[00:00:13] >> GOOD AFTERNOON. THE COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. [Approval of Minutes  ] >> THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES. >> MOTION TO APPROVE. >> SECOND. >> CAN WE TAKE A VOTE? SAY AYE. MOTION PASSES. THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT [Briefing and Possible Action on  ] TODAY. WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE UPDATES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. I BELIEVE IT WILL BE PRESENTED PRESENTED BY DR. MAT A. >> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY. I'M DR. JENNIFER MATA. TODAY WE WILL REVIEW PROPOSED UPDATES TO THE CITY'S NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE OR NDO. WE HAVE BROAD IT UP TO SPEED WITH CURRENT BEST PRACTICES. TODAY'S ITEM IS A FOLLOW-UP TO OUR MEETING THAT OCCURRED IN MARCH OF 2023. SAMANTHA SMITH CIVIL RIGHTS MANAGER WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND NEW INITIATIVES. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL SAMANTHA SMITH UP TO THE PODIUM. >> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AS DR. MAT A SAID, I'M SAMANTHA SMITH, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MANAGER FOR THE DEIA DEPARTMENT. SO THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP BRIEFING. THE MAKE-UP OF OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT'S CHANGED A LITTLE BIT. I'M GOING TOIVE GO US BACKGROUND AS WELL. THE DEIA DEPARTMENT IS MANY COULD POSED OF FIVE DIFFERENT OFFICES. WE HAVE MY OFFICE, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MANAGER, OUR DISABILITY ACCESS OFFICE, LANGUAGE ACCESS OFFICE, OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY AND OUR IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS OFFICE. SO FOR BACKGROUND, THE ORIGINAL NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE, THE NDO, WAS PASSED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000 IS 3. IN OCTOBER OF 2021, A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST WAS REQUESTED TO EXPAND THE NDO, SPECIFICALLY THE CCR WAS LOOKING AT AREAS OF PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT, IMPROVING THE COMPLAINT PROCESS, PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THE COMPLAINANTS, AND INCREASED ENFORCEMENT PENALTIES. IN MARCH OF 2023, WE CAME AND GAVE AN INITIAL PRESENTATION ON PROPOSALS AND UPDATES. WE RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM THE COMMITTEE, REQUESTING US TO SPEAK TO SPECIFIC COMMUNITY GROUPS. SO HERE TODAY WE WOULD LIKE TO REPORT BACK ON SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND THEN ALSO JUST PROVIDE SOME GENERAL UPDATES ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND SOME NEW INITIATIVES. SO, AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THE NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION IN THE APPOINTMENT FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN EMPLOYMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN THE AREAS OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, HOUSING, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PROVISION THAT REQUIRES ALL CONTRACTORS TO COMPLY WITH OUR NDO. THE PROTECTED CATEGORIES INCLUDE RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, VETERAN STATUS, AGE, AND DISABILITY. SOME OF THE UPDATES WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE, FIRST, WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT UPDATING SOME TERMINOLOGY, SPECIFICALLY CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED TERMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE INCLUDE GENDER IDENTITY, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, VETERAN STATUS, AND DISABILITY. SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN VETERAN STATUS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE ALL OF OUR BRANCHES NOW WHICH INCLUDES SPACE FORCE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING THAT DEFINITION MORE IN LINE AND MORE EVERGREEN TO ACCOUNT FOR WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS MORE OF A BROAD SPECTRUM THAT WAS ORIGINALLY CAPTURED IN THE 2013 ORDINANCE. SAME WITH GENDER IDENTITY AND SEX. THEN WITH DISABILITY, WE'RE REMOVING SOME UNNECESSARY LANGUAGE, EXCLUDING CERTAIN COMMUNITIES FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS COMPLAINTS FROM DISABILITY AND LOOKING AT REALLY MAKING THAT DEFINITION CENTRALIZED AND LOCATED IN ONE AREA OF THE NDO RATHER THAN IT BEING IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO HELP PEOPLE GO THROUGH IT MORE [00:05:04] EASILY. WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING DEFINITIONS. SO GENDER EXPRESSION IS A NEW CATEGORY WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ADD. AS WE UNDERSTAND, IT'S INTERNAL DEEPLY FELT SENSE OF GENDER, WHEREAS GENDER EXPRESSION IS THE WAY YOU EXPRESS YOUR GENDER, BE THAT THROUGH CLOTHING OR HAIRSTYLES, THINGS LIKE THAT. WITH RELIGIOUS ENTITY, THIS IS PART OF THE UPDATE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO STREAMLINE AND MAKE THE NDO EASIER FOR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AS THEY'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE. RELIGIOUS ENTITY WAS MENTIONED IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS A NEW DEFINITION NOW. PROTECTIVE HAIRSTYLE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING TO THE NDO. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPANSIVE FROM WHAT THE CROWN ACT CURRENTLY COVERS THAT WAS PASSED DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PROTECTS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HAIRSTYLES IN THE. WE'RE UPDATING ROLES AND CLARIFYING THINGS. FOR INSTANCE, IN 2000 IS 3, WE DID NOT HAVE A DEIA DEPARTMENT. NOW WE DO. SO THAT ROLE HAS BEEN ADDED. WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS CLEAR AS FAR AS THE RECIPIENTS OF THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT ARE FILED UNDER THE NDO. OUR EEO OFFICE, MAKING SURE THAT IS INCLUDED IN THERE, REMOVING REPETITIVE LANGUAGE WE FELT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR RIGHTS WERE UNDER THE NDO. CLARIFYING AND PROCEDURES AND LOOKING AT THE TERMINOLOGY. WE NO LONGER USE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN OUR HIRING PROCESSES. WE DO HAVE A WORKFORCE DIVERSITY PLAN. MAKING SURE THAT'S REFLECTED. FINALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THOSE PROVISIONS WERE ACCURATELY REFLECTED, WHAT THE CURRENT PRACTICES ARE AND REALLY CLARIFY THOSE COMPLAINT PROCESSES FOR OUR RESIDENTS. NEXT WE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES. SO UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT SECTION, AGAIN, THEY ARE EEO INTERNAL EMPLOYMENT. WE HE CAN TENDED THE PROTECTION TO MAKE SURE IT INCLUDES DISCHARGE OR OTHER ADVERSE IMPACT, NOT JUST IN HIRING OR PROMOTION. WE EXPLICITLY REQUIRE OBJECTIVITY IN INVESTIGATION, AND THEN MAKING SURE WE'RE USING INCLAUSIVE LANGUAGE. -- INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE. WE LIKE TO TAKE THAT OUT. THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE IS AS FAR AS APARTMENT EYE DISCRIMINATION -- ANTI-DISCRIMINATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, I MADE SURE THAT DEIA WAS NAMED AS A RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT. WE ALSO ADDED A PROVISION TO ALLOW FOR AN INFORMAL RESOLUTION. FOR INSTANCE, THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR MYSELF AS THE RECIPIENT OR ANYBODY ELSE IF I HAD A STAFF TO DO AN INFORMAL RESOLUTION WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO JUST CALL UP THE COMPLAINANT OR THE RESPONDENT AND SAY WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THIS FIXED. WE ADDED A 90-DAY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONING. THIS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING ALONG WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION $. WE ALSO ADDED AN ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE OF INCLUDING A 10-DAY RESPONSE DEADLINE FOR OUR OFFICE. OUR OFFICE HAS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONDING TO ANY COMPLAINANT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF RECEIPT. WE WANTED TO CLARIFY THE ROLE OF SAPD. WE, LIKE I SAID, HAVE THAT INFORMAL RESOLUTION OPTION, BUT ANYTHING WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO, WE CAN THEN GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO AN INVESTIGATION. IN THE AREA THE HOUSING, WE EXPANDED THAT PROVISION. WE ALSO ESTABLISHED A 180-DAY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS SHORT, 30 DAYS. 180 DAYS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT HUD RECOMMENDS IN THEIR FAIR HOUSING PROVISIONS. WE ALSO CLARIFIED THAT COMPLAINT PROCESS. AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS INCLUDED IN FEEDBACK FROM COUNCILMEMBERS FOR A MANDATORY REVIEW BY COUNCIL EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, WE'RE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT PROCESSES. SO THIS COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE REQUESTED BY COUNCIL TO DO, FIRST, ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS I SPOKE WITH WAS THE LEMONADE CIRCLE, PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT THE INCLUSION OF THE DEFINITION OF PROTECTIVE HAIRSTYLES, THE YOUNG WOMEN WERE KEY TO ADVOCATING FOR THIS INCLUSION AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY DID HAVE THIS PROVISION, THIS PROTECTION EXPLICITLY LAID OUT. FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED [00:10:01] FROM THEM, INITIALLY WE HAD COME TO RECOMMEND THAT THE DEFINITIONS OF RACE DISCRIMINATION INCLUDES HAIRSTYLES. THE LEMONADE CIRCLE REQUESTED THAT BE A SEPARATE DEFINITION RATHER THAN JUST INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION FOR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE. SO WE WENT AHEAD AND DID THAT. WE ALSO SPOKE WITH ASME TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE PROVISIONS FOR THE EEO UPDATES. THEY ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE. WE TALKED TO THE DISABILITY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ABOUT THE UPDATES WITH DISABILITY. THEN WE SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR'S AD HOC LGBTQ ADVISORY COMMISSION WHICH NOW THE BOARD. SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM STONEWALL DEMOCRATS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR PROPOSALS WITH FOR SEXUAL, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, AND GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION. IT MADE US FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT WE DID AND ALL THE BACKGROUND. THEN LASTLY TODAY, FOR OUR NEW INITIATIVES THAT WE WANTED TO TALK TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT, WE'RE LOOKING AT A NON DISCRIMINATION PLAN THAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE WAY OF TRACKING AND REPORTING ANY COMPLAINTS FILED IN ANY CITY DEPARTMENT RELATED TO THE NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE, TITLE VI, SO LANGUAGE ACCESS, ACCESSIBILITY AND ALL THOSE CATEGORIES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS. IT WILL BE A MULTI PHASE PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS, LIKELY A COUPLE YEARS, BUT THE GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, AND ACCESSIBLE SAN ANTONIO. THAT IS ALL I HAVE. