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GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF MAY 29TH, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:12 PM 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, ERIC WALSH.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, LAST YEAR, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, SUBMITTED A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST ASKING FOR A FOCUS EXAMINATION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE C C R, UH, NOTED AT THE TIME THAT TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN, WE FIRST NEED TO ESTABLISH THAT THE STAT WHAT THE STATUS OF WOMEN IS.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO, UH, AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND COLLABORATION WITH U T S A HAS COMPILED AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
BRIDGER TO AND HER TEAM, UH, TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE ITEM TODAY, UH, AS WELL AS OUR SPEAKER, UH, THE, UH, AUTHOR OF TODAY'S REPORT.
UM, SO, UH, TAKING THE BATON FROM THE CITY MANAGER, I WOULD, UM, FIRST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DR.
AND LILY URA FROM U T S A, UM, LILY IS HERE TODAY.
UM, ROGELIO WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US, BUT, UM, THEY WERE THE AUTHORS OF THE 75 PAGE REPORT, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, DIGITALLY.
WE DID NOT PRINT VERY MANY OF THE 75 PAGE REPORTS.
UM, AND THEN STAFF WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE AN OVERVIEW SUMMARY DOCUMENT.
AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR PLACE TODAY, UM, IS THE OVERVIEW DOCUMENT FROM THAT 75 PAGE REPORT.
UM, THE OVERVIEW OF THIS REPORT PROVIDED BY DR.
GORE AGA, WILL DETAIL THE FOUR CATEGORIES FROM THE REPORT, WHICH INCLUDE HEALTH AND WELLBEING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, AND VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
UM, I AM REALLY EXCITED FOR Y'ALL TO MEET DR.
SHE'S A RELATIVELY NEW ADDITION TO METRO HEALTH.
UM, SHE GRADUATED WITH A PHD IN EPIDEMIOLOGY FROM BROWN UNIVERSITY, AND THEN DID A POST-DOC FELLOWSHIP AT HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, HER RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND EARLY LIFE PROGRAMMING OF OBESITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND HAS LED TO MORE THAN 20 PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS.
UM, SHE ALSO RECEIVED THE TRUDY BUSH AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FOR HER RESEARCH ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN WOMEN.
SHE JOINED METRO HEALTH AS OUR CHIEF OF INFORMATICS A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, AND HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL LEADER IN OUR WORK TO PUT DATA INTO ACTION.
I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY JESUS FCA, WHO'S THE DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR WITH HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, HE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH DR.
AGA ON, UM, 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.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE AT TODAY WITH YOU GUYS, AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN INITIATIVE.
UH, HOW DO YOU MAKE IT GO DOWN?
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SORRY, I'VE NEVER JUST HIT NEXT.BRIDGER, LET YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE, UH, IN RESPONSE TO THE C C R, DR.
ROGELIO SANS AND LILY KURA PUT TOGETHER A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, DETAILED REPORT, AND I DEFINITELY WANNA EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO THEM FOR COLLECTING SO MUCH DATA IN SUCH A WONDERFUL WAY.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, LOOK AT DIP FULL REPORT, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON, UH, THE WEBSITE.
NOW, AS I'VE INDICATED ON THE LINK HERE, UM, IT HAS A CLICKABLE, CLICKABLE TABLE OF CONTEXT, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT DOWN TO THE TOPIC OF INTEREST THAT YOU HAVE AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED FROM IT.
BRIDGER MENTIONED, WE USED INFORMATION FROM THE FOUR FULL REPORT TO DERIVE THE PRESENTATION, THE BRIEF REPORT THAT YOU HAVE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, MUCH OF WHAT I'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT IN MY PRESENTATION IS PROVIDED IN THE BRIEF REPORT, UH, FOR YOU HERE.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA REALLY THANK JESUS PONCA, WHO PUT TOGETHER THE DOCUMENT, WHICH LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.
SO I THOUGHT WE WOULD START BY ASKING WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO, UM, HAVE A, A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN? UM, ACCORDING TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUMS RANKINGS OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, THE US RANKED 51ST ON THIS COMPOSITE INDEX OF GENDER EQUALITY.
AND SO, WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT GAINS, UM, ACCORDING TO POLICY CHANGES IN THE PAST 50 YEARS IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN, UH, THERE CONTINUES TO BE, UH, SORT OF A LOT OF METRICS THAT, UM, WE HAVE YET TO IMPROVE ON, UH, 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 US.
HOWEVER, A RECENT COMPREHENSIVE STUDY RANKED THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST 25 METROPOLITAN AREAS ON THE WELLBEING OF WOMEN USING WHAT'S CALLED A HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX.
AND ON THIS INDEX, SAN ANTONIO RANKED 24TH OUT OF THE 25TH MUL METROPOLITAN AREAS, AND THE SPECIFIC AREA OF PROVIDING A DECENT STANDARD LIVING FOR WOMEN, SAN ANTONIO RANKED 23RD.
AND SO, AS WAS STATED IN THE C C R 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, AT 51% WOMEN OUTNUMBER MEN, AND WITH INCREASING AGE GROUPS, THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN INCREASES.
FOR EXAMPLE, 63% OF ALL SAN ANTONIANS IN THE 80 TO 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 WOMEN, UM, 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 WOMEN LIVING, 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.
BRIDGER MENTIONS, WE PRESENT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN FOUR OVERARCHING CATEGORIES, HEALTH AND WELLBEING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
AND THEN WITHIN EACH CATEGORY, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE FULL REPORT BY DR.
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 THE RACE ETHNICITY GROUP.
AND WE ALSO MAKE A COMPARISON OF THE SAN ANTONIO WOMEN TO WOMEN IN THE OTHER THREE LARGEST CITIES IN TEXAS, AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND HOUSTON, OR EQUIVALENTLY TO BEAR COUNTY AND THE RESPECTIVE COUNTIES, TRAVIS, DALLAS, AND HARRIS.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE GOOD DATA THAT WE HAVE IS AT THE CITY LEVEL, AND SOMET IS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHICH IS WHY WE'LL USE IT INTERCHANGEABLY.
SO WE'LL START WITH HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
SOME IMPORTANT METRICS ARE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH FOR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.
THE LATEST DATA SHOWS THAT ONE IN FIVE WOMEN DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND HISPANIC LATINO 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 IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH.
HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, NON-HISPANIC BLACKS EXPERIENCE HIGHER INFANT MORTALITY RATES COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES AND HISPANIC LATINAS AS WELL.
HISPANIC LATINA WOMEN RECEIVE EARLY PRENATAL CARE, LESS THAN
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NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN.OTHER IMPORTANT METRICS ARE LIFE EXPECTANCY AND MORTALITY FOR LIFE EXPECTANCY.
IN GENERAL, WOMEN HAVE A HIGHER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN MEN IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THIS IS WELL OBSERVED IN THE US AND OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AS WELL.
HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE MAJOR ETH 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 EIGHTIES, WHILE WOMEN IN THE CORE DOWNTOWN AREA CAN EXPECT TO LIVE INTO THEIR SEVENTIES AT MOST.
