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[1. 19-4275 Briefing on the Status of Women in San Antonio Report commissioned by the City of San Antonio. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Interim Assistant City Manager; Jennifer Herriott, MPH, Interim Director, Health] ]
SESSION OF MAY 29TH, 2019.>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, THAT'S THE BRIEFING ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO REPORT.
TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER ERIK WALSH.
>> WALSH: GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
LAST YEAR COUNCILMEMBER GONZALES ASKED FOR A FOCUS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE CCR NOTED AT THE TIME THAT TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN, WE FIRST NEED TO ESTABLISH WHAT THE STATUS OF WOMEN IS.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THE SAN ANTONIO AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IN COLLABORATION WITH UTSA HAS COMPILED AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN, AND I'M GOING TO ASK DR. BRIDGER TO -- AND HER TEAM TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM TODAY AS WELL AS OUR SPEAKER, THE AUTHOR OF TODAY'S REPORT.
>> DR. BRIDGER: GOOD AFTERNOON.
SO TAKING THE BATON FROM THE CITY MANAGER, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DR. ROGELIO SAENZ AND LILY CASTORA FROM UTSA.
ROGELIO WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US.
BUT THEY WERE THE AUTHORS OF THE 75-PAGE REPORT THAT YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO DIGITALLY.
WE DID NOT PRINT VERY MANY OF THE 75-PAGE REPORTS.
AND THEN STAFF WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE AN OVERVIEW SUMMARY DOCUMENT, AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR PLACE TODAY IS THE OVERVIEW DOCUMENT FROM THAT 75-PAGE REPORT.
THE OVERVIEW OF THIS REPORT PROVIDED BY DR. GOLARAY ALGA WILL DETAIL THE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES OF THE REPORT WHICH INCLUDE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
I AM REALLY EXCITED FOR Y'ALL TO MEET DR. AGA.
SHE'S A RELATIVELY NEW ADDITION TO METRO HEALTH.
SHE GRADUATED WITH A PH.D. IN EPIDEMIOLOGY FROM BROWN UNIVERSITY AND THEN DID A POST DOC FELLOWSHIP AT HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
HER RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON SOCIAL DETERMINATES OF HEALTH AND EARLY LIFE PROGRAMMING OF OBESITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND HAS LED TO MORE THAN 20 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONSBL.
SHE RECEIVED THE TRUDY BUSH AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FROM HER RESEARCH IN WOMEN.
SHE JOINED A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL LEADER IN OUR WORK TO PUT DATA INTO ACTION.
I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY JESUS VONSECA WHO'S THE DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR WITH HUMAN SERVICES.
HE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH DR. AGA ESPECIALLY CREATING THE DESIGN OF THE SUMMARY DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
SOME OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TODAY IS QUITE SOBERING, AND VALIDATES THE NEED FOR A FOCUS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES LAID OUT IN THIS REPORT AS WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT A THRIVING SAN ANTONIO VALUES, RESPECTS AND LIFTS UP ALL HER PEOPLE.
I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. AGA.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU GUYS, AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS STATUS OF WOMEN INITIATIVE.
SO AS DR. BRIDGER LET YOU ALL KNOW, IN RESPONSE TO THE CCR, DR. ROW HELIOSAENZ AND LILY CASORA PUT TOGETHER A VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND DETAILED REPORT AND I WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO THEM.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE REPORT AS AVAILABLE IN THE WEBSITE NOW AS INDICATED ON THE LINK HERE.
IT HAS A CLICKABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS WHICH MEANS YOU CAN
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JUMP RIGHT COUNT TO THE -- DOWN TO THE TOPIC OF INTEREST THAT YOU HAVE AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED FROM IT.AS DR. BRIDGER MENTIONED WE USED INFORMATION TO DERIVE THE BRIEF REPORT THAT YOU HAVE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
MUCH OF WHAT I'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT IN MY PRESENTATION IS PROVIDED IN THE BRIEF REPORT FOR YOU HERE.
AND, AGAIN, I WANT TO REALLY THANK JESUS VONSECA WHO PUT TOGETHER THE DOCUMENT WHICH LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.
SO I THOUGHT WE WOULD START BY ASKING WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN? ACCORDING TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUMS RANKINGS OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, THE U.S. RANKED 51ST ON THIS COMPOSITE INDEX OF GENDER EQUALITY.
AND SO WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT GAINS ACCORDING TO POLICY CHANGES IN THE PAST 50 YEARS IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN, THERE CONTINUES TO BE STORT OF A LOT OF -- SORT OF A LOT OF METRICS THAT WE HAVE YET TO IMPROVE ON.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE GENDER GAP IN EARNINGS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN.
SO IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ASK WHY THE STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT FOR SAN ANTONIO IS IMPORTANT? OF COURSE, STATISTICS THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH IS SAN ANTONIO IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN TEXAS AND THE SEVENTH MOST POPULOUS CITY IN THE U.S.; HOWEVER A RECENT COMPREHENSIVE STUDY RANKED THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST 25 METROPOLITAN AREAS ON THE WELL-BEING OF WOMEN USING WHAT'S CALLED A HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX.
AND ON THIS INDEX SAN ANTONIO RANKED 24TH OUT OF THE 25TH METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE SPECIFIC AREA OF PROVIDING A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING FOR WOMEN, SAN ANTONIO RANKED 23RD.
AS WAS STATED IN THE CCR AND REITERATED BY DR. BRIDGER, TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, WE FIRST NEED TO ESTABLISH THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
SO WE'LL START WITH SOME SAN ANTONIO DEMOGRAPHICS AT A GLANCE.
AND WITH INCREASING AGE GROUPS, THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN INCREASES.
FOR EXAMPLE, 63% OF ALL SAN ANTONIANS IN THE 80 TO 84 YEARS AGE GROUP ARE WOMEN.
IN THOSE 45 YEARS OLDER AND ABOVE, WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE MARRIED COMPARED TO MEN.
THIS IS PARTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO REMARRY AFTER DIVORCE AND ALSO ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT MEN DIE AT A HIGHER RATE WITH INCREASING AGE COMPARED TO WOMEN.
FOR BIRTH STATISTICS, 44% OF WOMEN WHO GAVE BIRTH IN THE 2013 TO 2017 PERIOD WERE UNMARRIED.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT JUST THESE DEMOGRAPHICS AT A GLANCE, THE NUMBER OF AGING WOMEN LIVING ALONE, UNMARRIED, DIVORCED OR WIDOWED, IT BECOMES EVEN THAT MUCH IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
SO AS DR. BRIDGER MENTIONED, WE PRESENT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN FOUR OVERARCHING CATEGORIES: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
AND THEN WITHIN EACH CATEGORY, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE FULL REPORT BY DR. ROGELIO SAENZ AND IN THIS BRIEF REPORT, WE MAKE CERTAIN COMPARISONS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN CONTEXT.
FOR EXAMPLE WE MAKE A COMPARISON BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO WOMEN AND MEN.
WE MAKE A COMPARISON OF SAN ANTONIO WOMEN ACCORDING TO THEIR RACE SLAS ETHNICITY GROUP AND WE ALSO MAKE A COMPARISON TO WOMEN IN THE OTHER THREE LARGE CITIES IN TEXAS, AUSTIN, DALLAS AND HOUSTON, OR EQUIVALENTLY TO BEXAR COUNTY AND THE RESPECTIVE COUNTIES, TRAVIS, DALLAS AND HARRIS.
AND BECAUSE SOME OF THE GOOD DATA WE HAVE HAVE IS AT THE CITY LEVEL AND SOME AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHICH IS WHY WE'LL USE IT INTERCHANGEABLY.
SO WE'LL START WITH HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.
SOME IMPORTANT METRICS ARE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH.
FOR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE, THE LATEST DATA SHOWS THAT 1 IN 5 WOMEN DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND HISPANIC LATINA WOMEN ARE PARTICULARLY AFFECTED WITH ALMOST 42% LACKING HEALTH INSURANCE.
FOR MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE AND MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IN BEXAR COUNTY ARE HIGHER THAN IN TRAVIS, DALLAS AND HARRIS COUNTIES AND THERE ARE ALSO RACE/ETHNIC DISPARITIES.
NOT HISPANIC BLACKS EXPERIENCE HIGHER INFANT MORTALITY RATES.
AS WELL, HISPANIC LATINA WOMEN RECEIVE EARLY PRENATAL CARE LESS THAN NONHISPANIC WHITE WOMEN.
OTHER IMPORTANT METRICS ARE LIFE EXPECTANCY AND MORTALITY.
FOR LIFE EXPECTANCY IN GENERAL, WOMEN HAVE A HIGHER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN MANY IN SAN ANTONIO AND THIS IS WELL OBSERVED IN THE U.S. AND OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AS WELL; HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE MAJOR RACE/ETHNIC AND INCOME DIFFERENCES ACCORDING TO LIFE EXPECTANCY AS WELL AS ACCORDING TO REGION.
FOR EXAMPLE, WOMEN IN THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE CITY ARE EXPECTED TO LIVE WELL INTO THEIR 80S WHILE WOMEN IN THE
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CORE/DOWNTOWN AREA CAN EXPECT TO LIVE INTO THEIR 70S AT MOST.ALSO FOR INCOME, WOMEN IN THE HIGHEST INCOME CORE -- QUARTILE HAVE A FIVE YEAR HIGHER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN THOSE IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE.
THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES AMONG WOMEN ACCORDING TO RACE/ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, NONHISPANIC BLACK WOMEN HAVE THE HIGHEST DEATH RATES FOR THE TOP THREE CAUSES OF DEATH IN BEXAR COUNTY BEING HEART DISEASE, CANCER AND STROKE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT BY THE ORANGE BARS IN THE GRAPH.
