[00:01:34]
>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION.
[1. 19-6723 Staff presentation and possible action on Potential Amendments to the FY 2020 Proposed Operating and Capital Budget. [Erik Walsh, City Manager; Justina Tate, Director, Management and Budget]]
WE HAVE OUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS DISCUSSION TODAY AND OUR COUNCIL RATIFYCATION FOR THE FY 2020 BUDGET TOMORROW SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIK WALL WALSH.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF ISSUES.
I SENT A MEMO ON MONDAY TO EACH OF YOU THAT KIND OF OUTLINED THE UPDATED AMENDMENT LIST, AND EMILY IS GOING TO PASS AROUND AN UPDATED LIST.
THERE ARE THREE CHANGES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED YELLOW.
THEY'RE ALL MINOR CHANGES, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE BRIEFLY AS SOON AS EVERYBODY'S GOT A COPY OF THAT.
SO JUST TO REITERATE, AND I'M GOING TO HAVE BEN GORZELL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CPS UNPRECEDENTED REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVED NEWS ON ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
LAST WEDNESDAY, I SHARED WITH YOU AT OUR WORK SESSION THAT AT THE TIME, WE WERE ESTIMATING FROM CPS AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION.
ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, WE GOT THE FINAL ESTIMATE FROM CPS OF $7.8 MILLION AND PRIMARILY THAT'S FROM OFFSYSTEM SALES.
BEN IS GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
SO THIS IS CERTAINLY KIND OF A ONE-TIME UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE THAT BROKE A LOT OF RECORDS, AND YOU'LL SEE WHY IN ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT BEN HAS, ALL OF THIS REVENUE WAS BEING GENERATED OUTSIDE THE CPS SERVICE AREA.
JUST FOR CONTEXT, EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AND THERE IS -- THE NORMAL PROCESS BETWEEN THE PROPOSED AND THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
THERE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ENACTED, AND I INCLUDED IN THE MEMO SOME INFORMATION THAT I THOUGHT WAS HELPFUL FOR YOU OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS HAVE AVERAGED $8.3 MILLION, AND THEN ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT WE DO -- WE BALANCE OUR BUDGET OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.
AND THAT SAME FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT $11 MILLION.
THE MEMO THAT YOU GOT ON MONDAY, AND THESE NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED, SHOW AN ESTIMATED -- A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION FOR FY 2020.
$5.8MILLION IN FY '21 FOR A TOTAL OF $9.9 MILLION IN TOTAL AMENDMENTS AND THAT'S FOR THE GENERAL FUND, RESTRICTED FUNDS AND THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
THE CHANGES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE HANDOUT THAT EMILY JUST GAVE YOU, JUST ON NUMBER FOUR, WE CHANGED -- WE INCLUDED THE ACTUAL CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUP NAME IN THAT LANGUAGE.
ON THE SECOND PAGE, WE HAD A REQUEST FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO REDIRECT SOMETHING THAT WAS RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS ON THE MONDAY LIST, TO REDIRECT THAT TO INCREASE THE -- EACH DISTRICT'S BUDGET BY 22,500 IN EACH OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT
[00:05:02]
LIST WAS A REVENUE IDEA THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY COUNCILMAN COURAGE THAT WE DID NOT INCLUDE ON HERE, AND THAT WAS THE INCREASING OF THE FEES FOR SMALL SALE NODES.AND THEN ON THE LAST PAGE, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S OFFICE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN THE MONDAY LIST FOR A COUPLEPL OF DIFFERENT PROBABILITIES, -- PROJECTS, SO WE SHIFTED.
OTHER THAN THAT, NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON THIS LIST.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL ASK BEN TO KIND OF RECAP SO YOU'VE GOT SOME CONTEXT AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY.
>> GORZELL: MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS, CERTAINLY WANT TO TOUCH ON TWO THINGS IN THIS PRESENTATION TODAY.
IT'S A BRIEF PRESENTATION, BUT WE WANT TO TOUCH ON A LITTLE BIT, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PAYMENT THAT WE GOT FROM CPS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING RESERVING SOME DOLLARS FOR THE IMPACT OF SB 2 BEGINNING IN FY 2021.
SO JUST RECAPPING AGAIN, WE DID RECEIVE AN ESTIMATE FROM CPS ON FRIDAY THAT WE'D BE GETTING $46.1 MILLION PAYMENT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
THAT DOES EXCEED OUR ESTIMATE BY $7.8 MILLION.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST MONTHLY PAYMENT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM CPS TO DATE.
IT SURPASSES OUR PREVIOUS HIGH OF 41.7 MILLION IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
THE BULK OF THIS, OR REALLY ALL OF THIS INCREASE, IS DRIVEN BY $10 MILLION OF OFFSYSTEM SALES, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS THE SALE OF EXCESS POWER BY CPS TO THE ERCOT MARKET AND I'VE GOT SOME SLIDES TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO THIS INCREASE IS NOT COMING FROM CPS RATE PAYERS.
THE MORE TYPICAL RANGE OF OFFSYSTEM SALES MONTHLY REVENUES IS MORE IN THE RANGE OF 1 TO $3 MILLION IN A MONTH, AND THIS $7.8 MILLION IS OBVIOUSLY VERY HIGH, VERY UNUSUAL PAYMENT.
AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE DETAILS ON SOME SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.
AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE ARE RECOMMENDING USING THE $7.8 MILLION TO FUND SOME BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF ANOMALY, A ONE-TIME REVENUE STREAM, SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT BE DEDICATED TOWARD ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES AND THEN WE'RE RECOMMENDING SETTING ASIDE $2.1 MILLION FOR THE IMPACT OF SB 2 IN FY 2021.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE MANY TIMES WHEN WE DO THE FINANCIAL FORECASTS.
SO, AGAIN, THIS IS THE CHANGE IN CPS ACTUAL REVENUES FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
SO THIS TAKES THE BUDGET OUT AND JUST SAYS WHAT ARE CPS REVENUES DOING FROM YEAR TO YEAR? AND KEEP IN MIND, EVERY TIME THE LINE DIPS, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GETTING LESS REVENUE FROM CPS, IT MEANS THE RATE OF GROWTH IS DIFFERENT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2014 -- ACTUALLY, I'LL GO BACK TO 2005, YOU CAN SEE 12.6% GROWTH, 11.4% GROWTH, AND THEN 4.6% GROWTH.
IT'S ALL GROWTH, IT'S JUST A BIG RANGE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH IS ACTUALLY COMING IN.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIMES LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CPS REVENUES IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NORMALIZE THIS A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM A BUDGET AIR PERSPECTIVE THAT WE ALIGN RECURRING REVENUES WITH RECURRING EXPENDITURES AND CONVERSELY, THAT WE TRY TO IDENTIFY ANOMALIES OR ONE-TIME THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE OFFSYSTEM SALES OR FUEL PRICES, SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN THOSE IN OUR BUDGET WITH ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
OBVIOUSLY THE KEY IS THERE, WE DON'T WANT TO ADD THINGS, RECURRING EXPENSES INTO THE BUDGET BASED ON AN ASSUMPTION ON REVENUES THAT MAY NOT COME IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD CREATE GAPS AND PROBLEMS FOR US.
WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING WITH THE RATING AGENCIES EVERY SUMMER AS WE GO OUT FOR OUR GEO BOND RATING.
WE DO TALK ABOUT CPS REVENUES AND WE ALWAYS REITERATE TO THEM FROM OUR FINANCIAL POSITION, OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, THAT WE MAKE SURE WE TRY TO IDENTIFY ONE-TIME INCREMENTS COMING IN FROM CPS AND THAT WE ALIGN THOSE WITH ONE-TIMEX PEN DIURES.
THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
GETTING INTO AN UPDATE OF WHAT WE LOOK LIKE SO FAR FOR FY 2019 THROUGH AUGUST, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE IS OUR ADOPTED BUDGET FOR 2019.
YOU RECALL, WE WERE DOWN ABOUT $14.7 MILLION BEFORE WE GOT THIS AUGUST PAYMENT.
WITH THE AUGUST PAYMENT, WE'RE NOW DOWN TO ABOUT $5.9 MILLION AGAINST THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE IS WHAT WE'RE GIVING YOU IS OUR UPDATED ESTIMATE.
THIS WAS THE ESTIMATE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED BACK IN AUGUST.
YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN WITH THAT UPDATE, WE DID MISS JUNE AND JULY SLIGHTLY.
JULY WAS UNDER BY ABOUT $440,000, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VERY HOT IN JULY.
AND THEN AGAIN IN AUGUST, WE MADE $7.8 MILLION ABOVE THE BUDGET, BUT THAT'S ALL OFFSYSTEM SALES.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN
[00:10:02]
TERMS OF -- I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT SLIDE CAME UP THAT WAY, BUT THE BLUE BAR IS ESSENTIALLY THE NONOFFSYSTEM SALES REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM CPS.AND THEN THE ORANGE BAR REPRESENTS THE AMOUNT OF OFFSYSTEM SALES REVENUE.
SO FOR THE NONOFFSYSTEM SALES REVENUE, WE BUDGETED $36.3 MILLION.
AND OVER ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, OBVIOUSLY THE VALUES AREN'T SHOWING UP, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY $200,000 UNDER THE BUDGET, WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION OFFSYSTEM SALES.
OUR OFFSYSTEM SALES BUDGET WAS $2 MILLION.
WE CAME IN AT $10 MILLION, SO THERE'S THE $8 MILLION DIFFERENCE, LESS THE 200,000 THAT WE'RE SHORT ON THE NONOFFSYSTEM SALES PIECE, AND THE NET IS $7.8 MILLION.
THIS SLIDE KIND OF HELPS PUT IN CONTEXT HOW UNUSUAL A PAYMENT THIS IS RELATED TO OFFSYSTEM SALES. THIS GOES BACK TO OCTOBER OF 2006 MONTHLY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR PREVIOUS HIGH, PREVIOUS TO THIS AUGUST WAS JULY OF LAST YEAR AT 6.3 MILLION.
IF YOU GO BACK BEFORE THAT, OUR PREVIOUS HIGH WOULD HAVE BEEN AUGUST OF 2007 AT $3.5 MILLION.
YOU CAN SEE OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT RANGES FROM REALLY NOMINAL IN SOME MONTHS, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF -- WHILE THERE'S EXIT GENERATION, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PRICING OR MARGIN IN THE MARKET, SO IT CAN BE A NOMINAL PAYMENT TO US, OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE UP TO AS HIGH AS ABOUT 3 MILLION.
THAT'S MORE THE TYPICAL RANGE.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH OF AN OUTLIER JULY OF LAST YEAR, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR'S EVEN MORE OF AN OUTLIER AT $10 MILLION.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT.
THIS IS THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS, JUST THE SUMMER MONTHS, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, JULY OF LAST YEAR HOW THAT'S AN OUTLIER COMPARED TO PREVIOUS JULYS.
AND THEN HOW MUCH OF AN OUTLIER THIS AUGUST PAYMENT IS COMPARED TO AUGUST IN THE PRIOR FIVE YEARS.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTE THAT IN SEPTEMBER, WE TYPICALLY SEE THAT NUMBER DROP OFF QUITE A BIT.
THAT'S BECAUSE TEMPERATURES ARE STARTING TO MODERATE, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH PRESSURE ON GENERATION ACROSS THE STATE, SO WE WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE INTO THE SEPTEMBER MONTHS.
THIS IS A SLIDE THAT ACTUALLY TAKES SOME OF THE PRICING -- WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF KIND OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
THIS IS SOME DATA THAT THE STAFF PULLED OFF OF -- FROM ERCOT AND THIS IS A COUPLE OF DAYS IN AUGUST.
AUGUST 12TH, 13TH AND 15TH IS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.
SO WE HAD EXTREME HOT TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE STATE.
LOTS OF PRESSURE ON GENERATION.
SO ON THESE THREE DAYS, THIS IS WHEN WE HAD THE HIGHEST PEAK, SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS ON THAT BOTTOM OF THE GRAPH, THAT'S TIME.
SO IT'S STARTING AT MIDNIGHT, IT'S GOING THROUGH THE DAY.
AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE DURING THE DAY, IT'S BASICALLY FLAT.
IT'S AT 0, NOT VERY MUCH -- THERE'S NO DEMAND FOR PRICING THERE AT ALL, OR DEMAND FOR ENERGY.
YOU START TO GET TO ABOUT 12:30, AND THEY START TO PEAK, AND THEN BY THE TIME YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, WE ACTUALLY HIT THE CAP ON TWO OF THOSE DAYS.
