
BUT THE FIRST IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAM, WHICH IS INTENDED TO ESSENTIALLY BENEFIT UNDERSERVED AND OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES, IT'S VERY GENERAL LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THE BILL FROM CONGRESS.
IT'S POLLUTION MONITORING AND PREVENTION.
IT'S MITIGATION OF, UH, CLIMATE IMPACTS, REDUCING POLLUTION, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, SO FORTH.
WE EXPECT MANY MORE DETAILS WHEN THAT NOFO COMES OUT.
UH, BUT THE KEY OF COURSE HERE IS THAT IT HAS TO BENEFIT UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT IT, WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED THAT THESE ARE PARTNERSHIPS.
SO LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKING WITH NONPROFITS, WORKING WITH HIGHER EDUCATION.
DAVID JUST MENTIONED OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, UH, POTENTIALLY AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
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SO, WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT THIS SUMMER AND, UH, AND SHARE MORE INFORMATION WITH YOU AS WE HAVE IT.AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD EQUITY ACCESS AND EQUITY PROGRAM.
THIS IS ACTUALLY AN EXTENSION OF THE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM THAT WAS IN THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
IF YOU RECALL, THE WHOLE INTENT OF THAT PROGRAM WAS TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES THAT HAD BEEN SEPARATED BY TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, RAILROADS, HIGHWAYS, THINGS THAT HAVE CUT NEIGHBORHOODS OFF FROM JOBS AND SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO, UM, THEY'VE PACKAGED IT TO BE A, A PROGRAM THAT GOES FORWARD BEYOND THE B I L THROUGH THE I R A.
IT'S NOW CALLED NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS AND EQUITY.
AND, UH, IT'S A TOTAL OF $3.2 BILLION, UH, THAT THEY WILL DOLE OUT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT NOFO THIS SUMMER, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY SOME PROJECTS THAT, THAT LINE UP WITH THE CRITERIA THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY PARTNER JONATHAN, AT C P SS.
UM, THIS HAPPENED BACK IN DECEMBER TOO, I GOTTA CAN'T GO AFTER YOU, BOTH YOU DAVID, AND, UH, AND JEFF, BUT GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
I'M JONATHAN TINO, VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTERPRISE RISK AND DEVELOPMENT FOR C P S ENERGY.
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK WITH YOU, UM, THIS AFTERNOON.
UH,
UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT WORKING WITH BOTH DAVID AND JEFF, UM, IN THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAXIMIZING AND ALIGNING ON OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GO AFTER THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, YOU MAY REMEMBER BACK IN DECEMBER I SHOWED THIS SLIDE.
I'VE MADE A, SOME, SOME, SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS.
BUT FOR US, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE'VE REALLY PUT 'EM INTO FOUR BIG BUCKETS, RIGHT? YOU HAVE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND GRID TRANSFORMATION BUCKETS, WHICH I'LL SPEAK TO TODAY, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION AND OWNERSHIP.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO CALL OUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE, MAYBE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES THAT CAME OUT OF THESE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES, AGAIN, IS THAT IT PUTS C P S ENERGY IN PARTICULAR IN A POSITION TO NOW OWN AND OPERATE, UM, RENEWABLE ASSETS THAT TRADITIONALLY WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO ACCESS, UM, UH, PRODUCTION TAX CREDITS OR JUST CONSTRUCTION TAX CREDITS.
UM, A LOT OF COMMON THEMES YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUATION OF, I FEEL LIKE EVERY DAY AT THIS POINT FOR THE LAST MONTH, WE FIND OUT A NEW RULE OR A NEW GUIDANCE THAT'S COMING OUT FOR THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS. I IMAGINE WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT FOR US IN PARTICULAR, THE ROLE OF THE STATE, THE ROLE THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS WILL PLAY AROUND ENERGY EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY GRANTS ARE STILL KIND OF T B D, BUT THINGS THAT WE'RE TRACKING QUITE, QUITE CLOSELY.
UM, HIT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT TWO GRANTS THAT WE HAVE ACTIVELY, OR ARE, OR ACTIVE, I SHOULD SAY, ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING, UM, CURRENTLY THAT I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON.
THIS FIRST ONE FELL UNDER THE CATEGORY OVER THE GR GRANT.
A LOT OF CONVERSATION BACK IN DECEMBER AROUND GRIP.
IT'S THE GRID RESILIENCY AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP GRANT THAT CAME OUTTA THE D O E.
WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION THAT IS SEEKING UP TO $60 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHERE THERE'S A 50 50 COST SHARE.
WHAT THIS PROGRAM WOULD DO IS, IF WE'RE AWARDED THE FULL AMOUNT, IS ALLOW US TO DO FOUR USE CASES WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT RESILIENCY SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY AT THE SUBSTATION, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE THE INFRASTRUCTURES THAT YOU SEE AROUND TOWN WHERE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE TRANSFORMERS AND TRANSMISSION GOING OUT THAT ARE FEEDING THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND HOUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THOSE FOUR USE CASES COULD LOOK LIKE.
I WILL SAY A COMMON THEME AROUND ALL OF THE USE CASES, HOWEVER, ARE AROUND, UH, INCORPORATING MORE DISTRIBUTIVE GENERATION TYPE SOLUTIONS TO THE SUBSTATION TO PROVIDE BACKUP SERVICES.
SHOULD YOU LOSE, UM, ANY TYPE OF FEED OR SERVICE INTO THAT SUBSTATION.
SO THE FIRST ONE I'LL WALK THROUGH IS A DISTRIBUTION, A DISTRIBUTION GRID, UH, ORCA ORCHESTRATION GRANT, OR USE CASE, I SHOULD SAY.
THIS REALLY IS ABOUT PUTTING IN SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT TO ALLOW FOR A MORE AUTOMATION.
UM, THE IDEA HERE IS THAT BY INCORPORATING, UH, DISTRIBUTIVE ENERGY RESOURCES THERE AT THE SUBSTATION LEVEL AND HAVING MORE AUTOMATION, IT WOULD BE MORE TURNKEY SOLUTION FOR THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE BEING FED OFF OF THAT SUBSTATION.
SO THE NEED OR THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCING OUTAGES WOULD ALMOST BE LIKE A BLIMP VERSUS HAVING TO SEND SIGNALS OR CREWS OUT THERE TO GO AND, YOU KNOW, CHECK THE EQUIPMENT OUT.
THE SECOND ONE IS AROUND A SMART GRID CORRIDOR.
THIS IS LEVERAGING BOTH ENERGY STORAGE, UM, TRADITIONAL NATURAL GAS GENERATORS FOR RESILIENCY SERVICES AT THE SUBSTATION.
SO SIMILAR TO THE MAYBE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE ANNOUNCED WITH SAWS LAST SUMMER, WHERE THEY'LL BE INSTALLING SOME NATURAL GAS GENERATORS AT KEY LOCATIONS FOR THEIR WATER PUMP STATIONS.
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SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY OF, YOU KNOW, A NATURAL GAS GENERATOR AND PUTTING IT AT A SUBSTATION AND, AND OFFERING RESILIENCY SERVICES SHOULD YOU, SHOULD YOU RUN INTO AN ISSUE AT THAT SUBSTATION.THE THIRD AND FOURTH ARE IN VERY, IN MANY WAYS, VERY SIMILAR AS WELL.
IT'S FOCUSED AROUND A SELF-HEALING GRID, WHICH TIES INTO A SUBSTATION OF THE FUTURE.
AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS INCORPORATING MORE SMART INVERTERS, MORE SMART SWITCHES, AND THE DISTRIBUTIVE GENERATION RESOURCES THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT, UM, TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE, INTO THE SUBSTATIONS.
I SHOULD SAY THAT WHILE THE LOCATIONS AREN'T FINALIZED AS TO WHERE WE WOULD DO IT, UM, THE GRANT REALLY DOES CALL FOR FOCUSING ON RATHER JUST 40 AREAS, UM, CENSUS TRACK, UM, LOW CENSUS TRACK AREAS AND AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING MORE OUTAGES.
SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE SOME PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENTS IN PLACES CURRENTLY, UM, NEEDING IT.
AND, UH, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS BY REMINDER, THIS IS A A, THIS IS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ONCE AWARDED HOPEFULLY, AND IT'LL BE A COST SHARING PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD ACTUALLY PAY 30, ABOUT 30 MILLION OF THE, OF THE 60 MILLION.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT WILL BE SUBMITTED HERE IN THE COMING DAYS.
BUT WE ARE, UM, ACTIVELY CLOSING OUR, OR ABOUT TO SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION FOR THE CHARGING AND FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, THINK ABOUT HOW WE STRATEGICALLY IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE EV CHARGING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS REALLY BROKEN INTO THREE PRIMARY AREAS.
UM, THE GRANT ITSELF IS ANY, YOU WOULD BE AWARDED ANYWHERE FROM 500,000 TO, UM, AND ACTUALLY THAT'S A MISPRINT.
IT SHOULD BE, UH, $15 MILLION, NOT 5 MILLION.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR THE FULL 15 MILLION.
THE GRANT ITSELF, UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE, IS NOT A 50 50 MATCH.
IT'S ACTUALLY ONLY A 20% MATCH.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR 20% OF THE 15 MILLION SHOULD WE BE AWARDED THE FULL $15 MILLION.
AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS HERE IS THAT THE GRANT IS, ALLOWS YOU TO DO IT INTO STAGES.
AND SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS IF WE WERE AWARDED WHATEVER AMOUNT WE'RE REWARDED, WE WOULD THEN GO INTO A PLANNING PHASE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
UM, IT WOULD INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT AREAS WITHIN TOWN WHERE WE WANNA PROMOTE AND INCENTIVIZE, UM, THE ADOPTION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, I THINK A COMMON THEME YOU'LL SEE WITH ALL OF THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ARE HOW ARE YOU PUTTING IT IN AREAS, UM, OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE RATHER UNDERSERVED OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, BENEFIT FROM THIS TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO WE WOULD GO THROUGH THAT PHASE OF PLANNING THAT WOULD LEAD TO IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE LIKED ABOUT THE GRANT IS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND 5% OF THE GRANT DOLLARS ON SPECIFIC EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.
AND SO WE SEE THIS AS A, AS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO START PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF ELECTRIC ELECTRIFICATION OF VEHICLES HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY PUTS US BACK IN A POSITION TO MAYBE OWN SOME INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND, UM, PUBLIC EV CHARGING.
AND FROM HERE, I'M THINK I'M PASSING IT BACK TO YOU, DAVID.
UH, SORRY JONATHAN, I GOTTA RAISE THE MIC.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S TRANSITION TO OUR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY NEW STRATEGIES TO GUIDE FUTURE CANOPY INVESTMENTS.
SAN ANTONIO HAS LONG RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF URBAN FORESTS.
IT PLAYS AN INTEGRAL PART IN OUR URBAN ECOSYSTEM.
TREES PROVIDE SOCIAL, ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS AS WELL AS WE SHARE OUR SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES.
TODAY, PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT TREE MITIGATION IS ONE COMPONENT OF THE LARGER PICTURE OF OUR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.
