* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:01:17] ANTONIO. [ PROCEDURAL  ] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION. THE TIME IS SIX, EXCUSE ME, 9:07 AM ON THE 22ND DAY OF JUNE, 2023. WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK GER, READ THE ROLE. COUNCIL MEMBER CO PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAB BERDA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GATO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ELA COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE HERE. MAYOR EHRENBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE AND, AND HAPPY DRAFT DAY ENDS HERE IN ANTONIO. VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TONIGHT. UH, AS WE DO, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, WELCOME OUR INDICATOR AND START WITH A, UH, INVOCATION FOR THE SE THIS MORNING, UM, GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER PIA. UM, BUT BEFORE, UH, BEFORE WE DELAY ANYTHING, LET ME WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SARIAH AND CALEB GONZALEZ. UH, THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE OAK HILLS CHURCH CONGREGATION. AND, UM, AGAIN, A GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLY IS IN DISTRICT EIGHT. SO WELCOME SARIAH AND CALEB TO OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. WOW, BLESSINGS. I'LL BE READING FROM ISAIAH 41 10. SO DO NOT FEAR FOR I AM WITH YOU. DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I'LL STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU. I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. RIGHTEOUS. FATHER, THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL WHO ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THEIR SERVICE TO YOUR PEOPLE. I PRAY THAT YOU MAY STRENGTHEN THEM WITH UNITY AND GIVE THEM YOUR WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING FOR THE AGENDA SET BEFORE THEM TODAY FOR YOU, DO ALL THINGS AND NO PLAN OF YOURS CAN EVER BE RESTRAINED. PLEASE SET THEIR HEARTS ON PRUDENCE SO THAT THEY MAY DO GOOD WORKS ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL, AND SHUN AWAY ALL THE FEARS THAT CONFUSION MAY BRING. MAY YOU BLESS THEM AND LET YOUR FACE SHINE UPON THEM. AND IT IS IN YOUR GRACIOUS AND HOLY NAME THAT WE PRAY. AMEN. GRACIOUS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL AND LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, SARIAH AND CALEB, UM, COUNCIL [POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE  ] MEMBER PAPA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A FEW REMARKS AND, AND, UH, WELCOME YOUR GUESTS TO OUR CHAMBERS TODAY. THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THAT WAS, UH, 16 YEAR OLD SARAY GONZALEZ AND HER FRIEND, UH, CALEB GONZALEZ. UM, AND THEY ARE, UH, NOT FRIENDS, THEY'RE SIBLINGS, I'M SORRY. UH, THEY'RE BOTH ACTIVE IN A CHURCH COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT EIGHT, AND, UM, THEY ARE, UM, WORSHIP LEADERS AND, UH, AT A CONGREGATION OF 300 PEOPLE. IT'S BEEN SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY, UH, FOR A LONG TIME. BUT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FOUR YEARS, RIGHT, SIR? I, UM, CONGRATULATIONS. AND THEY'RE BOTH VERY TALENTED MUSIC PLAYERS IN THE CHURCH. AND SIR SORAY PLAYS SIX INSTRUMENTS AND SHE WRITES HER OWN MUSIC AND CALEB PLAYS TWO INSTRUMENTS AND HE'S ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SPURS YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE. OAK HILLS CHURCH, [00:05:01] UM, IS VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS AND SO AM I. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS MADE IT OUT HERE TODAY. THANK YOU AGAIN, SORAY AND CALEB, I THINK YOU MAY BE OUR YOUNGEST INDICATORS, UH, SO FAR, UH, IN THIS TERM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE ARE, UH, GONNA START WITH OUR AGENDA AND, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JUNE 7TH AND EIGHTH, 2023. I'LL TAKE A MOTION FOR THOSE. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES IN OUR PACKET. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES NOT IN YOUR AGENDA, BUT SOMETHING WE WILL DO, UH, THIS MORNING IS TO SWEAR IN THE NEW TERM FOR OUR MAYOR PRO TEM. SO IF I CAN ASK COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ TO PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM, I WOULD'VE WORN A MUCH BETTER OUTFIT. , YOU ALWAYS DO THIS IN THE NAME BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME. I STATE YOUR NAME. I JAYLEN MCKEY RODRIGUEZ. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT WHAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM, THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT, AND DEFEND AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS, THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE UNITED STATES. AND OF THE STATE. AND OF THE STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY. [CONSENT AGENDA  ] UH, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CEREMONIALS, WE DO HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEMS 4, 5, 6 LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. ITEM 19 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY. UH, SO I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY. IF THERE ARE NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO MOVED. OKAY. UH, THAT WAS, WHICH ITEM? 28. OKAY. JUST VERY BRIEFLY. NOW WE'RE ALSO GONNA PULL ITEM 28 FOR RECUSAL 50 0 50 FOR RECUSAL. AND THEN ITEM 28, UH, IS AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM WE WILL HEAR JUST IN MOMENTARILY. SO AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, ITEMS 4, 5, 6, ITEM 28 AND ITEM 50 WILL ALL BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY. AND THEN ITEM 19 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, AND IS THAT AFFIRMED ON THE MOTION? OKAY. UH, WE'LL TAKE UP FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE ITEMS THAT REMAIN ON CONSENT. THERE IS NO ONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE STILL ON CONSENT, SO ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL, AND THIS IS THE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT ANY ITEMS THAT'LL STAY ON CONSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRAND. OH, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. I THOUGHT WE HAD A MOTION, BUT THANK YOU. AND THERE'S A SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 45, WHICH IS, IS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF DISTRIBUTION OF MINI GRANTS. THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION'S EXPERTISE IN REDISTRIBUTING GRANT FUNDING, CONDUCTING ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENTS, AND PROVIDING CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS WILL OPEN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPOWER METRO HEALTH TO CATALYZE CHANGE. THE FUNDED AGENCIES WILL WORK ON DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY, HOUSING STABILITY, AND ACCESS TO RESPECTFUL HEALTHCARE IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. AND I JUST WANNA THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND MOVING THIS FORWARD IN METRO HEALTH FOR ALL THEIR WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 23, WHICH IS A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO COMPLETE THE HERITAGE COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT. AND I WANNA SPECIFICALLY THANK RODNEY AND, AND ZY AND KATHLEEN KRAB AND THE ENTIRE PROJECT TEAM BECAUSE THEY HELPED [00:10:01] GET THIS DELAYED PROJECT BACK ON TRACK. THE COMMUNITY SPACE WAS ENVISIONED BY THE LATE, UM, ROBBIE ROBINETTE, AND SHE'S A PAST HERITAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT WHO WANTED TO CREATE A GATHERING SPACE FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. ONCE IT'S COMPLETE, THE HERITAGE CENTER WILL BE A SITE FOR YOUTH AND SENIORS AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN. THE SITE IS VERY UNIQUE, UM, BECAUSE IT SITS ADJACENT TO, UH, THE HERITAGE REGIONAL POOL, AND IT'S GONNA BE A 17,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT HAS A GYM AND CLASSROOM AND DINING SPACES, AND A WARMING KITCHEN AND EXERCISE AND GAMING ROOM. SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE, UH, COVERED OUTDOOR SEATING AS WELL THAT'S GONNA BE ADJACENT TO THE POND. UM, WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DUCK POND ON IN HERITAGE, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF IT. IN ADDITION TO THE NEW BUILDING, THIS CONTRACT IS ALSO GONNA BE ADDRESSING SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. AND ON THE SITE IT'S GONNA ALSO ADD 150 PARKING SPACES, SIDEWALKS, UM, A BUS DROP OFF LINE VIA, I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT YOU DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, LANDSCAPING AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY AREA. UM, SO AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH, RAZZIE AND THE TEAM FOR KEEPING ME AND MY STAFF UPDATED ON THE PROJECT, AND I'M EXCITED THAT IT'S GOING TO RESUME NEXT MONTH, UM, AND THAT IT'LL BE COMPLETED IN FALL OF 2024. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO DALE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AN ITEM, UH, I'M SORRY. HIGHLIGHT ITEM 29. IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC WAYS THAT THE CITY IS SUPPORTING HOMELESS YOUTH. THIS ITEM, UH, IN THIS ITEM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT HOMELESSNESS IS COMPLEX AND IT REQUIRES COMPLEX SOLUTIONS. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING FUNDS UPON AWARD FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TO ADDRESS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. THESE DEDICATED FUNDS BREAK THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY AND TARGET HOMELESS YOUTH IN SPECIFIC WAYS. THE VALUE OF A YOUTH CASE MANAGER TO THE TEAM OF WOMEN AND MEN FROM CITY STAFF TO NONPROFITS AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO FINDING SHELTER AND RESOURCES FOR THE HOMELESS CANNOT BE EASILY MEASURED. IT'S EASY TO THINK THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE WHEN WE SEE UNSHELTERED PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS, THOSE ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES, BUT THEY'RE A FRACTION OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING HELPED EVERY DAY. IN TOO MANY CASES, THERE ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, EVERY BIT COUNTS. SO I'M HAPPY THAT THESE FUNDS WILL BE PUT TO GOOD USE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER RO, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 31. THE SUBMISSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF A 20 MILLION SAFE STREETS GRANTS FOR ALL TO BUILD A COMPLETE STREET ON SASSA MO NEAR NORM OIL PARK. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS GRANT WILL FUND A 12 FEET MULTI-USE PATH FOR CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS AND A SIX FOOT SIDEWALK. IN ORDER TO FURTHER IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY AND SAFETY, THE UTILITIES WILL BE BURIED. AND A D A CURB RAMP PEDESTRIANS, SIX, UH, SIGNS AND ILLUMINATION WILL BE INSTALLED TO MITIGATE THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND IMPROVE DRAINAGE FOR THE AREA TREES AND, UH, WILL BE PLANTED AND LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT VEGETATION AND HOPEFULLY BIOSWELLS WILL BE INCLUDED TO PROMOTE THE GREEN CORRIDOR. SO I WANTED TO THANK HOMER AND THE PARKS TEAM FOR GOING AFTER THESE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT ARE VERY COMPETITIVE, BUT SEEK TO ADDRESS MANY OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN DISTRICT FIVE, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH HAS NOT SEEN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF INVESTMENT AND WHO HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO HARMFUL IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM. SINCE MANY INDUSTRIAL USES, WERE LOCATED NEXT TO THE WORKING CLASS BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. I WANNA THANK MY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR AGREEING TO TAKE SWIFT ACTION IN THE SERIOUSLY NEEDED LONG ALONG THE INNER CITY CORRIDORS. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PEDESTRIAN DEATHS ON THE SOUTH SAM CORRIDOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 34. IT'S THE APPROVAL OF AT LARGE APPOINTEES TO THE AIRPORTS ADVISORY COMMISSION. I PARTICULARLY WANTED TO NOTE THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MARCO BARROS, WHO REPRESENTS THE TRAVEL AND TOURIST INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE AND HAS DONE JUST REALLY EXCELLENT JOB OF KEEPING OUR OFFICE INFORMED ABOUT ALL OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE AT THE AIRPORT. SO I WANT TO COMMEND THIS CONTINUED SERVICE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 4, 5, 6, 28 AND 50. PLEASE VOTE 19 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. ALRIGHT, MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR CEREMONIALS, I WILL TAKE UP THOSE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE, WERE PULLED, ONE FOR, UH, RECUSAL, AND THEN THE OTHER FOR, UH, A, UH, EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING. [Acquisition, Sale or Lease of Real Property  ] SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP ITEM 28. [00:15:01] ITEM NUMBER 28 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ACQUISITION ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM SAWS THROUGH NEGOTIATION OR CONDEMNATION OF INTERESTS IN LAND, SUFFICIENT FOR PURPOSES TO ACQUIRE 1.0083 ACRES, 362 SQUARE FEET, PERMANENT SEWER EASEMENT ON PRIVATELY OWNED REAL PROPERTY, LOCATED ON ELMHURST AVENUE IN MACKEY PARK, IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF BEXAR COUNTY IN NEW CITY. BLOCK 6 1 4 4, LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO RELATED TO THE 2020 CAPACITY MANAGEMENT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PACKAGE FOR PROJECT DECLARING THE PROJECT TO BE FOR PUBLIC USE AND A PUBLIC NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. I MOVE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AUTHORIZED THE USE OF P OF THE POWER OF EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR THE PUBLIC USE PROJECT FOR THE SAWS 2020, CAPACITY MANAGEMENT, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PACKAGE. FOUR PROJECT BY ACQUIRE, BY ACQUIRING THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY DESCRIBED BY THE CITY CLERK AND INCORPORATED AS PART OF THIS MOTION, THE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY CONSISTING OF ONE PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PERMANENT SEWER EASEMENT. INTEREST CONTAINING 0.0083 ACRES, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIXTY THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO SQUARE FEET LOCATED IN CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO LAKE, LOCATED ON ELMHURST AVENUE IN MANKEY PARK, IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF BEAR COUNTY AND NEW CITY BLOCK 6 1 4 4. THIS PROPERTY IS DEPICTED IN THE OVERALL PROJECT MAP AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED BY THE EXHIBITS ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS A PART OF THIS MOTION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THERE WAS A, A MOTION THAT I HEAR A SECOND. SECOND, UH, THERE WAS A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [Miscellaneous  ] LASTLY ON THE RECUSAL, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP ITEM 50. ITEM NUMBER 50 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE AWARD OF $5,166,872 IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT. ARPA STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS TO BE AWARDED TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO BE INVESTED IN MENTAL HEALTH, YOUTH, SENIORS, AND NONPROFIT SOCIAL SERVICES, AND AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF NECESSARY CONTRACTS AND AMENDMENTS FOR THE PERIOD OF AUGUST, 2023 THROUGH JULY, 2025. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 50. WE DO HAVE A FEW FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. UH, I'LL START WITH SUSAN JUKI. SUSAN JUKI. OKAY. UH, MS. JUKI, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY HUGH HAWTHORNE. FARR. HI. I AM HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE EDUARDO JUAREZ, UH, TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, WE REPRESENT THE BAY AREA BAYER AREA HARM REDUCTION COALITION. AND BECAUSE OF YOUR FUNDING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UH, TO DO A NEEDLE EXCHANGE. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO, BAYER COUNTY IS THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IN WHICH OUR HARM REDUCTION IS LEGAL. AND I JUST NOTICED THE FRANK BERNIE, WHO HELPED FIGHT THAT WITH BRUCE JONES MCLENDON WITH THE FOUNDER OF OUR COALITION. KURT HARRELL IS HERE TODAY, AND SO HE'S HAPPY TO HEAR THIS TOO. SO IT'S NOT A BIG PART OF THAT LARGE GRANT, BUT, UM, IT'S ENOUGH TO KEEP US GOING. WE'RE ENTIRELY VOLUNTEER. THERE ARE NO PAID STAFF IN OUR COALITION, AND WE GO OUT, EDUARDO AND I, AMONG MANY OTHER PEOPLE, UH, EVERY SATURDAY MORNING. AND WE EXCHANGE CLEAN NEEDLES FOR DIRTY ONES, LESSENING THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDICTS GETTING, UM, INFECTED AND GETTING DIRTY NEEDLES OFF THE STREETS SO THEY WON'T HURT OTHER PEOPLE. EDUARDO HAS ALSO SIGNED UP. I AM, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO, TO BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BARK, WHICH IS THE BAY AREA HARM REDUCTION COALITION. UM, HARM REDUCTION NEEDLE EXCHANGE WORKS. I THINK THE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT, UM, BARK IS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT BARK IS OR WHO BARK IS, YOU SHOULD KNOW BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF HARM REDUCTION, IT'S A PIONEER ORGANIZATION IN THIS AREA. STARTED IN 2004, ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO. UM, IT WAS DOING NEEDLE EXCHANGE AT THE TIME WHEN [00:20:01] THE BEAR COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY AT THE TIME WAS HOSTILE TO THAT PRACTICE. SEVERAL OF OUR PI PIONEER MEMBERS GOT ARRESTED. UM, IT WAS, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THE LEGISLATION PASSED THAT HAS NOW CREATED, UH, A SITUATION WHERE BEAR COUNTY IS ONE OF THE FEW COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT HAS A LEGAL NEEDLE EXCHANGE. UM, I'M KIND OF NEW TO THE GAME BECAUSE I JUST JOINED THE BOARD THIS PAST FALL, BUT, UM, AND I, AND I INVITE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO COME OUT ON A SATURDAY MORNING, UM, TO THE WEST SIDE, WHICH IS, UH, WHERE WE CONDUCT THE NEEDLE EXCHANGE, UM, FROM 10 TO TO NOON. UM, PLEASE COME, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT WE DO. THANKS. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HUGH HAWTHORN FARR. MR. FARR, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MIA HERNANDEZ. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS. MY NAME IS HUGH FARR. I WORK FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SOUTH TEXAS, AND I'M ALSO A BIG BROTHER. I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CRITICAL WORK THAT WE PROVIDE AT RISK YOUTH EVERY DAY ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. WHAT WE DO EACH AND EVERY DAY IS FIND MENTORS BIGS FOR CHILDREN THAT ARE AT RISK ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. REFERRALS FOR YOUTH COME FROM RELIGIOUS FAMILY MEMBERS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. THE FUNDING THAT IS BEING RECOMMENDED WILL GREATLY, SINCERELY HELP US FULFILL THIS MISSION TO EVEN MORE CHILDREN ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW HOW DEVASTATING THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN AND THE GAPS THAT IT HAS WIDENED ACROSS MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF OUR YOUTH ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY. THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT OUR WORK IS EFFECTIVE AND ALSO MAKES A CRITICAL DIFFERENCE IN THE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS SUPPORT, AND WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL USE IT TO THE VERY BEST OF OUR ABILITIES TO MAXIMIZE AND TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS NEEDED SUPPORT TO MANY, MANY YOUTH ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THOSE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE AND APPRECIATE AGAIN, YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. FARR. MIA HERNANDEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR NURENBERG AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MIA HERNANDEZ AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT RESPITE CARE OF SAN ANTONIO. AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP WATCHING MY GRANDPARENTS AND NOW MY PARENTS ACT AS PRIMARY CAREGIVER FOR MY UNCLE WHO HAS DOWN SYNDROME, I KNOW THAT THIS MISSION IS ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE. AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC REQUIRED CLOSURES AND CLIENT HESITANCY TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FROM FISCAL YEAR 19, WHICH WAS PRE PANDEMIC TO FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED FELL 126%. AS DONATIONS FELL AND EARNED REVENUE DECLINED, THE ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT LOSSES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS. 2 22 BROUGHT NEW LEADERSHIP AND FIERCE DEDICATION TO THE MISSION AND A MUCH NEEDED FRESH PERSPECTIVE TO THE AGENCY. OUR SERVICES ARE NOW FULLY OPEN AND OPERATING AT CAPACITY, BUT THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC HAVE HIGHLIGHTED INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS NECESSARY FOR TRULY EFFECTIVE OPERATION. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT CITY STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED AN INVESTMENT IN CONNECTING RESPITE CARE OF SAN ANTONIO TO THAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE, PROCESSES, FACILITIES, AND TECHNOLOGY, AND WILL HELP NOT ONLY FULLY STABILIZE, BUT CONTRIBUTE EXPONENTIALLY TO IMPACTFUL GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, REACH AND IMPACT RESPITE CARE'S UNIQUE SERVICE MODEL, WHICH IN WITH PARTNER UT HEALTH HAS YIELDED INCREDIBLE RESULTS AND HAS SET OUR PROGRAM APART FROM ALL OTHERS LOCALLY, AND IN SOME CASES THE WHOLE STATE. CURRENTLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR PROGRAMS ARE ACHIEVING DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES WHILE IN OUR CARE. AND 97% OF CAREGIVERS HAVE INDICATED THAT OUR PROGRAMS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THEIR OVERALL STRESS, THEREFORE, REDUCING HIGH RISK SITUATIONS THAT COULD TIP FAMILIES FROM PREVENTION INTO CRISIS MANAGEMENT. RESPITE CARE OF SAN ANTONIO CURRENTLY REMAINS THE ONLY LICENSED EMERGENCY SHELTER IN TEXAS DEDICATED TO THE CARE OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND THE NEED FAR EXCEEDS CAPACITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE MAJORITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A CHILDCARE DESERT FOR QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CARE WITHOUT EVEN TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES, MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN EXISTING SERVICES, ESPECIALLY CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION SERVICES. A CRITICAL NEED ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE RECOMMENDATION AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY. THANK YOU. [00:25:02] THANK YOU, MS. HERNANDEZ. ALRIGHT, THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 50. THIS HAS BEEN PULLED AND WE ARE CONSIDERING IT FOR RECUSAL PURPOSES. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND. UH, IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER VEO H YEAH. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. THIS ITEM IS, UM, A LIFELINE. THESE FUNDS ARE A LIFELINE TO MANY NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HEARD SOME OF THEM HERE TODAY. UM, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRESENCE TODAY. BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, OF COURSE, CASA J F SS, AND, UM, RESPITE CARE. A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED THAT AREN'T HERE TODAY, BUT I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, POINTING OUT THE ONES THAT ARE HERE. THANK YOU FOR, FOR SUPPORTING AND, UM, AND FOR COMMUNICATING WITH US THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THESE FUNDS ARE, WELL, ACTUALLY, THEY WENT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. THE, THE MAYOR SAW IT TO AWARD THIS ABOUT 26 MILLION TO PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS IS THE TAIL END OF THAT, AND WE'VE POINTED IT TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH. SO I APPRECIATE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT ARE ON THAT COMMITTEE AND OVERSAW THE SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH AND HARM REDUCTION CATEGORIES. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR INPUT DURING, UM, OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ALSO OUTSIDE OF THE REST OF OUR COLLEAGUES THAT, THAT WEREN'T ON THE COMMITTEE, $5.7 MILLION HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONS HELPING FOSTER YOUTH. THESE INVESTMENTS ARE ALSO A LIFELINE AND MAKE SURE OUR FOSTER YOUTH AND AT RISK YOUTH RECEIVE THE COUNSELING AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO AVOID HOUSELESSNESS CRIME AND SOMETIMES HUMAN TRAFFICKING. ALSO FINDING, UH, FUNDING TO INCREASE OUR HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMS. AS WE HEARD HERE TODAY, HOW IMPACTFUL THAT CAN BE. THAT CAN BE SPECIFICALLY INCREASING ACCESS TO NARCAN SAVING LIVES BECAUSE SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES JUST SEEM TO BE RISING. THESE FUNDS WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON OUR YOUTH, OUR CITY, AND, AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING OUR FUTURE GROWTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER CORE. I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT ALL OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD AND DILIGENTLY ON THESE INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO REALLY SUPPORT YOUTH THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND AND NOT THOUGHT OF THE S E I S D FOUNDATION WITH THEIR NEW PROGRAM TO HELP OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN ENROLLING AN INCREASED 7% OF STUDENTS INTO COLLEGE. THE PARTNERSHIP WITH J F S CASA AND THE THROUGH PROJECT THAT REALLY SHOWS WHAT YOU CAN DO, NOT ONLY WITH ONE ORGANIZATION, BUT WITH THREE, WHEN YOU BRING THEM TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR FOSTER YOUTH TO PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY AND CARE. BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS, THE WORK YOU ALL DO, YOU ALL DON'T GET PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO DO THIS WORK, BUT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR ANY OF THIS WORK BEING THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL STAFF HERE FOR WORKING TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH AND THE CITY STAFF ARE RUNNING A RIGOROUS PROCESS TO SUPPORT YOU ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CORE, UH, I'LL JUST SAY I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID. THE NONPROFITS OF THIS COMMUNITY HAVE, HAVE BEEN A BACKBONE FOR OUR CITIZENS FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THROUGH THE ARPA. SO, WITH THAT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 50, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. AND FOR THE RECORD, AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA WAS RECUSED. