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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 2:08 P.M. ON THE EXPHEEBT DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024, AND WE'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? >> CLERK:
MAYOR, WE HAVE QUORUM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WELL, WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, FAIRLY LENGTHY, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU,
ERIK, TO GET STARTED. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS A POSTSOLICITATION BRIEFING BY METRO HEALTH ON THE REREPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP OF BRINGING IT TO COUNCIL FOR A SESSION.
JUST A REMINDER, WE HAD A PRESOLICITATION BRIEFING WITH THE COUNCIL IN JUNE, THE SOLICITATIONS CLOSED IN EARLY AUGUST. THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE MET THEREAFTER AND HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND SO BOTH CLAUDE AND DR. WOO ARE GOING TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION. CLAUDE WILL KIND OF RECONTEXT EVERYTHING ON THE FRONT END AND THEN DR. WOO WILL GO THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF AWARD AND HOW THEY CATEGORIZE AND FIT INTO THE AREAS OF UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM THAT WE DISCUSSED AT ONE OF OUR EARLIER PRESENTATIONS. SO, CLAUDE?
>> JACOB: CLAUDE JACOB FROM METRO HEALTH. WE DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE SINCE OUR LAST BRIEFING THAT WAS HELD IN JUNE. TODAY WE'RE HERE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE POSTSOLICITATION FOR THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE INITIATIVES AND THE RECOMMENDED AWARDS. THIS IS OUR THIRD BRIEFING SINCE APRIL.
TODAY'S PRESENTATION, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE CITY MANAGER, OUTLINES OUR PROCESS, THE RECOMMENDED AWARDS AND HIGHLIGHTS NEXT STEPS FOR THE PROPOSED INITIATIVES AIMED AT PROMOTING REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE EFFORTS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. I'LL KICK IT OFF AND WALK THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS THAT OCCURRED OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER AND DR. WOO OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY WILL REORIENT TO THE FRAMEWORK AS THESE PERTAIN TO THE RECOMMENDED AWARDS. TO PUT INTO CONTEXT, TEXAS FACES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE IN ADDRESSING THE HEALTH NEEDS OF WOMEN WITH THE STATE LEADING THE NATION IN UNINSURED WOMEN APPROXIMATELY 1 IN 4.
THIS SITUATION UNDERSCORES THE CRITICAL NEED FOR ACCESSIBLE REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES, PARTICULARLY LOW COST AND NO COST OPTIONS FOR FAMILY PLANNING, CANCER SCREENING AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS TESTING. UNFORTUNATELY VITAL PROGRAM SUCH AS THE FEDERAL TITLE X PROGRAM ARE NOW OPERATING AT ONLY A THIRD OF THEIR PREVIOUS CAPACITY. IN ADDITION MORE REPORTED DENIED APPLICATIONS FOR 20-21 LIMITING ACCESS TO CARE. LAWFULLY PRESENT IMMIGRANT ADULTS ARE BARRED FROM MEDICAID. THIS WILL EXPLORE THE IMPLICATION OF THESE CHALLENGES. AGAIN SOME OF THESE YOU HEARD DURING THE BRIEFINGS BACK IN APRIL AND JUNE.
JUST KNOW THAT THE GREATEST NEEDS YOU MAY RECALL IN OUR PRESENTATION BACK IN APRIL THAT DR. WOO USED SEVERAL MAPS AND CHARTS TO WALK US THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY'S FOUR GREATEST REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH DISPARITIES AND GAPS. THESE ARE OUTLINED ON THE SLIDE.
CONTRACEPTION ACCESS FOR PEOPLE AT LESS THAN 250% OF FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. EARLY PRENATAL CARE STARTING IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER, SCREENING AND CARE FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMISSION INFECTIONS AND ACCESS TO ABORTIONS WHICH IS LARGELY BANNED IN THE STATE.
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WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES WERE DOING, SO OUR TEAM ALSO RESEARCHED TO SEE, ESPECIALLY THE LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, THIS SLIDE PROVIDES JUST A SNAPSHOT.IT'S NOT AN ALL-EXHAUSTIVE LIST, BUT REFLECTING A FEW EXAMPLES SHOWING WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN DOING WITH THEIR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE EFFORTS ON THE GROUND. SO BASICALLY THESE FALL IN THREE BUCKETS, HEALTH EDUCATION, OB/GYN ACCESS AND CARE AND ABORTION ACCESS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN JULY, THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISTRIBUTED $4.2 MILLION TO 11 ORGANIZATIONS AND $1.000000 TO THE HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A TOTAL OF $6 MILLION THERE. THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS APPROPRIATED HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND COLUMBUS, OHIO, HAS APPROPRIATED A MILLION DOLLARS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WE UNDERSTAND APAPPROPRIATED $400,000.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW, DALLAS DOES NOT HAVE AN EQUIVALENT FUND AT THIS TIME. SO WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FUNDING STREAMS TO SUPPORT THESE INITIATIVES. IN COMPARISON JUST ILLUSTRATES THE VARYING LEVELS OF COMMITMENT ACROSS CITIES AND SOME COMMON AREAS OF ALIGNMENT. SO WITH THAT TO OUR PROCESS HERE, FOR THE NEXT FEW SLIDES I'LL DESCRIBE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND OUR PROPOSED FRAMEWORK WHICH YOU ERD HEARD EARLIER IN THE SPRING. THIS SOLICITATION REQUESTED PROPOSALS TO PROMOTE REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
THERE WILL BE ONE-YEERD CONTRACTS WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $500,000 WITH FUNDS SECURED THAT WERE ACTUALLY SECURED IN OUR FY '24 FISCAL BUDGET.
FOR CONTRACTS SUCH AS THIS ONE, THE RESPONDENTS PROVIDED INNOVATIVE IDEAS WHICH WERE SCORED BY EVALUATION PANEL WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE IN A MOMENT, AND DURING THE BRIEFING THAT'S WERE HELD IN APRIL -- ON APRIL 10TH AND JUNE 18TH, WE DESCRIBED A FRAMEWORK THAT USED UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM ANDDOW AND DOWNSTREAM ACTIVITIES.
DR. WOO WILL WALK THROUGH THIS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION BUT I WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF THE PROCESS UNDERWAY SINCE THE SUMMER.
SO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WE ALERTED MORE THAN 3700 REGISTERED VENDORS LOCATED IN THE CITY'S DATABASE ABOUT THIS SOLICITATION. THE RFP WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 24TH AND WAS OPEN FOR 36 DAYS. WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 10 RESPONSES BY THE AUGUST 2ND DEADLINE. THE EVALUATION PANEL HAD 19 DAYS TO REVIEW THE SUBMISSIONS. AND JUST KNOW, AGAIN, THE STAGES OF THIS PROCESS, WE
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TYPICALLY CRAFT AN RFP, WHICH IS CREATED OUTLINING PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, OUTLINING THE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. WE ADVERTISE THE RFP, WHICH IS DONE THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITE, TRADE PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER CHANNELS. WE ALSO -- THROUGH THE CITY STAFF, WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, SO OFTEN A CONFERENCE IS HELD FOR INTERESTED VENDORS TO ASK QUESTIONS AND SEEK CLARIFICATIONS. THIS TOOK PLACE ON JULY 9TH. AND THEN OUR VENDORS SUPPORT -- THE VENDORS SUPPORT THEIR PROPOSAL BY SPECIFIC DEADLINE AND THAT HAPPENED ON AUGUST 2ND. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST BRING IT FORWARD, SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE EVALUATION PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SUBSET OF THE APPLICANTS, AND WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE FOUR AWARDS WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT MOMENTARILY. SO IN TERMS OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA, THE CITY SCORING CRITERIA IS LISTED ON THIS SLIDE, WHICH WERE FAIRLY STANDARD THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS AS A BUDGET DEPARTMENT.GIVEN THE PLAN TO FUND CERTAIN PERCENTAGES OR BUCKETS USING THAT PREVENTION FRAMEWORK WHICH I MENTIONED THAT ALIGN WITH UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM EFFORTS THIS WAS FOLDED INTO THE EVALUATION PANEL'S REVIEW. THE PANEL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THREE CRITERIA. THE EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR 20 POINTS. THE PROPOSED PLAN WHICH WAS SCORED AT 30 POINTS AND THE BUDGET ITSELF FOR 15 POINTS.
SO THE TOTAL FOR THAT WAS ACCOUNTING FOR 65 POINTS TIED TO THAT TIER OF THE CRITERIA. THE PROCUREMENT STAFF ASSESSED FOUR CRITERIA TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE RFP WHICH WERE APPLIED TO THE SCORING MATRIX. THIS LADDER SCORING ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT A THIRD OF THE TOTAL SCORE. THIS TALLIED TO 100 POINTS. SO JUST KNOW THE COMPOSITE OF THE EVALUATION PANEL CONSISTED OF OUR TEAM AT METRO HEALTH, SO FIVE OF MY STAFF, MYSELF, AS WELL AS TWO COMMUNITY PARTNERS FROM THE UNITED WAY AND PAY IT FORWARD. JUST KNOW THAT OUR METRO HEALTH TEAM REFLECTS EXTENSIVE CLINICAL AND PROGRAMMATIC EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROMOTION. JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR SECTION LEADS FROM ACCESS TO CARE FROM COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, AS WELL AS AS MATERNAL INFANT HEALTH. AND OUR COMMITTEE MET TWICE IN PERSON IN TERMS OF THE SEPTEMBER 3RD DELIBERATIONS AND THE SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, BESIDES A GAG L OF
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DIFFERENT TRAININGS THAT WERE STAFFED BY THE PROCUREMENT AND FINANCE STAFF WITH TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. JUST KNOW THAT STANDARD PRACTICE ALSO INCLUDES AN INITIAL EVALUATION MEETING IN PERSON WITH THE PANEL TO REVIEW THE PROPOSALS. AT THE SECOND MEETING THAT WAS HELD, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS DURING AN INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR THE TOP SCORING BIDDERS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT.THE BIDDERS THEMSELVES WERE PROVIDED THE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME TO PREPARE AND THE INTERVIEWS WERE SCHEDULED IN 30-MIN-MINUTE BLOCK POS. THE PANEL DELIBERATED TO ASSESS THE INSIGHTS DPLEENED ABOUT THE PROPOSALS.
THIS IS A LIST OF THE RESPONDENTS TO THE RFP. AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 10 RESPONDENTS LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.
EACH ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ADDRESSES UNIQUE SOCIAL ISSUES CONTRIBUTING TO COMMUNITY WELL-BEING IN VARIOUS WAYS.
THESE NONPROFITS ARE VARIOUS MISSIONS IN POPULATIONS AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF THE CONSTELLATION OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, SO BEAT AIDS FOCUSING ON HIV AWARENESS, PREVENTION FOR THOSE AFFECTED AND POTENTIALLY BY THE VIRUS. EMPOWER HOUSE, PROVIDES YOUTH PROGRAMMING AND OTHERS THROUGH A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE LENS. JANE'S DUE PROCESS -- PARTICULARLY MINORS IMMEDIATING ASSISTANCE WITH PARENTAL CONSENT ISSUES. LATCHED SUPPORT, INCORPORATED, THEY OFFER EDUCATION, SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR BREASTFEEDING AND PARENTING, INCLUDING DOULA SUPPORT. PARENTING PLUS, THEY PROVIDE CLASSES AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN JUSTICE INVOLVED. SACRED.ORG, A RESOURCE DIRECTORY FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH DEDICATED POR PORTALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND HOUSING NEEDS.
AND THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION, THEY PROVIDE EDUCATION, TESTING, TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE LIVING WITH OR AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS. SUENOS SIN FRONTERAS, USAWA WELLNESS SERVICES, THEY PROMOTE HOLISTIC MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CARE, AND FINALLY THE YWCA, LONG STANDING ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON EARLY CHILD EDUCATION AND CARE, YOUTH SUCCESS, HEALTH EQUITY, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, WORKFORCE TRAINING, RACIAL JUSTICE AND J GENDER AD ADVOCACY AND EQUITY. JUST KNOW THEY WERE THE 10 THAT SUBMITTED COMPLETE APPLICATIONS TO -- BY THE AUGUST 2ND DEADLINE.
SO NOW I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT AT LEAST WHERE WE LANDED.
I REALIZE THIS SLIDE MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE FONT BUT YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF THIS, SO JUST KNOW THAT THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE EVALUATION OF THE APPLICANTS FOR THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE INITIATIVES. THE PANEL WENT THROUGH AN INITIAL SCORING PROCESS AS I MENTIONED, THE FIVE HIGHEST SCORED BIDDERS WERE SLOTTED FOR INTERVIEWS. THAT TOOK PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. THOSE WHO WERE INVITED FOR INTERVIEWS, THAT OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT. JUST KNOW THAT THE FIVE BIDDERS WITH A MINIMUM SCORE OF 60-POINTS WERE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW.
WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE TOP FOUR BIDDERS THAT HAD THE HIGHEST SCORES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED FOR AN AWARD. AND JUST KNOW, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF, AGAIN, THESE ORGANIZATIONS AS YOU HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK ON THE GROUND, JUST KNOW THAT THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE WORK HERE LOCALLY, WHETHER IT WAS HEALTH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ABOUT LINKAGES TO HEALTHCARE, HEALTH SERVICES, ACCESS TO DOULA TRAINING OR SERVICES OR NAVIGATING VARIOUS NETWORKS HERE IN THE CITY AND ACROSS THE STATE, THESE ACTIVITIES WERE REFLECTED IN A RANGE OF APPLICATIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED. MOST APPLICATIONS ALSO HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CITY CONTRACTS AND LINKAGES TO THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT OF ALL COSA RFPS. AND ALL THE APPLICANTS HIGHLIGHT -- AUDIO] -- HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE FIRST SET YOU SAW WERE THOSE THAT WERE INVITED FOR INTERVIEWS ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, BY CONTRAST WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE, SOME OF THE BIDDERS THAT WERE NOT SELECTED FOR INTERVIEW WERE BEAT AIDS, USAWA, WELLNESS, SACRED.ORG AND -- AGGREGATE SCORES RANGED FROM 47.87 TO 57.28.S BASED ON THE FIRST ROUND EVALUATIONS. AT TIMES IF THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM THE BIDDERS OR DID NOT MEET CERTAIN PROCUREMENT CRITERIA, THEN THE POINTS WERE NOT AWARDED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY.
YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN ON EACH OF THE CATEGORIES WHICH REFLECTS THE MAXIMUM POINTS LISTED IN THE GRAY BOX AND THE SUBTOTAL OF THE EBQ
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PROPOSED PLAN AND BUDGET IN THE LIGHT BLUE BOX AND THE TOTAL SCORE AND RANKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MATRIX. SO WITH THAT, THE FINAL EVALUATION WHICH TOOK PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH AS MENTIONED EARLIER, AFTER THE INTERVIEWS WERE COMPLETED, THE FOUR HIGHEST SCORES WERE SELECTED FOR AWARDS. THE FINAL SCORES AND THE RECOMMENDED AWARDS REFLECT A MINIMUM OF 60 POINTS. THE AWARDEES AR H ES -- WHICH INCLUDED A SET OF GLOBAL QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED BY EACH OF THE FIVE INVITED BIDDERS AS WELL AS SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR AREAS FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION AS REQUESTED BY THE EVALUATION PANEL.THIS INCLUDED CLARIFICATION ABOUT STRATEGIES FOR MEASURING IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND EXPECTED TURNAROUND TIME FOR EXECUTING CONTRACTS, AS WELL AS STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINING THE WORK BEYOND THE ONE-YEAR FUNDING CYCLE.
THE BIDDERS WERE GIVEN ONE WEEK TO PREPARE THEIR RESPONSES.
THE VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS WERE HELD IN 30-MINUTE BLOCKS WITH ALL THE EVALUATION PANELISTS BEING ON SITE AT CITY TOWER.
AS A RESULT OF THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PROCESS, THE EVALUATION PROCESS, THE FOUR RECOMMENDED AWARDS ARE THE YWCA, SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION, EMPOWER HOUSE AND SLACH SUPPORT. NOW, TO -- LATCH SUPPORT.
NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE PROPOSED WORK AND THE SPECIFIC AWARD AMOUNTS I WILL PASS IT TO OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DR. JENNA WOO.
>> THANK YOU. SO AS A QUICK REORIENTATION PUBLIC HEALTH EMPHASIZES UPSTREAM WORK AS A WAY TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR THOSE DOWNSTREAM SERVICES FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ONCE SOMEBODY'S ALREADY PREGNANT, THEN WHAT'S UPSTREAM IS ECONOMIC STABILITY AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, THAT'S OUR FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY OUTCOMES OR PREVENTION, AND WHAT'S MIDSTREAM IS ACCESS TO TRUSTED MEDICAL CARE AND A FULL RANGE OF FAMILY PLANNING OPTIONS WITHOUT BIAS OR COERCION. SO AS EXAMPLES IN THE RFP OF UPSTREAM WORK, WE'RE AGAIN TALKING ABOUT STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC SUPPORTS, SO THAT COULD BE BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT -- OH, THANK YOU -- THAT WORK ON FOOD SECURITY, HOUSING SECURITY AND ACCESS TO CARE. IT CAN BE SHARING -- WITH THIS RFP, WE WILL BE SUPPORTING SHARED MESSAGING ON, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW AND WHERE TO ACCESS LOW-COST HEALTHCARE, LEGAL RIGHTS OF PREGNANCY -- OF PREGNANT AND BREASTFEEDING WORKERS, FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE PREGNANCY WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT, THROUGH THE PUMP ACT, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP RESOURCES. IN PARTICULAR THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WORKSHOPS FOR A TOTAL OF 225 PEOPLE CONDUCTED BY THE YWCA AND EMPOWER HOUSE.
. ON THESE SLIDES YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE THE TARGET FOR EACH CATEGORY, LIKE UPSTREAM PERCENT, AND THEN THE ACTUAL AMOUNT AWARDED IN THAT CATEGORY. FOR MIDSTREAM, IN THE RFPS, SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS WERE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH FOCUSED CARE NAVIGATORS FOR PEOPLE IN CLINICAL SETTINGS, SEX ED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, MORE CONTRACEPTION PROVIDERS IN THOSE PRIORITY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WE SAW ON THE MAPS, NAVIGATION TO INSURANCE AND TEXAS BENEFITS PROGRAM, SO PEOPLE CAN GET THAT CLINICAL CARE AND DOULA TRAINING, AND WHAT WOULD -- WHAT WE'LL BE SUPPORTING WITH THIS RFP INCLUDES FREE CONTRACEPTION INCLUDING LONG-ACTING METHODS, NAVIGATION INTO EARLY PRENATAL CARE AND STI CARE, THAT PART WILL BE THROUGH THE YWCA AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH TEXAS FAMILY PLANNING AND A MOBILE CLINIC, STI EDUCATION FOR 5,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PRIMARILY SAISD AND NORTHSIDE ISD AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION, AND 30 DOULAS TRAINED BY BOTH THE YWCA AND LATCHED SUPPORT. AND THEN FINALLY FOR DOWNSTREAM, SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS WERE HOME PREGNANCY TESTS, EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION, TRANSPORTATION TO PRENATAL CARE, SUBSIDIZED DOULAS, MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH FOR AFTE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FOLKS, STI TESTING AND TREATMENT AND TRANSPORTATION TO ABORTION CARE.