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU, DR. MATA AND SAMANTHA FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK NOW MORE THAN EVER IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REVISIT THIS NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE AND WITH THAT, I WANT TOED THANK COMPANY MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ FOR COMMITTING THE CCR FOR US TO REVISIT WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUR CURRENT NDO. I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE CONSULTED, AND AS THIS EVOLVES, I THINK HAVING READ A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS WITHIN PROJECT 2025 AND SOME OF THE GOALS WITH THIS UP COMING ADMINISTRATION, I AM PRIMARILY CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF PIECES, BUT READING THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY INTEND TO REPEAL A LOT OF PROTECTIONS AND INVESTMENT FOR HOUSING THAT WE PROVIDE TO SO MANY SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. I THINK THAT'S THE PLACE THAT I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT WAYS THAT WE INTEND TO STRENGTHEN THAT PIECE. BUT WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. COUNCILMEMBER DR. KAUR. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. SORRY. I JUST HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHY WOULD THE PLAN FOR -- THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED -- YOU PROBABLY SAW MY FACE. YOU SAID A COUPLE MONTHS TO A COUPLE YEARS. TELL ME -- CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? >> YEAH. SO IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF EFFORT, BUT REALLY LOOKING AT SURVEYING ALL DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE. WE'RE GOING TO BE -- COUNCIL WAS AWESOME AND ALLOWED US TO CARRY OVER FUNDING TO GET A NEW COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM. IT'S REALLY JUST STARTING FROM SQUARE ONE DEVELOPING PROCEDURES. SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT I ANTICIPATE IT IS GOING TO I CAN AT THAT A LITTLE WHILE. THE ITSD COMPONENTS, SURVEYING FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY GETTING FEEDBACK. WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE WHOLE CITY TO USE. SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT TO SAY LIKE IT WILL BE TWO MONTHS AND THEN IT TAKES A WHILE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS. >> I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU NEED TO GET BY-IN FROM THE DEPARTMENTS. RIGHT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOUR DEPARTMENT'S GOLODRYGA IS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A -- GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CLEAR PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO FILE COMPLAINTS, IT'S -- I THINK YOU GUYS CAN DEMONSTRATE THE LEADERSHIP. ONCE YOU GET FEEDBACK AND HOW PEOPLE ARE REPORTING COMPLAINTS TO TRY OUT A SYSTEM THAT COULD WORK AND TRY TO IMPLEMENT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH TO GET AN ACTUAL PLAN IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OF HOW WE WANT TO TRACK COMPLAINTS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT EVEN ASIDE FROM COMPLAINTS, THE OTHER THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU INTRODUCE [00:15:02] YOURSELF AND I NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF IT SAYING SHE, HER. DO WE HAVE A BETTER KIND OF GUIDELINES FOR FOLKS ON USING PRONOUNS IN OUR SIGNATURES AND EVEN LIKE POTENTIALLY ON OUR NAME CARDS? HOW HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT PROACTIVELY CREATING SAFE SPACES BY USING PRONOUNS. >> WE ALLOW OUR EMPLOYEES TO USE WHATEVER PROO NOUN THEY IDENTIFY WITH. WE DON'T REQUIRE OUR EMPLOYEES TO DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION IF THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING THAT UP FRONT. >> GOT IT. THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A POLICY CHANGE IF WE WANTED TO PUSH FOR THAT? >> I WOULD -- I WOULD DEFER TO MAYBE HR, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT FOR THAT TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT. >> OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK AND REVAMPING THIS AND MAKING SURE ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO HAVE INCLUDED ARE INCLUDED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CONTEXT OF NDO IS? >> YEAH. OF COURSE. SO RIGHT NOW WE DO TRACK COMPLAINTS, BUT WE TRACK THEM VIA EXCEL SPREADSHEET. WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT COMPLAINTS WE'RE GETTING AND EVERYTHING. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS OBTAINING A SYSTEM THAT IS GOING TO HELP US MORE EASILY PULL REPORTS, ENSURE THAT WE ARE REALLY ACCURATELY COLLECTING THIS INFORMATION SO THAT WAY WE AS A CITY CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONDING TO ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE SEEING SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY, FINDING A SYSTEM TO HELP US DO THAT IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT THAN OUR CURRENT PROCESSES. >> WHAT CITIES IN TEXAS DID WE COMPARE AGAINST? >> WE LOOKED AT 7 DIFFERENT CITIES, MAJORS CITIES IN TEXAS. WE LOOKED AT -- LET ME PULL IT UP REAL QUICK. SORRY. SO WE HAVE THE BIG ONES, OF COURSE. WE HAD FORT WORTH, DALLAS, AUSTIN, HOUSTON, ARLINGTON, EL PASO, AND THEN -- WHAT WERE THE OTHER ONES? SORRY. >> IT'S OKAY. >> YEAH. WE LOOKED AT CORPUS CHRISTI WAS THE OTHER ONE THAT WE WERE MISSING. SO YES. SAN ANTONIO, ARLINGTON, AUSTIN, CORPUS CHRISTI, DALLAS, EL PASO, FOR THE WORT, AND HOUSTON. >> CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE IMPROVING THE HOUSING COMPLAINT PROCESS IN PARTICULAR? >> YEAH. SO ONE OF THE REALLY GREAT THINGS THAT OUR HOUSING TEAM DOES RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY DO HAVE A MEDIATION PROCESS, BUT THAT ISN'T REALLY LAID OUT CLEARLY IN OUR NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. ESSENTIALLY RIGHT NOW IT DOES ALLOW FOR CONCILIATION AND PERSUASION, BUT OUR FAIR HOUSING TEAM HAS BEEN UTILIZING SOME OF THEIR ADDITIONAL SKILLS AS A HUD-APPROVED COUNSELING OFFICE TO REALLY HELP DO THAT TYPE OF MEDIATION. ALSO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THOSE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. SO RIGHT NOW, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO FILE SOMETHING UNDER THE CITY'S NDO, FOR INSTANCE, THEY HAVE TO DO IT WITHIN 30 DAYS. BY EXPANDING IT OUT TO 180 DAYS, WE'RE REALLY MATCHING WHAT HUD'S GUIDANCE IS AND SEEING WHAT THE OTHER LARGER CITIES ARE DOING. >> GOT IT. AND WHAT CHECKS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE THAT WE ARE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW? >> CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU MEAN? >> FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE, IN HOUSING, PARTICULAR UNDERSTAND WITH. WHAT ABOUT IN THE OTHER AREAS? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THERE'S A CONSISTENT PROCESS? >> IN RECEIVING COMPLAINTS? >> CORRECT. >> THAT'S PART OF OF THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL OF OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING. RIGHT NOW, THERE REALLY ISN'T A CENTRALIZED UNDERSTANDING. THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF MY JOB OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS FOR ALL THOSE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. ANY COMPLAINTS THAT ARE RECEIVED CAN GO THROUGH THE WEBSITE OR CONTACT OUR OFFICE. >> WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CALLED A RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT? >> SO THAT MEANSES THAT WE ARE THE ONES THAT RECEIVE ALL THOSE COMPLAINTS. IT'S US THAT ARE TASKED WITH MAKING SURE THE PROCESSES ARE IN PLACE. THERE'S NOT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO DEVELOP THOSE SOPS. THAT'S OUR JOB. >> OBJECT. OKAY. HOW DO YOU ENFORCE OBJECTIVITY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON INVESTIGATIONS? >> WE HAVE AN AMAZING EEO ADMINISTRATOR RIGHT NOW, SCOTT RUSSELL. HE'S REALLY GREAT. THIS IS ACTUALLY PART OF WHAT HIS SUGGESTIONS WERE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT ANYBODY WHO IS IN HIS PLACE AFTERWARDS, THEY NEED TO BE OBJECTIVE WHENEVER THEY'RE DOING THE [00:20:01] INVESTIGATIONS. >> AWESOME. HOW ARE WE PLANNING TO INFORM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ABOUT THE CHANGES? >> SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING. WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT PLAN TO -- HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. WE HAVE A FEW OF OUR OTHER OFFICES ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF EITHER DEVELOPING OR LAUNCHING DIFFERENT PLANS LIKE OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS OFFICE AND