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GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF APRIL THE THIRD, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ IS ON HER WAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL V SECTION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:14 PM WE HAVE ONE ITEM, UH, FOR OUR REVIEW.
THAT'S THE BRIEFING ON THE SA PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TODAY WILL PROVIDE US A UPDATE ON THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE SAN ANTONIO PARK SYSTEM MASTER PLAN.
UH, THE PLAN PROVIDES A FOUNDATION THAT GUIDES, UH, FUTURE PLANNING DECISIONS THAT'LL IMPACT, UM, THE, UH, PARK SYSTEM AND RESIDENTS, UH, IN THE AREAS OF EXPANSION OF GREEN SPACE PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT, AS YOU KNOW, PROVIDES RECREATIONAL AND FITNESS PROGRAMS TO THE PUBLIC AND MAINTAINS OVER 250 PARKS AS WELL AS THE SWIMMING POOLS, UH, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO MAINTAINS MORE THAN 15,000 ACRES OF PARKLAND, INCLUDING 180 MILES OF WALKING, HIKING, AND BIKING TRAILS.
UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS YOU'LL HEAR TODAY, HELD A, UH, PRETTY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, AND YOU'LL SEE TODAY, UH, THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT, UM, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT PARKS AND OPEN SPACE ARE IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, UM, ASPECT FOR, UH, RESIDENTS.
UM, THE, UM, UM, XAVIER'S HERE ALONG WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, BETH WELLS AND LARRY CLARK, UH, WITH BENDER WELLS AND CLARK DESIGN, AS WELL AS SONYA JIMENEZ WITH JIMENEZ AND ASSOCIATES.
AND HE'LL SHARE WITH US THE ENGAGEMENT RESULTS, UH, OF THE, OF THE MASTER PLAN AND HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE ITEM AS IT COMES FORWARD FOR, UH, COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, XAVIER.
THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ESSAY PARK SYSTEM PLAN, WHICH I KNOW CAN SOUND DRY, CAN SOUND LIKE A DOCUMENT.
UH, AND IN PARKS, WE ALWAYS THINK OF OURSELVES AS VERY ACTION ORIENTED, ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC, ENGAGING WITH YOUTH, ENGAGING WITH NATURE.
SO I DIDN'T WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL ALONE OR NOT FEEL IN THE GREEN SPACE.
SO I DID BRING SOME FRIENDS, UH, WITH US FOR THIS EVENT.
SO THIS IS A TREE, OUR NATURE AREA, NATURAL AREAS, UH, STAFF DESIGNED WHEN WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DO EDUCATION ABOUT NATURE AND THE DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND HABITATS THAT ARE REQUIRED, UH, IN, IN OUR PARKS TO, UH, MAINTAIN, UH, THESE, UH, WILDLIFE FEATURES.
SO THIS TREE HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT BIRDS, LITTLE, LITTLE POSSUMS, LITTLE SQUIRRELS, SO DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE EVENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID AT M L K PARK, UH, BACK IN THE FALL, UH, WHERE WE BROUGHT OUT AND WE HAD LIKE 27 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES OF PEOPLE THAT 500 PEOPLE SHOWED UP FOR THIS SATURDAY EVENT.
SO AGAIN, IT SPEAKS TO THE TYPE OF WORK WE DO AND HOW I FEEL THE SYSTEM PLAN REALLY REFLECTS AND IS OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, IN THAT, THOSE EFFORTS.
SO AGAIN, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
UH, BENDER WILSON CLARK, UH, WERE OUR PRIMARIES ON THIS, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE HAD, UH, THE JIM AND ASSOCIATES AS WELL AS M I G, UH, WHO WORKED, UH, ON THIS PLAN.
OUR LAST PLAN WAS ADOPTED BACK IN 2006, AND AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, THE PLAN REALLY LOOKS AS IT'S, IT'S A GUIDE.
IT'S NOT A PRESCRIPTION, IT'S NOT GIVING US STEPS ONE STEPS TWO, BUT IT'S A GUIDE AT LOOKING AT HOW WE EXPAND OUR GREEN SPACE, LOOKING AT HOW WE DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN OUR PARK SYSTEM AND AS PROGRAMMING PERSPECTIVE.
SO, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE NATURE PROGRAMMING, WE'LL TALK, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS AND GOALS THAT'S, UH, THAT COMES OUT OF THIS SYSTEM PLAN.
SO WE DID DO A REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
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REFLECTS THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, USE OUR PARKS, WHO WANT TO COME, WHO ARE ENGAGED.AND WE DID A NUMBER OF OUTREACHES.
WE DID, UH, THINGS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
WE WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE DID EVENTS.
UM, AND SO REALLY WHAT WE DID IS WE CREATED THIS VIDEO ONCE WE DID ALL THESE EVENTS TO STILL ENGAGE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE THEY KNEW THEY HAD AVAILABILITY TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ONLINE.
WE HAD EVERYTHING IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
AND SO WHAT, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'RE GONNA PLAY A VIDEO THAT WE COMPLETED.
THIS WAS DONE A WHILE BACK ONCE WE COMPLETED ALL OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND KIND OF GIVES YOU THE BREADTH AND THE, AND HOW WE TRY TO BE INNOVATIVE AND ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND TRYING TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
THE SAN ANTONIO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE SA PARK SYSTEM PLAN, A PLAN UPDATED EVERY 10 YEARS.
THE PLAN INCLUDES COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WHICH WE'LL LEVERAGE THE WORK OF AND COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH THE SA TOMORROW PLAN INITIATIVE, INCLUDING URBAN FORESTRY STRATEGIC PLAN AND RECOMMEND FUTURE FUNDING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SAN ANTONIO IS HOME TO MORE THAN 240 CITY-OWNED PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
WITH 15,000 PLUS ACRES OF GREEN SPACE AND OVER 181 MILES OF TRAILS.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS ARE VITAL TO ENSURING OUR RESIDENTS MAINTAIN A HEALTHY QUALITY OF LIFE.
AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT RESIDENTS AND CITY LEADERS WORK TOGETHER.
AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE ENVISION FOR THE EXPANSION OF CITY PARKS, TRAILS, FACILITIES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND NEW PROGRAMMING.
THE SAN ANTONIO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HOSTED EVENT-BASED ACTIVITIES AND A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE DEPARTMENT WENT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HOSTED SEVEN WORKSHOPS AND FIVE EVENTS, ENCOURAGING FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS.
EVENT THEMES WERE VARIED AND TAILORED TO CAPTURE A DIVERSE AUDIENCE.
EVENTS INCLUDED MOVIE IN THE PARKS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AT HARLANDALE PARK, A COMMUNITY CLEANUP AT MCALLISTER PARK, A TREE GIVEAWAY AT LINCOLN PARK AND A BIKE RODEO AND NATURE TRAIL WALK AT O P SCHNABEL PARK.
I SAW YOUR AD IN SAN ANTONIO CURRENT, AND I THOUGHT, HEY, THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO BRING MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO BE AT A FUNCTION WHERE ACTIVISTS TALK ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR INTEREST IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN ALSO.
SO WE THOUGHT, HEY, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN OUR INPUT, THEY'RE HAVING AN EVENT, MIGHT AS WELL GO OUT AND SEE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT TO PLAN AHEAD AND HOPEFULLY INCORPORATE THOSE FACILITIES THAT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE AGING POPULATION, BECAUSE EXERCISE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THAT PARTICULAR AGE GROUP.
AND WHAT BROUGHT ME OUT TONIGHT WAS THE FACT THAT I REALLY WANNA SEE GROWTH, BUT FOR OUR YOUTH, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL ABOUT THEM NOW.
AND THEN
THEY'RE NOT LIKE REAL RECOGNIZED AROUND THERE.
IT'S JUST FAR FROM EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO SEE IN OUR LOCAL PARKS ARE JUST MORE AMENITIES TO REALLY CATER TO ALL DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PARK DOWN SOUTH THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY BUILT, AND OUR PARK HERE AT OAK BEACH NAVAL IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
I WISH THAT ALL PARKS HAD THESE TYPES OF AMENITIES.
I, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT THINGS THAT WILL BE ENGAGING, ENTERTAINING, AND STIMULATING FOR KIDS.
THAT'S WHAT I'D LOVE TO SEE IS JUST THE THINGS, THE THINGS THAT ARE THE BEST ABOUT OUR PARKS, GROWING THEM TO THE OTHER PARKS, UM, SO THAT NO MATTER WHAT PART OF TOWN YOU'RE IN, YOU KIND OF HAVE ACCESS TO THE SIMILAR KINDS OF AMENITIES.
I KNOW WE, WE REALLY AND PARTICULARLY LOVE THE TRAILS.
SO THE TRAIL SYSTEM, GROWING THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND GIVING US MORE PLACES WE CAN RIDE BIKES AND HIKE AND WALK AND THINGS.
ONCE THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PHASE IS COMPLETE, THE INPUT AND DATA WILL BE COMPILED INTO A DRAFT REPORT FOR REVIEW.
THE FINAL PLAN IS EXPECTED LATE 2018 THOUSANDS USED CITY PARKS AND PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMMING.
PARKS ARE WHERE MANY PLAY, GROW, LEARN, AND CREATE MEMORIES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF YOUR FUTURE, YOUR CITY, YOUR PARKS.
SO THE YEAR CITY YEAR PARKS WAS A THEME THAT WE, UH, HAD THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND SO AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UH,
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ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND WE LOOKED AT THE AMOUNT OF, OF, UM, ACTIVITIES WE COULD GO TO AND GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT, WE HAD, UH, OVER ALMOST 3000 SURVEYS COMPLETED, UH, TO TELL US WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR PARK.AND SO ALL THAT INFORMATION THEN WAS THEN, UH, PUT TOGETHER.
SO YOU SEE KIND OF, WE HAVE HEAT MAPS THAT SHOW WHERE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO WE HAD VAST REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE CITY.
WE HAD REPRESENTATION AGAINST ALL DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS, UH, AND REALLY LOOKING TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE CONSULTANTS THAT THEN COMPILED THEIR DRAFT.
THAT WAS THEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND TO AMERICAN COUNCIL IN DECEMBER OF 2018.
UH, OUT OF THAT CAME THESE FOUR GOALS, WHAT WE CALL THE FOUR RSRS.
UH, THEY SPEAK TO REALLY THE GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS OF WHAT OUR PARK SYSTEM AND WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE WANNA MOVE TOWARD, WE WANT OUR PARKS TO BE RESPONSIVE, WE WANT THEM TO BE RESTORATIVE RESILIENT, AND WE WANNA DO IT IN A RESOURCEFUL WAY.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THEMES THAT KIND OF PERMEATE, PERMEATED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE REST OF THE, OF THE REPORT WITHIN EACH AREA.