ALSO, WE WILL NO LONGER TAKE A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH, BUT A QUALITATIVE ONE.
THIS ALLOWS US TO ENSURE THAT WE PROMOTE AND MANAGE A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY FOR TODAY AND FOR OUR FUTURE.
TEXAS A AND M FOREST SERVICES AND US FOREST SERVICES HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BRING URBAN FORESTRY INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS TO OUR CITY.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE URBAN FORESTRY BENEFITS THAT YOU'LL SEE.
IT REGULATES WATER FLOW AND IT IMPROVES WATER QUALITY.
IT HELPS TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, IT REDUCES AIR CONDITIONED NEEDS, AND IT SAVES ENERGY WHEN USING HEAT.
AND THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW.
THIS IS ALSO INCLUDED AS AN PERMANENT ESTABLISHMENT OF SLOTS OF PLOT, EXCUSE ME, OF PLOTS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON TREE SPECIES, TREE SIZES AND TREE CONDITIONS.
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DATA COLLECTION.THIS ALLOWS US TO REMEASURE AT LEAST 10% OF OUR PLOTS ANNUALLY.
REPEATING THIS MEASUREMENT AND STRATEGY ALLOWS US TO, FOR MANY YEARS TO COME TO HAVE AN IDEAL OF OUR URBAN FORESTRY AS IT EVOLVES.
BEGINNING WITH OUR SHORT TERM STRATEGIC APPROACH, PARKS CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON OUR GREENWAYS AND WEST CREEK, WEST SIDE CREEK PROGRAMS. BY ALIGNING URBAN FORESTRY STRATEGIES, THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE DATA-DRIVEN ELEMENTS INTO THEIR TREE CANOPY PROJECT DESIGN.
THE SAME ALIGNMENT APPLIES TO BOTH SIDEWALKS AND STREET PROJECTS AND PUBLIC WORKS PARKS.
ECOT TREE OR EQU TREE PROGRAM OFFERS THE OFFERS A VARIETY OF NATIVE SHADE TREES, AND FOR THAT MADE AVAILABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO COLLECT, TO SELECT FROM OUR UTILITY LOCATES AND PAINTS.
UH, PAINTINGS ARE DONE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
THEY GET TO, WE DO THAT FOR THEM.
UNDER ANOTHER SHORT TERM PARTS STRATEGY INCLUDES LEVERAGING EXISTING PROGRAMS SUCH AS MAJOR AND MINOR HOME REPAIRS BY COLLABORATING WITH NEIGHBOR AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS AT N N H S D, ALONG WITH C P S ENERGY'S, CASA VERDE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLANT MORE TREES AND IT COMPLIMENTS THE OVERALL SUSTAIN SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS.
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION IS LIKE A DOOR THAT SWINGS BOTH WAYS.
WITH THESE THREE ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER, YOU'LL SEE THE CREATED SYNERGY, AND NOW IT TURNS INTO A REVOLVING DOOR THAT NEVER STOPS.
WE ARE ALSO SCALING VENDOR, UH, CAPACITY FOR INCREASED, UH, COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING SERVICES AND DELIVERING WITH CONTRACTS AWARDS TARGETED FOR AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION ON CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.
NOW FOR OUR LONG-TERM TREE, UH, STRATEGIC APPROACH, EMBEDDING A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY INTO OUR PROJECT DESIGN LIKE OUR BERKELEY V AND VINCENT M. DAWSON PARK, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM OUR HAY STREET FROM OUR HAY STREET BRIDGE.
THAT EXAMPLE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRANSFORM NOT ONLY OUR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH EQUITY SCORES, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO TARGET INSTALLATION OF TREES TO REDUCE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, AS WELL AS OUR CARBON REDUCTION BENEFITS.
YOU WILL SEE GREATER ALIGNMENT WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS MEASURABLE SUCCESS WITH A BETTER OUTCOME.
AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT REVOLVING DOOR THAT NEVER STOPS.
NOW BUILDING ALONG OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC APPROACH, EXPANDING OUR EDUCATION AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN IS ALSO CRITICAL.
WE'RE LOOKING TO DEVELOP OUR COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM.
WITH THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR COLLABORATION WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
RECENTLY APPROVED OUR U D C CHANGES THAT ALSO PROVIDE PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.
NOW OUR PARKS DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO CRITICALLY THINK THROUGH HOW THAT PROCESS WILL LOOK AND WHAT THE POLICY WILL LOOK LIKE, EMBEDDING A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY AND TO A DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR PROJECTS.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO COLLABORATE WITH BUSINESS ENTITIES PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND ADJACENT PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
JUST THANK HOMER AND MELINDA AND NIKKI AND MICHAEL AND ROSS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.
NOW WE HAVE BEEN COLLABORATING ALSO WITH THE ARBORETUM LEADERS.
UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THEM EXECUTE THEIR ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN WITH THEIR U D C FOREST SERVICES URBAN AND COMMUNITY FOREST GRANT THAT THEY'VE APPLIED FOR.
NOT ONLY HAVE THEY COMPLETED IT AND TURNED IT IN, BUT THEY'RE ALSO DISCUSSING PLANTING PROGRAMMING THROUGH THIS ARBORETUM.
THEY'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT TREE NURSERIES EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IN OUR URBAN FORESTS.
SO, JUST A BRIEF NOTE TO THANK, UH, JULIA MURPHY AND HOMER FOR SHARING THEIR WISDOM WITH THE ARBORETUM AS THEY NAVIGATE, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT, UH, BAY BRANCH ALLIANCE IS ALSO A PART OF
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THEIR GRANT, THAT THEY ALSO ARE SEEKING HELP IN BOTH AREAS.SO FINALLY, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ALLOW ME TO RECAP OUR PLANNING FOR F Y 2024 SA CLIMATE READY COMMUNITY GRANT IS WHAT WE'RE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING.
YOU'LL SEE PHASE TWO OF OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND IN THAT PROCESS.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE OUR FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES, NOT ONLY THROUGH C P S ENERGY AND ALONG WITH THE CITY, BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE GRANTS MATCHING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND RESOURCES IN OUR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM AND POSSIBLE ARBORETUM WITH A JOINT EFFORT.
WE'LL ALSO DEFINE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE TO SEE WHERE THAT, UH, ALLOWS OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS OUR ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THAT AND EDUCATION.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF IT.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT LEADERS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ERIC WALSH.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, DAVID, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND JEFF AS WELL.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, UH, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, AND I WOULD SAY ALSO A LONG WAY SINCE THE FORMATION OF THE SA TOMORROW PLAN, THERE WERE THREE PRONGS TO THE PLAN.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS MORE OF A LAND USE STRATEGY.
AND I KNOW THOSE, UM, UH, AREAS ARE STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THERE WAS A MULTIMODAL PLAN AND THEN THERE WAS, THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN OCCURS TO ME, ERIC, I WANNA VISIT WITH YOU AFTERWARDS, THAT WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AGAIN AND DO AN EVALUATION OF WHERE WE ARE AFTER SIX YEARS, SEVEN YEARS OF THE PLAN BEING, UH, ADOPTED.
HOW WE'RE HITTING OUR METRICS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, MY MY SENSE IS THAT WE ARE DOING QUITE WELL, YOU KNOW, ON ALL THREE PLANS, UM, EVEN ON THE MULTIMODAL PLAN, BUT ON THE SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT FALL INTO THE CATEGORIES THAT WE WERE, UH, VERY FOCUSED ON FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO GET AN EVALUATION, ERIC.
LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, AND I'D ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS WITHOUT MENTIONING TWO OF OUR LONGEST RUNNING PROGRAMS, UH, THE HOWARD WP GREENWAY TRAIL EXPANSION, AS WELL AS THE OC EDWARDS AFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.
THESE ARE SHIFTING NOW TO THE NEW, UH, FUNDING SOURCE AS WE WIND DOWN THE SALES TAX AND GO TO OUR, UH, CAPITAL PROGRAM.
SO, ERIC, YOU MENTIONED TO ME THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AROUND AND DO, UH, AN UPDATE A BRIEFING TO THE COUNCIL.
THERE'S BEEN SOME MISINFORMATION I'VE SEEN, UH, AS WE TRANSITION TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE DOUBLY AWARE OF HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK GOING FORWARD IN OUR RENEWED COMMITMENT TO IT.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING JUST TO COME BACK AROUND TO, UH, THE PLANNING EFFORTS GOING FORWARD? SURE, MAYOR.
UM, SO LAST WEEK THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF ACREAGE, UM, FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.
WITH THAT PURCHASE, WE HAVE ABOUT $800,000 LEFT FROM, UH, THE ORIGINAL SALES TAX.
UM, AND SO WE WILL BE TRANSITIONING IN AUGUST, AND LIKELY THE COUNCIL WILL SEE BY THE END OF AUGUST AN ITEM WHERE WE WILL BEGIN THE TRANSITION OF FUNDING THAT THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF COMMERCIAL PAPER AND TAX NOTES, UM, AND UTILIZING SASS REVENUE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE ARE, UH, COLLECTING INTO OUR GENERAL FUNDS.
SO THAT TRANSITION, ALTHOUGH THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT PLAN, ASH MAYOR, WAS THAT IN 2020, LATE 2020, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SPENT DOWN THE BALANCE OF SALES TAX AND WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD TO, UH, TO THAT ASPECT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK PROBABLY MAYOR, AS WE BRING THAT ITEM TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE FINANCING, THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TO PUBLICLY KIND OF RECAP WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, COLLECTIVELY SINCE THE BEGINNING, UM, AND WHAT THE PLAN IS GOING FORWARD, UH, AND THE COMMITMENT TO THE CITY, FROM THE CITY IN TERMS OF FUNDING THAT ON A, ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS TO INCLUDE THE PROCESS THAT THE EVALUATION OF THOSE PROPERTIES GOES THROUGH.
SO WE'LL DO THAT IN LATE AUGUST.
YEAH, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF WATER, UM, THE CITY'S ONE OF THE CITY'S CORE STRENGTHS IS HIGH WATER IQ.
AND SO OUR, UM, RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO BRING THESE ISSUES FORWARD AND HAVE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT WILL KEEP THAT LEVEL HIGH BECAUSE OUR, UM, OUR FOCUS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUSTAIN AND PROTECT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER SHOULD NOT EVER WANE.
AND, AND THIS IS A BIG, BIG PART OF IT, IS THAT PROGRAM AS WELL AS OUR, UM, UH, THE PUBLIC SCRUTINY ON US CONTINUING IT.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, UH, UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP.
[00:40:01]
UH, PRESIDENT ABE CHAVEZ, UH, FOR HIS OUTREACH.UM, I TALK WITH HIM ABOUT SIX MONTHS OR SO AGO ABOUT HIS COMPETENCIES IN THE AREA AND HIS EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WE DO SO MUCH WITH U T SS A AND A COUPLE OF THE OTHER UNIVERSITIES BRINGING OUR LADY OF THE LAKE INTO IT.