SO THERE'S A CAP IN THE ERCOT MARKET THAT EVEN AS SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS OCCURRING AND PRICING IS -- THERE'S A TON OF PRESSURE ON PRICING AND IT STARTS TOSCALATE, ERCOT HAS A PRICE THAT SAYS IT CAN'T EXCEED $9,000 PER MEGAWATT.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON ONE OF THOSE AUGUST 12TH, WE GOT TO ABOUT, WHAT IS THAT, $6,500 OR SO.
IT STAYS FOR A SHORT DURATION.
THESE ARE -- WE'RE SHOWING OUR INCREMENTS BUT THE PRICING IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON 15-MINUTE INCREMENTS.
WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF JUST HOW EXTREME THAT WAS IN AUGUST, HITTING THE CAP TWICE, AND HOW FAST IT HAPPENS AND IT'S REALLY A SHORT DURATION OF TIME.
THAT CPS THEN IS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXCESS GENERATION AND SELL THAT TO THOSE THAT NEED ADDITIONAL GENERATION ACROSS THE STATE.
ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, WE PICKED TWO DATES IN SEPTEMBER.
ONE WAS SEPTEMBER SIXTH, ONE WAS SEPTEMBER 9TH.
WE HIT A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 97°, YOU CAN SEE THE BIG DIFFERENCE JUST BEING THE EXTREME, PLUS 103, 105-DEGREES DAYS WE WERE HAVING IN AUGUST VERSUS BEING AT 97.
ONE OF THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO PRESSURE ON PRICING AT ALL, BASICALLY STAYED FLAT, AND YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THEM, JUST A SLIGHT BUMP TO ABOUT MAYBE $1,800 OF MEGAWATT, SO BIG DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF THE PRICING THAT WAS OCCURRING.
AND REMEMBER FROM THE ERCOT MARKET STANDPOINT, ERCOT KIND OF STANDS ALONE WHEN YOU LOOK -- TALK ABOUT AN ELECTRICAL GRID.
IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE U.S., SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRICING, IT'S REALLY INFLUENCED BY, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY, HOW MUCH GENERATION IS AVAILABLE, AND THEN IT'S DEMAND ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
[00:15:02]
JUST TREMENDOUS DEMAND ON GENERATION THAT CAUSED THE SPIKING AND THE PRICING THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT COME INTO PLAY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ERCOT MARKET PRICING WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD ANYTHING IN RECURRING RELATED TO THIS KIND OF AN EXTREME OR THIS KIND OF ANOMALY.
IN TERMS OF OUR RECOMMENDATION TO SET ASIDE THE $2.1 MILLION FOR SB 2, YOU RECALL ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, I TALKED ABOUT HOW IN AUGUST, WHILE IT WAS VERY HOT, WE ACTUALLY CAME IN, IF YOU TAKE OUT OFFSYSTEM SALES REVENUE, WE ACTUALLY CAME IN $200,000 UNDER BUDGET.
THAT HAS PRIMARILY TO DO WITH NATURAL GAS PRICES ARE VERY, VERY LOW RIGHT NOW.
CPS ACQUIRES PRICING, OR NATURAL GAS THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT INDEXES, HENRY HUB AND WAHA.
THE HENRY HUB IS PROBABLY IN THE LOW 2S.
WAHA HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN EITHER -- IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN AT 0 OR AT TIMES EVEN NEGATIVE.
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OIL AND GAS IN WEST TEXAS THAT'S CREATING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUPPLY WHICH HAS PUSHED THE PRICE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO.
THAT'S CONTINUING, THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
SO THAT IS -- THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT OUR PAYMENT FROM CPS GOING FORWARD.
SO I MENTIONED THE FACT THAT AUGUST WAS REALLY HOT, WE WERE SLIGHTLY UNDER.
OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR HAS THAT ASSUMPTION BUILT INTO IT.
WE'VE ASSUMED LOWER NATURAL GAS PRICES, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONCERN WHEN IT WAS UP.
WE'RE DESIGNED TO REALLY HOPEFULLY BE MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE AND BE IN A POSITION WHERE COMING IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE BUDGET.
I MENTIONED SB 2, YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE AS WELL.
AND JUST WANT TO PUT IN CONTEXT, AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2015 FORWARD, IF SB 2 HAD BEEN IN PLACE, YOU SEE THE RED DASHED LINE, OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE VALUE GROWTH WOULD HAVE BEEN CAPPED AT 3.5%.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FINANCIAL POSITION CHANGING AND OUR FINANCIAL PARAMETERS CHANGING, WHEN WE WOULD HAVE PUT A FORECAST TOGETHER BEFORE AND WE'RE FORECASTING, FOR EXAMPLE, 3.5% GROWTH ON BASE VALUES AND PROPERTY TAXES, AND WE WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
AND IF THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO BE STRONG, THEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE 2015, 2016, 2017, WHERE IT'S COMING IN ABOVE THAT, WE WOULD CAPTURE THAT REVENUE.
AND THAT IS WHERE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO FUND POLICY ISSUES, IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS THAT ARE OF HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE COUNCIL.
JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, AGAIN, THAT UNDER SB 2, THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN.
SO WE'VE ALREADY ASSUMED IN THE FORECAST A 3.5% GROWTH ON BASE VALUES, SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE THIS BIG JUMP LIKE YOU SEE IN 2016 OR 2017 OR 2018 IN THE FUTURE.
SB 2'S GOING TO FORCE US TO LOWER THE TAX RATE SO THAT THAT GROWTH DOES NOT EXCEED 3.5%.
SO WE'RE BALANCED THROUGH FY 2021.
WE CONTINUE TO BE BALANCED WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE PROPOSED FOR YOU TODAY, BUT IN ORDER FOR 2021, FOR US TO GENERATE DOLLARS FOR COUNCIL PRIORITIES OR POLICY ISSUES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO FUND IN 2021, THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO OUTPERFORM OUR REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO OUTPERFORM THE BASE VALUE PROPERTY TAX ASSUMPTION AT 3.5%, BECAUSE IT'S CAPPED UNDER SB 2.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE GROWTH THAN WE HAVE HAD ON THE NEW IMPROVEMENT SIDE.
WE'RE AT 1.6% THIS YEAR, SO HOPE.LY WE GET SOMETHING CLOSER TO TWO% BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE -- THAT'S NOT GOING TO REPLICATE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN 2017 OR 2018 SALES TAX WE'VE GOT A MODERATE ASSUMPTION THERE SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GENERATE A LITTLE BIT THERE, AND THEN CPS, I SHOWED YOU THE SLIDE WHERE IT OBVIOUSLY CAN BE VERY UNPREDICTABLE WITH FUEL PRICES AND WEATHER, BUT WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DO BETTER THAN OUR REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS IN ORDER TO PUT YOU IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE GOT DOLLARS TO WORK TOWARDS COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND COUNCIL POLICIES.
SO FOR THAT REASON, WE ARE RECOMMENDING RESERVING OR SETTING ASIDE $2.1 MILLION TO HELP US TRANSITION INTO THIS IMPACT OF SB2 AS WE MOVE FORWARD .
THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS WE DID ASSUME A 3.5% BASE GROWTH IN PROPERTY TAXES.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE BOTTOM ROW THERE FOR BASE VALUES, STARTING IN ABOUT 2017, WE WERE RIGHT AT THE 8% CURRENT ROLLBACK RATE.
WE FELL TO 6.6%, 4.4%, 4%, SO IT'S BEEN TRENDING DOWN.
[00:20:01]
WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW DATA FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IF WE MISS THE 3.5% BY A HALF A PERCENT AND BASE VALUES CAME IN AT 3, THAT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND.SO WE REALLY FEEL LIKE FROM OUR FINANCIAL POLICY PERSPECTIVE, FROM A FISCAL PRU DENSY PERSPECTIVE, IT MAKES SENSE TO SET ASIDE SOME DOLLARS AS WE TRANSITION INTO THIS NEW FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK.
SO WITH THAT, MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THE COUNCIL SOME CONTEXT ON REALLY THE UNPRECEDENCE AND THE SOURCE OF WHAT THIS REVENUE WAS AND BE ABLE TO LAY THAT OUT PUBLICLY ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT I COULD DO IN A MEMO.
SO THAT'S WHY WE TOOK TIME TO DO THAT.
SO I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT I THINK THAT ONE OF MY EARLIER GOALS, AND I'VE STATED IT EARLY ON, WAS TO HELP MANAGE THE OVERALL GROWTH OF THE GENERAL FUND.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF NEED AS A COMMUNITY, AND MANY OF YOU IDENTIFIED THAT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE WORK SESSIONS.
THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET WAS ANTICIPATED -- OR IT WAS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS GROWING AT 1.2%.
WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, THAT GROWTH IS 1.4%.
IT'S STILL VERY MANAGEABLE AND I THINK STILL ACHIEVES THE ORIGINAL GOAL TO PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN ENTER NEXT SUMMER WITH SB 2 IN A BETTER POSITION.
AND SO THAT'S THE PRESENTATION WE HAVE, MAYOR, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THERE WILL BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIK, AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, MARIA, JUSTINA, THE WHOLE BUDGET OFFICE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS AS WE HONED IN ON THIS DAY BEFORE THE BUDGET PASSAGE.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BEN, IF YOU CAN COME BACK UP.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EMPHASIS ON HOW MUCH OF ANOMALY THIS CPS REVENUE WAS, BUT I'D LIKE TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF HISTORICALLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THIS BLEW THROUGH THE PREVIOUS HIGH MONTHLY CHECK FROM CPS BY ABOUT $5 MILLION; IS THAT -- AM I READING THAT CORRECT FROM THE PRESENTATION? PREVIOUS HIGH WAS JULY '18.
SO, YOU KNOW, ERIK HAS EMPHASIZED THIS POINT, SO HAVE YOU, THAT THIS IS -- THIS OUGHT TO BE VIEWED AS ONE-TIME -- THIS IS ONE-TIME REVENUE, THIS IS NOT A RECURRING SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WE CAN COUNT ON, BUT IN TERMS OF THE PATTERN THAT SEEMS TO BE DEVELOPING IN PEAK USE OFFTHE GRID -- OFF OF SAN ANTONIO BUT AUDIO] HOW IS THAT FORECAST ON A GO-FORWARD BASIS? DOES THIS IMPACT HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT '21?
I HAVE NOT UPDATED FY '21 OR F FY 2020 FOR THIS OFFSYSTEM SALES REVENUES.
SO IF WE GO BACK TO SLIDE 6, SO MAYOR, THIS IS LOOKING GOING BACK TO 2006 ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WE HAVE THE PEAK IN JULY OF '18.
WE'VE OF COURSE GOT THE PEAK IN AUGUST OF '19.
THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THIS REVENUE SOURCE, AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN A TIGHTER RESERVE MARGIN WITHIN ERCOT.
I MEAN, THIS WAS ONE OF THE LOWEST YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD A RESERVE MARGIN IN ERCOT.
THEY ARE PRO PROJECTING THAT TO GO UP IN '20 AND '21, BUT IT'S SO HARD TO PREDICT WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN JULY, TEMPERATURES WERE VERY HOT ACROSS THE STATE AND WE MADE $2 MILLION IN JULY OFF OF OFFSYSTEM SALES.
AUGUST WAS EXTREMELY HOT ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
YOU SAW THOSE COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE IT PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON GENERATION, SO YOU SAW THE NUMBER OF SPIKES.
I THINK FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IF THAT OCCURS IN THE FUTURE, THOSE WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE ONE-TIME THINGS THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT TO RELY ON FROM A RECURRING STANDPOINT.
AND THE RESPONSE FROM THAT FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE IS WE ARE MAKING OUR CONTINGENCY FUND WHOLE AND WE'RE ALSO ADDING THE SB 2 RESERVE FUND BECAUSE WE KNOW THE IMPACTS THAT ARE COMING FROM SB 2, HB 2 IF OUR GROWTH PATTERN CONTINUES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: JUST A HISTORICAL SENSE, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING IN THE MEMO, YOU POINTED THIS OUT, ERIK, WE'RE HERE AFTER HAVING REALLY GONE THROUGH A FAIRLY RIGID BUDGET PROCESS THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE TYPICAL OF AN ANNUAL BUDGET CYCLE.
BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE AT THE END THAN WE THOUGHT WE HAD.
[00:25:02]
REVENUE THAT'S USUALLY AMENDED IN THE CITY BUDGET AFTER IT'S PROPOSED?>> VILLAGOMEZ: MAYOR AND COUNCIL, TYPICALLY WHEN WE COME TO YOU WITH BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WE HAVE OUR CPS JULY CHECK, AND THAT IS ROUGHLY ABOUT THREE, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BETTER THAN THE ESTIMATE.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND TO BE UTILIZED FOR BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
THIS YEAR, AS BEN MENTIONED, OUR JULY CHECK WAS BELOW THE ESTIMATE AMOUNT, SO WE WAITED TO GET THOSE ACTUALS FOR AUGUST BEFORE WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE AMOUNT.
