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GOOD AFTERNOON.THIS IS THE B SESSION OF AUGUST 7TH, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR SUMMER VACATIONS.
I KNOW ERIC DIDN'T
LOOK FORWARD TO THAT TOMORROW.
TODAY WE HAVE ONE, ONE ITEM ON THIS, ON THE AGENDA FOR THE B SESSION, UH, THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UH, SO TODAY WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE B SESSION AGENDA.
BRIDGER ON THE CITY, UH, AND OUR, UH, EFFORTS WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UH, AND OUR MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UH, JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER, AT THE END OF MARCH, UM, UH, THE CITY AND OUR PARTNERS BEGAN ASSISTING, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE, UH, WITHIN THE ASYLUM SEEKING PROCESS ESTABLISHED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, THE GOAL OF THIS WAS THAT WE TREAT THEM WITH COMPASSION, UH, AS THEIR TEMPORARY VISITORS.
UM, OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, MELODY, EDWARD, JESSICA, PATRICK, UH, HAVE DONE, UH, AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF REPRESENTING, UH, THIS ORGANIZATION, THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK, TINO, YOU AS WELL.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, COORDINATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
UM, OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, SEEN ALMOST A LITTLE OVER 29,000 INDIVIDUALS PASS THROUGH SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY, UH, PARTNERS CATHOLIC CHARITIES, UH, INTERFAITH COALITION WELCOME COALITION, TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, UM, FOOD BANK.
UH, IT HAS BEEN A, UH, CERTAINLY A TEAM EFFORT.
UH, SO WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE TODAY.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, ABOUT POTENTIAL FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT.
UH, THOSE GUIDELINES WERE RELEASED, UH, THROUGH BY FEMA LAST WEEK.
AND SO WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE UNITED WAY AND OUR PARTNERS TO, UH, SECURE THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
SO CERTAINLY WANNA THANK THE TEAM AND WE'LL GIVE YOU TODAY'S UPDATE.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE NOW HAVE A CLICKER FOR MOVING THE SLIDES.
UM, SO I'M COLLEEN BRIDGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, AND I AM HAPPY TO GIVE THIS THIS REPORT.
UM, SO THE GOAL, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, IS THAT WE WANNA PROVIDE SERVICES IN A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT, UM, FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO WITH THE, THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF MAKING SURE THAT THEIR STAY HERE IS SAFE, THAT IT IS RELATIVELY SHORT, AND THAT IT IS COMPASSIONATE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
UM, STARTING EARLY THIS CALENDAR YEAR, SAN ANTONIO STARTED SEEING MORE AND MORE ASYLUM SEEKERS TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO ON THEIR WAY TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION CITIES.
UM, BUT THE, THE REAL SURGE STARTED, UM, HAPPENING IN LATE MARCH.
AND IN, UH, ON MARCH 30TH, WE HAD A CALL FROM OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UM, SAYING, WE NEED HELP.
WE CAN'T DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO, UM,
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HELP THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS GET THROUGH SAN ANTONIO ON THEIR WAY SOMEPLACE ELSE.CAN THE CITY POLICE HELP US? SO WE HAD AN ALL HANDS ON DECK, UM, CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
WE IDENTIFIED SOME SPACE WHERE WE COULD HELP FOR DAY SHELTER.
WE, UM, IDENTIFIED, UH, STAFF WHO COULD HELP.
AND WE, WE PUT TOGETHER, UM, WHAT I LIKE TO DESCRIBE AS A FOUR-LEGGED STOOL.
SO, UM, WE HAVE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AS A CRITICAL PARTNER.
WE HAVE THE FOOD BANK AS A CRITICAL PARTNER.
WE HAVE TRAVIS PARK CHURCH AS A CRITICAL PARTNER, AND THEN WE HAVE THE INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION AS A CRITICAL PARTNER.
SO, UM, AND THEN THE CITY, I GUESS, IS THE SEAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE WORKED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL TOGETHER AS WE HAVE ADDRESSED THIS EVER CHANGING SITUATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS RESPONSE IS THAT EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UM, BECAUSE EVERY DAY WE'RE GIVEN A DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGES.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO, TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES HERE FROM, UM, THE FOOD BANK.
WE HAVE MARIO HERE FROM TRAVIS PARK CHURCH.
WE HAVE GAVIN, AND FROM, UM, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, WE HAVE ANTONIO AND LIZZIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE DONE ON BEHALF OF, OF THIS RESPONSE.
SO, UM, WE ARE, OUR FOCUS IS ON PROVIDING BASIC SERVICES, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD, SHELTER.
UH, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A WARM PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WAIT FOR THE BUS.
NOW WE'RE WORKING, LOOKING FOR A COOL PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WAIT FOR THE BUS, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, A PLACE OUT OF THE ELEMENTS.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BUS TICKET OR IF YOUR BUS TICKET ISN'T IN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO WAIT AT THE BUS STATION.
SO WE NEEDED A PLACE FOR FOLKS TO WAIT.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT, FROM THE TIME PEOPLE GET OFF THE SHUTTLE, THAT COMES FROM, UM, THE DEL RIO AREA.
THEY ARE GREETED BY I W C AT THE BUS STATION.
UM, HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IF THEY HAVE A BUS TICKET, WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A BUS TICKET, OR IF THEIR BUS TICKET IS NOT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY, THEY CAN GO ACROSS THE STREET TO THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
AND THERE, THERE, UM, IS FOOD.
THERE ARE TOYS AND BOOKS AND CRAYONS FOR THE KIDS.
UM, THERE ARE PHONES FOR PEOPLE TO CALL FAMILY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TICKETS OR JUST TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'VE MADE IT SAFELY.
AS FAR AS SAN ANTONIO, UM, A LOT OF FOLKS, WHEN THEY GET THERE, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THEY ASK IS, WHERE AM I? UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN SAN ANTONIO AND, UM, PROVIDE THEM ACCESS TO PHONES.
WE ALSO PROVIDE ACCESS TO WIFI SO THAT THEY CAN, THROUGH VARIOUS APPS, UM, CALL THEIR FAMILY BACK IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'VE MADE IT SAFELY TO SAN ANTONIO.
UM, WE PROVIDE, OF COURSE, MEDICAL TRIAGE AND SERVICES, AND I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
SO, UM, WHO ARE THESE FOLKS? AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND, THE MAP, THE RED AREAS INDICATING, UM, WHERE THE PREDOMINANT NUMBER OF OUR ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE COMING FROM.
BUT WHAT WE SEE IS, UM, A LOT OF FOLKS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, BUT WE ALSO SAW, UM, AND ARE CONTINUING TO SEE MIGRANTS FROM THE, UM, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC OF CONGO, ANGOLA, AND HAITI.
NOW, EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT THIS, I HAVE TO STATE THESE FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL LEGALLY IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, THEY CROSS THE BORDER, THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES TO BORDER PATROL.
BORDER PATROL PROCESSES THEM, DETERMINES IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO BEGIN THE ASYLUM SEEKING PROCESS.
AND IF THEY DEEM THEM ELIGIBLE TO DO THAT, THEY RELEASE THEM WITH PAPERS INTO THE UNITED STATES THAT SAYS THAT THEY ARE HERE LEGALLY.
UM, THAT, THAT GETS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING FOR FOLKS.
BUT, UM, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE SERVING HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE HERE AND ARE HERE LEGALLY.
SO, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT ASYLUM SEEKING AND THE PROCESS THAT FOLKS GO THROUGH.
SO THERE'S BASICALLY THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATHWAYS THAT INDIVIDUALS GO THROUGH, UM, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEEK ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS.
UM, THAT'S A SITUATION WHERE THEY APPLY BEFORE THEY COME TO THE UNITED STATES.
AND IF THEY ARE GRANTED ASYLUM DURING THAT PROCESS, THEN THEY ARE BROUGHT IN AS REFUGEES.
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ACCESS TO, UM, ESSENTIALLY MORE SUPPORT AND MORE BENEFITS THROUGH THAT PROCESS.UM, THE SECOND ONE IS SOMEBODY WHO COMES INTO THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY WITH A VISA.
AND ONCE THEY GET HERE, UM, THEY PRESENT WITH A REQUEST FOR ASYLUM.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
AND THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO, UM, COME TO THE BORDER, CROSS OVER THE BORDER, PRESENT THEMSELVES TO BORDER PATROL AND REQUEST ASYLUM.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION, UM, WE WANTED TO PUT A HUMAN FACE ON SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH.
UM, SO WE WANTED YOU TO MEET JULIE.
UH, JULIE IS ONE OF THE, UM, ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM THE D R C.
AND BY THE TIME SHE GOT TO SAN ANTONIO, SHE HAD BEEN TRAVELING WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS AGED 10 AND 14, UM, THROUGH ANGOLA, ECUADOR, CENTRAL AMERICA, UM, AND MEXICO BEFORE THEY ARRIVED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, HER ULTIMATE DESTINATION CITY IS NEW YORK, AND SHE'S LOOKING TO START A NEW LIFE FOR HER AND HER DAUGHTERS THERE IN NEW YORK, WHERE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CONSISTENT THEME WITH, WITH FOLKS COMING THROUGH OUR, OUR MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, UM, WHERE IF THEY WORK HARD, THEY CAN MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? UM, WE PROVIDE A VARIETY OF SERVICES, AND, UM, I'M GONNA COVER THEM PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT AS I MENTIONED, WHEN THEY GET OFF THE BUS, UM, THE FIRST THING THAT THEY SEE IS, UM, A VOLUNTEER IN A BLUE VEST THAT SAYS, WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO, HOW CAN I HELP YOU? UM, AND THEY DIRECT THE, THE MIGRANTS, EITHER TO THE BUS STATION OR TO THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY NEED AND, AND HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE THEM TO GET TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
WE PROVIDE THREE MEALS A DAY, UM, HOT MEALS A DAY, THANKS TO THE FOOD BANK.
AND, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF Y'ALL HAVE VOLUNTEERED AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, AND YOU KNOW THAT THE, THE BUSIEST TIME FOR US AS VOLUNTEERS AT THE M R C IS DURING THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION PERIOD.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET THIS WARM MEAL TOO.
AND, UM, THAT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK SITUATION.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR VOLUNTEERING.
UH, WE PROVIDE SHELTER BOTH DURING THE DAY, AGAIN, KEEPING FOLKS OUT OF THE ELEMENTS, WHETHER IT'S TOO HOT OR TOO COLD OUTSIDE.
UM, AND WE PROVIDE SHELTER AT NIGHT.
SO, UH, THANKS TO TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE, UM, MIGRANTS CAN SPEND THE NIGHT IF THEIR TICKET DOESN'T LEAVE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, OR THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO GET THE TICKET TO THEIR NEXT DESTINATION.
WE, UM, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO CONNECT WITH FAMILY.
WE PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET HEALTH SCREENINGS.
SO IF SOMEBODY COMES, UM, TO THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER AND ISN'T FEELING WELL FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY, WE HAVE MEDICAL STAFF, THEY'RE ON SITE, UM, THAT CAN PROVIDE SCREENING AND REFERRAL TO EITHER URGENT CARE OR EMERGENCY CARE.
UM, BUT MOST COMMONLY, WHAT FOLKS NEED IS AN OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATION.
UM, THEY, THEIR STOMACH GOT UPSET ON THE BUS ON THE WAY HERE, OR, UM, THEIR, THEIR HEAD HURTS BECAUSE THEY, THEY, UM, HAVE BEEN STRESSED OUT IN THEY'RE TENSE.
