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COULD YOU PLEASE HAVE A SEAT? WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF MAY THE 15TH, 2019.
>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TURN THE FLOOR TO JUAN ANTONIO WHO HAS SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT OUR VENUE.
>> WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT ROBUST ATTENDANCE.
WE DO HAVE OVERFLOW SPACE FOR THOSE OF YOU STANDING IN OUR MARKETING CONFERENCE ROOM, WHICH IS THE ROOM TO MY RIGHT, AND THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL OVERFLOW SPACE IN THE LOUNGE BEHIND US.
STAFF, ANYONE WEARING A PORT SAN ANTONIO BADGE CAN DIRECT YOU.
THERE ARE BATHROOMS DOWN THIS HALLWAY TO THE LEFT FOR YOUR USE, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS REALLY ROBUST TURNOUT.
WE DID OUR BEST TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, SEATING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL OF THE CITIZENS AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY SUFFICIENTLY.
DON'T HESITATE TO ASK ME OR ANY OF THE REST OF THE PORT STAFF FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU NEED.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, JUAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE THREE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE ORDER JUST SLIGHTLY AND TAKE CANVASSING FIRST FOLLOWED BY OUR PORT BRIEFING BECAUSE WE DO HAVE EXECUTIVES HERE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE WORK TO DOF I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER.
>> JUST ONE ADDITIONAL DETAIL, MAYOR, FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
WE DO HAVE INTERPRETATION SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR FOR ANYBODY THAT MAY NEED ASSISTANCE FOR THE MEETING TODAY.
[1. 19-2409 Ordinance canvassing the results of the May 4, 2019 General Election and establishing early voting and polling locations for the June 8, 2019 Run-Off Election. [Leticia Vacek, City Clerk]]
THANKS.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT, ERIK, IF YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF, OR IS THAT LETICIA, WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE WHICH IS THE CANVASSING.
WE HAD AN ELECTION MAY FOURTH AND THIS IS THE CANVASSING REPORT FOR THAT PARTICULAR ELECTION.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START.
THE VOTER DATA THAT WE'VE PLACED BEFORE YOU INDICATES THE TOTAL VOTES CAST, INCLUDING PROVISIONAL BALLOTS AND OVERSEAS BALLOTS.
REGISTERED VOTERS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS OF APRIL THE 12TH, 2019, WAS 782,084 VOTERS.
THE TURNOUT, THEREFORE, IS 13.03%.
SO THE CANVASSING REPORT FOR PLACE 11, WHICH IS THE MAYOR'S PLACE, JOHN VELASQUEZ, 1,644 VOTES.
MICHAEL COMMANDER IDRIGO, GREG BROCKHOUSE 46,413 VOTES.
BERT CECCONI, 573-VOLTS AND ANTONIO "TONY" DIAZ, 1104 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 101,866 VOTES.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GO ON TO PLACE 1, WHICH IS DISTRICT 1.
ROBERT TO C TREVINO, 5754, RICHARD GONZALES FOR A GRAND 366 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 9648 VOTES.
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POWELL, 289 VOTES.RICHARD ANTHONY RAMEY, 133 VOTES.
KEITH A. TONY, 1,057 VOTES, 473 VOTES.
DENISE GUTIERREZ HOMER, 1100 VOTES.
AND I DID WANT TO MENTION YESTERDAY WE HAD THE RECOUNT FOR DISTRICT 2 THAT MRS. GUTIERREZ HOMER BROUGHT FORWARD AND THE COMPLETION AFTER ALL THE RECOUNT WAS SAID AND DONE DID NOT CHANGE THE NUMBERS.
WALTER E. PERRY, SR., 554 VOTES.
RUBEN ASENEGA, 278 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 5,414 VOTES.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE 3, WHICH IS DISTRICT 3, REBECCA VIAGRAN, 4,255-VOLTS, ELIZABETH LIZ CAMPOS, 3,058 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 7,313 VOTES.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE 4, WHICH IS DISTRICT 4, JOHNNY ARRENDONDO, 1,011 VOTES.
SAMANTHA SAMMY SANCHEZ WITH 779 VOTES.
GENEVIEVE TRINIDAD, 324 VOTES, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, 2248 VOTES.
JOEL MENDOZA, 384 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 4746 VOTES.
PLACE 5, WHICH IS DISTRICT 5, ANTHONY GRESS, 1,338 VOTES, NAZ WREATH RUBEN FLORES PEREZ, 193 VOTES.
SHIRLEY GONZALES, 3,295 VOTES.
JOMA DA 53 LA, 192 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 5,018 VOTES.
PLACE 6, WHICH IS DISTRICT 6, MARIO ADAME, 552 VOTES.
ROBERT HERRERA, 1,121 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 9,325 VOTES.
DISTRICT 7, WHICH IS MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE SENS, WILL MCCLOUD, 1,053 VOTES.
KIMBERLY GRANT, 547 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 12,422 VOTES.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE 8, WHICH IS DISTRICT AICTZ, MANNY PELAEZ, 7,364 VOTES, TONY BALDIVA, 3,717 VOTES.
FRANKY GONZALES WOLF, 1,538 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 12,619 VOTES.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE 9, WHICH IS DISTRICT 9, NICHOLAS BALDERAS, 862 VOTES.
PATRICK VANDOLEN, 7,220 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 17,758 VOTES.
MEMBER OF COUNCIL PLACE 10, CLAYTON PERRY, 8,562 VOTES, ELISE KEEBLER, 986 VOTES.
MARIA PEREZ, 856 VOTES, LINDA MONTEANO, 702 VOTES FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 13,429 VOTES.
SO IT IS HEREBY DECLARED THAT AS A RESULT OF SAID ELECTION THE FOLLOWING PERSONS ARE ELECTED TO A TWO-YEAR TERM OF OFFICE COMMENCING JUNE 1ST, 2019.
ROBERT TO C. TREVINO, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NO. 1.
REBECCA VIAGRAN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NO. 3.
SHIRLEY GONZALES, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NO. 5.
ANA SANDOVAL, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NUMBER SEVEN.
MANNY PELAEZ, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NUMBER EIGHT.
JOHN COURAGE, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NUMBER NINE, AND CLAYTON PERRY, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, PLACE NO. 10.
[APPLAUSE] SO THE RUNOFF ELECTION WILL CONTINUE.
IT IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, JUNE THE EIGHTH, 2019, FROM 7:0.
THAT IS IF YOU VOTE ON ELECTION DAY.
FOR THE POSITION TION OF MAYOR -- POSITIONS OF MAYOR AND
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS 2, 4 AND 6.CITY RESIDENTS REGISTERED BY MAN THE RUNOFF ELECTION.
QUALIFIED VOTERS WHO DID NOT VOTE IN THE MAY 4TH ELECTION CAN VOTE IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION.
THERE ARE 25 EARLY VOTING SITES AND 218 ELECTION DAY POLLING SITES THAT WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION.
THE RUNOFF ELECTION IS ESTIMATED TO COST $840,000.
FUNDING IS ALLOCATED UNDER THE 2019 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FUND.
AND RIGHT HERE, YOU SEE THE EARLY VOTING SITES THAT WILL BE OPEN AS OF MAY 28TH THROUGH JUN.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL POLLS WILL BE CLOSED ON SUNDAY, JUNE 2ND.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR MAY 29TH, WEDNESDAY, AT 5:30 P.M. IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THE CEREMONIAL PRESENTATIONS OF THE CERTIFICATES OF ELECTION, ADMINISTRATION OF OATH OF OFFICE, STATEMENT OF APPOINTED OR ELECTED OFFICER TO THE 2019-2021 COUNCIL WILL BE ADMINISTERED.
ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2019, WE WILL HAVE AT 2:00 P.M. THE CANVASS FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION AND THE PRESENTATION OF THOSE CERTIFICATES OF ELECTION, THE OATHS OF OFFICE AND, OF COURSE, THE APPRECIATION PLAQUES FOR THE OUTGOING COUNCIL.
THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS IMMEDIATELY WILL TAKE OFFICE, THE DRAWING FOR MAYOR PRO TEM TERMS WILL FOLLOW AS WELL AS THE OFFICIAL PHOTO.
THERE WILL BE AN INTERFAITH BLESSING HOSTED BY THE SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL AT 3:00 P.M.
THAT DAY AND AT 5:30 P.M. WE'LL HAVE THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY.
LE TIESHTIA, SOME OF THESE EARLY VOTING PLACES ARE CHANGED, THEY'RE NOT AS MANY.
>> CLERK: RIGHT VEEGZ SO HOW WE --
>> VIAGRAN: HOW ARE WE GETTING THE WORD OUT TO OUR RESIDENTS OR HOW CAN WE?
>> CLERK: THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN WE HAD THE MAIN ELECTION MAY FOURTH, WE HAD A JOINT ELECTION WITH MANY OTHER ENTITIES, CITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ET CETERA.
SO THEREFORE, MANY MORE SITES WERE UTILIZED.
NOW BECAUSE IT'S ONLY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THESE ARE ONLY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROPER ELECTION SITES.
AND SO WE WILL GET THE WORD OUT VIA PRESS RELEASES, POSTING IT ON OUR WEBSITE, THE ELECTION'S OFFICE IS ALSO ASSISTING US WITH GETTING THE WORD OUT.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE, WE CAN SEND THAT INFORMATION TO YOUR OFFICES SO THAT YOU, TOO, CAN SHARE WITH YOUR DISTRICTS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
THIS IS IN THE FORM OF THE ORDINANCE -- ACTION FOR ACCEPTANCE OF THE CANVASSING RESULTS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RUNOFF DATE AND OTHERS ASSOCIATED.
THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO. 1.
WE DON'T HAVE OUR ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM SO WE'LL TAKE IT BY VOICE VOTE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COLLEAGUES WHO MOVE FORWARD TO
[3. 19-3814 The Port Authority of San Antonio will present a progress report on economic activity to include strategic direction, recent accomplishments, and ongoing partnership initiatives. [Carlos Contreras, Assistant City Manager; Rene Dominguez, Director, Economic Development]]
THE '19-'21 COUNCIL.ITEM NUMBER TWO IS GOING TO BE OUR PORT S. A. BRIEFING WITH GYM BRUSBACH.
>> WELL, MAYOR AND COUNCIL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN HERE.
WELCOME TO PORT SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS REALLY ONE OF THE JEWELS OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THE JOBS THAT WE'RE CREATING ON THIS PROPERTY, AND THERE'S TWO GROUPS OF FOLKS I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE BEFORE WE START.
THE FIRST IS OUR CHAIR, CHRIS ALDRETE AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTOR WHOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT SET THIS POLICY, THEY'RE THE VOLUNTEERSVO THAT YOU APPOIT AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DRIVE WHAT WE DO HERE EVERY DAY.
>> I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE, WE ARE REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE A NUMBER OF THE EMPLOYERS HERE, AND WE TALK ABOUT THE JOBS THAT WE CREATE ON THIS PROPERTY, OVER 13,000 AT LAST COUNT, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF US, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE EMPLOYERS.
AND WE'RE JOINED TODAY BY SOME OF OUR GREAT EMPLOYERS WHO COLLECTIVELY EMPLOY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
I WON'T TELL YOU THE EXACT NUMBER, IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE CLINT FROM SYSTEMIC, ONE OF OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS, DAN, TYLER FROM THE BOEING COMPANY, DAVID MONROE FROM THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, PAUL EVANS FROM THE SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE, GABE GARZA FROM REBECCA VIAGRANING POINT.
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FOUNDERS OF PLUS ONE ROBOTICS, PATRICIA, BLANE ADAMS FROM CACILGS LABORATORIES, DAN, MICHAEL KNIGHT, ROXANNE RAMIREZ, ONE OF OUR NEWEST AND PROUDEST CUSTOMERS HERE ON THE PROPERTY OF CNF TECHNOLOGIES AND CHRIS GUN DERSON FROM IP SECURE.THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO EMPLOY.
>> YOU KNOW, WE SAY AT PORT SAN ANTONIO THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS PROVIDING CONNECTED SOLUTIONS FOR A CONNECTED WORLD.
AND THAT'S WHAT PORTS DO, IS CONNECT PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGIES.
AND WHEN WE TOOK OVER ABOUT A YEAR AGO WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE SAID THERE WERE THREE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO: CONNECT PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES, AND YOU SEE WHAT THE LAWYERS AND MARKETING PEOPLE, RIGHT, IT'S TALENT AND EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY IT'S PEOPLE.
WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES.
WE'RE CONNECTING EDUCATION TO DEMAND WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE UNIVERSITIES AND ACADEMIC ADVISERS AND WE'RE CONNECTING BUYERS TO SELLERS.
YOU ASK THE QUESTION, HOW ARE WE DOING SO FAR? WE HAVE OVER 80 EMPLOYERS ON THIS CAMPUS.
THERE ARE OVER 13,000 PEOPLE WORKING HERE, AND BECAUSE OF THE WORK SOME OF THEM DO, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S MORE THAN 13,000.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THE STATE OF TEXAS DID A STUDY AS TO WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF JUST THIS CAMPUS IS.
AND IT WAS 5 BILLION PLUS DOLLARS.
AND THAT WAS BEFORE WE HAD A BUNCH OF THE EMPLOYERS AND A BUNCH OF THE ACTIVITIES.
AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, JUST THIS YEAR, OVER 1,000 JOBS.
AND THAT'S NOT JIM SAYING OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THAT IS JUST THIS YEAR.
AND YOU RUN THROUGH A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE HEARD SOME OF THESE BEFORE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING A CONCERT, YOU TALK ABOUT THE GREATS.
THE BOEING COMPANY, ONE OF OUR ANCHOR CUSTOMERS, OVER 20 YEARS ON THIS PROPERTY.
IT IS THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT SUSTAINMENT SITE IN THE BOEING INVENTORY, ONE OF THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT SUSTAINMENT SITES ON THE WORLD.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT THAT PROPERTY IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, EVERYTHING FROM THE EXECUTIVE FLEET TO THE FA18 CHANGE IN CORPORATION, THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND NEW COMMUNICATION SO THE AIRPLANE CAN FLY FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS.
AND DOWN THERE, THAT ONE BUILDING THEY HAVE, YOU CAN'T TELL FROM HERE, BUT YOU CAN PARK MORE AIRPLANES INSIDE THAT BUILDING AT ONE TIME AND CLOSE THE DOORS THAN MOST COMMERCIAL AIRPORTS CAN HAVE AT THEIR GATES AT ANY ONE POINT IN TIME.
LAST YEAR, NOT COUNTED IN OUR 1,000 JOBS THIS YEAR, THE BOEING COMPANY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE DOUBLING THEIR WORKFORCE HERE AT PORT SAN ANTONIO.
RIGHT NEXT TO THEM WE HAVE STANDARD ARROW, THE LARGEST THIRD-PARTY ENGINE MRO SHOP IN THE WORLD DOING AMAZING THINGS, ALMOST 700,000 SQUARE FEET OF ENGINE REPAIR SHOP.
OVERHAULING EVERYTHING FROM BIG TURBO PROP ENGINES TO SOME OF THE BIGGEST FAN ENGINES ON THE PLANET, AND THEY, LIKE BOEING, ARE RAPIDLY GROWING.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE BIG COMPANIES WE HAVE ON THIS PROPERTY.
WE HAVE STARTUPS, AND ONE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS PLUS ONE ROBOTICS.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO SEAN AND A FEW OF HIS FRIENDS DECIDED WHAT THEY SAW WAS A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY.
INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS, WELL, THAT'S YESTERDAY'S TECHNOLOGY.
BUT THEY'RE BLIND AND THEY'RE STUPID.
IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TAKE ARTIFICIAL SENSORS AND GIVE THOSE ROBOTS EYESIGHT AND TAKE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ALLOW THOSE ROBOTS TO FIGURE THINGS OUT.
THEY HAVE OPENED A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF ROBOTICS.
IN FACT, THEY ARE ONE OF THE BEST FUNDED STARTUPS TO COME OUT OF SAN ANTONIO IN YEARS.
THEY HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO GO ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, THEIR VENTURE CAPITAL WANTED THEM TO GO ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY AND THEY STAYED HERE.
AND YOU ASK THEM WHY THEY STAYED, WHY THEY'RE BUILDING INTO A BRAND-NEW FACILITY WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THEM, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ACCESS TO THE TALENT AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE HAVE NOT JUST HERE ON THIS CAMPUS, BUT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THIS IS BRAND-NEW NEWS, WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.
IT'S NOT -- INSTALLED IN AN AIRPLANE.
RIGHT DOWN THERE IN THE BOTTOM, YOU HAVE A LOCKHEED MARTIN C-1 30 AIRCRAFT, AND THAT HEALTHCARE MODULE THAT GOES INTO THAT AIRPLANE ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A FLYING HOSPITAL, FLYING HEALTHCARE, WHICH IS NOT JUST GOING TO PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SUPPORT TO OUR WARRIORS, IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SUPPORT TO REMOTE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE PLANET.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY TO EXISTING PLATFORMS, IT'S COMPANIES LIKE NIGHT AEROSPACE.
I WANT TO GIVE SOME REAL CREDIT TO OUR FRIENDS AT THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION FOR THIS.
NIGHT AEROSPACE HAS BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY RECORDED TO GO A -- WERE COURTED TO GO A LOT OF OTHER PLACES IN THIS COUNTRY, AND IT WAS THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION THAT REALLY DID YOEMEN'S WORK IN KEEPING THEM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE GOING TO GROW THEM HERE IN
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SAN ANTONIO.YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS ON THIS PROPERTY ALONE IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, NOT THIS YEAR, PAST 12 MONTHS FIVE OF THE MOST CYBERSECURITY LABS HAVE OPENED ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND ITAL LOL R LOUS US TO SAY WITHOUT ANY EXAGGERATION WHATSOEVER THAT WE REALLY ARE THE HOME OF CYBER CITY USA.
WHAT'S NOT ON THIS LIST ARE THE MILITARY CAPABILITIES, BECAUSE I COULDN'T GIVE YOU THIS SLIDE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT SOMEWHERE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW IS HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE CYBER COMMAND.
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SURVEILLANCE, RECONNAISSANCE AND DEMAND, IN THE AIR FORCE LIFE FORCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP.
AND YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH THE AVIATION CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE ON THIS PROPERTY, THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST NAMES ON THE PLANET IN AVIATION, AND THEY'RE RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, RIGHT HERE ON THIS CAMPUS, DOING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING WORK.
WITH STARTUPS AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND MANUFACTURING COMPANIES.
THAT'S WHAT REPRESENTS OUR 13,000 PLUS EMPLOYERS ON THIS PROPERTY.
THE EDUCATION, A FEW YEARS AGO WE OPENED THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
I SHOULDN'T SAY WE OPENED IT, WE GAVE IT A HOME, BECAUSE IT'S DAVID MONROE'S PROJECT.
WE PUT THEM INTO AN OLD CHAPEL ON THIS PROPERTY AND IT WAS A FLYER THAT OUR BOARD ALLOWED US TO TAKE.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE HAD STUDENTS COME FROM ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE SOME HEAT MAPS OF WHAT HAVE COME THROUGH.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN A REALLY, REALLY SMALL SPACE.
THERE WERE FOLKS WHO SAID, YOU BUTT THAT MUSEUM DOWN THERE IN PORT SAN ANTONIO, NOBODY'S GOING TO IT.
OUR PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALL OVER, THERE'S A WAITING LIST TO GET IN.
WE CAN ONLY GET SO MANY PEOPLE IN AT ONE TIME.
BUT YOU LOOK AT THOSE LIVES CHANGED AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND IT'S NOT JUST KIDS WHO HAVE COME BY ON A FIELD TRIP.
THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN MATCHED UP WITH EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN MATCHED UP WITH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND EMPLOYMENT.
OUR ROBOTICS COMPANIES HAVE USED THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE THE SA TEXAS ROBOTICS MEETUP.
THERE ARE OVER 200 OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN ROBOTS WHO COME DOWN HERE AND MEET ROUTINELY AND IT ALLOWS COMPANIES LIKE WRECK IN POINT AND ROBOTICS TO GET TOGETHER AND DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE FRANKLY GOING TO BE GAME-CHANGING.
AND THIS ONE, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THIS ONE.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS TOOK ON A CRAZY $20 MILLION BET.
THAT WAS LET'S GO AND BUILD A CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND EVERY CONSULTANT, REAL ESTATE PERSON, EVERY FINANCE PERSON ON EARTH SAID, YOU GUYS ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND.
NOBODY BUILDS A CLASS A BUILDING ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE GOT HELP FROM YOU AS A COUNCIL.
AND ONE $.3 MILLION WENT INTO THAT BUILDING TO HELP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE -- $1.3 MILLION WENT INTO THAT TO HELP US PUT THAT BUILDING TOGETHER.
THERE'S A DRAINAGE PROGRAM GOING ON THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM, $24 MILLION FOR DRAINAGE THAT ALLOWS US TO PUT THAT BUILDING TOGETHER.
BUT THE BET THAT THE BOARD TOOK TO BUILD A FULLY SPECK CLASS A OFFICE BUILDING ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS, THAT BUILDING IS COMPLETELY OCCUPIED.
IN FACT, IT IS SO SUCCESSFUL, AND YOU'RE THE FIRST ONES TO HEAR, WE'RE ABOUT TO BUILD A SECOND ONE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE ARE HUGE.
BUT BEFORE I TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES, WHEN I WAS BACK LEARNING HOW TO SPEAK, THEY SAID THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU WANT TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION IS SCARE THEM.
THIS IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING US AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR US.
I'M GOING TO PUT THIS UP, THREATENED COMMUNITIES.
LAST WEEK, THE CITY OF BALTIMORE WAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? EVERYTHING IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE WAS TURNED OFF.
WHAT WASN'T TURNED OFF, THEY UNPLUGGED.
THEY TOLD PEOPLE, DON'T PAY YOUR BILLS, WE CAN'T ACCEPT THEM.
NONE OF THEIR COUNCILMEMBERS COULD GET ACCESS TO THEIR E-MAILS.
AND IT WAS SHUT DOWN BECAUSE AS WE MOVE INTO A CONNECTED WORLD, AS WE MOVE OUT OF COMPONENTS AND INTO SYSTEMS, ALL IT TAKES IS ONE OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN THERE AND SHUT THINGS DOWN.
AND WE TALK ABOUT, WE COME OUT OF THE DEFENSE -- AUDIO] -- WHAT IF A NUCLEAR BOMB GOES OFF AND THE ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE SHUTS DOWN OUR POWER GRID? IT'S A BAD DAY, BUT IT'S A BAD DAY IF YOU HAVE A NUCLEAR BOMB GO OFF.
WHAT IF SOMEBODY IN SOME ROGUE COUNTRY DECIDES TO SHUT DOWN OUR POWER GRID, OR EVEN WORSE, WHAT
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IF NOBODY DOES ANYTHING MALICIOUSLY.MY WIFE HAS AN APP ON HER PHONE THAT SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVE, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, SHE WILL NOT UPGRADE HER PHONE BECAUSE THE NEW IS WON'T ACCEPT THAT HAPPEN.
WE HAVE SYSTEMS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, LEGACY SYSTEMS THEY CALL THEM, THAT ARE INCOMPATIBLE.
AS WE START MOVING INTO A MORE CONNECTED SYSTEM, THOSE LEGACY SYSTEMS START INTERRUPTING, IT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE SOMEBODY DOING SOMETHING BAD.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, WE DON'T LOOK AT THIS AT THE PORT FROM THE BAD SIDE OF THIS.
WE LOOK AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
THERE IS A MULTITRILLION DOLLAR ADDRESSABLE MARKET.
FOR NOT JUST SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS, FOR ADDRESSING HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THINGS BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
AND WHAT'S THE GREATEST INDUSTRY ON THIS PLANET, NO OFFENSE TO SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS BUT I CAN'T GET PAST THIS, IT'S AVIATION.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH AVIATION IS, JUST LIKE WITH CARS WE HAVE SAID FOR YEARS, EVERY X NUMBER OF HOURS, EVERY X NUMBER OF FLIGHTS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR AIRPLANE IN AND WE'RE GOING TO SERVICE IT WHETHER IT NEEDS IT OR NOT.
AND WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THAT? IT COSTS A FORTUNE.
THE NATIONAL DEFENSE THORS SAIRGS ACT HAS HISTORICALLY SERVICED 67% FOR THE EXPECTED MAINTENANCE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS A LOT OF AIRPLANES, LOT OF SYSTEMS AREN'T GOING TO WORK IN A GIVEN YEAR BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING FOR MAINTENANCE.
