[00:00:10]
>> CASTILLO: GOOD AFTERNOON, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> CLERK: EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE AND WE CAN MOVE TO ITEM 1 TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES.
>> MOVE TO APPROVE, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: WE HAVE A MOTION. CAN WE GET A SECOND?
>> GOOD. KIS ALL RIGHT, CAN WE PLEASE TAKE A VOTE.
ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> CASTILLO: MOTION APPROVED.
WE CAN NOW MOVE TO ITEM 2, BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION APPLICATION FOR THE FORMER ZARZAMORA SERVICE CENTER PROPERTY, LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 5. AND LOUISE WILL BE PRESENTING TO US TODAY.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> I CAN DO THAT ONE BUT DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
OKAY. >> COUNCILWOMAN, DO Y'ALL HAVE IT THERE? OKAY. OKAY. I THINK THAT WE'LL START WITHOUT
IT AND WORK TO GET IT ON THE SCREEN HERE. >> WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I AM LOUISE MART OAS, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH PUBLIC WORKS. SO TODAY I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO A PRESENTATION, A BRIEFING ON WHAT WE CALL A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION, COMMONLY KNOWN AS MSD FOR THE FORMER ZARZAMORA SERVICE CENTER LOCATED IN DISTRICT 5. SO WHAT I'LL DO, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT AN MSD IS, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN MSD AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROJECT TIMELINES AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS. AND THERE WILL BE A SECOND PART TO MY PRESENTATION, WHERE MR. KENNETH TRAMM FROM MODERN GEOSCIENCES WILL GET INTO A LOT MORE DETAIL, EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES WITH THE FORMER ZARZAMORA SERVICE CENTER.
BUT LET ME START BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT AN MSD IS. BACK IN 2003 ALLOWED THE MUNICIPALITIES TO AUTHORIZE MSDS, TO ADDRESS THE EXISTING GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION BENEATH RE-DEVELOPING PROPERTIES. AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FORMER ZARZAMORA SERVICE CENTER. IN APRIL OF 2016, THE SAN ANTONIO COUNCIL APPROVED THE MSD ORDINANCE WHICH RESTRICTS THE POTABLE USE OF SHALLOW GROUNDWATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. JUST TO GIVE YOU A MAGNITUDE -- SINCE 2004, THERE'S BEEN OVER 500 MSDS APPROVED THROUGHOUT TEXAS, SO IT'S CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING NEW, BUT A GREAT TOOL FOR REDEVELOPMENT. 500 MSD THROUGHOUT TEXAS IN OVER 20 CITIES. SO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE MSD? IT ALLOWS US TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND SHALLOW CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER AND PROMOTES THE REDEVELOPMENT OF UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES AND ALLOWS THE CITY TO TRANSFORM THIS OLD SERVICE CENTER, NOT ONLY WAS IT A SERVICE CENTER BUT IT WAS ALSO A FIRE TRAINING ACADEMY BACK IN THE DAY. IT ALLOWED US TO TRANSFORM IT INTO GREEN SPACE, PART OF OUR 2022 PROGRAM, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED THIS WILL BE THE FUTURE HOME OF, YOU KNOW, A REGIONAL PART IF FOR DISTRICT 5, BASICALLY THE EXPANSION OF A NORMAL PARK. IT ALSO ENSURES THAT THE PARK IS SAFE FOR PUBLIC PARK USE.
A LITTLE BIT ON THE TIMELINE. EARLY 2023, WE PERFORMED AN ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL REVEALED THE MSD APPLICATION. LATE IN 2023, IT WOULD DETERMINE THAT THE PLUME WAS STABLE, AND DECREASED -- DECREASED CONTAMINANTS. SO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW WE WERE ABLE TO MONITOR THE PLUME, AND HOW WE CAN, UM, ASSURE THAT IT'S STABLE, BUT NOT ONLY STABLE, BUT IT'S DECREASING AS WELL. JUNE OF 2024, IT WAS RECEIVED BY SAWS AND THE AQUIFER AUTHORITY FOR THEIR CONCURRENCE. LAST MONTH WE CONDUCTED A --
[00:05:04]
WHAT I BELIEVE IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC MEETING WITHIN DISTRICT 5 WHERE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THE TRANSFORMATION THAT IS HAPPENING AT THAT LOCATION.NOT ONLY THAT, THE FUTURE THAT IT HOLDS, WHICH IS GREEN SPACE IN A PUBLIC PARK.
SO THE PEOPLE -- THE PUBLIC WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. OF COURSE DECEMBER 2024, WE'RE HERE TODAY GIVING YOU A BRIEFING AT THIS COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE.
FOR THE NEXT STEPS, OUR PLAN IS TO TAKE THIS TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL IN JANUARY 2025, FOLLOWED BY A SAWS BOARD AND A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT BY SAWS IN FEBRUARY 2025.
SPRINGTIME, THE TCEQ WILL BE CONDUCTING THEIR REVIEW AND RIGHT NOW THE INTENT IS TO HAVE IT COMPLETED, APPROVED BY TCEQ IN SUMMER OF 2025. AND SO NOW WE GOT OUR PRESENTATION UP. AND NOW I'M GOING TO GIVE MR. KEN EGHTS TRAMM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE CONTAMINANTS IN THE ZARZAMORA
SERVICE CENTER. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GOING TO TRY TO FOLLOW THE
SLIDES, ALTHOUGH -- >> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> OH, THAT'S ON ME.
WELL I'M AN AGGIE, AS YOU CAN TELL. [LAUGHTER] IT'S AN HONOR TO COME IN AND TO GET A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO WHAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO -- BECAUSE I'M KNOWN FOR BEING HIGHLY VERBOSE IS TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE TO SUMMARIZE AS FEW SLIDES AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE TIME TO VISIT ON ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. BUT I HAVE TAKEN SOME INFORMATION FROM THAT PUBLIC MEETING PRESENTATION AND CONDENSED IT SOMEWHAT, JUST TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THIS SITE. AND SINCE A LOT OF THEM COME ACROSS YOUR DESK.
THIS SITE ITSELF IS APPROXIMATELY 29 ACRES, AND AS YOU HEARD BEFORE ITS OPERATIONS INCLUDED VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS FIREFIGHTER TRAINING. IT HAD 12 UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS THROUGH ITS LIFE. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE TIMELINE IN THE 1980S, GROUNDWATER IMPACT WAS IDENTIFIED RELATIVE TO THE KELLY AIR FORCE BASE PLUME.
SO THAT'S -- WE'RE CLOSE TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS ZONE 4 FROM THE KELLY AIR FORCE BASE.
THEY'VE ASSESSED OF COURSE PORTIONS AROUND THIS PROPERTY, BUT NOT THIS PROPERTY, TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PREVIOUSLY. AND THE HEALTH COMPONENT OF W THAT WAS LOOKED AT AT STR, AND SO THAT'S ALREADY BEEN LOOKED AT.
TO ZOOM INTO THE AREA, YOU WILL FIND KIND OF A REGIONAL AREA MAP AND IT SHOWS ZARZAMORA IN THE CENTER. IN RED IS THE BOUNDARY OF ZARZAMORA IN THE GREEN AND THE GREEN OVERLAY IS THE SETTING DESIGNATION THAT INCLUDES THE STREETS THAT WERE ADJACENT.
THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE BOUNDARIES. AND THEN THE LARGER PLUME OF THE -- KNOWN FOR THE KELLY AIRS FORCE BASE IS THERE IN WHITE. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT BECOMES PART OF OUR STORY AND ANY ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION HAS TO BE INCLUSIVE OF THAT AS WELL. AS FAR AS ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIAL ACTIVITIES THAT WERE PERFORMED ON THIS SITE, ALL OF THOSE 12 UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS HAVE NOW BEEN REMOVED.
AND EVERYONE THAT HAD A ASSOCIATED RELEASE, THEY GET A UNIQUE LSPT NUMBER AND ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE CLOSED AS WELL. IN 2014, THE FLUORINATED COMPOUNDS AND WE KNEW OF CHLORINATED AND NOW WE KNOW OF FLUORINATED COMING TO THE SITE AND WERE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIREFIGHTING -- FIREFIGHTER TRAINING, WITH THE USE OF FOAM ON THE SITE. BUT IN 2014, THE SITE WAS EVALUATED BY A POTENTIAL PURCHASER. THEY ENTERED THE SITE INTO THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM.
WHEN THE POTENTIAL PURCHASER IS REMOVED FROM THIS STORY, THE CITY THEN TAKES OVER AND MOVES IT THE REST OF THE WAY. SO SINCE THAT TIME THE CITY HAS COMPLETED EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS, OVER 250 INVESTIGATION POINTS WHERE IT BE GROUNDWATER, SOIL, SOIL/GAS OR ACTUAL WIPE SAMPLES AND THOSE 12 UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS AS I HAVE MENTIONED HAVE BEEN REMOVED. WE HAD THE REMOVE OFF WILL BURN PIT RESIDUE AND THEN THE DRAIN SYSTEMS THAT WERE IMPACTED WERE REMOVED FROM THE SITE. AND THE TOWER PLACED IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT. AND THAT WAS DONE SPECIFICALLY AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH SAWS TO ADDRESS THE LAST CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD. KIND OF LIGHT HERE, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THAT KIND OF BOUNDARY. I HAVE ZOOMED IN A BIT ON THE PROPERTY ITSELF SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE SPECIFIC USE CONCERNS WERE.
AND UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS, WHICH YOU SEE KIND OF IN THE DARKER -- THE TANK PITS THERE.
[00:10:01]
AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IN YOUR HANDOUT YOU WILL SEE WHERE THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS WERE REMOVED AND SOIL BORINGS ARE GOING IN AND SO WE HAVE A DRILLING RIG THAT WE'RE BEHIND AND THE RAZING OF THE FORMER TOWER AND THE REMOVAL EVEN OF SOME OF THOSE BURN PITS.THE AREAS THAT HAD SOIL IMPACT THAT REMAIN IN PLACE AND ARE ABOVE DEFAULT -- SO THE MOST CONSERVATIVE CONSIDERATION FOR THOSE FLUORINATED COMPOUNDS NEAR THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE. YOU CAN SEE THEM KIND OF ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
AND THOSE ARE THE FOUR COMPOUNDS SO THAT YOU HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUAL NAMES AND THEIR ACRONYMS AND I PROMISE THAT I WON'T TURN THIS INTO AN ACRONYM GAME AND WE ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE IN OUR LIVES ALREADY. BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES IN PARTICULAR.
HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF THE INITIALED CAP SYSTEM BEING PUT IN PLACE.
YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE BOTTOM LEFT. AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE -- AS WE ZOOM OUT FROM THE SITE A LITTLE BIT, YOU CAN SEE OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NORMOYLE PARK IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE WEST. AND SO, HENCE, THAT OBVIOUSLY MAKES THAT PART OF THE FUTURE STORY OF THIS SITE. AS FAR AS GROUNDWATER IMPACT, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE TWO COCS, CHEMICALS OF CONCERN.
ANOTHER ACRONYM -- I APOLOGIZE. SO THIS ONE IS PFOS. THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS KIND OF THAT JELLY BEAN SHAPE. AND YOU WILL NOTICE ON HERE THAT WE HAVE GROUNDWATER FLOE MAPS AND SO IN THIS CASE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE GOT FLOE DIRECTION COMING AT US FROM THE NORTH, FROM THE WEST AND FROM THE SOUTHWEST, AND THEN WE LEAVE KIND OF GOING EAST/NORTHEAST.
AND THE GROUNDWATER TABLE IS IN EXCESS OF 20 FEET BELOW THE GROUND SURFACE.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THIS SITE RELATIVE TO THINGS THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, LIKE THE EDWARDS ITSELF THAT IS WHERE THE SITE SITS AND THEN THE IMPACTED GROUNDWATER IS THIS THIN UNIT THAT WE WILL ENCOUNTER IN GENERAL PROBABLY ABOUT 30 FEET AND THEN IT EXTENDS ONLY ANOTHER 15 FEET AND THEN WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND FEET WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE AQUITARD.
JUST SOIL PROPERTIES WHERE THEY ARE SHALE OR RELATED THAT ACTUALLY PREVENT VERTICAL MIGRATION. SO IT'S JUST THAT VERY SHALLOW UNIT AND IT'S NOT USED FOR DRINKING WATER TODAY, BUT WE WANT TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT ACTUALLY PROHIBITS ITS USE, SO IT LIVES WITH THE PROPERTY GOING FORWARD. AND SO THIS WAS AN EVALUATION OF REGISTERED WELLS WITHIN A HALF MILE. IT'S NOT A VERY EXCITING MAP BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S NO WELLS IN A HALF MILE WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE TOOL, THE MSD, TO APPLY TO A SITE LIKE THIS. A SECOND COMPONENT OF MAKING THE DECISION TO APPLY AN MSD IS THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY AVAILABLE WATER.
AND SO, OF COURSE, SAWS SERVICES THIS AREA -- LET'S SEE IF I CAN PUSH THE BUTTON AND GET MY MAGIC SITE TO COME UP THERE -- AND, OF COURSE, IT OBTAINS ITS WATERS FROM DEEPER RESOURCES SO OTHER AQUIFERS AND WHEN NEEDED EVEN SUPPLEMENTING WITH SURFACE WATER.
AND SO THIS WAS TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT BEFORE, BUT THE MSD PROCESS INCLUDES AN APPLICATION TO THE CITY AND IT GETS TECHNICAL REVIEW AND THEN IS DEEMED COMPLETE.