UM, THEY, SO HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH A MEDICAL PROVIDER WHO CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS MINOR AND WE CAN HELP THEM HERE OR IS A LITTLE BIT MORE WORRISOME AND WE NEED TO GET THEM SOMEPLACE ELSE, UM, WE PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, TRAVEL ASSISTANCE.
UM, CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH HELPING FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO PURCHASE THE TICKET TO GET TO THEIR NEXT DESTINATION.
UM, AND SO HAVING THEM AS PART OF THIS RESPONSE HAS BEEN INVALUABLE.
THE ALTERNATIVE IS, WE HAVE FOLKS ARRIVING IN SAN ANTONIO WITH NO WAY TO GET TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION, UM, WHICH WOULD MEAN INDIVIDUALS STAYING HERE NOT JUST FOR DAYS, BUT FOR WEEKS AND POTENTIALLY EVEN MONTHS.
A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARRIVE WITH ONLY THE CLOTHES THEY HAVE ON THEIR BACKS AND ONLY THE CLOTHES THAT THE KIDS HAVE ON THEIR BACKS.
AND WE ALL KNOW KIDS ARE GONNA GET DIRTY, THEY'RE GONNA CRAWL AROUND, THEY'RE GONNA SPILL SOMETHING.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT SIZES OF CLOTHING FOR THE KIDS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT
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WE CAN HELP THEM HAVE AT LEAST CLEAN CLOTHES, UH, WHEN THEY GET HERE.WE ALSO, UH, THROUGH OTHER NONPROFIT PARTNERS, CAN PROVIDE SOME LEGAL ORIENTATION, WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT IN THE ASYLUM SEEKING PROCESS, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, IF THEY, IF THEY NEED TO MOVE THEIR, UM, ASYLUM FIRST APPEARANCE DATE TO ANOTHER TIME.
UM, WE HAVE HELP, UM, FROM TINO AND OTHER RAICES AND OTHER NONPROFITS.
AND THEN, UM, EVERY ASYLUM SEEKER WHO COMES THROUGH THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, WHO COMES THROUGH TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, GETS A HYGIENE KIT.
SO IT HAS A TOOTHBRUSH, TOOTHPASTE, DEODORANT.
UM, AND WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN ABLE TO START, UM, A SHOWER PROGRAM.
SO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE FOR TWO DAYS OR MORE, UM, ARE PRIORITIZED TO RECEIVE SHOWER SERVICES.
UM, AND THAT'S BEEN, UH, VERY WELL RECEIVED.
SO HERE ARE OUR PRIMARY PARTNERS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE EFFORT FOR THE CITY IS LED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, UM, MEALS AND DONATION MANAGEMENT.
SO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DONATE DIAPERS AND FOOD, UM, CAN DO SO THROUGH THE FOOD BANK THAT'S BEING MANAGED, UM, BY SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
UM, AGAIN, HELPING WITH PURCHASING OF TICKETS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE, WE SEE FAIRLY FREQUENTLY IS A CHILD MAY HAVE CHICKENPOX, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND RATHER THAN, UM, TRYING TO QUARANTINE THAT CHILD IN A ROOM AT THE CHURCH, WE, UM, WORK CLOSELY WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GET A HOTEL ROOM FOR THAT FAMILY TO STAY IN SO THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, HAVING OUTBREAKS OF CHICKENPOX, UM, TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, THE OVERNIGHT SHELTER OPERATIONS.
JUST ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S NO PROBLEM THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WORK THROUGH.
THE, THE CAN-DO ATTITUDE IS, IS AMAZING.
AND THEN I W C WITH THEIR, YOU KNOW, WELCOMING, SMILING FACES, REALLY CRITICAL PART OF THIS RESPONSE.
UM, HERE ARE SOME OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE DONE KIND OF ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, JUST THE VOLUNTEER SHIFTS.
SO METRO HEALTH WITH MEDICAL SERVICE COORDINATION CENTER, CITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
WE BASICALLY KEPT KICKED THEM OUT OF SOME OF THEIR OFFICE SPACE IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN SUPER FLEXIBLE ABOUT RELOCATING.
UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PARTNER FOR US.
I, THE CHIEFS HERE TODAY, WE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE SITUATIONS, UM, WHERE WE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SECURITY AND SUPPORT.
I SMILE BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WAS WHEN INFOWARS DESCENDED UPON US.
AND, UM, I CAME DOWN TO DO THE INTERVIEW WITH INFOWARS, AND I LOOKED UP AND THERE WERE EIGHT BICYCLE COPS, LIKE IN A BANK READY.
UM, WE DIDN'T NEED THEM, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT THEY WERE THERE, UM, WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DIDN'T NEED THEM.
SO, UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT WAS ONE OF THE CRITICAL MEDICAL SCREENING, UM, PERSONNEL IN THE BEGINNING, ESPECIALLY BEFORE WE COULD RAMP UP WITH SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF WE HAVE, UH, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL WITH, UM, THINGS FOR KIDS TO DO.
IT'S, IT'S A LONG DAY FOR THESE KIDS, AND, UM, THEY, THEY NEED SOME ENTERTAINMENT.
AND THE LIBRARY'S BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN REALLY GOOD TO HELP WITH THE KIDS.
AND THEN B E S D, UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE AIR CONDITIONING GO OUT, WE HAD THE TOILETS BACK UP, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS JOHNNY ON THE SPOT, REALLY THERE TO HELP US, UM, RESPOND WITH WHATEVER WE NEED.
SO, UM, AS, AS, UH, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD OVER 29,000, UM, MIGRANTS COME THROUGH SAN ANTONIO ON THEIR WAY SOMEPLACE ELSE.
WE HAVE HAD, UM, 19,000, THIS IS AS OF YESTERDAY, 19,635, UM, FOLKS SLEEPING AT TRAVIS PARK CHURCH.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS THAT THIS WEEKEND WE WILL LIKELY SURPASS THE 20,000 PEOPLE SLEEPING AT TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, UM, AS A RESULT OF THIS MIGRANT SURGE.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO CARLOS ARTURO.
UM, SO HE AND HIS SON JORDAN AND DAUGHTER MALIN, UM, CAME TO SAN ANTONIO.
THEY LEFT HONDURAS WHERE THEY WERE FLEEING VIOLENCE AND A LACK OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ALONG THE WAY.
THEY MADE FRIENDS WITH, UM, THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU SEE IN THIS PHOTO.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY NEAT THING THAT WE SEE WHEN, UM, GROUPS COME IN ON THE BUS.
THEY'RE GROUPS THAT HAVE BONDED AS PART OF THEIR JOURNEY HERE TO THE UNITED STATES.
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INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY STRONG.SO HERE IS OUR, YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T BE A PRESENTATION BY YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH PERSON IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A GRAPH, RIGHT? SO, UM, HERE IT IS GRAPHICALLY DEPICTED, UM, WHAT OUR NIGHTLY CENSUS LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, IT, IT'S A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT, THAT JUNE, IT'S ACTUALLY JUNE 4TH.
UM, I REMEMBER THAT DAY AS THE DAY THAT, UH, WE, WE HAD MORE PEOPLE, UM, THAN WE HAD BEDS FOR AT TRAVIS PARK CHURCH.
AND SO WE HAD TO OPEN A SECOND OVERNIGHT SHELTER ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS, BUT IT WAS, UM, A MAJOR UNDERTAKING.
UM, AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FOLKS SPOKE FRENCH.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GET MORE INVOLVED AND, UM, AND HELP OUT WITH THAT, WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO THE TAKEAWAY IS YOU CAN SEE, UM, A LOT OF VOLATILITY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DID SPIKE IN JUNE.
UM, AND THIS IS TYPICAL OF WHAT WE SEE WITH ASYLUM SEEKERS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES.
THE TREND TYPICALLY GOES DOWN IN THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS.
UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS DOWNWARD TREND IS A RESULT OF ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, OR WHETHER IT'S HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT ALWAYS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO INDIVIDUAL SHOUT OUTS, UH, THE FOOD BANK HAS SERVED 71,000, OVER 71,000 MEALS.
UM, THESE ARE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE MEALS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY COOL, WHEN, WHEN WE HAD THE INCREASE IN THE, UM, CONGOLESE ASYLUM SEEKERS, THE FOOD BANK ACTUALLY SAT DOWN WITH THEM AND, AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT MEALS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO EAT, AND TRIED TO REPLICATE A CONGOLESE MEAL AS A WAY TO HELP THEM FEEL WELCOME HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND IT'S LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT JUST MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
UM, SO WE HAVE HAD OVER 2000 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE MEDICAL SCREENING.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE FIND ARE WHAT I CALL STRESS RELATED ILLNESSES.
SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, COLDS AND FLU, A COUPLE OF CASES OF CHICKENPOX, UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME SEVERE, UM, ASTHMA ATTACKS THAT REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, KIDS FOR WHOM THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT JOURNEY AND A DIFFICULT SITUATION, AND THEIR LITTLE BODIES ARE JUST WORN OUT.
UM, SO ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT, UM, CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
13% OF OUR CITY CIVILIAN WORKFORCE HAS VOLUNTEERED IN THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UM, SO OVER A THOUSAND STAFF HAVE WORKED NEARLY 20,000 HOURS SINCE APRIL 1ST IN THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UM, HERE ARE THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND, UM, DO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, FINANCE AND SOLID WASTE, ESPECIALLY.
SO THOSE ACROSS THE TOP HUMAN SERVICES, FINANCE, SOLID WASTE, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL TAKING ON MORE SHIFTS THAN WE ASKED OF THEM.
UM, AND WHEN THEY TAKE ON SHIFTS, THEY, THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S A REALLY GREAT TEAM BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.
THEY SEE IT AS THAT THEY TRAIN OTHER LEADERS ON HOW TO RUN SHIFTS.
THEY'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE, UM, NEARLY EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS RESPONSE.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL FIX THAT FOR NEXT TIME.
UM, ALL RIGHT, SO I'M TOLD THAT WHEN I HIT THIS BUTTON, THIS VIDEO'S GONNA SHOW, OH, IT DOESN'T WORK.
ARE YOU GONNA MAKE IT GO? SO WE HAVE A QUICK LITTLE VIDEO, UM, THAT G P A PUT TOGETHER ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEERING.
UM, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD THE, THE VIDEO INTERPRETATION, SO I DON'T HAVE A VIDEO.
SO, WANNA TALK ABOUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.
SO WE'VE HAD, UM, OVER 520 COMMUNITY MEMBERS VOLUNTEER
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AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, AND AGAIN, ALMOST 13,000 HOURS THAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED.UM, AND PARTICIPATING IN EITHER VOLUNTEERING AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER OR AT TRAVIS PARK CHURCH FOR THE OVERNIGHT SHELTER.
UM, WANNA GIVE US SHOUT OUT TO TEAMS FROM THE MARTINEZ STREET WOMEN'S CENTER, FROM VALERO, FROM THE CHURCH OF LATTER DAY SAINTS, FROM NORTHSIDE I S D, AND OTHER GROUPS, UM, WHO'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
SO IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING IN THE CENTER, WE'VE HAD OTHER GROUPS COME VOLUNTEER, ESPECIALLY WITH THE KIDS, BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL FAMILY UNITS.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE CHILDREN WHO COME WITH THEM.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER.
