[00:00:06] >> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW 10:04 A.M. ON DECEMBER 16TH, 2024. THE MEETING OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE ROLL? >> CLERK: I WILL BE ALLOWING THE MEMBER SPEAKERS TWO ROUNDS OF COMMENTS PER ITEM WITH FIVE MINUTES THE FIRST ROUND AND THREE MINUTES THE SECOND [Approval of Minutes  ] ROUND. FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? CAN I -- >> MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. (AYES.) >> VIAGRAN: MOTION CARRIES. MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? >> CLERK: WE DO NOT. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. [CONSENT AGENDA  ] GREAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO CONSENT AGENDA, THAT'S ITEMS 2 AND 3 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE THE FINAL INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS ON AVIATION LANDING FEES AND ALAMODOME CONCESSIONS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS MEMBERNESS WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY? >> COURAGE: NO, MADAM CHAIR. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> COURAGE: SO MOVED. >> SECOND. >> VIAGRAN: I'VE GOT A THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [Pre-Solicitation High Profile Briefings  ] (AYES.) >> VIAGRAN: MOTION CARRIES. NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, WE HAVE ONE PRESOLICITATION HIGH-PROFILE BRIEFING FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 4. >> CLERK: ITEM FOUR IS A BRIEFING ON THE RELEASE OF A SOLICITATION FOR UP TO FOUR CONTRACTS TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH ON-CALL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS, (TSMO) ENGINEERING SERVICES TO SUPPORT TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS IN THE ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE OF $20 MILLION FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM WITH TWO ONE-YEAR OPTIONS TO RENEW. >> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. LOUISE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. . >> COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M LOUIS MALS TO, I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS WITH PUBLIC WORKS, SO I'LL BE DOING THIS PRESOLICITATION BRIEFING ON OUR ON-CALL -- ESSENTIALLY IT'S AN ON-CALL TRAFFIC ENGINEERING SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT. SO WE SOLICITED THIS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR UP TO FOUR FIRMS TO PROVIDE ON-CALL ENGINEERING SERVICES TO PROVIDE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND THE SIGN SERVICES. THESE SERVICES MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TRAFFIC SIGNAL DESIGN, TRAFFIC SIGNAL RETIMING, ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES. THEY HELP US WITH CONSTRUCTION OF SOME OF OUR PROJECTS AS WELL. AGAIN, THIS IS AN RFQ, IT'S A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT. WITH TWO ONE-YEAR OPTIONS. 1MILLION ANNUALLY FOR A TOTAL OF 20 FOR THE ENTIRE FIVE-YEAR DURATION OF THESE CONTRACTS. FUNDING SOURCES, WE OFTEN UTILIZE THESE SERVICES FOR FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS, A LOT OF THOSE SIGNAL TIMING, ADVANCE VEHICLE DETECTION SERVICES ARE -- YOU KNOW, WE WORK THROUGH THE MPO TO GET THOSE SERVICES, SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY -- WE'RE USING THE DB REQUIREMENTS VERSUS THE SMALL BUSINESS. AND THESE ARE NEW CONTRACTS. THESE ARE SOME OF THE NIGP CODES FOR THE OUTREACH TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING, TRAFFIC STUDIES, TRAFFIC COUNTING, 361 VENDORS ARE IN OUR CENTRAL VENDOR REGISTRY, AND LIKE ALWAYS, WE'LL BE ADVERTISING THROUGH TVSA, OUR WEB PAGE, HEARTBEAT AND [INDISCERNIBLE] WE HAVE MR. JOHN PETEREK WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, OUR DIRECTOR, RAZI HOES -- THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION FOR EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND QUALIFICATIONS ON KEY PERSONNEL AND KEY SUBCONSULTANTS, THAT'S 45 POINTS. 35 POINTS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE PROJECT AND THE PROPOSED MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND 20 POINTS FOR EXPERIENCE WITH SAN ANTONIO AND PAST PERFORMANCE. AND THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS. SO WE DO PLAN TO RELEASE THE SOLICITATION THIS WEEK. IT WILL BE DUE FEBRUARY 11TH, AND WE'LL BE BACK FOR [00:05:01] POSTSOLICITATION TO THIS COMMITTEE ON APRIL 8TH, AND WE PLAN TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR THESE CONTRACTS TO BE AWARDED IN MAY OF 2025. THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I'M -- ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION AND HELPING WITH OUR SYSTEMS AND HOW WE OPERATE THE SYSTEM, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN. SO IN THIS PROCESS, ARE WE GOING TO GIVE THEM KIND OF SAN ANTONIO-SPECIFIC SCENARIOS FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE FACING? >> ABSOLUTELY. MARK JACOBSON, HE'S OUR MANAGER, HE'S IN CHARGE OF A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC STUDIES THAT COME, A LOT OF THEM ARE PRIORITIZED BY COUNCIL, SO THESE ARE THE CONSULTANTS THAT NOT ONLY DO TRAFFIC COUNT, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, TRAFFIC STUDIES, THEY HELP US WITH RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFIC CALMING, SO IT'S THE WHOLE GAMUT, BUT AUTOMOBILES. THERE IS A PRIORITY LIST THERE. ARE KNOWN AREAS OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THOSE CONSULTANTS WILL BE HELPING US WITH. >> VIAGRAN: YES, AND MY RESIDENTS ALWAYS -- WHEN THEY GET A REPORT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GO THEIR WAY, THEY ALWAYS ARE QUICK TO -- THEY'RE NOT COMING AT THE RIGHT TIME, THEY DON'T SEE WHAT WE