THEN GIVES A NUMBER OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND, AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO REACH THAT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST HAS BEEN THE 10 MINUTE WALK, WHICH LOOKS AT PROVIDING EVERY RESIDENT, UH, AN ACCESS TO A PARK WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK OF WHERE THEY LIVE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, NATURE PLAY AND SOME OF THE GRANTS WE'VE GOT FROM, UH, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE.
AGAIN, TALK ABOUT THAT RESTORATIVE FUNCTION AND, AND HOW WE EDUCATE OUR YOUTH ABOUT NATURE, UH, AND RESILIENCY AND HOW WE GO ABOUT, UM, PROVIDING DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES TO DIFFERENT PARK USERS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE THAT COMES OUT OF THAT.
AND RESTORATIVE, REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE TIE IN OTHER, UM, ASPECTS OF CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT DOING, UH, DRAINAGE PROJECTS OR STORM WATER PROJECTS, HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THOSE AREAS SO THAT THEY ALSO HAVE EITHER A CAR, A PART COMPONENT, BUT IT ALSO MAY BE A CONSERVATION COMPONENT THAT LOOKS AT MAYBE CLEANSING WATER AND, AND LOOKING AT OUR WATERWAYS AND MAKING SURE HOW DO WE TRY TO, UH, REVERSE SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF OUR IMPAIRED STREAMS IN WATERWAYS IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO ALL THAT WAS KIND OF PUT TOGETHER WITH, ALONG WITH AN URBAN, UH, FORESTRY ASSESSMENT THAT ALSO, UH, WAS PART OF THIS STUDY.
AND THE CONSULTANTS CAME WITH THEIR DRAFT.
WE WENT BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE PRESENTED TO THE PARKS BOARD, TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, UH, IN JANU IN DECEMBER.
UH, WE WENT BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY, JANUARY, WE HELD A MEETING.
UH, WE HAD A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC MEETING.
WE HAD A TELE-TOWN HALL WITH OVER 2,400 PARTICIPANTS, 85 OF WHICH WERE IN SPANISH.
WE DID A SPANISH SIMULCAST AS PART OF THAT AS WELL.
AND OVERALL, THE, WE HAD AN OVERALL GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE PLAN.
THERE WERE A COUPLE THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON OUR FRIENDS IN THE CONSERVATION AREA, DEALING WITH REALLY NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTIONS.
AND WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT WHILE A LOT OF THE PRACTICES THAT WE, UH, HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, WE MAYBE DID NOT ARTICULATE THEM OR DOCUMENT THEM SUFFICIENTLY IN THE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED.
SO WE DID MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE DRAFT PLAN TO THE FINAL PLAN THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD TO COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION NEXT WEEK.
MADE SOME CHANGES WHERE WE STRENGTHEN THAT LANGUAGE.
SO EXAMPLE WHERE YOU SEE WHERE IT SAYS COMPATIBLE WITH RESOURCE PROTECTION.
SO THAT WE, WE ARE DEVELOPING PARKS.
WE'RE NOT JUST GOING IN ACQUIRING LAND AND SAYING, WE'RE GONNA PUT IN FIVE FIELDS AND A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LAND THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE, ARE THERE SENSITIVE FEATURES? ARE, IS THERE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A NATURAL RESOURCE PERS PERSPECTIVE? IS THERE HABITAT POTENTIALLY IN THAT, UH, PARCEL OF LAND THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT AND BE SENSITIVE TO? SO AGAIN, WE ADDED LANGUAGE THAT REALLY LOOKED AT STRENGTHENING, UH, THOSE AREAS OF THE PLAN.
THE OTHER PIECE PIECE AS WELL WAS, UH, AROUND, AGAIN, THAT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ABILITY OF REALLY LOOKING AT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT AND HOW DO WE TIE THAT IN.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IN DISTRICT TWO, WE HAD THAT MANGER CREEK, WHICH WAS A BIG STORM WATER, UH, AND FLOODING PROJECT, WE WERE ABLE TO RECAPTURE SOME OF THAT LAND AND USE IT AS PUBLIC OPEN SPACE AND HAVE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE AND COME PICNIC OR A PLAYGROUND.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT HOW DO WE TAKE, UH, THESE MULTIPLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS AND REALLY TRY TO BRING THEM IN AS PART OF THE PARK SYSTEM AS WELL.
SO WE WENT BACK, LIKE I MENTIONED, OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE DID ANOTHER ONLINE SURVEY, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE DID WENT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WE HAD, UH, CARDS WITH THE QR CODE THAT PEOPLE COULD, UH,
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THEN GET TO THE SURVEY.AND AGAIN, WE OVERALL SUPPORT FOR THE PLAN, UM, AS I GO HERE.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, CAME OUT OF THE PLAN WAS A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT, UM, SORRY.
THERE SMOKE TOBACCO FREE PARKS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT IN THE AREA OF THE RESTORE, UH, RESTORATIVE TO COMMUNITIES HEALTH WAS HOW DO PARKS IMPACT OUR YOUTH? AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, IF YOU HEARD THE VIDEO, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE WERE COMING TO TALK TO US, THEY WERE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THEIR KIDS, THE FUTURE, AND HOW PARKS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF COMMUNITY AND OF CHIL OF CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT FROM, UH, THAT PERSPECTIVE OF MODELING HEALTHY BEHAVIOR AND REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE IN, UH, NOT INCENTIVIZE THE YOUTH TO BEGIN SMOKING.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUTTA THE SYSTEM PLAN WAS TO LOOK AT SMOKE TOBACCO-FREE PARKS.
WHEN WE PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE IN DECEMBER, THEY, UH, ASKED US TO LOOK AT, UH, BRINGING THAT RECOMMENDATION IN TANDEM WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
UH, SO WE, UH, HAVE LOOKED AT THAT RESEARCH, WHAT WE WOULD DO.
SO TODAY THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GREEN SPACES WHERE YOU CANNOT CURRENTLY SMOKE, FOR EXAMPLE, PLAYGROUNDS.
YOU CAN'T SMOKE AROUND BASEBALL FIELDS.
YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN OUR NATURAL AREAS WHERE THERE'S HIGH RISK OF FIRES, YOU CANNOT SMOKE.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE'D LOOK AT IS AMENDING CHAPTER 36 OF THE CODE THAT THEN WOULD, UH, INCLUDE ALL PARK LANDS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC SQUARES, UH, AND THE RIVER WALK.
SO WHAT WE'VE, WE, BEFORE WE WENT FORWARD WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE WENT BACK AND WE LOOKED AT, UH, DEALING WITH SOME STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
WE WENT AND TALKED TO A NUMBER OF GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO SOME OF THIS WAS REALLY DRIVEN FROM THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
WE GOT A, A, UH, S A PETITION WITH OVER 400 PEOPLE AT ONE PARK SIGNED, WHO ALL YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS CAME FORWARD AND SIGNED AND SAID, WE'D LIKE OUR PARKS TO BE SMOKE TOBACCO FREE.
WE KNOW THE WOODLAWN HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, I MEAN, SORRY, THE WOODLAWN, UH, PARK LAKE, ONE LAKE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, IS REALLY, UH, HAD, UM, DONE A RESOLUTION TO ASK ABOUT WOODLAWN LAKE BEING SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE.
UH, BOTH THE PARKS FOUNDATION, THE HARBURGER CONSERVANCY, UH, HAVE ALL PASSED RESOLUTIONS ENDORSING THE SMOKE TOBACCO-FREE PARKS.
WE SPOKE TO THE RIVERWALK ASSOCI RIVERWALK, UH, ASSOCIATION, THE MARKET SQUARE TENANTS ASSOCIATION.
ALL OF THEM ARE IN FAVOR OF OUR PARKS AND SQUARES BEING, UH, SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE TODAY, WHICH, UH, WAS, WAS KIND OF REVEALING TO ME TODAY.
NONE OF THE RESTAURANTS ON THE RIVER OR IN MARKET SQUARE ACTUALLY HAVE SMOKING PATIOS ANYMORE.
SO WHAT WE REALLY SEE IS A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR AND AN EXCHANGE IN ACCEPTANCE OF A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE, UH, THAT REALLY WE FEEL THAT, UH, IS THE TIME FOR OUR GREEN SPACES TO COMPLETELY BE SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE.
SO WHERE WE GO FROM HERE IS WE WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, NEXT WEEK AS PART THE, OUR, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OUR PARTNERS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WOULD BRING A CHANGE COMING FORWARD, UM, TO THE, UH, SMOKING CHAPTER.
UH, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL JUNE 1ST.
WE WOULD DO PUBLIC, UH, ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION AROUND THIS.
UH, WE WOULD CREATE, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA OUTREACH, FOR EXAMPLE.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS MORE OF A POSITIVE MESSAGE LIKE, ENJOY POOL, SMOKE FREE, ENJOY RUNNING SMOKE FREE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, ONE OF OUR MEETINGS WE WERE TOLD AS PEOPLE WERE WALKING DOWN THE TRAILS IS THEY HATED BEING BEHIND VAPORS AS THEY'RE WALKING.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, PUFF OF LARGE PUFF OF SMOKE FROM VAPORS HITTING THEM AS THEY'RE TRYING TO EXERCISE OR RIDE A BIKE WITH THEIR KIDS BEHIND, UH, UH, BEHIND THESE, UH, VAPORS, UH, ON THE TRAILS.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE WOULD LOOK AS ENGAGING, UH, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW DO PUBLIC EDUCATION AND REALLY LOOKING AT A POSITIVE MESSAGE OF THESE ARE THE THINGS TO DO IN THE PARKS THAT NOW WOULD BE SMOKE FREE AND TOBACCO FREE.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE WILL BE BRINGING THE, UH, FINAL SYSTEM PLAN, UH, FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION NEXT WEEK ALONG WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BRINGING AN ITEM FORWARD TO AMEND, UM, THE SMOKING CODE THAT WOULD THEN JUST INCORPORATE ALL PARKS AS OPPOSED, AS OPPOSED TO JUST DESIGNATING, UH, SPECIFIC PARKS, UH, COVERED UNDER THAT ORDINANCE.
UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, THE CONSULTANTS ARE HERE, HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HERE.
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON THE PLAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, XAVIER, FOR THE, UM, UPDATE ON THE PARKS PLAN.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS A 10 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
SO THE NEXT TIME WE WOULD GET, UH, A FULL ON REVIEW AND, AND, UH, DRAFT OF THE, A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE IN 20 28, 29, SOMEWHERE IN THERE, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
UM, WITH REGARD TO OUR, OUR BIG METRIC OF ACCESS TO, UH, GREEN
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SPACE IN SAN ANTONIO, HOW ARE WE DOING, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR GOAL OF HAVING EVERY RESIDENT WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF WALKING DISTANCE OF A PARK? SO WE ARE NOT VERY STRONG IN THAT ATTRIBUTE.ONE THING THAT WE, I THINK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE CONCENTRATED ON, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN OUR BOND PROGRAMS AND REALLY LOOKING AT PARK FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN TO EXPAND OUR REACH, BUT TO REALLY LOOK AT GOING BACK AND DEALING WITH EITHER DEFERRED MAINTENANCE NEEDS OR AREAS OF WHERE WE NEEDED TO ADD IMPROVEMENTS.