AND THEN IT'S ALLOWED TO MOVE FORWARD. THEN THE PUBLIC NOTICE HAPPENS.
AND SO THAT INCLUDED IN THIS CASE ANYBODY WITHIN ROUGHLY 2500 FEET.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE EXPANDED IT TO INCLUDE THE STREET TO KIND OF GET A FEW MORE. SO, ANYWAY, THEY WERE IDENTIFIED AND GIVEN A QR CODE TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE ACTUAL INFORMATION IN-DEPTH SO THEY COULD SEE IT ONLINE VIA LINK.
AND THEY ALSO GOT A PHONE NUMBER THAT WAS A PHONE THAT I CARRIED WITH ME, SO I COULD CALL THEM BACK AND HAVE ANY CONVERSATION AT ANY DEPTH THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN.
AND, OF COURSE, WE HAD THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT.
NOTICES ALSO WENT OUT TO ANY REGISTERED WELL OWNER WITHIN FIVE MILES, THAT IS PART OF THE TCEQ PROCESS AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAD NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPERS AS WELL.
AND THAT LED TO US A PUBLIC MEETING WHICH HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 19TH, AND WHERE WE HAD GOOD TURNOUT. AND A GOOD EXCHANGE OF QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT WE ANSWERED ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAD. AND THEN IT LEADS US TO THE MEETING THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? >> CASTILLO: WONDERFUL, WELL, THANK YOU, DR. TRAMM FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE ON THIS INITIATIVE AND THE PARKS INDUSTRY AS WELL.
AND I KNOW THAT THE PALM HEIGHTS COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR WERE VERY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMUNITY MEETING. I LED A LOT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT PART OF DISTRICT 5, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S T A HUGE APPETITE AND A DESIRE FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS SO THAT WAY WE CAN BEGIN THE COMMUNITY ENVISIONING PROCESS ON WHAT THIS PARK CAN LOOK LIKE. I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY WALKED AWAY -- OR SHOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY WITH SOME TYPE OF CERTIFICATION BECAUSE IT WAS VERY TECHNICAL, BUT I JUST
[00:15:03]
WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR WALKING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THOSE PIECES AND MAKING IT VERY COMPREHENSIVE FOR MY CONSTITUENTS. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE JUST EAGER TO MOVE ALONG WITH. AND I KNOW THAT YOU WALKED US THROUGH SOME OF THE COMPONENTS ON THE DRINKING WATER, RIGHT, THAT THIS IS WATER THAT'S NOT GOING TO -- WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAP INTO IT. CAN YOU JUST REMIND US ABOUT WHAT THAT CLAY CAP MEANS FOR COMMUNITY AND WATER IN THAT AREA?>> SURE. SO THE IMPACTED GROUNDWATER -- IN FACT, I MIGHT -- IF I CAN GO -- I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO -- UM, IT'S THAT ONE. SLIDE 10.
RIGHT, SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT -- SO NOW YOU KNOW VERTICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND LET'S GO 30 FEET BELOW THE GROUND THAT WE WOULD STAND ON IF WE WERE AT THE SITE. THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN ENCOUNTER THE SHALLOW GROUNDWATER.
AND THEN IT EXTENDS 15 FEET. AND THEN THAT'S THE EXTENT OF IT.
SO IT'S A VERY PERCHED UNIT. SO THAT GROUNDWATER HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE IMPACTED SINCE THE 1980S. AND IT'S NOT A VIABLE RESOURCE FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE, THE VOLUME YOU COULD PROBABLY GET OUT OF IT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SERVICE MANY HOMES AND IT'S A LIMITED RESOURCE. BUT BESIDES THAT, OBVIOUSLY, SHALLOW PERCHED UNITS OF THAT NATURE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT ALSO SUFFER FROM SANITARY SEWER IMPACTS AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE HOME SEWER SYSTEMS, THE SEPTIC SYSTEMS, ETC.. THAT'S MORE THAN YOUR QUESTION WAS BUT IT'S THIS VERY SHALLOW PERCHED UNIT THAT IS IMPACTED WANT AND THROUGH THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY THE CITY AND ALL OF THE INVESTIGATION POINTS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, THEY WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THERE'S SOME CONTRIBUTION FROM THE SITE ITSELF IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER.
BUT THAT IS IN STEEP DECLINE. OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, EVERY COMPONENT THAT EXCEEDED A DRINKING WATER NUMBERS, ASSUMING THAT I COULD PUT IT IN A GLASS AND DRINK IT, SO BASED ON THAT CRITERIA, WHICH WE'RE NOT BUT WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT CRITERIA TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
AND ALL OF THE COMPOUNDS THAT EXCEED AID NUMBER WENT DOWN 75% OVER THAT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
BEYOND THAT, OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE A LARGER PLUME THAT GOES THROUGH THIS AREA, THAT HAS PRIMARY CHLORINATED COMPOUNDS AND IT HAS FLUORINATED COMPOUNDS COMING TO THE SITE AS WELL.
BUT BECAUSE OF THAT -- AND SO WE CAN'T STOP THE FLOW OF THAT WATER.
WE WANT TO PROHIBIT PEOPLE FROM DRINKING IN THE FUTURE. THEY'RE NOT TODAY FOR REALISTIC REASONS, BUT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE GET IT ON THE DEED SO THAT IT LIVES WITH THE PROPERTY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CERTAINTY THAT GOES WITH THAT. SO DEEPER -- GOING ANOTHER THOUSAND FEET -- AND THEN YOU CAN START TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE EDWARDS AND THE VIABLE GROUNDWATER. SO HOPEFULLY I TOUCHED ON A DECENT ANSWER.
AND YOU ASKED ABOUT THE CAP SO I'LL MENTION THAT PIECE. NOT REQUIRED FOR REGULATORY REASONS FROM THE TCEQ, BUT IN TALKING WITH SAWS, AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, WELL, WE'RE OKAY THAT THERE'S IMPACTED MEDIA THERE, IF THERE WAS ANY POSSIBLE RISK IT'S GOING TO BE THAT PERHAPS THE FUTURE SURFACE COVER WILL CHANGE ON THE SITE. AND IF RAINWATER INFILTRATION GOT THROUGH, THAT MAYBE SOME OF THAT COULD CARRY MORE DOWN AND WE WOULD SEE A BUMP IN CONCENTRATIONS. SO ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THAT IS TO ADD A CLAY CAP THAT PROHIBITS THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT, RIGHT. SO WE NO LONGER ALLOW THAT WATER TO CARRY THROUGH AND TO HAVE RESIDUAL IMPACT WITH IT. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WORKED OUT WITH SAWS TO ADDRESS THEIR RESIDUAL CONCERNS. I WOULD SAY THAT WE DID IT FOR THAT REASON BUT IT ALSO ALIGNED WITH YOUR REDEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE PARK ITSELF. NOT THAT I SHOULD EVER GET INTO PLANNING AND I SHOULD GET AWAY FROM THIS PODIUM IF I WOULD SAY WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT YOUR TEAM IS HARD AT WORK AND HAS VERY SMART PLANS TO LEVERAGE SO WE COULD DO TWO I THINK THIS IS AT ONCE, RIGHT? BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WILL BE THIS BARRIER THAT SATISFIES THE CONCERNS FOR VERTICAL MIGRATION, BUT IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
AS A PARK. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THIS PARK IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAN ANTONIO ISD IN WHICH I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS ON WHAT GROWTH AND EXPANSION THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SEE ON THIS PARCEL. SO WE'RE EAGER TO BEGIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS WITH THE TCEQ CERTIFICATION, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP THAT THE COMMUNITY
COULD LOOK FORWARD TO WITH NORMOYLE? >> IF I KNEW MY SLIDE NUMBER I
COULD CALL IT OUT. HE'S RIGHT HERE. >> WITH RESPECT TO THE PARK, COUNCILWOMAN, OF COURSE WE'RE JUST -- EARLY NEXT YEAR WE'LL BEGIN THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
AS YOU KNOW WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MSD WAS IN PLACE AND ALLOWING THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE BEGINNING TO SEE IS A THOROUGH AND ROBUST PUBLIC PROCESS TO BEGIN TO RECEIVE THE INPUT, WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO SEE -- TRAILS, PLAYGROUNDS. SO THAT WILL BE COMING VERY
SOON. >> COUNCILWOMAN, THE NEXT? STEP IS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO
RECEIVE IT, IF APPROVED HERE TODAY. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, JOHN.
I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND A COUPLE OF LAST PIECES, RIGHT,
[00:20:01]
IT'S DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE SAN ANTONIO PORT AND THERE'S A LOT OF RETIRED SAN ANTONIO FIRE CAPTAINS THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA AND THEIR COMMUNITY IS ALREADY EXCITED AND EAGER WITH IDEAS OF PLAYGROUNDS THAT LOOK LIKE FIRE TRUCKS. [LAUGHTER] AND JUST THE IDEAS ARE AMAZING. SO JUST REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PROCESS AND JUST WANTED TO THANK HOMER WHO I SEE IN THE BACK. SO, THANK YOU, HOMER.AND WITH THAT WE CAN ENTER DISCUSSION, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU SAY THAT WERE AT THE PUBLIC INPUT MEETING?
>> I CAN'T RECALL OFF OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, COUNCILWOMAN, ABOUT 50 OR SO.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THAT'S AWESOME, YEAH, THAT'S VERY GOOD AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR INVITING THEM DID. WE ALSO HAVE THE MEMBERS OF THE SIERRA CLUB OR ANY OTHER LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PRESENT FOR THE PRESENTATION? >> NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: OKAY, NO PROBLEM. AND THEN, UM, DID YOU HAVE DOOR-TO-DOOR OUTREACH, IS THAT HOW YOU GOT SO MANY PEOPLE THERE?
>> NO, I THINK THAT WE -- THE LETTERS WERE MAILED
BELIEVE THAT WE USED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL. >> ROCHA GARCIA: PERFECT.
SO, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU, UM, HAD THE MEETING, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN?
>> IT WAS ABOUT THE SAFETY, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A PARK HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT IT'S A SAFE LOCATION FOR OUR KIDS TO PLAY. SO DR. TRAMM WAS ABLE TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, BASED ON SEVERAL MONITORING WELLS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AFTER THE FACT. I MEAN, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD EXAMPLES WITH THE PARK IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT USED TO BE A LANDFILL AND NOW IT'S A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL PARK.
SO THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO AND PEOPLE ARE PRETTY EXCITED.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: WONDERFUL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH EFFORTS AND DR. TRAMM, MAYBE WE CAN GET WITH YOU ALSO ON OFFLINE ON ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I KNOW THAT COUNCIL VIAGRAN AND I ARE TRYING TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS AND AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOU I WAS THINKING, OH, WE NEED DR. TRAMM ON THIS. AND I APPRECIATE YOU, THOUGH YOU'RE AN AGGIE. I'M A LONGHORN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: I'M SUPPORTIVE OF EXPANDING PARKS AND GREEN SPACES IN SAN ANTONIO SO THIS SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE A WIN-WIN. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WHEN YOU WERE JUST MENTIONING THE COMMUNITY'S TOP CONCERN WAS SAFETY AND THAT Y'ALL WILL BE
TRACKING AND MONITORING IT, HOW OFTEN WILL THAT HAPPEN? >> SO, UM -- SO I MAY HAVE TO BACK UP AND KIND OF EXPLAIN THE REGULATORY PROCESS. RIGHT.
SO TEXAS IS A RISK-BASED STATE SO WE WANT TO SPEND -- EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ADDRESSING THE RISKS THAT ARE THERE. RIGHT NOW THE RISK WOULD HAVE TO BE ASSUMED TO BE ANYTHING, RIGHT? SO I EXPLAINED THE REASON THAT NOBODY IS DRINKING THE WATER IN HALF A MILE, WE DIDN'T TELL THEM NOT TO.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS IN THE 1980S, THE PRIOR IMPACT AND THAT LED TO THE REMOVAL OF ANY WELLS THAT THAT WERE SHALLOW OR DEEP IN THIS CASE. SO THAT PATHWAY IS REMOVED REALISTICALLY, BUT IT'S NOT REMOVED FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT UNTIL WE HAVE AN MSD IN PLACE THAT PROHIBITS THE USE OF IT. SO UNTIL THAT IS DONE, MONITORING WILL NEED TO BE CALLED THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. WILL WE BE ABLE TO NOT MONITOR GROUNDWATER, BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENT WILL NOW BE IN PLACE TO RUN WITH THE LAND.
SO THE MONITORING WILL CONTINUE FOR GROUNDWATER SPECIFICALLY THERE.
SOIL IMPACT -- ACTUALLY ONLY EXCEEDS THE RESIDENTIAL IN THAT SOUTHWEST CORNER THAT YOU SAW.
SO THAT COULD BE CLOSED IN PLACE WITH THE MSD WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION.
BUT AS WE DISCUSSED WITH SAWS THEY JUST WANTED A CERTAINTY THAT WENT BEYOND, RIGHT, WHAT THE STATE NEEDED AND THE CITY SAID THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO HAND-IN-HAND PART OF OUR DEVELOPMENT TO ADDRESS THAT SPECIFIC CONCERN. SO THERE'S NOT A MONITORING COMPONENT, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT THERE IS MONITORING UNTIL THE MSD IS CERTIFIED BY THE T
TCEQ. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: SO THEN WHAT IS THE MONITORING LOOKING LIKE? AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT, THE RESIDENTS' CONCERNS BECAUSE I'M LIKE OH, MY GOD, THE RISKS. WE'RE PUTTING A PARK ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS?
