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BEFORE I, UM, OFFICIALLY START THE MEETING, JUST FOR FOLKS WHO ARE HERE, UM, LOOSEN UP.
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO A BRIEF EXECUTIVE
[EXECUTIVE SESSION At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session in the Presidio Conference Room to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following: ]
SESSION TO START THE, UH, MEETING TODAY.SO, UM, DON'T WANT YOU TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED TO USE THE RESTROOM OR ANYTHING, YOU CAN GO AND BE COMFORTABLE.
ALL RIGHT, SO I THINK WE ARE GOOD.
TIME IS 2:02 PM ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30TH, 2023.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 IN THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND DELIBERATED, DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5, 1 0.087, PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.072.
CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 FOR LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
WE WON'T BE LONG, SO HANG TIGHT.
ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UM, TIME IS 2:19 PM ON AUGUST 30TH, 2023.
CITY COUNCIL HAS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[ ITEMS ]
OUR, UH, BUDGET MEETING AND WE DO HAVE A FEW BRIEFINGS TODAY.UM, THREE, UH, THREE BRIEFINGS.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, ERIC, TO GET US STARTED.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH JUSTINA.
SHE'S GONNA DO A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE HOTEL MOTEL FUND ITSELF AND THEN TRANSITION TO CRYSTAL, THE GROVE OF OUR ARTS PROPOSED BUDGET, AND PATRICIA WITH OUR CONVENTION AND, UH, SPORTS FACILITIES BUDGET.
AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP WITH, UH, MARK ANDERSON AND THE BUSINESS SAN ANTONIO BUDGET.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND MAYOR COUNCIL.
I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK PRESENTATION, UH, TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
SO OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RATE IS 16.75%, WHICH IS LEVIED ON ALL ELIGIBLE HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS NOW OF THIS 16.75%.
THE CITY RECEIVES 9% OF THAT 7% SUPPORTS OUR CONVENTION, UH, CONVENTION CENTER AND ALAMO DOME ACTIVITIES.
VISIT SAN ANTONIO, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS HISTORY AND PRESERVATION.
THE REMAINING 2% IS RESTRICTED, IS A RESTRICTED SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, DEBT, AS WELL AS FUTURE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECTS.
NOW ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS, UH, FROM FISCAL YEAR 2019 TO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDE, WE ARE, UH, FULLY RECOVERED FROM THE, UH, PANDEMIC.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR COLLECTIONS IN 2019, WERE ABOUT $93 MILLION.
WE ARE ESTIMATING, UH, TO, TO COLLECT ALMOST $103 MILLION IN 2023.
AND WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT A 4.6% INCREASE, UM, OVER THAT ESTIMATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 OR ABOUT $107.7 MILLION.
SO THIS WANTED TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, WHICH IS WHICH FUNDS, UM, A MAJOR, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU'LL HEAR FROM TODAY.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CRYSTAL STRONG AND THE ARTS AND CULTURE PRESENTATION.
I GET CONFUSED WITH CRYSTAL STRONG A LOT WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, BUT SHE'S REALLY GREAT.
SO NO BETTER PERSON TO BE CONFUSED WITH
UH, SO WHILE I WAIT FOR MY SLIDES TO COME UP AGAIN, CRYSTAL JONES WITH THE DIRECTOR OR THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW, ALSO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, PROPOSED BUDGET FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, AND THEN ALSO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHERE WE STAND WITH THE 2022 BOND FOR PUBLIC ART.
I'M GONNA STAY ON THIS SLIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I JUST WANNA GO OVER WHAT WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT.
BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANNA NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE 23 DEDICATED POSITIONS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OUR KEY LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS HERE IN THE ROOM WITH US.
SO I'D LIKE THEM TO STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED WHEN I SAY THEIR NAME.
SO WE HAVE OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DIANA HIDALGO HERE.
UH, WE HAVE FISCAL ADMINISTRATOR ERIN DELAROSA.
WE HAVE OUR ARTS AND CULTURE ADMINISTRATOR, JENNY CHOWNING.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM MANAGER, KIMBERLY MORES.
AND WE HAVE OUR MARKETING FILM AND MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR STACY NORTON WITH US HERE TODAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU SEE THESE, UH,
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WONDERFUL WOMEN AND THEIR FACES.THEY'VE HELPED PUT THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND THEY HELP LEAD OUR TEAM TO DO THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
SO FOR GRANTS MANAGEMENT, UH, FIRST WE ARE REALLY WORKING TO ENRICH THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY LEADING AND INVESTING IN SAN ANTONIO'S ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND WE DO THIS, UH, IN FOUR KEY AREAS.
WE HAVE OUR GRANTS MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THEY MANAGE, UH, EVERY YEAR FIVE GRANT PROGRAMS. THESE ARE GRANT PROGRAMS FOR BASE OPERATIONAL AND CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE 35 ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS PROGRAM REALLY PROVIDING OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO BRING ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING TO OUR CITY.
WE ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS GRANTS.
WE HAVE 50 INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS IN OUR GRANT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW DOING PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THIS IS REALLY NEW PROJECTS THAT WILL PRE PRE BE PRESENTED TO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE EVENTS GRANTS.
THESE ARE EVENTS GRANTS THAT PROVIDE NONPROFITS WHO MAY NOT HAVE AN ARTS AND CULTURE SPECIFIC MISSION, BUT THEY HAVE ARTISTIC EVENTS THAT, UH, THAT HIRE ARTISTS FOR PART OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO AGAIN, ENCOURAGING ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING TO BE CREATED IN OUR CITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE THROUGH A TICKET MASTER AGREEMENT.
UH, WE DO HAVE PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS AND WE HAVE 11 GRANTEES THIS YEAR THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, GIVEN $10,000.
AND THEY ARE PERFORMING ARTS NONPROFITS THAT OWN OR HAVE A LONG-TERM LEASE WITH THEIR BUILDINGS TO DO BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FOR THAT AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PERFORMING ARTS VENUES OPERATING IN OUR CITY.
I DO WANNA NOTE THAT I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING OUR GRANT PROCESS AND WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT FROM ARTISTS AND NONPROFITS THAT THESE GRANT PROGRAMS ARE WORKING.
AND IT'S REALLY BEEN ENCOURAGING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY CAN DO WITH OUR SUPPORT.
THIS TEAM ALSO PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OUTSIDE OF GRANTS.
IF A, IF A PROJECT HAS, UH, A LOGISTICS ISSUE, WE'RE THERE TO HELP.
UM, IF THERE'S OTHER GRANT PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO APPLY TO, WE PROVIDE LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
WE'RE ALWAYS THERE AS A PARTNER FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS.
NEXT, OUR CULTURAL EVENTS AND EXHIBITS TEAM, WE HAVE TWO CITIES OF SAN ANTONIO RUN AND MANAGED ART GALLERIES.
IT'S CALLED CULTURE COMMONS GALLERY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE CENTRAL TO ART THIS GALLERY AND HISTORIC MARKET SQUARE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS YEAR WE HAD A BANNER YEAR FOR OUR GALLERIES.
ONE EXHIBIT, UH, ACTUALLY BROKE ATTENDANCE RECORDS.
IT WAS SOY TO TEJAS AND IT WAS CURATED BY LOCAL ARTIST RIGOBERTA LUNA.
AND WE HAD, UH, FOUR OVER 14,000 VISITORS TO THAT GALLERY.
AND IT WAS COVERED BY TEXAS MONTHLY GLASS TIRE.
UH, MANY OF THE, UH, OUTLETS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE ALSO HAD A PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TO MARKET THE SPACE WHERE FORBES MAGAZINE, UH, COVERED IT AND, AND NOTED THAT EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS, EVEN THE ART EXHIBITIONS.
SO THIS IS REALLY BRINGING ARTS AND CULTURE IN SAN ANTONIO TO THE FOREFRONT AT A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONVERSATION LEVEL.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UH, NOTE THAT THIS CULTURE COMMONS GALLERY, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, IT'S RIGHT HERE BEHIND CITY HALL.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW EXHIBIT THAT FEATURES OVER 15, UH, BLACK CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, REALLY GIVING THEM THEIR WELL-DESERVED AND OVERDUE SPOTLIGHT.
SO WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS YEAR WE HAVE EXHIBITED OVER 136 ARTISTS THROUGHOUT THOSE TWO GALLERIES.
OUR PUBLIC ART TEAM, THEY HAVE INSTALLED FIVE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, AND THESE ARE IN DISTRICTS 3, 4, 6, 7.
SO, UH, A LITTLE STORY ABOUT PUBLIC ART AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
THERE IS A, A PUBLIC ART PIECE THAT WE INSTALLED AND DEDICATED THIS YEAR IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND IT WAS PART OF THE THIRD PHASE OF THE CEILING CHANNEL DRAINAGE PROJECT.
ONE RESIDENT TOLD ME, NO ONE GATHERS HERE.
NO ONE GATHERS HERE UNTIL THIS PUBLIC ART PIECE WAS INSTALLED.
NOW IT'S A PLACE OF REFLECTION WITH VIBRANT TILE ART AND SHADE.
AND THERE'S A PRO TIP THAT IT'S A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO SEE FIREWORKS AT WOODLAWN LAKE.
SO, UH, IT'S BEEN A GREAT GATHERING PLACE FOR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, OUR MARKETING FILM AND MUSIC TEAM.
WE CAN'T DO WHAT WE DO IF WE DON'T TELL THE STORY TO ARTISTS AND NONPROFITS ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND AGAIN, TELLING THE STORY OF WHY SAN ANTONIO'S ARTS AND CULTURE IS INCREDIBLY UNIQUE.
WE DO PRINT, RADIO, DIGITAL, SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO TO HAVE ARTIST FORMS WHERE YOU HAVE AN INFORMATIONAL BOOTH.
AND IT'S ALSO A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR ARTISTS WHERE THEY GET HEADSHOTS FOR PROFESSIONAL USE AND THEY ALSO GET TO HEAR FROM EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT WORKS FOR THEM.
AND THAT ARTISTIC, ARTISTIC CAREER FROM BOTH EMERGING ARTISTS AND ALSO ESTABLISHED ARTISTS.
SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT OUR PROGRAMS EXIST AND THEY ARE FOR THEM.
[00:10:01]
AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, UM, IF I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FILM AS WELL.IF YOU WERE TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT THERE WAS A FILM CREW IN SAN ANTONIO SHOWCASING OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY, IT WOULD BE TO DATE 293 DAYS.
THIS INCLUDES THE PRODUCTION THAT HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE FALL CALLED THE ANSWER TO MY PRAYER.
AND IT FEATURES, UH, THE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN MUSICIAN, LUIS FONZI DESPACITO, AND ALSO FOR ANY SS N L FANS.
IT HAD CHRIS CATAN IN IT AS WELL.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT PROJECT BEING COMPLETED BECAUSE WE WANNA HAVE A RED CARPET CEREMONY TO REALLY WELCOME THAT PRODUCTION BACK BECAUSE THEY HIRED A TOTAL OF 239 SAN ANTONIO CAST AND CREW.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OUR CITY ON FILM, AND YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE THE WORK OF OUR DEDICATED FILMMAKING COMMUNITY RIGHT ON SCREEN.
AND IT REALLY IS, AS THE PRODUCER SAID, A LOVE LETTER TO SAN ANTONIO.
AGAIN, WORKING THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT ANYTIME YOU GO TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THE CITY COUNCIL INTRO SONG WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACES ALL OVER THE SCREEN.
THAT'S OUR DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS TO CURATE THAT.
AND WE'VE REALLY RAMPED UP THE LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT LOCAL ARTISTS ARE BEING FEATURED IN REAL WAYS AND GIVING THEM MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
NOW, BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I KNOW I'M SPENDING A LOT OF TIME HERE, BUT OUT OF ALL THOSE THINGS THIS YEAR, PEOPLE MIGHT ASK ME WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OR WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I WILL SAY IT'S THE TEAM AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, THESE DEDICATED PEOPLE ARE NOT ONLY AT THEIR DESKS EVERY DAY, UM, THEY ARE ALSO OUT AND ABOUT AT ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING.
AND THIS IS NOT MANDATORY EVENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MANDATORY DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES OR MEETINGS.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY AT ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING THAT ARTISTS AND NONPROFITS ARE CREATING PART OF WHO THEY ARE.
SO WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THIS DEDICATED TEAM.
I'M SO THANKFUL, SO PROUD TO WORK WITH THEM AND TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM.
AND I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK.
AND WE HAVE ONLY GREATER PLACES TO BE AFTER THIS.
UM, SO, UH, FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 TO REALLY GET IN INTO, INTO THE NITTY GRITTY THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY FOR.
SO, UH, WE HAVE THE 13.1 PROPOSED FOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2024.
THIS IS A 5.6% INCREASE OVER FISCAL YEAR 2020 THREE'S BUDGET, LOOKING AT ALSO AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS GIVEN TO THE DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO COVER, UH, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE THAT TO, UM, TO PROGRAM.
BUT LOOKING AT $500,000 COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE FOR PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE, AS I MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE 23 POSITIONS DEDICATED TO THE DEPARTMENT.
THIS FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET WOULD PROPOSE A CHANGE TO HAVE ONE POSITION THAT WOULD MANAGE THAT PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, WHICH I WILL GO INTO NEXT.
SO, PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE, THIS WOULD A $500,000 INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND IN ADDITION TO OUR BUDGET, WOULD MAKE A $650,000 MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC ART.
WHY IS PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT? YOU MAY ASK? WELL, WE WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 2022 BOND PROJECTS, GETTING EXCITED ABOUT NEW PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
AND EVERY SINGLE MEETING WE HAD, PEOPLE SAID, WE LOVE NEW PUBLIC ART, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PIECE THAT'S DOWN THE STREET THAT NEEDS A REPAINT OR THAT'S JUST LOOKING A LITTLE BIT WEATHER BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE WEATHER
SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING THAT GENERAL FUND MONEY SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE CREATED AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY IS CONTINUING TO BE VIBRANT THROUGH PUBLIC ART.
UH, YOU CAN SEE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE HAS DONE, AND, UH, AND I CAN, UH, SEND THE SLIDE.
OF COURSE, YOU'LL, YOU HAVE THE SLIDES, BUT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO SEE ON YOUR COMPUTERS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHIPS AND SALSA AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
THIS PIECE REALLY NEEDED TO REPAINT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON, UH, DOING FOR MANY OF OUR PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE TYPICALLY ON AVERAGE MAINTAIN ABOUT FIVE PIECES.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS THAT HAVE, UH, FALLEN, FALLEN OFF OF THE PIECE THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE.
THIS WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CITY ART PIECES MAINTAINED TO 25 A YEAR.
AND THIS WOULD AGAIN, BE A, A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO OUR PAST.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A, A FEW PIECES THAT ARE HITTING 10, 15, 20 YEARS AND THEY JUST NEED TO BE MAINTAINED.
SO, UM, TO SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE A PUBLIC ART PROJECT MANAGER.
THIS WOULD BE A PERSON WHO WOULD WORK ON THE PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE PLAN, REALLY TARGETING PUBLIC ART PIECES.
THAT ONE, JUST NEED SOME HELP.
TWO, HAVE HIGHLY TRAFFICKED AREAS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING, WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING THE PIECE.
AND THEN ALSO JUST MAKING A PLAN FOR EACH YEAR OF WHAT PIECES REALLY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
AND WHEN, UH, THEY WOULD ALSO OVERSEE
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.WE NEED A COLLECTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WOULD NOT ONLY BE USED INTERNALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KNOW WHEN PIECES ARE KIND OF NEEDING SOME ATTENTION.
WE NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE IF THEY NEED HELP.
UH, BUT ALSO THIS WOULD BE AN EXTERNAL FACING PUBLIC ART COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BRINGING US UP TO REALLY MUSEUM QUALITY STANDARDS AND INDUSTRY STANDARDS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND PUBLIC ART PIECES EASILY.
UH, WE, IF THERE'S AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, WE CAN FIND THE PIECE JUST LIKE THAT.
UM, AND REALLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING AN ACCURATE INVENTORY, WHETHER STAFF CHANGES OUT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE OR NOT.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASED NUMBER OF PUBLIC ART DONATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC ART, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
AND SO WE'VE HAD PEOPLE SAYING, I I REALLY WANNA SCULPTURE IN THIS PARK, OR I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, FUND A PUBLIC ART PIECE.
WE ARE THE LIAISONS TO TAKE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH OUR SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL FOR THOSE APPROVALS.
SO THIS PERSON WOULD REALLY BE DEDICATED TO THIS ENTIRE PROGRAM.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS PERSON BECAUSE THE WAY OUR PUBLIC ART TEAM IS STRUCTURED NOW IS THEY CAN ONLY BE FUNDED THROUGH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, THAT 1.5% FOR PUBLIC ART, THEIR SALARIES COME FROM THOSE CAPITAL, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, THE CAP ADMIN.
SO THIS WOULD BRING A PERSON THAT'S REALLY DEDICATED TO PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE SINCE THE BOND CANNOT COVER PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN FINALLY, IN ADDITION FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE, ERY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THAT FOCUSES ON MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND SO THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE FUNDED IN, UM, SINCE 2021 AS A CITY.
AND THIS, IT WOULD INCREASE RESIDENT AND VISITOR ACCESS TO MACRI THROUGH FUNDING OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND THEN ALSO GENERAL FUND MONEY OF $150,000, WHICH MATCHES THE INVESTMENT THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR IN 20, IN THIS YEAR, 2023.
SO IT WOULD SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION AND MARKETING OF ONLINE AND IN-PERSON PROGRAM PROGRAMMING.
YOU CAN SEE AN IMAGE OF THE IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING THERE, UH, ON THE SCREEN, AND THEN AGAIN, FUNDED FROM ARTS AND GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT THAT ORGANIZATION.
I DID WANNA TAKE TIME TO GO OVER OUR ARTS FUNDING GUIDELINES.
I DID MENTION OUR GRANTS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, OUR BASE OPERATIONAL AND CULTURALLY SPECIFIC AND EVENTS GRANTS ARE RUNNING ON A THREE YEAR CYCLE.
THAT'S THREE YEARS OF FUNDING THAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN COUNT ON TO MAKE THEM SUSTAINABLE AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE WILL ENTER A NEW THREE YEAR PHASE IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE APPLICATION PROCESS WILL OPEN IN SPRING OF 2024.
SO EVERY THREE YEARS WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, ARE THESE GUIDELINES WORKING FOR YOU? WE NOT ONLY LOOK AT THE CULTURE SPECIFIC AND BASED OPERATIONAL EVENTS GRANTS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ARTIST GRANTS AND THE PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS AS WELL.
WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH A SERIES OF SEVEN COMMUNITY FEEDBACK MEETINGS WITH ARTISTS AND NONPROFITS.
WE HAVE AN ESSAY SPEAKUP SURVEY, AND WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE TO TAKE FEEDBACK VIA EMAIL.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU JUST AN OVERVIEW THAT IN THE DECEMBER JANUARY TIMELINE WE'LL BE COMING TO CITY COUNCIL AND JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY CHANGES BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO OUR GUIDELINES SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE GUIDELINES IN THE SPRING WITH THE NEW APPLICATION PROCESS.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE, GLIMPSE OF WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON FOR THIS YEAR.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON EXHIBITING AT LEAST 87 ARTISTS THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS, THE CENTRAL TO ART, THIS GALLERY AND CULTURAL, UH, CULTURAL COMMONS GALLERIES ARE GONNA BE VERY BUSY, SO WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL VISIT.
WE DO HAVE THE FROM SA TO SA EXHIBIT HAPPENING AT CENTRAL TO ART THIS GALLERY RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, WE DO TRACK THROUGH OUR NONPROFITS AND OUR ARTISTS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING EVENTS THAT WE'RE FUNDING.
AND WE'RE FOCUSED ON BRINGING IT TO 2 MILLION, UH, ATTENDEES, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR OUR DEPARTMENT PROMOTED, UH, PROGRAMS. AND THEN FINALLY, A GLIMPSE OF THE BOND.
IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAVE 1.5% FOR PUBLIC ART AS A PART OF EVERY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, AND THAT INCLUDES THE 2022 BOND.
WE SPENT THE VERY FIRST ABOUT HALF A YEAR, VERY BUSY WITH THE COMMUNITY, TAKING A LIST OF ALL OF THE BOND PROJECTS AND GOING TO EACH DISTRICT AND SAYING, WHERE DO YOU WANNA SEE PUBLIC ART? WE'VE DONE THAT.
WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS, AND THEN NOW WE'RE STARTING TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT NOW WHAT ARE THE THEMES THAT YOU WANNA SEE? WHY IS THIS LOCATION IMPORTANT TO YOU? WHAT KIND OF STORIES ARE TOLD ABOUT THIS LOCATION? AND FROM THERE WE'LL START TO PICK ARTISTS AND START TO GET INTO THE DESIGN OF THESE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LOCKSTEP WITH THEM ON THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE JOINING THEM FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK MEETINGS TO SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN KNOW WE HAVE PUBLIC ART ON ITS WAY AND ALSO WHAT KIND OF STORIES AND THEMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH ONE OF YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEARN ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES
[00:20:01]
FOR FEEDBACK AND ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET WITH ARTISTS.AND WITH THAT, I WILL, UH, WRAP IT UP HERE AND THEN, UH, HAND IT OVER TO THE NEXT PRESENTER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES DEPARTMENT.
I APPRECIATE, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR DEPARTMENT'S FISCAL YEAR 24 PROPOSED BUDGET AND, UH, MY PRESENTATION TODAY, I WILL PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR FACILITIES, GO OVER THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED F Y 24 BUDGET, COMPARE EVENTS AND REVENUES PRE PANDEMIC VERSUS NOW HIGHLIGHT SOME DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES, SUMMARIZE THE, UH, PROPOSED CARVER, UH, CENTER IMPROVEMENTS, REVIEW THE PROPOSED F Y 24 CAPITAL, UH, UH, PROJECTS, AND FINALLY TALK ABOUT THE COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR FACILITIES.
THE DEPARTMENT, UH, OVERSEES THE OPERATIONS OF THE ALAMO DOME, THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND THE CARVER COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER.
THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE LEASES FOR NELSON WOLF STADIUM AND TOYOTA FIELD.
JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR FACILITIES.
UH, THE HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER IS A 1.6 MILLION SQUARE FOOT FACILITY WITH OVER 500,000 SQUARE FOOT FEET OF EXHIBIT SPACE.