WHAT WE'LL BE SUPPORTING IS WRAPAROUND PRENATAL SUPPORT.
SO NOT THE PRENATAL CARE ITSELF, BUT ACCESS TO DOULAS, MENTAL HEALTHCARE, ACUPUNCTURE, MIDWIFERY, NAVIGATION TO BENEFITS, DIRECT UTILITY AND RENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH EMPOWER HOUSE, AS WELL AS STI TESTING FOR 800 PEOPLE THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION.
SO THE OVERVIEW OF THE UPSTREAM AND MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM AMOUNTS IS RIGHT HERE, 6%, 35% AND 59%. HERE'S THE PATCHWORK OF
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UPSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM AND MIDSTREAM SERVICES THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING.AND THAT MAY BEG THE QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT ABORTION? NONE OF THE FOUR RECOMMENDED AWARDEES PROPOSED ABORTION TRANSPORTATION OR NAVIGATION. TWO RESPONDENTS DID INCLUDE THESE SERVICES AS PART OF A BROADER PACKAGE BUT WERE NOT SELECTED ALONG THE FINAL GROUP, AND ABORTION NAVIGATION WAS NOT ADDRESSED BY ANY OF THE OTHER RESPONDENTS. AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING
TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO CLAUDE. >> JACOB: THANKS, DR. WOO. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
JUST KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, THIS IS ABOUT FINALIZING THE CONTRACTS WITH OUR SELECTED VENDORS AND PROCEEDING TO A SCHEDULED A SESSION, THE DATE TO BE FINALIZED. SO WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO THANK THE CITY'S FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT TEAM WHO GUIDED US THROUGH THIS PROCESS. OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS,LISE ZAGOMEZ AND CHERRY VAN KULKEN WHO BOTH TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES TO HELP US SELECT THE BEST PARTNERS OF THIS MISSION OF THE IMP AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND OF COURSE OUR FANTASTIC METRO HEALTH STAFF WHO SUPPORT THIS ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS IS THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION. WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, CLAUDE.
THESE ARE TWO VERY DISTINCT ITEMS SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START A DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 1, SO LET ME START WITH COUNCILMEMBER
MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I SEE THE SIGN IN THE BACK, IT SAYS EQUITY BEGINS IN THE WOMB, AND TO ME THAT MEANS THAT THE REALITY AND IMPACTS OF A PREGNANCY ARE DIFFERENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL, AND THOSE ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE MAY CHOOSE OR NOT CHOOSE TO CARRY A PREGNANCY TO FULL TERM.
ONTO THE ITEM AT HAND, RESPECTFULLY EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS IS INCREDIBLE AND THEY DO VERY IMPORTANT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO SEE THAT MOST OF THEM ARE IN DISTRICT TWO; HOWEVER, I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT NONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MEET A LARGE REASON THIS ONE WAS CREATED AND NAVIGATED FOR WHICH INCLUDE LOGISTICS AND TRAVEL FOR ABORTION ACCESS.
SLIDE 3 INDICATES THIS IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST NEEDS YET I DON'T BELIEVE ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION PROVIDES ACCESS TO THESE NAVIGATION SERVICES.
TEXAS HAS SEEN A TERRIFYING SPIKE IN INFANT AND BIRTHING PARENT MORTALITY. 56% SINCE THE DECISION AND TEXAS SBA ABORTION BAN. HOUSING, GROCERIES AND THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE IS GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY DAY. AND CHILDCARE IS TENS OF THOUSANDS A YEAR. ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE, POINT BLANK, PERIOD.
IN OUR CURRENT CONTEXT, I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT BODILY AUTONOMY AND THE RIGHT TO HEALTH AT ANY OPPORTUNITY AND WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE MET THAT GOAL. FURTHER, WE HEARD FROM SOME SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT THE APPLICATION WAS CUMBERSOME AND DIFFICULT TO FILL OUT, SO I'M WONDERING WERE ALL 3,000 PLUS VENDORS RELEVANT TO APPLY FOR THIS RFP? OR I GUESS HOW WERE THOSE
3,748 VENDORS SELECTED? >> JACOB: THEY MAY NOT ALL BE RELEVANT BUT WE TRY TO CAST AS BROAD OF A NET AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE
BEST RESPONSE RATE BACK. >> SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE 3,000 PLUS VENDORS WE IDENTIFIED THOSE THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION SO WE CAN DCAST THAT BROAD NET. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SO I KNOW DURING ARPA ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I HAD ASKED FOR WAS FOR ASSISTANCE FOR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES TO -- FOR ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING THE RFP AND NAVIGATING THE PROCESS.
DID WE OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS
CASE? >> JACOB: SO I MENTIONED DURING THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD A PRE-CONFERENCE. SO ON JULY 9TH.
WE ALSO MADE OURSELVES AVAILABLE AGAIN THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT STAFF FOR ANY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS WE HAD, THE TWO PHASES OF THE EVALUATION, BUT, YES, IN BROAD STROKES, WHATEVER RESOURCES OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, WE OFFERED
THAT DURING THIS -- THE SUMMER. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: BASED ON YOUR ANSWER I'LL DISAGREE BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED SOUNDS LIKE YOUR AVERAGE PROCESS FOR EVERY RFP. DURING ARPA AND DURING THE LAST DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS, WE SPECIFICALLY HAD WORKSHOPS TO ASSIST IN THE COMPLETION OF THE RFP AND THE SOLICITATION, AND SO I WISH WE HAD TAKEN THAT STEP, AND MAYBE THAT WILL GUIDE ANY FUTURE DECISION-MAKING WE
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HAVE HERE. I WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THESE APPLICATIONS.IS THAT POSSIBLE? AND I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALSO
ASKED FOR THAT. >> JACOB: SURE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WHEN
CAN WE GET THAT? >> JACOB: TOMORROW. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: PERFECT.
I'LL GIVE A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, AND THIS ONE IS A QUESTION I HAVE ABOUT THIS OVERALL -- THE APPLICATION, ITSELF, I GUESS.
SO I KNOW SUENOS SIN FRONTERA IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT, THEY DIDN'T GET THE LOCAL OR THE NONPROFIT STATUS, AND SO IF THEY HAD GOTTEN THAT OR EVEN IF WE JUST LOOKED AT THE SUM TOTAL, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN RANKED FIFTH OUT OF ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD APPLIED.
AND SO I WOULD WONDER IF -- THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT I FIND PROBLEMATIC.
ONE IS DISORGANIZATION, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN ADVOCATES FOR THE FUND THAT THEY DID NOT -- THIS ORGANIZATION, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET AN INTERVIEW. NO, THEY DID NOT. SO DIDN'T EVEN GET AN INTERVIEW, AD THEN WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TRAVEL FOR ABORTION ACCESS INCLUDED AS A SERVICE THROUGH THIS. AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE POTENTIALLY REENTER VIEW THEM, ALONGSIDE BEAT AIDS COALITION AND PARENTING PLUS FOR TRAVEL SERVICES AND MAYBE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO FULFILL THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE. I'M INTERESTED IN THAT, I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING WHERE MY COLLEAGUES STAND ON IT, BUT OVERALL I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M -- I'LL SAY I'M NOT PLEASED NECESSARILY WITH THE --
THIS RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE
GAVITO? >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU TO DR. JACOB AND DR. WOO FOR YOUR TEAM -- AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. SLIDE 2 HIGHLIGHTS THE ASSAULT ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH HAPPENING IN TEXAS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WOMEN IN PARTICULAR ARE BEING SET UP FOR FAILURE THROUGH EFFORTS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO LIMIT ACCESS TO SEXUAL EDUCATION, CONTRACEPTION AND MEDICAL CARE INCLUDING ABORTION, BUT THESE POLICIES AFFECT ALL OF US. THAT IS WHY I SUPPORTED THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND BACK IN 2023. THIS CITY HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO STEP IN WHERE THE STATE IS FAILING US. AS I MENTIONED IN PRIOR BRIEFINGS, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF A LARGE ALLOCATION GOING TO MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM SERVICES BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S WHERE THE MOST PRESSING NEED IS RIGHT NOW. THAT'S NOT TO SAY UPSTREAM SERVICES ARE NOT NEEDED, THOUGH. IF WE WANT TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT, UPSTREAM SERVICES CAN HELP DO THAT, IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN QUICKLY, AND RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT. I'M GLAD TO SEE A GOOD AMOUNT OF FUNDING WILL BE FUNDED TO SAISD EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLING, FREE CONTRACEPTION AND EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT IN PREVENTING UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES WHICH CAN IN TURN PROVIDE AUTONOMY TO A WOMEN'S CHOICE AND FUTURES.
THESE RECOMMENDED AWARDS STRIKE A HEALTHY BALANCE AND COVER MOST OF THE AREAS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
I DO WANT TO ECHO COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S COMMENTS IN MAKING SURE THAT DUE DILIGENCE WAS FOLLOWED IN SELECTING THE VENDORS THAT WE'RE GOING WITH. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL GET THOSE APPLICATIONS TOMORROW AND WE CAN DO THE RESEARCH AS NEEDED.
BUT, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK METRO HEALTH FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU TO THE RECOMMENDED AWARD DEES EES AND ALL THE PROPOSALS. I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING UPDATES ON THE SUCCESS OF THESE PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO.
ERIK? >> WALSH: YEAH, MAYOR, BEFORE WE GO MUCH FURTHER. I WANTED TROY TO COME UP AND ANSWER TWO OF THE QUESTIONS COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ HAD ELIZ.
>> ELLIOTT: WE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO SUENOSA SIN FRONTERAS, WE VERIFIED THEY'RE A FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION. AS FAR AS THE LOCAL PREFERENCE, THEY ARE HEADQUARTERED OUT OF AUSTIN, AND FOR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY ONLY HAVE A LOCAL P.O. BOX, SO IT DOESN'T MEET OUR DEFINITION OF LOCAL PREFERENCE UNDER OUR CITY BUSINESS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, TROY. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE?
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. DR. JACOB AND DR. WOO, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE ON THIS AND WITH YOUR STAFF, TOO.
I'VE GOT A QUESTION OR TWO. FIRST OF ALL, HOW MUCH IS THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT FUNDING FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH RELATED TO
[00:30:01]
REPRODUCTIVE CARE AND SEXUAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN OUR CURRENTOR OUR LAST CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGETS. >> JACOB: SO FOR THE FY '24, WE HAD OVER $16 MILLION. THIS YEAR WE SHOWED $19 MILLION IN OUR FY '25 OPERATING BUDGET. AND THAT COVERS -- THE LION'S SHARE OF THAT IS THE WIC PROGRAM, AS WELL AS OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
PROGRAM. >> COURAGE: OKAY. SO WE'RE REALLY SPENDING QUITE A BIT. NOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS REALLY RELATED TO REPRODUCTIVE CARE AND SEXUAL HEALTHCARE. COULD YOU BREAK IT DOWN
EVEN FURTHER? >> JACOB: YES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WIC PROGRAM WHICH IS A VERY LARGE PROGRAM SERVING OVER 37,000 CLIENTS EACH MONTH, SO THAT'S LITERALLY OVER $7 MILLION FOR THAT PROGRAM ITSELF.
WE ALSO HAVE COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR PROGRAMMING AROUND BEAT AIDS, OUR CONGENITAL SYPHILIS EFFORTS, THE WORK FOR THE STD CLINIC.
SO WE CAN GIVE YOU THE BREAKDOWN FOR EACH OF THOSE, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE A CONSTELLATION OF CLINICAL SERVICES AS WELL AS COMMUNITY
WELLNESS PROGRAMMING. >> COURAGE: DO YOU HAVE A RECORD OF HOW MANY NONPROFITS PARTNER WITH YOU OUTSIDE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT?
>> JACOB: WE CAN GET YOU THAT LIST. AGAIN, IT'S A LAUNDRY LIST. YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS OVER TIME,
BUT WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU. >> COURAGE: YEAH, SOME OF THE 10 THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY ARE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT PARTNERS WITH YOUR
OFFICE ON PROVIDING SOME OF THESE SERVICES. >> JACOB: YES, SIR.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE'RE FACED WITH A DILEMMA IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THE STATE KEEPS LETTING US DOWN.
THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES NOT FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION OR REASONABLE SEX EDUCATION. THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS PRETTY MUCH OUTLAWED A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO WITH HER BODY.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT WOMEN'S RIGHTS. I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE BEDROOM, AND I AGREE THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE TELLING WOMEN HOW TO CONTROL THEIR BODIES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING PRESENTED HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY STRANGE COMING FROM ME, AN OLD WHITE GUY TALKING ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN'S REPRODUCTIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HER OWN LIFE TIME, BUT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE, AND I REMAIN THAT WAY.
I THINK, THOUGH, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON OUR CITY'S OPPORTUNITIES OR MAYBE OUR CITY'S OBLIGATIONS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PEOPLE, HELP WOMEN, WITH THEIR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OR SEXUAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES, AND I LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY TODAY, AND I THINK THAT'S IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KOWR. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR?
>> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND FOR THE WORK ON THIS. WE'RE EXCITED, WE SAY IT EVERY TIME, WE'RE EXCITED THAT IT'S FINALLY COMING FORWARD, EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE PAST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BL. BE.
WHEN YOU BROKE DOWN THE TARGETS FOR DOWNSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, UPSTREAM, HOW DID YOU ALLOCATE THAT WHEN YOU'RE REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS? SO DID THE APPLICATIONS HAVE TO SAY -- THIS IS HOW MANY DOLLARS WE WANT
FOR UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM EFFORTS? >> WE DID ASK PEOPLE TO BREAK DOWN ON THE APPLICATIONS, AND THEN WE -- IN THE END, WE JUST LOOKED AT THE TOTALITY OF EACH APPLICATION AND THEIR STRENGTH FOR THOSE TOP FOUR, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT -- THAT'S WHY THE AMOUNTS THAT YOU SEE ARE NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOT FOR, RIGHT? IT WAS ULTIMATELY -- THEY
HAD TO HAVE A STRONG TOTAL APPLICATION. >> KAUR: YEAH.
BECAUSE I CAN SEE WHY THAT WOULD BE TRICKY, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOWNSTREAM COMPONENTS, THERE HE'S ALSO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AND AT HOME PREGNANCY TEST AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED, BUT THAT WAS A BIG FOCUS -- AT LEAST IN MY THOUGHT A BIG FOCUS OF THE CONVERSATION. SO I WAS HOPING THAT -- WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU ALL DETERMINED HOW MUCH OF AN PAY APPLICATION BECAUSE IT WAS STRONG BECAUSE IT INCLUDED THOSE COMPONENTS VERSUS JUST THE OVERALL NARRATIVE IN GENERAL. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ELOQUENTLY ENOUGH ASKING MY QUESTION, BUT THE EXPERIENCE BACKGROUND QUALIFICATIONS AND -- LIKE BASICALLY THE PROPOSED PLAN IS 30-POINTS.
THAT'S THE ONLY CHANCE THEY WOULD REALLY HAVE TO GET SCORES ON THIS RUBRIC THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO DOWNSTREAM WORK. AM I -- I GUESS MY
[00:35:02]
QUESTION IS, LIKE, HOW DID YOU DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WERE COMPREHENSIVELY GOING TO COVER WHAT WE WERE HOPING FOR OUT OF THE GRANT?>> I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS DID WE FRAME THE -- FRAME THE
EVALUATION USING THOSE CATEGORIES. >> KAUR: YES.
>> IN ADDITION TO FRAMING THE EVALUATION BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CATEGORIES.
AND WE DID THE ONE TIME. YEAH. >> JACOB: I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, JUST REMINDING US SINCE OUR JOURNEY SINCE APRIL.
IF WE CAN GO TO THE SLIDE WHERE WE SHOW THE RFP AWARDS.
I JUST WANT TO PUT INTO CONTEXT, YOU MAY RECALL WHEN WE SHARED THIS PREVENTION FRAMEWORK, WE TALKED ABOUT UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM AND WE HAD THE $500,000. IF YOU GO TO THE ONE WHERE IT SAYS RFP AWARD.
THANK YOU. SO BACK IN THE SPRING WHEN WE CAME TO THE COUNCIL, WE TALKED ABOUT A THIRD OF THIS BEING UPSTREAM, HALF OF IT BEING MIDSTREAM AND 20% DOWNSTREAM. WHERE WE ENDED UP, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FINAL AWARDS, WE'RE LOOKING AT NEARLY 60% IN THE DOWNSTREAM INTERVENTIONS, AND WHAT THIS WAS WAS A MENU OF OPTIONS.
APPLICANTS, ANY OF THE BIDDERS COULD LITERALLY DESCRIBE IN THE PROPOSAL, WHICH YES, 30% OF THAT ATTRIBUTED TO THE PLAN ITSELF.
THEY COULD DESCRIBE HOW THAT MEETS THE INTENT OF THE RFP.
SO THAT'S WHERE -- BASED ON THE FIRST REVIEW OF THE APPLICATIONS, WE INVITED FIVE ORGANIZATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS.
>> KAUR: I GUESS WHAT I WISH WE HAD DONE, AND I CAN SAY THIS NOW, UNDER THE PROPOSED PLAN WAS BROKEN UP THE UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM AS SPECIFIC ITEMS ON THE RUBRIC, BECAUSE WHAT I CAN'T SEE FROM THE SCORES, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING FOR THE APPLICATIONS, IS WERE WE ABLE TO SUFFICIENTLY LOOK AT THE OPTIONS WITHIN EACH OF THOSE IN THE WAY THE RUBRIC IS SET UP. SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THE RUBRIC WAS ALIGNED TO THE GOALS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AT.
AND SO -- BECAUSE GOING BACK TO THIS, RIGHT, THERE'S A LOT OF POINTS THAT ARE ALLOCATED FOR THINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLAN OF HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY USE THESE DOLLARS.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF, LIKE, THERE'S A 3-POINT DIFFERENT OR A ONE-POINT DIFFERENCE IN PROPOSED PLAN IF WE JUST LOOK AT THAT LINE ITEM, IT'S SUPER TIGHT BETWEEN ALL 10 OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, AND SO HOW WE DETERMINE -- HOW WE GOT TO THE RESULT BASED ON JUST THAT LINE ITEM COULD BE REALLY DIFFERENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS GETTING AT. ANYWAYS, I GUESS WE'LL LOOK AT THE APPLICATIONS. I GUESS I WILL ECHO SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES' REQUEST. I DID LOOK UP SUEANOS, THEIR WEBSITE SAID IT'S A PROJECT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURS, EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL INCOME TAX. THEY HAVE A FISCAL SPONSOR. SO IF THEY HAVE A FISCAL SPONSOR, THEY SHOULD TECHNICALLY STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR NONPROFIT. AT LEAST THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT. I WOULD LOVE TO PUSH THAT BACK AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY -- AGAIN FROM THE RUBRIC, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE APPLICATION, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEIR PROPOSED PLAN AND FUNDING AND BUDGET NARRATIVE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO AT LEAST GOTTEN THEM AN INTERVIEW.