MAYBE WE ACQUIRED LAND BUT NEVER WENT BACK AND ADDED PLAYGROUNDS OR BASKETBALL COURTS OR BASEBALL FIELDS.
SO ONE OF THE EFFORTS THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE SYSTEM PLAN, I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW, MAYOR YOU CHALLENGED US ON WAS TO LOOK AT THE SCHOOL PARK SYSTEM.
HOW DO WE LOOK AT TARGETING AREAS WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE DEFICIENCIES IN GREEN SPACE OR ACCESS AND PARTNERING WITH SPECIFIC SCHOOLS IN THOSE AREAS? SO ONE OF THE THINGS, THE BUDGET PROCESS WOULD BE TO COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE ADJUST OR CHANGE THAT PROGRAM.
THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE SYSTEM PLAN WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE GOAL OF THE 10 MINUTE, UH, WALK.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SYSTEM PLAN TALKED ABOUT, UH, LOOKING AT THE TREE FUND AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE DONE WITH THAT.
AS THOSE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS COME UP, WE WILL ALWAYS REFER BACK TO THE SYSTEM PLAN AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND MAKING SURE WE'RE CHECKING THE BOXES OF IS IT HITTING THE GOALS? IS IT MEETING WHAT THE PUBLIC SAID? BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT HOW DO WE ADJUST OR CHANGE OR ADD AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM, NEXT BIG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WOULD LOOK MORE AT NEW PARKS AND AREAS WHERE WE HAVE A DEFICIT.
AND I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, MAYOR, THIS LAST BUDGET, THERE WERE TWO PARKS THAT WERE CHAMPIONED BOTH IN DISTRICT SIX AND DISTRICT SEVEN.
THE RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THEIR DISTRICT ASKED FOR FUNDS, CAPITAL FUNDS TO ACQUIRE NEW PARKS.
THOSE PARKS WE MADE SURE THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER PARK WITH IN OVER MO.
MOST OF THEM WERE OVER A MILE RADIUS OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE GO ABOUT EVALUATING A PROPERTY, EVALUATING WHETHER TO MAKE A PRIORITY, UH, IT WOULD BE BASED ON THAT GOAL OF MEETING THE 10 MINUTE WALK.
SO, UH, LOOKING OUT IN 10 YEARS, UH, THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PARTICULAR, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE MOVING THE METRIC IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND WHAT, WHAT DO YOU ESTIMATE IT WILL BE? SO WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND DE DEPEND.
IT REALLY WILL DEPEND ON SOME OF OUR OTHER BOND PROGRAMS AND HOW, WHETHER WE CONTINUE WITH THE GREENWAY PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE'LL, SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE GREENWAY PROGRAM, WE, UH, I'M, I'M WITH YOU ON THAT.
UH, THE GREENWAY PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT BEYOND JUST DOING THE EMERAL NECKLACE, HOW DO WE CONNECT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS? AND SO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE RECENTLY REALLY LOOKS AT OUR TRAILHEADS BEING MORE THAN JUST TRAILHEADS, BUT REALLY NODES INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
THOSE NODES, AGAIN, THE FURTHER YOU GET IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE MORE YOU HAVE YOUR RADIUS OF, OF THE 10 MINUTE WALK.
SAME THING WE'RE DOING LIKE IN DISTRICT 10 WHEN WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO CONNECT THE PARENT HOMESTEAD TO LAKE TO L B J PARK.
AGAIN, THE SAME THING AS YOU'RE DOING THAT TRAIL, YOU HIT SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS THAT THAT GIVES US THE COVERAGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO I THINK BETWEEN THOSE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, THE GREENWAY, THE SCHOOL PARK SYSTEM AND FUTURE BOND PROGRAMS, WE WILL SEE A SIGNIFICANT MOVE BECAUSE I THINK THAT AGAIN, WILL BE THE FOCUS BASED ON WHAT THE SYSTEM PLAN IS OUTLINING.
SO THE SPENDING OF THOSE RESOURCES FOR PARK, UM, ACQUISITION, UH, AND INCREASING THE GREEN SPACE WILL BE MEANT TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE ACQUISITION.
WE HAVE THE DATA OF WHERE WE HAVE THOSE DEFICITS.
WELL, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TOO, AS IT, UH, RELATES TO THE GREENWAY TRAIL.
SINCE WE'RE ALMOST COMPLETE WITH THE INITIAL, WITH THE INITIAL RING, WE CAN NOW CREATE THE SPOKES IN THE AREAS THAT, UH, WE KNOW THERE'S ACCESS ISSUES AND THEN ACCESS OTHER, UH, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US AS A GROUP, AS AN ORGANIZATION TO ALSO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN REDEVELOPMENT TO CREATE POCKET PARKS.
WE GET SUCH TREMENDOUS POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF POCKET PARKS IN, IN ESPECIALLY URBAN AREAS.
AND THEN WITH RE UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE USED TO HAVE THE COUNCIL FUNDED SPARK PARK PROGRAM.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT EVENTUALLY JUST FADED AWAY, UH, BUT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
AND YOU, YOU MENTIONED IT, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ON CREATING ACCESS FOR, FOR KIDS TO HAVE GREEN SPACE, BUT ALSO, UH, MOVING OUR OWN ACCESS METRICS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS WELL.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND, AND BRING US BACK OPTIONS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THROUGH ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE LOOK AT THE, I I ANTICIPATE THIS NEXT BUDGET, THE SCHOOL PARKS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM.
THAT IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF REALLY TARGETING SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE WE KNOW WE DO NOT HAVE THAT GREEN ACCESS.
[00:25:01]
POCKET PARKS, YEAH, DOING THE POCKET PARK WITH THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IS PROBABLY A GOOD COMBO.AND LOOKING AT HOW DO WE, UH, REDIRECT SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO DO THOSE COMBINED EFFORTS AS OPPOSED TO JUST ISOLATED EFFORTS.
LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, PALAIS AND COURAGE WILL, WILL KNOW THIS, UH, VERY WELL.
BUT THERE, THERE IS A, A KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR WILDNESS PRESERVE AREAS AND THE ACTUAL TRADITIONAL PARKS.
UM, I WANT US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE WILDERNESS PRESERVE AREAS AND THE FUNCTION THAT THEY, UH, PROVIDE FOR THE CITY AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD.
I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS UNDER YOUR PURVIEW AND WE REALLY ONLY TALK ABOUT RECREATIONAL PARKS, BUT KNOW THAT EVEN IF THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WILDERNESS SIDE OF THINGS, WE UNDERSTAND THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF THEM, ESPECIALLY IT RE AS IT RELATES TO DEVELOPMENT AND, AND PRESERVATION OF MILITARY BASES AND SO FORTH.
THANK YOU XAVIER FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR, UM, ALL OF OUR, OUR, UH, CONSULTANTS WHO'VE HELPED SO MUCH IN GETTING THIS GREAT INFORMATION.
UM, SO I, I WANNA STAY ON THIS NOTE, UH, ABOUT THE, UM, THE INVENTORY OF WHAT YOU, YOU, UH, GET.
SO THE SCHOOL PARKS AND YES, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS IN DISTRICT THREE, NOT ENOUGH, BUT THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SCHOOL PARKS.
UM, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE AS WELL BECAUSE IT DOES MEET THAT NEED OF THE 10 MINUTE WALK FOR THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHERE DO THE, UM, 'CAUSE IN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR AREA WE HAVE THE MISSION REACH, BUT THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF COUNTY PARKS TOO.
SO IN, IN I GUESS RELATIONS TO MAYBE COUNTY PARKS OR THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARKS THAT WE HAVE.
'CAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT THE MISSION REACH, I'M THINKING ABOUT CONFLUENCE PARK.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE CO UH, THE, THE COUNTY PARKS AND OUR SCHOOL PARKS.
SO WAS THAT ALL TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL IN THE INVENTORY? SO IN THE INVENTORY WOULD ONLY BE CITY OWNED.
NOW WHEN WE DO THE PERCENTAGE OF THE 10 MINUTE WALK, THAT IS DONE HOLISTICALLY.
SO WHETHER IT'S A STATE PARK, CITY PARK, COUNTY PARK, UH, BUT IT HAS TO BE A PUBLIC PARK.
RIGHT? SO, UH, IF IT'S PRIVATE OR GATED, SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE CHRIS PARK, UH, ON CAMP STREET THAT'S PART OF RUBY CITY, UH, THE ART, UH, THE LINDA PACE FOUNDATION AREA, THAT DOESN'T COUNT TOWARD, UM, BEING CONSIDERED A PUBLIC PARK.
BUT, BUT ISN'T IT OPEN DURING THE WEEK? IT IS, BUT THE, THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LANDS, THE WAY THEY DEFINE IT OH, IS SPECIFIC TO PUBLICLY OWNED.
SO IF THERE'S PUBLIC DOLLARS TO IT, THEN THEY'LL CORRECT.
AND SO LUCKILY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE MISSION REACH, EVEN THOUGH WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY MM-HMM.
ALL THOSE ARE COUNTED TOWARD, UH, THAT ACCESS POINT.
AND THEN, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I GUESS I, AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF NATURE PLAY BECAUSE I'VE SEEN SOME OF THOSE, UM, THOSE, THOSE, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA OF HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT.
SO I THINK I WANNA ASK THE CONSULTANTS OF WHEN YOU WERE GETTING FEEDBACK WITH EVERYONE AND THE MAYOR MENTIONED POCKET PARKS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WAS THE FEEDBACK, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES I GET MIXED FEEDBACK FROM MY COMMUNITIES OF POCKET PARKS THAT THEY'RE POSITIVE OR THAT THEY'RE ALSO PLACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THERE'S SECURITY OR SOMETHING.
SO DID Y'ALL HEAR ANY FEEDBACK DIRECTLY WHEN IT C CAME TO POCKET PARKS? IT, I THINK WE HEARD, WE HEARD A, A DESIRE FOR PARTNER.
BUT AGAIN, IN EVERY MEETING WE HEARD DISCUSSIONS ON SECURITY.
UM, WE, AT EVERY MEETING WE HEARD A DESIRE FOR PARKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
EVEN SMALL PARKS, EVEN JUST LITTLE POCKET PARK GREEN SPACE AREAS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S LITTLE REMNANTS OF DRAINAGE CHANNELS AND THINGS.
