[00:01:23]
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR OUR A SESSION. WE WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 9:12 A.M. ON THE 5TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2024. MADAME CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? 
          >> CLERK: MAYOR, WE HAVE QUORUM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. 
          TODAY IT IS OUR FIRST DAY BACK IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND OVER THE LAST WEEK WE DID LOSE ONE OF THE MAYORS OF OUR CITY AND A GREAT FRIEND AND ADVISER AND THE NAME SAKE TO OUR HOWARD W. PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM. MANY KNEW HIM PERSONALLY AND WAS INSPIRED BY HIS SERVICE, AS WAS I. IN HONOR OF HOWARD PEAK WHO SERVED FROM '93 TO '97 AS WELL AS OUR MAYOR UNTIL 2001, I WOULD LIKE TO OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TO GET US STARTED TODAY , I'M GOING TO TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA TO WELCOME OUR INVOCATOR. 
          >> HAVRDA: GOOD MORNING. OUR INVOCATOR THIS MORNING IS MY FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR, OCE CARR. HE IS A DEDICATED DISTRICT 6 COMMUNITY MEMBER AND HAS SERVED ON OUR DISTRICT 6 VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. HE HAS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE IN CITYWIDE AND VETERANS ISSUES. HE RETIRED FROM THE MARINE FORCES. HE SPENT ALMOST 20 OF THOSE YEARS DEPLOYED IN A SUBMARINE. WHEN HE RETIRED FROM THE NAVY IN 2013, HE MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO AND HAS BEEN MY NEIGHBOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS. FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS HE HAS WORKED WITH THE AIR FORCE AND HE AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE HAVE FOUR DAUGHTERS, TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS, AND ONE GRANDSON. 
          TAKE IT AWAY, O.C. >> GOOD MORNING. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD'S PRESENCE AND WE THANK HIM. I BRING YOU GREETINGS THIS MORNING FROM GRACE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE ALLEN FORD IS MY PASTOR. 
          I DON'T WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE WITH HIM AS THE SENIOR PASTOR BECAUSE HIM AND THE MAYOR MIGHT KNOW EACH OTHER. MAYOR, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BACK. I APPRECIATE IT. MELISSA, THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          I'M GOING TO ROLL INTO JUST A FEW PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE THIS MORNING. 
          MAYOR SAID TO ME, HE SAID WE ARE IN NEED OF PRAYER. THOSE WERE THE MAYOR'S WORDS TO ME FOR THE CITY. AND THEN THIS MORNING THE MAYOR ALSO HAD A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR ONE OF OUR FORMER MAYORS. I'LL READ THIS FROM 2 TIMOTHY, THE SECOND CHAPTER. I BELIEVE THIS IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS MOMENT 
          [00:05:01]
IN TIME. IT READS: 2 TIMOTHY 2:1 SAYS I URGE YOU, FIRST OF ALL TO PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE. ASK GOD TO HELP THEM. INTERCEDE ON THEIR BEHALF AND GIVE THANKS FOR THEM. PRAY THIS FOR KINGS AND ALL WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU. SO THAT WE WILL LIVE PEACEFULLY AND QUIET LIVES MARKED WITH GODLINESS AND WITH DIGNITY. THIS IS GOOD AND IT PLEASES GOD OUR SAVIOR WHO WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED AND TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH, THAT THERE IS ONE GOD. THAT THERE IS ONE GOD, ONE MEDIATOR WHO CAN ONLY BE THE RECONCILE UNTO GOD AND HUMANITY. THE MAN, CHRIST JESUS. 
          HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO PURCHASE FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE. AGAIN, I SAY FOR EVERYONE. 
          THIS IS THE MESSAGE GOD GAVE TO THE WORLD AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME. 
          THIS MORNING MOST GRACIOUS AND ETERNAL FATHER WE COME TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. PRAYING FOR A CITY THAT IS GRIEVING THE LOSS OF ONE OF ITS FORMER MAYORS. LORD, WE COME TO YOU, LORD, WITH HUMBLED MINDS, LORD, AS THIS COUNCIL IS IN THE ORDER OF BUSINESS, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT IS ON THIS COUNCIL. LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD BLESS THE STAFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT IS MAKING THINGS HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES, LORD. BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AS WE APPROACH ANOTHER SEASON OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON. LORD, AS WE APPROACH ANOTHER SEASON OF ELECTION SEASON, LORD BLESS EACH CANDIDATE THAT HAS PUT THEIR NAMES IN THE HAT TO BE OF SERVICE TO YOUR PEOPLE. LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD WATCH OVER THE METRO HEALTH ORGANIZATION THAT HAS PUT ON AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HEALTH AND THE AID TO THE PANDEMIC THAT STILL IS ALL OVER THIS WORLD. 
          FATHER, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER THEM. BLESS EACH AND EVERY ORGANIZATION THAT IS HERE THAT IS REPRESENTED HERE THIS MORNING. 
          FATHER, WE PRAY THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL GO OUT AND THAT WE WOULD CHANGE THE LIVES OF EACH AND EVERY PERSON INVOLVED. WE PRAY THAT EVERYBODY UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE THIS MORNING, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED, WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S AILING THEM, BOTHERING THEM, WE LAY IT AT THE THRONE OF GRACE NOW. 
          IT IS IN THE HOLY AND PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS THAT WE ASK IT ALL. 
          AMEN. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PASTOR CARR. ALL RIGHT. 
          THE FIRST ITEM FOR BUSINESS TODAY IS THE ITEM NO. 3, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 19, 20, 24 -- EXCUSE ME. 
          19, 20, AND 21. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES. 
          THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES UNDER ITEM 3. 
          ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. COUNCILMEMBER 
          MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AYE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. WE HAVE A FULL CONSENT AGENDA, ALL ITEMS EXCEPT FOR ITEM 4 ARE LISTED UNDER CONSENT. 
          THAT'S 5 THROUGH 39. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM -- 
          >> VIAGRAN: 34. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ITEM 34. 
          ANY OTHERS? 4 AND 34. IF THERE ARE NO OTHERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          >> VIAGRAN: I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. 
          THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ALL ITEMS SAVE FOR 4 AND 34. 
          WE DO HAVE A FEW FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT. 
          WE HAVE MICHAEL CUSACK ON ITEMS 10 AND 11. MICHAEL CUSACK? WE HAVE JACK FINGER ON 33. 
          [00:10:05]
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. 
          FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. ONE OF THE ITEMS I WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA, CONSENT MEANING IT WILL SAIL THROUGH FASTER THAN SANTA'S SLEIGH, IS ITEM NO. 33. 33 IS ABOUT A VARIANCE. 
          AND MR. PELAEZ, THIS HAPPENS IN YOUR DISTRICT. IT'S ABOUT GIVING, OH, A COMPANY A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE OF ENLARGING ITS SIGN ON ITS PROPERTY MUCH PAST THE STANDARDS THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED THERE. LET'S SEE. 
          MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN, LOOK AT 33, JUST BLOW THAT UP AND READ WHAT SOME OF THE UNDERLINED AREAS HAVE TO SAY THERE. 33. 
          YEAH. APPROVAL OF APPEAL OF THE DECISION OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO DENY A 20-FOOT VARIANCE. THE IDEA HERE IS YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL, APPROVING A -- THE GO AHEAD FOR THIS OUTSIDE OF THE STANDARDS. 
          DENYING A 20-FOOT VARIANCE. THE BOARD ORIGINALLY DENIED IT FOR GOOD REASON. 
          TO INCLUDE A 10-FOOT ADDITIONAL GRADE TO ALLOW FOR A MULTI-TENANT SIGN AND A 350 SQUARE FOOT VARIANCE. 350 FURTHER. FROM A MAXIMUM 300 SQUARE FOOT TO ALLOW FOR A 650 SQUARE FOOT SIGN. THIS IS OVER ON IH-10. 
          MR. PELAEZ, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, I'M JUST LOOKING AT ONE OF ITS ITEMS HERE. 
          DENIAL OF THE VARIANCE WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE A CESSATION OF LEGITIMATE LONGSTANDING COMMERCIAL USE OF THE PROPERTY. THE QUESTION ARISES. 
          LONGSTANDING, MEANING THEY HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION OF THE STANDARDS FOR A LONG TIME? WHY? HOW DID THEY GET AWAY WITH THE -- AS A CULPRIT FROM STAYING WITH THE STANDARDS THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED? YOU KNOW, FURTHER ON IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS IT SAYS THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS, QUOTE, STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE APPEAL OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT'S ACTION. DENIAL. 
          THAT'S WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDS, SIR. WELL, THE QUESTION IS WILL YOU ALLOW THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO SAY NO TO THIS, IT'S A BAD IDEA AND DON'T GO AGAINST OUR STANDARDS? OR WILL YOU JUST ALLOW THEM TO HAVE SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AGAINST EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CITY WHO HAS TO ABIDE BY THE RULES? WE'RE STILL WAITING ON YOUR SUGGESTION ON 33, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. 
          ALL RIGHT. THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON CONSENT TO I'LL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUES NOW TO BEGIN COUNCIL DISCUSSION. 
          I DON'T HAVE A QUEUE SO IF YOU COULD JUST SIGNAL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON 
          CONSENT. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS MORNING I'M EXCITED AND HONORED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 38. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE HONOR TO CELEBRATE A TRUE CHAMPION AND TIRELESS ADVOCATE AND A LIFELONG FRIEND TO THE WEST SIDE, MR. ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ. 
          HIS PASSION, VISION, AND DEDICATION HAVE SHAPED NOT ONLY THE FUTURE OF THE CREEK SYSTEM BUT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS IT. I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HEARING HIS STORIES AND HEARING HIM SPEAK OF THE CREEKS AND PLACES THAT WERE ONCE FULL OF LIFE, TEEMING WITH CRAWFISH AND SOUNDS OF CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE CREEK. THE HISTORY OF THE CREEK IS NOT JUST ONE OF BEAUTY AND TRANQUILITY. IN THE '70S THE CREEKS WERE TRANSFORMED AND WITH IT A PIECE OF THE WEST SIDE SOUL. HOWEVER, AT THE EXPENSE OF FLOOD CONTROL. SO HOWEVER, ROBERTO REFUSED TO ACCEPT THAT THIS WAS THE END OF THE STORY. INSTEAD OF WALKING AWAY, HE CHOSE TO CREATE AND LED THE CREATION OF A WESTSIDE CREEK'S RESTORATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND HIS LEADERSHIP HELPED SECURE PILOT RESTORATION PROJECT THAT IS NOW TRANSFORMING THE LANDSCAPE OF THE WEST SIDE ECOSYSTEM. WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ENDORSE THE ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ WESTSIDE CREEK'S ECOSYSTEM, A NAME FOREVER TIED TO HIS LEGACY, LEADERSHIP, RESILIENCE, AND TIES TO THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A LEADER AND A VOICE OF THE WEST SIDE. HE'S HERE WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE STOOD ALONGSIDE HIM THE ENTIRE WAY. 
          CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY. 
          [APPLAUSE] 
          [00:15:14]
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE 
          GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I HAVE TWO ITEMS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. THE FIRST ITEM IS ITEM NO. 
          29. AND THAT IS APPOINTING MICHELE DALBIS-ROBLEDO TO THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MICHELE, IF YOU DON'T MIND STANDING. SHE IS JOINED BY HER HUSBAND RICHARD. 
          MICHELE IS A VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT 7 COMMUNITY. RIGHT AFTER I LAUNCHED MY CAMPAIGN, MICHELE WAS THE FIRST RESIDENT I MET WITH FOR LUNCH SO I COULD GET A DOWNLOAD OF DISTRICT 7. SHE SERVED SAN ANTONIO IN NUMEROUS ROLES. 
          SHE IS CURRENTLY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WHERE SHE SERVED AS PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. SHE HAS WORKED AS AN ELECTION JUDGE THIS PAST CYCLE AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS SERVED ON NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE, WAS AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WORKED IN THE DISTRICT 7 OFFICE AND MANY OTHERS. MICHELE IS A STRONG AND UNAPOLOGETIC COMMUNITY ADVOCATE FOR HER COMMUNITY. SHE IS FUNNY. 
          SHE'S KIND, FULL OF LIFE. YOU HAVE TO TASTE HER FRESHLY-BAKED COOKIES. 
          IN ALL SERIOUSNESS I DO KNOW THAT MICHELE IS GOING TO ADD SO MUCH TO THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I WANT TO THANK OUR OUTGOING MEMBER PAUL C STAHL FOR HIS SERVICE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT MICHELE WILL BRING TO THIS BOARD. 
          THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK 
          YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. >> GAVITO: I ALSO DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NO. 38, THE ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ CREEK SYSTEM. I WANTED TO THANK COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR HER LEADERSHIP. HE HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR RESTORING CREEKS FOR YEARS. GREEN SPACES ON THE WEST SIDE HAVE BEEN SPACER TO MR. ROE BEEN IMPACTFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY. MANY RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT 7 ENJOY THE TRAIL ALONG MARTINEZ CREEK AND WOODLAWN LAKE FEEDS INTO THE ALAZAN CREEK. WITH HIS ADVOCACY, MANY DISTRICT 7 RESIDENTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE TRAILS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. 
          I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. AND I'M GLAD TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE AND I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT ELSE COMES FROM THE RESTORATION EFFORTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, C OUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. [APPLAUSE] COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE APPOINTMENT OF FRANCISCO "FRANK" SANCHEZ TO THE SAN ANTONIO DIEZ Y SEIS COMMISSION. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT THAT WE GET TO HAVE A COMMISSION. THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO AND I WANTED TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ AND EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR THIS. IT'S JUST SUCH A JOYOUS OCCASION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY. 
          HEARING NONE, I'LL ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS A MILLION TO ROBERTO AND THE FAMILY AS WELL. MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          WITH THAT, THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEMS -- ALL ITEMS SAVE FOR 4 AND 34. PLEASE VOTE. 
          FOR THE RECORD, ITEM 37 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AND IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED TODAY. 
          PLEASE VOTE. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AYE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: MOTION CARRIES. 
          [APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT. WE DO HAVE, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, A FEW CEREMONIALS TO RECOGNIZE. AND SO AS FOLKS, IF THEY ARE FILTERING OUT, IF YOU COULD KEEP THE VOLUME DOWN, WE'RE GOING TO BRING UP OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO COME UP TO THE FRONT WHO IS DRESSED IN RED CAN DO THAT AS WELL BECAUSE WE'RE CELEBRATING AND RECOGNIZING WORLD AIDS DAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SAN ANTONIO WILL JOIN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GLOBE TO RECOGNIZE WORLD AIDS DAY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HIV AND AIDS AND TO HONOR THE LIVES AFFECTED BY THE EPIDEMIC. 