I THINK WE HAD, UM, A BASKETBALL TEAM FROM MOLDOVA COME TO SAN ANTONIO, AND, UM, AS PART OF THEIR, I'LL CALL IT A CAMP EXPERIENCE, UM, THEY VOLUNTEERED AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER WITH THE KIDS.
UM, AND THEN IT WAS THE NEATEST THING, BECAUSE THEN THEY WROTE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
SO THEY WROTE ABOUT IT IN ENGLISH.
SO THE ENGLISH IS REALLY FUNNY, UM, TO READ, BUT THE, THE SENTIMENT IS SO HEARTFELT AND JUST THIS REALLY NEAT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT OF COMING FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES AND SEEING HOW THE UNITED STATES WAS WELCOMING, UM, THOSE LESS FORTUNATE WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL TO THESE YOUNG MEN TO SEE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE HAD, UM, SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL CLUB HAS COME AND PLAYED SOCCER WITH THESE KIDS, THANKS TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO FOR ORGANIZING THAT.
UM, AND THAT WAS, THAT'S BEEN, UH, A GOOD FUN WAY FOR THESE KIDS TO GET SOME OF THAT ENERGY OUT AND INTERACT WITH FOOTBALL PLAYERS.
SO, UM, WE ALSO HAVE HAD, UM, SOME NICE ASSISTANCE FROM THE RESTAURANT, KIMORA ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE M R C.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN KIND OF AN OVERFLOW FOOD STORAGE FOR US WHEN WE NEED IT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HAS JUST BEEN PHENOMENAL WITH THEIR DONATIONS.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES GO, UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH ARE, UM, THREE MAJOR THINGS.
SO WE DO HAVE FAMILIES WHO ARRIVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH NO WAY TO PURCHASE THE TICKET TO THE NEXT PLACE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
UM, AND SO WE, AGAIN, HAVE WORKED WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
UM, WE HAVE BECOME QUITE GOOD IN OUR ROLE AS TRAVEL AGENT.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ESPECIALLY GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TINO, WHO I THINK MISSED HIS CALLING INSTEAD OF AN ATTORNEY.
HE REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TRAVEL AGENT, BECAUSE HE CAN FIND THE BEST DEAL EVER.
HE, IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR TINO TO SAY TO ME, OH, YEAH, I GOT THEM A TICKET FOR $5.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT, UM, SOMETIMES THE CHEAPEST WAY TO GET SOMEPLACE FAR AWAY FROM HERE, LIKE NEW YORK OR SEATTLE, IS A PLANE TICKET.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THAT SOUNDS, UM, LIKE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WASTING MONEY ON BUYING PLANE TICKETS.
WE ONLY BUY THE LEAST EXPENSIVE TICKET WE CAN FIND.
AND IF IT HAPPENS TO BE A PLANE TICKET, THEN WE WILL BUY THE PLANE TICKET.
UM, THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES DO COME WITH TICKETS THAT WERE ALREADY PURCHASED BY THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND SOMETIMES THOSE TICKETS ARE PLANE TICKETS.
UM, SO WE TAKE DAILY BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE TO THE AIRPORT, UM, TO GET TO THE NEXT DESTINATION.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE PAYING FOR IT, AND BY WE, I MEAN OUR PARTNERSHIP CATHOLIC CHARITIES, UM, IT'S BECAUSE THAT WAS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO DO THAT.
UM, SO WE ARE ALSO, SO WE TAKE FOLKS EITHER TO THE AIRPORT OR TO, UM, ONE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BUS STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE'RE SHUTTLING PEOPLE THROUGH A LOT.
WE ALSO SHUTTLE PEOPLE IF THEY NEED TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, TO THE HOSPITAL.
WE SHUTTLE PEOPLE TO WESTERN UNION, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS THE FAMILY CAN WIRE MONEY TO SAN ANTONIO, AND THEN THE FAMILY CAN USE THAT MONEY TO PURCHASE THEIR TICKETS.
SO, UM, COORDINATING LOCAL TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN A LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE FOR US THAT I DON'T THINK WE ANTICIPATED IN THE BEGINNING.
AND THEN STAFF COVERAGE, WHEN WE FIRST OPENED THIS, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A TWO WEEK GIG.
WE WERE PREPARED TO DO THIS FOR TWO WEEKS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE USING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, THEY LIKE THINGS THAT LAST TWO
[00:30:01]
WEEKS.UM, WE'RE NOW IN MONTH FIVE, AND, UM, FOLKS ARE STARTING TO SEE THIS AS LESS OF A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AND MORE OF LIKE A, A, A JOB THAT DOESN'T PAY.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION FOR FOLKS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US AS WELL.
UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MONEY.
SO TOTAL DIRECT EXPEN EXPENDITURES BY THE CITY IS RIGHT AROUND $300,000.
SO THAT'S FROM MARCH 31ST TO LAST WEEK.
UM, OF THAT, WE HAVE GIVEN 141,000 TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS THEN SUBCONTRACTED $81,000 OF THAT TO TRAVIS PARK CHURCH.
UM, SO IN THE BEGINNING, THAT WAS THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS WAY TO GET MONEY FROM, UM, THE CITY TO TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, IS TO GO THROUGH CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
UM, THAT MEANS THAT $30,000 WENT TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR RESPONSE, AND $30,000 WENT TO THE FOOD BANK TO SUPPORT THEIR RESPONSE.
UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE CITY HAS PAID FOR, UM, THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HAD EXPENSES.
AND SO THIS, WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS SCREEN REPRESENTS THE COSTS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE CITY HAS PAID FOR, UM, THROUGH THE LAST WEEK.
THAT DOESN'T REFLECT WHAT THEIR COSTS IN THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO BE.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, FOR TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, THEIR AVERAGE MONTHLY COST IS $50,000.
SO THEY'VE USED ALL OF THE CITY'S MONEY, AND BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, THEY WILL, THEY WILL HAVE SPENT $133,000 THAT IS NOT COVERED BY WHAT THE CITY IS PAYING FOR.
SO EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WILL TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT HOW, UM, THE CITY DOLLARS WERE HELPFUL, BUT THEY DIDN'T COVER THE ENTIRE COST.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO WORK WITH, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GET THE MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE CAN FOR OUR PARTNERS AND FOR THE CITY IN THIS RESPONSE.
UM, SO YOU'VE HEARD THAT THERE WAS $30 MILLION ALLOCATED, UM, TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE MIGRANT SURGE.
25 MILLION OF THAT WAS RESERVED FOR BORDER STATES.
THERE WAS TALK ABOUT MAYBE IT WAS GONNA BE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS ALL 50 STATES.
UM, LOGIC PREVAILED AND, UH, THE, THE BULK OF IT IS GOING TO THE BORDER STATES.
UM, THEY HAVE SAID THAT THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES FOR REIMBURSEMENT ARE FOOD AND SHELTER.
AND, UM, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE THAT'S THE PREDOMINANT, UM, EXPENSE THAT, THAT WE ARE HAVING.
UM, NOW WHAT THEY HAVEN'T DONE IS GIVEN US THE APPLICATION.
THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN US THE APPLICATION DATE.
UM, SO ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THEY HAVE SAID, OF THE 30 MILLION, 25 MILLION IS GOING TO BORDER STATES, AND THIS GROUP IS GOING TO OVERSEE THE PROCESS.
UM, SO WE'RE WAITING FOR THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER NATIONAL BOARD TO GIVE US THE APPLICATION AND TELL US HOW THEY WANT US TO SUBMIT OUR APPLICATIONS FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE LANGUAGE IN THE LEGISLATION.
WE ARE, UH, CHEERFULLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE, BUT NOT ONE THAT'S GOING TO, UM, PREVENT US FROM APPLYING AS SOON AS THAT APPLICATION HITS THE, THE INTERNET.
UM, IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR, UM, WHEN WE DID CALCULATIONS, WE THINK THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE RECEIPTS THAT WILL JUSTIFY REIMBURSEMENT OF $620,000.
UM, WE THINK THAT OUR PARTNERS WILL HAVE RECEIPTS THAT TOTAL ABOUT $600,000.
AND SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE OVER $1.2 MILLION OF RECEIPTS THAT WE WILL BE SUBMITTING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, AND WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE GET MORE DETAILS ON WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.
UM, FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT EACH OF YOU HAVE A GIFT FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UM, SO ALL OF YOU HAVE THE SAME THANK YOU NOTE, BUT EACH OF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT, UM, OUTLINE OF CHILDREN'S HAND PRINTS AND SOME BABY'S FEET PRINTS.
UM, SO FOLKS JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AS A SMALL TOKEN OF THEIR
[00:35:01]
APPRECIATION FOR THE COMPASSION THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS SHOWN THEM, UM, AS THEIR FIRST REAL, UM, EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.UM, SO IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT THE NOTE SAYS, UM, I HAVE TRANSLATIONS.
I THINK THE NOTE IS THE FIRST ONE RIGHT, THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR THING.
UM, SO I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DATE BETWEEN FEARS AND TEARS OF JOY, WE MANAGED TO GET TO SAN ANTONIO, SADLY, KNOWING THAT WE COULD NOT TRAVEL, WHEN WE FOUND A NICE PERSON OF NOBLE HEART, THEY BROUGHT US TO A NICE PLACE WHERE IT'S BETTER THAN HOME.
IT'S A JOY TO KNOW THAT IN SUCH A BIG COUNTRY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING OF US IMMIGRANTS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A SECOND PART OF THAT NOTE THAT SAYS, WE ARE NOT BAD.
WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR A FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
GOD BLESS ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
PSALM 23, HONDURAS, WE ARE IMMIGRANTS.
SO ON THAT NOTE, I WILL CLOSE THE PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BRIDGER, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU SHEDDING THE INTERIM LABEL AS WELL.
UM, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND ANYBODY WHO IS CURIOUS OR DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT COMPASSIONATE CITY MEANS, I THINK, UH, HAD THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
IT WAS ARTICULATED IN, IN OUR COUNCIL'S, UM, CHARTER FOR COMPASSION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WE CAN SEE IT DEMONSTRATED EVERY SINGLE DAY AT THE M R C.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING, IF THEY JUST WANNA FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CITY, THEY SHOULD GO DOWN AND VOLUNTEER A COUPLE HOURS.
UM, I DO WANT TO THANK ALL THE PARTNERS WHO HAVE MADE THE THE M R C POSSIBLE, UH, STARTING WITH OUR CITY STAFF, CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH.
UH, STILL THE BEST MOMENT I'VE SPENT, UM, BEING A PART OF CITY HALL WAS GETTING THAT CALL FROM YOU, ERIC.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UH, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES THAT WERE PART OF THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE M R C, UH, OPERATIONS, THE INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION OF SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK, TRAVIS PARK CHURCH, UH, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, ESIS, SO MANY OTHER PARTNERS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
AND IF I DIDN'T NAME, UH, A PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION, IT'S NOT THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED.
IN FACT, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH EFFORTS LIKE THIS BEFORE, NEVER SO MUCH FOCUSED AS THEY HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
BUT, UH, EVEN IN OUR NORMAL OPERATIONS, UH, DURING THE TIME OF THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, WE'VE DEALT WITH A NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES.
AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE THEM CONSOLIDATED LIKE THIS IN, IN AN EFFORT THAT'S GOTTEN SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION.
AND I, I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU, DR.
