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GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION, UH, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALANI WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:10 PM THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
UH, OUR BRIEFING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SITE AND RELEASE, AND ALSO AN UPDATE AND BRIEFING ON CONNECT SA.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET US STARTED ON THE CONNECT SA PORTION.
AS WE KNOW, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, ROUND FIVE YEARS NOW, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATIONS TO GROWTH, INCLUDING THE IMPACTS ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
UH, BEGINNING WITH SA TOMORROW IN A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION, UH, 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 PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WHICH HAS WORKED ON REGIONAL MOBILITY PLANNING FOR QUITE SOME TIME IN THEIR REGIONAL MOBILITY PLAN.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LAND USE STRATEGIES THEY'RE IN WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
THAT WAS PART OF SA TOMORROW, UH, NELSON WOLF COUNTY JUDGE AND I STOOD UP CONNECT SA, WHICH IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, MEANT TO INTEGRATE ALL THESE EFFORTS AND ULTIMATELY LEAD US TO A CITIZEN DRIVEN AND VOTER APPROVED MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE.
THE TRI CHAIRS, UH, I THINK TWO OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY TO BRIEF US ON, UPDATE US ON CONNECT SA STRATEGIES, AND THAT IS, UH, OUR FORMER SECRETARY HENRY CISNEROS, AS WELL AS JANE MACON IS HERE.
HOPE ADE, I DON'T BELIEVE IS WITH US TODAY, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND NOW TURN OVER, UH, THE FLOOR TO HENRY AND, UH, HE'LL GET US STARTED.
UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE COUNCIL UP TO DATE ON THE WORK THAT, UM, CONNECT SA HAS DONE TO THIS POINT.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH ABOUT HALF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INDIVIDUALLY.
OTHERS, WE'VE HAD SCHEDULED GLITCHES BETWEEN US AND SO FORTH, BUT IT'S MY INTENT TO BE AVAILABLE TO EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER ON A, UM, ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS TO DESCRIBE THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN.
TODAY IS A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE FRAMEWORK AS WE'VE LAID IT OUT WITH THE COOPERATION OF ALL OF THE, UM, MOBILITY RELATED, UH, ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN.
AND TO BEGIN TO LAY OUT A FRAMEWORK THAT DEALS WITH SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN PAY FOR A, UH, 21 YEAR 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, UH, 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 A HUNDRED MEETINGS, UH, BY THE TIME WE MEET, UH, AND HAVE TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT, EVERY COMMISSIONER'S PRECINCT, UH, WITH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AT YOUR GUIDANCE, UH, WITH TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES FOR EVERY POSSIBLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS WE'RE HOLDING INDIVIDUALLY.
I'M MEETING LATER THIS WEEK WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, SOME OF THE SCOOTER ADVOCATES, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AND SO BY THE END OF THE PROCESS, UH, THE PLAN MAY NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY.
THERE WILL BE MANY INPUTS, AND THOSE INPUTS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE PLAN.
AND IN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE WILL DO IN THAT PROCESS IS SORT OF REFINE WHAT ARE THE FUNDING OPTIONS? WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS THAT MAKE THE MOST SENSE? SO, BEFORE I GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS WHO
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IS PRESENT, JANE MACON, TO PLEASE COME FORWARD.SHE'S VERY FAMILIAR TO SAN ANTONIO CITY GOVERNMENT IN THAT SHE WAS OUR CITY ATTORNEY IN SAN ANTONIO FOR A DECADE OR MORE, AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER IN THIS PROCESS.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR 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 POINT TO ANOTHER POINT, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE TO GET A FRAMEWORK THAT REALLY WORKS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER AND ALL THE STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT WORK.
UM, THE OTHER CO-CHAIR IS NOT WITH US TODAY, HOPE ANDRE, BUT WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER AS A CO-CHAIR.
AS YOU KNOW, HOPE TRANSPORTATION CREDENTIALS ARE VERY DEEP, INCLUDING HAVING SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND ALSO, UH, 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.
UH, AND I STAND READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT SPEAKS TO THE PARTICULAR SLIDE WE'RE ON, PLEASE.
UH, WITH THE MAYOR'S, UH, PERMISSION, I'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
UH, BUT OTHERWISE, UH, 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 IN INDIVIDUAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT THE MOBILITY NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS.
THIS IS A GRAPHIC THAT DESCRIBE, 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 2040.
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 TIMEFRAME, UH, 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, UH, MOBILITY PLANS LIKE THE MOBILITY 2040 PLAN OF THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION OF THE SA TOMORROW PLAN, WHICH FOCUSES ON A WHOLE RANGE OF INTEGRATION OF TRANSPORTATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER THINGS AND OTHER, UH, SUCH AS THE VISION, UH, PLAN, AND, 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.
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 A HUNDRED MEETINGS FORTHCOMING.
SO, IT IS OUR INTENT TO REALLY GENERATE COMMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
IT IS, 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 MICRO MOBILITY, HEAVY EMPHASIS ON BICYCLES AND SCOOTERS AND WALKABILITY, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT THREADS A NEEDLE IN THAT WAY.
IT'S BALANCED, BUT IT ALSO THREADS A NEEDLE IN THE SENSE THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BUDGET LIMITATIONS.
WE CANNOT JUST THROW EVERY INNOVATION IMAGINABLE AND EXPECT SOMEHOW EVERYONE'S GONNA PAY FOR IT.
WE ARE ALREADY PAYING LESS THAN MOST CITIES FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION, LOWER SALES TAX ALLOCATIONS TO VIA THAN MOST CITIES HAVE LOWER GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES IN TRANSPORTATION THAN MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE, EVEN PER CAPITA, NOT JUST TOTAL VOLUME.
SO THIS PLAN CANNOT BE JUST EVERY IMAGINABLE THING AND FIGURING OUT SOMEHOW LATER
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HOW TO PAY FOR IT.THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO WAS TO LAY OUT WHAT THE FUNDING OPTIONS ARE, SO IT'S COST-EFFECTIVE, AND AT THE SAME TIME, ASPIRATIONAL IN THE SENSE THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BUILD A BETTER MOBILITY SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH THE, WITH THE POPULATION THAT'S COMING AND AVOID SERIOUS CONGESTION GOING FORWARD.
SO THIS PLAN LOOKS BEYOND LIGHT RAIL AND TOLL ROADS.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE LIGHT RAIL, AND THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE TOLLS.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE QUESTION PERIOD.
IT EMBRACES MOBILITY TO INCLUDE EVERY CONTEMPORARY OR NEAR FUTURE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.
IT WILL MAKE ALL OF OUR DAILY MOBILITY ACTIVITIES MORE SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO ALREADY HAS AN OZONE ISSUE, AND WE DON'T WANNA 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 ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT, OR BETTER BUS NETWORK OR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, OR THE APPLICATION OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES OR MICRO MOBILITY SUCH AS THAT.
AS I'VE MENTIONED, BICYCLES AND, UH, SCOOTERS.
BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE, AND THE THING IS TO MAKE THEM MORE AVAILABLE, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND APPLY THE TECH, THE, THE, THE, THE STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES 'EM, UH, MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO USE THEM IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.
THAT LEADS US THEN FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TRIP TO THE COMMUNITY MOBILITY PLAN.
AND IT 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 CON MEANING PUTTING EVERY MODE CLOSER TO MORE SAN ANTONIANS, CONNECTING TO THE JOB CENTERS, INTEGRATING MOBILITY NETWORKS SO THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO GO SEAMLESSLY FROM ONE MO MODE TO ANOTHER, LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY.
YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
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.
UH, 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 DO PRACTICALLY BETWEEN 2019 AND 2025.
SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT IN TIME IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING TERMS, IT'S TOMORROW.
SO THIS PLAN STARTS WITH OFFERING THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO A STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES SOME, SOME WAYS TO PAY FOR THINGS, BUT IN A MOMENT, YOU'LL HEAR THE WORDS 25.
THERE ARE 25 INITIATIVES THAT WE PROPOSE BE PUT IN PLACE BY 2025 IN PHASE ONE.
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.
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 GONNA BE AVAILABLE OR HOW MUCH FEDERAL MONEY MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT WE, WE, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LAY OUT THAT ENTIRE PERIOD.
ONE OF THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS PLAN IS THE INCLUSION OF WHAT IS CALLED ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT, ALSO CALLED B R T OR BUS RAPID TRANSIT.
BUT WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, IT'S A NEW KIND OF BEAST.
AND THAT IS RUBBER TIRED BUSES WITH MULTIPLE, UH, CARS STRUNG TOGETHER, RUNNING ON DEDICATED LANES, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT 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 TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, OF PER PER SQUARE MILE, I MEAN PER, PER A LINEAR MILE, UH, TO PUT IN TO PUT IN PLACE RAIL.
SO WHAT SAN ANTONIO IN THE PAST MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT OF DOING
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WAS LAY A RAIL ROUTE, SAY FROM HERE TO THE MEDICAL CENTER OR HERE TO THE AIRPORT OR SOME OTHER SUCH ROUTE, OR, BUT WHEN YOU SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT, YOU'VE SPENT YOUR MONEY UNDER THIS SYSTEM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO 5, 6, 7, 8 DIFFERENT ROUTES THAT CONNECT EMPLOYMENT CENTERS ACROSS THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY.IMAGINE CONNECTING, UH, UH, UH, PORT SAN ANTONIO WITH BROOKS CITY BASE TO CREATE NEW MOBILITY POSSIBILITIES ACROSS THE SOUTH SIDE OR THE MEDICAL CENTER WITH THE, UH, IH 35 ON THE NORTH, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, OR THE ROUTES THAT CALL FOR HERE INITIALLY, WHICH WOULD CONNECT LOOP FOUR 10 ON THE SOUTH NEAR THE MISSIONS AREA, NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN TO THE AIRPORT AND BEYOND, TO 1604 UP ROUGHLY SAN PEDRO.
SO ONE PIECE OF THIS THEN IS WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
THESE ALMOST TRAIN LIKE, UH, UH, UH, SYSTEMS. UH, THIS IS A, AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, UH, THE BUS WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT SOMETIMES THE DEDICATED ROUTES ARE EVEN MORE, UH, PROTECTED THAN THIS WITH A CURB, FOR EXAMPLE, GOOD STATIONS.
AND THIS STARTS WITH A ROUTE THAT WOULD RUN, AS I SAID, FROM LOOP FOUR 10 ON THE SOUTH TO 1604 ON THE NORTH.
A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM OPERATES IN EXCLUSIVE TRANSIT LANES TO BYPASS TRAFFIC, UTILIZES OFFBOARD COLLECTION SYSTEMS. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE A DEVICE TO WHERE YOU'VE PAID BEFORE AND YOU GET ON VERY EFFICIENTLY, ALLOWS BOARDING AND A LIGHTING FROM ALL AVAILABLE DOORS UTILIZING STATIONS THAT PROVIDE LEVEL BOARDING AND REAL TIME INFORMATION.
YOU GET MANY OF THE BENEFITS THAT YOU WOULD WITH RAIL, BUT LITERALLY AT ONE THIRD, THE COST TO ACTUALLY GET IT BUILT.
'CAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO GET THE DEDICATED LANES BUILT, AND SOME BUSINESSES ARE GONNA COMPLAIN THAT YOU'RE PUTTING A DEDICATED LANE WHERE THEY ONCE HAD PARKING.
THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT IT'S A MUCH, MUCH BETTER SYSTEM, I THINK, THAN PUTTING IN RAIL.
AND IN SOME SENSE, THE FACT THAT SAN ANTONIO PREVIOUSLY DECIDED NOT TO DO RAIL COULD BE A BLESSING 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT TRAPPED INTO FIXED SYSTEMS. BUT IT'S MUCH EASIER TO BE ADJUST IF A PARTICULAR ROUTE IS NOT WORKING, THEN MOVE THE ROUTE, UH, RELATIVELY SIMPLY, MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY, MUCH MORE ADJUSTABLE.
UM, THE NEXT PIECE IS A MUCH BETTER BUS SYSTEM VIA ON THE JOB.
AND I NOTICED JUST YESTERDAY THEY ANNOUNCED A NEW SARS I MORAL ROUTE.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THE BUS SYSTEM.
BUT WHAT THEY'VE COM WHAT THEY'RE COMMITTED TO DO IS TO GIVE US SOME PARAMETERS THAT SAY X PERCENTAGE OF SAN ANTONIANS WILL BE WITHIN 12 MINUTES OF A BUS ROUTE NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE IN THE ENTIRE CITY BETWEEN THE A R T AND A BETTER BUS ROUTING SYSTEM.
THIS IS POSSIBLE UNDER THIS PLAN.
MICRO 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 AND 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 A TRANSIT SYSTEM BY BEING ABLE TO TAKE AN UBER AND LYFT DEVICE AND GET TO A TRANSIT STATION THAT HOOKS 'EM UP, THEN WITH THE A R T 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, UH, WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SOME CITIES ARE ALREADY 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, UH, AR ARTICULATION OF WHAT IS INTENDED IN THE PERIOD OF THIS PLAN OUT TO 2040.
IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO ARTERIAL STREETS WITHIN THE CITY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT'S A BALANCED MAP PRETTY MUCH ALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND THIS IS TEXT DOTS PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE TO HIGHLY VISIBLE CONGESTED AREAS LIKE 60 AND OH FOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, OR ADDING AN H O V LANE ON IH 10 OR IMPROVING THE TRUCK CAR INTERFACE ON IH 35, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT THIS IS A, A A A BLESSING, IF YOU WILL, AND THAT THIS IS MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE STATE AND IT IS PROGRAMMED FOR THE METRO AREAS OF TEXAS.
AND THE, AND THE NUMBERS ARE HUGE AS, 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 BUG IS A ACTIVE AND
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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 ONE AND PROPOSITION SEVEN HAVE BEEN PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR BUILDING THE, THE HIGHWAY NETWORK IN SAN ANTONIO WILL GET ITS FAIR SHARE SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS.
I KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN TREVINO IN, 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, UH, 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.
UH, OVERLAYING ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I'VE JUST DESCRIBED, THE A R T ROUTES, THE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, THE STREET ARTERIALS, THE BIKES AND TRAILS, UH, THE BIKE SYSTEM, THE TRAILS, 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, A, A, A, UH, 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, THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT, WELL, 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, A, A STRONG EFFORT TO INTEGRATE THIS PLAN WITH OUR CITY'S, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS, THE 2019 TO 20 29 5 PORTION WOULD SPEAK TO 25 POTENTIAL PROJECTS TO BE INITIATED BY 2025.
THEY BREAK DOWN INTO THESE THREE PIECES OF THE TRIANGLE, UH, AND THEY COME TO A TOTAL OF 25 UNDER PROJECTS THAT EXPAND TRANSPORTATION CHOICES.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
IT'S SMALL PRINT AND, AND YOU, BUT YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
BUT LEMME JUST MENTION A COUPLE AT THE TOP CONSTRUCT.
THE FIRST PHASES OF THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR BY 2025, CONSTRUCT UP TO 40 MILES OF DEDICATED PROTECTED MICRO MOBILITY LANES WITH RIGHT AWAY FOR BIKE SCOOTERS AND OTHER MODES.
CREATE NEW SIDEWALK NETWORK NETWORKS AND CONSTRUCT UP TO 200 MILES OF SIDEWALKS THAT ELIMINATE GAPS BETWEEN THE EXISTING NETWORKS, ET CETERA.
UH, THE COUNTY'S ARTERIAL PLAN, THE CITY'S CONTINUING ARTERIAL PLAN.
THIS SPEAKS TO EXPANDING CHOICES.
THE SECOND GOAL IS PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT SMART INITIATIVES.
SO THINGS LIKE DESIGNING A UNIVERSAL APP ON A, ON A, UH, 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 DEVICE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEXT PIECE OF MY RIDE IS TO GET ON THE LOCAL BUS SYSTEM OR TO THE A R T SYSTEM.
THE NEXT PIECE OF MY RIDE IS WHEN I ARRIVE DOWNTOWN AND WANT ANOTHER MODE TO GET ME TO THE JOB PLACE.
ALL OF THEM DONE ON THE SAME COMPUTER, ON THE SAME DEVICE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT NOW EXISTS AND CAN BE DONE.
UM, YOU SEE THINGS LIKE, UH, THE THIRD BULLET PROVIDING REAL TIME 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, UM, WITH, WITH, UH, UH, THE, 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 A R T, IS BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY OF A R T 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 THESE 25 FOR 25 INITIATIVES IS THINGS LIKE, UM, COLLECTING TRANSIT FARES
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OFF VEHICLE TO REDUCE DELAYS, WHERE BOARDING, INSTALLING ADDITIONAL FREEWAY DYNAMIC MESSAGING BOARDS ENHANCED TO, TO ENHANCE THE TRIP INFORMATION, PROVIDING REAL TIME TRAFFIC OPTIONS BY CONTRACTING WITH SOMEONE LIKE WAZE OR THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ACTUALLY EMBEDDED IN NEW ROADWAYS, UH, IN, IN, IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.UH, AND, AND, AND DOING THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE TRANSIT SIGNAL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS MASS TRANSIT TO PASS THROUGH AND, AND SYNCHRONIZED LIGHTS AND SO FORTH.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE FOR THE 25 FOR 25 INITIATIVES.
NOW, LET ME JUST SPEND 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 SMORGASBORD CAFETERIA AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT 'EM 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, 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 BY THE LEGISLATURE.
IN ADDITION, YOU COULD ADD ON TO THIS, 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'VE 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, RIGHT? 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 IS LOCAL FUNDING IN THE FORM OF BOND ISSUES AND GENERAL FUNDS.
AND THEN 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, FOR THE, THE, THE, 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 25 TO 2030.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CALCULATE THE 2030 TO 2040 PORTION, BUT IT'S A NUMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL, WILL OBVIOUSLY ADD ON TO THESE.
THIS IS MONEY WE PRESENTLY DON'T HAVE.
NOW, LET ME MAKE MYSELF CLEAR.
THESE ARE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS.
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 A 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 PINE LAND OVER THE AQUIFER.
ALTHOUGH THAT PLAN NOW HAS AN END IN SIGHT.
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 IT, WHEN THE TIME COMES IN 2020 TO REALLOCATE THIS TO TRANSPORTATION.
AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DON'T PERSONALLY RECOMMEND IT 'CAUSE I THINK I, I, I, I, 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, RIGHT? AND IT, IT REQUIRES WORK.
THE NEXT BULLET IS REDIRECTING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SHARE OF THE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT, PURELY TO THE KINDS OF PROJECTS IN THIS, IN THIS PLAN.
[00:30:01]
UM, AND THEY'RE PRESENTLY BEING USED FOR THE, FOR THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM AND OTHER THINGS.IT WOULD REQUIRE, UH, A, UH, VOTE TO REDIRECT THAT, THAT, THAT FUNDING WHEN THAT EXPIRES.
THE NEXT, THE NEXT SOURCE IS GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THE CITY HAS A REGULAR, UH, UM, UM, PROGRAM OF, OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ROUGHLY EVERY FIVE YEARS THANKS TO CHERYL'S LEADERSHIP.
UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THOSE WITHOUT SALES TAXES, I MEAN WITHOUT, UH, PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, AS YOU KNOW.
UH, 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.
WE'RE UP TO 70% WE'RE TRANSPORTATION RELATED.
AND BY THE WAY, WHEN THOSE ARE PUT TO THE PUBLIC, THEY GET MORE VOTES THAN ANY OTHER PART OF A 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 TIMEFRAME AS THE CITY OF FIVE YEAR CYCLES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE IN POSITION TO, UH, DO BOND ISSUES AS WELL.
THE NEXT ONE, WHAT'S CALLED LEVERAGED FUNDS, IS LEVERAGING 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 1 51, WHERE THE LAND WAS GIVEN BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND THEN THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT DID THE BUILDING OF THE, OF THE ROADWAY, UH, OR UTILIZING TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONES, WHICH ARE MUCH LIKE THE TIFFS 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, THAT, THAT EMPLOYMENT GENERATOR.
UH, 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 WOLF AND THE COUNTY ARE BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE IN THIS SESSION ASKING FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE.
