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>> ROCHA GARCIA: ALRIGHT. WONDERFUL. OKAY.
WE WILL GET STARTED WITH TODAY'S PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MARCH 21ST. WELCOME, EVERYONE.
WE'LL START WITH THE ROLL CALL.
>> CLERK: WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. WE WILL GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY WITH THE EASY STUFF WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 19TH'S
PCDC. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION? >> COURAGE: I HAVE READ THE MINUTES, THEY SEEM IN ORDER. I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAYAYE. MOTION CARRIES.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE HAVE 14 PEOPLE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK TODAY.
IN ORDER TO BE EFFICIENT, WE WILL GIVE EVERYBODY TWO MINUTES AND WE WILL START WITH VINCENT MICHAEL FOLLOWED BY LOUIS VEDDER. MISS BIANCA, I WILL TAKE YOU
LAST. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M REPRESENTING THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO, I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR LEGAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS ABOUT THE URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS THAT WERE FORMERLY LABELED DIGITAL MEDIA AND ARTS PILOT PROGRAM. WE FEEL THAT IT VIOLATES THE CURRENT LAW, COULD MAKE THE CITY UGLIER, AND HAS NO PROVEN ECONOMIC UPSIDE. WE -- THE CITY ADOPTED ITS CODE CHAPTER 28 OF THE UDC TWO YEARS AGO, YET THIS PROGRAM FLOUTS THIS LAW.
THE SIGNED ORDINANCE REQUIRED ADVERTISING COMPANIES TO REMOVE FOUR BILLBOARDS FOR EVERY NEW DIGITAL BILLBOARD, IMPROVING THE OVERALL URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
THIS REVERSES THAT, INCREASING SIGNAGE. THE DIGITAL KIOSKS THAT THE CITY INSTALLED OVER FIVE YEARS AGO WERE TOUTED AS WAYFINDING BUT ARE PRIMARILY ADVERTISING, AND THAT PILOT PROGRAM NEVER WENT AWAY. THIS CODE VIOLATION IS BEING PROPOSED BECAUSE IT PROMISES REVENUE, BUT THE EXPERIENCE OF DENVER, ATLANTA AND CINCINNATI IS THAT REVENUES WERE A FRACTION OF WHAT WAS PROMISED, AND DID NOT MATERIALIZE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THEREFORE, WE OPPOSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT PILOT PROGRAM.
THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. LOUIS VEDDERFOLLOWED BY
ELAINE VEDDER. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO. I RISE IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THIS PROGRAM. WHICH HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS IN THE PAST.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, THIS IS A PILOT, IT'S NOT THE STANDARD DEFINITION MOST BUSINESSES AND COMPANIES WORK WITH.
THIS IS JUST PHASE ONE. PHASE ONE'S GOING TO INSTALL SOME CERTAIN NUMBER OF THESE AND THEY WILL NOT GO AWAY. THERE IS NO BUDGET IN THAT PLAN TO EVER REMOVE THEM, IF WE DECIDE IT'S A FAILURE OR IT'S NOT WHAT THE CITY WANTS. THEY WILL BE THERE.
FINISHING THE PILOT WILL ONLY THEN -- HOW MANY ARE AROUND THE CITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY ARE BILLBOARDS IN NUMEROUS PLACES, IS FOR MY GRANDSON OR ANYBODY'S GRANDCHILDREN TO BE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND ALL THEY GET TO SEE IS MEN IN UNDERWEAR ADS BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONTROL. THIS IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT ALL. IT'S NOT A CONTRIBUTION TO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE AND FIND SO PRECIOUS HERE. THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY THAT WILL SPEAK TO SOME OF THESE OTHER POINTS, BUT THE ELEMENT OF THIS IS, THIS IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO REALLY BENEFIT THE CITY.
THERE'S A VENDOR WHO IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS. IF THEY BELIEVE REALLY IN WHAT THEY HAVE SAID, LET THEM PUT INTO A CONTRACT THEIR GUARANTEES OF HOW MUCH MONEY THE CITY WILL MAKE AND BY WHEN. THAT'S AN ELEMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S A PROMISE. USING THIS TO SOLVE ILLUMINATION PROBLEMS WHEN THESE SIGNS TURN OFF AT NIGHT, WELL, YOUR ILLUMINATION PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. IF PLACES ARE DARK, THIS ISN'T A SOLUTION OF FLASHING LIGHTS. I WOULD SAY THE CITY CAN ADDRESS IT MORE DIRECTLY.
THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT MAKE NO SENSE TO ME IN TERMS OF WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS TIME TO CONSIDER SOMETHING THAT'S IN VIOLATION OF THE CODES WE ALREADY HAVE.
IT'S AROUND ONE VENDOR WHO WANTS TO ENTER THE MARKET. THANK YOU.
AGAIN, I STAND IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THIS PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. ELAINE VEDDER, FOLLOWED BY DA
DAVIDURLICK. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M A SIXTH GENERATION TEXAN, A NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO. AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I WILL FIGHT FOR TEXAS
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HISTORY. THESE SIGNS GO UP, THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING TO OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO PUT THEM IN THE LOW TRAVELED AREA. THEY ARE GOING TO WANT TO PUT THEM NEAR THE ALAMO.THIS IS SO WRONG. WE HAVE ORDINANCES TO PROTECT US FROM THIS.
I HOPE THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ELECTED AND GET A VOTE FOR THIS REMEMBER, YOU HAVE GOT AN ELECTION COMING UP AND THIS IS AGAINST WHAT THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE TOLD YOU THEY WANT. THIS IS ONE VENDOR COMING IN AND TRYING TO SHOVE THIS DOWN US. MY MOTHER USED TO SAY IF YOU LET A CAMEL IN WITH THEIR NOSE UNDER THE TENT, THEY'RE NOT GETTING BACK OUT. AND THAT'S THE SAME THING WITH THIS SIGN. DON'T LET THEM BRING THIS INTO OUR CITY.
THEY DID IT TO DENVER, THEY DID IT TO OTHER TOWNS, BUT THIS IS SAN ANTONIO, AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR HISTORIC HERITAGE. DON'T MESS WITH THE ALAMO.
I MEAN IT. DON'T MESS WITH US. BECAUSE THIS IS OUR TOWN AND WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT. SO ELECTED OFFICIALS, REMEMBER, THIS IS OUR TOWN AND YOU WERE ELECTED TO FIGHT FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND SAN ANTONIANS, AND WE HAVE TOLD YOU WE DON'T WANT THIS. PLEASE LISTEN. THANK YOU.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. DAVID URLICK FOLLOWED BY VIRGINIA VAN CLEEF.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL HIT SORT OF TWO TOPICS.
THE FIRST IS THAT WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS CONSIDERING IS BASED ON OTHER CITIES, DENVER, ATLANTA, BALTIMORE. I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL THOSE CITIES, AND WHAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING IS VERY STRONG COMPARED TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS. FIRST OF ALL, YOU ARE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES THAT WOULD HAVE BOTH THE REVENUE SHARE GOING TO COMMUNITY PURPOSES AS WELL AS A SIGNIFICANT SIX-FIGURE ART CONTRIBUTION FOR EVERY LOCATION. SO MAYBE IT'S MINIMIZED BUT I THINK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IMMEDIATELY FOR ART IS A POSITIVE THING.
ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ARE DOING WHICH CAME FROM THE VERY FIRST MEETING I HAD WITH THE MAYOR, WAS ALL THESE SIGNS WILL BE CARBON NEUTRAL.
AGAIN, SAN ANTONIO LEADING THE WAY IN THIS AREA FOR OTHER DISTRICTS.
THE LAST THING THAT MAKES US DIFFERENT IS IT IS A PILOT PROGRAM.
IT'S LIMITED IN NUMBER, IT'S LIMITED IN LOCATIONS, AND AFTER TWO YEARS, IF THE CITY'S THRILLED, IF THE COMPANIES ARE THRILLED, IF THE ELEMENTS AROUND IT THAT ARE NEGATIVE HAVE CALMED DOWN, AND IT'S BEEN POSITIVE, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD AND IF NOT, YOU WON'T. SO I THINK ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS IN TERMS OF REFINING THE IDEA HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THERE'S GOING TO BE, AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS WILL BE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN DENVER, AND THE TWO GROUPS THAT CAME OUT TO DENVER, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I WILL SAY OUR INTERACTIONS AND OUR VISITS TO THE ART INSTALLATIONS, LOOKING AROUND THE CITY TO SEE HOW THE SIGNS ARE INTEGRATED, WERE EXTREMELY POSITIVE. I THINK YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT THAT LATER TODAY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORTHY SPECULATION ABOUT YOUR PRECIOUS CITY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THE PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT AND SAW IT IN REALITY WERE THRILLED.
AND SO HOPEFULLY, THAT SHOWS THAT THIS CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE FOR YOUR CITY JUST LIKE IT HAS BEEN FOR OTHER CITIES. THANK YOU.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. VIRGINIA VAN CLEEF. >> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS VIRGINIA VAN CLEEFAND I'M SERVING THIS YEAR AS THE THIRD VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY EQU EQUALLY, WE ARE SO HAPPY BECAUSE WE CELEBRATED OUR 125TH ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR, SO WE ARE GOING INTO OUR 126TH YEAR AND OUR PURPOSE REMAINS THE SAME, TO PRESERVE ANT AND TO ENCOURAGE THE PRESERVATION OF OUR OBJECTS, BUILDINGS AND PLACES. OUR MEMBERS HAVE LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS ABOUT THE URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT PROJECT. IT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT CALL RIGHT NOW.
THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO ALLOW OFF-PREMISE ADVERTISING TO THESE DISTRICTS AND REQUIRES CHANGES TO OUR CITY'S CODE, SIGN CODE, AND THAT WAS JUST DONE TWO YEARS AGO.
NOW WE WANT TO CHANGE IT. THE DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS HAD MEETINGS TO GET FEEDBACK ON THE URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, YET A PUBLIC SURVEY SHOWED 71% OF THE PEOPLE DISAGREE, DO NOT WANT THIS PROGRAM. EVEN IF IT IS A PILOT
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PROGRAM. OUR CITIZENS ARE PROUD OF ITS HISTORY BUT TO BE PROFITABLE, THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE TO BE IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS WHICH ARE HISTORIC AND WOULD BE RUINED BY THESE ADVERTISEMENTS. WILL ROGERS REPORTEDLY SAID IN A SYNDICATED 1926 ARTICLE THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS ONE OF THE FOUR UNIQUE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. LET'S NOT APPROVE THIS URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DIGITAL MEDIA PROGRAM. LET'S KEEP SAN ANTONIO UNIQUE.THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. MARY HEATHCOT?
>> GOOD MORNING. I'M MARY HEATHCOT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CONTEMPORARY AT BLUE STAR. I ALSO REPRESENT OUR ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO, CULTURE AND ARTS UNITED FOR SAN ANTONIO. I'M HERE ALSO TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT'S ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY.
WHICH WE SEE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETERS MASQUERADING AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS. SPECIFICALLY, WE URGE THAT YOU MANDATE THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS FOR PLACEMENT, CONTENT, MARKET SHARE AND BENEFICIARY INTERESTS FOR THIS PROJECT OR THIS PROGRAM, IF IT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD. DIGITAL SIGNS, DISPLAYS, MUST ADHERE TO THE CITY'S HISTORIC REVIEW PROCESS TO ENSURE THEIR PLACEMENT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH OR OBSCURE HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND MONUMENTS.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING TO BE DISALLOWED. ONLY IMAGE-DRIVEN BRAND ADVERTISING ALLOWED, NOT -- I DON'T THINK THAT WE WANT TO SEE MARKETED SIGNS FOR BIG GULPS AND BRANDS ON OUR HISTORIC STRUCTURES. THE MARKETING SHARE GRANTED TO THE CITY MAY ONLY BE USED TO PROMOTE SAN ANTONIO'S ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS THROUGH PRIME-TIME PRESENTATION OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK OR PROMOTIONAL MARKETING FOR ADVERTISE AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS. AS YOU KNOW, OUR CITY IS SPECIAL IN THE WEALTH OF CREATIVE TALENT THAT IS HOME HERE, AND HAVING A SHOWCASE, AN INCREASED SHOWCASE FOR THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE IF THAT WERE THE TRUE INTENTION.
THE PERCENTAGE REVENUE SHARE WITH THE CITY IS ALLOCATED IN PERPETUITY, EXCLUSIVELY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, TO AUGMENT THE HOT DEPENDENT OPERATING SUPPORT IT DISTRIBUTES TO ARTS AGENCIES THROUGH ITS OPERATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM.
IF THIS IS TRULY AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE THE ARTS IN SAN ANTONIO, THE PERCENTAGE SHARE THAT THE CITY WOULD RECEIVE AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. CHRISTINA VELI?
>> GOOD MORNING. I'M CHRISTINA VELI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GUADELOUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. I'M HERE STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY COLLEAGUE, MARY HEATHCOT AND ALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OF SAN ANTONIO IN ASKING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS NEW INITIATIVE TO FUND ARTS AND CULTURE ACTIVITIES IN SAN ANTONIO. AS IT IS, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET FUNDING AND FUNDING FROM BOTH GOVERNMENT SOURCES AND PRIVATE SOURCES, AND ANYTHING THAT IS GOING TO ENHANCE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STARTS WITH THE BASE OF ARTS AND CULTURE, WHICH ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE PRODUCING. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND IN CONSIDERATION THAT FUNDING FROM THIS INITIATIVE GO TO ARTS AND CULTURE
ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
PATTY SAENZ. >> PAT SIDENBURGER IS CRECREED I CREEDCEDING HER TIME TO ME. I'M FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, I'M A PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE WITH THE TOUR GUIDE ASSOCIATION OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I SERVED AS A CITIZEN ON THE TASK FORCE FOR THE CHAPTER 28 SIGN CODE REVISIONS AND HEARD THIS PRESENTATION ORIGINALLY.
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I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, DIGITAL MEDIA, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. I ALSO WAS AS FIRST VICE PRESIDENT CONSERVATION SOCIETY, WITNESSED THE KIOSK GO TO HDRC. THEY DIDN'T EVEN GO TO THE -- TO DSD WHEN THEY WERE BEING PRESENTED TO THE CITY AND APPROVED AND THEY WERE A PILOT PROGRAM AT THE TIME, AND WE WERE ASSURED THAT THOSE WERE GOING TO BE WAYFINDING. I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE PILOT PROGRAMS HAVE A HISTORY OF NOT BEING PILOT PROGRAMS. THEY END UP BEING PERMANENT. NOW YOU SEE THESE LITTLE KIOSKS ALL OVER TOWN, AND THEY ARE ADVERTISING AND THEY ARE IN OUR PARKS AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE, AND I MIGHT ADD, YOU CANNOT RESTRICT WHAT GOES UP ON THESE SIGNS.IT'S YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO PUBLISH WHATEVER YOU WANT TO IN ADVERTISING, SO THERE WILL BE LITTLE TO NO CONTROL OVER WHAT CAN BE PLACED ON THESE SIGNS.
AND THEY ARE SIGNS. IF THEY LOOK LIKE A DUCK, THEY WALK LIKE A DUCK, AND THEY SQUAWK LIKE A DUCK, THEY ARE A DUCK. NOW, MY EX-HUSBAND WAS IN THE SIGN BUSINESS. LIKE I SAID, I SERVED ON CHAPTER 28 SIGN CODE REVISIONS. THESE ARE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS. THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY HAS WORKED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO RESTRICT AND MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF OUR DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO. OUR BEAUTIFUL PARKS, OUR BUILDINGS, OUR HISTORIC NATURE OF OUR CITY. THE TOURISTS COME HERE TO SEE OUR BUILDINGS.
IF WE WANT TO BE TOKYO, IF WE WANT TO BE VEGAS, WE WANT TO BE NEW YORK, THE TOURISTS WON'T COME HERE. THEY WILL GO THERE, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO COME AND SEE OUR HISTORY. THEY WANT TO LIVE IT, THEY WANT TO FEEL IT.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE ON THE SIDE OF THE TOWER LIFE BUILDING, AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR BUDWEISER, OR THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE ON ANY OF OUR OTHER BUILDINGS, OUR HOTELS, ANYTHING CLOSE TO A FEMININE PRODUCT AD. BUT THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE CITY CAN RESTRICT WHAT GOES ON THOSE SIGNS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS SAYS THAT IT WILL ILLUMINATE AREAS THAT ARE DARK AND THAT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS. WELL, THEY DON'T RUN ALL NIGHT.
AND THEN IN THE MEETING, THESE WERE COMPARED TO THE SAGA ON OUR BEAUTIFUL CATHEDRAL. NOT EVEN CLOSE. THAT IS A HISTORY LESSON AND IT DOESN'T RUN BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR OUR TOURISTS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU ENOUGH AND STRESS ENOUGH UPON YOU THAT THERE ARE 36 SQUARE MILES OF DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE HISTORIC. SO IF THIS PROPOSAL IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED, PUT IT AT BROOKS, AT PORT SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS WHAT OUR DISCUSSION ENTAILED AND AGAIN, I ASKED MIKE SHANNON IF THIS WAS NOT ABOUT MONEY, WOULD WE EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT IT TODAY, AND HE SAID NO. I LOOK AT THIS AS PROSTITUTING OUR CITY FOR MONEY. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE SAN
ANTONIO A LADY OF THE NIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
MARIA GREEN FOLLOWED BY ROSEMARY MITCHELL. >> GOOD MORNING.
I'M MARIA GREEN. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 2. MY FAMILY HAVE LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR OVER 100 YEARS AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST HAVING THESE KIOSKS ESTABLISHED.
THEY WOULD BE AN IMPEDIMENT TO TRAFFIC FLOW. WE WOULD HAVE FAMILIES COMING AS TOURISTS TO SEE OUR CITY, STROLLERS AND BABY CARRIAGES WOULD HAVE TO TOUR AROUND THESE IMPEDIMENTS. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME HERE THAT ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS.
THIS IS ONE MORE OBSTRUCTION THAT WOULD IMPEDE THEIR FLOW AND THEIR ENJOYMENT OF THE CITY. IT'S A WASTEFUL USE OF ENERGY BECAUSE THESE DISPLAYS WOULD BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS AND WITH SAN ANTONIO'S RAPIDLY INCREASING NUMBER OF DAYS WITH TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT, THESE KIOSKS WOULD HELP MAINTAIN ELEVATED TEMPERATURES.