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER HOSTED APPROXIMATELY 300 EVENTS PER YEAR WITH OVER 750,000 CONVENTION DELEGATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
SAN ANTONIO IS CHARGED WITH SELLING THE CONVENTION CENTER 12 MONTHS OUT AND CONVENTION CENTER STAFF BOOKS.
THE BUILDING 12 MONTHS IN THE ALAMO DOME IS A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY WITH 65,000 UH, SEATS.
THE BUILDING JUST CELEBRATED ITS 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST MAY.
THE ALAMO DOME HO UH, HOSTED PRE PANDEMIC AN AVERAGE OF 115 EVENT DAYS PER YEAR AND HAD AN ATTENDANCE OF CLOSE TO A MILLION PEOPLE.
THE CARVER COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER IS COMPOSED OF THE JOLONG THEATER AND THE LITTLE CARVER.
THERE ARE A HUB ON THE EAST SIDE FOR CULTURAL PERFORMANCES, COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS.
AND PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, BOTH THEATERS, UH, HOSTED AN AVERAGE OF 300 EVENTS WITH OVER 40,000 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
NOW, NELSON WOLFE STADIUM IS OWNED BY THE CITY AND IT IS OPERATED BY THE SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS.
THE 6,200 SEAT STADIUM WAS BUILT IN 1994.
THE MISSIONS PLAY ABOUT 70 GAMES, UH, PER SEASON AT WOLF STADIUM AND ARE AVERAGING ABOUT 3000 ATTENDEES PER GAME.
FINALLY, UH, TOYOTA FIELD IS OWNED BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY UNDER A PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION.
AND IT IS, UM, OPERATED BY THE SPURS SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT GROUP.
THE SS A F C PLAYS ABOUT 20 GAMES, UH, PER SEASON AT TOYOTA FIELD, AND THEY'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 4,800 ATTENDEES PER GAME.
NEXT, UM, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN F Y 24 FOR ALL CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES FUNDS TOTAL $94 MILLION.
THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET TOTALING 65 MILLION INCLUDES, INCLUDES RESTRICTED FUNDS, AND OF THIS 59.5 MILLION IS DEDICATED FOR OPERATIONS OF THE ALAMO DOME AND CONVENTION CENTER, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR HOSTING OBLIGATIONS TO INCENTIVIZE BUSINESS TO THE CENTER.
ANOTHER 6.4 MILLION IS USED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE'S EVENTS TRUST FUND PROGRAM AND THE REMAINING 600,000 IN RESTRICTED FUNDS, UH, PLUS ANOTHER 1.7 MILLION IN GENERAL FUNDS MAKE UP THE CARVER'S BUDGET.
THE FY UH, 24 BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES 27 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT THE ALAMO DOME, UH, CONVENTION CENTER AND WF STADIUM INCREASES TO THE RESTRICTED AND GENERAL FUNDS BETWEEN F Y 23 ADOPTED AND F Y 24 PROPOSED ARE MOSTLY ATTRIBUTED TO SALARY INCREASES AS WELL AS INCREASES TO FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES CONTRACTS.
IN, UM, F Y 24, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, UM, PERSONNEL COMPLIMENT WILL BE REDUCED BY A SEVEN POSITIONS.
TWO SHARED SERVICES PROCUREMENT POSITIONS WILL TRANSITION TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND ONE, UH, CLEANING CREW AND SET UP CREW, UH, COMPOSED OF FIVE POSITIONS WILL BE REDUCED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THE 351 AUTHORIZED POSITIONS IN F Y 24, UM, INCLUDE 272 POSITIONS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, 65 AT THE DOME, AND, UH, 14 AT THE CARVER CENTER.
SO THERE'S LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE 19 BILLION VISITOR SECTOR HAS BEEN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR IN OUR
[00:25:01]
ECONOMY'S RECOVERY AND THE VISITORS TO OUR FACILITIES ARE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT FINANCIAL MOMENTUM.THE ALAMO DOME, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ENJOYED REMARKABLE RESILIENCY OVER THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS.
BOASTING EVENT NUMBERS, THE SIGNIFICANTLY SURPASS PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS AND REVENUE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY, MANY YEARS IS HIGHER THAN ITS EXPENSES IN F Y 23.
THE ALAMO DOME HAD A TREMENDOUS RUN AND IS PROJECTED TO END THE YEAR WITH $20.2 MILLION IN REVENUE IN FISCAL YEAR.
UH, 24, THE REVENUE IS EXPECTED TO BE A BIT LOWER AT 17.3 MILLION DUE TO LESS PROFITABLE EVENTS THAT ARE PLANNED NOW AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE NUMBER OF EVENTS IN F Y 24 WILL BE SHORT OF PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, BUT WE EXPECT THEM TO FULLY RECOVER BY FISCAL YEAR 25 AS SMALLER PRIVATE EVENT BOOKINGS IMPROVE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THE EVENTS AT THE CENTER ARE LOWER THAN IN 2019, THE TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR EVENTS AND THE CONVENTION CENTER REVENUE IS ALREADY HIGHER THAN IN 2019 AND IT, AND IT'S EXPECTED TO RISE EVEN MORE IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
THIS SLIDE, UH, SHOWS THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMO DOME.
THE OCCUPANCY AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMO DOME, WHICH ARE, UH, PROJECTED TO BE AT 70 AND 83% RESPECTIVELY IN F Y 24, SHOW THAT WE ARE CLOSE TO CAPACITY WITH ONLY 102 AVAILABLE DAYS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND 61 AVAILABLE DAYS AT THE ALAMO DOME.
ADDITIONALLY, THE REVENUE PER SQUARE FOOT AT THE CENTER INCREASES IS, UM, SHOWS INCREASES EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND THE REVENUE PER ATTENDEE AT THE ALAMO DOME IS MAINTAINING HIGH LEVELS.
AND THIS COMING YEAR, THE THE STAFF AND I ARE VERY, VERY EAGER TO SC UH, TO HOST SOME SPECTACULAR EVENTS.
NEXT YEAR, LUKE COMBS WILL PERFORM WHAT WE ARE CERTAIN TO BE TO BACK TO BACK SOLD AT CONCERTS IN MAY OF 2024 AT THE ALAMO DOME.
THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE PLENTY OF FOOTBALL WITH U T S A X F L, VALERO, ALAMO BOWL, AND MANY OTHERS.
AND THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL ALSO BE HOST TO MAJOR CONVENTIONS INCLUDING AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, THE SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, UM, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS STATE CONVENTION, AND THE TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION THIS WEEKEND, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE UH, CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE HOSTING THE ANNUAL SAN JAPAN ANIME SHOW THAT IS EXPECTED TO ATTRACT OVER 25,000 ATTENDEES.
AND THE CARVER ALSO HAS AN AMAZING LINEUP IN THEIR UPCOMING SEASON, INCLUDING GRAMMY WINNERS AND OSCAR NOMINEES, UM, SUCH AS TRUMPETER, UH, TERRENCE BLANCHARD, ACAPELLA SINGERS TAKE SIX AND GRAMMY BEST NEW ARTISTS, SAMARA JOY.
ALL OF THIS TO SAY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF THE ENTIRE TEAM.
I ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK SOME OF THE LEADERSHIP STAFF THAT ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY.
UH, I'M GONNA ASK 'EM TO STAND AS I CALL OUT THEIR NAMES SO YOU ALSO KNOW WHO THEY ARE FIRST.
UM, MONICA RAMOS IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT EL RODRIGUEZ SOLA IS THE, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE CONVENTION CENTER OPERATIONS.
MR. STEVE ZITO IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE ALAMO DOME.
MS. CASSANDRA PARKER NIKI IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CARVER.
AND, UH, MS. ELISA LIKE IS THE DEPARTMENTAL FISCAL ADMINISTRATOR.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY, UH, STAFF FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT.
NEXT, UH, THIS YEAR'S, UH, BUDGET, UM, THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES 166,000 TO ADD OR REPLACE EQUIPMENT AT THE CARVER CENTER.
50,000 IS ADDED FOR A DEDICATED NETWORK CONNECTION.
THE CARVER HOSTS SEVERAL, UH, EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT REQUIRE THE ABILITY TO BE LIVE STREAMED AND THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ADEQUATELY OR CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT, UM, THE EVENTS RESULTING IN LIVE STREAMS THAT MIGHT BE GLITCHY AND, UH, OR FAIL ENTIRELY.
THE NEXT, UH, 24,000 IS, UM, UM, ADDED TO PROCURE A SCREEN AND PROJECTOR THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE LITTLE CARVER.
ANOTHER 31,000 IS ADDED TO REPLACE AN OBSOLETE AND FAILING ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL SYSTEM AT THE JOLONG THEATER.
THIS, UH, SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL TO THE OPERATIONS BECAUSE IT CONTROLS THE HOUSE LIGHTING AND ALSO INTERFACES WITH A THEATRICAL LIGHTING.
43,000 IS ADDED, UM, TO REPLACE AN OUTDATED EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UH, SYSTEM.
[00:30:01]
THE CURRENT EXTERIOR LIGHTING IS INSUFFICIENT WITH MANY OF THE, UH, FIXTURES NOT WORKING AND, AND BASICALLY RESULTING IN SEVERAL DARK AREAS TOO THAT HAVE LITTLE TO NO, UH, LIGHT THIS PROCESS OF PROBLEMS JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF THE EVENTS OF THE CARVER HAPPENED IN THE EVENINGS.AND THEN LASTLY, 18,000 IS ADDED TO PROCURE A SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM FOR THE CARVER ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
THIS IS THE ONLY BUILDING THAT DOES NOT HAVE A SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM AND CAMERAS ARE NEEDED JUST FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF OR PATRONS AND JUST TO PROTECT OUR COSA ASSETS OVERALL.
NEXT, THE DEPARTMENT'S LONG RANGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 29 CONSISTS OF $29.7 MILLION IN FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, AND CAPITAL REPLACEMENT PROJECTS AT THE FACILITIES.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PLANS PLAN IS TO SCHEDULE REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT THAT HAS REACHED ITS USEFUL LIFE IN ORDER TO AVOID, UH, MAKING REPAIRS ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
THE PLAN ALSO INCLUDES, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL EXTEND THE LIFE OF OUR FACILITIES AND MAINTAIN OUR COMPETITIVENESS IN F Y 24.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS 27 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PLANNED IN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
13.2 MILLION ARE, UH, FOR USE FOR PROJECTS AT THE ALAMO DOME WITH ANOTHER 13000001.3 MILLION RESPECTIVELY FOR PROJECTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND W STADIUM.
SOME OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS AT THE ALAMO DOME IN FISCAL YEAR AT 24 INCLUDE THE NCAA IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUCTURAL REPAIRS PROJECTS.
BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS WILL BE, UH, ON TOMORROW'S COUNCIL AGENDA.
THE NCAA PROJECT, UH, INCLUDES THE ADDITION OF 18 LUXURY SUITES ON THE SOUTH END OF THE CLUB LEVEL AS WELL AS UPGRADES TO, UH, THE UPPER LEVEL.
THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE PART OF A COMMITMENT THAT THE CITY MADE TO THE NCAA IN ORDER TO HOST THE 2025 MEN'S FINAL FOUR.
THE STRUCTURAL REPAIRS, UH, PROJECT, UH, WILL ADDRESS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE, UH, IDENTIFIED IN A STRUCTURAL STUDY.
THE ASSESSMENT OBSERVED NO DEFICIENCIES OF AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERN, BUT THESE REPAIRS ARE BEING MADE IN ORDER TO AVOID FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE WILL BE, UH, REPLACING THE ESCALATORS AND ELEVATORS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THE ESCALATORS AND ELEVATORS ARE BREAKING DOWN MORE OFTEN AND SOME OF THE PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
AND AS THE NEW HEMISPHERE PARK IS, A CIVIC PARK IS UNVEILED, THE WEST ENTRANCE TO THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL ALSO UNDERGO A REMODEL.
UM, SOME IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE UPGRADES TO THE EXTERIOR TERRACES NEW, UH, FURNITURE, CARPET, AND PAINT TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND LASTLY, UH, THE CAPITAL BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES SIX AND A QUARTER MILLION OF WHICH 1.3 MILLION IS ALLOCATED IN F Y UH, 24 TO BRING WOLF STADIUM UP TO LEAGUE STANDARDS.
OUR EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AFFILIATION THAT HAS EXISTED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR OVER A, A CENTURY CALLS FOR CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR FACILITY UNTIL THE NEW TEAM OWNERSHIP PROVIDES A PLAN FOR A POTENTIAL NEW BALLPARK.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITY AS REQUIRED BY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
AND AS WE LOOK AHEAD, WE BELIEVE WE HAVE REACHED AN IMPORTANT, UH, CROSSROADS.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE ALAMO DOME, WHICH HAS BEEN A PERENNIAL TOP TARGET FOR THE NCAA FOR ITS LUCRATIVE MEN'S FINAL FORCE, WHICH GENERATE ROUGHLY $300 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT, WAS NOT NAMED AS A FINALIST TO HOST THE 2031 UH, TOURNAMENT.
INSTEAD, UH, THE NCAA TOLD THE SAN ANTONIO LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE THAT IT IS CONSIDERING NEW YORK STADIUM'S THEN THE ALAMO DOME.
WHILE WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE ALAMO DOME, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS A 30 YEAR OLD FACILITY.
IT WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THE ALAMO DOME TO MEET MAJOR REQUIREMENTS AND COMPETE AGAINST NEWER STADIUMS WITHOUT AMBITIOUS AND PROACTIVE THINKING.
REGARDING THE ALAMO DOME EVENTS SUCH AS THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR WORLD CUP SOCCER, COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMP, CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS, LARGE CONCERTS AND OTHER PROMINENT, PROMINENT EVENTS WILL GO ELSEWHERE.
THE HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER, MEANWHILE MAY SOON LAG BEHIND TO ITS COMPETITIVE SET WITHIN THE STATE.
DALLAS AND AUSTIN ARE INVESTING 1 BILLION PLUS INVE OR MAKING 1 BILLION PLUS INVESTMENTS
[00:35:01]
IN THEIR CONVENTION CENTERS.HOUSTON IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MASTER PLAN STUDY TO DECIDE NEXT STEPS INCLUDING A POSSIBLE CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT.
EVEN IN CORPUS CHRISTI, THERE IS CONSIDERATION OF AN $800 MILLION, UM, EXPANSION OF THE AMERICAN BANK'S CONVENTION CENTER.
IN THE MEANTIME, VISIT SAN ANTONIO ESTIMATES THAT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SAN ANTONIO HAS MISSED OUT ON MORE THAN 525 MILLION IN SPEND FROM MAJOR CONFERENCES BECAUSE OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS NOT BIG ENOUGH.
WHILE SAN ANTONIO HAS SEEN A SOLID REBOUND OF ITS LEISURE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE WAKE OF THE PANDEMIC, THE COMPETITION FOR MAJOR EVENTS AND CONFERENCES HAS BECOME MUCH MORE FIERCER IN THE FACE OF INVESTMENTS BEING MADE BY OTHER DESTINATIONS.
TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, BOTH THE ALAMO DOME AND THE CONVENTION FACILITIES RE WILL REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
WE ARE DOING DUE DILIGENCE ON BOTH AN EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND A SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION OF THE ALAMO DOME.
THIS DUE DILIGENCE INCLUDES AN ANALYSIS OF A NEW FUNDING OPTION WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE DURING THE LAST STATE'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WITH THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 2220, UH, THE CITY WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, RECEIVE THE STATE'S INCREMENTAL HOTEL ASSOCIATED REVENUE WITHIN A THREE MILESTONE FOR A 30 YEAR PERIOD TO FUND ELIGIBLE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
BOTH OF OUR FACILITIES ARE ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS STATUTE AND THIS STATE FUNDING WILL BE AN IMPORTANT FINANCING SOURCE FOR US.
WE HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
WE ANTICIPATE HAVING WITH YOU LATER THIS FALL.
THE TAKEAWAY HERE IS WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FALL BEHIND AND WE MUST LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
WE MUST LOOK AHEAD TO ENSURE THAT WE CREATE OUR OWN FUTURE.
MUCH MORE, UH, DISCUSSION TO COME MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MARK ANDERSON, C E O AND PRESIDENT OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT IS GREAT TO BE WITH YOU HERE TODAY, UM, TO PRESENT VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S FY 24 BUDGET AND BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AFTER A STRONG FISCAL YEAR 23, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO LEVERAGING OUR SUCCESS AND STRIVING TOWARDS NEW HORIZONS AS WE BUILD SAN ANTONIO INTO A GLOBAL BRAND.
TODAY I WILL BE COVERING OUR PROPOSED F Y 24 BUDGET, OUR F Y 24 ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS, A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR F Y 24, AS WELL AS DISCUSS I P W 2023 AND THE R O I AND HOW WE PLAN ON MEASURING THAT OUR R O I FOR SAN ANTONIO MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN US AND BELIEVING IN OUR MISSION OF BRINGING THE WORLD TO SAN ANTONIO.
VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS PROUD TO BE THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR, FOR THE SAN ANTONIO TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, THE THIRD LARGEST INDUSTRY IN OUR CITY.
OUR PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCES ARE THE HOTEL OCCUPANT, TECH OCCUPANCY, TAX, OR HOT FUNDS.
AND OUR TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, T P I D.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMES THROUGH MEMBERSHIP DUES AND OUR OTHER SOURCES SUCH AS OUR RIVER WALK EVENTS AND A VARIETY OF PAR PARTNER PROGRAMS AND REVENUES VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S.
TOTAL REVENUE IS ESTIMATED TO GROW 5% IN F Y 24, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE CONTINUED GROWTH AND HOT FUNDS BY DRIVING MORE DEMAND TO OUR CITY WITH HOT TAX FUNDS AS THE MAIN SOURCE OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S FUNDING.
THE CITY'S PROPOSED F Y 24 ALLOCATION OF 27.6 MILLION COMPRISES 92% OF OUR TOTAL PROJECTED REVENUE VISIT.
SAN ANTONIO'S PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO PROMOTE SAN ANTONIO AS THE PREMIER LEISURE DESTINATION AND SECURE CORPORATE AND ASSOCIATION AND TRADE SHOW MEETINGS FOR OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR PARTNER HOTELS.
THEREFORE, 82% OF OUR FUNDING IS DEDICATED TO SALES AND MARKETING EFFORTS, WHILE THE REMAINDER WILL SUPPORT RIVER WALK EVENTS,
[00:40:01]
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES, AND GENERAL ADMIN COSTS.IN ADDITION, WE WILL LEVERAGE TPIT I'S PROJECTED $10.9 MILLION IN FUNDING TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE SAN ANTONIO AS A DESTINATION OF CHOICE.
WE TAKE OUR MISSION AT VISIT SAN ANTONIO VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE HAVE BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON THE CONTINUED RECOVERY AND GROWING TOURISM HOSPITALITY TO CREATE A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE CITY, FOR OUR CITY AND ITS PEOPLE YEAR OVER YEAR.
VISIT SAN DEPAR VI VISIT SAN ANTONIO DEPARTMENTS HAVE EXCEEDED ALL ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS AND F Y 23 WAS NO DIFFERENT.
IN FACT, DUE IN LARGE PART TO OUR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AND EXPAND SAN ANTONIO'S BRAND DOMESTICALLY AND GLOBALLY IN 2022, SAN ANTONIO'S HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY GENERATED THE LARGEST ECONOMIC IMPACT IN OUR HISTORY AT $19 BILLION.
THIS SUCCESS ALSO LED TO THE INDUSTRY'S LARGEST CONTRIBUTION TO CITY'S LOCAL TAXES IN OUR HISTORY.
AT 262 MILLION, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ALSO EMPLOYED MORE THAN 140,000 LOCAL SAN ANTONIANS, ONLY 5,000, 5,000 EMPLOYEES LESS THAN PRE PANDEMIC IN 2019.
EVERY ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS GEARED TOWARDS NOT ONLY LIFTING SAN ANTONIO FROM C O V I D, BUT DRIVING MORE DEMAND, INCREASING TAX REVENUES, AND EMPLOYING MORE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
WE ARE NOT ONLY WORKING MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN OTHER CITIES IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT WE ARE SUCCEEDING AND WINNING LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
OUR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATING MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONTINUE TO BE OUR GREATEST ASSETS.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT, MANY OF WHOM ARE HI HERE TODAY, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE FOLLOWING CITY COUNCIL SIT ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INCLUDING COUNCILWOMAN VERAN AND COUNCILMAN, UM, ROCHA GARCIA, ERIC WALSH.
UM, ADDITION PATRICIA WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER SITS ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAY, UM, JESUS SIGNS WITH THE AIRPORT AND MAJOR GENERAL ALA.
I'M ALSO JOINED HERE TODAY BY THE CHAIR OF OUR BOARD PHIL STA WITH THE HYATT HOTELS OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, SECRETARY HOPE ANDRATI WITH GO RIO, WHO'S OUR VICE CHAIR, AND ALSO OUR CORE MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO POLICE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH THEIR INPUT.
WE IDENTIFIED THESE FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
I WILL TOUCH ON EACH OF THESE AREAS IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES HIGHLIGHTING OUR PLANNED EFFORTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
AS A FRIENDLY REMINDER, WE ARE EMBARKING ON THE LAST YEAR OF OUR SHORT TERM STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN 2021 WITH THE MAIN GOAL TO LIFT OUR CITY OUT OF PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS OF VISITATION, OCCUPANCY, AND REVENUES BY THE END OF 2024.
THIS PLAN IS ALSO INCLUDED CONNECTING TO ALL OF SAN ANTONIO SO THAT THEY KNOW AND OUR RESIDENTS KNOW AND FEEL THE POWER AND UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM.
AS AN ECRI ECONOMIC DRIVER AND JOB PRODUCER, IN 2021, VISIT SAN ANTONIO MADE STORYTELLING THE KEY PILLAR OF OUR COMPANY, TELLING THE COUNTLESS STORIES OF SAN ANTONIO TO EXISTING AND NEW, NEW AUDIENCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.
WE BELIEVE THE DECISION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS WE GROW SAN ANTONIO INTO A GLOBAL BRAND.
OUR PAID STORYTELLING ENCOMPASSES A BROAD PLAN OF INVESTMENT THAT REACHES MULTIPLE NEW AUDIENCES FOR F Y 24.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TELLING OUR STORIES TO THE DOMESTIC AUDIENCE AS WELL AS CONTINUING, CONTINUING ON GENERATING NEW INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FOR OUR CITY.
NEW INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS FROM MEXICO, THE UNITED KINGDOM, GERMANY, AND BEGINNING TO BUILD MESSAGING IN ASIA.
WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO EXPAND OUR EFFORTS IN ASIA, SPECIFICALLY INTO CHINA BECAUSE RECENTLY CHINA HAS LIFTED PRE PANDEMIC ERA RESTRICTIONS ON GROUP TOURS FOR MORE COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
FURTHERMORE, PRE PANDEMIC CHI PRE PANDEMIC CHINA WAS SAN ANTONIO'S SECOND LARGEST OVERSEAS INBOUND MARKET.
NEARLY MATCHING THE 22,000 TRAVELERS COMING FROM
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THE UNITED KINGDOM.MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO BE VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S AND SAN ANTONIO'S KEY INTERNATIONAL PARTNER AND FRIEND.
AND OUR TEAM IS DEDICATED TO DRIVING MORE DEMAND IN AND THROUGHOUT ALL OF MEXICO.
THE SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT EXPANSION IS CRUCIAL TO US BUILDING SAN ANTONIO'S GLOBAL BRAND.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR VISIT SAN ANTONIO GREATER S A T X AND THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CREATED A FIRST TIME COLLABORATION THAT WE ARE NOW PROACTIVELY SOLICITING AIRLINES FOR NEW NONSTOP SERVICE DOMESTICALLY AND ALSO GLOBALLY.
WE ARE EAGERLY, EAGERLY ANTICIPATING THE CELEBRATION OF THE AIRPORT'S FIRST EVER TRANSATLANTIC TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
OUR STORYTELLING PILLARS SHARE KEY HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE OF COURSE, AND PLENTY OF OUR EVER, EVER EVOLVING CULINARY SCENE AND SAN ANTONIO'S STATUS AS THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
HIGHLIGHTED BY THE DIVERSITY OF THE FACES, THE MAKE UP, THE ONE AND ONLY SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE ALSO PLANTING THE SEEDS WITH IMMEDIATE PLAN TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO THE MUST-SEE, MUST SPEND TIME AND DESTINATION TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH STARTING IN 2023.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN OWN THIS CELEBRATION FOR THE UNITED STATES VISIT.
SAN ANTONIO WANTS TO IMPROVE KEY METRICS THAT MEASURE OUR SUCCESS.
WE PLAN ON FURTHER ENGAGING WITH OUR MILITARY AND THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP AND CONNECTIONS OF MAJOR GENERAL AELA.
FURTHER CEMENT SAN ANTONIO AS THE MILITARY CITY U SS C WE'RE DRIVING NEW DEMAND AND NEW STORIES ALSO INVOLVES GROWING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CRYSTAL JONES AND HER TEAM WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, AS WELL AS COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CENTRO AND THE ALAMO TRUST TO INCREASE TRAFFIC TO DOWNTOWN DURING THE HOLIDAYS TO BRING LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE DOWNTOWN TO OUR THRIVING CITY.
OF COURSE, OUR RIVER WALK CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST VISITED DESTINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND OUR WORK CONTINUES TO ELEVATE OUR RIVER PARADES AND EXPERIENCES ALONG THE RIVER.
INCREASING AWARENESS THROUGH TV AND STREAMING PARTNERSHIPS, INVESTING IN MORE MARKETING SUPPORT FOR RIVER WALK EVENTS AND TRACKING ATTENDANCE AND RESULTS FOR STAKEHOLDERS.
WELL LEISURE TRAVEL IS THRIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND IN SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS TRAVEL AND GROUP AND CONVENTION MEETINGS CONTINUES TO REBOUND FROM PRE PANDEMIC UM, LEVELS DESPITE STRONG DEMAND AT VISIT SAN ANTONIO, WE ARE RE WE RESTRUCTURED OUR SALES DEPARTMENT AND ESTABLISHED TEAMS TO FOCUS ON SPECIFIC AREA WITHIN MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS TO GROW BUSINESS LEVELS AND DEMAND FOCUSING NOT ONLY ON THE TRADITIONAL MAJOR ASSOCIATIONS THAT HAVE VISITED OUR CITY, BUT WE ARE ALSO NOW FOCUSING ON NEW CORPORATE BUSINESS AND TRADE SHOW CITY-WIDES FOR OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTEL COMMUNITY.
OUR TEAM WILL DRIVE GROUPS AND CONVENTIONS, SOME OF ONE WHICH ARE LISTED HERE ON THIS SLIDE TO HOLD MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS, AND TRADE SHOWS WHILE SIMPLIFYING THE SALES PROCESS.
WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT BY FOCUSING ON OUR NEW SHORT-TERM INCENTIVE TO DRIVE MORE DEMAND WITHIN A 24 MONTH WINDOW FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR HOTELS.
OUR GOAL IS TO CONFIRM 89 EVENTS IN THE CONVENTION CENTER IN 24, INCLUDING NEW 56 NEW CITYWIDE CONVENTIONS, INCLUDING 12 NEW CORPORATE CITY-WIDES THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE SHORT TERM.
AND WE'LL ALSO BE LEVERAGING THE T I D FUNDED REAL AND TRUE GROUP INCENTIVE CAMPAIGN TO FILL NEED DATES FOR ALL KEYTO STAKEHOLDERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
22 2024 WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR WE'LL BE BACK AT PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS OF EVENTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IN ADDITION TO CONVENTION CENTER EVENTS, WE ARE ALSO ON TRACK TO SURPASS 2000 EIGHTEENS HIGHEST EVER GROUP ROOM NIGHT CONSUMPTION OF 636,000 GROUP NIGHT ROOM NIGHTS FOR THE YEAR.
THIS SHOWS THE CHALLENGING WORK OUR TEAM HAS PUT FORTH TO FILL OUR HOTELS, BRINGING MORE IMPACT TO OUR CITY.
TRAVEL AND TOURISM HAVE THE POWER TO TEACH, UNDERSTANDING, UNITE CULTURES, AND ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING A CHIEF OF STAFF
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FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL BE CHARGED TO ENSURE VISIT SAN ANTONIO FOSTERS A DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT FOR ITS STAFF, OUR PARTNERS, AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
FROM ADDRESSING STATE LEGISLATORS TO ENCOURAGING THE NEXT HOMEGROWN CHEF OR HOTEL YEAR, WE ARE PASSIONATE AND INTENTIONAL IN OUR EFFORTS TO AFFECT CHANGE.
AND WE ARE SO THRILLED TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON PASSING SB 2220 FOR SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THE VIBRANCY OF OUR INDUSTRY AND ITS WORKFORCE.
AND FINALLY, I LEAVE YOU WITH WHAT WAS A TRADEMARK SPECTACULAR EVENT FOR OUR INDUSTRY AND OUR CITY.
I P W 2023, THE UNITED STATES TRAVEL ASSOCIATION'S GLOBAL MARKETPLACE THAT VISITED US IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE CANNOT THANK ENOUGH, ESPECIALLY THE COUNCILMAN ROJA GARCIA AND VERON, LORI HOUSTON AND SHANNON MILLER FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND COORDINATED WHAT HAS NOW BEEN CALLED THE BEST I P W IN ITS 50 YEAR HISTORY.
WE ARE PROUD THAT I P W 2023 REACHED ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS, GIVING A ATTENDEES A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING AND VIEWPOINT OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY AND CONNECTING ALL OF SAN ANTONIO TO THISOR IMPORTANT AND LANDMARK EVENT IN OUR CITY.
THE MORE THAN 300 LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT PARTICIPATED IN I P W INCLUDED MEGA PARTNERS LIKE OUR K GROUP AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
OVERALL, 1000 PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO AND OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS GRAND SHOWCASE.
SAN ANTONIO'S VIBRANT ARTS AND CULTURE SHINE THROUGH THE FOUR DAY CONFERENCE FROM LOCAL MARIACHI ARTIST MATEO LOPEZ TO AZU BARIENTOS TO SAN ANTONIO'S MOST ENTHUSI ENTHUSIASTIC CULTURAL PERFORMERS.
URBAN 15, THE ARTISTIC MASTER MASTERY OF CREATIVE COMMUNITY WAS CELEBRATED THE WORLD OVER.
THE IMPACT OF I P W WILL BE AN ECONOMIC GENERATOR FOR YEARS TO COME.
AND JUST SINCE THE END OF MAY, WE'VE SEEN OVER A HUNDRED MEDIA PLACEMENTS IN MEXICO, CANADA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, GERMANY, IRELAND, SCOTLAND, HUNGARY, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, COLUMBIA, COLUMBIA, CHILE, INDIA, AND EVEN ECUADOR.
WE WILL ANALYZE THE INCREASE IN, IN, IN INTERNATIONAL VISITATION AND WORK WITH ROCKPORT ANALYTICS, A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, TOTAL RACK TAX REVENUE TOTAL, UM, OVERALL IMPACT AND TOTAL JOBS SUPPORTED AND CREATED BY US HOSTING I P W 2023.
AND WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO ANALYZE, OF COURSE, THE GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL VISITATION.
MANY, MANY LEGACY ELEMENTS FROM I P W WILL BENEFIT FUTURE VISITORS, DELEGATES, AND RESIDENTS.
THEY INCLUDE EIGHT DOWNTOWN MURALS, NEW L E D UPLIGHTING OF THE RIVERWALK TREES AND THE LIGHTING ON THE TORCH OF FRIENDSHIP LIGHTING UNDER SILVER BRIDGES.
SIX NEW RIVER BARGES DESIGNS TO BE USED FOR FUTURE PARADES.
NEW LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND PORTABLE WIFI.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT OUR VISION FOR F Y 24 AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, MARK, UH, CRYSTAL, PATRICIA, UH, AND WE ALSO GOT A LITTLE BIT FROM JUSTINA AS WELL.
UM, VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE REBOUND, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, UH, FROM WHERE WE FORECASTED COMING OUTTA THE PANDEMIC FOR BOTH THE HOT TAX AS WELL AS JUST THE, THE TRAFFIC THAT'S COMING INTO SAN ANTONIO.
I'LL JUST START WITH YOU, MARK.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
I THINK, UH, WE ALL VIEWED THE I P W AS IT WAS APPROACHING SORT OF AS THE CULMINATION, THE PROOF POINT OF, UH, HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN TERMS OF AN INDUSTRY.
UH, BUT Y'ALL REALLY OUTPERFORMED, UM, EVEN WHAT WE EXPECTED AND, AND MY THANKS TO OUR COLLEAGUES WHO SIT ON THE BOARD AS WELL, UH, JUST SO THRILLED TO SEE, UH, HOW THAT WAS EXECUTED.
UM, LITTLE BIT OF TREPIDATION BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT VISITOR CONFERENCES IN THE WORLD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED.
AND, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THESE PRESENTATIONS NOW OVER THE COURSE OF, THIS MIGHT BE BUDGET 11 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, I'M FINALLY GETTING THE, THE SENSE THAT THE INDUSTRY HAS COALESCED AROUND OUR UNIQUE ASSETS AS A CITY AND, AND, AND LEARNING HOW, AND I GUESS
[00:55:01]
EXECUTING A PLAN TO COMMUNICATE THOSE UNIQUE ASPECTS TO THE CITY, UH, OUT INTO THE WORLD THAT, UH, IS NOT, I GUESS, REPLICATING WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.YOU TRULY GET A SENSE FROM THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A, A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE WORLD AND THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD COME HERE AND, AND TAKE A VISIT.
UM, I GUESS THE ONLY QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS WHAT'S NEXT? WHEN'S I P W COMING BACK? OR WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE NEXT BIG FISH, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO CONTINUE TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL? WELL, UM, WE ARE DISCUSSING WHEN I P W MIGHT BE COMING BACK, IT PROBABLY WILL NOT BE TILL 29 OR 30 OR 31.
UM, THEY'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
WE'RE WORKING ON SOME MAJOR SHORT-TERM BOOKINGS, UM, UH, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE RE UH, RELOCATION EFFORTS OF, OF SOME OF THE CITIES THAT ARE UNDER MAJOR CONVENTION CENTER RENOVATION.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON IS KELLER WILLIAMS BRINGING THEM FOR A FOUR YEAR AGREEMENT, STARTING IN 2024 THROUGH 2028.
WE'RE WORKING ON A MAJOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT FOR 2025 CALLED THE LABOR CUP.
UM, SO THERE'S LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO ANNOUNCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WELL, I WON'T ASK YOU TO BREAK ANY NEWS HERE, BUT, UM, I'D ALSO JUST CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO TO ME IS UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, WE CAN UPLIFT THE FACT THAT WE'RE A VERY WELCOMING AND COMPASSIONATE CITY.
UM, PEOPLE GET THAT SENSE NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE.
AND THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF HOSPITALITY.
HOSPITALITY IS MAKING PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO THE MORE THAT WE CAN EMPHASIZE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE, UM, SOMEWHAT TOXIC ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE IN, UH, THE BETTER OFF WE'LL BE.
SO JUST, UH, I WOULD CONTINUE TO UNDERSCORE THE COMPASSION AND, AND WELCOMING NATURE OF SAN ANTONIO AS, AS ONE OF THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF OF OUR CITY.
ACTUALLY NO, I'LL, I'LL GO TO CRYSTAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, GLAD THAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, NEW REVENUE COMING IN THROUGH OUR CAPITAL PROGRAMS, UH, THAT WE APPROVED.
I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UH, YOU'RE BUDGETING FOR MAINTENANCE OF THOSE PUBLIC ART PIECES AND, AND HAVING SOMEBODY TO OVERSEE THAT PROCESS.
I DO GET CONCERNED WHEN WE HAVE INCIDENTS OR WEAR AND TEAR ON SOME OF OUR MARQUES PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY THE TORCH OF FRIENDSHIP.
SO, UH, KEEPING THOSE, UH, LOOKING GREAT IS, IS A HIGH PRIORITY.
UH, A QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, CRYSTAL, IS WE TALKED OVER THE YEARS ABOUT FILLING IN THE GAP OR IN SOME WAY MAKING UP FOR, UM, WHAT THE STATE IS NOT DOING WITH REGARD TO THE FILM INDUSTRY.
AND I KNOW WE'VE MADE SOME STRIDES THERE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
GLAD TO SEE SOME OF THE PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE COMING.
WHERE ARE WE AND WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THE FILM INCENTIVE PROGRAMS? WELL, THE GREAT NEWS THIS YEAR, THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD NEWS AND THERE'S BAD NEWS.
UH, THE GREAT NEWS THIS YEAR IS THAT THE STATE LEVEL ACTUALLY PASS A HISTORIC $200 MILLION IN FILM INCENTIVES THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST.
BAD NEWS RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'RE IN A STRIKE TIME PERIOD.
WRITERS ARE ON STRIKE AND SO ON, SO ARE ACTORS.
SO PRODUCTION IS A LITTLE BIT AT A STANDSTILL UNTIL, YOU KNOW, I HOPE BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
UH, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT SCOUTING MAJOR PRODUCTIONS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE $5 MILLION, $10 MILLION FILMS THAT OUR, UM, TEAM ARE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY TALKING TO RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE BEEN SCOUTING AND WE DO HAVE A 7.5% LOCAL INCENTIVE THAT HELP FILLS THAT GAP TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THE STATE GIVES 25, UH, PER, I'M SORRY, 22.5%, THEN OUR 7.5% WILL GIVE AROUND 30% INCENTIVE.
SO WE'RE POISED AND READY, WE'RE READY TO HIT OUR MARKETING.
WE'VE DID NEW BRANDING FOR THE FILM, UM, SAN ANTONIO BRAND.
UH, WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING READY FOR THAT SEPTEMBER 1ST PUSH.
UH, WE WILL PROBABLY SEE A LULL BETWEEN A PRODUCTION ACTUALLY COMING TO SAN ANTONIO AFTER THE STRIKES ARE OVER, BUT WE ARE POISED READY SCOUTING, UM, AND WE ARE TALKING TO MAJOR PRODUCTIONS WHO WANNA COME HERE BECAUSE OF THAT 7.5%, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE STATE HAS 200 MILLION TO WORK WITH.
SO, UM, SOME OF THOSE INCENTIVES ALL DON'T HAVE TO BE CASH EITHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO'S A VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO FILM A PRODUCTION TO HAVE A PRODUCTION IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO THINK TO CROSS DEPARTMENT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO REMOVE POTENTIAL PERMIT ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, THE TIME AND EXPENSE THAT A PRODUCTION COMPANY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO A VIABLE LOCATION.
SOME OF THOSE E EQUIVALENT ARE EQUIVALENT TO CASH, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY TAKE REVENUE FROM FROM THE CITY.
ARE YOU DOING THAT AS WELL? YES.
SO ALL OF OUR FILM PERMITS FOR OVER 250
[01:00:01]
SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OWNED LOCATIONS ARE FREE LATA, MARKET SQUARE, RIVERWALK, ANY PARK.UH, SO THAT ACTUALLY SAVES ALMOST $250 A PERMIT PER DAY.
THAT'S A HUGE, UH, DEAL FOR PRODUCTIONS.
WE ALSO WORK WITH TRAFFIC CONTROL, WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO WAIVE STREET CLOSURE FEES AND ALSO TURNAROUND STREET CLOSURE FEES.
WE, WE DID IT ONE TIME IN FOUR DAYS NOTICE OF ST.
WE MADE TRAFFIC GO THE OPPOSITE WAY, ALL WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
THEY ARE FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH.
AND SO WE HAVE THOSE STREET CLOSURE WAIVERS.
UH, WE HAVE THOSE FREE FILM PERMITS AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO HAVE LIAISON SERVICES WITH PRIVATE LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE OUR LOCATION DATABASE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO OPEN THEIR HOMES OR THEIR BUSINESSES TO FILMING.
SO YEAH, WE, WE ARE WORKING ON THIS AS ADDITIONAL ADD-ONS.
OUR HOTEL PARTNERS ARE REALLY, UH, FILM FRIENDLY AS WELL.
YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE CAN MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO FILM HERE, THAT'S, THAT'S WORTH MONEY AND TIME FOR, FOR COMPANIES AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE BOOKING MORE THAN I THINK WE EVER HAVE IN THE AMO DOME WITH MARQUES EVENTS.
UM, IS IT TRUE THAT ALLISON CHAINS IS OPENING FOR GUNS N ROSES?
I THOUGHT I SAID WE'RE ABLE SAY THAT.
SO A LOT OF GREAT EVENTS
UM, BUT WE ALL HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT, UH, US NOT BEING IN THE NEXT ROTATION FOR THE FINAL FOUR.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL FOUR HAS CHOSEN SAN ANTONIO, UM, OVER THE LAST PROBABLY EIGHT, 10 YEARS, MULTIPLE TIMES.
AL ALMOST IN SPITE OF SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING.
UM, THE ALAMO DOME IS THE PERFECT SIZE AND PERFECT LOCATION.
UH, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING $30 MILLION HERE AND THERE AS A RESULT OF THE REVENUE, UH, BONDS THAT ARE ISSUED IN, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THE FINAL FOUR HERE.
UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY BELIEF THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN A FACILITY, WE WANT TO GET THE BEST EVENTS IN THE WORLD.
AND YOU NAME SOME, UM, A B C SS CHAMPIONSHIP, UH, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOST THAT HERE.
THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A BETTER CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HOST A TITLE GAME FOR THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, OR FRANKLY FOR THE N F L THAN SAN ANTONIO WHEN IT COMES TO THE FAN EXPERIENCE.
SO WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET US TO, UH, BEING ABLE TO COMPETE FOR THOSE EVENTS? IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST IN A FACILITY, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPETING FOR THE VERY BEST.
SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING SOON.
UH, BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, TO PUT THAT AS A PRIORITY.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD, AND THIS WAS PART OF OUR DISCUSSION, UH, WITH 2220 MARK, YOU, YOU ALLUDED TO THAT, UM, WE HAD PLANNED FROM, UH, THE PREVIOUS EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER TO EVENTUALLY HAVE TO DO ADDITIONAL EXPANSION.
WE'RE NOW GETTING TO THAT POINT, UH, WHERE WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT GETTING SOME OF THE, THE CONFERENCES THAT WE SHOULD BE GETTING IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE.
SO, UH, THIS IS ALL LEADING TO, AGAIN, UH, A, A BROADER DISCUSSION.
I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
UH, I THINK IN, IN MANY RESPECTS, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE ALAMO DOME, YOUR DEPARTMENT, OUR CITY IS PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT WITH REGARD TO THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, MIKE, MY HOPE AND MY GOAL IS THAT, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA INVEST IN A FACILITY, WE DESERVE THE VERY BEST AS A COMMUNITY, AND, AND WE SHOULD MAKE IT THE VERY BEST SO WE CAN COMPETE FOR THE VERY BEST.
'CAUSE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO AN EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR AN EVENT, UH, FOR A VISITOR OR A RESIDENT, UM, THERE IS NOT A BETTER LOCATION THAN SAN ANTONIO WHEN YOU ACCUMULATE ALL THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN SUCH A, UM, YOU KNOW, CLOSE SPACE ON A VERY ENCHANTING PORTION OF, OF DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, BUT GREAT JOB, PATRICIA.
LOOK FORWARD TO ROCKING OUT WITH STEVE, UH, LATER THIS YEAR.
OKAY, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M PRE I'M EXCITED THAT YOU ALL PRESENTED TOGETHER.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN BECAUSE IT'S JUST, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALSO INTERCONNECTED AND INTERTWINED IN WHAT YOU DO.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO MY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE
[01:05:01]
OF THAT ART MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND TO INCREASE TO 25 PROJECTS A YEAR.I THINK WE, AS ART OWNERS, AS PUBLIC ART OWNERS, NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ON HOW WE INVEST AND HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR ART PROJECTS.
WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS ON THE SCREEN HERE, AND I NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHIPS AND SALSA, IT, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE WE LET IT GET SO BAD.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE PIECES IN AND ALONG OUR, UH, IN AND OUR, ALONG OUR, OUR RIVER RIVERWALK DISTRICT THREE, THAT ART WALK Y'ALL TOOK ME ON, UM, LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE.
AND I'M LIKE, I NEED THOSE MAINTAINED AND IF PEOPLE DAMAGE THEM, THAT IS GOING TO, UM, AFFECT WHAT PEOPLE THINK WE, HOW WE VALUE ART.
SO I WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS A GREAT WIN.
I'M REALLY EXCITED, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW STAFF, BUT I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS PROJECTS AND SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY HAS PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THAT DATABASE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, CRYSTAL, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT WORK.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GIVING TO YOU.
UH, ESSAY BOOK FESTIVAL DID A GREAT JOB.
SO EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE DIVERSITY, THE NUMBER OF ARTISTS, UM, AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THEM PARTNERING WELL WITH U T S A, UM, THE FILM INCENTIVE PROGRAM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THERE'S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I THINK WE'RE LOSING OUT TO ATLANTA.