IT DOESN'T GENERATE A HUGE SUM OF MONEY, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE BONDED AND BONDS CAN BE ISSUED THAT THEN GO TOWARD THE NUMBERS IN THIS PLAN.
CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CREATE A TRANSPORTATION USER FEE.
BRIAN DOES IT, UH, UH, CORPUS CHRISTI DOES IT.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT, BUT THE QUESTION SOMETIMES AT SOME POINT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE THESE IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT THE REVENUES TO PAY FOR THEM.
AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE WANNA RISK, YOU KNOW, REALLY BECOMING TRULY CONGESTED BEFORE WE UNLEASH SOME KIND OF REVENUE PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHOICES THAT ARE HERE.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, TODAY'S JUST A, AN OVERVIEW.
I WOULD SAY THAT OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO IN THE A HUNDRED MEETINGS FORTHCOMING THAT I'VE DESCRIBED THE CITIZEN OUTREACH EFFORT, I EXPECT THE FIRST THING WE WILL HEAR IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR AREA, WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR STYLE OF LIFE.
BUT THE THING I'M GONNA 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 GONNA BUILD A CONSENSUS TO APPROVE OR PASS ANY OF THOSE FINAL COUPLE OF SLIDES.
UH, THIS IS THE, 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, WE'RE HAVING A MEETING, UH, NEXT WEEK WITH, UM, SOMETHING LIKE 40 PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO HELP US IN THE PRESENTATIONS.
SO VOLUNTEERS FROM CONNECT SA TO GO OUT.
AND BY THE WAY, ANY OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL WHO WANT TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING, WE'RE, WE WANT, WE WANT TO HAVE IT IN YOUR AREA.
AND, UH, THIS IS AN, A NON-POLITICAL PROCESS IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S INFORMATION PRESENTATION, BUT
[00:35:01]
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 A, AS A, 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.
AND SO WE'RE MAKING THIS AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO USE IT TO, TO INFORM YOUR CITIZENS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
WHEN I MET WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE, WE TALKED ABOUT, HE GAVE ME THE NAMES OF FOUR OR FIVE MAJOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT, UH, OR, OR 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.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING ATTENTIVE.
AND I, UM, I'M, I'M, I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND JANE WILL JOIN ME FOR ANY, ANY, UH, PART OF THE QUESTIONS.
LET ME, UH, JUST THANK THE, UH, CITY STAFF, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DESIGNATED TO HELP IN THIS.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER, OBVIOUSLY, AND HER OFFICE, BUT KEY PLAYERS LIKE PETER ZONI AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN EXCEEDINGLY HELPFUL COUNTY OFFICIALS VIA, UM, UH, JEFF ARNT HAS REALLY UNLEASHED, UH, THE BEST PEOPLE OVER THERE TO BE IN THE, UH, UH, THE, THE, THE DRAFTING OF THIS GRAPHICS AND SO FORTH.
UM, UH, TDOT REPRESENTED HERE TODAY.
UM, MOBILITY ADVOCATES ALREADY A LOT OF INPUT INTO THIS.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK THIS IS, THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
I THINK THAT WHAT THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY JUDGE ORGANIZED, UM, 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, UH, AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HENRY, FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO YOU AND HOPE AND JANE FOR SPENDING ALL THE HOURS, UH, THAT WERE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND ALL OF THE CITIZENS AND, AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO HAVE WEIGHED IN OUR CITY STAFF AND, AND EVERYONE ELSE.
I THINK TO FIRST SET THE STAGE, UH, WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER THE TRANSPORTATION REALITY THAT WE'RE IN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE GROWTH TRAJECTORY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE FACT THAT CONGESTION CONTINUES TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY, UM, AND WE ADD 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, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EMBARKED ON NOW WITH THE NEXT ROUND OF INPUTS AND REFINEMENT OF THE PLAN.
UM, YOU SAID THAT, UM, VOTERS OF OVERWHELMINGLY, UH, APPROVE THE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAMS. I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'VE IMPROVED AT HIGHER RATES HAVE BEEN THE, UH, PROTECTIONS OF THE AQUIFER.
SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S A DEMONSTRATION OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE TO SET WITH THE PUBLIC IN, IN THE NEXT ROUND OF THIS PLAN.
UH, AND I EXPECT THAT, UH, WE'LL BE HEARING A LOT ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND IN FACT, UH, I'VE SAID THAT, UH, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD ONLY SO FAR AS WE PROTECT THOSE INITIATIVES.
THE AQUA PROTECTION PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE LINEAR CREEKWAY SYSTEM, WHICH I THINK ARE TWO VITALLY IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR, OUR FUTURE, BUT ALSO IN THE CASE OF THE LINEAR CREEKWAY SYSTEM, ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE MOBILITY STRATEGY AS WELL.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT IS CITIZEN DRIVEN AND VOTER APPROVED.
UH, SO WE CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF THESE CHOICES, SOME OF THEM VERY DIFFICULT, UH, ARE GOING TO BE, UH, IN, IN, IN THE RIGHT LIGHT TO MAKE US, UH, MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY AND PUT US IN A GOOD SHAPE, UH, WITH THE TRANSPORTATION REFORM PACKAGE THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA MOVE NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN S UM, MR. CISNEROS, THIS WAS EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THE HARD WORK AND, UM, THANK YOU TO, TO JANE AND, AND TO HOPE.
I I, WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT THE THREE OF YOU WERE GONNA SERVE AS TRI CHAIRS, I, I CELEBRATED BECAUSE, UM, ALL THREE OF YOU ARE KNOWN QUANTITIES, RIGHT? AND ALL THREE OF YOU'RE CONSIDERED BIG THINKERS AND OPINION LEADERS.
AND, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THREE BETTER PEOPLE TO TACKLE SOMETHING THIS COMPLEX.
AND SO I, I KNOW THAT WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS IS, UH, VERY THOUGHTFUL AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE SAN ANTONIO'S BEST INTEREST IN MIND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE.
KNOWN QUALITY, KNOWN QUANTITY IS A SYNONYM FOR, ON THE OLDER SIDE,
[00:40:01]
THAT NO GOOD PLAN COULD COME FROM ANYBODY OVER 60.AND THEN THEY SAW THE PLAN AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE WERE WRONG ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THAT SALES IS, UM, AND IN LARGE PART, THIS IS GONNA BE A KIND OF A SALES EFFORT, RIGHT? IT'S THE TWO, THE TWO APPROACH, 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? AND IN THIS INSTANCE, THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY THE, UH, THE TOWN HALLS ARE SO IMPORTANT.
I, I WILL MENTION TO YOU, UM, AND REITERATE WHAT YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT ON THE PHONE RECENTLY, WHICH WAS THAT I WORRY THAT IN A LOT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANS FOR ALL THINGS HOUSING, UH, 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.
UM, WE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SHOWING THEM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEAS THAT WE CAME UP WITH AND WHERE IT'S WE WANT TO GO.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, UM, AND THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, INNOVATION VIS-A-VIS TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND MOBILITY.
I, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY KEY.
AND WE MAY BE MAKING A MISTAKE IF WE DON'T EMPHASIZE THE BENCHMARKING THAT GOES INTO YOUR PLAN.
EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN.
SO, UH, WHAT I MEAN IS, IS THAT SILENT AND THE PRESENTATION WAS SILENT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN PROVEN SUCCESSES IN OTHER PLACES.
AND SO, UH, WE READ AN ARTICLE TWO DAYS AGO, RIGHT, TALKING ABOUT URA CHIBA IN BRAZIL, RIGHT? UH, YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRANS MILLENNIAL AND BOGOTA.
WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SINGAPORE AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MADRID, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OTHER US CITIES, AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAS MADE MISTAKES.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAVE HAD DIFFERENT SUCCESSES.
I WOULD, I WOULD LAMENT IF WE WENT OUT THERE AND ADOPTED A PLAN WHERE WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO A GO AND SEE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA URGE YOU AND, AND THE TRI CHAIRS, ALL THE TRI CHAIRS, AND IN, IN TURN, I'LL ALSO BE URGING VIA AND M P O AND SAMCO AND R M A, THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK AT MOBILITY PLANS AND STRATEGIZE HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, THAT WE'D BE JUST AS, UM, 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? OKAY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY REQUEST.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S REALLY IT, SIR.
I THINK YOU HAVE A, A VERY GOOD UNDERLYING POINT, AND WE, WE TRY TO MAKE THIS DATA-DRIVEN IN THE SENSE OF THESE SYSTEMS. UH, WELL, THE DATA SU SUGGESTS THESE ARE PRECISELY THE THINGS THAT WE NEED FROM A COST STANDPOINT, FROM A VOLUME STANDPOINT AND SO FORTH.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, WE NEED TO SEE HOW THEY WORK ON THE GROUND IN OTHER PLACES, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND SO, JUST ONE LAST THING, MAYOR, BEFORE I, BEFORE I, UH, TURN THE MIC BACK TO YOU.
UM, JUST BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, SOME OF YOU MAY BE SAYING, WELL, DOES THIS GUY EVEN KNOW? RIGHT? I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UM, TRANS, MILLENNIAL AND BOGOTA, THEY MOVE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY MORNING ON A DEDICATED LANE, B R T 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.
1.5 MILLION PEOPLE, COINCIDENTALLY, IS THE NUMBER OF SAN ANTONIONS THAT WE'VE GOT HUNGRY FOR TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT, AND BY, AND THAT SYSTEM I JUST MENTIONED IS THE MOST BENCHMARKED SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY, I'M SORRY, IN THE WORLD, ALL EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S DOING B R T GOES THERE TO SEE AND LEARN FROM THOSE EXPERTS.
AND I'VE TALKED TO THEM AND THEY'VE SAID, SURE, COME ON BY.
RIGHT? HOUSTON ALREADY CAME BY, DALLAS ALREADY CAME BY.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT US FLEX THE BENCHMARKING MUSCLE AND I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE, AND I'LL LEAVE IT.
UH, A COUPLE OF CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE MAKING THIS GOING IN THE SAME DECISION THAT THIS PLAN RECOMMENDS, WHICH IS, UM, A R T SYSTEMS. TAMPA JUST DECIDED TO DO THIS AS A, AS THEIR PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION MODE.
SEATTLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SOME RAIL NOW, IS, IS, IS GOING TO B R T SYSTEMS. AND, AND EVEN HOUSTON, WHICH HAS EMBEDDED RAIL, RECOGNIZES THE NEXT PHASE FOR THEM TO EXTEND TRANSIT WILL HAVE TO BE B R T AND NOT RAIL.
UM, SO THERE'S A, A LOT TO BE SAID.
I WANNA ECHO THE COUNCILMAN'S COMMENTS.
UM, THANKING YOU AND THE TRI CHAIRS AND, UH, THE RESOURCE TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THIS.
I THINK IT'S A VERY ELEGANT PRESENTATION, EXTREMELY, UM, WELL THOUGHT OUT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THANK YOU TO, TO WORKING YOU.
[00:45:01]
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.
UM, I, I DO, UH, I DO, UH, THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS TO, OR EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THIS NOW, TO TAKE A VISIT TO COLOMBIA OR MEXICO CITY AND SEE SOME OF THESE, UH, EXAMPLES THAT MOVE A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY.
UM, MANNY, UM, A A FEW DAYS AGO, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY WERE GETTING INTO THIS TRANSPORTATION THING AND THAT IT WAS, UM, ALMOST A CHANGE IN MIND FRAME ABOUT WHAT ROLE TRANSPORTATION PLAYS IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY AND THE SOCIAL FABRIC, UH, 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 TRANSFORMATIONAL IN OUR, IN OUR TRANSIT, IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, UH, BEING THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE US.
WE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT REALLY WORKS FOR A GOOD PART OF THE, OF THE POPULATION.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ELEMENT, UH, UH, COMING FORWARD.
I'M ALSO GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S NOT A BAKED PLAN.
UM, WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, GOING OUT TO, LIKE YOU SAID, MENTIONING A A NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND THOSE AREN'T GOING TO BE THE SALES PITCH.
THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE CONVERSATIONS, LISTENING, LISTENING SESSIONS.
IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A LISTENING SESSION WITH THIS STRAW MAN BEING, UH, BRING BEING PRESENTED.
UM, I, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WELL, A I'LL BE INVOLVED IN THAT, UH, IN MAKING SOME OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS.
SO IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WANNA TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS WOULD BE, UH, HAPPY TO HEAR.
ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS A VERY CONFUSED LOOK ON MY FACE, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLARIFY WHAT I, WHAT I MEAN IS THERE IS A SUBCOMMITTEE TO CONNECT US, SAY, CORRECT, THAT WILL BE CONVENING STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING US WITH THIS OUTREACH PROCESS, UM, MEETING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS OR OTHER STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS, AND HAVING THAT DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
SO I'M ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF THAT GROUP, AND I AM INVITING ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WANT TO ASSIST WITH THAT TO, OF COURSE, TAKE, TAKE PART OR WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
I MADE REFERENCE TO THAT EARLIER.
DID IT, DOESN'T, DOESN'T IMPLY YOU'VE BOUGHT EVERY PIECE OF THIS MM-HMM.
SO IT IS A NON-POLITICAL APPROACH TO PRESENTING INFORMATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT IS, AS I SAID, AWKWARD IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA 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 CON ON, ON, ON, UH, TRANSPORTATION, HAVE THEIR DULY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE THERE IN THE ROOM PRESENTING, COMMENTING.
WE CAN DO THAT, I THINK, AND ADVANCE THE BALL.
UM, SO PART OF THAT WILL BE THE LISTENING SESSION, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE HARD TO SEPARATE WHERE I THINK THIS PLAN, UH, NEEDS TO GO.
SO I WILL SHARE SOME OF THOSE THOUGHTS WITH, UH, WITH MY, UH, 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, UM, NUMBER, LIKE YOU SAID, WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS, RIGHT? HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT? AND IS IT EQUITABLE? UM, IS IT, UH, 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 THE, OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY UNDERFUNDED IN, UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND YOU, AND YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU, YOU SPOKE TO IT OF COURSE IN YOUR SLIDE WITH THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING WHERE WE HAVE, UM, A MINIMAL INVESTMENT IN, UH, IN TRANSIT.
AND 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, UH, SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY, I, I THINK IT, IT IS AN EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY ISSUE, RIGHT? CONNECTING PEOPLE TO, TO JOBS AND, AND EDUCATION.
UM, I, UH, I KNOW THAT RECENT, NOT TOO LONG AGO, THE STATE VOTERS PASSED PROPS ONE AND SEVEN.
AND, UH, ALL OF THAT IS FOR HIGHWAYS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO NOT A, SO THAT IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S COMING TO THE AREA, BUT IT IS ONLY, UH, DEDICATED TO HIGHWAYS.
SO I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LEAN TOWARD DEDICATING THEM TOWARD TRANSIT OF CORRECT, OF COURSE.
[00:50:01]
UM, MAINTENANCE.I DON'T THINK THAT WAS NECESSARILY COVERED.
THESE ARE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO I, IN TERMS OF THE A T D, UH, PROPOSAL, GIVING UP SOME OF THAT A T D I WOULD BE ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF SENDING SOME OF THAT BACK TO FOR TRANSIT USE, UM, AS WELL.
UH, BUT THERE WAS A THIRD PART OF THE A T D THAT DID NOT GO TO SAN ANTONIO, AND IT DID NOT GO TO VIA.
I THINK IT GOES TO THE COUNTY.
UM, SO WILL THE COUNTY CONSIDER YES.
ALSO CONTRIBUTING SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK TO THIS, UH, TO THIS POT? OKAY.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH JUDGE WOLF, THAT THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THE VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WHAT MOBILITY MEANS.
YES, IT MEANS MOVING PEOPLE, UH, BUT IT'S VERY MUCH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL TO GET WORKERS IN A, IN A, IN A TIMELY WAY TO THEIR POINT OF WORK.
IT'S A 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, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, ASIDE FROM PEOPLE'S, UH, PAY FOR SHELTER, WHAT THEY PAY FOR THEIR SHELTER, TRANSPORTATION IS A BIG IMPACT ON FAMILIES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE A CAR, WE'RE NOT PAYING, BUT WE PAID FOR THAT VEHICLE.
WE PAY FOR THE GAS, WE PAY FOR THE TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS THAT, THAT, UH, 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 VERY MUCH, UM, HENRY FOR THE PRESENTATION, THANK YOU TO HOPE AND TO JANE, WHO I SAW OVER HERE, RIGHT OVER HERE.
THANK YOU, JANE, UH, VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF OF YOUR WORK.
UM, I DO, JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, CAN YOU, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HENRY OR COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL OR THE MAYOR, REMIND ME WHO ARE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING AND THE ROLE, AND, UM, WHO DID YOU APPOINT THEM OR WHO APPOINTED THEM, OR IS IT THEIR ROLE OF M P O? YEAH, SO, UH, WE HAVE THE CO-CHAIRS AND THEN WE HAVE THREE COMMITTEES SET UP, UH, WITH, UH, CO-CHAIRS OF EACH COMMITTEE.
AND SO IN CONSULTATION WITH THE, WE PUT FORWARD NAME RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU, UH, YOU SENT FORWARD YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME OF THOSE COMMITTEES, AND THAT'S HOW THEY WERE SELECTED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TRI CHAIRS.
AND SO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE SELECTED BECAUSE Y'ALL CHOSE THEM.
I, MY RECOLLECTION IS THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE SENT FROM THE MAYOR.
AND IT'S COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCILMAN SAN SALANA.
UM, SO ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THE, UM, 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? THE BOARD IS, AND I KNOW ALL THE PLANS, LIKE THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MOBILITY AND THAT.
NO, THE BOARD IS, UM, THE THREE OF US ARE THE CO-CHAIRS, AND THEN THE, EACH OF THE COMMITTEES, THREE COMMITTEES HAS THREE CO-CHAIRS AS WELL.
THOSE IN EFFECT, 12 PEOPLE CONSTITUTE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OR BOARD, IF YOU WILL, OF CONNECT SA AND CONNECTS.
SA IS PROBABLY 60 PEOPLE OR SO WHO ARE IN EFFECT THE MEMBERS OF, OF, OF, OF THAT.
AND, UH, THEY REPRESENT PRETTY MUCH ALL THE MOBILITY ADVOCATES AND MOBILITY SOURCES.
I MEAN, NOT JUST, UM, VIA, BUT BICYCLE ADVOCATES AND NOT JUST, UM, THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, BUT THE TRAILS PEOPLE, UH, ET CETERA.
SO, SO THAT'S THE ROUGH STRUCTURE.
I CAN GET YOU THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA KNOW THE, 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, OR ALL OF THAT TOGETHER? THREE, I SAID THREE COMMITTEES.
ONE OF THEM IS BASICALLY SUBSTANCE RESOURCE CONTENT, UH, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'VE SEEN HERE TODAY.
FOUR, UH, WITH ALSO A, A 5 0 1 C THREE, WE HOPE TO COME, WHICH CAN THEN ACCEPT, UM, TAX EXEMPT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR RESEARCH AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
WE, WE GOTTA 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.
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AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WHICH IS, UM, THINKING THROUGH INTERESTING QUESTIONS.LIKE NOT ONLY HOW DO YOU PRESENT THIS BEST TO PEOPLE, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MATERIAL HERE.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PRESENT THIS IN A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IN A PUBLIC, UH, 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, CAN SEND IN THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW 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 SUGGESTIONS THEY MAKE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT COMMITTEE IS FOCUSING ON.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WHOLE ENTITY IS SHANNON FETIS, WHO'S SITTING, UH, RIGHT OVER HERE.
AND I THINK WHO MOST OF YOU KNOW AS A VETERAN OF, OF PUBLIC, UH, PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPATION
I, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS, UM, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT, UH, RIGHT HERE.
AND THIS, I LIKEN THIS PROJECT TO SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE SA TOMORROW WITH OUR COMP PLAN.
WE ARE TAKING A SERIOUS STEP AND A SERIOUS LOOK.
