[00:00:45] >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 2:10 P.M. ON MARCH 19TH, 2025. WE'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? >> CLERK: NAY YMAYOR, WE HAVE QUORUM. WELCOME, EVERYONE, BACK FROM SPRING BREAK. WE HAVE THREE ITEMS TODAY ON OUR B SESSION AGENDA, SO ERIK, OVER TO YOU. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO OUR FIRST ITEM TODAY IS A FOLLOW-UP TO A CONVERSATION YOU ALL HAD SEVERAL WEEKS AGO ON OUR HUMAN SERVICES CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS. WE DID SET A FOLLOW-UP MEMO TO THE COUNCIL AFTER THE B SESSION ON FEBRUARY 19TH. BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD AND INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT PLAN, BOTH IN TERMS OF SHORT-TERM, AND I'LL SAY MEDIUM-TERM. AND MEDIUM-TERM IS THROUGH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS, AND THEN A LONGER TERM POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENT IN HOW WE DO THIS, HOW WE FUND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, AND ALLOW THE COUNCIL TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION. PART OF THE REFLECTION THAT WE HAD AFTER THE B SESSION WAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS -- GENERALLY IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS. DURING COVID, IT WAS THREE YEARS. WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND WE'VE WRAPPED IT INTO OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS. THERE WAS A LOT OF SHIFTING SANDS RIGHT NOW WITH FUNDING OF PROGRAMS AND WE THINK THAT MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. AND ALSO ALLOW THE COUNCIL TO HAVE A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGING THE WAY WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST GOING FORWARD. SO MELODY IS GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS. IT'S PRETTY SHORT AND TO THE POINT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TWO OTHER ITEMS THAT I'LL PIPE IN AT THAT POINT. >> WOOSLEY: SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS. THIS ITEM DOES PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 HUMAN SERVICES DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING PROCESS. AND I'LL PROVIDE RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS. SO THE CITY HAS INVESTED IN NONPROFIT HUMAN SERVICES SINCE 1979. AND OUR CURRENT BIANNUAL CONSOLIDATED PROCESS WAS IMPLEMENTED IN FISCAL YEAR 2005. THE PROCESS IS INTENDED TO EXPAND THE CITY'S REACH BY INVESTING IN SERVICES AND LEVERAGING COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THESE INVESTMENTS HAVE BECOME MORE INTENTIONAL OVER TIME, SO THAT THEY ALIGN WITH OUR CITY AND CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE HUMAN SERVICES INITIATIVES. AT B SESSION ON FEBRUARY THE 19TH, JESSICA DOVALINA PROVIDED A BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 CONSOLIDATED PROCESS, AND THAT WAS FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. YOUR FEEDBACK HELPED US LOOK AT THE PROCESS DIFFERENTLY. AND BASED ON THAT DISCUSSION, HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDED DELAYING THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND EXTENDING CURRENT CONTRACTS TO ALLOW FOR GREATER TIME AND DISCUSSION ON THE PROCESS. AND SO SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TWO PRIMARY ACTIONS THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET PROCESS. FIRST, SEPARATE DESIGNATED AND [00:05:05] COMPETITIVE FUNDING. DESIGNATED FUNDING SUPPORTS CRITICAL ONE-OF-A-KIND PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, WE RECOMMEND AWARDING DESIGNATED FUNDIATNG CONTRACTS IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND COMPETITIVE FUNDING THROUGH AN OFFCYCLE PROCESS. THE SECOND ACTION IS TO DELAY THE COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL TO REEXAMINE THE PROCESS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON AREAS OF FOCUS, SERVICE PRIORITIES AND FUNDING REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS POTENTIALLY A LONGER CONTRACT TERM. AND SO FOR CONTEXT, THE ESTIMATED TOTAL FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 DELEGATE AGENCIES IS 24.8 MILLION. 9.7MILLION WOULD BE DESIGNATED TO SUPPORT THE AFTER SCHOOL CHALLENGE PROGRAM, HAVEN FOR HOPE OPERATIONS, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND UP PARTNERSHIP. WITH THESE DESIGNATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 15 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUND AND GRANTS OF THE POOL WOULD BE SET ASIDE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND THEN AWARDED COMPETITIVELY THROUGH THAT FUTURE SOLICITATION. WE RECOMMEND EXTENDING THOSE CURRENT COMPETITIVE CONTRACT AWARDS THROUGH MAY OF 2026. SO IT WOULD BE AN EIGHT-MONTH EXTENSION, TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL CITY COUNCIL INPUT PRIOR TO ISSUING THAT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. AND SO THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE TOTAL POOL, IF FUNDING LEVELS AND PRIORITIES REMAIN THE SAME FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. IT BREAKS OUT THE DESIGNATED FROM THE COMPETITIVE FUNDING IN EACH AREA, AND SHOWS THE STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY CURRENT AWARDS BY THE OUTCOME AREA. AND SO FOR NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING BUDGET ADOPTION, WE WILL RETURN TO A B SESSION IN THE FALL TO WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL ON REEXAMINING THE PROCESS AND GATHERING FEEDBACK. AREAS OF FOCUS, SERVICE PRIORITIES AND FUNDING REQUIREMENTS ARE THOSE GROUPS OF THE CATEGORIES THAT WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU ON, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WOULD BE RELEASED BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELODY. WE'LL TAKE A PAUSE HERE TO GET ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY ON THIS PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS. I'LL JUST SAY THAT, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT CURRENTLY BEING ABSORBED BY ACTIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN TERMS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF -- I KEEP FORGETTING THE NAME, GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, AND SO SOME OF THOSE HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN LOCAL LAYOFFS. THE CONCERN FOR OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED, THOUGH, IS NOT JUST THOSE LAYOFFS BUT ALSO THE SERVICES THAT THEY PERFORM IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE QUITE LITERALLY LIFELINES FOR THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES. SO THERE IS IMPACT BEING FELT IN OUR SOCIAL SAFETY NET. THE SAME SOCIAL SAFETY NET THAT IS THE BACKBONE AND THE FOUNDATION OF SO MANY OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AT THE CITY, SOME OF THEM CITY DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS THAT WE RELY ON TO GET PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET INTO EMPLOYMENT, INTO SAFE, STABLE HOUSING, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE ADEQUATE NUTRITION AND FOOD SUPPLIES. SO THERE IS ALREADY TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT PARTICULARLY IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN CITIES WITH A HIGHER PROPORTION OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. I ASKED FOR A CONVENING, AND I KNOW, MELODY, YOU'RE TAKING A LEAD ON THAT OF OUR KEY SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD IN COVID SO WE CAN ASSESS THE IMPACT, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE, ERIK AND COLLEAGUES, WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE RESPOND. BECAUSE THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE FOR US TO -- OTHER THAN TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AN ADEQUATE SOCIAL SAFETY NET IN THIS COMMUNITY. OTHERWISE, ALL OTHER PRIORITIES BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN. SO AS LONG AS WE ARE MAINTAINING FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF FUNDING AND HOW WE CAN TAKE ACTION AS NECESSARY, THIS IS FOR MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK I'LL BE IN -- I'LL BE [00:10:01] COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT WE -- WE'RE WILLING TO LOOK AT OUR PRIORITIES WHEN THAT TIME COMES. SO I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I CONCUR WITH I THINK YOUR ANALYSIS OF HAVING TO KIND OF LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S GOING TO BE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE FROM ANY FEDERAL CUTS OR ADJUSTMENTS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS A LOT OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS. ONE QUESTION I HAD, MEL, CAN YOU EXPLAIN -- YOU SAID -- WHEN IS THE ACTUAL CURRENT INITIAL TIMELINE FOR THESE FUNDS GOING OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS? IT STARTS WHEN AND ENDS WHEN, TYPICALLY? >> WOOSLEY: SO THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THEIR CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING STARTING OCTOBER 1ST OF 2025. >> COURAGE: OKAY. >> WOOSLEY: THROUGH MAY 31ST OF 2026. >> COURAGE: YEAH, THAT'S MY QUESTION. ARE MAY, ARE WE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION TO ADD MORE MONEY OUT OF OUR BUDGET OR SOMETHING? WHY AREN'T WE JUST LOOKING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT WHOLE FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE MAY, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'VE GOT, AND WE DON'T KNOW IF ANY WILL BE ADDED TO THE POT, I THINK AT THAT TIME WOULD EVEN CREATE MORE UNCERTAINTY. SO WHY AREN'T WE JUST SAYING EXTEND THE WHOLE THING FOR A FULL FISCAL YEAR? >> WOOSLEY: SO -- >> WALSH: I'LL FOLLOW YOU UP. >> WOOSLEY: DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU WOULD SET ASIDE THAT POOL OF FUNDING THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE YEAR PLUS THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF THE CONTRACT TERM. THE EIGHT MONTHS IS TO GIVE US TIME TO ISSUE A NEW COMPETITIVE FUNDING PROCESS. WORK WITH COUNCIL AND THEN ISSUE AN RFP DURING THE YEAR, SO WE WOULD MOST LIKELY RELEASE THAT BY DECEMBER AND GO THROUGH THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND POTENTIALLY EVEN BEFORE MAY, WE WOULD BE READY TO MAKE THOSE FUNDING AWARDS. >> WALSH: COUNCILMAN, THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL HAD AT THE PRIOR B SESSION WHERE THERE WAS -- THERE WAS A LOT OF -- A LOT OF VARYING OPINIONS ON AGENCIES, SPECIFIC AGENCIES. THERE WAS TALK ABOUT WHAT OUTCOMES SOME COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE IN TERMS OF EXPECTATIONS OF THE SERVICES. I GUESS WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT MEETING WAS NOT THAT THE COUNCIL WAS OKAY WITH EVERYTHING AND LET'S JUST EXTEND A YEAR, IT WAS A BROADER, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE DOUBLE-BACK ON COMMUNITY INPUT, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN SOME FLEXIBILITY AS WE GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET, LET'S MAINTAIN SOME FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. I WOULD -- ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE NEXT CONVERSATION, THE NEXT B SESSION CONVERSATION ON THIS WITH THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE OUTCOME FOCUSED, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW A LOT OF IT IS -- OR SOME OF IT IS AGENCY BASED. AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT AGENCIES IN TOWN, BUT WHAT IS IT THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PROCURE? SO THAT CONVERSATION HAPPENS. AND THEN WHAT WE WANTED -- WE WANTED TO PROVIDE ENOUGH CERTAINTY, GIVEN THAT THERE'S -- BECAUSE OF THE SWIRLING FEDERAL DOLLARS, THAT WE DIDN'T THINK THAT -- WE THOUGHT THAT A MAY TIMELINE WOULD BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, DO THAT RFP AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, IF NECESSARY. >> COURAGE: I JUST WONDER HOW EFFECTIVE THE MONEY CAN BE, BECAUSE MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS BUDGET FOR A YEAR. AND SO WE'RE SAYING, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUDGET FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND THEN COME BACK AND SEE IF YOU GET THE REST OF THE MONEY. I THINK IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR A LOT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS MY COMMENT ON THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO? >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MELODY, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE FUNDING STRATEGY IMPROVEMENTS ON SLIDE 3, AND ERIK, TO YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT US BEING OUTCOME BASED. I THINK THAT WE -- REALIGNING THE PROCESS WILL CREATE A NEEDED REFRESH AND RESET ON THIS. MOSTLY, I WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T DUPLICATING SERVICES. SO, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS ALIGNING WITH A NONPROFIT COUNCIL CAN HELP US LOOK WITH WHERE THERE'S OVERLAP OR CREATE CITYWIDE EFFICIENCIES, THAT MIGHT BE A THOUGHT. AND I'LL UNDERSCORE THE NEED TO -- FOR US TO MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS IN ORDER TO EVALUATE WHETHER THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING OR NOT. BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING, WE NEED TO REGROUP AND SAY WHAT'S WORKING. I MEAN, THESE ARE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND SO WE'RE STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EFFECTIVE EVEN WITH NONPROFITS. EVERY SINGLE NONPROFIT HAS A NOBLE CAUSE AND MISSION, AND I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT WE STILL NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A DASHBOARD TRACKING THIS, BUT I'M CURIOUS HOW WE ARE -- WE AS A CITY ARE HOLDING SOME OF OUR PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE TO [00:15:02] THEIR TARGETS. LIKE, IF THEY'RE NOT MEETING THEIR TARGETS, WHAT HAPPENS? >> WOOSLEY: AND SO WE REVIEW PERFORMANCE REPORTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS WE DO A DEEPER DESK REVIEW. IF AN AGENCY IS NOT MEETING THEIR TARGETS, THEN WE WORK WITH THEM ON A SUCCESS PLAN. YOU KNOW, AND IT ESCALATES, OF COURSE. IF IT'S -- YOU KNOW, CONTINUES, THEN THERE'S A LETTER THAT GOES OUT. AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THAT IT'S REALLY A BAD SITUATION, WE WORK WITH PROCUREMENT TO UNDO THAT. >> GAVITO: SURE. >> WOOSLEY: OR IN THE NEXT CYCLE, WE RECOMMEND AGAINST FUNDING. >> GAVITO: OKAY. NO, THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW. AGAIN, I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE NONPROFIT'S MISSION IS NOBLE AND IT'S WORTHY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO RESIDENTS' TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE, HEY, IF THESE NONPROFITS AREN'T CREATING THE WORK THAT WE NEED THEM TO, THEN WE NEED TO LOOK ELSEWHERE. ON SLIDE 5, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE -- THE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE -- WHEN PEOPLE ARE THINKING OF THIS DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE ENDING HOMELESSNESS. YOU KNOW, AND SO I FEEL THAT MORE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS HOMELESSNESS AND DIRECT SERVICES. ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR RESIDENTS IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THAT THIS BUDGET SHOULD BE EVEN MORE REFLECTED. AND I ALSO FEEL THAT IF WE WERE TO REMOVE DUPLICATIONS OF SERVICES IN SOME OF THESE OTHER OUTCOME AREAS, WE COULD REALLOCATE SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS TOWARDS DIRECT SERVICES OF ENDING HOMELESSNESS. I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING MORE IN B SESSION IN THE FALL, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE FOR US TO DO SOME PREP WORK TO SEE HOW WE ARE IDENTIFYING DUPLICATIONS AND SHOW DATA ON THE SUCCESS OF EACH PROGRAM AND SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME. >> WOOSLEY: WE'LL DO THAT. >> GAVITO: AWESOME. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WOULD JUST BE CLEAR THAT THIS ISN'T THE ENTIRETY OF THE BUDGET OF THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND SO WE DO ALLOCATE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR HOMELESS RESOURCES AND OUTREACH AND ALL OF THAT, AND NOT TO SAY THAT THAT'S ALL WE SHOULD DO, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF SERVICES THAT WERE JUST LISTED THERE THAT MANY OF MY CONSTIT CONSTITUENTS AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY RELY ON AS WELL. AND THINKING ABOUT THE SENIOR CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, ALL OF T THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT THIS PROCESS IS, EXTENDING THE CURRENT CONTRACTS THROUGH MAY OF NEXT YEAR AT MOST, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES -- CONTRACTS THROUGH MAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEVER THOSE CONTRACTS ANY SOONER THAN THAT; IS THAT ACCURATE? >> WOOSLEY: I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY SAY UP TO. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: OKAY. >> WOOSLEY: SO AS SOON AS THE PROCESS WAS FINISHED, WE WOULD EITHER END CONTRACTS, IF THEY'RE NOT BEING FUNDED ANY LONGER, OR JUST AMEND THE CONTRACT, IF THEY WERE AWARDED. SOUNDS GOOD. I WOULD JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERY ORGANIZATION THAT HAS AN EXTENDED CONTRACT, THAT THEY -- I DON'T KNOW, AT SOME LEVEL OF CERTAINTY IN THE CONTRACT WHERE THEY KNOW THROUGH JANUARY YOU SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT FUNDING, BECAUSE THIS MIGHT NOT BE AVALABLE THROUGH WHATEVER DAY THAT IS, I DO THINK UP TO MAY IS A BIT TOO VAGUE. >> WOOSLEY: UH-HUH. UNLESS IT'S -- THE DIFFERENCE IS APRIL. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE, BUT -- AND SO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE WOULD BE HAVING IN FALL IS THAT AS A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, OR IS IT SEPARATE FROM THE BUDGET PROCESS WA. >> WALSH: I'M -- I THINK AS WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE SHOULD SEPARATE IT FROM THE BUDGET PROCESS. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR 15 YEARS, BUT, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR CONVERSATION WAS THAT WE'VE ALL EVOLVED, AND -- AS AN ORGANIZATION AND I THINK AS PART OF THE COUNCIL. I THINK THE -- I'M GOING TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE, THE ARPA PROCESS WE WENT THROUGH, WHEN WE USED THE COMMITTEES AND THE SPECIFIC RFPS, WE IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES AND THEN WE EMPLOYED RFPS, THEN WENT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, THEN WENT BACK TO FULL COUNCIL, THAT WAS -- THAT WAS, I THINK, HEALTHY FOR US, AND IT GOT US TO DEPLOY THAT ARPA MONEY IN A WAY THAT WAS TARGETED AND AGREED UPON BY THE COUNCIL. AND THEN -- BUT THIS RFP PROCESS FOR DELEGATE AGENCIES AS A PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS IS JUST THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT. AND I THINK -- I THINK PART OF MY REFLECTION OF [00:20:03] THE B SESSION WAS THAT WE SHOULD UPDATE MAYBE THE WAY WE'RE APPROACHING THAT. AND HOW WE'RE BRINGING THOSE ISSUES FORWARD TO COUNCIL, BECAUSE THINGS SHIFT A BIT, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF WHATEVER THE PRIORITY OF THE TIME IS OR THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES CHANGE SLIGHTLY. BUT WE HAVEN'T KEPT THE PROCESS UP TO SPEED. SO MY -- THAT'S A LONG ANSWER TO REITERATE.SIMULTANEOU? >> WALSH: WELL, MAYBE IT HAPPENS IN -- I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT LET'S SAY THE CONTRACTS ARE JANUARY TO DECEMBER, THEY'RE NOT OCTOBER TO SEPTEMBER, LINED UP WITH OUR BUDGET. WE COULD CHANGE THE TERM. RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE DO HISTORICALLY EVERY COUPLE YEARS, WE DO A B SESSION IN THE FALL, WE ASK YOU GUYS FOR FEEDBACK, WE DO AN RFP, AND YOU DON'T SEE IT AGAIN UNTIL YOU SEE THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THE OTHER $4 MILLION. AND IT GETS KIND OF JUST PUT IN THERE. AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE MORE ATTUNED TO THE REALITIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FUNDING OF THIS -- OF THESE SERVICES AND OUTCOMES, AND MAYBE IT DESERVES TO BE OUT ON ITS OWN. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: EVERY YEAR, I KNOW THAT -- WHEN WE GET TO THE LAST FEW DAYS OF BUDGET AND COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT THEIR AMENDMENTS AND THEIR REQUESTS, OFTEN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD HAVE OR SHOULD HAVE APPLIED FOR DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDS ARE RECOMMENDED BY COUNCILMEMBERS AND IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW OF US SAY WE AGREE, WE WANT TO SEE GENERAL DOLLARS GO TO THIS. WHAT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IS THOSE BIG ORGS, THE BIG PLAYERS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING ALSO NAVIGATE CITY HALL IN A WAY THAT IS STRONGER THAN MANY OF OUR SMALLER NONPROFITS THAT ARE NOT AS COMPETITIVE, AND MAYBE DON'T HAVE THAT SAME INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW. I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE PROCESS EXPLOITED TO WHERE FOLK ARE DOUBLE-DIPPING IN FUNDS BECAUSE UNLESS WE SAY, IF YOU GET GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A CONTRACT, OR IF YOU GET THIS MUCH IN GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, THEN YOU CAN'T GET THIS MUCH -- I DON'T SEE A WAY -- I DON'T SEE A -- I DON'T SEE THAT BEING AVOIDED. DO YOU? >> WALSH: WELL, I DON'T LIKE THAT EITHER. BUT THINGS HAPPEN. I THINK THAT THAT'S -- IF -- IF WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE STRUCTURE THIS GOING FORWARD, IF THERE ARE LIMITATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS IN THE CONTRACT ABOUT COMING BACK THROUGH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TO THE CITY, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT HOW WE RESTRUCTURE THOSE CONTRACTS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SURE. I WOULD JUST WONDER IF DURING THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE GREATEST NEEDS OF THE CITY AND THOSE ARE GOING TO INVOLVE NOT JUST OUR CITY SERVICES, BUT SOCIAL SERVICES AS WELL, I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE TOWARDS THE TAIL END OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION MAYBE CITY STAFF DRAFT AN UPDATED LIST, AN UPDATED INVESTMENT PRIORITY SCALE OR NUMBERS BASED ON THAT CONVERSATION; THAT WAY EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION APPROACHES ME, I CAN FEEL CONFIDENT IN SAYING, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, COUNCILMEMBERS SAID THIS IS PRIORITY, I THINK YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR THAT. >> WALSH: OKAY. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND THEN THAT DISCUSSION WOULD BE NOT JUST ABOUT THE PROBLEMS, BUT WOULD ALSO BE A POLICY DISCUSSION WE TALKED ABOUT LIMITS FOR THE NUMBER OF YEARS AGENCIES COULD BE RECEIVING FUNDING, TALKED ABOUT THEIR CONTRACT LENGTHS THEMSELVES AND POSSIBLY HAVING SOME ONE-YEAR, TWO, THREE OR FOUR-YEAR. >> WALSH: YEP. THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'D ALSO BE HAVING AT THE SAME TIME. >> WALSH: AT THE FALL, YES. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND I GUESS GOING TO -- LOOKING AT SLIDE 4, WHY ARE THESE NONCOMPETITIVE AWARDEES, I GUESS WHY ARE THEY -- WHY THESE FOUR? >> WOOSLEY: OH, THE DESIGNATED. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YEAH. >> WOOSLEY: RIGHT. BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT ESSENTIAL AND CRITICAL SERVICES, THEY'RE ONE OF A KIND. WE HAVE OUR AFTER SCHOOL CHALLENGE PROGRAM IN FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE'VE HAD THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE CHANGED IT FROM BEING STAFF HIRING -- HIRING SEASONAL STAFF TO BEING CONTRACTED. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CONTRACTING TO NONPROFITS, BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REALLY NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT WHO'S OPERATING IN THEIR FACILITIES. >> WALSH: THE ANSWER IS THAT THEY'RE ALL DESIGNATED NOW. >> WOOSLEY: YES. >> WALSH: THOSE FOUR -- NOT FOUR. THE ISDS AND THE OTHER THREE AGENCIES HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY SUBMITTED TO THE RFP BECAUSE THEY'RE DESIGNATED. SO THIS IS -- THIS IS ANOTHER UPDATE, I THINK, TO OUR THINKING HERE, IS THAT IF WE DESIGNATE THEM [00:25:01] AND THEY DON'T SUBMIT TO RFPS TO SOLICITATION ANYWAY, WELL, THEN IT'S A LITTLE -- IT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING FOR US TO SAY WE HAVE $24.8 MILLION IN DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING THAT'S GOING THROUGH SOLICITATION. NO, WE DON'T. BECAUSE WE HAVE DESIGNATED -- EVEN FOR HAVEN FOR HOPE, UP PARTNERSHIP, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND THEN THE FIVE ISDS GET ALLOCATIONS THROUGH OUR BUDGET. SO LET'S DESIGNATE IT. LET'S STOP SAYING THAT THERE'S $24.8 MILLION. NOW, WE'LL SAY -- WE CAN SAY THAT THERE'S MONEY SET ASIDE AND IT SHOULD BE CAPTURED IN THOSE CATEGORIES OF HOMELESSNESS OR YOUTH SERVICES OR SENIOR SERVICES, THEY SHOULD -- WE SHOULD STILL BE COUNTING IT AS PART OF OUR INVESTMENT, BUT THAT'S PART OF UPDATING OUR PROCESS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I GUESS TO ME IT JUST SEEMS ODD TO HAVE THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ALREADY PREFIGURED PRIOR TO HAVING BUDGET CONVERSATIONS AND PRIOR TO DISCUSSING PRIORITIES. AND THESE MAY BE THE NUMBERS WE COME OUT TO, BUT IT'S JUST 5.14 MILLION, 1.59 IS VERY SPECIFIC. >> WALSH: WE HAVE SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNTS -- GIVEN THE RECOMMENDATION AND THE EXTENSION OF CONTRACTS THROUGH MAY OF -- MAY 31ST OF NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND SO WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THAT -- OH, THAT'S JUST FOR '26. >> WOOSLEY: YES. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE IN THE FUTURE, IT'S JUST FOR THROUGH MAY -- OR THROUGH. >> WALSH: THAT'S THROUGH FISCAL YEAR '26. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: GOT YOU. >> WOOSLEY: AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE COME BACK AND ASKED COUNCIL TO PROVIDE INPUT ON AND APPROVE EVERY CYCLE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: GOT YOU. AND THERE ARE NO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, NO OTHER AGENCIES THAT CAN DO WHAT THOSE FOUR ARE DOING, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE REASON WHY WE DESIGNATE THEM. >> WOOSLEY: YES. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA? >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU, MEL, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND TO EVERYONE AT DHS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT ALWAYS. I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE SLIDE 5 OF THE PRESENTATION, AND IT'S UNDER SENIOR INDEPENDENCE, CAN YOU BREAK DOWN IN THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MUCH GOES TO EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS, LIKE FOOD SECURITY, ET CETERA. >> WOOSLEY: ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN PROVIDE THAT. >> GARCIA: SO, YEAH, IF YOU CAN SEND THAT OVER. AND THEN ALSO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL -- WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN THE HOMEBOUND SUPPORT AND THE CAREGIVER SUPPORT. >> WOOSLEY: SO CAREGIVER SUPPORT OFFERS SUPPORT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE HELPING OLDER ADULTS THAT ARE MAYBE UNABLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. HOMEBOUND SUPPORT WOULD BE THINGS LIKE MEALS ON WHEELS, TAKING THE MEAL TO THE OLDER ADULT IN THEIR HOME OR APARTMENT. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU. I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE LIKE SOME OF THE CAREGIVERS GIVE SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMEBOUND. >> WOOSLEY: RIGHT. >> GARCIA: AND SO I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL -- KIND OF LIKE WERE PITCHES THAT DIFFERENCE. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE AGENCIES THAT ARE OFFERING THESE SUPPORT SERVICES. LIKE PARTICULARLY IN THE HOMEBOUND AND IN THE CAREGIVER SUPPORT, IS THERE ANY TRAINING, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WOULD HELP THE CAREGIVERS INCREASE THEIR WAGES? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE -- THE CAREGIVERS ARE PAID AT ABOUT $13 AN HOUR, $13.83 I THINK IS THE OFFICIAL FROM SOOP REZIP RECRUITERS, BUT THERE'S OTHER PLACES IN TEXAS AS HIGH AS 18.59. HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGING THE CAREGIVERS TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATIONS AND ARE WE DOING ANY OF THAT UNDER CAREGIVER SUPPORT? >> WOOSLEY: WE PRIMARILY WORK WITH MEALS ON WHEELS AND WELLMED FOR SOME OF THESE SERVICES, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THEM ON THE WAGES THAT THEY'RE PAYING. AND MAYBE DO SOME MARKET RESEARCH ON WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA ARE PAYING. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. YEAH. AND SO -- AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY TALKING ABOUT THE MEALS ON WHEELS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS, I'M TALKING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT CAREGIVERS. >> WOOSLEY: OKAY. >> GARCIA: AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU ALL -- AND SO, AND, MEL, I'LL TELL YOU WHY I'M RECENTLY EVEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS. MY MOM BROKE HER HIP LAST MONTH, SO SHE HAD A PARTIAL HIP REPLACEMENT, SHE'S BEEN GOING THROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY, TWO HOURS BEFORE SHE WAS SET TO BE RELEASED FROM PHYSICAL THERAPY, SHE FELL AT THE FACILITY. >> WOOSLEY: OH. >> GARCIA: SO SHE'S REQUIRING EXTRA HELP. LUCKILY, I HAVE A LOT OF COUSINS, RIGHT, AND WE'RE ALL TAKING TURNS AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIKE ESSENTIALLY SCHEDULES OF WHOSE COMING IN DURING WHAT TIME. WE ALSO CONTRACTED WITH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION FOR CAREGIVER. BUT IN THAT, I REALIZED THAT, LIKE, I'M FORTUNATE [00:30:03] THAT I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SENIORS THAT I KNOW WHEN I GO DELIVER MEALS WITH MEALS ON WHEELS, TOO, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SUPPORT. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DO BREAK A HIP OR WHATEVER IT IS AND -- LAP WHO'S HELPING THEM AT HOME? A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I HAD A CONVERSATION, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHO IT WAS -- I WAS TRYING TO FOCUS IN ON THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE UPSKILL OR UPTRAIN, RIGHT? AND I HAD MENTIONED THAT MAYBE THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS. AND SO I LIKE THAT, BUT I'M ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE, WHO'S ALREADY DOING IT WITHIN THE SERVICES AND HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET CERTIFIED AND TRAINED TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST BETTER. AND SO THAT'S KIND OF, FBI ES,I GUESS, WHAT THE QUESTION WOULD BE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHO WOULD DO THAT, AND ALSO A BREAKDOWN OF THE SERVICES THEY'RE OFFERING. WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FUNDED, IS IT JUST DELIVERING MEALS? IS IT DELIVERING DIAPER, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE DIAPER BANK, FOR INSTANCE, DOES THAT CATEGORY, I'M WONDERING IF THEY PROVIDE IN-HOME CAREGIVER SERVICES SPECIFICALLY FOR THE IN-HOME CAREGIVER SUPPORT? AND SO WE HAVE SEEN -- AND I MENTIONED THIS TO COUNCILMAN PELAEZ IN OUR ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THAT I THINK THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT'S COMING TO SAN ANTONIO AND 17.4% OF OUR POPULATION IS OVER 60. THEY'RE GOING TO START NEEDING SOME ADDITIONAL HELP. WE'VE BEEN SO FOCUSED ON CHILDCARE, I ASKED COUNCILMAN PELAEZ IF WE COULD CONSIDER LIKE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HOW TO INCLUDE ELDER CARE IN GENERAL. AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, SOMEBODY HAS A BABY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF AND AND I GET IT, THEY'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING ON TWO HOURS OF SLEEP. I'M RUNNING ON AN AVERAGE OF THREE HOURS OF SLEEP CARING FOR TWO OLDER ADULTS, BUT NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? NOBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT AT A NURSING HOME, FOR INSTANCE, IT'S $5,500 A MONTH. AND, FOR INSTANCE, AT THE FACILITY WHERE MY MOM WAS AT, SHE ENDED UP WITH BEDSORES, SO THERE'S NO WAY I WANT HER TO GO BACK TO A FACILITY. LIKE WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HER. AGAIN, I HAVE FAMILY, BUT OTHERS DON'T. AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIGURE THAT PROBLEM OUT RIGHT NOW. LIKE HOW DO WE -- HOW WILL WE SUPPORT OUR AGING POPULATION? HOW WILL WE HELP THEM AGE IN PLACE? HOW WILL WE HELP PROVIDE FOR THEM THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET AWAY -- OR STAY IN HOME AND AGE IN PLACE? I GET IT, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT HOMEBOUND SUPPORT, BUT I THINK THAT THE CAREGIVER ASPECT, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON. AND I THINK THAT IT'S PRIME TIME TO DO IT RIGHT NOW AS WE PREPARE FOR THE AGING POPULATION. AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WILL PROBABLY BE THERE SOON AS WELL, SO WE'VE JUST CARED FOR BABIES AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PARENTS AS WELL, SO I'M JUST WORRIED THAT WE HAVEN'T PLANNED ENOUGH FOR THE FUTURE FOR OUR ELDERS. BUT THAT'S IT. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. I'M SEEING THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. I WOULD ALSO GIVE UNDER CAREGIVER SUPPORT LIKE INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND THE INTRI KASIS ABOUT THAT. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS BEFORE ON COUNCIL THAT WAS ON COUNCIL AND WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON DEEDS AND MAKING SURE THAT -- THAT, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, I LEARNED ALL ABOUT A LADY BIRD DEED. HAD NO CLUE WHAT THAT MEANT, RIGHT? BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS IN THAT SITUATION, BUT, AGAIN, OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A CHILD, DON'T HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER, AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING IN THAT CAREGIVER SUPPORT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT THE LEGAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE OR WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO LEGALLY TO PREPARE FOR WHEN THEY GET THERE. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING. I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ALWAYS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> WOOSLEY: ABSOLUTELY. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, ERIK, AND MELODY FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE FEEDBACK THAT WE PROVIDED, BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT CAME UP, AND IT FELT LIKE WE WERE UNDER THE GUN TRYING TO GET IT DONE IMMEDIATELY. SO I APPRECIATE THE NOTION THAT BECAN WE CAN EXTEND FOR A YEAR. TALKING TO SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, I'VE HEARD SOME SUPPORT FOR THAT AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON TRACK AND MEASURING PARTICULARLY THE RIGHT THINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS I REQUESTED I THINK AT THE LAST TIME, AND A CUM OF US REQUESTED IT, IT CAME UP THAT THERE ARE OVER 400 METRICS AND WE WERE GOING TO LOOK THROUGH WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO REQUIRE FROM EACH OF I RECEIVED -- WE RECEIVED CONTEXT THAT CAME ABOUT FROM PREVIOUS COUNCILS, BUT WE WERE ALSO -- SOME [00:35:02] OF MY COLLEAGUES, I REMEMBER, WERE REITERATING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING OUR ALREADY VERY SHORT STAFFED AND VERY HARD WORKING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. SO DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THOSE LISTS OF ME METRICS? >> WOOSLEY: AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS NEXT CONTRACT PERIOD, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE EXTENSIONS, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE AGENCIES TO REDUCE THEIR -- THE NUMBER OF MEASURES AND THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. >> KAUR: OKAY. GREAT. I KNOW THAT -- SO -- JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY DOESN'T KNOW, THE UP PARTNERSHIP FUNDING THAT'S DELEGATED TO THEM, IT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVIDING US DATA ESSENTIALLY, AND I KNOW THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US TO ACTUALLY STREAMLINE SOME OF THOSE METRICS. >> WOOSLEY: YES. >> KAUR: ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT CAME UP LAST TIME AND WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, TOO, WAS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT THE MAYOR STARTED LAST SUMMER FOR YOUTH INITIATIVES, ET CETERA, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY USE THAT COMMITTEE TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE METRICS, DETERMINE WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO TRACK, AND THEN REALLY MAKE SURE OUR FUNDING IS ALIGNED TO THOSE METRICS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO THIS UPCOMING WORK? >> WOOSLEY: YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND UP IS OUR PRIMARY PARTNER ON TRYING TO COLLECT THAT YOUTH DATA AND HELP US REPORT IT. >> KAUR: OKAY. GREAT. YEAH, I'D LOVE TO SEE IF WE COULD ACTUALLY ACTIVATE THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN MOVE THAT WORK FORWARD USING THAT COMMITTEE AS A JUMP OFF POINT. AND AS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD A CONVERSATION RECENTLY, YESTERDAY EVEN ABOUT ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND THEIR ROLE AND HOW THEY PROVIDE INPUT. SO WE DO HAVE A COMMISSION ON EDUCATION. HAVE THEY SHARED ANY INSIGHTS ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCESS BUCKET OR HOW MUCH FUNDING THAT THEY RECEIVE OR WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE RECEIVING THAT FUNDING? >> WOOSLEY: SO THEY GENERALLY -- WE HAVE THREE COMMISSIONS THAT RELATE TO EDUCATION, THE YOUTH COMMISSION, THE HIGHER ED COMMISSION AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION. THEY PARTICIPATE IN OUR RFP REVIEW PROCESS, HELP MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING FUNDING LEVELS AND WHO WE SHOULD FUND. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH DEBRIEFING, RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PROCESS. SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY BRING THEM INTO THE -- THIS PROCESS. >> KAUR: OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND IF WE COULD ACTUALLY -- IF SOME OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEES COULD BE MADE UP OF THOSE APPOINTEES, SINCE THEY'RE ALREADY VERY WELL VERSED WITH THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT AS WELL. >> WOOSLEY: YES. >> KAUR: AND THEN JUST THE LAST THING THAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT -- WHERE THIS FUNDING IS GOING AND WHAT IT'S BEING USED FOR, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BACKWARDS TRACK FROM THE LONG-TERM MEASURES THAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE, BECAUSE IT CAN BE REALLY EASY FOR US TO SAY, LET'S DUMP ALL OF OUR MONEY INTO HOMELESSNESS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE STREETS AND WE'RE HEARING ABOUT AS WE'RE WALKING, BUT IF WE REALLY WANT TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF KIDS' LIVES IN THE LONG TERM, WE KNOW WE NEED THE WORK AROUND DROPOUT PREVENTION, WE KNOW WE NEED THE WORK AROUND MENTORING THAT BIG BROTHERS - BIG SISTERS DOES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PREVENTS OUR KIDS FROM GOING INTO THE WRONG PATH IN THE FUTURE. SO IF WE DO NOT INVEST IN CHILDREN AND STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE MORE HOMELESSNESS. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TRACK BACKWARDS FROM WHAT ARE THE GOALS THAT WE HOPE TO SEE IN OUR FUTURE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE FUNDING APPROPRIATELY. AND DOUBLING DOWN ON SOME OF THOSE WORKS THAT ARE PROACTIVE, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS THAT WE REALLY GET TO REALLY PUSH ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT. OKAY. THANKS. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ? >> PELAEZ: I GET IT. IT'S 2025 AND WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT WHITE HOUSE, DIFFERENT WINDS ARE BLOWING IN AUSTIN CREATING DIFFERENT PRESSURES ON YOU GUYS, I GET IT. AND I DON'T ENVY WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I SEE YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THE PRESSURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S NEEDS ARE STILL MET IN THE FACE OF THESE CHALLENGING WINDS. AND SO YOU'RE NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED, AND I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PASS THAT ALONG. I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE SENTIMENT IS UNANIMOUS ON THIS DAIS. BUT ADDRESSING SOMETHING COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA MENTIONED, I FINISHED A BOOK NOT RECENTLY, IT'S A SLOW SLOG OF A BOOK, BUT IT'S CALLED HOMODAOS THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY WE'RE GETTING OLDER, RIGHT? AND HUMANITY IS NOW, YOU KNOW, REACHING THIS POINT WHERE SENTY NARIANS ARE NO LONGER THESE EXOTIC [00:40:03] OUTLIER UNICORNS BUT IN ALL OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS WE'VE GOT CENTINARIANS. AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING OLDER AND SOCIETY IS A BIT LATE TO REACT TO THIS NEW REALITY AND THAT CITIES IN PARTICULAR ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT ADJUSTING SERVICES, ADJUSTING BUDGETS, STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PRESSURE PLACED ON PENSION SYSTEMS, REQUIREMENT ACCOUNTS, WORKFORCE, THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE WORKFORCE, RIGHT. MOBILITY, TRANSIT, PARKS, AND HEALTHCARE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD -- WAS IT LAST COUNCIL MEETING OR THE MEETING BEFORE THAT, YOU ALL HELPED ME CELEBRATE MR. RAYMUNDO FLORES WHO'S 103 YEARS OLD, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THAT MAN WALKS AROUND ON HIS OWN JUST FINE, DANCES AT THE SENIOR CENTER, AND HE'S ALL THERE, RIGHT? AND HE'S 103, AND HE'S GOING TO OUTLIVE ALL OF US, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE -- THANKFULLY WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO MEETING THIS CHALLENGE HEAD ON, SO DR. NELA PATELA OVER AT UT HEALTH SCHOOL OF NURSING, I THINK YOU WERE THERE WITH ME, THEY CELEBRATED THE FACT THAT SAN ANTONIO GOT NAMED ONE OF THE DEMENTIA CITIES OF EXCELLENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? AND WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT WHAT SHE AND THE PROFESSIONALS THERE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS GETTING US TO SPEAK IN TERMS OF DEMENTIA, NOT JUST BY FOCUSING ON THE PATIENT, BUT REALLY FOCUSING AT THE WHOLE HOUSEHOLD UNIT THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE CAREGIVERS ARE THE ONES WHO -- THE PATIENT WILL BE FINE. I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, ONE IN FIVE OF US ENDS UP DEVELOPING DEMENTIA IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, BUT IT'S THE CARETAKERS WHOSE LIVES GET SUCKED OUT OF THEM, RIGHT? YEARS OUT OF THEIR LIVES ARE JUST BURNT. AND THOSE PEOPLE END UP REALLY BROKEN IN MANY WAYS, RIGHT, WITH SOME VERY SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, DEPRESSION, LONELINESS. AND SO IF I WERE TO TRY TO FORECAST WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES IN THE FUTURE IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ALLOT RESOURCES TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOLKS THAT ADRIANA AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? AND IF WE DON'T, RIGHT, PROACTIVELY PLAN FOR THIS CHANGING REALITY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FACED WITH HAVING TO REACT ONCE IT HITS, RIGHT? AND IT'S ALREADY HITTING. LET ME TELL YOU IN PRACTICAL TERMS, AND IT'S CUTE, RIGHT, BUT IT'S REAL. RIGHT? WE WANTED TO CELEBRATE MR. FLORES' BIRTHDAY AT THE SENIOR CENTER. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD US? YEAH, WE CELEBRATED HIS 102 BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR, AND IF WE KEEP CELEBRATING EVERY SINGLE YEAR, THE OTHER CENTENARIANS ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE EVERY TIME THEY HIT THAT MILESTONE. I WAS LIKE, IT'S A BIG DEAL. YEAH, BUT IT'S A LOT OF THEM. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN OUR GRANDMOTHERS AND GRANDFATHERS WILL DIE, AND NOW IF SOMEBODY DIES AT 75, OH, MY GOSH. WHAT HAPPENED? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, RIGHT? THAT'S CUTE, BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR STRETCHING OUT RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS, RIGHT? THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO NOW NEED MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE AT SENIOR CENTERS. OUR SENIOR CENTERS ARE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER AND OLDER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE, LED BY YOU, MELODY, TO GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE. I'LL END BY SAYING I'M REALLY PROUD OF YOU AND I SEE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MELODY, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TEAM FOR ALL THAT Y'ALL DO, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD COMMITTEE. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN AT ONE OF THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS LAST MONTH, AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, GREAT TO HEAR FROM THE DHS TEAMS, WAYS IN WHICH YOU ALL CREATE THE RUBRIC AND HOW YOU SHARE THE DATA AND HOW IT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH COUNCIL FOR US TO PROVIDE DIRECTION ON WHATEVER THE INITIATIVE MAY BE. I WAS GLAD I ATTENDED AND THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THAT Y'ALL DO. IN TERMS OF DIRECTION, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE THING. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST OF DIRECT SERVICES, THE FRUSTRATION I HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TO BE QUITE FRANK FROM MY TEAM AND MYSELF, OFTEN TIMES WE COMMISSION STUDIES OR COMMISSION FOLKS TO ANALYZE DATA. WE HAVE THAT DATA WHEN WE LOOK AT THE METRICS THAT WE RECEIVE EVERY BUDGET YEAR WHERE WE'RE AT IN MEETING OUR GOALS, AS WELL AS WHEN WE HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS REGARDING WHAT SERVICES THEY'RE REQUESTING. SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO INVEST IN MORE DIRECT SERVICES. ABSOLUTELY, RIGHT, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THE WORK STARTS BEFORE THE DISASTER HITS, AND I KNOW THERE'S AN APPETITE TO KIND OF PLAY DEFENSE RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE WAYS WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S [00:45:03] INFRASTRUCTURE FOR METRO HEALTH SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT REACTIVE AT THE WHIM OF WHOEVER IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. IN TERMS OF WHAT I BELIEVE THE CONTINUED AREAS OF FOCUSES SHOULD BE OF COURSE IS LOOKING AT WHAT SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED AS A PRY FORTPRIORITY, WHICH IS HOMELESS BUT TAKING A HYBRID APPROACH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND GOODWILL, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WITH ACCESS TO WORKFORCE TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK UP ON THEIR FEET. I THINK ABOUT SOME OF OUR CHURCHES WHO RELY ON THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK TO PURCHASE FOOD TO THEN DISTRIBUTE TO THEIR MEMBERSHIP OR NEARBY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO NEED ACCESS TO THAT FOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM SOME OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS OR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, RATHER, IS THAT THEY'RE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHANGES, RIGHT, AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BUY THAT FOOD TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. SO, OF COURSE, ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SAN A SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK, SO THAT WAY OUR RESIDENTS COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT FOOD. IN TERMS OF EXTENDING THE CURRENT CONTRACTS, AGAIN, I SEE THE EAR MARK FOR HAVEN FOR HOPE IN PARTICULAR, I KNOW THERE'S CURRENT CONVERSATIONS AND I JUST HAD A GENERAL QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT THAT THE COUNTY ENTERED WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE, WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BRIEFED ON THOSE ACTIONS REGARDING CONTRACTING WITH LEON VALLEY? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CITY STAFF WAS AWARE OF? >> WOOSLEY: CONTRACTING WITH WHO. >> WALSH: THE LEON -- >> WOOSLEY: OH, LEON VALLEY. YES, WE WERE AWARE. >> WALSH: AND I THINK THERE WAS A BALANCE CONE HE'S HEIGHTS AVAI AVAILABLE. >> CASTILLO: SO THE CITY WAS AWARE OF THE COUNTY'S ACTIONS TO ENTER INTO THAT WITH LEON VALLEY. >> WOOSLEY: YES, WE WERE AWARE. >> CASTILLO: AND YOU'RE AWARE OF THE PILOT EXTENDING TO OTHER UNINCORPORATED CITIES? >> WOOSLEY: WE HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT KOFERTIONZ. THE ISSUE IS IN LEON VALLEY, THEY WERE NEEDING ASSISTANCE, THEIR HOMELESSNESS, I THINK -- RATE HAD INCREASED, AND SO BEXAR COUNTY CHOSE TO CONTRACT WITH LAY HAVEN TO PROVIDE OUTREACH. >> CASTILLO: OKAY. I THINK THERE'S A LARGER CONVERSATION FOR US TO HAVE THERE, I UNDERSTAND THERE IS GOING TO BE A B SESSION, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PIECES AND AREAS OF CONCERN, AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL SHOULD BE PROVIDING DIRECTION ON IN TERMS OF THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AND ADDRESSING THE HOUSING CONCERNS OF OTHER FOLKS BEYOND THE CITY, RIGHT, WITH OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THAT PIECE. IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON SLIDE 3, IT'S SOMETHING I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, BUT, AGAIN, TAKING A WHOLE HOLISTIC APPROACH IN TERMS OF TACKLING HOMELESS AS WELL AS ENSURING THAT WE ARE USING OUR FUNDING TOWARDS DIRECT SERVICES. THANK YOU. >> WOOSLEY: THANK YOU. >> WALSH: MAYOR, JUST ONE SECOND. JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE REST OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS ARE AWARE OF WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN WAS REFERRING TO. AT LEAST LEON VALLEY, AND I THOUGHT MAYBE BALCONES HEIGHTS THERE WAS A COUNTY PROGRAM WHERE THE COUNTY FUNDED OUTREACH TO PROVIDE HOMELESSNESS SERVICES IN THOSE SMALL MUNICIPALITIES AND TRANSPORT OF INDIVIDUALS INTO -- TO HAVEN FOR HOPE. AND THAT WAS A COUNTY INITIATIVE. WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY EXPANSION. I KNOW I GAVE YOU AN UPDATE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. BUT THAT WAS NOT A PROGRAM THAT WE APPROVED NOR CONTROL. I DO THINK THAT IT RAISES A LARGER ISSUE THAT I THINK WE SHOULD TALK THROUGH ABOUT THE COORDINATION AND THE IMPACTS IT HAS ON US WHILE WE'RE DEALING WITH OUR OWN HOMELESS OUTREACH EFFORTS, BUT THAT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS SENSITIVE, BECAUSE TO -- TO YOU IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE HAVEN FOR HOPE IS IN YOUR DISTRICT. SO IT'S BRINGING FOLKS WITH NEED DOWN TO -- INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. >> CASTILLO: AND IF I MAY ADD, RIGHT, THE AREA OF CONCERN IS THAT SOME OF THEIR POLICIES WERE CHANGED, THAT IF YOU ARE A CURRENT CLIENT AND YOU LEAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THIS KIND OF PROGRAM, SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO WAIT 60 DAYS BEFORE THEY CAN RETURN FOR SERVICES. WHILE, YES, IT IS IN DISTRICT FIVE, HOMELESSNESS IS A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ISSUE, AND THOSE ARE SLOTS AND INDIVIDUALS FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT CAN ACCESS SHELTER FOR X AMOUNT OF DAYS BECAUSE IT'S ACCOMMODATING THIS. SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE, RIGHT, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S IN DISTRICT FIVE, BUT IT'S A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO-WIDE PRIORITY. >> WALSH: NO, NO. 100% AGREE. I THINK THE COUNCIL WEIGHING IN ON YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT AN EXPANDED PROGRAM, IT COULD EXPAND TO [00:50:02] UNINCORPORATED BEXAR COUNTY, IT COULD EXPAND TO OTHERS. WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A SYSTEMATIC COORDINATED APPROACH SO THAT -- SO THAT THERE AREN'T -- SO THAT THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED IT HAVE ACCESS TO IT WITHOUT HAVING UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES ON OTHERS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA? >> HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO OFFER UP A SOLUTION. THERE'S BEXAR COUNTY GUARDIAN SLIP PROGRAM WHERE SENIORS AND ALSO PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CAN SIGN UP FOR A GUARDIAN. GUARDIANS ARE NEEDED LEGALLY IN CASES WHERE PEOPLE ARE DEEMED INCAPACITATED, SO CAN'T MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. USUALLY PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER'S. AND I WONDER IF THERE'S A SPACE FOR THE CITY TO TRAIN TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN GUARDIANS TO HELP THEM GET QUALIFIED TO BE GUARDIANS FOR OUR SENIORS THAT DON'T HAVE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THERE IS -- MEDICAID PAYS FOR THE GUARDIAN PER MONTH, AND THESE GUARDIANS -- USUALLY THE PERSON IS IN A NURSING HOME, SO THEY GO AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE -- THEY'RE UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE, THEY'RE MAKING APPOINTMENTS, MAKING MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR THEM. AND IT MIGHT BE A SOLUTION FOR US. I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT -- I KNOW THERE'S LIMITED FUNDING AND WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT, BUT IF WE'RE SEEING -- AND I'M HEARING WE'RE ALL SEEING THIS KIND OF GAP, MAYBE THE CITY CAN COME IN AND HELP TO, AGAIN, JUST RECRUIT AND TRAIN THEM. AND THEN GO -- MAYBE PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY TO ASSIGN THESE GUARDIANS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED THE CARE. IT'S NOT JUST FOR SENIORS, IT'S FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE DEEM INCAPACITATED THAT HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS. I MEAN, THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN -- IT'S A SOLUTION OFFERED, AND SO A LOT OF THE ISSUES HERE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, THAT I THINK I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR LOOKING AT WAYS TO FUND THAT A TRAINING PROGRAM. >> WOOSLEY: AND BEXAR COUNTY PROVIDES THAT SERVICE ACROSS THE COUNTY, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE WORK WITH THEM -- OR HAVE WORKED WITH THEM ON SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE NEEDED THAT SERVICE. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT UP. THANKS, MAYOR. >> WOOSLEY: WE'LL LOOK AT THAT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THERE WAS JUST ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE, IS THERE GOING TO BE A LIST PROVIDED OF SOME OF THE PRIVATE KIND OF INDUSTRY PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE DOING? BECAUSE I KNOW -- I HEARD TODAY LIKE A LOT OF THE BANKS ARE GETTING TOGETHER TO HELP WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY, THAT COULD POSSIBLY WORK IN OUR STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PORTION. OUR SENIOR INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A LIST OF WHO IS KIND OF DOING PUBLIC/PRIVATE, AND WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON EFFORTS, TOO? >> WOOSLEY: WE CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER. WE WORK WITH USUALLY CREDIT UNIONS WITH OUR VITA PROGRAM, SOME OF ZEROUR OTHER PROGRAMS, WE CAN DO THAT. >> VIAGRAN: IF WE CAN START SEEING -- I KNOW THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS SEEING AN INITIATIVE -- KIND OF HOW THEY CAN BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND BE BETTER NEIGHBORS. I EVEN HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE, LIKE, OH, WE CAN VOLUNTEER AND HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS, A BUILD OR A CLEANUP OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT HOW THESE AGENCIES ARE UTILIZING THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND WHO THEY HAVE HELPING THEM ON THIS -- THESE EFFORTS, SO IF WE COULD GET A LIST OF THAT, TOO, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELODY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 2. >> WALSH: MAYOR, SECOND ITEM IS A BRIEFING ON OUR CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANTS FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE $1.4 MILLION ALLOCATED. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME -- THIRD TIME -- THIRD PROGRAM. EVERY ITERATION HAS BEEN -- HAS BEEN BUILDING UPON LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PRIOR ONE. BRENDA'S GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THE GRANT PROGRAM AND SOME OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS AS PART OF THE TARGETED EFFORT ON THOSE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS THAT ARE THIS YEAR UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND ARE ELIGIBLE, AND THE -- WE'VE INCORPORATED A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR. THIS ITEM DID GO TO EWDC LAST MONTH AND WE'VE INCORPORATED THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, SO BRENDA, KICK US OFF. >> HICKS-SORENSON: THANK YOU, ERIK. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, BRENDA HICKS-SORENSON, AS ERIK INDICATED WE HAD TWO [00:55:03] PRIOR DEDICATED CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR FISCAL YEAR '23 AND FOR FISCAL YEAR '24, AT WHICH TIME $3.85 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS WERE AWARDED TO 154 BUSINESSES. YOU'LL ALSO SEE IN FISCAL YEAR '22, WE DID HAVE AS PART OF THE KO COVID-19 GRANT, 135 OF THOSE AWARDS WERE -- RECEIVED THE ADDITIONAL $10,000. AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT IS GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. AGAIN, THERE'S $1.4 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR THIS. AND LIKE ERIK SAID, WE DO ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE THOSE LESSONS LEARNED. AS PART OF THAT, WE TRY TO DO SIGNIFICANT OUTREACH TO BUSINESSES AND TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. SO WE DO HAVE SIX-MONTH, 18 MONTH AND 24 MONTH SURVEYS THAT GO OUT TO THE BUSINESSES. UNFORTUNATELY, WE JUST HAVE THE RESULTS FROM THE '23 RESPONDENTS AT THIS TIME. THE '24 PROGRAM, THAT ACTUALLY GOES OUT NEXT MONTH IN APRIL. WE ALSO BLOCK WALKED AND COMPLETED SURVEYS WITH ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION CORRIDORS AND -- TO GET THE FEEDBACK OF JUST HOW THE PROGRAM WENT, ANY IDEAS, ANY CONCERNS THEY HAD, ONGOING ISSUES. AND REALLY WHAT CAME OUT IN THAT -- I SHOULD ALSO MENTION, WE WENT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION AS WELL. AND WHAT REALLY CAME OUT OF THAT IS THE NEED FOR SOME OF THAT PRECONSTRUCTION, SO PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION STARTING, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF ACCESS, WANTING TO KIND OF RAMP UP, IF YOU WILL, FOR CONSTRUCTION. AND THEN ALSO THE POSTCONSTRUCTION. THERE'S BEEN REDUCED FOOT TRAFFIC, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW DO WE KIND OF DO THAT LAUNCH TO GET BACK UP, KIND OF AMP IT UP A LITTLE BIT. AND SO WITH THAT, WE ARE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING A THREE-STAGE PROGRAM. YOU'LL SEE HERE WITH TWO OF THEM, THE PRE AND THE POSTCONSTRUCTION BOTH BEING PILOT PROGRAMS FOR FISCAL YEAR '25, AND THEN THE ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS BASED ON THE HISTORICAL PROGRAMMING THAT WE'VE DONE. SO I'LL FOCUS ON THAT FIRST, BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND, AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THIS IS FOR FOR-PROFIT SMALL BUSINESSES, AND IS IT IN THE CITY INITIATED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, SO WE OFTEN RECEIVE CALLED THROUGH OUR SMALL BUSINESS OUTREACH TEAM FOR PROJECTS INITIATED BY SAWS, TXDOT, 1604, FOR EXAMPLE, OR CPS, SO THIS IS FOCUSED ON CITY-INITIATED PROJECTS, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC WORKS, THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER IN HELPING US IDENTIFY THESE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A BUDGET OF $1 MILLION FOR THIS WITH THOSE GRANTS UP TO $35,000. THE USE OF FUNDS REMAINS THE SAME. WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT AND POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE BUSINESSES WHEN WE DID SURVEY THEM ON THAT USE OF FUNDS. THE ELIGIBLE CORRIDORS, LAST YEAR WE HAD EIGHT CORRIDORS. THIS YEAR IT IS TWO THAT WE'E RECOMMENDING THAT ARE REALLY THE PRIMARY CONTINUATION, IF YOU WILL. AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANNED DURATION OF AT LEAST 12 