ON THE AIRLINE SIDE, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A TON OF BUSINESS GO OUT OF THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN COMMODEITIZED.
IT'S GONE TO THE LOWEST PRICE.
THERE ARE PLACES IN MEXICO AND PLACES IN INDONESIA WHERE THEY PLAYED SKILLED LABOR ONE OR $2 AN HOUR, WHERE THEY PAY ENGINEERS $1,000 A MONTH.
WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH THAT, WE DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH IT.
AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS CALLED CONDITION-BASED MAINTENANCE OR PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE.
KNOW WHEN THAT AIRPLANE IS GOING TO BREAK BEFORE IT BREAKS.
THIS IS THE POSITIVE SIDE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT UTSA AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER.
TO DO THAT, YOU NEED A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, YOU NEED A SENSOR ON THE AIRPLANE, ACTUALLY 20 SENSORS TO CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO CAPTURE TERABYTES OF DATA, WHICH MEANS SOMEBODY HAS TO CRUNCH THAT DATA, ANALYZE THAT DATA, FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SECURITY ON THAT DATA BACK AND FORTH.
YOU BRING TOGETHER THE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT SIDE OF THE TECHNOLOGY WITH THE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THE AIRPLANE, YOU SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
NOT ONLY DO WE BRING THAT BUSINESS BACK, BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SELL THAT TECHNOLOGY AND DO THAT WORK GOES THROUGH THE ROOF.
IT'S ABOUT COMPETING ON VALUE, NOT COMPETING ON PRICE.
AND SO WHAT'S THE PLAN? WE'VE SEEN THIS PLAN.
THE INNOVATION CENTER, WHICH IS STEP 1.
AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTY EXPLAINING THIS.
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS: WHAT IS THE BEST AIRPLANE EVER MADE? ANYBODY HAVE AN IDEA? IT'S THE BOEING 757 232.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AIRPLANE.
>> THE PROBLEM IS, I DON'T HAVE A MODEL OF THAT AIRPLANE.
I HAVE THIS, WHICH IS A BOEING 747 INTERCONTINENTAL.
HAS THE GENERAL ELECTRIC GEN X ON THE SIDE.
MY WIFE BOUGHT ME THIS, I WAS SO EXCITEDDED.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE JUST BECAUSE PRESENTS.
I SAID MONICA, WHY DID YOU GET IT FOR ME? SHE SAID JIM, BECAUSE YOU'RE A Y GEN X.
I'VE TAUGHT HER TOO MUCH ABOUT AIRPLANES.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THIS IS HOW THE INNOVATION CENTER IS GOING TO WORK.
THIS RIGHT HERE IS ENGINE NUMBER ONE.
THERE ARE ENGINES HERE THAT ARE BROOKS, THAT ARE DOWNTOWN, THAT ARE UTSA.
YOU DON'T SEE IT AS BEFORE ENGINEER PLANE BUT WE HAVE 20 ENGINES IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'VE GOT PEOPLE UP HERE DRIVING IT, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE INSIDE, AND THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND? WELL, YOU NEED THESE ENGINES TO WORK.
AND INSIDE THIS ENGINE AND DAN GONZALES CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT, YOU HAVE THESE BIG FANS RIGHT UP FRONT.
THEY'RE MADE NOT TOO FAR OUTSIDE THE TOWN.
AND THEN INSIDE THERE, YOU TAKE AIR AND YOU TAKE FUEL AND SOME BYPASSES IT AND SOME SPINS AND SOME EXPLODES AND THERE'S COMPUTERS, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH INSIDE THERE THAT HAS TO WORK.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ONE OF THOSE PIECES, THAT ENGINE'S NOT GOING TO TAKE OFF.
AND IF THAT ENGINE DOESN'T TAKE OFF, THIS AIRPLANE ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE.
BUT IF YOU GET EVERYTHING OPERATING IN CONCERT, THEN WE'RE ALL SITTING UP THERE WATCHING MINIONS 3 EATING PEANUTS AND HAVING A GREAT TIME AT 40,000 FEET.
SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THIS INNOVATION CENTER TRULY
[00:30:03]
WORKS.INSIDE WE HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY ARENA.
AND I PUT IT UP, BECAUSE IT LOOKS COOL.
A YEAR AGO MY SON, 12 YEARS OLD -- 11 AT THE TIME, STARTED PLAYING THIS GAME FORT NIGHT.
I TOLD THEM, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE.
AND THEN HE BROUGHT ME SOME STUFF.
AND I REALIZED, NUMBER ONE, YOU CAN MAKE MONEY PLAYING THIS GAME NUMBER TWO, THERE ARE UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY THAT ARE OFFERING FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GAMING.
NUMBER THREE, WHEN I PULLED THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I DO FROM TIME TO TIME, SO I HAVE FEW FRIENDS, THERE IS AN APPROPRIATION IN THAT ACT FOR MODELING AND SIMULATION USING GAMING ENGINES.
IN FACT, GAMING ENGINES AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT GOES INTO THEM ARE A BASIS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING, AND IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THOSE GAMES, YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO AMAZING THINGS.
NOW, THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH IT AS WE MOVE INTO AUGMENTED REALITY.
HAVE YOU EVER WORN AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES OR VIRTUAL REALITY GLASSES? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU UNTIL YOU GET SICK? IF YOU PUT EVERYBODY IN YOUR FACILITY UNDER THE HOOD AND THEY'RE ALL THROWING UP AFTER TWO HOURS, YOU'VE GOT A REAL PROBLEM.
BUT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO IS DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS, FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE THAT SICKNESS.
COMPANIES LIKE BOOZE ALAN HAMILTON, BOEING AND A HOST OF OTHERS ARE DEVELOPING THOSE APPLICATIONS SO NOW WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THAT TO NOT ONLY MAKE MONEY BUT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD.
SO WHY ON EARTH DO WE NEED THAT? WELL, FIRST, BECAUSE IT'S A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY.
AND, SECOND, BECAUSE WE WANT TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES.
WE CAN DRAG 150,000 PEOPLE A YEAR THROUGH THIS FACILITY, AND IMAGINE IF YOU ONLY CAPTURE 10% OF THOSE AND OFFER THEM OPPORTUNITIES, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT A CHALLENGE IN SAN ANTONIO BEING THE UNDEREDUCATED POPULATION.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR HUGE STRENGTHS.
THERE ARE COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE A TREMENDOUS TUG ON THEM BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS EDUCATED AND EVERYBODY'S EMPLOYED.
AND IT'S LIKE THE OLD MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS, IF EVERYBODY'S UP HERE, YOU'VE REALLY GOT A SHORT STRING.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF TIGHTNESS IN THAT.
SO YOU GO UP TO THE NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION, WASHINGTON, D.C.
AREA, SOMEBODY WITH A LOT OF SKILLS THEY HIRED ON, SOMEBODY ELSE IS OFFERING THEM $10,000 TO JUMP SHIP.
IT'S A CONSTANT POACHING BACK AND FORTH.
IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE TREMENDOUS ELASTICITY IN OUR MARKET.
IMAGINE, IF WE GO OUT THERE AND WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TREMENDOUSLY BRIGHT, TREMENDOUSLY SKILLED AND CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING WE'RE MAKING UP.
I MENTIONED ROXANNE RAMIREZ AND CNF TECHNOLOGY, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT ROXANNE RAMIREZ WAS TEACHING UP IN EDGEWOOD AND HER HUSBAND WAS WORKING FOR THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE DOING SOMETHING WE DON'T TALK ABOUT.
AND NOT THAT LONG AGO, THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE CAN DO THIS AS A BUSINESS.
AND THEY STARTED A LITTLE BUSINESS.
MOM AND POP FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LITERALLY.
AND THAT COMPANY, NOT TOO LONG AGO, I THINK -- I THINK I CAN PUBLICLY SAID THAT, ONE THE ACT 2 CONTRACT WITH AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB.
THE ACT 2 CONTRACT IS A $1 BILLION CONTRACT.
SOME OF THE BEST MINDS IN THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING ON THAT, AND THAT'S RIGHT HERE AT PORT SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE TO THIS FACILITY.
IT'S GOT -- IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THAT MODULAR LAB INSIDE AN AIRPLANE, YOU'VE GOT A CONNECTED SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF STUFF THAT WE NEED TO SHOW OFF.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO AND A HOST OF OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAPPENS.
AND THIS THING, I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE THREATS.
IT'S THE ALAMO REGIONAL SECURITY OPERATION CENTER.
WE, IN SAN ANTONIO, HAVE A TREMENDOUS BLESSING.
AND THAT BLESSING IS OUR MUNICIPAL ENTITIES ARE DOING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION.
WE HAVE SAWS, CPS, VIA, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, US AT LITTLE OLD PORT SAN ANTONIO.
IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THESE CAPABILITIES AND COLOCATE THEM.
SO NOW YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WORKING ON SOLUTIONS THAT NOT ONLY WILL MAKE SAN ANTONIO SAFER, BUT WILL PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMPANIES AROUND THE
[00:35:02]
PLANET.AND WE'VE GOT SOME PLANS, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME FOLKS TO PUT THOSE FACILITIES TOGETHER RIGHT HERE ON THE CAMPUS, COLOCATED WITH THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD, COLOCATED WITH THE INNOVATION CENTER, COLOCATED WITH ALL THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK, AND LITTLE OLD ENTITIES LIKE BOEING AND STANDARD ARROW AND LOCKHEED AND NORTH ARE DUE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION AS A BUSINESS.
IT IS A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THERE'S ANOTHER MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT'S REACHING OUT TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND THIS YEAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR FRIENDS AT SOUTH SAN ANTONIO ISD AND EDGEWOOD ISD, WE AT THE PORT ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING SOME HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS ON.
WE'RE GOING TO PAY THEM, THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME NOT ONLY WORKING HERE, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, GETTING TO KNOW OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND WHEN WE STARTED IT, WE SAID IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE OUR BOARD SOME NEWS, BUT IT'S WITHIN MY DISCRETION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO TO BRING ON SOME COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HELP US WITH SOME ISSUES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL AIRPORTS AND INDUSTRIAL AIRPORT SECURITY.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY I WANT TO MAKE NO MISTAKE OWES A LOT NOT JUST TO YOUR BOARD MEMBERS, BUT TO COUNCIL AND YOUR COUNCIL STAFF.
RENE DOMINGUEZ AND THE FOLKS AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAVE DONE YOEMEN'S WORK, AS WE DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRADITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOWN HERE.
THE MODEL THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE IS NOT SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY TO TRY AND INCENTIVIZE COMPANIES TO MOVE TO THIS PROPERTY.
WE ARE ABOUT CREATING A VALUE PROPOSITION.
THE FOLKS IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN AREN'T INCENTIVIZING ANYBODY TO MOVE THERE.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES BUSINESS, YOU'RE GOING TO TO BE IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN.
OUR VISION IS, IF YOU'RE IN THE NEW TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS, IF YOU'RE IN THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS, YOU NEED TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND LAST THING, EVER SINCE MY FIRST EVER JOB AS A BUSBOY AT RED LOBSTER, WHEN I GOT MOVED UP TO BEING A HOST, I HAVE BEEN THE FRONT PERSON, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN TELL, I'M PRETTY.
>> BUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING DOWN HERE IS NOT BECAUSE OF ME.
A FEW YEARS AGO THIS ORGANIZATION ON OUR OBJECTIVES, AND LET ME BE A CEO FOR A SECOND, WE WERE AT 88% OF OUR OBJECTIVES.
AND WE WERE TRACKING DOWN TO ABOUT 69% OF OUR OBJECTIVES.
ONCE WE TOOK ON THIS NEW STRATEGY, WE FINISHED LAST YEAR AT 130% OF OBJECTIVES, WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW TO FINISH PROBABLY AROUND 140% OF OBJECTIVES, ALTHOUGH THAT'S GOING TO FLIP.
AND THERE'S ONE THAT I AM EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD OF.
IT'S NOT THE JOB CREATION OR THE NET OPERATING INCOME OR THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT, IT'S THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
WE GOT A 95% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SCORE.
IF WE WERE BUILDING CARS, THAT GETS YOU EVERY J.D. POWER AWARD ON THE PLANET, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE PEOPLE.
AND THESE PEOPLE I CAN'T THANK ENOUGH.
WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING WORK, GOING OVER THERE AND CHANGING FILTERS AND AIR FORCE FACILITIES AT 2:00 A.M., MAKING SURE THAT COMPLEX FACILITIES WITH JET ENGINE TEST CELLS OR BIG HANGARS CONTINUE TO OPERATE.
THERE ARE 100 PEOPLE HERE WORKING ON THIS PROPERTY, AND THEY ARE THE REASONS THAT WE'RE SO SUCCESSFUL.
WITH THAT, I'VE SPOKEN MORE THAN I WAS TOLD, BUT YOU KNOW ME, I CAN'T STOP.
WE ARE SO PROUD TO BE THE ENGINE FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THROUGH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, JIM.
A LOT OF GREAT ACTION HERE HAPPENING AT THE PORT.
I DO WANT TO THANK YOUR BOARD AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK THEY'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD PORT SAN ANTONIO BE WHEN IT GROWS UP, AND AT THE TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT AS A LOGISTICS HUB, BUT APPARENTLY YOU GUYS HAVE TURNED THE CORNER ON THE FUTURE VERY QUICKLY AND IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I DESCRIBE THE PORT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WONDERING ABOUT IT, FAR BEYOND BEING JUST A PLACE THAT USED TO BE ONE OF THE WELL-KNOWN AIR FORCE BASES OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE TALK ABOUT IT NOW AS BEING THE PLACE WHERE THE CYBER INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE MEETS THE INDUSTRIES OF TODAY AS WELL AS THE WORKFORCE THAT FUELS ALL OF THAT.
AND SO IT'S REMARKABLE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR TAKING THE RISKS THAT YOU HAVE.
I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF NEGATIVE CAPITAL LIABILITY TO WORK THROUGH, BUT IT'S APPARENT THAT YOU GUYS ARE MAKING THE RIGHT MOVES, AND I APPLAUD YOUR LEADERSHIP, JIM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WE DO HAVE COUNCILMEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, BUT I'LL START WITH OWSH HOME TEAM, COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND WELCOME TO OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE REST OF
[00:40:01]
CITY STAFF HANGING OUT IN DISTRICT 4, HANGING OUT IN SAN ANTONIO.I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE KNOWN SAN ANTONIO FOR A LONG TIME HAVE KNOWN THE HISTORY AND THE DNA THAT TRACES BACK TO KELLY AIR FORCE BASE.
AND WHEN FOLKS TELL THEMSELVES THE STORY OF THE SOUTHWEST SIDE, TYPICALLY IT TALKS A LOT ABOUT THE HISTORY, THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE WORK, THE EMPLOYMENT, THE, YOU KNOW, STEPPING STONE TO THE MIDDLE CLASS DOWN HERE.
AND WE JUST WANT TO TELL FOLKS THAT THAT'S NOT THE -- WE'RE TRYING NOT TO KEEP A SECRET DOWN HERE, BECAUSE THAT IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT WE ARE ADAPTING OLD LEGACY BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY ARE MRO, YOU KNOW, JIM'S TOLD ME THIS, AND OTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN TO THE PORT, WHETHER IT'S THEIR BORD AND THEIR LEADERSHIP SAID, WELL, YOU ONLY BUILD A PLANE FIRST BUT YOU HAVE TO FICTS -- FIX IT SEVERAL TIMES OVER.
WHICH MEANS FOR OUR FOLKS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK CONTINUES TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO.
BUT I WANT TO FIRST RECOGNIZE THE PORT BOARD WHO MOST OF WHICH ARE HERE, AND I KNOW OUR CHAIR IS HERE AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN REALLY COMPLIMENTARY TO THE CITY STAFF AND TO THE MAYOR AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND MAKING SURE TO INCLUDE THE PORT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, JIM, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BIG QUESTION, ONE THAT THE MAYOR POSED, WHICH IS WHAT DOES PORT SAN ANTONIO -- WHAT WAS PORT SAN ANTONIO GOING TO BE WHEN IT GROWS UP, AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT A MARKET HERE THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WHO ARE HERE WITH OUR LAPTOPS AND OUR CELL PHONES, AND UNDERSTANDING IF YOU'RE GOING TO SORT OF CORNER A MARKET, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT WELL.
AND SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE MAP OF THE COUNTRY OF THE UNITED STATES AND YOU ASK WHERE IS, YOU KNOW, CYBER CITY USA? YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS WOULD POINT TO, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN WASHINGTON AND THEIR HEADQUARTERS, WHERE THEY HEAD UP SOME OF THAT, BUT VERY CLOSE, AND PROBABLY ON THE HEELS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET AT PORT SAN ANTONIO, AND IN SOME OF THOSE ASPECTS, WE CAN'T REALLY SPEAK WITH A LOT OF OPENNESS BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE WORK, BUT I WANT YOU TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW -- HOW WE GET OUR HEADS AROUND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US AS A CITY WITH REGARD TO EMPLOYMENT, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS CITY WITH REGARD TO BEING PREPARED FOR THE RISKS OF THE FUTURE, NAMELY ATTACKS IN THIS NEW SPACE THAT WE'RE ALL VULNERABLE TO, WHETHER WE WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, AND HELP US THINK ABOUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FUTURE OF PORT SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL QUESTION.
I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS NOT THAT OLD, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, NOBODY THOUGHT EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE A COMPUTER IN THE HOUSE.
WE HAD ONE NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET WHO HAD A COMPUTER AND IT WAS SHOCKING.
THERE ARE FOLKS POTENTIALLY IN THIS ROOM THAT REMEMBER WHEN NOT EVERYBODY HAD A TELEPHONE IN THE HOUSE.
AND THE THING WITH CYBERSECURITY, IT'S NOT AN INDUSTRY.
WHAT CYBERSECURITY IS GOING TO BE IS EVERYTHING BECOMES CONNECTED, EVERYTHING NOW REQUIRES CYBERSECURITY.
WE MOVE INTO 5G, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE COLLECTED DEVICES ON YOUR -- CONNECTED DEVICES ON YOUR BODY RIGHT NOW? THE EXPECTATION IN A COUPLE YEARS WILL BE 24 TO 34 CONNECTED DEVICES, INCLUDING MEDICAL SYSTEMS. YOU'VE GOT TO BE AN EXPERT IN THE UNDERLYING INDUSTRY AS WELL.
IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO DESIGN THE WORLD'S GREATEST CYBER SYSTEM BUT IT DOESN'T FIT.
YOU KNOW, THE SMART METERS IN THE BUILDING.
THIS ISN'T ANYTHING CLASSIFIED OR ANYTHING, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
IF YOU CAN HACK INTO THAT SMART METER, YOU'RE INTO THE SYSTEM.
THERE WAS A CASINO IN LAS VEGAS THAT PUT IN A SMART FISH TANK BECAUSE THEY WERE TIRED OF SPENDING THE TIME AND MONEY TO GO OVER AND FEED THOSE FISH.
AND EVERY BIT OF THEIR FINANCIAL DATA WAS STOLEN THROUGH THAT SMART FISH TANK.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS LEVERAGE WHAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO.
REMEMBER THE FOUR ENGINES AND EVERYTHING ELSE? SO LOOK WHAT WE HAVE.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO IS A NO JOKING AROUND GLOBAL ASSET.
WHEN THEY GO AND TAKE THAT TECHNOLOGY AND LOOK TO IMPLEMENT IT, WHETHER IT'S AN AVIATION OR POWER GENERATION OR ROBOTICS, YOU NEED CERTAIN THINGS.
YOU NEED PREEP -- PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO WORK THAT INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRIAL CONTROLLED SYSTEMS, SCATAS, THAT REQUIRES BUILDING OUT A SYSTEM, THAT REQUIRES AN INDUSTRIAL SPACE.
AND FRANKLY, YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN WORK TOGETHER AND SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. YOU'VE -- MANY PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THIS STORY, I WAS SPEAKING AT AN AIRLINE ENGINE CONFERENCE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND AN AIRLINE HAS SPENT SEVEN FIGURES ON AN APP BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR MECHANICS TO ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.
AND IT WAS WASTED MONEY AND IT WAS WASTED MONEY BECAUSE THE SILICON VALLEY COMPANY WHO DESIGNED THAT APP DESIGNED A BEAUTIFUL ROBUST NEVER CRASHES APP, BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW ENGINES WORK AND THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW THE TECHNICIANS WORK.
[00:45:01]
YOU SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. TO ANSWER YOUR VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION, IF ITS THE APPLICATION OF NOT JUST CYBERSECURITY, BUT MACHINE LEARNING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SENSORS TECHNOLOGY, RF TECHNOLOGY, TO AVIATION, TO POWER, TO GRID RESILIENCY, TO MANUFACTURING, THIS IS WHERE THE PEOPLE EXIST, THIS IS WHERE THE FACILITIES EXIST TO COME UP WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS.>> SALDAÑA: SO, JIM, LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH THIS QUESTION HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS THIS -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS UNDERLYING TENSION THAT HAS BEEN CREATED, I THINK, IN MY OWN MIND AND MAYBE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO THINK ABOUT THIS AROUND WHERE THESE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES, THESE JOBS AND THIS WORK SHOULD HAPPEN.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE CITY AND SO IF I THINK BACK TO MAYBE JUST A YEAR AGO WHEN WE MADE BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS AROUND UTSA'S INVESTMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN, THAT WOULD INCLUDE EDUCATING FOLKS AROUND CYBERSECURITY, THERE IS THE SENSE THAT YOU MAKE CLUSTER MOST OF THOSE THINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN, BUT THE REASON MAYBE I'M BIAS AND ALMOST BULLISH, THAT A LOT OF THAT WILL HAPPEN HERE IN PORT SAN ANTONIO IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS AROUND WHERE THESE FACILITIES CAN AND SHOULD EXIST WITH REGARD TO THE PROTECTION OF THE FACILITY AND WHAT HAPPENS AROUND THERE.
SO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS SORT OF RUNWAY SPACE AND HOW WE AS POLICYMAKERS WHO WILL NO DOUBT LOOK AT PROJECTS AND DECIDE, D US THAT FIT IN THE DOWNTOWN, DOES THAT FIT ON THE NORTH SIDE, DOES THAT FIT ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OR PORT SAN ANTONIO, HELP US THINK THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
>> THERE WAS A PROGRAM AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB RAB -- RAN NOT TOO LONG AGO CALLED RADEX.
ONE, TO SHOW YOU COULD BLOW UP A TURBINE, BUT, TWO, TO START WORKING ON HOW YOU CAN REDIRECT THOSE PROBLEMS. NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND IS GOING TO SAY, LET'S GO BUILD A FACILITY WHERE WE CAN POTENTIALLY BLOW UP TURBINES AND PUT THAT DOWNTOWN.
WITH CLASSIFIED OR SECURED FACILITIES, YOU NEED TO HAVE THEM SEPARATE AND APART FROM WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
THEY NEED TO BE BEHIND FENCES, BEHIND WIRES.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE INSTALLING CYBER ACTIVITIES INTO AIRPLANES OR INTO AIRPLANE SYSTEMS, YOU NEED A RUNWAY.
YOU NEED THE ABILITY TO BRING AIRCRAFT IN.
WE'RE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCING A PROJECT A LITTLE LATER THIS SUMMER THAT INVOLVES THE INTEGRATION OF CYBER, OF LASERS OF ROBOTS AND AIRPLANES AND IT'S GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.
IT STARTED NOT HERE, IT STARTED ELSEWHERE IN TOWN, BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ACTUALLY INTEGRATE THAT STUFF, IT NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT THE ONE POINT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE, AND I KEEP GOING BACK TO THIS AIRPLANE, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE THE ONLY ENGINE IN TOWN.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE ENGINES IN THIS CITY.
THE KEY IS, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE ENGINES IS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE UP AT ALTITUDE AND THIS ENGINE'S OPERATING AT 20%, THIS ONE'S AT 80%, THIS ONE'S AT 40% AND THAT ONE'S AT 30%, THAT'S A BAD DAY FOR THE AIRPLANE, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE FAST AND YOU'RE BURNING YOUR FUEL.
YOU GET EVERY ONE OF THOSE AIRPLANES OPERATING OPTIMALLY, AND YOU GET SOMEWHERE QUICKLY.