UM, WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION THIS MORNING WITH A GROUP OF LEADERS AND SOMEBODY SAID THAT ONE OF THE, THE GREATEST THREATS TO SAN ANTONIO IN THE FUTURE IS TRANSPORTATION.
UH, COULD BE, UM, 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 CONNECT SA PLAN, IS THAT IT HAS ADAPTABILITY.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT IF WE NEED TO, UM, IN THE FUTURE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BY EVEN 2030.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLAN IS GOING TO BE MOLDABLE AND ADAPTABLE TO WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY IS COMING FORWARD.
AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED, UM, CITIZENS, WHAT ARE THEY WILLING TO PAY FOR? UM, BUT I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS, THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR SOMETHING AS, AS LONG AS THEY SEE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BENEFIT AND BE A BENEFICIARY OF WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO PUT DOLLARS IN MM-HMM.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE DELIVERABLES.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SEEING THESE GREAT, UM, PERCENTAGES OF, OF, UH, OF PASSAGE OF OUR BOND PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER ON TIME AND ON BUDGET THESE BOND, UH, PROJECTS.
AND SO THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THESE, THE VOTE FOR THESE BOND PROJECTS, UM, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, BUT ALL FOR ALL OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH, TO THE EAST TO THE WEST.
DISTRICT THREE, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS 84 SQUARE MILES THAT IS LARGER THAN PARIS, AND THAT IS LARGER THAN SEATTLE.
SO WE NEED TO SEE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
I LOOK AT THAT AS ALSO A TRANSPORTATION ISSUE JUST IN THE DISTRICT.
AND HOW ARE WE GONNA CONNECT THIS WHOLE, UM, THING.
AND WHAT I ALSO APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS AND HOW WE'RE TAKING THIS STEP FORWARD IS, 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 CONNECT SA YOU MENTIONED ALSO IN SLIDE 31, AND I APPRECIATED YOUR WORDS, UM, TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT OF THOSE, THE REALLOCATION OF THE EXISTING DOLLARS, UH, OF THE EXISTING CELL TAX, SALES TAX AND LEVERAGING FUNDS.
I WILL SAY, I THINK OUR, OUR BIGGEST BET IS LEVERAGING FUNDS AND LOOKING AT THOSE NEW RESOURCES.
UM, I SHARED WITH YOU THIS, WITH YOU, HENRY, THE REALLOCATION, OR TOUCHING THE LINEAR CREEK DOLLARS BEFORE OUR LINEAR CREEKS ON THE SOUTH AND THE WEST AND THE EASTSIDER COMPLETE, I THINK WOULD BE A DISSERVICE AND WOULD UPSET EVEN OUR, UM, OUR CONNECTIVITY WITH, UH, MOBILITY FOR OUR HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS AS WELL.
UM, I DID WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ON SLIDE NUMBER 10 FOR YOUR, I GUESS, UM, CLARIFICATION.
MAYBE YOU CAN CLARIFY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MANAGE CONGESTION, UM, THE MODERN MOBILITY PLAN GOALS MANAGE CONGESTION.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I, I THINK I NEED MORE CLARITY ON WHAT THAT MEANS.
WELL, IDEALLY WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO IS REDUCE CONGESTION BY, UH, PEOPLE MOVING TO OTHER MODES.
UM, EXPANDING, EXPANDING ROADWAYS.
SO, SO THERE'S LESS CONGESTION.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE SAN ANTONIO HAS THE LUXURY OF REDUCING CONGESTION BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING PEOPLE.
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UH, 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, CAN, CAN DECIDE, OKAY, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THAT ROADWAY.
THERE'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER WAY TO MANAGE MY TRIP TODAY.
UM, SO NEW, NEW, UM, UH, ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE BEING EMBEDDED IN NEW ROADWAYS.
THAT, THAT DO THE SAME THING, YOU KNOW, SEND, SEND INFORMATION ON WHAT'S, UH, CONGESTED OR NOT.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF WAYS TO DO IT.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS JUST WITH A GROUP YESTERDAY THAT, UM, IS DOING L E D LIGHTING AND IN THE L E D LIGHTING ARE PUTTING TRAFFIC MONITORS THAT ADVISE ON CONGESTION, ON THE STREET LIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE'S THE, A LOT, A LOT, AS I SAID EARLIER, A LOT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE TO, TO, TO BE PUT TO THESE KINDS OF USES, BUT MANAGING THE FLOW.
THAT, THAT HELPS, UM, WITH THE CLARIFICATION.
AND, UM, I THINK JUST ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO, TO, UM, EMPHASIZE HERE, AND I THINK I'VE EMPHASIZED THIS WITH YOU TOO, IS JUST ONE, THE MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION IN THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, WE'LL BE HAVING TOWN HALLS, WE'LL, WE'LL GET WITH OUR, OUR CO-CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE TO SEE WHERE WE CAN CONNECT IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND ALSO MAKING SURE ANY 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, TO BE THERE.
I LOVE THAT YOU EXPLAINED IT RIGHT NOW,
WELL, I SAW SO MANY, SO MANY QUIZZICAL LOOKS.
IT WAS THE SAME TIME AS GUN SMOKE, RIGHT AFTER GUN SMOKE.
WELL, UM, AND, AND ONE OTHER THING, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR STATE FUNDING AND OUR FEDERAL FUNDING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, I'M, 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, THE ROADWAYS OR THE, THE, OUR MOBILITY.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST REWARDING THE PLACES THAT ARE CONGESTED.
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 THAT CONGESTION DOES NOT HAPPEN.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OTHER THING THAT I'M GOING TO PUT OUT RIGHT HERE THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO TELL YOU.
AND ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AS WE PLAN THIS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, HENRY, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND SORT OF THE CLARITY OF IT ALL.
I THINK IT'S A VERY SIMPLE, UH, TO UNDERSTAND, UH, PRESENTATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT REALLY GIVES ME PAUSE.
UM, I THINK I AM, UH, IF I WILL BE ALLOWED TO SERVE ANOTHER, UH, TWO MORE YEARS ON THE M P O, I'LL BE THE LONGEST SERVING ELECTED MEMBER OF THE POLICY BOARD, UH, BEYOND MAYOR RILEY, WHO'S BEEN THERE A LOT OF YEARS.
UM, AND SO I'VE SEEN THESE PLANS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND, AND, UM, I THINK THEY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UM, I, I WONDER, I, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT WILL PROBABLY BE FOR OUR STAFF, UH, AS WE, UH, MOVE ALONG IN A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
COUNCILMAN SALANI, WHO I SEE NOW HAS ARRIVED.
UH, I'M, I'M GLAD SINCE, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, WE GAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR VIA, FOR, UH, INCREASED FREQUENCY, UH, ON ONE OF OUR RAIL LINES.
AND, AND WHILE I BUS ROUTES, UH, BUS ROUTES, I'M, I'M SORRY, I SAID RAIL, UM, ONE OF OUR BUS ROUTES AND, UH, IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
HOWEVER, I NEVER FULLY SUPPORTED THAT FUNDING MECHANISM.
I WANTED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF MY COLLEAGUE WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO GET THE INFORMATION TO PRESENT.
BUT I, 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.
CHERYL, CAN YOU TELL ME, I THINK CHERYL, THAT HAS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE, I KNOW THAT THE COUNCILMAN HAD ASKED US TO SCALE UP, UH, 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?
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WHAT WAS THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT? AND I THINK WHAT WE ENDED UP GETTING FOR THAT WAS GREATER FREQUENCY ON THIS, OUR SAMURA LINE, WHICH, UM, IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LINE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY NORTH, ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO, TO THE A AND M CAMPUS.UM, THE TOTAL AMOUNT NOW IS 10 MILLION AS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN, THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
AND THAT IS TO CONTINUE EACH YEAR.
AND WE'RE FUNDING THAT THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THROUGH GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, WE'VE INCREASED THAT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA, IT'S NOW 10 MILLION UNTIL WE DETERMINE OTHERWISE THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT'S A COUNCIL POLICY DECISION, OF COURSE, THE BUDGET UNTIL THE COUNCIL DECIDES OTHERWISE.
SO I, I GUESS MY REASON FOR ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION ABOUT THAT IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR, UM, ONE OF YOUR MAPS HERE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE BTT OR THE ART, AND IN FACT MAYBE ANOTHER LITTLE, UH, QUESTION I HAVE HERE, WHAT IS A DIFF IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ART AND A BART? UH, NO, IT'S NOT BART, IT'S B R T, BUT I'M SORRY, I'M, I SAID B R T, UH, BART, I MEANT B R T.
IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A R T AND B R T? THE TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED IN TERMS OF THE ROLLING STOCK AND, UH, A R T PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON THINGS LIKE, UM, THE DEDICATED ROADWAY TO AVOID TRAFFIC, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN THINGS LIKE BEING ABLE LITERALLY TO CHANGE THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL SO THAT THE, THE, THE VEHICLE CAN GO THROUGH THE, THE TRAFFIC, UH, INTERSECTION, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY IS THE DIFFERENCE.
AND LET ME JUST QUICKLY SAY, FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVOCATES OF RAIL, THEY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN'T GET WHITE COLLAR PROFESSIONALS ONTO RAIL.
I, I'M SORRY THAT THAT WILL ONLY GO ON RAIL.
THEY CAN'T GET 'EM ON THE BUSES.
BUT THE A R T IS PROVEN THAT WITH THE 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.
AND SO ALL DAY LONG ON THE SYSTEM.
ARE WE, SO IN THIS MAP HERE, WHICH IS MAP NUMBER 15, THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT, UM, THAT YOU SHOW THE RED LINES ON.
ARE ANY OF THESE ARE CURRENT VIA, UH, BUS, RAPID TRANSIT LINE? UM, YOU MEAN PRIMO LINES? YEAH, PRIMO LINES.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE REDEVELOPMENT.
UH, SOMEBODY HERE FROM VIA CAN ANSWER THAT.
THEY'RE NOT, NONE ARE PRESENTLY PRIMO LINES.
SO, UM, I WOULD THINK THAT, UM, THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING WE, AND THAT'S FUNDED AND CURRENTLY, I THINK IT'S CURRENTLY OPERATING, THEY'VE DONE SOME WONDERFUL REHABILITATION OF THE BUS STOPS.
UH, AND THEY'RE VERY ATTRACTIVE.
I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN 'EM THERE BY THE BILL MILLERS AND, UH, H E B.
AND, UM, SO I IMAGINE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY RUNNING AND THAT THEY'RE VERY, UM, SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF, UH, ADDING CAPACITY.
SO I, I JUST, I GUESS THE, MY REASON FOR MENTIONING THAT IS THAT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT THAT'S VERY, THAT IT CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, WE ARE STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR FUNDING SOURCE AND WHAT MIGHT BE A BETTER FUNDING SOURCE FOR CONTINUING ON THAT.
UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION OPTION.
UH, SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, UH, ABOUT, SO, SO WE WILL HAVE TO AMASS THESE DIFFERENT FUNDING OPTIONS TO CREATE THE LOCAL POT, WHICH YOU QUITE DIRECTLY EARLIER DESCRIBED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VOLUME THAT COMES IN FROM THE STATE AND THE VOLUME THAT COMES IN FEDERAL, BUT NOT AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL TRANSIT.
AND, UH, DON'T KNOW THAT FEDERAL POLICY'S GONNA BE THAT MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE IN THE YEARS AHEAD, UH, ON THIS, THE, THE MEAN, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A MASSIVE DEFICIT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S GONNA 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'RE TOTALLY RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
I THINK AS, AS WE EVOLVE WITH THE PROCESS, THE COST FOR, UM, AT BART, I'M SORRY, A B R T OR AN A R T LIKE WE'RE SEEING HERE, I THINK ARE VERY DOABLE.
I THINK WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE THIS ALREADY, SO THERE'S NOTHING FOR ANYBODY TO BE AFRAID OF THAT IT WON'T BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES HERE LOCALLY OF HOW WE'VE DONE THAT.
I THINK THERE, I THINK THEY WOULD 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 FOR ADDITIONAL LANES IS A CHALLENGE.
AND THEN A LOT OF BUSINESS PEOPLE WILL SAY, I HAVE PARKING IN FRONT OF MY BUSINESS RIGHT NOW.
I'M GONNA GIVE THAT UP FOR A DEDICATED LANE OF A TRAIN THAT'S GONNA COME BY.
SO THERE'S ISSUES TO COME, BUT THERE'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ISSUES THAT YOU CONFRONT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE CITY DID, UM, WAS IT ALMOST,
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OR, OR ONE OF THE ROADS THAT GOES ACROSS THERE BY EDISON, THAT WHERE, WHERE THE BUSINESS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, REALLY HILDEBRAND, HILDEBRAND, HILDEBRAND, HILDEBRAND.SO, SO, UH, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE ISSUES IN MODERNIZING A SYSTEM.
SO, AND, UH, AND I THINK THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL, I, I THINK THEY'LL EVOLVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE ONES THAT YOU, THAT WE SEE HERE ON THAT PARTICULAR MAP, UH, I KNOW THERE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN SEEING AT THE M P O FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, IMPROVING OUR, A BETTER BUS SYSTEM, WHICH COULD ALSO LEAD TO MORE FREQUENCY, ESPECIALLY IN, UM, A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK VIA HAS DONE ALSO AND HAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY VERY WELL.
UH, SO AGAIN, LIKE I DON'T THINK, UH, IT'S NOT, UH, LIKE WE ARE ASKING THE VOTERS TO APPROVE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
THAT IS CORRECT WHEN WE'RE MOVING TO ART OR TO A BETTER BUS SYSTEM.
AND OF COURSE, A MICRO, MICRO MOBILITY LANES, UH, WE HAVE A BICYCLE ACTION PLAN, MOBILITY ACTION PLAN.
IT'S NEVER BEEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
I'M SURE IT COULD STAND TO BE UPDATED AND THEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED, UH, AS, EVEN AS WE DO OUR REGULAR STREET MAINTENANCE, UH, WE COULD IMPLEMENT THOSE AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING HERE THAT I THINK, UM, IS, UH, GIVES ME ANY PAUSE.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN FUNDING OUR SITE, UH, TRAIL SYSTEM, UH, THROUGH THE, UM, THE PROP ONE OR TWO, I FORGET WHICH ONE IT IS THAT FUNDS CREEKWAY AND, UM, TRAILS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL IN ALL, I THINK IT LOOKS VERY DOABLE AND VERY POSSIBLE.
AND IN FACT, I WONDER IF WE JUST DON'T CONTINUE ON OUR EXISTING, UH, PLANS LIKE THE EXISTING BOND PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, AND PERHAPS, UH, EXPAND THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHILE I KNOW IT'S, IT CAN BE TOUGH FOR, UH, THE VOTERS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LARGE PACKAGES, LARGE BOND PACKAGES.
UH, WE HAVE DE DEDICATED AT LEAST 60% OF THAT, MAYBE MORE TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE.
I, I, 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.
YOU CAN TOP OUT WITHOUT PROPERTY TAXES.
WE JUST NEED ADDITIONAL STREAMS OF REVENUES 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, TO THEIR TRANSIT SYSTEMS. WE'RE PROBABLY THE LOWEST OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, AND NOBODY'S ARGUING WE OUGHT TO INCREASE THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING TO INCREASE TO THAT.
AND I WONDER IF JUST THAT ALONE COULD CORRECT, UH, WHAT WE'VE SEEN THAT IN ADDITION TO A LARGER BOND PROGRAM MM-HMM.
AND I JUST, I, I WANTED TO ALSO, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASED TAXES AND REALLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THINGS.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, UH, BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR, UH, OUR CITY IS, IS A VERY YOUNG CITY.
80% OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE 35 AND YOUNGER.
UM, I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME INFORMATION AS WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS HOUSING.
UH, TOMORROW ON THE COUNCIL, WE'LL DISCUSS SOME HOUSING, UM, UH, PROJECTS.
AND THAT ABOUT 25% OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING USE VIA MM-HMM.
IN FACT, LESS THAN HALF OR ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING DON'T HAVE AUTOMOBILES.
SO THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE SOME ALTERNATIVE TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
AND WHAT I'M FINDING IS OUR CONSTITUENCY IS GETTING YOUNGER, UH, AND IS, IS GETTING MORE PROGRESSIVE, UM, IS THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR SERVICES.
AND THAT INCLUDES CLIMATE, A VERY STRONG CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
IT COULD INCLUDE A VERY ROBUST TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UH, WHEN I TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS HERE, AND WHEN I'VE TALKED TO YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY SAY WHAT THEY REALLY WANT IN A COMMUNITY IS TO BE WALKABLE, UH, TO BE PROGRESSIVE, AND TO BE AFFORDABLE.
AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH, UM, MANY OF THESE THINGS IN THE PLANS THAT WE SEE HERE.
SO, UM, I, I'M, I'M, I'M GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING I SEE HERE.
UH, HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE ANYBODY ANY PAUSE.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY ALARMING OR MAKES ME THINK THAT, UM, THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULDN'T CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UH, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING.
UH, PERHAPS JUST WITH A SLIGHTLY LARGER BOND PACKAGE OR, UM,
[01:15:01]
AN ADJUSTMENT OF THE TEXT.NOT THAT WE WOULD INCREASE IT, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE SOMETHING UP.
AND WHETHER THAT'S A PRE-K OR WHETHER IT'S, UM, UH, AN EDWARD'S AQUIFER PROTECTION, WHICH WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T SUPPORT, I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT.
UM, I WOULD BE VERY RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT GIVING UP THE PRE-K PROGRAM.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE HOW NEVER, NEVER CONSIDERED HOW THAT WOULD EVOLVE, UH, AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING SEEMS HAPPEN.
WE OWE YOU AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS A BETTER SENSE OF HOW TO MATCH UP THE FUNDING SIDE WITH THE PLAN, WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE FRAMEWORK.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT TWEAKING THEY WANT, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS THAT'S GONNA ALTER THE COST SOMEWHAT.
BUT THE WEAKEST PART OF THIS PLAN RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY SPECIFY HOW WE GET TO EXACTLY THE, THE, THE, THE SUM OF DOLLARS.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL HAVE TO PRODUCE THAT OUT OF THIS PROCESS, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE CHOICES AS A, AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COUNTY, WE'LL HAVE CHOICES.
AND I WANNA THANK IN ADVANCE PETER ZONI AND HIS TEAM, AND THE COUNTY TEAM, AND THE, AND THE VIA FINANCIAL TEAM AND THE TDOT PEOPLE WHO, WHO WORK THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA RELY ON THEM HEAVILY TO, TO BRING YOU MORE CONCRETE, UH, CHOICES.
CHERYL, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? UH, JUST TO ADD TO WHAT THE COUNCILMAN'S QUESTIONS WERE, WHAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THOUGH TODAY, ARE THE OPERATING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPANDING THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S YET TO BE IDENTIFIED.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE SOURCES, UH, FOR CAPITAL, BUT THEN WE STILL HAVE TO ADDRESS HOW WE WILL PAY FOR THE INCREASE IN THE OPERATING SYSTEM.
AND THAT'LL BE, OF COURSE, VIA 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.
WE RIGHT NOW, WE STILL HAVE TO ADDRESS THE OPERATING EXPENSE ASSOCIATED MM-HMM.
SO CAN I JUST, UM, FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION? SO I, WE KNOW THAT FOR, UM, FOR BOND PROJECTS, THEY'RE PRIMARILY CAPITAL, WE CAN'T USE, UM, THAT, SO IT'S ALL CAPITAL.
SO WHEN WE DO GO TO PERHAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, JUST LIKE THE VIA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAS OPERATIONAL, THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT PLAN FOR FREQUENCY.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME TYPE OF, UM, SO WE COULD NOT USE A BOND PROGRAM TO INCREASE FREQUENCY.
A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UM, UH, PRESENTING IT AND, UH, HOPE AND MARY AND JANE, UH, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PULLING ALL THIS STUFF TOGETHER.
I, I DO HAVE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS ON IT AND, UH, UM, AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE, SOME MORE THOUGHTS ON WHAT COULD BE TAPPED INTO AND SHOULD BE TAPPED INTO.