SO TRYING TO INCORPORATE THOSE, INCORPORATE THOSE INTO SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD USE.
BUT THEN WE ALSO, AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING HEARD ABOUT SECURITY, BUT THAT WAS FOR EVERY PARK.
YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU FELT SAFE NO MATTER WHERE YOU WERE IN ANY OF THOSE PARKS IN THE CITY.
WHETHER THAT'S A BIG PARK OR A TINY PARK OR THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I KNOW XAVIER MENTIONED IT, BUT I JUST WANNA REITERATE IT AGAIN.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE SYSTEM PLAN IN THE URBAN FORESTRY RECOMMENDATION IS TO EXPAND THE USE OF THOSE URBAN, OF THOSE FUNDS THAT WE GET.
INSTEAD OF JUST BEING ABLE TO BUY TREES, UH, OTHER TEXAS CITIES CAN ACTUALLY BUY PARKLAND WITH THOSE FUNDS.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY OF WHERE WE COULD BUY LITTLE SMALL PARCELS IN AREAS THAT WERE REALLY LACKING GREEN PA SPACE AND PLANTING TREES THERE SO THAT THERE IS THAT LITTLE OASIS FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO, EVEN IF IT'S JUST TREES AND BENCHES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY BEFORE.
[00:30:01]
THAT A LOT IN OUR MEETINGS.SO I THINK THAT'S A, I I WAS GONNA THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE NOTES THAT I WROTE DOWN ABOUT VACANT LOTS AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THIS XAVIER, UH, WITH THE, UM, HOW THIS ALL ALSO TIES INTO OUR ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN AND OUR PLANNING WITH OUR REGIONAL CENTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT HOW THIS IS LAYERED INTO OUR ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN TOO.
SO WHEN, SAY BROOKS REGIONAL CENTER'S COMING UP, THAT IN THE WHOLE CONVERSATION THAT OUR PRINCIPLE AND POLICY OF HAVING THAT 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK IS ALSO INCORPORATED IN THE SA TOMORROW PLAN.
SO THAT ACTUALLY WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE SA TOMORROW PLAN.
AND SO WE INCORPORATED THAT MAJOR COMPONENT THAT AND THE, UH, REALLY ACCESS THAT EVERYONE, THE SA TOMORROW PLAN TALKS ABOUT THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE.
UH, THOSE ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND THEN LED INTO THE PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THOSE 10 MINUTE, UH, WALKS MM-HMM.
AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR US TO LOOK AT U D C AMENDMENT CHANGES, WHICH IS STILL ANOTHER TWO YEARS OFF OR ANOTHER YEAR OFF, IS THAT WE REEVALUATE THOSE GREEN, WE HAVE A GREEN SPACE ORDINANCE AND WE HAVE THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE THAT WE LOOK AT THOSE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE SA TOMORROW PLAN AND THE SA PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT ABOUT DOING IMMEDIATE CHANGES TODAY, BUT AS THOSE THINGS COME UP FOR RENEWAL, AS THOSE ITEMS COME UP TO BE STUDIED OR REEVALUATED THAT THEY'RE DONE THROUGH THIS LENS MM-HMM.
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, I GUESS, ERIC, UM, IF YOU CAN, UH, TALK ME THROUGH, I GUESS THE PROCESS WISE.
SO THE CITY, UM, HAS PROPERTY THAT WE OWN, AND THEN SOME PEOPLE APPROACH THE CITY TO BUY THESE PROPERTIES, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO SELL 'EM, SAY T C I, THE, THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE THERE.
UM, DOES IT GO TO, SO IN PARTICULAR, I'LL JUST TALK, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT THREE, WE HAD A COUPLE OF PARCELS OF PROPERTY THAT THE CITY OWNS, WE'RE ABOUT TO SELL THEM.
BUT DOES THAT GO TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO MAYBE CHECK OFF AND SAY, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE A PARK WITHIN 10 MINUTES WALKING DISTANCE FROM HERE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD KEEP A COUPLE OF PARCELS JUST IN CASE.
DOES IT GO THROUGH A PROCESS LIKE THAT? SO COUNCILWOMAN, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN INTERNAL CANVASSING PROCESS.
THAT, UH, BEFORE WE DISPOSE OF PROPERTY, IT'S SENT TO ALL DEPARTMENTS.
COULD BE A LOCATION FOR A FIRE STATION MM-HMM.
UM, AND IT GOES THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
ANY AVAILABLE PROPERTY GOES THROUGH THAT FOR DEPARTMENTS TO SIGN OFF ON AND SAY THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TOP OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WILL PUT IN MY PLUG FOR, UH, DOG PARKS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, THEN, UM, ALSO THIS THANK YOU AND ALL THE WORK OF YOUR TEAM BECAUSE WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT JUPI, UM, THE JUPI MANOR AREA, GETTING A PARK FINALLY IN THAT AREA.
AND I KNOW HOMER SOMEWHERE HERE TOO.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR, UM, THE MAINTENANCE HAPPENING OR THAT HAPPENED AT FATHER ROMAN CENTER AT ILLA CORONADO PARK.
IT HAS DONE WONDERS FOR THE KIDS THAT PLAY IN THAT GYM AND THE PARENTS WHO LIVE THERE.
COUNCILMAN
UH, THIS CONVERSATION I THINK TIES IN REALLY WELL TO THE LUNCHEON THAT WE JUST HAD FOR THE ALLSTAR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AND HOW THE, UH, PROGRAM REALLY BENEFITED SO MANY CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS A TEACHER FOR SO MANY YEARS, I OFTEN WONDERED, UH, WHY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS WOULD, UH, PUT A FENCE AROUND THEIR SCHOOL AND THEIR PARK AND WOULD TRY AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT COULD BE USED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UH, AND THEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT AS A CITY, HOW WE WANT TO EXPAND THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT WE OFFER, AND IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF THE WILDERNESS AREAS.
I THINK THEY'RE GREAT AND I USE 'EM, AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DO, BUT TO MANY PEOPLE, JUST HAVING A, A PLAYGROUND NEARBY OR SOME GREEN SPACE NEARBY, UH, IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF RAISING A CHILD, UH, SAFELY AND HAPPILY.
AND I KNOW THAT WE DO PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS, UH, SOMEWHAT, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US HAVE A, A SERIOUS
[00:35:01]
INVESTIGATION ABOUT CREATING A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND, AND IDENTIFY SPECIFIC, UH, SCHOOLS THAT HAVE PARKS, THAT HAVE PLAYGROUNDS, THAT HAVE GREEN SPACE, UH, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A PARK WHERE WE CAN MAYBE MAKE A, A FORMAL FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO HELP SUPPORT THAT, UH, AND OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMUNITY.AND I REALIZED THE PROBLEM FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECOMES MAINTENANCE OR IF THERE'S DAMAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO THAT.
AND, AND I RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CITY IS ALWAYS STRAPPED FOR MONEY TOO.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD PARKS AND PUT EQUIPMENT IN IT OURSELVES, IT SEEMS TO ME WE COULD SAVE MONEY OR NOT SPEND IN ANY, ANY MORE MONEY IF WE CAN GUARANTEE THE MAINTENANCE OF SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THOSE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NO PARKS AND SIMPLY OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS STUDY REALLY ANALYZED THAT AND SAID, LOOK, THERE'S NOTHING HERE, BUT THERE ARE THREE SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA AND TWO OF 'EM HAVE GREAT FACILITIES.
LET'S REACH AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THESE SCHOOLS OR THIS DISTRICT THAT WILL HELP WITH THE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF THESE AS LONG AS THEY REMAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US EXAMINE HOW WE MIGHT EXPAND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS MORE THAN FIVE OR 10 MINUTES AWAY FROM A PARK OR A PLAYGROUND WHERE KIDS CAN GO AND PLAY AND THE PARENTS CAN GO ALONG WITH THEM AND EVERYBODY FEELS SAFE AND PROTECTED.
I KNOW MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE OPEN, SO THEY'RE VERY VISIBLE FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO THEY ARE RELATIVELY SAFE AREAS.
MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE SHADE, MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TREES.
MAYBE THAT WOULD BE AN EXTRA FACILITY THAT THE CITY COULD INVEST IN TO MAKE 'EM A LITTLE MORE INVITING TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT I'D SURE LIKE TO SEE US LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE THAT MAYBE PART OF A FUTURE BOND EFFORT JUST TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF THESE KINDS OF FACILITIES FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, BUT I COMMEND THE WORK YOU YOU'RE DOING AND I, WE LOVE THE PARKS.
AND, UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF THAT KIND OF RECREATIONAL FACILITY AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE.
COUNCILMAN PALIS, HAVE YOU HAD A GOOD JOB? THERE IS NOT A PARK IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, THAT I'VE GOTTEN TO WALK THROUGH WHERE I'M NOT IMPRESSED.
I I THINK YOU GUYS DO EXCELLENT WORK AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING AT THE FRANK GARRETT CENTER.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEW PARK IN DISTRICT SEVEN? UH, YES.
COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IS, I'M SURE EQUALLY EXCITED, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING THAT NEW PARK.
UM, MY, MY REQUEST IS KIND OF OUT OF THE ORDINARY, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I SEE YOU.
UH, AND I WAS GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT THE NEXT TIME I SAW YOU, AND SO I FIGURED MIGHT AS WELL GIVE IT TO YOU NOW.
I, I W I AM CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WAY STATIONS FOR POLLINATORS, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR PARKS ARE RELEVANT IN THAT REGARD.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF, I'M SEEING THAT AUSTIN HAS REALLY MOVED FORWARD IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS IN PARTNERING UP WITH, UH, POLLINATOR, UH, ADVOCACY GROUPS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, B UH, KEEPERS AND ALL THAT STUFF BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE TO THE, UH, FOOD SUPPLY.
80% OF OUR 80% OF OUR FOOD DEPENDS UPON, YOU KNOW, POLLINATORS.
AND, UM, I I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S, UM, AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO BE HAD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY, RIGHT? SO I SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PARKS PROVIDE TREE, YOU KNOW, UH, TREE CENTRIC OASIS.
UM, I, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT FORGETTING ABOUT THAT GOING FORWARD.
AND I, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT COST, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPACTFUL JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHECKING THAT BOX OFF AND SAYING, HEY, ARE WE ALSO INCLUDING POLLINATORS? RIGHT.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY INCLUDE THAT INTO THE FINAL REPORT YEAH.
TO MAKE SURE IS IT IS IN ONE OF THE AREAS THAT ARY AND THEM ARE POINTING OUT, BUT WE, IT'S IN THERE.
IT'S IN THERE, BUT WE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I SHOW UP.
THIS IS, THIS IS FANTASTIC, BUT SAN BUT SAN ANTONIO IS KNOWN.