ALSO, FOR INCOME, WOMEN IN THE HIGHEST INCOME QUARTILE HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY MORE THAN FIVE YEARS LONGER THAN WOMEN IN THE BOTTOM INCOME QUARTILE.
IN GENERAL, WOMEN HAVE A LOWER COST SPECIFIC AND OVERALL MORTALITY RATE THAN MEN.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES AMONG WOMEN ACCORDING TO RACE, ETHNIC ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, NON-HISPANIC BLACK WOMEN HAVE THE HIGHEST DEATH RATES FOR THE TOP THREE CAUSES OF, UH, DEATH IN BEAR 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, ALCOHOL-INDUCED DEATHS AND DEATHS DUE TO CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE AND CIRRHOSIS.
SO FOR THIS, UH, FOR THESE MEASURES, DRUG-INDUCED AND ACCIDENTAL DRUG OVERDOSE DEATH RATES ARE ACTUALLY 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 CIRRHOSIS IN BEXAR COUNTY.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR RATES IN THE LAST ROW, IT'S 11.7 IS TWICE AS HIGH AS THAT IN TRAVIS.
SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD ALSO END EACH, UH, EACH CATEGORY AS WE PRESENT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN WITH ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS DOING TO INCREASE THE STATUS OF WOMEN OR IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THAT CATEGORY.
UM, SO, UH, FOR, FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING, OF COURSE, HEALTH OF WOMEN IS A TOP PRIORITY IN THIS FOR, FOR THE METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT.
AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE HEALTH 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 S T D 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 DETERMINANT OF HEALTH, LONGEVITY, AND SOCIOECONOMIC, UH, STATUS.
UM, IN THE, 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 7.5, 27.5% IN 2017.
AND NOW THAT'S 2% HIGHER THAN IN MEN.
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 DISPARITIES BY RACE ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, HISPANIC LATINA WOMEN HAVE A RATE OF 6.5 PERCENTAGE DROP HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT, UH, COMPARED TO 2.6% IN NON-HISPANIC WHITES.
AND SO, WHILE, UH, IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE IN TERMS OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER, AS WE SAW, UH, WOMEN ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM FIELD.
SO ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA FOR SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY, 30% OF MEN EARNED THEIR DEGREE IN THE STEM FIELD COMPARED TO JUST 12% OF WOMEN.
NEX IS BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
WOMEN OWN 30% OF BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO, AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR BUSINESSES INCORPORATED FOR EARNINGS WRAP, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MEASURES FOR UNDERSTANDING, UM, GENDER IN, UH, INEQUITY.
WOMEN'S MEETINGS, EARNINGS AS A PERCENTAGE OF MEN'S MEETING EARNINGS ROSE TO A HIGH OF 82% IN 2017.
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HOWEVER, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT EARNINGS IS THAT AT ANY GIVEN EDUCATION LEVEL, THE MEETING EARNINGS OF MEN ARE HIGHER THAN WOMEN.FOR EXAMPLE, AMONG THE MOST EDUCATED WORKERS, WOMEN MAKE ONLY 72 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT MEN MAKE.
AND OF COURSE, LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER INDICATORS, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, UM, IN MEDIAN EARNINGS ACCORDING TO RACE AND ETHNICITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MEDIAN EARNINGS OF NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN IS ABOUT 47,000 COMPARED TO 31,000 AMONG HISPANIC LATINO WOMEN.
NEXT IS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
AND YOU'LL SEE THIS CUTE LITTLE GRAPHIC THAT'S ALSO IN YOUR, UH, LITTLE BOOKLETS.
AND, UM, I WANTED, THERE'S, THERE'S THIS, THIS, THIS FIGURE SHOWS THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ACCORDING TO WHO THE HOUSEHOLD LED INDIVIDUAL, UM, FOR THE FOUR MAJOR CITIES.
THERE ARE TWO MAJOR TAKEAWAYS, UM, FROM THIS GRAPH.
ONE IS THAT FOR ANY GIVEN CITY, THE THE MEDIAN EARNED HOUSEHOLD INCOME, A FEMALE HEAD HOUSEHOLDS IS LOWER THAN MALE LED HOUSEHOLDS.
AND 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 MEDIA HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN SAN ANTONIO IS LOWER THAN THE OTHER CITIES.
SO WHETHER IT BE FEMALE AT HOUSE, FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT A HUSBAND, MALE HEADED, HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT A WIFE, AND HOUSEHOLDS WITH MARRIED COUPLES, HIGHLY RELATED TO MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND THERE WE ALSO SEE RACE ETHNIC DISPARITIES.
IN SAN ANTONIO BEAR COUNTY, 59% OF NON-HISPANIC WHITE SINGLE WOMEN HOUSEHOLDERS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE HOMEOWNERS COMPARED TO 36% OF NON-HISPANIC 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'S THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN? AND OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S 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 MEMBER MENTORSHIP WITH CITY 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 FOR SA PROGRAM ENHANCES THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF FOUR YEAR OLD CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY AN APPROVED SALES TAX THAT INCREASE INCREASED TO PROVIDE STABLE FUNDING.
SO THE THIRD CATEGORY WE'LL LOOK AT IS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, UM, 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, THERE IS A LARGE TABLE ON ONE OF THESE PAGES THAT SHOWS THE TOP 10 BOARDS AND, UH, COMMISSIONS ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN ON THE COMMISSION, ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND THE TOP 10 ACCORDING TO MEN.
UM, AND IF WE LOOK AT THIS, WE SEE THAT THERE'S A STRONGER REPRE 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, CURRENTLY 30% OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WOMEN.
AND IF WE COMPARE THIS NUMBER TO OTHER CITIES, WE SEE THAT IT IS HIGHER THAN IN DALLAS.
UH, IT IS THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS IN HOUSTON.
HOWEVER, WHAT STANDS OUT IN AUSTIN WHERE 70% OF THEIR CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS 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 G P A 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.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE SS A SPEAKUP INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS LAUNCHED IN ORDER TO INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FROM ALL SECTORS OF THE POPULATION, INCLUDING MINORITIES
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AND WOMEN.THE FINAL CATEGORY IS VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, HERE WE HAVE SOME UNFORTUNATE STATISTICS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
SAN ANTONIO RANKED SIX FOR US LARGEST CITIES 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 D DALLAS, AND HOUSTON.
ANOTHER ALARMING FINDING IS THAT THE HOMI HOMICIDE RATE OF WOMEN IN BEXAR COUNTY DOUBLED 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 TWO 18.
AND I AS APPARENTLY, IT'S ALSO GOING UP ACCORDING TO LATER DATA, MOST RECENT DATA.
SO WHAT IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AND SAFETY FOR WOMEN? METRO HEALTH HAS IMP IMPLEMENTED THE EVIDENCE-BASED CURE VIOLENCE HEALTH MODEL THROUGH THEIR STANDUP ESSAY PROGRAM TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AS AN ISSUE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES WELL THAT WOMEN ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HAS HELPED REVITALIZE THE BEAR 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 WITH 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 WELLBEING, THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS ARE THAT MATERNAL INFANT MENTALITY IS HIGHER THAN IN OTHER MAJOR COUNTIES.