BUT, UH, IN OVERALL, I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE IS GONNA BE HUGE IN THIS MM-HMM.
UH, SYNCHRONIZE LIGHTS, THAT KIND OF THING ACROSS, ACROSS THE CITY THAT WILL HELP THE FLOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I'M, I, I'VE GOT A BIG CONCERN ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, OBVIOUSLY, AND I THINK WE ALL DO.
UM, I HAS, HAS THIS BEEN VETTED THROUGH SAMCO, R M A AND M P O, AND THEY ALL, THEY'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS.
THEY'VE ALL PARTICIPATED, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE DOING INDIVIDUAL WORK NOW WITH THEM, WITH THE SORT OF THE FINAL FRAME.
THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL IN IT.
I'VE, I'VE PERSONALLY SPOKEN TO SAMCO, UH, IN A SESSION JUST LIKE THIS.
AND I, I SUSPECT THEY'RE GONNA BE REALLY INTEGRATED, UH, GOING FORWARD ABSOLUTELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM, UH, LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY PUT A FEE ON THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
UM, TO HELP FUND THEIR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
UM, THAT'S ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR THE CITIZENS HAVING A VOTE AND 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, WE'RE ALREADY PAYING.
UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE WAS, UH, JUST AS A QUICK ASIDE ON THAT CHART, THAT PAGE THAT SHOWS THE, UH, OPTIONS ON PAYING.
UM, AND THAT'S, LET'S SEE, THAT IS PAGE 31.
THE ITEM ON, IN THE, IN THE BOTTOM BOX CALLED CREATION OF A TRANSPORTATION USER FEE.
[01:20:01]
THE ITEM.IT'S, IT'S SOME KIND OF COMPLICATED METHOD WHERE IT'S THE SIZE OF THE BUILDINGS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
THAT, UH, THE BIGGER BUILDING YOU HAVE, THE LARGER FEE YOU ACTUALLY PAY MM-HMM.
SO I, I HOPE THAT CITY, THAT THAT'S NOWHERE ON THE, ON THE CHART TO BE ADDED TO, UM, CHARGING ADDITIONAL FEES, UH, THROUGH THE CITY TO PAY FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
UH, ANOTHER ONE IS THE, UM, ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEE EVERY YEAR.
OUR COUNTERPARTS IN, LIKE IN AUSTIN, DALLAS, HOUSTON, UH, THE COUNTIES THERE ARE ALL AT 1150.
AND WE'RE DOUBLE WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE.
SO I HOPE THERE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT INCREASING THAT ANOTHER $10 ON TOP OF THAT.
UH, FOR, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, SUBJECT TO VOTER APPROVAL.
THE LEGISLATION, I'M SORRY, JEFF.
THE, UH, THE LEGISLATION THAT REPRESENTED MINHAS HAS FILED FOR THE COUNTY IS SUBJECT TO VOTER APPROVAL.
SO IF THE LE IF THE LEGISLATURE PASSES IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY VOTERS BEFORE IT WOULD BE ASSESSED LOCALLY.
WELL, AGAIN, WE'RE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE THE HIGHEST ONE IN THE STATE, YOU KNOW, FOR VEHICLE.
WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO CHECK THE NUMBERS FOR YOU ON THAT, BECAUSE I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S $10 NOW HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY.
WELL, I GOT A CHART HERE SOMEWHERE THAT, YEAH.
LET'S, LETS, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER AREA THAT I HOPE THAT WE DON'T GO TO, THAT WE ADD THIS FEE TO, UM, UH, EVERYBODY THAT NEEDS TO REGISTER THEIR VEHICLE MM-HMM.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY WARY ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I JUST, AND I BROUGHT THIS UP ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND I'VE, I'M STILL WORKING ON IT AND I'M, I'VE TALKED TO SAMCO AND, UH, TALKED TO TDOT, 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.
I MEAN, JUST GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS HERE.
HOUSTON, EVERYBODY KNOWS HOUSTON IS BIG.
THEY GOT 14, 14 BILLION OVER THAT TIME OF, UH, YEAH.
AND THESE ARE ALL DISTRICTS, NOT THE CITIES.
FORT WORTH, WHICH IS A SEPARATE DISTRICT FROM DALLAS, IS 8.5 BILLION, AND AUSTIN IS 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, I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S APPARENTLY A, UH, 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.
GOOD POINT AS TO WHAT MONEY CAN WE RECRUIT, RECOUP FROM TDOT THAT WE'VE BEEN BEHIND RIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE CITIES, BUT THEIR METROS, THEIR METROS ARE QUITE A BIT LARGER, PARTICULARLY DALLAS AND ABSOLUTELY.
SO THAT PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FOR SOME OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, BACK ON PAGE 31, UNDER THE CATEGORY OF LEVERAGED FUNDS, THE FIRST ONE IS UTILIZE STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS WHERE POSSIBLE TO DELIVER PROJECT FUNDING.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO GET MORE MONEY FROM THE STATE.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW, AS I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE'S ABOUT 4 BILLION AT TXDOT RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO BE FIRST TO THE TROUGH NOW TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY OR, UH, A LARGER PORTION OF THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE, UH, SOME OF THESE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT WE DIG INTO THIS DEEPER THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE MM-HMM.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE WORD EQUITY WHILE AGO.
THIS IS AN EQUITY ISSUE FOR TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS SURE.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO PUT A LOT OF OUR EFFORT TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY HERE TO SAN ANTONIO.
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME NOW TO ASK, TO CALL ON THEM TO RESPOND, BUT IS THERE ANY ANY POINT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? IF I MAY? UH, THIS IS THE DISTRICT ENGINEER.
MARIO AND I HAVE GONE ROUND AND ROUND ON THIS.
[01:25:01]
WELL, AND AGAIN, I MAYOR, I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU WHETHER YOU WANT TO HEAR A A, A COUNTERPOINT.DO, DO YOU HAVE A, A, A ONE MINUTE VERSION, MARIO? TEN SECOND VERSION.
SO, SO, UH, 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 DISTRICT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, CURRENTLY WE HAVE $1.8 BILLION UNDER CONTRACT UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SAN ANTONIO.
AS Y'ALL DRIVE AROUND, Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO DALLAS AT 2 BILLION.
BUMP BUMPING DALLAS TRIPLE WHAT AUSTIN HAS IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION, DOUBLE WHAT FORT WORTH HAS IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
SO, CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO, UH, OUR FUNDING LEVELS HAVE, UH, DRASTICALLY INCREASED AND I THINK FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE WILL AS WELL.
SO, AND I, I, I APPLAUD THAT, UM, MARIO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN CAPTURING MORE OF THAT MONEY AND BRINGING IT HERE TO THIS DISTRICT.
NO ONE CAN DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HI, THE TEXDOT AT THIS MOMENT IS BRUCE BUG, WHO'S A CITIZEN OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND YES, SIR, IF THERE WAS ANYONE CLOSER TO THE GOVERNOR OR MORE SKILLED, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT WOULD BE.
SO WE, WE'LL FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTION ON THAT.
UM, I, I JUST WANT TO GO OVER ONE, ONE THING THAT I RAN INTO WITH VIA ON THIS MOBILITY BY MOBILITY ON DEMAND.
UM, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, TAKING OUT SOME BUS LINES AND, UM, UH, HAVING A CALL-IN SYSTEM FOR LIKE UBER OR LYFT COMING TO PICK FOLKS UP AND SOME VANS, I THINK.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT PART OF, PART OF YOUR PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT ON THIS AS WELL? YEAH.
WELL, THE, THE COMMUNICATION OF THIS PROGRAM REALLY NEEDS TO IMP BE IMPROVED.
WE HAD A, A CITIZENS MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT AND HAD ABOUT 50 PEOPLE THERE.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ARE NONE TOO HAPPY.
THEY'RE UPSET, UH, IT WASN'T PRESENTED VERY WELL.
AND WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, AND I'M GONNA ASK VIA TO HOLD OFF ON THAT, UH, TEST UNTIL, UH, WE GET THE PROPER COMMUNICATION OUT.
AND THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE, MORE ABOUT THAT.
V IS, V IS HERE AND I'M SURE, UH, WE, WE, I MEAN, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD THE COUNCILMAN, SO LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT, UH, HOW THAT'S GOING.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, I, I THINK, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE QUITE INTERESTING.
I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T CALCULATE THE NUMBERS FROM THE 2030 THROUGH 2040 PROGRAM.
WELL, THE BUDGETS FOR THE STATE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, BEEN LAID OUT.
SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PROGRAMS ARE IN THAT LAST INCREMENT OF TIME.
UM, NOR THE, NOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S HARD TO JUDGE WHAT WE, WHAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO US THAT FAR OUT.
AND IT WAS SO IMPRECISE THAT THE COMMITTEE FELT, UM, PROBABLY JUST NOT, IT'S TOO MUCH A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATION TO, TO PUT IT IN AS HARD NUMBERS INTO THIS PRESENTATION.
I, 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 FOR 30 THROUGH 40? I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.
I, I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK PETER PETER'S THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK TO BECAUSE OKAY.
PETER WAS THE, THE CHIEF FINANCIAL GUY FOR THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
BECAUSE I MEAN, WE DEAL IN OUT YEAR PROGRAMS, PARAMETRIC ESTIMATING, THAT KIND OF THING, THAT KIND OF, UH, CAN GIVE YOU THOSE KIND OF ESTIMATES ALSO.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO, UM, FIND THAT OUT ALSO, WHAT THE COST IN THOSE OUT YEARS ALSO.
I THINK OUR, OUR OUR, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO THE POINT.
BY THE TIME OF THE END OF THE PROCESS, WE CAN HAVE A NUMBER FOR THOSE, FOR THAT FINAL PERIOD.
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THOUGHTS.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, UH, AND THE TIME WE SPENT TALKING OVER, UH, THE PROJECT.
UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, MY POINTS MAINLY JUST REVOLVE AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WHEN I SEE THIS PRESENTATION, UH, I SEE A, YOU, THERE'S LEVELS OF BAKED IN A PRESENTATION.
SO I KNOW YOU SAID EARLIER THAT THIS ISN'T BAKED.
THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND I, I, I GET THAT.
YOU AND I HAD GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD, I JUST WANNA PUT ONE POINT OF CONCERN.
UH, YOU TAKE THIS TO THE COMMUNITY, IT LOOKS PRETTY BAKED.
UM, THERE'S A LEVEL, I THINK, OF WORK THAT HAS OCCURRED ON THIS, UH, WITHOUT COUNCIL INPUT.
I THINK THAT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME.
[01:30:01]
THIS VERY MOMENT.FOR INSTANCE, HEARING THAT THERE'S GONNA 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 WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S RE I REMIND PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A TASK FORCE GOING OFF ON THEIR, THEIR WAY, AND THEY'RE 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.
AND I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WHAT'S GOING ON FROM A COMMUNICATIONS PERSPECTIVE VERSUS WHAT A COUNCIL MEMBER ACTUALLY KNOWS.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE GOING, MY MY OPINION WOULD BE TO LET EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE DISTRICTS WHO THESE SPEAKERS ARE.
UM, AND THAT IT'S ENTIRELY COORDINATED WITH THOSE OF US WHO'VE EARNED THE VOTES OF OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER PERSON THAN COMING TO DISTRICT SIX AND SAYING, THEY'RE GONNA COME OFF ME.
GREGG, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'M SAYING? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.
UNTENABLE POSITION, ESPECIALLY IF MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED AND THINGS ARE GOING ON, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF THEM.
UM, THAT'S WHY I HAD A QUIZZICAL LOOK EARLIER, BECAUSE THE SPEAKER'S THING COME, YOU KNOW, UNKNOWN TO ME.
SO, UM, I HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS THAT THE COUNCIL'S BEING LEFT OUT OF THIS EQUATION.
UH, AND IT KIND OF HAPPENED THAT WAY FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO WE'LL JUST, WE'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN EVERYTHING FROM HERE ON OUT, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
UM, BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS I TRY TO BE THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, 'CAUSE I, I KNOW DISTRICT SIX, I MEAN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS OF COMMUNITY, I PUT THIS IN FRONT OF THEM LIKE THAT, THEY'RE GONNA THINK THAT THERE'S A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY ALREADY HERE.
SO WHOEVER'S MESSAGING THAT, RIGHT, IT, IT BECOMES AN ALL, ALL-IN EFFORT, REGARDLESS OF IF WE DO 60, 40, 30, 90% OF THIS PLAN, IT HAS TO BE AN ALL-IN EFFORT AT THAT POINT TO THEN PITCH IT AND SELL IT TO THE VOTER.
AND YOU'RE GONNA NEED ALL OF US.
AND YOU GAVE ME SOME GREAT ADVICE WHEN WE WERE TALKING.
YOU SAID, HEY, RESERVE JUDGMENT, LET'S SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN WE ALL COME TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GONNA OWN THE PLAN TO, TO SOME EXTENT.
UM, SO I TOOK THAT TO HEART AND I THINK THAT WHAT, WHAT I WOULD ASK IN RETURN IS, IS LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL THERE ON IT BECAUSE I, THE COSTS CONCERN ME.
UH, I HAD TO POINT DOWN HERE BEFORE IT WAS MENTIONED, BUT THE QUESTION WAS, ARE THESE CAPITAL COSTS ONLY? AND THE ANSWER'S YES.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE OPERATING COSTS ARE ON THAT.
I'D ASK THAT YOU NOT THINK ABOUT THIS IN THE VACUUM OF ONLY TRANSPORTATION.
'CAUSE THIS IS A $3 BILLION SELL TO THE COMMUNITY.
MULTIPLE TAX, MULTIPLE RANGE, FEDERAL, STATE, I MEAN, MULTIPLE DOLLARS COMING IN MM-HMM.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF $3 BILLION ON THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE, AND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT $10 MILLION DOLLARS OUT GENERAL FUND FOR VIA.
THEN YOU ROLL OVER AND YOU'RE GONNA ROLL OUT A CLIMATE PLAN THAT HAS MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THAT COULD WELL BE FIVE TO $8 BILLION WORTH OF SPENDING.
AND IT, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, 3 BILLION TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING WE'RE COMING TO THEM FOR, THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY AND BE A PART OF.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE RESIDENT'S GONNA HAVE TO PAY IT.
SO I HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS, A $10 TAX.
WE SAW THIS IN THE BUDGET CYCLE IN 2017.
IT POPPED UP ON A SCREEN AND THE CITY WENT KIND OF BONKERS ON IT.
AND, AND BECAUSE IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, WE DON'T, I THINK WE HAD TO BE CAREFUL.
WE ADD ADDITIONAL FEES OR TAXES IN THERE.
I REALLY LIKE YOUR, YOUR POINTS ON, UM, LEVERAGING AND MOVING DOLLARS.
I AGREE ON THE BONDING ITEMS. I THINK PUTTING IT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH REGARDS TO TRANSPORTATION, IS GONNA BE SOLID.
UH, THERE'S GOOD POINTS IN THERE.
AND I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT TO, UM, AVOID INCREASING DOLLARS BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD REALLY PREFER TO START REALLOCATING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
I THINK THAT'S A PROBABLY A REALLY GOOD WORD.
'CAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG TO THE COUNCILMAN'S, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH HOW THE DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED.
SO IF WE CAN GET TO A BETTER PROCESS BY WHERE WE PUT THE CASH, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN GO TO MY RESIDENCE AND SAY, HEY, UH, IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL PENNY OUTTA YOUR POCKET.
AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA ASK, WELL, WHAT AM I LOSING AS A RESULT? AND I'M GONNA SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CHANGING.
AND IF WE PICK THE RIGHT ITEMS, WE CHANGE ON, I THINK WE WIN AGAIN.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UM, JUST 1, 1, 1 QUESTION REAL QUICK THOUGH.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU BRIEFED SAM COE, CORRECT.
WAS SAMCO A PART OF THIS DELIBERATION? YES.
SO THEY WERE INVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING, SAMCO, THE MP, THE M P O M P O AS WELL.
SO THEY WERE PART OF THE PLANNING AND ONE OF THE GRAPHICS UP HERE SHOWS HOW THE PLAN SORT OF COME TOGETHER.
THEIR PLAN IS INTEGRATED INTO, THIS IS NOT LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, 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.
AND SO WE MAKE NO, NO, NO ATTEMPTS TO SAY THIS IS, YOU KNOW, REINVENTING.
THIS IS INTEGRATION OF EXISTING PLANS.
[01:35:01]
AND, AND CERTAINLY THOSE TWO ARE IN HERE.SO THE, THE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO, 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 SIX OR NOT.
THE BEST PROOF SOURCE YOU HAVE IS JOHN, IT'S, IT'S CLAYTON, IT'S ROBERTO, IT'S ALL OF US.
KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHO'S COMING IN AND WHO'S SAYING WHAT.
WE'RE ALREADY TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT, NOT, WITHOUT HAVING THAT INFORMATION.
SO, SO LEMME CLARIFY ON THAT POINT, IF I CAN.
FIRST OF ALL, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN FACE-TO-FACE ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I'M DOING MY BEST TO GET TO EVERY, UH, 11 OF YOU, UH, INDIVIDUALLY.
UH, AND I THINK MAYBE THERE'S THREE OR FOUR THAT I HAVEN'T TALKED TO AT THIS POINT.
SO, UH, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN ACT OF RESPECT TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THE PLEDGE THAT I'VE MADE IS WE WANNA DO A TOWN HALL IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
I'M TAKING A CUE FROM CHERYL SCULLY, WHO DOES DID THAT WITH THE BUDGET FOR YEARS.
UM, AND, UM, BUT YOU'RE OFFERED THE CHANCE TO HOST THAT MEETING.
AND, AND, AND, AND SO THE TONE YOU SET AS TO WHAT THIS PLAN IS, 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 GONNA BE PROBABLY A HUNDRED MEETINGS.
THAT MEANS 90 BEYOND THE 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND THERE'S ABOUT 10 OF THEM IN SAN ANTONIO, ALAMO AND A, AND, AND, AND ASIAN AND HISPANIC AND WOMEN.
AND, AND LITERALLY NORTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE DOWNTOWN.
UM, THERE'S, UM, MAJOR EMPLOYERS, U T S A, U S A A, UM, PORT SAN ANTONIO, UH, HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, UH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO THAT, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT SUGGESTING WE HAVE TO DO LIKE CLEAR THOSE WITH THE COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT IF SOMEBODY'S COMING IN, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE, WHAT THEIR LANGUAGE, AND WE SHOULD BE BRIEFED ON, ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING.
WE CAN GET YOU THE LIST OF WHO IT THAT'S VOLUNTEERED TO DO THE PRESENTATIONS.
'CAUSE I CAN'T DO A HUNDRED NO, NO PRESENTATIONS.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SAYING, SHANNON, THAT WE, WE HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THAT.
AND I, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA COME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, I WAS AT THIS MEETING THE OTHER DAY AND BLANK BLANK, BLANK WAS PRESENTING THIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND I'M LIKE, I, I, SORRY.
SO DO I THINK THAT THE SCHEDULE OF EVERYTHING SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER? YES.
IF THEY COME INTO DISTRICT SIX, I WANNA KNOW EVERY ONE OF 'EM IS COMING IN.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST A SIMPLE EMAIL SAYING, HEY, HERE'S OKAY, HERE'S THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
HERE'S WHO WHO'LL BE PRESENTING.
'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO HAVE A STAFFER THERE.
I THINK ANY OTHER COUNCIL PERSON WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOME.
SO THE SCHEDULE, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
WE, SHANNON, I THINK IT'S LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE TO SEND TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER AS A GROUP, NOT BECAUSE IT'S BE DIFFICULT TO BREAK IT DOWN.
AND THEN IS IT WHERE THE ORGANIZATION IS LOCATED OR WHERE THE MEETING IS HELD WHEN WE MEET WITH THE, UH, NORTH SIDE CHAMBER.
SO, UH, UH, I THINK WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS JUST PUT OUT A, UH, AS SOON AS WE HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT SHOWS WE'RE PRESENTING TO THIS CHAMBER, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, ORGANIZATION, THIS, AND LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENING AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO BE THERE.