MONTHS. WE DID ALSO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE IF A SIX-MONTH SHIFT MADE A DIFFERENCE, AND IT DID NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL CORRIDORS, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE TWO CORRIDORS THAT HAD ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AS OF APRIL 1ST. SO ZONA CULTURAL AND SOUTH ALAMO STREET ARE WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THE 2025 PROGRAM. THE BUSINESS CRITERIA, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT REMAINS THE SAME. OTHER THAN YOU'LL SEE HERE THE DATES, THE YEARS. SO INSTEAD OF -- WE'RE BASICALLY JUST BUMPING IT A YEAR TO REFLECT THAT. SO MINIMUM OF 10,000 GROSS SALES IN 2023 VERSUS PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS 2022, FOR EXAMPLE. THE EXCLUSIONS REMAIN THE SAME AS PRIOR PROGRAM AS WELL. WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING, THOUGH, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE TWO CORRIDORS, THAT WE REMOVE SOME OF THE CRITERIA FROM THE PRIOR GRANTS, SPECIFICALLY THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DURATION. THE TWO CORRIDORS ARE AT 36 MONTH AND 30 MONTHS, THAT'S REALLY A FIVE-POINT DIFFERENCE, SO IT DIDN'T FEEL THAT THAT HAD THAT SIGNIFICANT OF AN IMPACT, AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE EQUITY ATLAS, THE INCOME ONLY SCORES, THE MAJORITY OF THE BUSINESSES WERE IN THAT FOUR AND FIVE CATEGORY, ALL BUT EIGHT OF THE POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES HAD THAT INCOME ONLY EQUITY SCORE OF FOUR TO FIVE. SO OUR SUGGESTION IS TO REMOVE THAT. AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON THE THREE MAIN AREAS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY RECEIVED PRIOR ASSISTANCE. SO, AGAIN, IN THE 2024 AND/OR 2023 GRANTS, AGAIN, THEY'RE STILL ELIGIBLE IF THEY RECEIVED PRIOR AWARDS, BUT THERE ARE POINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. THE NET REVENUE LOSS, AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE 2024 TO 2023, INCREASING THOSE POINTS, SO THAT THE MAX, IF THEY HAVE A 50% OR [01:00:04] GREATER, WOULD BE 50 POINTS AVAILABLE. AND THEN THE PREEXISTING BUSINESS, SO, AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THOSE BUSINESS WHOSE ARE ON THE CORRIDORS LONGER. THESE ARE, AGAIN, SCORED APPLICATIONS, SO IT IS NOT A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. IT IS BASED ON THE SCORING. SO ALL APPLICATIONS COME IN AND THEN OUR PARTNER WHO WE'RE RECOMMENDING, LIFTFUND, WOULD SCORE AND PROVIDE THE AWARDS BASED ON THAT. I WOULD NOTE, IF FOR SOME REASON ADDITIONAL CORRIDORS WERE ADDED, WE WOULD RECOMMEND TAKING A LOOK AND GOING BACK TO A PRIOR CRITERIA. THEN THE PRECONSTRUCTION PILOT, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT NEW THIS YEAR. SO REALLY PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION STARTING, HAVING UP TO $80,000 AVAILABLE WITH A GRANT AMOUNT OF $2,000. SO THE ELIGIBLE USE IS REALLY THAT SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, SIGNAGE, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUGGESTED IF THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ONLINE DELIVERY SERVICE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED FOR A LOT OF OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE ASSOCIATE BUSINESSES ON THESE CORRIDORS, BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES. WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE MARBACH ROAD AREA, IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT STREET AND DRAINAGE PROGRAM IN BOTH COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR AND 6 BE THE PILOT FOR THIS PROGRAM. THEN THE POSTCONSTRUCTION PILOT WOULD BE, AGAIN, SUPPORTING THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPACTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT REALLY IF THERE'S SOME WAYS THAT THEY NEED TO DO SMALL IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR, SO WE HAVE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION OF 120,000 WITH A GRANT OF $5,000 FOR THIS. AND, AGAIN, THIS COULD BE -- YOU KNOW, WE KNOW CONSTRUCTION CAN BE DIRTY AND DUSTY, SO THIS COULD BE IF THEY NEED TO DO THAT POWER WASHING OF THE BUILDING, IF THEY WANT TO DO SOME PAINT ENHANCEMENTS, NEW SIGNAGE, SEATING AND SO FORTH, SO WE'RE KIND OF AFFECTIONATELY REFERRING TO THIS AS KINDER KIND OF THE SPRUCE UP EFFORT IF YOU WILL. WE'RE PROPOSING THREE ELIGIBLE CORRIDORS FOR THIS. ALL OF THEM HAD CONSTRUCTION THAT LASTED LONGER THAN 12 MONTHS, BYNUM, BULVERDE AND BROADWAY, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL THREE OF THOSE HAD CONSTRUCTION THAT WRAPPED UP IN FALL OF 2024. SO SAME EXCLUSIONS AS WE'VE TRADITIONALLY RECOMMENDED. AND A LOT OF THE SAME CRITERIA, HOWEVER WE WOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE LOSSES, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS AS STREAMLINED AS POSSIBLE, SO IT WOULD BE A PRETTY SIMPLISTIC APPLICATION, AND THIS WOULD BE ON THE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS. SO FOR ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING $15,000 IN MARKETING AND OUTREACH WHERE WE WOULD HAVE, OF COURSE, THE WEB PAGE, THE SOCIAL MEDIA, THE GENERAL INFORMATION. WE WOULD ALSO BE RECOMMENDING THE POSTCARDS AND BROCK BLOCK WALKING AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS THOSE POSTCARDS AND E-MAILS FOR THE ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES, AND HOLD AT LEAST TWO INFORMATION SESSIONS PRIOR TO AND THEN DURING THE APPLICATION PERIOD, AS WELL AS AN APPLICATION DAYS, WE USUALLY PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND WE TRY TO DO THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON SITE IN THE CORRIDORS. SO WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, AND THAT WE PARTNER WITH LIFTFUND. WE'VE HAD SUCCESS WITH THEM, INCLUDING A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AUDIT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION GRANT, SO THEIR TOTAL ADMINISTRATION FEE WOULD BE 185,000, OR 13% FOR ALL THREE OF THE PROGRAMS, AND THAT WE BRING FORWARD THE CONTRACT HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK. AND THEN THE PROGRAM TIMELINE, WE ARE PUSHING TO HAVE THE APPLICATION OPEN FOR BOTH THE ACTIVE AND THE POSTCONSTRUCTION MADE FIRST, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY, CLOSING MAY 30TH, THEN IMMEDIATELY LIFTFUND WOULD START LOOKING AT APPLICATIONS AND FOLLOWING UP AND REVIEWING THOSE, AND THEN ON JUNE 2ND, THAT MONDAY, WE WOULD OPEN UP THE APPLICATION FOR THE PRECONSTRUCTION, SO, AGAIN, THE MARBACH CORRIDOR. AND THEN FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ALL OF THOSE WITH FUNDING NOTIFICATIONS AND DISBURSEMENTS IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND SO FORTH AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I THINK ITEM THREE WILL BE KIND OF QUICK, SO LET'S PAUSE HERE -- BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST ITEM. AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND START. BRENDA, MY QUESTIONS ARE IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM DIRECTED WITH ANY FRUSTRATION TOWARDS YOU. YOU ARE SIMPLY GOING BY POLICY DIRECTION WHERE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. [01:05:04] I GUESS MY FRUSTRATION IS WE CONTINUE TO DO CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANTS WITH THE HOPE OF ADDRESSING CONCERNS AND IMPACTS FELT BY BUSINESSES. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS WITH COVID, THROUGH CONSTRUCTION, IN THE MIDDLE OF BOTH. MY QUESTION IS ARE WE MAKING AN IMPACT FOR BUSINESSES WITH THESE GRANTS? WHAT IS OUR FEEDBACK FROM A BUSINESS THAT GOT, YOU KNOW, A $15,000 GRANT FOR IMPACTS THAT LASTED OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE OF ELONGATED CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES. >> SO WE'RE STILL REALLY EARLY ON THE ASSESSMENT. AGAIN, WITH THESE. BUT WE DID DO AN ANALYSIS FOR FISCAL YEAR '23 AND '24 PROGRAMS AND THE PRELIMINARY SURVIVABILITY RATE WAS 13% GREATER FOR THOSE WHO RECEIVED GRANTS THAN THOSE NON-GRANT RECIPIENTS. AND THEN THAT WAS IN GENERAL. WHEN WE LOOKED AT ACCOMMODATION IN FOOD SERVICE BUSINESS, SPECIFICALLY, GRANT RECIPIENTS HAD A SURVIVABILITY RATE THAT WAS 25.5% GREATER THAN THE SAME NON-RECIPIENT BUSINESSES IN CONSTRUCTION QUARTERS. EARLY IN THE PROCESS WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT THROUGH THOSE SURVEYS AS WELL AS THE DATA. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WHAT'S THE QUALITATIVE DATA TELLING US? YOU KNOW, IT'S SO HARD TO COMPARE ONE BUSINESS VERSUS ANOTHER. THERE ARE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, DIFFERENT CHALLENGES, DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT THEY OFFER. AND I STRUGGLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD HAVE A CONTROL GROUP BASED ON THAT KIND OF DATA. WHAT ARE THEY TELLING US VERBALLY THE IMPACT OF THESE GRANTS IS HAVING ON THEIR PARTICULAR BUSINESSES? >> OVERALL THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN PRETTY POSITIVE. OF COURSE EVERYBODY ALWAYS WANTS MORE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SURE, SURE. >> A LOT OF THEM HAVE USED IT TOWARD UTILITY PAYMENTS. SOME HAVE USED IT TOWARDS PERSONNEL. THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE SIX MONTHS, 18 MONTHS, AND 36 MONTH SURVEYS TO SEE HOW THEY CONTINUE TO USE IT . WHEN OUR BUSINESS OUTREACH SPECIALISTS GO OUT, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT JUST THE GRANT MONEY BUT IT'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS WELL. SO IT'S CONNECTING THEM TO OTHER RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THIS MONEY A GAME CHANGER? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ANY MONEY IS HELPFUL, BUT IS IT A GAME CHANGER? IS IT PREVENTING BUSINESSES FROM GOING UNDER THAT OTHERWISE WOULD. AND HERE IS THE RELIEF THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO HELP WITH THAT. BUT $1.4 MILLION IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES AROUND THESE CORRIDORS AND IT ENDS UP ALMOST BECOMING A LOTTERY WHICH BUSINESSES GET PICKED. AND THE SIZE OF THE CHECK IS NOT VERY SUBSTANTIAL COMPARED TO THE OVERALL REVENUE STREAMS. AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION SO WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE OF NOT DOING THE CONSTRUCTION? WE CONTINUE TO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DECAYS, THE CAN IS KICKED NOW INTO THE NEXT COUNCIL AND THE NEXT COUNCIL AFTER THAT. WE'RE IN THIS SORT OF CYCLE OF ARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH THIS -- I KNOW $1.4 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY BUT IT'S MEAGER IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES. MY POINT IS TO SAY I THINK OUR EFFORT IS BETTER SPENT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHRINK THE TIMELINE OF THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. I KNOW WE'RE DOING WORK AS IT RELATES TO COORDINATION WITH THE UTILITIES. THE UNDERGROUND SURVEYING, ALL THOSE THINGS. CAN WE USE $1.4 MILLION IN A WAY THAT HELPS MORE BUSINESSES IN A MORE SUBSTANTIAL WAY DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHICH IS SHORTEN THESE TIMELINES. IS THERE AN INCENTIVE SYSTEM? I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR A WHILE. IS THIS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION INCENTIVES AND HOW TO SPEED ALONG CONTRACTORS. ARE YOU HAVING THAT CONSTRUCTION CONVERSATION IN ADDITION TO THE GRANT CONVERSATION? >> WALSH: YES, SIR. WE HAVEN'T BROUGHT ANY OF THOSE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS TO COUNCIL. THEY'RE COMING. THEY'RE MAKING THEIR WAY WITH THE '22 BOND PROGRAM. AND THE IDEA IS WE APPROACH THOSE DIFFERENTLY. THERE WILL LIKELY -- THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE CHANGES IN HOW WE CONTRACT. THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US TO GET DONE FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: NONE OF US DISAGREE WITH THAT. >> WALSH: IT'S NOT THE GRANT PROGRAM. IT'S NOT $1.4 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND MONEY. I'M SORRY. OUR FOCUS IS ON THE LARGER EFFORTS OF GETTING DONE [01:10:03] FASTER. AND IF THAT INVOLVES LIMITING OUR SCOPE AND LIMITING OUR DESIGN OR NOT OVER DESIGNING STREETS SO THAT THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT, THEN THAT'S THE SHIFT THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT YOU WILL -- THAT THE COUNCIL WILL START SEEING IN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS WHEN THEY START COMING. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD. I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING THAT. AND I SUPPOSE THE FOLLOW ON IS IS THIS MONEY BETTER SPENT IN THAT EFFORT OR DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO DO THIS PILOT? FRANKLY, HEARING THE FEEDBACK OF THESE PILOTS OVER TIME TELLS ME WE'RE SPENDING THIS MONEY MORE TO MAKE OURSELVES FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING GOOD FOR THEM AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY HAVING IMPACT AND THEM FEELING REALLY IMPACTED BY THIS. THE PAIN FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HASN'T GONE AWAY BECAUSE WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANTS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY AND OUR RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY HELPS SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR THE CHALLENGE. I WON'T SAY PROBLEM. IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE WHENEVER THERE'S CONSTRUCTION. SO THAT'S -- I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ANSWERS TO IT BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY WE'RE WORKING ON A SEPARATE TRACK FOR THAT. MY ETERNAL QUESTION WOULD BE WHETHER THERE MITIGATION MONEY WOULD BE BETTER SPENT IF THERE'S A WAY OF ACCELERATING THAT . BUT AS FAR AS THE PILOT GOES, WELL DESIGNED, LOGICAL. IF THE COUNCIL FEELS COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT, I AM UNFORTUNATELY A CYNIC BUT I WILL HAPPILY LEND MY SUPPORT BEHIND IT. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. GENERALLY WHEN THIS CAME TO ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE THIS WAS SOMETHING I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF UNDER THE CONDITION IT DID INCLUDE DISTRICT 5 SMALL BUSINESSES. I WANT TO THANK BRENDA FOR ASSURING ME THAT THE D5 BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY THE CULTURAL ZONA PROJECT WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK FUNDING WITH THIS PROJECT . I WANTED TO THANK THE OUTREACH TEAM FOR BEING PRESENT AT SOME OF THE BOND MEETINGS JUST READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES MAY HAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE AVAILABLE ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTS. I GAVE MY FEEDBACK DURING COMMITTEE BUT GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO. I THINK THE QUESTIONS THE MAYOR RAISED ARE WORTH FOR US TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS ALONG ON A MORE TIMELY MANNER. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'LL START OFF WITH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ADDRESSING A LITTLE BIT OF THE MAYOR'S CONCERNS AND I WAS PROUD TO CHAMPION A PERMANENT GRANT PROGRAM ALONGSIDE COUNCIL MEMBERS WYATT AND COUNCILMEMBER DR. KAUR. I THINK THIS IS A SOFTENING OF A BLOW. ONE OF THE REQUESTS AUDIO] IS A HUGE PROBLEM. THAT THEY'RE LOSING MONEY AND FOR I GUESS THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM IT WAS REALLY ABOUT BEING RESPONSIVE IN NATURE TO TRAGIC THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF OUR PROJECTS. WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, WHAT MANY BUSINESSES SAY THEY WANT, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT -- I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE WE DON'T NEED A GRANT PROGRAM LIKE THIS BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE SUFFICIENT CHANGES. AS OF YET WE'RE NOT SEEING THE RESULTS OF MANY OF THE POLICY CHANGES THAT WE'RE MAKING AND THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING. WE'RE NOT SEEING THOSE CHANGES YET BUT THEY WANT TO SEE US DO A BETTER JOB AT COMMUNICATING WITH THEM, COMMUNICATING WITH UTILITIES AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE PART OF THESE PROJECTS. THEY WANT US TO HOLD CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE BEST ON THE FRONT END AND THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO STOP A PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR IS DOING A HORRIBLE JOB AND WE HAVE TO FIND A NEW ONE, DELAYING THE PROJECT. THEY WANT US TO BE MORE MINDFUL AND STRATEGIC ABOUT WHEN CLOSURES ARE HAPPENING SO MAYBE ON ST. MARY'S WE DON'T HAVE AN ENTIRE STREET CLOSED OR AROUND A FIESTA EVENT WE DON'T HAVE BUSINESSES COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. UNTIL WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING THESE THINGS AND BEING MORE MINDFUL -- AGAIN, THERE'S CHANGES HAPPENING WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND WITH OUR UTILITIES. UNTIL THAT'S HAPPENING, OF COURSE $1.4 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BUT NOT HAVING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS ISN'T GOING TO MAKE IT ANY BETTER. SO I WOULD SHARE ALL OF THAT. I ALSO JUST LAST CONCERN -- AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE TECHNICALITIES BEHIND IT. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE PROGRAM IN THE WAY THAT IT'S PRESENTED HERE AND THE PRE, DURING, AND [01:15:06] POST APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING. ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS NORTH NEW BRAUNFELS IS A CORRIDOR THAT WAS IMPACTED FOR YEARS BY PHASE 1 OF A PROJECT. AND WE JUST STARTED PHASE 2. AND THEY DON'T COUNT AS A -- AS ONE OF THE CORRIDORS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM EVEN THOUGH THE SAME BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED FOR YEARS AS A RESULT OF PHASE 1, TECHNICALLY IT'S A NEW PROJECT. MY REQUEST -- AND I WOULD HOPE TO HEAR THIS ECHOED FROM MY COLLEAGUES -- IS THAT THESE SMALL, MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES BE INCLUDED AS AN ELIGIBLE BUSINESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF BUSINESSES, SMALL, MEDIUM, AND EVEN LARGE IS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T, AS A CITY, COMMUNICATE WELL ENOUGH SO THAT THEY ARE PREPARED FOR WHAT MAY BE COMING FORWARD. I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THE CITY ITSELF DOESN'T HAVE A REASONABLE GROWTH PLAN, DOESN'T HAVE A REASONABLE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT WANT TO DO DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN. SO WE DON'T HAVE A RECOGNIZABLE TIMELINE ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN ON WHICH STREET, WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WHO'S DOING WHAT. AND SO WE END UP SEEING, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, COMMERCE STREET. IT'S BEEN A MESS EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I THINK. AND FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. IT GETS TORN UP BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO REDO THE WHOLE STREET. BUT ALSO TRAFFIC IS LIMITED TO ONE LANE BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S BUILDING A HOTEL OR SOMEBODY'S DOING AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR SOMEBODY IS REHABILITATING AN EXISTING BUILDING. SO THE BUSINESSES ON THAT SIDE OR THE OTHER SIDE LOSE THE ABILITY FOR CUSTOMERS TO COME AND USE THEIR BUSINESS. IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY. IT REALLY IS A LOT OF THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT THAT ASKS FOR AND GETS PERMISSION TO CLOSE PARTS OF THE STREET SO THEY CAN DO THE WORK THEY'RE DOING. IT'S SAWS HAVING TO GO IN AND TEAR UP A STREET TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE WORK IT NEEDS TO DO. SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A GREATER PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IF WE'RE GOING TO BE MITIGATING BUSINESSES SUFFERING FROM CONSTRUCTION. SO, YEAH. I THINK THIS PLAN FROM THE CITY IS GOING TO HANDLE WHATEVER THE CITY STARTS TO DO ON STREETS, ET CETERA. BUT WHAT ARE THE PRIVATE SECTORS DOING? HOW ARE THEY ACCOMMODATING IF THEY'RE BUILDING A HOTEL OR REDESIGNING AN OFFICE BUILDING OR THEY WANT TO PUT UP APARTMENTS. HOW DO THEY COMPENSATE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT GET SHUT DOWN OR HAVE -- NOT SHUT DOWN BUT THEY'RE LESS ACCESSIBLE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. WHAT ARE THEY DOING ABOUT THAT? WHY IS THE CITY ONLY TAKING CARE OF THAT? YOU KNOW, SO AND SAWS. WHAT MONEY DO THEY HAVE AVAILABLE FOR MITIGATING SMALL BUSINESSES WHEN THEY'RE CLOSING A STREET? SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT BE CLOSING TRAFFIC ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND IT'S NOT ON THE SAME SIDE THE BUSINESS IS BUT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE STOP COMING DOWN ON THAT STREET BECAUSE IT'S ONLY ONE-WAY FLOW OR BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOUR LANES ANYMORE, IT'S TWO. AND THEY AVOID THE WHOLE STREET, EVEN IF THE WORK IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER COLLABORATION FROM EVERY PARTNER AND DEVELOPMENT IN WORKING TO, NUMBER ONE COMMUNICATE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN COMING DOWN THE LINE SO THAT THE CITY IS PREPARED, SO THAT SAWS IS PREPARED, SO THAT THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER UNDERSTANDS THEIR OBLIGATION AND COMMITMENTS. AND SO THERE ARE RESOURCES THERE TO ENABLE THESE COMPANIES TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND TO THRIVE DURING THOSE PERIODS OF TIME. AND I THINK THAT'S A BIGGER EFFORT THAN WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING NOW, INCLUDING $1.4 MILLION FOR COMPENSATION. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO FOCUS ITS ATTENTION ON AND HOLD ALL OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ACCOUNTABLE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. SO COMPENSATE THEM. AND EVEN LARGER BUSINESSES WHEN THEY'RE HURT BY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY IN DOWNTOWN, BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE IT MAY OCCUR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M GOING TO TELL Y'ALL A SECRET THAT'S NOT REALLY A SECRET. SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T THINK WE HAVE THEIR BACK. SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CITY ACTUALLY WANTS TO HELP THEM. [01:20:01] AND QUITE FRANKLY IT'S WHY SOME OF THEM ARE GATHERING TO TRY TO ACTUALLY RECRUIT COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT THEY THINK CAN MAKE CHANGE. AND I THINK A LARGE PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY NIMBLE. WHEN FOLKS COME TO US WITH CHALLENGES FOR THINGS THAT THEY'RE FACING WITH THE GRANT PROGRAM, WE SAY THIS IS THE GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE CREATED AND WE CAN'T CHANGE IT. AND I DO THINK THAT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THAT WE'RE EXECUTING THIS. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE MAYOR SAID. I REMEMBER IT WAS LAST YEAR, MAYBE, AT OUR OVER SIX WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND SAID WE NEED TO CREATE INCENTIVES FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED ON TIME. CAPITOL AVENUE JUST STARTED AS A BOND PRO PROJECT . I DON'T KNOW THE CONTRACTOR AND WHAT THAT CONTRACTOR IS RECEIVING AND IF THEY HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT ON TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO GET THAT OR IF THAT WILL BE BRIEFED LATER ON BUT WE NEED TO PUT IN THOSE PACKAGES IF A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COMPLETES THE PROJECT ON TIME OR EARLIER, THAT THEY GET INCENTIVES. AND SO I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS. AND WE NEED TO BE BETTER AT OUR COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL. ASIDE FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS PROGRAM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED ON THIS PREVIOUS GRANT PROGRAM. FOR THE PRE AND POST IT SOUNDS GREAT BUT THAT'S A PAYMENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. I HAD MULTIPLE BUSINESS OWNERS COME TO ME SAYING THEY PUT THEIR CHARGES ON A CREDIT CARD WITH INTEREST RATES AND WERE WAITING FOR REPAYMENTS TO PAY OFF THEIR -- ARE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD? IT'S NOT A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM? >> I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERENCING FACADE AND OUTDOOR, WHICH WERE REIMBURSEMENT. THE PRE AND POST CONSTRUCTION ARE NOT REIMBURSEMENT. THOSE WILL BE UPFRONT FUNDS. >> KAUR: I'M GLAD THAT'S NOT BEING A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT PART DID NOT WORK WITH THE FACADE. AS FAR AS THE LEVEL OF DILIGENCE THAT FOLKS ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT. I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE TO SHOW LOSS FROM YEAR OVER YEAR. AND I UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT BUT I STILL THINK THERE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM AMOUNT IF THE RANGE FOR THE AWARDS IS $5,035,000, I DO BELIEVE IF A BUSINESS IS BEING AFFECTED FOR MORE THAN TWO TO THREE MONTHS OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT THEY RECEIVE THAT MINIMUM $5,000, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T SHOW THE HISTORY OF LOSS OR THEY CAN'T SHOW, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY OF STATE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED. THAT'S BECAUSE FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT SHOWS THEM THAT WE HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE BEING IMPACTED AND THAT WE CARE. I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE. IT'S PROBABLY -- THE $5,000 ISN'T WHAT KEEPS THEM IN BUSINESS BUT IT IS A DEMONSTRATION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT PROGRESS IS HARD AND HOPEFULLY ON THE BACK END THEY'LL SEE THE BENEFIT. BUT DURING THE MEANTIME YOUR CITY HAS YOUR BACK. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT HISTORICAL DATA AND THE DATA REQUIREMENTS AREN'T AFFECTING THE FOLKS THAT ARE APPLYING. THAT WE DO THE CORRECT ANALYSIS, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME WE RELEASED THIS WE DIDN'T CHECK THE QUARTER-MILE RADIUS OR WHATEVER WE USED, WE DIDN'T CHECK THAT ALL THE BUSINESSES ON THE BLOCKS WERE INCLUDED THAT NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED. SO DO THAT ANALYSIS BEFORE IT LAUNCHES. I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ THAT WE NEED TO INCLUDE NORTH NEW BRAUNFELS AS WELL. THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT WE CAN DO FOR CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPORT FOR OUR BUSINESSES. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, BRENDA, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DON'T WANT TO DELAY THE TIMING OF THIS BUT I WOULD LOVE TO RECONSIDER ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, LATER, MAYBE IN MAY AT THE MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW. I HAVE QUESTIONS AND MOST OF THEM ARE FOR PUBLIC WORKS, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE MAYOR MENTIONED THIS AND SO IF WE ADDRESS THIS SITUATION WITH PUBLIC WORKS THEN MAYBE WE WON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. BUT DO WE HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER WHO OVERSEES BOND PROJECTS? >> HOSSEINI: COUNCILWOMAN, WE HAVE MANY PROJECT EVERY PROJECT MANAGER HAS TEN OR SO PROJECTS. THEY MANAGE THOSE PROJECTS FROM THE START UNTIL WE ADVERTISE FOR CONSTRUCTION. WHEN IT GOES TO CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE ANOTHER TEAM THAT ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCED AND THEY TAKE OVER CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT. >> GARCIA: BUT THERE'S NO ONE OVERSEEING TIMELINES OR ANYTHING AS A WHOLE FOR THE CITY, IS IT? WHO IS IT? >> WALSH: ME. >> GARCIA: SORRY. I MAY HAVE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS. >> WALSH: ME. >> GARCIA: WHEN WAS THE LAST [01:25:01] PROJECT THAT WAS COMPLETED AS PART OF THE -- DO YOU HAVE LIKE WHEN THEY ENDED, LIKE THE 2007, 2012? >> WALSH: YES. >> GARCIA: THE LAST COMPLETION DATE AND HOW OVER WE ARE? >> WALSH: WE CAN GET A REPORT TO YOU. >> HOSSEINI: WE HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR EVERY PROJECT. WE HAD A RIBBON CUTTING ON PHASE 2. THAT WAS THE LAST PROJECT. >> GARCIA: I'M SORRY. I WAS TALKING ABOUT ON AVERAGE. LIKE HOW OVER WE ARE ON DELIVERY. >> WALSH: WE CAN GO BACK TO MULTIPLE BOND PROGRAMS AND SHOW YOU. THERE'S A HANDFUL OF PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING IN THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM. THERE'S SOME THAT PROJECTS THAT EITHER WENT AWAY THROUGH THE COUNCIL, THROUGH THE STATE-ALLOWED PROCESS. THERE ARE A COUPLE STILL PENDING BASED ON CLAIMS AND LAWSUITS. BUT WE CAN GO BACK TO EACH MUNICIPAL BOND PROGRAM AND SHOW YOU THE LENGTH OF TIME. >> GARCIA: DO WE HAVE ANY THAT WE COMPLETED UNDER TIME? LIKE IN RECORD TIME? >> WALSH: OVERALL BOND PROGRAMS? NO, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE ONE PROJECT OR A HANDFUL OF PROJECTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE CONTROL OF US. >> GARCIA: AND THEN THEY WERE SPED UP FOR SOME OTHER REASON? >> WALSH: NO, THAT THEY DON'T GET FINISHED ON TIME. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. BUT MY QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF THINGS WE FINISHED EARLY? >> HOSSEINI: YES, YES. COUNCILWOMAN, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECTS ARE DONE ON TIME. >> GARCIA: BUT EARLY? >> HOSSEINI: YES, SOME ARE DONE EARLY. >> GARCIA: SO THAT'S CONSIDERED ON TIME. AND DO WE HAVE A LEGALLY-BINDING TIMELINE AS TO WHEN WE HAVE TO COMPLETE A PROJECT? >> HOSSEINI: YES, COUNCILWOMAN. WHEN WE ADVERTISE A PROJECT -- >> WALSH: NO, RAZI, DIFFERENT QUESTION. NO. BUT WE DO HAVE -- I HATE TO EVEN CALL IT A MORAL OBLIGATION. BUT WE OBLIGATE AND HAVE HISTORICALLY SAID THAT WHEN VOTERS APPROVED -- THIS IS A BIG THING THAT A LOT OF CITIES TACKLE WITH BECAUSE BOND PROGRAMS GET APPROVED AND TEN YEARS GO BY AND NOTHING HAPPENS. OUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS SET TO BY THE TIME THE VOTERS GO BACK IN THE '27 BOND PROGRAM, THEN 90% OF THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE COMPLETED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT'S AN INTERNAL CLOCK THAT WE'VE SET FOR OURSELVES. >> SEGOVIA: YOU'LL GET A THIRD ANSWER, COUNCILWOMAN. IN OUR CONTRACTS THERE ARE TIMELINES. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PROVISIONS THAT INCLUDE DELAYS AND EVERYTHING. BUT IN OUR CONTRACTS WE HAVE A COMPLETION DATE. >> HOSSEINI: COUNCILWOMAN, WHEN WE ADVERTISE A PROJECT, WE TELL THE CONTRACTOR YOU HAVE THIS MANY DAYS TO FINISH THE PROJECT. AND THE WAY WE PUT THOSE DATES, THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT. MARBACH ROAD IS A VERY BIG PROJECT. SIX MONTHS TO THREE YEARS BUT THEY BID THOSE PROJECTS KNOWING WHEN THEY HAVE TO FINISH IT. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. BUT THERE'S NOTHING LEGALLY BINDING TO OUR RESIDENTS THEN THAT SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THE WORK THAT THEY VOTED ON BY A CERTAIN TIME? >> WALSH: NO, BUT IF WE GO ASK THEM TO APPROVE A BOND PROGRAM FOR ELM STREET AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH ELM STREET FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, THEN -- >> GARCIA: THEY'RE GOING TO FIRE US. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FIRE YOU. >> WALSH: WELL, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO FIRE ME. IT ALL RUNS DOWNHILL. THE REALITY IS THAT -- AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CITIES -- SOME CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE HAD A HARD TIME WITH IT. THEY DO IT IN PIECES OR IN CHUNKS OF TIME THAT ARE DELIVERABLE. IT'S EASY TO CREATE A PROJECT, VOTE, PUT IT ON A BALLOT, HAVE IT APPROVED. IT'S HARDER TO IMPLEMENT IT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PART OF THAT COMMITMENT IS WE'RE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT SO THE PUBLIC SEES PROGRESS. >> GARCIA: I THINK THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE NUMBER OF AMENDED CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE AND HOW IT INCREASES THE -- I GUESS THE PROJECT TIMELINE, ESSENTIALLY. AND I KNOW BEN ALWAYS USES THAT AS OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY, RIGHT, AND THE ABILITY TO PAY BACK. AND SO HOW DOES THAT -- LIKE, DO WE CALCULATE THAT AS WELL INTO THE ON-TIME OR OVER BUDGET OR HOW DO WE DO THAT? >> WALSH: WELL, IT'S CALCULATED AND ANALYZED AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL DEBT PLAN. AND MORE TO THE POINT, IN THE PACE AT WHICH WE ISSUE DEBT. WE DON'T GO ISSUE -- WHEN THE '22 BOND PROGRAM WAS APPROVED, WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MARKET AND ISSUE $1.2 MILLION IN DEBT. WE DO IT IN ANNUAL INCREMENTS ONCE A YEAR, TYPICALLY, TO KEEP UP WITH THE CASH FLOW OF THE PROJECTS. >> GARCIA: OKAY. SO DO WE -- I GUESS BACK TO MY POINT. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE EVERY BOND PROJECT COMPLETED BEFORE [01:30:01] WE GO AND ASK FOR A SECOND BOND. BUT LIKE TODAY IF I ASKED YOU TODAY, YOU MENTIONED A 2017 BOND PROJECT IS STILL OUT. IS THAT THE EARLIEST? WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BEFORE THAT, FROM 2012? GOT IT. IN THE DASHBOARD IT LISTS 7% OF THE 22 BOND PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED. AND WE'RE IN 2025. WHAT'S THE PROBABILITY OF THE OTHER 93% BEING COMPLETED BEFORE 2027? WE DON'T HAVE THAT? OKAY. SO I THINK THAT'S MAYBE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE KEEP THE DASHBOARD MORE -- WELL, I GUESS WE CAN'T. WE DON'T HAVE AN ABILITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST MANAGE. WE CAN'T PREDICT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW. >> ERIK ALREADY SAID THIS BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING 90% OF THEM BEING FULLY COMPLETED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SO WE'RE DRIVING TOWARDS THAT NOW. >> GARCIA: IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND ALSO IF WE ARE NOT ANALYZING THE PERFORMANCE WHEN IT COMES TO DELIVERING THE QUALITY -- AND I KNOW WE ASKED ABOUT IT. DO YOU THINK AT ONE POINT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE'RE BITING OFF MORE THAN WE CAN CHEW. SHOULD WE GO OUT AND ASK FOR SO MANY PROJECTS IF WE HAVEN'T FINISHED THE 2017 ONE? >> WALSH: THE OUTSTANDING 2017 PROJECTS ARE ALL BEING DRIVEN BY OUTSIDE FORCES. IT'S NOT LIKE WE JUST DIDN'T GET THE DESIGN DONE OR THE CONSTRUCTION OR THE RFP IS TAKING TOO LONG. THERE'S OUTSIDE FACTORS AND WE'LL GIVE YOU A LIST AND YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE ONES THAT THEY ARE. BUT, TO YOUR QUESTION, I THINK THAT'S A CONTINUOUS EFFORT THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO LOOK AT. AND, REMEMBER, OUR BOND PROGRAM THIS TIME IS VASTLY MORE SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF SCALE AND SIZE THAN THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM. NOW WE ADDED RESOURCES IN SEVERAL KEY DEPARTMENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE EXPANDED PROJECTS. BUT MAKING SURE WE CAN KEEP UP WITH CAPACITY AND NOT JUST PUTTING MORE PROJECTS ON THE PROJECT MANAGERS, THAT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER BECAUSE THAT LOOPS BACK TO A LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND LACK OF DILIGENCE. WE'VE GOT TO KEEP IT BALANCED AND I THINK THAT'S A CONSTANT REVIEW WE HAVE TO DO AND IF WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME TO YOU ALL, TO COUNCIL, AND SAY WE NEED MORE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DELIVER THIS PROGRAM. >> GARCIA: BACK TO THE AMENDMENTS QUESTION I WAS ASKING ABOUT. CAN WE ALSO KNOW HOW MANY AMENDMENTS ARE MADE TO THOSE PROJECTS, LIKE THE 2017 AND 2022. I WOULDN'T WANT TO GO BACK FURTHER THAN THAT BUT CAN WE HAVE A LIST OF HOW MANY CONTRACT AMENDMENTS ARE MADE TO THOSE? >> WALSH: ON THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS? SURE. >> GARCIA: SO BOTH IN TERMS OF COST AND OF TIMELINE. AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION IS FOR FUTURE BOND PROJECTS, YOU KNOW HOW WE ALWAYS HAVE THESE DESIGN-READY PROJECTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GO INTO THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM, LIKE THE ONES THAT DIDN'T MAKE 2022. HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU HAVE? MAYBE YOU CAN JUST GIVE ME A COUNT OR AN IDEA. >> WALSH: ARE YOU SAYING BOND PROJECTS THAT ARE DESIGN ONLY? >> GARCIA: THAT ARE READY AND THEY JUST NEED THE FUNDING, ESSENTIALLY. >> WALSH: I DON'T THINK -- THERE WERE NO PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS THAT WERE DESIGN ONLY. THERE WERE TRAILWAY PROJECTS, AS PART OF THE $103 MILLION -- WHAT'S THAT? I'M SORRY. >> GARCIA: IT'S DESIGN READY. LIKE THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE SAY, OH, WE HAVE SOMETHING READY TO GO. WE JUST NEED THE MONEY. AND WE CAN WAIT FOR A BOND. >> WALSH: WE'LL LOOK AT THAT. WE'LL CHECK. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO WANT TO BUILD OFF OF WHAT COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA WAS SAYING. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TON OF DASHBOARDS FOR THE PUBLIC ON WHAT PROJECTS ARE GOING ON. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M HEARING COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR ALSO SAY IS THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY ON HOW WE'RE DOING WITH THOSE PROJECTS. I KNOW, ERIK, YOU MENTIONED WE HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION BUT CAN WE SEE A DASHBOARD OR A REPORT CARD OF SOME SORT INTERNALLY ON HOW WE'RE DOING. DID WE COMMUNICATE IN TIME AND EFFECTIVELY TO THE PROPER QUARTER, ARE WE STARTING AND FINISHING ON TIME. AND REALLY KIND OF LIKE WHAT OUR INTERNAL SCORE IS FOR HOW WE'RE HANDLING THESE PROJECTS. BECAUSE AS COUNCILWOMAN DR. ROCHA GARCIA WAS SAYING AND COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR WAS [01:35:02] SAYING, WE FEEL THE BRUNT END. WE FEEL THE PAIN BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS AREN'T HAPPY WITH THE EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT INTERNALLY? >> HOSSEINI: CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE RESPONSIBLE BIDDER ORDINANCE. >> GAVITO: I'M NOT NECESSARILY ASKING FOR THE CONTRACTOR SCORE. WE AS A CITY, HOW WE'RE DOING. DID WE COMMUNICATE TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN TIME. I KNOW THERE WAS A PROJECT NOT TOO LONG AGO IN ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS WHERE COMMUNICATION WASN'T GIVEN. AND THAT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE COUNCILMEMBER, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T NECESSARILY THEIR FAULT. AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS IN A POSITION OF SAYING SORRY, PUBLIC WORKS DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS. >> BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION AROUND REPORTING PROGRESS AS PART OF THE DASHBOARD, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE. AS A PROJECT GOES LIVE, WE CAN REPORT THE PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE IN TO THE PUBLIC IN THAT DASHBOARD. AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, A BACKWARDS-LOOKING SCORE ON COMMUNICATION, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE. I THINK RAZI WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE RATE CONTRACTORS. I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DID WE TALK TO THE PUBLIC. >> GAVITO: HOW DID WE HANDLE THIS PROJECT, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PROJECT. YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN THE PAPER ABOUT -- WHAT IS IT, SOUTH ALAMO STREET AND FINAL FOUR, HOW WE WORKED ON THAT PROJECT AND WE'RE HAVING TO UNDO ALL THE WORK JUST TO DO IT AGAIN. AND SO I THINK THAT PLACES -- SURE. IT COULD JUST BE A HEADLINE. I THINK THAT PLACES A LOT OF DISTRUST THAT WE ALL END OF HAVING TO FACE BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. >> WALSH: SO I DON'T REALLY WANT Y'ALL IN THAT POSITION BUT IF YOU ALL FEEL THAT WAY OR YOU'RE GETTING THAT FEEDBACK, I WOULD ASK YOU TO GIVE THAT TO ME DIRECTLY AND I'LL ENGAGE WITH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS PERSONALLY. THERE'S AROUND 1100 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW AND IT SHOULD NOT BE YOU GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS, IT SHOULD BE ME. AND I WOULD ASK YOU GUYS USE ME TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES HEAD ON. WE DO GET -- WE DO ENCOUNTER THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED OR ADDRESSED, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S NOT YOURS. IT'S LITERALLY MINE. AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO DO THAT. AND I WILL DO THOSE THINGS PERSONALLY WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. >> GAVITO: AND I APPRECIATE