          THEME COLLECTIVE ACTION, SUSTAIN, AND ACCELERATE HIV PROGRESS. 
          WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE CITIES AROUND THE WORLD TAKING PART 
          [00:20:01]
IN THE FAST-TRACK CITIES INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON ACHIEVING THE 95 TARGETS WHICH INCLUDE FIRST 95% OF PEOPLE WITH HIV KNOWING THEIR STATUS. 
          SECOND, 95% OF PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH HIV BEING ON TREATMENT. 
          AND, THIRD, 95% OF PEOPLE ON HIV TREATMENT HAVING UNDETECTABLE VIRAL LOADS. 
          WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN DISTRICT'S SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED PROGRAM OPERATES A CLINIC THAT TESTS AND TREATS INFECTIONS WHILE PROVIDING DISEASE INTERVENTION SERVICES THROUGH EDUCATION AND RISK REDUCTION COUNSELING. THE METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT PARTNERS WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND TREATMENT. WHEREAS PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ABOUT HIV AIDS IS HIGHTAL TO COMBAT STIGMA, GET TESTED AND KNOW THEIR STATUS. 
          NOW THEREFORE I, RON NIRENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 1, 2024 TO BE WORLD AIDS DAY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF HIV/AIDS AND JOIN THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO PREVENT AND FURTHER SPREAD OF HIV AND AIDS . WELCOME YOU ALL AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 
          LIFE-SAVING WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          [APPLAUSE] SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS. 
          I'M HERE WITH ALL THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS RIGHT BEHIND US. 
          EACH YEAR SINCE 1988, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, COMMUNITIES LIKE US HAVE COME TOGETHER ON WORLD AIDS DAY TO SHOW STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY AGAINST HIV STIGMA AND REMEMBER LIVES LOST TO HIV/AIDS. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. EVERYONE IS HERE TO REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO ENDING THIS HIV PANDEMIC AND REFLECT ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE SINCE OUR COMMITMENT WAY BACK IN THE EARLY 1980S. CURRENTLY WE HAVE SLIGHTLY OVER 7500 INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          EVERY YEAR ANNUALLY HERE WE FIND ABOUT 300 TO 350 NEW HIV INFECTIONS. 
          SO TODAY, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE HERE TO REAFFIRM A PLEDGE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE UNTIL WE PUT AN END TO THIS EPIDEMIC. 
          WE COLLECTIVELY HAVE MADE SURE THAT TESTING IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. WE HAVE MADE SURE THAT PREP IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE RAPID LINKAGE TO CARE FOR OUR NEW INFECTIONS OR PEOPLE DIAGNOSED THROUGH A RAPID-START INITIATIVE AND THAT IS THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF END HIV STIGMA ALLIANCE . THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT FOR THIS ENDEAVOR OF OURS AND ALL THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE THIS MORNING. MANY OF THEM ARE NOT HERE, SO THANK YOU TO THEM AS WELL. AND, OF COURSE, MY INCREDIBLE METRO HEALTH TEAM HERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR PROVIDING STIGMA-FREE CARE WITH 
          COMPASSION TO THOSE IMPACTED WITH HIV. >> I'M FROM THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION AND IN 1986 WHEN OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED OFTEN VERY ALONE. AND SO HE OPENED UP A HOME FOR HIM. 
          WHEN HE DID THAT, THERE WAS A LOT OF CRITICISM IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          PEOPLE WERE VERY AFRAID OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS BUT HE STOOD STRONG AND FINALLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOLKS LIKE YOU, WAS ABLE TO BUILD AN ORGANIZATION THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV. 
          THANKFULLY, DUE TO MEDICATIONS AND THE EFFORTS OF SO MANY HERE TODAY, PEOPLE DO NOT DIE FROM AIDS AS OFTEN AS THEY DID BEFORE. PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH AND THRIVING WITH HIV. UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE STILL DO DIE OF AIDS WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO CARE, WHEN THEY GET TESTED LATE. THAT'S DUE TO STIGMA AND FEAR. I AM THRILLED TO BE PART OF A CITY LIKE THIS WHO IS A BEACON OF LIGHT IN A STATE AND SOMETIMES A COUNTRY THAT OTHERWISE NOT SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE THE EFFORTS OF YOU ALL HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV AND HELPING US TO PREVENT NEW INFECTIONS. 
          WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND THANKFUL TO HONOR ALL OF THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST TO AIDS IN THE EARLY YEARS AND HOPEFULLY TO NO LONGER SEE AIDS DEATHS IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU ALL. [APPLAUSE] 
          >> GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M WITH THE FIESTA YOUTH. 
          [00:25:06]
FIESTA YOUTH IS SAN ANTONIO'S ONLY LGBTQ+ ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES THE CITY'S YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER RISK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION, OUR ORGANIZATION INTEGRATES HIV AND AIDS EDUCATION INTO OUR PROGRAMMING FOR BOTH OUR TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT GROUPS. 
          FIESTA YOUTH IS PROUD TO BE SPONSORING SOME OF THIS YEAR'S WORLD AIDS DAY EVENTS WITH LIVING POSITIVE AND HAS PARTNERED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE U.T. 
          HEALTH, METRO HEALTH, AND BEAT AIDS. WE APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERSHIP FOR COMMEMORATING WORLD AIDS DAY WITH US, SUPPORTING THOSE LIVING WITH AND AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS AND HELPING TO END THE STIGMA OF HIV. 
          THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS WAYNE. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AM ACTUALLY A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV IN BEXAR COUNTY. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU, MAYOR IS ALLOWING US TO HAVE A SPACE ALWAYS, A FREE VOICE TO LIFT UP THOSE LIVING WITH HIV AND THOSE AFFECTED BY HIV. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUCH A STRONG ADVOCATE ALLY FOR US AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
          [APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE DO HAVE SOME -- DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION? IF NOT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, WITH SOME COMMENTS. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. ON SUNDAY I WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THE WORLD AIDS COMMEMORATION AND THEY HAD THE BLANKETS ON THE SOUTH LAWN OF ALL OF THE LIVES THAT HAD BEEN LOST. IT WAS A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE TO WALK THROUGH THE BLANKETS AND SEE THE LIVES THAT WERE LOST SO EARLY ON. 
          THE PRESIDENT INTRODUCED A MOTHER WHOSE 13-YEAR-OLD SON HAD DIED OF AIDS BECAUSE OF A BLOOD TRANSFUSION THAT HE NEEDED. AND THAT'S HOW HE GOT AIDS. 
          IT WAS SUCH A SAD OCCASION BUT REMINDING US THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. 
          I WAS ABLE TO MEET DR. FAUCI AND SO OF COURSE A HERO IN MANY REGARDS. 
          BUT IN PARTICULAR IN HIS FIGHT AGAINST THE AIDS EPIDEMIC, WHICH HE REALIZED THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AT THE BEGINNING AND THERE WAS MISTAKES MADE. 
          BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THERE WAS CONTINUED DISCUSSION, CONTINUED RESEARCH, CONTINUED FOCUS ON WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. I MET WITH PEOPLE FROM THE CDC AND THEY -- BY THE WAY, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK THAT SAN ANTONIO IS DOING. THEY SAID THAT SAN ANTONIO IS AN INCREDIBLE PLACE. 
          I WAS SO PROUD TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT SAN ANTONIO THAT DAY BECAUSE WE ALSO, BY THE WAY, HAVE $3.1 MILLION IN HOPWA GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH AIDS, WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE IN NEED OF OUR ATTENTION. THE MOST ATTENTION THAT WE NEED. 
          AND I WAS JUST SO GRATEFUL. EVERY TIME THAT I SEE THE STD CLINIC I STOP BY AND SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING THE WORK. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT THERE. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR BEING OUT THERE. 
          SOMETHING HIT ME REALLY HARD ON SUNDAY AND ONE OF THE TESTIMONIALS WAS A REMINDER THAT SAID WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE WORK BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HATE PEOPLE WITH AIDS, WHEN IN REALITY WE SHOULD JUST BE HATING AIDS AND WE SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT HOW WE DO MORE TO CONTINUE THAT RESEARCH. IT'S MILES AHEAD FROM WHERE IT WAS IN 1981 WHEN IT FIRST WAS OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED. AS A MATTER OF FACT, DR. FAUCI IN SEVERAL INTERVIEWS HAS SAID THAT HE HAD PEOPLE WHO HATED HIM IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE HE WASN'T DOING ENOUGH. BUT THAT ALSO MOTIVATED HIM TO WORK WITH HIS NEMESIS AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FOUND A SOLUTION. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. ON MY RIGHT, ON THE WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL BACK FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, I TOLD MY UBER DRIVER WHAT I WAS DOING AND HE SAID HE LOST HIS 37-YEAR-OLD NEPHEW TO AIDS AS WELL. A WONDERFUL NEPHEW THAT HAD HIS WHOLE FUTURE AHEAD. THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TODAY. 
          BY CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH AIDS, WHO WE KNOW WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN CONTINUE TO CARE FOR THEM. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          I DO ALSO WANT TO JUST REITERATE MY THANKS TO YOU ALL. 
          [00:30:01]
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT AIDS LIKE WE USED TO. AS A CHILD IN THE '80S, GROWING UP WITH KNOWLEDGE OF HIV AND AIDS BEING A DEATH SENTENCE FOR ANYBODY. 
          IT'S NOT THAT WAY ANYMORE BUT IT IS, UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH DISPARITIES. SO THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, PARTICULARLY TO BE OUT IN COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IS REALLY SAVING LIVES AND DESERVES TREMENDOUS COMMENDATION FROM ALL OF US. I BELIEVE I READ THAT THE LIFE SPAN -- AVERAGE LIFE SPAN FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING WITH ACTIVE HIV AND AIDS IS NOW 77 SO IT'S VIRTUALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF OUR POPULATION AS LONG AS PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE GOOD QUALITY HEALTHCARE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM. THAT'S OUR COLLECTIVE WORK AND THAT'S THE WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY. ON BEHALF OF ALL THE COMMUNITY, MANY MEMBERS WHO DON'T REALIZE PERHAPS THEY HAVE AN ACTIVE INFECTION OR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OR THOSE WHO LIVE AMONG US WITH THAT CONCERN, I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF EVERY SAN ANTONIAN. 
          GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOW ALSO MY HONOR TO WELCOME -- SAN ANTONIO IS A CITY OF GASTRONOMY. WE ARE RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY AND JUST RECENTLY ONE OF OUR OWN WAS RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY AS WELL ON THE FOOD NETWORK SO IF OUR BAKER, MANNY MARTINEZ CAN COME FORWARD. ARE YOU STILL HERE, CHEF? YEAH, I CAN'T MISTAKE HIM. AND YOU WON'T EITHER. IF YOU WATCHED THE FOOD NETWORK'S HALLOWEEN BAKING COMPETITION, SEASON 10, MANNY MARTINEZ WAS REPRESENTING SAN ANTONIO AND WON THE SEASON. SO CONGRATULATIONS, MANNY, FOR REPRESENTING THE CITY OF GASTRONOMY. [APPLAUSE] AND WITH A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, ALSO IN ADDITION TO YOUR CONGRATULATIONS, BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO 
          COUNCILMAN PELAEZ. >> PELAEZ: MANNY, WELCOME TO CITY HALL. 
          MONIQUE, YOUR WIFE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THE HEIRS TO YOUR VAST ESTATE, YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU. YOU AND MONIQUE ARE KNOWN AS THE GRIM BAKERS AND THE THEME OF YOUR WORK IS ALWAYS SPOOKINESS, KIND OF WITH A HALLOWEEN THEME. 
          THIS YEAR Y'ALL WON THE HALLOWEEN BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE BAKING ROYALTY. I KNOW THAT MICHELE DALBIS-ROBLEDO WHO WAS HERE EARLIER MAKES SOME DARN GOOD COOKIES BUT YOU'RE AT A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVEL. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE WERE TEN CONTESTANTS ON THIS SHOW THAT YOU BROUGHT HOME $25,000. AND THAT YOU WON THAT WITH A CAKE CALLED THE FANGTASTIC BLACK VAMPIRE CAKE. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, YOU TOOK THAT $25,000 AND PLACED A REALLY BIG BET ON YOURSELF AND ON YOUR FAMILY AND ON SAN ANTONIO AND YOU STARTED YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND YOU'LL BE OPENING LATER THIS WEEK YOUR VERY FIRST GRIM BAKERS RETAIL SPACE AT THE MALL. THAT'S WONDERFUL. WE'VE DONE A SURVEY AROUND HERE FOR TWO THEMED BAKED COOKIES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER. 
          ONE IS CALLED THE MANNY BOOLAEZ. BUT THE ONE THAT TOOK THE CAKE I CAN'T WAIT TO VISIT YOUR NEW SHOP AT THE WONDERAND OF THE AMERICAS . 
          THE GRIM BAKERS . [APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY 
          REMARKS FOR US AND FOR YOUR CITY, MANNY? >> ACTUALLY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A NATIVE SAN ANTONIAN, I FEEL LIKE THIS CITY HAS REALLY DONE A LOT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND THE LEVEL OF PRIDE AND CULTURE THE CITY HAS IS REALLY INSPIRING. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS GROWING CITY AND PROVIDE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY AND JUST LIVE THROUGH FOR THE 
          HOLIDAYS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHEF. 
          CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ON THE OPENING OF THE BAKERY. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. MANNY MARTINEZ. [APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO OUR ACTION ITEMS, INDIVIDUAL 
          ITEMS NOW. WE'LL PULL UP ITEM NO. 4. >> CLERK: ITEM NO. 4 IS AN 
          [00:35:03]
ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5 OF THE CITY CODE ENTITLED ANIMALS TO INCREASE MINIMUM FINES FOR REPEAT ROAMING DOG AND BITE OFFENDERS AND TO CLARIFY LANGUAGE REGARDING STERILIZATION REQUIREMENTS OF OWNED ANIMALS FOUND FREE OF RESTRAINT. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. MIKE, DO WE HAVE A 
          PRESENTATION ? THE FLOORS IS YOURS. >> MIKE SHANNON, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. I'M GOING TO GO OVER OUR PROPOSAL TO CHANGE CITY CODE CHAPTER 5, WHICH DEALS WITH OUR ANIMALS AND OUR REGULATIONS. THIS REALLY ALL STARTED WITH A CCR THAT WAS SUBMITTED BACK IN MAY. IT WAS FROM COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO IN DISTRICT 7 AND IT WAS REALLY -- CHALLENGED US TO LOOK AT OUR PROBLEM IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF ROAMING DOGS THAT ARE CAUSING ISSUES. 