NEXT WE LOOK AT WHAT'S CALLED DEATHS OF DESPAIR, WHICH INCLUDES SUICIDES, DRUG-INDUCED DEATH RATES, ACCIDENTAL DRUG OVERDOSE, DEATH DUE TO CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE AND CIRRHOSIS.
FOR THESE MEASURES, DRUG-INDUCED AND ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE DRUG RATES ARE LOWER IN BEXAR COUNTY THAN IN TRAVIS, DALLAS AND HARRIS COUNTIES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE SECOND AND THIRD ROWS OF THE CHART, HOWEVER WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS DEATHS DUE TO CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE AND SIR ROW SIS IN BEXAR COUNTY.
11.7 IS TWICE AS HIGH AS THAT IN TRAVIS.
>> WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS DOING TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THAT CAT CATEGORY.
SO FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, OF COURSE, HEALTH OF WOMEN IS A TOP PRIORITY IN THIS -- FOR THE METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE HEALTHS AND LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN, OR WIC, PROVIDES FOOD BENEFITS, NUTRITION EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE REFERRALS.
WE HAVE THE SAN ANTONIO LACTATION SUPPORT CENTER, WHICH PROVIDES NO-COST BREASTFEEDING, SUPPORT SERVICES AND COUNSELING.
WE HAVE THE HEALTHY START PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES COMMUNITY EDUCATION, HOME VISITATION AND RESOURCES FOR HEALTHY PREGNANCY, AND OUR HEALTHY BEATS PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES COORDINATED PRENATAL CARE AND REFERRAL SERVICES TO AT-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN AND PROVIDES STD TESTING AND TREATMENT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE WOMEN'S PREGNANCY.
ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? SO THE NEXT CATEGORY WE'LL LOOK AT IS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE START WITH EDUCATION, WHICH IS THE MOST CONCRETE, UPSTREAM DETERMINATE OF HEALTH, LONGEVITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN NORTH AMERICA.
AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR EDUCATION.
WOMEN 16 TO 24 YEARS OLD ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS COMPARED TO MEN.
AND THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER ROSE FROM 22% IN 2005 TO 27.5% IN 2017.
HOWEVER, IF WE LOOK AT THE PERCENT OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER COMPARING IT TO THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES, WE SEE THAT SAN ANTONIO ACTUALLY HAS A LOWER PERCENTAGE COMPARED TO DALLAS, AUSTIN AND HOUSTON.
AND LIKE I'VE SAID WITH ANY OF THE OTHER INDICATORS, THERE ARE ALSO EDUCATION DISPARITY BY RACE/ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, HISPANIC LATINA WOMEN HAVE A RATE OF 6.5% TAJ OF HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT COMPARE TO 2.6% IN NONHISPANIC WHITES.
AND SO WHILE IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE IN TERMS OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER AS WE SAW, WOMEN ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM FIELDS.
SO ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA FOR SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY, 30% OF MEN EARN THEIR DEGREE IN A STEM FIELD COMPARED TO JUST 12% OF WOMEN.
NEXT IS BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
WOMEN OWN 30% OF BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO AND NONHISPANIC WHITE WOMEN ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR BUSINESSES INCORPORATED.
FOR EARNINGS WRAP, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR METHODS OF UNDERSTANDING ETHNICITY, THIS ROSE TO A HIGH OF 82% IN 2017.
HOWEVER I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT EARNINGS IS THAT AT ANY GIVEN EDUCATION THE MEDIAN EARNINGS OF MEN ARE HIGHER THAN WOMEN.
FOR EXAMPLE, AMONG THE MOST EDUCATED WORKER, WOMEN MAKE ONLY 72 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT MEN MAKE.
AND, OF COURSE, LIKE MY OF THE OTHER INDICATORS, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN MEDIAN EARNINGS ACCORDING TO RACE AND ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MEDIAN EARNINGS OF NONHISPANIC WOMEN IS ABOUT 47,000 COMPARED TO 31,000 AMONG HISPANIC, LATINA
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WOMEN.NEXT IS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS CUTE LITTLE GRAPHIC THAT'S ALSO IN YOUR LITTLE BOOKLETS, AND I WANTED -- THERE'S -- THIS -- THIS FIGURE SHOWS THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ACCORDING TO THE HOUSEHOLD LED INDIVIDUAL FOR THE FOUR MAIRNL CITIES.
THERE ARE TWO MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS GRAPH: ONE IS THAT FOR ANY GIVEN CITY, THE MEDIAN EARNED HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF FEMALE-HEAD HOUSEHOLDS IS LOWER THAN MALE-LED HOUSEHOLDS.
YOU SEE THAT FOR ANY OF THE CITIES.
THE RED HOUSE IS LOWER THAN THE DARK NAVY HOUSE.
ANOTHER THING TO TAKE AWAY IS THAT NO MATTER WHICH CATEGORY, WHETHER IT BE THE RED, THE NAVY OR THE PURPLE, THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN SAN ANTONIO IS LOWER THAN THE OTHER CITIES.
SO WHETHER IT BE FEMALE-LED -- FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT A HUSBAND, MALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT A WIFE AND HOUSEHOLDS WITH MARRIED COUPLES.
HIGHLY RELATED TO HOUSE MOLD MEDIAN INCOME IS HOME OWNERSHIP, AND THERE WE ALSO SEE RACE/ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN SAN ANTONIO, BEXAR COUNTY.
59% OF NONHISPANIC WHITE SINGLE WOMEN ARE HOMEOWNERS COMPARED TO 36% OF NONHISPANIC BLACK SINGLE WOMEN.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH AND HOME OWNERSHIP, THERE'S A REALLY GOOD QUOTE BY TYSON BROWN THAT I REALLY LIKE WHICH SAYS THAT THE LACK OF WEALTH ACCUMULATION AS BLACK WOMEN NEAR RETIREMENT FORCES MANY TO CONTINUE TO WORK DESPITE HEALTH PROBLEMS AS THEY FIND THEMSELVES TOO POOR TO RETIRE YET TOO ILL TO WORK.
SO THAT WAS FOR -- THAT WAS SOME INDICATORS FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WHAT IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN? OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS WORKFORCE DIVISION PROVIDES SUPPORT AND FUNDS FOR EDUCATIONAL SKILLS AND SKILLS TRAINING, TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDCARE.
THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDES THE USE OF LOCAL, SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT HAS PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE, AND THE CITY HAS ALSO LAUNCHED THE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP MENTORING PROGRAM TO OFFER THE ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVES WHO ARE WOMEN.
THE WOMEN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ALSO ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT SERVE MORE THAN 50,000 FEMALE BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND OF COURSE THE PRE-K FOUR SA PROGRAM ENHANCES THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY AN IMPROVED SALES TAX THAT INCREASE TO PROVIDE STABLE FUNDING.
SO THE THIRD CATEGORY WE'LL LOOK AT IS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION.
STARTING WITH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, 44% OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS ACROSS THE 81 SAN ANTONIO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE WOMEN, AND IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR LITTLE BOOKLETS TOWARDS THE END, THERE IS A LARGE TABLE ON ONE OF THE PAGES THAT SHOWS THE TOP 10 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN ARE THE COMMISSION -- ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THE TOP 10 ACCORDING TO MEN.
AND IF QUESTION LOOK AT THIS, WE SEE THAT THERE IS A STRONGER REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS, EDUCATION AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND A STRONGER REPRESENTATION OF MEN IN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOCUSED ON FIRE, POLICE, TAXES, TRANSPORTATION AND BUILDING STANDARDS.
WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTED POLITICAL REPRESENTATION, WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO FEMALE MAYORS.
AND CURRENTLY, 30% OF CITY COUNCILMEMBERS ARE WOMEN.
AND IF WE COMPARE THIS NUMBER TO OTHER CITIES, WE SEE THAT IT IS HIGHER THAN IN DALLAS, IT IS THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS IN HOUSTON; HOWEVER, WHAT STANDS OUT IN AUSTIN WHERE 70% OF THE CURRENT CITY COUNCILMEMBERS ARE WOMEN.
AND SO WHAT IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO POLITICAL PARTICIPATION? THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR GPA DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF EQUITY ARE WORKING TO INCREASE GENDER EQUITY AND DEVELOP A SYSTEM WHEREBY A MORE COMPLETE REPRESENTATION OF CITIZENS IS ACHIEVED.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE SA SPEAK UP INITIATIVE WHICH WAS LAUNCHED IN ORDER TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FROM ALL SECTORS OF THE POPULATION, INCLUDING MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
THE FINAL CATEGORY IS VIOLENCE AND SAFETY, AND UNFORTUNATELY HERE WE HAVE SOME UNFORTUNATE STATISTICS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
SAN ANTONIO RANKERS SIX FOR U.S. LARGEST CITY FOR HOMICIDES AND VIOLENT CRIMES ACCORDING TO 2016 DATA.
FOR RAPE, HOMICIDE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, SAN ANTONIO CONSISTENTLY HAS A HIGHER RAPE RATE THAN TEXAS OVERALL AND THE HIGHEST RAPE RATE WHEN COMPARING TO AUSTIN, DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
ANOTHER ALARMING FINDING IS THAT THE HOMICIDE RATE OF WOMEN IN BEXAR COUNTY DOUBLED
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BETWEEN 2012 AND 2017, AND THE NUMBER OF WOMEN MURDERED BY A MALE INTIMATE PARTNER TRIPLED BETWEEN 2012 AND 2017, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE GRAPH HERE WITH THE PINK SHOWING NUMBER FIVE AND FOR 2017, IT'S RISEN UP TO 18.APPARENTLY IT'S GOING UP ACCORDING TO MOST RECENT DATA.
