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WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF FEBRUARY 13, 2019.
>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
[1. Briefing and status update on ConnectSA. [Peter Zanoni, Deputy City Manager; Henry Cisneros, ConnectSA Trichair]]
WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, THE BRIEFING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CITE AND RELEASE AROUND ALSO AN UPDATE AND BRIEFING ON CONNECTSA.I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET US STARTED ON THE CONNECTSA PORTION.
AS WE KNOW OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AROUND FIVE YEARS NOW, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATIONS TO GROWTH INCLUDING THE IMPACTS ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM BEGINNING WITH SA TOMORROW IN A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION DISCUSSION FOR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE BEGAN AN EFFORT TO ASSEMBLE CITIZEN INPUT AND DIRECTION ON TRANSPORTATION REFORM IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WORK TO THOSE ENDS, INCLUDING VIA, METROPOLITAN TRANSIT WHO IS REPRESENTED HERE IN THEIR VIA 2040 PLAN, THE METROPOLITAN REGION WHO HAS WORKED ON TRANSPORTATION FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND OF COURSE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OWL -- ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LAND USE STRATEGIES THAT WAS PART OF SA TOMORROW.
NELSON WOLFF, COUNTY JUDGE AND I SCOOD UP CONNECTSA, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION MEANT TO INTEGRATE ALL THESE EFFORTS AND ULTIMATELY LEAD US TO A CITIZEN-DRIF EP AND VOTER APPROVED MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE.
THE TRICHAIRS, I THINK TWO OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY TO UPDATE US ON CONNECTSA STRATEGIES, AND THAT IS OUR FORMER SECRETARY, HENRY CISNEROS, AS WELL AS JANE MACON IS HERE HOPE ANDRADE I DON'T BELIEVE IS WITH US TODAY.
BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN OVER THE FLOOR TO HENRY AND HE'LL GET US STARTED.
>> MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE COUNCIL UP TO DATE ON THE WORK THAT -- BETWEEN US AND SO FORTH, BUT IT'S MY INTENT TO BE AVAILABLE TO EACH AND EVERY COUNCILMEMBER ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS TO DESCRIBE THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN.
TODAY IS KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE FRAMEWORK AS WE'VE LAID IT OUT WITH THE COOPERATION OF ALL OF THE MOBILITY-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN.
AND TO BEGIN TO LAY OUT A FRAMEWORK THAT DEALS WITH SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN PAVE THE FRAMEWORK GOING FORWARD OF TRANSPORTATION.
TODAY IS LITERALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS IN THE SENSE THAT THIS IS NOT A BAKED PLAN, THIS IS A -- AN EFFORT TO LAY OUT A FRAMEWORK AND THEN TAKE IT TO THE PUBLIC.
I EXPECT THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL HAVE AS MANY AS 100 MEETINGS BY THE TIME WE MEET AND HAVE TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT, EVERY COMMISSIONER'S PRECINCT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AT YOUR GUIDANCE, WITH TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES FOR EVERY POSSIBLE MODE OF PROCESS, THE PLAN MAY NOT [INDISCERNIBLE] TODAY.
THERE WILL BE MANY INPUTS AND THOSE INPUTS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE PLAN.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE WILL DO IN THAT OUR -- AUDIO] --
>> AND ALL THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD TO HELP MAKE SAN ANTONIO A BETTER PLACE.
AND AS WE ALL ARE EXCITED ABOUT NOT BEING IN A CAR ALL DAY LONG AND BEING ABLE TO GET FROM ONE
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POINT TO ANOTHER POINT, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE TO GET A FRAMEWORK THAT REALLY WORKS.THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE STAFF.
>> THANKS, JANE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT WORK.
THE OTHER COCHAIR IS NOT WITH US TODAY, HOPE ANDRADE BUT WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER AS A COCHAIR.
AS YOU KNOW HOPE'S TRANSPORTATION CREDENTIALS ARE VERY DEEP INCLUDING HAVING SERVED AS THE CHAIR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND ALSO SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE STATE WHERE SHE WAS THE PRIMARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR TEXAS AND GOT ACROSS THE STATE AND UNDERSTANDS IT WELL.
AND UNDERSTANDS THE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.
WELL, WITH THAT, LET'S GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, AND I STAND READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO THE PARTICULAR SLIDE WE'RE ON, PLEASE, WITH THE MAYOR'S PERMISSION, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT QUESTION, BUT OTHERWISE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END.
IN A MODERN CITY LIKE SAN ANTONIO, TRANSPORTATION IN ITS MANY FORMS IS MORE ESSENTIAL THAN EVER TO CONNECT THE MOVING PARTS OF OUR DAILY LIVES.
THE FOCUS OF THIS PLAN IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON MOBILITY, NOT INDIVIDUAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT THE MOBILITY NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS.
THIS IS A GRAPHIC THAT DESCRIBES -- THAT COMPARES THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS CONGESTED IN 2010, YOU SEE THEM ON THE MAP ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE IS THE GRAPHIC THAT WOULD TAKE THE SAME MEASURES AND APPLY THEM TO THE SYSTEM FOR 20 40.
YOU SEE THAT WITHOUT MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE EXPECT, NOW A CITY OF MORE THAN 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE AND GROWING BY SOME ESTIMATES, AS MUCH AS A MILLION PEOPLE IN THIS TIME FRAME, THE CONGESTION WILL GET DECIDEDLY MORE SERIOUS.
THAT TRANSLATES INTO ABOUT 166 EXTRA HOURS EACH YEAR, OR SEVEN FULL DAYS SITTING IN TRAFFIC BY 2040.
WE -- IT IS CLEAR THAT JUST BUILDING ADDITIONAL ROADWAYS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.
WE CANNOT JUST BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF CONGESTION.
SO WHAT THIS PLAN DOES IS TRY TO TAKE ON EXISTING MOBILITY PLANS, LIKE THE MOBILITY 2040 PLAN OF THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, THE SA TOMORROW PLAN, WHICH FOCUSES ON A WHOLE RANGE OF INTEGRATION OF TRANSPORTATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER THINGS, AND OTHER, SUCH AS THE VISION PLAN, AND -- AND INTEGRATES THEM INTO A LARGER MOBILITY PLAN OR FRAMEWORK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
IN A MOMENT, I WILL DESCRIBE TO YOU THE MANY ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN.
THE CONNECTSA FRAMEWORK, WHAT IS IT? WELL, IT'S A FORUM FOR TESTING OLD ASSUMPTIONS AND LISTENING FOR NEW IDEAS.
IT IS INTEGRATED, IT IS MULTIMODAL, IT IS INTERACTIVE.
I'VE JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU 100 MEETINGS FORTHCOMING, SO IT IS OUR INTENT TO REALLY GENERATE COMMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
IT IS COST EFFECTIVE IN THE SENSE THAT THIS IS NOT A PLAN THAT REACHES FOR THE SKY AND THINKS OF EVERY POSSIBLE TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION THAT WE COULD NOT AFFORD.
THIS IS A THREADING THE NEEDLE IN TWO RESPECTS: IT THREADS THE NEEDLE IN THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN BUILDING MORE ROADWAYS ALONE OR ADDING OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS THAT DON'T EXIST TODAY, INCLUDING MICROMOBILITY, HEAVY EMPHASIS ON BICYCLES AND SCOOTERS AND WALKABILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, SO IT THREADS THE NEEDLE IN THAT WAY.
IT'S BALANCED, BUT IT ALSO THREADS THE NEEDLE IN THE SENSE THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BUDGET LIMITATIONS.
WE CANNOT JUST THROW EVERY INNOVATION IMAGINABLE AND EXPECT SOMEHOW TO PAY FOR IT.
WE'RE ALREADY TRANSPORTATION THAN MANY OTHER -- TIME ASPIRATIONAL IN THE SENSE THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BUILD A BETTER MOBILITY SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH THE POPULATION THAT'S COMING AND AVOID SERIOUS CONGESTION GOING FORWARD.
SO THIS PLAN LOOKS BEYOND LIGHT RAIL AND TOLL ROADS.
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THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE LIGHT RAIL AND THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE TOLLS.WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE QUESTION PERIOD.
IT 'EM BRAIPSES -- EMBRACES MOBILITY TO INCLUDE EVERY FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, IT WILL MAKE ALL OF OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES MORE SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE IT FOCUSES MORE ON SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS.
WE KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO ALREADY HAS AN OZONE ISSUE AND WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE THAT OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WORSE GOING FORWARD, AND IT'S CENTERED ON THE MOBILITY NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL USERS.
SO IMAGINE A PLAN THAT STARTS WITH THE CONCEPT, WHAT SHOULD YOUR TRIP CONSTITUTE? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR YOU, PERSONALLY, TO DECIDE HOW YOU GET FROM PLACE TO PLACE USING A RANGE OF OPTIONS.
SO MY TRIP CHOICES COULD INCLUDE THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM OR ADVANCE RAPID TRANSIT, OR BETTER BUS NETWORK, OR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, OR THE APPLICATION OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES, OR MICROMOBILITIES, SUCH AS THAT AS I HAVE MENTIONED, BICYCLES AND SCOOTERS.
BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE, AND THE THING IS TO MAKE THEM MORE AVAILABLE, COST EFFECTIVE AND APPLY THE -- THE STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES THEM -- MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO USE THEM IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.
THAT LEADS YOU FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TRIP TO THE COMMUNITY MOBILITY PLAN.
AND IT IS INCLUDES THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE DESCRIBED BEFORE.
THESE ARE THE GOALS, IF YOU WILL.
STARTING AT THE TOP, PROVIDE MORE CHOICES, MANAGE CONGESTION, INCREASE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY, ENHANCE ACCESS, MEANING PUTTING EVERY MODE CLOSER TO MORE SAN ANTONIANS, CONNECTING TO THE JOB CENTERS, INTEGRATING MOBILITY NETWORKS, SO THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO TO SEAMLESSLY FROM ONE MODE TO ANOTHER.
LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, YOU'LL HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT, AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY.
THOSE ARE THE GOALS OF THIS EFFORT.
THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES THAT I WILL EXPAND ON IN A MOMENT ARE THESE: EXPANDING TRANSPORTATION CHOICES, IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION FLOW, AND APPLYING SMART INITIATIVES.
AND ALL OF THESE ARE DONE IN A CONTEXT THAT SPEAKS TO THREE MAJOR PERIODS.
THE FIRST PERIOD IN THIS PLAN IS WHAT WE CAN PRACTICALLY BETWEEN 2019 AND 2025.
THAT'S A SIX-YEAR TIME FRAME, SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING TERMS, IT'S TOMORROW.
SO THIS PLAN STARTS WITH OFFERING THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO A STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES SOME WAYS TO PAY FOR THINGS, BUT IN A MOMENT YOU'LL HEAR THE WORDS 25 FOR 25.
THERE ARE 25 INITIATIVES THAT WE PROPOSE BE PUT IN PLACE BY 2025 IN PHASE 1.
THE SECOND PHASE, OR MIDTERM PHASE, RUNS FROM 2025 TO 2030.
THOSE ARE SAYING THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT FARTHER OUT.
AND THEN THE FINAL PHASE OF THIS PLAN GOES FROM 2030 TO 2040, IN TOTAL, 21 YEARS.
THE LEAST SPECIFIC OF THE PIECES OF THIS FRAMEWORK IS THAT LAST PERIOD BECAUSE WE'RE JUST FAR ENOUGH OUT THERE THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO TELL HOW MUCH STATE MONEY'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE OR HOW MUCH FEDERAL MONEY MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, BUT WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LAY OUT THAT ENTIRE PERIOD.
NOW, THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS, THESE ARE THE PIECES.
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS PLAN IS THE INCLUSION OF WHAT IS CALLED ADVANCE RAPID TRANSIT.
ALSO CALLED BRT, OR BUS RAPID TRANSIT, BUT WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, IT'S A NEW KIND OF BEAST.
AND THAT IS RUBBER-TIRED BUSES WITH MULTIPLE CARS STRUNG TOGETHER RUNNING ON DEDICATED LANES, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN RUN ON TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE TRAFFIC, AND THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY EVEN CONTROL STREETLIGHTS WHEN THEY GET TO STREETLIGHTS.
SO THEY BRING A LEVEL OF PREDICTABILITY THAT IS NOT INHERENT IN BUSES.
IT IS MUCH LIKE WHAT RAIL WOULD BE, BUT AT ONE-THIRD THE COST BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO LAY THE RAIL, WHICH IS 10S OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, PER SQUARE MILE -- I MEAN, PER LINEAR MILE TO PUT IN PLACE RAIL.
SO WHAT SAN ANTONIO IN THE PAST MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT OF DOING WAS LAY A RAIL ROUTE, SAY FROM HERE TO THE MEDICAL CENTER OR HERE TO THE AIRPORT OR SOME OTHER SUCH ROUTE, RIGHT, BUT WHEN YOU SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT, YOU'VE SPENT YOUR MONEY.
UNDER THIS SYSTEM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT DIFFERENT ROUTES THAT CONNECT EMPLOYMENT CENTERS ACROSS THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY.
IMAGINE, CONNECTING PORT SAN ANTONIO. WITH BROOKS CITY BASE TO CREATE NEW MOBILITY POSSIBILITIES ACROSS THE SOUTH
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SIDE OR NORTH, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE ROUTES THAT CALL FOR HERE INITIALLY, WHICH WOULD CONNECT DOWNTOWN TO THE AIRPORT AND BEYOND TO 1604 UP -- AUDIO] -- THESE ALMOST TRAIN- LIKE SYSTEMS, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, THE BUS WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT SOMETIMES THE DEDICATED ROUTES ARE EVEN MORE PROTECTED THAN THIS, WITH A CURB, FOR EXAMPLE.GOOD STATIONS, AND THIS STARTS WITH A ROUTE THAT WOULD RUN, AS I SAID, FROM LOOP 410 ON THE SOUTH TO 1604 ON THE NORTH.
A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM OPERATES IN EXCLUSIVE TRANSIT LANES TO BYPASS TRAFFIC, UTILIZES OFFBOARD FARE COLLECTION SYSTEMS. THAT MEANS YOU'VE HAD A DEVICE THAT YOU'VE PAID BEFORE AND YOU GET ON VERY EFFICIENTLY.
ALLOWS BOARDING AND LIGHTING FROM ALL AVAILABLE DOORS, UTILIZING STATIONS THAT PROVIDE LEVEL BOARDING AND REALTIME INFORMATION.
YOU GET MANY OF THE BENEFITS THAT YOU WOULD WITH RAIL, BUT LITERALLY AT 1/3 THE COST TO ACTUALLY GET IT BUILT.
NOT AN EASY THING TO DO, BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO GET THE DEDICATED LANES BUILT, AND SOME BUSINESSES THAT ONCE HAD PARKING, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT IT'S A MUCH, MUCH BETTER SYSTEM -- AUDIO] -- DECIDED NOT TO DO RAIL COULD BE A BLESSING, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TRAPPED INTO FIXED SYSTEMS. BUT IT'S MUCH EASIER TO BE ADJUST A PARTICULAR ROUTE, RELATIVELY SIMPLY.
MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY, MUCH MORE ADJUSTABLE.
THE NEXT PIECE IS A MUCH BETTER BUS SYSTEM.
VIA'S ON THE JOB AND I NOTICED JUST YESTERDAY THEY ANNOUNCED A NEW ZARZAMORA ROUTE.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THE BUS SYSTEM, BUT WHAT THEY'VE -- WHAT THEY'RE SET TO DO IS GIVE US SOME PARAMETERS THAT SAY X PERCENTAGE OF SAN ANTONIANS WILL BE WHERE THEY LIVE IN THE ENTIRE CITY, BETWEEN THE ART AND A BUTTER BUS -- BETTER BUS ROUTING SYSTEM, THIS IS POSSIBLE UNDER THIS PLAN.
EQUAL MOBILITY LANES ARE PLACES WHERE THIS PLAN CALLS FOR PROTECTED ROUTES FOR BICYCLES AND FOR SCOOTERS, AND IT CALLS FOR 40 MORE MILES, NOT JUST OF WHITE PAINT ON THE STREET, BUT ACTUALLY PROTECTED BARRIERS THAT PROTECT BICYCLE RIDERS FROM AUTOMOBILES AND SO FORTH ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS IS A MOBILITY IN DEMAND ELEMENT OF IT, WHICH WOULD BE CONTRACTS WITH EXISTING SERVICES, LIKE UBER AND LYFT, OR NEW SERVICES, BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO LITERALLY PUT PEOPLE AT THEIR DOORSTEP IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSIT SYSTEM BY BEING ABLE TO TAKE AN UBER AND LYFT DEVICE AND GET TO A TRANSIT STATION THAT HOOKS THEM UP THEN WITH THE ART OR WITH A BUS SYSTEM.
AND YOU SEE THE AREAS AROUND THE CITY WHERE THE NEIGHBORHOODS LEND THEMSELVES TO THAT KIND OF CIRCULATION OF UBER/LYFT MECHANISMS WITHIN THE -- WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SOME CITIES ARE ALWAYS DOING THIS.
EVENTUALLY, MORE WILL BE DONE WITH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE ROADWAYS, PART OF THIS PLAN IS THE CITY ARTERIALS, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE DONE WITH CITY AND COUNTY BOND FUNDS, AND THIS IS THE CITY'S ARTICULATION OF WHAT IS INTENDED IN THE PERIOD OF THIS PLAN OUT TO 2040 IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO ARTERIAL STREETS WITHIN THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND THIS IS TXDOT'S PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE TO HIGHLY VISIBLE CONGESTED AREAS LIKE 1604, FOR EXAMPLE, OR ADDING AN HOV LANE ON I H10 OR IMPROVING THE TRUCK/CAR INTERFACE ON IH-35, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT THIS IS A BLESSING, IF YOU WILL, IN THAT THIS IS MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE STATE.
AND IT IS PROGRAMMED FOR THE METRO AREAS OF TEXAS, AND THE NUMBERS ARE HUGE, AS YOU WILL SEE IN A MINUTE.
AND WE'RE LINED UP TO GET A LOT OF THAT FUNDING.
ALREADY GETTING IT, MORE TO COME.
WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TODAY, BRUCE BUGG IS AN ACTIVE AND CONTRIBUTING CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO, AND HE'S THE AUTHOR FOR THE GOVERNOR OF A PLAN THAT HE CALLS CLEAR LANES, AND IT RECOGNIZES THAT THE BULK OF CONGESTION IN TEXAS TODAY IS IN THE MAJOR METROS OF TEXAS, IN HOUSTON, IN DALLAS, IN FORT WORTH, IN AUSTIN AND IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO PROPOSITION 1 AND PROPOSITION 7 HAVE BEEN PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR BUILDING THE HIGHWAY NETWORK AND SAN ANTONIO WILL GET ITS
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FAIR SHARE.SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS, I KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN TREVINO IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE, RECOGNIZED AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE SIDEWALK SYSTEM, AND THIS PLAN CALLS FOR 200 ADDITIONAL MILES OF SIDEWALKS.
NOW, THE CITY HAS FIVE PRIORITIES FOR SIDEWALKS, AND THEY COME TO 1900 MILES.
BUT THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES OF THE FIVE ARE 200 MILES.
SO THIS PLAN, BY 2025, WOULD ADDRESS THE FIRST AND THE SECOND GROUPINGS AND THE FULL 200 MILES THAT THAT ENTAILS.
LATER, ADDITIONAL SIDEWALKS WOULD BE ADDED.
SO THIS IS A LOOK AT WHAT THE CUMULATIVE MAP LOOKS LIKE OVERLAYING ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I'VE JUST DESCRIBED, THE ART ROUTES, THE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, THE STREET ARTERIALS, THE BIKES AND TRAILS, THE BIKE SYSTEM, THE TRAIL, THE PROTECTED MOBILITY LANES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS POINTS.
THIS IS A SENSE OF WHAT THE OVERALL PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A -- KIND OF A GROSS MAP IN THE SENSE THAT WE CAN'T GET DOWN TO BLOCK LEVEL, BUT THAT IS POSSIBLE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
AND BY THE WAY, WHEN WE GET OUT ON THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'LL BE IN POSITION TO DO THAT.
THIS GRAPHIC JUST SPEAKS TO THE VERY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF HAVING A TRANSPORTATION FRAMEWORK.
IT INTEGRATES WITH THE WORK THAT YOU, THE COUNCIL, HAS BEEN DOING ON THE CLIMATE INITIATIVE BECAUSE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM ONE OF THESE BULLET POINTS, THE SECOND ONE, OVER 90% OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE RELATED TO THE USE OF PRIVATE VEHICLES, AUTOMOBILES AND LIGHT TRUCKS.
SO THIS IS A STRONG EFFORT TO INTEGRATE THIS PLAN WITH OUR CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS, THE 2019 TO 2025 PORTION WOULD SPEAK TO 25 POTENTIAL PROJECTS TO BE INITIATED BY 2025.
THEY BREAK DOWN INTO THESE THREE PIECES OF THE TRIANGLE, AND THEY COME TO A TOTAL OF AUDIO] -- I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM, YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT LET ME JUST MENTION A COUPLE AT THE TOP.
CONSTRUCT THE FIRST PHASES OF THE ADVANCE RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR BY 2025.
CONSTRUCT UP TO 40 MILES OF DEDICATED PROTECTED MICROMOBILITY LANES WITH RIGHT OF WAY FOR BIKES, SCOOTERS AND OTHER MODES.
CREATE NEW SIDEWALK NETWORKS AND CONSTRUCT UP TO 200 MILES OF SIDEWALKS THAT ELIMINATE GAPS BETWEEN THE EXISTING NETWORKS, ET CETERA.
THE COUNTY'S ARTERIAL PLAN, THE CITY'S CONTINUING CHOICES.
THE SECOND GOAL IS PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT SMART INITIATIVES.
SO THINGS LIKE DESIGNING A UNIVERSAL APP ON A MOBILITY DEVICE, MOBILE DEVICE TO PAY FOR ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION FARES.
YOU CAN IMAGINE SOMEONE GETTING ON WITH THEIR MOBILE DEVICE AND SAYING, THE FIRST PIECE OF MY RIDE IS THE UBER/LYFT FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEXT PIECE OF MY RIDE IS TO GET ON THE LOCAL BUS SYSTEM OR TO THE ART SYSTEM, THE NEXT PIECE OF MY RIDE -- AUDIO] -- TO GET ME TO THE JOB PLACE, ALL OF THEM DONE ON THE SAME COMPUTER.
YOU SEE THINGS LIKE THE THIRD BULLET, PROVIDING REALTIME PARKING AVAILABILITY INFORMATION.
THE TECHNOLOGY NOW EXISTS FOR A PERSON RIDING INTO TOWN TO HAVE ON THEIR DEVICE A MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THE OPEN PARKING METERS ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN, INTEGRATING THE PARKING METER SYSTEM AND THE PARKING GARAGE SYSTEM WITH -- WITH THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED THE BALL GREATLY.