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN ABOUT ALL OF THAT WAS TELL ME ABOUT SOIL, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE PLAYING AT THE SITE AND DOING THINGS AT THE SITE. SO THAT'S WHERE I WENT THROUGH THE DATASETS AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE 250 TESTING SITES. SO THE ONLY PLACE ON THIS SITE THAT IS BELOW THE DEFAULT CRITERIA IS IN THAT SOUTHWEST CORNER THAT ARE CALLED PCLE ZONES AND MORE ACRONYMS I
[00:25:05]
APOLOGIZE. I WAS FORCED INTO THIS WORLD AND I DIDN'T MAKE UP ANY OF THESE.BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT CAP ASSOCIATION THAT CAP WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THAT PREVENTS THE CONTACT, SO, HENCE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT RISK. SO THEIR CONCERNS SPECIFICALLY WERE ME WALKING THROUGH -- YOU SAW SOME FIGURES THAT HAD A LOT OF INVESTIGATION POINTS OVER IT AND REALLY THEY WERE ADDRESSED BY THAT, BY ME EXPLAINING HOW WE KNOW.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAD ADDRESSED THOSE SPECIFIC CONCERNS.
YES. >> REALLY QUICK, THE CLAY CAP IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN PIERSOL SO OVER THE YEARS IT'S BEEN PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THE SAME
THING. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: AND REALLY I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME CADENCE OF REPORTING TO THE CITY PARKS, THE COUNCIL OFFICE FOR DISTRICT 5 ON SOMETHING ON, YES, WE'RE ENSURING THAT THIS IS STILL SAFE FOR RESIDENTS -- WHETHER IT'S THE SOIL OR THE WATER. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HEAR THOSE HORROR STORIES OF, LIKE, OH, YEAH WE KNEW THAT WE WERE PUTTING A PLAYGROUND OVER SOMETHING AND THEN 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD SOMETHING COMES UP AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AVOIDING THAT AT ALL COSTS.
>> COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MAKING THE SITE SAFER THAN IT WAS SIX MONTHS AGO.
WE PUT TWO FEET THICK CLAY, WATER -- RAINWATER CANNOT PENETRATE AND CAUSE THAT
MOVEMENT BELOW GROUND. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: YEP -- NO, TRUST ME, I THINK Y'ALL ARE DOING ALL OF THE RIGHT THINGS, I JUST DON'T WANT TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, FIVE YEARS DOWN THE
ROAD, 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD TO NOT HAVE SEEN SOMETHING. >> FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAD JOHN AND ROD, YOU REMEMBER ROD AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SAWS AND WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF THE TESTING DURING THE RIGHT TIME, DURING THE RAIN EVENT, AND FINALLY WORKING WITH SAWS WE DECIDED TO BE 100% IN SAFE CONDITIONS, LET'S JUST TO DO THIS TWO-FOOT CLAY CAP, EVEN IF
IT WASN'T REQUIRED. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: RIGHT. >> WE ARE GOING TO GO COUNCIL IN JANUARY FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL, AND FEBRUARY SAWS WILL APPROVE IT AND WE'LL GO TO TCEQ.
>> ALDERETE GAVITO: THAT'S GREAT, THANK YOU. AGAIN, I JUST ASK FOR REGULAR REPORTING CADENCE TO PARKS AND THE COUNCIL OFFICE SO THEY CAN BE ASSURED THAT THEIR RESIDENTS ARE SAFE WHILE USING THIS. THANK YOU. THANK.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR COMMENTS, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS. SO ONCE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE MSD, UM, IS THERE A RECERTIFICATION PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THE WATER? AND HOW LONG DOES THAT TAKE -- WHEN DO WE DO THAT?
HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THAT? >> SURE. SO THE PROCESS FOR THE STATE, RIGHT -- SO THE TCEQ TO CERTIFIED AN MSD REQUIRES SEVERAL THINGS TO BE IN PLACE.
SO WE'VE STARTED THAT BALL ROLLING WITH THE NOTIFICATION, PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, AND THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO HAVE ANY MUNICIPALITY THAT WE'RE IN -- OBVIOUSLY IT'S SAN ANTONIO AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE THE APPLICANT AS WELL IN THIS CASE -- TO ACTUALLY PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL RUN WITH THE LAND AND BE MAINTAINED BY THE MUNICIPALITY. SO THAT IS FOREVER.
UNTIL CHANGE, SHOULD THERE BE A REASON TO. THE NEXT STEP BEYOND THAT IS HAVE ANY RETAIL PUBLIC UTILITY, SO SAWS MEETING THAT DEFINITION HERE AND WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GIVE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM EARLY, SIMILAR TO OTHER MSDS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE. ONLY WHEN THIS IS DONE AND ALL OF THE NOTIFICATION HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED -- SO THAT PROCESS IS ONGO AGO CAN THE TCEQ EVEN CONSIDER IT. ONCE IT IS CONSIDERED, THE MSD WILL BE CERTIFIED.
AND SO THE MSD IS JUST A TOOL, RIGHT, IT'S NOT CLOSURE IN ITSELF.
AND, FACT, MSD IS SIMPLY A CONFIRMATION THAT THE USE OF GROUNDWATER IS PROHIBITED WITHIN THAT FOOTPRINT. AND SEPARATE FROM THAT IS THE VOLUNTARY CLOSURE THAT IS ONGOING AND THAT'S A PROGRAM THEY'VE BEEN IN SINCE 2014, SO THAT TOOK ROUGHLY 10 YEARS OF ASSESSMENT. AND SO ONCE THAT'S BEEN SATISFIED, THEN THEY'LL ISSUE WHAT IS CALLED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. SO ANY ONGOING MONITORING OR RESTRICTIONS THAT THE STATE WOULD. WOULD WANT TO PUT IN PLACE WOULD BE PART OF THAT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION. SO THAT THEN THAT LIVES AS THAT CLOSURE AND HAS ANY ONGOING OBLIGATIONS UNTIL SOME TIME IN THE DISTANCE FUTURE THAT SOMETHING MIGHT BE ADDRESSED. AND SPECIFIC TO THE MONITORING QUESTION -- I THINK SHE'S LEFT NOW -- IS THAT SO THAT PLUME IS BEING UNDERSTOOD AND ADDRESSED IN A REGIONAL WAY AT THE SAME TIME, AND THAT DATA IS SOMETHING THAT IS SHARED WITH THE CITY. SO THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE SOMETHING TO WATCH, JUST TO UNDERSTAND THE GENERAL HEALTH OF THE AREA.
I THINK THAT IT IS BEING WATCHED BY YOUR STAFF ALREADY. >> VIAGRAN: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE, THE CITY STAFF TO CONTINUE THIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T OPEN UP A PARK AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE LIKE, OH,
[00:30:06]
WAIT -- THIS WASN'T -- NOW WE CAN'T USE IT. SO -- BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA AND NORMOYLE PARK IN PARTICULAR IS SUCH A FUN AREA AND A PART OF TOWN SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS EXPAND. SO, YES, THANK YOU FOR THEPRESENTATION. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> CASTILLO: DO WE NEED A MOTION. I MOVE THIS TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
>> SECOND. >> CASTILLO: ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
MOTION CARRIES. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM, DR. KAUR?
>> KAUR: NO, THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: GREAT, THANK YOU. WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO -- MOTION CARRIES. WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 3, BRIEFING ON METRO HEALTH 2.0
STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRESENTED BY DR. JACOB. >> ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO AND THE MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE.
I'M DR. CLAUDE JACOB FROM METRO HEALTH AND WITH GREETINGS FROM YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE REGARDING OUR DEPARTMENTAL PLAN AND TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH REACCREDITATION AS WE DEMONSTRATE WHAT A 21ST CENTURY HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOOKS LIKE AND OPERATES.
I WANT TO THANK MARIO MARTINEZ FOR ANCHORING THIS WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND OUR SECTION LEADS. SO THIS AFTERNOON, OUR METRO 2.0 PLAN -- EXCUSE ME -- ALL RIGHT.
DEPARTMENT'S FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OPERATIONALIZING THE CRITICAL AND TIMELY INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND MODERNIZATION. THIS PLAN SERVES AS A FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING OUR INTERNAL CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THE FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ACHIEVE -- EXCUSE ME -- THERE WE GO -- TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION OF HEALTHY PEOPLE THRIVING IN HEALTHY COMMUNITY. TODAY'S PRESENTATION FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FRAMEWORKS APPLIED TO THIS PLAN. AND THE BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR FEDERAL GRANT THAT SUPPORTS THIS WORK AND OUR REQUIREMENTS TO MAINTAIN OUR DESIGNATION AS A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND I'LL SHOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR SA FORWARD PLAN AND I WILL PROVIDE A FEW EXAMPLES OF OUR PROGRESS TO DATE.
JUST KNOW THAT LATER THIS COMING SPRING I'LL RETURN TO PROVIDE ANNUAL UPDATES SPECIFIC TO THE PRIORITY AREAS OF OUR SA FORWARD PLAN THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE BLUEPRINT FOR CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO WITH THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITATION BOARD ALSO KNOWN AS PHAB REQUIRES THE ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP AND TO MAINTAIN A STRATEGIC PLAN. THIS VOLUNTARY PROCESS WAS LAUNCHED BACK IN 2011, AND IT IS A FIVE-YEAR DESIGNATION CONFERRED UPON LOCAL, TRIBAL AND STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. THE FIRST WAVE OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES BECAME PHAB ACCREDITED IN 2013 AND THE METRO HEALTH WE EARNED THE DEINATION IN 2013, AND WE'RE ONE OF EIGHT HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN TEXAS WITH THIS DESIGNATION.
WE HAVE SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION FOR REACCREDITATION WHICH WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN THE COMING YEAR. SO WITH THIS AS A BACKDROP, JUST KNOW THAT METRO 2.30 SERVES AS AN ORANGER TO OUR EXISTING DEPARTMENTAL PLANS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND OUR HEALTH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. OUR TEAM REVIEWED THE EXISTING PLANS TO ENSURE CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL ALIGNMENT WITH ORGANIZATIONAL AND COMMUNITY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, THE ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH. AND THIS EFFORT ANCHORS TO DOMAIN FIVE OR ESSENTIAL SERVICE NUMBER FIVE OF OUR FRAMEWORK. SO WITH THAT JUST KNOW THAT FOR ADDITIONAL CONTEXT OF THIS NATIONAL EFFORT UNDERWAY, BACK IN NOVEMBER 2022, OUR DEPARTMENT WAS AWARDED A FIVE-YEAR GRANT BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, AND THE GRANT IS CALLED STRENGTHENING U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND DATA SYSTEMS. IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT OR THE FIG GRANT AND WE RECEIVED $25.35 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS. WE'RE ONE OF 107 GRANTEES NATIONWIDE AND KNOW THIS IS ALIGNED WITH THE CDC GRANT GOALS TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENTAL EFFORTS BY ENSURING
[00:35:02]
EFFICIENCIES, WHILE FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS OF STAFF IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE OUR PERFORMANCE AS AN AGENCY. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS PLAN WAS INITIATEED TO ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR SA FORWARD PLAN LAUNCHED IN SPRING 2022. THAT IS A NATIONAL PLAN CRAFTED IN RESPONSE TO THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IT HELPS TO ADDRESS THE VERY ANEMIC STATE OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS FROM COAST-TO-COAST BY HELPING TO REBUILD THE GOVERNMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE, STRENGTHEN THE NEEDS OF OUR FRAGILE WORKFORCE NATIONWIDE, AS WELL AS TO TRANSFORM THE LANDSCAPE BY ANCHORING WORK TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO DATA.SO THIS SLIDE IS A QUICK SIDE-BY-SIDE, AND IT'S A COMPARISON OR SA FORWARD PLAN AND THE COMPLEMENT WITH OUR METRO HEALTH 2.0 PLAN. THESE ARE BOTH FIVE-YEAR PLAN WITH FEDERAL GRANTS AND THE GENERAL FUND. OUR SA FORWARD PLAN WAS LAUNCHED IN THE SPRING OF 2022, JUST A FEW WEEKS FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE MASS VACCINATION SITE AT THE ALAMO DOME AND IT SERVED AS THE LONGEST-RUNNING VAX SITE IN THE STATE DURING THE PEAKS OF THE PANDEMIC. AND JUST KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF THE SA FORWARD PLANS AUDIO] AND WE HAVE OUR WORK AROUND ACCESS TO CARE, OUR DATA INFRASTRUCTURE, FOOD INSECURITY, HEALTH EQUITY, MENTAL HEALTH AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION. WHILE IT IS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE TRACKED BY A COMMUNITY FACING DASHBOARD OR MY SIDEWALK DASHCAM AND WE HAVE THAT ON OUR WEBSITE TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH DISPARITIES EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC AND WITH A MIX OF THE GENERAL FUND AND THE CDC FED GRANT. AND THE CONTRAST, JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE METRO 2.0 PLAN AND THIS IS OUR OPERATING MANUAL. IT'S INFORMED BY THE NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS AND ALSO A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WE HAVE AN INTERNAL DASHBOARD THAT LOOKS AT THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR AGENCY AND IT ADDRESSES SOME OUTDATED ARCHAIC PRACTICES AND, AGAIN, IT'S ACCELERATED BY THE FEDERAL GRANT BY THE CDC. SO WHAT I'LL DO THIS AFTERNOON IS QUICKLY, QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT THE SIX AREAS TIED TO THIS BLUEPRINT.
