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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE. WELCOME TOW OUR CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE MEETING. THE TIME IS 10:08 A.M. ON OCTOBER 18, 2024.
WE'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK CAN YOU CALL THE ROLL?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WELCOME, EVERYONE. WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS TODAY.
I DON'T SEE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, CORRECT ME IF I'LL WRONG.
[Approval of Minutes ]
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 16, 2024. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE.>> FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 1. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
WE'LL KIND OF MOVE THROUGH NOW. SO WE'LL START WITH ITEM NUMBER 2. 2, WHICH IS THE -- DO YOU WANT TO READ IT.>> ITEM NUMBER 2 IS CONSIDERATION OF AN APPLICANT TO THE VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GIVE A
BACKGROUND? >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SURE, THANK YOU.
>> VIA MANAGES AND OPERATES THE METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS, AND IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
FIVE ARE APPOINTED BY THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL, TWO ARE APPOINTED BY SUBURBAN MAYORS. THE CHAIR IS ELECTED BY BOARD MEMBERS.
THEY SERVE STAGGERED TWO YEAR TERMS AND MAY SERVE UP TO TO FOUR YEAR TERMS. THEY MUST BE QUALIFIED VOTERS LIVING IN THE VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AREA.
THIS SEAT IS CURRENTLY HELD BY BOB COMEAUX WHO IS IN HOLDOVER STATUS SO HIS TEAM WAS ORIGINALLY TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2023. IT IS CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL SEAT ESTABLISHED IN 2011 BY ORDINANCE. THERE IS ONCE APPLICANT FOR
THIS SEAT, MR. ADRIAN REYES. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT. AND SO TODAY WE WILL MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR RATIFICATION.
AND I FIRST WANT TO JUST THANK BOB COMB MOW FOR HIS GREAT -- COMEAUX TO HIS GREAT SERVICE TO OUR VIA BOARD. HE SERVED FOR A LONG TIME AND WITH A LOT OF PASSION AND I WOULD SAY HIS TENURE WAS IMPACTFUL BECAUSE OF WHERE VIA IS TODAY, ABOUT TO EMBARK ON OUR FIRST EVER BONA FIDE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU, BOB FOR YOUR GREAT SERVICE. NOW, THE RECOMMENDATION AND SUBMISSION FROM THE CLC WAS MR. ADRIAN REYES. THE WAY WE'LL DO IT, ADRENAL, SINCE YOU ARE OUR SOLE PICTURE, YOU CAN GIVE A STATEMENT AND WE'LL GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'LL NEED TO GO INTO EXEC SESSION SO I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION AFTER YOUR COMMENTS AND OUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED. SO MR. REYNA, THE FLOOR IS
YOURS. >> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. WENT TO ST. PAUL'S IN DISTRICT 7. EVENTUALLY GRADUATED FROM HEALTH CAREERS HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 8. AND THEN EVENTUALLY ATTENDED UT AUSTIN, HOOK 'EM, WHERE -- IT WILL BE A GOOD GAME SATURDAY. EARNED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND BACHELOR'S IN GOVERNMENT AND A MASTER'S IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP FROM TRINITY UNIVERSITY. I HAVE SPENT 12 YEARS OF MY 14-YEAR CAREER AT LONG FELLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING U.S. HISTORY, COACHING BASKETBALL, AS WELL AS CROSS-COUNTRY. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN A TEACHER ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT WORKING OUT OF CENTRAL OFFICE SUPPORTING OUR HCM, HR'S TRANSITION TEAM. I'M SURE YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT RIGHT SIZING AND SCHOOL CLOSURES. I WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT TOOK CARE OF STAFF TO MAKE SURE IN THE EVENT OF A SCHOOL CLOSURE THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WERE TAKEN CARE OF THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS.
AND THE REASON I WAS ASKED TO DO THAT WORK IS BECAUSE I ALSO SERVE AS THE EX EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT FOR THE SAN ANTONIO ALLIANCE. FOR MY ENTIRE 14 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF SAISD I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE AND FOR THE PAST SEVEN I'VE SERVED IN A LEADERSHIP CAPACITY ON OUR CONSULTATION COMMITTEE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TO FIGHT FOR THE THINGS THAT OUR SCHOOL WORKERS DESERVE.
AS WE KNOW OUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS OUR STUDENT'S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SO FIGHTING FOR THE THINGS WE KNOW OUR STUDENTS DESERVE AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY.
I HAVE ALSO BEEN ELECTED AS THE EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT FOR IN MY SECOND TERM FIFTH YEAR AND I ALSO SERVE AS A DELEGATE TO THE AFLCIO, AND IF MY SECOND, THIRD YEAR AS
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AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. SUPER HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO GET TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE THIS AMAZING GROUP OF WORKERS IN THE CITY AND VERY HONOR AND HUMBLED TO BE ASKED BY ATU TO BE ASKED BY OUR CLC AND TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THAT GROUP TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO BE APPOINTED TO THE VIA BOARD WHERE AGAIN HOPEFULLY WE CAN CLOSE THAT EQUITY GAP FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES AND, AGAIN, PROVIDING QUALITY PUBLICEDUCATION AS WELL AS QUALITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. REYNA. SO I'LL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUES NOW FOR MY
QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THIS BOARD. I JUST HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS I NOTICE IT SAYS YOU ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. CAN YOU TELL US WHERE YOU RESIDE AND IF SPECIFICALLY THAT AREA IS INCLUDED IN THE VIA SERVICE AREA?
>> THAT IS CORRECT. I HAVE WORKED MY ENTIRE CAREER IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT I ACTUALLY RESIDE IN LEON VALLEY, RIGHT IN THAT LITTLE SLIVER BETWEEN DISTRICT 7 AND 8. IN FACT, I'M A BLOCK AWAY FROM BEING IN THE CITY.
SO UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T GET TO VOTE FOR MANY OF YOU, BUT OF COURSE I SERVE AND WORK IN THE CITY AND GET TO SERVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DO GET TO VOTE FOR YOU AND RESIDE IN YOUR DISTRICTS. I DO LIVE IN THE VIA SERVICING AREA AND NOT TOO
FAR AWAY FROM A BUS STOP MYSELF. >> ROCHA GARCIA: GOT IT.
UNFORTUNATELY YOU DON'T GET TO RUN BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE GREAT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT. I'M SURE FOLKS IN 7 AND 8
MIGHT FEEL DIFFERENTLY. >> ROCHA GARCIA: AND MY NEXT QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN WHICH I REPRESENT. WE RIGHT NOW LACK A TRUE PARK AND RIDE FACILITY FOR EVENTS TO LIKE SPURS GAMES OR ANY EVENT REALLY THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE ALAMODOME. AND MY RESIDENTS, I ACTUALLY ABOUT A MONTH AGO THERE WAS AN EVENT AT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT OFF OF CULEBRA AND I WAS THERE AND ONE OF MY RESIDENTS ATTEND AND IT WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.
AND THE STUDENT WAS LIKE, DR. GARCIA, WHEN DO YOU THINK THAT VIA IS FINALLY GOING TO SERVICE OUR AREA? THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY LIVE OUT BY OLD PEARSALL ROAD IN THE HABITAT HOMES THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND I JUST FEEL BAD, RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A KID THAT'S ASKING YOU. YOU UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU WORK ON BEHALF OF KIDS, RIGHT, ALL OF THE TIME. BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT VIA AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN YOUR NEW ROLE ABOUT EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY FOR FUTURE FOR OUR DISTRICT AND WHAT IS NEEDED OUT THERE?
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. I THINK YOU WERE TALKING TO THE EXACT PERSON THAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING TO ACROSS THE CITY.
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR WORKING CLASS LABORERS ACROSS THE CITY, THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT USE VIA. SO THAT WAS A BIG INTEREST IN ME WANTING TO BE A PART OF THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS SEEING THE NUMBER OF MY STUDENTS WHO GOT OFF OF A VIA BUS IN THE MORNING. FOLKS WHO WERE ASKING CONSTANTLY FOR A BUS CARD SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY OUT OF THEIR POCKET JUST TO GET TO SCHOOL OR HOME OR MUCH LESS THEIR JOB AS THEY HELP SPEAKER THEIR FAMILIES. ABSOLUTELY WE NEED TO GET IN THE COMMUNITY AND TALK TO THOSE FOLKS AND THE FOLKS WHO UTILIZE THIS SERVICE THE MOST AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AGAIN CLOSING THAT EQUITY GAP, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION, WHETHER THEY'RE A STUDENT TRYING TO GET TO AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY OR A WORKER TRYING TO GET TO A SECOND JOB THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THEM AND PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE SPACES WHERE THEY ARE, MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT. NOT SAYING THAT THE PARK AND RIDE IN ANY OTHER PART OF TOWN ISN'T NECESSARY, BUT KNOWING THAT WE ARE OTHER FOLKS, INCLUDING IN THE SOUTH, WHO DON'T HAVE THE SAME ACCESS AND EQUITY AND
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE LOOKING AT. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK
YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDA. >> I WANT TO THANK BOB FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HIS SERVICE. I THINK WE ARE SEEING THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN FRONT OF US. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU BUT HAVE A COMMENT AFTER THAT. I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF GETTING A LOT OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR VIA FOR OUR GREEN AND SILVER LINES AND A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD IN THOSE SPACES WITH THE FTA WERE ABOUT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON
THAT, JUST PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS ON TOD? >> MY PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS, AND I'LL BE SUPER HONEST, HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH HOUSING FOR FAMILIES.