A POOR USE OF OUR ENERGY. I'M ASKING YOU TO AVOID HAVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CARNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE CITIZENS. THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT FOR SOMEBODY'S BUDGET AND BOTTOM LINE. PLEASE MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO AND
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AVOID BEING SUCKERED BY SOMEBODY WHO ONLY HAS MONEY IN MIND.THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. ROSEMARY MITCHELL?
>> I YIELD MY TIME. >> ROCHA GARCIA: WONDERFUL. LANNYFARRELL?
>> GOOD MORNING. I OVERSEE GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS FOR OUT FRONT MEDIA IN THE SOUTH REGION. OUT FRONT MEDIA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST PROVIDERS OF OUT OF HOME ADVERTISING SERVICES.
WE PARTNER WITH COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE SIGNAGE SOLUTIONS THAT CREATE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY AND EMERGENCY MESSAGING AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES TO ADVERTISE THEIR GOODS AND SERVICES. OUR VAST TRANSIT, LARGE FORMAT AND BILLBOARD NATIONAL NETWORKS ALSO ALLOW US TO PROMOTE OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS IN OVER 50 MAJOR MEDIA MARKETS ACROSS THE U.S. OUT FRONT HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SEVERAL OF THE AUDIO], AND WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM BEING RECOMMENDED HERE, AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WHILE STAFF HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SHARING THE BENEFITS OF A SIGN AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AT OUT FRONT WE ARE MOST EXCITED ABOUT ENHA ENHANCINGVIBRANCYTHROUGH ART AND HELPING PROMOTE VARIOUS INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
THROUGH THE COMMUNITY MESSAGING, WE CAN HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF IMPORTANT ISSUES IMPACTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND IN 2024, OUT FRONT MEDIA DONATED OVER $10 MILLION IN PSA AND COMMUNITY MESSAGING SPACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN SAN ANTONIO, WE UNDERSTAND THIS COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN HELP FURTHER YOUR EFFORTS IN RAISING AWARENESS OF THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
IF YOU SEE THE SCREEN AHEAD, THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES. THERE'S A SECOND.
IN REFERENCE TO CONTENT, WE ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES AND WORK WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE RESTRICTIONS PLACED BY OUR PARTNERS. TO BE CLEAR, THE CITY DECIDES CONTENT RESTRICTIONS.
MEDIA COMPANIES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THOSE RESTRICTIONS YOU PUT IN PLACE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM A GREAT SUCCESS FOR
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
TRISH DEVARI. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE ARE PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF A PILOT PROGRAM FOR DIGITAL LIGHTING. I WANT TO STRESS PILOT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT PILOT NEEDS TO BE PERMANENT. THE BEAUTY OF A PILOT MEANS WE LOOK AT IT, WE TWEAK IT, WE INNOVATE THE SPACE, IF WE DON'T LIKE IT, THEN IT GOES AWAY.
BUT UNDERSTANDING THERE HAVE TO BE GUARDRAILS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT A PILOT PROGRAM DOESN'T LEAD TO PERMANENCY. WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL REGARDING ART IN DOWNTOWN AND THE BEAUTIFICATION, ESPECIALLY THROUGH ART EVERYWHERE PROGRAM. UNDERSTANDING THAT INITIALLY WHEN WE PUT MURALS IN DOWNTOWN, IT WAS SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL. BUT NOW WE HAVE 182 MURALS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE BEAUTY OF OUR URBAN CORE.
WE DO THINK THAT THERE CAN BE AN APPROPRIATE MIX BETWEEN AND THE CULTURE OF OUR DOWNTOWN. I HAVE BEEN TO DENVER, I HAVE SEEN THEIR PROGRAM. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE TOKYO. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE LAS VEGAS. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE TIMES SQUARE.
I THINK FROM A CITY STANDPOINT, WE CAN DO IT VERY TASTEFULLY.
LIKE I SAID, RESPECT THE GREAT DOWNTOWN AND THE ART AND HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE. REGARDING WHEN IT'S IMPLEMENTED AND THE TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT IS UP TO YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION. BUT I DO KNOW WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE LOOKING AT CIGARETTE ADVERTISING OR PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DIGITAL LIGHTING PROGRAMS. THE CITY HAS PURVIEW OVER THAT AND IT IS IMPLEMENTED ON A CONTRACTUAL BASIS SO CERTAINLY, YOU GUYS WILL BE RESPECTFUL WITH WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN DOWNTOWN. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A BALANCE BETWEEN ART AND BEAUTY AND LIGHTING, TOO, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE LIGHTING IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN DOWNTOWN, THE ADDITIONAL LIGHTING. IT DISSUADES BAD BEHAVIOR AND A CRIMINAL ELEMENT. SO THERE ARE MORE BENEFITS BEYOND OUR ASSOCIATED WITH
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THE DIGITAL LIGHTING PROGRAM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION AND WHAT A PILOTCOULD LOOK LIKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
BIANCA? >> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I ALSO SERVED WITH PATTY WHEN THE SIGN CODE WAS UPDATED AND SAW THE RENDERING THAT WAS JUST SHOWN TO YOU. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THE RENDERINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED. THEY REMAIN THE SAME. AS THE RENDERING YOU SAW THAT SHOWED THE MESSAGING OF THE CITY THAT WAS PRESENTED BY OUT FRONT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER WHICH FACES THE HIGHWAY. TXDOT WOULD HAVE TO REGULATE THAT. TXDOT IS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER SOME OF THE AREAS IN WHICH THESE SIGNS WANT TO BE PROPOSED.
OBVIOUSLY, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT THIS HAS THE MOST EYES THAT ATTRACT THESE DIGITAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, THEY ARE BILLBOARDS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
TXDOT HAS NOT BEEN SOUGHT IN THE RECOMMENDATION INFORMATION FROM CITY STAFF.
THEY WERE NOT CONSULTED OR ASKED FOR THEIR OPINION ON WHERE THEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON ARE THE SURVEY RESPONSES THAT YOU RECEIVED. 75% OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE SURVEYED SAID THAT THEY DID NOT WANT THIS PROGRAM. MANY PEOPLE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN PILOTS IN THE PAST.
WELL, GUESS WHAT, THOSE PILOTS ARE ALL PERMANENT NOW. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SOMETHING AS TEMPORARY THAT DOES COME DOWN. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT SAY THE CITY CAN REGULATE CONTENT.
THE CITY IS ONLY ABLE TO REGULATE CONTENT ON THINGS THAT THEY OWN.
AND THINGS THAT THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF. BUT WHEN THIS DIGITAL BILLBOARD IS ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEY CANNOT REGULATE CONTENT.
THAT'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. THAT HAD BEEN A KEY CONCERN, BECAUSE AS YOU NOTICE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, WE NO LONGER HAVE TOE FUNGUS ADS BECAUSE THOSE BILLBOARDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN. CAN'T CONTROL THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST PURCHASERS OF SCREEN TIME ARE ALSO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES HERE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. I THINK WHAT IS KEY IS THAT YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE INDUSTRY FOR BILLBOARDS WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE STATIC BILLBOARDS TO CONVERT INTO HAVING A DIGITAL PRODUCT. THIS IS THEIR WAY TO GAIN ENTRY INTO THE MARKETPLACE AND COMPLETELY CHANGES THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE AND HOW THE CITY HAS OPERATED FOR DECADES. THE MESSAGE HAD BEEN LET'S CLEAR THE CLUTTER IN OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S FOCUS ON CLEANING UP THESE SMALL JUNIOR BILLBOARDS THROUGH THE TWO PREVIOUS PROGRAMS THAT HAD BEEN APPROVED.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE. THEY JUST DON'T HAVE MARKET SHARE THAT PARTICIPATED.
WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE RULES AND ALLOW MORE DIGITAL MEDIA BECAUSE OF ONE COMPANY IS ASKING FOR THAT? AND I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THEY ARE DOING IT ON THE BACKS OF OUR PUBLIC ART, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS NOT THE BEST PROGRAM FOR OUR CITY, AND PROTECTION OF OUR HISTORY AND CULTURE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO RE-EVALUATE THEIR RFPS FOR ALL THEIR DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND INCORPORATE ART, BECAUSE THE ARTISTS SHOULD ALSO BE PARTICIPATING IN ALL THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS WITHIN OUR AIRPORT, INSIDE OUR ALAMODOME, INSIDE OUR CONVENTION CENTER.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GAIN MONIES FOR THE ART WITHOUT HAVING TO SELL OUR SOUL, AND WHAT WE ARE AS A CITY, AND WHAT DEFINES US AND MAKES US UNIQUE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO I ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BECAUSE HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY, DIGITAL SIGNS ARE BANNED.
THEY ARE BANNED. SO I THINK DISINGENUOUS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION TO LIGHT UP DOWNTOWN AND FOR DISTRICTS TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF DIGITAL MEDIA AVAILABLE IN THIS CONCENTRATED AREA. THEY ARE SEEKING THE EYEBALLS OF INDIVIDUALS, WHETHER THEY ARE PEDESTRIANS OR IN A VEHICLE, AND DOWNTOWN, YOU HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST SEVERE CONFLICTS WITH THOSE TWO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS. SO PLEASE PROTECT OUR CITY.
PLEASE PROTECT OUR HISTORY. PLEASE HELP PROMOTE THE ARTS BY CONSIDERING THE INCLUSION OF THIS IN FUTURE RFPS THROUGH OTHER THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES, WITHOUT HAVING TO SELL THE FACES OF OUR BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. THANK YOU.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. IF IT'S OKAY WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP THIS ITEM FIRST. SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
WE WILL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. OH, I'M SO SORRY.
I FORGOT ABOUT THE PRESENTATION. >> I'M GOOD.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: I'M SO SORRY. I STILL HAVE TO DRINK THE
REST OF MY COFFEE. I'M SORRY. >> THEY ALREADY PRESENTED EVERYTHING, SO. ALRIGHT. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE DIGITAL MEDIA AND ARTS PILOT PROGRAM.
JUST BACKGROUND REALLY QUICK. WE WERE APPROACHED BY OUT FRONT MEDIA TO CREATE DIGITAL MEDIA AND ARTS PILOT PROGRAM IN SAN ANTONIO. IN 2023, WE WERE REVIEWING
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THE SIGN CODES AND THE SIGN CODE COMMITTEE DID REVIEW THIS TOPIC AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT SUPPORTED AS CODE ADOPTION OR CODE UPDATE, BUT THEY PREFERRED IF THIS GOES THROUGH A POLICY ISSUE WITH THE STAFF. SO WE PRESENTED TO PCDC IN MARCH 2023 THE SIGN CODE UPDATES AND THIS TOPIC WAS PRESENTED AS WELL.WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY PCDC TO BASICALLY CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE PARTIES AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DEVELOP SOME OPTIONS, EITHER ONE OPTION OR MULTIPLE OPTIONS.
AGAIN, WE PRESENTED TO PCDC JANUARY 2024 AND OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THE TIME WAS TO ALLOW A SMALL TIME TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WITH OTHER GROUPS.
THAT WAY, WE CAN GET BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON THIS TOPIC. THE DIRECTION WE GOT FROM PCDC WAS A COUPLE OF KEY ITEMS, IS TO REALLY TALK TO KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, LOOK AT SAFETY COMPONENTS AND ILLUMINATION STANDARDS. SO IF THIS PILOT PROGRAM WOULD BE ADOPTED, AND CREATED, HERE ARE SOME BENEFITS OF THIS PROGRAM.
ACTIVATION OF SPACE, REVENUE SHARING BASICALLY MOST LIKELY IT WILL GO TO ARTS, DEFINITELY COUNCIL CAN DECIDE THAT. WE CAN GET SOME I CALL IT TIMESHARE SO BASICALLY, WE CAN UTILIZE THE DISPLAY TO ADVERTISE SOME MESSAGES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I THINK WE SAW A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES EARLIER.
WE CAN PUT SOMETHING ABOUT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, SPAY/NEUTER FOR DOGS AND KITTENS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THIS IS NOT REALLY A PLAIN BOX LIKE A DISPLAY. IT HAS AN ART COMPONENT TO IT.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND ANY OTHER DIGITAL DISPLAY.
WE CAN DEFINITELY CONTROL THE DESIGN AND THE CONTENT OF THIS WITH SOME CONTRACTS IN PLACE. ALSO, WE CAN CONTROL THE BRIGHTNESS, WE CAN SAY WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE TURNED ON, WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE TURNED OFF.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED ALL THESE SIGNS ARE GOING TO BE CARBON-NEUTRAL.
SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED I GUESS ABOUT THE SAFETY AS WELL.
WE HAVE SOME DARK AREAS, IF THOSE SIGNS ARE IN PLACE, YOU ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE LIGHTING. SO THIS IS A TIME LINE BASICALLY, AS I SAID.
MARCH 2024, WE HAD FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, TWO IN PERSON AND TWO VIRTUAL.
THEN APRIL TO MAY, WE DID MEET WITH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, MULTIPLE, AND I WILL TALK ABOUT THEM IN A SECOND. AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2024, WE DID PUT A SURVEY OUT TO THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO AND TODAY, WE ARE HERE TO BRING YOU AN OPTION.
IF YOU RECOMMEND TO MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL IN APRIL FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WE MET WITH.
PRIVATE BUILDING OWNERS, WE MET WITH BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, WE MET WITH THE FORT SA MEDIA COMPANIES AND SIGN COMPANIES, CONSERVATION SOCIETY, A LOT OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY, CENTRO, ARTS COMMITTEES AND HISTORIC SOCIETIES.
HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WE PUT OUT. OBVIOUSLY, THE FIRST QUESTION WAS WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A PROPOSAL TO ADD LARGE DIGITAL DISPLAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 410 RESPONSES SAID NO. THAT'S ABOUT 75%.
IF THEY SAID YES, THEN THEY CONTINUE WITH THE SURVEY AND THEY GET ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, IF IT'S ACTUALLY IN PLACE, WHAT RESTRICTIONS DO YOU FEEL SHOULD BE IN PLACE. THE TOP THREE, WE LISTED EVERYTHING HERE, BUT THE TOP THREE IS IT SHOULDN'T BE AROUND RESIDENTIAL, IT SHOULDN'T BE ON THE ALAMO AND IT SHOULDN'T BE IN HISTORIC DISTRICT OR LANDMARKS.
THE FOLLOWING QUESTION WAS -- DID I MISS ONE? HERE WE GO.
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THOSE DIGITAL DISPLAYS, WHAT LOCATIONS IN TOWN DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BE AT? AGAIN, THEY CAN CHOOSE OR SELECT ALL WHAT APPLIES. SO THE TOP THREE I WOULD CALL IT UTSA AREA, THE AIRPORT AREA, AND DOWNTOWN. THOSE WERE THE TOP THREE SELECTED ITEMS. OR LOCATIONS. THE LAST QUESTION WAS WHAT DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT.
WE GOT 31% FROM DISTRICT 1. SINCE THEN, BASICALLY WE GOT A LOT OF LETTERS BASICALLY IN SUPPORT AND WE GOT A LOT OF LETTERS IN OPPOSITION. SO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COULDN'T GET CONSENSUS ON THIS SO WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE IT'S REALLY INDECISIVE AT BEST. BASED ON PCDC TO BRING SOME OPTIONS, WE ARE BRINGING AN OPTION. THIS OPTION, WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE CITIES THAT THEY HAVE THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM, LIKE DENVER, ATLANTA, WEST HOLLYWOOD AND
[00:35:02]
OTHERS. SO WE TOOK WHAT THEY HAVE AND WE TRIED TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION, I GUESS, OR AN OPTION THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER. WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS TO HAVE LIMITED OR LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO 10.SO MAXIMUM, 10 DIGITAL DISPLAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE CODES AND CHAPTER 28 SO IF IT'S PROHIBITED TO HAVE A DIGITAL SIGN IN THAT AREA, THEY CANNOT HAVE IT. THERE IS 10 AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT AND WE DESIGNATED THOSE, I WILL SHOW YOU A MAP IN A SECOND WHERE THOSE 10 AREAS ARE.
ANY ONE AREA. OF COURSE, WE WANT TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITIES SO OBVIOUSLY, WE HEARD THIS FROM SOME OF THE PUBLIC, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE SEEN FROM THE RIVERWALK, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE IN HISTORIC STRETCH. IF IT'S IN THE OVERLAY DISTRICT, WE WANT IT TO GO FOR APPROVAL, POTENTIALLY AND DEFINITELY, ANY SIGN OR ANY DIGITAL DISPLAY NEEDS TO COMPLY WITH TXDOT RULES. THE MAXIMUM SIZE OF THE DISPLAY, BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE MEETINGS WE HAD WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THE AREA OR THE SIZE OF THE DIGITAL DISPLAY CANNOT EXCEED 25% OF THE BUILDING FACADE AREA. ALSO IN REGARDS TO REVENUE, DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE DIFFERENT REVENUE SHARING. WE ARE ASKING FOR 20% REVENUE SHARING AND WE ARE ASKING FOR 20% TIME ON THE DISPLAY. AGAIN, TO PUT ANY MESSAGES THAT WE WOULD LIKE. THIS SHOWS THE 10 AREAS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THE KIND OF BACKGROUND MAP IS THE WHOLE CITY, AND KIND OF TOP RIGHT, IT SHOWS THE TOYOTA FIELD, THE BOTTOM RIGHT SHOWS BROOKS CITY, BOTTOM LEFT SHOWS THE PORT SA.
THEN WE HAVE THE ZOOMED-IN KIND OF MAP TO SHOW THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR THE MIDDLE OF SAN ANTONIO AND AGAIN, THERE'S LIKE 7 AREAS. UTSA, DOWNTOWN WEST, DOWNTOWN EAST, DOWNTOWN SOUTH, AL ALAMODOME AND THE BLUE STAR AREA.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES, PHOTOS, I KNOW YOU SAW ALREADY A COUPLE BUT HERE ARE SOME MORE WHERE IT SHOWS SOME DIGITAL DISPLAYS ON SOME ARTS COMPONENTS THEY DID IN DIFFERENT CITIES. BASICALLY, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM DEVELOPED AND BASICALLY, MAYBE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR TWO YEARS.
I KNOW IN 2008 WHEN WE DID DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, IT WAS GIVEN ONE YEAR OR TWO YEARS, I BELIEVE, TO DESIGN IT, PULL PERMITS, DO THE INSTALLATION AND ALL THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS TWO-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM.
WITH THAT SAID, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW WE HAD 544 SURVEY RESPONSES, BUT OVERALL WITH THIS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, ET CETERA, HOW MANY DID YOU MEET WITH TOTAL?