>> SALDAÑA: ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE I GIVE YOU A COMPLIMENT HERE, JIM, BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT -- I CAN'T GET MY LITTLE BROTHERS TO PAY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THE WORK THAT I DO, BUT I TOLL THEM ABOUT THIS EARENA FOR ELECTRONIC GAMING MULTIBILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY AND THEIR EYES JUST LIT UP WITH EXCITEMENT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT PORT SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK IT WILL HAVE THIS REGIONAL EFFECT.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH THIS VISION, WHICH I THINK IS A GOOD BET AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE CLUSTERING OF TALENT, THE CLUSTERING OF PEOPLE, THE CLUSTERING OF FOLKS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE NATURALS TO END UP AT SOME OF OUR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS AROUND HERE, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF EYEBALLS AROUND PORT SAN ANTONIO THAT WOULD NATURALLY LOOK TO YOU ALL DOWN HERE AS A TECHNOLOGY HUB.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE COMPLIMENTING THAT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
I KNOW DAVID MONROE HAS BEEN SUCH A BIG CHAMPION FOR THAT.
AND ANYBODY WHO HE CAN GET HIS HANDS ON TO GET INTO THAT MUSEUM IS A TRUE BELIEVER.
CYME REALLY GRATEFUL TO KNOW THAT -- SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO KNOW THAT.
AND LASTLY, THE COMPLIMENT I WANT TO PAY YOU IS UNDERSTANDING THIS NEW WORLD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE WE AS COUNCILMEMBER SEE A TON OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT COME THROUGH TO US WHERE THEY ASK,SY CITY, PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD WHICH USUALLY MEANS PUT SOME MONEY ON THE TABLE, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO COMPETE AGAINST THIS OTHER CITY, ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE ME MORE TAX BREAKS, ABATEMENTS, FREE LAND? YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CORNER ON THE MARKET, AN ASSET THAT ISN'T -- THAT CAN'T BE COMPETED WITH IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GETTING TO WITH RESPECT TO CYBERSECURITY, DEFENSE, APPLICATIONS, SUPPLIERS AND SYSTEMS THAT ARE ATTRACTED TO THAT INDUSTRY.
AND WE HAVE THE AIR FORCE TO THANK FOR THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OPERATING THE 24TH AIR FORCE, THEY'RE OPERATING CYBER COMMAND HERE.
[00:50:04]
AROUND THOSE FACILITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.BUT THAT IS THE SORT OF FUTURE AS SUCCESS OF A CITY IN TERMS OF ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S NOT JUST BEING THE CITY WHOSE GIVING AWAY THE BAG OR GIVING AWAY THE STORE AND PAYING FOR THE HIGHEST TAX BREAKS, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE COMPETING, WHETHER IT'S AROUND YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR TALENT, AND YOUR ASSETS.
AND THIS IS A HUGE ASSET THAT CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED.
I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT BOOKMARK FOR EVERY COUNCILMEMBER WHO IS CONSIDERING WHAT THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, GENERATION OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE HERE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA. COUNCILMAN COURAGE?
AND THANK YOU, JIM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I REALLY COMMEND THE BOARD, I KNOW THE REAL DUE DILIGENCE Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING AT LEAST FOR MY TERM IN GETTING TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON HERE.
I KNOW THAT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE HERE HAS BEEN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND PORT SAN ANTONIO.
HOW DO YOU AND THE BOARD SEE THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PORT S. A. AND THE CITY FOR THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'VE BEEN SHOWING US TODAY?
>> EASIEST ANSWER TO THAT IS IT'S NOT JUST A PARTNERSHIP.
WE ARE A PUBLIC ENTITY, OUR BOARD IS APPOINTED BY YOU.
IT IS OUR JOB TO GO OUT AND EXECUTE, ENFORCE THE POLICY THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO.
WE ALSO SEE OUR JOB AS BEING -- CREATING SOMETHING THAT IS SUSTAINABLE, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A CONSTANT INVESTMENT OF INCENTIVE DOLLARS, A CONSTANT INVESTMENT OF MONEY AND FRANKLY CAN BE USED ELSEWHERE, AND MORE IMPORTANT, SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES.
I KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I ENDED THE SPEECH WITH OUR RUNNING THROUGH THE METRICS.
PART OF IT, CEOS LOVE TO TALK M.
PART OF IT IS, THIS MODEL IS SUSTAINABLE.
BUT IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME SUPPORT.
I'M NOT ASKING NECESSARILY FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT AS MUCH AS MAKING SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ON A TASK THAT WE ARE FULLY RESOURCED FOR DOING THAT.
THE OLD ORGANIZE CRANE AND EQUIP, AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHERE EVERYBODY IS AS WE GO OUT TO RUN THOSE PLAYS.
I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SAN ANTONIO IT'S NOT JUST OUR PARTNER SH WITH THE CITY AND RENE DOMINGUEZ, THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, THE OTHER ENTITIES IN THIS COMMUNITY, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I KEPT GETTING ASKED THE QUESTION, WELL, AREN'T YOU COMPETING WITH DOWNTOWN, AREN'T YOU COMPETING WITH UTSA, AREN'T YOU COMPETING WITH SO-AND-SO? AND THE ANSWER IS NO.
THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THROUGH COMCAST, IS BUILDING A $50 MILLION GAMING ARENA AS WE SPEAK.
THEY'RE NOT BLINKING AN EYE ABOUT IT.
I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN PHILADELPHIA, IT'S NO BT -- BETTER THAN SAN ANTONIO.
OUR GAMING ARENA IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL.
IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO ATTRACT THE PEOPLE IN, IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO CAPTURE THE DOLLARS.
IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE UNDERSERVED, THE UNDEREDUCATED IN SAN ANTONIO, LET'S USE THIS AS ONE OF THE TOOLS, ONE OF THE ENGINES, TO LIFT UP THE ENTIRE CITY.
>> COURAGE: WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY HAVING TO DEPEND ON THE CITY FOR A LOT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT HOW STRONG IS THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT THE PORT'S BEEN ABLE TO GROW FOR THEMSELVES OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME?
>> WE ARE -- OUR NET OPERATING INCOME GROWTH IS TRACKING ABOUT 10 POINTS ABOVE EXPECTATIONS.
OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS HUGE.
WE ARE A RELATIVELY SMALL ORGANIZATION.
SO WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL IN THIS ORGANIZATION, SHE WENT TO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE IN GEORGIA, AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT OUR $20 MILLION CYBER BUILDING.
AND SHE MADE THAT THE PS DERESISTANCE IN OUR PRESENTATION.
THE YES, GENTLEMAN IN THE GROUPE TOLD ME, THAT'S CUTE.
YOU GUYS IN SAN ANTONIO YOU BUILT A $20 MILLION CYBER BUILDING.
HERE'S OUR $50 MILLION BUILDING AND ALL WE HAVE IS A GOLF COURSE AND AN ARMY FORT.
THE COMPETITION THAT WE'RE FACING IS GLOBAL.
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS, THEY WANT TO BE A PIECE OF THIS.
THERE IS NOT A CITY, A COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY THAT'S NOT INVESTING IN IT.
THE CHALLENGE IS NOT THAT WE NEED FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BECAUSE WE CAN'T OPERATE WITHOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT; WE'LL MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH IT.
THE CHALLENGE IS, WE'RE A SMALL BUSINESS.
AND WE'RE OUT THERE COMPETING ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WE NEED TO GO BACK TO OUR PARENT
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ORGANIZATION, THERE ARE TIMES WE NEED TO GO TO OUR EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESOURCED UP FOR THE COMPETITION.BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK IF WE CAN'T GET IT TO THE SCALE WE NEED TO HAVE.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED; NOT ALL OF IT, FRANKLY, IS DIRECTLY FINANCIAL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE AND THE ABILITY TO CENTRALIZE THOSE ACTIVITIES, EVERY CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSET IS GOING TO NEED TO BE PROTECTING THEMSELVES.
IF THEY'RE ALL DOING IT INDEPENDENTLY, NOT ONLY DOES IT COST MORE, IT'S LESS EFFECTIVE.
CLUSTER THOSE TOGETHER WHERE YOU HAVE OTHER ASSETS, CORPORATE ASSETS, EDUCATIONAL ASSETS, THE FACILITIES, YOU'VE REDUCED THE COST AND YOU'VE IMPROVED THE EFFECTIVENESS.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF COORDINATED STRATEGY THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, WE'RE SEEING THAT HAPPEN MORE AND MORE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO HELP US GET THERE.
>> COURAGE: YOU KNOW, MY FELLOW COUNCILMAN BROUGHT UP THE DISCUSSION THAT THE ORIGINAL INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH KELLY WHEN IT CLOSED DOWN, THAT IT MIGHT BECOME SOME KIND OF A MAJOR INTERSECTION FOR TRADE, FREIGHT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, IS AIR TRANSPORTATION OR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION INTO OR THROUGH SAN ANTONIO FOR SOUTH TEXAS STILL SOMETHING THAT WOULD FIT INTO THE AREAS THAT WE'RE EXPANDING INTO NOW?
A CHALLENGE WITH BIG AIR FREIGHT IS YOU NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF SPACE FOR WAREHOUSES.
NOT ONLY ARE THOSE JOBS THAT DON'T PAY THAT MUCH MONEY RELATIVE TO WHAT ELSE WE'RE CREATING, BUT THEY TAKE A LOT OF SPACE AND THEY DON'T PUT A LOT OF JOBS IN ONE AREA.
THE CHALLENGE IS, WE'VE GOT 190N THIS PROPERTY.
AND ON ONE HAND, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, JIM, THAT'S A TON OF SPACEF I'M LOOKING AT THOSE HUNDREDS OF ACRES RIGHT ABOVE YOU. WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THREE COMPANIES RIGHT NOW ABOUT PUTTING AVIATION MANUFACTURING OR AVIATION STEAM AND ACTIVITIES UP THERE.
IF WE FILL THAT UP WITH AIR CARGO ACTIVITIES, WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE TO DO THIS.
AND WE ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED -- SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS WELL POSITIONED TO BE A TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE HUB.
WE REALLY ARE POSITIONED TO BE THE PLACE WHERE YOU MANUFACTURE, DESIGN, INSTALL AND TEST THOSE NEW ASSETS, AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IT JUST BECOMES A CAPACITY ISSUE.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY TURN DOWN ANY ACTIVITY, BUT ANY OF THOSE THREE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE TALKING TO TAKE THAT SPACE, WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY ROOM FOR THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
NOT INITIALLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF LEAVING CITY HALL, PARTLY OUT OF HABIT.
SO THANK YOU ALL, ERIK AND THE TEAM FOR BRINGING ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR CITIZENS TO HEAR ABOUT THE STUFF THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I HAVE RUDY LOPEZ, WHO'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT WHOSE HERE, I DON'T KNOW, RUDY, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, AND JOEY, ALSO FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WHO REPRESENT THE AREA AROUND -- HERE AROUND THE PORT.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY COULD COME AND PARTICIPATE TODAY -- IN TODAY'S MEETING.
ALSO TO JUAN SOLIS WHO IS MY BOARD APPOINTEE FOR HERE AT THE BOARD AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUAN AND I REALLY SHARE IN COMMON IS A DESIRE TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATE IN THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE GROWTH OF PLACES HERE LIKE THE PORT.
AND SO YOU TOUCHED ON THE INTERNSHIPS AND THE COOPERATION WITH EDGEWOOD, AND YOU MENTIONED THE IDEA OF INTERN INTERNSHIPS.
I KNOW FROM A WORKFORCE PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE CHANGING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE PREVIOUSLY FROM -- FROM COOPERATION WITH THE COMPANIES WITH -- FOR EXAMPLE, ST. PHILLIP'S OR SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO MORE LIKE INTERNSHIPS AND THAT MODEL.
HAVE WE STARTED THAT ALREADY? DO WE ALREADY HAVE EXAMPLES OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM?
ONE PROGRAM THAT PROVES IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL IS THE ALAMO ACADEMIES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR OVER 20 YEARS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
HERE'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
IT'S OPENING PEOPLES' AYES TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
IT -- EYES TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
[01:00:01]
IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO I WAS AT A NEIGHBORHOOD BREAKFAST AND GAVE BASICALLY THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE HERE, AND TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE COMPANIES THAT STARTED UP AND HAVE DONE AMAZING THINGS.AND A VERY NICE WOMAN CAME UP TO ME, A LITTLE OLD LADY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POLITICALLY CORRECT ANYMORE, SHE'S WONDERFUL AND I'VE KNOWN HER FOR SOME TIME.
SHE SAID, JIM, YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAKE.
I SAID WHY ARE WE MAKING A MISTAKE? AND SHE SAID BECAUSE NONE OF THOSE JOBS ARE JOBS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT UPSET ME A LOT.
T AND IT UPSET ME BECAUSE WE HAD A CHALLENGE.
ON THIS PROPERTY THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON THAT ARE GETTING GLOBAL RECOGNITION.
WE'VE GOTTEN PRESS IN EUROPE INISHTIA.
WE'VE GOT GROUNDBREAKING WORK GOING ON AND IT'S NOT ALL BIG COMPANIES.
THERE'S ANOTHER COMPANY I DIDN'T MENTION, IT'S NOW CALLED INTERTECH CARGO EMISSION SYSTEMS. IT WAS STARTED BY A GENTLEMAN FROM THE SOUTH SIDE NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE.
HE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO, GOT HIMSELF EDUCATED, TOOK HIM A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO GET EDUCATED.
GOT A JOB AT SWEARY, BEGAN DOING EMISSIONS TESTING ON ENGINES.
THEN HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO TRY IT ON HIS OWN.
HE GOT HIMSELF A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN, WE GAVE HIM -- THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME, SO I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR IT -- WE GAVE HIM A SMALL PART OF A SMALL BUILDING, NOT EVEN A VERY GOOD BUILDING OVER ON THE CORNER OF THE PROPERTY.
THEY ARE NOW GROWING INTO A FACILITY THAT HAS 23 ENGINE TEST CELLS INSIDE IT.
HE IS DOING ENGINE WORK IN CHINA, HE IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP EMISSIONS COMPANIES ON THE PLANET.
STILL WORKS OVER THERE AS A GENERAL MANAGER.
THE 747-8, WHEN BOEING SENT THE FIRST 747-8 DOWN HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, IT CAME DOWN WITH A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS A FIRST LINE MANAGER, AND HE WAS A GRADUATE OF ONE OF THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, HAD GONE THROUGH THE ALAMO ACADEMIES PROGRAM AND HAD GONE OFF TO SEATTLE AND VOLUNTEERED TO COME BACK HERE FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THE REAL REASON THAT WE WANT TO DO IT'S TH INTERNSHIP -- THIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS WE DON'T EVER WANT PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OR ANYWHERE IN SAN ANTONIO SAYING, I CAN'T DO IT.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT HAS GONE ON ON THIS PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN --
>> GONZALES: ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, AND I THINK, RENE, AS WE GET MORE DATA, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A NEW THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO INTERNSHIPS VERSUS TRAINING IN THE COLLEGES.
IS THAT RIGHT? HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE US TO HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO SHOW WHETHER ONE MODEL WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN THE OTHER?
>> DOMINGUEZ: THANKS COUNCILWOMAN.
AND LET ME JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT AND CONNECT SOME OF THE DOTS THAT JIM WAS MAKING.
IN TERMS OF COMPANIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND WE HAVE INCENTIVIZED, THE REQUIREMENT THAT THOSE INTERNSHIPS ARE CREATED ARE ALL KIND OF LAYERED IN, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE COMPANIES THAT JIM MENTIONED.
SO WE'VE ALREADY BEGAN TO IMPLEMENT A LOT OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
IN TERMS OF INTERNSHIPS, IT'S REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE ARE STARTING TO DEVELOP INTERNSHIPS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, AND AT THE FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY LEVEL.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SKILLS REQUIRED AND THE CERTIFICATIONS NEEDED.
SO IT'S REALLY HITTING ALL THREE BUCKETS AS AGGRESSIVELY IN EACH OF THEM.
>> GONZALES: I'D LIKE TO GET -- YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA, TO SHOW LIKE PERHAPS WHAT'S A METHOD THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR WAY THAT SEEMS TO -- I DON'T KNOW IF THE RIGHT MARKER WOULD BE HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WENT THROUGH THE INTERNSHIP STAYED ON THAT JOB OR IF IT COULD BE JUST SIMPLY THE SALARY AFTER THAT PERSON WENT THROUGH THE INTERNSHIP, AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE A NUMBER OF MARKERS, BUT --
>> DOMINGUEZ: THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT CAREER PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING INTERNSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS, GOING BACK TO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, IS NOT ANY LONGER A TREND.
IT'S A NEW WAY OF EDUCATING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
>> GONZALES: SO IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE AN OLD, OLD WAY AND MAYBE WE'RE REVISING IT AGAIN.
>> DOMINGUEZ: WELL, WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE LAST LEGISLATURE, NOT THIS ONE, HB5 WHERE THEY BEGAN TO CREATE ALIGNMENT AND ENDORSEMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WHERE KIDS ARE HAVING TO IDENTIFY THOSE PROFESSIONS AND INDUSTRIES THAT THEY WANT TO WORK IN, LAYERED IN WITH INDUSTRY, APPRENTICESHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS THAT, IS A MODEL THAT'S BEING AGGRESSIVERY PURSUED.
AND, IN FACT, IT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE H-E-B MONEY THAT YOU SEE INVESTED IN SA WORKS IS DIRECTLY SPECIFICALLY TIED TO THIS ASPECT OF THE MODEL, TEACHER EXTERN
[01:05:02]
SHIPS AND STUDENT INTERN SHIPS.SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS TRYING TO INTEGRATE ALL THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE DATA, I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THROUGH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH SA WORKS WE'RE GOING TO DEVELOP OUT THOSE PROOF POINTS IN TERMS OF RESEARCH AND DATA.
WE INTEND TO BRING THAT FORWARD WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS KIND OF THE BEST SUCCESS. SO I ALSO KNOW THAT THE PORT IN MY MANY CONVERSATION WITH JUAN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE THAT JOB CREATION IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE ACTIVITY HERE AT THE PORT.
AND SO I WANTED TO JUST ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GAMING, BECAUSE I LEARNED ABOUT THE GAMING THING IN A VERY WEIRD WAY, AND AT THE NLC CONFERENCE MANY OF US WERE AT THE NLC CONFERENCE, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF QUIET TIME.
AND WENT TO A RESTAURANT ALONE TO SIT QUIETLY AND ENJOY MY MEAL, AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THERE WAS ONE AVAILABLE SPOT AND IT WAS AT THE BAR.
SO I TOOK THE SEAT AT THE BAR SO I COULD TRY AND HAVE A QUIET MOMENT AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO ME IS A PROMOTOR OF THE GAMING INDUSTRY.
AND STARTS TELLING ME ABOUT THIS GAMING MODEL AND HOW IT WORKS.
AND I HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING AND SO IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO MY COLLEAGUES AND I -- MAYBE EIGHT MONTHS OR SO, ABOUT HOW THIS IS LIKE A REAL THING.
AND IT'S A HUGE ATTRACTION TO CITIES AND THE COMPETITION AND HOW IT WORKS.
AND I STILL -- IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY A CITY WOULD DO THAT BECAUSE, OF COURSE, AS BEING A PROMOTOR, HE WAS TRYING TO SELL HIS SERVICES TO OUR CITY TO BRING IN THIS GAMING THING.
SO HOW FAR ALONG ARE WE WITH THE GAMING? AND I -- I DON'T STILL UNDERSTAND HOW THAT BRINGS JOBS.
>> WELSHES IT BRINGS JOBS SEVERAL WAYS.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL GAMING ARENA THAT OPERATES ON THIS PROPERTY THROUGH THE MUSEUM.
TO ANSWER WHY CITIES SHOULD CARE? THEY JUST DID AAH AN OVERWATCH CHAMPIONSHIP IN SEATTLE.
18,000 PEOPLE A DAY IN THEIR ARENA FOR THREE DAYS AT $250 AVERAGE TICKET PRICE.
COMPARE THAT TO THE FINAL FOUR, COMPARE THAT TO REALLY ANY SPORTING EVENT, AND RIGHT THERE SHOWS YOU THAT THIS IS THE MONEY.
>> GONZALES: THIS IS WHAT HE WAS EXPLAINING TO ME, WHICH I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD COME --
I FOR THE LIFE OF ME DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WATCH BASEBALL, AND I PLAYED BASEBALL.
PEOPLE WILL WATCH PEOPLE PLAY GAMES.
THE WAY THAT IT CREATES JOBS, THOUGH -- SO MY SON SAID HE WANTED A GAMING PC BECAUSE ALL THE BEST GAMERS PLAY ON PC, THEY DON'T PLAY ON CONSOLES.
AND I SAID, THAT'S FINE, YOU CAN HAVE A PC, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD IT.
SO WITH HELP FROM DAVID AND SOME OTHER FOLKS AND IT WASN'T THAT HARD, WE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THE COMPONENT PARTS.
THIS IS A BOY I CAN'T GET TO STUDY, TO DO HOMEWORK, TO DO ANYTHING.
HE KNOWS PING RATES, HE KNOWS HOW TO MODIFY STUFF, HE KNOWS HOW THE SOFTWARE WORKS, HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THAT COMPUTER THAN I DO.
AND THAT BECOMES THE CONNECTION.
THERE IS A PROGRAM ON THIS PROPERTY -- THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO, THAT ARE AIR FORCE PROGRAMS. MAINTENANCE NEXT AND PILOT NEXT.
AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PILOTS AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF MAINTAINERS, AND YOU KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING IT? GAMES.
SO PILOTS NOW PLAY A GAME TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE A PILOT.
AND THIS DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD BE A FIGHTER PILOT OR A CARGO PILOT OR A TRANSPORT PILOT OR SOMETHING ELSE.
ON THE MAIN TEANERS, THEY -- MAINTAINERS, THEY ARE DEVELOPING SYSTEMS, SOME ON THIS PROPERTY, WHERE IF YOU'RE WORKING ON AN ENGINE OR AN AIRCRAFT SYSTEM WITH YOUR GOGGLES YOU PULL UP WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, YOU PULL UP THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL.
YOU THEN TORQUE THE BOLT AT SETTING, NOT ONLY DOES THE BOLT LIGHT UP GREEN TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU'VE TORQUED IT TO THE RIGHT SETTING, IT AUTO UPDATES THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE SKILL SETS IN WHAT IS FRONTALLY GAMING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE EMPLOYABLE AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
>> GONZALES: SO DO YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY TODAY HERE AT THIS FACILITY TO HOLD THE GAMING --
>> NO, THE PLAN IS WITH THE GAMING ARENA THAT YOU SEE HERE, WE CAN PUT IN SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 2,003,000 PEOPLE AT A TIME.
WE DON'T PLAN ON HOSTING THE BIG EVENTS.
THE WAY THAT THIS WORKS IN MOST COMMUNITIES, YOU TAKE THE PHILADELPHIA ARENA, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S NOT MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS.
THIS BECOMES THE HOME GROUND FOR THE LOCAL TEAMS, THIS BECOMES THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO.
THIS BECOMES THE PLACE THAT YOU OPERATE 24 HOURS A DAY.
WE WON'T DO THAT, BUT SOME PEOPLE DO.
THEN WE ALLOW THE ALAMODOME OR
[01:10:01]
THE AT&T CENTER OR BOTH OF THEM TO BID ON THE BIG COMPETITIONS.BECAUSE THE BIG COMPETITIONS, NOT ONLY CAN'T WE HOST HERE, FRANKLY WE DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE HASSLE OF HOSTING 20, 30, 40,000 PEOPLE PER DAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EXPLAINING ALL THAT, BECAUSE I STILL CAN'T QUITE GET IT, BUT MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS I WILL.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING US HERE TO THE PORT FOR OUR FIRST EVER ON-THE-GO B SESSION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
I JUST WANTED TO OFFER MY THANKS TO YOU, JIM, AND YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING HERE.
I THINK NOW WITH YOU AT THE HELM, WE REALLY ARE WORKING ON THE RIGHT -- FOR GIVE THIS, THE CYLINDERS THAT WE NEED TO ON HIS CAPACITY.
I DO WANT TO THANK DISTRICT 3 BOARD MEMBER, MARIA LOUISE ALVARADO, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP.
I'M VERY PROUD THAT YOU'RE HERE SERVING.
AND TO THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR BEING RISK-TAKERS, BELIEVERS, AS WELL AS VISIONARIES AND PERSISTENT.
SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK AND HOW YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
AND TO THE TENANTS, THE CLIENTS, EVERYONE WHO IS HERE, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING AND STAYING AND INVESTING AND CONTINUING TO INVEST.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT TAKES ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENGINES IN ORDER TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO UNIQUE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND DIVERSE ECONOMIC GENERATION IN THIS CITY, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
JIM, TO YOUR TEAM, TO THE BOARD, CHRIS, ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE MAKING THIS SUCCESS HAPPEN, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
OUR THIRD ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS THE DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT UPDATE.