A BIG REASON IT THAT I'M IN THE ROLE THAT I'M IN THE PAST TWO YEARS IS BECAUSE AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD, ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED IN THE CITY CENTER.
OUR URBAN CORE DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF STUDENTS THAT WE DID BEFORE.
AND A BIG REASON FOR THAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S SINGLE-FAMILIES, RIGHT, IT'S SMALL FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE THE SPACE OR THE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD HOUSES WITHIN OUR AREA. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THE MOST. SO AGAIN, MEETING FOLKS WHERE THEY'RE AT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THE SAME ROUTE.
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I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TRANSPORTATION TO GO WITH IT.>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL. THERE'S ALREADY SOME PRESIDENTTATION FOR TOD SO I REALLY, I THINK, ENGAGING COMMUNITY IS THE KEY, SO I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT. THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY.
I THINK YOU BRING A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WORKERS' NEEDS, ENSURING THAT OUR TRANSIT EMPLOYEES SPECIFICALLY HAVE A STRONG VOICE AND A VOICE IN THAT DECISION MAKING. YOU HAVE BEEN VERY ENGAGED. I'VE ENGAGED WITHAG YOU ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. I THANK YOU FOR THAT INVOLVEMENT.
YOU ARE NOT JUST POPPING UP HERE TO BE A BOARD MEMBER, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR SO LONG. AND QUICKLY ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSIT, YOU'VE SAID IT HERE TODAY, BUT IT'S VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR WORKERS, TO ALL OF THE CITY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL ACCESS TO JOBS, EDUCATION AND SERVICES, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
I THINK YOUR INSIGHTS ARE GOING TO BE VALUABLE AND SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. AND THANK YOU FOR WANTING TO DO IT.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN EASY GIG, RIGHT, BUT YOU HAVE PROVEN LEADERSHIP IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS BEFORE WITH THE RIGHT SIZING AND THOSE AREN'T EASY DECISIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAD TO MAKE. AND THEY IN FACT IMPACTED MORE THAN JUST SAISD FAMILIES. IT REALLY DOES IMPACT THE ECOSYSTEM.
I THINK IT'S ALSO VERY TELLING A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE HERE IN SUPPORT WITH YOU TODAY, THE UNION LEADERSHIP, SO I SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDACY TODAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU MORE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING BOB COMEAUX ALSO FOR HIS YEARS OF SERVICE TO VIA. AND ALSO HIS YEARS OF SERVICE FOR THE CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL. AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, MR. REYNA, FOR YOUR SERVICE. RIGHT NOW AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU SERVE ON THE SAN ANTONIO TEACHER'S COUNCIL ALLIANCE, WHICH I ALSO SERVE. YOU KNOW, I TAUGHT FOR 20 YEARS IN SAISD AND LIKE YOU I SERVED ON THE BOARD FOR MANY YEARS AND I RECOGNIZE THE GREAT WORK THAT THE BOARD DOES FOR ALL OF THE TEACHERS IN SAISD AND OVERALL FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK YOU'VE DONE. I WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOUR ROLE IS -- NOW, YOU'RE BEING APPOINTED BY THE CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL, BUT WHAT DO
YOU SEE YOUR ROLE AS A MEMBER OF THE VIA BOARD? >> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, AS ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION, RIGHT, TAKING CARE OF BUDGET, LOOKING AT STAFFING, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES, THE PROGRAMS AND THE VISION AND MISSION THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS. AND OF COURSE INFLUENCING THAT BASED ON THE FEEDBACK AND THE LISTENING TO OF NOT JUST ATU WHO I WILL BE REPRESENTING, NOT JUST THE OTHER WORKING CLASS AND LABORERS ACROSS THE CITY, BUT OF COURSE THE STUDENTS CREATING SPACES FOR THEM TO OFFER THEIR VOICES AND THEIR INPUT FOR THE THINGS THAT WILL MOST DIRECTLY IMPACT THEM. AND OF COURSE HAVING THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WHEN THEY'RE DIFFICULT AND OF COURSE FINDING SOME COMMON GROUND AND COLLABORATING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING THE CITY FORWARD.
>> COURAGE: GOOD. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE ART
LINES THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED? >> YEAH, THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT AGAIN I THINK ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT PARTS OF THE CITY THAT DON'T HAVE THAT CONNECTION. I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEAL WITH THE HEADACHE THAT WE ALL ENCOUNTER, WHICH IS THE TRAFFIC, RIGHT? WE ARE A SPRAWLING CITY SO AS FOLKS COME TO CITY CENTER AND FOLKS TRY TO ENJOY BASKETBALL GAMES AND OTHER THINGS, IT'S WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE THAN TO TAKE A CAR THAT YOU MAYBE HAVE OR DON'T HAVE AND TO FIND PARKING WHICH WE KNOW IS DIFFICULT DOWN HERE AND OTHER PLACES.
IT'S AN EXTRA BURDEN TO BEAR IN TERMS OF COST. SO IN TERMS OF THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE OF THAT TRANSPORTATION, THAT VITAL TRANSPORTATION THAT WILL CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR SCHOOLS, TO THEIR JOBS, AND SOME OF THE OTHER FUN THINGS WE HAVE TO DO AROUND THIS CITY.
I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INS AND OUTS OF ART AND LOVE TO TALK WITH COMMUNITY ABOUT, AGAIN, WHAT THEY SEE AS DEVELOPING AS HELPFUL AND BENEFICIAL TO THEM AND THE COMMUNITY OR THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND ADJUST.
>> COURAGE: I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT MYSELF. I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE, AS YOU HAVE RIDDEN VIA BUS NUMEROUS TIMES, WHAT HAVE YOU OBSERVED TO BE SOME
OF THE THINGS VIA CAN DO TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICE? >> TIME IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST ONE, RIGHT? I THINK FOR A LOT OF FOLKS TIME IS THE BIG CONCERN.
I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT THEIR DASHBOARD, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE WAY THE METRICS ARE MEASURED, THEY'RE OPERATING AT RELATIVELY HIGH EFFICIENCY.
I THINK AGAIN IT'S ABOUT TIMING AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST A QUICK SERVICE, BUT THEY'RE MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSEFUL. IF WE HAVE LARGE GROUPS THAT ARE TRYING TO GO FROM ONE PART OF THE TOWN TO DOWNTOWN UTSA FOR THEIR CLASSES, HOW ARE WE COORDINATING THAT SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THERE AT A REASONABLE TIME AND NOT MISS THE THINGS THEY NEED TO. AND HOW ARE WE ACCOMMODATING
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THE WORKING CLASS FAMILIES THAT DON'T HAVE TO WAKE UP TWO, THREE HOURS EARLIER JUST TO GET THEIR KID TO SCHOOL THEY CAN SIT THERE FOR TWO HOURS TO RIDE THE BUS. AND THEIR MORNING COMMUTE IS ALL OF FIVE HOURS BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE TO GET THERE. SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S ABOUT LOOKING AT TIME FIRST AND FOREMOST AND THEN I THINK SAFETY IS ANOTHER ONE.SCHOOL SAFETY IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH CONSTANTLY.
SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR DRIVERS AND THE STAFF AND EVERYBODY THAT WORKS TO MAKE THAT OPERATION SUCCESSFUL FEELS SAFE AND THAT OTHER RIDERS FEEL SAFE WITH THE
THINGS THAT OCCUR ON THE BUSES. >> COURAGE: YOU JUST BROUGHT ONE QUESTION TO MIND I WASN'T THINKING OF BEFORE. DO WE KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR STUDENTS ACTUALLY RIDE VIA BECAUSE ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE THEIR
OWN BUSES? HAS VIA DONE THAT? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER. I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OFF MY HEAD FOR SAISD.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR VIA TO HAVE THAT NUMBER AS WELL.
I KNOW IN PAST AND YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR, VIA USED TO OPERATE AS OUR SCHOOL BUS IN THE AFTERNOON. SO OF COURSE WE HAVE INVESTED MORE HEAVILY IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SO I'M PROUD OF THE TRANSPORTATION UNIT WE HAVE IN SAISD BUT AID BE VERY CURIOUS TO KNOW ESPECIALLY WITH RIGHT SIZING AND SCHOOL CLOSURES AND THE FACT THAT OUR DISTANCE HAS INCREASED, HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE UTILIZING THIS.
AND NOT JUST TO GET TO SCHOOL, BUT MAYBE TO GET TO HIGHER ED OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM OR GET TO A JOB THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM.