THE REASON WE'RE ABLE TO SAY THINGS LIKE WE DON'T NEED RAIL BECAUSE WE CAN DO ART IS BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY OF ART HAS ADVANCED AS MUCH AS IT HAS.
SO TECHNOLOGY'S JUST CHANGING THE WORLD AS WE KNOW, AND IT CERTAINLY APPLIES TO TRANSPORTATION.
AND FINALLY, OF THESE THREE GOALS AND THE LAST OF THE INITIATIVES IS THINGS LIKE COLLECTING TRANSIT FARES OFF VEHICLE TO REDUCE DELAYS WHERE BOARDING, INSTALLING ADDITIONAL FREEWAY DYNAMIC MESSAGING BOARDS TO ENHANCE THE TRIP INFORMATION, PROVIDING REALTIME TRAFFIC OPTIONS BY CONTRACTING WITH SOMEONE LIKE WAYS OR THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ACTUALLY VETTED IN NEW ROADWAYS IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND DOING THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE TRANSIT SIGNAL SYSTEM THAT
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ALLOWS MASS TRANSIT TO PASS THROUGH AND SYNCHRONIZE LIGHTS AND SO FORTH.SO THOSE ARE THE -- THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE FOR THE 25 FOR 25 INITIATIVES.
NOW, THE LAST FEW MINUTES HERE TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY PIECE OF THIS.
IT'S THE HARDEST PIECE OF THE EQUATION, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL THINGS OUT THERE THAT YOU COULD THROW INTO A SMORG GAS BORG CALF TIER AND SAY WE WANT THEM ALL, BUT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
SO GIVEN WHERE WE ARE AND GIVEN WHAT WE WANT, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH? WELL, WE PRESENTLY PAY FOR OUR MOBILITY SYSTEM WITH A GAS TAX, THE FEDERAL GAS TAX AND THE STATE GAS TAX.
THEY RESULT IN FEDERAL AND STATE MONEY.
AND THE SALES TAX, WHICH IS USED BY VIA TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN THE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE THAT THE COUNTY HAS IMPOSED OF SOMETHING LIKE $10 PER VEHICLE -- ALLOWED THINGS LIKE THE BOND FUNDS FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND OTHER EXPENDITURES FROM THE GENERAL FUNDS OF BOTH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, THAT GO TO TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES.
THAT'S THE SOURCES OF MONEY WE HAVE TODAY.
WHAT DOES IT GET US? WELL, IN THE AREA OF -- IF YOU GO ACROSS AND YOU COME TO THOSE ORANGE ARROWS, YOU SEE THE MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR HIGHWAYS IS $1.8 BILLION WITH BY FAR, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF THAT BEING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HIGHWAYS.
THE NEXT PIECE IS CITY AND COUNTY ROADWAYS, YOU GO ACROSS THAT, AND IT COMES TO $1.2 BILLION, AND THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT -- AUDIO] -- THE BOTTOM ARROW IS FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR TRANSIT AND THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT, AGAIN, IS LOCAL FUNDS THAT COME OUT OF OUR SALES TAX SYSTEM.
SO IT'S NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR TRANSIT TODAY -- FOR TRANSPORTATION TODAY, FOR MOBILITY, IT'S $3.2 BILLION.
BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE IN THIS PLAN.
THIS PLAN, THE FIRST PART OF IT, COSTS $1.3 BILLION.
THE 25 FOR 25 ITEMS THAT I DESCRIBED, THE PLAN FROM 2019 TO 2025, IS 1.3 BILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE PRESENTLY DON'T HAVE.
AND THE NEXT PIECE AFTER THAT IS $1.45 BILLION FOR 2025 TO 2030.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CALCULATE THE 2030 TO 2040 PORTION, BUT IT'S A NUMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL OBVIOUSLY ADD ON TO THESE.
THIS IS MONEY WE PRESENTLY DON'T HAVE.
NOW, LET ME MAKE MYSELF CLEAR: THERE ARE OPTIONS.
THESE ARE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS.
THESE ARE NOT HARD CHOICES, NO ONE IS BEING ASKED TO VOTE OR APPROVE ANYTHING.
THESE ARE WHAT COULD CONCEIVABLY BE AVAILABLE IF YOU WANTED TO RAISE THE KIND OF MONEY THAT IS BEING CALLED FOR IN THIS PLAN.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THERE'S 10 THINGS HERE, BUT NOT ALL 10 NEED TO BE DONE.
FIVE OF THEM IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS GET THE MONEY THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS PLAN.
SO LET ME JUST DESCRIBE THEM IN GENERAL TERMS. THERE'S REALLOCATION OF EXISTING SALES TAXES.
WE HAVE -- KEY WORD, REALLOCATION.
THIS IS NOT ADDITIONAL SALES TAXES.
THIS IS REALLOCATION OF EXISTING SALES TAXES TO TRANSPORTATION GOALS.
THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THE TWO LISTED HERE IS THE ONE THAT WOULD USE THE SALES TAX PRESENTLY DEDICATED TO BUYING LAND OVER THE AQUIFER, ALTHOUGH THAT PLAN NOW HAS AN END IN SITE, AND MUCH OF THE LAND THAT IS PRESENTLY BEING BOUGHT IS OUTSIDE BEXAR COUNTY, BUT IT IS A COMMITMENT THAT THIS COMMUNITY'S MADE.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OTHER SOURCES COULD BE FOUND TO FINISH OFF THAT JOB AND THEN THE PUBLIC COULD VOTE, WHEN THE TIME COMES IN 2020, TO REALLOCATE THIS TO TRANSPORTATION.
AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DON'T PERSONALLY RECOMMEND IT.
I -- I'M A VETERAN OF THE WATER FIGHTS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT COME DOWN ONLY ONE WAY, PROTECT THE WATER SUPPLY.
SO I DON'T -- I'M NOT SURE WHERE THIS CAN GO, BUT IT IS AN OPTION.
ALL RIGHT? AND IT REQUIRES WORK.
THE NEXT BULLET IS REDIRECTING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S SHARE OF THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT PURELY TO THE KINDS OF PROJECTS IN THIS -- IN THIS PLAN.
AND THEY'RE PRESENTLY BEING USED FOR THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM AND OTHER THINGS, SO -- BUT IT IS AN OPTION.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A VOTE TO REDIRECT THAT -- THAT FUNDING WHEN THAT EXPIRES.
THE NEXT SOURCE IS GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THE CITY HAS A REGULAR PROGRAM OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ROUGHLY EVERY FIVE YEARS, THANKS TO SHERYL'S LEADERSHIP, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THOSE WITHOUT
[00:30:02]
SALES TAXES -- I MEAN, WITHOUT PROPERTY TAX INCREASES AS YOU KNOW, AND THE NEXT ROUND COMES UP IN 2022.THIS PLAN SAYS 50% OF FUTURE BOND ISSUES SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES.
THAT'S NOT A BIG ASK, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME BOND ISSUES, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU DEFINE THE PROJECTS, WHERE UP TO 70% WERE TRANSPORTATION RELATED.
AND BY THE WAY, WHEN THOSE ARE PUT TO THE PUBLIC, THEY GET MORE VOTES THAN THE OTHER PART OF THE BOND ISSUE.
SO THIS IS NOT A BIG ASK TO SAY WE DEDICATE MORE MONEY TO TRANSPORTATION OUT OF BOTH CITY AND COUNTY BOND ISSUES.
THE COUNTY'S NOT ON QUITE THE SAME TIME FRAME AS THE CITY OF FIVE-YEAR CYCLES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE IN POSITION TO DO BOND ISSUES AS WELL.
THE NEXT ONE, WHAT'S CALLED LEVERAGED FUNDS, IS AVERAGING MORE FEDERAL FUNDS, THAT'S A JOB FOR THE COMMUNITY TO DO, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE SA TO DC, WHICH JUST OCCURRED LAST WEEK, USING PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, LIKE WE DID WITH HIGHWAY 151 WHERE THE LAND WAS GIVEN BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THEN THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT DID THE BUILDING OF THE ROADWAY, OR UTILIZING TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONES, WHICH ARE MUCH LIKE THE TIFS THAT YOU HAVE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND YOU'VE APPROVED, WHICH WOULD SAY THE BENEFITS THAT ACCRUE FROM THIS TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES, BECAUSE THEY ARE A PURE RESULT OF BETTER ACCESS PROVIDED THAT BUSINESS OR THAT -- THAT EMPLOYMENT GENERATOR.
SO THAT'S AN OPTION IN TERMS OF GENERATING SOME FUNDS.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, IS NEW REVENUE SOURCES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY NOW HAS A VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE THAT IS $10 PER VEHICLE.
JUDGE WOLFF AND THE COUNTY ARE BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE IN THIS SESSION ASKING FOR AUTHORITY -- GENERATE A HUGE -- AUDIO] THAT WOULD THEN GO TOWARDS THE NUMBERS IN THIS PLAN.
CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CREATE A TRANSPORTATION USER FEE.
AUSTIN DOES IT, BRYAN DOES IT, CORPUS CHRISTI DOES IT.
AGAIN, NOT A RECOMMENDATION, IT'S SOMETHING YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT, BUT THE QUESTION AT SOME POINT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE THESE IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT THE REVENUE S TO PAY FOR THEM.
RISK BECOMING REALLY TRULY CONGESTED BEFORE WE UNLEASH SOME KIND OF REVENUE PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHOICES THAT ARE HERE, AND, AGAIN, TODAY'S JUST AN OVERVIEW.
I WOULD SAY THAT OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE HUNDRED MEETINGS FORTHCOMING -- IN AUDIO] -- THE FIRST THING WE WILL HEAR IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR AREA, WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR STYLE OF LIFE.
BUT THE THING I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR IS WHAT ARE THEY WILLING TO PAY FOR? WHAT ARE THEY WILLING -- WHAT ARE THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO WILLING TO SAY YES IN ORDER TO GET THAT BENEFIT, THAT REDUCED CONGESTION, THAT LOWER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, THAT INTEGRATION OF MOBILITY SOURCES, THAT APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY, I CONCUR THAT WE OUGHT TO DO ONE OF THESE THINGS OR SEVERAL OF THESE THINGS.
THAT'S GOT TO COME OUT OF THIS PROCESS IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A CONSENSUS TO APPROVE OR PASS ANY OF THOSE.
FINAL COUPLE OF SLIDES, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT'S AHEAD.
THE DRAFT PLAN WAS INTRODUCED, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS.
THE COMMUNITY FORUMS AND WORKSHOPS ARE BEGINNING.
WE'RE HAVING A MEETING NEXT WEEK WITH SOMETHING LIKE 40 PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO HELP US IN THE PRESENTATIONS, SO VOLUNTEERS FROM CONNECTSA TO GO OUT AND BY THE WAY, ANY OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL WHO WANT TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING, WE WANT TO HAVE IT IN YOUR AREA.
AND THIS IS A NONPOLITICAL PROCESS IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S INFORMATION PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S AWKWARD THAT THIS HAS TO PROCEED IN THE TIME THAT A CITY ELECTION IS ONGOING, BUT THERE'S NO DOWNSIDE WHATSOEVER IF YOU WANT TO, AS AN OFFER TO YOUR CITIZENS TO HAVE AN INFORMATIONAL TOWN HALL MEETING ON THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT YOU CHAIR, THAT'S YOUR RIGHT.
YOU'RE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, THIS IS A PUBLIC PROCESS, AND SO WE'RE MAKING THIS AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO USE IT TO INFORM YOUR CITIZENS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
[00:35:01]
COURAGE, HE GAVE ME THE NAMES OF FOUR OR FIVE MAJOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE AN AGGREGATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN HIS DISTRICT THAT HAVE PARTICULAR NEEDS TO LINK UP PARTICULAR ROADS.AND SO THIS PROCESS CAN LEND ITSELF TO THAT, AND LEND ITSELF TO HOW WE INTEGRATE THOSE THINGS INTO THIS PLAN.
SO THAT IS THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING ATTENTIVE, AND I'M -- I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
AND JANE WILL JOIN ME FOR ANY -- ANY PART OF THE QUESTIONS.
LET ME JUST THANK THE CITY STAFF, MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DESIGNATED TO HELP IN THIS.
THE CITY MANAGER, OBVIOUSLY, AND HER OFFICE, BUT KEY PLAYERS LIKE PETER ZANONI AND OTHER MEMBER OF THE CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN EXCEEDINGLY HELPFUL, COUNTY OFFICIALS, VIA, JEFF ART HAS REALLY UNLEASHED THE BEST PEOPLE OVER THERE TO BE IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS GRAPHICS AND SO FORTH.
TXDOT REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, MOBILITY ADVOCATES ALREADY, A LOT OF INPUT INTO THIS.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK -- THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
I THINK THAT WHAT THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY JUDGE ORGANIZED, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THEY HAD THOUGHT THROUGH ALL OF THE ELEMENTS OF IT WHEN THEY SORT OF BREATHED IT INTO LIFE, BUT IT'S TAKEN ON A LIFE AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HENRY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO YOU AND HOPE AND JANE FOR SPENDING ALL THE HOURS THAT WERE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND ALL THE CITIZENS AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUP WHOSE HAVE WEIGHED IN, OUR CITY STAFF AND EVERYONE ELSE.
I THINK TO FIRST SET THE STAGE, WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER THE TRANSPORTATION REALITY THAT WE'RE IN.
OBVIOUSLY, THE GROWTH TRANSIT TY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE FACT THAT CONGESTION CONTINUES TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY, AND WE HAD UPWARDS OF 150 VEHICLES TO AREA ROADS EVERY SINGLE DAY, THE CONGESTION PICTURE IS NOT A GOOD ONE FOR US.
SO WE DO HAVE CHOICES TO MAKE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EMBARKED ON NOW WITH THE NEXT ROUND OF THE PLAN.
YOU SAID THAT VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED THE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAMS. I AGREE WITH THAT.
THE ONLY THING THEY'VE IMPROVED AT HIGHER RATES HAVE BEEN THE PROTECTIONS OF THE AQUIFER.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THAT'S A DEMONSTRATION OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE TO SET WITH THE PUBLIC IN THE NEXT ROUND OF THIS PLAN, AND I EXPECT THAT WE'LL BE HEARING A LOT ON THAT.
IN FACT, I'VE SAID THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD ONLY SO FAR AS WE PROTECT THOSE INITIATIVES, THE AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE LINEAR CREEKWAY SYSTEM WHICH I THINK ARE TWO VITALLY IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR FUTURE, BUT ALSO IN THE CASE OF THE LINEAR CREEKWAY SYSTEM, AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE MOBILITY STRATEGY AS WELL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A CITIZEN-DRIVEN AND VOTER APPROVED, SO WE CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF THESE CHOICES, SOME OF THEM VERY DIFFICULT, ARE GOING TO BE IN THE RIGHT LIGHT TO MAKE US MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY AND PUT US IN GOOD SHAPE WITH THE TRANSPORTATION REFORM PACKAGE THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO MOVE NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN PELAEZ.
>> PELAEZ: MR. CISNEROS, THIS WAS EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HARD WORK AND THANK YOU TO JANE AND TO HOPE.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT THE THREE OF YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE AS TRICHAIRS, I CELEBRATED BECAUSE ALL THREE OF YOU ARE KNOWN QUAWRNTTIES, RIGHT, AND ALL OF YOU ARE CONSIDERED BIG THINKERS AND OPINION LEADERS, AND I CAN'T THINK OF THREE BETTER PEOPLE TO TACKLE SOMETHING THIS COMPLEX, AND SO I KNOW WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS IS VERY THOUGHTFUL AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE SAN ANTONIO'S BEST INTEREST IN MIND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE.
>> IS KNOWN QUANTITIES A SYNONYM FOR ON THE OLDER SIDE.
A REGARD REPORT WROTE NO GOOD PLAN COULD COME FROM ANYBODY OVER 60.
AND THEN THEY SAW THE PLAN AND SAID WE WERE WRONG ABOUT THAT.
>> PELAEZ: I THINK BOB IS OVER 60, ISN'T HE? EVERYBODY LOVES HIS REPORT.
IN A LARGE PART, THIS IS GOING TO BE KIND OF A SALES EFFORT, RIGHT? THE TWO APPROACHES TO SALES ARE TO SELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY NEED OR TO SELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED BUT DON'T NECESSARILY WANT, RIGHT?
[00:40:01]
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, AND THAT'S WHY THE TOWN HALLS ARE SO IMPORTANT.I WILL MENTION TO YOU AND REITERATE WHAT YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT ON THE PHONE RECENTLY, WHICH WAS I WORRY THAT IN A LOT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANS FOR ALL THINGS, HOUSING, INNOVATION AND NOW MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION THAT WE'VE NEVER REALLY DONE AS ROBUST A JOB OF SHOWING THE PUBLIC THE BENCHMARKING EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE.
WE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SHOWING THEM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEAS THAT WE CAME UP WITH AND WHERE IT IS WE WANT TO GO, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, INNOVATION VIS-Ć-VIS TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY KEY, AND WE MAY BE MAKING A MISTAKE IF WE DON'T EMPHASIZE THE BENCHMARKING THAT GOES INTO THAT.
>> PELAEZ: SO, WHAT I MEAN IS THAT SILENT -- AND THE PRESENTATION WAS SILENT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN PROVEN SUCCESSES IN OTHER PLACES.
>> PELAEZ: RIGHT? AND SO WE READ AN ARTICLE TWO DAYS AGO, RIGHT, TALKING ABOUT BRAZIL.
YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT ABOUT SINGAPORE AND MADRID AND OTHER U.S. CITIES AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAVE MADE MISTAKES AND EACH ONE HAVE HAD DIFFERENT SUCCESSES.
I WOULD LAMENT IF WE WENT OUT THERE AND ADOPTED A PLAN AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO A GO AND SEE.
GO AND SEE IS THE TOYOTA WAY, IT'S THE SIG SIGMA WAY, I'M GOING TO URGE YOU AND OTHERS THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK AT MOBILITY PLANS AND STRATEGIZE HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS THAT WE BE JUST AS OUT FRONT ABOUT HAVING KICKED THE TIRES ON OTHER SYSTEMS, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL VERY, VERY SMART AND WE ALL HAVE VERY HIGH OPINIONS OF OUR OPINIONS, BUT THERE'S OTHER CITIES OUT THERE THAT MAY BEAT US TO THIS, RIGHT.
THAT'S MY REQUEST, AND THAT'S REALLY IT.
I THINK YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD UNDERLYING POINT, AND WE TRY TO MAKE THIS DATA-DRIVEN IN THE SENSE OF THESE SYSTEMS -- THE DATA SUGGESTS THESE ARE PRECISELY THE THINGS WE NEED, FROM A COST STANDPOINT, FROM A VOLUME STANDPOINT AND SO FORTH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE NEED TO SEE HOW THEY WORK ON THE GROUND IN OTHER PLACES, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
>> PELAEZ: AND SO JUST ONE LAST THING, MAYOR, BEFORE I TURN THE MIC BACK TO YOU, JUST BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, SOME OF YOU MAY BE SAYING WELL, DOES THIS GUY EVEN KNOW, RIGHT, THEY MOVE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE ON A BRT SYSTEM, AND THEN THEY MOVE THOSE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY NIGHT BACK TO THEIR HOMES AND THEY FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE WAY BOGOTA DOES TRAFFIC AND ELIMINATED A LOT OF THAT CONGESTION.
THE NUMBERS OF SAN ANTONIANS THAT WE'VE GOT HUNGRY FOR TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS.
AND THAT SYSTEM I JUST MENTIONED IS THE MOST BENCHMARKED SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY -- I'M SORRY, IN THE WORLD.
EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S DOING BRT, GOES THERE TO SEE AND LEARN FROM THOSE EXPERTS, AND I'VE TALKED TO THEM AND THEY'VE SAID, SURE, COME ON BY.
HOUSTON ALREADY CAME BY, DALLAS ALREADY CAME BY.
>> PELAEZ: I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US FLEX THE BENCHMARKING MUSCLE.
A COUPLE OF CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE GOING IN THE SAME DECISION THAT THIS PLAN RECOMMENDS, WHICH IS ART SYSTEMS, TAMPA JUST DECIDED TO DO THIS AS THEIR PRINCIPLE TRANSPORTATION MODE.
SEATTLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SOME RAIL NOW, IS GOING TO BRT SYSTEMS. AND EVEN HOUSTON, WHICH HAS EMBEDDED RAIL, RECOGNIZES THE NEXT PHASE FOR THEM TO EXTEND TRANSIT WILL HAVE TO BE BRT AND NOT RAIL.
SO THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID, YEAH.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WANT TO ECHO THE COUNCILMAN'S COMMENTS -- WELL SOME OF THEM, JUST KIDDING -- THANK YOU YOU AND THE TRICHAIRS AND THE RESOURCE TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THIS.
I THINK IT'S A VERY ELEGANT PRESENTATION, EXTREMELY WELL THOUGHT OUT, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO --
>> THANK YOU AND COUNCILMAN SALDAĆA, FOR BOTH BEING PART OF THE PROCESS FROM EARLY ON.
AND I DON'T ASCRIBE TO YOU ANY -- YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE WEDDED TO ANY PARTICULAR PIECE OF IT, BUT YOUR INPUT WAS VERY VALUABLE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
>> SANDOVAL: I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE TAKE A VISIT TO THESE CITIES THAT MOVE PEOPLE
[00:45:01]
VERY QUICKLY. GREAT IDEA, MANNY.A FEW DAYS AGO I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY WERE GETTING INTO THIS TRANSPORTATION THING AND THAT IT WAS ALMOST A CHANGE IN MIND FRAME ABOUT WHAT ROLE TRANSPORTATION PLAYS IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY AND THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF A CITY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS GOING FORWARD BECAUSE I THINK IT IS HIGH TIME FOR US TO DO SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY TRNS FORMATIONAL IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, BEING THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE U.S., WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT REALLY WORKS FOR A GOOD PART OF THE POPULATION, SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ELEMENT COMING FORWARD.
I'M ALSO GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S NOT A BAKED PLAN.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED GOING OUT, LIKE YOU SAID, MENTIONING A NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND THOSE AREN'T GOING TO BE THE SALES PITCH, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE CONVERSATION.
>> SANDOVAL: IT'S A LISTENING SESSION WITH THE STRAW MAN BEING PRESENTED.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT -- WELL, A, I'LL BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
>> SANDOVAL: IN MAKING SOME OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS, SO IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS, WOULD BE HAPPY TO HEAR.
ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS A VERY CONFUSED LOOK ON MY FACE, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLARIFY WHAT I MEAN IS THERE IS A SUBCOMMITTEE TO CONNECTSA THAT WILL BE CONVENING STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING US WITH THIS OUTREACH PROCESS.