THAT, ERIK, I REALLY DO. BUT IT TRULY IS US WHO HAVE TO FACE THAT FIRE, JUST BECAUSE WE ARE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY. IT'S HARD TO RECONVENE THE SAME ANGRY RESIDENTS AT ONE MEETING AND SAY TAKE MORE TIME NEXT MONTH SO YOU CAN HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY MANAGER. IT'S A DIFFICULT ASK. >> WALSH: IF I NEED TO FOLLOW UP DURING THE DAY, I'LL DO IT. BUT MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT -- I MEAN, I GET SOME OF THOSE SAME QUESTIONS, I MAKE IT A POINT TO TALK TO OTHERS ALONG THE ROUTE JUST SO I'M MAKING SURE THAT ARE WE REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB HERE. AND I KNOW I CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AT ONCE BUT PLEASE USE ME TO HELP DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES. >> GAVITO: OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. WE'LL ALL HAVE YOUR NUMBER ON SPEED DIAL. BRENDA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME WAS HOW WE'RE SAYING THAT THE CITY WILL DO THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR CITY PROJECTS BUT A HUGE PROJECT THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE FOR DISTRICT 7 RESIDENTS IS BANDERA ROAD. THAT'S A TXDOT PROJECT BUT THOSE RESIDENTS ON EITHER SIDE OF BANDERA ROAD ARE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. HOW WOULD PREPLANNING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORK? WE'RE ALREADY IN CONVERSATION WITH CPS AND UNDERGROUND UTILITIES BUT HOW WOULD IT WORK FOR THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THOSE BUSINESSES ARE OKAY? >> SO FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE OUTREACH TEAM. WE HAVE WEEKLY AND ONGOING MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC WORKS. AND SO WE DO STILL HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PROGRAM WITH SIGNAGE AND SOME OF THAT. FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE -- EVEN IF THE THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY INCLUDED IN THE GRANT PROGRAM, PER SE, WE HAVE BEEN DOING OUTREACH IN THOSE [01:40:01] AREAS AND AT LEAST MAKING SURE THOSE BUSINESSES ARE FAMILIAR WITH OTHER RESOURCES. >> GAVITO: OKAY. YEAH, AND WE'LL WANT TO PARTNER WITH Y'ALL ON PREPARING -- FIGURING OUT HOW WE BEST PREPARE FOR BANDERA ROAD EVEN THOUGH TXDOT IS ONLY FOCUSED ON THE ACTUAL ROAD ITSELF. WE CAN GET WITH YOU OFFLINE ON THAT. LOOKING AT SLIDE 13, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR POST-CONSTRUCTION PILOT GRANT TALKED ABUT PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT. WHY DIDN'T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE MARKETING? HEY, WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS. WE'RE OPEN AGAIN. WAS THIS FEEDBACK GIVEN DIRECTLY FROM BUSINESSES? >> YEAH. THIS WAS FEEDBACK WHEN WE ASKED THE BUSINESSES WHO HAD BEEN ON THE CORRIDORS, ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE USES WAS MARKETING. A LOT OF THEM WERE MARKETING AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. FOR THIS IS WHAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL AS THEY RAMP UP. WE HEARD ABOUT HOW DUSTY IT WAS AND CLEANING UP AND ENHANCEMENTS TO THE OUTSIDE. AS PART OF THE MITIGATION PROGRAM, WE STILL HAVE THE ACTIVATION FUND. IF A CORRIDOR AND GROUP OF BUSINESSES WANT TO GET TOGETHER FOR MARKETING AND EVENTS, WE DO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES IN THE MITIGATION PROGRAM. >> GAVITO: SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. ERIK, I'M GOING TO INTERJECT BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE IN AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE DON'T READ MUCH IN TERMS OF IF THERE'S A STORY IN THE PAPER, THEY DON'T READ THE WHOLE STORY. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A HEADLINE OR E-BLAST. WHY THOSE SHORT BURSTS ARE SO IMPORTANT. LET ME READ WHAT I GOT ON AN E-BLAST EARLIER TODAY. CITY WILL REPAVE SOUTH ALAMO FOR FINAL FOUR THEN RIP IT BACK UP. CITY OFFICIALS DIDN'T WANT VISITORS TO NAVIGATE A CONSTRUCTION ZONE SO THEY DECIDED TO TEMPORARILY PUT THE STREET BACK TOGETHER AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO TAXPAYERS. EXPLAIN TO US WHAT'S GOING ON. >> WALSH: WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ESTIMATED 100,000 VISITORS DOWNTOWN TRAVERSING AT OR NEAR THAT INTERSECTION. WE'RE GOING TO WIDEN THE SIDEWALKS, TEMPORARILY. THE PROJECT'S NOT DONE. IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO NOT UTILIZE THAT PATH. WE ARE SPENDING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY OVERALL FOR THE FINAL FOUR. THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THE FINAL FOUR IS 40, $50 MILLION TO THE CITY OVER A THREE OR FOUR-DAY PERIOD. AND WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON SECURITY, ON SAFETY, ON POLICE OFFICERS, ON EMS, THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THE ALAMODOME, ALL IN ORDER TO HOST THE EVENT. AND SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MAKING SOME TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENTS TO FACILITATE THE SAFE PASSAGE OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS, BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. NOT DOING THAT I THINK IS NOT SAFE, FROM A PEDESTRIAN STANDPOINT. AT SOME POINT GAME DAYS -- SOME OF THOSE STREETS ARE GOING TO BE CLOSED COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, AND TO FACILITATE TRAVEL. AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WE ARE SPENDING MONEY IN A LOT OF PLACES TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS EVENT IS CRITICAL AND IS SAFE AND ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I REMEMBER ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS AGO IS WHETHER WE SHOULD LEAVE HALF OF IT OPEN WHILE PEOPLE ARE DOWN THERE OR DO EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING OF THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS, THIS WAS THE DECISION. SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE WAS A DISCUSSION BACK AND FORTH. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING UNDERGROUND THERE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE PAVING OF THAT STREET THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS. LET'S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PLAN BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE GONE INTO AREAS THAT TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANT. BRENDA, EXPLAIN TO ME ON SLIDE 14. THESE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND WE'RE WAITING FOR FEEDBACK ON WHETHER OR NOT THESE BUSINESSES SURVIVED OR DID WELL? >> SO WHAT THIS PROPOSAL SPECIFICALLY IS ON THE [01:45:02] POST-CONSTRUCTION. THE BUSINESSES ON THESE THREE CORRIDORS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE $5,000 GRANT FOR THE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, THE INTERNAL ENHANCEMENTS. FOR THOSE BUSINESSES, AGAIN, THESE CORRIDORS WERE ELIGIBLE IN PAST GRANT PROGRAMS AND SO FOR THOSE, THEY WOULD RECEIVE 6 MONTH, 18 MONTH, AND 36 MONTH SURVEYS. AND OUR SPECIALISTS ARE REGULARLY TALKING TO THESE BUSINESSES. THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE'RE ASSESSING THE IMPACT. >> VIAGRAN: YEAH. SO I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT 2. NEW BRAUNFELS, ROOSEVELT, MORRISON AROUND PLEASANTON, GEVERS. THESE ARE ALL AREAS THAT AREN'T THERE WHERE WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION AND I HAVE HAD ISSUES. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THESE CHOICES, BULVERDE ROAD PHASE 1 IN PARTICULAR. 23 ESTIMATED BUSINESSES, WE HAVE THAT ON NEW BRAUNFELS AND GEVERS. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON GOLIAD. SO I JUST HAVE ISSUES ON THE EQUITY REGARDING THESE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PLANS. AND THE FACT IF WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS OF WHO THEY'RE EMPLOYING, DO THEY LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, WHEN WE'RE TELLING THEM WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A GRANT FOR THIS AND DO YOUR EMPLOYEES LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. BECAUSE I GO BACK TO OUR DOLLAR AND I CAN TELL YOU PROBABLY ON ROOSEVELT, MORRISON, NEW BRAUNFELS, AND GEVERS THEY PROBABLY LIVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ARE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I LOOK ALONG BROADWAY AND BULVERDE, THEY COULD LIVE IN ALAMO HEIGHTS, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT'S PROBLEMATIC ON HOW THESE CHOICES ARE MADE. THE CORRIDORS IN DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2 THAT YOU PUT FORWARD, THOSE ARE PARTS OF DOWNTOWN THAT BELONG TO THE WHOLE CITY AND WE KNOW THAT THEY DRIVE TOURISM AND THAT THEY EMPLOY A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM MY DISTRICT. SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GOING BACK AND SAYING YOU GET AN EXTRA $5,000 BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DID CONSTRUCTION BUT I NEVER ASKED YOU THE QUESTION ON WHO YOU EMPLOYED AND WHERE THESE EMPLOYEES COME AND WHERE ARE THESE DOLLARS SPENT. THAT'S THE ONE THING. AND I NEED AN ANSWER ON WHY SO MANY SOUTH SIDE STREETS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AND WHY NEW BRAUNFELS WASN'T ELIGIBLE EITHER. I NEED AN EXPLANATION ON THAT. SO I AM SUPPORTIVE WITH THE FIRST PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION. THE ELIGIBLE CORRIDORS FOR PRE-CONSTRUCTION PILOT, I'M FINE WITH THAT. POST-CONSTRUCTION I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT. SO THANK YOU, BRENDA, FOR THAT. WE TALKED ABOUT AND I WANT TO TURN AROUND AS WE ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND WE PUT PUBLIC WORKS UP HERE IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE PUBLIC WORKS HAS WHAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THESE PROJECT MANAGERS. I'M DONE WITH YOU, BRENDA, SORRY. IF YOU WANT TO SIT. WE HAVE HAD LIKE A REVOLVING DOOR IN DISTRICT 3 AND THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE MOVE ON TO OTHER POSITIONS. PEOPLE GET PROMOTED. THIS IS WHY I GO BACK TO OUR EMPLOYEE PAY AND MAKING SURE WE'RE COMPENSATING OUR EMPLOYEES. AND I SAID THIS YESTERDAY AT A PANEL, OUR DEVELOPERS AND CONSTRUCTION GROUP, THEY ARE LOOKING AT OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE LIKE THEIR TRAINING GROUND AND THEY COME AND HIRE FROM WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IF WE WANT TO SEE PROJECTS MOVE ALONG FASTER. PROJECTS GET DONE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON THAT. WE'RE ASKING A BIG ASK OF PUBLIC WORKS AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO BUT THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION. AND THE OTHER THING IS TXDOT, THEY ARE HELPFUL. I KNOW THEY HAVE A JOB TO DO BUT SOMETIMES THE JOB THEY WANT TO DO AND WHAT OUR RESIDENTS WANT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE BETTER AT COMMUNICATING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM AND WHAT PROJECTS THEY'RE WORKING ON AND WHO'S GOING TO ANSWER WHAT CALLS. BECAUSE TXDOT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL ABOUT PROVIDING PHONE NUMBERS OF PROJECT MANAGERS BUT [01:50:09] THEN THEY'RE SLOW TO RETURN CALLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS TOO. THAT'S THE ONE THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT. THE ONE THING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION IS I WANT TO KNOW WHY SO MANY SOUTH SIDE STREETS, IN PARTICULAR ROOSEVELT, MORRIS TO PLEASANTON AND GEVERS WEREN'T CHOSEN THE SECOND TIME AROUND. THANK YOU . >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP A COUPLE OF THINGS. DON'T WE KEEP SOME OF THIS DATA LIKE WITH THE RESPONSIBLE BIDDER ORDINANCE, AS FAR AS THESE CONTRACTORS -- >> HOSSEINI: >> HAVRDA: THERE'S A WRAY TO LOOK AT THAT DATA TO EXTRAPOLATE OTHER THINGS, NOT JUST PUTTING THEM ON WHAT I CALL THE NAUGHTY LIST. MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO DO THAT. A WHILE BACK TOO -- IT'S PROBABLY BEEN OVER A YEAR. I BROUGHT UP HAVING LIAISONS THAT WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE BUSINESSES WHEN WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A BIG CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND WAS TOLD WE HAVE THOSE LIAISONS. MY RESPONSE TO IT WAS I DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE DOING EVERYTHING THEY SHOULD BE DOING. HAVE WE CHANGED THAT PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING WITH THE BUSINESSES AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS? >> HOSSEINI: WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OUR COMMUNICATION. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T IMPROVE MORE. DURING THE DESIGN PROJECT, WE MEET AT LEAST WITH THE AREA, THREE OR FOUR TIMES. WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE ANOTHER DESIGN. WHEN INTRODUCING THE PROJECT TO THE PROJECT TEAM AND IF IT TAKES LONGER THAN ONE YEAR OR SO, WE HAVE A FOLLOW-UP. DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, WHEN THERE IS AN ISSUE, WE MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY KNOWS. WE COORDINATE IT IF WE ARE GOING TO DISCONNECT THEIR WATERLINE. SHOULD WE DO THAT ON THE WEEKEND? DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESS, WE GET INPUT FROM THEM. IF THEY HAVE TWO DRIVEWAYS, WE COORDINATE WITH THEM BUILD ONE AND KEEP THE OTHER CLOSED. IF THEY HAVE ONLY ONE, WE DO HALF OF THE DRIVEWAY. IT COSTS MORE MONEY AND TAKES A LONG TIME BECAUSE WE ARE DOING THE ROADWAY. STILL THE ROADWAY IS FUNCTIONING. ALWAYS OPEN FOR THE TRAFFIC. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THE PROJECT TAKES LONGER BECAUSE WE JUST CANNOT SHUT DOWN THE ROADWAY AND WORK THERE EIGHT TO TEN HOURS PER DAY. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S IMPROVING. IT'S STILL NOT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE AND I APPRECIATE HEARING FROM A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. SOMETIMES THEY'LL GET A FLIER AND THEY GIVE IT TO THE WORK WORKING THE REGISTER AND THE OWNER DOESN'T GET TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION. REALLY FINE TUNING IT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HAVING REAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE LANDOWNERS, AND OF COURSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVES. REGARDING SOUTH ALAMO, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S THESE KIND OF BLURBS AND THERE'S FACTS AND MAYBE AS IT READS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THE REALITY IS THE COMMUNITY IS READING THAT AND THEY'RE CALLING US AND UPSET WITH US BECAUSE WE'RE TEARING IT UP AND PUTTING IT BACK. IT LOOKS LIKE A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY. WE HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THAT. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE GOING TO BE UNFORESEEN ISSUES. WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DIG UP, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN. BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO FORESEE THERE IS GOING TO BE AN UNFORESEEN ISSUE. HOW ARE WE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT? THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW, THREE OR FOUR YEARS? I KNOW WE WERE TRYING TO GET A DEADLINE OF THIS SUMMER AND NOW IT'S GOING TO BE PUSHED -- FIRST OF ALL, HOW MUCH FURTHER OUT IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE PUSHED, DO WE KNOW? >> HOSSEINI: FIRST OF ALL WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE EXISTING UTILITIES. THAT'S ONE THING. I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN ELIMINATE UNKNOWN CONDITIONS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE DO IT. CONSTRUCTION IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE A PROBLEM ON. WHEN WE IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE US TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO RESPOND. WE NEED TO RESPOND THE SAME DAY. IF NOT, THE FOLLOWING DAY. [01:55:04] WE SIGNED AN MOU WITH SAWS THAT'S GOING TO HELP US IN THE FUTURE. AGAIN, CONTRACTOR WANTS TO FINISH THIS PROJECT MUCH, MUCH FASTER THAN WE WANT THEM TO FINISH BECAUSE THEY MAKE MONEY FINISHING THE PROJECT FAST. THEY DON'T MAKE MONEY STAYING THERE. IT'S COSTING THEM INSURANCE, OFFICE SPACE, AND STAFF. THEY WANT TO FINISH BUT WE ARE WORKING ON SOUTH ALAMO. 100 YEARS AGO THERE USED TO BE A BUILDING, NOT A ROADWAY. WE HAVE TO STOP AND DOCUMENT THOSE. IT AFFECTS OUR PROJECT PROGRESS. >> HAVRDA: I'M REALLY ASKING THIS, I DON'T KNOW. IS THERE NO WAY TO KNOW BEFORE WE GO IN? IS THERE NOT ANY PRE-WORK DONE TO SEE WHAT'S UNDER THE GROUND BEFORE WE START DIGGING? >> HOSSEINI: THERE'S A LIMIT FOR EVERYTHING. WE CAN DIG THAT GROUND FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS TO FIND EVERYTHING. BUT THEN THERE'S A LIMIT. YOU HAVE TO STOP SOMEPLACE. IT COSTS MONEY AND TAKES TIMES TO START DIGGING. >> WALSH: I THINK, COUNCILWOMAN, RAZI'S RIGHT. WE CAN'T ELIMINATE IT ALL BUT CERTAINLY IF WE WERE GOING TO START ANOTHER DOWNTOWN STREET PROJECT TOMORROW THAT HAD JUST AS MUCH UNCERTAINTY, THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE WOULD BE THAT SAWS WOULD HAVE DONE MUCH MORE POTHOLING IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE UTILITIES IN ADVANCE. AND THAT'S PART OF THE MOU THAT WE HAVE NOW AGREED TO WITH THEM. IF WE WERE STARTING A PROJECT TOMORROW IN DOWNTOWN, THE UTILITIES WOULD BE SIGNATORIES TO THE CONTRACT SO THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PORTION. BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S ORGANIZED NOW, THE CITY -- SORRY. PUBLIC WORKS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE UTILITIES. WE'RE NOT THE UTILITY EXPERT. WE RELY ON CPS AND SAWS. SO HAVING THEM THERE AT THE BEGINNING AND MIDDLE TO RESPOND TO ISSUES THAT COME UP TO MAKE A DECISION IS KEY. IF WE WERE STARTING THAT PROJECT DOWNTOWN TOMORROW, THE CONTRACT AND THE PRE-WORK WOULD LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. I MEAN, WE STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE LIAISON AND MAKE SURE THE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED WITH. I HAVE HEARD FROM SOME BUSINESSES TODAY WHO ARE READING IT IN THE PAPER FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO THERE IS A COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN. >> HOSSEINI: COUNCILWOMAN, MAY I ASKED SOMETHING? WE HAVE TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATION. BUT MOST OF THE TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, THE PUBLIC DOESN'T REALLY SHOW INTEREST THEIR DRIVEWAY. LATE LAST YEAR WE HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING FOR MARBACH ROAD, DISTRICTS 6 AND 4. AND YOUR STAFF WAS THERE. WE HAD MORE CITY STAFF THAN COMMUNITY ATTEND. WE WERE THERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, LEARN FROM THEM ABOUT THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE, ADDRESS THOSE IN ADVANCE. NOT WHEN I HAVE THE CONTRACTOR STARTING. THAT'S JUST TOO LATE. WE NEED TO IMPROVE AND HOPEFULLY THE PUBLIC ALSO TAKES THIS PROJECT SERIOUSLY WHEN WE GO TO THEM. >> HAVRDA: AGREED. HOWEVER, I MAINTAIN THOSE CITY-HOSTED EVENTS ARE NOT THE WAY TO DO IT. LITERALLY GOING DOOR TO DOOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S BUSINESSES INVOLVED. MARBACH IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF BUSINESSES. AND MAKING SURE WE'RE TALKING TO THE RIGHT PERSON, NOT THE CLERK THAT'S WORKING THAT DAY. GOING TO HOA MEETINGS THEMSELVES WHERE THERE ALREADY ARE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE BUT AS MANY AS WE CAN. WE'LL DO OUR PART. WHEN THIS PROJECT ON MARBACH, WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES. IT CAN'T BE KIND OF THE ONE MEETING THAT WE GO -- I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT BUT IT CAN'T BE THE ONE THING WHERE WE EXPECT THEM TO TAKE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY. WE HAVE TO GO WHERE THEY ARE. I PROPOSE WE LOOK MORE CLOSELY INTO THAT AND THEN WHAT YOU SAID, ERIK, ABOUT WHAT WAS DONE TODAY. THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> PELAEZ: THANKS. I HEARD MARC WHYTE USE THE WORD MALPRACTICE. I SAW A QUOTE FROM HIM. AS I'M THINKING THROUGH THIS CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION ISSUE, [02:00:03] IT OCCURS TO ME THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALWAYS GOT TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DOING PEOPLE HARM AS WE'RE HELPING THEM WITH BETTER ROADS, STREETS, AND SIDEWALKS. AND I THINK THAT THIS CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANT IS COMING FROM THE RIGHT PLACE. I DO