CERTAINLY COUNCILMAN BROADCAST HAS TWO MEMBERS.
IS THAT, IS THAT FAIR? UH, GREG AS A PLACE TO, AS A WAY TO PROCEED.
I'M, I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY? I BELIEVE YOU, YOU POINT TO PEOPLE THE STATE ADVISORY.
NO, I'M NOT, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MEETINGS.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD A COMMENT ABOUT THE MEETINGS.
UM, NO, I, YEAH, NO, THAT'S PERFECT.
IT HA THE COUNCIL HAS TO KNOW WHEN THE MEETINGS ARE OCCURRING.
WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE CA UH, TASKS, YOU KNOW, STAFFERS THERE AND STUFF.
I CAN, I CAN ABSOLUTELY SEE THE VALUE OF THAT.
YOU WANT HAVE SOMEBODY PRESENT, GET IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY APPRECI AND ESPECIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
I KNOW HOW SENSITIVE THOSE, THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE I WANT.
IF YOU'RE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNOW HOW SENSITIVE THOSE ARE.
WE'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE OUT IN THE ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DISTRICT.
I'M SORRY, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
AND WE NEED YOUR, WE NEED YOUR ADVICE IN YOUR DISTRICT ABOUT WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS YOU FEEL PARTICULARLY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO GO TO.
UH, JOHN, THE GROUP THAT YOU TOLD ME, IT WAS A KIND OF A DISTRICT-WIDE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
DISTRICT NINE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE WAS ONE RIGHT.
SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT WAS ANOTHER.
AND THEY BRING TOGETHER GROUPS OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, ASSOCIATION LEADERS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT.
AND AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE SCHEDULE ONE OF THOSE, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW.
COUNCILMAN B HOUSE, COUNCILMAN HALL.
UH, SO I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN ORGANIZATIONS AND A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO SIMILAR THINGS, AND THEY MAY, UH, DO THINGS IN ALIGNMENT, SOMETIMES OVERLAPPING, AND MAYBE IT'S NOT A DISCUSSION FOR TODAY, BUT I'D LIKE, UH, TO HAVE KIND OF A, A DESCRIPTION AS TO WHAT THE VARIOUS ENTITIES DO.
UH, SO SANDOVAL, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED THE M P O BEING, BEING THE POLICY BOARD.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY MENTIONED THE SAMCO.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF A A R M A STILL EXISTS WHILE WE GOT CONNECT SA.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THAT DO, UM, TRANSPORTATION.
SO EVENTUALLY I'D LIKE A KIND OF A LIST, A DESCRIPTION OF, OF, OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS DO DIFFERENTLY
[01:40:01]
THAN THE OTHERS.AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, WHY CONNECT SA COULD NOT HAVE DONE WHAT IT IS DOING THROUGH ONE OF THE ALREADY EXISTING, UH, BODIES.
THE SECOND QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, IS, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE PURVIEW OF THIS PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION, BUT, UH, JUST WANTED TO TO GET THAT FROM YOU.
UH, DID WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION AS TO, UH, CONNECTIVITY WITH OTHER CITIES? SO WITH AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, LAREDO, OR IS IT JUST, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITHIN SAN ANTONIO? THE LATTER.
NOW ASK YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY POLICY BODIES LIKE THE M P O.
IT IS A, IT IS, IT HAS STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, FOR THE INTERFACE WITH TXDOT AND THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE A, A NONPROFIT, A 5 0 1 C THREE ORGANIZED TO DO TWO THINGS.
ONE, INTEGRATE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING.
AND THEN SECONDLY, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRESENT THIS TO THE PUBLIC IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES TO, TO THAT, THE, THAT THE PUBLIC BODIES, THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY MAKE A DECISION THAT SOME REVENUE SOURCE IS NEEDED, THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE A, A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC THAT THE CASE IS BEING MADE IN A, IN A COHERENT WAY.
UH, I'VE HEARD SOME WORDS HERE THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT, AND ONE OF THEM IS INTERCONNECTIVITY.
AND, UH, I FOUND THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT IN MY DISTRICT.
UH, 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.
UH, IT LEADS TO BOTTLENECKS, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THIS PLAN IS AIMED TOWARDS ADDRESSING THOSE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, YOU KNOW, CONGESTION IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT I FACE.
UH, AND PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OF THEIR TIME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER TOO.
MAYBE THE VALUE THAT WE PUT FORWARD TO BUILD, CONSTRUCT, OR DEVELOP, UH, EASIER WAYS TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY HAVE A, 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, 30 YEARS OR SO, 25 OR 30 YEARS.
COUNCIL, MAYOR, YOU MIGHT JUST QUICKLY, FOR THE COUNCIL'S BENEFIT, MENTION SOME OF THE, THE, UH, PARTICULAR ROADWAYS.
YOU MENTIONED TO ME, A HEBNER CONNECTION.
HE CONNECTED TO 2 81 HARDY OAK CONNECTED FROM BLANCO DOWN TO SONARA.
SONARA CONNECTED OVER TO GOLD CANYON.
GOLD CANYON CONNECTED FROM 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 ONTO BULVERDE ROAD OR PILING ONTO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, 2 81, OR, AND IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE JUST AN, ISN'T AN EASY DIRECT WAY TO GET AROUND.
AND I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S THE CHOICES OF MODALITIES.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY'LL PROVIDE REALLY, UH, OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE.
UH, 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, UH, TO GET TO OR FROM WORK.
ALL OF THAT, I THINK CAN BE, AND IT'S INTENDED TO BE PART OF THE INTEGRATION, UH, OF WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THIS PLAN.
UH, AND I THINK DEDICATED ROOTS IS REALLY A KEY.
IT'S A KEY FOR THE A R T AS A A PROGRAM.
AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE RECOGNIZED, WE'VE EVEN WEAVED THAT INTO OUR OWN SA TOMORROW PLAN.
SOME KIND OF DEDICATED, UH, AVENUES FOR GROWTH.
WHILE I THINK THAT THIS IS CAPITALIZING ON THAT, THAT IDEA THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO ENHANCE THE TRANSPORTATION ALONG WITH THE GROWTH THAT'S GONNA GO IN THOSE AREAS.
BUT I HOPE THAT ONE THING WE'RE NOT DOING IS GIVING UP ON HIGHWAY AND ROADWAY EXPANSION TODAY BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THAT TODAY.
BUT HOPEFULLY WHAT THAT'LL DO IS IT'LL DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OR EVEN ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR MORE HIGHWAYS IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, I KNOW PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT ARE GONNA SAY, WELL, THAT, DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA FINISH 1604? NO.
BUT ONCE WE FINISH 1604 AND WE DEVELOP THESE MAIN ARTERIAL WAYS OF MASS TRANSPORTATION, WE WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EXPANDING 1604 OR 2 81 OR BANDERA ROAD IN THE FUTURE.
SO I THINK THE, THE PLAN HAS A LOT OF GREAT POTENTIAL.
AND, UH, I, I HOPE THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE SEE THAT POTENTIAL AND WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND
[01:45:01]
THAT POTENTIAL.UM, I WANNA START BY SAYING HOW, 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 N P O AND SAMCO.
AND THEN YOU COME AND PRESENT TO TODAY.
AND I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE SURPASSED THE KNOWLEDGE I'VE GAINED ON THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS THAT WE HAVE AND WE WILL NEED, UH, FOR OUR SYSTEMS. SO TO THAT, I CONGRATULATE YOU, BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT NOW I'M A, I'M A CUT BELOW WHERE YOU BEGAN ON THIS, ON CONNECTUS SAY, BUT I, I SAY THAT TO MAKE A BIGGER, I MAY BE THE CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.
UH, AND THIS IS A MASS EDITING PROCESS WHERE THERE'S GOING TO BE CROWDSOURCING FROM, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
EVERYBODY HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN ITS, UH, IN ITS OUTCOME.
AND, UH, WE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE FASTER THAN, UH, WE KNEW OUR COMMUNITY WAS READY TO KEEP UP WITH.
AND, AND WE KNEW WE WANTED TO AT LEAST BEGIN THE CONVERSATION WITH A, WITH A SKELETON AND A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
AND SOME OF THAT IS, IS NEW IDEAS THAT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY JUST, UH, NEEDED TO BECOME AWARE OF.
AND, AND WHILE B R T OR A R T, UH, SOUND NEW TO SAN ANTONIO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TRAVEL VERY FAR TO KNOW THAT THESE ARE OLD CONCEPTS THAT WORK WELL AND ARE, ARE PROVEN MODELS MM-HMM.
UH, BUT PLEASE NOTE TO, TO THE REST OF THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE, UH, YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR AHEAD OF, OF, OF MANY OF US WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING IN AND, AND TALKING ABOUT HOW TO JUST BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, NOT TO PUT A PERIOD ON, ON ANYTHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, BUT IT IS A DOT, DOT DOT.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND BROADEN THE SCOPE OF FOLKS WHO'VE, UH, WHOSE VOICES ARE, ARE INVOLVED IN THIS.
SO LEMME JUST MAKE ONE QUICK POINT, UH, SECRETARY CISNEROS.
A POINT THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, VERAN MADE THAT, UH, I WANNA REEMPHASIZE AND SAY IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THE, THE SOME IN SOME CASES WE'RE HAMSTRUNG, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE FUNDING SOURCES WE HAVE.
BECAUSE IF WE DO GET MONEY FOR THE M P O, IF THEY ARE FEDERAL FUNDS, THEY ARE TIED TO CORRECT SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND SOMETIMES THE FORMULA ON WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THAT FOR MM-HMM.
AND SHE'S 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 MM-HMM.
AND, AND THE, THE REASON I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER ON THE SOUTH SIDE, OR THAT COUNCILWOMAN GROM BRINGS IT UP IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN PERHAPS IN SOME CASES THE, THE, THE LOSS OF DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOT COME, UH, AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS BEING MADE.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE, THE SPURRING GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING TOWARDS, UH, 1 51 IN COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE'S DISTRICT, A TON OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING, UH, BROUGHT ON BECAUSE OF A $300 MILLION, UH, HIGHWAY INVESTMENT.
AND THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO US.
SO AS WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS EDITING PROCESS, I THINK THE ONLY POINT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THAT WE ARE, UM, CONSIDERING THAT WE MAY BE COMING UP WITH FUNDING SOURCES OF WHICH 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, CORRECT.
EXIST TODAY, BUT CREATE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND BRINGING ON THOSE NEW RESIDENTS IN AN AREA THAT DOESN'T EXIST ALREADY.
UH, SO LET'S BE FLEXIBLE WITH FLEXIBLE DOLLARS IF THAT IS WHERE WE END UP GOING, UH, WITH SOME OF THE RESOURCES.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE ONLY, UH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL MADE THE POINT AS WELL.
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 GONNA DO THE THINGS THAT MANY OF YOU WANT TO DO, WHICH ARE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY ENCOURAGING, WHICH ARE, UH, GREATER ACCESSIBILITY, WHICH REVOLVE AROUND PUBLIC TRANSIT, SIDEWALKS, UH, UH, UH, MICRO MOBILITY AND SO FORTH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT POT OF MONEY THAT TENDS TO BE LOCAL MONEY.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF LOCAL MONEY THAT WE CAN UNLEASH.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THE DIFFERENT POTS, THE DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY ARE POINTED TO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS ON, ON ON, ON THIS GAME, ON THIS PROCESS.
WELL, UH, SECRETARY, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE TIME AND THE, THE, UM, THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE POURED THANK YOU.
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH A LOT OF WHAT
[01:50:01]
IS NECESSARY.LEMME JUST TRY TO OUTLINE WHAT I THINK A VISION OF SUCCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS, MAYBE A DECADE INTO THIS, MAYBE MAYBE TWO DECADES, WHEN WE CAN FINALLY MEASURE WHETHER CONNECT SA WITH A VISION THAT INCLUDES THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AND VOICES, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO TODAY, IF YOU WERE TO ASK A DEVELOPER, OR YOU WERE TO ASK SOMEBODY WHERE IT IS THEY WANTED TO MOVE INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND IN SOME CASES, THEY TALK ABOUT EASY ACCESS IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ACCESS TO A HIGHWAY IN, IN OTHER CITIES.
THAT MEASURE OF SUCCESS OF WHAT YOU WANT NEARBY WHERE YOU LIVE IS BEING CLOSE ENOUGH TO, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL TEND TO GET TO IN THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO WHEN IT IS SEEN AS A BENEFIT TO HAVE TO BE NEAR A BUS STOP.
TO BE NEAR A BUS RAPID TRANSIT.
UH, 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 SAY THIS, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF IN SAYING THIS AS A RESULT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT, WHICH I DIDN'T SEEK, UM, BUT AGREED TO DO, UM, I HAVE HAD TO STEEP MYSELF IN WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH RESPECT TO TRANSIT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THIS, IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY PROGRESSIVE CITY IN AMERICA EVERY CITY WITH A SORT OF A POSITIVE ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY OR A WAY, OR WANTING TO, TO IMPROVE THEIR ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY IS FOCUSING ON TRANSPORTATION.
AND YOU COULD GO FROM TAMPA, WHICH HAS NOW JUST DECIDED TO DO A R T TO MIAMI, WHICH JUST FUNDED A HUGE AND MASSIVE, UH, 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, I MEAN, JUST GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND, UH, SO SAN ANTONIO CANNOT SIT BACK.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THE, WITH WITH THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE, THE REALITY IS WE ARE GOING TO GROW.
WE ARE IN TEXAS, 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 IT NOW, JUST LIKE AUSTIN COULDN'T.
UH, AND SO, UH, REALLY SORT OF BEING UNIMAGINATIVE IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION FOR US.
UM, AND, AND, AND, 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.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T BE IMAGINATIVE AND CREATIVE AND NOT HAVE SOME RESOURCES TO DO IT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, SECRETARY SNOWS FOR, FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, UH, ALSO JANE MA, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S STILL HERE.
AND, UH, ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, AND ALSO TO HOPE ANDRA JUST, UH, JUST TO SAY, UH, THIS IS A, A BIG, BIG JOB.
I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT.
AND, UH, I JUST, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO OUR MEETING MARCH 5TH, UH, TO TALK SOME MORE.
I, I, I WOULD LOVE TO, TO, TO GET INVOLVED AND, 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, UH, HOPE, UH, UH, LOST HER HUSBAND DURING THIS LAST FEW WEEKS.
SO, UH, SHE'S, SHE'S, SHE'S BEEN AT THE MEETINGS AND CONTINUED TO WORK, UH, THROUGH A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR HER.
AND SHE REALLY DESERVES ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT.
AND THANK YOU, UH, UH, SECRETARY CISNEROS FOR ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT.
WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS, UH, AND THAT OF HOPE AND, AND JANE AS WELL.
UH, I JUST WANNA REFLECT REALLY QUICKLY ON SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN SALDANA SAID, UH, WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT FORMULAS AND HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ISSUE OF EQUITY IN OUR CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IS AN UL ULTIMATE EQUALIZER IN MANY WAYS.
UM, THIS PLAN IS ALIGNED WITH THE SA TOMORROW CORRIDORS, WHICH CONSIDERS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EQUITY AND CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY THAT WE HAVE, UH, NEEDING TO CONSIDER IT IN THE CITY.
AND SO, IN MANY WAYS, I THANK YOU, HENRY, FOR TAKING THE ASSIGNMENT.
UH, THIS, THIS GOES BACK STRAIGHT TO YOUR WORK ON TARGET 90 MM-HMM.
WHICH HAS ELEMENTS IN IT, UH, WHICH
[01:55:01]
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.SO, UM, I'M NOT SURPRISED YOU'RE MOVING, UH, IN SOME WAYS MUCH FASTER THAN ANYONE ANTICIPATED, UH, ANTICIPATING THESE THINGS, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE, HENRY.
UH, MAYOR, LEMME JUST SAY A A COUPLE OF BRIEF WORDS.
UM, THE FIRST IS I REALLY, UH, AS MAYOR NEVER, UM, WAS UNDERSTOOD FULLY THE, THE, THE DIMENSIONS OF TRANSPORTATION.
I FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE DID HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR COUNCIL WHO GOT IT EARLY ON.
HIS NAME WAS GLENN 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 SPREAD TO THE COUNTY VIA, CAME UP WITH THE SALES TAX STRATEGY, REQUIRED LEGISLATION.
IT'S A VERY, VERY BIG STEP FOR OUR CITY.
I, 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, PERIOD.
UM, SO I'M A, A BOARD TO, TO TRY TO BE HELPFUL.
UH, I MADE A STATEMENT IN THE PAPER A WEEK AGO, AND I WANT TO JUST RESTATE IT FOR THE COUNCIL.
I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF RAISING CAPITAL FOR PUBLIC ISSUES, UH, THROUGH SEABERT CISNEROS SHANK.
AND WE'VE CREATED A SPINOFF COMPANY, WHICH WILL 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.
'CAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THE POSITION OF SOMEONE SAYING, UM, THE ONLY REASON THEY INCLUDED THAT ROUTE OR THE INCLUSION THEY'RE DOING THAT PROJECT IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, CIS EXPECTS TO BE INVOLVED SOMEHOW IN THE FUNDING OR FINANCING AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION.
SO I'M JUST MAKING THAT AS A BLANKET STATEMENT.
SO THERE CAN BE NO, UH, SUGGESTION AND, UH, OTHERWISE.
SO WE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THIS AS A PUBLIC INTEREST PROPOSITION TO TRY TO TR GET THIS RIGHT FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SECRETARY.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL UPDATES.
UH, ALSO ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON IS A DISCUSSION AND A BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM FOR BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT COMMIT ELIGIBLE, UH, OFFENSES.
UH, THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF STUDY OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE A TWO-PART PRESENTATION, POLICE CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS, UH, WILL BEGIN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOE GONZALEZ.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET EARLIER TODAY AND FURTHER DISCUSS THE PROGRAM.
THIS HAS GONE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE.
UH, 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 GONZALEZ.
SO, WITH THAT CHIEF, LET'S BEGIN.
AS CHERYL SAID, WE HAVE OUR DA WITH OUR, WITH US TODAY, UH, JOE GONZALEZ, WHO'S, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE A FAIRLY SHORT PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, AT THE VERY END, UH, OUR DA'S GONNA PICK UP AND EXPLAIN KINDA THE BACKSIDE OF THIS, UH, PROCESS, WHICH ALL REST WITH THE, UH, WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
SO THE AUTHORITY, YOU RUNNING THIS PRESENTATION, YOU HAVE TO PRESS NEXT ONLY, AND IF YOU WANT TO GO TO A NUMBER, YOU'LL PUT THE NUMBER.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, NOT WORKING OFF TO A GOOD START.
NO, IT'S THIS, THIS IS THE FIRST ONE.
IS THAT NOT UP THERE? NO, THAT'S THE, THAT'S OKAY.
SO, THE AUTHORITY FOR SITE AND RELEASE COMES FROM CHAPTER 14 OF THE TEXAS PENAL CODE.
AND IN, IN SHORT, IT STATES THAT A PEACE OFFICER FOR SOMEONE FOR WHERE AN OFFENSE, UH, HAPPENS IN A A PARTICULAR COUNTY, CAN CITE THE PERSON WHO RESIDES IN THAT COUNTY
[02:00:01]
RATHER THAN TAKE THEM BEFORE A MAGISTRATE.SO, AND, AND, AND THOSE ARE THE, IF 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 SITE AND RELEASE UNDER, UH, CHAPTER 14.
SO, IN, IN, IN, UH, 20, UH, 2016, THE I A C P OR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE SURVEYED, UH, AROUND 1300 POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND 87% OF THOSE 1300 POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE USING A SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM.
UH, DALLAS BEGAN ITS PROGRAM JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, AND AUSTIN STARTED THEIR PROGRAM, UH, JUST ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.
AND THE WAY, THE WAY THE PROCESS STARTS IS IF, UH, A POLICE OFFICER STARTS, UH, WITH A CONTACT ON THE STREET, THE OFFICER CAN EITHER, UH, TAKE THAT PERSON BEFORE A MAGISTRATE AND, UH, CHARGE THE CASE THAT WAY, OR THE OFFICER CAN CITE THE PERSON.