SO WHAT I'M HOPING IS THAT DURING THIS TIME OF THE STRIKE, WE'RE ABLE TO BRING OUR STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER AND REALLY BE INTENTIONAL ON HOW WE MOVE IN THE FILM, UH, PRESENCE AND THEN THE INCREASE TO MOCKERY.
THEY HAVE JUST DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH AN ONLINE PRESENCE.
AND I, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND SARAH'S WORK AND, AND BRINGING THE, THE, UM, THE MOVIES THAT ARE GETTING RELEASED, UH, TO SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE ONE, UH, AREA I DO WANNA ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE HEAD TO BUDGET, IS THE DELEGATE AGENCIES.
I KNOW WE GIVE TO OPERATIONAL FUNDING, BUT IT WAS THE SAME THING I ASKED OF, UH, MELANIE WOOSLEY AND HER AGENCY DEPARTMENTS IS WHAT ARE THEY FUNDRAISING, UH, WHAT ARE THEIR PUBLIC OR FREE EVENTS? HOW ARE THEY SERVING THE PUBLIC AND WHAT IS THEIR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION? BECAUSE I, AS I LOOK THROUGH THESE, THAT LIST, I SAW PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER INVITED ME TO ANY EVENTS, AND I'VE SAW PEOPLE THAT I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY KNOW WHERE DISTRICT THREE IS, GROUPS THAT DON'T EVEN FUNCTION IN DISTRICT THREE.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT OUR DOLLARS, BECAUSE IF OUR, IF WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE EQUITY LENS, IF WE ARE GOING TO BE INCLUSIVE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DELEGATE AGENCIES WE'RE GIVING TO ARE DOING THAT.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY CULTURALLY SPECIFIC AGENCIES THAT I SAW THERE THAT I WAS LIKE, I KNOW THEY COULD USE A LITTLE MORE MONEY.
SO IF WE COULD GET THAT REGARDING THE DELEGATE AGENCIES.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, I LOVED YOUR TALK ABOUT GETTING TO THAT PROFESSIONAL AND BEGINNING TO LEAD AND LEARN FROM OTHERS.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WE MOVE WITH THE GRANTS MANAGEMENT, WITH THE DATABASE AND PUBLIC ART AND WITH THE FESTIVALS.
AND, UM, I THINK I'M GONNA TRANSITION OVER TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE VISIT SAN ANTONIO, WHEN COUNCILMAN NOR GARCIA AND I WENT ON THAT TRIP TO, UH, LONDON, THE ONE THING THAT SHOCKED ME WAS PEOPLE KNEW WHERE NEW ORLEANS WAS.
THEY KNEW WHERE ORLANDO WAS, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE SAN ANTONIO WAS.
AND THAT WAS JUST UNACCEPTABLE TO ME BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO IS THE HOME OF THE SPURS THE WORLD HERITAGE.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE COULD KNOW THESE OTHER CITIES, BUT NOT KNOW US.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT STORYTELLING.
AND MARK, I I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOUR TEAM HAS DONE.
UM, I THINK I P W WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL THERE.
THE D THREE PRESENCE, UM, LUMIA WAS THERE, AND YIDA IS A RESIDENT.
NICHOLAS VALDEZ IS A RESIDENT.
UM, CHEF JOHNNY HERNANDEZ IS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.
I WAS LIKE, DISTRICT THREE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND I WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR THAT.
AND I'M SURE YOUR, YOUR DISTRICTS WERE WELL REPRESENTED TOO.
UH, BUT I THINK WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY.
AND I, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK WITH,
[01:10:01]
UH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY INCLUSION, MARK, AND HOW YOU'VE COME IN AND, AND MADE THAT A PRIORITY.AND I HOPE THAT OTHER CHAMBERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LOOK AT THAT LEAD.
BUT PATRICIA, I I'M SAVING YOU FOR LAST BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR YOU.
UM, I, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, I LOVE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CONVENTION, BUT WE'RE, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA.
ARE WE GETTING THAT? IS THAT COMING THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR? IT IS.
UM, SO THEY'VE POSTPONED IT, UM, WITH C O V I D AND EVERYTHING.
WE'RE STILL HOLDING DATES FOR THEM IN, UH, 2024.
WE'RE MAKING THEM AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HEMISPHERE PARK AND IN THE ENTIRE COMPLEX.
SO, 'CAUSE THE, THE ONE THING I, THE CONVENTION, YES, WE USE IT FOR CONVENTIONS AND THAT IS GREAT, BUT I KNOW LOCALS LOVE TO USE THE CONVENTION CENTER ALSO.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT HOLDING SO MANY DATES THAT THE LOCALS ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO BOOK EVENTS THERE.
SO, UM, IF, AND I'M, I'M SURE WE'LL GET UPDATES IN CHECK AND OR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ABOUT THAT.
BUT I REALLY WANNA KEEP FOCUSED THAT PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED TO DO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
'CAUSE I KNOW TOBIN'S DOING AT THE THEATER PROGRAM TOO.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AND, AND DO AN ARTS CONVENING CRYSTAL
ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY, UM, THAT THEY'RE UNDERSTANDING LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO HOSPITALITY AND, AND THAT ASPECT? 'CAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES I'LL GO TO A CONCERT DOWNTOWN AND THEY HAVE STAFF THAT HAS, HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN DOWNTOWN.
SO PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHERE THEY CAN GO AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TELL THEM.
UM, ALL OF THOSE, THEY RECEIVE THE SAME, THE SAME TYPE OF TRAININGS THAT WE DO ABOUT THE FACILITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A PRE-EVENT, A MEETING ALSO TWO HOURS BEFORE THE EVENT STARTS SO THAT THEY MAKE THEM AWARE FOR THAT SPECIFIC EVENT, WHAT IS HAPPENING.
BUT THERE'S OTHER TRAININGS THAT, UH, THEY ALSO RECEIVE SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR FULL-TIME STAFF RECEIVES.
AND I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE CONTINUE TO, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAFF WITH AGENCIES AND GROUPS THAT REALLY KNOW DOWNTOWN, UM, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AT THE ALAMO DOME.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT VISIT SAN ANTONIO USED TO HAVE LIKE A, UM, AMBASSADOR PROGRAM OR A HOSPITALITY PROGRAM.
I DUNNO IF Y'ALL DO THAT ANYMORE, IF Y'ALL STILL DO THAT.
BUT MAYBE WE CAN DO REVITALIZE THAT SO WE CAN HAVE THAT AMBASSADOR HOSPITALITY FOR, FOR PEOPLE, PROVIDE SOME, SOME TRAINING FOR THE TEMPORARY MM-HMM.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND HOW WE NEED TO BE, UM, MOVE WITH THE FUTURE.
I THINK IT'S GREAT TO START HAVING CONVERSATIONS NOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW COMPETITIVE WE WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
WE NEED TO BRING IN OUR PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS, BUSINESSES, AND CORPORATIONS.
AND, AND I THINK IT, IT'S A TALK NOT JUST TO HAVE IN, IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO IN PLANNING AND, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO MAYBE IT'S A B SESSION, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO START LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
I, I JOKED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, 'CAUSE I WORKED FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO, AND I WOULD SAY, DOESN'T MATTER, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN CYBERSECURITY OR THIS OR THAT, BECAUSE TOURISM WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF SAN ANTONIO, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND A JOB IN TOURISM, AND THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.
AND I SAW THAT GO AWAY REALLY FAST.
BUT WE'VE REBOUNDED BACK SO WELL, AND I THINK WE NEED TO LIVE, LIKE, LIVE LIKE THIS IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A CONVENTION TOWN.
THIS IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A FAMILY REUNION TOWN, A TOURISM TOWN, AND, AND A BIG SPORTS TOWN.
AND HOW DO WE DO THAT AND HOW DO WE DO THAT STRATEGICALLY? AND THE LAST ONE, AND THIS IS MAINLY FOR, I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH MARIA, ALEX, ERIC, NOW YOU'RE HEARING IT.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN, AND WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT FLOW AND GARAGES AND WALKABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE SO FAR WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT THAT'S GONNA NEED TO BE A PRIORITY MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU TO JUSTINA AND, UH, CRYSTAL, AND PATRICIA AND MARK AND ALL THE TEAM THAT'S HERE.
UM, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.
[01:15:01]
MY FELLOW, UH, BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE FROM VISIT SAN ANTONIO, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE.I'LL START OFF WITH CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES.
UM, AND SO THERE'S SOME PROPOSED REDUCTIONS IN POSITIONS.
UM, IS THAT PART OF A REORG OR A RESTRUCTURING PROCESS? AND ARE THEY GONNA BE REALLOCATED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS? YES.
SO THOSE, THIS IS PART OF A REORGANIZATION.
THOSE SEVEN POSITIONS AND THOSE POSITIONS ARE VACANT.
THEY'VE BEEN VACANT FOR OVER A COUPLE YEARS.
UM, AND THEN WHEN THE CARVER IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS, WHEN ARE THEY EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED, AND HOW MANY OR HOW MUCH DO WE ESTIMATE THAT IT'LL COST FOR ALL OF THEM? 166,000.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START AS SOON OCTOBER 1ST, UM, DOING THAT.
THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY LATEST, UH, THIRD, FOURTH QUARTER.
AND THAT'S JUST LIKE THE, SO THE 166 IS TOLD LIKE THE, THE MUST HAVE OR NOT THE, IS IT LIKE AN ASPIRATION? LIKE HOW DO WE MAKE THE CARVER THE BEST OR IS IT JUST THIS IS BARE MINIMUM.
THIS IS BARE MINIMUM WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW FOR THE EVENTS.
DO WE HAVE AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL, LIKE, OF WHAT WOULD NEED TO BE INVESTED IN THE CARVER TO KIND OF LIKE GET, GET TO BE NEXT LEVEL? WE DID, WE JUST, UH, COMPLETED, UM, AN ASSESSMENT STUDY OF, OF THE BUILDING, AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.
AND THEN, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE WENT TO, UH, I P W LAST YEAR IN ORLANDO, UM, WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT NOT BEING, UH, READY FOR I P W HERE WITH SOME OF THE STREET CULTURE, UH, UH, CLOSURES.
AND SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR FOLKS RIGHT? AT THE CONVENTION.
AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF OUR FOLKS ARE OKAY, WE'RE, UM, COME NOW WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT COME BACK AND SEE US LATER WHEN WE'RE DONE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO, AND I'M AFRAID THAT WE WILL LOSE THOSE PEOPLE OR THAT THEY DON'T COME BACK.
THERE'S NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, AND I KNOW, UM, THAT YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I'M WONDERING, AND I KNOW BEN HAS GOTTEN US TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE FINANCIALLY, UM, STABLE ENOUGH WHERE WE COULD BORROW AT THE LOWEST INTEREST RATES.
UM, AND SO I, I'D HOPE THAT, THAT YOU ALL ARE ALSO COORDINATING OR THINKING AHEAD OF THAT, UM, IN THE COMMITMENT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND LIKE WHAT WE CAN DO, LIKE THE FULLEST CAPACITY IS.
AND SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT, THAT I'M, I'M HOPEFUL BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT HAPPENS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO, UM, SO NOT JUST YOU AND PUBLIC WORKS, BUT ALSO LIKE WITH, WITH BEN'S TEAM AND EVERYONE, AND I'M, I JUST KIND OF WANT REASSURANCE THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? IT IS.
UM, AND SO THOSE, THOSE, THAT'S ALL FOR YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH DETAIL.
UM, AND THEN, UM, FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, AND WHILE CRYSTAL GETS UP HERE, ERIC, HAVE YOU WATCHED BLUE BEETLE YET? WHAT? BLUE BEETLE BUDGET SEASON? HE DOESN'T GO TO MOVIES DURING BUDGET.
THE BUDGET MOVIES AFTER BUDGET, THEN YOU CAN CELEBRATE.
I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERY TO GO WATCH IT.
SO, UM, CRYSTAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CAN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ARTS MAINTENANCE LINE ON ITEM OR ON SLIDE FOUR? UM, SO BEFORE THERE WAS, THERE WAS NO, UH, MAINTENANCE ALLOCATED.
I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN VRAN PUSHED FOR IT LAST YEAR, BUT CAN YOU MAYBE, IS $500,000 ENOUGH OR IT'S JUST A START? I THINK AS THE PUBLIC, OUR INVENTORY GROWS, IT MIGHT NEED TO BE REVISITED DOWN THE LINE, BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE POSITION, THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO MA UH, MANAGE.
I DO WANNA NOTE THAT WE DID HAVE ABOUT $88,000 A YEAR PREVIOUSLY.
AND WE WERE MAKING IT STRETCH, SO THANK YOU.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT START.
BUT THIS IS, AND YOU, YOU HEARD WHAT CRYSTAL SAID, SHE'S GOING FROM FIVE A YEAR TO 25.
AS, AS THEY, IF THEY, AS THEIR CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY GROWS AND THE NUMBER OF ART PIECES GROWS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE THAT OVER TIME.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT.
UM, BY THE WAY, THE PIECE ON I 35, UH, AND SMO IN MY DISTRICT, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME THAT IT WAS KIND OF KEPT UP WAS, BUT MAYBE WE COULD TALK OFFLINE.
UM, BUT THEN I ALSO MET WITH SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE WEST SIDE ARTS COALITION.
THEY WERE ADVOCATING FOR A INCREASED, UM, UM, FUNDS.
RIGHT? AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY PLAN TO INCREASE, UM, THE BUDGET FOR THIS GROUP, EVEN JUST BY A COUPLE PERCENTAGE POINTS OR EVEN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? AND HAVE YOU MET WITH THEM? UH, WE, WE HAVE MET WITH THEM, AND WE ARE HAVING THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THOSE SEVEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS TO LOOK AT OUR GRANT GUIDELINES.
WE ARE IN THE THIRD YEAR OF A THREE YEAR FUNDING CYCLE.
UM, SO THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
AND WE, AND WE'VE INVITED THEM AND THEY'VE ATTENDED, UH, ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT TO OFFER.
AND SO, UM, SO MORE ON THAT WHEN, WHEN I GO TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
UM, BUT WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FILM STRATEGIC PLAN? WELL, IT'S STILL IN EFFECT.
UH, SO YEAH, WE'RE STILL, UM, MARKETING, WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS.
WE HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, 293 FILM DAYS
[01:20:01]
A YEAR, WHICH HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, UH, FROM BEFORE.AND SO NOW IT'S JUST WE ARE MARKETING, WE'RE MEETING WITH FOLKS, AND WE'RE JUST WAITING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT STRIKE.
BUT WE'RE STILL HAVING THOSE MEETINGS IN ADVANCE.
GOT, WE DO ALSO HAVE, UM, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THERE WAS A CALL FOR MORE MEETUPS.
SO WE ACTUALLY ON THURSDAY, TOMORROW ARE HAVING A FILM MIXER, UH, AT OUR OFFICES, UH, FOR MANY FILMMAKERS TO COME OUT.
UM, AND WHILE YOU'RE ON FILM, HOW MANY APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE RESTORE FILM INCENTIVE FUND? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE IS THAT ANSWER TO MY PRAYER.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO MARKET IT EVEN MORE.
AND, AND MAINLY I WILL SAY WHAT HAPPENED IS THE STATE FUNDS THEIR FILM INCENTIVE AT A TWO YEAR PERIOD, THEY ONLY HAD $40 MILLION THE LAST SESSION.
THEY RAN OUTTA THAT MONEY IN THE FIRST YEAR.
SO THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO APPLY FOR OUR FILM INCENTIVE, BUT THEY'VE, THEY WEREN'T GONNA GET ANY STATE MONEY.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE NEW MEXICO OR GEORGIA.
SO NOW THAT THERE'S 200 MILLION AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE'RE REALLY PUSHING THAT LOCAL INCENTIVE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR EYES ON TEXAS NOW THAT THERE'S MONEY.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON THAT.
AND THEN THANK YOU FOR YOUR EMPHASIS ON SUPPORTING MACRI.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK THEY'RE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.
THEY DID A GREAT, UH, OPENING FOR, FOR BLUE BEETLE.
AND, UM, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING, AND I'LL BE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
HOW DO YOU PICK OUT YOUR ARTISTS? UH, YESTERDAY WE HAD A CONVERSATION WHERE COUNCILMAN WHITE BROUGHT UP SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING YOUR GUIDELINES, RIGHT? HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO, UM, UH, JUST GIMME SOME, SOME BACKGROUND? YEAH.
FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST PROJECT GRANTS, THEY DO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION.
THEY HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEIR PROJECT IS, WHAT IS THEIR CONCEPT, UM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHERE ARE THEY GONNA HAVE THIS EVENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT PANEL WITH EACH, UH, GENRE.
SO IF WE HAVE A PERFORMING ARTIST, IF WE HAVE A VISUAL ARTIST, WE PULL TOGETHER EXPERTS IN THOSE FIELDS TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND SCORE THEM.
THERE IS A EQUITY COMPONENT WHERE IF YOU MEET CERTAIN DIVERSITY, UM, CRITERIA, IF YOU'RE A WOMAN, IF YOU'RE LGBTQIA PLUS, UM, IF YOU ARE A BLACK INDIGENOUS LA LATINO, LA LATINX, ASIAN AMERICAN, YOU DO GET ADDITIONAL POINTS.
BUT IT'S THIS EVALUATION PANEL THAT ACTUALLY SCORES IT, THEY'RE EXPERTS IN THOSE FIELD.
AND THAT IS WHAT DETERMINES WHAT THE RANKING IS FOR THOSE ARTISTS.
DO WE GOOGLE THEM AND DO WE CHECK, LIKE, UM, I, HOW DO WE BACKGROUND CHECK? UM, I GUESS, LIKE, DO WE DO ANY BACKGROUND CHECKING ON THEM? UH, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY RUN BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE ARTISTS.
THESE ARE, UH, PROJECT GRANTS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CREATING THEIR PROJECTS AND THEY'RE PRESENTING IT TO THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT WE DO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM FOR REPORTING.
WE WORK WITH THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE PRESENTING.
THEY HAVE TO REPORT HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THEY HAVE TO HELP US MARKET THE EVENT.
SO THOSE ARE THE WAYS THAT WE WORK WITH THE ARTIST ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO, UM, AND SO, SO, AND I'M SURE COUNCILMAN WHITE WILL WILL PROBABLY ADD TO THIS.
UM, ACTUALLY, I'M JUST GONNA STOP THERE 'CAUSE I'M SURE HE'S GONNA ADD TO THIS.
I'LL GO ON TO VISIT IT SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MARK, AND WHILE MARK ANDERSON COMES UP, I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES ON THE METAVERSE NOW.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE WORKING ON IT.
SO CHECK IT OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT JUST YET.
UM, BUT THANK YOU, MARK, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, I WANNA START OFF WITH, UM, SO I MENTIONED THE WEST SIDE COALITION, AND I, I SENT OVER AN EMAIL TO YOU LAST, LAST WEEK.
YOU TOOK CARE OF IT IMMEDIATELY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, LIKE WITHIN A FEW MINUTES YOU TOOK CARE OF IT.
I HAD MY MEETING WITH THEM ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER, AND THEY WERE SO THANKFUL.
I, I WANTED TO, TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I THINK THAT, UM, AS A TOP DESI DESIGNATION, UH, OR DESTINATION TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE LOS MUTOS, I THINK CHEF JOHNNY DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
BUT I THINK THAT THE WEST SIDE COALITION NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED.
AND THESE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT LIVE AND BREATHE THE CULTURE EVERY SINGLE DAY, NOT JUST ONE MONTH A YEAR, UM, NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED.
SO, UM, SO, SO ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD DO TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE, UH, INCLUDING THEM AND INCLUDING THEIR, UM, THEIR AREAS AS WELL.
I HEARD FROM ONE OF THOSE GROUPS THAT, UM, THEY ONLY GET CALLED FOR LIKE A HALF HOUR SESSION, AND THAT'S IF SOMEBODY REALLY REQUESTS THEM.
AND SO I'D LOVE TO, TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD MARKET THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE THAT'S AUTHENTIC.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REAL AND TRUE, RIGHT? AND SO I'D LOVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW WE INCORPORATE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE LIKE A, A TACO COMPETITION OR ANYTHING.
AND I KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, UM, MARGARITAS AS WELL.
BUT I HEARD YESTERDAY FROM A FRIEND, UM, WHO WAS MEETING WITH SOMEBODY ELSE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY ONLY THINK OF SAN ANTONIO AS A FOOD PLACE, RIGHT? AND I GET IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE WANT TO BE CULINARY CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
BUT, UM, I'M WONDERING HOW YOU BREAK THAT STEREOTYPE THAT IT'S ALL FOCUSED ON FOOD AND THAT THAT'S WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT
[01:25:01]
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE, SOME, SOME REPUTATION.BUT ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE.
BUT I GUESS MARK, I'LL ANSWER.
WELL, ACTUALLY, I, I, I LOOK AT THAT AS A POSITIVE.
I MEAN, I, WE DON'T WANNA KNOW, BE KNOWN AS A SINGULAR THING, BUT WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD OVER THE PAST TWO PLUS YEARS TO NOT ONLY PROMOTE THAT WE ARE A UNESCO CITY OF GASTRONOMY, BUT THROUGH THE FOOD FESTIVAL THAT WE LAUNCHED LAST YEAR WITH THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AND CULINARY, WHICH IS COMING BACK AND, AND, UM, TAG LINING US IS THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
IT'S ONE OF THE KEY MESSAGES, BUT IT'S ONE OF ONLY SEVEN MESSAGES THAT WE ARE ON REPEAT WITH.
I MEAN, THE REST, UH, THE OTHER TARGETS ARE OUR HISTORY, OUR ARTS, OUR CULTURE, OUR DIVERSITY, OUR SPORTS, AND OUR ENTERTAINMENT, UM, AND MANY MORE.
SO, UM, UH, I, I THINK THAT THE INDIVI YOU SPOKE TO, I THINK MAYBE WAS JUST MAYBE A FOODIE AND EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE GREAT FOOD IN SAN ANTONIO AND IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF, BUT THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT STORIES THAT WE FOCUS ON FROM A MEDIA STANDPOINT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT MFI IS GOING TO BE RECEIVING SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED SUPPORT AND REALLY EXCITED THAT THEY FOUND A HOME IN DISTRICT FIVE FOR A PHYSICAL, UM, SPACE.
ON THE SIMILAR LINE OF THE MAINTENANCE FOR THE PUBLIC ART PIECES, I'M UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE FUNDING AND GOING FROM FIVE TO 25 IS A LOT OF STAFF CAPACITY.
