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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UM, A LITTLE BIT LATE
[ PROCEDURAL ]
OF A START TODAY.SO WE APPRECIATE YOU, UM, YOUR PATIENCE.
THE TIME IS 9:17 AM ON THE 31ST DAY OF AUGUST, 2023, AND WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER COR PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION FULL AGENDA TODAY.
UH, TO GET US STARTED, I'M GONNA TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER CORE TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR.
IT'S MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE AND WELCOME.
JUST BREATHE CORE TO INATE US THIS MORNING.
JUST BREATHE HAS BEEN A MENTOR OF MINE SINCE I WAS A YOUNG CHILD, AND ALSO AS A LEADER, A SERVANT LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE SIKH COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT ANYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO RELIGIOUS TEXT, WHICH BACK IN INDIA, THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE, THAT ONLY CERTAIN SPECIFIC FOLKS COULD BE ABLE TO READ.
AND SO AS THE MEMBER AND LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY, I WELCOME YOU AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, CITY MANAGER AND ESTEEMED MEMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
LET US COMMENCE THIS GATHERING WITH A SICK PRAYER.
S THIS PASSAGE SPEAKS TO THE IMPACT OF OUR ACTIONS ON OTHERS.
OUR FATHER AND THE EARTH IS THE GREAT MOTHER OF ALL DAY AND NIGHT ARE COMPASSIONATE CARETAKERS IN WHOSE LAP THE WHOLE WORLD IS AT PLAY.
THE RECORD IS READ OUT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CREATOR AND ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
SOME ARE DRAWN CLOSER TO THE TRUTH AND SOME ARE DRIVEN FURTHER AWAY.
THE RADIANT ONES, THOSE WHO HAVE MEDITATED ON THE DIVINE NAME OF THE LORD, MAY LEAVE THIS WORLD, BUT THEY IMPACT MANY ALONG THE WAY.
THE SICK FAITH ENCOURAGES COLLECTIVE WELLBEING AS THE ULTIMATE LEGACY IN THIS SPIRIT, LET US INVOKE HUMILITY AS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR ACTIONS.
EQUALITY AS THE ESSENCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS, SELFLESS SERVICE, AS THE PURPOSE OF OUR EXISTENCE AND SERVANT LEADERSHIP, AS THE PATH UPON WHICH WE WALK WITH GRATITUDE.
LET US ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE FIRST PEOPLES OF SAN ANTONIO ON WHICH WE GATHER TODAY, HONORING THEIR STEWARDSHIP AND CONNECTION TO THIS PLACE THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
AND LET US ALSO EXTEND THIS RECOGNITION TO THE EARTH, OUR INTERCONNECTED HOME DESERVING OF OUR CONCERN AND GRAD GUARDIANSHIP.
MAY THIS COUNCIL RECOGNIZE THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE ON THE FUTURE OF OUR BELOVED SAN ANTONIO, BE IT HEALTH, JUSTICE, OR EC ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
AND LET US CARRY WITHIN US THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY ASPECT OF CREATION IS A DIVINE MANIFESTATION WORTHY OF OUR CARE AND
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COMPASSION.AND LET US RECOGNIZE ANOTHER ONE, ANOTHER AS AN EXTENSION OF THE CREATOR.
AS WE GATHER TODAY, LET US CULTIVATE THE SPIRIT OF EVA SELFLESS SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO AND ALSO TO EACH OTHER.
MAY THIS INVOCATION SERVE AS A REMINDER OF OUR COLLECTIVE DUTY TO COMPASSIONATE SERVANT LEADERSHIP.
AND AS YOU BEGIN YOUR WORK TODAY, MAY THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ILLUMINATE OUR PATH TOWARDS A RADIANT AND ABUNDANT FUTURE WITH PRAYERS FOR PEACE.
ALRIGHT, OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 9, 10 15 AND 17 20 23.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE.
UH, WAS THERE A SECOND? WHO WANTS TO SECOND? OKAY.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? NO.
WE HAD A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
WE WELCOME MANY OF OUR SPECIAL GUESTS TODAY, UM, LET ME JUST NOTE FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA.ITEM FOUR IS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION? I WILL MAKE NOTE ALSO THAT ITEMS 37 THROUGH 39 WILL BE, UH, CONTINUED AND WE'LL TAKE THAT ACTION UP IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT ARE THERE ANY ITEMS TO HERE INDIVIDUALLY TODAY, OTHER THAN ITEM FOUR? OKAY, HEARING NONE.
UM, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT.
ACTUALLY, BEFORE I DO THAT, UH, LET ME ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEMS 37 AND 30 THROUGH 39.
I MOVE TO CONTINUE THESE ITEMS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 14TH.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEMS 37 THROUGH 39, UH, TO WHAT WAS THE DATE? SEPTEMBER 14TH.
WE DO HAVE TWO CI ACTUALLY, WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 38 AND 39.
WELL, MAYOR NURNBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
A COUPLE ITEMS I WISH TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LET SALE RIGHT ON THROUGH.
AND ONE OF FIRST ONE IS, UH, ITEM NUMBER 32.
WHAT IS IT? WELL, IT'S ABOUT A, JUST, JUST JUST READ IT HERE.
BASICALLY, IT'S ABOUT, UH, ORDINANCE, UH, APPROVING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE GROUP WITH POWELL FORD, FORD POWELL AND COURSE AND ARCHITECTS IMPLANTED TO PRODUCE A RECONCILED PLAN AND PROJECT INVENTORY FOR BRACKEN RIDGE PARK, A PLAN FOR BRACKEN RIDGE PARK IN AN MOUNTAIN NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 THERE.
UM, I LOOKED AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS ON THIS AND WHAT DOES IT, AND WHEN I THINK OF A, SOME COMPANY DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR A PUBLIC PARK, I THINK OF SIMPLY THAT, UH, A PLAN THAT IN DETERMINES, UM, HOW AND WHERE, UH, SHRUBBERY TREES, PLANTS, BASEBALL, DIAMONDS, CONCESSION STANDS AND THE LIKE, WILL, WILL BE PLACED, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT LOOKING AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS,
UH, D E I, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND AND INCLUSION.
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THERE? UM, YEAH, THE, UH, IF YOU CAN READ IT THERE, IT SAYS SAN ANTONIO, LIKE ALL MAJOR CITIES, HAS A HISTORY OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE.BUT THAT, UH, LEFT US ABOUT, UH, SEVERAL DECADES AGO.
UH, DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION EVALUATION METHODOLOGY WILL BE DEVELOPED.
LIKE I SAY, THIS IS FOR ITEM NUMBER 32.
WELL, UH, WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR CONTINUANCE FOR THAT.
I, NOT A PROBLEM, MR. MAYOR, I CAN COME UP AND SPEAK ON THESE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR THAT PORTION THEN.
OKAY, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEMS 37 THROUGH 39.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL TAKE UP THE CONSENT
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
AGENDA NOW.SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
OKAY, THERE IS A MOTION, A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, WE DO HAVE FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT.
I'LL CALL THEM IN ORDER, UH, FOR MY COLLEAGUES.
THIS IS ALSO AFTER THAT WE'LL TAKE UP DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEMS, YOU CAN DO THAT AT THAT TIME.
UH, CHARLES FUENTES, MR. FUENTES ON ITEM 16, ITEM FOUR.
UM, YOU'RE SIGNED UP FOR ITEM FOUR ALSO, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALSO SIGNED UP FOR 16.
I THINK THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A MISTAKE.
I'LL CALL YOU UP FOR FOUR THEN.
ALRIGHT, I'LL, I'LL CALL YOU UP DURING THE, THE NUMBER FOUR DISCUSSION.
UM, JACK FINGER ON ITEMS 27, 29, 30, AND 32.
UH, HERE YOU GO MR.
ITEM NUMBER 32, I'M DWELLING ON AT THIS MOMENT IS ABOUT, UH, YOUR DESIRE TO PLACE INTO A CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY, A PLAN FOR MORE THAN JUST PARKS, UH, FOLIAGE AND BASEBALL DIAMONDS AND, AND THE LIKE.
YOU WANT TO PUT INTO THIS PLAN, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
AND I'M JUST READING FROM A LOT OF IT THERE.
UH,
UH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
UH, RETURN THE CAMERA TO THE PODIUM IF YOU WOULD, MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAN.
WHY? YES, WE'VE HAD A HISTORY OF THAT, BUT THAT WAS OF, UH, DISCRIMINATION, BUT THAT WAS A GOOD 50, 60 YEARS AGO.
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF STRIDES SINCE THEN.
WHY ARE WE SOME, SOME, WHY NOW? ARE WE SPECIFICALLY PUTTING IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION INTO OUR CONTRACTS? HUH? I MEAN, UH, NO, I THINK, UH, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT NEEDS TO GO, WE NEED TO GET REAL ABOUT WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING TODAY.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S FRIVOLOUS.
ANOTHER ITEM ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA, YOU, YOU'RE ABOUT DECEMBER 30 IS ABOUT, UH, A DISPARITY STUDY CONDUCTED BY COLETTE HOLT AND ASSOCIATES RELATING TO THE CITY'S SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BASICALLY, I, ONCE AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS AS I AM WANT TO DO, I, I NOTICED THAT, UH, YOU'RE GONNA TRY AND GIVE ESSENTIALLY A CRUTCH, A CRUTCH TO VARIOUS MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
ARE THEY REALLY? DO THEY REALLY NEED THAT CRUTCH? WHY ARE WE BENDING OVER BACKWARDS FOR IT? THAT THAT'S WHAT THE PRELIMINARY PORTION IS A STUDY OFFERING TO GO THAT FAR.
WHAT DOES IT SAY HERE IN THE BACKUPS, SIR, MR. VIS MAN? YES.
UM, IT SAYS AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED BUSINESSES, ASIAN-AMERICAN OWNED BUSINESS AND NATIVE AMERICAN OWNED.
BUSINESSES HAVE NOT MET THEIR RESPECTIVE AVAILABILITY RATES.
RATES IN THE SAN ANTONIO MARKET AREA.
RETURN THE CAMERA, IF YOU WOULD, TO THE PODIUM.
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WHEN ARE WE GOING TO AWARD CONTRACTS BASED ON MERITS? BASED ON MERIT TO THOSE COMPANIES APPLYING FOR IT AND WHO HAVE, UH, THROUGH THE, THE TESTING THROUGH, THROUGH THE, THE VETTING HAVE DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE THE BETTER ONES REGARDLESS OF WHAT RACE OWNS THOSE COMPANIES.MR. SHUFFLE ON ITEM NUMBER 27.
ITEM 30 FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I ENJOYED MR. FINGER'S COMMENTS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IMPLEMENTS VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR LOCAL SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
ONE SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM IS THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM REFERRED TO AS S BETA, WHICH APPLIES INCENTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL, SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN CITY CONTRACTS PER GUIDANCE FROM THE COURTS.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THEM RECENTLY.
THE ATED PROGRAM MUST UNDERGO EVALUATION EVERY FEW YEARS VIA A DISPARITY STUDY, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO INDICATE WHETHER BARRIERS PREVENT MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES FROM PARTICIPATING IN CITY CONTRACTS.
AND IF DISPARITIES DO EXIST IN THE GENERAL SAN ANTONIO MARKET AREA.
TO DEVELOP THE STUDY, THE CTA COMMITTEE AGREE TO BRING ON BOARD THE MOST NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PERSON IN THIS ARENA.
AND THAT WAS MS. COLLETTE HART OF SAN ANTONIO, WELL RENOWNED LADY.
WE APPROVED, WE TO APPROVED THE DISPARITY STUDY BACK IN MAY, AND WE BEGAN A SERIES OF 11 ADVERTISED PUBLIC COMMENT SESSIONS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO TO VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS WAS DONE DURING MAY AND JUNE OF 2023.
THERE WERE NO ADVERSE REACTIONS TO THE PRESENTATIONS OR TO THE MEETINGS THEMSELVES.
THIS NEW DISPARITY STUDY BEFORE YOU TODAY WILL SATISFY, AND I'M GONNA REPEAT, WILL SATISFY THE GUIDANCE FROM THE COURTS TO CONTINUE OR MODIFY THE SAB BETA ORDINANCE.
I ASK, I URGE THIS CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THIS VERY WELL DONE MOST EXCELLENT DIVERSITY STUDY DISPARITY STUDY THAT WE HAVE PLACED BEFORE YOU.
JUANITA SEPULVEDA, ALSO ON ITEM 30.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN AND YOUR MAYOR.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE CETA PROGRAM, AS KNOWN AS THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
NOW OVER THE PAST FOUR, TWO YEARS, OUR COMMITTEE HAS OVERSEEN THE SELECTION IN THE STUDY CONSUL CONSULTED AS WELL AS THE MYTHOLOGY UTILIZED BY THE CONSULTANT TO PROVIDE THE STUDY FINDINGS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE STUDY FOUND THAT SAB BETA PROGRAM IS GENERALLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES.
FURTHERMORE, THE STUDIES FOUND THAT SAB BETA PROGRAM WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN OPENING OPPORTUNITIES TO MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, UTILIZING THEIR BUSINESSES REPRESENTED AT 53% OF THE TOTAL CITY DOLLAR SPENDING WHILE AVAILABILITY TO THE MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, WHICH REPRESENTED 25%.
AND YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTED THAT THAT 53% UTILIZATION SHOW THAT THE CITY HAS MADE PROGRESS FROM THE 2015 DISPARITY STUDY AS UTILIZED AND REPORTED BY THE STUDY OF THE 23%, THE 25% AVAILABLE FIGURE IS A COMPETITIVE, COMPREHENSIVE SAN ANTONIO MARKET VALUE WIDE CAL CALCULATION THAT IS WEIGHED BASED ON CITY CONTRACT SPENDING OPPORTUNITIES.
NOW FURTHERMORE, WHILE THE PRESENTATION PARTICIPATION IN THE MINORITY WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE CITY IS ENCOURAGED, THE DISPARITY STUDY FOUND CONTINUING DISPARITIES IN THE CITY MARKET AREA, WHICH INCLUDES WORKER WAGE JOURNEYS, ENTREPRENEUR WAGE JOURNEYS, AND BUSINESS INFORMATION RATINGS AMONG MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED THE DISPARITIES.
THE DISPARITIES IN CAPITAL AND CREDIT MARKET WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE COLLECTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS ALSO SUPPORTED THESE FINDINGS.
AND I AM PLEASED TO BE PART OF THE PROGRESS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE IN CONTRACTING WITH THE MINORITY WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
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IN GROWING THIS UTILIZATION FROM 23% TO 53% SINCE THE LAST STUDY IS A TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT.HOWEVER, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE STUDY IDENTIFIED VARIOUS SAN ANTONIO MARKET DISPARITIES THAT LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE RACE AND GENDER CONCLUSION APPLICATION OF THE VEDA PROGRAM IS NECESSARY AND MUST BE CONTINUED ADOPTING THE POST-ADOPTION OF THE STUDY.
OUR COMMITTEE WILL WORK WITH THE CITY STAFF TO IDENTIFY VEDA ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN WIDE IN THE STUDY FINDINGS THAT'S RELEVANT TO THE CASE LAW, WHAT WE ARE GIVING WITH THE EXPECTATION, THE BACKGROUND, AND THE WORK OF THE CONSULTANT, WHICH INCLUDES THE MYTHOLOGY BASED ON CASE LAW.
I REQUESTED THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE 23 DISPARITY STUDY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST TO ACCEPT THIS STUDY AS PRESENTED BY THE COLLETTE HOLD ASSOCIATION AND SUPPORTED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM THAT'S REFERRED TO AS THE BETA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND I BE SEAT YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT AND IMPOSE IT AS SUPPORTED BY CASE LAW.
IS MS. AYALA HERE FOR NUMBER 32? YES.
SO I'M HERE, UM, ADDRESSING THIS RECONCILIATION PLAN AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY GETS SOME INPUT.
I KNOW THAT ON THE DOCUMENTS IT DOES STATE THAT THERE THEY WILL HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INPUT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAD SEVEN PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK PLAN PHASE ONE BEFORE, AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE INPUT THAT WAS ACCEPTED FROM US.
WE GOT TO SPEAK AT EVERY MEETING JUST ABOUT, BUT NOTHING WAS CHANGED.
I KNOW THEY HAVE SAID THAT THERE WERE A HUNDRED TREES THAT WERE GONNA BE CUT DOWN AT.
IT WAS REDUCED TO 48, BUT AT THAT TIME, THE APPLICATION WAS FOR PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, THE ENTIRE PROJECT OF A HUNDRED TREES.
SO THE ONLY REASON IT WAS REDUCED TO 48 IS BECAUSE THEY DIVIDED UP THE PROJECT INTO PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
UM, AFTER A YEAR OF BACKTRACKING AND HOLDING SEVEN PUBLIC MEETINGS, I STILL DON'T SEE ANY OF THIS ON THE LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS OR COMMITTEES.
UM, THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT'S ONLINE, UM, REGARDING THE RECONCILIATION PROJECT AND THE LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THERE ARE STILL, I STILL DON'T SEE A LIST OF REGULAR PEOPLE LIKE US WHO ARE NOW PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR PART OF THE BUSINESSES IN THE VICINITY.
A MEMO FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OF DECEMBER, 2021, LIZ BRACKENRIDGE PARK, A CITYWIDE PARK, YET IN JUNE OF 2023 WHEN THE CITY MANAGER RECONSTITUTED THE BRACKENRIDGE STAKEHOLDER AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE ONLY NAMES LISTED ARE FROM PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE PARK OR WHO HAVE BUSINESS WITH OR WITHIN THE PARK.
THERE ARE STILL NO NAMES OF ANY OF THE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY WHO ACTUALLY USE THE PARK.
IF YOU INCLUDE MORE OF US, THEN YOU MIGHT ACHIEVE WHAT THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT SUGGESTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PLANS THAT'S BEING RECONCILED.
AND THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE SAYS PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING.
ITS THE PARKS, ITS DISTINCTIVE, HOMEGROWN REGIONAL CHARACTER.
AND THAT IS FROM THE LANDSCAPE REPORT.
AND IT ALSO SUGGESTS TAKING CARE OF THE DETERIORATING RIVER BANKS AND SHAPE CANOPY.
SO AGAIN, ONE OF THE, UH, PLANS FOR THE PARK DOES INCLU DOES RECOMMEND PRESERVING THE TREES, UM, AS WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR, FOR THE PAST 20 MONTHS.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE, PLEASE QUEUE UP AND I'LL CALL YOU IN ORDER.
UH, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, TWO ITEMS THAT ARE ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER 11 IS ON AQUIFER PROTECTION.
AND I WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE, UH, THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY CON CONSERVATION NETWORK HAS RECENTLY REPORTED IN THE SAN ANTONIO REPORT.
UH, THEY'VE CALLED THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION,
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A SHINING EXAMPLE OF CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN TEXAS.AND THE APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM HIGHLIGHTS A PIVOTAL TRANSITION POINT IN OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE CRITICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
IN 2020, I ADVOCATED FOR THE CREATION OF THE MUNICIPAL FINANCE CORPORATION THAT WILL CONTINUE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR AT LEAST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
THIS CONSERVATION EASEMENT PURCHASE IS THE SUN SETTING OF FUNDS THROUGH PREVIOUSLY APPROVED SALES TAXES AND UTILIZING THE NEW FUNDING MECHANISM.
BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT THAT THE CITY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER MOVING FORWARD.
ITEM NUMBER 34 IS REGARDING THE CITY'S GROWTH MANAGEMENT POLICY.
THIS IS AN ANNEXATION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, A COMPETENT, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, A COMPONENT OF THE SA TOMORROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND IT HAS A VARIETY OF NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IF WE'RE TO PRESERVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND MITIGATE STRESSES ON OUR UTILITIES LIKE WATER AND ELECTRICITY, THEN THERE'S MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES MENTIONED HERE.
WE MUST COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT NATURE AND GREEN SPACE SHOULD NOT BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO DEVELOPMENT, BUT RATHER, HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE NATURE INTO THE DEVELOPMENT? MANY OF THE POLICIES MENTIONED IN THIS PLAN USE THE PHRASE THE CITY SHOULD.
I'M ASKING WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO? AND SO I INTEND TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE ACTIONS RATHER THAN ASPIRATIONS AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE COUNCILS MEMBER PALAI.
A UH, SHORT MENTION OF A YOUNG MAN IN THE AUDIENCE NAMED AMRI SINGH NIK.
UH, HE'S THE SON OF OUR INDICATOR, UM, OUR FRIEND RET.
AND, UH, I WANT TO WELCOME HIM AS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION.
HE ATTENDS BRANDEIS HIGH SCHOOL.
HE'S AN ACTIVE, UH, LEADER IN THE, UH, ROBOTICS TEAM AT BRANDEIS.
HE PLAYS VIOLIN IN THE ORCHESTRA, UH, AND HE WAS ONE OF OUR SUPERSTARS AT OUR SUMMER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UH, HE HAS EVER SINCE I'VE KNOWN HIM, SHOWN A VERY DEEP COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP, TO SERVICE, UM, AND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING TO, UH, THE NEXT GENERATION AND MAKING SURE THAT SAN ANTONIO IS PREPARED FOR HIM, HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, UM, AND ALL OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO, UH, HE ADDITIONALLY, AND ONE OF THE REASONS I'M VERY PROUD OF HIM IS BECAUSE HE'S ALSO A, UH, A VERY ENERGETIC AND ZEALOUS ADVOCATE OF, UH, AND VOLUNTEER AT OUR, UH, SEA COMMUNITY TEMPLES, UM, AND AMEK.
UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IN ALL OF THE, UM, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, THAT THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, GONNA BE PUSHING ACROSS THE LINE AND YOUR FINGERPRINTS ON, ON THAT WORK.
AND SO, UM, PLEASE, UH, PLEASE KNOW THAT I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU AND THAT I EXPECT BIG THINGS FROM YOU.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF HIGHLIGHTS.
FIRST IS ITEM 13, THE ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS FOR THE TEXAS ANTI-GANG PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN ASSISTING SS A P D AND OTHER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES WORKING TOWARDS REDUCING LARGE GANG ACTIVITY THANKS TO ALL THE OFFICERS THAT WORK TOWARDS THIS GOAL.
AND JUST A, A REMINDER, UM, ABOUT, TO EVERYONE ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS PUBLIC SAFETY WORK IS.
AND WE'VE SEEN CONSTANT REMINDERS, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, EVEN LAST NIGHT, OF HOW TRULY DANGEROUS THIS JOB IS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GRANTS LIKE THESE TO SUPPORT OUR OFFICERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
ITEM 19, UM, ORDINANCE ADOPTS THE FINDINGS OF THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY RELATED TO VEDA.
THE VEDA ORDINANCE IS MENTIONED, UM, BY A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS HERE TODAY.
THANKS TO ALEX, BRENDA, MICHAEL, AND TEAM FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS MATTER.
WHEN WE RECEIVED THE BRIEFING, THERE WAS CLEAR DIRECTION OF WHAT WE AS A CITY NEED TO DO TO HELP OUR SMALL MINORITY BUSINESSES.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE CHANGES FOR THEM.
UM, FINALLY, I EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO DR.
AND LARISSA MARTINEZ FOR AGREEING TO, TO SERVE THE DISTRICT SIX COMMUNITY ON OUR HISTORIC DESIGN AND REVIEW COMMISSION AND MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
GADA IS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER IN DISTRICT SIX WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICE TO OUR OUR CITY.
HE'S ALSO PREVIOUSLY SERVED ON THE C P S BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND IS A COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD.
LARISSA MARTINEZ IS A VETERAN WHO HAS STARTED HER OWN NONPROFIT CIRCLE OF ARMS. I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO, TO LOOK THEM UP.
THEY'RE A REALLY WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR VETERANS.
MS. MARTINEZ ALSO SERVES ON OUR VETERANS
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ADVISORY COUNCIL AS A COMMUNITY LIAISON.I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SEVERAL ITEMS TODAY.
THE FIRST IS RECOGNITION FOR A FEW DISTRICT FIVE COMMITTEE REAPPOINTMENTS.
I'M EXCITED TO POINT MATTHEW SOLOMON TO THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ADVISORY BOARD.
I MET, UH, MATT, UH, OVER A CUP OF COFFEE A FEW WEEKS AGO TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT FIVE.
AND HIS KNOWLEDGE AND ADEQUACY FOR MARGINALIZED GROUPS GREATLY IMPRESSED ME AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE HIM SERVE.
UH, THIS COMMITTEE, NEFI GARZA, WHO'S A TOTAL ROCK STAR AND WHO'S HERE TODAY, WILL BE SERVING A SECOND ROUND ON THE WEST SIDE TOURS.
HIS EXPERTISE AND INPUT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND A RANGE OF OTHER TOPICS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE TO ME PERSONALLY, AS WELL AS TO THE WEST SIDE TOURS.
NEPHI'S SPECIALTY IS DRAINAGE GIVEN THE SEVERAL BILLION DOLLAR NEED.
I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE MAYOR REAPPOINT, UH, TO APPOINT NEFI AS CHAIR OF THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS, NEFI, REALLY EXCITED, UH, TO HAVE YOU SERVE.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK ANDREA GRIMM FOR SERVING ANOTHER TERM FOR THE PRE-K TO ESSAY M D C.
ANDREA IS A RETIRED TEACHER WHO HAS MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND RECOGNITIONS THAN I COULD LIST OR EVEN IMAGINE.
HER SERVICE HAS BEEN VITAL TO THE CORPORATION'S POSITIVE MOMENTUM IN SECURING A BETTER WORKFORCE FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION AND RESIDENTS.
LAST, I WANNA THANK N H SS G TO AND BE SURE TO GIVE THEM THEIR FLOWERS FOR FUNDING.
A SERVICE COMMUNITY IS IN DIRE NEED OF EXTREMELY MINOR HOME MODIFICATIONS.
SO MANY SENIORS AND DISABLED HOMEOWNERS ARE NOT ABLE TO AGE IN PLACE WITH COMFORT DUE TO A LACK OF SIMPLE DEVICES LIKE RAMPS, SHOWER, GRAB BARS, ROOF SHINGLE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PAINTING, FLOORING, DOORS, SIDING, AND WINDOWS.
THESE PROGRAMS KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES AND THEY ABSOLUTELY SAVE LIVES.
THEY ALSO INCREASE SAFETY AND COMMUNITY PRIDE WHILE HELPING TO PREVENT A THOUSAND DOLLARS ROOF PATCH FROM TURNING INTO A $13, $13,000 ROOF REPLACEMENT.
SO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE COMPASSIONATE AND INNOVATIVE WITH OUR LIMITED HOUSING DOLLARS.
I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S DOING.
AND I ALSO WANNA BE SURE THAT I THANK RACHEL ON OUR TEAM FOR ASKING SOME REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM, WHICH LED TO POSITIVE RESULTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER CORE.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, RECOGNIZE A FEW ITEMS TODAY, OR I AM HIGHLIGHTING ITEMS 15, 18, 19, 20, AND 21, RECOGNIZING A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE AGREED TO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR WHICH THEY ARE VOLUNTEERING AND DOING THIS TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITY AND BETTER PROVIDE ADVICE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS WE TAKE UP ISSUES.
SO FIRST, LORI CASTILLO, WHO'S A KING WILLIAM RESIDENT, WILL BE, UM, ON THE H D R C BOARD, WHICH REALLY IS IMPORTANT 'CAUSE IT'S SUPPORTING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW AND LOVE ABOUT OUR CITY.
UM, EMMA BALL WILL BE SERVING ALONG WITH AMARI ON THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION TO REALLY INCREASE AND ENGAGE THE YOUTH VOICE.
AND SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT PARTNERSHIP THERE.
SARAH ESSER LU KHALIL WILL BE SERVING ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
SHE WORKS WITH CENTRO SA, WORKING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY CLEAN AND SAFE.
KELSEY EDWARDS WILL BE ON THE STORM WA UH, WATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION AND SHE'S A CERTIFIED PG AND ALSO WORKS TO HELP THINK ABOUT CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN WHILE CREATING PARK SPACES AS WELL.
THOMAS BURTON WILL BE ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND HE'S A PREVIOUS C CITY PLANNER, AND SO WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A REALLY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THERE.
AND ALSO REPRESENTS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DISTRICT THAT WAS JUST REDISTRICTED IN.
DANIEL KELLUM WILL BE ON THE ZONING COMMISSION.
UM, HE'S A MONTEVISTA RESIDENT AND HAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE AND SERVANT LEADERSHIP FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN CARLA GARO WILL BE SERVING ON THE LIBRARY BOARD AND SHE WAS ACTUALLY, UH, AT ONE POINT, UH, A WORKER AT THE LIBRARY.
SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE FULL CIRCLE HER, BE ABLE TO COME ON AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THAT WAY.
AND THEN JIM CAMPBELL WILL BE CONTINUING HIS SERVICE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR AT BROOKS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE AND FOR BEING WILLING TO DO THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORE COUNCIL MEMBER GRA.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 30, THE ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY AND EXTENDING THE SUNSET DATE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY ORDINANCE.
I WANNA THANK, UH, JOY MCGEE, WHO SITS ON THAT AND IS GETTING REAPPOINTED TO CE BETA.
UH, AS WE KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO IF YOU WERE HERE WATCHING, WE CELEBRATED, UH, WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, AND I TALKED ABOUT HOW IT FOR, FOR WOMEN OF COLOR.
UM, IT WAS THE SEVENTIES AND UP UNTIL THE SEVENTIES, A LOT OF WOMEN COULD NOT BUY A HOME OR, UM, UH, GET A CREDIT CARD WITHOUT THEIR HUSBAND OR THEIR FATHER.
SO THIS 314 PAGE STUDY IDENTIFIES THE ONGOING
[00:35:01]
RACIAL AND GENDER, UH, CONTRACTING DISPARITIES IN THE SAN ANTONIO MARKETPLACE AND PROVIDES LEGAL BASIS TO CONTINUE THE CITY'S CONTRACTING PROGRAM.THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO CAME IN AND SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
HAVE WE MADE PROGRESS? YES, 53% OF ALL CITIES CONTRACT PAYMENTS DURING THE SEVEN YEAR STUDY PERIOD WERE PAID TO MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS.
BUT CAN WE DO BETTER? OF COURSE, THIS CITY CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND IT CAN LEAD.
SO WHILE PARTICIPATION OF OF BY MINORITY WOMEN, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACT IS ENCOURAGING, WE HAVE OTHER ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE CONTRACTS THAT WE NEED TO MODEL FOR.
WE FOUND THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH EARNINGS, SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT AND BE THE LEADERS DISPARITIES IN CAPITAL AND CREDIT MARKETS WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED FOR THE MINORITIES, MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
AND I KNOW ANECDOTALLY, YOU CAN GO ALONG THE STREET OF ROOSEVELT AND MY BUSINESSES THERE CAN TELL STORIES OF THE DIFFICULTIES THEY'RE HAVING.
SO IN CONCLUSION, WITH TODAY'S ADOPTION OF THE 2023 S BETA DISPARITY STUDY, CITY STAFF WILL EXPLORE AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE BY EXTENDING THE SUNSET DATE OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, TO ENSURE AMPLE TIME TO CONDUCT PUBLIC OUTREACH PRIOR TO CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS.
SO THIS IS YOUR TIME AND YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO USE YOUR VOICE ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO SEE DONE AS WE CONTINUE TO BE THE CITY THAT LEADS.
SO I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR SUPPORTING THIS, AND I WANNA THANK COLETTE, UH, WITH COLETTE HOLT AND ASSOCIATES FOR PRODUCING THESE FINDINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIRA AND COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ.
I'LL START OFF BY HIGHLIGHTING A FEW, UH, REAPPOINTMENTS, UM, AND APPOINTMENTS.
LORENA HAVEL TO THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD.
HAVEL IS EXTREMELY THOROUGH, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND A WONDERFUL LIA LIAISON TO ALL WHO CARE ABOUT ANIMALS.
UM, JENNIFER RAMAGE TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
SHE IS A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT TWO CEMETERIES.
AND I'M EXCITED WITH THIS UPCOMING BUDGET, UH, THE ALLOCATIONS FOR THE CEMETERIES TO, UH, FOR HER TO CONTINUE THAT WORK WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE RESOURCES.
UH, MARIA MAG MAGDALENA WILLIAMS, UM, TO THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION.
SHE REPRESENTS THE ONLY BLACK OWNED ART GALLERY IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER ART GALLERY, AND CONTINUES TO UPLIFT THE ARTISTIC TALENTS OF BLACK ARTISTS, NOT ONLY IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ACROSS THE REGION.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS THE PURCHASE OF A CUSTOMIZED VEHICLE TO FUNCTION AS A DRONE MOBILE COMMAND CENTER FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A COST OF $242,462.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M BEING FACETIOUS WHEN I SAY THAT.
I HOPE THAT THIS IS A, I'M SURE THAT THIS IS A NEED RATHER THAN A WANT, AND I'M SURE IT'S GONNA FILL ALL OF OUR VACANCIES AND, UH, ATTRACT RECRUIT RECRUITS.
OTHER THAN THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE MORE HIGH TECH MILITARIZED POLICING TO ME.
UM, AND THEN REGARDING ITEM 32, I COULD BE A PAIN AND I CAN PULL EVERY ITEM, EVERY TIME.
UH, AN ITEM COMES IN REGARDS TO BRACKENRIDGE PARK, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT, BUT I AM GOING TO SET THE EXPECTATION THAT THE CONCERNS THAT WERE LAID OUT BY THE PUBLIC SPEAKER EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE ADDRESSED AND THAT STAKEHOLDERS ARE GIVEN PROPER FEEDBACK AND THAT THOSE STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDE, UM, PEOPLE FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY WHO WILL BE REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
ALL OF THESE APPOINTEES ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED, AND I WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL'S COMMITMENT ON SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT SEVEN AND SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU JOIN OUR TEAM.
PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED WHEN I CALL YOU.
I AM HIGHLIGHTING THE FOLLOWING.
WE'RE APPOINTING JASON VASQUEZ TO THE HI H D R C TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD.
WE'RE APPOINTING BIANCA MALANO ON THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD.
WE'RE APPOINTING PAUL HERNANDEZ TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD.
WE'RE APPOINTING SAES JACKSON TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD.
WE'RE APPOINTING ELLIE SMITH TO THE PORT AUTHORITIES OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WE'RE APPOINTING AMRU KRU TO THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION.
WE'RE APPOINTING JANELLE MARTINEZ TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
WE'RE REAPPOINTING GEORGE MARY TO THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD.
WE'RE REAPPOINTING FRANCISCO UZMAN TO THE SAN ANTONIO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND WE, WE ARE REAPPOINTING LIEUTENANT COLONEL VALERIE MOORE TO THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD.
[00:40:01]
I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH EACH OF YOU.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO, UH, TO RECOGNIZE ROY AND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU DID, UM, ON THE EDTA BOARD.
AND, AND MORE THAN THAT, UM, EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR DISTRICT 10, UH, IT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.
AND AND WE PROBABLY DON'T, UH, SAY IT ENOUGH, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, ITEM, UH, 17.
WE'RE APPOINTING RICK OTTLEY TO THE TS UH, BOARD THERE IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
I GOT TO KNOW RICK DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
UM, JUST A GREAT GUY WITH A HEART FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
HE'S DONE SO MUCH FOR, UM, FOR KIDS, UH, IN, IN DISTRICT 10.
AND HE ALSO, UM, UNDERSTANDS BUSINESS AND THE NEED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
UH, SO I'M VERY PROUD THAT, THAT RICK'S GONNA BE, UH, JOINING THAT BOARD.
JUST ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, BE ON WHO'S GOING TO BE ON ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BOARD AS WELL.
AND I ALSO JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, MAKING A FULL SLATE OF APPOINTMENTS TODAY ON, ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS HERE.
AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO HAVE STEPPED FORWARD TO VOLUNTEER IN SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE TODAY, AND I KNOW A NUMBER OF YOU ARE, I JUST ASK YOU TO STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED, UH, FOR THE DISABILITY ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD, WE HAVE MIGUEL CASTRO.
WE HAVE JAY MAURICE GIBBS FROM FOR THE H D R C, LINDA LOPEZ, GEORGE WITH THE COMMISSION ON EDUCATION, UM, LIN, SORRY, WILL LONG, OR OUR LINEAR CREEKWAY ADVISORY BOARD, ADA FOR OUR, UH, MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN RAMIRO GONZALEZ AND MICHAEL MOORE FOR THE OFFICE OF URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, JEANETTE ERMAN, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, UH, OLIVIA TSO WITH PORT SAN ANTONIO, UH, RENEE BARLOW, LINDA HARDBERGER, AND JESSICA SANCHEZ WITH THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION.
MATA FLORES WITH THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION.
UH, ALI PEREZ WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
RUDY MUNOZ AND SUZANNE SCOTT WITH THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY BOARD.
AND WE HAVE NEFI GARZA WHO WILL CHAIR THAT BOARD.
THIS, THE STORMWATER ADVISORY BOARD.
ANDREW OZUNA, WHO'S ON THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
JUDY CRUZ WITH OUR LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND OF COURSE, ELAINE MENDOZA.
UH, OUR CHAIR OF PRE-K FOR SAN ANTONIO.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE OR YOUR NEW SERVICES, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
VERY GRATEFUL, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON OUR BEHALF.
AND IT'S GREAT THAT MY COLLEAGUES HIGHLIGHTED THEIR APPOINTMENTS AS WELL.
I CAN SEE THERE'S SO MANY FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR CITY.
UH, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT IS ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FOUR.
ALL ITEMS, SAY FOR NUMBER FOUR.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL GET NOW INTO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEM THAT IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
[Proclamations ]
I'M SORRY.BEFORE WE DO THAT,
UM, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR BUSINESS ITEM, LET, LET ME START.
ALSO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO HAS EXPERIENCED QUITE A CULINARY REVOLUTION OVER THE LAST, UH, 10, 15 YEARS OR SO.
AND THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY OUR CITY IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED CULTURAL DESTINATION.
BUT YOU CAN ADD FOOD TO THE LIST AS, UH, FOLKS ARE FILTERING OUT TO, UH, EXIT.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO THINK TWICE, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE INTRODUCED TO SOME FOLKS WHO WANT TO MEET, WHO ARE OWNING AND OPERATING
[00:45:01]
SOME INCREDIBLE RESTAURANTS IN TOWN.BUT IF YOU ARE GONNA LEAVE, UH, ASK YOU TO DO THAT QUIETLY SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEM IN HERE.
UH, AS I SAID, NOT ONLY ARE HISTORIC SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS, THE FIRST AND ONLY UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN TEXAS.
WE HAVE MANY IMPORTANT DESTINATIONS AND DESIGNATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
WE ARE ALSO THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS TO BE A UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY, ONE OF ONLY TWO IN THE NATION.
AND BECAUSE OF SAN ANTONIO'S LOCATION ON OUR RIVER, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRAWN HERE FOR OVER 12,000 YEARS AS A CROSSROADS AND CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES.
SAN ANTONIO'S CULINARY HERITAGE IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS A MIXTURE OF ALL CULTURES THAT HAVE SETTLED, SETTLED HERE TODAY.
IT'S OUR LOCAL CHEFS, COOKS, BARTENDERS, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY WHO CONTINUE TO SHARE THE STORY OF OUR CITY'S GASTRONOMY AND WHAT MAKES SAN ANTONIO THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
THIS CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD AND CULTURE, OUR GASTRONOMY CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT WE CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE TO BRING TOGETHER DIVERSE CULTURES AND PEOPLE.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, WE CELEBRATED OUR FIRST COHORT OF CHEF AMBASSADORS FOR REPRESENTING SAN ANTONIO LOCALLY AND ABROAD.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THESE CHEFS DEDICATED THEIR TIME, PASSION, AND EXPERTISE TO PARTICIPATING IN CULTURAL EXCHANGES, CULINARY DESTINATION DEMONSTRATIONS, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR WORLD HERITAGE OFFICER HERE, UH, COLLEEN SWAIN.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA QUEUE UP A VIDEO NOW TO SEE, UH, OUR CULINARY EXPERTS IN ACTION.
I THINK FOOD IS UNIVERSAL, AND EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME FOODS IN COMMON, EVERYBODY EATS AND EVERYBODY BRINGS A CERTAIN LEVEL OF TRADITION AND PRIDE TO THEIR FOOD.
AND SO I THINK IT'S A WAY TO NOT ONLY SHOW YOUR MAYBE CULTURAL HERITAGE, BUT ALSO JUST WHO YOU ARE.
I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT DISCOVERY WITH TRAVEL AS WELL AS WITH FOOD AND PEOPLE LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS AND DIFFERENT WAYS AND DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS, BUT IT ALL COMES BACK TO THE SAME ROUTE THAT FOOD BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.
THERE'S SO MANY GREAT RESTAURANTS HERE, SO MANY GREAT CHEFS, SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE, NOT JUST FOLLOWING THE TRENDS, BUT ARE CREATING TRENDS TOO.
ON TOP OF IT, WHAT'S OUR HISTORY? WHAT'S OUR COMMUNITY'S HISTORY? IT'S RICH AND IT'S DIVERSE, AND THERE IS SO MUCH TO IT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THIS FINE DINING, NO WAY.
IT CAN BE VERY SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL.
I THINK COOKING AND FOOD ITSELF, IT'S THE LOVE LANGUAGE ON ITS OWN.
FOOD CONNECTS EVERYBODY WITH MEMORIES, WITH A CONNECTION, WITH AN EMOTION.
A BLEND IS WHEN YOU PUT THOSE THINGS TOGETHER AND YOU BLEND THEM AND YOU CREATE A NEW PARTICLE.
IT'S A BLEND OF CULTURES THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM DIFFERENT PARTS AND NOW IT'S A UNIQUE ENTITY.
AND THAT WHY I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING UNIQUE, IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
THIS PAST JUNE SIX, NEW SAN ANTONIO CHEFS WERE SELECTED TO SERVE AS OUR CHEF AMBASSADORS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE THEM AND CONGRATULATE THESE INDIVIDUALS THIS MORNING.
SO AS I CALL YOUR NAME WILL THE SAN ANTONIO 23 THROUGH 25 CHEF AMBASSADORS, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WE HAVE CHEF LEO DAVILA FROM STICKS AND STONES, CHEF IAN F WITH THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, CHEF SOPHIA TEJERA WITH HOTEL EMMA SUPPER.