>> COURAGE: WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS LIVING WITH ME AND GOING TO ST. MARY'S, SHE DECIDED I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE THE BUS. AND THAT WORKED ABOUT MAYBE ONE WEEK WHEN IT ENDED UPTAKING HER TWO AND A HALF HOURS TO GET TO ST. MARY'S.
BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO AND I KNOW WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR STANDING UP AND SAYING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE, AND I
WISH YOU WELL. >> THANK YOU. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN YOU WERE
A SPECIAL ED TEACHER. >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> WE ARE HIRING AT SAISD IF YOU'RE INTERESTING IN COMING BACK. WE COULD USE THEM.
>> COURAGE: WELL, IF I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER JOB AFTER NEXT MAY I MAY COME AND
VISIT WITH YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
MR. REYNA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.
I'VE GOTTEN TO APPRECIATE THE ROLE AND THE VOICE OF LABOR ON THE VIA BOARD OVER TIME MORE AND MORE. I MADE A COMMENT ON A PANEL YESTERDAY THAT AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND EDUCATION IS SOCIOECONOMIC MOBILITY, WHICH IS ALL OF OUR MISSION IN SAN ANTONIO. SO YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT TOD ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I KEPT THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT VIA HAS IMPROVED IMMENSELY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE'VE PROVIDED MORE RESOURCES TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TO GET TO THEIR JOB, HAVE TO WAKE UP AT FOUR OR FIVE IN THE MORNING JUST TO MAKE IT INTO SCHOOL BY 8:00. WE'RE STILL UNDERFUNDED. THIS IS A 540 SQUARE MILE CITY. WE ARE DOING MORE WITH LESS. I'M CONTINUALLY FRUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS CHASING THE STORY RATHER THAN MAKING THE STORY. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, MAYBE MORE, NINE MONTHS AGO, JUST ABOUT EVERY [INDISCERNIBLE] PROVIDER RAISED THEIR PRICES BY ABOUT $25 A MONTH, $20 A MONTH ON AVERAGE FOR A 100-DOLLAR BILL. DIDN'T HEAR A PEEP FROM ANYBODY. I THINK I FOUND ONE STORY FROM THE HILL.
AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF MARGINS, RIGHT, PROFIT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PRIVATE INDUSTRY. BUT NOW I HEAR THE ROAD THAT'S ABOUT TO OCCUR FOR SAN ANTONIO TO BE ASKED BY VIA TO INCREASE A NINE-CENT PER MONTH PER $100 I THINK IS ABOUT RIGHT. NINE CENTS PER $100, WHICH MOST CITIES HAVE ALREADY AUTHORIZED, WHICH WE DIDN'T BACK WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
NINE CENTS PER $100 FOR THE PURPOSES OF IMPROVING THIS UNDERFUNDED BUS SYSTEM.
AND MY THOUGHTS GO TO NOT ONLY THE ABSURDITY THAT THE $25 A MONTH DOESN'T GET TALKED ABOUT, BUT THE NINE CENTS GENERATES SO MUCH. BUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AS FUNDAMENTAL TO ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR -- YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING ABOUT A FAMILY HAVING TO GO SEVERAL EXTRA MILES JUST TO MAKE IT TO THE JOB OR THE SCHOOL, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY OPTION FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS A TRANSIT SYSTEM WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT EVEN REACH THEM.
WHAT CAN WE DO INTERNALLY AT VIA, BUT ALSO AS A COMMUNITY TO START CHANGING THAT NARRATIVE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING?
>> ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING IS TO GO TO THEM, RIGHT? GO TO THEM AND TALK TO THEM AND ASK THEM THE QUESTION THAT YOU'VE JUST ASKED ME. I DON'T PRETEND TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS, ESPECIALLY TO ONE THAT COMPLEX, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DO. I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO
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ARE MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY OUR VIA SERVICE, THE ONES WHO RELY ON IT IN THE MORNINGS, THE ONE WHO NEED IT TO GET TO THEIR BIG EVENTS, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD ANSWERS TO HOW WE ADDRESS THAT.AND JUST WITH THE ANALOGY WITH CELL PHONES, RIGHT OFF THE TOP, I'M A TEACHER, RIGHT? IT IS HARD TO GET KIDS TO PUT THEIR PHONES AWAY.
MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE LOOKED AT THEIR PHONE IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN STANDING AT THIS PODIUM. THERE IS A MUCH DIFFERENT LEVEL OF NEED AND RELIANCE AND VALUE PLACED ON A CELL PHONE AND CELL SERVICE THAN FOLKS MAYBE HAVE PLACED ON VIA, EITHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CAR. SO WOULD I CARE A LOT ABOUT MY CELL PHONE PRICE IF I USED MY HOME PHONE A LOT? PROBABLY NOT.
OR I MIGHT CARE MORE. SO I THINK ONE IT'S ABOUT TALKING TO THEM AND ASKING WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. TWO, IT'S SHIFTING THE MESSAGING FOR VALUE AND SAYING THAT HEY, THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST AS VALUABLE TO YOU AND ABLE TO HELP YOU DO ALL THE THINGS, I CAN COMMUNICATE, I CAN DO RESEARCH, I CAN LOOK -- THAT I THINK THAT VALUE PROPOSITION NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED BETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY A SHARED HUMANITY AND SOLIDARITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYBODY HAS A VEHICLE.
SOME PEOPLE LIVE TWO MINUTES FROM THEIR WORK, SOME PEOPLE LIVE 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM THERE. SO HOW CAN WE COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO BUILD THE SYSTEM THAT HELPS THE MOST PEOPLE IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE? AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION I'D BE LOOKING TO HAVE WITH THE BOARD, WITH VIA AND WITH
THE COMMUNITY. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HIT ON IT. IT'S TOD. WE NEED TO HAVE VIA PLAY A ROLE IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE WE ALREADY HEAR SOME OF THAT PUSH BACKMENT AND CHANGE BACK.
AND CHANGE IS HARD PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORIC AND CHARACTER HAS NOT CHANGED IN A LONG TIME, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE WILL HERE TO PROVIDE -- THE POLITICAL WILL HERE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO GET MORE OUT OF OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM AND I THINK THERE'S POLITICAL WILL IN OTHER AREAS OF GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL AND STATE.
AND IF WE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO AFTER THE GRANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PULLING DOWN THE DOLLARS, WHICH MEANS THAT VIA HAS TO BE AGGRESSIVE. I KEEP -- WHENEVER I TALK TO FORMER JUDGE WOLF, HE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT THE FRUSTRATION THAT HE HAD THAT FOR A DECADE OF PLANNING A TRANSIT SYSTEM, NOT A SINGLE SHOVEL OF DIRT WAS TURNED. WE'VE GOT TO GET AGGRESSIVE TO GET PLANS TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO IMPLEMENT. I KNOW WE ARE, WE'RE FINANCED, BUT NOT BEING SATISFIED WITH JUST STARTING.
WE'VE GOT TO GET THE JOB DONE AND I THINK THIS NEXT ERA FOR VIA IS SO CRITICAL TO MOVE OUR CITY ECONOMICALLY TO THE NEXT LEVEL THAT AGAIN, I'M EXCITED ABOUT YOU BEING THERE, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CONTINUED ROLE THAT LABOR IS GOING TO PLAY IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT WE NEED TO START WINNING THIS NARRATIVE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN OUR COMMUNITY IF WE'RE GOING TO
GET ANY OF THIS DONE. >> ABSOLUTELY, YES, SIR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WELL, I THINK GREAT CONVERSATION, THANK YOU, MR. RAIN IN A. YOU ARE OUR ONLY APPLICANT, WHICH TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT YOUR CAPACITY AND STATURE THAT YOU WILL HAVE ON THE
BOARD. APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 2. >> SO MOVED.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 2, WHICH IS A RECOMMENDATION OF MR. ADRIAN REYNA FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE?
ALL OPPOSED? [APPLAUSE]. >> THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM
NUMBER 3. >> ITEM NUMBER 3 IS A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBERS MANIPLIES DISTRICT 8 AND ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, DISTRICT 4, ON THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE COMMISSION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: IS THERE A PRESENTATION? >> MAYOR, I'M GOING TO RUN THE PRESENTATION FOR ITEMS 3, 4 AND 5 TOGETHER. I'LL KICK IT OFF.
JOHN WILL DO ITEM NUMBER HAD AND THEN I'LL WRAP IT UP WITH ITEM NUMBER 5.
SO ITEM NUMBER 3, LET'S GO FORWARD, ONE MORE SLIDE. WAS SUBMITTED ON JULY 24TH BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA AND COUNCILMAN PELÁEZ FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE COMMISSION AND TO PROVIDE A REVIEW FROM STAKEHOLDERS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS TO BRING THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVES, EXPERTISE, EXPERIENCE AND RESOURCES TO FOCUS ON OUR CITY'S HEALTH RELIANCE. THE CCR REALLY TOUCHES UPON TWO ISSUES. TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES. ONE, THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE ON ACCESS TO CARE, BUT ALSO THE WORK
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OF THE SA FORWARD PLAN THAT HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL AND FUNDED AND UNDERWAY THROUGH OUR METRO HEALTH APPOINTMENT. THE COMMISSION APPOINTEES SHOULD INCLUDE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, HIGHER EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATES, PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHERS, MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS, THE BEXAR COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY, AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CITY COUNCIL.NEXT SLIDE. THE CCR OUTLINED AT LEAST 10 DIFFERENT THINGS.