BRIDGER, UH, FOR BEING, UH, A GREAT EXAMPLE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, OTHER CITIES ABOUT HOW WE CAN HANDLE, UH, WHAT HAS BECOME A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, UH, IN A VERY HUMANE AND COMPASSIONATE WAY.
UM, SO THIS ENTIRE EFFORT IS BEING DRIVEN LARGELY BY VOLUNTEERS, UM, UNDER SOME COORDINATED DIRECTION BY VERY ABLE PEOPLE LIKE TINO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALSO, TINO, FOR YOUR EXPERTISE IN THIS.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS FOR THOSE, UH, PEOPLE WHO JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A HEART FOR HELPING, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO HERE.
WE DON'T, UH, THE FIRST THING WE ASK IS HOW CAN WE HELP? AND SOMEONE IS, IS WATCHING AND WANTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BE INVOLVED.
I WAS THERE, UH, UH, ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO AGO, AND THE ROTARY CLUB HAPPENED TO DROP OFF LIKE 75 DOLLS THAT THEY HAD HANDMADE JUST TO GIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CHILDREN SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH.
IF SOMEBODY HAS A, A AN HOUR OF TIME OR, UH, AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING OR A CHECK THEY WANNA WRITE, HOW DO THEY GET INVOLVED WITH THAT? SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, THEY CAN INTERACT WITH ANY OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEER SUPPORT AND OR, UM, FINANCIAL OR OTHER DONATIONS.
UM, OR THEY CAN WORK THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO SIGN UP FOR SHIFTS, UH, TO COME IN AND ACTUALLY WORK AT THE, THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
BUT WHO SHOULD THEY CONTACT? I MEAN, IS THERE A ONE STOP FOR PAGE WHERE IF THEY PULL UP D H S'S THROUGH THE SERVICES WEBSITE? SO IF YOU GO TO THE IMMIGRANT SERVICES WEBSITE, THEY'LL FIND A LINK FOR THAT SIGNING UP TO VOLUNTEER ON THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE? YES.
IF WE COULD MAYBE GET THAT OUT TO COUNCIL AND MAYBE HAVE A QUICK LINK THAT SOMEBODY CAN, CAN CLICK.
UM, ERIC, I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS
[00:40:01]
WITH OTHER CITIES THAT WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND MAYBE EVEN WANTED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE, UH, PEOPLE ARE BEING SENT.UM, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM OTHER CITIES AND THEIR OPERATIONS? UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN GLEAN FROM THEM, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT MOVING FORWARD, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FLOW OF MIGRANTS AND, AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED.
SO ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M, I'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF THE CITY MANAGERS IN SOME OF THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES CLOSER TO THE BORDER, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, UM, SOME OF THE LARGER CITIES, TUCSON, I TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER OF TUCSON.
THE, THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF HOW COMMUNITIES ARE DEALING WITH THIS, UH, ALONG THE BORDER STATES, UH, IS, UH, STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY NONPROFITS.
UM, THERE ISN'T ANYBODY THAT'S CAPABLE OF HANDLING IT ALL, UH, ON THEIR OWN.
AND SO IN EACH OF THOSE CITIES, UM, YOU SEE A BIG, UH, REAL STRONG TIE.
SO, AND, AND, AND WE, WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A, UH, A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NONPROFITS HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD POINT BACK TO KIND OF OUR ROLE DURING, UM, HURRICANES ALONG THE COAST AND, AND HOW WE WORK, UH, TOGETHER HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH REALLY SETS A GOOD FOUNDATION.
UM, SECONDLY, I THINK, UM, AS, AS I'VE TALKED TO, UM, OTHER CITY MANAGERS AND WE DO NEED TO HAVE A LONGER TERM SOLUTION LOCALLY FOR THIS, UM, UM, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, I'M SUPER PROUD OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE ASSISTED THE LEADERSHIP.
I MEAN, I, I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE MEETING, THE LEADERSHIP OVER THERE ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROOM HAS BEEN CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD SINCE THE END OF MARCH.
AND, UH, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED AND IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO THINK THROUGH FROM A LONGER TERM PERSPECTIVE, WHAT, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THIS? AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, AND IN FACT, EVEN WE KNOW THE ORIENTATION ON THIS ISSUE CHANGES FROM ONE ADMINISTRATION TO THE NEXT.
BUT EVEN IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, WE WERE HAVING A QUITE A, UH, AN ANNUAL FLOW OF REFUGEES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, UH, THROUGH THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.
AND EVEN AT THAT TIME, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME KIND OF, UM, PERMANENT OR SEMI-PERMANENT OPERATION AS IT RELATES TO WELCOMING NEW AMERICANS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE LIST OF BEST PRACTICES I BELIEVE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD PUT OUT TOO.
SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A PROPOSAL, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR US, UH, WHO WOULD BE INVOLVED, HOW WE CAN, UH, HOW WE CAN HELP.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE ALSO MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE INVOLVED AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I AGREE, UH, I THINK IT'S GREAT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, WE'RE DEMONSTRATING THE WORLD THAT IT CAN BE DONE, UH, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE WAY THAT IT'S BEING CONDUCTED, A PERMANENT SOLUTION.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA NEED ONE.
UM, MELODY AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS FOR A FEW YEARS, UH, THERE'S SOME OPERATIONS IN PLACES LIKE HOUSTON THAT ARE, ARE BEING CONDUCTED WITH GREAT SUCCESS.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN LEARN OUT THERE TOO.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.
THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND OF COURSE, TO STAFF AND ALL THE PARTNERS THAT, THAT ARE HERE FOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALL THE STAFF VOLUNTEERS, UM, AS WELL.
AND, UH, PARKS AND REC FOR COMING OUT AND PLAYING WITH THOSE KIDS.
UM, UH, I'VE BEEN, UH, I'VE BEEN TO THE, THE MIGRANT CENTER, UH, TO VOLUNTEER, AND I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE AS WELL.
AND YOU'VE SENT YOUR STAFF THERE, UH, SEVERAL TIMES, COUNCILMAN.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S EXACTLY WHAT, UH, WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, IT'S ACTUALLY A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
ONCE YOU'RE THERE, IT REALLY BECOMES BLACK AND WHITE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE OFFER SO MUCH GREAT THINGS, BUT THE NEED IS, IS BIGGER THAN WHAT WE CAN GIVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THE CITY AND, AND MANY PARTNERS PUT TOGETHER THE TRICENTENNIAL.
WE HAD, UM, THE PEOPLE FROM, UM, THE HURRICANES AND THE CITY REALLY STEPPED UP, UH, TO THAT.
AND I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET AT THAT, UH, STEP UP POINT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN LIMITED WITH THE RESOURCES THAT, THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU.
AND, UM, AND I DON'T THINK ULTIMATELY THIS WILL ALL FALL ON THE CITY.
I THINK, UM, WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR PARTNERS LOCAL AND BEYOND, UH, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT, UH, OTHER PARTNERS, UH, TO PARTAKE IN THIS.
SO I WOULD ECHO THE, THE MAYOR'S SENTIMENTS THAT, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE WHAT DOES A LONGER TERM SOLUTION LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, UH,
[00:45:01]
FACILITIES, UH, IN TERMS OF COST.I KNOW, UH, WHEN I WAS THERE, UH, THE BOTTLENECK IN GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH WAS FUNDING THOSE, UH, THE TRAVEL, UH, PEOPLE WERE WAITING FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO GET THAT, UH, GET THAT FUNDED, AND THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WON'T BE REIMBURSED BY THE, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IF TINO BUYS ALL THE TICKETS? UM, 'CAUSE THAT'LL BE A LOWER COST AND IF THEY HAVE TO BUY THEM ON THEIR OWN.
OH, HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, YOU'VE GOT A, YOU'VE GOT A NEW TITLE, AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, SOMETIMES IT IS CHEAPER TO FLY.
UH, WE WERE TALKING TO SOME OF THE MIGRANTS GOING THROUGH THERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GREYHOUND CHARGES HALF THE PRICE IF YOU BUY THE TICKET SEVEN DAYS OR MORE IN ADVANCE, RIGHT? UM, BUT IF YOU BUY IT THAT WEEK THAT YOU'RE TRAVELING, WHICH IF YOU'RE A MIGRANT IN A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, YOU REALLY DON'T WANNA WAIT A WEEK.
SO I THINK, UM, THERE'S SOME ECONOMIES OF SCALE MAYBE THAT WE CAN GAIN BY CENTRALIZING THAT AND BRINGING ON SOME PARTNERS.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE AND HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, NOT JUST AS A COUNCIL, BUT OUTSIDE, UM, AS, UH, PERSONAL CITIZENS, HOW WE CAN ASSIST IN, IN THIS EFFORT.
AND, UM, I TOO JUST, UH, REALLY JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EVERYONE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND, UH, BUT I DID, I HAD JUST A QUE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS.
SO YOU MENTIONED VALERO, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE.
WAS THERE NOT ANY PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION? NOT FROM A GROUP PERSPECTIVE.
I MEAN, PLENTY OF PRIVATE SECTOR INDIVIDUALS HAVE VOLUNTEERED ONE BY ONE.
UM, VALERO SENT A TEAM, BUT, UM, NOT IN ANY SORT OF CONCERTED WAY.
WELL, WE'D HOPE THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
PERHAPS THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ORGANIZED EFFORT TO REQUEST THAT SOME OF OUR PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESSES PARTICIPATE, UM, IN ANY WAY THEY, MANY TYPICALLY DO ANYWAY, SO I'M NOT FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING WE REQUEST MM-HMM.
SO HOPEFULLY MAYBE WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW THEY CAN BE MORE HELPFUL.
UM, AND, UH, AND THOSE ARE REALLY ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD, UM, ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION, UH, IN, UM, THESE, BECAUSE I DO SEE EVERY, EVERYBODY HERE IS, UH, UM, NON-PROFIT, UM, WORKING ON THIS ISSUE.
SO WE HOPE THAT WE CAN GET THEM TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
UH, AND UM, JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, UH, LIKE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND THE INTERFAITH COALITION AND THOSE OF THAT HAVE SPENT REALLY THEIR LIFE'S WORK, UH, HELPING MIGRANTS.
I, I SHOULD CLARIFY THAT, UM, SO THE CITY'S ALLOCATION OF, UM, 141,000 CAME WITH A MATCH TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THERE WAS A, AND IT WAS A ONE TO THREE MATCH.
SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT THE CITY CONTRIBUTED, WE WERE LOOKING FOR $2 FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, PLENTY OF PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE FUNDING AND DONATIONS, UM, TO HELP OUT.
SO I DON'T WANNA UNDERMINE THAT.
AND DID YOU GET MAP? YES, WE TOTALLY, WE, WE KILLED IT.
AND DO YOU HAVE A RECORD OF THAT OR, UH, OF HOW MUCH? WE DO HAVE A RECORD, UM, AND WE PUT TOGETHER A MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO, UM, WE'LL SEND THAT THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, WE'RE ABOUT DUE FOR ANOTHER MONTHLY REPORT, BUT YES.
'CAUSE I FORGOT TILL YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD, UM, WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION LAST TIME.
BRIDGER, YOU SPEAK FRENCH, YOU SPEAK SPANISH, OTHER LANGUAGES, WHAT I LIKE TO SAY, I SPEAK SOUTHERN, I GREW UP IN MICHIGAN, SO I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK SOUTHERN WHEN I CAME TO NORTH CAROLINA AND TEXAS.
