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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
THE TIME IS EIGHT, EXCUSE ME, 1:08 PM ON AUGUST 31ST, 2023.
WE'RE GONNA CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE PRESENT? COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
PRESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, A COUPLE DEPARTMENTS.
HOMER WILL START OFF WITH OUR PARKS AND RECREATION PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL TRANSITION TO DAVID MCCAREY, WHO WILL COVER OUR, OUR, UM, UH, RESILIENCY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, UH, FUND AND ASSOCIATED PROJECTS.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING DOUG PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THAT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO WE HAVE.
UH, GOOD EVENING OR GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS HOMER GARCIA, PARKS DIRECTOR.
UH, AND I'M GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED 2024 PARKS DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE EFFORT, UH, OF THE BUDGET OFFICE, JUSTINA TATE AND HER TEAM.
GREAT COLLABORATION PROCESS TO GET WHERE WE'RE AT, AND THAT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF MY, UH, KEY TEAM MEMBERS.
THEY CAN'T ALL BE HERE TODAY, BUT WE HAVE WITH US ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NIKKI RAMOS OVER RECREATION SERVICES.
WE ALSO HAVE MELINDA SERTA, WHO'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER PARK OPERATIONS, UH, RYAN HARRISON, UH, FORMERLY KNOWN AS RYAN EVANS, BUT HE IS OUR ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR.
HE IS OVER FISCAL AND CONTRACT SERVICES.
UH, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER TEAM MEMBERS WITH US TODAY THAT ARE ON OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, AND WE'VE ALL CONTRIBUTED ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UH, EXCITED TO, UH, HAVE THEM HERE AND BEGIN.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT AND REALLY BEGIN WITH OUR VISION STATEMENT.
UH, OUR VISION IS EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL BY 2050.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT OF REALLY WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, IT'S PROVIDING FUN, SAFE, ATTRACTIVE, AND AFFORDABLE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNITY SPACES WITH A TENT WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK OF A PARK FOR ALL RESIDENTS REFLECTING THE DIVERSITY AND DESIRES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND AS WE APPROACH OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BEING AN ACCREDITED PARK AGENCY, JUST LAST MONTH, WE ALSO BECAME, UH, CERTIFIED IN, IN SAFETY.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE TEAM, UH, IN CELEBRATING OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
WE ARE THE THIRD LARGEST PARK AGENCY IN THE COUNTRY TO BE CERTIFIED, UH, BUT ALSO PRIORITIZING SAFETY IN, UH, THE, UH, DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND ALL WE DO IS WHAT DRIVES FORWARD THE SERVICES AND THE PROPOSED 2024 BUDGET.
SO I'LL BE HIGHLIGHTING TODAY, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ACROSS ALL FUNDS.
UH, SPEAK TO, UH, DEPARTMENT IMPROVEMENTS AND INVESTMENTS, AS WELL AS OUR TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION AND MITIGATION FUND.
A LOT OF DISCUSSION, UH, THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE OF VERY PROMINENT SIGNATURE PROGRAMS FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND FRANKLY, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THAT'S THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM IN OUR GREENWAY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO I WANNA BEGIN BY, UM, JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING THE BREADTH OF WHAT WE DO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR VISION STATEMENT WE SAW HERE AT THE END OF A SESSION.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ERIC FOR HIGHLIGHTING OUR, OUR OWN SON CA, A GREAT DANCER.
UH, AND JUST A LITTLE NUGGET ON HER, SHE ACTUALLY WAS, UH, ABLE TO HELP PRODUCE A FILM THAT WE SHARED WITH OUR SISTER CITY AND KUMAMOTO.
SO LAST YEAR THEY DID CELEBRATE, UH, THEIR URBAN GREEN FAIR, AND AS A SISTER CITY, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER, UH, A PRODUCTION.
SO HER TALENTS WERE SHARED, CERTAINLY WELL BEYOND THE BORDERS OF OUR COUNTRY.
BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD EVER.
THAT TOP LEFT, UH, IMAGE THERE, POPUP TENT, THOSE ARE OUR ENERGIZER STATIONS.
NEVER DID IT BEFORE, BUT THAT IS WHAT THE PUBLIC SEES ON OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR TRAIL STEWARDS.
MANY OF YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
THEY'RE ON BIKES RIDING AROUND, BUT WHEN THEY NEED A BREAK, THEY SET UP AND THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE SAME FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSISTANCE, MAYBE THEY'RE LOST, THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SHADE OR THEY NEED WATER.
THIS PROVIDES A GREAT WAY TO REIMAGINE WHAT WE DO, REALLY JUST
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IN AN EFFORT TO BE FRESH AND, AND JUST BE PROVIDING THE MOST DESIRABLE AND NECESSARY SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.YOU SEE A COUPLE IMAGE THERE, THAT WATER OBSTACLE COURSE, THAT'S CALLED A WEE BIT OF FUN.
UH, AND BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN ALL POOLS THIS YEAR AND HAVE IT EXPANDED POOL SEASON, WE ADDED A SECOND, UH, WATER OBSTACLE COURSE, UH, TO OUR PORTFOLIO.
SO AGAIN, REALLY INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE WATER PLAY IN OUR POOL SEASON.
YOU SEE A SILENT DISCO THERE, UH, THAT WAS HELD, UH, EARLIER THIS SUMMER, LATE SPRING AT SAN PEDRO SPRINGS PARK.
UH, WE HAD NEVER, UH, DONE THAT BEFORE.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE THAT IN OTHER SPACES.
AND SO IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THAT HERE AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING MORE OF THAT.
UM, THIS YEAR WE OPENED DAN MARKSON PARK, UM, OUR FIRST FULLY INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND, AND THERE'S MORE TO COME.
AND LAST MONTH, OUR SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM COMPETED IN THE ZERO ROBOTICS PROGRAM FINALS AT TECH PORT WHERE PARTICIPANTS WORKED IN TEAMS TO BUILD A ROBOT.
WENT THERE TO SEE THAT ROBOT NAVIGATE THROUGH A ZERO GRAVITY OBSTACLE COURSE, UM, DRIVEN BY ASTRONAUTS BASED ON THE CODE THAT THEY DEVELOPED.
NOW, WHILE WE DID NOT WIN FIRST PLACE, IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE FOR OUR YOUTH.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED AND PROUD THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THAT POINT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO RUN IT BACK IN 2025, UH, AND DO IT AGAIN.
AND AS A STRATEGY TO EXTEND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, THE COMMUNITY WAS INVITED TO GROW WITH PARKS.
WE HAD A FLOAT IN THE FLAMM BOW PARADE.
UH, AND REALLY TRYING TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY TO WHO WE ARE.
WHAT WE DO CERTAINLY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, PEOPLE THAT WANNA BE INTRODUCED TO THE PARKS IN, UH, INDUSTRY AS A CAREER.
BUT ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO REPURPOSE THAT FLOAT MORE RECENTLY AS PART OF THE PRIDE PARADE.
AND I, I DO WANNA ANNOUNCE A BIT OF BREAKING NEWS IN THAT REGARD, BUT WE ACTUALLY WERE VOTED, UH, BEST FLOAT.
AND SO, UM, THE PRIDE ASSOCIATION IS AWARE.
I WAS GONNA BE SHARING THAT TODAY, BUT THEY SHOULD BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE COMING WEEKS.
BUT WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING HOW WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN NEW WAYS.
IT IS THIS PASSION FOR WHAT WE DO THAT'S ILLUSTRATED HERE TODAY THAT REALLY PUSHES US TO EXCEL AND JUST FOCUSING ON BEST IN CLASS SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, GETTING TO OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, WE DO SEE IN, UH, 2024, IT IS THAT JUST, UH, RIGHT AT $124 MILLION, THAT IS A LITTLE OVER 9% INCREASE FROM THE CURRENT YEAR.
UH, THAT IS LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASES, UH, DUE TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
AND WE WILL SEE A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT WE DO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET FOR INCREASING IN OUR TREE MITIGATION FUND INVESTMENTS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, WE ARE, WHILE WE, WE KNOW THAT OUR PARK SYSTEM IS GROWING, WE ARE RECEIVING 19 POSITIONS TO HELP US MAKING SURE THAT THE SPACES STAY CLEAN AND VITAL, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO USE.
SO, LET, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, SOME OPERATING ENHANCEMENTS.
WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATIONAL SPACES, FRANKLY, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND JUST BEYOND DOWNTOWN, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC, PUBLIC ALREADY EXPERIENCING.
WE HAVE ALAMO PLAZA, WE HAVE HEMISPHERE CIVIC PARK, UH, AROUND THE CORNER AND OPENING SOON.
UH, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE EXCITED IN DISTRICT TWO, JUST DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO HAY STREET BRIDGE.
THE VINCENT M IN BERKELEY, OR VINCENT M AND BERKELEY V DAWSON PARK WILL BE COMING ONLINE.
SMALL SPACE LOTS GOING INTO THERE.
I DROVE BY THERE THE THE OTHER DAY.
LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.
BUT WE SEE THE GROWTH OF OUR PARK SYSTEM REALLY REQUIRES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BE READY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS IT'S OPEN AND, AND CONNECT TO IT AND USE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES.
EARLIER THIS SUMMER, UH, WE DID, COUNCIL DID APPROVE A, UH, UH, OPERATING AGREEMENT FOR WHEATLEY HEIGHTS.
AND THAT OPERATING AGREEMENT ACTUALLY MOVED WHAT WAS, UM, THE WHEELIE HEIGHTS SPORTS COMPLEX FROM THE PRIOR OPERATOR, EAST SIDE, EAST SIDE CHRISTIAN ACTION GROUP TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, THEY HAVE MOVED TO MORE OF A CONSERVANCY TYPE ROLE WHERE THEY ADVOCATE ARE ABLE TO FUNDRAISE AND HELP PROGRAM THE FACILITY.
SO THIS BUDGET INCLUDES POSITIONS TO HELP DO THAT.
A LITTLE OVER $700,000 WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.
UM, THERE, WE KNOW THERE'S AN EXISTING HISTORIC, UM, HISTORIC USER BASE THERE.
SO THE FACILITY'S OPEN NOW ACCOMMODATING FALL SPORTS.
SO WHEN THAT, UM, FALL SPORTS ENDS, THERE IS MONEY IN THE 22 BOND TO
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REHABILITATE THE FACILITY.IT WILL INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF THE FIELD AND THE TRACK THAT'LL HAPPEN THIS, UH, WINTER AND THEN BRING IT BACK ONLINE FOR THE SPRING.
AND THEN IN LISTENING TO COUNCIL, EARLIER THIS, UM, SPRING ABOUT POLICY DISCUSSION, THERE WAS SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION AROUND VACANT CITY LOTS CITYWIDE NEEDING TO ACTIVATE THEM.
BUT THOSE LOTS AREN'T ALL NECESSARILY PARKS.
THEY'VE GOT PUBLIC WORKS HOUSING.
AND SO THERE'S $150,000 IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO, UH, DRIVE FORWARD A COLLABORATION WITH THESE DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, REALLY LOOK AT ACTIVATING THESE AND TURNING THEM INTO GREEN SPACES.
UH, SO THAT HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED YET, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD FOCUS ON CREATING NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS.
SO IT DOESN'T BECOME A LEGACY COST FOR, FOR THE CITY, BUT ACTUALLY IS REALLY A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
UH, AND AND DONE HAND IN HAND BUILDING SWEAT EQUITY, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
SO IN, IN THE CATEGORY OF IMPROVEMENTS IN MAINTENANCE OF PARKS FACILITIES, WE, UH, HAVE $2.3 MILLION WE ARE RECEIVING.
UH, AND THERE'S PROPOSED, RATHER, EXCUSE ME, UH, FUNDING FOR LIGHTING AT SPORTS FIELDS.
UH, CRICKET IS AN EMERGING, UH, SPORT.
UH, AND WE, WE'VE SEEN THAT EXPAND INTO, UH, FROM DISTRICT SEVEN, FIRST, DISTRICT FIVE.
AND WE'RE STILL WORKING TO PLAN ACTIVELY AND, AND GROW THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CRICKETERS TO COME OUT AND ENJOY PARK SPACES.
UH, ALSO LIGHTING FOR LITTLE LEAGUE SPORTS FIELDS, UH, BOTH AT STINSON PARK AND MCALLISTER PARK.
AND THEN, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO.
UH, HUGE SPACE WITHIN THE PARK.
SO THERE'S A PROPOSED FUNDING FOR A LITTLE OVER $1 MILLION TO REPLACE THE PERIMETER FENCING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE PARK, IMPROVING THE, NOT ONLY THE ZOO, BUT QUITE FRANKLY BRECKENRIDGE PARK VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
AS, UH, GOING BACK TO EARLY POLICY DISCUSSION, I KNOW COUNCIL HAD ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO, UH, TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR CEMETERIES.
SO THERE'S, UH, $228,000 THAT WILL DO JUST THAT.
INCREASE THE MOWING FREQUENCY.
UH, SO IT'S MOWED EFFECTIVELY EVERY OTHER WEEK.
OF COURSE, THAT'LL BE MANAGED GIVEN THE CLIMATE.
ALSO LOOKING AT IMPROVING THE FENCE LINE ALONG CRITICAL CORRIDORS.
THESE ARE HISTORIC CEMETERIES LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO, UM, PARKS, AMENITIES IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE OUR PLAYGROUND SHADE CITYWIDE.
THIS ISSUE HAS COME UP IN PRIOR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
I THINK IT'S COME UP IN TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
I KNOW THE COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR THIS.
UH, AND SO WITH THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD EVER, UH, GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE AND LEVERAGE EVERYTHING ELSE WE'RE ALREADY DOING, THANK YOU TO ERIC MARIA JUSTINA FOR IDENTIFYING THOSE FUNDS SO WE COULD DO THAT.
AND SO FISCAL YEAR 2024 BEGINS A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
UM, TOTAL INVESTMENT OF $19 MILLION FOCUSED SOLELY ON SHADE IN, UH, PLAYGROUNDS CITYWIDE IN OUR PARKS.
3.8 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, FOCUSED ON 13, UH, PLAYGROUNDS ACROSS 12 PARKS.
YOU SEE THERE LITTLE THUMBNAIL THAT KIND OF JUST LAYS OUT WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A QUICK EVOLUTION IN BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP AND DECIDE WHERE WE CAN KICK THIS OFF.
SO WE REALLY FOCUSED ON, OF COURSE, WHERE THERE'S NO SHADE AT ALL.
UH, AND THEN LOOKING AT HIGH USE AREAS, SITE CONDITIONS WHERE MAYBE TREE CANOPY WON'T ALLOW, OR, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHADE STRUCTURES.
NOT EVERYTHING'S GONNA NEED THE SAME.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BACK TO JUST THE EXISTING REQUEST, WE KNOW IT'S A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
BY DOING THIS, WE WILL, UH, ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND ENGAGE, UH, AND INTERACT AND USE OUR PLAYGROUNDS REALLY AT A TIME THAT'S MOST CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
AND NOT NECESSARILY WAITING TILL, UH, IT, IT, IT'S COOL ENOUGH TO DO.
TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION AND MITIGATION.
UH, LARGEST TO DATE RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, INVEST TREES INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, PUBLIC SPACES RIGHT AWAY PROJECTS RESIDENTS, NEARLY $12 MILLION.
WE HAVE LONG BEEN FOCUSED ON EDUCATION PROGRAMMING AND OUTREACH, SO THAT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
OF COURSE, OUR TREE ADOPTIONS AND GIVEAWAYS ARE, UH, VERY POPULAR.
WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE URBAN FOREST CANOPY THAT IS IN, IN PARKS AS WELL AS NOT PARK PROPERTIES, BUT STILL NOT LOSING FOCUS OF WHERE WE NEED TO STILL CONTINUE TO PLANT TREES.
UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT SCALE UP IN RESIDENTIAL TREE PROGRAMMING AND, AND PLANTING OUR EQUITY TREE PROGRAM.
THAT'S A STAPLE PROGRAM, THAT'S A BRAND.
THE COMMUNITY KNOWS IT REALLY, THAT IS, UH, FOCUSING TURNKEY SERVICE, CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO TREES, UH, IN HIGH, UH, IN, BASED ON THE EQUITY ATLAS CENSUS
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TRACKS, HIGH NEED.SO THIS INCLUDES POSITIONS THAT ARE GONNA REALLY FOCUS ON THE, UM, CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO THAT AND REALLY BUILDING THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH C P S ENERGY UNDER THEIR, UH, CASA VERDE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
AND THAT SCALE UP WILL BE FOCUSED ON PROJECT DELIVERY IN THE FIELD, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM HAND IN HAND TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR WEATHERIZATION PROJECT, THAT THEY CAN GET A TREE AS WELL.
AND SO, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE, WE CAN SCALE UP CAPACITY AND, AND BUILD A FRAMEWORK, BUT THERE'S BE POSITIONS TO HELP US DO THAT.
AND ALSO, BRINGING BACK OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE REALIZED DURING, UH, THIS DISCUSSION THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY IN THEIR PROGRAMS AS WELL, SO THAT AS A CITY ENTERPRISE, WE HAVE COMPREHEND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO BUILD INTO THE 22 BOND PROGRAM, OUR, UM, GREENWAY TRAILS TREES WHERE IT MAKES SENSE, PUTTING THEM TO WORK WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED, WHERE WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
AND, AND THAT INCLUDES RIGHT OF WAY PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT WORK, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA NEED THE DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
AND SO THIS SETS A STAGE FOR, UH, I THINK, TRANSFORMATION IN URBAN TREE CANOPY GOING FORWARD.
DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE IS, UH, FUNDING FOR ARBORETUM SAN ANTONIO OF $400,000.
UH, THIS IS AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER REPUBLIC GOLF COURSE, UH, IN DISTRICT THREE TO ESTABLISH A NURSERY, WHICH IS AN ADDITIVE SUPPLY OF TREES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THIS MORNING, COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR APPROVING THE BENDLE, UH, RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
THAT IS A MILESTONE BECAUSE IT FULLY DRAWS DOWN THE SALES TAX DOLLARS, UH, THAT WERE, UH, FOCUSED ON AQUIFER PROTECTION.
AND WITH THIS MORNING'S ACTION, IT ACTUALLY TRIGGERED AND KICKED US OVER INTO THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING PLAN.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN CUR YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT THIS MORNING.
AND SO IN THE 24 PROPOSED BUDGET, KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE, UM, PLAN INVESTMENT OF 19, UH, MILLION DOLLARS FOCUSED ON 11 PROPERTIES THAT IF ALL OF THAT WAS COME THROUGH AND THEY CONTINUE TO STAY IN THE PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HIT ANOTHER MILESTONE AND WE'LL BE MORE THAN $185,000 OF TOTAL ACRES PROTECTED OVER THE AQUIFER.
UM, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, BEN GOEL, WHO CAME TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD LAST WEEK TO MAKE AND REITERATE THAT PERSONAL COMMITMENT BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO PRIORITIZING AQUIFER PROTECTION FOR THE NEXT DECADE.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
AND LASTLY, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE STATUS AND REALLY THE CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN OUR OTHER SIGNATURE PROGRAM.
UH, THE GREENWAY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT.
TO DATE, WE HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED AND MILES COMPLETED, ADDITIONAL 12 UNDER DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
TALK ABOUT MILESTONES EARLIER, UH, THIS YEAR, I THINK IT WAS LATE WINTER, UH, WE ACTUALLY, UH, HAD RIBBON CUTTING TO CELEBRATE 100 MILES OF TRAIL COMPLETED.
SO WE SEE THAT WORK IS CONTINUING.