SO WE'RE JUST REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS A PIECE OF THAT AS WELL. >> GOT IT. >> ALSO, CAN I SAY, AS A FOLLOW-UP, WE CAN ALSO TAG IN OUR DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN COME STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEVELS SO THAT IT'S CLEAR THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH. >> I LIKE IT. >> SORRY TO INTERRUPT. >> THAT'S GOOD. BY THE WAY, I MENTIONED OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN AT THE NLC MEETING LAST WEEK. PEOPLE WERE COMING UP AND JUST SAYING HOW COOL THAT WAS. THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK IT UP ONLINE. IF YOU SAW SOME EXTRA VIEWS, THAT WAS NLC. HOW WILL WE EDUCATE AND DO THE SAME WITH CONTRACTORS? >> SO CURRENTLY, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS CONTAIN THE PROVISION THAT THEY NEED TO BE ADHERING TO OUR NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. >> WHEN THE CHANGES ROLL OUT, ARE WE GOING TO FLAG OR HIGHLIGHT THAT PART OF IT, OF THE RFP, FOR INSTANCE? >> I THINK I WOULD DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON THAT. >> OKAY. NO PROBLEM. SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BECAUSE IF THEY THINK THEY'RE SIGNING LIKE THE SAME THING, IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES -- I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT. >> USUALLY THE ORDINANCES ARE IMPLEMENTING THROUGH THE CITY CODE WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. >> BUT IF THEY JUST THINK IT'S THE SAME ONE, HOW DO WE ALERT THEM THERE WERE CHANGES? >> COUNCILMEMBER, LIZ PROVINCIO, WE WOULD WORK WITH PROCUREMENT TO BE SURE -- HOWEVER THEY FEEL BEST IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, AS WE WOULD IN ANY OTHER CHANGE WE MAKE DURING OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS, THAT WE ENSURE THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED AS WELL. >> OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> UH-HUH. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> THANK YOU. I'M NOT SURE, RELIGIOUS ENTITY, WHY ARE WE MAKING THAT CHANGE? >> SO PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS REALLY MAKE IT CLEAR FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NDO IS. THERE'S A LOT OF LEGALESE RIGHT NOW. THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE PLACED IN DIFFERENT AREAS ALONG ALL THE DIFFERENT PROTECTED CATEGORIES THAT ARE KIND OF CONFUSING. SO CREATING A NEW DEFINITION FOR RELIGIOUS ENTITY, THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY RELIGIOUS ENTITY, INCLUDING X, Y, Z IN EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THEY ARE EXPLICITLY EXEMPT FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS. NOW IT'S JUST ONE DEFINITION SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND. >> ARE WE GOING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE ATHEIST AND AGNOSTIC? HOW W ARE WE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION? >> WE DON'T DEFINE WHAT IS A RELIGION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IF THEY HAPPEN TO CONGREGATE SOMEWHERE THAT -- >> YEAH. IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, SO WHERE IT APPEARS IS IN THE NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE IS THAT IT MAY STATE, FOR INSTANCE, IN A HOUSING SITUATION THAT A RELIGIOUS ENTITY IS NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE HOUSING OR RELIGIOUS HOUSING TO A MEMBER THAT IS NOT OF THAT FAITH. F THAT HOUSING IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR MEMBERS OF THAT FAITH. THINK OF LIKE ABBY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, A NUN'S HOUSE. THEY DON'T NEED TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. >> OKAY. BUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES, BECAUSE THEY ARE WITH US, THEY CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST. CORRECT? >> COUNCILMEMBER, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SITUATION IS. THE SHORT OF IT IS THAT RELIGIOUS BELIEF THAT'S ARE HELD, CERTAINLY WE HAVE -- WE WOULD GO THROUGH ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT RELATED TO SOMETHING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WAS A PROTECTION FOR THAT. BUT SHORT ANSWER, ALL OUR CONTRACTORS ABIDE BY OUR NDO. TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, IF WE HAD A CONTRACTOR THAT HAD A RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND THERE WAS A COMPLAINT, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH CASE BY CASE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PARAMETERS WERE AND IF THERE WAS ANY ACCOMMODATION WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE. >> OKAY. IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING AND THE TIME LINE, I UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE WANTING TO BE UNIFORMED AS WE MOVE FORWARD. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME DEPARTMENTS [00:25:01] THAT, IF THEY ARE HAVING A MAJORITY OF COMPLAINTS OR WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A CULTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT IN TERMS OF, ARE WE GIVING THEM GRADES? ARE WE BRINGING THE DIRECTORS IN? HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? >> COUNCILMEMBER, I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT REAL QUICK TO -- BECAUSE SAMANTHA'S AREA IS THE NDO. SO WHAT THE NDO PROTECTS AGAINST ARE ACTIONS OUTSIDE THE CITY. SO SAY HYPOTHETICALLY SOMEBODY FILED AN NDO COMPLAINT ABOUT ACTIONS TAKEN BY OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, THAT WOULD FALL UNDER AN INTERNAL POLICY WHICH IS EEO, WHICH IS TRACKED THROUGH HR. THIS IS -- SO THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC SCOPE OF TYPES OF COMPLAINTS. SO ANYTHING THAT'S INTERNAL TO A DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR EEO PROCESS AND NOT THIS PROCESS BECAUSE YOU OUR EEO PROCESS IS MORE STRINGENT. >> OKAY. OKAY. I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE CHANGES. I'M GLAD WE'RE MOVING THIS FORWARD. WE KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE, BUT SERIOUSLY, AFTER YESTERDAY -- I'M SORRY -- I JUST -- I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US IS ALL I CAN SAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY LAST COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I WOULD ADD SIMILAR TO WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE EXPRESSED, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR DUE DILIGENCE ON THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, BUT IF WE CAN MINIMIZE THE TIME LINE AND WE ARE GATHERING ALL THE INPUT BUT TO SHORTEN IT, I THINK THERE IS A BIT OF URGENCY FOR US TO MOVE THINGS ALONG TO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, SAMANTHA, FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE, BRIEFING ON SHADE AS ART PREFERENCED BY KRYSTAL JONES. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY A STRATEGY FOR INCORPORATING SHADE INTO ART AND ART INTO SHADE. SO I WILL FIRST GO THROUGH THE BACKGROUND OF THIS REQUEST, WHICH CAME FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT 8, A CITY COUNCIL REQUEST TO REALLY LOOK AT A CITYWIDE STRATEGY TO INCORPORATE SHADE INTO ART AND ART INTO SHADE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF OUR HEAT VULNERABILITY THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO. HOW CAN WE MEET THAT WHILE STICKING TO OUR CREATIVE CULTURE AND HERITAGE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THE REQUEST WAS TO DO A CITYWIDE STRATEGY, AN ANALYSIS OF WHERE SHADE AND PUBLIC ART ARE NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY, REALLY LOOKING AT BUS STOPS, LOOKING AT THE USE OF BUS TOPS AND HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE SHADE AT BUS STOPS OR NEAR BUS STOPS, MAINTAINING THAT HISTORY AND THAT CULTURAL CHARACTERISTIC OF NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THE SHADE AND THE PUBLIC ART ARE MOST NEEDED, AND THEN LOOKING INTO PUBLIC INPUT ABOUT DESIGNERS, ARTISTS, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE GOALS ESTABLISHED BY SA TOMORROW PLAN AND LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE ADOPTED BY OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. BEFORE WE GO INTO THE STRATEGY, THE PDF OF THIS DOCUMENT IS LOCATED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR THIS COMMITTEE. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT, IT IS A PDF SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK ON THESE LINKS TO THE EXISTING ARTISTIC SHADE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW A COLLECTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT THANKFULLY CITY COUNCIL APPROVED TO PROCURE. WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THAT WITH A COLLECTION MANAGER THAT IS GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR COLLECTION, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ABOUT 15 STRUCTURES THAT ARE ARTISTIC PUBLIC ART THAT INCLUDE SHADE. SO YOU'RE SEEING A FEW OF THESE HERE. THE MOST RECENT ONE YOU'LL SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER IS POET'S POINT BY KIM AND LUIS VALDEREZ. I WILL SAY THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC ART AS SHADE BECAUSE THIS CREATED A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE WHERE THERE IS ACTIVELY YOGA HAPPENING AT THIS SPACE THAT WAS A SHADE DESERT. SO THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW PUBLIC ART CAN FILL THAT NEED. HERE'S SOME OTHER SHADE STRUCTURES THEY REFLECT MANY KIDS UNDER THIS PROVIDING SHADE, A SAFE WAY FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY IN OUR CITY. SO WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND REALLY WHAT [00:30:05] WE FOUND IS THAT ART AS SHADE -- WE KNEW THIS -- AND SHADE AS ART CAN BE TRICKY CREATING ACROSS THE BOARD PRACTICE. THEY ARE SHADY, IF YOU WILL. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SHADE STRUCTURE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNTING RIGHT-OF-WAY. YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A LOT OF ENGINEERING. BUT WHAT WE FOUND ESPECIALLY WITH OUR EXPERIENCE IN SHADE AND LOOKING AT THIS BEST PRACTICES IS THAT WE FOUND THAT MANY CITIES ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND MUCH . THIS IS IMPACTING OUR COUNTRY AND WORLD. WE'VE LOOKED AT PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY INSTRUCT YOU ARE OTHERS. WE FOUND SOME OF THEM ARE FUNDED THROUGH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. WE FOUND THAT THEY'RE ENGINEERED TO CALCULATE MAXIMUM SHADE COVER AT SPECIFIC SITES BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SHADE, IF YOU BUILD SOMETHING OVERHEAD, IT MAY COVER YOU AT THE NOONTIME FRAME. SO IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT A LOT OF ENGINEERING TO CREATE SHADE THAT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. SITE REQUIREMENTS NEED TO INCLUDE ADA ACCESSIBILITY AND ALSO TRAFFIC PROTECTION, AND THE CHALLENGES FOR SHADED BUS STOPS INCLUDE, AGAIN, RIGHT-OF-WAY, SIDEWALK ACCESS AND ALSO LOOKING AT HOW MANY RIDERS ARE IN THE AREA. THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF SHADE STRUCTURES FROM EL PASO, CALIFORNIA, PHOENIX, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT FLORIDA. AGAIN, SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES LOCATED IN SOME QUITE WARM AREAS. SO BEFORE WE BEGIN ON STRATEGY, WE HAVE BEEN IN COLLABORATION ESPECIALLY WITH OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, OUR COUNTERPARTS ARE HERE WITH THAT OFFICE. THEY'VE BEEN FANTASTIC PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT ESPECIALLY LENDING THE DATA THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING OVER THE YEARS TO US TO CREATE A GIS MAP. SO WE WORKED ALONGSIDE THEM AND ALSO OUR ITSD DEPARTMENT TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE MAP THAT LOOKS AT THE HEAT VULNERABILITY INDEX, LOOKING AT WHERE WE NEED SOME SHADE, AND THEN ALSO WHERE VIA BUS SHOPS ARE LOCATED AND PUBLIC ART ARE LOCATED TO FIND THOSE SWEET SPOTS WHERE THERE'S A PUBLIC ART NEED AND A SHADE NEED. WE LOOKED AT TARGETING AREAS WITH HIGH VULNERABILITY TO HEAT AND ALSO WITH FEWER EXISTING PUBLIC ART PROJECTS AND ALSO WE LOOKED AT LOCATIONS THAT ARE TARGETED WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM IN DISTRICTS 2, 3, AND 5. THIS IS WHERE KIND OF A GLIMPSE OF OF WHAT THIS MAP LOOKS LIKE THAT WE'VE COORDINATED WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS. SO WE HAVE A THREE-PRONG STRATEGY. THIS IS A LIVING STRATEGY THAT JUST KEEPS CHANGING. IT INCLUDED FINDING ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY JUST YESTERDAY WHICH IS WHY THERE WAS AN UPDATE TO THE POWERPOINT. THE FIRST STRATEGY IS WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PARTNERS AND OUTSIDE PARTNERS. SO, AGAIN, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER IN THIS EFFORT, AND ALSO PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND REC, PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION, ITSD, VIA. WE HAVE THE AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS PUBLIC ART NETWORK. WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF PEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING ON COMMUNITY NEEDS THROUGH PUBLIC ART. WE ALSO HAVE THE URBAN ARTS COALITION WHICH IS, AGAIN, A NATIONAL GROUP OF DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE LEADERS WHO ARE LOOKING AT THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. SO WE ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM, INCLUDING THE URBAN HEAD ISLAND MITIGATION TEAM THAT MEETS EVERY TWO WEEKS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM. SO THE SECOND STRATEGY IS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD INCLUDE ARTISTIC SHADE AND EXISTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THE 2022 BOND HAS CREATED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS. SO TO DATE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED FIVE PROJECTS THAT ARE GREAT CANDIDATES FOR SHADE AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY TO HEAR WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED, WORKING WITH ARTISTS TO HELP DESIGN THESE SHADE STRUCTURES. SO EACH ONE WILL LOOK QUITE UNIQUE, AGAIN, GIVEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S HISTORY. SO IT WILL FOLLOW OUR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM THAT REALLY LEANS HEAVILY ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE ARTIST SELECTION, TO MEET THIS NEED. THESE FIVE AREAS SO FAR, PUBLIC WORKS IS STILL, AGAIN, SCOPING AND DESIGNING THE BOND PROJECTS. SO AS WE FIND OPPORTUNITIES THAT FIT INTO THOSE NEED AREAS AND IF THEY CAN INCORPORATE SHADE, WE WILL DO SO. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES COMING. WE ADDED -- WE FOUND THAT THERE'S A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR SHADE AS ART. IN DISTRICT 2, THAT'S GOING TO BE A SHADE STRUCTURE LOCATED IN A PARK. DISTRICT 3, THERE WILL BE PLAYGROUND SHADE. WE HAVE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS ON MILITARY DRIVE: THAT WILL BE AT BUS STOPS. WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH VIA TO INCORPORATE SHADE [00:35:05] AND ART. THEN CULEBRA ROAD IS TWO BUS STOPS IN COORDINATION WITH VEE A WE HAVE A SHADE STRUCTURE IN A PARK AT MARKSON PARK. WHEN WE'RE PLANNING FUTURE BONDS, WE CAN USE THIS MAP TO IDENTIFY WHERE DO WE NEED SHADE STRUCTURES. THE THIRD STRATEGY IS SEEKING FUNDING OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF GRANTS, AND AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF CITIES LOOKING AT INCORPORATING ART INTO SHADE AND SHADE INTO ART ARE LOOKING AT GRANT PROGRAMS TO DO SO. THERE'S NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS THAT HAS A GREAT PROJECT GRANT. THEY HAVE OTHER GRANTS THAT MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT USING THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND FUNDING. BLOOMBERG HAS A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT THEY RELEASE. THAT'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN SEE SOME CASE STUDIES WHERE WE HAVE SOME CITIES THAT HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED THAT GRANT. THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING SHADE. WE CAN FOLLOW UP TO SEE HOW IT WENT. THEY'RE USING IT RIGHT NOW AS TEMPORARY SHADE STRUCTURES. WE ALSO HAVE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY MANAGES THE REESE FUND. THANK YOU REMEMBER AS PART OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, THERE'S BEEN $1 MILLION IDENTIFIED FOR BUS STOP SHADE STRUCTURES THAT THEY ARE COOPERATIVELY LOOKING WITH VIA. THEY ARE IDENTIFYING THE SITE SELECTIONS WITH VEE A ONCE THAT'S DONE, THE EVALUATION LOOKS AT RIDERSHIP AT BUS STOP AND ROUTE LOCATIONS, LOOKING AT THE VULNERABLE AREAS, LOOKING AT THOSE FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM TARGET AREAS, AND THEN REALLY LOOKING AT PRIORITIZING HEAT MITIGATION AND RIDER COMFORT. THAT'S WHEN WE WILL LOOK AT WHERE CAN WE PUT PUBLIC ART AS PART OF THESE SHADE STRUCTURES. WE'RE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THAT PARK DEVELOPING THAT $1 MILLION. SO THE NEXT STEPS AGAIN, THIS IS A LIVING STRATEGY. SO WE CONTINUE THE CROSS-DEPARTMENT AND PARTNER AGENCY COLLABORATION, ALWAYS LOOKING TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS. LOOKING FOR THE PROJECT INITIATION FOR THE BOND PROJECTS AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES, SELECTING THE BUS STOPS AS PART OF THE FUNDING. WE ARE DIGGING INTO DEEP TO LOOK AT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXECUTE THIS STRATEGY. THAT'S THE THREE-PRONG APPROACH WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, KRYSTAL. WHEN I FIRST SKIMMED THE PRESENTATION AND I SAW 2022, I THOUGHT THAT'S SO LONG AGO, BUT IT REALLY WASN'T. TIME GOES BY FAIRLY QUICKLY. I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THE CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION THAT YOU ALL ARE TAKING TO ENSURE THAT ALL TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX ARE BEING EVALUATED, LEVERAGED, AND TO ENSURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PRODUCT AND OF COURSE USING THE HEAT INDEX AS WELL. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE PROJECTS IN SAN ANTONIO. THEY RANGE FROM DISTRICTS 2, 3, 6, AND. THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF PLACES IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE IN NEED OF SOME TYPE OF SHADE OR SHADE STRUCTURE. GREAT TO SEE THAT WE'RE GETTING STARTED ON THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH AND JUST WANTED TO THANK MANNY PELAEZ FOR SUBMITTING THE CCR FOR A CREATIVE APPROACH ON HOW TO KEEP FOLKS SHELTERED. EVERY TIME WE VISIT THIS CONVERSATION, WHETHER WITH SUSTAINABILITY OR THE ARTS, I THINK ABOUT THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ARTICLE THAT HIGHLIGHTED GUADALUPE STREET AND THE LACK OF INDUSTRIES. I'M GLAD YOU ARE OTHER COMING UP WITH A FRAMEWORK TO ATTACK THESE ISSUES. GRATEFUL TO SEE THIS PRESSURE TAKING AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMPLETION OF 2022 BOND PROJECTS ALONG WITH THAT ART AS SHADE STRUCTURE. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER DR. ROCHA GARCIA. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, KRYSTAL. I WAS EXCITED IT TODAY'S PRESENTATION. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT BEYOND SHADE, IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN INCORPORATE COOLING INTO THESE? IT MIGHT GET MORE DIFFICULT WITH ELECTRICITY BEING AROUND MUCH ARE YOU CONSIDERING THE ONES THAT DO HAVE ACCESS, FOR INSTANCE? >> ALL OPPORTUNITIES ARE OPEN, AND THAT'S THE GREAT PART ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH ARTISTS AS WELL AS CONNECTING THE ARTISTS WITH ENGINEERS AND THE ARCHITECTS BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT NOT ONLY WAYS TO INCORPORATE OTHER ELEMENTS. I KNOW THAT CONVERSATION WITH RAINWATER COLLECTION OR ACTIVITY. THE BEAUTY OF PUBLIC ART IS THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE LIMITATION, IT'S BUDGET, OF COURSE. BUT THERE'S NO LIMITATION OF IDEAS. SO WE CERTAINLY CAN LOOK AT CHARGING THE ARTISTS TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE OTHER [00:40:03] METHODS OF COOLING. WE'VE EVEN LOOKED AT THE COOL PAVEMENT PAINT THAT'S BEING USED. HOW CAN WE USE THAT IN OTHER WAYS? SO, YES, THAT'S ALSO THE BEAUTY OF THE CROSS-COLLABORATION WHERE WE CAN COME UP WITH IDEAS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. >> WONDERFUL. WHAT ABOUT PLUGGING IN NATURAL SHADE AND GREENERY? DO YOU ALSO LOOK FOR THAT AS A WAY TO LEVERAGE MAYBE? >> WE DO. A LOT OF THE LANDSCAPING THAT DOES COME FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, SO IF YOU ARE OTHER THINKING ABOUT A NEW BUILD OR NEW PARK THAT'S ALREADY IN THE SCOPE OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. THE 1.5% AS PUBLIC ART CAN JUST BE FOCUSED ON THE PUBLIC ART. BUT WE WORK SO CLOSELY WITH PARKS AND REC RATION AND PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY WHERE A PUBLIC ART PIECE GOES, WE LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPING BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT -- IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE A PUBLIC ART PIECE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE MAYBE THAT'S LIKE REALLY SURPRISING, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'RE LOOKING TO INCORPORATE IT LIKE THE PUBLIC ART PIECE THERE ALONG WITH THE TREES. THAT'S SOMETHING WE LOOK AT IN THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT. >> WE HAVE THE TOP OF THE HILL. FAMILIES REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OF THAT BECAUSE IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF EXERCISE TO GET UP THERE. SO THEN THEY JUST KIND OF CAN RELAX THERE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I WISH THAT WE COULD DO SOME ADDITIONAL -- TO DO SOMETHING LIKE HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE SOMETHING THAT CAN WORK AS A FAN. RIGHT? OR ALMOST LIKE A WINDMILL TYPE SITUATION. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING. I THINK THAT'S WHY MY STAFF, AS WE WERE BRAINSTORMING, THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE QUESTIONS. ON THE HEAT MAP, ON PAGE -- ON SLIDE 6, THERE'S A LARGE GROUPING AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THEN LOOKING ALSO, THERE'S A LOT ON THE NORTHERN DISTRICT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF YOU COULD WORK MORE WITH VIA ON BEING TRANSPARENT, SPECIFICALLY ON THE BUS STRUCTURES AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO -- WHERE THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THEM ALREADY. SO I HAVE A BUS STOP RIGHT NEXT TO MY FIELD OFFICE, AND I SEE PEOPLE THERE ALL OF THE TIME WAITING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND IT'S LITERALLY LIKE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. SO NOWHERE TO RUN FOR SHELTER, IF YOU WILL. BUT ALSO, I THINK THAT RIGHT DOWN MAYBE -- I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD SAY HALF A FOOTBALL FIELD, 50 YARDS DOWN, LIKE THERE'S SHADE FROM WHERE MY FIELD OFFICE IS. SO HOW DO WE KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND TRY TO CONVINCE VIA TO SEE IF THEY ARE OKAY WITH MOVING SOMETHING LIKE THAT 50 YARDS AND HOW THAT WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NATURAL SHADE THAT OCCURS AND JUST CAN BUILD THAT OUT AS PART OF A PLAN. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO AND ALL THAT THE TEAM DOES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> COUNCILMEMBER DR. KAUR. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE THEATER AS WELL. THAT'S ONE WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT IN TERMS OF ADDING SHADE AND I KNOW A LOT OF DIFFERENT FOLKS HAVE ASKED ABOUT IT. >> YES. WE CAN CONNECT WITH OUR CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM. I KNOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL RENOVATIONS BEING LOOKED AT FOR THAT AREA. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING THAT UP TO THAT TEAM. >> OKAY. AWESOME. YEAH. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING THERE. AND THEN TO THE COOLING POINT AS WELL, DEPENDING UPON WHERE IT IS, LIKE IN THAT SITUATION, MAYBE FANS OR MISTERS ARE GOOD IF PEOPLE ARE SITTING OR, TO YOUR POINT, AROUND PAINT, IF IT'S NOT AS MUCH SITTING OR WE'RE DOING SHADE, MIGHT BE ANOTHER OPTION TO LOOK AT, BUT WE'RE DOING SHADE AT MAVERICK PART AS PART OF THE LAST BOND PROJECT. IT'S THE NORMAL SAILS. I WONDER IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE. I JUST STARTED. ANYTHING ON TOP OF THE SAILS THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED. THEN THE LAST COMMENT OR THE THING THAT I THOUGHT OF WAS LIKE MAYBE IN FIGURING OUT THROUGH A COUPLE OF THESE TEST PROJECTS -- AND I WANT TO ECHO WHAT COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO SAID ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS. I LOVE THAT. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE, LIKE, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SITTING AROUND TO DO PROJECTS. BUT I LIKE THAT YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH OTHER DEPTH. IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THOSE FOUR TEST CASES THAT YOU SAID, ONCE YOU'RE GOING TO TRY IT ON AND POTENTIALLY OTHERS THAT HAVE COME UP, IF WE COULD SEE HOW MUCH MORE THEY WOULD COST TO INCORPORATE THE ART PIECE TO THE ALREADY DEVELOPED SHADE COMPONENT. SO SAY IF IT'S AN EXTRA $20,000 OR EXTRA $50,000 FOR THE NEXT BOND SINCE WE'RE STARTING TO PLAN [00:45:02] FOR THAT NEXT YEAR, WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE PROJECT ITSELF. SO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SAYS WE WANT SHADE AT X, Y, Z PARK WE CAN SAY, OKAY. THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DO ART AS SHADE STRUCTURE AND ADD THAT INTO THE BOND MONEY ITSELF. >> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. >> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR. >> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KRYSTAL, FOR THE PRESENTATION. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC -- IN TERMS OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO SEE THIS IS THE REQUIREMENT OF BEING A PARTNER FOR, YOU KNOW, ART AS SHADE? >> WE CAN DEVELOP SOME PARAMETERS. REALLY, THE REQUIREMENT IS JUST REALLY, IF YOU WANT TO BE A PARTNER WITH US, WE'LL TAKE YOU. >> OKAY. >> WE COULD REALLY TALK ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THE EXPECTATIONS WE HAVE IN TERMS T OF THE STRATEGIES. WE CAN LOOK AT PUBLISHING SO PEOPLE KNOW. >> YEAH. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE WORKING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THAT YOU'RE -- WE'RE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THE TEST PILOTING. I REALLY THINK -- AND I KNOW WE HAVE THIS COMING TO PLANNING, DIGITAL ART. IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY WHERE THE SHADE INSTRUCT STRUCTURES ARE AND THEN FROM THE REVENUES WE CAN CREATE MORE OF AN ARTIST SHADE ART PIECE KIND OF LIKE THE LITTLE HOME AND THE SAILS OVER AT PEARSALL PARK. AND THEN POSSIBLY ALSO VIA BUS STOPS THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT ASPECT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE OTHER COMMITTEE BEFORE WE BRING IT OVER HERE TO CHECK TO KIND OF HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE CAN GENERATE REVENUE AND POSSIBLY HAVE THAT AS PART OF THE -- THIS PROGRAM AS WE DO ART AND SHADE ESPECIALLY IN THE CORRIDORS. I'M THINKING SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST MILITARY DRIVE. I'M THINKING PARTS OF COMMERCIAL AND PARTS OF PRESSA. THEN WE GET INTO WORLD HERITAGE. THAT'S ANOTHER STORY. THERE'S OTHER BUSY STREETS ON THE SOUTH SIDE WE CAN LOOK INTO. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY LAST COMMENTS? WONDERFUL, KRYSTAL. WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT BACK FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR, BRIEFING ON CREATIVE INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. >> THANK YOU. ARTFUL FRIDAY. OKAY. SO YES. I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, AND I WANT TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING EVERY TIME I COME AND PRESENT TO YOU AND COUNCIL, I HOPE IT SHOWS MY TEAM AND MYSELF ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ARTS. I ALSO DON'T WANT MY PASSION TO OVERCOME THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER IN SAN ANTONIO. SO SOMETIMES I WORRY ABOUT THAT, THAT I'M SO PASSIONATE THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT AS SERIOUS. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE SERIOUS. OKAY? SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE METHODOLOGY FOR THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE DR. NEVIN HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. HE IS A FANTASTIC SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS AND ARTS ENTHUSIAST. HE HAS HELPED MANY OF OUR NONPROFITS COME TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS SO THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR RELIEF FUNDING WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE COVID PANDEMIC. HE HAS BEEN A -- HE GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS TIME TO REALLY HELP THE ARTS INDUSTRY. SO HE'S GOING TO GIVE THE DEFINITION OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND ALSO CONCLUSION. WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS IS NOT ONLY ARE YOU GOING TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS FOR THE ARTS, BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S VERY -- THERE'S OTHER IMPACTS FOR THE ARTS WHEN IT COMES TO HIGHER TEST SCORES FOR STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE EXPOSED TO THE ARTS. THEY HAVE HIGHER TEST SCORES. IT HAS HEALTH AND WELLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS. I WILL SAY, THIS IS VERY TIMELY BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK, NOW IS THE TIME BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A CAMPAIGN THAT IS SHOWING HERE'S THE TOP TEN BENEFITS OF THE ARTS, AND THEY ARE ADDING RESEARCH WITH EACH POST. SO I RA REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU AS WE'RE GOING INTO NEW LEGISLATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ESPECIALLY, TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE IMPACT OF THE ARTS BECAUSE IT'S AN ECONOMIC GENERATOR, INCLUDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND ALSO BLUE COLOR INDUSTRIES THAT SUPPORT PUBLIC ARTS WHERE IT HAS FOLKS ENGINEERING, WELDING, AND CONSTRUCTING THE PUBLIC ART PIECES. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO DR. NEVIN TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF [00:50:07] THE ARTS. >> THANK YOU, KRYSTAL. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF SAN ANTONIO'S CREATIVE INDUSTRY. I'LL TRY TO BE SERIOUS, TOO. ALL RIGHT. SO JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY, I WON'T BORE EVERYBODY WITH TOO MUCH DETAIL. WE DO LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF WE DEFINE SAN ANTONIO AS THE METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA AND WE FOLLOW A METHODOLOGY THAT WE'VE BEEN USING FOR YEARS GOING BACK TO ROUGHLY ABOUT 2005 AS WE'VE BEEN DOING THESE STUDIES. IT'S A SIMILAR METHODOLOGY THAT'S BEEN USED TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR OTHER INDUSTRIES. SO WE USE LIGHT CAST TO PULL EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME DAT DATA. IT HELPS US INCLUDE SELF-EMPLOYED CREATIVE WORKERS AS WELL AS PROPRIETORS AND THAT. THIS IS IMPORTANT PARTICULARLY IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ARTISTS ARE SELF-EMPLOYED. SO SOME OF THE DATA THAT YOU CAN GET PUBLICLY DO NOT INCLUDE THEM IN THAT DATA. THEN WE USE A CONVERSION FACTOR. WE TAKE SALES DIVIDED BY PAYROLL, MULTIPLY THAT BY THE INCOME OR PAYROLL AND THAT GIVES US A MEASURE OF OUTPUT WHICH WE USE AS THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT INDICATOR. THEN WE PULL DATA ON EXPORTS AND WE'RE ABLE TO APPLY MULTIPLIER EFFECTS THROUGH USING THE INPUT OUTPUT MODEL. I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS AS WE GO FORWARD. SO THIS IN SMALL TEXT UP THERE IS HOW WE'VE DEFINED THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY. THIS HAS BEEN THE SAME DEFINITION WE'VE USED OVER THE YEARS. THIS DEFINITION GOES BACK TO THE FIRST CREATIVE ECONOMY PLAN THAT SAN ANTONIO DID BACK IN 2003. WE'VE USED THIS SAME DEFINITION OVER THE YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT INCLUDES BOTH NONPROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THAT CREATIVE INDUSTRY. SOME STUDIES YOU SEE WILL ONLY INCLUDE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS INCLUDED BOTH. TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT, BY DIRECT WE MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS EMPLOYMENT. SO THIS IS THE ACTUAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE INDUSTRY. THEN WE'LL LOOK AT TOTAL IMPACTS WHERE WE'LL INCLUDE MULTIPLIER EFFECTS. THE INDUSTRY IN 2023 EMPLOYED 20,845 WORKERS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD GROWTH RATE SINCE 2019 WHERE THERE WERE 19,894 WORKERS. THROUGHOUT THIS DATA, YOU'LL SEE A DIP DURING THE 2020 PANDEMIC. THEN THE INDUSTRY RECOVERED QUITE NICELY COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC ACROSS ALL OF OUR MEASURES. IT DID HAVE THE LITTLE BOX YOU SEE UP THERE ON THE ANNUAL PERCENT CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT'S THE ENTIRE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMY TO GIVE YOU SOME COMPARISON THERE. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY DID HAVE A BIGGER DECLINE BUT A BIGGER BOUNCE BACK COMING OUT OF COVID IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. BUT IT DID, YOU'LL SEE HERE, IN TERMS OF INCOME -- AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE FIGURES NEXT -- DID HAVE A DECLINE IN 2023 AFTER SOME NICE GROWTH COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. IT STILL IS WELL AHEAD OF WHERE IT WAS IN 2019. SO STILL SOME GROWTH, BUT HAD A BIT OF A DIP IN INCOME AS WELL AS OUTPUT HERE. SO TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE INDUSTRY MEASURES AT 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS. I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE WORKERS EARNED $1.2 BILLION IN INCOME IN 2023. SO AS CRIT KRYSTAL NOTED, A SIZABLE INDUSTRY WITH A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT. I'LL SHOW YOU DETAILED NUMBERS IN A MINUTE. I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS DUE TO THE STIMULUS MONEY THAT WAS ISSUED, THE $7 TRILLION THAT CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC FINALLY SORT OF RAN ITS [00:55:02] COURSE. WE SEE THAT IN THE OVERALL EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS, SEEN IT IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO I THINK THAT EXPLAINS A BIT OF IT. THEN I'LL COME BACK TO ONE DETAIL RELATED TO THAT IN JUST A BIT. SO HERE WE HAVE THE TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS, AND TOTAL, AGAIN, MEANS THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT. WE TOOK THE DIRECT IMPACTS WE SHOWED YOU, AND WE TOOK THE EXPORTS AND THEN RAN THEM THROUGH THE MODEL TO CALCULATE WHAT ADDITIONAL IMPACTS THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY ACCOUNTING FOR, SAY, SPENDING BY THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WORKING FOR COMPANIES THAT ARE EXPORTING THESE PRODUCTS, THESE CREATIVE PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS SPENDING BY SUPPLIERS. SO WHEN WE ADD ALL THAT TOGETHER, THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT OF 24,364 JOBS IN 2023, WHICH WAS STILL, AGAIN, SHOWING A GROWTH RATE. THOSE WORKERS EARNED ABOUT $1.34 BILLION, AND THE TOTAL, INCLUDING MULTIPLIER EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE INDUSTRY WAS ABOUT $5.2 BILLION IN 2023. SO, AGAIN, VERY SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT. NOW, HERE ARE THE EXPORT FIGURES THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. IN 2023, THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY EXPORTED $740.4 MILLION IN CREATIVE PRODUCTS OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. AGAIN, 12% DECLINE FROM 2022. BUT STILL, A SIZABLE INCREASE OVER 2019. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS I THINK TO KEEP IN MIND WITH RESPECT TO IMPORTS IS THAT THIS PRESENTS, AS NOTED IN THAT UPPER RIGHT BOX, AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY GROW THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY BUT TO GROW THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH IMPORT REPLACEMENT. SO HOW CAN WE GROW THE INDUSTRY SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO IMPORT GOODS AND SERVICES INTO SAN ANTONIO, THAT NOT ONLY THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY BUT OTHER COMPANIES CAN'T GET THAT ARE IN THE CREATIVE SPACE, HOW DO WE DEVELOP THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY HERE SO THAT LOCAL COMPANIES IN ANY INDUSTRY CAN COME GET THOSE GOODS AND SERVICES HERE LOCALLY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO GO TO HOUSTON, DALLAS, NEW YORK CITY OR WHEREVER, LONDON, TO GET THEIR GOODS AND SERVICES. SO BY DOING THAT, WE CANNOT ONLY GROW THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY BUT, AGAIN, GROW THE ENTIRE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMY. NOW, LOTS OF NUMBERS ON THIS SLIDE. BUT IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE SIZE OF THE DIFFERENT SECTORS WITHIN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY. I'M JUST GOING TO POINT OUT HERE THE TWO LARGEST SECTORS ACROSS EMPLOYMENT, LABOR INCOME AND ECONOMIC IMPACT, ARE DESIGNING AND ADVERTISING AND PRINTING, BROADCASTING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. YOU CAN SEE THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME AND IMPACT THERE. THESE ARE DIRECT EFFECTS. SCHOOLS, A COUPLE THINGS, I SHOULD NOTE, THEY ARE NOT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS. THESE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE PRIVATE IN A SENSE BUT THEY ARE PROVIDING SCHOOLS THAT TEACH MUSIC, THINGS LIKE THAT. THEN CULINARY ARTS, I WANTED TO NOTE, IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY, ONLY CAPTURES CHEFS AND HEAD COOKS. WE HAD A VERY LIMITED DEFINITION OF CULINARY ARTS, AND I'M POINTING THIS OUT BECAUSE YOU CAN ALSO DO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE CULINARY INDUSTRY, AND IT'S A VASTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITION. SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. WE USE THE MORE SPECIFIC DEFINITION HERE BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, AND SO CHEFS AND HEAD COOKS IN THAT INDUSTRY REALLY THOSE WHO ARE ENGAGED IN CREATIVITY WITHIN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY. SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S SO STRICTLY DEFINED. IF WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS SHOWS DIFFERENT SECTORS AND [01:00:03] THE GROWTH RATES. GOING BACK TO THE DECLINE I TALKED ABOUT IN 2023 ACROSS SOME OF THESE MEASURES, PARTICULARLY INCOME AND IMPACT, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WHAT'S REALLY -- FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S PRETTY MUCH BROAD-BASED GROWTH ACROSS THE BOARD FOR MOST OF THE SECTORS, BUT THE TWO SECTORS THAT ARE SHOWING DECLINE ARE THE TWO LARGEST, DESIGN AND ADVERTISING, PRINTING AND BROADCASTING, AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. THEY ARE SHOWING DECLINE OR SLOWING GROWTH. FOR EXAMPLE, DESIGN AND ADVERTISING IN TERMS OF INCOME WENT FROM A 19.8% GROWTH RATE INTO 2021 TO 2022 TO 2.2% THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO YOU HAVE SCHOOLS DECLINING, BUT THAT'S THE SMALLEST SECTOR. SO WHEN YOU COMBINE -- WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE JUST HAD OVERALL SLOWING GROWTH, NOT JUST IN THIS INDUSTRY BUT REALLY ECONOMY-WIDE, BUT YOU ALSO HAD THE TWO LARGEST SECTORS WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRY SHOWING SOME DECLINE AND GROWTH IN THAT YEAR. THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THE