AS YOU GO THROUGH THEM THEY ARE ALL REALLY FOCUSED ON THE TWO THINGS I MENTIONED.
ONE IS ACCESS TO CARE AND THEN THE ONGOING WORK OF METRO HEALTH WITH SOME EMPHASIS TO SOME OF OUR KEY AREAS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN HERE THAT WE DO OR THAT OTHERS DO IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE AN ANNUAL REPORT, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAT WAS WE'RE RECOMMENDING WE HAVE AT THE CHECK COMMITTEE, AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE. CHECK IS THE OLD COMMITTEE.
THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE TO FURTHER REFINE. I HAVE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, AND IN PARALLEL TO THIS WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON FORMALIZING THE NEXT STEPS WITH CHEST, WHICH WAS THE INITIATIVE FUNDED THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET.
THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL OVERLAP AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING BOTH THOSE ITEMS TO THE COMMITTEE AT THE SAME TIME TO BE ABLE TO -- TO VET THOSE ISSUES OUT AND COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR A FULL RECOMMENDATION.
ITEM NUMBER 4, JOHN? >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COMMITTEE.
SO ITEM NUMBER 4 IS A CCR TO PREVENT -- IS TO INTRODUCE SOME PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO ELIMINATE WATER DISCONNECTIONS AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
SO AS BACKGROUND, THE CCR ASKED FOR COSA AND SAWS TO EXPLORE METHODS TO PREVENT DISCONNECTION OF WATER SERVICE TO APARTMENT TENANTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE IN GOOD STANDING WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS AND ARE PAYING THEIR BILL TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX. THE CCR HIGHLIGHTED RECENT SITUATIONS WHERE TENANTS AND OTHERS WHO ARE RENTERS, WHO ARE OTHERWISE IN GOOD STANDINGS, HAVE HAD THEIR WATER SERVICE DISCONNECTED BECAUSE THE PROPERTY MANAGERS ARE NOT PAYING THE BIGGER BILL TO SAWS. THE REQUEST IS SPECIFIC IN NATURE. IT ASKS FOR US TO EXPLORE A PROGRAM WHERE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHO ARE NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS TO SAWS BE ENROLLED IN THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM THAT EXISTS IN DSD. IT ALSO ASKS FOR US TO NOTIFY TENANTS WHEN SAWS IS ENTERING INTO A REPAYMENT PROGRAM WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER. IT DISCUSSES PERHAPS A LIST THAT COULD BE MAINTAINED ON THE WEBSITE FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES [INDISCERNIBLE] AND IT ALSO ASKS FOR SAWS TO SHARE RELEVANT DATA WITH COSA DEPARTMENTS REGARDING LATE BILLS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO MOVE THIS CCR TO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE.
THERE'S AN ONGOING EFFORT AND CONVERSATION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN STARTED SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THOSE TWO BE COMBINED AND THAT THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
COMMITTEE PICK THIS ITEM UP. >> ITEM NUMBER 5 I'M GOING TO -- OH, ACTUALLY -- ITEM NUMBER 5 IS A CCR THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON A CONSIDERATION OF THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO IT. IT REQUESTS STAFF RESEARCH AND PROPOSED MEASURES. IT SPECIFICALLY REFERENCED DISTRICT-SPECIFIC AND/OR EXPANDED MEMBERSHIP TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS FOR BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS SUCH AS OPPORTUNITY HOME, WHICH IS REALLY DRIVEN BY -- CURRENTLY DRIVEN BY STATE LAW. THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING COMMISSION, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM -- FROM THE COMMUNITY-LED STRATEGIC EFFORT ON HOUSING. AND THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY SET BY ORDINANCE, BUT ALWAYS, LIKE ANY OTHER ORDINANCE, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY THE COUNCIL. THE CCR ASKS THAT THE STAFF REVIEW AND RECOMMEND POTENTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL BEST PRACTICES.
IT WAS SUBMITTED ON JULY 11TH OF THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE
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GOVERNANCE GUIDANCE ON THE NEXT STEPS. WE'VE NOT DONE ANY OF THAT WORK AT THIS POINT. AND THOSE ARE OUR THREE ITEMS THIS MORNING, MAYOR.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT. ALL RIGHT. SO I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO HERE AND SHE IS CO-AUTHOR ON ITEM NUMBER 3.
IS IT 3. NO, 4. SO COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU'D
LIKE TO BRIEF US ON ITEM NUMBER 4. >> GAVITO: GOOD MORNING.
I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT OUR CCR. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND I ARE FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT SAN ANTONIANS ARE NOT CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE OF SAWS EFFORTS TO COLLECT OVERDUE PAYMENTS FROM NEGLIGENT LANDLORDS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE DELINQUENCIES.
OUR RECOMMENDATION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. IF YOU OPERATE AS A LANDLORD IN SAN ANTONIO AND COLLECT RENT THAT INCLUDES UTILITY PAYMENTS, YOU MUST ADHERE TO THE RULES AND PAY THOSE BILLS. THIS IS NOT A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA. AND SOME OF THE SITUATIONS WE'VE SEEN WERE NOT DUE TO COVID. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN CASES LIKE THAT OF NEGLIGENT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY PICO UNION, WHICH MISUSED PAYMENTS AND SALARIES INSTEAD OF CARING FOR THEIR TENANTS. THE MAJORITY OF COMPLEXES AND MANAGERS ARE TRUSTWORTHY, HOWEVER OUR CCR TARGETS THE BAD ACTORS AND THOSE WHO MAY BECOME PROBLEMATIC IN THE FUTURE, LEAVING THEIR TENANTS IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. IT'S TIME TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO COLLECT RENT WITH THE PROMISE TO PAY UTILITY BILLS ACTUALLY FULFILL THAT OBLIGATION.
WE PROPOSE PENALIZING THE LANDLORD WHEN THEY FAIL TO PAY THOSE BILLS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, DR. GARCIA AND I ALSO WANT TO ENSURE WE ARE COMMUNICATING -- WE ARE IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TENANTS AND DOING SO CONSISTENTLY. I APPLAUD MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR FOCUSING ON THIS
ISSUE. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. WE'VE HAD THE BRIEFING SO WE'LL GO THROUGH ONE DISCUSSION ON ALL THE ITEMS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE SOME
MOTIONS AT THE END. SO COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, I'LL START WITH ITEM 3. SO ALL OF THE ITEMS I AGREE WITH THE INTENT. I THINK WITH ITEM 3 MY QUESTION IS, I GUESS, MORE TO CLAUDE. I'M LOOKING AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION, WHICH WOULD BE TASKED WITH, AND NUMBER TWO SPECIFICALLY, THE STRATEGY.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE DOING ALREADY IN REGARDS? I GUESS REALLY MOST OF THESE REQUESTS, BUT SPECIFICALLY NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS ONE THAT I THINK IS PRETTY
COMPELLING? >> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
JUST KNOW THAT WHAT WE SEE LISTED UNDER ITEM NUMBER 2, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARTNERS LIKE THE BEXAR COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY AND OTHER PROVIDER NETWORKS, PROVIDERS AT LARGE WE WORK WITH THE SOUTH TEXAS ADVISORY COUNCIL, SO STRAC, REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. SO THERE ARE NODES OF THESE NETWORKS THAT REGULARLY CONVENE. WE, METRO HEALTH, WE TRY TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE PROVIDER NETWORK LIKE DURING COVID, BUT IN TERMS OF BROADER STRATEGY, OUR TASK WOULD BE TO VET THIS WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AT LARGE.
THIS HAS A DYED IN TERMS OF THE CCR. IT TALKS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DRAW THE DISTINCTIONS, WE DEFINE OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS BACK THROUGH THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE. IT'S AN INVENTORY STEP TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS ALREADY TAKING PLACE AND WE CAN REDUCE DUPLICATING EFFORTS
IN TERMS OF THE CHARGE HERE REFLECTED IN THE CCR. >> HAVRDA: SO BRINGING
EVERYBODY TOGETHER? >> YES. SO IF YOU IMAGINE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, WE DO SYMPOSIA, WE DO SUMMITS, THERE MAY BE A CONVENING OF SORTS, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET. THIS CALLS FOR A BROADER STRATEGY AND WE DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT THERE DOESN'T ALREADY EXIST ONE.
THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO CHECK WITH OUR KEY PARTNERS ON THE GROUND.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. WE ALREADY HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT HEALTH-RELATED BOARDS THAT ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, RIGHT? I'M HESITANT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A NEW COMMISSION, BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT JUST BRINGING
EVERYBODY TOGETHER, RIGHT? >> YES, THAT'S RIGHT. >> HAVRDA: GO AHEAD, I'M
SORRIMENT. >> THAT'S ALL. IT'S PART AND PARCEL OF OUR
PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY TO WORK WHERE APPROPRIATE. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, CLAUDE. APPRECIATE YOU. ON TO ITEM 4, AGAIN, AGREE COMPLETELY WITH THE PREMISE. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT REQUIRING APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO ENROLL IN THE PROACTIVE INSPECTIONS PROGRAM.
THAT ALREADY HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T -- IF THE WATER IS SHUTOFFS ARE HAPPENING, I UNDERSTAND ANYWAY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN
THAT PROGRAM IF THEY'RE CUTTING OFF WATER. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.
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I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE AT THIS POINT. IF WATER IS SHUT OFF I DON'T THINK YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED INTO THE PROACTIVE PROGRAM.>> HAVRDA: OKAY. SO WHY IS THAT? WHY ARE YOU NOT? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MASTER METER SITUATIONS, RIGHT?
>> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO THE PROGRAM WE HAVE TODAY, THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS TO REQUIRE AN APARTMENT COMPLEX TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM. NUMBER ONE IS THEY RECEIVE THREE CITATIONS.
SO NORMALLY IF THEY LOSE THE WATER THAT WOULD BE CITATION NUMBER ONE, UNLESS THEY HAVE OTHER CITATIONS IN THE PAST. SO SOME OF THE APARTMENTS THAT WE ARE GETTING THE LIST FROM SAWS THAT THEY WILL DISCONNECT UTILITIES IF THEY DON'T PAY ON TIME.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE PROGRAM, BUT THEY ARE IN THE PROGRAM DUE TO OTHER CODE
OFFENSES THAT THEY HAD IN THE PAST. >> HAVRDA: SO THREE
CITATIONS. >> CORRECT. >> HAVRDA: ONE OF WHICH
MAY OR MAY NOT BE WATER SHUTOFF. >> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THE -- OBVIOUSLY THE WATER SHUTOFFS ARE A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN. I HAD ONE OF THOSE PICO UNION, AS YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST ISSUES THAT I'VE DEALT WITH IN MY TIME IN DISTRICT 6 BECAUSE IT WAS SO EGREGIOUS WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT IS STILL HAPPENING FRANKLY AT THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS THE WATER SHUTOFFS. AND SO AGAIN, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE PREMISE OF THIS. I JUST HAD A QUESTION.
I STILL AM SOMEWHAT HESITANT ABOUT ENROLLING THEM IN THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THAT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE -- I THINK I'D RATHER FOCUS MORE ON THE OTHER PART OF THE CCR, WHICH MENTIONS IDENTIFYING -- I'M SORRY, NOT IDENTIFYING, BUT INFORMING APARTMENT RESIDENTS ABOUT UPCOMING SHUTOFFS.
I KNOW THEY DO A HAPHAZARD DOOR TO DOOR AND I TALKED ABOUT HOW DO THEY GET THE APARTMENT DWELLERS, THE TENANTS, THEIR DIRECT INFORMATION SO SAWS CAN GIVE THEM DIRECTLY THE INFORMATION? BUT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEIR MEETING IS THE MASTER METER. IT GOES TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
I WOULD RATHER FOCUS ON THAT. I HAVE SOME HESITATION ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT IN THE PROACTIVE INSPECTIONS PROGRAM, BUT I GUESS WHEN IT --H THE PROCESS WITH THE COMMITTEE WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
THE LAST ONE, 5, COMPLETELY SUPPORT THIS K, SIGNED ON TO IT.
I THINK IT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT APPLYING THIS TO SAWS AND CPS AS WELL. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE, AND JUST A LITTLE MORE, YOU KNOW, INCLUSIVE AND TRANSPARENT.
BUT I ALSO -- I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS ONE TO MOVE IT TO B SESSION.
I TALKED WITH COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA THIS MORNING AND I THINK IT WARRANTS A FULL COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER 5 TO B SESSION.
WAS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. THAT MOTION FAILS.
WE'LL TAKE UP ALTERNATIVE MOTIONS AT THE END. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO START OFF BY THANKING EVERYONE FOR THE WORK AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY. AND I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE TIME FOR IMPROVEMENT IN A LOT OF THEM. SO I'LL START OFF WITH THE ITEM NUMBER 3 WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE COMMISSION CCR, AND COUNCILMAN PELÁEZ ISN'T HERE, BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HIS CHIEF OF STAFF IS IN THE ROOM AND HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US. COUNCIL MEMBER PELÁEZ AND I TOURED ONE OF THE FACILITIES IN HIS DISTRICT AS IT WAS GETTING READY TO FINISH, OR TO BE FINISHED, AND SO WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SPECIFICALLY. AND IN GENERAL IN SAN ANTONIO AND FOR SOME OF THE AGING POPULATION, AND THEN WE FOCUSED A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE SOUTHSIDE, HE KNEW THE WORK THAT I WAS DOING WITH THE CHEST INITIATIVE.
SO WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PANDEMIC REVEALED TO US A LOT OF SITUATIONS THAT WE MAYBE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR, BUT WE DID RALLY AS A COMMUNITY.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR BECAUSE THE REASON THAT WE DID THIS IS BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT THERE'S A LACK FOR A PLATFORM FOR THE CONTINUOUS ORGANIZE THE INPUT FROM KEY STAKEHOLDERS. SO OUR ROLE I THINK AS METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS TO BE THE CONVENER BECAUSE WE REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO.
THE REASON I THANK THE MAYOR IS BECAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC HE INVITED ME TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD WITH STRAC, WITH THE CEOS OF THE HOSPITALS, WITH EVERYONE WHO REALLY HAD A HEALTH INTEREST IN THE CITY.
AND I WAS ABLE TO JUST LISTEN AND LEARN A LOT FROM THE RESPONSE EFFORTS THAT WERE GOING ON. SO THAT KIND OF WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WERE DRIVEN TO CREATE CHEST. AND WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER PELÁEZ AND I WERE TALKING
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ABOUT IT, THAT WE NEEDED TO FIX THAT GAP BECAUSE IT CHAPPED TO BE THERE WAS SOME THINGS COMING IN MY DISTRICT AND SO THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR INVITED ME.BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER PARTICIPATE, RIGHT, AND LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUES ON THE SOUTHSIDE, BECAUSE THEY RELATE DIRECTLY TO THE ENTIRE CITY BECAUSE WE HELP KEEP THAT WORKFORCE. WE NEED NOT ONLY AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE, BUT WE NEED A HEALTHY WORKFORCE. AND I DO THINK THAT'S WHERE THE INTERSECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE IS, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO BE THE ONES THERE AND TAKE THAT ROLE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS.
YOU ALL PROBABLY SAW A RECENT STORY ON KSAT ABOUT THE SOUTH SAN COMMUNITY AND THAT OFFICIALS IN THAT AREA ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR THE RESIDENTS. SO WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO MORE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SO MANY DEATHS DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS LIVE IN MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES, A LOT OF THEM ARE WORKING IN HEALTH CARE SERVICES, A LOT OF THEM ARE WORKING IN HOTELS.
THEY ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS THE ONES THAT KEEP GOING. SO I DO THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ENGAGE BECAUSE OUT OF ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT ARE ALREADY GOING ON IN THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS, THE VARIOUS PLANS, THERE'S NOT ONE THAT CONVENES THEM ALL.
OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DISTILL ON THIS ISSUE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS COMING FORWARD TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE. AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 4.
THIS IS THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES ON THE UTILITY DISCONNECTIONS.
I WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, COUNCILWOMAN GAVITO AND COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS.
I HAD SEVERAL MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS -- PROPERTIES IN MY DISTRICT THAT WERE IN DANGER OF DISCONNECTION BACK IN EARLY JULY. SO I CALLED THE PROPERTY OWNERS MYSELF. WE HAD OUR STAFF ALSO GO AND BLOCK WALK, IF YOU WILL, TRYING TO MAKE THE RESIDENTS AWARE. WE CONVENED THEN A MEETING WITH CITY STAFF AND WITH SAWS AND THEN WE TRANSGENDER THERE WAS OTHER DISTRICTS AFFECTED AS WELL. SO THEN WE INVITED ANY OTHER DISTRICT THAT WAS AFFECTED AS WELL TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, AND LAST MONTH WE ACTUALLY TOOK UP -- WE STARTED ON SOMETHING PERTAINING TO THIS, BUT THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S CCR IS VERY SPECIFIC IN WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND IN IT IT SAYS ENROLLING LANDLORDS WHO ARE CONSISTENTLY LATE.
AND SO THAT I THINK -- IT WOULDN'T BE THE AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT ON THE FIRST ONE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S IN PLAY WITH WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, RIGHT, AND IT'S THE THIRD VIOLATION, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN YOU GET ON THE BAD ACTORS LIST.