SEE, SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IN SOME AREAS OF TOWN, SOUTH SIDE IN PARTICULAR, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE VERY -- LIKE WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING THEIR WORK, RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO COME AND WANT TO GIVE THEIR STORIES. SO HOPEFULLY IT'S PEOPLE WITH SAN ANTONIO AND THE WAY THE RESIDENTS WORK, BUT WE JUST -- WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUALLY DO THIS, SO I HOPE WE GET A LOT OF ENGINEERING FIRMS COMING OUT FOR THIS BID. GO OVER THE TIMELINE AGAIN WITH ME, WHEN ALL THIS IS OCCURRING. SO WE'LL RELEASE IT THIS FRIDAY? >> THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S THE INTENT TO GET IT OUT THIS WEEK, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PRESUBMITTAL CONFERENCE THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, SO WE HAVE QUESTIONS ALL THE WAY TO THE 13TH OF JANUARY. SO THE RFQ WILL BE DUE FEBRUARY 11TH. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. >> AND SO WE WILL BE COMING BACK IN APRIL FOR A POSTSOLICITATION TO THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL. >> VIAGRAN: GREAT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. DO ANY OF MY OTHER MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT COME TO MIND THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MY CONSTITUENTS. ONE IS HOW INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS' TIMING SEEM TO BE OFF. SOMETIMES THEY SAY THE LIGHTS ARE SO LONG AND THAT IT TAKES FOREVER AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY SAY THE LIGHTS ARE SO SHORT THAT ENOUGH CARS CAN'T GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. >> CORRECT. >> COURAGE: WOULD ANY OF THE PEOPLE COMING IN ADDRESS THOSE KINDS OF CONCERNS? >> THAT IS ONE OF THEIR MAIN -- MAIN CONCERNS, ONE OF THE MAIN DUTIES IS TO MAKE SURE OUR SIGNALS ARE SYNCHRONIZED. OFTEN PEOPLE DO GET CAUGHT IN THE RED BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT TOO FAST, A LITTLE BIT TOO SLOW, BUT THEY ARE S SYNCHRONIZED SO YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THOSE MAJOR CORRIDORS AND GET GREENS ALL THE TIME. BUT, AGAIN, SOMETIMES DETECTORS GO OUT, TRAFFIC CHANGES, TRAFFIC PATTERNS CHANGE, SO THAT'S WHEN THESE CONSULTANTS HELP US AND RETIME ALL OF OUR SIGNALS. >> COURAGE: OKAY. THE OTHER THING IS A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE ENTERING INTO A NEW PHASE WHERE THESE SIGNALS ARE SO SYNCHRONIZED AND RECOGNIZE TRAFFIC TO WHERE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT AT A RED LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN NO TRAFFIC IS COMING IN ANY OTHER DIRECTION, THAT IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE GREEN AND ALLOW TRAFFIC TO FLOW. IS THIS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT THESE PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING AT AND IDENTIFYING KEY INTERSECTIONS WHEN THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE? >> THAT IS CORRECT. AND WE DO HAVE THAT SYSTEM IN PLACE ALREADY. A LOT OF THE CAMERAS THAT YOU SEE ON TRAFFIC SIGNALS, THEY ARE DETECTING VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, VIA CAMERA, SO YOU'RE RIGHT, IF YOU'RE STUCK IN RED AND THERE'S NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THEY'LL TURN TO GREEN. WE DON'T HAVE THEM AT EVERY INTERSECTION, WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE THAT, BUT THAT IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT'S IN PLACE ALREADY. >> COURAGE: YEAH. I'D BE INTERESTED IN GETTING A LITTLE UPDATE ON WHERE IT'S -- WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY IN PLACE, WHERE IT'S BEING EFFECTIVE, HOW OFTEN IT'S USED, THE TIMES THAT IT'S REALLY MORE VALUABLE, JUST SO, YOU KNOW, IF ANY OF THE PLACES ARE IN MY DISTRICT, I CAN TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT IT. BUT ANYWHERE ELSE AROUND THE CITY. I THINK IT'S ALWAYS AGGRAVATING TO WAIT AT A RED LIGHT WHEN YOU'RE IN A HURRY AND THERE'S NO TRAFFIC AROUND, AND IT LEADS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE RUNNING THE RED LIGHT. BUT IF WE CAN IDENTIFY [00:10:01] THOSE AREAS AND HELP OUR CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND THOSE AREAS, MAYBE THEY'LL FEEL A LITTLE MORE A AT EASE WHEN THEY REALIZE THE CITY REALLY IS DOING SOMETHING TO MOVE TRAFFIC WHEN IT'S POSSIBLE. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. ANY CH QUESTIONS? >> COURAGE: IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS I'LL [Post-Solicitation High Profile Briefings  ] MOVE -- WELL, THIS IS JUST A BRIEFING. THAT'S ALL. >> VIAGRAN: THROUGH. WE HAVE TWO POSTSOLICITATION BRIEFINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 5. >> CLERK: ITEM 5 IS APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH SCHEDULING TWO CONTRACTS FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND DISPOSAL SERVICES RELATED TO FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOND PROJECTS AND OTHER CITY PROJECTS LOCATED CITY WIDE IN THE ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE OF 7,500,000 FOR INITIAL CONTRACT TERM OF THREE YEARS WITH TWO ONE-YEAR OPTIONS TO RENEW. >> VIAGRAN: THE FLOOR IS YOURS. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. AGAIN, THIS IS A POSTSOLICITATION BRIEFING FOR ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND DISPOSAL SERVICES. SO PUBLIC WORKS SOLICITED AN RFP AND RECOMMENDS AWARD TO TWO FIRMS TO PROVIDE ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION DISPOSAL SERVICES. WE UTILIZE THESE SERVICES FOR BOND PROJECTS OR ANY CAPITAL PROJECT CITYWIDE. THEY PROVIDE EXCAVATION, REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS -- NOT HAZARDOUS SOIL AND GROUNDWATER ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT AND FUTURE CITY IMPROVEMENTS. THIS IS BASICALLY DURING CONSTRUCTION, IF WE OCCUR ANY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, THESE ARE THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY WORK WITH TCEQ, THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND PROPER DISPOSAL OF ANY HAZARDOUS MATERIAL. THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT SUBMITTED, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP. VENDOR A, VENDOR B, 87.5 FOR VENDOR A. VENDOR B, 84.8, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BIG DIFFERENCE WITH VENDOR C, MUCH LOWER SCORE OF 47.8. THESE ARE BASED ON OUR TYPICAL EXPERIENCE, UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS AND PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 89 VENDORS WERE NOTIFIED, TWO ATTENDED THE PRESUBMITTAL CONFERENCE. WE RECEIVED THREE RESPONSES, AND THERE WERE NO MATERIAL FINDINGS ON THE DUE DILIGENCE AND MINIMUM REQUIREMENT REVIEW. THAT'S A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> VIAGRAN: SO I GUESS THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS IN -- ARE WE SEEING MORE USE OF THIS NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND DISPOSAL SERVICE? >> WE DO. WE SEE IT -- I CAN TELL YOU, WE DO IT PROBABLY ABOUT 75% OF OUR PROJECTS DO ENCOUNTER SOME SORT OF -- IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, NUCLEAR WASTE, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS -- AS WE EXPAND THROUGH THE CITY, WE DO ROADWAY WIDENINGS, WE COME ACROSS OLD GAS STATION, OLD LAUNDRY MAT STATIONS, SO THERE'S ALWAYS A -- WE ALWAYS DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL PHASE ONE ON EVERY PROJECT, WE DO HISTORY, RESEARCH OF ANY POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS, AND A GOOD NUMBER OF OUR PROJECTS WE DO WHAT WE CALL A PHASE 2, WHICH IS MORE SOIL BORINGS. WE GO OUT TO THE JOB SITE -- BEFORE WE START EXCAVATING AND EXPOSING EITHER CONTRACTORS OR INSPECTORS TO ANY KIND OF RISK, WE DO AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, TO ENSURE EVERYTHING'S CLEAN. IN THE CASE WE DO ENCOUNTER SOMETHING, IF YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR PROJECTS, WE DO QUITE A BIT OF EXCAVATION, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE REPLACING WATERLINES, GAS LINES, SEWER LINES, INSTALLING INLETS, SO THERE IS ALWAYS A POTENTIAL OF EXPOSURE, SO THESE ARE THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE ON CALL. AS SOON AS SOMETHING GETS IDENTIFIED, EITHER DURING THE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE CALL IN TO HELP US, EVEN AS WE SEE QUITE A BIT OF ASBESTOS AS WELL. ASBESTOS PIPES WHEN DEALING WITH WATERLINES, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. AND I THINK -- THE REASON I ASK IS -- AND I'M -- IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN WORKING IN THE AREA, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WHAT BEXAR MET USED AND THEN ABANDONED AND WE USED SOMETHING [00:15:02] ELSE. SO I THINK THAT IS KIND OF WHY I'M SEEING IS -- ARE -- I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH WORK FOR THEM, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THAT 7.5? >> WE COULD ALWAYS COME BACK AND AMEND THOSE CONTRACTS THROUGH, OF COURSE, THROUGH COUNCIL. THEY CAN EASILY BE AMENDED, OR WE ALWAYS HAVE -- WE CAN WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND AMEND SOME OF THEIR -- IN AUDIO] -- SO THERE'S ENOUGH CONTRACT CAPACITY, WE BELIEVE, AND IF NOT, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK FOR MORE. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT AS WE MOVE FURTHER SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST AND WE HEAD INTO THE RURAL AREAS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME CHALLENGES THERE. DO MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, CHAIR. MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE HANDLE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE OR HAZARDOUS WASTE THAT WE FIND? DO WE JUST TAKE IT TO A DUMP, OR IS THERE ANOTHER WAY THAT THESE COMPANIES NEED TO HANDLE THE DISPOSITION OF THEIR FINDINGS? >> THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION, RIGHT. SO IF IT'S A CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER -- I'M SORRY, SOIL, THAT IS TAKEN TO THE LANDFILL. THERE ARE ONLY CERTAIN PLACES -- LANDFILLS THAT TAKE THESE TYPE OF WASTE, AND THESE ARE THE ONLY CONSULTANTS -- THESE ARE THE SPECIALIZED CONSULTANTS THAT ARE PERMITTED THROUGH TCEQ, AND, AGAIN, THE SOIL NEEDS TO BE HANDLED A CERTAIN WAY TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURES TO CONTRACTORS, AND, OF COURSE, THE DISPOSAL SITES ARE ALSO CERTIFIED BY TCEQ AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT A -- AND WE HAVE A PRETTY STRICT PROTOCOL ON WHERE WE FOLLOW THESE TRUCKS. WE HAVE -- I WANT TO SAY CERTIFICATIONS, TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS HANDLED PROPERLY AND THAT IT WAS TAKEN TO THE CORRECT PLACE. BUT, YEAH, IT'S NOT JUST -- IT DOESN'T BECOME PROPERTY OF THE CONTRACTOR AND IT GOES ANYWHERE THEY WANT. IT'S TRACKED VERY WELL. >> COURAGE: YEAH. I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THING. DO WE REALLY TRACK IT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS WASTE ENDS UP GOING. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> COURAGE: HAVE WE EVER HAD ANYTHING THAT WAS SO UNIQUE THAT IT WAS HARD FOR US OR THE COMPANIES TO DISPOSE OF? >> NO, NO. >> COURAGE: OKAY. >> NOT THAT I KNOW OF. >> COURAGE: OKAY. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THIS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. >> VIAGRAN: I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM -- I'M SORRY -- AYE. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR ITEM SIX. >> CLERK: ITEM SIX IS AN APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH SCHEDULING ONE CONTRACT FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WITH A CONTRACTOR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WEST COLLEGE LINK (ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY TO MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL TO ZARZAMORA CREEK) PROJECT LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS 5 AND 7 IN THE ESTIMATED TOTAL VA U YOU OF $5,253,869. >> THIS IS THE LAST ONE. A POSTSOLICITATION BRIEFING FOR THE WEST COLLEGE. THIS IS ONE OF OUR 2022 BOND PROJECTS, ONE OF THOSE GREEN TRAIL -- GREEN LINEAR CREEKWAY PROJECTS, SO PRETTY EXCITING PROJECT. AGAIN, THIS WAS A COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL, TOTAL CONTRACT TIME 360 DAYS, 5.2 MILLION ESTIMATED CONTRACT VALUE OF BEING FUNDED BY OUR 2022 BOND PROGRAM AND TREE PRESERVATION FUNDS. AGAIN, IT IS A NEW CONTRACT AS WELL. SO THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, THIS IS WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT, IT'S A SHARED USE PATH, IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S RIGHT OFF OF CULEBRA ROAD SO ALONG MEMORIAL STREET, THIS SHARED USE PATH WILL CONNECT CULEBRA TO THE ZARZAMORA CREEK. IT WILL BE A SHARED USE PATH SO IT'S A WIDE AREAS FOR BICYCLES TO TRAVERSE, SO NOT ONLY ARE WE USING A SHARED USE PATH, WE HAVE PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING, STREET MILL AND OVERLAY, UTILITY UPGRADES, AND ONE OF THE NEW THINGS, AND IT'S THE REASON WE DID A COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL, WE'RE USING THESE SOIL CELLS TO ENHANCE THE GROWTH OF THE ROOTS OF THE TREES. WE HAVE A BIG INVESTMENT -- WE'VE GOT ABOUT OVER 100 TREES IN THIS SMALL CORRIDOR, SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE ROOTS TAKE, THE TREES HAVE A LONG, HEALTHY LIFE, SO WE'RE PROVIDING THIS SPECIALIZED SYSTEM. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HOMER AND HIS FOLKS OVER AT PARKS TO INSURE THE PROPER DESIGN. THAT'S THE REASON WE DID A CSP TO ENSURE A [00:20:07] QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR. THE COMMITTEE MET ON NOVEMBER 8TH, 2024, BY& CONSENSUS RECOMMENDED THE AWARD TO THE SOLE RESPONSIVE BIDDER. THERE ARE ABOUT 546 CONTRACTORS THAT WERE NOTIFIED, ONE ATTENDED THE PRESUBMITTAL, ONE SUBMITTED A RESPONSE, AND THERE WERE NO MATERIAL FINDINGS. THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. >> VIAGRAN: GREAT. CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THESE CONTRACTS TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL? >> COURAGE: I MOVE TO APPROVE TO FULL CITY COUNCIL AND I'LL HAVE A QUESTION. >> SECOND. >> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE BOND PROJECTS AND TO SEE THIS SOIL CELL USE THERE, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING THIS TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THE SCHEMATIC, AND I THINK IT ANSWERED THE QUESTION I HAD, BUT JUST TO BE SURE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TRAILS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, AND PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT THE TRAILS ARE SO NARROW THAT YOU HAVE CONFLICT BETWEEN BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THIS CASE, WE'VE GOT THESE -- THIS PROPOSED TRAIL -- OR NOT REALLY TRAIL, BUT CONNECTION, IT HAS TWO 12-FOOT SECTIONS SIDE BY SIDE, IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT IS THE ROADWAY. >> COURAGE: OH. >> WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, IT IS A 12-FOOT SHARED USE PATH. IT IS 12 FEET, THOUGH. WITH THE SIDEWALK. WHAT YOU SEE WITH THE ARROWS, THOSE ARE THE TRAVEL LANES FOR VEHICLES. ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE RIGHT NEXT TO THE TREE, YOU'LL SEE A 12-FOOT SHARED USE PATH. THERE'S STILL A SIDEWALK ON THE LEFT SIDE AS WELL. >> COURAGE: I DON'T KNOW. I HEAR THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE TOWARDS WIDER TRAILS. 12 FEET, I SUPPOSE, IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT DO WE KNOW WHAT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN MIGHT BE IN THIS AREA CONNECTING ALL THE WAY FROM ST. MARY'S A TO THE CREEK GOING THROUGH MEMORIAL? IN OTHER WORDS, DO WE EXPECT A LOT OF USE BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE KIDS GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL, STUDENTS GOING BACK AND FORTH, AS WELL AS THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND BIKE TRAFFIC? IS 12 FEET, YOU KNOW, THE BEST WE CAN DO TO AVOID THE KIND OF CONFRONTATION THAT I SEE ON A LOT OF OTHER PATHS? >> THE TWEEFL FEET IS THE BEST WE CAN DO DUE TO THE LIMITED RIGHT OF WAY. WE HOPED FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THIS IS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL SO YOU'D BE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF RIGHT OF WAY TAKING FROM SEVERAL PROPERTY OWNERS, SO 12 FEET IS VERY -- IT'S VERY -- WE BELIEVE IT'S VERY WIDE, VERY WIDELY USED, AND IT'S VERY -- FITS VERY COMFORTABLY IN TWO-WAY CYCLE AND PEDESTRIANS. AND ABSOLUTELY, WE DO EXPECT A LOT OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTION TO THE SCHOOL AND THE GREENWAY TRAIL. WE'RE HOPING IT WILL INCREASE THE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY. >> COURAGE: I HOPE IT GETS MONITORED FOR SAFETY. WITH SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WALKING, RIDING BIKES, GOING -- TRAFFIC IN BOTH WAYS, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT BUSIER THAN A TYPICAL TRAILWAY MIGHT BE. >> RIGHT. >> COURAGE: AND SO I'D LIKE TO JUST HAVE US LOOK AT THAT AND EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, IS 12 FEET THE RIGHT AMOUNT THAT WE'LL NEED FOR EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST HERE, OR DO WE EVEN NEED MORE. WILL THERE BE ANY KIND OF MARKING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SEPARATING THE LANES AND THINGS? >> THAT IS CORRECT. ACTUALLY, YOU CAN SEE, YOU'LL SEE A LINE OF TREES PROTECTING THE PEDESTRIANS FROM THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. SO THERE IS STILL A SPACE, QUITE A BIT OF LARGE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE STREET. >> COURAGE: OKAY. THTHANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR ALLOWING ME THOSE QUESTIONS. >> VIAGRAN: THAT'S FINE. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. (AYES.) >> VIAGRAN: MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, NOW, WE ARE AT OUR FINAL ITEM, I BELIEVE, AND THAT IS ITEM [Final Internal Audit Report  ] NUMBER 7, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 7. >> CLERK: ITEM 7 IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR REPORT AU23-033, AUDIT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. >> CHAIR, MARK BIDLER IS THE AUDIT MANAGER FOR THIS AND HE'LL BE PRESENTING THE SLIDES. >> VIAGRAN: GREAT. THE FLOOR IS YOURS. >> THIS IS THE AUDIT THE 9-1-1 OPERATIONS, THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS AUDIT WAS TO DETERMINE IF 9-1-1 OPERATIONS WERE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND COMPLIED WITH NATIONAL STANDARDS. AND OUR CONCLUSION WAS THE 9-1-1 OPERATIONS ARE [00:25:01] EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND THEY DO COMPLY WITH NATIONAL STANDARDS. THE NATIONAL STANDARDS THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO HERE OR THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBER ASSOCIATION STANDARDS, SO I'LL BE REFERRING TO NENA MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION. WE FIRST DID THIS AUDIT BACK IN 2016, AND AT THAT TIME THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD ADOPTED THE NENA STANDARD OF ANSWERING 90% OF 9-1-1 CALLS WITHIN 10 SECONDS. AGAIN, THAT'S 90% OF CALLS IN 10 SECONDS. AND WHAT WE FOUND BACK THEN IN 2016, BACK WHEN WE ISSUED THAT REPORT IN DECEMBER OF 2016, EXACTLY EIGHT YEARS AGO, WE FOUND THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ONLY ANSWERING 58% OF THEIR CALLS WITHIN 10 SECONDS. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WASN'T MUCH BETTER AT 63%. BUT I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY THAT WE FOUND IN THIS AUDIT, POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ANSWERING OVER 95% OF THEIR CALLS WITHIN 10 SECONDS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ANSWERING ABOUT 89% OF THEIR CALLS WITHIN 10 SECONDS. THAT'S JUST A SMIDGE SMIDGEN BELOW THE NENA STANDARD THAT THEY ADOPTED YEARS AGO. VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN OPERATIONS. THE FINDING THAT'S WE HAVE ARE BASICALLY FINE-TUNING IN NATURE, NOTHING EARTH SHAKING HERE, JUST SOME FINE-TUNING THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE FIRST FINDING RELATES TO -- OR IS DIRECTED AT THE SAPD, AND THE SAPD HAS ADOPTED A METRIC OF REVIEWING EVERY CALL TAKER -- OR REVIEWING -- HAVING THREE REVIEWS OF EVERY CALL TAKER ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND WE FOUND THAT THAT WAS NOT BEING DONE CONSISTENTLY. AND ALSO WE FOUND THAT FAILED CALL REVIEWS ARE NOT BEING CONSISTENTLY REVIEWED WITH THE CALL TAKERS. MOVING ON TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, STAFFING LEVELS, WE DETERMINED THAT THE SAFD DID NOT HAVE A GOOD METHODOLOGY IN PLACE TO DETERMINE SUFFICIENT STAFFING LEVELS TO MEET THE 9-1-1 NENA STANDARD BY ANSWERING 90% OF CALLS WITHIN D 10 SECONDS. AND LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONSISTENTLY DOCUMENTING COMMUNICATION OF FAILED CALL REVIEWS. AND THE LAST POINT IN THE OPERATIONS CONTINUITY PROCEDURES, THE CITY HAS TWO CALL CENTERS, ONE IS LOCATED AT THE BROOKS CITY BASE, THAT'S THE PRIMARY CALL CENTER, AND THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE MOST OF THE 9-1-1 CALLS. WE ALSO HAVE A SEC SECONDARY SITE THAT WE WOULD LOSE IN EMERGENCY AND THAT'S LOCATED AT QUARRY RUN. WHAT WE'RE DOING BASED ON NENA STANDARDS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A SMALL CONTINUUM OF PEOPLE AT THE BACKUP CALL CENTER TAKING CALLS ALL THE TIME, PLUS QUARTERLY, THEY ROTATE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE SO THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROCEDURE WOULD BE LIKE IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES, THEY CAN ANSWER CALLS AT THAT BACKUP CENTER. BUT WE FOUND THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT DOING THAT. THESE LAST THREE FINDINGS ARE JOINT FINDINGS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT/FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ITSD. FIRST ONE RELATES TO ABANDONED CALLS. YOU KNOW, AN ABANDONED CALL IS A CALL WHERE THE CALLER HANGS UP BEFORE THE CALL TAKER CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER THE PHONE. AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NORMALLY, IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, IS IF THAT CALL TAKER HANGS UP, THE SOFTWARE THAT WE USE CAPTURES THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE CALLER, AND IT'S PROTOCOL FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TRY AT LEAST TWICE TO CALL THAT NUMBER BACK TO SEE IF, IN FACT, THERE ARE NO ISSUES. WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THERE WERE 67,000 ABANDONED CALLS IN FISCAL YEAR 2023. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT COMPARED TO THE 1.4 MILLION CALLS TAKEN BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S ONLY ABOUT 4.5%, SO ABOUT 4.5% OF THE CALLS WERE ACTUALLY ABANDONED CALLS. AND WE COULDN'T FIND DOCUMENTATION OR SUPPORT FOR ABOUT 6300 OF THOSE 67,000 ABANDONED CALLS, SO WE COULDN'T TELL IF THOSE CALLERS CALLED BACK FOR THOSE 6300 ABANDONED CALLS OR NOT. BUT WHAT WE FOUND OUT DURING THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT, IS THAT BEXAR METRO 9-1-1'S CALL [00:30:05] SYSTEM, I'LL CALL IT A GLITCH IN IT, SUCH THAT IF A CALLER HANGS UP TOO QUICKLY, IT WILL APPEAR IN THE BEXAR METRO 9-1-1'S ECAT SYSTEM AS AN ABANDONED CALL, BUT IN MANY MANY CA CASES THAT CALL HADN'T BEEN SHUNTED TO OUR 9-1-1 CALL CENTER. SO SOME OF THOSE 6300 CALLS THAT WERE NOT CALLED BACK, POTENTIALLY WE NEVER EVEN RECEIVED THE CALL TO MAKE THE CALLBACK. COINCIDENTALLY, THE ABANDONED CALL RATE OF 4.4% THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, PRETTY SMALL NUMBER COMPARED TO THE CALLS WE RECEIVED, BACK IN 2016, OUR ABANDON CALL RATE WAS 24%. SO 24% DOWN TO LESS THAN 5%. BADGE ACCESS, WE DETERMINED THAT THE BADGE ACCESS REVIEWS WERE NOT BEING PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY, AND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS IS THAT ITSD WOULD SEND A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BADGE ACCESS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO ANOTHER LIST TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS WOULD REVIEW THOSE LIST, THEY WOULD SAY THIS PERSON DOESN'T NEED ACCESS, THOSE REPORTS WOULD BE SENT BACK TO ITSD WHO WOULD THEN TERMINATE ACCESS TO THOSE FOLKS, AND WE FOUND THAT WAS NOT BEING DONE CONSISTENTLY. LAST ITEM, A COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM, WE FOUND THERE WERE SOME USERS WHO HAD ACCESS TO THAT SYSTEM WHO NO LONGER NEEDED IT, AND THAT ACCESS NEEDED TO BE RESTRICTED. SO ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS, SAPD, SAFD AND ITSD AGREED WITH OUR AUDIT FINDINGS, AND THEY DEVELOPED POSITIVE ACTION PLANS TO ADDRESS THEM AND THE ANTICIPATED COMPLETION OF THOSE ACTION PLANS ARE MARCH OF 2025. SO THAT PRETTY MUCH DOES IT FOR MY PRESENTATION, IF YOU HA HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, GO AHEAD. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I WILL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND SO WE CAN BEGIN DISCUSSION. >> COURAGE: I MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THIS AUDIT. >> VIAGRAN: I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. WE'LL GO AHEAD, BECAUSE COUNCILMAN COURAGE, I KNOW THIS WAS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST FOR YOU, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> CHAIR, DO YOU MIND IF ONE -- ONE, THANK YOU, MARK AND TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID ON THIS AUDIT. FIKDZ BUT, TWO, AS YOU ALL KNOW -- MANAGEMENT RESPONSE FOR EACH OF THE FINDINGS THAT WE HAVE. DO YOU MIND IF I ASK BOTH CHIEFS TO COME UP AND JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE SO THEY CAN CORRECT THOSE. I'D LIKE TO INVITE CHIEF MCMANUS AND CHIEF RUSS OUR FIRE CHIEF UP TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT OUR RESPONSE TO THE AUDIT. >> VIAGRAN: GREAT. THAT MIGHT ANSWER SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> CHIEF MCMANUS: SO THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE TO THE FIRST FINDING, WHICH WAS TO ENSURE THE CALL REVIEWS ARE PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY AND FAILED CALL REVIEWS ARE FOLLOWED UP BY QUALITY ASSURANCE ANALYSTS AND SUPERVISORS WITH THE AGENTS, THE ACTION PLAN TO THAT WAS THAT WE'VE IMPROVED OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESS BY TYING PERFORMANCE GOALS TO AN EMPLOYEE'S EPE SCORE AND SPECIFICALLY THE PERFORMANCE M METRICS WERE ESTABLISHED FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE PERSONNEL AND SUPERVISORS TO INSURE THAT THE CALLS WERE REVIEWED TO REFLECT BOTH THE DIVISIONS AND EMPLOYEE'S INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PERFORMANCE IS REVIEWED WITH THE ASSIGNED STAFF QUARTERLY AND REFLECTED IN THE EMPLOYEE'S EPE SCORES. COMMUNICATION'S DIVISION WILL CONTINUE TO BOTH -- CONTINUE BOTH INITIATIVES TO ENSURE CONSISTENT CALL REVIEWS AND APPROPRIATE COACHING AND TRAINING ARE CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY. ON THE SECOND SAPD FINDING -- GIVE ME A SECOND HERE -- SO THIS IS FOR BOTH FIRE AND POLICE, I'LL TALK ABOUT FIRE HERE REAL QUICK. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, POLICE HERE REAL QUICK. SO THE CHIEF OF POLICE SHOULD PERFORM FURTHER RESEARCH TO DETERMINE IF AND HOW ABANDONED CALLS ARE BEING DISMISSED AND ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE CONTROLS TO ENSURE ABANDONED CALLS ARE CALLED BACK AT LEAST ONCE PER NENA STANDARDS. SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN ACCURATELY EXPLAIN THIS. IF I CAN'T, I'LL GET RICK TO COME UP HERE AND DO IT. SO PRIOR TO HAVING THIS CORRECTED, WHEN THE CALLS WERE COMING THROUGH, THEY WOULD DISCONNECT AFTER ONE SECOND OR JUST PRIOR TO ONE SECOND. [00:35:01] WHERE ARE YOU AT RICK? JUST BRIAR TO ONE SECOND, AND THEN EVEN IF WE PICKED IT UP, IT WOULDN'T LEAVE US WITH A CALLBACK NUMBER. SO THOSE CALLS WEREN'T BEING RETURNED. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE THAT WORKING WITH BEXAR MET TO TWO AND THREE SECONDS, SO THOSE CALLS WILL REGISTER AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO CALL THOSE FOLKS BACK. SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT ONE. AND THEN OUR ITSD -- WORKING WITH ITSD, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CORRECT THAT BADGE ACCESS ISSUE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY COMES UP IN MOST OF OUR AUDITS, AND IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE A FINDING NO MATTER WHERE WE'RE -- NO MATTER WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH ITSD TO GET THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME. YEP. OKAY. >> GOOD MORNING. SO AS FAR AS THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT PORTION, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ADDRESS THE STAFFING LEVELS IS THE FIRE CHIEF WILL IMPLEMENT A METHODOLOGY TO PERIODICALLY EVALUATE STAFFING LEVELS, CONSIDERING CALL VOLUMES, IMPACT OF NEW PROGRAMS AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF A 12-HOUR SHIFT STAFFING MODEL TO ADDRESS STAFFING NEEDS. THE ACTION PLAN WILL BE TO DEVELOP A PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS FOR THE COMMUNICATION'S DIVISION, THE ANALYSIS WILL INCLUDE A MORE ACCURATE STAFFING RATIO FOR THE COMMUNICATION'S DIVISION TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARD RES. THE USE OF LIGHT-DUTY STAFF FOR NONEMERGENCY CALL TAKING OR CLINICAL DISPATCH PROGRAM AND A PLAN FOR REASSESSMENT AT PERIODIC INTERVALS. THE DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO STUDY THE POSSIBILITY OF SCHEDULE CHANGES TO INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A 12-HOUR SCHEDULE AND THE REALIGNMENT OF BREAKS FOR PERSONNEL TO ALLEVIATE STRESS ON THE WORKFORCE. THE NEXT ITEM IS TO ADDRESS QUALITY ASSURANCE, THE FIRE CHIEF WILL BE DEVELOPING PROCEDURES FOR PROVIDING DOCUMENTED FEEDBACK TO CALL TAKERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED REVIEW SCORES SHOWING A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE ACTION PLAN IS FOR US TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT A PROCEDURE TO PROVIDE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TO OUR DISPATCHERS. THE PROCEDURE IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NENA STANDARD -- AUDIO] -- INCLUDE A STANDARDIZED VIS IZED DIGITAL FORM TO INCLUDE A NEW PROCESS. THE NEW PROCESS CLEARLY STATES THE NUMBER OF EVALUATIONS FOR DISPATCHER, CALL TYPES EVALUATED, BENCHMARKS FOR SATISFACTORY CALL COMPLETION AND AN IMPROVEMENT PROCESS FOR FAILED EVALUATIONS. THE NEXT ITEM IS ABANDONED CALLS, WHICH CHIEF MCMANUS ADDRESSED, AND THAT WAS A JOINT EFFORT THAT WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTED TO WORK ON ABANDONED CALL RATE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? >> VIAGRAN: YES. COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YOU KNOW, THE FIRST COUPLE OF PAGES OF THE AUDIT INDICATED THAT BOTH POLICE AND FIRE ARE NOT FULLY DOCUMENTING SOME OF THE CALLS OR THE RESULTS OF THE CALLS OR THE FOLLOW-UP WITH CALLS. YOU KNOW, AND IT BOTHERS ME FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF HOW DO WE EVALUATE IF WE'RE NOT DOCUMENTING 100%, OR EVEN 95%? AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DOCUMENTATION IS A KEY ISSUE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THAT BY HAVING MORE STAFF OR HOLDING MORE TRAINING SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THEY'RE OBLIGATED TO DO WHATEVER DOCUMENTATION IT IS, THAT'S GOOD. AND THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT FORWARD, BUT IT JUST CAUSES ME SOME CONCERN WHEN I HEAR THAT DOCUMENTATION IS A PROBLEM IN DOING THE TOTAL EVALUATION. AND SO I'LL TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT THE 10 SECONDS, THE 95%, THE 89%, MEETING THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, BUT WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT AREN'T BEING MET THAT NEED TO BE MET. AND I'LL SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT ABANDONED CALLS, WHETHER IT'S 67,000 AND IT'S 5700 THAT GET DROPPED, I GUESS I'M A TV ADDICT, AND SO HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I SEEN SOMEONE TRYING TO MAKE A 9-1-1 CALL IN A MOVIE AND SOMEBODY HANGS UP RIGHT AWAY BEFORE THEY CAN MAKE [00:40:05] THAT CALL, THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE TAKES PLACE. AND IF WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING UP AND IF THE SYSTEM DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CALL BACK, WHICH I THOUGHT I HEARD IT SAID THAT THAT SYSTEM'S SUPPOSED TO CALL BACK TWICE, WHY ARE THERE EVER ANY ABANDONED CALLS? SO, YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE A LITTLE MORE REASSURANCE ON THOSE TWO ISSUES. COUNCILMEMBER, I THINK RICK RILEY CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. >> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, AND COUNCIL, RICK REILLY, I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SAPD I THINK COUNCILMAN WHAT YOU'RE HITTING ON IS THE QUALITY ASSURANCE PORTION OF BOTH AUDITS. IT CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE THREE QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST THAT REVIEW THOSE CALLS AND 28 SUPERVISORS ON TOP OF THAT. IN APRIL OF 2022, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID 62 TOTAL CALL REVIEWS. NOT ENOUGH. AND WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING CHANGES. PART OF THOSE CHANGES WERE TO INCLUDE A METRIC FOR CALL TAKERS, SO THAT WE COULD SEPARATE OUT HOW ARE OUR CALL TAKERS DOING, WHICH ONES ARE EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS, WHICH ONES MEETING AND WHICH ONES NEED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND HELP. SO AS THAT CAME IN, WE STARTED DOING A BETTER JOB OF DOCUMENTING THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, AS I SAID, APRIL OF 2022, 62. APRIL OF 2023, 945 CALL REVIEWS. APRIL 2024, 1,023 CALL REVIEWS. ALL DOCUMENTED CALL REVIEWS. SO WE'VE -- WE REALIZED WHERE OUR WEAK POINTS WERE, AND WE'VE MADE THAT IMPROVEMENT BY INCLUDING NOT ONLY THE QA, BUT ALSO THE SUPERVISOR'S TO CONDUCT THOSE CALL REVIEWS, SO THAT WE CAN CONDUCT A HIGHER VOLUME OF CALL REVIEWS AND THEN GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE EMPLOYEES SO THAT WHEN WE ISSUE THEIR EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, THEY ARE -- THEY EXPECT IT, BECAUSE WE'RE REVIEWING THOSE WITH THEM QUARTERLY. AND SO MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, IF THAT HELPS BELAY SOME OF YOUR