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET NOW INTO SOME OF OUR CEREMONIAL ITEMS AND WELCOME SOME SPECIAL GUESTS HERE TODAY. SO, TO GET US STARTED, LET ME TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE TO WELCOME, UH, OUR SPECIAL GUESTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TODAY, UH, THE ALAMO CITY IS GOING TO BE THE HOST TO THE 2023 PENN PENN, OUR NATIONAL PAN-AMERICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT AND CONVENTION. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME TO THE CHAMBERS, UH, OF MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION, INCLUDING LALO GAMBOA, THE PRESIDENT TREASURER LARRY IBARRA, BOARD MEMBERS RICHARD MAYORGA, AND FORMER COUNCILMAN CHRIS MEDINA. THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL PAN-AMERICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN SAN ANTONIO IN 1938. IN JANUARY OF 19 38, 5 TEJANOS WHO LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO MET IN THE UPSTAIRS OFFICE OF PHYSICIAN JUAN RIVERA, TO FOUND AN ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL HISPANIC AMATEUR GOLFERS. HIS OFFICE WAS LOCATED ABOVE THE KORO DRUGSTORE IN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE HISTORIC EL MECADO AREA OF SAN ANTONIO. THE ATTENDEES AT THAT FIRST MEETING DECIDED TO INVITE 15 ADDITIONAL HISPANIC GOLFERS TO BECOME CHARTER MEMBERS. THE GROUP'S PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE GOLF COMPETITIONS AND A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR ITS MEMBERS. TODAY, [00:30:01] THE NATIONAL PAN-AMERICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION IS ESTABLISHED IN NINE STATES WITH 43 CHAPTERS AND A MEMBERSHIP OF NEARLY 3000. THEIR GOAL IS TO PROMOTE GOLF FOR MEN, WOMEN AND YOUTH THROUGH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND FUNDRAISING. THEY OFFER JUNIOR GOLFERS FREE GOLF CLINICS, EQUIPMENT, AND SCHOLARSHIPS. MAY 24TH THROUGH THE 28TH, THE SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER OF THE PAN-AMERICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WILL HOST THE P A G A NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND TOURNAMENT. IN 2013, THE ASSOCIATION HOSTED THE LAST NATIONAL TOURNAMENT AND HOSTED OVER 2,500 GOLFERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK WITH THE CONFERENCE AND TOURNAMENT, AND THANK YOU FOR FOSTERING THE TRADITIONS OF GOLF IN THIS COMMUNITY AND SHOWCASING MANY OF THE WORLD'S, UH, CLASS GOLF COURSES THAT OUR CITY HAS TO OFFER. AND I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, PRESIDENT LALO GAMBOA, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. YES. UH, DISTINGUISHED MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND FOR THE PROCLAMATION. WE ARE EXCITED THAT, UH, WE ARE ALSO A 5 0 1 C THREE ORGANIZATION LIKE YOU INDICATED, AND WE GIVE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS, FIVE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS EVERY YEAR. PLUS WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE PONCHO CLAUSE, AMERICAN GI FORUM. UH, WE ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOOD BANK. SO WE ARE INVOLVED IN FUNDRAISING FOR THE COMMUNITY ALSO. SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE HAVING GOLFERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AS FAR WEST AS SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, AS FAR NORTH AS CHICAGO, AND DETROIT, OKLAHOMA CITY, PLUS MOST, MANY, MOST OF THE CITIES IN TEXAS. SO, UM, WE WANT TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK, LARRY OR RICHARD MAYORGA? I SEE YOU'VE GOT A VERY YOUNG GOLFER THERE. IT LOOKS LIKE, OH, MAYBE HE'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. CHRIS. CHRISTOPHER. YEAH, CHRISTOPHER. WE, HE, WE ALSO HOST THESE JUNIOR CLINICS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY OUR, OUR VICE PRESIDENT. CHRIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, CHRISTOPHER? OH, HE DOESN'T WANT TO. HE PLAYS, HE PLAYS GOLF FOR REAGAN, BUT WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT THAT'S ONGOING AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WELL, REAGAN'S IN DISTRICT NINE, SO GOOD LUCK, . I, ONE LAST COMMENT I'D LIKE TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE IS THAT IN THE 1930S AND 1940S, UH, HISPANIC GOLFERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY AT MANY OF OUR LOCAL GOLF COURSES. WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU PRESIDENT GABO. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. ALEXIS. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, UH, FOR RECOGNIZING OUR FOLKS HERE. LET ME MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA FOR POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TODAY I ASK THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER THE 53 LIVES THAT WERE LOST ALONG QUINTANA ROAD ALMOST A YEAR AGO. JUNE 27TH MARKS A YEAR SINCE THE SINGLE DEADLIEST HUMAN SMUGGLING CASE IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I DO NOT THINK OF THAT DAY. AND I REMEMBER THE CALL THAT I GOT FROM CHIEF MCMANUS, THAT'S BEEN BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT DAYS OF MY LIFE. AND I CAN VIVIDLY RECALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ON THE SCENE DOING ALL THEY COULD TO ADMINISTER FIRST AID STILL AND TRY TO SAVE PEOPLE IN THE BRUTAL SOUTH TEXAS HEAT. PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED INSIDE A SWELTERING TRACTOR TRAILER. AND THEIR JOURNEY TO A BETTER LIFE ENDED THAT TRAGIC DAY. WHILE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO CAST BLAME, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FAMILIES OF THESE 53 INDIVIDUALS AND THE SURVIVORS WHO WERE TRANSFERRED TO LOCAL HOSPITALS. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE LONG JOURNEY THEY TOOK TO MAKE IT THIS FAR, AND HOW THEY FACED ADVERSITY ALL ALONG. BUT YET THEY PERSISTED. THE SURVIVORS THAT I SPOKE TO TOLD ME ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY, INCLUDING THEIR DAYS IN A DARK HOUSE, SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE PACKED WITH PEOPLE IN ONE HOME AND WITH ONLY A WATER HOSE FOR THEM TO DRINK FROM. THEY WERE ALREADY DEHYDRATED BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT ON THAT TRACTOR TRAILER. IT WAS WHEN I WAS ON THE SCENE WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CHIEF, BOTH CHIEFS, UH, THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE TO MY PEOPLE IN SPANISH WHAT HAD HAPPENED. MY RESIDENTS NEEDED TRANSLATION, BUT I DON'T THINK I HAD FULLY GRASPED THIS WHEN MAYOR NURENBERG TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TRANSLATE THE MESSAGE THAT HE AND THE CHIEFS WOULD RELATE TO MEDIA OUTLETS ACROSS THE WORLD, AND THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME [00:35:01] THAT THEY WOULD BE LISTENING TO THIS MESSAGE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS STEADFAST LEADERSHIP THROUGH THAT DIFFICULT TIME, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS LED BY CHIEF MCMANUS AND CHIEF HOOD, AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONSULATES, MEXICO, GUATEMALA, AND HONDURAS. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE COMPASSION OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ORGANIZED A MEMORIAL AT THAT SITE AND HAVE ENSURED THAT WE DON'T FORGET THE 53 LIVES THAT WERE LOST THAT DAY. I ALSO WANNA THANK ERIC WALSH, OUR CITY MANAGER, FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE OF MY COMMUNITY WHEN THEY WANTED TO MOURN THIS SUNDAY. THERE WILL BE A MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE SITE OF THIS TRAGEDY TO HONOR THE LIVES THAT WERE CUT SHORT. I WANNA THANK ONE OF OUR BELOVED DISTRICT FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, MS. ANGIE VERA, FOR ORGANIZING THIS EVENT AND FOR BEING ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT HAS BEEN TAKING CARE OF THAT SITE. ALONG LONG AFTER THE REPORTERS HAVE COME AND GONE. MS. VERA IS PUTTING TOGETHER THE ENTIRE EVENT FOR SUNDAY. THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT. I'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WE HAVE NOT HAD MUCH IN THIS. OUR COMMUNITY HAS DONE THIS OUTTA THE KINDNESS OF THEIR HEART. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER MARIA VILLAGOMEZ AND CITY STAFF FOR WORKING WITH ME ON IDENTIFYING PERMANENT OPTIONS FOR A MEMORIAL TO HONOR THE 53 LIVES AND ALL OTHERS WHO HAVE ALSO DIED ON THEIR JOURNEY TO A BETTER LIFE. AND LASTLY, I WANT TO SHARE A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE FAMILIES. LOS THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. OKAY, UH, WE'RE [ACTION ITEMS FOR STAFF BRIEFING] GONNA GO INTO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS TODAY. SO WE HAVE ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX TO BE HEARD. UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START IN ORDER. SO, MADAM CLERK, ITEM FOUR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A BRIEFING ON THE 88TH STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE STATUS OF PRIORITY LEGISLATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, SALLY MAYORAL, SALLY'S WALKING UP TO THE PODIUM. UM, THIS IS, UM, SALLY WILL SHARE KIND OF A, THE SCORECARD OF HOW WE FARED IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UH, THE GOVERNOR'S, UH, THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF LED BY, UH, SALLY, UM, ARE ALSO PREPARING AN END OF SESSION REPORT THAT WILL DISTRIBUTE TO THE COUNCIL. AND, UH, WITH THE GOVERNOR HAVING ALREADY CALLED ONE SPECIAL SESSION AND MORE POTENTIALLY EXPECTED. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE LEGISLATURE'S ACTIONS PRIMARILY AS IT RELATES TO, UH, SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SALLY TODAY. SALLY, UH, I'LL JUST TELL YOU UP FRONT, I, I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE ENTIRE STAFF'S WORK. I KNOW THE EVERY YEAR AND A HALF, IT IS A DASH AND, UH, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. SO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, ERIC. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I AM HAPPY TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY, AS ERIC STATED TO PROVIDE YOU, UM, THE FINAL WRAP UP, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, FOR THE 88TH REGULAR SESSION. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SPECIAL SESSION. SO I WILL, UH, KICK IT OFF WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THE SPECIAL SESSION UPDATE, AND THEN A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE RECAP OF SOME OF THE KEY BILLS THAT WE, UM, HAD A LOT OF TEAMWORK ON, SPENT A LOT OF HOURS, DAYS, AND WEEKS, UM, ADVOCATING AND OPPOSING DURING THE 140 DAYS OF THE, UH, REGULAR SESSION. AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, BEFORE END OF DAY, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, REGULAR A D A SESSION, UH, REPORT FOR YOUR REVIEW. SO LET'S KICK IT OFF. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADJOURNMENT AT THE END OF MAY ON MAY 29TH. THOSE, UH, 30 DAYS ARE STILL, UM, IN MOTION. THE SENATE IS STILL, UH, CURRENTLY IN SESSION ON MAY 30TH. UM, IMMEDIATELY DURING THAT FIRST SPECIAL SESSION, THE HOUSE PASSED THEIR VERSION OF THE PROPERTY TAX, UH, RELIEF BILL ADDITIONALLY, H B TWO FOR BORDER SECURITY, AND THEN WENT INTO ADJOURNMENT THAT LEFT THE, THE SENATE WORKING ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, UH, BILL AND THE SENATE, UH, VERSION OF THEIR BORDER BILL ON JUNE 21ST. ESSENTIALLY YESTERDAY, [00:40:01] THE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED THEIR PROPERTY TAX, UM, RELIEF BILL AND THE SENATE REMAINS IN SESSION. AS MANY OF YOU HAVE, UH, READ AND ARE AWARE THE HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS, UM, ARE DIFFERENT. SO BECAUSE THEY DIFFER, WE ARE ANTICIPATING ANOTHER SPECIAL SESSION BEING CALLED, UH, BY THE GOVERNOR, UH, TO, UH, AFTER THE FIRST SESSION, UM, HAS ENDED, UM, IN ORDER FOR THE HOUSE, UH, AND SENATE TO BE ABLE TO RECONCILE THE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILLS, WHICH ARE LEADERSHIP, UH, WHICH ARE A LEADERSHIP PRIORITY, UH, THEY'LL WILL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER, RENEGOTIATE THE THEIR BILLS. UH, WE ANTICIPATE HOPEFULLY THAT, UM, THAT WILL HAPPEN, UH, IN BEFORE THE AUGUST DEADLINE BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE TO, UH, GO TO THE, UH, VOTERS IN NOVEMBER AND THEY HAVE TO MEET THAT AUGUST DEADLINE. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU POSTED AS THEY NEGOTIATE THE RECONCILIATION OF THEIR DEFERRING BILLS. UM, AS YOU RECALL, OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM WAS COMPRISED OF FOUR PILLARS. WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS ORGANIZED SOME OF THE KEY BILLS THAT I REPORTED ON THROUGHOUT THE SESSION UNDER A WINS COLUMN AND A LOSSES COLUMN. SO THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES, I WILL GO THROUGH THOSE BILLS. UM, SB UH, 2220 BY SENATOR MENENDEZ AND REPRESENTATIVE GERVIN HAWKINS. UM, THIS WAS A PRIORITY BILL FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. A GREAT DEAL OF TEAMWORK, UM, WENT INTO THIS BILL. UH, THE BILL PASSED, UM, WITH A LOT OF WORK IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. AND, UM, IT WAS, UH, SIGNED WITHOUT SIGNATURE AT THE GOVERNOR'S LEVEL ON JUNE 18TH, AND IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER ONE, HB 47 14, UH, BY CORTEZ AND MENENDEZ. THIS IS OUR COURTROOM REPORTING BILL, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MUNICIPAL COURT TEAM. UH, THEY CAME UP TO TESTIFY ON THIS BILL, AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT. UM, ON, ON THIS, UH, SESSIONS ROUND FOR THE COURT REPORTING BILL. UH, THIS WILL GIVE, UH, THE MUNICIPAL COURT TEAM ADDITIONAL TOOL, UH, TO UTILIZE THEIR ELECTRIC, UH, COURT REPORTING DEVICE. IT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ON, UH, JUNE 13TH ONTO, UM, SB 1207. THIS IS A MENENDEZ ALLISON BILL, THE SA POLICE AND FIRE PENSION. CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM, UH, TO THE FUND. ON THE PASSAGE OF THIS BILL. UH, IT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR VERY EARLY ON, ON MAY 15TH. AND, UH, THE SA UH, POLICE AND, UH, FIRE PENSION BILL WAS INCLUDED IN OUR STATE PROGRAM AS WELL ONTO SSB 1 75, UH, BY MIDDLETON. THIS IS A TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING BILL. UM, IT WAS REFILED, UM, DURING THIS SESSION. IT HAS BEEN REFILED AND REFILED IN PAST SESSIONS AS WELL. UH, FORTUNATELY THERE WAS, UM, A CONCERTED EFFORT TO OPPOSE THIS BILL, UH, BY COSA AND, UM, OTHER COMMUNITIES. AND THE BILL DID NOT PASS. SO WE, WE LIVE IN SESSION WITHOUT SB 1 75 ONTO SSB 1110 BY SCHWART. THIS IS THE M O U GENERAL FUND TRANSFER BILL. AGAIN, ANOTHER PRIORITY FOR THE CITY TO, UH, GENEROUSLY OPPOSE THIS BILL. UM, OUR C F O TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF, UM, THE COMMITTEE OF JURISDICTION AND DID A FANTASTIC JOB DEFENDING THE OPERATIONS IN THE MODEL OF THE CITY AND C P S. AND, UM, HONESTLY, THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED, UH, WITH THE WAY THE CITY, UH, DOES THEIR OPERATIONS, UM, IN THIS PLATFORM. SO ULTIMATELY, THERE WAS, UM, NOT ENOUGH TRACTION FOR THE BILL TO CONTINUE, AND IT FAILED TO PASS AS WELL. UM, ONTO SB 1412. THIS WAS THE A D U BILL THAT WOULD'VE PREVENTED, UM, CITIES, UH, OPERATIONS UNDER ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, UM, PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS ORDINANCES. UM, THE BILL RECEIVED, UM, SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION ALONG THE WAY, AND IT DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE FINISH LINE. SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS ONE, UM, FAILED TO PASS, UM, HB 2266, UM, A PREEMPTION BILL UNDER THE STATE LICENSING COLUMN. UH, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED, UH, BY THIS BILL. UH, IT DID NOT RECEIVE THE TRACTION, UM, THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO GET, SO THE BILL DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE FINISH LINE. AND, UH, WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE ONTO SB SEVEN. AIDEN SAFE HAVEN, UH, BABY BOX. UH, CONGRATULATIONS, UM, TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, COURAGE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK, UM, FOR, UH, HELPING US USHER THIS ALONG. SENATOR UH, MENENDEZ ALSO HAD A BILL, UH, BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE REALLY HAPPY, UM, THAT THIS BILL WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ON JUNE 18TH, UH, BECOMES EFFECTIVE. SEPTEMBER ONE, [00:45:01] SB 360 9. UH, THIS IS THE AUTOMATIC DIS ANNEXATION BILL. WE OPPOSE THIS BILL AND IT DID NOT PASS. SO WE ARE, UH, VERY HAPPY THAT THIS ONE DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE FINISH LINE AS WELL. A COUPLE OF NOTES HERE. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES DURING THE STATE SESSION WHERE WE HAVE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, BILL AUTHORS OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN, UH, STATE DELEGATION, SB 2038 BY BETTEN COURT. THIS WAS AN E T J BILL. WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR MILITARY AFFAIRS TEAM, SO I WANNA RECOGNIZE GENERAL JUAN AYALA AND OUR J B S A PARTNERS FOR THEIR HELP AND COLLABORATION ON THIS BILL. UH, IT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, MAY 19TH. IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE ALSO IN SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, AS YOU SEE HERE, IT DOES INCLUDE EXEMPTIONS FOR OUR, OUR MILITARY BASIS. SO THERE'S NO IMPACT, UH, TO SAN ANTONIO. HAPPY TO REPORT THAT. UM, HB 2239, UH, REMOVAL OF ASH JUNIPER TREES. UM, THESE BILLS GET REFILED, UH, SIMILAR VERSIONS OF THEM EVERY SESSION. THIS WAS, UH, THIS YEAR'S 88TH, UH, VERSION. AND, UM, WE DID COME TOGETHER WITH OUR MILITARY AFFAIRS TEAM AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES TO OPPOSE THIS BILL AS WELL. UH, GA AND J B S A AS WELL AS OUR MILITARY AFFAIRS TEAM HELPED TO NEGOTIATE, UM, AND JUSTIFY HOW THE IMPACT OF, OF BILLS SUCH AS THIS ONE WOULD IMPACT OUR MILITARY MISSIONS, UM, IN SAN ANTONIO. ULTIMATELY, THE BILL LOST ATTRACTION AND, UH, IT DID NOT PASS SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE AS WELL. AND SO, DURING THE STATE SESSION, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S WINS, THERE'S LOSSES. SO HERE, UH, ARE A FEW UNDER THE LOSSES COLUMN, HB 2127, WHICH, UH, I THINK YOU HEARD WAY TOO MUCH FROM ME ABOUT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THIS BILL WE KNEW EARLY ON THAT WAS GOING TO BE, UH, SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNOR. UM, THESE ARE THE CODES THAT THAT IMPACT, UH, CITY LOCAL ORDINANCES. AND, UH, IT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ON JUNE 14TH. THAT BECOMES EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER ONE, AS WE'VE SHARED BEFORE. THIS IS, UH, A, A BILL THAT, UM, REMAINED VAGUE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF ITS LIFE, UH, UNTIL SIGNATURE BY THE GOVERNOR. SO WE WILL BE WORKING WITH, UM, OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM TO CONTINUE TO DISSECT THE BILL AND DETERMINE THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS BILL. SSB 1794 BY SENATOR MENENDEZ. THIS IS THE E S D BILL. WE DID OPPOSE THIS BILL. UM, THERE WERE NEGOTIATIONS ONGOING, UM, WITH, UH, BOTH AUTHORS ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE. ULTIMATELY, THE BILL WAS SIGNED, UH, WITHOUT SIGNATURE AT THE GOVERNOR'S LEVEL, AND IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE MARCH 1ST, 2024 ONTO HB 47 59. UM, NOT HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UH, THE DANGEROUS DOGS BILL WAS VETOED, UH, BY THE GOVERNOR THIS PAST SATURDAY. UM, REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS BILL AS, UM, THIS WAS A BIG TEAM, UM, EFFORT ON BOTH FROM THE CITY ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, OTHER CITY PARTNERS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, STAFF FROM THE SENATOR'S TEAM. HOWEVER, UH, IT WAS VETOED ON SATURDAY. SO, UM, SORRY TO REPORT, UM, THAT EVEN THOUGH IT PASSED THE HOUSE IN THE SENATE WITH A LOT OF WORK, ULTIMATELY, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S VETO PREVENTED IT FROM MOVING, UH, TO THE FINISH LINE. UH, HB 34 39. THIS WAS A VET CARE BILL. UH, THIS WAS PART OF OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM AS WELL. IT, IT WAS MOVING, UM, IN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR A WHILE, BUT THERE WAS OPPOSITION THAT IT FACED FROM PROFESSIONAL VET ORGANIZATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE BILL STALLED AND IT DID NOT PASS. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. MAYOR, UH, CHAIRMAN PALIS, THE I G R COMMITTEE. UM, EVERY SINGLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT PROVIDED YOUR INPUT, UH, DURING THE, UH, CREATION OF THE PROGRAM. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, AS ERIC SAID, UH, THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM. UM, WE ARE SMALL, BUT WE, UH, WORK REALLY HARD TO REPRESENT YOU IN AUSTIN. I WANNA RECOGNIZE NADIA ISLAM, CHRISTINE WRIGHT, AND EDUARDO CARRASCO, WHO CHOSE TO STAY IN THE BACK BECAUSE HE WANTS TO STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM, FROM ANY FURTHER STATE CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. UM, AND, AND LASTLY, JEFF COYLE'S LEADERSHIP. UH, HE TOOK ON MANY, MANY SESSIONS PRIOR, UM, TO US TACKLING THE 88. SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED DURING I G R, UM, A WEEK OR SO AGO, DURING THAT WRAP UP PRESENTATION, 2025 CAN TAKE ITS TIME COMING. IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL WORK WITH YOU, UM, AND OUR STATE DELEGATION MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF, [00:50:01] UM, AND OTHER MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE, UM, IN DUE TIME FOR THE, UM, 89 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THANK YOU. AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, SALLY, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, AND MY THANKS ALSO TO THE ENTIRE STAFF, AND IT WAS A VERY BUSY SESSION AND, AND, UH, VERY CHALLENGING. WE'LL LIKELY CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY FOR FOR MANY MORE MONTHS BEFORE THIS IS ALL OVER. SO, REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK AND TIME. UH, WE DO HAVE A FEW FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR. UH, THIS IS FOR BRIEFING PURPOSES ONLY, SO THERE WILL BE NO ACTION FROM THE COUNCIL. SO WE'LL TAKE UP COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. WE'LL START WITH CRYSTAL CHANDELIER. OKAY, LOU SAS. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION. WE'LL START WITH MANNY LIA. UM, SALLY, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. UH, AND THANKS FOR THE BRIEFING. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK. UM, I I, I NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO, TO PRAISE YOU AND YOUR TEAM ENOUGH FOR LEAVING IT ALL ON THE FIELD AND, UH, FOR PUTTING UP WITH, UH, THE INDIGNITIES OF, OF, UM, OF HAVING TO ARGUE WITH PEOPLE UP THERE WHO JUST DON'T GET IT. AND, UM, AND I, AND I'M, I'M DELIGHTED THAT YOU JUST DON'T GIVE UP AND YOU CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE THE GOOD ARGUMENTS AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS COMMENTING LAST NIGHT AT THE RECEPTION TO SOMEBODY THAT, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S DE REGER THESE DAYS. IT'S JUST MANDATORY, RIGHT? THAT IF YOU'RE UP IN THE LEGISLATURE, UM, YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH NEW AND FUN AND CREATIVE WAYS TO, UM, ATTACK CITIES, RIGHT? AND TO CUT 'EM WITH YOUR KNIFE, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN PROVE YOUR BONAFIDES AND IMPRESS VOTERS IN RURAL AREAS. I, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT IT PAYS OFF POLITICAL DIVIDENDS, UH, TO ATTACK CITIES DESPITE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, MILITARY PREPAREDNESS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY HAPPENS HERE. RIGHT? AND THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS STATE HAPPENS HERE. UM, AND THAT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN PLACES LIKE LEANDER OR TYLER OR WICHITA FALLS OR LUFKIN OR GIDDINGS, RIGHT? AND YET IT'S REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE AREAS THAT THINK THAT THEY NEED TO SOMEHOW PUNISH CITIES FOR, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTS OR INSULTS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AREN'T THERE. AND SO, UH, DESPITE THAT, WE CONTINUE TO KILL BILLS THAT ARE JUST REALLY BAD POLICY. RIGHT? AND I'D, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON, WHAT WAS IT, 1110 BY SHORTENER? IS THAT, IS THAT THE NUMBER? DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YEAH. THE ONE THAT WOULD'VE PROHIBITED US FROM TRANSFERRING MONEY FROM CSA, FROM C P S TO SSA'S GENERAL FUND, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING FOR POLICE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIDEWALKS AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO. UM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU SAID SOMETHING, SALLY AND I WROTE IT DOWN, YOU SAID THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW THE CITY HANDLES C P S. AND I THINK THAT, I THINK YOU GLOSSED OVER THAT BECAUSE TO BE PRECISE, I WAS THERE AT THE HEARING, RIGHT? THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED. AND, UM, BEN GOZA LEFT THEM RATHER SPEECHLESS WHEN HE REMINDED THEM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO RETURN THE SURPLUS THAT WE GOT FROM C P S ENERGY BACK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT STOPPED SCHWART IN HIS TRACKS. AND I BELIEVE, AND A LOT OF OTHER OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHY THIS BILL DIED, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEIR PRESUMPTIONS ABOUT, OR THEIR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OUR, THE WAY THAT UTILITY TRANSFERS WORK, UM, THEY REALIZE THAT THEY WERE WRONG, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S THE IMPORTANT JOB THAT YOU GUYS DO, UM, UP THERE EDUCATING, YOU KNOW, UH, GOOD PEOPLE LIKE SENATOR SHORTENER, WHO I THINK HAD GOOD INTENTIONS IN MIND. UM, YOU KNOW, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS US SHOWING HIM HOW WE REALLY DO RETURN BENEFIT AND ADD VALUE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, WITH, UH, WITH THAT MONEY AND THAT WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF THAT MONEY. AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, THAT GOOD WORK. AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT OTHER MIRACLES YOU GUYS PULL OFF IN THE LEGISLATIVE, UH, SPECIAL SESSIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU SALLY, JEFF AND NADIA, THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM, I THINK YOU ALL ARE, ARE ROCK STARS TRACKING EVERYTHING, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A, A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK NOW, RIGHT? JUST A TINY BIT. UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WORK IS REALLY CHALLENGING. SO, UM, WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. THERE WAS 8,153 BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS FILED BY BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE MORE THAN, UH, 769, UM, HOUSE BILLS 465 [00:55:02] SENATE BILLS. UM, OF THE BILLS FILED, ONLY 3,863 WERE REFERRED TO COMMITTEE, BUT OF THOSE, ONLY 136 WERE SET FOR A HEARING. AND SO WE COULD PROBABLY FIGURE OUT WHY. UM, BUT I MENTIONED THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE, WELL, ONE, I WANNA, UH, RECOGNIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO FIGURE OUT WHICH BILLS ARE GONNA GAIN TRACTION. AND I KNOW WE START AT THE BEGINNING AND WE KIND OF ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE ASKING YOU TO LOOK INTO A CRYSTAL BALL, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, SO SOMEWHAT UNFAIR OF US TO ASK YOU, UM, BUT I WANNA JUST POINT OUT THAT YOU ALL STILL DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SENDING OUT UPDATES AND TRYING TO, UM, ALMOST FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO YOU ALL HAVE, UH, PLAYBOOK STRATEGIES. UM, WHAT IS A GOOD LOCAL COMPARISON? WOULD IT BE LIKE, UH, EQUIVALENT TO CCRS THAT MIGHT CHANGE POLICY? AND THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING THIS IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SEVERAL OF ART ORDINANCES DON'T NECESSARILY CREATE POLICY. THEY'RE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD KIND OF, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL, WHAT CAN HAPPEN ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT WE MAYBE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ABOUT VERSUS WHAT IS GONNA GO INTO POLICY COUNCILWOMAN. UM, WHAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU IS, AS YOU ALLUDED TO, UM, EARLIER, THERE WERE, UM, ALMOST 8,300, UH, BILLS PASSED. AND OUT OF THOSE 8,300 BILLS, ABOUT 300 OF THEM, UM, WERE RESOLUTIONS. THOSE ARE THE PORTIONS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT HAVE TO GO, UM, TO THE VOTERS. UM, I DON'T THINK I CLEARLY CAPTURED YOUR QUESTION IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE CITY ORDINANCES. SURE. I'M TRYING. SO YOU KNOW HOW SOME CCRS, ERIC WALSH WILL TELL US, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW A C C R. WE CAN DO THIS ADMINISTRATIVELY. AND I LOVE WHEN HE SAYS THAT. AND SO, UM, UH, HOW DO WE KNOW, LIKE, DOES THAT HAPPEN AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL? I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE I MEAN, THE BILLS THAT ARE FILED, THOSE EVENTUALLY PASSED OR NOT PASSED, WHICH MEANS THEY BECOME LAW OR THEY DON'T. AND THEN AS FAR AS THE RESOLUTIONS, THOSE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS. OKAY. SO I THINK VERY DISTINCT AND SPECIFIC PURPOSES AND PATHS FOR THOSE TWO PROCESSES. GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SS THAT, THAT, THAT WAS ALWAYS ON MY MIND. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN FIND OUT HOW MANY, UM, RESOLUTIONS? UH, AND, AND HOW MANY, UM, WELL, JUST HOW MANY NEW CHANGES IN TOTAL WILL BE, LIKE STATE LAW CHANGES? WE CAN, UM, THERE WERE, I BELIEVE APPROXIMATELY 300 RESOLUTIONS. UH, WE CAN LOOK INTO THOSE. SO THEY ALL RESULT IN LIKE LOCAL, FOR US SPECIFICALLY THESE, THESE WERE TOTAL 300 RESOLUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. WHAT WE CAN DO IS GO BACK AND DISSECT THAT NUMBER AND SEE WHAT THOSE REPRESENT AND WHAT CATEGORIES THEY FALL IN. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN I KNOW THAT INITIALLY WE HAD LISTED, UM, HB 47 59 AS A WIN, BUT THEN THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT. AND SO, UM, SO IT'S JUST DISAPPOINTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE I HAVE THE SAME THING IN, IN MY DISTRICT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENS IN, IN SOME OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICTS, WE HAVE A LOT OF LOOSE DOGS. AND SO, UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE MORE DISAPPOINTING ONES. UM, BUT MOVING ON TO SB 1 75, HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK SOMETHING SIMILAR WILL BE FILED IN THE NEXT GO AROUND AND HOW DO WE PREPARE NOW, UH, WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS SO THAT WE COULD BE READY FOR THAT? GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. SO I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE BILL AUTHOR, AND IN BEST CASE SCENARIO, UM, IT WON'T GET REFILED, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT IT WILL GET REFILED. IT ACTUALLY WAS REFILED BY THE BILL SPONSOR DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION. BUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF THE, UH, TWO FOCUS AREAS THAT THE GOVERNOR, UM, PROPOSED, UM, IN THE SPECIAL SESSION PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND BORDER SECURITY, UM, IT'S NOT A KOSHER BILL, SO IT WON'T BE HEARD, SO IT WON'T GO ANYWHERE. BUT DEFINITELY A STATEMENT BEING MADE BY THE AUTHOR TO REFILE IT DURING THE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION. UM, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSIONS, SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT LIKELY IT WILL. OKAY. SAME, SAME QUESTION WITH SSB 1110, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT, THAT KIND OF WORRIES. UM, ME AND I'M, I'M WONDERING HOW MANY, UM, MUNICIPALLY OWNED PUBLIC UTILITIES RIGHT, WILL, WILL BE, UM, IMPACTED. AND I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE GONNA STRATEGIZE AND WORK TOGETHER TO, TO HELP WITH THAT THE NEXT GO AROUND. SO, AGAIN, HOPEFUL HERE, UM, THAT FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WE CONVINCED THE BILL AUTHOR, UM, THAT WE HAVE A MODEL THAT WORKS, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. UM, AS FAR AS IT GETTING REFILED, IT'S HARD TO SAY. HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT FOR THE A D A SESSION, IT WAS REALLY TARGETING THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT MODEL. UH, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY, I THINK 70, UH, MOUS ACROSS THE STATE, AND THERE WAS COORDINATION HAPPENING, UH, IN OPPOSITION OF 1110 FROM SOME OF THE MORE, UH, LARGER ONES, A ACTIVE ONES. SO WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON IT, AND WE WILL WORK WITH OUR DELEGATION IN PREPARATION, UM, FOR, FOR ANY, UM, ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE LEADING UP TO THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW SESSION. THANK YOU, SALLY AND SSB SEVEN 80 WAS PASSED. AND [01:00:01] CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCILMAN COURAGE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR, YOUR WORK ON THAT. I APPRECIATE, UM, THE LOCAL EFFORTS AND OF COURSE YOUR TEAM AS WELL, SALLY. MM-HMM. . UM, AND THEN ALSO I WANTED TO, UH, THANK OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM JOY BASED SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND, AND THE O O M A, I THINK I SEE GENERAL YELLER. I SAW HIM EARLIER, UM, UH, BECAUSE SB 2038 AND THE HB 2239, RIGHT. WERE ALSO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WERE, UM, CRITICAL ON THE TWO BILLS THAT WERE, UM, 21, 27. I'M JUST SO DISAPPOINTED. AND THEN I THINK I'LL, I'LL FOCUS MY QUESTIONS ON THAT. WERE WE ABLE TO MEET WITH THE AUTHORS ON THAT? AND WAS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPROMISE OTHER THAN WHAT WE ALREADY GOT TO, LIKE, ANY FURTHER COMPROMISE, I SHOULD SAY? SO COUNCILWOMAN THIS, UH, BILL DID RECEIVE A HIGH LEVEL OF OPPOSITION ACROSS THE BOARD. I HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BILL AUTHORS STAFF, BUT, UM, THEY WERE DETERMINED. UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS VERY, UM, OBVIOUS FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT HAD THE LEADERSHIP'S SUPPORT. SO WE ANTICIPATED THIS FINAL OUTCOME EARLY ON. DO WE KNOW WHAT THE DIRECT FISCAL IMPACT WILL BE WHEN THE LAW PASSES ON SEPTEMBER 1ST? WE, WE DO NOT KNOW THAT YET. THERE'S STILL, UM, AN ANALYSIS HAPPENING AS, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, HAS SAID THIS WILL LIKELY BE DETERMINED IN THE COURTS. SO WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW THIS EVOLVES, UH, FURTHER. GOT IT. AND I'M ASSUMING WE'LL HAVE LIKE A SPECIAL B SESSION OR A SPECIAL SESSION IN IN PARTICULAR FOR THIS? YES MA'AM, WE WILL. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME, UM, ADVANTAGES RIGHT? TO, TO, TO STRATEGIZE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS A LEGAL STRATEGY. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE TALKING TO OTHER, UM, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICES, BUT I'M WONDERING LIKE WHAT, WHAT THE GAME PLAN IS. WELL, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T TELL ME THE WHOLE GAME PLAN, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE, DO YOU TALK TO YOUR FELLOW CITY ATTORNEYS? HOW DOES THIS WORK TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN? YES, WE DO. AND WE WILL, UH, COVER, UH, THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKING IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION HERE SHORTLY. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEN, UM, ON SSB 1794, DOES THAT ALSO APPLY, UH, RETROACTIVELY TO THE CI CITY'S EXISTING AGREEMENTS WITH ESDS? UM, I'M WORRIED ABOUT, ANDY CAN STOP ME IF HE NEEDS TO, BUT THE IMPACT OF THE LAWSUIT THAT WE HAVE WITH E S D NUMBER FIVE, COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. IT DOES APPLY TO THE 12 EXISTING ESDS IN BEXAR COUNTY. ALL OF THEM WERE CREATED UNDER CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRED THAT THEY COME TO THE CITY AND RECEIVE THE CITY'S CONSENT FOR ANY DEBT THAT THEY TAKE ON LARGER THAN $20,000. SO WE BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO GO OUT AND HOLD ELECTIONS IN EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS AGAIN, TO REESTABLISH UNDER NEW TERMS. THAT'S NOT REALLY OUR BUSINESS. THEY'LL, THEY'LL FIGURE THAT OUT FOR THEMSELVES. I WANT TO NOTE THAT WE, UH, WE GENEROUSLY PUT IT IN THE LOST COLUMN, UH, 'CAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO BE FAIR ABOUT THIS, BUT THE REALITY IS, UH, SENATOR MENENDEZ CHANGED THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE BILL TO MARCH 1ST, 2024, WHICH MEANS THE 80 SOME PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THE AREA, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOUTHWEST AND, AND NEAR YOUR DISTRICT, WILL HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE CITY PURSUANT TO PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS, UH, BEFORE THIS BILL TAKES EFFECT. SO, SO THE CITY TAXPAYERS WILL NOT BE, TAKE, TAKE TAKING ON ANY DEBT THAT, THAT E S D BORROWS, UH, FOR THOSE PROPERTIES BECAUSE, UH, WILL HAVE BROUGHT THEM INTO THE CITY BEFORE THAT WOULD OCCUR. I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN ERIC WALSH TOLD ME THAT SENATOR MENENDEZ DID THAT 'CAUSE UM, THAT PUSH TO MARCH OF 2024 IS REALLY GONNA BE HELPFUL. SO, UM, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ERIC. DO YOU THINK THAT, DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY OTHER FISCAL IMPACT, UM, AFTER MARCH, 2024? UM, MINOR. I MEAN, THE, THE MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, UH, STILL IN THAT SAME POSITION ARE, ARE IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF SAN ANTONIO. THERE'S, THERE ARE SMALLER PARCELS OUT I 10, UM, BUT THEY'RE SMALL. OKAY. UM, AND I, SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE US BEING IN THAT POSITION. I REMEMBER THERE, THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE E S D WHO'S FILED A SUIT AGAINST THE CITY OUT IN THAT AREA. BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I, I THINK IT, UM, UH, RESOLVES THIS ISSUE IN THE LONG RUN THAT REMEMBER WE, WE BUILT A FIRE STATION OUT IN THAT AREA ANTICIPATING THAT THESE PROPERTIES WERE COMING IN. AND SO WE'VE GOT THE FIRE COVERAGE OUT THERE, AND NOW, NOW, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO REQUEST THROUGH THE CITY ANYMORE. AND AS THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, UM, THEN, THEN THEY CAN PAY FOR IT, UM, APPROPRIATELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SALLY AND JEFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND Y'ALL'S WORK ON ENSURING THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS FAIRLY REPRESENTED AT THE TEXAS LEDGE. LAST WEEK I ATTENDED A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE THERE FROM ONE OF OUR STATE [01:05:01] REPS, AND SHE WAS GIVING AN UPDATE ON, UH, MANY OF THE GREAT ITEMS THAT PASSED. AND ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS RAISED HER HAND, AND SHE'S LIKE, CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BAD THINGS THAT PASSED? AND, AND HER REASONING FOR ASKING THE QUESTION WAS THAT SHE WANTED THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY AS NEIGHBORS REACH OUT TO THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR THEIR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, HOW, UH, MANY OF THESE BILLS WOULD RESTRICT OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE RESOLUTION FOR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. UM, SO WITH THAT, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. RIGHT? WE HAD NUMEROUS BILLS FLY BY, UM, WITH EASE THAT TARGETED OUR LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY. AND WITH THAT, I, I, I ARGUE, AND I PLEAD TO MY, MY COLLEAGUES, THAT AS WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BUDGET AND DELEGATION AGENCIES THAT WE LOOK TO SCALE UP, UM, THOSE DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OUR LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, UM, IN AREAS OF SOCIAL SERVICES HOUSING. I KNOW COUNCILMAN MENTIONED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND, AND I AGREE. UM, I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A BODY WE CAN SERIOUSLY CONSIDER TO PROVIDE SUPPORT WHERE WE CAN. WE ALSO SAW THIS, UH, LEGISLATIVE SESSION. OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE STOOD WITH WOMEN TO PROTECT OUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE BE TARGETED. UM, WE'VE SEEN OUR SCHOOLS AND THEIR LIBRARIES BEING TARGETED, AND EVEN OUR CITY POWERS WITH SENATE BILL OR WITH, WITH THE BILL 2127, ALL WHILE THE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD'VE EXPANDED HEALTHCARE FUNDED OUR SCHOOLS AND DONE MEANINGFUL WORK TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS SAFE, FIXED OUR GRID AND PROTECTED OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FROM DANGEROUS DOGS FAILED. UH, IN THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS BILL, I WANNA THANK CITY STAFF AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE THIS CAMPOS AND SENATOR MENENDEZ AND ALL OF THE BEXAR COUNTY STATE DELEGATION WHO WORKED DILIGENTLY AND WITH URGENCY TO ENSURE THAT WE FILL THIS GAP. BUT DESPITE ALL THIS WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE TRAGEDY IN OUR CITY, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS SINGLE-HANDEDLY KILLED THE BILL FOR CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS WITH THE VETO. AND I, I THINK THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW MY CONSTITUENTS AND MANY RESIDENTS WHO DEAL WITH THE STRAY AND ROAMING DOGS ARE GOING TO BE VERY UPSET WITH AS THEY CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, RIGHT. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE UP TILL SEPTEMBER 1ST TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND BRIEFINGS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR HANDS TIED. BUT, UH, I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED WORK AND THE I G R BRIEFINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SALLY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER MO, UH, KEO HDE. YOU GOT A LOT OF NEW NAMES TO LEARN. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. . THANKS, MAYOR. UM, THANKS OF COURSE TO JEFF AND SALLY AND YOUR TEAM. THANKS TO GENERAL ALA, I KNOW YOU ALWAYS ADVOCATE FOR, UM, VERY ARDENTLY FOR OUR MILITARY ISSUES. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN AUSTIN WHEN I WAS UP IN AUSTIN VISITING YOU GUYS WERE RUNNING AROUND, UM, LIKE CRAZY. SO WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. THERE'S ALWAYS, UM, WINS AND LOSSES COMING OUT OF A STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AS I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD. AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS MORNING, WE'RE GONNA NEED YOUR GUIDANCE GOING FORWARD. AND, UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA OVER THE NEXT PROBABLY SEVERAL MONTHS, MAYBE YEARS, UM, REALLY START TO UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF ESPECIALLY THE, THE PREEMPTION BILL. IT'S GONNA KIND OF LOOM OVER A LOT OF OUR DECISIONS. I, I, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, ENGAGE YOU A LOT, ANDY, IN, IN THIS. UH, I THINK SOME OF THESE PROBABLY WILL BE DECIDED IN COURTS, AND SO THAT'S UNFORTUNATE. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPERATE IN UNDER THAT, THAT CLOUD. I THINK FOR SOME TIME WE'LL TACKLE THOSE ISSUES AS THEY ARRIVE, THOUGH. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, THE HOUSE BILL 20 22 20, UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IT'S ANTICIPATED TO IMPACT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THEN OUR CITY GOALS? UH, YES. THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE, THE, UH, THE THREE MILE ZONE? YES, ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILWOMAN. UM, SO AS YOU RECALL, UH, 2220, UM, IS A BILL THAT WOULD, UH, THAT WILL INCLUDE, UH, SAN ANTONIO IN A SMALL GROUP ACROSS THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE, UM, THE TA, THE HOT TAXES, SPECIFICALLY BEVERAGE, UM, HOT TAXES, UM, THE OVERAGE PART FOR THE STATE PORTION, UM, TO RENOVATE, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER. UM, AND, UH, THE ALIMO DO GREAT. SO IT'S, HOPEFULLY IT'LL HAVE A VERY POSITIVE IMPACT ON, ON OUR ABSOLUTELY. UM, ON OUR TOURISM. AND THEN, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE PROJECT FINANCE ZONE WOULD BE CENTERED? IS IT JUST A CONVENTION CENTER? SO IT'S, IT'S A THREE MILE RADIUS MM-HMM. AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER. OKAY. UM, AND THE ALAMO DO, SO ESSENTIALLY THE, OH, THE PLACES DOWNTOWN IN VERY NEAR EAST, A PORTIONS OF DOWNTOWN. IT CAN'T BE, IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THOSE TWO PLACES. IT IS, IT CAN'T BE APPLIED. OKAY. IT, AND IT'S ONE ZONE. OKAY. UM, I'M TRYING TO GET A VISUAL OF THREE MILES AROUND THAT. I THINK I HAVE TO LOOK AT A MAP, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT BE, BE, WILL BE HELPFUL. AND THEN, [01:10:01] UM, DO WE GET ANYTHING BACK AS FAR LIKE A TAX REBATE FOR THAT? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE ECONOMICS OF IT? SO, UM, AND I THINK, UH, JEFF OR BEN MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICS OF THE FLAVOR, UM, OF THAT. SO I'LL PASS IT OVER TO, TO BEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD MORNING, COUNCILWOMAN. SO THIS BILL ALLOWS US TO CREATE A PROJECT FINANCING ZONE, THREE MILE RADIUS AROUND A QUALIFYING PROJECT. SO THE QUALIFYING PROJECT IN OUR CASE WILL LIKELY BE TO BE THE CONVENTION CENTER OR THE ALAMO DOME. UH, ONCE WE SET THAT ZONE, UH, YOU ALL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THAT. WE WOULD GET THE INCREMENTAL GROWTH IN ALL OF THE STATE HOT AND HOTEL ASSOCIATED REVENUES WITHIN THAT ZONE. SO THAT'S WHAT WOULD COME TO US OVER THAT 30 YEAR PERIOD THAT WE WOULD THEN USE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE QUALIFYING PROJECTS. OKAY. IT'S A GREAT TOOL. YEAH. UM, VERY PLEASED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PASSED. IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT. YEAH. UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WINS AND LOSSES. I THINK THIS IS A WIN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, LOOK AT OUR BLESSINGS, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU, BEN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ONE, SAY THANK YOU TO SALLY AND JEFF AND THE WHOLE TEAM. AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A VERY FRUSTRATING SESSION, AND, UH, IT CONTINUES TO BE. UM, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE WHAT SHOULD REPRESENT THE END OF RACE-BASED DIS HAIR DISCRIMINATION IN TEXAS WORKPLACES, SCHOOLS, AND HOUSING POLICIES IN MAY. GOVERNOR ABBOTT SIGNED THE TEXAS CROWN ACT, AND THE LAW WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1ST. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE ADVOCACY OF SO MANY INDIVIDUALS AND THE LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE RED OF BOWERS. WE'LL PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF MANY INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY BLACK WOMEN, UH, TO SEEK AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. UH, SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO THE YOUNG WOMEN OF THE LEMONADE CIRCLE WHO BRAVELY TOLD THEIR STORIES BEFORE THIS COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, AND AS Y'ALL MAY RECALL, I AUTHORED C C R EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, I STILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE ADDITION OF, UH, OF THE LANGUAGE INTO OUR EXISTING SAN ANTONIO NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. UM, AND MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, ANY EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD WILL EXPLICITLY AIM TO PROTECT THESE PROTECTIONS. UM, I ALSO, REGARDING A, A NUMBER OF BILLS, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY FACED ENORMOUS ATTACKS, UH, AND A SLATE OF BAD BILLS FOCUSED ON DEMEANING AND HARMING OUR VERY LIVES. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO THE WELLBEING AND SUCCESS OF OUR L G B T Q COMMUNITY, UH, AND PARTICULARLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR TRANS COMMUNITY, UH, WHO ARE AT GREATER RATES ATTEMPTING SUICIDE BECAUSE OF LEGISLATION LIKE THIS. AND BECAUSE OF THESE ONGOING ATTACKS IN OUR STATE OF TEXAS, AND DURING THIS MONTH OF PRIDE, I ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND OUR COMMUNITY'S LEADERSHIP, UH, TO BE ESPECIALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE MAKE SAN ANTONIO A COMPASSIONATE AND WELCOMING CITY FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. AGAIN, THANK YOU, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE, UH, MANY MORE SESSIONS AND MANY MORE WINS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SALLY, JEFF, GENERAL AYALA FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK UP, UH, IN AUSTIN AND YOUR CONTINUED HARD WORK. AS WE GO THROUGH, UH, SPECIAL SESSIONS, I WANT TO GIVE A THANKS TO THE DELEGATIONS, UH, THAT WERE SENT BY OTHER ENTITIES, WHETHER IT WAS THE CHAMBER VIA, UM, ALL, ALL THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE LOBBYISTS WORKING UP THERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CAUSE THAT COLLABORATED WITH US, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE TRIED TO PROTECT SAN ANTONIO AND THE RIGHTS. HERE I AM, LIKE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, VERY DISAPPOINTED IN, UH, IN THE LOSSES. UM, BUT NOT SURPRISED, UNFORTUNATELY. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO FULLY GO OUT INTO OUR PUBLIC AND EXPLAIN TO THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE GOVERNOR DID WHEN HE VETOED, UM, THE BILL THAT WOULD, WOULD KEEP OUR NEIGHBORS SAFE FROM, FROM, UH, UH, AGGRESSIVE DOGS. BUT WE HAVE TO MOVE ON FROM THIS POINT. AND I THINK THE NEXT STEP, UH, IS REALLY CONSULTING WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINGS WITH YOU AT ANDY AND DISCUSSING THE IMPACTS OF HB 2127, SB 1794, BECAUSE I HAVE, I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS REGARDING THAT, UH, BECAUSE, AND, AND WE CAN GO INTO DETAIL LATER, BUT I THINK, UM, IT'S REAL EASY FOR, UH, THESE SMALL AREAS WHICH IMPACT MY BORDER TO GET IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE IF, IF THERE ISN'T SOME ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THEN, OF COURSE, HB 47 59. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK. UH, I, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE WINS. YOU DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT YOU DID TO ENSURE THAT SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES [01:15:01] TO MOVE FORWARD. I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK I HAVE AHEAD WITH THIS COUNCIL. I FEEL IT'S GONNA BE VERY CREATIVE AS WE GO INTO, UM, INTO OUR, UH, UH, THIS NEXT, THESE NEXT COMING YEARS, AND THIS, THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR SALLY. UH, I WANT TO COMMEND THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF DID. I CAN IMAGINE HOW HARD IT IS RUNNING ALL AROUND, UH, ALL THOSE OFFICES, WHETHER IT'S A SENATOR OR A HOUSE MEMBER, TRYING TO CATCH SOMEBODY TO TALK TO WHO CAN REALLY, UH, LISTEN AND, AND PASS IT ON TO THE LEGISLATOR OR THE LEGISLATOR THEMSELVES. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THANKS FOR THAT WORK THAT I KNOW YOUR STAFF DID. UH, I THINK WE HAD A MUCH BROADER LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAN WHAT YOU REPORTED ON, AND I, I WOULD PRESUME THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF ITEMS WE WERE AFRAID MIGHT TURN UP THAT DIDN'T REALLY TURN UP. UH, OR THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME EARLY, UH, ISSUES THAT, THAT CAME UP THAT, THAT DIED WITHOUT GETTING A COMMITTEE HEARING OR THINGS LIKE THAT. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'RE GONNA KIND OF PREPARE AN OVERALL VIEW THAT MIGHT HELP US UNDERSTAND ABOUT ALL OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE GET CONCERNED ABOUT THAT MAYBE GOT SLIGHTLY ADDRESSED, BUT DIED ON THE VINE, BUT THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF. THAT COULD COME BACK AGAIN NEXT TIME. UH, QUICK NOTE ON THAT, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. UM, BY END OF DAY, UH, THE COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF, UH, THAT REPRESENTS AND REALLY HIGHLIGHTS, LIKE YOU SAID, THE PRIORITIES OF THE 88TH, UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED BILL, UM, PROGRAM. AND THEN IT'LL ALSO INCLUDE A LINK TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, UH, BILLS THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THAT HAVE PASSED, UM, OR FAILED. OKAY. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THINGS ARE GONNA GO TO THE VOTERS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA GO TO THE VOTERS THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? ANY KIND OF CHARTER? OUR OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, THE TWO THAT I MENTIONED WERE RELATED TO THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF BILLS. BOTH OF THOSE HAVE RESOLUTIONS. IT WOULD HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE VOTERS, BUT THAT COUNCILMAN WILL BE DETERMINED ONCE THE HOUSE AND SENATE, UH, RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES ON A PROPERTY TAX RELIEF BILL. RIGHT NOW, THE TWO PROPOSALS ARE DIFFERENT. THEY'VE PASSED THEIR OWN VERSION, SO WHEN THEY COME BACK, UM, THE CORRESPONDING, UH, RESOLUTION TO THAT BILL WOULD SEND THAT PACKAGE TO THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER. UH, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 299 RESOLUTIONS THAT PASSED. AND SO WE WILL DISSECT THOSE AS REQUESTED, UH, BY COUNCILWOMAN ROSA GARCIA AND YOURSELF, AND WE CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK THERE TOO. AND, AND LET ME ASK YOU, DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNOR'S LIKELY, IF HE GETS HIS WAY ON TAXES, TO REINTRODUCE A FEW OF THE ONES THAT HE VETOED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO LIFE? YEAH, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SAY. HE HAS CITED A LITTLE BIT MORE, OR SPECIFICALLY WITH THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. AND SO THAT WHEELS ARE IN MOTION THERE. THE HOUSE PASSED THAT VERSION, SO IT'LL REMAIN TO BE SEEN. COUNCILMAN WHAT WILL HAPPEN, UM, IN THE SPECIAL SESSION TOO, WHICH WILL HE'LL LIKELY CALL, UM, AT THE END OF THE CURRENT SPECIAL SESSION IN ABOUT A WEEK. OKAY. I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA BE SPENDING SOME TIME WITH YOUR TEAM LOOKING AT 2127 AND HEARING WHAT OTHERS MM-HMM. MAY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. I GUESS I WANT TO ASK ANDY, ANDY, WHEN MIGHT WE GET A BRIEFING ON YOUR ANALYSIS OF HOUSE BILL 2127 AND HOW IT MAY AFFECT OR LIMIT OUR ACTIONS AND ABILITIES TO PASS ORDINANCES? WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AT EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, COUNCILMAN. OKAY. AND ARE YOU PREPARED TO REALLY TELL US MUCH OR WILL IT BE A LONGER TERM BEFORE WE REALLY GET SOME GUIDANCE? UM, I DON'T WANNA REALLY PREVIEW MUCH THAT'LL HAPPEN IN AN EXEC, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL BE A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WHITE. WELL, THERE WE GO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WELL, I'M GONNA RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE THAT 21, 27, UM, WAS A LOSS. BUSINESSES AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, ARE HURTING, UH, INFLATION, UH, INCREASED CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UH, HIGH INTEREST RATES. IT'S A TOUGH TIME FOR BUSINESSES. UH, 2127 IS GONNA PROVIDE SOME CERTAINTY FOR THESE BUSINESSES AS THEY DO BUSINESS IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, UM, AROUND THE STATE. AND WITH THAT CERTAINTY, UM, IS GONNA COME SOME FINANCIAL RELIEF, UH, THE TIME AND EXPENSE THAT BUSINESSES INCUR, UM, HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE PATCHWORK OF REGULATIONS THAT THAT DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE IN PLACE. UM, IT'S TOUGH ON 'EM. UH, AND THAT'S WHY SO MANY, [01:20:01] UM, BUSINESS GROUPS AND, AND, AND OTHER, AND, AND SPECIFIC BUSINESSES HAVE, UH, VOICED THEIR SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS BILL. UM, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE, OUR SAN ANTONIO, UH, HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION SPECIFICALLY SETS FORTH THAT THE ADOPTION OR AMENDMENT OF CHARTERS IS SUBJECT TO SUCH LIMITATIONS AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY THE LEGISLATURE. AND NO CHARTER OR ANY ORDINANCE PASSED UNDER SAID CHARTER SHALL CONTAIN ANY PROVISION INCONSISTENT WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OR THE GENERAL LAWS ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THIS STATE. THE STATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE EXCLUSIVE REGULATOR OF COMMERCE AND TRADE IN 21, 27, I BELIEVE, IS A PROPER, UM, EXERCISE OF THE STATE'S AUTHORITY. SO I WANT TO URGE CAUTION, UM, TO ALL OF US UP HERE BEFORE WE, UM, TAKE ANY, ANY SORT OF RASH ACTION, UM, DEALING WITH THIS BILL. I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, LET SOME TIME PLAY OUT HERE. AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT THIS IS GOING TO, UM, THIS IS GONNA REALLY HELP BUSINESS, AND IT'S GONNA ALLOW US HERE AT THE CITY TO ACTUALLY FOCUS ON THE ISSUES, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE. UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GARAVITO. THANK YOU. I'M STILL LEARNING THE SYSTEM. UH, I THINK THERE WERE A COUPLE OF WINS, UH, SPECIFICALLY SENATE BILL 1207 FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE AND FIRE PENSION, AND ALSO SENATE BILL, UH, SEVEN 80 FOR THE SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE FOR YOUR HELP THERE. UM, THERE WERE CONCERNS, UM, HOUSE BILL 2127, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA UNDERSTAND THOSE IMPLICATIONS, UM, IN EXEC SESSION. ALSO, YOU KNOW, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S SPEEDO ON HOUSE BILL 47 59. UH, WE THANK YOU FIRST OFF TO, UH, SENATOR, UH, STATE REP CAMPOS AND SENATOR JOSE MENENDEZ FOR THEIR EFFORTS HERE. I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE NAJERA FAMILY TO CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR HIGHER PENALTIES FOR IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. I THINK IN PARALLEL, WE CAN BE WORKING WITH, UH, A C S TO GET DANGEROUS DOGS OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I LIVE NEXT TO WOODLAWN LAKE, AND YESTERDAY MORNING THERE WAS A PIT BULL IN A ROTTWEILER AT THE PARK. AND THEN WHEN I CAME HOME YESTERDAY, THEY'RE IN ON MY FRONT PORCH. YOU KNOW, LUCKILY THEY'RE FRIENDLY, BUT THEY'RE BIG, DANGEROUS DOGS THAT COULD CAUSE HARM TO PEOPLE, PETS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO, UM, SALLY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY. DOES THE CITY HAVE PLANS TO MAKE A REQUEST FOR, FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO KEEP PUSHING FOR HOUSE BILL 47 59 IN THE SPECIAL SESSION? UH, SO COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. UH, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS OVER THE WEEKEND, AFTER SHE FOUND OUT THAT THE BILL HAD BEEN VETOED, UM, SHE HOPES TO WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR, UH, TO, TO COME TO, UH, AN UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE CAN FIND, UM, ALIGNMENT. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE BILL HAS BEEN VETOED, IT, IT WON'T ADVANCE, OBVIOUSLY. MM-HMM. , IT WON'T BECOME LAW. THIS SESSION. UM, THE JUSTIFICATION, UH, THAT THE GOVERNOR PROVIDED WAS THAT IT WAS AN OVERREACH MM-HMM. , UH, OF THE LEGISLATION AND OVER CRIMINALIZATION THAT THERE WERE ALREADY EXISTING LAWS, UM, THAT, UH, PROVIDED, UM, THE, THE LAWS THAT, UM, THE, THE AUTHOR, REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS, UH, WE OFFERED, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE TO WORK WITH HER, UM, IN THE INTERIM, UM, AND IN THE NEW SESSION TO TRY TO FIND, UM, A PATH FORWARD. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. YEAH, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP OUT WITH THAT, LET ME KNOW. AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST THOUGH, IT'S A, IT WAS A GRUELING SESSION, AND THEN WE'RE HAVING TO GEAR UP FOR SPECIAL SESSION. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL Y'ALL'S WORK. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTE, GATO, COUNCIL MEMBER, P ONE LAST THING, UM, WHEN, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT PREPARING FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION? IS, IS THERE, ARE YOU GONNA BE COMING BACK HERE TO, YOU KNOW, UPDATE THE, THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WITH, UH, WITH ANYTHING? SO I'LL DEFINITELY BE REPORTING, UH, TO I G R, AND I CAN CERTAINLY PLAN TO KEEP THE COUNCIL ABREAST, UM, AS THE NEW SESSIONS, UM, EVOLVE. SO, YES. OKAY. SO, SO THESE SPECIAL SESSIONS ARE ALSO ALL HANDS ON DECK MOMENTS. AND SO MY REQUEST WOULD BE THAT YOU, YOU VERY QUICKLY BRIEF OUR, OUR NEW MEMBERS, RIGHT? AND, UH, RECRUIT THEM, RIGHT? MM-HMM. . SO FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TESTIFY ON THINGS THAT, THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTING NOT JUST THIS WHOLE CITY, BUT IN PARTICULAR THEIR DISTRICTS. AND SO, UM, THE, THE OTHER THING TOO IS, ANDY, I'LL, [01:25:01] I'LL GO ON THE RECORD NOW SO THAT, UH, YOU CAN REMIND ME I SAID THIS, BUT, UM, LATER, BUT I, I WOULD APPLAUD AND, UM, AND ENCOURAGE US TO BE THE NAME PLAINTIFF TO, UM, TO FILE A LAWSUIT TO KILL THIS 21, 27. I THINK IT'S FOOLISHNESS THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFEATED, UH, BY CITIES, UM, ACTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS. SO, THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE. UM, WE'VE GOT TO BE FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES, UM, THAT WE'RE HERE TO DEAL WITH AS A CITY AND NOT VENTURING OFF IN, INTO, UH, INTO STATE TERRITORY. THERE'S A LOT TO DO RIGHT HERE AT HOME IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, WE DO NOT NEED TO BE GETTING SIDETRACKED, UM, WITH, WITH LAWSUITS AND, AND PAYING ATTORNEYS, UH, TO, TO GO AND FIGHT THIS BATTLE, UM, FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE. AND NOT THAT I'VE ANALYZED IT FULLY, BUT, UM, WITH, WITH MY LEGAL BACKGROUND AND WHAT I'VE SEEN THUS FAR, UM, A LEGAL ATTACK ON THIS BILL IS GOING TO BE FRUITLESS. UM, MAYOR, IF I, IF I MAY, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, BUT WE SHOULDN'T BE DISCUSSING LITIGATION HERE ON THE DAIS. THAT'S AN EXECUTIVE SESSION DISCUSSION, AND FRANKLY, WE'RE NOT, WHETHER THE CITY'S GOING TO UNDERTAKE ANY LEGAL ACTION IS NOT BEFORE A VOTE OF COUNSEL TODAY. ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I'LL JUST KEEP IT TO, LET'S NOT GET SIDETRACKED, UM, ON ANYTHING, LITIGATION OR OTHERWISE. LET'S STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE GOTTA DO HERE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON OUR ITEM NUMBER FOUR. I, I DO SEE IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS RECOGNIZED BEFORE, WHICH ONE OF THE GODFATHERS OF OUR I G R EFFORTS, AND THAT IS OUR FORMER ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CARLOS CONTRERAS, IS HERE. CARLOS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UM, HAS PUT TOGETHER QUITE A TEAM HERE THAT, UH, CONTINUES TO OPERATE ON BEHALF. AND SO THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. CARLOS, AS YOU KNOW, UH, MY TAKE ON ON THE SESSION IS THAT AS IS PRETTY TYPICAL, WE HAVE WINS AND WE HAVE LOSSES, UH, ON THE SUBJECT OF, UH, 2127. IN MY VIEW, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL. AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU STAND IN TERMS OF, UH, YOUR POLITICS, UH, I THINK IT COLORS ONE'S PERSPECTIVE A LITTLE BIT ON, ON THE OUTCOME OF 2127, IN MY VIEW. UM, 2127 EFFECTUATES, TEXAS BEING ONE STEP CLOSER TO A STATE VERSION OF AUTHORITARIANISM. WHEN YOU CENTRALIZE THE ABILITY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO HAVE A VOICE IN DEALING WITH LOCAL ISSUES, AND YOU TAKE THOSE AUTHORITIES AND MOVE THEM RIGHT UP TO AUSTIN AND MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES ELECTED BY OUR LOCAL CONSTITUENTS TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES, UH, YOU DILUTE AND YOU REMOVE THE VOICE OF CITIZENS IN THEIR OWN GOVERNANCE. UM, AND SO MAYBE IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, IN FAVOR OF LESS REGULATION ON CERTAIN ISSUES THAT YOU'VE SEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS, YOU WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT NOW. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY NEEDS TO BE REMINDED. THE ONE CONSTANT IN GOVERNING AND IN POLITICS IS THAT THINGS CHANGE. SO I WOULD URGE EVERYBODY WHO IS APPLAUDING THE OUTCOME OF 2127, KNOWING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A ONE PARTY STATE CONTROLLED GOVERNMENT FOR 30 PLUS YEARS, UM, TO CONSIDER WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IF THERE WERE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF POLITICS AT THE STATE. AND IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, UH, YOUR OUTCOMES AND, AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH. AND LET ME ALSO REMIND YOU THAT REGARDLESS OF SPECIAL SESSIONS, THE LEGISLATURE MEETS EVERY TWO YEARS FOR 114 DAYS. IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY CODE ISSUE, IF YOU HAVE AN EGRESS INGRESS ISSUE FOR YOUR BUSINESS, UH, IF YOU HAVE A TRACTOR TRAILER PARKED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANNA WAIT FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO ADDRESS? I DON'T THINK SO. YOU'RE GONNA BE CALLING YOUR CITY COUNCIL. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY A QUESTION ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT AND HOW MUCH OF A VOICE DO YOU, AS A LOCAL RESIDENT IN YOUR CITY WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR OWN GOVERNANCE. UH, AND I HAVEN'T MET A SOUL IN SAN ANTONIO, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENT, OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN THAT DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE MORE OF A VOICE IN HOW THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE IS DETERMINED. AND SO, IF THAT IS THE CASE, THIS NEEDS TO BE IN, IN MY VIEW. AND I THINK MANY [01:30:01] OTHERS, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS ACROSS THE STATE AND, AND EVEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 'CAUSE TEXAS IS NOT ALONE IN THIS BATTLE, UH, AGAINST LOCAL AUTHORITY. THIS NEEDS TO BE A BIPARTISAN, NONPARTISAN EFFORT TO STOP, UH, THE CREEP TOWARDS AUTHORITARIANISM, WHICH IS THE CENTRALIZATION OF AUTHORITY THAT IS HAPPENING UNDERNEATH OUR NOSES, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO, UM, I, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY ROBUST DEBATE, UH, FOR A LONG TIME IN THIS COMMUNITY. UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DISCUSSIONS, UH, IN COUNSEL, UH, IN EXEC AS WELL ABOUT THE LEGAL OUTCOMES OF THIS. BUT, UH, SUFFICE IT TO SAY THIS IS A CONCERN FOR EVERY, UH, VOTING MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I DO HOPE THAT PEOPLE START TO TALK ABOUT THIS REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICS AND WHAT, WHAT VOICE THEY WANT TO HAVE IN THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. SO, UM, AGAIN, MY THANKS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM YOU'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THIS SESSION. THEY'RE LIKELY TO CONTINUE. UH, SALLY, NADIA, CHRISTINE, UM, JUAN, JEFF, UH, YOU GUYS ARE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK AND WE APPRECIATE IT ON, ON EVERYONE'S BEHALF. ALRIGHT, THAT IS FOR BRIEFING ONLY. SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A, AN INCREASE BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2023, IN THE GENERAL RESIDENTS HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IN THE CITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO 20% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THE RESIDENT'S HOMESTEAD, OR THE STATUTORILY MAN MANDATED MINIMUM OF $5,000 AND B AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 31 OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO INCREASE SUCH EXEMPTION. ALRIGHT, UH, BEN, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION. YES, SIR. OKAY. UH, GOOD MORNING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO THIS ITEM, UH, WOULD REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD INCREASE THE CITY'S JOURNAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM THE CURRENT 10% TO, UH, 20%, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW. IT WOULD ALSO, UH, DO AMENDMENTS TO OUR CITY CODE TO ALLOW FOR THAT PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, AGAIN ON SOME OF THE BRIEFINGS AND SOME OF THE KEY DATES. UH, OBVIOUSLY PROPERTY TAX RELIEF HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT AS, AS A GROUP WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS. UH, CERTAINLY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 20, UH, SENATE BILL TWO, UH, THAT BECAME EFFECTIVE FOR US IN, IN FY 2020. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED OUR BUDGET, THE ORGANIZATION, UH, BUT ALSO HOW WE COULD OFFER, UH, ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THAT CONVERSATION CONTINUED AGAIN THIS YEAR WITH THE GOAL SETTING SESSION WITH THE COUNCIL ON APRIL 13TH. UH, AND AGAIN ON ON WHEN WE DID THE TRIAL BUDGET AND FIVE-YEAR FORECAST ON MAY 10TH. NOW, WE GAVE YOU VERY PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AT THAT POINT IN TIME AS WE GET INFORMATION FROM THE BAYER APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND, UH, NOTICES GO OUT AND APPEALS ARE FILED, THAT CONTINUES TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS THERE AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, ULTIMATELY GETTING US TO A CERTIFIED TAX ROLL IN JULY. SO THE INFORMATION GETS BETTER THE CLOSER WE GET TO JULY. UH, YOU DID RECEIVE A BRIEFING LAST, UH, WEEK IN B SESSION ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN TODAY. AGAIN, THE KEY THING IS THAT IF WE WANT TO GET THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION INCREASE IN PLACE, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THAT TODAY BECAUSE THERE IS A JULY 1ST DEADLINE THAT WE HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO GET THE, UM, EXEMPTION IN PLACE. ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ON THE ADOPTION OF THE FINAL TAX RATE. UH, SOME INFORMATION ON OUR CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND FY 2023. THERE'S $94.9 MILLION THAT INCLUDES, UH, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THROUGH OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THE CITY STARTED WITH A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OF 0.01%, OR THE MINIMUM $5,000 BACK IN FY 2020. WE INCREASE THAT TO 10% IN FY 2023 THIS CURRENT YEAR. AND THEN WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE GO TO THE MAXIMUM UNDER STATE LAW OF 20% IN FY 2024. UH, WE ALSO HAVE AN OVER 65, UH, UH, UH, EXEMPTION AGE EXEMPTION OF $85,000 AND A DISABLED PERSON'S EXEMPTION AT $85,000. THOSE WERE BOTH INCREASED IN FY 2023 AS WELL. UH, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO THOSE BECAUSE OF THE LAST BOX YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM. AND THAT IS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN PLACE SINCE 2005, A PROPERTY TAX FREEZE THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS FOR THE OVER AGE 65 EXEMPTION. AND FOR THE DISABLED PERSON'S EXEMPTION, WHAT THAT TAX FREEZE MEANS IS IT DOES NOT FREEZE THAT HOMESTEAD'S VALUES, BUT IT, IT, IT FREEZES THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL IN THE YEAR THEY GET THAT EXEMPTION. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY, IF THEY TURN 65 THIS YEAR AND THEIR CITY TAX BILL IS $700, THEY STAY IN THE HOMESTEAD, DON'T MAKE ANY MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS, THEIR TAX BILL'S GONNA SAY $700 TO THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME CHANGES. [01:35:01] SO THAT IS A, UM, SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT. ABOUT 45% OF OUR HOMESTEADS ARE FROZEN IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, SO AGAIN, THE TOTAL OF ALL OF THOSE IS $94.9 MILLION. AGAIN, THIS IS BASED ON PRELIMINARY INFORMATION BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD AT GOAL SETTING, BUT IT STILL HAS A NUMBER OF ASSUMPTIONS IN, IN THIS, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF WHERE OUR FINAL VALUES WILL LAND FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING THE TAX RATE. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL CONTEXT HERE, THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN IS OUR CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE AT 0.54161 MADE UP OF OUR M AND O TAX RATE, WHICH IS OUR GENERAL FUND TAX RATE, AND THEN OUR DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR BOND PROGRAMS AND OUR PROPERTY TAX SUPPORTED DEBT. UM, IF WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AND WE DIDN'T INCREASE THE EXEMPTION AGAIN, UH, WITH CHANGES IN STATE LAW THAT TOOK EFFECT IN F Y 2020, OUR M AND O TAX RATE TAX REVENUE TO THE GENERAL FUND CAN'T GROW BY MORE THAN 3.5% FROM EXISTING PROPERTIES, EXCLUDING DUE IMPROVEMENTS. OUR TAX RATE WOULD ACTUALLY FALL TO 0.52630. THAT'S THE COLUMN ON THE FAR LEFT. WE ARE RECOMMENDING GOING TO THE 20% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH USES SOME OF THAT CAPACITY THAT THAT'S THERE, UM, AND, AND WILL RESULT IN, IN, IN TAX RATE NOT DECREASING AS MUCH. AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED AN UNUSED INCREMENT ON THE TAX RATE. THIS WAS PUT IN PLACE WHEN, UH, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE CHANGES WERE IMPLEMENTED IN F FY 2020 BY THE STATE. WE HAD A PREVIOUS 8%, UH, WHAT THEY CALL ROLLBACK RATE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH OUR GENERAL FUND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE COULD GROW FROM BASE VALUES. THEY REDUCED THAT TO 3.5%. PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE ON THAT WAS THAT IN PERIODS OF RECESSION OR DECLINING VALUES, WE AS A CITY WOULD, WOULD HOLD OUR TAX RATE. IT WOULD NOT INCREASE IT IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR LOST REVENUE. WE DID THAT KNOWING THAT IF WE COULD GET THROUGH THE RECESSION, MANAGE OUR BUDGET FOR A COUPLE YEARS, THE 8% ALLOWED US TO RECOVER ONCE WE GOT THROUGH THE RECESSION. WELL, WITH THE THREE POINT A 5% CAP IN PLACE, WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE. SO WHAT THE STATE DID WAS SAID, IF YOU HAVE CAPACITY, YOU DON'T INCREASE YOUR TAX RATE UP TO THE THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT MAXIMUM IN SOME YEARS. YOU CAN BANK THAT FOR UP TO THREE YEARS. THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS THE UNUSED INCREMENT OF 0.00580, THAT'S FROM THREE YEARS AGO. IF WE DON'T USE IT IN FY 2024, THAT WILL FALL OFF. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THAT IN THE FUTURE. SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UH, UM, USING THAT IN FY 2024. THERE'S ABOUT $9 MILLION OF OF REVENUE TIED TO THAT. IT'S IN THE TRIAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE COUNCIL'S, UH, FEEDBACK DURING GOAL SETTING AND SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU ALL HAVE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING USING THAT TO MEET THOSE PRIORITIES, UM, IN FY 2024. WANNA BE CLEAR, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE VOTING ON TODAY, ORDINANCE WISE, IS APPROVAL OF OR CONSIDERATION OF INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THE PROPERTY TAX RATE CONVERSATION WILL COME FORWARD AS ALSO PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN IN GOAL SETTING. UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL, WILL INCLUDE THE UNUSED INCREMENT, BUT YOU WILL NOT VOTE ON ADOPTING THE TAX RATE UNTIL, UH, SEPTEMBER 14TH WHEN WE ACTUALLY APPROVE THE BUDGET. AND YOU'LL HAVE ACTUAL ITEMS, UH, FOR APPROVING THE BUDGET. YOU'LL HAVE SEPARATE ITEMS FOR ACTUALLY APPROVING THE TAX RATE SEPARATELY, THE M AND O, THE GENERAL FUND TAX RATE, AND OUR DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE. SO IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, I TALKED ABOUT THE 94.9 MILLION THAT WE HAVE IN 2023. BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SO FAR, WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT THAT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WILL GROW TO AN $134.1 MILLION IN FY 2024. UH, THE BREAKDOWN IS LISTED THERE BELOW THOSE TWO. I WON'T GO THROUGH THAT IN DETAIL. UM, THIS SLIDE WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU, AGAIN, JUST AN IDEA OF SOME, UH, EXAMPLES OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU MOVE FROM A 10% CURRENT EXEMPTION UP TO THE 20%. UH, THIS AGAIN, IS JUST THE CITY'S, UH, TAX BILL. WE MAKE UP ABOUT 20% OF A PROPERTY TAX BILL ON AVERAGE. SO THIS IS JUST THE CITY'S PORTION, AND WE GAVE YOU SOME TAXABLE VALUES RANGING THERE FROM 80,000 UP TO 480,000. AND YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL SAVINGS GOING FROM 10% UP TO THE 20% GOES FROM ANYWHERE FROM $55 FOR AN $80,000 TAXABLE VALUE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $328 IN ANNUAL SAVINGS FOR A $480,000, UH, TAXABLE VALUE HOMESTEAD. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ESTIMATED, UH, SAVINGS. UH, ONCE THE TAX RATE IS DETERMINED, THIS WILL CHANGE THESE NUMBERS SLIGHTLY AS WELL. UH, THIS IS ALSO JUST AN EXAMPLE, A CITY TAX BILL HERE, LOOKING AT 2023, A HOME WITH A VALUE OF $200,000. WITH OUR 10% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IN PLACE, YOU CAN SEE THAT WOULD EQUATE TO A $20,000 EXEMPTION REDUCING THAT ASSESSED VALUE BY THE 20,000 [01:40:01] TO GET TO TAXABLE VALUE OF 180,000. OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 0.54161. SO THE CITY TAX BILL IN THIS CASE WOULD BE $975 IF YOU ALL APPROVE THE 20% EXEMPTION, UH, TODAY, UH, THE FY 24, UH, AMOUNT, AND WE MADE AN ASSUMPTION HERE THAT THE MARKET VALUE ON THIS HOME GREW BY 10.7%. THAT IS THE, UH, GROWTH RATE ON SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES, UH, THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE TAX ROLL RIGHT NOW. SO WE USE THAT, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE. SO THAT WOULD GROW TO 221,400. UH, THE ASSESSED VALUE IS CAPPED AT 10%. THAT'S UNDER STATE LAW. SO YOUR, YOUR HOMESTEAD VALUE CAN'T GROW BY MORE THAN 10% PER YEAR. SO IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD GO UP BY 20,000. UH, BUT BECAUSE THE EXEMPTION'S GOING TO 20%, AND IT'S BASED ON THE, THE MARKET VALUE, UH, OF THE HOME, YOU CAN SEE THERE, YOU WOULD END UP WITH A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OF 44,280, UH, REDUCING THE TAXABLE VALUE DOWN TO 1 75 720. WE SHOWED YOU THE SLIDE, SLIGHTLY REDUCED TAX RATE, UM, FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. AGAIN, THAT WON'T BE FINALIZED UNTIL LATER THIS SUMMER. BUT IN THIS SCENARIO, UH, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR CITY TAX BILL WOULD GO DOWN BY $25, UH, UH, ANNUALLY. UM, AGAIN, THE TAX RATE WILL CHANGE BASED ON, ON WHERE, WHERE, UH, WE END UP LATER THIS SUMMER ON VALUES. AND THE OTHER KEY THING I THINK THAT, UH, I WANNA MENTION IS THAT OFTEN PEOPLE LOOK AT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TAXABLE VALUE, IT'S A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR MARKET VALUE, WHICH CAN BE MUCH HIGHER THAN THE 10% THAT YOUR HOMESTEAD IS CAPPED AT. SO THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL, UH, BENEFIT THAT COMES THROUGH THAT EXEMPTION. SO IT'S ON THE, THE MARKET VALUE, NOT ON THE, NOT ON THE CAPTIVE VALUE THAT'S UNDER STATE LAW. SO AGAIN, IN TERMS OF, UH, NEXT STEPS WE'RE RECOMMENDING TODAY THAT YOU APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, WE WOULD THEN TAKE THAT AND FILE THAT WITH A BARE APPRAISAL DISTRICT TO ENSURE THAT THE EXEMPTION IS IN PLACE FOR THIS COMING, UH, THIS COMING YEAR, UH, AT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF 20%. I MENTIONED THE TAX RATE. WE WILL DO THOSE CALCULATIONS LATER THIS SUMMER, UH, IN LATE JULY WHEN WE GET THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLL FROM THE BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT. AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION PRESENTED TO YOU AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UM, AND THEN THESE NEW EXEMPT EXEMPTIONS AND TAX RATES, UH, WOULD BE ISSUED AS PART OF THE BILLS THAT WOULD GO OUT ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2023. SO, UM, MARION COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, BEN. UH, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE. UH, WE'LL START WITH SARAH GARISH. MS. GARISH, SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CHRIS BECKER. GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE CITY, SAN SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SARAH ENO GARISH, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS AS A 2023 CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD. TODAY I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION FROM 10% TO THE MAXIMUM LIMIT ALLOWED BY THE STATE, WHICH IS 20%. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'D LIKE TO COMMEND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR STEPPING UP AS A TAXING ENTITY AND PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL TAX RELIEF DESPITE REPRESENTING ONLY ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE OVERALL TAX BILL. YOU'VE BEEN DOING YOUR PART BY OFFERING RELIEF TO RESIDENT HOMESTEADS, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS. WE THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THE ISSUE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN, SUCH AS LOWERING PROPERTY TAX RATES, AND IMPLEMENTING THE $150 MILLION HOUSING BOND. THESE MEASURES ARE CRUCIAL TO MAINTAINING SAN ANTONIO AS AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME. WITH THE CURRENT MEDIAN PRICE IN SAN ANTONIO REACHING 325,000, IT IS EVIDENT THAT HOMEOWNERS ARE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES. MANY FAMILIES ARE FACING DIFFICULTY IN MEETING THEIR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS DUE TO CONTINUOUS RISE IN PROPERTY VALUES AND ACCOMPANYING TAX BURDENS. ADDITIONAL TAX SAVINGS COULD MAKE A CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO AFFORD MORTGAGE PAYMENTS, UTILITY BILLS, AND ULTIMATELY REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES. CONSIDERING THE NATIONWIDE INCREASE IN HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND MORTGAGE RATES, EVERY DOLLAR SAVED GOES A LONG WAY TO HELPING HARDWORKING FAMILIES AND LEGACY HOMEOWNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHILE SABOR APPLAUDS YOUR EFFORTS TO UTILIZE EVERY TAX RESOURCE AFFORDED TO TEXAS CITIES UNDER STATE LAW, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND LAWMAKERS IN AUSTIN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES, THE ISSUES IN OUR APPRAISAL SYSTEM. THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 169,000 PROTESTS HAVE BEEN FILED, MAKING A RECORD, NEW RECORD HIGH. CLEARLY RESIDENTS ARE UPSET ABOUT THEIR APPRAISED VALUES, WHICH IS CRUCIAL THAT WE ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS. IN CONCLUSION, I ASK THAT YOU ALL PLEASE SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 10% TO 20%. THIS ACTION WILL GREATLY RELIEVE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON [01:45:01] OUR RESIDENTS, ALLOWING THEM TO SUSTAIN HOME OWNERSHIP AND UNLOCK NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR ASPIRING HOMEOWNERS. WE REALLY HOPE THAT YOUR ACTIONS INSPIRE THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR TO TAKE NOTE AND PRIORITIZE IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE TAX RELIEF FOR EVERYONE IN THE STATE. AS ALWAYS, SAB WAR REMAINS DEDICATED TO HELPING CITY, THE CITY SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THESE IMPACT CHANGES WITH OUR MORE THAN 15,000 MEMBERS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GARRIS. CHRIS BECKER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL. SOME OF Y'ALL PROBABLY WATCH FRIENDS, SOME OF YOU PROBABLY SEE IT IN SYNDICATION. A WORD THAT, UH, CONFUSES MY DAUGHTERS AS MUCH AS THE FACT THAT I WORKED AT A VIDEO STORE. UM, ONE OF THE EPISODES JOEY WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING SLOWLY BUT SURELY, AND CHANDLER GOT FRUSTRATED AND SAID, GET THERE FASTER. THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN I SAW THE CURRENT DELIBERATION START ON PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAT, THAT Y'ALL CAN DO. 'CAUSE I WAS HERE LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME, UM, SAYING THAT RAISING IT TO 10% WAS A NO-BRAINER, AND WE SHOULD GO HIGHER, AS HIGH AS WE CAN TO 20%. UM, THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE PROPERTY VALUES. THEY'RE ARTIFICIAL IN A SENSE BECAUSE OF A BUNCH OF FOLKS IN THE FEDERAL RESERVE THAT WHILE THEY MOVE US AROUND LIKE PONDS ON A CHESS BOARD, THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT THE REASON WE HAVE SUCH ARTIFICIALLY HIGH PROPERTY VALUES IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A PRESIDENTIAL DEFENSE OF THE DOLLAR THIS ENTIRE CENTURY. AND SO WHEN THE DOLLAR GETS VOLATILE, INVESTORS LOOK FOR SOME MORE STABLE INVESTMENTS, AND THAT GOES TO SAFER, MORE ESTABLISHED ASSETS AND HOUSING IS ONE OF THEM. UH, YOU CAN SEE, UH, MINE IN TEXAS, TRUE STA TRUE TAX AND ER'S TAKE ON THIS. AS FAR AS IT PERTAINS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN, UH, TEXAS, THE, THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE AS FAR AS FAR AS THE, UH, UH, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO WITH PROPERTY TAXES THERE, UM, WE CAN DO MORE. THIS IS, THIS IS FLEETING. THIS IS FLEETING. THIS IS GONNA GO AWAY LIKE IT HAS THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT DOES GUARD A LOT OF THE ASSET VALUE FROM TAXATION, BUT AS WE'VE SEEN, IT'S FLEETING. THE REAL VOTE COMES SEPTEMBER 14TH, AND I WOULD URGE CITIZENS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE VOTING THAT TAKES PLACE. SEPTEMBER 14TH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BECKER. ALRIGHT, YOU HEARD ITEM NUMBER FIVE? UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. SO MOVED. SECOND. THERE IS A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL. WE'LL BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION NOW. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I THINK THERE WAS A RACE TO THE, THE SECOND. DID WE GET THAT? OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR HOMEOWNER CONSTITUENTS ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND I THINK THIS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A WEIGHT OFF THEIR BURDEN. UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TAX BILL OF HOMEOWNERS. SOMEONE IS TALKING VERY LOUDLY. WE STILL NEED MEANINGFUL TAX RELIEF, UM, AT THE STATE AND FROM OTHER TAXING ENTITIES. UM, AND AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY THOUGHTS ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES WHO DESERVE TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES, WHERE THEY HAVE INVESTED THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FAMILY WELLBEING AND, UH, AND TRY TO BUILD THEIR WEALTH. UM, WITH THAT, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM TODAY. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT WHEN WE FIRST HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, I HAD BROUGHT UP THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GREAT TO INCREASE AT 10%, BUT WHERE MY RESIDENTS WOULD FEEL THE MOST IMPACT IS AT 20%. AND THAT THIS IS STILL ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WHERE WE'RE NOT, WE CAN'T IMPLEMENT A LENS OF EQUITY. WE CAN'T MAKE IT SO THAT THOSE WHO ARE MOST BURDENED, UM, FEEL THE MOST RELIEF. UM, AND SO MY QUESTION REMAINS FOR CITY COUNCIL. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEXT IN ABOUT A COUPLE IN A COUPLE MONTHS WHEN THIS ISN'T ENOUGH, THEN WHAT? AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR BUDGET GOAL SETTING SET OR NOT BUDGET GOAL SETTING SESSION. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, AN UPDATE ON THE BUDGET SURVEY, AND I'M SURE WE'RE ALL GONNA SHARE OUR GOALS FOR THE BUDGET. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA SAY, LET'S ADD MORE POLICE OFFICERS AND LET'S, LET'S, UH, ADD MORE SPAY NEUTER. LET'S ADDRESS THE GROWING NEEDS OF, UH, OUR POPULATION WITHOUT SHELTER. AND THESE ALL HAVE, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNTS ATTACHED TO THEM. AND SO WHAT'S NEXT? WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE SAYING THAT WE CAN REASONABLY REDUCE OUR BUDGET. WE'RE INSTEAD TALKING ABOUT A GROWING POPULATION WITH GROWING NEED. AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, [01:50:01] I, I GUESS I SAY ALL OF THIS TO SAY, JUST AS WAS MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THAT THIS COMES DOWN TO THE WAY THAT HOMES ARE APPRAISED. THIS COMES DOWN TO, UH, LEGISLATION AND TO, UM, ACTIONS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE, HAVE TO HAPPEN ELSEWHERE. AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO GUIDE THE CONVERSATION IN THAT DIRECTION. THE ONUS OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF BEYOND THIS IS NOT ON US. WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO VERY, VERY LITTLE AFTER THIS. AND SO I, WE'RE GOING TO, THIS IS GONNA BE A WIN FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT WHEN IT'S NOT ENOUGH, IT'S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS LOSS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO START THE CONVERSATION THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER GARAVITO. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WHEN I WAS BLOCK WALKING THROUGHOUT DISTRICT SEVEN EVERY DAY, RESIDENTS SHARED WITH ME THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE BURDEN OF RISING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I, BECAUSE FOR RESIDENTS ON FIXED INCOME, THIS COULD, THESE SAVINGS COULD MEAN A GROCERY BILL, ELECTRICITY BILL, AND ALSO KEEP THEM IN THE HOUSES LIKE, LIKE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JALEN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ'S COMMENTS THAT, WHEN, WHEN IS IT GONNA BE ENOUGH? WE HAVE TO DO MORE. WE HAVE TO PUSH FOR MORE, UH, LATER. UH, AND TODAY I AM PROUD TO BE IN A POSITION TO SUPPORT, UH, THE MUCH NEEDED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT TO ADDRESS AND WORK TOWARDS FURTHER SOLUTIONS FOR HOMEOWNERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GTO. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. UM, WANT TO GIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION, UM, TO MY PREDECESSOR, UH, FORMER COUNCILMAN PERRY. UM, HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO 10%. AND NOW, UM, I'M PLEASED TO BE UP HERE, UH, AND, AND, UH, TODAY FOR, FOR ALL OF US TO, TO RAISE IT TO 20%. UH, THIS IS MUCH NEEDED RELIEF. PROPERTY TAXES, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS NOW BEEN AN ISSUE. UM, IT'S JUST OVERLY BURDENSOME ON OUR HOME HOMEOWNERS, AND WE'VE GOTTA DO ALL WE CAN, UH, HERE AS A CITY TO HELP. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. UM, I WILL SAY THOUGH, THAT THE WORK IS NOT DONE. WE'VE GOTTA PARTNER WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE COUNTY, UM, AND AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, TO PRO TO PROVIDE SOME MORE MEANINGFUL RELIEF. UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, UH, TO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE FOLKS IN AUSTIN TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BRING PROPERTY TAX BURDEN DOWN ON OUR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WHAT AN EXCITING ITEM AHEAD OF US. UH, CHEERS TO COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE FOR THEIR LONG, UH, ADEQUACY, FOR ENSURING THAT NOT ONLY WE SECURED THE 10%, BUT HERE WE ARE WITH THE 20% EXEMPTION THAT WILL BE APPROVING. AND WE'LL SEE IN SEPTEMBER, UH, I THINK SARAH FAIRLY ARTICULATED THE IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED TO INCREASE THE EXEMPTION TO 20%. UH, NO DOUBT THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE IS MOST EVIDENT IN HOUSING. UH, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US IS BEING INTENTIONAL WITH INCENTIVES AND ABATEMENTS, RIGHT? UM, WE WILL BE CAPPED OUT. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE INCREASE WE'RE GOING TO SEE A REDUCTION OF INVESTMENT IN, UH, THE GENERAL FUND. BUT I BELIEVE IF WE STICK TO THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND THE PARAMETERS THAT THE VOTERS CREATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 2022 BOND, WE CAN HELP PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RELIEF. UH, WHAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IS THE SHIFT OF THE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN FOR MARKET RATE HOUSING ONTO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS WHO DON'T RECEIVE THAT ABATEMENT OR INCENTIVES. SO I BELIEVE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, INTENTIONAL AND STRATEGIC POLICY THAT THIS BODY HAS ALREADY ADOPTED, ESTABLISHED, AND HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, IS THE PATH FORWARD. ADDITIONALLY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CONSTITUENTS WITH THE TAX RESOURCE HUB. SO I WANNA THANK N H SS D FOR THAT WORK AND THIS COUNCIL FOR ADOPTING THAT ITEM. UM, BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THE TAX EXEMPTION, BUT IF OUR CONSTITUENTS DON'T KNOW HOW TO APPLY AND RECEIVE THAT RELIEF, THEN IT, IT'S NOT AS IMPACTFUL. SO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT PIECE MOVING FORWARD, AND I KNOW THE MEXICAN AMERICAN UNITY COUNCIL PROVIDES, UH, RESOURCES AND WORKSHOPS, AND I BELIEVE WHAT'S NEXT IS SUPPORTING THE MEXICAN UNITY COUNCIL FOR A, A HOME EXEMPTION HOUSING RESOURCE HUB, WHERE CONSTITUENTS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN GO TO A ONE STOP SHOP ON FILLING OUT THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FORMS, COMPLETING A MINOR OR HOME REHAB APPLICATION. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO AND, AND I CHALLENGE MY COLLEAGUES TO, TO JOIN US IN TACKLING THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. [01:55:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE CITY. WE HAVE SEEN AND KNOWN THAT MANY PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND EVEN OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS HAVE COME TO SAN ANTONIO. AND ALL OF THAT HAS REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, NOT ONLY THE POPULATION GROWTH, BUT THE GROWTH OF VALUES OF OUR PROPERTIES. UH, AND SO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I THINK MANY OF US HAVE, HAVE WONDERED, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH PROPERTY VALUES CAN CONTINUE TO GO UP AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER? UH, I WANNA, UH, JUST KIND OF RECOGNIZE WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN WHITE JUST SAID. UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I WERE KIND OF A DYNAMIC DUO ON TRYING TO GO AHEAD AND GET TAX RELIEF SINCE WE BOTH CAME ON SIX YEARS AGO. UH, AND I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL AND, AND EVEN THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE LEFT US OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE GROWTH OF VALUES IS ALMOST INTOLERABLE FOR TOO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SUSTAIN THEIR PERSONAL ECONOMY. AND SO WHAT WE DO AS A CITY COUNCIL, WHEN WE DECIDE TO GO AHEAD AND INCREASE, FOR EXAMPLE, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS REALLY HELP EVERY, UH, HOMEOWNER IN THE CITY WITH THEIR PERSONAL ECONOMY. WE'RE FOREGOING IF WE RAISE THIS EXEMPTION TO 20%, $134 MILLION OF TAXABLE VALUE THAT WE COULD COLLECT IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE EXEMPTIONS. NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AROUND BEXAR COUNTY OR AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT HERE WE'RE STEPPING UP AND SAYING WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HELP THE PROPERTY OWNERS. BUT THIS CITY HAS DONE EVEN MORE THAN THAT IN THE LAST, UH, BUDGET. WE ACTUALLY LOWERED THE CITY'S TAXES FOR EVERY PROPERTY OWNER, WHETHER IT'S A, A RESIDENT OR A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER, EVEN IF IT'S A PIECE OF VACANT LAND. AND WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT, I KNOW, AGAIN, IN THIS SESSION. AND SO SAN ANTONIO IS AS A CITY AND AS A TAXING ENTITY, CERTAINLY IS TAKING A LEAD IN PROVIDING TAX RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE. AND WE HOPE THAT OUR OTHER TAXING ENTITY PARTNERS, UH, LIKE BEAR COUNTY, LIKE THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, LIKE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, LIKE THE RIVER AUTHORITY, LIKE SEVERAL OTHERS, THAT, THAT OUR TAXING ENTITIES WILL DO THE VERY BEST THEY CAN TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TAX RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. I KNOW I'LL BE PROUD OF HOW WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS, UH, TO KEEP, UH, SAN ANTONIO AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE THAT'LL CONTINUE TO ATTRACT, UH, PEOPLE TO COME AND ENJOY OUR CITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER CORE. SO THIS IS A REALLY INCRE, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE ARE TAKING ON RIGHT NOW. COMING OFF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. THERE ARE ALMOST ONE IN FOUR RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT ONE THAT ARE HOUSING COST BURDENED. AND SO IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET THE EXTENDED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THEM BECAUSE DOUBLING, THAT'S $150 IN SAVING APPROXIMATELY FOR THE AVERAGE COST OF HOME. BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. LIKE THE MAYOR SAID EARLIER WITH THE RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGED SESSION, WE ARE THE FIRST PERSON THAT A HOMEOWNER WILL REACH OUT TO OR A RESIDENT WILL REACH OUT TO WHEN THEY NEED SUPPORT. SO WHILE WE ONLY MANAGE 20% OF THEIR TOTAL TAX BILL, IT IS ON US TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY AT THE STATE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING MORE FOR RESIDENTS TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR HOMES. 'CAUSE WE KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A COMMUNITY, HOUSING STABILITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR A KID'S SUCCESS, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATION. SO IF WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE IN HOMES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC SEGREGATION THAT EXISTS IN THE CITY. SO THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. ACTION. I'M, AND, AND END NOTE TO BEN AND THE TEAM. I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T GET TO BE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEE THAT THE IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE, BUT IT'S GONNA HAVE AN INCREDIBLY MAJOR IMPACT. SO I, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE WORK AND HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO MORE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COR. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BEN AND ERIC AND THE TEAM FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON AND WE TALKED ABOUT EXEMPTIONS, UH, AND THE 10%, I WAS LIKE, MY RESIDENTS OWN DON'T OWN $600,000 HOMES. SO HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT THEM AND NOT IMPACT THE PROGRAMS? AND THROUGH YOUR EFFORTS AND, [02:00:01] AND THE CITY STAFF'S HARD WORK, I BECAME A COMPLETE BELIEVER ALL IN, UM, FOR THIS EXEMPTION. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS TODAY. I THINK MY, MY, MY MAIN THING IS WE TALK ABOUT, OH, WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. NO, BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT NEEDS TO START LISTENING TO WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING AND, AND ASKING. WE HAVE, WE ARE DOING OUR 20%, WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN. WE NEED, WE NEED OTHER TAXING ENTITIES TO COME INVOLVED. THIS ISN'T JUST A, I'M DONE WITH BEING THE POLITE, OH, WELL WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS. NO, WE ARE AT A MOMENT WHERE BEXAR COUNTY UNIVERSITY HEALTH, SAN ANTONIO RIVER, UH, AUTHORITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED TO PAY ATTENTION AND TAKE OUR LEAD, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS PROMISED BY THEN. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN PERRY, IS THAT IF WE SET THE EXAMPLE, THEY WOULD FOLLOW. SO NOW IT'S TIME TO DEMAND THAT THEY FOLLOW AND ASK THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO TO DEMAND THAT THEY FOLLOW. UM, WE, I WANNA THANK, UH, TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR ALBERT ESA FOR CONSTANTLY BEING OUT THERE, EVEN THOUGH HE JUST COLLECTS THE TAXES. HE'S THERE TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE PROGRAMS. I WANNA THANK N H S D FOR, UH, THE COMMUNICATION THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE RESIDENTS. BUT THE ONE THING I'M RUNNING INTO AS I GO IN IS WE HAVE THESE PROGRAMS UNDER ONE ROOF, UM, MINOR HOME REHAB, A FULL HOME REHAB NOW, AND RESIDENTS ARE TELLING ME THAT'S GREAT, BUT THEN MY PROPERTY VALUES GO UP AND I'M HA AND, AND I'M, I'M STUCK IN THAT CYCLE OF DEBT AND I'M BURDENED AS, UH, COUNCILMAN CORE MENTIONED. SO WE NEED TO START DEMANDING THAT THOSE THAT WORK ALONG THE CITY AND AND COLLECT FROM THE TAXES ARE DOING THEIR PORTION TOO. SO I'M PROUD OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TODAY THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE, AND, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S TIME TO REALLY ASK WHAT WE NEED FROM, FROM THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON. COUNCIL MEMBER ELAS. THANKS, MAYOR. UM, THE, THE WHOLE SUBJECT OF, OF TAX RELEASE, THAT RELIEF HAS BEEN DISCUSSED SINCE, UH, TIME IMMEMORIAL. UM, AND THE, AND THERE REALLY CAN'T BE MUCH MORE THAT'S, THAT CAN BE SAID TO EXPAND UPON IT. UM, THERE REALLY IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN IN THIS INSTANCE. BUT I, I AM REMINDED, UH, BY LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT SOMETHING I READ RECENTLY THAT SAID, UM, THAT FOR ALL INCENTIVES THAT CAN URGE A PERSON TO INDUSTRY AND ECONOMY, THERE IS NONE STRONGER THAN THE DESIRE TO CLEAR HIS LAND FROM DEBT. AND THE PROBLEM TOO MANY SAN ANTONIANS FACE IS THAT EVEN AFTER THEY'VE WORKED THEIR ENTIRE LIVES AND FINALLY PAID OFF THEIR MORTGAGE, THIS OPPRESSIVE TAX BURDEN FACES THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. AND THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY RENTING THEIR HOMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT RIGHT UNDER THREAT OF SEIZURE, UH, IF THEY DON'T CONTINUE TO RENT THEIR HOME FROM THE GOVERNMENT. AND, AND IT FORCES THEM INTO THIS CRUEL HOBBESIAN CHOICE, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND, AND JUST TO ILLUSTRATE HOW BAD A POLICY THIS IS AND, AND HOW, HOW JUST INEQUITABLE IT IS TO PEOPLE BY WAY OF TAXATION, YOU ARE FORCING PEOPLE TO MAKE THE CHOICE A REALLY CRUEL CHOICE OF HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PROVIDING THEIR FAMILY A HOME, UM, OR DENYING THEIR KIDS ALL OF THE POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION OR DENYING THEMSELVES EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE SOMETIMES AND LIFESAVING MEDICINES. PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE, RIGHT? BETWEEN PAYING THEIR TAXES OR PAYING THEIR, THEIR MEDICINE, UM, DENYING THEMSELVES SOMETIMES EVEN ADEQUATE NUTRITION. UM, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE HEARTBREAKING THAN A PARENT HAVING TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES FOR THEIR KIDS OR SOMEONE HAVING TO MAKE THEIR CHOICES THAT KIND OF CHOICE FOR THEIR ELDERLY PARENTS. AND SO, UM, FOR THOSE REASONS, THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING, UH, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO TODAY. UM, BUT COUNCILMAN, UH, MCGEE RODRIGUEZ IS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT. UM, THERE, THERE IS GONNA COME A TIME WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN OURSELVES AND I, I HOPE THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE COLLECTIVE COURAGE TO, TO FACE THOSE CHALLENGES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BLA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HOD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AS AND MENTIONED HERE TODAY, TAX RELIEF IS ON, [02:05:01] IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO RESIDENTS. IT'S DEFINITELY TOP, UH, TOP OF THEIR LIST. UH, TOP FEW ON THEIR LIST, UH, WAS WE KNOCKED ON DOORS AND TALK WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS JUST IN OUR DAILY ROLES. UM, OF COURSE, THAT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER. OUR TAXING STRUCTURE IS, IS SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED. WE'RE 20% OF THE HOMEOWNER'S TAX BILL. THE, UH, OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR APPRAISALS EVERY YEAR. AND, UM, AND, AND, UM, FIGHTING THOSE. UM, AND WE NEED TO ADVOCATE, FRANKLY, MORE ROBUSTLY AT THE APPRAISAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT FOR, UM, FOR, UH, COLLABORATION SO THAT WE CAN ALL COLLECTIVELY HELP OUR RESIDENTS. THAT SAID, THE CITY CAN ONLY GO SO FAR IN REDUCING THE TAX BURDEN. I REMEMBER, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO, UM, CLAYTON PERRY CAME TO MY LAW OFFICE AND SAT DOWN AND THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA HAVE THIS REALLY DIFFICULT TIME CONVINCING ME TO, UH, RELIEVE THE TAX BURDEN ON OUR, ON OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND, UM, HE FOUND NO OPPOSITION. AND THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT. THEN TODAY, WE, WE MAX OUT. AND, UH, I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, THE BEST WE CAN DO. IT'S CLEARLY NOT ENOUGH FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE CAN DO. AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, AGAIN, ADVOCATING MORE STRONGLY, THIS IS WELCOME RELIEF. I UNDERSTAND. UH, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S AGAIN, JUST PART OF IT. SO I THINK FROM HERE, WHAT WHAT CONCERNS ME IS, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE CONCERNS I SHARE WHAT'S BEEN SAID TODAY, WE ALSO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT EVEN INSURANCE PRICES ARE PRICING OUR, OUR, UM, PEOPLE OUTTA THEIR HOMES ONCE THEY'RE PAID ALL OF THE, THEY'RE NOT JUST THEIR PROPERTY TAX, BUT INSURANCE. AND SO WHEN WE CAN LOWER THE BURDEN A LITTLE BIT, I, I HOPE ANYWAY, THAT THAT MONEY CAN BE REALLOCATED TOWARDS OTHER COSTS THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM LOSING HOMES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL WORRIED ABOUT. WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES. SO, UM, OR NOT BEING ABLE TO GET INTO THEM BECAUSE OF, OF OUR, OF THIS ISSUE. SO, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO, UM, SUPPORTING THIS. BUT, UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, DOWN THE ROAD OF ADVOCATING MUCH MORE STRONGLY FOR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS ON THIS BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAB VARDA. UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SORRY, I HAD PLUGGED INTO THE WRONG ITEM, UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THANK, I KNOW SABRE WAS HERE EARLIER, AND SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UM, OUR LEGISLATORS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING, UH, FORTH THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE AND, UM, MASS APPRAISALS PROCESS, ET CETERA, RIGHT? SO I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW. UM, BUT I DID WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK, UM, SOME OF THE ENTITIES THAT HAVE HELPED WITH SOME TAX RELIEF. AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I KNOW COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND I, TWO YEARS AGO, UM, VOLUNTEERED TO GO TALK TO THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO SEE IF WE CAN ENCOURAGE THEM ALSO TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. UM, BEAR COUNTY MAXED OUT THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION LAST YEAR AT 20%. SO KUDOS TO THE COUNTY FOR DOING THAT. AND THEN IT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE COUNTY'S LEAD THEN, IN THIS CASE. UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THEM FOR DOING THAT. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY'RE AT 5%, AND SPECIFICALLY THE EFFORTS OF, UH, COMMISSIONER GRANT MOODY, WHO IS ACTUALLY TRYING TO PUSH THEM TO INCREASE IT FURTHER, BUT THEY'RE BEING CAUTIOUS. AND SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I'M GRATEFULLY THANKFUL, UH, FOR THAT. UM, 5% SO FAR, HOSPITAL DISTRICT GO WORK ON, ON GETTING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER MAYBE. UM, AND THEN ALAMO COLLEGES, WE KNOW THEY HAD 1%, UM, OR I THINK A MINIMUM OF $5,000. SO I THINK THAT OUR COLLEAGUES THAT ARE MAKING DECISIONS LIKE WE ARE AT OUR LEVEL, UM, AT THE ELECTED OFFICIAL LEVELS, WE'RE ALL TRYING, WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR LITTLE BIT AND PIECE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO PROVIDE THAT. AND I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO GO UNNOTICED. I DIDN'T WANT THEIR EFFORTS TO GO UNBANKED OR UNACKNOWLEDGED. AND SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO PLUG IN AND SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, ALSO, I REPRESENT THE COUNCIL ON THE BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND I WELCOME MY COLLEAGUES TO COME IN AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS. THERE'S VERY LIMITED, LIMITED THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. THE MAIN THING IS TO HIRE A CHIEF APPRAISER. WE KNOW THAT OUR APPRAIS, UH, OUR CHIEF APPRAISER IS RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO WE ARE IN THE SEARCH PROCESS. WE GOT AN UPDATE LAST WEEK. UM, WE HAVE, UH, CANDIDATES WHO HAVE APPLIED. WE ARE DOWN TO A SHORT LIST. WE'LL BE MEETING AGAIN, UH, IN THE SUMMER TO GO OVER THOSE CANDIDATES. BUT, UM, AGAIN, ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP, UH, EASE YOUR MIND AS FAR AS YOUR REPRESENTATION ON THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, BEN. UH, I TELL ERIC WALSH ALL THE TIME, AND IF BEN BEN GELLE PRESENTS, I LIKE, HAVE NO QUESTIONS USUALLY, LIKE HE, HE'S VERY, VERY THOROUGH. SO, THANK YOU. UM, UM, I DID, I DID NOTICE ONE THING IN YOUR PRESENTATION THOUGH, BEN, THERE WAS A REQUEST BY COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN WHITE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND IT WAS LIKE TO ADD A SEPARATE COLUMN ON THE, THE TOTAL SAVINGS. I DIDN'T [02:10:01] SEE THAT, BUT MAYBE IT WAS IN THE BACKUP. UM, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD SEND THAT TO ME OFFLINE. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ALSO THANK, UM, CITY STAFF AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT'S, IT'S EASY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, TAX SAVINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CITY OF A MILLION AND A HALF PEOPLE, AND IT'S A LOT HARDER TO TALK ABOUT THE SERVICE DELIVERY ASPECT OF OUR JOBS WHEN WE HAVE LIMITED MEANS TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES. SO WE'VE HAD A VERY SOBER CONVERSATION OVER THESE, UH, LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO BALANCE THOSE TWO THINGS, KNOWING THAT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT, THERE'S SOME FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS IN THE CITY, NAMELY, UH, SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUITY. SO A LOT OF THOSE AREAS NEED DOUBLED INVESTMENTS, IF NOT MORE. AND SO, WEIGHING ALL THOSE THINGS OUT, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, HAVING TO PROVIDE SOME MEANINGFUL RELIEF IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE ONE FIFTH OF A PROPERTY OWNER'S TAX BILL, WHILE THEY EXPERIENCE 99% OF THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE TO DO THESE THINGS IN A VERY, UH, CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT. SO, AGAIN, TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE PUSHED US ALONG IN THAT CONVERSATION, MY THANKS, UH, BUT MY THANKS TO THE COLLECTIVE, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR, OUR CITY STAFF, UH, ESPECIALLY OUR BUDGET OFFICES, UH, FOR, UH, NAVIGATING THAT, UH, IN PROVIDING US GOOD ANALYSIS TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. SO, WITH THAT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. AND FINALLY, ITEM NUMBER SIX. ITEM NUMBER SIX IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING TWO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT, ESTABLISHING A COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER THE NORTH SOUTH ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR PROJECT, AND TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT FUNDS FROM THE CITY TO VIA FOR ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION AND ENHANCED MOBILITY PURPOSES. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, ROD, YOU'RE GONNA START US OFF. I'M GONNA START OFF, THAT'S RIGHT. ALRIGHT. MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT, UH, THIS ITEM TO YOU. UH, THIS ITEM CONTAINS TWO ILAS, THE FIRST DISCUSSES, UH, VIAS AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS PROJECT LAYS OUT THAT VIA IS THE SPONSOR. THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING THE PROJECT, AND, AND WE, THE CITY ARE THEIR PARTNERS. UH, WE'RE HERE TO REVIEW THE DESIGNS, AND WE'RE HERE TO EXPEDITE, UH, ANY PERMITS THAT THEY NEED FROM OUR, ANY RIGHT OF WAY PERMITS THAT THEY NEED. UM, THIS PROJECT BEGAN IN, IN 2021 WHEN, UH, THIS BECAME PART OF THE, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION'S CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM. UH, THE CITY OF, UH, STAFF AND VIA STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS I L A SINCE LAST SUMMER. UH, I'VE HAD COUNTLESS MEETINGS, UH, WITH VIA TO, TO DRAFT AND TO REFINE, UH, THE ILAS BEFORE YOU TODAY. UH, WE WORK REAL HARD WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, VEDA ON, UH, ON THESE ILAS. WE'VE HAD FIVE, UH, PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, UH, COMMITTEE. UH, LAST ONE WAS ON TUESDAY, AND THAT COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE, THAT WE BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION TODAY. SO, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOHN GARY HERRERA TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS IN MORE DETAIL. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AND KIND OF KEEPING WITH THE THEME OF SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WEARING THE SPURS JERSEYS. UH, IT IS INDEED AN EXCITING DAY. IT'S AN EXCITING DAY, AN EXCITING STEP FOR, VIA AN EXCITING DAY, AN EXCITING STEP FOR YOUR CITIZENS THAT TAKE OUR SERVICE ON, ON A DAILY BASIS OR ON A NOT DAILY BASIS. BUT THE INVESTMENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AT VIA THESE ILAS ARE, ARE PART OF THAT. UH, BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THE ILAS, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE AND BRING UP TO THE PODIUM. UM, WE'RE BEING LED THROUGH THESE PROJECTS AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS OF, OF A VERY DYNAMIC AND EXCITING BOARD OF TRUSTEES. AND THAT BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS LED BY OUR CHAIRMAN, UH, FERNANDO REYES. A FERNANDO IS GONNA COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS, GOLD SPURS, GO . THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON BEHALF OF VIA AND MYSELF, UH, AS WELL AS SECRETARY MALONE, WHO'S SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME, UH, SHE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ME AND, AND IN THE BOARD AS WELL AS VIA AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT, UH, YOUR PARTNERSHIP HAS CONTINUED. AND THIS IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY, BECAUSE [02:15:01] THIS IS ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN TO US. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS TYPE OF MONEY, MONEY HAS COME TO SAN ANTONIO, AND WE NEED IT FOR RAPID TRANSIT. UH, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR, ON YOUR REELECTION. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. AND TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING, WELCOME TO THE NEW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING DISTRICT SEVEN COUNCIL, WILLIAM MARINA, GARAVITO, WHO WAS PART OF THE V BOARD WHO HELPED GET THIS TO THIS POINT TODAY. I JUST WANNA TELL YOU, MARINA, WHEN I FIRST GOT OUT, THE BOARD, MARINA WAS SO HELPFUL TO ME. SHE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON THE BOARD BEFORE. SHE KNEW SO MUCH MORE THAN I DID, AND SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND WILLING TO SUPPORT ME IN THE THINGS THAT WE DID. SO, I CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR, ON YOUR VICTORY AND BEING IN YOUR SEAT. NOW, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT FOR OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE. UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, VIDAR FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS TOGETHER. WE'VE TALKED AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, ALWAYS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WANT TO GIVE OUR CITIZENS THE BEST TRANSPORTATION THEY CAN HAVE IN THE, IN THE LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. AND, AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON OTHER, OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO, UH, ON THE EAST, WEST LINE, UH, THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING. UH, SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO AND A LOT OF HARD WORK, BUT THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT NEED OUR SERVICE. AND AGAIN, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T NEED OUR SERVICE, THAT ARE GOING TO THE SPURS GAME, AND THEY WANT TO DRIVE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM. SO, UH, IT'S BEEN BEEN, IT'S BEEN A GREAT PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO SERVE, TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY THIS WAY, BUT WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT ALL OF YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, OUR PARTNERSHIP HAS TAKEN US ON A LONG JOURNEY TOGETHER. WE CAN GO THE DISTANCE AND DELIVER THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THE SAN ANTONIO DESERVES. AND REMEMBER, IT'S SO EASY TO TAKE THE BUS. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AND, AND, AND AGAIN, OUR, UH, ALSO LED BY OUR C E O, JEFF ARN, WHO, UH, ABSOLUTELY SENDS HIS REGRETS. HE HAD A PRE-PLANNED, UH, CRITICAL, UH, TRIP THAT HE HAD TODAY. BUT, UH, HE ABSOLUTELY SENSES HIS REGARDS AND IS, IS IS HERE WITH HIS, UH, WITH HIS THOUGHTS. SO, TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS LIKE THIS, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FIRSTS. AS YOU HEARD FROM OUR CHAIRMAN. A FIRST OF, OF OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GROUP ARE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY HAS BEEN, UH, APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $158 MILLION INITIALLY. SO $158 MILLION. SO WE COULD SAY WE'RE, WE'RE HERE, WE HAVE $158 MILLION OF WHY WE'RE IN FRONT OF HERE TODAY. UH, BUT, BUT THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE FIRST HERE IS ALSO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED FOR THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS. IN PARTICULAR, WHAT WE'RE GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH TODAY ARE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR AN ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT, UH, SYSTEM THAT WE ARE STARTING WITH WHAT WE CALL OUR GREEN LINE, UH, ALSO THE NORTH SOUTH LINE THAT YOU MAY HAVE, HAVE HEARD US REFER TO BEFORE. UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FUNDING OF THAT PART WITH A SECOND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE CALLING THE A T D TWO AGREEMENT, UH, TO WALK US THROUGH THAT TECHNICAL I L A AS WE REFER TO IT. THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IS MY COLLEAGUE CAMMY HORN, WHO IS, UH, LEADING OUR EFFORTS WITH THE PROJECT AND PLANNING OF THIS ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM IN LINE. AND CAMIE WILL COME UP AND TALK TO US, UH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU, JOHN, GARY, AND GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY. AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT PRIOR TO COMING TO, TO VIA IN SAN ANTONIO, I, I WORKED ON TRANSIT, MASS TRANSIT PROJECTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND I CAN CONFIDENTLY STAND HERE AND SAY TODAY THAT THIS IS THE MOST COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE PROCESS IN GETTING OUR FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHED THAT I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF. SO IT'S SO EXCITING TO BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT IT TODAY, AND I THINK WE CAN BRING UP THE PRESENTATION. OKAY, GREAT. SO I WILL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THE TECHNICAL PART OF THE, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. AND THIS REALLY JUST ESTABLISHES, UH, THE FRAMEWORK AND GROUNDWORK FOR US AS MOVING FOR FORWARD WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP. IT ESTABLISHES OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITH VIA AS, UH, THE PROJECT SPONSOR. AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT, FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AND THE OPERATION OF THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT. AND THE CITY, IT IS THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY. SO, UH, [02:20:01] WORKING WITH, WITH THE CITY, UH, TO, UH, AS NOT ONLY THE OWNER OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THE BENEFICIARY OF ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE GONNA COME FROM THIS RAPID TRANSIT IN SAN ANTONIO. SO THE FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHES MANY THINGS, INCLUDING OUR DESIGN, TIME REVIEWS, PERMITTING PROCESS, UM, AND OTHER ASPECTS THAT WE WILL BUILD UPON AS WE ADVANCE THE ENGINEERING, UH, FROM WHERE IT IS AT ABOUT 30% NOW THROUGH THE FINAL DESIGN. SO SOME OF THE PROJECT DETAILS HERE ARE SHOWN, UM, AND AS JOHN GARY MENTIONED, THIS IS, WE ARE NOW CALLING THIS THE GREEN LINE. UH, SO THE GREEN LINE ALSO PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE NORTH SOUTH CORRIDOR FROM THE CONSTRUCTION LIMITS, GO FROM 2 81 TO STEVE'S AVENUE, UM, OR, UH, THE AIRPORT DOWN TO AROUND THE BLUE STAR COMPLEX WITH OUR SERVICE CONNECTIONS CONNECTING TO STONE, OAK PARK AND RIDE, AND THEN ALSO DOWN TO THE BROOKS TRANSIT CENTER. SO THE LENGTH IS ALMOST 12 MILES WITH 26 NEW STATIONS. WE, UH, WITH THOSE STATIONS, UH, THOSE ARE STATION AREAS. AND THEN WITHIN THOSE AREAS, WHETHER IT IT IS IN THE CENTER RUNNING OR, UM, A SIDE RUNNING, UH, THERE ARE 41 ACTUAL PLATFORMS AND TWO LOCAL STOPS, 17 VEHICLES, THE LOW NO EMISSION VEHICLES. AND THEN OUR FREQUENCY IS GOING TO BE 10 MINUTES ON THE WEEKDAYS AND 15 MINUTES ON THE WEEKENDS. SO THAT, THAT VASTLY IMPROVES, UM, THE FREQUENCY, WHICH ALSO MAKES IT A MUCH EASIER SERVICE TO, TO, TO, TO RIDE. YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT A BUS SCHEDULE, YOU JUST KNOW THAT THE NEXT BUS IS GONNA COME ALONG IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE MISSED ONE. AND THEN, UM, THE TRANSIT LANE. SO WE HAVE CENTER RUNNING, SO THOSE WILL HAVE PLATFORMS IN THE CENTER OF THE MEDIAN. WE ALSO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED BUSINESS ACCESS AND TRANSIT LANES. THAT IS, THOSE ARE THE LANES, UM, THAT ARE ALONG THE CURBS WHERE IT IS BUS ONLY, BUT VEHICLES CAN ALSO ACCESS BUS BUSINESSES OR MAKE, UH, RIGHT TURNS. AND THEN THERE IS A COUPLE OF MILES OF JUST REGULAR MIXED TRAFFIC WHERE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, UH, MAKE ANY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. THIS CHART HERE SHOWS THE KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND THOSE KEY RESPONSIBILITIES ARE WHAT IT, WHAT ARE, UH, LISTED AND DISCUSSED IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. SO IN SUMMARY, UH, VIA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REALLY EVERYTHING RELATED TO PUTTING THE PROJECT TOGETHER. WE ARE THE PROJECT SPONSOR, UM, ALL OF THE FUNDING ACQUISITION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND ALL THE PROCESSES THAT GO PROCESSES GO IN THAT GO INTO PLACE, INCLUDING THAT LAST ITEM UNDER VIA, WHICH IS THE PROJECT COMMUNICATION. UH, WE SUPPORT VISION ZERO, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING MAINTENANCE AND, UM, OPERATION OF THAT TRANSIT SERVICE. AND THEN ON THE CITY SIDE, IT IS LARGELY, UM, A SUPPORT AND COORDINATION ROLE, INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION OF OUR PROJECT LIAISONS, CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THE MAINTENANCE ON THE AREAS ALONG THE CORRIDOR THAT ARE THE NON-TRANS TRANSIT ELEMENTS. SO VERY MUCH IT, IT, IT IS AS IT IS TODAY. AND THEN THERE IS SOMETHING ON THERE THAT SAYS, RECOGNIZING THE F D A SATISFACTORY CONTINUING CONTROL REQUIREMENTS. THAT MEANS THAT, THAT THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, UH, WE HAVE ASKED FOR A 60% MATCH OF FUNDING ON THIS, UH, PROJECT. AND SO IN ORDER TO GAIN THE FEDERAL SHARE OF THAT, THEY HA THEY HAVE TO BE CONFIDENT THAT THE PROJECT WILL STAY AS A TRANSIT PROJECT IN THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY, BUT ABLE TO FUNCTION AS THEY FUNDED IT FOR AT LEAST 60. THAT INFORMATION IS ALSO PROVIDED IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. UH, THE CITY WOULD ALSO ACCEPT THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY THAT NEEDS TO BE ACQUIRED, UH, FOR THE PROJECT. UM, MOST OF THAT IS OCCURRING AT THE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, INTEGRATION OF TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY, AND WE'VE ALREADY HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY ON OUR PRIMO LINES DOING JUST THAT. AND THEN SUPPORT ON THE, UH, ON THE INFORMATION SHARING AND THAT THAT WILL GO, UH, FROM NOW THROUGH CONSTRUCTION AND BEYOND ON THE PROJECT. AND THEN FUTURE AGREEMENTS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON, UM, ARE THOSE RELATED TO SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT I JUST DISCUSSED, INCLUDING TRANSIT, SIGNAL, PRIORITY, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS POLICIES FOR LANE AND FAIR ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN ALSO, UH, POTENTIAL BETTERMENTS THAT MIGHT BE REQUESTED, UH, ALONG THE PROJECT. AND WHAT ARE BETTERMENTS? WELL, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ADDED TO THE PROJECT. I ALWAYS USE, LIKE ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE AND AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE ASKED FOR, FOR THE PROJECT THAT IS ACTUALLY NOT REQUIRED FOR THE FUNCTIONING [02:25:01] OF THE PROJECT. SO, UM, SO BETTERMENTS AND THEN A UTILITY AGREEMENT'S, VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, OUR FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION. AND I WILL SAY WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROJECT NOW, UM, AS WE GO INTO SCHEDULING, BUT WE, UH, ARE MOVING INTO REQUESTING OF THE FEDERAL TRANSIT, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS CALLED ENTRY INTO ENGINEERING. AND THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT FOR THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY IS THAT AT THAT TIME POINT WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, THAT FEDERAL SHARE AND THAT LOCAL SHARE IS SET. SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHED WHEN WE SET THOSE, UM, SET THAT FUNDING REALLY MILESTONE. SO OUR TIMELINE, UM, WE, WE, UH, STARTED, UH, THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, UH, COMMITTEE BACK IN DECEMBER, AND WE'VE MOVED ALONG, UH, AND WE ARE NOW HERE IN JUNE, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY TO, TO DISCUSS THAT. AND THEN WE WILL MOVE ON FROM THERE WITH THE ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS. AND WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT BACK TO JOHN GARY. THANK YOU. SO, AS, AS WE, UH, MOVE THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION NOW, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE FUNDING PIECE OF THIS PRESENTATION. THE FUNDING I L A, THE WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION TWO INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IT KICKS OFF, UH, THIS MOMENT KICKED OFF FOR US IN NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020 WHEN, UH, WE PROPOSED THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WHICH IS MADE UP OF, OF VIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UH, UH, ASKED A, A, A BALLOT QUESTION OR, UH, PLACED A, A, A BALLOT QUESTION IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT THAT PASSED BY OVERWHELMING MAJORITY, I'LL SAY 68%, UH, VOTED FOR THAT. WE PARTICULARLY WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THIS GRAPHIC THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE IS THE YELLOW PORTION OF SAN ANTONIO IS WHERE THE SUPPORT FOR THIS INITIATIVE WAS AT LEAST AT 50% OR MORE SO REALLY WIDESPREAD AND, UH, AND, UH, VERY MUCH ALL OVER, UH, TOWN, REGARDLESS OF, OF COUNCIL DISTRICT OR, OR EVEN DEMOGRAPHICS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF THAT INITIATIVE. SO THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION BOARD CALLED FOR THIS ELECTION. THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION BOARD IS ALSO, UM, ONLY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF CITY SAN ANTONIO. SO IT IS THE CITY LIMITS, IT'S THE CITY. CONSTITUENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WOULD BE VOTING FOR THAT INITIATIVE WHEN IT WAS APPROVED. THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION BOARD BY STATE STATUTE, I'M SORRY, THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT DOLLARS BY STATE STATUTE IS SPLIT. SO WHAT WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE CITIZENS WAS A ONE EIGHTH CENT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY GENERATING $49 MILLION A YEAR. UH, THAT ONE EIGHTH CENT WHEN IT'S GONNA COME OVER TO THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT IN JANUARY OF 2026, MORE THAN LIKELY IT'LL EVEN BE ABOVE 49 MILLION A YEAR, STATUTORILY, THAT IS SPLIT. UH, BUT STATE LAW ALSO ALLOWS FOR THAT SPLIT TO REMAIN INTACT OR TO BRING THAT SPLIT BACK TOGETHER AS THIS GRAPHIC IS TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE, UH, THAT YOU DO SO WITH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH THE PARTNERS AND CITY SAN ANTONIO, ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL PARTNER FOR THIS. UM, AND WE'RE HERE WITH THIS I L A THAT ADDRESSES KEEPING THOSE DOLLARS TOGETHER IN FOCUS FOR THE KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WAS THE PLAN PRESENTED TO THE VOTERS. WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED, UH, A SIMILAR INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT FROM THE COUNTY. AND OF COURSE, THAT THIRD ROW THERE IS THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT, AND THAT IS, OF COURSE, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT ACTUALLY HAD A WORK SESSION YESTERDAY, AND THEY ALSO APPROVED TO TAKE THIS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT NEXT TUESDAY. SO THAT VOTE IS SHORTCOMING AS WELL. SO, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT AGAIN, IS, IS THE CITY CONCURS IN ACCORDANCE WITH NOVEMBER, 2020 PUBLIC VOTE THAT THE A T D WILL MAINTAIN AND UTILIZE ALL A T D FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSES OF DELIVERING THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UH, MOBILITY OPTIONS. UH, WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE HERE THAT THERE'S, WE KEEP CALLING THIS THE A T D TWO. THERE'S AN A T D ONE THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY RECEIVING. THIS IS UNIMPACTED OR NOT IMPACTED, UH, BY THIS INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT THAT ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT FUND, I BELIEVE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE VOTERS IN 2005, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN ON THAT DATE. UH, BUT THAT IS CURRENTLY, UM, AN AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING FROM THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. I BELIEVE IT'S INCLUDED IN, IN, UH, YOUR PUBLIC WORKS BUDGETS, UH, FOR, UH, TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE EMPHASIZING THAT THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. UH, 2004, THERE IT IS. IT'S ON THE SCREEN. 