WANT TO REMIND -- AND I CONSTANTLY REMIND THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE FRUSTRATED THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER DO THIS AND THAT LIKE ALL NEW GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, THEY ARE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE KINKS IN THEM AND WE LEARN AS WE GO ALONG. WE NEVER, EVER AS A CITY COUNCIL, AS FAR AS I RECALL, NO CITY COUNCIL HAS TACKLED THIS AND THIS IS THE FIRST THAT HAS. WE CAN'T LET PERFECTION IMPEDE OUR ABILITY TO DO GOOD HERE. MY CONCERN IS ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL I'LL TELL YOU THERE'S A WOMAN WHOSE RESTAURANT I GOT TO GO TO THE OTHER DAY IN YOUR DISTRICT, DISTRICT 5. THIS CHINESE RESTAURANT RIGHT HERE IN CATTLEMAN'S SQUARE. GOLDEN STAR. THAT LADY IS GETTING POUNDED FROM EVERY ANGLE . YOU COULDN'T PAY ME TO WALK IN HER SHOES. I MEAN, THE CONSTRUCTION HAS JUST DECIMATED HER BUSINESS. AND ON TOP OF THAT SHE'S GOT THIS BUILDING THAT'S COLLAPSING AND NOBODY IS ALLOWING HER TO DIVEST HERSELF OF IT. ON TOP OF THAT IT'S BEING USED AS AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE SHOOTING UP EVERY SINGLE DAY. IT'S REALLY JUST A NIGHTMARE. I GOT TO WALK IT AND WE WERE CONFRONTED BY SOME MEAN LADIES WHO WERE OUT THERE, AND THEIR HUSBANDS YELLING AND SCREAMING ABOUT HOW THIS BUILDING NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED AND HOW THEY ARE SICK AND TIRED OF FOREIGNERS COMING IN TO THIS SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND TRYING TO ERASE THEIR HISTORY. THIS FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE FOR 100 YEARS. THEY WERE HERE BEFORE ANY OF YOU. I HAVE YET TO FIND ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS BEEN HIT HARDER THAN BO AND SHE NEEDS OUR HELP. COME TO FIND OUT THIS CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANT DIDN'T SOMEHOW COVER HER NEEDS. AND MAYBE I'M WRONG BUT SHE'S UNDER THE IMPRESSION IT DIDN'T COVER. CAN I IMPOSE UPON YOU, TEAM, TO CONTACT THIS LADY AND FIND OUT IF WE CAN HELP HER? HAVE YOU TALKED TO HER, BRENDA? >> WE'VE HAD REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH HER AND SHE HAS BEEN A RECIPIENT OF PAST GRANT AWARDS. >> PELAEZ: FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION STUFF? >> YES. AND FACADE AS WELL. >> PELAEZ: WELL THEN -- >> BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP. >> PELAEZ: PLEASE. SHE'S RINGING ALL OUR PHONES, BY THE WAY. THE SECOND THING IS THOUGH NOT EVERYBODY IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO OPERATE A RESTAURANT CONTINUOUSLY FOR 100 YEARS. AND THE REASON SHE HAS IS THE FOOD'S PRETTY DARN GOOD. THE REALITY OF RESTAURANTS, THOUGH, IS THAT WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR 20% OF THEM CLOSE. WITHIN THE FIFTH YEAR, THAT NUMBER JUMPS UP TO 80%. AND SO I HEAR FROM RESTAURANTS, YOU'RE FORCING MY CLOSURE BUT THERE IS NO CONVERSATION ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT THE MAYOR IS LAYING OUT HERE IS ARE WE REALLY HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES IF WE'RE NOT ALSO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE'S A NATURAL FAILURE RATE IN THESE BUSINESSES. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MIDDLE GROUND IS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SOLUTION IS IN THIS ALGEBRA PROBLEM THAT WE FACE. IT IS A LEGITIMATE POINT THAT YOU MAKE, MAYOR. WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHETHER WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE OR JUST HANDING OUT MONEY AND RUNNING AROUND TOWN PATTING OURSELVES ON THE BACK BECAUSE WE CREATED A CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PROGRAM WITHOUT THERE BEING SUCCESS METRICS. SMARTER PEOPLE THAN ME ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS. SUCCESS CAN'T SIMPLY BE WE HANDED OUT X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. I NEED TO SEE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN MAKING SURE THAT THESE BUSINESSES DON'T CLOSE AND IMPROVING THE FAILURE RATE FOR RESTAURANTS. THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT IS GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM CONVERSATION. BUT I THINK THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM DEPENDS UPON US BEING ABLE TO PROVE OUT THAT THESE EXPENDITURES ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING. THANK YOU, BRENDA, FOR YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: SORRY TO CHIME BACK IN AND SHARE SO MANY THOUGHTS BUT THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME WITH BOTH OF THESE ISSUES. I'VE HAD LITERALLY BUSINESS OWNERS CRYING DURING MY OFFICE HOURS BECAUSE OF THIS. [02:05:01] THAT'S WHY I'M WANTING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE. ONE, I STILL -- RAZI, YOU KIND OF MENTIONED AT THE END THAT YOU DO COMMUNICATE AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, OUR COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO BE BETTER. WE LITERALLY JUST LAST WEEK WE GO DOOR TO DOOR. WE ONLY WENT ON THE STREET RIGHT UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR BEING AFFECTED AND WE DID NOT GET CONTACT INFORMATION. TEXTED THEM TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH BETTER RESPONSE RATE IN COMMUNICATION. THERE WERE MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE PEOPLE WERE LEAVING FLIERS AND THE PEOPLE NEEDING THE INFORMATION WEREN'T GETTING THE INFORMATION. SO THAT HAS TO BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR US FOR MARBACH. WHOEVER IS SITTING IN THAT SEAT THERE IS GOING TO FACE WHAT I HAVE FACED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. WE CAN'T RELY ON ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION. YOU GUYS SAW IT ON MONDAY. THERE WERE EIGHT PEOPLE AT MY COMMUNITY MEETING BUT THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ARE FAR AND DEEP WIDE AND MANY OF THEM HAVE MULTIPLE JOBS. THEY CAN'T TAKE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY. ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO A PUBLIC INPUT MEETING IS INCORRECT AND WE SHOULDN'T BE EXPECTING THAT FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. THAT'S NOT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, THAT IS US SHARING A PRESENTATION. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING OUT AND GETTING INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO CONTACT. WE FACED THIS LAST YEAR WHEN LIMESTONE -- RAIN TURNED LIMESTONE INTO AN UNDRIVABLE STREET. I HAD A WOMAN WHO HAD A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, IN A WHEELCHAIR, THE NEXT DAY, AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW SHE WAS GOING TO LEAVE HER HOUSE. WE WERE TRYING TO GET A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM SO WE COULD START TEXTING INDIVIDUALS. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TEXT CONSTITUENTS ON A SPECIFIC STREET ABOUT A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT HAPPENING. THAT'S GOT TO BE OUR BARE MINIMUM. THE SECOND THING ON SOUTH ALAMO, BECAUSE THE MAYOR ASKED FOR THAT TOPIC HEADLINE. WE STILL DON'T HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT PROJECT TIMELINE IS. JUST SO I CAN AIR OUT MY RANT PUBLICLY. WHEN I GOT ELECTED, WE WERE GOING TO FINISH THIS PROJECT BY THE FINAL FOUR. THAT WAS THE ONE HEADLINE. SOMETIME LAST YEAR IT GOT PUSHED BACK. I'M SITTING AT A BUSINESS AT HEMISFAIR LAST WEEK AND THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DONE FOR TWO MORE YEARS, WHICH WAS NEVER COMMUNICATED TO ME. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN THESE DELAYS HAPPEN THAT WE ARE THE ONES GETTING OUT AND TALKING TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND NOT LETTING THESE FALSE UNDERSTATEMENTS OR FALSE RUMORS BEING SPENT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND JUST BEING HONEST AND OWNING UP TO THE PROBLEM. A LOT OF TIMES I KNOW, ERIK, YOU TOLD ME THIS MULTIPLE TIMES. OUR CITY IS BETTER AT BOND PROJECTS THAN AUSTIN IS AND SOME OF OUR PEERS. SO WE KIND OF REST ON THAT AND KNOW. BUT WE CAN STILL OWN OUR MISTAKE AND SAY THIS WAS A REALLY BIG MISTAKE AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FINISH IT. SOMETIMES SHOWING UP WITH THAT HUMILITY OF WE'RE MAKING THE MISTAKE AND JUST BEING TRANSPARENT GOES A LOT FURTHER THAN TRYING TO COVER UP AND JUST KEEP, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A REPORT, JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE MENTIONED IT -- I THINK IT WAS CABELLO HAVRDA ABOUT TURNOVER -- VIAGRAN MENTIONED ABOUT TURNOVER. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A REPORT FROM EDD AND PUBLIC WORKS OF OUR TURNOVERS FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE POSITIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY EXECUTING ON THOSE WORKS SO WE CAN GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR CHALLENGE IS IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM EXECUTION. OKAY. THAT'S IT. SORRY. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. ERIK. >> WALSH: COUNCILWOMAN, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT BUT I NEED TO RESPOND TO -- I DON'T THINK WE'RE COVERING UP, NOR DO I THINK WE'RE NOT BEING TRUTHFUL AND TRANSPARENT. THE PROJECT IS NOT TWO MORE YEARS. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE RUMOR CAME FROM AND I KNOW RAZI TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK. WE HAVE -- THAT HAS -- I THINK THERE'S ALSO A BALANCE HERE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. THE PUBLIC, WHETHER YOU LIVE ON ALAMO STREET OR WORK ON ALAMO STREET OR NOT, THE PUBLIC REALLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THAT -- MAYBE A SISTER AGENCY, A MUNICIPAL AGENCY DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THE PIPES ARE AT. THEY DON'T REALLY CARE. THEY JUST WANT IT DONE. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF HARD LESSONS THERE AND I THINK PART OF OUR OBLIGATION IS TO NOT POINT FINGERS. THAT IS 100% OURS. WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, I'M IN CHARGE OF THE WATER AND THE SEWER LINES ON ALAMO AND THAT FALLS NOWHERE WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION BUT THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND IF WE WERE DOING IT DIFFERENTLY TOMORROW, I WOULD CERTAINLY DO IT DIFFERENTLY. BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN NOT [02:10:07] TRUTHFUL NOR HAVE WE BEEN NOT TRANSPARENT. AND WE'VE KEPT THE COUNCIL ABREAST OF THAT PROJECT. I KNOW IT'S CHANGED. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES AND A LOT OF ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH IN TERMS OF WE HAD A BREAKAGE THE OTHER DAY. A CONTRACTOR HIT THE CHILLED WATER LINE. THAT IMPACTED THE CUSTOMERS RIGHT THERE. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THINGS WE'RE DEALING WITH. BUT THE TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT IS APRIL 26. IT'S NOT TWO YEARS. AND WE'RE GOING TO HOLD TO THAT. AND BUT I JUST NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THAT. WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALAMO STREET, THE ANSWER TO THE MAYOR'S QUESTION EARLIER, I SAID A $40 MILLION IMPACT, THE FINAL FOUR. I LEFT OUT A ZERO. IT'S $440 MILLION. I JUST WANTED TO CORRECT THAT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, ERIK. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM 2? I THINK WE'VE LEFT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, ENOUGH TIME TO GET THROUGH 3? >> WALSH: YEAH, MAYOR. THIS WILL BE A RELATIVELY QUICK ITEM AND WE WANTED TO ADD IT. SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. THERE WAS A CCR IN DECEMBER OF '23 FROM COUNCILWOMAN HAVRDA THAT AUTHORED A CCR REGARDING ELDER ABUSE REPORTING. IT WENT TO GOVERNANCE IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR AND THEN TO PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE END OF SUMMER OF '24. PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, BOTH AT GOVERNANCE AND AT PUBLIC SAFETY, WAS TO PILOT A TRAINING PROGRAM ON ELDER ABUSE OVER AND ABOVE WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES IN TERMS OF ENFORCING ELDER CRIMES OF TEN DEPARTMENTS. WE'VE STARTED THAT. TODAY IS REALLY JUST CLOSING THE LOOP ON THE CCR PROCESS AND GIVING THE COUNCIL AN UPDATE. WE DO HAVE -- I THINK SHE'S STILL HERE -- JUDGE VERONICA VASQUEZ WHO I THINK YOU WILL RECALL CAME TO GOVERNANCE WHEN YOU HEARD IT. SHE'S PART OF THE -- SHE CO-FOUNDED THE TASK FORCE WITH SENATOR MENENDEZ. WE WANTED TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A QUICK UPDATE ON THIS ISSUE. >> THANK YOU, ERIK. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I WILL MAKE THIS VERY BRIEF. BEFORE WE BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OTHER PARTNERS WE HAVE. IN ADDITION TO JUDGE VASQUEZ, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ELDER ABUSE EXPLOITATION TASK FORCE AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, AND THE CITY-COUNTY JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS . VERY QUICKLY WE'LL PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND ON ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION. AN UPDATE ON EXISTING DEPARTMENT PRACTICES, AND HIGHLIGHT SOME UPDATES FROM THE TASK FORCE ITSELF ON SOME OF THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING. AND THEN REVIEW NEXT STEPS FOR THE TRAINING. WE REALLY FELT THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO KIND OF LEAD WITH SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE CONTEXT ON WHY THIS TRAINING IS IMPORTANT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. UNFORTUNATELY IN BEXAR COUNTY WE DO LEAD THE STATE IN LARGE COUNTIES IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF ELDER ABUSE INCIDENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS. THAT RATE HAS INCREASED FROM 2014 TO 2024 BY 41%. BUT WHAT'S EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THAT ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES ESTIMATES THAT ONLY ONE IN 24 CASES ARE REPORTED SO WE KNOW THE RATE THIS IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY IS MUCH HIGHER. IT IS A REALLY GROWING AND SIGNIFICANT CONCERN THAT OLDER ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE AT RISK. SO AS BACKGROUND, AS ERIK MENTIONED, COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA DID AUTHOR THIS CCR TO ASK US TO LOOK AT ESTABLISHING A PROCESS TO ENCOURAGE OVERALL AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE, RECOGNITION OF HOW WE CAN SPOT THAT HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE'RE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS AND CONSTITUENTS. AND THEN ALSO REPORTING AMONG CITY EMPLOYEES. THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 17 AND FORWARDED TO AND HEARD BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 20. FOLLOWING THAT PRESENTATION, PUBLIC SAFETY DID DIRECT US TO COLLABORATE WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THAT TRAINING TO TEN FORWARD-FACING DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD A HIGH DEGREE OF WORK AND CONNECTION WITH OLDER ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING, WE ARE CONTINUING SOME DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC EFFORTS THAT ERIK TOUCHED ON IN BOTH HUMAN SERVICES AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR CLOSE COORDINATION WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, NOT ONLY FOR TRAINING, ENHANCED TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUAL STAFF THAT HAVE A HIGHER DEGREE OF [02:15:01] COLLABORATION WITH OLDER ADULTS, BUT ALSO ON REPORTING CONCERNS AND SUSPECTED ABUSE. WE'RE RAISING AWARENESS AND, COUNCILWOMAN, TO YOUR POINT ON SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT CAREGIVERS ARE ALSO AT A HIGHER RISK FOR COMMITTING ELDER FRAUD AND ABUSE DUE TO EXHAUSTION AND NOT TAKING CARE OF THEIR OWN NEEDS. WORKING ON THOSE OTHER TARGETED, SPECIFIC ISSUES. ALSO COORDINATING TO CONDUCT WELFARE CHECKS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT NOT HEARING FROM A NEIGHBOR OR WE HAVE CONCERNS BASED ON HOW SOMEONE IS PRESENTING AT THE SENIOR CENTER SO THAT WE CAN DIG DEEPER AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP. SO WE DID LAUNCH THIS TRAINING IN FEBRUARY. IT IS CONDUCTED IN COORDINATION WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES. THEY'RE ACTUALLY HOSTING THE ONLINE TRAINING FOR US. TO DATE WE HAVE HAD ABOUT 25% OF THE IDENTIFIED EMPLOYEES COMPLETE THAT TRAINING. OUR GOAL IS FOR ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES TO COMPLETE THAT BY EARLY MAY. THE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES TEAM HAS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD. THEY HAVE VERY TOUGH JOBS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT VERY REAL FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO UNDERSTAND VERY SPECIFIC REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS INTUITIVE. EVEN HIGHLIGHTING SOMETHING LIKE SELF-NEGLECT, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT. AND WHY WE SHOULD REPORT THAT AND WHAT RESOURCES THEY HAVE TO HELP. SO THE RESOURCES AREN'T ALWAYS PROSECUTION OR MORE SERIOUS PENALTIES. SOMETIMES IT'S PROVIDING RESOURCES AND WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. RELATED TO THE TASK FORCE, WE ARE CONTINUING -- SO FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS, HUMAN SERVICES, FIRE, AND SAPD DO PARTICIPATE AS PART OF THAT TASK FORCE. SINCE INCEPTION THEY PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROTECT OLDER ADULTS. JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE CURRENT THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. THEY ARE WORKING ON LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A SENIOR JUSTICE ASSISTANCE CENTER IN ALL LARGE COUNTIES IN TEXAS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HUGE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE JUDGE VASQUEZ HAS SHARED WITH US THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE, CURRENTLY IN HOUSTON. AND THEN ALSO FILING SOME LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR TEXAS JUDGES TO HAVE TRAINING ON ELDER ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION. THEY HAVE WORKED WITH BEXAR COUNTY TO ACTUALLY FILE A GRANT REQUESTING FUNDING TO ESTABLISH A CENTER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER. IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING, JUST NEXT STEPS FOR US, THE INITIAL COHORT OF TRAINING IS GOING TO BE COMPLETED IN EARLY MAY. ONCE THAT IS COMPLETED, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE COMPLETED IT SO FAR AND THE BENEFITS THAT WE'RE SEEING, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT BE APPLIED TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AND THAT WE ALSO ENGAGE IN CONTINUED WORK WITH APS TO PROVIDE REFRESHER TRAINING ANNUALLY. ALSO JUST SHARING ADDITIONAL TRAINING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES . THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT EMPLOYEES ARE IDENTIFYING AS FUTURE TRAINING NEEDS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING THEM TO THOSE RESOURCES. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS THE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JESSICA. AND WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. I'LL START WITH COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART. I'M REALLY PROUD TO SEE THE WORK THAT'S STARTED MOVING FORWARD. WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT IT TO COUNCIL ATTENTION IT WAS BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE OUR STAFF HAS THE TOOLS TO REPORT ELDER ABUSE. OUR ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO SEE ANIMAL ABUSE BUT WHERE THERE'S ANIMAL ABUSE THERE'S OFTEN ELDER ABUSE OF A HOUSEHOLD. AND THIS IS SOMETHING TO SEE REAL STEPS TAKING ACTION. I'M ESPECIALLY GLAD TO SEE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE APS AND THAT THIS TRAINING IS ALREADY BEING ROLLED OUT ACROSS TEN KEY CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING OF COURSE PD AND FD AND HUMAN SERVICES. THEY ALL HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH OLDER ADULTS AND SO THEY'RE IN A POSITION TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR ELDERLY POPULATION. IT'S A CRITICAL INITIATIVE AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT TAKING SHAPE. JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR CO-FOUNDING >> HAVRDA: YOU'VE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER AND YOUR SUPPORT HAS BEEN KEY TO MAKING THIS REALITY. DO YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS TO SAY? >> I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IT'S REFRESHING WHEN I'M SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE TO HEAR SO MANY COUNCILMEMBERS ACTUALLY [02:20:01] CARE ACT SENIORS. THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE CARE ABOUT. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHAT YOU DID HERE WAS SO PROGRESSIVE AND SO AMAZING AND TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO IDENTIFY IT, THAT'S A BIG STEP IN THE PROCESS, UNDERSTANDING AND IDENTIFYING ELDER ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION. I SEE IT ON A DAILY BASIS. I HAD TWO CASES TODAY. SO EVERY DAY THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COMES BEFORE THE COURT, BUT IT'S NOT OFTEN TALKED ABOUT SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMPASSION. AND I HEAR IT EVERY DAY, SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE DOING GOD'S WORK, YOU REALLY ARE, TAKING CARE OF YOUR PARENTS, BUT THEY'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AND FAMILY MEMBER, AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I SEE BEFORE THE COURT JUST LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT WITH THE GUARDIANSHIP, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FAMILY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THEY RELY ON THE COURTS AND UNFORTUNATELY THE COUNTY -- WE NEED HELP. THIS POPULATION IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, OF COURSE THE CITY, WE'VE APPLIED -- THE COUNTY HAS APPLIED TO GET A GRANT FOR THE SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER TO BE MODELED AFTER HARRIS COUNTY. SENATOR MENENDEZ ALSO FILED A BILL THAT EVERY COUNTY THAT HAS OVER A MILLION IN POPULATION FOR THEM TO CREATE A SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER, IT'S REQUIRED TO HAVE A TEAM TO GO OVER THESE CASES TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS THAT.'S OUR BIG STEP, MOVING IT FROM A TASK FORCE INTO A SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER SO IT'S OWNED BY THE PEOPLE AND NOT NECESSARILY TO ELECTED INDIVIDUALS HEADING THIS KIND OF GROUP. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR NEXT GENERATION, WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET THERE WITH GOD'S WILL. I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND JUST YIELD MY TIME TO ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES SINCE THEY ARE THE ONES DOING THE FRONT FACING TRAININGS. >> THANK YOU, JUDGE. MY ROLE HERE IS JUST TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING SUCH LEADERS IN RECOGNIZING THAT CITIES OF THIS SIZE SHOULD BE PROTECTING AND LOOKING AFTER THEIR ELDERS. MY NAME IS ANN CORTEZ, I'M THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR FOR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, WHICH ALSO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY COVERS SAN ANTONIO. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M ESPECIALLY PROUD THAT -- I THINK OUR RESEARCH IN ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES HAS NOT FOUND ANOTHER CITY OF THIS EQUAL SIZE THAT HAS TAKEN ON THIS EFFORT. PARTNERING WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, SO I CONGRATULATE YOU, I CONGRATULATE YOU COUNCILWOMAN HAVRDA FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE TO OUR ATTENTION AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES STANDS READY TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE TASK FORCE IN PROVIDING EITHER TRAINING OR DIRECT SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU ALL. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. >> AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MENTION THE GREAT WORK THAT SAPD DOES AS WELL AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE -- THEY HAVE BEEN, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF THE TASK FORCE, THEY HAVE BEEN ACTIVE MEMBERS WITH -- AND WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, SOMETIMES WHEN WE RECEIVE PHONE CALLS, WE KNOW WHO WE CAN CONTACT WITHIN SAPD, BUT, AGAIN, GETTING SOMETHING LIKE THE SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT GRANT, IF WE DON'T GET THAT GRANT WE'LL COME KNOCKING ON THE DOOR FOR THE CITY'S HELP AS WELL. THANK YOU AGAIN. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, JUDGE, AND EVERYBODY. Y'ALL ARE REALLY DOING GOD'S WORK, AND IT'S -- I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE OUT THERE CARING FOR OUR SENIORS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOPEFULLY WITH THE SJAC, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE US INVOLVED BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IT'S A COORDINATED EFFORT THAT'S GOING TO KEEP OUR SENIORS SAFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE? >> COURAGE: OH, GOD, AS A SENIOR MEMBER ON THE COUNCIL, I'M ALREADY ELIGIBLE. MY WIFE TAKES GOOD CARE OF ME, THOUGH. I'M NOT BEING ABUSED. BUT, YEAH, I WANT TO MENTION, I GO OUT AND I THINK MANY OF US DO WITH MEALS ON WHEELS AND WE DELIVER TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY, WHO NEED THESE KINDS OF SERVICES. AND I ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THEY TELL ME WHEN I GO OUT THERE, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE YOU GO, BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU SEE. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK MAY BE INDICATION THAT SOMEONE'S BEING NEGLECTED OR ABUSED, REMEMBER TO BRING THAT BACK TO US AT MEALS ON WHEELS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT, AND THE FOOD BANK, WHO ALSO IS VERY INVOLVED IN MAKING SURE THAT SENIORS GET HEALTHY FOOD FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT PARTNERS. AND I KNOW THAT WE WORK WITH THEM. AND ALSO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, OBVIOUSLY. I'M WONDERING, WHAT PARTICULAR PROGRAMS OR WHAT -- OR WHO DO WE HAVE [02:25:03] AS OUR ADVOCATE TO WATCH FOR THOSE KINDS OF CONCERNS AT OUR SENIOR CENTERS? >> SO, OF COURSE, EVERY SENIOR CENTER, OUR STAFF ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM. IF SOMEONE DOESN'T SHOW UP FOR A WEEK'S TIME, THEY'RE CALLING THEM TO CHECK ON THEM. SO IT'S AN ONGOING BASIS, BUT IN ADDITION THROUGH -- I BELIEVE IT WAS A COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES PAST, WE HAD ESTABLISHED AN OLDER ADULT BENEFIT NAVIGATOR PROGRAM. WHAT WE'RE FINDING -- AND AS THEY'RE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS, AGAIN, IT'S NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS THAT THERE'S A CASE OF FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION HAPPENING, AND OFTEN SENIORS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE COMING FORWARD. THEY DON'T WANT TO GET A FAMILY MEMBER OR A CAREGIVER IN TROUBLE. SO THEY'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE, HEY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE MEETING MY MONTH THINK EXPENSES, WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES I CAN LOOK AT. AND AS THEY'RE DOING THAT, THEY'RE IDENTIFYING INSTANCES WHERE THEY MAY BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. SO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY ON A COUPLE OF CASES WITH THE TASK FORCE IN PARTICULAR AND THE SAPD TO RESOLVE THOSE REALLY, REALLY COMPLICATED CASES AND TO SEE WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE. IT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS SOMEONE'S COMING TO THE CENTER AND THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME INCREASED FOOD INSECURITY OR THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME ISSUES THAT THEY ARE HAVING ISSUES AT THEIR HOME. I CAN'T SHOUT OUT ENOUGH FOR THE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES STAFF. THEY ARE GOING OUT THERE, THEY ARE DOING THE WELFARE CHECKS FOR US. EVEN IF IT'S HELPING SOMEBODY CLEAN A KITCHEN, PROVIDING CLEANING SUPPLIES, SO THEY'RE DOING MUCH MORE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATE WITH OUR ROLE TO HELP OLDER ADULTS LIVE STABLY AND INDEPENDENTLY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. >> COURAGE: WE TELL PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. I HOPE WE'RE ALSO EDUCATING OTHER PEOPLE IN THOSE SENIOR CENTERS THAT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WITH ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS THAT COMES TO THE CENTER THAT SEEMS OUT, YOU KNOW, TO TALK TO OUR SENIOR STAFF SO THAT IF THEY SEE SOMETHING AND THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ANOTHER SENIOR, THEY FEEL STRONG ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP ABOUT IT AND HELP SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH OUR STAFF MEMBERS THERE. >> AND WE ARE. SO WE'RE DOING PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AS WELL IN THE SENIOR CENTERS, AND WE BRING IN OUR PARTNERS TO HELP US DO THAT AS WELL. SOME CASES DA'S OFFICE AND SOMETIMES SAPD, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND OTHERS. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA? >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S -- YOU'RE DOING ALL THE WORK, JUDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. I'M EXCITED THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING AFTER OUR SENIORS. AND SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES THAT IS DOING WORK AT THIS LEVEL, IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL REALLY GOOD BECAUSE WE ARE COMPASSIONATE CITY USA. I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO BRING THE TRAINING TO THE LGC STAFF, THAT'S OUR STAFFS, OUR COUNCIL STAFFS. WE HAVE LUNCH AND LEARNS, SOMETIMES AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A TOPIC, AND I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE TO HAVE AT THE NEXT LUNCHEON LEARN OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE AVAILABLE. >> SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY SOMETHING ALREADY AVAILABLE ON THE ONLINE PLATFORM. WE CAN SHARE A LINK TO THAT SO THAT ANY STAFF, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE 10 DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED COULD TAKE THAT NOW. AND WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO COORDINATE WITH PARTNERS IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL FURTHER TRAINING THAT YOU'D LIKE FOR US TO BRING. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. AND I KNOW YOU ALL MENTIONED THAT YOU ALL ARE HAVING SOME MEETINGS AT SENIOR CENTERS, ET CETERA, BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE LIKE TOWN HALLS, LIKE ACROSS THE CITY. WE DO IT BY QUADRANT, JUDGE. >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. SENATOR MENENDEZ AND I -- HE'S IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION RIGHT NOW, BUT TYPICALLY WE HAVE A TOWN HALL THAT WILL BE ON ELDER ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION AND PART OF THAT TOWN HALL WILL INCLUDE WHAT THE PROBATE ROLE IS. I TALK A LITTLE BIT, BUT ALSO WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, WE HAVE ALL OF THE PARTNERING AGENCIES, LIE THE DIAPER BANK, YOU KNOW, AARP, MEALS ON WHEELS, SO SENIOR RESOURCES THERE, SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA JUST TO HAVE A FAIR AND TALK ABOUT WHAT ELDER ABUSE LOOKS LIKE AND HOW TO IDENTIFY IT. OFTENTIMES WE GET SENIORS THEMSELVES BUT ALSO THEIR CAREGIVERS. >> GARCIA: THE KEY THERE ALSO IS PREPARING THE CAREGIVERS, AND SO LIKE I SAID, I HAD NO IDEA LIKE WHAT I HAD TO DO UNTIL I HAD TO GET TO DO IT. AND SO IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO PREPARE PEOPLE AND JUST HAVE A RESOURCE READY FOR THEM. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. YOU MENTIONED LIKE THE DIAPER BANK, AND JUST THINGS THAT YOU DON'T THINK THAT YOU WILL NEED UNTIL YOU NEED THEM, AND SO IT'S BETTER TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW AND TO HAVE THAT PREPARATION. I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE THE ONLINE COMPONENT BY THE WAY, BECAUSE WE CAN SHARE IT. SO I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE BUILT IN TO LIKE [INDISCERNIBLE] AND WITH THE COMPASSION CURRICULUM THAT YOU ALL HAVE AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ALREADY THERE, BUT THAT WOULD BE GOOD. >> THAT IS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT ALREADY ONLINE THROUGH ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES DISTRICT. >> GARCIA: GREAT. >> BUT WE'LL SHARE THE LINKS FOR BOTH WITH [02:30:03] COUNCIL AND WE HAVE RESOURCE GUIDES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO EACH COUNCIL OFFICE THAT LISTS NOT ONLY CITY RESO RESOURCES BUT CAREGIVERS FOR ELDER ADULTS. >> GARCIA: I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH? >> YES. >> GARCIA: I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE ACCOUCUTS THAT MAY BE COMING AND IF WE HAVE THESE HOMEBOUND SENIORS, THE MEALS ON WHEELS IS THE ONLY VISIT THEY GET A DAY. IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT PRIORITIZING IT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO? >> GAVITO: ]OFF]OFF MIC DISAPPOINTING THAT BEXAR COUNTY HAS THE MOST INVESTIGATIONS AMONGST TEXAS LARGEST COUNTY. WE ARE VERY MUCH A FAMILY-ORIENTED COMMUNITY, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ELDERS. COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA MENTIONED MEALS ON WHEELS. I WAS OUT THERE DELIVERING MEALS THIS MORNING. IT IS OFTENTIMES THEIR ONLY VISIT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT OUR CITY IS TAKING STEPS TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA ASKED MY QUESTION ABOUT OUR CSR TEAM AND LGC STAFF TAKING THE TRAINING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SEEING THE SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. YOU KNOW, A CENTRAL HUB TO HELP OUR ELDER ADULTS WHEN THEY'RE VICTIMIZED. ARE THERE ANY NEXT STEPS THAT WE COULD HELP WITH AS COUNCIL? >> SO THE SENATOR HAS FILED THAT BILL. I HAVEN'T -- I LOOKED AT IT YET YESTERDAY AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT PICKED UP ON THE HOUSE SIDE. THAT WOULD BE GREAT SO WE COULD RUN WITH IT, BUT THE SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER DOES SO MUCH. IT'S THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CRIMINAL CASES ARE NOT FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS, BUT WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT, THEY HAVE THESE COMMUNITY RESOURCES LIKE AARP, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF -- THE DIAPER BANK, ALL THOSE OTHER -- THEY WOULD HIRE SOCIAL WORKERS THAT WOULD HELP FILL IN THE GAPS. SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. IN HARRIS COUNTY, THEY HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT WAS ABUSED BY MISS SON. HIS SON HAD MENTAL ILLNESS. AND I WELCOME THE CITY, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY RECENTLY, WE WENT DOWN TO SEE AN EXAMPLE OF A MEETING WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER. I WELCOME ANYBODY WITH THE CENTER TO COME DOWN THERE. WE CAN GO AT ANY TIME TO HARRIS COUNTY SO YOU CAN SEE THIS ALL IN PLAY AND WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN, BUT THEY DISCUSS EACH CASE. THIS ONE PARTICULAR CASE, THIS GENTLEMAN HAD A SON THAT WAS MENTALLY ILL AND THE SON BEAT HIM UP. HE WINDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL. HE CALLED THE POLICE, THE SENIOR JUSTICE ASSESSMENT CENTER, THEY GET A REFERRAL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE VICTIM AND ASK HIM WHETHER OR NOT HE WANTS TO PRESS CHARGES. BECAUSE IT'S HIS SON HE DECIDED HE DID NOT WANT TO GO THERE. SO WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD, YOU DID ACQUIRE HOSPITAL BILLS, NOW AS A SOCIAL WORKER, WE'RE GOING TO HELP YOU APPLY FOR THE VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND TO GET THOSE HOSPITAL BILLS COVERED. IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CENTER THAT WOULD NOT ONLY HELP WITH THE -- YOU KNOW, THE PROSECUTION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT ALSO HELP WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, BECAUSE THEY GO HAND-IN HAND. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE AGENCIES TALKING WITH EACH OTHER, THEN WHAT'S THE POINT? HOW CAN WE HELP THIS WOMAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HOW CAN WE HELP THIS PERSON GET HER YARD CUT? SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALIZED CASES, THEY'RE NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL BUT HOW CAN WE HAVE THE OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS COME IN AND HELP. >> GAVITO: ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE OUR SENIOR CENTERS APPLIANCE PROGRAM TO HELP WITH THE CODE COMPLIANCE. ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REMINDED OF, ONE OF THE WOMAN CALLED FOR ME TO PICK HER UP TO TAKE HER TO THE ELECTION SITE, ON OUR WAY, SHE WAS SAYING HOW SHE WAS GETTING THESE HARASSING PHONE CALLS TWO TIMES A DAY BECAUSE HER COMPUTER GOT HACKED INTO. YOU KNOW, AND SO REALLY OUR SENIORS -- YOU KNOW, SHE WAS SAYING, WELL, I CALLED THE POLICE AND THEN I CALLED THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY, THIS AND THAT. AND JUST PING PONG, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND. AND SO I THINK CYBER CRIME IS -- THEY'RE ATTACKING OUR OLDER ADULTS SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE COORDINATED BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NO OPTION FOR HELP, YOU KNOW? AND SO I DEFINITELY THINK TTHAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, TOO. THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS GREAT WORK. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL TO COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO [02:35:03] HAVRDA FOR LEADING THIS INITIATIVE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM OFTEN BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION IN TERMS OF SENIORS CALLING OUR OFFICE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE AFTER THERE'S BEEN SOME TYPE OF METHOD OF THEM BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WAS CONSTITUENT WHO, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A VICTIM OF THE SOLAR SCAM AND, YOU KNOW, SHE SHARED. SHE DOESN'T HAVE A/C, SO THEY SAT IN HER CAR, SHE TURNED ON THE A/C WHILE HE ESSENTIALLY SIGNED HER UP TO HAVE SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED. THEY'RE STILL SITTING ON HER ROOF. WE HAVE ANOTHER VICTIM OF ALL TYPES OF EXPLOITATION AND HE'S WALKED ME THROUGH THE PROCESS -- SAPD AND JUST AS THE COUNCILMAN DESCRIBES, THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY OR ENFORCEMENT IN TERMS OF HOW TO HOLD A BAD ACTOR ACCOUNTABLE FOR ESSENTIALLY COMMITTING, WHETHER IT'S LIKE HELPING THEM FACILITATE FRAUD OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINING, BUT I THINK THERE COULD BE VALUE IN, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE TRAINING, FIGURING OUT SOME TYPE OF METHOD OF COMMUNICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY, WHETHER THAT'S EXPLORING HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN LAWS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE FOUND GUILTY FOR COMMITTING ELDER FRAUD AND/OR ABUSE BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF A LIAISON WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL OFFICE. THINK ABOUT CPS AND SAWS, WE EACH HAVE A LIAISON WHO HELP FACILITATE THAT CASE MANAGEMENT, MY TEAM ARE HAPPY TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HELP THE CONSTITUENT AND THEY COULD BE ON THE PHONE FOR SEVERAL HOURS WITH ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THAT'S JUST TO GET SOMEONE ON THE LINE. AND WHEN THE CONSTITUENT COMES BACK BECAUSE THEY WANT FOLLOW-UP, IT'S THE SAME PROCESS AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THE LATE LEVEL, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICE, CPS, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE OVERWORKED AND UNDER STAFFED, BUT I THINK IT WOULD VALUE WHETHER IT'S THROUGH DHS OR WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION YOU ALL HAVE, BUT CREATING SOME TYPE OF LIAISON TO FACILITATE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THE CASE REPORTING THAT OUR TEAMS ARE OFTEN FACILITATING, BUT ULTIMATELY, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO. AND, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO Y'ALL DO A LOT WITH VERY LITTLE, ESPECIALLY ON THE CPS AND APS SIDE. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 3? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT 5:00. THE TIME IS 4:47 P.M. ON MARCH 19TH, 2025. AND WE ARE * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.