          TOO MANY DOG BITES AND REALLY JUST CREATING A PROBLEM. 
          A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THE CCR ASKED US TO LOOK AT INCLUDES INCREASING FINES FOR REPEAT VIOLATORS. WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND PET OWNERS THAT NOT ONLY VIOLATE THE CODE BUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          SO THAT'S A PROBLEM. WE ALSO WANT TO INCREASE STERILIZATION OF DOGS, ESPECIALLY. IF THEY ARE FOUND FREE OF RESTRAINT. 
          THERE'S A STATE LAW THAT KIND OF ALLOWS THAT. OUR CITY CODE HAS A STIPULATION THAT DOES THIS SO WE WANT TO MATCH THOSE TO DO MORE STERILIZATIONS. 
          WE ALSO WANT TO IMPLEMENT A PSEUDONYM PROGRAM WHERE SOMEONE WHO MAY BE A VICTIM OR WITNESS OF A DANGEROUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOG CAN START THE PROCESS WITHOUT THE FEAR OF GIVING THEIR NAME SO THE NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET ISN'T ANGRY WITH THEM. 
          WE DID PRESENT THIS TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE BACK IN JUNE. 
          WE ALSO WENT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER AND I PRESENTED THE PROPOSALS I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU TODAY. AND THEY ASKED US TO BRING IT HERE FOR APPROVAL. SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE A CURRENT CITY CODE THAT HAS A FINE STRUCTURE FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE ANIMAL CODE. 
          IT'S $100 MINIMUM FOR FIRST OFFENSE AND THEN IT GOES TO $200 AND $300 FOR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES. WE THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO INCREASE THOSE FINES FOR THE REPEAT VIOLATORS TO 500 AND 750. PHYSICAL YOU LET YOUR DOGS ROAM IN THE STREETS, WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO PAY MORE ATTENTION WILL BE THAT DETERRENT THROUGH AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AND TELLING THEM, HEY, THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PET OWNERS NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S ALSO, WHEN YOUR DOG BITES SOMEONE. THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM. YOU KNOW THIS. 
          THIS IS NOT A SECRET. WE HAVE TOO MANY DOG BITES IN THE CITY. 
          WE HAVE IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS THAT ARE NOT DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. 
          THE SAME FINE STRUCTURE IS IN OUR CURRENT CODE. WE'RE PROPOSING TO INCREASE FINES FOR FAILURE TO PREVENT BITES. IF YOU DON'T REASONABLY DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO TO PREVENT YOUR DOG BITING A PERSON, WE BELIEVE THE FINE SHOULD BE INCREASED AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO INCREASE TO $1,000 MINIMUM AND THEN 1500 TO $2,000. WE HAVE TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT THIS IS SERIOUS AND THE PET OWNERS NEED TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE. SO THAT'S THE INCREASED FINES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING THROUGH A CODE CHANGE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT STERILIZATION OF DOGS THAT WE FIND AT ACS THAT ARE FREE OF RESTRAINT. 
          WE GET CALLS TO PICK UP ANIMALS AND THEN WE GIVE THEM BACK TO THEIR OWNERS EITHER THROUGH OUR CAMPUS AND THEY ARE RECLAIMED ON CAMPUS OR WE FIND OUT THAT IT'S THEIR DOG DOWN THE STREET. WE KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND GIVE IT BACK TO THE OWNER. THE CURRENT CODE SAYS I HAVE TO GIVE YOU A STERILIZATION ORDER. I HAVE TO GIVE YOU 30 DAYS AND AFTER 30 DAYS IF YOU DON'T DO IT, WE WILL CITE YOU UNTIL YOU GET IT DONE. THAT PROCESS IS NOT THAT EFFECTIVE. THERE'S A FEW THINGS WE'RE GOING TO CHOOSE TO DO. 
          ONE OF THEM IS TO CHANGE THE CODE. THERE IS THIS CURRENT CITY CODE WHICH TELLS US I HAVE TO GIVE IT BACK. I HAVE TO GIVE THEM 30 DAYS. 
          I CAN'T STERILIZE BEFORE I GIVE THEM THE 30 DAYS. THAT'S OUR CURRENT CITY CODE. SO HERE'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE ISSUED THOUSANDS OF STERILIZATION ORDERS. WE'RE STILL NOT HAVING THE IMPACT ON RESIDENTS, ONLY GETTING ABOUT 12% LAST YEAR OF THOSE STERILIZATIONS THAT SHOULD BE DONE, THAT ARE REQUIRED BY CODE. THEY'RE NOT GETTING DONE SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS NOT PROVIDING THE RESULTS. ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE THINK CHANGING THE CODE AND ALSO OUR PROCESS WILL INCREASE THAT. 
          SO AS PROPOSED IN THE CCR, WE'RE GOING TO AMEND PARTS OF OUR CODE SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY STERILIZE THE FREE OF RESTRAINT DOG, THE DOG THAT WE PICK UP BEFORE I 
          [00:40:02]
GIVE IT BACK TO YOU. THAT'S ALLOWED BY STATE LAW. WE THINK OUR CITY CODE SHOULD BE MATCHED UP TO THAT. HERE'S THE LANGUAGE. 
          THIS IS THE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE AND THE SECTIONS WE WILL CHANGE BUT THAT PRETTY MUCH DOES WHAT I JUST SAID. BEFORE WE GIVE IT BACK TO YOU, IT'S OUR CHOICE. 
          WE CAN, LIKE STATE LAW SAYS WE CAN AND WILL, STERILIZE THE DOG BEFORE YOU PICK IT UP FROM OUR CAMPUS. CAN WE PHYSICALLY DO THAT? DO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT? ARE WE SET UP TO DO THAT? RIGHT NOW THAT'S 2024 DATA. 
          THERE WERE 7,000 PETS THAT WE FOUND THAT WE RETURNED TO OWNERS THROUGH ONE OF OUR PROCESSES. IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, THAT 2400 NUMBER TAKES AWAY ANIMALS THAT MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR STERILIZATION OR WE RAN INTO THAT ANIMAL NOT FREE OF RESTRAINT. WE PICKED IT UP SOME OTHER WAY, MAYBE THE OWNER GAVE IT TO US OR SOMETHING. IN THE FIELD, WE DO ABOUT 1800 LAST YEAR AND ALMOST 600 FROM OUR CAMPUS. SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING WITH A CODE CHANGE IS ANY DOG THAT MAKES IT BACK TO OUR CAMPUS THROUGH OUR NORMAL ACS PROCESS, BEFORE THE OWNER PICKS IT UP, WE WON'T GIVE THAT OWNER A YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO GET IT DONE, WE WILL DO THAT. ABOUT 600 MORE STERILIZATIONS. 
          WE'LL MONITOR THAT. WE TOLD THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WE WILL BE BACK IN MAY OR JUNE ON HOW IT'S WORKING. WITH THE FIELD RETURN TO OWNERS, MY STAFF THAT'S OUT IN THE FIELD, WE WILL STILL USE STERILIZATION ORDERS BUT WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF NOT ONLY ISSUING THEM BUT FOLLOWING THEM UP. 
          WE HAVE TO 100% OF THE TIME FOLLOW UP ON THAT. THAT'S OUR PROPOSAL. 
          THE QUESTION WE WERE ASKED AT PUBLIC SAFETY WAS WHY CAN'T THE OFFICERS JUST BRING THEM BACK TO OUR CAMPUS AND DO ALL THE STERILIZATIONS AT OUR CAMPUS? THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. ONE, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE BACK AND FORTH FROM OUR OFFICERS IN THE FIELD TO OUR CAMPUS. 
          THAT WOULD REDUCE OUR ABILITY TO GET TO 100% OF OUR CRITICAL CALLS, WHICH IS OUR MAIN INITIATIVE WITH THE ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT YOU HAVE ALL GIVEN US THROUGH THE BUDGET. SCHEDULING LOGISTICS, IT'S NOT THAT EASY. 
          IF WE PICK UP AN ANIMAL AT 2:00 P.M., WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANIMAL IS READY FOR SURGERY. DID IT EAT, DID IT NOT EAT? WE DON'T HAVE THE SHELTER CAPACITY TO HAVE THAT OVERNIGHT AND WATCH THEM FOR 24 HOURS. 
          IT'S SIMILAR TO IF I NEED A SURGERY, WHAT DOES THE DOCTOR TELL ME? DON'T EAT AFTER MIDNIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE PREPPED FOR SURGERY. 
          SHELTER CAPACITY AND DISEASE CONTROL BRINGING THOSE ANIMALS BACK. 
          WE DO THINK THIS WILL MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT. A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE CCR IS WE'RE ALREADY ALLOWING THE USE OF PSEUDONYMS. WE DIDN'T NEED TO CHANGE THE CODE FOR THAT. WE HAVE MODIFIED OUR PROCESS. IF WE RUN INTO SOMEONE WHO IS FEARFUL OF USING THEIR NAME TO START THE DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATION PROCESS, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED THAT. THE CHALLENGE THERE IS STATE LAW SAYS, THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS, EVENTUALLY IF WE GET TO COURT, I WILL HAVE TO GIVE MY NAME BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO WAS CLAIMING YOUR DOG WAS DANGEROUS. 
          WE THINK THAT WILL HELP OUT. WE ALSO STARTED TO PROGRAM -- I WENT OVER THIS WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. WE STARTED A PROGRAM. 
          WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE CODE. WE JUST STARTED LOOKING AT REPEAT BITE CASES. 
          WE HAD OVER 380 PROPERTIES THAT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS HAD A BITE PLUS ANOTHER BITE OR OTHER ACS VIOLATION. WE HAVE PROACTIVELY STARTED INSPECTING THOSE. 
          THEIR PROGRAM IS ONGOING. WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND 54 VIOLATIONS WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE 311 CALL TO COME IN. CERTAINLY WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, WORKING WITH SALLY AND HER TEAM. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF BILLS FILED FROM REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS AND SENATOR MENENDEZ THIS WEEK TO FURTHER ALLOW AFFIDAVITS FROM ACOS AND NOT REALLY NEED A WITNESS TO FURTHER PROTECT WITNESSES. INCREASE PENALTIES FOR MAJOR DOG BITE ISSUES. 
          AND THEN WE'RE EVEN GOING TO LOOK AT PROHIBITING DANGEROUS DOG OWNERS FROM OWNING PETS IF THEY HAVE A REPEATED HIST HISTORY OF THIS. THOSE ARE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON. WITH THAT, THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION TODAY IS TO CHANGE THE CODE. WE'LL BEGIN STERILIZATION OF THOSE PETS THAT MAKE IT BACK TO OUR CAMPUS THAT WERE FREE OF RESTRAINT AS SOON AS THIS CHANGE HAPPENS, AND WE'LL ENSURE THE 100% FOLLOW-UP ON THOSE STERILIZATION AGREEMENTS THAT WE DO STILL USE. WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, MIKE. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 4, SO I'LL TAKE THEM NOW. I'LL START WITH ALLEN HEP. MR. HEP, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED 
          [00:45:03]
BY MICHAEL CUSACK. 
          >> DEAR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WORK ON THIS MEASURE. I'M ALLEN HEP. 
          I'M THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. WE PARTNER WITH ACS TO HELP ADOPT OVER 6,000 DOGS AND CATS EVERY YEAR. WE SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND MEASURES THE CITY ENACTS WHICH FURTHERS SAN ANTONIO'S POSITION TOWARDS INCREASED RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP WE SUPPORT BY PROXY. 
          SPECIFICALLY THE CLARIFICATION OF THE LANGUAGE IN CHAPTER 5 OF THIS MEASURE DOES SO. THANK YOU AND THANKS TO THE DISTRICT 7 REPRESENTATIVE 
          FOR SPEARHEADING THIS EFFORT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. HEP. MICHAEL CUSACK. MICHAEL CUSACK? OKAY. I'M GOING TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. IF I CAN GET A MOTION ON THE ITEM. 
          >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I PUSHED FOR THESE 
          CHANGES -- >> VIAGRAN: I MAKE A MOTION. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 4. 
          COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: SORRY. 
          DO I NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION? I MAKE THE MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. GOT IT. SO I PUSHED FOR THESE CHANGES ON BEHALF OF TWO FAMILIES AND EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAS SUFFERED OR DIED BECAUSE OF NEGLIGENT DOG OWNERS. BACK IN MARCH WE HELD A PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL AND WE HEARD RESIDENTS LOUD AND CLEAR. 
          THEY WANT IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. 
          THIS IS WHY WE'RE INCREASING THE FINES ON PEOPLE WHOSE DOGS GET OUT. 
          AND THIS IS ALSO WHY WE HAVE TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. 
          THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS TO MAKE SURE DOGS ARE SPAYED AND NEUTERED. 
          ANY DOG PICKED UP BY ACS WILL GET FIXED AND IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT, DON'T LET YOUR DOG GET OUT. WE FOUND A WAY TO PROTECT RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO REPORT A DANGEROUS DOG IN THEIR COMMUNITY. IN THE PAST THEY HAVE FEARED RETALIATION AND TODAY THEY CAN FEEL SAFE AND CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK THE NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN. MIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL YOUR EFFORTS AROUND THIS. I WANT TO THANK ANDY AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          I ALSO WANT TO THANK DAVID MCCARY AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          I ALSO WANT TO THANK SENATOR JOSE MENENDEZ BECAUSE HE WAS TRULY HELPFUL IN HELPING OUR TEAM THINK ABOUT THIS CCR. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS CONTINUED BACKING ON THIS EFFORT. AND ALSO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS FROM THE GET-GO. THIS WAS TRULY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN ACS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND THE COMMUNITY. 
          RESIDENTS DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE WHEN WALKING DOWN THE STREET. 
          THEY DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE LETTING THEIR KIDS PLAY OUTSIDE. 