I MEAN, WE ARE ONE OF THE CHAMPION CITIES, UH, FOR THE MONARCH PLEDGE.
AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IS LOOK AS HOW, HOW DO WE INCORPORATE, AGAIN, WHAT I FEEL LIKE THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE SYSTEM PLAN IS IT REALLY GIVES US THOSE GUIDES WHERE INSTEAD OF DOING THINGS ISOLATED AND NOT DOING THEM STRATEGICALLY, IT REALLY HELPS US FOCUS AND DO THINGS STRATEGICALLY.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT A PROPERTY, WE LOOK AT THOSE NATURAL RESOURCES.
IS THIS AN AREA WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF POLLINATION GOING ON? DO WE SEE, UH, AGAIN, THE NATIONAL, THE NATURAL HABITAT THAT'S THERE? WE DON'T WANNA GET RID OF THAT.
SO IT'S NOT A, A DICTATE TO COME IN, PLOW EVERYTHING DOWN, WE'RE GONNA PUT FIVE SOCCER FIELDS.
IT'S ABOUT DOING THINGS SMART AND DOING THINGS, UM, DELIBERATELY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT BOTH THE NATURAL SIDE OF IT AND ALSO THE HUMAN SIDE OF IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, MOUNTAIN LAURELS, ASIDE FROM SMELLING FANTASTIC RIGHT.
[00:40:01]
UH, IMPORTANT BEE ATTRACTORS.AND SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ON YOUR MIND.
THE SECOND THING IS, IS, UM, I'VE, IN MY DISTRICT EIGHT, UM, AND IN DISTRICT NINE TO SOME DEGREE, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN, UH, FAMILIES AND, UH, PEOPLE FROM, YOU KNOW, ARAB COUNTRIES, UH, THE, I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY THESE GROUPS.
I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THOUSAND, UH, FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE AVID, UH, CRICKET PLAYERS.
UM, AND THEY'VE APPROACHED US RECENTLY.
AND A LOT OF THEM ARE DOCTORS FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER, MEDICAL STUDENTS, U S A A EMPLOYEES, UM, AND FRIENDS OF YOURS AND MINE FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT, UH, INDUSTRY GROUPS.
UM, THEY'RE ASKING ME TO ASK YOU TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, A CRICKET PITCH IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES ARE TRAVELING UP TO NEW BRAUNFELS, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A LEGIT CRICKET PITCH UP THERE.
BUT I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT PARK BECOMES MORE RELEVANT TO THIS HUGE AND GROWING POPULATION IF WE CAN INCLUDE SOMETHING THAT THEY LOVE TO DO.
AND SO I, I IMAGINE THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO DUAL PURPOSE SOME FIELDS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE, UM, FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND SO JUST ON YOUR LIST OF THINGS TO, TO LOOK AT, WE'LL REACH OUT, REACH OUT TO 'EM.
I THINK, I THINK WE HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS.
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THROUGH WHOM, BECAUSE I KNOW I THINK THAT THEY PLAY AT MCALLISTER PARK SOMETIMES.
SO I THINK THEY HAD REQUESTED ABOUT A PAVILION, AND WE LET THEM KNOW IN THE BOND PROGRAM THERE IS A PAVILION THAT'S BEING ADDED TO THE AREA WHERE THEY PLAYED TODAY.
UH, BUT WE'LL REACH OUT TO SEE IF MAYBE THERE'S SOMEWHERE, UH, WHERE MAYBE THEY CAN FIND AN APPROPRIATE HOME TO CALL SOMEWHERE TO CALL HOME.
UH, AND THEN TO GROW THE SPORT.
WE'VE SEEN HUGE INCREASES IN DIFFERENT SPORTS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOCCER TODAY FROM WHAT IT WAS.
BUT WHEN WE THINK OF LIKE LACROSSE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS PLAYING LACROSSE NOW.
RUGBY IS STILL STRONG AND, AND ACTUALLY GROWING, UH, TO DEGREE.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THOSE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, ONE OF THE BEAUTIES I FEEL ABOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM IS THE VARIETY AND THE OPPORTU, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S ORGANIZED SPORTS, SINGLE PLAY SPORTS, LIFELONG SPORTS.
AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT THAT CONTINUUM, BOTH FROM YOUNG TO ADULTHOOD TO EL TO THE ELDERLY TO MAKE SURE, TRYING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE STAY ACTIVE.
SO WE'LL REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO ASSIST.
AND THEN THIRD, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ ISN'T THE ONLY CYCLIST ON THIS COUNCIL.
I ACTUALLY DO A LOT OF MOUNTAIN BIKING.
AND, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST IS HOW IMPORTANT THE LINEAR CREEK WAVES ARE, UH, FOR ME.
AND, UH, MY KIDS AND I WHO ARE DOING THIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE NORTH SIDE SOME CONVERSATION BETWEEN YOU AND I ABOUT, UM, PUMP TRACK SKILLS, UH, YOU KNOW, PARK OR SKILLS TRACK AS WELL.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE US SORT OF LEAN IN THERE AND WE GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THAT PLAY DISPLAYED AT NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
AND THERE'S SOME REALLY NEAT AND INNOVATIVE, UH, PRODUCTS OUT THERE THAT, UH, WE CAN INVEST IN.
THANK YOU XAVIER, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, YOU GAVE IT TO US AT OUR COMMITTEE MEETING, SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
UM, BUT VERY, VERY NICE, VERY NICE WORK.
HAD TO HOLD SOMETHING BACK
UM, UH, I THINK I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN.
THE, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCE OF THE WILDLIFE AS WELL IS, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT, UM, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE SMALL PARCELS.
IS THAT FEASIBLE OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO CURRENTLY IT IS NOT, I MEAN, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY FEASIBLE.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE ORDINANCES, UH, IN THE U D C DEALING WITH TREE PRESERVATION IS, GIVES OPTIONS FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO EITHER MITIGATE ON SITE OR THEY CAN PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF BASICALLY IS WHAT IT IS.
AND RIGHT NOW, THOSE FEES BY COUNCIL ORDINANCE ARE, UH, RESTRICTED TO CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.
UH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LOOK AT IS THE U D C IS REVIEWED ON A FIVE YEAR CYCLE IS WE'RE COMING UP FOR THAT NEXT RENEWAL.
SO THE PLAN LOOKS AT SAYING, LOOK AT SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS IN THE U D C AND SEE HOW DO WE MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS? DO WE LOOK AT ALLOWING US TO TAKE SOME OF THE FUNDING FROM THE IN LIEU OF, AND USE THAT TO PURCHASE PARCELS OR EMPTY LOTS AND GO IN THERE AND FORCE THEM.
ESPECIALLY AREAS WHERE WE HAVE MAYBE A DEFICIENCY IN CANOPY AREAS THAT WE KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO ABOUT THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND AREAS WHERE WE KNOW, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE CANOPY.
AND IT IMPACTS NOT ONLY A HOMEOWNER'S ABILITY TO PAY THE UTILITY BILL, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE RESILIENCY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AGAIN, HOW WOULD, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD TARGET AREAS ESPECIALLY THAT ARE DEVELOPED OUT.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER BEAUTY OF THE SCHOOL PARK PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCILMAN COURAGE IS TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ARE DEVELOPED OUT THAT IT'S, WE'RE NOT GONNA FIND 200 ACRES TO PUT A NEW PARK.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE GOAL OF THE 10 MINUTE WALK IS FIND SMALL PARCELS THAT
[00:45:01]
LOOK AT HOW DO WE INCREASE TREE CANOPY, INCREASE CONSERVATION EFFORTS, HOW DO WE DO MULTIPLE GOALS WITH ONE PARCEL? AND THE REC, WHAT'S RECOMMENDED IS TO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE FUNDING MECHANISMS TO ALLOW US TO DO SOME OF THAT.SO YOU'LL BE EXPLORING THAT YES.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN TERMS OF TOBACCO FREE PARKS.
I KNOW, UM, YOU EXPLAINED IT TO ME, THERE ARE A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS YOU HAD TO GET BUY-IN FROM, BUT, UH, THANK YOU.
WHEN WE ADOPT THE PLAN, IS THAT WHEN WE WILL ADOPT THE ORDINANCE OR WILL THAT BE A SEPARATE PROCESS? IT'LL BE A SEPARATE, THERE'S TWO ITEMS. SO THE, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL TAKE AN ITEM THAT ACTUALLY AMENDS THE CODE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S IN THE PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
UH, AND THEN IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE JUNE ONE.
SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE WOULD BE A GOOD THEME THAT WE COULD RESONATE THROUGH THE WHOLE SUMMER.
AND WHEN WILL WE TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM? WEEK? THE SAME DAY AS THE PARKS? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UM, AND OF COURSE I'D BE REMISS IF I DID NOT THANK YOU.
AND THE WHOLE TEAM OF, FOR THE NEW PARK THAT WE DO HAVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN, IT'S THREE ACRES.
IT WAS, I GUESS SOMEONE BEAUTIFUL.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE PHOTOS, UM, PLEASE SEE THEM.
MY TEAM DID A GREAT JOB WITH THOSE.
UH, SO IT WAS A, SOMEONE'S HOUSE, I GUESS, WITH A VERY BIG YARD.
AND, UH, THE HOUSE IS NOT IN GOOD CONDITION NOW, BUT, BUT THE YARD IS BEAUTIFUL.
THE WILD FLOWERS WERE BLOOMING THE DAY THAT WE RIGHT.
THAT WE CUT THE RIBBON AND THANK YOU TO YOU BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT THAT PROJECT TO US.
AND AGAIN, SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE A PARK WITHIN ALMOST A MILE RADIUS OF THAT AREA.
AND THE ONLY ONE CLOSEST IS ACROSS BANDERA, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IS A VERY BUSY, LARGE TXDOT ROAD MM-HMM.
AND SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT, IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, A A, A PARCEL OF PROPERTY THAT WASN'T BEING USED WAS VACANT, AND THEN TAKING THAT OVER TO BE A PARK IS GONNA HAVE A HUGE IMPACT IN THAT COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, GREAT TURNOUT ON SATURDAY MORNING, JUST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE WALKING AND COMING, UH, TO SEE THEIR NEW FUTURE PARK.
SO I THINK AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD THROUGH THE SYSTEM PLAN.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE WORK THAT ALL THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE BEEN DOING IS MOVING US IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND I, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS YOUR GOAL, THE 10 MINUTE WALK UNTIL I DID ASK YOU ABOUT THIS PARCEL OF LAND, AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA TELL ME, NO,
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP ON THAT.
AND THANKS FOR COMING BY THE OTHER DAY.
UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND LOOKING IN THE OUT YEARS AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
HAVE, HAVE Y'ALL EVER LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THESE ARE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, BUT EVEN IN A STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU CAN DEVELOP COSTS FOR THESE STRATEGIC PLANS IN THE OUT YEAR PROGRAMS. HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT ANY OF THAT YET ABOUT OUT YEAR COSTS ON PARKS AND TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN? SO, NO, SIR.
SO I WENT BACK AND VERIFIED, SO THE LISTING THAT SAYS PART OF THE PLAN IS A LIST OF PARK TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE ARE MAKING THAT LANGUAGE CHANGE TO MAKE SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THESE ARE POTENTIAL TYPE OF PARK IMPROVEMENTS, POTENTIAL TYPE OF PROJECTS BASED ON WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND THEY JUST SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENT GOALS THAT THEY REACH.
BUT IT DOES NOT GIVE US ANY, UH, SPECIFIC NUMBERS OR DIRECTIONS TO ADD X NUMBER OF THIS OR TO RETROFIT, UH, FIVE COMMUNITY CENTERS.
IT REALLY IS REALLY LIKE A MENU OF, AS WE LOOK AT EITHER RENOVATIONS, WE LOOK AT ACQUISITIONS, WE LOOK AT, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT, HOW THOSE FIT IN REACHING SOME OF THESE FOUR GOALS.
WELL, I, I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IN YOUR, YOUR OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN.
WHAT ARE WE, WHAT KIND OF COSTS ARE WE LOOKING AT IN THE FUTURE? AND, AND EVEN YOUR GOAL TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A POCKET PARK OR WHATEVER WITHIN 10 MINUTES WALKING, YOU CAN QUANTIFY THAT.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS, YES.
SO IF I CAME FORWARD, FOR EXAMPLE, AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND PRESENTED TO YOU A REVISED SCHOOL PARKS PROGRAM, WE DEFINITELY WOULD SAY THIS IS THE IMPLEMENT IMPLICATIONS FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN THE SYSTEM PLAN.
BUT IF IT, WE WOULD NEED, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT FOR EVERY SINGLE PROJECT AS WE COME FORWARD.
SO AS WE COME FORWARD, MY, MY GOAL WOULD BE AS, AS WE COME FORWARD WITH EITHER CAPITAL PROJECTS RECOMMENDATIONS
[00:50:01]
TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THAT THAT WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM PLAN, IT NEEDS TO TIE BACK TO THE SYSTEM PLAN.AND THAT COST IMPLICATION WOULD BE IN, IN THERE AT THAT TIME.
THAT, THAT'S PROJECT SPECIFIC.
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS LIKE, TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, T C I, WE KNOW HOW MANY MILES OF ROADS WE HAVE.
WE KNOW WHAT THE, WE KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE, WE KNOW WHAT THE IMPROVEMENTS, AND I FORGET HOW MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO FILL THOSE GAPS TO FILL THAT REQUIREMENT OUT.
IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR ON THE PARKS, WHAT OUR FUTURE REQUIREMENTS ARE, HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA COST, HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA, YOU KNOW, YOUR YEARLY MAINTENANCE COST, HOW MUCH IS IT TO UPGRADE THE PARKS THAT ARE I, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED TO FIT THAT STRATEGIC GOAL AN UMBRELLA.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT.
WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT WE WILL LOOK AT AS MAYBE A BASELINE BASED ON HOW OUR CURRENT PRACTICES ARE.
AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE AGAIN, SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POCKET PARKS, WHETHER WE DO POCKET PARKS OR LARGER OR YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY DIFFERENT COSTS, BUT WE COULD DO LIKE A BASELINE THAT WOULD HELP SET UP, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST HAVE SOME ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, THE OUTREACH BY THE NUMBERS, UH, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THE INTERNAL OUTREACH, YOU HAVE NUMBERS ON THERE.
IS THAT WHAT WAS GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND OUT TO THE IN INTERNAL CUSTOMERS? SO, CORRECT.
SO THE OUTREACH, THE PUBLIC WAS, UH, THE, BASICALLY THE EASIER WAY IS THE INTERNAL WAS BASICALLY, UH, WE INTERVIEWED CITY STAFF, PARK STAFF, SOME STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT WE CONSIDER ARE MORE OF OUR INTERNAL FOLKS, CONSERVANCIES GROUPS.
THE, UH, OUT PUBLIC OUTREACH PIECE WAS THE PUBLIC.
SO AS WE WENT AND DID THOSE MOVIES IN THE PARK, RIGHT, WE DID THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
THAT WAS, THOSE ARE THOSE NUMBERS.
I, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO QUANTIFY THAT BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK BACK ON WHAT, WHAT SLIDE IS IT HERE? UM, YOU SAID WE HAD, UH, HOW MANY INPUTS? A LITTLE OVER 2000 OR UNDER 3000.
UH, ONE WAS THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, UH, IN THE BEGINNING THAT, UM, WAS TO DEVELOP THE PLAN.
AND THEN THE, THE OTHER ONE MAYBE, UH, WOULD BE THE ONE WE DID AFTER THE DRAFT CHANGES, WHICH IS ON SLIDE 14.
I, I, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND I'M SAYING, WOW, MAN, THAT'S A BIG DISPARITY ON HOW MUCH THE OUTREACH WAS AND HOW LITTLE INPUT THAT WE GOT.
SO THE INPUT WAS IN THE FRONT PIECE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE NATURE OF THE GAME ACTUALLY, TO GET, I MEAN, FOR THIS IS REALLY A ROBUST, UH, THE NUMBER OF RESPONSES WE GOT EVEN IN THE SURVEY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR LAST NATURE EVENT AT M L K PARK, WE HAD 400, 500 PARTICIPANTS.
ABOUT 300 OF THOSE WERE ADULTS.
ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THEM ACTUALLY EVEN FILLED OUT A SURVEY TO LET US KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE, HOW THEY HEARD ABOUT THE EVENT.
UH, SO SOME OF IT IS WE, WE WENT TO EVENTS, UH, WHERE PEOPLE DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE GOING TO A PARK PARK SYSTEM PLAN EVENT.
THEY WERE GOING TO EITHER SEE A MOVIE, THEY'RE GONNA BIKE RODEO.
WE TRY TO ENGAGE THEM, BUT SOME OF THEM WON'T, JUST WON'T ENGAGE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA WANT TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
UM, JUST HAD A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS HERE ON THIS SMOKING BAN.
UH, WHO, WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA? LET'S BAN SMOKING IN THE PARKS.
SO OUT OF THE SYSTEM PLAN, WHAT WE GOT FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, LIKE I SAID, SO IT INITIATED WITH A PETITION THAT WAS SIGNED, UH, AND SUBMITTED AND, AND TO BE PART OF THE PARK SYSTEM PLAN.
AND THEN AS WE ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS, WHAT CAME UP WAS THIS THEME OF PEOPLE EITHER DIDN'T REALIZE THAT PARKS WEREN'T ALREADY SMOKED TOBACCO FREE, SOME WERE SURPRISED, THEY FOUND OUT THAT YOU COULD, UH, AND THEN AGAIN, LOOKING AT MODELING FOR YOUTH MODELING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, THAT IT SEEMED COUNTERINTUITIVE TO HAVE SMOKING ALLOWED IN A PARK IN GREEN SPACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE OUTDOORS AC UH, RECREATING OR BEING ACTIVE, EXERCISING AND THEN BEING EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE.
UM, SO IT WAS A SINGLE PETITION, PETITION, DIFFERENT PETITION, DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WENT TO THE DIFFERENT, UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR FROM THE SURVEY WOULD SAY, TALK
[00:55:01]
ABOUT NO SMOKING IN PARKS.UH, AND THEN WE, THAT WAS THEN THAT GERMINATED INTO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE PLAN.
YOU DIDN'T GET ANY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT? NOT, NO, SIR.
WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE WENT ON T P R AND I DIDN'T KNOW IT'S T P R, BUT WE WENT T P R IN JANUARY.
UH, IT WAS MENTIONED IN, UH, IN THE, BOTH THE VAR REPORT AND EXPRESS NEWS ABOUT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IT KIND OF GOT A LOT OF LIGHT WHEN THE DRAFT PLAN FIRST CAME OUT OF THE MEDIA, PICKED IT UP.
BUT WE, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY GROUP THAT WE'VE TALKED TO HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
UH, THE CLOSEST HAS BEEN THE LATA ASSOCIATION, MERCHANTS ASSOCIATIONS WHO SAID THEY REALLY JUST DIDN'T CARE BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY DON'T SEE VERY MANY SMOKERS IN THEIR AREA ANYWAY.
BUT THE REST HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF NOT HAVING SMOKING, UM, IN OUR NATURAL AREAS IN THE WILDERNESS.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S BOTH FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, THINK THERE'S THE, DEFINITELY THE FIRE RISK PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO SMOKE TEND TO JUST DROP THEIR CIGARETTE BUDS.
UH, AND THE CHANCES OF FIRE, WHICH LUCKILY TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY, BUT WE'VE HAD WILDFIRES IN OUR PARKS BEFORE THAT STARTED, UH, THROUGH, UH, CARS WHO'VE DR DRIVEN ON GRASS.
UH, AND THEY'RE, THEY CAN BE DANGEROUS.
THEY, THEY GO QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE IN THE DRY SEASON.
SO, UM, WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYONE RESPOND NEGATIVELY TO THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WELL, LET ME JUST ASK, HOW MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE SMOKING BANS IN THEIR PARKS? SO 52 CITIES IN TEXAS CURRENTLY DO, AND OVER A THOUSAND, UH, 500 DO ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW INSIDE BUILDINGS THERE ARE SMOKE AREAS, OUTSIDE BUILDINGS, THERE ARE SMOKE AREAS.
HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THAT IN PARK AREAS? SO THE, SO THE ORDINANCE WILL ALLOW BOTH THE PARKS DIRECTOR AND THE CITY, CITY, CITY CENTER DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TO DESIGNATE TEMPORARY SMOKING AREAS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE WE OPERATE SECOND GARDENS THEATER, WE HAVE CONCERTS, UH, YOU KNOW, A LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BE THERE FOR EXTENDED HOURS THAT WE COULD DE DESIGNATE FOR ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, A SMALL AREA THAT COULD BE A SMOKING AREA.
SO IT DOES ALLOW US THAT LATITUDE, BUT IT WOULD BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS THAT WE WOULD, AS WE SEE APPROPRIATE.
I, I, IN FACT, JUST THIS MORNING SOMEONE SAID, WHAT'S WITH THIS PLAN? UH, I ENJOY GOING OUT TO THE PARK, WALK MY DOG, SIT DOWN AND SMOKE A CIGAR.
AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT ANYMORE? AND I SAID, NO, PROBABLY NOT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, YOU SAY TEMPORARY SMOKING AREA, IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT PROVIDING SOME AREA IN A PARK TO, SO THAT, AND HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, LIKE IT OR NOT, I'VE NEVER BEEN A SMOKER, BUT LIKE IT OR NOT, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT STILL SMOKE, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE TAXPAYERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THEY ARE PAYING TAXES TO SUPPORT THESE PARKS.
AND NOW WE'RE TELLING 'EM, YOU CAN'T GO INTO THIS PARK AND SMOKE A CIGARETTE OR CIGAR OR EVEN TAKE A, TAKE A DIP OF SKULL OR SNUFF OR WHATEVER.
YOU CANNOT DO THAT IN OUR PARKS ANYMORE.
AND I, I GOT A PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUE WITH THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TELLING THEM WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITHIN A PARK THAT THEY'RE PAYING TAXES FOR OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
AND FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, UM, I THINK WE KNOW THAT TOBACCO IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND ILLNESS, UM, PREVENTABLE DEATH AND ILLNESS.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, CIGARETTE BUTTS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL TRASH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND IN MANY OF OUR PARKS.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT YOUNG CHILDREN PLAY IN PARKS AND THEY CAN INADVERTENTLY PICK UP A CIGARETTE BUTT AND PUT IT INTO THEIR MOUTH AND ACTUALLY, UM, CAN RESULT IN TOBACCO POISONING.
SO FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I ALSO, I KNOW WE MET THE OTHER DAY, UM, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOVE.
WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO CREATE THAT CULTURE OF HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THIS IS JUST ONE MORE STEP TOWARDS ENSURING THAT WE CREATE AND PROVIDE THE ABSOLUTELY SAFEST AND HEALTHIEST PLACES FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOR OUR FAMILIES.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY WANNA I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS DECISION.
UH, AND I, I DO CONSIDER HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME, EXCEPT I, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AS A, UM,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, TOBACCO IS A PART OF OUR SOCIETY.YES, WE'RE, IN FACT, I JUST HEARD WHERE TOBACCO, UH, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN OVERALL USE AGAIN THIS LAST YEAR, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH TAXPAYER MONEY HERE ON SUPPORTING OUR PARKS AND TO JUST CARTE BLANCHE SAY, HEY, YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN OUR PARKS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA STILL PAY THOSE TAXES TO SUPPORT THAT PARK.
AND I, AND I, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FORCE A DECISION, AGAIN, FOR AN ADULT THAT CHOOSES TO SMOKE THAT THEY CAN'T DO IT IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TOBACCO USE IS ON THE DECLINE, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT IT'S STILL OUT THERE BEING USED.
AND PEOPLE WANT THAT, THAT LIBERTY TO MAKE THAT CHOICE ON WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, UH, AS FAR AS THEIR LIFESTYLE.
AND SO THAT'S THE PORTION THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
IT, IT'S A GREAT DOCUMENT TO LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE WITH OUR PARKS, BUT I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH SAYING, HEY, SORRY, CLOSE THE DOOR.
PAY YOUR TAXES, BUT YOU CAN'T USE IT IF YOU WANT TO SMOKE.
SO, UM, UH, I I JUST WANT TO SUMMARIZE BY SAYING, WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE COST WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THE COST AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THEN I HEARD A NOTE WHILE AGO THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IS A 10 YEAR PLAN, AND THAT WE WON'T REVISIT THIS PLAN TILL WHEN.
SO USUALLY IS THEY, THEY GO FOR A 10 YEAR CYCLE EVERY 10 YEARS.
USUALLY PARK SYSTEMS GO BACK OUT AND DO THE ENGAGEMENT.
AND, AND I SUBMIT TO YOU A STRATEGIC PLAN IS A PLAN, CORRECT.
BUT THAT CERTAINLY DOESN'T PROHIBIT YOU FROM GOING BACK AND REVIEWING THAT PLAN, EVEN ON A YEARLY BASIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK.
SO I DON'T WANT THIS TO SOUND LIKE SLAM THE DOOR SHUT, THIS IS IT.
WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA LOOK AT IT AGAIN UNTIL OH, NO, WE WILL DEFINITELY 20, 28.
WE'LL DEFINITELY BE, YOU KNOW, LET'S LOOKING REGULARLY, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IF WE SEE THAT WE NEED TO CHA MAKE CHANGES AND, AND MOVE FORWARD IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION IF WE, IF WE NEED TO.
UM, THANK XAVIER, GREAT PRESENTATION, AND I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE TOBACCO BAN AND SO DO A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, IN FACT, QUICK SHOUT OUT TO, UM, ALEX AND ESTHER SOTO, WHO HAVE REALLY, UM, DONE A LOT, BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN OVER AT WOODLAWN LAKE PARK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
IT'S, IT'S JUST PROBLEMATIC ON SO MANY LAYERS.
AND, UH, THOSE THAT, THAT REALLY FIND THEMSELVES TO BE STEWARDS, UH, ON THEIR OWN TIME, UH, TO, TO HELP KEEP PARKS CLEAN AND SAFE FOR EVERYONE IS DESERVE A LOT OF CREDIT.
UM, I ALSO WANT A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO ENA, WHO'S THE SAME AT, UH, SAN PEDRO SPRINGS PARK.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST VISITING WITH SOME SENIORS ACROSS THE WAY THERE, AND I, AND I, SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR ONE OF THE STRATEGIES HERE UNDER SUSTAINABILITY, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL ABILITIES ON WHEELS AND, YOU KNOW, FOOT AND BIKE.
AND SO THIS CAME UP A LOT AND I, SO I JUST WANNA PUT IT ON, ON, ON YOUR RADAR.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT ESPECIALLY IN OUR OLDEST, ONE OF OUR OLDEST PARKS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LARGE SENIOR POPULATION AND THEY, THEY'RE ALWAYS, THEY JUST WANT TO, WANTED TO EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THE PARK, HOW MUCH THEY UTILIZE THE PARK, AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE AMENITIES AS, AS WE'RE CREATING THIS 10 YEAR PLAN, REALLY, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE A LOT OF OUR SENIORS, UH, SENIOR POPULATION.
UH, I THINK THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE AS WE ARE ALL HEADED THERE.
UM,
AND, AND, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, TREES.
AND ANOTHER SHOUT OUT TO OUR D ONE PARKS AND REC COMMISSIONER ERIC SANDON.
UH, HE'S REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, SOMEBODY JUST GETS SO ENTHUSED ABOUT WORKING WITH YOU GUYS AND TALKING ABOUT TREES NOW.
HE BROUGHT UP TO ME, UM, THIS, UH, US TALKING ABOUT TREE CANOPY AND HOW, HOW WE LOOK AT THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
HE SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN, UH, DO MORE, MORE CANOPY.
AND I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IS JUST WHAT'S PART OF WHAT, PART OF THE PLAN IS ADDRESSING THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT SORT OF, UM, DO SO MUCH MORE
[01:05:01]
IN TERMS OF, UH, TREE CANOPY THAN, THAN SAN ANTONIO.AND ARE, ARE WE SETTING OUR SIGHTS OR ASPIRATIONAL GOALS TO, TO BE, UH, DOING MORE LIKE MILLIONS OF TREES VERSUS THOUSANDS OF TREES? SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS DEFINITELY IN THE PLAN UNDER RESTORATIVE THAT OBJECTIVE 2.2 REALLY TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TREE CENTRIC OASIS.
IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, NOT ONLY OF THE CITY, BUT OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AGAIN, LIKE WE MENTIONED HERE, WAS ABOUT LOOKING AT, UH, POTENTIAL CHANGES IN THE FUTURE TO THE U D C, REGARDING THE TREE MITIGATION FUND AND THE USE OF THOSE.
SO AGAIN, AS I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF REFORESTATION EFFORTS WITHIN OUR URBAN FOREST.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE GO BY PARKS, YOU SEE LOTS OF NEW TREES.
UH, WE, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE GOLF COURSES, WHICH ARE HUNDREDS OF ACRES TO BE ABLE TO PLANT NEW TREES THERE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF TAPPED OUT OUR EXISTING INVENTORY OF PROPERTIES AND WE'VE THEN MOVED ON TO PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
WE'VE HAD THE EFFORT THIS YEAR WHERE WE'RE IN THE LAS PALMAS AREA WHERE WOODLAWN HILLS AREA WHERE WE'RE PLANTING TREES, WHERE'RE GOING OUT TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND CANVASSING THEM AND ASKING THEM, CAN WE COME TO YOUR PROPERTY, PLANT A TREE, WE'LL DO THE UTILITY LOCATES, WE'LL GET IT ALL DONE, YOU WATER MAINTAIN IT.
UH, OUR TREE, UM, GIVEAWAYS STILL TEND TO BE HUGE.
WE DID WIN THIS LAST SATURDAY WITH A COUNCILWOMAN AT THE NEW PARK ON, ON WEST QUILL, YOU KNOW, GONE IN FIVE MINUTES, UH, ALL THE TREES.
SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT LOOKING AT HOW WE, AS WE DEVELOP NEW PARCELS, AND WE LOOK AT IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE IN THE EFFORT OF POCKET PARKS, HOW DO WE REALLY JUST TREE THEM UP? AND HOW DO WE IN AREAS, AGAIN, TARGETED IN AREAS NOT ONLY WHERE WE'RE PARK DEFICIENT, BUT ALSO CANOPY DEFICIENT.
AND SO THAT TO ME IS THE CRITICAL PIECE, IS BEING MORE DELIBERATE ON HOW WE, AND MORE STRATEGIC, ON HOW WE DO THOSE EFFORTS AS OPPOSED TO JUST KIND OF DOING A BLANKET AND WHO'S WILLING TO TAKE IT KIND OF THING, WHICH HAS BEEN OUR APPROACH.
AND PART OF THAT IS JUST TO GET THE COMMUNITY MORE INTERESTED, GET THEM MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT TREE, HOW IMPORTANT TREE CANOPY IS TO NOT ONLY STORMWATER RUNOFF TO TEMPERATURE, UH, TO, UH, SOIL CONSERVATION.
ALL THOSE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS NOW, HOW IMPORTANT THEY IT IS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE SEE OUR TREE GIVEAWAYS, YOU KNOW, WITH LINES OF PEOPLE WAITING TO GO.
I MEAN URBAN, UH, UH, GARDENS, UH, URBAN, UH, ORCHARDS, ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS.
HOW DO WE CREATE URBAN TYPE OF FARMS WHERE WE HAVE NUT AND TRUE, UH, NUT AND FRUIT TREES IN AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THE EFFORTS WE'RE LOOKING AT IN EXPANDING NOT ONLY TREE CANOPY ACCESS TO PARKS, BUT ALSO FOOD SECURITY.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT A MULTIPLE RANGE OF THINGS THAT, UH, WILL STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY BUILD OUR SYSTEM UP.