THAT IMAGE THERE ON THE RIGHT IS A REALLY REPRESENTATION OF WHAT'S ALREADY DONE, WHAT THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO DOING.
UH, SO THERE'S A, UH, EXISTING TRI-PARTY AGREEMENT THAT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE COUNTY'S INVESTMENT OF NEARLY $84 MILLION, UH, TO AUGMENT AND CONTINUE, UH, THE BUILD OUT OF THE HOWARD WP GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S, UH, SLOTTED RIGHT AT 24 MILES.
AND, AND THEN A YEAR AGO, I THINK THE QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT, WELL, WHAT'S LEFT? UH, AND WE RIGHT NOW STAND AT ABOUT A 20 MILES REMAIN TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE, UH, DO WANT A HIGHLIGHT FOR ANYBODY WHO'S STUDYING THIS MAP.
THERE'S A CRITICAL CONNECTION TO THAT RING.
IT IS THROUGH, UH, PORT SAN ANTONIO THERE THAT IS BEING DESIGNED RIGHT NOW AS PART OF THE BOND.
THE BOND COMMITTEE MADE IT A POINT TO, UH, MAKE SOME MOVEMENTS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS DESIGNED NOW, WHICH SETS THE STAGE FOR THE 27 BOND, TO, TO BRING THAT OUT, UH, AND, AND ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT IT.
SO THIS, UM, METHOD NOT ONLY JUST FOLLOWS OUR TRIBUTARIES, BUT LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE SYSTEM, CONNECT THE COMMUNITIES TO OUR GREEN SPACE, TO EACH OTHER, TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM, AND EVEN LOOKING AT UTILITY EASEMENTS.
SO THE, THE EVOLUTION OF IT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THE TEAM IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WAS GONNA YIELD THE FLOOR TO MR. MCCAREY, MY BOSS,
I'M DAVID MCCAREY, YOUR ASSISTANT CITY
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MANAGER.TODAY I HAVE THE HONOR OF ACTUALLY PRESENTING, WE HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING OUR RESILIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR F Y 2024.
I THINK I'M IN CONTROL OF THIS, SO LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES.
ALRIGHT, FOR THE OVERVIEW, WE'LL ACTUALLY BEGIN BY COVERING THE THINGS WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE REESE FUND AND WHAT IT MEANS.
WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED F Y 2024 BUDGET, AS WELL AS THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2023 AND WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN SUCH A SHORT TIME.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SYNERGY WITH COLLAB COLLABORATION, BECAUSE WE THINK THAT'S, SO EXPECT TO GET A DETAILED CONVERSATION THERE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE REESE FUND PROGRAMMING FOR WHAT'S ANTICIPATED ON THE INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND.
THAT FUND'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2011.
SO I THINK YOU'LL BE EXCITED, UH, WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
AND WE'LL ALSO CLOSE OUT ON SOME OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.
SO LET'S COVER THE BACKGROUND.
YOU KNOW, THE REESE FUND WAS, UH, ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 2023.
SUPPORT OF THAT FUND WAS FOR THE SA CLIMATE READY IMPLEMENTATION, AS WELL AS FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY AND INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE.
SO IT'S ALSO DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CHANGES BY REDUCING SAN ANTONIO'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE PORTION OF THE CITY'S PAYMENT FROM C P SS ENERGIES.
THAT'S THE STEP RECOVERY PLAN.
NOW, THESE FOUR BOXES THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM ARE THE ACTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE REESE FUND.
THESE FOUR HIGH LEVEL PROGRAM AREAS ARE THE CATEGORIES THAT WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT.
TODAY, IT WILL BE THE GRANT TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'LL BE OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND.
ALSO, OUR BUSINESS INCENTIVES, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IS 14.5 MILLION, WHERE WITH THE FUND ALSO INCLUDES THE REESE OF 11.9 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES 3 MILLION IN RESERVE FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND INCLUDES $2.2 MILLION, AND OUR GRANTS FROM CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT ALSO IS INCLUSIVE OF 400,000.
SO WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE REESE FUND HIGHLIGHTS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SHORT TIME.
AS I MENTIONED, WE BEGAN WITH OUR ECOS, UH, SCHOLAR FOR OUR SCHOOL GRANTS.
UH, WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING TO A GREAT START.
UH, THANK YOU MARCUS, IN SOLID WAYS FOR THAT.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE 156 INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY FROM BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
THESE ARE ALSO GRADES FROM ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HIGH SCHOOLERS.
BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPATING.
WE'RE ACTUALLY CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ESSAY CLIMATE READY LEADERS.
THE NEXT ONE IS UNDER COOL PAVEMENT PILOT PROJECTS.
WE ACTUALLY BEGAN THIS WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY WITH AN EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION.
WE HAVE 10 PILOT AREAS, ONE IN EACH OF YOUR PILOT, IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS AS WELL.
WE'RE ALSO HAVE FIVE PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN U T SS A TO BE A, EXCUSE ME, TO BE A PART OF THAT TESTING FOR COOL PAVEMENTS.
ALSO FOR THAT LAST COLUMN, WE HAVE OUR FEDERAL GRANT LEVERAGING AND OUR RESIDENTIAL ENGAGEMENT.
NOW, THIS IS FOR THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.
UH, WE'VE PUT ASIDE $4 MILLION FOR LEVERAGING A POSSIBLE 20 MILLION FOR SELF SAFE STREETS OFF OF ZAMO.
OUR PARTS AND REC DEPARTMENT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THAT, UH, GRANT AS WE TRY TO INITIATE THOSE FUNDS.
HERE'S THE FRAMEWORK THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS A FEW, UH, MORE TIMES, BUT AS WE WALK THROUGH IT, I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU AS WE GO.
THESE ARE THE FOUR HIGH LEVEL PROGRAM AREAS.
UNDER THE FIRST ONE IS THE GRANTS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS 2.5 MILLION.
UNDER URBAN HEAT ISLAND IS 3.3 MILLION, AS WELL AS URBAN HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION PROGRAMS. WE'RE GOING INTO PHASE TWO IN THIS NEXT COMING YEAR.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR LOW INCOME WEATHERIZATION WILL ALSO COVER
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OUR BUSINESS INCENTIVES OF 1.5 MILLION.ALSO OUR BUSINESS, UH, URBAN HEAT ISLAND FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. AND THE FOURTH IS LEVERAGING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WE MENTIONED THE 3 MILLION.
SO THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU OFF SCRIPT JUST FOR A SECOND.
SO WE ARE APPROACHING OUR REESE FUND, UH, WORK WITH COLLA IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO BE NOT ONLY INTENTIONAL, BUT WORKING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY.
WE WANT TO BE INCLUSIVE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN.
NOW, WE BEGAN OUR F Y 2023 PHYSICAL YEAR, UH, WITH THIS COLLABORATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, WHAT HAPPENED, WE, A THE CITY MANAGER CHALLENGED US TO ACTUALLY GO IN AND LOOK AT WHAT EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING BY WAY OF PROGRAMMING AND PROJECTS, AND TO SEE IF THERE WERE SOME COMMON SERVICES WITHIN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
TOOK THE LEAD AND INVENTORIED OUR DEPARTMENTS IN THOSE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.
AND WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN SOME OF THE SAME SPACE, BUT WE WEREN'T REALLY CONNECTING.
SO COLLABORATION WAS NOT ALWAYS A PART OF OUR PAST STRATEGIES.
SO KNOWING THAT WE TOOK STEPS TO IMPROVE THAT.
SO WITH THIS COLLABORATION, WE'LL WORK IN THE SAME SPACE TO ADVANCE THE WORK.
NOW, I, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A, A METAPHOR FOR A SECOND.
SOME OF YOU HAVE ALWAYS HEARD, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND WE'VE ALL HEARD IT IN BUSINESS.
AND GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT NEWSFLASH, THERE IS NO BOX.
WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU ONE DAY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX? IS THAT ACTUALLY SAYING THAT TOMORROW YOU GO BACK IN THE BOX AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK CRITICALLY ANYMORE, BUT THEN YOU WAIT TO SEE IF SOMEBODY'S GOING TO ASK YOU TO COME OUT OF THE BOX AGAIN? SO NOT AT ALL.
IN FACT, WHAT IT REALLY TELLS US IS THAT THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BOX.
WE'RE GONNA BE APPROACHING OUR COLLABORATION FOR THESE ENDEAVORS THE EXACT SAME WAY.
SO THAT WE'RE, WE ARE REALIZING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE BOX OR OUT OF IT TO THINK CRITICALLY.
THE SAME THING FOR COLLABORATION.
SO OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND WEATHERIZATION, WE WANT TO SHARE SOME THINGS WITH YOU OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO IF YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, YOU SEE URBAN HEAT ISLAND TASK FORCES IN EFFECT.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE YOU SEE OUR C P S WEATHERIZATION.
SO WHEN YOU BRING THAT TOGETHER, YOU GET MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL.
AND THE COLLABORATION THAT WE SHARE IS TACTICAL IN OUR APPROACH, BUT ALWAYS VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE'RE LISTENING TO EACH OTHER AND WE HAVE A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT EACH ONE OF US IS DOING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT AS A RESULT OF THIS, YOU HAVE YOUR SYNERGY AS WELL AS THE EFFICIENCY.
OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND IN OUR C P S WEATHERIZATION PROJECTS.
WE'VE TAKEN NOT ONLY INVENTORY WITHIN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME WE'VE CREATED THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFICIENCY, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE, AS WELL AS BENEFITS, AS WELL AS SYNERGY.
NOW, ALTHOUGH WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THIS, WE JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT COLLABORATION WILL BE A PART OF OUR D N A AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PROJECTS.
SO I'D MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER ABOUT THE, UH, GRANTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO LET'S GO WITH THE VERY FIRST ONE.
FOUR OF THESE PROGRAMS UNDER THE REESE FUND.
THIS FIRST ONE IS $1 MILLION, EXCUSE ME, $1 MILLION OF THE CLIMATE READY COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM.
IN THAT THESE ARE SMALL GRANTS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PROTECT, TO AFFORD PROJECTS THAT ARE MEASURABLE IMPACTS.
ALSO ENSURES CONSISTENCY WITH OUR SA CLIMATE READY.
BOTH MITIGATION, ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY GOALS.
PROJECTS MAY INCLUDE ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITIES, MAYBE MOBILITY AS BARRIERS THAT MIGHT EXIST.
IT COULD EVEN BE WASTE DIVERSIONS.
THE 300,000 IS FOR A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT
[00:30:01]
IS FOR RESILIENCY, TECH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANT PROGRAMMING.THE OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO CREATE A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND DETERMINE THEIR ROLE IN SUPPORTING CAPACITY BUILDING AS WELL AS FOR THESE RESILIENCY HUBS.
SO THIS EFFORT WILL NOT ONLY REQUIRE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, METRO HEALTH, D H S, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, PARKS AND REC AND PLANNING.
THE LAST ONE IN THE RIGHT COLUMN IS OUR GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM OF $125,000 FOR US TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT GRANT, UH, TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IS OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PROGRAM.
NOW THIS GRANT IS NEIGHBORHOOD BASED.
HERE IS WHERE WE FACILITATE AND WORK CLOSELY WITH RESIDENTS AND WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, AND ACTUALLY ASK THEM WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE INSECURITIES.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING FOR RESILIENCE PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON EQUITY INDICATORS AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITY.
THIS ALSO IMPROVEMENTS ARE TO ADDRESS MITIGATION AND RISK AS FOR FLOODING, EXTREME HEAT, AIR QUALITY, MOBILITY, WILDFIRES, AND ALSO FOOD ACCESS.
THIS ONE IS AN ACTUAL AGREEMENT FOR CLIMATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY.
WE WANT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND IT'LL PROVIDE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO CLIMATE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE, SUCH AS GREENHOUSE GAS ACCOUNTING, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT AS WELL.
THIS COULD ALSO ADVANCE THE HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULAR FOR STUDIES AND THEIR PATHWAY FOR SOME OF OUR NEXT GENERATION AT THAT UNIVERSITY.
THE NEXT PROGRAM AREA IS OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND PROGRAM.
THIS $2 MILLION IS FOR PHASE TWO OF OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION PROGRAM.
THIS WILL ALLOW U T SS A TO NOT ONLY FOCUS ON THE RESULTS OF HOTSPOTS BASED ON THE HEAT AND EQUITY ANALYSIS, BUT ALSO THE TREATMENTS INCLUDE COOL PAVEMENT AS WELL AS COOL ROOFS, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, STREET TREES, SHADE STRUCTURES, EVEN MIST COOLERS POSSIBLY, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE WITH.
ALSO EXTENDING OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND CATEGORY IS OUR LOW INCOME WEATHERIZATION.
THERE WE HAVE 1 MILLION HAS BEEN SET ASIDE TO MAKE HOMES READY FOR C P SS ENERGY'S WEATHERIZATION WITH REESE FUNDING.
THIS IS NEEDED FOR OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR AND IT IS DOABLE.
SO FUNDS WILL FOR THIS SETTING, WILL BE UTILIZED TO DIRECT WEATHERIZATION ACTIVITIES AND WILL ALSO ADDRESS HOMES WITH STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AGO, BEN AND I HAD A CONVERSATION AND BEN'S CONVERSATION REALLY MADE A LOT OF SENSE, AND I HAVE TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR THIS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE POINTED TO WAS WHEN WE GO OUT AND WE'RE IN FRONT OF A RESIDENT AND THEY'RE DOING HOME REPAIRS, WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SHARE WITH THEM SOME OTHER FACTS AND SERVICES FOR THE CITY.
FOR INSTANCE, DO THEY HAVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS? WHAT ABOUT FREEZING YOUR TAXES WHEN YOU'RE 65 YEARS YOUNG? WHAT ABOUT THE EQUITY TREE PROGRAM UNDER ONE ROOF? THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE VITA UH, FOR TAXES.
SO THIS WILL NOT ONLY EMPOWER, UH, THE RESIDENTS, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THEM SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE SERVICES FROM OUR CITY.
UNDER THE BUSINESS INCENTIVES, UH, WE HAVE, UH, PART OF THIS IS OUR 1.5 MILLION THAT'S BEEN DESIGNED FOR POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS.
NOW THIS INCLUDES NOT ONLY COOL PAVEMENT FROM THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO
[00:35:01]
EV CHARGING STATIONS, POSSIBLY SOLAR PARKING AND BUILDING AS WELL AS TREE PLANTING.WE WILL BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REWORKS ESSAY, WHICH HAS ALSO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LEVERAGE, UH, SOME OF THEIR SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.
NEXT IS LEVERAGE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE $3 MILLION THAT, AS I POINTED OUT EARLIER IN THE FUND, THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE FOR LEVERAGING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND WE RESERVE THAT AS WELL AS WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW FOR NOTICES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, THOSE NO FOLDS FOR FUTURE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY SEARCHING TO SEE HOW WE CAN FURTHER LEVERAGE SOME OF THIS FUNDING.
I AM ALSO DELIGHTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR MUNICIPAL SOLAR INITIATIVES.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THIS INITIATIVE WAS THERE TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD IN MEETING OUR ZERO NET ENERGY GOAL AND FOR MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS BY 20 20 20 40, WE ACTUALLY HAVE 42 SOLAR PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH AS A PART OF OUR CITY ROOFS AND PARKING GARAGES.
NOW THE NEXT STEPS MEAN THAT WE'LL SELECT THE CONSULTANT AS UNDERWAY.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR A FULL BRIEFING TO SHARE WITH THEM IN SEPTEMBER TO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE THAT CONTRACT TO APPROVE IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, AS EARLY AS EARLY NOVEMBER, UH, RIGHT AFTER OCTOBER.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OTHER ADDITIONAL GRANTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SAN ANTONIO HAS APPLIED FOR THE ENERGY MASTER PLAN FOR SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT.
UH, PART OF THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE 500,000 SET ASIDE FOR A PART OF THE ROADMAP AS WELL AS FOR LOW CARBON AND OTHER RESILIENCY, UH, INITIATIVES THAT THE AIRPORT COULD USE AS THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR ACTUAL MASTER PLAN.
THE SECOND ITEM IS OUR MULTI-FAMILY EV CHARGING STATIONS WHERE WE'LL PROVIDE OWNERS OF MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES TO INSTALL PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE STATIONS FOR THEIR TENANTS.
THE THIRD IS ALSO A LOW INCOME, UH, E-BIKE INCENTIVE PROGRAM OF $245,000.
NEXT STEPS FOR THAT APPLICATION IS DUE BY THE END OF OCTOBER.
SO NEXT IS OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND AND IS A PART OF THAT.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR, UH, SINCE 2011.
THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PURSUE.
AND GOING FROM THERE, UH, I THINK I NEED TO GO BACK.
THAT LAST COLUMN ALMOST SKIPPED THAT ONE IS OUR E P A SOLAR FOR ALL.
THERE IS $7 BILLION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITIVE GRANTS THAT WE WILL BE PURSUING TO FORCE SOLAR POWER IN LOW INCOME AREAS, UH, FOR THOSE HOUSEHOLDS.
SO WE'LL BE, UH, WORKING WITH THAT.
THAT ALSO WILL BE COMING TO YOU THIS PARTICULAR MONTH TO GET AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR THAT.
SO WE WANT TO BE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE IF WE CAN, BACK TO OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND.
THIS PART IS WHAT WAS IMPLEMENTED SINCE 2011 AND AS A PART OF THAT FUND, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE SAVINGS.
SO I WANT TO KIND OF SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SINCE THEN.
THAT BOX ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THAT PARTICULAR BOX SHARES WITH YOU WHAT WE'RE TARGETING TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN HERE IN THIS PHYSICAL YEAR 2024.
SO PART OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND PROGRAM, WE'VE COMPLETED OVER 400 PROJECTS WITHIN 190, UH, MUNICIPAL FACILITIES.
OUR PROJECT COST WAS 10.73 MILLION.
AND ANNUAL BENEFITS FOR THE AVOIDED COST WAS 1.69 MILLION.
ALSO ONE TIME, UH, REBATE WE RECEIVED FROM C P S ENERGY WAS 3.1 MILLION AND WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A SIMPLE PAYBACK OF FOUR AND A HALF YEARS
[00:40:01]
ON THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT.WE'RE IN FAVORABLE, UH, ABILITIES TO MOVE FORWARD.
I WON'T READ THE ONES ON THE RIGHT, BUT THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS OR AVOIDED COSTS WOULD BE FOR THIS YEAR OF 1.65 MILLION MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
BOTH HOMER GARCIA AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND PART OF THE TEAM WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S COLLABORATED.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN JUST STAY THERE.
I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU DAVID.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALSO HOMER FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, REALLY MORE OF A, I THINK, SO THE REESE FUND IS BRAND NEW FOR THIS YEAR.
IT WILL BE AN ONGOING, UH, STEADY SOURCE OF REVENUE NOW.
UH, AND IT IS GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON RESILIENCY AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, I GUESS MORE OF A, A, A PHILOSOPHY OF HOW WE USE THESE FUNDS, WHICH IS SORT OF THE WAY YOU'VE ROLLED IT OUT IS, UH, THE ABILITY FOR US TO BE FLEXIBLE AND TEST OUT TECHNOLOGIES AND PARTICIPATE IN PILOTS THAT COULD BE LEVERAGED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS TO TEACH US HOW TO DO THINGS, UM, MORE RE TO BUILD AND PROGRAM IN A MORE RESILIENT MANNER THAT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
IS THAT, IS THAT GENERALLY A STATEMENT YOU WOULD AGREE WITH? YES, SIR.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR US THEN.
AND I, I LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING HERE AND I WOULD, UH, CONTINUE.