UH, AND BY ISSUING A TICKET, IF THERE'S EVIDENCE, THEN THE EVIDENCE WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO THE SUBSTATION AND DEPOSITED IN A LOCKBOX.
UH, AND THE OFFICER AFTER THAT, AFTER THAT'S DONE, WOULD BE BACK OUT ON THE STREET AS OPPOSED TO A TRIP DOWN TO THE MAG'S OFFICE, UH, AND PROCESSING THE PRISONER AND DOING A, A, UH, UH, THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED IN AN ARREST.
SO IT PUTS THE OFFICER BACK ON THE STREET IN A, IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME UNDER CHAPTER 14, UH, THESE ARE THE OFFENSES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SITE AND RELEASE.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY OFFENSE THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE, UH, AFTER CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE DA AND I WOULD BE GRAFFITI.
AND GRAFFITI IS AN, 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, UH, ANGST AND ANGER AMONG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TARGETED, UH, BY TAGGERS.
CLASS B MARIJUANA ARRESTS, UM, ARE ABOUT 50% OF THE ARRESTS MADE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SITE AND RELEASE SINCE 2014.
UH, THESE ARE THE STATISTICS THAT SHOW, UH, BREAKDOWN OF ETHNICITY WHEN IT COMES TO RACE AND ETHNICITY, WHEN IT COMES TO ARRESTS FOR B MARIJUANA.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT DISPARATE TREATMENT, AND I THINK I, I, I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT I TRUSTED OUR OFFICERS WILL NOT, UH, LEAN IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER DIRECTION MORE H HEAVILY THAN ANOTHER, UH, USING THE CITATION PROCESS VERSUS THE ARREST PROCESS, OR VICE VERSA.
SO WE HAD THREE MEETINGS TOTAL WITH THE DA'S OFFICE AND WITH ACTUALLY WITH THE DA.
UM, IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
EACH TIME WE GOT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ALONG IN THE PROCESS, UM, THE, UH, 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, UH, FAIRLY SIMPLE.
UH, THE DISCUSSION ON WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CITATION IS ISSUED WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX THAN THE FRONT END.
AND THEN ON THE, ON THE, UH, FRONT END, WE'VE GOT THE TRAINING FOR THE OFFICERS ON, UH, ISSUING THE CITATION AS OPPOSED TO, UH, MAKING AN ARREST.
UH, GENERAL MANUAL UPDATES, CITATION BOOK UPDATES, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT'S, UH, HANGING OUT IN THE BALANCE RIGHT NOW.
AND THE CREATION OF AN INFORMATION CARD WILL, WILL PUT THAT CARD OUT THERE AND ONLINE, UH, FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE CITED, OR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN GETTING MORE INFORMATION ON THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, LOCK BOXES AND THE CAMERAS INSTALLED HERE, UH, BEFORE THE, UH, BEFORE THE PROGRAM IS, UH, READY TO BE, TO BE KICKED OFF.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL ASK, UH, OUR DA TO COME UP AND JUST TAKE OVER THE BACK END OF THE PRESENTATION HERE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, BEFORE I BEGAN TO EXPLAIN OUR, OUR PART OF THIS, I WANNA SAY THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I WAS IN SUPPORT OF THIS VERY EARLY ON, AND CONTINUE TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS, IS BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS A DUAL,
[02:05:01]
UH, BENEFIT.NOT ONLY DOES IT KEEP THE OFFICER ON THE STREET, UH, 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 CITIZENS.
SO, I, I THINK THAT FOR THOSE OFFENSES, THAT CERTAINLY IS A BENEFIT TO, TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT FINDS HIMSELF IN THIS SITUATION.
WHEN, WHEN AN OFFICER MAKES THE DECISION TO CITE THE, AND BY THE WAY, UH, YOU KNOW, CHIEF MCMAHON HAS SAID THAT THE PERSON'S TAKEN BEFORE MAGISTRATE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S DELAYS IN THAT PROCESS.
SOMETIMES AN OFFICER HAS TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD DELAY THAT.
SO COULD, THAT COULD CAUSE A CONSIDERABLE DELAY.
BUT ONCE THE OFFICER MAKES THE DECISION TO CITE THE INDIVIDUAL, THEN WHAT THAT OFFICER'S GOING TO DO IS ISSUE THE CITATION TO THE, TO THE CITIZEN.
WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE THAT CITIZEN TO SHOW UP AT THE REENTRY CENTER.
WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED A LOCATION.
WE NOW HAVE A HOME THAT'S, UH, 2 22 SOUTH AL THE CITIZEN IS GONNA HAVE 30 DAYS WITHIN WHICH TO REPORT.
ONCE THE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INTAKE PROSECUTOR, UH, DO THE INTAKE OF THAT INDIVIDUAL AND, AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT PARTICULAR PERSON, UH, REQUIRES SOME SORT OF SERVICES.
EITHER IF THEY'RE, THEY IDENTIFY A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, THEN THEY, WE MAY REFER THEM TO A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.
IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S A DRUG, UH, ISSUE, WE MAY, UH, UM, SUGGEST DRUG TREATMENT OR SOMETIMES JUST, JUST PERFORMING COMMUNITY SERVICE.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE THEIR PART OF IT.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM 90 DAYS TO, 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.
UH, 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 EVER HAVE TO HAVE THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVELIHOOD, UH, OR THEIR FAMILIES.
NOW, THERE'S SOME CONSEQUENCE TO THAT IF THEY IGNORE IT, IF THEY, FOR EXAMPLE, DON'T SHOW UP WITHIN THOSE 30 DAYS TO REPORT, OR THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY SHOW UP, BUT THEY DON'T COMPLY WITH THE, 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'VE GOTTA DO THEIR PART.
SO, UH, THIS, I BELIEVE IS A GOOD THING FOR ALL, UH, INVOLVED.
I'M EXCITED TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WILL, IT WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM FOR ALL INVOLVED.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, AND I'M CERTAINLY AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
SO, JUST TO CLOSE THIS OUT, THE ANTICIPATED START DATE IS IN APRIL.
UH, WE WILL DEVELOP A PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
UH, BEFORE WE START, UH, 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, UH, ONCE WE DO HAVE SOME NUMBERS UNDER OUR BELT.
SO THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND AS THE DA SAID, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MEETING, SO I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
ALSO, THE PRESENT, UH, THE PRESENCE OF OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
UH, I'LL JUST START BY SAYING THAT MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT WAS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.
UH, AND I WORKED AS A VOLUNTEER, UH, WITH FIRST TIME JUVENILE OFFENDERS WORKING ON A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM AVOID, UH, YOU KNOW, COURT AND LONG, UH, CRIMINAL RECORDS, UH, OR THE BEGINNING OF ONE.
AND I FOUND THAT, UM, INCREDIBLY, UH, FULFILLING EXPERIENCE.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORKED WITH, UH, QUITE OFTEN GOT RIGHT BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK, AND WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE THROUGH LIFE IN A MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE MANNER.
SO, I, I AM FULLY IN FAVOR OF A MORE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH TO, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
I THINK IT HAS BENEFITS, UH, LARGE BENEFITS FOR A COMMUNITY, UH, SUCH AS SAN ANTONIO.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE ENLIGHTENED, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR TAKING LEADERSHIP TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
AND THANK YOU CHIEF FOR THE PRESENTATION, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR, FOR JOINING US.
UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE A, UM, ONLY POSSIBLE, ONLY SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE HAVE BOTH OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND OUR CHIEF WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I'M SO GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH, UM, SOME, SOME CONFUSION ON THE FRONT END A YEAR AGO WHERE WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT KIND OF COORDINATION.
AND SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR, OUR DA FOR BEING HERE.
WE WANNA SEE THE, THE COUNTY BE PART OF ANY COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
[02:10:01]
INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE.AND THAT GOES BEYOND JUST SITE AND RELEASE.
SO I, I WANT TO THANK A FEW OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD ON EDUCATING ME ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
UH, THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT SA STANDS, THEY'VE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT, UH, OF, OF REALLY SPEAKING UP FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO, WHO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF, YOU KNOW, STARTING A CRIMINAL RECORD THAT ULTIMATELY, UH, SNOWBALLS INTO BIGGER ISSUES FOR INDIVIDUALS.
AND I, AND SO I, I WOULD SAY THAT THE REASON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE TODAY IS TWO-PRONGED.
UH, SO IF, IF LIKE ME, YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN MAKING, OR IF, LIKE ME, YOU'VE BEEN ON A RIDE-ALONG AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, YOU KNOW THAT A POLICE OFFICER'S TIME IS VALUABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO MAKE A CALL, SOMETHING GOES THROUGH ON YOUR LAPTOP AND IT COMES, COMES IN AS A CASE THAT YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE.
UH, WHEN YOU END UP HAVING TO GO TO THE MAGISTRATE IN THE DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW THAT IN SOME CASES, THAT'S, THAT COULD BE THE END OF YOUR SHIFT DEPENDING ON, ON THE CALL.
AND FRANKLY, WHEN THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU MAY STOP IS A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR THE COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC, UH, YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE MAGISTRATE PROCESS.
THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO, AS S A P D OR BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS, UH, NEED TO REMOVE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE HARMFUL, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT WE'VE OUTLINED HERE IN THE SITE AND RELEASE ELIGIBLE CRITERIA ARE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO, WHO HAVE, HAVE MADE SOME MISTAKES, UH, WOULD NOT NEED TO HAVE TO GO INTO JAIL TO THEN ULTIMATELY, UH, GO INTO A PROCESS WHERE YOU COULD GO OUT, YOU COULD COME RIGHT BACK OUT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BAILING PROCESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME FOLKS, UH, TO COME RIGHT OUT IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK, UH, I WANT TO THANK THE, THE ANOTHER PERSON HERE, COUNCILMAN CRUZ SHAW, WHO REALLY HELPED EDUCATE ME ON WHAT IT MEANT TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A VICTIM OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BUT TO BE A VICTIM OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND BE POOR, WHICH IS DRAMATICALLY, UH, MORE DETRIMENTAL TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BOND OUT.
AND IT MAY BE A, A MARIJUANA POSSESSION, IT COULD BE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
UH, AND NEITHER OF THOSE, IN MY OPINION, ARE SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE YOU A THREAT TO MY COMMUNITY OR MY DISTRICT.
UM, AND IF ANOTHER BYPRODUCT OF THAT IS THAT WE ALSO GIVE OFFICERS BACK THEIR TIME EVEN BETTER.
SO, UH, I WANT TO JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION, UH, CHIEF, TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS.
IF I'M EXPLAINING IT TO MY COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IF I FOUND A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CAN I TELL THEM THAT THEY HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH SITE AND RELEASE IF THEY'VE EVER BEEN, UM, TICKETED FOR, FOR SPEEDING, THAT THAT IS A SITE AND RELEASE, UH, UM, OFFENSE? YES.
SO I THINK THAT'D BE, YEAH, THAT'D BE ACCURATE.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD TELL THAT COMMUNITY MEMBER, HAVE YOU EVER, YOU KNOW, BEEN STOPPED FOR GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT OR RUNNING A, A STOPLIGHT, AND YOU GET, UH, AN OFFICER WHO STOPS YOU, HE CITES YOU THERE, AND THEN TELLS YOU THERE'S AN OBLIGATION ON YOUR END THAT YOU NEED TO SHOW UP EITHER TO PAY THE TICKET OR DISPUTE THE, THE CLAIM.
THAT'S SORT OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE ARE OUTLINING HERE, BUT WE'RE EXPANDING IT TO A FEW OTHER COMPONENTS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED.
TICKET FOR JAYWALKING, SAME DIFFERENCE.
AND SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBER MIGHT, MIGHT, UH, THEN RESPOND WITH, YEAH, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ME WITH A, WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET, OR THAT'S ME WITH A SPEEDING VIOLATION OR JAYWALKING, UM, IN THEIR HEAD, THEY MIGHT BE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UM, MORE EXTREME CRIMINAL OFFENSES THAT THEY MAY BE PONDERING THAT, THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING HERE.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES HERE, UH, AND WHAT YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE ON WHETHER THESE FOLKS ARE, YOU KNOW, THREATS TO SOCIETY.
WELL, THERE, THERE'S ONLY, THE, THE ONLY OFFENSE IS ELIGIBLE.
THERE'S NO CRIMES OF VIOLENCE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE.
DOES THAT, SO NO CRIMES OF BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT THAT.
UH, MARIJUANA CLASS A CLASS, I'M SORRY, CLASS B, CLASS C MM-HMM.
UM, UH, IT'S THE MARIJUANA DRIVING WITH LICENSE GRAFFITI'S NOT IN AND DRIVING WITH AN, WITH A, UH, AN INVALID LICENSE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ASK, YOU KNOW, TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS IN SOME WAY ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY TO, TO BE AT RISK.
AND, AND IN MY OPINION, IT WOULD NOT BE.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UH, 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, OF OTHER, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE USED THIS A A AND THE DISCRETION THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE IS ALSO A SOMEWHAT OF A GUARANTEE OF THAT.
UH, IF AN OFFICER BELIEVES THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE ARRESTED IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION WHERE A A CITATION COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED, THEN THAT OFFICER WILL MAKE THAT ARREST.
AND IN A SCENARIO WHERE YOU MAYBE HAVE A, A PERSON DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE, BUT HAS, YOU KNOW, POSSESSION OF A FIREARM THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T DISREGARD, UH, RIGHT.
THE, THE MORE EXTREME CASE YOU WILL BE TAKEN INTO JAIL AND ARRESTED.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT COULD BE INSTANCES OF A, OF A, OF INDIVIDUALS
[02:15:01]
WHO ARE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE, WHO THEN CAN NOW BE SITE, SITE ON SCENE, LET THE OFFICER GO BACK TO THEIR BUSINESS, THAT PERSON HAS TO THEN SHOW UP AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WAS, WAS OUTLINED BY OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY.SO I, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO WORK WITH THE CHIEF TO JUST TALK THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT THROUGH SOME COMMITTEES.
I, I'VE, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SIT WITH THE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHO, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND SAY THAT IT'S GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, PROCESS.
THE, THE EASY PART IS SAYING, LET'S DO SITE AND RELEASE.
THE HARD PART IS IMPLEMENTING AND GETTING THE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS WORKS WELL ON THE BACKEND.
AND FOR THAT, I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UH, NOT ONLY ELECTED, BUT COMMITTED TO THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND, AND LEMME JUST REFLECT QUICKLY ON THE EXAMPLE I HAVE IN, IN, IN MY OWN DISTRICT OF ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS HELPED ME, WHO'S, YOU KNOW, 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, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THIS PERSON IS SOMEBODY WHO, THAT KNOW SEXUALLY ABUSED AT A YOUNG AGE AND, AND DROPS OUTTA SCHOOL, ENDS UP GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE, THE WRONG CROWD, GETS CAUGHT WITH, YOU KNOW, MARIJUANA AND DRUGS.
UM, AND THEN BECAUSE SHE ALSO IS POOR, UM, STAYS IN JAIL AND GETS EVEN MORE AFFLICTED WITH THE TRAUMA OF BEING IN JAIL LONGER THAN, UH, POTENTIALLY SHE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE IN, IN AN EVENT LIKE THAT, I CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF EFFECT THAT HAS ON THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES, THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, THAT BEGIN A, A, A CRIMINAL RECORD REALLY BASED ON SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, AS SIMPLE AS, AS, AS A CITABLE OFFENSE THAT MIGHT'VE AT LEAST BROUGHT THAT PERSON BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND IF IT, IF IT IS NOT JUST BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, IT IS GETTING THEM INTO THE DA'S HANDS AND, AND THEIR PROCESS, BECAUSE THIS IS A PERSON THAT NEEDS HELP.
AND IF WE'RE DOING, IF, IF THE ONLY THING WE'RE DOING IS SETTING UP AN ASSEMBLY LINE TO GET PEOPLE INTO JAIL AND TO SET UP AN ASSEMBLY LINE TO PUT POOR PEOPLE IN JAIL, THEN WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES IF WE HAVEN'T BUILT THAT BACKEND, UH, IN A PROCESS THAT ACTUALLY HELPS PEOPLE.
AND SO WE DO BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF REHABILITATION.
WE DO BELIEVE IN THE CONCEPT OF, OF SECOND CHANCES FOR FOLKS WHO, UH, ARE, ARE WILLING TO SAY AND ADMIT THAT THEY'VE GOT DRUG DEPEND TO DRUG DEPENDENCY PROBLEMS, ISSUES WITH, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THAT 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, THE LAWS AND THE BOOKS, UH, BUT IN SOME WAYS ALSO PROVIDES A, A PATH AND AN AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO, TO NOT, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, DESTROY THEIR LIVES.
IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE THERE, THERE'S CLEARLY TWO VALUES HERE.
THERE'S THE VALUE TO THE TAXPAYER, WHICH KEEPS POLICE OFFICERS ON THE, ON THE STREET FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THERE'S A SOCIAL VALUE TO THIS, AS YOU JUST WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY GONZALEZ.
UH, FIRST LEMME JUST SAY, UM, APPLAUD COUNCILMAN SHAW FOR INITIATING THIS AND DRIVING, UH, THIS, THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION AND CONCEPT.
UM, FOR, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, UM, HAS DONE A LOT OF CRIMINAL LAW AND, AND LEFT THE COUNCIL SO THAT HE COULD CONTINUE THE WORK, UH, COMMUNITY WORK AS A, AS AN ASSOCIATE JUST JUDGE DOING, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED IN ON THE, ON THE JUVENILE SIDE.
UH, I THINK IT, IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIM, NUMBER ONE, BUT ALSO IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIS COMFORTABILITY OR COMFORTABLENESS WITH, WITH THIS WHOLE CONCEPT.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO APPLAUD HIM WHEREVER HE IS TODAY.
UH, I DO LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT THE MAYOR USED OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT THAT'S SO TRUE FOR SO MANY YOUNG KIDS, PARTICULARLY MINORITY, UH, KIDS.
UH, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATISTICS HERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DISTURBING TO ME ON THE, ON THE REST SIDE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S ONE, ONE GROUP AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT TEND TO BE OVERREPRESENTED, ANOTHER GROUP THAT TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT UNDERREPRESENTED, AND ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S KIND OF RIGHT ON PAR WITH, UH, WITH, UH, THE, THE POPULATION LEVEL.
UM, BUT FOR, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY MINORITY KIDS THAT GET TAGGED FOR, UH, WHAT COULD BE MINOR INFRACTIONS THAT FOLLOW THEM THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S OFTEN A CHALLENGE.
AND, AND, AND IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS, UM, UH, I GUESS MORE SO WITH, WITH MINORITY KIDS THAN THAN OTHERS.
SO THIS GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO KIND OF GET OUTSIDE OF THAT CYCLE AND GIVE THEM, UH, ANOTHER WAY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR ME, THIS, THIS IS A, IT'S, IT'S A MONEY ISSUE.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, I'D RATHER USE THOSE LIMITED RESOURCES FOR THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER IN A BIG WAY.
AND IMPACT, UH, I JUST GAVE AN INTERVIEW ABOUT, UH, A, A COUPLE MURDERS AND A COUPLE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS THAT, UH, HAVE OCCURRED IN, IN, IN MY DISTRICT, IN A PARTICULAR AREA, IN MY DISTRICT.
AND SO I WOULD RATHER, UH, UTILIZE OFFICER TIME, JAIL TIME AND OTHER, UH, SORTS OF TIME FOR THOSE VIOLENT CRIME SORTS OF ISSUES THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVE A, A MAJOR IMPACT ON, ON FAMILIES, ON SAFETY, UH, ET CETERA.
UH, THEN SOME THINGS THAT, THAT WE COULD PROBABLY CONTROL IN, IN OTHER WAYS.