CHEF JAIME GONZALEZ WITH KARKI CHEF JUAN CARLOS BAAN WITH QUICHE, ALSO CRO MEXICANA AND TORO KITCHEN AND BAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, CHEF JOHN THOMAS WITH BRACKENRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.
THESE CHEFS WILL BE BUSY WORKING ON INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS, PARTICIPATING IN LOCAL COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND SHARING SAN ANTONIO'S CULTURE AND CUISINE WITH OTHER CREATIVE CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
AND SO CHEFS, WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST LUCK OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR PAST CHEF AMBASSADORS FOR REPRESENTING SAN ANTONIO.
SO WELL, I KNOW THAT THIS NEXT COR COHORT WILL ALSO DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT OR, UH, TEASE YOUR NEXT MENU, BUT YOU HAVE THE FLOOR IN OUR ATTENTION.
[00:50:01]
SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, HOSTING US TODAY AS WELL.
AND SO YOU HEARD THE RESTAURANT STICKS AND STONES, C I A HOTEL, EMMA SUPPER, UH, CHEROKEE, CHE CO ANA, TORO, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE GREAT STUDENTS AT BRACKENRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE YOU GO VISIT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS AND ENCOURAGE, UH, THE CHEFS AND THE CHEFS IN TRAINING AND THEIR LINE COOKS, EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S WORK AND, AND REPRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CORE TO WELCOME SOME ADDITIONAL SPECIAL GUESTS.
IF I COULD HAVE THE CAMPUS PUNKS TEAM COME UP.
SO IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE TODAY.
KEALA GHAR, SHYLA GABBARD, ELLA CONTRERAS AND OLIVE CONTRARES.
AND THESE YOUNG FIERCE WOMEN ARE PART OF THE CAMPUS PUNKS TEAM.
THEY HAVE BEEN CLIMBING AT ARMADILLO BOULDERS, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT ONE FOR OVER FIVE YEARS.
AND EARLIER THIS MONTH, I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO WATCH THEM WIN THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, AND THEY EVEN BEAT OUT MANY ADULT TEAMS, INCLUDING THEIR DAD'S TEAM CALLED DAD CAMP.
AND SO THEIR DEDICATION TO CLIMBING IS WONDERFUL.
I TOTALLY EXPECT TO SEE YOU ALL COMPETING IN THE OLYMPICS HERE SOON.
SO WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT YOU ALL BY SHOWING A LITTLE VIDEO IF WE COULD GO AHEAD AND PLAY THAT NOW.
IF, IF Y'ALL HAVE NEVER CLIMBED BEFORE, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TRY IT.
IT IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND SOME OF THOSE MOVES Y'ALL PULLED WERE AMAZING.
ALRIGHT, UH, I'LL TURN IT NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, WITH A VERY IMPORTANT RECOGNITION.
TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THIS DAY AS A DAY FOR A CALL TO ACTION FOR SAN ANTONIO, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, IS THAT MANY OF US KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH SUBSTANCE USE.
AND THE WAY WE GET THE WORLD THAT LENDS THE HELPING HAND IS BY DE-STIGMATIZING THIS VERY REAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
PART OF THE RATIONALE FOR INTRODUCING OUR RECENT POLICY PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF NARCAN TO TACKLE THE OPIOID CRISIS IS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SAN ANTONIO IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THIS CRISIS.
BY EXPANDING HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES, SAN ANTONIO CAN DE-STIGMATIZE ADDIC ADDICTION, PROMOTE AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES ROOTED IN HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT WORK AND FOSTER EDUCATION, AND AN UNDERSTANDING TO SAVE LIVES.
IN 2022, MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE DIE JUST FROM FENTANYL IN TEXAS.
AND MORE THAN FIVE A DAY IN 2021, BEXAR COUNTY REPORTED 246 OVERDOSE DEATHS.
[00:55:01]
THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN POINT TO THAT ARE ENGAGED IN TACKLING THE OVERDOSE CRISIS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.JOINING US AT THE COUNCIL SESSION TODAY IS THE SAN ANTONIO RECOVERY CENTER, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
OH, THEY WERE FOUNDED IN 2020 TO TREAT THOSE AFFECTED BY SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.
THE SAN ANTONIO RECOVERY CENTER OFTEN TAKES A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO RECOVERY, INCLUDING INTERVENTION, COUNSELING, AND BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES.
THEIR PROGRAMMING PROVIDES EDUCATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO HELP INDIVIDUALS MAKE INFORMED CHOICES WHILE MINIMIZING RISK ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY, THE SAN ANTONIO RECOVERY CENTER IS COMMITTED TO MAKING POSITIVE IMPACT WITH THEIR PROGRAM AND SERVICES THAT REDUCE OVERDOSE OF RELATED DEATHS AND UNMANAGEABLE SURROUNDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
THE WORK DOES STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVES PEOPLE'S, UH, AND SAVES LIVES.
SO I WANNA THANK JACQUELINE WHO'S HERE AND OFFER YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME WORDS.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HIGHLIGHTING INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, A TIME TO REMEMBER, A TIME TO ACT WHILE OUR LOCATIONS ARE IN BOTH DISTRICT FIVE AND ONE.
IT RADISHES OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND TOUCHES ONE IN THREE FAMILIES.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT NO ONE HAS TO DIE.
WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO LOOK BEYOND TRADITIONAL METHODS AND INCORPORATE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH.
THAT APPROACH INCLUDES HARM REDUCTION MAT, WHICH IS MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT.
AND, UM, IT'S SCIENTIFICALLY BASED.
SO WE HAVE TO MOVE BEYOND TRADITIONAL METHODS.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE CREATED SOME THINGS IN 1970 AND IT'S 2023.
UM, OUR CITY HAS RESOURCES AVAILABLE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE BY CONNECTING AND WORKING TOGETHER SO THAT A CHILD DOES NOT LOSE A PARENT AND A PARENT DOES NOT LOSE A CHILD.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BETTER SERVE OUR CITY AREA.
LEADERS IN SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE A COMMUNITY VIGIL.
THIS EVENING AT SEVEN 30, WE OFFER ANYONE IN OUR CITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND HIGHLIGHT THOSE YOU HAVE LOST AND SO THAT YOU MIGHT ALSO BE REMEMBERED, UM, IN THIS TIME.
UH, SO WE WOULD, UM, IT'LL BE AT LOWE'S PATIOS.
I THINK THAT I HAVE, UH, SHARED A FLYER AND, UM, WE INVITE ALL TO JOIN US.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND, AND ON THAT NOTE, I DO WANT TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY WILL BE OBSERVED ON AUGUST 31ST, 2023 TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY DUE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND STRIVE TO EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF OVERDOSE AND WAYS TO PREVENT IT.
AND WHEREAS THE I O A D THEME FOR 2023 IS RECOGNIZING THOSE PEOPLE WHO GO UNSEEN, ACKNOWLEDGING PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE AFFECTED BY OVERDOSE, BUT MIGHT GO UNSEEN IN THE CRISIS.
AND WHEREAS THE CAMPAIGN AID TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT THE GLOBAL EPIDEMIC OF DRUG OVERDOSE AND ENCOURAGES ACTIONS AND DIS DISCUSSIONS SURROUNDING EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES FOR OVERDOSE PREVENTION.
MOREOVER, THE CAMPAIGN RECOGNIZES THE IMMENSE SORROW EXPERIENCED BY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE LOST OR WITNESSED PERMANENT HARM CAUSED BY DRUG OVERDOSES.
AND WHEREAS TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY DUE TO DRUG RELATED DEATHS, I O A D ENCOURAGES INDIVIDUALS TO WEAR A PURPLE RIBBON IN MEMORY OF THEIR FRIENDS, PARTNERS, OR FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND WHEREAS BY REDUCING THE STIGMA SURROUNDING DRUG USE AND OVERDOSE, WE CAN PROMOTE SUPPORT AND RECOVERY FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY SUBSTANCE ABUSE, RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT OVERDOSE PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND ULTIMATELY PUT AN END TO THE OVERDOSE.
NOW THEREFORE, I RON NUREMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 31ST, 2023 TO BE INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND COMMEND SAN ANTONIO RECOVERY CENTER FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN ADDRESSING OVERDOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
[ACTION ITEMS FOR STAFF BRIEFING]
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET INTO OUR BUSINESS, UH, AGENDA NOW.SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, BRING UP ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING MINIMUM HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN CITY FUNDED CONTRACTS INVOLVING ACTIVITIES IN OUTDOOR AND UNCONDITION SPACES, MIKE.
ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, SO I WANT TO, UH, PRESENT TO YOU ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, WITH HEAT RELATED, UH, ILLNESS, UH, PROTECTIONS.
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I'LL START OFF, I THINK WE ALL, UH, KNOW, BUT, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, IN APRIL OF 2022, UH, THERE WAS A C C R CREATED BY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, FOUR AND, UH, SEVEN AUTHORED AND ASKED US AS A CITY TO LOOK AT A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS.SO, UM, WE WANTED TO CREATE A TASK FORCE, WHICH WE DID TO EVALUATE AND RECOMMEND SOME HE ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES.
UH, CONSIDER A POTENTIAL ORDINANCE, UH, MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.
SO WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, METRO HEALTH RISK, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ET CETERA.
UH, WE INVITED A, A, A LONG, A LONG LIST.
WE SEE 'EM UP HERE OF, UH, THOSE THAT ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS WELL AS THOSE THAT REPRESENT, UH, LABORERS, UH, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S OUT THERE AND WHAT WE COULD AND SHOULD BE DOING AS THE CITY.
UH, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE, WE ACTUALLY HAD FIVE, UH, MEETINGS OF THIS GROUP, UH, THROUGH DECEMBER AND MAY.
AND IT WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UH, AN ORDINANCE, UH, ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION, UH, AND WHAT WAS SPECIFICALLY NOTED IN THE C C R WAS, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND DALLAS ALREADY HAD ON THE BOOKS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD OR SHOULD DO? AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SO IF WE LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, SO, UH, THE CLOSEST ONES TO HOME, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE CITY OF DALLAS HAVE, UM, A, UH, A REST BREAK ORDINANCE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND, UH, THIS JUST SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY HAD REQUIRED AND WHEN THEY WERE ADOPTED.
UH, ACTUALLY REST BREAKS 10 MINUTES, MINIMUM, 10 MINUTES EVERY FOUR HOURS, UH, SOME SIGNAGE ON THE SITE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY, UH, CAN GET THESE REST BREAKS.
UH, THOSE WERE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, OF COURSE.
THESE ORDINANCES, UH, THEY APPLIED TO, UH, NEW AND COMMERCIAL.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOESN'T APPLY TO EXISTING RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION AND THROUGH, UH, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WE LOOKED AT SOME OTHER CITIES AND STATES THAT HAVE SOME RULES.
THERE'S SOME VARIED RULES AND REGULATIONS OUT THERE.
UM, WE, WE KNOW OSHA, UH, HAS SOME GUIDELINES, UH, THAT'S, UH, TO HELP PROTECT, UM, UH, WORKERS, UH, BUT SOME, UH, OTHER CITIES, UH, LIKE PHOENIX AND ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA.
SO HERE'S LA THERE'S SOME VARIANT, UH, VARIANCES IN, IN WHAT THEY REQUIRE AS MINIMUMS. UH, AND, AND THOSE WERE DISCUSSED ALONG THE WAY, UH, WITH THE COMMITTEE AND, AND ALSO THE, UH, THE PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
SO, UH, WE DID, UH, BRING THIS TO THE PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
SO, UH, THE MEMBERS HERE SAW THIS TWICE ACTUALLY.
SO, UH, ORIGINALLY BACK IN MAY, WE PRESENTED KIND OF THE SUMMARY OF THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, REALLY A CONSENSUS ON CERTAINLY MORE EDUCATION.
UH, IT HAS TO HAPPEN MORE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.
WE WANT PEOPLE, IT'S BEEN SO HOT THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
IT'S ALWAYS HOT HERE IN, IN, UH, TEXAS IN THE SUMMER.
SO, UH, WE DID RECEIVE APPROVAL TO BEGIN AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
I THINK EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
UH, BUT THE P C D C DID DIRECT STAFF TO COME BACK, UH, AFTER THAT MEETING WITH WHAT A PROPOSED ORDINANCE FOR SAN ANTONIO COULD LOOK LIKE.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD LOOK LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE REST BREAKS AND WATER AND SHADE AND TRAINING, ET CETERA.
UH, WE CAME BACK IN JUNE AND AFTER, UH, MORE DISCUSSION, THE COMMITTEE DID APPROVE, UH, AND GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO BRING A PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY.
UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE HEAT RELATED PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
UH, THAT WAS A LONG DISCUSSION.
UH, IS THIS FOR EVERY CONTRACTOR IN THE CITY? EVERY CONSTRUCTION WORKER? WELL, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, IS A PROPOSAL TO, UH, WORK WITH CONTRACTORS DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT, WE, WE HAVE, WE DID START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER, UH, AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN WORKING WITH METRO HEALTH AND OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND NOT ONLY USING BILLBOARDS, UH, DECALS, HANDING OUT CARDS, EVEN MY INSPECTORS ARE OUT ON JOB SITES, HANDING OUT THESE CARDS, PROMOTING THE OSHA MOBILE APP, WHICH IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL, UH, GIVES YOU REAL TIME INFORMATION ON YOUR JOB SITE ON, UM, THE HEAT INDEX AND THE, THE HEAT, UH, DANGERS.
UM, AND, UH, SOME OF THAT WE USE NEWS RELEASES, SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, WE EVEN DID SOME DIGITAL BILLBOARD, UH, CAMPAIGNS.
UH, AND I ALWAYS LIKE SAYING X FORMERLY TWITTER.
UM, SO THAT'S UP THERE AS WELL.
BUT IT WAS REALLY BEAT THE HEAT.
AND TAKE A BREAK FOR YOUR SAKE.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR, UH, ALL OF US IN SAN ANTONIO, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
UM, AND NOW, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, AS, UH, P C D C ASKED US TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER A, A REQUIREMENT SO FOR THOSE CONTRACTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WITH THE CITY.
SO, UH, WE DO A LOT OF CONTRACTS.
MOST OF THEM, I THINK, THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS, OF COURSE, BUT THOSE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, THEY WOULD REQUIRE AS PART OF THEIR GENERAL CONDITIONS, UH, THAT WHEN, UH, THE HEAT INDEX IS 95 DEGREES, UH, OR MORE, UH, AND THAT'S HEAT INDEX, NOT TEMPERATURE, SO IT COULD BE A LOWER TEMPERATURE, BUT IF THAT TAKES INTO, UH, CONSIDERATION
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HUMIDITY AND ALL THAT STUFF.BUT WHEN IT FEELS LIKE 95 DEGREES, UH, WE WOULD, UH, REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BREAKS EVERY FOUR HOURS OF WORK.
UH, PROVIDE HEAT RELIEF STATIONS THAT INCLUDE SHADE AND DRINKING WATER, ET CETERA.
UH, THERE AND OF COURSE SOME SIGNAGE BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT TALKS ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN SOME, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT THE SUPERVISORS AND WORKERS ARE TRAINED ON HEAT HAZARDS AND MITIGATION TECHNIQUES.
A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION IS ON, UH, IS AVAILABLE THROUGH OSHA AND, AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO, UH, REALLY OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, JUST TO FINISH OFF HERE, IS TO, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BEAT THE HEAT EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
WE, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE AN ANNUAL THING, UH, CERTAINLY DURING, UH, UH, AND THERE'S A DIGITAL BILLBOARD WE, UH, WE USED ALREADY.
AND THEN, UH, ALSO OF COURSE TODAY, CITY COUNCIL IS TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
SO, UH, KIND OF SHORT AND SWEET, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
GREAT, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MIKE.
UH, WE DO HAVE FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, SO I'LL TAKE THAT.
UM, WE'LL DO THAT FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
UH, WE'LL START WITH MATT GONZALEZ.
MR. GONZALEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARTY GARZA.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR ESTEEM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, MY NAME IS MATTHEW GONZALEZ, BUSINESS MANAGER OF LABOR'S INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 10 95.
AS YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO, WE INITIATED THE PROCESS TO DETERMINE THE MERITS OF ARREST BREAK ORDINANCE SIMILAR TO THAT OF AUSTIN AND DALLAS.
I PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND HEARD FROM BOTH EX EXPERTS AND OPPONENTS SINCE THOSE MEETINGS.
THE GOVERNOR SIGNED HOUSE BILL 2127, STRIPPING AWAY LOCAL MUNICIPALITY'S ABILITY TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS OR WORKER PROTECTIONS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE BILL, WE SAW HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES AND DEATHS ACROSS THE STATE.
AS WE HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED 60 DAYS OF TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE CITY TAKE ACTION TO ESTABLISH A REST BREAK FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES.
IF AN EMPLOYER HAS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS OIL, GAS, OR MAINTENANCE, HE WILL SHUT THE EQUIPMENT OFF FOR SERVICE.
WHY THEN WOULD OPPONENTS NOT DO THE SAME FOR A HUMAN LIFE? FROM THE BEGINNING, WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT A UNION VERSUS NON-UNION ISSUE.
IT IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO UNIONIZE THE CITY.
AS MENTIONED, UNION MEMBERS RECEIVE REST BREAKS THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
ORGANIZED LABOR STANDS BEFORE YOU TODAY TO SPEAK UP FOR THE NON-UNION UNREPRESENTED WORKFORCE OF SAN ANTONIO.
I WOULD ASK COUNSEL TO CONSIDER PENALTIES OR CONSEQUENCES FOR BAD ACTORS IF YOU PASS THIS ORDINANCE.
THE SISTER WHO GAVE INVOCATION STATED GOOD DEEDS AND BAD DEEDS WILL BE READ BY THE CREATOR.
LET YOUR GOOD DEEDS BE ON DISPLAY TODAY WITH YOUR VOTE TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE.
MR. GARZA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LAUREN MENDEL.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION FOR THE CENTRAL SOUTH CARPENTERS UNION HERE IN TEXAS, IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN, UH, ONE OF THE HOTTEST, THE HOTTEST, UH, YEAR IN MY TIME HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, OR AS MY, UH, NEPHEW LIKES TO REMIND ME IT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE COLDEST, UH, SUMMER OF THE REST OF MY LIFE.
UM, I AM BLESSED TO REPRESENT HUNDREDS OF WORKERS HERE IN CONSTRUCTION IN OUR GREAT CITY.
UM, BUT AS THE BROTHER BEFORE ME SAID, WE ALSO ADVOCATE FOR ALL WORKERS IN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THIS, UH, ORDINANCE THAT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER TO SUPPORT, UH, IT, IT COULD LITERALLY SAVE LIVES OUT IN THE, FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT BUILD, UH, AND MAINTAIN OUR CITY'S BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY MEMBER ON COUNCIL TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE ONE LIFE LOSS TO PREVENTABLE HEAT ILLNESSES, ONE LIFE LOSS.
MS. MENDEL, YOU BE FOLLOWED BY DA DAVID TIM KAHAN.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS.
I REPRESENT 260 PLUS GENERAL CONTRACTORS, SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS, SUPPLIERS, ANYBODY WHO TOUCHES THE A E C INDUSTRY.
THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME SAID THAT ONE, LIFE LOST IS TOO MANY.
THAT'S A THING WE ALL CAN AGREE ON.
REGARDLESS OF ANY STATE LEGISLATION OR LOCAL ORDINANCE, OUR MEMBERS AND THEIR TEAMS HAVE ALWAYS AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT THEIR WORKERS.
TEXAS HAS LONG SINCE BEEN UNDER AN OSHA SPECIAL
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EMPHASIS PROGRAM RELATED TO HEAT THAT PLACES EXTRA SCRUTINY ON CONSTRUCTION SITES TO ENSURE THEY'RE PROTECTING WORKERS.IF YOU TALK TO ANY GC OR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, THERE HAVE BEEN EXTRA OSHA ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THIS MORNING AS IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HOTTEST SUMMERS ON RECORD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND IN TEXAS.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OSHA PUSHES OUR EARLY INTERVENTIONS ACCLIMATION THE APP THAT MR. SHANNON SPOKE ABOUT.
AND I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT FOR THE CON, THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, SAFETY ISN'T JUST A HAVE TO HAVE, IT'S A CULTURE.
IT IS EMBEDDED IN ALL OF OUR MEMBERS IN THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO HEAT, OUR WORKERS HAVE THINGS LIKE AC TRAILERS, OBVIOUSLY, WATER, REST SHADE IS AVAILABLE WHENEVER THEY NEED IT.
I EVEN HAVE ONE MEMBER WHO IS, UM, ENCOURAGING THEIR MEMBERS, THEIR WORKERS TO DRINK A BUNCH OF WATER BOTTLES AND PUT THEM INTO LIKE A BIG PILE WITH A NUMBER.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PERSON WHO HAS THE MOST WATER BOTTLES IS MOST LIKELY TO BE DRAWN, AND THEY GET SOME SORT OF PRIZE THAT ENCOUR.
SO JUST ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
UM, I JUST WANNA CLOSE THIS BY REEMPHASIZING THAT WE ALL AGREE.
ONE, LIFE LOST IS TOO MANY, BUT THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS PROTECTING ITS WORKERS, AND I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT THEM TODAY.