2004 [02:30:01] A T D SALES TAX, UH, COLLECTION OR DISTRIBUTION. AGAIN, WE'RE HERE WITH THE COORDINATION GETTING THIS, UH, APPROVED IDEALLY. AND, UH, OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UH, ALSO HAVING APPROVAL NEXT TUESDAY, I BELIEVE THIS ENDS IT. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. AND, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER SIX. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM SIX. MOTION. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX. WE'LL GO INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. WE'LL BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR, OF COURSE, FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO CREATING THESE AGREEMENTS, UH, IN THIS PARTNERSHIP. THE INCREASE OF TRANSPORTATION IS VITAL FOR SAN ANTONIO TO CONTINUE TO GROW, TO BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY. THANKS, UH, TO ROD KATT, ALL YOUR TEAM. UM, JOHN, GARY, TOM, CHAIR REYES, UH, MY GOOD FRIEND, TRUSTEE MALONE. UM, AS, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WELL, LEMME TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT Y'ALL CAME TO, YOU MENTIONED ROD, Y'ALL CAME TO TRANSPORTATION FIVE TIMES, IT FELT LIKE 50 TIMES, BUT , BUT NOBODY CAN, AT LEAST ON TRANSPORTATION, CAN SAY WE DIDN'T GET BRIEFED. UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT EFFORT, THAT ENERGY, IT WAS NEEDED. AND, UM, SO AS, AS, AS WE WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE A R T VISION TO BECOME A PALPABLE REALITY. THE INCREASE OF SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION IS VITAL. AS SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO GROW, TO BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN UNDERSTATE THE IMPACT THE A R T WILL HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY AT RAPID MASS TRANSIT. AND AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THESE, THESE, THIS OPTION IS IN NO WAY A LUXURY. I THINK AT SOME POINT PEOPLE THINK THAT WE'RE, WE WANT THIS, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A NEED. IT'S A NECESSITY. VIA CONTINUES TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE TOWARDS PROGRESS. AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THAT. I ENVISION A DAY WHEN THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND AS I PLAYFULLY CALL IT, WE WEST EAST, NOT EAST WEST, UH, A R T STRETCHES OUT TO ALL CORNERS OF OUR CITY AND TRANSFORMS IT MILE BY MILE. ONE MORE THANKS TO FERNANDO, UH, FOR PUTTING THE VIA SONG IN MY HEAD THAT'S GONNA BE THERE ALL DAY, . UM, AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY, AGAIN, SUPPORT THIS, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT, IT CHANGES OUR CITY FOR THE BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KIO. HDA, EXCUSE ME. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE RECEIVED MORE BRIEFINGS ON THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT PRO TRANSIT PROJECT OR THE AIRPORT EXPANSION, AND I WOULD, UH, I'D NEVER PRETEND TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT, BUT MAYBE THIS HAS BEEN AGAIN, THIS IS EXCITING AND IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE CONSISTENTLY RECEIVING UPDATES AND MAKING MOVES VERY, VERY QUICKLY, UH, IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR ME. I WILL ONCE AGAIN REITERATE SUPPORT FOR THE NORTH SOUTH, SOUTH CORRIDOR CORRIDOR. GOODNESS, WHILE EMPHASIZING MY EXCITEMENT AND MILD SENSE OF ANGST WAITING FOR, UH, THE EAST WEST CORRIDOR TO BE A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION. UM, I DO WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO COUNCILMAN CAB HDA AS CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE. I THINK BETWEEN THIS PROJECT, THE AIRPORT EXPANSION AND HER ROLE ON PUBLIC SAFETY OVER TOPICS LIKE FIRE, POLICE AND MORE, THAT IS A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY. UH, I HOPE YOU, I HOPE YOU LOOK AT THIS WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE. AND MAYOR, I KNOW THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S, UH, VERY EXCITING AND IMPORTANT FOR YOU. SO KNOW IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEING HANDLED WITH CARE. UM, FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHO AREN'T ON THE TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UH, THE CHAIR, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, AND I, UH, WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM ON TUESDAY, I THINK. AND A LARGE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION HAS BEEN ABOUT THE PROCESS TO MAKE THE NORTH SOUTH CORRIDOR, UH, SUCCESSFUL. WHAT KIND OF BARRIERS HAVE POPPED UP AND HOW, UH, HOW THE TEAM HAS NAVIGATED AND HOW THEY'VE USED THE LESSONS TO BETTER PREPARE FOR THE EAST WEST CORRIDOR. UM, AND IT'S BEEN VERY HEARTENING, UH, TO HEAR THE LEVEL OF COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION THAT'S TAKEN PLACE IN THE SENSE OF EAGER PREPAREDNESS, UH, FOR THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. AND AGAIN, THE START OF THE EAST WEST, UH, ONE OF MY HOPES IS THAT WE DO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT AND THE SENSE OF PRIDE WE FEEL FOR IT IS THEN COMMUNICATED AND TRANSFERRED TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT. AND TO ME, THIS MEANS THAT WE PREPARE EVERY STOP FOR, UH, USE DURING THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE YEAR, UH, BY PROVIDING SHELTER AND COOLING TECHNOLOGY TO COMPLIMENT THE INCREASED FREQUENCY THAT WILL MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR RIDERS. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE CURRENTLY BARRIERS TO, TO RIDERSHIP. AND, UH, I HOPE THAT THIS IS A PROJECT WHERE WE WILL DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS, UH, AND PAVE THE WAY FOR, UH, VIAS FUTURE SUCCESS. AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WE LOOK BACK ON THIS INVESTMENT, [02:35:01] THERE IS A VERY REAL, UH, POSSIBILITY THAT WE'LL CONSIDER IT A CATALYST FOR SOMETHING BIG. AND WHAT THAT BIG THING IS, IS, IS UP TO US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CORE. SO REALLY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT TODAY. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT WITH MEN JURY A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I ASKED TO REMAIN IN ONE QUESTIONS BECAUSE A MENTOR OF MINE, UH, JUDGE WOLF WAS A BIG PROPONENT OF IT FOR MASS TRANSIT FOR OUR CITY. AND SO IT'S, IT'S EXCITING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THE HEART OF DISTRICT ONE, CONNECTING THE AIRPORT ALL THE WAY THROUGH DOWNTOWN. SO ONE, WE KNOW THAT ALMOST 15% OF WORKERS IN DISTRICT ONE RELY ON CARPOOL OR PUBLIC TRANSIT. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IS TRANSPORTATION. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO PROVIDE THAT FREQUENCY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. I KNOW I PUSHED ON WHY ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT AND OTHER, AND NOT OTHER MODES OF SYSTEMS. AND WHAT, WHAT I COMMEND YOU ALL AT VF FOR DOING IS BUILDING A TEAM THAT HAS A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERTISE AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PUT A, A PRO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS THROUGHOUT THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT AND THE CITY. UM, SO LAST BUT NOT LEAST AS IF YOU'VE KNOWN IN A DISTRICT ONE, CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN A, A BIG CHALLENGE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY DONE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SHARE WHAT CONSTRUCTION WILL HAPPEN AND WHAT FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAVE IN TAKING THAT INPUT. SO IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT WORK, BUT AS WE GO INTO THE CONSTRUCTION, WE'LL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MITIGATING ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT BUSINESSES WILL BE HAVING, MAKING SURE THERE'S ENOUGH FINANCIAL, UM, INCENTIVES OR SUPPORT THERE FOR THOSE BUSINESSES. AND, AND ALSO MOST IMPORTANTLY, DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS SO THEY KNOW WHAT ROUTES ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY WHEN WE'RE GOING TO OVER COMMUNICATE. AND I KNOW WE'LL DO THAT TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU TO MAYOR RON BERG AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HDA FOR LEADING THIS WORK. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE'LL GET TO WORK AT ALL. THE KINKS ARE NORTH-SOUTH, SO THAT WHEN YOU GET TO EAST WEST, YOU'LL BE GOOD TO GO. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CORE COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JOHN, GARY, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER MAYBE ONE OF THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH ENDS OF THE VIA, UH, PARK AND RIDE IN STONE OAK AND, AND THE BROOKS LOCATION. WHAT WILL BE THE CONNECTION FREQUENCIES SINCE THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE ACTUAL A R T? SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, A CONNECTION FREQUENCY, EVERY THIRD BUS, UH, COMING THROUGH. IS IT 20 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES EVERY, EVERY 20 MINUTES FROM BEYOND THE A R T SYSTEM? JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO I KNOW WE, WE HAVE A MAP THAT, THAT, UH, PARTICULARLY COUNCILWOMAN HAVE AT OUR LOVES. AND I I SAY THAT JOKINGLY THAT WE HAVE DOTTED LINES, THESE DOTTED LINES THAT GO BEYOND THE A R T SYSTEM. THOSE WOULD BE A 20 MINUTE FREQUENCY. WELL, I, I WANT TO BE SURE. DOES THAT MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEBODY GETS, UH, PARKS AT STONE OAK EVERY 20 MINUTES, THERE'D BE A, A RIDE TO WHERE THEY WOULD THEN CONNECT TO THE A R T LINE? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO THE OTHER END, IT WOULD BE EVERY 20 MINUTES THEY'D BE ABLE TO CATCH A BUS FROM THAT'S CORRECT. STEVE'S TO BROOKS. OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT. UM, AND JUST, UH, JUST TO ADD, UH, COUNCILMAN, THERE'S ALSO AN EXPRESS BUS THAT'S ALSO SEPARATE THAN THIS, THAT IS CURRENTLY RUNNING ALONG, UH, FROM STONE OAK TO THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN TO BROOKS. SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT SYSTEM THAT'S ALSO IN PLACE. OKAY. UH, THAT WOULD ALSO COMPLIMENT, UH, THE, UH, THE EFFORTS TO GO . WELL, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA ASK IF THERE WAS LIKE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT ONE, BUT THERE'LL BE MORE OR LESS PARALLEL DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT YES SIR. OKAY. YES, SIR. UM, NOW ALONG THE, THE GREEN LINE ITSELF, UM, WHAT WILL BE THE PROJECTED TIME FROM WHEN YOU GET ON TO WHEN YOU GET OFF? LET'S SEE, JUST RIDING THE A R T, NOT INCLUDING THE CONNECTIONS ON EITHER END. YOU KNOW, IT, I, I HAVE, I, I TAKE A LOT OF THE DATA. MY TEAM TAKES A LOT OF THE DATA AND WE TRANSLATE THIS, UH, UM, INTO, UH, A PERCENTAGE OF TIME SAVINGS. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS WHAT IS THE TIME SAVINGS FOR THE, FOR THE RIDERS. IF I'M, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, COUNCILMAN IS WHAT DOES IT TAKE THEM TODAY TO GET TO ONE POINT TO THE OTHER AND THEN IN THE FUTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE? AND WE'RE TALKING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 TO 50% SAVINGS IN THEIR TIME THAT THEY ARE GONNA EXPERIENCE. AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, AMOUNT OF SAVINGS BECAUSE IT ALSO, UH, PROVIDES EXPANSION OF, OF JOB ACCESSIBILITY THAT ONE CAN NOW COVER IN THAT, IN THAT LESS OR EVEN SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, EVEN, UH, EMPLOYERS ARE GONNA [02:40:01] BE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES NOW THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ATTRACT MORE EMPLOYEES WHO AREN'T GONNA HAVE TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME ON THE SYSTEM. 'CAUSE THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE HEAR FROM THE, FROM THOSE THAT ARE TAKING OUR SYSTEM, IS THEY WANT REDUCED TRAVEL TIME. UM, AND THEY WANT THAT, WHICH STARTS WITH FREQUENCY. AND HAVING THOSE TWO PIECES TOGETHER IN THIS A R T SYSTEM, IT'LL BE THE FREQUENCY AND REDUCING THE TRAVEL TIME IS ALSO THAT DEDICATED LANE. THE ABILITY TO, TO FLOW THROUGH TRAFFIC IS GONNA BE A BIG PIECE OF THAT TOO. WELL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MAYBE A BROAD ASSUMPTION THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA RIDE ON IT WHEN IT FIRST STARTS ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN RIDING THE BUS. YEP. SURE. AND SO WHAT THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE ME TO GET FROM A TO B? YEP. AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE EXPECTED TIME FROM WHEN YOU GET ON AT NORTH STAR MALL TO WHEN YOU GET OFF AT THE STEVE'S LOCATION? UH, BECAUSE HOW MANY STOPS ARE THERE ALONG THE WAY? 26? WELL, THERE, SO THE BUS WILL ACTUALLY STOP 26 TIMES ALONG THE WAY IF, IF THERE ARE FOLKS AT THAT PLATFORM. THAT'S CORRECT. IF THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THAT PLATFORM, AND THEN THE TIME IS MADE UP. WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE NUMBER OF STATIONS, BUT NOT THE NUMBER OF STOPS. SURE, SURE. SO, SO THE PROJECTED TIME FROM, FROM END TO END IS APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. OKAY. AND THE, AND THERE ARE, UH, THE 26 STOPS THAT ARE SPACED ABOUT, UH, APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF A MILE APART. SO THEN WE'RE ESTIMATING WITH STOPS AT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE. IT'S A 45 MINUTE TRIP FOR, FOR THAT'S, THAT'S END TO END. SO FROM, FROM FROM STEVE'S TO THE AIRPORT. OKAY. MM-HMM. . AND IT'S, AND IT'S AN ESTIMATION. AND THEN THAT WE HAVE 10 MINUTE FREQUENCY DURING THE WEEKDAYS AND 15 ON THE, THE WEEKENDS, SO. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS HOW MANY BRANCH ROUTES ARE PROJECTED OFF THE GREEN LINE? IF YOU'RE GONNA STOP 26 PLACES, ARE THERE 26 DIFFERENT BUSES GOING EAST, WEST FROM THAT? OR ARE THERE A DOZEN ROUTES THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GO EAST WEST OFF OF THAT ROUTE? SO, SO, SO WE HAVE A, A APPROXIMATELY 33 ROUTES THAT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR CONNECTS TO. OKAY. OKAY. 33. WELL THAT'S GOOD. YEAH. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY, SURE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER GTO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WELL IT'S SO NICE TO SEE MY VIA FAMILY AGAIN AND YES, TO SEE OUR BOARD VIA BOARD'S CHAIR, FERNANDO REYES. I DID SERVE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP AND IT'S BEEN AWESOME TO SEE THE PROGRESS VIA HAS MADE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP AND THE VIA TEAM. YOU KNOW, JOHN, GARY, BONNIE CAMMY, MANGER, RACHEL, JOSH ELOY, AND TOM AND ALSO FELLOW BOARD MEMBER, UH, MALONE HERE. THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL'S WORK ON THIS TODAY. AND THANK YOU ALSO TOO TO ROD AND KATT ON THEIR WORK. UM, YOU KNOW, JUDGE WOLF, WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO THE VIA BOARD, JUDGE WOLF PUSHED THE, THE BOARD, UM, AND ME TO THINK OF INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE COULD SOLVE THIS LONGSTANDING, UM, TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. AND VIA HAS DONE JUST THAT WITH VIA LINK AND NOW WITH ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT. SO IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE, UH, THIS PROGRESS GOING ALONG. I MEAN, I KNOW THE, THE CRITICAL ROLE VIA PLAYS IN CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO JOBS IN CONNECTING 'EM TO GO TO GET THE GROCERIES IN CONNECTING THEM TO GET THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS. AND SO I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE, UH, WHAT WE WAS TALKED ABOUT AT WHEN I WAS A BOARD MEMBER TALKED ABOUT TODAY, AND TO SEE IT PUSHED ALONG. UM, AND ALSO TOO, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. I THINK YOUR YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ABOUT THE TIME SAVINGS AND THIS IS GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT TIME SAVINGS. 'CAUSE WHEN YOU TALK TO RESIDENTS, I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE TAKING AN HOUR TO GET HOME FROM THEIR JOB APPOINTMENTS. AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, ANY RELIEF THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO THEM IS, IS VALUABLE FOR SO MANY RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY, UH, CONNECTING TO AND FROM THEIR JOBS. I DO WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN VEO HDA FOR, FOR YOUR WORK AND, UH, IN SUPPORTING, IN SUPPORTING THIS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES GOING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GATO. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I WANNA START OFF BY, BY THANKING MY PREDECESSOR, COUNCILMAN RAY ALDANA, UH, WHO WAS REALLY THE CHAMPION FOR GETTING PUBLIC TRANSIT, UM, FUNDS ALLOCATED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I THINK HE STARTED TALKING AT IT ABOUT, ABOUT IT BACK IN 20 15, 20 16. I KNOW HE WAS RIDING THE BUS LIKE EVERYWHERE TO ALL THESE MEETINGS. I WOULD SEE HIM POST PICTURES ON BIKES. I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL FOR HIM FOR DOING WHAT I CALLED AN ETHNOGRAPHY STUDY. RIGHT. AND TALKING TO THE PEOPLE AND LISTENING TO THEM AND SEEING WHAT THEY NEEDED FIRSTHAND. SO, UM, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT. UH, UH, HE, HE MERITS A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, RECOGNITION AND THEN ALSO TO THE MAYOR FOR CONTINUING IT AND FOR CHAMPIONING THAT AFTER THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM [02:45:01] IS FACED OUT, THAT VIA GETS THAT MUCH NEEDED, UH, TR FUNDING. SO, UM, SO THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN, UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UH, WANT TO SAY THAT MR. REYES, YOU'RE LIKE THE PERFECT PERSON FOR THIS ROLE, SO I'M JUST SO, SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ANY WAY YOU COULD BRING BUSTER BACK, YOU KNOW, THE BUS. YEAH. SO THANK YOU. SO . UM, BUT THEN, UM, ALSO, UM, I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN BRIEFED, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES ON IT, BUT I DIDN'T, I I WAS EXPECTING THIS IS A HIGH PROFILE ITEM TO ME, SO I'M NOT SURE LIKE HOW WE DECIDE WHAT ITEMS GONNA BE SESSION AND WHICH DON'T. UM, AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DO, DO MY NEW COLLEAGUES HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION? RIGHT. AND SO, UM, SO CAN YOU HELP ME MAYBE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS FOR B SESSIONS ON THIS TYPE OF ITEM, ERIC? WELL, UM, THERE'S NO, UM, SCIENTIFIC FORMULA. UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT PART OF THIS, UM, I KNOW THIS ITEM HAS GONE TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE A NUMBER OF TIMES. YEAH. PART OF THIS ALSO WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ACTION WAS TAKEN BEFORE THE JULY BREAK, BECAUSE AS VIAS IN THEIR PRESENTATION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING WORK RIGHT NOW WITH THE F T A AND THE I L A AND THE INDICATION THAT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO THE FUNDING FROM AT D TWO WAS KEY TO THOSE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS. SO, BUT FOR THAT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT, UH, UH, B SESSION POTENTIALLY IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER, BUT TIMING WAS, UH, WAS IMPORTANT FROM, FROM VIAS, UH, PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. AND THEN WHAT CITY PLANS DOES THIS ENHANCE OR IMPACT? SO LIKE, I'M TALKING LIKE SA TOMORROW SHIP. UM, I NOTICED THAT THE SHIP WAS REFERENCED A FEW TIMES IN YOUR APPLICATION, BUT THEN I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON THE I L A REGARDING THE SHIP, UM, OR SA TOMORROW OR ANYTHING. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDER UNDERSTAND, LIKE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF INPUT WENT INTO THAT AND WHAT MADE IT INTO THE I L A, WHAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE I L A GOOD, A GOOD MORNING COUNCILWOMAN, UM, TWO, UH, MAJOR PLANS THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED, INCLUDING THE STATE TOMORROW PLAN, AS WELL AS OUR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY THAT WAS ADOPTED AT AROUND THE SAME TIME. BUT, UM, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK TO IT, PLAN THESE ROUTES AND ADVANCE THESE ROUTES, WE LOOK AT A LOT OF OUR OTHER PLANS. THEY MAY NOT BE SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE I L A, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THOSE AND WE INCORPORATE THOSE AS WE, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR BIKE NETWORK PLAN. WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE TWO ROUTES. WONDERFUL. WHAT ABOUT THE SHIP? YES. SO, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VIA, THERE IS, UM, THE I L A DOES TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSING. OKAY. AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, THE SHIP PLAN, THE SHIP POLICY IS ALSO INCORPORATED AS WE LOOK AT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THESE ROUTES TOO. OKAY. GOOD. I SAW SOME OF, IN THE KEY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T LIST ALL OF THEM, RIGHT. BUT IN THE KEY RESPONSIBILITIES, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT HOUSING. AND SO THAT, THAT GIVES ME CAUSE FOR, UM, FOR, FOR PAUSE, RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, THE CITY AND, AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION AT ONE O'CLOCK, A SPECIAL SESSION TODAY. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS ONE OF THE TOP, UM, ITEMS ON OUR LIST. AND CON WE KNOW THAT YOUR CONNECTIVITY, UM, ACCESS TO JOBS, ET CETERA, IS ALSO CRITICAL. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS INCLUDED. YES. SO AS, UH, KAMI HAD, UH, TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THERE ARE FUTURE AGREEMENTS THAT THE CITY'S GOING TO BE WORKING ON. GOOD. OKAY. U D C AMENDMENTS, HOUSING, AS WELL AS, UH, ADDITIONAL MORE TECHNICAL AGREEMENTS. SO THOSE WILL BE, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSED IN BROAD COUNSEL. SO THAT, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED, AND AGAIN, I, I WAS THINKING WE, WE FILED UNDER ONE OF THE THREE, UM, APPLICATION PROCESSES THAT SAID HOUSING SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT WAS IN REFERENCE. I WAS JUST WORRIED, BUT, OKAY. THANK YOU. SORRY, BRAD, GO AHEAD. I'M JUST GONNA ADD ONE QUICK THING. UH, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING WITH VS M U D C ITEMS TO ALSO LOOK AT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO LOVE IT. LOOK AT ADDING MORE DENSITY ALONG THE ROUTE. SO THERE'S STILL MORE TO COME. OKAY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEN I WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, THANK DR. LORRAINE PLI RAMIREZ, WHO I DON'T SEE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. UM, BUT HER AND JOSH BAUS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JOSH. UM, WORKED ON A REALLY NICE MAP AND IT WAS TO TRY TO GET, UM, FOLKS WHO MIGHT NEED TRANSPORTATION AFTER THE HOSPITAL CLOSURE, UM, EASIER ACCESS TO ROUTES AND, UM, ACCESSIBILITY. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL WORKING ON THAT SO FAST. UM, I AM TRYING TO SEE IF I COULD GET YOU ALL TO, UM, MAYBE COME TO A FUTURE COMMITTEE AND JUST PRESENT THE, THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ALL DID AND CONTINUE TO THINK TO THINK OF ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, UM, IN OUR AREA TO SUPPORT THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. I APPRECIATE IT. AND, UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PALS. THANK YOU. UH, I'M, I'M, [02:50:01] I'M GONNA DO THE SAME THING. UH, NELSON WOLFMAN MENTIONED TWICE TODAY, AND SO THE, WE SEEM TO NEVER BE ABLE TO GET RID OF THE GUY. POOR GUY NEEDS TO , HE WANTS TO RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET, BUT HE CAN'T, UH, ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO, RIGHT, BONNIE NELSON APPOINTED ME TO THE VIA BOARD, UH, ALMOST. YEAH. UH, AND BACK THEN, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS GINO RAMOS, GERALD LEE, MARY ZENIO, UM, WAS IT LOU MILLER AND, UH, HENRY MUNOZ. RIGHT? UM, AND, AND STEVE ALLISON WAS A, WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD BACK THEN. AND ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BBR, UH, A R T. WE CALLED IT B R T BACK THEN. RIGHT? UM, AND IT SEEMED BACK THEN LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS WORTH REACHING FOR KNOWING FULL WELL THAT IT WOULD TAKE DECADES RIGHT? BEFORE WE GOT TO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ROLL OUT. AND I'M, I'M JUST DELIGHTED THAT WE'RE HERE, RIGHT? UH, AND BONNIE, I THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE OF THE TEAM WHO'S STILL THERE. UH, RIGHT? UH, YEAH. BUT, BUT BONNIE, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT, THINK ABOUT LIKE EVERYTHING WE'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH TO, TO GET TO THIS POINT IN THE NUMBER OF BOARDS THAT HAVE PUSHED THIS FORWARD TO GET TO, UM, FINALLY MAKING THIS A REALITY FOR PEOPLE. THIS IS, THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL. AND EQUALLY A BIG DEAL IS THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT A CHAIRMAN NOW, UM, WHO IT'S, IT'S NO SECRET. FERNANDO, I I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A MENTOR OF MINE AND, UH, I THINK THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST THE RIGHT PERSON TO BE ABLE TO QUARTERBACK THIS, UH, AND MOVE THIS BALL FORWARD, UH, FOR, AND, AND YOU DESERVE EVERY ACCOLADE OUT THERE FOR, FOR REALLY, UH, KEEPING VIA FOCUSED ON SOMETHING THIS, THIS, UH, THIS CONSEQUENTIAL. AND SO, UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, FERNANDO AND I GOT TO WORK AT, UM, TOYOTA FOR MANY YEARS. AND THE ONE THING THAT WAS BEAT INTO US, AND NOW IT'S JUST PART OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR D N A IS THIS WORD KAIZEN, RIGHT? AND EVERYBODY KNOWS IT. IT'S, IT'S, WHAT IS IT? INCREMENTAL CHANGE OR INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS ON A DAILY BASIS, RIGHT? AND EVERYBODY THINKS THAT IT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ANALYZE SOMETHING TO DEATH, YOU MAKE THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT, AND THEN YOU MEASURE IT, AND THEN YOU RINSE, WASH, REPEAT, RIGHT? BUT, BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE. UH, WHAT, THERE'S A FOURTH PART TO THAT, WHICH IS YOU INNOVATE, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU'VE, YOU, WE FINALLY HAVE, UH, PROVEN TO PEOPLE WITH THIS AND PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER FOREVER AND EVER, THAT THIS IS A MAJOR INNOVATION WORTH CELEBRATING. UM, SO I'M PROUD OF YOU GUYS. THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY A BIG DEAL. UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT 20 YEARS AGO, MAOS, UH, THE, THE CONVERSATIONS WERE ALWAYS ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US, RIGHT? AND HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO USED THE VIA SERVICES, RIGHT? SO IT WAS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. UM, NUMBER TWO, IT WAS ABOUT, UH, REPUTATION, RIGHT? WE KNEW BACK IN 20 YEARS AGO THAT REPUTATION AT, YOU KNOW, THE VIA HAD A REPUTATION FOR BEING TOO SLOW, UH, NOT RELIABLE. UH, THE BUSES WERE NOT AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR WHAT WE CALLED BACK THEN CHOICE RIDERSHIP, RIGHT? WHICH WAS THE PEOPLE JUST THAT WEREN'T USING THE BUS, RIGHT? UM, I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE TAKEN VERY IMPORTANT STEPS FORWARD IN CURING THAT PROBLEM, THE REPUTATION PROBLEM, RIGHT? UM, I THINK ALSO THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF THE SALES TAX, UH, IS GONNA HELP YOU GET THERE, RIGHT? I, WE ALSO SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON PROTECTING THE BRAND, RIGHT? AND BRAND WAS, WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT. AND I IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE BRAND, LIKE IT WOULD BE AT TOYOTA OR ANDY AT GM OR ANYWHERE ELSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THAT THAT BRAND IS ADMIRED. I, I, I GOTTA TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR SIX YEARS IN THIS CHAIR, UM, AND LOOKING OUT THAT WINDOW SOMETIMES WHEN SPEECHES GET TOO LONG. AND, UH, WE, UM, AND DURING, DURING THE, THE COMMENTS TODAY AND DURING YOUR PRESENTATION, I'VE WATCHED TWO BUSES COME BY AND BOTH OF THEM WERE COVERED IN PERSONAL INJURY ADVERTISEMENTS. SO MY QUESTION FOR SOMEBODY ON THIS BOARD IS SOME JOHN GARY, YOU TELL ME, WILL THESE 17 ARTICULATED VEHICLES ON THE EASTWEST CORRIDOR BE COVERED IN PERSONAL INJURY ADVERTISING? USE? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO. UM, JOHN, GARY, JUST, JUST TO KEEP IT IN BOUNDS, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, UM, ROUTE OF THE A R T NOW THAT'S SURE. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. SO THEN, THEN, THEN LET ME GET AROUND IT A DIFFERENT WAY. NO, THERE'S NO PLANS FOR ADVERTISING ALONG THE GREEN LINE. LEMME GET AROUND IT A DIFFERENT WAY. WHAT WILL THESE THINGS LOOK LIKE? WHERE, 'CAUSE I SAW IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU SAID THERE'S 17 ARTICULATED BUSES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES. WE DO. ARE THEY GONNA LOOK AS BEAUTIFUL AS, AS WE WANT THEM TO? LOOK? WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RENDITION OF THAT. WE'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND YOU COUNCILMAN. UH, IT [02:55:01] IS, IT IS INDEED TRYING TO KEEP IT REALLY EXCITING. MAKE IT LOOK ADVANCED AS WELL. OKAY. MAKE IT LOOK TECHNOLOGY CENTRIC, WHICH IT IS. WHICH BY THE WAY, BECAUSE YOU'LL BE DOING THINGS ON THIS BUS THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING ON OTHER, I SHOULDN'T SAY BUS, BUT ON THIS VEHICLE, THEN ON OTHER VEHICLES SUCH AS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA PAY YOUR FARE ON THIS VEHICLE. YEAH. YOU'RE GONNA BE PAYING YOUR FARE OFF THIS VEHICLE, WALKING IN ON THE VEHICLE JUST LIKE YOU WOULD DO A SUBWAY. AND THEN THAT VEHICLE DOOR'S CLOSED AND IT'S ON ITS WAY. THOSE ARE ALL THESE TIME SAVINGS, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE TO GET YOU THOSE RENDITIONS OF WHAT WE HAVE AS, AS SOMEWHAT ESTABLISHED FOR THE BRAND. BUT, UM, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO LAST TIME, LAST NIGHT, UM, FERNANDO REYES AND, UH, LAURA, I'M, I'M GONNA MISPRONOUNCE HER NAME, CABIA. UM, YEAH, SHE AND I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT NOT JUST THIS ROUTE WAS RELEVANT TO PEOPLE FAST, UM, AFFORDABLE, AND THAT IT DID WHAT WE'RE PROMISING THEM, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROTECT THE BRAND BY, BY MAKING SURE THAT IT'S BEAUTIFUL TOO, RIGHT? AND THAT PEOPLE ARE IMPRESSED WHEN THEY SEE IT. AND SO I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT TODAY, GUYS. AND THEN FERNANDO AND I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PLAN THAT FERNANDO NOW AFTER THIS MEETING WOULD BE THE TIME TO SHARE THE PLAN, UH, WITH YOUR TEAM. BUT, UM, THE, UH, I'M EXCITED AND YOU GOT MY VOTE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIA. COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. VERAN. THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, UH, NORTH SOUTH, UM, CORRIDOR IS NEEDED. AND WHEN YOU BRING A SOUTH SIDE LEGEND LIKE FERNANDO REYES UP TO TALK TO US, HE UNDERSTANDS THE SOUTH SIDE. SO SOME OF MY QUESTIONS AND MY CONCERNS, UH, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE ANSWERED NOW, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING, IS THAT ROOSEVELT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A, A LITTLE, I KNOW IT'S THREE AND FIVE, THAT LITTLE BLOCK THERE, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW IS OUR WORK ON ROOSEVELT GOING TO IMPACT, UH, THIS MOVEMENT ON THE NORTH, THE NORTH SOUTH, UH, CORRIDOR. UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE THE ANSWERS NOW, BUT I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE THAT. UM, INFORMATION IN, IN GENERAL, I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN THAT WE, UH, IN THAT AREA HAVE COORDINATED EXTENSIVELY WITH THE CITY, UM, IN THE ALIGNMENT OF THE BIKE PATH AND THE, UH, BUS RAPID TRANSIT. SO, SO WE ARE IN, UH, IN COORDINATION AND WE, WE'VE WORKED A LOT JUST IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA ON ON THE ALIGNMENT. I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS TO SHOW YOU HERE, BUT WE COULD FOLLOW UP. YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ONE THING THAT I, I WANNA KEEP MONITORING BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T GO WELL INTO DISTRICT THREE, UH, MY, I MEAN, BROOKS TRANSIT CENTER IS IN DISTRICT THREE, AND MY CONCERN IS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT RIDE FROM THE BROOKS TRANSIT CENTER TO THAT FIRST STOP ON ROOSEVELT, THAT GETS THEM ONTO THE, UM, THE, THE CORRIDOR IS, IS A SMOOTH TRANSITION. BECAUSE IF IT'S TOO LONG, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA GRAB A RIDE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. AND THE OTHER THING IS WE LOOK ON ROOSEVELT AND, AND ROD, YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THERE BECAUSE WE WORK WITH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS, IS MAKING SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T IMPACT YOUR TIMES, UH, AS, AS WE BUILD THAT NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR. UM, I THINK, UM, I THINK I, I SHARE, UM, KIND OF MY CONCERNS OR MY INPUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE SHIP AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND ALONG ROOSEVELT AND, AND IN CORRIDORS, UH, WITHIN DISTRICT THREE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, I KNOW RESIDENTS THAT NEED, UH, TO USE, UH, THE, THE BUS TO USE VIA AND MAKE SURE, AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET TO, TO THE GROCERY STORE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE WORKING IN, UM, COMMUNICATING WITH THEM THAT EASIEST PATH, WHETHER IT'S WALKABLE, WHETHER IT HAS A BIKE PATH FOR THEM TO GET TO THE, TO THEIR LAST MILE. AND I KNOW YOU'VE GOT VIA LINK, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO, UM, AND WE'RE USING IT OVER AT TOYOTA, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IF WE SEE AN INCREASE OF, OF PEOPLE COMING FROM SOME OF OUR, UH, APARTMENT, OUR MULTIFAMILY, THAT WE, WE CAN WORK ON HOW WE GET THEM THERE. UH, THE OTHER THING I'M, I'M GONNA LOOK AT, UM, IS THE SHELTER, UH, THE BUS SHELTER IT RIGHT BEFORE WE, AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE RIGHT BEFORE WE HIT THAT, UH, RAPID, RAPID TRANSIT 'CAUSE IT'S, WELL, UM, THERE, THERE IS KIND OF A, A RIDE BETWEEN, UH, BROOKS TRANSIT CENTER AND WHERE THEY GET TO ROOSEVELT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS TODAY. I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE. UM, AND, AND FERNANDO, YOU'LL KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SOUTH SIDE, SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE. BUT I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE AS THE CITY UNDERSTAND [03:00:01] THAT THIS IS THE, THE NORTH SOUTH CORRIDOR. IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE GET, UH, GET IT RIGHT FOR THAT EAST WEST CORRIDOR, BUT WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE THE RIDERS ARE COMING FROM, WHAT STREETS AND WHAT MULTI-FAMILY, AND WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE COMING AND USING THAT RAPID TRANSIT TO GET TO THEIR JOBS, UM, OVER BY STONE OAK. SO I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS. UH, AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE COMING UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE. YEAH, BRIEFLY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE, THE ENTIRE VIA TEAM, UM, FOR THEIR, UH, WORK ON THIS. UH, IT APPEARS TO BE A GREAT PROJECT. AND SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THIS DONE, UH, TO COUNCILWOMAN HDA. UM, IT DOES NOT SURPRISE ME NOW THAT I KNOW YOU A LITTLE BIT, THAT YOU PROVIDED GREAT LEADERSHIP, UM, ON THIS. AND SO, UM, WELL DONE TO YOU AS WELL. UM, WHAT EXCITES ME THE MOST, I GUESS, IS THE, UH, EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER, UH, JOB CONNECTIVITY THAT THIS CAN OFFER. I KNOW IN ALSO TALKING WITH YOU, UM, THAT, UH, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE FOLKS THAT HAVE RIDDEN A BUS BEFORE THAT'S GOING TO USE THESE THINGS, BUT HOPEFULLY MORE FOLKS WILL, UH, WILL USE THE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM, UH, WHICH CAN GET MORE CARS OFF THE ROADS AND, UH, EASE SOME OF THE CONGESTION, UH, THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT SUCCEED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU VIA FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS TO, TO, TO ROD AND MELISSA AND COUNCILMAN HOFF WERE THEIR LEADERSHIP ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. UM, AS MENTIONED, WE RECEIVED A, A LARGE NUMBER, AMOUNT OF BRIEFINGS ON THIS ITEM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE RAISED AROUND THE SHIP, UM, SINCE THIS HAS BEGUN. RIGHT? IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE AS SOMEONE, AGAIN, I ALWAYS EMPHASIZE, I GOT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE TWO YEARS AGO, USED MY BICYCLE AND VIA TO GET TO AND FROM WORK IN SCHOOL, AND IT WASN'T TILL THE RUNOFF OF MY ELECTION THAT I WAS LIKE, MAYBE I SHOULD GET MY DRIVER'S LICENSE . UM, SO, SO THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR THAT. AND, AND I KNOW, UM, THERE ARE MANY OTHER CONSTITUENTS NOT JUST IN DISTRICT FIVE, BUT RELY ON VIA TO GET THEM, UH, TO AND FROM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. AND, UH, VIA IS A VITAL PART OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. UM, SO ONE THING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED RIGHT ABOUT, BUT I ALSO AM NAVIGATING WITH CAUTION, IS THE PRESIDENT THAT THIS SENSE SETS WITH, UH, WESLEY'S . UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS MOVING FORWARD, UH, I, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS RAISED BY MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UH, AND HOW IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UM, EXCLUSIVELY STATED IN THIS I L A, BUT THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. AND I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS, UH, ITEM, UH, WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR EAST WEST, Y'ALL WILL BE COMING BACK FOR US TO HAVE LARGER CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THOSE ILAS. AND, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, RIGHT? MY, MY HESITATION AND MY CONCERN AND CAUTION IS JUST WHEN I LOOK AT THE SCBI PROJECT AND WHAT VIA IS DIRECTING DREAM ON TO EXECUTE IS, IS IN GREAT CONFLICT TO, UM, Y'ALL'S F T A APPLICATION FOR THE EAST WEST, RIGHT? AND HERE Y'ALL STATE THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, THE HOUSING BOND PARAMETERS, AS WELL AS INNOVATIVE MODELS LIKE LAND BANKING AND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED WITH SS O V, IT'S IN COMPLETE CONFLICT WITH THE FEDERAL APPLICATION. SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE MY, MY CAUTION COMES FROM. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE ILAS THAT WILL BE COMING TO TRANSPORTATION REGARDING THE EAST WEST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER SIX? OKAY. VERY BRIEFLY, I'LL JUST, AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, TO THE VIA TEAM AND AS WELL AS OUR CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF. UH, I WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH THE CONVERSATION UP HERE, BY THE WAY. SO EXCITED THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THIS, THIS DONE. UM, THE ACTION TODAY WITH THE I L A IS IN, IS CONSISTENT WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF 2020. SO SHOULDN'T BE ANY CONTROVERSY ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST SAY, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, SOME VERY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, BY THE WAY. AND I WANT TO THANK MY, UM, COUNTERPARTS OVER AT VIA FOR ENTERING THOSE IN GOOD FAITH. AND BRINGING US HERE TODAY HAS NOT BEEN EASY. UH, BUT WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE NOW OF FINALLY BRINGING MASS TRANSIT TO SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS A PARADIGM SHIFT IF THERE HAS EVER BEEN ONE IN SAN ANTONIO. BUT I DO ASK MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? AND I THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC MOBILITY WITH THREE LEGS OF A STOOL. UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING, UH, OBVIOUSLY EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO GOOD QUALITY JOBS THROUGH TRAINING AND SKILLS. THE SECOND ONE, WHICH WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TODAY, HAS BEEN HOUSING AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS IN INTEGRATION OF THIS WHOLE EFFORT. OF COURSE, THE THIRD ONE IS ACTUAL TRANSPORTATION, BEING ABLE TO MOVE AROUND MOBILITY. [03:05:01] AND SO WITH THE ENTREE OF MASS TRANSIT TO SAN ANTONIO, I CAN SAY WITHOUT A DOUBT TO ANYBODY, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING. WE ARE PULLING EVERY LEVER TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY IN OUR CITY. UH, AND WE WERE, WE ARE PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTHS ARE WITH REGARD TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND STANDARD OF LIVING OF ALL PEOPLE IN OUR CITY. SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROCESS. UH, WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT EAST-WEST CORRIDOR DONE, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO. UM, BUT IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR THIS COMMUNITY, IT IS PROFOUND AND I HOPE FOR YEARS TO COME. WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE MOVES THAT WE HAVE MADE COLLECTIVELY TO GET THERE AND, AND NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH HAS BEEN THE ROBUST SUPPORT OF THE VOTING PUBLIC HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED. READY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEPS? UH, WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [City Manager's Report  ] ALL RIGHT, UH, ERIC, DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? JUST, JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S EDIFICATION. WE DO HAVE AN EXEC SESSION, AND I'LL GET TO THE LOGISTICS OF THAT IN JUST A SECOND. AND WE ALSO HAVE A 1:00 PM PROBABLY GIVE OR TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, UH, SPECIAL SESSION AS WELL. SO, ERIC, THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCIL, UH, JUST A COUPLE ITEMS. UH, THE FIRST IS, UM, YESTERDAY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, WAS AWARDED OR HAS BEEN AWARDED BY THE BLOOMBERG, UH, PHIL PHILANTHROPIC, PHILANTHROPIC WHAT WORKS CITIES, UH, STRAT CERTIFICATION, UM, THE GOLD LEVEL FOR EXCEPTIONAL USE OF DATA TO INFORM POLICY DECISIONS. SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MADE ME REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE WERE AWARDED A SILVER RATING. SO WE'VE UPGRADED IN TERMS OF OUR WORK, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW WE UTILIZE DATA AND IN WORKING WITH THE BLOOMBERG FOUNDATION. SO I WANTED TO, UH, SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, AND THANK THE CITY STAFF THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE. CERTAINLY, IT GOES TO THE, THE DAILY USE OF DATA AND HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING, UH, BOTH INTERNALLY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO THE PUBLIC. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM ON THAT FRONT. UH, LAST WEEK, UH, THE, UM, UH, THE F A A ASSOCIATE, UH, ADMINISTRATOR, SHENETTA GRIFFIN WAS HERE, UH, AT COUNCIL. AND, UH, SHE WAS HERE FOR THE AIRPORT MINORITY ADVISORY COUNCIL'S DIVERSITY CONFERENCE, WHICH WAS HELD IN SAN ANTONIO LAST WEEK. UH, THEY HAD OVER 1200, UH, ATTENDEES. THE CONFERENCE IS DESIGNED ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION EFFORTS AROUND THE AVIATION AND AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES. UM, SO IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SAN ANTONIO HAD EVER HOSTED THAT CONFERENCE. UM, IT INCLUDED, UM, ASPECTS OF, OF, UM, OF, OF, UH, CONVERSATIONS THAT OCCURRED AND HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BE ENGAGED IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AND THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, HOW THEY CAN PARTNER WITH THE F A A AND AIRPORTS, UH, AIRPORTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. WERE REP, WERE REPRESENTED. UH, IT INCLUDED. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK PORT SAN ANTONIO FOR HOSTING SOME OF THE EVENTS, UH, WHERE WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO BRING, UH, YOUTH INTO AT PORT SAN ANTONIO TO LEARN ABOUT, UH, AEROSPACE OPPORTUNITIES FROM A CAREER STANDPOINT. UM, HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH FLIGHT SIMULATORS, UH, FLYING DRONES AND CYBERSECURITY MEASURES. UM, WE HAD A COUPLE OF, UM, OUTSTANDING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO REPRESENT THE CITY. UH, LAST WEEK, UM, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, MARIA VILLA GOMEZ RECEIVED THE EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP AWARD, AND I WANNA THANK SEVERAL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE THERE. YEST, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, OUR CHIEF CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE OFFICER KAREN ELLIS, RECEIVED THE AMAC FOUNDATION CHAIR AWARD. UM, KAREN WAS, UH, THE CO-CHAIRWOMAN OF THE CONFERENCE. UM, AND, UM, JESUS, UH, AND HIS TWO DAUGHTERS WON THE GOLF TOURNAMENT, WHICH WAS, WHICH, UM, RAISED THE RECORD BREAK, $130,000, UH, IN FOUNDATION, UH, I'M SORRY, IN STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE AMAC FOUNDATION. SO REALLY A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE AIRPORT TEAM. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK, UM, BUT WELL-REPRESENTED. AND, UH, WE HAD DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN THOSE, IN THOSE, UH, SESSIONS LAST WEEK TO TALK ABOUT OUR OWN TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT, UM, TO THE BENEFIT OF, UM, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN TO GET D B E CERTIFIED AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. SO, GREAT EFFORT, AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO MARIA, JESUS AND, UH, KAREN FOR THE AWARDS THAT THEY WON. ALL RIGHT, AND OUR LAST, UH, OUR LAST ITEM, MAYOR, UH, OUR VIDEO HIGHLIGHT IS, UM, IS, UH, AS AN [03:10:01] EMPLOYEE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND FRANKLY, THIS IS A, UH, TIMELY, UM, VERONICA RODRIGUEZ, UH, WORKS IN OUR, UH, AQUATICS AND CITY POOLS AND, UH, WHICH HAVE BEEN HIGH DEMAND HERE OVER THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF. SO LET'S ROLL THE VIDEO. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MY JOB EVERY DAY, IT'S DIFFERENT, THOUGH. YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. ALL POOLS ARE DIFFERENT. WE MAY GET READY FOR THE DAY THE SAME WAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WE WELCOME OR SAY HELLO AGAIN TO FAMILIAR FACES, BUT IT'S NEVER REALLY THE SAME. I KIND OF GO WHERE I'M NEEDED. I'LL FILL IN FOR LIKE CLASS OR WATER AEROBICS. I'LL FILL IN IF I HAVE TO GUARD HELPING WITH, UH, OUR FOOD PROGRAM WITH SERVICE AND BEING AN AREA SUPERVISOR. SO JUST CHECKING ON, ON THE POOLS AND, AND REALLY JUST BE SUPPORTING THE BEST WAY THAT I CAN TO OUR STAFF. IT'S NICE TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES WHEN I DON'T SEE THEM. IT'S LIKE, HEY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? OR, OR, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, AND THEN THEY'RE BRINGING YOU FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME IN CLASS. SO IT'S JUST REALLY NICE TO START MY DAY WITH, WITH OUR PATRONS THAT ARE, ARE REALLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES AT OUR POOLS. I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO ENJOY ALL MY TIME WORKING FOR AQUATICS. I LOVE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ALL OUR SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, I LIKE WHAT WE STAND FOR, AND I WANNA SHOW UP EVERY DAY. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY VISITED ANY OF OUR POOLS, PLEASE DO SO. IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO COOL OFF IN THE SUMMER. IT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR YOUR KIDS TO COME AND GET A MEAL. AND ALSO A TIME FOR YOU TO MAYBE, UM, JOIN ONE OF OUR CLASSES, OR IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM. SO TO, UM, TO THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I STARTED DOING THIS, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO, UH, WITH OVER 13,000 EMPLOYEES, UM, UH, EMPLOYING ALL KINDS OF PROFESSIONS AND DOING ALL KINDS OF JOBS. UM, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD REMINDER FOR ME TO, TO, TO, TO SEE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY, IN THE DEPARTMENTS. I TRY TO HIGHLIGHT AN EMPLOYEE IN ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, BUT THEIR WORK IS CRITICAL TO THIS ENTIRE TEAM. AND, UM, I, I GENERALLY TRY TO DO THESE VIDEOS AT THE END OF OUR, THEN MY CITY MANAGER'S REPORT AS A, AS A SPECIAL REMINDER. UM, AND IT'S, IT'S, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M NOT DOING MY JOB UNLESS EVERYBODY'S DOING ELSE. EVERYBODY BELOW ME IS DOING, UH, THEIR JOB AND AS, AS, AS AN EFFORT. THIS IS A 13,000 MEMBER TEAM THAT IS WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND HUNDREDS OF LINES OF SERVICE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME FROM A CITY MANAGER STANDPOINT TO, TO APPRECIATE THEIR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS. SO I TRY TO DO THIS AT THE END OF, UH, THE COUNCIL MEETING EVERY WEEK. THANKS, MAYOR. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ERIC. OKAY, WE DO HAVE AN EXEC SESSION AND THERE'S A COUPLE ITEMS, IMPORTANT ONES THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS. SO, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS IS WE ARE GOING TO PROCEED ACROSS THE STREET. THERE HAS BEEN, UH, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PLATED SEATED LUNCH TO WELCOME EVERYBODY. UH, SO NO BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN ACTUALLY GET BACK TO WORK. SO, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GRAB A PLATED LUNCH IN THE BRIEFING ROOM AND THEN WALK ACROSS TO THE PRESIDIO ROOM, WHICH IS OUR NORMAL EXEC SESSION AREA TO HAVE LUNCH WHILE WE HAVE THE EXEC SESSION. UM, SO I'LL, I'LL, UH, EXIT US OUT OUT INTO THAT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR EXEC SESSION. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A 1:00 PM SPECIAL SESSION. MY GUESS IS IT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN TILL PROBABLY ONE 30 OR SO, MAYBE A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT LATER. WE'LL TRY TO DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA WORK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE AND, AND MAKE SURE TO THANK JOHNNY HERNANDEZ FOR THE GREAT LUNCH THAT THEY PREPARED, UH, WHEN YOU GO OVER THERE. SO, [Executive Session At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session in the B Room to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following:  ] UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THE TIME IS 12:20 PM ON THE 22ND DAY OF JUNE, 2023. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 AT THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND DELIBERATE TO DISCUSS AND FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 FOR LEGAL ISSUES THAT ARE VICE RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY. YEAH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THE TIME IS 2:03 PM ON THE 22ND DAY OF JUNE, 2023. UH, CITY COUNCIL HAS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN. OUR A SESSION IS NOW ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.