UM, BUT, AND I KNOW IT'S MORE OF A POLICY CONVERSATION, BUT I'D LIKE TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT, UM, THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT MORE FROM THE HOT TAX.
I'M LOOKING AT THE BREAKDOWN OF THE 7% GENERAL OCCUPANCY TAX AND ADDITIONAL 2% FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, CAN SOMEONE REMIND ME, WHAT PERCENTAGE DOES, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE RECEIVE FROM THE HOT TAX? SO ARTS AND CULTURE RECEIVES 15%, 15%, MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S NET OF OUR DEBT OF OUR REQUIRED DEBT PAYMENT ON THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO OUT OF THE, THE PROPOSED, IT SAYS FISCAL YEAR 2024 IS BUDGETED 83.8 MILLION FROM THE HOT TAX.
SO WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD THAT BE FOR, FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT? SO THAT'S 15%.
SO THAT'S THE 11.8 MILLION THAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM THE HOT TAX.
AND, AND WITH THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I, I'D LIKE FOR US TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN FURTHER SUPPORT THE ARTS, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UH, AS MENTIONING, WE KNOW THAT THE CITY'S ARTS HAS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, AND THAT'S OUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SAN RO CULTURAL ARTS FOLKS OVER AT BLUE STAR SAFETY, ESP, ESP, PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, WHO ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, CURATING THIS ART THAT WE KNOW MANY TOURISTS GO INTO OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, TO GO EXPLORE.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE TOURIST BUS COME TO OUR COMMUNITY TO GO WATCH ALL THE MURALS AND TO COME TO OUR COMMUNITY ART SPACES.
BUT HIGHLIGHTING THAT IT'S, IT'S THE WORK OF THESE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS, UM, THAT REALLY MAKE SAN ANTONIO SHINE.
UH, WITH THAT, YESTERDAY WE HAD THE KICKOFF FOR THE D A C CS, UH, UH, EVENTS.
SO THANK YOU TO THE ARTS DEPARTMENT FOR THAT.
UM, THE COMMUNITY WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, RIGHT? JUST GIVEN THE, THE COST OF THINGS GOING UP, PARTICULARLY IN THE WEST SIDE, UM, OVER AT THE AV THE, UM, CULTURAL ARTS SPACE, RIGHT? THINGS ARE JUST GOING UP AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE, UH, TO RENT THESE SPACES.
UM, I WANTED TO SHIFT OVER TO VISIT SA.
CAN SOMEONE ON CITY SNAP SHARE A LITTLE BIT? WH WHAT'S THE, THE DIFFERENCE OF ARTS AND CULTURAL AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UH, LIKE CENTRO? UM, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT CENTRO'S DOING, UH, E D D AND THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT? LET ME ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
YOU ASKING ABOUT CENTRO SAN ANTONIO? Y YEAH.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORK, UM, THE ARTS DEPARTMENT'S DOING AND NON-PROFIT OR, OR, OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CENTRAL AND WHAT VISIT SA IS DOING? WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO ART, UM, CENTRAL SAN ANTONIO, MOST OF THE ART PROJECTS THEY DO ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE CITY, PRIMARILY THE HOUSTON STREET TOURS.
SO THEY DO THE MURALS AND THE COLLABORATIONS WITH THE ARTISTS AND THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND THEY DO PRIVATE FUNDRAISING AS WELL TO HELP MAKE THAT MURAL HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT ART EVERYWHERE PROJECT IS REALLY A COLLABORATION WITH US, UM, AND PARTIALLY FUNDED, BUT THEY DO OTHER FUNDING IN ADDITION TO THAT.
NOW, VISIT SAN ANTONIO, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY DO ART.
AND I'LL ASK MARK IF YOU, IF HE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
BUT THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS WHEN WE PARTNER
[01:30:01]
WITH RO, IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP COMPONENT WHERE THEY'RE BRINGING ON PRIVATE DOLLARS TO HELP FACILITATE THAT ARTWORK.UH, LORI, AND, AND I'M ASKING RIGHT, BECAUSE I, I, I THINK THEY ALL DO GREAT WORK, BUT LOOKING AT 30 MILLION FOR VISIT SA, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE ARTS AND CULTURAL BUDGET AT 13.1 MILLION, AND IT'S HIGHER THAN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET AT 17.7 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WITH A C S BEING A HUGE PRIORITY, UM, A C S IS RECEIVING LESS AT 26.9 MILLION.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS, UH, A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE.
UM, BUT JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PRIORITIES OF OUR CONSTITUENCY, AGAIN, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT DOES HAVE ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT IT HAS BUFFERS, RIGHT? AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE CONSTITUENCIES OUTSIDE OF JUST DOWNTOWN, UH, WITH THEIR NEEDS WHEN IT COMES TO STREETS, SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE, AND BEYOND.
UM, AND I WANTED TO BE SURE I HIGHLIGHTED THAT BECAUSE, UH, I'VE ALSO MET WITH THE, THE WEST SIDE ARTS COALITION WHO HASN'T SEEN AN INCREASE IN GRANTS AND, AND IN SOME TIME AND AGAIN, RIGHT? THESE ARE THE FOLKS CURATING THE ART THAT'S DRIVING THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SEE IS IF WE COULD INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR OUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND FOR OUR ARTS DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE THOSE GRANTS TO FOLKS DOING AND CURATING THAT ART.
UH, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA.
I'LL START WITH, UM, PATRICIA, UM, THE EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE, THE, UH, THE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
WE, I, I THINK WHEN I, WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION, IT WAS, I WAS REMINDED THAT WE HAVE THESE REALLY WORLD CLASS AMENITIES IN OUR CITY.
UM, A LOT OF THEM NEED UPDATING AND WE NEED TO INVEST IN THAT.
UM, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE ALAMODOME SPECIFICALLY.
WE JUST, OR THE COUNTY JUST WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RENAMING THEIR, UM, NOW FROST CENTER.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT SELLING THE NAMING RIGHTS FOR THE ALMO DOM? WELL, ACTUALLY, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE AN ITEM COMING, UH, FORTH TO COUNCIL IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, UM, WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE RECOMMENDING A CONSULTANT, A SPONSORSHIP TO SELL SPONSORSHIPS ON THE ALAMO DOM, INCLUDING A NAMING RIGHTS COUNCIL WOMAN.
SO THAT COULD BE ANOTHER, UH, POTENTIAL REVENUE GENERATOR.
COULD IT OFFSET SOME OF THE, UM, POTENTIAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING? WELL, I GUESS THAT'S MORE RHETORICAL.
MAYBE IT COULD OFFSET SOME OF THAT
THAT WAS REALLY ALL I HAD FOR YOU.
UM, AND FOR CRYSTAL AND ARTS AND CULTURE, UM, DO WE HAVE A, YOU YOU MENTIONED A PARTNERSHIP WITH V S A.
WILL YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? YES.
WE, WE TALK TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO QUITE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY THEIR MARKETING TEAM.
WE'RE ALWAYS PUSHING, UM, YOU KNOW, EVENTS TO THEIR CALENDAR AND VICE VERSA.
UH, WE'RE ALSO HOSTING MEDIA THAT THEY BRING TO TOWN TO ARTS PROGRAMS, GIVING THEM CONTACTS WITH OUR, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN WE'LL EVEN PARTNER IF THEY'RE HAVING A MEDIA MISSION TO LET'S SAY, NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES, WHERE THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON MA MAJOR MEDIA.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO CONNECT THEM TO OUR ARTIST REGISTRY TO FIND ARTISTS THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON THE ROAD WITH THEM.
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN SUCH, SUCH GREAT PARTNERS IN MAKING SURE THOSE ARTISTS ARE PAID WHILE THEY'RE GOING TO THOSE DESTINATIONS.
THOSE ARE JUST A FEW, UM, ELEMENTS.
WE ALSO ARE HELPING WITH WEBSITE CONTENT.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, DAY OF THE DEAD CONTENT.
UH, WE HELP MAKE SURE, HEY, MAKE SURE THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION IS COVERED.
UM, AND SO IT'S JUST A, A CONSTANT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE OUR ARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING REPRESENTED IN OUR PROMOTIONS TO OUTSIDE VISITORS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, WE ARE, SAN ANTONIO'S BEEN THE BEDROCK FOR MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS, AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT FOR US TO, TO, TO BE THE CENTER, ESPECIALLY THE, THE WEST SIDE, DISTRICT FIVE, AND, UM, TO CONTINUE THEIR SUPPORT.
HAVING SAID THAT, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD INCREASE THEIR FUNDING.
I HAVE A, I'M GONNA INVITE MARK UP.
I, UM, I, I SEE IN YOUR OVERVIEW PRESENTATION OVERVIEW, YOU MENTIONED THE R O A R O I AND CLAYTON PERRY, WHEREVER YOU ARE, THIS IS FOR YOU.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE DOING, SAYING THIS, BUT, UM, I DIDN'T SEE THE R O I ANALYSIS IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE THAT? I MEAN, YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY SEND BREAKDOWN OF IT.
I MEAN, THE MOST RECENT WAS THE 2022 NUMBERS THAT WE, THAT WE, UM, RELEASED ABOUT 45 DAYS AGO WITH WAS THE $19 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR 2020 2, 260 3 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE.
AND THEN WE SUPPORTED OVER 140,000 LOCAL JOBS.
I'M, I'M HEARING A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT.
WHAT I'M, I'M, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS HOW YOU'RE QUANTIFYING THE DIRECT IMPACT V S A IS MAKING ON OUR ECONOMY AND OUR RECOVERY.
I, UH, THAT, THAT YOU ALONE, UM, YES.
NOT, NOT, NOT WITH HELP FROM OTHER PARTNERS THAT, THAT B S A ITSELF IS DOING.
THE REASON I SAY THAT IS, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THAT HOT TAX, I THINK ARE HOT.
[01:35:01]
A REDUNDANT TO SAY HOT TAX, RIGHT? I THINK IT JUST SOUNDS BETTER TO SAY HOT TAX.BUT, UM, I HEAR THAT ARTS IS GETTING 15% OF THE, OF THE H O T, CORRECT.
UM, MTI IS GETTING HOW MUCH, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE, DO YOU KNOW, ERIC UMM IS GETTING PERCENT, BUT IT'S WITHIN THAT GOOD MOCKERY FROM THE HOTEL.
OCCUPANCY TAX IS GETTING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THEY'RE GETTING ANOTHER 150,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO, SO A TOTAL OF TWO 50, NOT EVEN RATING ON A PERCENTAGE.
SO THE, WHAT'S THE, IN THE 11.8 THAT THAT ARTS AND CULTURE ALREADY GETS? YEAH, OKAY.
SO THE PERCENTAGE THAT OF THE HOT THAT V S A GETS IS WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO GETS IS 35% NET OF THE CONVENTION CENTER DEBT PAYMENT.
SO, I, I PROPOSE THAT WE, UM, ALLOCATE THAT DIFFERENTLY AND THAT WE, THAT A PERCENTAGE, ACTUAL PERCENTAGE GOES TO MOCKERY AS WE GET THAT GOING AND THAT WE INCREASE IT TO ARTS.
UM, THAT I THINK HAS ALREADY BEEN PROPOSED, BUT IT COMES FROM HOT, BECAUSE I THINK, UH, GIVEN WHAT CRYSTAL JUST SAID ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, UH, A LOT OF IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S HAPPENING AT, AT WITH ARTS AND CULTURE, AND I THINK I'D LIKE TO BRING THAT UNDER ARTS AND CULTURE AS OPPOSED TO V S A, THE, THE, UM, AND I AWAIT THE, THE, THE CALCULUS, YOU KNOW, THE R O I.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S MY, THAT'S WHAT I PROPOSE.
UM, I DO WANNA MENTION TO YOU TOO, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE HAD A ZOOM MEETING, UM, WHERE YOU PRESENTED ME THE, UH, THE THE REAL AND TRUE, UM, CAMPAIGN MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S NO SURPRISE TO YOU.
I SAID, THAT DAY, I DON'T LIKE IT.
UM, AND I THINK A WEEK LATER IT WAS, UM, PRESENTED TO THE WORLD.
SO I, I, I HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT IT BECAUSE I, I APPRECIATE, I MEAN, HERE YOU SAY EMPHASIS ON HISTORY, CULINARY, OUTDOOR, FUN MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS, ARTS AND CULTURE MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS, ARTS AND CULTURE IS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF, UM, IN-HOUSE.
AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU PARTNER, BUT, UM, HISTORY, CULINARY, OUTDOOR, FUN, THOSE ARE ALL I UNDERSTAND ATTRACTIONS TO THE CITY, BUT WE'RE SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
AND EVERY PR UM, UH, COMPANY THAT'S COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL SINCE THAT MEETING HAS PAID THE PRICE.
BUT I, I'M, I'M REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, ALL WE BRING OUT IS FOLK LOCO DANCERS AND SHADOWS AND MARIACHIS.
AND, AND I LOVE ALL OF THIS STUFF.
IT'S BIG PART OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE, BUT IT'S NOT ALL OF WHO WE ARE.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND AGAIN, I SAY THIS TO EVERY PR UH, COMPANY THAT COMES IN FRONT OF US, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO SAY IT TO YOU.
I, I, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TALK MORE ABOUT SAN ANTONIO AS A CITY OF THE FUTURE, NOT JUST A CITY THAT'S STUCK IN THE PAST.
AND I WAS IN, UM, OVER THE, THE SUMMER I WAS AT NALEO, AND I WAS IN A, A TIMES SQUARE AND, UH, SAW THE REAL AND TRUE, UH, I SAW IT IN TIMES SQUARE AND MY HEART SUNG BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH, IT WAS JUST TROPES OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S NOT, I THINK, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO PORTRAY AS A CITY FOR TOURISM, FOR BUSINESS, FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS.
SO AS, AS WE LOOK AT RENEWING THE, THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN, I WOULD ASK YOU TO COME TO THE COUNCIL, UM, MORE, MORE, UM, MORE IN ADVANCE WHEN YOU'RE GONNA RELEASE THE, THE CAMPAIGN, UM, JUST TO GIVE US, TO GET FEEDBACK.
REMEMBER, WE'RE REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY OURSELVES, AND, UM, AND THE, UH, I, I MEAN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SHOWING SAN ANTONIO AS WE SEE OURSELVES AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, THE, UM, ON THAT SAME TOKEN, WE DON'T GET, UH, FOR AS MUCH, UH, AS, AS AS WE'RE GIVING, UM, AS A CITY TO, AND, AND, AND WITH THE HOT, WE, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS UNTIL IT'S BUDGET TIME.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN COME BACK PERIODICALLY AND TALK WITH US ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST AT BUDGET TIME OR IT'S NOT RIGHT BEFORE A CAMPAIGN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT, UM, COMMUNICATION.
SO IT CAN BE A TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION.
WE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS NOT JUST ONCE A YEAR.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I WILL SAY, UM, THAT I DID ATTEND I P W AND IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.
I, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS WELL DONE.
UM, AND I DO HOPE THAT THAT WOULD, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL BRING IN, UH, REVENUE.
I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE EXPRESSING OURSELVES AS A CITY TO THE WORLD, UM, AS, AS WHO WE ARE TODAY, NOT, NOT WHO WE HAVE BEEN.
THE, MY ONLY COMMENT WOULD BE ONE OF OUR OTHER KEY PILLARS IS THE GROWTH AND EVOLUTION OF OUR CITY.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AT I P W IS ALS IS EDUCATING, UH, NOT ONLY THE DOMESTIC TRAVELER, BUT THAT GLOBAL TRAVELER, THAT WE ARE THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT IS THAT WE ARE, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, WE ARE THE FASTEST GROWING BIG CITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND THAT GROWTH AND EVOLUTION IS KEY TO OUR SUCCESS, AS IS OUR HISTORY AND THE, THE PRESERVATION OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR HERITAGE.
THAT DOESN'T SHOW IN IN THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN, THOUGH.
ALL OF THAT IS ACCURATE, AND I AGREE.
[01:40:01]
UM, I THINK EVERYBODY'S PHONES ARE GOING OFF.BUT, UH, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I, I JUST WANNA, UH, SUPPORT THE, THE IDEA OR THE, THE, THE CONCEPT OF GIVING SOME, UH, MORE FUNDING TO THE WEST SIDE ARTS COALITION.
I THINK THAT THEY ARE, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, GRASSROOTS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AND THEY'RE GETTING ACCREDITED FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL.
HDA, UM, DO WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STATUTE RELATED TO LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF HOT TAX? YEAH, LET ME, I WAS JUST GONNA LEAN OVER AND, AND TALK TO THE COUNCILWOMAN.
SO, UM, THERE ARE STATUTORY LIMITATIONS.
IT'S UP TO 15% FOR HISTORY AND TOURISM, AND, AND UP TO 35% FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
WE ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, AN AGREEMENT WHERE WE, UM, HAVE CONTRACTED TO INCREASE THOSE ALLOCATIONS.
SO THE, THE ISSUE ABOUT ADJUSTING THOSE IS, IS MORE OF A LONG-TERM CONVERSATION THAT, THAT I THINK MIMI, YOU WERE, UH, INDICATING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, BUT WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO GO WITHIN THE, THE CURRENT STATE LAW BOUNDARIES.
UM, AND, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
CAN I, THAT, UM, WE'LL COME BACK AROUND.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTE, VITO.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAD A REALLY QUICK QUESTION ON, UH, FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THIS, LIKE THE 15% FOR HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, WHO OWNS THAT PIECE? SO IT'S PART OF THE OCCUPANCY TAX, BUT IT'S TRANSFERRED INTO THE GENERAL FUND, AND IT HELPS SUPPORT ITEMS SUCH AS OUR RIVERWALK MAINTENANCE.
UM, SORRY, LEMME PULL THIS UP.
SO OUR, HIS, THE RIVERWALK MAINTENANCE, UM, OUR DOWNTOWN PARKS, THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, SO THE LUE AND SPANISH GOVERNORS.
SO THAT HELPS PAY TO SUPPORT THOSE FUNCTIONS.
UH, WHO'S OVERSEEING ALL OF THOSE? THOSE, SO PART OF IT, IT FALLS UNDER THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, REALLY, UH, JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, UH, FOR THE CONVENTIONS AND SPORTS FACILITIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH VIA, HAS IT HELPED IN MAKING THE CONGESTION TO THE ALAMO DOME LIGHTER? IS IT WORKING? IS IT NOT? ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES THERE? THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THEY WILL BE, UM, ASSISTING WITH VIA PARK AND RIDE, UH, AT TOMORROW'S, UH, NIGHT'S CONCERT.
UM, THE DIFFICULTY, UM, THERE SOMETIMES IS THAT, UH, USUALLY ONLY THE CROSS LOADS LOCATION IS UTILIZED, UM, AND THEY'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND SO, UM, WE CONVENE, UH, MEETINGS WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING VIA, UM, TRANSPORTATION, SS A P D TRANSPORTATION TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE TRAFFIC FOR EVERY SINGLE, UM, EVENT.
WE DID, UH, WE HAD ONE MEETING JUST YESTERDAY TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCERT TOMORROW NIGHT, AS WELL AS U T SS A FOOTBALL AND WE'RE WE'LL CONVENE AGAIN BEFORE THE TWO CONCERTS COMING UP NEXT MONTH.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO STAY UPDATED ON THAT BECAUSE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MAKE BETTER, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE HOW RIGHT NOW WITH IDEAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF PEOPLE CAN START RELYING ON PARK AND RIGHT.
TO GET THEM AND NOT BE STUCK ON TRAFFIC MM-HMM.
WE'VE INCREASED A LOT OF MESSAGING ALSO LAST YEAR, UM, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW TO GET HERE EARLY.
IS AVAILABLE WHERE TO TAKE IT.
UM, IT IS JUST CHALLENGING WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LIVE ON THE NO SIDE GOING TO CROSSROADS TO MM-HMM.
BUT WE'RE DOING GREAT STRIDES ALSO WITH RIDE SHARE.
UM, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE FOR CRYSTAL DO, AND, YOU KNOW, HADN'T HAD A BRIEFING YET, SO I WAS CURIOUS, DO WE HAVE A MAP, I'M SURE WE DO, OF WHERE ALL THE, UH, ART PIECES ARE ACROSS THE WE DO, IT'S ON SAN ANTONIO.GOV/ARTS.
ROCHA GARCIA, I LOVE ALL THE TITLES, UM, MADE ON THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANT.
WHAT DOES THE TIMELINE LOOK LIKE FOR WHEN THE ARTIST APPLIES TO WHEN ACTUALLY THEY'RE PAID OUT OR, YEAH, SO THE, SO THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN THE, LIKE MID-SPRING TIMEFRAME.
[01:45:01]
EVALUATIONS HAPPEN UNTIL ABOUT JUNE.JULY IS WHEN IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND THEN THE CONTRACTS WILL GO INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
UM, JUST GONNA PUT THIS BUG IN YOUR EAR.
I HAVE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA DO SOME ART FOR THE CITY THAT THEY LOVE.
UM, JUST THE TIMELINE'S TOO LONG ON, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY GET PAID OUT AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE A LARGE INITIAL INVESTMENT, I GUESS, TO MAKE THE ART PIECES, AND IT, IT'S JUST CUMBERSOME FOR THEM.
BUT YOU AND I CAN TALK OFFLINE ON SOME, SOME SPECIFIC FEEDBACK.
BUT I'VE HEARD THAT FROM A COUPLE RESIDENTS NOW.
UM, I LOVE THE THOUGHT OF THE MAINTENANCE AND, AND THAT POSITION FOR THE MAINTENANCE.
I'M ASSUMING THEY WOULD CREATE KIND OF A MAINTENANCE PLAN AND WE'D BE ABLE TO SEE THAT LIKE, HEY, THEY'RE GONNA BE AT THESE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AT THIS TIME.
AND I WILL SAY WE HAVE 18 PROJECTS IDENTIFIED THAT ARE IN DIRE NEED OF MAINTENANCE.
AND SO THE PERSON THAT WOULD COME IN WOULD START ON THOSE PROJECTS AS THEY'RE ALSO BUILDING OUT THE REST OF THE LIST OF THE 25.
AND THEN BUILDING A THREE YEAR MAINTENANCE PLAN SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW THIS PROJECT IS UP FOR MAINTENANCE AND THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON.
AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY BRIEF EACH COUNCIL OFFICE.
AND THEN ON SLIDE 10, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE ART DEPARTMENT LOOK LIKE? WE, WE MEET WITH THEM WEEKLY, UH, IF NOT, UH, MORE OFTEN.
AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY IN COMMUNICATION OF FIRST WHERE YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS BEING HELD ABOUT THE DESIGN PHASE, ALL THE WAY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF A, A BOND PROJECT IS COMING YOUR WAY.
AND THEN AS SOON AS THE, THE DESIGN OF THAT PROJECT IS IN A, IS IN A, UM, PLACE WHERE COMMUNITY CAN START TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, THAT'S WHEN WE BRING IN THE ARTIST AND ARCHITECTS TO LOOK AT WHERE CAN ART GO, WHETHER IT'S A SCULPTURE OR A MURAL.
SO WE'RE REALLY WITH THEM AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF A PROJECT TO THE VERY END.
SO Y'ALL, SO THEN Y'ALL ARE PARTNERING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, REALLY JUST TO GET THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, BUT NOT IN TERMS OF INSTALLATION AND OH, THEY'RE MESSING UP THIS STREET AND NO, IT, IT'S, IT'S DESIGNED TO, SO, SO REALLY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC ART PIECES ARE RELIANT ON A PROJECT BEING DONE.
LET'S SAY IF PUBLIC WORKS IS BUILDING A BUILDING MM-HMM.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE END, UH, IN TERMS OF WHEN THE STREET CONSTRUCTION IS GONE, AND WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE IN AND DO A, A MURAL OR A SCULPTURE.
SO IT'S MORE THAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IT'S ACTUALLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE DESIGN PROCESS AND EVEN WORKING WITH THEM ON, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOKING AT SOIL SAMPLES AND I MEAN, LOOKING AT DESIGNING A PIECE THAT'S NOT GOING TO, UH, RUIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE DESIGN THAT THEY'RE DOING.
I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH THEM ON THE DESIGN ALL THE WAY FROM BEGINNING TO END.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH PARKS AND REC TOO.
THAT'S, THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY SECOND QUESTION.
SO, AND BECAUSE PUBLIC WORKS TAKES A A LOT ON THOSE OF THOSE EVEN PARKS PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH PARKS AND REC LIBRARIES IF IT'S A LIBRARY, S A P D, IF THEY HAVE A NEW, UH, STATION AND WE HAVE PUBLIC ART AS A PART OF IT, WE'RE WORKING WITH ANY KIND OF PARTNER DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR PUBLIC ART.
BUT ALSO WE REALLY WORK A LOT WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LOCKSTEP WITH DESIGN.
WE DON'T WANNA CREATE A PIECE THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK FOR THE OVERALL CONCEPT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND JUST AS WE'VE, UH, MENTIONED TO PUBLIC WORKS, YOU KNOW, USE OUR COUNCIL OFFICES TO COMMUNICATE THIS OUT TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT US TO HEAR THE LATEST AND GREATEST OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, SOMETIMES WE NEED TO TUG ON PUBLIC WORKS, UM, MORE TIMES THAN NOT TO LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON SO THAT WAY WE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THEN A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS FOR MARK FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THANKS, UH, SO MUCH FOR ALL THIS WORK.
I WAS CURIOUS, HOW BIG IS THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO TEAM? WE'RE AT AROUND 75 FTS.
UM, AND I WAS ACTUALLY ALSO CURIOUS AT SOME OF Y'ALLS KPIS AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SIT DOWN FOR, UH, A MORE THOROUGH BRIEFING LATER, BUT SURE.
YOU KNOW, I WAS, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT Y'ALL TRACK ATTENDANCE.
I WAS CURIOUS LIKE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, WHERE THEY'RE NOT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HOST THEIR CONVENTION HERE, YOU KNOW, UH, ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS? I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN.
I MEAN, WELL, WE'VE LOST IN THE ANALYSIS.
WE RECENTLY DID WHY THE CONVENTIONS WEREN'T COMING HERE.
WE LOST ABOUT $521 MILLION IN BUSINESS.
'CAUSE THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS TOO SMALL.
WE UNCOVERED 94 CONVENTIONS THAT IF WE COULD GROW THE CONVENTION CENTER BY 200,000 SQUARE FEET, WE COULD, UM, BRING ABOUT $921 MILLION IN BUSINESS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THAT.
OUR AIRLIFT IS, UM, DIFFICULT.
THAT'S WHY THE $2.5 BILLION EXPANSION IS MUCH NEEDED.
UH, WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS STILL DIFFICULT MM-HMM.
AND IF IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ATTENDEES, NOT ONLY DOMESTICALLY, BUT ALSO GLOBALLY TO GET HERE, THEN THAT'S ANOTHER REASON, UM, WHY SOMEONE
[01:50:01]
MAY NOT CHOOSE.WE HAVE A CLIENT ACTUALLY THAT JUST LEFT YESTERDAY THAT'S LOOKING FOR A RELOCATING THEIR MEETING FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS.
AND THAT WAS THE MAJOR CONCERN WAS AIRLIFT.
UM, SO I'VE HEARD THE FEEDBACK IN THE PAST THAT MOST OF OUR VISITORS ARE COMING FROM LOCAL, IN AND AROUND TEXAS, YOU KNOW, OKLAHOMA AND STUFF.
IS THAT TRUE OR DO, DO WE KNOW WHERE MOST OF OUR DOMESTIC VISITORS ARE, ARE FROM? UH, SO THE 41 MILLION PEOPLE THAT CAN DRIVE INTO SAN ANTONIO MM-HMM.
I WILL SAY THAT PROBABLY 90% OF OUR BUSINESS COMES FROM THAT 41 MILLION PEOPLE THAT CAN DRIVE IN.
THAT IS NOT UNIQUE THOUGH, TO OTHER DESTINATIONS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DID TWO YEARS AGO IS THAT WE WENT ON, WE WENT ALL ON FOR OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN MM-HMM.
WE ALSO KEPT THE FOCUS ON THE MORE 41 BILLION PEOPLE THAT COULD DRIVE INTO SAN ANTONIO, BUT WE NOW ARE ALSO FOCUSING ON MAJOR CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
AND THEN, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE TAKING THE MESSAGE GLOBALLY AS WELL.
AND WE CAN, UH, DIVE INTO MORE OF THOSE DETAILS WHEN WE SIT DOWN FOR 1 0 1.
IF I, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M, I DID WANNA JUST TOUCH ON, UM, THE R O I THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN CA CAO.
HOWEVER, I MENTIONED SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE BOOKED 42 CONVENTIONS FOR THE, FOR, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER INTO SAN ANTONIO.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THOSE 42 CONVENTIONS IS MORE THAN $271 MILLION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTE GATO, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WOULD LIKE ALL THE PRESENTERS TO COME UP JUST SO I CAN SEE YOU
UH, ALL OF MY COMMENTS ARE CONNECTED TO, I THINK ALL THREE OF YOUR OFFICES.
AND SO I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU GUYS ARE PRESENTED PRESENTING ALTOGETHER.
AND I THINK EVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, WOULD'VE BEEN A FANTASTIC PARTNER HERE.
UM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DISTRICT TWO, THE EAST SIDE IN PARTICULAR HAS A VERY STRONG AND DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO, UM, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO OR TEXAS, BUT FOR OUR NATION.
UM, WE HAVE THE LARGEST M L K MARCH IN THE NATION, THEREFORE THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND HAVE SEEN OUR JUNETEENTH PARADE AND CELEBRATION GROW TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UM, WITH THE AT T CENTER NOW, THE FROST BANK SENSOR, UM, THE ALAMO DOME, THE CARVER CULTURAL CENTER, THE RED BARRIER ESTATE, SUNSET STATION, OUR HISTORIC EAST SIDE CEMETERIES, WHICH ARE THE OLDEST IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, WITH ALAMO CITY STUDIOS, THE MUSEUM, LIGHTHOUSE IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT, THE CARVER, THE ZOO.
UM, AND WITH SOME OF THE BEST FOOD IN THE CITY, ARGUE, WHICH YOUR MOM AND NOT ME, WE HAVE THE FOUNDATION TO CREATE A THRIVING DISTRICT, UM, PARTICULARLY AS AN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND I CONSIDER IT OUR JOB COLLECTIVELY TO GET THERE.
AND I THINK AMONG A FEW OTHERS, Y'ALL'S OFFICES HOLD THE SOLUTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT IT'S HARD TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THESE TREMENDOUS ASSETS, UM, AND THEIR BENEFITS TO THE LIVES OF MY CONSTITUENTS.
UM, TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR DESIGNATION AS A CREATIVE CITY OF A GASTRONOMY WITH MY DISTRICT'S RESTAURANTS, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GAMES AND CONCERTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE ALMO DOME AND FROST BANK CENTER TO OUR DISTRICT'S, SMALL BUSINESSES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN, UM, OUR EFFORTS TO BUILD A STRONG TOURIST DESTINATION AND EFFORTS TO ENSURE EXISTING RESIDENTS HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN OUR DISTRICT.
UM, AND THERE'S, AS I SAID, THERE'S A BIG DISCONNECT.
YESTERDAY I REFERENCED THE, UM, THE FROST BANK CENTER.
AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ARE MORE DIRECT INITIATIVES AND EFFORTS TO ACTIVATE AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN BEGGING FOR INVESTMENT, THAT HAVE ALL THE TOOLS, ALL THE ASSETS ALREADY THERE TO THRIVE.
UM, FOR VISIT, SAY, I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE JUNETEENTH GROW, AS I SAID, AND IF WE'RE BEING REAL, UM, JUNETEENTH IS THE REAL INDEPENDENCE DAY, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT UNTIL JUNE 19TH, UM, 1865 THAT BLACK PEOPLE IN TEXAS WERE FINALLY MADE AWARE OF THEIR FREEDOM.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AS A CITY PRIORITIZE FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY IN A MUCH LARGER WAY.
THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS DOING THE WORK.
UM, SO WE JUST HAVE THE EASY JOB OF FINDING MONEY TO SUPPORT THEM.
UM, IF WE HAVE THE LARGEST M L K MARCH IN THE NATION, AND ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR, THE LARGEST SASA CHAVEZ MARCH IN THE NATION, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND ADD JUNETEENTH TO THE LIST.
AND THE I'LL, I'LL STICK WITH VISIT ESSAY FOR A MINUTE.
THE REALITY OF MY SITUATION IS THAT AS A BLACK MAN AND AS A MEMBER OF THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY, WHEN I TRAVEL, I HAVE TO DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHERE I CAN TRAVEL TO AND BE SAFE.
UM, SO WHEN I SEARCH UP, IS SAN
[01:55:01]
ANTONIO A SAFE TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY? LARGELY, I GET POSITIVE RESULTS, BUT RECENTLY, AS A RESULT OF ATTACKS FROM OUR STATE LEGISLATURE, I'M ASKED TO SPEAK TO AND EMPLOYEES AND TRAVELERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY AHEAD OF CONFERENCES, TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES IN A FIRM AND, AND AFFIRM THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A SAFE PLACE FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.WHEN I LOOK UP, IS SAN ANTONIO A SAFE PLACE FOR BLACK PEOPLE TO TRAVEL? I GET MUCH MORE MIXED RESULTS.
UM, SO THE CHALLENGE I HAVE FOR US ALL IS HOW DO WE MARKET SAN ANTONIO AS A SAFE TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR BLACK PEOPLE, FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND FOR OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUP WHO DO THE SAME KIND OF RESEARCH THAT I DO.
AND I THINK THE STARTING POINT THERE IS, AND THIS GOES TO THE CITY, IS WE HAVE TO START BY MAKING IT AN ACTUALLY SAFE PLACE FOR THESE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UM, AS IT RELATES TO CONNECTING ASSETS TO RESIDENTS.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'VE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM MY SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THIS MIGHT BE GOOD FOR, UH, UH, CONVENTION AND SPORTS.
UM, I'VE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM MY SMALL, SMALL BUSINESSES RECOMMENDING THAT AT FACILITIES LIKE THE ALAMO DOME, WE INSTALL WAYFINDING DISPLAYS THAT DISPLAY LOCAL SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS IN THE AREA.
BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME, IF SOMEONE'S TRAVELING OR THEY'RE VISITING, THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO THE CHAINS.
THEY WANT TO GO TO WHAT IS LOCAL AND WHAT FEELS MOST, UH, AUTHENTIC TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE ALREADY IN.
UM, THIS COULD BE DONE ALSO AT THE AIRPORT, SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, BUT CITYWIDE UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ATTRACT TRAVELERS.
UM, REGARDING ARTS, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE OUR FILM INDUSTRY IN SAN ANTONIO GROW.
UM, ONE OF THE PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THAT WE'VE RECENTLY FUNDED THROUGH TOURS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, HAS BEEN THE EAST SIDE YOUTH CONTENT CREATOR PROGRAM.
THIS YEAR, THE KIDS JUST WRAPPED UP AND WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR CELEBRATION AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
AND I'LL BE INVITING ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, 25 KIDS MADE 10 FILMS IN ONLY EIGHT WEEKS OVER THE SUMMER.
AND FOR THE, FOR THE FIRST TIME THESE KIDS, THEY PICKED UP INDUSTRY STANDARD CAMERAS, USED PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT AND EDITING SOFTWARE, AND THEY'RE SHOWING FILMS AT FESTIVALS, WINNING AWARDS, AND BOOKING JOBS.
SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT WE ARE CULTIVATING THE FILMMAKERS OF THE FUTURE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM EVENTUALLY EXPANDED.
UM, I THINK THERE'S NO REASON THAT KIDS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO SHOULDN'T BE PARTICIPATING IN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
SO AS AN ASK, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM FUNDED FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO TO MY COLLEAGUES, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FOR THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, I ALSO MENTIONED TO THE M L K MARCH, AND THIS YEAR, I HOPE Y'ALL KNOW WE ARE FIRED UP AND EXCITED.
UM, THE COMMISSION IS WORKING HARD TO PLAN OUR USUAL EVENTS, OF COURSE, TO INCLUDE THE MARCH AND HOPING TO BRING SOME AMAZING SPECIAL GUESTS.
AND I THINK Y'ALL WILL LOVE IT.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FREQUENT THE EAST SIDE OR HAVE ATTENDED THE MARCH, YOU'LL NOTE THAT THE MURAL ON THE NORTH NEW BRAUN, THE NORTH NEW BRAUNFELS STREET BRIDGE IS EXTREMELY FADED.
IT LOOKS LIKE A A BLANK COLORING BOOK PAGE AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO AROUND THE TIME OF THE MARCH, WE GET A TON OF CALLS ASKING FOR IT TO BE REDONE.
THERE'S A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, IS SOME MONEY SET ASIDE TO HOLD AN ART CONTEST AND INSTALL A NEW MURAL.
IT WOULD BE A VERY IMPACTFUL INVESTMENT FOR VERY LITTLE COST IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
GENERALLY, UM, MY FEEDBACK TO YOUR DEPARTMENTS AS YOU, UM, AS YOU WORK WITHIN THE BUDGETS THAT YOU PROPOSE AND MAYBE RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONS, UM, OR CHANGES, IS THAT FOR ME AND FOR MY CONSTITUENTS THAT WE WORK TO MAKE, UM, WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BENEFITS AND THE THINGS THAT, ALL THE POSITIVES AND ALL THE, UH, THE STRENGTHS THAT WE SEE AS A TOURIST DESTINATION FOR OUR CITY, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO, WE WANNA BENEFIT, WE WANNA GROW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WE WANNA ATTRACT VISITORS.
I'M ASKING NOT TO LEAVE THE EAST SIDE OUT OF THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START OFF WITH, UH, ART AND CRYSTAL.
YOU MENTIONED THERE'S GONNA BE A, A NEW PUBLIC ART PROJECT IN DISTRICT NINES COMING SOON.
WHAT IS THAT? YEAH, IT'S BLOOM AT BLOSSOM PARK.
WELL, PLEASE, UH, I HADN'T HEARD THAT.
SO WE WANT TO DISSEMINATE IT FOR PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO PLEASE SEND OUT A NOTICE ABOUT THAT RIGHT AWAY.
UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE OPERATING BUDGETS AND NOT NECESSARILY PROGRAMMING MONEY, BUT I I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, THE BOND AND MONEY FOR PUBLIC ART, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT 15.7 MILLION AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PROGRAMMED FOR DIFFERENT PRO UH, DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UM, BUT WHAT OTHER RESOURCES DO WE HAVE COMING FORWARD TO FUND OTHER ART, UH, ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY? UH, SO WE, SO WE DO HAVE OUR GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S PART OF THAT 11.8 HOT TAX FUND.
AND SO, UH, THAT GRANT PROGRAM IS FUNDING 35 NONPROFITS FOR BASE OPERATIONAL, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC FOR PROGRAMS.
[02:00:01]
UH, ALSO, UH, 23 EVENTS AROUND TOWN, AGAIN, FOR ARTISTIC PROGRAMS, 50 ARTISTS WHO ARE CREATING ART PROJECTS.AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, NINE IN, UH, ORGANIZATIONS IN THE, UM, PERFORMING ARTS CATEGORY.
THEY'RE GONNA BE IN INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF THEIR VENUES THROUGH THAT, THOSE FUNDS.
IT'S ABOUT 11 MILLION, YOU SAID? YEAH, 11, 11.8 MILLION IS THE TOTAL, UM, TOTAL HOT ALLOCATION.
BUT OUT OF THAT, FOR ALL OF THOSE GRANTS FOR NONPROFITS, UH, AND OUR ARTISTS, UH, IT IS, I'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE.
YOU MENTIONED PERFORMING ARTS.
UH, WHO ARE THE PERFORMING ARTS PARTNERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? UH, SO THE PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, THANK YOU, UM, THAT ARE GETTING THE MONEY THIS YEAR.
IT'S, SO WE HAVE TWO GRANT PROGRAMS OUTTA THAT PERFORMING ARTS MONEY.
THAT'S THROUGH THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT FUND, THROUGH THE TICKETMASTER AGREEMENT.
THE TWO GRANT PROGRAMS. ONE IS A FACILITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT.
IT'S AVAILABLE TO NONPROFITS THAT ARE IN OUR BASE OPERATIONAL PROGRAM ALREADY.
THEY MUST OWN OR HAVE A LONG-TERM LEASE FOR THEIR FACILITY.
SO WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BALLET SAN ANTONIO, CLASSIC THEATER OF SAN ANTONIO, ESPERANZA, PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, JUMPSTART PERFORMANCE NETWORK FOR YOUNG ARTISTS, UH, C C THE MAGIC THEATER, URBAN 15 GROUP, WOODLAWN THEATER, AND THEN ALAMO CITY PERFORMING ARTS, UH, AND THE PUBLIC THEATER.
THEY'RE GONNA BE RECEIVING THOSE GRANTS THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, I DON'T HEAR, UH, SAN ANTONIO PHILHARMONIC IN THERE.
UH, OR THE CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE.
UH, SO THOSE PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS ARE FOR PERFORMING ARTS GRANTS, AGAIN, THAT ARE FOR NONPROFITS THAT OWN OR HAVE A LONG-TERM LEASE.
WE DO HAVE 35 NONPROFITS THAT ARE IN OUR BASE OPERATIONAL PROGRAM.
AND THE CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE IS IN THAT.
THE PHIL HARMONIC AT THIS TIME DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THAT GRANT PROGRAM.
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE OF NINE NINETY'S, AND THEY HAVE NOT YET FILED.
I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE ANTICIPATING TO FILE NINE 90 SOON.
AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY AS THE APPLICATION FOR THE PROGRAM WILL REOPEN IN THE SPRING, THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR OF 2024.
THAT'S, WELL, I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONCERN OF MINE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF WHERE THE PHILHARMONIC'S BEEN NEGLECTED WHEN IT WAS PUBLICLY STATED THAT THERE'D BE MONEY COMING FROM THIS CITY TO SUPPORT THEM.
BUT I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THAT POINT RIGHT NOW.
PATRICIA, I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU TO, TO FORWARD US SOME INFORMATION WHEN YOU, UH, PRESENT THAT THE ALAMODOME MAY BE OUT OF DATE OR COULD BE REPLACED OR WHATEVER.
I'D LIKE TO, TO FIND OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE ALAMODOME COMPARE TO OTHER MAJOR CITY DOME STADIUMS OVERALL? IN OTHER WORDS, UH, WHAT IS OUR A OUR A AGE COMPARED TO THE OTHER TOP 25 CITIES THAT HAVE THEM? OR WHAT ABOUT THE SEEDING CAPACITY, OR WHAT WAS THE COST TO BUILD FOR US? WHAT WAS THE COST TO BUILD FOR THEM? UH, WHAT'S THE OVERALL COST TO MAINTAIN EVERY YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING? UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE MAJOR VALUE OF UPGRADES WE HAVE PUT INTO THAT SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING SO THAT WE COULD SAY THE BE THE COST TO BUILD WAS X, BUT THE VALUE TODAY BASED ON X, Y, AND Z IS WHATEVER IT COULD BE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE EVENT DATES THAT WE HAVE, UH, ON COMPARED TO ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? AND, UH, WHAT IS THE REVENUE THAT WE BRING IN COMPARED TO THESE OTHER KINDS OF STADIUMS? UH, 'CAUSE BEFORE I DECIDE TO SPEND A BILLION DOLLARS FOR A NEW STADIUM FOR THIS CITY, I WANNA KNOW HOW WE COMPARE AND, UH, WHAT'S THE BENEFIT WE'RE GETTING AND WHAT'S GONNA BE THE COST FOR DOING THIS, AND IS THERE, UH, A RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT THE CITIZENS ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR IN THIS CITY? UM, SO I'D LIKE YOU TO DO THAT KIND OF RESEARCH AND LET US KNOW.
CERTAINLY, SIR, WE HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, VISIT SA ON SLIDE THREE, IT SHOWED YOUR BUDGET AND IT SAYS THAT THROUGH THE CITY YOU'RE LOOKING AT $30.1 MILLION, UH, FOR OPERATING EXPENSES AND EVERYTHING.
BUT TO THE SIDE IT SAYS YOU ALSO GET AN ADDITIONAL $10.9 MILLION FROM, UH, SS A T P, WHICH IS OUT A PARTNERSHIP BY OTHER PROVIDERS, UH, OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO REALLY YOU'RE WORKING WITH $41 MILLION A YEAR TO PROMOTE THE CITY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE ALL REALIZE THAT BECAUSE WE DID MENTION A LOT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
[02:05:01]
WAYS THAT ARE RECEIVING MUCH LESS SUPPORT, UH, TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.UM, YOU SAID YOU HAVE 75 PEOPLE? YES.