ERIC AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, UM, COMING TO COUNCIL REGULARLY WITH UPDATES.
'CAUSE THESE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, ONGOING PROJECTS THAT HAVE DATA POINTS COMING IN ALMOST CONSTANTLY.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO VIEW IT THIS WAY, UH, ONCE WE GET OR PARTICIPATE IN A PILOT THAT'S GONE VERY WELL, SUCH AS, UH, THE COOL PAVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH I'D LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN A PILOT PHASE, WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE THAT INTO THE REST OF THE CITY BUSINESS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, THE REESE FUND IS ONLY ONE PORTION OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, IF THE COOL PILOT PAVEMENT SUCCEEDS IN ITS PILOT, UH, PHASE, I'D LIKE TO SEE IN A SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT CITYWIDE SO THAT THE REESE FUND IS NOT A PLACE WHERE WE PAR PARK AND PERMANENTLY ALL OR APPROPRIATE DOLLARS FOR A PROGRAM, BUT IT'S A PLACE WHERE WE CAN TEST OUT TECHNOLOGIES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO A PLACE THAT WE TEST INNOVATION AND, AND IMPLEMENT IT IN THE REST OF THE PROGRAM.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE, ERIC? IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH AB ABSOLUTELY.
AMERICAN, TO YOUR POINT, WE HAVE A $116 MILLION IN STREET MAINTENANCE NEXT YEAR.
SO ONCE WE START SEEING THE EFFECTS, HOW DO WE, I THINK YOUR POINT IS HOW DO WE START TO EN ENVELOPE THAT INTO WHAT WE DO? AND, AND I DON'T THINK, I, I THINK IT'LL HELP US ALSO SELECT WHAT WE ENGAGE WITH, WITH THE REESE FUND.
AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE'RE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO LEVERAGE THE REESE FUND AGAINST SOME OF THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS. SO, SPECIFIC TO THAT, UM, DAVID, WE, WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD YESTERDAY AND THERE WAS SOME, UH, REMARKS ABOUT THE COOL PAYMENT PROGRAM THAT I THOUGHT WERE A LITTLE BIT OFF.
BUT COULD YOU TELL US GENERALLY HOW THAT WAS, HOW THAT'S GOING? SO IT'S GOING WELL NOW THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALL 10 LOCATIONS FOR THE PILOT IN EACH OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
U T S A IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT EACH OF THE LOCATIONS.
THEY'RE DOUBLE CHECKING SOME OF THE MEASUREMENTS OF HEAT.
IN FACT, THEIR RESULTS SHOULD BE READY BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT WHAT THOSE RESULTS LOOK LIKE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS GOOD FOR US IS THAT AS WE DEFINE, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S PART OF THE COATING OF THE STREET, THEY HAVE TO TEST THE REFLECTIVITY THERE.
SO FROM THE GROUND UP, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT THAT HEAT BOUNCES BACK.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TEST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN A NORMAL PAVEMENT CONDITIONS VERSUS THIS COATING FOR THIS COOL PAVEMENT.
AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE FEEL HEAT FROM THE GROUND AND DEPENDING ON WHERE, IF YOU'RE, WHERE YOU'RE WALKING, YOU FEEL IT BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SO THAT'S HOW THEY WILL APPROACH IT.
AND ALL THESE INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT WE'RE COMING UP WITH, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TEST, UH, THAT TO SEE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE VERY SCIENTIFIC WHEN IT COMES BACK AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO MORE LIKELY A B SESSION.
AND MAYOR, JUST SO THAT, UH, RAZZY DOESN'T, UM, UM, GET UNCOMFORTABLE BACK THERE, WE'RE ALSO TESTING THE DURABILITY AND THE IMPACT ON THE ROAD AND THE ASPHALT.
YOU KNOW, DOES IT AFFECT DRIVING CONDITIONS AND IN RAIN AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THAT'S ALSO PART OF THAT ANALYSIS.
UM, NOT A QUESTION, BUT SOMETHING I WANTED TO PUT ON YOUR RADAR.
AND I THINK I MENTIONED THIS TO YOU, ERIC.
[00:45:01]
CONVERSATION, ARPA INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS, UH, THE SIMILAR APPROACH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN PUT INNOVATION INTO HOW WE DO BUSINESS WITH ROTE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK.UH, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION FROM A COMPANY THAT'S TESTING OR THAT'S PRODUCED, UH, SELF-HEALING PAVEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THIS BEFORE, BUT BASICALLY IT'S A TYPE OF CONCRETE THAT AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, IF IT HAS A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING, IT BEGINS TO CURE ITSELF.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN MAYBE TEST A PILOT OF THAT SOMEWHERE.
ERIC, I CAN GET THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE POTHOLES FIXED THEMSELVES, THAT WOULD BE A REMARKABLE QUANTUM LEAP FORWARD.
WE'LL, WE'LL SPEND $116 MILLION ON THAT, UH, REAL QUICK.
BUT IF WE CAN ROLL THAT INTO THE REESE PROGRAM, UH, SOMEHOW, AND JUST TEST THAT OUT IF IT WORKS HERE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS FOR YOU, HOMER.
UM, GLAD TO SEE THE NEW TREE PROGRAM, UH, COMING OUT.
THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A OF BIG IMPORTANCE.
I, MY HOPE IS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE CANOPY, UM, AGGREGATE CANOPY IN SAN ANTONIO BEGIN TO GAIN TRACTION RATHER THAN LOSE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE A GROWING COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING AND THERE'S GONNA BE LOSS OF CANOPY, BUT WE SHOULD TRY TO MEET A MEASURE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY INCREASING CANOPY OVER TIME.
IS THAT, SO IS THAT REALISTIC FOR A CITY LIKE OURS? THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE, THE SAME, THE SAME HOPE.
UM, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WE'RE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW, AND A BIG PART OF MY SPEAKING POINT WAS CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO TREES.
UM, WITH THAT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT GRANULAR POINT, ONE POINT, UM, SEVEN, LITTLE OVER $1.7 MILLION TO RESIDENTIAL TREES ALONE.
WE'RE ESTIMATING AT, UH, MORE THAN 2300 TREES NOW, ONCE YOU GET OUTSIDE OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THOSE GREEN SPACES COME CRITICAL AND REALLY FORWARD THINKING THROUGH DESIGN.
AND SO THAT WAS AT THE END OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE THERE.
A BOND PROJECT IS THE BIGGEST WAY TO DRIVE A LOT OF THIS FORWARD.
UH, AND IT IS VERY MUCH, UM, WHILE AGAIN, PARK ACCESS URBAN CANOPY IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S THE SCALE UP OF THE POSITIONS.
SO OF THE FOUR POSITIONS, ONE OF THEM'S A, A DIVISION MANAGER THAT'S NEW WHO'S GONNA FOCUS SOLELY AND WHOLLY ON INCREASING NOT ONLY THE NUMBER OF, OF TREES IN OUR, UM, URBAN FOREST, BUT ALSO THE MAINTENANCE, THE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, THE SUSTAINABILITY FACTOR.
THIS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, AND SINCE IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, I I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT IT.
BUT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE KINDS OF TREES THAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING TO BE PLANTED TO CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO, UH, TREES, I HOPE THAT WE'RE ALSO, UH, TRYING TO, UH, PUSH A LOT MORE OF THE FRUIT BEARING TREES, UH, TO BE PLANTED IN OUR CITY.
UH, THERE'S, UH, WORK GOING ON IN THE EASEMENTS OF SOME OF OUR PARKS TO CREATE URBAN FORESTS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PRODUCE.
UH, AND SO WE SHOULD TRY TO DO THAT AND INCENT THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS WELL.
WE'RE PLUGGED IN AND ACTUALLY THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL'S BEEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION INFORMING, UM, WHAT COMES OUT OF IT, POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE GREEN SPACE AND ACTIVATION OF CITY LOTS TOO.
UH, I WAS HAPPY THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE HIGHLIGHTED THE ACQUISITION OF, UH, NEW CONSERVATION EASEMENTS TODAY.
UM, I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
THANK YOU FOR BRIEFING THE, THE BOARD, BEN, I GUESS THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD ON THE NEW FUNDING MECHANISM.
UH, SOME FOLKS WEREN'T HERE WHEN WE CREATED THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR AND SOMEBODY CAN OBJECT TO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IF THEY DISAGREE.
BUT THE, THE STRENGTH OF US GOING TO A DECADE LONG COMMITMENT THROUGH A NEW SOURCE OF FUNDS IS THAT IT'S FLEXIBLE AND ALLOWS US TO ACT, UM, QUICKLY IF NECESSARY.
SO, UH, WHILE WE HAVE COMMITTED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OVER 10 YEARS, THE SPEED AT WHICH WE, UH, ALLOCATE THOSE RESOURCES AND, AND DEBT FINANCE, THESE POTENTIAL ACQUISITIONS CAN CHANGE.
UH, SO WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT IF THERE ARE MAJOR ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE, UH, IMPORTANT FOR CONSERVATION, WE ARE NOTING THAT THIS NEW, UH, FUNDING MECHANISM GIVES US THAT NEW FLEXIBILITY THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE WHEN WE WERE PAYING AS WE GO.
AND, AND, UH, TO ACCENTUATE THAT POINT WITH THE ISSUANCE, THE FIRST ISSUANCE, UM, UH, WE, WE ISSUED $30 MILLION.
AND SO KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED SOME FLEXIBILITY, THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION I THINK THAT HOMER AND BEN HAD WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE CAB LAST WEEK.
WE WANT TO BUILD IN THAT FLEXIBILITY.
IF THERE'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, THEN WE PULLED THOSE LEVERS.
IT'S, UH, IT'S, UH, THE DEAD INSTRUMENT THAT WE'RE USING GIVES US, GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY.
[00:50:01]
AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEING, IT'S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT UNTIL LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE CHANGES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO USE OUR OWN MECHANISMS THROUGH, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH LANDOWNERS, EITHER THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR FREE SIMPLE PURCHASE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR AQUIFER, WHICH IS THE EXISTENTIAL ISSUE, UH, FOR THIS COMMUNITY.SO, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE INTENDING TO DO.
THE OTHER THING IS WE DID MAKE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR 10 YEAR COMMITMENT.
UM, THE HOPE IS THAT IN 10 YEARS OR WHENEVER THAT FUND IS EXHAUSTED, THE COUNCIL WILL STILL SEE THIS AS A PRIORITY, WILL AUTHORIZE AN ADDITIONAL TRANCHE OF FUNDS.
SO ANYBODY UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM SOMEHOW ENDED WITH THE SALES TAX OR IS SOMEHOW ENDING IN 10 YEARS AFTER THAT, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
THE INTENT IS THAT WE'VE MADE A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THE PROTECTION OF THE AQUIFER THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE HIGHLIGHTED.
AND THAT IS THE, THE PACE THAT WILL GO ALONG, UH, IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
ON THAT NOTE, UH, WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR? 'CAUSE I'VE GOTTEN QUESTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT IS, UH, CREATED THROUGH ORDINANCE, AND SO THAT'S NOT AS IRONCLAD AS A STATUTE, BUT WE PUT PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE SO THAT IF FUTURE COUNCILS CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT SOMETHING, THERE'S GONNA BE QUITE A LOT OF PUBLIC DELIBERATION THAT IS REQUIRED BEFORE ANY OF THAT COULD CHANGE.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR DESIRE AS A COMMUNITY TO PROTECT THE AQUIFER IS GONNA CHANGE, BUT THERE ARE PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE INTENT OF THE COUNCIL WHEN THAT WAS CREATED.
UM, LAST THING, HOMER, THE GREENWAY TRAILS, THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S ONLY 20 MI 20 MILES LEFT ON THE ORIGINAL VISION.
DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT? THAT IS ACCURATE, YES.
NO, THAT'S APPROXIMATE BECAUSE ALIGNMENTS AREN'T DONE, BUT WE PUT OUR BEST EYE TO IT AND YES, ESTIMATED AT 20 MILES.
UM, SO SIMILAR TO THE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE O AQUA PROTECTION PROGRAM, I VIEW THIS AS A PROGRAM THAT ALSO WILL NEVER END AND THAT MIGHT ALARM PEOPLE.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WHEN WE BUILT 1604, THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT HASN'T ENDED.
UM, THE LINEAR CREEKWAY TRAILS PROGRAM, ON THE OTHER HAND IS GREEN SPACE.
WE CAN ENJOY IT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IT'S ALSO MOBILITY FOR OUR CITY.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT COMPLETING THE RING, UH, WE SHOULD ALSO START THINKING ABOUT ARE THERE PIECES OF PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY THAT CAN BE ACQUIRED FOR TRAIL USE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CONNECT THE TRAILS TO NEIGHBORHOODS, TO COMMERCIAL CENTERS, TO RECREATIONAL CENTERS.
THAT THE GREENWAY TRAILS HAS BECOME MOBILITY AND RECREATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT WILL, WE CAN TAKE AN EVEN LARGER STEP FORWARD ON THAT ABILITY IF WE START CONNECTING 'EM TO POPULATION CENTERS, TO NODES.
UH, SO ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION AS A CITY RESIDES IN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, I WOULD JUST, UH, ASK THAT GOING FORWARD, THE GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM, WE START THINKING ABOUT THAT AS NOT JUST, SORRY, HOMER, YOUR DOMAIN, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT, IT IS SO ACTIVE AND IMPORTANT FOR, FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT ARE RELEVANT TO DELIVERING SERVICES TO THE CITY.
WE'LL GO, UM, TO CONVERSATION NOW WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDE.
UM, I, JUST TO PICK UP ON THAT, I'M, UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT EITHER THE 20 MILES.
WE'VE BEEN ALL KIND OF SEEING IT HAPPENING FOR SO LONG TO KNOW THAT IT'S, UM, ALMOST CONNECTING IS REALLY EXCITING.
UH, BUT THANKS TO HOMER OF COURSE, AND DAVID, FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, HOMER.
PARKS CONSISTENTLY RANKS AS ONE OF THE TOP CONSTITUENT PRIORITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'RE ALL REALLY PROUD OF OUR CITY'S GREEN SPACES, OUR PARKS AND GREENWAYS PROUD OF HOW WE, HOW WE PRIORITIZE, KEEPING THOSE SPACES CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE A STRONG PARKS CULTURE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WITH THIS BUDGET, UM, IT REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY'S DESIRE TO INCREASE OUR GREEN SPACES AND ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT COME WITH THEM.
WE'RE ADDING POSITIONS TO SUPPORT OUR NEW PARKS AND SPORTS CENTERS.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF, UM, MEETINGS IN, IN, IN MY AREA ABOUT, UH, UPCOMING PARKS.
AND, UM, THEY SOMETIMES GET A LITTLE HEATED, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S JUST SHOWS A PASSION ABOUT, UM, PARKS THAT WE HAVE.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT, NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT, BUT IN, OF COURSE OUR, IN OUR CITY.
THE ADDITION OF SHADE STRUCTURES, AS WE KNOW, IS NOT A LUXURY IN THIS, IN THIS CITY.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE, UH, NECESSITY IN OUR, IN OUR CLIMATE.
AND NEITHER IS THE PROTECTION OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, OUR CITY'S MAIN WATER SOURCE.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE EXPANSION OF THE GREENWAY TRAIL.
UM, THIS HAS BECOME SUCH A, A GEM TO OUR CITY.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT JUST, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT'S, IT'S RECREATION AND FUN, BUT IT'S TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S, UH, IT'S ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF, IT'S, UH, FOR A LOT OF US, UH, ESPECIALLY
[00:55:01]
OVER THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS MENTAL HEALTH.SO, UM, IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S SO MA IT'S SO MANY THINGS TO SO MANY PEOPLE, OUR PARKS COMMUNITIES, AND IT'S AN ASSET AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA BE ABLE TO ENJOY, UM, THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL ENJOY, OUR SENIORS WILL ENJOY, AND EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND, UH, AND I WELL, THAT'S IT.
I JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
NO HARD QUESTIONS FOR YOU TODAY.
YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR HARD QUESTION COMES, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND I KNOW THAT YOU HANDLED THOSE WELL, SO I APPRECIATE YOU, APPRECIATE IT.
AND THEN, UM, DAVID, I I JUST, I I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT I THINK IT'S INTERESTING HOW RESILIENCE AND RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY HAD BECOME, UH, STAPLES IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ON COUNCIL.
I THINK WHEN I FIRST STARTED IT WAS, UM, I GUESS NOW FOUR YEARS AGO, THEY, THEY WEREN'T EXACTLY, WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT.
SO, BUT THEY, I THINK WE DON'T JUST HAVE THESE PRESENTATIONS ONCE A YEAR.
WE HEAR ABOUT RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UM, AND OUR COMMUNITY ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND SO I'M THANKFUL THAT, THAT EVERYTHING WE DO HAS, UM, A TINGE OF, OF SUSTAINABILITY IN IT.
AND, AND THAT'S A, A LOT OF THAT THANKS TO, TO YOUR WORK THIS, EVEN THIS MORNING'S DISCUSSION REGARDING HEAT AND SAFETY AND WATER BREAKS FOR WORKERS WAS ABOUT RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN SOME WAYS.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE ON THE IDEA THAT RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE BASIC CONCEPTS AS WE PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE.
MY ONE QUESTION, UH, IS JUST ABOUT TRACKING THE IMPACT OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, OR HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS? SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'LL BE MEASURING SUCCESS.
'CAUSE IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE INNOVATION THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TRACKING.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND AS IT RELATES TO THAT COOL PAVEMENT IS WE'LL BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY SEE IF THAT GOES FURTHER THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND ACTUALLY FIND OUT FROM THAT SCIENTIFIC STUDY THAT U T S A IS DOING TO SEE IF WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD THERE OR NOT.
BUT WE HAVE TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THE SCIENTIFIC PART TO THAT.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE MIGHT NOT BE THAT AREA THAT YOU CAN STILL INVEST IN AND THAT IT IS FAVORABLE, BUT THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO STOP AND LOOK AT WHAT IS THE COST FOR BEING ABLE TO DO THAT AND BE MINDFUL THAT, UH, CERTAIN INVESTMENTS ARE WORTH IT.
BUT WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO TRACK IT AND CONTINUE TO KEEP IT.
UM, RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY GO BEYOND THE PARAMETERS OF, OF ONE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND, UM, AND RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
GO THROUGH, REALLY TOUCH EVERY PART OF OUR CITY STRUCTURE.
I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, HOMER, WHEN I SAY THAT YOU GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU GET THE TOUGH QUESTIONS, IT'S NEVER AGAINST YOU.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY WANT MORE AND MORE AND MORE, RIGHT? I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET BEAT UP TOO BAD IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY JUST WANT MORE, UH, AMENITIES AND, AND, AND THEY DESERVE 'EM.
SO I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOUR WORK.
COUNCILMAN RADER, CAN I SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF IS ALSO MITIGATING BEING ABLE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT.
IT MIGHT NOT COMPLETELY GO AWAY MM-HMM.
SO THOSE ARE POSSIBLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS HEAR DOUG AND HIS TEAM TALK ABOUT IS THE SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCY, BUT ALSO TO MITIGATE, UH, THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO IT'S THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO WEIGH IN AS WELL.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT MITIGATION IS WHERE WE MAKE THE MOST, UH, CHANGE.
WE MAKE THE MOST, WE WE, THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE CAN MAKE THE, THE BIGGEST IMPACT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UM, LET ME, UH, MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTO.
UH, QUICK QUESTION ABOUT PARKS.
UM, I DO WANNA ECHO COUNCIL MVE, ADA'S COMMENTS.