MEETING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS OR OTHER STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVING THAT DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
SO I'M ONE OF THE COCHAIRS OF THAT GROUP.
>> SANDOVAL: AND I AM INVITING ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WANT TO AS ZEST WITH THAT TO, -- ASSIST WITH THAT TO, OF COURSE, TAKE PART OR KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
>> I MADE REFERENCE TO THAT EARLIER.
>> -- IT DOESN'T IMPLY THAT YOU'VE BOUGHT EVERY PIECE OF THIS, BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AS A COUNCILMEMBER TO WALK THROUGH WHAT I JUST DID OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE WITH YOU PRESENT COMMENTING ON WHAT THIS IS IN THE PUBLIC.
IT'S IS A NONPOLITICAL APPROACH TO PRESENTING INFORMATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S AWKWARD IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND 2019 DOING THIS, AND THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF 2019 ARE THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS, BUT WE THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS MATURE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND A SESSION ON TRANSPORTATION, HAVE THEIR DULY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE THERE IN THE ROOM PRESENTING, COMMENTING, WE CAN DO THAT, I THINK, AND ADVANCE THE BALL.
>> SANDOVAL: SO PART OF THAT WILL BE THE LISTENING SESSION, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE HARD TO SEPARATE WHERE I THINK THIS PLAN NEEDS TO GO, SO I WILL SHARE SOME OF THOSE THOUGHTS WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND WITH WHATEVER WE GO FORWARD IS LIKE YOU SAID, WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS, RIGHT? HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT AND IT IS EQUITABLE.
>> SANDOVAL: IS IT BASED ON USE OR IS IT BASED ON WHERE YOU LIVE, RIGHT, WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY OR WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, WHAT WILL BE THE ECONOMIC BURDEN ON YOU.
I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS REPRESENTATIVES OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
AND ALSO WHAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERFUNDED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND YOU KNOW THIS, YOU SPOKE TO IT, OF COURSE, IN YOUR SLIDE WITH THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING, WHERE WE HAVE A MINIMAL INVESTMENT IN TRANSIT.
JUST LIKE THE COUNCILMAN SAID, IF YOU CAN MOVE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE ON A TRANSIT LINE AND THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND TRANSIT'S WHAT'S HAD THE LEAST INVESTMENT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE UP SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> SANDOVAL: AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY -- I THINK IT IS AN EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY ISSUE, RIGHT, CONNECTING PEOPLE TO JOBS AND EDUCATION.
I KNOW THAT RECENT -- NOT TOO LONG AGO THE STATE VOTERS PASSED PROPS 1 AND 7.
>> SANDOVAL: AND ALL OF THAT IS FOR HIGHWAYS, RIGHT.
>> SANDOVAL: SO THAT IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S COMING TO THE AREA, BUT IT IS ONLY DEDICATED TO HIGHWAYS, SO I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS, I WOULD -- I WOULD LEAN TOWARDS DEDICATING THEM TOWARD TRANSIT, OF COURSE.
>> SANDOVAL: AND MAINTENANCE, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS NECESSARILY COVERED, THESE ARE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS INVESTMENTS , RIGHT, PRETTY MUCH?
>> SANDOVAL: IN TERMS OF THE ADT PROPOSAL, GIVING UP SOME OF THAT ADT, I WOULD BE ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF SENDING SOME OF THAT BACK FOR TRANSIT USE AS WELL, BUT THERE WAS A THIRD PART OF THE ADT THAT DID NOT GO TO SAN ANTONIO AND IT DID NOT GO TO VIA, AND REMIND ME
[00:50:02]
WHERE THAT IS.>> I THINK IT GOES TO THE COUNTY.
>> SANDOVAL: SO WILL THE COUNTY CONSIDER --
>> SANDOVAL: -- ALSO CONTRIBUTING SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK TO THIS SPOT?
>> THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH JUDGE WOLFF THAT THAT THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
APPRECIATE IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR MENTIONING THE VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WHAT MOBILITY MEANS MOVING PEOPLE, BT IT'S VERY MUCH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL TO GET WORKERS IN A TIMELY WAY TO THEIR POINT OF WORK.
IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL TO GET PEOPLE TO UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS, BUT VERY IMPORTANTLY, I JUST READ AN ARTICLE ON THIS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, TRANSPORTATION IS AN EQUITY TOOL, BECAUSE IT MAKES -- IT'S ONE OF THE -- ASIDE FROM PEOPLE'S PAY FOR SHELTER, WHAT THEY PAY FOR THEIR SHELTER, TRANSPORTATION IS A BIG IMPACT ON FAMILIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE A CAR WE'RE NOT PAYING, BUT WE'VE PAID FOR THE VEHICLE, THE GAS, THE TIME, THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS THAT GO INTO THE EQUATION.
AND SO THE MORE EQUITABLE A SYSTEM WE CAN BUILD, THE BETTER IT IS FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR POCKETBOOKS.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HENRY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU TO HOPE AND TO JANE WHO I SAW OVER HERE.
>> VIAGRAN: OH, THANK THANK YOU.
VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
I DO, JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, HENRY OR COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL OR THE MAYOR, REMIND ME WHO ARE THE COUNCILMEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING AND THE ROLE AND WHO -- DID YOU APPOINT THEM OR WHO APPOINTED THEM OR IS IT A ROLE OF MPO?
SO WE HAVE THE TRICHAIRS AND THEN WE HAVE THREE COMMITTEES SET UP WITH COCHAIRS OF EACH COMMITTEE.
AND SO IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TRICHAIRS WE PUT FORWARD NAME RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU SENT FORWARD YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME OF THOSE COMMITTEES AND THAT'S HOW THEY WERE SELECTED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TRICHAIRS.
>> VIAGRAN: AND SO THE COUNCILMEMBERS WERE SELECTED BECAUSE Y'ALL CHOSE THEM, CORRECT?
>> MY RECOLLECTION WAS THOSE WERE SENT FROM.
>> AND IT'S COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCILMAN SALDAĆA.
AND SO ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THE -- WHO -- IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH US WHO IS ON THE BOARD AND ARE -- IS YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ALSO THE ONES THAT CAME UP WITH THIS DRAFT PLAN OR STRAW MAN THAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY?
>> VIAGRAN: AND I KNOW ALL THE PLANS, LIKE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, MOBILITY AND --
THE BOARD IS THE THREE OF US ARE THE COCHAIRS, AND THEN EACH OF THE COMMITTEES, THREE COMMITTEES, HAS THREE COCHAIRS AS WELL.
THOSE, IN EFFECT, 12 PEOPLE, CONSTITUTE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OR BOARD, IF YOU WILL, OF CONNECTSA.
AND CONNECTSA IS PROBABLY 60 PEOPLE OR SO WHO ARE IN EFFECT, THE MEMBERS OF THAT.
AND THEY REPRESENT PRETTY MUCH ALL THE MOBILITY ADVOCATES AND MOBILITY SOURCES.
I MEAN, NOT JUST VIA, BUT BICYCLE ADVOCATES AND NOT JUST THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, BUT THE TRAILS PEOPLE, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S THE ROUGH STRUCTURE.
I CAN GET YOU THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
>> VIAGRAN: SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW THE CONSTRUCT OF THE BOARD AND THE REASONING FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS IS IT FOR FUNDRAISING PURPOSES, FOR THE EXPERTISE AND FOR ALL OF THAT TOGETHER.
>> I SAID THREE COMMITTEES, AND THEY EACH HAVE THREE PURPOSES.
>> ONE OF THEM IS BASICALLY SUBSTARNES -- SUBSTANCE, RESOURCE, CONTENT WHICH IS WHAT YOU'VE SEEN HERE TODAY.
ANOTHER ONE IS FUNDRAISING TO PAY FOR THE NONPROFIT THAT IS CONNECTSA, IT'S A 501(C) 4, WITH ALSO A 501(C)3 WE HOPE TO COME, WHICH CAN THEN ACCEPT TAX EXEMPT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR RESEARCH AND THAT SORT OF THING.
WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO FUND THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THEY HAVE A LEVEL OF LOGISTICAL COSTS, SO FUNDRAISING.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING COMMUNITY OUTREACH WHICH IS THINKING THROUGH INTERESTING QUESTIONS, LIKE NOT ONLY HOW DO YOU PRESENT THIS BEST TO PEOPLE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MATERIAL HERE, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PRESENT THIS IN A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT -- IN A PUBLIC TOWN HALL MEETING, BUT THEN HOW DO YOU GET FEEDBACK? WHAT IS THE DEVICE? AND HOW DO WE AUGMENT THAT USING MODERN SOCIAL NETWORKING AND COMPUTER DEVICES WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEND IN THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW
[00:55:02]
DO WE INTEGRATE THAT, HOW DO WE INTEGRATE IT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE ON A PERIODIC BASIS THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM AND THAT THE PLAN IS SLOWLY BEING AUGMENTED, MODIFIED BY THE SUGGESTS SHUNS -- SUGGESTIONS THEY MAKE.THAT'S WHAT THAT COMMITTEE IS FOLK USING ON.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WHOLE ENTITY IS SHANNON PEREZ WHO'S SITTING RIGHT OVER HERE WHO I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW AS A VETERAN OF PUBLIC.
>> PARTICIPATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT RIGHT HERE AND THIS -- I LIKEN THIS PROJECT TO SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE SA TOMORROW, WITH OUR COMP PLAN ALTOGETHER.
WE ARE TAKING A SERIOUS STEP AND A SERIOUS LOOK.
WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION THIS MORNING WITH A GROUP OF LEADERS AND SOMEBODY SAID THAT ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS TO SAN ANTONIO IN THE FUTURE IS TRANSPORTATION, COULD BE TRANSPORTATION.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS STEP FORWARD TO PLAN FOR OUR NEXT 300.
AND WHAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT HERE FOR ME IN THIS PLAN AND THIS CONNECTSA PLAN IS THAT IT HAS ADAPTABILITY.
THAT IF WE NEED TO IN THE FUTURE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BY EVEN 2030.
>> VIAGRAN: SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLAN IS GOING TO BE MOLDABLE AND ADAPTABLE TO WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY IS COMING FORWARD.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT BUILT IN TO THIS FRAMEWORK IN SOME CAPACITY.
>> VIAGRAN: ONE THING THAT WAS -- YOU MENTIONED JUST RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT THE -- AUDIO].
AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED CITIZENS, WHAT ARE THEY WILLING TO PAY FOR, BUT I ALSO THINK -- YOU KNOW THIS -- THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR SOMETHING AS LONG AS THEY SEE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BENEFIT AND BE A BENEFICIARY OF WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO PUT DOLLARS IN.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE DELIVERABLES, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SEEING THESE GREAT PERCENTAGES OF PASSAGE OF OUR BOND PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER ON TIME AND ON BUDGET THESE BOND PROJECTS.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THESE -- THE -- VOTE FOR THESE BOND PROJECTS.
AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, BUT FOR ALL OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH TO THE EAST TO THE WEST, DISTRICT 3, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS 84 SQUARE MILES.
THAT IS LARGER THAN PARIS AND THAT IS LARGER THAN SEATTLE.
>> VIAGRAN: SO WE NEED TO SEE -- WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
I LOOK AT THAT AS ALSO A TRANSPORTATION ISSUE JUST IN THE DISTRICT.
>> VIAGRAN: AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO CONNECT THIS WHOLE THING? AND WHAT I ALSO APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS AND HOW WE'RE TAKING THIS STEP FORWARD IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE BEST PRACTICES, BUT WHAT'S THE NEXT PRACTICES OF EVERYTHING.
THIS IS WHAT THIS MOBILITY PLAN NEEDS TO BE WITH CONNECTSA.
YOU MENTIONED ALSO ON SLIDE 31, AND I APPRECIATED YOUR WORDS, TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT, THOSE -- THE REALLOCATIONS OF THE EXISTING DOLLARS -- OF THE EXISTING SALES TAX AND LEVERAGING FUNDS.
I WILL SAY I THINK OUR BIGGEST BET IS LEVERAGING FUNDS AND LOOKING AT THOSE NEW RESOURCES.
I SHARED THIS WITH YOU, HENRY, THE REALLOCATION OR TOUCHING THE LINEAR CREEK DOLLARS BEFORE OUR LINEAR CREEKS ON THE SOUTH AND THE WEST AND THE EAST SIDE ARE COMPLETE, I THINK WOULD BE A DISSERVICE AND WOULD UPSET EVEN OUR CONNECTIVITY WITH MOBILITY FOR OUR HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS.
I DID WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
ON SLIDE NUMBER 10, FOR YOUR -- I I GUESS CLARIFICATION, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MANAGE CONGESTION, THE MODERN MOBILITY PLAN GOALS, MANAGE CONGESTION, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I THINK I NEED MORE CLARITY ON& WHAT THAT MEANS.
>> WELL, IDEALLY WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO IS REDUCE CONGESTION BY PEOPLE MOVING TO OTHER MODES, EXPANDING -- EXPANDING ROADWAYS SO THERE'S LESS CONGESTION, BUT I'M NOT SURE SAN ANTONIO HAS THE LUXURY OF REDUCING CONGESTION BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING PEOPLE.
SO EVEN AS WE PUT IN PLACE OTHER OPTIONS, THERE STILL WILL BE MORE PEOPLE USING THE EXISTING ROADWAYS.
SO MANAGING CONGESTION IS SOME PRACTICAL TOOLS THAT EXIST LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WAYS SYSTEM, WHICH SOME CITIES HAVE CONTRACTED FOR NOT AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL BUT AS -- BUT SYSTEMICALLY, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN DECIDE, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT ROADWAY, IT IS CONGESTED, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO MANAGE MY TRIP TODAY.
>> SO NEW -- NEUTRONIC DEVICES
[01:00:03]
ARE BEING EMBEDDED IN NEW ROADWAYS THAT -- AUDIO] -- LED MONITORS ON THE STREETLIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE.AS I SAID EARLIER, A LOT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE TO BE PUT TO THESE KIND OF USES, BUT MANAGING THE FLOW.
THAT HELPS WITH THE CLARIFICATION.
I THINK JUST ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE HERE, AND I THINK I EMPHASIZED THIS WITH YOU, TOO, IS JUST ONE, THE MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION IN THE SOUTH SIDE, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO.
>> VIAGRAN: WE'LL BE HAVING TOWN HALLS, WE'LL GET WITH OUR COCHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE TO SEE WHERE WE CAN CONNECT IN THAT AREA AND ALSO MAKING SURE --
>> ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DO A TOWN HALL MEETING, YOU KNOW, I THINK SHANNON IS PREPARED TO RECEIVE DATES AND PLACES, AND WE CAN DEPLOY PEOPLE TO BE THERE.
>> SO HAVE PRESENTATION, WILL TRAVEL.
>> MANY OF YOU ARE TOO OLD TO REMEMBER THAT TV SHOW, HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL.
>> VIAGRAN: I LOVE THAT YOU EXPLAINED IT RIGHT NOW.
>> WELL, I SAW SO MANY QUIZZICAL LOOKS, I THOUGHT I BETTER...
>> THE SAME TIME AS GUNSMOKE, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER GUNSMOKE.
>> VIAGRAN: EVERYONE WILL GOOGLE THAT.
>> VIAGRAN: WELL -- AND ONE OTHER THING, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR STATE FUNDING AND OUR FEDERAL FUNDING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I'M ALSO OPTIMISTIC THAT WITH THIS PLAN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MANAGED CONGESTION IS THAT WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THIS PLAN IS BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT OUR PLANNING AND OUR MANAGEMENT OF THE ROADWAYS OR THE -- OUR MOBILITY.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST REWARDING THE PLACES THAT ARE CONGESTED.
WE CANNOT DO THAT, WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST PUTTING POINTS OR DOLLARS INTO THOSE CONGESTED AREAS.
WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN OUR PLANNING.
SO THAT CONGESTION DOES NOT HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S ONE OTHER THING THAT I'M GOING TO PUT OUT RIGHT HERE, THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO TELL YOU AND OUR TRICHAIRS, ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AS WE PLAN THIS MOVING FORWARD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND THANK -- THINK THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT REALLY GIVES ME PAUSE.
I THINK I AM -- IF I WILL BE ALLOWED TO SERVE ANOTHER TWO MORE YEARS ON THE MPO, I WILL BE THE LONGEST SERVE ELECTED MEMBER OF THE POLICY BOARD BEYOND MAYOR RILEY, WHO'S BEEN THERE A LOT OF YEARS, AND SO I'VE SEEN THESE PLANS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND I THINK THEY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I WONDER -- I HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK WILL PROBABLY BE FOR OUR STAFF AS WE MOVE ALONG.
A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, COUNCILMAN SALDAĆA, WHO I SEE NOW HAS ARRIVED, I'M GLAD SINCE I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS, WE GAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR VIA FOR INCREASED FREQUENCY ON ONE OF OUR RAIL LINES, AND WHILE I --
ONE OF OUR BUS ROUTES AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP AS A RESULT OF THAT; HOWEVER, I NEVER FULLY SUPPORTED THAT FUNDING MECHANISM.
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT, I WANTED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF MY COLLEAGUE WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO GET THE INFORMATION TO PRESENT, BUT I REALLY DIDN'T SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF FUNDING BECAUSE I FELT THAT THAT MONEY WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT ON OUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
SHERYL, CAN YOU TELL ME, I THINK IT'S SHERYL THAT HAS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE -- I KNOW THE COUNCILMAN HAD ASKED US TO SCALE UP FOR THAT.
I WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT 2 MILLION IN THE FIRST YEAR.
ARE WE UP TO 10 MILLION? WAS THAT LIKE IN PERPETUITY, WHAT WAS THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT? I THINK WHAT WE ENDED UP GETTING FOR THAT WAS GREATER FREQUENCY ON THE ZARZAMORA LINE WHICH IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LINE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY NORTH, ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO THE A&M CAMPUS.
>> SCULLEY: YES, COUNCILWOMAN, THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOW
>> SCULLEY: THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOW IS $10 MILLION AS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
AND THAT IS TO CONTINUE EACH YEAR.
AND WE'RE FUNDING THAT THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
>> GONZALES: SO THROUGH GENERAL FUND DOLLARS WE'VE
[01:05:01]
INCREASED THAT.>> SCULLEY: IT'S NOW $10 MILLION.
>> GONZALES: UNTIL WE DETERMINE OTHERWISE.
>> SCULLEY: THAT'S A COUNCIL DECISION.
>> GONZALES: I GUESS MY REASON FOR ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION ABOUT THAT IS IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR -- ONE OF YOUR MAPS HERE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE ART, AND, IN FACT, MAYBE ANOTHER LITTLE QUESTION I HAVE HERE.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ART AND BART?
>> ART PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON THINGS LIKE THE DEDICATED ROADWAY TO AVOID TRAFFIC, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN THINGS LIKE BEING ABLE, LITERALLY, TO CHANGE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL SO THAT THE VEHICLE CAN GO THROUGH THE TRAFFIC INTERSECTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, SO THE TECHNOLOGY IS THE DIFFERENCE.
LET ME JUST QUICKLY SAY FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVOCATES OF RAIL, THEY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN'T GET WHITE COLLAR PROFESSIONALS ON TO RAIL.
YOU CAN'T GET THEM ON THE BUSES.
BUT THE ART HAS PROVEN THAT WITH A DEDICATED LANE AND WITH THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, THE ISSUE IS PREDICTABILITY.
IF YOU CAN SAY TO PEOPLE IT WILL BE HERE AT THIS TIME, AND IT IS, THEY WILL RIDE IT.
AND, BECAUSE IT'S A CHEAPER TECHNOLOGY, YOU CAN RUN MORE.
SO YOU CAN SAY IF YOU MISSED ONE THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING IN EIGHT MINUTES.
>> GONZALES: SO IN THIS MAP HERE, WHICH IS MAP NO. 15, THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT THAT YOU SHOW THE RED LINES ON, ARE ANY OF THESE CURRENT VIA BUS RAPID TRANSIT LINES?
>> GONZALES: YEAH, PRIMO LINES.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMEBODY HERE FROM VIA THAT CAN ANSWER THAT.
NONE ARE PRESENTLY PRIMO LINES.
>> GONZALES: I WOULD THINK THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING -- AND THAT'S FUNDED AND CURRENTLY -- I THINK IT'S THE BUS STOPS, AND THEY'RE VERY ATTRACTIVE.
THEY'RE BY THE BILL MILLERS AND H-E-B.
I IMAGINE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY RUNNING AND THAT THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF ADDING CAPACITY.
SO I GUESS MY REASON IS THAT IT CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I HAVE MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR FUNDING SOURCE AND WHAT MIGHT BE A BETTER FUNDING SOURCE FOR TRANSPORTATION OPTION.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD ABOUT --
>> SO WE WILL HAVE TO AMASS THESE DIFFERENT FUNDING OPTIONS TO CREATE THE LOCAL POT, WHICH YOU QUITE EARLIER DESCRIBED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VOLUME THAT COMES IN FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL BUT NOT AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL TRANSIT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT FEDERAL POLICY'S GOING TO BE THAT MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE IN THE YEAR AHEAD ON THIS -- I MEAN, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A MASSIVE DEFICIT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR MASS TRANSIT.
WE'LL HAVE TO CREATE THOSE OPTIONS ON OUR OWN, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT THESE FUNDING SOURCES.
>> YOU ARE TOTALLY RIGHT THAT THE.
>> GONZALES: I THINK AS WE EVOLVE WITH THE PROCESS, THE COST FOR BART -- SORRY, BRT OR ART LIKE WE SEE HERE, ARE VERY DOABLE.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE THIS ALL RIGHT.
THERE'S NOTHING FOR ANYBODY TO BE AFRAID OF, THAT IT WON'T BE SUCCESSFUL.
IT WILL AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES LOCALLY OF HOW WE HAVE DONE THAT.
>> I THINK IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK THERE IS SOME HEARTACHE BETWEEN NOW AND GETTING THEM IN PLACE.
BECAUSE PUTTING ASIDE A LANE, WHETHER IT TAKES FROM EXISTING LANES OR WHETHER YOU HAVE TO BUY RIGHT OF WAY FROM EXISTING LANES IS A CHALLENGE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY I HAVE PARKING IN FRONT OF MY BUSINESS NOW, I'M GOING TO GIVE THAT UP FOR A DEDICATED LANE FOR A TRAIN.
THERE'S ISSUES TO COME, BUT THERE'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ISSUES YOU CONFRONT, FOR EXAMPLE, OLMOS OR ONE OF THE ROADS WHERE THE BUSINESS PEOPLE REALLY --
SO, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE ISSUES IN MODERNIZING A SYSTEM.
>> GONZALES: AND I THINK THOSE, YOU KNOW -- I THINK THEY'LL EVOLVE.