UM, NOW IP I P W WAS A, A BIG EVENT HERE.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH WAS INVESTED BY, BY YOUR ORGANIZATION OR REALLY THE CITY AND ALL OUR PARTNERS IN GENERAL? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WAS INVESTED TO BRING THAT CONFERENCE HERE AND TO SUPPORT IT? YEAH, IN TOTAL IT WAS ABOUT $7.2 MILLION AND THE I P W EVENT ALONE GENERATED $15.5 MILLION JUST IN THIS MAY.
SO THE EVENT, THAT'S WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WAS FROM THE HOTEL STAY, THE TAXIS, THE RESTAURANTS, RIGHT.
UM, HOW WILL YOU TRACK THE RESULTS OF, UH, I P W HERE? FOR EXAMPLE, HOW WILL YOU TRACK, UH, NEW INTERNATIONAL VISITORS OR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS SPENDING OR HOTEL STAYS OR CONVENTIONS OR, UM, VISITS TO AREA ATTRACTIONS THAT COULD BE TIED TO THAT CONFERENCE? WE'LL BE, UM, CONTRACTING WITH A THIRD PARTY CALLED ROCKPORT ANALYTICS THAT WORKS, UM, VERY FREQUENTLY WITHIN THE D M O SPACE THAT WILL TRACK THE R O I FROM I P W IN DOMESTIC AND ALSO GLOBAL VISITATION, UH, OVER THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING CITY COUNCIL AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THAT.
I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THAT, AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A, A GREAT RETURN TO US ON THAT.
ONE THING THAT I HEARD YOU SAY, UH, A LITTLE WHILE AGO WAS THAT THERE WERE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CONFERENCES OR CONVENTIONS THAT WE LOST BECAUSE WE WERE 200,000 SQUARE FEET SHORT OF SOME OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT I WONDER WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, DO WE KNOW THEY WOULD'VE COME HERE? OR ARE WE SIMPLY OUT OF THE BIDDING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T MEET THEIR REQUIREMENT? AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY, WELL, WE LOST THAT BUSINESS.
NOW, IT MAY BE THAT WE DID BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE WAS 200,000 SQUARE FEET BETTER, BUT IF WE HAD 200,000 SQUARE FEET MORE, WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD CHOOSE SAN ANTONIO.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS INVOLVED.
SO I HOPE AS WE EVALUATE, UH, WHAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE INVESTMENT THAT WE MAKE THROUGH VISIT SA AND ANYTHING ELSE WE DO TO BRING COMPANIES HERE, UH, WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY, UH, AND I HOPE THAT WE GET THE KIND OF RETURN WE EXPECT, BUT IT ISN'T ALWAYS A MATTER OF SPENDING ANOTHER FOUR OR $500 MILLION TO EXTEND OUR CONVENTION CENTER EVERY THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER REALLY KEEP UP AND GET THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT THAT IT TAKES.
'CAUSE WE'VE REDONE THE CONVENTION CENTER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AND WE'VE PUT $30 MILLION A YEAR, SEVERAL TIMES INTO THE ALAMO DOME AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KEEP SPENDING MONEY, UH, BUT ARE WE REALLY WINNING OR LOSING IN THE LONG RUN? AND SOMETIMES I WONDER ABOUT THOSE FIGURES.
UM, HEY, CRYSTAL, UH, JUST, I, I, I SWORE I WAS GONNA TELL YOU THE NEXT TIME I SAW YOU.
UH, AND THEN I, I SEE YOU TODAY, SO I'LL TELL YOU NOW 'CAUSE I'LL FORGET LATER.
UM, MY SON AND I ARE WATCHING THIS GREAT SHOW CALLED LIONESS.
UH, I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS SAW, LIKE EPISODE FIVE WAS HERE, FILMED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, STARRING, WHAT'S HER NAME? ZOE SALDANA.
AND I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT YOU GUYS WERE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, THEY ARE FILMING ON CITY PROPERTY.
UM, EVEN IF IT'S JUST B ROLL, IF YOU WILL.
JUST THE SKYLINE EXPERIENCE, WE ARE INVOLVED.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF SHOWS.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD, UH, A LOT OF TRAVEL SHOWS, BARBECUE SHOWS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, TV SHOWS.
UM, SO YOU, YOU'LL SEE US A LOT, ESPECIALLY ON H G T V.
THEY REALLY LOVE TO COME HERE.
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THEY BLEW UP A HOUSE IN THAT EPISODE.
IN YOUR, IN YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, THE, UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ARTISTS AMONG THE 13,000 PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT I IMAGINE THERE MUST BE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO, UH, SPEND SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THEIR LIFE AND, AND ENERGY IN CREATING ART.
IS, IS THERE A WAY IN THE PAST OR IS THERE A PLAN IN PLACE ON HOW TO FEATURE OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEE ARTISTS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY? I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, UH, AIRPORT EXHIBITS, UH, YOU KNOW, AN EXHIBIT ACROSS THE STREET, SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
[02:10:01]
YEAH, WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPLORE THAT.UH, WE HAVE, IF YOU REMEMBER IN SOME OF THIS, UM, THE CITY MANAGER HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, YOU HAVE SEEN A FEW MUSICIANS THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED AS A PART OF, UH, THAT WONDERFUL VI VIDEO HIGHLIGHT.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH T V S A TO FEATURE THOSE ARTISTS AMONG US, IF YOU WILL.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT OTHER AVENUES TO, TO, UM, SHOWCASE THOSE ARTISTS.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT MUSICIANS, A GLASS ARTIST THAT WORKS FOR OUR IT TEAM.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF WONDERFUL ARTISTS THAT ARE, ARE WORKING FOR THE CITY.
IT SEEMS LIKE A, A NICE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACTIVATE THE LIBRARIES, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, OUR AIRPORT CONVENTION CENTER, UM, WITH SOME OF THE VISUAL ART STUFF.
AND I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, THE AIRPORT, I DO REMEMBER THEY DID HAVE A STAFF ART EXHIBIT, SO THEY ACTUALLY INVITED STAFF TO BE A PART OF THAT.
BUT, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALSO TAKING THE INITIATIVE AND WORKING WITH US TOO TO GET IDEAS ON ARTISTS TO WORK WITH THROUGH OUR ARTIST REGISTRY.
AND ALSO WAYS TO JUST, YOU KNOW, ACTIVATE ARTISTS SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON A MURAL RIGHT NOW WITH SAN ANTO CULTURAL ARTS, AND WE'VE BEEN HELPING ADVISE THAT PROCESS ABOUT HOW TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
CAN YOU TALK, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? WE DO.
SO BE BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE HAD INCREASED MARKETING EFFORTS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PUBLIC ART THAT THEY SEE IN TOWN IS DONE BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT HAVE BEEN COMING TO US TO SAY, WELL, WE HAVE OUR OWN MONEY AND WE WANNA PUT A MURAL ON OUR BUSINESS, OR EVEN ON OUR, OUR, OUR PRIVATE AT OUR PRIVATE HOME.
WHAT DO WE DO? SO WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN GUIDING PEOPLE THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF, YOU WILL SEE AT THE U T S A, UH, DATA CENTER BUILDING, THERE'S TWO NEW MURALS.
THEY ACTUALLY USED OUR PROCESS TO HELP GUIDE, UH, THEIR SELECTION OF ARTISTS AND, UM, TO ACTUALLY USE PART OF THAT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE COME TO US TO SAY THAT, HEY, WE REALLY WANNA, UH, IN INCORPORATE PUBLIC ART INTO OUR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE FINALIZING THIS YEAR A TOOLKIT FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS THAT, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY, UH, RESIDENTS TO SAY, YOU WANNA DO PUBLIC ART AS PART OF YOUR PROPERTY? HERE'S THE HOW TOSS, HERE'S THE WHO TO CONTACT.
BUT ALSO KNOW THAT YOU CAN COME TO US AND WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE.
I NEED A PLAN, UM, SOON, UM, FROM YOU GUYS ON HOW WE'RE GONNA EXECUTE ON THE SILK ROAD CORRIDOR.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON IT, BUT, UM, I'VE, I'VE GOT A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY OF, OF SILK ROAD, UH, CULTURAL ADVOCATES OVER THERE WHO I THINK HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT WITH US.
UM, AND SO CAN I GIVE THEM SOME IDEA OF WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM A PLAN? YES.
UH, SO WE NEED TO DO SOME COMMUNITY FEEDBACK MEETINGS, WHICH WAS PLANNED WITH OUR OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
CERTAINLY IN SEPTEMBER, WE WILL DO IN THOSE.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, UH, ANOTHER AREA WHERE I NEED TO PLAN IS THE, UH, SHADE IS ART.
UM, CAN YOU GIMME AN IDEA OF WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPECT A PLAN ON THAT? UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR BUS SHELTERS OR JUST ANY, ANYWHERE? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, YEAH, I, I WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE HAVE TALKED TO, UH, VIA ABOUT THAT.
AND OF COURSE OUR FUNDS, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT PARTNERING WITH VIA, IF WE DO HAVE, LET'S SAY, A BOND PROJECT, IF THERE'S A BUS SHELTER THERE MM-HMM.
SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF WHERE OUR FUNDING, UM, CAN RESIDE.
'CAUSE IT HAS TO BE PART OF THE BOND PROJECT, AND THERE'S NOT A BUS STATION THERE.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S HOW THE FUNDING'S WORKING NOW.
HERE'S WHO OWNS THESE PROPERTIES, AND THEN HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THAT MOVING FORWARD WHERE WE CAN.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THERE, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE BOND PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED, AND SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT WHERE IS THERE A BUS SHELTER? WHERE IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY KIND OF SHADE? WE'VE SEEN THE SUCCESS WITH THE DISTRICT SEVEN PROS, UH, PROJECT WHERE THERE WAS NO SHADE AT ALL.
AND NOW THERE'S THESE THREE HUGE PANELS THAT ASK YOU WHAT IF THEY ASK YOU TO DREAM? UH, BUT YOU'RE ALSO UNDER SHADE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO MEET MORE ABOUT THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THE, UH, AS FAR AS, AND I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT NINE DIDN'T WANNA BELABOR IT, SO, UM, I'LL BELABOR IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, THE, I TOO AM WORRIED, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE PHILHARMONIC AND THIS CRITERIA THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF THEM.
WHICH, AND I GET IT, THEY'VE GOT HOMEWORK TO TURN IN, THEY'VE GOTTA TURN IN THEIR NINE NINETIES.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A FORMULA OUT THERE ONCE THEY DO.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS SORT OF THE NAME OF THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NAME OF THE 5 0 1 C THREE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO STAND UP FOR, UM, A GREAT PHILHARMONIC FOR A GREAT CITY, AND I THINK THAT WE DESERVE IT.
AND SO, UM, I I WANT TO, UH, REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME TO US, I WAS LOOKING BACK, THEY CAME TO US ON SEPTEMBER OF 2022 AND ASKED FOR FUNDING.
[02:15:01]
UM, THEN THEY CAME BACK TO US FOR, UH, SAY, WELL, MAYBE, MAYBE THERE'S ARPA FUNDS AVAILABLE.AND THEN, UM, NOW THEY'RE BACK AGAIN ASKING FOR FUNDS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT I, I'D LIKE FOR US TO START TAKING THEM VERY SERIOUSLY.
UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, BUY TICKETS AND ENJOY THEIR MUSIC ARE MY CONSTITUENTS AS WELL.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING, UM, YOU KNOW, A GREAT, A GREAT PHILHARMONIC.
AND SO ANY, ANYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO TO, TO SPEED THAT UP, UP TO, AND INCLUDING MAYBE AN EXPLORATION OF CHANGING THE CRITERIA FOR THAT GRANT PROGRAM.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY OF, OF US BLOWING WIND IN THE SAILS, SECOND TIME I SAY IT TODAY, BUT BLOWING WIND IN THE SAILS OF, OF, UH, OF AN INITIATIVE LIKE THIS.
MAYBE, MAYBE IT IS TIME TO CHANGE THE CRITERIA.
SO, UM, I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND OR STAFF WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND IS THEY ARE GONNA BE FILING THEIR NINE 90.
THEY HAVE TOLD US VERY SOON IT SHOULD BE BY, UM, THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE DEADLINE IS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NINE 90 AND LOOK AT OUR GRANT GUIDELINE POLICY TO SEE WHERE THEY WOULD FIT INTO THAT, UH, EQUATION.
AND THEN WE CAN COME TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION OF A FUNDING REQUEST THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THAT GRANT GUIDELINE PROCESS TO BASICALLY MAKE AN EXCEPTION.
AND LET ME JUST GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
SO, UM, 'CAUSE CRYSTAL'S BEEN WORKING WITH THEM SINCE FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS.
WE HAVE UNDER THOSE CURRENT RULES, UM, ASSUMING THAT THEIR NINE NINETIES MATCH, I KNOW THEY'RE TRYING TO, I KNOW ROBERTO WAS TRYING TO GET HIS ARMS AROUND THAT AND GET THAT RECONCILED TO SUBMIT TO THE I R S.
BUT ASSUMING THAT THEY'VE SPENT, WHAT THEY SAID THEY SPENT, WE, WE DO HAVE $75,000 IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO, TO, UM, TREAT THEM LIKE A FIRST YEAR AGENCY, UM, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE THREE YEAR PROCESS.
UM, AND, AND WE DID, WE SET THAT ASIDE.
UM, WE THINK THAT, THAT IF THEY SPENT THE MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS THAT THEY SAID THEY SPENT, AND AS, AS ROBERTO GIVES ITS ARMS AROUND THAT ISSUE, UM, THAT MONEY WILL BE AVAILABLE AND IT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, THE, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, AND YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK, CRYSTAL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR, UM, UH, FOR ANSWERING.
OH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I DID WANNA ADD SOMETHING.
'CAUSE A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SUGGESTED MORE MONEY FOR WEST SIDE ARTS.
YOU'VE SUGGESTED MORE MONEY FOR PHILHARMONIC.
WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO REVISE THOSE GUIDELINES.
'CAUSE THE GUIDELINES ARE WHAT DRIVES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES GET.
AND SO WE'RE ON YEAR THREE OF THE THREE YEAR CYCLE CRYSTAL'S ALREADY HAVING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, OUTREACH MEETINGS.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, JANUARY WITH THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THOSE GUIDELINES.
SO WHEN WE GO FORWARD WITH A NEW APPLICATION PROCESS IN SPRING OF 2025, YOU'LL HAVE JUST SEEN THE GUIDELINES APPROVED.
AND THAT MAY INCLUDE INCREASE IN PERCENTAGES FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
IT MAY INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN, UM, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC CATEGORIES.
BUT THAT'S THE PROCESS WE'VE CURRENTLY STARTED.
AND AS CRYSTAL'S ALREADY HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS AND BELIEVE SEVEN, AND THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE AND THAT WILL CULMINATE IN A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL IN DECEMBER.
UM, V S A, YOU MENTIONED $521 MILLION LOST BECAUSE OUR CONVENTION CENTER'S TOO SMALL, RIGHT? YES.
DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, OF MONEY LOST BECAUSE OUR AIRPORT ISN'T DELIVERING WHAT IT NEEDS TO AND NOT LET REPHRASE THAT BECAUSE OUR AIRPORT'S TOO SMALL OR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS.
DO YOU HAVE A, A NUMBER CONNECTED TO THAT? UM, THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IN OUR, IN OUR C R M SYSTEM THAT I CAN PULL FOR YOU.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT DEFINITELY COULD BE SOMETHING.
IT'S, I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN I'LL CHIME IN BEN LATER AND ASK YOU SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
HOW ABOUT TIME LOST FOR MISS CONNECTIONS, COUNCILMAN? THAT WOULD BE ONE ALSO.
UM, WE'LL START NOW WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CORE.
THIS IS A FUN DAY TODAY WE GET TO TALK ABOUT ARTS, SPORTS, TRAVEL, ALL THE GOOD STUFF.
LET'S START WITH, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE CRYSTAL TALK.
SO, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE GRANT BUDGETS.
SO IF WE SET, TRY TO RECOMMEND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ANY OF THE AGENCIES FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
THE WAY THAT THE PROGRAM WORKS IS THAT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING THE MAX AMOUNT, MAX AMOUNT ALLOWABLE PER CITY COUNCIL APPROVED GUIDELINES.
SO THEY ARE THE, IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE THREE YEAR FUNDING CYCLE.
SO, UM, THEN AS YOU ALL ARE WORKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE CRITERIA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, I'D LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING ADDED INTO THERE ABOUT HOW OUR ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMS ARE, UM, SUPPORTING ALSO IN THE EDUCATION SPACE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE BOOK FESTIVAL GOES OUT TO SCHOOLS, UM, THAT ARE SOME OF OUR MOST UNDERSERVED SCHOOLS AND ACTUALLY GIVES THEM BOOKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT CONNECTION WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE ADDED TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN FOR YOUR, UH, PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, HOW DO, HOW DOES COMMUNITY ACTUALLY SAY THAT THEY WANT A PUBLIC ART PROJECT? DOES THAT ONLY COME DURING THE
[02:20:01]
BOND SESSION, OR ARE THERE OTHER AVENUES FOR THEM TO ENGAGE IN THAT PROCESS? SO THE 1.5% IS SPECIFICALLY TIED TO WHEREVER A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IS HAPPENING.SO FOR THE BOND, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT 1.5% PER EACH PROPOSITION STREETS DRAINAGE, IT'S POOLED.
AND THEN WE GO AND WE MEET WITH EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT AND SAY, IF YOU WANTED, UM, ANY OF THESE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WHICH WERE WHAT, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PUBLIC ART AS A PART OF YOUR DISTRICT'S DRAINAGE PROJECTS? WE MET WITH THEM, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH THE SUMMER OF 2022.
UM, NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, AND THEN ALSO A SURVEY.
AND THEN WE HAVE THOSE RANKED AND THAT, SO THAT'S HOW THOSE PROJECTS ARE IDENTIFIED.
THEY HAVE TO BE TIED TO THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, EITHER ONSITE OR WITH INSIGHT.
AND CAN IT BE TIED TO A, A PARK PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN YES.
SO THERE'S THE PARKS PREPOSITION.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC ART PIECES, UM, INSTALLED IN PARKS.
AND ONE IS IN YOUR DISTRICT? SAN PEDRO PARK.
SO I'D LOVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TO SEE HOW, UM, IF, IF WE HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS ON PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
'CAUSE UH, THE, THE FEEDBACK I'VE RECEIVED FROM STUDENTS ALSO IS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO THERE.
UM, AND SO LET'S TALK, UH, REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT THE SPORTS, UM, OR, OR CONVENTION CENTERS.
SO, UM, WHEN WE GO OUT FOR LIKE, CONCERTS OR SAY FOR AT THE ALAMO, DO, DO YOU ALL GO OUT AND COMPETITIVELY BID FOR ANYTHING THAT'S TRYING TO SEE IF THEY WANNA COME TO SAN ANTONIO? AS FAR AS CONCERTS, WE HAVE, UH, SALESPEOPLE THAT ENGAGE WITH THE PROMOTERS TO TRY TO, UM, GET SOME OF THE, SOME OF THOSE EVENTS INTO OUR BUILDING.
SO YES, THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH A E G LIVE NATIONS, NUMEROUS PROMOTERS THAT, UM, BASICALLY HAVE THE MAJOR ACTS.
SO ALONG WITH THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, UM, CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, I'D LOVE TO SEE, UM, SOME MORE D DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND BACKGROUNDS REPRESENTED IN OUR CONCERTS AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF AVENUE FOR THAT.
WE WERE JUST AT ONE ON THE NORTH SIDE, UM, WHERE THERE WAS ABOUT 700 PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW THE ALMO DOME IS HUGE, BUT LOVE TO SEE MORE DIVERSITY, UM, IN OUR CONCERTS THAT ARE, WE'RE BRINGING TO THE ALMO DOME.
UM, AND THEN, SO THE OTHER THING THAT I NOTICED WAS THE ANIME CONFERENCE HAS BECOME HUGE, AND THAT WAS A LOCALLY GROWN CONFERENCE, WHICH IS SO GREAT TO SEE THAT SOMETHING THAT STARTED HERE IS, IS NOW
SO CAN YOU TALK, TELL ME JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT SUCCESS HAPPENED AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO REPLICATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WELL, UH, IT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT GROUP, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS OR EVENT SERVICES STAFF.
BUT REALLY IT'S, IT'S JUST THEM, THE SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MESSAGING AND MARKETING THAT THEY'VE DONE HAVE BEEN ABLE, AND I CAN'T SAY THAT THAT'S BEEN BECAUSE OF OUR STAFF.
WE, WE JUST RECENTLY ADDED, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, POSITIONS WITHIN, UH, THE ALAMO DOME AND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT DEFINITELY WITHIN THE ANIME, IT'S ALL, I THINK IT WAS A LOT OF THE MESSAGING THAT THEY DID.
AND YES, WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN FOR, UM, THAT CONFERENCE HAPPENING.
IT'D BE COOL TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER BUDDING CONFERENCES LIKE THAT THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, CLAIM THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS THE HOME OF THEM AND NOW THEY GET TO STAY HERE AND REPRESENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NEXT ONE IS, BUT I CHALLENGE Y TO FIND THAT NEXT ANIME.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING AROUND ALMO DOME IS WOMEN'S FLAG FOOTBALL IS AN UP AND COMING OLYMPIC SPORT.
IT'S GOING TO BE AN OLYMPIC SPORT IN 2028.
SO AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, WE COULD SPEARHEAD USING THE ALAMO DOME WHILE WE HAVE IT IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION AS BRINGING SOME MORE NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS AND THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, FOR EXAMPLE, NEXT SUMMER HERE WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN LASTLY FOR VISIT SA, SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES I HEAR OFTEN IS LIKE, HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THIS R O I THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS BROUGHT UP TO IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT'S TANGIBLE, LIKE HEARING THESE BILLION DOLLAR AMOUNTS, IT'S GREAT, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW HOW THE SMALL BUSINESS IN DISTRICT TWO OR DISTRICT FOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, IS REALLY BENEFITING FROM ALL OF THE CONVENTIONS THAT ARE COMING? SO DO YOU HAVE THAT, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEASURE DIVIDED UP BY DISTRICT OR BY SPECIFICALLY LIKE BY SMALL BUSINESS? UM, SO WE CAN SEE THE ACTUAL IMPACT FOR US AND NOT JUST LIKE THE HOTEL INDUSTRY THAT'S GAINING A LOT OF FOLKS COMING IN.
I'M GONNA ASK NATALIE, WHERE'S NATALIE? NATALIE, DO WE HAVE THE R O I BROKEN DOWN BY DISTRICT? YEAH, IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL JUST TO SEE, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE REALLY SOPHISTICATED DATA MEASURES TO SEE LIKE HOW MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA ARE BENEFITING.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEY DO, YOU ALL PROMOTE AND MARKET, UM, ALL OF OUR RESTAURANTS.