THAT'S, I GUESS, MY LONG PITCH. AND ERIK'S GIVING ME A
LOOK, SO... >> WALSH: WELL, I THINK IT'S -- OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE-CHECK THAT. WE WENT THROUGH THE -- WE WENT THROUGH A REVIEW TO LOOK AT WHERE THE OUTLIERS -- QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED, TOO, SO WE'LL GO BACK AND DOUBLE-CHECK ALL THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGNOSTIC ON WHATEVER THE POSTSOLICITATION IS OR ANY CONTRACT THAT'S BEFORE COUNCIL, YOU ALL CAN CHOOSE ULTIMATELY TO MOVE AND MAKE A CHANGE, RIGHT? WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS, YOU, THE COUNCIL, HAS COMPLETE DISCRETION BECAUSE YOU ULTIMATELY VOTE ON IT. AND SO I DON'T THINK -- IF THERE'S -- IF THERE'S SOMETHING THERE THAT WE MISSED IN TERMS OF SCORING, THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU ALL ON THAT OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES UP THIS AFTERNOON.
BUT ULTIMATELY, IF -- IF WE SOLICIT FOR A BASKET OF GOODS, WE KIND OF ASSIGN POINTS TO IT, THERE'S -- TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S A LOT OF -- YOU COULD HAVE KIND OF A HALFWAY PLAN AND AS LONG AS YOU HIT A BUNCH OF OTHER BUCKETS, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF POINTS UNDER OUR PROCESSES. AND THEN WE EVALUATE IT BASED ON WHATEVER THE CRITERIA IS. THIS COULD BE FOR ANYTHING WE DO.
BUT ULTIMATELY, THE COUNCIL DECIDES. SO --
>> KAUR: OKAY. SO THEN I'LL ECHO THE REQUEST TO SEE IF WE CAN -- AGAIN, I HAVEN'T READ THEIR APPLICATION, BUT THIS IS BASED ON A, B AND C OF THEIR SCORES THAT THEY BE CONSIDERED AS A PART OF THE GRANT AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD CHANGE THE AWARDS FOR SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. >> WALSH: I'LL WANT TO -- YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS, SO IF THERE'S MISTAKES THAT WE MADE OR
[00:40:04]
THINGS THAT WE OVERLOOKED, THEN WE HAVE TO CORRECT THAT.AND THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT COME UP THE REST OF THE DAY.
ULTIMATELY, WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS. YOU ALL EVALUATING -- IF YOU DO AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION TO PREPARE FOR A SESSION, THEN THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE'VE GOT DO THE PROCESS OVER AGAIN.
THAT JUST MEANS IT INFORMS YOUR DECISION ON THE DAIS.
>> KAUR: GOT IT. >> WALSH: BECAUSE OTHERWISE -- OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO -- I IMAGINE ALL THE THINGS WE DO, RIGHT, SO YOU STILL HAVE THE DISCRETION AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COUNCILPERSON, SO WE'LL GET THAT STUFF TO YOU. I THINK THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY ONE GROUP IS 28.5 AND THE OTHER ONE IS 27.2. AND WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THAT.
AND THEY'RE PREPARED TO WALK THROUGH THAT CALCULATION.
>> KAUR: OKAY. >> WALSH: BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, WE CAN DO THAT
FOLLOW-UP WITH YOU. >> KAUR: OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, CLAUDE.
I'M GOING TO -- REAL QUICK QUESTION, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU
MENTIONED SAISD AND NEISD, IS THAT CORRECT? >> JACOB: APOLOGIES.
COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION. HAFT
>> HAVRDA: YOU MENTIONED SAISD AND NEISD. >> THOUGHS ARE THE TWO
CONFIRMED FOR NOW. >> HAVRDA: WE CAN TAKE IT OFFLINE, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY JUST THOSE TWO. I KNOW NORTH SIDE IS THE BIGGEST IN THE CITY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SMALLER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY EDGEWOOD THAT COULD USE THOSE SAME SERVICES, BUT WE CAN TAKE IT OFFLINE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DOWNSTREAM COMPONENT OF SOLICITATION, AND BOTH COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR HAVE MENTIONED THIS ALREADY, BUT THE EVALUATION THAT -- THE GRID, THE CRITERIA, THE CATEGORIES, ALL OF THEM ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF POINTS IS THE PROPOSED PLAN CATEGORY. THAT, TO ME, IS WHERE YOU TOOK -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WHERE YOU TOOK COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND APPLIED TO PROPOSED PLAN,
CORRECT? >> JACOB: AGAIN, BACK IN APRIL AND JUNE.
SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS. ONE WAS THE OVERARCHING FR FRAMEWORK, BUT THEN ALSO ACROSS THE SCHEDULE AND HOW WE ALLOCATED.
SO WE DID CHANGE THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE AND WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED FOR UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM, SO IT WAS THE BUDGET PI PIECE.
>> HAVRDA: WHAT WAS THE CRITERIA TO ADD THESE POINTS TO PROPOSED PLAN? BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, I RECALL THOSE DAYS WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRAVEL FOR ABORTION AND NOT ONE OF THESE IS OFFERING TRAVEL FOR
ABORTION, CORRECT? OKAY. >> FOR A PROPOSED PLAN,
WE DIDN'T GIVE EACH -- >> HAVRDA: COULD YOU COME CLOSER TO THE
MICROPHONE. >> JACOB: LET ME POINT YOU TO THE RFP.
IN THE RFP WE LISTED A MENU OF OPTIONS AND WHAT WE SHARED WITH Y'ALL WAS A FRAMEWORK. AND SO EACH PROPOSAL REFLECTED THAT. AND THEY WOULD SPECIFY IN THE PROPOSAL, IN THEIR EEVALAPPLICATION, WHERE THAT FIT IN THE FRAMEWORK. THEY WALKED THROUGH AND WOULD DESCRIBE HOW THAT ALIGNED EITHER UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM, AND THEY GAVE A NARRATIVE TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE THE RESOURCES TO EXECUTE THAT PART OF THE INITIATIVE.
SO WITH THAT -- OKAY. GOOD. SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE, SO UNDER THE EBQ, SO FOR THE PROPOSAL PLAN, SPECIFICITY OF THE WORK PLAN, ELIGIBILITY SCREENING IF AF APPLICABLE, THE FEASIBILITY, PRIOR OR ONGOING INPUT FROM PRIORITY POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING THE IMPACT AND THE EVIDENCE BASE THAT THEY'RE APPLYING. SO ALL THAT WAS WITHIN THE DESCRIPTION OF THEIR
PROPOSED PLAN. >> HAVRDA: UH-HUH. >> AND THEY DID -- APPLICANTS WOULD DESCRIBE IN TERMS OF THE BUCKETS. SO UPSTREAM, MIDSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM, THEY PROVIDED A BUDGET THAT LINED UP WITH THAT.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. AND ALL THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.
I DIDN'T HEAR COUNCIL PRIORITIES IN THAT. WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT CASE MANAGEMENT, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE TALKED ABOUT TRAVEL FOR ABORTION. SO WHERE IS THAT IN YOUR
RUBRIC? >> WALSH: SO -- >> HAVRDA: IF IT'S NOT IN PROPOSED PLAN, WHERE IS IT IN THIS ENTIRE RUBRIC? WHERE IS THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES IN THIS RUBRIC.
>> WALSH: SO THAT GOES BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT DEFINED UPSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM AND MIDSTREAM. AND IT WAS LISTED ON
[00:45:02]
DOWNSTREAM AS ONE OF THE -- ONE OF THE SERVICES OR -- THAT WE WERE EXPECTING THROUGH THE SOLICITATION. SO IT'S THERE UNDER DOWNSTREAM. IF THEY CHOSE TO PROVIDE A PRO PROPOSAL ON STI EDUCATION OR TESTING, THEY CHOSE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO SUBMIT FOR.SO IT WASN'T ONE THING WE WERE GOING TO PROCURE, IT WAS ONE OF -- THAT ONE IS ONE OF THOSE EIGHT OR NINE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT BOTH COUNCIL BRIEFINGS. AND OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS -- THERE WAS -- WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GOING TO GET IN TERMS OF SOLICITATION.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS -- >> HAVRDA: BUT DIDN'T WE SOLICIT FOR IT, BASED ON OUR COUNCIL PRIORITIES? WALS
>> WALSH: WE SOLICITED FOR THOSE LISTED ON THAT SLIDE, THOSE ACTIVITIES UNDERNEATH MIDSTREAM AND UPSTREAM. I JUST --
>> JACOB: I CAN CLARIFY. SO IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE
APPLICATION TO PROVIDE. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. WELL, I THINK THAT'S IT
RIGHT THERE. >> AND WE REVIEWED WHAT THEY SUBMITTED.
>> HAVRDA: I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S MY PROBLEM WITH IT.
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REQUIREMENT. THAT WAS BASED ON -- IF YOU'RE TAKING OUR COUNCIL FEEDBACK LIKE YOU SAID IN ONE OF THESE SLIDES, SLIDE 23, THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RFP.
AND SO MAYBE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUENOS, THERE'S MAYBE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE FALLING THROUGH THOSE CRACKS. I -- THANK YOU, CLAUDE, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND I KNOW THAT -- I'M NOT SAYING THAT NONE OF THIS IS IMPORTANT. I KNOW THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND ALL THAT STUFF, THE IMPACT, ALL OF THAT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT ALL OF THAT SEEMS TO SORT OF -- OUR PRIORITIES SEEM TO GET LOST IN ALL OF THAT BUREAUCRACY OF IT. AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND IT'S IMPORTANT. WHAT YOU EXPLAINED THAT THE CITY -- WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IN THIS SLIDE AND YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS INDICATES OUR LEVEL OF CO COMMITMENT. THIS RECOMMENDATION TO ME IS WATERED DOWN BASED ON COUNCIL FEEDBACK. WE HAD A CHANCE -- WE HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY HELP WOMEN AND WE'RE CHOOSING A SAFE, UNSUBSTANTIAL RECOMMENDATION. I SEE NO REAL POWER MOVEMENT IN THIS RECOMMENDATION. AND IF THAT'S SHOWING OUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN THIS.
I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THIS. SO I ASK THAT WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. I KNOW I'M ONE OF 11 HERE, BUT TAKE THIS COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND USE IT IN A MORE IMPACTFUL WAY IN THIS RUBRIC.
I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, DR. EXPWRAI COBB AND DR. WOO FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M EAGER FOR THIS TO MOVE FORWARD TO A SESSION.
I BELIEVE IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS NEED ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AND STI TESTING NOW. I WANTED TO THANK TROY AND HIS TEAM FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND FOR REACHING OUT TO SOME OF THE NONPROFITS TO VERIFY AND TO HEAR FROM THEM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE OR NOT A NONPROFIT. I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE TEAM IS GOING TO CONDUCT FURTHER DUE DILIGENCE AND DOUBLE-CHECK TO SEE IF THEY DO OR DO NOT QUALIFY, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION DURING A SESSION.
BUT ULTIMATELY, ON SLIDE 22 WHERE THE BULLET POINT THAT STATES ABORTION NAVIGATION WAS NOT ADDRESSED BY ANY OF THE OTHER RESPONDENTS, DOES THAT INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE THAT WERE INTERVIEWED AND DID NOT
MAKE IT AS THE RECOMMENDATION? >> JACOB: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. SO OUT OF THE 10 -- SO TWO RESPONDENTS INCLUDED THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE AS PART OF A BROADER PACKAGE.
AGAIN, IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT, THEY HAD THE OPTION, AND WE REVIEWED WHAT WAS SUBMITTED. SPECIFICALLY BEAT AIDS AND PARENTING PLUS.
BUT WE'RE SAYING OF THE REMAINING EIGHT, ABORTION NAVIGATION WAS NOT
ADDRESSED BY THE OTHER REDRESRESPONDENTS. >> CASTILLO: LIKE WITH
SUENOS SIN FRONTERAS, DID THEY APPLY. >> JACOB: NOT IN THE APPLICATION. SUENOS IN THIS INSTANCE DID NOT.
>> CASTILLO: AND WITH THAT, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BUCKLE BUNNIES, SUENOS FRONTERAS AND ALL THE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO CHAMPION THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY KNOW THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES, STI TESTING AND SO MUCH MORE.
AS YOU POINTED OUT MANY OF THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, WHILE THEY DID NOT APPLY FOR ABORTION TRAVEL -- ULTIMATELY IT SEEMS THAT YOU ALL DID LAY OUT THE EXPECTATION OR THE COUNCIL DESIRE FOR ABORTION NAVIGATION, BUT IT WAS NOT IN THE APPLICATIONS IS THAT CORRECT, IT JUST WASN'T IN THE APPLICATIONS WE
[00:50:02]
RECEIVED? >> JACOB: RIGHT, IN THOSE SUBMITTED.
THE WHOLE POINT BEING, THEY HAD THE OPTION, THEY PROPOSED IT AND WE
REVIEWED WHAT WAS SUBMITTED. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, DR. JAIB COBB. AGAIN, I'M JAITFUL THAT THE TEAM'S GOING TO DOUBLE-CHECK THE RUBRIC. COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR BRINGS UP AN IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT THE RUBRIC. TEXAS LEADS WITH THE AMOUNT OF UNINSURED WOMEN, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BEXAR COUNTY SAN ANTONIO DATA AROUND STIS, WE'RE, I BELIEVE, IN PANDEMIC LEVELS OF STIS.
IS THAT CORRECT? >> JACOB: WE'VE BRIEFED THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMUNITY AROUND THE BURDENS OF CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN THIS LOCAL COMMUNITY AND WE'VE INVESTED IN THAT, SO YES TO YOUR POINT.
>> CASTILLO: SO THERE'S AN URGENCY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE ASKED FOR A BRIEFING IN COMMUNITY HEALTH, BUT THESE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO STAY VERY HIGH DESPITE THE CURRENT RESOURCES WE HAVE, SO THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST AND PROVIDE MORE ACCESS TO CARE. WITH THAT, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT COMES ABOUT FROM DOUBLE-CHECKING THE WORK, BUT ULTIMATELY I THINK THIS IS URGENT, LONG OVERDUE AND THESE NONPROFITS AND SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG TO RECEIVE ACCESS TO CARE. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE? >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. THANK Y'ALL FOR THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY DID ON THIS. YOU KNOW, I SAID FROM SORT OF DAY ONE, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN'S HEALT HEALTHCARE AND I ALWAYS WITH WILL BE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS PROCESS, AGAIN, IT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS, RIGHT? YOU HAD 3,748 VENDORS THAT WERE NOTIFIED, WE WERE -- WE PUT THE LIST OF SERVICES UP THERE THAT CITY COUNCIL ASKED FOR, AND WE GOT THE RESPONSES THAT WE GOT. AND NOW THAT, I GUESS, THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT ARE UNHAPPY RELATED TO THE RESPONSES WE GOT, WE WANT TO ATTACK THE PROCESS. I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE WE HAD GOOD, SMART PEOPLE CONDUCTING THE PROCESS. AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. AND I APPRECIATE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S QUESTIONS THAT CLEARED UP WHAT I WAS GOING TO AS WELL, THAT OUT OF THE 10 RESPOHN DEBTS, THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT SUBMITTED A RESPONSE TO -- THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH TRAVEL FOR ABORTION. SO -- AND BY THE WAY, THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS, I THINK, AND GOOD REASONS THAT THERE WEREN'T MORE FOLKS THAT RESPONDED RELATED TO THAT PARTICULAR PIECE.
SO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID. THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY ABOUT HOW THE MONEY'S BEING ALLOCATED IS FOR ME, I WOULD HAVE -- I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO SEE MORE OF THE MONEY GO TOWARDS THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THINGS, AND THERE'S A LINE HERE IN THE SLIDE PRESENTATION THAT SAYS STRENGTHENING UPSTREAM INITIATIVES CAN REDUCE THE NEED FOR DOWNSTREAM SERVICES. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL AGREE ON AND WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE A LESSER NEED FOR SOME OF THOSE
DOWNSTREAM SERVICES. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN?
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S WOMEN'S POVERTY REPORT, WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH THE POVERTY RATE THAT IS NOTABLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF MEN. THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THAT NEARLY 1 IN 5 WOMEN LIVE IN POVERTY WITH SINGLE MOTHERS AND WOMEN OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY IMPACTED. ECONOMIC DISPARITIES ARE FURTHER EXASPERATED BY FACTORS SUCH AS LIMITED ACCESS TO EDUCATION, JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORT REVEALS THAT WOMEN OFFER EARN LESS THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS CONTRIBUTING TO ONGOING CYCLES OF POVERTY. THE STATISTICS UNDERSCORE THE URGENT NEED FOR TARGETED INTERVENTIONS AND POLICIES TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND JUSTICE SYSTEM BARRIERS THEY FACE, ULTIMATELY FOSTERING A HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY.
WHAT THE REPORT DOESN'T SAY IS THAT WOMEN IN TEXAS ARE TARGETS; THAT WOMEN OF COLOR IN PARTICULAR FACE CHALLENGES THAT NO MAN WILL EVER UNDERSTAND. AND THIS FUND, AS WE MOVED IT FORWARD, AND WHY I FEEL WE NEED TO MOVE IT FORWARD AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, IS BECAUSE THERE ARE WOMEN THAT ARE WAITING. THERE ARE WOMEN THAT ARE CONTEMPLATING WHAT TO DO NEXT. AND I THINK THEY NEED THEIR CITY TO TELL THEM, WE SUPPORT YOU. WE WANT TO HELP. OF COURSE, THERE ARE THINGS IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE PROVIDERS PUT FORWARD, EXCEPT FOR BEAT AIDS AND
[00:55:03]
PARENT PLUS, SO WE HAVE WHAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD AS OUR BEST EFFORTS.AND THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW, BECAUSE WOMEN CONTINUE TO LIVE IN CRISIS, THEY CONTINUE TO LIVE IN FEAR, AND IT CONTINUES TO IMPACT THEIR HEALTH. WHAT WE NEED IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE US IS THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR CHECKUPS AND TO CARE ABOUT YOUR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. THAT CANCER PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION, WHICH WE KNOW CAN BE RELATED TO THOSE STIS. WHAT WE NEED NOW IS STRONG VOICES THAT ARE SAYING, WOMEN'S HEALTH IS IMPERATIVE.
THIS POPULATION DOESN'T GROW WITHOUT HEALTHY WOMEN, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I KNOW THIS WASN'T EASY.
THERE'S A BIG CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE ON THE ABORTION ISSUE AS A COMMUNITY, WHERE WE ACTUALLY TALK AND LISTEN TO EACH OTHER. BUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE SAYING, WHAT WE -- WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS, AND I CAN GO OVER THE TIMELINE, WHICH I THINK IT WAS LAST SUMMER -- OR THE SUMMER BEFORE WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, IT WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, WE HAVE -- WE KNEW WE HAD WOMEN IN CRISIS.
NOW THERE ARE EVEN MORE IN MORE CRISIS BECAUSE YOU TOOK THIS AWAY FROM THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE LIVING IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING TOLD BY PEOPLE THAT THEIR WORTH IS WRAPPED UP ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN PROCREATE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE INFORMATION THAT'S ASKED FOR, BUT I THINK WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS WHAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TO HELP WOMEN THAT ARE IN CRISIS, TO HELP OUR WOMEN OF COLOR THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.
SO I WANT TO THANK NEW ALLYOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THANK YOU, CLAUDE. THANK YOU, TEAM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I'LL START OFF BY THANKING DR. JACOB AND DR. WOO FOR EVERYTHING THEY'VE BEEN DOING TOGETHER WITH THEIR TEAM AT METRO HEALTH.
