[00:00:12]
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE PLANNING AND COMMITTEE MEETING FOR DECEMBER 11TH, 2023. WE'LL START WITH A ROLL CALL.
LIKE WE HAVE A QUORUM. WE'LL START WITH THE EASY STUFF. APPROVAL OF THEMINUTES. I HOPE YOU HAVE REVIEWED THEM, AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO PROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. >> WONDERFUL, IF IT'S OKAY WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA AT THIS TIME. SO IT HAPPENS TO BE AN APPLICATION IN D9. SO DOES ANYBODY NEED THE PRESENTATION? WONDERFUL. WITHOUT THE NEED FOR PRESENTATION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR PLACE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB.
CONGRATULATIONS. WE'VE MOVED THROUGH A LOT ALREADY. HERE'S THE HARD PART. WE HAVE A ONE AT LARGE APPOINTMENT AND THREE REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD. SO WE WILL START OFF WITH A PREPARED STATEMENT BY ONE OF THE CANDIDATES THAT JAMIE WILL READ TO
US. FLOOR IS YOURS, JAMIE. >> MR. GORDON HAS PROVIDED WRITTEN STATEMENT WHICH I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS WESLY LEE GORDON JONES. I THINK I WOULD BE A HELPFUL ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC STANDARDS BOARD. I WAS BORN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND GREW UP AROUND THE COUNTRY, MOSTLY IN HAWAII. I SERVED IN THE MARINE CORPS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. I CHOSE TO LIVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR THE RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE, LOW COAST OF LIVING, AND MILITARY PRESENCE. I AM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE INSPECTOR.
I HAVE BEEN INSPECTING HOUSES FOR FIVE YEARS IN SAN ANTONIO. HAVING LIVED ALL OVER THE WORD, I'VE SEEN WHAT POOR STANDARDS CREATE. SUCH EXAMPLES WOULD BE ABANDONED FIRE SHELLS OF HOUSES NEXT TO MILLION PLUS DOLLAR HOMES IN HAWAII. TO DERELICT NEIGHBORS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND LARGE PORTIONS OF DETROIT MICHIGAN. MAINTAINING STANDARDS GIVE PRIDE TO OUR COMMUNITIES. I'M A PROUD HOMEOWNER AND TAKE CARE OF MY PROPERTY. I HAVE SEEN OTHERS WORK TO IMPROVE THEIR HOUSES.
IT'S SIMPLE STEP TO TAKE TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO BEAUTIFUL. I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HELP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION,
GORDON JONES. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO MR. JONES FOR HIS INTEREST. WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THE CANDIDATES WHO ARE PRESENT TODAY FOR INTERVIEWS. SO JAMIE, I THINK WE'RE GOING IN
ALPHABETICAL ORDER. >> YES. AT THE MOMENT, HE HAVE THOMAS FRANKS AND DAVID GARZA. THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THOMAS FRANKS.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MR. FRANKS, IF YOU COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A STATEMENT JUST A COUPLE MINUTES OF WHY YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE POSITION AND WE WILL CONTINUE ON WITH SOME QUESTIONS FROM OUR
COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
THOMAS FRANKS, 37 YEARS OLD. I'VE BEEN IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SINCE I GOT OUT OF THE MARINE CO MARINE CORPS IN 2009. I MOVED BACK TO TEXAS. I WORKED FOR A FORTUNE 500 COUNTRY AS THEIR NATIONAL FACILITY MANAGER, PROPERTY MANAGER THAT WE BUILT, REMODELED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THEN I MOVED TO REGIONAL FACILITY MANAGER THAT COVERED 4,382 PROPERTIES FROM TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, OUT WEST UP TO GREATER L.A. THEN I COVERED THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF CANADA. THAT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE THAT WAS DURING THE TIME OF COVID. CURRENTLY, I'M SALES. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF TAKING A MOM AND POP COMPANY INTO 12 STATES AND OUR 13TH STATE NEXT YEAR. BEEN
[00:05:04]
IN SAN ANTONIO FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS. THIS IS WHERE I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE. I WAS IN DFW FOR 7 YEARS EVEN THOUGH I WAS ALWAYS DOWN HERE. THE RIVER WALK AND THEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH PERRY HOMES UP IN281. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOME OF THE CASES THAT WE DEAL WITH INVOLVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE MULTITUDE OF ISSUES. SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD GUIDE YOUR DECISION MAKING SPECIFICALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO ORDERS TO VACATE, DEMOLISH, OR REPAIR?