WE'LL JUST SHOW OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT AND COLLABORATION AND MAKING USE OF THE STRENGTHS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, JEFF ON THE, ON THE SUBJECT OF THE I R A, UH, HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM, UM, OUR PARTNERS IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS I R A, UH, JUST LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW IS STILL BEING WRITTEN.
UM, AND THEIR MESSAGE TO ME, THEIR MESSAGE TO US HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL IN THE LONG TAIL OF RECOVERY WITH REGARD TO COVID.
THESE DOLLARS WERE MADE AVAILABLE.
THEY'RE HISTORIC RECOVERY DOLLARS TO REBUILD OUR ECONOMY, REBUILD OUR COUNTRY.
UM, THEY DIDN'T MAKE THESE LAWS TO BE RESTRICTIVE, UH, TO BE OVERLY AND, YOU KNOW, CUMBERSOME.
THEY WANT TO HELP US MAKE USE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO, TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES RECOVER AND REALLY REBUILD THE ECONOMY, REBUILD OUR COMMUNITIES IN A MORE RESILIENT MANNER.
UM, WE WERE THE FIRST CITY, UH, AND IN FACT, WE INSTRUCTED EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY IN HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE, UH, CONSUMERS, RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF THE DIRECT BENEFITS, THOSE REBATES THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UM, ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT, THAT I RECEIVED IS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING, UH, AND THAT, THAT OUR, THE, THE FLYERS THAT WE'RE LEAVING AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE'RE MAKING AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT THESE INCENTIVES, UM, ARE ACTUALLY DOING THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY MAKING USE OF THAT.
UM, DO WE HAVE, WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY GOES ON AND CLICKS THE QR CODE OR GOES TO THE WEBSITE, ARE THEY GOING STRAIGHT TO ENERGY.GOV OR DO THEY GO THROUGH A CITY PORTAL SO WE CAN SORT OF TRACK THE USE OF THESE REBATES? YES.
UH, MAYOR DOUG MALICK, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, YES.
WE CREATED, UM, UH, NUMEROUS LOCATIONS FOR PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION.
WE CREATED, UM, FLYERS THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING, UH, AS PART OF TAX WORKSHOPS.
AND, UM, THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS THEY COLLECT, CONNECT DIRECTLY TO THE, UM, FEDERAL PROGRAM SITE TO GET THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR ALL OF THE INCENTIVES AND HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 'EM.
UM, BUT IF, IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF OUR DELIVERABLES, ONE OF OUR FLYERS OR WHATEVER, AND THEY CLICK ON THAT, IT'S JUST SENDING THEM STRAIGHT TO, UH, IT, IT HITS OUR LANDING PAGE.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S A DIRECT LINK TO, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK, UM, YOU KNOW, IS IT REACHING THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF, OF HIGH NEED? OUR, OUR EQUITY, UM, ATLAS IS GONNA BE INFORMED BY THAT.
IT WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THESE MESSAGES ARE HITTING THE MOST, UM, NEEDED AREAS.
AND WE'VE ALSO, AND WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING WITH ALANA AND COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENTS, REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COVERING ALL OF THAT GROUNDWORK, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE TRACKING INFORMATION.
I GUESS NEXT TIME WE COME AROUND TO SUSTAINABILITY IN ANY WAY, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME DATA ABOUT HOW THOSE ARE BEING USED AND ACCESSED AND ALL THAT.
AND ALSO WE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO E P A AS WELL.
UM, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, OR ACTUALLY, LET ME ASK, AND THIS IS KIND OF CROSS DEPARTMENT, JEFF.
THERE'S A NOFO, THERE'S PROBABLY A DOZEN NO FOS THAT COME OUT EVERY SINGLE WEEK FROM VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS RELATED TO THE I R A RELATED TO THE B THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, UM, ARPA, IT'S COMING OUT ALL THE TIME IN ITS HISTORIC LEVELS OF FUNDING.
THAT'S WHY I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE RIGHTLY CALL THIS A GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WHAT PROPORTION WOULD YOU SAY, MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU, ERIC, WHAT PROPORTION OF NOFO DO WE RESPOND TO
I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER THAT ARE, OF WHICH A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY IS ELIGIBLE.
AND EVEN WITHIN THAT, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE FOR BIG CITIES AND SMALL TOWNS AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, I I WOULD SAY THIS, WE ARE PURSUING EACH AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR.
THAT MAKES SENSE FOR SAN ANTONIO, WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE A PROJECT AND WE CAN DRAW DOWN FEDERAL FUNDS.
BUT IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF ALL THE PROGRAMS CREATED BY B I L AND I R A, IT'S, IT'S A SMALL PORTION.
BUT IF I CAN ADD, I'M SORRY, JEFF.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT ONLY EVALUATING WHAT WE CAN GO AFTER, BUT THERE'S, AS YOU SAID, COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP THAT OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS COULD GO AFTER MM-HMM.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY TRACKING AND THEN TRYING TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THOSE PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE
[00:45:01]
AND PROVIDE SUPPORT WHEN, WHERE NEEDED.SO WE'RE GOING AFTER WHAT WE CAN, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO THE RIGHT LOCATIONS AS WELL.
WELL, WE, WE, WE PUT TOGETHER THAT ROUND TABLE FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE, UH, ALSO SO THAT WE'RE NOT GOING CROSSWISE WITH OUR PARTNERS, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GET A BALLPARK ON THAT NUMBER, GRANT NO FOES THAT WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, EVEN IF IT'S, UM, MAYBE A LONG SHOT.
GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE, BECAUSE I WOULD SAY THAT IF IT'S NOT 100%, IF WE'RE NOT APPLYING FOR EV WITH, IF THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT APPLYING FOR EVERY SINGLE GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, WE ARE LETTING OUR TAXPAYERS DOWN.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THIS IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY CITY, EVERY COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, IT'S NOT THAT THEY HAVE MADE THESE COMPLIANCE, UM, EX EXERCISES.
THEY ARE DESPERATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE RESOURCES GO TO COMMUNITIES TO HELP REBUILD THIS COUNTRY.
SO, UH, IF, IF IT REQUIRES US TO STAFF UP, IF IT REQUIRES US TO, YOU KNOW, FORM SOME NEW COMMITTEES OR SOMETHING, WE NEED TO EVALUATE THESE NO FOS AND WE NEED TO BE TAKING EVERY SINGLE AT BAT WE POSSIBLY CAN FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE OBVIOUSLY DIRECTLY ELIGIBLE FOR OR EVEN REMOTELY ELIGIBLE FOR.
AND NOT THAT WE HAVE TO FIND A PROJECT THAT FITS PERFECTLY WITHIN THEIR PARAMETERS.
BECAUSE THEY'VE ALSO BEEN VERY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WORK AROUND YOUR, UM, VARIABLES, PARAMETERS, WHATEVER.
BECAUSE THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.
THEY ARE, THEY ARE SEEKING OUT COMMUNITIES TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT APPROACHES WORKING FOR RESIDENTS, WORKING FOR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND WE NEED TO TAKE EVERY SINGLE SHOT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND IF WE DON'T, WE'RE GOING, WE WILL RU THE DAY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION BECAUSE THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT GONNA COME AROUND AGAIN IN ANY OF OUR LIFETIMES.
SO LET'S, LET'S DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE EVERY SHOT.
SO, UM, AND I'M, AND I'M GRATEFUL, ACTUALLY, THIS IS NOT TO SAY WE'VE HAD A HISTORIC LEVEL OF, OF, UM, OF, UH, UH, FEDERAL COOPERATION ALREADY.
THE CITY HAS, UH, ALREADY RECEIVED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GRANTS, HISTORIC LEVELS OF FUNDING ALREADY.
BUT I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE.
'CAUSE THE OTHER THING I HEARD WAS, AND WE'VE HEARD THIS MANY TIMES, IS THAT LOOK TO SAN ANTONIO, THEY MIGHT NOT ADVERTISE ALL THEIR SUCCESSES, BUT IF YOU WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE, SAN ANTONIO IS GETTING IT DONE.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO RIDE THAT, UH, HORSE AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, LEMME GO TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UM, MY NOTES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO BEAR WITH ME.
BUT I'M GONNA JUST, UH, FIRST OF COURSE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LAST AUGUST, THE COUNCIL PROVIDED DIRECTION ON HOW WE LIKE TO PREPARE FOR VARIOUS CLIMATE ISSUES.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT ESPECIALLY THE COOL PAVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, BEGIN.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S ALREADY DONE IN SPIRAL CREEK AND DISTRICT SIX, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT.
I ALSO JUST HAVE TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO THE ECO SCHOLARS.
I LOVE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOSTERING THAT IN, UM, LOVE OF OUR, OF OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR THE YOUTH.
UM, ON SLIDE NINE, UH, WE TALK ABOUT PHASE CITY'S SOLAR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
DO WE KNOW WHICH CITY SITES IS IT EVENTUALLY GONNA BE ALL CITY SITES? AND WILL THAT INCLUDE YEAH, THE AIRPORT.
SO WE HAD STARTED, UM, THE ORIGINAL R F P, WE PUT OUT OVER A HUNDRED SITES, UH, AND WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE MARKET BROUGHT BACK.
UM, WE RECEIVED THREE VIABLE PROPOSALS BASED UPON THE SITES THAT THEY BROUGHT BACK.
UM, WE ENDED UP WITH, UH, ABOUT 45 SITES.
UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE SITES IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT THOUGH.
AND WILL THAT INCLUDE THE AIRPORT? THE AIRPORT IS NOT.
UM, SINCE THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPORT WAS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US, BUT SINCE IT'S GOING THROUGH SO MUCH, UM, PLANNING, UH, THE CONCERN WAS WE DIDN'T WANNA PUT SOMETHING THERE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT.
SO IT'S NOT PART OF THE AIR, THE ENERGY AIRPORT ENERGY MASTER PLAN, IT WILL.
SO AS A PART OF THE AIRPORT ENERGY MASTER PLAN, THAT WILL BE PART OF IT LONG, BUT LONG TERM AND SEVEN FROM THIS.
UM, ON SLIDE 11, UH, WE, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION ACT.
UM, I'M SORRY, I THINK I GOT THE WRONG SLIDE NUMBER, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW, I, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING IT IN, UM,
[00:50:01]
WAS IT INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESSES? MAYBE THAT'S THE E C B G.SO HOW, WHAT IS, UM, WHAT DOES COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? AND SO, UM, THIS IS VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
I THINK THE KEY TO PARTICULARLY THESE TWO, THESE TWO PROGRAMS, THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM AND THE PILOT PROGRAM, IS CREATING SOME SORT OF FOCUS GROUPS.
SO WE CAN BASICALLY WORK WITH THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON PROGRAM DESIGN.
UH, I THINK THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS PRESUME WHAT THAT INCENTIVE SHOULD LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE THE, THE NEXT STEP, UM, BEFORE WE, WE MOVE FORWARD.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, UM, BUSINESSES WILL COME TO US AND TALK WITH US.
IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO, TO CHECK WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO SEE IF THERE'S, UH, A BUSINESS THAT, THAT THEY REGULARLY INTERACT WITH, THAT THEY'D LIKE TO BE HEARD IN THE, IN THE FOCUS GROUP? OR WE CAN, WE CAN REACH OUT AND TALK WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICES TO GET INPUT.
I NOT, NOT EXCLUSIVELY, I'M SURE YOU, YOU WANT FROM DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO, TO HAVE MAYBE OFFER UP SOME ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AND THEN I, THEN I THINK THIS IS SLIDE 11.
SORRY, MY NEXT NOTE WAS TO BUY AN E-BIKE, BY THE WAY, UM,
UH, CAN, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN ASKING, UM, I THINK A LOT OF THE COUNCIL AGREES FOR ABOUT, LIKE GRADING OUR SIDEWALKS, DOING WHAT WE DO FOR, FOR, UH, STREETS, UM, TO DO THAT FOR OUR SIDEWALKS.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN USE THIS, SOME OF THIS FUNDING FOR THAT TO GRADE, LIKE GRADE OUR SIDEWALKS, THE WAY WE GRADE OUR STREETS? NO.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, MUCH LIKE B I L TO GO AFTER ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, THE COUNCIL'S TALKED ABOUT THAT ISSUE AT BOTH THE APRIL WORK SESSION AND AT THE MIDYEAR.
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK TO DEVELOP SOME SORT OF PROPOSAL FOR THE GENERAL BUDGET TO BRING BACK TO YOU IN AUGUST.
SO I WAS JUST THINKING THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, BUT THIS IS NOT GONNA BE FOR ANY KIND OF ASSESSMENT, JUST, UM, UM, ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT.
UH, AND THEN, UM, SLIDE EIGHT, I THINK IT IS THE, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH ALU, UH, IS THAT, WHAT IS ONGOING CLIMATE ACTION TECHNICAL SUPPORT LOOK LIKE? SO, UM, BASICALLY ONE, ONE OF THE BIG NEEDS THAT, THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE IS IT'S THE GREENHOUSE GAS ACCOUNTING.
IT'S QUANTIFYING IMPACT OF STRATEGIES.
UM, WE TEND TO CONTRACT OUT, UH, WITH THAT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IS IF, UM, THEY CAN SORT OF NOT ONLY TRAIN STUDENTS, BUT THEN ALSO PROVIDE, UM, ONGOING SUPPORT, UM, FOR THAT TECHNICAL, UM, UH, OR WHAT WE'RE MISSING IN THE, ON THE STAFF LEVEL, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
BUT I THINK, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AS FAR AS WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT HELP.
UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT, HAVE YOU EVER DONE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ALU? I LIKE THAT WE ARE DIVERSIFYING, NOT, YEAH.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE, I THINK THERE'S A OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THERE'S A, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THERE'S A UNIQUE, UM, EXPERTISE OVER THERE.
AND SO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, AND AS, AS DOUG SAID, WE WILL HIRE CONSULTANTS, BUT IF WE CAN HIRE A LOCAL RESOURCE MM-HMM.
BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT THIS SUMMER WITH DOUG.
UH, SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT, UM, COLLABORATION WITH THE ARBORETUM.
I SEE THAT, UH, I THINK WAS ONE OF THE LAST SLIDES, UM, WE'RE WE ARE GONNA, OR AT LEAST IT'S POTENTIALLY WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH, UH, THE ARBORETUM.
I, I JUST, I WANNA ENHANCING THE TREE CANOPY IS REALLY IN, IN LOCKSTEP WITH WHAT THE ARBORETUMS OBJECTIVES ARE.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT CAN BE A VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIP.
I HOPE THAT WE REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF IN EARLY STAGES, BUT IN, IN, UM, IN THAT REGARD, IT'S EVEN MAYBE MORE COMPELLING TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
'CAUSE WE CAN SORT OF GROW THAT TOGETHER.
FOR THOSE OF YOU, I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HEARD, BUT THE ARBORETUM, UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, SAN ARBORETUM, SAN ANTONIO IS A REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING IN COORDINATION WITH THEM.
UM, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THEM THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS, UM, ARE AND WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THEY DID PURSUE, THEY ARE PURSUING THAT GRANT.
UH, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN VERUN WROTE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE GRANT.
UM, BUT THERE, BEYOND THAT, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND WORK ON TOGETHER.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THAT THIS SUMMER.
COUNCIL MEMBER KIO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
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YOU, MAYOR.UM, I WANT TO, I'LL START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
UM, SO THE ALAMO DOME IS AT THE FORMER ALAMO IRON WORK SITE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF, UM, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SEVERAL AREAS AROUND THE ALAMO DOME NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE DENVER HEIGHTS, UM, ARE IMPACTED BY, UH, WHAT WAS THE DUMPING OF CONTAMINATED SOIL FROM THE IRON WORK SITE, UM, THAT HAS SINCE, UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSED MANY PROPOSED PROJECTS CLOSE TO THEM TO, TO FAIL BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF SOIL REMEDIATION THAT'S NEEDED.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK TO FOR, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED OR, UH, A POSSIBILITY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
COUNCILMAN, WE CAN LOOK WITHIN THE I R A, I'M NOT, UM, EXACTLY FAMILIAR OF A PROGRAM FOR THAT, BUT THE EXISTING E P A BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM IS EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS ABOUT.
IT'S A, THERE'S TYPICALLY A, UH, A PLANNING OR RE UH, GRANT THAT YOU CAN PURSUE ON THE FRONT END.
AND THEN ONCE THE FEDS FUND THAT THERE'S DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR REMEDIATION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.
AND, AND WE HAVE A, A BROWNFIELD'S EFFORT WITHIN THE CITY HERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THOSE SITES AND WHERE THEY FALL IN THAT, BUT, UM, BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND CIRCLE WITH YOU.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I'M SURE THERE IS OTHER AREAS, ASIDE FROM THE ALAMO DOME AND OTHER PEOPLE'S DISTRICTS I, THAT I IMAGINE WOULD BENEFIT AS WELL.
UM, GOING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS AND EQUITY PROGRAM, UM, WE RECENTLY WERE APPROVED FUNDING FOR RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM ABOUT, I WANNA SAY CLOSE TO $5 MILLION, MAYBE AROUND $5 MILLION FOR A $42 MILLION PROJECT.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO A NUMBER OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, TO HAVE AS MUCH OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THESE RAILROAD CROSSINGS TO BE ELIMINATED AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, DOES RECEIVING THAT FIVE OR SO MILLION DOLLARS MAKE US CLOSER TO, DOES IT MAKE THAT PROJECT MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE FUNDING THROUGH, UH, THE SLIDE, WHATEVER
SIMILARLY, THE RIVER AUTHORITY THROUGH B I L HAS, UH, GOTTEN 80 SOME MILLION TO RESTORE THE WEST SIDE CREEK.
UH, AND SO THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES TO TIE INTO THAT.
UM, AZI, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE RAILROAD GRANT? I DIDN'T.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCILOR.
I'M RAIO DIRECTOR, CITY ENGINEER.
WE APPLIED FOR, UH, RAILROAD ELIMINATION $53 MILLION ON RMAN ROAD PROJECT.
WE GOT THE CALL FROM FAITH PROBABLY A MONTH OR SO AGO.
THEY TOLD US WE HAVE VERY GOOD PROJECT, BUT THIS PROJECT IS NOT REALLY DESIGNED.
THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT IF WE ARE AGREED THAT I'M WORKING WITH CITY MANAGER.
WE SENT AN EMAIL, WE CONFIRM WE ARE OKAY.
THEY SELECTED OUR PROJECT 4.8 MILLION FOR A ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND DESIGN.
AND WE ARE COMING 20% OF OUR MATCH.
WE ARE THROUGH BUDGET PROCESS.
WE ARE GOING S 1.2 MILLION AFTER OUR DESIGN IS DONE, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE YEAR OR TWO, WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THEY WILL SELECT OUR PROJECT FOR CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
UM, AND I IMAGINE THAT THE IDLING OF VEHICLES THAT THESE RAILROAD CROSSINGS ADDS TO OUR CAR POLLUTION.
I SAY WE JUST MOVE ALL OF THE, NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
I WAS GONNA SAY MOVE ALL OF THE TRAIN TRACKS
UM, YOU KNOW, I, IT'S BOTHERING ME A LITTLE BIT, BUT ON SLIDE 12, UM, OF THE 1.22, UH, 1,220,000 460 25 K IS NOT SHOWING.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, IS THAT A TYPO ON ONE OF THESE PROGRAM AMOUNTS OR IS THERE MONEY ON THE TABLE OR, BECAUSE THAT ADDS UP TO 900 OR ONE ADDS UP TO 1.195 SOMETHING.
IT'S PROBABLY POOR MATH ON MY PART, SIR.
SO I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHECK THE NUMBERS.
MEANING WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR THAT AMOUNT OR ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT AMOUNT.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS IS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT AMOUNT.
BUT THE, UH, THE 1.220460 IS THE ACTUAL AMOUNT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, AND THEN REGARDING THE, I I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT, THAT, UH, BERKELEY V AND VISTA M DAWSON PARK IS GONNA HAVE A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY.
AND SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE TREE CANOPY IS IN EVERY PARK AND PRIOR PRIORITIZE TREE PLANTINGS WITH CONTINUED CARE.
UH, AND I'M ALSO WONDERING WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND I IMAGINE IT'S PARKS, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT CANOPY? AND I, I ASK THAT BECAUSE CONSTITUENTS
[01:00:01]
HAVE NOTED, UH, AND THEY'LL USE THE LANGUAGE OF BUTCHERING OF TREES, WHICH THEN CAUSE THEM TO BECOME DISEASED OR TO DIE.SO, UH, URBAN CARE FORESTRY FALLS UNDER THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
NOW PUBLIC WORKS DOES DO SOME, UM, MAINTENANCE AS WELL IN PUBLIC SPACES, DEPENDING ON LOCATION.
BUT IN LARGE PART, IT'S THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND IT'S FOCUSED ON, UM, URBAN CARE ON OUR PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTIES.
GUESS MAYBE THEN A DEEPER CONVERSATION IS TO BE HAD ABOUT THE QUALITY OF, UH, THE MAINTENANCE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PLANTING THESE TREES AND SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR A QUALITY CANOPY, THEN HAVING THOSE TREES DIE LATER.
UM, IT ALSO ABOUT COOL PAVEMENT.
UM, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT COOL PAVEMENT IS LESS EFFECTIVE THAN, UH, INCORPORATING TREES.
UH, IT, IT DOESN'T SUPPLEMENT, UH, THE SERVICES OF VE VEGETATION LOSS TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, WITH THE COOL PAVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM, ARE WE ALSO LANDSCAPING AND, UH, LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR, UH, CANOPY THERE? OR IS IT JUST THE COOL PAVEMENT? NO, IT'S JUST THE COOL PAVEMENT.
BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT, AND THAT'S POTENTIALLY PART OF A PHASE TWO 'CAUSE AS U T S A IS, IS MEASURING THE PART, UH, BEFORE THE AFTER, UM, SOME ELEMENTS OF, DEPENDING ON LOCATION, SOME ELEMENTS MAY, BEN, MAY BENE, MAY BEN BE, MAY BENEFIT FROM THE PLANTING OF ADDITIONAL TREES.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON THE, ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS IS HOW DO WE INCORPORATE, UM, THE TREE PLANTING TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL COVER DOWN THE ROAD? SO I'M NOT SURE WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION YET.
I THINK, I THINK WE WAIT FOR U T S A TO FINISH THEIR, THE, THEIR, THEIR AFTER ANALYSIS TO, TO DETERMINE KIND OF WHAT THAT ELEMENT LOOKED.
AND IT LOOKED, IT COULD LOOK DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, DEPENDING ON THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
I GUESS I JUST WONDER, IS IT JUST A STUDY FOR THEM TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE, THE EFFECTS OF THE COOL PAVEMENT ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT ANY OTHER VARIABLES? 'CAUSE IF WE KNOW THAT TREE CANOPY ASSISTS IN THAT, THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, IT SHOULD ALREADY BE A PART OF OUR, WELL, THAT'S NOT, THEN IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A COOL PAVEMENT ISSUE.
THAT'S, THAT GOES BACK TO, REMEMBER THE EXPERT, THE COUNCILMAN BRAVO BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL MEETING LAST YEAR FROM U T S A, THAT'S THE GUY WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, UM, COULD BE PRESCRIBED DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, AND TREES PLAY A HUGE PART OF THAT.
UM, I'LL MOVE ON TO MY LAST BIT.
AND IT'S ABOUT THE KIND OF, IT DIPS INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RESILIENCY CENTERS THAT WE'VE, UH, THAT WE'RE SETTING UP.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS QUITE DISTRESSING.
THE DISTRICT TWO DID NOT HAVE A, A WARMING, A RESILIENCY CENTER, A WARMING HUB, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
UM, BUT SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION IS ACTUALLY, UH, WORKING ON ONE ON THEIR OWN.
IT'S GATEWAY INTO THE EAST SIDE, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN URBAN FARM, RENEWABLE ENERGY FEATURES, COOLING AND WARMING CENTER SPACE, AND EVEN A MICROGRID.
AND THAT'S EXTREMELY EXCITING FOR ME TO HEAR.
AND I'M WONDERING WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE MIGHT HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
'CAUSE THEY'RE OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE, MAYBE THEY CAN BE THE MODEL.
SO THAT'S NEXT WEEK'S SPEECH SESSION ON THE ARPA.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELPFUL FEEDBACK.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UH, I, I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING AND HOW WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, UH, SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT WERE IN THE REESE, UH, PLAN AND IN OTHER AREAS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING THE GREENWAY TRAIL, THAT'S ALL IMPORTANT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT URBAN FOREST DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THAT HAS A LOT OF VALUE TOO.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY HAS GREAT VALUE TO ALL OF US.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT URBAN FOREST DEVELOPMENT, UH, ARE WE LOOKING TOWARDS USING THE CITY'S TREE MITIGATION FUND AS ONE WAY OF, UH, EXPANDING ALL OF THAT? YES, SIR.
HOW MUCH FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN OUR TREE MITIGATION FUND RIGHT NOW? IN THE, UM, SIX PLUS SIX REPORT THAT WE GAVE THE COUNCIL HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO? 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THANK FOR YOUR REMIND OF THAT.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE FUNDING FOR THE REESE FUND, UH, I WAS A, I WAS A LITTLE UNCLEAR, UH, ABOUT HOW THAT FUNDING IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
COULD, COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT? I KNOW WE WERE SAYING THAT WE WOULD RETAIN 14%
[01:05:01]
OF THE STEP REVENUE, UH, TO USE TOWARDS REESE FUNDING.IS, IS THAT CORRECT? AND, AND HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THAT? I'LL, I'LL LET, I'LL LET TROY ANSWER IT IN DETAIL, BUT IT'S NOT THE STEP REVENUE, IT'S THE STEP, UH, EXPENDITURE OVER AT C P S.
IT'S THE COST RECOVERY PORTION.
AND, UM, IT'S THE 14% THAT'S BEING APPLIED TO THAT.
AND, UM, THAT'S THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATING THIS $10 MILLION THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S, UM, DISCUSSING CAN, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A CONSTANT OR A SUSTAINED REVENUE SOURCE TO SUPPORT THE EFFORT THROUGH THAT 14%.
ARE, ARE WE ANTICIPATING THAT IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE IN OR ABOUT $10 MILLION FOR THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AS LONG AS THE STEP PROGRAM'S MOVING FORWARD? YEAH, IT'LL BE PRETTY CONSTANT BASED ON THE ESTIMATES.
UM, IT WILL NOT ESCALATE AS WE SEE THE OTHER C P S REVENUE, BUT IT'LL BE A CONSTANT AMOUNT, OR THE FORECAST ABOUT $9.6 MILLION PER YEAR.
UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT, WHICH ARE, WERE PART OF, PART OF THAT REESE PROGRAM.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THE PACE PROGRAM AND IT'S FUNDING AND HOW THAT MAY BE MOVING FORWARD TO ADD TO SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T THINK I HEARD ABOUT ANY BUSINESS INCENTIVES AGAIN, WHICH WERE PART OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL HAD MADE.
ARE ANY OF THOSE MOVING FORWARD AND INCLUSIVE IN ANY OF THIS, UH, ACTIVITY ON, ON BUSINESS INCENTIVES? COUNCILMAN? UM, WE'VE NOT, I THINK WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN DECEMBER WAS PUTTING A, PUTTING A PAUSE ON THAT EFFORT.
AND, AND SO WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING MUCH ON THAT FRONT SINCE THEN ON PACE.
LET ME, I'LL LET DOUG ANSWER THAT PART.
I, UH, RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS PACE AUTHORITY JUST TO GET A CHECK-IN.
AND, UM, THINGS ARE STARTING TO PICK UP.
THERE'S A COUPLE MORE PROJECTS, UM, SOON TO BE CLOSED.
THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD ALSO INCLUDED, HOW DO WE HELP ACCELERATE IT? AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO INVESTIGATE IS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE CHALLENGE WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS WITH, UH, THE LENDERS.
THE LENDERS NOT REALLY SORT OF UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISM.
SO WE'LL BE EXPLORING HOW DO WE, UM, FACILITATE THAT CONVERSATION SO THEY BUILD THAT CONFIDENCE AND THEY CAN START PARTIC PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
I, I THINK IT REALLY TALKS TO EDUCATION, AND I THINK WE NEED TO REINFORCE PUBLIC EDUCATION ON, ON PACE FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
BUT ALSO I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL MAY NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WE DECIDED TO FUND THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION OR HOW WE MAY BE FUNDING THE CONTINUING GREENWAY TRAIL.
SO I KNOW WE, AMONG OURSELVES TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE DOING ENOUGH TO ADVERTISE IT INTO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL IS STILL COMMITTED TO BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS LONG TERM, BUT HOW WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT.
SO, UH, I, LIKE I SAID, I, I KNOW WE HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US DO MORE AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THESE AS COMPONENTS OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, DOUG AND TEAM, AND JEFF AND DAVID FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE PARKS.
I KNOW EARLY ON PARKS CAME AND GAVE ME A PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS VERY INNOVATIVE VISION TO EXPAND NORMAL OIL PARK.
AND, UH, THEY PROPOSE SO MANY, UH, OPTIONS, UH, OF WHAT CAN BECOME OF NORMAL OIL PARK.
AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE, UH, THE, THE VISION THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORTH.
UM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, RIGHT? UH, ONE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM SA SAMO AS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF METAL AND BATTERY RECYCLING PLANTS.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, TWO BLOCKS AWAY IS, UM, ONE OF THE CITY'S ONLY SUPERFUND SITES, RIGHT? SO, A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE.
AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY HERE, UM, TO PROVIDE A, A GREEN SPACE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY TO FEEL LIKE, UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, TO HAVE SOME HEALTHY, UH, THING GOING ON IN THAT AREA.
SO I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL'S, UH, FORESIGHT ON THAT, AND TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SEEK THOSE FEDERAL GRANTS.
UH, MY TEAM AND I HAVE BEEN EXPLORING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS FLOODING AND DRAINAGE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND WHAT WE'VE COME ACROSS ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, ONE, UH, IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GREEN ALLEYWAYS.
SO SEATTLE, CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA ARE EXPLORING GREEN ALLEYWAYS, AND NOT ONLY DO THEY HELP ALLEVIATE THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, BUT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE BIODIVERSITY AS WELL AS TO ALLEVIATE PONDING AND OR FLOODING WITHIN ALLEYWAYS.
UM, IN OUR DISTRICT, WE FREQUENTLY HAVE CALLS ABOUT, UH, THE ALLEYS BEING UNLEVELED, AND THERE'S A LOT OF STAGNANT WATER, AND THEN THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT,
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UH, MOSQUITOES AND HEALTH ISSUES.SO, UH, WOULD THERE BE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE USING THE REESE FUND TO ADDRESS OR IMPLEMENT A PILOT PROGRAM FOR GREEN ALLEYWAYS? WELL, I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL WILL KIND OF DICTATE THE USAGE OF THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR AREAS MM-HMM.
AND WHAT I APPRECIATED HEARING FROM DOUG IS THAT, UM, WHILE THERE MAY NOT BE GRANTS THAT APPLY TO WHAT THE, THE VISION AND PRIORITIES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS PUT FORTH, WE'RE PLUGGING IN, UH, OTHER AGENCIES INTO THOSE FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, ONE THING THAT I WANNA BE CERTAIN IS THAT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS AN ENTITY SUPPORTS OR, UM, PUTS FORTH A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR A PROJECT, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, UH, LISTEN TO THE CITY ON WHAT SOME OF OUR NEEDS ARE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN LOOKING AT THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY, UM, THOSE PROJECTS DON'T ADDRESS DRAINAGE CONCERNS.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE UPCOMING FEMA OF FLOODPLAIN MAPS, THERE'S A LOT OF SURROUNDING AREAS NEAR THE CREEK THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, CAPTURED INTO POTENTIALLY THE NEW FLOOD ZONE.
SO I SEE THAT AS A, A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND AN INJUSTICE.
SO I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SUPPORTING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, WE NEED TO HAVE A ASK TO ENSURE THAT THE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG THE GREENWAY, UM, AREN'T GOING TO BE, UM, FACING THAT BURDEN OF BEING CAPTURED IN A FLOOD ZONE.
IS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN ASK? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND I'LL, I, I THINK IT, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
I THINK I DID SHARE WITH THE MAYOR THAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO AND I MET WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY AND THE COUNTY BECAUSE THAT WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY WHAT SHE DESCRIBED IS POTENTIALLY GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT I, WE'VE ASKED THE, THE RIVER AUTHORITY TO DO IS TO GIVE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ALTERNATIVES TO INCREASING THE, THE OUTFALLS, UM, INTO THE, INTO THE WEST SIDE CREEK WORK, SO THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CAN THEN, AT THE TIME, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, DECIDE TO, UM, UH, AMPLIFY THAT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT ON THE FRONT END, I THINK IS THE COUNCIL WOMAN'S POINT.
