[00:00:07]
          >> COURAGE: WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING OF MARCH 18TH. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. WE HAVE THREE PARTICULAR ITEMS WE'LL BE ADDRESSING ON OUR AGENDA. THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WILL BE DOING OUR ROLL CALL. 
          [Approval of Minutes
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LET'S GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THE APPROVALFUL MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 17TH OF OUR COMMITTEE. HOPEFULLY MEMBERS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK IT OVER. 
          DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THOSE MINUTES? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          >> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. >> SECOND. 
          >> COURAGE: OKAY. MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 17TH HAVE BEEN MOVED TO BE APPROVED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. THE MINUTES ARE COVERED. 
          [Public Comment
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WE DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TODAY TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          AND SO WE'LL BE AFFORDING THEM THREE MINUTES. THE FIRST PERSON ON OUR LIST IS MICHAEL GUERRERO. I UNDERSTAND THAT JOE GUERRERO HAS ALSO SIGNED UP AND WANTS TO YIELD HIS TIME TO MICHAEL. SO MICHAEL, IF YOU'RE HERE, 
          YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM. >> AFTERNOON CHAIR COURAGE AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK REGARDING TOE FEE REGULATION. TOEING IS OFTEN -- TOWING IS OFTEN VIEWED THROUGH A NEGATIVE LENS BUT IT HELPS MAINTAIN ACCESS AND FAIRNESS FOR BUSINESSES AND PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. UNAUTHORIZED PARKING COSTS BUSINESSES MILLIONS ANNUALLY. WHETHER IT'S SURFACE LOTS LOSING 15 TO 25% IN AVENUE, APARTMENT COMPLEXES STRUGGLING WITH ADEQUATE PARKING WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES OR RESTAURANTS LIKE MCDONALD'S LOSING CUSTOMERS DUE TO CONGESTION FROM NON-CUSTOMERS ON THEIR LOTS. 
          THERE IS OTHER METHODS OF ENFORCEMENT ASIDE FROM TOWING. 
          THERE'S TICKETING WHICH LOTS OF SURFACE LOTS DOWNTOWN DECIDE TO DO. 
          UNFORTUNATELY SOME DATA IN AUSTIN SHOWS THAT 25% OF THOSE TICKETS WENT UNPAID, RESULTING IN AT LEAST TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUE, AND THERE ARE SIMILAR TRENDS NATIONWIDE THAT FOLLOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AUSTIN. 
          THIS IS DUE TO THE LIMITED AUTHORITY TO RECOVER THOSE LOST FUNDS. 
          TICKETING DOESN'T HOLD ANY TEETH. YOU WILL RECEIVE A LETTER IN THE MAIL THAT LOOKS VERY LAWYERLY AND IT'S JUST DOESN'T HAVE ANY TEETH. 
          SO OUR ROLE AS A COMPANY TO TO ENFORCE THE RULES SET BY THESE BUSINESSES TO ENSURE THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SPACES THAT IS INTENDED FOR THEM. 
          THAT'S OUR BREAD AND BUTTER, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR THESE PEOPLE. 
          THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION ENFORCES STRICT CUSTOMER PROTECTIONS. EVERY TOW COMPANY MUST PROVIDE RECEIPTS EXPLAINING HOW A CONTESTED TOW AND JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS. CONSUMERS CAN FILE COMPLAINTS WITH TLR AND WE FOLLOW ALL STATE AND CITY MANDATED FEE STRUCTURES. 
          DUE TO THESE STRICT CONSUMER PROTECTIONS, PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWING HAS A HEIGHTENED RISK OF CONFRONTATIONAL TOWS, RESULTING IN PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWS COSTING 30% MORE THAN PUBLIC TOWS. THIS IS ALL DATA CITED BY THE TDLR. DESPITE THESE REGULATION, TOWING FEES ACROSS TEXAS VARY DRASTICALLY. YOU'RE LOOKING AT 121 IN DALLAS TO 255 IN CORPUS FOR A LIGHT DUTY TOW. DUE TO THESE INCONSISTENT METHODOLOGIES USING FEE STUDIES THAT'S WHY IT'S HAPPENING. THE DISPARITY HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR STANDARDIZED APPROACH THAT FACTORS IN OPERATIONAL COSTS, INFLATION AND FAIR PROFIT MARGINS. TDLR CAPTURES PROFIT MARGINS AND THEIR RATE AND THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE IT AT 272, THE STATE MAX. IT IS NOT ABOUT GOUGING CUSTOMERS, BUT ENSURING THAT COMPANIES CAN PROVIDE THE LEGAL, REGULATED SERVICES. 
          ARTIFICIALLY LOW FEES CREATE AN UNSTABLE CONDITION PHOTO BUSINESSES, FORCING THEM TO CUT CORNERS OR JUST SIMPLY [INDISCERNIBLE] THE MARKET. CONSIDERING THIS IS A 
          [00:05:05]
FRAGMENTED INDUSTRY WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO CHANGE THE STIGMA OF PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWING. WE HAVE PRE-VARIATION PROCESSES. 
          WE HAVE AI IN OUR TRUCKS, SAME SYSTEM THAT AMAZON USES IN THEIR VANS. 
          WE HIGHLY TRAIN DRIVERS, HIGHLY PAID WITH HEALTH AND 401(K) PLANS. 
          WE BELIEVE A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT APPROACH BENEFITS EVERYONE, CNSUMERS, BUSINESSES AND ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ALIKE. I URGE THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER STANDARDIZED FEE STRUCTURES IN FAIRNESS AND ELIMINATES POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND PROMOTES TRANSPARENCY. ONE OTHER THING I DIDN'T MENTION, THE CURRENT TOW FEE HAS NOT BEEN RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE 2013. 
          THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MR. GUERRERO. I'D INVITE YOU IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, YOU MENTIONED SOME STATISTICS, SOME FACTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE 
          THEM WITH US. >> I'LL EMAIL ALL THAT INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS JOEY PAULETTE. I HOPE I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME RIGHT. 
          SORRY. >> IT'S OKAY. >> COURAGE: YOU HAVE THREE 
          MINUTES. >> GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR COURAGE AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOEY AND DIRECTOR OF ACTIVE SA, AN ADVOCACY NON-PROFIT WHOSE MISSION IS TO ACTIVATE A RESILIENT CITY FOR ALL IN ADVOCACY, CONSENSUS BUILDING AND EDUCATION. AS YOU HAVE WITNESSED OVER THE PAST YEAR OUR CITY HAS TAKEN A GREAT PRIORITY ON HOW PEOPLE MOVE AROUND OUR CITY WITH THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY, ZERO POLICY FRAMEWORK AND THE BIKE NETWORK PLAN. WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE ADOPTION OF THESE POLICIES HELPS OUR COMMUNITY MOVE TOWARDS A VISION WHERE SAN ANTONIANS ARE EMPOWERED TO MOVE THROUGH CONNECTED, SAFE RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES. 
          WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM IS MOVING FORWARD WITH VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE POLICIES AND PLANS. THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE BEING PRESENTED TODAY. WHILE WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CREATIVE OF THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REVISIT THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMISSION. FOR FAR TOO LONG, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY, HAVE WAITED FOR FORMAL COMMUNITY COMMISSION TO HELP SHAPE TRANSPORTATION POLICIES, PLANS AND THE IMPLEMENTMATION OF THESE EFFORTS. WE WANT TO SEE A COMMISSION THAT WILL PROVIDE INPUT, RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOLDING OUR CITY ACCOUNTABLE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE POLICIE AND PLANS. WE TAKE INSPIRATION FROM COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORKS, PART OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION. HOW IT HAS AN AT LARGE MIXTURE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND AT LARGE MEMBERS WHICH STATE THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE A HISTORY OF ENGAGEMENT ON HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD RELATED ISSUES AS WELL AS THE STATURE NECESSARY TO HOLD ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY STAFF ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT REPORT. WITH THAT BEING SAID WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOMMENDED TYPES OF DIVERSE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT SHOULD BE IN THIS COMMISSION FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS DIFFERENT SECTORS, INDUSTRIES AND AREAS SUCH AS EDUCATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, EQUITY, ART, BUSINESS AND CONSTRUCTION. 
          AS WE'VE ALL DISCUSSED BEFORE, ADOPTING THESE POLICIES ARE A MONUMENTAL FIRST STEP IN SETTING A STRONGER VISION AND PRIORITY FOR TRANSPORTATION IN OUR CITY, HOWEVER WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO TOGETHER TO REACH THE GOALS AND THESE POLICIES AND PLANS. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT, BUT I HAVE QUITE A FEW AREAS FROM THE ZERO VISION PLAN OUTLINING THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IN OUR CITY FOR ALL USERS, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TOGETHER AND WE NEED THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE TABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND INFORM, DISCUSS, PLAN, TAKE ACTION AND HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE ON A COMMISSION THAT WILL WORK THROUGHOUT COUNCIL TERMS AND STAFF TENURES. LET'S MAKE THE MOST OF THIS OPPORTUNITY AND STRENGTHEN THE GREAT IDEA OF A CITIZENS' COMMISSION. SET ABOUT A STRONG FRAMEWORK THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY'S RESIDENTS. AND WE URGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM WITH THE RESOURCES THEY MAY NEED WHETHER IT MAY BE WITH MORE STAFF, FUNDING, ET CETERA, TO FAIRLY ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL OF CREATING A SAFE, SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK IN CREATING A MORE PROSPEROUS, EQUITABLE AND WALKABLE SAN ANTONIO. 
          [Briefing and Possible Action on
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          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MR. PAULETTE. NOW PLEASE NOTE THAT COUNCILMAN CURE HAS CARR HAS AR. WE WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE THREE ITEMS WE HAVE. 
          THE FIRST IS VIA METROPOLITAN'S TRANSIT UPDATE CALLED KEEPING SAN ANTONIO MOVING. AND ROD, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THE PRESENTATION? 
          [00:10:02]
          >> I AM NOT, CHAIR COURAGE. I'M JUST GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR OUR TEAM. 
          >> COURAGE: WELCOME BACK TO THE MEETING ROOM HERE. >> THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK HERE TO PRESENT OUR BIG PROJECTS. TODAY WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR THREE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS WHICH YOU ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH AND OUR BETTER BUS PLAN WHICH YOU'RE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH. THINGS ARE PROGRESSING NICELY WITH ALL OF THEM SO WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE WITH WHERE WE'RE AT AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO REMEMBER THAT YOU WILL AFTER THESE PROJECTS REALLY WORK TOGETHER. 
          THE GREEN LINE, THE SILVER LINE, THE SECOND BUS MAINTENANCE FACILITY, AND THE BETTER BUS PLAN, IT'S ALL PART OF A PACKAGE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR FREQUENCY, WE'RE LOOKING TO TAKE PEOPLE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO AND DO IT FASTER THAN WE'VE EVER DONE IT BEFORE. SO GOOD PROJECTS, MOVING ALONG NICELY SO WE'RE GOING TO START OUT WITH THE SILVER LINE. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON THERE. WE WILL BE PRESENTING NOT ONLY TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          IT SHOULD LOOK VERY FAMILIAR. IT'S A LOT LIKE THE GREEN LINE. WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT ONE. 
          NOT A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THERE, BUT IT'S FOR THE SILVER LINE. 
          WE'LL SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE SILVER LINE TODAY AND UPDATE YOU ON THE REST. WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE. 
          >> COURAGE: BEFORE THAT I WANT TO COMMENT THAT I KNOW TODAY WAS BUS OPERATOR'S APPRECIATION DAY AND I WENT DOWNTOWN TO THE CENTER ON THE WESTSIDE AND SAID HELLO TO BUS DRIVERS AND I THINK THEY ALL APPRECIATED IT. I KNOW YOU ALL HAD SPECIAL REFRESHMENTS FOR THEM AND I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THEM ALL FOR DOING A GREAT 
          JOB AT MOVING PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY. >> THANK YOU, WE APPRECIATE THAT. WE STARTED AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING TELLING ALL OF OUR OPERATORS AND MAINTENANCE FOLKS HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEM. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. 
          >> I GOT THERE AT 7:30. I WASN'T GOING TO GET THERE AT 3:30. 
          [LAUGHTER]. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROD, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO COME BEFORE YOU TO GIVE UPDATE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM. 
          FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND MY TITLE IS MAJOR CAPITAL PROGRAM OFFICER. SO THE SEQUENCE WE ARE GOING TO GO IS VIA RAPID SILVER LINE FIRST AND THEN I'LL GIVE UPDATE ON SECOND FIXED ROUTE, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND THEN VIA GREEN LINE AND THEN I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUE TO COME UP AND GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT BETTER BUS PLAN. SO PROJECT OVERVIEW. 
          VIA RAPID SILVER LINE, ALSO KNOWN IN OUR FEDERAL APPLICATION EAST-WEST CORRIDOR PROJECT, IS ABOUT 7.3 MILES. IT CONNECTS EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH ONE OF THE MAJOR JOB CENTER, WHICH IS DOWNTOWN. IT HAS 26 STATIONS SHOWN ON THIS MAP BY DOTS, 10 MINUTE DAILY FREQUENCY, 15 MINUTE WEEKEND FREQUENCY. IT HAS BUS FRIENDLY SIGNAL PRIORITY, TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY. IT HAS DEDICATED BUS LINES WITH SOME MIXED LANES AND WE WILL BE USING OFF BOARD FARE COLLECTION METHOD, THAT MEANS PEOPLE WILL PAY FARE AT THE PLATFORM, AT THE STOP, AND THEN THEY ENTER THE BUSES. IS TOTAL COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE 289.2 MILLION IN A YEAR OF EXPENDITURE DOLLARS. THAT MEANS THAT COST COVERS FUTURE ASSUMPTION OF COST ESCALATION, BUT THIS COST WAS BASED ON 10% OF THE PROJECT. 
          ONE OF THE ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS IT ALSO CONNECTS SEVERAL OTHER DESTINATION, OUR LADY OF LAKE AND FROST CENTER ON THE EASTSIDE AND THEN THE ROUTE -- THE BUS ROUTED GOES FROM THE EASTSIDE TRANSIT CENTER AND IT CONNECTS TO THE [INDISCERNIBLE] TRANSIT CENTER. 
          WHAT WE TALK ABOUT AS A PROJECT IS THE CONSTRUCTION LIMITS. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE TALK ABOUT AS A PROJECT, GIVING PEOPLE A SINGLE SAFE DRIVE. 
          PROJECT SCHEDULE, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT IN EARLY 2022 AND WE EXPECT REVENUE SERVICE TO BE OPEN END OF 2029, SO IT'S A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT. 
          WE OPENED UP THE FEDERAL PROCESS FOR SMALL STARTS CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT AND THEN WE ARE CURRENTLY AROUND 40% DESIGN. SO WE ARE ALSO CONCURRENTLY 
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DOING ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION UNDER NEPA AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE OUR DRAFT 40% SOME TIME IN MAY. WHILE WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, 40% DESIGN, WE HAD TWO ROUNDS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDER INPUT THAT HAS INFORMED OUR DESIGN AND PROJECT AS WE PROCEED. OUR NEXT MILESTONE COMES IS NEXT YEAR WHEN WE ACTUALLY APPLY FORMALLY FOR SMALL START GRANT APPLICATION AND UPON THE EXPECTED AWARD END OF NEXT YEAR, 2026, THEN CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN EARLY 2027 TO KEEP US ON TARGET FOR OPENING DATE END OF 2029. 