>> EMPATHY FIRST. 2001, HURRICANE LAURA WENT THROUGH LAKE CHARLES AND COMPLETELY DEVASTATED LAKE CHARLES. I CAME IN RIGHT BEHIND FOR THE COMPANY I WAS WORKING FOR THAT WAS 711 STRIPES. WE RUSHED TO GET IT OPERATIONAL SO THE COMMUNITY COULD HAVE FUEL. WE DEVELOPED A WAY TO BE ABLE TO COOK THERE USING 3,000 GALLON PORTABLE WATERS. LEAD WITH EMPATHY AND MOVE FROM THERE. THAT'S HOW I DO IT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL CONTINUE ON WITH QUESTIONS FROM MY
COLLEAGUES. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> LET ME ASK SO THAT I UNDERSTAND. DID YOU DO A LOT OF MANAGEMENT OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES OR WAS IT MORE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LIKE APARTMENTS AND THINGS
LIKE THAT. >> COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
>> OKAY. AND SO SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY VARY FROM VERY EXPENSIVE TO VERY, VERY INEXPENSIVE, AND THERE ARE MANY PARTS OF THE CITY, I THINK, THAT STRUGGLE TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY TO THE EXPECTATION THAT PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY HAVE. YOU USE THE WORD EMPATHY. WHAT ELSE WILL GO INTO YOUR DECISIONS BESIDES
EMPATHY FOR, LET'S SAY, THE PROPERTY OWNER? >> LOOKING AT EACH CASE, EACH CASE IS UNIQUE. SO EMPATHY, LAW, AND WHAT HELP CAN BE DONE.
RIGHT? THAT WOULD GO INTO MY DECISION. >> ARE YOU AWARE OR HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO ANY OF THE CITY'S PROGRAMS THAT MAY IMPACT PROPERTY OWNERS WHO MAY BE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME AND NEED HELP?
>> YES, SIR. HUD TO NAME ONE OF THEM. THAT'S REALLY THE
EXTENT. >> OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THAT THE CITY CAN OFFER TO HELP OUT. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO, DO YOU HAVE INTEREST. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THE BOARD. I APPRECIATE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH WORKING FOR ENTITIES THAT BUILD, REBUILD PROPERTIES. CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
HOW THOSE PROPERTIES WERE ACQUIRED? >> THEY WERE ALREADY OWNED. ONE OF THEM WAS AIL, WHICH IS IN WACO, TEXAS, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS BUILT IN THE 1940S. IT ACTUALLY HAD ASBESTOS IN IT THAT WE HAD TO DO ASBESTOS ABATEMENT AND GO IN AND REMODEL THEM AS WELL.
ALSO, DOWNTOWN DALLAS, ELM STREET, HISTORICAL BUILDING, WE WORKED WITH THE CITY BECAUSE THERE WAS A 711 AND OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN THERE ON HOW TO EVEN PLACE CONDENSERS ON THE OUTSIDE. SO IT'S MOVED
AROUND. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN APPLYING.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE CURRENT CHALLENGES OR TRENDS IN THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY THAT THE BUILDING AND STANDARD
BOARD SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF? >> I DO COMMERCIAL HVAC RIGHT NOW. I WAS AT A CHILLER TOWER THAT FELL RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING. MY ACTUAL BLAZER IS STUCK IN A PIPE KEEPING IT FROM LEAKING. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I'M SEEING IS UPKEEP OF EQUIPMENT. SO YOU HAVE YOUR RATINGS, ENERGY EFFICIENT, AND MAINING THAT EQUIPMENT SO IT DOESN'T DAMAGE. IF YOU HAVE A FILLED RTU WITH THE STRUCTURAL WEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, IT CAN COLLAPSE WHETHER IT'S A
HOME OR COMMERCIAL FACILITY. >> OKAY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. MR. FRANK, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR INTEREST. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON WITH A CONTINUING OF THE INTERVIEWS FOR THE POSITION. SO THANK YOU. YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT.
THEN JAMIE, I BELIEVE THAT MR. GARZA IS NEXT. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
[00:10:26]
PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ HAS JOINED US. THANK YOU, DAVID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST. TELL US ABOUT -- A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD.>> YES, MA'AM. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR HAVING ME TODAY. AS A PROUD THIRD GENERATION SAN ANTONIO AN AND 8TH GENERATION TEXAN, MY ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY RUN VERY, VERY DEEP. I GREW UP ON THE WEST SIDE, ATTENDING THE EDGEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT. I WAS PART OF A FAMILY THAT SHAPED MY UPBRINGING. WITH 33 YEARS AT KELLY, MY DAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE HOUSEHOLD AND MY MOM SKILLFUL OTHER MANAGED THE HOUSEHOLD OF 9 KIDS. I'M A PRODUCT OF JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL AND ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY. MY ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY HAS BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE, SPANNING FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AFTER 20 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, I RETIRED.