>> JIM, THANKS FOR HAVING US OUT
[2. 19-3947 Briefing on the Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program and staff recommended program changes. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; John Jacks, Director, Center City Development & Operations]]
HERE.MAYOR AND COUNCIL, OUR LAST ITEM TODAY IS A B SESSION PRESENTATION ON OUR CURRENT DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM AS WELL AS SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO GO FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO ASK LORI HOUSTON TO KIND OF KICK US OFF AND JOHN JACKS WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
>> HOUSTON: THANK YOU, ERIK, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
ON OCTOBER 11TH OF 2018 CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED OUR CURRENT DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM.
BY FEBRUARY OF 2019, LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS LATER, WE HAD SEVEN COMPANIES OPERATING UNDER OUR DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM WHO HAD 14,100 PERMITS FOR SCOOTERS AND 2,000 PERMITS FOR BICYCLES.
THIS PROMPTED CITY STAFF TO RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MIDPILOT AMENDMENTS THAT INCLUDED THINGS LIKE AN HOURS OF OPERATION, SO WE IMPLEMENTED HOURS OF OPERATION BETWEEN 6:00 A.M. AND 11:00 P.M.
WE ALSO MADE SOME CHANGES TO BETTER ALLEVIATE CONCERNS RELATED TO CLUTTER, SAFETY IMPACTS, AS WELL AS IMPACTS ON OUR STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE OCCURRING IN THE EVENING.
THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT CONCERN BY SEVERAL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND COUNCIL THAT WE HAD TOO MANY SCOOTERS IN THE MARKET.
SO CITY STAFF RECOMMENDED A MORATORIUM ON ISSUING ANY MORE PERMITS UNDER THE DOCKLESS VEHICLE PROGRAM.
THE AMENDMENTS WERE ACCEPTED AT FEBRUARY 14TH, 2019, AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING, AND NOW WE'RE HERE AT THE POINT WHERE THE SIX-MONTH PILOT PROGRAM HAS ENDED AND WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE MARKET IN SAN ANTONIO FOR DOCKLESS VEHICLES, WE'VE ALSO LEARNED WHAT AND WHO IS INTERESTED IN OPERATING IN SAN ANTONIO UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
WE'VE LEARNED WHAT WE DON'T WANT, WE'VE LEARNED WHAT WE WANT, AND WE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED SO DOCKLESS VEHICLES CAN CONTINUE OPERATING IN SAN ANTONIO.
IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, CITY STAFF HAS ALSO COLLECTED DATA, SURVEYED USERS, WE'VE SURVEYED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE DOCKLESS VEHICLE PROGRAM.
WE'VE INTERVIEWED NUMEROUS STAKEHOLDERS, WE'VE INTERVIEWED
[01:15:01]
OTHER CITIES ABOUT HOW THEY'RE APPROACHING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND WE'VE ALSO PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL IN A SESSIONS, B SESSIONS AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS AND INPUT ON HOW WE SHOULD CONTINUE.AND THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE USE TO HELP DEVELOP OUR NEXT STEPS AS WE PROCEED TO THE NEXT REITERATION OF OUR ORDINANCE FOR DOCKLESS VEHICLES.
AND STAFF WILL BE RECOMMENDING THAT WE INITIATE AN RFP PROCESS AND SELECT THREE DOCKLESS VEHICLE VENDORS TO OPERATE IN SAN ANTONIO.
TODAY, JOHN JACKS IS GOING TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF OUR PILOT PROGRAM, PROVIDE AN ANALYSIS OF THE DATA WE'VE COLLECTED.
HE'LL ALSO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PRESENT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SELECTION OF THE THREE VENDORS TO OPERATE NO MORE THAN 5,000 DOCKLESS VEHICLES IN SAN ANTONIO THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MANY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, SOME WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY, FOR ALL THEIR HELP AS WE'VE HELPED DEVELOP THIS PILOT -- AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PILOT AND HELPED DEVELOP THIS RECOMMENDATION.
THESE INCLUDE TECH BOBBING, THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY, VIA, CENTRO SAN ANTONIO TOURISM COUNCIL AND MANY MORE AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO THANK THE SEVEN VENDORS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER TO WORK ON COLLECTING THIS DATA.
THEY'VE SHARED THIS DATA, AND WE ALL ARE MOVING FORWARD AS WE WORK ON HOW WE CAN WORK COLLABORATIVELY AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WHICH INCLUDES THE RFP.
HERE TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION IS JOHN JACKS, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROBLEM.
>> JACKS: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AS LORI MENTIONED AS LORI MENTIONED , I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME DETAILS OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AS LORI MENTIONED, THIS HAS NOT BEEN A -- AN ENDEAVOR THAT WE'VE DONE ALONE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF HELP, A LOT OF EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AS SHE MENTIONED BUT ALSO SOME INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
IT'S NOT JUST BEEN OUR CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONS BUT WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, TCI, OUR I.T.
DEPARTMENT, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, INNOVATION, PARTICULAR LISA POLICE DEPARTMENT ON ENFORCEMENT.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A TEAM EFFORT TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AS LORI MENTIONED, WE HAVE SEVEN COMPANIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THERE'S A BREAKDOWN OF THE COMPANIES ALONG WITH THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT THEY HAVE PERMITS FOR.
I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THEM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE 16,100 PERMITS ISSUED.
S NOT MEAN THAT WE HAVE 16,100 VEHICLES DEPLOYED ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THAT'S THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUED, SO THEY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THAT MANY VEHICLES OUT THERE ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
WE WENT THROUGH A SIX-MONTH PILOT PROGRAM STARTING BACK IN OCTOBER, AND JUST A QUICK RECAP OF THAT PROGRAM FOR YOU-ALL, THE FEES WERE VERY LOW.
YOU ALL DIRECTED US TO HAVE A LIGHT REGULATORY APPROACH TO THIS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
WE HAD A VERY LOW FEE OF ONLY $10 PER VEHICLE, WHICH AMOUNTED TO ABOUT 154,000 IN REVENUE THAT WE COLLECTED.
WITH THAT REVENUE, WE DID SEVERAL THINGS THROUGH THE PILOT PROGRAM.
A LOT OF IT EARLY ON WAS FOCUSED ON EDUCATION.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD HOW TO USE THE VEHICLES, HOW TO RIDE SAFELY AND WHERE TO RIDE AND HOW TO PARK THEM.
WE ALSO USED SOME OVERTIME SAPD OFFICERS TO START DOING ENFORCEMENT ON SPECIFICALLY FOR RIDING.
WE ALSO HIRED FOUR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES IN THE CCDO DEPARTMENT IN OUR PARKING DIVISION TO BE OUT THERE CORRECTING VEHICLES, CRRECTING VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED INCORRECTLY OR REPORTING LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT MAY BE WAS TOO MUCH FOR THEM TO HANDLE AND ASKING THE COMPANIES TO RESPOND TO THOSE VIOLATIONS.
WE ALSO CREATED WHAT I'LL CALL TEMPORARY PARKING ZONES.
IF YOU'VE WALKED AROUND DOWNTOWN, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THEM. WE TOOK A LIGHTER, FASTER, CHEAPER APPROACH TO THAT, JUST TO SEE IF IT WOULD WORK.
SO WE USED SOME TEMPORARY PAINT TO CREATE SOME PARKING ZONES ON SIDEWALKS TO SEE IF PEOPLE WOULD USE THEM.
WE THINK THAT GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARK IN THE RIGHT PLACE, THEY WILL.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
WE ALSO HAVE TIME COLLECTING DATA.
DATA FROM USERS, DATA FROM THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH SURVEYING, THROUGH PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER
[01:20:01]
MEETINGS.I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE MORE DETAIL AS I PROGRESS THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
JUST TO RECAP, YOU MAY RECALL BACK IN FEBRUARY, WE BROUGHT YOU SOME MIDPOINT OR MIDTERM AMENDMENTS.
THAT INCLUDED IMPOSING HOURS OF OPERATION THAT WOULD LIMIT WHEN SCOOTERS COULD BE RIDDEN, AND THAT WAS FROM 11:00 P.M. AT NIGHT TO 6:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING.
WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING AT LATE-NIGHT HOURS AND SO WE RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE THAT CURFEW IN PLACE.
WE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE COLLECT VEHICLES THAT ARE PARKED IN PROHIBITED AREAS, LIKE THE RIVERWALK OR IF WE FOUND THEM IN THE RIVER, WE DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT THE HOUR OR TWO HOURS THAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR A COMPANY TO COME MOVE THEM, WE FELT THEY NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, SO WE TOOK THAT ON AND DID THAT WITHOUT NOTIFICATION TO THEM.
YOU ALSO RATIFIED THE MORATORIUM, SO WE STOPPED ISSUING PERMITS.
THAT'S HOW WE HAVE SEVEN COMPANIES TODAY.
I WILL SAY THERE WERE OTHER COMPANIES THAT APPROACHED US AFTER THE MORATORIUM, SO WE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAD YOU ALSO GAVE US THE AUTHORITY, AND I THINK THIS WAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT IN A LOT OF WAYS, THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE AREAS AND TIMES WHEN VEHICLES NEEDED TO BE REMOVED.
THIS WAS BECOMING A PROBLEM FOR CENTRO, SAN ANTONIO, WHO MAINTAINS THE DOWNTOWN, PARTICULARLY SIDEWALKS AND PRESSURE WASHING.
THEY DO THAT MOSTLY AT NIGHT, IN THE LATE HOURS, AND THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS PRESSURE WASHING WITH SO MANY VEHICLES PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK.
WE WORKED WITH CENTRO TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS THAT THEY WERE BEING IMPACTED THE MOST AND ASKED OR REQUIRED THAT THE COMPANIES REMOVE THE VEHICLES FROM THOSE AREAS.
NOT LONG AFTER THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED, WE SAW A MARKED DIFFERENCE WHEN WE CAME BACK DOWN IN THE MORNING.
WE ALSO USED THAT, AND IMPLEMENTED THAT DURING FIESTA.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL THE COMPANIES TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR FIESTA, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE PARADES, AND THE PARADE ROUTES.
WE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS, AND MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, LEARN WHAT HAD WORKED OR NOT WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, AND IMPLEMENT THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
IF YOU WERE DOWN HERE FOR THE PARADE, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN A FEW, BUT WE DID NOT SEE PROBLEMS THAT OTHER CITIES HAD SEEN DURING EVENTS.
I THINK THAT WAS A BIG IMPACT.
FINALLY, WE IMPLEMENTED AND ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO USE THOSE PARKING ZONES.
WE ALSO DID THAT DURING FIESTA AND I THINK THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT DATA SINCE NOVEMBER TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE RIDING, HOW VEHICLES ARE BEING DEPLOYED, WHEN THEY'RE BEING DEPLOYED, HOW THEY'RE BEING USED.
THIS GRAPH GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT AS TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE'VE HAD OVER 2.16 MILLION RIDES, I'M SORRY, 2.16 MILLION TOTAL RIDES AND 1.56 MILLION RIDES SINCE THE PILOT PROGRAM BEGAN.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS ON THE TOP LINE, THAT'S THE NUMBER OF RIDES.
IT PEAKED IN DECEMBER AT ABOUT 300,000.
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SEE IN DOWNTOWN AS FAR AS ACTIVITY, AND VISITORSHIP.
THOSE NUMBERS DROPPED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
AND THEN STARTED TO GO UP AGAIN IN MARCH AND APRIL.
THE BOTTOM LINE, THE ORANGE LINE IS THE AVERAGE DEPLOYMENT ACROSS ALL THE COMPANIES.
WHAT THAT SHOWS YOU IS THAT THE DEMAND-DRIVEN MARKET.
THE COMPANIES ARE RESPONDING TO THE DEMAND.
IT STARTED TO DECREASE DEPLOYMENT, BECAUSE THE DEMAND WAS NOT THERE.
AND TO THEM, THEY DON'T WANT VEHICLES SITTING OUT THERE THAT AREN'T GETTING USED.
OPERATIONALLY THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN, SO THEY STARTED TO ADJUST THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE DEPLOYED, TO RESPOND TO THAT DEMAND.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE'VE MADE DEPLOYMENT, AVERAGES BETWEEN 4,000 AND 6,000 VEHICLES.
THAT DEPENDS ON WEATHER, WHETHER THERE'S AN EVENT, WHETHER IT'S THE WEEKEND.
EVEN THE COMPANIES THEMSELVES VARY IN DEPLOYMENT.
BUT ON AVERAGE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 4,000 AND 6,000 VEHICLES DEPLOYED DAILY.
SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IS VERY HELPFUL.
THE CHART ON THE LEFT, WHAT'S THAT SHOWING YOU IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, OR WHERE SCOOTERS ARE BEING LEFT OR WHERE THEY END A RIDE AND WHERE THEY BEGIN A RIDE.
WE LOOKED AT AREAS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE OF EITHER HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, OR EVENTS GOING ON, OR THE SENSITIVITY OF THAT AREA.
WE LOOKED AT THE ALAMO, AND LA VILLITA.
AND WHERE THE RIDES BEGIN IN THE PROHIBITED AREAS, THEY'RE VERY SMALL COMPARED TO THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT, WHERE IT SHOWS -- WHERE THE NUMBER OF RIDES ENDED.
[01:25:01]
WHAT'S THAT TELLING US IS PEOPLE ARE RIDING THEM TO THESE DESTINATIONS, AND THEN THEY'RE BEING REMOVED.WE THINK THIS SHOWS THAT THE COMPANIES ARE BEING RESPONSIVE, WHEN VEHICLES ARE REPORTED IN PROHIBITED AREAS, THEY'RE BEING MOVED OUT OF THOSE AREAS.
OTHERWISE, THOSE COLUMNS WOULD BE MUCH CLOSER IN NUMBER.
SO THE COMPANIES ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT REALTIME LIVE DATA, TO TRACK WHERE SCOOTERS AND BIKES ARE BEING RIDDEN.
WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING EAST COMMERCE, EAST HOUSTON STREET, SOUTH ALAMO STREET, THE ALA PLAZ IS NOT ACTUALLY THROUGH THE PLAZA, THAT'S THE STREET THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO ALAMO STREET ADJACENT TO THE PLAZA.
THE EAST-WEST CORRIDORS AND NORTH AND SOUTH ON ALAMO.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE FROM ONE COMPANY OF WHAT WE COULD USE THAT DATA FOR.
SO RCI FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PURPOSES ARE ABLE TO USE THIS DATA TO MAKE DETERMINATIONS OF WHERE WE NEED TO ADD INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE DO WE NEED TO ADD BIKE LANES.
IT'S VERY USEFUL TO HAVE THIS DATA.
OVER THE SIX MONTHS, OR SINCE SEPTEMBER, WE'VE SEEN 155 ACCIDENTS REPORTED TO EMS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE ARE NUMBERS WHEN SOMEONE CALLS 911.
THESE ARE NOT SOMEONE WHO HAS AN ACCIDENT AND TAKES THEMSELVES OR A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TAKES THEM TO A MEDICAL CLINIC OR HOSPITAL.
THOSE ARE JUST THOSE REPORTS TO EMS. OF THE 155 ACCIDENTS, 92 PEOPLE WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SINCE FEBRUARY, WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE CURFEW, WE'VE SEEN A 36% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS, AND 27% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRIPS REQUIRING EMS. THAT'S JUST WITH TWO MONTHS' DATA.
WHAT THAT IS TELLING US IS THE CURFEW WE PUT IN PLACE IS RESULTING IN LESS ACCIDENTS.
PARTICULARLY IN THE NIGHTTIME, IN THE LATE HOURS.
SAPD AND PARKS POLICE ARE ENFORCING RIDERSHIP.
THEY'VE ISSUED 72 CITATIONS, AND 289 WARNINGS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF -- AROUND JANUARY WHEN WE STARTED FOCUSING ON ENFORCEMENT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY OUT THERE EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY BY ISSUING A LOT OF WARNINGS.
AND THEN WHEN THEY DO SEE A CRITICAL OR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHERE SOMEBODY'S FREQUENTLY VIOLATING THESE, THEY WILL ISSUE A CITATION.
I MENTIONED EARLIER WE DID A LOT OF OUTREACH.
WE HAD A USER SURVEY WHERE WE FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WHO HAD RIDDEN, OR ARE RIDING SCOOTERS, AND A COMMUNITY SURVEY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
I'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE RESULTS.
WE HAD OVER 800 INDIVIDUALS TAKE THIS SURVEY.
THINGS WE ASKED THEM WERE HOW OFTEN DO YOU RIDE? A LARGE PORTION OF THE INDIVIDUALS SAID, KASHLGLY, BUT ONLY ONCE PER WEEK, NOT MORE THAN ONCE PER WEEK, SOME MAYBE ONE TO THREE TIMES A WEEK.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED IF A DOCKLESS VEHICLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, WHAT ALTERNATIVE WOULD YOU HAVE USED, OR WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IF NOT FOR THAT DOCKLESS VEHICLE? A LARGE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS SAID THEY WOULD HAVE JUST WALKED.
AND SOME SAID THEY WOULD HAVE EITHER DRIVEN A PERSONAL CAR OR TAKEN UBER LYFT.
A FEW PEOPLE SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BUS.
WE ASKED HOW OFTEN ARE THEY USING DOCKLESS VEHICLES INSTEAD OF -- OR USING IT TO GET TO A BUS, OR GET TO A BUS STOP.
SO THE SURVEY TELLS US THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THESE TO GET TO A BUS STOP, OR TO GET TO ACCESS TO A BUS.
WE ALSO ASKED THEM WHAT THEIR OPINION OF SCOOTERS AND BIKES ARE IN SAN ANTONIO.
NOT SURPRISING THEY WERE STRONGLY FAVORABLE.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO SPECIFICALLY HAD RIDDEN OR RIDE SCOOTERS.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS PEOPLE WHO RIDE THEM, LIKE THEM.
I MS MENTIONED WE HAD A COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHERE WE OPENED IT UP TO ANYBODY, OR ANYBODY WHO VISITED SAN ANTONIO.
OUR GPA DID A GREAT JOB OF PUSHING THIS OUT.
A LOT OF YOU, WE ASKED YOU TO SHARE IT AS WELL.
WE WANTED TO REACH OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE COULD.
WE HAD OVER 4,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY.
SO WE ASKED THEM A LOT OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
WE ASKED THEM HOW OFTEN DO YOU USE DOCKLESS VEHICLES? A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE SURVEY SAID THEY'VE NEVER TRIED
[01:30:01]
THEM, OR NEVER USED THEM.SO WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF RIDERSHIP THROUGH THIS SURVEY.
THAT'S WHY WE DID THE SURVEY THAT WAS DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY AT RIDERS.
BUT WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS OF THE DOCKLESS VEHICLES.
WE ASKED THEM WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE MORE OR LESS DOCKLESS VEHICLES IN SAN ANTONIO.
ALMOST 60% SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE LESS.
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAID THEY WANT TO SEE LESS VEHICLES IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE ALSO ASKED THEM IF IT MADE IT EASIER, OR FASTER FOR PEOPLE TO GET WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO.
FINALLY, WE ASKED WHAT THEIR OPINION OF DOCKLESS VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND PEOPLE WERE EITHER NEUTRAL OR SLIGHTLY NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION WE WANTED TO KNOW WAS, WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF ALLOWING SCOOTERS OR BIKES ON SIDEWALKS? AND WE DID RECEIVE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING THEM ON SIDEWALKS.
WE ALSO HAD A TELETOWN, WHICH I THINK WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAD ABOUT 740 PEOPLE BROADCAST ].
THAT INCLUDED MYSELF, LAURIE HOUSTON, AND CAPTAIN BEN EVE DES FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR TCI DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD 25,000 CALLS THAT WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE LET PEOPLE KNOW WE WERE DOING IT.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE ONLINE SURVEY.
MOST PEOPLE WHO CALLED IN OR PARTICIPATED IN THE TELETOWN HAD NOT RIDDEN SCOOTERS.
AND THEN TWO-THIRDS OF THEM FELT THERE WERE TOO MANY IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT CLUTTER, BLOCKING SIDEWALKS, AND IN CONFLICT WITH PEDESTRIANS USING SIDEWALKS.
SO BASED ON THE SURVEY, BASED ON INFORMATION, INPUT WE RECEIVED FROM YOU ALL, WE HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS GOING FORWARD.
THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND GO INTO EFFECT AT THE END OF THE RFP PROCESS, WHEN THE RFP, WHEN THE THREE COMPANIES ARE AWARDED THE CONTRACT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THE HOURS-OFF OPERATION, THE OCCUR FI THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
AGAIN, WE DID SEE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS OCCUR AFTER WE PUT THIS CURFEW IN PLACE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THIS CURFEW.
WE DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT MAYBE SIX MONTHS INTO THE NEW RECOMMENDATIONS, TO SEE, HAS THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGED, HAVE THE SCOOTERS IMPROVED FROM THE SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME VEHICLE IMPROVEMENTS, AND CHANGES IN JUST THE LAST YEAR.
I THINK AS THE COMPANIES ARE RESPONDING TO THE USERS, AND THE CONCERNS OF SAFETY AT NIGHT WHEN THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO SEE.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING SIDEWALK RIDING NOT BE ALLOWED.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS IS PEDESTRIANS USING THE SIDEWALKS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY, WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF THROUGH SURVEY, OR THROUGH THE 311 CALLS ABOUT NEAR-MISSES OR PEOPLE HIT BY SOMEBODY RIDING A SCOOTER ON THE SIDEWALK.
IT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE TREAT THESE AS MOTORIZED VEHICLES JUST LIKE OTHER VEHICLES.
IT'S MUCH SIMPLER AND EASIER, I THINK, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE RULES, AND CONSISTENT WITH OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER VEHICLES.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING MOVING FORWARD, THAT WE NOT ALLOW SCOOTERS TO BE RIDDEN ON SIDEWALKS.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE HAVE A 15-MILE-PER-HOUR SPEED LIMIT, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE SCOOTERS THEMSELVES, OR THE BIKED WOULD BE GOVERNED SO THEY COULD NOT TRAVEL MORE THAN 15 MILES AN HOUR.
A STUDY DONE IN AUSTIN IS SPEED WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR IN A LOT OF ACCIDENTS.
I THINK SOMETHING THAT VEHICLES HAVE NOT NECESSARILY CAUGHT UP SAFETY-WISE TO THE SPEED THEY'RE ABLE TO GO.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING A 15 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING HELMETS, WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR HELMET GIVEAWAYS, AND ABILITY TO MAKE HELMETS MORE READILY AVAILABLE.
I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AS I GET INTO THE RFP PROCESS.
AS FAR AS PARKING IS CONCERNED, WHEN WE STARTED THE PILOT PROGRAM IN OCTOBER, WE HAD RULES ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN PARK, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS.
SO DURING THE PILOT, AFTER FEBRUARY, WE CREATED THOSE DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS THAT I
[01:35:02]
MENTIONED, AND WE DID SEE THAT PEOPLE WERE USING THOSE.SO GOING FORWARD, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE OPERATORS, THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS, AND AFTER THE RFP PROCESS, TO DEVELOP A GOOD REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF WHERE SCOOTERS CAN BE PARKED AND WHERE THEY CANNOT BE PARKED.
THAT COULD BE THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT WOULD BE THROUGH DEFINING AREAS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE TODAY, MARKING THOSE AREAS, CREATING PARKING SPACES FOR THE VEHICLES, BUT ALSO CLEARLY IDENTIFYING WHERE THEY'RE PERMITTED AND WHERE THEY ARE NOT.
AND THAT WOULD BE THROUGH EDUCATION, WORKING WITH THE COMPANIES, TO IDENTIFY THE BEST WAY TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY ON WHERE THE PROPER PLACES ARE TO PARK, AND HOW TO PARK THEM CORRECTLY.
I MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING THAT WE HAD A LIGHT REGULATORY APPROACH WHERE WE HAD FAIRLY LOW FEE STRUCTURE.
WE DID NOT MAKE CHANGES IN FEBRUARY.
GOING FORWARD THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS AND THROUGH OCTOBER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING IT BE INCREASED.
THAT FEE WOULD BE INCREASED TO $100 PER VEHICLE.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT A ONE-TIME FIRST YEAR ASSESSMENT TO HELP WITH INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS PARKING, SCOOTER CORRALS OR DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS.
AND THEN AS FAR AS NUMBER OF VENDORS ARE CONCERNED, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, IT WAS AN OPEN APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES, OR ON THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
IN FEBRUARY, WE ISSUED A MORATORIUM, SO WE STOPPED ISSUING PERMITS, WE STOPPED INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PERMITS AND THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES.