THE ONES THAT WE SEE HERE ON THAT PARTICULAR MAP I KNOW ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN SEEING AT THE MPO FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
AND, AT THE SAME TIME, IMPROVING A BETTER BUS SYSTEM, WHICH COULD
[01:10:01]
ALSO LEAD TO MORE FREQUENCY, ESPECIALLY IN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK VIA HAS DONE ALSO AND HAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY VERY WELL.SO, AGAIN, LIKE I DON'T COURSE,E IN AUDIO] IT WAS DONE IN 2011.
IT'S NEVER BEEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
I'M SURE IT COULD STAND TO BE UPDATED AND THEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED EVEN AS WE DO OUR REGULAR STREET MAINTENANCE WE COULD IMPLEMENT THOSE AS WELL.
SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING HERE THAT I THINK IS -- GIVES ME ANY PAUSE.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN FUNDING OUR TRAIL SYSTEM THROUGH THE PROP 1 OR 2 -- I FORGET WHICH ONE IT IS, THAT FUNDS CREEKWAYS AND TRAILS.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALL IN ALL I THINK IT LOOKS VERY DOABLE AND VERY POSSIBLE.
IN FACT, I WONDER IF WE DON'T JUST CONTINUE ON OUR EXISTING PLANS, LIKE THE EXISTING BOND PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS.
AND, PERHAPS, EXPAND THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHILE I KNOW IT CAN BE TOUGH FOR THE VOTERS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LARGE PACKAGES, LARGE BOND PACKAGES, WE HAVE DEDICATED AT LEAST 60% OF THAT, MAYBE MORE, TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, STREETS, SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE.
>> I GUESS MY ARGUMENT TO THAT WOULD BE THAT WE NEED MORE MONEY THAN IS LIKELY TO BE GOTTEN FROM THE SCALE OF BOND ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TODAY, $800 MILLION OR SO.
MAXIMUM YOU CAN TAP OUT WITHOUT PROPERTY TAXES.
WE JUST NEED ADDITIONAL STREAMS OF REVENUE TO DO THESE THINGS.
SO THE DIFFERENCE OF THIS PLAN IS IT'S NOT THAT ANY ELEMENT IS PARTICULARLY NEW OR GROUNDBREAKING, BUT THAT THEY'RE INTEGRATED AND THAT THE INTEGRATION OF THEM DOES REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
THERE ARE MANY CITIES IN TEXAS THAT SIMPLY HAVE MORE SALES TAX ALLOCATED TO THEIR TRANSIT SYSTEMS. WE'RE PROBABLY THE LOWEST OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS.
AND NOBODY'S ARGUING TO INCREASE THAT.
BUT WE HAVE TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING TO INCREASE IT.
>> GONZALES: I'M WONDERING IF JUST THAT ALONE COULD CORRECT WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
THAT, IN ADDITION TO A LARGER BOND PROGRAM, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE HAD HERE, COULD CORRECT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
AND I WANTED TO ALSO, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED TAXES AND REALLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THINGS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.
BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR AUDIO] MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE HEARD ME MENTION THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF DISTRICT 5 IS ACTUALLY VERY YOUNG.
80% OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE 35 AND YOUNGER.
I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME INFORMATION AS WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS HOUSING TOMORROW ON THE COUNCIL WE'LL DISCUSS SOME HOUSING PROJECTS.
AND ABOUT 25% OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING USE VIA AND USE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND WALK AND USE SOME ALTERNATIVE MEASURE.
IN FACT, ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING DON'T HAVE AUTOMOBILES.
SO THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE AN ALTERNATIVE TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
AND WHAT I'M FINDING IS OUR CONSTITUENCY IS GETTING YOUNGER AND IS GETTING MORE PROGRESSIVE, IS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR SERVICES.
THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY THINK IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT INCLUDES A VERY STRONG CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
IT COULD INCLUDE A VERY ROBUST TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
WHEN I TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS HERE AND WHEN I TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY SAY WHAT THEY REALLY WANT IN A COMMUNITY IS TO BE WALKABLE, PROGRESSIVE, AND TO BE AFFORDABLE.
SO I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MANY OF THESE THINGS IN THE PLANS.
SO I'M GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING I SEE HERE.
HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE ANYBODY ANY PAUSE.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY ALARMING OR MAKES ME THINK THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULDN'T CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING, PERHAPS JUST WITH A SLIGHTLY LARGER BOND PACKAGE OR AN ADJUSTMENT.
NOT THAT WE WOULD INCREASE IT, BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO GIVE SOMETHING UP, AND WHETHER THAT'S A PRE-K OR WHETHER IT'S EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION, WHICH WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T SUPPORT.
I WOULD BE VERY RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT GIVING UP THE PRE-K PROGRAM.
>> GONZALES: HOW THAT WOULD EVOLVE AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
>> WE OWE YOU, AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, A BETTER SENSE OF HOW TO MATCH UP THE FUNDING SIDE
[01:15:01]
WITH THE PLAN, WITH THE FRAMEWORK.WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT TWEAKING THEY WANT, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT'S GOING TO ALTER THE COST SOMEWHAT, BUT THE WEAKEST PART OF THIS PLAN RIGHT NOW IS WE DON'T ACTUALLY SPECIFY HOW WE GET TO THE WE'LL HAVE TO PRODUCE THAT OUT OF THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE CHOICES, AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COUNTY.
AND I WANT TO THANK IN ADVANCE, PETER ZANONI AND HIS TEAM AND THE VIA AND TXDOT PEOPLE WHO WORK THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO RELY ON THEM HEAVILY TO BRING YOU MORE CONCRETE CHOICES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
SHERYL, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING?
>> SCULLEY: JUST TO ADD TO WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN'S QUESTIONS WERE.
WHAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT TODAY ARE THE OPERATING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPANDING THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S YET TO BE IDENTIFIED.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE SOURCES FOR CAPITAL.
BUT THEN WE STILL HAVE TO ADDRESS HOW WE WILL PAY FOR THE INCREASE IN THE OPERATING SYSTEM.
AND THAT WILL BE, OF COURSE, VIA'S RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT OUR, AS A COMMUNITY, RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS AND DETERMINE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S YET -- WE STILL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY'S AVAILABLE, WE'RE ONLY TALKING CAPITAL RIGHT NOW.
WE STILL HAVE TO ADDRESS THE OPERATING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED.
>> GONZALES: CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION? WE KNOW THAT FOR BOND PROJECTS THAT.
SO WHEN WE DO GO TO, PERHAPS, I DON'T KNOW, JUST LIKE THE VIA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAS OPERATIONAL.
THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT PLAN.
>> GONZALES: SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME TYPE OF -- SO WE COULD NOT USE
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING IT, AND HOPE AND MARY AND JANE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PULLING ALL THIS STUFF TOGETHER.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON IT, AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE -- SOME MORE THOUGHTS ON WHAT COULD BE TAPPED INTO AND SHOULD BE TAPPED INTO.
BUT OVERALL I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE IS GOING TO BE HUGE IN THIS.
SYNCHRONIZED LIGHTS, THAT KIND OF THING ACROSS THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, BUT I'VE GOT A BIG CONCERN ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, OBVIOUSLY.
HAS THIS BEEN VETTED THROUGH SAMCO, RPA, MPO?
>> THEY HAVE ALL PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS AND WE'RE DOING INDIVIDUAL WORK NOW WITH THEM WITH SORT OF THE FINAL FRAME.
I HAVE PERSONALLY SPOKEN TO SAMCO IN A SESSION JUST LIKE THIS.
AND I SUSPECT THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLY INTEGRATED GOING FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM, LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY PUT A FEE ON THEIR UTILITY BILLS TO HELP FUND THEIR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
THAT'S ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR THE CITIZENS HAVING A VOTE IN WHETHER THEY WANT TO APPROVE, YOU KNOW, RAISING FUNDS FOR THIS KIND OF THING.
BUT I HOPE THAT THE CITY HERE SHIES AWAY FROM JUST ADDING FEES ON TOP OF EXISTING FEES THAT WE'RE ALREADY PAYING.
>> JUST AS A QUICK ASIDE, ON THAT CHART, THAT PAGE THAT SHOWS THE OPTIONS ON PAYING, THAT'S PAGE 31.
THE ITEM IN THE BOTTOM BOX CALLED CREATION OF A TRANSPORTATION USER FEE, THAT'S THAT AUSTIN CHARGE.
>> PERRY: YEAH, IT'S SOME KIND OF COMPLICATED METHOD WHERE IT'S THE SIZE OF THE BUILDINGS AND THAT KIND OF THING THAT THE BIGGER BUILDING YOU HAVE THE LARGER FEE YOU ACTUALLY PAY.
SO I HOPE THAT THE CITY -- THAT'S NOWHERE ON THE CHART TO BE ADDED TO CHARGING ADDITIONAL FEES THROUGH THE CITY TO PAY FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
THE OTHER THING IS THE ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEE EVERY YEAR.
[01:20:03]
OUR COUNTERPARTS, LIKE IN AUSTIN, DALLAS, HOUSTON, THE COUNTIES THERE ARE ALL AT $11.50 AND WE'RE DOUBLE WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE.AGAIN, I HOPE WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT INCREASING THAT ANOTHER $10 ON TOP OF THAT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
>> THE LEGISLATION THAT IS FILED FOR THE COUNTY IS SUBJECT TO VOTER APPROVAL.
IF THE LEGISLATURE PASSES IT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY VOTERS BEFORE IT WOULD BE ASSESSED LOCALLY.
>> PERRY: AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE THE HIGHEST ONE IN THE STATE FOR VEHICLE --
>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS $10 NOW HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY.
WELL, I GOT A CHART HERE SOMEWHERE THAT SHOWS $21.50.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER AREA THAT I HOPE WE DON'T GO TO THAT WE ADD THIS FEE TO EVERYBODY THAT NEEDS TO REGISTER THEIR VEHICLE ON A YEARLY BASIS.
SO I'M REALLY WARY ABOUT THAT.
AND I BROUGHT THIS UP ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND I'M STILL WORKING ON IT.
I'VE TALKED TO SAMCO AND TALKED TO TXDOT AND I KNOW IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE.
BUT SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN SHORTCHANGED TXDOT FUNDING FOR 40 YEARS.
I MEAN, JUST FROM THE YEAR 2000 THROUGH 2017, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS HERE.
HOUSTON, EVERYBODY KNOWS HOUSTON IS BIG.
THEY GOT $14 BILLION OVER THAT TIME OF -- YEAH.
DALLAS -- AND THESE ARE ALL DISTRICTS, NOT THE CITIES.
FORT WORTH, WHICH IS A SEPARATE DISTRICT FROM DALLAS, WAS $8.5 BILLION.
ANY GUESS WHAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN FUNDED OVER THOSE YEARS?
SO OVER THOSE YEARS WE HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN SHORTCHANGED.
AND I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S APPARENTLY A FORMULA THAT DICTATES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO OUT TO THE DIFFERENT METRO AREAS IN THESE DISTRICTS.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO GO IN AND CHANGE FORMULA-WISE, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO COME INTO THIS STUDY AS WELL AS TO WHAT MONEY CAN WE RECOUP FROM TXDOT THAT WE'VE BEEN BEHIND YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE CITIES, BUT THEIR METROS ARE QUITE A BIT LARGER, PARTICULARLY DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
SO THAT PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FOR SOME OF THAT.
BUT, AGAIN, BACK ON PAGE 31 UNDER THIS CATEGORY OF LEVERAGED FUNDS, THE FIRST ONE IS BY STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS WHERE POSSIBLE TO DELIVER PROJECT FUNDING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO GET MORE MONEY FROM THE STATE.
>> PERRY: AND RIGHT NOW, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE'S ABOUT $4 BILLION AT TXDOT RIGHT NOW THAT'S NOT OBLIGATED.
WE NEED TO BE FIRST TO THE TROUGH NOW TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY, OR A LARGER PORTION OF THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT WE DIG INTO THIS DEEPER THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE AND REALLY GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT AS TO WHY SAN ANTONIO -- THE SAN ANTONIO DISTRICT IS NOT BEING FUNDED.
YOU MENTIONED THE WORD "EQUITY" A WHILE AGO.
THIS IS EQUITY FOR TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO PUT A LOT OF OUR EFFORT TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY TO SAN ANTONIO.
>> I THINK TXDOT IS IN THE ROOM.
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME NOW TO CALL ON THEM TO RESPOND, BUT IS THERE ANY POINT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, IF I MAY? THIS IS THE DISTRICT ENGINEER --
MARIO AND I HAVE GONE ROUND AND ROUND ON THIS.
>> I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU WHETHER YOU WANT TO HERE A COUNTERPOINT?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: DO YOU HAVE A ONE-MINUTE VERSION?
SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, BUT I CAN SPEAK FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND OUR FUNDING LEVELS HAVE BEEN RIGHT UP WITH ALL OF THE METRO DISTRICTS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, CURRENTLY WE HAVE $1.8 BILLION UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SAN ANTONIO.
AS Y'ALL DRIVE AROUND Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO DALLAS AT
[01:25:01]
$2 BILLION.WE'RE RIGHT BUMPING DALLAS, TRIPLE WHAT AUSTIN HAS IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
DOUBLE WHAT FORT WORTH HAS IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS BUT I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS OR SO OUR FUNDING LEVELS HAVE DRASTICALLY INCREASED.
AND I THINK FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE WILL AS WELL.
>> PERRY: AND I APPLAUD THAT, MARIO, BUT MORE AGGRESSIVE IN CAPTURING MORE OF THAT MONEY AND BRINGING IT HERE TO THIS DISTRICT.
>> NO ONE CAN DISAGREE WITH THAT.
AND WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF TXDOT AT THIS MOMENT IS BRUCE BUG, WHO IS A CITIZEN OF OUR COMMUNITY.
>> IF THERE WAS ANYONE CLOSER TO THE GOVERNOR OR MORE SKILLED, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT WOULD BE IN THIS AREA.
>> WE WILL FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTION ON THAT.
>> PERRY: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I JUST WANT TO GO OVER ONE THING THAT I RAN INTO WITH VIA ON THIS MOBILITY ON DEMAND.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING OUT SOME BUS LINES AND HAVING A CALL-IN SYSTEM FOR LIKE UBER OR LYFT COMING TO PICK FOLKS UP.
>> PERRY: I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT PART OF YOUR PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT ON THIS AS WELL?
>> PERRY: WELL, THE COMMUNICATION OF THIS PROGRAM REALLY NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
WE HAD A CITIZENS' MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT AND HAD ABOUT 50 PEOPLE THERE.
LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ARE NONE TOO HAPPY.
IT WASN'T PRESENTED VERY WELL AND WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK VIA TO HOLD OFF ON THAT TEST UNTIL WE GET THE PROPER COMMUNICATION OUT AND THE INFORMATION OUT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
>> VIA'S HERE, AND I'M SURE -- I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD THE COUNCILMAN, SO LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW THAT'S GOING.
>> PERRY: BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE QUITE INTERESTING.
I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T CALCULATE THE NUMBERS FROM THE 2030 TO 2040 PROGRAM.
>> WELL, THE BUDGETS FOR THE STATE HAVEN'T BEEN LAID OUT SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PROGRAMS ARE IN THAT LAST INCREMENT OF TIME, NOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S HARD TO JUDGE WHAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO US THAT FAR OUT.
AND IT WAS SO IMPRECISE THAT THE COMMITTEE FELT PROBABLY IT'S TOO MUCH OF A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATION TO PUT IT IN AS HARD NUMBERS INTO THIS PRESENTATION.
>> PERRY: I UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT BUDGETS, BUT FOR COST PURPOSES ON WHAT THE PROGRAM WOULD COST.
DOES THAT INCLUDE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COSTS ARE EITHER FROM 30-40?
>> PERRY: I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THAT.
>> I THINK PETER'S THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK TO.
PETER WAS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL GUY FOR THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE DEAL IN PARAMETRIC ESTIMATING THAT CAN GIVE YOU THOSE KIND OF ESTIMATES ALSO.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO FIND THAT OUT ALSO, WHAT THE COST IN THOSE OUT-YEARS ALSO.
>> HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO THE POINT, BY THE TIME OF THE END OF THE PROCESS, WHERE WE CAN HAVE A NUMBER FOR THAT FINAL PERIOD.
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
>> BROCKHOUSE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THOUGHTS.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE TIME WE SPENT AUDIO].
MY POINTS MAINLY JUST REVOLVE AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN I SEE THIS PRESENTATION, I SEE -- THERE'S LEVELS OF BAIT IN A PRESENTATION.
YOU SAID EARLIER THAT THIS ISN'T BAKED, THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
I GET THAT AND YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT .
I JUST WANT TO PUT ONE POINT OF CONCERN, HOW YOU TAKE THIS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A LEVEL, I THINK, OF WORK THAT'S OCCURRED ON THIS WITHOUT COUNCIL INPUT.
I THINK THAT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME, AND I EXPRESSED THAT TO YOU.
FOR INSTANCE, HEARING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SPEAKERS GOING OUT IN THE DISTRICTS RELATIVELY SOON AND 40 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE GREATEST PROOF SOURCE YOU HAVE IN ANY DISTRICT IS THE 11 OF US.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I REMIND PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A TASK FORCE GOING OFF ON THEIR WAY AND THEIR WORKING AND THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME AND IT'S FANTASTIC.
BUT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND THE NUMBER ONE TASK FORCE, AND THAT'S THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I THINK IN THIS
[01:30:01]
PARTICULAR CASE THERE'S A BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WHAT'S GOING ON FROM A COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVE VERSUS WHAT A COUNCIL MEMBER ACTUALLY KNOWS.I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD GO -- MY OPINION WOULD BE TO LET EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE DISTRICTS, WHO THESE SPEAKERS ARE, AND THAT IT'S ENTIRELY COORDINATED WITH THOSE OF US WHO HAVE EARNED THE VOTES OF OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER PERSON COMING TO DISTRICT 6 AND GOING, GREG, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.
ESPECIALLY IF MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED AND THINGS ARE GOING ON AND WE'RE NOT AWARE OF THEM.
THAT'S WHY I HAD A QUIZZICAL LOOK EARLIER, BECAUSE THE SPEAKERS THING IS UNKNOWN TO ME.
I HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS THAT THE COUNCIL'S BEING LEFT OUT OF THIS EQUATION.
AND IT KIND OF HAPPENED THAT WAY FROM THE BEGINNING, SO I'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN EVERYTHING FROM HERE ON OUT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS I TRY TO BE THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M VOICING -- I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I KNOW DISTRICT 6.
I MEAN, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE COMMUNITY, I PUT THIS IN FRONT OF THEM LIKE THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO THINK SO WHOEVER IS MESSAGING THAT, IT BECOMES AN ALL-IN EFFORT.
REGARDLESS IF WE DO 60, 40, 30, 90% OF THIS PLAN.
IT HAS TO BE AN ALL-IN EFFORT TO THEN PITCH IT AND SELL IT TO THE VOTER.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO NEED ALL OF US.
YOU GAVE ME SOME GREAT ADVICE WHEN WE WERE TALKING.
YOU SAID RESERVE JUDGMENT AND WE'LL SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WE ALL COME TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING TO OWN THE PLAN, TO SOME EXTENT.
SO I TOOK THAT TO HEART AND I THINK WHAT I WOULD ASK IN RETURN IS LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL THERE ON IT.
I HAD A POINT DOWN HERE BEFORE IT WAS MENTIONED, BUT THE QUESTION WAS ARE THESE CAPITAL COSTS ONLY, AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OPERATING COSTS ARE.
I WOULD ASK YOU NOT THINK ABOUT THIS IN A VACUUM AUDIO] SELL TO THE COMMUNITY.
MULTIPLE, FEDERAL, STATE, MULTIPLE DOLLARS COMING IN.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF $3 BILLION ON THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE AND $100 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT, $10 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR VIA.
THEN YOU ROLL OVER AND YOU'RE GOING TO ROLL OUT A CLIMATE PLAN THAT HAS MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION, THAT COULD WELL BE 5 TO $8 BILLION WORTH OF SPENDING.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, $3 BILLION TO THE COMMUNITY -- WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING WE'RE COMING TO THEM.
10-DOLLAR TAX, WE SAW IT AND IT POPPED UP ON A SCREEN AND THE CITY WENT BONKERS ON IT BECAUSE IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE ADD ADDITIONAL FEES AND TAXES IN THERE.
I REALLY LIKE YOUR POINTS ON LEVERAGING AND MOVING DOLLARS.
I AGREE ON THE BONDING ITEMS. I THINK PUTTING IT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH REGARDS TO TRANSPORTATION IS GOING TO BE SOLID.
THERE'S GOOD POINTS IN THERE AND I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT TO AVOID INCREASING DOLLARS BEFORE -- YOU KNOW, I WOULD REALLY PREFER TO START REALLOCATING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
THAT'S PROBABLY A REALLY GOOD WORD, BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG -- TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUT DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED.
IF I CAN GO TO MY RESIDENTS AND SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL PENNY OUT OF YOUR POCKET, WE'RE GOING TO WIN.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO ASK WHAT AM I LOSING AS A RESULT.
WE'RE GOING TO SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CHANGING.
PICK THE RIGHT ITEMS WE CHANGE ON AND I THINK WE WIN AGAIN.
OVERALL -- ONE QUESTION REAL QUICK.
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU BRIEFED SAMCO.
WAS SAMCO A PART OF THIS DELIBERATION?
SO THEY WERE PART OF THE PLANNING.
>> ONE OF THE GRAPHICS UP HERE SHOWS HOW THE PLAN COMES TOGETHER.
THIS IS NOT BRAND-NEW INITIATIVES, AS COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL NOTED.
THIS IS NOT BRAND NEW INITIATIVES.
IT'S REALLY AN INTEGRATION OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
SO WE MAKE NO ATTEMPTS TO SAY THIS IS REINVENTING.
THIS IS INTEGRATION OF EXISTING PLANS.
AND CERTAINLY THOSE TWO ARE IN HERE.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO WRAP UP, I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING WE CAN DO IS FULLY INFORM THE COUNCIL, WE'RE PART OF EVERY DISCUSSION.
ANYBODY STEPS FOOT INTO DISTRICT 6, THE BEST PROOF SOURCE YOU HAVE IS JOHN, IT'S CLAYTON, ROBERTO, ALL OF US KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHO IS COMING IN SAYING WHAT.
WE'RE ALREADY TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT HAVING THAT INFORMATION.
>> LET ME CLARIFY ON THAT POINT, IF I CAN.