DAVID CHIN KHAN, UM, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MANUEL ANTU.
UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS DAVID CHIN CHEN, AND I AM THE POLICY DIRECTOR FOR WORKERS' DEFENSE.
AND WORKERS DEFENSE IS A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT WORKS WITH OUR MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDE IMMIGRANT CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO, LIKE MATT BEFORE ME, SAID, BUILD OUR CITIES AND BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED CONDITIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, UH, TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES AND SUPPORT OF WORKERS' RIGHTS, UH, AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT CONSTRUCTION IS A HARD JOB, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WHAT YOU REALIZE IS THAT THE TEXAS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE NATION.
THAT HERE IN TEXAS, A CONSTRUCTION WORKER DIES EVERY THREE DAYS.
THAT HERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS OFTEN TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION OR THE, TO THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT CAN KEEP THEM SAFE OR EVEN TO BASIC SAFETY TRAININGS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO ADVOCATE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM FOUR AND, AND HOPE THAT YOU SUPPORT IT.
UM, FOLKS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, HUMAN LIVES, RIGHT? AND SO OUR MEMBERS AND THOSE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, THEY DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, RIGHT? THEY ALL HAVE STORIES ABOUT INJURIES AND DEATHS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
AND IT'S NOT A NUMBER, IT'S A LIFE LOST.
EVERY SINGLE ABSENCE IS DEEPLY FELT BY THOSE FAMILIES, BY THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE LIVES.
AND I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO FEDERAL OR STATE WATER BREAK REQUIREMENT, UH, INCLUDING, UH, FROM OSHA.
AND SO, AS WE ARE FACING AN ONSLAUGHT FROM THE STATE, AN ATTACK ON YOUR ABILITY THROUGH HB 2127 TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR OWN CONSTITUENTS AND TO HAVE POLICIES ON THE BOOKS THAT PROTECT WORKERS, IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN NEVER FOR YOU TO TAKE A STAND.
WE'RE PROUD OF YOU FOR JOINING THE LEGAL CHALLENGE AGAINST HB 2127, UH, AND I HOPE THAT THROUGH THAT YOU FEEL THE URGENCY AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN NEVER FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH WORKER PROTECTIONS LIKE THE ONE YOU'RE CONSIDERING.
UH, PLEASE DON'T WAIT ANY LONGER AND JUST VOTE FOR ITEM FOUR TODAY.
MR. ANTO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY A JACK FINGER.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UH, SO I WANT TO TALK ON THAT AS WELL.
A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS WERE SAID, UH, AS FAR AS OUR HEAT ILLNESS, OUR HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION, ALL THE STUFF THAT EVERYONE, THE INITIATIVES EVERYONE'S TAKING.
UH, I JUST WANT TO ADD A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, THERE WAS 16 DAYS THAT WE WERE OVER 105 DEGREES, UH, ON TOP OF THE 60 DAYS THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN OVER THE HUNDRED DEGREE MARK.
SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE OUR, OUR WORKERS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
UH, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE OUR FATHERS, OUR BROTHERS, OUR SONS, UH, EVERYONE OUT THERE.
IT'S OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT.
UH, SO THIS IS A, UH, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT.
I'VE WORKED OUTSIDE SINCE I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M LUCKY TO HAVE THE C W A BARGAIN FOR EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT I GET, UH, MY
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WATER BREAKS, MY SAFETY EQUIPMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.UH, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST STANDARD.
AND THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING I THINK THAT EVERY WORKER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, SHOULD BE GRANTED AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. ON JACK FINGER.
MR. FINGER, YOU'D BE FOLLOWED BY CHARLES ENTENTES, MAYOR NURNBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, AND I THINK I REALIZED WHAT CAUSED THAT LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
MR. MAYOR, I WASN'T AWARE OF YOUR NEW TECHNIQUE OF ALLOWING TO BE, UH, CONTINUED CASES, HAVING THEIR OWN CITIZENS BE HEARD PORTION THERE.
SO I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND NEXT TIME.
UM, ON THIS ISSUE, THE PROPOSAL OF A HEAT ILLNESS EDUCATION PROGRAM AND AN ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE.
THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST OF OF WHOM, UH, ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS WAS MS. ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA THERE.
I, UH, I LOOK AT THIS THING AND, UH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A, IT'S A TWO-PRONGED PROPOSAL HERE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROPOSING AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, AND I, I THINK THAT'S UNNECESSARY, A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROPOSING AN ORDINANCE OF SUPPOSEDLY WITH ENFORCEMENT POWERS THAT WOULD, UH, UH, FORCE GOVERNMENT, UH, CONTRACTED COMPANIES TO, UM, TAKE, FORCE THEM TO OFFER WATER BREAKS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT YOU CALL GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
AND, UH, WELL, UH, I'M GONNA, UH, WITH YOUR OWN BACKUP DOCUMENTS, I'M GOING TO LOOK AT A FEW, AS I CALL 'EM FALLACIES ON THIS WHOLE THING.
THE FIRST OF ALL, IN YOUR BACKUP DOCUMENTS, YOUR COUNSEL CONSIDERATION REQUEST MENTIONED THREE THINGS.
AND AMONG ONE OF THEM WAS, FIRST SAN ANTONIO HAS HOT SUMMERS.
I REPEAT, SAN ANTONIO HAS HOT SUMMERS.
RETURN THE CAMERA TO THE PODIUM, IF YOU WOULD.
LIKE, UH, THIS IS, I THINK THE, UM, THE GROUP OF COUNCIL PERSONS, MS. ROCHA GARCIA, FOR, EXPLAINED TO US THAT, UH, BREAKING NEWS AT SAN ANTONIO HAS HOT SUMMERS
LIKE, UH, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THIS STUFF ALREADY, AND COMPANIES DON'T REALIZE THIS STUFF ALREADY.
MY QUESTION IS, THE BIG ONE IS, HAS ANY PERSON, ANY CONSTRUCTION WORKER, ANY WORKER, DIED, DIED BECAUSE HIS COMPANY, CITY CONTRACTING COMPANY, FAILED TO GIVE HIM WATER IN A HOT, HOT PERIOD.
THERE ALSO, THE REST OF IT THERE AT THE VERY, VERY BOTTOM THERE, WHAT DOES THE CONTRACTOR SAYING? THE CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDED AN ORDER THAT WAS UNNECESSARY DUE TO THE FACT THAT CONTRACTORS ALREADY PROVIDE THIS PROTECTION.
MR. FUENTES, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DALE HANSON.
CHARLES FUENTES FROM, UH, C W A 61 43 COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA.
TO BRIEFLY ANSWER MR. F'S, UH, QUESTION, THERE HAVE BEEN DEBTS.
UM, AND THAT IS READILY AVAILABLE EVIDENCE.
UM, I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE HEARING FROM OTHER OF MY COLLEAGUES IN, IN LABOR.
UM, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE STATE TO ACT ON THIS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THOSE CHALLENGES ARE NECESSARY AND JUSTIFIED.
UH, WE NEED TO ACT NOW TO, UH, PROTECT THE WORKERS AND, UH, EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE, UH, DANGERS OF HEAT ILLNESS.
THESE THINGS CAN SNEAK UP ON YOU.
THESE CAN THINGS CAN TAKE OUT EVEN THE MOST SEASONED WORKERS BECAUSE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES.
THANKFULLY, AS MY BROTHER, UH, MARK ANOU SPOKE OF, WE HAVE THESE PROTECTIONS IN OUR BARGAIN FOR CONTRACT.
BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ORGANIZED, UH, LABOR FORCE TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THESE, UH, PROTECTIONS.
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THAT, UH, ORGANIZED LABORERS OUT HERE ADVOCATING FOR NOT JUST OUR MEMBERS, BUT EVERY WORKER OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NO MORE DEATHS, NO MORE PREVENTABLE DEATHS.AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM ENACTED.
MR. HANSSEN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ IS MORNING MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'VE BEEN DOING CONSTRUCTION SINCE THE YEAR 2015.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL UNION 60.
WE ARE REPRESENTED ABOUT 2000 MEMBERS RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION POSED BY MR. FINGER, ACTUALLY, I CAN GIVE HIM A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
IF HE'D LIKE TO TAKE OUT HIS WORLDWIDE INTER GOOGLER AND USE IT, THERE WAS A MAN NAMED NDI GRAN IN 2015, RDI GRANEL WAS DOING FLOORING UP IN MELISSA, TEXAS.
HE COMPLAINED AT ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING OF HEAT RELATED EXHAUSTION.
THE SAME SYMPTOMS. HIS EMPLOYER WAS NOT TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND ALONG WITH DENYING MR. GRANO'S REQUEST FOR A WATER BREAK, INSISTED HE CONTINUED TO WORK.
WHAT WOULD EVENTUALLY HAPPEN IS THAT MR. GRINO BECAME ILL.
HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL, AND HE LATER DIED OF HEAT EXHAUSTION.
HIS INTERNAL TEMPERATURE WAS 109 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
SO, IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT IT, IT DOES HAPPEN.
MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE A G C WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
ONE, DEATH IS TOO MANY, AND SAFETY IS A CULTURE.
BUT FROM MY OWN ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND I GET IT, IT'S ANECDOTAL, BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THAT CULTURE IS TOXIC.
ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITES TODAY, THERE IS STILL A TOXIC CULTURE.
GET IT DONE, PROFIT'S OVER PEOPLE.
I'VE SEEN IT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES.
NOW, THIS PIECE OF ORDINANCE, IF IT WERE TO BE ENFORCED, IT WOULD AT LEAST GIVE SOME SEMBLANCE SO THAT THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM THE, THIS TOXIC MINDSET, THEY HAVE SOME SORT OF WAY OF ACHIEVING RECOMPENSE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE THE MOST BASIC ASSUMPTION THAT HEY, WORKERS OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO HYDRATE THEMSELVES APPROPRIATELY.
AND AS TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT IT'S THE ROLE OF THE STATE, WHETHER IT'S THE ROLE OF THE CITY TO DO SO.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LAWS FOR A REASON, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS ACT RATIONALLY.
I'M SURE A CURSORY CREWS UP 1604 AND 35 WILL SHOW YOU THAT NOT EVERYBODY DOES WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T OBEY THE RULES, EVEN THOUGH THEY SHOULD.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THIS JUST DOES SAVE ONE LIFE, IN MY OPINION, IT'S ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.
AND I MEAN, TO QUOTE K***Y FRIEDMAN'S GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN, WHY NOT? WHY NOT VOTE FOR THIS? WELL, IS IT TOO BURDENSOME? IS IT TOO BURDENSOME TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION WORKERS TO TAKE A 15 MINUTE BREAK SO THAT THEY CAN REST AND HYDRATE THEMSELVES WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS 95 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT? IF YOUR PROFIT MARGINS ARE SO THIN THAT YOU CANNOT TOLERATE A CONSTRUCTION WORKER TAKING A 15 MINUTE BREAK EVERY FOUR HOURS, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE AN M B A, BUT MAYBE YOU'RE NOT IN THE RIGHT BUSINESS.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO ALLIANCE OF TEACHERS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL LOCAL 67, THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS EDUCATION WORKERS IN SAN ANTONIO, I S D.
I ALSO SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO, A F L C I O, CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL.
TODAY I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF AGENDA ITEM FOUR, THE ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING MINIMUM HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN CITY FUNDED CONTRACTS.
AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF DIVERSE GROUPS OF UNIONS, INCLUDING MANY OF THOSE THAT WOULD BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS ORDINANCE.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEINGS OF THE WORKERS WHO CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR CITY, PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF WORKERS WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS AND SOMETIMES NIGHTS OUTDOORS.
IT IS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AND PERSONAL ISSUE FOR ME BECAUSE I, LIKE MANY IN OUR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WORK OR HAVE WORKED OUTDOORS FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
MY FATHER WAS A UNION IRON WORKER, LOCAL 66.
HE WORKED ON MANY LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SAN ANTONIO AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I REMEMBER SEEING HIM COME HOME ON HOT SUMMER DAYS FROM WORK, DRENCHED IN SWEAT IN HIS FULL WORK, GET UP AND THINKING THAT HE MUST BE SUPERHUMAN TO BE ABLE TO WORK ALL DAY OUTSIDE IN THE A HUNDRED DEGREE HEAT.
OF COURSE, MY DAD WOULD TELL YOU THAT HE IS SUPERHUMAN, BUT I NOW KNOW THAT HE IS JUST A PERSON MADE A FLESH AND BLOOD LIKE THE REST OF US, AND FLESH AND BLOOD BODIES HAVE THEIR LIMITS.
THIS SUMMER, SAN ANTONIO SAW ONE OF THE HOTTEST SUMMERS ON RECORDS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PASSED BEFORE WE
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BROKE HEAT RECORD AFTER HEAT RECORD.BUT THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT.
AND THIS COUNCIL NOW HAS AN OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT SAN ANTONIO WORKERS.
THANK YOU, MS. THANK YOU, MS. LOPEZ.
UM, FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THANK ALL MY BROTHER AND SISTERS HERE FROM THE LABOR, UH, ORGANIZATIONS COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING OF THIS BILL.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, UM, WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN WE ARE BUILDING A BUILDING, THERE'S, THERE ARE HUMIDIFIERS OR TO DEHUMIDIFY THE AIR AND, UH, YEAH, RUNNING 24 7, UM, TO EXTRACT THAT MOISTURE FROM THE AIR.
AND PEOPLE ARE IN THOSE BUILDINGS WHERE THE HUMIDITY IS JUST SO HIGH ON A HUNDRED, UH, DEGREE WEATHER DAY THAT IT'S EVEN HOTTER AND EVEN MORE, UH, THE MOISTURE INSIDE IS EVEN MORE SO.
AND SO THE PEOPLE INSIDE ARE JUST DRENCHED IN SWEAT.
THEIR ENTIRE SHIRT IS JUST WET AND INTO THEIR PANTS.
SO TO NOT ALLOW SOMEBODY TO REPLENISH THE WATER THAT THEY HAVE EXHAUSTED FROM THEMSELVES IS CRIMINAL, IN MY OPINION, AND WE SHOULD MAKE IT.
THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR TODAY.
SO WE'LL MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
TO GET US STARTED THOUGH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FOUR COUNCILS.
UH, THIS ITEM BEFORE US, ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN CITY FUNDED CONTRACTS INVOLVING ACTIVITIES IN OUTDOOR AND UNCONDITIONED SPACES, IS THE PRODUCT OF A PROCESS THAT WAS INCLUSIVE, TRANSPARENT, AND ULTIMATELY GENERATED A POLICY THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF AND CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON.
I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK AND LEADERSHIP OF COUNCILMAN AND DR.
ROCHA GARCIA, UM, FOR CREATING THIS ITEM, AND THEN WORKING WITH URGENCY WITHIN COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT IT MOVES FORWARD.
AND, OF COURSE, CITY STAFF, WERE BRINGING A LARGE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT WAS LISTED IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, IN A CITY THAT HAS JUST EXPERIENCED OVER 60 SWELTERING TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT DAYS THIS MONTH.
THIS IS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THE STATE, AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, THAT SAN ANTONIO WANTS TO PROTECT ITS WORKERS WATER BREAKS, AND THE RIGHT TO DRINK WATER ON THE JOB IS NOT RADICAL, AND IT'S NOT AN OVERREACH.
IT'S TO ENSURE THAT OUR OUTDOOR WORKERS CAN RETURN HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES.
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE REPORTED THAT THERE WERE OVER 279 HEAT RELATED DEATHS IN TEXAS IN 2022, AND AT LEAST 53 TEXAS WORKERS HAVE DIED SINCE 2010 FROM HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES, WHICH IS ALSO THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER IN THE WORLD.
TEXAS IS ALSO THE STATE WHERE MOST WORKERS DIE FROM HIGH TEMPERATURES.
AND THIS IS ACCORDING TO US, LABOR STATISTICS.
THE NUMBER OF WORKER DEATHS RELATED TO HEAT IS LIKELY HIGHER, BUT SOME DEATHS ARE NOT PROPERLY, UM, PROPERLY ATTRIBUTED TO HEAT ILLNESS.
WE'VE SEEN DOZENS OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS STORIES ABOUT HEAT IN TEXAS, PARTICULARLY SOUTH TEXAS.
THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONDING TO MORE CALLS THIS SUMMER FROM PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HEAT EXPOSURE THAN IT DID LAST YEAR.
CHIEF HOOD HAS INDICATED THAT MANY, THAT MANY OF THE HEAT EXPOSURE CAUSE THIS MONTH HAVE BEEN FOR PEOPLE WORKING OR PLAYING OUTSIDE EMERGENCY ROOMS, ARE TREATING MORE PATIENTS FOR HEAT EXHAUSTION, HEAT STROKES, AND HEAT RELATED ILLNESS.
THE HEAT HAS PROMPTED THE US POSTAL SERVICE TO ALLOW EARLIER STARTING TIMES FOR LETTER CARRIERS ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS.
AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, TONY GONZALEZ, AND THEN FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WITH CONGRESSMAN GREG KASAD, WHO ARE ADVOCATING TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS HAVE THAT RIGHT TO DRINK WATER, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR LETTER CARRIERS.
SO THIS IS BEYOND, UM, THE, WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING IS, IS AN OVERREACH.
I I, IT WAS REPORTED THAT SAWS HAS EVEN INSTITUTED MANDATORY WATER BREAKS FOR THEIR WORKERS.
SO GOOD JOBS LIKE SAWS, UM, ARE ENSURING THAT THEY'RE PROTECTING THEIR WORKERS.
WE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT OUR OWN SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO SELF, UH, IMPOSING, UM, THESE, THESE POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WORKERS CAN GO IN EARLIER AND OUR WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
YOU KNOW, MY FATHER IS THE PROUD MEMBER OF THE I B E W AND HAS WORKED OUTDOORS IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM FREEZING TO EXTREME HEAT.
AND WHEN A DEATH AND INJURY OCCURS, THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO ALSO SUFFER.
SO IT'S OUR DUTY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LEADERS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
THEN I'M GLAD WE'RE APPROACHING THIS ISSUE WITH EXTREME URGENCY.
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AGAIN, GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF THE PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND THE LEADERSHIP OF DR.AS WE ADAPT TO THE ONGOING CLIMATE CRISIS, WE CANNOT LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND, AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO BUILD THIS CITY.
THIS ITEM HAS MY FULL SUPPORT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DEFENDING IT AND EXPANDING THESE CRUCIAL PROTECTIONS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT OPPONENTS WILL ARGUE THAT OSHA'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKER SAFETY, BUT THERE'S COMPELLING, COMPELLING DATA WHICH SHOWS THAT OSHA IS DOING A VERY POOR JOB BECAUSE MANY WORKERS ARE INJURED ON THE JOB, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS.
FURTHERMORE, OSHA DOES NOT HAVE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR HEAT RELATED ILLNESS AND ISSUE CITATIONS ONLY FOR OVER EXPOSURE TO HEAT ILLNESS AND INJURY OR DEATH, BUT NOT BEFORE THAT OCCURS.
AS DAVID MENTIONED IN HIS PUBLIC COMMENT IN 2021, THE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ORDERED OSHA TO ISSUE RULES TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM EXTREME HEAT.
IT TAKES AN AVERAGE OF SEVEN YEARS FOR OSHA TO WRITE AND ISSUE NEW SAFETY STANDARDS.
ACCORDING TO THE US GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, OUR WORKERS DON'T HAVE SEVEN YEARS AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THIS RECORD HEAT THAT GETS HOTTER AND HOTTER, AND EVERY YEAR WE'RE BREAKING THE RECORD FOR OUR HEAT INDEX FOR A POLICY THAT THIS POLICY WILL HAVE MATERIAL IMPACT FOR OUR WORKERS.
WORKERS WILL GET WORKERS WILL GET INJURED, WORKERS WILL DIE IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING.
AND TO ME, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A BODY TO ENSURE THAT WE DO THE BARE MINIMUM.
RIGHT? AGAIN, ALLOWING CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, FOLKS WHO WORK OUTSIDE TO DRINK WATER IS NOT AN OVERREACH.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT.
AND I SEE MANY OF US UP HERE IN AC WITH JACKETS, WITH BOTTLES OF WATER, HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY AND ABILITY TO DRINK WATER AS WE PLEASE.
I, SO, I, I, I THINK THIS COMES FROM A GOOD PLACE.
I THINK THAT, UM, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS, UM, IS INFORMED BY, UH, COMPASSION AND EMPATHY.
UH, I, I, I COME AT THIS ISSUE WITH ABOUT 23 YEARS OF HAVING REPRESENTED HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES, UM, IN LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES.
UM, I'VE ALSO REPRESENTED HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYERS WHO, UM, HAVE DONE SOME PRETTY TERRIBLE THINGS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES SEXUALLY HARASSING THEM, STEALING THEIR WAGES, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT PROVIDING SAFE WORKPLACES, UM, UH, DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THEM, NOT PROVIDING ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR RELIGION OR DISABILITIES.
UM, AND ALL, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE IN THE, IN THE, UH, THE LABOR SECTOR, UH, WHO SHOWED UP TODAY, KNOW THAT THE LIST OF VIOLATIONS IS LONG.
UM, I, I DO THINK, HOWEVER, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I, MARK AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT.