SO GOING FORWARD, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE LIMIT IT TO THREE VENDORS, WITH A CAP OF 5,000 VEHICLES TOTAL, BETWEEN ALL THREE VENDORS.
A LITTLE BIT ON THE BUDGET, WHAT THAT WOULD DO FOR US, HAVING $100 PER VEHICLE CHARGE, WE CAN INCREASE THE SAPD OVERTIME SHIFTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE SO WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON ENFORCEMENT.
WE WOULD ALSO HIRE FULL-TIME PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO CONTINUE WITH VEHICLE CORRECTION AND ENFORCEMENT AND MONITORING OF THE CONTRACTS.
AND THEN THAT WOULD ALSO HELP US WITH PROGRAM OVERSIGHT, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND MONITORING OF THOSE CONTRACTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, IS, IT WOULD GIVE CRAIG AND HIS TEAM THE ABILITY TO COLLECT THAT DATA, AGGREGATE THAT DATA AND PROVIDE US AND TCI AND YOU ALL ULTIMATELY WITH AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING TO HELP US WITH TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AS WELL AS ENFORCEMENT.
SO TO KIND OF GET IN A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT WHY WE'RE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION, WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE HAVE AN RFP PROCESS WITH THREE VENDORS, AND 5,000 DOCKLESS VEHICLES, IT WOULD BE A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT WITH AN OPTION FOR A ONE-YEAR EXTENSION.
YOU MAY ASK WHY THREE VENDORS, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER.
WE FEEL WORKING WITH TECH BLOCK, WORKING WITH THE OPERATORS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE FEEL THAT THREE OPERATORS IS A GOOD BALANCE.
IT ALLOWS AND PROMOTES COMPETITION WITHIN THE MARKET.
BUT IT ALSO HELPS US FROM A STAFF CAPACITY BE ABLE TO MANAGE THOSE COMPANIES, AND THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO MONITOR, IT'S DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE WHEN YOU HAVE SEVEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES ALL DEPLOYING IN THE SAME LOCATION.
IT BECOMES CONFUSING AS TO WHOSE VEHICLE IS IN VIOLATION.
SO WE THINK OPERATING WITH THREE VENDORS, WE CAN WORK MUCH MORE CLOSELY WITH THEM AND GET A MUCH BETTER RESULT AND MUCH BETTER PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE COMPANIES AND BETTER RESULTS.
HAVING THREE COMPANIES WOULD HELP IN THE CLUTTER OF DOWNTOWN, HELP DECLUTTER, IF YOU WILL.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE HAVE SEVEN COMPANIES WHO ARE ALL COMPETING FOR THE SAME CORNER.
SO THEY'RE EACH DEPLOYING IN SOME AREAS AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WHICH CREATES CONGESTION ON THAT CORNER.
WHEN ONE VEHICLE FALLS, A LOT OF VEHICLES CAN FALL, A DOMINO EFFECT.
WE THINK BY HAVING THREE COMPANIES, WE'RE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THEY NEED, AND WE'LL SEE A NEATER, CLEANER, AND MORE ACCESSIBLE DOWNTOWN.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN THE RFP PROCESS TO EITHER ADD MORE PERMITS FOR MORE VEHICLES.
IF WE SEE THAT THE DEMAND IS THERE, WE WOULD LIKE THE ABILITY TO ADD SOME MORE VEHICLES TO RESPOND TO THAT DEMAND.
BUT ONLY IF WE SEE THINGS HAVE IMPROVED.
OR IF WE SEE THAT THERE'S A -- THE DEMAND IS BEING MET MAYBE
[01:40:01]
DOWNTOWN BUT THERE'S A DEMAND ELSEWHERE, AND BY ADDING SOME PERMITS AND VEHICLES, WE COULD MEET THAT DEMAND SOMEWHERE ELSE.WE WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND SOME FLEXIBILITY TO ADD ANOTHER OPERATOR, OR ANOTHER VENDOR IF WE SEE THAT THERE'S A NEW TECHNOLOGY, OR A NEW MODEL THAT'S SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS THAT WOULD PROVIDE SOME BENEFIT, WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD ANOTHER OPERATOR THROUGH A PERMIT PROCESS.
YOU MAY ASK WHY 5,000 VEHICLES, HOW DID WE GET TO THAT NUMBER.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN, AND WHAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER, IS THAT THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY ARE STARTING TO BALANCE OUT.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE BEING DEPLOYED TO MEET THAT DEMAND.
AND THAT'S BETWEEN THAT 4,000 AND 6,000 RANGE THAT WE'RE SEEING DEPLOYED AND USED ON AVERAGE ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE ALSO THINK THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY INPUT, WITH INPUT FROM YOU ALL, EVERYONE IS ASKING FOR REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
I THINK WE SEE THE NUMBER IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND YOU CAN SEE WE DEFINITELY NEED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE ON OUR SIDEWALKS.
HAVING IT AT 5,000 WITH THREE COMPANIES, IT STILL ALLOWS THE COMPANIES TO OPERATE AT SCALE.
THEY NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF VEHICLES OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY, AND PROFITABLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE THINK HAVING THREE COMPANIES WITH 5,000 VEHICLES ALSO GIVES US DIVERSITY OF THE TYPES OF VEHICLES THAT WE MAY SEE.
INSTEAD OF JUST LIMITING IT, SAY, TO ONE.
FINALLY, AGAIN, IF WE HAVE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY, OR WE SEE SOME AREAS THAT ARE MAYBE BEING UNDERSERVED, AND WE COULD INCREASE THOSE PERMITS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FLEXIBILITY IN THIS PROCESS.
WE LEARNED A LOT, I WOULD SAY, FROM THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
THAT WAS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM.
IT WAS A NEW MODEL, NEW TECHNOLOGY.
IT WAS NEW TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
SO WE NEEDED THAT TIME TO ANALYZE IT, TO EXPERIENCE IT, AND TO UNDERSTAND IT.
AND REALLY, THAT'S WHERE THE PILOT PROGRAM WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COMPANIES, SEE HOW THEY OPERATE, SEE WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T WORK, MEET WITH STAKEHOLDERS, TALK TO THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONCERNS WERE.
SO WE COULD LEARN FROM THAT, AND FOCUS ON ISSUES, AND COME UP WITH RESOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THOSE.
IT GAVE US A TIME TO COLLECT DATA, AND HAVE THE SURVEYS, AND GET THAT COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
WE'RE SEEING THAT THIS RFP PROCESS IS A MODEL THAT A LOT OF OTHER ENTITIES ARE ADOPTING, NOT JUST CITIES, BUT ALSO UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE GOING THROUGH THIS RFP MODEL.
SO WE THINK IT'S A GOOD SOLUTION TO HELP US WITH THE DOCKLESS VEHICLES WE'RE SEEING CURRENTLY DEPLOYED.
THE EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR THE RFP WILL INCLUDE EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY.
THAT WOULD BE 25 POINTS, QUALITY OF THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE 40 POINTS, ECONOMIC TERMS 10 POINTS, CONTRACT PROGRAM WOULD BE 10 POINTS, AND THEN 10 POINTS FOR THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM.
IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE VETERAN AND SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM FOR 5 POINTS.
JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO DETAIL IN HOW WE'LL SCORE THIS.
EXPERIENCED QUALIFICATIONS AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR THOSE COMPANIES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE EXPERIENCE AND THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THE FLEETS THAT THEY HAVE.
ABILITY TO WORK IN MULTIPLE MARKETS.
SO NOT JUST SINGLE-MARKET VENDOR.
PROFESSIONALISM, THEIR LOCAL STAFFING PLANS, WHAT IS THEIR PLAN -- THEIR OPERATIONS PLAN AND THEIR OPERATIONS TEAM THAT WILL BE ON THE GROUND IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO COMPLETE THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT.
WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT QUALITY PROPOSAL.
WHAT IS THEIR STAFFING PLAN, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO STAFF SAN ANTONIO, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS AND RESPONDING TO OUR NEEDS.
WHAT IS THEIR SERVICE AND OPERATIONAL PLAN, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO PREVENT RIDES IN PROHIBITED AREAS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE AN ORGANIZED DEPLOYMENT AND PARKING.
WHAT INSURANCE COVERAGE WILL THEY HAVE, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT RIDERS, OF THIRD PARTIES, WHAT DOES THEIR USER AGREEMENT LOOK LIKE.
WHEN A PERSON RENTS A VEHICLE, WHAT IS IN THAT USER AGREEMENT.
THESE ARE NOT THINGS -- THESE ARE NOT ALL THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE IN THE RFP, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
THERE MAY BE OTHERS THAT WE CAN ADD BASED ON INPUT FROM YOU ALL TODAY, AND THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PROCESS.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR SAFETY, FOR RIDER
[01:45:03]
SAFETY.WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO PROMOTE SAFE RIDING, ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, CAMPAIGNS.
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF THEIR VEHICLE, THE SAFETY FEATURES.
WE WANT TO KNOW HOW SAFE IS THE VEHICLE, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO IMPROVE IT, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO IMPROVE THAT VEHICLE, SO WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE ON A SAFE VEHICLE.
RIDER EDUCATION, VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE RULES, WHERE TO PARK, HOW TO RIDE.
WE'VE SEEN THAT VERY EARLY ON, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THE COMPANIES AS WELL.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THEIR MAINTENANCE PLANS, HOW OFTEN DO THEY MAINTAIN THE VEHICLES, DO THEY DO INSPECTIONS.
WHAT IS THEIR PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT THERE ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND ARE SAFE.
AND THEN FINALLY, A QUALITY CONTROL PLAN AS WELL.
THE ECONOMIC TERMS, WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING EACH VENDOR TO MEET A REQUIREMENT, TO HAVE A PROPOSED PERMIT, FEE STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE SHARING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO ARE THEY WILLING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO HELP US WITH THEIR PROGRAM.
QUICKLY, THE MAKEUP OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING FOUR CITY REPRESENTATIVES, THREE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE TECH COMMUNITY, DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER, AND SOMEONE FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, AND THEN FINALLY THREE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVES.
SELECTION PROCESS WOULD FIRST START BY EVALUATE -- THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE WOULD EVALUATE AND SCORE THE PROPOSALS.
AND THEN SHORT-LIST THOSE FOR INTERVIEWS.
AND THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS, THE BEST TO OFFER FROM A SHORT LIST OF CANDIDATES.
AND THEN WE WOULD INTERVIEW AND SCORE AGAIN.
AND THEN BRINGING THAT TO YOU FOR A BRIEFING, AND CONSIDERATION OF THE THREE VENDORS AT A CITY COUNCIL SESSION.
SO NEXT STEPS WOULD BE MAY 30TH "A" SESSION, THAT WOULD BE TO ADOPT THE PERMIT EXTENSIONS, ENDORSE THE RFP APPROACH.
THE RFP PROCESS, THE RFP WOULD BE ISSUED IN EARLY JUNE.
CITY COUNCIL BRIEFING IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION IN OCTOBER.
AND THAT WOULD BE WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR THREE VENDORS, AND ALSO THE POLICY AMENDMENTS THAT I COVERED EARLIER.
SO THAT THE NEW VENDOR START DAY WOULD BE 30 DAYS AFTER CITY COUNCIL ACTION.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN THE INTERIM DURING THE RFP PROCESS.
WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS AS THE PERMITS EXPIRE, BECAUSE THE COMPANIES RECEIVE PERMITS AT DIFFERENT TIMES, THEIR PERMITS EXPIRE ON DIFFERENT DATES.
WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS, AS THE PERMITS EXPIRE, WE ISSUE THEM AN EXTENSION, OR ANOTHER PERMIT, AND WE PRO-RATE THAT THROUGH THE END OF THE RFP PROCESS.
AND ALSO, THAT WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT THEY RECEIVE BY 50% IF THEY CURRENTLY HAVE OVER 1,000 PERMITS.
WHAT THAT DOES, IT'S A MORE EQUITABLE APPROACH FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH PERMITS, THEY WILL STAY WHERE THEY ARE.
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF PERMITS, IT WILL BRING THEM CLOSER IN LINE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A PERMIT THAT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE RFP PROCESS.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, YOU ASKED US TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE PLANS THE CITY HAS EITHER ADOPTED OR IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON TO SEE HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM FALL IN LINE WITH THOSE.
SO WE TOOK THOSE FOUR PLANS, REVIEWED THEM.
AS FAR AS THE SA CLIMATE READY PROGRAM, WE THINK THAT THESE SCOOTERS AND THIS DOCKLESS VEHICLE PROGRAM MEETS THIS GOAL.
THAT WOULD BE TO INCREASE CARBON TREE VEHICLE USE AS WELL AS THE AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
THE SA TOMORROW PLAN RECOMMENDS ONE OF THE GOALS TO HAVE THE MULTI-MOBILE OPTIONS.
WE THINK THE SCOOTERS ALSO FULFILL THAT GOAL.
AND ALSO USE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET THOSE TRANSPORTATION DEMANDS AND THE GPS ABILITY, THE EASE OF USE OF BRINGING A SCOOTER WOULD FALL IN LINE WITH THAT.
ALSO THE HOUSING POLICY, THE HOUSING POLICY RECOGNIZES THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A HURDLE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE THINK THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE SCOOTERS FALLS IN LINE WITH THE HOUSING POLICY, PROVIDING AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES.
PARTICULARLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET -- FOR THAT LAST MILE BETWEEN MAYBE SOMEONE'S HOME AND THE NEAREST BUS STOP.
FINALLY, THE GOALS OF THE CONNECT SA ARE TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY, PROVIDE MORE CHOICES IN TRANSPORTATION.
[01:50:02]
WE THINK DEFINITELY ADDING SCOOTERS ADDS ANOTHER CHOICE.IT ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT WE LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY.
AGAIN, THE GPS AT-BASED SYSTEM MAKES IT VERY EASY TO FIND AND USE THIS TRANSPORTATION.
AND RECOMMEND THAT WE ENHANCE ACCESS FOR TRANSPORTATION.
AND HAVING A ROBUST SCOOTER PROGRAM, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO REGULATE IT, DOES PROVIDE ENHANCED ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON SB-549.
SENATE BILL 549 WAS INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WEST OUT OF DALLAS.
IT DOES SEVERAL THINGS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, AS FAR AS NOT ALLOWING TWO RIDERS PER VEHICLE, LIMITING RIDING ON 35-MILE-PER-HOUR OR LESS STREETS.
ONE THING IT DOES DO THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING IS IT RECOMMENDS -- OR IT WOULD REQUIRE SIDEWALK RIDING TO BE PROHIBITED, OR NOT ALLOWED.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A 15-MILE-PER-HOUR SPEED LIMIT EITHER FOR THAT BILL WAS PASSED OUT OF THE SENATE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
SO IT IS YET TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY MONITORING THAT TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THAT BILL.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, JOHN.
THIS ITEM WAS FORWARDED TO THE FULL COUNCIL FROM THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, SO I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO SPEAK FIRST ON THE ITEM.
AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TO REALLY CHEW ON THIS AND GET TO AN ULTIMATE FINAL PRODUCT AND REALLY THIS IS WHAT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS HAS BEEN LIKE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
IT'S BEEN A CONTINUAL EDITING PROCESS.
AND IT HASN'T INCLUDED THE FULL CO OPPORTUNITY TO EDIT WITH EVERYBODY'S INPUT.
BUT LET ME FIRST SAY THAT THE GAME OF GOVERNMENT REGULATION IS A TRICKY ONE BECAUSE YOU REGULATE TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU UPSET THE BUSINESS.
YOU DON'T REGULAR ENOUGH, YOU UPSET THE CONSUMER.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THINK OF EXAMPLES AROUND, YOU KNOW, OUR FOOD INSPECTIONS FOR THE RESTAURANTS WITHIN OUR CITY.
MAYBE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING REGULATED TOO MUCH.
BUT IN THE CASE OF REGULATING FOOD THERE'S A SENSE OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS CERTAIN THINGS.
I THINK WE HAVE TEASED AWAY THIS DOCKLESS VEHICLE TO SEE THERE'S PUBLIC SAFETY, BEING RESPECTFUL TO BUSINESSES WHO WANT TO OPERATE.
THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS HAS BEEN.
WE STARTED WITH LITTLE IN TERMS OF A REGULATORY STANDPOINT THAT THE CITY WAS GOING INTO BECAUSE MAYBE THE STAKES WEREN'T AS HIGH, WE BELIEVED, AS FOOD SAFETY OR THE REGULATIONS OF RESTAURANTS.
WE SOON FOUND OUT THERE WERE ISSUES WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, MAYBE NOT TO THE EXTENT THERE WOULD BE AN OUTBREAK OF SALMONELLA.
PEOPLE WOULD SEE US AND TELL US THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT TOO MANY SCOOTERS ON THE STREETS.
LET ME SAY WE HAVE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
WE WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WITH THE FULL COUNCIL'S CONSENSUS TO AN AGREEMENT THAT HOPEFULLY MEETS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT LET ME TIP MY HAT TO THE INDUSTRY IN THIS RESPECT.
BECAUSE AS A BUSINESS YOU COULD SAY THAT ANY REGULATION IS TOO MUCH.
YOU COULD NOT BUDGE AND SAY WE DON'T SUPPORT ANY OF THAT.
BUT I THINK I HAVE SEEN QUITE THE CONTRARY FROM THOSE DOCKLESS SCOOTER COMPANIES WHO HAVE BEEN WANTING TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY AND WITHIN RULES AND REGULATIONS.
THEY HAVE OFFERED US FEEDBACK AND SAID, HEY, IF YOU THINK THERE'S A CERTAIN SAFETY RATIONALE FOR A SPECIFIC MEASURE OR REGULATION, WE CAN CONSIDER THAT AND FOLLOW SUIT.
THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'RE HEADING FOR WITH THE RFP PROCESS WHICH I'M A FAN OF.
AND IN SPEAKING TO THE QUALITY CONTROL OF WHAT ULTIMATELY IS THE REGULATIONS, BETTER TO WORK WITH THREE THAN SEVEN.
AND BETTER TO WORK WITH A UNIVERSE OF 5,000 SCOOTERS RATHER THAN 14.
AND SO HERE WE ARE, AND I WANT TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS.
I WANT TO CHECK PAGE 14 IF WE CAN, JOHN.
THIS IS A QUESTION OF IS THIS PROGRAM GOING TO PAY FOR ITSELF OR DO WE HAVE TO COME OUT OF OUR OWN BUDGET TO PAY FOR THIS? THAT'S THE QUESTION I POSE TO YOU.
>> WE DID DEVELOP THIS FEE STRUCTURE BASED ON WHAT WE THINR COST RECOVERY NEEDS WOULD BE.
SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED THROUGH THE SIX MONTHS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM USING OUR TEMPORARY PARKING ENFORCEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
OUR PART-TIME OR OVERTIME POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ALSO WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT
[01:55:02]
WE NEEDED TO CAMPAIGN FOR, EDUCATION, THOSE DESIGNATED SCOOTER PARKING ZONES.SO WE WERE ABLE TO LEARN REALLY WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR US TO ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM.
SO THIS FEE IS BASED ON COST RECOVERY FOR THIS.
>> SALDANA: SO YOU HAVE SEEN THE EXPENSES.
YOU'VE SEEN WHAT WILL BE THE REVENUE OUTBREAK WITH THIS FEE ADJUSTMENT AND YOU'RE CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO PAY FOR ITSELF AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE TO SET ASIDE A LINE ITEM.
WE HAVE STUDIED THIS VERY CLOSELY.
THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE SIX MONTHS WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO ADMINISTER THIS ENFORCEMENT AND REALLY THIS PROGRAM, THE CAMPAIGNS, THE EDUCATION.
ALL THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE.
NOW, SO A QUICK HEADLINE FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT WANT TO DIG INTO ALL THE DETAILS BUT KNOW WHEN WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER.
IT'S NOT COMING OVER THE SUMMER YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS, THE RFP.
>> WELL, THERE WILL BE A -- LET ME GO BACK TO THE INTERIM PROCESS.
AS EACH COMPANY'S PERMIT EXPIRES, FOR EXAMPLE -- I'LL PICK RAZOR.
ON MAY 29 THEIR PERMIT WOULD EXPIRE.
THEY'RE AT 1,000 SO THEY WOULD STAY AT 1,000.
BIRD'S PERMIT EXPIRES ON JUNE 20.
RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE A PERMIT FOR 4500 VEHICLES.
WE WOULD ISSUE THEM A NEW PERMIT FOR 2250.
EFFECTIVELY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS STARTING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND THEN IT WILL COME DOWN TO ABOUT 8,850 FROM THE 16,000 THAT IT'S AT NOW.
THERE WILL BE A SLOW DECREASE AS EACH COMPANY'S PERMIT EXPIRES IF THEY HAVE OVER 1,000 VEHICLES.
>> SALDANA: SAY THAT LAST PART AGAIN A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND WE ARE GOING TO ULTIMATELY PHASE OUT TO HOW MANY?
>> RIGHT NOW THERE'S 16,100 PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
WE'RE REDUCING DOWN BY ABOUT 50% TO 8,850 PERMITS.
>> SALDANA: YEAH, BUT THAT'S BEFORE THE RFP.
>> IT WOULD BE DURING THE RFP.
SO IT WOULD BE OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER.
>> SALDANA: SO THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION.
IT WILL NOT BE TOWARDS THE AIM, WHICH IS 5,000, UNTIL WE GET TO THE OUTSIDE OF --
>> UNTIL THE OCTOBER TIME-FRAME, YES.
I JUST HAVE TWO OPINIONS ON SLIDE -- THE LAST SLIDE THAT GIVES US THE THREE COLUMN MATRIX.
THE BEFORE, THE PRESENT, AND THEN THE FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SORRY, I DIDN'T GET THE PAGE NUMBER.
SO JUST TWO OPINIONS ON MY PART, AND I HOPE THAT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL WEIGH IN.
BUT I AM SUPPORT OF REMOVING THE ACCESS TO SIDEWALKS.
I THINK THAT THERE'S THAT -- IF WE'RE TRULY LISTENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE GIVEN US FEEDBACK, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE REALLY VOCAL ABOUT THAT POSITION AND THAT PIECE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE -- I THINK WHEN WE INITIALLY STARTED THIS THIS WAS THINKING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE SCOOTER RIDER, NAMELY BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER OF PUTTING THEM ON THE STREETS.
AND WE HAVE AN ENTIRE POLICY DISCUSSION AROUND WHY STREETS ARE NOT SAFE BUT FOR VEHICLES.
AND SO WE HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT NECESSARILY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE WALKER OR PEDESTRIAN ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO I'M NOT WILLING TO TRADE ONE FOR THE OTHER AND SAY WE SHOULD KEEP THE SCOOTERS ON THE SIDEWALKS FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING FOLKS ON SCOOTERS SAFE.
I'M TAKING THE FEEDBACK AND GOING THROUGH THIS EDITING PROCESS AND REALIZING THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD.
THAT FOLKS ARE NOT FANS OF SCOOTERS ON SIDEWALKS.
SO I LIKE THAT WE'VE LANDED THERE.
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING THE FEEDBACK FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT I HAVE A PERSONAL OPPOSITION TO BECAUSE OF THE CONSISTENCY ARGUMENT IS THE QUESTION OF THE HOURS OF OPERATION AND THE CURFEW.
AND IT'S -- I WILL TAKE YOUR POINT THAT YOU CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ACCIDENTS IF YOU STOP THE SCOOTERS AFTER 11:00.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE.
BUT YOU'RE TREATING SCOOTERS DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU WOULD VEHICLES.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS DURING THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING.
YOU SEE THE SAME SPIKE IN ACCIDENTS FOR VEHICLES BUT WE DON'T REDUCE VEHICLE TRAVEL AFTER 11:00 P.M.
AND THE ARGUMENT THAT WAS BACK AND FORTH BEING MADE AT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS, LOOK, YOU DO HAVE ACCIDENTS, MORE ACCIDENTS AFTER 11:00 IN A SCOOTER, BUT SOME FOLKS ARE USING THEM TO GET HOME AFTER A SHIFT AT A LATE RESTAURANT OR A BAR DOWN AT THE RIVER WALK.
SO THEY COULD STILL USE THOSE AS A COMPONENT BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY ARE TREATING THESE SCOOTERS, A TRANSPORTATION OPTION, DIFFERENTLY THAN WE ARE VEHICLES THAT ARE JUST AS DANGEROUS AFTER 11:00 P.M.
I THINK THAT'S WHY IN TERMS OF MY POSITION IT'S ONE ABOUT CONSISTENCY.