          AND THEY DESERVE TO SEE JUSTICE BE SERVED. DOG ATTACKS HAVE NO PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS CHANGE WAS LONG OVERDUE AND IT'S TIME FOR THE CULTURE OF DOG OWNERSHIP TO CHANGE IN SAN ANTONIO. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, YESTERDAY I JUST ADOPTED BUTTER FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. [APPLAUSE] THANKS. HE WAS ALREADY GIVING ME SO MANY HEADACHES THIS MORNING BUT IT'S SO FUN. THE GIRLS AND I ARE IN LOVE WITH HIM ALREADY AND, YOU KNOW, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO ADOPT AND NOT SHOP FOR DOGS. 
          WITH THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE AND OTHERS, ALL THESE NONPROFITS WHO ARE DOING SO MUCH GREAT WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EUTHANASIA RATE STAYS LOW. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MY COLLEAGUES' SUPPORT ON THIS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. 
          >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THESE CHANGES. 
          I WANT TO THANK GEORGE GARCIA, WHO SERVES ON THE ACS ADVISORY BOARD. 
          HE'S A D3 RESIDENT THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ADVOCATING THAT WE WORK REALLY HARD ON ADDRESSING OUR ISSUES AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF ROAMING DOGS THAT ARE DUMPED ON THE SOUTH SIDE. I WANT TO THANK EMILY FOR HER PROACTIVE WORK WITH RESCUES AND HER SPAY AND NEUTER INITIATIVES. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT 3 WHO HAVE A DOG THAT COMES UP TO THEIR HOME AND THEY DECIDE TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND FEED IT AND THAT WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE THAT NOW IT'S YOURS. AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THEM FIXED. 
          [00:50:05]
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING THE CRISIS WE HAVE WITH THE STRAY DOGS, WITH THE BITES, WITH PET OWNERS THAT NEED TO BE INFORMED. 
          I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STEP AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THE ONE THING I DID HAVE IN TERMS OF QUESTIONS, MIKE, FOR YOU IS REGARDING MUNICIPAL COURT'S ROLE AND ARE WE PUTTING FORWARD, ARE THEY WORKING ON A REPEAT OFFENDER KIND OF LIST, GETTING THAT OUT TO COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THAT, ONCE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'VE SEEN SOMEBODY. 
          HOW CAN WE COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH THE JUDGES OVER IN MUNICIPAL COURT? 
          >> WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. I DID JUST PRESENT TO THE ANIMAL CARE ADVISORY BOARD -- GEORGE IS GREAT AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS HERE TODAY . THEY'RE GREAT. BUT I DID TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT OUR MUNICIPAL COURT, THE JUDGE, FRED ARE DOING OVER THERE. 
          THEY HAVE GIVEN US MORE CAPACITY TO HEAR MORE OF THESE CASES. 
          BECAUSE OUR CITATIONS ARE UP. BUT ALSO IDENTIFYING THOSE REPEAT VIOLATORS. BECAUSE THE JUDGE EVENTUALLY HAS THE RULING. 
          THEY LAYER THE CASE. THEY MAKE A RULING AND SET THE FINE BASED ON THE CODE AND THE FACTS OF THE CASE. THE IDEA OF THE REPEAT VIOLATORS, THEY KNOW THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND BEING MORE STRICT TO THEM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          CERTAINLY IF WE NEED TO PUT A LIST TOGETHER OF THAT DATA, WE CAN. 
          SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. 
          AND THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD WITH IS REALLY WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT OUR HOME REHAB REPAIR, HOW WE'RE HELPING THE SENIORS AND THOSE THAT ARE GETTING FINED AND GETTING OFFENSES IS MAYBE WE LOOK AT HOW DO WE GET THEM TO MAKE SURE THEIR FENCE IS SECURE. HOW DO WE GET THEM INTO THEIR PET MANAGEMENT CLASSES OR GET THEM WITH THE RIGHT NONPROFIT THAT WILL HELP THEM, THAT THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR YOUR PET IN BEING AN EFFECTIVE PET OWNER. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. JOB WELL DONE. 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. 
          COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I ALSO WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO FOR HER WORK ON THIS. SHE HAS TRULY BEEN A CHAMPION OF THESE MUCH-NEEDED CHANGES. AND SO, COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. 
          BOTTOM LINE, THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN NUMEROUS MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HELD. 
          AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENED JUST IN THE LAST YEAR ACROSS OUR CITY WITH DANGEROUS DOGS BEING ON THE LOOSE AND THE HARM THAT THEY CAN CAUSE. 
          AND SO THIS WAS MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE AND SO I APPRECIATE AGAIN THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNCILWOMAN. MIKE, YOU AS WELL. YOU WERE SORT OF THROWN INTO A TOUGH SPOT WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER MANY MONTHS IT'S BEEN, AND YOU REALLY HANDLED THAT WELL AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS HERE TOO. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY CONCERNS HERE WAS REGARDING THE STERILIZATIONS. 
          I GUESS THERE'S NO APPEAL PROCESS IN PLACE HERE IF SOMEBODY'S DOG GETS LOOSE AND IS PICKED UP BY ACS. BUT, AGAIN, I THINK THE COUNCILWOMAN'S POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS PROBLEM, WE NEED STRICTER ENFORCEMENT, TOUGHER MEASURES. AND I THINK THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE TODAY ARE REALLY GOOD AND ARE GOING TO GO A LONG WAY TO DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO. I ALSO -- CONGRATULATIONS ON BUTTER, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          I HOPE BUTTER IS A GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR FAMILY, WHICH I KNOW THEY WILL BE. 
          I WANT TO GIVE A PLUG FOR ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. MY OFFICE IS STARTING TO DO A BUNCH OF WORK WITH THEM AND PROMOTING THEIR GREAT WORK. 
          THERE ARE MANY, MANY DOGS, CATS, AND OTHER ANIMALS THAT ARE GOOD N NATURED AND WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY HOME. I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PET AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM OUT THERE THAT NEED FOREVER HOMES. PLEASE GO AND VISIT THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. 
          IT'S RIGHT THERE ON NACOGDOCHES IN DISTRICT 10 AND I KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE YOU TO COME BY AND TAKE A PET HOME. AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN, THANKS FOR THE WORK. MIKE, THANK YOU. THESE ARE MUCH-NEEDED CHANGES TODAY. I'M PLEASED TO SEE US MOVING FORWARD. 
          THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. 
          [00:55:04]
          COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. 
          THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, MIKE. AND OF COURSE THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO FOR BRINGING THIS REALLY CRUCIAL SOLUTION FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MIKE FOR HIS WORK OVER AT ACS. YOU HAD A REALLY SUCCESSFUL DOGTOBER EVENT. 
          MORE THAN 400 DOGS AND CATS WERE VACCINATED AND MICROCHIPPED AND IT WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF ACS'S WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS. 
          THANKS FOR WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE THAT EVENT SUCH A SUCCESS. 
          WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CHANGES TO CHAPTER 5 AND HOW THE KEY TO MAKING IT STRONGER IS CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT. I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT PUBLIC SAFETY ABOUT THAT ENFORCEMENT AND I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN GOING FORWARD. I APPRECIATE THE COUNCILWOMAN'S PROACTIVE APPROACH IN PROPOSING THIS PLAN. BY INCREASING FINES, IMPLEMENTING THE PSEUDONYM AFFIDAVIT, AND BOOSTING SPAY AND NEUTERS ARE IMPORTANT STEPS FORWARD AND STEPS FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR. THEY ARE ASKING US TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFER AND IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS NOW BUT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT ANIMAL CARE BEING A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, PEOPLE PUSHED BACK. THANKS. 
          THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO 
          HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO AS WELL FOR YOUR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP IN ENSURING WE TACKLE THIS CRISIS OF IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THESE ITEMS PUT FORTH. AS I HAVE SHARED WITH THE LEADERSHIP BEFORE AND WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE FRUSTRATION I HAVE SEEN, I CONTINUE TO BLOCK WALK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND SEE FOLKS ALLOW THEIR PETS TO ROAM FREE OF RESTRAINT. 
          I UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES YOU'RE GETTING THE GROCERIES BUT WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE WE'RE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS KEEPING OUR PETS IN OUR YARDS. WITH THAT, I'M EAGER TO APPROVE THESE ITEMS AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND KAREN, THE BOARD APPOINTEE FOR ENSURING MY TEAM AND I ARE WELL BRIEFED ON THE ITEMS DISCUSSED AT THE BOARD AND ALSO GIVING US RECOMMENDATIONS ON THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN THE DISTRICT. BUT ULTIMATELY THANK YOU, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND MR. MCCARY AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COUNCILWOMAN FOR HELPING US TACKLE THIS CRISIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. 
          >> PELAEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. ECHOING ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ON THIS DAIS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, MIKE, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE, THE VETS, THE VET TECHS, THE PEOPLE FEEDING THE ANIMALS, ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, NONE OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT. NONE OF IT. 
          WE KEEP HEARING, OH, IF ONLY ACS DID MORE. IF ONLY ACS DID THIS AND THAT. THE REALITY IS THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME FOR THESE TRAGEDIES AND THAT IS THE OWNER OF THE DOG WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO IS ROAMING THE STREET. THE OWNER OF THE DOG THAT IS UNSTERILIZED. 
          THE OWNER OF THE DOG WHO BITES. ALL OF US HAVE, WHEN WE GET A DOG, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THAT DOG TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOG IS SAFE AND HEALTHY BUT WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR NEIGHBORS. 
          AND IT'S THE IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS IN SAN ANTONIO WHO HAVE BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT OF HAVING TO MAKE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS OF INCREASING THESE FINES AND OF FORCING US TO DOUBLE DOWN ON OUR EFFORTS TO DO WHAT THEY REFUSE TO DO, WHICH IS TAKE CARE OF THEIR DOGS. AND SO I DO THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE MESSAGE BE SPREAD LOUD AND CLEAR TO EVERYBODY. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO JUST DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND SO FOR THOSE -- 
          [01:00:26]
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL START OFF BY THANKING COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS. ALSO TO RITA, MY APPOINTEE TO ACS AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK YOU DO, RITA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS REALLY COOL PROGRAM FOR A PILOT AND SO I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT ALSO TO ONE OF OUR PART-TIMERS, ERIN, WHO GETS UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN TO MAKE SURE THAT AT 6:00 A.M. PETS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ACS. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. 
          SO MIKE SHANNON, OF COURSE, THE FIXER. I FEEL LIKE IF THEY PUT YOU IN ANY DEPARTMENT YOU'RE GOING TO FIX IT. I APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS AS WELL. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          MIKE, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHERE THE FEES AND FINES GO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE? DO THEY GO BACK TO ACS OR DO THEY GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND? 
          >> THEY DO NOT GO TO ACS. >> GARCIA: I THINK I MENTIONED THIS A FEW MONTHS AGO BUT MAYBE DO A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP BOOT CAMP. 
          SO HOW WE DO THAT OR HOW WE FIGURE OUT WITH MAYBE SOME OF THE FEES, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. I ALSO DO THINK THAT SOME MORE ADVOCACY AT THE SCHOOLS, AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, IN PARTICULAR. THINGS LIKE THAT HAVE WORKED SINCE THE '60S I'M NERDING OUT THERE ON THE MARKETING THING. SO MORE EMPHASIS ON TEACHING CHILDREN AT AN EARLY AGE. ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO THERE I THINK MAYBE THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THAT MONEY CAN BE, YOU KNOW, HELPING. COLORING BOOKS OR SOMETHING. 
          AND SO JUST TO START THEM EARLY AND TO START GETTING THEM THINKING AHEAD. 
          AND THEN THERE IS A CHART THAT YOU HAD ON THERE AND IT CLEARLY SHOWS THAT AN INCREASE IN THE STAFFING IN 2024 RESULTED IN A GOOD JUMP, TO 69%. 
          BUT THE STERILIZATION REMAINED AT 12%. SO IT WAS LIKE 11%, 5%, AND 12% AGAIN. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT HAPPENED? 
          >> WELL, I THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO MORE. BY DOING THE STERILIZATIONS ON OUR CAMPUS, THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY JUMP THAT NUMBER BY ABOUT 20% OR 30%. 
          THEN I THINK WE NEED TO STOP WITH JUST ONE CITATION. IF YOU DON'T DO IT AFTER 30 DAYS, WE'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER 30 DAYS BUT THAT FINE WILL GO HIGHER. 
          IT WILL BE A REPEAT VIOLATION. WHAT WILL ALSO HAPPEN IS WE'RE GOING TO BE OPENING UP TWO NEW SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS. 
          WE'LL NOT ONLY CITE YOU BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HELP GET YOU TO ONE OF OUR CLINICS, IF THAT'S THE ISSUE. AS I SAID BEFORE, I WOULD RATHER GET YOU TO GET THE SURGERY DONE THAN GIVE YOU A $500 OR $75,000 TICKET. 
          $750 TICKET. I THINK BY DOING THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT NUMBER GROW AND IT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAPPENED AT PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE WE WANT TO SHOW THE RESULTS IMPROVING OVER TIME. SO I THINK IF YOU GIVE US ANOTHER SIX MONTHS OR SO, WHEN WE GO BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT NUMBER JUMP UP. WE WOULD LOVE TO BE AT 100% BUT WE WANT SIGNIFICANT 
          IMPROVEMENT AND I THINK SOME OF THESE TOOLS WILL DO THAT. >> GARCIA: IN SECTION 5-150 AND 5-156 AND 5-160, WE'RE UPDATING LANGUAGE TO STERILIZE PETS FOUND FREE OF RESTRAINT BEFORE BEING RECLAIMED OR STERILIZATION ORDERS REQUESTING THE OWNER DOES IT WITHIN 30 DAYS. IF ACS DOES THE STERILIZATION AND THEN IT'S 
          AN OWNER SURRENDER, WHO PAYS FOR THAT? >> NO, NO THE ANIMAL BACK TO THE OWNER. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHARGE FOR THAT. A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T. RIGHT NOW WE OFFER THE SERVICE. WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO IT BUT WE OFFER THAT SERVICE. 
          MANY TIMES WE DO THAT FOR FREE. THE GOAL IS STERILIZATION, NOT NECESSARILY TO MAKE MONEY, TO COLLECT THAT $75 THAT WE CHARGE FOR STERILIZATION. WE CAN COLLECT THAT MONEY BUT THE GOAL IS STERILIZATION. WE WANT TO GIVE THE ANIMAL BACK BUT IT'S STERILIZED. 