KNOW THAT THE SIX AREAS ARE AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND DATA AND TECHNOLOGY AND PARTNERSHIPS AND HEALTH AND WORKFORCE. KNOW THAT THIS PLAN WAS ACTUALLY MODELED AFTER THE U.S. BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTERS PUBLIC HEALTH FORWARD PLAN, MODERNIZING THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM. THAT DOCUMENT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK NATIONALLY FOR MODERNIZING OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM AND GUIDES STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AND DECISION-MAKING FOR POLICYMAKERS. JUST A REMINDER THAT, AGAIN, IN THE LOST YEARS OF COVID THAT THE MAYOR AND I SERVED WITH THE WORKING GROUPS AND THE TASK FORCE THAT DEVELOPED THIS PLAN, WHICH WAS RELEASED AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC IN DECEMBER OF 2021, AND THIS IS A NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION TO MODERNIZE OUR GOVERNMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, AND THIS EFFORT WAS GALVANIZED BY THE CD GRANT THAT WAS ISSUED A YEAR LATER, WHICH HAS BEEN MOST INSTRUMENTAL WITH ACCELERATING THE TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS THE OUR DEPARTMENT. I WILL HIGHLIGHT EACH OF THESE AREAS AND PROVIDE A FEW EXAMPLES. SO UNDER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT BEING MORE INTENTIONAL ON THE GROUND AND THERE'S THREE GOALS AROUND ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE SEE AS VITAL PRACTICE, TO FOSTER TRUST AND ENHANCES PROGRAM RELEVANCE AND THE NEEDS FOR MORE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS. WHEN THE COMMUNITIES ARE INVOLVED AND THE HEALTH INITIATIVES ARE ALIGNED, AND THERE ARE THREE OVERARCHING GOALS WITH THIS PRIORITY AREA. ALTHOUGH THESE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE IN STRUCTURE, THEY SERVE AS ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE VALUE OF THE TRUSTED SOURCES IN COMMUNITY, TETHERED TO OUR LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIPS MAINTAINED ON THE GROUND. AND SO THE FIRST GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AT METRO HEALTH, AMONG OUR STAFF, BUT IT'S ALSO CRITICAL BECAUSE THEY CAN BECOME AMBASSADORS OF OUR WORK.
THEY CAN EASILY REFER THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT IS PART AND PARCEL WITH THE ROLE OF OUR TEAM. AND WITH THE COMMUNITY OF HEALTH WORKERS AND OUR CHWS IN PARTICULAR AND OUR HEALTH WORKERS ARE EDUCATORS TRUSTED IN THE COMMUNITY IN WHOM THEY SERVE. OUR SECOND GOAL IS TO HELP OUR PUBLIC-FACING STAFF TO ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY AROUND -- ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY AND IT REQUIRES THAT WE TEACH THEM THE BEST WAYS OF USING OUR EQUITY FRAMEWORK. THESE ARE PROVEN METHODS AND STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR WORK AND WE WANT TO TAP INTO THAT RESOURCE WITH OUR STAFF. AND THE LAST GOAL IS TO ENSURE THE INCLUSION OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMITMENT TO HEALTH EQUITY AND THIS IS A CONCRETE ILLUSTRATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT MODEL IN ACTION.
KNOW THAT IT ALSO REQUIRES THAT WE PROPERLY VALUE THE STAFF TIME, AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THEIR EFFORT THROUGH FAIR AND EQUITABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. SO WITH THAT, JUST A FEW
[00:40:05]
EXAMPLES OF HOW WE DO THIS ON THE GROUND. AGAIN, WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND THIS IS PART OF THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT SO THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZED AND BEING TEGHTDERED TO OUR WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.SO WE HAD ADMINISTERED STAFF SURVEYS AMONGST OUR OUTREACH STAFF EARLIER THIS SUMMER.
IT GUIDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INVENTORY OF SERVICES TO WHICH THE OUTREACH WORKERS CAN CONNECT MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH CLIENTS. WE HAVE SECURED TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND DOCUMENTS AND SIGNAGE. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY'S LANGUAGE OFFICE -- LANGUAGE ACCESS OFFICE, TO DEVELOP A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR LANGUAGE SERVICES TO ENSURE BROADER COMMUNITY ACCESS AND INCLUSION.
WE HAVE OUR OFFICE OF HEALTH EQUITY THAT HAS HOSTED 16 HEALTH EQUITY TRAININGS.
AND WE'VE HELD COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, FOCUS GROUPS AND DISTRIBUTED NEARLY 400 INDIVIDUAL SURVEYS ON FOOD INSECURITY. AND THE NEXT PRIORITY AREA IS TIED TO OUR METRO 2.0 PLAN AND SO LOOKING AT LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC.
SO OUR PLAN -- THIS AREA AROUND DATA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, UM, SEEKS TO TRANSFORM OUR DEPARTMENT INTO A 21ST CENTURY PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM. SO WE AIM TO ACCOMPLISH THIS BY IMPLEMENTING A DEPARTMENT-WIDE DATA AND INFRASTRUCTURE MOD EIZATION PLAN.
THIS PLAN WILL STREAMLINE OUR DATA EFFORTS AND PRACTICES, ENHANCE OUR DATA AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND STRENGTHEN OUR TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES AND THE EXPERTISE OF OUR STAFF.
THIS IS REALLY TO APPLY LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC. IT DOES ALIGN WITH OUR SA FORWARD PRIORITY AREA, WITH ONE OF THEM. IT ENSURES THE INTEGRATION OF OUR INFO MATTICS AND ANALYTICS TEAMS AND THESE ARE OUR DISEASE DETECTIVES ON THE GROUND AND FOCUSING ON THE DRIVERS OF THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS AND THE CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE AREA RESIDENTS. SO WITH THAT, A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES TO SHARE WITH YOU. SO WE COMPLETED THE STANDARDIZED AND EQUITABLE DATA PILOT, OR SEDP INITIATIVE ACROSS THREE AREAS, AROUND ORAL HEALTH, PROJECT WORTH AND OUR EFFORTS AROUND TUBERCULOSIS. WITH THAT WE HAVE STREAMLINED THE DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING ACROSS THESE PROGRAMS. WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE EQUITY-INFORMED DATA TRAININGS. WE HAVE ADDRESSED KEY DATA TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS FACED BY THE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED STRATEGIES TO INCREASE THE DATA COLLECTION FROM POPULATIONS SERVED AND ENGAGING THE IMPACTS IN REAL-TIME.
KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME OF THESE DATASETS THAT WE DO EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT LAG TIME.
IT CAN TAKE ONE OR TWO YEARS BEFORE THE DATA IS ACTUALLY MADE AVAILABLE.
THE OTHER EXAMPLE IS THAT WE'VE SECURED PLACEMENT. THIS IS PART OF A NATIONAL EFFORT BY THE CDC FOUNDATION WHICH IS NOT THE CDC ITSELF, BUT THIS IS A SEPARATE NON-PROFIT AND ALSO BASED IN ATLANTA. BUT THAT FOUNDATION LAUNCHED WHAT IS CALLED THE WORKFORCE ACCELERATION INITIATIVE. AND WE ARE BENEFITING FROM THREE TECHNICAL EXPERTS, FREE OF CHARGE, WHO HAVE BEEN SENT -- WHO ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO US VIRTUALLY.
THEY ARE HELPING TO ACCELERATE OUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY ARE INCREASING OUR STAFF'S KNOWLEDGE BASE AND IMPROVING THE DATA EXCHANGED INTERNALLY WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS. JUST KNOW THAT BOTH OF THESE INITIATIVES WERE LARGELY INFORMED OUR UPCOMING DEPARTMENTAL-WIDE MODERNIZATION ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS AND THIS ALLOWS TO US HAVE BETTER DATA COLLECTION AND HARMONIZING THE EFFORTS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND IMPACTING -- LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS OF OUR WORK.
SO THE NEXT AREA AROUND FINANCING. JUST KNOW THAT FLEXIBLE FUNDING SOURCES AND MAXIMIZING THE EXISTING ACCESS ARE CRITICAL TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES AND CAPABILITIES, INCLUDING THOSE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH INEQUITIES AND KNOW THAT THE CAREFUL EVALUATION OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES HELP US TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCIES AND TARGET INVESTMENTS IN AREAS OF MOST NEED. JUST KNOW THAT THIS HELPS US TO WORK WITH OUR INTERNAL AND OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO CREATE A HIGH-FUNCTIONING 21ST CENTURY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT PRESSURES NATIONALLY TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM BASED ON THE FUNDING FLUCTUATIONS AND THE EXISTING FATIGUE THAT STAFF ARE EXPERIENCING THROUGH THE DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC.
JUST KNOW THAT WE HERE ON THE GROUND, WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE STRONG SUPPORT BY THE CITY'S LEADERSHIP AND AS WELL AS OUR SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD WITH RECEIVING STATE LEVEL AND NATIONAL GRANTS LIKE THIS GRANT. SO WITH THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ACCELERATED GROWTH SINCE 2019. AND WE ARE PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE GROWING PAINS EXPERIENCED BY STAFF AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ALIKE. THESE HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR
[00:45:01]
STAFF RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND TURNOVER, SO THAT WE CAN MITIGATE BURNOUT.WE HAVE BECOME EVEN MORE INTENTIONAL WITH DEVELOPING A GLIDE PATH TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN RECRUIT AND KEEP THE TALENT AT METRO HEALTH. SO WITH THAT, A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES. JUST KNOW THAT OUR EFFORTS TIED TO THIS PRIORITY AREA AND AROUND FINANCING ARE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR LONG-TERM FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPROVED INTERNAL PROCESSES. JUST KNOW THAT OUR FISCAL TEAM IS USING SMARTSHEET FOR TRACKING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES AND TRACKING EXTERNAL EXPENDITURES. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STAFF WITH 22 POSITIONS IN PARTICULAR FROM THE FIG GRANT THAT SUPPORT OUR SA FORWARD INITIATIVES.
AND AT LAST, THIS PAST YEAR WE ADOPTED THE ZERO-BASED BUDGETING TO DO A BETTER JOB, AT LEAST LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS ON OUR GENERAL FUND AND KNOW THAT OUR FISCAL TEAM HAD CREATED THE SMARTSHEET DASHBOARD FOR FISCAL REVIEWS AND MEETINGS WITH OUR PROGRAM STAFF.
SO THIS IS SHAPING A CULTURE OF QI, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. A COUPLE OF OTHER AREAS YOU FOR THIS AFTERNOON IN TERMS OF OUR FRAMEWORK AND OUR METRO HEALTH 2.ON PLAN AND IN TERMS OF PARTNERSHIPS AND THE LESSONS FROM THE PANDEMIC IS TO BECOME MORE INTENTIONAL WITH OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND TO BECOME A BETTER PARTNER WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS ON THE GROUND.
SO INCENTIVIZING THE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHER SECTORS, LIKE HOUSING, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, AND HEALTH STRATEGIES. WE'RE AIMING TO ESTABLISH AT LEAST SOME DEDICATED TIME AND ENERGY CHARGED WITH ROUTINELY MONITORING AND ASSESSING AND INFLUENCING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH ACROSS SECTORS. THIS WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT WE BRING A UNIFIED COMMUNITY VOICE THAT ELEVATES EQUITY TO OUR HEALTH POLICY DISCUSSIONS. JUST KNOW THAT NATIONALLY THE TAG LINE IS TO HELP CODIFY A HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES FRAIK WORK, OR A HEALTH EQUITY IN ALL POLICIES FRAIK WO FRAMEWORK. AND LAST WEEK YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE BEAUMONT AND KAISER PERMANENTE, THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WAS RECOGNIZED TWO YEARS IN A ROW WITH A GOAL DESIGNATION, OUT OF THE SEVEN CITIES NATIONWIDE, AND KNOW THAT WE WERE THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW TO MEDAL AT THAT CATEGORY.
AND IT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE VALUE OF CATALYZING THE CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS TO SHAPE IMPROVED POLICIES ON THE GROUND. AND A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
WE -- A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE ESTABLISHED INTERNAL TO OUR DEPARTMENT AN OFFICE CALLED THE POLICY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OFFICE. THAT UNIT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO CATALYZE A NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS WITH PARTNERS ON THE GROUND.
WE COORDINATED, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THIS PAST YEAR 44 CONVENINGS WITH THE PARTNERS ACROSS 10 SECTORS, AND WE HAVE ENGAGED OVER 30 PARTNERS WHO BEGAN IMPLEMENTING THE SYSTEM CHANGE STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY, SUPPORT HOUSING STABILITY, AND END THE H.I.V.
EPIDEMIC. SPECIFICALLY 23 CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS ADOPTED A FOOD SECURITY ACTION PLAN WHICH WE HAVE CODIFIED THROUGH THE WORK. AND WITH THE PACE OFFICE WE HAVE HAD POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT AND TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS. AGAIN, THE EXAMPLE WITH CITY HEALTH WAS MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF OUR ONGOING INTERNAL COLLABORATIONS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS HERE -- HERE IN THE CITY. A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, WE'VE HAD SUPERVISOR TRAINING SPECIFIC TO OUR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED PROGRAMS AND THE CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRAM AND THIS IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE WORK CONDUCTED BY THIS UNIT. SO WITH THAT, PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, AGAIN, WE'RE REVIEWING AND EVALUATING THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT IN MODERNIZING THE STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES AND WE'RE APPLYING LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC. A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES TIED TO THIS.