[02:00:01]
TO MAKE THAT POINT.AND SO TALK TO ME AGAIN WHY WE'VE LANDED ON 11:00 P.M..
>> WE SAW A -- KIND OF SPIKE, IF YOU WILL, IN ACCIDENTS AFTER THAT TIME-FRAME.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT WERE USING THE SCOOTERS AT THAT TIME WERE NOT USING THEM TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
THEY WERE BASICALLY OUT JUST RIDING AROUND LATE IN THE EVENING.
WE DO THINK THAT THIS IS A POINT THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT AGAIN OPERATORS TO SEE IS THERE OPPORTUNITY, IS THERE A DEMAND FOR A REAL TRANSPORTATION CONNECTION FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S USING IT WHEN THEY GET OFF WORK, PERHAPS.
I ALSO THINK AS THE VEHICLES ADAPT AND BECOME SAFER, THAT RIDING AT NIGHT WOULD GET MUCH SAFER AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT AGAIN AND TRANSITION INTO IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
>> SALDANA: AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE A 24-HOUR PROCESS, IS IT SIMILAR?
>> THEY DO NOT HAVE A CURFEW BUT THE CDC STUDY DID SHOW THERE WERE ACCIDENTS HAPPENING AT NIGHT.
AND THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT THEY THOUGHT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
IT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN HERE AS WELL.
THAT AT NIGHT IT'S HARD TO SEE THE SURFACES OF THE ROAD.
THERE MAY BE CRACKS, POTHOLES, INCONSISTENCIES.
WHEN THE WHEELS ARE THAT SMALL YOU DON'T SEE IT AND IT'S CAUSING THE ACCIDENTS.
AND SPEED WAS ANOTHER FACTOR THAT THAT CDC STUDY FOUND.
AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE SIDEWALKS.
I THINK WHAT WE SAW TOO IS THAT AS PEOPLE ARE TRANSITIONING TO AND FROM SIDEWALK TO STREET, BACK AND FORTH, THAT TRANSITION IS ALSO AN AREA WHERE ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
THAT'S AN AREA WHERE AT NIGHT IT MIGHT BE HARD TO SEE THAT THERE'S A GRADE SEPARATION, FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN A PARKING LOT CURB RAMP VERSUS THE PAVEMENT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE GOTTEN AS SMART AS POSSIBLE ON THIS ISSUE AND I'M SURE IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE PROUD OF THAT YOU SHOULD INCLUDE ON YOUR RESUME.
YOU ARE A DOCKLESS SCOOTER EXPERT AT THIS POINT.
LOOKING FORWARD WHAT THE OUTCOME OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION IS.
AND I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER, BECAUSE I WON'T BE HERE.
WHICH IS GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE WHAT THIS COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS SEVEN APPLICANTS AND ONLY THREE CHOSEN WINNERS.
JOHN, IF YOU COULD DO ME A FAVOR AND ENSURE THAT THIS PROCESS IS RUN AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE.
>> SALDANA: SO THE FOLKS WHO DIDN'T GET SELECTED ARE COMING TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TELLING THEM HOW UNFAIR THE PROCESS IS.
>> I WOULD PREDICT WE HAVE MORE THAN SEVEN APPLY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> GONZALES: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES KNOW I WAS NOT IN SUPPORT OF AN RFP PROCESS.
I'M ALWAYS IN SUPPORT OF A B SESSION TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION, BUT I DON'T SUPPORT AN RFP PROCESS.
I THINK THE ONLY GROUP THAT THIS BENEFITS IS STAFF.
AND I THINK YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH MORE THAN THREE COMPANIES.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON FOR THIS RFP PROCESS.
SO I FEEL THAT ALREADY THINGS ARE WORKING THEMSELVES OUT.
I BELIEVE -- AND I HAVE MENTIONED THIS ALREADY MANY TIMES THAT I THINK THIS IS IN COMPLETE OPPOSITION FOR TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES.
WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO SEE IS NOT A REDUCTION AND NOT AN RFP, BUT HOW THE CITY INCORPORATES ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTIONS WERE REGARDING THE FOUR PLANS FOR CLIMATE READY AND SA TOMORROW, CONNECT SA, AND HOUSING.
NOT WHETHER OR NOT SCOOTERS ARE GOOD.
WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND AN RFP PROCESS DOESN'T MAKE IT CONSISTENT.
AN RFP PROCESS IS SIMPLY FOR YOUR BENEFIT, STAFF, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SO MANY COMPANIES.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS NECESSARY.
I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AS A CITY, AGAIN, IS NOT LIMITING OPTIONS AND NOT LIMITING COMPANIES THAT WANT TO COME IN.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE WOULDN'T DO THIS WITH PRIVATE AUTOMOBILES.
WE WOULDN'TT DO IT WITH PRIVATE BICYCLES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY DOING IT IN THIS PARTICULAR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE WE AS A CITY HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP WITH ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION AND WE CONTINUE TO BE SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH PLACE CITIZENS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE.
AND SO I REALLY WISH THAT THIS PROPOSAL WOULD HAVE SHOWN MORE
[02:05:03]
OF WE ARE INVESTING IN MORE PARKING FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATIONS.WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ADDING MORE BIKE LANES SO PEOPLE CAN MOVE SAFELY.
SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES AND NOT COME FORWARD WITH AN ALTERNATIVE THAT JUST RESTRICTS COMPANIES.
SO I'M VERY OPPOSED TO THIS RFP BUT I WANTED TO LET MY COLLEAGUES KNOW WHERE MY OPPOSITIONS LIE.
BUT I DO HAVE JUST ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RFP PROCESS.
SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE 5,000 VEHICLES.
AND SO HOW WOULD -- THE RFP WILL DETERMINE HOW MANY PER COMPANY? ARE YOU TRYING TO DO SOME SORT OF EQUAL DISTRIBUTION? WHAT MIGHT THAT -- HOW WOULD THOSE BE SPLIT UP?
SO WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTE IT AMONGST THE THREE COMPANIES.
WE'RE LEAVING IT OPEN TO SEE WHAT THE DEMAND OR REQUEST IS FROM THE COMPANIES.
THERE MAY BE A SMALLER COMPANY THAT MAYBE DOESN'T NEED THAT MANY PERMITS OR CAN'T MEET THAT CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER.
SO WE'RE LEAVING THAT OPEN TO ONCE WE DETERMINE WHO THE THREE COMPANIES ARE AND THEN WORK WITH THEM TO DETERMINE WHAT'S AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF VEHICLES FOR THEM.
BUT WITH A CAP OF 5,000 TOTAL.
SO IT MAY TURN OUT THAT IS AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION IF ALL THREE COMPANIES WANT THE SAME AMOUNT.
BUT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO DECREASE IT FOR ONE OR INCREASE IT FOR ANOTHER BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO OPERATE AT A DIFFERENT SCALE.
SOME COMPANIES HAVE LESS VEHICLES.
SOME HAVE MORE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A MORE FLEXIBLE CONTRACT WITH EACH ONE OF THEM.
>> GONZALES: AND SO I ALSO FEEL LIKE IN THE RFP -- OR BUT IN THIS PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME FEE BUILT IN, NOT JUST AS STAFF TO MAINTAIN, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE STAFF IS -- THAT'S PART OF THE FUNDING IS TO GO TO PAY FOR THE STAFF.
BUT THAT YOU COULD EVEN CHARGE ACCORDINGLY TO PAY FOR WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE A PARKING STATION OR A DOCKING STATION OR A PICK UP STATION AND REQUIRE THE COMPANIES TO PAY FOR THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS VERSUS LIMITING AN RFP IN THAT REGARD.
SO IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL -- YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD ON THIS PROCESS THAT I DON'T SUPPORT.
BUT WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THOSE COMPANIES MIGHT PAY, NOT JUST FOR STAFF, BUT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE?
SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE HAVE $100 PER VEHICLE FEE.
AND THEN ALSO A FIRST-YEAR ASSESSMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE SCOOTER CORRALS, DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THAT FEE WILL BE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY OUT THERE NOW ESTIMATING WHAT IT WOULD COST TO MANUFACTURE AND INSTALL SCOOTER RACKS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DETERMINE THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS.
>> GONZALES: WHY NOT JUST HAVE IT BE THE SAME AS BICYCLE RACKS?
>> THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO THERE'S NOT AN OFF THE SHELF, IF YOU WILL, PRODUCT THAT WE CAN PURCHASE FOR SCOOTERS.
THE SCOOTER RACKS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHARGE THE VEHICLES.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT WORKING WITH THE THREE COMPANIES TO DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST TYPE RACK TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR ALL THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WE NEED THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WE'RE BUILDING THAT INTO THE CONTRACT WITH EACH OF THE COMPANIES.
AND SO MY LAST COMMENT -- EVEN THIS MORNING WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE TWO PARTICULAR AREAS OF TOWN, ONE OF THEM THE MED CENTER AND THE OTHER THE UTSA AREA.
IN BOTH SCENARIOS WHAT CAME UP WAS A DESIRE FOR SAFE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION.
WHILE THEY DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY WE WANT MORE SCOOTERS, WHAT THEY DID SAY -- AND THERE WERE SOME QUITE SENIOR PEOPLE IN THAT GROUP SAYING WE WANT AN ALTERNATIVE SAFE TRANSPORTATION OPTION.
AND I THINK AS THESE TECHNOLOGIES EVOLVE WE STILL KNOW THAT THESE SCOOTERS ARE STILL PRIMARILY FOR ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY IN YOUR SURVEY WHEN ASKED WHAT OTHER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU USED A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM SAID WALKING.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK ABOUT A MILE.
OR YOU COULD USE A SCOOTER FOR ABOUT A MILE, 7.79 -- ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE WAS THE
[02:10:01]
AVERAGE DISTANCE.AND SO MY CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE FOR THE COMPANIES AND FOR US AS A CITY IS DESIGN A NETWORK THAT NOT JUST IS SAFE FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN USE BICYCLES OR THESE FORMS, BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT AS MOBILE.
AND SO THAT COULD MEAN PERHAPS MORE OF A SEATED -- LIKE A WHEELCHAIR MODEL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT I SUSPECT WILL EVOLVE.
I THINK RAZOR HAS ONE WHERE YOU CAN SIT AND DRIVE, AND A BASKET FOR YOUR BAG.
AND A COUPLE OF THOSE TECHNOLOGIES -- OR THESE ADAPTATIONS THAT WOULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS AGILE AND MOBILE.
SO THOSE ARE REALLY MY COMMENTS AS WE PROCEED.
I DO THINK ESPECIALLY WITHIN OUR REGIONAL CENTERS THAT WE FOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION THERE AS WELL.
AND IT HAS COME UP EVERY TIME THAT PEOPLE WANT ALTERNATIVE FORMS AND THAT WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AND NOT RESTRICT IT, LIKE I BELIEVE THIS RFP DOES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
IN ALLOWING US TO WORK THROUGH THIS.
AT THE HEART OF THIS IS KNOWING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT WE ANTICIPATE AND SOME THINGS WE CAN'T ANTICIPATE.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T WELCOME SOME NEW IDEAS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP OUR CITY, SPECIFICALLY OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND DISTRICT 1 HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN FACED WITH THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, AT THE HEART OF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING, TACKLING AS AN OFFICE, HEARING FROM BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS.
THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO DISTRICT 1.
AND SO I REALLY CAN SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE FRAMEWORK THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FRAMEWORK.
CAN WE GO TO THE -- I DON'T REMEMBER THE PAGE IT WAS, BUT IT WAS THE THREE TABS.
AGAIN, I THINK THIS HELPS US TO PROVIDE US SOME LEVEL OF FRAMEWORK.
AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT WE HEARD A LOT WAS SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT BOTH BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS HAD WHEN IT CAME TO THE DEPLOYMENT AND, OF COURSE, THE USE OF AND WHERE SCOOTERS WERE LEFT.
SO I PARTICULARLY WANT TO POINT OUT THE DEVELOPING A PARKING FRAMEWORK WITH VENDORS THAT CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE DOCKING VEHICLES.
THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT APPROACH.
AND SO IN TALKING TO SOME OF THE COMPANIES I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING VERY, VERY OPEN TO THIS IDEA.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS WORKING WITH THEM TO DEVELOP.
THE IDEA IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING ROOM WITHIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO FACILITATE THE USE OF THESE VEHICLES.
WHILE NOT SACRIFICING PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY IN OUR CITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK COULD BE SORT OF DECONSTRUCTED BACKWARDS.
IF WE START OFF WITH THE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND FREE FOR ACCESS, THEN WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF SPACE FOR MANY THINGS.
AND WE CAN MAKE ROOM FOR ALL THESE SYSTEMS TO CO-EXIST.
SO I PARTICULARLY WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THAT.
I WANT TO ALSO MENTION THAT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THE -- WHEN IT CAME TO THE SELECTION OF THE RFP GROUPS.
WE DID SAY NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES OR NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS.
BUT WE DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO WAS DIFFERENTLY ABLED.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO INCLUDE SOMEONE IN THAT
[02:15:06]
GROUP, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK BOTH CAN IDENTIFY WITH WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED OR PROTECTED, SHOULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT REVIEW PROCESS.AND, OF COURSE, I HAVE TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL -- I STILL HAVE TO ASK WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING OUR PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY OFFICER.
>> I'LL QUICKLY ANSWER THAT FOR YOU.
>> COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A PROCESS WORKING WITH OUTSIDE RECRUITER DOING A NATIONAL SEARCH.
WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE HAVE MADE A FEW OFFERS THROUGHOUT THE WAY.
STILL TRYING TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON THAT HAS THE RIGHT BALANCE OF THE ENGINEERING AND PLANNING COMPONENT.
WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT THAT AND TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT PERSON.
>> TREVINO: THANKS FOR THAT UPDATE, ART.
WE'LL KEEP PUSHING ON THAT AND I THINK WE CAN SEE TIME AND TIME AGAIN WE TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT ISSUES IN OUR CITY WITH REGARDS TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND HAVING SOMEBODY IN PLACE THAT CAN SPEAK TO THESE OTHER CONCERNS I THINK WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL.
SO I'LL KEEP ASKING UNTIL WE HIRE THAT PERSON.
ALSO, JOHN, WE ALLUDED TO BUT DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT -- WEREN'T EXPLICIT ABOUT THE GEOFENCING AND SPEED REDUCTION.
I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF E-MAILS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND DOWNTOWN.
AND ONE EXAMPLE IS HOW WE'RE NOT VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT DEFINING OR SPELLING OUT GEOGRAPHICALLY THE RIVER WALK.
AND SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW CAN WE BETTER DEFINE THESE AREAS AND BE MORE EXPLICIT ABOUT GEO-FENCING.
>> THAT COMES IN THAT PROPOSAL SECTION OF THE RFP PROCESS IS ASKING IF COMPANIES TO BRING FORWARD THEIR BEST PLAN FOR HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PREVENT OR ENCOURAGE EITHER -- PREVENT BAD BEHAVIOR OR ENCOURAGE GOOD BEHAVIOR.
AND PART OF THAT COULD BE THROUGH GEO-FENCING.
AND I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT GEO-FENCING COULD WORK.
IT COULD PLAY INTO THE RIDING OR PLAY IN THE PARKING.
AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THAT COULD BE APPLIED.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE THROUGH AN AUDIBLE WARNING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU'RE SOMEWHERE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE.
AND IT MIGHT BE A WARNING THAT IF YOU CONTINUE TO STAY IN THAT AREA YOU MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE PENALIZED.
WE'RE ASKING THE COMPANIES TO PROVIDE THEIR BEST PLAN TO HOW THEY WILL PREVENT THIS BAD BEHAVIOR.
BUT I THINK THE GEO-FENCING COULD ALSO ENCOURAGE GOOD BEHAVIOR AS WELL.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE COMPANIES THAT EXHIBIT THAT BEST PLAN.
AND THAT MOST LIKELY WOULD INCLUDE SOME FORM OF GEO-FENCING.
>> TREVINO: WHAT ABOUT SIGNAGE? IS THE CITY GOING TO UPDATE SOME OF THE SIGNAGE? I'M GETTING A LOT OF E-MAILS REGARDING THE SIGNAGE AS WELL, MAYBE BEING A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING OR NOT AS EXPLICIT ABOUT THE USE.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING WE FACTORED INTO THE DETERMINATION OF THE FEES.
YOU KNOW, WE DID SOME LIGHTER, FASTER, CHEAP SIGNAGE DURING THE PROGRAM TO SEE IF IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT AND WHAT IT WOULD COST TO DO.
IT WAS DONE ON A FAIRLY TEMPORARY-TYPE BASIS OR A TEMPORARY-TYPE MATERIAL.
SO WE KNOW WE NEED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SIGNAGE.
WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS.
THE RIVER AUTHORITY OVERSEES SAN PEDRO CREEK.
THEY CREATED THEIR OWN SIGNAGE.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAD SOME OF THEIR OWN SIGNAGE.
IT'S WORKING WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CONSISTENT LANGUAGE, CONSISTENT SIGNAGE.
AND ALSO MAYBE EVEN UPDATING IT IN REGARDS TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAYBE BIKES VERSUS MOTORIZED VEHICLES.
>> TREVINO: WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER TO DO THAT.
IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN GET STARTED ON? I THINK WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S A LACK OF SIGNAGE AND MAYBE IMPROVE THE CONSISTENCY.
ISN'T THAT SOMETHING WE CAN START?
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED WHAT'S MORE EFFECTIVE VERSUS WHAT MAYBE IS NOT.
SOME OF THE SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVE PLACED, OR THE DECALS THAT WE PLACED ON THE ACTUAL PAVEMENT ENTRANCES TO THE RIVER WALK SEEM TO HAVE A BETTER MESSAGING AND IMPACT THAN, SAY, A SIGN THAT'S STAKED INTO A LANDSCAPE AREA, I THINK.
YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET STARTED ON THAT.
>> TREVINO: YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DATA THAT WE'RE
[02:20:02]
RECEIVING FROM THE SCOOTERS IS GOING TO HELP US TO BETTER PLAN FOR THINGS LIKE BIKE LANES AND MORE COMPLETE STREETS.HOW SOON WILL WE SEE THAT IMPLEMENTATION?
>> THE PLAN WOULD BE WHEN THE THREE COMPANIES START OPERATING IN SAN ANTONIO THAT THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD START COLLECTING THAT MORE ROBUST DATA OR THAT KIND OF LIVE DATA, AS I LIKE TO SAY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMPANIES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE TO US THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THAT DATA BEFORE WE ALLOW THEM TO START OPERATING.
AND THEY'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH CRAIG HOPKINS AND HIS TEAM.
AND THEY ALREADY HAVE BEEN TO DETERMINE HOW THAT WOULD BE DONE.
>> TREVINO: BUT WE ALREADY KNOW THERE'S AREAS WHERE WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE BIKE LANES.
COULD THAT NOT BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF ALSO A TESTING GROUND TO SHOW IF WE PUT IN THE BIKE LANES THAT THEY COULD -- WE COULD THEN MEASURE HOW MUCH THEY'RE ALSO BEING USED BY SCOOTERS?
THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE GPS TRACKING.
AND REALLY THAT ABILITY TO GET THAT -- WHAT I.T. REFERS TO AS BREAD CRUMB DATA TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING, HOW LONG ARE THEY RIDING, HOW LONG ARE THEY STAYING PERHAPS ON THAT PARTICULAR ROUTE.
AND IF WE ADD BIKE LANES, TO YOUR POINT, DOES THAT ACTUALLY
SO I REALLY -- I APPRECIATE THIS PLAN, AND THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET US MOVING FORWARD, AND LOOK FORWARD TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT I THINK WILL REALLY HELP ALLEVIATE A LOT OF, SORT OF THE PRESSURES WE FELT.
I SEE THIS AS KIND OF EXPOSING A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WANTS AND DESIRES OF A GROWING CITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
TO REALLY GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE PEDESTRIAN OFFICER, WHICH I THINK WILL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR CITY.
YOU MIGHT CALL IT A MICROMOBILITY OFFICER, WHICH IS FINE WITH ME.
THE IDEA IS WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO MOVING PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I BELIEVE WE NEED TO REALLY PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS WHOLE CONDITION OF THE SCOOTERS IN THE CITY.
AND IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'VE HEARD -- OR WE'VE SEEN UP HERE THAT THERE WERE 155 ACCIDENTS THAT WERE REPORTED, 90 PEOPLE WERE TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO A MEDICAL FACILITY.
IF WE HEARD TEXAS HAD 90 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO EMS, WE WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE RIDES A LOT MORE SERIOUSLY.
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING 1.5 MILLION RIDES ALL ON THE STREET, WHERE PROBABLY TWO-THIRDS OF THEM HAVE BEEN ON SIDEWALKS.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DANGERS FOR NOW OVER SIX MONTHS 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS ON OUR STREETS DOWNTOWN.
EVEN IF IT'S 8:30, 9:00, 10:00 WHEN IT'S DARK.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS, AND YOU NAMED QUITE A FEW.
HAVE WE REACHED OUT OR SURVEYED COMMUTERS WHO DRIVE ON THE STREET? OR THE DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVERS WHO USE THOSE STREETS EVERY DAY? HAVE WE ASKED THEM WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE SCOOTERS?
>> WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY TARGET THOSE GROUPS.
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WAS OPEN TO ANYONE TO TAKE.
>> COURAGE: WHICH WE HARDLY HAVE ANY.
>> WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 4,000 PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT SURVEY.
>> COURAGE: I THINK THAT'S A SERIOUS CONCERN WE NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THAN WE ARE.
ALSO, I DIDN'T HEAR HOW WE ARE GOING TO INDEMNIFY THE CITY.
AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT INSURANCE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT HOW DO WE INDEMNIFY THE CITY? WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT THE SCOOTERS ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, USER BEWARE.
WELL, A USER MAY GET ON THAT BIKE AND THEY MAY BEWARE, BUT IF THEY GET HURT, THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING TO THE CITY.
BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE RIDING ON OUR CITY STREETS.
A MILLION TRIPS IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SOMETHING.
IF THEY'RE HIT BY A CAR, OR THEY HIT A POTHOLE OR ANY OF THOSE
[02:25:02]
THINGS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SIMPLY RELY ON THE COMPANY THAT RENTED THEM THE SCOOTER.SO HOW DO WE INDEMNIFY OURSELVES? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, OR 500,000 TO PAY FOR OUR COSTS.
WHAT'S THE COST FOR ONE SUIT? OR TWO? WE ALREADY KNOW, BECAUSE WE GET THOSE.
WHEN PEOPLE WHO OPERATE CITY VEHICLES HIT SOMEBODY, OR HIT ANOTHER CAR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY SMALL VEHICLE RIDING ON A STREET.
I SAW NOTHING IN THERE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN SAYING, WELL, IT SHOULD HAVE A HEADLIGHT OR SOME KIND OF A LIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE BEING APPROACHED FROM BEHIND? IT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY KIND OF REFLECTOR OR LIGHT, SO THE CAR COMING UP BEHIND YOU SEES YOU CLEARLY.
OR WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT PEOPLE FOLLOWING OUR TRAFFIC LAWS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE ON A BIKE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A TURN, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT OUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OR LEFT HAND WHEN YOU MAKE THAT TURN, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO.
PEOPLE START DOING THAT ON A SCOOTER, RIDING ON A SCOOTER WITH ONE HAND, IT'S SO DANGEROUS.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROTECTED AS A CITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AS WE CONTINUE WITH THIS.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF REGULATING TRANSPORTATION, IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND SAFETY FOR THE CITY IN AUTHORIZING THESE TO TAKE PLACE ON OUR STREETS.
AND I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED PENALTIES.
AND I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE VIOLATING LAW, THE COMPANY'S NOT OPERATING AS IT SHOULD, WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES THAT ARE GOING TO BRING THEM IN LINE? WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES THAT INDIVIDUAL USERS WILL UNDERSTAND CAN BE IN EFFECT IF THEY VIOLATE THE LAW, RIDE ON THE STREET, GO IN AREAS THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, MAKE AN ILLEGAL TURN, CROSS TRAFFIC ON A STREET, GO ON A ONE-WAY? SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING NOW.
AND WE'RE NOT DOING MUCH ABOUT IT.
72 CITATIONS OUT OF 1.5 MILLION RIDES.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS RFP.
>> COUNCILMAN, WE DO HAVE -- THE ORIGINAL ADOPTION OF REGULATIONS, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME REGULATIONS YOU WOULD FOLLOW IF YOU'RE RIDING A BIKE, SO YOU DO HAVE TO OBEY TRAFFIC LAWS, STOP AT STOP SIGNS, SIGNAL TURNS, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED CITATIONS FOR PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, GOING THE WRONG WAY, OR RUNNING RED LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS.