AND SO THE SITE AND RELEASE FOR ME, UH, I
[02:20:01]
THINK IS A BIG STEP IN THAT, THAT, THAT DIRECTION.UH, MY CAUTION IS WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO TOO FAR, UM, THE OTHER WAY WHERE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CITING AND RELEASING AND ALLOWING, UM, UH, I GUESS A LOWER THRESHOLD OF, OF, UM, PUNISHMENT, UM, THAT WE MOVE, UH, TOWARD A, AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I'M SURE THAT THIS COMMITTEE AND, AND THE, 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.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE IT A CHANCE.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WILL, UH, WILL, WILL WORK IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THERE.
AND ON THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN SYA MADE, AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S HUGE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT, UM, THE COUNTY AND CITY HAVE TO WORK ON TOGETHER IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE, UH, DONE CORRECTLY AND DONE WELL.
AND, UM, WHEN EITHER PARTY OR EITHER ENTITY IS NOT ON BOARD, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
SO FOR, FOR THE CHIEF AND THE DA TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET ON THIS, NUMBER ONE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO, AND WILLING TO MEET CONSISTENTLY GOING FORWARD, I THINK IS A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I HOPE WE, ON, ON BOTH SIDES, BOTH THE CITY SIDE AND THE COUNTY SIDE, CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN.
DID YOU MEAN, DID YOU MEAN TO SIGN UP? NO.
UH, WHEN, WHEN I GRADUATED FROM, FROM LAW SCHOOL IN 2000, I HUNG OUT MY SHINGLE AND WITH A BRAND NEW SHINY BRAND NEW LAW LICENSE, I WENT TO THE COURTHOUSE.
AND LIKE A LOT OF JUNIOR LAWYERS, YOU GO AND YOU KNOCK ON ALL THE JUDGES' DOORS AND YOU SAY, PLEASE GIVE ME A CASE.
AND USUALLY WHAT THEY'LL APPOINT YOU TO IS ONE OF THESE CASES THAT ARE LISTED OFF HERE ON CHAPTER 14.
UM, AND THEN YOU MEET WITH YOUR CLIENT AND YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CASE, AND ALMOST ALWAYS, THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE ARRESTED FOR, AND THEN YOU TRY TO TALK 'EM INTO A PLEA BARGAIN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALWAYS STRUCK ME WAS THAT THERE WASN'T HERE IN SAN ANTONIO A RACIAL DISPARITY.
IT WAS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO END UP GOING TO COURT FOR THIS ARE POOR PEOPLE.
UM, AND REMEMBER, I, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO TRINITY AND I WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ALL THAT, AND SOME OF US, YOU KNOW, HERE DID TOO.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO COLLEGE IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU'VE SEEN PLENTY OF MARIJUANA.
UH, AND IF, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO SMOKED IT, OR YOU MAY HAVE SMOKED IT YOURSELF, OR YOU HAVE SEEN IT, RIGHT? UM, AND YET, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF THESE POOR FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY BEAR THE BRUNT OF THAT ONE MISTAKE THAT A LOT OF VERY WEALTHY KIDS MAKE.
UM, AND WHO DON'T, WHO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF PARENTS WHO CAN GET THEM AN ATTORNEY AND TALK SOMEBODY OUT OF, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING THE CASE OR GETTING THEM ALL THE WAY TO SOME KIND OF CONVICTION.
SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT IS I WENT INTO PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO SOME BIG COMPANY, UH, 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 THERE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE HR MANAGERS AND THE RISK MANAGERS AND, AND THE LAWYERS.
AND WE WOULD LOOK AT APPLICATIONS AND EVERYBODY AROUND THE ROOM WOULD SEE ON THE BACKGROUND CHECK, POSSESSION OF A SUBSTANCE, POSSESSION OF ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE.
WE DON'T WANT 'EM, RIGHT? BECAUSE, AND YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO INQUIRE FURTHER INTO THAT HUMAN BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL YOU SAW WAS THAT POP OUT, AND THEN YOU WOULD CHOOSE THE PERSON WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT ON THEIR RESUME, RIGHT? OR, AND ON THEIR BACKGROUND CHECK.
AND WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS REALLY JUST DENYING POOR PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIFT THEMSELVES UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DO WELL SIMPLY BECAUSE THE POLICE OFFICER DIDN'T HAVE THE DISCRETION TO NOT ARREST ON THAT DAY, RIGHT? AND SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE A DA BACK THEN WHO SAW MUCH VALUE IN DOING THIS, UH, CHAPTER 14 PROJECT, UH, CHIEF, AS YOU KNOW, I, I CAME INTO THIS OFFICE, UM, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS RIGHT OUTTA THE GATE IS WE CAME AND ASKED YOU, YOU KNOW, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS? RIGHT? AND I, I THOUGHT I WAS BEING VERY INNOVATIVE.
AND, UH, IT TURNS OUT THAT SHIRLEY GONZALEZ HAD BEEN ASKING FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AS WELL.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU IS, I, I WANT TO DO THIS RIGHT, LIKE THIS.
YOU'RE RIGHT, MANNY, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, EXCEPT THAT WE'VE GOT A DA IN OFFICE WHO LIKE, REALLY HASN'T BLOWN THE DUST OFF OF THIS PROGRAM, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR IT.
SO WE CONVENED A MEETING AND WHAT EVERYBODY READ IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT MEETING IS TRUE.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT IS THAT OUR, OUR FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY DECIDED TO ANNOUNCE A PILOT PROGRAM.
IF YOU REALLY TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE PILOT PROGRAM, IT REALLY IS JUST LIPSTICK ON A PIG.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY REALLY DID NOTHING.
IT'S A COSMETIC PILOT PROGRAM.
AND THE EXPRESS NEWS CAUGHT THEM DOING THAT.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S A REASON THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
AND THERE'S, AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE I THINK THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO REALIZED THAT JOE, UM, WAS EARNEST IN, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE SAID, NO, SERIOUSLY, WE ARE GONNA DO THIS.
RIGHT? UM, AND THANKS TO TOP AND THANKS TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A, A DA WHO IN MY EYES AND IN THE EYES OF MY CONSTITUENT IS VERY COMPASSIONATE.
[02:25:01]
AND THIS IS, THIS IS A PROGRAM OF COMPASSION.AND SO WITH THAT CHIEF, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I'M SURE THAT IF I LIVED IN ANOTHER CITY, RIGHT, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CHIEF WHO WOULD EMBRACE THIS, RIGHT? WE WOULDN'T HAVE SENIOR LEADERSHIP AT THE PD TO EMBRACE THIS.
AND, UM, AND, AND JOE, ON BEHALF OF A LOT OF POOR KIDS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD'VE GOTTEN IN TROUBLE HAD YOU NOT WON THIS ELECTION, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.
THIS IS VERY MEANINGFUL AND YOU REALLY ARE SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND, AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HELPING FOLKS BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL DESPITE ONE BONEHEADED MISTAKE THEY MAY HAVE MADE WHEN THEY WERE 18.
SO, UH, CHIEF, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT, UM, THEFT OF SERVICE MEANS? SURE.
IF YOU'RE SITTING IN A RESTAURANT, UM, YOU DECIDE THAT, UH, 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.
'CAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO GO BACK TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND MAKE AND REASSURE THEM THIS ISN'T SHOPLIFTING, THIS ISN'T, UH, THEFT OF PROPERTY.
THIS IS THE KID THAT WALKS HIS BILL, HIS RESTAURANT BILL AT LUBY'S.
THEFT IS INCLUDED ON HERE, THOUGH.
OH, SO IT'S NOT JUST THEFT OF SERVICE.
THIS IS, SO THIS IS THEFT AS WELL, RIGHT? THEFT.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT FOR ME, PLEASE? YEAH, LEMME MAKE SURE.
SO IT'S, SO IT'S THEFT AND THEFT OF SERVICE? YES.
SO THIS IS GONNA INCLUDE SHOPLIFTING? YES.
WELL, UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS A, IS A CLASS C.
SHOPLIFTING, UH, ANYWAY, AND IT'S TYPICALLY, UH, SO WHAT IS THE AMOUNT FOR CLASS B JOE? THIS IS A QUIZ 50 TO FIVE, SO IT'S 50 TO $500 OF THEFT.
UM, THANK YOU, CHIEF, I APPRECIATE THE TIME, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UH, I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
I THINK THIS IS GONNA, UH, MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASK QUESTIONS, UH, WHEN WE EXPLAIN THIS AS THEY READ IT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND I KNOW THAT A KEY INGREDIENT TO THIS IS THE DISCRETION THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE POLICE OFFICER CAN, UH, CAN USE IN MAKING A DECISION WHETHER TO CITE AND RELEASE OR WHETHER TO ACTUALLY ARREST.
UH, I WAS WONDERING, DOES THE, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DA'S OFFICE AT THE REENTRY CENTER HAVE DISCRETION, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THEY NEED TO BE THERE IN 30 DAYS.
WHAT IF SOMEBODY SHOWS UP IN DAY 31 AND WASN'T THERE WITHIN THE 30 DAYS? DO, DO THE INTAKE PEOPLE AT THE CENTER HAVE THE DISCRETION SAY, OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCESS YOU.
OR IF THEY HAVE 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE SOMETHING, BUT 92 DAYS LATER, THEY, THEY COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, I'VE COMPLETED IT.
IS THERE DISCRETION IN YOUR DEPARTMENT TO ALLOW THAT TO STILL CONTINUE? OR IS IT GONNA BE A HARD AND FAST RULE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND? COUNCILMAN, THIS IS A BRAND NEW PROGRAM.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE REASONABLE AND WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
SO IF IT'S A THEY COME INTO THE 31ST DAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND WORK WITH THEM.
IF, IF THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IT AND FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY CAN'T GET IT DONE, AND THE 90TH DAY IS TODAY OR TOMORROW, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THEM.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE PERSON THAT TOTALLY IGNORES IT AND DOES, DOES NOT MAKE ANY EFFORT TO TRY AND COMPLY.
BUT CERTAINLY, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY AND, AND, AND WORK WITH THEM.
WELL, THAT'S MY OTHER QUESTION.
IS THERE A PLAN FOR DEALING WITH REPEAT OFFENDERS AT, AT SOME POINT? WE'VE, WE'VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE GIVING SOMEBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO AVOID WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS.
AND, AND SO, UM, THIS ISN'T TYPICALLY A, A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN, IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PAST.
SO AGAIN, THE OFFICER'S GONNA HAVE THE DISCRETION TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON THE STREET.
IF THEY HAVE SOMEONE, UH, THAT THEY'RE, UH, ENCOUNTERING THAT HAS A, A SUBSTANTIAL CRIMINAL RECORD, MAYBE IT'S SOMEONE THAT, THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY, THE OFFICER HAS THE DISCRETION TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CITE THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT'S CERTAINLY, UH, A CIRCUMSTANCE, UH, THAT THEY CAN TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
I GUESS WHAT I WAS THINKING, AND MAYBE THIS IS JUST SPECULATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, A YOUNG PERSON MIGHT GET ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA, UH, NEXT WEEK, BUT THEN, UH, 18 MONTHS FROM NOW, THEY MAY STILL BE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
UH, ARE WE GONNA THROW THE BOOK AT 'EM? UH, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS THE FIRST TIME, I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS PROBABLY GOING TO OCCUR MM-HMM.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT MAY CONTINUE TO BE FAIR, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THE, UH, THE INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO NOT
[02:30:01]
RE-OFFEND.SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO, IS WE WANT TO CREATE THAT INCENTIVE.
SO THE, THE QUICK ANSWER IS, IS NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY HARD AND FAST RULES.
WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT KIND OF A GUIDELINE THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE 30 DAYS TO REPORT, THE 90 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, BUT WE WILL TAKE IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BASIS.
AND AGAIN, IF THE REASON IS BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY BECAUSE OF CHILDCARE ISSUES OR BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK OR THEIR SCHOOL THAT THEY JUST CAN'T GET IT DONE IN 90 DAYS, WE CERTAINLY WILL TRY AND WORK WITH THEM.
COUNCILMAN CUR, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.
UM, HANNAH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO THANK YOU ALL FOR MOVING THIS ALONG SO QUICKLY.
AND WE DID GIVE THIS A GO, UM, OR AT LEAST HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT A COUPLE YEARS BACK.
AND, AND NOT ONLY DID WE NOT GET A REAL RECEPTIVE RESPONSE FROM R D A, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A REAL RECEPTIVE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNCIL EITHER.
UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, UH, OF, OF THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, UH, THAT WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND, AND OFTEN REFERRED TO YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, UH, WHO HAD ISSUES WITH ADDICTION, UH, AS A MORAL FAILURE AND, UH, UM, THAT, UH, IT WAS, UM, DESCRIBED AS A DIFFERENT KIND OF ISSUE THAN I THINK IN A VERY SHORT TIME.
WE HAVE CHANGED OUR OPINION ABOUT DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION AND, UM, AND, UH, INCARCERATION AND WHAT THAT DOES TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE SEEMED TO HAVE HAD A REAL SHIFT IN THAT THINKING, AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL, UM, THAT THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT DID SEEM TO BE VERY TARGETED AT POOR PEOPLE.
UH, AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A CHANGE IN THAT.
UH, AND, UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS SIM A DIFFERENT ISSUE REGARDING MARIJUANA SITE AND RELEASE.
UH, BUT THE WAY THAT THE COUNT, THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S FUNDING, ADDICTION IS CHANGING AS WELL.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF REHAB, REHABILITATION, UH, EFFORTS.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, UM, TO GIVE A SAFE LANDING TO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE SUFFERING.
SO, UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR CAMPAIGNING ON THAT ISSUE.
AND THEN EXECUTING IT, UH, I THINK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, IN JAN, UH, JANUARY 1ST, I THINK YOU TOOK OFFICE, AND HERE WE ARE JUST ABOUT A MONTH LATER, UM, SEEING THIS COME TO FRUITION.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UM, WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR KIDS.
I THINK IT COULD BE REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE, UH, FOR OUR YOUTH.
UH, AND, AND I ALSO THINK IT'S CUR, UM, THIS WAS ALSO NOT PRESENTED BEFORE WHEN WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
UM, THE, UH, EQUIVALENT OF 700 OFFICER POSITIONS ANNUALLY, UM, WHICH AMOUNTS TO ROUGHLY $700,000 OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, THAT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS IF THE OFFICERS ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING THINGS OTHER THAN WRITING CITATIONS.
SO, UM, THERE'S A DOLLAR AMOUNT, UH, EQUATED WITH THAT AS WELL THAT I DIDN'T SEE HERE, I DON'T THINK.
BUT, UH, WE KNOW THAT AN, UH, UH, OFF UNIFORMED OFFICER COST THE CITY AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, AT LEAST IN THE EARLY YEARS, UM, OF THEIR TENURE.
CHIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS WAS BROUGHT UP TO THE, UH, SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, I, I TALKED ABOUT DATA AND HAVING THE DATA TO SHOW IS THIS BEING EFFECTIVE OR IS IT NOT? AND I DON'T THINK WE STILL HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT FROM ANY OTHER CITY OR, OR ANY KIND OF PROJECTIONS ON THAT.
WELL, I STILL HAVE THAT CONCERN.
UM, AND WHEN, WHEN I TALKED LAST TIME, I TALKED ABOUT, UH, 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, UM, UM, I, 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, UM, TO BE ISSUED A TICKET VERSUS BEING ARRESTED FOR THEFT TO PROPERTY, UM, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT GONNA FEEL VERY SAFE AND SECURE BY KNOWING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS JUST ISSUED A TICKET, OKAY? ALONG WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE IN STUCK WITH PAYING THE BILL FOR WHATEVER IT IS TO BEGIN WITH.
SO, UH, THERE'S A, 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, NOT AN INCREASE.
[02:35:01]
YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE CONSTRUED AS TO, UM, ANYBODY IN THE CITY, OH, WELL, WE'LL JUST GET A TICKET FOR THAT'RE GONNA GO OUT AND DO WHATEVER AND, UM, CREATE ADDITIONAL CRIME.SO THAT WAS MY WHOLE POINT ON GETTING THE DATA FOR THIS TO SUPPORT THIS.
AND I, I'M, I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH THIS, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TELLING OUR TAXPAYERS OUT THERE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA LET THIS GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA SAVE POLICE OFFICERS TIME AND, UH, PUT 'EM BACK OUT ON THE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT DID NOT GO OVER VERY WELL IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I'M, I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS IS GONNA GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
UH, IF IT DOES, I REALLY HOPE THAT THE DATA AND STATISTICS ARE GONNA SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD HERE, UH, TO SHOW THAT THERE ISN'T AN INCREASE IN CRIME.
AND WE ARE SAVING THOSE, UM, OFFICER POSITIONS, AND WE'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO, UH, I HOPE THAT, I HOPE THE DATA BEARS THIS OUT, UH, IN ALL POWER TO YOU.
BUT, UH, UH, I GOT FOLKS IN DISTRICT 10 THAT AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
WELL, JUST TO MAKE A COUPLE POINTS, UM, NUMBER ONE, WE ARE CURRENTLY ISSUING CITATIONS FOR THEFT, SHOPLIFTING, THEFT OF SURVEY.
WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING THAT ANYWAY.
AND NUMBER TWO, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY MEANT AS A, 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, SO WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT, IN ESSENCE, WE'VE JUST SIMPLY EXPANDED IT FOR, TO A CLASS, TO A CLASS B FROM A CLASS C, BOTH IN THE, IN THE, THE DRUG AREA AND THE THEFT AREA.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFERENCE, BUT WITH NOT MUCH OF A DISTINCTION.
SO WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT ANYWAY.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE, THE DATA, I'M NOT SURE WHAT DATA YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS.
WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UH, YEAH, THIS, IT, IT DID NOT GO OVER VERY WELL IN DISTRICT 10.
AND, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO COME UP THERE ANYWAY AND HAPPY TO DO IT'S TIME AGAIN TO COME UP THERE AND, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
HAPPY TO DO IT, BUT, UH, YEAH, I, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SAVING TIME WITH POLICE OFFICERS, TO ME, THERE SHOULD BE SOME COMMENSURATE REDUCTION IN CRIME BECAUSE YOU'RE KEEPING THOSE POLICE OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREET.
RIGHT? I, I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
OFFICERS CAN BE ENGAGED IN, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, DOING OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT.
SO, SO THE CONNECTION BETWEEN, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT ON THE STREET MORE, THERE'S GONNA BE A REDUCTION IN CRIME.
IT DEPENDS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT PUTTING SOME METRICS TOGETHER ON THAT CHIEF.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN KHAW, UM, FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS.
BUT I, I WANT TO TACKLE SOMETHING THAT I THINK I, I, I SENSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ABOUT THIS TOO.
'CAUSE, UH, YOU, I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN THIS SITE RELEASE, IT'S NOT ABOUT REDUCING THE LEVEL OF OFFENSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? NOT ABOUT REDUCING, WHICH THE LEVEL OF OFFENSE, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE A CLASS B UH, OFFENSE, A CLASS C OFFENSE.
SO, I MEAN, I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I MEAN, WE USE THE EXAMPLE OF A TRAFFIC TICKET EARLIER, AND I DON'T, I DON'T, IT'S NOT THE SAME.
I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE POINT IS, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, YOU CITE SOMEBODY, THEY STILL HAVE TO APPEAR FOR COURT.
AND SO THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, SOME LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THAT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THIS HELPS TO ANSWER, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S QUESTIONS, AT LEAST AS I INTERPRETED PART OF THAT IN TERMS OF SOMEHOW WE'RE REDUCING THE LEVEL OF, OF PENALTY, OR HOW DO I SAY THAT? THE, THE, THE TYPE OF OF CRIME THAT, THAT IS BEING CITED.
SO I, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT.
SO YOU, THIS IS TO THAT POINT, IT'S,
[02:40:01]
IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BENEFIT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALLOWING OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO GET BACK TO WORK AND, UH, NOT CLOG UP THE SYSTEMS. WE HOPEFULLY CAN PROVIDE A BETTER WAY TO, TO, UH, INTAKE, UH, SOME OF THESE FOLKS.BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANNA BRING UP THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER AND ALL THIS? WHO CAN TALK, WHO CAN SPEAK TO THAT? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW? WELL, JUST GOOD TIMING TO BRING IT UP BECAUSE WE'RE DEDICATING, UH, IT LATER THIS WEEK.