>> THE ONLY PEOPLE I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN FACE-TO-FACE ARE
[01:35:01]
COUNCIL MEMBERS.AND I'M DOING MY BEST TO GET TO EVERY 11 OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, AND I THINK MAYBE THERE'S THREE OR FOUR THAT I HAVEN'T TALKED TO AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN ACT OF RESPECT TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THE PLEDGE I'VE MADE IS WE WANT TO DO TAKING A CUE FROM SHERYL SKULLEY, WHO DID THAT WITH THE BUDGET FOR YEARS.
AND, BUT, YOU'RE OFFERED THE CHANCE TO HOST THAT MEETING.
SO THE TONE YOU SET AS TO WHAT THIS PLAN IS IS UP TO YOU IN THAT SETTING.
WE'LL BE THERE TO PRESENT THE FACTS, JUST AS WE HAVE THEM AT THIS POINT.
NOW, I SAID THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE 100 MEETINGS.
THAT MEANS 90 BEYOND THE TEN COUNCIL DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING EVERY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THERE'S ABOUT TEN OF THEM IN SAN ANTONIO.
ASIAN AND HISPANIC AND WOMEN, LITERALLY NORTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE, DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S MAJOR EMPLOYERS, UTSA, USAA, PORT SAN ANTONIO, HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO THAT I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SUGGESTING WE HAVE TO DO, LIKE CLEAR THOSE WITH THE COUNCIL.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I THINK THAT IF SOMEBODY -- I THINK WE SHOULD KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE, WHAT THEIR LANGUAGE -- WE SHOULD BE BRIEFED ON WHAT THEY'RE PRESENTING.
>> WE CAN GET TO A LIST OF WHO IT IS THAT'S VOLUNTEERED TO DO THE PRESENTATIONS.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I'M RECOMMENDING WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THAT.
THEY'RE GOING TO COME AND SAY I WAS AT THIS MEETING THE OTHER DAY AND BLANK, BLANK, BLANK WAS PRESENTING THIS.
SO DO I THINK THAT THE SCHEDULE OF EVERYTHING SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER? YES, IT SHOULD BE.
EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SIMPLE E-MAIL, HERE'S THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS IN YOUR DISTRICT, HERE'S WHO IS PRESENTING.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A STAFFER THERE AND I THINK ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD WANT TO HAVE --
>> I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I THINK IT'S LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE TO SEND TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, AS A GROUP, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO BREAK IT DOWN.
AND IS IT WHERE THE ORGANIZATION IS LOCATED OR WHERE THE MEETING IS HELD WHEN WE MEET WITH THE NORTH SIDE CHAMBER.
I THINK WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS JUST PUT OUT -- AS SOON AS WE HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT SHOWS WE'RE PRESENTING TO THIS CHAMBER, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION AND LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENING AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO BE THERE.
IS THAT FAIR, GREG, AS A WAY TO PROCEED?
>> BROCKHOUSE: NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MEETINGS.
THE COUNCIL HAS TO KNOW WHEN THE MEETINGS ARE OCCURRING SO WE CAN BE PRESENT AND HAVE STAFFERS THERE.
>> I CAN ABSOLUTELY SEE THE VALUE OF THAT.
YOU WANT TO HAVE SOMEBODY PRESENT.
>> BROCKHOUSE: OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> ESPECIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
>> BROCKHOUSE: THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE I WANT.
IF YOU'RE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DISTRICT.
>> AND WE NEED YOUR ADVICE IN YOUR DISTRICT ABOUT WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS YOU FEEL PARTICULARLY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO GO TO.
JOHN, THE GROUP THAT YOU TOLD ME WAS KIND OF A DISTRICT-WIDE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
>> SO THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE SCHEDULE ONE OF THOSE, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE.
THANK YOU, SECRETARY CISNEROS.
A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO SIMILAR THINGS AND THEY MAY DO THINGS IN ALIGNMENT, SOMETIMES OVERLAPPING.
MAYBE IT'S NOT A DISCUSSION FOR TODAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE KIND OF A DESCRIPTION AS TO WHAT THE VARIOUS ENTITIES DO.
COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED THE MPO BEING THE POLICY BOARD.
COUNCILMAN PERRY MENTIONED THE SAMCO.
I DON'T KNOW IF AR MAY STILL EXISTS, WE HAVE CONNECT SA.
THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO TRANSPORTATION.
EVENTUALLY I WOULD LIKE A LIST, DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THE OTHERS.
AND PERHAPS WHY CONNECT SA COULD NOT HAVE DONE WHAT IT IS DOING THROUGH ONE OF THE ALREADY-EXISTING BODIES.
THE SECOND QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS -- AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE PURVIEW OF THIS PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION, BUT JUST WANTED TO GET THAT FROM YOU.
DID WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION AS TO CONNECTIVITY WITH OTHER CITIES? SO WITH AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, LAREDO? OR IS IT JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN SAN ANTONIO?
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY POLICY BODIES LIKE THE
[01:40:01]
MPO.IT HAS STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE INTERFACE WITH TXDOT AND THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT, A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZED TO INTEGRATE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING.
AND, SECONDLY, FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRESENT THIS TO THE PUBLIC IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN THE TIME PUBLIC THAT THE CASE IS BEING MADE IN A COHERENT WAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HALL.
I'VE HEARD SOME WORDS HERE THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THEM IS INTERCONNECTIVITY.
AND I FOUND THAT'S IMPORTANT IN MY DISTRICT.
I THINK THERE'S MANY PLACES AROUND TOWN WHERE THE STREETS DON'T SEEM TO CONNECT THE WAY THEY SHOULD.
THE MAIN ARTERIALS DON'T CONNECT THE WAY THEY SHOULD, AT LEAST BOTTLENECKS, TRAFFIC CONGESTION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THIS PLAN IS AIMED AT ADDRESSING THOSE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU KNOW, CONGESTION IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT I FACE, AND PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OF THEIR TIME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER TOO.
MAYBE THE VALUE THAT WE PUT FORWARD TO BUILD, CONSTRUCT, OR DEVELOP EASIER WAYS TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY HAVE A MUCH GREATER VALUE IN THE TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE SPENDING IN TRAFFIC, OR THE TIME THEY WON'T HAVE TO SPEND IN TRAFFIC IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH A MILLION PEOPLE MORE LIVING IN THIS CITY IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS OR SO, 25 OR 30 YEARS.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU MIGHT JUST QUICKLY, FOR THE COUNCIL'S BENEFIT, MENTION SOME OF THE PARTICULAR ROADWAYS YOU MENTIONED TO ME.
HEUBNER CONNECTION, GOLD CANYON CONNECTION.
>> COURAGE: 281, HARDY OAK CONNECTION DOWN TO BLANCO TO SONTERRA.
GOLD CANYON CONNECTED TO 1604 UP TO BULVERDE ROAD.
THESE ARE ALL STREETS WHERE SECTIONS HAVE BEEN BUILT BUT THEY'RE NOT INTERCONNECTED.
AND SO YOU HAVE PEOPLE ALL PILING ON TO BULVERDE ROAD OR PILING ON TO, YOU KNOW, 281.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE JUST ISN'T AN EASY DIRECT WAY TO GET AROUND.
AND I KNOW THAT'S PART OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S THE CHOICES OF MODALITIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS PLAN THAT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE I THINK THEY'LL PROVIDE REALLY OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE.
THOSE WHO WANT TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO DRIVE ON HIGHWAYS.
THOSE WHO WANT TO GO AHEAD AND USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, MASS TRANSPORTATION.
THOSE WHO WANT TO HAVE UNIQUE WAYS OF THAT FIRST OR LAST MILE TO GET TO OR FROM WORK.
ALL OF THAT, I THINK, CAN BE -- AND IT'S INTENDED TO BE PART OF THE INTEGRATION OF WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THIS PLAN.
AND I THINK DEDICATED ROUTES IS REALLY A KEY.
IT'S A KEY FOR MASS TRANSIT, IT'S A KEY FOR THE ART AS A PROGRAM.
AND I THINK ALL OF US RECOGNIZE WE WEAVE THAT INTO OUR OWN SA TOMORROW PLAN, SOME KIND OF DEDICATED AVENUES FOR GROWTH.
WHILE I THINK THAT THIS IS CAPITALIZING ON THAT IDEA, THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO ENHANCE THE TRANSPORTATION ALONG WITH THE GROWTH THAT'S GOING TO GO IN THOSE AREAS.
BUT I HOPE ONE THING WE'RE NOT DOING IS GIVING UP ON HIGHWAY AND ROADWAY EXPANSION TODAY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT TODAY, BUT HOPEFULLY WHAT THAT WILL DO IS IT WILL DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OR EVEN ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR MORE HIGHWAYS IN THE FUTURE.
SO I KNOW PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT ARE GOING TO SAY DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE NOT GOING TO FINISH 1604? NO.
BUT THESE MAIN ARTERIAL WAYS OF MASS TRANSPORTATION, WE WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EXPANDING 1604 OR 281 OR BANDERA ROAD.
IT HAS A LOT OF GREAT POTENTIAL AND I HOPE THAT AS A COUNCIL WE SEE THAT POTENTIAL AND WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT POTENTIAL AND GET BEHIND IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
>> SALDANA: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND SECRETARY CISNEROS.
I WANT TO START BY SAYING HOW DISAPPOINTED I AM, BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, STAY UP TO SPEED WITH YOU.
AND THE FIRST TIME WE MET FOR CONNECT SA I FELT LIKE I HAD AN EDGE ON YOU.
I KNEW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH VIA.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE MPO, SAMCO.
[01:45:01]
TODAY I THINK YOU'VE SURPASSED THE KNOWLEDGE I'VE GAINED ON THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS WE HAVE AND WILL NEED FOR OUR SYSTEM.SO I CONGRATULATE YOU, BUT KNOW THAT I'M A CUT BELOW WHERE YOU BEGAN ON THIS, ON CONNECT SA.
>> SALDANA: I SAY THAT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT I HOPE FOLKS DON'T FEEL AS IF THIS PROCESS -- AS SOMEBODY WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE CONNECT SA, IS IN ANY WAY TRYING TO GUIDE THE HAND OF THE COUNCIL OR THE CITY BEFORE WE WEIGHED IN.
AND THIS IS A MASS EDITING PROCESS WHERE THERE'S GOING TO BE CROWD SOURCING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
EVERYBODY HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN ITS OUTCOME.
AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE FASTER THAN WE KNEW OUR COMMUNITY WAS READY TO KEEP UP WITH.
AND WE KNEW WE WANTED TO AT LEAST BEGIN THE CONVERSATION WITH A SKELETON AND A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
AND SOME OF THAT IS NEW IDEAS THAT OUR COMMUNITY JUST NEEDED TO BECOME AWARE OF.
AND WHILE BRT OR ART SOUND NEW TO SAN ANTONIO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TRAVEL VERY FAR TO KNOW THESE ARE OLD CONCEPTS THAT WORK WELL BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE.
YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR AHEAD OF MANY OF US WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING IN AND TALKING ABOUT HOW TO JUST BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION.
NOT TO PUT A PERIOD ON ANY DOT, DOT, DOT.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND BROADEN THE SCOPE OF FOLKS WHOSE VOICES ARE INVOLVED IN THIS.
LET ME MAKE ONE QUICK POINT, SECRETARY CISNEROS, AND IT'S A POINT THAT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN MADE, THAT I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE AND SAY IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
IN SOME CASES WE'RE HAMSTRUNG WITH REGARD TO THE FUNDING SOURCES.
IF WE DO GET MONEY FROM THE MPO THEY ARE TIED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND SOMETIMES THE FORMULA ON WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THAT FOR IS TIED TO THINGS LIKE CONGESTION.
AND SHE IS RIGHT TO POINT OUT THAT IN MANY CASES AREAS OF TOWN THAT INCLUDE THE SOUTH SIDE, HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF INVESTMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO JUMP HIGH ENOUGH TO MEET THE FORMULA THRESHOLD TO SAY WE HAVE ENOUGH CONGESTION TO BRING IN DOLLARS TO A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT OTHERWISE HADN'T SEEN THEM.
AND THE REASON I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER ON THE SOUTH SIDE, OR THAT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN BRINGS IT UP IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN PERHAPS, IN SOME CASES, THE LOSS OF DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOT COME AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS BEING MADE.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE SPURRING GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING TOWARDS 151 IN COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE'S DISTRICT, A TON OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING BROUGHT ON BECAUSE OF A $300 MILLION HIGHWAY INVESTMENT.
AND THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO US.
SO AS WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS EDITING PROCESS I THINK THE ONLY POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING THAT WE MAY BE COMING UP WITH FUNDING SOURCES YOU'VE OUTLINED THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE RESTRICTIONS ATTACHED TO THEM.
SO WE CAN BE MORE CREATIVE THAN THEY ARE WITH FEDERAL FUNDS AND NOT HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY GO TO SOLVE CONGESTION, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND BRINGING ON THOSE AUDIO].
SO LET'S BE FLEXIBLE WITH FLEXIBLE DOLLARS IF THAT IS WHERE WE END UP GOING WITH SOME OF THE RESOURCES.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL MADE THE POINT AS WELL, WHICH IS THE STATE MONEY TENDS TO BE FOR THE STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
THE FEDERAL MONEY TENDS TO BE FOR FEDERAL HIGHWAYS.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THE THINGS THAT MANY OF YOU WANT TO DO, WHICH ARE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY -- GREATER ACCESSIBILITY, WHICH REVOLVE AROUND PUBLIC TRANSIT, SIDEWALKS, MICROMOBILITY, AND SO FORTH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT POT OF MONEY.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF LOCAL MONEY THAT WE CAN UNLEASH.
THE DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY ARE POINTED TO DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS ON THIS GAME, ON THIS PROCESS.
>> SALDANA: WELL, SECRETARY, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND THE EFFORT THAT YOU POURED INTO THIS.
IT'S OBVIOUS YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH A LOT WHAT IS NECESSARY.
LET ME OUTLINE WHAT I THINK A VISION OF SUCCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
MAYBE A DECADE INTO THIS, MAYBE TWO DECADES WHEN WE CAN FINALLY MEASURE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO TODAY IF YOU WERE TO ASK A DEVELOPER, YOU WERE TO ASK SOMEBODY WHERE IT IS THEY WANTED TO MOVE INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE PERSON SELLING AN AREA WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE QUALITY OF SCHOOLS.
[01:50:02]
ABOUT EASY ACCESS IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ACCESS YOU WANT NEARBY WHERE YOU LIVE.IS BEING CLOSE ENOUGH TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, CLOSE ENOUGH TO A TRANSIT SYSTEM OR LINE THAT IS EFFICIENT, THAT IS QUICK, THAT GETS ME IN AND OUT OF WHERE I NEED TO GO.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU WILL TEND TO GO TO IN THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO WHEN IT IS SEEN AS A BENEFIT TO BE NEAR A BUS STOP.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE WANT TO GET TO.
AND IT'S A NEW CONCEPT FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DISCUSSING THOSE IDEAS.
LET ME JUST SAY, AND I'LL BE VERY BRIEF IN SAYING THIS.
AS A RESULT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT, WHICH I DIDN'T SEEK BUT AGREED TO DO.
>> I HAVE HAD TO STEEP MYSELF IN WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH RESPECT TO TRANSIT.
EVERY PROGRESSIVE CITY IN AMERICA, EVERY CITY WITH A SORT OF A POSITIVE ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY OR WANTING TO IMPROVE THEIR ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY, IS FOCUSING ON TRANSPORTATION.
AND YOU COULD GO FROM TAMPA, WHICH IS NOW JUST DECIDED TO DO ART.
TO MIAMI, WHICH JUST FUNDED A HUGE AND MASSIVE PUBLIC PROGRAM OF SALES TAX INCREASES FOR TRANSPORTATION.
MEASURE M IN LOS ANGELES, WHICH IS SORT OF THE MODEL OF HOW TO RAISE VERY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS AND DO IT EFFECTIVELY.
SEATTLE -- JUST GO AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO SAN ANTONIO CANNOT SIT BACK.
YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE, THE REALITY IS WE ARE GOING TO GROW.
WE ARE PART OF THE TEXAS TRIANGLE.
THAT WHOLE DYNAMIC IS UNLEASHED, WHETHER WE WANT TO OR NOT.
WE COULDN'T STOP THE GROWTH IF WE WANTED NOW.
REALLY, SORT OF BEING UNIMAGINATIVE IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION FOR US.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE THIS PROCESS WILL DO.
AND BEING UNWILLING TO CONSIDER WAYS, CREATIVE WAYS TO PAY FOR IT IS NOT AN OPTION.
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE IMAGINATIVE AND CREATIVE AND NOT HAVE SOME RESOURCES TO DO IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, SECRETARY CISNEROS, FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
AND ALSO, JANE -- I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S STILL HERE.
THERE SHE IS! WE JUST HAD LUNCH TODAY AND ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATION.
AND ALSO TO HOPE ANDRADE, JUST TO SAY THIS IS A BIG, BIG JOB.
I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT.
AND I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO OUR MEETING MARCH 5TH TO TALK SOME MORE.
I'D LOVE TO GET INVOLVED AND BE HELPFUL, AND CONSIDER ME A PARTNER.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE SIDEWALK ISSUE OVER ALL THESE YEARS.
I MIGHT JUST SAY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, HOPE LOST HER HUSBAND DURING THIS LAST FEW WEEKS.
SO SHE'S BEEN AT THE MEETINGS AND CONTINUED TO WORK THROUGH A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR HER.
AND SHE REALLY DESERVES ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
AND THANK YOU, SECRETARY CISNEROS, FOR ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT.
WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS, AND THAT OF HOPE AND JANE AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO REFLECT REALLY QUICKLY ON SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN SALDANA SAID WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT FORMULAS AND HOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ISSUE OF EQUITY IN OUR CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IS AN ULTIMATE EQUALIZER, IN MANY WAYS.
THIS PLAN IS ALIGNED WITH THE SA TOMORROW CORRIDORS, WHICH CONSIDERS ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CLIMATE NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE CITY.
SO, IN MANY WAYS, I THANK YOU, HENRY, FOR TAKING THE ASSIGNMENT.
I KNOW JUDGE WOLFF DOES AS WELL.
ELEMENTS IN IT, WHICH LED TO SA 2020, WHICH LED TO SA TOMORROW, AND NOW TO ALL THE DIFFERENT IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS FROM HOUSING TO CLIMATE TO TRANSPORTATION THAT WE'RE DOING.
I'M NOT SURPRISED YOU'RE MOVING IN SOME WAYS MUCH FASTER THAN ANYONE ANTICIPATED, ANTICIPATING THESE THINGS, BUT WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE, HENRY.
>> MAYOR, LET ME JUST SAY A COUPLE OF BRIEF WORDS.
THE FIRST IS I REALLY, AS MAYOR, NEVER WAS UNDERSTOOD FULLY THE DIMENSIONS OF TRANSPORTATION.
I FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
[01:55:02]
COUNCIL WHO GOT IT EARLY ON.HIS NAME WAS GLEN HARTMAN, AND HE'S THE PERSON WHO CAME UP WITH THE STRUCTURE TO CREATE VIA.
VIA DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE OUR COUNCIL IN 1977.
IT WAS THE SAN ANTONIO TRANSIT SYSTEM AND IT WAS A PURELY MUNICIPAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
VIA CAME UP WITH THE SALES TAX STRATEGY, REQUIRED LEGISLATION.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY BIG STEP FOR OUR CITY.
I WASN'T IN THE FOREFRONT OF THAT, I HAVE TO ADMIT.
BUT I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR TRANSPORTATION IS LIKE A PERSON'S JOB OR LIKE A PERSON'S EDUCATION OR LIKE A PERSON'S HOME, AN ELEMENT OF HOW YOU FUNCTION IN A MODERN AMERICAN CITY.
SO I'M ON BOARD TO TRY TO BE HELPFUL.
I MADE A STATEMENT IN THE PAPER AND I WANT TO JUST RESTATE IT FOR THE COUNCIL.
I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF RAISING CAPITAL FOR PUBLIC ISSUES THROUGH SIEBERT, CISNEROS, SHANK, AND WE HAVE CREATED A COMPANY TO RAISE PRIVATE CAPITAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT JUST TO ASSURE THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO OUR COMPANIES WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY PROJECT THAT COMES OFF OF CONNECT SA.
I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THE POSITION OF SOMEONE SAYING THE ONLY REASON THEY INCLUDED THAT ROUTE OR THE INCLUSION THEY'RE DOING IN THAT PROJECT IS BECAUSE CISNEROS EXPECTS TO BE INVOLVED SOMEHOW IN THE FUNDING OR FINANCING AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION.
I'M JUST MAKING THAT AS A BLANKET STATEMENT SO THERE CAN BE NO SUGGESTION OTHERWISE.
WE'RE DOING THIS AS A PUBLIC INTEREST PROPOSITION TO TRY TO GET THIS RIGHT FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SECRETARY, AND I LOOK
[2. Briefing and update on the implementation of a cite and release policy for eligible offenses. [Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager; William McManus, Chief of Police]]
FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL UPDATES.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SHERYL, ITEM 2.
>> SCULLEY: YES, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ALSO ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON IS A DISCUSSION AND A BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT THE CITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM FOR BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT COMMIT ELIGIBLE OFFENSES.
THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF STUDY OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE A TWO-PART PRESENTATION.
POLICE CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS WILL BEGIN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE WITH US OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, JOE GONZALES.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET EARLIER TODAY AND FURTHER DISCUSS THE PROGRAM.
WE ARE EXCITED THIS HAS GONE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE.
THEY HAVE CONSIDERED THIS AND ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM.
SO THIS AFTERNOON, AS I SAID, TWO-PART PRESENTATION BEGINNING WITH CHIEF MCMANUS AND FOLLOWED BY OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, JOE GONZALES.
SO WITH THAT, CHIEF, LET'S BEGIN.
AS SHERYL SAID, WE HAVE OUR DA WITH US TODAY, JOE GONZALES.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A FAIRLY SHORT PRESENTATION, BUT AT THE VERY END OUR DA IS GOING TO PICK UP AND EXPLAIN KIND OF THE BACKSIDE OF THIS PROCESS, WHICH ALL RESTS WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
>> CHIEF: IT'S NOT OFF TO A GOOD START.
SO THE AUTHORITY FOR CITE AND RELEASE COMES FROM CHAPTER 14 OF THE TEXAS PENAL CODE.
AND, IN SHORT, IT STATES THAT A PEACE OFFICER FOR SOMEONE WHERE AN OFFENSE HAPPENS IN A PARTICULAR COUNTY, CAN CITE THE PERSON WHO RESIDES IN THAT COUNTY RATHER THAN TAKE THEM BEFORE A MAGISTRATE.
SO AND THOSE ARE -- YOU CAN'T SEE THEM UP THERE, BUT THOSE ARE THE OFFENSES, AND I'LL SHOW THEM TO YOU FURTHER BACK IN THE PRESENTATION.
THOSE ARE THE OFFENSES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CITE AND RELEASE UNDER CHAPTER 14.