          OUR FINANCIAL PLAN INCLUDES ROUGHLY WE ARE EXPECTING 50% FEDERAL FUND TO THE TUNE OF $145.3 MILLION.  SO FAR WE HAVE RECEIVED 2.4 MILLION IN STBG GRANTS THROUGH MPO AND WE HAVE A PRE-AWARD, IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF THE CIG GRANT, 8.1 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. ALSO THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE RECEIVED COMMITMENT FROM BEXAR COUNTY FOR ABOUT $100 MILLION. SO WE HAVE SECURED A LOCAL MATCH WHICH IS CRITICAL TO GO INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE GRANT APPLICATION. 
          SO WE ARE ON TRACK TO GO TOWARDS OUR APPLICATION FOR THE NEXT YEAR. 
          JUST ONE EXAMPLE, WE RECEIVED PUBLIC INPUT FEEDBACK FROM VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING OUR BUS OPERATORS, DRIVERS, MAINTENANCE GROUP AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS. WE INITIALLY HAD STATION LOCATED AT ZARZAMORA AND EAST COMMERCE. IT'S A SINGLE ONE-WAY SO THERE WAS A COUPLE OF STATIONS. AND THROUGH VARIOUS INPUT WE HAVE MOVED IT CLOSER TO THE H.E.B., WHICH REQUIRED COORDINATION WITH THE CITY STAFF, ALSO THEY'RE EXCELLENT PARTNERS FOR US SINCE THEY GIVE US FEEDBACK, VISIBILITY, COMMENTS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL, ENHANCED SIDEWALK, BUT ALSO WHEN WE HAVE TWO STATIONS WE CALL PAIR OF STATION BECAUSE THEY ARE A ONE WAY STREET, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT LINKING THAT. 
          SO IN THIS CASE THE STREET BETWEEN THE TWO STATIONS WE WILL BE LOOKING AT SOME IMPROVEMENTS. IN GENERAL OUR PROJECT SCOPE INCLUDES ABOUT 800 FEET OF EITHER SIDE OF THE STATIONS, WHERE WE LOOK AT SIDEWALK OR ADA IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT SIGNALS AS WE APPROACH THE STATION. 
          SO THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK. 
          INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, SO WE ARE AT THIS STAGE WHERE WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM OUR GREEN LINE PROJECT WITH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT SET THE TONE FOR ROLES, RESPONSIBILITY AND PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN VIA AND CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          SO WE ARE NOW COMING BACK BEFORE YOU WITH OUR REQUEST TO HAVE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT RELATED TO SILVER LINE PROJECT. SO WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? IT ESTABLISHES COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO AGENCIES TO DELIVER THE PROJECT. IT ESTABLISHES ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STAFF. VIA IS A PROJECT SPONSOR SO WE ESSENTIALLY TAKE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS OF THE PROJECT, BUT COSA IS THE REGULATOR BECAUSE CO-IS A OWNS THE -- COSA OWNS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY BUT ALSO BENEFITS FROM THE PROJECT. SO AS A REGULATE E AS A RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNER, WE WILL BE COMING BEFORE COSA FOR OUR DESIGN SUBMITTAL, DESIGN REVIEWS, FEEDBACK. 
          SO THE AGREEMENT COVERS THE TIMELINES AND THE PERMITTING AND THE DETAILS OF THAT. 
          IT IS ESSENTIALLY A FRAMEWORK FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES. 
          WHAT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IN THE SILVER LINE AGREEMENT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS APART FROM THE NAME OF THE PROJECT AND ALL THE DETAILS IS GREEN LINE AGREEMENT HAD DESIGN MILESTONES, 35%, 65%, 95%. AND THAT WAS AND THAT WAS TO MEET THE FEDERAL TARGET DEADLINE TO SECURE FUNDING BY DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR SO WE HAD TO ACCELERATE SOME OF OUR REDUCE AND SOME OF THE WORK. 
          WE ARE IN SMALL START PROGRAM AND IT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS SO WE HAVE TO VOTE 
          [00:20:04]
TO MATCH THE 40% MATCH, 75% AND 95%. SO IF YOU FOLLOW CITY'S DESIGN GUIDELINES AND CHECKLIST IN THAT ASPECT. SO THAT IS MAIN DIFFERENCE ON THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT. SO THE AGREEMENT DRAFT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY STAFF AND IT HAS ALSO BEEN SUBMITTED TO FTA SO WE'LL BE FORWARDING THOSE TO THE CITY STAFF. OUTREACH PLAN. 
          SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS COMPLETION OF NEPA, WE ARE LOOKING AT SEPTEMBER COMPLETION OF 40% IN COUPLE OF MONTHS, OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM IS ALSO WORKING ON THE OUTREACH PLAN, THE FIRST MILESTONE IN THAT IS WE ARE LOOKING FOR OFFICE SPACE ON EAST AND WESTSIDE SO WE CAN OPEN THOSE OFFICES ON THAT LINE. INDIVIDUAL AND PHASED BUSINESS OUTREACH AS WELL AS GRASSROOT OUTREACH TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND OUR COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, WHICH IS FORMAL ROUND OF STAKEHOLDER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS WITH OPEN HOUSES, WE HAVE LAST ONE COMING UP IN FEW MONTHS. 
          I ALSO HAVE TOM MARKS WHO IS A VICE-PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS HERE IN CASE YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT. SO THAT CONCLUDES SILVER LINE PRESENTATIONS. SO I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS NOW OR I CAN COMPLETE MY 
          PRESENTATION. >> COURAGE: WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE. 
          >> OKAY. SO SECOND FIXED ROUTE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS ANOTHER PROJECT WE ARE WORKING ON WHICH SUPPORTS VIA AS A WHOLE. 
          OUR EXISTING FACILITY AT FLORES AND MYRTLE COMPLEX WAS BUILT IN 1947 AND IT IS ONE OF THE -- WE ARE THE LARGEST SYSTEM WITH A SINGLE DEPOT WHICH SERVES 500 PLUS OR MINUS VEHICLES. WE HAVE OUTGROWN THAT FACILITY, BUT ALSO BEING OLDER FACILITY, WE NEED SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT FACILITY. 
          SO IN ORDER TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS, WE NEED SPACE TO WORK, BUT ALSO TO EXPAND OUR SERVICES WE NEED SPACE. SO WITH THAT BACKGROUND WE HAD STARTED LOOKING AT SECOND LOCATION WHERE WE CAN RELIEVE SOME LOAD ON THE EXISTING FACILITY, BUT ALSO HAVE VIA CAPACITY TO EXPAND IN OUR SERVICES. WE STARTED WITH LOOKING AT MORE, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF THE LAND. I KNOW MAP HERE MAY NOT BE AS CLEAR, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE LOOKED AT GREEN LINE, SILVER LINE AND THREE MILE PROXIMITY OF THAT. WE LOOKED AT ACCESS TO ARTERIAL AND FREEWAY. 
          WE LOOKED AT LAND WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR SERVICE IS. WE LOOKED AT VACANT LAND, WHICH IS PREFERABLY INDUSTRIAL, OR COULD BE ZONED INDUSTRIAL OR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO ACCOMMODATE FUNCTION OF MAINTENANCE FACILITIES. SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF NEPA AND LOOKING AT THE LAND AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH PHASE 1, THE TARGET OPENING DATE BEFORE WE START RECEIVING VEHICLES FOR THE GREEN LINE. 
          SO THIS IS CRITICAL FOR US TO HAVE THIS FACILITY SO WE CAN -- MY MISTAKE. 
          BEFORE WE GET SILVER LINE VEHICLES. SO THIS IS CRITICAL IN THE TIMELINE, WHICH BETWEEN GREEN LINE AND SILVER LINE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP, WE ARE IN THE NEPA PROCESS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS. 
          AS SOON AS WE COMPLETE NEPA WE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK ON LINE ACQUISITION -- LAND ACQUISITION. WE WILL HAVE A NEED TO DO A PUBLIC MEETING. 
          WE ARE NOT THERE YET, BUT AS WE GO TOWARDS THE END OF NEPA WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO GO BEFORE THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION. 
          AND THE CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO START IN 2027 AND COMPLETION IN 2029, ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE BUSES DELIVERED THERE, WORK ON THEM BEFORE WE START THE SILVER LINE. PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENT FOR THAT IS GOING TO BE 52 ARTICULATED VEHICLES THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE VEHICLES AND ALSO 50 STANDARD VEHICLES. CURRENT TECHNOLOGY FOR THIS IS C AND G, BUT THE SITE CAN ACCOMMODATE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER IT'S ELECTRIC VEHICLES OR 
          [00:25:02]
HYDROGEN VEHICLES. SO WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT FUNCTION. 
          SO AFTER THAT MY NEXT PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE ON GREEN LINE. 
          IT'S A SHORT STATUS UPDATE. WE RECEIVED FEDERAL FUND OBLIGATION AND SIGNED FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR. THIS PROJECT, THE SERVICE IS FROM AIRPORT THROUGH DOWNTOWN ALONG THE PROJECT LIMITS, BUT THE SERVICE CONTINUES TO BROOKS. SO IT'S SERVICES THAT, BUT THE PROJECT LIMIT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IS 21 AND ISOM AREA AND IT GOES SAN PEDRO THROUGH DOWNTOWN STARS STEED AVENUE. THAT'S THE LIMIT AND THE PROJECT BUDGET THAT IS SET AT $80.8 MILLION. IT IS SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS AS SILVER LINE, 10 MINUTE WEEKDAY FREQUENCY, 15-MINUTE WEEKEND FREQUENCY, 25 STATIONS AND THEN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CONNECTING NORTH AND SOUTH AND IT GOES THROUGH DOWNTOWN WHICH IS A MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTER AND AIRPORT IS ANOTHER EMPLOYMENT CENTER SO THAT'S PROJECT OVERVIEW. 
          SCHEDULE. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING DILIGENTLY TO COMPLETE 95% DESIGN, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED SOME TIME LATE MAY. 
          LAST TIME I WAS HERE, PROBABLY NINE MONTHS AGO, WE HAD SAID WE PROBABLY WOULD START CONSTRUCTION EARLY 2025. THIS TIME SHOWS CONSTRUCTION STARTING MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR. MOST OF IT IS TO TAKE CARE OF UTILITY INVESTIGATION. WHAT WE FOUND OUT AS WE WERE COMPLETING OUR 65 PERSON DESIGN WE NEEDED TO DO A LOT MORE INVESTIGATION ON UTILITY. 
          WE DIDN'T WANT TO START DIGGING AND THEN STOP WORK. SO WE JUST PUSHED AND WE WERE FOCUSING MORE ON PLANNING INVESTIGATION AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED. 
          CONSTRUCTION L START AS I MENTIONED MID THIS YEAR AND EXPECTED SERVICE OPENING DATE IS END OF 2027. FINANCIAL PLAN IS SET AS LAST YEAR WE ARE GETTING ABOUT 55% FUNDING THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDS AND REST OF THE FUNDS ARE LOCAL, INCLUDING VIA HAS ISSUED BONDS, REVENUE BONDS FOR $153.7 MILLION. 
          SO THAT PLAN IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. UTILITY COORDINATION EFFORT. 
          I WANTED TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES EXPLAINING WHY WE DELAYED THE CONSTRUCTION. 
          IT IS THE SUBSURFACE UTILITY ENGINEERING, SUE AS WE KNOW. WE STARTED THE PROJECT KNOWING WHAT IS GIVEN TO US, WHAT EXISTS ON PIECE OF PAPER, BUT AS WE STARTED DIGGING TO LOCATE THE UTILITY, WE NEEDED TO DO A LITTLE MORE INVESTIGATION FOR UTILITY LOCATES. AND WE DECIDED AS A PROJECT TEAM WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION, ESSENTIALLY TO REDUCE RISK TO US AND REDUCE RISK OF STARTING A PROJECT AND IMPACTING COMMUNITIES. SO FLAT AND HER SO LONG IS OUR CONSTRUCTION PARTNER. THEY ARE ON BOARD WITH THAT AND THEY ARE GIVING US VALUABLE FEEDBACK, BUT WE ALSO HAVE CONSULTANT. A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT UTILITY LOOKS LIKE IS THIS, TONS OF UTILITY ARE IN THE CORRIDOR. SO WHENEVER WE LOCATE AND REMOVE UTILITY, WE HAVE TO MOVE SIGNALS TO ACCOMMODATE LANE TURNS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT MULTIPLE UTILITIES. IT IS SAWS, CPS, GAS, ELECTRIC AND MANY OTHER INDEPENDENT UTILITIES. SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON TODAY. AND THEN THIS ALSO HAS OUTREACH PLAN. 
          WE HAVE A PLAN FOR SCHOOL OUTREACH WITH SAISD SCHOOLS. BURR BIANNUAL OPEN HOUSES, OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE TWO ROUNDS OF OPEN HOUSES IN A YEAR. 
          THE NEXT ONE IS LATE MARCH AND I WOULD SAY EARLY APRIL AND OUR LAST ONE WAS IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. WE CONTINUED TO REACH OUT TO INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES AND 
          [00:30:04]
RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS. AND THEN THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. ON THAT. 
          SO AFTER THAT SUNDEEP IS GOING TO GIVE BETTER BUS PRESENTATION. 
          >> THANK YOU. I AM SUNDEEP, DIRECTOR OF SERVICE PLANNING, SCHEDULING. AND I AM THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE BETTER BUS LINE. 
          SO THE PROPOSED BUTTER BUS PLAN, IT -- BETTER BUS PLAN IT IMPROVES OUR BUS SYSTEM THROUGH DESIGN ENHANCEMENT, EXPANDING AND EXPANDING THE VIA LINK SERVICES AND EXPLORING ADDITIONAL INNOVATION TRANSIT SOLUTIONS. 
          SO WHAT THE BETTER BUS PLAN IS DOING IS PROVIDING MORE FREQUENT SERVICE, WHICH MEANS WE CAN HAVE 70% MORE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH FREQUENCY SERVICE, WHICH IS 20 MINUTES OR BETTER TRANSIT SERVICE, INCREASE ACCESS TO BETTER SERVICE ACROSS THE COUNTY, WHICH MEANS ALMOST 50% OF THE PEOPLE WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE DURING PEAK AND MIDDAY PERIODS. IT WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES SO THERE WILL BE ALMOST 44% MORE JOBS, ACCESSIBLE COUNTY-WIDE WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF THE TRANSIT. IT WILL ADVANCE ACCESS TO THE TRANSIT, WHICH MEANS THE LOW INCOME AND THE MINORITY INCOME COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO AT LEAST TWO OR MORE GROCERY STORES DURING MIDDAY WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF THE TRANSIT SERVICE. THERE WILL BE MINIMAL IMPACT TO THE EXISTING CONDITION, WHICH MEANS THERE WILL BE LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE EXISTING RIDERSHIP USING SERVICE AT THE EXISTING BUS STOP. WHEN WE FULLY IMPLEMENT THE BETTER BUS PLAN WE WILL BE PROVIDING 30 MINUTES OR BETTER SERVICE BETWEEN 6:00 A.M. AND 7:00 A.M. ON WEEKDAYS AND ACHE OAK A.M. AND 6:00 P.M. ON WEEKENDS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA. GOING OVER THE TIMELINE IN FALL OF 2023 WE DEVELOPED THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND AT THE SAME TIME ALSO WE START EVALUATING THE EXISTING CONDITIONS. IN WINTER OF 2024 WE LOOK AT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. 
