[00:01:12]
[ PROCEDURAL ]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.A SESSION TIME IS 9:05 AM I'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.
UM, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION.
WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA TODAY AND WE DO HAVE SOME CEREMONIALS, SO WE'LL GET TO THOSE SHORTLY.
UH, BUT FIRST LET'S START AND I'LL TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR.
I'M VERY PLEASED TODAY TO INTRODUCE TO YOU SISTER GABRIELA CHEN.
WITH THIS, THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
SISTER GABRIELLA HAS BEEN THE PRINCIPAL AT NUMEROUS SCHOOLS, BUT MY FAVORITE LITTLE FLOWER, UH, FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEN HAS ALSO BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK OF COPS METRO.
SHE DID A LOT OF WORK WITH PROJECT QUEST AND HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY CHAMPION FOR VERY MANY YEARS.
SHE'S A SISTER WHO'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO HAVE HER HERE TODAY.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEN AND WOMEN.
I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SINCE THE, UM, RENOVATION AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THE ACROSS THE STREET IS VERY, VERY ATTRACTIVE.
AGAIN, GOOD MORNING AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU ON YOUR SUCCESS AT THE RECENT, THE RECENT ELECTIONS.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M SISTER GABRIELA LONO, HOLY SPIRIT'S SISTER.
AND AS, UM, COUNCILWOMAN CASTRO SAID A, UH, I WAS A LONGTIME PRINCIPAL OF LITTLE FLOWER SCHOOL AND I AM A MEMBER OF COPS METRO.
WE PLACE OURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU FOR THIS PRAYER TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU ALSO FOR ACCEPTING THE POSITIONS AND TO BE OF SERVICE TO THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU PERFORM THIS SACRED CALLING.
SOME OF YOU WERE ON CITY COUNCIL MANY SOME YEARS AGO WHEN YOU NAMED THIS A COMPASSIONATE CITY.
I WISH TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR CALLING TO THAT VOCATION.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU PERSONALLY, AND YOU ARE COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE.
WE PRAY WITH YOU AND WE REQUEST THE VISITING CITIZENS HERE TODAY, AND I THINK I SEE A CLASSROOM OF OF CHILDREN HERE.
WELL, YOU LOOK LIKE STUDENTS
[00:05:06]
YOU TOO, PLACE YOURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND PLEDGED TO DO YOUR VERY BEST FOR SANTON, FOR EVERY SAN ANTONIO NATIVE.IT'S A GREAT THING TO, IT'S A MARVELOUS THING REALLY, TO BE HERE AND TO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE, AND EVERYBODY WHO COMES DOWN HERE.
WE PRAY WITH YOU WHEN WE, AS I SAID, WE REQUEST A VISITING PEOPLE HERE TODAY TO PLACE YOURSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND PLEDGE TO DO YOUR VERY BEST FOR EACH SAN ANTONIO NATIVE.
REMEMBER, THE CHILDREN AND TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOLS, COUNCIL, PEOPLE, THE FIREFIGHTERS AND SAFETY OFFICERS ON OUR STREETS, THE MEDICAL OFFICERS AND THE PATIENTS IN OUR HOSPITAL HOSPITALS, AND MANY MORE.
THESE ARE OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND THIS IS OUR COMPASSIONATE CITY.
FINALLY, GUN VIOLENCE IS A PLAGUE ON OUR CITY AND IN MANY PLACES IN THIS COUNTRY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE WORK TO DECREASE THIS HORROR.
SAVE OUR FRIENDS, SAVE OUR PARENTS, AND SAVE OUR CHILDREN.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THESE MOMENTS WITH YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. GABRIELA.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES OF MAY 31 AND JUNE 1ST, 2023.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE.
OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
MINUTES MAY 31ST AND JUNE 1ST, 2023.
ANY CLARIFICATION, DISCUSSION? OKAY, HEARING NONE, IT'S NOT UP.
OKAY, WE'LL TAKE A VOICE, VOTE.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CEREMONIALS, WE DO HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA TODAY.WE HAVE NO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS, SO I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES NOW IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
ITEM NUMBER NINE, ITEM NUMBER NINE, AND ITEM NUMBER 23 5.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FIVE, ITEM 5, 31 AND 32, 31, AND 32.
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? IF THERE ARE NOT, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 5 9 23, 31 AND 32.
SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WILL REMAIN ON CONSENT.
WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, LET ME CALL, UH, THAT PERSON NOW, AVIS CHASON ON ITEM NUMBER 17.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR NEWBERG, MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
I'M HERE TO JUST ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PALLADIUM CREST WAY AND AGAIN TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MEET WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU SO WE CAN BECOME INTEGRATED INTO YOUR GREAT CITY AND A PART OF THIS FABRIC.
UM, THIS WOULD BE OUR FIRST DEAL HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND, UH, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 17.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE COUNSEL DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, ALL ITEMS AGAIN FOR THOSE THAT I READ.
[00:10:02]
ALL RIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ON THE QUEUE, SO, UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ITEM NUMBER 14 B.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE IN OUR AUDIENCE HUDSON LOCKE, WHO'S A JUNIOR AT RONALD REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL.
HE'S AN AMBITIOUS AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL WITH A STRONG PASSION FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND LAW, AIMING TO LEVERAGE THESE INTERESTS INTO A CAREER ADVOCATING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PROGRESSIVE POLICIES.
AS A HIGHLY DECORATED MEMBER OF ONE OF THE LARGEST MODEL UNITED NATIONS CLUBS IN TEXAS, HERES A DISTINCTION OF BEING THE MOST AWARDED SOPHOMORE DELEGATE.
WE'RE DEFINITELY, UH, PROUD TO HAVE HIM, UH, TO SERVE ON THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION REPRESENTING DISTRICT NINE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE, UH, THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 5 9 23 31 AND 32.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOICE VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS TODAY,
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF GUESTS WITH US TODAY, AND SOME HAVE FLOWN IN FROM WASHINGTON DC AND SO IT'S MY GREAT HONOR TODAY, UH, TO INTRODUCE AND RECOGNIZE OUR FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION PARTNERS AND ITS ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR TTA GRIFFIN THIS MORNING, IF Y'ALL CAN GO AHEAD AND COME UP.SHENETTA WAS IN SAN ANTONIO THIS WEEK TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AIRPORT MINORITY ADVISORY COUNCIL'S DIVERSITY CONFERENCE, WHICH BROUGHT CLOSE TO 1500 ATTENDEES FROM AIRPORTS, AVIATION PROFESSIONALS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS VARIOUS ISSUES.
IM IMPACTING THE ENTIRE AVIATION INDUSTRY.
SAN ANTONIO WAS PROUD TO SERVE AS THE HOST CITY FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME AND HELP SUPPORT THE EFFORTS FOR LOCAL, SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES TO ENTER THIS INDUSTRY OR EXPAND THEIR CURRENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING WITH JEANNETTA AND DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR BRADLEY MIMS DURING PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON DC AND WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU JEANNETTA AND YOUR ENTIRE F A A TEAM FOR THE RECENT AWARD OF THE $20 MILLION FOR THE TERMINAL, A GROUND LOAD FACILITY UNDER THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAWS AIRPORT TERMINAL PROGRAM, AND SHOW OUR PUBLIC APPRECIATION FOR THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE F A A THAT WE'VE BUILT.
SAN ANTONIO, LIKE THE F A A HAS MADE SAFETY ITS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND PARTNERED WITH THE F A A ON SEVERAL INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE SAFETY MEASURES AT THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATED IN THE INITIAL SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PILOT, UH, CONDUCTED BY THE F A A AND WAS THE FIRST US AIRPORT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM ACROSS THE ENTIRE AIRPORT.
SM S'S GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY FOR ALL USERS OF THE AIRPORT FACILITY BY INSTITUTING A SYSTEMATIC AND BUSINESS-LIKE APPROACH TO SAFETY.
WE SAW RESULTS WITH A REDUCTION OF INSURANCE CLAIMS TO THE CITY.
THIS YEAR, THE F A A IS NOW REQUIRING ALL COMMERCIAL AIRPORTS TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM, AND OUR AIRPORT SERVES AS A LEADER IN THIS AREA AND IS HELPING OTHER AIRPORTS IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN PROGRAMS. TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING INCLUDES THE AUTHORIZATION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE F A A TO ALLOW SAN ANTONIO TO SERVE AS THE PILOT AIRPORT FOR ITS NEW RUNWAY INCURSION PREVENTION PROGRAM THROUGH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
THIS IS A HUGE WIN FOR BOTH THE CITY AND F A A AS IT WILL ALLOW US TO SERVE AS THE FIRST US AIRPORT TO TEST NEW EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS THAT THE F A A IS CONSIDERING THAT WILL IMPROVE SAFETY ACROSS OUR AIRFIELD.
WE HAVE THREE OTHER ITEMS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TODAY THAT REFLECT OUR PARTNERSHIP, INCLUDING THE REQUEST FOR UP TO $14.3 MILLION FROM THE F A A AND ITS FUNDING FOR OUR AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW AND ALMOST 17.7 MILLION FROM THE F A A FOR OUR ANNUAL AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR AIRFIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HOPE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR MORE GRANT FUNDING FOR OUR TERMINAL, A GROUND LOAD FACILITY, AND FOR OUR TERMINAL A ROOF CO RECOVER PROJECTS, REDUCING OUR COSTS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR GENETIC GRIFFIN, ACTING DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, IGNACIO FLORES AND THEA'S TEXAS TEAM LED BY JESSE ER AND ASSIST ASSISTANT MANAGER KIM BROCKMAN, WHO ARE ALSO WITH US TODAY, A KEY TO FOCUSING ON MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING AIRPORT SAFETY AT SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
AND THE AIRPORTS OUR RESIDENTS TRAVEL TO EVERY DAY IS CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP.
[00:15:01]
YOU FOR COMING TO SAN ANTONIO JEANETTA.WE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF ALL AIRPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT CERTAINLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE APPLAUD OUR PARTNERSHIP AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE GREAT WORK TO COME.
SO SHENETTA, UM, I GIVE YOU THE FLOOR.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, MAYOR.
SO REALLY, I, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE HERE TODAY, BUT I REALLY ACCEPT THIS AND ACCEPT ALL OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE ON BEHALF OF THE 45,000 MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, UH, WITH THE FA THEY WORK EVERY DAY TO KEEP OUR NATIONAL AIRSPACE SAFE.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, THOSE PLANNERS, ENGINEERS, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND, AND INSPECTORS OF OUR SOUTHWEST REGION LED BY IGNACIO FLORES.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR BERG, CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH AND ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TODAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED DEDICATION AND DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO, YOUR DEDICATION TO SAFETY, UH, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE NUMBER ONE THING, UH, THAT WE LOOK AT WITH THE F A A FOR THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, JESUS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE MILLIONS OF PASSENGERS THEY'RE WORKING FOR AT THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT.
AIRPORTS ARE OUR ECONOMIC GATEWAY TO THE CITIES AROUND THIS COUNTRY, AND THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU ALL ARE TAKING ON WILL HELP TO SAVE THOSE ECONOMICS AND SPUR THOSE ECONOMICS IN THIS, IN THIS CITY.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING WE DO, AND WE THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE, AND WE LOOK FOR THAT CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP AS WELL.
AND WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE, SONTA, BUT THESE KINDS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS IN A CITY LIKE OURS, UH, HAVE NOT BEEN POSSIBLE AND WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, AND WE WOULDN'T BE WITNESSING IT HAPPENING IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE DO CURRENTLY, UH, WITH OUR FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.
SO THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
AND THAT APPLAUSE ALSO IS FOR OUR SAN ANTONIO TEAM, UH, UNDER THE INCREDIBLE DIRECTION OF JESUS SIGNS AND HIS HIS FOLKS.
KAREN, I SEE YOU OVER THERE TOO.
SO GRATEFUL FOR THE TEAM THAT WE ASSEMBLED.
UM, MONDAY IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT DAY HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
IT'S ABOUT OBSERVING A DAY THAT WAS HISTORICALLY LONG OVERDUE.
WHILE THE DAY WE'LL HAVE SOME CELEBRATION, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A HOLIDAY, OBSERVING THE FACT THAT BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS WERE FINALLY RESTORED TO BLACK AMERICANS, PARTICULARLY ENSLAVED BLACK AMERICANS AND BLACK TEXANS, AND THAT THE PROMISE OF BLACK EMANCIPATION AND FREEDOM ARE YET TO BE FULLY REALIZED.
MAKING JUNETEENTH A CITYWIDE HOLIDAY WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND I'M THRILLED THAT IT'S NOW A FEDERAL HOLIDAY ON THE 158TH ANNIVERSARY OF JUNETEENTH.
LET US RESOLVE TO REACH A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY IN A TINY FRACTION OF THAT TIME.
AND SO LET ME NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ FOR REMARKS.
UH, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, JUNETEENTH IS THE DAY WE HONOR THE END OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND ALTHOUGH THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS SIGNED TWO AND A HALF YEARS EARLIER, IT WAS NOT UNTIL FEDERAL TROOPS ARRIVED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WE BEGAN TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE SOME STATE OF FREEDOM FROM THE SYSTEM OF SLAVERY HERE IN THIS STATE A WHOLE TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER.
AND YET, IF YOU ASK FOLK IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY TODAY, YOU MIGHT FIND THAT MANY POLITICAL SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO ENSLAVE BLACK PEOPLE TO THIS DAY.
THIS IS THE REALITY WE ARE CALLED TO GRAPPLE WITH AS POLICYMAKERS, CITY WORKERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS.
THE QUESTION IS, DID SLAVERY REALLY END ON JUNETEENTH? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION STILL EXIST IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY, AND INCLUDING IN OUR STATE OF TEXAS AND IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHAT SYSTEMS WERE ESTABLISHED UNDER SLAVERY THAT TAKE A DIFFERENT NAME TODAY? WHAT ARE THE LONGSTANDING IMPACTS OF PROGRAMS THAT WERE DESIGNED TO DISENFRANCHISE AND DISALLOW THE SUCCESS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY? WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES AND EMPLOYMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, ENSURING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE.
UH, THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE THE CITY'S NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE, WE'VE CHALLENGED OURSELVES TO ADDRESS, UH, RACIAL BIASES BY DECLARING RACISM OF PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, BY IMPLEMENTING A LENS OF EQUITY AND BY EVALUATING DISPARITIES AND, UH, RANDOM PROCE, UH, NORMAL PROCEDURES LIKE OUR CONTRACTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND WHAT WE FIND IS THAT FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY, IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER EFFORT, MUCH LONGER AND STRONGER EFFORT TO UNDO DECADES AND CENTURIES OF RACISM AND SYSTEMIC SLAVERY.
WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH AS THE FACT THAT INCARCERATION RATES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE OVER THREE TIMES THAT OF WHITE FOLK.
WE HAVE TO WONDER IF WE HAVE TRADED
[00:20:01]
THE SYSTEM OF SLAVERY FOR TODAY'S SYSTEM OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.ACCLAIMED AUTHOR AND INTELLECTUAL JAMES BALDWIN SAID THIS, THE INTENTIONS OF THIS MELANCHOLY COUNTRY AS CONCERNS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GENOCIDAL.
HE GOES ON TO LIST THE NUMBER OF BLACK LEADERS WHO STOOD FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE DIGNITY OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND YET WERE KILLED VIOLENTLY IN THIS COUNTRY.
FRED HAMPTON, MEDGAR EVERS, MALCOLM X, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
AND THAT CON, THAT LIST CONTINUES WITH THE DISPROPORTIONATE KILLING OF BLACK PEOPLE AT THE HANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING TRAYVON MARTIN, ERIC GARNER, MICHAEL BROWN, TAMIR RICE, BREONNA TAYLOR, SANDRA BLAND, MARQUIS JONES, CHARLES ROUNDTREE, DARRYL ZAMAR, ZAMAL SR.
GEORGE FLOYD, AND SO MANY MORE.
AND SO WHEN I'M CHALLENGING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT FIND UNCOMFORTABLE AND UN TEXAN, LIKE I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THIS HISTORY WHEN I OR OTHER BLACK FOLK BRING UP ISSUES UNIQUE TO OUR EXPERIENCE, SUCH AS HAIR DISCRIMINATION OR THE FACT THAT THERE ARE STILL SUNDOWN TOWNS IN TEXAS WHERE I COULD BE KILLED IF I GET STRANDED THERE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, OR THE TALK I AND MANY OTHER BLACK CHILDREN RECEIVE FROM OUR PARENTS ABOUT HOW WE WILL HAVE TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY THAN OUR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.
AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO CODE SWITCH OR DIAL BACK OR BLEND IN OR OVERCOMPENSATE TO MITIGATE OTHERS BIASES.
WHEN YOU ARE INFORMED OF THESE EXPERIENCES, IT ISN'T YOUR JOB TO QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE VALID.
IT'S YOUR ROLE, AGAIN AS AN ALLY, AND WE'LL USE THE WORD ALLY TO ASK WHY THAT EXPERIENCE IS SO, AND WHAT OUR ROLE AS POLICY MAKERS OR COMMUNITY LEADERS IS IN CHANGING THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND I PROMISE THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT OFTEN EASY AND THEY'RE NOT OFTEN CONVENIENT.
AND AT THE ROOT, THIS COUNTRY AND THE STATE OF TEXAS CONTINUES TO UNDERCUT OUR BLACK COMMUNITY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR WELL OVER 400 YEARS.
JUNETEENTH IS A CELEBRATION OF THE END OF SLAVERY, BUT THE WORK TO END THE IMPACTS OF SLAVERY CONTINUES ON.