SO IN 2016 THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE SURVEYED AROUND 1300 POLICE
[02:00:01]
DEPARTMENTS.AND 87% OF THOSE 1300 POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE USING A CITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM.
DALLAS BEGAN ITS PROGRAM JUST OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND AUSTIN STARTED THEIR PROGRAM JUST ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.
AND THE WAY THE PROCESS STARTS IS IF A POLICE OFFICER STARTS WITH A CONTACT ON THE STREET, THE OFFICER CAN EITHER TAKE THAT PERSON BEFORE A MAGISTRATE AND CHARGE THE CASE THAT WAY.
OR THE OFFICER CAN CITE THE PERSON BY ISSUING A TICKET, IF THERE'S EVIDENCE, THEN THE EVIDENCE WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO THE SUBSTATION AND DEPOSITED IN A LOCKBOX, AND THE OFFICER, AFTER THAT'S DONE, WOULD BE BACK ON THE STREET AS OPPOSED TO A TRIP DOWN THE MAG'S OFFICE AND PROCESS THE PRISONER AND DOING THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED IN AN ARREST.
SO IT PUTS THE OFFICER BACK ON THE STREET IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
UNDER CHAPTER 14 THESE ARE THE OFFENSES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CITE AND RELEASE.
THE ONLY OFFENSE THAT WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE AFTER A CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE DA AND I WOULD BE GRAFFITI.
AND GRAFFITI HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THIS CITY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
A LOT OF MONEY IS SPENT ON IT AND THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST AND ANGER AMONG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TARGETED BY TAGGERS.
CLASS B MARIJUANA ARRESTS ARE ABOUT 50% OF THE ARRESTS MADE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CITE AND RELEASE.
SINCE 2014 THESE ARE THE STATISTICS THAT SHOW A BREAKDOWN OF ETHNICITY WHEN IT COMES TO ARRESTS FOR CLASS B MARIJUANA.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT FAIR TREATMENT, AND I THINK I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN SAYING I TRUST THAT OUR OFFICERS WILL NOT LEAN IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER DIRECTION MORE HEAVILY THAN ANOTHER, USING THE CITATION PROCESS VERSUS THE ARREST PROCESS, OR VICE VERSA.
SO WE HAD THREE MEETINGS TOTAL WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND ACTUALLY WITH THE DA.
IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY, EACH TIME WE GOT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ALONG IN THE PROCESS.
THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WITH THE DA CENTERED MORE AROUND THE BACK END OF THE PROCESS.
THE FRONT-END OF THE PROCESS -- AND I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE.
THE FRONT-END OF THE PROCESS WAS FAIRLY SIMPLE.
DISCUSSION ON WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CITATION IS ISSUED WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX THAN THE FRONT END.
AND THEN ON THE FRONT END, WE'VE GOT THE TRAINING FOR THE OFFICERS ON ISSUING THE CITATION, AS OPPOSED TO MAKING AN ARREST.
GENERAL MANUAL UPDATES, CITATION BOOK UPDATES, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ONLY THING THAT'S HANGING OUT IN THE BALANCE RIGHT NOW.
AND THE CREATION OF AN INFORMATION CARD WILL PUT THAT CARD OUT THERE AND ONLINE FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE CITED OR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN GETTING MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE LOCKBOXES AND THE CAMERAS INSTALLED HERE BEFORE THE PROGRAM IS READY TO BE KICKED OFF.
AND, WITH THAT, I'LL ASK OUR DA TO COME UP AND JUST TAKE OVER THE BACK END OF THE PRESENTATION HERE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
BEFORE I BEGIN TO EXPLAIN OUR PART OF THIS, I WANT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I WAS CONTINUE TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS A DUAL BENEFIT.
NOT ONLY DOES IT KEEP THE OFFICER ON THE STREET, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A BENEFIT TO THE TAXPAYERS AND THE CITIZENS OF BEXAR COUNTY, BUT, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT AVOIDS A POTENTIAL ARREST RECORD FOR THE CITIZEN.
SO I THINK THAT FOR THOSE OFFENSES, THAT CERTAINLY IS A BENEFIT TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT FINDS HIMSELF IN THIS SITUATION.
WHEN AN OFFICER MAKES THE DECISION TO CITE -- AND, BY THE WAY, CHIEF MCMANUS SAID THAT THE PERSON IS TAKEN BEFORE A MAGISTRATE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S DELAYS IN THAT PROCESS.
SOMETIMES AN OFFICER HAS TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE OTHER THINGS
[02:05:01]
THAT WOULD DELAY THAT, SO THAT WOULD CAUSE A CONSIDERABLE DELAY.BUT ONCE THE OFFICER MAKES A DECISION TO CITE THE INDIVIDUAL, THEN WHAT THAT OFFICER'S GOING TO DO IS ISSUE THE CITATION TO THE CITIZEN.
WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THAT CITIZEN TO SHOW UP AT THE REENTRY CENTER.
WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED A LOCATION.
WE NOW HAVE A HOME THAT'S 222 SOUTH COMAL.
THE CITIZEN IS GOING TO HAVE 30 DAYS IN WHICH TO REPORT.
ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INTAKE PROSECUTOR DO THE INTAKE OF THAT INDIVIDUAL AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT PARTICULAR PERSON REQUIRES SOME SORT OF SERVICES, EITHER IF THEY IDENTIFY A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, THEN WE MAY REFER THEM TO A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S A DRUG ISSUE, WE MAY SUGGEST DRUG TREATMENT.
OR SOMETIMES JUST PERFORMING COMMUNITY SERVICE.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE THEIR PART OF IT.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 90 DAYS TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO.
IF THEY CAN DO THAT AND THEY PRESENT PROOF THAT THEY'VE COMPLETED, THEN THAT'S THE END OF THAT.
THE CASE NEVER GETS FILED IN THE COURT SYSTEM.
THEY NEVER HAVE TO GO TO COURT.
THEY NEVER HAVE TO BE ON PROBATION.
THEY DON'T HAVE IT AFFECT THEIR LIVELIHOOD OR THEIR FAMILIES.
NOW, THERE'S A CONSEQUENCE TO THAT.
IF THEY IGNORE IT AND DON'T SHOW UP WITHIN THOSE 30 DAYS TO REPORT, OR THEY SHOW UP BUT THEY DON'T COMPLY WITHIN THE 90-DAY PERIOD, THEN THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT WE MAY FILE THE CASE.
THEY MAY END UP GETTING ARRESTED LIKE THEY COULD HAVE AT THE BEGINNING.
SO WE'RE GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO AVOID AN ARREST.
WE'RE GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO AVOID AN ARREST RECORD BUT THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR PART.
THIS, I BELIEVE, IS A GOOD THING FOR ALL INVOLVED.
I'M EXCITED TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM FOR ALL INVOLVED.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, AND I'M CERTAINLY AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
>> CHIEF: SO JUST TO CLOSE THIS OUT, THE ANTICIPATED START DATE IS IN APRIL, TIME IN APRIL.
WE WILL DEVELOP A PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN BEFORE WE START.
WE INTEND TO COME BACK WITH A SIX-MONTH REPORT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON OUR NUMBERS.
AND THEN PROVIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL ONCE WE DO HAVE SOME NUMBERS UNDER OUR BELT.
SO THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AS THE DA SAID, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF.
I THINK THIS IS A HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED MEETING, SO I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
ALSO THE PRESENCE OF OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
I'LL JUST START BY SAYING THAT MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT WAS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.
AND I WORKED AS A VOLUNTEER WITH FIRST-TIME JUVENILE OFFENDERS WORKING ON A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM AVOID, YOU KNOW, COURT AND LONG CRIMINAL RECORDS, OR THE BEGINNING OF ONE.
AND I FOUND THAT AN INCREDIBLY FULFILLING EXPERIENCE.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS THE PEOPLE WE WORKED WITH QUITE OFTEN GOT BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH LIFE IN A MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE MANNER.
SO I AM FULLY IN FAVOR OF A MORE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH TO THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
I THINK IT HAS BENEFITS, LARGE BENEFITS FOR A COMMUNITY SUCH AS SAN ANTONIO.
SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR TAKING THE LEADERSHIP, CHIEF.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> SALDANA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ONLY POSSIBLE AND SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE HAVE BOTH OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND CHIEF WORKING TOGETHER.
I'M SO GLAD WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH SOME CONFUSION ON THE FRONT END A YEAR AGO WHEN WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO COORDINATION.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR DA FOR BEING HERE.
WE WANT TO SEE THE COUNTY BE PART OF ANY COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT GOES BEYOND JUST CITE AND RELEASE.
SO I WANT TO THANK A FEW OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD ON EDUCATING ME ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, SA STANDS.
THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT FOR SPEAKING UP FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF STARTING A CRIMINAL RECORD THAT ULTIMATELY SNOW BALLS INTO BIGGER ISSUES FOR INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE REASON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CITE AND RELEASE TODAY IS TWO PRONGED.
[02:10:01]
INTEREST -- OR IF LIKE ME YOU HAVE BEEN ON A RIDE ALONG AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW THE POLICE OFFICER'S TIME IS VALUABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO MAKE A CALL, SOMETHING GOES THROUGH ON YOUR LAPTOP AND IT COMES IN AS A CASE YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE.WHEN YOU END UP HAVING TO GO TO THE MAGISTRATION AND DOWNTOWN, THAT COULD BE THE END OF YOUR SHIFT, DEPENDING ON THE CALL.
AND, FRANKLY, WHEN THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU MAY STOP IS A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR THE COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC, YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE MAGISTRATION PROCESS.
NOBODY IS SECOND-GUESSING THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO, AS SAPD OR BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS NEED TO REMOVE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE HARMFUL TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT WE'VE OUTLINED HERE IN THE CITE AND RELEASE ELIGIBLE CRITERIA ARE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE SOME MISTAKES WOULD NOT NEED TO HAVE TO GO INTO JAIL, TO THEN ULTIMATELY GO INTO A PROCESS WHERE YOU COULD COME RIGHT BACK OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE BAILING PROCESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME FOLKS TO COME RIGHT OUT, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO THANK ANOTHER PERSON HERE, COUNCILMAN CRUZ SHAW, WHO HELPED EDUCATE ME ON WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A VICTIM OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BUT TO BE A VICTIM OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND BE POOR, WHICH IS DRAMATICALLY MORE DETRIMENTAL TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BOND OUT.
IT MAY BE A MARIJUANA POSSESSION, IT COULD BE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
AND NEITHER OF THOSE, IN MY OPINION, ARE SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE YOU A THREAT TO MY COMMUNITY OR MY DISTRICT.
AND IF ANOTHER BY-PRODUCT OF THAT IS IS THAT WE ALSO GIVE OFFICERS BACK THEIR TIME, EVEN BETTER.
I WANT TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION, CHIEF.
TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS, IF I'M EXPLAINING IT TO MY COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, IF I'M AT A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CAN I TELL THEM THEY HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH CITE AND RELEASE IF THEY HAVE EVER BEEN TICKETED FOR SPEEDING? THAT THAT IS A CITE AND RELEASE OFFENSE?
>> SALDANA: AND I WOULD TELL THAT COMMUNITY MEMBER HAVE YOU EVER BEEN STOPPED FOR GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT OR RUNNING A STOPLIGHT AND YOU GET AN OFFICER WHO STOPS YOU AND CITES YOU THERE AND TELLS YOU THERE'S AN OBLIGATION ON YOUR END THAT YOU NEED TO SHOW UP TO PAY THE TICKET OR DISPUTE THE CLAIM.
THAT'S SORT OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE ARE OUTLINING HERE, BUT WE'RE EXPANDING IT TO A FEW OTHER COMPONENTS.
JAYWALKING, TICKET FOR JAYWALKING, SAME DIFFERENCE.
>> SALDANA: AND SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBER MIGHT THEN RESPOND WITH, YEAH, BUT THAT'S ME WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET, OR THAT'S ME WITH A SPEEDING VIOLATION OR JAYWALKING.
IN THEIR HEAD THEY MIGHT BE GOING TO MORE EXTREME CRIMINAL OFFENSES THAT THEY MAY BE PONDERING THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING HERE.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES HERE AND WHAT YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE ON WHETHER THESE FOLKS ARE THREATS TO SOCIETY.
>> CHIEF: WELL, THERE'S ONLY -- THE ONLY OFFENSES ELIGIBLE -- THERE'S NO CRIMES OF VIOLENCE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE.
I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT THAT.
>> CHIEF: MARIJUANA CLASS B, CLASS C.
THEFT OF SERVICES, CLASS C, CLASS B.
AND DRIVING WITH AN INVALID LICENSE.
>> SALDANA: SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO ASK STUFF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THIS ALLOWS PUBLIC SAFETY TO BE AT RISK.
IT'S THE OPINION OF 87% OF OTHER CHIEFS AND DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN.
IT'S THE OPINION AND ALSO THE TRACK RECORD OF OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE USED THIS.
>> CHIEF: AND THE DISCRETION THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE IS ALSO SOMEWHAT OF A GUARANTEE OF THAT.
IF AN OFFICER BELIEVES THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE ARRESTED IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION WHERE A CITATION COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED, THEN THAT OFFICER WILL MAKE THAT ARREST.
>> SALDANA: IN THE SCENARIO WHERE YOU MAYBE HAVE A PERSON DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE BUT HAS, YOU KNOW, POSSESSION OF A FIREARM THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE, YOU DON'T DISREGARD --
>> SALDANA: THE MORE EXTREME CASE.
YOU WILL BE TAKEN INTO JAIL AND ARRESTED IN THAT CASE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT COULD BE INSTANCES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE WHO CAN NOW BE CITED ON SCENE, LET THE OFFICER GO BACK TO THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE TO SHOW UP AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OUTLINED BY OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
>> SALDANA: I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO WORK WITH THE CHIEF TO JUST TALK THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT THROUGH SOME COMMITTEES.
I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WHO, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS.
THE EASY PART IS SAYING LET'S DO CITE AND RELEASE.
THE HARD PART IS IMPLEMENTING AND GETTING THE INSTRUCTS -- STRUCTURE TOGETHER.
[02:15:02]
ATTORNEY COMMITTED TO THIS ISSUE.LET ME JUST REFLECT QUICKLY ON THE EXAMPLE I HAVE IN MY OWN DISTRICT OF ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS HELPED ME, WHO IS ANONYMOUS BUT HE'S A PERSON WHO, YOU KNOW, JUST RAN INTO SOME MISTAKES IN SOME WAYS UNRELATED TO ANY CONTROL IN WHICH HE HAD THAT THIS PERSON IS SOMEBODY WHO, YOU KNOW, SEXUALLY ABUSED AT A YOUNG AGE AND DROPS OUT OF SCHOOL, ENDS UP GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE WRONG CROWD, GETS CAUGHT WITH MARIJUANA AND DRUGS.
AND THEN BECAUSE SHE ALSO IS POOR, STAYS IN JAIL AND GETS EVEN MORE AFFLICTED WITH THE TRAUMA OF BEING IN JAIL LONGER THAN POTENTIALLY SHE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE.
IN AN EVENT LIKE THAT I CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF AFFECT THAT HAS ON THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES, YOUNG PEOPLE THAT BEGIN A CRIMINAL RECORD REALLY BASED ON SOMETHING THAT IS AS SIMPLE AS A CITABLE OFFENSE THAT MIGHT HAVE AT LEAST BROUGHT THAT PERSON BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY.
AND IF IT IS NOT JUST BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IT IS GETTING THEM INTO THE DA'S HANDS AND THEIR PROCESS.
BECAUSE THIS IS A PERSON THAT NEEDS HELP.
AND IF THE ONLY THING WE'RE DOING IS SETTING UP AN ASSEMBLY LINE TO PUT POOR PEOPLE IN JAIL THEN WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES IF WE HAVEN'T BUILT THAT BACK END INTO A PROCESS THAT HELPS PEOPLE.
WE DO BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF REHABILITATION AND SECOND CHANCES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WILLING TO SAY AND ADMIT THEY HAVE DRUG DEPENDENCY PROBLEMS, ISSUES WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT CAUSES THEM TO DO THINGS THAT THEY OTHERWISE WOULDN'T.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF CITY I THINK WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTER THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS.
BUT IN SOME WAYS ALSO PROVIDES A PATH AND AN AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO NOT COMPLETELY DESTROY THEIR LIVES, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
>> CHIEF: THERE'S CLEARLY TWO VALUES HERE.
THERE'S THE VALUE TO THE TAXPAYER, WHICH KEEPS THE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET AUDIO] WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> HALL: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU, DISTRICT ATTORNEY GONZALES.
FIRST LET ME APPLAUD COUNCILMAN SHAW FOR INITIATING THIS AND DRIVING HAPPENS AUDIO].
FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS DONE A LOT OF LAW AND LEFT THE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE COMMUNITY WORK AS AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE FOCUSED ON THE JUVENILE SIDE, I THINK IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIM, NUMBER ONE, BUT ALSO IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIS COMFORTABLENESS WITH THIS WHOLE CONCEPT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO APPLAUD HIM WHEREVER HE IS TODAY.
I DO LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT THE MAYOR USED OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
AND I THINK THAT'S SO TRUE FOR SO MANY YOUNG KIDS, PARTICULARLY MINORITY KIDS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATISTICS, THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT DISTURBING TO ME ON THE ARREST SIDE.
THERE'S ONE GROUP, AFRICAN AMERICANS, THAT TEND TO BE OVERREPRESENTED.
ANOTHER GROUP THAT TENDS TO BE UNDERREPRESENTED, AND ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S RIGHT ON PAR WITH THE POPULATION LEVEL.
BUT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY MINORITY KIDS THAT GET TAGGED FOR WHAT COULD BE MINOR INFRACTIONS, THAT FOLLOW THEM THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, IT'S OFTEN A CHALLENGE.
AND IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS, I GUESS, MORE SO WITH MINORITY KIDS THAN OTHERS.
SO THIS GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GET OUTSIDE OF THAT CYCLE AND GIVE THEM ANOTHER WAY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR ME, THIS IS A MONEY ISSUE.
WHEN WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES I'D RATHER USE THOSE LIMITED RESOURCES FOR THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER IN A BIG WAY AND IMPACT.
I JUST GAVE AN INTERVIEW ABOUT A COUPLE MURDERS AND A COUPLE OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN MY DISTRICT, IN A PARTICULAR AREA IN MY DISTRICT.
AND SO I WOULD RATHER UTILIZE OFFICER TIME, JAIL TIME, AND OTHER SORTS OF TIME FOR THOSE VIOLENT CRIMES, THOSE ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON FAMILIES, ON SAFETY, ET CETERA THAN SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD PROBABLY CONTROL IN OTHER WAYS.
AND SO THE CITE AND RELEASE, FOR ME, I THINK IS A BIG STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO TOO FAR THE OTHER WAY.
WHERE WE'RE CITING AND RELEASING AND ALLOWING, I GUESS, A LOWER THRESHOLD OF PUNISHMENT THAT WE MOVE TOWARD AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT.
IF THAT HAPPENS, AND I'M SURE THIS COMMITTEE AND THE REPORTING AND SO FORTH WILL KIND OF GAUGE US ON THAT.
BUT IF THAT BEGINS TO HAPPEN I'LL BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO SAY, HEY, LET'S TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AT THIS POINT I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE IT A CHANCE AND IT WILL WORK IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT
[02:20:01]
WAYS.ON THE POINT THAT COUNCIL MAN SALDANA MADE, IT'S HUGE.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT THE COUNTY AND CITY HAVE TO WORK ON TOGETHER IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE DONE CORRECTLY AND DONE WELL.
AND WHEN EITHER PARTY, OR EITHER ENTITY IS NOT ONBOARD, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
SO FOR THE CHIEF, AND THE D.A.
TO BE ABLE TO MEET ON THIS, NUMBER ONE, BUT WILLING TO MEET CONSISTENTLY GOING FORWARD IS A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I HOPE -- ON BOTH SIDES, THE CITY SIDE AND COUNTY SIDE, CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN.
WHEN I GRADUATED FROM LAW SCHOOL IN 2000, I HUNG OUT MY SHINGLE, AND WITH A BRAND-NEW SHINY LICENSE, I WENT TO THE COURTHOUSE AND LIKE A LOT OF JUNIOR LAWYERS, YOU GO AND KNOCK ON ALL THE JUDGES' DOORS AND SAY, PLEASE GIVE ME A CASE.
WHAT THEY USUALLY APPOINT YOU ON IS A CASE LISTED HERE ON CHAPTER 14.
AND YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CASE.
ALMOST ALWAYS THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE ARRESTED FOR.
THEN YOU TRY TO TALK THEM INTO A PLEA BARGAIN.
ONE THING THAT ALWAYS STRUCK ME IS THAT THERE WASN'T HERE IN SAN ANTONIO A RACIAL DISPARITY.
IT WAS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ENDED UP GOING TO COURT FOR THIS ARE POOR PEOPLE.
AND REMEMBER, I WENT TO TRINITY, AND I WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ALL THAT, AND SOME OF US HERE DID, TOO.
IF YOU GO TO COLLEGE IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU'VE SEEN PLENTY OF MARIJUANA.
IF YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO SMOKED IT, OR YOU MAY HAVE SMOKED IT YOURSELF, OR YOU'VE SEEN IT, RIGHT? AND YET IT'S A LOT OF THESE POOR FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY BEAR THE BRUNT OF THAT ONE MISTAKE, THAT A LOT OF WEALTHY KIDS MAKE.
AND WHO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF PARENTS WHO CAN GET THEM AN ATTORNEY AND TALK SOMEBODY OUT OF PROCESSING THE CASE, OR GETTING THEM ALL THE WAY TO SOME KIND OF CONVICTION.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT IS I WENT INTO PRIVATE -- I WENT INTO SOME BIG COMPANY, AND STARTED DOING A LOT OF THEIR LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW AND I GOT TO SEE IT FROM THE FLIP SIDE.
I HAD TO SIT DOWN WITH THE HR MANAGERS AND RISK MANAGERS AND LAWYERS AND WE WOULD LOOK AT APPLICATIONS, AND EVERYBODY AROUND THE ROOM WOULD SEE ON THE BACKGROUND CHECK, POSSESSION OF A SUBSTANCE, POSSESSION OF AN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE, WE DON'T WANT THEM.
WE WANT TO INQUIRE FURTHER INTO THAT HUMAN BEING.
ALL YOU SAW WAS THAT POP OUT, AND THEN YOU WOULD CHOOSE THE PERSON WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT ON THEIR RESUME, RIGHT? OR IN THEIR BACKGROUND CHECK.
WHAT WE WERE DOING IS DENYING POOR PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIFT THEMSELVES UP SIMPLY BECAUSE THE POLICE OFFICER DIDN'T HAVE THE DISCRETION TO NOT ARREST ON THAT DAY, RIGHT? SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A D.A. BACK THEN WHO SAW MUCH VALUE IN DOING THIS CHAPTER 14 PROJECT.