THERE ARE ALSO MAJOR RACIAL DISPARITIES IN SAN ANTONIO, IMMORTALITY FROM HEART DISEASE, LIVER DISEASE, CANCER, AND STROKE.
AND OF COURSE, THE LOWER THE INCOME OF WOMEN, THE LOWER THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WITH AT LEAST THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE, IS RISING, BUT WOMEN ARE STILL UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM FIELD.
THERE ARE ALSO RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HIGH 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 A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN FOCUS ON EDUCATION, YOUTH AND EARLY LIFE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING AND COOL, UH, FOR VIOLENCE AND SAFETY.
RATES OF RAPE, HOMICIDE, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO STAND OUT AMONG MAJOR LARGE CITIES AND ARE NOTICEABLY INCREASING YEAR TO YEAR.
AND FINALLY, I THOUGHT I WOULD END WITH THE RECOGNITION THAT THESE FOUR CATEGORIES DO NOT EXIST IN ISOLATION.
RATHER, THERE'S, 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 INTO THE OTHER AREAS.
THE SIMPLE EXAMPLE IS THE RELATIONSHIP INDICATORS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
THERE IS A LARGE BODY OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS ECONOMIC ADVERSITY IS ROBUSTLY LINKED TO SCORES OF HEALTH OUTCOMES.
AND THE SIMPLEST OF THAT WE SAW WITH THE DATA WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU IS THE SIMPLE LINK BETWEEN EDUCATION OR INCOME AND LIFE EXPECTANCY.
WOMEN'S LIFE EXPECTANCY RISES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND INCOME.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT LINK MAY BE LESS OBVIOUS IMMEDIATELY, IS THE LINK BETWEEN INDICATORS OF VIOLENCE AND SAFETY AND INDICATORS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
AND FOR THIS, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A REPORT BY THE INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN'S POLICY RESEARCH, WHICH IS CALLED DREAMS DEFERRED.
THIS REPORT WAS BASED ON A STUDY THEY DID ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SURVIVORS FUNDED BY US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THEY FOUND THAT 63% OF THE INTIMATE PER INTER I P V 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 ABUSIVE PARTNER HARMED THEIR CREDIT SCORE, WHICH LED TO AN INABILITY TO SECURE A LOAN OR HOUSING IN THEM, SAME REPORT, THEY REFERRED TO ANOTHER, UH, STUDY, WHICH ESTIMATED THE LIFETIME COST OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, INCLUDING THE COST OF HEALTH RELATED PROBLEMS, LOST PRODUCTIVITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COSTS.
AND THAT AMOUNTING TO ALMOST MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR WOMEN WHO, UM, GOES THROUGH INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
SO I THINK THE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY IS, WHILE THE IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL IMPACTS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ARE WHAT'S RECOGNIZED, THE ECONOMIC, THE ECONOMIC COST, AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS
[00:25:01]
PROFOUND AND FAR REACHING.AND SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY.
AND I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD END UP, UH, WITH NEXT STEPS.
SO THE CITY WILL USE THE INFORMATION COMPILED FROM THE REPORT, UM, TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE STATUS OF WOMEN, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE CITY WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTING FUTURE ANALYSIS AND REPORTS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO ANNUALLY FROM HERE ON, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED EVERY FEBRUARY TO COINCIDE WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
AND I WANTED TO FINISH OFF WITH A VERY PRETTY PAINTING BY AN ARTIST NAMED ANGELA OR ANGELA ELLIS.
SHE CONSIDERS HERSELF, UM, AN EDUCATOR, A LATIN AMERICAN, AN IMMIGRANT, AND A FEMALE ARTIST.
AND AT THIS EXHIBITION, THE PAINTING WAS DESCRIBED AS THE ARTWORK HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPLEXITIES OF BEING A WOMAN WITH ALL THE STRUGGLES AND JOYS, THE REIGN.
AGA FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
UH, WE MENTIONED LILY SURA, UH, AS WELL AS DR.
UM, AS WELL AS OUR MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
GONZALEZ, UH, IS HERE REPRESENTING THEM.
UM, AND OF COURSE, THE PERSON WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOM, BUT DESERVES A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR INITIATING THIS PROCESS.
AS OUR COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, I THINK SHE WAS RIGHT INTO IN, UH, ASKING US WHAT IS THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO? OUR EFFORTS ARE TO IMPROVE IT.
UH, AND YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME STARK, UH, REALITIES ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON.
WHAT, WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME IS HOW MUCH, UH, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS ARE INTEGRATED.
I APPRECIATED YOUR, YOUR SLIDE THERE AT THE END, BUT WE HAVE BEEN AS A BODY, UH, 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 IN HOW THEY CORRELATE SO WELL TO THE INEQUITIES THAT ARE SEEN GEOGRAPHICALLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH REGARD TO SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITY.
UH, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN, UM, BE COGNIZANT OF AS WE DO THE SIMPLE THINGS, UH, SUCH AS MOVING INTO OUR FY BUDGET.
I GUESS MY, MY QUESTIONS THAT ARE SWIRLING IN MY MIND NOW ARE, ARE WITH REGARD TO NEXT STEPS, AND I KNOW THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT UNDER, UH, DR.
BRIDGER'S DIRECTION IS, IS NOW ABOUT TO RELEASE AND, AND ENACT, UH, PUT INTO ACTION THE, THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
HOW IS THIS GOING TO RELATE USING THE DATA THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, DR.
ONE OF OUR FOUR PRIORITIES IS VIOLENCE.
AND, UM, FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE FOCUSING ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, I'M WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO PUT TOGETHER THE, UM, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, AND WE'LL DIVVY THAT WORKUP AMONG THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS.
SO METRO HEALTH WILL FOCUS ON PREVENTION.
HUMAN SERVICES WILL FOCUS ON SERVICES PROVIDED TO, UM, I P V SURVIVORS.
AND, UM, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY NONPROFITS WILL FIT INTO THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM.
SO, UM, IT IS DEFINITELY AN, AN IMPORTANT BODY OF WORK THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD.
WELL, I I, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I WOULD, I WOULD URGE US TO BE AS FORCEFUL AS POSSIBLE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PLAN.
UM, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES HERE ALSO, UH, 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.
UM, I READ, UH, COUNCILMAN PAL'S ARTICLE OVER THE WEEKEND.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.
IF THIS COMMUNITY HAS NEEDED, UH, A MOONSHOT 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 OF THESE OTHER EL ISSUES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO WRAP OUR HANDS AROUND, WHETHER IT'S HOMELESSNESS OR IT'S, UH, INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY, UH, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, I, I DON'T THINK WE, UM, CAN BE VOCAL OR, UH, AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN DEALING WITH THESE, AND I HOPE WE PUT THE FULL FORCE OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE AFFILIATE, AFFILIATE, UM, AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE GRANT FUND TO IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES.
SO I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AROUND THE TABLE TO ADDRESS IT.
AND, AND, UH, I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER CITY OFFICIAL, UH, THAN YOU, DR.