          IN SPRING OF 2024 WE STARTED DOING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
          IN WINTER OF 2024 WE DRAFTED THE SERVICE PLAN BASED ON THE INPUT RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC. WE WILL SHARE THE FINAL SERVICE PLAN IN SPRING OF 2025. IN APRIL OF 2025 WE WILL FINALIZE AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE SERVICE PLAN. STARTING IN 2025 SUMMER WE WILL START IMPLEMENTING THIS BETTER BUS PLAN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, STARTING FROM 2025 SUMMER, TO 2029. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I WILL BE 
          HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. WHILE YOU'RE THERE I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE BUSES. 
          HOW MANY BUSES DO WE HAVE NOW WITH VIA? >> WE HAVE AROUND 500 PLUS. 
          >> COURAGE: OKAY. HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE NEW YOU WOULD SAY COMPARED TO 
          OLDER BUSES? >> I'D HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER TO YOU. 
          >> OF THE ONES YOU WANT TO ADD IN THIS BETTER BUS PLAN, THEY'LL BE NEW, I PRESUME, 
          HOW WILL THEY BE POWERED? >> SO IT WILL BE THE CNG WILL BE USING THE SAME 
          VEHICLES WE HAVE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. >> COURAGE: WHAT IS THE 
          AVERAGE EXPECTANTTY OF THOSE CNG BUSES? >> IT'S 12 TO 15 YEARS. 
          >> COURAGE: I KNOW THAT IN A FEW OTHER COUNTRIES THEY ARE STARTING TO RUN ELECTRIC BUSES. 
          THEY'RE HOOKING THEM TOGETHER. AND WE'RE CREATING A CORRIDOR AND SO WHAT'S THE PROSPECT OF PUTTING ELECTRIC BUSES ON THOSE CORRIDORS? 
          >> WE ALREADY HAVE EIGHT ELECTRIC BUSES AND WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE SERVICE ON ALL THE CORRIDORS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME AS TIME PROCESS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL DEVELOP ELECTRIC BUSES BUT MOST OF THEM WILL BE THE SERVICE WILL BE 
          [00:35:03]
PROVIDING WITH THE CNG FORM NOW, BUT ALWAYS -- THERE IS ALWAYS A FLEET REPLACEMENT PLAN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT 
          ANSWER. >> COURAGE: YEAH. I'D SURE LIKE TO SEE US LOOK AT A PLAN LONG-TERM. IF THE BUSES WE'VE BEEN BUYING OVER THE 10 OR 12 YEARS ARE 10 OR 12 YEARS IN AGE AND WE ARE GOING TO ADD FIVE MORE, OUT OF 50 500 OF THEM THERE MUST BE A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE OLDER AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PLAN FOR REPLACING THEM IN THE FUTURE WITH ELECTRIC BUSES AND MORE OF THEM. 
          I THINK THAT WILL HELP WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT WE FACE IN THIS CITY. 
          >> WE HEAR YOU WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. LIKE SUNDEEP MENTIONED WE DO HAVE ELECTRIC BUSES, WE DO USE THEM. THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOT QUITE WHERE WE WANT THEM BECAUSE THERE'S A FACTOR WHERE YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM OFF SERVICE TO RECHARGE THEM AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER BUS RUNNING. 
          SO TECHNOLOGY IS NOT QUITE WHERE WE WANT IT, BUT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH YOU. 
          THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO IN. AND WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY IS RIGHT WE WILL DEFINITELY MOVE MORE IN THAT DIRECTION. BUT UNTIL THEN CNG IS A GOOD BUS, IT'S RELIABLE AND IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAN DIESEL. 
          >> COURAGE: NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE US -- GIVE US A COMPARISON OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN EUROPE AND SOUTH AMERICA, IN ASIA WITH USING THESE ELECTRIC BUSES, IF THEY'RE NOT QUITE READY FOR US, WHY AREN'T THEY READY FOR THE UNITED STATES IF THEY'RE BEING USED IN THESE OTHER COUNTRIES? I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT VIA NEEDS TO BE MAKING A COMMITMENT LONG-TERM TO TRANSITION AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THEY WOULDN'T WORK HERE IN THEY'RE WORKING IN OTHER COUNTRIES. 
          >> WE'LL GET YOU THAT. >> COURAGE: FOR A FUTURE MEETING OF THIS COMMITTEE. 
          >> THEY COST ROUGHLY $500,000 MORE FOR EACH BUS AND ABOUT 6,000 POUNDS HEAVIER. THAT'S THE AVERAGE VEHICLE BASED ON THE BATTERY. 
          ALSO THEY DO WORK IN PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY DON'T WORK AS WELL HERE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF THREE-DIGIT TEMPERATURES THAT WE HAVE DURING THE SUMMER, SO WE END UP LOSING ABOUT 150 MILES PER CHARGE IN SAN ANTONIO JUST BASED ON THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND THE NEED TO CONSTANTLY RUN THE AIR CONDITIONER HERE. SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO WHY THAT TECHNOLOGY IS NOT QUITE READY YET. ALSO, THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. PREFERS OUR CNG PLAN, SO THAT'S -- WE'RE HAVING TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL TOO. 
          >> COURAGE: WELL, GOOD. I APPRECIATE THOSE FACTS BEING BROUGHT UP. 
          THEY'RE VERY MATERIALISTIC. STILL, LET'S SEE VIA LOOKING MORE LONG-TERM, 10, 15 YEARS DOWN THE LINE, WHAT WE CAN DO. THE OTHER COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE IS THAT I HAVE -- I GUESS I HAVE A PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING WHY WE HAVE SO FEW PUBLIC MEETINGS. I'VE HEARD WE HAD TWO AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO MORE. I THINK THESE PROJECTS ARE REALLY BIG. 
          WHAT KIND OF A PUBLIC MEETING DID WE HAVE FOR BUSINESSES SMALL OR LARGE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED? AND I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT A COMMERCIAL PUBLIC MEETING. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE BUYING INTO THIS AND THAT THEY'RE EDUCATED ENOUGH TO SUPPORT US AS A COUNCIL WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          BUT I'LL OPEN IT UP NOW TO ANY OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCILMAN, GO AHEAD. 
          >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. SPECIFICALLY ON SLIDE 4, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THE MIXED TRAFFIC LANES, THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE THE BUS IS ON THE REGULAR ROAD, RIGHT? 
          >> THAT IS CORRECT. SO MIXED TRAFFIC LANES, BUSES WILL BE IN THE MIXED TRAFFIC, BUT THE STATIONS WE WILL HAVE TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE BEFORE WE BOARD WE WILL HAVE SIGNALS THAT -- TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITY SO WE DO GET STILL SOME BENEFIT OF MOVING OUR VEHICLES RELIABLY THROUGH THE INTERSECTIONS AND REDUCE THE DWELL TIME. SO THE GOAL OF THIS IS REDUCING TIME IT TAKES FOR OUR VEHICLE AND BEING RELIABLE. SO WE ARE ALMOST THERE, BUT THE RIGHT-OF-WAY DOES NOT ALLOW US FOR DEDICATED LANES ON THOSE PORTIONS. 
          >> YEAH. I THINK IT'S JUST DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THAT BECAUSE I THINK WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RIDE THE BUS, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THE SAME TRAFFIC PROBLEMS EVERYONE ELSE IS AND I THINK THEY'RE 
          [00:40:01]
GOING TO BE LESS LIKELY TO RIDE THE BUS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, YES, WE HAD TO DO THAT ON I FORGET WHAT THE OTHER TRANSIT LINE IS ON SAN PEDRO PEDRO, THE GREEN LINE. YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR -- HILDE BRANDT -- 
          >> SO THE HILDEBRAND AND [INDISCERNIBLE] AREA THE BUSES WILL HAVE WHAT WE CALL BAT LINE SO IF IT'S A BUS AND RIGHT ONLY VEHICLE. SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT WHERE RIGHT-OF-WAY ALLOWS WE HAVE 100 PERSON DEDICATED VEHICLES WHERE RIGHT-OF-WAY IS RESTRICTIVE AND WE NEED MORE ACCESS FOR BUSINESSES, IT'S A BUS ONLY, BUT RIGHT TURNING VEHICLES THAT NEED TO GO IN BUSINESSES. AND THEN MIXED TRAFFIC IS WHERE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY PURCHASE IS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE HOUSES OR BUSINESSES VERY CLOSE TO RIGHT-OF-WAY, IT IS GOING TO BE IN MIXED TRAFFIC, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SIGNALS AND STATION, WE ARE STILL 
          GETTING ADVANTAGE OVER THE REGULAR BUS SERVICE. >> LIKE PRIORITIZED 
          SIGNALING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> YES. 
          >> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND PROBABLY SOMETHING TO PARTNER WITH COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ ON IS SETTING THE PROPER EXPECTATIONS FOR RESIDENTS ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE. THEY WON'T SEE A DEDICATED BUS LINE, THEY WILL SEE A BUS IN REGULAR TRAFFIC. AND WHAT I DON'T WANT IS LIKE TO OVERSELL AND OVERPROMISE TO RESIDENTS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE WHEN IN THE REALITY IS YOU'RE GOING TO STOP STAY STOPLIGHT, ALTHOUGH 
          PRIORITIZED SIGNALING OR NOT. >> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, COUNCILMAN, BUT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE IS STILL GOING TO BE THE SAME. IT'S -- WE START OUT, WE WANT CENTER, WE WANT TO RUN IN THE CENTER WHERE WE CAN, BUT IF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY IS NOT THERE WE'LL GO TO CURBSIDE AND IF THAT'S NOT THERE THEN WE HAVE TO GO INTO MIXED TRAFFIC. 
          BUT LIKE SHE SAID OUR FREQUENCY IS GOING TO BE 10 MINUTES. 
          WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION. PEOPLE WILL PAY BEFORE THEY GET ON SO WE'RE STILL DOING ALL THOSE THINGS TO MAKE IT FASTER AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GET THROUGH THAT MIXED TRAFFIC AND THEY GET INTO A DEDICATED BUS LANE THEY'RE STILL GET TO GOING TO GET FASTER SPEED. 
          WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE WHOLE THING CENTER RUNNING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET 
          PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE. >> RIGHT. 
          AND I HEAR YOU, ROD. Y'ALL HAVE Y'ALL'S REASONS. I TOTALLY GET IT. 
          I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR WITH THE EXPECTATIONS FOR RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT UPSET WHEN THE EXECUTION ACTUALLY HAPPENS. 
          >> ABSOLUTELY. >> OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS. ARE THE FEDERAL GRANTS FOR THE SILVER AND GREEN LINE SECURED 
          >> SO THE GREEN LINE, ALL THE FUNDS ARE OBLIGATED SO THAT GRANT IS SECURED LAST YEAR. SILVER LINE WE ARE ON TRACK AND IN THE PROCESS, SO WE WILL APPLY NEXT YEAR, AND WE ARE ALSO MONITORING ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING THAT LEADS US TO 
          BELIEVE THAT GRANTS ARE JEOPARDIZED AT THIS POINT. >> OKAY. 
          DO WE HAVE A PLAN B? >> WE ARE LOOKING AT -- THIS IS A BUDGET TIME. 
          EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS AND VARIOUS SCENARIOS. 
          >> AND WHAT? >> AND VARIOUS SCENARIOS OF WORSE CASE AND WHERE WE ARE TRAJECTORY BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH EVALUATION OF FUNDING, PLAN 
          AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PLAN GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE. >> SURE, YEAH. 
          AND I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO PROBABLY THINK THROUGH THAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING TO GRANTS FRO TRANSPORTATION AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS. MY LAST QUESTION WAS ON TRANSPORTATION PRIORITY, IT LOOKS LIKE A MESS, WHATEVER THAT SLIDE IS WITH ALL THE UTILITY COORDINATION. SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE, AND JOHN, DON'T STRANGLE ME, IS THIS THIS SOMETHING WE COULD WORK ON AS A CITY CAN CPS ENERGY ON SAYING HEY, ANY PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING GOING FORWARD LIKE THIS, BANDERA ROAD, OTHER PROJECTS, A LOT OF THE CONSTRUCTION WE'RE DOING IN DISTRICT 1, TO HAVE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, BECAUSE WE JUST GAVE CPS BACK $26 MILLION, AND THEY COULD PROBABLY BE USING SOME OF THAT MONEY FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR CITY. 
          WE'RE ALL TIRED OF SEEING UTILITY POLES. WE'RE HAVING TO BUILD SIDEWALKS AROUND UTILITY POLES. I MEAN, UTILITY POLES ARE A HAZARD. SO IF WE'RE RETURNING THAT MONEY BACK TO CPS, THE LEAST THEY CAN DO IS GIVE US A PRETTY CITY. WITHOUT UTILITY POLES. 
          [00:45:05]
          >> A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HYING THE BIGGEST HEARTACHE WE'RE SEEING IS FROM SAWS. AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY CAUSED DELAY BECAUSE WHEN YOU FIND A CONFLICT WITH THE STATIONS, IT'S MAINLY WHERE OUR STATIONS ARE LOCATED, AND YOU THINK THAT THE WATER LINE IS THERE, THE SEWER LINE IS THERE, AND IT'S JUST NOT THERE, FROM JUST DOING EARLY EXPLORATORY WE FOUND THAT THEY'RE NOT THERE. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S CAUSING THE DELAY IS WE'RE HAVING TO GO AND POTHOLE, SOMETHING THAT THE CITY DOES ON MOST OF THEIR BOND PROJECTS WHERE YOU GO POTHOLE, DIG A HOLE IN THE GROUND TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE PIPES ARE AT. 
          SO FROM THERE WE REALLY KNOW WHERE THE CONFLICTS ARE AT AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO A BETTER DESIGN. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE SILVER LINE, WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE GREEN LINE AND WE'RE GOING TO POTHOLE BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT IN THE PLANNING STAGE. SO THAT WILL HELP EXPEDITE OUR PLANNING PROCESS. 
          BUT IT'S A FRUSTRATING THING FOR US, IS FRUSTRATING I KNOW FOR THE CITY. 
          YOU JUST -- WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE UTILITIES ARE AT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE NEAR DOWNTOWN AREA, YOU JUST 
          DON'T. >> 
          MEMBER. >> THANKS. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT I THINK --E ALL ON UNSURE FOOTING AND I KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN TIED UP BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE -- I DON'T KNOW. I JUST FEEL LIKE ALL BETS ARE OFF. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY FOR THAT. 
          I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE IN I THINK ALMOST EVERY MEETING WITH THE FTA AND I KEEP TELLING EVERYBODY THIS, BUT WE WEREN'T JUST TALKING ABOUT THE ROADWAY ITSELF. 
          WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OF COURSE TOD AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS REALLY MOVING US FORWARD LITERALLY AS A CITY. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING SOME THINGS IN MIND. YOU WENT OVER THE DIFFERENCES FOR THE GREEN AND THE SILVER LINE. CAN YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP? THOSE PERCENTAGES AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SLIDE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE DIFFERENT DESIGN 
          MILESTONES? >> SO TYPICALLY WE SEND OUR DRAWING PACKAGE TO THE CITY STAFF AND OTHER REVIEWERS AT 35% WHEN WE COMPLETE 35% DESIGN IT GOES TO THE CITY FOR REVIEW. THAT'S WHAT WE DID FOR GREEN LINE, 65% AND NOW IT WILL BE 95%. ALL WE ARE DOING IS REQUESTING CHANGE IN THAT BECAUSE CITY HAS THEIR DESIGN CHECKLIST AT 40, 70 AND 95%, SO WE ARE COMING IN 
          ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT CITY REGULARLY DOES. >> OKAY. 