THE CONSISTENTLY LATE PART I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST BEING SO SPECIFIC WITH THAT. AND SO YOU ALL KNOW, LAST MONTH AT THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE, WE STARTED ADDRESSING JUST IN GENERAL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAD COME UP WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN JULY WAS ABOUT LIENS AND DOING SOME OTHER TYPE OF LEGAL ENFORCEMENT. AND IN YOUR CCR, COUNCILMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, YOU WERE VERY SPECIFIC IN THAT TO LOOK AT WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THEY SEE WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT AND THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS FIRST AND FOREMOST. I THINK THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE FORMALLY PROPOSED SOMETHING VERY DIRECT AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE COMING BACK AND SHARING SOME OF THAT RESEARCH AS WELL. I THINK ANDY WANTS TO CHIME IN.
>> WELL, WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THE DETAILS, BUT I CAN TELL THE COUNCILWOMAN GENERALLY THERE IS THE ABILITY FOR SAWS TO PUT LIENS ON PROPERTIES.
SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE SPECIFICALLY HOW THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE TIMING.
BUT GENERALLY THE ANSWER IS YES, YOU CAN PUT A LIEN FOR NONPAYMENT.
>> YEAH. SO WE'VE HEARD IT AGAIN. NOW WE JUST NEED A PLAN AND TRYING TO SEE HOW WE GET THERE. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS GOING FORWARD AND THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION THAT WE WILL HAVE AT MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE. SO AGAIN THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS. AND SO I'LL START OFF BY THANKING COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR DRAFTING THE CCR.
I SIGNED ON TO THIS SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND -- LET ME START OFF WITH THE QUESTIONS. DO WE KNOW WHY THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS TO THE THREE BOARDS THAT WERE REFERENCED WERE ORIGINALLY CHANGED? AND WAS ANY OF IT DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM?
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>> I WAS GOING TO SAY I DON'T KNOW. >> I'M LOOKING TO CAM WHO PROBABLY HAS THE MOST HISTORY IN TERMS OF WHAT -- IF YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR
INSIGHT. >> SURE. THE COMPOSITION OF THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WAS DECIDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN THEY WERE CREATED AND ALSO BY STATE LAW FOR SAW HA OR OPPORTUNITY HOME. IT'S NEVER BEEN A QUORUM ISSUE. IN FACT, THOSE THREE BOARDS WHEN THEY MEET THEY MEET
WITH MOSTLY FULL COMPONENT. >> ROCHA GARCIA: OKAY. AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, COUNCILWOMAN SAN DA VALUE HEADED UP WHAT WAS COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY AND CULTURE. AND WE HAD A SUBCOMMITTEE -- IT'S CHANGED SO MANY TIMES. BUT SHE SHARED THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON STETTING AND IN GENERAL ON APARTMENT PROCESSES. AND GIVEN SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS COMING UP, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ONLY OPPORTUNITY HOME OR THE HOUSING COMMISSION. I KNOW WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT A CHARTER ELECTION ON THE BALLOT TO CHANGE SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE. NO?
>> COUNCILWOMAN, IF I MAY, NO, THE CHARTER PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY FOR THE COUNCIL
TO DETERMINE -- >> ROCHA GARCIA: FOR THE REVIEW COMMISSION.
SORRY, I WAS CONFUSING MYSELF. BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER APPOINTMENT PROCESSES, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE -- I DON'T KNOW IF THE SOLUTION IS TO SEND IT TO A FULL B SESSION AND GET LIKE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER'S INPUT OR IF -- NOW, RIGHT? OR IF IT'S DO WE -- LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO BE RESURRECTED, A SUBCOMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT THINGS AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT IS NEEDED, WHAT IS NOT NEEDED, THE APARTMENT PROCESSES. AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT DEBBIE ON THE SPOT HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN IT'S DONE AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT SHOULD ONLY BE DEBBIE THAT'S MAKING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. SHE HAS SO MUCH WORK TO DO ALREADY. SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR DEBBIE'S INPUT ON THAT.
>> SO COUNCILWOMAN, THE CITY CODE DOES REQUIRE REVIEW EVERY TWO YEARS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT -- I THINK THE LAST TIME IT WAS DONE WAS WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
BUT THERE WERE -- THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE AGAIN, A SUNSET REVIEW COMMISSION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER
WHO WOULD MAKE UP THAT COMMISSION. >> ROCHA GARCIA: YEAH.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO TAKE MORE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR INSTANCE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED TODAY A COUPLE OTHER BOARDS. I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT IF THE CODE ASKS US TO DO IT EVERY TWO YEARS, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE IT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO MAYBE IT'S TIME THAT WE DO IT.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND I'D JUST LOVE TO HEAR WHAT ELSE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO
SAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO JOHN ON THE ISSUE OF SUNSET COMMITTEES. THE LAST TWO SUNSET COMMITTEES THAT WE PUT TOGETHER YIELDED NO RESULTS BECAUSE JOHN I THINK I IN HIS CAPACITY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHICH ONES.
AND A COUPLE TO SUNSET, BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOME REASON WHY WE DIDN'T WANT IT DO ONE OR THE OTHER. SO IT'S ENDED UP WITH NO RESULTS.
I DO AGREE I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE RESURRECT A SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I WOULD SUGGEST, ERIK, WE PUT THAT TOPIC ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD APPOINT ONE ON THE NEXT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. LET'S DISCUSS IT AND IF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE SIGNALS APPROVAL, THEN I CAN GO AHEAD AND RECONSTITUTE A SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE AT THAT POINT. IT WOULD LIKELY BE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THIS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS LAST TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I'M GOING TO GO IN REVERSE ORDER SO I CAN KIND OF JUMP RIGHT IN WITH WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN JUST SAID. WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED TO COUNCIL I READ THROUGH THE CHARTER LIKE EVERY NEW COUNCIL MEMBER DOES. AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THERE WASN'T ANYTHING IN THERE THAT I SAW THAT GRANTED THE MAYOR THE AUTHORITY TO DO ALL THESE APPOINTMENTS FOR ALL THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SOMETIMES IT WAS THE CHAIR, SOMETIMES IT WAS THE TOTAL MEMBER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. BUT THEN I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS COUNCIL ACTION THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER THE YEARS TO GIVE THAT AUTHORITY TO THE MAYOR OR STATE LAW, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO INCLUDE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUNSET OR LOOKING AT ALL THOSE COMMITTEES OR COMMISSIONS OR BOARDS AND DECIDING DO WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, DO WE NEED TO OPEN THEM UP TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER BEING ABLE TO APPOINT, ET CETERA.
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SO I THINK TO GO ALONG WITH WHAT WE'RE JUST HEARING, IT MAY BE SETTING UP A SPECIFIC SUNSET COMMITTEE TO LOOK NOT ONLY AT EACH COMMITTEE, BUT THE COMMITTEE'S STRUCTURES AND HOW WE MIGHT MAKE CHANGES CHANGES SO THAT WE FIND WE HAVE REPRESENTATION ON EVERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE CITY. SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'D LIKE TO SEE US GO ON THIS AND HAVE THE STAFF TAKE A LOOK AT THESE.BUT I THINK ALSO WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD LET THE STAFF KNOW WHAT OUR POINTS OF VIEW ARE ON THESE ISSUES, WHICH PARTICULAR COMMITTEE.
WE MAY SAY I WANT TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT 9 ON THAT COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE DON'T. OR WE'VE GOT TOO MANY MEMBERS ON THIS COMMITTEE, CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT? OR REMIND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT, HEY, YOU'VE GOT VACANCIES THAT YOU'RE NOT FILLING, BUT YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DO MORE ABOUT THESE COMMITTEES. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF WHAT THE COUNCIL GIVES FEEDBACK TO ERIK'S OFFICE AS HE AND HIS STAFF LOOK AT HOW WE MIGHT RECONSIDER THESE COMMITTEES AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT'S MY FEELING ON THIS, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD ON IT.
ON THE WATER DISCONNECTION, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IN THE LAYOUT OF WHAT ACTIONS THE CITY MIGHT TAKE IS TRYING TO KEEP THE RESIDENTS INFORMED OF THE STATUS OF THEIR MANAGEMENT OR OWNERSHIP NOT KEEPING UP ON THE BILL. I WOULD IMAGINE THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN APARTMENTS WHERE THEY JUST PAY THEIR RENT AND IT INCLUDES THE WATER BILL AND THEY ASSUME IT'S BEING PAID.
AND IF THERE ARE DOZENS OF PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE GETTING BEHIND, DOES THAT MEAN WE SEND OUT THOUSANDS OF NOTICES EVERY MONTH TO THOSE PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW, WELL, YOUR MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS BEHIND WITH THE WATER BILL FOR A MONTH OR TWO MONTHS. YOU KNOW, SO I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PROCESS WE WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DO KNOW THAT THEY'VE PAID THEIR BILL, BUT THE COMPANY HASN'T, BUT ALSO BEING AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THAT. MAYBE IT'S THROUGH EMAILS, MAYBE IT'S THROUGH TEXT MESSAGING, OTHER DIRECT MAIL WHICH CAN SAVE THE CITY A LOT OF MONEY.
AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MOVING OPERATORS WHO CONSISTENTLY GET INVOLVED IN THESE BILLS AS SO-CALLED BAD ACTORS CATEGORY, BUT I ALSO SAY IT ALMOST NEEDS TO BE THREE STRIKES AND THEN YOU'RE INCLUDED KIND OF ISSUE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ALONG WITH SAWS RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE WOULD PUT THAT KIND OF A STRUCTURE TOGETHER. AND IN THE LONG RUN I DON'T WANT TO SEE SAWS SHUTTING OFF WATER FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMPLY PAID THEIR RENT.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER STRUCTURE AND I THINK IT'S THE AVENUE OF CREATING A LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY AND INFORMING THE BANK THAT HAS FINANCED THAT AND ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT'S PART OF THAT THAT A LIEN IS GOING TO BE PLACED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PAYING THEIR BILL. AND I WOULD IMAGINE OTHER INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS, BECAUSE THESE ARE OFTEN TIMES PARTNERSHIPS, WOULD WANT TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND NOT LET THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE IT REALLY AFFECTS THEIR FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN THE LONG RUN. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE MAJOR STEPS THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IN A PROGRAM TO GO AHEAD AND HOLD MANAGEMENT COMPANIES OR PROPERTY OWNERS MORE ACCOUNTABLE THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TOO SEE ON THE WATER DISCONNECTION.
ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH THIRD ISSUE, I BELIEVE THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT OUR METROPOLITAN HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN USE MORE INSIGHT AND ADVICE ON HOW WE CAN ADDRESS SO MANY OF THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT WE HAD UP ON THAT BOARD. THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS A KEY ONE. ANOTHER ONE IS THE AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF PEOPLE TO GO AND RECEIVE THE HEALTH CARE THEY NEED. STRAC IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION THAT CAN REALLY HELP US WITH A LOT OF THAT, BUT ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE ON THAT LIST THAT I SAW HAS A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE. THE CONCERN I HAVE IS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SETTING UP A COMMISSION, A LOT OF TIMES THAT MEANS WE APPOINT MEMBERS, THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS, THAT THEY HAVE HAVE A QUORUM THERE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE DECISIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE
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WERE TO ORGANIZE A COUNCIL OF THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AS ADVISORY TO THE MENTAL HEALTH, TO METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IT REDUCES SOME OF THE MANDATORY STRUCTURE THAT KIND OF INTERFERES ON OCCASION.IT TAKES OFF THE SHOULDER OF THOSE MEMBERS SAYING THIS IS WHAT THE CITY HAS TO DO.
AND IT BECOMES MORE AN ADVISORY THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH METRO HEALTH CAN DECIDE HOW CAN THE CITY PUT THESE TOGETHER AND WORK WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE THEM EQUAL PARTNERS INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING US WHAT WE SHOULD DO, THEY WOULD HAVE A ROLE TO STEP UP AND SAY THIS IS HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH METRO HEALTH IN DOING THESE THINGS. SO I'D LIKE THAT TO BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION IF IT GOES TO THE HEALTH COMMITTEE. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON
THOSE ISSUES, THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CABALLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: I HAVE QUESTIONS ON ITEM 5, THE SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE. I'M NOT SURE HOW IT ADDRESSES THE CCR. I DON'T DISAGREE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, WE SHOULD DO IT, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT -- YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR, THAT IT'S NOT PRODUCED ANY RESULTS. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE POINT IS OF DOING IT IF WE'RE EXPECTING THAT AGAIN. I MEAN, IN THEORY I GET IT.
BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW IT'S ADDRESSING SPECIFICALLY WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA WAS ASKING FOR, GOING BACK TO A SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE. I THINK SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN COURAGE SAID RIGHT NOW ABOUT NOT JUST SUNSETTING COMMITTEES, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE STRUCTURE OF THOSE HIS COMMITTEES. IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO FORM A COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT COMMITTEES. AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT SAYING DEATH BY COMMITTEES, RIGHT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE POINT OF ENGAGING ANOTHER COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL MOTION AND WHAT THE COUNCILMAN WAS LOOKING FOR IS HAVING A DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND LESS BUREAUCRATIC, FRANKLY. AND IT'S A PUBLIC DISCUSSION AS WELL, NOT A COMMITTEE THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY SEEN BY EVERYBODY. SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO. I WANT TO STAY TRUE TO FORM WITH THE AUTHOR IN LOOKING FOR A COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE STRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY THE COMMITTEE SHE MENTIONED, BUT ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL WE WANT TO LOOK AT.
THANKS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CABALLO HAVRDA. LET ME WEIGH IN ON THESE ITEMS AND THEN WE CAN TAKE UP SOME MOTIONS. SO ITEM NUMBER -- ITEM NUMBER 3, WE PUT TOGETHER COMMITTEES FROM TIME TO TIME. I TEND TO AGREE WITH YOUR SENTIMENT, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE ABOUT BEING OVERLY BUREAUCRATIC ABOUT THIS.
WE DO WANT IT TO BE NIMBLE AND WE WANT IT TO BE BEST SERVED TO OUR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY, BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A STABLE OF EXPERTS.
THIS CAME UP DURING COVID ABOUT ESTABLISHING SOMETHING FORMAL.
WE ENDED UP ESTABLISHING THE HEALTH TRANSITION TEAM AND THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAM THAT WERE AD HOC, BUT TO LIKE TO HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOUR TEAM, CLAUDE, AS THIS GOES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY.
SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOMMENDATION THERE. FOR ITEM NUMBER 4, ADMITTEDLY I THINK IF WE HAD SAWS IN HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS CCR, THEY WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY -- NOT CONCERN, BUT SOME CONTEXT. THEY HAVE BEEN PUTTING DOOR HANGERS ON INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS DOORS A MONTH OR TWO PRIOR TO DISCONNECTIONS, HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF OUTREACH TO SOME OF THESE LANDLORDS.
SO I LIKE ACTUALLY THE DIRECTION THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE COUNCILWOMAN ABOUT FOCUSING ON OUR PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS PROCESS BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY IF THE LANDLORD IS NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE TENANTS, THAT'S A BAD ACTOR. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF WORK WE NEED TO DO WITH LEGAL TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE A FAST LANE FOR THOSE KINDS OF DERELICT LANDLORDS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THAT DON'T PAY UTILITIES. BECAUSE THOSE ARE LIFE SAFETY ISSUES LIKE RIGHT AFTER THE BAT. SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF LOOKING AT MORE OF A LEGAL ROUTE AND HOW WE CAN HOLD THE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE.
ANDY, DID YOU WANT TO JUMP IN? >> IF YOU'RE TALKING, MAYOR, ABOUT ADDING THESE POTENTIAL LANDLORDS TO OUR PROACTIVE INSPECTION PROGRAM, THAT WOULD SIMPLY -- IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF AMENDING OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE
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THAT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I'D BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT GOES FAR ENOUGH IN REGARDS TO THE ISSUE BECAUSE IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS, BUT WHEN COUNCILMAN COURAGE MADE HEADLINES SAYING WE SHOULD PUT LIENS ON THE APARTMENTS I THOUGHT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESSURING LANDLORDS TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND. I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PROSPECTIVE TENANTS OF APARTMENTS THAT DON'T PAY THEIR BILLS, KNOW UP FRONT THEY HAVE X NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS OR HAVE BEEN BEHIND SO MANY MONTHS IN THEIR OWN UTILITY BILLS AND WHILE IT'S THEIR PROBLEM ULTIMATELY THAT MIGHT AFFECT YOU DOWN THE ROAD. SO SAME WAY WE DO RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS, SOMEBODY NAILS AN INSPECTION, THE CUSTOMERS WILL KNOW, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PROSPECTIVE TENANTS KNOW BEFORE THEY SIGN A LEASE THAT THAT LANDLORD IS HAVING TROUBLE PAYING THEIR BILLS. ON THE LAST CCR, I AGREE IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE CCR.
NOW, I'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE. OPPORTUNITY HOME, THAT IS A STATE STATUTE. SO AGAIN, IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION OF THE WAY THAT BOARD IS CONSTITUTED, THAT IS A STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
ON THE HOUSING COMMISSION, THIS WAS A COMMUNITY LED EFFORT THAT PRODUCED THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK, AND ONE OF THEIR SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS WAS TO RECONSTITUTE THE HOUSING COMMISSION AND HAVE IT APPOINTED THE WAY IT WAS.
