* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:36] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 17TH, 2019. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HALL. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALDANA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UH, THE TIME IS 9:16 AM THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION AGENDA. UH, OUR FIRST ITEM IS OUR INVOCATION, AND I WILL CALL ON OUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MR. BOYER, WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN US AT THE PODIUM? UH, LAST YEAR I HAD THE, UH, HONORS, AND I THINK I KNOW COUNCILMAN PALS DID, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, ANY ANY OTHERS JOINED. BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN PALS AND I FASTED FOR A FULL DAY DURING RAMADAN LAST YEAR. AND, UH, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MOST CHALLENGING DAY OF MY LIFE WAS NOT EATING ALL DAY LONG, OR DRINKING OR CONSUMING ANYTHING. AND THEN AFTER ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK WHEN THE HEADACHE WAS IN FULL FORCE, UH, WE DROVE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WERE ABLE TO BREAK FAST WITH THE, THE FAMILY OF THE ISLAMIC FAITH. IT WAS A REALLY EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, I WAS REALLY KIND OF BLOWN AWAY WITH IT, AND, UM, IT, IT REALLY MEANT A LOT. BUT AT THAT EVENING, THEY ASKED, HEY, FUTURE, ONE DAY WE'D LIKE TO COME DOWN, UM, AND, AND SOMEONE FROM YOUR, UH, DISTRICT AT A MOSQUE TO COME PERHAPS, UH, OFFER AN INVOCATION. SO IT REALLY SPOKE TO ME. I HAD A GREAT DAY. UH, IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING, BUT IT WAS ALSO VERY HUMBLING AND IT, IT OPENED MY EYES TO THE DIVERSITY OF FAITH WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, I ASKED, UH, MR. BOYER TO COME DOWN TODAY. I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON, UH, JEFFREY. UH, JEROME BOYER WAS BORN IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, RAISED IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN. AND THIS IS A WONDERFUL STORY. AT THE AGE OF 25, HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH HIS CURRENT WAY OF WORSHIP, SO HE STARTED HIS OWN PERSONAL FAITH JOURNEY, UH, THAT BROUGHT HIM HIS NEARNESS TO HIS CREATOR. SO, UM, HE HAS EXPLORED MANY DIFFERENT FAITHS, BUT ENDS UP WITH US HERE TODAY. FINALLY, UH, AT STANDING BEFORE US THIS MORNING, UH, TO INVOCATE IN HIS ISLAMIC FAITH AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE HIM. HE FOUNDED THE SHAHADAH FOUNDATION, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO INFORM OTHERS OF THE ISLAMIC FAITH AND CLARIFY THE MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ISLAMIC FAITHS. UH, THE SHAHADAH FOUNDATION ALSO ASSISTS THE REFUGEE IMMIGRANT POPULATION. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU FOR THAT. AND LOCAL FAMILIES WITH DONATED ITEMS SUCH AS FURNITURE, CLOTHING, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. HE'S ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT SIX, WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH OTHER LOCAL IMAMS IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA. HE'S ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF, UH, MAJI AL IAS AND HAS SERVED FOR 10 YEARS AS THE MUSLIM CHAPLAIN, ASSISTANT LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE. SO ON BEHALF OF, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AS A FORMER MILITARY, UH, VETERAN, IT MEANS A LOT THAT YOU'RE ALSO BRINGING FAITH TO OUR, OUR, THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO JOIN US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, UM, WE'RE THANKFUL YOU'RE HERE TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY YOU'RE ABOUT TO OFFER US OF YOUR INTRODUCTION TO YOUR FAITH. MR. BOYER, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. OKAY? UH, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING US AND HAVING US TODAY, A JIM TONY REGIME. WE SEEK REFUGE WITH GOD ALMIGHTY, FROM THE REJECTED AND THE CURSE. SATAN, IN THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL PRAISE BE TO ALLAH, GOD ALMIGHTY, THE CHERISH AND SUSTAINER OF THE WORLD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL MASTER OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. YOU DO, WE WORSHIP AND YOU AND YOUR AID. WE SEEK, WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US ON THE STRAIGHT PATH, THE PATH OF THOSE ON WHOM YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR GRACE, AND NOT OF THOSE WHOM HAVE EARNED YOUR ANGER, NOR OF THOSE WHO HAVE WENT ASTRAY. OH, MANKIND, BE DUTIFUL TO YOUR LORD WHO CREATED YOU FROM A SINGLE PERSON, ADAM. AND FROM HIM, ADAM ALLAH, GOD ALMIGHTY, CREATED HIS WIFE WHO ARE EVE AND FROM THEM, BOTH ALLAH, GOD ALMIGHTY, CREATED MANY MEN AND WOMEN, AND FEAR YOUR LORD THROUGH WHOM YOU DEMAND YOUR MUTUAL RIGHTS. AND DO NOT CUT OFF THE RELATIONS OF THE WOMBS. FOR SURELY GOD ALMIGHTY IS AN EVER WATCHER OVER YOU. [00:05:02] OH, MANKIND, WE CREATED YOU FROM A SINGLE PAIR, A MALE AND A FEMALE, AND MADE YOU IN NATIONS AND TRIBES THAT YOU MAY KNOW EACH OTHER, NOT THAT YOU MAY DESPISE EACH OTHER. FOR VERILY, THE MOST HONORED AMONG YOU IN THE SIGHT OF THE CREATOR IS HE WHO IS MOST RIGHTEOUS. AND JUST, OH, ALLAH GOD ALMIGHTY, WE ARE EVER AWARE THAT WE ARE BOUND BY TIME AND CHANGE. AND THAT IS A PART OF HOW YOU HAVE CREATED US IN THIS EXISTENCE. ORAL LAW, GOD ALMIGHTY. YOU KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE THINK CHANGE IS BAD, BUT IN ACTUALITY, CHANGE IS A GOOD THING. WHEN ALLAH CLOSES A DOOR FOR HIS CREATION, HE OPENS ANOTHER AND WE SHOULD BE READY FOR CHANGE. OH, ALLAH, GOD ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF ALL THAT EXISTS, GUIDE US TO THAT WHICH IS RIGHTEOUS AND JUST AND GUIDE US TO THAT WHICH WE WOULD DO, UH, PLEASING UNTO YOU ALL ALLAH, GOD ALMIGHTY, GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MIND THAT WE MAY MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE PLEASING TO YOU AND BEST FOR YOUR CREATION. ALL LAW GOD ALMIGHTY, GIVE US ALL THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT THAT WHICH IS JUST AND BEST FOR THOSE UNDER OUR CARE TO PROTECT THEM, TO GUIDE THEM, TO HONOR AND PROVIDE FOR THEM. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, NEVER BE ABOVE THANKING THEM FOR IT IS SAID IN THE ISLAMIC FAITH. THOSE WHO HAVE NOT THANKED, THE PEOPLE HAVE NOT THANKED GOD ALMIGHTY. MAY GOD ALLAH PROTECT EACH AND ONE OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. MAY HE GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO GO FORTH IN A WAY THAT IS PLEASING TO HIM. MAY HE PROTECT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR NATION. I MEAN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH EXTEND ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVIS WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, IMAN BOYER, YOU, WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES. ALRIGHT, THE FIRST ACTION, UH, FOR US TODAY IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OF DECEMBER 5TH AND SIXTH. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MINUTES FROM DECEMBER FIVE AND SIX, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. OUR SECOND ITEM IS, UH, SWEARING IN OF OUR MAYOR PRO TIM. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. GOOD MORNING. YES. WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME PLEASE? I STATE YOUR NAME, IANA SAND. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WELL, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, AND WELL, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE UNITED STATES. AND OF THE STATE. AND OF THE STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE A FEW POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, UM, THIS MORNING, AND SO WE'LL GET TO THOSE NOW. I, I DID WANNA START BY SAYING, YOU PROBABLY HEARD BY NOW THAT SAN ANTONIO'S LOST ONE OF OUR MUSICAL TREASURES. UH, LAST NIGHT, RITA VORI PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT AT THE AGE OF 94. HER POPULAR RESURGENCE IN RECENT [00:10:01] YEARS, DECADES AFTER HER INTERNATIONAL CAREER. FIRST BLOOMED WAS A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT, AND SHE WAS WELL KNOWN TO MANY SAN ANTONIONS. THE WEST SIDE NATIVE WAS FIR, WAS THE FIRST TE HANA TO SING AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, AND A MEMBER OF LAS DE SOROS, THE SAN ANTONIO. SHE WAS GREAT. SHE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. AND ANYONE CAUGHT HER CONCERTS IN THE GUADALUPE. UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT A TREASURE SHE TRULY WAS. SO, I, I WOULD ASK WHAT WE, UH, OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HER HONOR. THANK YOU. I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AT THIS, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO, UH, REMEMBER MR. RAMIRO B ANDRA, HUSBAND TO THE HONORABLE HOPE ANDRA. HE WAS BORN, UM, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. HE HAD SEVERAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND SERVED IN DISTINCTION IN THE US ARMY IN VIETNAM. AND UPON HIS RETURN HOME, HE MARRIED HOPE. THEY RECENTLY CELEBRATED THEIR 50TH YEAR, YEAR ANNIVERSARY, WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. AND RAMIRO AND HOPE WERE IN AN EXEMPLARY MODEL OF A SUPPORTIVE COUPLE WONDERFUL HEADS TO, OF A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AND BUILDERS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISES. HE WILL BE FONDLY REMEMBERED AS A GOOD AND GENTLE MAN WHO WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HIS COMMUNITY AND OF HIS WIFE. WE OFFER PRAYERS IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR HOPE, AND THE FRIENDS WHO ARE AT THIS TIME LAYING HIM TO REST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN VIRON. ANOTHER ITEM OF NOTE, UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE SOME GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE. AND THAT IS THE M L K JUNIOR COMMISSION, INCLUDING THE CITY'S OWN MIKE ETN. THIS IS AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO ADVANCE NOT ONLY THE LEGACY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, BUT TO ADVANCE HIS DREAM OF JUSTICE FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS. HAVE ELEVATED SAN ANTONIO STATUS AS A CITY OF COMPASSION, A CITY OF EQUITY IN A CITY THAT HOSTS THE LARGEST M L K MARCH IN THE NATION. FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS TO FAITH LEADERS, THESE FOLKS ARE BRINGING TOGETHER OUR CITY AROUND A SHARED VISION OF EQUALITY, OF INCLUSION, OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY PERSON. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOUR WORK. I HOPE YOU ALL KNOW THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOUR WORK, AND WE WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ATTEND THE M L K MARCH AND CELEBRATION ON MONDAY. UH, IT WILL BE A MOST EXTRAORDINARY EVENT, AND I WILL SAY, UH, I AM EQUALLY PROUD THAT THE MESSAGE THAT YOU DELIVER YEAR AFTER YEAR HAS BEEN TAKEN ON IN HEART, UH, BY THIS COUNCIL AS WE HAVE MOVED ON SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT ITEMS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS A MISSION OF EQUITY IN OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. UM, NATE, DID YOU WANT TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS? I WANNA STAND AS A COMMISSION, IF YOU DON'T MIND. UH, COME ON, . BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THIS BY YOURSELF. SO I HAVE TO WANNA STAND AS A FULL COMMISSION. AND, UH, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE GENTLEMAN SAID IN, UH, IN HIS OPENING THOUGHT, UH, THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, THAT WORD GOES A LONG WAY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HERE TO SAY TO YOU. UH, WE WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE LEND US OVER THE YEARS, AND NOT JUST FOR THIS COMMISSION AND JUST FOR THE CITY ITSELF. UM, WE ARE JUST SO PLEASED TO, UH, BE IN CHARGE OF THIS MARCH. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT PROGRAM THIS YEAR. UM, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE CHILLY, SO MAKE SURE YOU DRESS WARM. UM, BUT IT WILL BE DRY. SO, UM, BUT I DO WANT TO TAKE A PERSONAL, UH, NOTE AND SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR MANAGER. UH, WE WANT TO THANK YOU REALLY FOR ALL OF YOUR RESOURCES AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU PROVIDED FOR US, AND LYNN AND MIKE TO US AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT. 'CAUSE I KNOW I'M REGARDING MINE UNTIL, UNTIL THIS TIME OF YEAR. SO, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, IN YOUR BAG, WE GOT SOME GOODIES FOR YOU, UH, IF YOU WOULD, LOOK, I HAVE A MOTTO, WHERE'S MY MOTTO AT? WE GOT A MOTTO. WE HAVE A NEW TWIST THAT WE DID THIS YEAR. WE DID A, A LITTLE FIESTA PEN. I WANT YOU TO PULL THAT ONE OUT. UH, SO, AND YOU CAN WEAR THAT. UH, I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR ALL OF YOU TO WEAR IT IF YOU DO COME ON MONDAY, UH, TO WEAR THAT. SO YOU HAVE A PEN IN THERE. YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF SHIRTS THAT, UH, WE ARE GIVING YOU AND, UH, AND A GOOD, GOOD MUG, UH, COFFEE MUG OR COLD [00:15:01] BEVERAGE CUB, UH, MUG, OR EITHER A HOT BEVERAGE MUG. SO, UH, WE COME BEARING GIFTS, UM, BASICALLY JUST TO SAY THANK YOU. UM, THOSE WORDS ARE, ARE, ARE JUST SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. UH, I THINK PLEASE AND THANK YOU GOES A LONG WAY. AND SO, UH, BEFORE WE CAN START THIS MARCH, WE WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO REALLY THANK THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY HELPED US, UH, IN THIS ENDEAVOR. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NATE. I THINK WE HAVE SOME COMMENTS AROUND, UH, ALSO TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, COUNCILWOMAN GRO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, I WANT TO GIVE MY PERSONAL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, THE MEN, THE WOMEN, THE VOLUNTEERS, UM, EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN PLANNING FOR MONTHS. AND ONCE IT'S OVER, IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN, THE PLANNING. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO TO BRING, TO BRING AWARENESS, TO MAKE IT, UM, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE RAISED AS WELL. BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ONE DAY, IT'S ABOUT CONTINUING THE MESSAGE ON AND ON AND ON. AND IT SPEAKS TO THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE CITY. THIS ONE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND OF CIVIL RIGHTS, ONE THAT WE KNOW WAS FOUGHT IN THE PAST THAT IS NOT OVER YET. AND WE CONTINUE AND WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND TO BE THOSE, UM, THOSE WARRIORS AND THOSE VOICES THAT WE NEED TO, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A VOICE, AND TO CALL EACH OTHER OUT WHEN WE NEED TO CALL ONE ANOTHER OUT, BUT SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING THE, UM, THE ORGANIZERS, THE LEADERS FOR STEPPING UP AND STEPPING OUT. THANK YOU. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS. MY STAFF IS LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS. WE'RE INVITING DISTRICT THREE RESIDENTS TO JOIN US TO GET OUT THERE AND TO MARCH. IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT TIME. AND PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO ALWAYS KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS THE DIFFERENT SEASONS. YOU HAVE, UM, FIESTA SEASON, RODEO SEASON, IT'S THE M L K MARCH, AND EVERYBODY HAS GOT TO BE THERE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AND THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GRO AND COUNCILMAN HALL. AND I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK ALL OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND SERVICE. NATE, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER A LONG TIME. DR. PETTY, UH, UH, DR. ETAN, UH, MANAGER SCULLY. UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO BE THE, UH, 25TH ANNIVERSARY CHAIR, UH, OF THE M L K COMMISSION IN 2012. AND, UM, THAT WAS SUCH A HONOR TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, NUMBER ONE. BUT, UH, I, I GOT TO KNOW THE COMMISSION AND ITS WORKS, AND, UM, THEY WORK ALL YEAR LONG. AND SO AS SOON AS THIS MARCH IS OVER ON THE 21ST, UH, FEBRUARY 1ST, NATE AND THE TEAM ARE, ARE STARTING BACK, UH, BACK AGAIN. AND SO I, I, I KNOW HOW HARD YOU GUYS WORK ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND SO WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL DO, UH, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THIS MARCH. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS COUNCIL, UM, AS THE COUNCIL HAS DONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW FOR YOUR INVESTMENT, UH, IN THE MARCH, UH, WHEN I BECAME CHAIR IN 2012. AND FIRST, LEMME SAY, UH, I THINK THE, THE, THE COMMISSION MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE CONSISTENCY IN THAT CHAIRMANSHIP POSITION. AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT NATE, UH, HAS BEEN THE CHAIR FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. AND, UH, UM, SO, SO I APPRECIATE THE STRUCTURE THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, IMPLEMENTED. UH, BUT CITY COUNCIL HAS INVESTED, UH, A NUMBER OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THE MARCH COUNTY DOES THE SAME THING. UH, BUT THEN THAT'S JUST THE CASH. UH, THERE'S OTHER INVESTMENT THROUGH POLICE OFFICERS BEING AROUND PARKS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND SO FORTH. SO THANK THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, MANAGER FOR YOU ALL'S INVESTMENT IN THE MARCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY ON THE 21ST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HALL AND THE CLERK WILL NOTE. THAT WAS THE FIRST COMMENTS, RECORDED COMMENTS FROM DISTRICT TWO, COUNCILMAN ART HALL . ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I TOO WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT YOU DO IN PREPARING FOR THIS EVERY YEAR. I KNOW AS SOON AS THIS ONE'S FINISHED, YOU'LL BEGIN WORKING FOR THE NEXT ONE. UH, AND IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF A COMMUNITY. IT REALLY REPRESENTS THE DIVER DIVERSITY AND THE COMPASSION OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART. UH, I'VE, I'VE ENJOYED BEING PART OF THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, THIS MARCH WAS GOING ON AND THE CITY WAS NOT A SUPPORTER, AND IT WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATED IT. AND IT NURTURED IT. AND THE CITY HAS, HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, SAY, AS A COUNCILMAN REBECCA, VIA GROUND SAID THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY SHOULD TURN OUT ALL DISTRICTS. AND SO I CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BE THERE. UH, LET'S MAKE IT A HALF A MILLION PEOPLE THIS YEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS TO REALLY MAKE THIS, [00:20:01] UH, ONE OF THE PREMIER EVENTS. UH, M L K EVENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I'M SO PROUD OF SAN ANTONIO ON THAT DAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE SHINE AND WE SHOW OUR VERY BEST SELF, UH, TO THE COUNTRY ON THAT DAY. UH, I'VE TALKED TO MIKE GATIEN NOW MANY TIMES ABOUT HOW THIS GOT STARTED AND HOW IT'S CONTINUED. UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE THAT THE CITY'S BEEN ABLE TO GET BEHIND IT. THAT YOU GET SO MANY VOLUNTEERS, UH, THAT THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AS GENEROUS, UH, AS THEY ARE. AND IT CONTINUES THE MISSION AND THE MESSAGE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK, ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. I KNOW IT'S A HUGE VOLUNTEER EFFORT. MAYBE ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, THAT THE CITY PUTS ON, UH, THIS EVENT. JUST A FEW OTHERS. MAYBE FIESTA, UH, HAS MORE VOLUNTEERS THAN YOU ALL DO. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPRESSIVE, AND IT SHOWS THE COMMITMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY TOWARDS THIS EFFORT. SO THANK YOU ALL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE ON THAT DAY. UH, AND I, RAIN OR SHINE, RIGHT? RAIN OR SHINE? RAINER SHINE, RAINER SHINE, RAIN, SHINE THERE, SHINE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN EZ. UM, I, I, I DRIVE, UM, A LONG DISTANCE TO GET HERE EVERY DAY. UH, AND I USED TO LISTEN TO TALK RADIO ON MY WAY IN, AND I, I JUST STOPPED, UH, JUST 'CAUSE IT'S SO, IT LEAVES ME SO SAD, UH, TO HEAR THE MEANNESS AND THE UGLINESS THAT PASSES FOR AMERICAN VALUES THESE DAYS. UM, AND I, I TURNED THE RADIO ON RECENTLY, AND BECAUSE I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME, UH, AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING, MY AUDIO BOOK IS ON MY PHONE. AND, UH, I, AND I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THAT INCLUSIVENESS AND DIVERSITY ARE OUR WEAKNESSES. UM, AND, AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO'S LINED UP TO TALK TO THE SHOCK JOCK ON, ON THE RADIO TO ECHO THAT SENTIMENT AND EXPLAIN WHY IT IS THEY FEEL THREATENED BY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS. UM, AND I TURNED IT OFF AND, AND THEN I REMEMBERED, WAIT A SECOND. UH, THIS MONTH I GET TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST M L K MARCH IN THE NATION AND, UH, 300,000 PLUS PEOPLE AND HOPEFULLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE. UM, WE ALL GATHER AND WE ARE A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF A REJECTION OF THAT SENTIMENT. UH, AND WE REMIND PEOPLE, UH, BY MARCHING AND BY COMING TOGETHER THAT INCLUSIVENESS AND DIGNITY IS EXACT, IN FACT, OUR STRENGTH. AND IT'S WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT. UM, AND IT'S, UH, UNLIKE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK. UM, THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAN GREATER THAN THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, UM, AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER. SO YOU GUYS ARE WALKING THE, YOU KNOW, WALKING THE WALK AND ACTUALLY DOING THE REAL WORK OF COMMUNITY. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT TO THINK THAT COMMUNITY IS WRITING AND, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK PAGES AND IT ISN'T, COMMUNITIES IS SHOWING UP. RIGHT? THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PLIS TO THE WHOLE TEAM. UH, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND YOU MAKE US, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO. VERY PROUD TO BE SAN ANTONIO. WE'LL SEE YOU ON MONDAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, WE DO HAVE TWO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL ACTION. UH, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD, UH, FIRST AND ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. 24. I'M SORRY, WHO CALLED? 24? UH, ME. OH, I'M SORRY. OKAY. ME, MAYOR. 24 FIFTEEN'S ALSO BEEN PULLED. 18. 18. ANY OTHERS? ALRIGHT, I HAVE ITEMS 15, 18, AND 24 TO BE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. NOTE ITEMS FIVE AND SIX ARE ALSO FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ALL ITEMS SAY FOR 5, 6, 15, 18, AND 24. MOTION SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL ITEMS AS NOTED, UH, I DO HAVE SOME CITIZENS SIGNED UP FOR CONSENT. UH, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THEM NOW, STARTING WITH OSA MCC COLEMAN. OH, GOOD LORD. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SIMA COLBIN AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S, UH, RESOLUTION. TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO NOT ONLY ENGAGE IN PUBLIC PROCESSES, BUT TO HAVE THEIR INPUT VALUED AND INCLUDED IN THE DECISIONS THAT CITY STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL MAKE. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCILWOMAN FOR HER DEDICATION TO THIS IMPORTANT AND [00:25:01] TIMELY ISSUE, AND FOR WALKING THE WALK BY HAVING HER OWN PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BOTH INFORM THE PUBLIC AND GET THEIR INPUT ON HER RESOLUTION. I DID ATTEND ONE OF THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOME OF WHAT I HEARD AT THAT MEETING HAS INDEED NOW BEEN REFLECTED IN THE RESOLUTION. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST 10 YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER CITIZEN ACTIVIST, INCLUDING FOUR YEARS VOLUNTEERING ONE DAY A WEEK IN FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE RA'S OFFICE, I'M ACUTELY AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES AROUND ENGAGING THE PUBLIC. EVEN NOW AS A MEMBER OF THE BEACON HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD AND THE TIER ONE NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE, IT IS A RECURRING TOPIC OF CONVERSATION. HOW DO WE BETTER REACH, ENGAGE, AND INCLUDE OUR MEMBERS? SO, I GET IT. I OFTEN TELL THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH THAT ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT MODEL, BOTH ON THE CITY LEVEL AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS NEED OR SHOULD ONLY PARTICIPATE BY VOTING. THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DEMOCRACY TRULY EFFECTIVE, THERE NEEDS TO BE ONGOING PARTICIPATION. BUT IF THAT ONGOING PARTICIPATION IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE FINAL PRODUCT, IF THERE IS NO DEDICATION OR ACCOUNTABILITY AS TO HOW THAT INPUT IS INCORPORATED INTO POLICY, THEN IT IS ONLY LIP SERVICE AND WILL LEAD TO APATHY AT BEST AND ANGER AT WORST. I KNOW THAT OUR OWN COUNCIL MEMBER, TREVINO, HAD TO LEARN THIS LESSON THE HARD WAY, BUT TO HIS CREDIT AND TO THE APPRECIATION OF HIS CONSTITUENCY, HE AND HIS STAFF HAVE DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS IN INFORMING, ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE IN HIS DISTRICT. THE CITY HAS RECENTLY HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH THE REFERENDUMS. WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THIS MORNING'S SESSION TO BEGIN, I WAS SPEAKING WITH A NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND HE MADE THE COMMENT THAT THE PEOPLE'S VOTE IS THE WAY THAT WE PARTICIPATE, KNOWING THAT HE WORKS AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR HIS CLIENTS, I THEN ASKED HIM WHY HE IS HERE THIS MORNING, AND HIS ANSWER WAS, BECAUSE I GET PAID TO DO THIS EXACTLY. HE GETS PAID TO MEET WITH CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ORDER TO TRY TO AND INFLUENCE THEIR DECISION. THE PUBLIC DOES NOT GET PAID, BUT THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE SAME ABILITY TO INFLUENCE. I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE COUNCILMAN'S RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. GOLDMAN. COLIN JONES, THE DOCUMENT CAMERA? IS IT LIVE? WE NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FROM THE CLERK ON A DOCUMENT FOR THE, FOR THE SCREEN. OKAY. THANK YOU, BOSS. OKAY. UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCILMAN HALL. MY NAME IS CULLEN JONES, 1123 NOLAN, UH, DISTRICT TWO. UH, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I WANT TO AS A, UH, SOMEONE WHO'S ENGAGED AND PLUGGED IN AS HARD AS I CAN BE IN THE COMMUNITY. COUNCILMAN, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS. I ABSOLUTELY ADMIRE THE SPIRIT OF YOUR REQUEST. UH, THE SPIRIT OF EDUCATING AND INFORMING EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS DYNAMIC, EVERYONE FROM THE CITIZEN TO CITY COUNCIL, EVEN TO CITY STAFF, THOSE THREE ENTITIES NEED TO COME TOGETHER. I FEEL THAT THE COUNCILMAN HAS PUT TOGETHER A VERY STRONG STEP IN MAKING IN GOING FORWARD WITH THAT. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE SOME STRONG CONCERNS ABOUT NOT THE COUNCIL WOMAN'S, UH, UH, REQUEST, BUT ABOUT THE RESOLUTION THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS HAVE PUT TOGETHER. MY CONCERN IS THAT SOME THINGS OVERSHADOW THE COUNCIL, THE SPIRIT OF THE COUNCIL WOMAN'S, UH, REQUEST, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE, SIR, TURN THAT OVER FOR ME. I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF THANK YOU. I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE RESOLUTIONS AND THINGS ONLINE, ACCORDING TO CSA, ANY PROCESS THAT OBTAINS AND CONSIDERS PUBLIC INPUT AND DECISION PRIOR TO TAKING ACTION. TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA MEMORANDUM, THERE'S A DISTINCTION MADE BETWEEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS. THOSE THREE HAVE DISTINCT DIFFERENCES WITH THEM. UH, THEREFORE, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INCLUDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO INFLUENCE THE DECISION OR OUTCOME OF A POLICY, PROGRAM, OR ACTION. [00:30:01] AND OTHER WORDS, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS TO BE CONSIDERED. IF YOU'D PLEASE SCROLL UP JUST A LITTLE BIT. PLEASE, SIR. THE GPA'S RESPONSE TO THE C C R, AND THIS IS AFTER FEBRUARY WHEN IT WAS CREATED, UH, ASSESSING CURRENT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TECHNIQUES UTILIZED THE, BY THE DEPARTMENTS THAT OBTAINS, WHICH IS DEFINITELY A PART OF THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE RELEVANCE TO THE WORKING GROUP. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SUCH WORKING GROUPS, BUT IN REGARDS TO CONSIDERING OR OBTAINING, I COULDN'T, UH, PUT THAT IN EITHER CATEGORY. AND THE SAME WITH RESEARCHING BEST PRACTICES. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THOSE TWO THINGS, BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM RELEVANT TO ME, UH, WHETHER TO OBTAIN OR CONSIDER PUBLIC INPUT. UH, AND THE, THE FOURTH OR THE NEXT ONE, THERE ALSO OBTAINS INPUT, REVIEWING AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PROCESS. AND THAT FINAL ONE ALSO OBTAINS DEVELOPING A TOOL FOR UPDATING THE COMMUNITY KNOWN SPECIFIC ISSUES. I, SO MY QUESTION ONCE AGAIN IS, WHERE DOES G P A RESPOND WITH A WAY TO CONSIDER THE PUBLIC'S INPUT? IF YOU WOULD, SCROLL UP PLEASE, SIR. UH, CARRYING ON WITH THAT, UH, THIS WAS DONE IN JUNE, THE REBRAND OF THE S A SPEAK UP. IT OBTAINS. I'M, AGAIN, I HATE TO ASSUME WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS, BUT PUBLIC MEETING SERVICE SUPPLEMENTS THAT, THAT'S A RESULT FROM THE WORKING GROUP. THE NEXT ONE IS A CLEAR TIMELINE. RESULTS OF THE CAMPAIGN OBTAINS RESULTS, RESULTS, BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, HAVE CONSIDERED, HAVE STRONG, UH, RESERVATIONS. THAT CONSIDERATION IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED. THANK YOU, MR. JONES. JACK FINGER, MAYOR NURNBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER FIRST. UH, A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING AND IN REGARDS TO THE INVOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CHAMBER, I'M, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN WE, UH, UH, RECOGNIZE A HIGHER AUTHORITY THAT, UH, ALL GODS ARE THE SAME. NONE IS ABOVE ANY OTHER THERE, WHICH IS WHY WE HAD A MUSLIM CLERIC DELIVER THE INVOCATION TODAY. I'VE EVEN SEEN, UH, HINDU CLERICS GIVE THE INVOCATION LAST YEAR, MS. SANDOVAL EVEN INVITED A, AN ATHEIST TO GIVE ONE . FUNNY THING IS, I, I THOUGHT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PRAYER. UH, ONTO THE OTHER SCANDALS ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA, THIS ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 2024, THE IDEA OF TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO BEGIN BECOME INVOLVED IN, UH, THE POLITICAL PROCESS HERE, ALL THE INITIATIVES, THEY LOOK GOOD, AT LEAST ON PAPER. BUT MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU FOLKS REALLY MEAN THIS? I MEAN, REALLY, DO YOU REALLY WANT MORE PEOPLE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS? I JUST HAVE NOTICED IN THOSE TIMES THAT I'VE COME BY THE WEDNESDAY EVENING CITIZENS TO BE HEARD SESSIONS THAT, UH, MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT CONSISTENTLY SHOWN UP TO THIS, WHICH IS WHY IT'S BEEN, HAS BEEN DUBBED AT TIMES THE CITIZENS TO BE IGNORED SESSION. YEAH. UM, ALSO, I MEAN, CITIZENS ONLY GET THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK THEIR PIECE TO YOU, THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL. DO YOU REALIZE THAT BACK IN 2001, I MEAN, IT'S A LONG TIME AGO. PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER THIS, BUT I'VE BEEN AROUND AND I REMEMBER CITIZENS ACTUALLY HAD FIVE, COUNTED FIVE MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR, THEIR PRESENTATION TO YOU, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. BUT I GUESS, UH, THEY, THE CITY COUNCIL THOUGHT THAT TWO MINUTES WAS WAY TOO MUCH FOR PE CITIZENS TO HAVE TO OFFER YOU SINCE YOUR YOUR TIME IS OH, SO VALUABLE. YEAH. UM, DO YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM CITIZENS ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVEN BEFORE THEN, DO YOU KNOW THAT WAY BACK? YES. THIS IS GOING WAY BACK BY THE NINETIES. PEOPLE COULD SIGN UP FOR, LIKE, I DO MULTIPLE ITEMS ON HERE, AND THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO SHOVE THEM ALL INTO ONE, SHOEHORN THEM ALL IN ONE TO ONE LITTLE THREE MINUTE PRESENTATION. THEY COULD COME UP FOR AS MANY TIMES AS THEY HAD. I, I RECALL MR. FERRIS HODGE, HE WAS USED TO BE A, A ROUTINE MEMBER OVER HERE, AND HE, HE WOULD COME BY AND SPEAK ON ALL OF 'EM, JUST LIKE I WOULD. BUT, UH, SADLY, UM, IT, IT, IT TELLS ME THAT, DO YOU GUYS REALLY MEAN IT WHEN YOU WANT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION? I, I REMEMBER THE BIGGEST STORY IN 2013 WAS THE, UH, UH, SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATION. YOU HAD A THOUSAND PEOPLE HERE, MAYBE YOU NEEDED TO, UH, INSTALL A DEPARTMENT OF SCANDAL TO OFFER MORE SCANDAL. SO MORE PEOPLE WILL COME. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SPOKE, WHO'S SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT. [00:35:01] I'LL TAKE, UH, COUNSEL COMMENT. I SIGNED UP. YEAH, YOUR ITEM WAS PULLED. UM, ALAN, SO WE'LL CALL YOU UP WHEN THE ITEM COMES UP, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 26, A PARTNERSHIP WITH V H S SAN ANTONIO PARTNERS, L L C, UH, D B A AS BAPTIST HEALTH SYSTEM. UH, THIS ITEM PROVIDES FUNDING FOR THREE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS TO ASSIST WITH HOMELESS OUTREACH, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND I WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO THANK MELODY WOOLSEY AND MARIA VILLA GOMEZ FOR THEIR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO HELP THE HOMELESS POPULATION OF OUR CITY AND EMBRACING RELATIVELY GREAT STRATEGIES SUCH AS THIS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE HOMELESS IN MEANINGFUL WAYS ON A DAILY BASIS. I'M, I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. COUNCILMAN ELAS. THANK YOU. QUICKLY, MAYOR, I, UH, I NOTICED I, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 19, WHERE WE ARE APPOINTING, UM, CITIZENS TO BE, UH, SERVANTS ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. OH, OKAY. GREAT. 19 HAS BEEN PULLED. YEAH. 19. YEAH. AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK ONE IN PARTICULAR, UH, UH, MS. LESLIE HOBGOOD FOR BEING HERE TODAY, UM, AND FOR VOLUNTEERING, UH, AND ALSO MS. DEBORAH AMWA, UH, FOR AGREEING TO SERVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SERVICES, AGAIN, LEADERSHIP BECAUSE YOU'RE SHOWING UP. AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERING. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PALAIS. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 5, 6, 15, 18, AND 24. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. MOVING NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500,000. WITH VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INCORPORATED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, THE RETENTION OF 300 FULL-TIME JOBS AND THE CREATION OF AN ADDITIONAL 57 FULL-TIME JOBS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND. FISCAL YEAR 2019 ADOPTED BUDGET. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, BEFORE I GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION, I DO WANT TO THANK VERY QUICKLY THE INDUSTRY TEAM. DURING THE BREAK WHEN WE WERE ENJOYING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, IT WAS THIS TEAM THAT WAS KIND OF CRASHING ON SOME OF THE ANALYSIS AND DEAL POINTS. IN PARTICULAR, JESSICA HARRIS, OUR INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, RAY RODRIGUEZ FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND AMY CONTRERAS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, JOINING US THIS MORNING IS, UH, MICHELLE BOGGS AND GENESIS RERA FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION. THIS PROJECT REALLY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AT WORK AND IN ACTION. FINALLY, UH, BEFORE I PRESENT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO MIKE PE CARPO. HE IS VICTORY CAPITAL'S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. HE'S HERE WITH US TODAY, SO ONCE I CONCLUDE, I'M SURE HE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE. VERY QUICKLY. I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. IT REALLY PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR VICTORY CAPITAL. IT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR, AND IT REALLY DOES PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A FEW MINUTES. VICTORY CAPITAL IS AN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FIRM HEADQUARTERED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. THEY'VE BEEN THERE AND HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FIRMS THAT CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE, UH, 275 EMPLOYEES AND NINE DIFFERENT INVESTMENT FRANCHISES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. THEY MIGHT SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU ALL BECAUSE BACK IN NOVEMBER, VICTORY CAPITAL ACQUIRED U S AAS, USAA'S ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY, WHICH EMPLOYS AROUND 300 PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THE ACQUISITION EFFECTIVELY DOUBLED VICTORY CAPITAL'S ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT. SO IT WAS A BIG ACQUISITION. UH, THIS ACQUISITION IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE, UH, IN, IN 2019 IN Q TWO, AND REALLY REPRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR VICTORY. BUT AS I MENTIONED, THIS ALSO REPRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, WHEN ACQUISITIONS HAPPEN, WHEN MERGERS HAPPEN, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UH, LED BY JENNA OVER AT E D F, REALLY JUMPS INTO ACTION AND STARTS TRACKING THESE ACQUISITIONS. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT THE 300 EMPLOYEES AND THE RETAINING THOSE EMPLOYEES, BUT WE ALSO SAW THIS AS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY. UH, JENNA IN PARTICULAR HAD BEEN TRACKING THE ACQUISITION, TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF VICTORY'S, C E O, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND GOT THAT CHANCE RIGHT BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS BREAK. HER AND OUR CITY MANAGER WENT UP THERE AND PITCHED SAN ANTONIO, MET WITH THEIR C E O SHORTLY THEREAFTER. DURING [00:40:01] THE BREAK, THE TEAMS REALLY JUMPED TO ACTION. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE VICTORY CAPITAL WITH AN INCENTIVE PACKAGE THAT I'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL TODAY. AND IT'S THIS INCENTIVE PACKAGE, UM, THAT REALLY REPRESENTS VARIOUS DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE RETENTION OF THOSE 300 EMPLOYEES, THE RELOCATION OF A CORPORATE HEADQUARTER PUBLICLY TRADED. VERY EXCITING. WE HAVEN'T SEEN ONE OF THOSE IN A WHILE. NEW JOB CREATION, UH, FOR THIS, UH, EXPANSION AND RELOCATION. RECOMMENDING A 500,000 PERFORMANCE BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND GRANT CONTINGENT ON THE HEADQUARTERS RELOCATION, SIX C C-SUITE EXECUTIVES. AS PART OF THAT RELOCATION MOVING TO SAN ANTONIO, THE RETENTION OF THOSE 300 EMPLOYEES PAY NO LESS THAN 50,000 ANNUALLY. AND UP TO 51 NEW JOBS AROUND HALF OF WHICH PAY NO LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, A PIECE. THE OTHER HALF OF THOSE EMPLOYEES MAKE NO LESS THAN 65,000 A PIECE. ADDITIONALLY, VICTORY CAPITAL'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO OUR LOCAL TALENT TO INTERN WITH THEM. THEY ALSO ARE VERY ADAMANT ABOUT HELPING OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY. UH, LASTLY, THEY INTEND TO INVEST A MINIMUM OF 500,000 AS PART OF THAT RELOCATION. IN GENERAL, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 357 JOBS WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF 96,000 FUNDING IS AVAILABLE. AS MENTIONED, IT IS PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND, THE F Y 19 APPROPRIATION. IN ADDITION TO THIS PROJECT BEING FISCALLY POSITIVE FOR THE CITY, WE DID RUN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EXCUSE ME, AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS WHERE WE LOOKED AT DIRECT INDIRECT INDUCED IMPACTS. AND OVER 10 YEARS, WE ANTICIPATE THIS PROJECT TO CREATE $945 MILLION WORTH OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OVER THAT TERM, FINALLY RECOMMENDING, UH, THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE. WITH THAT MAYOR COUNCIL, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND MIKE IS HERE. HE'S HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RENEE. COUNCILMAN ELIAS. THANK YOU. UM, RENEE, MOVE OVER. I NEED TO TALK TO VICTORY, UH, . UM, HEY, VICTORY. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR INVESTING IN SAN ANTONIO. YOU DIDN'T JUST BUY AN OPERATION, UH, AND SOME ASSETS. UH, YOU ACTUALLY MADE AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE. UH, AND YOU ARE GOING TO DISCOVER THAT YOUR INVESTMENT IS GONNA PAY WAY MORE DIVIDENDS THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT, UH, YOU'D GET. AND, UH, SAN ANTONIOS ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST. SO GO TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS, UH, WILL DO. AND, UH, TWO, YOU DECIDE TO MOVE YOUR, NOT JUST, UH, INVEST IN SAN ANTONIO AND BUY AN OPERATIONS. YOU GUYS DECIDE TO MOVE YOUR OPERATIONS HERE, UH, WHICH IS SKIN IN THE GAME. AND SO FOR THAT, ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, THANKS A LOT. AND, UH, I STAND READY TO HELP YOU GUYS SUCCEED IN ANY WAY, BUT YOU GOTTA LET ME KNOW HOW THAT IS. AND SO LET'S, LET'S BEGIN TODAY BY MAKING THE COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER THAT WE'RE PARTNERS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLA. COUNCILMAN VERAN. MIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS HERE. UM, AS CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS TEAM SAN ANTONIO WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE CAN ONE, WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU, BUT ALSO MAKE IT, UM, THAT WE BECOME FAMILY. AND SO I WANTED TO SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES, UM, TALKING ABOUT NOW AND, AND MOVING INTO YOUR, YOUR NEW HEADQUARTERS. SURE. WELL, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL. UM, WE ARE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, THE TEAM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, CITY MANAGER, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC AND WELCOMING TO US. IT'S REFRESHING, UH, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO JOIN THE COMMUNITY. UM, THE EMPLOYEES ARE EXCITED. UM, IT'S, UH, PROBABLY, UH, IN THE TEENS IN CLEVELAND, OHIO TODAY. UM, SO I KNOW OF FOLKS THAT IT'S COLD HERE, BUT, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO SEE THE WARMTH. UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING OUR HEADQUARTERS HERE. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO GROW WITH THE CITY, TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY. UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE. UM, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO, UH, GROW OUR COMPANY. WE'VE BEEN PUBLIC FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. WE'VE, UM, BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. UH, AND WE SEE TREMENDOUS GROWTH AHEAD OF US, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M VERY PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO PROMOTE THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO'S ASSETS, INCLUDING OUR FINANCIAL, UM, GROWING OF OUR, IT, OUR CYBERSECURITY AREA. AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF ALL OF US COMING AND WORKING TOGETHER. UM, MUCH KUDOS TO [00:45:01] SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, TO YOUR TEAM AND THE LEADERSHIP OF EVERYONE THERE. UM, MANAGER SCULLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GETTING UP THERE AND GOING TO CLEVELAND, UM, DURING THE, THE COLD SEASON AS WELL. , UM, AND THIS IS PROJECT IS A WIN-WIN BECAUSE WHEN WE CREATE, AND WE HAVE THIS EXAMPLE, WHEN WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL SAN ANTONIANS, AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE C-SUITE EXECUTIVES HERE, THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AS A MODEL AND WHAT THIS WILL THEN GENERATE FOR THE SAN ANTONIO TO COME. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. THANK YOU FOR LEADING BY EXAMPLE, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING A SOURCE OF A, A TRAILBLAZER IN THIS IN THE WAY WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PEOPLE IN THE FAMILIES MOVING TO SAN ANTONIO, AND REALLY, UM, HAVING THIS, UM, THIS HOSPITALITY THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, I MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. COUNCILMAN HALL, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. FIRST, MIKE AND VICTORY CAPITAL, WELCOME, UH, RADE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. JENNA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AS WELL. UH, I'LL TELL YOU, COUNCIL, THAT WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL A FEW YEARS BACK, WE DID AN, AND I CAME UP, I'VE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN INVESTMENT BANKING AND PRIVATE EQUITY BACKGROUND. SO WE DID A, UM, ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ON FINANCIAL SERVICES. AND STEVE NIBIN, UH, WAS THE ONE THAT EITHER HELPED US AND AUTHORED THAT, UH, AND THAT FOUND THAT, UH, FINANCIAL SERVICES IS ACTUALLY OUR NUMBER ONE ECONOMIC GENERATOR IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IT'S, UH, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, AND IT'S NOT SEEN AS, AS SUCH, UH, BUT IT, UH, OUT IMPACTED, UH, EVEN HEALTHCARE BY SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS. UM, WE ACTUALLY EVEN LOOKED AT A FINANCIAL DISTRICT AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS, BUT I HOPE THAT THIS MOVE, UH, MIGHT REIGNITE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, PUSH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT THAT FINANCIAL SERVICES HAS ON A COMMUNITY. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE BIG CITIES, UH, WITH FINANCIAL DISTRICTS, NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHER PLACES, UH, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DISCUSSION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, REIGNITED AND FOR US TO RECONSIDER FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE IMPACT THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, IN A COMMUNITY, UH, VIA THAT ROUTE. BUT LOOK FORWARD THAT TO THAT CONVERSATION. GREAT. THANK YOU, MIKE. WELCOME. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HALL, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT VERY SMART DECISION TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO. AND I WANT TO THANK OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. I'M SURE THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND THE AMENITIES THAT WE OFFER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I, I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR, UH, ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH U S A A AND JUST, AND I, I'M SURE YOU KNOW THIS, BUT JUST REMIND YOU, THEY HAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER FOR THIS CITY, UH, SINCE THEIR INCEPTION. AND YOU'RE TAKING ON A BIG RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MY MONEY THROUGH U SS A INVESTMENTS THAT NOW YOUR COMPANY WILL BE HANDLING. AND I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT U SS A A HAS ALWAYS BEEN MEMBER DRIVEN AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING THEY DID WAS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR MEMBERS. AND I HOPE THAT, UH, YOUR, YOUR COMPANY WILL HAVE THE SAME OUTLOOK ON HOW IT WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND MANAGE THE MONEY FOR ALL OF THOSE, UH, FORMER MILITARY FAMILIES, UH, THAT HAVE INVESTED THROUGH U S A A AND NOW INTO THE FUTURE. AND, UH, I WISH YOU GREAT SUCCESS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SAN ANTONIO, RIGHT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE. UH, BEFORE I, I TAKE UP THE ACTION FOR TODAY, I DID, UH, NEGLECT TO BRING UP, UH, JACK FINGER WHO WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS WELL, UH, HIS CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND YOU CAN RELAX FOR A MOMENT. OKAY? THANK YOU, JACK. SIT WITH YOU, MAYOR NURNBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER. WELL, YES, I ACTUALLY WELCOME THE VICTORY CORPORATION COMING TO SAN ANTONIO. THE QUESTION IS, DO WE THE CITIZENS, ESSENTIALLY, DO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO COME HERE? ALL OF Y'ALL KEPT SAYING THANK YOU. WELL, THAT'S NICE, BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHY MAYBE IT'S TIME TO THANK THE TAXPAYERS SINCE YOU ARE THE ONES THAT ARE RELAYING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO THEM. YES. AND THE QUESTION IS WHY VICTORY CAPITAL SAYS IT'S COMING TO SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE IT HAS, WE HAVE A GOOD WORKFORCE AND THE PRICES ARE LOW. WELL, OKAY, THAT SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH. UH, WHY DO WE NEED TO GIVE 'EM ANOTHER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS? THAT'S THAT MASS, ABOUT $1,400 A JOB, $1,400 A JOB. NOW, DO YOU GIVE $1,400 A JOB TO ANY SAY, SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN TOWN [00:50:01] THAT CREATES A NEW JOB ON THEIR OWN? I HAVE NOT SEEN SUCH INITIATIVES HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS HERE, 1400. HAVE YOU THOUGHT MAYBE JUST, UH, TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN BACKYARD BEFORE YOU COULD COME AND, AND JUST TRY TO INCLUDE SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE? ALSO, THE BIG QUESTION IS WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO BE TO LOCATE IF THEY'RE ACQUIRING U SS A A? WELL, U S A IS BETWEEN LOOP FOUR 10 AND LOOP 1604. IT'S NOT EXACTLY YOUR DEPRESSED AREA OF TOWN, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS WHAT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES WERE REALLY DESIGNED TO DO. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING, DIDN'T, DON'T SEE ANYTHING HAPPENS, READ ANYTHING ABOUT IT BEING LOCATED INSIDE LOOP FOUR 10. YEAH. YEAH. SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND. THAT'S WHY SOME OF US ALWAYS REMAIN A LITTLE SKEPTICAL WHEN, WHENEVER WE SEE JUST OUTRIGHT GRANTS. I MEAN, THIS IS NOT EVEN A, A, A LOAN. I MEAN, WHERE THEY WOULD PAY IT BACK. IT'S JUST, HERE, TAKE THE MONEY. VICTORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. WELL, I'LL WRAP UP HERE. UM, MIKE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I THINK THAT THE MESSAGE THAT, THAT WE GET FROM A VICTORY'S ARRIVAL, UH, A TARGETED INDUSTRY, UH, A 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRY, HIGH WAGE JOBS, UH, A HUNDRED YEAR OLD PUBLICLY TRADED CORPORATION, CHOOSING TO MOVE FROM ONE MAJOR AMERICAN CITY, UH, TO THE HEART OF TEXAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IS BEING SENT LOUD AND CLEAR. UH, IT'S NOT ABOUT IN INCENTIVES. IT'S NOT ABOUT, UH, LOW COST. IT'S ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO HAVE BEEN BUILDING A MODERN QUALITY 21ST CENTURY CITY. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ENORMOUSLY PROUD OF. SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, CHOOSING SAN ANTONIO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOUR WHOLE CREW. I'VE GOTTEN, UH, I'VE ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW, UH, DAVID, AND I THINK HE'S GONNA ENJOY SAN ANTONIO AS WELL. SO, UM, THESE MOMENTS THAT WE GET TO WELCOME CORPORATIONS DON'T COME OFTEN ENOUGH. UH, BUT THIS ONE IS SIGNIFICANT, AND I THINK WE WILL MARK THE DAY, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT IS PROVING THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD ON BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN COUNCILMAN HALL WAS IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, IS NOW TRULY COMING FOR FRUITION. AND THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT EVERY SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM. SO WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER SIX. ITEM NUMBER SIX IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 116TH US CONGRESS, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING, JEFF COYLE, THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS. THIS IS OUR, UH, PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN WASHINGTON. UH, WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO GO TO WASHINGTON ALONG WITH YOU, AND ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING AND PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT BENEFIT, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OFTENTIMES, WHETHER THEY, THEY REALIZE THE EFFORT OR NOT. I, I WANNA THANK, UM, MY TEAM, SALLY BA CERTO, MEGAN DODGE, EDUARDO CARRASCO FOR THEIR WORK IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND CERTAINLY THE I G R, UH, COMMITTEE WHO GAVE US SOME, UH, WONDERFUL FEEDBACK ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THAT HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS, UH, PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO, VERY BRIEFLY, A TIMELINE. AS YOU ALL KNOW, I BELIEVE THE, THE NEW CONGRESS, UH, WAS SWORN IN AND BEGAN JANUARY 3RD. CONGRESS IS ON A TWO YEAR CYCLE, UH, TWO SESSIONS, UH, ONE YEAR EACH. AND SO WE HAVE ALIGNED OUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS, UH, WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL TERMS. UH, AND SO HENCE THE TIMING. WE STAND HERE BEFORE YOU WITH A NEW CONGRESS JUST HAVING BEEN SWORN IN. AND OUR ANNUAL ESSAY TO DC TRIP ON THE, UH, NEAR TERM HORIZON. UH, THIS IS OUR PROPOSED, UH, PLAYBOOK AS WE HEAD UP THERE. WE STARTED THIS PROCESS BACK IN THE, UH, LATE SUMMER. WE, UH, MET WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AND, UH, WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM ON, ON PRIORITIES THAT OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING FOR. WE COMMUNICATE REGULARLY WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. BEGINNING IN THE FALL, WE, UH, REACHED OUT TO EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY ASKING THEM FOR INPUT ON THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM IN TERMS OF THE FEDERAL AGENDA. WE'VE HAD A COLLABORATION AND, AND COMMUNICATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, BOTH IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR. UH, AND THEN BEGAN THE CONVERSATION WITH THE I G R COMMITTEE IN DECEMBER, UH, WITH A MORE THOROUGH CONVERSATION THIS MONTH. UH, THEY FULLY APPROVED, UH, THE AGENDA THAT WE ARE NOW BRINGING TO YOU FOR FULL COUNSEL CONSIDERATION. THERE ARE FOUR CATEGORIES [00:55:01] IN THE PROGRAM, THE BIGGEST OF WHICH IS, OF COURSE, ARE OUR PRIORITIES. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE END AGENCY ISSUES. I WANNA NOTE THE DIFFERENCE THERE. LEGISLATIVE ARE ITEMS THAT WE'RE LOBBYING. CONGRESS FOR AGENCY ARE ITEMS THAT WE ARE GOING TO THE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND TRYING TO POSITION OURSELVES FOR FUNDING AND OR INFLUENCE RULE CHANGES THAT THEY MAY PROPOSE. IN SOME CASES, ITEMS INVOLVE BOTH CONGRESSIONAL ADVOCACY AND AGENCY ADVOCACY. THE THIRD IS A STATEMENT OF OUR SUPPORT FOR OUR PARTNERS. AND THE FOURTH IS A, UH, BROAD, UH, SORT OF CATCHALL STATEMENT ABOUT PROTECTING THE CITY'S INTERESTS, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO OUR FOUR PRIORITIES AS PROPOSED ARE MILITARY PROTECTION, UH, AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH COUNCIL PRIORITIES. ON THE MILITARY FRONT. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE J B S A TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM PROTECTION OF OUR BASES, TO POSITION OURSELVES FOR GAINING FUTURE MISSIONS. AND IN THE RECENT, UH, DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE LAST CONGRESS, THERE IS A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, FUNDING PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THE STATE DAG PROGRAM, WHERE COMMUNITIES CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT OUR BASE. SO WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN SO THAT WE CAN COMPETE FOR THAT. ON THE AVIATION FRONT, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THE, UH, F A A REAUTHORIZATION PASSED LAST YEAR. SO OUR, OUR BEST EFFORT AT A NONSTOP TO REAGAN NATIONAL HAS PASSED FOR NOW. UH, THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME OTHER MAJOR PRIORITIES WITHIN THE AVIATION FRONT, SPECIFICALLY, UH, FUNDING FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT OUR AIRPORT BENEFITS FROM REGULARLY, UH, AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE CAP. WE CHARGE A CHARGE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR EVERY TICKET PURCHASED, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN RAISED SINCE 2000. SO, AIRPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE LOBBYING FOR THE ABILITY TO ALLOW LOCAL CITY COUNCILS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO INCREASE THAT FEE AND, AND SUPPORT THE CONTINUED, UH, NECESSARY GROWTH AT THE AIRPORT UNDER TRANSPORTATION. UH, 2019 WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION ABOUT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZING, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE, THE, UH, UH, FAST ACT, WHICH IS THE, UH, OMNIBUS PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS LIKE TIGER GRANTS, INFRA GRANTS, OTHER THINGS THAT WE COMPETE FOR. AND ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FRONT, WE, UH, ARE EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A NUMBER OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS LIKE, UH, THE HOME INVESTMENT PROGRAM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS YOU ALL KNOW WELL THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER ATTACK, UH, FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS UNDER, UH, OUR, OUR, UH, LEGISLATIVE AND AGENCY ISSUES. SO THOSE WERE THE PRIORITIES. THESE ARE A NUMBER OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'LL MOVE MORE QUICKLY THROUGH THESE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMS, UH, SUCH AS THE COPS GRANT, THE BURN ASSISTANCE, BURN JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT WE REGULARLY BENEFIT FROM FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, EMERGENCY PREP AND HOMELAND SECURITY UNDER THAT AS THE UI FUNDING THAT WE, UH, THE URBAN AREA STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FUNDING THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR REGULARLY TO SUPPORT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS HERE. UH, WORKFORCE TRAINING THIS YEAR WILL BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT REAUTHORIZING, THE WORK INNOVATION WORKFORCE INNOVATION OPPORTUNITY ACT. THAT'S THE REAUTHORIZATION OF A NUMBER OF, UH, FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT FUND THINGS SUCH AS ALAMO WORKSOURCE HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, UH, WORK, WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDITS. THERE IS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT A CORRECTION BILL TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THE, UH, TAX REFORMS THAT WERE MADE UNDER THE LAST CONGRESS. IF THAT HAPPENS, WE WOULD BE UP THERE ADVOCATING FOR, UH, UH, TAX CREDITS FOR THOSE WHO HIRE, UH, EMPLOYEES OR CREATE BUSINESSES IN, UH, VULNERABLE AREAS. UH, WE ALSO, UH, WANNA EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR HISTORIC TAX CREDITS. A NUMBER OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT PROGRAM, AND WE CONTINUE TO WANNA SEE CONGRESS CREATE A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR DACA FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO THIS COUNTRY, UH, THROUGH NO DECISION OF THEIR OWN, AND, UH, TO GIVE THEM, UH, THE ABILITY TO EARN LAWFUL STATUS, UH, WE ARE OPPOSED, UH, PROPOSING A PO OPPOSITION TO A PUBLIC CHARGE EXPANSION. UH, PUBLIC CHARGE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN, UH, A FEDERAL RULE FOR A LONG TIME, AND ESSENTIALLY SAYS THAT SOMEONE WHO IS PRIMARILY DEPENDENT ON PUBLIC BENEFITS WILL HAVE THAT CONSIDERED, UH, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR PERMANENT LAWFUL STATUS. UH, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED EXPANDING THAT SIGNIFICANTLY, AND WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, CHIP AND MEDICAID BEING USED AGAINST SOMEONE WHO MIGHT GAIN PUBLIC, UH, STATUS, UH, PERMANENT, UH, LAWFUL CITIZEN STATUS. UH, WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS. CITIES ACROSS [01:00:01] THE COUNTRY HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THIS. THE, UH, UH, US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS HAS SEVERAL HUNDRED MAYORS, INCLUDING OURS, WHO HAVE SIGNED ON IN THEIR OPPOSITION. AND, UH, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXPRESS HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT US AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE WANT TO SUPPORT, UH, ANTI-TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING FUNDING. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND HAS USED FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT IDENTIFYING TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS. WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER AND OTHERS, AND WE WANNA SUPPORT THOSE FUNDING PROGRAMS. SAME WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE. YOU MAY KNOW THE COUNTY RECEIVED, UH, THREE DIFFERENT OPIOID, UH, GRANTS THROUGH THE OPIOID TASK FORCE. THAT IS A CITY COUNTY INITIATIVE, UH, HOMELESS PREVENTION. YOU ALL HAVE DISCUSSED THAT AT B SESSIONS SIGNIFICANTLY IN OUR, UH, OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH SS A P D TO IDENTIFY FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT WE COULD PURSUE UNDER THE NEXT CONGRESS. AND THEN OUR MISSIONS HAVE A, UH, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BACKLOG OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS. WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UH, TO HAVE THOSE ADDRESSED AND, AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO SO. UH, AND THEN UNDER AIR QUALITY, WE WILL SUPPORT ANY POLICIES, PROGRAMS, OR FUNDING THAT WILL HELP US TO GET BACK IN ATTAINMENT. WE ALL KNOW THE CHALLENGE WE'RE FACING AND THE 2020 DEADLINE. UH, AND THEN UNDER BROWNFIELDS, WE, UH, CONTINUE TO FACE CHALLENGES WITH, UH, UH, SITES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY RIPE FOR REDEVELOPMENT, BUT HAVE CLEANUP NEEDS. UH, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN SOME YEARS IN THE PAST OF SECURING GRANTS AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE, UH, THOSE BOTH IN THE ASSESSMENT, IDENTIFYING WHAT THE CLEANUP NEEDS ARE, AS WELL AS THE CLEANUP ITSELF, WHICH ARE THE MORE COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO PURSUE. AND THEN GENERALLY, UH, OUR, OUR PROTECTION OF MUNICIPAL INTEREST STATEMENT SAYS, WE'LL SUPPORT REGULATIONS AND LEGISLATIONS THAT CLEARLY BENEFIT THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY AND OPPOSE THAT WOULD OPPOSE THOSE THAT WOULD BE ADVERSE TO SAN ANTONIO. UH, THIS GIVES US FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, WEIGH IN ON ISSUES THAT MAY NOT BE SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE PROGRAM NOW. UH, BUT WE DO SO WITH CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR I G R COMMITTEE AND, AND DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL WHEN NECESSARY. OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UH, FALL UNDER THE WHOLE SPECTRUM, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OUR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, OUR NONPROFIT AGENCIES, INCLUDING OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES, OUR HIGHER ED COMMUNITIES. WE'RE IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH ALL OF THEM. WE'VE SOUGHT THEIR INPUT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM. AND SO LONG AS THEIR PRIORITIES DON'T CONFLICT WITH OURS, WHICH THEY RARELY DO, WE EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THEIR INITIATIVES AND PLEDGE TO WORK WITH THEM. AND I JUST WANNA NOTE, UH, VERY BRIEFLY, COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS ARE COMING OUT, UH, AS WE SPEAK. UH, WE'VE HAD TWO, TWO, UH, POSITIVE BENEFITS. UH, WE'VE CURRENT, WE'VE HAD A HOUSE MEMBER ON APPROPRIATIONS. CONGRESSMAN QUAR HAS BEEN IN A, IN A GREAT POSITION IN THE, ON THE, ESSENTIALLY THE FUNDING COMMITTEE OF, OF THE HOUSE. UH, NOW CONGRESSMAN HERD HAS JOINED THAT COMMITTEE. SO WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS, UH, REPUBLICAN AND A DEMOCRAT, WHICH WE HOPE TO USE TO OUR ADVANTAGE FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. AND THEN IN THE SENATE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE, UM, IN LEADERSHIP THERE, SENATOR CRUZ HAS BEEN APPOINTED THE CHAIR OF THE AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE. THAT'S THE TRANSPORTATION AND AND AVIATION COMMITTEE. SO WE HAVE HIM IN A SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, CHAIRMANSHIP TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ON AVIATION ISSUES. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, JEFF. UH, ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK JACK FINGER. YES. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, IN A CITY OF A MILLION AND A HALF PEOPLE, I'M, I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE TIME TO COME UP HERE AND DO THIS STUFF. UH, MAYOR NURENBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER, YOU'RE ILLUSTRIOUS UNDOCUMENTED GADFLY. YES. UH, LOOKING THROUGH THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS, I SEE ALL THESE ITEMS THAT, UH, YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL WISH TO PRESENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND EVEN FOR THAT MATTER, THE STATE GOVERNMENT, UH, I LOOKED AT SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SOME OF 'EM ARE OKAY. SOME OF 'EM I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT, AND OTHERS I REALLY DO HAVE ISSUES FOR. AND I GUESS WHAT, WHAT REALLY, UH, UH, BOILS MY VINEGAR IS THAT, THAT, UH, YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY ON TAX PAID LOBBYISTS, UH, FOR THESE FEDERAL INITIATIVES, OUR DOLLARS TO PROMOTE CERTAIN THINGS THAT, WELL, I FIND VERY, UH, AT THE VERY LEAST, CONCERNING, UH, YEAH. YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU THE [01:05:01] CITY GOVERNMENT. YOU TELL THE, WHEN THE FEDS COME DOWN AND SAY, SAN ANTONIO, STOP BEING A SANCTUARY CITY, YOU COME RIGHT BACK AND SAY, OH, NO, MR. PRESIDENT, ALL YOU FEDERAL OFFICIALS WE'RE NOT A SANCTUARY CITY. OH, NO. WE, WE, WE HAVE NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT OFFICIALLY AT ALL. YET, IN YOUR VERY OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT HANDBOOKS, YOU HA, YOU TELL THE OFFICERS NOT TO QUESTION SUCH, UH, QUESTIONABLE INDIVIDUALS. UH, AND I HOLD HERE IN MY HOT LITTLE HAND, SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE JUST PRESENTED A MOMENT AGO, INFORMATION THAT, UH, THAT PRETTY MUCH PROVES IT THERE. YEAH. MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAN, BLOW UP THAT, UH, CIRCLED AREA DOWN BELOW THERE. YEAH. HERE'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO TELL THE FEDS ABOUT DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS. SUPPORT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION THAT ENABLES A UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME TO THE US UH, SHIFT OVER A LITTLE BIT YEAH. AS CHILDREN TO EARN LAWFUL STATUS. YOU KNOW, I GET A LITTLE UPSET WHEN I SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF LINE OVER OTHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO, TO PLAY BY THE RULES. ALSO, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY HAS A RULE ON THE BOOKS, MAYBE LONG IGNORED, THAT SAYS PEOPLE COMING TO THE US, THEY CAN'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY GET BENEFITS. THEY'VE GOTTA SHOW SOME, SOME, NOT ONLY SOME NEED TO IT, BUT ALSO SOME, UH, WILLINGNESS NOT TO BE A PUBLIC CHARGE, MEANING THAT WE SUPPORT THEM, LOWER THE, IF YOU WOULD, MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAN, THE OTHER CIRCLED AREA THAT'S IN PUBLIC CHARGE. RULE URGE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NOT, NOT TO INCLUDE PARTICIPATION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, FOR BENEFITS THAT WOULD WEIGH AGAINST AN INTENDING IMMIGRANT YEAH. WEIGH AGAINST AN INTENDING IMMIGRANT AS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED PUBLIC CHARGE RULE. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. PLEASE RETURN THE CAMERA. YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS SHOWS TO ME THAT YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL, OUR CITY GOVERNMENT, REALLY ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED WHEN IT COMES TO SUCH THINGS. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. COUNCILMAN SALDANA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU TO JEFF WHO, UM, HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THIS, THIS DOCUMENT WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE. THE ONLY, UH, FORGIVENESS I WILL ASK IS OF, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, HALL, WHO HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE FEDERAL AGENDA, BUT I HOPE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SKIMM THROUGH. AND IF NOT, UH, I HOPE YOU, YOU'LL AGREE THAT WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO, UH, IS COVER AS MANY BASES AS POSSIBLE WITH REGARD TO WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN WE ARE PARTNERING, UH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BRING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, UH, WE ARE ENHANCING THE WORK THAT, UH, WE DO AS, AS INTERAGENCIES AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND THE WORST CASE, UH, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, WE MIGHT HINDER, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE LOCALLY. SO, UH, YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, UH, EXAMPLES THAT WE CAN POINT TO, UH, WITH REGARD TO BEING ABLE AND PREPARED, UH, FOR DISASTERS. UH, BODY CAMERA ENHANCEMENTS THAT WERE AFFORDED BY, UH, GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UH, SOME FEDERAL GRANTS THAT HAVE HELPED US WITH, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO TAKE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF MY CO COLLEAGUES ARE ALSO GONNA JOIN US FOR THE ESSAY TO DC TRIP WHEN WE, UH, MEET WITH OUR DELEGATION AND OTHER MEMBERS OF DELEGATIONS WHO ARE CHAIRS AND SITTING RANKING MEMBERS OF COMMITTEES THAT WILL HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPPORTING OR NOT SUPPORTING IN THE EVENT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPENS. UH, AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S THE, UH, THE BIG QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND, UH, GOING UP TO DC PRETTY SOON HERE. BUT, UH, WE'VE TRIED OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REFLECT THE WANTS AND THE NEEDS OF, OF, UH, THIS COUNCIL. AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANY COMMENTS FROM THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS I KNOW WHO MAY NOT SIT ON THE, THE, UM, I G R COMMITTEE, THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, UH, MIGHT WANNA WEIGH IN AS WELL TOO. BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANY FEEDBACK AND GETTING THIS DOCUMENT TO, UM, TO OUR DELEGATION MEMBERS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SNIA. COUNCILWOMAN GRO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU, JEFF AND THE TEAM, AND SALLY, FOR ALL OF THE GREAT WORK. AND, UM, UH, CARLOS, UH, WANTED THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU, YOU HEARD SOME OF OUR CONCERNS TO MAKE SURE THAT WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WAS PART OF, UH, THE PRIORITIES. SO WITH OUR WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, ONE THING TO NOTE TOO, WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND WITH THE IMPACT, IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND THE IMPACT, BECAUSE THIS IS LONGER THAN WE'VE EVER HAD. IT'S, AND THE GRAVITY AND THE SERIOUSNESS THAT THIS HAS TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR CITIZENS. UM, COULD YOU PLEASE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT THAT? SURE. LET ME, UH, BREAK THOSE INTO TWO CATEGORIES, THE IMPACT ON US AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND THE IMPACT ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, UH, JUSTINA TATE AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT BUREAU, UH, MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET SAID, SENT A MEMO OUT RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAY IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SHUTDOWN. AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S GONE ON MUCH LONGER THAN I THINK ANYONE WOULD'VE ANTICIPATED. WE HAVE A NEW MEMO READY TO RELEASE [01:10:01] TO YOU ALL TO, UH, TO COUNCILMAN PLYS REQUEST AT THE I G R COMMITTEE TO SORT OF DEMONSTRATE THE CASCADING EFFECT OF THE IMPACT. UH, WE AS AN ORGANIZATION RECEIVE $128 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING ANNUALLY. ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT 31 AND A HALF MILLION IS FUNDED FROM AGENCIES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE SHUTDOWN. SO IT'S A PARTIAL SHUTDOWN. THERE ARE 12 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS, UH, SEVEN OF THEM, I'M SORRY, FIVE OF THEM PASSED THROUGH THE CONGRESS, SEVEN OF THEM HAVE NOT. SO IT'S THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT FALL UNDER THOSE BILLS THAT ARE IMPACTED. UH, IN EACH OF THOSE CASES, WE'RE STILL RECEIVING AN ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE FEDERAL FUNDING WE USE FOR OUR PROGRAMS. UH, IN MANY CASES, THEY WERE FUNDED IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THE TIMELINE ON THOSE IS, IS STARTING TO COME UPON US. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, HUD, HUD FUNDED GRANTS, UM, WE DON'T EXPECT AN IMPACT UNTIL APRIL OF THIS YEAR. UH, BUT HUD IS NOT THERE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND APPROVAL OF NEW HOUSING, OF NEW PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE. SO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS WHERE WE WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ON HOLD, SO SHOULD WE SEEK THEIR APPROVAL FOR A NEW PROJECT, OUR, UM, OUR WIC PROGRAM, UH, FUNDS, UH, UH, LET ME SEE, 32,000 WOMEN, INFANT AND CHILDREN ON A MONTHLY BASIS. UH, WE HAVE 84 POSITIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THAT. UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT IF THIS, UH, SHUTDOWN EXTENDS BEYOND FEBRUARY 28TH, UH, WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION OF POTENTIALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. OUR COPS HIRING GRANT IS PAID OUT QUARTERLY, AND CURRENTLY THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH JANUARY 31ST. UH, BUT THERE COULD BE A DELAY IN REIMBURSEMENTS IF WE EXTEND BEYOND THAT. UM, AND THEN SORT OF OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, UH, THERE ARE ALMOST 300,000 SNAP RECIPIENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S A SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANT PROGRAM. UH, THAT ALSO, UH, WILL RUN THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH AT THIS POINT. UH, BUT IF WE GO BEYOND THAT, THERE COULD BE SOME BENEFITS NOT APPROVED. SO WE ARE, WE ARE WATCHING THIS WITH CONCERN ABOUT, UH, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS NOW OUTSIDE OF THE CITY ORGANIZATION. UH, WE HAVE MANY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN THIS COMMUNITY. UH, THEY'RE ALL SORT OF, UH, SUPPORTED BY THE ALAMO EXECUTIVE, HOW FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD, FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD, WHICH IS A LOCAL SORT OF COORDINATING BODY FOR ALL THE FEDERAL AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM. UH, THEY ARE PREPARING COMMUNICATIONS TO FEDERAL WORKERS WHO HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED HERE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. AND OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IS WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY OFFERS, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THEM AS THEY CONTINUE TO GO WITHOUT PAYCHECKS. UH, SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING, AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT THEM AND CERTAINLY KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING OVERALL WITH THE SHUTDOWN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEFF, FOR THAT UPDATE. AND I KNOW, UM, ONE OTHER, UH, THING THAT WE HAD PUT A RESOLUTION FORWARD AS A COUNCIL BODY WAS TO REJECT THAT, UM, CITIZENSHIP QUESTION ON THE CENSUS, UM, QUESTIONNAIRE. AND THAT HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE, RIGHT? THERE WAS A, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LAWSUITS AGAINST, UH, THE CENSUS BUREAU AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER THE PROPOSAL TO ADD A CITIZENSHIP QUESTION TO THE CENSUS. YOU RECALL, WE BROUGHT A RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU ALL AND APPROVED IT IN THE PAST. UM, ONE OF THOSE LAWSUITS, UH, WAS RULED ON BY A NEW YORK JUDGE THIS WEEK, ESSENTIALLY, UH, SAYING NO, THAT THAT CITIZENSHIP QUESTION CAN'T BE USED BECAUSE THE PROPER, UH, PROCESS WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED TO GET THERE. IN, IN OTHER WORDS, TESTING AND RESEARCHING WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE RESPONDING. UH, WE EXPECT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL APPEAL THAT, AND IT COULD MAKE ITS ITS WAY ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT. UM, BUT THAT'S ONE DEVELOPMENT IN ONE OF THE SUITS. UH, WE'VE MADE CLEAR TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION THAT, UH, WE'RE OPPOSED TO IT, UM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE WON'T PARTICIPATE. AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT A GREAT CHALLENGE AHEAD OF US IN GETTING PEOPLE TO, UH, TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. WE'RE GONNA INVEST SIGNIFICANT LOCAL MONEY, UH, IN GETTING THE WORD OUT AND GETTING PEOPLE, UH, COUNTED AS PART OF THE CENSUS. AND WE DON'T WANT ANY OBSTACLES TO DOING THAT. JUSTINA, YEAH, PLEASE. YEAH. HI, I'M JUSTINA TATE, THE BUDGET DIRECTOR, AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE WIC FUNDING. WE DID RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM THE STATE THAT WE WILL HAVE FINDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE END OF MARCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. UM, THANK YOU TO OUR CHAIRMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALDANA, AND EVERYONE IN I G R AND TO ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. UM, I THINK [01:15:01] IT REALLY SHOWS US WORKING TOGETHER, UM, AS A CITY. AND NOTHING WE CAN'T STOP AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE ON. SO LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING OUR ISSUES AND OUR PRIORITIES UP TO OUR DELEGATION AND TO DC. SO WITH THAT, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. ALRIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX. COUNCILMAN PEZ. THANK YOU. QUICKLY, UH, JEFF, ITEM NUMBER 15. TODAY IS ABOUT, UH, A NEW PROJECT THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING WITH, UH, CANINE FOR WARRIORS. MY REQUEST IS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, IS THAT YOU AND SALLY AND HEBER PUT YOUR HEADS TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO GO AFTER ANY FEDERAL MONEY, UH, OR EVEN STATE MONEY. BUT, UH, IF THERE'S ANY GOVERNMENT FUNDS THAT MIGHT HELP SUPPORT THAT AND MAKE IT A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT. SO, UM, THANK YOU. THANKS. WE WILL DO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PALAZ. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. UM, THANK YOU, JEFF. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR WORKING WITH ME AND ALL THE INFORMATION YOU, YOU PROVIDED, AND ALSO TO THE I G R COMMITTEE, UH, FOR, UH, TAKING SOME OF MY INPUT ON THE FINAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO THANK YOU. THANKS. ALRIGHT. UH, GREAT WORK, JEFF. THANK YOU SALLY. UH, AND TO THE I G R COMMITTEE. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THEM SEE US COMING. ALL RIGHT. UH, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER 15 I. ITEM NUMBER 15 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A 10 YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT WITH CANINE SS FOR WARRIORS, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO BUILD AND OPERATE A FACILITY ADJACENT TO THE CITY'S ANIMAL CARE SERVICES FACILITY FOR THE USE OF RESCUING AND TRAINING DOGS FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AS SERVICE ANIMALS FOR ADOPTION AND PLACEMENT WITH DISABLED AMERICAN MILITARY VETERANS. WITH OPTIONS TO RENEW FOR TWO ADDITIONAL FIVE-YEAR TERMS, AND TO PURCHASE THE LAND. LOCATED ON 47 10 HIGHWAY 1 51, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. GOOD MORNING, CITY OR MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S HEBERT LEFT GRANT. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. UM, PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS PARTNERSHIP, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY. UH, FROM KINE, FROM CANINES FOR WARRIORS, UH, THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH. WE HAVE RORY DIAMOND, WHO IS THE C E O, AS WELL AS BRETT SIMONS, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF CANINES. UH, BRETT ALSO BROUGHT WITH THEM HIDING BEHIND THE CHAIRS. LINCOLN, WHO IS A GRADUATE OF ONE OF THEIR PROGRAMS, A RECENT GRADUATE. UH, WE ALSO HAVE HERE TODAY, WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THE PETCO FOUNDATION. UH, SUE COSBY, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF LIFESAVING OPERATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION. AND THEY ARE REPRESENTING THE SUPPORT THAT PETCO FOUNDATION HAS FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATION FROM OUR ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE RITA BROGAN, WHO IS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR, AS WELL AS OUR CHAIR. WE HAVE HERE SUSAN BELDEN, WHO IS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT NINE AND OUR VICE CHAIR. AND THEN WE HAVE KAREN SPEARS, WHO IS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT FIVE, AS WELL AS, AND OUR SECRETARY OF THE BOARD. SO THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH CANINES FOR WARRIORS. A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. CANINES FOR WARRIORS IS A ORGANIZATION NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED NEAR JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. UH, THEY RESCUE PETS FROM, UH, SHELTERS. THEY SPEND ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS TRAINING THOSE PETS TO, TO BECOME SERVICE ANIMALS FOR INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM P T SS D OR OTHER SIMILAR ILLNESSES. UH, AND THEN THEY WILL SPEND ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS WITH THE, UH, VETERANS, THE MILITARY VETERANS, THE SELECTED MILITARY VETERANS, TO TEACH THEM HOW TO EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE THE, UH, THE CANINES THAT ARE PAIRED AND PARTNERED WITH THEM. UH, CANINES FOR WARRIORS IS CURRENTLY, UH, HAS MORE QUALIFIED VETERANS APPLYING FOR THE, FOR THEIR PROGRAM THAN THEY HAVE, UH, QUA OR THE QUANTITY OF DOGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. UM, TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT, WE MET WITH THE CANINES FOR WARRIORS, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WE WERE INTRODUCED, UH, CANINES FOR WARRIORS. THEY DO NOT, UH, THEY DO NOT, THEY'RE FREE OF CHARGE FOR THOSE WHO, UH, PARTNER, UH, THE VETERANS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. WE MET WITH THEM ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND WHEN THEY INDICATED, HEY, WE DON'T, WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE QUALIFYING FOR THE PROGRAM THAN WE HAVE, UH, THE NUMBER OF PETS, I REMINDED THEM THAT I HAVE PLENTY OF THEM. UM, SO CANINES FOR WARRIORS, THEY ARE SUPPORTED BY MAJOR, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE PETCO FOUNDATION, WHO IS HERE TODAY. THEY'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH PURDUE UNIVERSITY, [01:20:01] UH, TO, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, UH, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS TO CONDUCT A SUB, A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THEIR PROGRAM. THE STUDY WAS, UH, PRODUCED OR WAS MADE AVAILABLE LAST YEAR, AT WHICH POINT THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT 92% OF PARTICIPANTS OF THEIR PROGRAM, UH, WERE ABLE TO EITHER REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE MEDICATION AFTER GRADUATION OF THE PROGRAM, THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE, WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND WORK OR SCHOOL ROSE FROM ONLY 20% TO NEARLY 50% AFTER GRADUATION. AND 75% OF THE PARTICIP PARTICIPANTS WHO FELT THAT P T SS D PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THEIR ABILITY TO ENJOY LIFE, UM, EXPRESSED, STOPPED EXPRESSING THAT CONCERN AFTER GRADUATION, UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IN THE PROCESS OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE DID DO A DUE DILIGENCE REVIEW AND SHOWED THE ORGANIZATION AND STRONG FINANCIAL STANDING WITH NO NEGATIVE FINDINGS FROM FINANCIAL OR LEGAL, UH, REVIEWS. SO, CANINES FOR WARRIORS, AS I MENTIONED, CANINES FOR WARRIORS, CAME AND APPROACHED US LAST YEAR, UH, TO TALK ABOUT A PILOT PROGRAM WITH OUR ORGANIZATION. UH, THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, WOULD INCLUDE CANINES FOR WARRIORS, INITIALLY BUILDING A HOLDING FACILITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, WITH THE INTENT TO PULL, UH, PETS FROM OUR SHELTER, TRANSPORT THEM TO THEIR FLORIDA LOCATION, UH, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM. THE INITIAL REQUEST INCLUDED A C S PROVIDING, UH, THE QUALITY, UH, QUA, THE, THE, UM, QUALIFIED RESCUE DOGS. A QUALIFIED RESCUE DOG IS A DOG THAT IS OVER 50, 50 POUNDS, UM, THAT IS OVER 22 INCHES TALL, AS WELL AS IS ROUGHLY AROUND TWO YEARS OF AGE FOR COMPARISON. WHEN WE DID A QUICK ANALYSIS TO LOOK INTERNALLY, THAT, THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 3000, UH, DOGS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR CAMPUS EACH YEAR. UM, THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE ON, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE ON IDENTIFYING A LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN BUILD THE FACILITY. AND AS WE WERE TAKING A LOOK AT IT, RIGHT NEXT TO OUR FACILITY, WE HAVE ABOUT 3.3 ACRES OF UNUSED AND UNDEVELOPED LAND THAT IS OF THAT, UH, IS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR CAMPUS. AND SO, AS WE LOOKED AT IT, THE GOAL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP IS TO EVENTUALLY, AS WE PROCEEDED, TO GROW THE ORGANIZATION TO WHERE, UH, THE, THE FACILITY OR CANINES FOR WARRIORS CAN PROVIDE EVEN MORE SERVICES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, WHAT'S COMING TO YOU TODAY IN, UH, UH, FOR YOUR APPROVAL IS A PROPOSED, UH, LEASE WITH CANINES FOR WARRIORS. THE TERMS OF THE LEASE CONSIST FOR A 10 YEAR PERIOD, UH, FOR THE LEASE OF THE PROPERTY JUST SOUTH OF OUR MAIN FACILITY. I PROVIDED A MAP, UH, SHOWING YOU THE, THE, THE PROPOSED AREA, UH, THE UNDEVELOPED AREA. THE LEASE WOULD BE FOR 10 YEARS WITH TWO OPTION TWO FIVE YEAR OPTIONS TO RENEW AT A CHARGE OF A DOLLAR A YEAR. UH, INCLUDED IN THE LEASE IS THE OPTION FOR CANINES FOR WARRIORS TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AT FAIR MARKET VALUE AT THE TIME OF THE PURCHASE. UH, CANINES FOR WARRIORS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, ANY CONSTRUCTION OR OPERATION OPERATING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM. AND THAT ONCE CONSTRUCTED CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE CANINES FOR WARRIORS. WE'LL BE PULLING, UH, 200 PETS, UH, 200 QUALIFYING DOGS FROM OUR FACILITY EVERY YEAR. THE PROPOSED TIMELINE IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, IS TODAY WITH THE, THE LEASE. UH, WE, WE PRESENT TO YOU, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE LEASE. UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THAT CANINES FOUR WARRIORS BE, WILL BEGIN A PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING AND SELECTING STAFF, UH, WITH THE INTENT TO, WITHIN THIS NEXT QUARTER, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO START PULLING, UH, FROM A C S, UH, WE ANTICIPATE, OR CANINES AND CANINES FOR WARRIORS ANTICIPATES TO BE ABLE TO DO THE DESIGN AND THE, UH, PREPARATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SO THAT THE CONSTRUCTION CAN BEGIN IN THE WINTER OF 2019, WITH THE INTENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF 2020. COUNCILMAN, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, WE'D LIKE TO PROPOSE, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE FOR A 10 YEAR LEASE, UH, WITH TWO ADDITIONAL FIVE YEAR RENEWAL TERMS AND THE OPTION TO BUY WITH CANINES FOR WARRIORS FOR THE 3.3, UH, ACRES OF UNUSED AND UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF OUR FACILITY AT THIS TIME. UH, I, AS WELL AS CANINES FOR WARRIORS ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU, HUBER. WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. UH, I'LL CALL HER NOW. SUSAN COSBY. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SUSAN COSBY AND I BOTH LIVE AND WORK IN DISTRICT SIX. AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING NOT JUST MYSELF AS A RESIDENT, BUT ALSO THE PET CO FOUNDATION, WHERE I'M THE DIRECTOR OF LIFESAVING PROGRAMS OVERSEEING OUR GRANT MAKING. [01:25:01] I'M HERE TO URGE YOUR SUPPORT OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A C S AND THE LEASE OF PROPERTY TO CANINES FOR WARRIORS. THE PETCO FOUNDATION IS A STRONG BELIEVER IN THE MISSION OF CANINES FOR WARRIORS. AND AS SUCH, WE HAVE RECENTLY COMMITTED A $2 MILLION INVESTMENT TO FURTHER THEIR ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROPERTY. THE PROJECT WILL IMPORTANTLY SAVE THE LIVES OF DOGS WHO FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR VALUED VETERANS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR SERVICE TO OUR NATION AND ARE NEED OF SERVICE ANIMALS AT A GREATER RATE THAN THOSE ANIMALS ARE AVAILABLE. AND THEY DESERVE OUR ONGOING SUPPORT. SO, AS A RESIDENT, HAVING CANINES FOR WARRIORS OPERATING LOCATION IN OUR GREAT MILITARY CITY, U S A, IS AN IDEAL LOCATION IN THIS COUNTRY, AND SOMETHING THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR HOMELESS ANIMALS, OUR VETERANS, AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE VERY PROUD OF. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MS. COSBY. COUNCILMAN PAL. THANK YOU. UM, HEBER, IT'S GOOD THAT THERE'S A PODIUM AND A DAIS BETWEEN US. 