          IT'S JUST AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THIS? >> YES. 
          >> OKAY. ON THE BETTER BUS PLAN, I THINK IT'S -- WHAT'S EXCITING ME IS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE GROCERY STORES, THE TWO -- DID YOU 
          SAY 30 MINUTES TO TWO OR MORE GROCERY STORES? >> YES. 
          OUR WHOLE SYSTEM IS 30 MINUTES OR BETTER SERVICE. THEY WILL NOT SEE 45 OR 60 MINUTE SERVICE. SO AS WE IMPLEMENT ALL THE BUS SERVICES ARE 30 MINUTES OR BETTER. AND ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU HAVE IS THERE ARE VERY FEW SERVICE HOURS DURING THE MIDDAY, BUT WITH THE BETTER BUS PLAN BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGER SPAN OF SERVICE BETWEEN 6:00 TO 7:00 DURING WEEKDAYS, SO THAT'S THE REASON PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORES, ESPECIALLY 
          DURING THE MIDDAYS AND STUFF. >> THERE IS A NUMBER OF FOOD DESERTS IN OUR CITY SO THAT'S EXCITING IT TO HEAR. AND HOW -- YOU SAID SIX A.M. 
          TO SEVEN A.M. AT LEAST DURING THE WEEK. HOW ARE WE GIVING BETTER BUS SERVICE? HOW IS IT BETTER? MORE FREQUENT? 
          >> YES, MORE FREQUENT. SO THAT -- AT LEAST I WILL SAY WITH THE EXISTING SERVICE WE HAVE ALMOST 65 TO 75 PERCENT OF OUR SERVICE, OUR 60 MINUTE SERVICE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE BETTER BUS PLAN IS ALL THE SERVICE YOU WILL SEE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION IS 30 MINUTES OR BETTER. AS I SAY, THERE'S NO 60 MINUTE FREQUENCY SERVICE, SO ALL THE BUSES WILL BE COMING AT A BUS STOP EVERY 30 MINUTES. THAT'S THE MOST. YOU WILL SEE MUCH MORE SERVICE LIKE 20 MINUTES AND 15 MINUTES. AND WITH THE [INDISCERNIBLE] 
          IT'S 15 MINUTE FREQUENCY. >> THAT'S GREAT. JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS. I KNOW THAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BUSES BEING EMPTY, ESPECIALLY -- IS IT DISTRICT 9 OR DISTRICT 10, THE BIG BUS STATION ON THE NORTHSIDE. I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT WHAT THEY DON'T SEE ARE PEOPLE LIVING IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN AND GOING THERE TO WORK AND A LOT OF TIMES TO WORK, SO I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THEY'RE BEING USED. 
          [00:50:01]
AND EVEN IF IT'S A FEW PEOPLE, THAT'S OPPORTUNITY FOR WORK, FOR ALL THIS DIFFERENT EMPLOYMENT, FOR EDUCATION AND JUST FOR FUN, RIGHT, TO GET TO DIFFERENT PLACES OF TOWN. I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. 
          I DO THINK OUTREACH IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL. THERE WAS AN OUTREACH SLIDE THERE. WE WERE ALL IN THIS ROOM WHEN A COUPLE OF LADIES CAME IN, I NEVER FORGET THAT, AND REALLY WERE UPSET ABOUT WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS THE LACK OF OUTREACH. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE, NOT BRINGING THEM HERE, GOING TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TALKING TO PEOPLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND I SEE IN THIS PLAN. I DO WANT TO MENTION TOO THAT BOSTON HAS ELECTRIC BUSES SO WE HAVE IT IN THE UNITED STATES, WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT WORKS FOR US BECAUSE 500 GRAND IS A LOT OF HUNDRED. 
          AND I KNOW MAYBE THIS IS A LITTLE TOUCHY, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN EIGHT-CENT MAYBE -- DEFINITELY COMING BACK TO YOU GUYS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, AM I WRONG? 
          IS THIS TOUCHY? >> THE READY TO WORK PLAN WILL TRANSITION OVER IN 
          JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PART OF THAT ALLOCATED TOWARDS AT LEAST STARTING TO INVEST IN ELECTRIC BUSES. AND GOING OVER TO THE UTILITY LINES, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TOO. I THINK THAT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR ALL OF US TO BE UNDERGROUND, BUT I WANT TO REMIND THAT MONEY WENT TOWARDS A RATE INCREASE MITIGATION. SO HOW WE ALL CAN WORK WITH CPS, HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH SAWS, HOW YOU WORK WITH US, YOU'VE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS WITH THE CITY, BUT CONTINUING THAT COLLABORATION WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. THANKS, CHAIR. 
          >> THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU'LL FOR THIS UPDATE. 
          YOU GUYS I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT THE GREEN LINE IS A VERY BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION FOR EVERYONE IN MY DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. SO I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE ASKED, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ON USING SUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE UTILITIES LINES ARE BECAUSE THE WORST THING WE CAN WE COULD DO IS HERE IS OPEN UP THE VEIT AND THEN HAVE NOBODY WORKING ON IT. 
          AND I HOPE AND WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE COMMUNICATING WITH EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT AS FAR OUT AS WE CAN POSSIBLY GO, NOT JUST A HALF A BLOCK, BUT FROM -- AS AT LEAST TWO BLOCKS FROM SAN PEDRO ON BOTH DIRECTIONS SHOULD BE GETTING NOTIFIED WITH VERY DETAILED NOTIFICATION WITH THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR HELP ON NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE. SO WE'VE GOT LOTS OF THOUGHTS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS THAT I KNOW THAT WE'LL WORK TOGETHER ON, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN FOLKS AS I'M BLOCK WALKING RIGHT NOW DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE IS, WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN IS, BUSINESSES DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE -- FOLKS DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT INTO THEIR STREETS OR NOT EVEN TODAY. AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT FURTHER AND WIDER. AND I TRANSPARENTLY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHICH STREET YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT ON AND WHICH YOU'RE NOT. SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT -- IF THE FULL CONSTRUCTION PLAN HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED AS TO LIKE WHAT DATES ARE HAPPENING WHEN, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW WHEN I'M BLOCK WALKING I CAN TELL THE FOLKS ON THE STREET YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. SO IF WE COULD MAKE SURE WE GET THAT. 
          AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHICH STRIP MALLS YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCESS, WHICH BUSINESSES YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCESS VIA LEFT TURN ANYMORE. 
          SO THAT'S MY ONE THOUGHT ON COMMUNICATION. THE SECOND THING ON JUST IN TERMS OF LIKE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND HOW THIS KIND OF WHOLE GREEN LINE HAS EVOLVED, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE TAKING FROM THE GREEN LINE AND TRANSLATING TO THE SILVER LINE? 
          >> SURE. SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE ALSO HIT ON THAT. 
          YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY CHAIRMAN COURAGE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OPEN HOUSES. ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF AS WE GO ALONG GET DIMINISHING RETURNS ON TURNOUT AT OPEN HOUSES, SO WE'RE STILL DOING THAT EVENT-BASED OUTREACH WHERE WE INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND SHOW UP AND LOOK AT THINGS, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING THAT PROACTIVE ONE ON ONE OUTREACH. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1047 BUSINESSES -- 747 BUSINESSES ALONG GREEN LINE WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THEM MULTIPLE TIMES WITH STOP INS AND ABOUT TO START AGAIN ON GREEN LINE, ESPECIALLY AS WE POSTPONE THE START OF CONSTRUCTION IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE UTILITY ISSUE SO THAT -- SO VERY IS SOON WE WILL START THE BLOCK WALKING AS WELL TOO AND IT WILL BE FROM BLANCO TO MCCOLLOUGH SO A HALF MILE OUT FROM THE CORRIDOR SO EVERYBODY IS GOING TO KNOW AND THEN WE'LL DO ANOTHER ROUND OF THOSE OPEN HOUSES, THAT EVENT-BASED MARKETING. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE LESSONS LEARNED IS THAT EVENT-BASED MARKETING ISN'T ALL WE SHOULD BE DOING. WE NEED TO COUPLE THAT WITH THAT ONE ON ONE INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS, THE UNIQUE TOUCH POINTS BOTH WITH MAIL, WITH AT THEIR DOOR AND IN 
          [00:55:02]
THEIR BUSINESS. WE DON'T HAVE A PHASING PLAN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION ON GREEN LINE YET, THAT'S STILL BEING DEVELOPED BECAUSE THE UTILITIES ARE TAKING LONGER. 
          BUT WE WILL GET OUT THERE AGAIN WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF OUTREACH PRIOR TO THE START OF CONSTRUCTION SO EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THREE TO FOUR MONTH PERIOD THERE THEIR AREA WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THEN WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TURN AND WON'T BE ABLE TO TURN AFTERWARDS AND WHERE THAT PROTECTED U-TURN IS SO AGAIN MAKE A LEFT TURN HERE THEY CAN GO DOWN TO THE NEXT INTERSECTION AND HAVE THAT PROTECTED U-TURN. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO BE OPENING UP THOSE TO DO MORE OF THAT ONE-ON-ONE OUTREACH. OUR BOARD GAVE ME FOUR MORE EMPLOYEES JUST FOR SILVER LINE TO DO THAT OUTREACH, SO WE HAVE ALREADY HIRED THOSE FOLKS UP. I NEED TO BRING THOSE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO EAST SIDE TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S OFFICE TO INTRODUCE HIM TO THE FIELD OFFICE THERE, THEN I WILL DO THE SAME THING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE. 
          WE WILL ALSO START OUR BLOCK WALKING IN PROBABLY THE NEXT MONTH WITH A BILINGUAL TEAM TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND EXPLAIN DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT WHILE WE ARE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS. WE ARE GOING TO DO PROBABLY JUNE, ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE EVENT-BASED COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. LIKE WE SHOWED YOU THE HEB, 
          WE MOVED A STATION BETTER ALLOW WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO. >> KAUR: THE WORK MARIO DID IN THE FALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO BUT ARE YOU GUYS, WAS MARIO COLLECTING CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FOLKS THAT WANTED TO STAY? 
          >> YES. >> KAUR: THE ONE FEEDBACK I WOULD STILL PROVIDE, A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW THE GREEN LINE GRAPHIC, THAT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE IT WAS FIRST CREATED. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE AFTER FEEDBACK WAS BEING PROVIDED, ANYTHING WAS CHANGING, ANY INFORMATION WAS BEING HEARD. THE FAQ STAYED THE SAME, THE GRAPHICS ALL STAYED THE SAME. EVEN THE DOOR HANGER, I RECEIVED THE DOOR HANGER, THERE WASN'T AN ABILITY FOR LIKE ESPECIALLY FOR THE GREEN LINE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S A CONSTRUCTION NOTICE. IT NEEDS TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I WOULD JUST SAY MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HEARING THE FEEDBACK AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING AND ACTUALLY CHANGING THE COLLATERAL IS IMPORTANT SO THAT FOLKS CAN SEE WHAT'S 
          PROGRESSING AND WHAT'S STILL NOT. >> RIGHT. 
          >> KAUR: I WILL STOP THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THAT'S BEING UPDATED RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN GO RIGHT BACK OUT, SO WE WILL PROBABLY CROSS PATHS WITH YOU OUT AT PEOPLE'S FRONT DOOR AND THEN WE DIDN'T FORGET, THOSE VISUALS THAT YOU ASKED FOR, ALL OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE DELIVERED BY THE BEGINNING OF APRIL. 
          >> COURAGE: COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, CHAIR. BEFORE I FORGET, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BURIAL OF UTILITY LINES WAS MENTIONED, BACK IN 2023, I FILED A CCR ARE COUNCIL ME MEMBER HAVRDAABOUT HIGH INFRASTRUCTURE UTILITY PROJECTS. IT'S THE ONLY CCR IN THE PAST YEAR THAT JUST SAYS REMOVED. 
          MY INTERPRETATION OF THAT IS NOT POSITIVE. IF NEEDED, I'M SURE THAT WE CAN REFILE THE CCR FOR DISCUSSION BUT I WOULD MUCH PREFER WE BRING THE DISCUSSION BACK HERE NEXT MONTH, OR IN MAY, WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ALL OF THAT. 
            
          LOOK. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. 
          TO THE DISCUSSION AT HAND, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO BRING UP IS A VIA LINK. 
          I THINK IT'S A VERY POSITIVE PROGRAM. WHENEVER I'M DRIVING THROUGH MY DISTRICT, I'M SEEING A VIA LINK CAR. I THINK IT'S POSITIVE. 
          I THINK IT'S ALREADY HELPING FOLKS. BUT THE CHALLENGE THERE FOR ME IS THAT'S THE REALLY NOT REMOVING VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD OR IT'S NOT MASS TRANSIT, SO I WONDER HOW IT MIGHT BE USED AS A TOOL TO TRANSITION TO FOLK WHO ARE NOT USING OUR BUSES TO THEN START BECOMING MORE RELIABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION USERS. 
          I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF RIDERSHIP, WHETHER PEOPLE WHO USUALLY RIDE THE BUS AND NOW ARE RIDING THIS OR WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? 
          >> OUR PREVIOUS IMPLEMENTATION WAS WE ARE MOVING A ROUTE WITH 60-MINUTE FREQUENCY, REPLACING THAT WITH VIA LINK ZONES. THE VIA LINK ZONES GENERALLY HAVE SERVICE I WOULD SAY 15 MINUTES OR BETTER, AND WE SEE REALLY A GOOD AMOUNT OF INCREASING RIDERSHIP IN THE VIA LINK ZONES. SO PEOPLE ARE USING AND ACTUALLY, WE ARE TAKING PEOPLE OUT FROM THEIR CARS. WE CAN SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE WE SEE ALMOST 100% INCREASING THE RIDERSHIP COMING BACK FROM COVID. 
          SO AS WE START IMPLEMENTING BECAUSE IT HAS LIKE 15 MINUTES OR BETTER FREQUENCY, PEOPLE ARE RIDING AND I WOULD SAY EVEN OPERATING WITHIN THE ZONE, WE DESIGNED THE ZONES 
          [01:00:05]
IN SUCH A WAY TO TAKE PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO WITHIN THE ZONE. 
          SO IT'S TAKING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS FOR SURE. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS A 
          GOOD AMOUNT OF INCREASING RIDERSHIP. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: FOR SURE. 
          I GUESS MY POINT IS MORE SO THAT MAYBE IT'S TAKING THEM OUT OF THEIR OWN CAR, IT'S 
          STILL JUST PUTTING THEM IN ANOTHER CAR. >> YES, BUT IT'S ANOTHER FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSIT, THOUGH. IT'S MORE LIKE WE WILL VENTURE INTO MORE THE INNOVATIVE ZONES BUT IT'S MORE TAKING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT. WE SEE REALLY A GOOD DEMAND 
          THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. >> IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION. 