THROUGH THE WORK OF THE P.A.C.E. OFFICE AND IN CONCERT WITH YOUR RESPECTIVE UNITS WE HAVE MADE A DOZEN LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICIES.
WE HAVE CONCLUDED PART 3 OF THE FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENT WHICH WE PRESENTED TO THIS BODY BEFORE AND WE'RE DRAWING FROM FIVE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, A NUMBER OF FOCUS GROUPS, AND I MENTIONED CONDUCTING CLOSE TO 400 INDIVIDUAL SURVEYS AND LOOKING AT THE -- ESPECIALLY ANCHORING THE ASSESSMENT TO PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH FOOD INSECURITY SO THAT WE CAN TIE THAT INTO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUR ACTIONS.
WE'VE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN OVER A DOZEN STATE-WIDE COALITIONS THAT INCLUDE THE TEXAS WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE COALITION, COMPLETE STREETS POLICY WORK GROUP, VISION ZERO WORK GROUP, THE
[00:50:01]
BEXAR WORK COLLISION AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH DEVELOPMENT WORK GROUP OUT OF -- UM, OUT OF BEXAR COLLABORATIVE. SO WITH THAT WE ARE AMPLIFYING OUR REACH BY MAKING SURE THAT W& HAVE THESE MESSAGES THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR PARTNERS AND THIS IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WORK OF THE P.A.C.E. OFFICE AND OTHER PROGRAMS. THE LAST EXAMPLE AROUND WORKFORCE -- WORKFORCE. BEING MORE INTENTIONAL WITH OUR WORKFORCE.SO WE'VE INVESTED AND RECRUITED AND INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE AS OUR FOUNDATION FOR ENSURING A HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. MOST FOLKS LOST SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT OVER AN EIGHT-YEAR PERIOD, UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO 2008, THROUGH 2016, THE AGGREGATE GOVERNMENT-TO-PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE LOST ABOUT A QUARTER OF ITS CAPACITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. YOU FAST FORWARD TO THE PANDEMIC AND WE NOW ARE SEEING AT LEAST A REINVESTMENT AND, AGAIN, IT'S UNEVEN ACROSS THE 3,000 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF OUR VERY FATIGUED STAFF BUT ALSO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN THEIR WORK.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THE CRUX OF THE CDC'S PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT WHICH SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF OVER A HUNDRED GRANTEES NATIONWIDE, AND WE'RE ONE OF THEM IT LOOKS AT TRANSFORMING THE LOOK AND FEEL AND MADE POSSIBLE BY THE INCREDIBLE TALENT THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING ON THE GROUND. A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT THIS PAST YEAR WE TOOK GREAT STRIDES IN DEVELOPING A DIVERSE AND HIGHLY SKILLED AND RESILIENT PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE. I CAN'T SAY THANKS ENOUGH TO OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM ON THE GROUND WHO HAVE HUNG IN THERE AND EVEN THE STAFF WHO MADE THE TREK TO JOIN US AT METRO HEALTH.
JUST KNOW OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE EXECUTED THE HEALTH MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH U.T. HEALTH HOUSTON AND YOU I W AND WE'RE ESTABLISHING A MORE ROBUST PARTNERSHIPS, AGAIN, RECOGNIZING -- RECOGNIZED AS AN ACADEMIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT THOUGH IT'S NOT A FORMAL DESIGNATION IT REQUIRES HAVING THESE FORMAL MOUS IN PLACE.
AND SUSTAINING THE EFFORT THAT WE HAVE IN THE INVESTMENT FOR ESTABLISHING THE NEW U.T. PUBLIC HEALTH OF SAN ANTONIO THAT HAS THE PIPELINE THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
KNOW AS OF THE END OF AUGUST, THE SCHOOL OPENED UP AND ACCEPTED 45 APPLICANTS FOR THE INAUGURAL COHORT AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT BACK THAT WE HAVE EIGHT OF OUR METRO HEALTH STAFF MAKING UP NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE INAUGURAL CLASS. JUST KNOW THAT IN ADDITION WE HAVE HOSTED 21 INTERNS, AND NEARLY 400 CLINICAL STUDENT ROTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR DEPARTMENT. SO WE HAVE REALLY LEANED IN, THE CDC GRANT ALLOWS US TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR WORK.
AND JUST KNOW THAT THIS DOVETAILS OTHER EFFORTS AND INVESTMENTS WITH OUR STAFF.
SO WE'VE HAD 11 STAFF WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CALLED "BUILDING EXPERTISE IN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT." AND WE HAVE 14 STAFF WHO ARE PURSUING CERTIFICATION. AND WE HAVE REVAMPED OUR NEW HIGHER ORIENTATION CURRICULUM AND IT'S NOW A SIX-MONTH ONBOARDING PROCESS WITH IN-PERSON SESSIONS, ONLINE AND MICRO LESSONS AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT SESSIONS AND WE HAVE ACHIEVED 100% ATTENDANCE RATE FOR OUR ORIENTATION AND UP FROM 75% WHEN WE HAD THIS INITIAL PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR OUR STAFF. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION BY SAYING THAT AS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK OF DEPARTMENT AS WE POSITION OURSELVES TO BE VIEWED AS A NATIONAL MODEL. I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT THIS TIME AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING US TO AT LEAST SHARE WITH YOU OUR METRO HEALTH 2.0 PLAN AND IT'S ONGOING WORK AND IT ALLOWS TO US AT LEAST SHARE OUR STORY -- NOT ONLY IMPROVE OUR PERFORMANCE, BUT TO SHARE OUR STORY WITH
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, DR. JACOB FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND IT'S EXCITING TO HEAR THAT YOUR TEAM WERE THE PART OF THAT COHORT WITH THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.
IN TERMS OF THE STAFF SURVEY ON COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT WAS CONDUCTED, WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT TRENDS THAT WERE REPORTED FROM THE OUTREACH WORKERS?
>> SO WITH OUR OUTREACH WORKERS WE HAVE INVESTED IN THAT SKILL SET, AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF OUTREACH WORKERS THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT IN.
WE DO SEND THEM MATERIALS EVERY OTHER WEEK SO THEY HAVE INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN SHARE. BURT WE CAN AT LEAST LET YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE, AND I CAN TELL YOU MORE DETAIL WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE GLEANED FROM THE SURVEYS. BOTTOM LINE, THEY'RE A RESOURCE, AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE.
WE HAVE INVESTED IN THEIR CERTIFICATION BUT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BECOME
BETTER PARTNERS BY TAPPING INTO THAT SKILL SET. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR
[00:55:01]
THAT. IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON, UM, I SEE ONLINE THE 2023 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION REPORT.WHEN CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE UPDATED LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS?
>> I THINK THAT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. SEE WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AND HAVE SALLY AND HER TEAM TO PROVIDE THAT, BUT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED.
>> CASTILLO: WITH THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION? BECAUSE I'M TRYING -- I'M TRYING
TO ACCESS IT ONLINE AND IT ONLY HAS THE 2023. >> GOT YOU -- OH, THE REPORT.
OKAY, SO WHE SO LET ME CIRCLE BACK TO YOU WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE GENERATED THE REPORT FROM A YEAR AGO FROM THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE NEXT ONE, OBVIOUSLY, IT WILL BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE
SESSION. >> CASTILLO: OKAY, AND I ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS THAT I HAVE HEARD IS REGARDING TCEQ AND THE WAY THAT THE CITY CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN THE REQUIREMENTS WITH THE AIR QUALITY, MONITORING, AND THE SOIL MONITORING. WE HAVE WORKED WITH YOUR TEAM BUT ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSE IS THAT WE GET IS THAT TCEQ DICTATES THOSE PARAMETERS BUT THERE'S THE ABILITY TO STRENGTHEN THOSE RI REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE THAT OIL AAIR QUALITY CAN LESSEN THE IMPACTS THAT ABUT THESE PARTICULAR PARTICULAR BUSINESSES.
SO IF WE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. AND IN TERMS OF THE WORKFORCE HIGHLIGHTS, AGAIN, THAT IS REALLY EXCITING. OFTENTIMES UTSA AND JUST DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES IN SAN ANTONIO WILL SEND THEIR STUDENTS TO OUR FIELD OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH DISPARITIES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. AND THEY'LL JUST ASK US QUESTIONS AND SURVEYS JUST ON OUR CONSTITUENCY. AND OFTENTIMES WHEN WE CHECK IN ON SOME OF THE STUDENTS, RIGHT, THEY'LL SHARE THAT THEIR PROGRAMS ARE VERY RIGOROUS AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EAT AND THEY HAVE TO EAT IN THEIR CAR. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH GRAD SCHOOL AND WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THAT'S HOW IT IS. HOWEVER, RIGHT, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE ARE HIRING INTERNS, WHETHER IT'S LIKE A CONSTITUENT SERVICES OFFICE OR WITH ANY DEPARTMENT WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT WE ENSURE THE UNIVERSITY THAT WE'RE PARTNERING IN HAS A HEALTHY CULTURE IN WHICH THEIR STUDENTS GET TO EAT.
AND IT'S NOT A CULTURE THAT WE PERPETUATE, RIGHT? WE HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE GRAD SCHOOL PROGRAMS OR THE COURSE WHERE WE DON'T EAT, BUT TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERNING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO EAT.
BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE TREND. AND IT'S CONCERNING. BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S WHAT MANY OF US HAVE GONE THROUGH BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD PERPETUATE.
AND MY ONLY COMMENT. AND I CAN OPEN UP TO CONVERSATION, COUNCILWOMAN
ALDERETE GAVITO. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, JACOB, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED THIS. BUT ON SLIDE FOUR CAN YOU, UM,
FURTHER EXPLAIN WHAT WE MEANT BY REBUILDING PUBLIC HEALTH? >> AGAIN, THESE ARE NATIONAL GOALS, JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES FROM THE PANDEMIC, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO SHORE UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S THE REFERENCE. THERE ARE 3,000 LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, AND WHILE THIS IS OUR LENS ON THE GROUND THAT WE HAVE THE STATE AND THE TRIBAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS IS REALLY LOOKING ON A MACRO LEVEL FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT IS REQUIRED. THERE WAS NEARLY A $4 BILLION EARMARK THAT HELPED TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. WE'RE RECEIVING $25.5 MILLION IN ONE OF MANY, SO THAT'S THE
REFERENCE. SO THAT'S THE NATIONAL GOAL. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: OKAY, TO FURTHER EXPAND ON THAT, WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OUTDATED PUBLIC HEALTH STRUCTURE?
>> PAPER VERSUS -- >> ALDERETE GAVITO: OKAY, I GOT IT.
I WANTED TO CLARIFY. AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS
UPDATE. >> YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. [INDISCERNIBLE]
>> THANK YOU, JACOB, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS AND I -- I WILL START OFF BY JUST ACKNOWLEDGING AND THANKING YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE INITIATIVE AND THE HEALTH EQUITY IN SOUTH TEXAS. I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AS WELL. I HAVE A QUESTION AND IN REGARDS TO -- I'LL USE AN EASY EXAMPLE.
SO, UM, HOW ARE YOU TARGETING THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE IN YOUR PLAN IN GENERAL?
YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN. >> SO, UM, EXAMPLE DURING COVID, UM, YOU MAY RECALL THAT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC THAT WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAYS TO GET TO THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION. SO WE USED AN INDEX, AN EQUITY INDEX AND AN EQUITY ATLAS, TO AT LEAST LOOK AT THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE CITY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE DO WE DEPLOY RESOURCES.
WE HAVE OVER 50 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY GEOLOCATING OUR FUNKS BUT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE
[01:00:05]
MOST VULNERABLE ON THE GROUND. IT'S NOT LINEAR SO WE HAVE A MIX OF DIFFERENT OUTREACH ACTIVITIESBUT KNOW THAT WE USE DIFFERENT TOOLS TO DO THAT. >> SURE, AND THE REASON THAT I WAS ASKING IS BECAUSE EARLIER TODAY I RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE ABOUT THE INSULIN, UM, ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. AND WHILE I APPRECIATED IT, I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS SHOULD PROBABLY BE GOING TO THE MOST VULNERABLE. AND SO I WASN'T SURE HOW WE TARGETED IN TERMS OF EVEN PHONE NUMBERS, RIGHT, OR WHAT ACCESS THAT WE HAVE.
DO WE JUST HAVE PHONE NUMBERS FOR ANYBODY THAT SIGNS UP FOR CITY SERVICES SO THAT NOW EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW,
>> SO BROADLY SPEAKING IN TERMS OF THAT INITIATIVE, SO WE ARE WORKING ACROSS CERTAIN ZIP CODES AND WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME ANCHOR SITES WITH THE H-E-B, SO JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE VERY INTENTIONAL IN TRYING TO GET TO THE HARDER-TO-REACH OR THE MORE VULNERABLE PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF MANY INITIATIVES, BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY
ONE OF THE NEWER ONES THAT WE HAVE JUST LAUNCHED. >> YES, AND I FELT THAT IT WAS PERFECT TIMING AND I FEEL THAT THINGS ALSO HAPPEN RIGHT ON TIME.