I THINK THAT THE STI CLINICS ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, THE MOBILE UNIT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL TAKE THOSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE EVERYWHERE. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE RFP PROCESS, AND I KNOW TROY IS HERE, BUT, TROY, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR DEEMING SOMETHING A HIGH PROFILE?
>> ELLIOTT: I CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT THAN
YOU'RE WANTING. >> GARCIA: THAT'S PERFECT.
>> ELLIOTT: EVERY YEAR WE PRESENT TO THE COUNCIL KIND OF OUR RECOMMENDATION OF HIGH PROFILE FORECAST. A MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE, BASICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO BE HIGH PROFILE.
IF THERE'S A HIGH COMMUNITY INTEREST, A SAFETY ISSUE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THEN WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WHETHER IT'S HIGH PROFILE OR NOT.
THIS ONE CERTAINLY IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT MEETS KIND OF THAT
COMMUNITY INTEREST AND THOSE KEY CRITERIA. >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
AND SO -- AND THEN REMIND ME, WHEN WE DO LABEL SOMETHING AS HIGH PROFILE, DO THEY AUTOMATICALLY CALL FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN APPLICATIONS OR HELP ME WITH THE DESIGNATION, WHAT THE DESIGNATION
DOES. >> ELLIOTT: THE DESIGNATION BASICALLY LOOKS AT IT FROM A POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, WE DON'T OFFER OR DISTINGUISH ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR A HIGH PROFILE VERSUS A NORMAL ONE. AS DR. JACOB SAID, WE DO OFFER THE PRESUBMITTAL. DURING THAT, WE HAVE OUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE, THE PROCUREMENT TEAM, THE SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AVAILABLE SO WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO COME BACK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IF THANKS ARISE DURING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. WE ALSO ISSUE A VARIETY OF ADDENDUMS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AS WELL BASED ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE GET, SO EVERYBODY
HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF THE INFORMATION. >> GARCIA: SO IF SOMEBODY IS HAVING TROUBLE FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION AND IT'S A HIGH PROFILE, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ONE, THEY'LL BE, I GUESS, GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THAT'S CLEARLY LABELED SOMEWHERE OR...
>> ELLIOTT: IT IS. IT'S IN THE RFP. WWE HAVE A DESIGNATED CONTACT WITHIN THE RFP THAT THEY CAN CALL BOTH WITHIN THE PROCUREMENT TEAM AND THE SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE. THERE'S ALWAYS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT. >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION, I THINK IT WILL BE FOR DR. JACOB.
THANK YOU, TROY. THE PRIORITY GROUPS THAT WE ESTABLISHED, COULD YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE PRIORITY GROUPS AS DEFINED WERE FOR THIS
PARTICULAR ITEM. >> JACOB: SO WE HAD A LIST, A LONG LIST.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, SO THE ARRAY OF SERVICES, LOW INCOME DISABILITIES, FAMILY VIOLENCE.
WE WERE LOOKING AT POPULATIONS THAT WERE BEING SERVED IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, LOW-INCOME WOMEN OF COLOR, BIPOC, BIRTHING INDIVIDUALS, SO
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THAT WAS THE LAUNDRY LIST OF WHAT WE HAD AS -- REFLECTED IN THE RFP.>> GARCIA: GOT IT. DO WE HAVE WOMEN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
ON THERE. >> JACOB: SO WHAT I CAN SHARE -- SO WE HAVE THAT AS THE LISTING, BUT THEN WE RESPONDED BASED ON WHAT THE PROPOSALS DESCRIBED, THE TARGET POPULATIONS, BUT ALSO THE NATURE OF THEIR
INTERVENTIONS. OH, DR. WOO. >> IT IS.
SO JUST AS PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO PROPOSE WHAT THEY WANTED WITHIN THE CATEGORIES, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DESCRIBE THEIR OWN FOCUSED POPULATION, BUT EXAMPLES COULD INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO COME FROM HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND ALSO PARTICIPATED IN HARM REDUCTION OR TREATMENT SERVICES FOR SUBSTANCE USE, LIVE BELOW 200% OF FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, EXPERIENCING FAMILY VIOLENCE OR HOMELESSNESS, OUR SEXUAL MINORITIES, HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, ET CETERA.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, DR. WOO. AND THE REASON THAT I ASK THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON -- OUR DISTRICTS, WE HAVE SEVERAL HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND ONE PARTICULAR AREA IN MY DISTRICT, AND WHEN WE REACHED OUT FOR FOLLOW-UP ON, YOU KNOW, THE ENCAMPMENT SERVICES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, OUR HOMELESSNESS RESOURCE COORDINATOR GAVE US AN ALERT ABOUT A MEMORIAL THAT WAS PLACED AT ONE OF THE ENCAMPMENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO NOT REMOVE IT OR -- THEY'RE TRYING TO BE SENSITIVE ABOUT WHAT IS REMOVED BECAUSE THE WORD ON THE STREET IS THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF AN ASSAULT AND THAT THAT MIGHT BE -- LIKE THAT MIGHT BE A BABY THAT WAS BURIED. AND I JUST -- I JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE, RIGHT, HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO BE IN THAT SITUATION AND THEN HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS TRAGIC THING HAPPEN. I JUST CAN'T EVEN PUT WORDS INTO IT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THAT IS ONE OF OUR POPULATIONS THAT IS MOST VULNERABLE.
E HAVE WOMEN THAT AE UNFORTUNATELY JUST ABUSING SUBSTANCES BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE REALITY OF BEING HOMELESS AND OF BEING ASSAULTED AND BEING RAPED TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY SPECIFIC IN THAT POPULATION. I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE IN PARTICULAR WORKING WITH THAT GROUP THAT YOU RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM?
>> NOT AS FAR AS I KNOW. IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF STUFF THAT REALLY WISHED FOR, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH PEOPLE WHO USE SUBSTANCES, I HAD REALLY
WISHED FOR THAT, BUT WE DID NOT. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, DR. WOO. AND SO THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
I MIGHT HAVE FOLLOW-UP LATER ONCE WE GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FROM THE APPLICATIONS, BUT THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ?
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I FEEL THE NEED TO STATE, I BELIEVE -- RESTATE WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SERVICES THAT WILL BE PROVIDED ARE EXTREMELY NEEDED AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DOING THAT WORK ARE SO VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I RESPECT EACH OF THEM, BUT WHEN WE PROPOSED THIS FUND, RIGHT, AND WHEN MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CAME OUT TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS FUND AND ASKED US TO SUPPORT THEM IN THIS, IT WAS NOT ABOUT STIS, IT WASN'T ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE, IT WASN'T ABOUT INSURANCE, IT WAS A RESPONSE TO THE DOB DECISION, THE ABORTION BAN AND OUR RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE. THAT WAS THE REASON THIS WAS PROPOSED IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND SO WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUE S, YOU KNOW, ARE HAPPY THAT THE PROCESS PLAYED OUT THE WAY THAT IT DID AND THERE'S AN EAGERNESS TO GET THESE SERVICES TO OUR CONSTITUENCY, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT WE'VE LOST THE PLOT.
AND WE'VE LOST THE PURPOSE OF THIS FUND. AND THERE'S A HUGE, HUGE GAP IN WHAT THIS FUND IS GOING TO BE PROVIDED VERSUS WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INTENDED FOR. AND SO I WANT TO RECONVEY MY DISAPPOINTMENT. I WANT TO REPLEA TO MY COLLEAGUES AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WHEN WE HAVE AN A SESSION ON THIS ITEM, THAT THINGS WILL GO
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS AND MAYBE SOME OBSERVATIONS. SO BEEN SITTING THROUGH WHAT SEEMS LIKE IS THE SAME DEBATE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, REALLY SINCE THE FUND WAS PROPOSED. AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE WORK OF METRO HEALTH AND THE
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TEAM. YOU ALL ARE WHO I CONSIDER HEROES IN OUR COMMUNITY.YOU HAVE BEEN DOING INCREDIBLE WORK FOREVER BUT CLEARLY ON DISPLAY PUBLICLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, ET CETERA. BUT WHY I WHY I THINK WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS BECAUSE WE'RE DANCING AROUND THE OBVIOUS.
THROUGH THE DOBBS DECISION AND VARIOUS ACTION THROUGHOUT THE STATE, REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR WOMEN IS NO LONGER IN THEIR OWN HANDS.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ON AS A MALE ON THIS COUNCIL, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT WHAT THE WOMEN SAY ON THIS ISSUE. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE ACCESS IS PROTECTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND METRO HEALTH, THE SCORING TEAM, YOU ALL DID WHAT WE SAID WE WANTED YOU TO DO, WHICH WAS IN LIGHT OF ALL THE THREATS FROM AUSTIN, PROBABLY A LITTLE UNCLEAR. SO WHAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
ALL THESE SERVICES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE STELLAR. THEY DO GOOD WORK.
THE SCORING PROVES THAT. AND THE SERVICES ARE NEEDED. AND I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING THESE CONTRACTS. BUT I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO JUST NEED TO OWN UP TO A DIFFICULT DECISION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO ABORTION TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL SERVICES. AND, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES AND THREATS AGAIN FROM AUSTIN AND FROM SOME BIGOTED SELF-INTEREST, SPECIAL INTEREST WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO MAKE AN UP OR DOWN DECISION ON THAT AND MOVE FORWARD. WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, ERIK -- I DON'T KNOW IF THIS NEEDS ANOTHER CONVERSATION -- BUT LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE APPROVE TODAY -- EXCUSE ME, WITH THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY STAND TODAY. BUT LET'S ALSO HAVE A SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY. THERE'S SOME FUNDS THERE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY JUST GO AHEAD AND ISSUE AN RFP OR WHATEVER IS NECESSARY FOR THOSE SPECIFIC PURPOSES. AND IF FOLKS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT, THEY CAN VOTE AGAINST IT. BUT THE FOLKS THAT DO WANT IT CAN VOTE FOR IT AND WE CAN SUPPORT IT AND WE CAN MOVE ON FROM HERE.
I THINK WE'RE DANCING AROUND --N MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ SAID WE MISSED THE PLOT.
I AGREE. THIS IS REALLY THE ISSUE. WE WOULD HAVE MOVED FORWARD ON THIS RFP A LONG TIME AGO IF THE TRAVEL SERVICES WEREN'T PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I WOULD SUGGEST LET'S DO RIGHT BY THIS RFP.
GO AHEAD AND MOVE IT FORWARD. LET'S HAVE A SEPARATE CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN SHIELD OFF FROM THIS DEBATE ON THE OTHER ISSUE.
AND WE CAN TALK THROUGH HOW THAT CAN BEST BE MOVED FORWARD.
I WOULD ALSO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHEN I SAY THAT I THINK IT'S URGENT.
AND, AGAIN, I SAY THAT IN SUPPORT. IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO ME THE MEN IN THIS DEBATE ALWAYS HAVE THE LOUDEST OPINIONS.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST SAY WHAT I SAID IN SUPPORT OF THE WOMEN HERE AND THE WOMEN IN MY LIFE WHO BELIEVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. SO, WITH THAT, LET'S GO ON
TO ITEM 2. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS A UPDATE ON OUR TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK.
CAT WILL WALK THROUGH. JUST IN SHORT, WE ANTICIPATE CONTINUING GETTING FEEDBACK ON THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON ALL YEAR LONG.
AS YOU RECALL, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCILWOMAN KAUR, COUNCILMAN WHYTE SIGNED A CCR EARLIER IN 2024 TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS. WE HAD A TASK FORCE APPOINTED AND THERE HAD BEEN A WHOLE SLEW OF CONVERSATIONS.
CAT WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT. WE DO ANTICIPATE BRINGING THIS FRAMEWORK FOR COUNCIL IN DECEMBER SO WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME.
AND TODAY'S UPDATE IS ABOUT THAT DRAFT FRAMEWORK AND POTENTIAL ZONING CODE CHANGES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO GET INPUT BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER.
DEPENDING ON TODAY'S CONVERSATION, AS IT GOES ON, IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANOTHER PIT STOP
>> CAT HERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF OUR CITY'S TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU A BRIEFING ON THE WORK THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN DOING THIS PAST YEAR TO DEVELOP A TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK AND UPDATE
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OF OUR TOD ZONING DISTRICT. WITH ME IS VERONICA GARCIA WHO WILL BE PRESENTING AS WELL ON THE COMPONENT OF THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK. TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSES RISING COSTS BY CREATING DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS THAT ENCOURAGE DENTS AND IMPROVED ACCESS TO A RANGE OF USES SUCH AS JOBS, RETAIL SERVICES IN SCHOOLS AS A RESULT OF AN ENHANCED TRANSIT CORRIDOR . POLICY CHANGES ARE NEEDED WHILE STILL PROTECTING OUR ESTABLISHED, VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS.THIS PROCESS TO DEVELOP A DRAFT FRAMEWORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ZONING CODE INCLUDED SEVERAL PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT TO EDUCATE AND RECEIVE INPUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRAMEWORK AS WELL AS THE UPDATED ZONING CODE.
SINCE THE KICKOFF OF THE PROJECT IN THE SPRING, WE'VE HELD OR ATTENDED OVER 75 MEETINGS AND EVENTS AND OUR SURVEY HAD OVER 1,000 PARTICIPANTS AND OUR SA SPEAKUP SITE HAD OVER 23,000 HITS. IN TOTAL, OVER 100 HOURS OF MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE OCCURRED TO DATE. THE PROCESS STARTED LAST YEAR WITH THE CREATION OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP UNDER THE HOUSING COMMISSION WHOSE CHARGE WAS TO WORK ON RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE THE UDC, TO SUPPORT HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT.
REMOVING BARRIER SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WITH A FOCUS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT AS THIS WAS A COMMON THEME THAT WE HEARD DURING OUR EARLY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP, A CCR WAS SUBMITTED TO CREATE A TRANS-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLAN. IN JANUARY, GOVERNANCE RECOMMENDED STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN AND THE CREATION OF THE TASK FORCE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE THE EXISTING ZONING DISTRICT.
ALL THIS WORK ULTIMATELY CULMINATES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK. THE FRAMEWORK IS THE FIRST STEP IN A MULTI-PHASED PROCESS. THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROCESS IS TO ADOPT THE FRAMEWORK AND ADOPT THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ZONING CODE BY DECEMBER. THE NEXT PHASE IS TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE POLICY FRAMEWORK AND DEVELOP A TRANSIT-ORIENTED STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THE PROPOSED POLICY FRAMEWORK IS A ROAD MAP THAT PROVIDES THE CITY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS ISSUES INCLUDING CONNECTIVITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH EXISTING BUSINESSES AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF NEW ONES, WALKABILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE THE WORK OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP. ADDITIONALLY, THE FRAMEWORK INCLUDES STRATEGIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT INCLUDES EXISTING CONDITIONS OF OUR CITY TO HELP IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TO CREATING THRIVING COMMUNITIES ALONG OUR TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
IT INCLUDES HOW OUR COLLABORATORS OF THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS. THEY WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO FURTHER EXPLORE IN THE NEXT PHASE. AND FINALLY THE DOCUMENT PROVIDES A ROAD TO IMPLEMENTATION WHICH INCLUDES THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE THE ZONING DISTRICT, A FIRST STEP IN IMPLEMENTATION.
THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK INCLUDED OUR REVIEW OF CITYWIDE PLANS TO DOCUMENT KEY THEMES AND PRINCIPLES THAT RESIDENTS HAVE PRIORITIZED SINCE 2016. THESE PLANS WERE DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL YEARS WITH OVER A THOUSAND STAKEHOLDERS, OVER 600 EVENTS, OVER 200 MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS, AND OVER 10,000 SURVEY RESPONSES. THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE POLICY FRAMEWORK WERE GUIDED BY THIS FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THROUGHOUT 12 CITYWIDE PLANS, STAFF FOUND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, CONNECTIVITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, EQUITY, HEALTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND WALKABILITY TO BE THE CORE PRINCIPLES RESIDENTS HAVE CONSISTENTLY EXPRESSED OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. AND THESE PRINCIPLES WILL GUIDE TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICIES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK ALONG THE ART CORRIDORS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS HOW THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES WILL TRANSITION INTO ACTIONABLE STEPS. PRINCIPLES PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD MAP FOR ADDRESSING KEY AREAS SUCH AS CONNECTIVITY, WALKABILITY, AND ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE WITHIN THE TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
FOR EACH OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES WITH EQUITY BAKED IN, OBJECTIVES OFFERED CLEAR OUTCOMES TO SHAPE THE PROCESS WITHIN THE TOD FRAMEWORK.
[01:15:02]
THESE OBJECTIVES SERVE AS THE CRITICAL BRIDGE BETWEEN PRINCIPLES AND IMPLEMENTATION. TO ACTIVATE THE FRAMEWORK IMMEDIATELY, SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS WERE OUTLINED FOR EACH STRATEGY. THIS APPROACH WILL ENSURE STRUCTURED AND STRATEGIC APPROACH TO DEVELOPING SAN ANTONIO'S TRANSIT-ORIENTED FUTURE. THESE OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS WERE DEVELOPED USING THE PLANS MENTIONED. THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN ONGOING AND PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE MANY MEETINGS WE'VE BEEN HAVING ON THIS EFFORT. THE NEXT FEW SLIDES PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THE OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS TO FURTHER DEVELOP WITHIN THE STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN PHASE 2. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY MEANS STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN INVESTMENT.IT'S ABOUT CREATING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE BUT ALSO SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY VIBRANT. THIS PRINCIPLE EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, AND PLACE-BASED DEVELOPMENT. THESE ELEMENTS WORK TOGETHER TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON SINGLE-MODE TRANSPORTATION, CREATE JOBS, AND DRIVE INVESTMENT.
THE STRATEGIES FOCUS ON PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES, MAXIMIZING FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES, AND LEVERAGE CITY RESOURCES WHERE WE CAN.
THE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY PRINCIPLE ENSURES THAT AN INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION NETWORK STATIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS WHILE STILL AMOUNTING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
THE PRINCIPLE STRENGTHENS CONNECTIVITY PROVIDING RESIDENTS EASIER ACCESS TO JOBS, SERVICES, AND AMENITIES ACROSS THE REGION. THESE STRATEGIES FOCUS ON ELEVATING TOD PRIORITIZATION, IMPROVING FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY AND ADOPTING TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO EXPAND OUR MOBILITY OPTIONS. HEALTH AND EQUALITY OF LIFE PRINCIPLES SERVE TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF RESIDENTS ALONG THE ART CORRIDORS AIMING TO TRANSFORM TRANSIT ROUTES INTO VIBRANT, ENGAGING SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN STOP, CONVERSE, AND ENJOY LIFE. BY DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND VISUALLY APPEALING, THE CITY CAN ENCOURAGE MORE COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITIES AND BECOME MORE INVITING FOR PEDESTRIANS.