HAVING SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR FOR HOUSING AND DIRECTOR AND NOTABLY MY LAST CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION RECOMMENDED THE ORDINANCE CREATING THE BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD. IN RETIREMENT, I'VE REMAINED ACTIVE INCLUDING SERVICE ON THE BSB. MY EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN HOUSING AND CODE COMPLIANCE EQUIPS ME WITH THE INSIGHT NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE DIVERSE CASES PRESENTED BEFORE THE PSB. I CAN BALANCE COMPASSION WHEN REQUIRED AND STAND FIRM AGAINST BAD ACTORS. THE BSB ALREADY BOASTS EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, AND I'M EAGER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS TEAM. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS ESTEEMED GROUP, AND I THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY CANDIDACY. I WOBBLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST. WE'LL START OFF WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND I'LL GO FIRST. MY QUESTION IS ABOUT WHAT WILL GUIDE YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS AS IT PERTAINS TO ORDERS TO
VACATE, DEMOLISH, OR REPAIR? >> STAFF PRESENTATION, STAFF INFORMATION. WE NEED STAFF TO PROVIDE US WITH ALL THE DIRECTION AND THE INFORMATION. BY THE TIME THESE CASES GET TO THE BOARD, THERE HAVE BEEN AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. SO I WILL BE LOOKING TO STAFF TO GUIDE THE BSB, AND I WILL LOOK AT ALL THE
FACTS AND THEN MAKE MY DECISION. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'LL MOVE ON WITH QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> YOU'VE SERVED BEFORE. COULD YOU TELL US WHEN YOU SERVED. TELL US ABOUT MAYBE A DIFFICULT DECISION YOU HAD TO MAKE
WHEN YOU SERVED BEFORE ON A BSB. >> I SERVED FOR THE LAST -- THIS LAST YEAR, AND THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL CASES THAT CAME BEFORE US THAT WERE VERY, VERY SAD. PROBABLY THE SADDEST CASE WAS A SITUATION WHERE A PROPERTY OWNER WHO HAD A CONTRACT WITH THE STATE TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WAS NOT PROVIDING THE QUALITY SERVICES THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS NEEDED.
SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THEIR LIVES WERE AT RISK AND THE CONDITIONS OF THOSE BUILDINGS AND THOSE APARTMENTS WERE POOR.
SO THAT WAS VERY SAD TO SEE, THAT A PROPERTY OWNER HAVING A STATE CONTRACT WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE BEST QUALITY HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND REALLY NEEDED THE NEEDS. SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES OR SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES WHEN THEY HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT POOR CONDITIONS IN THEIR APARTMENTS. THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE SADDEST SITUATIONS THAT I SAW.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR DECISION OR THE COMMITTEE'S
DETERMINATION? >> WELL, BECAUSE THERE WERE ISSUES WHETHER THEY STILL HAD LICENSE OF THE STATE OR NOT, SO WE HAD TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT, AND THEN WE DID GIVE THE OWNER AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE -- I DON'T REMEMBER RECEIVING THE LATEST UPDATE, BUT I DO REMEMBER WE GAVE THAT PROPERTY OWNER THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
[00:15:01]
>> OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? CHANGED. SOMETIMES SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME TO US COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED OR HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COVID AND OTHERS DID. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL ABOUT SITUATIONS WHERE THEY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED AND SITUATIONS WHERE THEY ALLOWED THE SITUATION TO CONTINUE. THOSE ARE VERY TRICKY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO SOMETIMES BY WHAT THEY TELL US. BUT WE HAVE EXCELLENT STAFF. I KNOW THEY CAN OUT AND DO INSPECTIONS. I KNOW THEY DO PERIODIC REVIEWS. SO THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES OF HOW WE BALANCE THOSE PROBLEMS, WHETHER THEY WERE BROUGHT UPON BY THE SITUATION OR WE ALLOWED THEM TO HAPPEN AND FESTER ON THEIR OWN.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME SERVING ON THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS BOARD. MY QUESTION IS DURING YOUR TIME ON THE BSB BOARD, WAS THERE AN INSTANCE WHEN YOU VOTED AGAINST A DEMOLITION AND IF SO
WHAT WERE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES? >> I DON'T THINK I EVER VOTED AGAINST DEMOLITION. WHEN THEY GOT TO THAT POINT, COUNCILWOMAN, WE FELT, BASED ON THE FACTS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO US, THAT IT HAD GOTTEN TO THE POINT TO BE DEMOLISHED. IT WAS A CASE OF SAFETY AND WELFARE, AND I HATE TO DEMOLISH, BUT SOMETIMES
THAT WAS THE ONLY ANSWER. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL OUR QUESTIONS FOR TODAY. WE WILL MOVE ON WITH CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS. ANYBODY ELSE HERE, JAMIE.
>> CHAIR, NOBODY ELSE IS HERE. >> THANK YOU, MR. GARZA.
YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT. THE TIME IS NOW 11:18 A.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2023. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S PLANNING AND COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING IS GOING TO DELIBERATE PURSUANT TO SEC
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.