WELL THAT A VERY TALENTED THANK YOU, DR.
JUST, JUST REAL QUICK THOUGH, TO BE CLEAR, UM, VALERO WAS OUT THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN TEAMS FROM OTHER COMPANIES THAT HAVE GONE OUT TOGETHER.
I WAS THERE, THERE WAS A CREDIT UNION THERE.
I KNOW WHATABURGER HAS BEEN THERE.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SELF-IDENTIFIED, BUT WE MAYBE OUGHT TO HAVE A CHECK-IN IF THERE ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS COMING DOWN AS A GROUP YEAH.
THAT THEY CAN GET, GET SOME RECOGNITION IF THEY WANT IT, UM, FOR BEING DOWN THERE AS A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS.
WELL MAYOR, WE'LL DO THAT AND I'LL, UH, WE'LL INCLUDE THAT, UH, IN THIS WEEK'S, UH, END OF WEEK REPORT.
THAT EMAIL ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
[00:50:01]
FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.UM, THESE ARE REALLY, REALLY TOUGH ISSUES AND I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE TO THANK.
AND, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE, THE PRESENTATION WAS, UM, WELL DONE.
AND, AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO ALSO JUST SIMPLY PUBLICLY THANK MY, MY STAFF WHO HAS VOLUNTEERED AND, UH, EVEN MY, MY CHIEF OF STAFF'S DAUGHTER SOPHIA HAS GONE OUT TO, UH, TO VOLUNTEER AT THIS LOCATION.
AND OF COURSE, YES, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE, WE ORGANIZED A, A GREAT SOCCER MATCH, AND IT WAS, I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE A DEATH MATCH.
I MEAN, THEY WERE, THEY WERE GOING AT IT
I MEAN, THEY WERE PLAYING AGAINST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING THAT, UH, THAT, THAT HAPPENED.
UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE MANY MORE OF THOSE, UH, AS THE, THEIR SCHEDULE ALLOWS.
SO, SO THANKS TO, UH, MR. LAHOOD, UH, OF SAN ANTONIO, F C AND ALL THE GREAT PARTNERS THAT, THAT HELP GET THAT GOING.
UM, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND AS MANY MANY OF Y'ALL KNOW, I'M, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM, FROM MACALLAN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ISSUE I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S GONNA HIT US, AND WHEN IT DOES, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WE FIRST WANNA THANK, UH, ERIC WALSH BEFORE HE WAS EVER CITY MANAGER.
UM, HE WAS HELPING US, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS TAKING TRIPS DOWN TO MCALLEN AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU, YOU HEAR ABOUT ONE OF THOSE LAW STORIES IS HOW YOU KNOW THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY COMPLEX.
BRIDGER TALK ABOUT ALL THE ASPECTS AND ALL THE RESOURCES WE HAVE HERE.
BUT IN MACALLAN, THERE'S A NUN THAT'S SORT OF TRYING TO TACKLE ALL THIS ON HER OWN AND, AND WANNA THANK ERIC AND, UH, UM, MR. ZEPEDA OVER AT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER FOR HELPING TO CREATE AN EMERGENCY MANUAL FOR THEM.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK ANDY SEGOVIA.
UM, I'M TELLING YOU THESE STORIES BECAUSE I'M GONNA GET TO A POINT, AND ANDY, YOU KNOW, ANDY SENT A LETTER DOWN THERE, SPEAKING OF BUS TICKETS.
UM, WHAT WAS HAPPENING DOWN IN, IN, IN MACALLAN, AND THIS IS IT'S APPALLING, WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE BUS TICKETS WERE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
AND, UM, I REMEMBER, I, I HAD TO HELP SOMEBODY WITH THEIR BUS TICKET 'CAUSE THEY JUST DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
BRIDGER, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S CRAZY TO THINK THAT THAT A, THAT A PLANE TICKET IS ONE FOURTH THE COST OF A BUS TICKET TO ATLANTA, FOR EXAMPLE.
WELL, ANDY FIXED THAT AND YOU KNOW, HE SENT A LETTER, UM, AND I, AND I THINK THAT SORT OF SETS THE TONE FOR WHAT I'VE, I HOPE WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.
AND WHAT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT, AND AS ERIC MENTIONED ABOUT ARIZONA AND, AND ALL THE BORDER STATES, WE ALSO GOTTA THINK ABOUT THE SCALE IN WHICH A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES ARE TACKLING THIS.
THE FACT IS, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS MUCH, MUCH LARGER.
IN FACT, MY DISTRICT IS MUCH LARGER THAN THE CITY OF MCALLEN.
AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE SEEING ABOUT 1200 SISTER PIMENTEL SEES ABOUT 1200 OR MORE REFUGEES A DAY.
SO I WANT THAT TO SINK IN RIGHT NOW.
THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER SMALLER COMMUNITIES TOO THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
AND SO WHAT I'D, I'D LIKE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IS THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE HERE AS RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP SOME OF THESE SMALLER COMMUNITIES.
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS AS, AS THESE BORDER BORDER STATES ARE SEEING, UM, WHILE WE'RE BARELY SEEING IT NOW, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS IN MACALLAN.
AND AS THE PROBLEM STARTS TO REALLY GET TO A TIPPING POINT, WE START TO SEE IT.
AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHARE OUR RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT HELPS ALL OF US AND CONSIDERS THE FACT THAT THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY THESE TINY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED.
UM, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION MARIA GOMEZ, IS SHE HERE? NO.
WELL, I, I, AND I GOTTA THANK HER BECAUSE THIS IS A, THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT STORY.
UM, SISTER PIMENTEL, AS I MENTIONED, SHE WAS SEEING THAT MANY FOLKS A DAY WITH ONE SHOWER AVAILABLE FOR THEM, AND, UH, WORK WORKING WITH HER.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET A SHOWER TRAILER DOWN THERE THAT THEY'RE STILL USING AND HAS REALLY CHANGED A LOT OF HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, ASSIST.
[00:55:01]
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I'M GETTING AT IT.UH, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY HERE TO, TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND I ABSOLUTELY, UH, RESPECT THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S, THAT IS, THAT IS BEING SEEN ALONG THE ENTIRE BORDER.
AND SO, SO ERIC, I I REALLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, ALONG WITH WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON WITH THESE OTHER CITIES, I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO INCLUDE IN THERE THE, THE IMPACT TO THESE SMALLER COMMUNITIES AND HOW THE BIGGER CITIES CAN, CAN SHARE IN RESOURCES SO THAT WE HAVE A, A, A MUCH BIGGER PLAN.
I THINK IT IN, IN THE END, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO SAY THAT OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS FAILING US, AND IT'S GONNA BE UP TO THE MUNICIPALITIES TO SHOW THAT WE CAN STICK TOGETHER.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THESE KINDS OF EVENTS AFFECT ALL OF US, AND THEY HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT.
AND SO FINDING A WAY TO, TO WORK TOGETHER AND, AND SHARE DATA, SHARE INFORMATION, CREATE AN, UH, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS MANUAL THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE SO THAT WHEN THESE RESOURCES ARE ARE AVAILABLE, THEN WE CAN, THEN WE CAN SHARE IN THEM.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
I'M, I'M, I'M SUPER PROUD TO HAVE, HAVE SEEN THE RESPONSE HERE LOCALLY.
I'M, I'M SUPER PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS.
I JUST THANK YOU MARIA FOR
UM, SO LASTLY, I JUST WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE THIS MOMENT TO ASK, UH, MY GOOD FRIEND GAVIN ROGERS TO MAYBE COME UP AND, AND SHARE SOME OF HIS, UH, WORK AND, UH, A GOOD STORY HE'D LIKE TO TELL GAVIN.
SHE TOUCHED HIS HEAD, SHE TOUCHED HIS HEAD.
SO IN INFOWARS CAME TO TOWN AND THEY'RE ACCUSING US TO SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE EBOLA COMING FROM THE CONGO.
THEY WERE FEARMONGERING SAYING THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT BE DIRTY, THEY MIGHT HAVE EBOLA.
AND SO THEY CHARGED INTO THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
WE GET, THEY ALSO DO THE CHURCH AS WELL.
AND, UH, IN THE INTERVIEW, DR.
BRIDGER CALMLY COOL, THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN, SHE IN THE INTERVIEW EXPLAINING THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DON'T HAVE EBOLA.
SO SHE REACHED AND STARTED TOUCHING A KID'S HEAD, VISUALLY SHOWING THAT THIS PERSON IS SAFE, THIS PERSON IS LOVED.
THAT TO ME, BLEW ME OUTTA THE WATER BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY HAD EBOLA, THE ONE THING YOU DON'T DO IS TOUCH OR EVEN BE IN THE SAME ROOM.
AND SHE SHOWED THEM THAT TYPE OF LOVE AND THAT TYPE OF COMPASSION WHEN THAT FEAR WAS BEING, UH, SPREAD.
THANK YOU TO TINO, MEL, EDWARD, JESSICA, MARK, I'M FORGETTING PEOPLE ALL THAT WORK IN THE CITY, THAT CONSTANTLY DO THAT, THAT CONSTANTLY SHOW THE COMMUNITY WHEN ALL THESE FACTS ARE BEING SPUN, THAT THIS IS A SOURCE OF LOVE, THIS IS A SOURCE OF SAFETY, AND EVERYBODY HERE, UH, IS WELCOME.
UH, IF YOU WOULD'VE TOLD ME THAT OUR CHURCH WOULD'VE HOSTED NOW ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE TO SLEEP AT OUR CHURCH, I WOULD'VE PASSED OUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SERVE ABOUT 600 HOMELESS A WEEK.
AND SO ADDING THIS TO OUR PLATE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD REALLY HAD TO CONSIDER.
AND ALONG WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND THE AMAZING WORK THEY DO, AND THE FOOD BANK AND THE STUFF THEY DO JUST NORMALLY IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, IT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING OPERATION JUST TO WATCH AND BE A PART OF.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST WE WEREN'T PROVIDING SHOWERS JUST BECAUSE WE JUST COULDN'T SHOWER PEOPLE FAST ENOUGH.
UH, AND OUR PLACE DURING THE NIGHTTIME, THINK ABOUT THAT, IT TAKES HOURS, UH, SO THEY WOULD LOSE SLEEP.
AND SO FINALLY, AFTER GETTING ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO STEP TO THE PLATE, ENOS INFANTIS HAS STEPPED UP ALONG WITH THE LATTER DAY SAINTS AND OTHER GROUPS THAT ST.
MARK'S IS DOING A CLOSED CLOSET.
AND ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE STEPPED UP TO ADD THESE SERVICES THAT, YOU KNOW, TRAVIS PARK COULDN'T DO ALONE.
AND SO I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ANOTHER PLAY TIME.
I DON'T, IS THAT WEIRD TO SAY, UH, PLAY DATE, UH, AUGUST 25TH AT THE, AT THE PARK.
UH, YOU CAN COME OUT, THERE'LL BE A JUMPY CASTLE.
UH, SARAH YATES AT THE RESERVATION OFFICE HAS GIVEN US THAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE ALSO DONE, UH, EASTER EGG HUNTS OUT THERE ON EASTER.
I GOT TO POP AN EGG ON, ON MEL'S HEAD, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
AND THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS IN THIS PRESENTATION, THEY DID TALK ABOUT THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
[01:00:01]
PROGRAM.UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS IS BECAUSE, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS SEVERELY REDUCED THAT, UH, LEGAL AMOUNT OF REFUGEES INTO OUR COUNTRY.