WE, UH, I'M, I'M ALSO A LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ARBITRATOR, RIGHT? SO MANY HUNDREDS OF THESE CASES INVOLVING DISPUTES BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS ARE BROUGHT TO ME QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND I'M HANDLING SOME RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I'VE SEEN ALL OF THE UGLY THINGS THAT, THAT CAN HAPPEN TO, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, WORKERS, UM, AT THE HANDS OF THEIR EMPLOYERS.
I, I WILL TELL YOU THOUGH, THAT AFTER MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF DOING THIS, I'VE NEVER COME ACROSS A HEAT ILLNESS CASE EVER.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IT'S AS, UM, IT'S AS PREVALENT AS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS SOME PEOPLE CLAIM IT TO BE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ZY, HAVE WE EVER HAD A HEAT ILLNESS VIOLATION? WELL, LEMME PUT IT THIS WAY.
IF THE ORDINANCE WERE IN, HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, HAVE YOU EVER COME ACROSS A CASE WHERE ON ONE OF THE CITY PROJECTS, UM, ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS WOULD'VE VIOLATED THAT ORDINANCE? NO, SIR.
WHY NOT? THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
THEY MAKE SURE THEY ARE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEM TO COME BACK NEXT DAY AND NEXT WEEK TO FINISH THEIR WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK I'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT ABOUT UP HERE IS MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER WE'RE CREATING POLICY, THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS, RIGHT? BECAUSE POLICY IS ONE THING, AND THEN THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THAT POLICY IS SOMETHING ELSE.
ERIC, DO YOU HAVE THE BANDWIDTH OR THE RESOURCES OR THE HEADCOUNT TO ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE, UM, AND POLICE HEAT ILLNESS ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS? SO, AS PROPOSED, UM, IT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT, UM, AS PART OF THE, THE WORKING FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AT
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THE COMMITTEE.UM, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE, UH, THE RESOURCES OR WE WOULD POTENTIALLY NEED TO ADD RESOURCES DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM IS.
I WILL SAY THAT THAT ONE THING THAT, THAT THE STAFF IS CONTEMPLATED IN ENACTING, DEPENDING ON THE CONVERSATION TODAY, IS A, UM, A CERTIFICATION OF ADHERENCE TO THE POLICY, UM, BEFORE WE PAY, UM, CONTRACTORS, UM, JUST SO THAT WE'RE ENSURING THAT THAT'S OCCURRING.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, IF, IF IT BECOMES, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO INSPECT WORK SITES, WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO DO THAT.
AND WE WOULD NEED TO, WE WOULD NEED TO ADD.
SO WHAT, WHAT I GLEANED FROM, FROM YOUR ANSWER, AND I APPRECIATE THE ANSWER, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MONITOR AND ENFORCE THIS.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? WELL, WE, WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO REDIRECT RESOURCES OR WE'D NEED TO ADD RESOURCES.
MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO ADD RESOURCES AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS HERE AT THE COUNCIL AND WHAT THEY, WHAT YOU APPROVE AS WAS CONTEMPLATED AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A NO, UH, WE'RE NOT INTENDING ON ENFORCING THIS OR PROACTIVELY ENFORCING IT.
IT'S A REQUIREMENT ON THE FRONT END TO DO WORK WITH THE CITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, AND, AND THIS IS JUST A, A COMPARISON OR A COROLLARY, RIGHT? ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAD, AND IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE TODAY.
UM, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I HAD WITH A PREVIOUS POLICY THAT WE TRIED TO CREATE HERE, UM, AND ANDY, YOU REMEMBER THE, UM, WHAT WAS IT, THE NON-BINDING RESOLUTION ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, RIGHT? AND MY OBJECTION BACK THEN WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIT PERFORMATIVE BECAUSE WE'RE CREATE AND WE'RE TELLING THE PUBLIC SAN ANTONIO IS NOW A PLACE WHERE IT'S GONNA BE SAFER FOR, YOU KNOW, WOMEN TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, GET THESE, GET THIS ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE, AND IT'S ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE.
AND I THINK WE LEFT IN PEOPLE'S MINDS THIS IMPRESSION THAT, IN FACT, WE DID THAT WHEN WE DIDN'T STATE LAW IS STILL STATE LAW IN SAN ANTONIO IS JUST AS UNSAFE AS IT WAS BACK THEN.
AND I, I FEAR THAT BY CREATING THIS NEW POLICY, WE ARE GONNA BE LEAVING IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE THIS IMPRESSION THAT WE HAVE NOW MADE SAN ANTONIO MUCH SAFER, UH, BECAUSE OSHA HASN'T GOTTEN AROUND TO DOING IT BECAUSE THE STATE HASN'T GOTTEN AROUND TO DO IT.
SO WE ARE NOW COMING IN AND MAKING IT SAFER WHEN WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA BE MONITORING, AND WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA BE ENFORCING.
AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LITTLE DISHONEST, UH, TO, TO CREATE THAT IMPRESSION IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE WHEN, UH, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DELIVER AND THAT'S WHY I CAN'T SUPPORT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO ANYWAY, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
UM, I WANNA THANK FORMER COUNCILMAN, UH, SANDOVAL AND COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA FOR CREATING THE TASK FORCE CHARGED WITH EVALUATING THIS RECOMMENDATION ON HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES AND ENSURING CONSTRUCTION WORKER SAFETY.
UH, WE'RE NO, WE'VE HAD THE HIGH TEMPERATURES.
AND THE THING ABOUT LOCAL IS WE HAVE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS LOCALLY.
SO WE CREATE THE ORDINANCES FOR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOR THE CITY.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE SAW A NEED, AND I AM, THIS IS NOT OUR GENERAL CONTRACTORS VERSUS OUR, OUR LABOR.
THIS IS, IT'S HOT IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS HOW WE WE TREAT OUR WORKERS ACROSS THE CITY.
NOW, THE ONE THING THAT I CHAMPIONED FOR IN COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS TOLD WE COULDN'T DO, IS HOW PEOPLE ARE OUT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
HOW PEOPLE ARE OUT IN HAVING PRACTICES.
AND I THANK YOU, UH, MIKE AND TEAM FOR COMING BACK WITH THIS IS WHAT THE CITY CAN START WITH.
NOW, THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE OF ENFORCEMENT, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST STEP.
AND THE ONE THING I BELIEVE IS OUR, OUR GOOD CONTRACTORS, SAWS, AND C P S, WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE A FLOOD OF CALLS REGARDING THEM.
IT IS THE SUBCONTRACTORS, IT IS THE SOLAR PANEL PEOPLE OUT THERE.
IT IS, IT IS THE, THE, THE PEOPLE COMING BY AND SAYING, HEY, I CAN PUT, I, I, I HAVE A TEAM THAT CAN PUT UP A CARPORT AND NOT GETTING THE PERMITS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT WE, WE CAN ONLY START WITH THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND AS WE BATTLE, UM, HB 2127, WE'LL SEE HOW WE CAN INCREASE THIS.
BUT THE, THE IDEA THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO, TO ENFORCE IT IS NOT A REASON TO STOP THIS TODAY.
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THAT OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATORS, TONY GONZALEZ AND GREG CASAR ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE OSHA COMES IN AND DOES THE ENFORCEMENT.AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE OSHA WILL BE THE ONE TAKING CARE OF THIS HEAT ISSUE.
BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND NOW AS A CITY AND SAYING CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.
WE WE'RE NOT GONNA ARGUE THAT ANYMORE.
AND THIS IS IMPACTING THE WORKERS THAT HELP BUILD THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS GOING ON, SOME THROUGH THE CITY CONSTRUCTION, SOME THROUGH PERSONAL CONSTRUCTION.
IT DIDN'T ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING THAT WE ALL WANTED.
YOU KNOW, I WAS READY TO GO INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THE CITY OR SCHOOL POLICE TICKET, PEOPLE THAT HAVE TOO MANY PRACTICES.
AND ADRIANA AND I TALKED ABOUT TICKETING, TICKETING, SENIORS WHO GO OUT IN THE YARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE.
WE STARTED WITH WHERE WE COULD, AND I WANNA THANK THE UNIONS FOR COMING UP AND SHARING THEIR STORIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE GOT A STAT 250 HEAT RELATED CALLS IN JUNE ALONE.
AND THAT, AND, AND THAT IS THAT, AND, AND WE CAN SAVE LIVES WITH THIS EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE TO TICKET.
BUT I'M READY TO VOLUNTEER MY STAFF TO GO OUT AND TICKET PEOPLE TO HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE NECESSARY BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS STARTING BY EXAMPLE.
AND I THINK OUR CONTRACTORS ARE GONNA COME WITH PLANS TO THE CITY SAYING, THIS IS HOW I'M PROVIDING WATER BREAKS AND REST BREAKS FOR MY STAFF.
BUT TO, TO THINK THAT THERE AREN'T PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WANNA COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND WANT TO WORK OUR LABOR ALL DAY LONG, IT, IT'S A FALSE NARRATIVE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANNA DO THAT.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OUT IN SAN ANTONIO ARE OUR BROTHERS AND OUR, AND OUR FATHERS AND, AND, UH, OUR RELATIVES.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THESE CONTRACTORS.
UH, THESE, THESE, THESE, THESE COMPANIES, THESE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES.
IT, IT'S OUR DADS, IT'S OUR RELATIVES.
AND FOR SOME REASON, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING UP HERE TODAY IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE FAITH IN THESE PEOPLE THAT OWN THESE COMPANIES TO DO RIGHT BY THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND I PERSONALLY AM NOT OF THAT BELIEF.
AND WE ASKED CITY STAFF TO GIVE US A LIST OF A BUNCH OF THESE CITY, CITY CONTRACTORS.
UH, AND OVER THE PAST WEEK, MY OFFICE HAS GOTTEN IN TOUCH WITH A NUMBER OF 'EM, AND WE'VE SAID, HEY, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
THIS IS WHAT MEMBERS OF THIS CITY COUNCIL BELIEVE WE NEED TO MANDATE TO YOU ALL.
BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE'S A BELIEF THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T OUT THERE TAKING CARE OF YOUR FOLKS.
AND I'M NOT GONNA READ, I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT I GOT BACK, BUT I, BUT I DO WANNA READ A COUPLE.
ONE, ONE OF THESE, UH, CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OWNERS SAID TO ME, DON'T YOU GUYS HAVE REAL PROBLEMS TO SOLVE? AND ANOTHER ONE SAID TO ME, THIS JUST ISN'T AN ISSUE THAT I KNOW OF.
I, I HAVE YET TO HEAR OF A CONTRACTOR OUT THERE THAT DOESN'T GIVE THEIR FOLKS WATER BREAKS, REALLY, WHENEVER THEY NEED.
AND FRANKLY, IF THERE WAS A COMPANY OUT THERE THAT ONLY A ALLOWED THEIR FOLKS IN 105 DEGREE HEAT TO HAVE ONE 15 MINUTE WATER BREAK EVERY FOUR HOURS, THAT'S INHUMANE.
THIS IS CREATING AN ISSUE WHERE THERE IS NONE.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT OSHA WHO, UM, THEY DO HAVE RULES
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AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR EMPLOYEES.UM, AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC HEAT PREVENTION, UM, STANDARDS.
BUT I WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT OSHA.
IF, IF YOU GO LOOK AT THE RESEARCH, THEY'VE DONE, THREE OF FOUR HEAT RELATED FATALITIES OCCUR, THAT OCCUR ON THE JOB SITE, OCCUR IN AN EMPLOYEE'S FIRST WEEK OF WORK.
BECAUSE IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE RESEARCH ON SOME OF THIS TO GET ACCLIMATED TO THE HEAT, YOU ACTUALLY NEED MORE WATER IN THE BEGINNING.
NOTHING IN THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE SPEAKS TO THAT.
I MEAN, THIS IS ALMOST TELLING SAN ANTONIO CONTRACTORS, HEY, GIVE THEM WATER ONCE EVERY FOUR HOURS FOR 15 MINUTES, AND YOU'RE GOOD.
THIS SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO THOSE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
AND THEN THERE'S THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE, RIGHT? WE JUST HEARD WE CAN'T, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ENFORCE THIS.
AND LEMME TELL YOU, THERE IS NOTHING THAT THE PUBLIC DISLIKES MORE WHEN A GOVERNMENT SETS FORTH A NEW LAW OR, OR ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
AND IT'S BASICALLY JUST FOR SHOW YOU SET FORTH AN ORDINANCE THAT CAN'T EVEN BE ENFORCED, THAT CREATES DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MANY FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE DISILLUSIONED ABOUT THE WHOLE GOVERNMENTAL PROCESS, BOTH AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.
AND WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE FOR SHOW, AND THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT BEHIND IT.
THAT'S NOT A GOOD MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, WE LOOKED AT DALLAS AND WE LOOKED AT AUSTIN, RIGHT? AND THEY'VE HAD THOSE, THEIR OWN HEAT ORDINANCES IN PLACE FOR YEARS.
AND OUR RESEARCH SHOWED NOT ONE WARNING OR CITATION HAS BEEN ISSUED IN THOSE CITIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE HAD THEIR HEAT ORDINANCES IN PLACE FOR YEARS, NOT ONE.
NOW, IS THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ENFORCE THEIR ORDINANCE? OR IS IT BECAUSE THIS IS JUST NOT AN ISSUE BECAUSE CONTRACTORS ARE ALLOWING THEIR FOLKS TO HAVE WATER OR HAVE GATORADE OR WHATEVER IT IS WHEN THEY NEED, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT OUR CONTRACTORS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO ARE GOOD FOLKS THAT TAKE CARE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE MANDATING TO THEM TO DO THIS WHEN THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT.
WE'RE CREATING AN ISSUE WHERE THERE IS NONE.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO HERE IS, AND LET ME JUST STATE IT, IS, IT'S IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, THIS, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT, IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION TO HAVE, UM, EMPLOYEE SAFETY.
AND THE CONTRACTORS THAT DO BUSINESS WITH OUR CITY, I BELIEVE, KNOW THAT.
BUT IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE, UH, THAT WE HEAR FROM THEM THAT THEY, THAT THEY KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FOLKS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S RELATED TO HEAT, THEN, THEN LET'S DO SOMETHING.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE, I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND HERE.
I WANT A MOTION TO AMEND THIS ORDINANCE TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR A 15 MINUTE, UM, REST BREAK.
THAT'S IN, UH, SECTION ONE OF THE ORDINANCE, AND WHICH IS THE FIRST BULLET POINT OF ATTACHMENT ONE WITH A REQUIREMENT THAT CONTRACTORS WHO ARE SEEKING TO DO CITY
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BUSINESS HAVE TO SUBMIT A HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN THAT INCLUDES HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES UPON THEIR SUBMISSION OF A PROPOSAL FOR CITY WORK IN RESPONSE TO A CITY SOLICITATION.OKAY? THERE WAS A MOTION, UH, BY WHITE AND A SECOND BY AYAS TO AMEND, UM, THE LANGUAGE AS STATED, UH, REMOVING THE REQUIREMENT, UH, UNDER SECTION ONE ON A WATER BREAK, HEAT BREAK, UH, AND REPLACING IT WITH A, UH, REQUIREMENT, UM, FOR HEAT PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED.
AND GO AHEAD AND, AND CAN I ASK ANDY, IF, IF, IF I MAY, IF, IF THIS AMENDMENT WAS TO PASS, WOULD CITY STAFF BE ABLE TO USE THE, UM, SAFETY PLAN THAT INCLUDES THESE HEAT PREVENTION, HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES? WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO USE THAT IN EVALUATING, UH, VARIOUS CONTRACTORS' PROPOSALS? UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, THE ANSWER IS YES, WITH ONE CAVEAT, WHICH IS ON LOW BID CONTRACTS, UH, WE WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
BUT STILL, IF THERE WAS NOT COMPLIANCE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF OUR CONSIDERATION AS PART OF OUR, UM, UM, EFFECTIVE BIDDER, UH, UH, ORDINANCE.
SO THE ANSWER IS, IS YES, LOW BID CONTRACTS, UH, IT HAS A DIFFERENT, UH, ANALYSIS ON THAT, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, EXCEPT FOR LOW BID CONTRACTS.
SO LET'S REQUIRE OUR CONTRACTORS TO SUBMIT THESE HEALTH AND SAFETY PLANS THAT INCLUDE THESE HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES, AND ALLOW OUR STAFF TO EVALUATE, UH, THESE PROPOSALS, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST WAY FORWARD, RATHER THAN ANOTHER ORDINANCE THAT WE CANNOT ENFORCE.
SO, UH, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, UH, FOR AMENDING THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT NOW, WHICH IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LANGUAGE.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA KEEP THE CURRENT QUEUE IN PLACE.
SO IF YOU CAN SIGNAL ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK ON THE, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, RIGHT? I BELIEVE THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE LOST AND ERODED TRUST WITHIN THE POLITICAL PROCESS BECAUSE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS GASLIGHTING THEM.
ERIC, WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN, WOULD IT REQUIRE THAT THERE ARE FUND, THAT THERE'S FUNDING TO SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AS PROPOSED ON THE AGENDA TODAY, CORRECT? NO, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE IN THE BUDGET TO, TO ENFORCE.
BUT, BUT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE, IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE IDENTIFY OR REALLOCATE FUNDING, CORRECT? YES.
NOW, AND I WILL LIKELY COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO ENFORCE THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENFORCEMENTS.
AND LET ME BE CLEAR, THERE'S A PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT AND THERE'S HOW WE REACT.
AND THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR THAT WITH A PASSAGE, IT WOULD BE REQUIRED, REQUIRED THAT WE IDENTIFY FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE ENFORCEMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE ENFORCEABLE, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
SO, WITH THE PASSAGE AS WRITTEN, WITHOUT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, WHAT IS THE CON THE CONTRACTUAL, UH, RESPONSIBILITY? IF WE FIND THAT A CONTRACTOR IS AN AB BINDING, UH, ABIDING BY THE ORDINANCE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? UH, COUNCILWOMAN? THE, UH, THE REQUIREMENT WOULD BE, UH, VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT THE CONTRACTOR WOULD HAVE IN OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
WE DO HAVE CONS, CONTRACTUAL REMEDIES, ALL THE WAY FROM SENDING THEM NOTICES THAT WE'RE AWARE OF A BREACH, AND WE EXPECT THEM TO COMPLY ALL THE WAY UP TO TERMINATION.
UH, ALSO, IF THERE'S ANY COSTS OR DAMAGES INCURRED, THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE CONTRACT CONTRACTUAL REMEDIES IF THEY DON'T, UH, COMPLY WITH THE OBLIGATION.
SO, WITH THAT, WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN WITHOUT AMENDMENT, SCALING IT BACK, UM, WOULD ENSURE THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO DO BUSINESS WITH ETHICAL EMPLOYEES AND BAD ACTORS WHO HARM WORKERS, WON'T GET CITY CONTRACTORS, CITY CONTRACTS.
AND THAT DOESN'T SOUND PERFORMATIVE TO ME.
AND I WON'T BE SUPPORTING, UH, THE AMENDMENT TO, TO WATER DOWN THE WATER BREAK ORDINANCE.
UM, I, I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT, BUT I THINK THIS MEANS WE HAVE TO HAVE A BIGGER CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR CONTRACTS, LOW BID VERSUS BEST VALUE, BUT ABOUT WHAT WE REQUIRE PEOPLE TO SUBMIT, BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE SUBMITTING, WE'RE A MIKE, ARE
[01:55:01]
WE NOT ASKING THEM TO SUBMIT SOME SORT OF PLAN FOR WATER BREAKS RIGHT NOW? UM, FOR OUR CITY CONTRACTORS, NO, UH, NO COUNCIL MEMBER.UH, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
THERE'S A, A GENERAL LANGUAGE TO FOLLOW OSHA REGULATIONS, UH, BUT, BUT NOT SPECIFIC TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
AND AGAIN, AND, AND AGAIN, MY, MY OFFICE WILL TAKE PHONE CALLS IF, IF YOU SEE A VIOLATION HAPPENING AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR BREAK, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS OSHA'S RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THIS IS THE CITY SAYING, OSHA, YOU'RE, YOU NEED TO BE A LITTLE FASTER AND GET THIS DONE.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE AND THAT, THAT THIS, THIS WILL, WE KNOW OUR, OUR SOLID CONTRACTORS THAT THE CITY DOES BUSINESS WITH, AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY THE PROBLEM.
BUT AGAIN, TO SAY THAT THERE ISN'T A PROBLEM, BUT, UH, COUNCIL, TO THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE PUT OUT THE CONTRACTS AND THE BIDS AND WHAT WE REQUIRE FOR THEM.
THE OTHER THING IS, IF A CONTRACTOR COMES AND SAYS, HEY, WE WANNA, WE CAN GET THIS DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
IF YOU ALLOW US TO WORK EARLIER IN THE MORNING OR LATER AT NIGHT, THAT IMPACTS ANOTHER ORDINANCE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A BIGGER, LARGER PICTURE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN TERMS OF A CONVERSATION.
AS WE LOOK THROUGH THESE CONTRACTORS, THESE CONTRACTS AND THE CONTRACTORS WORK IN THESE 100 DEGREE DAYS, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE WINNER'S GONNA LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO, TO, TO GO BACK AS A COUNCIL AND REVIEW HOW WE DO, UM, OUR CONTRACTS AND OUR RFPS AS WE DO THAT.