THERE IS A LOT OF PASSION AROUND OUR PARKS BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES THERE WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, WHERE PEOPLE HEAL, WHERE THEY WORSHIP, WHERE THEY DE-STRESS.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS PASSION IS COMING FROM A GOOD PLACE,
DO WE KNOW WHICH PARKS ARE UTILIZED THE MOST BY OUR RESIDENTS? NOT IN TERMS OF A ACCOUNT, BUT JUST A, A GUESS, YOU KNOW, RANKING OF WHICH PARKS ARE UTILIZED THE MOST ON A DAILY BASIS? YES MA'AM.
SO IF WE THINK ABOUT, UM, MCALLISTER PARK, SOUTH SIDE LIONS PARK, UM, IN THE CASE OF SOUTH SIDE LIONS, THEY ALSO HAVE A POOL THERE, WOOD ON LAKE PARK.
UH, ACTUALLY PARK CURFEW IS TILL 11:00 PM AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY A DECADE AGO, THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED THAT AT MIDNIGHT.
SO THAT EXTENDS A LITTLE BIT MORE USE THERE FOR THE WALKING LOOP.
SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE DRIVEN BY, I THINK, LOCATION, THE SIZE
[01:00:01]
AND THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.BUT THAT GIVES YOU SOME ROUGH IDEAS OF, UH, APART FROM THE TROLL SYSTEM OF COURSE.
AND I WAS ASKING, 'CAUSE YEAH, I WOULD BET MONEY THAT WOODLAWN LAKE IS ONE OF THE MOST UTILIZED PARKS, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS.
I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS RUNNING AROUND WITH ON LAKE THIS MORNING AT SIX IN THE MORNING AND THE LAKE, UM, I MEAN, IT SMELLS HORRIBLE AND IT'S FULL OF TRASH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HEARD THIS BEFORE.
WE DO RECEIVE COMMENTS DAILY, WHETHER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA ON OUR COUNCIL, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL PAGE OR EMAILS.
UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK WE WERE EMAILED A PICTURE OF THE BIG SWAN AT WOODLAND LAKE WANDA, THAT, THAT'S HER NICKNAME.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND SHE WAS SWIMMING AND SHE WAS SURROUNDED BY TRASH.
AND THIS IS DISTURBING AND UPSETTING TO, TO MANY RESIDENTS.
SO IS THE WATER IN WOODLAWN LAKE UNDER THE PURVIEW OF PARKS AND REC, OR IS IT SOMEONE ELSE? THE, WELL, I MEAN, I, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF LAYERS OF JURISDICTION.
SO WE WORK WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY.
SO THEY HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THAT.
THEY DO WATER QUALITY TESTING FOR THEIR OWN PURPOSES.
UM, AND SO IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FROM A CLEANUP PERSPECTIVE, CLEANING THE BANKS, SOMETIMES INVASIVES LIKE CATTAILS I KNOW HAVE COME UP THERE IN THE PAST THAT IS, UH, ON THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UH, I'M, I'VE MADE A MENTAL NOTE.
WE DO HAVE A WATERWAYS CREW THAT GOES OUT AND SERVICES OUR VARIOUS BODIES OF WATER.
UH, I KNOW WOODLAWN LAKE IS, UH, ON THERE REGULARLY.
AND IF YOU EVER RECEIVE A, UH, COMMENT ABOUT NEED, PLEASE SEND IT TO ME.
YEAH, WE DO RECEIVE THOSE, UM, FREQUENTLY.
'CAUSE WHETHER IT'S A SOFA IN THE LAKE OR YOU KNOW, JUST THIS HORRIBLE SMELL OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I MEAN, PEOPLE GROCERY CARTS WE SEE, WE SEE ALL OF IT DAILY.
AND, AND AGAIN, I DO THINK IT'S UP UPSETTING TO SO MANY RESIDENTS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO THE PARK TO DE-STRESS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE MET WITH SEEING WHATEVER ANIMALS HURT OR JUST SWIMMING IN THAT, THAT TRASH.
SO, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL AND, AND, UM, SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO COLLECTIVELY TO ADDRESS THE WATER CONDITION AT THE LAKE.
UM, I DID HAVE A, A COUPLE OF, OH, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY ON THAT NOTE AT THIS, THIS PAST WEEKEND, WE HAD A COFFEE WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN AND, UH, ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS WAS, IS HELPING HOST A BIG SAILING EVENT ON OCTOBER 7TH.
I MEAN, THEY'RE PRETTY PRICEY.
UM, AND SO HE'S HAVING, THEY'RE HAVING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE US AND EVEN THE WORLDS COME TO SAIL, UM, TO DO THEIR SAILING BOATS AT WOODLAWN LAKE.
AND WHEN I FIRST HEARD THIS, I WAS A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED 'CAUSE I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR PARK'S GONNA BE READY TO ACCEPT ALL THESE VISITORS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR RESIDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WE'LL WANNA COORDINATE WITH YOU ALL SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE THE PARK IN A DECENT CONDITION, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE, THE VISITORS COMING IN THAT DAY.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP, UM, PUT SOME PARAMETERS IN PLACE.
I'M NOT AWARE OF A REQUEST FOR A SAILING EVENT, BUT THAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL EVENT.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T OVERRUN THE PARK AND THERE'S STILL ACCESSIBILITY.
AND THEN ALSO I DO SIT, UM, ON THE M P O BOARD THAT IS CHAIRED BY COUNCILWOMAN CAVEO HDA.
THIS PAST AND THIS PAST MEETING, WE HAD A GREAT UPDATE REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT'S BIKE, NET BIKE NETWORK PLAN.
WE'RE ALL EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO WANNA ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, BIKE PATHS AS A PRIORITY NEAR OUR PARKS.
'CAUSE YOU, WE ALL KNOW, LIKE WOOD LONG LAKE IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A GIANT CIRCLE AND LITERALLY THERE'S ONLY A BIKE PATH ON LIKE 40% OF IT.
SO IT, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND SO I DO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT SO THAT WAY WE PRIORITIZE THE BIKE, UM, OUR BIKE FACILITIES AND OUR BIKE PATHS NEAR OUR PARKS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING MOST PEOPLE GO.
UM, I DO WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO PARKS ABOUT STAYING ON TOP OF TRENDS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, OB SCHNABEL'S GONNA GET SOME CYCLING GEAR, UM, AND ALSO TOO WITH, WITH THE EXPANSION OF CRICKET COURTS STUFF.
AND SO, UM, I THINK Y'ALL DO A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
ON SLIDE SIX, I HAD A QUESTION.
I SAW THAT THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO PARAMETER FENCING, I THOUGHT THE ZOO HAS ITS OWN FUNDING STRUCTURE.
THE ZOO, UH, MAINTAINS THEIR LEASE PREMISES.
SO THE REVENUES THEY GENERATE FROM VISITORS TO THE ZOO, UH, THEY KEEP TO OFFSET OPERATIONS.
OF COURSE, THEY HAVE, UM, A LOT GOING ON AT THE ZOO MM-HMM.
AND THEY DID SUBMIT A REQUEST.
UH, AND, UH, REALLY THE, THE REQUEST WAS ABOUT FENCING FOR THE PERIMETER.
WE FOCUSED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS GONNA BE, UH, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE INTERIOR FACING SIDE OF THE PARK MM-HMM.
[01:05:01]
AS YOU WALK, UH, UP TOWARDS THE PUMP HOUSE, ALL OF THAT.THAT'S THE OLD FENCING FROM I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG.
AND SO IT'S FOCUSED ON THE PARK INTERIOR BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHILE YES, THERE'S A NEED TO, UH, IMPROVE THAT FACING THE PARK, REALLY IMPROVES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY FOR ANYONE COMING TO THE ZOO, BUT REALLY FOR BRECKENRIDGE PARK.
AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE, THE RECOMMENDATION.
YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS JUST SURPRISED 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S WHAT, 1.1 0.25 MILLION, TWO 5 MILLION.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, WE COULD DO A LOT WITH THAT AND OUR OTHER PARKS, BUT IF THAT'S THE AGREEMENT THAT Y'ALL HAD, I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
ON, UM, SLIDE SEVEN ON THE SHADE STRUCTURES.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UM, GIVE KUDOS TO YOU ALL FOR THE DILIGENCE IN ENSURING OUR PARK FACILITIES ARE ABLE TO BE USED IN THIS HEAT.
UM, THIS, THIS IS A HUGE PRIORITY FOR A LOT OF RESIDENTS, AND SO IT'S A WELCOMED ONE.
UH, IT, IT IS SAD TO SEE OUR BEAUTIFUL PARKS NOT BEING USED DURING THE DAY BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO HOT AND THE LITTLE KIDS WILL BURN THEIR HANDS ON THE PLAYGROUND.
SO THANKS FOR THAT ON, UM, SLIDE EIGHT WITH THE TREES.
UM, I, SO PRIOR TO ME JOINING COUNCIL, UH, WHEN I WAS ON THE WOODLAWN LAKE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE GONNA GET SOME TREES, BUT WE NEVER GOT THEM FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
AND THEN ONE DAY WE'RE SURPRISED TO SEE NEW TREES, BUT WE STILL NEED A LOT MORE.
SO HOW ARE Y'ALL WORKING WITH DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR PARKS GROUPS TO DIVVY OUT THOSE TREES? SO, UM, SPECIFIC TO WOODLAWN LAKE PARK, THERE IS A TREE PLANTING PLAN.
AND, UH, THE MOST RECENT SET OF TREES YOU NOTICE ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBSTANTIAL MM-HMM.
UM, WHEN WE GET INTO COMMUNITIES, UH, WE HAVE SOME THAT WILL MAKE A REQUEST AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AN H O A, UM, OR WE, THERE WAS A, MAYBE A SAW PROJECT AND THERE WAS NOT A PART OF THE REPLANTING MM-HMM.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT, UM, COMMUNITIES TO, UM, TREES EFFECTIVELY.
SOMETIMES, UM, IT'S, THEY JUST WANT A, UH, SOME AS PART OF A, THEIR OWN GIVEAWAY EVENT.
SO IT OCCURS IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS.
UM, PART OF THE ADOPTED, OR EXCUSE ME, THE PROPOSED BUDGET MM-HMM.
SO IT IS TO BUILD THOSE NETWORKS.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE BUILT A DIVISION SOLELY AROUND OUR URBAN TREE CANOPY MM-HMM.
THE BIGGEST THING WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, IT IS THROUGH OUR RESIDENTIAL TREE PROGRAM.
SECONDARY, IT'S, I THINK GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE TO SOME OF THE MORE AREAS OF TOWN OR COMMUNITIES THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
BUT NOW WE'LL HAVE A POSITION TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRONOUNCED AND, UM, MAYBE AND, AND JUST MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO CONNECT TO THE RESOURCE.
AL ALSO, TOO, JUST ANOTHER GENERAL QUESTION.
HOW DOES, HOW DOES Y'ALL'S DEPARTMENT DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY EACH PARK GETS? SO OUR, OUR BUDGET IS NOT SET UP BY PARK LOCATION.
IT IS DRIVEN BY WHERE OUR ASSETS ARE.
SO, BY NATURE OF NEEDING TO MOW THE GREEN SPACE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PARKS IN A DISTRICT OR ACREAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MM-HMM.
SO IT'S REALLY SET UP MORE IN THAT FASHION, NOT A PER PARK OR A PER DISTRICT, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THE RESOURCES THROUGH OUR SERVICE CONTRACTS ARE GOING WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE OUR SECOND, REALLY OUR SECOND BIGGEST, UM, SERVICE CONTRACT JANITORIAL.
AND SO THAT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR CENTERS.
SO YOU KIND OF GO DOWN THE LIST THERE.
BUT THAT ESTABLISHES THE FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, LASTLY, WE'VE GOT CREWS IN PARKS EVERY DAY.
AGAIN, BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE PARK MM-HMM.
I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING UP ON TIME, BUT WE'LL, I'LL DEFINITELY WANNA FOLLOW UP SO WE CAN GET SOME MORE DETAILS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTE, VETO COUNCILS MEMBER CASTILLO.
AND THANK YOU DAVID AND HOMER FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, IT'S REALLY TO SEE, EXCITING TO SEE, UH, THE INVESTMENT MADE BEING MADE INTO PARKS.
A FEW WEEKS AGO WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE GRAND REOPENING OF ROOSEVELT PARK POOL, AND THAT WAS AMAZING AND SO MUCH FUN.
AND SINCE THEN I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN SOME OF THE PARKS PROGRAMMING FOR, I THINK IT'S LIKE THE HIT SWIM CLASS, WHICH IS VERY INTENSE
AND, AND I WILL SAY, UM, I, IN ATTENDANCE THERE WAS A LINE OF INDIVIDUALS WAITING TO GET ON THE BOARDS.
SO IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE THAT, UH, THERE WERE SO MANY FOLKS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, UH, THAT WE WOULD ROTATE.
AND THAT ALSO GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, TAKE A BREAK
[01:10:01]
I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THE INVESTMENT BEING MADE INTO PARKS ALL ACROSS THE CITY TO PROVIDE A CANOPY.
UM, WE KNOW IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET HOTTER AND WITH SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT, IT'S REALLY HOT TO TOUCH.
UM, SO GRATEFUL TO SEE, UM, ALL THAT INVESTMENT THERE.
ONE THING THAT I'M EXCITED TO, TO SEE WITHIN THIS BUDGET IS THE FUNDING FOR THE GREEN SPACE ACTIVATION.
UM, FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS I'VE BEEN CITING THIS, UH, UNIVERSITY OF PHILADELPHIA STUDY THAT HAS FOUND THAT, UM, WHEN CITIES ACTIVATE, UH, VACANT LOTS, THEY SEE A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN NOT ONLY THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME, BUT ACTUAL CRIME.
SO THE POLICE REPORTS IN, IN PHILADELPHIA FOUND THAT WITH THE ACTIVATION OF LOTS WITHIN A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THEY RECEIVED A 29% REDUCTION IN GUN VIOLENCE NEAR THESE VACANT LOTS AS WELL AS A 22% IN BURGLARIES AND 30% IN REDUCTION IN NUISANCE.
AND AS A COUNCIL, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE NUISANCE THAT THESE VACANT PROPERTIES CAUSE.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STEP, UH, ULTIMATELY RIGHT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US INCREASE THAT BUCKET OF FUNDING TO ACTIVATE MORE LOTS.
UM, BUT THROUGH THE DISCUSSION, I WOULD LIKE FOR OUR COUNCIL OFFICES TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SECTION OF THOSE LOTS.
'CAUSE I THINK OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAMS KNOW, WHICH LOTS WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF CALLS ABOUT.
AND OUR DISTRICT FIVE TEAM HAS A WHOLE LIST OF, OF LOTS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE COUNTY, AND THEN THOSE THAT ARE, UH, HAVE BACK TAXES.
SO IF WE CAN HAVE SOME INPUT ON WHAT THOSE VACANT LOTS BEING SELECTED, UH, ARE, I THINK THAT'D BE, UH, MOST IMPACTFUL.
SO, UH, AGAIN, GRATEFUL FOR THE VACANT LOT ACTIVATION.
UM, YESTERDAY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE WERE, I BELIEVE OVER 70 FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL.
AND I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON SOME PIECES OF, OF ENSURING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING THE WORK OF ALLOWING CONSTITUENTS TO PICK UP TREES AND THEN POTENTIALLY ACTIVATING THOSE LOTS TO, TO PLANT TREES.
AND AS A ME MENTIONED, RIGHT, TREES THAT, UM, GROW FOOD.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE ABLE TO TACKLE TWO THINGS POTENTIALLY WHERE THERE'S FOOD DESERTS AS WELL.
UM, SO SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL.
UH, AND A PART OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL IN THAT BOOKLET THAT THEY PROVIDED TO US IS EXPANDING OUR COMMUNITY TOOL SHED WITH ADDITIONAL TOOLS.
AND I KNOW THAT FALLS UNDER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TACKLE TWO KEY PIECES, UH, A, A AGAIN, RIGHT.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE PARKS IMPROVEMENTS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MAY FALL UNDER PUBLIC WORKS, BUT I SEE THE IMPACT OF THE I M P AND THAT HOW THAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR PARKS, RIGHT? WHETHER THAT'S RESURFACING A PARKS PARKING LOT, UH, FIXING UP RESTROOMS. THAT BUCKET OF FUNDING THAT FALLS UNDER PUBLIC WORKS ALLOWS US TO, TO SUPPORT OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE RESILIENCY, UH, AND EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, OUR OFFICE BIO COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST TO EXPLORE GREENING ALLEYWAY PILOT PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY HERE.
I UNDERSTAND IT HASN'T BEEN AGENDAS YET, UM, BUT THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR US TO SUPPORT THAT WORK ON HOW WE CAN TURN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS INTO SUSTAINABLE, UH, PROJECTS.
AND I KNOW THE COOL PAVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOU ALL ENVISION, UM, HOW THE FUNDING FOR THE NON-SERVICE ALLEYWAYS RUNS PARALLEL TO REESE AND THE C C R? YEAH.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MAYOR POINTED OUT EARLIER IN THIS CONVERSATION WAS THAT THIS FUND IS REALLY UTILIZED MORE LIKE A LAUNCHING PATH THAT'S IN MY WORDS, BUT IT'S THERE TO COME THROUGH.
BUT TO CREATE IT IN A WAY WHERE WHEN YOU HAND IT BACK OVER TO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, IT'S SUSTAINABLE.
SO JUST LIKE THE COOL PAVEMENT, THE SAME THING COULD BE FOR FUNDING, WHERE YOU COULD TAKE A SMALL PORTION OF FUNDING, MAYBE DO TWO NON-SERVICE ALLEYS TO SEE IF WE GO IN AND DESIGN THAT, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? NOW KNOWING THAT PUBLIC WORKS ALREADY HAS ON THEIR PLATE TO TACKLE NON-SERVICE ALLEYS, WE JUST MAY HAVE TO SEE WHAT WAS THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE ALREADY MAKING THAT THEY WERE GONNA DO REGARDLESS FOR THAT ALLEY.
AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WALKABLE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH YOU HAD.
YOU SAW, I STOLE YOUR SLIDE THAT YOU HAD SHOWN THE OTHER DAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING IS A POSSIBILITY AS WELL.
WE WERE TREAT IT JUST LIKE OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND, UH, APPROACH.
AND, AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, THESE INITIATIVES, THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO FOLD THEM INTO THE LARGER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY 'CAUSE THEY'RE SO VAST.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT NOW THERE'S A, A SET SIDE OF FUNDS FOR US TO BE CREATIVE AND MAKE A GREATER IMPACT.
UM, I, I DID WANT TO SHARE HOW, UM, EXCITING IT IS TO SEE THE PROPOSED PILOT
[01:15:01]
FOR THE E-BIKES FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS.UH, I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A GREAT IMPACT.
MY, MY STAFF HAD MENTIONED THAT IN DA IN, UH, DENVER, THERE'S A SIMILAR INITIATIVE, UH, AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT CITY STAFF IS TAKING THE INITIATIVE AND PUTTING THIS FORTH.
UM, SO GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT, UH, ALL AROUND.
I'M REALLY PLEASED WHAT I'M SEEING WITH THESE TWO BUDGETS, OF COURSE, UH, WITH THE, THE REQUESTS THAT WE INCREASE I M P SO THAT WAY WE CAN ALSO SUPPORT THE PARKS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, BUT REALLY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU MENTIONED, DAVID, ABOUT THE CONVERSATION WITH BEN AND WHEN, UH, THE CITY'S HAVING CONVERSATIONS OR C P S RATHER ABOUT, UM, THE CASA VETE PROGRAM, HOW THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO OUR, OUR HOMEOWNERS.