SO WHAT IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AND SAFETY FOR WOMEN? METRO HEALTH HAS IMPLEMENTED THE EVIDENT-BASED VIOLENCE HEALTH MODEL THROUGH THEIR STAND UP SA PROGRAM TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AS AN ISSUE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES AS WELL WOMEN ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HAS HELPED REVITALIZE THE BEXAR COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE AND PROVIDES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR AGENCIES SUCH AS THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES AND CHILD SELF.
AND FINALLY, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S VICTIMS ADVOCACY SERVICES PROVIDES VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE CAN COORDINATED AND SYSTEMATIC SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE CRISIS INTERVENTION, NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND CHILD AND FAMILY COUNSELING.
SO I JUST THREW OUT A LOT OF DATA AND STATISTICS ON THESE FOUR OVERARCHING CATEGORIES, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD DEFINITELY SHARE WITH YOU A QUICK RECAP.
SO FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THE MAJOR TAKE AWAYS IS THAT INFANT MORTALITY IS HIGHER THAN OTHER LARGE CITIES IN SAN ANTONIO.
OF COURSE THE LOWER THE INCOME OF WOMEN, THE LOWER THE LIFE EXPECTANCY.
FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WITH AT LEAST A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IS RISING, BUT WOMEN ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM FIELD.
THERE ARE ALSO RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT PERCENTAGES, MEDIAN EARNINGS AND HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AT ANY GIVEN EDUCATION LEVEL, MEDIAN EARNINGS OF MEN ARE HIGHER THAN WOMEN.
FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, OF COURSE, TWO FEMALE MAYORS IN SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORY AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITH THE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN FOCUS ON EDUCATION, YOUTH AND EARLY LIFE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING AND COOL.
FOR VIOLENCE AND SAFETY, RATES OF RAPE, HOMICIDE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO STANDS OUT AMONG MAJOR LARGE CITIES AND ARE NOTICEABLY INCREASING YEAR TO YEAR.
AND FINALLY, I THOUGHT I WOULD END WITH A RECOGNITION THAT THESE FOUR CATEGORIES DO NOT EXIST IN ISOLATION; RATHER, THERE'S INTERCONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN THEM, SO THAT MEANS THAT A DECLINE OR A LACK OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN ANY ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES HAS A COMPOUNDED EFFECT AND SPILLS OVER TO OTHER AREAS.
THE SIMPLE EXAMPLE IS THE RELATIONSHIP INDICATORS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THERE WAS A LARGE BODY OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS ECONOMIC ADVERSITY IS ROBUSTLY LINKED TO SCORES OF HEALTH INCOME AND THE SIMPLEST OF THAT OF THE DATA WE SHARED WITH YOU IS THE SIMPLE LINK OF EDUCATION OR INCOME AND LIFE EXPECTANCY.
WOMEN'S LIFE EXPECTANCY RISES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND INCOME.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT LINK THAT MAY BE LESS OBVIOUS IMMEDIATELY IS THE LINK BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND SAFETY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF SAFETY.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A REPORT CALLED DREAMS DEFERRED.
THIS REPORT WAS BASED ON A STUDY THEY DID ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SURVIVORS FUNDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THEY FOUND THAT 63% OF THE INTIMATE, IPB SURVIVORS REPORTED THAT AN ABUSIVE PARTNER DISRUPTED THEIR ABILITY TO COMPLETE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
53% REPORTED JOB LOSS DUE TO ABUSE AND CLOSE TO 60% REPORTED THAT THE ABUSE OF PARTNER HARMED THEIR CREDIT SCORE, WHICH LED TO AN INABILITY TO SECURE A LOAN OR HOUSING.
IN THE SAME REPORT, THEY REFERRED TO ANOTHER STUDY WHICH ESTIMATED THE LIFE TIME COST OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE INCLUDING THE COST OF HEALTH-RELATED PROBLEMS, LOST PRODUCTIVITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COST AND THAT AMOUNTING TO ALMOST $100,000 FOR WOMEN WHO GOES THROUGH INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
SO I THINK THE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY IS WHILE THE IMMEDIATE IMPACTS ARE WHAT'S RECOGNIZED, THE ECONOMIC COSTS AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS PROFOUND AND FAR-REACHING.
AND SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY, AND I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD END OFF WITH NEXT STEPS.
SO THE CITY WILL USE THE INFORMATION COMPILED FROM THE REPORT TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THE CITY WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTING FUTURE ANALYSIS AND REPORTS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIANIALLY FROM HERE ON, -- SAN ANTONIO ANNUALLY FROM HERE ORCH, AND I WANTED TO FINISH OFF WITH A VERY PRETTY
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PAINTING BY AN ARTIST ANGELA JELES.AT THIS EXHIBITION, THE PAINTING WAS DESCRIBED AS THE ARTWORK HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPLEXITY OF BEING A WOMAN WITH ALL THE JOYS AND STRUGGLES THEREIN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. AGA FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
WE MENTIONED LILY CASTORA AS WELL AS DR. SAENZ.
IS DR. SAENZ HERE TODAY? OKAY.
AS WELL AS OUR MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN DR. GONZALES IS HERE REPRESENTING THEM.
AND, OF COURSE, THE PERSON WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOM BUT DESERVES A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR INITIATING THIS PROCESS IS OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
I THINK SHE WAS RIGHT IN ASKING US WHAT IS THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO IF OUR EFFORTS ARE TO IMPROVE IT? AND YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME STARK REALITIES ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON.
WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME IS HOW MUCH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS ARE INTEGRATED.
I APPRECIATED YOUR SLIDE THERE AT THE END, BUT WE HAVE BEEN, AS A BODY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I THINK, IN OUR HISTORY, REALLY ADDRESSING INEQUITIES AT -- WRIT LARGE.
AND WHAT STRUCK ME IS SOME OF THE STATISTICS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND HOW THEY CORRELATE SO WELL TO THE INEQUITIES THAT ARE SEEN GEOGRAPHICALLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH REGARD TO SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITY, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN BE COGNIZANT OF AS WE DO THE SIMPLE THING, SUCH AS MOVING INTO OUR FY BUDGET I GUESS MY QUESTIONS THAT ARE SWIRLING IN MY MIND NOW ARE WITH REGARD TO NEXT STEPS, AND I KNOW THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT UNDER DR. BRIDGER'S DIRECTION IS NOW ABOUT TO RELEASE AND ENACT -- PUT INTO ACTION THE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, HOW IS THIS GOING TO RELATE USING THE DATA THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, DR. BRIDGER?
>> DR. BRIDGER: SO YOU'RE CORRECT.
ONE OF OUR FOUR PRIORITIES IS VIOLENCE, AND FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WE'RE FOCUSING ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I'M WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO PUT TOGETHER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND WE'LL DIVVY THAT WORK UP AMONG THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS, SO METRO HEALTH WILL FOCUS ON PREVENTION, HUMAN SERVICES WILL FOCUS ON SERVICES PROVIDED TO IPB SURVIVORS AND OUR COMMUNITY NONPROFITS WILL FIT INTO THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM.
SO IT IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT BODY OF WORK THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WELL, I APPECIATE THAT.
AND I WOULD -- I WOULD URGE US TO BE AND PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT OUR COLLEAGUES HERE ALSO, AND WE TOGETHER, PASSED THE WOMEN'S EQUITY RESOLUTION NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT SAID THAT ALL OF THESE AREAS THAT YOU'RE FOCUSING ON WILL BECOME PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES FOR US AS A CITY, AND SO WE SHOULD PUT OUR DOLLARS AND OUR RESOURCES BEHIND ADDRESSING THEM.
I READ COUNCILMAN PELAEZ'S ARTICLE OVER THE WEEKEND, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.
THE COMMUNITY IS NEEDED A MOON SHOT ON ANYTHING, IT'S OUR ABILITY TO FINALLY ADDRESS THE EPIDEMIC LEVELS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES IN TOTAL GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY REVERBERATE THROUGH ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP OUR HANDS AROUND, WHETHER IT'S HOMELESSNESS OR IT'S INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN BE VOCAL OR AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN DEALING WITH THESE.
AND I HOPE WE PUT THE FULL FORCE OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE AFFILIATE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE GRANT FUND TO IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES, SO I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AROUND THE TABLE TO ADDRESS IT, AND I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER CITY OFFICIAL THAN YOU, DR. BRIDGER, TO HELP US POINT TO THE NEXT POLICY DIRECTION THAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF WHERE SHOULD WE GO NEXT IN, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SOME -- PUTTING SOME REAL ACTION BEHIND THE WORDS THAT WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND FINALLY GET SOMETHING DONE.
>> PELAEZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. BRIDGER AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M -- THE PATH I'LL NEVER WALK IS THE PATH THAT, YOU KNOW, 50 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THE FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO WALK, WHICH IS THE
[00:30:01]
PATH OF BEING A FEMALE AND, YOU KNOW, IN 2019.BUT, YOU KNOW, I GET TO SEE WHAT MY WIFE EXPERIENCES AND I GET TO SEE WHAT MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCES AND WHAT MY MOTHER EXPERIENCES AND I GET TO VERY CLOSELY WATCH THE LEADERS WITH WHOM I SERVE, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, SANDOVAL AND VIAGRAN, AND I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE EVERY DAY.
AND THOSE WOMEN IN MY LIFE THAT I'VE JUST LISTED OFF ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE ME A BETTER MAN, AND THE ONE THING THAT THEY TEACH ME TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT I DON'T KNOW IS STUNNING.