WHEN PUBLIC SPACES ARE ACTIVATED AND BECOME LIVELY DESTINATIONS THEY SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL LIVABILITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE STRATEGIES FOCUS ON PROMOTING EQUITABLE ACCESS, STRENGTHENING PLACEMAKING AND CULTIVATING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
RESILIENCE INTEGRATES URBAN PLANNING PROMOTING A BALANCED MIX OF LAND USES WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY CAN ENHANCE LIVABILITY ENABLING RESIDENTS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS THROUGH WALKING, BIKING, OR PUBLIC TRANSIT. IT REDUCES CRIME, RESILIENCE ON FOLLOW SILL FUELS. THE STRATEGY'S FOCUS ADOPTS A RESILIENT COMMUNITY'S APPROACH AND BOOSTING CLIMATE RESILIENCE. A DEFINING FEATURE OF OUR TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY IS THAT IT IS HOUSING FORWARD. AN EMPHASIS ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY SUCH AS TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO
VERONICA GARCIA, DIRECTOR FOR NHSD. >> THANK YOU, CAT.
SO NHSD IS VERY EXCITED TO BRING YOU RECOMMENDATIONS DEVELOPED BY TWO SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION. THE FIRST IS A TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP WHICH FOCUSED ON UDC CODE CHANGES AND THE SECOND IS THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE WHICH FOCUSED ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION STRATEGIES. MANY, MANY THANKS TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE AND TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIRS AS WELL AS THE NUMEROUS MEMBERS THAT HELPED DEVELOP OVER SEVERAL MEETINGS AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO AT THE MAYOR'S REQUEST, THE COMMISSION CREATED A TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP OF THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE.
THIS WAS BACK JUST A YEAR AGO IN OCTOBER 2023. THE WORKING GROUP'S FOCUS IS TO RECOMMEND DEVELOPMENT, CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH SUPPORT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY NEAR TRANSIT. AND I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DIVERSITY AND A VARIETY OF HOUSING CHOICES NEAR TRANSIT. SAN ANTONIO HAS PEOPLE AT ALL AGES, ALL INCOME LEVELS, DIFFERENT FAMILY SIZES SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHOICES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO INCENTIVIZE AND RECOMMEND PROVIDE VARIETY FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO AT DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS.
THAT'S ALSO REFLECTED IN THE WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
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SO THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS ON TOD ELIGIBILITY. TOD DISTRICTS HAVE EXISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT CODE SINCE 2001 AND TODAY ANYONE WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF A BUS STOP IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS ZONING. IT HASN'T BEEN USED VERY MUCH AND THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDS FOCUSING THE DISTRICT ALONG THE TRANSIT CORRIDOR BY WIDENING THE ELIGIBILITY BOUNDARY . THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS AROUND CONTEXT SENSITIVITY. TOD DOES NOT HAVE TO LOOK THE SAME EVERYWHERE ALONG THE ROUTE. WITH THE GROUP'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT SCALES OF TOD AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DIFFERENCES AROUND INDIVIDUAL STATION AREAS. FOR EXAMPLE, TOD RECOMMENDATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT AROUND NORTH STAR MALL WILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY THAN TOD IN A NEIGHBORHOOD . THE THIRD RECOMMENDATION IS TO SUPPORT MISSING METAL HOUSING IN AREAS BETWEEN TOD DISTRICTS. THIS IS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE MAYBE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, COURTYARD HOUSING, SO LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND AREAS ALONG THE DISTRICT. THE FOURTH RECOMMENDATION IS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN CREATE BALANCE BY USING FORM-BASED REGULATORY APPROACHES.THIS MEANS RATHER THAN REGULATING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR UNITS THAT CAN LIVE ON A SITE, INSTEAD WE LOOK AT THE FORM OF THE BUILDING.
HOW HIGH IS IT? HOW MUCH OF THE LAND AREA DOES IT USE? HOW FAR AWAY FROM THE LOT LINES IS IT? ALL OF THESE THINGS IMPACT THE WAY A NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS AND FEELS MORE SO THAN THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE IN THAT DEVELOPMENT. THE FIFTH RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY EMPHASIZING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS HAVE THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS AND THOSE WILL SUPERSEDE ANY REQUIREMENTS OF TOD DESIGNATIONS.
THOSE FIRST FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE WORKING GROUP AND THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE NEXT THREE ARE FOR FUTURE EFFORTS. SO ITEM NO. 6 IS A PLAN AND COLLABORATION ON PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. IT LOOKS AT HOW THE CITY, VIA, PUBLIC UTILITIES, AND OTHER ENTITIES SHOULD BE COLLABORATING ON PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS GOING FORWARD.
THE COMMITTEE EMPHASIZED THIS IS HOW WE LOOK TO COORDINATE INSTALLING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, WHICH IMPACTS A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.
RECOMMENDATION NO. 7 IS HOW WE MAXIMIZE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN TOD AREAS.
AND REALLY LOOK AT HOW WE CAN EXPLORE DENSITY BONUSES. THIS IS ALSO A SEPARATE CCR WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MEETING NEXT WEEK. THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION IS HOW WE CONTINUE THIS WORK, HOW WE LOOK AT THROUGH THE 2027 UDC AMENDMENT PROCESS , CONTINUING TO LOOK AT HOW WE IMPLEMENT TRANSIT SUPPORT, TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT CHANGES MORE BROADLY.
EXCUSE ME. SO THE SECOND GROUP WAS THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS. UNDERSTANDING TODAY'S CONDITIONS HELP US KNOW WHICH POLICIES TOOLS ARE MOST HELPFUL TO ENCOURAGE THE POSITIVE GROWTH WHILE MINIMIZING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS.
SO THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE REALLY IS LOOKING AT RECOMMENDING A FRAMEWORK THAT'S BASED ON BOTH THE DEMOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS OF AN AREA SUCH AS THE EQUITY SCORE AS WELL AS THE PREVALENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING AT AN AREA'S LAND CAPACITY FOR CHANGE.
SO WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF CHANGE OVER A BROAD TIME-FRAME FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA. SO THIS MATRIX SHOWS A SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE OF WHAT A FUTURE HOUSING POLICY EMPHASIS COULD LOOK LIKE. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT BOTH THE HUMAN IMPACT AND THE LAND USE IMPACT. SO THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION LOOKS AT IF WE HAVE AN AREA WITH A HIGH EQUITY SCORE AND A LOW LIKELIHOOD OF CHANGE OVER TIME, WE WOULD FOCUS OUR STRATEGIES ON PROTECTION.
SO REALLY HOW DO WE PROTECT THE CURRENT RESIDENTS AND THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE AREA. IF AN AREA HAS A LOW EQUITY SCORE BUT A HIGH CHANCE OF CHANGE OVER TIME WE WOULD FOCUS OUR STRATEGIES ON PRODUCTION.
HOW DO WE INVEST IN LONG-TERM, HIGH-DENSITY THE NEXT IS AREAS THAT HAVE BOTH HIGH EQUITY SCORE AND A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF CHANGE
[01:25:02]
OVER TIME AND OUR STRATEGIES WOULD BE BOTH. PROTECTING CURRENT RESIDENTS FROM THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS HOW WE CAN SUPPORT AFFORDABILITY IN NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.AND FOR AREAS THAT HAVE LOW EQUITY SCORES AND LOW LAND USE CAPACITY AND CHANGE OVER TIME, WE WOULD NOT IMPLEMENT ANY NEW RECOMMENDATIONS OR STRATEGIES AND INSTEAD WOULD FOCUS OUR LIMITED RESOURCES ON THE OTHER AREAS. SO HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES FROM EACH OF THOSE TOOL KITS AND THESE WILL BE USED THROUGHOUT THE STATION AREA PLANNING PROCESS AND REALLY WORKING WITH RESIDENTS IN THOSE AREAS TO IDENTIFY WHICH STRATEGIES ARE BEST FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THE FIRST IS PROTECTION.
WE WOULD LOOK AT HOW DO WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS OR EDUCATION FOR RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS. AGAIN, FOR HOW THEY CAN STAY IN PLACE IN AREAS WHERE PRODUCTION IS THE EMPHASIS, WE WOULD LOOK AT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT NEW HOUSING INCENTIVES TO EMPHASIZE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE DENSITY OF HOUSING IN THE AREA SO MORE PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN TRANSIT-RICH AREAS. AND THE LAST THING WE'RE LOOKING PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND HOMEOWNER EDUCATION AS WELL AS RENTAL REHAB AND EVEN LOOKING AT STRATEGIC PROPERTY ACQUISITION IN THOSE AREAS TO LOOK AT NEW HOUSING PROJECTS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE. SO NOW I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO CAT TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE TOD ZONING CODE UPDATES.
>> SO AS MENTIONED, PART OF THE FIRST PHASE INCLUDED A TASK FORCE CREATED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO REVIEW THE CURRENT TOD ZONING DISTRICT. THE CURRENT TOD ZONING DISTRICT WAS ADOPTED WITH THE ORIGINAL ADOPTION OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE BACK IN 2001 IN AN OVER 20 YEARS IT'S ONLY BEEN USED THREE TIMES.
THE CURRENT TOD IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED ANYWHERE WITHIN A HALF MILE OF A BUS STOP.
THERE ARE NO GUARDRAILS LIMITING IT. IT'S ALSO NOT CONTEXT SENSITIVE TO NEIGHBORHOODS. NO HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS, NO REAR SETBACKS, JUST A GOOD DISTRICT TO APPLY TO VACANT PROPERTY TO CREATE A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT NEAR A BUS LINE. THIS PROCESS ONLY UPDATES THE CODE SO IT ALLOWS FOR OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT WHILE RESPECTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THIS PROCESS DOES NOT REZONE PROPERTY, MEANING THAT APPLICANTS WANTING TO REZONE TO THE NEW TOD CODE WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH THE REZONING PROCESS. WHY DO WE NEED TO UPDATE THE CODE? TOD IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE BENEFITS ALONG OUR DEDICATED ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDORS. THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE COMPACT AND WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION ACCESS WHILE STRENGTHENING AND SUSTAINING OUR ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS. TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION ON AN UPDATED CODE THE TASK FORCE WAS CREATED EARLIER THIS YEAR AND INCLUDES REPRESENTATION FROM 13 REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND 13 RESIDENTS REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE EXPERTS IN TRANSPORTATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND HOUSING INDUSTRIES. AS WELL AS OUR PARTNER AGENCIES SUCH AS VIA, CENTRO, AND MPO. THE TASK FORCE BEGAN MEETING IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. IN TOTAL THE TASK FORCE MET SEVEN TIMES OVER EIGHT MONTHS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROCESS INCLUDED THE FORMATION OF A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT INCLUDED 23 RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE AND OTHERS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY. THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WAS ASKED BY THE TASK FORCE TO DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THE APPLICABILITY AND LANGUAGE TO PROTECT EXISTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CORE OF OUR CITY, THE ORIGINAL 36 SQUARE MILES. THE SUBCOMMITTEE MET EIGHT TIMES OVER 2.5 MONTHS TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE TASK FORCE TO CONSIDER AND I DO WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
THE WORK THAT THE TASK FORCE DID INCLUDES RECOMMENDING STANDARDS THAT PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS FROM INCOMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT. THE CODE NOW INCORPORATES STANDARDS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST IN OUR UDC, INCLUDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THAT ENSURE HEIGHT COMPATIBILITY WITH ABUTTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES.
THE TASK FORCE ALSO RECOMMENDED UNIQUE STANDARDS THAT INCLUDE CHARACTERISTICS TO CREATE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS MINIMUM DISTANCES BETWEEN DOORS ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND WINDOW REQUIREMENTS TO CREATE TRANSPARENCY INSTEAD OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF BLANK WALLS. AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE CURRENT TOD ZONING DISTRICT ALLOWS ANYONE TO REQUEST TO REZONE WITHIN A HALF MILE OF ANY BUS STOP. THIS MEANS ANY OF THESE PROPERTIES IN ORANGE THAT YOU SEE ON THIS MAP IS ELIGIBLE TO REZONE TO THE CURRENT TOD ZONING DISTRICT.
TOD SHOULD BE SPECIFIC TO CORRIDORS THAT HAVE A HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT COMPONENT SO YOU CAN FOCUS THE DENSITY AND INTENSITY TO THOSE CORRIDORS WHERE APPROPRIATE.
[01:30:01]
THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND TASK FORCE TACKLED THIS AND RECOMMENDED A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US TO CREATE THE GUARDRAILS FOR APPROPRIATE TOD APPLICABILITY.WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS HOW APPLICABILITY HAS BEEN NARROWED.
IT IS NOW APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN CORRIDORS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS ART CORRIDORS.
THIS PUTS THE T IN TOD. THE PROCESS THE TASK FORCE AND SUBCOMMITTEE TO GET TO THIS APPROACH STARTED WITH A DRAFT CODE THAT RECOMMENDED A QUARTER OF A MILE APPLICABILITY. BUT THE DISCUSSION OF THE TASK FORCE INCREASED THAT VIEW SINCE WALKABILITY IS TYPICALLY A HALF MILE WHICH REPRESENTS A TEN-MINUTE WALK. WHILE A HALF-MILE APPLICABILITY FOR TOD IS APPROPRIATE FOR SOME AREAS, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THAT DRIVES IT DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SO THE APPROACH BECAME A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH.
EXPANDING WHERE APPROPRIATE AND CONTRACTING WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE SENSITIVE.
SO AND HERE'S WHAT IS RECOMMENDED. A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BOUNDARIES ALONG ART CORRIDORS ONLY.
MAPS ARE REQUIRED TO ILLUSTRATE THE BOUNDARIES THAT ALLOW PROPERTY OWNERS TO REQUEST TO REZONE TO THE UPDATED TOD CODE. AS THE BOUNDARIES ARE DEVELOPED, THEY CAN BE SENSITIVE TO BUILT-OUT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND STILL ALLOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOD DEVELOPMENT IN AREAS SUCH AS OUR REGIONAL CENTERS. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP THE BOUNDARY RECOMMENDED IN THIS SECTION EXPANDS AROUND THE AREAS OF SAN PEDRO AND I-35 WHILE CONTRACTING AROUND ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS GOING NORTH. THE PROPOSED CODE STARTS WITH THE GREEN LINE. IN THIS CASE THE MAPS DECREASE THE APPLICABILITY OF A HALF MILE WHICH COVERS ALL THE PROPERTIES ALONG THIS CORRIDOR, TO JUST THOSE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY. AS NEW CORRIDORS BECOME ART CORRIDORS SUCH AS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE SILVER LINE, THE PROCESS REQUIRES THE CODE TO BE UPDATED AS WELL AS THE PROCESS TO CREATE THE BOUNDARY MAPS TO ESTABLISH NEW ELIGIBILITY AREAS. OUR ENGAGEMENT STILL CONTINUES OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. WE'RE HOSTING TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER TO PRESENT ON THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK AND UPDATED CODE AND BOUNDARY MAPS. OVER 10,000 RESIDENTS AND OWNERS WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THE CORRIDOR AND WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES HAVE BEEN SENT MAILERS ABOUT THIS MEETING AND OUR SA SPEAKUP SITE SO THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE PROPOSED DOCUMENTS AND DATES OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE'RE ALSO POSTING IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO WIDEN THAT NET. THAT BRINGS ME TO OUR NEXT STEPS. OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO OUR APPROPRIATE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ZONING COMMISSION, PLANNING COMMISSION, HOUSING COMMISSION UNTIL WE GET BACK TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION AND ACTION IN DECEMBER. THIS PAST MONDAY WE MET WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHERE THEY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH ADDED LANGUAGE TO PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS. AFTER COUNCIL CONSIDERATION WE WILL BEGIN PHASE 2 WITH DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
IF YOU'LL RECALL THE FY25 BUDGET INCLUDED FUNDS TO WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN. THE PLAN WILL FURTHER DEVELOP THE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACTION SUCH AS THE CREATION OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL KIT AND AN INVESTMENT PLAN FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENHANCE OUR CONNECTIVITY TO OUR CORRIDORS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PLAN CAN IDENTIFY STATIONARY PLANS TO ILLUSTRATE THE RIGHT TYPE OF DENSITY AND AFFORDABILITY AND FOCUS OUR INCENTIVES ON THESE AREAS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENTS, OUR STAKEHOLDERS FROM ALL OF THE GROUPS AND COMMITTEES INVOLVED FOR THEIR WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRAMEWORK AND UPDATE TO THE CODE. WE'RE EXCITED TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS AT VIA ON THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE. WITH THAT, WE'RE AVAILABLE
FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT JOB, PRESENTATION, CAT.
WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMEMBER KAUR.
>> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL THANK COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR YOUR WORK WITH THE HELP ON THE CCR THAT MOVED THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE ON THE TASK FORCE, BOTH INDUSTRY FOLKS AND NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS.
I KNOW I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS AT THOSE THURSDAY EVENING.
OF COURSE TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND THE STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING SO DILIGENTLY ON THIS. AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HOT TOPIC FOR DISTRICT 1 OVER THE LAST TEN MONTHS OR SO. I DON'T THINK I CAN HAVE A MEETING OR A CONVERSATION WITH A RESIDENT WITHOUT TOD OR THE GREEN LINE COMING UP.
OR, AS OUR OFFICE LIKES TO CALL IT NOW, TODD. ANYHOO, I WANT TO THE FIRST TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY THIS IS SO CRITICAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHENEVER YOU'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A RESIDENT, IF YOU ASK THEM DO YOU SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PUBLIC
[01:35:02]
TRANSPORTATION, WALKABILITY, ALL OF THOSE THINGS CONSTANTLY COME UP.THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS YES. HOWEVER, WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE LOT NEXT TO YOU, THERE'S SOME CHANGE THAT'S GOING TO BE CREATED AND THAT'S SCARY, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTANDABLE. SO I THINK WHAT OUR JOB AND WHAT Y'ALL'S JOB REALLY WAS WAS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THAT FEAR AND HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THAT TO MAKE SURE THE POLICY THAT WE CREATE, WHICH I THINK YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ON THE WAY TOWARDS DOING SO, DOESN'T AFFECT OR CHANGE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN A BAD WAY AND WHAT FOLKS MIGHT THINK IS A BAD WAY. AND SO I WANT TO JUST ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS -- THESE ARE CONFIRMING QUESTIONS JUST SO MAKE SURE I'M DOING A CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING ON MY OWN BELIEFS OF WHAT TOD IS.
IF I AM LIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL LOT, IS TOD EVER ELIGIBLE ON MY LOT?
>> ONE OF THE EXCLUSIONS THAT THE TASK FORCE IS RECOMMENDING IS THAT IF IT IS A SINGLE-FAMILY ZONED LOT WITH A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME THAT IS HALF AN ACRE OR LESS, IT WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST A TOD. AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY PUT FORWARD THAT WILL GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION MEANS THAT ANY SINGLE-FAMILY ZONED LOT WITH A SINGLE-FAMILY USE, NO MATTER THE SIZE WITHIN THE ORIGINAL 36 SQUARE MILES, WHICH WE CALL THE CRAG, WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE.
THEY WOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM REQUESTING TOD. ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE CRAG, THE HALF-ACRE LIMITATION IS IN PLACE. SO IT PROTECTS THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS AND LOTS. >> KAUR: I LIVE IN BEACON HILL, NCD, AND I HAVE OTHER RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS. WOULD A DEVELOPER EVER BE ABLE TO COME IN AND BUILD A MODERN TOWNHOME STYLE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT
RIGHT NEXT TO ME? >> I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES BUT TOD BASICALLY TELLS YOU WHAT GOES ON IN THE INSIDE AND THE WAY THE STANDARDS ARE PROPOSED IS THAT THE OVERLAY DISTRICTS TELL YOU HOW IT'S DESIGNED ON THE INSIDE.