UH, THERE'S SUCH A GREAT NEED AND I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE INITIATIVE OF YOU ALL ENSURING THAT WE'RE TAKING EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT HOMEOWNERS WITH THOSE RESOURCES SO THAT WAY THEY CAN AGE IN PLACE, UH, AND STAY COOL AS WE EXPERIENCING EXPERIENCE, UH, THIS EXTREME HEAT.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
UM, SO WE'LL START OFF WITH PARKS.
FIRST OF ALL, HOMER, I'VE ALREADY GIVEN Y ALL THIS SHOT OUT, BUT, UM, WE HAD REQUESTED THAT SAN PEDRO SPRINGS POOL AND SOME OF THE OTHER POOLS STAY OPEN AND Y'ALL WENT OVER AND BEYOND TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT EASY OR CHEAP, AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH 'CAUSE THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTED IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER SHOUT OUT ON THAT.
UM, SO, UH, WANTED TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON COUNCIL MEMBER GTO'S QUESTIONS AROUND MAINTENANCE.
SO I NOTICED THAT THE MAINTENANCE INCREASES ONLY ABOUT 355 K IN THE BUDGET HERE, AND IT'S FOR FIVE PARKS FOR 2017.
UM, BUT CAN YOU JUST TELL ME A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW ABOUT, UM, HOW DO YOU ALL DECIDE WHICH PARKS AND WHEN TO MAINTAIN? AND JUST TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MAIN MAINTENANCE.
UM, MAINTENANCE FOR PARKS, IT'S NOT SET UP BY AN INDIVIDUAL PARK OR AN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT.
WE LARGELY OUR BIGGEST SERVICE CONTRACTS, MOWING, JANITORIAL, AND PORTLETS, WHERE THOSE EXIST.
THEN THOSE ARE GONNA GET OBVIOUSLY THE LARGER NUMBER OF, I GUESS, SERVICES.
SO EACH PARK IS GONNA VARY IN SIZE, VARY BY QUANTITY IN EACH DISTRICT.
AND SO IT KIND OF, THAT'S A JUMPING OFF POINT.
NOW WE DO HAVE SERVICE CREWS THAT WILL, UH, VISIT PARKS SUMMER, DAILY, SUMMER, EVERY OTHER DAY.
UH, WE HAVE A MID-SHIFT BEFORE WE DIDN'T A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I THINK WE FORMALIZED, I GUESS, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT.
WHAT I'M ASKING MORE IS LIKE, DO WE HAVE A MASTER PLANNER SCHEDULE FOR HOW LONG? LIKE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, GRASS, RIGHT? GRASS IS IN OUR, IN OUR WEATHER WITH THIS WEATHER, IT JUST DOESN'T LAST VERY LONG.
SO DO WE HAVE LIKE EVERY FIVE YEARS WE'LL REPLACE THE GRASS AT X PARKS? NO.
AND SO WE NORMALLY RELY ON OUR BOND PROJECTS TO DO, TO KIND OF SERVE IN THAT WAY.
BOND PROJECTS PRIMARILY WILL GO TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND LANDSCAPING SOMETIMES COMES ALONG.
I'D LOVE FOR US TO CONSIDER THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO HAVE LIKE A MASTER PLAN FOR OUR PARKS IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN WE'RE REPLACING GRASS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUST SO THAT COMMUNITY CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE THAT CONSIDERED.
UM, AND THEN THE VACANT GREEN SPACE ACTIVATION COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO JUST BROUGHT THIS UP THAT, I MEAN, WE ALL WANT OUR VACANT LOTS TO HAVE GREEN SPACE LIKE THIS SEEMS AMAZING AND THERE'S ONLY 150 K BUDGETED FOR IT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT MIGHT ACCOMPLISH LIKE TWO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT COULD ACCOMPLISH.
SO WHAT, WHAT I GET THAT IT'S A PILOT AND WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, BUT, UH, WHAT CAN WE REALLY GET DONE WITH THAT MUCH MONEY FOR THERE THAT THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED AND WE'LL LEARN THAT AS WE UNDERSTAND THE UNIVERSE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS ESTABLISH WHAT ARE THOSE VACANT CITY LOTS.
AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO RANK AND SCORE THEM, THAT IS NOT DONE YET.
SO, SO THIS IS TO START THAT THE QUESTIONS REALLY, WE WILL FIGURE THAT OUT ONCE WE GET INTO IMPLEMENTATION, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT.
WELL, GREAT INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND WE'D LOVE TO HELP LIKE SHARE THE LOTS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH THAT ANALYSIS.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO HER COMMENTS AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS I FEEL LIKE ALWAYS COME FROM OUR RESIDENTS AND HEARING THOSE PUBLIC SPEAKERS SPEAK YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW MUCH, HOW MANY BILLIONS AND TONS OF FOOD THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE AWAY DURING COVID WAS INSPIRATIONAL.
SO I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN DOUBLE DOWN ON MAYBE HELPING SUPPORT SOME OF THE URBAN FORESTS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE AWAY MORE, UH, HEALTHY FOODS TO SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY NEED IT.
UM, AND THEN SAME THING WITH THE TREE GIVEAWAY PROGRAM.
ALSO REALLY GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE CONTINUING THIS.
WHAT ARE WE DOING IN TERMS OF LIKE HELPING FOLKS MAINTAIN AND THE EDUCATION AROUND MAINTAINING? BECAUSE PLANTING A TREE IS ONE THING, BUT KEEPING IT ALIVE IS HARD AS SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE A GREEN THUMB
RIGHT? SO, UM, COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE, WHEN WE GIVE OUT OUR, AT OUR TREE ADOPTION
[01:20:01]
EVENTS, THERE'S A TAG THAT GOES WITH IT THAT PROVIDES CARE INSTRUCTIONS.WHEN WE HAVE, SAY SOMEBODY UNDER EQUITY TREE PROGRAM PARTICIPATE, THEY'RE GIVEN A WATER BAG, THEY'RE TAUGHT PRUNING TECHNIQUES.
UM, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLID WASTE WHEN THEY GO OUT AND DO THEIR BRUSH COLLECTION.
WE HAVE DOOR HANGERS PROVIDING HELPFUL TIPS SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW, UH, AGAIN, PRIMARILY LOOKING AT OAK QUILT, RIGHT? OAK QUILT IS, IS STILL SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK OUT FOR.
MAKING SURE THAT, THAT THE RESIDENTS KNOW THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF THAT.
SO I THINK IT OCCURS IN, OCCURS IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF LIKE DOING CHECKS OR, UM, SOME KIND OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR WHEN WE'RE GIVING AWAY TREES, IF THERE ARE SOME FUNDS SET ASIDE TO GO OUT AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF IT IS OR JUST SOME KIND OF ANALYSIS AFTER THE FACT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO, BECAUSE IT'S COME UP PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE, THE SUSTAINABILITY FACTOR, THE HEALTHCARE OF OUR TREES.
AND SO REALLY FIGURING OUT A WAY HOW WE CAN TRACK THAT INVENTORY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ANSWER EFFECTIVELY.
SO THAT IS IN OUR WORK PLAN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT DONE YET.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING ON THE GREENWAY TRAILS, WOULD YOU MIND BRINGING UP THE MAP REAL QUICK? THE TWO TRAILS THAT I DIDN'T SEE ON THERE, AND I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO WHY, AND MAYBE IT'S 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT FUNDED, BUT IS THE FLYWAY TRAIL AND THE CAMINO LA VACA AND IT'S IRONIC, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A MAP WHERE DISTRICT ONE'S TRAILS ARE LIKE, OH, THEY JUST END SOMEWHERE.
SO, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY'RE NOT, UH, ADDED TO THIS MAP YET? OR IS IT JUST 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, THE, SO RIGHT NOW THIS MAP REPRESENTS EFFECTIVELY, UH, WHAT IS LARGELY FUNDED.
THE 20 MILES UNFUNDED WAS WORK PLAN THAT WOULD FOCUS ON FINISHING THE RING AND ALREADY PLANNED PROJECTS IN DOG WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THE FLYWAY, I FEEL, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS I THINK, AS I RECALL, IS AN ACTIVATE SA YEAH.
AND IT GOES TO THE QUARRY, RIGHT.
SO, UM, THIS WAS BASED ON THAT VISION AS I OUTLINED, AS WE GET INTO, UH, PLANNING FOR THE NEXT BOND AND BACK TO THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS POINT, THINKING ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE, THOSE ARE ELEMENTS THAT WE STILL NEED TO FOLD INTO IT.
SO I WANNA BE REAL CLEAR, THE 20 WAS JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE ORIGINAL VISION.
SO DOUBLING DOWN ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, THAT THE WORK ISN'T DONE, IT'S NOT JUST 20 MILES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH HOWARD AND DAVID.
SO, UH, REALLY QUICKLY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL THAT I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS FUND, BUT IT'S REALLY AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO SIT HERE AND SPEND THE MONEY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR PUSHING FOR THAT, UH, FROM OUR PREVIOUS COUNCIL.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THE WEATHERIZATION OF HOMES SUPER NEEDED.
SO GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE BUDGETING THAT AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY GRANTS ALSO GREAT BECAUSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS CAN APPLY FOR THEM.
MY MAIN QUESTIONS FOR YOU, I ALSO WANNA SAY, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING INCENTIVES WITH SUSTAINABILITY BECAUSE I SOMETIMES THINK INCENTIVES WILL BRING PEOPLE ALONG FASTER THAN, UH, STICKS.
NOW, SO FOR THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? AND I KNOW IT'S STILL LOOSE AND WE'RE STILL WAITING ON RESEARCH, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO GATHER INPUT FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT OUR INCENTIVE TO, WHAT OUR INCENTIVES WILL BE USED FOR? RIGHT.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THE APPROACH, AND IF I GET STUCK, I'LL ASK DOUG TO COME UP.
BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE KNOW COULD POTENTIALLY WORK.
SO SAY A BUSINESS WANTS TO, UH, DO THEIR COAT THEIR PARKING LOT OR DO SOME TYPE OF COOL PAVEMENT IN THE PARKING LOT THAT'S THERE, WE ALSO WANT THEM TO, OR ENCOURAGE THEM TO POSSIBLY CONSIDER SOLAR.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AS AN INCENTIVE.
UH, SAME THING FOR SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, INITIATIVES THAT COME ABOUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPEFUL IS WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE IS TO ACTUALLY COME IN AND POLL THE BUSINESSES, HAVE MEETINGS, ACTUALLY SIT DOWN WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND START ASKING THEM WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE FOUND SUCCESS WITH? AND MAYBE USE THAT AS A WAY TO LAUNCH THAT COLLABORATION HOLISTICALLY WITH ALL THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALREADY HEARING FROM SOME OF THE CHAMBERS THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS WANTING TO SUPPORT AND BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PARTS WHY I SHARED THAT WE SHOULD BE IN A LISTENING MOLD AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE IT IN AND FIND OUT WHAT HAS SUCCESS LOOKED LIKE FOR MANY OF THOSE BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO MAKE CERTAIN THAT MODELING HAS THAT EQUITY LENS SO THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T FOR EVERYONE AND EVERYONE THAT CAN'T PARTICIPATE.
SO WE'RE KIND OF GOING IT FROM BOTH WAYS.
ONE FROM COMMUNICATION AND THE OTHER.
WHAT'S ALREADY, UH, IN THE QUEUE YOU WANT TO ADD? UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, DOUG, ME, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, UM, EVERYTHING THAT DAVID SAID.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING UPON A VERY SUCCESSFUL SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM, UM, REWORKS ESSAY.
UH, IT'S, IT'S ACTIVE, UM, BUSINESSES THAT ARE
[01:25:01]
INTERESTED IN DOING THIS WORK.THEY, THEY HAVE A CHECKLIST, THEY CERTIFY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND GAPS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND WE CAN INCENTIVIZE THEM TO TAKE THOSE NEXT STEPS.
THE, THE THING I WAS THINKING OF WAS LIKE, HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE WHAT WE'RE OFFERING FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF BUSINESSES, RIGHT? OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
LIKE, WE HAVE OSCAR DENDA, WHICH IS THE MY NEIGHBORHOOD LITTLE SMART, AND THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE THEY WERE EXPENDING SO MUCH MORE ON HVAC BECAUSE THEIR EVENTS WEREN'T BEING COVERED PROPERLY.
SO LIKE A PROGRAM KIND OF LIKE WHAT C P SS IS OFFERING FOR WEATHERIZATION, FOR RESIDENTS MIGHT BE A GOOD PROGRAM FOR THEM.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT, MIGHT NOT BE SIMILAR FOR THE LARGE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE IN DOWNTOWN.
SO JUST TRYING TO KEEP IN MIND HOW WE CAN, UM, MODIFY THE PROGRAM FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I LOVE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT INPUT.
AND, UM, WOULD WE, OUR OFFICE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THAT OUT WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THERE, DAVE.
YEAH, SO THE THOUGHT IS TO KEEP IT FLUID SO THAT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CAN PIVOT WHEN NEEDED.
BUT AGAIN, THAT LISTENING EAR FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURT COUNCIL MEMBER.
JUST, JUST ONE THING I WANTED TO, TO, UM, SINCE COUNCIL, SINCE WE'VE HAD TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS BRING UP THE, THE VACANT LOT ACTIV ACTIVATION PILOT.
SO JUST, JUST SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, WHAT WE WERE THINKING.
THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP IN THE APRIL WORK SESSION AND HOW WE ACTIVATE IT, ACT, ACTIVATE THESE VACANT LOTS THAT ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, WE DO NEED TO DEVELOP A PLAN WITH CRITERIA.
UM, WE DO ENVISION A PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND, UH, BECAUSE THIS MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE CITY OWNED PROPERTY, SO IT COULD BE THE PROPERTY OWNER, IT COULD BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT COULD BE A NONPROFIT.
WE NEED TO KINDA WORK THROUGH THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT HOW IT OVERLAYS WITH THINGS LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD THE OTHER DAY FROM MIKE SHANNON AND THE LIGHTING PLAN, UM, HOW IT OVERLAYS AND POTENTIALLY IS RELATED TO CRIME PREVENTION LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND WHAT POSSIBLE ACTIVA ACTIVATIONS ARE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE DO, UM, $250,000 A YEAR IN COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION GRANTS THROUGH ASSET FORFEITURE.
WE COULD POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, $3.4 MILLION SET ASIDE NEXT YEAR.
AND, AND THE, UH, THE COUNCIL, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MAY REMEMBER, WE SET THAT ASIDE FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY.
AND THOSE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAY COME OUTTA THAT U T S A.
SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS IT'S NOT A OF NO OFFENSE HOMER, IT'S NOT A PARKS HOMER $150,000, BUT HOW DOES IT FIT INTO ALL THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN BUILD SOME SYNERGIES AND, UM, LIKELY, UH, THE, THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM WILL OBVIOUSLY NEED TO GO TO COMMITTEE AND THEN, UM, BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL AS WE KIND OF CONTINUE TO GET INPUT AND LAY OUT A, A PLAN THAT TO DO THIS.
UH, COUNCILS MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UM, UH, HOMER AND, AND MR. MCCARRY.
AND I WANNA START OFF BY GIVING, UM, VERONICA MORENO A SHOUTOUT.
SHE'S OUR GO-TO PERSON FOR ALL OF OUR PARK QUESTIONS.
I FEEL LIKE AT, I'M SURE AT ALL OF THE, THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
SO, UM, MY OFFICE, UH, APPRECIATE THE DEDICATION AND THE RESPONSIVENESS.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, MELINDA, WHO IS IN THE, UH, FRONT ROW, SHE ATTENDED MY BUDGET SESSION.
AND SO I WAS REALLY, REALLY PROUD THAT, UM, WE CAN HAVE JUST SUCH STRONG REPRESENTATION.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND ME, I, I DON'T, I I GUESS IT MIGHT BE FOR YOU HOMEWORK.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT GOES INTO THE RESTRICTED FUNDS AND WHAT THAT MONEY CAN BE SPENT ON COUNSEL? ONE MORE TIME.
WHICH RESTRICTED FUNDS ARE YOU REFERENCING? THE, UM, IT, SO THE, THE RESTRICTED FUNDS IN OUR, IN, IN YOUR, MAYBE I'M WRONG.
WE HAVE OUR, UM, TREE MITIGATION FUND PRESERVATION, SO RESTRICTED TO JUST TREES RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN OUR, UH, CEMETERY FUND GOES TO CEMETERIES.
WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL FUND THAT ALSO, UH, IS PRIMARILY OUR, THINK OF PARK SANITATION.
I REFERENCED EARLIER OUR SERVICE CONTRACTS, MOWING, JANITORIAL, UM, THOSE ARE THE THREE, FREDDY, DID I MISS THEM? GOOD AFTERNOON.
FREDDIE MARTINEZ, ASSISTANT BUDGET DIRECTOR.
ONE OTHER ONE IS THE, UM, WE DO HAVE A, A SMALL PORTION OF THE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES FUND THAT OCCUPY TWO PARKS EMPLOYEES THAT HELP WITH THE 22 BOND PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT'S THE CAPITAL PROJECT LINE ITEM.
SO THERE'S, SO I THINK, I THOUGHT I SAW A CAPITAL PROJECT LINE ITEM.
IS THAT FROM BOND? YEAH, A LOT OF THOSE ARE BOND PROJECTS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, SOME OF THE TREE PROJECTS THAT HOMER, UH, PRESENTED IS IN ITS PRESENTATION AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN BY THE WAY, YOU MENTIONED, UM, LIKE THE, THE MAINTENANCE.
AND I HAD A MEETING, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND I ALWAYS ASK MY, MY YOUNGEST RESIDENTS FOR INPUT FIRST, UM,
[01:30:01]
BEFORE THE ADULTS GET TO SPEAK.AND SO ONE OF MY YOUNGEST RESIDENTS, HE WAS THE CUTEST THING.
UM, AND HE RAISED HIS HAND REALLY HIGH AND SAID, CAN WE JUST AT LEAST MOW THE GRASS ON THE BIKE PUMP? IT'S A REALLY COOL PU PUMP TRACK, BUT UM, THE GRASS IS REALLY HIGH.
AND SO THEN I ASKED MY STAFF, HEY, CAN WE GO AND CHECK ON IT? AND SO, UM, AND I THINK YOUR TEAM CAME OUT, UH, RIGHT AWAY AND, AND DID THAT.
SO I, I FEEL BAD THAT, UH, THAT WE, WE AREN'T LIKE REGULARLY WALKING OUT THERE, BUT I UNDERSTAND.
AND THEN LAST NIGHT, YOU ALL KNOW THERE WAS A BLUE MOON OR I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL FOLLOW THIS, BUT I KNOW THERE WAS A BLUE MOON AND SO, UM, I WAS, UH, ON THE WAY HOME AND I DECIDED TO JUST LIKE PARK MYSELF AT PEARSALL PARK SO THAT I COULD SEE THE BLUE MOON AND THERE WAS SO MUCH ACTIVITY AT THE PARK AND IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE THAT, UM, I WAS KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS.
THEY HAD THEIR FLASHLIGHTS ON WITH THEIR, UM, WITH THEIR PHONES AS THEY WERE COMING DOWN THE HILL.
BUT A LOT OF THEM TOOK, UM, CHAIRS OUT THERE TO WATCH THE BLUE MOON AND IT WAS JUST REALLY NEAT.
AND SO THERE WAS LIKE FAMILIES AND COUPLES AND ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST KIND OF USING THE PARK SIGN.
AND SO, BUT I WAS REALLY AFRAID JUST BECAUSE OF THE HILL, THE STEEPNESS OF IT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL AND GO AND SEE THE PARK AT NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
LIKE, HOW REGULARLY ARE YOU OUT THERE BEYOND PARK POLICE? LIKE DOES SOMEONE GO OUT THERE AND, AND AND CHECK ON THE PARKS AT NIGHT REGULARLY? UH, YES.