BRIDGER, THAN TO, TO HELP US, UH, POINT TO THE NEXT POLICY DIRECTION THAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF WHERE SHOULD WE GO NEXT.
[00:30:01]
PUTTING SOME, UH, PUTTING SOME REAL, UH, ACTION BEHIND THE WORDS THAT WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.AND FINALLY, UH, GET SOMETHING DONE.
COUNCILMAN PIZ, I'LL LET YOU FIELD THE QUESTIONS.
BRIDGER, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, THE PATH I'LL NEVER WALK IS, UM, THE PATH, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, 50 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THE FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO WALK, WHICH IS THE PATH OF BEING A FEMALE IN, YOU KNOW, IN 2019.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I GET TO SEE, UH, 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 GONZALEZ AND COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GERRAN, AND I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE EVERY DAY.
AND THOSE WOMEN IN MY LIFE THAT I JUST LISTED OFF ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE ME A BETTER MAN.
UM, 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.
BRIDGER, YOU'RE ON THAT LIST TOO.
UH, AND, UH,
AND SO, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, THEY WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, AN ANALYSIS.
I MEAN, FOR ECONOMICS, FOR EXAMPLE, A BREAKDOWN OF BANKRUPTCIES, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO FILE A BANKRUPTCY IN SAN ANTONIO? I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? UM, HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS AND EVICTIONS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT FOR ME.
UM, WE, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, RIGHT? I HAVE A FEELING IF YOU DO, UH, A FULL REPORT, SO, OKAY, GREAT.
DEFINITELY LOOK AT THE PEOPLE OF CONTENT.
SO MAYBE SOME OF THESE ARE IN THE FULL REPORT, AND IF THEY ARE, FORGIVE ME FOR, UH, NO, I LIKE THAT LIST THOUGH.
MENTAL HEALTH, RIGHT? UM, WHETHER OR NOT THESE WOMEN ARE VETERANS, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S A DIFFERENT PATH THAT THEY WALK, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THESE DEFENDANTS ARE WOMEN AND MEN, RIGHT? AND WHAT KIND OF CRIMES ARE COMMITTED BY WOMEN AND VICE VERSA.
UM, A BREAKDOWN OF WOMEN REPRESENTATION BY JOB SECTOR, RIGHT? THAT'LL HELP US UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHERE WE NEED TO PUT THE, OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE, RIGHT? AND HELP, UH, INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THOSE SECTORS.
UM, HOW MANY OF OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES ARE FEMALE? UH, I'M SORRY, DELEGATE AGENCY CUSTOMERS ARE FEMALES, UH, VERSUS MALES, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S A, 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.
UM, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAJOR IMPEDIMENTS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO FINANCING.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN THAN IT'S FOR MEN, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE.
UM, AND SO I'LL, I'LL TEAR THIS PAGE OFF AND I'LL, I'LL GIVE IT TO ONE OF YOU.
UM, WRITE, I MEAN, AND THE OTHER ONE IS, IS, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING THAT THE WAY WE TALK TO THE PUBLIC IS BY WHAT WE CALL THINGS AND WHAT, WHAT NAME WE GIVE TO INITIATIVES AND WHAT NAME WE GIVE TO OUR COMMISSIONS AND OUR COMMITTEES.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, UM, 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.
AND I THINK THAT THAT SENDS A LOUD MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE BEHIND THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING A STRUCTURE TO THE COM A STRUCTURE CHANGE TO THE COMMISSION, BUT WHAT THE WORDS WE USE ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO, TO THINK ABOUT THAT, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S TIME.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THIS COMMISSION BE A PERMANENT COMMISSION, UH, AND SOMETHING THAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, FOREVER AND EVER.
'CAUSE I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS CONVERSATION NEVER ENDS.
UM, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE WE DID THIS YEAR ON A LOT OF THE DATA METRICS AND WHAT DO NEXT YEAR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, THIS WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
AND IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION PUT TOGETHER AS WELL.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALL DONE AND ALL THE DATA AND THE METRICS THAT YOU GATHERED.
UM, I, I GOT A, A SUPER SNEAK PEEK OF IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
SO I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, VORACIOUSLY READING THROUGH IT, WANTING MORE, WANTING MORE DATA.
SO I'M, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE THE TABLE OF CONTENT AND WHAT I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO POUR OVER HERE AND REALLY GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY.
I DO WANT TO, UH, THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN
[00:35:01]
GONZALEZ, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COUPLE OF, IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR AGO WHEN WE GATHERED TOGETHER AND WE WERE CHATTING, UM, BEFORE THE WOMEN'S RESOLUTION WAS, UH, PUT FORWARD.WE WERE CHATTING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, 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, UM, VERY HAPPY THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE CONSTITUTED AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY SHE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO DO THE C C R AND TO MAKE THIS, AND I WAS PROUD TO, TO STAND ON AND, AND STAND A, A PART OF HER DOING THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT COMMISSION.
AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT.
AND WE HAVE SUCH GREAT REPRESENTATIVES THERE, UH, VANESSA, WHO'S MINE, UH, AND YOU KNOW, DR.
REYES, WHO, WHO'S ON THERE AS WELL, AND, AND JERRY WHO'S OUT 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, THOSE SPHERES OF INFLUENCE TO REALLY IMPACT AND MOVE THE NEEDLE ON ALL THESE THINGS.
THAT'S LIKE THE COOLEST TITLE I COULD INFORMATICS.
UM, AND I DO LIKE, UH, I 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, UM, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATED ABOUT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOKED AT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
44% OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ACROSS THE 81 SAN ANTONIO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE WOMEN.
AND WE LOOKED AT THE TOP 10 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE TOP 10 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OUT OF THE WOMEN, ONLY ONE WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT FEMALE REPRESENTATION.
AND WITH THE TOP 10 BOARDS MEN REPRESENTATION, THERE WERE SIX WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT MEN REPRESENTATION.
SO EVEN THERE, WE SEE THAT, THAT DISPARITY THAT EXISTS TOO.
UM, BUT WHAT I DO APPRECIATE, Z I'M GONNA STEAL A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR THUNDER AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, UM, 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 CULTURE, 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 GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO FURTHER, UH, PARTICIPATION, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A, UM, AN ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND WHO ARE IN RUNOFFS RIGHT NOW.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND PERSPECTIVE AND WHY THIS INFORMATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO SHARE.
TO MY COLLEAGUES' POINT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW WHAT THE, THE STARK INFORMATION, BUT THIS IS OUR LIVED EVERY DAY, UM, AS WOMEN AND LIVED OF 51% OF THE POPULATION OF SAN ANTONIO LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL, UM, 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, THIS JUNCTURE CAN BE ALLIES IN THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND BARRIERS.
AND WELL, UM, WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO INCREASE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, UH, 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 SYSTEM WHEREBY A MORE COMPLETE REPRESENTATION OF CITIZENS IS ACHIEVED.
I, I NEED TO KNOW, LIKE, OH, HOW, OR DO WE HAVE THE HOWS AND THE WHERES AND THE, THE, THE, FOR WHAT? I MEAN, DO WE HAVE THOSE ANSWERS YET? OR ARE WE WORKING ON THAT? UM, SAY, SO I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE ARE WORKING ON THIS MM-HMM.