AND I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME IN THE FIGHT TO END IT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING ALONGSIDE MY COMMUNITY THIS SATURDAY FOR THE PARADE.
AND ON MONDAY FOR THE JUNETEENTH MARCH, I'LL SEE YOU IN THE STREETS ALONGSIDE A RESILIENT, DEEPLY CONNECTED COMMUNITY.
WE ALL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FOR LEARN FROM.
AND NOW I'D LIKE TO BRING UP TWO VERY PHENOMENAL YOUNG WOMEN WHO EXEMPLIFY THE PROMISE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AUBREY PRATHER GA GATLIN AND ROBIN THOMAS GATLIN WILL SING THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM.
AUBREY AND ROBIN ARE BOTH FIFTH GRADERS.
AUBREY LOVES TRACK, CHEERLEADING AND DANCE.
WHILE ROBIN LOVES ACTING IN GYMNASTICS, PLEASE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO AUBREY AND ROBIN.
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING TO HEAVEN.
RING WITH THE HARMONY OF LIBERTY.
LET OUR REJO ING RISE HIGH AS THE SKIES LET IS RESOUND LOUD AS THE ROLLING SING THE SONG FULL OF THE FAITH THAT THE DARK PASS HAS TAUGHT.
SING A SONG FULL OF THE HOPE THAT THE DARK PRESS HAS BROUGHT FACING THE RISE SUN OF OUR NEW DAY BEGUN.
VICTORY IS ONE, LET US MARCH ON TWO.
LET US MARCH ON TILL VICTORY IS ONE.
[00:25:16]
I ALSO WANT TO, UH, INVITE UP THE VERY SPECIAL GUESTS, UH, MARIA WILLIAMS FROM, UH, THE OWNER AND, UH, DIRECTOR OF IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER ART GALLERY AND STUDIO.THE ONLY BLACK OWNED ART GALLERY AND STUDIO IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, WILL ACCEPT A PROCLAMATION, WHICH OUR MAYOR IS GOING TO READ NOW, WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL OBSERVE JUNETEENTH ON JUNE 19TH, 2023 TO HONOR THE END TO SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CELEBRATE THE OLDEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMEMORATION IN THE AMERICA.
19TH, 1865, MAJOR GENERAL GORDON GRANGER LANDED AT GALVESTON, TEXAS AND READ GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE, KNOWN IN THE UNITED STATES HISTORY AS THE GRANGER ACT, WHICH PROCLAIMED THE FREEDOM OF ALL SLAVES IN TEXAS.
AND WHEREAS TODAY, JUNE 19TH IS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY AS JUNETEENTH TO COMMEMORATE PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, WHICH DECLARED AN END TO SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND WHEREAS THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE PROVIDES THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY A TIME TO CELEBRATE HUMAN FREEDOM, REFLECT ON THE GRIEVOUS AND ONGOING LEGACY OF SLAVERY, AND REDEDICATE OURSELVES TO ROOTING OUT THE SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT CONTINUES TO PLAGUE OUR SOCIETY AS WE STRIVE TO DELIVER THE FULL PROMISE OF AMERICA TO EVERY AMERICAN.
NOW, THEREFORE, IRAN NUREMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 19TH, 2023 TO BE JUNETEENTH DAY OF OBSERVANCE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
AND ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE TOTAL COMMUNITY OF CITY, OF SAN ANTONIO AND DISTRICT TWO ESPECIALLY, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
AND UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ.
ALRIGHT, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR INITIATING OUR NEXT, UH, RECOGNITION TODAY.
UH, A GREAT FRIEND OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AND A CHAMPION FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
IN PARTICULAR, UH, A RECOGNITION FOR JANIE BARRERA'S GREAT CAREER IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THE FLOOR, UH, TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
TODAY WE HAVE THE HONOR OF INVITING JANIE BARRA TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
OF COURSE, JANIE'S RESUME SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
SINCE THE LIFTFUND START IN 1994, THE ORGANIZATION HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN 450 MILLION TO MORE THAN 25,000 BUSINESSES IN THEIR SERVICE AREA.
SHE WAS A FORMER NUN WITH THE SISTERS OF THE INCARNATE WARD AND BLESSED SIMAN AND CORPUS CHRISTI, AND WORKED IN PUBLIC RADIO WITH THE AIR FORCE WELFARE AND RECREATIONAL DIVISION.
UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE, LIFTFUND HAS FLOURISHED INTO A BEACON OF HOPE FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SAN ANTONIO AND 15 OTHER STATES, THERE ARE COUNTLESS STORIES OF SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, AND ENTREPRENEURS THAT RECEIVE THAT EXTRA FUNDING TO REALIZE THEIR DREAM TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO A VIBRANT CITY THAT IT IS TODAY.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AND ALL THOSE LIVES YOU HAVE TOUCHED, UH, I I I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR UPCOMING RETIREMENT AS C E O AND FOUNDER OF THE LIFT FUND IN SAN ANTONIO, YOUR VISIONARY, LEADERSHIP, UNWAVERING, DEDICATION, AND PROFOUND IMPACT ON COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE LEFT AN INCREDIBLE MARK ON OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS WHY I'M PROUD TO HAVE YOU SERVE ON, AS A MEMBER ON THE WEST SIDE TOURS YOUR INFLUENCE AND IMPACT SPEAK FOR ITSELF.
I HOPE YOU CAN TAKE THE TIME TO REALLY BASK IN YOUR GOOD WORK AND THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR REMARKABLE CAREER.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU UP FOR A COUPLE OF WORDS IF YOU'D LIKE.
AND WHILE YOU COME UP, JAMIE, I'LL READ THE OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS INTO THE RECORD.
UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HEREBY EXTENDS ITS OFFICIAL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO JANIE BARRERA IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR RETIREMENT FROM LIFT FUND, THE NONPROFIT AGENCY YOU STARTED IN 1994.
WHAT BEGAN AS A SMALL ORGANIZATION WITH ONLY THREE EMPLOYEES, NOW HAS OVER 100 EMPLOYEES AND HAS GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST MICRO AND SMALL BUSINESS LEADERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE NONPROFIT AGENCY PROVIDES SMALL LOANS AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING TO MICRO ENTERPRISES OF ALL KINDS, FROM STARTUPS TO LONG ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES, AND OPERATES IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, NEW MEXICO, NEW NEW YORK, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, AND OF COURSE, TEXAS.
THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP EXPERTISE AND CREATIVITY, YOU'VE HELPED CREATE AND HELPED LEVEL THE FINANCIAL PLAYING FIELD FOR ENTREPRENEURS
[00:30:01]
WHO HISTORICALLY HAVE FACED CONSIDERABLE OBSTACLES WHEN SEEKING THE FINANCING THEY NEED TO START AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, YOU HAVE HELD NUMEROUS POSITIONS AND RECEIVED NATIONWIDE RECOGNITION FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S FINANCIAL SERVICES ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD, AND THE MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM'S CORPORATE ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING OTHERS SERVING AS A CHANGE AGENT IN THE FIELD OF MICROFINANCE AND HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED AND IS WORTHY OF COMMENDATION.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE PROUD TO JOIN YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FELLOW COLLEAGUES IN SALUTING YOU FOR A JOB.
MAY YOUR RETIREMENT OPEN UP NEW VISTAS WITH NEW CHALLENGES, NEW INTERESTS, AND ABOVE ALL, CONTINUED SUCCESS AND A LIFE WELL LIVED.
CONGRATULATIONS, JANIE BARRERA REPRESENTED THIS 15TH DAY OF JUNE, 2023.
I'D LOVE FOR THE LIFTFUND TEAM THAT'S PRESENT.
IF YOU, Y'ALL COULD JUST WALK UP OR STAND UP OR WAVE YOUR HANDS AND, AND BE RECOGNIZED AS WELL, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, I STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY DO THE WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS PROVIDENCE WOULD HAVE IT, LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT MARIA WOULD BE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
WE HELPED MARIA WITH HER BUSINESS GET STARTED HOW MANY YEARS AGO, MARIA? UM, 15.
SO IT JUST HAPPENS THAT SHE IS HERE, PRESENT AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WE HELP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S ALSO PROVIDENTIAL THAT WEST WELLS FARGO WAS HERE BECAUSE IT WAS IN 1994 THAT FOUR BANKS GOT TOGETHER AND SAID, YEAH, WE'LL TAKE A CHANCE ON THIS VISION OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH, A MICRO LENDING ORGANIZATION.
IT WAS CHASE, IT WAS, UM, UH, UM, BROADWAY.
IT WAS FROST, AND IT WAS WELLS FARGO WHO CAME TOGETHER IN 1994 AND A $50,000 GRANT TO GET STARTED.
OUR VERY FIRST OFFICE WAS AT A WELLS FARGO BANK DOWNTOWN ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MERCADO, WHICH IS A HARD DUTY WHEN, DURING THE TIME WHEN, UH, THE FIESTA IS HAPPENING.
'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO WORK DOWNTOWN IN SAN ANTONIO.
BUT SINCE THAT TIME, NOW, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, 30 YEARS LATER, ALMOST 30 YEARS LATER, WE ARE NOW AT MEED IN 15 STATES.
WE SERVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OVER THIS TIME AND HAVE DISPERSED ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS IN SMALL BUSINESS LOANS WITH A 96% REPAYMENT RATE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED HOW TO MITIGATE RISK AND GRADUATE OUR CUSTOMERS FROM, UH, WHAT WE DO HERE AND TO, UH, INTO THE BANKS.
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA THANK MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, UM, MEMBERS ESPECIALLY COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, FOR THINKING OF THIS IDEA OF BRINGING US TOGETHER TODAY AND ALSO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WITHOUT THEM, WE COULD NOT BE DOING THE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY THAT INTEREST BUY DOWN PROGRAM, AS YOU KNOW, WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THOSE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, OH, JANE, NOBODY'S GONNA BE EVER BE ABLE TO REPLACE YOU.
OUR NEW PRESIDENT AND C E O LAURIE VIGNA STARTS JULY 10TH, AND SHE HAS, UM, HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS WELL AND WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US GO INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF LIFTFUND.
AND OF COURSE, I AM NOT GOING TO BE HANGING MY HAT ANYWHERE.
I AM GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HELP AS MUCH AS I CAN.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING HERE.
I THINK, UH, UH, SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS.
DANNY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, THANK YOU, JANIE AND TEAM, UM, WE, WE THROW AROUND THE TERM TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE A LOT, BUT THAT'S WHAT LIFTFUND WAS, IS, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR STEPPING OUT, FOR BEING THAT VISIONARY, FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR MICRO AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND FOR THE HELP THAT YOU'VE GIVEN THE RESIDENTS, UH, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND, AND ACROSS THE STATE.
AND, BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WORK.
AND IT'S WHEN WOMEN WORK VERY HARD, THAT THEN WOMEN LIKE US CAN SIT HERE ON THE DIOCESE AND SERVE.
I I KNOW YOU'LL STILL BE AROUND, BUT YOU WILL BE MISSED AT LIFT.
AND JANIE, I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND TO THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
I'M REALLY PROUD TO SAY THAT IN SAN ANTONIO WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS AND SPECIFICALLY THAT IT'S LED BY A WOMAN, ANOTHER STRONG WOMAN.
AND I'M ALWAYS VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL
[00:35:01]
DO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD.I JUST HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE USING YOUR VOICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED.
AND I'M JUST, UM, LUCKY TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU.
SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROSIE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE JANIE, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IN MY VIEW, WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUE TO DO MORE FOR SMALL BUSINESS.
IT'S, UH, NOT A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT.
AND, UM, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND, AND ALL THE LIVES THAT, THAT YOU'VE TOUCHED WHILE DOING IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR JANIE, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION BECAUSE YOU'VE SET A STANDARD ON HOW TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU AND, AND HELP BUSINESSES THRIVE IN VERY DIFFICULT TIMES.
SO, UH, ALL OF YOUR TEAM, I'M SURE IS DEDICATED TO CONTINUE DOING THIS AFTER YOU LEAVE.
UH, BUT HOPEFULLY THE INSPIRATION YOU PROVIDED THAT TEAM WILL CONTINUE LONG AFTER YOU DEPART.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
JANIE, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, FOR BEING A FRIEND AND BEING A MENTOR TO SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY REALLY HAVE SHAPED, UH, THIS CITY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
AND IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE GET TO HEAR THE WORD BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME AS IF IT'S SOME MONOLITH.
AND SO WHENEVER I HEAR THAT TERM, I THINK OF JANIE BARRERA, UH, TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUSINESSES AND THAT YOU CAN OPERATE A BUSINESS WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIOUS.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE LED US TO DO IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JANIE, ANYTHING MUCH SAY YOU CELEBRATE MARCH 20TH, 2024.
WE'RE GONNA INVITE ABOUT 800 OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS TO THAT LUNCHEON, UH, TO CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF SERVICE, UH, NOT ONLY OF LIFT FUND, BUT OF ME IN, IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UH, NOW OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS FOR RECOGNITION.
I WANT TO, UM, INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO HELP ME CELEBRATE A VERY LARGE, UH, VICTORY AND AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT, UM, HAS BEEN, UH, GIVEN TO NIDS BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW, BUT ONE OF THE MOST ELITE AND IMPORTANT RECOGNITIONS IN ALL OF TEXAS IS THE H E B EXCELLENCE OF EDUCATION AWARDS.
AND THIS YEAR, THE OUTSTANDING SCHOOL BOARD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS, UH, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED TO BE N I S D.
AND SO I, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MELISSA CHUMLEY, BOBBY BLOUNT, AND KAREN FREEMAN, UH, AND ANY OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER I S D BOARD MEMBERS, UM, THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALSO CAROL HARL, GERALD LOPEZ, JOSEPH MEDINA, AND CORRINE SALDANA.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES AND MY DISTRICT, UM, I, UH, I, I, YOUR JOB IS, IS REALLY QUITE THANKLESS.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU, THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENS TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THEY, THEY THROW A PARADE FOR US AND THEY GIVE US A NICE PARKING SPOT.
YOU GET NONE OF THAT, UH, AND GET, INSTEAD YOU GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS, BUT YOU DO THE JOB ANYWAY.
AND I KNOW, UM, YOU DO IT OUT OF LOVE.
UM, I, UH, I ALSO KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA, HAS A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU, MANNY, AND CONGRATULATIONS.
I WAS, UM, HONORED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE, AND YOU PROBABLY HEARD A, A LOUD YELL FROM MY LITTLE SECTION OF THE ROOM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT DISTRICT FOUR IS PRETTY HUGE.
WE HAVE NORTHSIDE I S D SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M REALLY PROUD TO REPRESENT THEM.
SO I, UH, TAKE YOU ALL IN WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
AND AGAIN, I WAS JUST ENTIRELY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND, UM, THE, THE PRIDE IN THE ROOM THAT NIGHT.
WE COULD TELL THAT EVERYONE LOVES YOU ALL, YOU ALL DO A GREAT JOB, AND I'M JUST HONORED TO REPRESENT YOU ALL AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN EZ, FOR ALLOWING ME TO CHIME IN.
I'M, UH, ALSO JOINED TODAY AND CONGRATULATING YOU BY MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT SIX.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE, YOUR DEDICATION.
I HAPPEN TO BE A PRODUCT OF NORTHSIDE SCHOOLS.
I'M A PROUD GRADUATE OF TAFT HIGH SCHOOL, UM, WHERE I MET MY HUSBAND, WHO NOW WORKS FOR NORTHSIDE.
SO WE ARE VERY MUCH INTEGRATED IN NORTHSIDE.
IT WAS VERY MUCH INTEGRATED INTO OUR LIVES, BUT, UH, I, THIS PARTICULAR RECOGNITION IS, IS VERY SPECIAL.
AND IT SHOWS JUST, I MEAN, NORTHSIDE WINS BECAUSE OF THIS BOARD, AND OUR CITY WINS BECAUSE OF THIS BOARD.
[00:40:01]
TO SAY TOO THAT, UM, THE EDGEWOOD I S D SCHOOL BOARD ACTUALLY WON SECOND PLACE.SO, UH, WE ARE BIG WINNERS IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, FOR NORTHSIDE.
NORTHSIDE HAS BEEN SUCH A BIG, UH, PILLAR IN OUR LIVES.
UM, AND NOT JUST MY FAMILY, BUT OUR DISTRICT.
IT REALLY IS IN A LOT OF WAYS, HELPED SHAPE DISTRICT SIX OUTSIDE FOUR 10.
AND SO, UM, ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT NORTHSIDE EDUCATED, AND I'M ALL ALSO REALLY HONORED TO SAY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GREW UP IN DISTRICT SIX STILL LIVE THERE.
SO, SO YOU CAN'T THROW A ROCK WITHOUT A MEETING.
I, I, SOMEBODY I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH, OR, YOU KNOW, OUR BIGGEST RIVALS BACK THEN WERE MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO IT'S VERY MUCH INVOLVED, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR DEDICATION TO WHAT THE STUDENTS, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATORS AND ALL THE STAFF AT THESE SCHOOLS DO.
SO WE THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
SO, UH, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE TO BRING A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM, UH, ONE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT, UH, STAKEHOLDERS.
AND FROM ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUENTS, MY DAUGHTER SOPHIA, WHO IS, UH, ATTENDING HEALTH CAREERS, UM, SHE JUST WANTS TO PASS ALONG HER GRADUATE, CONGRATULATIONS.
AND ALSO ASK YOU TO LOOK INTO THE MAC AND CHEESE SITUATION AT THE CAFETERIA.
COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS, AND YOU ALL.
BOBBY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE FLOOR? THANK, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL FOR THIS RECOGNITION.
ALSO, OUR, OUR MAYOR, UH, TO PUT IT LIGHTLY, WE WERE REALLY SURPRISED, UH, THIS AWARD REALLY IS AN HONOR.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, H E B HAS A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS.
THERE'S OVER 1,020 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN THE RUNNING FOR IT, IN CONSIDERATION FOR US TO HAVE IT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT, NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT ALSO FOR OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WE AS A BOARD, UH, WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE.
IT REPRESENTS OUR CULTURE SUCCESS.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS OUR OVER A HUNDRED, 3000 STUDENTS THAT WE WANNA PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE FROM OUR NEWCOMERS, FROM OUR AT RISK TO OUR STATE CHAMPIONS.
AND BY THE WAY THAT WE MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT MORE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN IN THE HISTORY OF NORTHSIDE
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE GREAT EFFORTS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, OF OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, ADMINISTRATORS.
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND BECAUSE THEIR BACKING AND THEIR SUPPORT THAT THEY GIVE IS WHY WE STAND HERE, TOO.
UH, THE LAST THING I I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS IT REPRESENTS, AS STATED BY THE ISTS, THE GREATNESS OF, OF, OF SAN ANTONIO AS A WHOLE CITY.
AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS TEXAS KNOWS THAT WE ARE A VERY CLOSE COMMUNITY.
OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT EDGEWOOD AND OTHERS, WE COLLABORATE IN WAYS THAT NO OTHER DISTRICTS WOULD DO, NO OTHER COMMUNITY WOULD DO, NO OTHER CHAMBERS WOULD DO, ET CETERA.
SO IT REPRESENTS THE GREATNESS OF SAN ANTONIO.
ALSO JOINING ME IS, UH, MELISSA CHUMLEY.
CHECK THIS OUT, YOU ALL, FOR 28 YEARS.
SHE FINALLY RETIRED THIS YEAR.
BUT THANK YOU, MELISSA, FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU AND OUR PRESIDENT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.
I'M OUR NEW PRESIDENT, KAREN FREEMAN'S, ALSO BEEN OUR BOARD, UH, FOR 18 YEARS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION AND FOR THE TIME THAT YOU GAVE US THIS MORNING.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING A MODEL, UH, FOR SCHOOL BOARDS, ESPECIALLY DURING A VERY PERILOUS TIME FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS.
AND, AND I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THE CITY, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OUR DAIS HERE IS A ALLY, UH, IN YOUR EFFORTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THOSE SO ABLELY, UH, PLEASE, UH, KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS AND CONTINUE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY BELIEVE, UH, IN THEIR, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS, AND THEREFORE, THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY, AND THIS STATE WILL BE EDUCATED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS, AND WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
UH, LET ME RECOGNIZE NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
IF Y'ALL COULD MAKE YOUR WAY UP, UH, CHARLES AND TEAM, I'D LIKE TO CELEBRATE ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, SAN ANTONIO RISING STARS AND THEIR, UH, BASKETBALL TEAM.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CHARLES STADY WHITE AND OUR KIDDOS FROM RISING STARS, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY BASKETBALL LEAGUE.
UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, CHARLES RISING STARS HAS CREATED NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG MEN IN SAN ANTONIO'S EAST SIDE, AND ENCOURAGED A, A BUILDING OF COMMUNITY THAT WILL STRENGTHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR UPCOMING TRIPS TO NEW YORK TOMORROW, TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE TEAM AS Y'ALL COMPETE AGAINST NEW YORK'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO SHARE A FEW WORDS AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TRIP.
OH, YOU BLEND IN WITH THE KIDS.
UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS?
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO GIVE HONOR TO DISTRICT TWO JALEN FOR BEING A PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A UPHILL BATTLE.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVING IN A TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE WE LOSING OUR KIDS AND OUR YOUTH AND OUR YOUNG MEN, YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU WATCH THE NEWS, YOU SEE HIS MURDER
[00:45:01]
AFTER MURDER, AFTER MURDER THAT BEEN GOING ON.BUT WE HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THANKS FOR JALEN FOR INVITING US OUT TO LET US KNOW THAT IT'S FUNDING OUT THERE, THAT HEY, YOU NEED TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, LEADING IT AND GOT US AND ON THIS.
AND SO, UH, EVERYBODY THAT'S UP HERE, LIKE, UH, ON BEHALF OF AREA, SO I'M SORRY, PEOPLE STILL TRYING TO COME.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE, UH, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE, UH, CITY HALL IS.
BUT, UH, ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO, AFRICAN AMERICAN, SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION, THE Y M C A, UH, WINNER CIRCLE, UH, STANDUP, UH, BIG HOG, UH, S A P D, UH, IT'S A, YEAH.
AND THE REASON WHY WE BUILT THIS COALITION, BECAUSE WE WANT TO STOP THE VIOLENCE.
SO IN ORDER TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, WE KNOW IT'S, IT'S BIGGER THAN ME, IT'S BIGGER THAN ANYBODY.
SO WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THIS SO THEY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN LIFE SKILLS, ANGER MANAGEMENT, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A ROLE MODEL IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO COME RIGHT NOW AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO BE A ROLE MODEL, YOU KNOW, BE, BE SOMEBODY IN THE FUTURE TO BE A LEADER, AND TAKE OVER WHEN I'M GONE.
THEY, ONE OF THEM COULD TAKE OVER.
SO WE'D LIKE TO GIVE, UH, HONOR TO THE CITY.
SO WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS TROPHY TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL DO IT, THE MAYOR OR ONE OF Y'ALL.
BOTH, BOTH OF Y'ALL COME GET THAT.
AND THE REASON WHY WE, WE PRESENT THIS TROPHY IS BECAUSE THEY ARE A WINNER.
AND WE ALSO LIKE TO, UH, PRESENT ANOTHER TROPHY TO THE CHIEF.
THE CHIEF BEEN COMING, MENTORING THE KIDS, HELPING US THROUGH OUR EVERYTHING.
SO WE ALSO LIKE TO PRESENT HIM WITH A TROPHY AS WELL.
YOU REFEREE YOUR GAME THERE TOO.
YEAH, I GOTTA SAY ONE MORE THING.
IF YOU WANT, WE GONNA CHALLENGE NEW BECAUSE WE GOING TO NEW YORK TOMORROW, SAY, HEY, TEXAS, WE CAN DO THAT.
OH, AND ONE MORE THING, UH, WE'LL BE GOING TO NEW YORK TOMORROW.
WE TAKING 28 PEOPLE TO NEW YORK TOMORROW.
WE TAKING, UH, ALL OF THE KIDS GET, SHOWING 'EM SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO WE'LL BE PLAYING AGAINST NEW YORK AND WE'LL BE BATTLING.
AND, UH, ANYBODY WANNA SAY SOMETHING? ALRIGHT.
CHARLES, DON'T GO ANYWHERE YET.
UM, WE DO HAVE A FEW REMARKS THAT I THINK MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
THANK YOU CHARLES AND TEAM FOR AOSS CONTINUED ADVOCACY.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT SEEING YOU HERE AT PUBLIC COMMON IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR YOUTH.
AND I NEED TO ASK, IS THAT OFFICER HARDEN? OH MY GOSH.
I'VE BEEN WONDERING WHERE YOU'VE BEEN.
SO YEARS AGO, UM, MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO, I ATTENDED A PANEL AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY, AND I JUST REALLY VALUED ALL OF THE INPUT, YOUR INSIGHT, AND, AND SHARING YOUR VIEW, UM, AND, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMING TOGETHER.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE COMMUNITY FROM, UM, OFFICER HARDEN AND TEAM CHARLES SA STANDUP AND OUR YOUTH TOGETHER.
SO, SO THANK YOU YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE GREAT WORK, Y'ALL.
WELL, CHARLES, JUST WANT TO, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN YOU.
YOU'RE REALLY DOING AMAZING WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, AND ON BEHALF OF THIS CITY, WE WANNA SAY, UH, TO NEW YORK, RISING STARS, SAN ANTONIO IS COMING FOR YOU.
OH, AND I, AND I ALSO LIKE TO SAY, THANKS, MR. WASH.
UH, MS. MARIE, UH, THIS CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY OF CRIME PREVENTION FUNDS.
[00:50:06]
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.ALRIGHT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET NOW INTO OUR BUSINESS AGENDA.
WE DO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED, UH, 5, 9, 23, 31, AND 32.
SO WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE IN ORDER.
UH, SO LET'S START WITH ITEM NUMBER
[Purchase of Services, Supplies and Equipment ]
FIVE.MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE CAPTION? ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A CONTRACT WITH GOV RED TECHNOLOGY INC.
TO PROVIDE A VIRTUAL REALITY DEESCALATION TRAINING SIMULATOR AND ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR AN ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF $173,000 FOR A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD.
FUNDING OF $125,000 IS AVAILABLE FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 COMMUNITY POLICING DEVELOPMENT DEESCALATION TRAINING GRANT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL GRANT, FUNDING FOR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF $12,000 PER YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF $48,000 IS AVAILABLE FROM THE S A P D GENERAL FUND BUDGET SUBJECT TO FUTURE YEAR APPROPRIATIONS.
ALRIGHT, LET ME GET A, A MOTION AND THEN WE'LL START OUR DISCUSSION, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
I, I MOVE TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.
THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL.
BIDEN NUMBER FIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
I PULLED THIS ITEM ON BEHALF OF COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, WHO HAS A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON IT.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, WE WANT TO GIVE A JUST KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL, UH, PRESENTATION AND WE, WE'LL START THE CONVERSATION.
UH, SO IN 2021, SS A P D RECEIVED A COMMUNITY POLICING DEESCALATION GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
UH, THE RECOMMENDED PROVIDER IS GOV RED TECH TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT WILL PROVIDE A VIRTUAL REALITY DEESCALATION TRAINING SIMULATOR.
UH, THE TRAINING PUTS OFFICERS IN A REAL LIFE, UH, SCENARIO, UH, VIRTUAL IN A REAL LIFE VIRTUAL SCENARIO TRAINING ENVIRONMENT.
UH, AND THAT IS MEANT TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A SITUATION, UH, IN REAL LIFE THAT WOULD ESCALATE.
OUR CURRENT TRAINING PROVIDES, WE, WE HAVE A, WHAT IS CALLED A, UH, A FATS MACHINE OR A, UH, SIMULATOR THAT IS, IS TWO DIMENSIONAL, THAT PUTS OFFICERS IN A, UH, IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN, IT CAN BE CONTROLLED IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
THIS SIT, THIS, AND IT ONLY, BUT ONLY ACCOMMODATES UP TO TWO OFFICERS AT A TIME.
THIS NEW SIMULATOR IS THREE DIMENSIONAL, AND IT PROVIDES, UM, UH, CAPABILITY FOR UP TO TRAINING FOUR OFFICERS AT A TIME.
AND, UH, IT ALSO PROVIDES IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK FROM OUR T COLE CERTIFIED TRAINERS.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO, UH, ACCEPT THIS, UM, APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE WITH GOV RED TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE SS A P D WITH AN ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR VIRTUAL REALITY DEESCALATION SIMULATOR LATER.
AND I DON'T SEE THE COUNCILMAN HERE ON THE DIOCESE, SO.
ANY DISCUSSION? ITEM NUMBER FIVE, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION CHIEF.
UM, SO THE POLICE HAS ACTUALLY TRIED THE TECHNOLOGY AND THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF YEAH.
UM, TRAINING CAPABILITY FROM WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT, WHAT OTHER CITIES USE? THIS ONE? PARDON? WHAT OTHER CITIES USE? THIS ONE, THERE'S SIX OTHER CITIES.
THERE'S SEVEN OTHER CITIES THAT USE IT.
THERE'S A POLICE DEPARTMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT USES IT.
UH, TULSA, OKLAHOMA USES IT, AND I'M NOT GONNA REMEMBER THE REST OF THAT.
UM, UH, MARYLAND STATE POLICE USE IT.
AND I, AND I DON'T SUPPOSE THEY'VE HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE TRAINING OR ANY, I GUESS, IN ANY FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
WE DID SOME PRETTY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER OCHI GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
I REMEMBER, UH, MAYBE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, SEVERAL OF US WENT TO, UH, THE POLICE ACADEMY AND OR PUT POLICE TRAINING FACILITY AND UNDERWENT SOME OF THIS TRAINING WITH THE, THE CURRENT TWO DIMENSIONAL, UM, I I PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND I, I COULD SEE HOW THAT WAS BENEFICIAL, BUT I COULD SEE ALSO HOW THIS WOULD BE EVEN MORE BENEFICIAL THAN THE ONE YOU HAD TO UPGRADE THE TECHNOLOGY, MAKE THE, MAKE THE SCENARIOS MORE REALISTIC WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO DEESCALATE.
AND I THINK ANY INVESTMENT IN, IN DEESCALATION IS A GOOD INVESTMENT, UH, ALL AROUND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
[00:55:01]
I PULLED THE ITEM WAS BECAUSE I, I DID SIGNAL DURING PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS AND THAT, UH, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS.AND SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION, UH, ME AND MARIA AND, UH, JESSE.
AND MY PRIMARY CONCERN, AND MY PRIMARY FOCUS WITH THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING SHOULD BE USED TO THEIR FULLEST.
AND SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WERE RELATED TO THE TYPES OF DATA THAT WOULD BE REPORTED, THE TYPES OF, UH, LESSONS AND FEEDBACK THAT, UM, OUR OFFICERS WOULD BE RECEIVING AND HOW WE TRACK THAT DATA.
AND SO MY CONCERNS STILL REMAINS THAT WE AREN'T, THE REPORTS DON'T TRACK, UH, THAT THE REPORTS AREN'T REALLY GONNA BE A, THE FEEDBACK IS VERBAL.
IT'S IN THAT MOMENT AND REAL TIME FEEDBACK IS NECESSARY IN EDUCATION, BUT SO IS TRACKING PROGRESS OVER TIME.
AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR, OR WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY THAT ARE GOING TO ALLOW US TO ADDRESS RACIAL BIASES THAT ARE GOING TO ALLOW US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TRACK OFFICER GROWTH AND FEEDBACK AS IT RELATES TO THOSE ISSUES.
NOT IN A MEANS TO PUNISH OR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SAY, OH, THIS IS A PROBLEM AND YOU'RE OUT.
BUT TO SAY THIS IS A PROBLEM AND HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX IT TOGETHER? AND SO, UM, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE ITEM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT I, I RAISED THAT AREN'T QUITE GONNA BE ABLE TO BE ADDRESSED JUST YET, THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN.
AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER K.
UH, CHIEF WILL, WILL THIS BE USED FOR ALL OFFICERS? WILL THEY ALL BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH THIS, OR IS IT OPTIONAL? YES, SIR.
AND I, I HEAR THE DISCUSSION ON IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK.
WHAT HAPPENS IF OFFICERS FAIL OR THEIR DEMONSTRATION WHEN THEY'RE DOING THIS SHOWS AN INCLINATION OF NOT MAKING VERY GOOD DECISIONS, THEN IT'S IMMEDIATELY CR THE, THE BENEFIT OF THIS IS THERE'S IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK PROVIDED, AND AN OFFICER, UM, WILL BE CRITIQUED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.
MAY THEY BE RETESTED LATER OR GO THROUGH IT LATER TO SEE IF WHAT WAS TOLD TO THEM ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED STICKS.
THEY COULD GO THROUGH IT RIGHT THERE AT THE SAME TIME THE, UH, AS THE INITIAL, UH, INITIAL WALKTHROUGH OR INITIAL TRAINING.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF, UH, LONG-TERM RECORD KEEPING ABOUT HOW THEY DO? YES, SIR.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, HEARING COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND I'M STILL SOMEWHAT CELEBRATING THE POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UM, I DO WANT TO, NO, THIS IS A TRAINING THAT TAKES PLACE, UH, DURING EARLY, EARLY STAGES, UM, OF THE CAREER.
IS IT RECURRING OR DOES IT, DOES IT HAPPEN ANNUALLY? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? IT WOULD BE USED AS WELL DURING, IN-SERVICE TRAINING.
IT WOULD BE USED AS WELL DURING, IN-SERVICE TRAINING.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE TRACKING DATA.
UM, AND THE ISSUE OF DEESCALATION, I THINK IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, AND I, I NEGLECTED TO MENTION THIS DURING MY FIRST, UH, ROUND OF COMMENTS IS THAT WE HAVE HAD INSTANCES WHERE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS READING AN ARTICLE WHERE A, A WOMAN DID, UH, ENGAGE WITH AN OFFICER AND HE HAD HER ON THE GROUND AND PUNCHED HER 11 TIMES, 10 TIMES.
AND HE WAS IN, HE WAS IN SERVICE FOR 11 YEARS.
AND THAT'S NOT BEHAVIOR THAT IS BECOMING OF AN OFFICER WHO, UH, IS IN, IS IN THE FIELD FOR THAT LONG.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS, THAT ARE BECOMING MORE REAL AND THAT ARE, HAVE A VERY CLEAR PURPOSE, THAT WE'RE ENSURING THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE.
AND I, I AM VERY CONCERNED AND WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I, I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE LOST IN THE CONVERSATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TECH ISSUE HERE, SO WHY DON'T WE TAKE A VOICE VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
ANY THE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER NINE.
[Acquisition, Sale or Lease of Real Property ]
IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A SUBLEASE TO ST.MARY'S HALL TO USE PORTIONS OF CITY, CITY LEASE LAND FOR AN INITIAL TERM OF 20 YEARS, WHICH WOULD BEGIN ON JUNE 1ST, 2023.