UM, BUT, BUT WE, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE MADE THAT ASK FOR THE COUNTY, UH, AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO HIT ON WAS THE EXCITEMENT OVER OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY, UH, EXPRESSING INTEREST IN EXPLORING HOW TO ALLEVIATE THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND INNOVA INNOVATIVE MEASURES, UH, THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UH, AGAIN, I ALWAYS MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT FIVE WAS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF, OF, OF THE HEAT ISLAND, RIGHT? AND LACK OF TREE CANOPY, UH, LACK OF COVERAGE AT VIA BUS STOPS.
UM, SO I, I SEE IT AS A REALLY, UH, GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT SOME OF THOSE WRONGS THAT WE'VE SEEN, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE WEST SIDE OF MY DISTRICT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH NORMAL PARK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MY DISTRICT.
UM, WITH THAT, UM, LAST WEEK DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION, I ASKED RUDY IF, UM, C P S WAS SEEKING FEDERAL GRANTS TO SCALE UP, UH, CASA VERDE.
I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THEY'VE GONE AFTER, AND THEY HAVE HAD SOME FUNDING, UH, EARMARKED FOR THAT.
UH, FOR C P SS, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, SCALE UP THE SUPPORT FOR CASTA VERDE? UH, I KNOW A LOT OF, UH, RESIDENTS APPLY, BUT THEN THEY GET REJECTED, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN.
HAVE YOU ALL EXPLORED A MODEL TO WHERE WE CAN INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF HOMES THAT, UM, NOT JUST QUALIFY, BUT ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE? YEAH.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER, UM, ONCE WE GOT THE APPROVAL FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AT THIS POINT, WE THEN BEGAN THE PHASE OF LAUNCHING THE R F P TO BRING IN MORE VENDORS INTO THE PROGRAM, WHICH ACTUALLY SHOULD HELP SOLVE SOME OF THAT ISSUE.
UM, PART OF AROUND THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS GONNA HOPEFULLY BE RESOLVED HERE.
UM, DURING THE SUMMERTIME WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE WINNERS OF THAT R F P, UM, AS RUDY MENTIONED LAST WEEK AT B SESSION, WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME DOLLARS EARMARKED MM-HMM.
AND THEN NOT TO FINISH JUST WITH, UM, THE WEATHERIZATION COST OF THE PROGRAM, HOW DO YOU THEN ALSO TAKE 'EM THROUGH MAYBE SOME OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'D LIKE TO CREATE IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, SIX, SIX MONTHS TO THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A ONE STOP, WE WANNA GET THEM THROUGH, BUT THEN I THEN WALK 'EM THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OTHER PROGRAMS WE CAN MAKE AVAILABLE.
I WANTED TO SHIFT QUICKLY TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR, UH, SOLAR.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL AS HELP THEM APPLY FOR THE GRANTS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING? UH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO COMMEND THE TEAM BECAUSE DRIVING AROUND TOWN, I'VE SEEN THE BILLBOARDS,
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UH, ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.UM, BUT IF THERE'S, UM, A TEACHER OR A NONPROFIT THAT MAY NEED ASSISTANCE APPLYING OR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION, IS THAT ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO THEM? IF THEY ASK, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO ADVANCE OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER ENTITIES.
TO THIS POINT, THEY HAVE NOT, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH SOLAR, BUT WE'RE ALSO KNOW THAT C P S ENERGY WE PICKED ON THEM TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE US JUST A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING.
AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY TAG US BOTH IN, SO WE CAN SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS, UH, ALLOW THEM TO FEEDBACK ON WHAT C P S WOULD RECOMMEND.
AND ACTUALLY, IF I COULD JUST ADD, UM, I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ALTHOUGH WE SUNSET THE SOLAR REBATE, UM, UH, BACK IN AUGUST, WE DID NOT SUNSET THE REBATE FOR NONPROFITS AND, UH, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND NONPROFITS ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR OUR TRADITIONAL SOLAR REBATE.
AND WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, PARTNER UP AND FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S SOLUTIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR I R A OR FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M NOW LOOKING AT THE ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE, AND I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE LOW INCOME E-BIKE REBATE PRIVATE PROGRAM.
AND DURING THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, I, I BROUGHT THIS UP BRIEFLY.
UM, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW DENVER'S DOING.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, OR WHAT'S THE RIGHT NUMBER FOR, FOR SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UM, I HAD MET WITH SOME FOLKS FROM DENVER, UH, WHEN WE WERE THERE FOR A, FOR A CONFERENCE.
THEIR ADVICE WAS, TALK TO THOSE FOLKS WHO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE.
SO I THINK WE WANT TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS FIRST BEFORE DETERMINING.
AND, AND WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING RIGHT, IS IN DISTRICT FIVE IN PARTICULAR, UM, FOLKS USE THE, THE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LINE BIKES OR WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, THE B BICYCLES, THE B CYCLES, UH, THE B CYCLES, AND THEN THE OTHER VENDORS.
AND YOU SEE 'EM ALL THROUGHOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OR NEAR A BUS STOP.
UH, SO MANY DEFI RESIDENTS ARE USING THESE DIFFERENT VENDORS TO GET TO THE BUS STOP OR GET TO WORK MANY WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY.
SO THE VIA LINEUPS ALREADY ENDED, RIGHT? SO THEY'LL USE ONE OF THE, THE SCOOTERS OR THE E-BIKES TO GET TO, TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT'S ALWAYS, UM, IT'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S PARKED ON THE, THE SIDEWALK, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, KNOWING THAT THERE'S A NEED, UM, FOR THIS E-BIKE REBATE PROGRAM.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME THANK DAVID, JEFF, C P S ENERGY AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE ON THIS.
UH, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO LOOK, LOOKING FORWARD FOR THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT WEATHERIZATION.
UM, I'VE BECOME AWARE THAT C P SS ENERGY'S, CASA VERE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM HAS HAD DIFFICULTY IN REACHING ITS POTENTIAL BECAUSE MANY HOMES DON'T MEET THE GUIDELINES.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH ELECTRICAL ROOFING FOUNDATION AND STOVES.
AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY C P S THAT THE NUMBER OF HOMES PER YEAR THAT CAN BE WEATHERIZED THROUGH CASA VERDE IS APPROXIMATELY 3,200.
HOWEVER, SINCE 2018, NEARLY 4,500 HOMES HAVE BEEN DENIED.
THIS MEANS THAT THE BACKLOG, THERE'S A BACKLOG OF THOUSANDS OF HOMES THAT CAN'T GET WEATHERIZATION THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO SEND A PORTION OF THE REESE FUNDS, I THINK, TO CPSS REAP FUND.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT REAP CAN NOW BE USED FOR MINOR HOME REPAIRS AND WEATHERIZATION, BUT THE, WHAT THE FUND CONTAINS NOW IS $27,000.
CURRENTLY, C P S ENERGY ESTIMATES THAT THE AVERAGE ESTIMATED COST PER HOME NEEDED IN ORDER TO MEET THE MINIMUM GUIDELINES FOR THE PROGRAM IS $2,460.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MEET THAT.
UH, IF WE LOOK AT HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED THE DISTRICTS, WE CAN LOOK AT DISTRICT FIVE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH HAS THE BIGGEST NUMBER OF HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN NOT, UM, BEEN ABLE TO BE SERVICED.
AND THAT IS 1,116 THAT IS FOLLOWED BY DISTRICT THREE AND FOUR WITH, UH, 726 AND 711.
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AND SO, IF WE CAN USE THESE REESE FUNDINGS, IT COULD GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING, UH, C P S DO THIS WEATHERIZATION.AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE, AGAIN, IS TO, UH, LOWER THEIR ENERGY COST.
BUT IT WOULD ALSO HELP, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT'S TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE WHOSE HOMES GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE VERY DETERIORATED.
AND WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB NOW OF TRYING TO DO THAT, STOP THE DEMOLITION OF THOSE HOMES.
BUT I THINK THAT IF WE CAN START HELPING AT AN EARLIER PHASE, PHASE OF PROBLEMS, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO CITE PEOPLE AND DEMO AND DO THE DEMOLITION ON THEIR HOMES.
I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP THOSE RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN NEED AT A LOT LOWER COST THAN WE WOULD HAVE TO DO YEARS LATER.
SO I, I WOULD HOPE THAT SOME OF THE COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT USING THE REAP REFUNDS THIS WAY.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IS YOUR URBAN FORESTRY.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE TREES WOULD CONTAIN A LOT OF FRUIT TREES.
I THINK THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE, UM, SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, UH, FOR THE FOOD EFFORTS FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED ACCESS TO FOOD.
UH, AND THEY CAN BE PLANTED IN JUST ABOUT ANY DISTRICT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A PLACE THAT I CAN FIND THE ECHO SCHOLARS SCHOOLS.
I KNOW IN SEVEN ONE SCHOOL REPORTED THEY HAD GOTTEN TWO GRANTS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE HAS.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHO GOT THE GRANTS.
WE CAN SEE WHO DIDN'T GET THE GRANTS AND GO IN AND, UM, OFFER NEXT YEAR OR THIS YEAR EVEN TO THOSE PEOPLE, TO THOSE SCHOOLS.
THE IDEA THAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL NOTIFY EACH OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE ACTUALLY KNOW HOW MANY ACTUALLY WERE GIVEN, AND IT WASN'T LIMITED TO ONLY ONE OPPORTUNITY PER SCHOOL.
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT TEACHERS THAT TRY TO TEACH SOME OF THE SAME THINGS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO LAY THAT OUT FOR YOU AND SEPARATE IT AS WELL.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY EXCELLENT PARTNERSHIP.
SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT POSSIBLE.
AND, UM, LET ME JUST SAY ON THE REAP SIDE OF THINGS, UH, I, ON THE BOARD OF REAP, UH, THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S SUPPORTED BY BARBECUE FUNDRAISERS.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE C COMMUNITY WOULD BE VERY WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS PUSHING FOLKS, UH, THROUGH THE PIPELINE WHO ARE OTHERWISE INELIGIBLE BECAUSE OF, UH, SMALL ISSUES THAT, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY COLLABORATE ON.
SO, UH, WOULD BE IN STRONG AND SUPPORT OF THAT.
UM, WE'LL GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
UM, I WANTED TO START OFF BY ASKING ONE QUESTION AND, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE I SAW THIS OR HEARD THIS, BUT LIKE, GOING FORWARD, ARE WE INTENDING TO USE THIS RESILIENCY FUND TO, TO FUND OUR SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT? UM, COUNSEL, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, IN THE MID-YEAR BUDGET AND THE FORECAST AS IT RELATED TO THE SOLID WASTE FUND.
AND SO AS WE DO THE WORK THIS SUMMER TO DETERMINE, UH, ANY NECESSARY RATE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT ALSO HOW WE CAN CUT BACK EXPENSES WITHOUT IMPACTING THE, THE HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT SOLID WASTE PROVIDES.