UM, I THINK THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WHEN WE PUT ALL OF THE DATA TOGETHER, WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THAT THAT'S THE ONE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE PEOPLE THAN THE USUAL SUSPECTS TO COME
[00:40:01]
TOGETHER AND HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT.SO THE HEALTH STUFF, WE WERE REALLY COMFORTABLE, THAT WAS OUR LANE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE NEED, UM, OTHER SMART PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP, HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA JUST MENTION TO YOU TOO IS, UM, I KNOW, UH, ERIC MENTIONED THIS, THE CITY MANAGER MEANT MENTIONED THIS WHEN HE WAS INTERVIEWING WITH US.
YOU WANTED TO GET THAT MIDDLE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES, WHO MAYBE ONLY GO TO SCHOOLS FOR THE P T A MEETINGS WHO ONLY GO TO CERTAIN PLACES.
HOW DO WE GET THEM ENGAGED AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, BECAUSE WE NEED, WE NEED TO DO THAT EITHER WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS OR JUST WITH SCHOOL BOARDS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND LETTING EVEN THE YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
OUR BOND, UH, 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 KINGSBORO PARK.
SO WE NEED TO START THINKING AS A ENTITY MORE CREATIVELY TO START REACHING OUT IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT'S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING THEIR VOICE TO WHAT THEY WANNA SEE IN THEIR PARK.
ANOTHER, UM, THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS INCREASED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FROM ALL SECTORS OF POPULATION, INCLUDING MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
HOW ARE WE DOING THAT WELL, AND WE HAVE G P A HERE.
I THINK LAURA WANTS TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THAT YOU, UM, ADOPTED MM-HMM.
UM, WE COULD GENERALLY GUESS WHO WAS COMING TO THOSE MEETINGS, BUT WITHOUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT DATA, WE COULDN'T MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WITH AN EXAMPLE OF THE BUDGET CAMPAIGN, UM, WE TRACKED, 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 SENIOR CENTERS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND THEN TAKING THAT DATA TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UM, AND YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE APPROACH, WE'RE CHANGING THE WAY WE DO THINGS WITH MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT IF A RESIDENT CAN'T ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING BECAUSE THEY DON'T, UM, MAYBE IT'S NOT CONVENIENT OR THEY NEED TO FIND CHILDCARE, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
SO IT'S REALLY TAKING THAT DATA TO INFORM OUR APPROACH TO GET MORE INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW, UH, DOCTOR, IF IT'S IN OUR, OUR, UM, DEEP DIVE HERE, BUT YOU HAD THE CURRENT WOMEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS 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 C WELL, 10 SEATS IN THE MAYORS.
DO WE HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN? I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK.
I'LL LOOK AS WELL, JUST IF YOU HAVE THAT.
UM, NEXT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES MM-HMM.
ONE THING THAT I DID SEE, YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT, IT WAS VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT, UM, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE OF, OF EDUCATIONAL INCREASES.
THAT, AND IN YOUR LITTLE, UH, SNAPSHOT, IT SAYS, DESPITE EDUCATIONAL INCREASES, THE PROPORTION OF SAN ANTONIO'S WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE REMAINS VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS.
SO WE'RE SEEING GAINS IN EDUCATION, BUT NOT IN WOMEN JOINING THE WORKFORCE.
DO WE KNOW WHY OR WE'RE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DISCOVER RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK IT ALSO DEPENDS ON, UH, HOW YOU SORT OF DISAGGREGATE WHAT TYPE OF WORKFORCE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, I THINK THE OVERALL NUMBER IS THAT IT IS STAYING STAGNANT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF DATA DISAGGREGATED BY RACE AND TYPE OF WORKFORCE TO SEE WHERE EXACTLY THAT IS COMING FROM.
I I, I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE THAT.
AND ANOTHER THING, UM, UNDER SLIDE 15 WHERE IT SAYS, WHAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOING TO INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, UM, THE EDDS WORKFORCE DIVISION, UM, AND THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY, UH, THE CE BETA AS WE'RE DOING THIS, AND IT, 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 ARE THERE SYSTEMIC FLAWS IN THIS ABETA
[00:45:01]
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 CLAUSE THAT WE HAVE.GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNSEL, OR GOOD AFTERNOON RATHER.
UM, SO ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF SAB BETA 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.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS, IS WHAT COUNCILMAN PALAZZO WAS MENTIONING, LOAN APPROVAL RATES, FOR EXAMPLE, AND, AND HOW THAT'S IMPACTING MINORITIES AND WOMEN.
SO THERE IS A SORT OF A REVIEW OF THAT, AND THAT ACTUALLY DRIVES A LOT OF THE POLICIES AND CHANGES THAT WE BRING FORWARD TO YOU IN TERMS OF UPDATING OR ENHANCING S BETA IN PARTICULAR S BETA, UM, IN TERMS OF AUDITING S BETA, THAT'S DONE BY SORT OF A CASE BY CASE BUSINESS.
THAT IS WHAT GOALS WE APPLY TO IT, UH, IN PARTICULAR WOMEN-OWNED GOALS.
WE LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE COMPARE THAT TO WHO'S AVAILABLE IN THE, IN THE MARKETPLACE TO DO THAT WORK.
AND WE KIND OF TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE UTILIZATION OF, 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, THE, THE CONCEPT OF REVIEWING OR PROGRAMS, AUDITING THOSE PROGRAMS AND THEN TWEAKING THOSE PROGRAMS TO MAXIMIZE THE RESULTS IS SOMETHING THAT'S EMBEDDED IN THERE.
AND WE KINDA 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.
UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE THE INTEREST LOAN, UH, BUY DOWN PROGRAM.
UH, NOT ONLY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPLEMENT SO BETA, BUT NOW HOW DO WOMEN, UH, ACCESS CAPITAL? AND SO SOMETHING WE LAYERED ON JUST TWO YEARS AGO YEAH.
WAS THE LOAN INTEREST BUY DOWN PROGRAM.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SYSTEMIC FLAWS THAT MAY BE EMBEDDED IN THE INSTITUTIONAL, UM, PATRIARCHY.
THAT COULD BE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TOO, IN OUR ORGANIZATION, UM, FOR THE WOMEN'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BI UM, BUSINESS.
I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW, UM, 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, UM, 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, UM, C-SUITE EXECUTIVES WE HAVE, UM, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, JUST TO SEE WHERE WE ARE IN THAT ASPECT TOO.
AND I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
IDENTIFYING DATA, DATA SOURCES FOR EXACTLY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EARNINGS GAP AND FOR EXAMPLE, THE MOST EDUCATED WORKERS, WOMEN ONLY MAKE ONLY SEVEN 2 CENTS FOR EVERY $1 MEN MAKE.
WHERE IS THAT? IS THAT WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROPER? MM-HMM.
IT'S EITHER SAN ANTONIO OR BEXAR COUNTY, DEPENDING ON THE DATA SOURCE THAT WE USE.