SO I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT IF YOU COULD JUST LOOK INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND I KNOW THAT ONE COUNCIL MAN ALDERETE GAVITO WAS WITH DIGITAL CONNECTS WE FOUND THAT THE RESIDENTS WERE STILL ABLE TO ACCESS INFORMATION AND TEXT MESSAGES IN PARTICULAR, RIGHT, COMING TO THEIR PHONES. THEY DID HAVE ACCESS TO TEXT. AND SO THAT IS WHY I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE, HOW DO WE PINPOINT, RIGHT. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU COLLECTED INFORMATION, UM, BASED ON ZIP CODES AS WELL AND PHONES.
THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING BUT I APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN IN YOUR ANALYSIS FOR LAST YEAR YOU MENTIONED FATIGUE DUE TO THE FUNDING STREAMS AND DISRUPTIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE CDC GRANT, AND THEY HAD MENTIONED LAST WEEK -- I RAN INTO A FEW PEOPLE IN THE CDC WHO SAID THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS DOING A GREAT JOB.
HOW ELSE ARE YOU LOOKING TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY OF THE PROGRAMMING?
>> THAT IS THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION. REALLY OUR STORY IS UNIQUE IN TERMS OF OUR ACCELERATED GROWTH DURING GLOBAL CHAOS, WHICH IS WHY I'M SO APPRECIATIVE OF NOT ONLY THE SUCCESS OF OUR GRANTS WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, BUT LUNCHAGING THE SUPPORT OF THE FEDERAL FUND. IT'S NOT LOST TO ME WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR WORK.
HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT IS LITERALLY THINKING AHEAD. SO WHAT WE PRESENTED DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS A PLAN, THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WE HAD -- AND WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A FEDERAL GRANT THAT ALLOWED US TO GET THE SA FORWARD PLAN OFF THE GROUND.
AND THE PIVOT IS THE METRO HEALTH 2.0 PLAN WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT FOR NATIONAL ACCREDITATION OR REACCREDITATION. SO WE ARE AGILE WITH RECOGNIZING OUR NEEDS AND WE'RE ALSO STILL EXPERIENCING THE FATIGUE FROM THE PANDEMIC.
SO THERE'S NOT ONE BUCKET OF FUNDING, WE'RE TRYING TO DEVERSE FEW OUR PORTFOLIO, BUT WE'RE ALSO BEING MORE JUDICIOUS WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND SO WE'RE AT IT.
WE STILL KEEP AN EYE ON THE GROUND FOR OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'LL SEE WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION WHAT THAT ALSO PRESENTS, WHETHER IT'S OPPORTUNITIES OR CHALLENGES, BUT THIS IS REALLY AN UPDATE SPECIFIC TO THIS PLAN THAT WE
HAVE IN PLACE AT METRO HEALTH. >> WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PLACEMENT IN THE CDC'S FOUNDATION WORKS -- WHAT IS IT WORKFORCE ACCELERATION.
>> THE WORKFORCE ACCELERATION INITIATIVE. >> YEAH, SO THAT'S WONDERFUL AND I LOVE THAT THERE'S A FOCUS ON THAT. PART OF THE INITIATIVE IS ALSO FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE ACCELERATION AND PARTNERING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DO THAT AS WELL. IN YOUR SWAT ANALYSIS BEFORE I FORGET, WHAT WAS THE MOST COMMON
WEAKNESS THAT YOU SAW? >> SO GIVEN OUR VERY ANEMIC STATE, I WOULD SAY THAT FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS FROM COAST-TO-COAST IT'S THE COMMON DENOMINATOR.
WE'RE OVERWORKED, WE'RE FRAGILE IN TERMS OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE DO KNOW THAT NATIONAL SURVEYS SHOWED THE TRAUMA THAT STAFF HAVE AND STILL EXPERIENCE TIED TO THE PANDEMIC.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S LITERALLY MANAGING BURNOUT. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL WITH CREATING A GLIDE PATH FOR STAFF. WE ARE ONE OF MANY, OUR 107 GRANTEES AND TRYING TO SHOW HOW THIS WORKS ON THE GROUND AM SO THE IT'S NOT A UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT BUT IT'S OUR CHANCE TO TELL OUR STORY AND TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.
>> THANK YOU, DR. JACOB. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. JACOB, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, THE -- I LIKE THE IDEA OF REBUILDING PUBLIC HEALTH. I THINK, UM, WE NEED TO HAVE
[01:05:02]
LARGER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE TREND OR THE FEELING -- AND WE'VE ALL READ ABOUT THIS -- THAT PATIENTS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD.AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY INTERACT WITH OUR, UM, TEAM OVER AT METRO HEALTH, BECAUSE THEN THEY LEARN WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK AND WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE AND WHAT THEY NEED TO DEMAND. AND WHEN THEY GO TO THESE VISITS OR THEY SEE A DOCTOR.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT I'D ASK IS THAT ON SLIDE 14, ON THAT PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, WITH THE CONVENINGS WITH THE AREA PARTNERS, IF WE COULD -- IF I COULD GET THAT LIST, JUST BECAUSE I RUN INTO COMMUNITY PARTNER GROUPS THAT MAYBE WORK WITH, UM, THOSE -- THOSE LIVING WITH AIDS AND, UM -- AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
SO IF YOU COULD GET THAT JUST SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF -- KIND OF, UM -- KIND OF COORDINATE ON MAKING SURE THAT THE PARTNERS THAT WORK SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTHSIDE ARE GETTING THAT
INFORMATION OUT THERE TOO. >> OUTSTANDING. WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARTNERS, SOME WITH THE SAME NAMES DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAM OR INITIATIVE, BUT WE CAN PULL TOGETHER THE ROSTER OF FOLKS WHO ARE AT LEAST ANCHORED TO THIS EFFORT. SO THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE WHO IS IN YOUR BACKYARD.
>> VIAGRAN: YEAH, AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE HEALTH ASPECT AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A HOUSING ASPECT ALSO THAT WE CAN HELP TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. SO, YES, I'D LIKE THAT. BUT GOOD WORK.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE DASHBOARD AND LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET OUR COMMUNITY MORE ENGAGED AND CONNECTED, UM, WITH THE ONLINE RESOURCES AND GET THEM COMFORTABLE WITH USING THEIR PHONES. SO I'M TRYING ON MY PART, BUT IT'S SLOW GOING THERE.
THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? COUNCILWOMAN -- COUNCILWOMAN, DR. KAUR.
>> KAUR: THANKS, CHAIR. THANKS, JACOB, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
TWO QUICK QUESTIONS AND THIS IS KIND OF GOING WITH WHAT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN JUST MENTIONED. BUT WITH YOUR PARTNERSHIPS GOAL, HOW OFTEN DO YOU ALL MEET WITH ALL OF THE ORGS AND THE PROVIDERS TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHAT THEIR FUNDING NEEDS ARE AND
WHAT GRANTS Y'ALL ARE PARTNERING TOGETHER ON? >> GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S NOT ONE SET OF INITIATIVES. WE COULD SHARE WITH YOU ON AVERAGE, UM, -- BECAUSE WE HAVE OVER 50 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR INITIATIVES, SO WE HAVE STANDING MONTHLY, AND QUARTERLY OR ANNUAL TOUCH POINTS BUT IF IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE INITIATIVE THAT MIGHT BE EASIER FOR ME TO CIRCLE BACK TO YOU. BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE -- THIS IS TIED TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH FRAMEWORK THAT WE MOBILIZE AND STRENGTHEN THE PARTNERSHIPS ON
THE GROUND. >> KAUR: I JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IS HARD TO PULL, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE A MAP AND I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT, BUT WHATEVER YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO VISUALIZE ALL OF THE INITIATIVES AND THE PARTNER ORGS THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING WITH SO WE KNOW WHEN OUR COMMUNITY ASK US FOR THINGS HOW TO REALLY PLUG THEM IN.
>> GOT IT. JUST -- OOPS -- SORRY. I WAS GOING TO MENTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT I REFERENCED THE CONVENINGS TETHERED TO THE P.A.C.E. OFFICE BUT ANY GIVEN MONTH OR WEEK WITH OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IT'S NOT JUST ONE PARTNER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER OF ENCOUNTERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, OR IN GENERAL IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE LIST OF THE TYPE OF PARTNERSHIPS OR SPECIFIC PARTNERS THAT WE
COLLABORA >> KAUR: LET US DO SOME QUESTIONS OF WHAT WE GET MOST AND SO WE CAN GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC ASK ON THAT SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THE
SPECIFIC ASK IF THAT'S OKAY. >> SOUNDS GOOD. >> KAUR: AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS JUST AROUND WORKFORCE AND RETAINING WORKFORCE.
I KNOW THAT THE CHAIR ALSO ASKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE HIRING PROCESS. JUST TO KIND OF GET A GUIDE -- GUIDELINE.
BUT HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT GENERALLY TAKES TO PROCESS AN APPLICANT THROUGH HR IN TERMS OF
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS? >> YEAH, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE SKILL SET AND IT DEPENDS ON THE POSITION. SOME ARE LONG -- OR HARDER TO FILL THAN OTHERS.
RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE THAT OUR OVERALL VACANCY RATE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 8%.
AND JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S AN UNEVENNESS, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE UNIT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL. SO WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AND PUT IN CONTEXT BASED ON COSA LENS AND
[01:10:02]
METRICS BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE ONE OF MANY AND WE HAVE WORKED REALLY -- IF THAT HELPS.IT'S NOT -- WE CAN LOOK AT JOB CATEGORIES IF THAT'S YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION OR SPECIFIC SKILL SET. THAT I THINK WOULD MAKE IT MORE CONCRETE.
>> KAUR: OKAY, UNDERSTOOD, THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: GREAT,
COUNCILMEMBER DR. ROCHA GARCIA. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, DR. JACOB. ON ENDING THE H.I.V. EPIDEMIC INITIATIVE, UM, THAT -- HAVE WE ALREADY FINALIZED THAT? I KNOW THAT IT WAS COMING TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER.
IT WAS A $1.1 MILLION? >> SO, UM, -- >> ROCHA GARCIA: AND IT WAS --
>> OKAY, WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO YOU ON THE STATUS OF THAT. >> ROCHA GARCIA: OKAY, WONDERFUL, I WAS LOOKING AT THE HIGH PROFILE CONTRACTS LAST MONTH AND I WASN'T SURE IF I HAD MISSED THAT ONE, BUT, UM, IT WAS JUST FRESH AND SO I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD ASK BECAUSE I WAS WONDERING WHAT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT, TO DO THAT -- TO DO THAT OUTREACH. SO, UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN, UM, GOING BACK TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES. HOW HAVE WE ADDRESSED THE PREVENTATIVE CARE NEEDS? AND HOW MUCH HAVE WE INVESTED MAYBE IN PREVENTIVE CARE THIS YEAR VERSUS WHAT WE HAD IN THE
PAST FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? >> THAT WOULD BE AN H.R. QUESTION.
I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, AGAIN, THAT WE ARE BENEFITING FROM THE SUPPORT OF THIS GRANT.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED RESOURCE, A POSITION LITERALLY WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT DOVETAILS WITH H.R.. THAT FUNCTION ALSO IS COMPLEMENTED BY THE WORK OF OUR OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND RESILIENCE. SO JUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE INTERNAL SYNERGIES BUT IT'S DOVETAILS WITH THE RESOURCES MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
EMPLOYEES. >> ROCHA GARCIA: PERFECT AND THE DEER OAKS, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CALLED BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I KNOW THAT COMMUNITIES SENT OUT ABOUT A MONTH AGO REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, FOUR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELPING, AND, LIKE, THERE'S ONE THAT IS, LIKE, ALL WOMEN. AND SO THERE'S ONE -- THEY'RE JUST TAILORED SPECIFICALLY. SO I -- I JUST ASSUME THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH. HOW MANY FAMILIES OR RESIDENTS DID YOU ALL HELP SPECIFICALLY ON SLIDE 13, YOU HAD 31 CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS. AND THIS CAN BE A LATER -- LIKE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS -- BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY RESIDENTS OR
FAMILIES THAT WE AFFECTED DIRECTLY? >> WE CAN GET THAT.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: WONDERFUL. AND THEN ON THE LEGISLATIVE RECOMME RECOMMENDATIONS AND ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP, PROBABLY. HOW MANY WERE WE ABLE TO GET
THROUGH OR PASSED IN THE 12 LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS? >> SO AGAIN, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A RESPONSE TO EACH OF THOSE JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: GOT IT. AND THE FINAL, IT'S LIKE A KUDOS, BUT ALSO A QUESTION.
HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE THE 100% ATTENDANCE FOR ORIENTATION SESSIONS?
>> FREE TURKEYS FOR EVERYONE. [LAUGHTER].
NO, REALLY, I CAN APPLAUD OUR TEAM FOR BEING ENGAGED. THE SUPERVISORS, THE FRONT LINES THAT HAVE CONSISTENCY IN MESSAGING. SO WE'RE STILL, HOW DO WE SAY, TAKE CREDIT FOR THE SECRET SAUCE, BUT KNOW IT'S REALLY BY DESIGN.
SO WE POLL STAFF, WE SURVEY THEM, WE CIRCLE BACK TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD THEM AND WE TIE IN THOSE LEARNINGS TO OUR PRODUCTS. SO IT'S BY DESIGN.
AND WE'RE PLEASED THAT WE'VE HAD THAT RESPONSE. >> ROCHA GARCIA: WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, DR. JACOB. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> CASTILLO: ANY LAST COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR DR. JACOB? THANK YOU GREAT. THANK YOU, DR. JACOB FOR YOUR TIME.