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BY COUNCILWOMAN GRO, BUT COULD WE GET A MOTION FIRST BEFORE WE ACT ON THIS? THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.COUNCILWOMAN GRO, UM, I WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM NINE.
TODAY I HAVE, UH, VARIOUS QUESTIONS FOR HOMER REGARDING THE C P OS C P S LAND THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS SUBLEASING TO ST.
MARY'S HALL PRIVATE SCHOOL, UM, AT LADY BIRD JOHNSON PARK FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.
HOMER, I THINK YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND LET ME GET RIGHT TO IT.
SO FOR, UH, BACKGROUND ON, UH, THIS ITEM AND REALLY, UM, THE SPACE THAT IS L B J PARK, THE GENESIS OF L B J PARK DATES BACK TO DECEMBER OF 1972.
THE PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY, UH, C P S LAND LEASED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR PARK PURPOSES.
UH, THAT WAS AN INITIAL 30 YEAR TERM.
IN, UH, APRIL OF 1984, WE BROUGHT THAT ITEM BACK AND EXTENDED IT TO 2029.
AND AT THAT SAME TIME, ENTERED INTO A SUBLEASE AGREEMENT WITH Y M C A, UH, ASSOCIATION OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND THEN IN JUNE, 2021, THE Y M C A AND ST.
MARY'S HALL ENTERED INTO A PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN SPACE THERE AT THE PARK AND ALSO AN ACCESS POINT.
A FEW YEARS LATER IN JUNE, 2007, UH, THAT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT WAS AMENDED TO, UH, INCLUDE JUST UNDER FIVE ACRES FOR, UM, SUBLEASE TO ST.
AND AT THAT TIME, ALSO IN JUNE OF 2007, JUST UNDER SIX ACRES WAS DONATED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THE PURPOSES OF, UH, THE SLAUGHTER CREEK GREENWAY DEVELOPMENT.
THAT, OF COURSE, IS A PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT.
IT STILL EXISTS TODAY, UH, IN JUNE OF 2020.
UH, THE Y M C A DID REQUEST EARLY TERMINATION OF THAT SUBLEASE FROM US TO THEM.
UH, AND SO WE DID ACCOMMODATE THAT THE GREEN SPACE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY USE.
AND THE BUILDING THAT WAS THERE IS NOW UTILIZED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, HOUSES, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, THERE WAS A PLANNED TRAIL CONNECTION THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING FORWARD, UH, THAT REALLY EXPANDED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH C P S.
AND IT WAS FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING A TRAIL FROM THE PARENT HOMESTEAD IN DISTRICT 10 OVER TO L B J PARK, THROUGH C P S LAND.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS GONNA DIRECTLY CROSS THE SUBLEASE AREA THAT, UM, THE SCHOOL HAD ENTERED INTO WITH THE Y M C A BACK IN 2007.
AND SO THE PROPOSED ACTION TODAY HAS AN INITIAL 20 YEAR TERM.
THERE ARE RENEWAL OPTIONS THAT EFFECTIVELY WOULD TAKE THAT OUT IN ADDITIONAL 20 YEARS.
UH, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS MAINTAINS THE COMPAT.
THE USE OF THIS ACTION IS COMPATIBLE FOR THE EXISTING PLANNED GREENWAY TRAIL CONNECTION, AND IT INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL 4.91 ACRES, ALSO AN ADDITIONAL SMALL PORTION, UH, TOTALING 2.26 ACRES FOR A SUBLEASE AREA OF A TOTAL OF 5.17 ACRES.
THIS ACTION HONORS THE INTENT OF THE LAND DONATION BY ST.
MARY'S HALL TO THIS CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE GREENWAY CONNECTION, UH, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SUBLEASE AREA, WHICH IS GONNA MATCH EXISTING USE.
SO THERE'S NO ADVERSE IMPACT TO HOW THE PUBLIC COMES TO, UH, THE PARK OR INTERACTS WITH L B J PARK.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL AND OF THE EXECUTION OF THE, UH, SUBLEASE WITH ST.
MARY'S HALL, HONORING THAT ORIGINAL LAND EXCHANGE, UH, AND THEN ADDING AN ADDITIONAL 0.26 ACRES, MAINTAINING THAT CURRENT USE, ALIGNED WITH RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, STORAGE, MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.
UH, AND LAST THING, THE AREA THAT COMES THROUGH THE SUBLEASE, THAT IS THE TRAIL CONNECTION FROM PARENT HOMESTEAD OVER TO, UH, THE PARK THAT IS IN DESIGN.
WE WILL MAINTAIN THE TRAIL PORTION THAT COMES THROUGH THAT SUBLEASE AREA, NOT ST.
UH, AND THAT'D BE THE ONLY PORTION THAT'D BE MAINTAINED.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THERE, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE BOTHERSOME ABOUT THIS.
ONE IS, THIS WAS, SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THE COUNCIL IN 2007 APPROVED THIS SUBLEASE WITH WHAT IS AN, AN EXCHANGE? THE SUBLEASE IN 2007 WAS A DIRECT ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE Y M C A AND ST.
WHAT COUNCIL APPROVED WAS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE LAND DONATION FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GREENWAY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE IT GETS KIND OF IN A MAY, HOW MUCH
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WAS, WAS THE LAND WORTH BACK IN 2007 FOR THE 5.76 ACRES? WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.BECAUSE WHAT WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME IS A LOT OF SHUFFLING OF, HEY, WE'LL GIVE YOU THIS LAND IF YOU GIVE US THIS ACCESS.
MARY'S HALL IS A PRIVATE SCHOOL? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THE THIS, THIS USE IS GONNA BE FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND FACULTY ONLY.
THE USE OF THE SUBLEASE AREA, THE ACCESS POINT.
THE ACCESS POINT, THE ACCESS POINT IS DIRECTLY FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE PARK.
SO THE, THE, THE RESTRICTED USE WOULD BE WHEN YOU COME UP AGAINST THEIR PROPERTY LINE.
SO THAT ACCESS POINT THOUGH, IS DIRECTLY FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE PARK.
IT IS EXISTING TRAIL THAT, SO, YEAH.
SO, UM, SO WHY COULDN'T I, I JUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN, IN OUR PLANS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING ACCESS TO THE PARK DURING PARK HOURS.
MARY'S HALL TO L B J PARK, IS THAT DURING PARK HOURS OR ARE THEY USING THE PARK WHEN IT'S CLOSED FOR SOCCER AND SWIMMING POOL? NO, IT PARK CURFEW APPLIES TO EVERYBODY.
SO IT'D BE DURING WHEN THE PARK IS OPEN.
UM, 'CAUSE THIS IS A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT CHARGES TUITION, CORRECT? YES.
UM, YEAH, SO I REALLY, I DON'T FEEL GOOD SUPPORTING THIS TODAY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IS THIS, THIS AGREEMENT WAS, UM, BACK IN 2007 AND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR TODAY IS A 20 YEAR COMMITMENT WITH AN AUTOMATIC 20 YEAR EXTENSION, WHICH PUTS IT 40 YEARS, WHICH IS 2063.
CORRECT? THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA BE ON COUNCIL OR WHO'S GONNA BE AROUND THEN.
SO I, I REALLY HAVE ISSUES WITH, WITH PUT TAKING OUR PARK AND KIND OF GIVING THEM, WHAT IS IT NOW? 5.6, 5.717 ACRES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A SAY BECAUSE FROM THE AGREEMENT, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT IT'LL BE AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED AND ONLY ST.
MARY'S HALL CAN LEAVE THE CONTRACT.
WE CAN'T LEAVE THE CON, WE CAN'T, UM, TERMINATE THIS LEASE.
COUNCILWOMAN, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THIS WRONG.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS Y M C A THROUGH THIS AGREEMENT IS THE ONLY ELEMENT THAT'S MISSING TODAY.
THEY'RE NO LONGER A PART OF THAT BECAUSE THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN AGREEMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SUB AGREEMENT WITH ST.
MARY'S HALL, THE TRAIL IS OUR NECKLACE TO OUR ENTIRE CITY.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO DO FOR JUST 20 YEAR AGREEMENT.
THE PARK, THE TRAILS, IT'S FOR EVERYBODY.
THERE'S NO LIMITATIONS TO THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THE RIGHT LENS HERE.
I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT WHAT IT, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST FIVE ACRES THAT WE'RE GIVING UP.
WHY DON'T WE JUST LEASE THE, THE ACCESS POINT THE ROAD.
WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE GIVING UP THAT WHOLE CHUNK OF THE PARK FOR 40 YEARS TO ST.
MARY'S HALL? SO, OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN.
SO THIS, THEY GAVE US LAND FOR THE CONNECTION OF THE SATO CREEK GREENWAY.
AND SO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, IN THIS AREA, WHETHER IT'S THE Y IN THIS CASE, WE KNOW THEY'RE GONE AND WITH THE SCHOOL DATES BACK, UH, 22 YEARS.
AND SO FOR THE SPACE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT IS MAINTAINING WHAT THEY'VE HAD ACCESS TO SINCE 2007 TIED TO THAT DONATION OF LAND FOR A PERMANENT PARK IMPROVEMENT.
WHICH, WHICH THEN BRINGS ME, IT'S A QUID PRO QUO.
WE SAID, YOU DONATE THIS LAND, WE'LL GIVE YOU THIS ACCESS FOR 63 FOR, UH, WHAT IS IT, 40, 62 YEARS.
BECAUSE IF YOU'D SAID IT, IT STARTED 22 YEARS AGO AND WE'RE GIVING 'EM AN ADDITIONAL 42.
AND I, I WANNA PUT KIND OF A, I WANNA PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO THIS BECAUSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE LOOK AT HOW WE EXPAND INTO THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, I WANNA, I WANNA SEE WHAT THIS COSTS, THE OTHER THING I WANNA SEE IS HOW MANY OF THESE AGREEMENTS WITH PARKS DO WE DO A 20 TO 40 YEAR AGREEMENT? BECAUSE NORMALLY WHAT I SEE IS A, A 10 YEAR WITH TWO FIVE YEARS EX EXTENSIONS.
RIGHT? NOW, I'M, I'M SAYING, YOU'RE TELLING ME LET'S
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GO INTO WITH A PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT, MAYBE SCHOOL INTO A 40 YEAR AGREEMENT.AND THIS ONLY ENHANCES THEM BECAUSE THEY GET A PRIVATE ACCESS POINT FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO L B J.
SO I, I, THERE IS A DO, THERE IS A FISCAL AMOUNT HERE THAT I'M NOT SEEING.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK I, I MEAN I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS, WHAT, WHAT IS THE FISCAL AMOUNT? BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED IT AS WE LOOK AT OTHER PARKS AND OTHER AREAS AND OTHER PRIVATE PEOPLE THAT WANNA MAYBE DO THIS, WE'LL DONATE LAND IF YOU GIVE US THIS ACCESS.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT SEEING HERE.
AND, UH, SO TALK, SO BACK TO THE FISCAL PIECE, GOING BACK TO 2007, RIGHT? YOU ASKED WHAT'S THE VALUE FOR THE LAND DONATION? WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
THEY DID MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACE THAT EVERYONE USED, AND THEY ALSO CONSTRUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE Y M C A, THAT ACCESS POINT.
AND SO WE'VE TREATED THAT CONSISTENT WITH ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO TIE INTO OUR GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM THAT SEE THE VALUE IN CONNECTING COMMUNITY TO OUR TRAILS, WHICH ARE FOR EVERYBODY, THAT ACCESS POINT THEY FUNDED, WE ARE COMING THROUGH IT.
THE FISCAL IMPACT WILL BE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE BRING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE TRAIL CONNECTION FROM PERRIN TO L B J.
'CAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT TRAIL THAT COMES THROUGH THAT LEASE AREA, THAT SUBLEASE AREA, AND IT'S GONNA BE ONLY THAT TRAIL PIECE.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SUBLEASING AND THEN WE'RE MAINTAIN MAINTAINING.
WHY DON'T WE JUST CUT OUT THE PART THAT WE NEED, UM, IN, IN THE SUBLEASE.
'CAUSE IT JUST, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
I, I WOULD LIKE US TO TAKE MORE TIME WITH THIS ITEM AND GET MORE DOLLAR AMOUNTS REGARDING IT BEFORE I CAN APPROVE IT, BECAUSE THIS JUST DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A, A, A BEST USE OF OUR DOLLARS.
I JUST DO NOT HAVE, AND WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON THE GREENWAY TRAIL AND TO GO INTO A, A 40 YEAR AGREEMENT WITH A PRIVATE ENTITY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS, IT JUST DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT.
SO I MOVED TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER.
I MOVED TO DELAY ITEM NUMBER NINE TO, UM, MOVE TO A, UM, A B SESSION.
THE FIRST AVAILABLE B SESSION.
IS THAT HOW IT WORKS, SANDY? UM, COUNCILWOMAN, WE WOULD NEED A DATE CERTAIN FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IT AGAIN.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, I, IF YOU WANT A B SESSION, IT WOULD BE FOR A COUNCIL MEETING IN AUGUST, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE JULY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO THE MOTION COULD BE TO DELAY IT UNTIL A AUGUST COUNCIL MEETING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING.
IT'LL BE A B SESSION IF THAT'S YOUR MOTION.
SO I, I MAKE A MOTION TO DELAY THIS ITEM TO AN AUGUST B SESSION TO GET MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE, UM, THE FISCAL, UH, IMPACT AND, AND THE FISCAL AMOUNT OF WHAT THAT 5.76 ACRES WAS WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY DONATED.
DID I HEAR A SECOND? I HEAR NO SECOND.
SO THERE IS A, UH, SECONDARY MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO DELAY THE ITEM TO, WHAT WAS THE DATE? UH, AUGUST.
IT WOULD BE, UH, AUGUST 2ND FOR, UH, A SESSION.
OR IS IT B FOR B SESSION? AUGUST 2ND.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO DELAY ITEM NUMBER NINE TO AUGUST 2ND B SESSION.
UH, SO WE WILL TAKE UP DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY AT THIS TIME.
UM, I DO KNOW THERE'S A QUEUE ALREADY IN PLACE.
UH, SO YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THE DELAY COUNCIL MEMBER BLY? SURE.
I'D, I'D JUST LIKE TO FIND OUT HOW MANY OTHER, UM, LEASES WE HAVE FOR THIS LENGTH OF TIME WITH NONPROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND YEAH, WE WILL NEED TO GET YOU AN EXACT NUMBER.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL.
DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER TODAY.
ERIC, I, I MEAN, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE SOME INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY HERE, BUT, UM, IS THIS EXOTIC IN ANY WAY THAT WE LEASE OUT FOR 50 YEARS AS OPPOSED TO 20 YEAR CHUNKS? IT, IT'S, IT'S AN UNUSUAL SITUATION AND, AND GOES BACK TO WHAT HOMER SAID AT THE BEGINNING IN 1972.
UM, IN, IN THIS CASE, THE TERM, WHEN THEY GAVE US 5.7 ACRES TO BUILD THE, THE EXTEND THE GREENWAY, THAT'S A PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO IT'S NOT A, UH, LAST WEEK
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OR TWO WEEKS AGO, THE COUNCIL APPROVED A, AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, TWO SOFTBALL OR A, A SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION TO RUN TWO SOFTBALL LEAGUES.THOSE ARE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF AGREEMENT.
THIS IS A MORE PER, IN MY MIND, IN MY EYES, A MORE PERMANENT, UM, IN THE SENSE THAT THERE ARE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
THEY'RE COMPLETELY, UM, ACCESSIBLE BY THE PUBLIC.
IT IS UNUSUAL, BUT, UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE TERM IS CERTAINLY IN LINE WITH WHAT THE DEAL IS ON THE TABLE.
I'M SORRY, IT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
UH, WE'LL TAKE UP THE MOTION TO DELAY FIRST.
IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION, FURTHER DISCUSSION ON DELAY? COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I READ THIS TOO, IT, A FEW THINGS CAME TO MY MIND.
I KNOW WE ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS WITH A LOT OF NONPROFITS, UH, WITH PARKED LAND, UH, AND, AND MAYBE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY HAS, UH, A RELATIONSHIP ON AND, AND MAYBE HAVE CONTROL OVER.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THIS PROPERTY ACTUALLY IS OWNED BY C P SS ENERGY AND LEASED TO THE CITY AND THEN SUBLEASED NOW TO, UH, ST.
MARY'S HALL IF THIS AGREEMENT GOES THROUGH.
ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS, SINCE THIS IS OVER FIVE ACRES, ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT ST.
MARY'S HALL CAN DO WITH THIS LAND? IF THEY HAVE A LEASE ON IT? FOR EXAMPLE, COULD THEY BUILD A BALL FIELD, A BASKETBALL, SOCCER, ANYTHING LIKE THAT ON THIS PROPERTY, WHICH THEN WOULD BECOME THEIR EXCLUSIVE USE THERE? THOSE ARE NOT, THAT IS NOT THE INTENDED USE.
THE ITEM TODAY REFLECTS HOW THAT SPACE IS CURRENTLY BEING USED NOW, WHICH IS FOR STORAGE, WHICH WE KNOW IS FOR ACCESS, UH, FOR AND SUPPORT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SCHOOL BUILDINGS, AND, UM, MAINTENANCE, PARKING FOR THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY MAINTAIN THEIR PREMISES.