SO WHAT ABOUT WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CSA GOV? UM, NO, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT, CAN WE LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT OUR EARNINGS GAP IS TO IF THE DATA IS AVAILABLE? SURE.
GENERALLY, I MEAN, WE HAVE, UM, UM, AND I'LL ASK LORI TO COME UP, UH, TO TALK ABOUT PART OF THAT, BUT OUR STEP PLAN SYSTEM MM-HMM.
UM, AND THAT'S THE STEP SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR CIVILIANS, OF COURSE.
UM, WAGES FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE SET BY THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, LOOK AT THOSE TYPES OF JOBS AND MAKE A NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS ON ANNUAL BASIS.
DID I LEAVE ANYTHING OUT, LORI? NO, I THINK I WOULD JUST EMPHASIZE THAT WHAT WE LOOK AT IN HUMAN RESOURCES, REALLY ON A MORE, UH, PRACTICAL BASIS, JOB BY JOB, WE HAVE PROCEDURES IN PLACE, COMPENSATION, UM, POLICIES.
SO THAT IF A DEPARTMENT WANTS TO HIRE SOMEONE IN, UH, ABOVE CERTAIN LEVELS OF, OF NORMAL, UM, ENTRY HIRING, WE REVIEW THAT IN HR.
AND 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, UH, JOB BY JOB AS WE'RE, UM, ANALYZING PAY PRACTICES THAT COME INTO PLAY.
AND IF IT CAUSES AN INEQUITY, YOU KNOW, WE EITHER MAKE ADJUSTMENTS
[00:50:01]
OR, YOU KNOW, WE PUSH BACK ON THE DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BRING THE PERSON IN THAT HIGH 'CAUSE IT'S CAUSING INEQUITIES IN OUR SYSTEM.SO WE, WE ARE EVALUATING THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS FOR, UM, PROFESSIONAL MANAGERIAL EXECUTIVE LEVEL POSITIONS.
AND AS, UM, ERIC SAID, THE STEP PAY PLAN AND OUR, OUR UNIFORM SYSTEM KIND OF MONITORS THAT WITHIN THE, THE TENURE 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, ON A, SO, UM, I GUESS BACK TO YOU DOCTOR, HOW WE GOT THAT INFORMATION FOR THE 72 CENTS FOR EVERY $1 MEN MAKE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PULL THAT SAME KIND OF STATISTICS AT THE CITY.
SO FOR THE DATA SOURCES ARE SOMETIMES A LOT OF PUBLIC OR SORT OF FEDERAL, STATE LEVEL DATA SOURCES WHERE YOU HAVE SORT OF THE MEETING MEDIAN EARNINGS OR A PERCENTAGE OF MEN, SO THAT IF THAT DATA SOURCE DOESN'T IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE A VARIABLE FOR IDENTIFYING WHETHER THE PERSON IS A CITY COSA EMPLOYEE, UH, THAT DATA SOURCE WOULD, IS, IS SORT OF A GENERAL ONE THAT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR OCCUPATION OR WHICH INDUSTRY THEY WORK IN OR, OKAY.
I, I'LL, YEAH, OFFLINE, I'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE FROM YOU 'CAUSE THIS IS JUST GREAT.
ABSO I'VE NOTICED A COMMON THEME FOR MORE INTEREST IN MORE DATA.
SO FIRST, I, I DEFINITELY THE DOCUMENT THAT DR.
ROGELIO SANDS AND LILY ER 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, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE A BRIEF REPORT AND HIGHLIGHT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
UH, AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE, WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY DISCOVERING NEW DATA SOURCES AND NEW WAYS OF DISAGGREGATING THE DATA.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST REACH OUT TO US AND, UM, THINGS CHANGE FROM ONE MONTH TO ANOTHER IN TERMS OF WHAT ACCESS WE HAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT, SO I THINK THIS IS JUST STARTLING INFORMATION REALLY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU WANNA, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT? WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT? I JUST WANNA 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.
UM, ALSO JUST A QUICK LITTLE NOTE HERE, UM, FOR THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING, THE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH MM-HMM.
AND REALLY, JUST TO PUT THAT TO NOTE, A FRIEND OF MINE, SHE'S A TEACHER IN N E I SS D, SHE'S A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER.
SHE WAS AT HER STUDENT'S MOTHER'S FUNERAL TODAY BECAUSE SHE DIED WHILE GIVING BIRTH TO HER, 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, IS HAPPENING, BUT IT, BUT IT IS.
UM, SO FINALLY, UH, TO THE, THE, UM, HEALTH AND, UH, TO THE, UM, VIOLENCE AND SAFETY AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE, UM, AS WE'RE DOING THE, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT WITH THE SS A P D VICTIM'S ADVOCACY SERIES.
I JUST WANNA ALSO REMEMBER, LIKE IT WAS BACK, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE MY SECOND BUDGET WHEN WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CTS UNITS STILL STAYED IN PLACE BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO HAVE THOSE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS HERE MM-HMM.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE, THE VICTIMS OR THOSE THAT NEED TO TALK TO THE INDIVIDUALS.
AND I WANNA ALSO ENCOURAGE THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER HAS TO BE ENGAGED, WHICH I'M SURE THEY ARE.
AND, UM, 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, THIS, UM, INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM THAT EXISTS AND A PATRIARCHY SYSTEM THAT ALSO EXISTS.
BUT WE'RE, WE HAVE ALLIES WHO WE ARE MAKING, WE ARE GIVING 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, 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.
AND WHEN THEY SAY, NO, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN.
BUT WE HAVE THE DATA THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON.
AND, UM, I THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME TAKE MY TIME BECAUSE THIS IS EXTREMELY INFORMATION, IMPORTANT INFORMATION, AND IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING.
IT'S GREAT TO FINALLY SEE YOU IN PERSON.
[00:55:01]
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.SIGNS AND LILY, UH, FOR YOUR EXCELLENT WORK.
UH, WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING LILY IN OUR OFFICE FOR A FEW MONTHS AS SHE WAS PURSUING HER SECOND MASTER'S DEGREE.
AND OF COURSE, THANKS TO, UH, THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF, OF WOMEN, UH, THE MAYORS OR THE CITY'S COMMISSION WHO, WHOSE EVER IT MAY BE, THE CHAIR IS SITTING RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK EVERYONE 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 PASSIONATE AND PERSONAL FOR, FOR SOME OF YOU.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR BEING HERE TO HEAR US DISCUSS THIS.
UM, I, IT'S FASCINATING TO READ, UH, THIS, AND, UH, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I WANNA SEE MORE AND I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, ADDITIONAL THINGS AND, AND I THINK THERE WILL BE TIME FOR THAT MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WHAT I REALLY SEE THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT, UM, IS I THINK THE S THE PURPOSE IT SERVES IS TO GIVE US A BASELINE, RIGHT? SO THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN COMPARE TO IT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S, 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, AS WELL.
UM, SO I WAS LOOKING AT ESSAY 2020.
THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS ADOPTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2010 OR 11.
AND, UM, IT HAD GOALS FOR THE YEAR 2020.
