* 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. [00:00:06] GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL SESSION. THE TIME IS 1:10 PM ON THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2019. I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO BRING US TO ORDER. YES, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LIA. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NUREMBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. WELL, UM, TODAY'S, UH, COUNCIL SESSION IS PRIMARILY FOR THE PURPOSES OF, UH, CANYON EVENING, THE CITY MANAGER SELECTION PROCESS. STARTING WITH OUR FIRST ROUND INTERVIEWS. WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM, UH, FOR ACTION ON THE AGENDA. SO I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO READ THE CAPTION. YES, SIR. THAT ITEM IS AN ORDINANCE MOVING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDINANCE 2019 DASH ZERO ONE DASH 10 DASH ONE FROM JANUARY 20TH, 2019 TO JANUARY 14TH, 2019, AND DIRECTING STAFF TO REVIEW EFFECTIVE DATE CRITERIA FOR PUBLIC OFFICIAL APPOINTMENT ORDINANCES AND RETURN WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. SHOW HERE. OKAY. SHIRLEY IS HERE. SORRY. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN. WE JUST HAVE THE ONE ITEM, UH, ON THE AGENDA FOR ACTION. UM, YOU'RE AWARE OF IT. UH, OKAY. SO WE HAVE THE ONE ITEM, AGAIN, THIS IS EFFECTIVELY TO ALLOW FOR OUR DISTRICT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TO TAKE A SEAT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCEEDING ON CITY, CITY MANAGER. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR YEAH, NO, I MOTION TO, SORRY. NO, I'M NOT GONNA MOTION. OKAY. I'LL MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION QUESTION? COUNCILMAN GRO? THANK YOU. ANDY, CAN YOU PLEASE, UM, EX, UH, SHARE AND EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DIRECTION AND HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT? THIS IS JUST ONE FIX, BUT THAT IT IS A GLOBAL, UM, THAT WE'RE REVIEWING, PLEASE. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILWOMAN. UM, THE, THE SPECIFIC ORDINANCE MOVES THE EFFECTIVE DATE IN TERMS OF THAT COUNCILMAN, UM, ART HALL'S APPOINTMENT FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 20TH TO JANUARY 14TH. AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE REASONS BEHIND HAVING THAT 10 DAY, UM, WAITING PERIOD, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, APPLY TO CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS OR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WE WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY COMING UP, THE REASONING BEHIND THAT IN TERMS OF THE ORDINANCE AND WHY IT WAS THERE. UM, SO WHAT WE WERE ASKING IS FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO SEE HOW THAT GLOBAL CHANGE WOULD AFFECT OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. BUT OUR, OUR INTENT IS TO COME BACK WITH A, TO THE COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE A GENERAL CHANGE SO THAT APPOINTMENTS, AT THE VERY LEAST THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ARE, ARE ALL DONE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. AS LONG AS THERE'S A MAJORITY VOTE. NOW IT'S ON, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO. OKAY. I THINK MOST PEOPLE CAN HEAR ME. , YOU TURN IT OFF. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S ALL. OKAY. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. DO WE NEED CLARITY ON THE, THE SUPER MAJORITY? YES. MAYOR, BECAUSE IT, IT'S, IT REQUIRES A VOTES. I WAS GONNA ASK THE CLERK JUST GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL. A ROLL CALL. OKAY. OKAY. I'LL BE GLAD TO. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER TRAVINO? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA A COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDAL AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER LIA. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY? YES. AND MAYOR NURENBERG. AYE. MAYOR. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, GREAT. UM, THAT'S ALL THE ITEMS ON OUR ACTION AGENDA, CORRECT? THAT WAS THE ONLY ACTION. AGENDA. OKAY. SO WE'LL NOW CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR INTERVIEWS, THE TIME IS NOW 1:14 PM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2019, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEX TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND INTERVIEW CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES AND DELIBERATE THE DUTIES, APPOINTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION FIVE 1.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS. MAYOR, COULD WE WELCOME OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER TO THE TABLE? OH, YEAH. , WELCOME COUNCILMAN HALL. THANK YOU. THANK [00:05:01] YOU. ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW 4:15 PM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2019. AND THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE'LL BE MEETING TOMORROW TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE NEXT CITY MANAGER WITH ADDITIONAL CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND SO TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYONE. ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL SESSION FOR TODAY, OUR SECOND DAY OF THE FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS FOR THE CITY MANAGER CANDIDATE. OUR ONLY ITEM FOR TODAY IS OUR EXECUTIVE SESSIONS. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK, UH, OUR CLERK TO READ THE THE ROLE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER TNO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HALL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE WILL BE HERE AT NINE 30. I WAS TOLD COUNCIL MEMBER SANDAL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA CONVENE DOWNSTAIRS IN ROOM 1 51. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE NUMBER. UM, SO THE TIME IS NOW 9:07 AM ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2019. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND INTERVIEW CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES DELIBERATE THE DUTIES APPOINTMENT EMPLOYMENT OF CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND TO DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY. ALRIGHT, THE TIME IS NOW 5:30 PM ON THIS TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2019. AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, VERY SHORTLY. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL COMMENT, BUT FIRST LET ME READ THE FOLLOWING. WE WILL BE MEETING TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE NEXT CITY MANAGER BY CONDUCTING A SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH SELECTED CANDIDATES. THE CANDIDATES WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED ARE MARIA VILLA GOMEZ AND ERIC WALSH. AND AT THAT TIME, UH, WE WILL CONVENE AN OPEN SESSION TO HEAR OPENING STATEMENTS FROM EACH CANDIDATE. THEN WE'LL CONVENE THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS. UM, I'LL SAY, UH, JUST TO START, THIS WAS, UH, AN ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT TASK, UH, TO NARROW DOWN OUR CANDIDATES. UH, FIRST FROM THE 31 TO THE EIGHT, UH, AND THEN FROM THE EIGHT TO THE TWO THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD TO THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS. UM, SEVERAL THINGS WERE EVIDENT TO ME, UH, THE FIRST BEING THAT OUR CITY IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, A VERY QUALIFIED, EXCEPTIONAL AND DEDICATED GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE LEADING THE CITY FORWARD, UH, AND HAVE DONE QUITE WELL OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREERS. UM, EACH ONE OF THEM BRINGS THEIR STRENGTHS, UM, TO THE TABLE AND COUNCIL DELIBERATED, UH, VERY CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY, UH, TO ARRIVE AT, UM, THE NEXT ROUND TODAY. UH, AND OF COURSE, THE EXTERNAL CANDIDATES WHO CAME, UH, ALL THIS WAY TO INTERVIEW AS WELL, UH, BROUGHT, UH, EXTRAORDINARY QUALIFICATIONS ALONG WITH THEM THAT WE CONSIDERED AND FOUND, UH, COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, OUR TEAM HERE. SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST THANK EVERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS, TO PUT FORWARD APPLICATIONS, UH, TO VIE TO BE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER OF ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN AMERICA. WE THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, AND AT THE END OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, WE WILL HAVE A VERY CAPABLE CITY MANAGER TO KEEP THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE CITY, UH, THAT WE'VE ENJOYED FOR SO LONG. SO, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS BEFORE WE CLOSE OFFICIALLY, COUNCILMAN BLI, UH, MAYOR, UH, MY KIDS RECENTLY ASKED ME WHICH ONE OF THE AVENGERS WAS MY FAVORITE. AND, UH, THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL AMAZING. UH, AND I THINK THAT THE SAME DIFFICULT QUESTION HAS BEEN POSED TO US IN HAVING TO SELECT FROM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT AMAZING CANDIDATES. AND I'LL TELL YOU, THE DIFFICULTY FOR ME WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT SEVEN OF THOSE CANDIDATES ARE MY FRIENDS AND, UH, THAT I LIKE THEM ON, ON A VERY PERSONAL LEVEL. AND I'VE GOTTEN TO OBSERVE THEM, UM, IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AS WELL. THIS IS NOT EASY, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF US STRUGGLED WITH, UH, WHITTLING IT DOWN TO JUST THIS TOO. UM, BUT DESPITE THAT, I AM PROUD OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING, UH, DONE THE [00:10:01] YEOMAN'S WORK AND THE HEAVY LIFTING OF MAKING SURE THAT WE DID BRING FORWARD, UM, A TWO CONSENSUS CANDIDATES. AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PRODUCT OF CONSENSUS AND LESS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FLAWS OR DEMERITS THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE THROWING AWAY OF THOSE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T GET THE NOD. UM, I'M, I WOULD TAKE ANY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WE INTERVIEWED OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS INTO BATTLE WITH ME. I'D BE DELIGHTED TO STAND AND PROUD TO STAND NEXT TO ANY ONE OF THEM AS I DO EVERY SINGLE DAY. UM, AND I THINK THAT THE PROCESS THAT WE ENGAGED IN WAS, UH, TRANSPARENT AND HEALTHY. AND I CONGRATULATE YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND BRINGING US AROUND THIS TABLE AND MAKING THIS GO THROUGH SMOOTH GO. SO SMOOTHLY. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BLI. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I THANKED EVERYONE WHO CAME FORWARD FOR, FOR THE INTERVIEWS. UH, WE HAD, UH, AS YOU KNOW, SIX INTERNAL CANDIDATES AND TWO EXTERNAL CANDIDATES. UM, AND EVERYONE DID, DID VERY, VERY WELL. THIS WAS NOT AN EASY DECISION, BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, I WAS, I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATES REALLY HAD A GRASP OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO AND TO US AT THIS TIME AS A COUNCIL. AND I THINK, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING WE WERE, I WAS, UH, LOOKING FOR IN, IN THE CANDIDATES. I ALSO FELT THAT, UM, VERY CONFIDENT, UH, THAT, I'M SORRY. I ALSO FELT THAT OUR INTERNAL CANDIDATES WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THEIR DEFERENCE TO COUNSEL DIRECTION AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO GIVE US IMPARTIAL INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE TO BECOME CITY, CITY MANAGER TO HELP US MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THIS CITY, AND THAT THEY ALL EXPRESSED, UM, THE WILLINGNESS AND THE DESIRE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME IN SELECTING SOMEONE AS WE GO FORWARD. SO, I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD FROM OUR CANDIDATES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. AS I MENTIONED, I THINK, UH, AFTER MY HUSBAND, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, I THINK THAT I'LL MAKE IN MY LIFETIME. NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S GONNA IMPACT, UH, US HERE ON THE COUNCIL, BUT IT COULD IMPACT US FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME. SO, I, I TAKE THIS, UH, DECISION WITH, UH, INCREDIBLE, UH, SERIOUSNESS. UH, AND THE QUALITIES THAT, UH, I WOULD LOOK FOR IN A LIFE PARTNER, UH, IS WHAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR IN OUR CITY MANAGER. UH, INTEGRITY, A WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD, A WILLINGNESS TO GET US THROUGH THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN OUR LIVES. AN ABILITY TO HAVE A VISION FOR WHAT THAT FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, UH, AND AN ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, UH, FOR COMMON GOALS. AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE, UH, EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT WE MET TODAY PRESENTED THOSE QUALITIES, BUT I'M ESPECIALLY, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TWO THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD AND, UM, UH, WILL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION TOMORROW AS WE, UH, MAKE THIS VERY, UH, HEAVY AND IMPORTANT DECISION FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE CANDIDATES, UH, AND AS, AS BEEN STATED, UM, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE CREDIBLE POOL OF TALENT HERE INTERNALLY. AND, UM, I THINK THESE, THESE INTERVIEWS REALLY BROUGHT, UH, TO LIGHT SOME OF THE GREAT GREAT HEART THAT'S RUNNING OUR CITY. AND I THINK, UH, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THEM FOR PARTICIPATING FOR, UH, OFFERING SOME GREAT IDEAS AND INTERVIEWING VERY, VERY WELL. UM, I THINK THESE CHO THIS CHOICE IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT CHOICE MOVING FORWARD. I LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S, UH, INTERVIEWS. UM, AND I WANNA SAY THAT I KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC IS REALLY LOOKING AT THIS CHOICE AS AN IMPORTANT CHOICE FOR THE MOMENTUM AND GROWTH OF OUR CITY FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME. AND, UH, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR AND FEEL THAT, UM, THIS POOL OF CANDIDATES HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN INCREDIBLE APTITUDE FOR THE ABILITY TO RUN THIS CITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. BEFORE I CLOSE, I JUST WANNA ALSO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE TABLE. UM, UH, THIS, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AND, AND ANDY AND LIZ AND, AND LETICIA AND THE HR TEAM, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED VERY, UH, PROFESSIONALLY, UH, TRANSPARENTLY. AND, AND I THINK, UH, MYSELF, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I'M SURE I SPEAK ON, ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, THAT THEY'RE, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN DONE SO WELL AND HANDLED SO WELL, UH, IN THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. [00:15:05] ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION FOR THIS AFTERNOON. UH, I GUESS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HALL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG HERE. THERE IS A