'CAUSE I'M, I'M THIS CLOSE TO JUST COMING OVER THERE AND KISSING YOU ON THE LIPS. UH, YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FANTASTIC. AND I, I THINK WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS AMAZING. UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, YOU TOOK UP A CHALLENGE AND, UH, YOU, YOU DELIVERED IN A WAY THAT I EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. AND SO, FOR EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, COUNCILMAN SALDANA REMINDED ME THAT I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT INNOVATION, , UH, AND THAT I USE THAT WORD OFTEN. SO LET, LET JUST REMIND FOLKS, INNOVATION DOES NOT MEAN TECH, CYBERSECURITY, SCOOTERS, TRACKLESS TRAINS, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. INNOVATION SIMPLY MEANS FINDING NEW WAYS TO SOLVE OLD PROBLEMS. AND ONE OF OUR OLD PROBLEMS IS THAT WE'VE NEVER REALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO MOVE THE SAN ANTONIO BROWN SPECIAL, RIGHT? WHICH IS THE DOG YOU MOST COMMONLY HAVE. IT'S A NEW BREED, BY THE WAY, RORY. IT'S A SAN ANTONIO BROWN SPECIAL, UH, THE, UM, OUT OF YOUR SHELTER AND INTO FOREVER HOMES, RIGHT? AND YOU'VE INNOVATED, UH, WITH THE HELP OF, OF CANINE FOR WARRIORS AND RORY DIAMOND, A NEW WAY OF, OF PUTTING THOSE DOGS WHO NEED HOMES, UH, AS MUCH AS THE CUTE PUPPIES DO. UM, AND, AND MAN, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BIG MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVE OUT THAT SAN ANTONIO DOES THINGS BIG AND SAN ANTONIO DOES THINGS RIGHT, BUT THAT WE, THAT WE'RE SUPER CREATIVE, UH, WHEN WE FIND SOLUTIONS. AND I'M ALSO VERY PROUD THAT THE END CUSTOMER IS GONNA BE THE WARRIORS, UM, WHO NEED THIS HELP THE MOST, RIGHT? SO, UM, WITH THAT PETCO HIGH FIVE, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. AND, UH, YOU DESERVE, UM, YOU KNOW, BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND, AND A LOT OF THANKS. AND, UM, I LOVE YOU GUYS. THE THIRD THING I'LL MENTION, AND, AND, AND I'LL BE QUIET, IS, UM, THIS GROUP OUT OF FLORIDA, UM, THIS IS BECAUSE OF A FRIENDSHIP THAT I, UM, ENDED UP FORGING WITH A GENTLEMAN NAMED RORY DIAMOND, WHO, RORY, CAN YOU COME UP HERE REAL QUICK? UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, RORY IS A CITY COUNCILMAN ELECT FOR JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. UH, HE JUST GOT ELECTED AND HE, HE ASSUMES IN HIS SEAT, AND, UH, GETS SWORN IN IN JULY, JULY 1ST. UM, AND HE REMINDED ME THAT SAN ANTONIO AND JACKSONVILLE ARE VERY SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS. BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS IS THAT WE'VE GOT A VERY SERIOUS HOMELESS PROBLEM, A VERY SERIOUS VETERAN, UH, WOUNDED P T S D PROBLEM OVER THERE, AND THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TACKLE AND THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO TACKLE. AND IF THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THAT TWO SISTERS WITH A VERY SIMILAR PROFILES ARE LOOKING AT AN OPPOR AT A WAY OF SOLVING A PROBLEM, UM, THERE'S GOTTA BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO DO IT. AND SO MY INVITATION TO YOU, UH, RORY AND YOUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN JACKSONVILLE, IS THAT LET'S FIND A WAY TO DO SOME INTER-GOVERNMENTAL, UM, COLLABORATION TO SOLVE OLD PROBLEMS IN NEW WAYS. THANK YOU. AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLI, COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. AND, UH, HEBERT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. AND RORY, UH, WELCOME HERE TO SAN ANTONIO, AND, AND IT'S GREAT WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING THERE IN JACKSONVILLE. I, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY 2 CENTS WORTH ON THIS. IT'S, UH, YES, IT'S GREAT TO HELP OUT OUR, OUR ANIMAL SITUATION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT, UH, TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE IMPORTANT PART. TO ME. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE VETERANS AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM P T S D, AND WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN HERE IN THIS CITY TO HELP THEM. AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO DO THAT. AND I AM VERY MUCH SUPPORTIVE. I WAS A LITTLE SICK, SKEPTICAL AT FIRST ABOUT HOW THIS WORKED, BUT, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, THE FINANCIALS OVER THE YEARS AND A VERY STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, AND, UH, THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IS THE RIGHT THING. AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, MILITARY POPULATIONS HERE IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA. AND EVERYTHING [01:30:01] THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP SUPPORT OUR VETERANS, OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS, OUR, OUR FOLKS THAT ARE SUFFERING OUT THERE, UH, WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT HERE. SO, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS OPERATION HERE AT SAN ANTONIO, AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL EVEN MORE CLOSELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANT TO ADD MY APPRECIATION. UH, I'LL START AT THE TOP WITH HEBER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INITIATIVE THAT YOU TOOK WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS, TO GO AHEAD AND, AND BRING THIS TO FRUITION, RORY, IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION WANTS TO PARTNER WITH US HERE. I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. UH, I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND MY BOARD MEMBER, UH, SUSAN BELDEN FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING ME AWARE OF THIS AND, YOU KNOW, BEING SO SUPPORTIVE WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS. AND, UH, WE NEED TO THANK THE PETCO CORPORATION, UH, THE FOUNDATION FOR, UH, BEING SUCH A STRONG FINANCIAL SUPPORTER TO REALLY HELP PUT ALL THESE PIECES TOGETHER. SO, OBVIOUSLY, IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. UH, I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE MYSELF, I'M A VETERAN, AND I WAS A CANINE HANDLER, A DOG HANDLER. UH, I KNOW THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT ALL OF US HAVE WITH DOGS, WHETHER THEY'RE WORKING DOGS, WHETHER THEY'RE SUPPORT ANIMALS, WHETHER THEY'RE JUST PETS. UH, AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS HUGE STEP, UH, TO GIVE A LOT MORE ANIMALS A REAL FOREVER HOME, AND TO HELP A LOT OF VETS. ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, RORY, IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT'S BEGINNING TO TREAT, UH, MILITARY, UH, PEOPLE WITH P T S D GOING THROUGH THE LAUREL RIDGE TREATMENT CENTER, WHICH IS IN MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT NINE. THEY ARE JUST EXPANDING THEIR PROGRAM NOW TO BUILD, UH, AN ADDITIONAL TREATMENT CENTER THAT'S GOING TO TREAT PARTICULARLY P T S D. AND I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE I KNOW RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING A FACILITY THAT'LL BE HELPING TO TRANSFER, BUT EVENTUALLY, YOU HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A FACILITY WHERE YOU CAN TRAIN RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND MAYBE WHEN THAT COMES TO FRUITION, IT COULD TIE RIGHT INTO THE WORK THAT LAUREL RIDGE IS DOING ON HELPING, UH, THE MILITARY WITH P T S D. SO, YOU MAY WANT TO TALK WITH THEM ABOUT DEVELOPING A MORE IN-DEPTH PARTNERSHIP SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE WHEN WE THINK THESE PIECES CAN GO TOGETHER BETTER. I'D, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, HEAR FROM YOU FOR, UH, A MINUTE OR TWO. GIVE US SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR ORGANIZATION HOPES TO DO. YEAH, HAPPY TO DO IT. IT'S, IT'S, I WILL SAY THIS, IT'S MUCH MORE FUN LISTENING TO PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THESE SEATS THAN THOSE SEATS. SO IT'S A LOT EASIER OVER HERE. UM, UH, CANINES WARRIORS IS THE NATION'S LARGEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE DOGS IS DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS. WE'RE ALSO THE WORLD'S LARGEST SERVICE DOG AGENCY THAT'S WORKING PRIMARILY WITH RESCUE DOGS. WE KIND OF HIT OUR CEILING IN FLORIDA, OUR HOME STATE, AND WE LOOKED AROUND FOR WHERE WE COULD GO NEXT WITH OUR FIRST OUT OF FLORIDA PHYSICAL STRUCTURE. UH, TEXAS MADE THE MOST SENSE. THERE'S A LOT OF RESCUE DOGS AVAILABLE IN TEXAS, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF VETERANS. SO THAT WAS A NO BRAINER FOR US. WE DID A SURVEY OF THE ENTIRE STATE. WE LOOKED AT CITIES THAT HAVE LOSING FOOTBALL TEAMS RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, BUT SAN ANTONIO ALWAYS CAME TO THE TOP OF OUR LIST. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PALIS MADE THIS REALLY EASY FOR US. HE ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET IN OUR FIRST VISIT, AND THEN WE MET MR. LIFG GR, WHO'S BEEN INCREDIBLE TO WORK WITH. I'LL SAY THIS, AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN CITY GOVERNMENT, YOURS MADE THIS A VERY EASY DECISION. ANSWERED CALLS, ANSWERED EMAILS, ANSWERED CONCERNS, GAVE US TOURS. THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO, TO THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR CITY. AND THE GREAT TEAM AT A C S. OUR PLAN IS TO ESSENTIALLY FOR THE NEXT YEAR, ENGAGE THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY, TO LOOK FOR VOLUNTEERS, TO LOOK FOR CHAMPIONS, LOOK FOR DONORS. AND THAT'S ALL ANCHORED BY THE INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY OF THE PETCO FOUNDATION. I MEAN, WHEN I WENT TO MY BOARD AND TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY, THEY WERE NERVOUS AT FIRST. AND THEN I SAID, THE PETCO FOUNDATION IS DOWN THE STREET, AND THEY GAVE US $2 MILLION, AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET FOR US. WE CAN DO THIS WITH THIS TEAM. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I WILL SAY JACKSONVILLE AND SAN ANTONIO ARE VERY SIMILAR CITIES. WE HAVE COMMUNITIES WITH LOTS OF VETERANS, AND THE LOVE FOR VETERANS IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU JUST FEEL, WE HEAR IT, WE SEE IT. PEOPLE YELL AT US ON THE STREET AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR WHEN WE WEAR OUR CANINES FOR WARRIORS GEAR. SO WE FEEL AT HOME HERE, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO ENGAGE EACH OF YOU ON THE FUTURE FOR CANINES, FOR WARRIORS IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ENCOURAG. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MARIAN. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED AS WELL. RORY. THANK YOU, HEBER. UH, GREAT WORK ONCE AGAIN. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MANNY, THANKS FOR ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET WHEREVER YOU ARE. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS GIVEN A, A COUPLE OF QUOTES TODAY TO, UM, QUOTE MARTIN LUTHER KING, [01:35:01] AND I THINK HERE'S ONE THAT'S REALLY APPROPRIATE. IT SAYS, UH, NEVER NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT, ESPECIALLY IF THE WELLBEING OF A PERSON OR ANIMAL IS AT STAKE. SOCIETY'S PUNISHMENTS ARE SMALL COMPARED TO THE WOUNDS WE INFLICT ON OUR SOUL WHEN WE LOOK THE OTHER WAY. I THINK IT'S APROPOS TODAY. AND, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MY BROTHER, UH, WHO IS A DISABLED VETERAN, AND HE, UH, HAS A, A WONDERFUL DOG NAMED HANS, WHOM HE TREATS A LOT BETTER THAN HIS OWN BROTHER. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. UH, IT'S A GREAT DOG, UH, HAS REALLY DONE, UH, WONDERS FOR MY BROTHER. AND, UH, I CAN ALSO SEE THAT YOU HAVE A BELGIUM MAL MA HERE AS WELL, WHICH I USED TO HAVE MYSELF. UH, GREAT, GREAT ANIMALS, UH, GREAT DOGS. I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I CERTAINLY, THERE HE IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT I CAN ALWAYS, ALWAYS SUPPORT. SO, UH, THANKS, THANKS FOR COMING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. COUNCILMAN SALANA. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN OLA FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON PUTTING THIS PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER. AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, OFFERING, UH, A GREAT DATE DATING OPPORTUNITY THAT REALLY LED TO A, A MARRIAGE HERE THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF. UH, SO THANK YOU TO, UH, RORY AND THE CANINE FOUNDATION FOR, FOR YOUR HELP IN BEING HERE HEBREW FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO, WHO ARE PRESENT WITH US HERE TODAY. AND I FOR SOME OF THESE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, UH, RORY, WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE ARE SO PROUD TO HEAR YOU SAY IN YOUR COMMENTS THAT, UH, PART OF WHAT MADE THIS AN EASY DECISION FOR YOU WAS NOT ONLY THE RED CARPET THAT A FEW OF, OF, UH, THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD, UH, WITH COUNCILMAN BEIS, BUT YOU LOOK TO THE PETCO FOUNDATION AS ALSO BEING FOLKS WHO HAD SKIN IN THE GAME. AND, AND IT WAS NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT WE COULDN'T COUNT MORE THAN ONE OR TWO PARTNERSHIPS AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. AND NOW I THINK THEY, THEY NUMBER INTO THE HALF DOZEN WITH TRANSFER OPPORTUNITIES, WITH FOSTER OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE PRIVATE AND NONPROFIT SECTORS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M GRATEFUL TO, UH, THE LEADERSHIP AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS, THIS COUNCIL AND THE BOARD, UH, WHO HAVE MADE SOME OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, REALLY POSSIBLE IN THE CASCADING SUCCESS. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SUCCESS BEGETS MORE SUCCESS. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UH, FOLKS WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHEN THEY LOOK AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, AS SUCH A GREAT PLACE, NOT JUST, UH, TO, TO LIVE AND WORK OR RETIRE, NOT JUST NOT JUST A GREAT PLACE FOR, UH, VETERANS OR RETIRING VETERANS, BUT A GREAT PLACE FOR ANIMALS AND, AND FOR OUR PETS, OUR DOGS AND CATS. UH, IT USED TO BE THAT WE WEREN'T THE BEST PLACE FOR, UH, FOR PETS AND OUR HOMELESS PRO HOMELESS PET PROBLEM WAS, WAS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. BUT BECAUSE OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AND, AND BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UH, HAS LED US TO GREAT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THE ONE THAT WE ARE GETTING TO PARTNER WITH TODAY. SO, RORY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND FOR FILLING US IN ON, ON HOW THIS CAME TO BE. WE'RE REALLY PROUD AND EXCITED OF THE, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR OUR ANIMALS HERE IN ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND, UH, FOR A COMMUNITY OF SAN ANTONIO WHO LOVES THEIR PETS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. THANK YOU. WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM. I'M REALLY FASCINATED BY, UM, THIS, UH, THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER. UM, AND I, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND I THINK YOU MADE THESE REMARKS IN YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION, BUT THAT THIS PROGRAM IS, ESPECIALLY FOR LARGE DOGS. THAT IS CORRECT. UH, AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IS THAT A REAL STRICT, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OR IS IT, AND, AND WHY THE NEED FOR LARGE DOGS? YEAH. SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND SURE. COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, BRETT SIMON, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT OF CANINES FOUR, HE'S OUR DOG GUY. HE COULD GIVE YOU THE BEST ANSWER TO THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SURE. THANK YOU. UM, ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE LARGER DOGS IS FOR MOBILITY ISSUES. UM, SO WE CAN HELP A WARRIOR GET OFF OUT OF A CHAIR OFF THE GROUND, UM, SUPPORT WHEN THEY'RE WALKING. SOME OF THEM HAVE THAT, SO IF WE'RE USING A SMALLER DOG, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ISSUES SUPPORTING THE WEIGHT OF THE VETERAN. UM, SOME OF OUR GUYS AND GIRLS THAT COME THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE BIG. WE HAD, UH, ONE OF THE GUYS FROM THE FORT HOOD SHOOTING ALONZO LUNSFORD, HE'S SEVEN FOOT FOUR, ALMOST 400 OR SIX. OH WOW. SIX FOOT NINE AND ALMOST 400 POUNDS. I HAD TO FIND A DOG THAT WAS 130 POUNDS TO SUPPORT HIS WEIGHT. 'CAUSE HE HAD MOBILITY ISSUES. SO, UM, THE SIZE, UM, OF THE DOG IS FOR THAT, UM, FOR THE DOG ITSELF. SO IF THEY'RE PUSHING ON HIM OR NOT HURTING THE DOG. OKAY. THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE RESCUE COMMUNITY HERE FOR, UM, A NUMBER OF YEARS AND, UH, BEFORE CHILDREN AND BEFORE COUNCIL, I, I RESCUED ABOUT 30 DOGS. WOW. UM, THROUGH DIFFERENT AGENCIES. AND I WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO TAKE THE LARGER DOGS BECAUSE I WAS A RUNNER AND I COULD TAKE THEM OUT, UM, AND, UH, WAS WILLING TO [01:40:01] EXERCISE THEM. AND THE WONDERFUL, UH, MY MOST POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WAS WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS WHERE I ONLY HAD TO KEEP THEM FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THEN YOU COULD TURN THEM TO THE ORGANIZATION, AND THEN THEY WOULD ALREADY HAVE A FOSTER IN PLACE. SO IT WAS JUST A QUESTION OF GETTING THEM HEALTHY, TEACHING THEM TO DO A FEW THINGS, UH, LIKE, UM, HOUSE BREAKING AND WALKING ON A LEASH AND THAT SORT OF THING WITH THAT, WHICH AT THE TIME I HAD THE TIME AND EXPERIENCE TO DO SO. UM, I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A NEED OR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HELP SO THAT PERHAPS, UM, YEAH, I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE SAYING 200 TO 250 DOGS PER YEAR, WHICH IS A LOT. UM, IS THERE ROOM FOR MORE OF THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS ONE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HELP, UH, MILITARY VETERANS, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. AND IF THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL THAT THEY WEREN'T NOT GONNA HAVE TO, UH, KEEP THOSE DOGS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, UM, PEOPLE MIGHT BE MORE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER. YES, DEFINITELY. THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THE SAME AS WE DO IN OUR JACKSONVILLE CAMPUS, UM, MEDICAL FOSTERS. SO IF WE FIND A DOG THAT'S IDENTIFIED THAT MAY HAVE HEARTWORM, UM, AND WE WANT TO TREAT 'EM THROUGH THAT, THEN WE FIND A SHORT TERM MEDICAL FOSTER FOR THAT. SAME WITH, UH, MAYBE AN A C L SURGERY. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOSTERS THAT KEEP 'EM FOR SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES SHORTER, UM, IF THEY'RE NOT RIGHT AT THE RIGHT AGE YET, AND THEY NEED TO GROW UP BEFORE THEY COME INTO A KENNEL ENVIRONMENT. UM, SO THERE IS GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE INVOLVED AND ASSIST, UM, WITH THESE DOGS TO HELP OUR, UM, VETERANS. OKAY. I THINK, GO AHEAD. JUST TO ADD TO PLEASE TO, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, WE SHOULD ALSO, AT THE, UH, AT THE PETCO FOUNDATION CANINE CENTER, WE SHOULD, UH, ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER WITH THE DOGS THAT ARE THERE. NOT JUST FOSTERING, BUT YOU KNOW, CAN KENNEL ENRICHMENT, PETTING THE DOGS, YOU KNOW, TAKING 'EM OUT, YOU KNOW, LOVING ON THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN. WELL, WONDERFUL. I THINK THAT, UM, HOWEVER HEBREW, YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION OUT, THAT THERE'S THAT POTENTIAL TO HELP WITH THIS PARTICULAR SET OF DOGS, BECAUSE, UH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME, AND I IMAGINE IT STILL EXISTS, THAT THE LARGER BREEDS WERE THE HARDEST TO ADOPT OUT. UM, AND ESPECIALLY BREEDS THAT WERE LIKE, UM, UH, PIT BULL BREEDS. IS THAT THE CASE? DO YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR, I MEAN, ARE ALL BREEDS WELCOME? UM, AS FAR AS SERVICE DOG INDUSTRY, UM, THERE IS NO BREED RESTRICTION ONCE A DOG IS TRAINED AS A SERVICE AND WHAT'S UP TO EACH ORGANIZATION. UM, WE DO HAVE PIT BULL MIXES. UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME PIT BULLS COME THROUGH THE PROGRAM. UM, BUT IT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON, THE DOG QUALIFIES THROUGH, UM, THE TEMPERAMENT, TEST SIZE, WEIGHT, ET CETERA. OKAY. SO TO GO INTO THE PROGRAM, YEAH. AND, AND, AND JUST FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY, TYPICALLY WE DON'T DO THE, THE MOST AGGRESSIVE LOOKING DOGS. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IF WE HAVE LIKE A SIX FIVE MARINE, YOU KNOW, WITH A SLEEVE TATTOO THAT PEOPLE MAY BE AFRAID TO APPROACH, AND WE GIVE 'EM A PIT BULL, REALLY AGGRESSIVE LOOKING DOG, THEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA RUN AWAY. IF WE GIVE 'EM A GOLDEN RETRIEVER, PEOPLE WILL IGNORE THIS AND THEY'LL RUN UP TO 'EM. AND THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO REINTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY. SO WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, UM, AS WE PLACE DOGS, BUT WE, WE TRY NOT TO HAVE BREED RESTRICTIONS, BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR PRIMARY MISSION IS TO HELP A VETERAN REINTEGRATE IN SOCIETY. OKAY, GREAT. WELL, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ANSWERING, UM, THOSE, UH, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, UH, BEING A GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNER. I KNOW THAT THIS COMMUNITY, UM, WE LOVE OUR VETERANS AND WE LOVE OUR ANIMALS. AND SO I THINK IT IS AN OBVIOUS PARTNERSHIP. I MENTIONED I HAVE A CONNECTION TO JACKSONVILLE AS WELL. I HAVE A LOT OF EXTENDED MILITARY FAMILY THAT LIVES IN THE AREA. AND, UH, WE'VE HAD MANY FAMILY REUNIONS, UH, THERE IN JACKSONVILLE. UM, SO IT'S A, WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM. AND, AND I KNOW THAT THE, UM, COMMUNITY WOULD BE INSPIRED TO HELP, UH, IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A VERY LONG, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THOUGHTS. UH, WHEN, UH, COUNCILMAN PALS CAME AND TOLD ME I WAS WORKING ON A PROJECT IN MY DISTRICT, I WAS A LITTLE BIT, I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL AT THAT MOMENT, WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AND WHEN HE PITCHED THE DEAL TO ME, I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY. I MEAN, THE, THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS IS HUGE. I WANNA THANK YOU RORY, FOR, UH, WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN PALAIS. AND, UH, THANK YOU, MANNY, FOR TURNING AROUND AND DOING SOMETHING THAT, UH, IN ANOTHER DISTRICT LIKE THAT. I MEAN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAW THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU PUT IT AND YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING IT IN DISTRICT SIX, UH, THAT'S A SELFLESS MOVEMENT. I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND OF COURSE, UH, THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES FACILITIES, ONE OF THE JEWELS OF DISTRICT SIX IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FOOD BANK IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S A PLACE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY VISIT. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT I SAY TO HEBREW AND THE TEAM AND THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES BOARD AND MY APPOINTING KATHY, UH, THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH GOOD RECOGNITION FOR THESE TYPES OF THINGS. AND IT'S A STORY WE ALL HAVE TO TELL, UH, AS OFTEN AS WE CAN. AS YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF COMMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING RIGHT HERE, THIS IS MEANINGFUL TO ALL OF US. UH, AND WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO KNOCK THAT DOOR AND TELL THAT STORY. UH, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED MORE ABOUT, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THE, THE, THE TOUGHER ASPECTS OF YOUR ROLE. AND THEN WHEN YOU COME UP HERE AND [01:45:01] DO THIS HEBREW, IT, UH, IT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOUR ABILITY. AND WHEN WE HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU'RE DOING FROM A PARTNERSHIP PERSPECTIVE AND MAKING SAN ANTONIO WELCOMING, I WANNA TELL YOU THAT IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. UH, WE'VE HAD SOME TOUGH CONVERSATION ABOUT A COUPLE DOG BITE ISSUES THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, AND, UH, THAT'S, THOSE ARE NOT THINGS WE WANT TO DO. BUT THEN YOU COME UP HERE AND YOU DO THIS, AND, UH, AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE PUT A GREAT PROJECT IN THE COMMUNITY. IT'S A BLESSING AND A BENEFIT TO DISTRICT SIX. UH, AND I WANNA THANK YOU AND THE TEAM FOR THAT AND THE PETCO FOUNDATION AS WELL. UH, YOU DON'T, MAN, YOU DON'T CARRY AN EASY JOB. I, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE, EVERY DAY IS A CHALLENGE. UH, BUT TO SEE YOU DOING THIS KIND OF WORK IS, IS, UH, FANTASTIC. AND I COUNCILMAN PLY, AND I JOKE OFTEN ABOUT THIS WHEN HE WAS PITCHING IT TO ME. UH, BUT MAN, WE WANNA TAKE THAT FIRST DOG OVER THERE. LIKE, WE WANNA GO ON A ROAD TRIP, , HIT THE STREET AND DRIVE SAID DOG TO JACKSONVILLE, UH, AND THEN TURN AROUND AND COME BACK, BECAUSE IT'S, IT IS THAT COOL. AND IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. IT SPEAKS TO A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I'LL WRAP UP WITH IS ABOUT VETERANS FIRST. UH, THE PETS ARE PERSONAL TO ME AS A, AS A DOG LOVER MYSELF. I'VE GOT HIM RUNNING ALL OVER THE HOUSE. AND THEN JUST FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE THINGS IT DOES, UH, TO PUT A, A SPOTLIGHT ON, UH, CARING AND LOVING OUR ANIMALS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR, IT WAS A, IT'S A PERFECT MIX. SO THANK YOU HEBREW AND TEAM, THANK YOU, RORY, FOR BEING HERE AND JOINING US AND THE PETCO FOUNDATION ANIMAL CARE SERVICES BOARD. WE'RE ALL PROUD OF YOU ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, UH, TO THE ANIMALS AND VETERANS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BHA, COUNCILWOMAN VIA GR THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, HEBER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, TO OUR VISITORS HERE AND OUR PARTNERS, OUR NEW PARTNERS, THANK YOU AND WELCOME. THANK YOU, MARIA, AND TO ALL OF THE STAFF BECAUSE, AND TO THE BOARD, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE 'CAUSE IT, THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING AND BEING OPEN TO THIS IDEA AND FOR THIS CREATIVITY AND THIS COLLABORATION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN ELAS TOO, FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE CONNECTIONS GET MADE BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND ABOUT THOSE CONNECTIONS. I WILL ALWAYS BE, UH, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT DOGS AND PETS, I WILL ALWAYS CHIME IN TO TALK, UH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE, A HOMELESS PET POPULATION THAT JUST, UM, THEY WANNA BE LOVED AND THEY WANNA HAVE THEIR FOREVER HOME. AND THIS IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE, THESE DOGS, AND THIS IS GOING TO HELP WITH OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IN THE PAST. SO I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND WHAT'S SO EXCITING TOO, IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE DOGS AND, UM, AND THE, UH, WOUNDED WARRIORS ARE OUR WARRIORS BEING ABLE TO, TO SAVE ONE ANOTHER. SO THIS IS WHAT I THINK IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PROGRAM. SO I'M GLAD TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN VIRON. COUNCILMAN PAL. THANK YOU. UH, BEFORE I MAKE THE MOTION AND ASK FOR A SECOND, UM, I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LETICIA PUTS IN THE, UH, IN THE MINUTES THAT I'M GONNA NEED. I WANT HR TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS JUST KIDDING. HEBREW, I'M NOT GONNA KISS YOU ON THE LIPS. IT WAS JUST A, IT WAS JUST A VI SPEECH. UM, THE , MY WIFE APPRECIATES THAT CLARIFICATION. , UM, RORY, UH, YOUR NEW LANDLORD, UH, IS, UH, IS, UH, COUNSELING BROADCAST. AND, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WELCOME, UH, AND, AND VISIT WITH HIM. HE'S, UH, HE'S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT VETERAN SERVICES, AND, UM, HE'S A, HE'S DEFINITELY A CHAMPION. UM, AND YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SHAKE HIS HAND YET. I WANT YOU TO MEET HIM. UH, MARIA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. UH, AND YOU TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE POSSIBLE, AND, UH, YOU DELIVERED LIKE ALWAYS MARIA DELIVERS. UH, SO THANK YOU. I I DO HAVE ONE REQUEST. THERE IS A, THERE IS A CONSTITUENT OF MINE, UM, WHO WANTS TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST DOGS, UH, IN THE CLASS. AND I GOT A PHOTO, UH, IF YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME, . UM, THAT'S MILLIE. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT A WOMAN VETERAN SHORT ENOUGH FOR THIS. GOT BAD NEWS FOR YOU, MANNY. YEAH. , , UH, WITH THAT MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND, AND, UM, AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 15. AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, UH, MARIA, UH, HEBER, ALL THE FOLKS WHO WORKED ON THIS, RORY AND, UH, SUSAN FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND VERY MUCH RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF OUR MISSION AS MILITARY CITY U S A. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 15, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER 18. ITEM NUMBER 18 IS AN ORDINANCE APPOINTING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY, SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, AND VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY OR THEIR DESIGNEES. AND NAMING THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS FROM THOSE ENTITIES. ROBERT J ABRAHAM, JESSICA O. GUERRERO, [01:50:02] MARYANNE KESTENBAUM, LOURDES M CAST, CASTRO RAMIREZ, AND DR. THEODORE PAUL KOWA TO THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING COMMISSION FOR AN INITIAL TERM OF OFFICE TO EXPIRE MAY 31ST, 2019. COUNCILWOMAN VIRA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM. VERO, THANK YOU FOR COMING UP BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, APPOINTMENT THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH TODAY. AND, UM, I WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED THIS AND, UM, THANK EVERYONE FOR MOVING FORWARD AND BEING INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE HELP GUIDING, GUIDING US AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY FOR THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TASK FORCE AND INITIATIVES. BUT I DID WANNA BRING UP JUST TO, UM, ASK YOU, VERO, SPECIFICALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE APPOINTEES WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, IN MY, IN MY OFFICE, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF, UM, CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVE IN SAHA, UM, LOCATIONS WHO HAVE ISSUES WITH, UM, COMMUNICATION, WHO HAVE ISSUES WITH, UM, RESPONSE TIMES FROM SAHA. AND WE, IN MY OFFICE, WE HAVE TO CALL SAHA, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION, UM, AND, UM, WILLINGNESS IS THE WORD I'LL USE TO MAKE THOSE, TO BRING THOSE ISSUES TO LIGHT WITHIN THIS HOUSING TASK FORCE AND WITHIN THIS HOUSING COMMISSION BECAUSE THERE'S SOME SERIOUS, SERIOUS ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN, UH, FAIR AVENUE APARTMENTS IN THE MATT GARCIA APARTMENTS AND OTHERS. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THOSE ISSUES ARE BEING BROUGHT UP FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE AREAS THAT THEY ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT AT THE HOUSING COMMISSION AND BEING ADDRESSED IN THE HOUSING COMMISSION. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THAT WE WILL ALSO TAKE CARE OF, UH, RIGHT NOW TOO, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE A PARTNER, A MAJOR PARTNER IN THIS. SO THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO VOICE. THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO COME ON, UH, TO MAKE ON THE RECORD FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS, UM, TO ME AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS HOUSING COMMISSION. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I MOTION TO APPROVE. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GRO. THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 18. ANDY, DO YOU HAVE SOME? YES. UH, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED THAT 'CAUSE THERE WAS, UH, SOMEBODY HAD A QUESTION ON THE CAPTION. I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE TITLES WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE CAPTION, BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING APPOINTED TO THOSE POSITIONS WITHIN THE COMMISSION. GOT IT. THANK YOU, ANDY. COUNCILMAN, COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK THAT THIS REPRESENTS A BIG STEP FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK ALL OF US UP HERE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, AND THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SO IMPORTANT FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND SETTING A COMMISSION UP COMPRISED OF A LOT OF VERY COMMITTED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE COME UP WITH THE BEST WAYS OF DEVELOPING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE SEVERAL OF THESE COMMITTEE MEMBERS INCLUDING, UH, LORDES, UH, RAMIREZ, WHO DID SUCH A GREAT JOB ON THE COMMITTEE ORIGINALLY. UH, AND, UH, I HAVE TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT I KNOW VERY WELL THAT I WANNA THANK FOR STEPPING FORWARD. UH, MARYANNE KASTENBAUM, WHO I KNOW WILL DO AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB. AND I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT FROM MY DISTRICT, UH, PAUL FOR AWA AGREED TO STEP FORWARD AND WORK ON THIS. I KNOW THESE INDIVIDUALS, AND I'M SURE ALL OF THE OTHERS WILL BE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THIS MAJOR CONCERN, UH, UH, VERY WELL OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT, BUT IT'S UP TO US AS A COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO FIND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY WILL NEED TO DEVELOP THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COURAGE. COUNCILMAN HALL. AND THEN I'M GONNA CALL UP, UH, MR. MONTE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS WELL. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN. AND THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD IS, IS, UH, I'M NEW TO THIS COUNCIL, AND SO ONE THING I'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR OVER THE LAST FOUR DAYS IS, IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A KEY ISSUE AND KEY ITEM, UH, GOING FORWARD. AND I, I TOO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MARYANNE AND, AND PAUL FOR, FOR STEPPING UP MARYANNE'S, UH, MY NEIGHBOR IN THE D EIGHT, UH, AREA, AND, UH, PAUL WAS MY, IN MY LEADERSHIP SAN ANTONIO CLASS. SO, UH, I KNOW THE ENTITY IS IN GOOD HANDS, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. [01:55:01] THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HALL AND ALAN, THANK YOU FOR WAITING. SO PATIENTLY FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. I'M READING COMMENTS FOR, UH, TERRY BURNS, CHAIRMAN OF THE ALMA GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB. I URGE YES VOTES FOR AGENDA ITEMS 18 AND 24. I KNOW JESSICA GUERRERO FROM CLIMATE ACTION WORK AND KNOW HER INTEGRITY, STRONG SENSE OF EQUITY AND HARDWORKING NATURE. SHE WILL BE VALUABLE ON THE HOUSING COMMISSION, AS HAS, AS THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF HER PRIMARY AREAS OF INTEREST. I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM 24 AND THE INTEREST OF BREVITY. UM, I BELIEVE ITEM 24, THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STEMS FROM C C R STARTED BY ANNA SANDOVAL AND SIGNED BY SEVERAL COUNCILPERSONS SIERRA CLUB BELIEVES WE, WE NEED MUCH MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT OUR GOVERNMENT. OUR LOCAL PUBLIC UTILITIES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE MEANING AND APPLICATION OF THIS RESOLUTION. WE REMAIN FRUSTRATED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OPAQUENESS AT C P S IN NOT EVEN HAVING VIDEO MEETINGS, PUBLISHED MINUTES, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, ET CETERA. THE C P S CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND IS EVEN MORE OPAQUE THAN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WITH NO MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS, NO AGENDAS, NO MINUTES, NO PUBLIC MEETINGS, NO NOTHING. THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPEARS TO BE DESIGNED TO CHECK THE BOX OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, WHILE IT IN FACT DOES NOT REPRESENT CITIZEN CONCERNS, BUT RATHER ADDS A LAYER OF INSULATION BETWEEN CITIZENS AND THE C P S BOARD. IT IS PAST TIME FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO STOP TREATING OUR UTILITIES LIKE PRIVATE BUSINESSES, SACRED COWS, GIVING US MUCH NEEDED FINANCIAL SUSTENANCE, PUT THE PUBLIC BACK IN PUBLIC UTILITY, AND WE BELIEVE THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITIES INTO BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND C E O MANAGER SELECTION AND BONUS EVALUATION. WE AGREE WITH GREG BROCK HOUSE THAT CITY MANAGER INTERVIEWS SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ALWAYS, OF COURSE, RESPECTING THE PERIOD PERIODIC NEED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE THINK THE SAME PROCESS SHOULD APPLY FOR UTILITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND C E O NOMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS. THE CURRENT MANAGER PROCESS VIOLATES THE SPIRIT OF ITEM 24, RESOLUTION ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND ALSO VIOLATES THE SPIRIT OF LAST FALL'S CHARTER AMENDMENT VOTES. PUBLIC PARTIC PARTICIPATION SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO BEHIND THE SCENES INFLUENCE FROM THE MOST WEALTHY AND POWERFUL IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR CHAMBER ORGANIZATIONS. YOU CAN THANK THE GENERAL PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE SIERRA CLUB FOR OUR CITY LEADERSHIP IN WATER CONSERVATION AND AQUIFER PROTECTION ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE STRONG CHAMBER OPPOSITION, OUR EFFORTS HAVE SAVED THE CITY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN UNNECESSARY DAM PROJECTS. SOMETIMES OUR COMMON SENSE EFFORTS FAIL, SO NOW SAN ANTONIO IS STUCK WITH STRANDED ASSETS AND SPRUCE COAL PLANTS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH NO VESTED FINANCIAL PROFIT INTEREST CAN PROVIDE A MORE BALANCED AND COST-EFFECTIVE OUTLOOK. UM, I'M NERVOUS AT, UH, UH, PRESENTING THIS BECAUSE, UH, MY PARKING TICKET EXPIRED AT 1107. UM, UH, THIS SPEAKS TO THE ISSUES ABOUT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. ANNA, I SUPPORT YOUR, YOUR, UH, CONTINUED SUPPORT TO GET PUBLIC PARKING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO TESTIFY, UH, SOMETIMES IT CAN TAKE HALF A DAY FOR US TO PRESENT OUR THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. MON. MAYOR. ALRIGHT, ON ITEM NUMBER 18, WE DO HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND. I DID WANNA MAKE SOME COMMENTS. HOWEVER, UH, I AM TRULY GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE AT WHICH CONTINUES, UH, TO THIS DAY, UH, AND IS RESULTING IN THIS ACTION. UH, THERE'S SOME WONDERFUL PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE PART OF THIS LIST. SEVERAL OF THEM ARE IN THIS AUDIENCE TODAY. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, TO, UH, JESSICA GUERRERO, WHO'S BACK THERE, UH, WHO HELPED WITH THE INITIAL FORMATION OF THE CONCEPT OF A COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPASSIONATE HOUSING POLICY. UH, MARYANNE KESTENBAUM, ALSO, UH, ONE OF MY FORMER CONSTITUENTS, BUT NEIGHBORS AND GOOD FRIENDS, AND, UH, SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD HER EYE ON THE HOUSING ISSUES FOR, UH, A GENERATION. AND OF COURSE, PAUL, YOU'RE HERE AS WELL. THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR STEADFAST WORK. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS LOES, WHO WILL TAKE THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION AND DO SO, UH, WITH HIGH ESTEEM. LOTS OF WORK TO DO. YOU GUYS HAVE A BIG TASK AHEAD, BUT WE HAVE FULL FAITH IN YOU, AND I KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE COUNTING ON YOU TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE AND, AND KEEP OUR HOUSING EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD. SO, WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 18, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER 24. ITEM NUMBER 24 IS A RESOLUTION ADOPTING GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT ENHANCE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK STAFF TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, I THINK ALL OF YOU WOULD AGREE THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS THE BEDROCK OF GOOD PUBLIC POLICY. IT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO WHAT WE DO HERE. [02:00:01] UH, AND OUR EFFORTS AT THE CITY HAVE BEEN AN EVOLUTION OVER, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, CHERYL'S ENTIRE TERM HERE IN, IN TERMS OF HOW WE DO THINGS, HOW WE ENGAGE OUR PUBLIC, HOW WE INCORPORATE THE INPUT INTO THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE ALL MAKE TO YOU, AND ULTIMATELY THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE. UH, AND WE'VE SEEN A NICE ALIGNING OF THE STARS NOW WITH A COUNCIL THAT IS INTIMATELY, UH, UH, INTERESTED, UH, STRONGLY INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE, AND A COUNCILWOMAN WHO HAS A EXPERIENCE IN IT HERSELF AND HAS, UH, HAS REALLY PUSHED US TO, UH, TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. UM, LET ME FIRST START OUT BY, UH, SAYING THAT, UH, WHEN WE FIRST RECEIVED THE C C R, UH, FROM COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DID WAS DEFINE WHAT WE MEAN BY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THIS DISCUSSION TODAY IS WHEN WE ARE SEEKING INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, IN A PROGRAM, A POLICY AND INITIATIVE, UH, WHICH DIFFERS FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION, MARKETING, PUBLIC INFORMATION. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IN THIS CONTEXT, PUSHING INFORMATION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEEKING INFORMATION FROM THOSE WHO WE SERVE AND BEST UTILIZING THAT, UH, IN OUR SERVICES. AND SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THE COUNCILMAN ASKED US TO DO IS DEVELOP SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO, TO GUIDE ALL OF OUR EFFORTS. AND THAT'S THE, UH, I BELIEVE THE ACTION ITEM, UH, THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED HERE AS A RESOLUTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THERE ARE 10 PRINCIPLES. I'M GONNA, I USUALLY SAY I'M GONNA MOVE THROUGH THESE QUICKLY, BUT I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT EACH ONE, UH, SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. NUMBER ONE, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE, UH, THAT WE STATE THAT, THAT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS MEANINGFUL, THAT WE ENSURE THAT THE INPUT WE RECEIVE FROM THE PUBLIC IS APPROPRIATELY CONSIDERED IN DECISION MAKING, AND THAT WE USE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TO IMPROVE WHAT WE DO HERE AT THE CITY. SECOND, THAT WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT, THAT WE'RE OPEN AND CLEAR ABOUT THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC IN THAT PROCESS, WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM AND HOW WE INTEND TO USE THE INPUT THEY GIVE US. THIRD, THAT WE WILL BE RESPECTFUL OF ALL THE INPUT WE RECEIVE, EITHER EVEN THE DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS, WHICH OFTEN HAPPEN, UH, AND THAT WE TRY TO BALANCE ALL OF THE, IN THE STAKEHOLDERS OF, IN, EXCUSE ME, THE INTEREST OF ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS. FOURTH, THAT WILL WE BE INCLUSIVE, ENGAGE AS BROAD A SPECTRUM OF STAKEHOLDERS AS POSSIBLE WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THOSE WHO DON'T TYPICALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS, AND ENSURE THAT GROUPS DO NOT FEEL LEFT OUT, THAT WE'RE VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT IDENTIFYING THOSE WHO WILL BE IMPACTED BY, UH, THE ISSUE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. NUMBER FIVE, THAT WE'LL BE ACCESSIBLE. BREAK DOWN ANY BARRIERS TO PEOPLE GIVING US INPUT, WHETHER THEY BE GEO, GEOGRAPHICAL, PHYSICAL, SOCIOECONOMIC LANGUAGE. UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXAMPLES OVER THE PAST YEARS OF BREAKING DOWN THOSE BARRIERS THROUGH OUR, UH, OUR SIGN LANGUAGE SERVICES, THROUGH OUR, UH, SPANISH LANGUAGE EFFORTS AND SO FORTH. NUMBER SIX, THAT WE WILL BE INFORMATIVE, THAT WE WILL USE EVERY PARTICIPATION EFFORT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS AND HOW IT IMPACTS THEIR LIVES, AND THAT OUR INFORMATION WILL BE BALANCED AND, UH, AND FACTUAL. UH, NUMBER SEVEN, THAT WE WILL BE RESPONSIVE. WE WILL COMMUNICATE THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE PARTICIPATION EFFORTS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATE IN, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE FINISHED OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP, UH, BUDGET INPUT, THE DAY BEFORE YOU ALL MET FOR YOUR BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION, WE EMAILED EVERYBODY WHO GAVE US FEEDBACK AND SAID, THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL TOMORROW. AND THEY'LL BE DISCUSSING THE PRIORITIES. AND HERE'S THE LIVE STREAM. THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN ABOUT BEING RESPONSIVE, TIMELY, THAT WE WILL SEEK THE INPUT WELL AHEAD OF ANY KEY DECISIONS. THAT MEANS HEAD OF COUNCIL COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS, AS WELL AS FULL COUNCIL ACTIONS THAT WILL MAKE IT AS EASY AND CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE THAT. WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO STEP INTO PEOPLE'S BUSY LIVES, BUT THAT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE, THE GAPS THAT EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND USE MORE TRADITIONAL WAYS TO REACH PEOPLE. AND FINALLY, THAT EVERY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EFFORT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THE LAST, TO GAIN A LARGER AND LARGER AUDIENCE TO WHICH WE CAN SEEK INPUT FROM. AND IN THAT SENSE, ALL OF THIS IS A CONTINUOUS EFFORT. SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED SOME STANDARDS THAT WE ARE, UH, ENCOURAGING, UH, ALL OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO FOLLOW WHEN THEY DO THEIR OWN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EFFORTS. WE'RE RECOMMENDING NUMBER ONE, THAT ALL CAMPAIGNS, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, FALL UNDER THE SA SPEAKUP BRAND GOING FORWARD. WE'VE SEEN GREAT BRAND RECOGNITION IN THAT, AND IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TIE ALL OF OUR PARTICIPATION EFFORTS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA. UH, WE'VE, UH, ROLLED OUT A NEW BRAND FOR THE SA SPEAKUP. IT'S, UH, UNDER THE MOTTO, IT'S YOUR CITY, LET'S TALK, AND WE CAN USE IT FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE PAST [02:05:01] WEEK, UH, WE'VE HAD A, UM, A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER POSITION. WE'VE, UH, ON OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP WEBSITE, HAVE GIVEN PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE AWARE OF THE SYMPOSIUM THAT'S COMING AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS. UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED, UH, ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA JUMP AHEAD. LET ME NOT JUMP AHEAD, AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND. THE SECOND IS THAT THERE'S A CLEAR TIMELINE FOR EACH OPPORTUNITY. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE IN THE PROCESS WE ARE. UH, AND, UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP WEBSITE, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED NOW THIS TIMELINE THAT SAYS BASICALLY WHAT STAGE OF THE PROCESS WE'RE IN. WE'RE ENGAGING THE PUBLIC, WE'RE REVIEWING THE INPUT, WE'RE PRESENTING THOSE RESULTS TO THE POLICY MAKERS, AND OR ULTIMATELY, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. UH, THE COUNCILMAN HAD STRESSED TO US, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS AND HOW THEIR INPUT WILL BE CONSIDERED. THIRD, UM, WE, WE'VE REALLY SEEN GREAT SUCCESS IN SURVEYING. AND, UH, AND, AND, UH, TRADITIONALLY, A LOT OF GOVERNMENT ENTITIES HAVE RELIED ON PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR THEIR PUBLIC INPUT. WE HAVE A NEW POLICY WE'RE GONNA CONSIDER. LET'S SCHEDULE SIX PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND WE'LL GAIN FEEDBACK. AND WHILE PUBLIC MEETINGS ABSOLUTELY HAVE A PLACE IN THIS PROCESS, THEY OFTEN DO NOT, UH, REPRESENT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THEY REPRESENT THOSE WHO HAVE THE TIME AND ABILITY TO GET TO THOSE KINDS OF MEETINGS, OR THEY HAVE REPRESENT FOLKS WHO HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC AGENDA, UH, AND INTEREST IN THE TOPIC. AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE INPUT FROM THE FULL COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT, UH, RATHER THAN SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION. ONE EXAMPLE, UM, IS THE DOCKLESS VEHICLES PROGRAM. OUR CENTER CITY DEPARTMENT, UH, HAD AN REALLY AN EXCELLENT PUBLIC MEETING THAT WORKED THROUGH A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THROUGH 150 PEOPLE, WHICH BY PUBLIC MEETING STANDARDS IS GOOD. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AT THE TOP, WE SURVEYED THE 28 DIFFERENT CITY PUBLIC MEETINGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, AND THE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE WAS ABOUT 33 PEOPLE. AND YET, DESPITE HAVING 150 PEOPLE ATTEND THE DOCKLESS MEETING, UH, PUBLIC MEETING, WE, UH, THEY ALSO DID A SURVEY WHICH DREW ALMOST 45,000, 4,500, EXCUSE ME, RESPONSES. SO WE HAVE A MUCH GREATER ABILITY TO REACH PEOPLE IF WE SUPPLEMENT THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH SURVEY OPPORTUNITIES, USING DIGITAL, USING PAPER SURVEYS, ALL SORTS OF, UH, WAYS TO REACH. UH, THE FOURTH MINIMUM STANDARD WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR DEPARTMENTS IS THAT EACH CAMPAIGN USE ALL OF THE CITY'S EXISTING COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH TARGETED STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. WE HAVE, UH, A WEBSITE. WE HAVE NEXTDOOR, WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS, A TV STATION, TEXTING, EMAILING, UH, ON HOLD MESSAGES THROUGH 3 1 1 NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT. UH, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE USING THE FULL, UH, SPECTRUM OF OUR, OF OUR OUTREACH. FIVE, THAT WE WILL DO ALL OF OUR SURVEYING, UH, BOTH PRINTED AND ONLINE, BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. AND THAT EVERY SURVEY WILL ASK THE SAME SET OF DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE REPRESENTATIVENESS. AND THOSE QUESTIONS WERE BASED ON THE CENSUS CATEGORIES. UH, AND WITH INPUT FROM OUR EQUITY AND WITH ENDORSEMENT FROM OUR EQUITY OFFICE AGE, GENDER, RACE, AND ETHNICITY COUNCIL DISTRICT, MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT DISTRICT THEY LIVE IN. WE HAVE, UH, DIGITAL APPS AND PAPER MAPS WHEN WE DO OUR SURVEYING TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IS. AND FOR FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS, WE ASK OF THEM THEIR NAME AND ANY OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE. ALL OF THIS IS OPTIONAL, BUT IT IS NOT OPTIONAL, UH, FOR DEPARTMENTS TO BE ASKING THAT QUESTION GOING FORWARD, WE THINK IT'S CRITICAL TO ENSURING A REPRESENTATIVE. SAMPLE NUMBER SIX, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE RESULTS OF OUR PARTICIPATION EFFORTS GOING FORWARD BE PRESENTED IN A STANDARD FORMAT TO YOU. SO YOU ALL KNOW WHEN A COUNCIL ITEM COMES UP, WHAT THE MEMO'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AS YOU PREPARE AND REVIEW FOR, FOR OPPORTUNITIES. WE ARE ENCOURAGING THAT DEPARTMENTS PREPARE A STANDARDIZED REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. FOR YOU SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON WHO DID WE TALK TO, WHAT WERE THE AUDIENCES? WHAT WAS THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP? HOW DID WE TALK TO THEM? WHAT METHODS DID WE USE? WHAT PUBLIC MEETINGS DID WE HOLD AND SO FORTH. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS? WHAT DID THEY TELL US? HOW ARE WE USING THAT INPUT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RECOMMENDATION? AND FINALLY, HOW ARE WE FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEIR INPUT HAS BEEN, THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEARD ESSENTIALLY. AND THE LAST ONE IS THAT, UH, AGAIN, UH, WE SEE EACH OPPORTUNITY AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THE LAST. AND SO WE WANT TO ADD ALL CONTACT INFORMATION GATHERED FROM ANY INPUT PROCESS [02:10:01] INTO A CENTRAL DATABASE SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO REACH BACK OUT TO PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST. WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN R F P PREPARED THAT WILL BE GOING OUT SHORTLY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH I T S D TO DEVELOP A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TOOL. WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING EVERYTHING, ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ALL OUR SERVING, ALL OUR CONTACTS INTO ONE'S TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD. AND I REALIZE I'M RUNNING LONG HERE. I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON CITIZENS TO BE HEARD WAS MENTIONED A SECOND AGO. UH, WE, BY ONE OF THE RESIDENTS, WE'VE MADE A FEW CHANGES TO THAT ALREADY. WE'VE ADDED, UH, SHOOT, EXCUSE ME. WE'VE ADDED SPANISH AND ENGLISH FORMS. WE HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION. WE'RE GIVING FOLKS THE OPTION UPFRONT, UH, TO, TO INDICATE WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA NEED AN INTERPRETER. CHRIS WORKS AS PEOPLE SIGN UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE CITY STAFF IS HERE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS CRITICALLY. WE'VE ADDED A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PROCESS THAT CLARIFIES SOME THINGS SUCH AS THE FACT THAT UNDER STATE LAW, YOU ALL AS COUNCIL, CANNOT ENGAGE WITH THE SPEAKERS. IT'S NOT AN IZED ITEM WITH THE SPECIFIC, UH, TOPICS IDENTIFIED IN ADVANCE. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WALKING IN WHAT YOU ALL CAN AND CAN'T DO. AND WE'RE ADDING A, WE'VE ADDED ACTUALLY ALREADY BUS ROUTE INFORMATION TO THAT HOMEPAGE. SO WHERE THE CLOSE STOPS ARE AND WHAT ROUTES SERVE THOSE TO FACILITATE PEOPLE GETTING HERE. SO NEXT STEPS OF THINGS. WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE, UH, MINIMUM STANDARDS WE RECOMMENDED WE'RE PUTTING INTO AN ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UH, I MENTIONED THE ENTERPRISE SOLUTION ON CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT. WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS THAT CAN MEASURE THINGS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA SENTIMENT. THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM COUNCILMAN PALAIS, I BELIEVE, AND COMMITTEE. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A BROADCAST SOLUTION. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT, UH, BROADCAST COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR PLANNING AND ZONING. UH, THERE ARE SOME BUDGET IMPLICATIONS WITH THAT, BOTH FROM A STAFFING AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT STANDPOINT. SO WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE, EITHER AS A MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT OR PART OF THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. UH, AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES FOR THE INNOVATION ZONES. WE DID A TELE-TOWN HALL THROUGH A VENDOR. 20,000 PEOPLE WERE RECEIVE PHONE CALLS AT HOME, INVITING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TOWN HALL MEETING. WE HAD ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE STAY ON THE LINE AND ENGAGE. AND WE WERE REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, AND YOU SEE SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND, UH, TEXTING ADVANCEMENTS THAT WE WANT TO IMPROVE. I REALIZE I'VE GONE LONG, UH, PROBABLY LONGER THAN THE COUNCILWOMAN INTENDED, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU, JEFF. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEFF, FOR THE INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS. UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY COUNCILWOMAN VIE GRAND, WHO'S I THINK ON THE TELE TOWN HALL RIGHT NOW. UM, AND MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCILMAN SYA PER BROCK HOUSE FOR SIGNING THE ORIGINAL C C R IN, UH, FEBRUARY. I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND HIS STAFF FOR COLLABORATING ON THAT ADDENDUM MEMO A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON, ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL. AND FOR ALL OF YOU ON THIS DIOCESE, FOR YOUR OPENNESS TO, TO THIS EFFORT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, AND TO THE PERSONS WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK, WHO HAVE NOW LEFT , THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE AND TO THE ESPERANZA CENTER FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN THE COMMENTS THAT THEY SUBMITTED. UM, JEFF, THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA THANK MEGAN DODGE. UM, THEA AND I FAILED TO MENTION LAURA MAYES, WHO LIVES AND BREATHES THIS STUFF AND HAS REALLY BEEN THE DRIVER OF A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH S SA. SPEAK UP. SORRY TO INTERRUPT. I JUST NO, NO, THANK YOU, LAURA, VERY MUCH. UH, YOU CAME OUT TO ONE OF MY TOWN HALLS THE OTHER DAY. THANK YOU, UH, TO THEA, ASHLEY, UH, TO CARLOS, UH, JOHN, PATEK AND CHERYL, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK TO, TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. UM, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE YOUR BUY-IN AND WE HAVE YOUR SUPPORT, AND, UH, YOUR PARTICIPATION IS REALLY STRENGTHENING. OF COURSE, WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT, IT REALLY LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR, FOR ALL OF THESE EFFORTS. UM, THE PRINCIPLES, UH, THAT ARE PUT FORWARD IN THE RESOLUTION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ACTING ON, UH, TODAY, I FEEL, ARE REALLY A COMMITMENT FROM THE COUNCIL TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, NOT JUST OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER THEY'RE BUSINESS, WHETHER THEY'RE HOMEOWNERS, HOAS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND OF COURSE OUR, OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND I FEEL THAT IT'S, UH, BY ADOPTING THIS, WE ARE SAYING THIS IS A STANDARD THAT YOU CAN HOLD US TO [02:15:01] WHEN WE GO OUT AND TAKE YOUR INPUT. UM, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT, UM, ALL OF THESE EFFORTS ARE BASED ON SOME KEY BELIEFS THAT I HOLD, AND I'M GONNA SHARE THOSE WITH YOU. AND THOSE ARE, THERE'S NOT TOO MANY, JUST A FEW . THOSE ARE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS UNIQUE AND INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION, AND THAT BY GATHERING IT, WE WILL MAKE STRONGER AND BETTER POLICIES, STRONGER AND BETTER PROGRAMS HERE OUT OF CITY COUNCIL. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE WHO'S AFFECTED BY A DECISION THAT WE MAKE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR INPUT ON THAT DECISION. AND THAT MEANS RESIDENTS, OR IT COULD MEAN BUSINESSES, AND IT COULD MEAN HOAS OR ORGANIZATIONS. AND THAT IF WE DON'T TAKE THAT INPUT, THAT WE RISK NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION ON HAND AND NOT SEEING, UH, PERHAPS SOME ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE COULD HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR IN DEVELOPING, UM, THAT POLICY. SO THERE'S A RISK OF NOT TAKING THAT, THAT INPUT. I KNOW THAT SOME OF US MAY BE A LITTLE BIT SCARED ABOUT, UH, OPENING PANDORA'S BOX, UH, BY, NO, NOT AT ALL. . UM, I THINK PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEARS THAT, OR ONE OF THE FEARS THAT I'VE HEARD IS, WAIT A MINUTE. IF WE ASK FOR MORE INPUT, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO EXPECT US TO DO EVERYTHING EXACTLY THAT THEY TELL US TO DO. AND WE REALLY DON'T WANNA SEED THAT DISAPPOINTMENT BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SATISFY EVERYBODY. UM, YOU'RE, I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN. UM, AGAIN, IF WE DON'T SEEK IT, WE RUN THAT RISK OF NOT HAVING THE BEST PRODUCT. BUT SOME OF THESE PRINCIPLES THAT JEFF PRESENTED REALLY SPEAK TO THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW WE'RE MAKING THE DECISION, AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP US. AND WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIVE. IF WE DON'T USE SOME INPUT, WE HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THANK YOU. THIS IS WHY WE COULDN'T USE THE INPUT. AND I BELIEVE WE WILL GAIN RESPECT AND TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY IF WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THAT TOUGH CONVERSATION WITH THEM. THE OTHER FEAR IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO COST US MORE MONEY. THAT IT'S GOING TO COST US TIME. UM, IT MAY EXTEND SOME OF OUR PROCESSES. UM, IN DECEMBER, COUNCILMAN SALANG AND I DID, UH, VOTE FOR, UH, AN EXTENSION, RIGHT? I THINK, UH, 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS TO CONSIDER INPUT ON THE CCHI P PROGRAM. SO YES, IT WOULD'VE EXTENDED THE TIMELINE. UM, BUT I THINK THROUGH THIS, WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE IN ADVANCE WHAT IS THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS. AND, UM, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH THE TIME AND IT'S WORTH THE INVESTMENT. UM, SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR LISTENING TO ME WAX ON AND, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON, ON THIS ITEM. SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 24. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. I THINK I SIGNED OFF ON THE C C R TOO, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT. DIDN'T I? UH, YES. I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T SAY YOUR NAME. NO, NO. THAT'S OKAY. THAT WAS COUNCILMAN PERRY. YEAH, . NO, THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS, YES, I, I SUPPORT THIS AND I THINK IT'D BE GREAT FOR THE CITY AND TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION. WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT A LONG TIME AS ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION, BUT I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS AROUND THIS CITY AND NOT JUST UP IN DISTRICT 10. AND WHEN WE HAVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND, AND, UH, GROUP MEETINGS TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT. UM, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S A, A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS GOING TO, UH, SPUR THAT ALONG AND, AND, UM, INCREASE THAT PARTICIPATION FROM ALL AROUND SAN ANTONIO. ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY CAUTIONS, THOUGH, AND, AND, AND ONE OF THE FEARS THAT I HAVE ALSO, UM, IS THAT ON THOSE ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO WATCH THE TIMELINES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SPREADING OUT OR, OR DELAYING A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR INITIATIVE OR SOMETHING, UM, LONGER, UM, WHEN THERE'S, THERE'S A TIME CRITICALITY TO IT. AND WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, BE PERFECTLY HONEST, IT, IT COULD HAVE BUSINESS IMPACTS, IT COULD HAVE, UH, UH, FINANCIAL IMPACTS ON SMALL BUSINESSES, LARGE BUSINESSES, UH, AND FOLKS OUT IN THE ECONOMY, UH, OUT IN THE, OUT IN THE CITY. SO I THINK WE, WE NEED TO WATCH THIS VERY CLOSELY ABOUT TIMELINES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T, UH, DO SOMETHING [02:20:01] UNNECESSARILY TO CAUSE HARM OR, UM, NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, OR WHAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO DO HERE FOR THE CITY. SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS, BUT WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IMPACTING, UM, UNNECESSARILY, UH, BUSINESSES OR INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE OF WHERE WE'RE EXTENDING THAT TIMELINE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MA'AM. THANK, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION AND, UH, BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS I THINK ARE SO OBVIOUS. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THESE THINGS ALL ALONG. UM, THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS. UM, IF THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, I THINK THAT'S, UH, JUST THE COST OF BUSINESS. WE SHOULDN'T BE LIMITING WHAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE BECAUSE, UH, OF A COST, UM, THAT IS, I THINK, UH, ALREADY WITHIN OUR CAPACITY TO DO SO. SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY. UH, I DID MENTION TO THE COUNCILMAN IF THAT MEANT THAT OF ALL OF OUR MEETINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE VIDEOED, WAS I GONNA HAVE TO WEAR MAKEUP AND DRESS UP EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, WHICH I ALREADY DO. UM, BUT, UM, THAT WAS MY ONLY HESITATION, UH, IS THAT MY PHYSICAL SELF WOULD HAVE TO ALWAYS LOOK, UH, PERFECT. UM, THE WOMEN AND I, I THINK, SPEND AT LEAST AN ADDITIONAL 45 MINUTES A DAY, UH, HAVING TO GET OURSELVES READY, UH, TO PRESENT LIKE WE DO. UH, AND, UM, UH, BUT IT'S WORTH IT, UM, UH, EVERY MINUTE, UH, THAT WE SPEND PRESENTING OURSELVES AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET BEFORE THE PUBLIC. UM, BUT I, I WANT TO, TO STRESS TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE. UM, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE'S ONLY GONNA BE A VERY SMALL SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION WHO CAN PARTICIPATE AS EASY AS WE MAKE IT BY LETTING THEM VIEW IT ONLINE, BY LETTING THEM VIEW IT AT THEIR OWN TIME, UH, BY ALLOWING PEOPLE TO TEXT OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A SURVEY, OR, UM, GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE. LIKE THE SPEAK UP CAMPAIGN. I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A, A MARKETING, UM, PROGRAM AND BRANDING. I THINK THAT WORKS. UH, AND I THINK I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED, UH, BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE TO SPEND OUR TIME SERVING THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T SHOW UP, WHO CAN'T SHOW UP, WHO, UH, ARE JUST DEPENDING ON US TO MAKE THE VERY BEST DECISIONS ON THEIR BEHALF. AND USUALLY, AND I WOULD SAY 90% OF THE TIME, THAT'S NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SHOW UP IN A MEETING. AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, UM, THREE EXAMPLES. I'M A FREQUENT BUS RIDER, UM, BUT MY TRIP IS NOT VERY FAR. UH, AND I WAS ON THE BUS THE OTHER DAY, AND I WAS APPROACHED BY A YOUNG COUPLE, AND THEY SAID, ARE YOU THE COUNCILWOMAN? I SAID, YES. UH, AND THEY SAID, WELL, DID YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU USE VIA, UM, YOU CAN BUY A, A, A GIFT CARD OR A CARD THAT, UM, A PREPAID CARD? UM, BUT ONCE YOU GET TO 75 CENTS, IT TURNS OFF AND YOU CAN'T USE IT ANYMORE. UH, BUT 75 CENTS GIVES ME, CAN GIMME ONE MORE RIDE. AND SO EVERY TIME I BUY A PREPAID CARD, UM, I CAN'T USE THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY. UH, AND WE THINK THAT'S UNFAIR. WE NEED, YOU KNOW, THAT 75 CENTS IS A LOT FOR US. UH, TWO PEOPLE, UH, WHO HAVE TO BUY THIS CARD EVERY DAY. UH, AND SO I IMMEDIATELY CALLED, UM, OUR FRIENDS AT VIA AND I SAID, HEY, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THIS? HOW CAN WE BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT THE MOST? UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO ME, THE TROUBLE THAT THEY'RE HAVING WITH VIA. SO THAT WAS ONE EXAMPLE. UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, UH, OF THIS, UM, IS, UH, I FREQUENT ALMANOR PARK. IT'S CLOSE TO MY HOUSE. IT'S BEAUTIFULLY REDONE. WE HAVE A SPLASH PAD. I'D GONE WITH MY CHILDREN ON A SATURDAY, AND THEY WERE PLAYING IN THE PARK, AND THEY, UM, UH, AS CHILDREN DO, ALL WERE PLAYING TOGETHER, AND THEY WERE HAVING A BIRTHDAY PARTY. AND THE FAMILY SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY, ALL THE KIDS WERE PLAYING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME AND, UM, HAVE CAKE WITH US AND HAVE, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE IN OUR PARTY? THEY DON'T KNOW WHO I AM. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I'M THE COUNCILWOMAN. UH, JUST THE KIDS ARE PLAYING. AND I SAID, UH, MY CHILDREN WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY. SO MY KIDS JOIN IN THE PARTY, UM, AS IS COMMON IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT IF YOU'RE THERE, YOU'RE WELCOME. AND, UH, WE HAD KA AND I WAS TALKING TO THE FAMILIES AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IT SURE WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD MORE BARBECUE PITS HERE. UH, WE LOVE THE NEW PARK, BUT, UM, THERE'S ONLY ONE BARBECUE PIT, AND WE'RE A BIG FAMILY, AND THERE'S [02:25:01] NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR US, UH, TO HAVE ALL OF OUR BARBECUE PITS. AND IT SURE WOULD BE NICE IF THERE WAS A COVERING HERE, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING OUR OWN TENTS. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS ALSO VERY VALUABLE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS WE DECIDE HOW WE SPEND OUR FUNDING FOR OUR PARKS. AND THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A COMMUNITY MEETING OR PUBLIC INPUT. AND THE FINAL THING THAT, UM, WHICH I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, A WOMAN CAME INTO MY FIELD OFFICE AND SHE SAID, UM, THAT SHE WAS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND SHE'S TALKED TO MY STAFF MEMBER, AND MY STAFF MEMBER WAS TRYING TO WORK WITH HER. AND THEN SHE LEFT, UH, AND HE COULDN'T GET AHOLD OF HER AGAIN. AND HE CALLED ME AND HE SAID, THERE'S THIS WOMAN. AND HE GAVE ME HER STORY, UH, AND HE SAID, BUT I CAN'T FIND HER, AND SHE'S NOT RETURNING MY CALLS. AND I SAID, WELL, GIMME HER ADDRESS AND I'LL GO FIND HER. SO HE GIVES ME THE ADDRESS, AND I GO TO HER HOUSE, AND THE HOUSE IS BURNED, AND IT'S JUST A SHELL. UM, AND I GO TO THE DOOR AND A WOMAN COMES OUT, A YOUNG WOMAN, AND I SAID, ARE YOU YVETTE? UH, AND SHE SAID, NO. UM, AND I SAID, WELL, I, I'M COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. YOU CAME TO MY OFFICE AND YOU NEED SOME HELP. AND SHE SAID, NO, I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T COME TO YOUR OFFICE. UH, AND I SAID, OKAY, UM, LET ME GIVE YOU A NUMBER WHERE SOMEBODY COULD GO TO HELP YOU. AND SHE SAID, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING, UH, AND I WISH YOU WOULD GET OFF MY PROPERTY. UH, AND I SAID, OKAY, I'LL LEAVE. UM, I SENSED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WAS AFRAID OF AND DIDN'T WANNA SHARE WITH ME. UM, SO I WAS DRESSED PROFESSIONALLY, AND I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND I LEFT, AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I'LL TRY AGAIN. AND I WENT BACK A NUMBER OF TIMES AND I CAN NEVER FIND HER. AND SO, ISN'T THAT INFORMATION EQUALLY VALUABLE? IS THAT WOMAN GONNA COME TO A COMMITTEE COMMUNITY MEETING? IS SHE GONNA GIVE INPUT? DO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES? WE DO. IS SHE GONNA COME ADVOCATE? NO. IS SHE GOING TO SEND A TEXT OR, UH, SEND, UM, INFORMATION? BUT SHE CAME TO MY OFFICE BECAUSE I HAVE TWO FIELD OFFICES, AND I KNOW SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES DO HAVE TWO FIELD OFFICES. WE'RE THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS WHO I'VE TOLD, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THESE OFFICES. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY HERE, BUT YOU GUYS NEED TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE NOW NINE INTERNS WHO ARE OUT, WHO ARE MSWS GETTING THEIR DEGREES IN SOCIAL WORK, AND THEY'RE IN MY COMMUNITY. AND THERE IS NO SHORTCUT TO PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WITH ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THIS, UH, CONNECTIVITY, THAT IT'S ACTUALLY MAKING US MORE DISCONNECTED THAN EVER. AND SO I'M ALL FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS. I'M ALL FOR COMMUNITY INPUT. I WANNA HEAR FROM WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY, BUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE MOST VULNERABLE, WHO ARE NEVER GONNA COME AND NEVER GONNA PARTICIPATE. SO, I, I, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS. I I HOPE THAT THIS HELPS US MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, BUT THE REALITY IS, UH, WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES WHETHER WE HEAR FROM THEM OR NOT. UH, SO, UM, I HOPE THAT THIS WAS ALL WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF NOT TAKING SHORTCUTS, UH, WHEN WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THIS CITY. UH, AND THE OTHER, JUST FINAL THING THAT, UM, I'LL END WITH, UH, IN THIS, UH, CONVERSATION. I MENTIONED THE ISSUES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I ISSUED THE ISSUES OF PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MEANS, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, FAMILIES JUST WANTING TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. BUT I WOULD DO THINK THAT THE GREATEST CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IN, IN MY COMMUNITY IS SOMETIMES LONELINESS AND ISOLATION, UH, AND A, A A SURVEY OR A TEXT OR LISTENING TO THAT STUFF ONLINE, UH, IS NOT GONNA HELP WITH THAT. UM, THE ONLY WAY WE DO THAT IS BY GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE AND GOING TO THEIR HOMES, AND TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY SPEND TIME WITH THEM. AND SO, I HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT A SHORTCUT INTO DOING WHAT IS ULTIMATELY OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY. SO LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN VRAN. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ FOR THOSE EXAMPLES. AND, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD CONCUR ABOUT NOT TAKING SHORTCUTS, UH, ESPECIALLY, AND THE ISSUE OF IS ISOLATIONISM WITH OUR SENIORS. WE HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, UM, WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR SENIOR CENTERS AS WELL, TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION. UM, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD. AS YOU WERE TALKING AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE PRINCIPLES, WHAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME IS THAT THESE ARE JUST THE BASIC ELEMENTARY VALUES, UM, OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, [02:30:01] OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES OF THIS NATION. AND I THINK WHAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ MENTIONED IN HER EXAMPLES, IT SHOWS HOW WE, AT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, WE ARE THE DIRECT CONNECTION TO OUR REP, OUR MEMBERS, TO OUR CITIZENS, TO OUR RESIDENTS. AND THEY LOOK AT US AND THEY WANT US TO WORK AND TO GET THINGS DONE. UM, SO I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT FACT, AND I'M HONORED FOR THAT FACT. AND I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A VERY BIG RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE. JEFF, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, ON THE, UH, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PORTION. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE BUS ROUTE, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT WHERE TO PARK FOR PEOPLE IF THEY NEED TO COME. DO WE HAVE THAT ON THE, THE, THE INFORMATION IN THE SHEETS? IT'S ON THE, UH, OH, ON THE SHEETS. UM, I DON'T THINK WE PUT PARKING. I'M, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS. ONE OF THE, UH, REQUESTS, UH, THE, THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN SALANA, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL ADDED AN ADDENDUM TO THE ORIGINAL C C R. AND ONE OF THE THINGS ON THERE WAS TO LOOK AT PROVIDING PARKING FOR PEOPLE WHO COME DOWN FOR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. UM, AND SO WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CENTER CITY OFFICE ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT LOOK AT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT. MM-HMM. . UM, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME CITY GARAGES DOWNTOWN, AND IN THE FUTURE, THE, THE FROST GARAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT THERE WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT DETAILS ON IT. UM, THE INFORMATION STAND POINT, IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, WE CAN, WE CAN ADD THAT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM. SURE. I MEAN, WE CAN DO IT BOTH, I THINK ONLINE AND ON A SHEET IS, IS VERY GOOD FOR, TO HAVE THAT ACCESSIBILITY. UM, SPEAKING OF ACCESSIBILITY, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, YOU MENTIONED OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT'S ABOUT ACCESS, UM, AS WELL. AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE, I THINK IS ACCOUNT OR YOU AS A DEPARTMENT, NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO TAKE INPUT AND INSIGHTS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, AND ALSO MAYBE EVEN HAVING THE CITY GOVERNMENT COME TO YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE ISSUES, WHAT ARE IS GOING ON, AND HOW WE NEED TO GET IN. FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL. AND AS, UH, WAS MENTIONED, IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF TIME, BUT I THINK IF WE ARE INTENTIONAL AND IF WE'RE MEANINGFUL, UM, AND THOUGHTFUL THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET THE BEST POLICY DECISIONS BECAUSE WE'LL ALSO GET THOSE NUANCED PERSPECTIVES THAT WE NEED FROM A VARIETY OF OF MEMBERS. UM, ONE THING, AN EXAMPLE THAT I KNOW IS ESPECIALLY A LOT OF OUR CITY PARKS AND, BUT OUR LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS THAT WE HAVE EITHER AT, UM, AT THE OTHER, AT THE, ALL THE, THE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS AND, OR ALMOST BASIN, ET CETERA. WE HAVE PEOPLE, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT GO OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND, A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD SITTING THERE THAT WOULD LOVE TO GIVE FEEDBACK, UM, AND LOVE TO GIVE US THEIR OPINION ON ITEMS. AND SO LET'S, LET'S KIND OF SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BE CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLE TO GET THAT. AS WELL AS MEETING WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OR, UM, AREAS HAVE, UM, COFFEES WITH THE PRINCIPALS ON CERTAIN MORNINGS. UM, TEACHER PARENTS COME IN TO TELL THE PRINCIPALS WHAT'S GOING ON. THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH THAT? AND WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH THAT? I KNOW OUR STAFF GOES OUT TO THOSE PRINCIPALS, THOSE COFFEES WITH THE PRINCIPAL JUST TO GET FEEDBACK OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS. 'CAUSE WE SHOULD BE THERE AND WE'LL BE WORKING IN THAT AREA. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW CREATIVE OUTREACH. I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, VERY CORE OF OUR ESSENCE AS YOU WERE TALKING, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, ALL THAT WAS COMING TO MY HEAD WAS, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT AND THEN A GOVERNMENT OF THE FEW PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE EARTH. THIS IS WHAT WAS COMING TO MY HEAD AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE PRINCIPLES, AND THIS IS JUST THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO GET THAT VERY, UM, THOUGHTFUL PARTICIPATION. SO I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN VIGRAN. COUNCILMAN SALANA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE. IT, IT STARTED AS AN IDEA THAT HAS REALLY FORMULATED INTO SOME ACTIONABLE ITEMS AND, AND THE RESOLUTION THAT WE GET TO, UH, VOTE ON HERE TODAY. SO, UH, LET ME, LET ME START WITH A FEW QUESTIONS IF I CAN. SURE. UH, JEFF, SO THAT I MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CLEARLY. I WANT THIS TO, TO BE IN EFFECT A SUCCESS WHEN WE ROLL IT OUT. AND I THINK SOME OF THE PIECES THAT I'M ALREADY LIKING THAT WILL BE CALLED SUCCESSES ARE, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I, I, IN MY MIND, THEY, THEY MAKE SENSE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING THEM IN THE WAY THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT 'EM. SA SPEAK UP, UH, HAS A WEBSITE CURRENTLY TODAY, WE'VE HAD A WEBSITE. UH, THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. WE YEAH. OKAY. SORRY. GO AHEAD. , IF [02:35:01] IT IS OR DOES IS NOT, IS, IS IT, AM I HEARING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A SORT OF CLEARING HOUSE? YES. UH, OKAY. AND, AND NOW YOU CAN. WE HAD USED PRIOR TO NOW SA SPEAKUP FOR THE BUDGET INPUT. THAT'S WHERE IT WAS BORN. AND OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AS WE EXPAND THE BRAND TO APPLY TO, TO ALL THE VARIOUS, UH, EFFORTS THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS DO, WE'RE TYING IT ALL TOGETHER. SO IT'S UNDERNEATH THE BRAND, BUT IT'S ALSO LIVES TOGETHER NOW ON ONE WEBSITE. SO IF YOU GO ON TO SA SPEAKUP.COM RIGHT NOW, THERE'S AN OPEN SURVEY ABOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM PLAN. SO THE RESIDENT WHO HAD COMMENTS ABOUT BARBECUE, MORE BARBECUE PITS, COULD TAKE THAT SURVEY. TODAY WE HAVE A SURVEY OPEN ABOUT HEALTH PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, ABOUT OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM PLAN. SO THE IDEA WAS TO TIE ALL THAT TOGETHER SO THAT A RESIDENT WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN ONE TOPIC, BUT MAYBE NOT ANOTHER CAN, CAN SEE WHAT'S OPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND, AND ENGAGE WHERE THEY FEEL INTERESTED IN DOING SO. UH, SO LET ME, LET ME STEAL, UM, LET ME MAKE UP A SCENARIO AND MAYBE STEAL SOME IDEAS FROM, FROM COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. UH, THERE'S A PERSON OUT THERE WHO HAS A VERY, WHO HAS VARIED INTERESTS. UH, AND ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO GO TO ONE PLACE IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UM, I GUESS VIA IS A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY WITHIN OUR WHEELHOUSE HERE, BUT LET'S SAY THEY'RE INTERESTED IN A ZONING CASE THAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN, UH, A PARKS ISSUE. AS THE COUNCILWOMAN DESCRIBED, EITHER OF THOSE, AS VARIED AS THOSE TWO ISSUES ARE, CAN BE FOUND BECAUSE THERE IS A PUBLIC MEETING THAT WILL BE HAPPENING AND IT WILL BE MEMORIALIZED AND REPRESENTED ON THE ESSAY SPEAKUP WEBSITE. RIGHT? SO WE HAVE ON THE WEBSITE A SPEAKUP SECTION, WHICH ARE ALL THE OPEN PUBLIC INPUT PROCESSES AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WE ALSO HAVE A MEETUP SESSION SECTION, WHICH WILL, UH, WHICH LISTS, UH, UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS. SO IT'S ALSO THE IDEA OF SORT OF BRINGING ALL THAT TOGETHER SO THAT YOU'RE NOT HEARING ABOUT IT FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND D REACHING DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, BUT IT'S IN ONE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S UPCOMING. SO IF I'M A DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENT, AND I WANT TO SAY, I WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE HECK, WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH MY CITY GOVERNMENT THIS MONTH? UH, I CAN GO TO THE SA SPEAK UP WEBSITE AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL SHOW A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETING, THEY'LL SHOW A PARKS PLANNING MEETING. DO WE HAVE THAT THERE YET? I, I THINK NOT YET. IN TERMS OF RIGHT NOW ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, YOU HAVE ALL THE UPCOMING MEETINGS UNDER THE REGISTRAR SYSTEM. YEAH. UH, WE HAVE TO USE, WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT THE MOST USER FRIENDLY. I, I, I WILL SAY I AGREE. SO IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A PITCH TO MAKE SA SPEAK UP, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FIND WHAT YOU WOULD FIND ONAR, BUT MAYBE BE A BIT MORE USER FRIENDLY, I, I WOULD, UH, THINK THAT THAT'S MAYBE THE, UH, A DESTINATION THAT WE START MARCHING TOWARDS. OKAY. UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS HEARING, BUT I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST, IF IT'S GONNA BE A CLEARING HOUSE FOR SA SPEAK UP ME TRANSLATES TO CITY EVENTS AND CITY, UH, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TOWN HALLS THAT I CAN FIND THEM THERE AS A SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT. I THINK THAT THAT GETS US TO A PLACE THAT AT LEAST WE CAN POINT TO ONE PLACE. UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY, REALLY LIKE ABOUT, THERE'S A LOT THAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS, BUT ONE SUGGESTION IS THAT, UH, CURRENTLY WHEN WE'RE READING THROUGH OUR AGENDA, UH, WE CAN SEE A BRIEF SUMMARY. UH, WE CAN SEE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. UH, AND I THINK I HEARD THIS, THAT WE CAN MAYBE IN THE FUTURE ON THE SAME AGENDA ITEM, IF THERE WAS A PUBLIC MEETING ON IT, IF THERE WAS PUBLIC INPUT, SEE NOT JUST STAFF RECOMMENDATION, BUT SEE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IN A THAT'S CORRECT. FORMALIZED WAY. THAT'S CORRECT. WE, WE WANT YOU ALL TO HAVE AN EXPECTATION ABOUT WHAT THE, THE RESULTS, HOW THEY'LL BE PRESENTED AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. WE ALSO WANT TO, UH, CREATE A SITUATION WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE A DEPARTMENT HEAD UP HERE AT THE PODIUM, LIKE I AM SAYING, WELL, WE TALKED TO EVERYBODY. TRUST US. HERE'S WHAT WAS SAID. HERE'S THE FEEDBACK WE GOT. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF STANDARDIZE THAT REPORT SO THAT GOING INTO THE MEETING, YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE WHO WAS ENGAGED, WHAT THEY SAID, HOW THAT WAS INCORPORATED, AND SO FORTH. OKAY, GREAT. I'M, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN NEW TO THE COUNCIL, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE NEW TO READING AN AGENDA, UH, YOU'LL LOOK AT THE BACKUP MATERIAL TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, DIG INTO AN ISSUE. AND GETTING TO SEE A PORTION WHERE THE PUBLIC VOICE IS, IS REPRESENTED, IS I THINK, UM, A REMARKABLY SIMPLE IDEA, BUT A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE. UM, AND THEN I'LL JUST FINISH OFF BY MAKING SOME COMMENTS. AGAIN, I, I, I AM REALLY GLAD, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT YOU'VE TAKEN THIS ON. THIS IS ONE OF THESE ISSUES THAT, UM, IT'S NOT, THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS NOT COMPLICATED, BUT IT IS HARD. UM, MEANING THAT YOU SORT OF KNOW WHAT WORKS AND, AND SOMETIMES IT IS KNOCKING ON DOORS AND TALKING TO RESIDENTS WHO OTHERWISE WOULDN'T COME TO THE CITY. BUT I THINK THE QUESTION IS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S AN EQUATION OF, OF ADDITION AND NOT SUBTRACTION. WE'RE ADDING TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO. AND, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT IN THAT ADDITION, WE'RE GONNA BRING MORE FOLKS WHO SOMETIMES TRY TO ENGAGE WITH THE CITY, BUT MAYBE GET JADED OR FEEL CRI CRITICAL OF, OF THEIR EXPERIENCE BECAUSE [02:40:02] THE NOTICE WAS TOO LATE, THE MEETING WAS TOO ABRUPT, OR THE ACCESS TO THE LOCATION WAS INCONVENIENT. AND SO THEY GET AN EXPERIENCE OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO OPERATE WITH THE CITY, AND THEREFORE SAY TO THEMSELVES THAT, THAT'S NOT A ROUTE THAT I WILL TAKE AGAIN. SO I THINK IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ADD TO THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT COMPONENTS AND YOU'RE TRYING TO ADD TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING, THIS ONLY HELPS, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR IMPRESSION AND, AND TO USE A WORD, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TRUST THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, WITH, WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. SO I, I, I DO BELIEVE IN NOT ONLY THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE'RE VOTING ON HERE TODAY, BUT THE PERSONAL PRINCIPLES THAT YOU SAID YOU BRING TO THIS, WHICH IS WE BELIEVE WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS WITH MORE INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES. AND THAT THAT WILL AFFECT ULTIMATELY AN OUTCOME THAT HELPS US MAKE BETTER DECISIONS. UH, I CAN POINT TO A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES WHERE WE'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR PUBLIC INPUT. WHILE NOT COMPLICATED, IT WAS HARD. WE DID HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE DID HAVE TO EXTEND THE DATE THAT WE WOULD VOTE ON AN ITEM. UH, THAT'S HARD WORK. UH, YOU HAVE TO SPEND MORE HOURS DOING THE JOB. BUT, UH, I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF, AND THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE AT LEAST COMMITTED TO THAT HARD WORK. SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO SUPPORTING THIS. I WANNA THANK THE STAFF, UH, LAURA AND, AND YOUR TEAM WHO HAS BEEN REALLY DILIGENT ABOUT TRYING TO, UH, ENHANCE WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY. OF COURSE. UM, AND WE MIGHT LEARN SOME THINGS ALONG THE WAY. SOME THINGS MIGHT WORK AND SOME THINGS MIGHT NOT WORK, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, WE'RE GIVING IT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, FOR US TO CHANGE THE WAY AND, AND, AND STATUS QUO TRULY IS NOT, NOT WORKING. 'CAUSE WE'VE SEEN THE TAIL END AND THE FRUSTRATION OF PEOPLE WHO ONLY GET THREE MINUTES. UM, AND THAT'S JUST, I THINK IT'S SOME POINT WE HAVE TO CALL IT WHAT IT IS, WHICH IS, UH, DISRESPECTFUL TO THE PUBLIC PROCESS WHEN WE ARE GETTING THAT KIND OF, UH, FEEDBACK AT THE TAIL END. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SALANA. COUNCILMAN TREO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SANDAL FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS TRULY GONNA GONNA IMPROVE OUR PROCESS. AND REALLY, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU'RE, WE, WE WANT TO HAVE A, A, A PROACTIVE SENSE FOR THAT, FOR THAT INPUT AND PUT IT ON THE FRONT END. UH, I, WE, ON THE DAIS EXPECT THAT AS WELL. AND SO, I MEAN, THIS IS, I THINK WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS IS JUST MORE INFORMATION. UM, AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME GREAT THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS ALL AROUND. AND, UH, I, THERE'S A COUNCIL THAT, THAT IS RECEPTIVE TO, TO THIS BECAUSE THEY, THEY DO WANT TO CONNECT, UH, WITH THE INSIGHT THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UH, ANOTHER PORTION OF THIS IS, AS COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ POINTED OUT, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME ALIGNMENT HERE THAT I THINK CAN ALSO BE VERY BENEFICIAL. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE IS SOMETHING I, I, I RAN INTO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND I I JUST WENT TO THE ESSAY SPEAKUP WEBSITE. SO JEFF, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE DO, I MEAN, WE ASK THE THROUGH SA SPEAKUP YEAR AFTER YEAR, WHAT ARE THE TOP PRIORITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, RIGHT? AND YEAR AFTER YEAR, THERE'S, THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS THE SAME ONES, RIGHT? CORRECT. NOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I, THAT I FOUND OUT EARLY ON WAS THAT THOSE ISSUES ARE, ARE SIMPLY BEING ADDRESSED THROUGH AS THEY SPEAK UP AND THEN DELIVERED TO THIS COUNCIL. IS THAT CORRECT? I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOW THE QUESTION. SO WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAY THAT THE, THE TOP, THE TOP ISSUE THAT WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN SIDEWALKS. RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT HOW DOES THAT CONNECT TO AN ACTIONABLE ITEM OTHER THAN JUST TO BE TOLD, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ISSUES. SURE. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WHAT I, WHAT I KNOW IS THAT I, I, YOU KNOW, UH, 3 1 1, WHICH IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE USE TO HELP LOG ISSUES, UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT, UM, THERE A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION JUST YET. AND SO I'M, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN WITH PAULA STAUB ABOUT THIS, AND ON YOUR WEBSITE, I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY REFERENCE TO 3 1 1. AND I, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, THIS IS ABOUT ALIGNMENT AND WHAT I, WHAT, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, AND YOU SAID IT, THERE'S ALL THESE GREAT RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE CITY. WE DO HAVE THIS, AND I MEAN, I THINK YOU HAVE GREAT PEOPLE. WE, UH, EVERYBODY, UH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WORKING ON THE BEHALF OF THE CITY IS, IS, IS REALLY TRYING TO, TO DO SO MUCH, TO, TO BE HELPFUL TO, TO PROVIDE THESE MEANINGFUL SERVICES. I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS THERE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WHAT PEOPLE ARE BRINGING UP IS ACTUALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER IN A CASE AND, AND ADDRESSED, AND THEN WE COULD FOLLOW IT AND SAY THAT, DID, DID THIS ACTUALLY GET RESOLVED? BECAUSE I THINK WE COULD SAY, WELL, HERE'S [02:45:01] AN ISSUE AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY NUMBER OF ISSUES, BUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAN WE ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF TODAY WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I SEE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN CONNECT THE DOTS. MM-HMM. SMALL EXAMPLE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU AS, AS YOU JUST STATED, SIDEWALKS BEING ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, BUT IN THE 3 1 1 SA APP, IT'S NOT EVEN LISTED AS A, AS A CATEGORY. RIGHT. WHICH I'VE REQUESTED THAT THEY, THEY PUT IT IN THERE, BUT THIS IS, TO ME, THAT ALIGNMENT THAT I THINK YOU'RE HEARING UP HERE FROM, FROM COUNCILS. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEARING EXAMPLES. PEOPLE REACH OUT TO US ALL THE TIME WHILE I WAS UP HERE. I'VE HAD SEVERAL JUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT ME ABOUT ISSUES THAT THAT COULD BE HANDLED THROUGH THE 3 1 1 SA APP. UH, BUT I HAVE MY STAFF WALKING THEM THROUGH, UH, ON SOME OF THIS. BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME ALIGNMENT THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN DO. AND SO I HEARD YOU SAY YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON THE WEBSITE, AND I GUESS I'D LIKE TO, TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES CAN WE DO, CAN WE HAVE IN ENGAGING 3 1 1 A LITTLE MORE ROBUSTLY? WELL, UM, LET ME TRY TO ANSWER WHAT I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING. THE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE REVAMPED 3 1 1 AS WELL. WE HAVE A, A WHOLE NEW APP AND A WHOLE NEW INTERFACE. UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT SERVICE REQUEST LIKE THAT, LIKE, UH, A PARTICULAR SIDEWALK ON MY STREET IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED, ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE SA SPEAKUP, UH, SORT OF, UH, LARGER POLICY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOUR TOP PRIORITIES ARE IN THE BUDGET. I KNOW THAT PAULA AND HER TEAM PREPARE REPORTS ABOUT THE, THE 3 1 1 CALLS. THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THE TOPICS ARE, AND I THINK SHE BREAKS IT DOWN DISTRICT WIDE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT. UM, BUT UH, GOING FORWARD, AS WE LOOK AT SOME ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS, I THINK THE GOAL IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BETTER TIE THOSE SORTS OF THINGS TOGETHER. AND, AND YOU MENTIONED SOCIAL MEDIA ALSO, WHEN SOMEBODY IS COMMENTING ON, UH, ONE OF OUR CHANNELS THAT IT'S FED INTO THE SAME SYSTEM AND, AND THAT NO MATTER HOW THEY GOT TO US, WHETHER IT WAS CALLING 3 1 1 COMMENTING ON FACEBOOK OR TAKING PART IN A SURVEY, IT, IT ENDS UP IN THE SAME PLACE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS IT, HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND BE ABLE TO, TO DEMONSTRATE SOME RESOLUTION TO IT. BUT FOR NOW, THE SERVICE REQUESTS AND THE SORT OF BUDGET PRIORITIES ARE, ARE SEPARATE ITEMS. YES. WELL, AND I, AND, AND I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALLUDING TO THAT, RIGHT? THAT THE, THE BUDGET AND SERVICE REQUESTS, I THINK SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATE. THEY, THEY, THEY'RE REALLY CONNECTED. AND MY, MY POINT THERE IS TO SAY THAT THE DATA THAT WE, THAT WE GET OUT OF THE 3 1 1 INFORMS T C I TO HELP SELECT WHERE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND, AND, AND SIDEWALKS ARE GONNA BE DONE. BUT THEY, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE MAYBE SPEAKING TO ESSAY SPEAKUP THINKING, WELL, THEY GOT, THEY WERE HEARD, BUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY TRANSLATE INTO THE ACTUAL, UH, DATA THAT TCI IS LOOKING AT. AND, AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHAT THE SPIRIT OF THE C C R IS, THAT ALIGNMENT, THE ALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES YEAH. SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND, AND WE JUST SIMPLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO, WHO ARE C CONTACTING AS A SPEAKUP, WHO MAY THINK, WELL, I GOT MY ISSUE HEARD. MM-HMM. BUT IS IT, IS IT, IS IT BEING, UH, TAKEN CARE OF WHERE IT'S, WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE? RIGHT. AND SO I THINK WE'RE HEARING IT AND, AND WE, WE, WE PLACE, UH, UH, SOME PRIORITY IN THE BUDGET TOWARDS THAT, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO SORT OF THE ACTION BEHIND IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE. YEAH. AND I GUESS I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE, WE, WE MAKE THAT ALIGNMENT A LOT STRONGER. YEP. I, I AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP SURVEY ON THE BUDGET DOES ASK BROADER QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, IN THE CATEGORY OF SIDEWALKS, DO YOU WANNA SEE MORE OR LESS OR THE SAME INVESTMENT? FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO HAVE AN OPEN-ENDED PIECE WHERE ANYBODY CAN ASK ANYTHING OR, OR PROVIDE ANY COMMENT. AND ONCE THAT SURVEY IS DONE, WE DO SHARE THAT WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS SO THAT IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC THING ABOUT A SPECIFIC STREET, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE MAKE SURE IT GETS IN THE HANDS OF T C I, WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE EXAMPLE THAT I WANT TO GIVE IS IT'S, IT'S LIKE WHEN, WHEN OUR SS A P D TELLS US, LOOK, WHEN IF, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T CALL 9 1 1, THEN NOT, NOT ONLY OBVIOUSLY IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THAT EMERGENCY, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOSING THE DATA. AND THEY, THEY, THEY USE THE DATA FROM 9 1 1 TO, TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, AS THEY'RE PLANNING IT OUT. SO I'M SIMPLY SAYING, LOOK, 3 1, 1 IS, IS I THINK A, A COMPLIMENTARY COMPONENT TO ESSAY SPEAK UP. MM-HMM. , BUT I JUST DON'T SEE A CONNECTION RIGHT NOW. YEAH. I, I, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. THANKS, JEFF. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK [02:50:01] YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO, COUNCILMAN HALL. AND JUST REAL BRIEFLY, JEFF, THANK YOU FOR THIS. YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE CAN'T CHAMPION EVERYTHING, BUT WE CAN CHAMPION SOME THINGS. AND, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, I THANK YOU FOR, FOR CHAMPIONING THIS. THIS HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT'S BEEN EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UH, KIND OF A PRACTICE MOVE AWAY FROM CHECK THE BOX TO SOMETHING MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL. UM, AND THEN JEFF, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE REALLY PUT SOME MEAT ON THIS. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER AREAS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STEP. SO, UM, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU JEFF AS WELL. THANK COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HALL, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TO, TO BE BRIEF, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK POINTS. MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THIS ALREADY. UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, APPROACHING ME AND GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS. UH, I THINK, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO IN THE PUBLIC EYE AND SHINING THE LIGHT ON EVERY DECISION WE MAKE, UH, IT JUST SPEAKS TO ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND AS A CITIZEN. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S HARD WORK, AND YOU PARTICIPATED IN, BROUGHT THE COUNCIL, UH, TOGETHER ON SOMETHING. AND I THINK THAT, UH, IS NOTABLE IN IT IN ITSELF. SO IT'S, IT'S FANTASTIC WORK, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND TO JEFF AND HIS TEAM AS WELL FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND KEEP EVERYBODY IN THE LOOP ON IT. AND THE ONLY THING I'D ULTIMATELY SAY ABOUT IT IS, UM, I THINK IN TODAY'S WORLD, WE'RE CHALLENGED MORE THAN EVER TO TAKE CITY HALL TO THE PEOPLE. AND THAT CONVERSATION IS CHANGING, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS, WE MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE AND WE EXPECT THEM TO COME TO US. AND WITH THE LACK OF TRUST, I MEAN, AND, AND SOMETIMES THE DISAPPOINTMENT IN GOVERNMENT FROM ALL LEVELS, UH, FEDERAL, STATE AND, AND LOCAL PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE FOR WHATEVER REASONS. THE REASONS ARE WHAT THEY ARE. BUT THE FACT IS WE LIVE IN THAT MIX NOW, AND IT'S SUCH A SEVERE LACK OF TRUST, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO THEN TAKE IT ON THE ROAD, UM, TO THE COUN TO COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT, SHE WENT TO A RESIDENCE'S HOUSE. . I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU SAY, I'M GOING TO GO TO WHERE THEY ARE. UM, YOU KNOW, IN MY COMMUNITY, WE TRIED TO DO THAT. WE COMMITTED TO KEEP BLOCK WALKING BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET 'EM INTO THE OFFICE. WE'RE OPENING TO THE OFFICE, BUT THEY WON'T COME IN. WE EVEN PUT THE OFFICE NEXT TO A SENIOR CENTER, AND WE KNOW ALL THE SENIORS ARE THERE AND THEY DON'T COME OVER. IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S JUST NOT INHERENT OR INTUITIVE TO ENGAGE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. 'CAUSE THEY JUST DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE EITHER GONNA GET THE ANSWERS AND ONE'S GONNA BE THERE. IT'S A MYRIAD OF REASONS, BUT THE MORE WE GO TO THEM AND PUT OURSELVES IN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, THE BETTER OFF WE'RE GONNA BE. JEFF, THAT'S HUGE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS PROCLAMATION IS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SAYING IS WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS, AND THIS, THIS REALLY PUTS DOWN A MARKER, UH, FOR THE CITY THAT THESE ARE THE THINGS WE BELIEVE IN AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THEM, UH, AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO SHINE THE LIGHT ON EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING. BECAUSE WHEN WE DO IT AND WE SHINE THE LIGHT ON IT INHERENTLY, OUR POLICY FOR THE ARGUMENT, THE DEBATE, THE DIFFERENCES, THE POLICY AT THE END IS BETTER FOR IT. UH, AND THE MORE WE EMBRACE THAT DIFFERENCE AND GRAB A HOLD OF IT AND FIGHT AND GET WHAT'S RIGHT, THE MORE AT THE END, THE CITIZEN IS SERVED BY THAT. SO, IT'S GREAT WORK, VERY, I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT. UH, SOLID AND FANTASTIC IDEAS. AND JEFF, THANK YOU FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION. I APPRECIATE THIS. LOOK FORWARD TO MORE PUBLIC, UH, PARTICIPATION GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BHA. COUNCILMAN PAL. THANKS, JEFF. I, I'M LOOKING THROUGH AND THE, UH, 10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON PAGE THREE AND FOUR. UH, AND REALLY JUST ONE COMMENT, THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING TO ME IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL OF OUR EFFORTS NEED TO BE, OR ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS NEED TO BE MEANINGFUL AND TRANSPARENT, REFLECTIVE, TIMELY, RESPONSIVE, INFORMATIVE, AND ALL THAT. BUT THE, THE ONE THING THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING FROM THIS IS ACCURACY. UH, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, IT NEEDS, THERE NEEDS TO BE QUALITY CONTROL BUILT INTO THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WE PUMP OUT. BUT THE MOMENT THAT THAT INFORMATION IS FOUND TO BE INACCURATE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 10 STEPS BACKWARDS FOR US, , RIGHT? AND THEN THERE, AND THEN WE CREATE A CRACK, RIGHT? IN THE TRUST FOUNDATION. AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO REDO THIS ENTIRE THING, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT ALL TIME, RIGHT? IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN PREACHED TO FROM THE CITY MANAGER, FROM DAY ONE, IS THAT WE ARE THE SOURCE OF ACCURATE INFORMATION. YEAH, WE DID. UM, IT'S, IT'S BAKED INTO THE INFORMATIVE PRINCIPLE THAT WE WILL STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT OPINIONS ARE FORMED WITH FACTS AND THAT WE'LL PRESENT, BALANCED AND NECESSARY INFORMATION. UH, BUT YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT THAT THAT'S OUR, OUR GOAL. SO, UH, ADDRESSING, UH, THREE THINGS I HEARD TODAY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT I'M AFRAID OF OPENING THE PANDORA'S BOX. I MEAN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE AFRAID OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, AND THIS IS NOT THE JOB FOR ANY OF US UP HERE. UH, SO I, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT. WHAT I, WHAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT THOUGH, IS THAT ONCE YOU DO OPEN THAT BOX, THAT WE HAVE AS ROBUST A SYSTEM OF LISTENING AS WE DO IN RECEIVING, RIGHT? AND FACILITATING ALL THAT INPUT, RIGHT? THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST HEARING THESE PEOPLE AND THAT CHRIS CALLAN ISN'T JUST WRITING A LIST OF CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, BUT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING WITH THIS INFORMATION AND THAT WE'RE BEING VISIBLE IN HOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND SO, I, I DO THINK THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE [02:55:01] CAPTURING THAT, BUT FOR ME, THAT'LL BE THE TRUE TEST OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM. AND THEN, UH, TWO, UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, CLAYTON'S NOT HERE, BUT THE, I WILL BRING YOU THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WHO THEY'VE BEEN CALLING ME. AND WHAT THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT IS THAT THIS TO THEM LOOKS LIKE A WAY TO DELAY THEIR PROJECTS. I'VE ASSURED THEM THAT NOBODY ON THIS DIOCESE EVEN SAID THAT. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, INTENDS FOR THIS TO SERVE AS A METHOD TO, UH, SERVE AS A FIRE BLANKET, YOU KNOW, BY WAY OF DELAY, RIGHT? BUT THEIR, THEIR FEARS ARE LEGITIMATE. AND, UM, SO YOU MIGHT GET SOME OF THAT AT SOME POINT. OKAY. OKAY. SO JUST HEADS UP, UH, AND WE MAY WANT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THAT SO THAT WHEN WE ANNOUNCE THIS, I IMAGINE THERE'S GONNA BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, RIGHT? UH, THAT THIS IS THE NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS AT CITY HALL. UM, YES. YEAH. AND SO, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S AN ONGOING EVOLUTION. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FUTURE . AND SO IT'S THE USUAL SUS, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE USUAL SUSPECTS RIGHT IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO EXPRESS THAT FEAR. AND I'M, I'M GLAD THEY, THEY EXPRESS IT. UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, CHERYL, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW WE NEED TO GET TO THEM AND JUST LET THEM KNOW, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THIS. THIS IS NOT THE, THIS IS NOT A VEHICLE TO IMPEDE PROGRESS, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, SHIRLEY MENTIONED THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, SANDOVAL, UH, AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, AND AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ SPEND AN EXTRA 45 MINUTES GETTING READY EVERY MORNING. UM, AND I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT SORT OF THE AESTHETICS ON TV. I MEAN, 'CAUSE I'M JUST EMPIRICALLY HANDSOME, SO THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM, PROBLEM FOR ME. UH, BUT, UM, UH, I DISAGREE WITH YOU COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. I THINK YOU LOOK FANTASTIC. UH, AND TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, ALL OF US ARE READY TO, UH, EMBRACE THIS NEW PROGRAM, JEFF. UH, AND I'M EXCITED. YOU'VE GOT MY SUPPORT. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PIZ, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I, I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE FIRST TIME I SAW THIS, UH, ANA, I LOOKED AT IT AND I SAID, WELL, WHY DO WE NEED THIS? ISN'T THIS SOMETHING WE'RE ALREADY DOING? I, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M THIS WAY. I'M RESPECTFUL, INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND I WOULD PRESUME THAT ALL OF US ARE ON THE COUNCIL. AND, AND SO I KIND OF THOUGHT, WELL, ALRIGHT, THIS IS JUST A FEEL GOOD RESOLUTION, BUT, UH, THE MORE I, I READ IT AND THE MORE I READ INTO IT WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, IT MADE ME RECOGNIZE IT. IT'S, IT'S MORE SIGNIFICANT. AND, AND THE REAL PROOF OF THE PUDDING IN TO ME IS WHAT THE STAFF HAS COME OUT WITH AS A SERIES OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND STEPS AND PROCESSES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT OR EXPAND WHAT THEY WERE DOING, SO THAT NOW WE ARE GOING TO BE RECEIVING, UH, A LOT MORE COMMUNICATION. AND IT'LL BE A LOT MORE TWO-WAY TOO. AND, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE NOW IT IS SIGNIFICANT. IT IS A GREAT STEP IN THE, IN UH, THE RIGHT DIRECTION. IT'S A LEAP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE INITIATION OF IT. I WANT TO COMMEND THE STAFF FOR EMBRACING IT AND SAYING, HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE ALL OF THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND THEN PUTTING TOOLS IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP ALL OF US UNDERSTAND MORE OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS FROM US, AND HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PART OF THIS DECISION MAKING PROCESS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. AND I WANNA THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR VERY, UH, THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. I THINK YOU GUYS BROUGHT SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS FORWARD. COUNCILMAN TREVINO, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN, UH, 3 1 1 AND, AND THE BUDGET. AND IN FACT, THAT'S A CONVERSATION COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN AND I HAD AS WE WERE DEVELOPING THE C C R IS WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE 3 1 1 CONTACT INFORMATION, UM, AND MAKING THE BEST USE OF THAT. SO, UM, AND I, I WANNA BE VERY, UH, COGNIZANT OF, OF THE EXCELLENT POINTS BROUGHT UP BY COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE. WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE PEOPLE BEHIND WHEN WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS, AND IT, IT WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR US TO CONSIDER. HOW DO WE INCLUDE THOSE WHO CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES RIGHT NOW? AND WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT FORGET THAT. UM, THERE WAS ONE POINT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN SOMEONE CAME UP TO SPEAK, UH, REGARDING, UH, C P SS ENERGY AND SAWS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE ON STAFF THAT CAN SPEAK TO THAT, IF WE HAVE A LIAISON FROM THERE. ACTUALLY, I COUNCILWOMAN, MAY I, MAY I JUMP IN? YES, JEFF, I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS LEGISLA LEGISLATION PASSED A SESSION OR TWO AGO THAT REQUIRED THAT, SO I THOUGHT THERE WAS COMPLIANCE ALREADY. AND IF THERE'S NOT, UM, MY COMMITMENT ON BEHALF OF THIS BODY, UH, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO COME INTO COMPLIANCE IMMEDIATELY. THAT'S ABOUT COMPLIANCE CCPS, I, I [03:00:01] MISSED THAT. THAT REQUIRES WHAT LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRES WEBCASTING OF PUBLIC AGENCY MEETINGS. YEAH, THERE WAS, UH, THERE WAS LEGISLATION RELATED TO THAT. I, I, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT SAW AS A C P S AND I'LL, I'LL JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION FROM ALAN WHO'S NOT HERE. UM, BUT THE COUNCILWOMAN AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND, AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY, UH, ESSENTIAL TO GOOD DIALOGUE AT THOSE AGENCIES. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENS IN, IN SHORT ORDER. OKAY. ANDY, YOU HAD CLARIFICATION? YEAH, A CLARIFICATION, UH, THE, THE STATUTE, UH, AND WE'LL DIG INTO IT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, COUNCILMAN, AND GET BACK A, A MORE FULSOME ANSWER, BUT, UH, IN SHORT, IT'S IT THAT APPLIED TO GOVERNING BODIES AND, AND SO, UH, C P S AND SAWS ARE NOT GOVERNING BODIES UNDER THE STATUTE. YEAH. WELL, I DO KNOW THAT SAWS COMPLIES, AND I BELIEVE VIA STARTED AS WELL SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. UM, I'LL HAVE CONVERSATIONS AT C P SS, BUT THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S COMMONSENSICAL TO ME. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. WE'LL PURPORT BACK TO YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS. UM, I SPENT, UM, ALMOST A DECADE AT THE ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER WORKING ON CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY. SO THIS VERY MUCH SPEAKS TO THE CORE OF WHY I DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING UP HERE. UM, BUT IT'S NOT EASY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A FISH AND A FISHBOWL IS YOU ASK THEM TO TALK ABOUT THE WATER. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. WE LIVE AND BREATHE THE WORK THAT WE DO UP HERE, AND IT TAKES, UH, SOME THOUGHTFUL INDIVIDUALS COMING TO US, UH, IN CITIZEN COMMENTS TO LET US KNOW WHERE WE CAN DO BETTER. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM THAT HAS BEEN DEDICATING THEMSELVES FOR MANY YEARS TO THAT EFFECT. I DO BELIEVE, UH, THE REPORT THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN, UH, BY INDEPENDENT AGENCIES THAT SAN ANTONIO MAINTAINS IN MANY RESPECTS THE GOLD STANDARD OF TRANSPARENCY IN OUR OPERATIONS. BUT I ALSO, UH, APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE DON'T STOP THERE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE, UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING, UH, WITH THIS INITIATIVE, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY, JUST MAKE A FEW OBSERVATIONS. WHEN I CAME ON THE DAES, AGAIN WITH A MISSION, UH, THAT WAS IN PART FROM MY DAYS AT ANNENBERG, I WENT TO GO TALK TO MAYOR CASTRO ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEEDED B SESSIONS TO BE, UH, BROADCAST. 'CAUSE THEY WERE JUST IN A ROOM AND THE ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP WOULD EVEN KNOW THE CONVERSATIONS WERE HAPPENING AROUND THE WORK TABLE. HE SAID, DON'T BOTHER SENDING IN A C C R 'CAUSE IT, IT MAKES SENSE. IT'S EASY. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S COMMON SENSE GOAL. SO WE GOT IT DONE. I ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION ABOUT, FROM THE, I ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION TO THE CLERK ABOUT RECORDING AND ARCHIVING, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SAME THING, COMMON SENSE. WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN DOING THAT BEFORE? AND WE GOT IT DONE. SO THANK YOU LETICIA FOR THAT. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE DONE THINGS ON ACCESS AND OVERSIGHT. WE MODIFIED A FREE SPEECH ORDINANCE. UH, WE DID, UH, SOME VARIOUS ETHICS REFORMS. I CHALKED THEM ALL UP TO GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY 1 0 1, BUT OUR TEAM WAS COMMITTED TO DOING THAT, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY'LL DO THAT AGAIN. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL HAS DONE THOUGH, IS TAKEN IT OUT OF THE REALM OF INDIVIDUAL INCREMENTAL CHANGE. AND NOW TAKING AN, TAKING A VIEWPOINT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, SOMETHING THAT'S BAKED INTO THE CULTURE OF WHAT SAN ANTONIO DOES AS A COMMUNITY. I TOO AM CONCERNED ABOUT TRUST, UH, NOT JUST AT THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL, BUT THAT TRUST THAT FILTERS DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO IS ON A COMPUTER IS WATCHING THE WEBCAST OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING OR THE ZONING MEETING OR THE PLANNING MEETING, BUT THAT PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE KNOWS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING IT, EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO, THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S HAPPENING HERE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE PRIVY TO. UH, THAT'S THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT I THINK, UH, IS BEING INTRODUCED HERE. AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING, UM, OR BY OBSERVING THAT MANY TIMES DURING OUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD DISCUSSIONS, WE HEAR FROM THE SAME INDIVIDUALS. UM, AND WE ALSO SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY, HEAR A LOT OF BIGOTED COMMENTS COME FORWARD TO THE DAIS. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE FLANKED SOME BIGOTED COMMENTS TODAY BY ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO MADE THE COMMENT HE WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE COMMITTED TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, IF THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM MORE OF US. WE ABSOLUTELY DO WANT TO HEAR FROM MORE OF US, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE, COME COMMENT, WE SHOW WHAT, UH, TRULY, UM, OR HOW TRULY OUTLYING AND NON-REPRESENTATIVE THOSE BIGOTED COMMENTS BECOME WHEN WE SEE, HEAR FROM AND SEE A, A BROADER CROSS [03:05:01] SECTION OF THE COMPASSIONATE, INCLUSIVE CITY THAT WE TRULY ARE. SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU JEFF AND LAURA AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS. YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY HEARD UNANIMOUSLY FROM THIS COUNCIL THAT WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE SELF-REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER. SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER 24, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? UH, MAYOR, JUST QUICKLY, UH, ONE ITEM THIS MORNING ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 11TH, THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RELEASED OUR 2018 SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT. I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S ATTENTION THIS MORNING BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. UH, THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY, UH, REFERRED TO AS BETA AND THE MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM ADMINISTERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ALAMO COLLEGES AND THE LOW LOAN INTEREST BUY DOWN PROGRAM AND LAUNCH SA, WHICH ARE BOTH ADMINISTERED, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LIFT FUND. SO THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE REPORT DOES CENTER ON THE PROGRESS. UH, WE HAVE MADE IN THE SP OF PROGRAM THAT PROMOTES THE UTILIZATION OF LOCAL, SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS AT BOTH THE PRIME CONTRACTOR LEVEL AS WELL AS THE SUBCONTRACTOR LEVEL IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES WITH IT, WITH WHICH WE CONTRACT, UH, FOR WORK TO BE DONE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO SINCE THE MAJOR OVERHAUL OF THE PROGRAM IN 2010, WHICH INCLUDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTRACT SPECIFIC TOOLS, ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOAL SETTING COMMITTEE ENHANCED COMPLIANCE, MONITORING, AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS, S BETA HAS BEEN MAKING STEADY PROGRESS IN INCREASING SMALL BUSINESS UTILIZATION ON CITY CONTRACTS. AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IN 2018, WE RECORDED THE LARGEST PERCENT UTILIZATION OF LOCAL, SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN 1992, LAST YEAR, 53% OF THE CONTRACT DOLLARS APPROVED BY THE CITY WERE PAID TO 519 SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. AND THIS REPRESENTS A 9% INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 2017. AND 44% OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE PAID SPECIFICALLY TO LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, WHICH ALSO REPRESENTS THE CITY'S LARGEST PERCENT UTILIZATION TO DATE. SO IN ADDITION TO THE DETAILED REPORT ON UTILIZATION RATES FOR SPECIFIC, UH, ETHNICITIES AND GENDERS PER INDUSTRY, THE REPORT ALSO INCLUDES SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM THE S BETA PROGRAM AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS. THE UTILIZATION NUMBERS IN THE REPORT DEMONSTRATE THE CITY'S CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT TOWARD ATTAINING ITS GOALS ON UTILIZING LOCAL, SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS. UH, THE 2018 SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT WAS SENT OUT LAST WEEK TO THE COMMUNITY AND DELIVERED TO EACH OF YOUR OFFICES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL COPIES, PLEASE LET US KNOW. AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO RECOGNIZE RENEE DOMINGUEZ, OF COURSE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND MICHAEL SINON, WHO SPECIFICALLY WORKS AND ADMINISTERS THIS PROGRAM AND WORKS WITH THE, UH, SP A STEERING COMMITTEE. THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND WE'RE PLEASED TO PRESENT THESE IMPROVED RESULTS. LASTLY, MAYOR, WE TALKED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING ABOUT THE, THIS YEAR'S MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS. JUST A REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC THAT MORE INFORMATION, UH, IS ONLINE AT THE CITY'S WEBSITE, THE M L K WEBSITE, WWW.SANANTONIO.GOV/MLK. THESE ARE ALL FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THERE ARE LITERALLY DOZENS OF ACTIVITIES, SO WE ENCOURAGE, UH, THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. AND OF COURSE, THE NEARLY THREE MILE ROUTE DOWN MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE TAKES PARTICIPANTS THROUGH OUR HISTORIC EAST SIDE IN REMEMBRANCE OF DR. KING, WHO WOULD'VE BEEN 90 YEARS OLD. UH, YESTERDAY WAS HIS ACTUAL BIRTH DATE. SO WE INVITE THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S ALL TO REPORT THIS MORNING. GREAT, THANK YOU CHERYL. UH, AND GOOD NEWS ON THE, UH, CONTRACTING FRONT. BEFORE WE ADJOURN, UH, AND REMINDER, WE WILL RECONVENE AT 2:00 PM FOR OUR ZONING AGENDA. I DO HAVE A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT. UH, WE HAVE A COLLEAGUE WHO'S CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. UH, THERE'LL BE CAKE IN THE BACK, [03:10:01] AND WE ARE HAPPY TO CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY NUMBER, UH, NUMBER 48, YOU DISCLOSED. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ROBERTO, COUNCILMAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL WILL RECESS, UH, FOR LUNCH AND RECONVENE AT 2:00 PM FOR OUR ZONING AGENDA. ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK, UH, TO OUR COUNCIL MEETING. WE ARE NOW ON OUR ZONING AGENDA. THE TIME IS 2:08 PM WE HAVE A BIG AGENDA SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST ZONING MEETING OF THE YEAR. UH, I HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. I'M GONNA READ THEM NOW, AND THEN I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA. THE ITEMS I HAVE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION ARE THE FOLLOWING, Z ONE Z 10, Z 11 P TWO, AND Z 13, P EIGHT, AND Z 23, Z 24, Z 25, Z 26, Z 36, Z 42, Z 43, AND Z 52. AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT ITEM Z 31 HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY THE APPLICANT, AND ITEMS P SEVEN Z 22 AND Z 48 HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT. THEY WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA? YES. ANY OTHERS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE, FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT ZONING AGENDA. I DO HAVE ITEM, I DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT, SO I WILL CALL THEM NOW. JACK FINGER. WELL, MR. MAYOR NURNBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UH, MY NAME IS JACK FINGER AND I'M WAITING FOR YOU TO FINISH YOUR CONVERSATION. MR. MAYOR, WE'RE A CITIZEN WHO CAME DOWN TO SPEAK ON ALL THESE ITEMS HERE. YEAH, A LOT OF, UH, COMMERCIAL ENCROACHMENT, UH, THIS TIME AROUND. I'LL TRY TO GET INTO IT WITH THE, THE THREE MINUTES WE, THEY GIVE US HERE. UH, MR. TINO, IN YOUR DISTRICT? YEAH, Z ONE. A LOT OF BAD RED FLAGS HERE. THE ZONING COMMISSION SAYS, SAID NO TO IT. UH, 26 NOTICES, SEVEN OPPOSED. THAT'S OVER A QUARTER. THAT'S ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE PEOPLE SAYING NO TO IT WHEN YOU'RE DOING GOOD TO GET FIVE OR 10% OPPOSING IT. AND THE NORTH CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OPPOSED IT. WHY? WELL, I GUESS THEY DON'T LIKE THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE GOING UP IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THERE, SIR. YES. MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY NO TO THAT ONE. UM, THE VERY NEXT ONE, A BAR TAVERN RIGHT THERE ON SOUTH FLORIDA STREET. HOW MANY DO YOU REALLY NEED THERE ON FLORY STREET? MR. TREVINO, COULD YOU MAYBE SAY NO TO THAT ONE TOO? UM, WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE IN YOUR, ONCE AGAIN, IN YOUR DISTRICT, IN THE BEACON HILL AREA, SIR, YOU HAVE ONE THAT THEY, WHERE THEY WANNA INCREASE THE DENSITY FROM UP TO ABOUT THREE RESIDENTIAL UNITS. THERE'S ON A SMALL LOT THERE. THE STAFF SAID IT WAS A BAD IDEA. WHAT I THINK, YES. EVEN THE, UM, YEAH, THEY SAID INCREASING DENSITY WITHIN A SINGLE FAMILY ZONED AREA. AGAIN, SIR, DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO SAY YES TO THESE THINGS? UH, UH, FURTHER ON THE, YEAH. LAUGH A MINUTE HERE. AND, UH, MR. HALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BABY, YOUR INSTALLATION, SIR, BUT WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO THIS ONE HERE, BY GOLLY. YES. AND WE'RE BACK. THE ANOTHER USED CAR LOT ON, UH, AUSTIN HIGHWAY. SIR, HOW MANY ARE THERE WITHIN A ONE MILE AREA? ARE THERE, SIR? MAYBE, MAYBE WE'LL JUST SEE YOU TURN OVER NEW LEAF AND SAY NO TO THAT ONE TOO. ALSO ON MILAN STREET, ANOTHER BAR NIGHTCLUB, SIR, WHY NOT SAY THAT ONE? NO, TO THAT ONE TOO, YOU HAVE, UM, AND MS VIA GRAND IN YOUR AREA, MILITARY DRIVE. I THINK THIS ONE HAS SET THE SALE RIGHT ON THROUGH WITH CONSENT. YOU WANT TO, THERE ARE, IT'S OVERSATURATED WITH NINE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WITHIN A MILE. YES. YOU MAY WANNA CHECK ON THAT ONE, MS. VIA GRAND BEFORE YOU SAY YES TO IT. THE STAFF SAID DENIED IT. AND, UH, [03:15:01] ALSO IT'S NOT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE, WITH THE, THE SECTOR PLAN THERE. MAYBE COULD YOU JUST SAY NO TO THESE THINGS, HUH? UH, YES. ALSO, THE VERY NEXT ONE, Z 23 . OH MY GOODNESS. THE STAFF SAID NO TO IT AND SAYS, A CHANGE WILL ENCOURAGE COMMERCIAL ENCROACHMENT INTO THE SINGLE FAMILY USES WITHOUT AN APPROPRIATE BUFFER. YES. OH, GOODNESS. WHERE ELSE DO WE HAVE HERE? ? YES. UM, OH, THANK YOU, MR. FINGER SCANDALS. ASK OUR, UH, OUR, UH, IT STAFF OR OUR AV STAFF TO ROLL THE TRANSLATION VIDEO AGAIN. THANK YOU. INTERPRET. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE TWO OTHER CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT. I'LL CALL YOU NOW. UH, WE'LL START WITH JOSEPHINE DOW. MS. DOW WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ANNABELL RIVERA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR TAKING, ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO URGE OUR COUNCILMAN, UH, MR. HALL TO VOTE AGAINST THE ZONING. THIS IS IN 4 23 RENO. I DID GIVE HIM A COPY OF THE ZONING, UH, AS I WAS GIVEN THAT COPY BY THE ZONING DEPARTMENT OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THERE. UH, MY NAME IS JOSEPHINE DOW AND MY SIBLINGS AND MYSELF OWN PROPERTY WITHIN 200 YARDS OF 4 23 REYNOLDS. THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I WILL BE ADDRESSING, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD JUST SOUTH OF I H 35. IT'S ALSO THE, UM, THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONNA BE THE RAILROAD TRACKS. EASTERN BORDER IS WALTER STREET, AND TO THE WEST IS STREET, A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY AREA. UH, THE ZONING MAP, UH, WELL, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON ZONING, BUT I'LL KEEP THOSE TO THE END. UH, AT THE TIME, 2011, WHEN I MET WITH THE, UH, ZONING DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE WE WERE STARTING OUR OWN ASSOCIATION AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT IN 2011 THERE WAS A BIG RADICAL CHANGE AND THE WAVE ZONING WAS DONE. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL THIS BEGAN IN 1987 IN FLORIDA, IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, WHERE THEY, UH, DECIDED TO START A NEW TYPE OF PLANNING DESIGN CALLED THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. I BELIEVE THAT CODE IS GOOD FOR OUR CITY IN SOME AREAS, AND ALSO THE WAY IT'S BEEN USED. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT AT TIMES IT HANDICAPS THE RESIDENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR RESIDENT, BECAUSE OF THAT CODE, EVERYTHING THAT WAS ZONED BEFORE THAT, IT WAS NOT GRANDFATHERED. IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. EVERYTHING THAT WAS ZONED AT 2001, WHATEVER THE LAST ZONING WAS, THAT WAS IT. OUR LAST ZONING WAS I TWO INDUSTRIAL, HEAVY INDUSTRIAL. SO ANY RESIDENTIAL THAT WAS BEFORE THAT, THAT WAS WIPED OUT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN I WENT AROUND TALKING TO PEOPLE, I HAD A NEIGHBOR THAT SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I CALLED MY CONTRACTOR, I NEED A NEW ROOF IN MY HOUSE. HE CAME BACK AND TOLD ME HE WENT TO THE CITY, DID NOT GIVE HIM A PERMIT. SO WHAT IS HE GONNA DO IN THE WINTERTIME? HE NEEDS A NEW ROOF. IT'S RAINING CITY DID NOT GIVE HIM A PERMIT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST WITH THE ZONING CODE THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW. UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT, LIKE I SAID, THE SYSTEM WORKS, BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT GIVING THE RESIDENTS CONTROL OF WHAT THEY NEED, CONTROL OF THEIR PROPERTIES. THE REASON I'M, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS REZONING IS GOING FROM I TWO AND HEAVY INDUSTRIAL TO R FOUR, WHICH IS RESIDENTIAL. THERE'S ALREADY A MANUFACTURED HOME THERE. IT'S A LARGE ONE. THERE'S ALREADY, UH, THE WATER SYSTEM IS ALREADY SET IN PLACE FOR WHOEVER BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY. MY ONLY THING IS, ARE YOU GONNA ALLOW THE OTHER RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE BECAUSE HEY, WE CANNOT ADD ANOTHER ROOM. OKAY? AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN LIVING THERE. IS THAT IT? IS THAT MY TIME OR NO? OH, 16 SECONDS. I WOULD URGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS. I WOULD URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST THIS UNLESS YOU CAN GIVE SOME EQUITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE. AND I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T EXIT EDGAR STREET FROM SEGUIN STREET BECAUSE OF THE TWO NEW RESTAURANTS [03:20:01] THAT WERE BUILT THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. DOW. THANK YOU, ANNABEL RIVERA. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR GIVING US THIS TIME. I ALSO COME IN OPPOSED TO THE ZONING FOR THIS MANUFACTURED HOME, AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE ME, THAT THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO GO IN THERE AND ADD ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL SPACE TO THEIR PROPERTIES. THEY'RE JUST ALLOWED TO HAVE THE PROPERTIES AS IS. UH, THIS IS UNFAIR BECAUSE AS A RESULT, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. LET, MY MOTHER BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY. MY PARENTS BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY IN 1964, AND IT'S BEEN IN OUR FAMILY SINCE THEN. UM, AND I'VE SEEN THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, SOME OF THEM ABANDONED THEIR PROPERTY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A THREE BLOCK SPAN, AND TO ALLOW A MANUFACTURED HOME TO BE BROUGHT INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS NO, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY, UH, UM, WHAT AM I TRYING TO THINK OF? THERE'S IN COMPARISON, WHEN YOU'RE COMPARISON COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES, THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMES THAT ARE THERE ARE LESS THAN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET. AND THAT'S SMALL FOR A FAMILY, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S, UH, TIMEFRAME. THE THING ABOUT BRINGING, ALLOWING MANUFACTURED HOMES TO BE BROUGHT INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, INTO THOSE LOTS THAT ARE THERE, IS THAT NOW WE'RE NO LONGER APPLES TO APPLES. OUR TAX BASE IS GOING TO INCREASE AS A RESULT OF THESE BIGGER HOUSES BEING ALLOWED TO COME IN, VERSUS SOMEBODY THAT HAS AN 800 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, SOMEBODY THAT HAS A 900 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS BEING BUILT FROM THE EARLY 1920S TO THE 1950S, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO NEW CONSTRUCTION HAVING TO DO THERE OTHER THAN THE TWO NEW RESTAURANTS THAT ARE THERE IN WALTERS AND 35. UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT AS A RESULT OF THOSE TWO RESTAURANTS, THE ONLY THING THAT WAS UPGRADED, THERE WAS JUST A SIDEWALK ADDED ON THE SIDE WHERE THE RESTAURANTS WERE PUT IN. THERE WAS NO OTHER RE THE, THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS. EDGAR STREET HAS NO SIDEWALKS. REYNOLDS HAS A SIDEWALK, BUT IT'S ONLY A BLOCK LONG. RUMAN HAS NO SIDEWALKS. SO THE RUNOFF FROM THAT WATER RUMAN IS WHERE MY HOUSE IS AT. SO WE GET THE, ALL THE WATER THAT COMES DOWNHILL, GOES DOWN RUMAN, AND IT BECOMES A RIVER. SO AS A RESULT OF NOW ADDING MANUFACTURED HOMES INTO THIS SMALL AREA, THAT WILL BE UNJUST TO THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. RIVERA. COUNCILMAN GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST, UH, JUST TO CONFIRM, MELISSA OR KATT Z 22 WAS WITHDRAWN, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME ITEMS THAT ARE ON CONSENT. I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE ARE USHERING INTO NEW MEDICAL FACILITIES AND DENTAL FACILITIES HERE IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I'M PROUD OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE STARTING UP. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN VERON. COUNCILMAN HALL, MAYOR, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE LEGAL TEAM, SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PULL THIS ITEM, IF YOU DON'T MIND. PULL, UH, ITEM Z 17 AS WELL, UH, SO THAT I CAN ASK THOSE, THOSE QUESTIONS AT THAT TIME. DOES THAT WORK? YOU, YOU WANNA PULL IT OFF? PULL Z 17? YEAH. OKAY. UM, THAT WOULD BE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO PULL. ITEM P, ITEM Z 17. UH, WHO MADE, UH, ACCEPTED. OKAY. ACCEPTED BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO. SO, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. LET ME READ THOSE ITEMS. UH, ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR Z ONE Z 10 Z, 11 Z, EXCUSE ME, P TWO AND Z 13, P EIGHT AND Z 23 Z 17, Z 24, Z 25 Z 26 Z 36, Z 42, Z 43, Z 52, AS WELL AS Z 31 P SEVEN, Z 22, AND Z 48. ALRIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z ONE Z 20 18 1 0 1 FROM R FOUR TO R FOUR CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE LOCATED AT 2 73 RED ROCK DRIVE. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL. 26. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR, SEVEN OPPOSED. NORTH CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN OPPOSITION, AND THIS WILL REQUIRE NINE VOTES TO APPROVE DUE TO OPPOSITION EXCEEDING 20%. [03:25:01] COUNCILMAN TRAVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS, UH, MANY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ZONING CASE, AND THEREFORE WE'LL BE ADDING A SERIES OF CONDITIONS WHICH WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS WITH THOSE CONDITIONS AND AMEND THE SITE PLAN SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT. I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. THE APPLICANT MUST CONSTRUCT A SIX FOOT SOLID SCREEN FENCING ADJACENT TO THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES, UH, NO OUTDOOR SPEAKERS OR AMPLIFIED SOUND. ALL SIGNAGE RESTRICTED TO ONE FOOT BY ONE FOOT, HOURS OF OPERATION RESTRICTED TO 8:00 AM TO 6:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ONLY 10 PERSONS IN THE BUILDING AT ANY GIVEN TIME. PARKING LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING ADJACENT TO WEST AVENUE, NO CLOSER THAN 20 FEET FROM SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES. ADDITIONAL CURB CUTS AND EGRESS POINTS PERMITTED ALONG WEST AVENUE ONLY ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY MUST CONFORM WITH THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT STANDARDS. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM Z ONE WITH CONDITIONS AS READ, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z 10 Z 20 18 9 0 3 7 FROM R SIX TO R SIX CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR THREE UNITS LOCATED AT 1 1 9 CINCINNATI AVENUE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL ZONING. COMMISSIONER RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 38 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED. COUNCILMAN VINNO. THANK YOU MAYOR. THIS PROJECT, UH, SEEKS TO INCREASE DENSITY ON A CONNECTOR STREET IN A WAY THAT MATCHES THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN. YOU, UH, THE PROPERTY IS ALSO CURRENTLY BUILT FOR THIS USE AND MUST BE RE BE RE REHABILITATED AND THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE HOW THESE THINGS CAN BE DONE. THE SITE PLAN PROVIDES CERTAINLY, UH, CERTAINTY TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL RECEIVE WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED AND THE APPLICANT HAS DEMONSTRATED GOOD FAITH TO THE NEIGHBORS BY AMENDING THEIR REQUEST TO A CONDITIONAL USE. MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM Z 10, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM Z 11 Z 2018. 9 0 0 0 4 1 FROM R M FOUR TO I D Z WITH USES PERMITTED IN C TWO AND MF 40 LOCATED AT 9 23 EAST MEYER STREET. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 17. I'M SORRY. 19. NOTICES MAILED TWO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WANNA SEE IF THE APPLICANT IS HERE? YES, SIR. OKAY. SO WE, WE'D LIKE, UH, THE APPLICANT TO, UH, TO AMEND THEIR SITE PLAN AND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UM, MOVE FORWARD AS PLANNED. YES. UH, MY BARKLEY ANTHONY, I'M THE APPLICANT HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION ON OUR PROJECT. UH, WE DO HAVE THE AMENDED SITE PLAN HERE, UM, IF YOU NEED A COPY OF THAT. OKAY. YES. I GUESS WE'LL, WE'LL ENTER THAT INTO THE RECORD AND THEREFORE, UH, I MOTION TO APPROVE AS, UH, AMENDED ACCORDING TO THE SITE PLAN SUBMITTED TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL AT APPROVAL OF ITEM Z 11 AS AMENDED. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEMS P TWO AND Z SEVEN Z 13 P. UH, PLAN AMENDMENT 20 18 9 0 0 12 AND Z 20 18 9 0 0 0 13 AMENDING THE DOWNTOWN PLAN FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO G DENVER HEIGHTS TO ALLOW FOR USES CONSISTENT WITH UP TO 25 UNITS FROM R M FOUR TO I D Z WITH USES PERMITTED FOR SEVEN UNITS LOCATED AT 1 1 5 GRAVEL STREET AND 6 1 8 SOUTH PINE STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL 50 54 NOTICES MAILED ONE IN FAVOR AND SIX OPPOSED. DENVER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT. THERE'S, UH, ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. CALL HER NOW, ERICA HEISEL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ERICA HEISEL AND I OWN THE PROPERTY AT 1 0 9 GRAVEL. I PURCHASED IT IN JANUARY, 2017 AS AN OCCUPIABLE HOUSE AND I REPAIRED IT FOR USEFUL OCCUPATION. I NOW HAVE IT RENTED. I'M ASKING COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY TO VOTE EITHER [03:30:01] NO ON REZONING SO THAT THE DEVELOPER CAN GO BACK TO THE TABLE AND REVISE THE SITE PLAN THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ZONING CASE. I AM HERE TODAY ONLY BECAUSE IT'S, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE DEVELOPER TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE DENSITY ON GRAVEL. I DO BELIEVE THE CITY HAS CREATED THIS PROCESS FOR US FOR THIS VERY REASON. THE FIRST IS, THERE ARE THREE REASONS WHY I'M HERE TODAY AND WHY I WOULD LIKE THE DEVELOPER TO NEGOTIATE THE DENSITY ON GRAVEL. THE FIRST IS SAFETY. I HAVE A PHOTO UP HERE ON THE SCREEN. THREE UNITS ON THE 1 1 5 GRAVEL SIDE IS ACTUALLY AN ALLEY WITH NO SIDEWALKS PRESENTING, A DANGER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WALKING HOME AND FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AS WELL AS FUTURE OWNERS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT ON GRAVEL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED IN THE SITE PLAN. THERE ARE SIX OTHER IMMEDIATE LOTS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO 1 1 5 GRAVEL AND TO MY PROPERTY AT 1 0 9. A PHOTO OF THE CARS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY PROPERTY WILL SHOW YOU HOW NARROW THE STREET IS. AND AT THE HEARING FOR THE AT, AT ZONING, THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE DEVELOPER WAS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THE GARBAGE IS ALSO COLLECTED ON THE STREET. THE SECOND IS TRANSPARENCY. THE OWNERS IN THE NOTICE ZONE, THE 54 PEOPLE DID NOT RECEIVE THE SITE PLAN ATTACHED TO THE ZONING REQUEST BY THE CITY, NOR DID THE DISTRICT TWO ZONING COMMISSIONER ACKNOWLEDGE MY EMAIL FROM DECEMBER 2ND TO DISCUSS THE DENSITY ISSUE. I, MYSELF ONLY BECAME AWARE OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS AT AN INVITATION ONLY MEETING CALLED BY THE DENVER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ON NOVEMBER 5TH. IT WAS NOT A GENERAL MEETING, NOR WAS IT PRESENTED AT THE GENERAL MEETING. TRANSPARENCY IS A THEME COMMUNICATED IN THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE FINAL REPORT DEVELOPED BY ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THE THIRD REASON IS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DID NOT REPRESENT THE OWNERS IN THE NOTICE ZONE. AT THE MEETING OF THE INVITATION ONLY MEMBERS ON NOVEMBER 5TH, TWO OWNERS IN THE ZONE WERE PRESIDENT, MYSELF AND THE OWNER OF 6 0 6 MARTIN LUTHER KING. WE COMMUNICATED THAT THE DENSITY ON GRAVEL IS UNTENABLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS AN ALLEY WITH NO SIDEWALKS. OTHERS AT THE MEETING AGREED. WE REQUESTED THAT ANY LETTER WOULD BE APPROVED WITH THE CONDITIONS, WHICH INCLUDED THE DENSITY ISSUE ON GRAVEL. TO MY DISMAY, THE LETTER SENT BY THE PRESIDENT DID NOT INCLUDE THE OBJECTIONS THAT THE GROUP HAD AGREED ON, AND I ACTUALLY HAD TO FILE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST TO EVEN GET THE LETTER. THE ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING. THE DEVELOPER EMAILED ME JUST TO DISCUSS THE BASIC PROCESS, WHICH IS BASIC. I'M ASKING YOU TO EITHER VOTE COMPLETELY, NO, OR WITH THE CONDITIONS AS PRESENTED JUST FOR THE THREE UNITS ON 1 0 9. GRAVEL'S SIDE AND DENSITY IS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN. THAT WAS ALSO ADDRESSED IN THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, MS. HEISEL, COUNCILMAN HALL, AND THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU ERICA FOR, UM, RAISING THE ISSUES. AND I WANTED TO PULL THIS OFF THE CONSENT JUST TO GIVE, UH, HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO VOICE HER CONCERNS. UM, YOU KNOW, ZONING CASES AND I'M, I'M, I'VE BEEN A LITTLE RUSTY. I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE, UH, PICTURE FOR A LITTLE OVER 11 YEARS AND THEY'RE ALWAYS TOUGH, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'VE GOT NEIGHBORS THAT, THAT MAY DISAGREE. UM, AND THEN ERICA'S A PERSONAL FRIEND OF MINE AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE APPLICANT. UM, BUT WHAT I TYPICALLY DO IN, IN THESE SORTS OF SCENARIOS IS I, I, AND THE BROWN NORTHEAST FIRM KNOWS THIS. I ALWAYS SAY, HEY, GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, WORK OUT YOUR AGREEMENT, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD, AND THEN COME BACK, UH, WITH A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND I'M NEW, UH, TO THIS PARTICULAR POSITION, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY DID IN THIS CASE. UH, SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS COME BACK AND SAID THAT THEY'VE GIVEN APPROVAL, UH, UNCONDITIONAL. UH, THEY'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEXTS BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, UH, FROM CITY STAFF THAT, UH, THE, THE ATTORNEYS, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S STILL DISAGREEMENT WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, NOT EVERYBODY WITHIN THE ASSOCIATION AGREES. AND SO I'M, I I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'VE GOTTA RESPECT A GROUP DECISION AND, AND, AND PROCESS. AND SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, I'M GONNA MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS P TWO AND C 13, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM P EIGHT, OH, I'M SORRY. LET'S TAKE UP ITEM Z 17, Z 8 20 18, 9 0 0 0 3 0 FROM I TWO TO R FOUR WITH A SPECIFIC YOUTH AUTHORIZATION FOR A MANUFACTURED HOME LOCATED AT 4 23 REYNOLDS AVENUE. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 28 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND TWO OPPOSED. [03:35:01] COUNCILMAN HALL. SO I JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, I'M STILL A BIT RUSTY ON MY ZONING, UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, ISN'T I TWO TO, UH, R FOUR SS, ISN'T THAT TYPICALLY A DOWN ZONING? YES, THAT IS. OKAY. AND, UM, ANYBODY WHO IS CURRENTLY ON THE PROPERTY AFTER A ZONE UP ZONE OR DOWN ZONE, UH, ARE, ARE THEY GRANDFATHERED IN AS TO THEY'RE NON-CONFORMING. THEY'RE NON-CONFORMING, SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY GET KICKED OUT. THAT'S JUST, UH, THAT'S CORRECT. WHEN THEY GO TO THE BANK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR FINANCING, THEY MAY NOT GET FINANCED. THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. POSSIBILITY. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT, SO MS. DOW, I APPRECIATE THE CONCERN THAT YOU'VE RAISED AND I I DON'T SEE HERE, UM, AGAIN, I'M ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT I FOLLOW PROCESS AND, UH, THERE HAS BEEN A PROCESS PUT IN PLACE. THERE'S A NOTIFICATION PROCESS THAT THAT HAPPENS. 2028 NOTICES WERE SENT OUT. UH, NOBODY SIGNED UP IN FAVOR, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, NOBODY, UH, OPPOSED IT. UH, IT'S GONE THROUGH ALL THE, THE OTHER PROCESSES AS WELL. UM, THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT HILL ASSOCIATION. SO, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS ARE BEING RAISED NOW, BUT, UH, THEY ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED EARLIER. SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, AND I'M SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE HOMES THERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT DOESN'T NEED MEAN NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO MOVE OUT. SO AGAIN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'M GONNA MOVE FOR APPROVAL. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER Z 17, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEMS P EIGHT AND Z 23 PLAN AMENDMENT 18 0 9 2 AND ZONING CASE Z 20 18 3 26 AMENDING THE HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY PLAN FROM LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL FROM R FOUR TO C ONE SS WITH A SPECIFIC USE AUTHORIZATION FOR A CHIROPRACTOR OFFICE LOCATED AT 1 2 3 WALL TECA, STREET STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND DENIALS ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 22 NOTICES MAIL 13 IN FAVOR. ZERO OPPOSED HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT. COUNCILWOMAN GRO. THANK YOU. IT'S 1 2 3 WAA. THANK YOU. UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTER INTO THE RECORD A SUPPORT LETTER FROM THE HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND, UH, THIS LOCATION HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED AS OFFICE SPACE BEFORE AND THE, AND SO WE'RE UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS CONSISTENT TO THE USE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ACCUSTOMED TO. I WANT TO THANK THE APPLICANT FOR DOING HIS DUE DILIGENCE AND GOING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SPEAKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. IT'S BEEN VERY THOROUGH AND GETTING THEIR SUPPORT. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE AS PER ZONING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS P EIGHT AND Z 23 PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z 24 Z 20 18 3 5 0 FROM R FOUR TO R FOUR CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR A VARIETY STORE LOCATED AT 4 67 HOT WELLS BOULEVARD. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL DUE TO LACK OF A MOTION. 14 NOTICES MAILED SIX IN FAVOR AND THREE OPPOSED, COUNCILMAN GRO. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PRESIDENTS OF THE HOT WELLS MISSION REACH IN HIGHLAND HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THEY'VE CONTACTED MY OFFICE UH, IN REGARDS TO THIS CASE. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A 60 DAY CONTINUANCE TO ALLOW FOR MORE DIALOGUE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THE RESIDENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. SO WITH THAT I WILL MOTION TO CONTINUE UNTIL MARCH 21ST. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z 24 TILL MARCH 21ST PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM Z 25 Z 2018. 9 0 0 0 7 FROM R SIX TO C TWO GENERALLY LOCATED SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF PLEASANTON ROAD AND SOUTH FLORIDAS STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 51 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ONE OPPOSED. COUNCILMAN GRO. THANK YOU. UM, THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE LANDSCAPE, UM, OF THE AREA AND I AM CERTAINLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE GREAT POTENTIAL HERE. AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TREE PRESERVATION IN THIS AREA AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT. ALSO AT THIS TIME WITH OVER 50 NOTICES SENT OUT BY CITY STAFF AND NO RESPONSES RECEIVED EITHER IN SUPPORT OR IN OPPOSITION OR THAT ONE I BELIEVE. [03:40:01] MM-HMM . UM, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE AREA NEIGHBORS AT LEAST NEED TO BE FURTHER INCLUDED WITH THE PROCESS, UM, BEFORE I CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING THAT APPROVAL. SO, UM, BUT THIS ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT I AM GOING TO MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS ITEM TO THE JANUARY 31ST COUNCIL MEETING. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z 25 TO JANUARY 31ST. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES. OKAY, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM Z 26 Z 2018. 9 0 0 0 1 1 FROM I ONE TO C TWO LOCATED AT 66 30 SOUTH FLORIDA STREET. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 17. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR, ZERO OPPOSED. MISSION, SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT COUNCILWOMAN GRO. THANK YOU. UM, I DO WANNA ENTER INTO THE RECORD, UH, SUPPORT LETTER FROM THE MISSION SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND A LETTER FROM THE APPLICANT STATING THAT THERE WILL BE NO TIRE SHOP AUTO REPAIR SHOP MOTEL USE AND ALSO AMENDING THE MO THE MEL AMENDING IT TO ADD A NO ALCOHOL DESIGNATION. SO A MOTION TO APPROVE A C TWO NA SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM Z 26 AS AMENDED. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z 36 Z 2018. 2 92 FROM R 6 0 2 AND C THREE NA TO R THREE LOCATED AT 2 2 2 0 RE AND 2 2 4 0 RE. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 33. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR. 16. OPPOSED THIS WILL REQUIRE NINE VOTES TO APPROVE DUE TO OPPOSITION EXCEEDING 20% COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR. MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM Z 36. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM Z 42 Z 20 18 2 56 FROM R SIX TO C TWO NA LOCATED AT 2311 WESTWARD DRIVE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL WITH AN ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATION OF R SIX CD CONDITIONAL USE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PARKING LOT ZONING. COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL. 20. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND FOUR OPPOSED CABLE. WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED. COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY. I MOVE TO CONTINUE THIS CASE UNTIL FEBRUARY 21ST. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z 42 TO FEBRUARY 21ST. YES SIR. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z 43 Z 20 18 2 85 FROM R SIX AND C TWO TO I ONE LOCATED AT 1621 SOUTH CALLAHAN ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND DENIAL. 50. NOTICES MAILED THREE IN FAVOR AND TWO OPPOSED COUNCILMAN BROADCAST. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THIS ISSUE. I MOVE TO CONTINUE UNTIL FEBRUARY 21ST. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z 43 TO FEBRUARY 21ST PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z 52 Z 2018. 9 0 0 0 6 1 FROM I ONE TO MF 33 GENERAL LOCATED AT NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF URS ROAD AND NORTH WEEDER ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. NINE. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED AND I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CONTINUANCE TO FEBRUARY 21ST. OKAY. COUNCILMAN PERRY? YES SIR. I WANNA MOVE TO DELAY TILL THE 21ST OF FEBRUARY. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF THE ITEM Z 52 TO FEBRUARY 21ST. PLEASE VOTE. GOOD JOB. MOTION CARRIES. THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR ZONING AGENDA. UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED. HAVE A GREAT DAY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.