WE DO HAVE A, UH, MID-SHIFT, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE CREWS OUT, SO IF THERE'S A NEED OR A CALL FOR SERVICER COMES IN, THEY'VE GOT THE ROUTE, THEY'RE CHECKING ON OUR HIGH USED AREAS, UM, WE HAVE A WAY TO AUGMENT THAT.
SO, UM, BUT THEN ALSO TOO, REALLY QUICKLY, YOU TALKED ABOUT MAINTENANCE.
UM, THREE, ONE ONE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY 'CAUSE AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE I'VE FOCUSED A LOT OF, UH, WHAT WE DO THROUGH OUR SERVICE CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS TRADES TEAM UNDER MELINDA, YOU HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER.
SO THEY GO BASED ON WHERE THE WORK ORDER IS.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN BE RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN SO, UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE CROSS YOUR FINGERS HOPEFULLY, UH, SOON GONNA GET A B M X UH, TRACK AT PEARSON PARK.
UM, AND SO, UM, TELL ME ABOUT PICKLEBALL.
LIKE, HAVE, HAS THAT BEEN AT ALL CONVERSATION IN ANY GENERAL PARKS? 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S ONLY IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN AND I'M JUST WONDERING LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING TO CATCH ONTO THE PICKLEBALL CRAZE.
AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S NOT BEST ENOUGH.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE BOND MONEY CITYWIDE, I BELIEVE IT'S 2.5 MILLION FOR PICKLEBALL.
WE'RE NOT RE WE'RE NOT MULTIS STRIPING ANYTHING THAT IS NOT A GOOD PRACTICE.
UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, LOOKING AT SINGLE USE PICKLEBALL ONLY COURTS.
THE NEXT SET ACTUALLY WILL BE AT MONTEREY PARK IN DISTRICT FIVE.
I'M HOPING BY BEFORE HALLOWEEN.
UH, WE HAVE EIGHT COURTS COMING ONLINE COURSE, UH, IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS OF PICKLEBALL THERE.
COUNCILMAN HAD APPROPRIATED SOME OF HIS OWN DOLLARS.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL FACILITY JUST, UH, EXPANDED USE THERE BY MODIFYING ACCESS.
AND THERE ARE MORE PICKLEBALL COURTS COMING ONLINE.
I DON'T HAVE ALL THE, THE, THE LOCATIONS, BUT IT'S PRIMARILY THROUGH THE BOND.
AND THEN WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, MAYBE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS OR GRANT FUNDING.
AGAIN, WE CAN'T DO IT FAST ENOUGH.
SO ACCELERATE THE, THE, AND AND TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE TREND.
DON'T FORGET IN DISTRICT NINE, A SENIOR CENTER.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER TALK ABOUT PUTTING, UH, YOUR OWN MONEY TOWARDS IT.
UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE PICKLE BALLS, UH, OUT THERE AS WELL OVER AT WALKER RANCH.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY USE ALL THE HOPE WE CAN GET.
SO THANK YOU FOR PICKING ME UP,
THAT, AND THEN, UM, I WAS REALLY EXCITED 'CAUSE UM, ERIC SAID THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON SHADE STRUCTURES,
UM, AND SO IS THAT, WHERE IS THAT? I THINK HE SAID THAT WAS COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THAT OR, OR HOW DO WE GET ON THE LIST? YEAH.
UM, THERE IS, YES, IT STARTS NEXT YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 24, BUT I, I ALSO WANT TO JUST TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WAS TO ACCELERATE THE PLAN.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INTRODUCING SHADE INTO THE DESIGN OF OUR SPACES, WE'RE DOING THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST PLAYGROUNDS THAT IS PART OF IT.
UH, WE DO, UH, PICNIC PADS AS WELL, OR EXERCISE STATIONS.
SO THAT IS ACTIVELY HAPPENING TO GET ON THE LIST.
AND I DO FEEL, AND WE CAN GET YOU A LIST, UH, BUT THERE ARE SHADE STRUCTURES COMING TO, UM, DISTRICT FOUR.
I DID WANNA MENTION REALLY QUICKLY IN OUR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PLAN, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PEGON REPLACEMENT AT MILLER'S POND.
SO YOU DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING.
UM, AND SO, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT FUNDS IN THE TREE PROGRAM.
[01:35:01]
WHEN WE GIVE AWAY TREES, LIKE PEOPLE ARE JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT IT.SO, UM, I THINK THEY'RE VERY POPULAR.
AND, UM, ARE THO THOSE USUALLY IN THE FALL OR ARE THEY THROUGHOUT? LIKE I I, NO, SO WE REALLY, SO PRIMARILY IN THE FALL AND SPRING.
THE IDEA IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE IS NOT WHEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
UM, HOWEVER, AND, AND OVERALL, WE, WE HAVE MORE THAN FOUR DOZEN EVENTS CITYWIDE A YEAR.
SO THEY'RE NOT ALL THIS, THESE HUGE, HUGE ONES.
SO IF THERE'S A NEED OR YOU HAVE A REQUEST, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND, AND WE'LL WORK TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
Y'ALL HAVE BEEN, UM, REALLY AWESOME.
RECENTLY AT THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HAD ONE OF MY RESIDENTS, UM, WHO WAS JUST SO EXCITED, UH, THAT SHE WOULD WALK OFF WITH A TREE.
AND SO IT WAS THE CUTEST THING.
UM, BUT THE GREENWAY TRAILS AND I WAS AT THE, THE 100TH, UH, COMPLETION.
SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, IT'S, UH, MY DISTRICT IS THE LAST ON THE MAP WHEN IT COMES TO TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE TRAIL NEAR PORT SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
I KNOW I, I USE THE, THE BIKE TRAILS.
UM, I HAVEN'T A LITTLE BIT
AND THEN, UM, MY LAST COMMENT ACTUALLY IS FOR MR. MCCAREY.
SO MR. MCCAREY, UM, I, I MENTIONED THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SO A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE WORKING ON SOME THINGS TO HELP EACH OTHER.
AND SO DEBRA POE, UH, AND PETER NORE OVER IN DISTRICT FOUR ARE DOING A LOT OF GRASSROOTS WORKS TO GET, TO GET TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO, UM, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS. UM, JUST EVEN, UH, ACCESS IN, IN, IN IN SPANISH TRANSLATION.
UM, I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS FUND ALSO TO HELP, UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THEIRS.
UM, BUT MAYBE ALSO SETTING UP A MEETING FOR THEM BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY HAVE HAD A REALLY GOOD IMPACT IN JUST A FEW MONTHS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HIM OR ARE FAMILIAR, BUT, OH, DOUG, IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS.
UM, YES, COUNCILMAN, WE'VE BEEN, UM, LOOKING AT QUINTANA JUST 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH ENERGY AND ACTIVITY THERE.
AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO POTENTIALLY, TO BE A, ONE OF OUR KICKING OFF POINTS, U H I MITIGATION WEATHERIZATION, UM, IF WE GET THIS, UH, UM, A SOLAR FOR ALL GRANT AND WE'RE VERY, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AND WE'RE ENGAGED WITH, WITH THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND SO I, I KNOW THEY GIVE, THEY GIVE IT THEIR ALL AND SO THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THEY'RE JUST CHAMPIONING.
AND SO, UM, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND I SHARE, UH, A I'LL, I'D SAY WE SHARE A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOODS AT LEAST.
AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, LITERALLY GOING DOOR TO DOOR RIGHT.
AND TRYING TO, TO HELP THEIR, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PROTON.
COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCILMAN WHITE.
UM, HOMER ON, UM, PARKS, HOW MUCH, UH, DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH IS THE COUNTY PUTTING TOWARDS, UM, THE EDWARD EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM? THE COUNTY IS NOT CONTRIBUTING ANY FUNDS TO THE EDWARDS A FOR PROTECTION PROGRAM.
AND IS THAT, HAS THAT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE? OR, OR SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH PARKS.
AND I, YOU KNOW, SO THE, THE AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM BEGAN MORE THAN TWO DECADES AGO.
IT WAS FUNDED, UH, WITH PROPOSITION THREE SALES TAX, THEN IT MOVED TO PROPOSITION ONE.
SALES TAX HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SALES TAX FUNDED PROGRAM.
UM, WHAT ABOUT HOW MUCH THE COUNTY'S PAYING VERSUS SARA TOWARDS THE GREENWAY TRAILS? THAT IS AN ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THEM TWO.
SO THERE'S A PROJECT DELIVERY FEE IS PROJECT MANAGER.
THE RIVER AUTHORITY HAS THAT, I IMAGINE IT'S GONNA VARY BY PROJECT, JUST LIKE, UH, THEY WOULD WITH US.
BUT, BUT COUNCILMAN, UM, ON SLIDE 11, THE COUNTY, UH, THAT $83.7 MILLION, THAT WAS A, UM, COUNTY APPROVED PLAN BACK IN 2021.
IT WAS A 10 YEAR PROGRAM, AND THEY APPROVED THAT $83.7 MILLION OVER THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPROVED IT.
UM, IS THERE A PLAN FOR HOW MANY ACRES OF LAND WE'RE GONNA BE SECURING UNDER, UM, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROGRAM? IT IS A VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM, SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE PREDICATED UPON THE INTEREST BY LANDOWNERS AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THE BENEFIT BASED ON THE GEOLOGY OF EACH PROPERTY.
YOU COULD HAVE TWO LANDOWNERS, BOTH INTERESTED, BUT IT GOES THROUGH A SCIENTIFIC, UH, SCORING SYSTEM.
[01:40:01]
AND THE ONE THAT'S GONNA BE RANKED HIGHER IS WHERE WE WOULD TARGET.SO WE CANNOT QUANTIFY AND PROVIDE A ACREAGE WITH IT SINCE IT'S VOLUNTARY, AND IT'S GONNA VARY BASED ON THE PROFILE OF EACH PROPERTY.
SO THERE'S NOT A GOAL OR ANY PREDICT PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE THE INVESTMENT.
UM, PARK POLICE, DO WE THINK WE'RE OKAY THERE? OR, OR, I'VE HEARD A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED MORE PARK POLICE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO, UH, FOR PARK POLICE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY NEW POSITIONS.
UH, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 30 POSITIONS THAT WERE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, FILLING THOSE POSITIONS IN TERMS OF PROVIDING COVERAGE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, WORK WITH SS A P D WHEN THERE'S A CALL FOR SERVICE.
SO WE'RE, DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE ABOUT 30 SHORT RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE TRYING TO FILL 30 MORE POSITIONS? DID I UNDERSTAND THAT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE 30 SPOTS FILLED, WE SHOULD BE SET.
AND ON SUSTAINABILITY, UM, WHAT, WHAT, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED THIS, BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS INCLUDED IN THE, THE CLIMATE READY IMPLEMENTATION, UH, AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES? UM, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE CL THE OVERALL CLIMATE PLAN OR ON SLIDE THREE? SLIDE THREE.
THE SA CLIMATE READY PLAN WAS ADOPTED, UM, IN, GOSH, AT THIS POINT, 2019.
UH, IT'S A HIGH LEVEL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, THAT FOCUSES ON ADDRESSING CLIMATE.
UM, THE MITIGATION, UH, SIDE, WHICH IS HOW DO WE REDUCE OUR COMMUNITIES' CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, THROUGH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
AND THERE'S A, A TARGET OF CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050.
AND THEN THERE'S AN ADAPTATION PART, UH, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO RESILIENCE.
HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR INSTITUTIONS FOR THOSE IMPACTS? UM, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE, THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN.
UM, I THINK I SAW THIS, RIGHT? THERE'S TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL BEING ADDED, UM, FOR REESE, IS THAT RIGHT? SO, UM, I'LL, THERE WAS ONE, UH, POSITION, UH, THAT'S GRANT FUNDED, UH, THAT WILL COME TO MY OFFICE.
THAT'S TO ADMINISTER A, UH, UH, UH, A CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT.
UM, BUT I'LL LET JUSTINE ADDRESS THE OTHER.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, UM, DURING PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN, WE HAD, UM, A GRANTS, OR I'M SORRY, A, UM, A, A LOBBYIST, FEDERAL LOBBYIST POSITION, UM, AS WELL AS A, THE CHIEF SUSTAINABLE, UH, CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO? YES, SIR.
WELL, UM, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN BERDA ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO EARLIER ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT THE METRICS IN, IN PLACE TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, DOING, WHAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING BY, BY A LOT OF THESE PLANTS.
AND FOR ME, UM, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY WE'RE SPENDING IN THESE AREAS, UM, THAT FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD BE SPENDING THAT MONEY.
UM, I DID, I LIKE THE IDEA FROM, FROM COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON HER GREEN ALLEYWAYS PLAN, BECAUSE AT LEAST IT'S PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR CITY.
UH, AND TO ME, UM, IF WE CAN USE THE FUNDS IN, IN THAT REGARD, UM, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I THINK CAN, CAN BENEFIT FOLKS.
MAYOR, CAN I SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU? YEAH.
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF, AS AN EXAMPLE, YOUR C P S WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT C CCPS BEFORE YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF HOME IMPROVEMENT, THERE ARE SOME THAT'RE NOT QUALIFYING FOR CPSS GUIDELINES.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, ORIGINALLY NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES SAID, WE HAVE THIS, THESE KIND OF NOTES FOR RESIDENTS THAT NEED WORK DONE ON THEIR HOME, THAT THAT SMALL REPAIR WOULD MAKE THEM QUALIFY FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE FUNDING'S THERE FOR THIS YEAR SO THAT WE CAN MEASURE AND ACTUALLY COME BACK AND ACCOUNT
[01:45:01]
FOR, ARE WE ABLE TO DO THAT MANY MORE HOMES THAT NEED THE WEATHERIZATION? BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS LOSING ENERGY AND THEN THEY END UP PAYING MORE.AND THEN WE'RE BACK IN THAT SAME BOAT WHERE WE HAVE A HIGHER DEMAND ON THE SYSTEM THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
SO THE INVESTMENT IS HOW DO WE WORK IT WHERE THAT RESIDENT CAN BENEFIT AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THE EXAMPLE I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU.
IT MAY NOT BE WHERE YOU CAN GO TOUCH IT, BUT YOU CAN TOUCH IT IN THEIR HOMES AS WELL.
SO IT'S ONE WALKABLE VERSUS THEIR ACTUAL HOME, WHICH IS THEIR INVESTMENT THAT'LL LAST LONGER FOR THEM.
THERE ARE METRICS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE CLIMATE PLAN, AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND, AND SORT OF WALK THROUGH WHAT THOSE TARGETS ARE AND, AND HOW WE'RE GETTING THERE.
YEAH, AND I LIKE TOUCHABLE
UM, A RETURN, A RETURN THAT'S MEANINGFUL, I SHOULD SAY.
JUST BE ASSURED THAT WE WILL BE REPORTING BACK AND GIVE YOU THOSE UPDATES.
AND THEN IF THERE'S A POLICY SHIFT, THEN YOU'LL LET US KNOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHITE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE PARKS BUDGET.
UM, WHEN I WAS FIRST SWORN IN PARKS AND REC WAS ONE OF THE AREAS WE IDENTIFIED WITH THE MOST ROOM FOR, WITH ONE OF THE AREAS WITH THE MOST ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN DISTRICT TWO.
AND I'M HAPPY THAT WITHIN THIS BUDGET WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE AND MAKING NEW INVESTMENTS BASED ON THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE COMPLETION OF A FEW PARKS TO INCLUDE, UH, THE BERKELEY V AND VINCENT M. DAWSON PARK BY THE HAY STREET BRIDGE.
UH, THE CREATION OF OUR NEW PARK AT VILLAGE ROW ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO IMPROVE AND ACTIVATE HEALY MURPHY PARK TO CREATE AN ART PARK.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A TON OF BOND PROJECTS I'M EAGER TO SEE REALIZED SOMETHING THAT I AM PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, AND I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU HOMER ABOUT IS INVESTMENT IN OUR HISTORIC EAST SIDE CEMETERIES.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT IF YOU LEAVE CITY HALL AND HEAD TOWARD DISTRICT TWO, THE CEMETERIES ARE A PART OF THE ENTRANCE BETWEEN EAST SIDE, THE EAST SIDE, AND DOWNTOWN.
AND IF THE AREA IS ALREADY BLIGHTED BY, UH, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS LIKE THE FRIEDRICH BUILDING, UM, THE CEMETERIES DO NOT CURRENTLY HELP CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AS THEY EXIST TODAY.
THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE HUGE, AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU HEARD ME.
UM, AND AT SOME POINT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ENGAGE IN A LARGER MASTER PLANNING PROCESS FOR OUR CEMETERIES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE AN ASSET I DON'T THINK WE FULLY EMBRACE JUST YET.
UM, IN ADDITION, I'M GLAD THAT WE'LL EMBARK ON ENSURING ALL OF OUR PLAYGROUND STRUCTURES ARE SHADED.
14 OF THE CITY'S 61 UNCOVERED PLAYGROUNDS ARE IN MY DISTRICT THAT IS ABOUT 23%.
UM, I WANNA REITERATE MY EXPECTATION THAT WHEN INVESTMENTS ARE MADE AND YOU'RE PROPOSING PARKS FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND THIS GOES FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT FOR ANY IMPROVEMENT IN ANY PROGRAM THAT THE DISTRICTS WITH THE MOST NEED ARE PRIORITIZED.
SO IF WE ONLY PARTIALLY ALLOCATE FUNDS EQUITABLY, WE'LL BE DEFERRING THE EQUITABLE RESULTS WE'RE HOPING TO ACHIEVE.
I'LL NOTE THAT I THINK BRACKENRIDGE PARK IS LISTED AS, UH, DISTRICT ONE.
I WILL INCLUDE IT AS DISTRICT TWO.
SO I'LL SAY THIS, GO AROUND, WE MIGHT BE ACHIEVING EQUITY AT LEAST THERE.
UM, I SEE THE SELECTION CRI, I WOULD LIKE UPDATES ON THAT AS WELL.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE NOTATED AS DISTRICT ONE ONLY, AND I DON'T GET THE UPDATE THAT I'M OWED.
UM, I SEE THE SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE PLAYGROUND SHADE STRUCTURE WAS PLAYGROUND USAGE, SITE CONDITION, AND EXISTING REQUESTS.
A PROBLEM THAT I CAN FAIRLY EASILY IDENTIFY IS, ONE, A PLAYGROUND IS LESS LIKELY TO BE USED IF IT SEEMS UNUSABLE.
TWO, IF A COMMUNITY IS USED TO BEING NEGLECTED AND THEY'VE COME TO ACCEPT THAT A PARK, UH, JUST IS THE WAY IT IS, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO MAKE REQUESTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK THESE ARE CRITERIA THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY ROOTED IN EQUITY.
AND SO WHILE I'LL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PLAN IS FOR ALL PARKS TO BE SHADED BY THE SAME POINT, UM, I STILL WISH WE COULD SPEED UP THE TIMELINE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR, MR. CITY MANAGER, WE CAN KICK THE FUNDING UP FROM 3.8 TO MAYBE 7.4 SO THAT WE CAN CUT THAT TIME IN HALF.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT I'M EXCITED TO SEE US TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL OVER OUR CITY OWNED VACANT LOTS.
UM, YOU'LL RECALL THAT DURING MY FIRST TERM, I REQUESTED A LIST OF ALL THE VACANT CITY OWNED, UH, LOTS IN DISTRICT TWO, AND WE IDENTIFIED OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTIVATE THEM.