QUORUM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO CONDUCT THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS OF THE CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES, AND WE ARE DOWN TO OUR FINALISTS, THOSE BEING ERIC WALSH AND MARIA VILLAGOMEZ. UH, WE WILL BE CONDUCTING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO SELECT THE FINALIST, UH, HAVING SOME FURTHER CONVERSATION. HOWEVER, WE ALSO, UH, ARE GOING TO START THIS MEETING WITH, UH, SOME OPENING STATEMENTS, SOME COMMENTS FROM BOTH OF OUR CANDIDATES. SO WE'LL BEGIN NOW. UM, DID WE DRAW? YEAH. OKAY. FIRST. OKAY. WE DREW NAMES AND, AND WE WILL FIRST HEAR FROM ERIC WALSH, AND EACH OF THE CANDIDATES WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT. AFTER BOTH CANDIDATES ARE STATEMENTS ARE CONCLUDED, UH, THEN WE'LL CONVENE FOR THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR TODAY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR THE CITY MANAGER POSITION. IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO BE HERE. UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO I AM, WHAT MY QUALIFICATIONS ARE, AND, UH, WHAT I BELIEVE THE IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THE NEXT CITY MANAGER. SO, WHO AM I? I GREW UP HERE. I WENT TO CENTRAL CATHOLIC. I GRADUATED FROM TRINITY UNIVERSITY WITH A BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE, AND TWO WEEKS LATER STARTED WORKING IN THE CITY'S BUDGET OFFICE. UH, I HAVE ALMOST 25 YEARS. MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE. UM, CHERYL APPOINTED ME ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IN 2006, AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER IN 2011. UH, OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, I HAVE SEEN THIS ORGANIZATION CHANGE GREATLY. UM, IT HAS BECOME AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE AND EXEMPLIFIES PUBLIC SERVICE IN WAYS THAT, UM, I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE ARE DYNAMIC AND PROGRESSIVE. I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO MY WIFE, SANDRA, FOR ALMOST 16 YEARS. UH, SHE'S A GRADUATE OF ST. MARY'S. WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN. UH, THE SPURS DON'T PLAY BASKETBALL WITHOUT A BACKBOARD, AND MY FAMILY IS MY BACKBOARD. THEY KEEP ME CENTERED AND FOCUSED ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN THIS JOB. IN MY CAREER AS AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, I'VE OVERSEEN THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HEALTHCARE OR, UM, I'M SORRY, THE, UH, METROPOLITAN HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES 3 1 1, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, AND THE BUDGET OFFICE. I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN MY CAREER TO BE PART OF A LOT OF IMPORTANT GREAT INITIATIVES. I'VE OVERSEEN CRITICAL CAPITAL PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES. I'VE LED STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS AND WORKED ON IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. I'VE WORKED TO IMPROVE AND MODERNIZE CITY SERVICES. I'VE GUIDED THE ENHANCEMENT OF OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SYSTEMS. I'VE ENGAGED AND WORKED WITH OUR LARGEST LABOR ORGANIZATIONS. I'VE OVERSEEN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSES. I'VE INTERACTED AND WORKED WELL WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. I NEGOTIATED THE FIRST OF ITS KIND OPERATED AGREEMENT WITH LYFT AND UBER, AND HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH GREAT ORG COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE FREE SPEECH COALITION. I HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE MANAGING OPERATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TEAM BUILDING, CONSENSUS BUILDING BUDGET, AND FISCAL POLICY AND NEGOTIATIONS. I APPLIED FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE I WANT SAN ANTONIO TO BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, SAFE AND CULTURALLY INSPIRING, AND A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANNA WORK, GROW, AND RAISE A FAMILY. PERSONALLY, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGERS IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES ARE, UH, THE FOLLOWING. FOUR, UH, ONE FOCUS ON OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS THAT MAY COME OUT OF AUSTIN. TWO, CONTINUE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUSINESS PLAN. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES WERE DEDICATED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND THERE'S A LONG LINE OF PRODUCTION THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE. YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED AN UPDATE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER FROM THE STAFF LAST WEEK, AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE. THREE, IN DECEMBER THE COUNCIL ASKED FOR A LONG-TERM STRATEGY, FUNDING FOR HAVEN HOPE, HAVEN FOR HOPE. THAT INITIATIVE HAS BEEN KICKED OFF AND, AND IS ENGAGING A LARGE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS. THOSE ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS [00:20:01] WILL NEED TO BE, COME BACK, WILL NEED TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL IN SHORT ORDER. AND FOUR, I THINK WE NEED TO REVIEW THE, THE STATUS OF THE DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM, WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PILOT, AND WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS OR ADJUSTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE IMMEDIATELY OR IN THE IMMEDIATE TERM. THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES THAT I THINK FRANKLY ARE, ARE, UH, PRIORITIES OF THE NEXT CITY MANAGER OR SHOULD BE PRIORITIES OF THE NEXT CITY MANAGER. FIRST IS A ELEMENTARY ITEM. THE MANAGER NEEDS TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE COUNCIL'S EXPECTATIONS, AND THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN UPFRONT AND BE VERY CLEAR. A SET CALENDAR OF MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT'LL BE BRINGING, THAT'LL BE BROUGHT FORTH TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL IN THE SPRING. THAT CALENDAR SHOULD BE PUBLISHED AND SENT TO YOU AND THE, AND THE PUBLIC. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE MYSELF WITH THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS, CONNECT WITH THOSE THAT I KNOW AND INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THOSE THAT I DON'T KNOW, AND BEGIN WORKING ON PLANS TO FILL KEY EXECUTIVES. THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WORKING IN THE PIPELINE, UM, BUT THOSE I THINK, WILL REQUIRE THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE CITY MANAGER. UM, AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I THINK I'M THE BEST CANDIDATE TO EXECUTE THE COUNCIL'S POLICY DIRECTION AND LEAD A GREAT TEAM OF 12,000 CITY EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. UH, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE, UH, C ROOM SHORTLY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MARIA. WE READ THE ORDERS OF THE DAY. UH, SO, UH, WE'RE HEARING FROM BOTH OF OUR CANDIDATES NOW, UH, OUR FINALISTS. AND YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES FOR A STATEMENT. THE CITY CLERK WILL KEEP YOUR TIME FOR YOU AFTER WHICH POINT WE WILL CONVENE ONE AT A TIME IN THE, UH, C ROOM FOR FURTHER INTERVIEW. SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M MARIA VILLAGOMEZ. I'M AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I'M HUMBLE AND HONORED TO BE ONE OF THE TWO FINALISTS FOR THE NEXT CITY MANAGER FOR OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS, SERVING OUR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES WITHIN OUR CITY ORGANIZATION. I WAS BORN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND SPENT MY CHILDHOOD IN MEXICO. I RETURNED WHEN I WAS 18 AND I OBTAINED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN SAN ANTONIO IN ACCOUNTING. I'M ALSO A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT. THE ROLE OF THE CITY MANAGER AS DEFINED BY OUR CITY CHARTER IS TO MANAGE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL ON ISSUES AND PROJECTS OF OUR CITY ORGANIZATION TO EXECUTE THE POLICY DIRECTION. PROVIDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE SKILL TO DO SO. I'M INTERESTED IN THE CITY MANAGER POSITION BECAUSE I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY, AND THE CITY TEAM IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION OF BEING A PROSPEROUS CITY FOR ALL SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. MY FINANCE AND BUDGETING EXPERIENCE IS EXTENSIVE. I AM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH DEVELOPING, MONITORING AND MANAGING A BALANCED BUDGET FOR A 2.8 BILLION MUNICIPAL CORPORATION THAT DELIVERS SERVICES WITH OVER 12,000 EMPLOYEES TO ONE AND A HALF MILLION RESIDENTS. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF CITY SERVICES AND PROCESSES IS KEY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UTILIZING BEST PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE DATA AND REORGANIZING CITY DEPARTMENTS, ELIMINATING ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD AND USING TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER DELIVER CITY SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. USING THIS APPROACH, WE WERE ABLE TO RECOMMEND A BALANCED BUDGET WITH LITTLE TO NO IMPACT TO C CITY SERVICE DELIVERY, AND NO INCREASE TO PROPERTY TAX RATE TO THE CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE DURING THE WORST RECESSIONARY PERIODS THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN CITY HISTORY. I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN NEGOTIATING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, BOTH FOR THE POLICE AND THE FIRE UNIONS. I WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED THE 2009 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS WITH BOTH THE POLICE AND THE FIRE UNIONS. I WAS ALSO, UH, PART OF THE TEAM AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE 2016 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE POLICE UNION. THREE YEARS AGO, I WAS PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. DURING THIS TIME, I HAVE PROVIDED LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF HUMAN SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND THE BUDGET OF INNOVATION. MOST RECENTLY IN 2017, I WAS GIVEN THE [00:25:01] OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EQUITY FRAMEWORK TOWARDS CITY BUDGET AND PROGRAMS USING AN EQUITY ASSESSMENT. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THOSE AREAS OF OUR CITY THAT HAVE THE GREATEST NEEDS, AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION AND RESOURCES TO BE MORE IMPACTFUL WITH OUR INVESTMENTS THAT RESULT IN A FAIR AND BETTER OUTCOMES. TO THE UNDERSERVED RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I HAVE THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE TO BE YOUR NEXT CITY MANAGER. AS A CITY MANAGER, I WILL WORK WITH YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR POLICY MAKING AND OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES. I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CITY AND FOR OTHER CITY CHALLENGES. IF SELECTED, MY IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES WILL BE EXECUTING CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PRIORITIES, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, STREET MAINTENANCE, MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND CONTINUING TO INVITE THE FIRE UNION TO THE TABLE TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT THAT IS FAIR TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND AFFORDABLE TO OUR TAXPAYERS. ACCOMPLISHING THIS WORK IS NOT AN EASY TASK. IT TAKES A GREAT TEAM, AND WE HAVE ONE FROM OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW FIXING OUR STREETS, PICKING UP TRASH, MAINTAINING OUR PARKS, HELPING OUR SENIORS OPERATING THE AIRPORT. TO THE EXCELLENT EXECUTIVE TEAM HERE TODAY, A CITY MANAGER. I WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE AND CONTINUE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TOP AND DIVERSE TALENT THAT REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY. MY PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT TO YOU AND MY COMMUNITY IS TO SERVE WITH INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO MANAGE THE CITY IN A FISCAL AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER, AND WITH COMPASSION TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARIA. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE SEA ROOM SHORTLY. OKAY. AND SO HERE'S THE, THE PUBLIC CAN GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT A TASK THE CITY COUNCIL HAS IN FRONT OF IT. . ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW 1:53 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2019. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND INTERVIEW CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES AND DELIBERATE THE DUTIES, APPOINTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY. ALL RIGHT, TIME IS NOW 7:47 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2019. AND THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION THAT ANYONE, UH, SITTING ON CITY COUNCIL IN OUR CAREERS WILL MAKE. UH, WHAT HAS BECOME EVIDENT IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS, UH, HAS BEEN WHAT A REMARKABLE CITY STAFF THAT WE HAVE. UH, NOT JUST THE FOLKS THAT WERE APPLYING FOR THE POSITION, BUT ALL THE SUPPORT STAFF DEPARTMENTS, OUR HR DEPARTMENT, OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. NOT ONLY WERE WE ABLE TO CONDUCT A PROFESSIONAL SEARCH, AN APPOINTMENT, UH, PROCESS, UH, BUT IT WAS CONDUCTED IN A WAY THAT I, I THINK, UH, SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR TRANSPARENCY AND PROFESSIONALISM FOR A CITY OF OUR SIZE. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK, UH, THAT THEY DID. I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES 'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS. WE WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR A LONG TIME, UH, AND WE KNOW WHAT THE QUALITY OF OF PEOPLE WE WORK WITH ARE. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR TAKING IT, UH, IN THE MANNER THAT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES. UH, WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, UH, THE PROPOSED CITY MANAGER FINALIST IS ERIC WALSH. AND, UM, JUST WANT TO RE REEMPHASIZE THAT. UH, THE NEXT PRO NEXT PHASE OF THIS PROCESS WILL HAVE, UH, THE PROPOSED FINALIST MEETING WITH DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES. THERE'S ALSO A PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM, UH, THAT WILL BE SCHEDULED, UH, VERY SHORTLY. I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE 23RD OR THE 24TH. THE 23RD, UH, THAT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE HOPE TO SEE PEOPLE THERE. UH, SO [00:30:01] YOU CAN HEAR FROM AND, AND ESSENTIALLY INTERVIEW, UH, THE NEXT CITY MANAGER. UM, AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, UH, UH, HAVE TAKE ACTION ON A NEW CONTRACT AND APPOINTMENT FOR THE CITY MANAGER ON THE JAN ON JANUARY 31ST, UH, WITH NO FURTHER BUSINESS, TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. * 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.