ONE OF THE OPTIONS WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COUNCIL WAS ALSO FUNDING THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE OUT OF THE REESE FUNDING.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S COMPLETELY SUPPORTED BY THE SOLID WASTE MONTHLY FEE.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT THIS SUMMER.
SO I GUESS MY CONCERN IS, MY UNDERSTANDING OF, OF THIS RESILIENCY, ENERGY, EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND IS THAT IT WAS FOR PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND THAT IT WOULD BE FOR, UM, TO DO THINGS THAT WE WOULD NOT OTHERWISE DO IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS FUND.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE FUNDING THE SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT OUT OF THIS TO SAVE MONEY IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
UM, IT WASN'T JUST TO SAVE MONEY, IT WAS TO KEEP THE, ANY POTENTIAL RATE INCREASE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
THAT THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY POTENTIAL FRAUD WASTE.
THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON INCREASE.
WE WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T DOING IT JUST TO, JUST
[01:25:01]
TO SAVE MONEY, IT WAS TO REDUCE EXPENSES.SO THAT WHATEVER WE BRING BACK TO Y'ALL IN TERMS OF A POTENTIAL RATE INCREASE, YOU UM, KNOW THAT, UM, IT IS GOING TO MAINTAIN THOSE SERVICES.
BUT WE, WE, THAT'S WORK THAT WE WILL DO LATER ON THIS MONTH, IN THE MONTH OF JULY.
UM, SO I MEAN, I SEE A LOT OF GREAT STUFF THAT IN THESE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS LIKE, WHAT IS THE OVERALL GOAL AND HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS? AND SO LIKE, HOW DO WE COMPARE ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE DELIVERABLES ARE GONNA BE? AND SO HOW DO WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN GOING AROUND THE, THE ROOM AND SEEING WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHERE DO WE GET CONSENSUS ON WHICH ONE'S PULLED AT THE MOST HEARTSTRINGS? AND SO WE PUT SHIFT MORE FUNDING OVER THERE.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS EACH PROGRAM GONNA ACCOMPLISH, I GUESS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE MISSING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, I THINK IS 'CAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HIRING A RESILIENCY OFFICER OR RESILIENCY DIRECTOR.
UM, AND WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DESIGN THE PROGRAM AND THEN HIRE THEM.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE HIRING THEM TO HELP US BUILD THIS.
'CAUSE WE NEED THAT EXPERTISE RIGHT NOW.
AND I FEEL LIKE OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS REALLY STRETCHED THIN, YOU KNOW, ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE MANPOWER THAT THEY HAVE.
I THINK THEY DO GREAT WORK, BUT I, I THINK THEY NEED MORE ASSISTANCE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
AND THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEGLIGENT TO NOT GO AFTER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS ONE TIME FUNDING, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO, I NEED, I THINK WE NEED MORE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO GO AFTER ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS RIGHT NOW, AND THAT WE NEED TO STAFF UP QUICKLY.
SO THE, THE, THE, WE ARE WORKING WITH EXECUTIVE RECRUITER ON THE CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER, UM, AND, UM, DON'T, DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALSO THE PATTERN THAT YOU SAW TODAY WAS REALLY BASED ON THE OUTLINE THAT WE SHOWED TO COUNCIL AND THE DIRECTION WE GOT IN DECEMBER ON THOSE WORK EFFORTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS, HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS IN EACH OF THESE VERY DISTINCT PATHS WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COUNCIL.
AND THE NEXT, THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO THAT WILL BE THROUGH THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, AND I'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, BY HOPEFULLY THAT AT THAT POINT, BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, WE'VE GOT THAT CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER ON BOARD YEAH.
TO, TO HELP US BOTH INTERNALLY, BUT ALSO EXTERNALLY.
I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE EXPERT GUIDANCE, I GUESS, ADVISING THE COUNCIL TO, TO HELP US MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS ON ALL OF THIS.
UM, SO, UH, THERE, YOU KNOW, I DID SHARE THIS, THIS PRESENTATION, UM, WITH SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN THIS SPACE.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE RESPONSES THAT I GOT BACK WAS THEY, THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE IN THE PRESENTATION ANYTHING ABOUT GOING AFTER GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUNDS.
UH, WHICH IN THEIR OPINION IS THE MOTHER OF ALL INFLATION REDUCTION ACT FUNDS.
IT'S AT $27 BILLION AND THEY ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T, ARE WE NOT GOING AFTER THOSE? OR, OR, OR WAS THAT JUST NOT IN THE PRESENTATION? YEAH, SO FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, UH, E P A, UM, HAS A GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND.
THERE'S THREE COMPONENTS TO IT.
UM, UH, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY ISN'T OPEN YET.
UH, THERE'S, UM, THEY'RE ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INTEREST.
UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH, UM, OTHER CITIES ABOUT A CONSORTIUM APPROACH APPROACH, BECAUSE BASICALLY THEY WERE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A BIG POT OF MONEY, UM, WE'RE EXPECTING ONLY POTENTIALLY ONE AWARD PER STATE.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO, TO LEVERAGE, UM, UH, THE APPROACH TO GO AFTER THE DOLLAR.
SO WE'RE EXPECTING THE NOFO FOR LATER THIS SUMMER.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE COORDINATING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO GO AFTER THOSE DOLLARS.
SO, UM, TO, TO DIP BACK IN A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS MORE TOO, LIKE HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS AND HOW DO WE, UM, COMPARE THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS? YOU KNOW, UM, PLANTING TREES HELPS WITH URBAN HEAT ISLAND, THE WHITE REFLECTIVE COATINGS HELPS WITH HEAT ISLAND.
UM, BUT THEN WE'VE GOT STACKED BENEFITS WITH TREES BECAUSE THEY ALSO CAN ABSORB WATER AND HELP REDUCE FLOODING.
UM, AND SO WHEN DO WE, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA PLANT TREES RIGHT IN THE STREET.
SOMETIMES THERE'S GONNA BE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THE STREETS WIDE ENOUGH THAT YOU COULD HAVE AN ISLAND WITHIN THE STREET AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD IN LA AND HAVE SOME CANOPY THERE.
BUT, UM, I'M, I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND, I, LIKE, I'D LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A BETTER INVESTMENT FOR URBAN HEAT ISLAND OVER TIME? IS IT PLANTING TREES? IS IT COOL COATINGS? OR WHAT COMBINATION? AND WHERE DO WE PUT THEM? YEAH.
SO THAT'S, UM, BASICALLY THE GOAL OF THE U H I, UM, MITIGATION PROGRAM.
UH, THE NEXT PHASE, UM, ONCE THE COOL PI COOL PAVEMENT WAS TO, UH, HOPEFULLY DETERMINE WHICH
[01:30:01]
MATERIAL WORKS.BUT AGAIN, BASED UPON, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL U T S A RESEARCH THAT, THAT DAVID HAD MENTIONED, UM, WHERE THEY'LL BE IDENTIFYING, UM, THE HOTTEST SPOTS IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE GOAL WILL BE TO TAKE TREE MITIGATION DOLLARS UNDER ONE ROOF DOLLARS.
UM, HOW DO WE START LEVERAGING ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UM, UH, MITIGATION TREATMENTS INTO VERY SPECIFIC AREAS.
AND THEN TO WORK WITH U T S A TO QUANTIFY BENEFIT AND IMPACT.
AND THAT IMPACT CAN ALSO INCLUDE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND, AND OTHER, OTHER ELEMENTS.
SO I THINK IT'S PART OF A LONGER, UM, PROCESS THAT WE, WE JUST STARTED.
AND DOUG, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THAT, UH, PILOT PROJECT WITH THE, WITH THE COOL COATINGS? SO WE ARE EXPECTING, WE'RE EXPECTING THE, UM, THE, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SO I THINK WE'D BE GEARING UP FOR PROBABLY FOR THE SPRING.
UM, FOR THE FIRST PILOTS, AND I GUESS ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT COOL ROOFS, THIS IS THE SAME CONCEPT AS COOL ROOFS, RIGHT? YOU WANNA REFLECT THE HEAT.
AND WITH COOL ROOFS, UM, COOL ROOFS THAT HAVE HIGH SLOPES DO BETTER THAN FLAT COOL ROOFS, RIGHT? BECAUSE COOL, FLAT, COOL ROOFS JUST GET DIRTY OVER TIME AS DIRT AND DUST AND EVERYTHING ACCUMULATES ON IT, WHERE IT'S A A, A HIGH SLOPED COOL ROOF WHEN IT RAINS, IT'S GONNA SELF-CLEAN VERY WELL, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH FLAT SURFACES HERE, AND I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AFTER ONE YEAR, IS THAT SUFFICIENT DATA OR TWO YEARS, IS THAT SUFFICIENT DATA? LIKE WHAT IS IT, YOU KNOW, AS IT GETS DIRTY OR AS IT GETS, THOSE SURFACES GET WORN? I MEAN, HOW LONG DO WE EXPECT THESE COATINGS TO LAST? AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GONNA INVEST IN SOMETHING THAT'S GREAT THIS YEAR, BUT 10 YEARS FROM NOW WOULDN'T BE DOING MUCH? WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE CAN DO IS, AGAIN, WORK WITH OUR RESEARCHERS TO, UM, I'M SURE THERE IS CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH ALREADY BY E P A AND OTHERS TO TAKE A LOOK AT PERFORMANCE.
UM, BUT I THINK WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO, INTO FUTURE, FUTURE RESEARCH PROJECTS.
AND THEN, OH, I'M SORRY, C COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE MY, MY, UH, FEEDBACK ON.
SO, UH, I THINK, UH, I THINK, UH, HER PROPOSAL IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE COMPLAINED FOR TOO LONG NOW THAT, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THE, UH, INSULATING HOMES AND, UM, WEATHERIZATION, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS THAT TOO OFTEN WE'LL GO TO A HOME AND THE, THE HOMEOWNER QUALIFIES BECAUSE OF THEIR, UM, INCOME, BUT THEIR HOME ISN'T TOO POOR OF A CONDITION.
WE SAY, SORRY, YOU'RE TOO POOR FOR US TO HELP YOU WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO WE CAN'T BE DOING THAT.
BUT THE ONLY QUESTION IS, IS THIS THE PROPER FUND TO DO THAT? SO YES, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BUT CAN WE NOT BE, I MEAN, WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR HOME REPAIR, AND WHY ARE WE NOT MARRYING OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS BETTER WITH THESE PROGRAMS, WITH THE PROGRAMS FOR WEATHERIZATION AND IN AND INSULATING HOMES? SURE.
SO WE ARE, UM, DOING CROSS REFERRALS BETWEEN OUR REPAIR PROGRAMS, BETWEEN US AND C P S ENERGY.
UM, I THINK IN THE LAST 60 DAYS ALONE, WE'VE DONE 18 COOL ROOFS BASED ON REFERRALS FROM C P SS ENERGY CUSTOMERS WHO NEEDED ROOF REPAIRS THROUGH THE COST OF PROGRAM.
UM, SO THE CROSS REFERRALS ARE HAPPENING, UM, DUE TO THE COUNCIL REQUESTS AT THE, DURING THE BUDGET SEASON LAST YEAR.