AND DR. BRIDGER, YOU'RE ON THAT LIST, TOO.
WHAT I DID WANT TO MENTION, THOUGH, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE FOLLOWING UP WITH FUTURE STUDIES, I WAS WRITING DOWN ISSUES THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR ME TO SEE IN THE FUTURE, A BREAKDOWN AS FAR AS STATISTICS TO KIND OF GET TO KNOW BETTER, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, THEY WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, AN ANALYSIS, A BREAKDOWN OF BANKRUPTCY, YOU KNOW, WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO FILE A BANKRUPTCY IN SAN ANTONIO.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS AND EVICTIONS ARE IMPORTANT FOR ME.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, RIGHT? I HAVE A FEELING IF YOU DO --
MAYBE SOME OF THESE ARE IN THE FULL REPORT, AND IF THEY ARE, FORGIVE ME FOR --
>> PELAEZ: MENTAL HEALTH, WHETHER OR NOT THESE WOMEN ARE VETERANS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S A DIFFERENT PATH THAT THEY WALK, RIGHT?
>> PELAEZ: AND A BREAKDOWN OF CRIMES COMMITTED LOCALLY AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THESE DEFENDANTS ARE WOMEN OR MEN, WHAT KIND OF CRIMES ARE COMMITTED BY WOMEN AND BY -- SECTOR, RIGHT? THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHERE WE NEED TO PUT THE -- OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE, RIGHT, AND HELP INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THOSE SECTORS.
HOW MANY OF OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES ARE -- I'M SORRY DELEGATE AGENCY CUSTOMERS ARE FEMALES VERSUS MALES, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER ALSO TO HELP US FASHION HOW WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER SERVICES, AND THEN ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES AND CREDIT.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAJOR IMPEDIMENTS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO FINANCING, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN THAN IT IS FOR MEN AND IT SHOULDN'T BE.
AND SO I'LL GIVE IT TO ONE OF YOU.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS -- YOU KNOW, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING THAT THE WAY WE TALK TO THE PUBLIC IS BY WHAT WE CALL THINGS AND WHAT NAME WE GIVE TO INITIATIVES AND WHAT NAME WE GIVE TO OUR COMMISSIONS AND OUR COMMITTEES, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT I THINK IT'S HIGH TIME THAT THIS NO LONGER BE THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF US CARES JUST AS MUCH AS THE MAYOR WHO CREATED THIS.
I THINK THAT SENDS A LOUD MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE BEHIND THIS 100%.
AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING A STRUCTURE CHANGE TO THE COMMISSION, BUT THE WORDS WE USE ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COMMISSION BE A PERMANENT COMMISSION, AND SOMETHING THAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, FOREVER AND EVER.
BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS CONVERSATION NEVER ENDS.
>> IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE WE FIT THIS YEAR ON A LOT OF THE DATA METRICS.
>> PELAEZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PELAEZ.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO -- THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION AND IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION PUT TOGETHER AS WELL, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALL DONE AND ALL THE DATA AND THE METRICS THAT YOU GATHERED.
I GOT A SUPER SNEAK PEEK OF IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO SO I WAS JUST VORACIOUSLY READING THROUGH IT, WANTING MORE, WANTING MORE DATA.
SO I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE THE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO POUR OVER HERE AND REALLY GET INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY.
I DO WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COUPLE OF -- IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR AGO WHEN WE GATHERED TOGETHER AND WE WERE CHATTING BEFORE THE WOMEN'S RESOLUTION WAS PUT FORWARD.
WE WERE CHATTING AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, AND I THOUGHT, WELL, SHOULDN'T THE STATUS OF WOMEN GIVE -- THE COMMISSION GIVE A STATUS OF WHERE WOMEN ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY, SO VERY HAPPY THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE CONSTITUTED AND MOVE FORWARD AND I'M REALLY HAPPY SHE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO DO THE CCR AND TO MAKE SHIS.
I WAS PROUD TO STAND ON AND STAND A PART OF HER DOING THIS.
[00:35:03]
REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT COMMISSION, THEY WANTED TO DO MORE.THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT.
AND WE HAVE SUCH GREAT REPRESENTATIVES THERE, VANESSA, WHO'S MINE, AND, YOU KNOW, DR. REYES, WHO IS ON THERE AS WELL, AND JERRY WHO'S THERE, TOO.
JUST SO MANY GREAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, WE NEED TO TAP INTO THAT TALENT AND REALLY GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO AND USE THOSE SPHERES OF INFLUENCE TO REALLY IMPACT AND MOVE THE NEEDLE ON ALL THESE THINGS.
AND I LOVE YOUR TITLE, THAT'S LIKE THE COOLEST TITLE I COULD -- INFORMATICS.
AND I DO LIKE -- THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN.
AND TO MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT -- I GUESS I'LL JUST JUMP OFF HERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED ABOUT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOKED AT THE BORES AND COMMISSIONS, 44% -- BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, 44% OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ACROSS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE WOMEN.
AND WE LOOKED AT THE TOP 10 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THOSE, OUT OF THE WOMEN, ONLY ONE WAS 100% FEMALE REPRESENTATION.
AND WITH THE TOP 10 BOARDS MEN REPRESENTATION, THERE WERE SIX WITH 100% MEN REPRESENTATION.
SO EVEN THERE, WE SEE THAT DISPARITY THAT EXISTS, TOO.
BUT WHAT I DO APPRECIATE, VAN, I'M GOING TO STEAL A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR THUNDER, AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EQUITY AND LOOKING AT OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, LOOKING AT THE COMMON LOGISTICAL BARRIERS OF COMPLICATED TIME AND CONSUMING APPLICATION PROCESS, TIME AND LOCATION OF MEETING, LACK OF CHILDCARE, LACK OF TARGETED COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS AND THEN THOSE COMMON STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, BOARD CULTURAL, UNCONSCIOUS BIAS, ORGANIZATIONS PROTECTIONS AND POLICIES AND CRITICAL MASS AND TOKENISM.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN OUT LOUD OR REALLY THOUGHTFULLY ABOUT, SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THIS -- THIS NOW.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
WHEN IT COMES TO FURTHER PARTICIPATION, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A -- AN ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND WHO ARE IN RUNOFFS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN PERSPECTIVE.
AND WHY THIS INFORMATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO SHARE TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW WHAT -- POPULATION OF SAN ANTONIO LIVES, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL GET MORE INFORMED ON THIS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TOGETHER, BECAUSE ALSO TO YOUR POINT, WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE AND I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THIS TABLE AT THIS JUNCTURE CAN BE ALLIES IN THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND BARRIERS AND -- WELL, WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO INCREASE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION FOR WOMEN, WE'RE WORKING TO -- ONE OF THE -- IT'S SLIDE NUMBER 17, TO INCREASE GENDER EQUITY, AND I GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.
DEVELOP A MORE COMPLETE REPRESENTATION OF CITIZENS IS ACHIEVED.
I NEED TO KNOW LIKE, OH, HOW? DO WE HAVE THE HOW'S AND THE WHERES AND THE FOR WHAT'S? I MEAN, DO WE HAVE THOSE ANSWERS YET, OR ARE WE WORKING ON THAT?
>> DR. BRIDGER: SO I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS, WE ARE WORKING ON THIS.
>> DR. BRIDGER: I THINK THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WHEN WE PUT ALL OF THE DATA TOGETHER, WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE PEOPLE THAN THE USUAL SUSPECTS TO COME TOGETHER AND HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT.
>> DR. BRIDGER: SO THE HEALTH STUFF, WE WERE REALLY COMFORTABLE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED OTHER SMART PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO JUST MENTION TO YOU, TOO, IS I KNOW ERIK MENTIONED THIS, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THIS WHEN HE WAS INTERVIEWING WITH US.
YOU WANTED TO GET THAT MIDDLE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR EVERY DAY LIVES WHO MAYBE ONLY GO TO SCHOOLS FOR THE PTA
[00:40:02]
MEETINGS, ONLY GO TO CERTAIN PLACES, HOW DO WE GET THEM ENGAGED AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S GOING ON? BECAUSE WE NEED -- WE NEED TO DO THAT? EITHER WITH A BUDGET PROCESS OR JUST WITH SCHOOL BOARDS OR WHAT HAVE YOU AND LETTING EVEN THE YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW.FOR EXAMPLE -- I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE: OUR BOND PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING, KINGSBORO PARK BOND IMPROVEMENTS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE EVEN REACHED OUT TO KINGSBORO MIDDLE SCHOOL WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR, TO SEE WHAT THOSE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WANTED TO SEE AT THE PARK.
SO WE NEED TO START THINKING AS AN ENTITY MORE CREATIVELY TO START REACHING OUT IN THAT AREA, AND THAT'S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING THEIR VOICE TO WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THEIR PARK.
ANOTHER THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FROM ALL SECTORS OF POPULATION INCLUDING MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
>> DR. BRIDGER: WELL K -- AND WE HAVE GPA HERE, I THINK LAURA WANTS TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS TO TRACK DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND THOSE WHO COME TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE COULD GENERALLY GUESS WHO WAS COMING TO THOSE MEETINGS BUT WITHOUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT DATA WE COULDN'T MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
WITH AN EXAMPLE OF THE BUDGET CAMPAIGN, WE'VE TRACKED DATA FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND WE'VE USED THAT TO IMPROVE OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND IF WE NEED TO DO BLOCK WALKING, ADDITIONAL ON THE GROUND OUTREACH, COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND SENIOR CENTERS AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL DISTRICT.
YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE APPROACH, WE'RE CHANGING THE WAY WE DO THINGS WITH MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS SO BECAUSE IF A RESIDENT CAN'T ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING BECAUSE IT'S NOT CONVENIENT OR THEY NEED TO FIND CHILDCARE, WE MAKE SURE THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
SO IT'S REALLY TAKING THAT DATA TO INFORM OUR COMMUNITY AND GET MORE INPUT FROM COMMUNITY.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I DON'T KNOW, DOCTOR, IF IT'S IN OUR DEEP DIVE HERE, BUT YOU HAD THE CURRENT WOMEN CITY COUNCILMEMBERS IN THOSE DIFFERENT CITIES.
DO YOU ALSO HAVE THE DATA IN HERE THAT SAYS HOW MANY SEATS ARE IN EACH CITY AS WELL? WE HAVE 10 SEATS -- WELL, 10 SEATS AND THE MAYOR'S.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK.
>> VIAGRAN: I'LL LOOK AS WELL.
T JUST IF YOU HAVE THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
NEXT, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND THE BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE EDUCATION.
ONE THING THAT I DID SEE, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE OF EDUCATIONAL INCREASES THAT -- AND IN YOUR LITTLE SNAPSHOT, IT SAYS DESPITE EDUCATIONAL INCREASES, THE PROPORTION OF SAN ANTONIO'S WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE REMAINS VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS.
>> VIAGRAN: SO WE'RE SEEING GAINS IN EDUCATION BUT NOT IN WOMEN JOINING THE WORKFORCE?
>> VIAGRAN: DO WE KNOW WHY OR THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DISCOVER RIGHT NOW?
>> SO I THINK IT ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW YOU SORT OF DISAGGREGATE WHAT TYPE OF WORKFORCE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I THINK THE OVERALL NUMBER IS THAT IT IS STAYING STAGNANT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF DATA DISAG GA GATED BY RACE AND WORKFORCE TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS COMING FROM.
I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE THAT.
AND ANOTHER THING UNDER SLIDE 15 WHERE IT SAYS WHAT'S CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, THE EDD'S WORKFORCE DIVISION AND THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY, THE SBEDA, AS WE'RE DOING THIS AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE PROMOTING, BUT IN YOUR RESEARCH, DID WE DO KIND OF AN AUDIT OR ARE WE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND REVIEW OUR SYSTEM? AND OUR THERE SYSTEMIC FLAWS IN THE SBEDA SYSTEM OR IN OUR SYSTEMS THAT UNDERMINE WOMEN'S FIRMS THAT NEED TO BE AUDITED? DO WE -- DO WE REVIEW THAT? DO WE LOOK AT THAT? AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY SYSTEMIC FLAWS THAT WE HAVE.
>> YES, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL.
ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF SBEDA DOES KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT IS EVERY FIVE YEARS THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE DISPARITY STUDY.
AND DURING THAT STUDY, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF SORT OF THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SURROUNDS BUSINESS FORMATION,
[00:45:01]
AND AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ WAS MENTIONING.LOAN APPROVAL RATES AND HOW THAT IS IMPANTING MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
THERE IS SORT OF A REVIEW OF THAT.
THAT ACTUALLY DRIVES A LOT OF THE POLICIES AND CHANGES THAT WE BRING FORWARD TO YOU IN TERMS OF UPDATING OR ENHANCING SBEDA -- IN PARTICULAR SBEDA.
IN TERMS OF AUDITING SBEDA, THAT'S DONE BY SORT OF A CASE-BY-CASE BUSINESS; THAT IS WHAT GOALS WE APPLY TO IT, IN PARTICULAR, WOMEN-OWNED GOALS.
WE LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE COMPARE THAT TO WHO'S AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE TO DO THAT WORK, AND WE KIND OF TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE UTILIZATION OF IN THIS CASE WOMEN ON CONTRACTS.
AND I THINK WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF ALL THESE TWEAKS THAT YOU'VE BEEN MAKING OVER THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.
RIGHT NOW, JUST LAST YEAR AROUND $76 MILLION, THOSE ARE DIRECT PAYMENTS, WERE MADE TO WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS, 188 UNIQUE FIRMS. SO I THINK THE CONCEPT OF REVIEWING OUR PROGRAMS, AUDITING THOSE PROGRAMS AND THEN TWEAKING THOSE PROGRAMS TO MAXIMIZE THE RESULTS IS SOMETHING THAT'S EMBEDDED IN THERE.
AND WE KIND OF DO THAT WITH ALL OUR PROGRAMMING.
>> THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE CAN'T DO A BETTER JOB.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S HOLES AND GAPS IN OUR DELIVERY SYSTEM, SO THAT'S ALSO A PROCESS.
THE EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE THE INTEREST LOAN BUY DOWN PROGRAM.
HOW DO WOMEN ACCESS CAPITAL? AND SO IT'S SOMETHING WE LAYERED ON JUST TWO YEARS AGO WAS THE LOAN INTEREST BUY DOWN PROGRAM.
>> VIAGRAN: AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB SO I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SYSTEMIC FLAWS THAT MAY BE EMBEDDED IN THE INSTITUTIONAL PAY TREE AR KI THAT COULD BE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TOO, IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
FOR THE WOMEN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS, I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW CAN WE DO -- WHEN WE'RE DOING A REPORT, LIKE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN HERE, BUT CAN WE LOOK AT PRIVATE SECTOR, TOO? IS THERE A WAY THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT TO SEE HOW MANY C SUITE EXECUTIVES DO WE HAVE, WOMEN, MAYBE IN OUR PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANIES, HOW MANY C SUITE EXECUTIVES DO WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, JUST TO SEE WHERE WE ARE IN THAT ASPECT, TOO.
I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
>> IDENTIFYING DATA SOURCES FOR --
AND THEN ALSO WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EARNINGS GAP AND, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MOST EDUCATED WORKERS, WOMEN ONLY -- MAKE ONLY 72 CENTS FOR EVERY 1 DOLLAR MEN MAKE, WHERE IS THAT? IS THAT WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROPER?
>> IT'S EITHER SAN ANTONIO OR BEXAR COUNTY, DEPENDING ON THE DATA SOURCE WE USE.
>> VIAGRAN: SO WHAT ABOUT WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, COSAGOV?
>> WALSH: YEAH, GENERALLY, I MEAN, WE HAVE -- AND I'LL ASK LORI TO COME UP TO TALK ABOUT PART OF THAT, BUT OUR STEP PLAN SYSTEM IS NOT BASED ON GENDER, AND THAT'S THE STEP SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR CIVILIANS.
OF COURSE, WAGES FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE SET BY THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
THERE ARE KEY PROFESSIONAL ITEMS -- OR JOBS THAT HR REVIEWS PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LINE WITH MARKET, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE TYPES OF JOBS AND MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
DID I LEAVE ANYTHING OUT, LORI?
>> HOUSTON I WOULD JUST EMPHASIZE THAT WHAT WE LOOK AT IN HUMAN RESOURCES IS REALLY ON A MORE PRACTICAL BASIS, JOB BY JOB.
WE HAVE PROCEDURES IN PLACE, COMPENSATION POLICIES SO IF A DEPARTMENT WANTS TO HIRE SOMEONE IN -- ABOVE CERTAIN LEVELS OF NORMAL -- OF ENTRY HIRING, WE REVIEW THAT IN HR, SO THAT INVOLVES PULLING ALL OF THE DATA OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THAT SAME JOB.
SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU, LIKE ORGANIZATION-WIDE TO COMPARE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT JOB BY JOB AS WE'RE ANALYZING PAY PRACTICES THAT COME INTO PLAY.
AND IF IT CAUSES AN INEQUITY, YOU KNOW, WE EITHER MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OR WE PUSH BACK ON THE DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BRING THE PERSON IN THAT HIGH BECAUSE IT'S CAUSING INEQUITIES IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO WE ARE EVALUATING THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS FOR PROFESSIONAL MANAGERIAL EXECUTIVE-LEVEL POSITIONS AND AS ERIK SAID, THE STEP PAY PLAN AND OUR UNIFORM SYSTEM KIND OF MONITORS THAT WITHIN THE TENURED SYSTEM AND THE STANDARDS THAT THEY HAVE.
SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER JUST OVERALL LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT MORE ON A --
>> VIAGRAN: SO I GUESS BACK TO YOU, DOCTOR, HOW WE GOT THAT INFORMATION FOR THE 72 CENTS
[00:50:03]
FOR EVERY 1 DOLLAR MEN MAKE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PULL THAT VAIM KIND OF -- SAME KIND OF STATISTICS AT THE CITY.>> THE DATA SOURCES ARE SOMETIMES A LOT OF PUBLIC OR STATE LEVEL, FEDERAL LEVEL STATISTICS.
SO IF THAT DATA SOURCE DOESN'T IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE A VARIABLE FOR IDENTIFYING WHETHER THE PERSON IS A COSA EMPLOYEE, THAT DATA SOURCE WOULD -- IS SORT OF A GENERAL ONE, BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR OCCUPATION OR WHICH INDUSTRY THEY WORK IN OR...
I'LL PLAN ON LUNCH AND LEARN MORE FROM YOU.
>> I'VE NOTICED A COMMON THEME FOR MORE INTEREST IN MORE DATA.
FIRST I DEFINITELY -- THE DOCUMENT THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER, AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT IT CLOSELY AND DOWN THE ROAD, WE CAN EVEN DO MORE SORT OF PRESENTATIONS OR BRIEF REPORTS AROUND A PARTICULAR AREA.