          BECAUSE IT CONNECTS TO OUR BROADER SYSTEM, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY GO MULTIPLE MILES ON A NORMAL BUS ROUTE. THIS ALLOWS THEM TO GET A BETTER OPTION FOR SOME OF THAT LAST MILE OR FIRST MILE OPTION, SO THEY CONNECT TO THE LARGER SYSTEM AND THEY CAN GO MUCH FARTHER THAT WAY. BUT IF THEY JUST NEED A SMALL TRIP, WE DON'T NEED A 40-FOOT OR 60-FOOT BUS TO MAKE THAT INDIVIDUAL TRIP. JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDABROUGHT UP, WE DO GET ACCUSED OF ANTI-BUSES SOMETIMES BUT ALL TRANSIT IS BUILT FOR THE HIGH USAGE MARK. IF I DRIVE AT 7:30 A.M. ON SUNDAY, I COULD BE ASKING WHY DID WE SPEND THE MONEY ON THE ROAD TO BUILD IT WHEN NO ONE IS USING IT 24 HOURS A DAY. SAME THING WITH OUR BUSES. IF WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN A 40-FOOT OR 60-FOOT BUS AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY OUT IN SOME OF THE 1604 OUTSKIRTS AREA, WE CAN JUST GET AWAY WITH A DODGE CARAVAN AND FEWER THAN THE NORMAL BUSES WE WOULD HAVE TO JUST MEET THAT 60-MINUTE ROUTE, THAT'S MORE ECONOMICAL FOR US AND SAVES THE RIDERS A LOT OF TIME, AND THEN IT CONNECTS TO OUR LARGER SYSTEM. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: GOT YOU. I THINK THAT HELPS. AT THE GREEN LINE, I'M WONDERING, I KNOW THE QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING AND WHATNOT BUT I THINK LOOKING AT THE FUNDING PLAN THAT BASICALLY SHARES THAT THE PROJECTS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE FULLY FUNDED, SPECIFICALLY I THINK THE GREEN LINE, I DON'T KNOW, THE SILVER LINE, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT HAD. WAS THAT THE ONE WHERE WE 
          INCLUDED -- >> SO GREEN LINE IS FULLY FUNDED BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOCAL MATCH THROUGH THE BONDS, AND FEDERAL FUNDS ARE OBLIGATED. 
          THAT MEANS WE HAVE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT AND THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM FY '23 AND FY '24 
          BUDGET. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SILVER LINE IS MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED. I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS THING IS SO LOUD. 
          THE SILVER LINE IS MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED. THAT ONE DID LOOK LIKE WE ANTICIPATE IT TO BE FULLY FUNDED, BUT ARE WE PREPARED IN THE EVENT THAT IT'S NOT? WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING? BECAUSE THAT WAS A 
          SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. >> SO CURRENTLY, WE ARE -- SILVER LINE, THE FUNDING THAT WE HAD SOUGHT IS IN THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. 
          WE ARE EXPECTING THIS PROJECT TO BE IN FY '26 FEDERAL BUDGET. 
          WE ARE ON TRACK TO MEET ALL OF THAT. SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE. 
          SO THE PROJECT IS GOING AS PER THE NORMS OR HOW IT SHOULD MOVE. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, WITHIN VIA, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND LOOKING AT PLAN B AS SOMEONE HAS MENTIONED SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS ARE CHANGING. 
          SO WE ARE LOOKING AT PLAN B FOR THAT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S ALL I REALLY NEEDED TO HEAR ON THAT. 
          >> WE DID AS SOON AS SECRETARY DUFFY WAS CONFIRMED, HE PUT OUT A MEMO CLARIFYING HOW SOME OF THE FUNDING WAS GOING TO GO. THERE ARE THREE WAYS THEY WERE GOING TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING. ONE IS OPPORTUNITY ZONES. WE HAVE 24 OPPORTUNITY ZONES IN BEXAR COUNTY THAT ARE CONNECTED ALL THROUGH OUR SYSTEM. 
          THE SECOND WAS A FAMILY STRENGTHENING, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME AND LESS IN THEIR TRANSIT OR TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM 
          [01:05:07]
WORK. THIRD WAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND THE SILVER LINE IS RIFE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO WE ACTUALLY CHECK THE BOX ON ALL THREE PRIORITIES THAT THE DOT PUT OUT IN SECRETARY DUFFY'S MEMO. 
          WE FEEL REALLY STRONG THAT WE ARE GOING TO PURSUE THOSE FUNDS AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR LOCAL FUNDING, BOTH FROM THE 50 MILLION OR ROUGHLY 43.4 THAT WAS PART OF THE FY2020 OR THE 2020 BALLOT MEASURE AND THEN THE BEXAR COUNTY FUNDS THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ALL OF OUR LOCAL FUNDS SO NOW ALL WE NEED IS THE FEDERAL 
          GOVERNMENT TO MATCH THOSE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. 
          I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION WILL BE ABOUT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FUTURE. 
          I GOT TO VISIT OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA SOME TIME AGO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. 
          THEY HAD A RAIL SYSTEM IN PLACE AND IT WAS FANTASTIC AND VERY QUICK AND EFFICIENT, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE UP ANY OF THE ROOM ON THE ROADS, THEN WENT TO REDMOND, WASHINGTON AND THEIR TRANSPORTATION INCLUDES RAIL FROM THERE TO SEATTLE AND THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE AREA. I'M WONDERING, IS THERE ROOM IN THE FUTURE FOR INNOVATION OR FOR US TO TRANSITION FROM ART ON THE ROAD TO BEING RAIL AT SOME POINT? 
          >> PRIOR TO COVID, THERE WAS A BALLOT MEASURE THAT REQUIRES IF VIA WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING ON RAIL, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE VOTERS EVERY SINGLE TIME. 
          ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT BALLOT WERE LIMITING THE CITY MANAGER TO EIGHT YEARS AND ALSO CAPPING THE SALARY AS WELL, TOO. SO WE WERE PART OF THAT WHOLE SYSTEM. WE ARE FINDING GREAT SUCCESS, THOUGH, WITH OUR ART SYSTEM RIGHT NOW. WE ARE BUILDING A HUGE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR SYSTEM THAT'S REALLY GOING TO MOVE US FORWARD SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH DURING THIS NEXT FOUR YEARS, THIS ADMINISTRATION WON'T BE AS HAPPY WITH RAIL AS THEY WILL BE WITH RUBBER TIRE BUSES. SO THAT'S RIGHT WITHIN, TO USE THE PUN, OUR WHEELHOUSE, OUR RUBBER TIRE WHEELHOUSE. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT THOSE 
          OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT NOW. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN? >> GAVITO: I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE TO THE UNDERGROUND RU UTILITIES. 
          I'M SURE VIA IS FACING A LOT OF HEADACHE WITH THAT. MY POINT IS, IT'S REALLY FOR US AS A CITY HAVE TO GET REALLY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM OUR UTILITIES BEING SAWS AND CPS AND IF WE WANT TO SEE A PRETTY CITY, WE NEED TO DEMAND IT. 
          JUST GOING TO CLOSE OUT AND SAY THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, CHAIR. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING WE MAY BRING TO THIS COMMITTEE FOR REPORT FROM CPS. I HAD A THOUGHT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRYING TO GET CARS OFF THE ROAD. MAYBE WE OUGHT TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS A CAR, WHO HAS CAR INSURANCE, TO SHOW US THAT THEY ARE INSURED FOR A CAR AND WE CAN GIVE THEM A DISCOUNT OR FREE BUS PASS AS AN INCENTIVE TO LEAVE THEIR CAR AND USE THE BUS AS THIS GOES FORWARD. LIKE TO SEE US LOOK AT HOW WE 
          CAN INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR CARS AT HOME. >> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. 
          MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE LEAVING HERE TO GO TALK TO OUR BOARD AND ONE OF THE BOARD'S INITIATIVES IS TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUGGEST, IS LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE FREE F FARES TO FOLKS TO GET THEM TO TRY OUR SYSTEM SO WE CAN HOOK THEM IN. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN EXPLORE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. 
          THAT CONCLUDES OUR FIRST ITEM. ONLY TWO MORE TO GO. 
          OUR SECOND PRESENTATION IS ON MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION. CAT HERNANDEZ WILL BE 
          PRESENTING. GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I WILL BE PROVIDING A BRIEFING ON THE RECOMMENDATION FOR MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. 
          IN JANUARY, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE BIKE NETWORK PLAN WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO FORM A TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. THE GOAL OF THIS COMMISSION WOULD PROVIDE INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON POLICY AND OTHER ISSUES AFFECTING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS. IN ADDITION TO THE BIKE NETWORK PLAN, CITY COUNCIL ALSO ADOPTED THE 2024 COMPLETE STREETS POLICY AND THE 2024 UPDATE TO THE VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN IN SEPTEMBER 2024, AND RECENTLY ADOPTED THE TRANSIT ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK IN DECEMBER OF 2024. ALL OF THESE POLICIES 
          [01:10:05]
RECOMMENDED A COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICIES AND OTHER IMPLEMENTATION STEPS. A RECOMMENDED COMPOSITION IS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE. IN ADDITION TO THE COUNCIL DISTRICT APPOINTMENTS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE APPOINTMENTS FROM VIA AND ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE CEO. 
          IN ORDER TO ENSURE REPRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE PERSPECTIVES CENTRAL IN THIS SPACE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SEVERAL CATEGORIES BE REPRESENTED. SIMILAR TO HOW HDRC, OUR HISTORIC DESIGN AND REVIEW COMMISSION, APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE TO FILL CATEGORIES, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SLOTS WOULD CHOOSE FROM THE RECOMMENDED REQUIRED CATEGORIES OF THREE TRANSIT RIDERS, THREE CYCLISTS AND ONE TRAFFIC ENGINEER. FOR THE REMAINING COUNCIL DISTRICT SLOTS, THESE AREAS ARE RECOMMENDED THAT HELP TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE WHEN RECRUITING TO FILL. THESE CATEGORIES ARE RECOMMENDED SO THAT THEIR PERSPECTIVES PROVIDE INPUT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR COMPLETE STREETS, VISION ZERO AND TRANSIT ORIENTED POLICIES. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROPOSED MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION INCLUDE PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REVIEW AND UPDATE TO POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND AMENDMENTS TO CITY CODE. FOR EXAMPLE, AS A RESULT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY AND TRANSIT ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK, THE COMMISSION CAN PROVIDE INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EDITS TO THE UDC-RELATED STREET DESIGN STANDARDS. 
          THE PROPOSED COMMISSION WILL ALSO ACT AS AN ADVISOR TO THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR ON EXCEPTIONS TO THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY. THIS PROVIDES A MORE PUBLIC PROCESS TO ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ALLOW VARIANCES TO THE POLICY DUE TO CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS EXCESSIVELY DISPROPORTIONATE COST OR ACCOMMODATIONS WHERE THEY ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR ALL ROAD USERS. THIS COMMISSION WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE EXTERNAL COMMITTEE THAT HELPS TO MAINTAIN OUR GOLD MEDAL STANDING FOR COMPLETE STREETS POLICY WHICH WAS AWARDED BY CITY HEALTH LATE LAST YEAR. 
          AS THE COMMISSION GETS ESTABLISHED, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THEY MEET AT A MINIMUM QUARTERLY AND AS NEEDED. THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR STAFFING THE COMMISSION AS IS THE PRACTICE WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS TO DEPARTMENTS. STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS ITEM MOVE FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION AND THEN PROCEED WITH NEW APPOINTMENTS. 
          THE TERMS ARE PROPOSED TO COINCIDE WITH COUNCIL TERMS AS IS THE PRACTICE WITH MOST COMMISSIONS. THANK YOU. WE ARE HERE FOR ANY 
          QUESTIONS. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, CAT. I JUST WANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING. IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GOING TO APPOINT SOMEBODY, WE WOULD TRY TO SEE IF WE HAD SOMEBODY WHO WAS A TRANSIT RIDER OR CYCLIST OR TRAFFIC 
          ENGINEER? >> THAT'S CORRECT. YES. 
          SEVEN SLOTS WOULD BE RESERVED TO FILL THESE THREE CATEGORIES. 
          >> COURAGE: WHEN YOU SAY RESERVED, THAT KIND OF TELLS ME THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN TYPE OF AN APPOINTEE IN ORDER TO MEET THAT RESERVE, AND IF I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE IN MY DISTRICT, HOW DO I APPOINT SOMEONE? 
          >> THE WAY IT'S RECOMMENDED RIGHT NOW, SEVEN OUT OF THE 11 WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD HAVE -- WOULD HAVE TO MEET THAT REQUIRED CATEGORY. THE OTHER FOUR, WE ARE GIVING YOU GUIDANCE AS TO WHO YOU COULD CHOOSE, BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT TO FILL THOSE 
          CATEGORIES THAT ARE SEEN ON THIS SCREEN. >> COURAGE: COULDN'T WE HAVE VIA OR AMPO APPOINT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER SO THAT ONE OF US DOESN'T HAVE TO FIND ONE IN 
          OUR DISTRICT? >> YES. >> COURAGE: THEORETICALLY? OKAY. BUT ALSO, WE WANT TO FIND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR HAVE CHILDREN OR LIVE IN A DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. 
          THERE SEEMS TO BE MULTIPLE CATEGORIES WE MAY HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY TO FIT, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE OF TWO DIFFERENT KINDS. I'M JUST PUTTING THIS OUT THERE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CAN WE I'LL MEET THAT ONE AND THE OTHERS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. 
          I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIT OF A DISCUSSION POINT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ANY COMMENTS THEY 
          HAVE. YES. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. 
          I HEARD JOEY IN THE AUDIENCE EARLIER AND I KNOW I VALUE THE TIME AND INSIGHTS OF OUR CITIZEN-LED COMMITTEES I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEIR TIME AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE VALUED. 
          HOW DO YOU FORESEE THE COMMITTEE PROPOSING DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS OR POLICY PROPOSALS TO US? WILL THAT RUN THROUGH THE TRANS 
          TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT? >> YES, THEY WOULD RUN THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. WE WILL STAFF THAT COMMISSION SO WE CAN GET THEIR RECOMMENDED INPUT, SIMILAR TO HOW OTHER COMMISSIONS RUN TODAY. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE WE BROUGHT FORWARD THE TRANSIT ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK TO 
          [01:15:04]
COUNCIL, WE TOOK IT TO HOUSING COMMISSION FOR A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. 
          AGAIN, BECAUSE THESE ARE CITIZEN-LED TYPE COMMITTEES, WE WANT TO BE SURE WE ARE GETTING THAT INPUT FROM THOSE COMMISSIONS. THAT WOULD BE THE CASE FOR 
          THIS ONE AS WELL. >> GAVITO: OKAY, THANK YOU. I WOULD WANT TO SEE THIS COMMITTEE'S VALUE AND IMPORTANCE SIMILAR TO LIKE JOEY WAS SAYING, WE NEED TO BE AGGRESSIVE ON BETTER TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS. I WOULD IMAGINE LIKE THE DISTRICT 7 APPOINTEE BEING VERY INVOLVED WITH A BIKE PATH AND ALL OF OUR WORK BEING DONE THERE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND JUST WOULD HOPE THAT ALL 
          OF US TAKE THE VALUE OF THIS COMMITTEE SERIOUSLY. >> THANK YOU. 
          >> GAVITO: THANKS, CHAIR. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          I WILL ECHO SOME OF WHAT CHAIRMAN COURAGE MENTIONED. I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO IDENTIFY A TRAFFIC ENGINEER WITHOUT -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I WOULD GO ABOUT STARTING THAT. BUT I WOULD WONDER IF IT'S POSSIBLE MAYBE THAT WE REQUIRE THE VIA APPOINTEE OR AMPO APPOINTEE TO BE EITHER -- PROBABLY ONE OF THEM DEFINITELY BE THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER APPOINTEE, WHERE THEY HAVE TO APPOINT THAT, THEN I THINK IF WE WANTED TO MAYBE TRANSIT RIDER FOR THE VIA APPOINTEE. 