AND SO, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THE YOUTH RE ENGAGEMENT CENTER, THE FRANK GARRETT CENTER MM-HMM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PUSH VERY HARD FOR.
I THINK IT'S GREAT AREA TO, TO BE LOCATED, BUT I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO, TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PROGRAM AND THE YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTER WOULD, WOULD WORK HAND IN HAND.
AND WHO COULD SPEAK TO THAT? WELL, I, I THINK, AND, AND MAYBE, UH, THE DA WOULD ADD TO THIS, BUT I, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME, SOME PROGRAM OR, OR, UM, DIRECTION FROM THE, UH, FROM THE, UH, FROM THE INTAKE CENTER AT THE, FROM FOR SITE AND RELEASE TO DO SOMETHING AT THE, AT THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT CENTER.
I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEPARATE AND APART.
UM, COULD I, BUT I DON'T, YEAH, I GO AHEAD AND FINISH CHIEF, NO.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, IF THERE WOULD BE ANY CONNECT.
THERE'S NO DIRECT CONNECTION NOW, MAYBE FOR THE DISCUSSION OR, OR, WELL, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IS WHAT I, WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE RIGHT ON TARGET, BECAUSE WE CAN COORDINATE AND, UM, GIVE ALTERNATIVES, UM, AS SOMEONE APPEARS.
AND, UM, THEY'RE GIVEN SOME GUIDANCE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON THAT IS, UM, HOW TO HELP A CHILD WHO MAKES A MISTAKE.
SO I VIEW THE PROGRAMS AS COMPLIMENTARY, RIGHT? THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A DIRECT LINKAGE, AS THE CHIEF SAID, BUT THEY ARE COMPLIMENTARY BECAUSE WE CAN OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY IF THEY'VE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL TO COMPLETE A G E D OR GET BACK INTO SCHOOL, GET INTO A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM, AND GET THEM ONTO A CONSTRUCTIVE PATH.
OUR GOAL IN YEAR ONE AT THE REENGAGEMENT CENTER IS TO HELP 600 YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, IN THE FIRST YEAR.
SO, UH, THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY LINKED, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON TRYING TO CREATE SOME OF THAT CONNECTIVE TISSUE.
AND, UH, WE'RE ALSO GRATEFUL, I KNOW, UM, THE FOLKS OVER AT WEST END ARE, ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE, HAVE THESE PROGRAMS RIGHT THERE AT THE FRANK GARRET CENTER.
IT JUST FINISHED, ITS REMO REMODELING, AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT GROUNDBREAKING AS WELL.
UM, THE O THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE DEALS WITH HOMELESS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A, A TOOL, WE, WE USE A LOT CALLED THE CRIMINAL TRESPASS AFFIDAVIT, AND THAT'S A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR.
HOW, HOW DO, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF OFFENSES ALLOWED BY THE CODE? SO, SO, SO THEN WE WOULD, WE WOULD TAKE THEM, TAKE THEM TO, TO JAIL? YES.
WELL, YES, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE RESTRICTED BY THE TYPE OF OFFENSES THAT ARE ENUMERATED IN CHAPTER 14 OF THE CRIMINAL, A CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.
HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CAN'T OFFER THAT SORT OF SERVICE, UH, TO A, TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
UM, AGAIN, IF, IF THE OFFICER MAKES THE, THE, THE DECISION TO, TO, UH, NOT SIGN AND RELEASE, OR BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONE OF THESE OFFENSES, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR PROSECUTOR AT THE MAGISTRATES CAN'T REVIEW THIS AND IMMEDIATELY, UH, RECOMMEND A PR BOND, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH MIGHT HAVE THE SAME EFFECT IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS REQUIRED TO BE, UH, IN COURT, WE COULD CERTAINLY OFFER THE SAME SORT OF A BENEFIT.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE, WE'RE LIMITED BY THE TYPE OF OFFENSES HERE.
I I, I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS.
I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING COMPASSIONATE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING VERY, VERY, UH, UH, CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE'RE TREATING PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, WITH LITTLE TO NO MEANS.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO MORE VULNERABLE, UH, POPULATION THAN THE HOMELESS.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, BUT I, I, I'D LOVE TO VISIT ABOUT THIS, UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME DEGREES IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS, THIS COULD BE APPLIED AND, UM, I HOPE WE DON'T, WE DON'T CREATE AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE.
I MEAN, I, I THINK THIS IS, UH, IN, IN
[02:45:01]
THE RIGHT SPIRIT.UH, BUT, UH, LIKE WITH ANYTHING, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S JUST GONNA BE SOME THINGS WE GOTTA WORK THROUGH, AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK, UH, CHIEF AND, UH, OUR DA THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOE.
UM, ALSO SPECIFICALLY, UH, COUNCILMAN SHAW.
UH, BUT I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M, I'M, THIS IS NOT A WORLD I, I TYPICALLY, UH, UH, AM TOO, TOO SAVVY ABOUT, BUT I WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE ARE TALKING A LOT ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESSNESS ISSUES, AND, UH, WE DO HAVE TOOLS THAT, THAT HELP US HELP HELP THE COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS.
BUT I'D LIKE TO MAYBE CREATE A, A, A BETTER BALANCE IN HOW WE APPROACH THIS.
AND I THINK, UH, I'LL JUST JUMP OFF ON THAT NOTE RIGHT THERE.
I THINK, UM, CHERYL, ERIC, EVERYONE, AS WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESSNESS, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING 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.
UM, BECAUSE I'M GETTING CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MY OFFICE ABOUT THE CORNER OF SOUTHEAST MILITARY AND GOLIAD AND THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE THERE.
AND EVERY DAY MY RESIDENTS ARE ASKING ME, WHY ARE, ARE, IS THAT STILL THERE? AND THE SETTLEMENT STILL THERE? AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A AGGRESSIVE PANHANDLING AND THERE'S FRUSTRATION, AND THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE.
I THINK THIS SITE 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, WERE MENTIONING EARLIER AND WHAT JUDGE SHAW MENTIONED EARLIER AND HOW HE PUT THIS FORWARD.
I MEAN, 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, UH, A MISDEMEANOR.
UM, ANOTHER, AND, AND CHIEF, I AM GONNA JUST NEED TO, YOU KNOW, SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND HAVE REALLY OUR DIG DEEP INTO THIS AND HAVE YOU ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ONE-ON-ONE, UM, BECAUSE I NEED THAT MORE CLARIFICATION AND MORE ASSURANCE.
UM, MENTIONED WHAT COUNCILMAN, UH, PEIS BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, THEFT AND, UH, 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, OR THIS THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST COVER AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH OUR BASIS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS IN OUR SUB IN OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
WE'LL BRING YOU THE NUMBERS AT THE, WE'LL BRING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S AFTER THE FIRST SIX MONTHS I SAID.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'LL BRING THE REPORT TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL ON THE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, ALWAYS REVIEWING THIS AND SEEING WHERE WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IS THIS, UM, ADDRESSING THE, THE, UM, INTENDED PURPOSE OF THE SUTTON 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 WANNA HAVE MORE CLARITY FROM YOU AND GET YES, MA'AM.
UH, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND UH, FOR CONTINUALLY COMING BACK TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, COMMITTEE ABOUT IT AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR HIS WORK AS WELL.
I TOLD YOU DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY ONLY CONCERN I GUESS WHEN WE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WAS, UH, FAILURE TO APPEAR.
LIKE, ARE WE EXACERBATING AN ISSUE HERE, HERE, IF I, I WOULD WANT TO TRACK FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES.
THAT REALLY IS PROBABLY THE MOST CONCERNING PIECE.
'CAUSE UH, I DON'T THINK A RESIDENT AND COUNCILMAN PERRY'S GOT A, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT SOME GOOD POINTS ABOUT THE CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS.
WHEN I TALK TO THE RESIDENT, I SAY, LOOK, UM, I'M NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT THE FIRST OFFENSE.
I'M WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FAILURE TO APPEAR.
AND, AND IF THEY DO, THEY TAKE IT LITERALLY.
LIKE, DID 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 LEARN THEIR LESSON DITCHES, 'EM NEVER APPEARS, UH, RACKS UP WARRANTS.
AND, AND IT BECOMES SOMETHING FURTHER THAN THAT.
THEY GET CAUGHT DOING SOMETHING AND THEY GET A CITATION, UM, AND THEN THEY APPEAR AND IT'S HANDLED.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD HOPE FOR IN THE PROCESS AND THE OFFICERS BACK OUT ON THE STREET.
SO IT'S REALLY A WIN-WIN SITUATION.
YOU DON'T GET TOO MANY THINGS LIKE THAT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT, WHERE IT'S LIKE A, UH, A GOOD THING.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S ALSO GOOD TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT OFFERS A DISCRETION
[02:50:01]
IS A GOOD THING.UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WANT THE OFFICER
SO I THINK, UM, OFFICER DISCRETION IN THIS CASE IS A GOOD THING.
AND, AND IF YOU ARE CITING SOMEBODY AND THE LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT ARE ALREADY PROVEN OUT, MY CONCERN IS REPEAT OFFENDERS.
I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE BEEN BEING BRIEFED AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH THAT THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS FAILURE TO APPEAR FOLKS WHO CONTINUE TO GET, UM, CITED FOR LOW LEVEL OFFENDER AND THEY DON'T EVER SHOW UP.
SO IF WE CAN TRACK THAT TO MAKE SURE, TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT, HE CAN GO BACK TO HIS RESIDENCE.
I CAN'T JUST SAY, LOOK, THIS PROGRAM'S WORKING, THESE FOLKS ARE BACK ON THE STREET.
UH, YEAH, HE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF MARIJUANA ON HIM, BUT UH, HE SHOWED UP, TOOK CARE OF IT AND DID WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO AND LOOK, AND HE GRADUATED, MOVED ON, OR WHATEVER THE STORY WAS.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE GONNA BE OUR REAL GOOD PIECES.
BUT LOOK, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF REHABILITATION AND SECOND CHANCES.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY AND JUST AS PROUD TO GET MORE OFFICERS BACK ON THE STREET LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, REAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT'S PUTTING RESIDENTS IN DANGER.
AND I AM GLAD YOU DIDN'T INCLUDE GRAFFITI,
I GO BACK, I COULD NOT SELL THIS IF I WENT BACK AND SAID, AH, WE'RE JUST GONNA TICKET THEIR GRAFFITI.
LIKE IT'S ON, LIKE AT THAT POINT IT, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IN TROUBLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT GRAFFITI AND THAT'S A LARGER PROBLEM.
AND THEN OF COURSE THAT'S MORE GANG, THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GANG RELATED PIECES AND THOSE OTHER THINGS.
REAL QUICK QUESTION, PROCEDURALLY OFFICER PULLS UP, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO TELL IF THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE CITATIONS THAT, THAT THAT'S A, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED, AT LEAST WITH THE DA, WE'VE DISCUSSED IT INTERNALLY, UM, FIGURING THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A CASE THAT WAS DEFERRED OR, OR CITED RATHER THAN, UM, ARRESTED.
SO WE'VE GOTTA NAIL THAT DOWN ON, ON OUR SIDE, FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
BUT WE BELIEVE AT LEAST THROUGH DISCUSSION, THAT THERE IS A WAY WE CAN FIND THAT OUT THAT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GOOD, RIGHT? TO BE THE OFFICER KNOWS.
THEY COME UP TO SOMEBODY IF THEY, THEY'RE SIDING 'EM AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE, HEY, THIS IS 13 OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE A SERIES OF ISSUES, AND AT WHICH POINT THEY GO HANDS-ON AND TAKE 'EM IN, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD WANT.
WE DON'T WANT MULTIPLE OFFENSES OF FAILURE TO APPEARS ON SITE AND RELEASE ITEMS AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? IF THEY'RE EIGHTH TIME AND THEY'VE GOT AN ISSUE AND IT'S A SITE AND RELEASEABLE ITEM, BUT THEN OFFICER HAS THE TOOLS TO SEE THERE'S SEVEN BEFORE THAT, RIGHT? I WANNA GO HANDS ON, TAKE THAT GUY IN, OR HE OR SHE HAS TO GO IN, RIGHT? SO MAYBE JUST THINK THAT THROUGH SO THAT MULTIPLE OFFENDERS ARE IDENTIFIED.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IF THERE'S A MORE FORMAL WAY THAN JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO GO THROUGH 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, AND YEAH, OKAY.
GOT DISCUSSIONS BEFORE OUR NEW DA CAME IN HERE.
WAS THAT, NO, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY WAY YOU GUYS COULD TELL WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT.
I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M JUST, YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS A PROBLEM FOR ME, TEMPORARY.
AND I KNOW IT'S, I KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE OFFICERS WHO ARE GONNA BE DEALING WITH IT.
UM, UH, REALLY EXCITED, UH, FOR THE OP FOR SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES.
HECK, YOU'VE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIRD CHANCES YOU KEEP COMING AND COMING AND, AND AS LONG AS PEOPLE FIGURE IT OUT AND LEARN IT, AND I THINK WE GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, THERE'S NO HARM IN SECOND CHANCES, AND I SEE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S A GOOD MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY AS LONG AS WE USE IT IN THE RIGHT PARTICULAR MANNER.
AND THOSE WHO, WHO ABUSE THAT USE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, THE CITIZENS WILL UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, FOR PUSHING IT FORWARD.
AND I, I WAS REMISS IN AND I FORGOT CHIEF, UH, I'VE HEARD FROM TWO CONSTITUENTS SAYING, OKAY, SO, SO SITE AND RELEASE IS REALLY JUST DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE SO THAT I CAN THEN SAY WHEN I, WHEN THAT COMES UP AGAIN, I'LL SAY NO.
I ASKED THE CHIEF TO HIS FACE, RIGHT? AND I ASKED THE DA TO THEIR, TO HIS FACE.
UM, IS IT DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN SAN ANTONIO? NO, SIR.
AND SO PEOPLE WHO STILL, YOU KNOW, ARE OUT THERE BUYING WEEDED AND GROWING WEEDED BEWARE.
IT IS STILL VERY MUCH ILLEGAL.
AND STILL JUST AS DANGEROUS DOING IT.
AND CHIEF, JUST TO PROLONG THIS FOR TWO MINUTES HERE, CAN YOU LOOK AT, UH, UH, SLIDE FIVE? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE GET, WE GET THIS RIGHT IN, IN EX EXPLAINING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE, WHEN THE ARTICLE IS WRITTEN ON THIS OR THE REPORT IS DONE ON NEWS, UH, FOLKS WILL HAVE TWO THINGS WHEN THEY GO AWAY FROM IT.
IF THEY LEARN NOTHING ELSE IS THEY'LL, THEY'LL THINK ABOUT SITE AND THEY'LL THINK ABOUT RELEASE.
THEY'RE NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE SITE PIECE, BUT IT'S THE RELEASE.
AND THEY'LL USE OF THE WORD LANGUAGE RELEASE IS WHAT SOMETIMES SCARES FOLKS.
YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE THE IMAGE OF, OF A, OF A BAR CELLS OPENING UP AND SOMEBODY COMING BACK OUT THAT SHOULDN'T.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS,
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IF YOU, SOMEONE IN MY OFFICE STATED VERY SUCCINCTLY, AND I WON'T USE EVERY WORD THAT THEY USE, BUT THEY STATED VERY SUCCINCTLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE, THE TWO, UH, SITE 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 SITE PART, WE WRITE YOU A TICKET AND YOU GO ON YOUR WAY.
AND SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT OF DRIVING TOWARDS DATA, DRIVING TOWARDS THIS CONCERN AND THIS RISK, WHICH IS A REAL ONE.
IF, IF IT IS TRUE, IF IT BEARS OUT TO BE TRUE, IF THAT IF WE IMPLEMENTED SIDE AND, AND CRIME WENT UP, THEN I'M SURE FOLKS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UP IN ARMS ABOUT THAT.
BUT IN A WAY, THE WAY THAT I SORT OF LOOK AT THIS, AND I'M EXPLAINING TO MY COMMUNITY IS THAT IT IS SITE AND THEN REQUIRED BECAUSE WE ARE REQUIRING FOR THAT FOLK TO FOLKS TO COME RIGHT BACK, UH, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD, I I, I'M SORRY THAT I USED THE TRAFFIC TICKET ANALYSIS, BUT I ANALOGY, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST THE MOST COMMON, UM, THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY OF SOME ACCOUNTABILITY TO GO BACK AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.
IT'S THE SAME THING YOU WOULD FOR ANY ONE OF THESE CASES.
AND IN EFFECT, YOU COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE SITE AND RELEASE TODAY, BUT IT'S REALLY ONLY ELIGIBLE TO FOLKS WHO CAN AFFORD IT.
UH, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, WHICH IS THE STATUS QUO PIPELINE OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENS TO YOU IF YOU'RE ARRESTED, UH, YOU GO TO MAGISTRATION, 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.
SO IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE IMPLEMENT SITE AND RELEASE AND THAT CRIME WOULD GO UP, THE OTHER, WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING IS THAT IT WOULD GO UP BECAUSE POOR PEOPLE WERE ALL OF A SUDDEN ELIGIBLE TO DO SITE RELEASE.
AND THAT'S JUST NOT A BELIEF THAT I I I I THINK IT'S CONSISTENT WITH ANYTHING THAT, WHETHER IT'S STUDY OR ANECDOTES.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS STREAMLINING A PROCESS AND IN EFFECT, WE'RE GETTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF OFFICER TIME.
IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT 25 MINUTES VERSUS AN HOUR AND A HALF, WHEN IN AN HOUR AND A HALF, YOU STILL GOT THE FOLK, THE FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA BE RELEASED WHEN THEY BOND OUT.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS DOLLAR SIGNS IN MANY CASES FOR SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
AND, AND, AND I, AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ME TO GO INTO IT NOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD MAKE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN RELEASING, CITING AND RELEASING PEOPLE FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE LISTED OFFENSES AND CRIME GOING UP.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MAKE THAT CORRELATION.
YOU KNOW, MURDER, ROBBERY, RAPE, BAG ASSAULT, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA INCREASE BEFORE BECAUSE RECITING PEOPLE FOR MARIJUANA AND THEFT, THEFT OF SERVICES.
I, I DON'T SEE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MAKE THAT CORRELATION.
AND I THINK I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE IS POWERFUL IN PEOPLE'S HEADS WHEN THEY CONSIDER WHAT, WHAT RELEASE MEANS.
AND I THINK THAT THE TERM THAT I WOULD USE WHEN I'M DESCRIBING IS THAT YOU'RE CITING AND REQUIRING WHICH, WHICH IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU GO BY FOR ANY, UH, CITATION.
IN THIS CASE, THE WAY YOU REDUCE AND DRIVE DOWN CRIME IS THAT IF THESE FOLKS DON'T BECOME, YOU KNOW, REPEAT OFFENDERS, THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR WHETHER IT IS, UM, ANY ONE OF THESE CASES ARE ACTUALLY TREATED IN SOME WAY.
THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY BEING HARPING ON, ON THE DA FILLING IN THAT BACK THE BACKEND PIECE HERE.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA LEARN THROUGH THE DATA AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THE PILOT ROLLING.
AND I, I, I DIDN'T MENTION, I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO COUNCILMAN SALDANA AND, AND OUR FORMER C COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN SHAW FOR HELPING ON, ON OUR END OF THINGS TO HELP MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION CHIEF.
UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING UPDATES ABOUT IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I ALSO FAILED TO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE, UH, UH, MAYOR IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY, UH, MAYOR OF ALCON'S HEIGHTS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, MAYOR.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY, UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MANNY ELIAS.
SO WE NEED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE AND SING HIM A HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THEN WE'LL RETREAT INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO, THERE IS CARROT CAKE IN THE EXECUTIVE ROOM.
THE TIME IS NOW 5:08 PM ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2019.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'LL MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND LITIGATION MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION INTO OUR SETTLEMENT OFFERS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY INCLUDING JOHN MCIL VERSUS THE CITY OF SAN
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ANTONIO, ET AL AND STEVEN O'NEILL VERSUS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.