FOR HISTORIC DISTRICTS YOU STILL GO TO HDRC AND THEN YOU GET YOUR PERMIT.
>> KAUR: ANOTHER THEORY I HAVE HEARD IS THESE TEN-STORY BUILDINGS NEXT TO MY SINGLE-FAMILY HOME. IS IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD, SAY I GOT TOD FOR 50 UNITS,
COULD I BUILD 50 UNITS RIGHT NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL? >> SO ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WAS RECOMMENDED INCLUDES THIS FIRST GRAPHIC. SO RELATED TO HEIGHT, THE CURRENT UDC HAS WHAT WE CALL THE WEDDING CAKE APPROACH. YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE SAME HEIGHT REGULATION THAT THE SINGLE-FAMILY HOME GETS, WHICH IS 35 FEET, 2.5 STORIES WITHIN THE FIRST 50 FEET. AFTER THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GO UP HIGHER. FOR ONE FOOT YOU GET TWO FEET.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE A TEN-STORY BUILDING. YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THAT HEIGHT. THE WIDER THE PROPERTY YOU HAVE THE MORE SPACE YOU GET
TO PLAY WITH FOR HEIGHT. >> KAUR: GOT IT. ANOTHER FEAR I HAVE HEARD IS ZONING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY GET TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WHAT PERSPECTIVE THEY HAVE ON EACH LOT AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF ENGAGEMENT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THIS A LARGE-SCALE REZONING WHERE EVERYTHING IN THE CRAG IS GOING TO BE REZONED FOR WHATEVER TOD RECOMMENDATION IS RIGHT NOW
ON THE PLAN? >> THE ANSWER IS NO. IT IS NOT REZONING.
ALL WE ARE DOING IS UPDATING THE CODE. IF YOU CAN SEE ON THAT MAP WHAT WE'RE DOING IS NARROWING THE ELIGIBILITY OF PROPERTIES TODAY.
EVERYTHING IN YELLOW IS ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST TO REZONE TO TOD TODAY.
TOMORROW, IF ADOPTED, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT. >> KAUR: SO THE GEMS ON HILDEBRAND AND SAN PEDRO, IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK FOR A TOD REZONING, THE NEIGHBORHOOD STILL HAS TO APPROVE ANY CHANGE FROM WHAT IT IS TO WHAT IT WOULD BE?
>> CORRECT. IT KEEPS THE CURRENT REZONING PROCESS IN PLACE
TODAY, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS. >> KAUR: NOT APPROVE BUT PROVIDE INPUT. GREAT. THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS DO YOU HAVE -- HAVE YOU GUYS DONE RESEARCH ON EXAMPLES OF TODS IN OTHER CITIES AND
HOW IT'S WORKED? >> YES. PART OF THIS INCLUDED LOOKING AT DIFFERENT CITIES THAT HAD TOD IN PLACE. AUSTIN WAS ONE OF THOSE.
I WANT TO SAY -- >> YEAH. WE TALKED WITH SEVERAL CITIES ONE-ON-ONE: INDIANAPOLIS, CLEVELAND, DALLAS, PHOENIX.
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE TODS ARE IN PLACE. >> KAUR: WHAT DID YOU ALL LEARN FROM THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF IMPLEMENTATION THERE WERE?
HIGH LEVEL COUPLE OF SNIPPETS? >> SO WE TALKED ABOUT THEIR PROCESS IN TERMS OF THE NEXT STEPS AND WHAT THEY DID. I THINK WHERE WE LEARNED THE MOST WAS WITHIN THE DETAILS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE FRAMEWORK, THERE ARE KEY STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS. WITHIN SOME OF THOSE ACTIONS, THAT'S WHERE WE LEARNED THE MOST. FOR EXAMPLE, DALLAS AND HOUSTON RECOMMENDED PROVIDING AFFORDABLE GROUND SPACE FOR ALL THE THE TOD DISTRICTS.
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SOME OTHER EXAMPLES WE LOOKED AT INCORPORATED HEAT RELIEF.FOR EXAMPLE, PHOENIX WAS FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE. THEY THOUGHT FOR ALL THE BUS STATIONS THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER FOCUS ON TREE CANOPY AND SHADE OF BUS STATIONS.
>> KAUR: THANK YOU. I THINK THOSE ARE MY MAIN QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO SIT, YOU CAN. BUT I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT I THINK, TRULY BELIEVE THAT TOD FULLY IMAGINED COULD TRANSFORM THE SAN PEDRO CORRIDOR.
IF YOU EVER DRIVEN DOWN SAN PEDRO, YOU HAVE SEEN WAY TOO MANY AUTO LOTS.
WAY TOO MANY COMMERCIAL SPACES THAT ARE TRULY JUST NOT BEING USED.
AND A LOT OF GREEN SPACE THAT COULD BE WALKABLE SPACE UP AND DOWN AN ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR. SO I COULD LIVE IN A HOME, GET ON A BUS, GET TO DOWNTOWN IF I'M WORKING DOWNTOWN, ALL WITHIN A SPAN OF 15 MINUTES.
IT COULD TRULY TRANSFORM WHAT'S POSSIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN RIGHT NOW WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE HEART OF DISTRICT 1 BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE RATES, COULD LIVE THERE. ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S NOT JUST ALL GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT WILL ALSO BE MARKET-RATE HOUSING AS WELL.
IT WILL BE ADDRESSING ALL OF OUR HOUSING GOALS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS WORK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, I THINK, IS YOU ALL HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING THE MAIN CONCERNS THAT NEIGHBORS WOULD HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGE AT THIS GRAVITY AND SCALE.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS WORK. I WANT TO PUT A SHAMELESS PLUG IN IT'S A COMMUNITY FORUM. THERE ARE SMALL GROUP STATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN. WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ENGAGING COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH IT. I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR TAKING ALL THOSE PUNCHES. THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO SAY, THE ONE AREA OF GROWTH, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AREA OF GROWTH, IS FOR CONTINUED WORK IF THIS CONTINUES TO MAKE SURE THE MEETINGS ARE VIDEO RECORDED SO THAT FOLKS THAT AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND FOR THE WHOLE TIME CAN WATCH AND ALSO THAT WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY -- AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS -- COMMUNICATING THE TRACK CHANGES ON THE POLICY. I THINK SOME FOLKS GOT LOST IN HOW THINGS WERE CHANGING OVER TIME. SO I KNOW THOSE ARE THINGS WE CAN WORK ON BEING BETTER ABOUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. THE ONE THING I HADN'T HEARD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT -- BELIEVE ME, I'M A SUPPORTER OF THIS. AND I THINK NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST ARE SOMETHING WE NEED. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO PROPERTY VALUES AND WHAT HAPPENS TO INCREASED TAXES BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH IN PROPERTY VALUES ALL AROUND THIS DISTRICT? AND A FEW EXAMPLES ARE WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAR LOTS THERE. WELL, WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE VALUE OF THOSE CAR LOTS NOW WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUILD AN APARTMENT COMPLEX? OR I SAW SOME OF THE LINES AND HOW THEY'RE DRAWN AND SO YOU SEE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINE. BUT IF YOU'RE BUILDING APARTMENT COMPLEXES ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO YOU GET FROM THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY AND THEIR TAXES? AND, YOU KNOW, ALREADY PEOPLE PROBABLY STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR TAXES IN THIS CITY WHERE THEY LIVE NOW.
BUT YOU GO UP AND DOWN SAN PEDRO AND YOU GO ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM THE MAIN AREA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'VE GOT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. SO IN LOOKING AT THE TODS IN OTHER CITIES, WHAT HAVE THEY TOLD YOU HAVE BEEN THE EFFECTS OF INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES AND PROPERTY TAXES ON THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND THAT AREA?
>> IN GENERAL WE KNOW IMPROVEMENTS THAT TYPICALLY HAPPEN ON LOTS END UP INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES BECAUSE NOW THAT PROPERTY IS IMPROVED, WHERE IT WASN'T BEFORE. VACANT LOTS HAVE AN IMPACT ON PROPERTY VALUES.
IMPROVEMENTS HAVE A DIFFERENT IMPACT. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE WORKED -- AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE PRINCIPLES WAS RELATED TO HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND LIVABILITY. AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAD THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WAS FOCUSED ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AS WELL AS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT. BECAUSE WITH THOSE INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT NOW THEY WILL BE PUSHED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THE VALUE HAS INCREASED TOO MUCH FOR THEM TO LIVE. I'M GOING TO HAVE VERONICA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THOSE STRATEGIES ARE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
>> COURAGE: GOOD. >> YES. SO I THINK THE QUICK ANSWER IS PROPERTY VALUES WILL INCREASING WITH OR WITHOUT TOD.
SO IN THESE AREAS WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HELP HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE ALREADY
[01:45:01]
LIVING THERE -- AND WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS. WE ARE HELPING THEM WITH EDUCATING ON HOW THEY CAN PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WHAT ARE THE VALUES, AS WELL AS HELPING RENTERS UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS AND HOW THE PROPERTY INCREASES AFFECT THEM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT.WE ALSO KNOW THAT BY BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT IS HELPING STABILIZE THE HOUSING MARKET, RENTS, VALUES OVERALL WHILE WE HAVE MORE HOUSING CHOICES. SO WE CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT OUR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
STRATEGIES THROUGH THOSE HOMEOWNER EDUCATION EFFORTS. >> COURAGE: I THINK YOU'RE TELLING US SOMETHING YOU DO WHETHER OR NOT WE PUT A TOD IN THERE.
>> YES. >> COURAGE: I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN THE EFFECT OF THESE OTHER TODS IN THE OTHER CITIES AND THE PROPERTY VALUES THAT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE FACED AND HOW HAS IT AFFECTED SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. HOW HAS IT AFFECTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TO MOVE OUT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THE TAXES THERE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AND PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE LIVING THERE SHOULD UNDERSTAND HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER PLACES. IF IT'S INSIGNIFICANT OR MINOR, THAT'S GREAT.
BUT IF IT IS SIGNIFICANT, I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TOO.
WHAT WE COULD DO IS COULDN'T WE GO TO THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND ASK FOR SOME KIND OF TAX WAY OF ADDRESSING THAT KIND OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOME KIND OF STATE ACTION TO HELP MITIGATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EVEN IF IT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES, MAYBE THEY HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT BUT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE COULD WORK WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THAT VALUE GROWTH BECAUSE OF TOD. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE.
>> ONE EXAMPLE WE CAN GIVE IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OTHER CITIES HAD SAID WAS THAT AS THE VALUE WAS INCREASED, THEY WOULD PUT BACK THAT VALUE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS ITSELF. SO YOU CAN DO THAT THROUGH A TIRZ.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CITY'S -- HOW THEY ADDRESSED HOW THAT INCREASED VALUE THEN IMPACTED PROPERTY OWNERS BUT NOW LET'S INVEST IT BACK SO WE ARE HELPING THEM TO EITHER REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES OR IMPROVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN ADDRESS THE RISING PROPERTY VALUES.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL LOOK AT DURING PHASE 2 FOR THE STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN AS WELL. >> COURAGE: I JUST SEE HUNDREDS OF HOMES ALL ALONG THAT AREA AND, YES, THEIR VALUES GO UP AND CAN THEY AFFORD TO STAY THERE.
I THINK IS THE BIG QUESTION WE NEED TO CHECK ON. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO
HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, CAT. I TALK A LOT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND ITS OPPORTUNITY TO -- ITS ACCESS TO HOUSING AND JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY.
THE REALITY WAS MADE CLEAR TO ME YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST STARTED GOING TO THE FTA MEETINGS WITH VIA ABOUT THE SILVER AND GREEN LINE AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING.
THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TOD LONG BEFORE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT HERE AT THE CITY, AT LEAST AS A POLICY ISSUE. I THINK THAT THIS FRAMEWORK IS A LOT OF WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THOSE MEETINGS AND Y'ALL HAVE PUT TOGETHER A THOROUGH, INCLUSIVE FRAME. I THINK YOU HAVE COME AT IT FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE AND IT'S A BEGINNING OF THAT FRAMEWORK.
I DO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS BUT SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP ALREADY. A LOT OF IT REALLY IS AROUND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I SEE THE SLIDE WHERE YOU SPOKE WITH OVER 1,000 PEOPLE.
THAT'S IMPORTANT. I REMEMBER THOSE TWO LADIES WHO CAME AND SPOKE WITH US ABOUT HOW IT WAS GOING TO AFFECT THE ROUTES THAT THEY CURRENTLY USE BUT ALSO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE HEARD A LOT, MY TEAM HAS HEARD A LOT FROM BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE ROUTE AS WELL.
SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT EXPRESSED TO MY TEAM THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT FORCED REZONING OR LOSING LIQUOR LICENSES, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THEIR BUSINESSES. THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT INCREASED AND BURDENS AND PROCESSES FOR NOT JUST THOSE EXISTING BUSINESSES BUT HOW BUSINESSES WILL GROW MOVING INTO THE FUTURE. HAVE WE FORMALLY ENGAGED WITH THE CURRENT BUSINESSES
ON THAT ROUTE? >> ON THE GREEN LINE, BECAUSE THIS IS MOVING FORWARD FIRST ON THE GREEN LINE, THE SILVER LINE WILL HAVE ITS OWN PROCESS.
ON THE GREEN LINE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS SENT OUT MAILERS TO OVER 10,700 PEOPLE. THAT'S ALL PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THAT CORRIDOR AND WITHIN THOSE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES.
THAT WAS ONE WAY TO TELL THEM WE HAVE A DRAFT FRAMEWORK.
[01:50:03]
WE HAVE A BASELINE FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN LOOK AT, PROVIDE US FEEDBACK FOR.SO THE DRAFT FRAMEWORK AS WELL AS THE DRAFT CODE AS WELL AS THE DRAFT MAPS.
AND THEN ENGAGE THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS. WE HAVE -- JUST THIS WEEK I HAVE ATTENDED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. ONE ON SUNDAY, AND ONE TONIGHT. OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE AS THEY ASK US TO ATTEND. I'M ALSO ATTENDING THAT TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICT 1.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE THEM AS THE SILVER LINE MOVES FORWARD WITH THAT PROCESS, THAT SAME ENGAGEMENT WILL HAPPEN. WE'LL START WITH THE ORIGINAL PROCESS TO CREATE THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP. THAT INCLUDES ALL PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, THOSE THAT ARE EXPERTS IN THE INDUSTRIES.
AND IN THE CODE IT ACTUALLY BROADENS THAT NET FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, MANY OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE IN THE CODE SO WE CAN CAST THAT WIDE NET TO WHOEVER WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT STAKEHOLDER PROCESS. THIS DOES NOT REZONE ANY PROPERTIES, IT JUST PUTS THE GUARDRAILS IN PLACE INTO THE CURRENT TOD CODE.
>> HAVRDA: SO FLIERS AND HAVING MEETINGS, ALL OF THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE MOST PROMISING THING I HEARD YOU SAY WAS GOING TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. WE HAVE TO GO TO THEM BUT LITERALLY KNOCKING ON BUSINESS' DOORS. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY ATTEND MEETINGS OR ANSWER TO A FLIER. GOING TO THOSE BUSINESSES AND SITTING IN THEIR RESTAURANTS OR WHATEVER THEY ARE AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S CUMBERSOME AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES AND A LOT IN LIMITED AMOUNT OF RESOURCES. I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO THAT. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SPECIFIC PLAN OF OUTREACH WHERE WE'RE GOING TO THEM TO WHERE THEY ARE. THEIR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT, THEIR BUSINESSES. LIKE I SAID, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT. I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE BONES OF A PLAN SO I WILL ASK YOU TOO. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST HURDLE MOVING
FORWARD? >> RIGHT NOW THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ABOUT THE ZONING CODE.
TYPICALLY WHEN YOU ADOPT A FRAMEWORK, THE FRAMEWORK SETS OUT YOUR ROAD MAP, WHAT'S YOUR IMPLEMENTATION STEPS. ONE OF THOSE IMPLEMENTATION STEPS IS THE UPDATE TO THE ZONING CODE. WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS CONCURRENTLY SO WE CAN GET A JUMP START. AS YOU KNOW, VIA HAS MOVED FORWARD ON THE GREEN LINE AND NOW DEVELOPING THE SILVER LINE.
THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ABOUT THE ZONING CODE, EDUCATION, AND CORRECTING SOME MISINFORMATION OUT THERE. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THAT WE'RE NOT REZONING.
SO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE BIG HURDLE BECAUSE, AGAIN, THEY HAVE HEARD THIRDHAND WHAT THIS IS AND NOW IT'S TRYING TO REDIRECT AND CORRECT THAT INFORMATION.
IT'S KIND OF BEEN THE BIG HURDLE RIGHT NOW. >> HAVRDA: I SAID THIS IN EVERY FTA MEETING FOR YEARS NOW BUT I DO BELIEVE THIS IS TRANSFORMATIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. NO PUN INTENDED BUT THE ROAD THERE IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. IT'S GOING TO BE DISRUPTIVE. I JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK TO WE NEED TO GO TO WHERE THEY ARE. WE NEED TO GO TO THOSE SPACES, NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES, AND BRING THEM TOGETHER AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND LISTEN TO THEM AND HEAR THEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I THINK THE FRAMEWORK IT'S THERE TO GET US TO THAT POINT BUT IT'S ALL IN THE EXECUTION.
SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, CAT AND YOUR TEAM AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I WANT TO START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING YOU MENTIONED DENSITY EARLIER.
WHEN I STARTED ON COUNCIL, DENSITY WAS A BAD WORD IN MY OFFICE, FOR SOME REASON.
I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. BUT I WAS LIKE, WAIT, Y'ALL. WE'RE GROWING.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WE HAVE TO GO THERE AND THERE'S JUST NO ESCAPING REALITY, RIGHT? AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS IN THIS.
I'LL START OFF WITH IN GENERAL THE IMPORTANCE, OBVIOUSLY, OF TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WITH THE MIX OF RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, EMPLOYMENT CAPACITY AREAS. I WANT TO COMMEND THE WORK. I REALLY LIKE THE WEDDING CAKE APPROACH THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO INCREASE DENSITY. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AT FIRST LIKE THE WEDDING CAKE. I WAS LIKE, WAIT A SECOND. ONE OF MY STAFFERS SAID IT'S MORE LIKE AN ACCORDION. ANYWAY, WHOEVER LABELED IT, THEY'RE CREATIVE.
>> OR A PYRAMID. >> GARCIA: I APPRECIATE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH OUR GOAL
[01:55:01]
OF CREATING THE VIBRANT AND MIXED-USE COMMUNITY. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.IF OUR GOAL IS TO BE A TRANSIT-ORIENTED COMMUNITY, WHY ARE WE ONLY FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON THE ART LINES AND NOT THE PRIMO BUS LINES?
>> WHEN THE TASK FORCE STARTED, IT WAS -- AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT APPLICABILITY TODAY, IT WAS WITHIN HALF MILE OF ANY BUS STOP. AND SO THAT REALLY DOESN'T PUT TRANSIT INTO TOD. SO IT'S JUST ACCESS TO A BUS LINE.