SO I WILL, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING IT, BUT I THINK IT, IT WARRANTS A LARGER CONVERSATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE, MAKE SOME STATEMENTS.
I THINK THEY'RE RELEVANT TO THE AMENDMENT IN JUST WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE.
ANDY, I WANTED TO MAKE ONE CLARIFICATION, MAYOR, ON THE LOW BID, ACTUALLY ON THE LOW BID, IF IT'S A REQUIREMENT OF THE SUBMISSION, THEY WOULD BE DEEMED NONRESPONSIVE THEN COUNCILMAN.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE, THE REMEDY ON THAT.
AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBLE BITTER ORDINANCE THAT I WAS NOT REMEMBERING.
I UNDERSTOOD PREVIOUSLY THAT THE COUNCILMAN WAS GONNA BE ASKING TO AMEND THIS, SO I HAD KIND OF PUT A FEW QUESTIONS TOGETHER WHEN MY TIME CAME ABOUT.
SO I'M GONNA ASK MIKE TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
UH, WE, UH, HAD A LITTLE PRESENTATION THAT SHOWED THE TASK FORCE THAT HAD BEEN PUT TOGETHER, THAT MET SEVERAL TIMES.
IT INCLUDED, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS BOTH ON THE SIDE OF BUILDING CONTRACTING DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS ON THE SIDE OF, UM, THE CITY.
OTHER CITIES HAD INPUT FROM SOME OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AND, UH, LABOR UNIONS, WORKER GROUPS.
AND TODAY WE HEARD FROM 10 OR 11 DIFFERENT, UH, PEOPLE WHO REPRESENTED THESE GROUPS.
THERE WAS ONE WHO REPRESENTED ONE SIDE AND NINE OR 10 WHO REPRESENTED, SO TO SPEAK, THE OTHER SIDE.
UH, AND, AND IT KIND OF SURPRISED ME, UH, THAT OUT OF THIS TASK FORCE, UH, WE DID NOT HEAR FROM, UH, THE ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDING ASSOCIATION, AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REMODELING INDUSTRIES.
AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM PLUMBING, HEATING, COOLING CONTRACTORS, AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE TEXAS AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS, AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE ONLY HEARD FROM ONE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT TASK FORCE, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM WORKERS.
SO WHEN THE TASK FORCE REACHED A RECOMMENDATION, UH, HOW SPLIT WAS THE TASK FORCE ON THAT RECOMMENDATION? THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO US ORIGINALLY? YEAH.
AT THE END OF THE FIFTH MEETING, IT WAS CLEAR THAT, UM, I'LL JUST KIND SIMPLIFY IT, THE, THE CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS AS WELL AS THE SIDE OF THE LABOR UNIONS, UH, EVERYBODY WAS SUPPORTIVE OF AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF AN EASY ONE.
BUT THEY WERE PRETTY SPLIT, UH, KIND OF A DOWN THAT LINE ON WHETHER AN ORDINANCE WAS, WAS REQUIRED OR NECESSARY.
UH, MANY, UH, CERTAINLY THE LABOR UNIONS AND THE WORKERS REPRESENTATIVES FELT THAT AN ORDINANCE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND SHOULD BE DONE.
AND THE GROUPS THAT WERE THERE, WHICH MANY OF THOSE YOU JUST WERE AT THOSE MEETINGS FELT IT WAS, UH, IT WAS NOT NEEDED OR NOT NECESSARY.
SO THERE WAS A SPLIT DECISION, BUT THE RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM CITY STAFF FOR WHAT WE ORIGINALLY
[02:00:01]
HAD PLANNED.UM, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS PART OF A DECISION.
AM I GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THIS MOTION OR NOT? UH, LET ME ASK, HOW OFTEN DO CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT VISIT CONSTRUCTION SITES? WELL, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE INSPECTORS OF THERE VISITING, UH, CONSTRUCTION SITES, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE DAILY, WEEKLY, OR MONTHLY AS NEEDED.
BUT THAT'S TO REVIEW COMPLIANCE WITH BUILDING CODES, ELECTRICAL CODES, MECHANICAL CODES.
SO THE CONTRACTOR THEMSELVES WILL DICTATE WHEN THEY'RE READY FOR THAT INSPECTION.
UH, I MIGHT ASK RAZZIE TO HELP ME.
I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR INSPECTORS GO OUT PRETTY ROUTINELY TO ON, ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION JOBS.
A LOT OF THE JOBS ARE, ARE LIKE DRAINAGE PROJECTS OR STREET PROJECTS.
THOSE NE THOSE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE OUR INSPECTORS, SO, RIGHT.
THE BUILDINGS AND SUCH ARE, ARE D S D INSPECTORS.
YOU SAID THAT, UH, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, YOU WANTED TO ADD FIVE STAFF MEMBERS, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, I HAVE, I HAVE NOT SAID THAT.
UM, I MAY BE MISHEARD SOMETHING.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO GO OUT AND LOOK AT ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, CONSTRUCTION WORK AND EVERYTHING, COULDN'T THEY SIMPLY ASK A WORKER THERE? UH, IS EVERYTHING GOING WELL? ARE YOU GETTING BREAKS WHEN YOU NEED THEM? UH, CERTAINLY THEY COULD, AND THAT WOULD ADD, THAT WOULD ADD TIME TO THEIR INSPECTION.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO EVALUATE THAT TO SEE HOW MANY RESOURCES WE WOULD NEED.
IN ADDITION, WE DO OVER 200,000 INSPECTIONS A YEAR, COUNCILMAN, SO WOULD TO BE, OKAY, BUT HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TALK TO ONE OR TWO WORKERS AND ASK THEM THAT THEY COULD PHYSICALLY DO IT? AND THEN WE WOULD, WOULD EVALUATE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL TIME NEEDED.
UM, NOW I THINK ALL OF US HEARD, UH, FROM THE I B E W REPRESENTATIVE THAT, UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN BE DEMANDING ON THE JOB, AND TIME IS MONEY AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WONDER, UH, WITH WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING ORIGINALLY, NOT WHAT HE'S SUGGESTING RIGHT NOW, ARE THERE ESTIMATES ADDED TO THE COST OF CONTRACTORS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT? I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL.
THERE WAS, UH, A DISCUSSION ON ESTIMATES ON HOW HOW MUCH MORE MONEY IT WOULD, WOULD, WOULD CHARGE.
SO NO ONE PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON IT, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE WOULD BE MM-HMM.
UM, I MIGHT ASK OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR SOME OF THOSE STATS.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WORTH HEARING.
UH, HOW MANY HAVE WE HEARD FROM HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES OR DEATHS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO YOUR DEPARTMENT RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION? THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, FROM THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING SPECIFICALLY THE CONSTRUCTION, WHAT WE REPORT OUT EACH WEEK.
AGAIN, CLAUDE JACOB FROM METRO HEALTH, WE REPORT, UH, CASES AS SHARED WITH US BY OUR PARTNERS AT THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE SOUTH, UM, SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL.
TO DATE, WE'VE SHOWN 642 REPORTED CASES THIS YEAR.
WE KNOW THAT ON AVERAGE IT'S THE, THOSE 25 TO 44, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN ESPECIALLY CASES OF, UH, RELATED HEAT EXHAUSTION.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT 61% OF THE CASES INVOLVE MALES.
UM, SO, PARDON ME, 61%, 61% OF THE CASES INVOLVE MALES.
WELL, WHAT, BUT WHAT I WANNA KNOW IS, DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC ABOUT CONSTRUCTION IT? RIGHT.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO SHOW CAUSALLY, BUT WE CAN INFER, UH, BASED ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC, BASED ON, UH, THE, AT LEAST THE REPORTS THAT WE RECEIVE EACH WEEK.
UM, IT'S, AGAIN, MOSTLY MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 AND 44.
UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL COST.
THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL TIME THAT'S IMPACTED TO, UH, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND, AND I TRUST OUR PRIME CONTRACTORS IN THIS CITY VERY WELL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAJOR CONTRACTORS, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THEIR WORKERS AT HEART.
THEY HAVE TO, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS NOT THE PRIME AS MUCH AS THE SUBCONTRACTORS.
SUBCONTRACTORS WHO DON'T HAVE THE SAME COMMITMENTS TO THE MAJOR BUSINESS.
THEY JUST HOP ON WHEN THERE'S AN EXTRA JOB THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND MANY OF THOSE SUBCONTRACTORS ACTUALLY HAVE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY WORK FOR THEM AS EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY WORK FOR THEM PART-TIME JUST TO GET PAID AND HAVE NO INSURANCE, NO KIND OF BENEFITS.
AND I WONDER, ARE THOSE PEOPLE GOING TO BE AS WELL PROTECTED IN A, A HEALTH POLICY FROM AN A FROM A, A CONTRACTOR WHEN THEY WORK AS A INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR FOR A SUBCONTRACTOR
[02:05:01]
TO A CONTRACTOR WHO PARTICULARLY MIGHT BE DOING A LOW BID CONTRACT? SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS I THINK WE STILL NEED TO WEIGH AS WE MEASURE THIS.AS I SAID, I TRUST OUR MAJOR CONTRACTS.
THEY DO A LOT OF WORK, THEY DO GREAT WORK.
I JUST WONDER ABOUT THE SUBS AND THE INDEPENDENTS THAT HAVE TO WORK FOR THOSE SUBS.
ARE THEY GOING TO BE PROTECTED IF WE DON'T PASS SOMETHING THAT HAS REAL TEETH IN IT AND IT HAS REAL EXPECTATIONS? SO IF WE GO WITH A HEALTH AGREEMENT, UH, THAT THEY GIVE US A SAFETY AND HEALTH AGREEMENT THAT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA ADHERE TO, HOW DO, HOW DO THEY ENFORCE THAT? 'CAUSE TIME IS MONEY.
THOSE SUBS NEED TO GET THEIR WORK DONE.
THAT CONTRACTOR NEEDS TO MEET THAT DEADLINE, OR IT MAY COST THEM MORE, OR THEY MAY NOT GET THE BENEFIT OF AN INCENTIVE.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE STILL SOME ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED DURING THIS DISCUSSION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? COUNCILMEMBER WHITE.
YEAH, I, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IN ATTACHMENT ONE, BULLET POINTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR WOULD ALL, WOULD ALL REMAIN HEAT RELIEF STATION WITH SHADED AREA FOR WATER TRAIN THE SUPERVISOR AND SUPERVISORS AND WORKERS TO RECOGNIZE THE HEAT HAZARDS AND, AND THE POSTING REQUIREMENTS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND, AND WITH RESPECT TO THE, TO A HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN, YOU KNOW, THESE CONTRACTORS COULD, COULD COMMIT IN THESE PLANS TO, TO ONLY SUB OUT WORK TO SUBS THAT WILL ABIDE BY THESE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES, INCLUDING THE HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION MEASURES.
SO, AGAIN, RATHER THAN ANOTHER ORDINANCE, WHICH OTHER CITIES HAVE SHOWN, DOES NOT TRANSLATE TO ANY CITATIONS OR EVEN WARNINGS, UM, LET'S, LET'S REQUIRE THESE HEALTH AND SAFETY PLANS.
IT'S, IT'S THE BEST COURT, IT'S THE BEST WAY FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UH, DURING THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UH, AUSTIN CITED THAT ONE A 3 1 1 COMPLAINT IS RECEIVED.
IT'S FORWARD TO CITY CODE AND A CODE OFFICER WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, UH, LIKEWISE, CODE WILL CHECK TO SEE IF, UH, ANY POSTERS WERE UP AT THE JOB SITE.
AND IF A CITATION IS ISSUED, THE EMPLOYER USUALLY COMPLIES.
SO IN THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, UM, FACILITATED BY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AUSTIN CITY STAFF DID SHARE THAT CITATIONS ARE ISSUED.
SO I JUST WANNA BE SURE I CLARIFY THAT.
UM, NO CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN OTHER CITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE MY COMMENTS.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE HERE.
UM, I, I'M ADMITTEDLY A LITTLE PERPLEXED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THIS CONVERSATION FIRST STARTED AND THERE WAS A STAKEHOLDER GROUP, MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT BOTH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORKERS' REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CONTRACTORS WERE BOTH IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS SEEMED SORT OF CON COMMONSENSICAL.
SO WE WERE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME END.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS MY OUTSIDE OUTSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT WAS RECOUNTED TO ME.
SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE HERE AND, UM, IS JUST A LITTLE BIT PERPLEXING TO ME CONSIDERING WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I KEEP THINKING OF HAMLET AND QUEEN GERTRUDE AND THE LADY DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH.
I MEAN, TO, BECAUSE RECOGNIZING THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS WHO ARE WORKING IN EXTREME HEAT TO HAVE A WATER BREAK REGULARLY SHOULD BE SO COMMONSENSICAL THAT EVERY CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE ALREADY DOING IT.
AND I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH WHAT, WHAT OZZY SAID, AND THAT HE'S NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THAT THE CONTRACTORS IN THIS COMMUNITY CARE ABOUT THEIR WORKERS.
UM, IN FACT, WE HAVE SOME GREAT QUALITY, UM, COMPANIES IN THIS CITY.
UM, THE ISSUE IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GREAT INTENTIONS, UH, OF THOSE COMPANIES WORK THEIR WAY DOWN INTO EVERY SINGLE JOB SITE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL TO RECOGNIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SOCIETY, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE FACT THAT AS, UM, MR. HANSSEN SAID, WE MIGHT BE LIVING IN ONE OF THE COOLEST SUMMERS OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES.
IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS OUT THERE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO WORKING IN THE HEAT.
SO US AS A CITY, RECOGNIZING THAT THAT'S DANGEROUS, AND THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A CITY CONTRACT, WE
[02:10:01]
EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE THAT BARE MINIMUM THAT I'M SURE THAT MOST OF, MOST OF THE COMPANIES ARE ALREADY, UH, ENFORCING THROUGH TRAINING AND POSTING REQUIREMENTS, ET CETERA.SEEMS LIKE A VERY COMMON SENSICAL, BASIC THING TO DO.
AND SO I'M, I'M GOING TO NUMBER ONE, RESPECT THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE.
THE COMMITTEES IN THIS CASE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR OVER A YEAR, I THINK ON, ON WHAT THEY'VE BROUGHT FORWARD, IT'S MODIFIED.
I THINK THINK RECOGNIZING THAT WE'VE MODIFIED IT AT THE CONSI AT THE COMMITTEE IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S OUR RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE ORDINANCES THAT BEST REFLECT THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY.
THAT'S THE CURRENT DEBATE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M READING THE LANGUAGE, WHICH IS VERY SHORT IN HERE, IN THIS ORDINANCE.
IT'S JUST BARELY A PAGE PLUS LONG.
THE ATTACHMENT IS HALF A PAGE.
UM, IT DEFINES A REASONABLE BREAK AS BEING EVERY 15, UH, EVERY FOUR HOURS, 15 MINUTES.
I'M SURE THAT'S NOT GONNA LOOK THE SAME FOR EVERY SINGLE CONTRACTOR, BUT THAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, A HEAT RELIEF STATION AT A WORK SITE WITH WHICH IS SHADED AND HAS WATER.
UM, A POSTING REQUIREMENT, UH, THAT EXPRESSES THOSE OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF AN EMPLOYER.
I'M SURE THE CITY WILL BE HELP HELPING PRINT THOSE POSTERS.
SO THERE'S LITERALLY NO BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYERS.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, TRAINING SUPERVISOR, THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD.
AND IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THERE'S NO DISPUTE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M A LITTLE PERPLEXED, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? UM, SO I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THE COMMITTEE BROUGHT FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD MAKE THIS CHANGE, WHICH IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE WHEN YOU TAKE OUT BULLET 0.1, WHICH ACTUALLY DEFINES WHAT THE BARE MINIMUM IS, IS APPROPRIATE, UH, CONSIDERING THE WORK, UH, AND THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO THINGS PROACTIVELY TO RECOGNIZE WHERE WE'RE HEADED SO THAT WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO REACT, UH, TO THE DANGERS THAT NOT ACTING CAUSES.
SO, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EMPLOYERS WHO ARE HERE, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING DEMONIZED.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING SAN ANTONIO WORKERS, AND THAT IS A COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY, ALL OF US.
AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY UP HERE AS A COUNCIL, SERIOUSLY AS WELL.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M, I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, WE'LL TAKE UP THE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT, UM, WHICH IS TO STRIKE THE LANGUAGE, DEFINING THAT BARE MINIMUM AS I MENTIONED.
SO ALL THOSE, ARE WE GONNA PULL THAT UP ON THE SCREEN? OKAY.
SO A VOTE YAY IS TO, UH, ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT, UH, THAT WAS PROPOSED.
WE'LL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR.
SO WE'LL GO NOW TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND WE'LL CONTINUE DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTE VETO.
I WANT TO APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF COUNCILWOMAN TERRY CASTILLO AND COUNCIL DR.
ADRIANA GARCIA AND THE P C D C COMMITTEE FOR BRINGING THIS DISCUSSION TO THE TABLE.
EVERY DAY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORK HARD TO BUILD AND PREPARE US FOR GROWTH AND OUR CITY'S FUTURE PLANS.
WE NEED TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH OUR WORKERS AND GIVE THEM THE FAIR HEAT.
WE KNOW THIS IS BEING DONE ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THIS ORDINANCE WILL LET US, THE CITY LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
THE ORDINANCE IS NOT MEANT TO HARM BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.
IT'S MEANT TO PROTECT THE WORKERS WHO MAY FALL VICTIM TO BAD APPLE CONTRACTORS WHO DO, WHO DO NOT PROVIDE THE BASIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF WATER SHOULD THAT OCCUR.
WHILE I'M RELUCTANT OF FUTURE POLICIES THAT IMPACT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THIS HEAT ORDINANCE POLICY IS DIGESTIBLE BECAUSE IT ONLY APPLIES TO CITY CONTRACTS.
JUST LIKE OTHER BUSINESSES SET PARAMETERS ON THE CONTRACTORS THEY WORK WITH.
THIS ORDINANCE IS A WAY FOR THE CITY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE WITH OUR CITY CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, AND I WELCOME THAT WHILE THE INTENT OF THIS POLICY IS A WORTHY CAUSE, I DO WANNA ENSURE THAT WE NAIL DOWN THE ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A POLICY.
WITH THAT, I'M PROPOSING THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT TO BE ADDED TO THE ORDINANCE.
PLEASE NOTE, UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE PUT FORTH, THIS IS NOT REMOVING OR CHANGING THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
[02:15:01]
AMEND SECTION ONE AND ATTACHMENT A OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE CONTRACTORS TO SUBMIT A HEAT SAFETY PLAN AS PART OF THEIR PROPOSAL IN ADDITION TO EXISTING REQUIREMENTS.ALRIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UH, AMENDING THE MAIN MOTION AS STATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VETO.
UH, COULD YOU RESTATE THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST THE, UH, AMENDED LANGUAGE? YEAH, SURE.
UH, I MOVED TO AMEND SECTION ONE AND ATTACHMENT A OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE CONTRACTORS TO SUBMIT A HEAT SAFETY PLAN AS PART OF THEIR PROPOSAL IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AMENDED LANGUAGE.
UH, SO I'LL KEEP THE ORIGINAL QUEUE.
IF YOU CAN JUST SIGNAL ME ON THIS AMENDED LANGUAGE COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRANT.
ANDY, WOULD THIS APPLY TO EXISTING CONTRACTS OR CONTRACTS MOVING FORWARD? UH, A, A A AS AS STATED COUNCILWOMAN, IT WOULD APPLY GOING FORWARD, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ASK, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IF THEY WOULD ASK THAT OF OUR CURRENT CONTRACTORS.
I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE A PUSHBACK ON THAT.
OH, OH, WELL, AND THAT'S WHY I'M IFFY ABOUT AMENDMENTS THAT COME FROM THE DAAS.
UH, SO ROD AND MIKE, WHAT, WHAT X WHAT EXTRA STEP IS THIS IN TERMS OF A, A SAFETY PLAN? SO BEFORE WE WOULD CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY, UH, AS, AS PART OF WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE AN ATTACHMENT THAT WOULD HAVE THIS HEAT SAFETY PLAN WHERE THEY WOULD DICTATE WHAT THEY WOULD DO TO PROTECT THEIR WORKERS.
SO THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, THEY SUBMIT THE SAFETY PLAN, UH, WE GET A REPORT THAT THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE SAFETY PLAN, BUT IS THAT IN THE CONTRACT OR THAT WE COULD THEN CLAW BACK OR ANYTHING REGARDING THAT? IT, IT, IT WOULD BE LIKE ANY OTHER ELEMENT OF THE CONTRACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT, THEY WOULD BE IN BREACH OF IT AND THEN WE WOULD'VE TO WORK WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE ADDRESS THAT BREACH.
IF I MAY COUNCILWOMAN, WE, WE CAN THOSE, UH, INCORPORATE THAT PLAN AS PART OF OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS? LIKE OTHER PLANS THEY WOULD SUBMIT? YEAH, I, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT LOW BID, OUR RESPONSIBLE BIDDERS OR OUR THING, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, AND THE OTHER THING IS I DID, I DIDN'T HEAR FROM THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS ON THIS ISSUE, BUT IF, IF MY COUNCIL, IF THE COUNCIL'S READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, UM, THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S THE ONE THING ABOUT ADDING ON.