BUT ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS AGAINST THAT? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE'VE HAD NONPROFITS WHO HAVE COME IN AND THEY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GIVEN THEM USE OF OUR, OUR PARK LAND AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S RESTRICTED TO PUBLIC USE OR IT'S RESTRICTED FROM PUBLIC USE.
AND IT'S ONLY IF YOU MAKE ARRANGEMENTS THROUGH WHOEVER HOLDS THE LEASE BECAUSE THEY PAY TO MAINTAIN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW THIS ISN'T THAT KIND OF A COMPLICATED SITUATION, AND IF THEY DECIDE TO PUT IN A SOCCER FIELD OR A BASEBALL FIELD OR WHATEVER, IT SHOULD REMAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IN MY OPINION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ISN'T CLEAR IN THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
THAT'S, THAT WAS MY QUESTION ABOUT IT.
AND IT, IT IS CLEAR IN THE EXHIBIT.
SO BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, SECTION TWO, THERE ARE PERMITTED USES, AND I'M GONNA SUMMARIZE THOSE QUICKLY.
UM, UH, ATHLETIC SUPPLY ITEMS, BULK STORAGE FOR LANDSCAPING MATERIALS, LIMITED PARKING FOR TRANSIT MAINTENANCE VEHICLES, OUTDOOR CLASSROOM ACTIVITY AREAS, UH, AN OUTDOOR PATH AND, UH, WALK RUN TRAIL THAT IS CAPTURED IN THE, UM, SHARED USE AGREEMENT THAT IS STRICTLY FOR THAT SUBLEASE AREA OF A LITTLE OVER FIVE ACRES.
I GUESS IT'S STILL IN MY MIND IS A QUESTION, COULD THEY BUILD A SOCCER FIELD, PUT A FENCE AROUND AND SAY NO ONE ELSE CAN USE THIS EXCEPT US? NO, WE'VE, SO WE DO HAVE, I'M SORRY.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, NO.
THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ANY DESIGN PERMITTING AND EXCEPTIONS TO THAT.
THE AGREEMENT ACTUALLY LOCKS THEM IN TO THESE EX PARTICULAR ITEMS. OKAY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE OF THAT BECAUSE I, I, I GET TOO CONCERNED WHEN ENTITIES GET SOLE USE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT'S UNDER OUR JURISDICTION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY? COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE AUTOMATIC, UM, IT, IT AUTOMATICALLY, UH, RENEWS OUR LEASE RIGHT AFTER 20 YEARS, AND IT'S AN AUTOMATIC FOR 10 YEARS AND THEN ANOTHER ONE FOR 10 YEARS.
HOW MANY OF THESE AUTOMATIC ONES DID WE HAVE? 'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST ONE, UH, SINCE I'M ON COUNCIL THAT I SEE THAT IT'S AN AUTOMATIC RENEWAL.
AND SO I'M, I'M WONDERING NOW HOW MANY OTHER ONES DO WE HAVE WITH AUTOMATIC RENEWAL? AND THAT'S IN THE, IT IT'S IN THE EXHIBIT THAT YOU JUST, UM, UH, MENTIONED TO COUNCILMAN KURT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A HARD NUMBER.
AND IT IS NOT UNUSUAL THAT WE HAVE AUTOMATIC RENEWAL PROVISIONS.
SO I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THE OFFICE AND GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
AND I WAS WONDERING HOW DO WE CHOOSE WHO HA WHO GETS AUTOMATIC RENEWAL PROVISIONS, RIGHT? IS IT BECAUSE THEY WERE A SCHOOL? IS IT BECAUSE IT'S THE NONPROFIT? HOW DO WE DO THAT? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF OTHER ENTITIES HAVE TO COME AND REQUEST RENEWAL.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT, LIKE, HOW,
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HOW DO WE PICK AND CHOOSE? UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS WAS ORIGINALLY SIGNED IN 1972, UM, AND THERE'S BEEN, IT LOOKS LIKE A WHOLE STACK OF, OF DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? IN 2007, IT SEEMS LIKE M MIGHT MIGHT BE THE MOST RELEVANT RECENT ONE.UM, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, DOES THAT ALL PLAY INTO LIKE THE LINK IS, WAS IT FROM BACK THEN THAT WE SET AUTOMATIC RENEWAL OR JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW WE DO THAT IN, IN THIS CASE, AND AS THE CITY MANAGER POINTED OUT, THIS SPACE IS UNIQUE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MORE THAN TWO DECADES HISTORY OF PARTNERSHIP, OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY IN THAT AREA TO IMPROVE THE GREEN SPACE, THE TRAIL SYSTEM, ACCESS TO THE PARK, ALL OF THAT WEIGHS INTO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
IN OTHER INSTANCES, WE TAKE THE SAME APPROACH.
WE LOOK AT WHAT THE EXISTING INVESTMENT HAS BEEN, WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN, THE COLLABORATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OVERALL EFFORT TO, AT THE END OF THE DAY IMPROVE OUR GREEN SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, TIE IN DIRECTLY TO THE TRAIL.
SO SHOULD THIS ITEM MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S GONNA BE THIS ITEM WE BRING BACK LATER THAT'S GONNA TIE, UH, THE SATO GREENWAY TO THAT PARENT HOMESTEAD.
AND THAT'S ALL PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE ROTER.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN WHEN, UH, SORRY, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY SOUNDS WAY MORE COMPLICATED AND, UH, IN PROCESS THAN IT ACTUALLY IS.
MARY'S HALL DONATED LAND TO THE CITY, WHAT WERE THE CONDITIONS OF THAT DONATION OR EXPECTATIONS THAT WE BUILD THE TRAIL AT WHICH WE DID? OKAY.
AND SO THERE WASN'T EXPECTATIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
WE WOULD HAVE A SUBLEASE WITH THEM THAT, LIKE, THIS ISN'T A EXPECTATION AT, AT THE TIME, COUNCILMAN, THOSE TWO THINGS CAME FORWARD, UM, GOING BACK TO JUNE, 2007.
AND SO THAT WAS THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE ARRANGEMENT.
SO FOR US, ACCEPTING THE DONATION REALLY OBLIGATED US TO BUILD THAT TRAIL.
THEY EXPECTED IT, THE COMMUNITY EXPECTED IT.
IT WAS A SALES TAX FUNDED PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY.
AND AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE ALREADY HAVING THAT DIALOGUE FOR THIS SUBLEASE.
SO AGAIN, JUST GOING BACK IN ITS TOTALITY TODAY, MAINTAINING THE CONDITION THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2007 WITH THE ADDITION OF 0.26 ACRES FOR THE THINGS THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED WHEN, UM, ADDRESSING COUNCILMAN KURT'S QUESTIONS.
AND WHAT ARE, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPLICATIONS IF, UH, THE ITEM WAS DELAYED TO AUGUST 2ND FOR A B SESSION AND SOME LATER DATE FOR AN A SESSION? UM, THE IMPLICATIONS ARE WE WOULD STILL NEED TO, WE'RE DESIGNING THE TRAIL, SO EFFECTIVELY IT JUST DELAYS THE DECISION POINT.
IT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO DESIGN THE TRAIL AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT WORK IS GONNA CONTINUE.
AND I THINK THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.
UM, WHAT, THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REAL ISSUES IF, IF, IF THE COUNCIL DELAYS THIS TO AUGUST, 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THE DESIGN OF THE TRAIL THAT NEEDS, THAT'S GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED THERE.
WE WON'T STOP THAT BASED ON TODAY'S CONVERSATION.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT WITH THE HOPES THAT WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THAT PART OF THE TRAIL ALONG WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CITY.
I GUESS MY, UM, THE ROOT OF MY QUESTION THERE IS THAT NORMALLY I CAN SUPPORT A DELAY IF THERE'S NO, IF THERE'S NOT ANY NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS.
AND SO I MIGHT BE WILLING TO SUPPORT IT.
I'M GOING TO THINK THROUGH IT OVER THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, I GUESS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRANT? YOU KNOW, PARKS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL.
AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WENT INTO THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE Y M C A BACK IN 1972, BUT WE'RE IN 2023, AND WE'RE ASKING TO, TO MAKE IMPLICATIONS THAT GO UP UNTIL 2063 GENERATIONS, NUMEROUS COUNCILS AND I, I, I WOULD GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL OF TWO, 2007, LOURDES AND JENNIFER, AND ASK THEM WHAT WAS THEIR MOTIVATION IN THIS, IN THIS ASPECT, IF IT WAS THE GREENWAY TRAIL, BUT I NEED TIME TO DO THIS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT IT FEELS, WHAT IT FEELS LIKE IS A QUID PRO QUO FOR A DONATION OF A LAND THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT LAND WAS WORTH.
AND IF I'M GIVING TOO MUCH, I DON'T WANNA GIVE TOO MUCH OR LEAVE SOMETHING ON THE TABLE FOR THE CITY.
I WANT US TO BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAVE PARKS CITYWIDE AND WE HAVE PEOPLE CITYWIDE THAT ARE WILLING TO DONATE AND MAKE THESE KIND OF ARRANGEMENTS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE AN ACCESS POINT AND HAVE STORAGE.
[01:25:01]
I'M ASKING FOR IS TIME TO DELAY AND DISCUSS AND GET REAL NUMBERS ON THIS, THIS AGREEMENT, THIS LEASE AGREEMENT.BECAUSE SAYING THAT IT HAS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT WHEN IT LASTS 40 YEARS IS FALSE.
IT DOES HAVE A FINANCIAL IMPACT, AND IT WILL, IT WILL COMMUNICATE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR PARKS HERE.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF WE HAVE A FIVE-YEAR PLAN, HOW THIS HELPS WITH OUR FIVE-YEAR PLAN.
THE ONLY GROUP THAT I, I FEEL WINS HERE IS THE SCHOOL AND THAT, AND THAT'S FINE, BUT WE NEED, I NEED MORE NUMBERS TO SAY THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M, I'M OPPOSED TO DOING THIS, BUT 40 YEARS IS A LONG TIME.
SO I, I ASK THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES GIVE US MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS AND, AND REALLY MAKE US A SOUND DECISION ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND THANK YOU HOMER FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I, I BELIEVE, UH, THE COUNCILMAN OF DISTRICT THREE RAISES VERY VALID POINTS.
AND I'M GOING THROUGH THE ATTACHMENTS, UH, ONLINE, AND THERE'S A WEALTH OF HISTORY THERE, UM, THAT I DON'T THINK I'VE, UM, THAT I DON'T THINK I GOT FULL CONTEXT IN DURING THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I THINK IT IS, UH, WORTH HAVING CLARIFICATION ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH INVESTMENTS FROM THE COUNTY AND CITY HAVE PUT IN THIS GREENWAY TRAIL AND HOW THEY MAY BE POTENTIALLY PRIVATIZED.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW IS THAT IT'LL REMAIN, UH, WITH PUBLIC ACCESS.
UM, BUT I, I'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, RIGHT? WE, WE, UH, LEASE AND THEN IT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PUBLIC, BUT WE'RE RESTRICTED, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE RESTRICTED FROM ACCESSING THAT PIECE OF THE PARK OR THAT BASKETBALL COURT AND TENNIS COURT.
AND I BELIEVE A BRIEFING AND FURTHER CONVERSATION DETAIL WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH THE CONFIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY? UM, I HAVE SOME BASIC QUESTIONS.
HOMER, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN COME UP HERE JUST TO SIMPLIFY IT IN MY MIND.
MARY'S HALL DONATED, UM, A NUMBER OF ACRES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN ORDER TO CREATE ACCESS AND TO EXTEND THE GREENWAY TRAILS.
AND WE, WE DO THOSE KINDS OF ARRANGEMENTS WITH, UH, RETAIL SHOPPING CENTERS, PRIVATE INTERESTS, ALL OVER THE CITY, NEIGHBORHOODS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND IN FACT, AS WE'VE GROWN THE GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM, ONE OF THE HOPES IS THAT IT'S NO LONGER JUST FOR RECREATION, BUT IT'S MOBILITY.
AND WE CAN CREATE CONNECTION POINTS TO RECREATION CENTERS, SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOODS, WORKPLACES, ET CETERA.
AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
SO TODAY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A SUBLEASE OF PROPERTY PREVIOUSLY DONATED TO THE CITY IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT ACCESS TO THE GREENWAY TRAILS, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY TO CREATE ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THE SUBLEASE IS ON C P S LAND.
THE PROPERTY DONATED FOR GREENWAY DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE AREA, BUT ON THE, THE OTHER SIDE YES, SIR.
THE EASEMENT WOULD CREATE ACCESS TO THE TRAILS THAT IS, THAT THAT IS CORRECTLY, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THE RECREATIONAL AREAS WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THE PARK RECREATIONAL AREAS, AND THE TREE AND THE GREENWAY TRAIL ITSELF.
IS THAT PROPERTY RETAINED? IS THE OWNERSHIP RETAINED BY THE CITY? EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS ON C P SS PROPERTY.
BUT IT'S NOT CHANGING OWNERSHIP.
I MEAN, THERE'S STILL, OWNERSHIP IS NOT CHANGING.
THERE'S A SUBSIDIARY OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A, A, A PUBLIC, UH, PROCESS IN ORDER FOR ANY OF THAT OWNERSHIP TO CHANGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD SPARK PARKS AND WE WERE PAYING TO CREATE ACCESS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS TO CREATE ACCESS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO ENJOY SCHOOL PLAY YARDS, ET CETERA.
I THINK IT WAS 50 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH.
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING EXCEPT FOR FREE, UH, WITHOUT ANY THREAT OF, UM, THE, THE CHANGE OF INTENT OF THE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
AND IN FACT, WE'RE DOING EVEN MORE THAN THAT BY EXTENDING THE GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM ITSELF.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE OVERCOMPLICATING THIS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE FACTS CLEARLY.
I, I DO NOT SEE ANY REASON FOR DELAY.
IN FACT, I SEE A, A PARTNER WORKING WITH US IN GOOD FAITH TO DO THE VERY THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR PARK SYSTEM, UH, PRETTY WELL ALMOST EVERY TIME WE HAVE A PARK ISSUE COME TO THE DAAS.
SO I'LL BE, UM, I'LL BE VOTING AGAINST THE DELAY, UH, AND SUPPORT THE ITEM TODAY.
SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY, UM, PLEASE VOTE.
IS TO DELAY THE ITEM TO AUGUST
WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE, WITH, YEAH.
WE'LL, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS.
UM, MADAM CLERK, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MIKI RODRIGUEZ.
[01:30:01]
VRAN? YES.COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA? YES.
WE'LL GO NOW TO THE BASE MOTION.
UH, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER NINE.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER NINE, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
UM, SO I JUST HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE TRY AND DO, AND THE PROBLEM I HAD WITH YOUR ANSWERS, HOMER TO THE MAYOR, IS THAT THIS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
IT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL WITH AN ENDOWMENT THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THIS ROAD.
THE SPARKS PROGRAM AND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND AS WE ON THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO, TRY AND GET ARRANGEMENTS IN THE PARK WITH OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I HOPE WE GET THE SAME CONSIDERATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THIS PRIVATE SCHOOL HERE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.
UM, HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER NINE.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO A, A VOICE VOTE BEFORE I CALL THE VOTE.
LET ME DO CLARIFY ONE OTHER THING.
HOMER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MADE TO THE PROPERTY, UM, ARE BEING MADE AT COST BY OUR PARTNER IN THIS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS ACCURATE, YES, SIR.
SO THEY ARE PAYING FOR ANY IMPROVEMENTS, NOT THE CITY, WHICH IS THE REVERSE OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON, ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS IN THE SPARK PARK PROGRAM? YES, SIR.
UH, HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, ACTUALLY, LET'S TAKE A ROLL CALL AGAIN.
MADAM CLERK, THIS IS A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER NINE, COUNCIL MEMBER.
COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ.
[Miscellaneous ]
NUMBER TWO THREE.ITEM NUMBER 23 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE SELECTION OF A FINANCIAL UNDERWRITING POOL FROM WHICH FINANCIAL UNDERWRITING SYNDICATES WILL BE SELECTED AND APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL FOR VARIOUS FINANCINGS FOR A PERIOD TO COMMENCE JUNE 16TH, 2023 AND TERMINATE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026, WITH AN OPTION TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT FOR ONE ADDITIONAL TWO YEAR PERIOD UNDER THE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
UM, THIS ITEM WAS PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 23, DISCUSSION.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 23.
UH, WE'LL BEGIN DISCUSSION NOW.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS BRINGING TOGETHER FINANCIAL ADVISORS TO HELP US SELL CITY BONDS AND, AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE COST? WHAT IS THE WORTH OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, FEES FOR FINANCIAL UNDERWRITING SERVICES PERTAINING TO THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT OBLIGATIONS ARE PAID FROM THE PROCEEDS, DERIVED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH OBLIGATIONS, WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO DIRECT COST, FOR EXAMPLE, TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION LAST WEEK, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN STATED THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SINGLE OUT ANY ONE ENTITY, THEN WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE ENTIRE POOL FOR POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS.
I BROUGHT THIS UP BECAUSE I MADE A, A SUGGESTION THAT WE NOT INCLUDE, UH, WELLS FARGO IN A LIST OF APPROVED, UH, COMPANIES TO DO THIS WORK FOR US.
IT IS TRUE THAT AS PART OF THE R F Q PROCESS, METRICS FOR WRONGDOING WERE NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE SCORING MATRIX.
THEY LOOKED AT SIMPLY THE, UH, ABILITY, THE QUALIFICATIONS,
[01:35:01]
THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANIES.PERHAPS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, METRICS FOR ANY KIND OF WRONGDOING.