WE'VE HAD HOUSING COMMISSIONS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE ALSO PRODUCED NOTHING AND LARGELY BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSTITUTE A HOUSING COMMISSION UNDER A SINGLE VISION, WHICH IS OUR SHIP, WHICH IS OUR HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK, AND WHICH IS -- NOT ME BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE FOR THAT MUCH LONGER, IS THE NEXT MAYOR, IS A DIRECTIVE OF THE VOTING PUBLIC IN MY OPINION. SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT HOUSING COMMISSION IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY THE FRAMEWORK RECOMMENDS, WHICH IS A COMMUTE-DRIVEN PROCESS, UPWARDS OF A THOUSAND PEOPLE WEIGHING INTO THIS DOCUMENT, ALONG WITH THE VOTE OF THE PUBLIC ON WHATEVER CANDIDATES SAY ABOUT WHERE THEY WANT TO TAKE HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS OR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT AND THAT'S A DIRECTIVE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE NEXT MAYOR. SO I WOULD BE CONCERNED IF WE DEVIATED FROM WHAT WAS, AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMUNITY IN THIS HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HOW MUCH MOMENTUM WE NOW HAVE IN THE AREA OF HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WITH RESPECT TO THE CHARTER PROCESS, I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED.
I TRIED TO LISTEN BEST TO MY COLLEAGUES IN TERMS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE APPOINTMENTS. I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS ITSELF, IT IS, HAS BEEN, AND I KNOW JOHN AND ANDY WILL AGREE, THIS CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS WAS THE MOST TRANSPARENT CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD IN TERMS OF GETTING THE BALLOT ACTUALLY ON TO AND IN FRONT OF THE VOTING PUBLIC, WHICH WE'LL WEIGH INTO IT -- WHICH WILL WEIGH INTO IT. BUT IF THERE'S A -- IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO CHANGE THE WAY THE NEXT CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS CONSTITUTED, BY ALL MEANS THAT'S GOING TO BE THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE WAIT FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL BECAUSE THIS COMMISSION IS NOT GOING TO BE CONSTITUTED AGAIN IN THIS TERM. SO WE CAN TAKE THAT -- Y'ALL CAN TAKE UP THAT RECOMMENDATION AT THAT TIME. , WHICH WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. SO MY RECOMMENDATION AGAIN WOULD BE JUST TO KICK IT BACK TO YOU, ERIK, FOR SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS. I WILL RECONSTITUTE A SUNSET COMMITTEE IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THIS COMMITTEE, SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND EXAMINE THAT BEGIN. AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO TAKE UP THE CONTENT OF THE CCR. SO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA? >> ROCHA GARCIA: I HAVE A QUESTION FOR DEBBIE.
AND THE REASON THAT I BROUGHT THIS UP IS BECAUSE IN THE COUNCILMAN'S CCR IT TALKS ABOUT THERE'S BEEN A TRANSFORMATION IN APPOINTMENT MECHANISMS. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING WHY DID THINGS CHANGE? AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY APPOINTMENT PROCESSES CHANGED AND THAT'S WHY I WAS THINKING, WELL, MAYBE IT WAS SIMILAR -- NOW, DURING THAT SUNSET COMMISSION THAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL CHAIRED, WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME APPOINTMENT PROCESSES.
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BUT THEN IT REALLY HASN'T BEEN DONE AGAIN. BUT IF IT'S CODE, RIGHT, THAT REQUIRES IT FOR US TO DO IT EVERY TWO YEARS, THEN I THINK WE'RE OVERDUE ONE.BUT THEN ALSO I FEEL THAT THAT ALSO ENGAGES DIRECTLY WITH THE REQUEST FOR COUNCIL TO WORK TO RESTORE MORE INCLUSIVE AND TRANSPARENT PROCESSES, RIGHT? AND SO TO COUNCILMAN COURAGE'S POINT, ADDING, SO IN ADDITION TO JUST THE SUNSETTING OF COMMITTEES, LOOKING AT EVERY APPOINTMENT PROCESS.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. WHEN I FIRST -- LIKE MY VERY FIRST APPOINTMENT PROCESS, IT WAS FOR VIA. AND SO I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, RIGHT, LIKE HOW -- HOW THINGS WORKED. SO I HAD ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN SOMEBODY IN THE BACKGROUND SAID, OH, NO, THIS IS HOW IT WORKS AND THIS IS HOW IT'S ALWAYS WORKED. AND SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THEN THE CPS VOTE CAME UP AGAIN AND SAME TYPE OF THING. SO IT JUST KIND OF WAS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND GET IT, BUT IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED A LOT FURTHER, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT -- THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE CODE OR WOULD WE HAVE TO DO LIKE TO SAY THAT? HAVE THE COMMITTEE ACCORDING TO THE CODING BUT WE'RE GOING TO ADD THESE EXTRA THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE HAS RECOMMENDED, FOR INSTANCE?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO WHAT I WILL DO HEARING THIS DISCUSSION IS I WILL RECONSTITUTE A SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND RECOMMEND THAT THEY TAKE UP THE SUBJECT OF LIKE APPOINTMENTS IN GENERAL, AND THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED AT WHATEVER
BREADTH THEY WANT. >> I DON'T THINK THIS WAS DONE THE LAST TIME WHEN COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL LED THE EFFORT BECAUSE WHAT I RECALL THE APPOINTMENT PART WAS THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WAS FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE -- WE BEING THE ROYAL WE WITH THE COUNCIL, AS DIVERSE AS POSSIBLE IN EACH OF THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. I THINK AS I'M HEARING YOU ALL TALK ABOUT A SUNSET COMMITTEE, A KEY PART OF THAT IS INVENTORYING THE -- WHAT IS THE ORIGINATING APPOINTMENT PROCESS? IS IT A PRIOR ORDINANCE, IS IT THE CITY CHARTER, IS IT STATE LAW? WHAT IS IT? AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE ON GOT AN INVENTORY OF THAT. AND WE CAN DO THAT. WE SHOULD DO THAT SO THAT IT'S ONE PLACE FOREVERMORE BECAUSE I THINK MOST ARE GOING TO BE DRIVEN BY ORDINANCE AND WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THAT.
IF WE COULD WORK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ARE YOU YIELDING THE FLOOR, COUNCIL MEMBER?
>> ROCHA GARCIA: YES. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: I THINK IT'S VITAL FOR SAISD COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE COMMITTEES WERE ORIGINATED. AND IF IT WAS STATE LAW, ARE WE GOING TO ADD IT TO OUR AGENDA TO TRY AND CHANGE THE STATE LAW? IF IT WAS A LOCAL ORDINANCE THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ADJUST THOSE ORDINANCES AS WE UNDERSTAND THEM. AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUALIZING REPRESENTATION, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT A LIST THAT CAME OUT OF I THINK THE LAST SUNSET THAT TALKED ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF COMMITTEES, WHAT THE RACIAL STRUCTURE WAS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT HOW WELL REPRESENTED THE ENTIRE CITY MAY HAVE BEEN ON THOSE COMMITTEES. AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION WHICH MAY MEAN THAT COUNCIL
DO APPOINT IN >> COURAGE: SO I THINK HAVING AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THOSE WERE SET UP AND THEN UNDERSTANDING HOW WE CAN DIVERSIFY THE REPRESENTATION SO THE ENTIRE CITY HAS REPRESENTATION ON THOSE COMMITTEES SHOULD BE PART OF A SUNSET THAT SAYS, WE DON'T EVEN NEED THIS COMMITTEE ANYMORE, OR LET'S COMBINE THESE TWO COMMITTEES TOGETHER, WHICH OCCASIONALLY THE MAYOR HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO.
AND STRUCTURALLY, I THINK, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES, SO I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT THIS COMMITTEE RECOMMEND THAT WE SET UP A SUNSET COMMITTEE WHICH INCLUDES EVALUATING HOW ALL OF THE CURRENT COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS WERE ESTABLISHED AND HOW THEY NOW HAVE THE REPRESENTATION ON THOSE BOARDS FOR RECONSIDERATION BY THE
COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR REESTABLISHING A SUNSET COMMITTEE, WHICH, AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WE NEED A MOTION BUT I'LL TAKE THAT DIRECTION, COUNCILMAN.
SO ANDY, SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP THAT MOTION FIRST?
>> SEGOVIA: THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO DO THAT, YES, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THE MOTION WAS TO RECONSTITUTE A SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE WITH THE ADDED SUBJECT AREA OF THE
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APPOINTMENT'S PROCESS IN ESTABLISHING NOT JUST THIS DOCUMENT BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT -- FOR THE NEXT TERM. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.(AYES.) >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. 4/1 -- 3/1, EXCUSE ME. SO ITEM NUMBER 5 NOW WILL GO TO THE SUNSET COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE RECONSTITUTED.
AND I'LL TRY TO DO THAT SOONEST. NOW, WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 3 -- EXCUSE ME, -- YEAH, ITEM NUMBER 3 WHICH IS REFERRING THE CCR TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMUNITY -- OR THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THAT.
ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR MOVING ITEM 3 TO COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. (AYES.)
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
ITEM NUMBER 4 IS REFERRING THIS CCR TO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMISSION. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THAT.
OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR MOVING ITEM 4 TO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY 82. (AYES.)
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.
MOTION CARRIES. AND IS THAT IT FOR OUR AGENDA? AND BEARE ADJOURNED. THANKS, EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.