AND XAVIER, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB DOING, JUST ADDING, CONNECTING A LOT OF THE DOTS.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED, FOR EXAMPLE, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE HATS OFF TO, TO YOU AND T C I AND IN THE BARBARA DRAINAGE EFFORT, IT'S REALLY COMING, COME ALONG VERY, VERY NICELY.
UM, IT'S, I THINK THOSE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT KIND OF CONNECTION, ESPECIALLY IN A DISTRICT LIKE, LIKE DISTRICT ONE, WHERE WE'RE, THAT'S, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH BUILT OUT AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR US TO FIND NEW GREEN SPACES.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE HAD THIS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, THE, THE NEIGHBOR CAME TOGETHER AND SAID THEY REALLY WANTED THIS TO, TO NOT JUST BE A DRAINAGE PROJECT, BUT A GREEN SPACE, A WALKING TRAIL, UH, A PLACE THAT'S WELL LIT.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY LOOKING REALLY QUITE AMAZING.
AND I HOPE WE CAN SHOWCASE THIS TO THE REST OF CITY COUNCIL, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BECAUSE I, THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN TAKE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO IN THE FUTURE, LIKE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, BUT OVERLAP THEM WITH, WITH A LOT OF YOUR WORK TO, TO HELP CREATE SOME GREEN SPACES WHERE THEY MAY BE LACKING.
IT'S VERY, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S VERY CRITICAL.
IT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR SYSTEM IN A VERY SMART AND RESOURCEFUL WAY.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROPERTY ARE SO FAR AND FEW IN BETWEEN.
AND ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPED NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE HOUSE AFTER HOUSE AFTER HOUSE.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO IN DISTRICT ONE WHERE WE HAD THIS DRAINAGE ISSUE, THE PUBLIC, UH, COUNCIL CAME BEHIND IT, BUT THEN BE ABLE TO THEN GIVE THAT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY ADD NATURE TO PART OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT ALL THIS PLAN TALKS ABOUT.
AND THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FORWARD AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
EVEN WITH THE BOND PROGRAM, WHEN WE LOOK AT DRAINAGE PROJECTS, PARKS, WE
[01:10:01]
WILL BE AT THE TABLE WITH THEM.AND HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO OUR PLAN? HOW DO WE REALLY DO THE SYNERGIES OF NOT ONLY LOOKING AT FLOOD CONTROL AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, BUT LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSERVATION, TREE CANOPY.
ALL THOSE FACTORS HAVE TO BE, HAS TO BE ALL THAT COMBINED EFFORT.
AND ONE LAST QUESTION, XAVIER, UH, SPEAKING OF WHICH, YOU KNOW, LAYERING ON ALL THESE, UH, WHICH HAS REALLY SHOWN TO BE, UH, QUITE WONDERFUL, UH, PUBLIC ART, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I'VE, I'VE NOTICED IS, IS NOW THAT THE BARBARA DRAINAGE PROJECT HAS, HAS, HAS SHOWN TO BE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DEMONSTRATION OF HOW, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS CAN OVERLAP.
UM, WE'RE WE'RE, I'M HEARING MORE AND MORE ABOUT CAN WE INCLUDE SOME PUBLIC ART AND, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT, UH, SORT OF NON-TRADITIONAL, UH, ELEMENTS THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO, TO HELP EXPRESS, UH, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT JUST BE SOLELY FOR AN ENGINEERING PURPOSE, BUT SERVE TO, UH, BEAUTIFY, UH, THE PROJECT OR, YOU KNOW, GIVE A VOICE TO, TO TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND YOUR WORK WITH PUBLIC ART.
SO, IN PUBLIC ART'S BEEN REALLY A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
I, I DON'T KNOW, IN YOUR OFFICES BEFORE YOU GO INTO YOUR OFFICES, I DUNNO IF YOU NOTICE ALL THE PUBLIC ART MAJORITY OF THAT, I WAS THERE THE OTHER DAY, ACCOUNTING, THE MAJORITY ARE ALL IN PARKS.
'CAUSE IT REALLY DOES SPEAK TO, AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT AREAS THAT ARE PUBLIC LANDS, PLACES WHERE WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE THAT PUBLIC ART.
THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT, THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS IN WORKING WITH, UH, THE, UH, WITH DEBBIE SITTER IS REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT TIES IN AND REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE CREATE THESE GATEWAYS THAT ARE REALLY BRINGING NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
HOW DO WE CREATE GATEWAYS THAT GIVE, UM, GIVE AN IDENTITY TO AN AREA? AND SO WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN SOME OF THE ONES WE'VE DONE AROUND ELMENDORF LAKE, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES WE'VE DONE AT PITTMAN SULLIVAN PARK.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE, THOSE ARE GATEWAYS TO NEIGHBORHOODS, GATEWAYS TO CULTURAL AREAS AND, AND HISTORY OF THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, I'LL BRING UP BARBARA WITH HER AND WORK WITH HER AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN CHAMPION FOR THAT.
'CAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, A A DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPROACH.
AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, MIRROR AND WE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
IT NEEDS TO BE RIGHT ON SPOT ON FROM THE GET GO.
AND SO THAT THE COMMUNITY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT, USE IT.
BECAUSE THE LAST THING WE EVER WANT TO CREATE IS A PARKS DIRECTOR I EVER WANT TO CREATE IS A PARK THAT NO ONE GOES TO BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT A REASON FOR IT THEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WELL PROOF PROBABLY KNOW IT'S A BALANCE.
THE PROJECT'S NOT EVEN OVER IT.
AND, AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SKIPPING OVER SOME OF THE BARRIERS JUST TO GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND START WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK.
I KNOW THEY, NO, I, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M ONE OF THOSE, BUT, BUT MAYBE, UH, IT'S JUST, IT'S ALREADY LOOKING QUITE AMAZING.
SO, UH, I THINK YOU'RE OFF TO A GREAT START.
I, I MISSED YOUR PRESENTATION, XAVIER, BUT, UM, I JUST, UH, I I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR HOW BEAUTIFUL ALL OF OUR PARKS LOOK.
AND SO I, I CALLED XAVIER YESTERDAY TO TELL HIM THAT I HAD TAKEN A SPECIAL GUEST AROUND OUR PARKS TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARTICULAR PROJECTS.
AND MY HOPE WAS THAT I COULD SHOW HOW SAD AND, YOU KNOW,
AND EVERYTHING LOOKED SO NICE, UH, AND KEPT AND USED.
UH, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE PARKS AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
SO, UM, I THOUGHT I CALLED XAVIER TO TELL HIM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT HIS BOSSES MIGHT LIKE TO HEAR THAT TOO.
ERIC, I, UH, PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CALLED YOU TO TELL YOU HOW BEAUTIFUL EVERYTHING WAS, THANKS TO XAVIER AND ALL OF THE WORK, UH, THAT YOU, ALL THE TEAM, TEAM EFFORT HAVE BEEN DOING IT.
REALLY, IT'S ALL THE GUYS, YOU, YOU SEE THEM.
'CAUSE YOU, I KNOW YOU USE OUR PARKS, YOU RUN IN OUR PARKS AND BIKE IN OUR PARKS EVERY DAY.
AND YOU SEE THE, THE GENTLEMEN AND LADIES THAT WORK IN OUR DEPARTMENT AND THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THE WORK THEY DO, AND THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THAT.
AND, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IT, IT'S NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
AND WHAT ABOUT IS, ARE THE JAPANESE TEA GARDENS ALSO SAN ANTONIO? YES.
SO THE JAPANESE TEA GARDENS ARE, UH, MAINTAINED, UH, AND UH, CLEANED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARKS FOUNDATION AND THEY MANAGE THE TEA ROOM, THE TEA ROOM, AND SOME OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE THERE.
BUT IT'S OUR STAFF WHO ARE THE GARDENERS AT THE TEA GARDEN.
SO I HAPPEN TO COME UPON IT YESTERDAY.
UH, AND I THINK I HAD NOT BEEN THERE.
I COULD NOT RECALL HAVING BEEN THERE BEFORE.
UH, AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING AND I THINK ALL THAT HELPS TOO.
BUT, UM, IT WAS REALLY SPECIAL.
[01:15:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS MENTIONED AT ALL IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, IT WAS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND THANK YOU.AND, UH, I THOUGHT THAT, UH, IT WAS, UH, I HOPE THAT IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE JAPANESE TEA CARINS, YOU SHOULD GO BECAUSE IT WAS SO SPECTACULAR.
JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
THIS MORNING I WAS OUT AT KENNEDY PARK.
THEY'RE INSTALLING A KABOOM, A PLAYGROUND, UH, WITH THE HELP OF LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAD CARMAX VOLUNTEERS, U S A A, UH, THE CITY DEPARTMENTS WERE THERE, AND ALSO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND IT'S, IT SHOULD IN FACT, AT TWO O'CLOCK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN READY.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE UPDATE, DID THEY FINISH? I'M, I'M SURE IT IS.
THEY'RE A STICKLER ON THEIR TIMETABLE.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT DONE EARLIER, THEY WILL BE DONE WHEN THEY SAY THEY'RE DONE.
SO I THINK IT, I MEANT TO MENTION THAT AT THE VERY BEGINNING AS WELL, THAT I FIGURED YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT THE EVENT THIS MORNING.
UH, AGAIN, A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
THE SYSTEM PLAN TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH KABOOM FOR OVER 10 YEARS, BRINGING PLAYGROUNDS TO PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE 'EM.
UH, THEY REALLY ENERGIZE, THEY GO OUT TO THEIR KIDS, ASK 'EM WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE, ENGAGE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE COMMUNITY, AND, AND THEN THEY HAVE CORPORATE SPONSORS AND CORPORATE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS LIKE WITH CARMAX WHO BRINGS VOLUNTEERS.
UH, SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT AND, AND THEN WE'RE GLAD IT WAS ABLE TO, UM, GET OUT THERE THIS MORNING.
YES, IT, UM, I, I AM LOOK LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, XAVIER FOR ALL THAT, UM, YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL PARKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, UH, I I DON'T WANT THE, THE HOPEFUL DONOR TO GET DISMAYED THAT WE DON'T REALLY NEED IT.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, UM, SOUND.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO TO WORK THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, XAVIER AND THE TEAM.
I THINK THAT IS THE ONLY ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, UH, OPEN AGENDA TODAY.
THE TIME IS NOW 3:30 PM ON THIS THIRD DAY OF APRIL, 2019.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE V T C S, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS NEW EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS 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 FIVE, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATIONS REFERENCED IN THE MARCH 28TH, 2019 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED FROM THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, TEXAS 5 5 1 0 7 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND A SETTLEMENT OFFER AND A LAWSUIT STYLED ROSEANNE ROCHA VERSUS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE GOVERNMENT SECTION CODE 5 0 1 0.071.