AND WE THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE WE NEED THAT CONSISTENCY, SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT IS A MOTORIZED VEHICLE, AND YOU FOLLOW THE SAME RULES WHEN YOU'RE OPERATING IN A ROAD, LIKE ANY OTHER VEHICLE DOES.
SO WE DO HAVE THOSE IN THERE ALREADY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE COMPANIES TO SAY, WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE, TO YOUR POINT, TO MAKE IT SAFE, REQUIREMENT OF A HEADLIGHT, HAVE A TAILLIGHT, THEY HAVE A BELL OR A HORN.
SO THOSE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS THAT -- SOME OF THOSE WE ALREADY REQUIRE.
WE'LL ASK THE COMPANIES TO TELL US WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE THAT ENSURES US THAT IT'S SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO RIDE.
OH, YES, AND WE DO CURRENTLY REQUIRE LIABILITY, GENERAL LIABILITY FOR THE CITY'S SAKE.
UNDER THE CURRENT PROCESS, THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS, WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING THE COMPANIES TO EXPLAIN TO US EASTERN INSURANCE FOR THEIR RIDERS, INSURANCE FOR THIRD PARTIES, WHAT ARE THEIR USER AGREEMENTS.
AND REALLY KIND OF DIVING INTO THAT, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND RISK MANAGEMENT AS WELL.
I THINK ED HAS COMMENTS AS WELL.
>> MAYOR AND COUNCIL, REGARDING INDEMNIFICATION, ANYTIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE KIND OF AGREEMENTS, THERE'S ALWAYS INDEMNIFICATION LANGUAGE IN THERE.
SO THERE IS PROTECTION FOR THE CITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BAKED INTO EVERY SINGLE AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH ANY VENDOR THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF, AS WELL AS INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDED PROTECTION, POSSIBLY FOR THE RIDERS, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY AS WELL.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION,
[02:30:02]
JOHN, THIS HELPED CLEAR UP A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.ON FLAG NUMBER 6, YOU SAID THE NUMBER OF -- THE AVERAGE DAILY DEPLOYMENT, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT, CORRECT?
SO THEY HAVE A PERMIT FOR MORE, BUT THEY'RE NOT DEPLOYING THAT.
IT'S 4,615 THAT'S NOW THE AVERAGE.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING THE CURRENT PERMITS ARE 14,000?
>> WE'VE ISSUED 16,000 BROADCAST ].
>> VIAGRAN: SO WE'RE GOING TO POSSIBLY --
>> VIAGRAN: THAT IS STILL MORE THAN WHAT WE SEE ON A DAILY BASIS ON OUR SIDEWALKS, OR IN OUR BROADCAST ].
>> VIAGRAN: RIGHT, SINCE NOVEMBER.
GOING BACK TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SALDANA SAID, I KNOW SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT 3, ARE HOPING TO SEE THAT CLUTTER COME OFF OF THE AREA.
BUT THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE MORE PERMITS OUT THAN ACTUAL SCOOTERS, OR BIKES OUT IN THE CITY.
SO, OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE MORE, BUT STILL, WE HAVEN'T EVEN HIT, WITH THE 6,700, WE STILL HAVEN'T HIT 8,000 VEHICLES OUT ON THE STREET YET IN SAN ANTONIO.
BUT YOU CAN PROBABLY DEDUCE THAT, YES.
AND ALSO, I WILL SAY, BACK TO NUMBER 13, SLIDE NUMBER 13, I AM GLAD -- I AM IN FAVOR OF HAVING THIS POLICY ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATION NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE ON THE SIDEWALKS.
I DO BELIEVE OUR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY HAS TO BE HERE, AND WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN CROSSING THE STREETS, ET CETERA, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VISION ZERO.
SO I BELIEVE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT MOTORIZED VEHICLES OFF OF SIDEWALKS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR VISION ZERO POLICY AS WELL.
I AM -- YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE ABGE LIMIT OF 16.
I DIDN'T HEAR YOU MENTION, MAYBE YOU DID BUT I DIDN'T HEAR IT, A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
WE'RE ASKING IN THE RFP THAT THEY HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, EVEN IF IT'S A LEARNER'S PERMIT.
THE CHALLENGE IS WORKING WITH THE COMPANIES MUCH MORE CLOSELY TO DETERMINE HOW THEY MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE BEFORE THEY RENT.
THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE STATE LAW, SO IF THAT STATE LAW WERE TO PASS, IT WOULD REQUIRE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, YES.
>> VIAGRAN: SO I AM ALSO VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF INCREASING THAT PERMIT FEE, THAT PROGRAM FEE TO $100 PER VEHICLE.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED -- I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I WILL TELL YOU, I TOLD YOU BEFORE, JOHN, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SOLD ON THIS SCOOTER RACKS AND CORRALS, ONLY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE EVEN HAVE THESE DESIGNATED AREAS PAINTED ON OUR SIDEWALKS, BUT PEOPLE STILL DO NOT ADHERE TO THAT.
SO I'M ALSO A LITTLE -- I GIVE PAUSE TO THE FACT THAT WILL PEOPLE UTILIZE THEM OR WILL IT STILL BE AGAIN BRINGING CONGESTION ONTO OUR SIDEWALKS.
AND ITEMS THAT ARE ON OUR SIDEWALKS.
THAT IS A CONCERN THAT I HAVE WITH THAT, LOOKING AT THESE RACKS AND CORRALS.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, YOU MENTIONED UNIVERSITIES LOOKING -- THAT YOU SAW PLACES WITH UNIVERSITIES LOOKING AT RFPS WITH DIFFERENT SCOOTER COMPANIES?
SO THERE'S SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S A -- WHETHER IT'S A PRIVATE OR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY.
SO THOSE UNIVERSITIES HAVE CONTRACTS WITH OTHER VENDORS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE ON CAMPUSES.
SOME UNIVERSITIES ARE LOOKING AT AN RFP FOR DOCKING ON CAMPUS.
>> VIAGRAN: HOW DO WE COORDINATE WITH OURS.
UNIVERSITIES HAVE SELECTED A COMPANY, BUT THEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOESN'T SELECT THAT, AND THEN SAY TRINITY AND THEY RIDE IT TO THE NEAR THE PEARL AREA, ET CETERA.
AND THEN ON THAT NOTE, TOO, WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE AT COURT, AND I KNOW AT BROOKS, THEY ALSO HAD SOME SCOOTERS THERE WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AT BROOKS TO GET FROM ONE AREA, AND THE
[02:35:04]
NEW BROOKS TRANSIT TO A DIFFERENT PLACE.HOW WILL WE COORDINATE THIS WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES, AND TWO, WHAT ABOUT -- SO WOULD PORT BE ABLE TO GO ON THEIR OWN AND DO THIS, OR WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS DOING COVER THAT?
>> IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE STREETS PROBABLY WITHIN THAT AREA.
IF THEY'RE PUBLIC STREETS, THEY WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT THROUGH THE CITY TO OPERATE IN THAT AREA.
IF YOU HAVE A CLOSED CAMPUS TYPE SETTING, IT MIGHT BE FEASIBLE TO HAVE, SAY, A DIFFERENT VENDOR OPERATING IN THAT AREA.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT SCOOTER CROSSES OUTSIDE OF THAT BOUNDARY.
THAT MAY POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE GEOFENCING.
WE'VE COMMUNICATED CLOSELY WITH OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITIES, THEY'RE WATCHING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE'VE HAD GOOD DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS AN RFP ISSUED TO WORK WITH A VENDOR.
ONE OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND THROUGH OUR PROCESS THEY'VE PAUSED THEIR PROCESS TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH OURS TO SEE WHO WE SELECT.
AND THEN I THINK THEY WOULD GO OUT TO ONE OF THOSE THREE VENDORS AND WORK WITH THEM.
>> VIAGRAN: I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
SECOND, ON PAGE 14, ON SLIDE 14, HOW MUCH IS IT FOR PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, HOW MUCH WILL THAT COST?
>> CURRENTLY WE'RE USING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT HIRING FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO IF YOU'LL JUST BEAR WITH ME ONE SECOND.
SO FISCAL YEAR FY 2020, $128,000 FOR THOSE FOUR EMPLOYEES.
SO THOSE ARE FOUR EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY'RE NOT ALL FOUR WORKING AT THE SAME TIME, SO THEY COVER DIFFERENT SHIFTS, SO THEY CAN WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
THERE WILL BE SOME OVERLAP SOMETIMES DURING BUSY TIME PERIODS.
SO THAT WOULD BE FOR ONE YEAR.
>> VIAGRAN: ON SLIDE NUMBER 9, ALSO, I WANT TO JUST COMMEND YOU, THIS IS GREAT DATA THAT I THINK YOU GATHERED, WITH THE SURVEY AND THE TELETOWN HALL.
THIS IS GREAT DATA THAT YOU GATHERED.
IT REALLY GAVE SOME GOOD INSIGHTS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOTTOM PART, IF A DOCKLESS VEHICLE WASN'T AVAILABLE, THEN WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? DID THEY JUST COME UP WITH THESE OPTIONS OR WERE THESE OPTIONS PRESENTED TO THE PERSON?
THEY PICKED FROM ONE OF THOSE.
AND THEN WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, IN SLIDE NUMBER 11, YOU KEPT USING DOCKLESS VEHICLES, DOCKLESS VEHICLES, THE PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTOOD THAT DOCKLESS VEHICLES WERE SCOOTERS, CORRECT?
>> THE MAJORITY ARE DOCKLESS VEHICLES.
WE DO EXPLAIN THAT DOCKLESS VEHICLES COULD INCLUDE BICYCLES AS WELL.
AND THEN ANOTHER -- ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE RFT PROCESS IN 17, I KNOW YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IT.
I THINK IT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, AND THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS UP SO WE COULD HAVE A GOOD DIALOGUE.
BUT IT WAS ABOUT DATA GATHERING, AND THAT THE COMPANIES WOULD PROVIDE DATA TO US, TO THE CITY.
SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
ARE THEY GOING TO -- IS THAT PART OF THE EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS?
>> THAT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT ACTUALLY THAT THEY PROVIDE US DATA IN A FORM, AND THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE THINK WE CAN USE.
>> CRAIG AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE US FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
THEY'VE BEEN -- HAD A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMPANIES TO SEE WHAT DATA DO THEY HAVE, HOW WOULD WE RECEIVE THAT, HOW WOULD WE PROCESS THAT AND MANAGE THAT.
ALSO BEING MINDFUL OF, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL INFORMATION.
WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL RODE, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE RODE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHICH COMPANY SOMEBODY USED, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW IF SOMEONE USED THAT ROUTE OR NOT.
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT SHARING MAYBE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION THAT WOULD GIVE SOMEONE AN ADVANTAGE OVER SOMEBODY ELSE, OR DISCLOSING PERSONAL INFORMATION.
>> VIAGRAN: I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY IN FAVOR OF GEOFENCING IN AREAS THAT ARE PROHIBITED, SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT IS PART OF THIS RFP PROCESS.
ALSO, THE MAINTENANCE PLANT AND POLICIES, THEY WILL HAVE TO LET US KNOW HOW THEY ARE MAINTAINING THEIR SCOOTERS, AND THEIR VEHICLES, IS THAT CORRECT?
SO GENERALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS WHAT IS THEIR MAINTENANCE PLAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A VEHICLE IS REPORTED AS BROKEN, HOW ARE THEY RESPONDING TO THAT, WHAT'S THEIR RESPONSIVENESS, SO THAT VEHICLE IS NOT SITTING OUT THERE BROKEN, OR POTENTIALLY A HAZARD IN SOME WAY.
>> VIAGRAN: AND WHEN IT COMES TO RIDER SAFETY, I KNOW, I THINK IT
[02:40:02]
WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT MAYBE SEEING HOW THEY'RE BRINGING THEIR LATEST VERSION OF WHATEVER THEIR VEHICLE, THEIR MOTORIZED VEHICLE IS, BECAUSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE'S POINT, HAVING BEEN ON A SCOOTER WITH MY HELMET, IT IS NOT EASY TO TURN LEFT WHEN YOU'RE IN A LANE.AND TO TAKE ONE HAND OFF OF THAT AREA, OFF OF THE HANDLE IS REALLY DIFFICULT.
AND IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE VEHICLES BEHIND YOU OR FOR THE RIDER ON THE SCOOTER.
SO I'M JUST TELLING THE COMPANIES HERE, IF YOU COULD PUT LIKE A LITTLE -- SO WE CAN TELL WHICH WAY WE'RE GOING, LEFT OR RIGHT, LIKE A BLINKER, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN ON THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES YOU'RE LOOKING AT? AND TWO, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO'S POINT, HAVING SOMEONE DIFFERENTLY ABLED.
AND THEN DO WE HAVE -- YOU PUT A DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER.
I HOPE THAT'S SOMEONE OTHER THAN CENTRO.
I HOPE WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEONE MAYBE WHO'S A BUSINESS OWNER, OR LIKE THE COMMERCIAL PERSONS WHO ARE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREET, PUTTING THE -- HAVING TO MAKE DELIVERIES, LOOKING AT THAT.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT AS WELL.
BUT WHO WOULD BE IN THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES?
>> RIGHT, WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE CATEGORIES RIGHT NOW.
I SHOULD ALSO ADD, I FAILED TO MENTION IT, BUT WE'LL HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WILL HELP SUPPORT THIS EVALUATION COMMITTEE, WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERTS, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THIS AREA, OR THAT ARE IMPACTED IN SOME WAY.
AND AGAIN, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE -- WHOEVER IS COMING OUT OF THIS RFP PROCESS TO HAVE A LOCAL CONNECTION, AND A LOCAL OFFICE, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT LO LOCAL -- THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH SOMEBODY LOCALLY, TOO.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT'S TURNING OUT TO BE QUITE A ROBUST CONVERSATION AS ANTICIPATED.
>> SANDOVAL: I WANT TO GO BACK TO COUNCILMAN SALDANA'S POINT OF UNDERREGULATION.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE FACING IS, NUMBER ONE, WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THE ROAD WHEN IT COMES TO SCOOTERS? AS FAR AS THE STATE GOES, THERE IS NO ESTABLISHED LOCATION FOR THEM, WHETHER IT'S ON THE SIDEWALKS OR ON THE STREETS?
>> CURRENTLY, NO, THERE'S NOT.
THERE IS SOME VERY -- THERE'S REGULATION AT THE STATE, GRANTED TO CITIES SOME YEARS AGO, BACK WHEN IT WAS REALLY A DIFFERENT RESPONSE TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VEHICLE, IT'S REALLY NOT APPLICABLE TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
THAT'S ONE DECISION WE'RE MAKING, OR ONE THING WE HOPE TO ADDRESS, AS WELL AS THE CLUTTER AND THE PARKING SITUATION, RIGHT? IF IT WAS A CAR, WE WOULDN'T SAY IT'S OKAY TO PUT IT ON THE SIDEWALK.
>> SANDOVAL: SO A QUESTION ABOUT THE RULES OF THE ROAD.
RIGHT NOW, IF WE KEEP THEM ON THE STREET AND NOT ON THE SIDEWALKS, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A SEPARATE ORDINANCE FROM THE RFP WHEN IT WOULD ALSO APPLY TO PRIVATELY-OWNED SCOOTERS FOR PERSONAL USE? OR ARE WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT ARE FOR PUBLIC RENT?
WE ARE LOOKING AT BASICALLY REGULATIONS FOR MOTORIZED SCOOTERS, WHETHER IT'S A DOCKLESS VEHICLE OR IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, THE RULES WOULD BE THE SAME.
REALLY, ONCE THEY'RE ON THE STREET RIDING, THEY'RE THE SAME.
SO THEY NEED TO FOLLOW TRAFFIC REGULATIONS.
REALLY LIKE ANY OTHER MOTORIZED VEHICLE.
IT'S WHEN THERE'S A DOCKLESS VEHICLE THAT'S REALLY BEING -- THE COMPANY IS REALLY USING THE CITY'S RIGHT-OF-WAY TO STORE OR OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS.
THERE'S RIDING AND PARKING OF VEHICLES ON SIDEWALKS.
>> SANDOVAL: SO AT WHAT POINT WILL WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE OF WHERE THEY BELONG?
>> WE'VE ALREADY ADOPTED THAT.
BUT THERE IS OPTIONS TO TWEAK THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY WERE ALLOWED ON SIDEWALKS.
>> SANDOVAL: SO WE WOULD CHANGE THAT AT THE SAME TIME?
IN TERMS OF PARKING, SO I WOULD LIKEN THIS TO [INDISCERNIBLE] CYCLE.
I DON'T THINK THEY PARK ON SIDEWALKS.
THEIR DOCKING STATIONS ARE ALL IN SOME, LIKE PARKING LOT, OR THEY FIND A SPACE FOR THEM.
THEY DON'T JUST PUT THEM IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
[02:45:01]
>> A SWELL CYCLE HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY BASICALLY TO USE OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY.
SO SOME STATIONS ARE ON CITY RIGHT-OF-WAY, ON THE SIDEWALK.
THEY DO ALSO HAVE SEPARATE AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL TO LOCATE THEIR STATIONS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
>> SANDOVAL: SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD WANT TO PURSUE FOR THIS.
JUST NOT ONLY STORING ON SIDEWALKS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND FOR THESE CORRALS.
DID YOU SPECIFICALLY SAY WHAT KIND OF SPACE THEY WOULD BE ON?
>> THERE COULD BE, THE COMPANIES COULD WORK WITH A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER TO INSTALL A RACK, OR A BUSINESS OWNER MAY INSTALL A RACK ON THEIR OWN, IF THEY HAVE A LOT OF RIDE RS TO THEIR ESTABLISHMENT, THEY COULD DO THAT.
WE AS THE CITY COULD WORK WITH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER TO INSTALL A RACK, IT WOULD BE THROUGH AN AGREEMENT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS, PARTICULARLY BEING ABLE TO GET THE DATA TO SEE WHERE ARE THE RIDES ENDING, NOT JUST THROUGH THE DATA, BUT VISUALLY BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT.
THAT'S AN AREA THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A SCOOTER RACK, OR BIKE RACKS, TOO.
I THINK THE IDEA THERE IS IT LEADS TO A MORE ORGANIZED AND ORDERLY PARKING ARRANGEMENT.
WE SEE A LOT OF VEHICLES FALL OVER, AND WHEN ONE FALLS, IT KNOCKS OTHERS OVER.
ALSO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS IN WORKING WITH THE THREE SELECTED VENDORS TO IDENTIFY, ARE THERE INCENTIVES PERHAPS THAT SOMEONE COULD RECEIVE IF THEY USE ONE OF THE RACKS, COULD IT BE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, LIKE A SMART RACK WHERE EITHER THE SCOOTER KNOWS IT'S BEING PARKED IN THAT RACK, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE SOME DISCOUNT MAYBE TO THE USER FOR MAYBE THE NEXT RIDE.
BUT IT'S REALLY PROVIDING GOOD, ORDERLY OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE, SO IT'S EASY FOR THEM TO MAKE A DECISION WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE THEY SHOULD PARK.
JUST LIKE IF YOU ARRIVE AT A STORE IN A CAR, YOU KNOW THERE'S MARKED PARKING SPACES.
IF WE COULD KEEP BIG CLUSTERS OF THEM OFF THE SIDEWALKS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE PREFERABLE.
TO ME, I FEEL LIKE -- I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SIDEWALKS IN THE CITY, SO ALL OF US GET CALLS -- OR SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS GET CALLS EVERY DAY ASKING FOR SIDEWALKS.
AND THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS TAKE UP THAT SCARCE SPACE.
WITH SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PUT ELSEWHERE.
>> SANDOVAL: A QUESTION ON COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITIES, OR COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IS THERE COLLABORATION WITH THEM?
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH MULTIPLE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
OFTENTIMES IT'S PICKING UP THE PHONE TO CALL THEM AND SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, OR IS WHAT YOU IMPLEMENTED WORKING.
ART AND HIS TEAM OFTEN ATTEND CONFERENCES, AND THIS IS A TOPIC THAT'S POPPING UP IN A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY TYPE CONFERENCES.
THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE WITH TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THEY'RE ASKING FOR DATA.
SO I THINK THE COMMUNITY, OR THE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE ALL KIND OF LOOKING AT EACH OTHER FOR ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS.
>> SANDOVAL: SORRY, LET ME BACK UP.
FOR INSTANCE, DISTRICT 7 SURROUNDS LEON VALLEY.
SO DO YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH LEON VALLEY ABOUT PEOPLE RIDING A SCOOTER FROM LEON VALLEY INTO SAN ANTONIO?
WE'VE NOT HEARD FROM LEON VALLEY, NO.
WE KNOW AL MA HEIGHTS IS WORKING ORDINANCE AND WE'RE TALKING TO THEM, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT US TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THERE IS SOME CONCERN ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN YOU HAVE SMALL MUNICIPALITIES, WITHIN OTHER ONES, WHAT ARE THE RULES AND HOW DOES A RIDER KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.
>> SANDOVAL: DO THEY GO BACK ON THE SIDEWALK, OFF THE SIDEWALK?
>> PART OF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR THAT STATE LEGISLATION WAS TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT ACROSS THE STATE.
>> SANDOVAL: SO ONE THING THAT DOES CONCERN ME ABOUT THE RFP IS THAT IT'S A TWO-YEAR WITH A POSSIBLE ONE-YEAR EXTENSION.
AND IN THAT TIME, I'M WONDERING IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE DEMAND FOR VEHICLES.
IF SO, A, WILL WE SEE IT, AND B, IF SO, HOW DO WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SCOOTERS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WEE SEE A HUGE CLUSTER DOWNTOWN, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WON'T EXPAND TO OTHER PLACES.
WE'RE -- AS PART OF THE RFP PROCESS AND PART OF THE ORDINANCE WE'LL BE ASKING YOU ALL TO VOTE ON WOULD BE THE BROADCAST ].
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PERMITS SHOULD THAT DEMAND INCREASE, AND ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT
[02:50:01]
SEEING ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESOLVING THE ISSUES BEFORE WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PERMITS.AND IT MAY BE THAT AN AREA OF TOWN MAYBE IS UNDERSERVED, IT MIGHT INCREASE IN THE PERMITS, WE COULD ISSUE THE PERMITS ON THE CONDITION THAT THOSE VEHICLES NEED TO BE DEPLOYED IN THAT AREA OF TOWN.
>> SANDOVAL: SO JUST ONE LAST THING, AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH HAVING THE SCOOTERS ONLY BE ON THE STREETS.
ARE OTHER CITIES FOLLOWING -- ARE THERE ANY OTHER CITIES DOING THE SAME THING?
IT'S KIND OF BACK-AND-FORTH, DEPENDING WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY YOU'RE IN, AND EACH CITY IS STRUGGLING WITH THIS.
SOME OF THEM HAVE, LIKE US, HAVE NOT ALLOWED BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND SOME CITIES HAVE GONE BACK TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND MAYBE ADJUST THAT TO CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN WHERE IT'S OKAY TO RIDE.
SO IT'S FAIRLY SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT.
THERE'S NOT A -- I WOULDN'T SAY EVERYONE'S GOING TO THAT, OR AWAY FROM THAT.
I THINK THAT A LOT OF CITIES ARE STILL REACTING LIKE WE ARE.
STARTING TO SEE THIS CONFLICT WITH PEDESTRIANS.
SO I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S REALLY TWO KEY THINGS THAT ARE MISSING HERE, AND TO KIND OF UNDERSCORE SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ SAID, SHE SAID WE'RE BEHIND, AND SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE -- WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE FEEL UNSAFE RIDING IN THE STREET, WHETHER IT'S A BICYCLE OR WHETHER IT'S A SCOOTER, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH SIDEWALKS TO GO AROUND TO SHARE THE SCOOTERS WITH PEDESTRIANS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT, WHICHEVER WAY WE GO.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT, AND THE NEXT BUDGET PROCESS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO START, IS TO BUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE EITHER CYCLE TRACKS OR THE PROTECTIVE BICYCLE LANES.
BUT UNTIL THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS BUILT OUT, WE DO NEED TO HAVE REALLY BIG DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM.
AND WE COULD JOIN FORCES WITH THE BICYCLING SAFETY COMMUNITY TO DO THIS.
WE DON'T NEED TO WORK SEPARATELY ON IT.
BUT I FEEL WHAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE SAID, WE KNOW THERE ARE DRIVERS THAT ARE UNFRIENDLY TO CYCLISTS.