          THAT WAY, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR THE REST OF COUNCIL, BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IS YOU GET SOMEBODY, SAY DISTRICT 4 IS THE LAST COUNCIL MEMBER TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, AND THEY HAVE TO FIND A CYCLIST, AND IN DISTRICT 4, I'M WONDERING WHAT DOES THE CYCLING NETWORK LOOK LIKE. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT. SO I WANT TO MAKE IT AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE. I WOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF ACTUALLY CALLING THE MEETING AND IF WE HAVE FOLK WHO ARE RELIABLE TRANSIT RIDERS, THAT THE MEETINGS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM. SAME WITH CYCLISTS. I THINK THIS WILL BE A REALLY GOOD COMMISSION TO TEST MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT AND HOW ACCESSIBLE OUR MEETINGS REALLY ARE TO PEOPLE. I THINK LOCATION IS GOING TO BE KEY, TIMING IS GOING TO BE KEY. ALL OF THAT. OTHER THAN THAT, DOES THIS 
          REQUIRE ACTION? >> WE ARE REQUESTING ACTION TO MOVE FORWARD TO CITY 
          COUNCIL. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SO IF WE WANTED THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO COME FROM AMPO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR AND THEN 
          MOVE THAT TO COUNCIL? >> WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE. THE OTHER TWO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, I KNOW WE ARE LOUD, SORRY, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CORE WORK THEY ARE GOING TO DO, THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO I THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT FROM CAT. 
          THE REASON FOR THINKING AROUND TRANSIT RIDERS IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK AROUND TOD. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEHOW, WE GET TRANSIT RIDERS ON THIS COMMISSION. THAT'S THE IDEA. SAME THING WITH CYCLISTS. 
          WE DON'T WANT A COMMISSION THAT GETS COMPOSED AND THEN THERE ARE NO BICYCLE ADVOCATE ONE ADVOCATES ON THE COMMISSION AT ALL. 
          WE ARE OPEN TO IT. >> IF I CAN, WE WOULD HELP WITH THAT RECRUITMENT SIMILAR TO HOW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HELPS TO RECRUIT THE PLANNING COMMISSION TECHNICAL ADVISORY. IT'S ALSO SIMILAR TO HOW OUR OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION HELPS TO RECRUIT TO FILL THEIR CATEGORIES FOR HDRC SO YOU CAN FILL YOUR APPOINTMENTS. AGAIN, WE WOULD BE RIGHT IN STEP WITH YOU TO HELP YOU RECRUIT FOR THOSE CATEGORIES DEPENDING UPON HOW THEY FALL OUT. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I DON'T DOUBT THAT ANYONE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE FINDING A TRANSIT RIDER OR MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE -- I THINK CYCLISTS ARE VERY, ARE STRONG ADVOCATES IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M SURE THEY WOULD FIND US. TRAFFIC ENGINEER IS MORE LIKELY. AS LONG AS THAT IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, THEN MOVE TO SEND TO COUNCIL. 
          GO AHEAD AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS? >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. 
          I'M JUST MAKING SURE. LIKE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED, IF WE ARE A COUNCIL PERSON AND HAVE A TRAFFIC ENGINEER OR CYCLIST, AND YOU GET THERE FIRST, YOU GET THE 
          SPOT? >> AGAIN -- >> HAVRDA: IT IS KIND OF LIKE 
          THAT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. >> THE IDEA IS IT COULD BE MORE THAN THREE. 
          IT'S JUST A MINIMUM. JUST TO ENSURE THERE IS SOME REPRESENTATION. 
          THE COMMITTEE COULD ALSO MAKE IT TWO, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THREE IS TOO ONEROUS. 
          THAT'S THE IDEA, IS A MINIMUM. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. 
          [01:20:04]
          >> ONLY SEVEN, AGAIN, ALLOWS FOUR OF THOSE SLOTS TO BE OPEN-ENDED. 
          >> HAVRDA: RIGHT. YEAH, OKAY, BECAUSE VIA AND AMPO. 
          GOT IT. SO I THINK MY ONLY REAL CONCERN ABOUT THIS IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SPACE FOR BETTER REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. 
          PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, DISABILITY AC ACCESS. 
          FRANKLY, LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES THAT RELY ON TRANSIT BECAUSE I SEE TRANSIT USERS BUT THAT COULD BE ME AND I HAVE A VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO THAT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, ESPECIALLY A PERSON WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS A REQUIREMENT ON HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE MOTION BUT I DO HAVE A CONCERN THAT WE ARE NOT AS INCLUSIVE AS MAYBE I WOULD LIKE. ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT. 
          >> ONE OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES TO FILL THOSE LAST REMAINING SLOTS THAT WOULD BE OPEN-ENDED COULD COME FROM THESE. AGAIN, YOU COULD, A MOTION COULD BE THAT ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES BE A REQUIREMENT. AGAIN, WE CAN PLAY WITH THE NUMBERS FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. BUT YES, THIS WOULD BE THE GUIDANCE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR IN ORDER TO FILL THOSE CATEGORIES THAT YOU WANT TO 
          BE SURE THAT ARE SHOWN ON THIS COMMISSION. >> HAVRDA: AS OF RIGHT NOW, 
          THESE ARE NOT MANDATORY. THE OTHER SLIDE IS MANDATORY. >> THAT'S CORRECT. 
          >> HAVRDA: IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE GO. >> YES. 
          >> HAVRDA: I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO FILL EVERY SPOT. WE NEED TO LEAVE SOME THAT ARE JUST OPEN. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SPOT FOR THE DISABLED 
          COMMUNITY. >> OKAY. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. 
          SECOND PART, MAYBE THIS IS ALREADY ANSWERED, BUT THE AUTHORITY IS AN ADVISORY GROUP? I'M NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF WEIGHT THE COMMISSION IS 
          GOING TO CARRY. >> SO THEY ARE RECOMMENDING BASED ON THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES -- THEY ARE NOT A FINAL AUTHORITY, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE PLANNING COMMISSION IS A FINAL AUTHORITY, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS A QUASI-JUDICIAL BODY WHERE IT'S FINAL APPROVAL. THIS IS A RECOMMENDING BODY. IT'S ALSO ADVISORS SIMILAR TO HOW HDRC IS WITH THEIR ADVISOR TO THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. 
          SO THEY WOULD BE ADVISOR RELATED TO EXCEPTIONS IN THE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY. 
          >> HAVRDA: OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. I DON'T KNOW IF, CAN I MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? TO INCLUDE ONE POSITION REQUIRING A PERSON WITH 
          DISABILITIES, SPECIAL NEEDS? >> COURAGE: I WAS THINKING ABOUT ELDERLY, TOO. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT SOMEBODY BE ELDERLY AND I THINK SENIOR CITIZENS AND 
          TRANSPORTATION'S A BIG ISSUE FOR THEM, TOO. >> HAVRDA: WHAT'S ELDERLY? 
          >> COURAGE: SENIOR CITIZEN. >> HAVRDA: WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF ELDERLY? 
          LIKE OVER 60? >> COURAGE: I THINK ANYONE ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY 
          WOULD BE ELDERLY. >> HAVRDA: I WILL MAKE THAT AMENDMENT. 
          >> COURAGE: YEAH. I WILL ACCEPT THAT. >> JUST SOME CLARITY, IF I COULD. PERHAPS TO LEAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER NOT HAVING THREE AND THREE, BUT TWO AND TWO AND THEN ONE AND ONE, TO GIVE FLEXIBILITY TO THE APPOINTEES. > 
          >> IF WE DO TWO TRANSIT RIDERS, TWO CYCLISTS, ONE MEMBER OF THE DISABLED COMMUNITY, COULD WE REQUIRE THAT THE REST BE AT LEAST ONE OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES? SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO APPOINT SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PUBLIC TRANSIT USER, CYCLIST OR MEMBER OF THE DISABLED COMMUNITY, THEY MUST FIT INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES? 
          >> YOU CAN. I WOULD JUST BE CONCERNED IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN OPEN-ENDED REPRESENTATIVE FROM THEIR DISTRICT. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I'M HEARING WE WANT TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL. 
          I KNOW I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN BUT IT'S A QUESTION. >> HAVRDA: I'M LOOKING AT THE LIST, OLDER MOTORISTS, THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD LIST. BUT I AGREE, BECAUSE I COULD PICK SOMEBODY THAT ISN'T ON THIS LIST AT ALL, ALTHOUGH IT'S PRETTY BROAD LIST. 
          I COULD TECHNICALLY PICK SOMEBODY NOT ON THAT LIST. I LIKE THE IDEA OF THERE'S THESE OTHER MANDATORY SPOTS BUT THE OPEN SPOTS THEN HAVE TO FALL INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES. BUT I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST A MEMBER OF THE DISABLED COMMUNITY ON THE MANDATORY LIST. I DON'T KNOW. 
          YOU WANT TO WORK THIS OUT? HOW DO WE DO THIS? PLEASE. 
          >> WHAT I HEARD FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BECAUSE THIS COMMITTEE IS 
          [01:25:05]
REPRESENTATIVE OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, THAT WE JUST HAD THE ALAMO CITY GOLF TRAILS BOARD COME TO US AND THE STAFF REVIEWS APPLICATIONS AND PRESENTS KIND OF A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD AND IT BECOMES, THE STAFF GOES THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND THEN DECIDES. 
          I UNDERSTAND IT TAKES AWAY OUR ABILITY TO SELECT AN APPOINTMENT BUT IF WE WANTED REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE CITY, I'M SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF COULD TAKE A LOOK INTO. BUT THEN IT PREVENTS, WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A CYCLIST, IT PREVENTS THE INDIVIDUALISM OF THIS KIND OF COMMISSION APPOINTMENT AND ALLOWS FOR STAFF TO COME TO SAY ALRIGHT, WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM, THIS IS LIKE A REPRESENTATIVE, A GOOD STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE AT LARGE THAT THEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR COULD APPROVE. THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE SPOKE TO WHEN THIS INITIALLY CAME UP, BECAUSE THEN AT LEAST WE COULD ALSO HAVE -- BECAUSE YOU COULD GET REALLY SPECIFIC. WHAT ABOUT MICRO-MOBILITY, SHOULD SOMEONE FROM MICRO-MOBILITY GROUP BE INCLUDED IN THIS, TOO. 
          WE COULD LITERALLY GO AND REQUIRE ALL OF THAT. AT THE VERY MINIMUM, I THINK THE COUNCILWOMAN'S REQUEST FOR SOMEONE FROM THE DISABLED COMMUNITY BE INCLUDED BUT ALSO REALLY WANT US TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR INPUT AT LARGE. 
          THAT WOULD BE MY THOUGHT. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY, THE MORE YOU RESTRICT CATEGORIES, THE HARDER IT IS TO RECRUIT, WHICH MEANS YOU WILL HAVE OPEN SLOTS UNTIL YOU FIND THAT PERSON. SO HAVING JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH OPEN SLOTS ALLOWS YOU TO PICK SOMEONE WHO VOLUNTEERS IN YOUR DISTRICT MAY NOT FIT ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES, BUT YOU AT LEAST HAVE SOMEBODY THAT VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THESE COMMISSIONS AND SOMETIMES 
          WORK MAY GET IN THE WAY OF THAT. >> MAY I MAKE A QUICK 
          COMMENT? JUST REAL QUICK. >> COURAGE: GO RIGHT AHEAD. 
          >> IF I UNDERSTAND DR. KAUR, WE DO THAT IN GOVERNANCE TOO. I THINK IT'S PLANNING AND THERE'S DIFFERENT -- WE SUBMIT PEOPLE WE LIKE AND THEY APPLY, THEY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEY COME TO GOVERNANCE FOR SELECTION. I DO THINK THIS MIGHT BE A BETTER FIT FOR THIS COMM COMMISSION, TO GO TO MAYBE NOT GOVERNANCE BUT GOVERNANCE OR ONE OF THE COMMITTEES, TRANSPORTATION, EVEN THIS COMMITTEE, SO THAT IT'S NOT SO -- IT DOES ELIMINATE -- WELL, NOT NECESSARILY. 
          WE DON'T EACH GET TO APPOINT SOMEBODY FROM OUR DISTRICT. BUT I THINK THERE MIEGHT BE A 
          BETTER FIT. >> COURAGE: I THINK WE HAVE SAID WE WILL REDUCE THE THREES TO TWOS AND WE WOULD ADD DISABLED APPLICANT AND A SENIOR CITIZEN. 
          IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT YOU KNOW, BROADEN THE DISCUSSION WHEN IT GETS TO THE COUNCIL, AND THEN MAKE IT SUCH AN ACTION THAT IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES IT COMES BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS OF APPLICANTS, IS THAT THE DIRECTION I HEAR WE ARE GOING IN? 
          ALRIGHT. >> POINT OF CLARITY, IF I COULD. 
          I THINK WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA IS PERHAPS NOT DISTRICT-SPECIFIC APPOINTEES. 
          I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH A RECOMMENDATION IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU GO. I HEARD HER TALK ABOUT AT-LARGE APPOINTEES THAT 
          WOULD BE APPROVED BY THIS COMMITTEE. >> HAVRDA: I WOULD SAY THERE'S A CCR RIGHT NOW TO LOOK AT AT-LARGE APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN THAT SOMETIMES THOSE COMMITTEES OR COMMISSIONS AREN'T REPRESENTATIVE OF THEIR DISTRICT. WHICH IS WHY WE RECOMMENDED COUNCIL DISTRICT APPOINTEES. 
          >> THAT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE -- THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MAYOR APPOINTING CPS OR SAWS BOARD AND A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE WE ARE TRYING TO GET REPRESENTATIVE. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ HAS A DIFFERENT -- I THINK THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS. THAT CCR IN MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT, YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW BETTER, CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE MARYOR'S ABILITY. 
          >> PLANNING COMMISSION IS ANOTHER ONE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I HAVE BEEN ON A FEW COMMITTEES THAT REVIEW APPLICATIONS LIKE THAT. 
          THERE'S A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT REVIEWS THE GOLF COMMISSION, WHATEVER THAT -- MUNICIPAL GOLF, THAT THING, AND THE AIRPORTS. I THINK THIS COMMITTEE REVIEWS AIRPORT MEMBERS AND THERE'S THE MUNICIPAL COURT ONE. 
          I STILL THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S BLIND SPOTS, WHETHER IT'S CITY STAFF DETERMINING 
          [01:30:02]
APPLICANTS OR IT'S MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THERE'S NOT ALWAYS A GUARANTEE THAT COUNCIL IS GOING TO HAVE AS DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AS WE HAVE. 
          BUT EVEN ON THOSE COMMITTEES OR COMMISSIONS, THOSE COMMITTEES THAT I'M NOT ON, THERE'S STILL ALWAYS AN UNDERLYING CONCERN THAT MAYBE SOMEONE ISN'T THINKING HEY, THERE'S NO BLACK PERSON IN THE ROOM OR THERE'S NO SENIORS WHO ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS OR THERE'S NO XYZ. SO I DO LIKE, I THINK FOR ME IT'S IMPORTANT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR MY COMMUNITY THAT WE DO HAVE THE DISTRICT APPOINTEES, SO I WOULD SECOND THAT RECOMMENDATION. AND I WOULD CHALLENGE A LITTLE BIT THE IDEA THAT IF WE GO DOWN TO SAY TWO TRANSIT RIDERS, TWO CYCLISTS, ONE MEMBER OF THE DISABLED COMMUNITY, ONE -- I DIDN'T HEAR THE SENIOR BE LISTED AS A REQUIREMENT. WAS THAT -- SO IF WE WERE -- BUT WAS THAT ONE WE SAY WOULD BE A MANDATE, OKAY, WE SAID THOSE FIVE POSITIONS WHICH IS LESS THAN THE SIX THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT, IF WE JUST REQUIRE THAT THE REST OF THE APPOINTEES GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL ONE MORE TIME, THESE ARE ALL BROAD AND ARE ALL ADVOCATES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ADVOCATES OF CHILDREN, ADVOCATES OF DEVELOPMENT, THE DISABLED COMMUNITY, THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT IS VERY BROAD. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, I CAN NAME THE WAYS EACH OF YOU COULD FIT INTO SEVERAL OF THESE CATEGORIES. SO I THINK MAYBE IT MEANS THAT THIS COULD BE EXPLOITED A LITTLE BIT AND IF I'M A DEVELOPER, THEN -- OR IF I JUST WANT TO BE ON THE COMMISSION, I CAN MAKE MYSELF AN ADVOCATE OF CHILDREN. I CAN SAY THAT. 