CHIEF, AS YOU KNOW, I CAME INTO THIS OFFICE, ONE OF THE FIRST RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE IS WE ASKED YOU, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS.
AND I THOUGHT I WAS BEING VERY INNOVATIVE, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT SHIRLEY GONZALES IS ASKING THIS AS WELL.
YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, EXCEPT WE'VE GOT A D.A. NOW DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR IT.
WE CONVENED A MEETING AND WHAT EVERYBODY READ IN THE NEWSPAPER WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT MEETING IS TRUE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT IS, OUR FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY DECIDED TO ANNOUNCE A PILOT PROGRAM, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PILOT PROGRAM, IT REALLY IS LIPSTICK ON A PIG.
THEY REALLY DID NOTHING, IT'S A COSMETIC PILOT PROGRAM.
THE EXPRESS NEWS CAUGHT THEM DOING THAT.
AND THERE'S A REASON THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
AND THE REASON IS, BECAUSE I THINK AS SAN ANTONIO REALIZED THAT JOE WAS EARNEST WHEN HE SAID, SERIOUSLY, WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS.
AND THANKS TO TOP AND THANKS TO MOVE, WE'VE GOT A D.A. WHO, IN MY EYES, AND THE EYES OF MY CONSTITUENTS, IS VERY COMPASSIONATE.
THIS IS A PROGRAM OF COMPASSION.
WITH THAT, CHIEF, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I'M SURE IF I LIVED IN ANOTHER CITY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CHIEF WHO WOULD EMBRACE THIS.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE SENIOR LEADERSHIP IN THE PD TO EMBRACE THIS.
AND JOE, ON BEHALF OF A LOT OF POOR KIDS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IN TROUBLE HAD YOU NOT WON THIS ELECTION, THANK YOU.
THIS IS VERY MEANINGFUL, YOU REALLY ARE SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES.
YOU'RE HELPING FOLKS BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL DESPITE ONE BONEHEADED MISTAKE THEY MAY HAVE MADE WHEN THEY WERE 18.
CHIEF, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
[02:25:03]
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THEFT OF SERVICE MEANS?IF YOU'RE SITTING IN A REST RESTAURANT, YOU DECIDE THAT YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE PAYING FOR THE MEAL AND YOU BOLT OUT THE DOOR, OR FINAGLE YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR AND YOU GET CAUGHT, THAT'S A THEFT OF SERVICE CHARGE.
YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO GO BACK TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND REASSURE THEM, THIS ISN'T SHOPLIFTING.
THIS IS THE KID THAT WALKS HIS BILL, HIS RESTAURANT BILL.
>> THEFT IS INCLUDED ON HERE, THOUGH.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THEFT OF SERVICE?
>> CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR ME, PLEASE?
>> IT'S THEFT AND THEFT OF SERVICE?
>> SO THIS IS GOING TO INCLUDE SHOPLIFTING?
>> UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS A CLASS C SHOPLIFTING ANYWAY.
>> SO WHAT IS THE AMOUNT FOR CLASS B? JOE, THIS IS A QUIZ.
SO IT'S $500 OF THEFT? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, I APPRECIATE THE TIME, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
I THINK THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS, WHEN WE EXPLAIN THIS, AS THEY READ IT IN THE NEWSPAPER, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND I KNOW THAT A KEY INGREDIENT TO THIS IS THE DISCRETION THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE POLICE OFFICER CAN USE IN MAKING A DECISION WHETHER TO CITE AND RELEASE, OR WHETHER TO ACTUALLY ARREST.
I WAS WONDERING, DOES THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE D.A.'S OFFICE AT THE REENTRY CENTER HAVE DISCRETION, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY NEED TO BE THERE IN 30 DAYS? WHAT IF SOMEBODY SHOWS UP ON DAY 31? AND WASN'T THERE WITHIN THE 30 DAYS? DO THE INTAKE PEOPLE AT THE CENTER HAVE THE DISCRETION TO SAY, OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCESS YOU? OR IF THEY HAVE 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE SOMETHING, BUT 92 DAYS LATER THEY COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, I'VE COMPLETED IT, IS THERE DISCRETION TO STILL CONTINUE, OR IS IT GOING TO BE A HARD AND FAST RULE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND?
>> COUNCILMAN, THIS IS A BRAND-NEW PROGRAM.
WE'RE GOING TO BE REASONABLE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
IF THEY COME IN THE 31ST DAY, WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND WORK WITH THEM.
IF THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IT, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY CAN'T GET IT DONE AND THE 90TH DAY IS TODAY OR TOMORROW, WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THEM.
IT'S THE P EARN THAT TOTALLY IGNORES IT AND DOES NOT MAKE ANY EFFORT TO TRY AND COMPLY.
CERTAINLY WE'LL TRY AND WORK WITH THEM.
>> COURAGE: THAT'S MY OTHER QUESTION, IS THERE A PLAN FOR DEALING WITH REPEAT OFFENDERS?
>> AT SOME POINT WE'VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE GIVING SOMEBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO AVOID WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS, AND SO THIS ISN'T TYPICALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PAST.
SO AGAIN, THE OFFICER'S GOING TO HAVE THE DISCRETION TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON THE STREET.
IF THEY HAVE SOMEONE THAT THEY'RE ENCOUNTERING THAT HAS A SUBSTANTIAL CRIMINAL RECORD, MAYBE IT'S SOMEONE THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY, THE OFFICER HAS THE DISCRETION TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CITE THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT'S A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THEY CAN TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
>> COURAGE: I GUESS WHAT I WAS THINKING, MAYBE THIS IS SPECULATION, BUT A YOUNG PERSON MIGHT GET ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA NEXT WEEK, BUT THEN 18 MONTHS FROM NOW, THEY MAY STILL BE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, THEY GET ARRESTED THEM.
ARE WE GOING TO THROW THE POOK AT THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS THE FIRST TIME? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS PROBABLY GOING TO OCCUR.
AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT MAY CONTINUE TO BE FAIR, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THE INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO NOT REOFFEND.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO CREATE THAT INCENTIVE.
THE QUICK ANSWER IS, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY HARD AND FAST RULES.
WE'VE GOT KIND OF A GUIDELINE THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, 30 DAYS TO REPORT, THE 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, BUT WE'LL TAKE IT ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
IF THE REASON IS THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY BECAUSE OF CHILD CARE ISSUES OR BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK OR THEIR SCHOOL, THAT THEY JUST CAN'T GET IT DONE IN 90 DAYS, WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO WORK WITH THEM.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
[02:30:02]
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES?>> GONZALES: I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR MOVING THIS ALONG SO QUICKLY.
WE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A REAL RECEPTIVE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNCIL.
THERE WAS A LOT OF AND OFTEN REFERRED TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAD ISSUES WITH ADDICTION AS A MORAL FAILURE, AND THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A DIFFERENT KIND OF ISSUE, AND I THINK IN A VERY SHORT TIME WE HAVE CHANGED OUR OPINION ABOUT DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION, AND INCARCERATION, AND WHAT THAT DOES TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SEEM TO HAVE HAD A REAL SHIFT IN THAT THINKING AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IT DID SEEM TO BE VERY TARGETED AT POOR PEOPLE.
AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A CHANGE IN THAT.
AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE REGARDING MARIJUANA, CITE AND RELEASE, BUT THE WAY THAT THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S FUNDING ADDICTION IS CHANGING AS WELL.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF REHABILITATION EFFORTS.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TO GIVE HELP TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE SUFFERING.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR CAMPAIGNING ON THAT ISSUE AND EXECUTING IT.
I THINK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
JANUARY 1ST, I THINK YOU TOOK OFFICE, AND HERE WE ARE JUST ABOUT A MONTH LATER SEEING THIS COME TO FRUITION.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR KIDS.
I THINK IT COULD BE REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE FOR OUR YOUTH.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S -- THIS WAS ALSO NOT PRESENTED BEFORE WHEN WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
THE EQUIVALENT OF 700 OFFICER POSITIONS ANNUALLY, WHICH AMOUNTS TO ROUGHLY $700,000 OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET THAT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS, IF THE OFFICERS ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME, YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS OTHER THAN WRITING CITATIONS.
SO THERE'S A DOLLAR AMOUNT EQUATED WITH THAT AS WELL THAT I DIDN'T SEE HERE, I DON'T THINK.
BUT WE KNOW THAT UNIFORMED OFFICER COSTS THE CITY AROUND $100,000 A YEAR.
AT LEAST IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THEIR TENURE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
CHIEF, WHEN THIS WAS BROUGHT UP TO THE SAFETY COMMITTEE, I TALKED ABOUT DATA, AND HAVING DATA TO SHOW, IS THIS BEING EFFECTIVE OR IS IT NOT.
I STILL DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT FROM ANY OTHER CITY OR ANY KIND OF PROJECTIONS.
>> PERRY: I STILL HAVE THAT CONCERN.
AND WHEN I TALKED LAST TIME, I TALKED ABOUT OUR CITIZENS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY PAY TAXES.
AND PART OF THAT TAX COMES OUT OF OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND I'M -- I KNOW THAT I HAVE TALKED TO MY FOLKS IN DISTRICT 10, AND THERE'S NOT -- THEY WEREN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
THE ISSUE OF THE TICKET VERSUS BEING ARRESTED FOR THEFT OF PROPERTY, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T -- THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL VERY SAFE AND SECURE BY KNOWING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS JUST ISSUED A TICKET.
ALONG WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN -- STUCK WITH PAYING THE BILL FOR WHATEVER IT IS TO BEGIN WITH.
SO THERE'S SOME TREPIDATION ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD DATA FROM OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE DONE THIS.
SO THAT WE COULD SEE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A REDUCTION IN CRIME, AND NOT AN INCREASE.
YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE CONSTRUED AS TO ANYBODY IN THE CITY, OH, WELL, WE'LL JUST GET A TICKET FOR THAT, I'M GOING TO GO OUT AND DO WHATEVER.
SO THAT WAS MY WHOLE POINT ON GETTING THE DATA FOR THIS, TO SUPPORT THIS.
AND I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH THIS, THAT WE'RE TELLING OUR TAXPAYERS OUT THERE, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO LET THIS GO, WE THINK IT WILL WORK, YOU KNOW, IT'S
[02:35:03]
GOING TO SAVE POLICE OFFICERS' TIMES AND PUT THEM BACK ON THE STREETS.YOU KNOW, THAT DID NOT GO OVER VERY WELL IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
IF IT DOES, I REALLY HOPE THAT THE DATA AND STATISTICS ARE GOING TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD HERE.
TO SHOW THAT THERE ISN'T AN INCREASE IN CRIME, AND WE ARE SAVING THOSE OFFICER POSITIONS, AND WE'RE GOING TO SAVE MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO I HOPE THE DATA BEARS THIS OUT.
BUT I'VE GOT FOLKS IN DISTRICT 10 THAT AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
>> JUST TO MAKE A COUPLE POINTS.
NUMBER ONE, WE ARE CURRENTLY ISSUING CITATIONS FOR THEFT, SHO SHOPLIFTING, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING THAT ANYWAY.
AND NUMBER TWO, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY MEANT AS A CRIME REDUCTION PROGRAM.
IT'S SIMPLY MEANT TO KEEP MORE -- FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, IT'S MEANT TO KEEP POLICE ON THE STREET MORE THAN INSIDE DOING PAPERWORK, OR WAITING FOR PAPERWORK TO BE SIGNED BY A MAGISTRATE OR WHATEVER.
SO WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT IN ESSENCE.
WE'VE JUST SIMPLY EXPANDED IT TO A CLASS B FROM A CLASS C, BOTH IN THE DRUG AREA AND THE THEFT AREA.
SO IT'S NOT -- IT'S A DIFFERENCE, BUT WITH NOT MUCH OF A DISTINCTION.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT ANYWAY.
AGAIN, THE DATA I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS.
BUT YEAH, IT DID NOT GO OVER VERY WELL IN DISTRICT 10.
AND YOU NEED TO COME UP THERE ANYWAY, AND TALK ABOUT THIS.
>> PERRY: BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAVING TIME WITH POLICE OFF OFFICERS, TO ME, THERE SHOULD BE SOME COMMENSURATE REDUCTION IN CRIME BECAUSE YOU'RE KEEPING THOSE POLICE OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREET, RIGHT?
>> I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
OFFICERS CAN BE ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS, DOING OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT.
SO THE CONNECTION BETWEEN -- BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT ON THE STREET MORE, THERE'S GOING TO BE A REDUCTION OF CRIME, IT DEPENDS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT PUTTING SOME METRICS TOGETHER ON THAT, CHIEF.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCIL MAN TREVINO.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CRUZ SHAW.
I WANT TO TACKLE SOMETHING, THAT I SENSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ABOUT THIS, TOO, BECAUSE I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, IN THE CITE AND RE RELEASE, IT'S NOT ABOUT REDUCING THE LEVEL OF OFFENSE, RIGHT?
>> TREVINO: IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A CLASS B OFFENSE A CLASS C OFFENSE.
>> TREVINO: I BRING THAT UP, WHEN WE USED THE EXAMPLE OF THE TRAFFIC TICKET EARLIER, IT'S NOT THE SAME.
I THINK THE POINT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO -- YOU CITE SOMEBODY, THEY STILL HAVE TO APPEAR FOR COURT.
SO THERE'S STILL SOME LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THAT.
>> TREVINO: I THINK THIS HELPS TO ANSWER COUNCILMAN PERRY'S QUESTION, AT LEAST AS I INTERPRETED PART OF THAT, IN TERMS OF SOMEHOW WE'RE REDUCING THE LEVEL OF PENALTY, OR HOW DO I SAY THAT, THE TYPE OF CRIME THAT IS BEING CITED, IS THAT CORRECT?
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT.
TO THAT POINT, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT IS THAT WE'RE ALLOWING OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO GET BACK TO WORK, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN PROVIDE A BETTER WAY TO INTAKE SOME OF THESE FOLKS, BUT I WANT TO BRING UP THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER IN ALL OF THIS? WHO CAN SPEAK TO THAT?
>> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW? WE'RE DEDICATING IT LATER THIS WEEK.
[02:40:01]
AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER, THE GARRETT CENTER, THAT WE PUSHED HARD FOR.I THINK IT'S A GREAT AREA TO BE LOCATED.
BUT I THINK I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PROGRAM AND THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER WOULD WORK HAND IN HAND.
WOULD ADD TO THIS -- BUT THERE MAY BE SOME PROGRAM OR DIRECTION FROM THE INTAKE CENTER FOR THE CITE AND RELEASE TO DO SOMETHING AT THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT CENTER.
BUT THEY'RE SEPARATE AND APART.
>> COULD I -- GO AHEAD AND FINISH.
>> NO, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE ANY -- THERE'S NO DIRECT CONNECTION NOW.
MAYBE FOR THE DISCUSSION OR FOR --
>> I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
>> ABSOLUTELY, COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE RIGHT ON TARGET.
BECAUSE WE CAN COORDINATE AND GIVE ALTERNATIVES, AS SOMEONE APPEARS, AND THEY'RE GIVEN SOME GUIDANCE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON.
THAT IS, HOW TO HELP A CHILD WHO MAKES A MISTAKE, GET BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH.
SO I VIEW THE PROGRAMS AS COMPLEMENTARY.
THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A DIRECT LINKAGE AS THE CHIEF SAID, BUT THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY, BECAUSE WE CAN ADD THAT OPPORTUNITY IF THEY DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL TO COMPLETE A GED OR GET BACK INTO SCHOOL, GET INTO A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND GET THEM ON TO A CONSTRUCTIVE PATH.
OUR GOAL IN YEAR ONE AT THE REENGAGEMENT CENTER IS TO HELP 600 YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE FIRST YEAR.
SO THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY LINKED, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US FOCUS ON TRYING TO CREATE SOME OF THAT CONNECTIVE TISSUE, AND WE'RE ALSO GRATEFUL.
I KNOW THE FOLKS OVER AT WEST END ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THESE PROGRAMS RIGHT THERE AT THE CENTER, AND JUST REFINISHED ITS REMODELING.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT GROUNDBREAKING AS WELL.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE DEALS WITH HOMELESS.
SO WE HAVE A TOOL WE USE A LOT CALLED A CRIMINAL TRESPASS AFFIDAVIT, AND THAT'S A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR.
>> THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF OFFENSES.
>> TREVINO: SO WE WOULD TAKE THEM TO JAIL?
>> UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE RESTRICTED BY THE TYPE OF OFFENSES THAT ARE ENUMERATED IN CHAPTER 14 IN THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.
HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CAN'T OFFER THAT SORT OF SERVICE TO A -- TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AGAIN, IF THE OFFICER MAKES THE DECISION TO NOT CITE AND RELEASE, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, OR BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONE OF THESE OFFENSES, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR PROSECUTORS OR MAGISTRATES CAN'T REVIEW THIS AND IMMEDIATELY RECOMMEND A PR BOND, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH MIGHT HAVE THE SAME EFFECT.
IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS REQUIRED TO BE IN COURT, WE COULD CERTAINLY OFFER THE SAME SORT OF A BENEFIT.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, WE'RE LIMITED BY THE TYPE OF OFFENSES.
>> YOU KNOW, BEING VERY, VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE'RE TREATING PEOPLE WITH LITTLE TO NO MEANS.
THERE'S NO MORE VULNERABLE POPULATION THAN THE HOMELESS.
>> TREVINO: I GUESS I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT ABOUT THIS.
BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SOME DEGREES IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE APPLIED.
I HOPE WE DON'T CREATE AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE.
I THINK THIS IS IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT, BUT LIKE WITH ANYTHING, I KNOW THAT THERE'S JUST GOING TO BE SOME THINGS WE'VE GOT TO WORK THROUGH.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK, CHIEF, AND OUR D.A., THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOE.
ALSO, SPECIFICALLY COUNCILMAN CRUZ SHAW.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A WORLD I TYPICALLY AM TOO SAVVY ABOUT, BUT I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING A LOT ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESS ISSUES.
AND WE DO HAVE TOOLS THAT HELP
[02:45:02]
US HELP THE COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS, BUT I'D LIKE TO MAYBE CREATE A BETTER BALANCE IN HOW WE APPROACH THIS.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
>> VIAGRAN: I THINK I'LL JUMP OFF ON THAT NOTE.
I THINK SHERYL, ERIC, AS WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS HOMELESSNESS, AND HOMELESSNESS, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN THIS BALANCE THAT WAS MENTIONED.
BECAUSE I'M GETTING CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MY OFFICE ABOUT THE CORNER OF SOUTHEAST MILITARY AND GOAL YAD, AND THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CENTER THERE.
EVERY DAY MY RESIDENTS ARE ASKING ME, WHY IS THAT STILL THERE, AND THE SETTLEMENT STILL THERE.
AND THERE'S AGGRESSIVE PANHANDLING, AND THERE'S FRUSTRATION.
AND THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE.
I THINK THE CITE AND RELEASE POLICY IS ABSOLUTELY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHERE WE NEED TO GO, SO I'M VERY EXCITED, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WERE MENTIONING EARLIER, AND WHAT JUDGE SHAW MENTIONED EARLIER AND HOW HE PUT THIS FORWARD, THIS IS WHY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT PEOPLE'S LIVES AREN'T RUINED FROM THE OUTSET MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE OF A SMALL MISDEMEANOR.
ANOTHER -- AND CHIEF, I AM JUST GOING TO NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND HAVE REALLY OUR DIG-DEEP INTO THIS, AND HAVE YOU ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ONE-ON-ONE, BECAUSE I NEED THAT CLARIFICATION AND MORE ASSURANCE MENTIONED WHAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ BROUGHT UP ABOUT THEFT, AND JUST THEFT, AND IF IT'S 500, AND IF THERE ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, UP TO STEALING OVER AND OVER $300, A PURSE HERE, A THIS THERE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST COVER AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH OUR BASES.
AND I SEE HERE, TOO, THERE'S AN ANNUAL REPORT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS IN OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE?
>> YES, MA'AM, WE'LL BRING YOU THE NUMBERS -- WE'LL BRING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I THINK IT'S AFTER THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE'LL BRING THE REPORT TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THE NUMBERS.
>> GONZALES: THAT'S IMPORTANT, WHERE WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IS THIS ADDRESSING THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THIS CITE AND RELEASE POLICY.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, OR OTHER THINGS, I DO WANT TO HAVE MORE CLARITY FROM YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCIL MAN BROCKHOUSE?
>> BROCKHOUSE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND FOR CONTINUALLY COMING BACK TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ABOUT IT AS WELL.
THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR HIS WORK AS WELL, WE APPRECIATE IT.
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, I TOLD YOU THAT DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY CONCERN, I GUESS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WAS FAILURE TO APPEAR, RIGHT? ARE WE EXACERBATING -- I WOULD MOST CONCERNING PIECE.
I DON'T THINK A RESIDENT -- COUNCILMAN PERRY HAS SOME GOOD POINTS ABOUT THE CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS.
WHEN I TALK TO A RESIDENT, I SAY, LOOK, I'M NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THE FIRST OFFENSE, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FAILURE TO APPEAR, AND THEY TAKE SERIOUSLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM, THAT'S THE PERSON I WANT TO MAKE SURE GOES AWAY, RIGHT? THE ONE THAT CONTINUALLY COMES BACK WITH THESE, AND DOESN'T WANT TO GO TO LESSONS, NEVER APPEARS, RACKS UP WARRANTS AND BECOMES SOMETHING FURTHER THAN THAT, THEY GET CAUGHT DOING SOMETHING AND THEY GET A CITATION, AND THEN THEY APPEAR AND IT'S HANDLED, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD HOPE FOR IN THE PROCESS.
AND THE OFFICER IS BACK OUT ON THE STREET.
I ALSO THINK IT'S GOOD TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT AN OFFICER'S DISCRETION IS A GOOD THING.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THE OFFICER TO HAVE THE DISCRETION TO MAKE A CHOICE.
I THINK OFTENTIMES WE SEE OFFICER DISCRETION AS A NEGATIVE LIKE, OH, MAN, IT'S TOUGH TO WEAR THE BADGE, RIGHT? YOU SEE PEOPLE ON THEIR WORST POSSIBLE DAYS.
SO I THINK OFFICER DISCRETION IN THIS CASE IS A GOOD THING.
AND IF YOU'RE CITING SOMEBODY, AND THE LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS ARE PROVEN OUT, MY CONCERN IS REPEAT OFFENDERS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH THAT THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS FAILURE TO APPEAR FOLKS WHO CONTINUE TO GET CITED FOR LOW-LEVEL, AND
[02:50:03]
THEY NEVER SHOW UP.IF WE CAN TRACK THAT AND SAY, THESE FOLKS ARE BACK ON THE STREET, YEAH, HAD A LITTLE BIT OF MARIJUANA ON HIM BUT HE SHOWED UP, TOOK CARE OF IT.