>> WALSH: MAYOR, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE LAST FIVE YEARS, IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY YEAR.
SOME YEARS WE UTILIZED SALES TAX THAT MAYBE WE RECEIVED IN THE CHECK BETWEEN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
WE HAVE DONE THAT IN PAST YEARS.
IN THIS CASE, OUR SALES TAX CHECK CAME IN RIGHT AT BUDGET THIS YEAR, SO EVERY YEAR IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AS WE LOOKED AT THE FIVE-YEAR HISTORY.
WELL, I APPRECIATE, AGAIN, THE WORK.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING TO HEAR ALL OF THE DIVERSE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS BEING MADE BY THE STAFF AND ALSO THE PRUDENCE OF THE $2 MILLION SB 2 RESERVE FUND.
SO THANK YOU, AGAIN, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS BUDGET.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT CLARIFICATION AND JUST HOW IT IS AN OUTLIER AND HOW HIGH IT WAS AS WELL THIS YEAR.
AND I THINK IT BROUGHT SOME CLARITY.
AND ALSO IT REINFORCED YOUR JUDGMENT ON WHY TO HAVE THAT 2 MILLION IN THE RESERVES AND WHY -- AND MOVING FORWARD WITH COUNCIL PRIORITIES IN THE FUTURE, THIS IS WHERE WE COULD LOOK AT THOSE DOLLARS AND THAT PROGRAMMING, IN PARTICULAR R I'M THINKING ABOUT, YES, ALL OF OUR BASIC CITY SERVICES, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO ALSO BE HIGHLIGHTING AND FOCUSING ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS THIS, THIS IS WHERE E WE COULD ALSO WORK IN THIS -- THESE DOLLARS.
I DO, THANK YOU, ERIK, AND EVERYONE, FOR MEETING WITH ME TO GO THROUGH THIS UPDATED MEMO FROM MONDAY.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS FOR -- I THINK IT'S -- I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THE -- FIND THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
FOR THE SERVICE ALLEYS -- WHERE IS IT? WHAT NUMBER IS THAT? OH, YES.
FOR THE SERVICE ALLEYS INCREASE, THE AMOUNT BUDGETED IN THE FY 2020 FOR MAINTENANCE OF NONSERVICE ALLEYS IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 7, SO WE HAVE -- IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR TCI, IT HAD NONSERVICE ALLEY REPAIRS, 1.3 MILLION.
AND IN YOUR FOLLOW-UP MEMO, YOU HAD SERVICE ALLEYS IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS 1, 3, 5 AND 7 TO BE REPAIRED IN FY 2020.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS -- THAT'S AN INCREASE TO THAT 1.3 MILLION?
SO THAT'S OUR -- THEY'RE ALREADY A FIXED AMOUNT.
IT SAYS TWO -- HOW MANY PER YEAR ARE YOU-ALL PLANNING TO DO?
>> WALSH: AS NEF ICIALG'S MAKING HIS WAY -- OR ROZI UP TO THE PODIUM, THEY CAN TELL YOU.
ON DISTRICT 7, WE HAD HAD A TWO-YEAR PLAN.
SO WHAT THIS ESSENTIALLY IS DOING IS MOVING THE SECOND YEAR UP INTO THE FIRST YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE 2020.
SO THIS IS JUST AN ADDITION TO THAT 1.3 MILLION.
AND HOW MANY ALLEYS DO YOU DO?
WE'RE PLATTING TO DO 19 IN 2020 AND REMAINING 17, 2021, WHICH IS DISTRICT 7 WAS GOING TO GET DONE NEXT YEAR, NINE OF THEM.
AND THE REMAINING EIGHT WAS GOING TO BE DONE YEARS 2021.
WE ARE GOING TO DO THOSE REMAINING EARLY, SAME TIME, IN 2020.
>> VIAGRAN: SO YOU'RE STILL GOING TO DO THE SAME ONES, BUT JUST EARLIER?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ABOUT ONE OF THE THINGS -- THANK YOU, ERIK, AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR CONTINUING TO HEAR THE CALLS FOR THE
[00:30:02]
RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO WITH THE POLICE SUBSTATION.THANK YOU THAT'S IN THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS HERE UNDER THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO ERIK, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT TO THE CAPITAL FUND BUDGET, IF WE MOVED IT THEN, THE $500,000 FOR THE PRELIMINARY WORK FROM FY 2021 TO FY 2020, IS THAT CORRECT.
>> WALSH: SURE, WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE, YES, MA'AM.
>> VIAGRAN: SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGE THERE ON HERE.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I AM HAPPY, AS THE MAYOR SHARED, TOO, THAT WE'RE COMING -- WE'RE MAKING WHOLE WITH OUR CONTINGENCY FUNDING FOR THE MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE SETTING US UP VERY WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT IS ABOUT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
I KNOW, ERIK, YOU MAY HAVE HAD A MEETING WITH THEM YESTERDAY.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION, I'M CONTINUING TO ASK FOR WHAT INCREASE OR COAL --COLA INCREASE OR HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE AS WELL FOR THE MANAGER PROFESSIONALS SALARIED IN THAT REALM THAT WOULD NOT GET A COAL -- COLA INCREASE.
ON TOP OF THAT, -- IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT, BUT LET ME START WITH THIS FIRST QUESTION: SO ONE OF THE SPEAKERS LAST WEEK SPOKE UP AND SHARED THAT SHE HAS TO PAY $900 TO THE CITY OUT OF HER OWN CHECK FOR PARKING AT -- FOR WORK.
SO -- AND THE STIPEND IS $65, $75, WHAT IS THE STIPEND THAT CITY EMPLOYEES GET? SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
SO HOW LONG HAS THAT STIPEND BEEN AT $65?
>> VIAGRAN: JUSTINA'S -- SOMEBODY'S COMING.
GO AHEAD, JUSTINE, IF YOU KNOW.
>> COUNCILWOMAN, WE INCREASED A COUPLE YEARS AGO FROM $45 TO 65 DRARS.
LET ME JUST DOUBLE-CHECK WITH LORI AS TO WHAT YEAR THAT WAS.
SO HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE INCREASED OUR PARKING FEES AT CITY FACILITIES IN THOSE -- AND IS IT KEEPING UP WITH HOW MUCH WE'RE CHARGING FOR PARKING? I THINK WE'RE INCREASING IT AGAIN HERE FOR THE CITY.
AND IF WE ARE, ARE THE STIPENDS FOR THE CITY EMPLOYEES GOING TO INCREASE AS WELL.
>> WALSH: THE CITY PENDS FOR THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT SCHEDULED TO GO UP IN FY 20.
WE DID SET ASIDE ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE PARKING FUN AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT THAT DAY AT THE WORK SESSION TO DO SOME SORT OF TRANSPORTATION INCENTIVE OPTIONS.
WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ADDITIONAL $300,000 IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUAL AND TCI TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL -- OR NOT ADDITIONAL, NEW VAN SHARE OR CAR SHARE TYPE OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES.
PARKING HAS BEEN A BIG DEAL FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE MADE THE ADJUSTMENT IN 2018.
THERE ARE OPTIONS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE, AND I THINK AS WE WORK -- ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE INCLUDED THE $300,000 IN THE PARKING FUND FOR THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS TO START DOING SOME GROUNDWORK IN ADVANCE OF US MOVING INTO THE BUILDING OVER HERE ACROSS THE STREET, THE OLD FROST BANK BUILDING, SO THAT WE CAN MITIGATE PARKING NEEDS FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND PART OF IT, TOO, WAS -- ONE THING THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ALSO REMOTE OR -- REMOTE WORKING FROM -- AS WELL AS AN OPTION, CORRECT?
ONE -- SO WHAT ABOUT THE -- HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST FOR THAT 1% INCREASE ON THAT GROUP OF THE PERFORMANCE PAY INDIVIDUAL, IF IT'S A 1%? GONZALEZ COUNCILMAN, LET ME MAKE --
>> GORZELL: LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
THAT USUALLY GET THE PERFORMANCE PAY.
>> GORZELL: SO THIS WOULD BE $2.3 MILLION.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE -- WHAT IS ON HERE ON -- CAN YOU EXPLAIN ABOUT THE SUNKEN GARDEN -- SUNKEN GARDEN REQUEST, ITEM 12? ERIK, SOMEONE? THE SUNKEN GARDEN THEATRE
[00:35:03]
MARKET ANALYSIS? IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP.IT WASN'T BROUGHT UP LAST WEEK DURING THE SESSION, SO IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN ABOUT IT -- EXPLAIN IT.
>> VILLAGOMEZ: SURE, COUNCILWOMAN.
THIS REQUEST CAME FROM THE BRACKENRIDGE CONSERVANCY.
THERE WAS -- THERE'S A DESIRE FROM THE BRECKEN REJ CONSERVANCY TO ACTIVATE THE SUNKEN GARDENS.
SO AS PART OF THAT POTENTIAL ACTIVATION, THEY NEED TO DO A MARKET ANTICIPATORY ANALYSIS, IF THEY WERE TO DO IMPROVEMENTS, WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITY WE COULD BRING TO THAT FACILITY.
AND THE ASSOCIATED COST TO DO THAT IS ABOUT $250,000 AND THEY'RE ASKING THE CITY TO FUND HALF OF THAT REQUEST.
AND THIS IS DIFFERENT AND SEPARATE FROM ALL OF THE OTHER STUDIES THAT WE'VE DONE IN AND AROUND BRACKENRIDGE?
>> VILLAGOMEZ: THAT IS CORRECT, COUNCILWOMAN.
THE ENHANCEMENT TO THE SUNKEN GARDEN THEATER, WAS IT PART OF THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE HAD DONE WITH THE BRACKENRIDGE.
>> VILLAGOMEZ: SO THE BRACKENRIDGE MASTER PLAN SPOKE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS PARTICULAR STUDY WILL BE FOR THE ACTUAL ACTIVATION OF THE THEATER, AND REALLY TO SEE IF THERE'S A MARKET TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE IT TO WHAT SIZE, WHAT KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE, SO THAT IS THE COST OF THE STUDIES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, YES, THE CITY EMPLOYEES AND THE PLAN OF ACTION.
SO, ERIK, WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION AND WHERE -- WAS THERE AN AMENABLE CONVERSATION WITH ASME YESTERDAY AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION?
>> WALSH: IT WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION.
IT WAS A GOOD INTRODUCTORY MEETING, BECAUSE WE'D NEVER MET BEFORE.
AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TOGETHER TO WORK ON THE FUTURE, 2021.
WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ESTIMATES THAT THEY THOUGHT, SOME OF THESE ISSUES WOULD COST.
I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO RECONCILE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN NUMBERS WERE.
AND THEY'RE UTILIZING THE SERVICES OF SOMEBODY WITH -- WITH AFSME TO ESTIMATE IMPACT ON SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS THAT THEY'D BEEN SENDING IN LETTERS, BUT I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO RECTIFY THAT, TO DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY, WE HAVE 12, ABOUT 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION STEP -- THAT'S STEP EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS PROFESSIONALS, TO DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY WOULD COST A LITTLE OVER $11 MILLION.
SO THERE WAS NO -- AUDIO] -- WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US IN 2020.
I'M FINE WITH THE -- AUDIO] -- AND THEN IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, MAYOR, I'LL CHIME BACK IN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN.
AND THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS BUDGET? IT IS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX AND EVERY YEAR WE CAN SEE ALL THE RELIEF WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO THE BUDGET ADOPTION, SO THANKS, ERIK, MARIA, EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
JUSTINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK, ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ADVOCATED.
PART OF WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, GETTING TO KNOW YOU, HELPS REALLY ADVISE A LOT OF YOUR BUDGET REQUESTS, SPECIFICALLY AT TCI, FOR EXAMPLE, PARKS AND REC, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I WANT TO -- I'M GOING TO BASICALLY JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE ITEM, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT LANGUAGE THAT WAS SENT OUT BY ERIK WALSH.
HE'S -- THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO REVIEW -- REVIEW THE PAY STRUCTURE OF OTHER LARGE CITIES AND ANALYZE THESE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS OF CITY COUNCIL.
OF COURSE, OUR REQUEST WAS TO ADJUST THE CITY COUNCIL AIDE
[00:40:02]
COMPENSATION.SO FIRST, I'M GOING TO SAY THANK YOU, ERIK.
THE INCLUSION OF THE COUNCIL COMPENSATION IN FISCAL YEAR '20 AND FISCAL YEAR '21 BUDGETS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND YOU HAVE LISTENED TO THE MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL.
WHILE CONTINUING TO RESEARCH THIS SUBJECT, I RECENTLY REVIEWED A VIDEO, I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO LOOK THIS UP.
SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2016, B SESSION, BUDGET BRIEFING, WHERE THIS SAME TOPIC WAS DISCUSSED.
AND ENDORSED BY MANY ON COUNCIL.
IN THAT MEETING, A MINOR MIRACLE OCCURRED, BOTH JOE CRYER AND REY SALDAÑA AGREED ON THIS SUBJECT.
>> TREVINO: REALLY, THAT'S A FACT.
GIVEN THAT WE'RE APPROVING THE FUNDING FOR COUNCIL AIDE COMPENSATION IN THE BUDGET, ALBEIT PARTIAL, I SEE NO REASON FOR A SIX-MONTH DELAY HOWEVER, AND I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR FUNDING BE JANUARY 1ST OF THE NEW YEAR, 2020.
AND FOR THE FUNDING AMOUNT TO EQUAL, OR BE ADJUSTED, TO THREE-QUARTERS OF THE FISCAL YEAR OF '21, THE AMOUNT OF $979,070.
WHILE I BELIEVE A MARKET ANALYSIS EVALUATING THE COMPENSATION STRUCTURE IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IS CALLED FOR AND WILL PROVIDE INTERESTING DATA, ESPECIALLY GIVEN HOW SAN ANTONIO STACKS TERMS OF COUNCIL STAFF COMPENSATION, BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AS WELL AS THE RATIO OF ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS, I ALSO BELIEVE ANY COMPARISON OF COUNCIL AIDE PAY MUST INCLUDE A COMPARISON OF EXIST TENT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO JOBS AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
AFTER ALL, UPON REVIEWING NUMEROUS CITY SAN ANTONIO JOB DESCRIPTIONS IT IS CLEAR TO SEE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP OF ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN SEVERAL POSITIONS ON COUNCIL'S STAFFS WITH THEIR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COUNTERPARTS, EXCEPT FOR PAY AND BENEFITS.
ERIK, I DO FEEL YOU HAVE LAID OUT A PRESCRIPTION FOR A PROCESS IN THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SINCE THOSE DOLLARS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AND THE FINDINGS OF THE ANALYSIS WILL BE PRESENTED, I'M ALSO GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT MAYBE COME BACK TO A FULL CITY COUNCIL B SESSION, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, ERIK.
AM I TO ASSUME, OR IF YOU CAN CONFIRM, THAT THE INITIAL COUNCIL AIDE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE SALARY PARKING IRA AND HEALTHCARE CATEGORIES HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF OCTOBER 1ST?
>> WALSH: THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, COUNCILMAN? THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL $263,000 FOR THE 3% FOR EACH EMPLOYEE.
THE INCREASE IN THE 401-K MATCH, THE PARKING, AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR HEALTH INCENTIVES.
>> WALSH: YES, ALL THOSE ARE -- THAT'S $263,000.
THOSE ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND ARE IN EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST, THEY'RE FULLY FUNDED.
WHO DO YOU ENVISION LEADING THE RESEARCH EFFORT? WILL IT BE BOTH LORI STEWART AND SOMEONE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? HOW DO YOU ENVISION SOME OF THIS PROCESS KICKING OFF.
>> WALSH: I WOULD EXPECT IN OCTOBER WHEN WE HAVE THAT FIRST GOVERNANCE DISCUSSION, IT WILL BE MYSELF, ANDY OR LIZ AND LORI STEWART.
WELL, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
MY SIMPLE REQUEST IN THIS CASE IS THAT WE GO FROM A 180-DAY IMPLEMENTATION START DATE TO A 90-DAY START DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, AND HOPE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES CAN SUPPORT THAT.
OTHERWISE, I WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU AND WE'LL -- WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEGINNING THAT PROCESS.
>> WALSH: I WAS JUST GOING TO RESPOND TO THAT.
WITH -- WE'VE GOT -- THERE WAS SOME THOUGHT BEHIND -- AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE 2016 VIDEO, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THERE WAS SOME THOUGHT GIVEN TO THE TIMELINESS OF THIS ISSUE.
AND MORE THAN HAPPY TO -- IF WE CAN PULL THIS SLIDE UP, JUST SO THAT YOU'VE GOT AN IDEA, WE DIDN'T JUST SAY SIX MONTHS.
AND THIS KIND OF LAYS OUT THE FRAMEWORK OF THAT SIX MONTHS, WHICH INCLUDED GOVERNANCE
[00:45:02]
FRAMEWORK DISCUSSION, INITIAL DISCUSSION IN OCTOBER, I'VE TALKED TO LORI STEWART ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CLASSIFICATION STUDY THAT WE DO, WHICH IS STANDARD PROCESS, AND WE'VE GOT EMPLOYEES THAT SPECIALIZE IN THIS THAT WE WOULD DO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT INITIAL GOVERNANCE, COVER THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS.I'M ANTICIPATING AT LEAST TWO CONVERSATIONS WITH GOVERNANCE, SO I HAVE BOTH A FEBRUARY AND A MARCH.
I'VE GOT A MARCH TIME FRAME, WHICH WOULD BE, I THINK, CONSISTENT WITH YOUR ASK FOR A FULL B SESSION.
AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION OF COUNCIL CHANGES.
SO WE'VE ACCOMMODATED -- I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ACCOMMODATE THE REALITY THAT SOME OF THIS WORK IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE HOLIDAYS, AND I'VE COORDINATED THIS WITH HR AND I THINK THEY'RE COMFORTABLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT CONTEXT, I KNOW YOU'RE MAKING A SUGGESTED CHANGE, BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT WE GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THOUGHT TO THIS.
>> TREVINO: I -- NO, I UNDERSTAND.
AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, ERIK.
HOWEVER, THAT'S -- THIS IS MY SINGLE REQUEST.
AFTER ALL, I DON'T WANT US TO BE KNOWN AS A CITY OF DELAYS.
I WANT US TO BE KNOWN AS A CITY OF ACTION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
COUNCILMEMBER ANDREWS-SULLIVAN? AND THANK.
>> SULLIVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU ERIK AND CITY STAFF.
AS ONE OF THE NEWBIES HERE ON COUNCIL, TO TRULY GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND LEARN THE PROCESS, TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT ASK FOR, TO FIND THAT DISTRICT 2 ACTUALLY HAS MOST OF ITS REQUESTS IN THE BUDGET AND IN THE AMENDMENT PROCESS IS A GREAT PLEASURE.
I KNOW THAT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING COMMISSION IS GRATEFUL FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BECAUSE IT DOES GIVE THEM ROOM TO TRULY BUILD THE MARCH UP TO WHAT IT IS AS OF TODAY, HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT, AND I KNOW THEY'RE EXCITED TO GET STARTED AND GET TO WORK.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SUNKEN GARDENS MARKET ANALYSIS, AND I KNOW I SPOKE BRIEFLY BEFORE WE STARTED ABOUT THE 150,000 COMING FROM THE CITY, AND THEN THE REMAINDER IS SUPPOSED TO BE ASKED OF THE COUNTY OR...
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN.
THE REMAINDER IS GOING TO BE FUNDED BY THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY.
SO IT'S A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH.
>> SULLIVAN: DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH.
ARE WE LOOKING TO DO ANY PARTNERSHIPS THERE WITH ANY COMPANIES IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING BACK AS FAR AS THE THEATRE PORTION, LIKE WHAT KIND OF THEATOR?
>> SO THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS REALLY TO DO FEASIBILITY STUDY ABOUT RENOVATIONS WOULD NEED TO GO INTO THE FACILITY ITSELF.
>> SO BACK TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED, THIS WAS ONE OF THE STRATEGIES SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC WHEN WE UPDATED THE MASTER PLAN IN 2017, SO THE FIRST STEP IN ANY RENOVATION OF THAT FACILITY WOULD REQUIRE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY TO BE UPDATED.
BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY HAS CHALLENGED THE CITY TO MATCH THEM DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, AND THAT'S WHAT THE AMENDMENT'S DOING.
>> SULLIVAN: I KNOW WE JUST HAD SOME OTHER CONVERSATIONS IN REFERENCE TO THIS, SO JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO TRULY MAKE SOME CHANGES THERE, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR FOR DISTRICT 2, TO TRULY HAVE SOME FORM OF AN AMPHITHEATER OR -- WHERE WE CAN TRULY HAVE MOVIES IN THE PARK FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING OUT EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, BECAUSE IT'S A TREASURE TO HAVE THIS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, SO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT IN THE BUDGET.
>> SULLIVAN: UNDER THE 250,000 FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, IS THAT GOING TO BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROGRAM THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE SEPARATED? I KNOW THAT LORI AND I KIND OF HAD A CONVERSATION THAT IT WOULD KIND OF WRAP ALL IN TOGETHER, SO I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE-CHECK AND MAKE SURE.
>> HOUSTON: AND SO THE $250,000 FOR THE OWNER/OCCUPIED REHAB, THAT FUNDING WAS ALREADY BUILT INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON DISTRICTS 1 THROUGH 5 AND WE WILL DO AT LEAST 10 HOMES IN EACH DISTRICT.
SO THIS IS NOT IN ADDITION TO, THIS IS ALREADY ADDED IN.
BUT WE HOPE TO DO MORE THAN 50 TOTAL.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE SECOND CHANCE INITIATIVE, THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TRULY PUSHING FOR DISTRICT 2, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE USING AN EXISTING DELEGATE AGENCY.
[00:50:02]
CHOOSE THE AGENCY WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH OR DO WE HAVE TO JUST GO WITH WHO YOU SELECT, ERIK, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK?WE'LL -- MAYBE YOU'LL SAY IT BETTER, DR. BRIDGER.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME EXISTING AGREEMENTS WITH DELEGATE AGENCIES.
I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO SCOPE OUT WHAT -- WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND ASK FOR PROPOSALS FROM THE DELEGATE AGENCIES AND THEN EVALUATE WHO CAN DELIVER WITHIN THAT $25,000 PILOT PROGRAM, DELIVER THE OUTCOMES WE'RE DESIRING.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO MAKE SURE WE SELECT AND WE'RE INVESTING IN THE APPROPRIATE GOAL.
AND THEN I'M JUST SUPER EXCITED FOR COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN TO TRULY GET HER NEW SUBSTATION IN DISTRICT 3.
AND THEN TO SEE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT IS GOING INTO THE INCUBATOR PROGRAM, THAT TRULY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES.
I KNOW I HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET, AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED.
I ACTUALLY ASKED THEM TO TEAM UP WITH ETSY TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP THEM WITHIN THE INCUBATOR PROGRAM WITHIN THE DISTRICT AS WELL.
AND THEN ONE LAST HOORAH FOR ALL OF US AS A CITY COUNCIL IS TO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN OUR NAP, SO WE TRULY NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THAT, THANK YOU, STAFF, AND THANK YOU, ERIK.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ANDREWS-SULLIVAN.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BUDGET TEAM.
AND THANK YOU, ERIK, FOR THE PROCESS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO REVIEW THE AMENDMENTS WITH US.
I THINK IT MAKES IT VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE ON THEM, SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM.
JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM CPS, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED -- OR WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR NONOFFSYSTEMS SALES REVENUES CAME IN LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT'S A BAD THING.
IT'S GOOD -- I MEAN, IT'S BAD FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT OUR RATE PAYERS ENDED UP PAYING LESS OUT-OF-POCKET THAN WE EXPECTED TO, SO THAT ENDED UP BEING -- I WOULD SAY THAT'S A SAVINGS FOR EVERY RATE PAYER IN SAN ANTONIO, SO THAT'S -- OR IN THE AREA, IN THE CPS AREA, SO THAT'S GOOD.
BEN, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET INFORMATION ON THE EXCESS CAPACITY THAT CPS HAS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND AS WELL AS THE EXCESS THAT IT IS ABLE TO SELL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? DOES IT SELL EVERY BIT OF EXCESS CAPACITY THAT IT HAS WHEN WE HAVE THESE PEAK DAYS?
>> GORZELL: NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
SO I CAN GET YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DETAIL ON AUGUST YET, BUT WE'LL -- WE CAN REPORT BACK OUT TO YOU WHEN WE GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.
ONE POINT I WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE FOR FUTURE POLICY DISCUSSION IS THAT THESE DAYS WHEN WE EXPERIENCED -- THESE PEAK DAYS WHEN WE HAD REALLY HOT WEATHER AND WHEN ALL OF THAT REVENUE CAME IN, WE ALL GOT AN E-MAIL FROM CPS ASKING US TO CONSERVE ELECTRICITY.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE ELECTRICITY THAT WE CONSERVED WAS ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON THE GRID, LIKE THAT BECAME EXCESS CAPACITY.