THE TRUTH IS, WITHOUT A BICYCLE LANE, A CYCLIST CAN TAKE UP A WHOLE LANE.
ON A STREET THAT'S 35 MILES OR LESS, IN THE CASE OF SCOOTERS.
THEY CAN TAKE UP A WHOLE LANE.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING 35, OR WANTING TO DRIVE 40 MILES AN HOUR, 45 BECAUSE PEOPLE DO, THAT COULD CREATE SOME ROAD RAGE.
WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE RETAKING DRIVING TESTS EVERY FEW YEARS SO THAT THEY KEEP UP WITH CHANGES, SO WE FORCIBLY MAKE THEM KEEP UP WITH CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE INCUMBENT UPON US, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE INCUMBENT ON US TO EDUCATE THEM.
SO BEFORE WE ADOPT THE CONTRACT, AND WHILE WE'RE OUT DOING THE RFP, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE A PROPOSAL, FOR A BROAD EDUCATION PROPOSAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING ON BICYCLING SAFETY.
I THINK POOLING OUR RESOURCES, WE CAN GET A LOT FURTHER.
AND THEN AS OUR BUDGET COMES FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN THE CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE, OR MICROMOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND ERIC, I KNOW THIS IS MORE, MORE, MORE, WITH LESS, LESS, LES RESOURCES.
WE NEED BOTH PIECES, THE EDUCATION, THAT'S URGENT, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE CAN GET TO IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
>> PELAEZ: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FIRST OF ALL, 5,000 IS A NUMBER I HEARD WHY YOU PICKED 5,000 AND ALL THAT.
MY QUESTION IS, UNDER YOUR PROPOSAL, I SAW THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST IT UPWARD IF WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO GO UP.
IS THERE EQUALLY -- I MEAN, IS THERE A THOUGHT IN THIS CONCEPT THAT YOU WOULD ALSO DO DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENTS IF NECESSARY?
BUT I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SHORT DURATION OF THAT CONTRACT.
ALTHOUGH TO YOU, IT SOUNDS SHORT.
BUT YES, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A LOWER -- POTENTIAL FOR LOWERING IT.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY FROM LOOKING AT THAT LOOK OF STREETS ON WHATEVER SLIDE YOU SHOWED US, THAT THESE ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE RIDING THESE THINGS? OR ARE THESE 2 MILLION RIDES A PERCENTAGE OF THE 38 MILLION TOURISTS WHO VISIT US DOWNTOWN?
[02:55:02]
>> WE DID ASK WHERE PEOPLE ARE RESIDENTS.
I DON'T HAVE THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I DO HAVE THAT IN THE SURVEY.
IF YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE HERE, JOHN'S GOING TO LOOK IT UP FOR US AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE WHAT I SAW ON YOUR SURVEY IS THAT YOU ASKED 756 RESIDENTS, RIGHT? THAT WAS YOUR SURVEY?
>> ON THE SURVEY, WE ASKED PEOPLE -- WE HAD TWO SURVEYS.
ONE WAS JUST OPEN TO ANYBODY TO TAKE ONLINE.
THE OTHER ONE WE DIRECTED TWO PEOPLE WHO WE KNEW HAD USED A VEHICLE.
BUT AS PART OF THAT, WE ASKED, ARE YOU A RESIDENT OF BEXAR COUNTY, OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> PELAEZ: I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT I'LL BE ACCUSED OF BEING A REASONABLE -- I'M GOING TO ASSUME 2 MILLION OF THOSE RIDES WERE ALMOST ALL TOURISTS.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THESE ARE DOWNTOWN STREETS.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALMOST 100% OF THE COMPLAINTS I'VE BEEN GETTING ARE FROM SAN ANTONIANS, HOWEVER.
I'M OKAY WITH THIS PROPOSED PLAN, AND I'M OKAY WITH THE CURFEW.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF A CONCESSION AGREEMENT, BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES US ENFORCEMENT -- THE POWER OF ENFORCEMENT BY WAY OF CONTRACT, RIGHT?
>> PELAEZ: WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THESE COMPANIES WOULD ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH US BY THEIR OWN FREE WILL, AND THEY GET TO SEE WALKING INTO THIS EYES WIDE OPEN EXACTLY WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE OF DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY AND DOING IT THE WRONG WAY.
AND IT GIVES US CONTRACTUAL REMEDIES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE RULES.
AND I LIKE IT ALSO BECAUSE IT GIVERS US THE FLEXIBILITY, AND I'M SURE IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS THE FACTS DEVELOP, AND AS WE LEARN MORE AND AS THE MARKET EVOLVES, RIGHT?
>> PELAEZ: SO AS FAR AS THE ARGUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CREATING THIS KIND OF CONCESSION RELATIONSHIP, WITH THIS INDUSTRY DOESN'T REALLY ALIGN WITH THE FACT THAT THERE'S AN ABSENCE OF REGULATIONS FOR PRIVATE BICYCLES, OR THAT WE'RE TREATING SCOOTERS DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER MODALITIES, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BECAUSE FIRST, WE AREN'T GETTING A GROUNDSWELL OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT PRIVATE BICYCLES AND OTHER MODALITIES.
WE'RE HEARING -- I'M HEARING FROM HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, TELLING ME HOW UPSET THEY ARE AT THESE THINGS.
SECOND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE 29,000 ILLEGAL RIDES, ENDING UP IN PROHIBITIVE AREAS LIKE THE RIVER WALK AND ALAMO AND THINGS LIKE THAT FROM PRIVATE BIKES.
WE'RE GETTING THOSE, AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT PROBLEM FROM THESE SCOOTERS.
RIGHT? AND THIRD, THE PRIVATE BIKES AREN'T CREATING A SITUATION, OR A PROBLEM FOR US WHERE CENTRO AND OUR WORK CREWS ARE HAVING TO DO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CORRECTIONS.
CORRECTIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, WHEN THEY'VE GOT TO GO OUT AND MOVE THE BIKES OUT OF THE WAY TO MAKE SURE OUR SIDEWALKS CONTINUE TO BE ADA COMPLIANT, OR THAT WE CAN CLEAN THE SIDEWALKS.
>> A CORRECTION IS BASICALLY, IT IS JUST MOVING A VEHICLE EITHER TO THE SIDE, BECAUSE IT'S MAYBE BLOCKING THE SIDEWALK, IT WOULDN'T BE RELOCATING IT TO A WHOLE OTHER BLOCK OR A DIFFERENT PART OF DOWNTOWN.
>> PELAEZ: I ASSURE YOU, IT'S NOT PRIVATE BIKES THAT ARE DOING THAT, RIGHT? SO I'M OKAY WITH TREATING THEM DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
AND WE DO TREAT THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF MOVING AROUND SAN ANTONIO DIFFERENTLY.
WE ISSUE JAYWALKING TICKETS, YOU KNOW? AND WE ISSUE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RULES AND ENFORCE DIFFERENTLY FOR UBERS AND TAXIS, AND WE TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DO LIMOS, AND SHUTTLE BUSES.
I HAVE A FEELING WE ALSO PROHIBIT HORSES ON SIDEWALKS, TOO.
I MEAN, EVERY MODALITY HAS A DIFFERENT WAY OF BEING TREATED.
IN FACT, I THINK, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK THE CITY PROHIBITS SKATEBOARDING IN CERTAIN AREAS AND NOT IN OTHERS.
AND I THINK THE PUBLIC EXPECTS US TO EXERT SOME LEVEL OF CONTROL, EVEN IF IT'S DIFFERENT FROM MODALITY TO MODALITY, JUST TO ALLOW US TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE DON'T LIVE IN CHAOS, RIGHT? AND TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT'S OUR JOB.
SO I'VE BEEN ASKING MY CONSTITUENTS WHY THEY DISLIKE THESE THINGS SO MUCH, AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME, WELL, THEY'RE UNSAFE AND THEY BLOCK THE
[03:00:02]
SIDEWALK.YOU'LL ASK THEM, WELL, HAVE YOU RIDDEN ONE? WELL, NO, NOT REALLY.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU'VE BEEN UNSAFE, BECAUSE HAVE YOU WALKED DOWN THE SIDEWALK? NO, I NEVER WALK, I'M ALWAYS IN MY CAR.
SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? I THINK WHAT I'VE TOUCHED UPON WITH THEM, AND YOU KEEP SCRATCHING AT THAT, THOSE ARGUMENTS, YOU REALIZE THEY'RE JUST REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH, NUMBER ONE, THE EYE SORE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE JUST DON'T LIKE THAT THE WAY THEY SUDDENLY POPPED UP AND HOW UGLY IT LOOKS TO THEM.
IT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE THEY'RE UPSET, I THINK, BECAUSE I THINK THEY PERCEIVE THESE COMPANIES THAT HAVE JUST SHOWN UP AND DROPPED 5,000, 6,000 OF THESE THINGS IN SAN ANTONIO OVERNIGHT AND THEY'RE USING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR SIDEWALKS AND OUR STREETS LIKE PETRI DISHES TO DEVELOP OUT THIS NEW INDUSTRY AT THE COST OF ANNOYING OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND THEN NOT EVEN COMING TO US FIRST AND SAYING, WE'LL TRY THIS OUT AND WORK WITH YOU IN A PARTNERSHIP.
THE ATTITUDE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF, WE'LL ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS ONCE WE KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET ANNOYED.
IT'S NOT LIKE LYFT AND THESE OTHER COMPANIES DIDN'T KNOW WE WOULD REACT THE WAY WE'RE REACTING, BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO BE THE SAGE WAY EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES ISNI REACTING.
SO I THINK THIS IS JUST BACKLASH ON WHAT THE PUBLIC PERCEIVES TO BE ABUSE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WORK FOR THEM, AND I DON'T WORK FOR THE SCOOTER COMPANIES.
IF EVERY ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS -- I HAVE YET TO MEET A SINGLE CONSTITUENT WHO TELLS US WE WANT MORE SCOOTERS, OR LEAVE THE SCOOTER INDUSTRY ALONE, IF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM TELLS ME, THIS BUGS ME, I HAVE TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.
IN FACT, I WOULD SUPPORT MUCH, MUCH SMALLER SORT OF THRESHOLD NUMBER.
BUT IF THIS IS THE CONSENSUS NUMBER, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
>> THE QUESTION YOU HAD EARLIER I THINK MAYBE WAS ON WHERE PEOPLE ARE RIDING ON THIS SLIDE, OR WAS IT -- OKAY.
SO THIS IS DATA THAT WE RECEIVED FROM ONE OF THE COMPANIES.
SO IT DOESN'T BREAK IT DOWN BY ANY DEMOGRAPHICS OF WHO'S RIDING.
WE JUST KNOW THAT PEOPLE USE THESE ROUTES.
I APOLOGIZE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THE SURVEY, WHERE WE WERE ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY WERE A RESIDENT OR NOT.
>> PELAEZ: I'LL BET MR. PERRY'S MONEY THAT THESE ARE TOURISTS AND NOT PEOPLE COMMUTING TO AND FROM DISTRICT 10, OR DISTRICT 7, OR FOR THAT MATTER FROM AROUND DISTRICT 1.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALMOST ALWAYS WEARING SHORTS AND FLIP-FLOPS, WE ALL KNOW THEM, WE SEE THEM.
BUT THIS DOWNTOWN BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.
THAT'S WHY I LIKE THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAN PELAEZ.
>> PERRY: JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS HERE, JOHN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RFP AND HOW THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE STRUCTURED THAT WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT THIS TO 5,000.
WHY CAN'T WE JUST SAY IF WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT IT TO 3,THREE COMPANIES, WHY NOT JUST SAY THEY CAN EACH HAVE UP TO 2,000 SCOOTERS, OR DOCKLESS VEHICLES.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEPLOY ALL 2,000.
BECAUSE I CAN SEE IN THIS RFP PROCESS, WHAT IF ONE OF THEM COMES IN IN THEIR PROPOSAL, THEY WANT ALL 5,000, FROM ONE VENDOR.
I STILL THINK WE NEED TO LIMIT IT TO UP TO 2,000 PER VENDOR.
AND AGAIN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO UP TO THAT NUMBER.
BUT IT GIVES THEM THAT FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE IT UP.
BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THAT SLIDE ON SLIDE 6, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY SHOWS THAT IT'S BEEN ABOUT 5,000.
EXCEPT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT THIS, YOU KNOW, DOWN BELOW WHAT COULD CLIMB UP AGAIN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, COMING UP HERE IN THE BIG TOURIST SEASON.
SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION, THAT WE -- IF WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT IT TO THREE, LET'S GIVE THEM EACH UP TO 2,000, FOR A TOTAL OF UP TO 6,000, AND GO WITH THAT.
AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THEM MAY WANT TO DEPLOY 2,000.
I AGREE WITH YOUR -- WHAT WAS IT, SLIDE 13 ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I HAVE A LITTLE CONCERN ABOUT THE 11:00 DEAL.
I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
AND WE CAN WATCH THAT AND SEE WHAT -- IF THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED IN THE FUTURE.
[03:05:01]
ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT IN THE MARKET.>> PERRY: I'VE ALWAYS SAID THIS IS ANOTHER DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, JUST LIKE THE CELL PHONE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH OUR CELL PHONES.
I THINK THERE'S A BALANCE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE THAT WE CAN LEARN TO LIVE WITH THE DOCKLESS VEHICLES DOWNTOWN.
BUT ON OUR LAST BOND BROADCAST ].
STREET WORK ON SOME OF OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES DOWNTOWN?
AND WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD A MEETING RECENTLY WITH TCI TO DIS DISCUSS, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO WHILE WE'RE STILL IN KIND OF THE DESIGN PHASE TO INCORPORATE POTENTIAL BIKE LANES TO ACCOMMODATE EITHER BIKES AND/OR SCOOTERS.
>> PERRY: I THINK ONCE WE GET INTO THAT DESIGN PROCESS, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THAT AS A PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL.
IF NOT ANYBODY ELSE IS INTERESTED, I'M INTERESTED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS GOING TO BE, AND HOW ACCOMMODATING WE'RE GOING TO BE TOWARD DOCKLESS VEHICLES.
ALONG WITH WALKING, AND VEHICLES, AND BUSES, AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY PUT DOWNTOWN UNDER THIS 2017 BOND.
AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY KIND OF LAYOUTS OR PROPOSALS ON ALL OF THIS WORK.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TO SEE WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING ON OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES DOWNTOWN.
MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THIS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEETING?
>> WE WERE NOT PLANNING TO, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TO "B" SESSION, AND THE TRANSPORTATION COMM COMMITTEE.
SO WE THINK "B" SESSION WOULD ACCOMMODATE THAT.
BUT ERIC, IF YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
>> COUNCILMAN, ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK AT AUDIT AND CONTRACT COMMITTEE, WE'RE COMING BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE DEAL WITH HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS.
IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY HIGH PROFILE IN TERMS OF REVENUE, IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT HAS A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY STANDPOINT.
EACH OF YOU, I ELECTED TO ASK THE COMMITTEE -- OR THE STAFF TO BRING THIS PRE-SOLICITATION DISCUSSION TO FULL COUNCIL.
AS YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION, WE WOULD COME BACK POST-SOLICITATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL IN "B" SESSION.
THAT IS CURRENTLY THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, OR PROPOSE TO THE AUDIT ING CONTRACT NEXT WEEK.
>> PERRY: THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE BRIEFED AT THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
>> WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
OR FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AT THE AUDIT AND CONTRACT MEETING NEXT WEEK.
I THINK THE THOUGHT WAS THAT GIVEN SOME OF THE RECENT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CONTRACTS, SOME OF THESE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS DESERVE THE ATTENTION AND THE ABILITY -- WE CAN WALK THROUGH THAT WITH THE COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS A HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT AS WELL.
>> WE CAN TALK AFTERWARDS IF THERE'S SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T GET TODAY, THAT WE CAN ADD ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA.
>> PERRY: I WOULD SAY, FOLLOW THE SAME FORMAT WE HAVE ON THE OTHER HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS.
THERE WERE COMMENTS AT THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING ON THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SEE.
>> PERRY: OR PRE-SOLICITATION AND POST-SOLICITATION ALSO.
I ASSUME WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
>> HALL: AS AN OUTGOING MEMBER OF COUNCIL THAT HAS A LOT LESS EXPERIENCE THAN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
NUMBER ONE, I THINK WE HAVE TOO MANY, I THINK GOING TO 5,000 IS A GOOD MOVE.
THE SECOND COMMENT IS, THE EYE SORE COMMENT THAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ MENTIONED.
WE'VE GOT A HODGEPODGE OF COMPANIES WITH A HODGEPODGE OF COLORS WHICH CREATES A LACK OF UNIFORMITY WHICH MAKES IT LOOK MESSY.
I SEE YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THREE VENDORS.
I WOULD GO TO ONE VENDOR OR TWO.
YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMPETITION.
I THINK TWO-YEAR TURN CREATES THAT COMPETITION.
THEY KNOW THEY'VE GOT TO PERFORM FOR THOSE TWO YEARS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AN EXTENSION, OR A SECOND CONTRACT.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS.
[03:10:04]
THANK YOU, MAYOR.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I'LL JUST WRAP UP WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS.
I THINK I'M HEARING THAT THE COUNCIL GENERALLY SUPPORTS THE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RFP, AND THE DETAILS THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS BACK IN FULL COUNCIL.
MY HEART AGREES WITH COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES IN THINKING THIS IS A NEW MARKET INNOVATION THAT SHOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE CARE OF ITSELF IN TERMS OF THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF SCOOTERS ON THE STREET.
AND I MADE STATEMENTS AS WELL TO THE EFFECT THAT, BY PUTTING OURSELVES IN A POSITION OF CREATING THE MARKET NOW WITH THIS RFP AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM IT, IT ALMOST BELIES THE PRODUCT OF INNOVATIONS LIKE THIS.
AND IT PUTS US IN A BIT OF A POSITION OF HAVING TO GUESS WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, WHILE WE'RE IN THE LEAST ABLE POSITION TO DO THAT.
I SINCE HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION, OR A FEW, ACTUALLY, WITH FOLKS LIKE TECH BLOCK, WHO ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF DISRUPTION, AND WHO HAVE GUIDED US THROUGH SOME JUST RECENTLY, AND HAVE KIND OF CHANGED MY THINKING ON THIS.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE LIGHT TOUCH APPROACH OF COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, WAS A GOOD ONE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE INNOVATIONS CAN TAKE ROOT IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY CAN THRIVE, THAT THEY'RE BENEFICIAL TO THE CONSUMER WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT.
THERE IS TOO MUCH CLUTTER ON OUR SIDEWALKS.
WE NOTICED THAT DURING THE PILOT.
WE'VE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT WITH THE TWEAKS.
WE ALSO KNOW THEY'RE TOO DANGEROUS, SO WE'VE MADE TWEAKS IN THE REGULATIONS AS WELL.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE RFP, THAT WE ALLOW FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THE FLY.
BECAUSE THIS IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING.
EVEN THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING.
WE'VE SEEN NEW PRODUCTS HIT THE STREETS IN THE LAST WEEK, CERTAINLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND THE INDUSTRY, THE COMPANIES ARE ACTUALLY GETTING SMARTER IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE WITH REGARD TO CLUTTER, BUT ALSO SAFETY OF THE VEHICLES.
THE WHEELS ARE BIGGER, THEY'RE STURDIER, THEY'VE GOT LIGHTS AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENCOURAGE THAT.
ONE OF THE CONCEPTS THAT I DIDN'T SEE UP HERE THAT WAS DISCUSSED, AT LEAST BRIEFLY, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THE STAFF DISCUSSED IT, WAS THIS CONCEPT OF HAVING A PLUS ONE VENDOR WITH A SMALL NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO REALLY DISRUPT THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF.
AND BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY ARE PERMITTED TO DO BUSINESS ON THE STREETS, THE OTHER VENDORS WOULD BE FORCED TO COMPETE, IMPROVE THEIR OWN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND SO FORTH.
HOW WOULD STAFF RESPOND TO THAT IDEA? IS THAT PART OF THIS CONCEPT? ARE WE JUST KIND OF PARKING THAT ONE FOR NOW?
WE'RE LOOKING AT AN RFP PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THREE VENDORS, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD A FOURTH, IF SOMEBODY COMES FORWARD WITH SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY DIFFERENT, OR INNOVATIVE, A DIFFERENT MODEL.
POSSIBILITIES THERE IF SOMEBODY COMES FORWARD WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD CHANGE THE MARKET, OR IS MORE INNOVATIVE IN ANOTHER WAY.
SOMEONE HAVING AN ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE, MAYBE THERE'S A COMPANY OUT THERE, PERHAPS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT QUALIFY AS THE FOURTH PERSON.
OR MAYBE THE VEHICLE IS SO DIFFERENT, THAT IT SERVES A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.
OR IT'S JUST SOMETHING MORE INNOVATIVE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING IF THAT COMES AROUND.
ALSO, UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER, THAT WE SEE THAT THERE'S LESS CLUTTER, THAT IT'S MORE ORGANIZED BEFORE WE WOULD ADD MORE VEHICLES TO THE MARKET.
AND I HEARD THE COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMAN SALDANA, TOO, ABOUT THE HOURS OF OPERATION BEING LIMITED.
IF THIS IS TRULY A PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE THAT WE'RE REGULATING FOR SAFETY AND THE VEHICLES ARE GETTING SAFER, PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THEM WHEN THEY DEEM IT SAFE.
WE SHOULD WATCH THAT VERY CLOSELY, THOUGH, AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RFP.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESULTS OF IT.
I DO HOPE THAT WE HAVE, THROUGH THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PANEL, ENOUGH OF AN INNOVATION LOOK.
I HOPE SOMEBODY FROM THE INNOVATION OFFICE WILL BE ON THE PANEL IN ADDITION TO SOMEBODY FROM THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE THAT REPRESENTS THE TECH COMMUNITY.
AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS OF COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
[03:15:01]
IT MIGHT TAKE AWAY FROM THE ENTIRE ORDEAL, IF WE CAN CALL IT THAT, WITH SCOOTERS, THAT 25 PLUS YEARS AGO THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BUILT OUR SIDEWALKS WIDER.WE SHOULD TAKE A LESSON FROM THAT IN HOW WE BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS A SAFE BICYCLE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED TO SEE THAT, AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE ALLOCATE IN THE CITY BUDGET, IN FY 20 AND MOVING FORWARD, AND ALSO THE PRIORITIES OF CONNECT SA.
WHEN WE SAY SAFE BICYCLE ROUTES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BICYCLE LANES, NOT JUST STRIPES ON THE ROAD, BUT BICYCLE LANES THAT ARE SET ASIDE THAT HAVE BARRIERS, AND CERTAINLY DIFFERENT COLORS PEOPLE WILL DENOTE THAT THIS IS JUST FOR BICYCLES.
BUT ALSO, NOW FOR MICROMOBILITY TECHNOLOGY.
AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT OUR POLICIES, AND OUR ORDINANCES AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING LOOPHOLES SUCH AS THE ONE THAT CURRENTLY ALLOWS CARS TO PARK IN BICYCLE LANES.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN GREAT LESSONS FROM THIS.
I WANT TO SEE US CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN THE ROAD OF INNOVATION AND MARKET PRODUCING INNOVATION.
AT END OF THE DAY I THINK THE STAFF AND THE COUNCIL HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN DEALING WITH A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION IN THE BEST WAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S IT FOR TODAY'S OPEN SESSION FOR "B." I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON EXEC, IS THAT RIGHT?
WE'RE GOING TO DO THOSE TOMORROW.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO I'LL READ THE CAPTION FOR THE EXECS THAT WE'LL TAKE UP TOMORROW.
SO THE TIME IS NOW 5:24 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH, 2019.
THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SCHEDULED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL TOMORROW, THURSDAY, MAY 16TH, 2019.
IT WILL BE HELD DURING THE CITY COUNCIL "A" SESSION NO LATER THAN 9:00 A.M. IN THE MUNICIPAL PLAZA BUILDING.
CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS TODAY'S MEETING UNTIL SET ZENS TO BE HEARD AT 6:00 P.M., WHICH WILL BE IN THIS ROOM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I THINK WE HAVE A FEW FOLKS SIGNED UP.
A COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
>> I WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNMENT PUBLIC OF AFFAIRS AND AV STAFF FOR FACILITATING AND GETTING EVERYTHING SET UP, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PROVIDING DIFFERENT TYPE OF SECURITY, IN A DIFFERENT SETTING.
THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR THE WORK SETTING UP.
[APPLAUSE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.