LIKE YOU SAID, THE DIGITAL ACCESS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF IN THERE, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE A BRIEF REPORT AND HIGHLIGHT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS BUT IT'S A RIECH DATA SOURCE AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE'RE CONTINUALLY DISCOVERING NEW DATA SOURCES AND NEW WAYS OF DISAGGREGATING THE DATA SO JUST REACH OUT TO US AND THINGS CHANGE FROM ONE MONTH TO ANOTHER IN TERMS OF WHAT ACCESS WE HAVE.
>> VIAGRAN: I THINK THIS IS JUST STARTLING INFORMATION REALLY THAT'S HERE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT -- WHEN YOU'RE SAYING WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT, WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT? I JUST WANT TO JUST SUGGEST THAT WE DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT TO EVERYONE IN ALL OF OUR AREA OF WHAT THE CITY IS DOING ABOUT IT AS WELL.
ALSO JUST A QUICK LITTLE NOTE HERE FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
THIS INFANT MORTALITY RATE, MATERNAL MORE MORTALITY RATE IS HIGHER THAN TRAVIS, DALLAS AND HARRIS COUNTY.
AND REALLY JUST TO PUT THAT TO NOTE, A FRIEND OF MINE, SHE'S A TEACHER IN NEISD, SHE'S A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, SHE WAS AT HER STUDENT'S MOTHER'S FUNERAL TODAY BECAUSE SHE DIED WHILE GIVING BIRTH TO HER LITTLE GIRL.
AND SO THIS IS NOT JUST SOME STATISTICS ON HERE, THIS IS PEOPLE WHO LIVE THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THIS.
AND IT'S -- IT'S BEYOND ME HOW THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT IT IS.
SO FINALLY TO THE HEALTH AND TO THE VIOLENCE AND SAFETY, AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE -- WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT WITH SAPD, VICTIM'S ADVOCACY SERIES, I JUST WANT TO ALSO REMEMBER, LIKE IT WAS BACK, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MY SECOND BUDGET WHEN WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CRT UNIT STILL STAYED IN PLACE.
BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO HAVE THOSE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS HERE.
AND HOW IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE PATROL OFFICERS THERE, BECAUSE PATROL OFFICERS WRITE THE REPORTS, DETECTIVES DON'T WRITE THE REPORTS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE VICTIMS OR THOSE THAT NEED TO TALK TO THE INDIVIDUALS, AND I WANT TO ALSO ENCOURAGE THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER HAS TO BE ENGAGED, WHICH I'M SURE THEY ARE.
THIS ISN'T AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST, I BELIEVE YOU, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GOING MORE IN DETAIL HERE, BUT, AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO -- WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS REPORT IS REALLY JUST OPENING UP THE WHOLE CONVERSATION OF THIS INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM THAT EXISTS AND A PATRIARCHY SYSTEM THAT ALSO EXISTS, BUT WE HAVE ALLIES WHO WE ARE MAKING -- WE ARE GETTING OUT THE INFORMATION AND LETTING THE INFORMATION SPEAK FOR ITSELF BECAUSE THE DATA IS THE FACTS.
AND WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER, AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WOMEN -- WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, WE CAN'T TEAR ONE ANOTHER DOWN AND WE HAVE THE ALLIES THAT ARE HERE.
AND WE NEED TO JUST BELIEVE EACH OTHER WHEN THEY SAY YES, THIS HAPPENED.
WHEN THEY SAY NO, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN.
BUT WE HAVE THE DATA THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME TAKE MY TIME BECAUSE THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, DR. AGA, IT'S GREAT TO FINALLY SEE YOU IN PERSON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK DR. SAENZ AND LILY FOR YOUR EXCELLENT WORK, LILY.
WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING LILY IN OUR OFFICE FOR A FEW MONTHS AS SHE WAS PURSUING HER SECOND MASTER'S DEGREE, VIEW VERY MUCH, LILY, AND, OF COURSE, THANKS TO THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, THE MAYOR'S OR THE CITY'S COMMISSION, WHOSE EVER IT MAY BE.
THE CLAIRE IS -- CHAIR IS SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. GONZALES.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND CAME OUT TO LISTEN TO THIS DISCUSSION TODAY.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE AND VERY
[00:55:01]
PASSIONATE AND PERSONAL FOR SOME OF YOU, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO HEAR US DISCUSS THIS.IT'S FASCINATING TO READ THIS AND LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO SEE MORE AND I'M CURIOUS ABOUT -- BUT WHAT I REALLY SEE THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS -- I THINK THE PURPOSE IT SERVES IS TO GIVE US A BASELINE, RIGHT? SO THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN COMPARE TO IT.
SO I THINK IT'S GREAT IF WE GO AHEAD AND ADD MORE THINGS TO IT, BECAUSE WE -- THAT'S MORE PROGRESS THAT WE CAN MAKE IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE MUST TAKE ACTION AS WELL.
SO I WAS LOOKING AT SA 2020, THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS ADOPTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2010 OR '11, AND IT HAD GOALS FOR THE YEAR 2020.
AND WE'VE OFTEN HEARD WHEN WE'VE BEEN SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE TALKING ABOUT INCENTIVES FOR DOWNTOWN HOUSING HOW WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET TO 7500 UNITS OR 10,000 UNITS BECAUSE IT WAS OUR SA 2020 GOAL AND -- WITH A FERVOR, RIGHT, LIKE WE HAVE TO DO IT.
WELL, SA 2020 ALSO ESTABLISHED A GOAL FOR THE REDUCTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES.
AND THE GOAL THAT THE COMMUNITY ESTABLISHED IN THAT WAS THAT IT WOULD BE REDUCED BY 50%, WHICH I DON'T THINK WAS AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO ERADICATE IT, RIGHT? BUT IT WAS TO REDUCE IT TO 5,324 BY 2020.
THE MOST RECENT DATA ON THE SA 2020 IMPACT REPORT SAYS THAT IN 2017, WE HAD OVER 11,000 CASES.
SO AS A BODY, I FEEL SOMEWHAT REMISS IN HAVING LET THAT GONE BY WITHOUT US HAVING A SERIOUS PLAN IN PLACE TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE BEHIND ADOPTING THOSE GOALS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO I KNOW COUNCILMAN PELAEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES PUT FORWARD AN EXCELLENT CCR, WHICH I SUPPORTED REGARDING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR REDUCING -- OR WHAT I HOPE WILL BE ERADICATING ENTIRELY INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND I -- I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD WAIT FOR THAT TO GO TO GOVERNANCE OR -- I MEAN, IT'S UP TO YOU, MAYOR, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS FOR THAT TO BE ADDRESSED IN OUR BUDGET RETREAT WORKSHOP IN JUNE THAT WE'RE HAVING.
WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE FROM THE STAFF IS A PROPOSAL AND A BALLPARK FIGURE FOR WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY SHOULD BE SET UP IN THE BUDGET TO BEGIN DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT ALSO TO PUT TOGETHER A COLLABORATIVE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BECAUSE DESPITE WHAT -- DESPITE SOME POPULAR OPINION, NO ONE PERSON AND NO ONE ENTITY CAN DO THIS ALONE, THERE ARE EXPERTS OUTSIDE OF THIS BODY AND OUTSIDE OF THIS ORGANIZATION THAT WILL BE CRITICAL IN HELPING US MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS.
AND I EXPECT THEM TO BE INVITED, TO BE A PART OF THIS.
AND, MAYOR, I VOLUNTEER TO LEAD IT, BUT SOMETIMES I JUST COME UP WITH IDEAS... NO.
OR IF COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES WANTS TO DO SO, OF COURSE, I DEFER TO HER FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT AS A STARTER, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM STAFF, SO I HOPE WE CAN SEE THAT AT OUR RETREAT.
AND THESE NUMBERS ARE ABSOLUTELY SOBERING.
LILY, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO LIVE WITH YOURSELF LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS.
IT LOOKS LIKE BEXAR COUNTY IS THE DEADLIEST COUNTY FOR WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT'S -- I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE PUT IT ON PAPER.
IT'S HERE IN COLOR, NOT JUST IN BLACK AND WHITE, AND I EXPECT US TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
AND JUST A BRIEF INTERJEK SHUN.
I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU, AND HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS TO THAT EFFECT WITH MANY OF OUR ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THE STEPS OF THE BUREAUCRACY TO MAKE ACTION ON A COMMITMENT TO LIVE UP TO OUR SA 2020 GOALS AND THE EXACT MANNER AS YOU STATED.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE THAT I THINK IS GOING TO HELP ALL OF US AND CERTAINLY SECOND COUNCILMAN PELAEZ'S NOTION THAT THIS IS OUR COMMISSION, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[01:00:03]
I WANT TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, THE DISTRICT 1 REPRESENTATIVE AND CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION.Y'ALL SEE ME A LOT SOMETIMES AT EVENTS BRINGING MY MOTHER, AND, YOU KNOW, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT AS A KID GROWING UP IN A SINGLE-MOTHER HOUSEHOLD, THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES.
AND THOSE UNIQUE CHALLENGES ARE CHALLENGES TO THE KIDS, TOO.
AND IT'S -- IT'S AMAZING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ABLE TO PUSH THROUGH.
AND AT A TIME WHERE THERE JUST WASN'T AS MANY RESOURCES, RECOGNITION, OF THE THINGS THAT A SINGLE MOTHER HAS TO GO THROUGH, SO -- OF COURSE, A SINGLE MOTHER THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WELL.
AND IT AFFECTED HER TWO SONS AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE US DIVE MORE SPECIFICALLY INTO AS WELL.