AND THAT'S HOW WE INITIATED THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW PARK AT VILLAGE ROW, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY, UH, BE FINISHED THIS YEAR.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL GET TO EXPERIENCE THAT TOO.
LIKE I, THAT BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY.
AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE LOTS ARE MAINTAINED BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST, UH, AND I'M SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE ENGAGED IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT ALL OF THE PROPERTIES IN OUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HELP LAY OUT A VISION FOR WHAT THEY BECOME UTILIZED FOR, WHETHER IT'S FOR HOUSING, FOOD,
[01:50:01]
FOREST, POCKET PARKS, LAND BANKING, OR USED IN SOME OTHER WAY, UH, IN LINE WITH OUR PLAN FOR CRIME PREVENTION.UM, I KNOW THAT ERIC MENTIONED WE'LL NEED PARTNERSHIPS AND I AGREE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT ESCAPES US AS INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVES OF, UH, OF OUR DISTRICTS.
I'M GOING TO NOTE FOR COUNCIL AS IT RELATES TO GROWING OUR TREE CANOPY, THAT I HOPE THAT WHEN WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT, THAT WE ARE MINDFUL OF OUR LONGSTANDING HISTORY AND ONGOING PRACTICE OF TEARING DOWN TREES AND THAT WE CHART A NEW, MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PATH FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO REESE, UH, REESE FOR NOW, THIS IS AN AREA THAT, THIS IS WHAT I'M ABOUT TO ASK FOR IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE SUPPORT FOR.
SO EARLIER WE APPROVED HEAT ILLNESS PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS DUE TO TRIPLE DIGIT WEATHER.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF.
UM, AS OF OCTOBER LAST YEAR, THE E P A MOVED TO BEXAR COUNTY FROM MARGINAL TO MODERATE NON-ATTAINMENT FOR AIR QUALITY, AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET AIR QUALITY STANDARDS BY NEXT YEAR.
AND WE'RE GONNA NEED VARIOUS TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO CONTINUE ENSURING OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE HEALTHY AND CLEAN AIR.
MY OFFICE MET WITH ECOLOGIC, A REALLY COOL ORGANIZATION THAT DESIGNS AND CREATES INNOVATIVE, UH, ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS THAT UTILIZE ALGAE TO SEQUESTER CARBON, UH, THAT CAN ALSO DOUBLE ITS SHADE STRUCTURES.
THE STRUCTURES ARE 10 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE AT CARBON SEQUESTRATION SEQUESTRATION THAN PLANTED AREAS OF THE SAME SIZE.
AND SO, BETWEEN NOW AND A BUDGET DAY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH Y'ALL AS MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT WORK WITH THEM AND ORGAN AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THEM TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.
I DO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ANSWER AFTER I'VE ASKED BOTH.
UM, THE FIRST QUESTION IS REGARDING THE $1.5 MILLION BUSINESS INCENTIVES, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES TO INCLUDE SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, IS THAT ACCURATE? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS, I WAS A LITTLE CAUGHT OFF GUARD, UH, YESTERDAY AS WELL TO HEAR NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT THE COOL PAVEMENT, UH, PILOT PROGRAM YESTERDAY.
THE FIRST PROJECT WAS IN DISTRICT TWO.
SO I, MY QUESTION FOR THAT ONE IS, WHEN WILL WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT AND WHAT ARE THE METRICS FOR SUCCESS THERE? SO THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY YES, FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND LARGE BUSINESSES.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING TO CREATE THAT STRUCTURE THAT WE'LL HAVE.
AND JUST TO REITERATE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS PRIORITIZE, UM, SMALL WOMEN AND MIN MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES WITH, UM, IN THOSE HIGH EQUITY AREAS.
JUST TO MAKE SURE, UH, IN TERMS OF COOL PAVEMENT, I'D SEEN SOME DISCUSSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, AROUND THAT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALREADY SEEING POSITIVE RESULTS, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF, UM, CERTAIN AIR, CERTAIN MATERIALS PERFORMING BETTER THAN THAN OTHERS.
I THINK THE KEY THING ABOUT COOL PAVEMENT THOUGH, IS IT'S ONLY ONE PIECE OF A LARGER SOLUTION.
I, I I, I HAD SEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS AROUND WE SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING MONEY ON COOL PAVEMENT, WE SHOULD BE SPENDING MONEY ON TREES.
WE NEED TO DO COOL PAVEMENT IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A TREATMENT THAT'S GONNA WORK EVERYWHERE.
IT, IT NEEDS TO BE ON AREAS THAT, THAT, UM, ARE UH, APPROPRIATE FOR THAT TECHNOLOGY.
BUT YES, WE NEED TREES, WE NEED CANOPIES.
WE, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF ALL OF THE ABOVE.
CAN I ADD TO THAT, COUNCILMAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TOO IN THIS STUDY IS WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN A PARTICULAR PRODUCT THAT MIGHT NOT BE AS FAVORABLE, SAY IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.
AND THE ONE THAT COMES FORWARD WOULD BE WHAT U T S A MEASURES AND ASSESS.
THEN WE WILL KNOW TO GO BACK AND SAY, THIS IS THE ONE THAT GETS THERE.
AND I JUST REMEMBERED ONE THING, COUNCILMAN.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO DISTRIBUTE A SURVEY ALONG THE, THE STREETS THAT RECEIVED THE COOL PAVEMENT.
JUST SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND, WHAT DID YOU THINK? DID YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE JUST TO GET THAT, THAT DIRECT UM, UM, RESPONSE FROM THOSE PEOPLE WHO SEE IT FIRSTHAND.
I I JUST WANNA REITERATE THE QUESTION WAS WHEN WILL WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT? AND THEN WHAT ARE THE METRICS FIRST SUCCESS? THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO IS I WANT U T S A TO TELL US AS THEY ARE MEASURING IT AND LOOKING AT IT SCIENTIFICALLY, WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION SO THAT WE CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH CITY COUNCIL AND SHARE THAT WITH THEM.
AND WHEN CAN WE, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THAT THAT CONVERSATION WILL BE HAPPENING? NOVEMBER? YEAH.
IT, IT'LL, IT'LL EITHER BE DECEMBER OR JANUARY.
WE'LL COME BACK TO A B SESSION.
COUNCILS MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCILS MEMBER PAL.
I WAS GONNA SEND YOU AN EMAIL TO YOUR INBOX, BUT THEN SOMEBODY TOLD ME THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BOX.
UH, AND SO, UH, SERIOUSLY EXCELLENT WORK, GUYS.
UH, I, I REALLY HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
I'M, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH, UH, WITH THE DIRECTION YOU'RE MOVING THE CITY.
UH, MORE, MOST OF MY COMMENTS ARE, ARE FOR HOMER HOMER.
[01:55:01]
I, I GOT TO VISIT TWO CITIES.ONE, UM, I WAS IN, I WAS IN MANHATTAN WITH MY, WITH MY DAUGHTER, AND WE TOOK A BREAK AND, UH, DECIDED TO WALK THROUGH, UH, CENTRAL PARK.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE TOLD ME? SHE GOES, HEY, THESE, THESE TRAILS ARE NICE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, BUT THEY'RE NOT AS NICE AS OUR TRAILS AT HOME.
UM, AND I, I, THAT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE SHE, SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME ON THOSE TRAILS, AND WE SPENT THE WHOLE DAY AT, AT CENTRAL PARK.
BUT, UM, THE ONE THING THAT SHE DID NOTICE, AND SHE'S NOT WRONG, IS THAT THERE IS, UM, AN ABUNDANCE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SIT DOWN, UH, AT THOSE PARKS, RIGHT? AND THEN SHE, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, DAD, I'VE NOTICED THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PLACES TO SIT, UM, WHEN WE GO ON THE TRAILS AND PEOPLE GET TIRED, RIGHT? AND, UM, SHE SOMETIMES WALKS OUT THERE WITH HER GRANDMOTHER.
AND SO, UM, I, I'D LIKE US TO, I DON'T WANNA GO SO FAR AS TO ASK FOR AN INDEX OF SEATING, UH, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I'D, I'D LIKE TO HEAR GOING FORWARD AT SOME POINT, WHAT THE PLAN IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T JUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIKE AND BIKE AND RUN AND ALL THAT, BUT ALSO TO SIT AND ENJOY THEIR PARKS, UH, PARTICULARLY THE TRAILS.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS, IS THEN, UM, HEADED UP TO BOSTON TO SPEND A DAY AT A CONFERENCE ABOUT, UH, GOVERNMENT POLICY AND THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT POLICY AT ALL LEVELS AND, UH, AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE.
AND, UM, THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO US ABOUT PARKS AND THE ROLE THAT PARKS PLAYED IN POST, DURING COVID AND, AND POST COVID, RIGHT? AND WE SAW, WE SAW A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF PARKS AROUND THE NATION, YOU KNOW, OFFERING HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, EXERCISE CLASSES AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING, YOU KNOW, UP TO IT, INCLUDING YOGA AND TAI CHI AND MINDFULNESS LIKE WE DID.
I, I NOTICED THAT WE DID THAT TOO.
UM, SOCIAL CONNECTION, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS, UM, PROGRAMMING FOR YOUTH, RIGHT? I MEAN, BASICALLY GETTING A LOT OF WHAT WE DO AND DOING IT OUTSIDE.
UM, AND THE CONSENSUS OF, YOU KNOW, DURING THIS CONFERENCE WITH, UH, WITH A LOT OF THE EXPERTS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FULLY EXPECT PARKS IN BIG CITIES TO CONTINUE DOING THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE, WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THAT THERE WAS AN APPETITE THAT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND, AND IT'S A BEST PRACTICES TO CONTINUE DOING IT FOREVER.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME WAS SOMEBODY, UH, SCOLDING ALL OF US IN ATTENDANCE FOR USING THE WORDS AMENITIES WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARKS NOW, I WAS GUILTY.
I, I, I FREQUENTLY USE THE WORD AMENITY, UH, WHEN TALKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR PARKS AND SO FAR MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TOO.
AND IT'S, UM, AND, AND THEY SAID, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AMENITIES, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY DOING IS, UM, TALKING IN TERM OR LOOKING AT THE, THROUGH THE LENS OF NICE TO HAVES, RIGHT? UH, AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT PARKS, UH, AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT TO A CITY'S PLAN FOR RESILIENCE AND, AND EQUITY AND HEALTH.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT GOT ME THINKING, RIGHT? AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS NOT SOME BRILLIANT IDEA I CAME UP WITH.
I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN CHEWING ON EVER SINCE, YOU KNOW, I LEFT, I LEFT BOSTON, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT PARKS ALONG THE LINES OF ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT? ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, UM, ON PAR WITH, UH, WHAT THEY CALLED EDS AND MEDS, RIGHT? SO EDUCATIONAL, RIGHT? UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE, YOU KNOW, INSTITUTIONS.
AND THAT, UM, PARKS NEED TO BE ELEVATED UP INTO THE ANCHOR INSTITUTION STATUS, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAYS THAT COMMUNITIES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND DELIVER ESSENTIAL SERVICES, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU KNOW, THAT PARKS HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN INCLUDED IN THE ANCHOR INSTITUTION CONVERSATION, BUT POSITIONING OUR PARKS THAT WAY GOING FORWARD, I, I THINK REALLY HELPS US TELL THE STORY ABOUT WHERE SAN ANTONIO IS GOING, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARKS, IT'S GOTTA BE MORE THAN JUST WHAT I'M GUILTY OF OFTEN, WHICH IS, HEY, WE NEED MORE PICKLEBALL.
HEY, WE NEED ANOTHER PUMP TRACKING.
WHY DOES ADRIAN ADRIANA GET A PUMP TRACK? AND I DON'T, UH, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED ANOTHER DOG PARK HERE, RIGHT? IT'S GOTTA BE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW IT ALL FITS, UM, INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, EDS AND MEDS, RIGHT? AND OTHER ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS IN OUR PLACE IN THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE REALLY EXCELLENT WAY TO LOOK AT PARKS, I THINK GOING FORWARD IS AS COMMUNITY WELLNESS HUBS, RIGHT? UM, SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT PARKS AS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GATHER TO, TO ENGAGE IN SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY, TO, TO ACTIVELY DO COMMUNITY, RIGHT? WITH A CAPITAL C, UM, TO FIND SERVICES AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BE SPOKEN TO ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL AND, UH, MENTAL WELLBEING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION AND EVEN JOB OPPORTUNITIES, SOMETIMES GARDENING TIPS, AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN PARK IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
[02:00:01]
I, I KNOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO TEACH LEADERSHIP TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOLKS ACTUALLY DOING, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATING OUR PARKS FOR PURPOSES OF, OF, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, TREATMENT AND PROGRAMS LIKE THAT, RIGHT? AND EVEN FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN HDA, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE YOUR SHARE OF FAMILY LAW, BUT OUR SAN ANTONIO PARKS ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE EXCHANGE CHILDREN, UM, AND WHERE SOMETIMES THOSE VISITATIONS OCCUR, RIGHT? AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE EVER REALLY LOOKED AT OUR PARKS AS THAT, RIGHT? AS SAFE CHILD EXCHANGE SPOTS THE WAY, AND I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR US, UM, IN THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT PARKS REALLY ARE POST COVID, AND SO HERE'S MY, HERE'S MY REQUEST, ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THAT TO REQUEST MORE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SITAND SO, UM, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION I WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU GOING FORWARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, PLACES TO SIT IS PART OF AN EQUITY CONVERSATION TOO, RIGHT? SO, ANYWAY, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, MAN.
I, I HAVE NO QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, I, I JUST WANNA LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH, WITH WHAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE PUT PUMPING OUT.
THOSE GUYS HAVE TO ADJUST THE MIC AFTERWARDS.
I WANNA ASK YOU ABOUT A PROGRAM PROGRAM THAT HAD BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYMORE.
UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SPARKS PROGRAM? WELL, UM, IT'S STILL ALIVE.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 40, AND, UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE STILL ENGAGED WITH SAN ANTONIO SPORTS.
THEY HELP GO AND IT'S A COLLABORATION, SO IT'S NOT JUST THEM DOING IT, UH, BUT SOURCE, UH, SCHOOLS THAT ARE INTERESTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEEMS TO BE SLOWING DOWN OVERALL, FRANKLY, COUNCILMAN, IS JUST INTEREST BY SCHOOLS JUST COMING OUTTA COVID SECURITY ISSUES, BUT IT IS, UH, NOT ENDED, AND IT IS STILL ALIVE.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ACTIVELY IN CON UH, CONVERSATION WITH TENNIS SPORTS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THOSE LOCATIONS WOULD BE IN 24.
BUT, UM, IT, IT, IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL THERE.
UM, I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT A FEW SCHOOLS AREN'T, AREN'T, UH, PARTICIPATING ANYMORE.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF, IF THE WHOLE THING HAD KIND OF SHUT DOWN, I'M GLAD IT'S STILL AROUND.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS REALLY SHOULD BE SHARED BY THE COMMUNITY, BUT, UH, IT TAKES NOT JUST THE SCHOOL, BUT THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THE COST, THE MAINTENANCE, UH, AND, AND THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE PROGRAMMING.
SO I'D SURE LIKE TO KNOW A LIST OF, UH, OR I THINK ALL US MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW A LIST OF WHAT ARE ALL THE, THE DISTRICTS AND THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROGRAM NOW.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UM, A PLAN AND THAT IS THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE 10 MINUTES FROM A NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES FROM A PARK.
IS THAT, UH, WALKING OR DRIVING WALK? OKAY.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN THERE YET, BUT I, I KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE WALKING IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE ME TREE MITIGATION FUND, UH, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE 12 MILLION SET ASIDE OR 11.9 MILLION FOR THIS, THIS NEXT YEAR.
HOW MUCH IS IN THAT FUND? IS THAT THE RESTRICTED FUND ON PAGE FOUR THAT LISTS LIKE $19.1 MILLION ANSWER COMING UP? YEAH.
YES, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE $19.1 MILLION.
UH, THE 11.9, HOW MUCH OF IT IS TREE MITIGATION FUND AND HOW MUCH IS IT OTHER KIND OF RESTRICTION? UM, OUT OF THE 19, THAT'S THE, THE, UM, THE 11.9 MILLION.
SO 11.9 WE'RE SPENDING NOW IS ALL THAT'S IN OUR TREE MITIGATION FUND IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING FOR 24.
NO, BUT I MEAN, WHAT'S IN THE TOTAL FUND CUMULATIVELY? HOW MUCH HAS GONE IN THERE OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT'S LEFT TO SPEND OVER THE YEARS? SO RIGHT NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR 2024, WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.
THE 11 MILLION INCLUDES FUNDING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR TREE PLANTING FOR PERSONNEL THAT ARE IN THERE THAT, UM, DEVELOP THEIR PROGRAMS. NO, I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT 11 MINUTE, YOU JUST SAID THERE'S ONLY 1.2 MILLION IN THE TREE MITIGATION FUND THAT, THAT'S THE ENDING BALANCE FOR 24.
SO OUR TOTAL REVENUES ARE ABOUT 6.4 MILLION.
SO OUR TOTAL AVAILABLE REVENUE, OR OUR TOTAL AVAILABLE RESOURCES ARE 14.9 MILLION.
[02:05:01]
OKAY.YOU REMEMBER, REMEMBER COUNCILMAN LAST YEAR WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE HAD, WE HAD A PRETTY LARGE FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? THERE WERE A NUMBER OF LARGE PROJECTS THAT HAD PAID INTO IT MM-HMM.
COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT? EQUIT TREE IS, UM, A TERM SERVICE RESIDENTIAL TREE PLANTING PROGRAM.
TERM SERVICE MEANS BASED ON THE CENSUS TRACK, FOCUSING ON CENSUS TRACKS WITH TEN NINE, RIGHT? AND WE'RE JUST NOW, UH, FINISHED CANVASSING CENSUS TRACKS WITH A SCORE OF 10, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TREE PLANTED IN THEIR FRONT YARD BASED ON THE HOMEOWNER'S AVAILABILITY.
THERE'S A PALLET NATIVE TREE, SHADE TREE THEY GET TO CHOOSE FROM, AND WE DO UTILITY LOCATES, THEN WE SCHEDULE THE INSTALL BASED ON THEIR AVAILABILITY, PROVIDE THEM WITH, UH, WE TALKED EARLIER, HEALTHCARE TIPS OR TREE CARE TIPS, WATER AND BAG, WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THAT'S THE DESIGN OF IT, MAKE IT SEAMLESS AND EASY FOR, UM, THOSE RESIDENTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF BASED ON WHERE THE GREATEST NEED FOR OTHER TREES THAT COULD GO INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AS OPPOSED TO SOME PARTS OF TOWN WHERE THEY MAY HAVE 20 TREES IN EVERYBODY'S HOUSE ALREADY.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE WE'RE FOCUSING ON PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE THERE AREN'T AS MANY TREES AND WE'RE ADDING TREES INTO DIFFERENT HOMES WOULD HELP THE CANOPY AS OPPOSED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES AND THERE IS A LOT OF CANOPY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT.
BUT AGAIN, FOCUS ON THOSE CENSUS TRACKS, RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY.
USING THE EQUITY ATLAS, BUT THAT, THAT'S EFFECTIVELY, UH, THE PROGRAM.
SO IT'S ECONOMIC AS WELL AS THE, THE CANOPY COVERAGE.
UM, THERE, THERE WAS, UM, A DISCUSSION ON PLAYGROUND SHADE STRUCTURES AND YOU SHOWED A A TABLE AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE $0 FOR DISTRICT NINE IN 2024.
UH, AND I KNOW OF A COUPLE OF PARKS THAT PROBABLY COULD USE SOME SHADE OVER, UH, SOME OF THE AREAS, BUT, UH, I KNOW THERE'S SHADE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PUT UP AT ONE OF MY PARKS.