UH, EACH ORGANIZATION, LET'S SAY THE METHODIST, THE CATHOLICS, THE EPISCOPALS, OTHER REFUGEE PROGRAMS ARE GIVEN A NUMBER BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LIKE, YOU CAN DO THIS AMOUNT THIS YEAR.
WELL, THE TOTAL AMOUNT BETWEEN ALL THOSE LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS WAS REDUCED BY 85% IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND SO THEREFORE, THE AFRICAN MIGRANTS WHO WERE NORMALLY APPLYING THROUGH THE REFUGEE PROGRAM, UH, HAVE A HARDER TIME DOING THEM BECAUSE THE NUMBERS WERE JUST REDUCED.
SO NOW THEY'RE JUST GOING THROUGH THE ASYLUM PROCESS, STILL GETTING IN, BUT IN MUCH MORE DISORGANIZED FASHION.
SO I THINK AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, I CHALLENGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR OTHER ELECTORAL OFFICIALS AND REALLY INCREASE THE, LIKE, THE REALLY ORGANIZED REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE THEN YOU WILL SEE A REDUCTION AT THE BORDER BECAUSE THOSE MIGRANTS WILL THEN WHAT WE RESORTED TO FLYING INTO BRAZIL, GOING THROUGH MEXICO TO SEEK ASYLUM.
THEY CAN DO IT THROUGH THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE KIND OF TRADING IT BACK AND FORTH WHEN IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE, THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM IS MUCH EASIER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S HARD TO MAYBE GET, IT'S STILL AN EASIER PROCESS IN THE END THAN THE ASYLUM SEEKING AND GOING THROUGH MEXICO.
SO, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS.
INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION SISTER DENISE HAS BEEN AMAZING.
IF YOU, THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED DOING THIS AND GIVING BACKPACKS AND SUPPLIES AND LEGAL, UH, DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S, IF YOU'RE GOING TO WASHINGTON STATE, THEY'LL GIVE YOU A PIECE OF PAPER SAYING, HERE ARE THE NUMBERS TO CALL ON WASHINGTON STATE OR NEBRASKA OR NEW YORK OR IN CAROLINA.
LIKE, IT'S, UH, AN AMAZING OPERATION THEY DO.
AND ALSO THE MENNONITE CHURCH IS PROVIDING SHELTER, UH, FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES THAT MIGHT NEED TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO THE RELEASE BACK INTO THEIR SHELTER, WHICH YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM, THEY DID THAT BEFORE, UH, WE WERE AROUND.
AND, UH, JUST REMEMBER, UH, THAT IMAGE OF TOUCHING A CHILD'S HEAD, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THANKS YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, DR.
I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, SO WHEN THESE FOLKS COME IN FROM, UH, THE BORDER, YOU SAID THEY'RE BUST IN TO SAN ANTONIO, AND HOW DO THEY, HOW DO THEY MAKE THAT TRANSITION FROM THE BUS STATION TO THE, TO THE CENTER? THEY WALK ACROSS THE STREET, BUT UH, ARE WE, ARE WE ESCORTING 'EM OR DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY THERE IN THE BUS CENTER? THE INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION HAVE VOLUNTEERS AT THE BUS STATION AND THEY HELP THEM FIGURE OUT IF THEY NEED TO STAY AT THE BUS STATION OR IF THEY CAN GO ACROSS THE STREET TO THE M R C.
DO ANY OF 'EM STAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR NONE? IS IT? A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THEY ALL WANNA GO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
UM, AND, UH, GETTING, GETTING TO THE COST HERE, AND I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE NUMBER 21 HERE.
WE, WE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL 141,000.
AND THEN YOU HAVE 155,000 ON HERE.
WHERE, WHERE DID, WHERE DID THAT MONEY COME FROM? OR HOW DID THAT, HOW DID WE SPEND THAT? WHERE DID, WHAT BUDGET DID THAT COME OUT OF? SO THE 141,000 WAS AN ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION FROM CONTINGENCY INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
THE 155 WAS SPENT FROM OUR EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE DIDN'T ASK ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN ORDER TO DO THIS WORK.
UM, WHAT'S THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY TO, TO SPEND MONEY OUTSIDE OF DEPARTMENTS ON SOMETHING ELSE? WHO, WHO APPROVES THAT? SO IT, TO CLARIFY, AS I UNDERSTAND, YOU SAID THAT THE, THE, OKAY, LET ME, LET ME TRY TO BE MORE CLEAR.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, B E S D HAS A BUDGET TO REPAIR CITY BUILDINGS.
WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WENT OUT AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, WHICH IS A CITY BUILDING, THEY USED THEIR EXISTING BUDGET TO REPAIR THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF THE TYPES OF EXPENSES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
SO THEY DON'T FALL OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEY NORMALLY DO, AND IT'S IN THEIR EXISTING BUDGET THAT Y'ALL APPROVED LAST YEAR FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO, COUNCILMAN THAT THAT MONEY WAS ALREADY BUDGETED WITHIN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
UH, WHAT WASN'T BUDGETED AND WHAT NEEDED, WHAT NEEDED TO BE ALLOCATED AND APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL WAS THE $141,000 WE BROUGHT AT THE MIDYEAR BUDGET.
[01:05:01]
MAINLY WITHIN THE PARKING SYSTEMS BUDGET OR BILLING MAINTENANCE, IN THIS CASE, A LAUNDRY SUPPLIES, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLIES.UM, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUILDING MAINTENANCE IF SOMETHING BREAKS, BUT THE OPERATIONS, UM, IS THAT INCLUDING THE POLICE TIME? IS THAT INCLUDING THE FIRE, FIRE TIME AND, AND RESOURCES? THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT INCLUDING THAT.
SO, SO PART OF THAT EXPENSE, AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT THE MONEY AUTHORIZED, I'M THE ONE THAT DIRECTED THE OPENING, THE, THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
SO WHEN THAT MEANT WE HAD TO SPEND MONEY ON JANITORIAL AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND STUFF WITHIN OUR OPERATING BUDGET, I'M THE ONE THAT DIRECTED THAT.
UM, WHAT I DIDN'T HAVE AUTHORITY AND WHICH WASN'T APPROPRIATED, WAS THE $141,000 THAT WHEN WE WENT TO COUNCIL AT THE MIDYEAR, THAT WAS MY RECOMMENDATION FOR, FOR THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NOT CAPTURED THERE IS THE M I H PARAMEDICS THAT SPENT THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS DOING, UH, MEDICAL CHECKS.
THOSE ARE, UH, PARAMEDICS THAT WERE ON DUTY, UM, THAT WERE WORKING, THAT WE DIRECTED OVER THERE.
THAT'S PROBABLY, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED WITHIN CENTER EXPENSES.
SO THERE ARE, THERE, THERE'S AN EFFORT AND EXPENSES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, AND, AND THOSE FRANKLY FALL UNDERNEATH MY AUTHORITY.
AND IF THEY'RE, AS LONG AS THEY'RE ALLOCATED AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF THE FACILITY, UM, THEN, THEN WE SPEND THEM.
E I MEAN, AND I'M GETTING TO MY POINT MM-HMM.
REMEMBER WHEN I SAID THAT OUR TOTAL COST THAT WE WERE GONNA BE REQUESTING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS OVER $600,000? THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE COSTS? WELL, I, WE BREAK OUT JUST DIRECT EXPENSE.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SALARY COSTS, WE WOULD BE PAYING THOSE EMPLOYEES WHETHER THEY WERE DOING THE WORK AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER OR NOT.
AND SO THAT IS NOT AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE, THAT IS NOT A DIRECT EXPENSE TO THE CITY.
SO WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF ALL OF THOSE EXPENSES, AND WE WILL BE ASKING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REIMBURSE US FOR THAT COST.
BUT WE ARE ALSO KEEPING TRACK OF THE DIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
I, I'D, I'D ALSO LIKE TO TRACK OR HAVE IT VISUAL ON THESE SLIDES, WHAT THOSE, I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE CALLING INDIRECT COSTS, UH, ON THAT ALSO TO SHOW A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE TOTAL COSTS THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THIS.
BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL OF THOSE COSTS ARE BEING IDENTIFIED ACROSS THE BOARD, WHETHER IT'S STAFF SIDE TIME, SOMEBODY SITTING AT THEIR DESK, IN THEIR OFFICE, SPENDING TIME SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM.
ALL OF THAT NEEDS TO BE CAPTURED.
AND THAT'S THAT $1.2 MILLION BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST CITY COST, IT'S FOOD BANK COSTS, AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES COST AND ALL OF THAT.
AND TOGETHER THE RESPONSE IS $1.2 MILLION.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING ON THIS, THIS INFORMATION HERE.
AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ADDED TO THIS, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING FOR THAT, I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WHY ON THESE SLIDES.
AND WE WILL ADD THAT TO THE END OF THE WEEK REPORT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE INCLUDE A WEEKLY REPORT YES.
AND WE'LL START TO DENOTE THE DIRECT AND THE INDIRECT.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN, WHEN HAD, HOW DID THAT GO TO, YOU SAID WE REQUESTED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE REIMBURSEMENT? WE HAVEN'T YET.
THEY HAVEN'T RELEASED THE APPLICATION.
SO AS SOON AS THEY RELEASE THE APPLICATION, WE WILL SUBMIT THAT $1.2 MILLION REQUEST.
AND HAVE WE FOLLOWED UP ON WHERE THAT APPLICATION IS?
WHAT, WHAT DID THEY SAY? THEY SAID IT'S COMING.
AND WHO IS THEY? THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
FEMA, I MEAN, WHO, AND IT'S FEMA.
AND THEN THAT BOARD, THE, AND WHAT THEY ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK, AND IT WAS JUST LAST WEEK, EVEN THOUGH THE CONGRESS APPROPRIATED THIS, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, A MONTH AND A HALF AGO.
AND THE PRESIDENT SIGNED IT, UM, THAT CONGRESS GAVE FEMA 30 DAYS TO DEVELOP THE RULES.
UM, AND THEY RAN BEHIND, UH, THOSE, UM, THOSE RULES JUST GOT RELEASED LAST WEEK.
AND, AND, AND JUST SO, SO YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND ANYBODY WATCHING THIS, UH, UNDERSTANDS FEMA IS GONNA UTILIZE UNITED WAY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO PROCESS, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE PAYMENTS.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL UNITED WAY, WHO FEMA HAS TASKED NATIONWIDE TO BE THE RECEIVER OF, UH, THE RECEIPTS AND THE EXPENSES AND THE PROCESS BACK UP TO FEMA.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
THAT, THAT'S MY BIGGEST THING, IS THE, THE TRANSPARENCY ON THIS, ON WHAT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY SPENDING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE MAKING.
[01:10:01]
WE'VE BEEN TRACKING IT SINCE DAY ONE, MAKING, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SHOWING WHAT THOSE TRUE COSTS ARE ACROSS THE BOARD.UM, AND LET'S, UH, HOPE THAT THEY COME THROUGH SOON FROM OUR, UM, FEMA FOLKS, RIGHT.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'VE HEARD, AND, AND WE'VE HAD THESE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, MCQUAY ARE, UM, IS THAT THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED THIS YEAR IS ONLY AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2019 THROUGH THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND, AND WHAT HE SHARED WITH US ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, UH, WAS THAT, UM, CONGRESS WOULD BE, AND HE WOULD BE TAKING ANOTHER LEADERSHIP ROLE TO IDENTIFY AN ADDITIONAL ALLOTMENT, UH, FOR THE NEXT BUDGET, FEDERAL BUDGET.