          BUT I THINK THAT ALSO, WHAT THAT DOES, EVEN IF THAT IS THE CASE AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, PEOPLE DO KNOW THE LENS THROUGH WHICH THEY WERE APPOINTED. 
          IF YOU WERE APPOINTED AS AN ADVOCATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THEN THAT'S THE LENS YOU SHOULD BE OPERATING UNDER. I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A REMINDER. 
          I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND THAT WE DO THOSE FIVE POSITIONS, TWO, TWO AND ONE, FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY AND THEN EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD BE ADVOCATES OF ONE OF THESE THINGS. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS WHEN WE SAY IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN OCCUPATION WHICH I THINK WE SEE WITH OUR ACS BOARD, OR THEY HAVE TO BE FROM THIS SPECIFIC INDUSTRY AS WE SEE WITH THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD. 
          I THINK THIS IS VERY BROAD AND I THINK -- I DON'T THINK THIS HANDCUFFS COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ANY WAY. ANY MORE THAN THREE AND THREE OF THE CYCLISTS AND TRANSIT. 
          >> COURAGE: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT? OKAY. 
          I THINK WE OUGHT TO MOVE ON THIS. I THINK WE HAVE DISCUSSED IT PRETTY WELL. I THINK WE TO THE COUNCIL. DISABLED AND A SENIOR. YEAH. 
          DISABLED COMMUNITY -- >> COURAGE: I'M SURE WE CAN FIND A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO WOULD LIKE TO SERVE IN ANY CAPACITY. IF WE JUST GO WITH THOSE, THAT'S WHAT WE WILL RECOMMEND TO THE COUNCIL FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. 
          >> HAVRDA: OUR ISSUE IS I OFFERED A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BUT WE NEED SOMEBODY ELSE TO 
          SECOND IT. >> COURAGE: OKAY. YES. 
          >> CHAIR, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL DISCUSS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE AND THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR OTHER COMMISSIONS, PARTICULARLY THE AGE AND THE OTHER ONES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY GOING FORWARD. OTHERWISE, IF THEY'RE NOT, WE WILL DISCUSS WITH TRANSPORTATION MAYBE SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO 
          PRESENT TO YOU ALL. >> HAVRDA: IS IT COMING BACK HERE? 
          >> COURAGE: NO. IT'S GOING TO COUNCIL UNLESS LEGAL DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY 
          THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO REVISIT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: COULD I REQUEST AHEAD OF THIS GOING TO COUNCIL THAT WE GET A MEMO THAT ADDRESSES ANY OF THE 
          CHANGES THAT ARE MADE? COP >> COURAGE: UM-HUM. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, SAYAYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          >> THANK YOU. >> COURAGE: WE WILL MOVE TO THE FINAL AGENDA ITEM, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY COMMITTEE. THIS IS ABOUT THE TOWING 
          RATES. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          I'M RICK RILEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          TODAY I WILL PRESENT A BRIEFING ON NON-CONSENT TOWING AND THE REQUEST FROM THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES FOR A TOW RATE INCREASE. 
          FIRST, WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT NON-CONSENT TOWING IS COVERED BY CHAPTER 19 OF THE CITY CODE AND THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT IS A NON-CONSENT TOW. 
          A NON-CONSENT TOW INCLUDES THE TOWING OF ABANDONED VEHICLES OR VEHICLES PARKED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT THE OWNER'S PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. 
          EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE PARKED ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY LIKE A PARKING LOT, A 
          [01:35:02]
BUSINESS COMPLEX OR APARTMENT COMPLEX, PARKED IN A NO PARKING ZONE, OR UNPAID IN A PARKING LOT. NON-CONSENT TOWING IS GOVERNED BY STATE AND FEDERAL LAW WHICH AUTHORIZES CITIES TO REGULATE THE PRICE AND SAFETY OF NON-CONSENT TOWS. 
          TODAY, OUR ORDINANCE HAS THE FOLLOWING RATES THAT YOU SEE THERE FOR NON-CONSENT TOWS. 
          LIGHT DUTY, WHICH IS UP TO 10,000 POUNDS AT $177 A TOW. THE MEDIUM DUTY AT 196, AND THE HEAVY DUTY RATE AT 602 WHICH IS A TWO-HOUR MINIMUM SO IF YOU WANTED A LIKE COMPARISON, IT WOULD BE $301. THE TOW COMPANIES REPORT THAT MOST OF THESE OR ALL OF THESE ARE LIGHT DUTY TOWS. WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED TODAY ON THE $177 RATE. 
          HERE, YOU SEE THE CURRENT NON-CONSENT TOW RATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS. ON THE TOP OF THE GRAPH THERE, YOU SEE TDLR'S RATE, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION. THEY SET THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE RATE AT $272. MOST MUNICIPALITIES ARE UNDER THAT RATE. 
          WE FOUND ONE, ARLINGTON, THAT IS AT THAT RATE OF $272 BUT YOU WILL SEE THE COMPARABLE CITIES WITH SAN ANTONIO, HOUSTON, AUSTIN, FT. WORTH, ALL ABOVE SAN ANTONIO'S $177 RATE, AND CORPUS, DALLAS AND EL PASO ARE BELOW THAT RATE. SO THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW DID WE GET HERE? IN 2012, THE TOWING COMPANIES REQUESTED A RATE INCREASE BUT WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL DATA TO SUPPORT THAT NEED. 
          IN 2013, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A RATE INCREASE BASED UPON A TDLR MODEL. 
          THAT BECAME THE ORDINANCE AS IT SITS TODAY. THAT ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT FOR A TOW FEE STUDY TO BE UNDERTAKEN, TO RECOMMEND A RATE INCREASE, THAT THE REQUEST MUST COME FROM THREE OR MORE TOWING COMPANIES THAT MAKE UP AT LEAST 50% OR MORE OF THE NON-CONSENT TOWS DURING THE PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR. 
          SECOND, THEY MUST PLACE A $5,000 NON-REFUNDABLE FEE PAYABLE TO THE CITY BEFORE THE STUDY IS UNDERTAKEN. THEN ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHES THE METHOD USED TO CONDUCT THE TOW FEE STUDY AND THE TOWING COMPANIES WHO HAVE DECIDED TO REQUEST THIS STUDY MUST SUBMIT ALL FINANCIAL INFORMATION REQUESTED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. SO WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THAT CURRENT RATE INCREASE REQUEST. IN 2021, THE CITY RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR A TOW FEE STUDY FROM SIX DIFFERENT NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES. 
          AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED FINANCIAL INFORMATION, IT WASN'T OBTAINABLE SO THE CITY RECOMMENDED IN 2023 THAT THEY CUT THAT LIST FROM SIX TO THREE. IN 2023, A NEW TOW FEE STUDY REQUEST WAS RECEIVED AND THE CITY IN ORDER TO HELP THIS PROCESS ALONG, MET WITH THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES TO DISCUSS, THIS IS THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION WE NEEDED. 
          THE CITY RECEIVED THAT FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND BASED UPON THAT, THAT WAS RECEIVED AND PROVIDED BY THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES, THE STUDY DID NOT RESULT IN A RECOMMENDED TOWING FEE INCREASE. THIS IS MORE SPECIFICS REGARDING THAT 2023 TOW FREE ST FEE STUDY. 
          YOU WILL SEE AT THAT TIME, THE AVERAGE PROFIT MARGIN FOR THOSE TOW COMPANIES, NON-CONSENT TOWERS OVER THAT THREE-YEAR PERIOD, WAS 17%. THAT'S COMPARED TO A 9% PROFIT MARGIN TARGET THAT WAS USED WITH THE 2013 RATES. FURTHER, THE EXISTING RATE OF $177 AS YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WAS COMPARABLE WITH OTHER TEXAS LARGE CITIES. BASED UPON THAT, CITY FINANCE DID NOT RECOMMEND A TOW FEE RATE ADJUSTMENT. WE GAVE THE TOW COMPANIES A CHANCE TO RESPOND WHICH THEY DID. THEY PROVIDED ANOTHER SET OF FINANCIALS FOR TWO OF THE THREE COMPANIES, WHICH STILL MADE UP OVER 50% OF THE TOWS FROM THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR. THEY ALLOCATED SOME OF THOSE COSTS FROM OTHER PORTIONS OF THE BUSINESS TO TOWING DIVISIONS, BUT THEY DIDN'T ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN THOSE ALLOCATIONS. SO AGAIN, WE WERE LEFT WITH NO RECOMMENDATION FOR A TOW FEE INCREASE. THAT LAST BULLET IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOW FEE COMPANIES RECOMMENDED OR PROPOSED, IF YOU WILL, ADDING AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF 3.3% THAT WOULD BE PAID TO THE CITY BASED UPON SO THIS PROVIDES THREE SCENARIOS THAT TALK ABOUT THAT ADMINISTRATIVE FEE INCREASE AS WELL AS PROPOSED RATES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE TOWERS. 
          SCENARIO NUMBER ONE, YOU SEE THE CURRENT RATE FOR ALL THREE IS $177. 
          THE PROPOSED RATE WOULD BE $210. THAT PROPOSED RATE WOULD BE 
          [01:40:01]
BRING THEM TO WHAT THE CONTRACT TOWERS, WHAT A CONSUMER PAYS TO GET THEIR VEHICLE BACK AFTER IT'S BEEN TOWED BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT OR THEY ARE PARKED ON A STREET AND WE HAVE TO MOVE THEM FOR AN EVENT. THAT'S THE CONTRACT TOWING RATE. THOSE ARE POLICE-DIRECTED TOWS, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH. BASED UPON AN ESTIMATED 60,000 TOWS PER YEAR OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, THAT'S AN AVERAGE, THE 3.3% WOULD RESULT IN $7 PER TOW OR $420,000 IN REVENUE FOR THE CITY. SCENARIO NUMBER TWO, THE CHANGES TO A PROPOSED RATE OF $244.85. THAT PROPOSED RATE REPRESENTS AN ANNUAL CPI INCREASE FROM 2013 WHICH IS MR. GUERRERO MENTIONED TO YOU, WAS THE LAST TIME A RATE INCREASE HAD OCCURRED, THROUGH 2025. YOU CAN SEE THE MATH THERE, 3.3% WOULD BE $8.15 PER TOW OR $489,000. SCENARIO THREE WOULD TAKE THE PROPOSED RATE ALL THE WAY TO THE TDLR MAXIMUM, 3.3% OF TOW, $9.05 PER TOW WOULD END UP $F543,000 REVENUE. THE STAFF IS HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THIS AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR STAFF, THAT'S SAPD AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, TO WORK WITH THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES AND DEVELOP A RECOMMENDED RATE ADJUSTMENT BASED UPON PROJECTED OPERATING COSTS AND LABOR INCREASES FOR 2025 AND '26. 
          OPERATING COSTS WOULD INCLUDE THE COST OF THE VEHICLE, INSURANCE, FUEL, MAINTENANCE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AND THEN LABOR ON ITS SIDE. WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL IN APRIL OF 2025 TO PRESENT THAT RECOMMENDED RATE ADJUSTMENT AND FOLLOWING THAT, IF THAT WAS APPROVED, AT FULL CITY COUNCIL, THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES WOULD HAVE 48 MONTHS TO PROVIDE COMPLETE FINANCIAL INFORMATION AS REQUESTED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO CONDUCT A TOW FEE STUDY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT ORDINANCE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAINTAIN A BALANCED APPROACH IN ORDER TO SET APPROPRIATE RATES THAT ALLOW TOWING COMPANIES TO OPERATE WHILE ALSO CONSIDERING FINANCIAL IMPACTS ON CONSUMERS. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I HAVE GOT REPRESENTATIVES FROM FINANCE 
          HERE AS WELL. >> COURAGE: LET ME ASK, HOW MANY TOWING COMPANIES HAVE QUIT SAN ANTONIO IN THE LAST FIVE OR TEN YEARS OR LAST TWO YEARS? 
          >> I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HAVE QUIT, COUNCILMAN. I KNOW FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWING THERE'S 208 CURRENTLY IN OPERATION. I CAN GO BACK AND CHECK THE TDLR LIST AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. IF THAT NUMBER HAS REDUCED 
          SIGNIFICANTLY. >> COURAGE: THERE'S PLENTY OF COMPANIES OUT THERE TOWING. 
          AT WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN EFFECT TODAY. >> 208, YES, SIR. 
          >> COURAGE: JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT. I HATE PAYING TOW FEES. 
          I HAVE BEEN TOWED TWICE. I HATE THAT. THEN YOU GOT TO GO PAY THE STORAGE CHARGE OR WHATEVER, IF IT TAKES A DAY OR TWO, WHATEVER. 
          BUT I RESPECT EVERY BUSINESS AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, MAKE A PROFIT, AND PAY THEIR PEOPLE. I WONDER, YOU KNOW, IF THAT IS GOING TO BE PART OF WHAT WE LOOK AT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, IF WE ARE GOING TO RE-EVALUATE THE COMPANIES, LOOK AT HOW THEY OPERATE, THE COST OF OPERATIONS, COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          ARE WE ALSO GOING TO CONSIDER HOW MUCH THEY PAY AND HOW DOES THAT BALANCE WITH WHAT THE CITY PAYS FOR EMPLOYEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, TOO. I WOULD JUST LIKE ALL OF THAT TO BE IN THE MIX. THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS. COUNCILMAN? 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH MY THOUGHT PROCESS A LITTLE BIT. MY FIRST THOUGHT IS MUCH LIKE COUNCILMAN COURAGE MENTIONED, HOW WOULD AN INCREASE IN THE FEE IMPACT RESIDENTS WHO MAY ALREADY BE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEIR VEHICLE IS TOWED FOR REASONS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL SUCH AS JOB LOSS, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, OR HOUSING INSECURITY. I ALSO WONDER WHAT REGULATIONS OR ACCOUNTABILITY IS IN PLACE TO PREVENT PREDATORY TOWING PRACTICES SUCH AS PATROLLING THE PRIVATE LOTS, TOWING IMMEDIATELY AFTER A DRIVER LEAVES RATHER THAN PROVIDING A WARNING, HIDDEN OR UNCLEAR NO PARKING SIGNS, EXCESSIVE STORAGE FEES, EXTRA FEES OR EVEN TOWING LEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES. I WONDER HOW ARE WE PREVENTING AND REGULATING THAT. ESPECIALLY THE WRONGFUL TOWING. HOW ARE WE MONITORING PREVENTING ALL OF THESE PRACTICES. I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE MEMO THAT WOULD INCLUDE OUR EXISTING REGULATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES AND I THINK THAT'S LARGELY BECAUSE WHEN A REQUEST LIKE THIS POPS UP, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT TIME TO RE-EVALUATE SOME OF THESE THINGS AND HAVE NEW REGULATIONS TO ACCOMPANY ANY FEE INCREASES, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THEY AREN'T BEING EXPLOITED FINANCIALLY FOR PRIVATE GAIN AND THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR BEST INTERESTS, NOT JUST THAT OF THE PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING WITH. THAT THOUGHT THEN MADE ME 
          [01:45:01]
WONDER IF WE HAVE EVER CONSIDERED AN ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM WHERE TOWING SERVICES ARE CONSIDERED A PUBLIC SERVICE RATHER THAN A PROFIT-DRIVEN INDUSTRY. 