SO IS THAT LIKE IN THE 2023 BUDGET? SO RIGHT NOW, UM, THE, THE TOTAL PLAYGROUND UNITS IN DISTRICT NINE, WE HAVE FIVE THREE ALREADY HAVE SHADE.
AND, UM, THE OTHER TWO LIMITED, UM, OPTIONS DUE TO TREE CANOPY.
SO FOR, UH, WALKER RANCH, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES WHERE DUE TO THE TREE CANOPY LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES, THAT'S WHY YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT ON THERE.
BUT I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAVE, UH, SHADE COVER PUT IN.
SEPARATELY, UM, THE LAST THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT WITH YOU IS THE, THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
I THINK ALL OF US REALLY LIKE THE TRAIL SYSTEM, BUT THERE IS A, THERE'S A BUILT IN, UH, BARRIER IN THAT TRAIL SYSTEM AND THAT IS THE WIDTH OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
UH, WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE ON THERE ON BIKES AND PEOPLE TRYING TO WALK AND PEOPLE TRYING TO WALK CHILDREN OR PUSHING CARRIAGES OR HAVING PETS, UH, IT IS UNSAFE FOR EVERYBODY ON MANY PARTS OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
I'VE WALKED IN 'CAUSE IT'S TOO NARROW.
ARE WE LOOKING AT WIDENING KNEES AND PROVIDING MORE PROTECTION FOR WALKERS AS WELL AS BIKERS? NO.
BIKERS I SEE OBEY A 15 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT AND THERE ARE NO SIGNS UP THERE SAYING 15 MILES AN HOUR.
SO WHY WOULD THEY, UH, SO I LOVE THE TRAIL SYSTEM, I USE IT, I KNOW ALL OF US DO, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE IT A MORE PRACTICAL SERVICEABLE TRAIL SYSTEM.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT IN MAKING THAT KIND OF AN IMPROVEMENT ALONG THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
BOTTOM LINE, LOOKING AT EXPANDING IT AT, AT ITS INCEPTION, THE IDEA WAS HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, WE'VE HEARD, AND, AND REALLY THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND USE HAS ALSO SERVED AS A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THAT REQUIRES FOR CURRENT PROJECTS BEING PLANNED IN DESIGN, THAT THEY BE WIDER.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT EVALUATING, UH, WHERE WE HAVE SOME HEAVILY TRAVELED AREAS WHERE MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A SEPARATE SIDE PATH FOR JUST WALKERS OR, OR CYCLISTS.
SO BOTTOM LINE, THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE ACTIVELY DOING WORKING INTO THE DESIGN AND IT'S TO ACCOMMODATE AND ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PRESSURES WHEN EVERYONE'S OUT THERE AT A, AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND HOW DESIGN WORKS, UHHUH, IT TAKES A WHILE AND IT'S GOTTA BE EXAMINED AND EVERYTHING, BUT I HOPE WE START GETTING THAT FEEDBACK SO THAT PARTICULARLY I CAN LOOK IN MY DISTRICT AS TO WHERE I THINK THOSE KEY AREAS ARE, MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.
AND I HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO WALK AND BIKE ALL THE TIME, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE
[02:10:01]
REALLY LOOKING TO MAKE THE TRAILS USEFUL AND SAFE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO USE IT.UH, I'LL JUST SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THE REESE FUNDS.
I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH HOW THIS MONEY IS BEING DISTRIBUTED, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BRING IT UP IN THIS KIND OF SESSION RIGHT NOW.
I'M GONNA WANNA SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TALK WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK MORE MONEY NEEDS TO GO INTO SUPPORTING THE IDEA OF HELPING HOMES BE BETTER PREPARED TO BE ENERGY EFFICIENT.
UH, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING ENOUGH OF THAT.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S A FEW OTHER THINGS.
I REMEMBER A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS CREATE, UH, MORE GREEN SPACE AND CREATE MORE CANOPY SPACE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I, I LIKE THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE ALLOCATED A LOT OF THESE FUNDS AND I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MY MORE OF WHY THEY WOULD.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, THERE WAS A, A GRANT FOR OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY.
IT WAS AROUND TECHNICAL AND CLIMATE RESEARCH OR SOMETHING.
AND, UH, DID THAT GO OUT TO BID FOR AN R F P OR SOMETHING? NO, IT DID NOT.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY I'M NOT USED TO HEARING O L L U AS A TECHNOLOGY AREA OR A RESEARCH AREA OR A CLIMATE AREA.
SO WHY THEY WERE GETTING A PRETTY BIG GRANT.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M SURPRISED ABOUT, AND I, AND I LOVE THE SCHOOL, DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE AFFORDING THE MONEY IN INAPPROPRIATE WAY.
YEAH, NO, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE EXPERTISE.
WE'VE MET WITH THEM ON A FEW OCCASIONS ALREADY AND WE'RE TESTING THEIR BANDWIDTH AND WHAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY DO.
SO THAT'S WHY IN THE PRESENTATION YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT AN EXTENSION OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE PARTNERS JUST LIKE U T S A, EVEN WHAT U T S A IS DOING NOW, THAT TOOK TIME FOR THEM TO RAMP UP JUST TO GET WHERE THEY ARE.
AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO NOW FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT PARKS ARE TO DISTRICT THREE AND I THINK DISTRICT THREE DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF ACTIVATING THEIR PARK SPACE.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT NUMBER FIVE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS.
UH, THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ENOUGH MONEY.
I, I, I MEAN I CAN THINK OF THREE PARKS IN DISTRICT THREE.
WE COULD, WE COULD USE THAT WITH AND LIKE THREE OTHER VACANT LOTS.
SO, UM, AS WE PILOT THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SET SOME EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT, UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO LOOK AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SEE HOW THEY CAN BE A PART OF IT TOO.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT AND SEEING THOSE PROJECTS UNFOLD IN DISTRICT THREE AND, AND THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT MENTIONED IT THAT I FEEL LIKE HAVE THE ENTHUSIASM TO GET THAT DONE ON SLIDE, UM, NUMBERS, WELL SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN IN TERMS OF THE SHADE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOMER IS POSSIBLY IF WE WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR THE HIGH USERS OF THE SHADE AS A COUNCIL OFFICE, GIVING THEM RECOGNITION FOR DOING A GOOD JOB OF TAKING CARE OF IT AND KEEPING IT CLEAN.
UM, AND WHETHER IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY, UM, A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, A SCHOOL COMMUNITY, THE, THE SOFT, IF THEY'RE USING IT FOR SOFTBALL PRACTICE AND THE KIDS GET TO PLAY THE THE SOFTBALL TEAM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP THE, THE PARKS CLEAN AND THE NEIGHBORS THAT DO THAT.
AND THEN MY FAVORITE, THE TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION AND MITIGATION FUND.
UM, AND Y'ALL, I I THINK EVERYONE'S CLEAR ON ON HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE TREES AND HOW I WANT TO SAVE AS MANY TREES AS WE CAN.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS TO DO THIS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AS WE GO INTO THE RESIDENTS.
AND, AND HERE'S MY QUESTION, AS WE TRY AND HELP THE RESIDENTS WITH PRESERVATION OF THEIR TREES, AM I FEAR THAT SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE RELUCTANT TO ASK QUESTIONS OR SEEK HELP BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT THEY HAVE A HERITAGE TREE AND THAT THEY HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAINTAIN THAT? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET SOMEONE OR SOME ORGANIZATION CAN HELP OR HOW CAN WE HELP THOSE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAYBE ARE IN FIXED INCOMES TAKE CARE OF THEIR LARGER TREES AND PRESERVE THEM? YEAH, SO THERE ARE, UM, SOME LOCAL ARBORISTS THAT DO SERVICES PRO BONO.
[02:15:01]
SO I THINK IT'S, AND AND YOU, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT BECAUSE THIS CAME UP I THINK PRIOR, UH, LAST BUDGET WORK SESSION.AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S WIDE KNOWLEDGE OF I'VE GOT A TREE, I'M A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, EXACTLY WHAT YOU POINTED OUT, CONNECTING THEM TO THAT SO WE CAN START TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE INTO WHAT WE PUT OUT THERE.
UH, AND THEN EVEN IN MAYBE FOR THE SELECTION OF A TREE, MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW TALL IT GETS OR HOW BIG IT GETS.
UM, AND SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING DEEP ENOUGH IN IN THE DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
AND THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE IS I'D LIKE TO SEE US LEVERAGE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH C P S, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT THREE WHERE MOST OF MY UTILITIES ARE OVERHEAD, THAT THEY CAN HELP WITH THESE RESIDENTS THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO TRIM THEIR TREES.
SO THEN THEY GET FRUSTRATED AND THEY'RE LIKE, I'M JUST GONNA TAKE THE WHOLE TREE DOWN.
AND WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM DO IT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, ALSO, SO, UH, I I WANNA MOVE ON TO SLIDE NUMBER NINE.
THE TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION IS, IS SO IMPORTANT AND I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THE ARBORETUM.
I THINK AS, AS WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND WE PRIORITIZE, IF WE HAVE MORE DOLLARS COME UP, WE NEED TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THE ARBORETUM KIND OF GET A JUMPSTART.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE ARE GONNA HAVE MORE SITUATIONS LIKE IN BRACKENRIDGE WHERE WE'RE GONNA SEE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REMOVE TREES AND HOW ARE WE GONNA REPLACE THEM? AND I KNOW THE CITY SAID THAT THEY WERE GONNA PLANT ALL THESE TREES IN PHASE TWO.
HOPEFULLY I'M STILL AROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO.
BUT IF THEY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT NURSERY, WHAT THE ARBORETUM IS HELPING WITH IS THERE TO, TO HELP WITH THAT RE REPLANTING OF TREES.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, WITH THE ARBORETUM TO MAKE THAT A, UM, AN AREA THAT CONNECTS WITH THE TRAILS.
BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT YELLOW PORTION IS NOT OUR TRAIL, IS IT? THAT'S BY THE ARBORETUM AND I THINK THAT'S ON MAP 11.
WE SECURED AN EASEMENT FOR THAT TRAIL DEVELOPMENT.
ALRIGHT, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET, WHEN WE GET TO THE PLANNING FOR THE ARBORETUM, FOR THE TRAILS, THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN THAT PLAN AND THAT THEY, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
I, I SEE IT IN, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S CRITICAL TO NOTE WE WON'T HAVE A RING AROUND SAN ANTONIO WITHOUT THAT TRAIL.
SO WE HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING IN PLACE.
WE HAVE REGULAR DIALOGUE AND CHECK-INS WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY AND EVERYTHING'S IN PLACE.
WE HAVE THE EASEMENT AND, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE COUNTY FUNDED TRAILS.
UH, AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING TO KIND OF, UM, UH, WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE BROUGHT UP IS THOSE, WHILE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF YELLOW, THERE'S SOME CRITICAL YELLOW AND WE NEED TO, UM, WE NEED UPDATES ON THAT.
I, WHAT I DO NOT WANNA SEE IS THE YELLOW SITTING IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE SITTING IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR BE THE LAST PART OF THE TRAIL TO GET COMPLETED.
SO IF WE COULD JUST ERIC, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY, UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THE PLANNING OF EVERY, AND WE'VE GOT LOTS OF PROJECTS AROUND THAT YELLOW OF DEVELOPMENT COMING UP AND THE COUNTY, IF THEY'RE GONNA BE PART OF THAT TRAIL, NEED TO BE PART OF THE PLANNING.
SO COUNCILMAN IS PART OF THE FOLLOW-UP MEMO.
MAYBE WE'LL GET, UH, FROM THE COUNTY, THE UPDATED TIMEFRAMES FOR ALL THE YELLOW SEGMENTS AND WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN THE MEMO OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S IT FOR PARKS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP AND, AND GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION.
THEN UM, THE NEXT IS, UM, DAVID WITH THE REESE.
SO, AND, AND YOU KNOW THIS DAVID, THAT I WAS KIND OF JUST DROPPED INTO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I SAT ON THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE 'CAUSE ARBORETUM POPPED UP.
IT'S LIKE, LET'S DO IT IN DISTRICT THREE.
UM, AND, AND 'CAUSE I SAT ON SOME VERY KEY COMMITTEES HERE, SO I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED.
BUT ON SLIDE SIX WHERE I, I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS IN TERMS OF LEVERAGING THOSE
[02:20:01]
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND, UM, DO WE HAVE A STRATEGY IN TERMS OF WHAT'S COMING OUT FEDERALLY THAT IS REALLY KIND OF LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN GO AFTER? AND I THINK DOUG WANTS TO COME UP AND A CRACK.YEAH, LET ME TAKE A CRACK AT DOUG.
ANYWAY, THE, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AFTER THOSE NOTICES FOR, UH, THOSE GRANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO THE NO FOS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR US.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY WATCHING IT BECAUSE IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME AND IT COULD DISAPPEAR IF WE DON'T HIT THOSE TARGET DATES.
SO DOUG HAS HIS STAFF CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO SOME OF THOSE LOW HANGING FRUITS WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE.
DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING DIFFERENT? AND, AND JUST, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK EVERY WEEK.
THE OTHER KEY THING THAT OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING ON HAS BEEN PARTNERING AND, AND PROVIDING CAPACITY TO NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
UM, THERE'S THINGS THEY CAN GO AFTER THAT WE CAN'T.
AND SO WE, AND I WON'T MENTION IT, BUT WE HAVE A, A NONPROFIT PARTNER WHO GOT A REALLY POSITIVE EVALUATION FROM E P A THAT LOOKS LIKE FUNDING MAY BE COMING TO, UM, TO DO DIRECT WORK WITH NONPROFITS.
SO IT'S WHERE WE'RE, WE SPEND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE ON TOP OF THINGS, BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THOSE DOLLARS.
AND OF, UH, THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL IS ONE, WE'VE DONE FOOD FOREST AND DISTRICT THREE, WHICH I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
SAN ANTONIO KNOWS HOW TO CONSERVE WATER.
I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE NEED TO, UM, TO THE, THE, TO THE GRANT FUNDERS IS THAT WHEN WE ARE, WHEN ASKED TO CONSERVE, WE CAN DO IT.
I THINK LAST WEEK WHEN WE TOLD PEOPLE, DON'T USE YOUR WASHER AND DRYER, DON'T RUN YOUR DISHWASHER, WATCH YOUR UH, UM, ELECTRICAL USE.
SO SAN ANTONIO'S REALLY GOOD AT THAT AND I WANNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WITH YOUR TEAM, WITH DOUG'S TEAM, WE ARE GOING TO DO THE DISTRICT THREE STATUS OF SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT ALL THAT AND THE GOOD THINGS WE'RE DOING AND THEN THE THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON.
I, I'M AGAIN REALLY EXCITED TO SEE ON SLIDE 17 LIGHTING FOR KENNEDY PARK AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
I KNOW YOU ALL WENT OUT THERE AND WALKED THE TRACK WHEN UH, I FORWARDED SOME CONCERNS WITH THE TRACK HAVING BEING UNLEVELED.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO OPPORTUNITY TOWARDS WORKING TOWARDS RESURFACING THAT TRACK.
UM, BUT I, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PRESENTATION AND IT MAY BE IN THE, THE, THE BUDGET BOOK, BUT IS THERE FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THE SCHOOL, UH, PARKS PROGRAM? YES.
SO THAT IS BUILT INTO OUR BUDGET AND UH, SAN ANTONIO SPORTS WORKS WITH US IN COLLABORATION TO IDENTIFY LOCATIONS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A COOLING, IF YOU WILL, IN INTEREST FROM SCHOOLS JUST 'CAUSE THEIR FOCUS HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON STILL IDENTIFYING THOSE LOCATIONS FOR THIS UPCOMING PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME REVISIT AND HAVE THE DIALOGUE WITH SAN ANTONIO SPORTS.
DO WE NEED TO PIVOT AND MAYBE GROW IT INTO SOMETHING ELSE? UM, JUST 'CAUSE AGAIN, THE, THE INTEREST HAS WANED A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT IS IN MY BUDGET, UH, AND WE, UH, ALLOCATE $200,000 ANNUALLY FOR THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW HARRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL IS, UH, REALLY EAGER TO PARTNER IT THERE AND WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
AND THEN I, I WANTED TO UH, CIRCLE BACK TO THE CONVERSATION AROUND SHADE STRUCTURES AT PARKS.
I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT INITIATIVE, UH, BUT I WANNA ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY SHIFT FROM THE CANOPIES WITH THE, I DON'T WANNA SAY BURLAP, BUT THE, THE, THE STRUCTURE, RIGHT? THEY, THEY, WITH THE SUN, IT KIND OF DISINTEGRATES AND THEN THEY FALL APART.
LIKE THE FABRIC YOU MEAN? YES, CORRECT.
AND, AND AND SHIFTING, UH, WELL I THINK IT'S GREAT AND WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, BUT HOW WE CAN ALSO PIVOT TO A PLANTING TREES AROUND BASKETBALL COURTS, RIGHT? AND I'M THINKING OF ESCOBAR PARK AND THEIR BASKETBALL COURT IS HUGGED BY TREES AND IT PROVIDES LIKE REALLY GOOD SHADE AND THAT BASKETBALL COURT GETS A LOT OF GOOD USE AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT REPLACEMENT, RIGHT? UM, JUST TREE MAINTENANCE.
UM, BUT JUST THAT'S I THINK A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PLANT MORE TREES AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE CANOPY TO OUR PLAYGROUNDS AND OUR BASKETBALL COURTS.
AND, AND, UM, I'M GONNA DOUBLE DOWN ON THE ESCOBAR PARK COMMENT.
UH, SO I GOT TO VISIT AN EVENT, UH, IN THE SPRING AT ESCOBAR PARK AND I MET THESE GREAT GUYS WHO WERE PLAYING HANDBALL.
UH, AND SO THERE'S A HANDBALL COURT AT ESCOBAR PARK AND IT LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A HANDBALL COURT, BUT IT COULD USE SOME MAINTENANCE.
[02:25:01]
OTHER THING I LEARNED IS THAT, UH, THOSE GUYS ACTUALLY HOST PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER TOWN, ALL OVER TEXAS.AND SO, UM, THERE IS A HANDBALL COMMUNITY.
I HEARD THE PICKLEBALL COMMENTS, HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN INTO IT YET, BUT HANDBALL I KNOW AND IS PRETTY LOW MAINTENANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOW BARRIER OF ENTRY.
I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN HELP HIM, 'EM IMPROVE THAT PARK AND ALSO MAYBE TALK TO THEM ABOUT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO 'CAUSE IT.
WE'RE ALREADY ENGAGED WITH THEM.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM MYSELF, MELINDA SERTA, OUR, UH, DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER PARK OPERATIONS AND HER TEAM KNOW THEM A LOT MORE THAN I DO, BUT, UH, THEY'RE A GREAT GROUP.
WE HAVE A DIRECT, UH, COLLABORATION AND WE'RE THERE WITH THEM.
SO, AND IT WAS REALLY HOT, SO I DON'T KNOW IF A SHADE STRUCTURE WILL WORK ON THE COURT THERE, BUT OH YEAH, FOR SURE.
OUT OF THE 22 BOND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.
MELINDA SERTA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THE HANDBALL GROUP AND THEY WILL BE GETTING SHADE OVER THE HANDBALL COURTS THERE.
SO THEY'RE EXCITED AND WE'RE IN COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE TIMELINE AS WELL.
OKAY, WELL, CAN'T WAIT TO GO SEE SOME GAMES AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR OUR DISCUSSION.
SO IT'S 3:34 PM ON AUGUST 31ST, 2023.