SO THIS WOULD JUST BE AN EXTRA PIECE WE ADDED.
IT WOULD BE PART OF THE CONTRACT FROM THE CONTRACTS MOVING FORWARD.
NOTHING THAT WE'VE PUT OUT TO BID CUR CURRENTLY.
SO IF THERE'S A BID OUT THERE, ANY, UH, WOULD IT APPLY TO THOSE COUNCILMAN? IT WOULD, UH, IF, IF IT PASSES, IT WOULD APPLY GOING FORWARD.
SO IT WOULDN'T AFFECT CURRENT BIDS WE HAVE OUT THERE NOW.
IT WOULD AFFECT BIDS THAT WE WOULD PUT OUT IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THE HEAT ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD WILL APPLY TO OUR, OUR, OUR CURRENT BIDS COMING? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
THE, THE REQUIREMENTS, YES, THAT OUR ATTACHMENT ONE, THOSE WOULD, THOSE WOULD APPLY IMMEDIATELY.
COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDED, UH, LANGUAGE COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE AND I, OF COURSE, VERY MUCH RESPECT, UM, THE, THE AMENDMENT.
UM, THE MORE WE ADD, THE MORE WE REGULATE, THE MORE WE REQUIRE OF THESE COMPANIES THAT, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING CITY WORK, UH, THE LESS INCENTIVE THEY HAVE TO DO IT, THE LESS CONTRACTORS THAT WANT TO COME AND DO CITY WORK THAT WE HAVE THE WORST THE DEAL GETS THAT WE END UP, UM, AGREEING TO WITH WHATEVER THE CONTRACTOR IS.
SO, UM, JUST ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN PROVEN TIME AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE REGULATIONS, UM, MORE REQUIREMENTS, UM, MAKE BUSINESS MORE COSTLY, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, FOR THOSE COMPANIES.
AND THUS THEY HAVE TO CHARGE THE CITY MORE.
UM, THUS, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THEM WON'T WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH US.
[02:20:01]
THANK YOU.COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDED MOTION? OKAY.
AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, A VOTE TO AMEND, UH, THE MAIN MOTION AND COUNCIL MEMBER COR UM, FOR CITY STAFF.
IF THIS, UH, AMENDMENT IS ADDED, WOULD IT HELP US RECOGNIZE BAD ACTORS BEFORE THEY EVEN GET, UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, GET A BID FOR US? AND CAN WE LIKE, UH, DELINEATE WHAT IT, LIKE, WHAT A SAFETY PLAN LOOKS LIKE, HOW LONG IT HAS TO BE SO WE KNOW HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL EFFORT IT WOULD BE FROM THE CONTRACTORS LET OUT.
SO THE AMENDMENT WOULD LEAVE IT UP TO THE CONTRACTORS TO TELL US WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR SAFETY PLAN.
BUT THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE WOULD HAVE THE, THE ORDINANCE, WHICH REQUIRE THE BREAK EVERY FOUR HOURS FOR 15 MINUTES.
UM, WE COULD GIVE SOME GUIDANCE SO THEY HAVE AN IDEA, BUT I SUSPECT THAT MOST CONTRACTORS ARE GONNA KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
UM, SO THAT, UM, SO THAT IN, IN THE CASE THAT IF THEY DON'T, IT'S NOT SOME SORT, SOME SORT OF VOLUMINOUS EFFORT.
IT'S, I THINK IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER COR, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANDY, YOU WANNA MAKE A POINT? GO AHEAD.
ONE QUICK COMMENT AND I'M TAKING OFF MY CITY ATTORNEY HAT AND PUTTING ON MY D E I A HAT, UH, DURING THE DISCUSSION THIS MORNING, SOME MAY WALK AWAY WITH A NOTION THAT WOMEN DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OR, OR, OR IN SKILLED TRADES.
UH, THERE ARE MOMS SISTERS THAT ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR CHANNELING YOUR INNER ALI PEREZ TODAY.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HER NAME, UH, YOU SOON WILL.
THERE IS A MOTION, A SECOND FOR AMENDING THE, UH, MAIN MOTION.
AND SO IF THIS AMENDMENT PASSES, WE WILL GO TO AN AMENDED MAIN MOTION DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT.
SO, UM, THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND, PLEASE VOTE
SO THE MAIN MOTION NOW HAS BEEN AMENDED TO ADD THE WORK SAFETY PLAN, UH, TO THE CITY CONTRACT LANGUAGE.
SO WE WILL GO TO THE MAIN DISCUSSION NOW.
UH, WE WILL BEGIN AGAIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I DO WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT I THINK THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE EASIEST VOTES I'LL TAKE ON THIS DAIS.
UM, WE'VE CONSISTENTLY SET RECORDS FOR THE NUMBER OF DAYS WE EXPERIENCE OF TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES, AND IT IS LIKELY TO GONNA CONTINUE THROUGH SEPTEMBER, AND WE'LL SET ANOTHER RECORD TODAY.
I'M SURE, UH, CLIMATE SCIENTISTS WARN THAT THIS MAY BE THE COOLEST SUMMER FOR THE REST OF THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AND THAT MAY MEAN LITTLE, IF NOT FOR THE REAL LIVES, IT WILL IMPACT IN A VERY TANGIBLE AND VERY HARMFUL WAY, PARTICULARLY THE LIVES THAT WILL BE LOST, WHETHER THEY BE THE SENIOR WHO DIES ALONE IN THEIR, WHEN THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX PRIORITIZES THEIR PROFIT MARGIN OVER THE SAFETY OF THEIR RESIDENT BY REFUSING TO REPAIR THEIR AC UNITS.
WHETHER IT'S THE PERSON WHO COLLAPSES FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION WHILE WALKING TO THE BUS STOP ON THEIR WAY TO WORK, OR THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER WHO DIES OF HEAT STROKE WHILE INSTALLING FIBER OPTIC CABLES FOR OUR CITY.
I'M PROUD TO SEE THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS ME HERE AT THE SAN ANTONIO ALLIANCE AND ALL OF THE ORGANIZED LABOR HERE TODAY.
UM, IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE HAPPY IN DANDY TO ASK FOR LABOR, ASK LABOR FIRST SUPPORT, GETTING UP HERE ON THE DAIS, BUT TURN THEIR BACKS ON THE WORKING CLASS DURING VOTES LIKE THIS.
I SAY OFTEN AS A TEACHER, MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF MY STUDENTS.
AND AS A COUNCIL, AS A COUNCILMAN, MY PRIORITY IS THE SAME.
THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF THOSE LIVING AND VISITING SAN ANTONIO, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MILLIONS OF LIVES REGARDLESS OF DISTRICT, REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR ANY OTHER PART OF THEIR BACKGROUND.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL EVER KNOW THE IMPACTS, GOOD OR BAD THAT WE'VE HAD ON THEIR LIVES, WE ARE SITTING IN A BUILDING, A VERY OLD BUILDING THAT IS SOMEHOW ABLE TO MAINTAIN A TEMPERATURE OF WHAT FEELS LIKE 50 DEGREES AT ALL TIMES WHILE OUTSIDE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WORKING ON OUR PROJECTS, OUR STREETS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS.
THEY'RE REPAIRING OUR AIR CONDITIONERS SO WE CAN WORK COMFORTABLY, AND THEY'RE DOING IT ON WHAT WILL BE ANOTHER 100 DEGREE DAY.
I AM CONFIDENT THIS ORDINANCE WILL ACCOMPLISH ITS MISSION OF SAVING LIVES AND PROTECTING WORKERS FROM INJURY AND ILLNESS.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST A NICE THING TO DO, AS ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS SUGGESTED.
AND JUST BECAU, JUST BECAUSE AN ATTORNEY MAY NOT HAVE HANDLED A HEAT ILLNESS CASE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WORKERS ARE NOT SUFFERING FROM HEAT ILLNESS.
YOUR HAND IS STILL THERE WHEN YOU'RE WEARING A GLOVE, AND THE SUN STILL EXISTS WHEN IT'S THE DARK OUTSIDE.
AND AN ISSUE IS AN ISSUE EVEN IF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS AREN'T AWARE OF IT OR DON'T CARE
[02:25:01]
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THESE COLLEAGUES.AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, I'VE HEARD FROM A WORKER WHO GOT HURT ON A JOB SITE, BUT WAS CONVINCED NOT TO GO TO THE DOCTOR OR REPORT THE ACCIDENT SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T LOSE WORK OR MONEY FOR THEIR FAMILY.
AND SO THE FOREMAN WOULDN'T LOSE THEIR BONUS.
THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT, AND IT'S NOT ABOUT WHETHER BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GOOD OR BAD PEOPLE OR IF THEY CARE OR NOT.
IT'S A SYSTEM OF EXPLOITATION THAT, THAT PRIORITIZES PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE WHO PRODUCE THE PRODUCT AND THE PROFIT.
AND SO, IN AN APPEAL TO THE CAPITALISTS IN THE ROOM, WORKERS WHO ARE TAKEN CARE OF PRODUCE A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT.
I HAVE HEARD FROM THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE ORDINANCE, AND I'M NOT CONVINCED, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M FINDING IT VERY HARD NOT TO BE DISGUSTED.
THE ONLY ARGUMENT I'VE HEARD IS WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS, OR, UM, THERE'S NO REASON TO CODIFY IT.
BUT SOME OF OUR FAVORITES SLIPPED UP WHEN THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY JUST DON'T WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.
YOU DON'T WANT THE CITY PROTECTING THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY FROM DISCRIMINATION.
YOU DON'T WANT THE CITY PROTECTING VULNERABLE RESIDENTS FROM PREDATORY LENDERS.
YOU DON'T WANT THE CITY PROTECTING WORKERS FROM POOR WORKING CONDITIONS.
IT'S THE SAME THING, DIFFERENT DAY.
IF EVERY GENERAL CONTRACTOR WAS PROTECTING THEIR WORKERS, GABRIEL AND FRONTE WOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW.
SO IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO, THEN YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT IT COSTS YOU NOTHING, NOT TO APPLY FOR CITY CONTRACTS.
AND IF I HAD MY WAY, THIS WOULD BE A MANDATE FOR ALL IN OUR CITY, NOT JUST OUR CONTRACTS.
I WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE WORKING ON THIS, BUT I'VE BEEN ROOTING FOR Y'ALL AND I TRUST THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND THAT THEY DID COME TO THIS COMPROMISE.
SO FOR NOW, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENSURE THAT THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS WE DO BUSINESS WITH ARE GOING TO BE DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT THEIR WORKERS.
THIS IS ABOUT OUR STANDARDS FOR OUR CONTRACTS, AND IT'S FAIR GAME FOR US TO SET THEM.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ANAS SANDOVAL AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA FOR PROFILING THIS POLICY AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR HER FIERCE AND PERSISTENT ADVOCACY ON THE ISSUE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CASTILLO FOR CLEARING UP THE ISSUE OF ENFORCEMENT FOR THIS BODY.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK CONGRESSMAN GREG KAAR FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE AT A, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT WORKERS' PROTECTIONS WILL BECOME LAW FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL BE ENTHUSIASTICALLY VOTING YES ON THIS ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA.
AND, UH, I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE.
UM, AND, AND SPEAKING THEIR, THEIR MIND.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR, UM, TO EXPRESS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR POSITIONS AND YOUR FEELINGS.
AND, UM, UH, I GUESS LIKE, UH, MR. FINGER POINTED OUT, I GUESS IT TAKES A PHD TO POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS.
AND SO, UM, REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
BUT FOR THE RECORD, IN THAT C C R, IT SAID THAT HOT SUMMERS ARE PROJECTED TO BECOME MORE SEVERE.
SO IT DIDN'T JUST POINT OUT THAT THERE WAS HOT SUMMERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND SO MY, MY FORMER COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND I, UM, HAVE, UH, UH, OUR, OUR FATHERS WERE IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO WE REMEMBER AS CHILDREN, UM, DEALING WITH THE SAME THING, RIGHT? THAT WE WERE, UH, WORRIED WHEN OUR, OUR DADS WOULD COME HOME SOAKED IN, UM, IN SWEAT.
ADDITIONALLY, I REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR, AND I CANNOT NOT GO A BLOCK WITHOUT SEEING AT LEAST A COUPLE CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS IN, IN MY DISTRICT.
SO I REALLY AM DOING THE WORK THAT I WAS PUT HERE TO DO ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS.
THEY'RE THE CONSTITUENTS THAT EXPECT ME TO REPRESENT THEIR NEEDS.
AND BY THE WAY, A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY EVER TO VOTE FOR ME.
BUT GUESS WHAT? I STILL HAVE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
AND TODAY, I THINK THAT I'M DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.
SO I APPLAUD ALL OF YOU WHO WILL NOT GET PUT IN, IN CERTAIN POSITIONS BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DECIDED TO SAY TODAY AND STILL DECIDED TO COME UP AND SAY THAT.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, I'VE HAD CONCERNS ON OTHER THINGS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED WAS, UM, UH, I GUESS LAST YEAR, UM, MY COLLEAGUE, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES BROUGHT UP THE GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, C C R.
ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS, WAIT A MINUTE, HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS? BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THEM START AT 7:00 AM NOW SO THAT PEOPLE COULD SLEEP IN, WHEN IN REALITY, WE KNOW THAT THE HARD WORKERS ARE UP AT 5:00 AM BECAUSE IT GETS SO HOT.
SO I HAD CONCERNS WITH THAT C C R AT THAT TIME THAT I BROUGHT UP.
THERE WAS SOME HELP WITH, UM, THE STAFF.
YOUR WHOLE TEAM IS AWESOME, AND YOU ALL MADE ME FEEL BETTER BECAUSE YOU SAID PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR EXEMPTIONS.
SO THAT MADE ME FEEL BETTER BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT, THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK FOR, THEY THANK YOU TOO, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO ASK FOR AN EXEMPTION SO THAT THEY COULD START WORKING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEBODY ELSE'S DAD, RIGHT? THAT THAT COULD HAVE APPLIED FOR, FOR THAT, THAT EXEMPTION.
I KNOW WHEN THE WORKERS ARE LEAVING EARLY IN THE MORNING.
I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE
[02:30:01]
CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS, THAT HAVE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS, UH, ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED OSHA TO TAKE UP AND LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS.
MAYBE THEY COULD COPY OUR ORDINANCE.
AND I WANNA THANK, UM, COUNCILMAN WHITE BECAUSE WHAT A GREAT IDEA TO ADD THE HEALTH, UM, THE COMPONENT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN GTO, UH, FOR, UH, FOR ADDING THAT AND FERMENTING THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST AN EXTRA STEP THAT I THINK THAT, THAT WE CAN DO.
AND I REALLY THINK NOW, MAYOR, NEXT TIME YOU'RE ON, UH, MEET THE PRESS OR ON WHATEVER YOU WERE, NOW, YOU COULD SAY, AND BY THE WAY, WE'VE ASKED FOR A PLAN AS WELL.
SO PLEASE SPREAD THE MESSAGE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT SAN ANTONIO IS DOING WHAT WE SHOULD.
UM, AND ALSO, I'M, I'M SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE WORKING CLASS IN MY DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I REALLY THINK THAT CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE HARD TO FILL.
THOSE JOBS THAT DO GET FILLED, GET FILLED BY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
THE REASON THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO LEGALLY WORK HERE.
THAT'S THE REALITY FOLKS, UNFORTUNATELY.
RIGHT? AND GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE AFRAID TO STAND UP AND SAY SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY WILL LOSE THE JOB AND THEY WILL LOSE THE LIVELIHOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES, AND NOT JUST THEIR FAMILIES HERE, BUT FAMILIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT THEY'RE ALSO HELPING SUPPORT.
SO ABSOLUTELY, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
THIS IS A PROBLEM IN MY DISTRICT AND MY GUARANTEE THAT MY RESIDENTS WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANYTHING THAT WE DO TO PROTECT THEM.
LANGUAGE, FEAR OF RETALIATION, NO MORE.
THIS HELPS, RIGHT? AND SO THIS HELPS THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT REPRESENTED OR HAVE NOT BEEN TRADITIONALLY REPRESENTED.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AGAIN, FOR JOINING US ON THIS EFFORT.
I THINK THAT IT'S CRITICAL, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ALSO AIRING ON THE SIDE OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
I BROUGHT A PROP, UH, FOR MIKE SHANNON, AND I'M HOPING THAT MAYBE WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING, WE COULD GET SOME OF THESE, WHICH, UM, SHOUT OUT TO THE BEXAR COUNTY EDUCATION COALITION WHO WORKS INSIDE, BUT STILL HAS THESE TO GIVE AWAY DURING THE HOT SUMMER.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE FOR THE RECORD, WE COULD SPEND SOME MONEY ON THIS.
UM, AND SO IF WE NEED SOMETHING TANGIBLE, BUT ALSO, UM, I JUST, I WANNA THANK THOUGH THE P C D C, THE WORK OF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE CHAMPION.
I'M SO GLAD THAT SHE CHIMED IN TO SPEAK FIRST BECAUSE SHE GAVE ALL OF THESE STATS AND SHE ALWAYS DOES HER HOMEWORK.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT I HAVE THE OSHA HEAT SAFETY TOOL, THE HEAT INDEX ON MY PHONE.
AND WHEN COUNCILWOMAN VRAN MENTIONED THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINDING SENIORS, IT WAS INES.
'CAUSE MY DAD'S OUTSIDE AND IT'S LIKE A HUNDRED PLUS DEGREE, DEGREE WEATHER.
SO HE WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE WHO WOULD BE CITED.
UM, UH, I WANNA THANK ALSO, UH, LAUREN MANDEL, WHO IS MY L S A 300 CLASSMATE, UM, BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN WORKING FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR TO LET US KNOW WHAT THE A G C IS DOING TO TRAIN THEIR CONTRACTORS.
YOUR CONTRACTORS ARE ALSO AWESOME.
THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, IF YOU ALL MISSED IT.
THERE WAS AN EDITORIAL THAT SHE PENNED TOGETHER WITH TAMARA FROM THE ASSOCIATED BUILDERS COALITION.
THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW THEIR, UH, COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY IMPLEMENTS A CULTURE OF SAFETY.
THEY TALKED ABOUT SAFETY MEETINGS EVERY MORNING.
THEY TALKED ABOUT SHADE TENTS.
THEY TALKED ABOUT ELECTROLYTE, UH, PACKS, ELECTROLYTE POPSICLES, AIR CONDITIONED TRAILERS.
THEY IMPLEMENTED A FLAG SYSTEM WITH SOME OF THESE CONTRACTORS.
AS THE WEATHER IS GETTING HOTTER, THEY ALSO HAVE A MODIFIED HOURS TO BEGIN EARLIER.
SO AGAIN, THANKS TO MIKE SHANNON FOR ALLOWING THAT.
THEY HAVE WATER BOTTLE PRIZES FOR PEOPLE THAT DRINK THE MOST AMOUNT OF WATER.
AND, UM, THEY, UH, IMPORTANTLY, LIKE I SAID, HOST TRAINING SESSIONS THAT ARE, UH, CRITICAL TO SUPERVISORS.
I AM, UM, HAPPY THAT EVERYBODY AGREES THAT ONE LIFE LOST IS TOO MANY.
UM, AND I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S AHEAD.
I DO WANNA THANK AGAIN, EVERYBODY WHO HAS WORKED SO HARD ON MULTIPLE COMMITTEES.
UM, I, I CHARGED MIKE SHANNON WITH A REALLY HEAVY LOAD.
I FEEL THIS LAST GO AROUND ON P C D C.
UM, AND I THINK THAT HE DELIVERED.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF MY CO UH, MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO, UH, TO, TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK AT P C D C AND PREPARING AND DOING THEIR HOMEWORK AHEAD OF TIME.
AND AGAIN, UM, THE C C R AS IT ORIGINALLY FILED, TALKED ABOUT SAN ANTONIO HAVING HOT SUMMERS, SAN ANTONIO SUMMERS TO BECOME MORE SEVERE.
BUT SECONDLY, IT TALKED ABOUT SAN ANTONIO'S CONTINUED GROWTH, MAKING IT A BOOMING CONSTRUCTION MARKET.
PEOPLE WILL MOVE HERE FOR JOBS.
[02:35:01]
OUR GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR ABBOTT BOAST ABOUT TEXAS HAVING A HIGH, UH, EMPLOYMENT, RIGHT? OR A HIGH, UM, UH, UM, WHAT WAS IT? UH, JOBS.AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO BE SAYING THAT HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE WELCOME PEOPLE TO COME, BUT WE WILL PROTECT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILDING OUR FUTURE.
THEY ARE BUILDING OUR ECONOMY ONE PERSON AT A TIME, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE INVESTING IN THEM.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PROTECTING THEM.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THAT I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF TODAY'S ORDINANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HAVADA.
UM, I JUST HAVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO ANDY, UM, THE REAL M V P TODAY.
ANDY, THAT WAS A GREAT COMMENT.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR LAWYER HAT OFF, THOUGH, TO SAY HOW BADASS WOMEN ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO CODIFY WHAT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALREADY KNOWS TO BE A BEST PRACTICE.
MOST BUSINESSES, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO CARE ABOUT THEIR PEOPLE FOR THEIR BOTTOM LINE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THEIR WORKERS OUT IN THE HEAT.