LIKE WITH FOCUS GROUPS OR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS? >> I REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER. BUT WE HAD I WOULD SAY AT LEAST 10, 12 MEETINGS, IF NOT MORE. NORMALLY, 10 TO 15 PEOPLE IN EACH ONE.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: GOT IT. >> I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: OKAY. WONDERFUL. SORRY.
I WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION BEFORE. WE WILL GET INTO THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION. I WILL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I QUESTION THE SURVEY THE WAY THAT FIRST QUESTION WAS. I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. WHEN I GOT ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL, I WENT TO A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND ASKED HOW MANY WANT MORE DEVELOPMENT IN YOUR AREA. NO ONE RAISED A HAND. NO ONE WANTED MORE DEVELOPMENT. SO WHEN YOU SAY HOW MANY OF YOU WANT MORE BILLBOARDS AROUND THE CITY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY OH, YEAH.
NOW, IF WE HAD STRUCTURED THAT QUESTION TO BE A LITTLE MORE REALISTIC, IF WE HAD SOME PROJECTS THAT WERE COMBINING ADVERTISING AND ART AND DESIGNATED PARTS OF THE CITY, WITH THE CITY OVERSIGHT ON THAT, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK, THAT'S THE KIND OF QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROPOSAL THAT'S BEING MADE. BE THAT AS IT MAY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF BILLBOARDS IN GENERAL BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE KNOW WHERE MY STAND HAS BEEN AND WHERE IT CONTINUES TO BE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BILLBOARDS, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE HIGHWAYS, ALONG THE ROADS.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPPOSED TO THOSE, ESPECIALLY THE DIGITAL ONES, BECAUSE IT'S A SAFETY FACTOR. IT DISTRACTS YOUR EYES FROM THE HIGHWAY, FROM THE ROADWAY. I'M ALWAYS CONCERNED THAT IT CAN LEAD TO MORE ACCIDENTS ON ROADS AND MORE UNSAFE ROADS. BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PUTTING BIG DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ON HIGHWAYS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THEM ON BUILDINGS THAT ARE
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DOWNTOWN THAT PEOPLE WALK BY MORE THAN THEY DRIVE BY, LARGER NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE WHO GO DOWNTOWN, LARGER NUMBER OF TOURISTS WHO GO DOWNTOWN.IT'S NOT THE SAME TYPE OF A DISTRACTION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HOPE IT ADDS THE SAFETY FACTOR OF LIGHTING UP SOME OF THOSE AREAS THAT ARE DARK AND IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, TOO, WAYFINDING.
IT'S ONE THING TO WALK BY A KIOSK. IT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO SEE SOMETHING ON A HOTEL THAT LIGHTS UP AND YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR HOTEL IS.
OR IN A PARKING GARAGE, AND YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR PARKING GARAGE, I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. I HAD SOMEBODY WHO SAID THEY PARKED IN A DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE, THEY WALKED AROUND SAN ANTONIO FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THEN THEY COULDN'T FIND THEIR GARAGE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEY PULLED IN AND PARKED. BUT IF THESE HAVE SIGNAGE THAT CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, HEY, I PARKED AT THE GARAGE THAT HAD THAT REALLY NICE AD ABOUT WHATEVER, OR TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, THAT'S MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A BILL BOARD ALONG THE HIGHWAY. BUT I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, PROBABLY MORE TOWARD THE COMPANY THAT HAS GIVEN US SOME INFORMATION. MAYBE YOU KNOW SOME OF THIS.
MAYBE YOU TALKED TO THEM. DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION OF WHAT PERCENT WOULD BE ART AND WHAT PERCENT WOULD BE ADVERTISING FOR THE PILOT PROJECT?
I KNOW THERE WAS A WOMAN FROM THE COMPANY HERE. >> YES.
I WILL LET THEM ANSWER THAT. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THEIR PRESENTATIONS, IT DEPENDS ON THE BUILDING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO INSTALL THE SIGN ON. SO THEN THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ARTIST WHO IS GOING TO COME AND DESIGN IT, DEPENDING ON THE SHAPE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF IT. SOMETIMES THE ART MIGHT BE BIGGER THAN THE DIGITAL DISPLAY, MAYBE SOMETIMES SMALLER. AGAIN, I WILL LET THEM ANSWER
THAT MORE ACCURATELY. >> COURAGE: ALSO, MAYBE WE CAN CLARIFY THIS, THERE'S REALLY TWO ART PROJECTS INVOLVED IN THIS. IT IS A STATIONARY STANDARD ART PROJECT THAT WOULD BE NEXT TO THE DIGITAL SIGN, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE ART, DIGITAL ART DISPLAYED IN THE SIGN ON A ROTATING BASIS, CORRECT?
>> I THINK YOU RAISED TWO CRITICAL POINTS. YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THE FIRST POINT IS THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ART COMPONENTS.
THAT WAS REALLY MOTIVATED BY THE FACT THAT AGAIN, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM TODAY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT THESE ARE NOT TYPICAL SIGNS.
THESE ARE NOT HIGHWAY SIGNS. SO THE THOUGHT WAS LET'S REQUIRE EACH LOCATION TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF $100,000 FUNDING FOR AN ART PIECE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DIGITAL PIECE. SO THE FIRST ART PIECE IS A PHYSICAL PIECE.
IT CAN BE A MURAL, AS YOU SAW ON THE SCREEN. IT CAN BE LIGHTING.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING THE CITY, CENTRO, WHATEVER GROUP DECIDES.
EVERY SINGLE SIGN THAT GOES UP AUTOMATICALLY HAS A FUND OF $100,000 FOR AN ART PIECE.
THAT'S ONE. TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE'S POINT, ON THE DIGITAL TIME, 20% OF EVERY SINGLE SIGN, NOT ONE, BUT EVERY SINGLE SIGN, IS DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY USE. IN DENVER AND ATLANTA, THE MAIN FOCUS HAS BEEN LITERALLY EITHER REPRODUCING ART PIECES WITH CREDIT TO THE ARTIST, AND SHOWING THEM TO GENERATE INTEREST IN THAT ART, OR DOING COST-FREE ADS FOR NON-PROFITS, ARTS GROUPS, ET CETERA. IN TERMS OF A MIX, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, I WOULD SAY FIRST OF ALL IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. BUT FROM OTHER CITIES, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF WHAT GOES UP ON THE SCREEN IS CIVIC AND ART MESSAGING, AND 50% IS SORT OF FREE ADVERTISING FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ARTS GROUPS.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. DOES THE CITY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LIMIT THE TYPE OF COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING AND NOT JUST LET'S SAY A HOTEL SAYS I WANT IT ON MY HOTEL, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND THEY AGREE TO ALLOW YOU TO PUT IT UP, WOULD THE CITY STILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE THE TYPE OF ADVERTISING ON IT?
>> I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION AND AGAIN, I WANT TO -- I DON'T WANT TO BE ARGUMENTIVE BUT I WILL SIMPLY TELL YOU WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AND WHAT HAS STOOD THE TEST LEGALLY IS THIS IS A PROJECT THAT DEVELOPS A VOLUNTARY RIGHT FOR MEDIA COMPANIES, LANDLORDS, TO DO SOMETHING. AS A RESULT, THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS PUT ON IT. ONE OF THE RESTRICTIONS IS THE MEDIA COMPANY HAS TO SIGN A CONTRACT GOVERNING THEIR BEHAVIOR IN THE DISTRICT. IN DENVER, THAT CONTRACT IS WITH THE DENVER THEATER DISTRICT. IN ATLANTA, IT'S WITH THE CITY. SO YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS AND MEDIA DISTRICT IF YOU DON'T SIGN THIS CONTRACT. NOW, WITHIN THAT CONTRACT, IT'S COMPLETELY LEGAL WHETHER THE SIGN IS ON A PUBLIC BUILDING OR PRIVATE BUILDING, FOR THE MEDIA COMPANY TO GIVE UP CERTAIN FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS LIKE I CAN DO ANY
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ADVERTISING THEY WANT. IN DENVER AND ATLANTA, WE DO RESTRICT POLITICAL ADVERTISING, WE DO RESTRICT ADS THAT HAVE TOO MUCH CONTENT, SOMEONE SAID WE DON'T WANT TO SEE A BIG GULP FOR 99 CENTS SO IN THE CONTRACT THE MEDIA COMPANY SIGNS, THEY SAY WE WON'T DO POLITICAL ADVERTISING AND WE WON'T DO SIGNS WITH A TON OF TEXT LIKE LAWYER ADS. LONG-WINDED ANSWER THAT LEGALLY IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ALLOWABLE FOR THE CITY TO SET RESTRICTIONS THROUGH A CONTRACT. AGAIN, ONCE YOU CONTRACT AWAY A RIGHT, IT'S NO LONGER A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE. SO THE ANSWER AGAIN, APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LONG-WINDED IS YES, IN EVERY OTHER DISTRICT I HAVE WORKED IN, THE CITY HAS REQUIRED CERTAIN CONTENT RESTRICTIONS AND ENFORCED THAT NOT RANDOMLY, BUT BY A SPECIFICCONTRACT THE MEDIA COMPANY VOLUNTARILY AGREES TO. >> COURAGE: SO YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT BUILDINGS TO PUT THESE ON LIKE HOTELS THAT MAY WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THIS IS WHERE OUR HOTEL IS THROUGH THE ADVERTISING THAT'S THERE, OR PARKING GARAGES, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF OF, AND PROBABLY NEWER TALL BUILDINGS. YOU'RE NOT PROPOSING TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE ALAMODOME?
>> GOD, NO. I WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC. I THINK YOU SORT OF POINTED OUT, THERE IS A COMMERCIAL ELEMENT TO THIS. THE MEDIA COMPANIES ARE INVESTING $1 MILLION ROUGHLY, $800,000 PER SIGN. SO THEY NEED TO HAVE EXPOSURE AND NORMALLY A HOTEL, A PARKING GARAGE, IS ON A LARGER BOULEVARD, IT'S GOT A BIGGER EXPANSE, AND IT LENDS ITSELF TO AN ACCOMPANYING ART PIECE MUCH EASIER.
FOR A MEDIA COMPANY TO LOOK AT A HISTORIC BUILDING, FIRST OF ALL, THEY OFTENTIMES CAN'T EVEN DO IT, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED. IN DENVER AND ATLANTA, YOU CANNOT PUT IT ON AN HISTORIC BUILDING. IN ORDER TO PUT UP AN APPROPRIATE FRAME, IN ORDER FOR IT TO LOOK COMPATIBLE WITH THE ARCHITECTURE, THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON LARGE STRUCTURES LIKE PARKING GARAGES AND LIKE HOTELS AND
OFFICE BUILDINGS. >> COURAGE: WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF OFFICE BUILDINGS AND HOTELS JUST GET DEVELOPED RECENTLY DOWNTOWN. I JUST WANT TO END THIS BY SAYING I HAVE BEEN A SUPPORTER OF THIS CONCEPT AS A PILOT, AND I THINK, I KNOW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NOT AGREE, BUT I THINK THE BEST PLACE FOR THIS IS DOWNTOWN.
I HAVE WALKED ON MARKET STREET AT NIGHT, I HAVE WALKED ON COMMERCE STREET AT NIGHT. I HAVE GONE IN THE DAY TIME NEAR TWILIGHT AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH LIGHT AND A LOT OF -- THERE'S A LOT OF VACANT BUILDINGS THERE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WALK BY THAT MUCH TO GO IN AND SHOP IN THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE KEY AREAS WE OUGHT TO BE TARGETING FOR THIS PILOT
PROGRAM. THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: -- WERE APPROACHED BY OUTFRONT MEDIA TO CREATE A DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS PRIVATE PROGRAM IN SAN ANTONIO.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND INTEGRITY. WHEN I THINK ABOUT SAN ANTONIANS WHO HAVE APPROACHED STAFF AROUND HOW CAN WE ENSURE OUR CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS ARE IMPLEMENTING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES IN TERMS OF CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHEN RESIDENTS HAD IDENTIFIED THE TREND OF DEMOLITIONS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY MET WITH STAFF, THEY ARE OFTEN DIRECTED TOWARDS THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER. WE CAN INITIATE ANY PILOT, ANY PROGRAMMING, WITHOUT THE DIRECTION OF CITY COUNCIL. HERE, I'M READING THAT CITY STAFF WAS APPROACHED BY OUTFRONT MEDIA WHICH EARNS ABOUT $3.5 BILLION IN REVENUE, $2.5 BILLION IS WHAT IT SAYS ONLINE. I HAVE CONCERNS IN TERMS OF GOVERNANCE AND INTEGRITY ON HOW THIS WAS BEING BROUGHT FORTH TO COUNCIL.
THIS WASN'T INITIATED BY CITY COUNCIL OR A COUNCIL MEMBER. IN TERMS OF THE SURVEY QUESTION, I BELIEVE THE SURVEY QUESTION IS PRETTY CLEAR.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY RESTRICTION ON WHERE THE LARGE DIGITAL MEDIA DISPLAYS CAN BE LOCATED. IT SAYS MEDIA DISPLAYS. IT DOESN'T SAY BILLBOARDS.
IT IS VERY CLEAR THESE WILL BE DIGITAL. IN TERMS OF 75% OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED SAID THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ITEM, AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SIGN CODE COMMITTEE, A COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, THEY ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS IN TERMS OF HOW WE ARE LEANING ON DATA AND GIVING A RECOMMENDATION DESPITE THE GENERAL PUBLIC NOT BEING SUPPORTIVE OF IT. THIS ISN'T EVEN 50% IN SUPPORT.
THIS IS OVER 75% IN OPPOSITION. I THINK ABOUT OTHER CITY SURVEYS THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED WHETHER IT'S ABOUT HORSES OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, OFTENTIMES THE RECOMMENDATION DOES REFLECT WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS REQUESTING. SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN HOW WE GOT HERE. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN TERMS OF FOLKS THAT GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, THE 20% IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER DIGITAL KIOSKS THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOES HAVE, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT 10% DOES GO TO THE SAN ANTONIO
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ARTS DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS GOING BACK TO SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS AND THE ARTS DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THE ARTS DEPARTMENT ISN'T JUST RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING ART DOWNTOWN, BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE ART THAT IS BEING DISPLAYED ON THESE PROPOSED KIOSKS OR DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, RATHER, ARE LOCAL ARTISTS. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A RESPONSE AND I KNOW I'M JUST GOING ON. IN TERMS OF CAN WE RESTRICT WHAT IS BEING PUT ON THESE BILLBOARDS, I HEARD FROM OUTFRONT MEDIA BUT CAN CITY STAFF SHARE, CAN WE RESTRICT WHAT GOES ON THESE BILLBOARDS WHETHER IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY OR NOT?>> YES. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE CAN, BECAUSE THERE'S A CONTRACT THAT THE MEDIA COMPANY OR SIGN COMPANIES TO SIGN WITH US.
AS I SAID, WE CAN LIST DIFFERENT THINGS ON THAT CONTRACT.
IT'S THE CONTENT, IT'S THE DESIGN OF THE ART COMPONENT, IT'S THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SIGN, WHEN THEY CAN TURN IT ON, WHEN THEY CAN TURN IT OFF.
ANY OF THOSE. EVEN CARBON NEUTRAL. THEY CANNOT BE INSTALLING ANY DIGITAL MEDIA IF IT'S NOT WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS OR RESTRICTIONS.
>> CASTILLO: IN TERMS OF WHEN COUNCIL ESTABLISHES WHAT WE WOULD AND WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE ON THOSE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, WHEN IS THAT ESTABLISHED? IS THAT RIGHT NOW? FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS AROUND ISSUES AROUND FAITH ADVERTISEMENTS AND THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULDN'T LIKE TO SEE DOWNTOWN, IS ADVERTISEMENT OF VAPES, EVERY TIME I DRIVE DOWN CAESAR CHAVEZ COMING TO CITY HALL, THERE'S A GIANT ALCOHOL AD ON THE CITY KIOSK. CAN WE CODIFY THOSE ITEMS WE WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE ON THOSE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IS MY QUESTION.
>> THE FIRST AMENDMENT SAYS WE CANNOT CONTROL CONTENT. BUT AGAIN, IF WE ARE CREATING A CONTRACT SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE SIGNS, THEN WE HAVE OUR RESTRICTIONS THERE AND IF THE SIGN COMPANY SIGNS IT, THEN THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY BUT IF THIS IS APPROVED, THE ATTORNEYS NEED TO DRAFT THE CONTRACT AND MAKE SURE NOBODY CAN PROCEED WITHOUT SIGNING THAT CONTRACT.
THE CITY ATTORNEY IS HERE, JOSEPH. HE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO HIM, I JUST WANT TO ANSWER ONE THING.
AT THE BEGINNING YOU TALKED ABOUT WE WERE APPROACHED BY OUTFRONT.
THAT IS CORRECT. THAT WAS IN 2022. WHAT WE RECOMMENDED IS WAIT UNTIL WE TALK ABOUT THE SIGN CODE WITH THE SIGN COMMITTEE AND WHEN THE SIGN COMMITTEE SAID NO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO IT, WE CAME BACK TO PCDC AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK, REVIEW IT AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT.
>> CASTILLO: I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT HOW IT'S INITIATED AND HOW WE GOT HERE. I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> UNDERSTOOD. JOSEPH? >> I'M FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. JUST BRIEFLY, CITIES GENERALLY REGULATE TIME, PLACE AND MANNER, WHEN YOU ARE TALKING FIRST AMENDMENT IN SIGNAGE.
THE STATEMENTS ABOUT CONTRACTUAL, CREATING A CONTRACT BASICALLY FOR WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DONE IS ACCURATE. WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME EXAMPLES. WE HAVE TAKEN A PRELIMINARY LOOK AT THIS AND WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE BUT WE WOULD NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, SOME FURTHER DIGGING AS
WE GO DOWN THE PROCESS HERE. >> CASTILLO: MY ASK WOULD BE IF THIS MOVES FORWARD, IF WE CAN HAVE A DATE CERTAIN IN WHICH COUNCIL CAN DISCUSS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE PROHIBITED, BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS THINGS MOVE ALONG AND COUNCIL DOESN'T GET TO SAY NO TO VAPE ADVERTISEMENTS, NO TO, THE EXAMPLES THE PUBLIC GAVE, RIGHT? I JUST WANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING IN TERMS OF TIMELINE THAT COUNCIL CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT WE WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE WITHIN
THE BILLBOARDS INITIATED THROUGH THIS PILOT PROGRAM. >> I BELIEVE GOING FORWARD, THIS WOULD GO BACK TO COUNCIL BASICALLY FOR AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE PROCESS AND SOME DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THAT WOULD KIND OF SET SOME PARAMETERS.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> COUNCILWOMAN, YES, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT THIS PILOT PROGRAM AS CONSIDERATION AND ANY DIRECTIONS OR INSTRUCTIONS YOU GIVE US, WE WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW THAT. NUMBER ONE, IF'S THE IT'S APPR, NUMBER ONE. IF YOU WANT US TO CREATE THE CONTRACT, THEN PRESENT IT TO
YOU BEFORE WE PROCEED, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN?