UM, AND THEN SPECIFICALLY AROUND, UM, CONFERENCES.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE CONS, UH, BRINGING IN SOME OF THESE CONFERENCES, UH, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT ARE LIKE
[02:25:01]
DRAWING? UM, UH, YEAH, I'M GONNA FORGET THAT ONE.SPECIFICALLY FOR SAN ANTONIO SPORTS AS THE SAN ANTONIO SPORTS LIAISON, HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH SAN ANTONIO SPORTS? UH, WE'RE A KEY PARTNER FOR SAN ANTONIO SPORTS.
SO WE HAVE TWO SALESPEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVELY DEPLOYED TO WORKING WITH SAN ANTONIO SPORTS TO BOOK, UM, BIG, SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED SPORTING EVENTS, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM.
SO WE WORK IN TANDEM WITH NCAA.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE WORKING ON A MAJOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT OF ABOUT, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THREE DAYS, WE'LL BRING ABOUT 80,000 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON BRINGING THEM IN 2025.
UM, THEY ARE THE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE.
THEY DIPS INTO THE EVENTS TRUST FUND.
UM, BUT WE ARE REALLY IN, IN TANDEM THE SALES TEAM.
AND WE WILL ALSO WORK, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH THE LOCAL HOTELS.
IF THEY REQUIRE A CONVENTION CENTER SPACE, WE WILL LAY OUT THE CONVENTION CENTER SPACE, WE'LL PROVIDE THE PROPOSALS TO THEM, THE MARKETING MATERIALS THAT MAY BE NEEDED TO PROMOTE THOSE EVENTS ONCE THEY'RE, ONCE THEY'RE BOOKED IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU ALL WILL GO IN FOR THESE CONFERENCES AND THESE BIG, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE NCAA THINGS TOGETHER.
AND THEY ALSO DO A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEY, I KNOW THEY RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING FROM YOU ALL.
SO WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR, UM, THEIR FUNDING ALSO GOES TO PROVIDING, UM, UNDERSERVED YOUTH WITH SPORTS ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE PROGRAM AND SO I, I KNOW WE DON'T DIRECTLY FUND THEM, BUT IT'D BE GREAT TO SEE THAT, UH, I'M DOUBLING DOWN ON REQUEST FOR SUPPORT FOR THAT FUNDING.
UH, ACTUALLY I'LL, I HAVE GOOD NEWS.
OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THIS MORNING APPROVED THE, UM, CONTINUED FUNDING FOR SAN ANTONIO SUPPORT.
SO I HAVEN'T TOLD JENNY YET, BUT SHE MAY BE WATCHING
AND SO, AND NEXT YEAR WE CAN DOUBLE THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORE COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
UM, ON CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES, WHAT STEPS ARE WE ACTIVELY TAKING NOW TO ATTRACT MORE EVENTS AT THE AL AT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR ALAMO DOME? UH, WELL, LET'S GO WITH THE ALAMO DOME.
AT THE ALAMO DOME, WE HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF, LIKE I SAID, THAT WORK PROACTIVELY WITH ALL OF THE PROMOTERS.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, GOING, UM, TO VISITING THEM, UM, GOING TO CONVENTIONS AND LETTING THEM KNOW, UM, OR OPEN DATES.
THEY HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA THAT IS BEING, UM, DONE A LOT OF MESSAGING.
THERE'S A NEW PODCAST THAT WOULD JUST STARTED ABOUT, REMEMBER THE ALAMO DOME.
SO A LOT OF, UM, MARKETING THAT IS BEING DONE NOT ONLY TO ATTRACT EVENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE TO THE EVENTS THAT WE'RE, UH, GONNA BE HOLDING AND OUR VARIOUS OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.
WE TRACK WHICH ONE, WHICH ONES ARE ACTUALLY WORKING AND ATTRACTING EVENTS VERSUS, WHICH AREN'T DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY WE KEEP, UH, TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF VIEWS ON CERTAIN THINGS AND WHETHER THAT BASICALLY RESULTED IN, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMEBODY COMING TO AN EVENT.
UM, WE'VE HELD INTERNATIONAL SOCCER MATCHES IN THE ALAMO DOME, HAVEN'T WE? YES.
UM, WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY OF THESE, UH, 2026 WORLD CUP GAMES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON FOR THAT? WELL, UH, FOR THAT ONE, I BELIEVE, UM, THERE, UM, IT'S, IT, IT GOES THROUGH A BID PROPOSAL.
UM, AND, UM, IT WAS DID YOU GUYS WORK ON THE WORLD CUP, UH, BID? NO, WE DID NOT.
WE DID NOT, UH, THROUGH VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
THAT WAS NOT A BID, UM, THAT WAS SUBMITTED, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, UM, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED FOR.
UH, WE HAVE A 65,000, UH, SEAT STADIUM AND ONLY 52 SUITES.
UM, UM, THE STADIUMS WHERE THE WORLD CUP IS HAPPENING, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 150, UH, SUITES, UH, IN THOSE STADIUMS, THEY HAVE MAJOR PLAZAS.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE EXTENT OF STADIUM THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE QUALIFIED.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S SUCH A SHAME BECAUSE I MEAN, THIS MARKET, AGAIN, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER HERE, FRANKLY.
UM, I WASN'T AROUND WHEN, UH, I GUESS WE, WE, WE TRIED TO GET IT, BUT, BUT DIDN'T, AND AUSTIN GOT THE TEAM INSTEAD OF US.
UH, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE CAN'T HOST SOME OF THESE WORLD CUP GAMES BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO LOVE SOCCER WOULD OBVIOUSLY ATTRACT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, UM, FROM, FROM DOWN IN THE VALLEY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTING.
UM, BUT YOU CAN ONLY WORK WITH THE FACILITIES WE HAVE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
BUT I, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT WE'RE IN THE PLANNING STAGES TO ATTRACT LIGA MX EVENT BACK TO SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, WE
[02:30:01]
WILL BE HAVING A MAJOR LIGA MX UM, SOCCER AT THE ALAMO DO.UM, I, I GUESS ONE MORE QUESTION, AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU SAID IT EARLIER, BUT IN TERMS OF THE ALAMO DOME, I, IS IT WORTH SPENDING THE MONEY TO TRY TO GET THIS UP TO BEING A, A, A MODERN DAY FACILITY THAT COULD ATTRACT SOME OF THESE EVENTS, OR, OR NOT? WELL, IT, IT'S, THAT'S THAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, THAT'S A POLICY, UH, YOU KNOW, DECISION.
BUT ALSO IT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON OUR CUSTOMERS.
WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE NCAA IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A NEW STADIUM.
UM, AND THAT'S A CONVERSATION PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE START, UM, WE, WE DO A LOT, WE ENGAGE WITH A LOT OF THE PROMOTERS.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, I CHALLENGE MY STAFF AND IT'S LIKE, WHY DIDN'T WE GET, YOU KNOW, TAYLOR SWIFT HERE? I MEAN, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, AN AWESOME CONCERT IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I THINK WE'RE VIEWED AS A SECOND TIER CITY AND WE'RE BYPASSED BY THE HOUSTON OR DALLAS, AT AND T STADIUM.
AND REALLY THAT'S JUST, I MEAN, WE PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD, UH, TO TRY TO ATTRACT, ATTRACT.
AND, UM, THEY'RE CHALLENGED EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, THEY DO ALL OF THESE COLD CALLS AND VISITS, AND SOMETIMES IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE LOOKING, UM, FOR BIGGER STADIUMS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR STADIUMS WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE A BIGGER PROFIT.
AND BY THAT MEANING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY ARE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE LARGER SUITES OR, OR MORE SUITES THAN WHAT WE DO CURRENTLY.
COUNCILMAN, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE FEASIBILITY WE NEED TO DO.
UM, THAT PATRICIA ALLUDED TO AT THE END OF HER PRESENTATION, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED, AND AS IT RELATES TO SENATE BILL 2220, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT, UM, THE, THE, THE DOME IS IN HIGH DEMAND, AND WE HAVE A, WE HAVE MORE EVENTS NOW THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE.
UM, AND, AND STRUCTURALLY IT'S A, IT'S A SOUND BUILDING, BUT, UM, PART OF THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE PATH FORWARD, THE, THE DOME TURNED 30 THIS YEAR.
IT'S HAD A $4 BILLION IMPACT ON THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS AS A, AS A LARGER CONVERSATION? AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS PATRICIA ALLUDED, WE HOPE TO KIND OF START THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL IN THE FALL.
AND THE LIFESPAN OF THESE STADIUMS, IF, IF YOU TALK TO THE EXPERTS, IS USUALLY 20 TO 20 TO 30 YEARS.
UM, BUT ONE THING YOU MENTIONED THERE ABOUT BEING VIEWED AS A SECOND TIER CITY, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I THINK IS, IS IS MOST DEFINITELY THE CASE, UM, BY A LOT OF FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE STUFF I REALLY AGREED WITH, WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN KEO HDA EARLIER, UM, ON PUTTING OUT THERE HOW MUCH THIS CITY REALLY DOES HAVE TO OFFER.
UM, AND MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL'S GONNA GET TIRED OF ME SAYING THIS, BUT WE THINK SO SMALL SOMETIMES WHEN, IF WE WOULD THINK BIG AND TRY TO DO BIG THINGS AND PUT OUR MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACES, UM, WE COULD STOP BEING VIEWED AS A SECOND TIER CITY AND WE'D BE VIEWED AS ONE OF THE PREMIER CITIES, UH, IN THE COUNTRY AS WE SHOULD BE.
UM, BECAUSE THERE IS NO CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS, UM, THE PEOPLE LIKE WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND THIS DOESN'T MEAN LOSING OUR CULTURE BECAUSE WE SHOULD NEVER LOSE THE GREAT CULTURE WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, BUT WE CAN EXPAND ON WHO WE ARE, UM, IF WE HAVE THAT VISION, UM, AND WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
UM, ON ARTS AND CULTURE, AND TELL ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE $650,000 TO MAINTAIN A 25 PIECE ART SET.
SO WE, THAT'S 25 PROJECTS TO MAINTAIN.
WE HAVE OVER 800 PIECES IN OUR COLLECTION.
SO THE $650,000 IS TO MAINTAIN THE 800 PIECES TO MAINTAIN 25 OF THE 800 PIECES EACH YEAR.
SO $500,000 EACH YEAR WILL BE FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING 25 PIECES OF THE 800.
SO $500,000 TO MAINTAIN 25 PIECES OF ART.
THESE ARE LARGE SCALE PIECES OF ART.
[02:35:01]
SO, UM, IF YOU'VE SEEN PIECES LIKE DOWNTOWN, FOR INSTANCE, SINCE WE'RE REALLY CLOSE LIGHT CHANNELS ON COMMERCE STREET, HOUSTON STREET, WE HAVE BALLROOM LUMINOSO, UM, UNDER THE THEO AND MALONE BRIDGE, THEY CAN BE EVERYTHING FROM LIGHTING PROJECTS WHERE LIGHTING FIXTURES AFTER 10, 15 YEARS JUST NEED TO BE REPLACED COMPLETELY NEW LIGHTS, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING FROM REPLACING LIGHTING TO REPAINTING TO, UM, THERE'S AN IMAGE, IF I CAN, IF I CAN, HERE, RIGHT THERE, REPLACING SOME OF THESE PIECES THAT ARE IN HARBURG OR PARK.UM, IT, IT RANGES THE FULL GAMUT 'CAUSE EACH PUBLIC ART PIECE IS WILDLY UNIQUE.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, COUNCILMAN, THE TOTAL ART MAINTENANCE BUDGET IS 650,000, OF WHICH 400? UM, SORRY.
500,000 IS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
ON VISIT SA UM, THE ACTIVATE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN.
WELL, WHAT IS THAT? UM, SO IN 2021, AFTER I, SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED, WE DID AN ANALYSIS OF OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR BOARDS ON OUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
AND WHERE THERE MAY BE DEFICIENCIES IN OUR ORGANIZATION AND WITH OUR BOTH OF OUR BOARDS, UM, NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP INTO ACTIVATING SOME OF THE THINGS WE FOUND OUT FROM THAT STUDY.
AND I CAN, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND SHARE THE STUDY THAT WE PRODUCED, UM, UH, WITH YOU.
W I THINK THE, UH, TIMER FROZE A FEW MINUTES AGO, SO, UM, WELL THAT'S, WE'LL GO TO THE SECOND ROUND.
THESE WERE SUCH GOOD QUESTIONS.
WE'RE, WE'RE ON A SECOND ROUND NOW THOUGH, SO YOU'LL GET YOUR, WE'LL GET YOUR SECOND HALF BAT AS WELL.
BUT LET ME CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
UH, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
AND, AND ON THIS CONVERSATION OF SECOND TIER AND FIRST TIER CITIES.
RIGHT? I JUST WANNA BE SURE I EMPHASIZE THAT FIRST TIER CITIES, UH, RESPECT LABOR FUNDS, BASIC NEEDS LIKE HOUSING, DRAINAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FOR EVERYDAY RESIDENTS AND PROVIDE HEALTH, ROBUST HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
THE, THE HEALTH OF A CITY BEING A FIRST TIER CITY ISN'T SOLELY, UH, RELATED TO TOURISM, SPORTS, AND STADIUMS. UM, I, I, I WANTED TO, UH, THINK CITY STAFF WERE CLARIFYING AND THE MAYOR FOR, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THE ORDINANCE IN WHICH DICTATES AND DETERMINES, UM, THE HOT TECHS.
AND, AND HOW THAT'S DISPERSED.
UH, SHOUT OUT TO RAY SALDANA FOR ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN THAT CAME TO COUNCIL AND VOTING AGAINST IT.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S A DISSERVICE WHEN I HEAR IT'S 41 MILLION PUBLIC DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS ONE ENTITY.
UM, GIVEN THE DRASTIC NEEDS ALL THROUGHOUT SO MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT? 75 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IS MORE THAN SO MANY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DEPARTMENTS,
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE SO MUCH NEED.
AND AGAIN, RIGHT WHEN WE HEAR THE, THE BUDGET REFLECTIONS THAT WE GOT FROM THE SURVEY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T HOW DO WE MARKET OUR CONVENTION CENTERS, RIGHT? IT WAS, UH, HOMELESSNESS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND SO MANY OTHER AREAS THAT ARE BARELY RECEIVING AS MUCH AS AS VISIT SA.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING HOW Y'ALL COLLECT DATA ON THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT.
I KNOW YOU CITED SOME NUMBERS AND YOU MENTIONED THAT'S BASED OFF OF HOTEL CELLS AND TAXIS.
HOW DO YOU TRACK WHEN SOMEONE GETS IN THE TAXI AND THEY'RE HERE FOR AN EVENT FACILITATED BY VISIT SA? WE WORK WITH A, WELL, THE REPORT THAT I ACKNOWLEDGED ON THE $19 BILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WAS GENERATED THROUGH TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY AND THE $263 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE WAS THROUGH, UM, OUR RELATIONSHIP AND THE CONTRACT, AND WE DO WITH THROUGH TRINITY MM-HMM.
SO I CAN SHARE IN DETAIL HOW THEY BREAK ALL OF THAT DOWN FOR YOU AND MM-HMM.
AND, AND HAVING WORKED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY FROM AGE 16 TO 23, UH, IN DOWNTOWN, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE'S, UM, AMAZING RESTAURANTS AND SO MANY ATTRACTIONS, RIGHT.
THAT ALONE CALL FOR INVESTMENT AND, UM, AND ATTRACTION RATHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT INFLUENCERS AND I, I THINK THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF INFLUENCERS THAT E D D CAN RECOMMEND THAT CAN HELP ATTRACT AND BRING PEOPLE HERE.
AND I LOOKED AT THE YOUTUBE VISIT SA AND THERE'S LIKE 43 VIEWS, 163 VIEWS MAX.
RIGHT? SO LIKE, IT, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UH, CLICKS THERE.
UH, AND I THINK THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITY IF WE REVISIT HOW THE HOT FUND IS ADVOCATED TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR LOCAL ARTS, AGAIN, TO, TO DO SOME OF THAT WORK, RIGHT? TO HELP WITH Y'ALL'S MISSION, WHICH IS A SHARED MISSION WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND SO MANY OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, BUT I'M JUST HAVING A DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT THAT DATA IS COLLECTED, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, I, I RAN INTO A FAMILY THAT WAS LOOKING FOR DIRECTIONS AND THEY WERE HERE FOR THEIR
[02:40:01]
DAUGHTERS, THEIR SONS RATHER GRADUATION FROM, UH, THE POLICE ACADEMY.AND THEN WE HAVE THE MILITARY BASE WHERE FOLKS COME TO VISIT THEIR KIDS THAT ARE GRADUATING, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF MOVING PIECES, AND I WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL CAPTURE AND DECIPHER VISIT SA RETURN ON INVESTMENT VERSUS ALL THE DIFFERENT MOVING PIECES OF EVENTS THAT ARE RUNNING PARALLEL.
AND AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU WITH THE TRINITY PROFESSORS.
UM, UH, THE ONE THING I DID WANNA MENTION, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN CAVEO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE F AS I MENTIONED, THE 42 CITYWIDE CONVENTIONS THAT WE BOOKED SO FAR THIS YEAR, THAT'S, THAT'S 42 EVENTS OUT OF THE 600 PLUS EVENTS THAT WE BOOKED HAVE GENERATED $271 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND THEN I GUESS I COULD MOVE ON TO FACILITIES.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND FACILITIES ROLE, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU ALL OVERSEE THE CENTERS, BUT VISIT SAS, CAPTURING THAT AS THEIR METRICS.
LIKE HOW, HOW DO Y'ALL DECIPHER THE WORK THAT YOUR, YOUR TEAM'S DOING IN GETTING TAYLOR SWIFT TO COME HERE AND WHAT VISIT SAS DOING? SO ESSENTIALLY A VISIT SAN ANTONIO SELLS THE CONVENTION CENTER 12 MONTHS OUT, LIKE I SAID IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND THEY ALSO, UM, HELP US, UM, YOU KNOW, GET BUSINESS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
MOSTLY SPOR, UH, SPORTS EVENTS SUCH AS THE NCAA THAT THEY WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH NCAA, UH, WITH THE SAN ANTONIO SPORTS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, A TEAM AT THE ALAMO DOME THAT SELLS THE ALAMO DOMES, THAT THEY HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PROMOTERS TO GET CONCERTS TO GET OTHER TYPES OF SPORTING EVENTS TO THE FACILITY.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROMOTERS THAT HELP, UM, GET CONVENTIONS WITHIN OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND MUSICIANS WITHIN THE ALAMO DOME.
IT'S NOT ONE SOLE POINT OF CONTACT IS, AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY? SO VISIT SAN ANTONIO, BASICALLY, AGAIN, SELLS IT 12 MONTHS OUT.
OUR STAFF, WE'RE LOOKING 12 MONTHS IN MM-HMM.
AND, UM, THEN WE HAVE A GROUP OF STAFF THAT'S ABLE TO SELL THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT ALSO THE, THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO WORKS TOWARDS WHENEVER THERE'S AN EVENT THAT REQUIRES FOR GENERAL SESSIONS, UH, THE ALAMO DOME OR A BIG AREA, THEN THEY ALSO, UH, COORDINATE WITH US AND, UM, FILL THE ALAMO DOME.
AND, AND I GUESS, UH, MORE OF A POINT TO CITY STAFF WITH REVIEWING THE ORDINANCE.
I WONDER IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR VISIT SA TO ABSORB SOME OF THE COSTS REGARDING THE PUBLIC ART PIECES WITHIN THE TPI.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC PIECES WE HAVE THERE AND IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE RESPONSIBILITY.
UH, SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, USE SOME OF THE FUNDS, UH, GIVEN TO VISIT SA TO HELP, UH, ALLEVIATE THOSE, THOSE COSTS THAT WERE MENTIONED.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION TOMORROW.
WE DO HAVE A TIME, CERTAIN PUBLIC HEARING, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, AND SO, UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, THE PHONING MECHANISM AND EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, THE TIME IS 5:01 PM UM, MADAM CLERK, SHOULD I, WELL, I SHOULD ADJOURN THE MEETING.
UM, AND WE CAN ADD SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? YOU CAN RESOURCE IF YOU, THANK YOU MAYOR.
WE COULD GET THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PUT 'EM IN THE FOLLOW UP MEMO IF YOU, UH, EMAIL THEM TO US OR THE COUNCIL COULD CHOOSE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION TOMORROW BEFORE WE DO THE WORK SESSION ON PARKS AND REESE.
UM, THERE'S JUST A FEW FOLKS SIGNED IN FOR A SECOND ROUND, SO, UM, I'LL LOOK TO MY COLLEAGUES.
IS THERE ANYBODY BURNING TO KEEP THIS MEETING RECESSED? I KNOW THESE FOLKS HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP ONE-ON-ONES, SO WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? UM, AND LEMME JUST SAY, UH, JUST TO CLOSE, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
YOU'RE ALL DOING FANTASTIC WORK.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WILL GO ALONG THE WAY, BUT THE WHOLE, UH, IN, IN MY VIEW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE CERTAIN OF IS THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO SHOW SAN ANTONIO TO THE WORLD, THAT WE'RE GROWING THAT PIE OF HOT TAX.
UM, THAT'S REALLY THE POINT WHEN WE GROW THE PIE, WHEN WE BRING MORE VISITORS, WHEN WE HAVE MORE DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITY, EVERYBODY WINS AND ALL THOSE ASPECTS THAT, UH, ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH HOT WHEN, WHEN WE GROW THE PIE.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE WORK OF, UH, LARGELY OF V S A, UM, NOT SOLELY UPON THEM, BUT UH, THAT'S WHY IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT, UH, OUR INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.
SO, MAYOR, MAY I INTERRUPT FOR JUST ONE MOMENT? YEAH.
SO WE WILL NOT BE CONTINUING TODAY'S SESSION TOMORROW, CORRECT? WE WILL, YEAH.
WE'RE GONNA AJOUR MEETING ANY QUESTIONS? MEETING, YEAH.
GET TO OUR HEARING DIRECTLY TO MARIA.
UM, WE'LL DO SOME FOLLOW UP ONE-ON-ONES FOR ANY REMAINING QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE WE DID GO AROUND, THIS IS JUST A SECOND ROUND AND JUST A FEW FOLKS, WE'RE IN THE QUEUE, SO, UH, I THINK WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION.
[02:45:01]
UH, TIME IS 5:03 PM ON THE 30TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2023.