BUT I WAS NOT PUT HERE TO BE A RUBBER STAMP FOR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE SCORING COMMITTEE DID NOT CONSIDER THE SEVERITY OF VIOLATIONS BY THE COMPANIES THAT SUBMITTED PROPOSALS.
SO I SUGGESTED WE TAKE A LOOK, UH, AT THEM.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'VE FOUND, UH, WHAT WAS MOST, IF NOT ALL, ALL INCLUDED IN, IN OUR RESEARCH WAS, UM, ALMOST ALL THE GROUPS IN THE POOL HAD COMPLIANCE VIOLATIONS, UH, OR HARMED INVESTORS.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST SINGLING OUT ONE, BUT ALL OF THEM HAD A RECORD.
HOWEVER, ONE COMPANY STOOD OUT ABOVE THE REST AS A HABITUAL VIOLATOR FOR HARMING THEIR CUSTOMERS.
IN A DECEMBER, 2022 PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU, THEY FOUND WELLS FARGO'S ILLEGAL CONDUCT LED TO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FINANCIAL HARM TO ITS CUSTOMERS.
AND FOR THOUSANDS OF THEM, THE LOSS OF THEIR VEHICLES OR HOMES.
CUSTOMERS HAD THEIR CARS WRONGFULLY REPOSSESSED AND DENIED THOUSANDS OF MORTGAGES, LOAN APP AND LOAN MODIFICATIONS, WHICH LED TO CUSTOMERS LOSING THEIR HOMES TO WRONGFUL FORECLOSURES.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS A COMPANY THAT WE SHOULD REWARD WITH TRUSTING OUR PUBLIC FUNDS IN THEIR HANDS.
THE, UH, CONSUMER FINANCE BUREAU ORDERED WELLS FARGO TO PAY MORE THAN 2 BILLION IN REDRESS TO CONSUMERS, AND A 1.7 BILLION CIVIL PENALTY.
UM, THE DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD, ROHIT COBRA, SAID, WELLS FARGO'S RINSE REPEAT CYCLE OF VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW HAS HARMED MILLIONS OF AMERICAN FAMILIES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMPANY HAS A LARGE FOOTPRINT LOCALLY AND IS MAKING EFFORTS TO REPAIR THEIR TARNISHED BRAND THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC MEANS.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES WHO WORK VERY HARD AND, AND LIVE AND THRIVE IN THE CITY.
BUT WHEN PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES GET CAUGHT IN SCANDALS, THE PLAYBOOK IS USUALLY TO SHOWCASE THEIR EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERING AND GIVING AWAY MONEY TO JUST CAUSES.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I AM NOT DISPARAGING ANY LOCAL EMPLOYEE OR THE LEADERSHIP HERE.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CORPORATE INTEGRITY OR LACK THEREOF, AND THEIR CONSISTENT HISTORY OF WRONGDOING AND THEIR LUST OF CORPORATE PROFIT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.
IN A RECENT REPORT, UH, IN THE REPORT OF BEST AND WORST BANKS BY FORBES, UH, WE FOUND THAT WELLS FARGO WAS RATED 100 OUT OF THE TOP 100 BANKS.
NOW THE STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED A POOL OF SEVEN LARGE FIRMS FOR UNDERWRITING.
THERE ARE SIX OTHER FIRMS THAT DID NOT LAND, UH, WITHIN THE TOP SEVEN.
UH, SO DO WE TAKE THE BANK THAT WAS RATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BEST, UH, TOP 100 BANKS.
IF WE NEED SEVEN FIRMS, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO REPLACE WELLS FARGO WITH THE NEXT FIRM ON THE LIST, WHICH WAS P N C, WHICH ONLY SCORED 2.4 POINTS LOWER THAN WELLS FARGO.
P N C ALSO HAS A LARGE FOOTPRINT OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES OF MORE THAN 500 AND HAS A ROBUST PURPOSE DRIVEN PHILANTHROPIC PLAN.
SO I MOVE TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION TO REPLACE THE SEVENTH RANKED FIRM WELLS FARGO WITH THE NEXT RATE RATED FIRM P N C IN THE UNDERWRITING POOL FOR LARGE FIRMS. MAY MARY, IF I MAY, UH, THE COUNCILMAN YOUR MOTION ACTUALLY IS TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON ONE ANOTHER.
IN OTHER WORDS, ONE WOULD BE A MOTION TO REMOVE WELLS FARGO, AND THAT COULD BE A MOTION THAT STANDS ON ITS OWN.
THE SECOND MOTION WOULD THEN BE TO REPLACE IT WITH, UH, P N C.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE SHOULD BE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
I I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A REPLACEMENT CAN'T BE PART OF A SINGLE MOTION.
WE'RE SAYING REPLACE ONE WITH NOT, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE CONSIDERATIONS WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
COUNCILMAN, THEY COULD BE DIFFERENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE MAY BE VERY SUBSTANTIVE REASONS WHY YOU WOULDN'T WANT, OR THE COUNCIL WOULDN'T WANNA REMOVE WELLS FARGO.
THOSE REASONS WILL BE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF WHY YOU WANT TO ADD A PARTICULAR LET'S, UH, OTHER, OTHER VENDOR.
CAN, I THOUGHT THERE WAS ALREADY A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
[01:40:02]
COUNCILMAN THE ORDER IS BEING CLARIFIED BY THE ATTORNEY.SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE'LL TAKE THE SECONDARY MOTION BEING TO REMOVE WELLS FARGO.
UH, IF THAT MOTION SUCCEEDS, THEN WE'LL GO ON WITH WHO WE REPLACE IT WITH.
UH, BUT THE BASE MOTION WILL REMAIN APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER, UM, 23.
AND IF I MAY MAYOR IT, IT CLARIFIES WHY WE NEED TWO MOTIONS, IS THAT WE DON'T NEED A REPLACEMENT.
IT COULD BE A MOTION SIMPLY TO REMOVE WELLS FARGO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, IF, IF YOU'RE, UH, DONE WITH YOUR COMMENTS, I DO HAVE TO, I WAS JUST GONNA RESTATE THAT MOTION.
ACCORDING TO WHAT, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS JUST SUGGESTED, I MOVE TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION TO REMOVE WELLS FARGO FROM THE POOL.
THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND FOR, UH, THE AMENDMENT, WHICH IS TO REMOVE WELLS FARGO.
WE'LL TAKE UP DISCUSSION ON THAT FIRST, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UH, LET ME CALL UP, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 23.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL HAVE NINE MINUTES.
IT'S JOE ATKINSON, BARBARA BURFORD, AND JEFF ARD.
I'M THE REGION BANK DIRECTOR FOR CENTRAL SOUTH TEXAS.
HEADQUARTERED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, I REPRESENT, UH, A TEAM OF 153 BRANCHES THAT ARE, AS I MENTIONED, HEADQUARTERED HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IT SPREADS ALL THE WAY UP TO TEMPLE TEXAS.
BRIAN CALLED IT STATION DOWN TO PORT LA VACA, CORPUS CHRISTI VICTORIA, AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY LAREDO.
AND I'M REALLY PROUD, UH, TO BE HERE REPRESENTING THIS TEAM.
WE HAVE ABOUT 4,700 EMPLOYEES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN KURTZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS.
UH, THEY TRULY ARE COMMITTED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY WORK AND LIVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND WE'RE PROUD OF OUR COMPANY AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, SOME REALLY IMPORTANT FACTS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WITH WELLS FARGO FOR 39 YEARS.
I, UM, I LIVED THROUGH THIS, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THE COMPANY THAT, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT THE SAME COMPANY IT IS TODAY.
WE HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE CHANGES AT THE VERY TOP.
IN FACT, OUR NEW C E O HAS BROUGHT IN OVER 50% OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE LEADING THIS COMPANY THAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHEN, UH, EARLIER, UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAHAM, YOU MENTIONED TRANSFORMATION.
IT REMINDED ME THAT AS I WAS HELPING OUR TEAM THROUGH THIS TRANSFORMATION, I LOOKED UP THE WORD AND IT COMES FROM THE WORD METAMORPHOSIS.
AND AS WE KNOW, RIGHT, IT STARTS WITH SOMETHING AND IT TOTALLY CHANGES.
IT'S SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S HOW IT FEELS FOR ME TODAY.
AFTER 39 YEARS, IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE WORKING WITH OLD FRIENDS IN A NEW COMPANY.
AND SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT PART OF, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR TRANSFORMATION IS REALLY MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.
NOW, YOU COULD SEE BEHIND ME SEVERAL VOLUNTEERS.
OF COURSE, WE SENT A A NOTE OUT, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME FOLKS COME OUT SO THAT WAY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE CITIZENS THAT REALLY DO BELIEVE IN THIS COMPANY.
YOU KNOW, UM, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT RIGHT BEHIND ME.
UM, WE HAVE JEANETTE FALLON, WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR 29 YEARS.
SHE'S THE BRANCH MANAGER PROUDLY OF THE LAS PALMAS BRANCH.
AND EVERY FIRST OF THE MONTH, SHE HAS CUSTOMERS THAT LINE UP, RIGHT? AND DURING THE, THE PANDEMIC, SHE WAS OUT THERE WITH THEIR MASK ON HELPING CUSTOMERS AT THE DRIVE-THROUGH AT THE A T M, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WE'RE PROUD OF THOSE FOLKS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO IS CARE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
IN FACT, WE SERVE UP IN 27 BRANCHES BY, UM, WOMEN AND MEN.
20 OF THOSE 27 BRANCH LEADERS ARE WOMEN.
WE HAVE, UM, 22% OF THOSE ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
AND WE HAVE ALSO OF THAT A GREAT MAJORITY THAT ARE LATINO, WHICH IS A REPRESENTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, IN ESSENCE, WE HAVE 4,700 EMPLOYEES, MANY OF WHICH THE SENIOR LEADERS ARE HERE TODAY, ALSO REPRESENTING THEIR TEAMS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE PRIDE THAT WHAT WE DO AT WELLS FARGO REALLY MATTERS.
IN FACT, WE HAVE GIVEN, UH, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AS YOU POINTED OUT.
AND OF COURSE, THAT IS PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CORPORATE, UH, ENTITY, AND ALL COMPANIES SHOULD DO THAT.
BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PEOPLE BEHIND THOSE DOLLARS, AS WELL AS COMMITMENT ON, YOU KNOW, COUNCILS, COMMITTEES, MAKING ACTIVE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE FACTS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2022, WELLS FARGO GAVE $3 MILLION TO
[01:45:01]
NON-PROFITS.THAT DID INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IN FACT, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE P P P, WE, UM, WERE ABLE TO LOAN $53 MILLION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO ON P P P, OF WHICH 36% WERE L M I MARKETS.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE SUSTAINABILITY DURING TIMES OF CRISIS.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT FOR US AT WELLS FARGO, WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.
IN FACT, OUR MILITARY, WE'VE DONATED FIVE VEHICLES, 10 MORE, 10, UH, HOMES, MORTGAGE FREE.
THESE ARE HEROES, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GIVEN.
AND WE'VE RECOGNIZED THEM BY MAKING SURE THAT THEIR FAMILIES ARE SAFE AND TAKING CARE OF IN A HOME THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF.
AND IN, IN ADDITION, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA, JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT OPIA, BACK IN APRIL, 2023, WE HAD, UM, 50 PLUS VOLUNTEERS COME IN.
WE GAVE 25,000 ON A PROJECT THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I COULD GO THROUGH A LIST, AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THOSE, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE CONCERN AROUND OUR REPUTATION, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT SETTLEMENT, RIGHT? IT'S AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES THAT HAVE SAID, WE'RE SATISFIED, WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE AN INCREDIBLE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, THEY KNOW US.
AND FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE BACK OR THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WITH THE INTENT TO LEARN AND LOOK THROUGH THE DASHBOARD WITH THE INTENT TO HOW DO WE GET TO THE NEXT DESTINATION.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT FOR US, AS I REPRESENT THESE 4,700 HARDWORKING WOMEN AND MEN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREAS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE GET PERSPECTIVE AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
THAT IN ESSENCE, WE'RE NOT THE SAME COMPANY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU AS A 39 YEAR VETERAN, THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD CHOICES, WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE HEADQUARTERS, AND IT STAYS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE MOVED TO ONE ALAMO PLAZA WITH THE INTENT RIGHT, TO CONTINUE TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. BEARD.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE AGAIN TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UH, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, UH, TO BE CONSIDERED AS THE REMOVAL, UH, AMENDMENT.
SO I'LL GO WITH THE CUE THAT I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME.
I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUE FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS ITEM, WHO THE CITY CHOOSES TO GIVE THEIR BUSINESS TO IS IMPORTANT.
SO IT IS COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE THE TIME TO VET THESE ITEMS. IT'S NO SECRET THAT BANKS ARE CONSIDERED SOME OF THE MORE UNTRUSTWORTHY INSTITUTIONS.
I SUPPOSE IT MAKES SENSE WHEN WE FACTOR IN RAMPANT PREDATORY LENDING PRACTICES, THEFT, FRAUD, AND NEARLY LEADING OUR COMMUNITY INTO FINANCIAL RUIN.
AND NO PRIVATE INSTITUTION ACCUMULATES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN WEALTH WITHOUT STANDING ON THE BACKS OF WORKERS AND VULNERABLE FAMILIES.
SO THERE'S ISSUES WITH THAT TOO.
IF NEARLY EVERY BANK HAS SOME HISTORY OF MALPRACTICE, THEN WHY? ALL THE CONCERN WITH ONE BANK, WELLS FARGO.
FIRST, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS NOT ALONE WITH ITS CONCERNS WITH WELLS FARGO.
CITIES AND STATES LIKE CHICAGO AND CALIFORNIA CREATED POLICIES WHICH BARRED THE ORGANIZATION FROM DOING ANY BUSINESS WITH WELLS FARGO.
IF YOUR COMPANY'S PRACTICES WERE SO DISHONEST THAT THEY HAD SPECIFIC ORDINANCES WRITTEN ABOUT, WRITTEN ABOUT THEM, THEN IT'S LIKELY YOUR ORGANIZATION WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SCREW OVER AMERICAN FAMILIES.
SECOND, YOU WOULD THINK WELLS FARGO WOULD GET THE MESSAGE AND STRAIGHTENED UP WITH THE, WITH THE, THE FLY RIGHT AFTER THE PUBLIC SHAMING AND SCRUTINY.
YET IN APRIL, 2022, A LAWSUIT WAS FILED WITH ALLE, WHICH ALLEGES WELLS FARGO OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THEIR MORTGAGE LENDING PRACTICES.
THE LAWSUIT STATES THAT THE BANK APPROVED MORE WHITE BORROWER BORROWERS FOR A MORTGAGE LOAN COMPARED TO BLACK APPLICANTS.
IN 2020, WHEN THE FEDERAL CARESS ACT CREATED BY THE CVID 19 PANDEMIC PROMPTED HISTORICALLY LOW INTEREST RATES, IT ALSO ALLEGES THAT BLACK CLIENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH HIGH CREDIT SCORES, WERE GIVEN HIGHER INTEREST RATES COMPARED TO WHITE BORROWERS.
I WANNA REMIND FOLKS FROM 20 2004 TO 2009, WELLS FARGO PREYED ON 4,000 BLACK AND BROWN BORROWERS BY STEERING THEM INTO SUBPRIME LOANS.
SO THESE DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES COME AT NO SURPRISE IF ANY OTHER PERSON OR ORGANIZATION HAD AN EQUIVALENT RAP SHEET TO THIS BANK, THEY WOULDN'T SNIFF AT A, A CITY CONTRACT.
SOME WILL SAY WELLS FARGO HAS A TRACK RECORD OF BEING A GOOD EMPLOYER AND ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY.
IF YOUR COMPANY SCAPEGOATS AND FIRES NEARLY 6,000 EMPLOYEES FOR FOLLOWING THE UNETHICAL DIRECTIVES FROM THEIR LEADERSHIP, THEN
[01:50:01]
YOU'RE NOT A GOOD EMPLOYER AND YOU DO NOT STAND WITH WORKERS.ALSO, IF YOUR CHARITY OR COMMUNITY SERVICE IS FUNDED WITH MONEY THAT WAS ILLEGALLY EXTRACTED FROM COMMUNITY THROUGH, THROUGH FROM COMMUNITY, THROUGH SURPRISE FEES, IMPROPER HOME FORECLOSURES AND ILLEGAL REPOSSESSIONS, THEN IT'S NOT CHARITY.
IT'S AN IMMORAL, AN IMMORAL TAX WRITE OFF.
IF ANY ORGANIZATION PREYED ON BLACK AND BROWN AND SENIOR AGE FAMILIES, THEY WOULD BE TOLD TO KICK ROCKS.
SUPPORTING WELLS FARGO GOES AGAINST OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, ECONOMIC MOBILITY, HOUSING STABILITY.
IT'S ALSO A BETRAYAL OF TRUST FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO WERE HARMED BY WELLS FARGO'S PRACTICES.
AND FOR THE RECORD, IF ANYONE SUGGESTS, UM, AS, AS COUNCILMAN, UH, COURAGE SUGGESTS, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF HIS MOTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AFTER THAT, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO FOLLOW.
I'LL SAY THIS, IS THAT, UH, TODAY WE HONORED JUNETEENTH AND I TALKED ABOUT SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURE THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT, UH, BLACK AND BROWN INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, THERE IS A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF HARM, GREAT, GREAT HARM IN TERMS OF, UH, HOUSING ACCESS, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, UM, ACCESS TO FUNDS THAT WERE MEANT TO PROVIDE RELIEF.
UM, THIS ISN'T A FUN CONVERSATION, BUT I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER RRO GARCIA.