I MEAN, I WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE DATA -- AND I'M SURE YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I REALLY WANT TO GET SPECIFIC ABOUT THIS.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW ABOUT ALL THE SINGLE MOTHERS THAT HAVE THESE CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE HEALTHCARE OR DAY CARE AND, OF COURSE, IT AFFECTS THEIR -- JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND SO FORTH.
SO JUST WANT TO MAKE A PITCH FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO BRING MY OWN SORT OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE THINGS THAT MY MOTHER HAD GONE THROUGH IN THE '70S WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, AND CAN SAY THAT THESE ARE -- THESE ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES AND THAT'S WHY I TAKE MY MOTHER TO ALL THESE EVENTS, BY THE WAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
I JUST WAN CT TO ADD MY, I GUESS, SUPPORT ON THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO LOOK AT THE GREATER DETAILS AND -- IN THE LARGER REPORT THAN THIS, BUT I THINK IT REALLY HELPS PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR ME, AND I'M SURE IT DOES FOR ALL OF US, THAT THERE'S MORE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING AS A CITY.
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS CITY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES, THE SAME RIGHTS AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND MORE WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT MORE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE THERE AND BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN WHAT GOES ON IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
I'M GOING TO HAVE MY STAFF LOOK A LITTLE BIT HARDER, BECAUSE WE HAVE 35 DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS WE APPOINT.
QUITE A FEW OF THEM ARE WOMEN, BUT ARE THERE MORE OPPORTUNITIES? YES.
AND SHOULD WE ALL BE LOOKING TO INVITE MORE WOMEN TO TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND TAKE MORE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE? I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES, AND THEN I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF WOMEN TODAY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, I GREW UP AS AN ONLY CHILD.
MY MOTHER RAISED ME BY MYSELF.
WE GREW UP BASICALLY POOR LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE WENT THROUGH, AND SO I CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT A LOT OF WOMEN GO THROUGH IN THIS COMMUNITY TODAY.
AND THERE SIMPLY NEEDS TO BE A RECOGNITION THAT YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE AND OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WITH THEIR FAF FAMILIES TO WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL CERTAINLY BE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO AND ENCOURAGE MY OFFICE TO FIND MORE WAYS THAT WE CAN INVOLVE WOMEN IN OUR DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND I THINK THAT ECONOMICALLY WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO LIFT UP ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT PARTICULARLY WOMEN, PARTICULARLY WOMEN WITH FAMILIES.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE I'LL BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO COMMEND MY FEMALE COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.
I HAVE SAID BEFORE FOR OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT TO THIS CITY AND TO THIS CITY COUNCIL THAT IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT GET DONE ARE THE THINGS THAT GET MEASURED.
BUT I THINK COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL HAS ALSO PUSHED IT A STEP FURTHER BECAUSE WE HAVE MEASURED SOME THINGS AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF PRIORITIZING THEM.
THE SA 2020 STAT LINE IS A GOOD
[01:05:02]
EXAMPLE OF THAT.I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS GIVE US A BETTER REFINED APPROACH AND IT'S THE TOP OF THE CONVERSATION FOR US.
WE KNOW THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE GOING TO TAKE IT SERIOUS AND I'M DOING MY BEST TO HELP THE STATISTIC IN GETTING OUT OF THIS SEAT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A FEMALE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DISTRICT 4 REPRESENTING.
BUT THAT'S UP TO THE VOTERS TO COME UP WITH.
BUT I WANT TO ASK A SERIOUS QUESTION.
IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK ERIK, SOMEBODY WHO HAS LED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND IT MAY HAVE GONE IN THROUGH YOUR RESEARCH.
BUT I THINK LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL HAVE GONE ON A LOT OF POLICE RIDE ALONGS AND SOME OF THE POLICE RIDE ALONGS GET YOU TO HOMES WHERE THERE'S DISTURBANCES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DRAW THE REPORT AND YOU SENSE THERE'S PROBABLY MORE TO THE STORY THAT THE FEMALE WANTS TO TELL BUT THERE'S NOT A SENSE OF A FOLLOW UP.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE VICTIMS' ADVOCACY SERVICE IS, BUT I DON'T QUITE NOW IF WE'RE THERE.
MAYBE WE'RE EVOLVING IT OVER THE FEW YEARS THAT WE'VE ROLLED OUT THE PROGRAM, BUT I JUST KNOW I ENCOUNTER AT LEAST A FEW MOMENTS IN MY MIND WHERE WE WENT AND, HEY, IS EVERYTHING OKAY? EVERYTHING'S OKAY.
EVEN THE OFFICER WHO SAYS WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO FURTHER.
WHAT'S THAT FOLLOW-UP? MAYBE IT'S WORK WITH NONPROFITS.
IN SOME CASES THESE ARE WOMEN WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED AND THE HUSBAND IS A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTRY, THE FEMALE IS NOT.
SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT TO HER VOICE AND DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SHE CAN SPEAK TO SOMETHING.
HOW CAN WE OFFER THE OFFICER A TRIGGER OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH A NONPROFIT OR THE SPECIAL VICTIMS' UNIT?
>> THOSE EXAMPLES THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING THAT MAYBE ONE OF US SEES FIRSTHAND.
I THINK POLICE OFFICERS PROBABLY INTUITIVELY PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER SENSE THAN SOMEBODY WHO HAPPENS TO BE ON A RIDE ALONG.
AND I THINK IT PROBABLY GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL SAID, THERE ARE KEY STAKEHOLDERS BESIDES NONPROFITS THAT ARE PART OF THAT SYSTEM IN DEALING WITH IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID A SECOND AGO THE NON-BUREAUCRATIC APPROACH TO IT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY WE NEED TO APPROACH IT BECAUSE THOSE INTUITIVE CASES WHERE -- THERE WAS A CASE IN THE PAPER TODAY IN BALCONES HEIGHTS ABOUT A WOMAN WHO WAS INJURED BY HER BOYFRIEND OR HUSBAND, OR WHATEVER.
BUT THERE HAD BEEN A HISTORY OR A PATTERN.
SO WHO BEST TO IDENTIFY THOSE PATTERNS OR POTENTIAL PATTERNS THAN A PATROL OFFICER OR A SCHOOL OR A NONPROFIT PARTNER.
AND HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT AND HOW DO WE GET FOLKS IN A POSITION WHERE THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH HELP.
I THINK THAT GOES TO THE ISSUE THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND THE EXPECTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO ERADICATE THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND BEING ABLE TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS IN THIS CASE A LITTLE MORE LATITUDE.
BUT DOING IT WITHIN STATE LAW.
AND IT REQUIRES A CHANGE IN STATE LAW, WELL THEN WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IN TWO YEARS.
I THINK WE NEED TO TRUST THE INDIVIDUALS, THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE SEEING IT FIRSTHAND.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU INTUITIVELY NOTICE IT.
THEY CERTAINLY DO AND THEY SEE IT TIME AFTER TIME, OR THEY'RE MAKING THE SAME CALLS FOR THE SAME LOCATION AND SEEING THE SAME PEOPLE.
HOW DO WE GET SOME IDEAS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE PATROL OFFICERS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHO ARE SEEING IT AND DEALING WITH IT.
ALSO THE DETECTIVES THAT WE HAVE REASSIGNED OUT TO THE SUBSTATIONS TO WORK WITH THE CRTS BECAUSE THOSE DETECTIVES ARE NOW TAKING THOSE CASES FROM -- DIRECTLY FROM THE VICTIMS TO FOLLOWING THEM TO THE DA'S OFFICE AND NOT HAVING TO TRANSFER IT CENTRALLY TO THE MAIN UNIT DOWNTOWN.
I THINK THOSE GROUPS INTUITIVELY KNOW HOW WE CAN MAYBE STEM THE TIDE.
>> SALDANA: I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
WE'RE FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON SAPD.
OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE GUILTY OF GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IN SEVERAL CASES.
I WAS JUST TALKING TO YOU WHERE A POLICE OFFICER BOUGHT A PAIR OF SHOES FOR SOMEBODY WHO NEEDED THEM.
I THINK IT'S THOSE INFORMAL ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A PIPELINE FOR SOMETHING AS CRITICAL THAT WE KNOW OFFICERS INTERACT WITH THAT THERE'S SOME FORMAL HAND-OFF TO SOMEBODY WE CAN TRACK AND WE KNOW WORKS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
[01:10:04]
COUNCILMAN PERRY.A LOT OF GOOD STATISTICS AND I WANT TO MAKE A SHOUT OUT TO MY REPRESENTATIVE, NAOMI MILLER.
I UNDERSTAND SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THIS, AND I APPRECIATE HER TIME THAT SHE PUT TO THIS ACTIVITY AS WELL IN WORKING TO PUT THIS REPORT TOGETHER.
I JUST WANT TO -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS REPORT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE CASE THAT I'VE GOING THROUGH THE REPORT NOTICED OVER TIME, AND THAT WAS BACK IN THE PART WHERE IT GOES FROM 2012 TO 2017 ABOUT THE MURDER RATE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT APPLIED TO ALL OF THESE STATISTICS.
YOU KNOW, HAS THERE BEEN PROGRESS? HAS THERE BEEN GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION? AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A REPORT CARD ON ALL OF OUR NONPROFITS THAT THE CITY IS FUNDING TOWARDS.
ARE THEY WORKING? ARE THEY NOT WORKING? WHAT'S OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT? AND I HATE TO PUT IT IN THOSE TERMS BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING -- WE'RE GETTING INTO THIS BUDGET PROCESS AND SHOULD WE INCREASE THAT FUNDING? YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE SHOWING THE RESULTS FOR THAT.