SO INSTEAD OF MAKING 14% OF WHAT OUR RATE PAYERS PAY, WE MADE 14% -- OR WE RECEIVED 14% OF WHAT THE OPEN MARKET -- OR THE ERCOT MARKET WAS WILLING TO PAY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IS THAT CORRECT.
>> GORZELL: WELL, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE EXTRA CAPACITY CAME FROM NECESSARILY, SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH CPS, BUT TO YOUR POINT, REMEMBER THAT LAST DECEMBER, AS YOU KNOW, THEY RETIRED TWO OF THE DEAL-A UNITS.
THAT WAS 840 MEGAWATTS OF POWER THAT THEY RETIRED IN DECEMBER, BUT YET WE WERE ABLE TO GENERATE A RECORD HIGH OFFSYSTEM SALES NUMBER.
A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH PRICING, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW-UP AND GET YOU SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
>> SANDOVAL: YEAH, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT, THAT RETIRING DEAL-A WASN'T THE END OF THE WORLD, THERE WAS STILL SOME REVENUE THAT CAME IN.
BUT I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IF SOME OF THAT CAPACITY IS COMING FROM SAVINGS FROM OUR RATE PAYERS, NOT USING ELECTRICITY, DOES IT BEHOOVE US TO FURTHER ADVANCE SOME OF THOSE ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAMS IN THE SUMMER FOR POTENTIAL REVENUE BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
THE OTHER QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW WHAT CPS PLANS TO DO WITH ALL OF THAT REVENUE? SO IF WE HAD A 7.8 EXTRA
[00:55:03]
REVENUE, THEIR ADDITIONAL REVENUE IS IN THE 50S, I THINK, OR MORE.THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NETTED SOMEWHERE AROUND $50 MILLION OFF OF THAT.
>> GORZELL: I'VE NOT HAD SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS WITH CPS, BUT I'M SURE THEY WILL PROBABLY TREAT THAT AS ONE-TIME REVENUE AS WELL.
PROBABLY TOWARDS THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
>> GORZELL: BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND GET MORE SPECIFICS THERE AS WELL.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO POSE TO THE MAYOR IS THAT YOU CONSIDER A RENEWABLE INVESTMENT WITH THAT MONEY THAT IN THE LONG RUN CAN PAY FOR ITSELF IF THERE IS OFFSYSTEM SALES IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'M SURE I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW AND SOMEONE WILL CORRECT ME ONCE I LEAVE THE DAIS, BUT NOBODY FROM CPS IS HERE, RIGHT? OKAY.
YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY JUST WATCHING US ON TV.
I'M SURE I'LL GET A CALL OR AN E-MAIL LATER.
A SECOND THING I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, YOU KNOW, MR. SALAZAR FROM SPECTRUM IS HERE TODAY, AND HE WAS ASKING ME ABOUT THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY, AND IF THERE WERE ANY -- I WAS PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT, AND WE BROUGHT UP THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
AND I -- I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT EXCITING WHEN I SHARED IT WITH MR. SALAZAR, BUT HE WAS JUST -- I THINK YOU WERE PRETTY EXCITED WHEN I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT.
SO I WANT TO -- I'M GLAD IT'S MADE IT TO THE AMENDMENTS AND I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE TO MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT IT, THAT CURRENTLY ACROSS THE U.S. WE HAVE NUMEROUS AFRICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTES, AND RIGHTLY SO, BECAUSE OF ALL THE HISTORY THAT NEEDS TO BE REMEMBERED AND LEARNED BY OUR POPULATION.
THERE IS NOTHING EQUIVALENT ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. FOR MEXICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND SAN ANTONIO IS -- HAS BEEN HOME TO MANY LANDMARK MOVEMENTS IN THAT REGARD, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A WONDERFUL PLACE AND APPROPRIATE PLACE TO HAVE THE FIRST MEXICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE OR THEY'LL BE HOUSED OVER THERE FOR THE NEAR TERM.
I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF OF COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALES FOR ASSISTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE CREATION OF THAT ORGANIZATION.
HOWEVER, THE FUNDING THAT WAS PUT ASIDE RIGHT NOW IS AT THE $150,000 LEVEL PER YEAR.
THEIR PROPOSAL WAS 250,000 PER YEAR, SO IF THERE IS SOME WIGGLE ROOM IN THIS, I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR A SLIGHTLY LARGER ALLOTMENT TO THAT INSTITUTE TO HELP IT GET STARTED.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST OF ITS TYPE INSTITUTE IN THE NATION.
AND AND MY LAST COMMENTS HAVE TO DO WITH THE COUNCIL AIDE PAY.
JUST FOR THE RECORD TO SHARE KIND OF WHERE I AM ON THAT, I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT THE STAFF WE HAVE RIGHT NOW DESERVES SOMETHING MORE.
SO I THINK EMPLOYMENT 101 KIND OF TELLS US THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE GOOD STAFF YOU NEED TO HAVE GOOD PAY -- OR DECENT PAY, DECENT BENEFITS, WORKING CONDITIONS, BUT ALSO JOB SATISFACTION.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY ONLY COMPETITIVE IN THE JOB SATISFACTION PART.
LET'S FACE IT, WE ALL HAVE ROUGH DAYS SO THAT'S NOT A GIVEN THAT OUR STAFF IS GOING TO BE SATISFIED 100% EVERY DAY.
SO THOSE ARE THE LEVERS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH, AND ESPECIALLY STAFF THAT WORKS WITH ON A -- YOU KNOW, REALLY ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, RIGHT? I KNOW DISTRICT 4 IS A BIT OF AN ANOMALY IN THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THERE SO LONG.
BUT THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT GIVE SO MUCH MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THERE COME NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
AND THEREFORE I THINK SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT TYPE OF WORK.
HOWEVER, I ALSO KNOW THAT OUR DISTRICTS ALL FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THEM CAREFULLY.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST ADOPTED THIS EQUITY BUDGET A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE THAT LENS IN TERMS OF SERVING OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS THAT RECEIVE A LOT OF -- HAVE A LOT OF NEED THAT PEOPLE REALLY RELY ON THEIR COUNCIL OFFICE.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES, YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT YOUR FIRST YEAR MOST OF YOUR -- OR MANY OF YOUR CALLS HAD TO DO WITH SAWS ASSISTANCE AND YOU ENDED UP HAVING TO BRING A SAWS ASSISTANT INTO YOUR OFFICE TO HANDLE THAT TYPE OF WORK.
I DID SUGGEST TO THE MAYOR THAT WE DO SOME TYPE OF EVALUATION AND HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS MORE OBJECTIVE , BECAUSE WE ALL WANT THE MOST FOR OUR DISTRICT AND OUR STAFF, COME TO OUR OFFICES
[01:00:01]
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF WORK LOAD WE HAVE.AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW THAT IS MORE APPROPRIATE IN THE HANDS OF STAFF.
CITY STAFF MAY NOT BE AWARE OF SOME OF THE WORK LOAD THAT WE HAVE, I THINK THAT COULD BE A CONCLUSION THAT MAY COME FROM THIS EVALUATION.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE GET THERE.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OF ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS DESERVE THE BEST STAFF THAT THEY CAN HAVE AND THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER NEEDS TO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES AT THEIR DISPOSAL IN ORDER TO SERVE THEIR CONSTITUENTS WELL.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEGINNING THAT EVALUATION.
I AGREE WITH THE COUNCILMAN, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE FOREVER.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES BUT WE DO NEED TO MAKE THEM THOUGHTFULLY AND CAREFULLY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
JUST A QUICK THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER ALONG WITH YOUR STAFF FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THE BUDGET, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DEDICATED ACS OFFICER IN DISTRICT 6 AND FUNDING FOR A NEW WASHING IN THE JOHN JAY AREA.
I WOULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $100,000 FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS WHICH I AGREE IS NEEDED TO GET THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT OFF THE GROUND.
FINALLY, JUST A PERSONAL THANK YOU TO YOU, ERIK, FOR TAKING THE TIME ON A SATURDAY A FEW WEEKS AGO TO VISIT US IN DISTRICT 6 FOR A TOUR TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR NEEDS.
I SAID IT THAT DAY, BUT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF DISTRICT 6, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
>> GONZALES: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND THANK YOU ALL TO THE STAFF.
I KNOW YOU WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THIS AND WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING IT OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND I KNOW MARIA HAS BEEN PERPETUALLY HERE SINCE WE STARTED THE PROCESS IN JULY, SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS BUDGET.
WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT GIVEN THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE HAVE ADDED AS PRIORITY THAT IS NEW TO THE PROCESS AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO MAKE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS.
REGARDING THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE, IT WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED AT 250 AND SEEMS LIKE THE COUNCIL WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
YET BEDO SEE A REDUCTION HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN PRESENTED THAT WE HAVE THIS INCREASE OF 7.8 AND THAT IT WOULD BE USED PRIMARILY FOR ONE-TIME PROGRAMMING.
AND SO WHY THE REDUCTION IN THIS PARTICULAR THING WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THAT IT WOULD BE USED FOR ONE-TIME -- WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO YEARS HERE, BUT IT'S NOT ONGOING.
THAT WOULD JUST BE CAPITAL TO START THE INSTITUTE.
>> WALSH: SO, COUNCILWOMAN, JUST OUT OF THE $7.8 MILLION, ROUGHLY THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE MEMO ON MONDAY, ABOUT 45% OF THAT IS BEING SET ASIDE FOR ONE TIME.
SO WE'RE USING THIS UNPRECEDENTED REVENUE FOR RECURRING EXPENSES.
PART OF THE ADJUSTMENT -- THE BASIS FOR THE ADJUSTMENT ON THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE REQUEST -- I'M LOOKING AT THEIR BUDGET REQUEST RIGHT HERE -- OF $250,000.
MARIA HAD A SHORT CONVERSATION WITH THEM AT THE DISTRICT 7 BUDGET HEARING ON SATURDAY.
AND AS WE UNDERSTOOD IT, THERE WAS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE PURSUING FROM THE COUNTY AND OTHER PARTNERS.
WHAT THEY NEEDED, AND WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD THEY NEEDED WAS SEED MONEY OR CITY COMMITMENT.
SO RATHER THAN, SAY, WE'RE SPLITTING THE COST WITH SOMEBODY ON BRACKENRIDGE, WE WENT FOR THE $150,000, WHICH WAS MORE THAN HALF.
IT IS 250 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
IT INCLUDES PERSONNEL AND STAFF AND TRAINING AND TRAVEL AND PUBLICATION, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
SO OUR EXPECTATION, BASED ON THAT SHORT CONVERSATION, WAS THERE MAY BE OTHER FUNDS COMING IN.
>> GONZALES: WELL, WE KNOW THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO GO OUT AND RAISE MONEY.
BUT THE SEED MONEY THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED AT THE LAST SESSION WAS FOR 250.
AND WHAT'S REQUESTED HERE WAS 150.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT GO BACK TO THE 250 THAT WAS PRESENTED LAST WEEK.
AND WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT I KNOW HAVE BEEN PRIORITIES FOR US.
[01:05:01]
WE DO SEE INCREASES IN HOUSING, INCREASES IN PUBLIC SAFETY, INCREASES IN OUR REGULAR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS REALLY NEED FROM US.AND JUST FOR A SLIGHT CORRECTION, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, THE REQUEST THAT WE GET VERY OFTEN FROM MY OFFICE IS CPS ENERGY.
SAWS TOO BUT PRIMARILY CPS ENERGY BECAUSE THAT'S THE LARGEST BILL MOST PEOPLE HAVE BESIDES THEIR MORTGAGE IS CPS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH, AND STILL PRIMARILY ONE OF THE MAIN CONSTITUENT CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IS CPS ENERGY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS. AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PAULA AND HER TEAM OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SUFFICIENT SUPPORT FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DO SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME MAKING SURE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ENROLLED IN ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR.
SO IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM AT CPS ENERGY, YOU'RE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR A LOT OF OTHER THINGS AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING CONNECTED TO ALL THE WONDERFUL SERVICES THAT OUR CITY HAS, INCLUDING OUR SENIOR SERVICES, THE GRANDPARENTS HELPING GRANDCHILDREN, AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND ALL THE EXTENSIVE SERVICES THAT WE DO.
I APPRECIATE PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR OFFICE TO GET ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM SO WE CAN INTRODUCE THEM TO ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SUPPORT ON THAT.
CPS ENERGY DID CREATE A CUSTOMER RESPONSE TEAM SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE BUT YET IT'S ON GOING AND WE STILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THAT.
SO JUST ANOTHER QUESTION REGARDING THE COUNCIL AIDES.
SO THERE IS, ERIK, HALF SCHEDULED CURRENTLY AND THEN A REVIEW FOR -- SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY, IN WHICH CASE WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION THEN? OR IS IT ALL DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY?
WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO BEGIN THAT WORK WITH THE NEXT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IN OCTOBER AND BEGIN THAT EVALUATION IN THE FALL, COME BACK TO GOVERNANCE AND TO THE FULL COUNCIL AND IMPLEMENT IN APRIL.
THE SUGGESTION THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO THREW OUT WAS, I THINK -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COUNCILMAN, WAS DO THE ANALYSIS AND ALL THAT WORK BUT DO IT WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY.
I KNOW I FEEL VERY PROUD OF MY STAFF.
YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE HEARD ME MENTION BEFORE, I HAVE THREE MSWS AND A WHISKEY MASTER ON STAFF AND THEY'RE VERY VALUABLE TO ME AND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN REALITY SPENDING ALL THE TIME WITH THE CONSTITUENTS.
WE DO WHAT WE CAN AND WE'RE HERE SETTING AND MAKING POLICY, ATTENDING MEETINGS.
BUT THE REALITY IS MOST OF THE WORK THAT HAPPENS IN OUR OFFICES ARE DONE BY OUR STAFF, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ALL THE COMMENTS THAT I HAVE REGARDING SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS HERE, AND OF COURSE ARE VERY CHALLENGING AND AT THE LAST MINUTE ONE-TIME EXCITEMENT HERE BEFORE US.
ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE REPLENISHMENT OF THE CONTINGENCY FUND.
THE $333,000, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING TO MAINTAIN THE IMMIGRANT SERVICE CENTER?
>> WALSH: THAT WAS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE ALLOCATED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
WE LEFT $666,000 IN THE CONTINGENCY.
SO WHAT THIS ACTION DOES IS RAISE THAT $1 MILLION CONTINGENCY BACK UP TO A MILLION AND LEAVE THE $333,000 SET ASIDE FOR THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER.
WE'LL COME BACK IN DECEMBER AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND LAST FRIDAY WE SUBMITTED OUR FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR ALL OF OUR EXPENSES FROM THE END OF MARCH THROUGH THE END OF JUNE.
>> GONZALES: WE'LL BE HOPEFUL THAT THAT FUNDING DOES COME THROUGH.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS I HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL OF YOU ALL AND ERIK FOR THIS VERY COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET.
I WILL SAY THAT IN DISTRICT 5, GIVEN OUR ORIGINAL DESIGN OF OUR CITY AND THE WAY THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN LAID OUT AND GIVEN THE
[01:10:02]
COST OF MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ARE ACTUALLY COVERED BY THREE POLICE SUBSTATIONS.AND WHILE WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING THAT SERVICE MEANS THAT WE DO GET A VERY QUICK RESPONSE.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER HAVING THAT SORT OF RAPID RESPONSE TEAM THAT WE GET, BECAUSE WE ARE COVERED BY SO MANY SUBSTATIONS.
HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN CRIME.
BUT WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO RESPOND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ASKING FOR MORE POLICE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TODAY.
SO LOTS OF BASIC STUFF THAT EVERYBODY ASKS FOR BUT LOTS OF REALLY GREAT CREATIVE THINGS HERE TOO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALES.
I WAS DISTRACTED LOOKING AT THE RAIN.
I HAVEN'T SEEN RAIN IN A LONG TIME AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT ART REINHART GETTING HIS HAIR WET.
SO I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE MAESTRO CENTER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAD MADE A REQUEST.
I'M UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE SET ASIDE OR WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS.
IS IT $25,000 NOW WITH $25,000 LATER? OR IS IT JUST $25,000 ONE TIME? THIS NEW REQUEST THAT THEY'VE GOT IN, RIGHT?
SO CURRENTLY WE FUND THEM $50,000 FOR A CULINARY KITCHEN INCUBATOR.
AND THEY CAME TO US WITH ANOTHER $50,000 REQUEST FOR THIS GROW SA CAMPAIGN.
IT CAME TO US AS A ONE-TIME FUNDING REQUEST, THOUGH SPEAKING WITH ELISA, WHO OVERSEES THE MAESTRO CENTER, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THEY WOULD WANT TO HAVE AS AN ONGOING EFFORT AND THEY WOULD BE RECRUITING CHAMBER AND A VARIETY OF PRIVATE FOLKS TO FUND THIS CAMPAIGN, BUT I WOULD ASSUME THEY WOULD WANT THE CITY TO PLAY SOME ROLE MOVING FORWARD BEFORE NEXT YEAR.
>> PELAEZ: IS THE PLAN TO EARMARK 25 FOR NEXT YEAR THEN?
25 THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO START THIS PROCESS IN OCTOBER 1.
>> PELAEZ: WHAT DO YOU MEAN START THIS PROCESS?
>> SO IT'S KIND OF A TWO-FOLD PROCESS.
THE PHASE ONE INCLUDES THEM GOING OUT AND GETTING A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SO THEY CAN START GOING OUT TO THE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS AND MAKING THE REQUEST OF WHY THEY NEED TO CONSIDER THIS EFFORT OF UTILIZING LOCAL SMALL WOMEN MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
THE NEXT IS A SURVEY TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS AND THEN COMPILING THE RESULTS TO CREATE AN ACTION PLAN.
>> PELAEZ: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN TEXTING US TODAY TELLING US, NO, NO, NO, 25 IS NOT WHAT WE WANT.
PEOPLE ASK FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DO.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THEIR PROGRAM IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND I'VE TALKED TO MY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I INVITE THEM TO PIPE UP ABOUT THIS IF IT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
$25,000 COULD COME FROM -- AND - $25,000 COULD COME FROM THE $1.4 MILLION WE'RE SETTING ASIDE FOR A FUTURE CONVERSATION ABOUT -- WHAT IS IT? ALAMO PROMISE, RIGHT? TWO, WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, $25,000 FROM ITEM 15, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN INSTITUTE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
OR, BETTER WOULD BE $2700 FROM ITEMS 10 THROUGH 18, WHICH ARE THE TEN LARGEST ITEMS. I HAVE LOOKED AT EACH ONE OF THEM AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THOSE ITEMS WOULD CEASE TO EXIST IF YOU TOOK $2700 FROM EACH ONE.
AND I WOULD ASK MY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ENTERTAIN THAT.
BUT THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION, ONE OF THOSE THREE.
AS FAR AS THE COUNCIL PAY ISSUE, ERIK, I'M LOOKING AT THE CCR.
I'M LISTENING TO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M LISTENING TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND THEN I'M REMEMBERING WHAT NINE OF US SAID UP HERE ON THIS DAIS LAST WEEK, WHICH WAS WE SUPPORT THIS.
AND WHAT NINE OF US DIDN'T SAY WAS WE SUPPORT THIS SIX MONTHS FROM NOW AFTER WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE A THOROUGH STUDY.
AT THE SAME TIME, I DO THINK A THOROUGH STUDY IS NEEDED AND I THINK THAT THAT'S OKAY.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL THAT WE NEED TO BE
[01:15:03]
THOUGHTFUL AND CAREFUL.I DO THINK, HOWEVER, THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN SEEN IN THE PAST -- AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF BEING THOUGHTFUL AND CAREFUL IN THREE MONTHS, AS OPPOSED TO SIX.
I ACCEPT Y'ALL'S RECOMMENDATION THAT A STUDY NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED AND THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS.
I'M SCRATCHING MY HEAD WONDERING WHY WE WOULD NEED TO STRETCH IT OUT THAT LONG.
I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH BOTH GOALS HERE.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND I HOPE THAT -- I HOPE -- I WOULD RATHER GET IT RIGHT THAN GET IT FAST.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I LEAN ON MY STAFF AND I WILL OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS OR NEXT SIX MONTHS I LEAN ON THEM ON WEEKENDS, I LEAN ON THEM ON EVENINGS AND THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME AWAY FROM THEIR KIDS AND THEIR SPOUSES IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP TO TOWN HALLS AND DIFFERENT EVENTS AND SUPPORT US.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE ALL -- AND WE ALL DO THAT.
ALL OF US RELY ON OUR STAFFS FOR WEEKENDS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER EVENTS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO IF WE CAN GO BACK AND JUST LOOK TO SEE WHAT KIND OF AGILITY WE COULD GIVE TO THAT REVIEW PROCESS, I'D BE OKAY WITH THAT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE MIC, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PELAEZ.
AND THANK YOU TO JUSTINA AND MARIA AND ERIK AND ALL OF THE STAFF FOR HELPING GET US TO THE FINISH LINE HERE.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON ITEM NO. 4.
AGAIN, THIS MIGHT BE BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE BIT NEW.
AND IF SOMEBODY COULD JUST BRIEF ME AT A LATER POINT.
BUT WE'RE FUNDING A CONTRACTOR TO CONTINUE FACILITATION OF A CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUP FOR ADVANCING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
AND IF SOMEBODY CAN MAYBE JUST GIVE ME A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF LIKE THE CONTRACTING THAT USUALLY DOES THAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN BRIEF ME LATER, JEFF, BUT JUST IN GENERAL IF YOU COULD TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
>> I DIDN'T -- WELL, THE QUICK ANSWER IS THAT THE COUNCIL PASSED A SET OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES AND THE CITY MANAGER ISSUED SOME MINIMUM STANDARDS TO DEPARTMENTS TO IMPROVE OUR EFFORTS TO MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
THERE WAS A CCR INITIALLY AND A SUBSEQUENT MEMO FROM COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND MAYOR NIRENBERG THAT REQUESTED SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS. ONE OF THEM WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WE CREATE A CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW OUR EFFORTS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, TO IMPROVE.
THE REQUEST FROM THE COUNCILWOMAN IS FOR A PROFESSIONAL FACILITATOR TO FACILITATE THAT ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S WORK.
AND SO NO CONSULTANT HAS BEEN SELECTED AT THIS POINT.
I THINK THIS IS TO CREATE THE FUNDING TO BEGIN A HIRING OF ONE.
AND THEN I WANTED TO MENTION, BECAUSE COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED SHE HAD AUDIO], I HAVE PLENTY OF IDEAS TOO, COUNCILWOMAN.
SO WE'LL GET TO SEE WHO GETS TO CPS ENERGY FIRST.
BUT THEN I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE MAESTRO -- AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ WAS ASKING ABOUT THIS.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE $25,000 -- I BELIEVE THEIR OVERALL REQUEST IS $50,000.
BUT WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM LAST THEY WERE OKAY WITH $25,000 THIS YEAR AND $25,000 NEXT YEAR.
BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BUDGET WAS IN OCTOBER.
SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED FOR THE MAESTRO AND I THINK THAT IT IS A GREAT INVESTMENT.
AM I CORRECT IN STILL SEEING THAT IT'S 25 AND 25?
>> WALSH: I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU BECAUSE IT'S ONLY 25 IN THE FIRST YEAR.
SO THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE DIFFERENT.
WE COULD ADD ANOTHER -- THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION, I GUESS, WHAT I'M HEARING ON TOP OF WHAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ JUST TALKED ABOUT, WOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR $25,000 IN 2021 IS WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING?
I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSAL WAS I SAW LAST TIME.
I THINK IN THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENTS YOU ALL HAD PROPOSED, YOU ALL HAD IT SET UP THAT WAY.
AND I HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THEY WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND THE CONVERSATION WITH ME WAS THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY.
SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WERE TRYING TO SHUFFLE AROUND THE $50,000 UP FRONT WHEN THEY HAD ALREADY SAID YES 25 AND 25.
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT MY CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S PROPOSAL ON COUNCIL PAY TODAY IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT,
[01:20:01]
IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT POSSIBLY THE GOAL BEING JANUARY INSTEAD OF A LATER DATE.I ALSO THINK THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION THOUGH IS FAIR AS WELL.
THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIAN WHERE WE COULD MERGE BOTH OF THEM IF WE COULD GUARANTEE SOMEHOW THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TAKES UP THIS ISSUE.
SINCE I HEARD NOW IN 2016 MY PREVIOUS COUNCIL PERSON VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT, I WOULD BE WORRIED THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE SO.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T MOVED IN THIS MUCH TIME.
AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE CONSIDER MOVING ON THAT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND MAYBE ADJUSTING SOME OF THAT SCHEDULE THAT YOU ALL PRESENTED SO NICELY, ERIK, A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THAT WOULD JUST BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL AIDES SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING THINGS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR CITIZENS.
EVERY TIME THAT I'M AT A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, THEY WANT ME TO GIVE ALL OF MY STAFF A RAISE AND WE CAN'T DO THAT ALL THE TIME.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS I THINK WE WOULD HAVE ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE THAT COUNCIL AIDES PLAY.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO HOLD UP, IF WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS -- I WASN'T AWARE THAT THIS HAD BEEN DISCUSSED SINCE 2016.
SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT IT'S TAKEN THIS LONG.
I WANT TO GUARANTEE SOMEHOW THAT WE MOVE IT ALONG A LITTLE BIT FASTER, BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS, BASICALLY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION, MICHAEL OR CARLOS, ABOUT THE MAESTRO CENTER.
SO BECAUSE IT'S $25,000 THIS YEAR AND YOU ALL WERE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT AMOUNT, WERE Y'ALL ANTICIPATING IT TO GO THROUGH A DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS? WOULD THIS BE A PROGRAMMING STREAM FOR A DELEGATE AGENCY THAT THEY WOULD BE A PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT -- LIKE AN AGENCY?
THEY APPROACHED US WITH THIS AMOUNT AND THEY WERE GOING TO APPROACH OTHERS AS WELL.
THE TOTAL REQUEST THEY NEED IS $200,000 BUT THEY WERE ON TAKEN BUY-IN FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COLLECTIVELY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT -- ANYHOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN INSTITUTE, A QUESTION IS -- SO I HEARD PROGRAMMING AND I HEARD CAPITAL.
BUT IT'S FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> VIAGRAN: AND THIS WOULD BE -- IT SAID SEED MONEY BUT REMIND ME WHAT IS THEIR TOTAL BUDGET THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT?
>> WALSH: THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT WE HAVE IN THE DOCUMENT IS $250,000 A YEAR.
>> WALSH: THAT'S IN THE DOCUMENT.
>> VIAGRAN: THE CITY WOULD BE THE FUNDERS OF IT ALL?
>> WALSH: IF WE FUNDED IT AT $250,000.
>> VIAGRAN: THE CITY WOULD BE FUNDING THE WHOLE THING.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THEIR MONEY WOULD COME FROM.
>> VIAGRAN: DO THEY HAVE AN ADVISORY BOARD OR BOARD OF DIRECTORS? THEY DO NOT?
>> VIAGRAN: I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, IF THE CITY IS THE ONLY FUNDING ENTITY OF THIS ORGANIZATION, THAT THE CITY SHOULD HAVE A VOICE OF AT LEAST AT AN ADVISORY LEVEL.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE THIS MONEY FROM IF YOU DO INCREASE IT? MAY I SUGGEST NOT FROM DISTRICT 3 PROGRAMMING, PLEASE? MAYBE CPS CAN HELP WITH THESE ONE-TIME FUNDS ON THEIR SIDE.
LET ME PUT THAT OUT THERE AS WELL.
THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN TO THE COUNCIL AIDE PAY, I HADN'T MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME BUT I DO BELIEVE -- SO FOR CLARIFICATION, JUSTINA, MARIA, ERIK, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION IN 2016 BUT CAN YOU ALSO REMIND ME WHEN THE OTHER -- IT'S NOT THE LAST TIME WE EVER DID ANYTHING WITH COUNCIL AIDE PAY AT THE CITY, WAS IT?
>> COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU ARE SOME OF THE INCREASES THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS TO THE COUNCIL PAY.
AND IN 2017 WE HAD A 4% INCREASE.
>> VIAGRAN: LET ME STOP YOU THERE.
WAS THAT ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET MANAGER AT THE TIME OR WAS THAT DONE THROUGH BUDGET AMENDMENTS?
>> I BELIEVE, COUNCILWOMAN, IS MY RECOLLECTION WAS 2018 WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
AND THEN THE 2019 BUDGET IT WAS
[01:25:01]
PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS ABOUT COUNCIL PAY COMPENSATION, NUMBER OF FTES.
SO WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS, AT LEAST IN THE PAST THREE, FOUR YEARS ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
I INTERRUPTED YOU WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH.
SO 2016, WHAT WAS THE -- DO YOU HAVE THAT FAR BACK?
IN 2018 THERE WAS A 10% INCREASE.
AND IN 2019 THERE WAS AN 18% INCREASE.
AND THE CURRENT PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES A 3%.
I WILL ADD IN 2019 THE NUMBER OF FTES WENT UP FROM SIX TO SEVEN, SO THE INCREASE WAS IN ADDITION TO THEIR INCREASES THAT WE MADE WAS TO FUND THAT SEVENTH FTE.
>> VIAGRAN: SO THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT THAT OUR COUNCIL AIDES DO EXTREMELY INCREDIBLE WORK.
I KNOW MY COUNCIL AIDES ABSOLUTELY DO PHENOMENAL WORK.
RUBEN, CHRIS, SAL, NINA, STEPHANIE, EVERYONE DOES -- AND ALL OF THEM, THE PART TIMES AND THE FULL TIMES AND THEY GIVE OF THEMSELVES DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND TO OTHERS' POINTS, ABSOLUTELY THAT OUR COUNCIL -- SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS CHOOSE TO TALK TO OUR COUNCIL AIDES INSTEAD OF SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT IT'S ABOUT THOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL.
AND I KNOW MY COUNCIL AIDES, SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD THE BENEFIT OF WORKING FOR YEARS AND YEARS HERE AT CITY COUNCIL.
AND LIKE SOME OF YOU ON THE DAIS, HAVING BEEN A COUNCIL AIDE IN THE PAST WHERE IT WAS JUST A DIFFERENT TIME BACK THEN.
AND, WITH THAT, I DO BELIEVE THAT -- BUT, YOU KNOW, ERIK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT US TO LOOK AT AS WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION FOR THE CITY AND OUR STEP PAY PLAN EMPLOYEES, I THINK I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THIS AND THIS REVIEW AND THIS TIMELINE.
BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT IS THE COMPENSATION FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR THE CITY.
CONTRACTS, COUNCIL AIDES, CONTRACT LABOR, AND OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.
THOSE THAT ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE CITY TOO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD GO THROUGH A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH PROCESS UP TO THE SIX MONTHS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW YOU LINE THAT OUT BECAUSE I DO LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL'S THOUGHT ABOUT EQUITY WITHIN THE DISTRICTS.
BECAUSE I KNOW I COULD USE AT LEAST THREE MORE FULL-TIME COUNCIL AIDES WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE, WITH THE AMOUNT OF AREA THAT WE HAVE.
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS REVIEW PROCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE MAY SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
IF WE, IN THE REDISTRICTING AND IN THE CENSUS GET NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE NEW GROWTH OF COUNCIL AIDES IN THE FUTURE.
SO HOW ARE WE PLANNING NOW FOR THAT POTENTIAL GROWTH IN THE FUTURE? AND WILL IT EVEN LOOK THE SAME WAY, CONTRACT LABOR NOW, OR IN THE FUTURE? MAYBE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SEE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
A COUPLE THAT ARE CITY EMPLOYEES BUT A COUPLE THAT ARE ALSO CONTRACT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TYPE OF THOUGHT PROCESS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS VERY DEDICATED PROCESS.
AND I ALSO FEEL LIKE WE OWE IT TO THE PUBLIC TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT AND CONSISTENT IN WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR COUNCIL AIDE PAY.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO IT AT A BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS I THINK WE LOSE THE TRANSPARENCY IN THE CONVERSATION.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GOVERNANCE KIND OF COMING IN LOOKING AT THIS AND DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND HAVING THE OTHER COMMITTEE IN A B SESSION HAVING A LOOK AT THAT.
AS WE LOOK TOWARDS EQUITY AND AS WE LOOK TOWARDS ALL EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE CITY, THAT THEY'RE BEING LOOKED AT IN A VERY EQUITABLE WAY AND WITH EQUITY WITH PAY.
IF THERE'S EVEN A WAY TO DO IT TOGETHER, BUT IF NOT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IF IT'S A DIFFERENT STREAM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE COUNCIL AIDES, LET'S DO IT SEPARATE AND APART BECAUSE YOU'LL PROBABLY NEED MORE TIME WITH THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE IT -- I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT A SCOPE WITH BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER AND ALSO FUTURE PLANNING OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WITH POSSIBLY MORE
[01:30:01]
COUNCIL MEMBERS TOO.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN.
YEAH, I JUST GOT A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING -- AND I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS ALSO.
THROUGH THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS, WE'RE LOOKING AT $7.8 MILLION.
WHAT HAVE WE HAD ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS? HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT.
>> SO, COUNCILMAN, ONE OF THE ANALYSIS THAT WE DID WAS TO LOOK AT THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
AND IN ALL FUNDS, RESTRICTED, CAPITAL, AND THE GENERAL FUND ON AVERAGE, YEAR ONE WAS $8.3 MILLION.
WE HAVE A TWO-YEAR BALANCE BUDGET POLICY, SO WE ALSO EVALUATED AND ANALYZED THE TWO-YEAR IMPACT WHICH ON AVERAGE WAS ABOUT $11 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
THE NUMBERS HAVE FLUCTUATED BETWEEN CAPITAL VERSUS GENERAL FUND AND OTHER RESTRICTED FUNDS.
BUT OVERALL THAT HAS BEEN THE AVERAGE.
>> PERRY: HOW MUCH WAS THAT PER YEAR AGAIN?
>> PERRY: SO OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT'S LIKE OVER $40 MILLION?
>> PERRY: IN BUDGET AMENDMENTS?
>> PERRY: AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING MID-YEAR REVIEWS WHEN WE HAVE EXCESSES AS WELL, RIGHT?
>> PERRY: THAT WE FIND PLACES TO SPEND IT .
I JUST WANT TO MAKE A POINT OF THAT.
WE HAVE ANOTHER $7.8 MILLION, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT'S COMING FROM OR WHAT'S GENERATING IT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST BUDGET WORK SESSION WE WERE LOOKING AT HAVING A TIGHT BUDGET THIS YEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO REALLY TIGHTEN UP OUR -- I THINK THE TERM WAS SHOELACES -- AT THE TIME.
AND WE ACTUALLY WITHIN THAT WE APPROVED THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
BUT EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS WE HAVE THESE EXCESSES -- AND GENERALLY SPEAKING -- AND WE FIND A WAY TO SPEND EVERY PENNY.
BUT WE NEVER TALK ABOUT CAN WE GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO OUR RATEPAYERS, WHETHER IT'S GIVING BACK IN A ROLLBACK OUR TAXES, ADD TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
YOU KNOW, CPS RATES, ROLLING THEM BACK.
BUT WE ALWAYS SEEM TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO SPEND THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY AND OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS $40 MILLION IS NOT SOMETHING TO SNEEZE AT.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER ON THIS COUNCIL THAT IT'S NOT OUR MONEY, IT'S THE TAXPAYER AND RATE PAYER MONEY THAT THIS IS THEY PAY MORE AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE REMAINING FUNDS FOR THIS UPCOMING BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE REALLY LIKED TO HAVE SEEN AN ANALYSIS ON, OKAY, IF WE ROLL BACK OUR TAX RATE COULD WE GIVE THAT MONEY BACK TO THE RATEPAYERS, THE TAXPAYERS HERE IN TOWN, CPS RATES.
COULD WE ROLL THAT BACK AND GIVE THAT BACK TO THE RATEPAYERS.
YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS COME UP WITH WAYS TO SPEND THIS MONEY AND THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT LOOK AT THIS SAYING, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS IS MY TAX DOLLARS AND RATES THAT I'M PAYING IN.
WHY DON'T I GET SOMETHING BACK FOR THAT? AND I KNOW EVERYBODY UP HERE ON THE DAIS HAS PROJECTS THAT ARE NEEDED.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PROJECTS MYSELF.
$165,000 THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET A COUPLE PROJECTS DONE.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD DO THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THIS OVERALL BUDGET AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE EXTRA TO SPEND, I WOULD RATHER SEE US DOING SOME KIND OF ANALYSIS TO GIVE THAT BACK TO THE RATEPAYERS OR TAXPAYERS.
SO I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN THAT THAT WE'VE NEVER BROUGHT THAT UP AND TALKED ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE THIS IS A RECENT CHANGE IN OUR BUDGET.
WE JUST FOUND THIS OUT THAT CPS HAD THIS LEFTOVER MONEY.
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMETHING IN THE PLAN ALSO LOOKING AT GIVING IT BACK TO OUR POPULOUS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, I TELL YOU WHAT.I WILL ACTUALLY FOREGO MY PROJECTS TO GIVE THAT BACK TO THE RATEPAYERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND I WOULD LOOK AT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TO LOOK AT THAT ALSO.
DO WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PROJECTS FILLING UP THIS $7.8 MILLION? ARE THEY CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THIS CITY TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE 2020 BUDGET? YOU KNOW, I CAN GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE LIST AND I COULD ARGUE THAT, NO, IT'S NOT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
WHY DON'T WE SEE ABOUT GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? SO JUST MY GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE AMENDMENTS AND THE AMENDMENT PROCESS AND HOW THIS MONEY BECAME AVAILABLE AND WHAT WE'RE NOW DOING WITH IT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
BOY, THAT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.