>> VIAGRAN: I THINK I NEED TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS. I WAS WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO BEFORE I WAS WITH -- I DID THIS, AND THE PANDEMIC HIT AND I ACTUALLY STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS AFTER I GOT ELECTED WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAD.
I HAD TALKED WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THAT AND IT WAS -- I HAD DIRECTED THEM TO KIND OF
[00:55:05]
FIND SOMEBODY AND OUTFRONT CAME, WHAT WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT SAN ANTONIO OR THAT'S WHO I KNEW HAD DONE OTHER CITIES, AND THAT'S HOW THAT INITIATED WITH THE CITY STAFF, BECAUSE I SENT THEM TO CITY STAFF AND THEN CITY STAFF SAID WAIT FOR CODE, AND I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH CODE THAT WE DIDN'T ADDRESS DIGITAL SIGNS, BECAUSE I DID WANT -- I THOUGHT THAT WAS MORE THE DIRECTION WE NEEDED TO TAKE IN TERMS OF GETTING TO OUR GOAL OF WALKABILITY, THEN FROM THERE, WE WERE TOLD WE NEED TO COME HERE AND WE NEED TO LOOK AND SUSSOUT POLICY. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS.I THINK I HAD TRAVELED, I HAD SEEN WHAT THEY HAD DONE ON ARENAS IN CHICAGO, IN LA.
I HAD BEEN TO NEW YORK. KNEW I DIDN'T WANT NEW YORK, BUT I KNEW THAT WE WERE MISSING OUT ON SOME REVENUE AND SOME OPPORTUNITIES. WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, AND THIS WILL EXPLAIN, ARTS AND CULTURE, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, YEAR AFTER YEAR I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, AND IT HAS BEEN PAIN-STAKING, TO SAY THE LEAST. I THINK WE GOT SOME MONEY TWO BUDGETS AGO SO THEY CAN HELP MAINTAIN PUBLIC ART. WHEN THIS CAME FORWARD, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO FUND ARTS AND CULTURE AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF WAYS OUT THERE TO DO THIS. THE OTHER ASPECT IS, IF YOU GAVE MY RESIDENTS A SURVEY AND YOU ASKED THEM WHAT WAS IMPORTANT, IT WOULD GO BACK TO AND DISTRICT 2 DID NOT ANSWER THIS SURVEY WELL, IT WOULD GO BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. THEY WOULD PUT ARTS AND CULTURE AND THEY WOULD PUT CONSERVATION ALL ON THE BACK END. SO WE AS A CITY, KNOWING WE FACE THE ECONOMICS WE HAVE, NEED TO START LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING IN THE FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE ARTS, TO MAINTAIN CONSERVATION, TO TELL THE ENTIRE STORY OF THE ALAMO, THE WOMEN'S STORY OF THE ALAMO, AND WHAT WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY TOLD FOR THE LAST 300 YEARS REGARDING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PILOT AND I KNOW, I HEAR YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, THAT YOU WANT TO START IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY IN THE BROOKS AREA, IN SOME CORRIDORS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE WALKABLE. BUT OF COURSE, PEOPLE ARE WALKING DOWNTOWN AND IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF WALKABILITY. I THINK ARTS AND CULTURE, WE'RE FACING SOME TOUGH YEARS, SO I WANT THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND MY QUESTION IS HOW DID YOU GET TO 20%? BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHEN MOST OF THESE PROGRAMS GOT
STARTED, IT WAS 10%. >> WHEN WE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES, YOU ARE CORRECT, SOME OF THEM ARE 10, SOME ARE 15. WE ARE JUST AMBITIOUS AND WE WANT MORE MONEY.
THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH IT. I THINK ORIGINALLY WHEN OUTFRONT TALKED TO US ORIGINALLY, I BELIEVE IT WAS BETWEEN 15 TO 20% SO WE JUST
TOOK THE HIGHER LIMIT, BASICALLY. >> VIAGRAN: FOR THE PILOT, I DEFINITELY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PILOT IN AN URBAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, IS DOWNTOWN, SURE, WILL EVENTUALLY GET TO 15% IF WE HAVE -- IF THEY SEE THAT, BUT BROOKS, PORT, THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE 10%.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER STAY AT THE 10% AND MAKE SURE THAT ENTIRE 10% GOES TO ARTS AND CULTURE THAN SAY 20%, IT DOESN'T WORK, ARTS AND CULTURE GETS NOTHING.
FROM THE REVENUE SHARING, I DO WANT TO SEE THAT GO TO ARTS AND CULTURE AND TO THE ARTS DEPARTMENT, THE ART COMMUNITY THAT IS WORKING. AND I WANT IT TO GO TO THE ART COMMUNITIES THAT ARE REALLY WORKING TO TRY AND HELP THEIR ARTISTS DO THIS FULL-TIME. BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF ARTISTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT AND THEY ARE TRYING TO DO THIS FULL-TIME BUT IT'S BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT.
SO ANY OF THOSE ART COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LIKE WE&-PT IS A FULL-TIME JOB AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE MOVING THEM TOWARDS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE LIKE US HAVE A PROCESS WHERE THEY ARE RECEIVING SOME OF THAT REVENUE SHARING. SO I KNOW CRYSTAL'S IN THE BACK. I KNOW SHE PROBABLY HAS A LIST OF GROUPS THAT ARE
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ALREADY DOING THAT. YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO IS AN AMAZING CITY.WE HAVE ALL THIS HISTORY, ALL THESE STORIES, AND I THINK WE DO A GOOD JOB OF TELLING THE STORIES. BUT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BRING IN HOW IT'S CHANGING, HOW ADVERTISEMENT IS CHANGING, AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PILOT FOR TWO YEARS, BE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT WHERE THIS IS GOING DOWNTOWN, AND I MEAN I HEAR THE 544 RESP RESPONSES, BUT THE QUESTION IS IF THEY ANSWERED NO, DID THEY GET TO GO INTO ALL THE QUESTIONS, OR WHEN THEY ANSWERED NO, IT JUST ENDED
FOR THEM THERE? >> IT JUST ENDED THERE. >> VIAGRAN: ON THE FIRST PAGE, ON 7, THEY ANSWERED NO, 75%, SO ONLY 24% GOT TO GO THROUGH THE SURVEY?
IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> VIAGRAN: ONLY 24% ASKED WHERE THEY COULD BE LOCATED, WHERE THEY COULD GO. YOU KNOW, IF I HAD HAD MORE DISTRICT 3 RESIDENTS, I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD SAY LET'S PUT THEM ON THE SOUTH SIDE BUT I ONLY HAD 3% SO THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND ASK DISTRICT 3 WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THEM. WHAT I WANT TO PUT FORWARD NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD WITH 10% REVENUE SHARING GOING DIRECTLY TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND PILOT TO INCREASE TO 15 TO 20% AFTER REVIEWING IT AFTER THE TWO YEARS OR MAYBE GETTING AN
UPDATE AT YEAR ONE TO SEE HOW IT'S MOVING TOWARDS. >> ROCHA GARCIA: IS THAT A
MOTION? >> VIAGRAN: YES, THAT'S A MOTION.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: IS THERE A SECOND? >> VIAGRAN: MY MOTION IS TO KEEP THE REVENUE, 10% REVENUE SHARING, 20% CITY UTILIZATION PER DIGITAL DISPLAY BUT THE 10% REVENUE SHARING GOES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: IS THERE A SECOND? >> CASTILLO: POINT OF CLARIFICATION. IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S KIOSK,
20%? >> I'M SORRY, WHAT? >> ROCHA GARCIA: IS IT
CONSISTENT WITH THE KIOSK 20%? >> I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE KIOSK SHARING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> CASTILLO: I HAVE IT HERE. THE PRESENTATION FROM 2019. SO WITH THE DIGITAL KIOSK USAGE, THAT WAS 20% REVENUE SHARING. I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 20% FROM THE DIGITAL KIOSK
REVENUE. >> OKAY. I BELIEVE IT IS 20%.
>> THAT IS ALSO MY RECOLLECTION, THAT IT IS 20% REVENUE SHARING ON THE KIOSK.
I WILL LOOK IT UP REAL QUICK. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: ALRIGHT.
>> COURAGE: I WILL SECOND HER MOTION FOR THE DISCUSSION. WILL.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: PERFECT. I THINK YOU HAD SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS?
GO RIGHT AHEAD. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. TO MY CONCERN AS I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS, THE MONEY TO THE CITY ISN'T AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE SAFETY ASPECT, AND THE IDEA OF DEVELOPING MORE ECONOMIC SUPPORT DOWNTOWN BY LIGHTING UP A COUPLE MORE AREAS, MAKE IT SAFER, HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE MORE BUSINESSES TO COME INTO SOME OF THOSE VACANT PLACES ALONG DOWNTOWN, ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE OPEN AT NIGHT AND PROVIDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTERTAINMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO NOT ONLY ENTICE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT OUR OWN CITIZENS, TO GO DOWNTOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE AND FEEL SAFER ABOUT IT. THOSE WERE KIND OF THE SIGNIFICANT THINGS TO MY WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THIS. AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WASN'T THAT IMPORTANT, BUT I DO AGREE THAT IF THERE'S AN AMOUNT COMING IN, THAT ART SHOULD GET A SIGNIFICANT PART OF IT. I WOULD ALSO SAY THIS, FOR EXAMPLE. IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SET TARGET FOR REVENUE, THAT IF IT WAS DOWNTOWN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE ART COMMUNITY FOR THE CITY AND MAYBE CBO OR ANOTHER DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THAT EXTRA FUND COULD BE USED TO ENHANCE DOWNTOWN MORE. THE SAME IF IT WAS AT BROOKS.
DIVIDE THAT MONEY UP, HALF GO TO THE ART AND HALF GO TO BROOKS SO THAT THEY CAN DO MORE FOR HELPING PEOPLE GET AROUND THAT COMMUNITY. SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE IDEAS BE PART OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS BACK AND FORTH, AND SO YOU KNOW, BEING SET AT 20% OR 10%, I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER OF THOSE WORK, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE, AS PARTS OF THE PROCESS OF COMING TOGETHER
[01:05:06]
WITH A MORE FIRM RECOMMENDATION. THE OTHER PART IS I WANT TO LET THE COMPANY KNOW THAT I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH FINDING OUT THAT THE CITY IS ONLY GOING TO GET 20% OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THAT BILLBOARD.MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS WAS IT'S GOING TO BE SHARED BETWEEN COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT AND ART. NOW I'M HEARING WELL, IT'S COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT AND 20% TO THE CITY AND IF THEY WANT TO PUT SOME DIGITAL ART IN THERE, THEN THEY'RE USING UP PART OF THEIR 20%. I DON'T LIKE THAT.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE A GREATER SHARE AND ART SHOULD HAVE A GREATER SHARE, DIGITAL ART. TO ME, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ATTRACTIONS OF DOING THIS, NOT JUST HAVING BIG SIGNS SAYING BUY THIS OR THAT. BUT PROMOTING ART DIGITALLY THAT WOULD ENHANCE DOWNTOWN MORE. SO I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE SAYING 20% GOES TO THE CITY AND IF THEY WANT TO DO ART, FINE.
IF THEY WANT TO DO MESSAGING, FINE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON GREATER COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC ART GOING THROUGH THE DIGITAL PRESENTATIONS. MAYBE A SPLIT CLOSER TO 75/25 AND YOU KNOW, 5% OF THAT FOR THE CITY TO PUT OUT MESSAGES AND THE OTHER 20% TO PROMOTE OUR ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY DIGITALLY. SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS.
THE LAST THING IS, IF IT'S A PILOT, AND IT FAILS, THE COMPANY WOULD PAY TO REMOVE ALL OF THAT AND THEY WOULD HAVE A CERTAIN TIME TO DO THAT.
IS THAT RIGHT? >> I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY 13 YEARS AND MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM IS YOU DON'T EXTEND THAT PROGRAM DOWN THE ROAD, BUT
THEY DON'T REMOVE WHAT'S THERE. >> COURAGE: WELL, OKAY.
I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THIS PILOT FAILS, THEY TAKE THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
TO REMOVE WHAT THEY PUT UP THERE. >> OKAY.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO?
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I SHARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS IN TERMS OF THE NEED FOR LIGHTING DOWNTOWN, BUT I'M ALSO HEARING THAT THEY WILL BE SHUT OFF AT A SPECIFIC TIME. HAVE THOSE DETAILS IN TERMS OF THE SIGNAGE BEING TURNED OFF, DO WE KNOW WHAT TIME THEY WILL BE TURNED OFF?
>> THEY DON'T HAVE TO, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE IF WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM AND WE SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THE MEDIA COMPANY, WE CAN DICTATE THAT.
IF WE WANT THE SIGN TO BE ON 24/7, THEN IT CAN BE. IF THE SIGN NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF AT CERTAIN TIME, WE CAN HAVE THAT IN THE CONTRACT.
IT'S JUST AN OPTION THAT WE CAN CONTROL HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO BE ON.
>> CASTILLO: WOULD WE HAPPEN TO KNOW IF THE CITY STREET GAP ANALYSIS SHOWS GAPS DOWNTOWN AND IF YOU CAN OFFLINE SHARE THAT MAP WITH US ON WHERE THE GAPS EXIST
DOWNTOWN? >> THE STREET GAP PROGRAM IS ASSOCIATED WITH RESIDENTIAL STREETS, SO THE DOWNTOWN AREA WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THERE.
BUT ALL OUR MAPS, WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT'S ONLINE AVAILABLE.
WE CAN ALSO SCHEDULE A MEETING TO WORK WITH YOU TO SHOW YOU THOSE AREAS WITHIN
YOUR DISTRICT AND AROUND THE CITY. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE IF WE ARE HEARING THAT DOWNTOWN LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT TO NOT HAVE AN ANALYSIS BEFORE MAKING A DECISION ON MOVING THIS FORWARD, GIVES ME CONCERN NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. IN TERMS OF THIS PILOT, WOULD IT REQUIRE A POLICY OR CODE CHANGE, WHEN WE TAKE ACTION ON THIS, WILL IT BE AMENDMENT TO THE UDC CODE, IS IT POLICY? CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND
THAT? >> CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? I BELIEVE IT CAN BE A CODE CHANGE. JOSEPH? CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? CODE CHANGE? OKAY. IT WOULD BE CODE CHANGE TO
CHAPTER 28. >> CASTILLO: OKAY. BASED OFF OF SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M GETTING, IT SEEMS THAT THE DETAILS WILL BE NEGOTIATED AFTER COUNCIL APPROVES THIS, BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE THE PROPERTY OWNER AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING, IT WOULD REQUIRE THE PROPERTY OWNER TO AGREE TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE BILLBOARD, IS THAT CORRECT? OR INCORRECT?
>> SO TECHNICALLY, DEFINITELY THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS IF WE WANT TO DEVELOP THE PROGRAM, WE WOULD WORK ON THAT, BUT COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
ONE THING IS IF THAT DIGITAL MEDIA WILL BE INSTALLED ON CITY PROPERTY, I GUESS GOING BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, THERE IS ADDITIONAL REVENUE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PAY TO THE BUILDING OTHER THAN A LEASE FEE, I GUESS. IF IT'S THE CITY, WE ARE GOING TO GET MORE REVENUE. IF IT'S A PRIVATE BUILDING, THEN THE PRIVATE OWNER WILL GET THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE. NOW AGAIN, THE AGREEMENT FOR THAT IS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, AFTER THE DESIGN, OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WILL REVIEW THE COMPONENT OF THE STRUCTURE AND THE SIGN ITSELF, BUT THEN THE ART COMPONENT WILL GO TO
[01:10:03]
THE ART COMMUNITY OR BOARD, I GUESS, TO REVIEW IT AND AGREE ON THAT.SO IT'S REALLY NOT THE BUILDING OWNER WHO IS GOING TO DICTATE.
IT'S MORE THE ARTS BOARD WILL DECIDE ON THAT SIGN. AND THE ART COMPONENT.
>> I THINK THE INTENT IS TO CREATE THE DISTRICT WITH THE REGULATIONS IN PLACE.
IN THE BUILDINGS WITHIN THAT DISTRICT WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. THE PARAMETERS WOULD BE SET BY COUNCIL AND BE IN PLACE BEFORE BUILDING WOULD PARTICIPATE. SO THE WISHES OF THE COUNCIL REGARDING WHAT COULD BE ADVERTISED IN HOURS AND HOW WOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
THEN THE BUILDING WOULD HAVE TO AGREE BOTH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, TO THOSE CONDITIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. IT WOULD BE SET.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU.
I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS BUT DID YOU HAVE ANY MORE, COUNCIL MEMBER
VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: SO DO WE NEED TO MOVE -- CAN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH JUST TRYING TO SEE THE GAPS? CAN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
PILOT TO JUST SEE >> VIAGRAN: AND THEN TALK ABOUT REVENUE, THE UTILIZATION PER DIGITAL DISPLAY AFTERWARDS? CAN WE JUST SAY WE'RE GOING TO START A PILOT IN THE DESIGNATED AREAS, AND THEN DISCUSS THE REVENUES AND THE UTILIZATION PER DIGITAL DISPLAY AS WHEN YOU KIND OF GET THE -- I COULD TAKE TENANT BROOKS IS WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. I HEAR COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND SHE'S LIKE DOWNTOWN, AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO IS DOWNTOWN IN THE DARK AREAS, SO I THINK UNTIL WE KIND OF KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT REVENUE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DISPLAY, BECAUSE IN TERMS OF THE CITY UTILIZATION OF DISPLAY, WHETHER IT'S THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MEASLES OUTBREAK, WE NEED TO DO THAT, AND DO ARTWORK FOR THAT. WE DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB DURING COVID WITH OUR ARTWORK. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT -- THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE CORRECT ANSWER FOR -- OTHER THAN KNOWING THAT I WANT THE REVENUES TO GO TO ARTS AND CULTURE, I THINK -- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL SATISFY THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE GOING TO BE SATISFIED, SO THAT'S ALL I'M THINKING RIGHT
NOW. >> GARCIA: SURE. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW, WHERE DO WE HAVE THE FUNDS DESIGNATED TO? WHERE WOULD THEY BE GOING?