AND, UM, I I JUST WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UM, I DEFINITELY THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A REPUTATIONAL COMPONENT THAT SHOULD BE BUILT INTO ALL OF OUR, UM, RFPS, RIGHT? AND SO I KNOW, UM, FOR A FACT THAT THERE'S A C R A RATING OUT THERE, UM, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND CONSIDER IT'S PUBLIC.
UM, AND IT HAS TO BE DISCLOSED BY ALL OF THE BANKS.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WE KNOW WHAT THE C R A RATING FOR ALL OF THE BANKS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY IS.
WE DID NOT CON, WE DID NOT CONSIDER A C R A RATING, OKAY? SO I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IN, IN THE FUTURE, IT HELPS US.
AND SO THERE'S, UH, THE ABILITY TO LOOK THAT UP OURSELVES, BUT I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE STANDARD PRACTICE.
I, I, I WOULD HOPE MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER JUST GOING FORWARD, UM, MAYBE EVEN CONSIDERING HOW TO BUILD IT FOR BUILD IT INTO OUR R F P PROCESS IS SOMETHING WE COULD TAKE UP AT AN AT ANOTHER TIME.
UM, ALSO I THINK THAT IF AN ENTITY IS BEING CIVILLY OR, OR CRIMINALLY, UM, OR THE, IN THE, IN THE COURT, I THINK THAT WE HAVE IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR RESIDENTS TO QUESTION.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, SOMETIMES PUSHED BACK ON, AND SO WE ARE ASKED, WHY ARE YOU ASKING THESE QUESTIONS? WE DO ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU ALL DON'T.
UM, AND I AGREE YOU, UH, THERE, YOU HAD ONE OF YOUR VICE PRESIDENTS AT THE, UM, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RECENTLY, AND RANCHO CARLOTA COMPLETELY APPRECIATE THAT.
I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE REQUIRED, UH, TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT THE, UH, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT IN 1977 WAS PUT FORWARD SO THAT BANKS COULD GIVE SOME MORE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UM, I ASKED THREE YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I TOOK, UM, ON, I THINK, AND ASKING ABOUT, I ASKED CITY STAFF IF WE COULD CONSIDER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BEING DONE THAT I HAD SEEN IN THE NEWS THAT I DIDN'T AGREE WITH.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS A P CARD ISSUE AT THE TIME FOR WELLS FARGO.
UM, OR IT WAS SOMETHING, AND, AND MAYBE IT WAS I, IT, ANYWAY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL REMEMBER LATER AND I'LL, I'LL FIGURE IT OUT WHAT IT WAS.
BUT I KNOW THAT I ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW DO WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW THE COMMUNITY PERCEIVES THESE DIFFERENT BANKS? AND SO I SAID, I'M GOING TO APPROVE THIS ITEM TODAY.
I'M GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING THAT ITEM TODAY.
I'LL, I'LL APPROVE WELLS FARGO, BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE SOME ADDITIONAL DUE DILIGENCE DONE NEXT GO AROUND.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE ENOUGH DUE DILIGENCE THAT THAT CHANGED FROM THAT.
UM, I ALSO FOR, UH, FOR THE RECORD, MENTIONED THIS AT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES SIT ON THIS.
I MENTIONED THIS EXACT SAME THING BEFORE I EVEN KNEW THAT THIS WAS COMING UP.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO DO PARTNERSHIPS AND TO WORK, UH, WITH BUSINESSES WHO REFLECT AND VALUE OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND I I, I HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER WITH, UM, ONE OF THE WELLS FARGO FOLKS, AND, UM, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY FEEL TARGETED BY US.
I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT HAVE BEEN TARGETED
[01:55:01]
FAR LONGER.THESE ARE PEOPLE IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE VULNERABLE, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE WELLS, THE, THE WELLS FARGO SITUATION HAS COME TO LIGHT ACROSS THE NATION.
AND I THINK THAT WE WOULD SEND A STRONG MESSAGE AS A CITY, UM, JUST BECAUSE MANY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS GET FINED DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT MAKES IT RIGHT.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE, THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, WHO DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE IN THESE, UM, POSITIONS OF POWER.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, UM, IN IN LEADERSHIP, UH, SENIOR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WITHIN THE BANKS, ET CETERA.
IF THE LEADERS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE, ONCE AGAIN, YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO STAND UP AGAINST THE STATUS QUO.
AND I DO THINK THAT THIS WOULD SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE.
IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I BANK WITH WELLS, WELLS FARGO, I BANKED WITH YOU ALL FOR 26 YEARS.
I HAD MY STUDENT LOANS FINANCED THROUGH YOU ALL.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I APPROVE WHAT THE LARGER ORGANIZATION IS DOING.
UM, I, I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE, UH, DURING WINTER STORM.
YURI, YOU ALL HELPED WITH C P S ENERGY, UM, WITH ITS LIQUIDITY NEEDS AFTER THE STORM, YOU ALL ALSO, UH, CONVERTED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO CREDIT, UH, OF CREDIT TO AN ON BALANCE SHEET, UH, ON BALANCE SHEET LOAN TO HELP THE SAWS WATER SYSTEM AS WELL, UM, BACK DURING COVID.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOU DO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT TODAY I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN COURAGE, AND I APPRECIATE HIS COURAGE AND BRINGING FORWARD THIS ITEM.
UM, BECAUSE I DO FEEL THAT, UM, IT, IT, IT LENDS ITSELF TO A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF BUSINESS PRACTICES GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE, LIKE I SAID, WHO DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND I'LL BE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGES, UM, UH, AMENDMENT TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRAND.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTIONS AND ALSO FACTS GETTING, UH, PUSHED AROUND HERE.
I, I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE FOR, UH, PUTTING FORWARD THAT WE DO REPLACE IT IF THIS PASSES.
BUT I WANT TO, UM, KIND OF ADDRESS, UH, WHAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT UP, I THINK, UM, IN, IN TALKING WITH HER AND IN, IN HER PRESENTATION IS, IS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK BIG PICTURE AND WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, HISTORIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM WE FACE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR IS, UM, CAPITAL FOR BUSINESSES, HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND SO, AS LONG I, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT WELLS FARGO IS DOING AND HOW THE VOLUNTEERS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK WE AS A CITY, AND WE WEREN'T HERE FIVE YEARS AGO, AND I KNOW THEY BROUGHT UP THAT CONVERSATION FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, BUT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, UH, AND MYSELF AND COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ ARE HERE NOW.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AND HOW WE, UM, HOW WE WHO WE PUT THERE.
AND IT, THEY WERE NUMBER SEVEN, UH, IN THE LIST.
IT WASN'T LIKE IT WAS 1, 2, 3.
SO, UM, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRA AND COUNCIL MEMBER PELA.
UM, I DON'T HAVE COMMENTS OTHER THAN, UH, I INVITED A FRIEND OF MINE, UH, JULISSA CARELLO, WHO'S, UH, A CHAMPION AND A VERY LOUD VOICE FOR, UH, SMALL BUSINESS AND BUSINESS COMMON SENSE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEED MY TIME, UH, TO JULISSA AND JULISSA, JUST, UH, UNPACK THAT FOR ME.
UM, IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO SIT HERE AND WATCH WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
IT, IT IS, AND I THINK, MAYOR, YOU, YOU ALWAYS REMIND US OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER.
THAT WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER EVERY TIME.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I TAKE TO HEART.
AND, AND I DO THAT IN A WAY TO BRING MY SKILLS AND TALENTS OF WHAT I CAN DO WITH RESOURCES TO COLLABORATE.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE WELLS FARGO IS PART OF OUR FAMILY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THE COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR YEARS.
MY FIRST CREDIT CARD AS A BUSINESS OWNER 18 YEARS AGO WAS WITH WELLS FARGO STILL TODAY.
UM, TO SAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PART OF OUR GROWTH
[02:00:01]
IS, IS NOT RIGHT TO SAY THAT.UM, THEY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WITH INTEGRITY.
DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME EITHER.
UM, I KNOW THAT I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WORK FOR WELLS FARGO FOR YEARS.
THEY ARE PEOPLE WITH INTEGRITY.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU WHERE WE FAILED THE MOST IN THIS PROCESS WAS NOT HAVING THE RIGHT PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT YOU GUYS WANTED TO USE TO MEASURE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING, AS A CONTRACTOR IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT TO SIT HERE AND HEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO HUMILIATE AND CRIMINALIZE A COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR FAMILY FOR YEARS.
AND THAT, TO ME, IS BIGGER THAN YOUR VOTE TODAY.
THEY DON'T NEED THE SERVICE THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE.
BUT TO, TO HOLD THEM TO THE LEVEL THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TODAY IS, IS SAD TO ME TO WATCH.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AS YOU MAKE YOUR VOTE, THAT YOU CONSIDER THE FAILURE WAS NOT WELLS FARGO SUBMITTING ON THIS PROPOSAL.
THE FAILURE WAS WHAT WE DID AS A COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE THE PROCESS THAT THEY'RE BEING HELD TO TODAY.
AND ONLY THEM, NOBODY ELSE, WHICH TO ME, IS WHERE WE FAILED.
AND, AND I'M SORRY, I, I'M SO DISAPPOINTED TODAY.
THE, THE PROBLEM TO ME WITH REMOVING WELLS FARGO HERE IS THAT WE'RE REALLY PICKING AND CHOOSING OR GIVING OUR OPINION ON WHO'S DONE THE MOST WRONG.
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE LENDERS HAVE HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST.
YOU CAN SAY THAT, OH, SOME HAVE HAD MORE THAN OTHERS.
AND THEN WE'RE UP HERE TRYING TO DECIDE WHO'S DONE WORSE THAN SOMEBODY ELSE.
HOW LONG AGO WAS DONE, WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE WRONG, WHO'S DONE MORE TO, UM, CORRECT WHAT THEY'VE DONE? I JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE BUSINESS WE WANT TO BE IN.
UM, I THINK WELLS FARGO HAS BEEN A VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY EMPLOY A BUNCH OF FOLKS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND TO SINGLE THEM OUT AND, AND SAY THAT THEIR WRONGS ARE WORSE THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS, UM, IS JUST NOT WHAT I BELIEVE, UH, THIS BODY SHOULD BE UP HERE DOING.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, I'M FOR, FOR LEAVING WELLS FARGO ON THE LIST.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE COUNCIL MEMBER BIZ.
I FORGOT TO MENTION, LET ME, LET ME READ OFF, UH, SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE.
'CAUSE WE HEARD ABOUT CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS.
UM, $5.7 BILLION CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FROM 65,000 CUSTOMERS OVER A 4 0 1 K RIPOFF SCREEN.
UM, SCHEME FROM THE BANK, FINED RECENTLY $107 MILLION FOR OTHER FRAUD RELATED CLAIMS. $115 MILLION FINE FROM SECURITY REGULATORS ARISING FROM YET ANOTHER $762 MILLION BAD LOAN SCHEME.
SUED FOR USURY, PREDATORY LENDING AND CIVIL CONSPIRACY, A $218 MILLION PATENT RIPOFF, UH, JUDGMENT AGAINST OUR VERY OWN U S A A.
AND YET ANOTHER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ARISING FROM STEALING FROM 148,000 CUSTOMERS.
THAT'S P N C, THAT'S NOT WELLS FARGO, AND THAT'S WHO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT NEXT.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME BEGIN BY APOLOGIZING TO OUR FINANCIAL OFFICERS.
LAST WEEK I DID NOT HAVE THE SCORING, UH, SO I'M VERY SORRY.
AND WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO SEE, UM, THE OTHER BANKS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN FINED FOR.
BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK, I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, HAVE SPELLED OUT VERY GRACIOUSLY.
UM, AND IN AN IMPORTANT WAY, WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DENY
[02:05:01]
WELLS FARGO AT THIS POINT.LIKE I SAID LAST WEEK, IT IS NOT BECAUSE I BELIEVE EMPLOYEES ARE EVIL OR NOT GOOD.
I THINK THE EMPLOYEES OF WELLS FARGO IN SAN ANTONIO ARE VERY GOOD EMPLOYEES.
I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT WAS DONE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL WAS DONE BY THE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE LEGAL IDEA THAT KEEPS RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD IS THE CONCEPT OF MAKING ONE WHOLE, MAKING ONE WHOLE.
IF I'M A PERSON WHO LOST MY HOUSE, MY SECURITY, MY COMFORT, THE PLACE WHERE MY CHILDREN WERE BORN, I AM NOT MADE WHOLE BY CHARITY.
IF I'M A PERSON WHO LOST MY AUTOMOBILE THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN THAT I NEEDED TO GO TO WORK WITH AND PERHAPS LOST MY JOB BECAUSE I COULDN'T DO THAT.
I AM NOT MADE WHOLE BY CHARITY.
I FEEL VERY STRONGLY, AND FOR 76 YEARS NOW, THAT NATIONAL COMPANIES DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM TARGETING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, TARGETING AFRICAN AMERICAN, BLACK COMMUNITIES, LATINO COMMUNITIES, MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AND SAYING, WELL, TOO BAD.
SO SAD, THEY GOT NO RECOURSES ANYWAY.
WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO TO US? WELL, WE CAN DO SOMETHING.
WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE, NOT TO YOU, BUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL STAND BY.
THOSE WHO HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO HAVE THE INTEGRITY THAT IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT ALL COMMUNITIES.
SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING JOHN'S COURAGE, UM, MOTION BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SEEN THOSE PEOPLE MADE WHOLE.
I'M ON THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WEBSITE JUSTICE.GOV.
AND A HEADLINE IS, UH, WELLS FARGO AGREES TO PAY 3 BILLION TO RESOLVE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL INVESTIGATIONS INTO SALES PRACTICES INVOLVING THE OPENING OF MILLIONS ACCOUNTS WITHOUT CUSTOMER AUTHORIZATION.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THAT IS NOT CRIMINALIZING, THAT IS CRIMINAL.
UM, AND, AND JUST EMPHASIZING THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST LAWSUITS IN UNITED STATES HISTORY, UH, AND I THINK IT WARRANTS THIS CONVERSATIONS AND THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT, WHICH IS TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE REALLY UNDERSTANDS THIS ISN'T AN EFFORT TO PUNISH WELLS FARGO.
UH, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN WE HAD A SIMILAR DEBATE AND THAT COUNCIL DECIDED TO KEEP WELLS FARGO IN THE POOL.
MY HOPE WAS THAT THEY WOULD REDEEM THEMSELVES AS AN ORGANIZATION BY DOING A GOOD JOB FOR US AND HAVING A BETTER RECORD GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT THE INSTITUTION HAS NOT SHOWN ITS REDEMPTION.
UH, I'VE, I'VE HEARD YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE INSTITUTION HAS INCURRED $12 BILLION IN FINES AND PENALTIES.
AND JUST THIS YEAR THERE WERE TWO, UH, FINES AND PENALTIES OF OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA WHEN SHE SAID, WE NEED TO DEVELOP A HIGHER STANDARD WHEN WE TAKE ON THESE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND THIS CITY HAS BEEN A VERY PROUD LEADER IN A LOT OF THINGS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, HELPING PEOPLE FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OUR, OUR HOMELESS, UH, EFFORTS WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE, OUR EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS WITH PRE-K FOR SA, OUR TRAINING EFFORTS WITH READY TO WORK.
THESE ARE ALL LEADING, UH, EFFORTS AND WE'VE BEEN NAMED IN ALL AMERICAN CITY.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE NEED TO LEAD AND HOPEFULLY FOLLOW SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES AND STATES THAT HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT.
[02:10:01]
HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, THEN THE PEOPLE YOU DID DO BUSINESS WITH WON'T TRY TO LIVE UP TO THOSE HIGH EXPECTATIONS.THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO VOTE FOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, UM, WHEN WE WORK ON OUR CITY'S BUDGET, WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE BUDGET REFLECTS OUR CITY'S VALUES AND WHAT WE PRIORITIZE AND WHAT WE DON'T.
AND I THINK ALSO HOW WHO WE DO BUSINESS WITH REFLECTS OUR CITY'S VALUES AS WELL.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEND A MESSAGE, UM, AND THAT MESSAGE CAN BE SEEN NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT BEYOND SAN ANTONIO, TO LET ALL BANKS KNOW, UM, THAT THERE ARE WHAT THE PENALTIES CAN BE, UM, IF, IF YOU, UH, IF YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES AREN'T RIGHT.
AND, UM, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS, THIS, UH, AMENDMENT.
UH, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, WANT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BE ABLE TO DO BUSINESS EVER AGAIN WITH WELLS FARGO.
BUT AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEND THAT MESSAGE.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AS COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA STATED THAT WE LOOK AT CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY SCORES GOING FORWARD IN, IN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA HAS ASKED FOR THAT BEFORE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S FALLEN ON DEAF EARS FROM CITY STAFF.
AND SO I HOPE THAT THE NEW COUNCIL WILL PURSUE THAT.
BRAVO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? OKAY.
I'M NOT GONNA REHASH, UM, THE CONVERSATION FROM LAST WEEK, BUT, UH, SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I THINK THAT THIS ITEM HAS ELICITED, UH, AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND HOW THAT PLAYS INTO OUR PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING PROCESS.
AND I DID HEAR YOU, BEN, UH, DURING LAST WEEK'S MEETING, THAT THOSE THINGS WERE CONSIDERED REGULATORY ACTIONS WERE CONSIDERED IN THE SCORING FOR, UM, THESE INSTITUTIONS.
THE ISSUE I'M HAVING IS THAT WE ARE, UH, INCONSISTENTLY APPLYING THE STANDARDS, UH, TO OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS FROM THE DAIS.