MOST, MOST MONTHS OF THE YEAR, WE CAN SAY SUMMER, BUT WE ALL KNOW IT'S FAR BEYOND SUMMER THAT WE DEAL WITH THE HEAT IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS ORDINANCE IS A BALANCE OF PROTECTING INDUSTRY AND ALREADY TIGHT MARGINS, ESPECIALLY SMALL WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, AND THE WORKER OUT IN THE HEAT EVERY DAY IN OUR GREAT CITY, MUCH OF THE REST OF THE YEAR AS WELL.
I COMMIT TO KEEPING THAT BALANCE AND THAT AWARENESS TODAY IS ABOUT EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES, AND THE ABILITY TO KEEP BOTH SAFE AND FUNCTIONING.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROTECT THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE OUR, OUR EVERYDAY LIVES RUN.
THE ROADS THAT WE WALK ON, THE, OUR DRIVE ON THE, THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE IN, THE STRUCTURES THAT, THAT KEEP OUR SAFETY.
I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW FAR THE DOWN THE ROAD WE GO TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON BUSINESSES.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE TODAY SUPPORTS WORKERS WHO ENSURE OUR STREETS ARE DRIVABLE, THAT THOSE BUILDINGS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN A SAFE MATTER.
THESE INDIVIDUALS IMPACT EVERY SAN ANTONIO, EVERY DAY, AND ALL OF OUR SAFETY, NOT NOT JUST THEIRS.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO EMPLOY THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO KNOW THAT EVERY ACCOMMODATION OF THEIR EMPLOYEES COUNTS NOT ONLY TOWARDS THEIR WORKERS', BUT THE OVERALL SAFETY CONDITIONS OF THE CITY.
TO HEAR THAT A CONTRACTOR ASK ONE OF US, DON'T YOU HAVE BIGGER, BIGGER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT TO THAT PERSON? I SAY, NO, THIS IS THE BIGGEST THING WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
THE SAFETY OF OUR, OF THE WORKERS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS TO WORRY ABOUT.
THANKS TO THE BUSINESS LEADERS AND THE UNIONS ALIKE WHO SERVED AS COUNCIL TO ME ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE AND PARTICIPATED IN THE FORMULATION OF THIS ORDINANCE, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I'M GLAD THAT, UH, WE'VE DECIDED TO MERGE BOTH THE, UH, ORIGINAL, UH, WITH THE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN.
UH, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN WHITE WAS ASKING, AND, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS JUST ENSURING THAT, UH, WE'RE MAKING SURE THE FOUR HOUR BREAKS ARE INCLUDED IN THERE.
OTHERWISE, IT'S THE SAME THING HE WAS ASKING.
SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE.
UH, I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTING IT, AND, UH, I HOPE IT HELPS PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR ALL OF OUR CONTRACTORS.
THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO'VE WORKED ON THIS, UH, PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE TOGETHER.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE THAT ARE STILL IN THE AUDIENCE HERE LISTENING TO OUR DISCUSSION.
THE WORK IS DEFENSE FUND, THE UNA, OR THE ASSOCIATION FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORS, RESA.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M GLAD WE'RE ADOPTING THE STANDARD.
I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT THE INDICATOR THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT COMPASSION AND HOW HER MESSAGE TO US IS OUR JOB IS TO BE SERVANT LEADERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BUILDING A SAN ANTONIO THAT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR FOLKS CAN LIVE, UH, WORK AND ENJOY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE, AND I, I KNOW I'M A LITTLE BIT NEW TO IT, SO JUST WANTED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
SO WHEN, I KNOW WHEN AUSTIN AND DALLAS PASSED THEIR ORDINANCE, THEY STARTED WITH A COMPLAINT BRACE PROCESS.
ERIC, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE, UH, PROCESS IS GOING TO BE? UM, WANTED TO, BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THANK I, I FORGOT TO THANK MIKE AND SHANNON.
UH, MIKE SHANNON AND ROSS SANCHEZ.
I ASKED THEM TO GO OUT AND DO A SURVEY OF ALL OF OUR CITY-BASED CONTRACTORS TO SEE HOW MANY BREAKS THEY WERE RECEIVING.
AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT THEY TALKED TO OF THE CONTRACTORS THEY SPOKE WITH WERE RECEIVING THE BREAKS.
THERE WAS NO SIGNAGE UP, BUT THEY WERE RECEIVING BREAKS.
AND THE EMPLOYERS, IT WAS NICE TO KNOW THAT THE EMPLOYERS WERE ACTUALLY PROVIDING WATER AND GATORADE FOR MANY OF THEIR EMPLOYERS.
SO FOR THE, UH, EMPLOYERS HERE, WE WANNA SAY WE RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING AND SUPPORT YOU IN TREATING OUR WORKERS FAIRLY UNJUSTLY AS THEY DESERVE.
SO, UM, ERIC, JUST BACK TO YOU, UH, WANTED TO CHECK IN ON THE COMPLAINT BASED ENFORCEMENT.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD START OFF WITH, I'M
[02:40:01]
THINKING OF THE APARTMENT, UM, THE BAD ACTOR APARTMENT ORDINANCE THAT YOU ALL PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHERE IF THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, THEN THEY'RE ON A LIST THAT WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY MONITOR.IS THERE A, A ENFORCEMENT PROCESS LIKE THAT THAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED? SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE FIRST AND THEN GO BACK TO PROCUREMENT.
SO I, I GUESS, UM, UM, I DID, I DID, I DIDN'T DO A, WELL, A VERY GOOD JOB OF ANSWERING COUNCILMAN PLAZA'S QUESTIONS.
SO THE APPROACH TO ENFORCEMENT IS, IS KIND OF A COMMON SENSE APPROACH ALL AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS, AND I THOUGHT THAT'S WHERE COUNCILMAN COURAGE WAS GONNA GO.
WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS THAT GO TO CITY CONSTRUCTION SITES.
UM, PROBABLY EVERY CONSTRUCTOR GOES TO MAYBE THREE OR FOUR A DAY.
SO STEP NUMBER ONE IS GONNA MAKE, IS MAKING SURE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS WHO ARE OUT THERE ON THE JOB SITE UNDERSTAND THE, THE, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS AS, AS, UH, AS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, OR POTENTIALLY APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
THEIR EYES AND EARS, THEY'RE OUT THERE TO INSPECT.
UM, SECOND, AND I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE WILL LIKELY IMPLEMENT AN ATTESTATION, UM, WHEN CONTRACTORS, UM, SUBMIT FOR A PAYMENT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF, OF DEALING WITH IT FROM A COMMON SENSE STANDPOINT.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA ASSUME THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A, A BUNCH OF COMPLAINTS.
THAT'S NOT OUR POSITION RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT IF WE GET THEM, UM, OR SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS, THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, AND, AND LET YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WE THINK THAT WITHIN OUR, OUR, OUR PROCESSES, WE CAN DO THAT TYPE OF COMMON SENSE ENFORCEMENT THAT IS NOT A PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, UM, LIKE, UM, UH, THREE TIMES A YEAR HEALTH INSPECTION.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE APPROACH WE'LL BE TAKING.
UM, SECONDLY REGARDING PROCUREMENT, UM, PART OF THAT, UM, AS, AS, AS IT'S DEVOTED BY THE COUNCIL HERE IN A SECOND, UM, WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS APPROVE, THEN WE WILL FIGURE OUT BETWEEN PRI PRIMARILY TROY, UM, AND PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS, BUT GENERALLY PROCUREMENT, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE NOTIFYING POTENTIAL BIDDERS ON OR PROPOSERS ON? WHAT ARE THE RULES? UM, SO THAT IT'S CLEARLY STATED.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT AS SOON AS YOU GUYS START, AS SOON AS YOU GUYS VOTE.
IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY DELAY, DEPENDING ON THE VOTE, THIS COULD GO INTO EFFECT IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S IN PLACE.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE SOME SORT OF LUMINOUS ADDITIONAL EFFORT.
UM, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD WHAT'S WHAT'S REQUIRED UNDER THE ORDINANCE.
AND IF I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A REQUEST ON THE SIGNS IF WE THINK ABOUT HEAT ACCLIMATION.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WORKERS ARE ACCLIMATING IS WHEN THEY'RE AT THE MOST SEVERE RISK.
SO IF WE COULD MAKE SOME SORT OF SIGN THAT RECOMMENDS, UM, SIGNS OF NOTICING HEAT ACCLIMATION, THAT WOULD ALSO BE GREAT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AS I GO TO TAKE MY SIP OF WATER HERE, THAT'S A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF HER COMMENT.
I THINK ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO AS A CITY, AND I WANNA BE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE COUNCIL THAT LEADS BY EXAMPLE.
SO WE ARE HERE JUST LEADING BY EXAMPLE, SAYING THAT WE SHOULD NOT DENY ANYONE AN IN INAL INALIENABLE HUMAN RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CORE, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
WELL, FIRST, YOU KNOW, I LIKE ALL THE NICE WORDS THAT WERE SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE A G C, AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD THAT KNOW BEST AND ARE DOING IT EVERY DAY.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO DISREGARD, UM, THEIR OPINION ON THIS MATTER.
UM, SECONDLY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ADULT CONVERSATIONS UP HERE, UM, WITHOUT HYPERBOLE AND RHETORIC.
UM, THAT FRANKLY IS JUST DIVISIVE AND SAYING, BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION, UM, ON A HEAT ORDINANCE THAT PERHAPS THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WORKERS OR, OR THE L G B COMMUNITY OR, UM, WOMEN OR WHATEVER ELSE IT WAS, UM, IS A JOKE.
AND, AND IT'S RIDICULOUS AND, AND IT DOESN'T FOSTER, UM, GOOD DEBATE AND CONVERSATION UP HERE.
UM, AND FINALLY, UH, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER THAT, THAT, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T COST ANYTHING FOR THESE, FOR THESE COMPANIES TO, TO APPLY FOR THESE JOBS WITH THE, WITH THE CITY TO NOT, WELL, YEAH, IT, IT DOESN'T COST THEM TO NOT APPLY.
SO I APOLOGIZE IF I MISHEARD THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT IT DOES COST COMPANIES MONEY TO BID ON THESE PROJECTS, RIGHT?
[02:45:01]
THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY THAT PUTS THE PROPOSALS TOGETHER, UM, AND IT'S GONNA HAVE TO PUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN TOGETHER AND, AND DEAL WITH THE CITY AND FIGURE IT ALL OUT.UM, AND WHEN BUSINESSES HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY, UM, THAT, THAT MONEY ENDS UP GETTING PASSED ON, UM, TO THE CONSUMER.
UM, WHICH IN THIS CASE, UM, IS US AT THE CITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER WYATT, COUNCIL MEMBER PALEOS.
UM, I, I KNOW, I KNOW LAUREN MANDELA IS HERE, STILL HERE.
UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH ME.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOUR ORGANIZATION'S A MEMBER OF, OF, UH, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO'VE TALKED TO ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO, UM, I, I DO WANNA REASSURE THE EMPLOYERS, UH, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF YOURS, UM, WHO DO GIVE BACK QUITE OFTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, UM, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PHILANTHROPY TO THE CAUSES THAT ALL OF US, UM, YOU KNOW, HOLD NEAR AND DEAR.
UH, I, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, THANK THOSE THAT ARE MEMBERS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION WHO, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THEM TO BE, UM, SOME OF THE MORE CONSCIENTIOUS EMPLOYERS HERE IN TOWN.
HAVING, HAVING WORKED IN THIS INDUSTRY NOW FOR, I WAS COUNTING 23 YEARS, UH, 24 NEXT MONTH, WE, UM, I FREQUENTLY DEAL WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, RIGHT, IN THESE NASTY DISPUTES EXCEPT, BUT NOT YOUR MEMBERS.
THAT'S JUST YOUR MEMBERS ACTUALLY WORKING VERY, VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT CULTURE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, CONTRARY TO THE CHEAP AD HOMINEMS DIRECTED AT US, AND, AND THAT YOUR, UM, YOUR MEMBERS, I DON'T THINK YOUR MEMBERS ARE BIGOTS.
I DON'T, PLEASE PASS ALONG MY APOLOGIES FOR THEM HAVING TO HEAR THAT FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS TAKING THEIR MONEY IN THE FORM OF TAXES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING THEM TO ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGING THEM TO, YOU KNOW, BE AS PHILANTHROPIC AND AS GIVING, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK THAT YOUR MEMBERS HATE EMPLOYEES.
UM, MANY OF THEM HAVE EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH LABOR, AND, YOU KNOW, I TALK TO THE BUILDING TRADES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY OF YOUR MEMBERS ARE CONSIDERED PARTNERS, UH, WITH LABOR, AND THEY, THEY, UH, THEY WORK HAND IN HAND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S SAFE AND THAT EVERYBODY IS, UM, EVERYBODY, UH, GOES HOME TO THEIR LOVED ONES AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND SO, UM, WITH REGARDS TO ZI, WITH REGARDS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'LL PASS TODAY.
UM, AND ERIC, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
UM, IF SUCCESS IS, WE'RE GONNA HAND OUT CITATIONS OR WE'RE GONNA START GETTING COMPLAINTS AND ANSWERING THEM, OKAY.
OR IS SUCCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, METRICS.
I, I, I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THE PLAN IS.
'CAUSE I HEAR, I MEAN, I SEE THE ORDINANCE, IT'S WRITTEN, AND I, I SEE THE AMENDMENT, BUT YOU, I I THINK IN ORDER TO, TO DEFINE SUCCESS, MAYBE IT'S SMART TO BRING THIS BACK IN A YEAR SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN TELL US HOW IT'S GOING, RIGHT.
UM, SO THAT, UNLIKE AUSTIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ACTUALLY MONITOR THIS ON, ON A YEARLY BASIS AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT IT LED TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN EXCITING DAY AT COUNCIL IN AUGUST OF 23.
SURE, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT COUNCIL, BUT I, I, I'LL TELL YOU MY, MY DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS THAT CITY WORK GETS DONE SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKLY, AND, UH, CONTRACTORS OR CITY EMPLOYEES AREN'T INJURED ON THE JOB.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS.
IT, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE GRANULAR, THIS IS ONE ELEMENT I, I, I THINK MOST COMPANIES PROBABLY HAVE A HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SUCCESS TO ME.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT A BOOKMARK IN THE, IN THE CALENDAR AND, AND GIVE AN UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL A YEAR FROM NOW IF YOU'D LIKE.
UH, A AGAIN, I WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEES FOR THEIR WORK, AND I, I SAT ON BOTH OF 'EM, SO I WAS PRIVILEGED TO HEAR THIS, THIS PRESENTATION QUITE OFTEN.
I WANNA THANK ANDY FOR REMINDING US OF THE WOMEN.
THAT'S WHAT AN ALLY LOOKS LIKE FOR WOMEN.
UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, ERIC FOR YOUR COMMENT ON SUCCESS.
IT LOOKS LIKE COMPLIANCE, IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE NOT GETTING HURT.
SO IF WE NEED TO TAKE THE INFORMATION
[02:50:01]
TO METRO HEALTH AND, AND LOOK AT BREAKING DOWN THESE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF HEAT ILLNESS, UM, HE HEAT ILLNESS CALLS, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT COMMITTEE.UH, WE ARE AT THE CUSP OF DOING SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO MOVE OUR CITY IN A, IN A DIRECTION WHERE WE ADDRESS HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE MADE A PRIORITY OF THIS COUNCIL.
I KNOW IT LOOKS LIKE MORE WORK, MIKE AND ROD.
I KNOW IT DOES, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT WITH OUR, TALKING TO OUR GENERAL CONTRACTORS THAT WE DO REGULAR BUSINESS WITH, WORKING WITH OUR, OUR LABOR UNIONS, MAKING SURE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE R F P PROCESS AND CONTRACTING GOING FORWARD, THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE, WE ARE GOING TO SEE COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS SUCCESS, AND WE ARE GOING TO SEE CITIES AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THIS NATION LOOK TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO AS, AS A LEADER.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, ALL THE HARD WORK.
I, I WAS, I'M THANKFUL THAT WE WERE PART OF IT, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS GET TO BE PART OF IT ALSO.
UH, JUST LASTLY, I, I WANTED TO REITERATE RIGHT, THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS, IT'LL ENSURE THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO DO BUSINESS WITH ETHICAL EMPLOYEES AND BAD ACTORS WHO HARM WORKERS WON'T GET CITY COUNT, UH, CONTRACTS, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S ENFORCEMENT THAT HAS TEETH.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GREAT DISCUSSION.
IT SEEMS MUCH MORE CONTENTIOUS THAN IT IS BECAUSE IT STARTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WITH ACCUSATIONS THAT OUR COLLEAGUES WHO PROPOSED THE ORDINANCE WERE DOING SO AS A FEEL GOOD GESTURE, UM, AND INSINUATED THAT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME.
MAYOR, SOME OF US HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF GRANDSTANDING OR UTILIZING DIVISIVE RHETORIC.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF NOT RESPECTING DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.
BUT MAYOR, I BELIEVE WE ARE ALL DOING OUR BEST TO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENCIES.
AND I, FOR ONE MAYOR, BELIEVE THAT MY CONSTITUENCIES WILL BE HAPPY WITH MY DECISION.
I MAKE MY COMMENTS VERY CLEAR AND INTENTIONALLY, UM, IF YOU'VE MISHEARD, THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON T T V S A AFTER THIS IS OVER.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? OKAY.
UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION THAT HAS BEEN AMENDED, UH, AND THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE MAIN MOTION.
UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL UP THE VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
THAT'S THE, UM, BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA.
THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA FOR, UH, EVERYONE WATCHING WHO'S REALLY INTO THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
WE DO HAVE A 1:00 PM BUDGET MEETING, UH, BUT BEFORE THAT, ERIC
[City Manager's Report ]
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.UM, JUST, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS.
RENEE SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER THIS WEEK AT OUR BUDGET MEETING THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAD BEEN NAMED BY FORBES AS, UM, THE, UH, TOP, THE NUMBER 12 TOP EMPLOYER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, NUMBER TWO IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THE, UM, UH, PUBLIC SECTOR HUMAN RESOURCE ASSOCIATION HAS AWARDED SAN ANTONIO, UH, THEIR EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR LARGE AGENCY, UM, PRIMARILY, UH, FOR PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DONE AROUND OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN SOLID WASTE AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND ALSO OUR, UM, OUR CUSTOMIZED WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR OUR C D L HOLDING, UH, LICENSED EMPLOYEE, UH, EMPLOYEES.
AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN HR THAT THIS IS A BIG RECOGNITION AND, AND WELL DESERVED.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, MAYOR, OUR, OUR SPOTLIGHT VIDEO IS ON A, AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
HER NAME IS SONYA CASILLAS, AND SHE, UH, WORKS AT THE, THE ALMA GEAR, UH, DANCE STUDIO AND COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND, UM, IT, UH, THAT CENTER REOPENED IN JANUARY OF 23.
THEY DO EIGHT DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, DANCE, UH, THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE EVER CURIOUS, SWING BY.
I'VE BEEN DANCING FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND BEING ABLE TO CREATE MOVEMENTS, BEING ABLE TO STUDY THEM, LISTEN TO MUSIC, AND THEN
[02:55:01]
COME AND PUT 'EM TO PLAY WITH MY STUDENTS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.THIS IS WHAT DRIVES ME EVERY DAY.
ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTORS ARE PROFESSIONALS, UH, WHETHER IT'S MUSIC OR IN DANCE, AND THE PASSION THAT THEY HAVE FOR THIS IS JUST GREAT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA BRING YOUR FOOT UP IN FRONT.
ALL THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED IN THIS CENTER ARE EITHER FREE OF CHARGE OR AT A VERY DECENT PRICE.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THEM TO COME AND GET THE BEST DANCE STUDIO FLOOR FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN I SEE THE GROWTH AND THE LOVE AND THE PASSION THAT KEEP COMING EVERY, EVERY YEAR, YEAR AFTER YEAR, THAT IS GRATIFYING.
THIS IS A GREAT JOB FOR A DANCE TEACHER IN GENERAL BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ARTISTS, I GET TO SAY, THEY HAVE THE BENEFITS OF A CITY EMPLOYEE.
SO IT'S THE WHOLE PACKAGE FOR ME, IT'S A WHOLE GREAT PACKAGE.
DEAL IS TRULY A BLESSING FOR ME.
GOSH, WE DO IT ALL, DON'T WE? SO, YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THAT WAS, UH, I, I'M, I'M CONTINUOUSLY AMAZED AT THE DIFFERENT LINES OF BUSINESS THAT WE DO AND, UH, EMPLOYEES LIKE SONYA AND OTHERS YOU'VE SEEN, UH, AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T SEE IT.
SO THESE VIDEOS ARE REALLY SPECIAL.
I THINK THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE NEEDS TO GO TAKE ONE OF THOSE CLASSES.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL TAKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, AFTER, AFTER YOU GUYS APPROVE THE BUDGET, THEN WE'LL GO TAKE A DANCE LESSON.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN TODAY, UH, ONE OF OUR KEY MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM IS CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY TODAY, AND THAT IS OUR VERY OWN FIRST ASSISTANT LIZ PROVENCIO IS BIRTHDAY TODAY.
SO LET'S, LET'S WISH LIZ A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
12:13 PM ON THE 31ST OF AUGUST, 2023.