>> OUR RECOMMENDATION IS IT GOES TO THE ARTS. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
SO JUST MAKING SURE. SO I WASN'T SURE IF THAT WAS YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. IN TERMS OF THE PSA -- I'LL SAY THEY'RE PSAS, RIGHT, THAT THE CITY WOULD BE GETTING, THE CITY MESSAGING, YES, SIR, I AS YESTERDAY I ASKED SPECIFICALLY -- AUDIO] -- IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE OUR BRANDING, ET CETERA, AND SO -- AND I WAS TOLD, YES, THAT WE COULD INCLUDE ANYBODY INTO THE PROCESS OF APPROVAL. AND SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST CNE THAT IS APPROVING, RIGHT, BUT ALSO THE TIMES THAT THESE ARE RUNNING. BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW -- AND I HAVE A PH.D. IN ADVERTISING, SO I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE WEEDS, BUT PSAS THAT ARE UP AT 2:00 A.M. ARE GOOD FOROD NOT REALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND SO WE WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC WITH THE TIMES THAT THESE PSAS NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE ON EYEBALLS. AND SO, AGAIN, SO I WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE INTO THE WEEDS, I GUESS, IN THE CONTRACT ON THAT. THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BE VERY SPECIFIC IN THE CONTRACT AS TO WHAT TYPE OF ART WE ALLOW. AND SO FOR OUR ARTISTS, I'D LOVE TO HAVE, LIKE, YOUTH ART, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS AT EDGEWOOD, FOR INSTANCE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND THE PORT, OR OUR STUDENTS AT HARLANDALE, OR, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT STUDENTS IN THE SOUTH SIDE, FOR INSTANCE, TO SHOWCASE THEIR ART AROUND THESE AREAS. SO I'D LOVE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL THERE.
LOOK, I WAS MUGGED DOWNTOWN AT KNIFE POINT MANY YEARS AGO.
I DON'T WALK DOWNTOWN BY MYSELF. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE WALKED ME TO MY CAR. I MEAN, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, EVERYONE, I FEEL, HAS WALKED ME TO MY CAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WALKING ALONE IN THAT AREA, AND SO EVEN YESTERDAY, I WAS CROSSING THE STREET AND THERE WAS A GROUP OF MEN AND I DID NOT FEEL SAFE.
LUCKILY, MY STAFFER WAS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR LIGHTING DOWNTOWN. I THINK THAT IT HELPS
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MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS DOWNTOWN AT NIGHT. AND SO I'M NOT ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE AROUND, I'M NOT ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I'M WALKING OUT WITH DOWNTOWN. I UBER EVERYONE JUST FROM -- LIKE EVEN THE CONVENTION CENTER LAST NIGHT BACK TO CITY HALL.I COULD HAVE WALKED, BUT, NO, I WILL UBER INSTEAD, RIGHT? SO IT'S A VERY REAL PERCEPTION THAT LIGHTING WILL HELP IMPROVE SAFETY. HOWEVER, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT ABOUT SAN ANTONIO BEING UNIQUE. I HEAR THE ARGUMENT ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE RIVERWALK BECAUSE IT'S NOT COMMERCIALIZED. AND, AGAIN, BEING ON THE OPPOSITE END, I TEACH THIS FOR A LIVING, I TEACH MARKETING, I STUDIED ADVERTISING, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE CULTURE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO I AM CONCERNED, RIGHT, OF BRINGING TOO MUCH EYE POLLUTION INTO CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE HISTORICAL. I DO BELIEVE THAT -- I LOVE THE CONCEPT OF, LIKE, THE STATIC ART DISPLAY, ALONG WITH THE DIGITAL. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT KIND OF COMBINATION OF THE ARTS, IF YOU WILL. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME -- EXPLORING SOME ADDITIONAL THERE, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE 10 LOCATIONS. SO WITH THE 10 LOCATIONS, IS THAT TWO PER 10 LOCATIONS? SO ARE WE LOOKING AT A TOTAL OF 20?
I WASN'T SURE ON THAT, 20 DISPLAYS? >> NO, THE RECOMMENDATION IS MAXIMUM 10 CITYWIDE, BUT WE HAVE 10 LOCATIONS.
YOU CAN PUT TWO IN ONE LOCATION IF NEEDED. IT'S NOT ONE PER ONE.
WE JUST THOUGHT CERTAIN AREAS MIGHT NEEDED TWO VERSUS ONE.
>> GARCIA: THAT'S HELPFUL. I WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT ONE PER AREA. WHEN WILL WE DECIDE OF THOSE PROPOSED LOCATIONS WHICH ONES WOULD GO FORWARD IN THE PILOT,
WHEN WOULD THAT DECISION COME? >> BASICALLY, STEP 1 WE GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL. STEP 2 IS TO CREATE THE CONTRACT, AND THEN WE PUT THE CONTRACT OUT AND SEE THE MEDIA COMPANIES THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE, AND THEN THEY CAN FIND THE RIGHT BUILDING IN THAT AREA THAT WILL ALLOW THE SIGN. AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS, AS WE SAID, HISTORIC AND SO FORTH, AND THE TXDOT AND ALL THESE, SO THEY HAVE TO FIND THAT BUILDING WITHIN THAT AREA THAT WILL WORK FOR THEM. AND THEN IF THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT, WE WOULD
PROCEED. >> GARCIA: I WOULD LOVE TO KIND OF IRON OUT THE
LOCATIONS, OR SOME OF THE LOCATIONS. >>
>> I THINK WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS A CREATION OF A PROGRAM WITH GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, RIGHT? AND THE COUNCIL WOULD
APPROVE THAT PROGRAM, RIGHT? >> GARCIA: YES.
>> THE PROGRAM WOULDN'T ESTABLISH THE EXACT BUILDING LOCATIONS, UNLESS COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THAT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THICK T
THING THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE APPROVING THE LOCATIONS BY COUNCIL.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I THINK WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD ON THE -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE -- THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF GIVE AND TACK ON TAKE ON BOTH SIDES. THERE'S GREAT ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES.
IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME, I WOULD WANT TO SEE A SELENA DIGITAL DISPLAY, BUT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN ELSE, ET CETERA. I DO LIKE COUNCILMAN COURAGE'S IDEA OF THE 75/25, AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH EXPLORING THAT AS WELL, OR TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET CLOSER TO THAT.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, SO NEXT STEPS, SO THIS WOULD BE A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'D MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL, BUT, AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE LOCATIONS DESIGNATED. SO, FOR INSTANCE N THE POPUP MAP THAT YOU PULLED OUT, I THINK THERE'S 14 LOCATIONS DOWNTOWN.
I THINK IF WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCRETE IN THE AREAS, RIGHT, AND SO KIND OF LIKE MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, AND MAKE SURE, LIKE I SAID, THAT WE KEEP THE INTEGRITY OF DOWNTOWN. AND THEN -- AUDIO] -- LIKE LOOKING AT THAT. BUT THAT'S -- THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. I WANTED TO START OFF WITH MY COLLEAGUES FIRST, AND THEN ADD MY COMMENTS, BUT WE'LL GO BACK WITH COUNCILMAN VIAGRAN AND
THEN COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> VIAGRAN: YEAH. I DON'T THINK -- BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE MEDIA -- WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WORKS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF DESIGNATING THOSE SPOTS RIGHT NOW WOULD BE HELPFUL. BECAUSE WE STILL NEED TO DO THE NEGOTIATION, RIGHT -- OR IF IT'S NOT ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS, THEY HAVE TO SEE IF THE HOTEL -- WHATEVER BUILDING IS ELIGIBLE CAN -- WANTS TO PARTICIPATE, CORRECT, IF IT'S IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA?
>> YES. I THINK THAT -- YES, THEY NEED TO NEGOTIATE WITH
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THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING. >> VIAGRAN: SO THEY'RE NOT JUST NEGOTIATING WITH US, THEY'RE NEGOTIATING WITH THE OWNER, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M LIKE, WE CAN DESIGNATE THE REGIONS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE BUILDINGS. OF COURSE, WE WOULD WANT THEM ALL TO BE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BUILDINGS, BUT I KNOW THERE'S -- I CAN THINK OF ONE HOTEL IN PARTICULAR THAT SITS BY THE COURTHOUSE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO NEGOTIATE -- THAT IS A SPOT THAT THEY COULD NEGOTIATE WITH.
AND, AGAIN, I MENTION -- BECAUSE I WORKED FORVIS& IT SAN ANTONIO, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS A LOT SINCE THEN. SO THERE'S PLACES, BUT THEY HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM. OF COURSE, WE COULD OFFER WHAT WE HAVE IN THOSE SPOTS, BUT THEN IT MIGHT NOT WORK WITH US.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING ABOUT DESIGNATING BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW.
>> GARCIA: I'M SORRY. LET ME CLARIFY, THE REGIONS.
BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE 14, AND TO ME, THEY FEEL TOO -- AUDIO] -- MAYBE WE CAN KIND OF FOCUS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> VIAGRAN: OH, OKAY. >> GARCIA: BUT, YES, SORRY.
GO AHEAD. >> COUNCILMAN, I THINK THERE ARE 10.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE 14S ARE COMING FROM. THESE ARE THE 10
POTENTIAL REGIONS. >> GARCIA: I'M SO SORRY. MAYBE I'M COUNTING THE LITTLE -- I WAS COUNTING LIKE THOSE LITTLE PURPLE THINGS.
>> YEAH, YEAH. SO RORY. AND SO THAT LIST OF 10 THERE, THIS IS A GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION ON THE MAP.
WE CAN AMEND THEM. SO YOUR FEEDBACK WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU WANT TO
CHANGE THOSE. >> GARCIA: OKAY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. SO, OKAY. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, CHAIR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS -- OBVIOUSLY IT'S CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE HAD ALREADY SAID ABOUT LIGHTING IN THE PAST. I THINK THAT THERE -- THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL THINGS TO LOOK AT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL DETAILS TO BE CONSIDERED.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT -- THAT WE ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH THE COMPANY AND DEVELOP A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS CAN WORK OUT, FILL IN MORE OF THE DETAILS WITH MORE SUGGESTIONS, INCLUDING HOW MUCH SIGNAGE, OR IF THEY HAVE SOME LOCATIONS THAT WONTS WOWON'T WORK BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THERE WOULDN'T BE A RETURN FROM PUTTING A SIGN THERE, AND BRING IT BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE WITH A GREATER DETAILED PRESENTATION, AND THEN I THINK IT SHOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL IN A B SESSION. BUS ITBECAUSE IT ISN'T THE KIND OF THING THAT I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO JUST SAY THIS IS THE FINAL PRODUCT TAKING IT TO COUNCIL. I THINK IT'S REALLY ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT A LOT OF COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INPUT TO.
I RECOMMEND THAT WE ENABLE THEM TO SIT DOWN AND WORK IN COLLABORATION ON A GREATER DETAILED PROGRAM TO PRESENT FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER, AND IF WE WANT TO, THEN, MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN LET IT GO TO, YOU KNOW, A B SESSION SO WE GET GREATER INPUT.
I'M SURE MANNY WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT, HE'S NOT HERE, MAYBE HE'D BE AT THE NEXT MEETING AND -- I KNOW IT DELAYS IT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR TWO YEARS. I THINK TWO OR THREE MORE
MONTHS WON'T MAKE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE. >> GARCIA: SO WHAT WOULD BE THE FASTEST YOU COULD BRING IT BACK? WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO
BRING IT BACK APRIL? >> VIAGRAN: SO CAN WE -- CAN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO A PILOT AND HAVE THEM BRING THREE OPTIONS THAT THEN WE TAKE TO B
SESSION. >> COURAGE: SURE. YEAH.
>> VIAGRAN: AND THAT WAY -- IT'S LIKE PROPOSITION A, B OR C, WE TAKE IT TO A B SESSION, AND THEN THAT'S WHERE COUNCIL DECIDES ON IT? BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL AGREED THAT WE KNOW WE NEED A PILOT PROGRAM TO ENTER INTO THIS MARKET, BUT WHAT WE WANT IS OPTIONS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF OUT FRONT IS -- IS HEARING US.
WHAT WE NEED IS OPTIONS REGARDING REVENUE AND CITY UTILIZATION IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS, THE 10 LOCATIONS, AND THEN THE COUNCIL CAN DECIDE, HEY, THIS WORKS BEST FOR MOVING FORWARD. AND WE CAN TAKE IT AT A B
SESSION, BUT BRING OPTIONS. >> COURAGE: I THINK YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION WAS THAT WE ASK THEM TO GO FORWARD AND DEVELOP A PILOT.
YOU HAD PUT IN A PERCENTAGE AMOUNT, BUT MAYBE IF WE JUST LEAVE THAT OUT FOR NOW, AND LIKE YOU SAID, HAVE THEM COME BACK WITH TWO OR THREE OPTIONS THAT THEY DEVELOP IN COOPERATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ALSO.
I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THIS PROCESS AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THOSE OPTIONS, TOO,
THE NEXT TIME WE MEET. >> VIAGRAN: BECAUSE THE PILOT'S ONLY 10.
[01:25:04]
AND IT'S ONLY TWO PER -- >> MAXIMUM, TWO PER AREA.
>> VIAGRAN: TWO PER AREA, AND I'VE BEEN TO DENVER AND IT WORKS THERE IN TERMS OF LIGHTING BECAUSE IT'S NOT -- IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IN TIME SQUARE. AND THEN I THINK THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO WORK WITH TXDOT ON THIS, BUT I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD PILOTING THIS, AND MAYBE THE COMMUNITY COMES OUT AND SAYS, BUT NOT IN THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN -- BUT WE CAN BRING THAT TO COUNCIL AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE RECOMMENDED. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD WRITE THAT.
>> GARCIA: [INDISCERNIBLE] >> CLERK: SO COUNCILWOMAN, YOU WOULD WITHDRAW YOUR FIRST MOTION AND RESTATE THE MOTION AS YOU'VE
ARTICULATED THERE. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. SO I WITHDRAW MY FIRST MOATIMOTION AND I MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PILOT PROGRAM LIMITING A MAXIMUM OF 10 DIGITAL DISPLAYS LIMITED TO NOT CURRENTLY PROHIBITED ON OFFPREMISES OR DIGITAL SIGNS, AND TO NEGOTIATE THE REVENUES OF THE REVENUE SHARING AND THE CITY UTILIZATION PER DIGITAL DISPLAY. AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK WITH THREE -- TWO TO THREE OPTIONS OF WHERE THESE 10 SIGNS WOULD GO. IS THAT TOO WORDY?
>> CLERK: CAN WE CLARIFY AND JUST SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE STAFF.
>> VIAGRAN: LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD. BRINGING FORWARD TWO TO THREE OPTIONS THAT DISCUSS PROFIT SHARING AND OTHER COMPONENTS.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY. I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO COME BACK WITH TWO TO THREE OPTIONS REGARDING REVENUE SHARING AND CITY UTILIZATION.
>> SO I GUESS A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS WHAT I'M HEARING, YOU WANT US -- OVERALL, THE COUNCIL TO PILOT PROGRAM IS THERE.
>> VIAGRAN: UH-HUH. >> WE NEED TO GO BACK AND MEET WITH DIFFERENT MEDIA COMPANIES, NOT JUST ONE OBVIOUSLY, MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY TO COME UP WITH
TWO TO THREE OPTIONS AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU. >> VIAGRAN: TWO TO THREE OPTIONS TO BRING TO OUR SESSION, YES, ECDC TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THE PILOT PROGRAM MOVES FORWARD, BUT STAFF WILL BRING BACK TWO TO THREE
OPTIONS FOR FINAL -- >> GARCIA: AND THEN WE CAN MOVE IT TO B
SESSION. >> VIAGRAN: OR MAYBE WE LOVE THEM AND IT'S TO A
SESSION. >> GARCIA: GO AHEAD. >> CHAIRWOMAN, IF I COULD. COUNCILWOMAN, WE CONFIRMED THAT THE MAG IS
IN KEY AND STILL IN THE 21.5%, S IN PLACE, MA'AM. >> GARCIA: ALL RIGHT.
THAT WAS COMPROMISE, I THINK. SO LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THAT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
OH, COURAGE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. (AYES.)
>> GARCIA: ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS SO THREE IN FAVOR AND ONE ABSTENTION. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S DISCUSSION FOR YOUR VALUABLE FEEDBACK. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 2 ON THE LIGHTER NOTE, EXISTING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR NEW.
>> GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN. >> GOOD MORNING.
I THINK IT'S STILL MORNING. MADAM CHAIR, COUNCILMEMBERS, I'M MELISSA RAMIREZ, I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND WE'LL BRING IT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT CEMETERIES. I'M GOING TO BRIEF YOU ON OUR CEMETERY REGULATIONS AND HOUSE BILL THAT WE'RE TRACKING AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AS A REMINDER, WE WERE HERE IN JANUARY AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. WE WERE ASKED TO COME BACK WITH SOME MORE DETAILS ON OUR LOCAL CODES AND PROCESSES. AS YOU KNOW, ZONING IS A KEY PART AUTHORIZATION APPROVED BY COUNCIL BEFORE WE BEGIN THE NEXT STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO HEAR CEMETERIES.
YOU CAN STICK AROUND, PATTY. AT THE LAST PCDC MEETING THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT EXPANDING OUR ZONING RECOMMENDATION.
OUR CURRENT FOLLOW STATE LAW AND INCLUDE NOTICES TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FEET BOUNDARY. WE ALSO INCLUDE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER AGENCIES. WE PLACE A LARGE YELLOW SIGN ON THE PROPERTY VISIBLE FOR THE DRIVERS THAT ARE COMING BY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE.
IT HAS INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CASE DATE INFORMATION, STAFF'S
[01:30:04]
CONTACT INFORMATION AND A QR CODE THAT READS THEM TO MORE DETAILED ZONING CASE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. DSD ALSO PUBLISHES A NOTICE TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE PRIOR TO OUR MEETING SO RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE DETAILED INFORMATION OF WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.WE FOUND THAT CEMETERIES ARE ALLOWED IN RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICTS, COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS AND OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS.