>> HAPPY HOLIDAYS. >> CASTILLO: NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 4, CONSIDERATION OF SIX AT-LARGE APPOINTMENTS TO THE MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION, SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS. DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION OR
EXECUTIVE SESSION? >> [INAUDIBLE]. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. WE ARE BACK AGAIN FOR PART 2 OF THE SELECTION OF THE SLATE OF CITY REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES FOR THE MGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AS A QUICK BACKGROUND, THE MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION OF SAN ANTONIO WAS CREATED IN 2007 TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN OUR EIGHT CITY-OWNED GOLF COURSES AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OVER THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF. THE CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPRESENTS 15 MEMBERS. SEVEN ARE SELECTED VIA THE MGA BOARD.
SIX ARE AT LARGE THAT ARE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL FOR TWO-YEAR TERMS AND TWO EX-OFFICIO APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
THE BOARD MEETS SIX OR SEVEN TIMES ANNUALLY AND HAS COMMITTEES THAT MEETS
[01:15:03]
MONTHLY. I ALSO HAVE A TABLE OF THE CURRENT BOARD COMPOSITION WITH A MAKEUP FROM A DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE. SO WE MET BACK IN AUGUST HERE TO TALK THROUGH THIS PROCESS, FOLLOWING IMMEDIATELY -- FOLLOWING THAT MEETING THAT MONDAY QUESTION DID RELEASE THE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS.THAT WAS OPENED THROUGH AUGUST '26TH BEFORE THE SHORT LIST COMMITTEE CONVENED. THERE WAS A NUMBER OF OUTREACH MEDIA EFFORTS BUT THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH OUR PROGRESSION PARKS AD RECREATION SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, SA SPORTS AND WE WORKED WITH MGA AND THEY DID OUTREACH TO VARIOUS GOLF ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO, INCLUDING THE WOMAN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION, THE BRACKENRIDGE WOMEN'S GOLF COMPOSITION AND THE AMATEUR WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION. THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT IS AN HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THROUGH THE PROCESS OVER THE YEARS. WE ARE FAIRLY COMMENSURATE WITH THE LAST ROUND OF PROCESS IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED. WE DID HAVE ALL SIX CURRENT MEMBERS DID ON -- ARE SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT, SO THAT WAS GOOD TO SEE AS WELL. SO FROM A BRIEF TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, IN AUGUST WE WERE HERE AT THE COMMITTEE WHERE WE DID HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER KAUR AGREED TO SERVE ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ALONG WITH ASSOCIATE MEMBERS, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MGA. THAT GROUP OF FIVE DID SHORT LIST ALL APPLICATIONS FROM 25 DOWN TO EIGHT, WHO ARE HERE -- WHO ARE SEEKING APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD. SO ON OCTOBER 22ND THAT COMMITTEE DID CONVENE AND REVIEWED ALL THOSE APPLICATIONS. WE'RE HERE ON OUR NEXT TO LAST STEP WILL BE TO INTERVIEW THOSE APPLICANTS AND THEN MAKE A FINAL RECOMMENDATION OF SIX FOR A SESSION WHICH WE WILL THEN BE TAKING IN JANUARY AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO IF THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR ME JUST FROM A BACKGROUND PERSPECTIVE I WILL THEN TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WHO WILL HANDLE ALL THE INTERVIEWS AND LOGISTICS
FROM HERE. >> OF COURSE. >> SO CHAIR, WE'RE GOING TO RECUSE -- EXCUSE THE APPLICANTS SO THEY DON'T HEAR EVERYBODY'S INTERVIEW.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED AND MADE IT TO THIS STAGE.
WE HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENTS FROM FOUR OF THE APPLICANTS, WHICH JAMIE IS THE ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, SHE IS BRINGING YOU THOSE STATEMENTS, WRITTEN STATEMENTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE FOUR MORE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW IN-PERSON.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THOSE WRITTEN STATEMENTS OR GO AHEAD AND GO INTO THE IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS, WHATEVER THE
CHAIR WOULD PREFER. >> CASTILLO: WE COULD BEGIN THE IN-PERSON
INTERVIEWS. >> OKAY. WE'LL HAVE A TWO-MINUTE INTRODUCTION AND THE CHAIR HAS ASKED FOR EACH QUESTION TO BE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES FOR THE ANSWER.
SO I'LL BE TIMING THOSE. >> HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU SO MUCH, JENNY, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE.
WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR AN INTRODUCTION. >> WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. MY NAME IS JENNY KARNES. I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SAN ANTONIO SPORTS, YOUR 40-YEAR-OLD NON-PROFIT SPORTS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY. OUR MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THE POWER OF SPORT. COMING OFF OF MY FIRST TERM ON THE ALAMO CITY GOLF TRAIL I'VE LEARNED A GREEN NEW DEAL FROM ANDREW. MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND HIS STAFF OVER LAST TWO YEARS. I'VE AN AVID GOLFER, I'VE PLAYED MOST OF MY LIFE. I PLAY ALL SPORTS AND I TRULY BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF SPORT. I KNOW THAT ANDREW AND HIS TEAM HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THIS ASSOCIATION, NOT ONLY AGREEING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CITIZENS, BUT ENHANCING THESE GOLF COURSES AND ELEVATING EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING ACROSS THE CITY ON ALL COURSE.
I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD AND FEEL LIKE THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE WITH OUR SPORTS COMMISSION CAN BRING VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION.
>> WONDERFUL. IF WE CAN ENTER INTO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
[01:20:04]
COUNCIL MEMBER GAVITO. >> HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR APPLYING. WHAT SUCCESS HAS THE CURRENT BOARD HAD?
>> I THINK THE NUMBER ONE SUCCESS IS THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS SUCCESS OF THE ORGANIZATION. ANDREW RUNS A TIGHT SHIP. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST A LOT BACK INTO A NUMBER OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSES THROUGHOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS. I JUST PLAYED A SNEAK PREVIEW ROUND AT CEDAR CREEK. IT'S PHENOMENAL. IT PROBABLY MIRRORS PLAYING AT LA CANTERA AND SOME OF THE PRIVATELY OWNED COURSES. I JUST THINK THAT FONDLELY WE'RE IN A GREAT POSITION AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVEST BACK INTO OUR COURSES THAT CAN GIVE BACK TO OUR CITIZENS AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
>> CASTILLO: THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU.
QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: SO I WAS PART OF AN EVENT TODAY AND IT WAS FLAMINGO KIDS AT MISSION DEL LAGO.
HOW WOULD YOU ALSO WORK TO INSPIRE THE YOUTH AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO VALUE GOLF AS
A SPORT? >> WELL, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING I DO AT SAN ANTONIO SPORTS IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR UNDERSERVED YOUTH THROUGH SPORT, WHETHER IT'S GOLF, TENNIS, BASKETBALL, YOU NAME IT.
SO I THINK PARTNERING WITH WHAT I DO EVERYDAY IN THE COMMUNITY WITH BRINGING BIG EVENTS TO SAN ANTONIO, SHOWCASING OUR COURSES, BUT THEN ALSO WORKING WITH ANDREW AND HIS TEAM TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR KIDS TO BETTER THEIR LIVES, BETTER [INDISCERNIBLE] WHETHER IT IS THROUGH GOLF OR ANOTHER SPORT IN SAN ANTONIO. THAT'S WHAT I'M CALL ABOUT. IT'S WHAT I DO EVERYDAY, ALL
DAY. >> CASTILLO: GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU, JENNY, FOR COMING UP TODAY. >> THANK Y'ALL.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! >> OF NOTE, JENNY KARNES IS CURRENTLY ON THE BOARD.
SHE'S A REAPPLICANT. >> CASTILLO: THEN UP NEXT IS GRETCHEN.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIRPERSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO DISTRIBUTE TO MY ADOPT ACTIVE CITY THROUGH THIS ROLE AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE SERVING FOR ANOTHER TWO-YEAR TERM. DURING MY TENURE ON THE BOARD I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CHAIRING THREE COMMITTEES AND I AM CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE SECOND VICE-CHAIR.
MY COMMITTEE WORK INCLUDES THE 2022 BOND COMMITTEE, THE AD HOC BYLAWS COMMITTEE AND THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE. I ALSO LED THE EFFORT TO REWRITE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD EARLIER THIS YEAR. MY WORK ON THE DEI COMMITTEE IS ESPECIALLY MEANING FOLLOW ME BECAUSE IT HAS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE EFFECTIVE CHANGE THROUGH ALL ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ENSURES THAT DECISIONS MADE BY THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT EVER R ARE ALWAYS GUIDED WITH DOO IN MIND. IF REAPPOINTED I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING MY EFFORTS WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND OTHER INITIATIVES TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION. MY EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS MAKE ME WELL SUITED FOR CONTINUED BOARD SERVICE.
THIS INCLUDES AN MBA IN SPORTS MANAGEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD, SERVICE ON SEVERAL LOCAL AND NATIONAL NON-PROFIT BOARDS AND MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP ROLES WITH TWO GOLF ASSOCIATIONS THAT ROUTINELY PLAY AT THE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES, THE LPGA AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION AND THE SAN ANTONIO WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION. BOTH MEMBERSHIPS ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK BOTH GOOD AND BAD FROM MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE PATRONS AND THAT FEEDBACK IS PASSED ALONG TO MANAGEMENT AND MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M ALSO A REGISTERED PARLIAMENTARIAN THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS, WHICH BRINGS A UNIQUE SKILL SET TO THE BOARD AND ENSURES OUR WORK IS DONE WITH TRANSPARENCY AND THAT WE ARE ALWAYS USING GOVERNANCE BEST PRACTICES. IF REAPPOINTED I WILL CONTINUE LEVERAGING MY SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION'S MISSION OF KEEPING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S GOLF COURSE FACILITIES AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF MY REPAYMENT.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, GRETCHEN, FOR CONSIDERING REAPPLYING FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO THIS COLE. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCILWOMAN GO VOTE TOW.
>> THANK YOU FOR APPLYING. WHAT CURRENT SUCCESSES HAS THE BOARD HAD?
>> WE'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AT REALLY ELEVATING OUR FACILITIES.
WE JUST FINISHED A YEAR-LONG RENOVATION AT CEDAR CREEK AND ALSO AT RIVERSIDE, WHICH OPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO. SO REALLY JUST REINVESTING INTO NOT ONLY OUR FACILITIES
[01:25:01]
AND MAKING THEM PREMIER GOLF FACILITIES FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE. OUR CEO IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND REINVEST WILLING IN THEM. ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T MENTION WAS WE ALSO HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE THAT I'VE SAT ON THE PAST TWO YEARS WHERE WE GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES.SOME OF THEM ARE COLLEGE KIDS AND WE GIVE THEM SCHOLARSHIPS TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION. SO HE'S ALWAYS LOOKING AT WAYS TO HELP ELEVATE NOT
ONLY OUR FACILITIES, BUT THE PEOPLE AS WELL. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN? OKAY. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
AND THE NEXT IS GERONIMO HERRERA. GOOD AFTERNOON.
YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR INTRODUCTION AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. MY NAME IS GERONIMO HERRERA AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 7. I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD ALREADY FOR THIS TERM.
IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT BOARD. I CURRENTLY WORK FOR AT&T AND I'VE BEEN AN AT&T EMPLOYEE FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS.
BUT I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AND TWO GRAND BABIES RIGHT NOW. THAT'S [INDISCERNIBLE].
SO WHATEVER QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE. >> CASTILLO: WONDERFUL.
COUNCILWOMAN VA VETO? >> GAVITO: I SERIOUS HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION.
WHAT SUCCESSES HAS THE BOARD HAD? >> WE'VE HAD MANY SUCCESSES.
I THINK THE MAIN THING WE'VE DONE IS OF COURSE BEAUTIFY -- IS TURNING THE ACTUAL GOLF COURSES TO MAKE IT BETTER. I MEAN, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD GOLF COURSES, WE'RE ATHLETE GOLF COURSES WITHIN OUR STATE.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR WHAT ANDREW HAS DONE AND THE BOARD HAS DONE FOR THE HIRING AND INCREASING WAGES AND ALSO TOO BASICALLY PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR
THE COMMUNITY, IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU,
CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: I WAS AT A MISSION EVENT FOR THE FLAMINGO KIDS. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WHY DID YOU HAVE FOR INSPIRING
YOUTH AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO VALUE THE SPORT OF GOLF? >> SPECIFICALLY DO THE
MISSION? >> VIAGRAN: CITYWIDE. >> CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE REORGANIZED THE PAR THREE'S AT RIVERSIDE, RIVERSIDE GOLF COURSE.
PEOPLE -- TO GET ENGAGED. THERE'S AN ACTUAL WEBSITE THAT WE PUT OUT THAT HAS ALL THE INFORMATION AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, YOUTH GOLF, ALL THAT INFORMATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE SO I THINK IF THEY ENGAGE IN THE WORLDWIDE WEB THEY CAN PICK OUT WHAT'S
BEST FOR THEM AT THIS TIME. >> WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
TIME. >> THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
HAVE A GOOD DAY. MERRY CHRISTMAS. >> CASTILLO: UP NEXT WE
HAVE JASON SANDOVAL. >> HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JASON SANDOVAL AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. I'M BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, GRADUATED FROM CHURCHILL HIGH SCHOOL IN 2014.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL I WENT OFF TO TEXAS A&M, GRADUATED WITH MY MASTER'S IN ACCOUNTING.