AND, UH, 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 7,500 UNITS OR 10,000 UNITS BECAUSE IT WAS OUR ESSAY 2020 GOAL AND, UM, WITH A FERVOR, RIGHT? LIKE WE, WE HAVE TO DO IT.
UM, WHILE ESSAY 2020 ALSO ESTABLISHED A GOAL FOR THE REDUCTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES, UM, IN 2010, WE HAD 10,648.
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, UH, ON THE SA 2020, UH, IMPACT REPORT SAYS THAT IN 2017 WE HAD ELE OVER 11,000 CASES.
SO, UM, AS A BODY, I FEEL SOMEWHAT REMISS IN HAVING LET THAT GONE BY, UH, 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.
UM, SO I KNOW, UM, COUNCILMAN ELIAS AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ PUT FORWARD AN EXCELLENT C C R, WHICH I, I SUPPORTED, UH, REGARDING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR REDUCING, UM, 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.
UM, OR I MEAN, IT'S UP TO YOU MAYOR, BUT, UM,
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, UH, 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, UM, MAYOR, I'D VOLUNTEER TO LEAD IT.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES I JUST COME UP WITH IDEAS, UM, OR IF COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ WANTS TO, TO DO SO, OF COURSE I DEFER TO HER FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT AS A STARTERS, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM STAFF.
SO I, 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, IT LOOKS LIKE BEXAR COUNTY IS THE DEADLIEST COUNTY FOR WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT'S, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE PUT IT ON PAPER.
IT'S HERE IN, IN COLOR, NOT JUST IN BLACK AND WHITE.
AND, UM, I EXPECT US TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
AND, AND JUST A BRIEF INTER, UH, OBJECTION.
I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU AND HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS TO THAT EFFECT WITH MANY OF OUR ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
SO, UH, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THE STEPS THAT THE BUREAUCRACY TO MAKE ACTION ON A COMMITMENT
[01:00:01]
TO, UH, LIVE UP TO OUR ESSAY 2020 GOALS IN THE, IN THE EXACT MANNER, AS YOU STATED.SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, GREAT COMMENTS ALL AROUND.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE THAT, UH, THAT I THINK IS GONNA HELP ALL OF US AND, UH, CERTAINLY SECOND COUNCILMAN S'S NOTION THAT THIS IS, THIS IS OUR COMMISSION.
GONZALEZ, UH, FOR SERVING AS THE DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE CHAIR OF THE, THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL SEE ME A LOT, UH, SOMETIMES AT EVENTS RINGING MY MOTHER, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, I MEAN, IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WENT THROUGH A LOT.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A KID GROWING UP WITH A, IN A SINGLE MOTHER HOUSEHOLD, THERE'S SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES.
AND, UH, THOSE UNIQUE CHALLENGES ARE CHALLENGES TO THE KIDS TOO.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ABLE TO PUSH THROUGH AND, UH, IN A TIME WHERE THERE JUST WASN'T AS MANY RESOURCES OR RECOGNITION OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT A SINGLE MOTHER HAS TO GO THROUGH.
SO, UM, OF COURSE, A SINGLE MOTHER THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WELL, AND IT AFFECTED HER TWO SONS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I'D I'D LIKE TO SEE US DIVE MORE SPECIFICALLY INTO AS WELL.
I MEAN, I, I WAS LOOKING FOR IT IN THE DATA, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I, I REALLY WANNA GET SPECIFIC ABOUT THIS.
I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW ABOUT, UM, THE SINGLE MOTHERS THAT HAVE THESE CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE HEALTHCARE OR, OR DAYCARE, AND COURSE IT AFFECTS THEIR, UH, THE OP JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE A PITCH FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I JUST WANNA BRING MY OWN SORT OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND SEEING, AND THE THINGS THAT MY, MY MOTHER HAD GONE THROUGH, UH, IN, IN, IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, AND, UH, CAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S WHY I TAKE MY MOTHER TO ALL THESE EVENTS RIGHT AWAY.
UH, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY, UH, I GUESS SUPPORT ON THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK, UH, ALL OF US NEED TO LOOK AT THE GREATER DETAILS IN THE LARGER, UH, 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.
UH, WE, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS CITY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES, THE SAME RIGHTS, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND MORE WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT MORE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE THERE AND BECOME, UH, MORE, UH, INVOLVED IN WHAT GOES ON CITY GOVERNMENT.
I'M GONNA 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, UH, ARE THERE MORE OPPORTUNITIES? YES.
AND SHOULD WE ALL BE LOOKING TO, UH, INVITE MORE WOMEN TO TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND TAKE MORE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE? I THINK, UH, IS, IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
AND THEN I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE CONDITION OF WOMEN TODAY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, UH, I GREW UP AS AN ONLY CHILD.
MY MOTHER RAISED ME BY HERSELF, AND, YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP BASICALLY, UH, 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 FAMILIES TO GET ON MORE OF AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH, UH, EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, 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, IN OUR DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, 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, UH, SOMETHING ELSE I'LL BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
[01:05:01]
THANK YOU, MAYOR.AND THANK YOU DOCTOR FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, I, I ESPECIALLY WANT TO COMMEND MY, UH, FEMALE COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.
I'VE SAID BEFORE FOR OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT TO THIS CITY AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT IF, IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THINGS THAT GET DONE ARE THE THINGS THAT GET MEASURED MM-HMM.
I THINK THE SAY 2020 STAT LINE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, AND WE COULD MEASURE IT AND MAKE NO PROGRESS.
AND MEASURING REALLY IS JUST NOT ENOUGH.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS GIVE US A BETTER REFINED APPROACH.
AND I THINK IT'S THE TOP OF THE CONVERSATION FOR A LOT OF US.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THE, THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE GOING TO TAKE IT SERIOUS, AND I'M DOING MY BEST, UH, TO HELP THE STATISTIC AND 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 FOUR, UH, REPRESENTING, BUT, UH, THAT'S UP TO THE VOTERS TO, UH, COME UP WITH.
BUT, UH, I WANNA ASK THIS A SERIOUS QUESTION.
IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK ERIC IS SOMEBODY WHO'S, UH, LED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND MAYBE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT SINCE IT MAY HAVE GONE IN THROUGH YOUR RESEARCH, BUT I, I THINK LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL HAVE GONE ON A, A LOT OF POLICE RIDE ALONGS AND SOME OF THE POLICE RIDE ALONGS GET YOU TO HOMES WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DISTURBANCES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND IN SOME OF THOSE CASES, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GO THROUGH, YOU DRAW THE REPORT, AND THEN YOU SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME 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, THE VICTIM'S ADVOCACY SERVICES IS.
BUT I DON'T QUITE KNOW IF WE'RE, WE'RE THERE, MAYBE WE'RE EVOLVING IT OVER THE FEW YEARS THAT WE'VE, UH, ROLLED OUT THE PROGRAM, BUT I JUST KNOW THAT I, I CAN ENCOUNTER AT LEAST A FEW MOMENTS IN MY MIND WHERE WE WENT AND, YOU KNOW, HEY, IS EVERYTHING OKAY? SURE, EVERYTHING'S OKAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AS FAR AS WE CAN GO.