          WE WANT TO TEACH THEM TO KEEP IT FREE OF RESTRAINT BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT 
          DOESN'T HAVE ANY LITTERS TO INCREASE THAT PROBLEM. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. 
          I MISUNDERSTOOD THERE. I APPRECIATE THE CORRECTION THERE. 
          [01:05:02]
AND THEN FINALLY ON SECTION 5-156 -- AND COUNCILMAN PELAEZ MENTIONED EARLIER AND I WAS HAPPY THAT HE SAID THE MEN AND WOMEN OR THE WOMEN AND MEN THAT WORK AT ACS. 
          IN OUR ORDINANCE, WE STILL HAVE MAY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE. WE HAVE HAD FEMALE DIRECTORS BEFORE AND SO WHOEVER WROTE UP THE ORDINANCE, IF THEY COULD FIX IT TO NOT SAY "HIS" AND MAYBE SAY "THEIR." 
          >> I'LL WORK WITH ANDY ON THAT. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA 
          GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          I ALWAYS LOVE WHEN WE CAN REALLY FOCUS ON AN ISSUE -- AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING YOU HAVE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON. AND THEN ACTUALLY GET RESULTS AND SOLUTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. SO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THAT. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THANK YOU, MIKE AND THE ACS TEAM FOR YOUR WORK ON FINDING A SOLUTION. BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT IS FIGURING OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND HOW CAN WE CHANGE AND DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION. 
          OBVIOUSLY I'LL SUPPORT THIS ITEM BUT I DO THINK WE CAN'T GET COMPLACENT WITH THE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED IT, READ SOME SCRIPTS, BUT I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE MAKE SURE WE THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE REALLY EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. 
          BECAUSE UNTIL WE CHANGE HABITS OF PEOPLE, WE'LL NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT WE ARE FACING, WHICH IS PRETTY SEVERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          DEFINITELY MORE SEVERE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE TARGETING OUR EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND THEN ALSO HAVING A VARIETY OF METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING. WE CAN'T JUST DO ONE SOCIAL MEDIA POST AND THEN CALL THAT AN EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. THERE'S GOT TO BE DIFFERENT WAYS WE APPROACH THAT. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT BUT NOW WE HAVE A NEW PROGRAM, THINKING OF OTHER WAYS TO REACH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          THANK YOU, ALLEN. I KNOW YOU WERE HERE AND CAME AND SPOKE. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND YOUR SUPPORT WITH OUR BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT AND WITH THE VISION DOGS ORGANIZATION AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS TO HELP OUR LOW-INCOME AND ELDERLY RESIDENTS. WE TALKED ABOUT SOME SOLUTIONS LIKE FENCING OR HOW MINOR AND MAJOR HOME REHAB REPAIR CAN ADDRESS FOLKS' LOOSE DOGS LEAVING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE PROPER FENCING FOR THEIR PETS. 
          LET'S KEEP THINKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS TO DO EVEN MORE BUT THIS IS A GREAT START. 
          THANKS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. 
          COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE ACS TEAM AND ALSO COUNCILWOMAN FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I THINK THESE ARE ADDING ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF ENFORCEMENT THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE. 
          BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WE ALL RECOGNIZE IS WHAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW AND WHAT THEY SHOULD KNOW TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS. 
          BASED ON THAT I WANTED TO ASK, MIKE, HOW MANY ON AVERAGE, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, 
          HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE ADOPTED EVERY DAY? >> WELL, WE DID ABOUT 5,000 LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 
          JUST DIVIDE THAT -- DON'T MAKE ME DO THE MATH. BUT 10, 15, 20. 
          SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE DID 50 ON BLACK FUR DAY. 
          THAT WAS OUR BIG EVENT. >> COURAGE: OKAY. AND WHAT DOES THE CITY 
          PROVIDE TO THE NEW PET OWNER WHEN THEY ACCEPT THE ANIMAL? >> WELL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE -- THE INITIAL PART OF THE PROCESS IS A QUICK SCREENING. 
          WE TALK ABOUT WHERE DO YOU LIVE? DO YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, A HOME? DO YOU HAVE A FENCE? UNDERSTANDING OF OUR LAW. 
          WE CERTAINLY GIVE AWAY THE -- WE LET THEM ADOPT THE MOST LOVABLE ANIMALS ON THE PLANET AT ACS AT LOW COST. IT'S FULLY VACCINATED AND ALREADY STERILIZED. 
          OUR HOLIDAY EVENT WE'RE GIVING AWAY DOG BEDS AND TOYS FOR THE ENRICHMENT OF THE DOG OR CAT. IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE THAT BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION ABOUT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP ALONG WITH KIND OF MAKE IT A FUN EVENT AS THEY BRING IN THIS NEW FAMILY MEMBER. 
          >> COURAGE: THAT WAS MY QUESTION TOO WHEN WE SAY WE WANT TO EDUCATE THEM OR LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. DO WE GIVE THEM LIKE A PAMPHLET OR SOMETHING THAT HAVE THE CITY LAWS THAT THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND? 
          >> YEAH. WE GIVE THEM SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR BASIC LAWS. WE DON'T GIVE THEM A COPY OF THE CODEBOOK. 
          [01:10:01]
WE GIVE THEM THE BASICS OF WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW. I CAN LOOK AT THAT WITH MY TEAM. 
          ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW RULES THAT WE'RE HOPEFULLY ADOPTING TODAY. 
          WE'LL UPDATE THOSE AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE CAMPAIGNS, THE EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ON RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. ABSOLUTELY. 
          WHEN YOU ADOPT AN ANIMAL FROM US WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE, MAKE IT EASY TO COMPLY SO THAT IT'S A SUCCESSFUL ADDITION TO YOUR TEAM. 
          >> COURAGE: OKAY. AND WHAT ABOUT OUR PARTNERS WHO COME AND PULL ANIMALS FROM OUR SHELTER AND THEN THEY ALSO PUT THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
          DO WE REQUIRE THAT THEY PROVIDE A LIST OF THE REGULATIONS THAT THE CITY 
          ENFORCES? >> WE DON'T HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT. 
          THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR LAWS BUT I WILL TELL YOU LIKE ADL AND EVEN FOOT BRIDGE, THOSE ARE OUR PARTNERS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THEM BUT THEY ALSO DO THE SAME THING. 
          THEY HAVE AN EDUCATION COMPONENT OF ADOPTION, MAKING SURE IT'S A RIGHT FIT FOR THEIR FAMILY, AND KNOWING HOW TO COMPLY WITH THE GENERAL RULES. 
          I'LL WORK WITH MY TEAM TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A WAY, AS WE UPDATE THE CODE TODAY, GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR PARTNERS AS WELL. WE ABSOLUTELY WANT COMPLIANCE RATHER THAN HAVE TO USE THESE NEW TOOLS BUT WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO 
          HAVE TO BE BOTH. >> COURAGE: I WOULD ALMOST INSIST THAT ANY PARTNER THAT PULLS AN ANIMAL FROM ACS IS REQUIRED TO GIVE THE SAME INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY TO FULFILL OUR LAWS AND REGULATIONS. 
          AND THE LIABILITY THAT THEY FACE. AND I KNOW I'M NOT MAYBE THE EASIEST LEARNER. I HAVE TO HEAR THINGS TWO OR THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY REALLY SINK IN AND I REALIZE THAT'S A LONG-TERM OBLIGATION. 
          SO GIVING SOMEBODY A PIECE OF PAPER MAY NOT BE ALL THAT WE SHOULD OBLIGATE OURSELVES TO, PARTICULARLY IF WE'RE WORKING WITH PARTNERS WHO ARE PULLING ANIMALS AND THEN PUTTING THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE GIVE WARNINGS. EVERY TIME WE GIVE A WARNING, WE SHOULD GIVE THEM ANOTHER COPY OF THOSE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT THEY'RE OBLIGED TO. 
          AND IF SOMEBODY ENDS UP WITH A FINE AND GOES TO MUNICIPAL COURT, WHEN THAT FINE IS SETTLED, THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER COPY OF THE REGULATIONS AND THE RULES. 
          IF IT TAKES TWO OR THREE TIMES TO GIVE A FAMILY A COPY OF THAT BEFORE IT REALLY SINKS IN, I THINK THE COST OF THE PRINTING AND THE PAPER IS WELL WORTH OUR EFFORT TO DO THAT. SO I WANT TO JUST EMPHASIZE EDUCATION. 
          OF COURSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE SCHOOLS AS WELL. SO I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE A MAIN FOCUS. SO WE CAN SAVE PEOPLE FROM HAVING TO PAY THOSE KINDS OF FINES OR GETTING THOSE KINDS OF WARNINGS BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND. 
          AND, IF THEY UNDERSTAND AND THEY REALIZE THEY'VE GOT A PROBLEM IN COMPLYING WITH THESE, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE CITY AND EXPLAIN TO US, EXPLAIN TO ACS WHAT THEIR PROBLEM IS TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THESE THINGS AND SEE IF THERE CAN'T BE SOME KIND OF A PROGRAM TO HELP PEOPLE COMPLY BETTER. 
          SO I HOPE THAT THOSE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL FEATURES YOU THINK ABOUT. 
          I WOULD SAY ANYONE THAT GETS A DOCUMENT FROM ACS OR ANY OF OUR PARTNERS, THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF A THING THEY SIGN OFF ON. EVEN IF IT'S TO CHECK OFF SAYING I HAVE RECEIVED THE REGULATIONS ON BEING A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER SO THAT WHEN WE DO CONFRONT THEM LATER ON, THEY CAN'T SAY, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW. 
          WELL, YOU SIGNED THIS AND SAID YOU RECEIVED THIS. SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO REDUCE THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE HAVING BY IMPROVING EDUCATION ON THIS 
          MATTER. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NO. 4? ALL RIGHT. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANKS TO OUR CITY STAFF, ALONG WITH COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO FOR THEIR COLLABORATION ON THIS. 
          I THINK THIS FILLS A SIGNIFICANT GAP THAT WE KNOW OF AND HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR QUITE SOMETIME UNDER RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND WHAT WE CAN DO UNDER OUR SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAM WHICH HAS BEEN FALLING SHORT OF GOALS AS OF LATE. 
          THIS CAN BE A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO GET THOSE NUMBERS UP IN A PRODUCTIVE MANNER. 
          THANK YOU, AGAIN. WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NO. 4. PLEASE VOTE. COUNCILMEMBER 
          MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AYE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO TO ITEM NO. 34. 
          [APPLAUSE] >> CLERK: ITEM NO. 34 IS AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING 
          [01:15:05]
AMENDMENTS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY SBEDA ORDINANCE BASED ON FINDINGS FROM THE 2023 SBEDA DISPARITY STUDY. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. IF I CAN GET A -- ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A FEW FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 34 SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE FOLKS FIRST. WE'LL START WITH JEFF WEBSTER. 
          MR. WEBSTER, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY KATY FARRIER. >> MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU. I'M JEFF WEBSTER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY. 
          KATY WILL YIELD HER T TIME , 
          YOU HERE? >> YOU DON'T TRUST ME? I'M WAVING AT HER. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. >> WE WANT TO THANK THE STAFF, MR. MANAGER. THEY MET WITH OUR TEAM AND OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY SEVERAL TIMES TO BRIEF US OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. 
          WE SHARED OUR SUPPORT, OUR CONCERNS, AND OUR IDEAS. THEY ADOPTED SOME. 
          THEY DIDN'T ADOPT OTHERS. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND OUR CHAMBER IS 1700 MEMBERS AND OFTENTIMES PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST THE BIG COMPANIES. WE ARE THE LARGEST CHAMBER IN THE CITY AND ALSO THE LARGEST CHAMBER OF SMALL BUSINESS MEMBERS. 
          SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO IS SO VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. WE THINK THIS RULE AND THESE CHANGES HAVE GREAT INTENTION. WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST AND ASK IS IN ABOUT A YEAR IF THIS IS IMPLEMENTED, WHICH IS STARTING IN AUGUST, THAT WE COME BACK AND LOOK AT THE METRICS AND SEE IF WE HAVE REACHED THE OBJECTIVES WE HAVE PLANNED. 
          DID WE REALLY ACHIEVE THE THINGS WE SET OUT TO DO? WE BELIEVE THERE'S STILL SOME TWEAKING THAT CAN OCCUR BUT AS YOU ADJUST THESE PLANS, AS SOMEONE WHO MOVED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO THE CHAMBER, I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS EVERY DAY AND THESE CHALLENGES PRESENT CHALLENGES. BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY ENGAGING THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, IT'S ALSO WHERE DOES THE LIABILITY FALL FOR THESE PROJECTS IF AND WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH. AND SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT STILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN ALL THIS. I WOULD ASK, IF WE COULD, MAYBE CONSIDER BRINGING THIS BACK IN A YEAR AFTER IT'S IMPLEMENTED FOR A FULL YEAR AND SEE DID WE ACHIEVE WHAT WE INTENDED. OFTENTIMES THERE'S GOOD INTENTIONS BUT UNINTENDED OUTCOMES. LET'S BE CLEAR, THE GREATER SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER WANTS TO SEE THE SUCCESS OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS MEMBERS. 
          IT'S THE BULK OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM. MR. MANAGER, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH BUT I THINK THERE CONTINUES TO BE THINGS WE CAN DO TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. WE ASK FOR THAT POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION AND MAYBE ADDED TO THIS, IF IT'S POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME TRYING TO ENGAGE OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. THEY HAVE TO COMPETE EVERY DAY AGAINST THE BIG GUYS AT TIMES AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESSES -- JUST RECENTLY WE HAD THE PROJECT MARVEL BROUGHT UP. 
          THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS COMMUNITY BUT WE ASK MAYBE THIS BE BROUGHT UP IN A YEAR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, 
          YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JUANITA SABOIBA. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. AND IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE TODAY. AND MY NAME IS ROY SHUFFLE AND I'M THE CURRENT CHAIR OF SBEDA COMMITTEE, AND TO MY LEFT AND FOLLOWING ME WILL BE JUANITA, AND THE CURRENT VICE-CHAIR AND THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE SBEDA COMMITTEE. 