SO WHEN WE STARTED, RIGHT NOW VIA HAS SEVEN CORRIDORS OF WHICH THEY HAVE A PLAN WHICH ARE THE HIGH-CAPACITY TRANSIT LINES. IT INCLUDES THE PRIMO BUSES AS WELL AS THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT. BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THIS CODE ONLY IS TO FOCUS IT ON THE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT LINE, SO IT CREATED A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO BE A PART OF. THE FIRST STEP IS THAT VIA HAS TO, THROUGH ACTION, IS MAKE IT AN ART LINE, THROUGH THEIR BOARD ACTION.
AFTER THAT IT COMES FORWARD THROUGH A NORMAL CCR PROCESS TO UPDATE THE CODE AND CREATE THE MAPS. BECAUSE THE OTHER CORRIDORS -- WE STILL HAVE IN OUR ZONING CODE OTHER TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE LAND USES AND ZONING DISTRICTS THAT CAN STILL BE USED STILL. IDZ IS ONE OF THOSE. IT'S A TRANSIT-SUPPORTED LAND USE AND ZONING DISTRICT. YOU CAN USE THAT WITHIN 410.
OUTSIDE OF THAT THERE'S OTHER MIXED-USE ZONING DISTRICTS THAT CAN BE USED TO GET YOU TO THE SAME END RESULT. IT'S JUST WHAT MAKES TOD UNIQUE, ESPECIALLY ALONG THESE ART LINES, IF WE'RE PUTTING ALL OF OUR INVESTMENT IN IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE THESE DEDICATED BUS LINES AND THE DEDICATED IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THOSE RIGHT-OF-WAYS THEN WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE AND FOCUS THE DENSITY AND INTENSITY ALONG THOSE.
AGAIN, TOD, ART, BUT ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE TRANSIT SUPPORTED CAN BE
USED ON THE OTHER LINES AS WELL. >> GARCIA: REGARDING THE ZONING PROVISION THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW TOD DISTRICTS SHOULDN'T BE APPLIED TO PROPERTIES ZONED SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LESS OR EQUAL THAN HALF AN ACRE. THAT IS WITH A SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNIT OF FOUR UNITS OR LESS. I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH REVISITING THAT -- AND I KNOW DR. KAUR MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CRAG EARLIER.
BUT WHILE THE CURRENT RESTRICTION MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE WITHIN THE CRAG, I FEEL LIKE IT COULD LIMIT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE ART MAY BE PLANNED. AND SO I KNOW THAT IF WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH IN DISTRICT 4 TO GET ANATOLIAN, WE WOULD LIKE THAT OPTION OF HAVING MORE TOD DISTRICTS IN SOME OF THESE LOTS. I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF JUST SHARE THAT AS A
COMMENT. >> THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: BUT JUST FYI.
ON THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, DID WE CONSIDER MAKING THEM OPTIONAL OR DOING AWAY WITH THEM ALL TOGETHER? BECAUSE -- I REMEMBER ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS COLLEAGUES, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, WOULD ALWAYS ASK ABOUT PARKING. P WOULDN'T REQUIRING PARKING
BE COUNTERINTUITIVE TO A WALKABLE COMMUNITY? >> YES.
SO PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS ONLY REQUIRING A 50% REQUIREMENT ON ONE OF THE DISTRICTS. THERE'S THREE CATEGORIES. ONE OF THEM IS RESIDENTIAL AND THE OTHER TWO ARE TYPES OF MIXED USES. THE RESIDENTIAL WOULD HAVE A 50% REQUIREMENT BUT THE OTHER TWO HAVE NO PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PROVIDE PARKING, IT JUST MEANS WE AREN'T HOLDING THEM TO A 60-YEAR-OLD CODE. OUR CURRENT PARKING CODE IS
FROM 1965 AND HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED YET. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, OKAY. ON PAGE 29 OF THE PLAN.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN DISTRICT 4. WHEN WE LOOK FURTHER IN THE PLAN, I LOOK AT ITEM 11 ON PAGE 43 TALKING ABOUT SMART CITIES.
I IMMEDIATELY THINK OF PORT SAN ANTONIO. I ALSO THINK ABOUT OUR MILITARY COMMUNITIES. OBVIOUSLY LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE IS RIGHT THERE NEXT DOOR. I'M HOPING THAT WE CONSIDER, RIGHT, THE MILITARY AS WELL.
I SEE A LOT OF OUR AIRMEN JUST WALKING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THAT BUT PORT SAN ANTONIO AND THAT SORT OF ENGAGEMENT, ADDING THEM AS A POINT OF INTEREST.
OR KEY PLACES ON INTEREST. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE ASSUMED THAT LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE ISN'T A KEY PLACE OF INTEREST OR THE PORT FOR THAT MATTER.
>> WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD THOSE, YES. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
BECAUSE THERE IS ZERO IN D4. YEAH. I'M IN D4.
I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS AND LAND BANKING
[02:00:03]
REFERENCED ON PAGE 49. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL WE HAVE TO CONSIDER BUYING OUT LAND AS WELL, RIGHT? AND SO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT ALREADY AND BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS ASK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S JUST EMBEDDED IN YOUR DETAILED PLAN. AND THEN ON PAGE 66, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHO IS ON THE COMMITTEE OR ON THE TASK FORCE? AND THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING THIS IS THIS WENT THROUGH PCDC AND WE HAD ASKED IN PARTICULAR IF WE COULD INCLUDE ONE OF OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AS A REPRESENTATIVE.AND I JUST MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THAT WAS DONE AND THAT WAS COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. I DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE HAD BEEN FORMALLY OR IS SHE OFFICIALLY INVITED OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE
REPRESENTATION? >> WE DIDN'T GO TO PCDC. WE JUST WENT TO GOVERNANCE.
>> GARCIA: MAYBE IT WAS GOVERNANCE. IT WAS ONE OF THE
COMMITTEES. >> SO DID IT HAVE TO DO WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY?
>> GARCIA: YES. >> YES. THERE IS --
>> GARCIA: THE TRUST. >> THERE IS A REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S ON THAT.
HE'S LISTED AS ONE OF THE HOUSING PROFESSIONALS. IT WAS JORDAN WHO IS PART OF
THE HOUSING TRUST. >> GARCIA: OKAY. I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. >> WE DID AVOID ANY APPOINTED OR ELECTED OFFICIALS SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERN WITH RECUSALS WHEN THE CODE COMES
BACK. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO START FROM THE BEGINNING HERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BACK IN 2020 WHEN THE FUNDING FOR THIS ART LINE REALLY WAS INITIATED. OBVIOUSLY, BEFORE SOME OF US WERE HERE.
THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO -- WHEN I TALKED WITH COUNCILWOMAN KAUR AND CASTILLO ABOUT THE CCR, THE REASON I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GIVE THIS ART LINE THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU I'M MAYBE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC BUT I'M SKEPTICAL.
I'M SKEPTICAL AS TO WHETHER SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL WORK HERE IN SAN ANTONIO BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL. AND IT WILL IF WE DO THIS RIGHT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE TOD CCR BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO ENSURE THAT OUR DOLLARS ARE SPENT WISELY HERE IN A MANNER THAT GIVES THIS ART LINE AND THIS LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY VISION THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
AND I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY AND, CAT, I KNOW YOU HAVE AS WELL. CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL THIS WORK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST POINT, THE FIRST THING THAT I HEAR -- I HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THESE ART, YOU KNOW, LINES AND TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. THE BIGGEST THING IS TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A DIVERSE MIX OF HOUSING ALONG THE LINE. YOU AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE NECESSARY THAT THERE IS A DIVERSE MIX OF HOUSING, WHICH WILL OF COURSE INCLUDE MARKET RATE HOUSING ALONG
THIS LINE. >> YES. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN. IT'S OUTLINED IN THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE DO NEED A VARIETY OF HOUSING OPTIONS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE SHIP IS THAT WE NEED TO CREATE HOUSING FOR DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT -- SO ALL OF THAT WORK IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SHIP AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH TOD. IT'S SOMETHING WE HEARD THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP AND IT'S MOVING THROUGH THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
YES, YOU DO NEED A VARIETY OF HOUSING OPTIONS. EVERYTHING FROM DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TO MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING, AS WELL AS WORKFORCE AND
MARKET-RATE HOUSING ALL NEED TO BE CONSIDERATIONS. >> WHYTE: AND THE DIFFERENT MIX OF HOUSING WILL BE APPROPRIATE IN SOME AREAS OF THE LINE.
SOME HOUSING IS APPROPRIATE IN SOME AREAS, SOME HOUSING IS APPROPRIATE IN OTHER AREAS. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG LINE SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE IT ALL THERE. I BRING THIS UP AGAIN BECAUSE THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY HAS CONSISTENTLY TOLD ME THAT MARKET-RATE HOUSING IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE FINANCIAL VIABILITY, PROMOTE ECONOMIC DIVERSITY,
[02:05:03]
AND LONG-TERM GROWTH IN THE AREA. AND MARKET-RATE HOUSING WILL ALSO ATTRACT RESIDENTS WITH HIGHER INCOMES THAT CAN HELP SUSTAIN THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE DEVELOPED IN THE AREA. SO THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO PUT A PLAN INTO PLACE WHEN LOOKING HOW WE WERE GOING TO DEVELOP AROUND THIS ART LINE. MY NEXT QUESTION -- I THINK I SAW IT IN THE SLIDES BUT THERE IS NO FORCED REZONING THAT TAKES PLACE HERE,RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. NO REZONING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS PROCESS. IT'S JUST AN UPDATE TO THE ZONING CODE.
>> WHYTE: GREAT. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, AGAIN, AND NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TO BE NUMBER ONE. OUR CITIZENS LIVING IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAS TO TAKE PRIORITY. THESE PEOPLE INVESTED IN THEIR HOMES THERE.
THEY DID IT KNOWING THE ZONING THEY WERE BUYING INTO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T JUST COME IN AND DISRUPT THEIR WAY OF LIFE BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY FORCED REZONING BECAUSE THAT IS A CONCERN THAT I ASSUME YOU HEARD AT SOME OF THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
>> ABSOLUTELY IT WAS A CONCERN AND THAT'S WHY WE STRESS IT AT EVERY MEETING.
>> WHYTE: GOOD. MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON NEXT STEPS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF PUBLIC TOWN HALLS, I THINK, IN DISTRICT 1 AND THEN WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN YOU COME TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER?
>> THIS IS BASICALLY THE ROAD MAP TO ADOPTION. BECAUSE IT'S AN UPDATE TO OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS BOTH A MIXTURE OF THE COMMISSIONS AND COUNCIL STEPS FOR THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
SO FOR THIS MONTH WE HAVE THE OPEN HOUSES. WE'RE ALSO DOING JOINT EFFORTS WITH VIA WHEN THEY CONDUCT OPEN HOUSES RELATED TO THE GREEN LINE, WE'RE ALSO PARTICIPATING IN THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE TRANSIT WITHOUT THE TOD OR TOD WITHOUT THE TRANSIT. WE'RE AT ALL THOSE OPEN HOUSES.
WE ARE AT PLANNING COMMISSION, ZONING COMMISSION OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS DOING BOTH BRIEFINGS AS WELL AS THE CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING BRIEFINGS TO HDRC, THE HISTORIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION AND BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT SO THEY ARE AWARE OF UPDATES TO THE CODE AS WELL. THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HOUSING COMMISSION FOR A RECOMMENDATION ON THE POLICY FRAMEWORK. ALL OF THAT CULMINATES IN DECEMBER WHEN WE COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH ALL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UPDATE TO THE CODE AND THE POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR OFFICIAL ADOPTION BY THE
COUNCIL. >> WALSH: THERE COULD BE TWEAKS AS WE GO ALONG ALL
THOSE STOPS. >> WHYTE: YEAH. I WOULD JUST ASK THAT, AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE STAKEHOLDERS AWARE. AGAIN, IN THE A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH I HAVE DONE HOW THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES, WHERE THESE THINGS HAVE FAILED HAVE BEEN WHERE THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE NOT HAD AN INPUT.
WE NEED TO KEEP THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, THE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AS WELL. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, CAT FOR THE PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS DEREK AND RICK ON MY TEAM WHO HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THE MEETINGS AND KEEPING UP TO SPEED WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND DISCUSSION THAT'S TAKING PLACE DURING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
BUT ALSO TO COUNCILMAN WHYTE AND DR. KAUR FOR LEADING THIS INITIATIVE.
SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUE I WAS EAGER SO SIGN ON TO THIS REQUEST, JUST GIVEN SOME OF THE RESEARCH I HAVE SEEN. THERE'S THIS GREAT BOOK CALLED COMMUNITY TRANSIT-ORIENTED DISPLACEMENT OR COMMUNITY DIVIDENDS .
WHILE I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERY ARGUMENT MADE IN THAT BOOK, IT DOES PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF CASE STUDIES OF THE WAYS IN WHICH TOD IMPACTS COMMUNITIES.
WHILE, YES, ACTIVATING VACANT LOTS AND IMPROVING A HOME DOES INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES, WITHOUT THE HOUSING COMPONENT IT PRACTICES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THAT'S WHY I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THE REMOVING BARRIERS COMMITTEE AND THE WORK THEY HAVE TAKEN ON.
AND I DO HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW ARE WE PREPARING FOR THE 2027 BOND AND ARE YOU ALL RESEARCHING OPPORTUNITIES ON HOW WE CAN SUPPORT RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS AND MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES THAT MAY NEED SOME REHABILITATION TO PREPARE FOR THE SPECULATION AND THE PRACTICES. THE TERMS WE HAVE SEEN WITH
OTHER TOD POLICIES? >> WE HAVE ALSO APPLIED FOR A HUD PATHWAYS REMOVING OBSTACLES GRANT AND IF AWARDED THAT GRANT WE WOULD HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE
[02:10:04]
TO HIRE A CONSULTANT, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH EFFORTS TO HELP US DEVELOP THOSE STRATEGIES WITH A REAL STRONG FOCUS ON THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES AND WHAT MORE WE CAN DO, INCLUDING FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WILL ALL HELP INFORM THE 2027 BOND.>> CASTILLO: I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THE INITIATIVE THAT NHSD HAS TAKEN TO ENSURE WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE GREEN AND SILVER LINE. FOLKS ALONG BUENA VISTA HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A RIGHT OF ENTRY NOTIFICATION SO THEY'RE JUST ALARMED BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. BUT THEY'RE ALREADY RECEIVING NOTICES THAT FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE ENTERING THEIR PROPERTY FROM VIA.
I WANT TO BE SURE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT NHSD HAS SOUGHT GRANTS TO HELP US PLAN AND PREPARE. AS PROBABLY THE ONLY COUNCILMEMBER WHO HAS RELIED ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UNTIL THREE YEARS AGO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WITH THE TREND THAT TYPICALLY THOSE WHO RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION -- THIS IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR WORK AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK. OFTEN GET DISPLACED AND IT OFTEN INCREASES THEIR COMMUNITY TIME AND PUSHES THEM FURTHER AWAY FROM THEIR BUS ROUTE.
IT OFTEN DOESN'T CLOSE THAT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC GAP. I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE. THANK YOU, VERONICA, FOR SHARING THAT WORK.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE BOND TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN HOUSING. OTHER CITIES HAVE SPENT THEIR ARPA DOLLARS, WE SPENT SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY INVESTING IN HOUSING FUNDING.
THAT'S CRYING OVER SPILLED MILK. I WANT TO PIVOT OVER TO ZONING. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF THIS IS CORRECT OR CORRECT.
IN REGARDS TO THE TOD LINE, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY PROHIBIT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BUT WOULD ALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTALS. IS THAT INCORRECT? AM I NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ZONING CODE IS PROPOSING FOR TOD?
>> YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO THE PERMITTED USE TABLE. THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, IF IT IS LISTED AS AN ACTUAL USE IN THE DISTRICT, AS ERIK SAID WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE TWEAKS ALONG THE WAY. WE HEARD A COUPLE OF TWEAKS WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE PERMITTED USE TABLE SO IF THAT PARTICULAR LINE WAS MISSED, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AT PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZONING COMMISSION. WE'RE MAKING THAT LIST.
WE'LL BE SURE TO LOOK AT THAT. >> CASTILLO: I BELIEVE ON THE PROPOSED ZONING CODE, IT MAY BE PAGE 6, THAT TOD WOULD PROHIBIT ANY AUTO
SHOPS. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THIS DISTRICT ACTUALLY DOES NOT PERMIT, BY RIGHT, AUTO USES.
BECAUSE THIS IS A TRANSIT CORRIDOR, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE DEPENDENCE ON SINGLE-OCCUPANCY VEHICLES AND GIVE PEOPLE ANOTHER OPTION.
THOSE USES WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN THESE DISTRICTS.
NOW, IF THEY CURRENTLY EXIST ON THE LINE, THEY CAN STILL EXIST -- AGAIN, THIS IS NOT REZONING SO THEY STILL HAVE THE ZONING TO DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING TODAY.
BUT IF A FUTURE PROPERTY OWNER THAT MAYBE LEASES TO AN AUTO SALES PLACE TODAY DECIDES TO REZONE, THEY WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN UNTIL THEY MOVE OUT.
AGAIN, WE SPECIFICALLY MADE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T CONTINUING THE SAME THINGS THAT WE CURRENTLY DO IN OUR TRADITIONAL DISTRICTS BECAUSE WITH TOD WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO A LOT OF USES WOULD NOT
BE APPROVED. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
MANY DISTRICT 5 BUSINESSES ON THE PROPOSED CORRIDOR ARE AUTO SHOPS AND DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS ARE PUBLIC TRANSIT DEPENDENT BUT WE DEPEND ON THOSE SMALL SHOPS TO FIX OUR TIRES. ONE CONCERN I HAVE HEARD THAT IS IN THIS CASE THAT A CURRENT TIRE SHOP WERE TO BUY AN ABUTTING PROPERTY UNDER A TOD OVERLAY OR ZONING, WOULD THAT PROHIBIT THEM FROM REZONING TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS?
>> SINCE THIS IS NOT REZONING THE PROPERTY AND THEY HAVE MAYBE JUST A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT TO DO THEIR USE TODAY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO
THIS IS ANOTHER DISTRICT. MAYBE I'M NOT -- >> CASTILLO: SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CURRENT TIRE SHOP BUYS A NEXT-DOOR PARCEL AND THERE'S ALREADY A TOD, CAN THEY APPLY TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS OR WOULD THEY BE PROHIBITED FROM USING THE
PARCEL FOR THAT USE? >> I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIRE SHOP AND AUTO REPAIR. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THAT A TIRE SHOP WOULD BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT BECAUSE THOSE ARE JUST SMALL ANCILLARY SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DRIVE A VEHICLE ALONG THAT LINE ARE STILL ALLOWED.
>> CASTILLO: HOW ABOUT AN AUTO SHOP? >> FOR AUTO REPAIR, NO, IT
WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT. >> CASTILLO: I UNDERSTAND THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE DISCUSSION. I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN THIS GOING TO PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I HAVE A HANDFUL OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT OWN AN AUTO SHOP. I KNOW PART OF THE PLAN IS
[02:15:02]
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT BUSINESSES. THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE ALWAYS ARGUED. THAT'S WHY I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE PROGRAM UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES IMPROVE THEIR FACADE AND BE LESS VULNERABLE. BUT I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S COMING ALONG THESE SILVER LINES, THE TOD LINES, THAT ARE CURRENT SMALL BUSINESSESDON'T GET TO LOSE OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY. >> JUST TO CLARIFY, YES, A TIRE REPAIR SHOP WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIFIC-USE AUTHORIZATION IN THE HI DISTRICT. YES, THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO REZONE AND
EXPAND THAT BUSINESS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. AND THEN, VERONICA, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. AGAIN, MY CONCERN IS OFTENTIMES WHEN WE DO SEE THE ACCELERATION OF COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF IMPLEMENTATION OR FACILITATION OF THE POLICIES.