DID I, I GET THE CONVERSATION EVEN WITH THE OFFICER WHO SAYS, I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO FURTHER.
WHAT'S THAT PLUG AND PLAY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FOLLOW UP? MAYBE IT'S WORK WITH NON-PROFITS, BECAUSE IN SOME CASES THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, WOMEN WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED AND THE, THE HUSBAND IS, YOU KNOW, A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTRY.
THE FEMALE IS NOT, SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT TO HER VOICE AND DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SHE CAN REALLY SPEAK TO SOMEBODY.
SO HOW DO WE PROACTIVELY MAYBE OFFER THE OFFICER A, A TRIGGER OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE EITHER WITH NONPROFIT OR WITH THIS SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT? 'CAUSE MAYBE I'M JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE WITH, WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO THOSE, THOSE EXAMPLES THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING THAT, THAT, UM, MAYBE ONE OF US SEES FIRSTHAND, I THINK POLICE OFFICERS PROBABLY INTUITIVELY HAVE A BETTER SENSE THAN, THAN SOMEBODY WHO HAPPENS TO BE ON A RIDE ALONG.
AND I THINK THAT PROBABLY IT GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL SAID.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, BESIDES, UM, NONPROFITS THAT ARE PART OF THAT SYSTEM AND 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'S, THERE'S A CASE IN THE PAPER TODAY UP IN BA HEIGHTS, A A A WOMAN WHO WAS, UM, UH, INJURED BY HER BOYFRIEND OR HUSBAND OR WHATEVER, BUT THERE HAD BEEN A HISTORY OR A PATTERN.
AND SO WHO BEST TO IDENTIFY THOSE PATTERNS OR POTENTIAL PATTERNS THAN A PATROL OFFICER OR A, UH, A SCHOOL OR A, UH, A NONPROFIT PARTNER? AND, 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, THE ISSUE THAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND THE EXPECTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT, WE WANT TO ERADICATE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN BEING ABLE TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS, IN THIS CASE, A LITTLE MORE LATITUDE, BUT DOING IT WITHIN THE STATE LAW.
AND IF IT REQUIRES A CHANGE IN STATE LAW, WELL THEN WE'VE GOT A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IN TWO YEARS.
UM, UM, I THINK IT'S, I THINK WE NEED TO TRUST THE INDIVIDUALS, THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU INTUITIVELY NOTICE IT.
UM, THEY CERTAINLY DO, AND THEY SEE IT TIME AFTER TIME WHERE THEY'RE MAKING THE SAME CALLS TO THE SAME LOCATIONS AND SEEING THE SAME PEOPLE.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET SOME IDEAS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICERS, PATROL OFFICERS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHO WERE SEEING IT AND DEALING WITH IT.
ALSO THE DETECTIVES THAT WE'VE REASSIGNED OUT TO THE SUBSTATIONS TO WORK WITH THE CRTS, BECAUSE THOSE DETECTIVES ARE NOW TAKING THOSE CASES FROM THE, THE DIRECTLY FROM, UH, THE VICTIMS TO FOLLOWING THEM TO THE DA'S OFFICE AND NOT HAVING TO TRANSFER IT CENTRALLY TO, UM, THE, THE MAIN, UH, UNIT DOWNTOWN.
I THINK, I THINK THOSE GROUPS INTUITIVELY KNOW HOW WE CAN MAYBE STEM THE TIDE WE NEED TO ENGAGE THEM.
[01:10:01]
THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US JUST TO, WE'RE FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY IN ON SS A P D I MEAN, OUR, OUR, OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE, ARE GUILTY OF GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IN SEVERAL CASES.I WAS JUST TALKING TO YOU ABOUT AN INSTANCE IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICER BOUGHT, UH, A PAIR OF SHOES FOR SOMEBODY WHO NEEDED 'EM.
I THINK IT'S THOSE KINDS OF INFORMAL ACTIVITIES THAT SOMETIMES HAPPEN WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHERE THERE IS A FORMAL PIPELINE FOR SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS CRITICAL, UH, THAT WE KNOW OFFICERS INTERACT WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF FORMAL HANDOFF, UH, TO SOMEBODY THAT WE COULD TRACK AND THAT, THAT WE KNOW WORKS.
AND, UH, UH, I WANT TO MAKE A SHOUT OUT TO MY REPRESENTATIVE, NAOMI MILLER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THIS AND APPRECIATE HER TIME THAT SHE, UH, PUT TO THIS ACTIVITY AS WELL.
UM, JUST WANT TO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS REPORT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE CASE THAT, UH, THAT I'VE GOING THROUGH THE REPORT NOTICED OVER TIME, AND THAT WAS BACK IN THE PART WHERE IT GOES FROM TWO, 2012 TO 2017, UM, ABOUT THE MURDER RATE.
SO 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.
AND JUST DOING THIS POINT IN TIME TO ME, IS NOT SHOWING HOW PRODUCTIVE, HOW SUCCESSFUL THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN.
SO I'D 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, THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK OUT THERE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, IN REPORTS LIKE THIS.
AND, AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT HERE RIGHT NOW, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UH, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, SIR.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? OKAY.
BRIDGER, THE COMMISSION, UH, DR.
SIGNS FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS.
WE WILL MOVE, UH, WITH DILIGENCE IN A NON BUREAUCRATIC WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING, UH, WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THIS, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AS WELL AS THE, THE ECONOMIC EQUITY ISSUES AS WELL.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, DR.
I JUST WANTED TO, A SHOUT OUT TO JESUS FONSECA, WHO, WHO GOT HERE A LITTLE BIT LATE, CAN YOU WAVE? HE, HE'S THE DESIGN GENIUS BEHIND THE DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HIM.
SO YEAH, IT, IT WAS VERY WELL DONE AND, AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION.
NOW, ON NEXT STEPS, I DO WANT TO, UM, JUST, UH, PUT FORWARD 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 IN THE ACTION IN, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AS WELL AS COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S POINT THAT WE, WE NEED TO UNDERSCORE, AND COUNCILMAN SALANI DID IT AS WELL ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED METRICS, WE NEED TO HAVE REALISTIC METRICS THAT WE CAN ATTRACT AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR OBLIGATIONS ARE, UH, OR WE NEED TO SET THOSE OBLIGATIONS IN TERMS OF TRACKING OUR PROGRESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, YEARS AND, AND SO FORTH.
BECAUSE I, I THINK THE SAD REALITY IS WE HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES THAN WE HAVE TO PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UH, AND THIS IS A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF THAT.
I'M HAPPY THAT WE'VE TURNED A CORNER ON THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT THIS IS ONE GLARING AREA THAT WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER.
ALRIGHT, UM, THAT IS THE ONLY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR PRESENTATION.
WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME IS NOW 3:25 PM ON THIS 29TH DAY OF MAY, 2019.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE B T C S, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1
[01:15:01]
0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE CREATION OF A WATER DISTRICT PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO STATE OR FEDERAL GRANT REQUIREMENTS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION FIVE 5.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.