THEY ARE PROHIBITED IN OUR EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
CEMETERIES ARE ALSO WITH THE S MUST BE CONSIST TANT WITH THE ADOPTED LAND USE CATEGORIES. AFTER ZONING IS AP PROVED, PLATTING WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THIS INCLUDES ESTABLISHING OUR LEGAL BOUNDARIES FOR THE SITE. SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES REVIEW THE PLAT FOR CONFORMANCE OF THE REGULATIONS. THESE AGENCIES INCLUDE STREET, TRAFFIC, CPS ENERGY, SAWS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AMONG OTHER IMPORTANT AGENCIES. THESE ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WILL ENFORCE THE CODES THAT ARE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
ONCE THE PLAT IS APPROVED BY ALL THESE AGENCIES, THEY -- INDIVIDUAL APPROVALS ARE REQUIRED BY EACH OF THESE AGENCIES BEFORE IT CAN MOVE FORWARD FOR EITHER PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL. ONCE THE PLAT IS RECORDED, THE OWNER THEN BEGINS THE PROCESS OF APPLICATION FOR VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST PCDC MEETING WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND OUR PROCESSES ARE CONSISTENT WITH EL PASO, DALLAS AND AUSTIN.
HOUSTON DOES ADOPT PROCESSES -- I'M SORRY, HOUSTON DOES NOT HAVE ADOPTED PROCESS TO ALLOW FOR NEW CEMETERIES WITHIN THEIR CITY LIMITS.
WE ARE ALSO TRACKING A HOUSE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HOUSE BILL 2673 WAS INTRODUCED THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT WILL REVERSE THE 2023 HOUSE BILL OF 783 WHICH ALLOWED CEMETERIES WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS AND WITHIN 5 MILES OF THOSE LIMITS.
THE PROPOSED BILL WOULD PROHIBIT CEMETERIES IN THE CITY LIMITS AND WITHIN THE 5 MILES OF THOSE LIMITS. WE WERE ASKED TO SEE WHAT -- HOW MANY CEMETERIES AREOW WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
WE DID IDENTIFY 145 OF THOSE CEMETERIES. THIS WAS FOUND ON A FIND A GRAVE WEBSITE. THERE WAS REFERENCES WITHIN THAT WEBSITE TO SOME OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, SO WE FOUND QUITE A BIT OF DATA THERE.
AND THEN WE DID -- WE WERE ASKED TO BREAK THIS DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT. WE DID IDENTIFY THAT THERE WERE -- THE LARGEST NUMBER WAS IN DISTRICT TWO. AND WITH THAT, COUNCILMEMBERS, STAFF RECOMMENDS CONTINUING TO MONITOR HOUSE BILL 2673 AND AT THIS TIME WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGES TO OUR CEMETERY REGULATIONS, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND SO CAN YOU GO OVER, AGAIN, WHAT EXACTLY -- WHAT CHANGED WITHIN THE NEW PROPOSED
STATE LAW? >> IF THE STATE LAW PASSES, THEN IT WOULD PROHIBIT CEMETERIES WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS AND WITHIN 5 MILES OF
THOSE LIMITS. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. AND THEN I SAW THE SLIDE ON THE CITY NOT BEING ABLE TO APPROVE NEW CEMETERIES.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT NO NEW CEMETERIES CAN BE BUILT AT ALL, IF IT'S
APPROVED THEN? >> THAT IS CORRECT. GARCIA
>> GARCIA: OKAY. AND HAVE WE HEARD CURRENT CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT ORDINANCES AND STATE LAWS. I KNOW THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON AT
ND3, BUT -- >> THERE IS A ZONING CASE GOING ON IN D3.
AT THIS TIME, IT'S AN ACTIVE ZONING CASE, BUT IT'S BEEN POSTPONED, WHICH MEANS THE PROPERTY OWNER OR THE APPLICANT WILL MAKE A DECISION ON
WHEN IT COMES BACK GARCIA . >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
THEY'RE PROBABLY WAITING ON THE LAW. >> THEY'RE PROBABLY -- WELL, IN MY OPINION, I WOULDN'T THINK THAT WOULD BENEFIT THEM TO WAIT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION BECAUSE IF THE LAW PASSES, THEN WE ACTUALLY WON'T BE ABLE TO FORMALLY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE WITH LEGAL ON THAT, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED APPLICATION, BUT IF THE HOUSE BILL PASSES, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN LEGALLY REZONE BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO REZONE
TO CREATE THE S TODAY. COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: IS THERE ANY PROHIBITION FROM A PERSON WHO OWNS A PIECE OF PROPERTY BURYING A FAMILY MEMBER IN THAT -- ON THAT PROPERTY, AS LONG AS THEY'RE THE OWNER.
>> YES, SIR. I BELIEVE THERE IS STATE LAW AGAINST BURYING SOMEONE ON YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEY HAVE TO BE
[01:35:01]
DESIGNATED AS A CEMETERY. >> COURAGE: OKAY.
THAT WAS MY QUESTION. THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: GREAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, MELISSA, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IN TERMS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE BILL, I SEE THAT REPRESENTATIVE LUJAN FILED IT, DO WE KNOW WHAT HE'S TRYING TO ADDRESS AR WHAT THE -- WHAT WAS THIS
BORN OUT OF? >> I ANTICIPATE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING WITH SOME LOBBYISTS THAT REACHED OUT TO HIM.
I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHY IT HAS COME TO BE SUBMITTED FOR THIS HOUSE BILL, BUT IT WOULD ELIMINATE THE ABILITIES FOR US TO ACCEPT ANY
FUTURE CEMETERIES WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS. >> CASTILLO: OKAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
YEAH, AND I SEE DISTRICT TWO HAS 41 CEMETERIES AND THEN THE -- I GUESS CLOSEST COUNCIL DISTRICT WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER WOULD BE DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT THREE. SO -- AND LIKE I SAID, I KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON OR SOME SORT OF A ZONING ISSUE THAT WAS BREWING, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ON HOLD, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
LET ME SEE. AND THEN -- I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
SO YOU'RE JUST -- THIS IS JUST A BRIEFING, CORRECT?
>> YES, MA'AM. WELL, WE WERE ASKED TO COME BACK BY COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, I KNOW SHE HAD TO STEP OUT, POOR THING, BUT WE WERE ASKED TO COME BACK WITH COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. WE WERE HERE IN JANUARY, THEY WANTED A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN THE CODES AND REGULATIONS IN OUR
PROCESSES, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. >> GARCIA: SO PROCEDURALLY SPEAKING, CAN WE PUT THIS ITEM ON HOLD UNTIL SHE RETURNS AND GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE. MY APOLOGIES.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO IF IT'S OKAY WITH MY COLLEAGUES, LET'S PUT THIS ITEM ON HOLD, BECAUSE I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THETHE SHIP ITEM.
SO STICK AROUND JUST IN CASE. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT ONE IS JUST AN UPDATE ON THIS COMMITTEE'S FAVORITE ITEM, AND SO I THINK THAT VERONICAS ARE ON. ONE OF THE VERONICAS, I'M
GOING TO GO WITH A SAFE BET, RIGHT? >> YES.
ONE OF THE VERONICAS. VERONICA GARCIA. THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE TODAY ON OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. VERONICA GARCIA, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I'LL BE FOLLOWED -- I'LL OFFER AND UPDATE ON OUR KEY HOUSING METRICS, AS WELL AS OUR GOALS AND OUR HOUSING BOND AND THEN THE KEY STRATEGIES.
AND THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MARK CARMON ON OUR LEGISLATIVE ITEMS AND THEN LASTLY PETE ALANIZ WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THEIR ACTIONS AS WELL.
SO THE SHIP IS A SHARED VISION, IT'S BEEN ADOPTED BY OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING BEXAR COUNTY, OPPORTUNITY HOME AND THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST INCLUDES 10-YEAR VISION FOR -- AND SETS GOALS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IT ALSO INCLUDES 36 STRATEGIES WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS IN MIND.
EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, PRESERVING NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. WE -- SINCE THE ADOPTION OF THE SHIP IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH WAS JUST THREE YEARS AGO, WE HAVE MADE CONSISTENT PROGRESS TOWARDS THESE 10-YEAR GOALS.
IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE SHIP, WE HAVE COMPLETED WORK ON 5,330 AFFORDABLE HOMES WITH ANOTHER 2500 UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO IN TOTAL, WE ARE 34% OF THE WAY TO OUR TOTAL SHIP GOAL, WITH 9,604 TOTALED, COMPLETED OR IN-PROGRESS HOMES. WE ARE ALSO AT 48% OF OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GOAL, WITH THE CONTINUED FOCUS ON THIS EFFORT, AND I WILL WANT TO REITERATE, THESE ARE AS A RESULT OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AND OUR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS WITH OUR SHIP PARTNERS AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL. WE CONTINUE TO REITERATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS A WAY TO PREVENT AND ASSIST WITH HOMELESSNESS. WE DO THIS WORK IN COORDINATION WITH DEPARTMENT FOR HUMAN SERVICES AND OUR MANY HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS. ONE STRATEGY IN THE SHIP IS TO CREATE PERMANENTLY SUPPORTIVE HOMES WITH ON-SITE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE 477 PSH UNITS COMPLETE, UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE PIPELINE, AND THE IMAGE HERE IS 425 SAN PEDRO IN DISTRICT ONE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE 80 AFFORDABLE AND PERMANENTLY SUPPORTIVE HOMES AND WILL OPEN IN DECEMBER.
AND PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS, SAVE THE DATE, WE HAVE TWO MORE PSH
[01:40:02]
PROJECTS NEXT MONTH, TOWN TWIN VILLAGE IN DISTRICT TWO WILL HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING IN NEXT PHASE AND ANOTHER ONE IN DISTRICT THREE WILL BREAK GROUND NEXT MONTH AS WELL. ANOTHER SHIP STRATEGY IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS IN THE CITY. ADUS ALSO KNOWN AS CASITAS CAN PROVIDE HOMEOWNERS WITH EXTRA INCOME SO THEY CAN REMAIN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR ADU PROGRAM STARTED A COUPLE OF SUM MERES AGO WITH OUR DESIGN COMPETITION. LAST FALL WE UPDATED OUR ADU PROGRAM WEBSITE WHICH INCLUDES EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ADUS, HOW YOU CONSTRUCT ONE, AS WELL AS RESOURCES ON HOW TO FINANCE AN ADU, AND JUST THIS YEAR -- PLANS WHICH ARE ON OUR WEBSITE. THESE PLANS ARE 100% CONSTRUCTION PLANS, THEY'RE NOT SITE SPECIFIC, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN ALREADY REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY DSD, AND THEY'RE INTENDED TO EXPEDITE THE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS AND SUPPORT REALLY STREAMLINING THE ENTIRE PERMITTING PROCESS. POWERING COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS ANOTHER SHIP STRATEGY TO HELP PROMOTE LASTING, AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP. CLTS WORK BY LOWERING THE INITIAL COST TO BUY A HOME AND THEN CAP THE ONGOING RESALE VALUE OF THE HOME.THIS TRANSLATES TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES WHICH CONTINUES TO MAKE THE HOME AFFORDABLE FOR THE HOMEOWNER. COUNCIL ADOPTED THE POLICY THROUGH ISSUING DESIGNATIONS OCTOBER LAST YEAR AND WE CONTINUE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR NEW CLTS. THE HOUSING BOND, MUCH OF THIS WORK IS SUPPORTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 2022 AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND. JUST THREE MONTHS AFTER THE BOND WAS PASSED BY VOTERS, WE ISSUED OUR FIRST REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR HOUSING PROJECTS AND SINCE THEN WE'VE COMPLETED $115 MILLION IN BOND FUNDS FOR PROJECTS. THIS AWARDS INCLUDES 22 PROJECTS OVER VARIOUS FUNDING ROUNDS AS WELL AS HOMES COMMITTED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME REHAB. FUNDING IS MADE AVAILABLE IN ADDITION TO THE HOUSING BOND, FEDERAL FUNDS AND ADDITIONAL COUNTY FEDERAL FUNDS AS WELL TO SUPPORT PROJECTS. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN ANOTHER RFP ROUND AND WE'LL BE BRINGING THOSE HOUSING PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU IN MAY. WE'VE SEEN MUCH PROGRESS TO DATE AND CURRENTLY HAVE MORE THAN 400 HOMES IN THE PIPELINE, 2900 HOMES ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CORRECTION, AND 837 HOMES HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT OR PRESERVED WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HOUSING BOND.
HERE ARE SOME RECENT GRAND OPENINGS WE'VE CELEBRATED.
LOSS ARGAS AT VITAE IN DISTRICT FOUR, WE HAD THAT RIBBON CUTTING IN JANUARY. THE WEST SIDE INITIATIVE FEATURES FIVE NEW HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN DISTRICT FIVE, SPECIFICALLY FOR LOW INCOME PERSPECTIVE HOME BUYERS, AND THE FIRST CLOSING JUST OCCURRED LAST MONTH ON THE HOME. AND ADDITIONAL HOMES WILL BE MADE AS PART OF THAT PROJECT. AND THEN VISTA AT SILVER OAKS IN DISTRICT 9 FEATURES 76 NEW RENTAL HOMES, AND WE JUST CELEBRATED THAT RIBBON CUTTING LAST MONTH. SEVERAL OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE WELL UNDER WAY PARTIALLY AT LEAST AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO COMPLETE 1,000 HOMES BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH AND COMPLETE 2000 HOMES BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO MUCH PROGRESS IN SUPPORT OF THE HOUSING BOND.
THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN IS A STRATEGY IN THE SHIP AND IT EXISTS NOW. THIS IS WORK THAT IS WOVEN IN IN THE STUFF WE DO EVERY DAY IN OUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE LAUNCHED CAMPAIGNS ON HELPING HOMEOWNERS STAY IN THEIR HOME BY PROTESTING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, CAMPAIGNS ON RENTERS' RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND MANY OF THIS WORK IS INFORMED BY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COUNCIL OFFICES, AND REALLY ENSURE THAT OUR CAMPAIGNS RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF EVERYBODY TODAY. NOW WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A LARGER NARRATIVE TO CREATE BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE FOF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC BEN FENTS TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND THIS RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE TO OUR MEMBERS.
KNOWING THAT COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HAS A PH.D. IN MARKETING, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LAY OUT THE FULL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE CITYWIDE NARRATIVE CHANGE. AND WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS REQUIRES THAT WE ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO.
SO THE CONSULTANT SCOPE, WE JUST HIRED K HARVEY BRAND PARTNERS, THEY WERE
[01:45:01]
APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST SUMMER, AND THEIR SCOPE INCLUDES THREE PHASES.THE FIRST -- THESE ARE DISCOVERY AND LEARNING, WE'LL HAVE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT, MESSAGING AND THEN SOME DESIGN. THIS SCOPE IS REALLY INTENDED TO DESIGN THE CAMPAIGN NOT YET FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
THAT WORK IS TO COME. SO PHASE 1 IS COMPLETED AND THAT INCLUDES FOCUS GROUPS, COMMUNITY MEETING, STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, FACILITATED FEEDBACK WITH MANY OF YOUR OFFICES. THE CONSULTANT ALSO REVIEWED OUR EXISTING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AS WELL AS THE FULL SCAN OF MEDIA COMMENTS. SO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING RIGHT NOW. PHASE 2, THE FACE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, INVOLVES DEVELOPING NEW STRATEGIES FOLLOWED BY PHASE THREE WHICH WILL BE THE MESSAGING AND DESIGN. MANY THEMES ARE ALREADY EMERGING FROM THE WORK WE'VE DONE. WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOW DO WE REALLY REDEFINE WHAT IT MEANS, THAT WE NEED MORE RESOURCES, SO ALL OF THOSE ARE PART OF OUR TAKEAWAYS AND ARE INFORMING THE EVENTUAL MESSAGING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS WORK. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN SURE TO KEEP THE HOUSING COMMISSION AND THEIR SUBCOMMITTEE, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE INFORMED ABOUT THE OUTREACH AND OUR APPROACH AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND COUNCIL OFFICE TION THAT HAVE MET WITH US AND SHARED THEIR CONCERNS AND PRIORITIES. SO WHILE WE WORK -- WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS LARGER NARRATIVE CHANGE, WE REALLY WANT TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON CREATING AWARENESS FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS CONNECTIONS.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING A VIDEO SERIES IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT FOR HUMAN SERVICES, THE HOUSING COMMISSION'S PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE ALLIANCE TO HOUSE EVERYONE.
OUR VERY FIRST VIDEO IS ALREADY OUT, HO HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. IT H HAS OVER 8500 VIEWS ON YOUTUBE SO FAR.
THE GOAL IS TO COLLECT HOUSING NEEDS TO HOMELESSNESS AND WEAVE STORIES TO CREATE ACCESS. WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS FIRST VIDEO. THE SECOND VIDEO WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT EXACTLY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS AND HOW IT HELPS THE COMMUNITY. THE THIRD VIDEO WILL BE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE CITY SUPPORTS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND REALLY HOW THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND HAS PROVIDED PEOPLE WITH ONGOING STABILITY, AND THE FINAL VIDEO IN THE SERIES WILL BE LED BY DHS AND PROVIDES PERSPECTIVE OF DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE TRUST CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE, OUR CASE WORKERS AND OUTREACH TEAM.
THE SHIP REALLY IDENTIFIES ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC AS A PRIORITY, AND WE HONOR THAT BY HOSTING A COMMUNITY GATHERING EVERY YEAR TO SHARE UPDATES ON THIS WORK. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE WHO ATTENDED OUR THIRD ANNUAL EVENT, IT WAS HELD IN SOUTH SAN HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT THREE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THE PCDC MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED AND SUPPORTED THE EVENT. WE HAD OVER 700 ATTENDEES SUPPORTED BY OVER 200 VOL YEARS. UNIQUE THIS YEAR, WE DID -- VOLUNTEERS. WE HAD A RESOURCE FAIR THIS YEAR FEATURING AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND PARTNERS, SO MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING MADE AS PART OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, THOSE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAMS WERE ON SITE AT THE RESOURCE FAIR AND HELP CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO HOMES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE OR FOR LEASE, AND FOR COMMUNITIES THAT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE. AND THIS REALLY CONNECTED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND TO PEOPLE ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. THE EVENT ALSO FEATURED VARIOUS CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS, AND IN ONE OF THEM, IT REALLY FOCUSED/FUNCTIONED AS A VIDEO ROOM AND SHOWCASED OUR RENT WISE, RENTER'S RESPONSIBILITY SERIES OUR PROPERTY TAX HELP VIDEOS VIDEOS.