I WANT TO SIT WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM. I KNOW THERE'S THE SHIP AND ALL THESE POLICIES AND YOU ARE CURRENTLY DISCUSSING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND CCRS THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED BUT I FEEL THERE'S AN URGENCY FOR COUNCIL TO FACILITATE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND POLICIES AND IF STAFF HAS RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE QUEUE THAT THIS BODY NEEDS TO MOVE ON, I THINK THE TIME IS NOW, JUST BASED OFF THE STUDIES AND THE CASE STUDIES.
DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS DESERVE TO ENJOY, TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND BASED OFF THE TREND I HAVE SEEN WITH WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES GETTING TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S NOT THE GOAL AND I WANT TO ENSURE MY RESIDENTS GET TO CONTINUE TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND NOT GET PUSHED FURTHER AWAY.
>> SURE. YES. HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU.
I THINK WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE ZONING CODE THAT WILL HELP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD, I'LL JUST TAKE SAN PEDRO PROJECT, 425 SAN PEDRO. THAT TOOK YEARS AND A LOT MORE MONEY TO BUILD BECAUSE OF THE TODAY'S CODE. AND HAD THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE, THAT PROJECT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN BUILT AND OPEN NOW. SO WE TOTALLY AGREE. IT IS URGENT AND HAVING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IS CRITICAL.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT THOSE OTHER SHIP STRATEGIES.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, VERONICA. I WANTED TO CHECK IN REGARDING THE GREEN LINE. I HEARD FROM WEST SIDE RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY OFF OF CASTROVILLE ROAD AND GENERAL MCMULLEN THAT THIS PROCESS IS VERY NORTH/SOUTH HEAVY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE WILL BE ANOTHER COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR THE GREEN LINE. >> YES.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE OPEN HOUSES FOR THE GREEN LINE BUT THERE IS ANOTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR THE SILVER LINE. BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATIONS. THEY JUST RECENTLY HAD OPEN HOUSES TO DISPLAY WHERE THE PLANNED STATIONS ARE AND GET FEEDBACK BUT THERE STILL IS
MORE ENGAGEMENT THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR. >> CASTILLO: WOULD THE ZONING ONLY BE APPLIED TO THE NORTH/SOUTH LINE OR THE EAST/WEST.
>> THE CODE ITSELF IS APPLICABLE TO THOSE CORRIDORS DESIGNATED AS ART CORRIDORS. WHEN THE SILVER LINE ADVANCE AND GETS DESIGNATED AS AN ART CORRIDOR , THAT WOULD TRIGGER A CCR TO UPDATE THE CODE TO INTRODUCE THE SILVER LINE INTO THE CODE. AND THEN CREATE THE MAPS TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.
SO WE'RE REMOVING IT TODAY BUT WE WOULD APPLY IT TOMORROW ONCE IT BECOMES AN
ART CORRIDOR. >> CASTILLO: THE CONCERN I'M HEARING IS THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WILL TAKE PLACE BUT WE'RE VOTING ON UPDATING THE UDC, WHICH WOULD APPLY. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THE NORTH SIDE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN IN REGARDS TO ZONING THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT WEST SIDE RESIDENTS. I GUESS IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE UDC CODE AMENDMENTS WOULD NOT APPLY TO THE EAST/WEST UNTIL IT'S TRIGGERED AND THEN THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS BEGINS AGAIN. >> RIGHT.
WE'RE CREATING THE BASICS OF WHAT THE CODE LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE PUTTING IN THOSE GUARDRAILS. WE'RE PUTTING IN THOSE RESTRICTIONS. WE'RE PUTTING IN THOSE LIMITATIONS SO THAT WAY IT CAN BE APPLIED ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY ONCE THOSE ELIGIBILITY AREAS ARE DETERMINED. IT'S THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL DETERMINE WHERE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AT. SO THEY CAN, AGAIN, EXPAND WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE BUT CONTRACT WHERE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. BUT
>> BUT THE DISTRICT ITSELF WILL BE JUST A BASELINE, AND IT INCLUDES
ALL OF THOSE PROTECTIONS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU,
MAYOR. >> WALSH: MAYOR, LET ME -- LET ME JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE CAP SUE LATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. SO THE OVERALL EFFORT IS MEANT TO BE APPLICABLE TO OTHER CORRIDORS, BUT I THINK MAYBE THE CONCERN YOU'RE HEARING IS THAT MAYBE THAT APPLICATION IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN, NOT THE NORTH/SOUTH GREEN LINE, IS THE ISSUE THAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT, RIGHT? IS THAT -- SO ARE WE -- ARE WE -- IS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT NOT APPLYING IT ELSEWHERE? MAYBE WE SHOULD BE
[02:20:02]
PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE COME BACK -- AND WE WILL COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO MAYBE BIG DOWN TO THAT ISSUE. ORIGINALLY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, CAT, IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE NORTH/SOUTH ALONG THE GREEN LINE. AND THEN SOME OF THE CONCERN WAS, HEY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S APPLICABLE TO OTHER CORRIDORS.I THINK THE ISSUE YOU'RE RAISING IS, DON'T SWING TOO FAR BECAUSE IT'S APPLICABLE TO OTHER CORRIDORS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO
WEIGH IN. OKAY. >> RIGHT MPT AND THEY WILL WEIGH IN WHEN THEY DETERMINE WHAT THOSE MAPS LOOK LIKE.
BECAUSE THE CODE ITSELF SHOULD HAVE ALL OF THE BASICS.
IT HAS THE HEIGHT LIMITATION, IT HAS THE SETBACKS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE. THE THINGS THAT -- WANT TO SEE THAT, AND THEN THEY CAN DETERMINE WHAT THE MAPS LOOK LIKE.
>> WALSH: WE'LL ADD THAT TO THE ADDITION. I THINK IT'S WORTH DIGGING INTO THAT AS WE GO TO THE COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT -- TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE IT LANDS IN THAT CALENDAR. AND THEN THE SECOND THING, MAYOR, JUST TO -- I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT UP THE 2027 BOND PROGRAM, IT'S NEVER TOO SOON TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THE OTHER SUCCESSFUL CHARACTERISTIC OF THESE -- OF THESE TODS HAS BEEN ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT. PLANS ARE GREAT, ENGAGEMENT IS CRITICAL, BUT -- BUT ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT, AND THIS IS PUTTING THE CART WAY BEFORE THE HORSE, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE 2027 BOND PROGRAM AND A HOUSING BOND ALLOCATION, THE WAY WE DID THIS LAST TIME, IT WAS KIND OF OPEN-ENDED IN TERMS OF GEOGRAPHIC. THERE REALLY WASN'T A FOCUS.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WORK WITH URGENCY ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT USE -- THAT THE TRANSIT SYSTEM NOW STILL HAVE ADVANTAGES, IF WE HAVE HOUSING BOND ALLOKAITIONZ, THE QUESTION FOR THE COUNCIL AT THAT POINT IS GOING TO BE DO WE FOCUS IT IN THOSE CORRIDORS. THERE'S A LOT OF NEED EVERYWHERE, BUT DO WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH'S AT IN TERMS OF THE TOD. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE -- THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S WORKED IN CITIES LIKE KANSAS CITY, BECAUSE THAT ACTIVITY HAS SPURRED PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND -- BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. BUT I'M -- I WANTED TO PUT A MARKER FOR THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A
CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: YEAH, A CATEGORY FOR THE HOUSING BOND AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PREVIOUS BOND. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE
GAVITO? >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I DO WANT TO COMMENT ON COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S COMMENTS BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS GET TO SPEND TIME WITH THIS AS WELL, AND ALSO PROVIDE INPUT. AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO OUR DISTRICT 7 APPOINTEE ON THE TOD TASK FORCE, LAURA FLORES. SHE'S PROVIDED VALUABLE FEEDBACK AND PERSPECTIVE TO ENSURE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN A WAY THAT'S ENCOURAGING GROWTH WHILE BEING MINDFUL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S WISHES, BECAUSE THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NUANCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT EDITS ARE STILL UNDERGOING AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE FINAL PRODUCT WITH BUY-IN FROM FETAC AND PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONS ALSO DURING THE DECEMBER MEETING. I'VE HEARD SOME CONCERNS FROM NEIGHBORS IN MY DISTRICT THAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THERE NOT BEING ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. I'M DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE UPCOMING MEETINGS, BUT CAN YOU BRIEFLY TALK -- REVIEW
AGAIN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS THUS FAR? >> SURE.
SO EARLY ON AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SLIDE 3 OR 4, THE -- WE STARTED THE PROCESS, WE HAVE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF ENGAGEMENT. THE FIRST ROUND STARTED -- WE REALLY STARTED DIGGING IN IN JUNE.
IT WAS ROUND 1 AND ROUND 2 WERE REALLY ABOUT EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT TOD I FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK A GOOD POLICY FRAMEWORK IS AS WELL AS HEARING FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT SHOULD GO INTO THE CODE. SO WE DID A LOT OF THAT STARTEDDED EARLY JUNE.
WE HAD ALREADY STARTED MEETING WITH THE TASK FORCE WHICH HAS ALL THOSE REPRESENTATIVES, HEARING FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE PROTECTING ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. SO WE GATHERED ALL OF THAT INPUT, AND THEN DRAFTED A CODE AND THEN DRAFTED THE FRAMEWORK. SO NOW STARTS THE NEXT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT TO GET FEEDBACK ON THAT SO WE CAN THEN MAKE THE TWEAKS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PROCESS AS WE MOVE THROUGH NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, WHICH IS THE ADOPTION PROCESS. SO THAT'S THE MULTIPLE
ROUNDS OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE HAD. >> GAVITO: SO BY THE END OF THIS PROCESS, HOW MANY MEETINGS WILL THERE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER WITH THIS
TYPE OF FEEDBACK. >> RIGHT NOW OVER 75. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE
AROUND 100 MEETINGS BY THE TIME WE'RE DONE. >> GAVITO: THAT'S AWESOME. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT TIDBIT
[02:25:04]
WITH OUR RESIDENTS. THROUGH THESE MEETINGS I'M SURE WE'VE CAP SURED A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM RESPECTS. CAN YOU PROVIDE US WHEREPUBLIC FEEDBACK HAS BEEN APPLIED TO TOD? >> ABSOLUTELY.
AGAIN WITH THE PRAIM WORK, WE TOOK A DIVE TO -- ALL OF THE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED OVER THE MANY YEARS. AS PEOPLE SAY, WE WORK ALL THESE HOURS ON A PLAN BUT THEY JUST SIT ON A SHELF.
SO WE TOOK ALL THOSE PLANS AND SAID WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU, MANY, MANY HOURS, MEETINGS, INTERVIEWS, SO THAT'S WHAT STARTED WITH THE FRAME WRORK. AND CONTINUING TO GET THAT INPUT THROUGH OUR SA SPEAK UP SITE WHICH WAS FEEDBACK AS WELL AS SURVEYS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP WHAT THOSE GOALS AND STRATEGIES LOOK LIKE.
THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK SIDE. ON THE CODE SIDE, AGAIN, IT WAS A LOT OF THOSE HOURS OF LISTENING SESSIONS AT THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS, SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, AS WELL AS WE DID WHAT WE CALL LIKE ROAD SHOWS WHERE WE WENT OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SINCE JUNE TO PRESENT ON WHAT WE WERE DOING. I SEPTEMBER AN E-MAIL BACK IN APRIL TO ALL THE -- I SENT AN E-MAIL BACK IN APRIL TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ABOUT THE SA SPEAK UP SIGN, CALL US IF YOU WANT A MEETING AND WE DID. I SENT THEM ANOTHER E-MAIL MEETING, OKAY, WE HAVE ALL OF THE DRAFT DOCUMENTS, CALL US IF YOU WANT A MEETING, AND THEY HAVE BEEN SCHEDULING THOSE. SO I WOULD -- I THINK, YEAH, WE'RE GETTING -- WE'RE GETTING OUT THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT TO DO.
>> GAVITO: YEAH. AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW -- AND ALSO TO SHARE WITH RESIDENTS, HERE'S WHERE WE HEARD FROM YOU ALL, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW WE TWEAK THE PROCESS.
>> OH, YES, THE CODE. THAT'S EXACTLY IT. SO THE CODE, AGAIN, PUTTING THOSE HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HEARD FROM, MAKING SURE THAT WE CREATED THE GUARDRAILS WHICH WAS THE CUSTOMIZED MAP PROCESS WAS DIRECTLY THE RESULT OF LISTENING TO THE TASK FORCE AND THE SUBCOMMITTEES, SO WE WEREN'T DRIVING IN TOD INTO THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU WERE LOOKING AT A HALF MILE APPLICABILITY. SO THAT'S WHERE -- THAT'S WHERE WE LISTENED.
THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT WE LISTENED TO, AS WELL AS THE EXCLUSIONS FOR SINGLE FAMILY ZONE LOTS WITH SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT.'S WHAT WE
BUILT IN. >> GAVITO: NO, THAT'S GREAT.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR WAS TOUCHING ON, OBVIOUSLY THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE SO MUCH GREAT WORK HERE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S EFFORTS, BUT IT IS COMPLEX, IT IS WONKY, THERE'S GOING TO BE MESSAGES THAT ARE LOST, AND SO I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT WE CAN REITERATE TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT THEY ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS PROCESS, THEY ARE BEING LISTENED TO, THEIR FEEDBACK IS BEING HEARD AND ACTED UPON, I THINK THE BETTER WE WILL ALL FEEL ABOUT THIS. I DID SIGN ON TO THE CCR FROM COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO AND COUNCILMAN WHYTE BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CORRIDORS ALONG THE FUNDED AND UPCOMING ART ROUTES. OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW MOVING FORWARD CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN IT REQUIRES CHANGES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THIS IS A NECESSARY STEP TO IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION, WALKABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY WHILE DEVELOPING SAN ANTONIO WE ALL WANT TO SEE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
>> THANK YOU. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO.
COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, CAT, FOR THE PRESENTATION. DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM VIA HERE? OKAY. THAT IS CONCERNING.
SO I LOVE THE PLAN, VERONICA, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.
>> THERE'S AN OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT AT 5:00, SO THEY HAD TO GO TO THAT
MEETING. SORRY. >> VIAGRAN: WELL, THAT'S STILL CONCERNING, BECAUSE -- BECAUSE WE CAN CREATE THE CORRIDOR, BUT IF THE BUS SERVICE ISN'T ON TIME AND DOESN'T FEEL SAFE AND DOESN'T GET THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO USE IT.
AND WE BUILT THAT HUGE GARAGE ON THE NORTH -- THEY BUILT THAT HUGE GARAGE ON THE NORTH SIDE AND HERE WE ARE. SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE TRANSIT ORIENTED, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON WALKABILITY BECAUSE AS COUNCILWOMAN KAUR TALKED ABOUT ON THOSE CORRIDOR STREETS, OPPORTUNITY HOMES HAS MULTISTORY APARTMENTS, AND THEY COULD EASILY WALK AND IF THEY COULD CATCH A BUS THAT KNOWS THAT IT WOULD GET THEM THERE ON TIME, BUT THAT WALK FROM THEIR LOTS TO THE STREET, WHAT IS THAT SHADE STRUCTURE GOING TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS THAT WALK GOING TO TAKE IN THIS SORT OF HEAT? I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. AND WE AS A CITY, WHAT ARE THE SIDEWALKS ON THE STREET, SIDE STREETS THAT GET THEM TO THAT CORRIDOR? SO I LOVE THE WORK, I LOVE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN HOUSING, I JUST THINK WHEN WE TALK BOUT OUR -- AND PRESENT AND THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THEM.
[02:30:01]
SO, YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CHANGES. I LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT IT GOING -- THE GREEN LINE -- THE SILVER LINE. YES, THE SILVER LINE. THANK YOU.THE SILVER LINE, AND WHEN WE -- WHEN WE MOVE THIS FORWARD, BUT I DO WANT TO PUT INASMUCH HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AS WE CAN WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR, BUT I DO -- I DO ACTUALLY WANT THEM TO GET ON THE BUS INSTEAD OF JUST USING THEIR ELECTRIC VEHICLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING THEY'LL BE USING.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON
THIS ITEM? COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK AND HIGHLIGHT THE REMOVAL OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS. THIS IS SOMETHING I UNDERSTAND, RIGHT, WE SHOULD PLAN FOR THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THE IDC ZONINGS AND JUST DIFFERENT AREAS THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE TRAFFIC PLAN AND THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT WE'RE NOW HAVING TO MAKE TO ALLEVIATE THOSE TRAFFIC CONCERNS, THAT RECOMMENDATION GIVES ME PAUSE BECAUSE THERE'S -- WE HAVE -- IN DISTRICT FIVE IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE SO MANY TRAFFIC ISSUES AND THE TREND WE FOUND IS THAT THERE'S NOT A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO INVEST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ALLEVIATE THAT, AND I'M JUST CONCERNED OF THE COST THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE FOR THE CITY LONG TERM WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ALLEVIATE THE CONGESTION OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE MAY BE BY THERE NOT BEING A TRAFFIC PLAN OR ANALYSIS.
>> SO THAT ACTUALLY CAME UP DURING THE TASK FORCE, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO CHANNEL RACHEL FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND HAVE -- YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME UP, BUT I'M GOING TO CHANNEL YOUR VOICE.
SO BASICALLY TRAFFIC IMPACT AM TELLS YOU WHAT IS YOUR MITIGATION TO PROVIDE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE
MOVING -- >> CASTILLO: AND I RECENTLY MET WITH THEM AROUND TRAFFIC CONCERNS, SO I'M WELL AWARE OF WHAT IT IS AND WHAT -- IN AUDIO] -- I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE CONCERN THAT THAT BRINGS TO ME
AND MY CONSTITUENCY AROUND TRAFFIC. >> I GET IT.
THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CAT, TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM AS WELL. I THINK MY COLLEAGUES ARE RIGHT STAYING AHEAD OF THE CONCERNS BY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE AGGRESSIVE AND PROACTIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS NECESSARY, BUT I WOULD ALSO REMIND FOLKS THAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ONE.
AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A CULMINATION OF SA TOMORROW, REALLY.
I MEAN, IT WAS A MULTIMODAL PLAN AND THE LAND USE PLAN AND THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN INTO EFFECTUATE THAT, WE NEED TO DEVELOPMENT.
WE IDENTIFIED THE CORRIDORS, NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THE POLICY AND RESOURCE PLANNING THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY GROW AND DEVELOP PATTERNS IN THOSE AREAS TO MAKE TRANSIT POSSIBLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE THE PLAYBOOK, WE HAVE THE BLUEPRINT, WE JUST NOW NEED TO EXECUTE. SO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT SESSION.
ALL RIGHT. IT'S 4:40 P.M. ON THE 16TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024. WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.