UM, 'CAUSE THESE FUNDS ARE ONLY, UH, APPLICABLE TO THIS CALENDAR YEAR THROUGH THE END OF THE, THROUGH THE END OF 2019.
AND, UM, UM, I SUSPECT THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING US, WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE DIRECT DIRECTED INDIRECT EXPENSES.
AND, AND HIS PLAN THAT HE SHARED WITH US IS THAT HE'S GONNA BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER APPROPRIATION.
BRIDGER, SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, MELODY AND YOUR TEAM, UH, JUST ALWAYS ON, YOU'RE ALWAYS AT THE SCENE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR DOING THAT.
UM, AND YES, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TRANSPARENT AND THOROUGH PROCESSES YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH THESE WEEKLY REPORTS THAT YOU'RE GIVING OUT, WHICH ARE ALSO OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND I THINK WHAT WE ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER IS WE ALSO ARE IN THIS SITUATION TOO, BECAUSE OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, UH, MOVING SLOWER THAN THEY SHOULD AND MOVING IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAN THEY SHOULD AS WELL.
AND, UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY, UH, A PARAMOUNT FOR US TO BE KEEPING RECORDS OF EVERY SINGLE HOUR AND EVERY SINGLE THING THAT WE UTILIZE, BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE GETTING REIMBURSED.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, MUNICIPALITIES ARE HAVING TO PICK UP WHERE OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT, UM, STEPPING INTO STEPPING UP INTO THE ROLE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE STEPPING UP.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL TO TREAT ALL PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO COME WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, AS FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS, UH, TOO, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS.
AND JUST KNOWING THAT THIS LITTLE KID FROM GUATEMALA TRAVELED ALL THIS WAY HERE AND THAT THEY HAD A WELCOMING FACE, AND THAT THEY WILL REMEMBER THEIR TIME IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, BECAUSE MAYBE THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY MET SOMEBODY WHO SMILED AT THEM OR TREATED THEM IN A CERTAIN WAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
YOU HAVE IT FROM MARCH OF 2019, BUT I KNOW EVERYTHING JUST DIDN'T START MARCH OF 2019 OF, OF, UH, REFUGEES, UM, ASYLUM SEEKERS.
WHEN DID WE START? WELL, I THINK CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND TRAVIS PARK, AND EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A WHILE.
CAN YOU GIVE US NUMBERS FOR JUST THIS YEAR, 2019 ALONE THAT WE'VE SEEN COME THROUGH? HAVE YOU GOTTEN THEM ALL TOGETHER, ALL THOSE DATA POINTS TOGETHER? UM, ANTONIO, IS THAT POSSIBLE, DO YOU THINK? YEAH.
WE STARTED COUNTING WHEN WE BECAME INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE, WHICH IS MARCH 31ST.
BUT WE CAN WORK WITH, UM, CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO COUNT WHAT THEY WERE DOING BEFORE, UH, BEFORE OUR INVOLVEMENT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT JUST FOR US TO HAVE THAT WHEN WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE OUR CASE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN EXHAUSTIVE OF NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT OUR, UH, PRIVATE, OUR, OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTINUE TO HELP, UM, CARRY THAT CASE THAT WE DID COME TO OUR TIPPING POINT IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE WE HAD TO STEP IN.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THE OTHER CITIES WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEIR SAME REIMBURSEMENTS THAT THEY NEED TO DO FROM, UH, THE, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
AND I'M, I'M, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT.
A HUNDRED PERCENT ARE MOVING ON TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND JUST RHETORIC THAT IS OUT THERE, MISUNDERSTANDING OR INTENTIONAL MISINFORMATION, JUST TO SHARE THAT THERE IS, THAT THEY ARE, THAT ARE ASYLUM AND REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGEES ARE MOVING TO OTHER POINTS, AND THEY WANT TO GET THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET THEIR COURT DATES.
[01:15:01]
VERY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO, TO SHARE, UM, THAT INFORMATION.UM, THANK YOU FOOD BANK FOR THOSE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE MEALS.
I MEAN THAT ABSOLUTELY, THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO SO MANY PEOPLE AND JUST MAKES MY HEART HAPPY HEARING YOU SAY THAT.
AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES ALWAYS BEING THERE AND YOUR WORK AS WELL WITH OUR HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATIONS AND HOW OUR HOTEL AND LODGING COMMUNITY CAME UP AND IS ALSO HELPING IN THIS WHOLE, UM, WORK.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MARIA AND OTHERS, UM, REBECCA, BECAUSE WE'VE NEEDED THAT HELP AND THAT SUPPORT.
UM, SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE CAN HAVE THIS BALANCE, HOW WE CAN HAVE A PLAN PUT INTO PLACE TO HAVE THIS EFFICIENT, TO IT MOVE EFFICIENTLY, UM, TO HAVE THE BALANCE IN OUR BUDGET, TO HAVE THE BALANCE WORK LIFE, EVEN WITH OUR STAFF, OUR CITY STAFF, IN ORDER TO, TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND REALLY ENGAGING OUR, OUR LOCAL, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY TOO, OF HOW, UH, JUST EVEN THE RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL, JUST THE LITTLE THINGS THAT REALLY MAKE IT SO SPECIAL.
AND, UM, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU HAD THE, THE, UH, MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT.
SO CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT, ARE THERE ANY, LIKE, HELP WITH, IS THERE COUNSELING OR ANYTHING THAT THEY MAKE IT BE JUST HERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME? YEAH.
UM, AND THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THIS CARE WHEREVER THEIR DESTINATION IS.
DO WE HAVE ANY THREAD THAT KIND OF GOES FROM HERE TO THERE IF WE CAN CATCH SOMETHING TO HELP THEM ON THEIR NEXT JOURNEY? 'CAUSE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, UM, SPECIFICALLY THESE WOMEN WHO ARE TRAVELING ALONE WITH THEIR CHILDREN, WHAT THINGS, UM, HAS HAD TO HAPPEN.
SO COULD YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT? SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.
UM, THE LONGER ANSWER IS WE RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE TRAUMA THAT THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS HAVE EXPERIENCED BOTH BEFORE THEY LEFT MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE ENCOURAGING THEM TO SEEK SUPPORT WHEN THEY GET TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
BUT ON AVERAGE, THEY'RE WITH US 24 HOURS.
AND SO THERE JUST ISN'T TIME TO DO THAT.
BUT WE, WE DO ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATIONS OKAY.
AROUND THAT TRAUMA AND ENCOURAGE THEM, UM, TO SEEK SUPPORT WHEN THEY ARRIVE IN THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH POTENTIALLY PLANNING SOMETHING, UM, MORE COHESIVE IN OUR BUDGET OR WHATEVER WE WANNA LOOK FORWARD TO, 'CAUSE THIS ISN'T SUSTAINABLE RIGHT NOW FOR THE FUTURE, LET'S SEE WHERE WE COULD PUT THAT IN, IN OUR JUST LINE OF WORK OR OUR CARE FOR THE, THE INDIVIDUAL.
UM, AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA ALSO THANK MY, UH, TEAM MEMBER, ENRIQUE THENO, WHO'S BEEN THERE, AND HE ASKS ME, COUNCILMAN, CAN I GO, CAN I LEAVE EARLY SO I CAN GO TO THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER? AND IT'S JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE TO SEE HIS WORK AND HOW EVERYTHING'S, UM, JUST HIS LOVE AND WHAT HE'S DOING THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, SO MY QUESTION WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE PREVIOUSLY AND WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON, HAS THERE BEEN ANY TALK OF PARTNERING OR FINDING A METHOD OF WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO MAYBE TAKE ON SOME OF THE VOLUNTEER WORK, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THIS? UM, IS THERE A WAY TO BUILD THAT PARTNERSHIP OR BUILD THAT, BUILD THAT BRIDGE TOGETHER TO, TO MAYBE SEE IF THEY CAN HELP US WITH SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED? FINANCIALLY? FINANCIALLY? UH, WE'VE NOT TALKED TO ANY OF THOSE PARTNERS, BUT, UH, I PERSONALLY REQUESTED TO, UM, ALL OF OUR PUBLIC AGENCIES THAT THEY, UM, UM, CHALLENGED THEM TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEERS, UH, AT THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
UH, MEL, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE SENT, UH, LETTERS TO THE RIVER AUTHORITY AND VIA, AND THE COUNTY, UM, I DON'T KNOW, C PSS, C P S SAWS.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, INVOLVEMENT FROM A VOLUNTEER STANDPOINT, BUT, BUT, UH, NOT MONETARILY IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START LOOKING INTO? UM, DO WE NEED TO, WELL, WE'VE ASKED, SO WE CAN ASK COURT, UM, TO FIND OUT WHERE CAN WE START, UM, AS A COMPLETE CITY, UM,
[01:20:01]
NOT JUST WITHIN THE CITY REALM OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT THE COUNTY OF BEAR.UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE THAN JUST THIS ONE ENTITY TO TRULY TACKLE THE WHOLE PROBLEM.
AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START BUILDING ACROSS THE CENSUS OF GETTING THAT, UM, COMPLETED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT, COLLEEN.
I THINK IT, IT REALLY, UH, GAVE US AN EXCELLENT OVERVIEW OVER, UH, HOW THE PROJECTS, UH, DEVELOPED.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US, OR RATHER, I GUESS, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, TO PROVIDE, UH, THE HUMANITARIAN AND COMPASSIONATE, UH, ASSISTANCE WE'VE BEEN, UH, PROVIDING ALL THESE MONTHS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND, UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR, IN OUR CITY STAFF, ALL OF THE WORKERS WHO'VE VOLUNTEERED, LIKE I KNOW MANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, STAFFS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
AND, AND I KNOW A LOT OF IT WAS VOLUNTEERING, GIVING UP SOME OF THE FREE TIME YOU'VE EARNED FROM OTHER THINGS TO GO AHEAD AND ADD AS A VOLUNTEER TO HELP THESE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY COMMENDABLE.
I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE, UH, QUESTIONS, THE COMMENTS, THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY, UH, MY FELLOW COUNCIL PEOPLE.
UH, I THINK WE'VE CERTAINLY SHOWN, AS THE MAYOR SAID THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A COMPASSIONATE CITY, BUT I, I HAVE TO WONDER, HOW LONG CAN THIS CONTINUE? HOW LONG WILL IT CONTINUE? YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE SEE AS A CITY AS TO SOME OF THE BARRIERS OR SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS, UH, THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT JUST IN THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT SIX MONTHS OR THIS NEXT YEAR? HOW LONG CAN OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP CONTINUE WITH ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT ARE GIVING SO MUCH? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A BUDGET FOR OUR CITY, AND I DON'T THINK WE ANTICIPATED A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF, UH, DIRECT AND INDIRECT SUPPORT WE'VE GIVEN OUT OF THIS BUDGET TO THIS EFFORT.
AND NOW WE'VE GOTTA LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT BUDGET.
AND WILL IT BE THE NEXT BUDGET AFTER THAT TOO? SO I HOPE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND MORE DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE FROM FEDERAL OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE AS A COMMUNITY HOW WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO CARRY THIS ON, UH, AND WHAT WE CAN DO SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO CONTINUE.