GRADUATED, MOVED ON, OR WHATEVER THE STORY WAS.
LOOK, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF REHABILITATION AND SECOND CHANCES.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
AND GET THE OFFICERS BACK ON THE STREET LOOKING FOR REAL CRIMINA RESIDENTS IN DANGER.
AND I AM GLAD YOU DID INCLUDE GRAFFITI.
I COULD NOT SELL THIS AND SAY, OH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO TICKET THE GRAFFITI.
I'M GOING TO GET THE GRAFFITI, IT'S ON.
WE'RE ALL IN TROUBLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT GRAFFITI.
OF COURSE, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GANG RELATED PIECES.
OFFICER PULLS UP, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO TELL IF THERE'S MULTIPLE CITATIONS?
>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED, AT LEAST WITH THE D.A.
FIGURING THAT THERE IS A WAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A CASE THAT WAS DEFERRED, OR CITED, RATHER THAN ARRESTED.
SO WE'VE GOT TO NAIL THAT DOWN ON OUR SIDE, FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
BUT WE BELIEVE, AT LEAST THROUGH DISCUSSION, THAT THERE IS A WAY.
>> BROCKHOUSE: THAT WOULD BE GOOD, IF THE OFFICER KNOWS THEY'RE CITING HIM AND SEE, HEY, THIS IS 13 OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE A SERIOUS ISSUE.
THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD WANT, WE DON'T WANT MULTIPLE OFFENSES OF FAILURE TO APPEARS ON CITE AND RELEASE ITEMS. AT SOME POINT IF IT'S THEIR EIGHTH TIME AND IT'S A CITE AND RELEASABLE ITEM, THAT THE OFFICER HAS THE TOOLS TO SEE SEVEN BEFORE THAT, I WANT THEM TO GO IN.
THINK THAT THROUGH, SO THAT MULTIPLE OFFENDERS ARE IDENTIFIED.
AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT, IF THERE'S A MORE FORMAL WAY THAN JUST FIGURING OUT HOW TO GO BACK THROUGH THE REPORTS TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT MY DISCUSSIONS IN ROLL CALL WITH THE OFFICERS IS THAT I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY WOULDN'T KNOW THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN CITED IN THE PAST.
AND DISCUSSIONS BEFORE OUR NEW DA D.A. CAME IN IS, NO, WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT.
AND I KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE OFFICERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH IT FIRSTHAND.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I APPRECIATE IT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE SECOND-CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES.
I EVEN TALK ABOUT THIRD CHANCES.
AS LONG AS PEOPLE FIGURE IT OUT AND LEARN IT, I THINK WE GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY, THERE'S NO HARM IN SECOND CHANCES.
AND I SEE THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY AS LONG AS WE USE IT IN THE RIGHT MANNER.
AND THE CITIZENS WILL UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR PUSHING IT FORWARD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE.
>> PELAEZ: I FORGOT, CHIEF, I HEARD FROM TWO CONSTITUENTS SAYING, OKAY, SO CITE AND RELEASE IS JUST DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN SAN ANTONIO.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THAT COMES UP AGAIN, I'LL SAY, NO, I ASKED THE CHIEF TO HIS FACE, RIGHT? AND I ASKED THE D.A. TO HIS FACE, IS IT DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN SAN ANTONIO?
SO PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL OUT THERE BUYING WEED AND GROWING WEED, BEWARE, IT IS STILL VERY MUCH ILLEGAL.
>> IT'S STILL JUST AS DANGEROUS DOING IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
>> SALDANA: JUST TO PROLONG THIS FOR A FEW MINUTES.
DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT SLIDE 5? I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT, AND EXPLAINING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE WHEN THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN ON THIS, OR THE REPORT WAS DONE ON THE NEWS, FOLKS WILL HAVE TWO THINGS WHEN THEY GO AWAY FROM IT THIS THEY LEARN NOTHING ELSE, THEY'LL THINK ABOUT CITE, AND RELEASE, IT'S NOT SO MUCH CITE, BUT THE RELEASE.
THE LANGUAGE RELEASE SOMETIMES SCARES FOLKS.
THEIR IMAGE OF SOMEBODY COMING BACK OUT THAT SHOULDN'T.
>> SOMEONE IN MY OFFICE STATED VERY SUCCINCTLY, AND I WON'T USE EVERY WORD THAT THEY USED, BUT THEY STATED VERY SUCCINCTLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CITE AND RELEASE IS, ONE, WE TAKE YOU TO THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE.
WE ARREST YOU AND TAKE YOU TO THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE.
THE OTHER ONE, THE CITE PART, WE WRITE YOU A TICKET AND YOU GO ON YOUR WAY.
>> I WAS THINKING ABOUT COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT OF THIS CONCERN AND RISK.
IF IT BEARS OUT TO BE TRUE, IF
[02:55:01]
WE IMPLEMENT A CITE AND RELEASE AND CRIME WHIPPED UP, I'M SURE FOLKS WOULD BE UP IN ARMS ABOUT THAT.THE WAY I SORT OF LOOK AT THIS, AND I'M EXPLAINING TO MY COMMUNITY IS IT IS CITE AND THEN REQUIRE.
BECAUSE WE ARE REQUIRED FOR FOLKS TO COME RIGHT BACK, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD -- I'M SORRY I USED THE TRAFFIC TICKET ANALOGY, BUT I THINK IT'S THE MOST COMMON.
THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY TO GO BACK AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.
IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING FOR ANY OF THESE CASES.
IN EFFECT, YOU COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE CITE AND RELEASE TODAY BUT ONLY ELIGIBLE TO FOLKS WHO CAN AFFORD IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, WHICH IS THE STATUS QUO PIPELINE OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENS TO YOU IF YOU'RE ARRESTED, YOU GO TO IMAGINE STRAGS, YOU GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, AND AT THE END OF IT, IF YOU'VE GOT THE MEANS, YOU BOND OUT AND YOU'RE RELEASED IN TWO OR THREE HOURS.
IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE IMPLEMENT CITE AND RELEASE, AND THAT CRIME WOULD GO UP, THE OTHER -- WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING IS IT WOULD GO UP BECAUSE POOR PEOPLE WERE ELIGIBLE FOR CITE AND RELEASE.
THAT'S NOT A BELIEF I THINK IS CONSISTENT WITH ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S STUDY OR ANECDOTES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS STREAMLINING THE PROCESS.
AND IN EFFECT, WE'RE GETTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF OFFICER TIME IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT, 25 MINUTES VERSUS AN HOUR AND A HALF.
IN AN HOUR AND A HALF YOU'VE STILL GOT THE FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED WHEN THEY BOND OUT.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS IS DOLLAR SONS IN THE CASES OF SOME INDIVIDUALS.
>> WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO IT NOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD MAKE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CITING AND RELEASING PEOPLE FOR THE LISTED OFFENSES, AND CRIME GOING UP.
I DON'T MAKE THAT CORRELATION.
MURDER, ROBBERY, RAPE, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO INCREASE BECAUSE WE'RE CITING PEOPLE FOR MARIJUANA AND THEFT AND THEFT OF SERVICES? I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MAKE THAT CORRE CORRELATION.
>> SALDANA: I THINK THE TERM THAT I WOULD USE WHEN DESCRIBING RELEASE MEANS, YOU'RE CITING AND REQUIRING.
THE PROCESS THAT YOU GO BY FOR ANY CITATION.
IN THIS CASE, THE WAY YOU REDUCE AND DRIVE DOWN CRIME IS IF THESE FOLKS DON'T BECOME REPEAT OFFENDERS, RECIDIVISM RATE FOR WHETHER IT IS ANY ONE OF THESE CASES, ARE ACTUALLY TREATED IN SOME WAY, THAT'S WHY I'M HARPING ON THE D.A. FILLING IN THE BACK END PIECE HERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LEARN THROUGH THE DATA, AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THE PILOT ROLLING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
I DID MENTION, I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO COUNCILMAN SALDANA AND COUNCILMAN SHAW FOR HELPING ON OUR END OF THINGS FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, CHIEF, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING UPDATES ABOUT IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I ALSO FAILED TO RECOGNIZE, WE HAVE A MAYOR IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, MAYOR.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MANNY PELAEZ.
SO WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE AND SING HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THEN WE'LL RETREAT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
āŖ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU āŖ āŖ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, DEAR MANNY āŖ āŖ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
[Executive Session]
āŖ THERE IS CARROT CAKE IN THE EXECUTIVE ROOM.THE TIME IS NOW 5:08 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2019.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, PURSUANT TO CODE SECTION 551.071, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ATTORNEY AND DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.072, REAL PROPERTY, LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO CODE 551.071, AND CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY IN LITIGATION MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.071.
CONSULTATION WITH THE ATTORNEY, INCLUDING JOHN MCJILTON VERSUS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO,
WE'LL BEGIN OUR CEREMONIAL AGENDA.
THERE IS REALLY ONLY ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING FOR CEREMONIALS.
THE CITY COUNCIL RECONVENED FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, NO ACTION WAS
[Ceremonial Recognitions]
TAKEN.WE'LL RECONVENE AFTER THE BUSINESS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA.
THIS EVENING IS THE FIRST OF OUR
[03:00:02]
AWARD CEREMONY FOR THE COMPASSIONATE SAN ANTONIAN AWARDS.WE HONOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS W, AND IT'S TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTS OF KINDNESS AND COMPASSION, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
RESIDENTS WHO HAVE PERFORMED GOOD DEEDS AND HAVE IMPACTED THE LIVES OF OTHERS IN A POSITIVE WAY WILL BE RECOGNIZED.
AND OF COURSE, THERE IS A NOMINATION FORM ON THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE IN WHICH THE NOMINEES WERE SUBMITTED.
SO WE HAVE NINE FOLKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO AWARD TONIGHT, WHO WERE SUBMITTED.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CALL UP ONE AT A TIME, AND AFTER I ANNOUNCE THE PERSON, WE'LL TAKE SOME PICTURES.
WE'LL INVITE THE FAMILY MEMBERS TO COME UP AS WELL TO TAKE ADDITIONAL PICTURES AND THEN WE'LL GO DOWN THE LIST.
THE FIRST NOMINEE IS JUANITA CASTILLO, NOMINATED BY HER DAUGHTER FOR HER STRONG FAITH AND COMMITMENT TO SELFLESS COMPASSIONATE EFFORTS MOST NOESTLY WITH THE SAINT VIN TENT DEPAUL ORGANIZATION.
MISS KACASTILLO EMBODIES COMPASSION ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> I WANT TO THANK MY DAUGHTER FOR NOMINATING ME.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR SECOND AWARDEE IS JESSICA CRAVEN.
IN 2015, MISS CRAVEN FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT BENJAMIN'S RIGHT HAND, WHICH PROVIDES EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL FAMILIES WITH A LOSS OF A CHILD.
THEY HELPED FAMILIES IN THEIR TIME OF NEED.
>> WHAT AN HONOR TO IS TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
ALONG WITH OTHERS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND IMPACTING OTHER LIVES.
I WANT TO GIVE ALL THE GLORY AND ALL THE HONOR TO GOD.
WITHOUT HIM, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE.
I WANT TO THANK SOME OF MY FAMILIES THAT I'VE HELPED, THAT CAME OUT HERE TODAY, TO STAND BY ME.
I WANT TO THANK ANNETTE FOR NOMINATING ME.
[03:05:34]
[APPLAUSE]>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR THIRD AWARDEE IS MISS VERONICA HAYWOOD, THE CO-FOUNDER OF LATCHED SA, A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PROMOTING AWARENESS OF BREAST-FEEDING AND SUPPORTING HEALTHY BEGINNINGS FOR MOTHERS AND BABIES.
SHE USES HER OWN TIME AND RESOURCES TO PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY FOR FAMILIES OF LOWER INCOME LEVELS.
CONGRATULATIONS, MISS HAYWOOD.
>> I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND CONGRATULATING ME ON CONTINUING TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY.
I'M SO THANKFUL FOR MY DEAR FRIEND CODA FOR NOMINATING ME.
IT'S FRIENDS LIKE HER WHO KEEP ME MOTIVATED TO MAKE A CHANGE IN MY COMMUNITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR FOURTH AWARDEE IS SISTER DENISE LA ROCK, ALY REGARDED MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
SISTER LA ROCK COORDINATES THE BUS STATION MINISTRY OF THE INNER FAITH WELCOME COALITION.
SISTER LA ROCK HAS IMPACTED THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF REFUGEE FAMILIES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, HAS INSPIRED COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS WITH THE IMPACTS SHE MAKES EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SISTER LA ROCK.
>> SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FAN CLUB.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE POLICIES, AND PROTECTIONS YOU SEEK TO MAKE FOR THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING ASYLUM.
AND FOR THE IMMIGRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS ERIC MASEASA, A VALUED LEAD AND ADVOCATE IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
HE SELFLESSLY RESPONDS TO MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OTHERS BY PROVIDING SAFE PLACES AND FACILITATING SUPPORT GROUPS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND CONGRATULATIONS, MR. MASEAS.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
THANK YOU TO BRAD FOR THE NOMINATION.
IT'S VERY, VERY HEARTWARMING TO KNOW THAT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY HAS A PLACE TO BE AUTHENTIC AND OUR GENUINE SELVES.
[03:10:02]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS SUZANNE MARTINEZ, AN AMAZING PROFESSOR AND ADVOCATE FOR HUR STUDENTS, MOST NOTABLY IN THE AREAS OF LGBTQ AND IMMIGRATION RIGHTS.
MISS MARTINEZ HAS MADE AND CONTINUES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN COUNTLESS LIVES WITH HER KIND AN NON-JUDGMENTAL SUPPORT AND LOVE.
CONGRATULATIONS, MISS MARTINEZ.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS CARMEN RAMIREZ MEDINA, MISS MEDINA WAS NOMINATED WHEN HER -- HER NOMINATOR LEARNED ABOUT HER HEROIC ACTIONS LAST MONTH.
MISS MEDINA IS AN SAISD BUS DRIVER WHO DEMONSTRATED SELF-COURAGE BY SPRINGING INTO ACTION TO STOP A DOG ATTACK ON A CHILD AND BRINGING THE CHILD TO SAFETY.
MISS MEDINA, I WAS SITTING NEXT TO MY WIFE ON THE COUCH WATCHING THE STORY WHEN YOUR STORY CAME UP.
AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS REALLY MY WIFE WHO SAID, WE HAVE TO NOMINATE MISS MEDINA.
SO CONGRATULATIONS FOR ALL YOUR COURAGE AND WORK, MISS MEDINA.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, I'M HONORED TO BE AROUND AMAZING PEOPLE LIKE THIS.
I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE JUST FROM THE HEART AUTOMATICALLY.
AND MY HEAVENLY FATHER PUTS ME EXACTLY WHERE HE NEEDS ME, AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS.
[03:15:06]
[APPLAUSE]>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS CHRISTINE ORTEGA, NATIONALLY CELEBRATED EXPERT IN EDUCATION, CULTURE, BUSINESS AND LATINO CULTURE, WHO SERVES AS A MENTOR TO OTHER YOUNG LEADERS.
SHE HAS A ROLE IN -- AUDIO] -- TO HAVE A ROLE MODEL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THROUGH DNA TESTING, I LEARNED THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO AND THIS REGION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR LITERALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
SO TODAY AS I RECEIVE THIS AWARD, IT REALLY FEELS LIKE A REFLECTION, AND A CONNECTION TO ALL THOSE VALUES FROM MY ANCESTORS, TO MY FAMILY, TO MY FRIENDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO THIS BODY WHO DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND CREATES THESE AWARDS.
AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THE VALUES THAT ARE FROM THIS COMMUNITY.
AND REALLY THAT ALLOW ME TO DO THE WORK THAT HELPS OTHER GROUPS, BOTH HERE IN TEXAS, IN THE UNITED STATES, AND NOW INTERNATIONALLY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
OUR FINAL AWARDEE THIS EVENING IS PETER ROBINSON.
MR. ROBINSON WAS NOMINATED FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND BEING A WONDERFUL NEIGHBOR.
MR. ROBINSON USES HIS OWN RESOURCES TO TAKE CARE OF LAWNS AND PURCHASE BIRD BATHS AND BIRD FEED FOR NEIGHBORS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE MEANS.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING A GREAT NEIGHBOR, MR. ROBINSON.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CARMEN FOR NOMINATING ME.
THEY HELP ME KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION BOBBY.
[03:20:12]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
WE'LL NOW RECOGNIZE COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS.
>> VIAGRAN: I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL.
WHAT I JUST SAID RIGHT NOW ON THE DAIS, IS THIS MAKES MY HEART HAPPY.
THIS MAKES ME SO PROUD OF OUR CITY.
AND YOU ARE CITIZENS, AND YOU ALL IN YOUR WORK AND YOUR COMPASSION THAT YOU EXERCISE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO YOUR NEIGHBORS, TO PEOPLE IN NEED, TO OUR COMMUNITY, IT MOTIVATES ME AND ENCOURAGES ME TO CONTINUE TO MOVE ON AND DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY HEART HAPPY.
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS OVER AND OVER.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU.
I WANT TO SAY WELCOME TO OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME, OR IF YOU COME HERE VERY OFTEN, WE ON THE COUNCIL COME HERE ONCE A WEEK, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER.
THE IDEA AND SPIRIT OF IT BEING THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER IS PEOPLE COME HERE WHO ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
THE FACT WE GOT TO SHARE WIN YOR STORIES, YOUR EFFORTS, AND SISTER LA ROCK, STORIES LIKE THAT, THESE ARE GIANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE CAPACITY AND HEIGHT OF THIS CEILING, I'M SURPRISED REALLY FITS IN CAPACITY TO THE STORIES AND INVOLVEMENT AND POWERFUL, EVEN AS NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, THE KIND OF COURAGE AND STORY THAT YOU PUT INTO SAN ANTONIO EVERY DAY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
BECAUSE IN MANY CASES, WHAT WE DO IS WE SCROLL THROUGH NEWSFEEDS, READ HEADLINES, THEY'RE NOT THE MOST EXCITING OR ENCOURAGING OF UPDATES.
BUT TODAY YOU REALLY DID A GREAT SERVICE IN REMINDING US HERE AT THE COUNCIL WHAT IT MEANS TO SEE REGULAR SAN ANTONIANS DOING GREAT WORK.
WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT YOU SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WITH US HERE TODAY.
COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR ALLOWING US TO BRING EVERYONE FORWARD AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU DO IN THE CITY.
LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, WE ARE OFTEN -- WE DON'T GET TO HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT THE ACTS OF KINDNESS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING EVERY DAY, AND IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COME DOWN.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO GET DOWNTOWN FOR SOME OF YOU, AND FIND PARKING AND ALL OF THAT, SO I THINK IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE, I HOPE, FOR YOU ALL, AND GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THIS CITY.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOUR COMPASSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ADOPTED THE MANTRA COMPASSION OF THE CITY.
I WANT TO SAY AGAIN, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU.
REALLY ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, YOUR COMPASSION IS TRULY, TRULY APPRECIATED.
>> EVERY DAY I GO HOME AND MY CHILDREN GREET ME BECAUSE I'VE ASKED THEM TO GREET ME THIS WAY.
BECAUSE I GREET THEM THE SAME WAY.
I SAY, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD.
SOMETHING GOOD THAT HAPPENED TO YOU TODAY.
AND TOO OFTEN I TELL MY CHILDREN, OH, YOU KNOW, TODAY WAS A ROUGH DAY, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TO CITY HALL, THEY WERE FIGHTING AND COMPLAINING, AND VERY RARELY DOES ANYBODY EVER START A CONVERSATION WITH A COUNCILMAN WITH THE WORDS, I'VE GOT GOOD NEWS.
BUT TODAY, I'M SO EXCITED, I GET TO GO HOME AND TELL MAX AND SOPHIA THAT I GOT TO MEET SOME HEROES, AND SOME REAL SAN ANTONIANS WHO JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND I'M SO PROUD TO BE YOUR NEIGHBOR, FOLKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOU REALLY REPRESENT THE BEST OF US, THE BEST OF SAN ANTONIO.
IF YOU EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP UP AS YOU HAVE BEEN, PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND REMIND YOUR NEIGHBORS, WE'RE ALL PART OF THE SAME COMMUNITY, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE AS INVOLVED AND AS COMMITTED AS YOU ARE.
[03:25:01]
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING THANK YOU TO A FEW PEOPLE.
FIRST I WANT TO THANK SARAH MCLORNEN IN MY OFFICE WHO HELPED COORDINATE THIS, WHAT IS NOW A CITYWIDE PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE COMPASSION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL REFER BACK TO THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL HAD.
IT WAS NOTABLE BECAUSE THAT -- THIS COUNCIL ON THAT DAY CHOSE TO SUPPORT A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED THAT WAS NOTABLE THAT DAY IS THAT WE ALSO CHOSE TO ADOPT THE CITY'S CHARTER FOR COMPASSION, WHICH I THINK IS STILL FOUNDATIONAL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT DRIVES THE CITY EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.
AND IT'S MANIFEST IN THIS AWARD TONIGHT.
THERE IS ONE ORGANIZATION IN TOWN THAT HAS BEEN ON THIS AGENDA FOR THE LAST DECADE, AND FINALLY SAW IT COME TO FRUITION ON THAT DAY, AND THAT IS THE PEACE NISH YEAH NIF.
I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THE PEACE INITIATIVE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT.
I HOPE THIS MAKES YOU VERY PROUD.
THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY DOING THIS PROGRAM.
I'M GLAD IT'S FINALLY COME HOME TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND IT'S A RECOGNITION OF WHAT THAT CHARTER MEANT, THAT COMPASSIONATE SA IS NOT JUST A HASHTAG, NOT JUST A SLOGAN, IT'S A VALUE WE GET TO LIVE OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND IT RANGES FROM THE VERY STUNNING ACTS OF KINDNESS WE SAW FROM MISS MEDINA TO THE SIMPLE ACT OF BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR LIKE MR. ROBINSON EXEMPLIFIED TONIGHT.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT THOSE ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT YOU SEE ON A DAILY BASIS.
DON'T HESITATE TO CALL OUT ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS FOR BEING ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT.
GO TO THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE AND NOMINATE SOMEONE YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN SPEND ENOUGH TIME LAUDING THE WORK OF NEIGHBORS JUST LIKE THE ONES YOU SAW TONIGHT FOR BEING KIND AND COMPASSIONATE AND GREAT SAN ANTONIANS.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU TONIGHT FOR HELPING US KICK OFF THIS VERY VALUABLE PROGRAM.
[APPLAUSE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.