UM, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO COORDINATE WITH C P S ENERGY, UM, ON HOW WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, UM, WHEN THEY GET REFERRED TO THE CITY, THEN WE HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT HOW WE QUALIFY THEM, DO THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY FOR OUR PROGRAM? SO, UM, THE CONCEPT OF GIVING C P S ENERGY FUNDS SO THEY CAN MAKE REPAIRS, UM, IS SOMETHING WE WANNA CONTINUE TO EXPLORE.
I WANNA THANK THE DAVID AND THE CITY TEAM FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PRESENTATION.
I'D ALSO LIKE THE RESIDENTS IN ATTENDANCE THAT ARE WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
I SEE PETE ANRI HERE, OR THE, UH, C P S REPRESENTATIVES.
IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE STAND IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, ANYBODY WHO'S WORKING, PETE, THAT MEANS YOU, THAT'S NOT ON STAFF WITH THE CITY THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE.
I WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY, BE AND LISTENING.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T GET TO COME AND SPEAK, UM, RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU'RE HERE TO LISTEN AND TO SEE WHERE WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT'S KEY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE RESIDENTS IN INVOLVED.
I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR, UM, ON THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OF, UH, UH, NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO KIND OF TRACK AND SO WE CAN LOOK TO THE FUTURE TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE MIGHT HAVE IF THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, COMES AGAIN.
I ALSO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO IN WORKING WITH, UH, SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY ON THE FLOODING.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY EVERYTHING FLOWS SOUTH,
[01:35:01]
UH, AND IT COMES THROUGH THE WEST SIDE WHEN IT GETS THERE.AND WE ARE, WE ARE SEEING SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND IMPACTS ON OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW, ERIC, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IF THERE IS AN, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A CITY GOING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEN POSSIBLY, UM, SANTINO RIVER AUTHORITY TO INDICATE TO THE COUNTY WHAT, WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE, BECAUSE I KNOW BOTH, UH, MY NEIGHBOR TO THE EAST AND I SOMETIMES HAVE PROBLEMS IN OUR DRAIN DRAINAGE PROJECTS, GETTING SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY ON THEM.
SO, UM, IF WE COULD KIND OF PRIORITIZE THAT AND GET AN UPDATE IN TERMS OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON, UM, AND WHEN WE ANTICIPATE AN UPDATE ON WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE GONNA ADDRESS THESE DRAINAGE ISSUES, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, UM, AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF ME THAT ARE ON THAT BORDER BETWEEN DISTRICT THREE AND THE COUNTY THAT ARE, ARE FEELING IT.
AND I THINK SPECIFICALLY FOR AN EXAMPLE IS SOUTHTON ROAD AND THAT AREA.
UH, SO THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO KIND OF JUST SHARE IS MY STORY WITH SUSTAINABILITY BEGAN, UM, YOU KNOW, AT, IN, IN THE, IN THE SAME RECYCLING DOING THAT, BUT ONCE YOU GET ON COUNCIL, IT BECOMES AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BEAST, AND DOUG'S HELP WITH THAT.
BUT IN NOVEMBER, 2022, I ATTENDED THE TEXAS A AND M SAN ANTONIO SECURING WATER, ENERGY FOOD FOR THE NATION'S FUTURE WORKSHOP.
AND WE HAD PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
I WAS INVITED BACK IN MARCH, 2023 TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER FORUM ON LOCALIZING THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
AND IT WAS A, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, AND I BELIEVE DOUG HAD SOME STAFF THERE.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ATTENDANCE.
AND FROM THAT, I REALLY FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO GET THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I AM GOING TO WORK WITH, UM, I PLAN ON A 2024 KIND OF SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT.
WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THE NAME THREW THIS AT DOUG LAST WEEK, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR I, AT FIRST I WAS JUST THINKING DISTRICT THREE, NOW I'M THINKING SOUTHERN SECTOR AND MAYBE SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT WANNA JOIN ON THAT, WHERE WE, WE APPLAUD THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TAKING THOSE EFFORTS, UM, TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY.
BUT WE ALSO KIND OF BRING THE THINGS FORWARD WHERE WE CAN MAYBE DO A LITTLE MORE FOR THAT.
SO I, I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS HERE TODAY.
UM, I THINK THE ONE THING WE NEED, WE DON'T HAVE HERE TODAY, WHICH I THINK WE NEED TO BRING IN IN THE FUTURE, IS, UH, MARK CARMONA AND KIND OF THAT HOUSING AND WHAT HE'S DOING IN THOSE, THOSE COMPLETE REBUILDS.
AND I KNOW VERONICA'S HERE AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT, BUT I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MINOR REHAB AND WE TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA USE THE FUNDS TO GET THESE HOMES PREPARED FOR CASA VERDE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING ALSO, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S VERY DI SPECIFIC DISTRICT NEEDS, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO FOR BRINGING UP THE, UM, THE, THIS TABLE THAT JUST SHOWS HOW MANY HOMES IN THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE ARE, ARE JUST NOT ELIGIBLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO LOOK AT IS, UM, I DO WANNA LOOK FOR THE EQUITABLE INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW I KNOW THAT WE HAVE RESIDENTS HERE AND, AND I KNOW PETE'S HERE IN PARTICULAR.
AND, UM, I THINK PETER, YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR, UH, BRINGING STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO KIND OF HELP THAT PROCESS.
SO I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE SERVING ON THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND SERVING IN OTHER GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, ARE KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT IN TERMS OF GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TELLING THEM THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT STEP.
UM, ON SLIDE 14, UH, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, IF, IF YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS SPECIFIC TO THE DISTRICT THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS, IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN THE OTHER KIND OF THINGS I WANT TO ADDRESS IS, IS KIND OF THE WALKABILITY, UH, WHERE WE LOOK AT THE, UM, POSSIBLY IN, IN THE FUTURE USING EXISTING PARKING LOTS THAT MAYBE DON'T GET USED ON THE WEEKEND, UH, AND PARTNERING WITH THEM.
SO WE CAN HAVE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE PARK, WE WANT THEM TO TAKE THE BUS, BUT SOME PEOPLE, AND I THINK SPECIFICALLY TO CONFLUENCE PARK, THEY, THOSE THAT ARE VISITING AND NOT FROM THE COMMUNITY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PARKING SPACES.
AND THERE ARE EXISTING, UH, BUSINESSES THAT HAVE
[01:40:01]
PARKING LOTS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY USE AS WE TALK ABOUT WALKABILITY.AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE ADDRESSED THERE THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO IS WE'RE GIVING THESE PEOPLE TREES, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM KNOW ONE, KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN THE TREES, AND THEN TWO, ARE, ARE MAINTAINING THEIR YARDS EITHER.
SO, UH, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP IN MAINTAINING THEIR YARD AND THEIR YARD WORK.
UM, AND THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE SENIORS OR THIS, THEY'RE DISABLED AND MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S GREAT IF WE PASS OUT TREES, BUT IF THEY, IF THEY CAN'T MAINTAIN THOSE TREES, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW HELPFUL THAT IS.
AND THEN I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CONVERSATION WITH THE ARBORETUM.
I THINK KEY TO THAT IS THE MASTER PLAN.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE MASTER PLAN COMPLETED, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT THE CITY'S ROLE IS GOING TO BE IN THAT, UH, IN REGARD TO, UM, THIS THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE, UM, PARTNERSHIP.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE STRESS OF THE PRIVATE PORTION OF THIS BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IF THE, IF PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES DO NOT INVEST IN THIS, WE'RE WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT HAPPEN.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHERE PRIVATE, UM, CORPORATIONS AND COMPANIES ARE COMING IN.
AND I WAS AT THE LUNCHEON AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL THERE AND INTEREST.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF SEE THAT MASTER PLAN.
AND ONCE WE GET THAT MASTER PLAN, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMIT TO, TO THE ARBORETUM.
AND, UM, FROM THERE, I JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A FIRST STEP IN SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS NECESSARY.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I, I, I WANNA UNDER, I, I NEED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE DO NEED A WAY TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND THE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD HOMES THAT WE HAVE IN THE SOUTHEAST AND WEST SIDE VERSUS THE NEWER SUBDIVISIONS WE SEE, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S CLEARLY COMMUNICATED ENOUGH.
SO I THINK WE, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
BECAUSE THE SUS TO SUSTAIN A 100 YEAR OLD HOME THAT THEN HAS GOT HISTORIC DESIGNATION VERSUS SOMETHING THAT WAS BUILT AND NEW IS, IS COMPLETELY IT, IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
AND I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE MAKING THAT CONNECTION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIND, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
I RAN OUTTA TIME EARLIER WHEN I WAS, UM, COMMENTING ON, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTRO'S PROPOSAL FOR THIS FUND.
AND IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO WITHOUT A DOUBT.
WE, UM, AND, AND THERE'S SO MANY BENEFITS TO IT.
ONE IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT BE TELLING PEOPLE, SORRY, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TOO, YOU'RE TOO FAR INTO POVERTY AND YOUR HOUSE IS IN TOO POOR CONDITION FOR US TO HELP YOU INSULATE YOUR HOME SO THAT WAY YOU CAN BE ABLE TO AFFORD YOUR OWN ENERGY BILLS.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE ARE BENEFITS TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHEN WE, A LOT OF THOSE HOMES ARE EXTREMELY ENERGY EFFICIENT, AND SO, UM, THEY USE UP A TON OF ENERGY DURING SEVERE WEATHER, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, OUR GRID IS LESS STABLE.
SO IF WE CAN WEATHERIZE THEIR HOMES, INSULATE THEIR HOMES, IT HELPS EVERYBODY RE YOU KNOW, REDUCES THE, THE CHANCES OF ROLLING BLACKOUTS FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO ON MY COMMENTS ON, IS THIS THE RIGHT FUND FOR THAT, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT ALL POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I WOULD BE ENTIRELY OPEN TO USING THIS FUND TO KICKSTART THAT PROGRAM WHILE WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, AND UM, IT, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY QUESTION MARK IS, IS THIS THE APPROPRIATE FUND FOR IT OR SHOULD WE FIND SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, FROM ANOTHER PLACE? BECAUSE I WOULD, IDEALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT, AT THIS, UM, RESILIENCY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO LEVERAGE THE, THE INITIAL INTENT WAS LET'S HOW MUCH CAN WE LEVERAGE THIS FUND TO GET, UH, FEDERAL DOLLARS? AND I, IF WE CAN THROUGH THAT, THEN LET'S, LET'S DO IT.
UM, AND IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL, LET'S, LET'S USE IT TO KICKSTART THAT, BUT THEN FIND OTHER FUNDS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
[01:45:01]
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? OKAY, HEARING NONE, THAT IS, UH, THE BALANCE OF OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.UH, I THINK IT'S BEEN PRODUCTIVE.
TIME IS 3:45 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2023, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
UH, NOTE FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, THERE IS NO EXEC.
WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO, UH, THAT WILL BE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, SO COUNCIL, WE WILL SEE YOU IN CHAMBERS AT FIVE O'CLOCK.