AND JUST DOING THIS POINT IN TIME, TO ME, IS NOT SHOWING HOW PRODUCTIVE, HOW SUCCESSFUL THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT APPLIED TO EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS TO SHOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY'VE COME FROM.
SO SHOWING THAT PROGRESS -- BECAUSE I GIVE ALL THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD TO THE NONPROFITS THAT WE HAVE BEEN FUNDING.
THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK OUT THERE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN REPORTS LIKE THIS.
AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT HERE RIGHT NOW.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU, DR. BRIDGER, THE COMMISSION, DR. RASAENZ FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS.
WE WILL MOVE WITH DILIGENCE IN A NON-BUREAUCRATIC WAY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THIS, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC ISSUES AS WELL.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, DR. BRIDGER?
>> I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JESUS WHO GOT HERE A LITTLE LATE.
WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HIM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ON NEXT STEPS.
I DO WHAT TO AFFORD A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS THAT WE DO HAVE THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE AS WELL AS THE COMMISSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THEIR ROLE WILL BE AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND THE ACTION IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL AS COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S POINT THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSCORE -- AND COUNCILMAN SALDANA DID IT AS WELL -- ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED METRICS.
WE NEED TO HAVE REALISTIC METRICS THAT WE CAN TRACK AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR OBLIGATIONS ARE -- WE NEED TO SET THOSE OBLIGATIONS IN TERMS OF TRACKING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, YEARS, AND SO FORTH.
I THINK THE SAD REALITY IS WE HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES THAN WE HAVE TO PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND THIS IS A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF THAT.
I'M HAPPY THAT WE'VE TURNED A CORNER ON THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THIS IS ONE GLARING AREA THAT WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER.
THAT IS THE ONLY ITEM SCHEDULED
[Executive Session]
FOR PRESENTATION.WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME IS NOW 3:25 P.M. ON THIS 29TH DAY OF MAY 2019.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 551 IN THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.072, REAL PROPERTY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE CREATION OF A WATER DISTRICT PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATING TO STATE OR FEDERAL GRANT REQUIREMENTS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTA
[19-4313]
[Additional Item]
[01:48:03]
[01:48:05]
DEEPER, I WANT TO LEAVE YOU[01:48:07]
WITH FIVE-POINTS.[01:48:08]
MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN HALL[01:48:09]
HAS ALREADY HEARD THESE AT[01:48:13]
ANOTHER -- IT WAS ANOTHER[01:48:15]
CELEBRATION FOR GETTING SCHOLARSHIPS AND FROM ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, BUT LET ME GO OVER THESE FIVE POINTS WITH YOU.AND LISTEN CAREFULLY, AND IF YOU WANT COPIES OF THIS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THESE COPIES, BUT, REMEMBER THESE: KEEP ON THE PATH THAT YOU'RE ON NOW.
AND LOOK AT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND YOU'RE BEING RECOGNIZED TONIGHT FOR THAT, BUT KEEP ON THIS PATH.
KEEP STRIVING AND KEEP WORKING HARD FOR THE REST OF YOUR COLLEGE CAREER, AND THEN AFTER YOUR COLLEGE CAREER.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP WORKING HARD.
AND YOUR HARD WORK WILL BE ED, JUST AS IT'S BEING RECOGNIZED TODAY.
NUMBER TWO, NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.
IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING AND YOU NEED HELP, ASK FOR HELP.
DON'T KEEP IT ALL INTERNALIZED.
DON'T TRY TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN IF -- IF IT SEEMS LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK TO DO.
NUMBER THREE, LEAN ON YOUR FAMILY AND LOVED ONES FOR SUPPORT.
THEY'RE THERE RIGHT MIND YOU, AND THEY'RE WILL -- BEHIND YOU, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP.
THEY HAVE LOVED YOU, NURTURED YOU UP TO THIS POINT.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT ANY -- ANY FURTHER, THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP ON THAT PATH AS WELL, SO LEAN ON YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR LOVED ONES FOR THAT SUPPORT.
A REAL KEY ONE HERE, ALWAYS LOOK FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO RUN INTO A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE ON YOUR COLLEGE CAREER THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART, AND YOU NEED TO ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS REALLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR? IS THIS REALLY WHAT I DESERVE? IS THIS REALLY ON MY CAREER
[01:50:02]
PATH? SO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THAT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU MEET BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE TRYING TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY AND DOWN THE WRONG PATH, SO THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU PLAIK FRIENDS.BUT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE THAT PERSON THAT PEOPLE LOOK UP TO, THAT YOU HAVE YOUR FRIENDS' BEST INTEREST AT HEART, SO WORK WITH THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN A SUPREME BEING OR NOT, YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE FAITH.
HAVE FAITH IN THAT SUPREME BEING, OR HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF, AT LEAST HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN DO THIS.
AND ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE AND HAVE THAT FAITH THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT, BY GOLLY.
YOU'RE GOING TO GRADUATE AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET A GREAT JOB, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL COME BACK HERE TO SAN ANTONIO AND STAY HERE IN TOWN AND CONTINUE YOUR DEGREE AND CAREER PATH HERE IN GIVING BACK TO THIS GREAT CITY HERE.
AND IF THE ADULTS AND THE PARENTS LISTEN TO THOSE FIVE POINTS, YOU CAN STILL LIVE BY THOSE FIVE POINTS ALSO.
SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU.
LIKE I SAID, I'LL SEND THESE TO YOU IF YOU WANT, BUT ANYWAY, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
>> PELAEZ: THANK YOU, AND I ALREADY MADE COMMENTS, BUT I FORGOT SOMETHING.
I'M LOOKING THROUGH THIS LIST HERE, AND REALLY THIS IS DIRECTED TO THE THREE STUDENTS, ONE WHO WENT TO -- WHO GOT INTO BROWN, AND THEN COLUMBIA, AND THEN PENN.
I'M SO SORRY THAT THE THREE OF YOU COULDN'T GET INTO TRINITY UNIVERSITY LIKE THE MAYOR AND MYSELF DID, BUT -- AND OUR CITY MANAGER.
HEY, SERIOUSLY, WHAT I WANTED TO END WITH, IS HOW MANY OF YOU SHOWED UP WITH A PARENT, A GRANDPARENT, A GUARDIAN, A MENTOR TODAY? YEAH.
HEY, GUESS WHAT? I THINK IT'S TIME THAT YOU GUYS THANK THE PEOPLE WHO MADE ALL OF YOU POSSIBLE.
LET'S DO THAT NOW, RIGHT? [APPLAUSE]
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: AND I'LL CLOSE OUT THE COMMENTS.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU ARE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MLK COMMISSION.
NATE DAVIS AND YOUR TEAM, I'M GOING TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
DR. GEORGE WILLIAMS AND HIS TEAM, HE'S A DEAN AT OLU, SO WE WANT TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE'S DONE AT ALL.
AND THEN FOR DR. ETIAN AND ALL HIS WORK FROM THE SAN ANTONIO SIDE.
I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE AMAZING.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE GOT 25,000 AND WE'VE GIVEN ALMOST $100,000.
WE HAD OVER 200 STUDENTS APPLY FOR THIS.
YOU WERE THE TOP 8% HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT APPLIED FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP.
THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU ALL, IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND IT HAS A LOT ABOUT WHAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ SAID OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR YOU LONG-TERM.
THE TWO THINGS I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, I DO INTERVIEWS FOR MY ALMA MATER.
I TELL THEM TWO THINGS, NUMBER ONE, STUDY ABROAD.
MOST OF YOUR UNIVERSITIES ARE GOING TO HAVE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS. IF YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, DO IT.
I STUDIED IN ECUADOR, I HAD ONE OF MY ROOMMATES STUDIED IN FRANCE, ANOTHER ONE STUDIED IN LONDON, ANOTHER ONE STUDIED IN EGYPT.
THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE, TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
AND THE FINAL THING I'LL SAY, KIND OF ALONG THE LINES OF COUNCILMAN PERRY, IF YOU ARE A FAITH PERSON, FIND YOU A CHURCH HOME.
AND ONE THING I USED TO DO IS I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO WRITE MY PARENTS, BUT I'D GO TO CHURCH AND ON THE BACK OF THE PROGRAM, I'D SAY A COUPLE NOTES AND I'D SEND THE CHURCH PROGRAM HOME.
SO THAT LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, I WAS DOING OKAY.
>> MAYOR PRO TEM: BUT ALSO I WAS ABLE TO WRITE THEM A SHORT NOTE.
LET ME SAY THIS, THE MLK COMMISSION HAS FOOD IN THE BACK, SO IF YOU GO OUT THESE DOORS, RIGHT BEHIND US FOR PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS, THERE'S A FULL MEAL AVAILABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL AGAIN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: AND BEFORE YOU GET UP TO LEAVE, I ALSO DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE NATE, MIKE AND THE WHOLE MLK COMMISSION FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN YEAR AFTER YEAR AND GETTING BIGGER AND BETTER EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
I KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SELECT A SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AS COUNCILMAN HALL SAID.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY A FEW WORDS TO THE TEACHERS, THE GUARDIANS AND THE PARENTS WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND YOU HAVE SET A VERY HIGH STANDARD OF RAISING HIGH-QUALITY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT TAKES A LOT MORE THAN JUST GRADES TO EARN A SCHOLARSHIP LIKE THIS, AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE, BLESSED OUR CITY, A WORLD, A PLACE WITH COMPASSIONATE UPSTANDING CITIZENS THAT ARE GOING TO
[01:55:01]
ENGAGE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS MAKES US ALL VERY PROUD TO LIVE HERE.CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND WE'LL LEAVE UP TO YOUR STANDARD AS WELL.
THANK YOU,
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.