BUT I DO WANT TO REMIND OUR FELLOW COUNCILMEN THAT THIS MONEY DID NOT COME FROM OUR RATEPAYERS.
THE $7.8 MILLION CAME BECAUSE OF THEIR SACRIFICE, LOWERING THEIR UTILITIES DOWN A FEW DEGREES SO THAT -- OR RAISING THEIR TEMPERATURE UP A FEW DEGREES -- SO THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH EXCESS TO SELL ON THE OPEN MARKET WHERE WE COLLECTED A LOT OF MONEY.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE USING THEIR MONEY.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE USING TAX MONEY TO GO AHEAD AND PAY FOR THESE.
AND I KNOW THE IMPROVEMENT I'VE GOT ON MY LIST IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S CONNECTING A VERY IMPORTANT ROAD WITH ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ROAD THAT YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS.
WHETHER OR NOT EVERY ITEM ON THIS LIST IS AS SIGNIFICANT AS WHAT I MENTIONED, IT DEPENDS ON THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
AND I THINK THAT WE'VE SHOWN GOOD-FAITH, AND I WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER FOR ACTUALLY SETTING ASIDE OVER $2 MILLION OF THIS EXCESS FOR OUR NEXT BUDGET YEAR WHEN OUR TAX BASE IS GOING TO BE REDUCED.
AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE JUST SPENDING EVERY DOLLAR WE HAVE.
SAVING $2 MILLION OF THIS FOR THE NEXT TIME WHEN WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER FOR THAT.
AT THE SAME TIME I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ITEM 16.
WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO REPLENISH THE GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY TO $1 MILLION BY TAKING $333,000 OUT OF THESE EXTRA DOLLARS AND PUTTING THEM IN THERE.
AND THE CITY MANAGER AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY.
AND I BELIEVE WE'RE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE ABOUT $500,000 IN REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR SERVICES WE'VE PROVIDED TO DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM.
AND THAT SHOULD BE COMING BACK TO US.
SO WHY NOT MOVE THIS $333,000 AGAIN TO REASSURE NEXT YEAR WE'RE PROTECTED AND WAIT UNTIL WE GET THE FEDERAL MONEY BACK TO FULFILL THIS FUND? IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT $333,000 FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
WE DO HAVE A CONTINGENCY FUND IF WE DO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. IT STILL HAS $670,000 IN IT.
WHY CAN'T WE JUST SAVE THIS MONEY SO WE'RE MORE SECURE IN OUR NEXT BUDGET AND THEN FILL THIS WHEN WE GET THE FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE KNOW IS COMING DOWN THE LINE.
I WAS WONDERING IF THE CITY MANAGER MIGHT CONSIDER THAT AND WHAT HE'S RECOMMENDING HERE.
>> WALSH: COUNCILMAN, JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.
SO YOUR SUGGESTION IS WE WOULD MOVE THAT $333,000 AND THEN JUST, I GUESS TEMPORARILY ADD IT TO THE 2.057 MILLION THAT WE'RE SAVING FOR NEXT SUMMER?
AND WHEN WE GET OUR FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT, THAT $333,000 WOULD COME OUT OF THAT TO FULFILL A FULL CONTINGENCY FEE AND THE REST, WOULD I PRESUME, GO INTO OTHER IMPORTANT PROJECTS WE HAVE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND IT TO ME MAKES MORE SENSE.
AS FAR AS OTHER ITEMS ON THIS BUDGET, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT THEM ALL.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED SOME IN THERE.
I THINK WE HAD A LIST ORIGINALLY THAT HAD ALMOST 28 OR 29 LAST WEEK.
AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THOSE WERE STRUCK FROM THAT LIST AND ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX WERE ADDED
[01:40:01]
TO KIND OF GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY.BUT I WANT TO SAY I SUPPORT THESE.
I WANT TO PARTICULARLY LEND MY SUPPORT TO THE COUNCIL STAFF POLICY DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, FOR PAY INCREASES THERE.
I RECOGNIZE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCREASES.
THE BIGGEST ONE WAS BECAUSE WE ADDED A POSITION.
MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMAN SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO ADD THREE MORE POSITIONS BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TRY TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO -- AND I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE -- OFFER REASONABLE COMPENSATION IF WE'RE GOING TO KEEP GOOD PEOPLE WORKING IN OUR DISTRICTS.
THAT CCR COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED A MONTH AGO OR TWO MONTHS AGO.
NOW WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT OCTOBER 1ST.
IN THE CCR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED IT SPOKE THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE SOME ACTION TAKEN NOW.
WE'VE RECOMMENDED AND IN THAT CCR WAS A LISTING OF A COMPARISON OF JOBS AND THE AVERAGE THAT WE WERE ASKING TO COMPENSATE OUR STAFF WITH, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO PUT THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND TO COME UP WITH A REASONABLE CALCULATION.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE CAN'T GET THIS DONE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
I THINK THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN MAKE A VERY QUICK MOVE VERY QUICKLY.
I THINK STAFF COULD WORK ON THIS TOMORROW.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO START WORKING ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, STAFF GETS AHEAD OF THE BALL A LOT OF TIMES AND STARTS WORKING ON THINGS THAT THEY SEE COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
OBVIOUSLY, WITH NINE OR TEN COUNCIL PEOPLE INDICATING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE INCLINED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, IT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
SO LET'S NOT WAIT TO EVALUATE WHAT'S BEEN SUGGESTED.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY LET'S GET IT DONE AND READY TO IMPLEMENT SO THAT I CAN KEEP MY HARD-WORKING STAFF WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT AND NOT OUT JOB HUNTING SOMEPLACE ELSE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
I FAILED TO ADD ONE MORE THING.
LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE I HAD ASKED FOR AN UPDATE -- IT WAS TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN'S POINT.
SO THERE'S SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED THAT ARE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT SUPPORT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO START CONSIDERING HOW TO DO THAT AS OUR CITY GROWS.
MAYBE POSSIBLY CONSIDERING THE COUNCIL ACTION TEAM.
I KNOW I HAD JUST BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THIS WITH ERIK THE OTHER DAY, BUT I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE -- THAT WOULD HELP WITH SOME OF THE CONSISTENCY.
I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL POINTED AT D4, THE STAFF TURNOVER IS VERY LOW.
BUT SOME OF MY COUNCIL DISTRICTS I SEE IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FACES.
AND SO CONSIDERATION TO BRING UP SOMETHING LIKE THE COUNCIL ACTION TEAM WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SEE VETTED.
AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THE EQUITY IN PAY FOR OUR COUNCIL AIDES.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN INCREASES.
I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY'RE EQUITABLE WITH THE JOBS THAT CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES ARE DOING.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS AGAIN OR POINT OUT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I KNOW WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS.
I DO THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE COULD DO, TALK ABOUT MAYBE PAY RANGES AND LOOKING AT EQUITY.
I'M JUST, AGAIN, CONCERNED THAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES HAS TWO PH.D.S AND THREE MSWS AND WE ALL HAVE -- I HAVE HARVARD-EDUCATED FOLKS ON MY STAFF AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY RECEIVE A FAIR COMPENSATION IN COMPARISON WITH OUR WONDERFUL CITY EMPLOYEES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TO STAFF ONCE AGAIN FOR THE VERY HARD WORK IN THESE FINAL DAYS OF THE BUDGET.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A STRONG BUDGET.
WE'VE GOT A STRONG LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT BALANCE THE VARIOUS NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS FY2020 BUDGET RATIFIED TOMORROW AND Y'ALL CAN GO ON VACATION.
ERIK, DO YOU HAVE SOME FINAL COMMENTS?
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS BACK AND WE'LL TAKE THESE COMMENTS TO TRY TO REDEVELOP A PLAN FOR TOMORROW AND GET THAT TO YOU.
BUT I DO WANT THE COUNCIL -- AND I UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THE COUNCIL STAFF ISSUE IS TO MANY OF YOU.
I WANT YOU TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT I THINK ALL OF US UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF THOUGHT GIVEN.
THE ANALYSIS THAT SOME OF YOU MENTIONED, LIKE COUNCIL ACTION
[01:45:01]
TEAM OR CITY EMPLOYEE POSITIONS VERSUS CONTRACT, MAKING SURE WE MEASURE UP AGAINST OTHER CITIES, MAKING SURE FROM A CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STANDPOINT WHATEVER WE DO WE DON'T CREATE ISSUES WITHIN EACH OF THE TEN OFFICES, BUT THAT WE ALSO DON'T CREATE ISSUES WITHIN THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.THAT IS A QUICK WAY TO CREATE DISCORD AND THAT'S WHY WE HANDLE THOSE THINGS IN A PRETTY PROFESSIONAL WAY.
I CAN'T MAKE EXCUSES FOR 2016 OR PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MY PREDECESSOR -- AND I WON'T.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WILL APPROACH IT IN A REASONABLE FASHION AND PROVIDE THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE OR THE COUNCIL OR WHOEVER REVIEWS IT OPTIONS.
BECAUSE I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE COMPREHENSIVELY LOOKED AT.
PART OF THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DILIGENT IN THAT REVIEW AND CONVERSATION AND OPTIONS BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE REASON WHY I ASSIGNED MYSELF, ANDY, OR LIZ OR LORI IS BECAUSE WE TAKE THESE THINGS SERIOUSLY.
AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.
BY MY COUNT THERE'S ABOUT $550,000 THAT WE NEED TO COME UP WITH, BASED ON SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE INCLUDE THE MOVING OF THE START DATE TO JANUARY.
AND SO BEFORE YOU CLOSE OUT, I'M JUST INTERESTED TO KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEAS.
A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THREW OUT SOME IDEAS AND I JOTTED THEM DOWN, BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS GOT ANY IDEAS, I WOULD APPRECIATE THEM NOW AND WE WILL GET TO WORK ON THEM AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE WITH EXECUTIVE SESSION.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, ERIK.
WE'LL GO AHEAD -- WE'LL STOP DISCUSSION NOW.
SO THIS IS THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW WE'RE HONING IN ON THE FINAL DRAFT HERE.
BUT WITH REGARD TO THE COUNCIL PAY, THE CCR IS GOING TO BE TAKEN UP IN GOVERNANCE IN ACCORDANCE TO OUR CODES AND ORDINANCES.
THE START DATE OF ANY POLICY THAT'S IMPLEMENTED IS SUBJECT TO THE COUNCIL'S DELIBERATION.
SO DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S JANUARY 1ST, WHICH WOULD BE DIFFERENT, OR IT'S APRIL, WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CCR ITSELF, OR IT'S SOME OTHER DATE WE WILL FIND THE MONEY.
AND THAT IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOW CONTINGENCY, WE HAVE FUND BALANCE, WE HAVE ALL THESE THINGS.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' POLICIES WILL DETERMINE THE EXPENSES THAT WE MAKE AS A CITY.
I APPRECIATE WHAT COUNCILMAN PERRY JUST SAID IN HIS COMMENTS.
THESE ARE DOLLARS SPENT ON BEHALF OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE THOUGHTFUL AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS BUDGET.
BUT WITH REGARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY POLICY THAT'S CREATED THROUGH THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE UP THROUGH THE COUNCIL WE WILL BUDGET FOR IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL THE AUTHORITIES THAT ARE GRANTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
[Executive Session]
SO THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE FOR YOUR COMMENTS.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME IS 4:04 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019.
THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.072, REAL PROPERTY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING BUDGET RECUSALS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
WELCOME BACK AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.
THE COUNCIL HAS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[2. 19-5452 Public Hearing on the proposed FY 2020 Storm Water Utility fee. [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Razi Hosseini, Interim Director, Transportation & Capital Improvements]]
WE'LL ADJOURN OUR COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION AND BEGIN OUR PUBLIC HEARING NOW.SO THE TIME IS 6:12 P.M. ON THIS 11TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2019.
I'LL ASK OUR CLERK TO READ THE CAPTION FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>> PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2020 STORM WATER UTILITY FEE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEE'S PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS MAY DO SO, HOWEVER COMMENTS MUST BE LIMITED TO MATTERS ABOUT THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEES.
IF THE SPEAKER STARTS DISCUSSING
[01:50:01]
ANY OTHER TOPIC THEY WILL BE INTERRUPTED AND ASKED TO LEAVE THE PODIUM.THUS BEGINS OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEES.
I WILL READ OFF THE NAMES OF ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM.
THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING STORMWATER FEES UTILITY FEES, SO THE CITY COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON THE PROPOSED STORM WATER FEES UTILITY FEES ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 AT 9:00 A.M.
AND BE HELD IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 105 MAIN PLAZA.
HAVING HEARD ALL OF COMMENTS FROM THE CITIZENS
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.