AND GOING IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY I WOULD WANT TO DO THIS, I'M -- I CHOSE TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO AFTER COLLEGE FOR A REASON. AND WHEN YOU'RE AT A&M THEY DON'T ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, -- THEY DON'T ASK YOU WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
THEY SAY DALLAS OR HOUSTON? AND I KIND OF ZIGGED AND SAID I'M GOING TO SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY SAID OH, WHY? AND I BELIEVE IT'S THINGS LIKE THIS, HAVING AN IMPACT ON A COMMUNITY AND KIND OF MERGING MY PASSIONS WITH HAVING IMPACT. IN MY APPLICATION I GO INTO A LONG HISTORY OF SERVING AND HAVING AN IMPACT, AND REALLY THAT'S KIND OF MERGED WITH GOLF AS A PASSION FOR ME. I'M AI PLAY ON THE TRAIL TWICE A WEEK, PLAYED BRACKENRIDGE PARK YESTERDAY, PLAYING RIVERSIDE ON FRIDAY. I'M OUT THERE.
AND THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE PLAYING THE TRAIL AND UNDERSTANDING GOLF CULTURE IS THAT IT'S SUPER SPECIAL. AND SAN ANTONIO HAS A REALLY AMAZING AND UNIQUE GOLF CULTURE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IN CONVERSING WITH A LOT OF MY FELLOW STUDENTS AT A&M THAT GO TO HOUSTON AND DALLAS, THEY SAY, MAN, IT'S SO EXPENSIVE AND SO DIFFICULT TO PLAY GOLF.
AND I HAVE THE EXACT OPPOSITE STORY. I SAY I'M PLAYING ALL THE TIME, IT'S SO FUN. IT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD CULTURE, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A HUGE ASSET. AND I WANT TO BE A PART OF MAKING SURE THAT WE PROTECT
THAT ASSET AS A CITY. YEAH, THAT'S IT. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU,
[01:30:06]
JASON. WE CAN NOW ENTER INTO QUESTIONS WITH COUNCILWOMANVA VETO? >> THANK YOU, JASON, FOR REAPPLYING.
WHAT SUCCESS HAS THE BOARD HAD? >> EXCUSE ME? OH, YOU'RE NEW. THANK YOU, NEVER MIND. NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> CASTILLO: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN?
>> VIAGRAN: JASON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING.
SO RIGHT NOW I WAS JUST AT AN EVENT WITH FLAMINGO KIDS, AND YOU SAID YOU'VE GOLFED FOR AWHILE. HOW DO YOU PLAN -- WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE TO INSPIRE
THE GROWTH TO START GOLFING AND DOING MORE WITH GOLFING? >> WELL, I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER AT THE FIRST TEE AGES SEVEN THROUGH NINE.
I STARTED LAST FALL IS MY FIRST CLASS, THIS PAST FALL, AND DOING IT UPCOMING IN JANUARY. I THINK IT'S GETTING MORE PEOPLE LIKE ME TO BE IN THOSE CLASSES TO DO MORE INSPIRING. BUT I REALLY THINK OVERALL LIKE SAN ANTONIO HAS A GREAT GOLF STORY TO TELL, AND IT SHOULD BE TOLD TO THE YOUNGER KIDS. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT WAY TO, YOU KNOW, TELL THAT STORY. I THINK THERE COULD BE MORE DONE WITH THAT. BUT I THINK OWE FLAMINGO, I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THAT A MONTH AGO. I THINK IT'S GREAT. STUFF LIKE THAT, IT SHOULD BE -- IDEALLY EVERY COURSE IS IN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD OR RELATIVELY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN FLAMINGO.
ALL AREAS SHOULD HAVE AN AREA OF FLAMINGO AND NORTHERN HILLS SHOULD HAVE ONE AS WELL. THAT'S REALLY COOL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND
SPREAD THE MODEL THAT OUT ACROSS THE COURSES. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, JASON. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS THE LAST IN-PERSON INTERVIEW.
>> SO JUST FOR THE RECORD WE RECEIVED STATEMENTS FROM DIE MONTH ALEXANDER WHO IS A REPOINT TEE, FROM MARY GALLAGHER WHO IS A REAPPOINTEE --
>> SHE WOULD BE A NEW APPOINTEE FOR US. SHE WAS AT-LARGE.
NOW SHE WANTS TO BE THE CITY. >> SHE'S A NEW APPLICATION.
MY APOLOGIES. JAVIER HERRERA. JAVIER IS A REAPPOINTEE.
AND HEATHER WEEDAGE WHO IS ALSO A NEW APPLICANT. OH, SHE'S A REAPPOINTEE.
I GOT THESE ALL MIXED UP IN MY HEAD. SO HEATHER IS ALSO A REAPPOINTEE. HEATHER AND JAVIER WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO PRIOR COMMITMENTS, AND MARY HAD INTENDED TO COME, BUT SHE PROVIDED A WRITTEN
STATEMENT INSTEAD BECAUSE OF ILLNESS. >> CASTILLO: AND THE TIME IS NOW 2:36 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 16TH. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE IS MOVING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.074, PERSONNEL MATTERS, AND TO DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TEXAS 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS.
NOW 2:56 P.M. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 16TH, 2024 AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE WILL NOW RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION. NO FILL ACTION WAS TAKEN
DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SESSION. >> CHAIR, I MOVE TO RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING APPLICANTS TO BE FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
JENNY KARNES, GRETCHEN [INDISCERNIBLE], GERONIMO GUERRA, JASON SANDOVAL AND
HEATHER WEEDAGE. >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES. GREAT. THANK YOU, RYAN, WE APPRECIATE IT. WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 5, A BRIEFING ON GENERAL UPDATES TO CHAPTER 22, PARKS AND RECREATION OF THE SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL CODE, PRESENTED BY RYAN. WELCOME BACK. [LAUGHTER].
>> WELCOME BACK. RYAN HARRISON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. THIS IS A FAIRLY BRIEF COMMITTEE.
WE DO WANT TO TAKE IT TO COMMITTEE BEFORE WEEF GO TO A SESSION.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME FAIRLY MINOR CODE UPDATES TO CHAPTER 22 OF PARKS CITY CODE. THIS REALLY STEMMED INITIALLY A COUPLE OF MONTH AGO WE WERE APPROACHED BY DISTRICT 7 WITH A REQUEST TO POTENTIALLY LOOK AT HAVING
[01:35:01]
SOME VENDING SERVICES IN WOODLAWN LAKE PARK, SPECIFICALLY IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM HAS CONNECTED TO THE GYM. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE TO CURRENT CITY CODE, SO IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT CHANGE WE WANT TO TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN HELP CLEAN UP ALONG THE WAY. WE'LL WALK THROUGH A COUPLE OF OUR PROPOSED CHANGES. SECTION 22.2 IN CITY CODE WITH VENDING AND PARKS CURRENT CODE DOES PROHIBIT VENDING IN WOODLAWN LAKE PARK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CURRENT VENDING PROGRAM THAT IS IN PLACE. SO THE CODE UPDATES WOULD ADD THE WOODLAWN LAKE COMMUNITY ROOM FOR VENDING FOR NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINK AND VENDING SERVICES. AS ALSO STREAMLINE LANGUAGE FOR THE CURRENT MOBILE VENDING PROGRAM. IT IS -- THE WORDING IS A LITTLE ANTIQUATED IN TERMS OF THE LOCATIONS OF THE PROGRAM AND WHATNOT. SO IT DOES HELP TO STREAMLINE THAT. JUST AS AN FYI, THE COMMITTEE DOES HAVE THE RED-LINED VERSION OF THE CODE UPDATES WITH YOU AS WELL.SO THEN AS WE WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DISTRICT 7 WE WOULD RELEASE A SOLICITATION FOR THAT EFFORT AND SO WE'LL WORK WITH [INDISCERNIBLE] AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PURCHASING. ADDITIONALLY, 22-1 DOES PROHIBIT THE SALE, POSSESSION OR CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IN CITY PARKS, EXCEPT FOR A LIST OF EXEMPTIONS. SO THOSE ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, OUR GOLF COURSES, SOME OF OUR [INDISCERNIBLE] FACILITIES AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS. THIS DOES REMOVE THE COKER STOKES SOFTBALL COMPLEX. THAT COMPLEX WAS REMOVED AS PART OF THE 2017 BOND PROJECT SO IT'S NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE. THE POLELY DRIVING RANGE, THE BUILDING KNOWN AS FIRST TEE AS WELL AS THE BOTH OF THOSE ADDITIONS ARE CONSISTENT. THE FIRST ONE WITH FIRST TEE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNCIL APPROVED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WE TOOK JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND WE'LL BE TAKING AN EXTENSION OR A RENEWAL WITH THE CURRENT GOLF EXPANSION OPERATOR AT OP SCHNABEL PARK.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE THIS FACILITY CONSISTENCY WITH ALL OUR OTHER GOLF COURSES AND GOLF AMENITIES. AND ADDITIONALLY IT UPDATES A FEW OF OUR VARIOUS FACILITY NAME CHANGES THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME JUST TO BE A LITTLE BIT CLEARER ON WHAT THAT IS. FOR EXAMPLE, SAN ANTONIO LITTLE THEATER IS NOW KNOWN AS THE SAN PEDRO PLAYHOUSE. IT DOES HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE UPDATES AS WELL.
THE LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE JUST GOING TO BE SOME CLEANUP FOR SOME REALLY OLDER ANT TA KUWAITED SYSTEM, THINGS THAT ARE NO LONGER APPLY OR EXISTING COUNCIL AGREEMENTS SUPERSEDE. SO THERE IS A SECTION FOR BOTANICAL GARDEN FEES. WE KNOW THAT THE SOCIETY DOES HAVE A LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT IN THERE WHICH DOES THEN ALLOW THEM TO SET THOSE FEES.
SO THIS JUST REMOVES THAT SECTION. 22-28 FOR PARK CURFEWS, THERE IS A SMALL CALL OUT FOR COMANCHE LOOKOUT PARK. THAT WAS DONE A LONG TIME AGO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING BACK WITH OUR ATTORNEYS, PRE-THE LARGER PARK CURFEW PROCESS. SO WE DO HAVE A SECTION ON PARK CURFEW WHICH THEN COULD --T PARK WOULD BE THERE. SO THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ADDITIONAL SECTIONS IN THE CODE. ADDITIONALLY THE HERSBERG CIRCUS MUSEUM FEES, THAT HAS NOW BEEN CLOSED FOR WELL OVER TWO DECADE. IT'S NOW THE BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM. THERE WAS A SECTION OF CODE THAT SET THE FEES FOR THE KERR SUSS MUSEUM. THIS GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A CLEANUP.
AND THE NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE ARTICLE 7 MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES.
IT DOES REMOVE A NUMBER OF THE SECTIONS AND UPDATES. ONE SECTION REFERRING TO FEES. THIS IS GOING TO BE CONSISTENT LANGUAGE THAT SAYS ALL RULES AND FEES ARE SET FORTH AND CONSISTENT WITH CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. WE KNOW WE JUST TOOK AN ITEM WITH MUNICIPAL GOLF ASSOCIATION SO THEIR AGREEMENT SETS THEIR OWN FEES THEY ARE THE OPERATORS OF THAT SO THIS JUST KIND OF HELPS TO CLEAN THAT UP SO THERE'S NO INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN THAT. SO NEXT UP, AGAIN, THERE'S NO MAJOR SUBSTANTIVE POLICY SHIFTS OR CHANGES. REALLY JUST A GENERAL LANGUAGE CLEANUP. WE WOULD CURRENTLY LIKE TO TAKE THIS AT THE JANUARY 31A SESSION WITH THE COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL. , WITH THAT WE'RE AVAILABLE
FOR ANY QUESTIONS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, RYAN.
CAN WE GET A MOTION? >> I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> SECOND. >> CASTILLO: GREAT. COUNCILWOMAN GAVITO.
[01:40:03]
>> GAVITO: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANT TO ALSO THANKS PARKS AND RECREATION FOR YEARS FROM THE WOODLAWN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND OTHER SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE WANT TO ACTIVATE THAT PART OF WOODLAWN LAKE EVEN FURTHER.
SO I THINK CHANGING THIS CODE SO THAT WAY WE CAN ALLOW FOR DIFFERENT VENDORS IN THAT AREA WOULD BE PERFECT. ALSO TOO, IN CASE YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PARK, IT'S PERFECTLY SHADED AND IT HAS A GORGEOUS VIEW OF THE LAKE.
IT'S A GREAT SPACE TO ACTIVATE. SO THANK YOU FOR TEAMWORKING ON IT WITH US. AND ALSO TOO IF YOU'RE THERE EARLY IN THE MORNING YOU SEE ALL THE LITTLE MEN GATHER THERE AND THEY HAVE THEIR COFFEE AND IT'S GREAT FOR THEM TO BUY SOME FRESH -- GET SOME FRESH COFFEE AND BUNDLES TO ENJOY THEIR TIME TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M ALSO GLAD TO SEE THE MAC WILEY GOLF CENTER BEING EXEMPT FROM ALCOHOL RESTRICTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT NEARLY ALL OTHER GOLF CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN AUDIO] ALCOHOL SALES. SO THIS IS A GOOD CHANGE. AND ALSO TOO JUST FYI, THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD ALAMO FARMS, SUPPORTS THIS CHANGE AS WELL.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR RYAN? GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, RYAN. AWESOME. IT IS NOW 3:04 AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING. OH, YEAH.
WE HAVE -- WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE? MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU!
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.