OUR TEAM ALSO COLLABORATED TO HAVE DISPLAYS ON THE HOUSING COMMISSION, THEIR SUBCOMMITTEES, ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, AREA MEDIA INCOME AND, OF COURSE, THE HOUSING BOND AND ALL OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE ON THE SHIP TO DATE. IT'S A GREAT EVENT.
AS MENTIONED OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN IS WELL UNDER WAY, AND ONE PART OF THAT IS THE RENT WISE, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
THAT CAMPAIGN FEATURES INFORMATION FOR RENTALS -- RENTERS AND HOUSING PROVIDERS ON LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS THAT REALLY HELPS INFORM THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. TO DATE, WE'VE ASSISTED OVER 450 HOUSEHOLDS. THIS YEAR, WE HAVE 10 SESSIONS, INCLUDING EIGHT IN PERSON AND TWO VIRTUAL SESSIONS. WE HAVE -- THE VIRTUAL
[01:50:02]
SESSION IS ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK. NEW THIS YEAR WE ALSO HAVE FOUR WORKSHOPS THAT WILL FOCUS ON LEASE WRITING ESSENTIALS, THIS IS PRIMARILY TARGETED FOR SMALL LANDLORDS WHO ARE NOT ALREADY PART OF AN ORGANIZATION SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WRITE LEASES THAT REALLY HELP TO INFORM THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH PARTIES.WE HAVE OUR VIDEO SERIES ONLINE. THIS REALLY MAKES ALL OF THESE KEY TOPICS AVAILABLE ANY TIME TO PEOPLE ONLINE.
NEXT OUR PROPERTY TAX HELP CAMPAIGN HAS ALSO BEEN ONGOING.
THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENT, THE COUNTY AND A PROFESSIONAL TAX CONSULTANT. WE PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT PROTESTING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES AND ON-SITE HELP, FILING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. THIS REALLY HELPS HOMEOWNERS STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'VE HELPED 2600 HOUSEHOLDS SO FAR AND HAD OVER 1,000 EX EXEMPTIONS OR NOTICES TO PROTEST FILED ON SITE AT MANY OF OUR SESSIONS. THIS YEAR WE WILL HAVE 15 WORKSHOPS, AND THEY START NEXT MONTH. AT LEAST ONE IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, INCLUDING 12 IN PERSON AND THREE VIRTUAL SESSIONS. WE WILL ALSO HAVE WORKSHOPS THAT WILL BE LED SOLELY IN SPANISH, ARABIC AND VIETNAMESE, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FREE PRINTING AND NOTARY SERVICES AVAILABLE. THIS, TOO, HAS A VIDEO SERIES WHICH IS ONLINE MAKING SURE THESE KEY TOPICS ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. SEVERAL SHIP STRATEGIES FOCUS ON ENSURING HOUSING IS ACCESSIBLE, AND WHAT WE MEAN IS ENSURING IT'S LOCATED IN AREAS WITH ACCESS TO TRANSIT AND AMENITIES. AND WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO UPDATE THE CITY CODE TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION. THIS HAS BEEN DONE WITH THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOP POLICY FRAMEWORK. COUNCIL ADOPTED THIS POLICY LAST DECEMBER, AS WELL AS APPROVED UDC AMENDMENTS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT POLICY. THESE ACTIONS ALSO INCLUDED RECOMMENDATIONS TO CREATE HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT AND TO PRESERVE OUR EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS WORK OVERLAPS WITH MANY OF OUR SHIP STRATEGIES, INCLUDING OUR LAND MAKING EFFORTS, OUR HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES AND MUCH MORE. THIS WORK IS CERTAINLY NOT DONE YET, AND WE'LL ACTUALLY BRING THE NEXT PHASE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT POLICY TO THIS COMMITTEE IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS. ONE CCR THAT THE REMOVING BARRIER SUBCOMMITTEE IS WORKING ON IS THE STAY SA DEVELOPMENT BONUS RECOMMENDATION, SO THOSE WILL COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OUR FEE WAIVER POLICY AND RECOMMENDING UPDATES SO THAT THE FEE WAIVERS WE ARE OFFERING ARE IN LINE WITH TODAY'S DEVELOPMENT FEES, AS WELL AS OUR CURRENT HOUSING PARTIES. SO THOSE UPDATES WILL BE COMING AS WELL.
AND THEN OUR -- AS MENTIONED, WE ARE WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT ON OUR STRATEGIC PROPERTY ACQUISITION PROGRAM, WHICH WILL RECOMMEND WHAT TYPES OF -- DOES THAT PROGRAM LOOK LIKE. NEXT MONTH WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR TASK FORCE, OUR RENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND ASSISTANT TO CONNECT WITH HOUSING TASK FORCE, WHICH LOOKS AT HOW DO WE INCREASE VOUCHER ACCESS, HOUSING VOUCHER ACCESS AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE ACROSS MORE PROPERTIES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL COME TO THIS COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO WORK ON OUR ADU PROGRAM IN TRYING TO LOOK AT OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS WE CAN MAKE TO ENSURE THAT THAT BECOMES A RESOURCE FOR MORE FAMILIES AS WELL. SO NEXT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARK CARMONA, OUR CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
UPDATES. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MARK CARMONA, CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IT DOES MY HEART GOOD TO HEAR ALL OF THESE UPDATES ON THE SHIP PLAN.
WHEN WE WERE -- OFFICIALS THAT IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTATION. SO I THINK THESE RESULTS SPEAK.
THE FIRST THING I WANT TO FOCUS ON IN MY PRESENTATION IS I KNOW THAT THE COMMITTEE BEFORE HAS ASKED FOR KIND OF ONGOING MACRO LOOKS AT WHAT'S HAPPENING KIND OF AROUND THE HOUSING SPACE.
SO WE PROVIDED THIS SLIDE JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION AROUND INCOMING COST BURDEN. AS I THINK WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PAPER, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE MEDIAN HOUSE -- HOME PRICE FROM 2019 TO 2023, THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE'VE SEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE MEDIAN INCOME, A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE POVERTY RATE, WHICH COMES FROM THE CENSUS AND OUR OWN DHS DASHBOARD.
INCREASES IN THE COST OF RENT, AND THEN INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF COST-BURDENED RENTERS AND COST-BURDEN EARN HOUSEHOLDS.
ED HOUSEHOLDS. ON PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ALTHOUGH
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WE'VE SEEN A 15% INCREASE SINCE 2019, THERE HAS BEEN A 25% DECREASE IN UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS, WHICH SPECIFICALLY SPEAKS TO THE STRATEGY THAT THE CITY AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED.ON THE JOBS AND LABOR SIDE, REALLY NO CHANGE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, AND WE HAVE SEEN A 13.6% INCREASE IN EMPLOYED PEOPLE.
DURING THAT WE ARE IN THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THERE'S EASILY OVER 200 HOUSING-RELATED BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED. IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST THEY'VE SEEN IN MY CAREER FILED AT THIS SESSION. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE ACROSS THE STATE. HOUSE BILL 21 IS REALLY FOCUSED ON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATIONS. WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATIONS THAT ARE BEING ESTABLISHED, WE'RE CALLING THEM TRAVELING HFCS THAT ARE JUST GOING INTO COMMUNITIES AND SETTING UP PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, HOUSING PROJECTS WITH REALLY NO LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY, NO ALIGNMENT WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND ACTUALLY COMMUNITIES NOT EVEN BEING AWARE THAT THEY ARE COMING INTO COMMUNITIES.
AND SO LAST SESSION, THERE WAS A BILL -- THERE WERE SOME SIMILAR ISSUES WITH PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION, SENATOR BET 10 COURT FILED.
WE'RE IN SOUP PORT OF AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF MIRRORING. WHAT HAPPENED WITH PFCS, WHAT HAPPENS THIS SESSION. WE KNOW THERE'S EXISTING PROJECTS THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, SO THIS IS AFFECTING THE WHOLE STATE. LAST AUGUST WE HELD A HOUSING LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS AS A RECOMMENDATION, WAS THE REQUIREMENT OF TRANSFER ON DEATH DEEDS AT OUR RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY SALES AT CLOSINGS.
REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA HAS FILED HB 5642, SO THIS IS A DIRECT OUTCOME OF THAT WORKSHOP AND THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND IDENTIFYING WHAT ITS HOUSING LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ARE. AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO -- WE WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA AS THEY DEVELOPED THIS BILL, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN BE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT MAY NEED TO TESTIFY.
SENATE BILL 1944 GRANTS THE CITY'S OPTIONS AROUND THE TWO-MILE RULE, WHICH HAS IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF AND THE LOCATION OF LLITECH PROJECTS THAT CAN BE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THAT IMPACTS A NUMBER OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE HAD. THERE ARE SOME MOVEMENT TO CHANGE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND SO IN LARGE URBAN AREAS, THIS IS A BIG ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT STRATEGICALLY SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE WANT TO DO WORK WITH TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, WE'LL NEED THAT FLEXIBILITY IN ORDER TO PLACE PROJECTS IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD SO THIS RULE WON'T IMPACT US. WE HAD OUR FIRST INAUGURAL RALLY DAY FROM MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL HOUSING ECOSYSTEM IN AUSTIN. WE HAD ABOUT 15 PEOPLE THAT SHOWED.
WE HAD 18 MEETINGS ALONG OUR ISSUE AREAS, WHICH ARE INSURANCE, LITEK, AIRS PROPERTY, HFCS AND OTHERS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO VISIT WITH LEGISLATORS ON. IT WAS A GOOD FIRST START FOR US.
ON THE LOCAL COORDINATION SIDE, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
WE'RE WORKING WITH DISTRICTS RIGHT NOW ON CREATING A WORKSHOP AS A STARTING POINT FOR THAT. I THINK A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS AREN'T AS IN TUNE AS MAYBE THE CITY IS IN SOME OF OUR SHIP PARTNERS ARE AROUND OUR HOUSING PLAN. WE NEED TO EXTEND THAT EDUCATION SO THAT DISTRICTS NOW HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO THE GOAL WOULD BE TO LEVEL SET EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEN BEGIN STARTING CONVERSATIONS ON WHAT NEXT STEPS COULD LOOK LIKE. ON THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING SIDE, I THINK WE'RE LEARNING NOW,S SPECIALLY LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD ASKED NONPROFITS TO STAND UP A NUMBER OF THINGS RELATED TO HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT CAPACITY BUILDING.
SO WE KNOW THAT LOCALIFY LAN THRO PI HAS ALREADY TAKEN SOME WORKS AND SOME STEPS IN THIS AREA. THE CITY NOW, MY OFFICE IS BEGINNING TO REACH OUT TO THEM TO UNDERSTAND, WE WANT ALIGNMENT. WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THE GOAL IS AND HOW THIS ACTUALLY CAN BUILD UP CAPACITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM. VERONICA SHARED WITH YOU THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN. WE FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AREA FOUNDATION ON ISSUE CALLED REFRAMING HOUSING. IT'S CREATING NEW FRAMES ON HOW THE COMMUNITY THINKS ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, I THINK THEY HAVE A PICTURE IN THEIR MIND OF
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WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT WHEN ACTUALLY YOU TAKE SOMEBODY TO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, THEY THINK IT'S A NORMAL APARTMENT COMPLEX, AND THEY KIND OF WHISPER, WHERE'S THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING? SO THE GOAL OF THIS, IT'S A COHORT OF 30 PLUS INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND ARE NOW READY TO GO OUT INTO COMMUNITIES, START TALKING TO CHURCHES, TO THEIR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, BUT THESE ARE THEIR NETWORK OF PEOPLE. IT COULD BE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THEIR HOMES THAT THEY INVITE IN TO HAVE KOFERTIONZS. I THINK A NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES HAVE TO BE PERSON-TO-PERSON, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS OPPORTUNITY PROVIDES FOR. FINALLY, WE HAD OUR SA TO DC TRIP ON MARCH THE FOURTH TO THE SIXTH, I KNOW SOME COUNCILMEMBERS WERE PRESENT. WE HAD A HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS TEAM THIS YEAR. WE HAD 36 MEMBERS ON THAT TEAM, THE LARGEST EVER.OUR GOAL THIS YEAR WAS PRIMARILY UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT ON EXECUTIVE ORDERS. SO IT WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
ALTHOUGH WE WERE THERE UNDERSTANDING THAT, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION AND HOUSING PROJECT SUCH AS LITEC FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED, I THINK WE FOUND SOME COMMON GROUND WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE VISITED WITH, AND THEN WE TALKED -- YOU KNOW, QULEERLY, THAT VISIT WAS CLEARLY, THAT VISIT WAS SOBERING FOR US WHAT'S STILL GOING TO BE AVAILABLE WITH HUD ON THE STAFFING AND FUNDING SIDE.
WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT ISSUE SO WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S MY PRESENTATION. RIGHT NOW, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PIECE ALANIZ WITH
THE HOUSING TRUST. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MARK.
PETE ALANIZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST. EXCUSE MY VOICE TODAY, A LITTLE COUGH.
JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IN OUR PIPELINE.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 18 COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING BUILT REPRESENTING ABOUT 4400 HOMES. WE ALSO HAVE IN OUR PREDEVELOPMENT PIPELINE 12 ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES, WHICH WILL REPRESENT ANOTHER THREE THOUSAND HOMES, SO DEFINITELY BUSINESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT FRONT IN KEEPING UP WITH THE SUPPLY.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH LAND ACQUISITION.
WE HAVE EITHER ACQUIRED OR HAVE UNDER CONTRACT, AND ACTUALLY THIS AFTERNOON AT OUR BOARD MEETING, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE GETTING AUTHORIZATION TO CLOSE. WE HAVE ABOUT 37 ACRES REPRESENTING ABOUT $19 MILLION THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACQUIRE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FROST BANK AND IN THE CITY IN SOME CASES AS WELL. WE'RE -- WITH THESE ACQUISITIONS, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK.
I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND FEATURE ONE OF THEM. THE CATTLEMAN SQUARE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. WE WERE AWARDED $250,000 FROM THE WEST SIDE TIRZ AND FROM THE CITY TO START OUR OUTREACH ON REALLY REENVISIONING CATTLEMAN'S SQUARE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE EITHER UNDER CONTRACT OR OWN THREE KEY PARCELS AROUND THE CENTRAL PLAZA AREA WITHIN CATTLEMAN'S THAT WE SHOULD HOPEFULLY BE CLOSING LATER THIS SPRING AND THIS EARLY SUMMER. AND WITH THAT, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED HAVING THOSE INITIAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, STARTING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS. AND WE THINK THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS HAVE TRIED. AND UNFORTUNATELY NOT SUCCEEDED IN DEVELOPING IN THIS AREA, SO OUR APPROACH IS LOOKING AT A LARGER VISION FOR CATTLEMAN'S. AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, THE FOLKS THAT WE'VE TALKED TO SO FAR ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE NEXT MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDER AND HAVING THE STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATIONS.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE FOLKS IN THIS AREA.
BECAUSE I THINK AN EFFORTÚOF THS REALLY GOING TO NEED TO TAKE -- IS REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME RECENT GRANT AND FINANCIAL AWARD OPPORTUNITIES. THE FIRST ONE IS TO CULTURAL LINGUAFOR $130,000 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT TO HELP THEM ESTABLISH THEIR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WE AWARDED ABOUT $75,000 TO TWO FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO NEED TO DO SOME TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS ON
[02:05:05]
THEIR PROPERTIES. ONE OF THEM IS OVER ON DISTRICT TWO ON THE NEAR EAST SIDE. IT'S THE BETHEL AME CHURCH.THEY HONE SOME PROPERTY ON SWISS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE IMPACT GILD, WHICH IS WORKING OVER ON GOLIAD ROAD, IT'S ABOUT $50,000 WE'VE PROVIDED TO THEM AS WELL. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR PRESERVING OUR HOUSING STOCK AND INSURING THAT OUR PROPERTIES ARE SET UP FOR THE LONG TERM. SO WE HAVE MADE ABOUT 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS IN REHABILITATION AWARDS TO THREE DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
ONE IS OPPORTUNITY HOME, ONE IS [INDISCERNIBLE] HOUSING AND WE'RE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING IN APRIL A $500,000 AWARD TO PROSPERA.
SO REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SOME END ROADS IN MAKING SURE WE'RE PRESERVING THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TALK. STAFF TOLD ME TO TAKE OUT ALL THE PRETTY PICTURES, YOU'LL GET TO SEE THAT LATER, BUT I THINK I DID
IT UNDER FIVE MINUTES, SO THANK YOU. >> AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITY HOME, THEY'RE ALSO SHIP PARTNER AND PRESENT WITH US TODAY. WE HAVE ELAINE ROBLES, SHE HAS A QUICK STATEMENT
FOR YOU AS WELL. >> GOOD MORNING. AS INTRODUCED I'M ELAINE ROBLES, I'M THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND REAL ESTATE OFFICER FOR OPPORTUNITY HOME SAN ANTONIO. I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS TO YOU THAT OUR ACTING PRESIDENT, CEO, MICHAEL REYES IS CURRENTLY IN D.C. WITH OTHERS WITH THE COUNCIL FOR LARGE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES FIGHTING FOR HOUSING RIGHTS FOR OUR CITY. AND, IN FACT, THIS AFTERNOON, HE'LL BE TESTIFYING BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE IN DEFENSE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT I WANTED TO EXPRESS TO THE COMMITTEE TODAY, AS A SHIP PARTNER AND THE LARGEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNER IN SAN ANTONIO, WE WITNESS FIRSTHAND THE URGENT NEED FOR SAFE, ACCESSIBLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING. OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS WE HAVE STREK THENNED OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO THIS MISSION BY CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF OUR WAITLIST WHICH PROVIDES A MORE -- IN AUDIO] -- HOUSING NEEDS, REFINING OUR WAITLIST PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS ARE PRIORITIZED.