OVERALL DECLINE IN 2023 IN TERMS OF INCOME AND OUTPUT. NOW, TO CONCLUDE, I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THAT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY DOES MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT THIS IS, I THINK, A RATHER UNIQUE INDUSTRY, AND THIS IS A POINT THAT I'VE MADE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AS I'VE DONE THIS STUDY. IT IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE STANDARD ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT WE MEASURE HERE. WE NOTE SOME OF THESE HERE, AND KRYSTAL'S TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM PERTAINING TO THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED IN ARTS HAVE HIGHER GRADUATION RATES. THE ARTS -- ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARTS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TO LONGER LIFE SPANS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. ANN MARKSON ONE OF THE ECONOMISTS CAME UP WITH THE TERM ARTISTIC DIVIDEND DI, NOTED THAT CREATIVE WORKERS IN ALMOST EVERY INDUSTRY, NOT JUST IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, THAT HELPS THOSE FIRMS GROW. THE SUPPLY OF GOODS AND SERVICES, THE CREATIVE OUTPUT HAS INPUTS INTO OTHER INDUSTRIES, HELPS THOSE OTHER INDUSTRIES GROW AND PLAYS A KEY ROLE THERE. BUT MORE ON THAT AND REALLY GETTING TO MORE OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASPECT OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY AS NOTED HERE BY MAXIMUM AND ROSS, ARTS CREATE CULTURE, CULTURE CREATES COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY CREATES HUMANITY. THIS IS FROM THEIR BOOK, YOUR BRAIN ON ART, WHICH IS A FASCINATING READ, AS IS THIS NEXT QUOTE I PUT ON THERE. CREATIVE INDUSTRY AND ARTS REALLY HELPS SPAWN INNOVATION, NEW THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. THE ARTS EMPOWER US TO REIMAGINE, RE-ENVISION, AND RECONNECT IN ORDER TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER. AGAIN, THE IMPACTS REALLY EXTEND WELL BEYOND THOSE NUMBERS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THESE -- PRESENT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. >> GREAT. THANK YOU, KRYSTAL, AND DR. NIVEN FOR THE IMPACT ON SAN ANTONIO. I THINK TO YOUR POINT, GOING BEYOND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS JUST THE OVERALL SENSE OF SAFETY THAT PUBLIC ART CAN PROVIDE TO COMMUNITIES, AND I KNOW IN DISTRICT 5 IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT BLUE STAR, THE 1906 STUDIO ARE ALL HOUSED IN 5 AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY ARTISTS, BUT LIVE IN THESE AREAS HAVE EXPRESSED JUST A SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY AND JUST AN INVITING SPACE FOR THEM TO WALK AT NIGHT IF THERE'S NOT LIGHTING, THE MURALS ARE LIT UP AND IT JUST PROVIDES OVERALL SAFETY. THIS IS WHY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH CONSTITUENTS, THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT. FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK ABOUT THE WESTWOOD SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S ONE OF THE WESTERN PARTS OF OUR DISTRICT, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS REQUESTING PUBLIC ART AND HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE ANY PUBLIC PIECES INTO THIS SPACE TO ESTABLISH OWNERSHIP OF THE SPACE, THAT THERE'S AN ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOOD HERE AND ALSO TO INVITE FOLKS TO COME AND SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES ALONG THE ROAD AS AN INVITING SPACE. I THINK BEYOND THE ROLE [01:05:03] OF THE ARTIST AS WELL IS HOW THEIR WORK CAN WELCOME AND INVITE FOLKS TO SUPPORT OTHER BUSINESSES ALONG THE CORRIDOR OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. BUT WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO I THINK MY QUESTION IS, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF THINGS COMING OUT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF THIS COMMITTEE LOOKED AT FORMING MAYBE A SUBCOMMITTEE OR A COMMITTEE SPECIFIC TO THE INDUSTRY AND THEIR BUSINESS CONCERNS TO ADDRESS KIND OF THESE -- LIKE HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE REDUCTIONS? AAS A CITY WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? WOULD IT BE CREATING A SUBCOMMITTEE OR A COMMITTEE TO KIND OF ADDRESS WHAT TRENDS THEY ARE SAYING IN BUSINESS? IS BECAUSE IT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE, WELL, WE HEAR A LOT IN ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT. IT'S CONSTRUCTION. IT'S CONSTRUCTION. IT'S THE INCREASE OF FEES OR -- BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR THIS INDUSTRY. >> IF I MAY, COUNCILMEMBER, COULD I SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE THIS BACK TO THE ARTS COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTIVELY WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY AND ASK THEM WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE DECLINES. I'M WONDERING, I MEAN, I ALWAYS -- I HOPE I DON'T PESTER YOU, BUT I'M ALWAYS LIKE, WHY. WHY IS MARKET OR ADVERTISING GOING DOWN? I ALWAYS HAVE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHY. MAYBE PEOPLE HAD TO BUILD UP THAT SECTOR OF THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE UP FOR BEING ONLINE ONLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. I MEAN, I ALWAYS COME UP WITH MY OWN CONCLUSIONS. BUT DR. NEVIN STEERS ME ON THE RIGHT PATH TO SAY WE CAN'T SAY THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST WE TAKE IT TO OUR ARTS COMMISSION BECAUSE WE HAVE FOLKS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY AND WE HAVE OUR ARTS FUNDING COMMITTEE. WE HAVE OUR PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC AND CLIP. SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES WITHIN THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND WE CAN KIND OF FIND OUT -- PRESENT THIS DATA AND FIND OUT WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AND WHAT ARE YOU SEEING ANY KIND OF PROBLEM AREAS OR WORRIES FROM YOUR END IN THESE PARTICULAR SECTORS. >> YEAH. AND, CHAIR, I DON'T NOT IF WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO EWDC OR SOME OTHER BUSINESS-LIKE COMMITTEE. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM SPECIFICALLY JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTION THAT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY HAS TO THIS CITY IN PARTICULAR AND SHARING WHO WE ARE AND OUR STORY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE -- I DO WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY BE FACING AS AN INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS AND THEN HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE TO EWDC AND, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. IF THEY HAD ACCESS TO -- I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE FROM MOVIES -- CRAFT SERVICES, WE WOULD SEE MORE MOVIE SETS COME DOWN HERE. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US KIND OF -- OUR ART COMMISSION TACKLE FIRST BEFORE WE TAKE THIS PRESENTATION AND SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? THEN YOU HAVE THE POLITICIANS TRYING TO COME UP WITH ANSWERS WHEN WE REALLY NEED THE ARTISTS. SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU. >> COUNCILMEMBER DR. KAUR. >> I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. ARE THERE ANY OTHER WAYSES TO DO THIS ANALYSIS GIVEN THAT FOLKS IN THE ARTISTRY MIGHT NOT BE -- AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY MIGHT NOT BE SUBMITTING TAXES IN THE WAY THAT OTHER BUSINESSES NORMALLY WOULD? >> YOU MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING TAXES? THE NONPROFITS? >> NOT NECESSARILY NOT PAYING TAXES BUT MAYBE THE WAY -- THE DATA -- HAVE WE DONE AN ANALYSIS ON THE DATA THAT'S SUBMITTED TO ENSURE THAT IT'S -- THE METHODOLOGY WE'RE USING IS THE BEST THAT WE CAN GET? >> LET ME OFFER THIS. I'M NOT SURE THIS IS RESPONSIVE TO YOUR QUESTION. THE DATA THAT WE USE IS USED WIDELY, NOT JUST HERE BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND PROBABLY ELSEWHERE BUT CERTAINLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IT IS BASED OFF OF DATA [01:10:03] THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLECTS AND THEN LIGHT CAST DOES SOME PROJECTIONS OFF THAT, PARTICULARLY AS I NOTED TO GET TO THE SELF-EMPLOYED AND THE PROPRIETORS AND THAT. SO I'M -- IT'S A METHOD -- IT'S DATA AND METHODOLOGY THAT WE'VE USED HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING ON ALMOST 20 YEARS. IT HAS BEEN -- IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. PERSONALLY, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE DATA, FOR WHATEVER THAT'S WORTH. >> I WAS JUST CURIOUS. >> I KNOW OTHERS USE IT THAT DO THESE TYPES OF STUDIES. I USED TO DO THE -- TO INCLUDE THE MULTIPLIER EFFECTS IS -- I HAVEN'T SEEN NUMBERS ON THIS, JUST BASED ON OBSERVATION, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST WIDELY USED SOFTWARE TO DO THOSE CALCULATIONS. I'VE USED IT NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO BUT FOR STUDIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. ITIT'S PRETTY WELL ACCEPTED. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. >> I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S RESPONSIVE. >> YES, IT IS. I THINK WHEN YOU GO TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEM TO JUST REFLECT ON THE DATA AND SEE IF THAT'S LIKE WHAT THEY WOULD EXPECT BASED ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES JUST TO GET A SECOND SET OF EYES BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'M NOT IN THE INDUSTRY. SO I WOULDN'T KNOW. THEN ALSO, THINKING ABOUT WHEN THEY -- ASKING THEM TO -- HOW WOULD -- IF OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LARGE ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT LIKE WHAT PARTS OF THE INDUSTRY COULD WE SUPPORT MORE OR PROVIDE MORE INCENTIVES FOR TO INCREASE THAT ROI SINCE WE ARE SEEING THAT DECLINE? WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR US? WHICH PARTS OF THE INDUSTRY SHOULD WE BE KIND OF INCENTIVIZING OR SUPPORTING OR BOOSTING UP MORE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> COUNCILMEMBER DR. ROCHA GARCIA. >> THANK YOU TO >> GARCIA: SLIDE 10 JUSTIFIED WHY I HAVE A PH.D. IN ADVERTISING WHEN EVERYBODY'S LIKE, WHAT'S YOUR PH.D. IN? BUT THEN SLIDE 11, YOU JUST BROKE MY HEART AGAIN BECAUSE DIRECT EMPLOYMENT IS LESS, BUT -- AND I APPRECIATE -- YOU ANSWERED TWO OF MY QUESTIONS, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT DECREASE AND YOU TALKED ABOUT STIMULUS AND ALSO THE EMPLOYMENT. IN 2022, THOUGH, I NOTICED THAT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY EXPORTS INCREASED BY 11.6. WERE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL IDENTIFIERS OR VARIABLES THEY COULD PINPOINT TO THAT INCREASE? >> THE INCREASE IN WHAT, I'M SORRY. >> GARCIA: SPECIFICALLY THE 11.6, CREATIVE INDUSTRY EXPORTS. >> OH, OKAY. THAT ONE? >> GARCIA: YES. >> YEAH. AGAIN, I WOULD JUST GO BACK TO -- YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT GENERAL ECONOMIC TRENDS, WE'RE SEEING STILL PRETTY STRONG GROWTH, BOTH IN 2021 AND -- JUST OVERALL. AGAIN, A LOT OF THAT DRIVEN FROM THE BOUNCEBACK FROM THE PANDEMIC IN 2020 AND THE 7 TRILLION-DOLLAR STIMLOUS THAT REALLY CREATED A HUGE AMOUNT OF SPENDING AND A LOT OF THAT IS REFLECTED BY FOLKS SPENDING OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. AND SO -- AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN SLIDE 12, BECAUSE YOU'RE A PROFESSOR, AND I JUST HAVE TO DO THIS, SLIDE 12, I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD CORRECT STEVE NIVEN, THE FOOTNOTE SAYS -- IT SHOULD BE FOOTNOTE 3 FOR NEA. >> OH, YEAH. >> GARCIA: MAYBE IT WASN'T STEVE NIVEN. >> IT WAS KRYSTAL JONES. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. >> GARCIA: NEVER MIND, STEVE. YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK. >> BUT I HAD A CHANCE TO EDIT, AND I DIDN'T CATCH THAT. IT >> GARCIA: IT WAS FROM ONE PROFESSOR TO ANOTHER, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT, LIKE, 20 YEARS. >> THIS ALSO DISPLAYS WHY I HAVE A PH.D. IN ECONOMICS AND NOT ADVERTISING. CRYSTAL AND HER TEAM MADE THIS LOOK NICE. IF YOU SAW THE FIRST ONE, YOU'D SEE WHY. >> GARCIA: I'M SURE YOU HAD A LOT OF SPEAKING POINTS THERE. THANK YOU, STEVE. AND CRYSTAL, HOW MUCH DOES THE CITY CONTRIBUTE OVERALL TO THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY? >> SO OUR GRANT PROGRAM IS JUST A BIT OVER $7 MILLION DIRECTLY TO NONPROFITS AND ARTISTS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW WITH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. NOW, WE DO HAVE SOME CULTURAL PROGRAMMING, WE HAVE OUR FILM COMMISSION, [01:15:03] TOO, SO I WOULD SAY -- AND PUBLIC -- WELL, PUBLIC ART IS ABOUT 15.7 MILLION, SO OVERALL, OUR BUDGET IS -- OPERATING BUDGET IS ABOUT 14 MILLION, AND, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY WHO WORKS HERE -- I KNOW WE'RE CATEGORIZED AS GOVERNMENT, BUT WE DO HAVE ARTISTS ON STAFF, BUT THEN WE HAVE A $17.7 MILLION ART PROGRAM. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU, CRYSTAL. ARE ANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE CURRENTLY FUND THAT HELP SPECIFICALLY WITH, LIKE, ENTREPRENEURIAL OR INNOVATIVE, I WOULD SAY, ACTIVITIES? AND BOTH FOR YOUNG AND FOR OLDER GENERATIONS? >> YES. OF ARTISTS. SO WE DO A NUMBER OF WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTIST'S GROWTH. IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE INDIVIDUAL ASHT ARTISTS BECAUSE THEY ARE BUSINESSES. WE DO MARKETING WORKSHOPS FOR THEM, WE DO ARTIST STATEMENT WORKSHOPS, BECAUSE NOT ONLY FOR OUR GRANTS YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ARTIST STATEMENT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THAT FOR OTHER GRANT PROGRAMS. EVEN JUST OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, WE'RE CONSTANTLY SENDING INFORMATION OUT TO ARTISTS NONPROFITS ABOUT THERE'S A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY IN IOWA, AND IT'S OPEN TO ANYONE. SO WE'RE HELPING THEM WITH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE TALKED WITH LAUNCH SA. WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE DID AN EXTENSIVE TWO-DAY KIND OF SERIES WITH THEM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT BRINGING THAT BACK. WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY TALKED WITH PARTNERS LIKE SAGE ABOUT, HEY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO REACH THE AUDIENCES THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE TO TELL ARTISTS THAT THEY ARE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, THEY ARE ENTREPRENEURS, BECAUSE SOME ARTISTS DON'T EVEN SEE THEMSELVES AS THAT. I'M AN ARTIST. WELL, YOU'RE A BUSINESS AS WELL. SO WE'RE WORKING ON CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THAT CONVERSATION. >> GARCIA: AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I TEACH AN ADVERTISING CLASS, I ALSO TEACH MARKETING, RIGHT, AND THE ART STUDENTS TAKE THOSE TWO COURSES, RIGHT, SO THAT THEY CAN KNOW HOW TO MARKET. THEY ALREADY HAVE A PORTFOLIO, SO, BY THE WAY, I END UP, LIKE, BUYING A WHOLE LOT OF ART EVERY SEMESTER FROM SOME OF MY STUDENTS, SO... BUT I APPRECIATE THAT THE FOCUS IS ON THERE. AND THEN PRE-K FOUR SA DOES A GREAT JOB OF MARKETING THEIR KIDS' ART. AND EVERY YEAR, THEY SEND US A LINK AND THEY'RE LIKE, COUNCILMEMBER SUPPORT THE KIDS, RIGHT, AND THERE WE GO WITH SOME MORE -- I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN HAS TONS OF STUFF IN HER -- AS WELL. IT WOULD BE NICE TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING FUN FOR KIDS, YOU KNOW, TO SELL THEIR ART -- IN AUDIO] -- DISTRICT FOUR LAST -- EARLIER THIS YEAR, IT WAS LIKE HER VERY FIRST PIECE THAT SHE SOLD WAS TO ME. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS, AND I GAVE HER A SHOUTOUT ON INSTAGRAM AND SHE WAS JUST SO EXCITED, BUT SHE WAS EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE -- ACTUALLY, IT WAS AT A SCHOOL FALL FESTIVAL. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU -- I MEAN, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF, BUT I THINK THAT THAT CREATES IN CHILDREN THE ABILITY TO THINK, I CAN SELL THIS, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO SELL ANYTHING THAT DAY, BUT -- SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GATHER THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN THE KIDS, BUT THAT'S IT. >> YEAH. I WILL SAY, JUST BECAUSE THE NATURE OF OUR DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE WE ARE A TINY BUT MIGHTY STAFF AND WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SMALL BUDGET, IT IS ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS, SO WE TALK TO A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PRE-K FOUR SA. I MEAN, CERTAINLY, EVEN, HOW TO FILL THEIR BUILDING WITH ART AND MURALS, WALKING THEM THROUGH THAT PATH. SO I THINK ON THE VERY BASIC LEVEL, IT'S JUST CONTINUING THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO SAY, WE CAN RECOMMEND ARTISTS TO COME TO YOUR SCHOOLS. THE ARTIST REGISTRY THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN VERY SIGNIFICANT IN IMPACTING OUR ARTIST COMMUNITY. IF YOU LOOK AT KLRN RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT, THEY'RE DOING THE COUNTDOWN, THE CITY COUNTDOWN WITH MUSICIANS FROM EACH OF YOUR DISTRICT, THEY FOUND THOSE MUSICIANS FROM EACH OF OUR ARTIST REGISTRY. THAT ARTIST REGISTRY ALSO INCLUDES TEACHING ARTISTS, YOU CAN FILTER THAT REGISTRY TO SAY HERE'S ARTISTS THAT CAN COME IN AND TEACH A WORKSHOP FOR A CONVENTION, A MEETING, A SCHOOL. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT PARTNERING WITH SOME OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE AUDIENCES IN THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OUR HOT FUNDING IIIS ALSO RESTRICTED TO BENEFITING TOURISM, BUT LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE HAVE THIS ARTIST REGISTRY AND YOU CAN IDENTIFY TEACHING ARTISTS WHO CAN COME IN AND TEACH STUDENTS OR SENIORS OR WHOEVER THEY MIGHT BE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS AND HOW THEY CONDUCT IT. >> GARCIA: I LOVE IT. OUR FINAL PLUG WILL BE OUR PART OF TOWN, TO COME BACK. THEY USED TO DO -- REMEMBER, ONE OF MY RESPECTS ASKED ABOUT THAT THE ZERO -- RESIDENTS ASKED ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY, WELL, IT USED TO BE ON THE TVSA, I GUESS IT'S CALLED TVSA, RIGHT? [01:20:04] AND THERE'S PEOPLE FROM THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND IT WAS LIKE A TALENT SHOW, BUT IT WAS ON TV AND SO FUN TO WATCH. I WAS LIKE, HEY, WE NEED TO BRING THAT BACK, LIKE OUR PART OF TOWN. I THINK IT WAS CALLED -- I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE -- >> RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY, THEY DID IT AT SOUTH PARK MALL. SO MAYBE THEY COULD ROTATE IT. BUT ANYWAY, THERE I GO ASKING FOR MORE STUFF. >> NO, I JUST LEARNED THAT PARKS AND RECREATION LED THAT. SO WE CAN DO A PLUG TO THEM. >> GARCIA: TALK TO THE '80S KIDS. WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU, CRYSTAL, THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: THAT WAS SUPER NOSTALGIC, THAT'S WHAT WE'D WATCH. I THINK COUNCILWOMAN RAISE AS REALLY GOOD POINT, AND YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND VENDORS. I ATTENDED A CONFERENCE IN ST. LOUIS AND WITHIN THE FACILITY, THEY HAD LOCAL ARTISTS, I'M NOT TOO SURE THE MECHANICS ON HOW THEY HAD THE CALL FOR THOSE ARTISTS, BUT ESSENTIALLY IN THE LOBBY OF THIS CONVENTION OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF LOCAL ELECTEDS WERE LINES OF FOLKS TO CHECK OUT THE BOOTHS AND PURCHASE ART. I THINK THERE COULD BE VALUE IN ASKING VISIT SA HOW THEY COULD WEAVE IN THE ARTIST FROM THE REGISTRY TO ASK THEM, FOR NO FEE, IF THEY'D LIKE TO SELL THEIR ART AT SOME OF THESE CONVENTIONS. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK AND, OF COURSE, A MARKET AS WELL. DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, DR. FLIF VEN AND CRYSTAL. THE TIME IS NOW 2:26 AND THE MEETING HAS CONCLUDED. THANK * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.