AND THAT IS A, UH, A, AN ISSUE, UH, THAT I THINK CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT I WOULD WELCOME IS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STANDARDS THAT WE PLACE ON OUR AGENCIES.
UH, WITHOUT THAT, UH, WHAT I CAN GO BY IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE INSTITUTION IN THE NARROW APPLICATION OF THE UNDERWRITING POOL.
AND IF THAT IS OUR STANDARD, UH, WHICH IT IS FOR ME, UH, IT HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN IN PERFORMANCE OF SOME VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, AND IT'S ALSO BEEN IN, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE STANDARDS WE PLACED ON IT FROM AN INSTITUTION.
SO ON THAT NOTE, UH, I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THE REMOVAL OF, UH, WELLS FARGO.
UH, I RESPECT THE CONVERSATION THAT'S OCCURRED, UH, AND I DO HOPE THAT IT LEADS TO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS, ERIC, ABOUT HOW WE CAN APPLY, UH, CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY STANDARDS TO OUR OWN PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE THINGS, UM, MAYBE IN, IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, AS AN ORGANIZATION SERVING THE PUBLIC THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UM, REMOVAL OF WELLS FARGO FROM THE UNDERWRITING POLL.
SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION, WHICH WILL BE ON THE BASE MOTION NOW WITH THE SIX UNDERWRITERS IN THE POOL.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KURZ, I NOTED THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMEBODY, SO WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE THAT UP IN DISCUSSION.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU THE FLOOR AND YOU'LL CAN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE IN ORDER TO ASK THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO COME UP AND ANSWER ONE BASIC QUESTION, AND THAT WOULD BE, DO YOU THINK IT HAS AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR ABILITY TO GO AHEAD AND HANDLE THESE, UH, IMPORTANT FINANCIAL ISSUES IF WE ONLY HAVE SIX PEOPLE OR SIX INSTITUTIONS IN THE POOL? OR WOULD, WOULD IT BE PREFERABLE TO HAVE A SEVENTH AND KEEP IT, KEEP THE POOL AT THAT SIZE?
[02:15:02]
IN THE PAST WE'VE OPERATED WITH A POOL OF 19 OR 20, UM, BY NOT ADDING P AND C INTO THE POOL, WE COULD CERTAINLY OPERATE WITHOUT THEM.I CAN TELL YOU FROM A PROCUREMENT PROCESS, IF I WAS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION BY PULLING WELLS FARGO OUT, THE SIXTH RANKED FIRM RANKED, UM, 64.8 POINTS, AND P N C RANKED 61.4.
SO THERE'S A GOOD SPREAD BETWEEN THE TWO FROM AN EVALUATION PROCESS, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND PUTTING P N C IN BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG SPREAD BETWEEN THE TWO.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU COULD SUFFICE WITH THE SIX AND STILL WE COULD GET THE SERVICE WE EXPECT.
YEAH, WE COULD WORK EITHER WAY.
UM, BUT WE COULD, WE COULD WORK WITH THE SIX.
BEN, DO YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMAN.
SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN WE GO INTO THESE PROCESSES LIKE THIS, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A POOL, WE'RE NOT GOING IN WITH PREDETERMINED LIMITS.
WE'RE NOT SAYING WE NEED SEVEN IN THIS CATEGORY OR FIVE IN THIS CATEGORY.
IN THIS INSTANCE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE'RE SCORING, WE'RE LOOKING WHERE THERE'S LOGICAL BREAKS IN THE SCORING IN TERMS OF WHERE WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK WHAT WAS IMPORTANT IN THIS PROCESS, AND TROY COVERED THIS LAST WEEK, WAS WE WANTED TO HAVE FIRMS WITH LESS THAN $20 MILLION IN CAPITAL, 20 MILLION TO $500 MILLION IN CAPITAL AND 500 MILLION AND ABOVE, SO THAT WE GOT A GOOD MIX OF SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE SIZE FIRMS. SO WHEN YOU SAW THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO HAVE THE SEVEN FIRMS, UH, IN THE, THE, THE TOP CATEGORY, UH, BASED ON CAPITAL, THAT WAS BASED ON WHERE THE SCORING FELL.
SO WE WOULD HAVE NO ADVERSE IMPACT IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO, UH, GO FORWARD AND ISSUE BONDS IF WE ENDED UP WITH JUST SIX IN THAT CATEGORY.
MAYOR, IN THAT CASE, UH, I WON'T MAKE ANY FURTHER MOTION AT THIS TIME.
I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO ANY OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IF THEY CHOOSE TO.
UH, CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON THE BASE MOTION.
COULD YOU COME UP ONE MORE TIME? I, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
WHAT WAS THE SPREAD IN THE POINTS, UM, FROM THE SCORING, UH, BETWEEN, UM, THE SIX RANK FIRM AND THE EIGHTH RANK FIRM? YES.
THREE POINT, UH, 3.2, 3.4 POINTS.
I SO IT, BUT I, I THOUGHT I HEARD 64.8, 61.4.
THAT IS, THAT WAS THEIR TOTAL SCORE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
COULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC A LITTLE CLOSER? YEAH, THAT WAS THEIR TOTAL SCORES.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, QUALIFICATIONS, PROPOSED PLAN, LOCAL AND VETERANS, THAT'D BE THEIR TOTAL SCORE.
SO, SO WHY ARE YOU NOT RECOMMENDING ADDING P N C TO THE POOL? JUST, UM, I THINK BEN JUST WALKED THROUGH IT.
WHEN WE ACTUALLY DO THE EVALUATION, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, WHERE WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BREAK, WE LOOK FOR A LOGICAL BREAK WHERE THERE IS SOME SPREAD BETWEEN THE SCORES.
IN THIS CASE, IN OUR ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION, THERE IS A GOOD SPREAD BETWEEN WELLS FARGO AND THE NEXT ONE, P N C.
WHEN YOU PULL WELLS FARGO OUT, THE SPREAD BETWEEN THE SIXTH RANK FIRM AND P N C ACTUALLY WIDENS.
SO IT'S JUST A LOGICAL BREAK IN TERMS OF WHERE WE BREAK THE POOL.
WHEN YOU EXPLAIN IT LIKE THAT, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN AFTER, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES LONG, UH, LITANY AGAINST P N C, I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WE NEED TO, UH, KIND OF HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO, UH, AS THE, UH, AS IT STANDS, I WILL BE SUPPORTING, UH, WITH THE SIX.
THANK YOU FOR THE EX EXPLANATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER IRAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTRO.
ANY, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE BASE MOTION AGAIN? UH, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE POOL OF UNDERWRITERS MINUS, UM, UH, WELLS FARGO, WHICH WAS MADE IN THE AMENDMENT HEARING.
NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE WILL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER 31 AMERICAN.
YEAH, LET'S DO, UH, 31 AND 32 TOGETHER.
MAYOR, CAN I JUMP IN REAL QUICK? OH YEAH, I'M SORRY, ERIC, GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE'LL FLAG FOR THE COUNCIL, REMEMBER WE DO TWICE A YEAR HIGH PROFILE, UM, SOLICITATIONS TO THE COUNCIL FOR FLAGGING OF POSTS, SOLICITATION AND PRES SOLICITATION AT THE FULL COUNCIL.
IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL, UH, PROCUREMENTS, UM, AND HOW WE SOLICIT.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE AND WE WILL FLAG IT ON THE NEXT SIX MONTH UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL IF THIS IS A LARGER CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO HAVE A POLICY CONVERSATION THAT'LL BE HELPFUL
[02:20:01]
FOR US TO DO ON THE FRONT END OF SOME OF THESE, UH, SOLICITATIONS.AND, UH, WE'VE MADE NOTE OF IT AND WE WILL FLAG IT.
THIS, THIS PROCESS DID FOLLOW THAT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ON ANY OF THESE TYPES OF, I THINK PROBABLY SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU TALKED ABOUT ARE APPLICABLE IN SOME OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY FLAG IT IN THE NEXT HIGH PROFILE CONVERSATION AT B SESSION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME CONVERSATION.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE HIGH PROFILE CONTRACTS WAS SENT OUT? I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING FROM TROY.
IS IT COMING OUT FROM SOMEONE ELSE? AND MAYBE I'M MISSING IT 'CAUSE I, I, I JUST REALIZED THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT REPORT WAS SENT OUT A BEAUTIFUL, LIKE 20 PAGE REPORT.
IT'S IN GREEN AND WHITE TWICE A YEAR, BUT I JUST DON'T REMEMBER.
SO THERE'S TWO REPORTS THAT YOU GET FROM US.
UM, ONE IS THE, UH, HIGH PROFILE SOLICITATIONS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING, UM, OR THAT ARE OUT FOR, UH, A PROCESS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHICH ONES ARE OUT THERE AND GOING THROUGH AN RP PROCESS.
THE ONE THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER WAS MENTIONING IS THE ONE THAT WE DO.
UM, WE'LL DO IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LOOK AT WHAT WE THINK ALL THE HIGH PROFILES SOLICITATIONS ARE FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU RECOMMENDATIONS ON THOSE THAT WE THINK WILL GO TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND WE BREAK THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DOWN BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS OR SOME THAT ARE CONSENT THAT JUST GET THERE BECAUSE OF DOLLAR VALUE.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME THAT WE'RE GONNA FLAG FOR B SESSIONS WHERE WE THINK THERE ARE BIGGER POLICY ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO, UM, TALK, TALK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON.
SO WE PUT THOSE IN CATEGORIES.
TROY DOES A PRESENTATION, WE GET YOUR FEEDBACK, AND THEN WE USE THAT GOING FORWARD AS KIND OF OUR GUIDE SESSION.
SO THAT B ANOTHER ONE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
SO THAT B SESSION AT THE BEGINNING OF FALL IS WHERE WE'LL FLAG IT FOR TO HAVE A COUNSELOR CONVERSATION.
SO DO Y'ALL NOT SEND OUT THAT REPORT ANYMORE? AND I JUST CHECKED THROUGH MY EMAIL RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM YOU OR FROM TROY.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE IS IT COMING OUT FROM SOMEONE ELSE AND MAYBE I'M NOT ON A LIST ANYMORE, SO I HAVE ONE OF THE MONTHLY, THE, THE WHAT YOU GET THAT, THAT SHOWS WHAT RFPS ARE OUTSTANDING.
JUST KIND OF WHAT'S IN PROCESS.
I HAVE ONE OF THOSE THAT WILL BE SENDING OUT PROBABLY BY TOMORROW.
UM, THE ONE AGAIN, THAT'S THE FORECAST IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
WE DO THAT ONE, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO YOU'LL GET THAT THIS FALL WHERE WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A LOOK AT, AT AGAIN THE RFPS THAT WE THINK ARE HIGH PROFILE, THE PROCUREMENTS THAT WE THINK ARE HIGH PROFILE.
WE'RE GONNA DO THAT FORECAST, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GIVE YOU TIMING AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TRY TO PUT THEM IN CATEGORIES BASED ON WHAT WE THINK THE LEVEL OF POLICY CONVERSATION IS.
TROY WILL DO A B SESSION WITH YOU WHERE HE'LL WALK THROUGH THAT WITH YOU.
WE'LL GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT LIST AND HOW YOU WANT TO SEE THOSE THINGS MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN THEY WILL RUN THROUGH THEIR PROCESSES.
THEY'LL EITHER GO TO AUDIT OR THEY'LL GO TO AN INDIVIDUAL B SESSION.
SO THAT'LL BE COMING UP AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
[Annexation ]
LET'S, UH, MOVE ON TO ITEMS 31 AND 32.ITEM NUMBER 31 IS AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE CITY LIMITS BY FULL PURPOSE ANNEXATION OF A PROPERTY LEGALLY, LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS 81.583 ACRES OUT OF CB 4 2 98.
GENERALLY LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF SOMERSET ROAD AND WATSON ROAD, WHICH IS CONTIGUOUS TO THE CITY LIMITS OF SAN ANTONIO IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, E T J AND SOUTHWEST BEXAR COUNTY AS REQUESTED BY THE LANDOWNER AND APPROVING THE ASSOCIATED SERVICE AGREEMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 32 IS THE ZONING CASE.
Z DASH 2023 DASH 0 7 0 0 8 9 E T J CLOSEST TO COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR ORDINANCES ASSIGNING ZONING TO PROPERTY CURRENTLY LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS BY APPLYING, APPLYING M H C M L O D TWO M L R TWO A H O D, MANUFACTURED HOUSING CONVENTIONAL LACKLAND, A F A F B, ANNEX MILITARY LIGHTING OVERLAY DISTRICT TWO, MILITARY LIGHTING REGION TWO AIRPORT HAZARD OVERLAY DISTRICT ON 81.58.
THREE ACRES OUT OF CB 4 2 8 9 8.
STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
AYE, IF I GET A MOTION FIRST, THEN WE'LL CONTINUE DISCUSSION.
YES, I, UM, I MOVE THAT WE CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION TO THE AUGUST THE THIRD, UH, MEETING I SECOND.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UH, CONTINUANCE OF ITEMS 31 AND 32 TO AUGUST 3RD.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.
[02:25:02]
AYE.I THINK THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR MORNING AGENDA.
WE DO HAVE A TWO O'CLOCK ZONING AGENDA.
AND ANDY, DO WE HAVE EXEC TODAY? NO, MAYOR, WE CONTINUE OUR STREAKS OF NO EXEC.
[City Manager's Report ]
UH, ERICA, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.UM, ON MONDAY I SENT, AND I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE MENTIONED THIS, UM, EARLIER IN THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, A NOTICE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAD BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN ALL-AMERICAN CITY FOR THE NINTH TIME BY THE NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE.
UM, IT'S, THIS IS AN ANNUAL, WHICH IS COMMUNITIES THAT LEVERAGE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, COLLABORATION, INCLUSIVENESS, AND INNOVATION TO ADDRESS, UH, LOCAL ISSUES.
AND, UM, THE 2023 ALL-AMERICAN CITY AWARD THEME THIS YEAR WAS CREATING THRIVING COMMUNITIES THROUGH YOUTH ENGAGEMENT.
SO OUR EFFORT, OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT, UM, LED BY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND OUR NEXT LEVEL PROGRAM, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION, THE UP PARTNERSHIP, OUR METRO HEALTH TEEN AMBASSADORS, THE, UH, BEAR COUNTY FOSTERING EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS PROGRAM, AND THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO WE WERE ONE OF 10 CITIES MUNICIPALITIES AWARDED THIS YEAR.
UM, I'M ALSO TOLD THAT, UM, THIS WAS OUR NINTH ALL AMERICAN AWARDS, UH, UH, THAT WE'VE EVER RECEIVED.
UH, WE HAVE MORE ALL AMERICA AWARDS THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.
AND, UM, WE, THAT'S TWO YEARS IN A ROW, SO WE'LL BE THROWING THE GAUNTLET DOWN FOR NEXT YEAR AND, AND APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S, UM, SUPPORT.
OUR, UH, EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT, UH, TODAY HIGHLIGHTS, UH, ONE OF OUR LIBRARY EMPLOYEES.
AND, UM, SO, SO I ALWAYS GET A KICK OUTTA REVIEWING THE VIDEOS BEFORE WE BRING 'EM TO COUNCIL.
AND, UM, I'VE KNOWN ROSE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I NEVER SEEN HER IN HER ELEMENT.
AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WITH THE, UH, LIBRARY SYSTEM AND TWO AND A HALF MILLION VISITS TO OUR 30 LIBRARY BRANCHES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, MAINTAINING THOSE FACILITIES IS CRITICAL AND HANDLING THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
AND ROSE NAVARRO, THE, UH, FACILITIES MANAGER FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT IS TODAY'S SPOTLIGHTS.
I'M THE FACILITIES MANAGER FOR THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
A DAY AT MY JOB IS COMING DOWN HERE TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND CHECKING ON MY EMAILS, SEEING WHAT WE'D HAVE SCHEDULED TO REPAIR FOR THE DAY.
I'M RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE SECURITY, MAINTENANCE, AND CUSTODIAL OF ALL THE LIBRARIES THAT EVERYTHING'S OPERATING IN GOOD CONDITION.
WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY JOB IS INTERACTING WITH OUR STAFF, OUR PATRONS, ENSURING THAT THE FACILITIES OPERATING SO WE CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMUNITY.
DEFINITELY WHEN YOU COME IN AND WORK FOR THE CITY, YOU, YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE CHANGE AND JUST TACKLE, TACKLE THE WORK, TACKLE THE WORK, AND, AND COMPLETE THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
OR WE HAVE ALMOST 30 BUILDINGS THAT ARE AS OLD AS THE BEGINNING OF SAN ANTONIO AND AS NEW AS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
SO EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN NEED FOR CARE TO BE OPERATING, TO BE WELCOMING, TO BE COOL IN THE SUMMER AND WARM IN THE WINTER.
AND ROSE AND HER TEAM REALLY KEEP THAT HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, DAY TO DAY, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO.
THEY, THEY KEEP THE LIBRARY'S BUILDINGS, WHICH REALLY IN THE WAY IS THE HEART OF THE LIBRARY, IS A BUILDING THAT YOU COME TO.
I REALLY ENJOY JUST SEEING THE RESULT OF HAVING THAT, UM, REPAIRED.
WE APPRECIATE, UH, ROSE'S LEADERSHIP AND, AND CARE AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, OUR LIBRARIES ARE UP AND RUNNING EVERY DAY.
TIME IS 11:33 AM AND ON THE 15TH DAY OF JUNE, 2023 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.