BUT I GUESS A LOT OF THAT'S UP TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, NOT UP TO US.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND I'M SURE THOSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA, UH, BENEFIT GREATLY FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THEM.
UM, MY TEAM, YEAH, I JUST MENTIONED IT TO THEM.
IN PASSING MY TEAM, I TOLD THEM, HEY, LET'S DO SOMETHING.
LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY NEED SOME HELP.
PUT TOGETHER A FACEBOOK POST AND LET OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE'RE TAKING DONATIONS.
AND WITHIN ABOUT 48 HOURS OR LESS, WE RECEIVE 1200 POUNDS OF CLOTHES, UH,
AND WE GOT TO TAKE 'EM ALL TO YOU, DR.
AND THEN OUTTA NOWHERE, THE ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORE RETAILERS AND THE SOUTH TEXAS MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION SHOWED UP WITH THE MOST AMOUNT OF SNACKS AND THE MOST UNHEALTHY SNACKS I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
LIKE YOU EVER WONDER, LIKE ON ONE DAY IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU WENT TO A CONVENIENCE STORE AND ALL THE CHIPS WERE MISSING, THEY WEREN'T IN MY OFFICE.
UM, THEY FILLED OUR OFFICE TO THE CEILING WITH CHIPS AND SNACKS, AND IT TOOK MULTIPLE TRIPS TO GET THEM DOWN THERE.
BRIDGER FIRST AND ASKED IF IT WAS OKAY IF I TAKE, YOU KNOW, UM, HIGHLY SATURATED, UH, FAT CONTENT FOR LOTS OF SODIUM CONTENT FOODS.
AND SHE SAID FOR THIS ONCE, IT WAS, I TOLD HIM ONE TIME, ONE TIME ONLY.
UM, AND WE REACHED OUT TO OUR FAITH COMMUNITY, UM, AND THEY MOVED REALLY QUICKLY AND IN FACT, MANAGING, UH, THEIR, UH, OFFERS OF HELP.
UH, MELODY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR TAKING THOSE PHONE CALLS.
I KNOW THAT YOU WERE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HYDRANT ALREADY, AND YOU KNOW, I KEPT THROWING THEM AT YOU 'CAUSE THEY, THEY WANTED TO HELP DESPERATELY.
BRIDGER, I, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES WAS, UH, NOT JUST HELPING THESE MIGRANTS DIRECTLY, BUT ALSO HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO GIVE DIRECT THAT GENEROSITY INTO THE RIGHT PLACE.
'CAUSE I, I VISITED WITH YOU AND I WAS LIKE, DO YOU NEED MORE DIAPERS? AND YOU'RE LIKE, NO, PLEASE, NO MORE DIAPERS,
[01:25:01]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.RIGHT? AND SO YOU WERE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT YOU NEEDED AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T NEED.
AND, UH, THE FACT THAT YOU WERE GETTING A SURPLUS OF CERTAIN THINGS AND NOT OTHERS, IS JUST, YOU KNOW, EVIDENCE OF HOW COMPASSIONATE THE CITY IS AND, AND HOW GENEROUS THEY ARE.
AND, UM, THE, I I, I ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, OUR LOCAL DOCTORS AND NURSES WERE ALSO SHOWING UP TO, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR SCRUBS WITH THEIR STETHOSCOPES JUST TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TOO.
AND I, I THINK THAT THAT ALSO, UH, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT A LOT OF THAT WORK WENT IN THERE.
AND ONE OF OUR DOCTORS, UH, WHO DID THAT IS HERE, SHE'S STILL HERE.
ERICA REYES, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF OUR, UH, COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, WOMEN THESE DAYS.
HE'S GONNA GET YOUR LAST NAME, RIGHT,
AND, UH, YOU'RE PRACTICALLY LIKE, YOU REALLY ARE PRACTICALLY LIKE THE 13TH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HERE SO OFTEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE DECIDED TO TAKE OFF TIME FROM WORK AND HER KIDS AND HER FAMILY AND ALL HER OTHER OBLIGATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, SCRUBBED UP AND WENT IN THERE AND WERE HELPING MOMS AND BABIES, UH, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WITH GENUINE MEDICAL NEEDS BEFORE THEY GOT ON THEIR BUSES AND THEIR, AND THEIR AIRPLANES.
AND I GOT TO MEET WITH SOME DOCTORS FROM UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER WHO WERE JUST SO JAZZED AND PUMPED UP ABOUT HAVING BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS OPERATION THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I, I STRUGGLE WITH FINDING THE WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW PROUD I AM OF, OF MY COMMUNITIES, BIG HEARTS AND, AND, AND THEIR COMMIT COMPASSION.
BUT, UM, I'M, I'M OVERWHELMED, RIGHT? WITH, WITH HOW, HOW, UM, THAT'S JUST A MIRACLE, REALLY WHAT WE PULLED OFF HERE.
UM, AND I CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIOUS LET THIS MOMENT PASS WITHOUT POINTING OUT ALSO THAT, UM, WITH AS MANY OFFERS OF HELP AND WITH, YOU KNOW, AND EXPRESSIONS OF COMPASSION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVED ALSO, UM, NO SHORTAGE OF, UH, OF UGLINESS AND THREATS AND, AND BIGOTRY AND INSULTS AND LIES.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE RECEIVED YOUR SHARE.
AND, UM, AND, AND, AND I'M SAD TO SAY THAT THESE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, UH, INSULTS AND EPITHETS AND ALL THAT FROM THE FAR-FLUNG FEVER SWAMPS OF SOME INTERNET CHAT ROOM.
THESE ARE FROM, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS IN OUR DISTRICTS, RIGHT? UH, WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, WERE CALLING US EVERY ANOTHER AND THEIR NAME AND SENDING THREATS, LIKE GENUINE THREATS, RIGHT? SIMPLY BECAUSE WE WERE HELPING MOMS AND BABIES WHO, BUT FOR US, WOULD BE SLEEPING IN TRAVIS PARK IN 101 DEGREE WEATHER.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, AND, YOU KNOW, HE AND I ARE OVER THE SAME MIND THAT WHEN BIGOTS THREATEN YOU, YOU WEAR THAT LIKE A BADGE OF HONOR, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
UM, BUT THE ONE THING THAT WAS SO HURTFUL, UM, WAS TO SEE THESE, UH, MOMS AND BABIES MALIGNED AND DEFAMED, RIGHT? WITH THIS EBOLA LIE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I REMEMBER, UH, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE THIRD RECH STUFF.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD ASSIGN A HORRIBLE DISEASE TO REFUGEES THAT WERE ESCAPING.
UH, AND THEN SAYING LIKE, TO STIGMATIZE 'EM AND THEN SCARE PEOPLE FROM HELPING THEM, YOU KNOW, UH, BY SAYING IF YOU HELP THEM, IF YOU DEAL WITH THEM, YOU'RE GONNA CATCH A HORRIBLE DISEASE.
AND, UM, I'M, I'M HAVING A TOUGH TIME UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT WE'RE STILL SEEING THIS PLAY OUT IN 2019 IN MY CITY.
UM, BUT THANKFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE SWATTED THAT LIE AWAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL, I MEAN, TO THIS DAY, WE'RE STILL SWATTING THAT LIE AWAY.
'CAUSE IT FESTERS AND IT'S OUT THERE LIKE EBOLA, IT'S SPREAD, RIGHT? UM, AND THEY KNEW, AND THEY KNEW IT WAS A LIE WHEN THEY SPREAD IT.
AND THEY, THEY SOMEHOW, SOMEBODY THINKS THAT THAT WAS JUST A GOOD IDEA TO DO.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND EVEN THOUGH THERE'S PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU KNOW, WHO FIND NEW AND CREATIVE WAYS TO SPREAD HATE, UM, AND TO HURT PEOPLE, UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED AND HAPPY THAT WELL, THEY, THEY DIDN'T WIN.
UM, AND SOMETIMES THEY DO, BUT, BUT THEY NEVER WIN IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND, UM, I'M, I'M, MY KIDS AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS RECENTLY WHILE WE WERE ON VACATION.
THEY SAID, WHY DO YOU LOVE SAN ANTONIO MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE? AND I SAID, BECAUSE WE'RE THE BEST AND WE'RE THE BEST AT BEING GOOD, RIGHT? UM, AND IN SAN ANTONIO, IF THERE'S A VIRUS, IT'S COMPASSION.
AND, UH, YOU, YOU JUST MIGHT CATCH IT, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
SO, UH, ERIC, UH, I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING YOU, ERIC, BUT, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WAS DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORIALIZING OUR LESSONS LEARNED HERE.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IS GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN SOMETIME.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IT PLAY OUT WITH KATRINA.
WE'VE SAW IT PLAY OUT WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER HURRICANES, OTHER CATASTROPHES.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN ONE OF THESE MASS EXODUS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SOUTH LAND ON US.
I, I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO POSSIBLY TEACH OTHER COMMUNITIES WHEN THE NEED ARISES ON HOW TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS POINT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER BY OTHER FOLKS AND, UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAYBOOK THAT WE CAN IMMEDIATELY SEND TO THE NEXT MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE BEEN THERE, RIGHT? FOR
[01:30:01]
WHAT IT'S WORTH, HERE IT IS FOR FREE.YOU KNOW, UH, AND HERE'S SOME MISTAKES THAT WE MADE.
I, I'M SURE YOU'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO ALSO, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP A WHOLE OTHER GROUP OF, YOU KNOW, REFUGEES OR PEOPLE IN NEED OR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ESCAPING CATASTROPHE.
UM, SIMPLY BY SENDING OFF A BINDER FULL OF GOOD INFORMATION AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN VERAN.
I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TELL THIS STORY, UM, AND LESSONS LEARNED AT OUR N L C CONFERENCE.
UM, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT, UM, I'M, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HELP YOU DO THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HERE IS PROBABLY THEIR BANDWIDTH IS PROBABLY MAXED OUT, BUT I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT, AND IF I CAN LEND A HAND, UM, IN TELLING THAT STORY, I, I'D PUT ME IN COACH.
ERIC, UH, THE WHOLE CITY TEAM VOLUNTEERS.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS WHO, WHO, UH, EXPLICITLY DON'T WANT TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR IT.
UH, YES, WE RECOGNIZE THEM WITH THE GOOD WORK THAT CONTINUES, BUT I DO KNOW THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OF OUR FAITH COMMUNITY THAT ARE PRESENT AND DOING THE HARD WORK EVERY DAY AND TAKING THE MESSAGE TO THEIR CONGREGATIONS.
UM, THAT EFFORT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT OUR FAITH LIAISON.
AND I SEE HER HIDING IN THE BACK.
REVEREND ANNE HELMKE IS HERE, UM, AND ALL THE CONGREGATIONS WHO HAVE LEANED IN JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY THANKFUL, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENCE AND YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS.
UM, THAT IS OUR ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR RB SESSION OPEN SESSION.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE'LL GO INTO NOW, THE TIME IS NOW 3:48 PM ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF AUGUST, 2019.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE V T CS, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, 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, PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY UPDATE ON LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY LITIGATION RELATED TO OPIOID MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND PROMOTERS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND DELIBERATE THE DEPLOYMENT OF SECURITY PERSONNEL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS SECURITY DEVICES AND RELATED TO LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.076.