          AND OVER LAST FEW YEARS, OUR COMMITTEE HAS SEEN THE COMPLETION OF THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY. AND THE DRAFTING OF THE PROPOSED SBEDA ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU TODAY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS CHANGE IN THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE OF THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS. CAUSING MANY CITIES TO REVAMP, RELOOK, AND FORTUNATELY OUR PREVIOUS PROGRAM WAS AN AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM AND WE'RE ABLE TO LEVERAGE OFF OF THAT. AND THE SBEDA COMMITTEE WHICH IS MADE UP OF EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER, A POINTEE, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THESE PROPOSED SBEDA ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS. AND AS THEY ARE FIRMLY BASED ON THE FIND FREQUENCY THE 2023 COMMITTEE, DISPARITY STUDY. AND RELEVANT CASE LAW. 
          THIS ALIGNMENT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURING THE CONTINUED LEGALITY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SBEDA PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, SIGNIFICANT -- I DO MEAN SIGNIFICANT AND LARGE AMOUNTS -- OF DATA ANALYSIS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO ESTIMATE THE PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT ON ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS AND THE AMENDMENTS. WE ARE ENSURING YOU THAT THEY 
          [01:20:01]
ARE GROUNDED IN FACTUAL EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS. GIVEN THESE AMENDMENTS, FOLLOWING THE LEGAL PRINCIPLES, AND THEY'RE ALL DATA-DRIVEN AGAIN, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE PROPOSED SBEDA ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS. 
          IN SUMMARY, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WILL INCLUDE T THE FOLLOWING KEY ELEMENTS -- IT WILL HAVE A CONTINUED FOCUS ON SUPPORTING LOCAL, MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF RACE AND GENDER CONSCIENCE, CONTRACTING GOALS ON CITY CONTRACTS. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THIS INCLUDES THE CONTINUATION OF PREFERENCE POINTS FOR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND IT WILL REMAIN PART OF THE SBEDA PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY AND SOMETHING THAT WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AS THE MAJORITY OF SBEDA COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE THAT THEY -- THE BUSINESSES BIDDING ON OUR CONTRACTS BE HEADQUARTERED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          IT BECAME APPARENT TO US THROUGH OUR STUDIES -- AND, BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE EXTENSIVE STUDIES -- I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MUCH DATA IN MY LIFE. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. 
          IF ANY OF Y'ALL SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA I URGE YOU TO READ ALL OF THE DATA THAT WAS GENERATED, 
          IT WILL CURE YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU. 
          >> I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. THANK YOU. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: JUANITA SAPUTA, YOU ARE FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. 
          >> PARDON ME, I'M VERTICALLY CHALLENGED. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEN AND WOMEN. MY NAME IS JUANITA SAPUTA, I'M DISTRICT 4'S REPRESENTATIVE HAVE VERY PROUDLY AND AT THIS TIME WE HAVE REVIEWED -- AND I ECHO SO MUCH SUPPORT OF OUR SBEDA PROGRAM, BUT IN SUPPORTING THE SUMMARY AS PROPOSED BY MR. ROY SHUFFLE AS HE DISCUSSED, OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH IS THE FACT THAT WE ESTABLISH EMERGING SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACT GOALS AND THAT THE PROMOTION OF JOINT VENTURES, CLAB CREATIONS TO HAVE BETTER BUSINESS PERFORMANCES AND A PIPELINE. AND THE OTHER TOO IS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUMMARIZE. 
          SMALL AND WOMEN AND MINORITY BUSINESS TO IDENTIFY PROGRAMS TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF ITEMS OF THOSE WHO WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY. AND WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE AND MONITORING THE SMALL MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, UTILIZING AND FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING. 
          AND FINALLY CONTINUING OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRAM BY SBEDA COMMITTEE AND ASSURING THAT THE GOALS ARE MET AND THAT THE PROGRAMS REMAIN EFFECTIVE. BUT DURING THIS TIME ON THE SBEDA COMMITTEE, WE HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE TANGIBLE PROGRESS THAT THE SBEDA PROGRAMS HAVE MADE IN SUPPORTING LOCAL, AND SMALL AND MIORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO QUOTE FROM THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY, THE SBEDA PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN OPENING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY, WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. THE CITY UTILIZES UTILIZATION OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY FROM 23% IN 2015, AND ACCORDING TO DISPARITY STUDY IN 20 -- OH, IN 2023, IT HAS GROWN TO AN IMPRESSIVELY 53%. THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL REPORT DEMONSTRATES THE PROXIMITY OF $330 MILLION HAVE BEEN DIRECT PAYMENTS AND HAVE BEEN MADE TO THESE MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, BOTH AS PRIME CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS. 
          AMONG THE SBEDA ORDINANCE, THE AMENDMENT BELOW YOU WILL SEE TODAY IS SAFEGUARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM AND ENSURING THAT THE POSITIVE IMPACT WILL CONTINUE. 
          I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, 
          MS. SAPUTO. JACK FINGER. >> WELL, MAYOR -- MAYOR NIRENBERG MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER AND I'D LIKE TO OFFER A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING HERE. 
          EARLIER YOU HAD A COMMEMORATION FOR -- >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ITEM 34, 
          JACK? >> OKAY, CENSURE ME ALL THAT YOU WANT TO, MR. MAYOR. 
          ITEM 34, WHAT IS THIS? WELL, MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN ELITE SEE WHAT THAT SAYS HERE. 
          SO... 34... YEAH. ORDINANCE ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC 
          [01:25:03]
DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY STUDY, THE SBEDA STUDY -- TURN THE CAMERA, IF YOU WOULD, DISPARITY STUDY. 
          LET ME INTERPRET THAT CODE WORD FOR YOU, THAT IS FOR THE DISCRIMINATION STUDY -- THE, UM, THE PRO-BIGOTRY STUDY IS IN MY WORDS. YEAH, UM, I ALWAYS HAVE FUN WITH THIS BECAUSE THIS COMES UP EVERY EIGHT OR 10 YEARS AND. 
          OUR CITY IS STILL A CITY OF BIGOTRY, A CITY OF JUST RACISTS, MINORITY BUSINESSES JUST CANNOT GET AHEAD, YEAH. EVEN THOUGH ACCORDING TO YOUR VERY OWN BACKUP DOCUMENTS HERE, WE HAVE AS MUCH AS -- WELL, 53% OF OUR CONTRACT TO GO TO MINORITIES AND 25% AVAILABILITY, ETC.. YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WAS BARACK OBAMA OUR FIRST WHITE PRESIDENT OR OUR FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT FOR THE UNITED STATES? 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: JACK, ITEM 34, PLEASE. >> WELL, I'M ILLUSTRATING, MR. MAYOR, THAT WE DO NOT HAVE SUCH DISCRIMINATION AND THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS REALLY A BUNCH OF JUNK. YEAH. I MEAN, I'M SORRY -- WE HAVE ELECTED LEADERS. WE HAVE HISPANIC WOMEN HERE ON OUR CITY COUNCIL. 
          WE -- ARE WE TRULY A RACIST CITY? I'M SORRY. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: JACK, I WILL REMIND YOU ONE MORE TIME, ITEM 34 AND THE POLICY AND THE ORDINANCE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. IF YOU CAN'T KEEP TO THAT I'M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF. 
          GO AHEAD. >> I'M ILLUSTRATING, MR. MAYOR. AND ONCE AGAIN YOUR BACKUP DOCUMENTS SAY -- WELL, I GUESS TO GET IT BACK UP HERE -- COME ON, COME ON, COME ON. 
          WELL, BASICALLY IT SAYS THAT, UM, WE'VE GOT TO INCREASE -- WE'VE GOT TO KEEP ON WITH THE SAME POLICIES THAT WE JUST CAN'T KEEP GOING ON WITH THIS HERE. WELL, MY QUESTION IS, IF -- WHITE MALE IS THE HEAD OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, WOULD WE BE GIVING THEM THE SAME LATITUDE, THE SAME SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS HERE? I DON'T THINK SO. NO, I'M SORRY, THIS IS -- THIS IS JUNK. 
          YOU NEED TO SAY NO TO THIS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. 
          AND ALL RIGHT WE'LL GO TO COUPLE DISCUSSION BUT, FIRST, LET ME GET A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 4 -- 34, EXCUSE ME. A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 34. 
          COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> PELAEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THID THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND I -- I WORKED WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA. 
          AND I CLIMBED ALL THE WAY UP TO THEIR EXECUTIVE COMMISSION -- I'M SORRY, THEIR EXECUTIVE BOARD. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE GREAT HONORS OF MY LIFE GETTING TO SERVE ON THAT BOARD WITH THE FATHER REALLY OF OUR SBEDA ORDINANCE IN MANY WAYS. 
          AND WE FOUGHT HARD FOR THIS ORDINANCE. WE FOUGHT HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY WOULD EVER CHIP AWAY AT IT. WE FOUGHT HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD WHY IT WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PROTECT. FLASH -- YOU KNOW, FAST FORWARD TO TODAY -- MORE THAN 20 YEARS LATER, WE HAVE, UM, I THINK THAT WE'VE WON. YOU KNOW, WE'VE -- WE'VE REACHED A POINT WHERE I THINK THAT THE LAST NUMBER THAT WAS CITED WAS 57% OF THE PURCHASING FROM MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THE PEOPLE'S MONEY IS BEING USED TO RIGHT A WRONG THAT, UM -- AND WE HAVE RIGHTED IT IN MANY WAYS, RIGHT? SO THE CHOICE -- THE CHOICE THAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW -- AND I UNDERSTAND IT, AND WITHOUT GETTING TOO MUCH INTO THE LEGAL, UM, YOU KNOW, ANALYSIS OF IT, SO THAT ANDY DOESN'T FLIP OUT OVER THERE, WE ARE PRESENTED WITH THE CHOICE OF SAVING THE PATIENT BY STRIPPING OUT THE MINORITY RACE-BASED POINTS AND, UM -- OR, I'M SORRY -- THE OTHER CHOICE IS, UM, RISKING IT ALL. 
          ROLLING THE DICE AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENS AND MAYBE IN A FEDERAL COURT. 
          THE ELECTIONS OF THESE LAST FEW WEEKS THAT THE, UM, THE MEANNESS COMING DOWN FROM THE CAPITOL IN D.C. AND IN AUSTIN, UM, THE WEAPONIZATION OF SUPREME COURT JURISPRUDENCE AND FLIPPING THE WORD DISCRIMINATION ON ITS HEAD TO MEAN SOMETHING THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN, UM, BREAKS MY HEART. AND IT IS A -- IT'S A REALLY, REALLY DARK DAY IN THE UNITED 
          [01:30:06]
STATES. THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WE HAVE CONTEMPORARY TO THIS, WE'RE CELEBRATING ROSA PARKS DAY, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT JUST A DAY WHERE WE GIVE FREE RIDES ON THE BUS, RIGHT? IT MEANS SOMETHING. IN 1964, LBJ PASSED AND PUSHED THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. PEOPLE DIED IN THE 1960S TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANDY -- YOU COULD BE SITTING AT THIS DAIS, SO THAT, TERI, YOU COULD BE SITTING AT THIS DAIS. 
          AND WE HAVE, UM -- AND SO THE CHOICE TODAY IS DO WE FIGHT, RIGHT? AND SINCE SAN ANTONIO WAS ON THE FOREFRONT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS FIGHT IN MANY YEARS AGO, UM,, DO WE FIGHT AND, UM, FOR PRINCIPLE AND WHAT'S RIGHT? OR DO WE DO THE SUPREME COURT'S JOB FOR THEM BY, UM, BY LAYING DOWN AND ADMITTING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT LOSE? I -- WHAT A HORRIBLE POSITION TO BE IN. AND WE HAVE A, UM, YOU KNOW, I RECENTLY GOT -- I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING ACCEPTED ON THE CESAR CHAVEZ FOUNDATION BOARD AND THAT BOARD EXISTS TO FIGHT. AND THE FIST IN THE AIR IS NOT NOTHING, RIGHT? AND, UM, MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND, ERIC, I HAVE COME TO THE DECISION THAT, UM, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS AND I'M GOING TO FIGHT. 
          AND -- AND I -- AND IF THIS ORDINANCE PASSES TODAY, UM, THEN I DO MOVE THAT WE MOVE -- I'M SORRY -- THAT SOON AT A B SESSION WE BRING THIS BACK SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT METRICS AND MESSAGING. BUT, ANYWAY, I DO THIS -- I DO THIS WITH A BROKEN HEART, AND I'M VERY FRUSTRATED AND I'M VERY SAD FOR AMERICA. BUT. 
          THANK YOU TO ERNEST MARTINEZ AT THE CESAR CHAVEZ FOUNDATION FOR CONTINUING TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE AND REMINDING US WHY WE FIGHT. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU MEMBER PELAEZ. 
          COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, AND THE REASON THAT I PULLED THIS TODAY IS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WITH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. 
          THE FINDS OF THE 2023 SBEDA DISPARITY STUDY MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE MUST MORE TO SUPPORT SAN ANTONIO SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. THESE BUSINESSES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR CITY'S ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FABRIC AND YET THEY CONTINUE TO FACE SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS THAT UNDERMINE THEIR ABILITY TO COMPETE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. 
          WHILE HISPANIC AND BLACK RESIDENTS ACCOUNT FOR 69% AND 9% OF OUR POPULATION RESPECTIVELY, THEY ONLY ONLY 24% AND 2% OF EMPLOYER SMALL BUSINESSES. THIS STARK DISPARITY UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR STRONGER TOOLS, IMPROVED COORDINATION, AND MORE INCLUSIVE PRACTICES TO ENSURE FAIR AND EQUAL ACCESS TO CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          THE 2023 DISPARITY STUDY CONFIRMS WHAT WE HAVE LONG KNOWX DISCRIMINATION REMAIN PERSISTENT BARRIERS TO EQUAL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE THIS REALITY. IT IS VITAL THAT WE GIVE SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES, NOT JUST A SEAT AT THE TABLE, BUT A GENUINE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE AND TO SUCCEED IN OUR CITY. 
          THE -- THIS SUNSETS AT THE END OF DECEMBER. WE CHARGE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE SBEDA COMMITTEE TO GO AND TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS. AND YOU BROUGHT US THESE AMENDMENTS. AND WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THESE AMENDMENTS. 
          AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ON THESE AMENDMENTS. 
          BUT THIS DOESN'T GET IMPLEMENTED UNTIL AUGUST 25TH, 2025. IS THAT CORRECT, ALEX? 
          >> YES, THE ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW, THE RECOMMENDATION IS AUGUST 1ST, 2025. 
          >> VIAGRAN: SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE SEE THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD AND WE WANT THAT CONTINUED SUCCESS, WE KNOW THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGES. 
          WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES HERE TODAY. THE ONE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THE ELIMINATING RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS EVALUATION PREFERENCES, MINORITY PREFERENCE POINTS FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A 20% 
          [01:35:05]
POVERTY RATE, AND OF THAT 20%, THE MAJORITY ARE WOMEN. BUT I AM NOT HERE TO -- TO NOT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS. AND I THINK THAT IF WE ALLOW THIS TO BE SUNSETTED WE DO NOT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS. SO WHAT I'M ASKING TODAY -- AND, ANDY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE AN AMENDMENT, BUT I WOULD LIKE -- AND THIS IS MY COMMITMENT TO -- TO THIS PROCESS AND TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IS TO HOST, ALONG WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, A SMALL BUSINESS MEETING FOR THIS OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND WE'LL INVITE THE COUNCILMAN FROM DISTRICT 5 TO COME TOO AND DISTRICT 4, BECAUSE HE'S THE SOUTHEAST SIDE. 
          AND  HAVE YOU TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THESE CHANGES. THEN WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO COME BACK TO B SESSIONS, POSSIBLY THE FIRST IN FEBRUARY 12TH, AND THEN THE NEXT AFTER SOME OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE REGIONAL MEETINGS TO SEE -- DOES OUR SMALL BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THIS? YES, DAYS LOOK DARK. YES, THE TARIFF IS SCARY. 
          BUT WE NEED TO SEE HOW THESE -- THIS IMPACTS BUSINESSES AND WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM. 
          AND WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE STARK REALITY THAT WE NEED SBEDA IN SOME FORM TO MOVE FORWARD. SO CAN I GET A COMMIT -- ANDY, DO I NEED TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO HAVE THEM TO COME BACK IN FEBRUARY -- FEBRUARY 12TH, FOR THE FIRST UPDATE ON HOW THEIR 
          MARKETING IS GOING WITH SMALL BUSINESS? >> ARE YOU TALKING, COUNCILWOMAN, OF HAVING A MEETING TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES, BUT HAVING THE 
          AMENDMENTSSI GOING TO GO IN EFFT IN JANUARY? >> VIAGRAN: WE CAN MOVE THE AMENDMENTS FORWARD -- I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO MONITOR UP UNTIL THE IMPLEMENTATION IN AUGUST 25TH, 2025, TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY 
          ADJUSTMENTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THIS -- >> I DON'T THINK THAT YOU NEED 
          AN AMENDMENT, OTHER THAN A COMMITMENT -- >> YEAH, I DON'T THINK THAT IS A LEGAL ISSUE, COUNCILWOMAN. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT YOU'D LIKE AN UPDATE NEXT YEAR IN FEBRUARY IN ADVANCE OF ABOUT HOW IS GOING IN TERMS OF MARKETING, WAY IN ADVANCE OF THE 
          AUGUST -- >> VIAGRAN: WAY IN ADVANCE OF AUGUST 25TH. 
          >> WE CAN DO THAT, WE WILL SCHEDULE THAT. >> VIAGRAN: SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS WHAT -- GET AN UPDATE ON HOW THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE IMPACTED BY SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WILL BE COMING DOWN FEDERALLY, IF THERE'S A TARIFF, WHATEVER IS COMING DOWN. 
          HOPEFULLY IN THE MEANTIME OUR CHAMBERS WILL BE LOBBYING FOR POSITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU TO GO OUT REGIONALLY TO DIFFERENT AREAS AND EXPLAIN TO SMALL BUSINESSES THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING AND THEN IF ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE TO THE CURRENT AMENDMENTS, WE DO THAT BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE OF 
          AUGUST 25TH, 2025. >> MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS THAT IT MAYBE BE IN MARCH AND NOT FEBRUARY. WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. 
          >> VIAGRAN: OKAY, MARCH WORKS TOO. >> OKAY. 
          >> VIAGRAN: BUT THIS IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, BECAUSE I HEAR THE COMMUNITY, AND I'VE RECEIVED THE LETTERS AND WE'VE ALL RECEIVED THE LETTERS. AND I THINK -- BUT TO DO NOTHING AND TO MAKE -- NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES ISN'T THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION AT THIS TIME. 
          WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, AND I THINK WE NEED TO POSSIBLY TO LOOK AT ADJUSTING CHANGES THAT ARE EVEN, UM, THAT LOOK AT THAT -- ELIMINATING RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS EVALUATION PREFERENCE POINTS FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, AND REALLY SEE WHAT THE -- WHAT THIS CURRENT CHANGE IS GOING TO DO ADMINISTRATIVELY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          BECAUSE I THINK WOMEN -- WOMEN OF COLOR, ARE JUST UNDER ATTACK. AND -- BUT WE NEED TO BE -- WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. SO, UM, I -- I APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN REALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL ON THIS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN RECRUITED INTO THIS. 
          AND I THINK THAT IF WE START DOING THAT OUTREACH AND NETWORKING -- AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO WITH, UM, WITH THE CHANGES COMING FORWARD -- AND THEN WE MONITOR IT, THAT WHEN WE COME BACK ON AUGUST -- WHEN THAT IMPLEMENTATION DATE GETS CLOSER, THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO BE CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE 
          [01:40:01]
HELPING THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT FOR GENERATIONALLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN, OR PUT IN  A CORNER. 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. 
          COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. I HAVE TO TELL YA' THAT I THINK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS ALL WRONG. TODAY WE SHOULD BE -- WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING THE FACT THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS WORKED, RIGHT? I MEAN, THE PROGRAM WAS SET FORWARD TO GIVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO WOMEN AND MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES AND ALL SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          AND THE PROGRAM HAS WORKED. AND IT WAS AT A B SESSION, NOT SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS AGO WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE PRESENTATION THAT I ASKED THE QUESTION, RIGHT -- AND MY QUESTION WAS THE GOAL SHOULD BE, RIGHT, TO ONE DAY TO NOT NEED A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. OF COURSE, THE ANSWER TO THAT WAS, YES. AND THEN I ASKED, WELL, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE. 
          AND THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY KNOW IF WE'VE MADE THE CHANGE, RIGHT, THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO MAKE WHEN THE PROGRAM WENT INTO PLACE IN THE FIRST PLACE IS TO SLOWLY DIAL THE PROGRAM BACK. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I THANK ROY, WHO IS OUR DISTRICT 10 REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SBEDA COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE. AND TODAY SHOULD NOT BE, UM, CAUSING ANYBODY CONSTERNATION BECAUSE THE PROGRAM HAS WORKED AS NOTED EARLIER, 25% OF THE APPLICANTS FOR THESE JOBS WERE WOMEN AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          THEY'RE GETTING 53% OF THE CONTRACTS, RIGHT? SOME WOULD EVEN ARGUE THAT IT'S WORKED TOO WELL, BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT IT'S WORKED. ADDITIONALLY, OUR STAFF AND THE TEAM HAS GONE BACK AND LOOKED, RIGHT, AT THE PAST 153 PROJECTS, RIGHT. 
          AND IF WE MADE THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE TODAY -- THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY PRIOR TO THOSE 153 OF OUR LAST PROJECTS, 148 OF THEM WOULD STILL GO TO THE VERY SAME CONTRACTOR THAT ENDED UP RECEIVING THE AWARD. AND THE OTHER FIVE STILL WOULD HAVE GONE TO OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES. AND SO THE FEAR I THINK THAT THESE CHANGES TODAY ARE GOING TO SOMEHOW TO ALTER WHO IS GETTING THESE AWARDS, THESE CONTRACTS MOVING FORWARD, UM, I THINK THAT IT'S UNFOUNDED, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN WAS STATING AND I THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO LOOK AT SOME METRICS AND TO COME BACK AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME TO CHECK OURSELVES, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES THAT I THINK THAT WE'VE MADE THROUGH THE SBEDA PROGRAM ARE HOLDING, EVEN AFTER THESE AMENDMENTS ARE MADE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY I HAVE TO TOUCH ON THE LEGAL. THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION AND THE LAW THAT WE MUST NOW ABIDE BY, OF COURSE, HAPPENED PRIOR TO THIS CURRENT ELECTION. 
          OR THIS MOST RECENT ELECTION, I SHOULD SAY. AND WE ALL UP HERE I BELIEVE -- ALL 11 OF US -- FEEL THAT THIS SBEDA PROGRAM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WE WANT THE PROGRAM TO CONTINUE. THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS IS TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW. BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN EXAMPLES AROUND THE COUNTRY, WITH THE CASE LAW THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER -- WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS. 
          IF YOU STEP OUTSIDE OF THE LAW ON THIS, WE WILL HAVE A CHALLENGE AND THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WILL BE STRUCK DOWN. WE WILL BE LEFT WITH NO SBEDA PROGRAM. 
          AND ON TOP OF THAT, I SHOULD MENTION THAT AS WE SIT HERE TODAY IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE ALMOST SPENT $6 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS, RIGHT -- I THINK THAT THE NUMBER IS ABOUT $5.8 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS -- DEFENDING THIS CITY IN LAWSUITS. 
          ALMOST $6 MILLION. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE IF WE WERE TO FACE A LEGAL CHALLENGE HERE, I THINK THAT WHAT THE CASE LAW HAS SHOWN US IS THAT THERE'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT WE'D BE SPENDING MONEY ON A LAWSUIT AND WE WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL. 
          SO TODAY IS A DAY I THINK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR EFFORTS WITH REGARD TO THIS SBEDA PROGRAM HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. IT'S TIME TO MAKE THESE CHANGES. AND THEN AS THE COUNCILWOMAN STATED, LET'S SEE WHERE WE'RE AT SIX MONTHS, TO A YEAR FROM NOW. IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES BACK AT THAT POINT, OKAY. BUT TODAY THIS IS A GOOD THING. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY FOR YOUR 
          [01:45:04]
WORK ON THIS AND I'M READY TO SUPPORT THE MOTION. THANKS, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. 
          >> CABELLO HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SBEDA IT HAS BEEN THE FIX AND IT'S WORKING. AND THE DATA IS SHOWING THAT THE ORDINANCE AS IS, UM, WITH WOMEN AND MINORITY PREFERENCE POINTS IS WORKING. 
          BUT TODAY WE'RE PROPOSING REMOVING WHAT HAS WORKED FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          SAN ANTONIO'S SMALL BUSINESSES NEED OPPORTUNITIES. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TAKE THE ENERGY OUT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MINORITIES. WE NEED TO, FIRST, TO DRILL DOWN INTO WHY THE CURRENT SBEDA ORDINANCES ARE WORKING, WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY OF REGRESSION IF THE SBEDA ORDINANCE PROTECTIONS ARE REMOVED. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE PROVED UP TO THIS POINT, UM, HAS SHOWN THAT DISCRIMINATION WAS INHERENT IN THAT PROCESS. AND SO HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REMOVING THEM. 
          AND WE CAN -- WE CAN TALK ABOUT COMING BACK AND LOOKING AT THEM AGAIN, OF COURSE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS DO THAT WITH ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE. BUT, UM, WE SHOULD NOT APPROVE THIS BEFORE KNOWING THE IMPACT TO A SMALL BUSINESS. WE ARE PLAYING WITH THEIR LIVE LIHOODS. WE HERE -- LIVELIHOODS. WE HERE AT THIS DAIS AND SO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES SHUTTING DOWN AND THEY COME IN AND YELL AND THEY TALK ABOUT IT AND WE ALL SAY HOW MUCH WE WANT TO HELP THEM AND HERE WE ARE UNDERMINING THE VERY PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES. WHEN I HEAR THAT WE'RE REMOVING RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS POINTS IN THE PROCESS, I CAN'T HELP BUT TO THINK HOW IT'S GOING TO HURT MINORITY OWNED AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES AND ESPECIALLY SMALL SUBCONTRACTORS. 
          THESE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC. 
          BUT THEY GOT STARTED BECAUSE OF THE POINT SYSTEM. SO WHAT ABOUT START-UPS AND WHAT ABOUT MID-SIZED AND THEY'VE NOT MADE IT BIG YET. AND MORE WE ABOUT TO KICK THEM IN THE TEETH AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE SOME THAT MADE IT, SO LET'S CALL IT A DAY AND SAY WE'RE SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY UNDERMINING WHAT WE SAY THAT WE'RE ABOUT AS A COUNCIL. AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT DATA AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE ANALYSIS, BUT IT DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES, UM, YEAH, THEY COULD BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE POINTS, BUT, AGAIN, LET'S NOT FORGET HOW THEY GOT THERE IN FIRST PLACE. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LAWSUITS. 
          I MEAN, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON FEAR. 
          THIS COUNCIL HAS NEVER DONE THAT. WE FOUGHT WHEN IT WAS TIME TO TALK ABOUT MASKS AND WE TALKED LAWSUITS WHEN IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS. 
          AND HERE WE ARE READY TO LAY DOWN AND TO JUST DO THE COURT'S WORK FOR THEM. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, PROVING -- APPROVING THIS ORDINANCE WITH ONE SIDE OF OUR MOUTH AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUTH SAYING THAT WE'RE HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          SO I DON'T AT ALL ACCEPT THIS. I DO WANT TO LOOK AT THIS AGAIN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD APPROVE THIS TODAY WITHOUT KNOWING THE REAL IMPACT TO MINORITY AND 
          WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU 
          MEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA AND COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, TEAM, FOR BRIEFING US ON THIS ITEM. IN SHORT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A SHIFT IN ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS A SHIFT IN THE DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN. 
          AS THE FOLKS HAVE STATED WE KNOW THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND HAS WORKED. 
          I HEAR THE CONCERNS, HOWEVER, I'M NOT ONE TO COWER AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL SHOULD EITHER. JUST BASED OFF OF THE SHIFT IN ADMINISTRATION. 
          I HAVE HEARD FROM SO MANY DISTRICT 5 SMALL BUSINESSES AND SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE CITY WHO HAVE SHARED THEIR CONCERNS WITH ME AND HAVE ASKED THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ITEM. 
          TO THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT, YES, IT HAS WORKED FOR SOME BUT THERE'S STILL MANY SMALL MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. 
          AND BY CONTINUING TO SUPPORT WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, WE'LL HELP TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO IN SHORT, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD COWER. 
          I KNOW THE RISK AND I APPRECIATE THE ANALYSIS THAT MY COLLEAGUE GAVE, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT WORTH FIGHTING FOR AND ENSURING THAT SAN ANTONIO SMALL MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS ONE OF THOSE FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. 
          COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SENSITIVE ISSUE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY ON THIS SIDE, A SMALL MINORITY LEADERS AND A LOT OF US HAVE BUSINESSES, SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND EMPATHIZE WITH OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND AT THE SAME TIME I DO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE THAT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM COULD GO AWAY. SO WHILE I HEAR ALL OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED THAT THERE IS MORE QUANTITATIVE -- OR QUALITATIVE DATA, I SHOULD SAY THAT WE COULD RECEIVE, AT THE SAME TIME, I DO, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WITH THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE SET FOR THIS PROGRAM THAT WE CAN STILL RECEIVE THE -- THE -- ALL OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING SO 
          [01:50:02]
CLOSELY TOWARDS. SO I DO WANT TO KEEP US TO KEEP MONITORING THIS VERY CLOSELY AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN'S VIAGRAN'S TO GET ANALYSIS ON THIS AND WE REQUEST THAT YOU ALL KEEP A KEEN EYE ON IT BUT THIS PROGRAM IS TOO IMPORTANT TO LOSE IT ALL. 
          SO JUST FROM A RISK STANDPOINT, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT AND FOR THAT REASON I WILL SUPPORT, BUT I THINK THAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ SAID IT VERY WELL, THAT IT HURTS TO HAVE TO DO THAT. BUT I DON'T WANT TO FULLY LOSE THIS PROGRAM IN ITS ENTIRETY. 
          SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. 
          COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'VE BEEN GLAD TO LISTEN TO MY FELLOW COUNCILMEMBERS' REVIEW OF WHERE WE THINK THAT WE'RE HEADING WITH OUR SBEDA PROGRAM. 
          ONE THING THAT WE HAVEN'T EXPLICITLY SAID, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY BE HERE, OR WHO ARE WATCHING, WHO HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE SUMMATION OF THIS REPORT -- I JUST WANT TO REPEAT WHAT IS ON SLIDE 8. AND THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS AND THE KEY FACTS. AND THAT IS THAT IF THE SBEDA ORDINANCE IS AMENDED AND ALIGNED WITH THE 2023 SBEDA DISPARITY STUDY, THAT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM TOOLS WILL REMAIN AND CONTINUE TO BE APPLIED. SO RACE AND GENDER CONSCIENCE TOOLS WILL CONTINUE. 
          CONTRACTING GOALS FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. CONTRACTING GOALS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. CONTRACTING GOALS FOR ASIAN-AMERICAN OWNED BUSINESSES. CONTRACTING GOALS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          THESE RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS TOOLS WILL CONTINUE. THE EVALUATION PREFERENCE POINTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WILL CONTINUE. INCLUDING EMERGING SMALL BUSINESSES AND SMALL BUSINESSES JOINT VENTURE EVALUATION PREFERENCE POINTS. 
          THE PROACTIVE MONITORING OF ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THE SMALL BUSINESS, WOMEN'S BUSINESS, UM, UTILIZATION WILL BE MONITORED ON A MONTHLY AND BIANNUAL AND ANNUAL BASIS. 
          SO THE SBEDA PROGRAM WILL COMPLETELY BE MONITORED FOR ANY NEEDED RECONSIDERATIONS DOWN THE LINE. AND THE SBEDA COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER THE PROGRAM. SO I DON'T SHARE THE FEAR OR THE SERIOUS CONCERN THAT OTHERS MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS MOVING FORWARD. I WOULD SHARE THE FEAR IF FOR SOME REASON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WERE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE WERE DOING AND SAYING, NO, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE DOING TOO MUCH. AND SO I THINK THAT CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT TAKES PLACE. I'VE SEEN THAT MYSELF IN THE LAST YEAR. 
          I HAVE SEEN THINGS CHANGE FOR ME. AND I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE SEE THINGS CHANGE FOR THE PROGRAM. AND SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THESE AMENDMENTS AND THIS PROGRAM WHEN 
          WE VOTE ON IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE I MAKE SOME CLOSING REMARKS? OKAY, WELL, SO I'LL BE BRIEF. THE ACTIONS TODAY I WOULD ARGUE WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION THAT IS IN RESPONSE TO ANY PERCEIVED FEAR OF POLICY CHANGES REGARDING THE DEI. 
          WHAT THIS IS ABOUT IS ADHERING TO THE TRUE PURPOSE OF OUR SBEDA PROGRAM WHEN IT WAS FIRST BORN, TO ELIMINATE DISPARITIES WITHIN MINORITY CONTRACTING IN OUR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY. 
          THE DATA THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED OVER TIME HAS SHOWN THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS WORKED -- IT HAS WORKED QUITE WELL. AND SO THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO US TODAY ARE TO CONTINUE TO ADHERE TO THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE, TO ELIMINATE DISPARITIES. 
          AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT UNDER THE CURRENT SUCCESS, WE HAVE TO CREATE SOME CHANGES. 
          WE HAVE TO THROTTLE IN CERTAIN AREAS. I'VE HEARD THE COMMITMENT FROM OUR STAFF, BOTH THE EDD AS WELL AS FROM ERIC HIMSELF, NOT ONLY WILL WE GET AN OFFICIAL UPDATE A YEAR INTO THESE CHANGES BUT WE'LL ALSO GET QUARTERLY DATA REPORTS. 
          WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THIS -- HOW THESE CHANGES ARE PERFORMINR AND MAKING SURE THAT WE REMAIN AT PARITY IN OUR CONTRACTING COMMUNITY. I WOULD FURTHER NOTE THAT THERE ARE -- IN MY VIEW, VERY FEW CITIES, IF ANY, THAT MATCH THE COMMITMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS 
          [01:55:03]
THAT SAN ANTONIO DOES. AND IN A NUMBER OF AREAS -- BOTH RELIEF EFFORTS BUT ALSO IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE CHANGIN THE CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT LANDSCAPING GENERALLY. 
          I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO LOOK INTO THE SUPPLY SA INITIATIVE, IN RECOGNITION THAT THERE'S APPROXIMATELY $9 BILLION SPENT ANNUALLY IN PUBLIC AGENCY CONTRACTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR COUNTRY, ALMOST ALL OF THE PUBLIC AGENCIES HAVE UNITED AROUND THE TABLE TO DEVELOP SOME ANYONE WHO PROTOCOLS TO ALLOW MORE SMALL BUSINESSES TO ACCESS THOSE CONTRACTS. TO GET MORE SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY MICRO-BUSINESSES REGISTERED, CERTIFIED, AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR LOCAL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. SAN ANTONIO IS A MINORITY, MAJORITY COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE ARE REPRESENTED BY LARGELY WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES. BY VIRTUE OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT MORE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ENTERING THAT PIPELINE, WE ARE GOING TO DO A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE . AND THE DATA WILL SHOW YOU THAT. AND IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE COMMUNITY, IF NOT BEYOND THAT SO WE HAVE TO THROTTLE TO STAY TRUE TO THAT PURPOSE. 
          THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PERCEIVED THREATS OF LITIGATION. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THESE CHANGES AND I THINK THAT THEY ARE DONE WITH A GOOD DEAL OF PRUDENCE AND SOBRIETY AND I THINK THAT THEY WILL PERFORM, AND WE WILL KNOW IF THEY WON'T. IF THEY DON'T, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY. SO WITH THAT THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 34, AND I WILL NOTE THAT WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE IN MARCH ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. PLEASE VOTE. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: MOTION 
          CARRIES AND WE'LL GO TO ITEM 39. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL. THE CITY RECENTLY FINALIZED AND COMPLETED OUR 2024 CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS AN ANNUAL EVENT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT NON-PROFITS AND THE UNITED WAY. OUR 2024 CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN, UM, CHAIRS WERE KRYSTAL JONES AND OUR ARTS AND CULTURE DIRECTOR, AND AURORA PERKINS, THE DEPUTY CITY CLERK THERE BEFORE YOU, MAYOR. AND BRIAN HARRISON, WITH THE PARKS AND REC SERVED AS OUR CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR. AND ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, WE HAVE MADE A NUMBER OF CHANGES AND AURORA AND KRYSTAL WORKED WITH THE EMPLOYEES IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER IN A VARIETY OF EVENTS, CUDDLE PUPPY FUNDRAISERS, LIP SYNC FUNDRAISERS, BAKE SALES, UM, AND ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYEES ON -- ON THE VALUE OF CONTRIBUTIONS TH THE CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN. I'M PROUD TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL TODAY THAT, UM, OVER $1,015,000 WAS RAISED, THE HIGHEST AMOUNT SINCE 2021. AND SUPER PROUD OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT. PART OF OUR MESSAGE TO THE EMPLOYEES IS THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OUR OWN THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS WITH OUR OVER 13,000 EMPLOYEES. SO ALONG WITH OTHER LARGE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE H-E-B AND VALERO THAT RAISE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, WE HAVE REACHED THAT PEAK AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL AND THANK THE EMPLOYEES FOR BEING THERE, NOT ONLY IN THEIR DAILY JOBS, BUT ALSO AS IT RELATES TO CONTRIBUTING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THE SECOND ITEM, SEVERAL COUNCILMEMBERS KIND OF STOLE MY THUNDER AND I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF UPCOMING ACS ITEMS AND I THINK THAT IS GREAT. WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS AT THE MINI-MEGAVACCINE EVENT THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN TALKED ABOUT, AND OVER 423 PETS SERVED. 
          IT WAS OUR FIRST DRIVE-THRU EVENT AND I ENVISIONED US DOING A LOT MORE OF THOSE. 
          WE HAD A LARGE OCTOBER MEGAADOPTION EVENT ON OCTOBER 26TH, WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, AND VOLUNTEERED TO FOSTER FOR THAT EVENT. AND WE'VE GOT A QUICK VIDEO OF 
          [02:00:06]
THAT THAT I WANT TO SHOW THE COUNCIL. 
          >> YEAH, ROUND OF APPLAUSE. HOW ABOUT THAT, YEAH. [APPLAUSE] SO THAT WAS A GREAT EVENT. THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'D EVER GONE TO THAT SCALE AND I WANT TO THANK MIKE AND LISA AND THE REST OF THE ACS TEAM THAT. TOOK A LOT OF COORDINATION AND A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, AS I MENTIONED, THAT HELPED US TO FOSTER ANIMALS IN PREPARATION FOR THAT EVENT. SO CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE, AND ACS TEAM. 
          WE'VE GOT UPCOMING ACS EVENTS ON DECEMBER 14TH, A HOME FOR THE HOWL-A-DAYS EVENT AND WE'RE PREPARING FOR OUR MEGA-FIESTA EVENT, THE POUCH PAW-CHANGA THAT IS DURING FIESTA. 
          SO A LOT OF THIS TIES BACK TO WHAT THE COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT ON ITEM NUMBER 5 TODAY IN RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATION OUT TO -- OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN THE LAST -- THE LAST ITEM, MAYOR, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL, BUT SOME WERE ABLE TO JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 3RD WHERE WE HAD OUR ANNUAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION EVENT FOR EMPLOYEES THAT WERE CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES AND OUR FIVE-YEAR INCREMENTS WITH THE CITY AND WE HAD OVER 1,900 EMPLOYEES, PLUS THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS OUT ON THE ZOO ON NOVEMBER 3RD. SO THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU THAT CAME OUT TO THE EVENT. JUST A COMBINED YEARS OF SERVICE OF ALL OF THE HONOREES THERE IT WAS 26,880 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY AND TO THE ORGANIZATION. 
          WE HAD 42 EMPLOYEES, WITH 35 YEARS OR MORE. AND THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE MOST NUMBER OF HONOREES WAS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH 584. AND WE HAD 13 EXECUTIVES WITH ANNIVERSARIES. WE HAVE A QUICK VIDEO AND I WANT TO THANK H.R. AND ALL OF THE EXECUTIVES THAT HELPED WITH THE EVENT. IT'S A GREAT FAMILY EVENT AND WE'RE ALWAYS FORTUNATE TO WORK VERY WELL WITH THE ZOO AND WE'RE ALWAYS LUCKY, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE GREAT WEATHER. LET'S ROLL THAT VIDEO. 
          >> WHEN I GOT INTERVIEWED I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HOW HAPPY PEOPLE WERE AND THE CONVENTION CENTER 
          AND THE ALAMO DOME, I'M HAPPY WITH WHAT I DO. >> THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS THE BEST PLACE TO WORK. IT'S WHAT YOU MAKE IT OF AND HARD WORK ALWAYS PAYS OFF. 
          >> THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS BEING ABLE TO CALL PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND OFFER THEM JOBS WITH THE CITY. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND I GET TO SPEND EVERY DAY CALLING ON PEOPLE AND LETTING THEM KNOW THEY ALSO HAVE A JOB WITH THE CITY. AND I GET TO WAKE UP AND LIVE MY DREAM EVERY DAY. 
          EXPERIENCE AND GREAT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. (♪) 
          >> THIS IS A GREAT COMMUNITY. I ENCOURAGE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TRY TO GET INTO THIS, I HAVE A 20-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER THAT I'M TRYING TO GET HER INVOLVED IN THE CITY AS WELL, SO THAT WAY SHE CAN EXPERIENCE ALL OF THE JOY THAT I HAVE HAD WORKING HERE. 
          >> YOU GET TO DO THINGS FOR THE PUBLIC. YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE NEW THINGS THROUGH THE CITY. AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK FOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF THAT. ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU GET TO SERVE THEM IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE. 
          >> I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANOTHER JOB THAT I COULD POSSIBLY DO OUT THERE THAT SENT WORKING FOR MY COMMUNITY. I DON'T THINK THAT I WANT TO WORK FOR A PLACE WHERE I PROFIT SOMEBODY. I LIKE WORKING FOR AND BY PEOPLE AND FOR THE CITY THAT I WAS BORN 
          AND RAISED IN. (♪) >> THAT'S THE REPORT, MAYOR, 
          THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, ERIC. 
          [02:05:01]
WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ORDER TO A 2:00 P.M. ZONING AND THE TIME IS 11:16 A.M., ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, 2024, AND THE CITY OF COUNCIL WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SECTION WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551, AND TO DO A, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.087, AND THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.072, AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO 
          >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON. THE TIME IS 12:47 P.M. ON DECEMBER 5, 2024. CITY COUNCIL HAS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN. OUR A SESSION IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.