[00:00:10] >> HAVRDA: ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING. WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO ORDER. TODAY IS MAY 21 AND IT IS 9:33. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL. [Approval of Minutes  ] >> HAVRDA: THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 26TH MEETING. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. >> MOTION TO APPROVE. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. SECOND? >> SECOND. >> HAVRDA: WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED [Consent  ] UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, CORRECT? OKAY. WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. DOES ANYONE WANT TO HEAR THAT ITEM? ALL RIGHT, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA. >> SECOND. >> HAVRDA: ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [Briefing and Possible Action on  ] ITEM 3 IS A BRIEFING. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: WHAT WE HAVE IS A PRESENTATION BY CHIEF MCMANUS REGARDING A PREVENTION AND RESPONSE PROGRAM RELATED TO SCHOOLS MASS SHOOTING, COORDINATION TEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE CHIEF IS GOING TO PRESENT THE WORK DONE BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO DESCRIBE THE WORK OF METRO HEALTH. WE HAVE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE CLAUDE JACOBS, OUR MET METRO HEALTH DIRECTOR. CHIEF? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: AS MARIA MENTIONED, COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ SUBMITTED A CCR BACK IN APRIL OF 2023 ASKING FOR -- ASKING US TO FUND AN EVIDENCE BASED AND EXPERT GUIDED MASS SHOOTING PREVENTION RESPONSE PLAN FOR SCHOOLS. I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT, MAYBE A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO NOW AND HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH THE ISDS AND REGION 20 IN ORDER TO HAVE A VIABLE ACTIVE THREAT RESPONSE. SO WE HAVE A SHARED ABILITY -- A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY APPROACH AND SAPD IS NOT THE SOLE AGENCY THAT DEALS WITH ACTIVE THREAT SITUATIONS IN SCHOOLS. THE TEXAS STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS UNDER HOUSE BILL 3 ESTABLISHED SECURITY MEASURES -- SECURITY MANDATES UNDER THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. AND THOSE MANDATES ARE LISTED IN THE FIRST BOX ABOVE. AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT SAFETY AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS, ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY SECURITY, AND LASTLY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHEN IT COMES TO SECURITY AND SAFETY. AND SAPD AND ISD POLICE, WE SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIVE THREAT RESPONSE AND THREAT ASSESSMENTS, AND WE COLLABORATE A WHOLE LOT ON TRAINING. AND THEN LASTLY, METRO HEALTH TAKES A PROACTIVE APPROACH FOR PREVENTION AS WELL. HB3 ADDED THREE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE AND THESE ADDITIONS ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY WHICH WE'LL COORDINATE WITH TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER, THE TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, AND THEY CONDUCT VULNERABILITY -- REQUIRED TO CONDUCT VULNERABILITY EVACUATIONS AND REQUIRED ALL TEXAS PEACE OFFICERS TO COMPLETE 16 HOURS OF ACTIVE YEARS MUCH WE HAD A SESSION WHICH I ACTUALLY WAS -- SHOULDN'T SAY ACTUALLY, WHICH I WAS INVOLVED IN AS WELL BACK IN -- EARLIER THIS YEAR. WE HAD 16 HOURS OF THIS TRAINING THAT'S REQUIRED BY TQEL. [00:05:10] SO BTAG AND PEACE TAG AND THOSE ACRONYMS ARE LISTED ON THERE ON THE SLIDE, THEY ARE BOTH THREAT ALESSMENT GROUPS. PEACE TAG DEVELOPS THREAT MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND BTAG ASSESSES THREATS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO THOSE THREATS. THE MEMBERS OF THESE TWO GROUPS ARE MADE UP OF BOTH FEDERAL AND LOCAL -- LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. SAPD WORKS IN COLLABORATION WITH ALCOHOL TOBACCO AND FIREARMS, BETWEEN 18 AND 21 THAT ARE ATTEMPTING TO BUY A RIFLE OR MULTIPLE FIREARMS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ATF WILL NOTIFY SAPD, WE'LL DO A BACKGROUND LOOK TO LET THEM KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES ASSOCIATES WITH THOSE FOLKS AND BUYING THE GUNS. THE NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM IS IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO PURCHASE A GUN AT A GUN STORE, BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THAT GUN YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SIT DOWN AT A COMPUTER AND FILL OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION. THEY SEND THAT INTO THE DATA BASE AND LOOK FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT PREVENT YOU FROM BUYING A GUN. IF YOU ARE CLEAR, THEY WILL SELL YOU A GUN, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM THEY WILL SEND IT TO SAPD AND LET US DO A GROUND CHECK AS WELL. BEFORE YOU BUY A GUN AT A GUN STORE, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NICS PROCESS. AND THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, THE NICS REQUEST AND THE ATF FORMS THAT WE'VE PROCESSED HERE IN THE DEPARTMENT. THERE ARE 92 LIAISON OFFICERS AND THAT NUMBER IS GROWING EVERY QUARTER WITH DIRECT CONTACT TO 24 ISDS IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES, 12 CHARTER SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE ALWAYS COLLABORATED WITH OUR ISD POLICE COLLEAGUES, BUT I WOULD SAY AFTER UVALDE, THAT COLLABORATION STEPPED UP 100 FOLD. WE PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT ACTIVITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AND OUTREACH SERVICES, PARTICIPATE IN EVALUATING ANY THREATS THAT MAY BE -- THAT MAY BE IMMINENT. OUTREACH SERVICE, STAFF TRAINING AND SITE ASSESSMENTS, ANNUAL MEETINGS WITH AREA SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE POLICE CHIEFS WITHIN ISD. SO -- SO SWAT OFFERS A VARIETY OF TRAINING COURSES. WE'VE HAD ONE HERE -- ACTUALLY A COUPLE HERE AT CITY HALL, ACTIVE THREAT TRAINING, ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING. SWAT PROVIDES ALL THE TRAINING FOR EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL MODULES THAT YOU SEE LISTED ON THE SLIDE. AND THEN LASTLY, -- NO, NOT LASTLY, ALMOST LASTLY, SAPD IS INVOLVED WITH A -- OR USES AN APP CALLED LIFE SPOT. SO LIFE SPOT THERE ARE OVER 70 SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT USE LIFE SPOT. AND THE WAY THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS, LET'S SAY EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS A MEMBER OF LIFE SPOT AND WE ALL HAVE THE APP. IF SOMEONE WERE TO WALK IN THIS DOOR AND ONE OF US WERE TO HIT THAT APP, THAT NOTIFICATION WOULD GO TO DISPATCH, NOTIFY FIRE, EMS, ALL OTHER LIFE SPOT USERS IN THE AREA THAT ARE IN THE GEO FENCE AREA, AND WHAT THAT DOES, IT KEEPS THE 911 SYSTEM CLEAR -- CLEARER BECAUSE IN AN ACTIVE THREAT SITUATION, THAT 911 LINE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE VERY BUSY AND IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH. SO THE LIFE SPOT APP IS A [00:10:05] SHORTCUT AROUND 911 AND IT NOTIFIES EVERYONE WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE AREA WHO IS ON LIFE SPOT THAT THERE IS A THREAT AND THAT TRIGGERS AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM FIRE, EMS AND POLICE PERSONNEL. AND NOW LASTLY, METRO HEALTH IS INVOLVED IN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH US. SA FORWARD WORKS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNICATION RESILIENCE, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AGAINST YOUTH. THE PLAN PROVIDES FOR SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATES AND SUPPORT OF NETWORKS, COUNSELING SERVICES, PARENTING SUPPORT, RISK IDENTIFICATION AND SO FORTH. AND METRO HEALTH AND SAPD COLLABORATE IN OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS YOUTH VIOLENCE AND GUN VIOLENCE AS WELL. I GUESS THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION AND I GUESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM Y'ALL ON WHERE WE GO FROM HERE WITH THIS. BUT LET ME JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE TO PREPARE FOR AN ACTIVE THREAT SITUATION. WHEN I SAY ACTIVE THREAT SITUATION, I'M TALKING ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION. BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE HAVEN'T DONE IN TERMS OF TRAINING, IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION TO BETTER OUR RESPONSE. WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY AND THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO ANY THREAT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY. SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, HOSPITALS, WHEREVER IT MAY BE. SO ANYWAY, I'LL END ON THAT AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. >> HAVRDA: THANKS, CHIEF. THANKS FOR THAT LAST BIT. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR POLICE OFFICERS THAT GOD FOR BID SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO HAPPEN IN SAN ANTONIO, IT WOULD BE HANDLED THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. AND, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS ARE IN SUB SCHOOL. I SAY THAT -- PUBLIC SCHOOL. I SAY THAT KNOWING THAT'S A POSSIBILITY ANY DAY. I THANK YOU AND ALL THE POLICE OFFICERS FOR THAT. YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PD AND ISD POLICE ARE COLLABORATING. CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE WHAT THAT COLLABORATION LOOKS LIKE? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: SO WHEN UVALDE FIRST HAPPENED, IN THE WAKE OF UVALDE, I ASKED FOR A MEETING WITH THE REGION 20 SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE ISD POLICE AND I THINK WE HAD THE REGION 20 FIRST AND THEN THE ISD POLICE. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE COLLABORATION AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK, HOW THAT SHOULD WORK. WE TALKED ABOUT RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG QUESTION WAS WHO IS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE IF WE RESPOND. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT SAPD WILL EVENTUALLY BE IN CHARGE. THE FIRST PERSON THROUGH THE DOOR IN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION IS THE PERSON WHO IS IN CHARGE AND THAT DEPARTMENT IS IN CHARGE. BUT AS SOON AS RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES RESPOND TO THE SCENE, WE ESTABLISH A COMMAND POST, FORWARD COMMAND, INTEGRATED COMMAND, THEN IT'S KIND OF DECIDED WHO IS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE. BECAUSE SAPD HAS THE RESOURCES AND THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS, SAPD IS GOING TO WIND UP BEING IN CHARGE OF IT. >> HAVRDA: IS THERE ANY SCENARIO WHERE -- I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, THAT ISD POLICE ARE GOING TO BE IN CHARGE UNTIL SAPD GETS THERE. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WELL, IF ISD POLICE ARE FIRST ON THE SCENE, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE TRUE ALL THE TIME. >> HAVRDA: GOOD POINT. IS THERE ANY SCENARIO WHERE THERE'S ANOTHER AGENCY THAT WOULD TAKE OVER PD? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: NOT DURING THE ACTIVE PART OF THE EVENT. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: IN THE AFTERMATH, YOU MAY HAVE FBI INVOLVED IN IT, YOU MAY HAVE ATF INVOLVED IN IT, BUT THEY ARE NOT TAKING OVER, IT'S GOING TO BE AN INVOLVEMENT AND THEY WILL DO THEIR PART IN THE INVESTIGATION AND POSSIBLY IF PROSECUTION OF SOMEONE IF THEY ARE ARRESTED. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED WHEN I MET WITH THE ISD POLICE WAS THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE -- I TALKED TO THEM ABOUT WHO IS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE AND HOW THESE EVENTS WOULD PLAY OUT. I GOT A LITTLE PUSH-BACK, THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA I WAS TELLING THEM SAPP WAS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE. I ALSO TALKED ABOUT STANDARDIZING PHYSICAL SECURITY IN THE SCHOOLS ACROSS ISD. AND THERE WAS PUSH-BACK ON IN A AS WELL. IT'S EASY FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THERE'S A BUDGETARY -- IF WE DON'T [00:15:02] HAVE THE BUDGET, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. SO THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NOT MY JURISDICTION, WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. AND I KNOW A LOT OF SCHOOLS, THEY'VE MID -- WHEN YOU ENTER A SCHOOL, YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO WALK IN AND NOW THERE'S THESE ROOMS AND DIFFERENT DOORS AND I KNOW THEY ARE MAKING AS MUCH INVESTMENT AS THEY CAN GIVEN BUDGET RESTRICTIONS FROM THE STATE. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT COMMENT. ALSO ON SLIDE 11 -- I'M SORRY, 12, YOU MENTIONED IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WELL, WHEN YOU HIT THE APP, IT INSTANTLY NOTIFIES DISPATCH AND DISPATCH IS GOING TO NOTIFY POLICE, FIRE, EMS. BUT SWAT ALSO HAS THOSE APPS SO SWAT IS GOING TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO THESE SITUATIONS. IT'S MUCH QUICKER THAN CALLING 911. THAT'S WHAT WE TALK ABOUT AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION, IT GOES DIRECTLY TO SWAT AND THOSE FOLKS THAT HAVE THAT APP. >> HAVRDA: SO WHO DOES HAVE THAT APP? DOES EVERY TEACHER HAVE THAT APP? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: THERE'S OVER 70 SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THAT LIFE SPOT APP. I DON'T KNOW ALL OF -- ALL THAT DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT DO. >> HAVRDA: I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IT'S IF JUST KIND OF THE ADMINISTRATORS, THEY MAY NOT BE IN THE SAME PLACE OF THE SCHOOL. SCHOOLS ARE BEING BUILT BIGGER AND BIGGER. I'M CURIOUS IF EVERY TEACHER HAS THAT APP OR EMPLOYEE AT A SCHOOL. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WHEN THERE'S AN ALERT FROM THE APP, ALL THOSE FOLKS WITH THE APP WHO ARE IN THE GEO FENCED AREA OF THE SCHOOL WILL GET THE NOTIFICATION. IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE THAT GEO FENCED AREA, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THE NOTIFICATION. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: WEEK FIND OUT WHO HAS THE APPS. >> HAVRDA: ARE YOU SAYING THAT THOSE ARE OCCURRING, HAVE THEY OCCURRED? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO OCCUR UNDER THAT LAW. WE DO VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS IF ASKED, BUT THAT RESPONSIBILITY WASN'T PUSHED ON TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS. ACTUALLY I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S -- IF IT MENTIONS IT, I THINK IT'S SILENT ON WHO DOES THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS. >> HAVRDA: WE NEED TO PROBABLY FIGURE THAT OUT BECAUSE IF IT DOES END UP ON PD OR THE ISDS, WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY ELSE DOING IT. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHIEF. COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS CCR. IT'S A HUGE OBVIOUSLY RISK THAT A LOT OF US HAVE TO BE FORCED TO THINK ABOUT DAILY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF, FOR WHAT YOU SAID, OUR RESPONSE IS GOOD, IT'S GOING TO BE SOLID. I DID WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE COULD DO FOR PREVENTIVE MEASURES, LIKE THE CCR STATED IN RISK IDENTIFICATION. I KNOW THAT PROFILE SOMETHING CREATIVE BY THE FBI AND SECRET SERVICE DETAILING SOME OF THE COMMONALITIES OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS, ISOLATION, BULLYING, ACCESS TO WEAPONS, THESE ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. SO I THINK KNOWING THIS INFORMATION CAN BE VALUABLE FOR TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS IN RECOGNIZING WHAT FLAGS AND WHEN THEY CAN IDENTIFY THESE WARNING SIGNS AS EARLY ON AS POSSIBLE. AND IT WILLL ALSO ALLOW FOR INTERVENTIONS POTENTIALLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO ADDRESS UNDERLYING FACTORS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO COMMITTING A MASS SHOOTING. SO WHAT ACTIONS ARE WE TAKING OR CONSIDERING TO ADDRESS INTERVENTION WHEN YOUTH EXHIBIT WARNING SIGNS OR HAVE EXPERIENCED ADVERSE EVENTS THAT MAY LEAD TO SOME ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WELL, THE BTAG AND THE PSTAG ARE COMMITTEES THAT WILL EXAMINE, DISCUSS THOSE TYPES OF THREATS. AND THEN IF THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL -- LET'S SAY A STUDENT WHO IS MAKING THREATS OR ACTING UNUSUAL AND IT'S ALARMING PEOPLE, THEN, OF COURSE, THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED AND I GUESS I'M GOING TO GUESS METRO HEALTH MIGHT HAVE SOME INVOLVEMENT IN THAT AS WELL. BUT THERE IS CONSTANTLY -- WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING [00:20:13] FOR THREATS AND TYPES OF BEHAVIOR THAT ARE THREATENING ON SOCIAL MEDIA -- THIS ALL TAKES PLACE IN A FUSION. AS SOON AS WE IDENTIFY SOMEONE LIKE THAT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTACT THEM AND WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER STEPS ARE NECESSARY WHETHER THEY ARE ENFORCEMENT OR WHETHER THEY NEED PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP OR WHATEVER, WE'LL TAKE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS. >> GAVITO: WHAT ABOUT TEACHERS' INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS? IF I WAS A TEACHER AT A SCHOOL, HOW WOULD I KNOW -- BECAUSE INTERACTING WITH A STUDENT ON A DAILY BASIS LIKE SOMETHING IS AMISS HERE, DO THEY KNOW WHAT STEPS THEY NEED TO TAKE TO IDENTIFY FUSION OR BTAG OR THE OTHER COMMITTEE? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I CAN'T SAY WHETHER THEY KNOW OR DON'T KNOW, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE SOME INTERNAL POLICIES THAT REQUIRE THEM TO DO X, Y AND Z, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHICH STEPS THEY WOULD TAKE OFFICIALLY. >> GAVITO: I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE, MARIA, THE PREVENTIVE APPROACH. LIKE HOW OUR SCHOOLS ARE HANDLING IT FROM A TEACHER IDENTIFICATION POINT ALL THE WAY UP TO THESE ALERTS GETTING RECORDED IN BTAG OR FUSION OR WHATEVER BECAUSE LIKE -- LIKE COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA WAS SAYING, THE RESPONSE WE'RE CONFIDENT IN, BUT I'M CURIOUS ON WHAT WE COULD DO TO IDENTIFY THE PREVENTION OF ALL OF THIS AND I JUST SEE TEACHERS OBVIOUSLY PLAYING A CRUCIAL ROLE BEING HANDS ON, NOT ONLY REACTING TO SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT SEEING AND FEELING THE STUDENT AND SEEING MAYBE BEHAVIOR CHANGE, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOMEHOW, SOME WAY TO MAKE US SMARTER ABOUT THIS. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: AGREED, COUNCILWOMAN. AND I THINK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT RISK IDENTIFICATION. THAT IS PART OF OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN THAT METRO HEALTH IS WORKING ON SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP IN TERMS OF WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING AND ENSURING THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO IF THEY IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE BEHAVIORS THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU. YEAH, I'LL DEFINITELY BE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. AND ALSO TOO I KNOW THAT YOU HAD SAID LIKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 12 CHARTER SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, I WANTED TO SEE HOW WE ARE ENCOMPASSING ALL SCHOOLS. SAN ANTONIO PROBABLY HAS A LOT MORE THAN 12 CHARTER SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS. DIFFERENT SCHOOLS HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FUNDING TO KIND OF HARDEN THE SCHOOLS, BUT I THINK THAT THE PREVENTIVE APPROACH AND THE RISK IDENTIFICATION NEEDS TO HAPPEN ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS WELL. AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW. THANKS, CHIEF. THANKS, CHAIR. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU CHIEF FOR THE PRESENTATION. I AM GLAD TODAY WE'RE CONSIDERING WHAT WE AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COUNTY CAN DO TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THAT OUR REPUBLICANS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL ARE CONSIDERING POLITICAL POSTURING OVERLAPS LAPSE. I WANT TO ENSURE WE FORGET GUN VIOLENCE IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE INVOLVED. ANY TIME THERE'S A SHOOTING, IN MY DISTRICT, OUTSIDE OF MY DISTRICT, I'M ASKED WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO TO PREVENT THIS. IT COULD BE IN WINDCREST. AND I THINK THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT I'VE BEEN WANTING US AS A CITY TO ASK AND ANSWER SINCE I WAS ELECTED IN 2021. AGAIN, THE RESPONSE IS THERE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WELL EQUIPPED TO RESPOND TO CRIME AS IT HAPPENS AND WE'RE SEEING RESPONSE TIMES DECREASE, WE'RE SEEING ALL THAT HAPPENED, AS COUNCILWOMAN GAVITO MENTIONED. SAPD'S ROLE IS NOT INHERENTLY PREVENTIVE IN NATURE, IT'S RESPONSIVE. WHEN WE WANT TO PREVENT CRIME, WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PREVENT. AND I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S EASY TO FEEL LIKE CREATING A POLICE STATE OR CREATING A SURVEILLANCE STATE IS GOING TO BE THE OFFICER. PUT A POLICE OFFICER ON EVERY CONNER, NO ONE WILL EVER ENGAGE IN CRIME AGAIN AND THAT'S NOT TRUE AND THE SUBJECT MATTER OF MANY A DISOSTEOPOROSISSIAN NOVEL. I JUST ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER,EN I'M GOING TO GET TO THE CCR. I WONDER AS A RESULT OF THE ACTUAL FILING OF THE CCR AND THE REQUEST THAT COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ HAD [00:25:03] WHAT CHANGED OF THIS? HAS THIS ALWAYS BEEN THE STRATEGY OR HAS THIS ALWAYS BEN IN EFFECT? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT CHANGE THE PLACE COULD MAKE IN RESPONSE TO THAT CCR. I MENTIONED THAT WE MEET -- MEET AND EXCEED ALL TCOL STANDARDS AS FAR AS TRAINING GOES. WE HAVE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I GOT YOU. THE QUESTION REALLY IS JUST SINCE THE CCR HAS BEEN FILED, HAS ANYTHING CHANGED AND THE ANSWER IS -- IN HAS PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS BEEN IN EFFECT. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: NO. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, CHIEF, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE I THINK WE HAD THOSE MEETINGS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND TOOK A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN THAT COORDINATION AND PREVENTION. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: SURE, I THINK I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION THAT RIGHT AFTER UVALDE, I ASKED FOR A MEETING WITH THE REGION 20 SUPERINTENDENTS AND I MET WITH THEM AND MY CONCERN -- WELL, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS WITH THEM ABOUT SCHOOL SECURITY AND HOW LACKS IT WAS AT THE TIME. I DESCRIBED HOW SOME SCHOOLS I WALK INTO WHEN I GO TO READ OR VISIT A CLASS, SOME SCHOOLS I WALK INTO AND I'M REQUIRED TO SIGN A BOOK. OTHERS I WALK INTO AND THE FRONT DOORS ARE OPEN AND JUST WALK RIGHT IN AND DON'T EVEN HAVE TO STOP IN THE OFFICE. THAT'S WHAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT PRIMARILY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS, BUT I ASKED THEM TO -- OR I SUGGESTED THAT SECURITY NEEDED TO BE STANDARDIZED ACROSS THE ISDS, NOT JUST A SCHOOL HERE OR THERE REQUIRING YOU TO SIGN IN. SOME SCHOOLS LOCK THE DOORS, SOME DON'T. I ASKED THEM TO TRY TO STANDARDIZE ALL THAT. THEN WE GOT TO THE SUBJECT OF AREA PERIMETER SECURITY. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT. NOTHING HAS CHANGED ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT I DO NOTICE NOW WHEN I GO TO SCHOOLS THAT ALL THE DOORS ARE LOCKED AND I'VE GOT TO SIGN IN ON ALL OF THEM. AS FAR AS OUR -- THE ISD POLICE CHIEFS, THE FIRST MEETING, I GOT A LOT OF PUSH-BACK WITH THEM. I DON'T THINK THEY LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO VERSUS WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO. BUT WE'VE GOTTEN -- WE'VE GOT A MUCH BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIP NOW THAN WE HAD BEFORE. NOT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BUT WE DIDN'T WORK AS CLOSELY AS WE DO NOW. THAT'S CHANGED SINCE UVALDE. ALL THE TRAINING THAT WE DO, IT REALLY HASN'T SLOWED DOWN MUCH AS FAR AS THE ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING FOR WHATEVER COMPANY OR BUSINESS YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT. WE DO A LOT OF THAT. WE DO A LOT OF INTERNAL TRAINING AS WELL. AND NOT JUST CLASSROOM, IT'S ALL SCENARIO-BASED. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE ESPECIALLY THE MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED COLLABORATION. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. JUST LOOKING AT THE SENTENCE THAT SAYS WHAT THE REQUEST IS, IT'S AN EVIDENCE-BASED, EXPERT-GUIDED RESPONSE PLAN FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS. I'M HEARING YOU SAY YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT ELSE COULD BE ADDED OR CHANGED TO MAKE IT A MORE PERFECT PLAN. I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S JUST A COMPONENT OF THIS THAT'S MISSING. I'M WONDERING IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE PERSON EVALUATE THE PLAN AND SEE WHAT'S MISSING? I'M NOT SURE -- I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THERE IS AN EXPERT THAT CAN DO THAT THAT WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO, BUT MAYBE THERE'S THAT. I THINK ALSO I WOULD WONDER IF -- AND SOUNDS LIKE YOU DID SOME OF THIS WORK ALREADY, BUT ARE THERE CAMPUSES WHERE WE THINK A SHOOTING IS MORE LIKELY OR CAMPUSES IF ONE OCCURRED THE LAYOUT OF THE CAMPUS MIGHT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO STOP? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I THINK THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO THE CCR AND NONE REALLY HAS TO DO WITH RESPONSE FROM THE CITY OR SAPD. NUMBER ONE IS PHYSICAL SECURITY AT THE SCHOOL. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT I SPOKE WITH THE REGION 20 SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE POLICE CHIEFS AND I MENTIONED THEM BOTH THAT THAT SECURITY HAD TO BE STANDARDIZED ACROSS THE ISDSS. PHYSICAL SECURITY GETTING INTO THE SCHOOL AND PHYSICAL SECURITY ON THE PERIMETER OF THE SCHOOL. THEN THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THAT IS IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO MAY BE -- WHO MAY POSE A THREAT AND EXACTLY WHAT WE DO WITH THEM AND HOW FAST WE DO IT. BECAUSE IN THE -- ACTUALLY BEFORE UVALDE, IF YOU -- WHAT YOU ARE READING ABOUT [00:30:01] THESE MASS SHOOTINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU WOULD ALWAYS READ IN THE ARTICLE, IN THE STORY THAT SO AND SO KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AND THEY'VE SEEN IT FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, CHANGE IN THE INDIVIDUAL, CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR, CHANGE IN PATTERNS, BUT, YOU KNOW,EN THEN THE MASS SHOOTING, WE SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING. THOSE ARE THE TWO COMPONENTS THAT THE CCR SHOULD MIGHT ADDRESS THE PHYSICAL SECURITY AND THE IDENTIFICATION AND REACTION TO INDIVIDUALS THAT WE IDENTIFY WHO ARE THREATS. POTENTIAL THREATS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. JUST ONE LAST LITTLE BIT, REGARDING THE AND LISTS, ARE ALL OF THOSE REQUESTS BEING PROCESSED OR ARE THERE ANY MISSED BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY REQUESTS THERE'S NOT CAPACITY? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: THEY ARE ALL BEING PROCESSED AS FAR AS I KNOW. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: ARE WE KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MANY FIREARM ISSUES WE'RE FLAGGING? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE, BUT THAT TAKES PLACE IN FUSION AND I CAN CHECK ON THOSE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN THOSE NUMBERS. THANK YOU. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, SHARE. ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO WAS SAYING, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE AT SCHOOL IS PREVENT. WE CAN HAVE REACTION PLANS, BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE PREVENTION PART OF IT. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, I HAVE STAFF THAT HAVE COME FROM EDGEWOOD ISD, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WAS THERE 16 YEARS AND THEY HAVE A MONTHS-LONG WAITING LIST FOR PEOPLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE METRO HEALTH COUNSELOR TO ACTUALLY GET SUPPORT. THEY HAD AT ONE POINT A LIST OF 50 STUDENTS THAT WERE LOOKING FOR HELP. A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE ONE COUNSELOR AND IS SOCIAL WORKER CAN'T POSSIBLY SERVE ALL THE STUDENTS THAT NEED IT. I KNOW YOU ARE COMING FROM THE SAPD SIDE, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE'VE DONE TO INCREASE WORK FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH PEACE AT METRO HEALTH? >> GOOD MORNING, JESSE HIGGINS. CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS. YES, THROUGH OUR ARPA FUNDING WE HAVE INJECTED $15 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR AND THEN THIS NEXT YEAR INTO MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING THAT GOES TO YOUTH THAT ARE AGE 12 THROUGH 19. LARGELY -- SEVERAL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE SCHOOL-BASED. WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLAR GENERAL FUND DEDICATED BUDGET THAT'S THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT CONTRACTS THAT'S SCHOOL-BASED. ONE IS IN EDGEWOOD FOR SURE, I THINK THE OTHER ONE IS AS WELL. I WILL ALSO SAY THE COUNTY HAS $17 MILLION OF THEIR ARPA FUNDING IN SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY. AND SO JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF OPERATING AT THE HIGHEST CAPACITY THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN FOR SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES AND FOR FREE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SO IT'S SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON AS ARPA FUNDING CHANGES AND GOES WAY. >> KAUR: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU ALL TO SEND US A REPORT OF HOW MUCH -- HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU WERE ABLE TO SERVE BEFORE ARPA FUNDING AND THE IMPACT THAT THOSE FUNDS HAVE CREATED SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WORK CONTINUES POST-ARPA? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> KAUR: THE OTHER THING YOU TALKED ABOUT HB 3 AND IT'S ACTUALLY INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE, IT'S HARD, ONE, TO FIND OFFICERS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEY CAN GET BETTER, HIGHER PAY WITH SAPD. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE RUNNING DEFICIT BUDGETS BECAUSE OF IT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO TO SUPPORT -- I KNOW THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THEM, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, RIGHT, THEY ARE ALSO OFFICERS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE TREAT THEM WITH THE RESPECT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES ON THE GROUND AND DOING THE WORKDAY IN AND DAY OUT WITH STUDENTS. TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ISDS FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ HAS MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS BILL WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS ON THAT? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I DON'T. >> KAUR: WELL, JUST THINKING ABOUT IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET CREATIVE. TRANSPARENTLY, STANDARDIZING ANYTHING ACROSS ALL 17 OF OUR BEXAR COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS I THINK IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD DO THAT WITH THE SECURITY PROTOCOL, BUT MAYBE SAYING THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE BEST PRACTICES. TO COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S POINT ABOUT SCHOOLS THAT MIGHT BE MORE -- LIKE MORE URGENT, IT WOULD BE A LOT OF THE OLD BUILDINGS BECAUSE THE OLD BUILDINGS DON'T HAVE VESTIBULE WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET LOCKED IN ESSENTIALLY BEFORE YOU ENTER THE SCHOOL [00:35:03] BUILDING. THOSE MIGHT BE A HIGHER THREAT AND THEY ARE REAL EXPENSIVE TO BUILD. DISTRICTS THAT DON'T HAVE A BOND RECENTLY CAN'T BUILD THEM IN THEIR OLD BUILDINGS. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE SHORT ON THAT ANSWER, BUT I SPEAK WITH SOME OF THE ISD CHIEFS ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS, AND THEY ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL CALL FOR ONE THING OR ANOTHER AND WE'LL TALK AND IF WE CAN ASSIST THEM WE DO. BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE, NUMBER ONE, I'VE NOT BEEN ASKED, AND NUMBER TWO, THAT IS NOT TECHNICALLY OUR JURISDICTION. >> KAUR: YEAH. I KNOW IT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOLS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, PUBLIC SCHOOL, CHARTERS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND FIGURING OUT A WAY TO COLLABORATE ON THIS ISSUE SPECIFICALLY I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE OF NO ONE CAN ARGUE WITH SCHOOL SAFETY SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE KEEP PUSHING THAT, KEEP PUSHING WHO THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH AND FIGURING OUT WAYS TO BE SUPPORTIVE. SOMETIMES IF WE COME UP WITH IDEAS THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IS POSSIBLE. AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LAY OUT THE CHALLENGES OUR SCHOOLS ARE FACING AND THE CANS IT COMPONENT IS A REALLY BIG CHALLENGE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALSO HAPPY THAT COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ BROUGHT THIS FORWARD SO THAT WE'RE HERE, TALKING ABOUT IT. AND I THINK ONLY GOOD CAN COME FROM THAT. ON SLIDE 8, THE SAPD ANALYST, SO THIS DATA THAT'S GATHERED IS JUST COLLECTED AND THEN WHAT'S BEING DONE WITH IT? ARE WE ACTIVELY ANALYZING IT, AND IF SO HAVE WE DEDUCED ANYTHING FROM THE DATA? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WITH ATF AND GIVE THEM THE FEEDBACK. >> WHYTE: SO HAVE WE -- IN WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR -- WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR FROM THE DATA? ANY PATTERNS ON THESE 18 TO 20-YEAR-OLDS, WHO IS BUYING THE GUNS AND WHY? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: WE HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY ORGANIZED PATTERN OF PEOPLE TRYING TO BUY MULTIPLE GUNS. THIS IS ALL UNDER 21, PEOPLE TRYING TO BUY RIFLES, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO, WE HAVEN'T NOTICED ANY PATTERNS. >> WHYTE: OKAY. MOVING OVER TO SLIDE 12, TALKING ABOUT LIFE SPOT, AND I APOLOGIZE IF THIS WAS ASKED EARLIER, BUT DO ALL THE SCHOOLS, EVEN PRE-K, HAVE THIS? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: NO. THERE'S A COST TO IT AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT DO OR ANY OF THE ONES THAT DON'T. BUT, AGAIN, THERE'S OVER 70 SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO HAVE IT. >> WHYTE: AND YOU THINK IT'S -- IS IT COST PROHIBITIVE OR IS IT LACK OF AWARENESS? >> CHIEF MCMANUS: I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS FOR IT, BUT THERE IS A COST TO IT. >> WHYTE: OKAY. YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PREVENTION AND THE ROOT CAUSES AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, THESE TROUBLED FOLKS BEFORE ANY SORT OF PLAN GETS INTO PLACE. I ALSO THINK THERE'S PREVENTION METHODS THAT THEORETICALLY COULD BE PUT INTO PLACE TO MINIMIZE OR STOP ANY DAMAGE THAT OCCURS. YOU KNOW, REALLY WHEN WE GET TO THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND SCHOOL HARDENING METHODS HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT AT THE STATE LEVEL QUITE A BIT AND SOME OF THOSE ARE INTERESTING TO ME, BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT BEFORE IT GETS TO US HERE. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY JUST QUICKLY IS ON THE COORDINATION. I AM GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING MORE COORDINATION WITH THE ISDS. WHAT I FOUND IN MY FIRST YEAR HERE IS SO OFTEN THE GROUPS THAT COULD COME TOGETHER TO HELP, YOU KNOW, SOLVE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS DON'T COORDINATE. WHETHER IT'S THE CITY AND COUNTY NOT GETTING TOGETHER ON CERTAIN ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THE ACS ISSUE, COUNCILWOMAN GAVITO AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT GETTING ALL THOSE GROUPS INTO A ROOM TO COORDINATE ON THESE ISSUES. I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE [00:40:04] TO POOL OR RESOURCES AND PUT OTHER HEADS TOGETHER ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT BEST BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY SO I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING THAT HERE WITH THE ISDS. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: JUST AT LEAST ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT'S MANDATED BY THE STATE IS DEPENDENT UPON WHETHER THE SCHOOL HAS BUDGET, THE ISD HAS A BUDGET FOR IT OR NOT. THAT ONE I KNOW IS FOR ARMED GUARDS OR ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL ON CAMPUS. EVERYBODY IS REQUIRED TO DO THAT, BUT IF ITS BUDGET -- PROHIBITED BY BUDGETARY COSTS, THEN THAT REQUIREMENT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT. >> WHYTE: YEAH. AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS SOMETHING THAT -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT OBVIOUSLY, AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, ARMED SECURITY AT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS, IN MY OPINION, WOULD AT LEAST ACT AS A DETERRENT IN A LOT OF CASES. AND SO -- BUT IF MONEY IS THE ISSUE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO FIND A WAY AROUND THAT. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: AND LET ME JUST CLOSE WITH THIS. EVERYTHING SECURITY-RELATED IS GOING TO HAVE A COST, WHETHER IT'S PHYSICAL SECURITY, WHETHER IT'S ARMED GUARDS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A COST. THE OTHER MATTER IS AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, IF THERE'S AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE SCHOOL OR WHEREVER IT MAY BE WHO IS THREATENING TO DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GOING TO BE NOTIFIED AND THAT PERSON IS GOING TO BE ARRESTED. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. ALL THEY'VE GOT TO DO IS SAY ONE THING THAT'S A THREAT TO THE SCHOOL OR THE BUILDING, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THAT PERSON IS GOING TO BE ARRESTED. IF A TEACHER SEES SOMEONE ACTING FUNNY OR THERE'S NOTHING THAT -- NO LAW THAT THEY ARE BREAKING, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT. BUT IF THERE IS A CLEAR THREAT THAT'S BEING CREATED BY A STUDENT OR ANYONE ELSE, WE'RE GOING TO BE NOTIFIED AND THAT PERSON IS GOING TO BE ARRESTED. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. >> WHYTE: YEAH. IS ARMED, YOU KNOW, SECURITY AT SCHOOLS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EVEN GET INVOLVED IN FROM A BUDGET -- BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE? >> VILLAGÓMEZ: THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL COST, COUNCILMAN. LIKE ARE YOU SAYING MAYBE ADDING POSITIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR SCHOOLS? >> WHYTE: YEAH, I MEAN I DON'T -- YOU KNOW, IF THE ISSUE HERE IS -- IF IT'S SOMETHING THIS COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT, IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN EVEN APPLY FOR IN THE BUDGET? >> VILLAGÓMEZ: I'M GOING TO ASK SID TO HELP WITH THAT BECAUSE WE ARE SEPARATE TAXING ENTITIES. >> WE DO HAVE PROHIBITIONS ON DOUBLE TAXATION AND SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE WOULD VET IT FIRST TO DETERMINE HOW WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PROPERLY WITHIN OUR SCOPE AND NOT RUNNING AFOUL OF ANYTHING THAT POTENTIALLY WOULD PROHIBIT IT. WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT LEGAL PARAMETERS FIRST BEFORE TALKING THROUGH POSSIBILITIES. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: WE CAN FOLLOW UP. WE'LL WORK WITH LIZ'S OFFICE AND THEN GET BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. >> WHYTE: GREAT. THANKS. >> HAVRDA: GOING BACK TO THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT, PREVENTION, THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES IN THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT. WHEN WE LOOK INTO THIS, SOME SCHOOLS AREN'T EVEN LOCKING THEIR DOORS AND THAT'S PRETTY SCARY THAT ANYBODY CAN WALK IN. I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT MAKING EVERYBODY THE SAME, LEVELING THAT PLAYING FIELD, BUT IF THEY ARE NOT EVEN LOCKING THEIR DOORS, YOU ARE CHIEF, THEY ARE GOING TO LET YOU WALK IN, BUT IF RANDA CAN WALK IN, THAT WOULD -- RANDOM, THAT WOULD CAUSE CONCERN. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: THAT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE UVALDE BUT BEFORE UVALDE IT WAS ALL THE TIME. THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING ABOUT STANDARDIZING SECURITY ACROSS THE ISD. >> HAVRDA: I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS VULNERABILITIES. AND ALSO APPRECIATE THE CITY IS STEPPING UP AS FAR AS MENTAL HEALTH AND, BUT ARPA MONEY IS GOING TO RUN OUT AND A MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK. I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO TALK MORE SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA INCLUDING SCHOOL FUNDING AND SECURITY FUNDING --L [00:45:06] FUNDING, PERIOD, BUT SPECIFICALLY SECURITY FUNDING. THANKS, CHIEF. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: COUNCILWOMAN, IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK METRO HEALTH TO COME AND HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THEY ARE DOING IN THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN SPECIFICALLY AROUND SCHOOL, SCHOOL SAFETY, PREVENTION AND SOME OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT -- SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE RECEIVED AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL HARDENING. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES IN THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN. >> YOU SAW ON THE SLIDE THAT THE CHIEF PRESENTED A BIT OF A SUMMARY FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN. ERIKA HELLER FROM METRO HEALTH. IN THAT LISTING, IT WAS PRETTY HIGH LEVEL, BUT GAVE A SMATTERING OF THE RANGE OF STRATEGIES SUGGESTED. THEY MOVE FROM EARLY LIFE EDUCATION TO SITE SECURITY TO INCIDENT OR RISK RECOGNITION TO RETROSPECT I HAVE SUPPORTS. SO THE WAY I WOULD IMAGINE THIS AND I RECOGNIZE I'M NOT THE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPERT IN THE ROOM, BUT I FEEL THERE ARE FOUR PHASES OF WORK THAT HAVE TO BE DONE AND THEY ALL HAVE TO BE DONE. ONE IS VERY FAR UPSTREAM PREVENTION. THE NEXT IS THE RISK IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION IN THE MOMENT. THE NEXT IS THE RESPONSE, AND THEN THE FINAL IS THE AFTERMATH AND -- RESTORING AND PREPARING PEOPLE. SO YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE ALL FOUR OF THOSE AREAS IF YOU WANT THIS TO WORK. JUST INVESTING IN ONE AREA IS NOT GOING TO DO IT. YOU WILL SEE THINGS LIKE CREATING A SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE IN A SUPPORTIVE NETWORK. THAT IS THE VERY FAR UPSTREAM WORK SCHOOLS CAN DO. HAVING A PHYSICALLY SAFE PLACE FOR A KID TO GO WHERE THEY ARE NOT BULLIED, WHERE THEIR NEEDS ARE MET, WHERE COUNSELORS ARE AT THE SCHOOLS, WHERE TEACHERS ARE TRAINED AND ABLE TO SUPPORT CHILDREN THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES THEY NAVIGATE IN THEIR LIVES. WE ALL KNOW COUNSELING SERVICES IS WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED. THAT IS A STATE LEVEL ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE EXAMINED. UNTIL THERE IS MORE FUNDING FROM THE STATE, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY FOR SCHOOLS TO GET THAT IN THERE UNLESS ORGANIZATIONS DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH A SURGE OF MONEY FROM COVID. WE HAVE TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT THOSE KIND OF THINGS. THERE ARE SOME ACTIVITIES RESOURCE DEMANDING AND SOME THAT ARE NOT. I ALSO RECOMMEND A MIX OF THINGS LIKE THAT. SCHOOL HARDENING IS RELEVANT, RESPONSE IS RELEVANT, BUT WE ALSO REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THE COLLABORATIONS, THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NURTURING TO STUDENTS THAT WILL ACTUALLY PREVENT A LOT OF THESE IN THE LONG RUN. >> HAVRDA: CAN COUNCILMEMBER GAVITO. >> GAVITO: I'M GOING TO POINT BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR SAID BECAUSE SHE WAS SAYING THERE IS A LIST, A WAITING LIST AT SCHOOLS SO THAT'S THE SCHOOLS' REALITY. I'M HEARING WE HAVE THESE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ARPA FUNDS FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH, SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IS THE DISCONNECT. >> THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION. SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE WORKED IN SCHOOLS, BEEN EDUCATORS. I ALSO TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS. THERE IS A HUGE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BIG-PICTURE LEVEL AND WHAT GETS THEIR FAMILIES. AND SO A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE ALSO DOING AS PART OF THESE CONTRACTS IS LOOKING AT THEIR OUTREACH AND HOW SERVICES ARE MADE AVAILABLE. SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE BEING REFERRED SORT OF AS THE BLANKET RESPONSE TO SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE A BEHAVIOR ISSUE, MAY HAVE SAID SOMETHING, MAY BE STRUGGLING. THERE IS A HIGH INFLUX OF REFERRALS WHERE MAYBE NOT EVERY SINGLE PERSON NEEDS ONGOING COUNCILS HE HE "-COUNSELING OR PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES. I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DO AND HOW I WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HOW GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THEM CAN BE DISPARATE. YOU ARE ABLE TO REACH ONE COUNSELING OFFICE AT ONE SCHOOL, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE TEAM KNOWS. THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR HOW WE'RE PROMOTING THESE SERVICES, BUT ALSO HOW WE'RE SCREENING AND GETTING PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT SERVICES. AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CAN WORK ON. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. WHERE I'M GETTING NERVOUS BECAUSE I KNOW WE DO HAVE THESE ARPA FUNDS AND THEY ARE GOING TO RUN OUT. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO BE EFFECTIVE WITH THOSE DOLLARS BEFORE THEY RUN OUT SO THAT [00:50:03] WAY WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS OR WHATEVER TO SUPPLEMENT, THAT WE HAVE SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ARPA FUNDS. BECAUSE, AGAIN, IF THERE'S A WAITING LIST BOUGHT WE'RE SEEING WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IT'S -- THERE'S STILL SOMETHING FUNKY THERE. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: YOU ARE PROBABLY ASKING, COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT IS THE NEED VERSUS THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND THERE'S PROBABLY A GAP. >> GAVITO: AND ALSO TOO IT IS WHY DO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE -- I THINK COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR SAID 3,000 KIDS AND MAYBE ONE COUNSELOR, BUT THE CITY IS SITTING ON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ARPA FUNDS. AND I AGREE, I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY A SHORTAGE OF COUNSELORS, BUT IF WE HAVE THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW, THEN THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: SURE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THOSE DOLLARS ARPA FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED SO THEY ARE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT. SO THEY ARE ALREADY INTO PRODUCTION, SO IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. WE CAN GIVE YOU A REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF THE NON-PROFITS THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME AT THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT, JESSE, AS WELL? >> AND I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WE HAVE A WORKFORCE SHORTAGE IN BEXAR COUNTY, IN TEXAS FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. IT'S SOMETHING ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IT HAS TO DO WITH REIMBURSEMENT RATES AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE GET PAID DOING THE WORK IN TEXAS VERSUS OTHER STATES. NOT ALL OF OUR ARPA-FUNDED PROGRAMS ARE SCHOOL-BASED. THAT'S ANOTHER THING. SOMEONE MAY BE ON A WAIT LIST AS FAR AS THEIR HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR IS CONCERNED, BUT MAYBE ABLE TO GET SERVED AT GIRLS INC. OR THE YMCA OR FAMILY SERVICE OR OTHER PLACES. SO A SNAPSHOT OF JUST A SCHOOL'S MENTAL HEALTH WAIT LIST DOESN'T MEAN THAT PERSON CAN'T GET SERVICES ELSEWHERE. IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE ON THAT SCHOOLS KNOW WHERE ELSE THEY CAN REFER. >> GAVITO: ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I DO KNOW THERE THERE ARE SERVIS AND I KNOW WE HAVE ALLOCATED THOSE FUNDS TO DIFFERENT NON-PROFITS, SPOKEN FOR. WHERE I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE REACHING STUDENTS BECAUSE IT IS A LARGE CHUNK OF MONEY BUT WE ALSO HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING USED EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE THIS IS -- THIS IS A PRESSING ISSUE ALL OF US FACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> HAVRDA: COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING ON ARPA DOLLARS. AND I GUESS THAT IS WHAT I'M WANTING AS WELL AS WE SET PRIORITIES FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH PORTION FOR SENIORS, YOUTH, VETERANS, HOMELESS OUTREACH, AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S -- EVEN IF FUNDING THAT WE DID ALLOCATE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOR STUDENTS, IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE ENOUGH. AND I'M WONDERING -- I'M THINKING BACK IF WE WERE TO REALLOCATE THAT FUNDING RIGHT NOW WHAT WOULD WE DO DIFFERENTLY AND MAYBE WE WOULD SAY HEY, WE WANT TO PLACE COUNSELORS IN SCHOOLS OR SOCIAL WORKERS IN SCHOOL. I'M DRAWING A BLANK ON SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WE ALLOCATED FUNDING TO, BUT AS A PART OF THE RESPONSE YOU GET BACK TO US, I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE THAT, ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WE FUNDED WITH ARPA, ARE ANY OF THEM DOING THAT KIND OF WORK. >> YES, THEY ARE. THROUGH THE ARPA FUNDING WE HAVE COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL THAT IS DOING AN AMAZING TRAINING PROGRAM CALLED YOUTH AWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH WHICH HELPS YOUTH AS WE LEARN FROM THE SURVEY LOCALLY BUT LARGER SENIOR VASE YOUTH WANT TO TALK TO YACHT ABOUT THEIR ISSUES, NOT TO ADULTS NECESSARILY. IT'S HELPING PEERS TO IDENTIFY FRIENDS WHO ARE SUICIDAL AND GET CONNECTED TO ADULTS. FAMILY SERVICES CENTER, THEIR WORK IS FUNDING A SCHOOL-BASED COUNSELOR. OUR TWO GENERAL FUND CONTRACTS ARE WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS WHICH WILL GO BACK OUT TO RFP THIS YEAR AS PART OF OUR PROCESS AND WITH THE MOBILE MENTAL COLLABORATIVE WHICH IS HELPING SOME OF THIS REFERRAL AND EFFICIENCY AND SUBCONTRACTING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES. WE ARE ALSO FUNDING THROUGH ARPA SCHOOL, THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL. THAT'S THE ONLY RECOVERY -- IN THE CITY AND WHOLE STATE. AND THE SAN ANTONIO COUNCIL ON DRUG AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS IS FUNDING PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SPECIALISTS [00:55:04] IN SCHOOLS. SO THAT'S OUR DEDICATION, AND AS I MENTIONED, WHEN WE -- BUT WHEN WE LOOKED WITH THE COUNTY TO COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE OUR ARPA RESPONSE AND WE WENT AND MET WITH ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF REGION 20, WE AGREED WE WOULD DO LIMITED SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES AND THE COUNTY WOULD PUT ALL OF THEIR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING INTO SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES. THEY HAVE 17 MILLION ACROSS 14 DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY. AND SO THERE IS ALWAYS THE RISK OF HAVING SO MANY SERVICES IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS WITHIN CHILD SHOULD GO AND GET SUPPORT AND WHAT'S BEST FOR THAT FAMILY. DO WE WANT IT VIRTUAL, COULD THEY COME TO OUR HOUSE, DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR MORE COORDINATION AND EFFICIENCY IN THAT PROCESS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SERVICES AVAILABLE. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE NEED IS STILL THERE. I WISH I COULD SAY THAT RIGHT NOW EVERYONE'S NEEDS ARE COMPLETELY TAKEN CARE OF, BUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE KNOW THE NEED IS STILL GREAT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. >> HAVRDA: COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR. >> KAUR: JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. DO YOU ALLER DIGITAL COUNSELING SERVICES? >> SOME OF THE PROVIDERS ARE VIRTUAL AND TCHAT THROUGH U.T. HEALTH AND THE STATE WHERE THEY DO VIRTUAL PSYCHIATRY AND SUBSTANCE USE COUNSELING. >> KAUR: DO YOU RECEIVE MORE TRACTION WITH ACCESS TO THE DIGITAL LIKE USING TCHAT THAN USING IN-PERSON SERVICES? >> I CAN'T TELL YOU. I DON'T HAVE IF NUMBERS ON THAT. T-CHAT IS MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE SCHOOL HAS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. IT IS A DIGITAL VIRTUAL RESOURCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY. >> KAUR: THANK YOU. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL CLOSURES AND THE FACILITIES THAT ARE NOW GOING TO BE A PART OF THE RIGHT-SIZING PLAN WITH SA ISD AT LEAST AND THERE'S OTHER SCHOOLS CLOSING IN OTHER DISTRICTS AND I'M WONDERING WHAT OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THE OUTCOME OF SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT CLOSE. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A SCHOOL THAT HAD BEEN CLOSED NEAR SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL, W.W. WHITE, THAT SOME STUDENTS CAME DURING ONE OF MY OFFICE HOURS AND SAID WE WOULD LOVE FOR THIS TO BE LIKE A MENTAL HEALTH CAMPUS OF SORTS WHERE THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND WE CAN GO AND GET HELP IF WE NEED IT. AND HAVE ACCESS TO OTHER HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES AS WELL. BUT I WONDER WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE SO FUND A LARGE BIT OF IT OR CONTRACT THINGS OUT. I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN PROACTIVELY FOE ANY LOCATIONS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LITTLE SUPPORT FOR. THANK YOU. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. ANY OTHER COMMENT? THANKS TO COUNCILMEMBER PELÁEZ FOR BRINGING THIS DISCUSSION FORWARD. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HE'S NOT HERE TODAY. >> HE'S NOT. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. MOVE ON TO ITEM 4. >> VILLAGÓMEZ: THIS IS A REQUEST ACTUALLY FROM COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ A COUPLE YEARS AGO OR MAYBE MORE THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM THE COUNCILMAN TO ADD FUNDING FOR STREET LIGHTS. ALSO WHEN WE CONDUCTED OUR POLICE SERVICES -- POLICE SERVICES SURVEY A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THERE WAS ALSO AN INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY FOR US TO ADD MORE STREET LIGHTS AS A MEASURE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO FEEL SAFER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. SO WE ALLOCATED DOLLARS TO THE BUDGET. THEY ALSO -- IT WAS A REQUEST FROM COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ TO CREATE AN INDEX TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH LOCATIONS WE WOULD PRIORITIZE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF LIGHTS. WILL GIVE US AN UPDATE OF WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF THOSE EFFORTS. MICHAEL? >> SHANNON: THANK YOU, MARIA. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, COUNCILMEMBERS. MIKE SHANNON, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR. I'M GOING TO GIVE AN UPDATE OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING THE PAST COUPLE YEARS BASED ON THE INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTED BY COUNCILMEMBER [01:00:05] MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, BUT WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHERE WE'RE GOING. THIS WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO THIS CAME UP AND THERE WAS SOME MONEY ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET FOR REALLY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO CREATE A GAP ANALYSIS AND IT WAS LOOKING AT STREET LIGHTS AND EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS. WE KNOW THERE'S GAPS, THERE'S A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTIAL STREETS IN OUR CITY THAT WERE BUILT LONG BEFORE OUR CURRENT CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT TODAY IF YOU BUILD A SUBDIVISION, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC RULES. A STREET LIGHT EVERY THREE TO 600 FEET AND A FEW OTHERS. WE HAVE SOME OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DARK AREAS, GAPS. THIS IS THE PROGRAM WE IMPLEMENTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO. WE ANALYZED OVER 3,000 MILES OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED -- LOOK, THERE'S 72-PLUS THOUSAND EXISTING STREET LIGHTS WORKING IN COORDINATION WITH CPS. WE IDENTIFIED OVER 70,000 STREET LIGHTS. BUT THERE'S GAPS. THOSE GAPS WHERE THERE'S LONGER STRETCHES THAN 600 FEET WITHOUT A STREET LIGHT. WE COULD INSTALL OVER 4200 NEW LIGHTS JUST TO COVER ALL THOSE GAPS IF WE WANTED TO. AGAIN, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CURRENT UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT NEW SUBDIVISIONS ARE BUILT TOWARDS. IN THE BUDGET IN FY22, IT WAS ALLOCATED $5.8 MILLION APPROVED AND WE'VE CARRIED THAT MONEY EACH YEAR. WE'RE ACTUALLY NOW STARTING TO PULL DOWN AND DRAW ON THAT, SO WE'VE SPENT ONLY ABOUT A HALF A MILLION OF THAT. BECAUSE REMEMBER THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE DOING THE ANALYSIS. WE WEREN'T INSTALLING ANY LIGHTS. NOW WE'RE AT THE GOAL IS TO INSTALL 200 TO 400 LIGHTS A YEAR. SO SO FAR LAST YEAR WE REALLY STARTED IN FY23 THROUGH TODAY, WE'VE -- ABOUT 247 LIGHTS WE'VE INSTALLED. NOW, A BIG PART OF IT, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, A BIG R BIG PART OF IT IS 23409 JUST INSTALLING THESE, BUT WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES. WE'VE HAD COUNCIL DISTRICT MEETINGS, ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, WORKING WITH SEVERAL OF YOUR OFFICES TO COORDINATE THOSE BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND NOT EVERYBODY WANTS A STREET LIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME OR IN THEIR STREET. WE HAVE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WANT THAT COUNTRY FEEL THAT DON'T WANT A LOT OF STREET LIGHTS. IT'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION, A LOT OF WORK. WE SENT OUT OVER 16,000 LETTERS TO INITIATE THAT CONVERSATION. MY TEAM HERE ALONG WITH CPS AND SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH A LOT OF NEIGHBORS DISCUSSING THIS. BUT WE WANT TO GET THAT AUTHORIZATION FROM THOSE NEIGHBORS. TO DATE WE HAVE 900 AUTHORIZATIONS FROM THOSE 16,000 LETTERS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. BUT NOW WE'RE IN THE PART OF THE PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO INSTALL THEM AT A LITTLE FASTER CLIP. SO WE HAVE DATA, THIS IS A NICE SPREAD SHEET TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE NUMBERS SO FAR. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE EXISTING LIGHTS AND THE 4200 THROUGHOUT THE CITY. VERY HAVE THEM BROKEN DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT. AND THEN THE AUTHORIZATION FROM PEOPLE, PLEASE WORK TO PUT ONE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE OR STREET. THEN WE'RE TALKING THE LIGHTS INSTALLED. THAT -- TRACKING THE LIGHTS INSTALLED. WE ALSO HAVE THIS INFORMATION ON A DASHBOARD, AN INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD THROUGH DSD. YOU CAN FILTER WHERE THE LIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, WHERE THEY ARE IN DESIGN, MAYBE CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE ALSO TRACKING IT THAT WAY AS WELL. WE ALSO MEET REGULARLY EVERY COUPLE WEEKS WE'RE MEETING WITH CPS. WE HAVE SOME CPS REPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY, BUT IT'S A COORDINATION AS WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THOSE AUTHORIZATIONS, BUT THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF US TRACKING WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR THIS YEAR. THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT WE HAVE SOME GAP LIGHTS WE CALL THEM PER DISTRICT. WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE DONE, SO THOSE ARE THE GREENS. WE WANT AS MANY GREENS AS POSSIBLE ON THAT -- THOSE BAR GRAPHS THERE. SOME THAT ARE IN CONSTRUCTION. A LOT STILL IN REVIEW. SOME IN DESIGN. A FEW REJECTED BECAUSE WE GET OUT THERE AND SOME SORT OF CONSTRUCTION ISSUE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT SO WE MAYBE MOVE ON TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION. THOSE ARE HOW WE TRACK IT EVERY OTHER WEEK WHEN WE MEET WITH CPS. IT'S CPS AND THEIR CONTRACTORS DOING THE WORK AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO BRING ON SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN A LITTLE BIT TO SPEED THIS UP. BUT YOU CAN SEE WE'VE HAD 21 UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 59 COMPLETE SO FAR THIS YEAR. SO I WANT TO JUST PAUSE A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF US MOVING FORWARD WHICH IS OUR SOLAR STREET LIGHT WE CALL IT PILOT PROGRAM. [01:05:04] WHAT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS JUST OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH CPS IS WORKING TO INSTALL SOME SOLAR STREET LIGHTS. THE BENEFIT THERE, OF COURSE, IS THE EASE OF INSTALLATION. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND RUN UNDERGROUND WIRE, OVERHEAD POWER LINES. WE DON'T HAVE TO GET EASEMENTS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH IS A VERY TIME-CONSUMING CONVERSATION, WORKING WITH HOMEOWNERS ABOUT WHO YOU TAKING MY PROPERTY, WHAT IS THIS EASEMENT, IT'S A LEGAL DOCUMENT BEFORE WE DO ANY OF THAT WORK. THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST INSTALLING THE INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH IS A LIGHT, THE POLE AND THE SOLAR, SO IT'S A VERY SIMPLIFIED BUT VERY EXCELLENT PRODUCT. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY INSTALLED JUST FOUR HERE IN THE LAST MONTH OR TWO BECAUSE WE WANTED TO INSTALL A COUPLE AND SEE HOW THEY WORK. AND THE FEEDBACK THAT NOT ONLY CPS AND OUR TEAMS ARE LOOKING AT IS THEIR PERFORMANCE OF THESE SOLAR LIGHTS REALLY MEETS ALL OUR SPECIFICATIONS FOR TYPICAL STREET LIGHTS. NOT ONLY IS IN A GOOD OPTION MOVING FORWARD FOR A LOT OF REASONS, SUSTAINABILITY, DOESN'T PULL POWER FROM THE GRID. BUT SPECIFICALLY MOVING FORWARD AFTER WE'VE JUST PUT FOUR OR FIVE, WE HAVE THREE MORE GOING IN SOON, BUT WE THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO SPEED UP AND INCREASE THE VELOCITY OF THE INSTALLATION ON ALL THOSE GAPS. GOING FROM MAYBE 200 TO 400 A YEAR MAYBE TO EVEN 500, 600, 700 A YEAR UNTIL WE EXHAUST THAT MONEY. THIS IS LIKELY GOING TO BE OUR MOVE FORWARD ON MOST OF THEM. SO OUR TYPICAL PROCESS IS 13 MONTHS, SO LIKE A YEAR. THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SOLAR PROCESS, BUT IF YOU THINK OF IT, WE SPEND TIME TALKING TO THE HOMEOWNERS, EVENTUALLY GET AUTHORIZATION, HAND THEM OFF TO CPS. CPS HAS TO TALK TO HOMEOWNERS IF THEY NEED EASEMENTS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IF IT'S NOT EXISTING. WITH THE SOLARS WE MAY NOT NEED THAT PIECE AS MUCH OR AT ALL, BUT THAT CONVERSATION TAKES A LONG TIME. THEN THEY DESIGN IT AND WORK TO INSTALL IT, SO IT'S A LONG PROCESS. IT'S NOT ONLY THIS GAP ANALYSIS OR GAP PROGRAM, BUT EVEN WHEN WE GET THE 311 CALLS, WE DO TELL PEOPLE IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN YOU WOULD HOPE. BUT WE DO WORK TO GET IT THROUGH THE SYSTEM. SO REALLY OUR NEXT STEPS, AND THAT'S THE UPDATE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE MOVING ON -- BUT OUR NEXT STEPS IS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CPS ENERGY. CPS ENERGY JUST THIS YEAR, EARLIER THIS CALENDAR YEAR, BROUGHT IN A COMPANY, THEY'VE GOT A COUPLE REPRESENTATIVES HERE. WE'RE EXCITED TO WORK WITH THEM AS WELL. THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL THIRD PARTY THAT'S GOING TO HELP US NOT ONLY STREAMLINE BUT EXPEDITE THE INSTALLATION OF THESE, WHETHER IT'S SOLAR OR HARD-WIRED LIGHTS. BUT WORKING TO ESTABLISH EASEMENTS, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, BUT REALLY PUSHING THOSE FORWARD. WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF YOU OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO AND CERTAINLY WITH COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ THE QUESTION WE GET IS WHAT CAN WE DO TO SPEED THIS UP. I THINK CERTAINLY BRINGING ON A THIRD PARTY THROUGH CPS AND EXECUTING MORE OF THOSE SOLAR STREET LIGHTS IS THE WAY TO GO. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM UNTIL ALL THOSE FUNDS ARE EXPENDED THAT MAY PAY FOR A QUARTER OR THIRD OF WHAT WE NEED, BUT WE ALSO WON'T GET ALL THOSE PERMISSIONS. NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GIVE US AUTHORIZATION TO DO IT. WE'LL DISCUSS MORE IN THE '25 BUDGET IF NEEDED. THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> HAVRDA: THE PROJECT IS DATA DRIVEN, A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. LIGHTING IS PUBLIC SAFETY, ALSO COMMUNITY WELLNESS. AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, SAN ANTONIO IS GROWING SO FAST AND IT'S EXCITING THE SOLAR LIGHT PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE INNOVATIVE AND THINKING OF THAT GROWTH AS IT MOVES FORWARD. HOW MANY STREET LIGHTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED SINCE THE INCEPTION? I THINK YOU SAID 247. WE DID THE EASIER ONES FIRST, POLES, SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE DONE IN A YEAR. THIS ONE, JUST 59 SO FAR, INCREASING EVERY WEEK OR 2, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT, YEAH. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: SO BEFORE THIS PROGRAM, WHAT WERE THE INITIAL GOALS? [01:10:01] >> SO THE PREVIOUS PROCESS WAS VERY REACT I, IF SOMEONE WANTED A STREET LIGHT OR NEIGHBORS SAID WE WANTED STREET LIGHTS, THEY WERE CALLING THROUGH TO ONE THROUGH MY TEAM OR MAYBE WE WOULD HEAR TO MY OFFICES AT A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, WE WOULD DO A STUDY IN ONE AREA FOR THAT LIGHT OR ONE LIGHT, AND WE WOULD WORK THROUGH, IS THERE FUNDING, HOW MUCH FUNDING IS THERE, HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET IT DONE. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO IS THE QUESTION FROM THE COUNCILMAN, AND HE CAN SPEAK TO IT. WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT. IT WE KNOW THERE'S GAPS, WE KNOW THERE'S PRIO PRIORITIES. JUST OVERALL SAFETY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO HOW COULD WE BE PROACTIVE. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET'S IDENTIFY THE GAPS, AND THEN IF WE HAVE THE FUNDING, LET'S WORK TO INSTALL THEM. WE'VE USED DATA, WE'VE LOOKED AT CRIME SPOTS, AROUND SCHOOLS, ET CETERA, WHERE WE COULD PUT THEM SO, THAT'S WHERE WE USED TO BE REACTIVE, AND NOW I THINK THE PROACTIVE APPROACH IS REALLY GOING TO INCREASE THE VELOCITY OF INSTALLS THAT WE CAN GET THEM IN THE GROUND QUICKER AND FILL IN THOSE GAPS. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: GREAT. WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU USE TO PRIORITIZE WHERE YOU PUT THE LIGHTS. >> WELL DURING THE LAST UPDATE I GAVE, WE USE CRIME STATISTICS, AROUND SCHOOLS, A FEW OTHERS, THE HARDSHIP WE WERE REALLY FINDING EARLY ON WAS TRYING TO GET AUTHORIZATION. SO NOW THAT WE HAVE 900 AUTHORIZATIONS, WE'RE TRYING TO INSTALL THEM USING THAT CRITERIA AND ANYWHERE WE CAN INSTALL THEM AND HAVE THAT PERMISSION. THERE ARE AREAS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEM THAT WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM, BUT WE ARE GOING WHERE THE AUTHORIZATIONS ARE FIRST, SO WE'RE MATCHING UP THE CRITERIA AND TRYING TO GET THEM IN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: AND WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE STREET LIGHT INITIATION BEYOND THE TARGET AREAS. >> WELL WE WANT TO WORK THROUGH -- AS YOU CAN TELL, WE'VE SPENT 1/10 OF THE ALLOTMENT, SO THE INITIAL WORK WAS THE ANALYSIS, NOW RAMPING UP THE PROGRAM, AS WE GET TO INSTALLING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MORE, WE SPEND THE MONEY AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AT THAT TIME TO SHOULD WE DO MORE, MORE AREAS ARE PRIORITIZED GAPS, AND WE WOULD WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS LIKELY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MONEY WE NEED TO FILL IN ADDITIONAL GAPS. BECAUSE THE $5.3 MILLION LEFT WILL NOT FILL IN ALL OF THOSE 4200 GAPS, MAYBE A QUARTER OF THEM INSTALLED AT THE END OF THE DAY. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: CAN YOU PULL UP THE SLIDE WHERE YOU SHOWED THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS. >> YEAH. I'M NOT SURE WHAT NUMBER. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT DISTRICT 5 HAD SOMETHING LIKE 11,000 EXISTING LIGHTS AND 43 WERE WARRANTED. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THAT'S PROBABLY FROM THE ADVOCACY FROM SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, IT WAS ONE OF HER BIG THINGS, BUT I DO THINK THAT COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ HAS PICKED UP THAT MAN TELL, MANTEL, AND I APPRECIATE WE HAVE THAT MOVING FORWARD. NOT JUST CATCH AS CATCH CAN. AND WITH THAT I'LL HAND IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. THIS IS AN EXCITING UPDATE. WHEN I WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN 2021, AFTER I FINISHED MY PASS WALKING, ASKING PEOPLE THEIR PRIORITIES AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE, I CAME UP WITH TWO PROPOSALS, ONE WAS AN OFFICE OF CRIME RECIDIVISM, AND A STREET LIGHTING INDEX, AND THEN DURING THE BUDGET, I GOT TO ADVOCATE FOR IT, HAD SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES, AND WE GOT $5.8 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR IT, AND SUPER EXCITED. IT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT I GOT -- OR FIRST BIG POLICY OR PROGRAM WIN I GOT SINCE BEING ELECTED, AND I THINK AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, $5.8 MILLION FELT LIKE A LOT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS OVER TWO YEARS. IN MY HEAD WE WERE GOING TO SPEND $5.8 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS, SOLVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS, AND THINGS HAVE GONE SLOWER THAN WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, BUT I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AS WELL, AS WELL AS FOR THE CITY, AND THAT THIS IS ALLOWING US TO NOT PLACE THE BURDEN ON RESIDENTS TO HAVE TO SAY, HEY, IT'S REALLY DARK RIGHT HERE, HAVE TO GO COLLECT PETITION SIGNATURES, GO TURN IT IN, AND IT'S SIMILAR TO HOW I FEEL ABOUT SPEED BUMPS, IF WE KNOW THAT SPEEDING IS HAPPENING, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BE PROACTIVE IN THAT, BUT THAT'S FOR ANOTHER TIME. FOR THIS SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MIKE, THE WHOLE CITY TEAM, AS WELL AS CPS ENERGY FOR EXECUTING THE ENERGY, AND THEN RECOGNIZE THAT CPS ENERGY IS TAKING A PROACTIVE STEP TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM'S [01:15:02] EFFICIENCY BY BRINGING IN A DEDICATED CONTRACTOR TO RUN THE INSTALLATION PROCESS AND I'M WONDERING WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THERE MIGHT BE. I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING, HE MENTIONED -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW. BUT $5,000 TO INSTALL A NEW STREETLIGHT, AND $500 TO INSTALL A LIGHT ON THE EXISTING POLE. IS THAT ACCURATE. >> THE COST OF THE NEW STREET LIGHT, WHETHER SOLAR OR HARD WIRE KIND OF A TRADITIONAL ONE UNDERGROUND, OVERHEAD, CLOSER TO $8,000 OR $9,000, SO THAT COST IS UP. CERTAINLY WE -- ALL THE WARRANTIED ONES WE'RE ABLE TO DO ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, THOSE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. $500, $600 A POP, BUT WE GOT THOSE DONE FIRST, BUT NOW WORKING ON THOSE THAT A AVERAGE ABOUT $8,000. NOW IF WE LEAVE HERE TO DO AND DECIDE, HEY, LET'S RAMP UP THE SOLAR, PART OF THE DISCUSSION TODAY, PART OF MY RECOMMENDATION TO THIS COMMITTEE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO DECREASE THAT COST BECAUSE WE'LL AUTHORIZE, LIKE, CPS, GO ORDER 300 OR 400 SO WE CAN BUY IN BULK AND SCALE AND GET IT READY, SO THAT MIGHT COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT, SO THEY'RE PRICEY, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK WARRANTED. >> RODRIGUEZ: AND YOU MENTIONED SOLAR IS ABOUT THE SAME COST AS HAVING TO INSTALL THE COST OF A BRAND NEW STREET LIGHT. >> IT IS. WHEN YOU AVERAGE THINGS OUT. THE SOLAR PRODUCT ITSELF IS MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WHEN YOU A AVERAGE OUT IF I HAVE A HARD WIRED STREET LIGHT, THERE'S LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION WE HAVE TO ADD, TYING IT OVERHEAD AND/OR THE CONSTRUCTION UNDERGROUND TO BRING FROM MAYBE THE BACK OF THE RESIDENCE TO THE FRONT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE COULD BE MAYBE AROUND THE $5,000, SOME OF IT COULD BE AN ADDITIONAL SEVERAL THOUSAND, UP TO $15,000. THAT'S WHAT WE SEE. SO THEY'RE AVERAGING ABOUT THE SAME IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING, SO WE THINK WE CAN GET ABOUT THE SAME SOLAR LIGHTS IN FOR -- YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO WE WERE THINKING THEY'D ALL BE HARD WIRED. >> FOR SURE. CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE 7 AGAIN. FOR SOLAR, I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING US MOVE, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT'LL TAKE TO EVALUATE THE SOLAR -- I GUESS THE QUALITY OF THE SOLAR LIGHTS. >> WELL, WE'VE DONE THAT IN TERMS OF THE ONES THAT WERE INSTALLED, I THINK IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THOSE WERE INSTALLED IN THE AREAS I IDENTIFIED. WE'VE BEEN OUT, CPS HAS BEEN OUT. WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE, EVERYBODY IS SATISFIED THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WORK JUST AS GOOD AS THE HARD WIRE, TRADITIONAL ONES WE'RE USED TO, MEANING THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THEY COME WITH A 10-YEAR WARRANTY, SO THEY'LL BE RELATIVELY EASY OR SIMPLE TO MAINTAIN AS THE OTHERS. SO WE'RE READY TO GO. YOU KNOW, WE THINK THE RECOMMENDATION GOING FORWARD IS TO INSTALL AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE CAN. WE KNOW THERE'LL BE SOME AREAS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME TREES AND STUFF THAT WON'T MAKE SENSE, BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS WE'RE READY TO GO ON THEM, WE THINK THEY'LL WORK WELL, DELL KIA HAS EXPERIENCE USING THOSE IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, AND THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION GOING FORWARD. >> RODRIGUEZ: I'M WITH THAT VERY MUCH. I DO ALSO -- I KNOW THAT THERE'S THOSE LITTLE TIGHT -- YOU KNOW THOSE LIGHTS THAT YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR DRIVEWAY? LIKE AFTER IT RAINS AND WE HAVE SUCH HARD WATER, IT BECOMES -- IT HAS A LAYER ON IT THAT THEN MAKES IT LESS EFFICIENT, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT DOES THE -- DOES ROUTINE CLEANING LOOK LIKE FOR THE SOLAR LIGHTS SO THE PANEL DOESN'T BECOME INSTRUCTED. >> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WE CAN GET YOU AN ANSWER. THERE IS MAINTENANCE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT PRODUCT GETS A 10-YEAR WARRANTY, SO WE BELIEVE THE SOLAR PANEL AND STRUCTURE PERFORMS WELL, IT WILL. BUT THE CLEANING OF IT, HOW MUCH IT NEEDS, WHAT TO DO TO RESIST THAT, WE'LL GET YOU THAT. >> RODRIGUEZ: PERFECT. AND I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY DIFFERENT THAN THE KIND OF LIGHT YOU GET AT THE DOLLAR STORE. I DO WONDER FOR THE LIGHTS, WHY DOES IT TAKE A MONTH? IS IT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF LIGHTS THERE ARE, OR. >> THERE'S USUALLY JUST BACK AND FORTH WITH THE HOMEOWNER. IF THEY SEND IN -- WE WANT IT, WE CONTACT THEM, COMMUNICATE SPECIFICALLY, HEY, THIS IS WHERE IT'LL GO. WE NOTIFY FOUR HOMEOWNERS REALLY AROUND THAT LOW INDICATION LIKE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF IT AND ACROSS THE STREET, SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND [01:20:01] FORTH BEFORE WE WANT TO GIVE IT TO CPS. WE GET NOT ONLY THE SIGNED AUTHORIZATION, BUT AS WE COORDINATE THAT AND CONFIRM, THEN WE MOVE IT TO CPS. >> RODRIGUEZ: OKAY. AND THEN I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A FLYER OR BROCHURE, SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES RESIDENT'S CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVING A STREETLIGHT INSTALLED IN THEIR YARD, ESPECIALLY YOU MENTIONED WE DON'T USE COMMON LANGUAGE TALKING ABOUT EASEMENTS AND LEGAL -- YOU KNOW, LEGAL MATTERS LIKE THAT, AND SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREWUATE AS EASY TO UNDERSTAND INFORMATION. >> WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BECAUSE EARLY ON, ON OUR FIRST COUPLE OF MEETINGS, YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DO HAVE TO USE COMMON LANGUAGE. WE HAVE AN FAQ DOCUMENT WE DID, AND WE PUSHED IT OUT USING TRADITIONAL HOMEOWNER LANGUAGE. WHAT IS AN EASEMENT, WE'RE NOT TAKING YOUR PROPERTY, THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU HAVE ON YOUR PROPERTY, SO MAYBE WE COULD SEND IT OVER AND IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS OR ADDITIONAL INPUT, WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT, ALWAYS TWEAKING THOSE MESSAGES OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND. >> RODRIGUEZ: FOR SURE. THAT'D BE GREAT. I'M EXCITED TO SEE US MOVING, AND I'M OPTIMISTIC WITH THE SOLAR LI LIGHT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE EVEN FASTER. THANK YOU CHAIR. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: COUNCILMAN -- THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I WANT TO THANK MCKEE RODRIGUEZ FOR BRINGING THIS UP A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD TOO ON THE TRAIL. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOW WE REACT TO THINGS, AND WE JUST GOT THAT PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT, AND WE KNOW THAT LONG TERM SOLUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT AND PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS AND LIGHTING MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE TOO. SO I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE SLIDE WITH THE NEED ONE MORE TIME, WHICH IS, I THINK, SLIDE 4. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS SHOWS YOU THERE'S A LOT OF NEED. I CAN'T HELP BUT LOOK AT THE NUMBER IN DISTRICT 1, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT 711 LIGHTS, AND IF WE DID ONE LIGHT A YEAR FOR 13 MONTHS BECAUSE IT TAKES 13 MONTHS TO PUT IN A LIGHT, YOU WOULD NEVER GET ALL THE LIGHTS PUT UP. SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY, 13 MONTHS IS A REALLY LONG TIME TO ADDRESS THIS NEED, IF THAT'S HOW LONG IT TAKES PER LIGHT. SO LOOKING AT THE SLIDE FOR THE PROCESS, WHAT IS THE -- IT SEEMS LIKE THE BIGGEST BARRIER IS THE EASEMENTS, BUT EVEN AFTER THAT, LIKE, THREE MONTHS FOR DESIGN, AND THREE MONTHS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION, THAT'S SLIDE 7, JUST SEEMS -- IT'S A STREET LIGHT. I'M -- DON'T THEY -- AREN'T THEY ALL DESIGNED THE SAME? LIKE HELP ME -- I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FACETIOUS. HELP ME. >> NO. YOU'RE RIGHT. AND I THINK MAYBE -- TO BE CLEAR, THIS PROCESS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON PREVIOUSLY BEFORE CPS WAS TO BRING ON SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. CPS HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPAIRING EXISTING STREETLIGHTS, NOT ONLY -- AND WORKING TO INSTALL NEW STREETLIGHTS IN SUBDIVISIONS. SO WE WERE -- THE PROGRAM WAS A PART OF THE BIGGER PROCESS, AND EVERYBODY IS FIGHTING FOR THOSE RESOURCES. I THINK -- MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PUT THE SOLAR LIGHTS AS A -- HEY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE CAN, NOW AS WELL AS WITH A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR LIKE TAL KIA, THAT'S ALL TO SHRINK THIS. SO I SHOULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER ONE, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND NOW MOVING FORWARD, DELL KIA, THEY JUST GOT ON BOARD THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE, SO THAT'LL REALLY BE DOWNWARDED A LOT. SO MAYBE THAT WAS A LITTLE MISLEADING. >> KAUR: NO. THAT HELPS TOO. BUT THE OTHER THING I WAS THINKING OF, IF CAPACITY IS T TRUE TRULY AN ISSUE. THE MONEY ADVOCATED PREVIOUSLY, WAS THAT FOR THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND NOT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY? IS THAT CORRECT? >> CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? BECAUSE I WAS JUST THINKING OF THE COMMENT THAT I JUST GOT AS WELL. SORRY. >> KAUR: SORRY. THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED THAT WE'RE SPENDING DOWN FOR THIS PROGRAM, IS THAT JUST FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, OR DOES IT COUNT ANY ADDITIONAL -- DOES IT COUNT IN BUILDING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO EXECUTE ON THE PROGRAM? >> NO. REALLY RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE; RIGHT? >> KAUR: SO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT CPS AND THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD -- PUT THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR CAPACITY IF THAT'S THE BARRIER. >> THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT. [01:25:02] WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS WORK WITH CPS AND DELL KIA, MOVE ON INSTALLING SOME SOLAR, AND THEN PUT SOMETHING IN THE PROCESS, WORKING WITH MARÍA, AND THE CITY MANAGER. IF WE THINK WE CAN JUST SPEED IT UP AND START INSTALLING THE $5.3 MILLION OF SOLAR LIGHTS, OR IF THERE'S AN OPTION TO BRING ON MORE RESOURCES FOR THAT CAPACITY, MAYBE WE COULD BRING THOSE OPTIONS TO YOU AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME. >> KAUR: YEAH. LIKE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DO -- TO OBTAIN EASEMENTS ON ALL 4,000 OF THOSE LIGHTS IN ADVANCE? AND I'M BEING -- LIKE, WHAT WOULD THAT TAKE? >> SURE. >> KAUR: OR WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO REDUCE THIS PROCESS FROM 13 TO 3 MONTHS. LET'S FIGURE OUT THE BARRIERS TO WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE, BECAUSE I DO THINK WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS TO DECIDE. BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES BELIEVE THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT, SO -- AND WE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS ON IT, SO WE JUST WANT TO HELP PUSH IT FORWARD EVEN FASTER. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I JUST WANTED TO ASK -- COMMENTING ON THE LED. WE'VE GOTTEN FOLKS THAT SAY THE LIGHT ISN'T AS BRIGHT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TOO, SO THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE SOLAR LIGHTS. >> SURE. >> KAUR: AND THEN JUST THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE. DO YOU ALL DO THE -- SO IT SEEMS LIKE CPS DOES THE DESIGN AND FULL -- LIKE ONCE YOU AUTHORIZE IT, THEY'RE IN CHARGE. >> YES. >> KAUR: OKAY. >> SO ONCE WE GET IT TO CPS, IT'S THEIR PROCESS TO DESIGN, INSTALL, ET CETERA. ALTHOUGH, WE DO MEET -- I MEAN, WE COORDINATE THIS PROGRAM EVER SINCE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. YEAH. >> KAUR: THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANKS, CHAIR. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: THANKS COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO. ING IALDERETE GAVITO ALDERETE GAVITO THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND I WANT THANK TO COUNCICOUNCILMEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU FOR SPEARHEADING THIS. LIGHTING IS A PUBLIC ISSUE. SO THANK YOU, MIKE FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE GREAT WORK. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANXIOUSED. BUT I HAVE A FEW MORE. SORRY. WE DO HEAR FROM NEIGHBORS THAT WHEN THEY RECEIVE MAIL ABOUT STREET LIGHTS, THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LETTER. DO WE HAVE A COPY OF THAT MAILER WE COULD SEE? >> I DON'T THINK I HAVE IT TODAY, I COULD CERTAINLY GET THAT OVER, AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE -- WHEN WE SEND THOSE OUT, AND WE HAVE, AND THEN WHEN WE MET WITH THEM, THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, WHAT IS THIS. WE'VE TWEAKED THAT A FEW TIMES BASED ON INITIAL FEEDBACK, WE CERTAINLY THOUGHT IT WAS CLEAR, BUT MAYBE IT WAS NOT AS CLEAR AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, SO WE TWEAKED THAT, SO WE COULD GET THAT TO YOU, AND THEN WE HAVE MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF MY TEAM, WE GET THOSE CALLS AS WELL, AND OUR JOB IS TO WALK THEM THROUGH, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN, DO I PAY THIS, WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM, WILL YOU TEAR UP MY YARD, LEAVE IT A MESS, WHAT DO YOU NEED. AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT TO TELL US NO AND A VERY EMINENT WAY SO -- OH, GO AHEAD. >> I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING, COUNCILWOMAN, WE INCLUDE IN THERE AN ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSION, AND THERE'S A DEDICATED EMAIL ADDRESS TO THE STREET LIGHT TEAM AND A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DOCUMENT. SO IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION TO READ, AND WE DO RECEIVE PHONE CALLS FROM THE RESIDENTS. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BECAUSE WE DO GET THE QUESTIONS, AND AS MCKEE RODRIGUEZ SAID. WE'RE NOT SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE. THAT IS COMMON. ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES WE FACE IN DISTRICT 7 IS PARK-RELATED LIGHTS. YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY BY WOOD LAWN LAKE PARK BY LEAVES CREEK PARK, THERE'S SEVERAL RESIDENTS WHOSE HOMES BACK UP TO THE PARK. I KNOW CLOSE TO THE CENTENNIAL GARDEN TO WOOD LAWN LAKE, THERE'S A PIZZA DELIVERY GUY THAT GOT ROBBED, HAVING TO DEAL WITH ADDITIONAL HOMELESS CONCERNS, AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GET IS THEY'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR BOND MONEY FOR LIGHTNING. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US PRIORITIZE LIGHTING REQUESTS FOR RESIDENTS WHO DO BACK UP TO PARKS BECAUSE SOMETIMES -- YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS OR THEY'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS THERE, THEY WANT TO FEEL SAFE, AND THEY SHOULD ALSO FEEL SAFE IF THEIR BACKYARD BACKS UP TO SOME OF THE PARKS, AND WE COULD TAKE THIS OFFLINE TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO THERE BECAUSE THEIR REQUESTS ARE VALID, AND SO I JUST -- I WANT US TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR LIGHTS TOO. >> OKAY. YEAH. WE CAN SET UP A TIME AND [01:30:02] TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: AWESOME. AND THEN I THINK ALL OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, BUT WE DO ALSO -- JUSE QUICK NOTE BECAUSE I AM A BIRD NERD. WE WANTED -- ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE HEAR IS REGARDING STREET LIGHTS AND THE IMPACT ON BIRD MIGRATION, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE SOMETHING ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE STREET LIGHTS DON'T OR IF THE SOLAR STREET LIGHTS ARE BETTER FOR THAT OR. >> THE QUESTION OF HOW THIS AFFECTS BIRDS HAS COME UP IN A FEW MEETINGS, AND ALSO THE OTHER ONE, LIKE, DARK SKY REQUIREMENTS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THE LIGHTS WE'RE INSTALLING, YEAH, THEY MEET ALL OF THOSE CRITERIA. I'M NOT SURE IF WE PUT ANY OF THE INFORMATION ON THAT WEBSITE OR NOT, BUT WE COULD LOOK AND MAKE THAT PART OF OUR INFORMATION THAT WE SHARE REGULARLY. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: YEAH. IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR US TO POINT RESIDENTS TO HELP THEM KNOW LIKE, HEY, BY THE WAY, THIS HAS ALL BEEN CHECKED, THAT KIND OF STUFF, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE. AND ONE FINAL QUESTION, CAN FUNDS FROM THE BUDGET BE USED TO FUND LIGHTING IN ALLEYWAYS, THAT'S A REQUEST WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF. >> I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY DISCUSS I THINK THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR STREETS. WE DON'T CONSIDER ALLEYS AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM THAT STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT BE HAPPY TO KIND OF TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT AND WORK WITH -- MARÍA. >> YEAH. I THINK THE FUNDING WAS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR RESIDENTIAL STREETLIGHTS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD EVALUATE AND PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE COULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: YEAH. I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THE -- I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY REQUESTS, BUT I DO FEEL BAD FOR OUR NEIGHBORS WHO BACK UP NEXT TO A PARK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING SO MUCH ACTIVITY THERE AND IT'S ALL DARK, SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRIORITY, BUT THE ALLEYWAYS ARE ALSO A CONCERN AS WELL. BUT THANKS AGAIN TO COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ FOR SPEARHEADING THIS, AND THANKS MIKE FOR YOUR WORK. >> THANKS. I'M CURIOUS, HAVE ANY DARK SKIES GROUPS TALKED TO YOU. >> YEAH. WE GET A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH MANY GROUPS, LIKE DEVELOPING NEW CODE, A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, SO CERTAINLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT -- I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HALF OF OUR CITY IS COVERED BY THINGS LIKE MILITARY LIGHTING OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY DARK SKY SPECKS ANYWAYS, SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND EVEN ON THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LIGHTING UP THE SKY, WE'RE LIGHTING UP THE STREETS. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: I'M GLAD THEY'RE ENGAGED FROM THE START, SO AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS, THEY'LL BE ENGAGED. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: THANKS SO MUCH. WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM, BUT NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT. WE'LL KICK IT TO JUNE. APOLOGIES FOR THOSE HERE TO HEAR IT OR PRESENT IT, BUT WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME IN LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR. SO JUST MAKING SURE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE LAST ITEM? OKAY. WELL, WITH THAT, WE'LL BE ADJOURNED, THANK YOU SO MUCH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.