          I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE DIRECTION THE COMPANIES WERE LOOKING FOR AND IT MAY NOT BE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EVALUATION OF OUR CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO MANAGE A NEW FUNCTION LIKE THAT. 
          I WOULD STILL LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS HAS EVER BEEN CONSIDERED OR DISCUSSED AND WHAT CONSIDERATIONS THE CITY WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF EVALUATING THE IDEA. 
          THOSE ARE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR RESPONSES TO BEFORE A RECOMMENDATION IS PRESENTED TO THE FULL COUNCIL. IT SHOULD BE A PART OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NON-CONSENT TOWING COMPANIES. THEN AS A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, I WONDER HOW DOES A PROPOSED INCREASE COMPARE TO THE MEDIAN INCOMES IN SAN ANTONIO AND ADDRESS THE RISING COST OF LIVING, AND IF IT SLIPS AT 4, YOU DID A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR ME, I SEE -- SLIDE 4 IT WAS -- THAT ONE. I SEE THERE ARE FIVE COMPARABLE CITIES WITH FEES HIGHER THAN OURS BUT FOUR OF THOSE CITIES HAVE ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOMES THAT ARE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN OURS. 
          WE HAVE AN ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME THAT IS LOWER THAN ALMOST EVERY CITY WITH A HIGHER FEE EXCEPT MAYBE VICTORIA, I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON VICTORIA'S AMI. I SAY THAT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T USE OTHER CITIES AS A GUIDEPOST OR AS A REASON TO RAISE OUR FEE, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE SOME OF THE POOREST ZIP CODES IN THE COUNTRY AND ARE CONSIDERABLY MORE IMPOVERISHED THAN MANY OF THE OTHER CITIES ON THE LIST. THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE WHY AND THE CALLS WE GET AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE OFTEN GET ARE ABOUT BROKEN-DOWN OR ABANDONED VEHICLES AND IT CAN BE VERY FRUSTRATING FOR RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, BUT OFTEN BEHIND THESE VEHICLES ARE RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO PAY TO GET THE VEHICLE UP AND RUNNING AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PRIORITY TO REPAIR A VEHICLE WHEN THEY HAVE TO PAY BILLS, FEED KIDS AND HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET. SO THERE'S A DISCONNECT THERE, I THINK. 
          SO I WONDER, ARE THERE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO REDUCING VEHICLE ABANDONMENT THAT DO NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY BURDEN WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, WHAT DOES THAT -- WHAT DOES A PROGRAM LIKE THAT LOOK LIKE. HAVE WE CONSIDERED A TIERED OR SLIDING SCALE FEE STRUCTURE BASED ON FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. 
          I'M NOT SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED, IF IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD LEGALLY BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ME DURING THE DISCUSSIONS. AND GENERALLY ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS FOR THE RISING COST OF LABOR AND OPERATING COSTS. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN INCREASING PROFIT MARGINS BUT I DO WANT TO ENSURE THAT ANY INCREASE IS TIED TO IMPROVED SERVICES, CLEARER AND MORE TRANSPARENT PARKING POLICIES AND BETTER WAGES FOR WORKERS. SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS A FEE INCREASE, THAT THOSE END RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED, SPECIFICALLY WAGES FOR WORKERS, SINCE THAT'S CITED AS A REASON FOR THE INCREASED FEE. BUT IN MANY OTHER INSTANCES LIKE THIS, THE WORKERS ARE THE LAST CONSIDERATION AND INCREASES TO THEIR WAGES ARE THE LAST CONSIDERATION. 
          SO I WOULD WONDER OF THE LIST OF REASONS AND THE OPERATING COSTS AND ALL THAT, WHERE DO -- WHAT ARE THE PRIORITY AREAS, WHAT ARE THE AREAS FOR GROWTH AND THE GREATEST NEED. 
          THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ME. LASTLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CREATION OF ANADMINFEE IS NECESSARY UNLESS WE ARE USING IT FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES. 
          THIS YOU COULD ANSWER HERE. WOULD THAT BE THE CASE? 
          >> WE TALKED ABOUT USING THE ADMIN FEE FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, POSSIBLY. 
          IT WOULD GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND AS REVENUE. THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS THAT WE COULD DIRECT THAT ADMIN FEE TO. I THINK WE WOULD WAIT FOR COUNCIL'S DISCRETION ON HOW THEY WOULD PREFER TO USE THAT, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING 
          THAT WE ADOPTED. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: IF IT WAS ADOPTED, IT WOULD GENERALLY GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND UNLESS WE SAID EXPLICITLY IT NEEDED TO BE DIRECTED 
          SOMEWHERE ELSE? >> I BELIEVE WE CAN DO THAT. YES. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: OKAY. THANK YOU. >> I AGREE A LOT WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ ALREADY SAID. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GET SO MANY CALLS ABOUT. I ACTUALLY GOT ONE, A TEXT MESSAGE SATURDAY EVENING BECAUSE SOMEONE PARKED TO GO TO A RESTAURANT ON ST. 
          MARY'S, ATE AT THE RESTAURANT, THEN WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WE HAVE A VERY, YANI CAN'T THINK OF THE WORD FOR IT, MAYBE PREDATORY IS THE WORD, PREDATORY TOWING COMPANY THAT JUST DRIVES AROUND AND WAITS AND TOWS PEOPLE. 
          I GET SIGNIFICANT CALLS ABOUT THIS. IT'S WHY PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COME DOWNTOWN. PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COME TO ST. MARY'S BECAUSE THIS TOWING COMPANY. I LITERALLY SAW THEM THIS LAST WEEKEND TOWING SOMEONE. 
          I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THE PURPOSE OF TAKING THIS ACTION. I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ MADE A LOT OF STATEMENTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT. 
          [01:50:01]
I DON'T KNOW THAT, THERE'S A SLIDE ON THE PERCENTAGE PROFIT RATES FROM 9% TO 17% AND I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHY WE WOULD PUT THAT BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS WHO I AM HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING TO COME OUT TO PLACES BECAUSE THEIR CARS ARE GETTING TOWED AND WE WANT OUR BUSINESSES, ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES, TO THRIVE, NOT JUST OUR TOWING COMPANIES. 
          ABOUT DOING MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS AND BRINGING IT BACK TO US. 
          AT THIS TIME, I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS INCREASE. THANKS. 
          >> HAVRDA: I THINK WHAT COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR JUST MENTIONED IS REALLY, BOTH OF THEM, REALLY, COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND HER MENTIONED ARE TOGETHER IMPORTANT. I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THOSE PREDATORY TOWING COMPANIES, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE GOOD TOWING COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT DOING THAT AND MAYBE THEY ARE GOING TO GET KIND OF LUMPED IN WITH THE BAD APPLES. 
          BUT IT IS CHANGING THE HABITS OF PEOPLE, NOT JUST GOING DOWNTOWN, ALTHOUGH THAT'S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT GOING PLACES WHERE THEY MIGHT GET TOWED. 
          I THINK BROADWAY IS ANOTHER AREA PEOPLE WILL GO TO A RESTAURANT, THEN KIND OF GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY GET TOWED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AT THAT RESTAURANT CURRENTLY BUT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES. IT WAS LIKE IF YOU GO TO THAT RESTAURANT, YOU DON'T GET TOWED. IT'S JUST, IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR TO THE CONSUMER. 
          BUT I DON'T WANT TO PAINT ALL THE TOWING COMPANIES WITH THE SAME BRUSH. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, IS FIGURING OUT. SO GOING BACK TO THE ADMIN FEE, I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE MEANT FOR ENFORCEMENT AND OVERSIGHT. DID I READ THAT WRONG? 
          IT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND? >> WE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DECISION YET SO I THINK THAT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION AS TO HOW WE WOULD BEST USE 
          THAT. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ADMIN FUND, WHAT IS IT? WHAT -- IS THERE ALREADY AN ADMIN COST? 
          >> THERE IS CURRENTLY NOT. >> HAVRDA: WHAT WOULD THE FEE BE? 
          >> THE NON-CONSENT TOWERS HAVE RECOMMENDED 3.3% AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE END 
          RESULT BASED ON 60,000 TOWS AT 210 WOULD BE $420,000. >> HAVRDA: EVERY PENNY OF 
          THAT GOES TO THE CITY? >> YES. >> HAVRDA: I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT FOCUSED ON OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT OF THESE KIND OF BAD APPLE TOWING COMPANIES. AT LEAST PARTLY. BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE. THEN HAVE WE HAD RESIDENTS WEIGH IN ON THIS? 
          LIKE THE PUBLIC? ANY PUBLIC INPUT? >> WE HAVE NOT. 
          NO, MA'AM. >> HAVRDA: I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, EVEN IF IT'S A SURVEY. BUT I CAN TALK ABOUT IT WITH MY COMMUNITY. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT KIND OF PUBLIC INPUT WE GET ON THIS. 
          I WILL SAY, I WILL LASTLY SAY THAT IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE AND I UNDERSTAND COSTS ARE INCREASING, WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, ABSOLUTELY. 
          I JUST THINK ALL OF THIS HAS TO COME IN COLLECTIVELY. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF IT IN ONE CONVERSATION. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. 
          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I HAVE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND MAYBE A SUMMATION. I THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING THIS BACK TO YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT RATHER THAN COMING UP WITH ANY SUGGESTION. 
          BUT FROM WHAT YOU HAVE SAID, THERE WAS AN EFFORT IN 2001 TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT COMPANIES AND COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION, AND NONE WAS COME UP WITH. 
          AGAIN, IN 2023. SO 2021, 2023. AND I'M SURE THERE WERE CRITERIA YOU LOOKED AT AND YOU WANTED INFORMATION FROM THE COMPANIES THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT. YOU SAY THERE'S 208 I WILL SAY BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING TOWING. ARE ALL OF THOSE LICENSED WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? 
          >> THE STATE LICENSES THOSE THROUGH TDLR, COUNCILMAN. WE DON'T LICENSE THOSE I , LIKE OUR CONTRACT TOWERS, WE LICENSE THOSE COMPANIES. THOSE ARE LICENSED THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THE ORDINANCE ONLYCE REQUIRES THREE OR MORE THAT DO 50% OF THE BUSINESS. SO A LOT OF THOSE 208 ARE ONE-MAN SHOWS. 
          ONE MAN AND A TOW TRUCK AND GOING OUT AND TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING THE BEST THEY CAN. 
          THEN THERE ARE BIGGER COMPANIES, FOR EXAMPLE, OUT OF THE THREE THAT SUBMITTED, THEY MAKE UP ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOWS. THEY DO ABOUT 43,000 TOWS OF 
          THE ROUGHLY 60,000 TOWS DONE IN A YEAR. >> COURAGE: BUT STILL, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS A TOW, WHETHER IT'S BY SOMEBODY WHO ONLY DOES TWO A MONTH OR SOMEBODY THAT DOES 500 A MONTH. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE SAME KIND OF EXPENSES, COSTS, PROFITABILITY, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND SO I WOULD 
          [01:55:04]
LIKE THE CITY TO UNDERTAKE ANOTHER IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THIS AND LET'S LOOK AT THE TOP 20 OR 30 THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS INSTEAD OF THE TOP TWO OR THREE OR FIVE, AND LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AS FAR AS WHAT THEY ARE RECEIVING, HOW MANY THEY ARE DOING, LOOKING AT COMPLAINTS THAT ARE FILED, TOO. THEY HAVE TO KEEP TRACK, I'M SURE, IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND THEN COME BACK AND SEE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE CAN LOOK AT INCREASING FROM WHAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR 12 YEARS. 
          THEN AGAIN, MAKING A 20% INCREASE IS WHAT THE $210 IS, IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IN A ONE-TIME JUMP. WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE JUSTIFICATION WHEN WE HAVE LOOKED TWICE BEFORE, BUT I THINK THIS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE US LOOK AGAIN AND FIND OUT WHAT THAT JUSTIFICATION COULD BE BEFORE WE DECIDE TO MAKE AN INCREASE. I WOULDN'T CHARGE THE OTHER GROUPS ANYTHING. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THE CITY SHOULD UNDERTAKE ON OUR OWN, AT OUR OWN COST, TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN BEST FAIRLY TAKE CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT RUN INTO THESE SITUATIONS. 
          SO YOU HAVE ANOTHER COAHEAD. >> ONE OTHER ADDITION I WOULD LIKE, IF SOMEONE DOES FEEL THEY WERE WRONGFULLY TOWED, CAN WE CREATE A PROCESS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE EVIDENCE AND GET THEIR FEE BACK, FULL FEE, NOT EVEN LIKE A PENALTY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO GET THE CAR OUT AND YOU MIGHT HAVE PUT IT ON A CREDIT CARD, ET CETERA. THAT SHOULD BE A QUICK PROCESS THAT COULD BE COMPLETED IN TWO WEEKS OR SOMETHING. I WANT IT TO BE NOT LIKE A CASE YOU HAVE TO GO FILE AT MUNICIPAL COURT BUT JUST, I WAS WRONGFULLY TOWED, THIS IS THE EVIDENCE, THIS IS MY RECEIPT FROM THE RESTAURANT, AND MONEY BACK FULL, NO 
          QUESTIONS ASKED. THANKS, CHAIR. >> HAVRDA: THERE'S A STATE LAW THAT SAYS YOU CAN APPEAL IT BUT YOU ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS TO APPEAL IT. 
          MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET IT IN ON TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO LOCALLY. WE CAN'T GO AGAINST THE LAW. BUT TO HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFY THAT IT'S HAPPENED AND THEY HAVE THAT RIGHT. THEY HAVE TO DO IT REALLY QUICK. 
          >> COURAGE: YOU SAY THESE ARE STATE LICENSED. CAN THEY BE CITY LICENSED? 
          >> I DON'T THINK SO, COUNCILMAN. I WILL DOUBLE-CHECK AND WE 
          WILL ADDRESS THAT IN THE RESPONSE. >> COURAGE: DO PLUM BERS AND 
          ELECTRICIANS GET A CITY LICENSE? >> THEY ARE STATE LICENSE. 
          >> COURAGE: OKAY. ALRIGHT. MAYBE THAT 3.3% ADMINISTRATION FEE CAN BE USED TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          COMPENSATION FUND. ANYWAY, IF YOU COULD EXPLORE THIS SOME MORE. 
          I WOULD SUGGEST ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEND ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE LOOKED AT, AND MAYBE YOU CAN SEND US BACK AN OUTLINE OF HOW THE DEPARTMENT WILL REVISIT THIS AND WHAT THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT SO WE WILL HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AND SEE IF WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE LATER, WHEN YOU HAVE DONE RESEARCH. 
          >> WILL DO. >> COURAGE: OKAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A MOTION. I THINK THEY HAVE AGREED TO DO THIS. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? >> YEAH. WE WILL UNDERTAKE THE 
          COMMITTEE'S DIRECTION. >> COURAGE: OKAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.