FEARS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON AND -- SINCE THE AUDIT PERIOD WAS DONE. SO AS FAR AS THE ABANDONED CALL RATE, YOU MENTIONED THE ABILITY TO AUTOMATICALLY CALL BACK, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. THAT'S ON A CALL TAKER. SO AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, WHEN A CALL HITS THE CALL-TAKING SYSTEM, IT'S A VESTA SYSTEM RUN BY MOTOROLA, THAT SYSTEM RECORDS THE CALL AND THEN RECORDS AN AUTOMATIC NUMBER INDICATOR AND AN AUTOMATIC LOCATION INDICATOR. BUT IF THE CALLER HANGS UP BEFORE THE CALL TAKER HAS A CHANCE TO ANSWER IT, THE CALL REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT WAS SET AT LESS THAN ONE SECOND AS THE CHIEF BRIEFED, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE GONE TO BEXAR METRO AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU ENLARGE THAT CALL-TAKING SYSTEM TO TWO AND THREE SECONDS. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS AN OVER 45% REDUCTION IN THE ABANDON CALLED/NO CALLBACKS, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WERE NOW ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION TO CALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS BACK AND SAY DID YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, OR WAS THIS AN ACCIDENTAL DIAL? IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, LET'S GET HELP OUT THERE. >> COURAGE: I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. IT'S A LITTLE MORE CLARIFYING. I DON'T EXPECT P PERFECTION. NOTHING'S PERFECT, THERE'S A ALWAYS LITTLE THINGS THAT DON'T SEEM TO WORK AS WELL. THOSE WERE A COUPLE AREAS OF CONCERNS THAT CAME UP IN THIS THAT I WANTED TO HAVE A BETTER EXPLANATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE AND I EXPECT THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO IMPROVE THOSE NUMBERS NUMBERS. WHEN THEY SAY A 10-SECOND AVERAGE CALL, SOME ARE PICKED UP IN ONE SECOND OR TWO, AND SOME AREN'T PICKED UP FOR 20 SECONDS. AND IF YOU SIT AND COUNT TO YOURSELF 10 SECONDS OR 20 SECONDS, IN AN EMERGENCY IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER. AS MUCH AS WE CAN IMPROVE THE RESPONSE TIME ON THOSE CALLS, THE MORE THE PUBLIC FEELS SAFE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. SO I AM GOING TO -- AND AS Y'ALL KNOW, I USED TO WORK FOR SAPD, BUT I WAS ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE WITH -- WITH SAPD. SO I UNDERSTAND ALSO THE -- THERE ARE TWO THINGS IN TERMS OF THESE FINDINGS, WHICH I THINK MAYBE BOTH CHIEFS NEED TO LOOK AT IS SOMETIMES IF IT'S -- IF IT'S A CRITICAL EVENT, WHAT WE NOTICED IS EVERYBODY GETS ON THE PHONE TO CALL 9-1-1 AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS STAY ON THE PHONE BECAUSE THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM IS TALKING TO THE OPERATOR, SO THEY HANG UP. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN YOU ENTER THAT -- WHEN 9-1-1 AND DISPATCH ENTERS THAT IN, THAT THEY CAN MAKE A NOTE THAT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW -- AND I THINK ABOUT THE TWO BIG RIGS JUST RECENTLY HERE ON THE HIGHWAY. I'M SURE Y'ALL -- BOTH FIRE AND POLICE WERE GETTING CALLED, SOME PEOPLE THINK WE NEED FIRE [00:45:02] HERE FIRST, OTHERS THINK WE NEED PD HERE FIRSTS, ACCIDENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IN Y'ALL'S SYSTEM THAT'S MANAGING THAT, THERE'S THAT EXTRA STEP, THE 9-1-1 CAN TAKE THAT THESE CALLS WERE RELATED TO A MAJOR INCIDENT AT THAT. THE CAD, THE USER ACCESS, THAT HAS -- AND I WAS ON WITH PD A LONG TIME AGO, THAT CAD, IT IS CONSTANTLY AN ISSUE, SO WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT -- WORKING WITH ITSD IN TERMS OF USER ACCESS, AND THAT MIGHT BE CITY WIDE, AS PEOPLE MOVE -- IF THEY MOVE FROM PD, THAT CAD ACCESS NEEDS TO GO AWAY, IT CAN'T LINGER. IF THEY MOVE TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK THE SAME THING WITH THE BADGE ACCESS INTO SOME OF THOSE CALL CENTERS. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IT. THANK YOU FOR -- I'M -- I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT, AND I HOPE WHATEVER SYSTEM Y'ALL ARE USING TO DOCUMENT GIVES Y'ALL THE ABILITY TO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE BIG INCIDENT CRISES WHERE PEOPLE -- MULTIPLE PEOPLE CALL AND THEN SOME PEOPLE POSSIBLY HANG UP WHEN THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEIR NEIGHBOR'S ON THE LINE WITH THE OPERATOR. BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU, I DO THAT ALL THE TIME ON FLORES WHEN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS, THREE OF US GET ON THE PHONE, AND WHOEVER GETS TO THE OPERATOR FIRST, THE REST OF US, YOU KNOW, HANG UP, EVEN IF THEY'RE MOVING US OVER TO THE OPERATOR, WE DON'T ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS, WE JUST HANG UP. SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE MIGHT NEED TO, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC ON, TOO, IS AT LEAST LET THEM KNOW -- I TRY AND DO THAT. EVEN IF YOU HEAR THE GUNSHOTS AND YOUR NEIGHBOR HEARS THE GUNSHOTS, DON'T ASSUME YOUR NEIGHBOR'S GOING TO CALL IN, CALL INTO NONEMERGENCY AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU HEARD OR SAW. SAME THING WITH FIRES GOING ON, TOO, STAY ONLINE AND MAKE THAT REPORT IF YOU'RE CALLING 9-1-1. SO PHIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ACCEPT THE AUDIT. WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. (AYES.) >> VIAGRAN: MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. [Consideration of items for future meetings  ] THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 14TH, 2025. HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAYS, WE'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR, AND GRAB YOUR HOLIDAY BELL. THANK * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.