FOR GIVE MY VOICE. EXTENDING OURSELF-SUFFICIENT PROGRAMS TO -- SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERMANENT HOUSING TO INCLUDE SAN PEDRO AND THE COMMONS. AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE SOLD TO FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS EARNING 60 TO 80% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME, ALSO PARTNERING TO EXPAND THE HOUSING STOCK WITH 3,000 NEWLY AFFORDABLE UNITS WITH 5,000 IN THE PIPELINE. WE'RE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO PUT AS MANY UNITS IN THE SAN ANTONIO MARKET. THESE ACHIEVEMENTS ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY AND BEYOND. WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF POSITIVE MOVEMENT LOCALLY, WE WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT MENTION WHAT'S HAPPENING ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. HOUSING AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE NATION ARE FACING INCREASED SCRUTINY, FUNDING CHALLENGES AND LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS THAT THREATEN TO SLOW OR EVEN HALT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUCH-NEEDED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HOUSING PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CURRENTLY ADVOCATING IN D.C. AND OUR STATE CAPITOL. WHAT IS CLEAR IS THE AMAZEMENT OF THE LE LEGISLATORS TO KNOW IN SAN ANTONIO WE'RE COLLECT IVELY WORKING TO AFFORD SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL. AND OUR COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO THE SHIP HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT, AND WE THANK
YOU. >> SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ROBERT FROM THE COUNTY? >> NO, THE COUNTY
PARTNERS ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
NO PROBLEM. JUST MAKING SURE. WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I THINK THIS ALWAYS JUST -- I THINK MARK CARMONA SAID IT, IT MAKES HIS HEART HAPPY. IT MAKES MY HEART HAPPY, TOO, MARK. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WERE HERE AS WELL AS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, I KNOW THERE'S LIKE A NEW FEW HOMES THAT WE'LL BE DEDICATING VERY SOON, AND THEN ALL OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, I SAW SAMMINISTRIES INCLUDED IN THERE AS WELL, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU ALL ARE DOING AS WELL. THE EVENT, THE OPEN HOUSE WAS HOSTED IN SOUTH SAN.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY IN DISTRICT FOUR, SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED THAT WE GOT THAT OVER THERE, AND I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR YOU
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ALL, INCLUDING HOW IMPORTANT THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK IS GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AND I KEEP CONTINUING TO HEAR THAT AS I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE.AND THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND THEN, THANK YOU, VERONICA, BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, YES, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT IT. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO REDEFINE THE LOOK AND FEEL -- OR HOW WE SHARE THAT MESSAGE OF HOW WE'RE DEFINING THE LOOK AND FEEL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IN PARTICULAR I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE AAAS, THE AFFORDABILITY, THE AVAILABILITY AND THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS. I THINK THAT -- I MENTIONED THIS YESTERDAY, BUT OUR POPULATION IN SAN ANTONIO IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO AGE IN PLACE OR HAVE SOMEWHERE TO LIVE. AND THEN I ALSO LIKE THE NARRATIVE THAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO CHANGE ON THE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS, AND I FEEL LIKE WHEN I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND I KNOW THAT I'M GOING INTO A CROWD THAT'S GOING TO MAYBE NOT BE AS PREPARED, AS INFORMED, I START OFF WITH TELLING THEM ABOUT THE NEW FACES OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND HOW IT IS FAMILIES.
SO I THINK THAT CREATES THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPATHY AND END THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF WHAT IT IS. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOCUSED ON THOSE. ON THE SHIP, WE HAVE CERTAIN GOALS THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. ARE WE ALSO MEASURING UP TO THOSE DEADLINES? I KNOW THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE AT ABOUT -- IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD FROM WHAT I COULD SEE, BUT FOR THE ANNUAL, ARE WE
HITTING THE MARKS THERE? >> SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANNUAL, IT'S REALLY JUST 10-YEAR, BUT WE KIND OF JUST TAKE THE 10 AND DIVIDE IT BY 10 AND WE HAVE ANNUAL. WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THE MOST PART -- WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT OUR SHIP GOALS, IT'S NOT JUST NUMBER OF UNITS, BUT IT'S SEGREGATED BY AREA MEDIAN INCOME, SO WE HAVE GOALS THERE, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ON TRACK. THE BIGGEST ONE WOULD BE THE 30%.
WE ARE AT ABOUT 20% TOTAL INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, A THIRD OF THE WAY THERE.
SO -- AND THAT IS WHY OUR LAST RFP PROPOSAL HAD AN INCREASED REQUIREMENT FOR 30% UNITS INSTEAD OF 10%. THE PROJECT MUST HAVE AT LEAST 15% AT 30. BECAUSE WE KNOW WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE
PROGRESS ON THAT PARTICULAR GOAL. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
THAT WAS GOING TO WITH ONE OF MY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALREADY ANSWERED AND I APPRECIATE IT, AND I KNOW THE HOUSING TRUST IS MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, SO WE'LL LIKELY BE ABLE TO HELP IN THAT REGARD AS WELL.
SO WONDERFUL. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND I'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO?
>> CASTILLO: SURE. THANK YOU, VERONICA, AS WELL AS ALL THE PARTNERS. I'M ALWAYS EXCITED WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THE JUST DIFFERENT MOVING PIECES REGARDING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AND JUST HOW TO ESSENTIALLY, LIKE, REFRAMING HOUSING, RIGHT? THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, AND I KNOW YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE OF IT. I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF VALUE IN THE INFOGRAPHIC THAT YOU ALL HAVE CREATED AND I THINK WHAT WOULD BE VERY IMPACTFUL IS ESSENTIALLY IN THE SAME WAY PUBLIC WORKS OR SOLID WASTE WILL ISSUE DOOR HANGERS TO LET YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S HAPPENING OR THERE'S A CHANGE IN YOU CAN PUT IN WHATEVER BUCKET, INSURING THAT ALL SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFOGRAPHIC WILL BE HELPFUL.
I ALSO BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN LUNCHEON LEARNS WITH SOME OF OUR FRONT-FACING CITY DEPARTMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, EARLY R THIS WEEK, DHS GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION AT THE ROOSEVELT PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND IT PROVIDED P JUST SO MUCH CONTEXT TO WHAT THEY NAVIGATE AS WELL AS WHAT IT'S LIKE NAVIGATING AS BEING AN UNHOUSED INDIVIDUAL. I THINK THERE WILL BE VALUE FOR THOSE FRONT-FACING DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE THAT BRIEFING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHETHER IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, SOMETIMES THE WORK OF NHS D & D HS CAN BE UNDERMINED BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS OF FOLKS, SO THAT WAY WE'RE WORKING AS A TEAM AND PROVIDING SUPPORT THAT DO THE OUTREACH WORK. IN TERMS OF THE BILLS THAT ARE FILED, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR STATE REP JOE JOSI GARCIA TO INITIATE THAT BILL. IT CREATES SO MANY ISSUES WITHOUT A CLEAR TITLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. EAGER TO SEE THAT THAT BILL IS BEING FILED.
IN TERMS OF HOUSE BILL 32, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I RECENTLY HAD A LOT OF HOUSING ADVOCATES REACH OUT TO ME ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE FRAMING OF IT, IT'S AROUND SQUATTING, HOWEVER THE CONCERN IS THAT IT MAY JUST UNDERMINE THE RIGHTS OF TENANTS IN GENERAL. WHAT IS OUR POSITION, DO WE HAVE ONE? I WOULD HOPE IT'S IN OPPOSITION TO THE BILL.
[02:15:03]
AND THEN WHAT IS LOBBYING LOOK LIKE AROUND THAT? >> YEAH.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE OPPOSED TO THAT BILL, COUNCILMEMBER, AND THERE WAS A HEARING ON IT, REPRESENT CHEN BUTTON IS THE ONE THAT FILED IT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION IN THE -- ALTERNATIVES, THERE IS A SUBSTITUTE THAT'S MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME INITIAL LANGUAGE ON IT, WE THINK IT'S A BETTER EFFORT, BUT WE STILL THINK A LOT OF THE NOTICE TO VACATE, SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY ALREADY AWARE OF IN THE INITIAL LEGISLATION, WE STILL HAVE CONCERN WITH. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH, WE'RE WORKING/COORDINATING VERY CLOSELY WITH GA ON THAT.
SO HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU ON ANY FEEDBACK YOU HAVE THAT WANT TO MAKE
SURE IT'S REPRESENTED IN AUSTIN. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT ALSO I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE AS WE DISCUSSED THE 2026 BOND HOW WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LEGAL AID, AS MY UNDERSTANDING THEY HAD TO LAY OFF A HANDFUL OF FOLKS AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR TENANTS TO CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE RESOURCE THAT THEY ARE. WITH SLIDE 18 WITH THE -- THANK YOU, MARK, WITH THE FEE WAIVER POLICY UPDATE, CAN I GET A QUICK, LIKE SUMMARY OF WHAT FOLKS ARE THINKING, WHAT CITY STAFF'S THINKING IN TERMS OF POLICY UPDATES?
>> SURE. SO THE PRIMARY REASON FOR BRINGING THAT BACK WAS AT THE REQUEST OF THIS COMMITTEE -- IMPACT FEES. THEY WENT UP ON AVERAGE 30% ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT IN SOME REGIONS, THOSE IMPACT FEES WENT UP EVEN MORE.
AND OUR CURRENT FEE WAIVER PROGRAM CAPS THE FEE WAIVERS AT 250,000 FOR SAUCE, SAWS, SO IT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CURRENT FEE INCREASE. AS WELL AS OUR FEE WAIVER PROGRAM ALSO PRIORITIZES WHO GETS THE FEE WAIVERS. IT'S AVAILABLE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE PRIORITIES ARE IN
ALIGNMENT WITH THE HOUSING PRIORITIES NOW. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. THERE'S A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST THAT DR. ROCHA GARCIA AND I COAUTHORED, REBUILDING DREAMS FOR HOMEOWNERS THAT EXPERIENCE A FIRE BUT AREN'T INSURED AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM REBUILD AND POTENTIALLY LEAN ON THESE FEES TO HELP THEM REDUCE THOSE COSTS. AND I KNOW THERE'S A HUGE NEED ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS BORN OUT OF RESIDENTS JUST NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO NEXT AND JUST NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES TO REBUILD. SO GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE GOING TO REVISIT THAT FEE STRUCTURE. OF COURSE, I WOULD BE HESITANT IF WE'RE REWARDING MARKET RATE OR UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT I'M SURE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL, WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS WHERE WE HAVE THEM. ONE LAST CONCERN THAT I HAVE, AND I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE IS IN TERMS OF EXPIRING AFFORDABILITY WITH SOME OF OUR UNITS, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT NEXT STEPS, IF ANY, WE'RE DOING TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUY DOWN THAT AFFORDABILITY FOR SOME OF THESE EXPIRING UNITS? I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE ROUGHLY 350,000 EXPECTED
TO EXPIRE? >> SURE. YEAH, SO WE'VE DONE OUTREACH TO THOSE AND PROBABLY THE BEST STRATEGY WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS ENSURING THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF OUR HOUSING SOLICITATIONS, OUR FUNDING SOLICITATIONS. AND WE WILL BE BRINGING THOSE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO B SESSION AND THEN COUNCIL IN THE COMING MONTHS. AND ONE THING WE HAD AS PPRIORITY IS IF WE RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS FOR THAT AND WHAT THOSE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
WILL LOOK LIKE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. AND LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WITH THE ONGOING LOCAL COORDINATION, I KNOW IT'S GENERAL ENFORCEABLE DISTRICTS AND [INDISCERNIBLE] HAPPENS TO BE THERE BUT I WANT TO ENSURE THAT HARLANDALE ISD CONTINUES TO BE IN CONVERSATIONS ASHED HOUSING. DR. SOTO HAS BEEN ONE OF THE PRIMARY ADVOCATES IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE BRINGING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE HARLANDALE ISD AREA. AND WANT TO TAKE OPPORTUNITY HOME FOR THE INITIATIVE, I COULDN'T GO BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF TOWN. THE NEIGHBORS ARE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THERE ARE NEW HOMES CONSTRUCTED THERE. THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU TO THE TEAM AS WELL. THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, AND I HAD ONE MORE NOTE.
AND, PETE, ON THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, I KNOW THAT WE HAD, LIKE, JUDGE SAKAI AND COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO IS INCLUDED. I KNOW YOU'RE INCORPORATING HER, BUT IT WILL MAKE ME FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE SEEING HER NAME ON THE SLIDE AND STUFF. SO ANYWAYS, JUST --
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS ASSUMED SO I LEFT THAT OFF, BUT, YES, WE ARE DOING A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH THE COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THE DISTRICT FIVE OFFICE, BECAUSE JUSTIN IS AWESOME, TOO, YEAH. SO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN?
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE DO NEED TO BRING IN TO THE CONVERSATION, AND I KNOW
[02:20:05]
YOU'VE DONE THAT, BUT BE MORE EXPLICIT WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY.WE WANT THEM TO GET INTO THE HOMES THAT THEY WANT TO PURCHASE A HOME, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY AREN'T MAKING MORE OR LESS. SO HAD GOOD KOFER CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF OUR BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS REGARDING THAT, BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT. WHAT I LOVE THAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST AND WITH OUR SHIP PLAN IS THAT WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT RATES WITHIN THE MULTIFAMILY, SO IF THEY START MAKING MORE, THEY CAN STAY IN THAT UNIT -- THEY CAN STAY ON THAT PROPERTY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO MOVE TO ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, LOCATION. IT'S JUST THAT THEIR RENT GOES UP A LITTLE BECAUSE THEY'RE MAKING MORE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND WORKING CONSIDERATION.
THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK WE STILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO GET CREATIVE AND BE MORE OPEN TO PREMANUFACTURED HOMES, A MOBILE HOME PARK.
THAT'S A HUGE THING IN MY DISTRICT ACROSS DISTRICT THREE, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND NOT FORGETTING TO MAKE PROGRESS THERE, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE WAY WE CAN HOUSE, AND WE CAN HOUSE AFFORDABLY, AND I KNOW IDEAL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE PEOPLE IN BRICK AND MORTAR, BUT PREMANUFACTURED HOMES AND -- THEY DO THIS IN ARIZONA, THEY DO IT IN CALIFORNIA. WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THE OTHER THING THAT -- AS I WAS IN D.C. ALSO ON ANOTHER TRACK, WE DO HAVE TO ANTICIPATE A POSSIBILITY THAT IF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE A MAJOR EMPLOYER THAT SUDDENLY HAS TO VACATE OR GOES OUT OF BUSINESS, THEY WILL BE COMING TO US LOOKING FOR JOBS AND PLACES TO LIVE. SO WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE THAT AND BE PREPARED WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
SO HOUSING, WE HAVE OUR GOALS, BUT IN THESE TIMES, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE INCREASE AND MAYBE THAT POPULATION GROWTH THAT WE TALK ABOUT HAPPENS FASTER THAN WE ANTICIPATED. SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE UPDATE. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER AS WE CONTINUE ON. THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. COCOUNCILMAN COURAGE?
>> COURAGE: I THINK IT WAS SLIDE 10, MARK, REGARDING COST BURDEN IN THE COMMUNITY. AND VERONICA, YOU MENTION ED ON OUR TARGETS FOR ACHIEVING AMI, THAT WE'RE AT 20% FOR THE 30% GROUP AND WE'RE GOING TO START ASKING INSTEAD OF 10% IN A NEW PROJECT BEING 30 -- STAY UP THERE, MARK, I WANT TO GET YOU, TOO. THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK 15.
I DON'T KNOW HOW 15 GETS US TO 30 WHEN WE'RE AT 20% NOW FOR THE NEW HOUSING BEING DEVELOPED? AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE THINGS, BUT, MARK, I WANTED TO ASK THE STATISTICS THAT YOU HAD ON SLIDE 10, HOW
CURRENT ARE THEY? >> THEY'RE AS OF 2023. SO THE DATA TREND, THE DATA SET THAT WE LOOKED AT, COUNCILMAN, IS FROM 2019 TO 2023.
>> COURAGE: DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA IF IT'S GETTING BETTER OR WORSE?
>> WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. WE'D HAVE TO DO JUST SOME SCENARIO LOOKING ON CURRENT CENSUS DATA. I MEAN, WE CAN DIG INTO
IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. >> COURAGE: YEAH. WHAT WORRIES IS WE'RE LOOKING AT $131,000 COST BURDEN RENTERS AND 18% INCREASE IN THAT THREE-YEAR PERIOD, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S DROPPED A LOT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE HEARD IT'S COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT. BUT, STILL, THAT'S -- 131,000 PEOPLE COST BURDEN JUST BY PAYING THEIR RENT. AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE SLIDES THAT SAYS E EVICTIONS ARE UP. 23,000 EVICTIONS FILED, 14,000 PEOPLE EVICTED. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COST-BURDENED HOMEOWNERS, 11% INCREASE IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME. IT SEEMS TO ME WE REALLY DO HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE AT THE TOP DON'T FEEL IT, OR MAYBE THEY CAN AFFORD TO FEEL IT MORE THAN MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE, OR ON THE LOWER ECONOMIC BRACKETS, WHICH IS WHY I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A HOUSING BOND.
AND WE NEED TO DO THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD 150 MILLION IN 2022, AND WE'RE STILL SPENDING SOME
[02:25:06]
OF THAT, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER. BUT WE'RE STILL A GREAT WAYS AWAY FROM HAVING ENOUGH AFFORDABILITY FOR PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY TO LIVE SAFE AND COMFORTABLY. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING WE NEED TO HAVE A HALF A BILLION, A $500 MILLION BOND ISSUE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN THIS CITY SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND A LOT MORE INTO THE AREA OF PROVIDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST ISSUE I HEARD WHEN I WAS ON THE HOUSING TRUST, AND, PETE, YOU PROBABLY STILL KNOW THIS, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE WELL INTENDED ON BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO AND BORROW MONEY TO DO THAT, THEY'RE FINDING OUT THAT, LIKE INTERIM FINANCING COSTS CAN BE AS MUCH AS 15, 16, 17% RETURN TO THE INVESTOR, WHICH REALLY MAKES IT CHALLENGING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE WAY THE ECONOMY'S GOING, BUT FROM A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING, IT ISN'T GOING TO GET BETTER SOONER. IT COULD GET WORSE, WHICH MEANS IT MAY EVEN BE MORE CHALLENGING FOR INVESTORS TO DEMAND MORE OR TO BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABILITY.BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CITY CAN BORROW MONEY AT 4.5, 5% BECAUSE WE ARE AAA RATED AS AN INVESTMENT. AND IF WE CAN BORROW EVEN A YEAR, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, AND WE CAN BORROW AT 6% OR 7%, AND WE CAN BE A PARTNER IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INSTEAD OF STANDING ON THE SIDELINES AND MAKING GRANTS, BUT BE A FULL PARTNER IN HELPING TO DEVELOP MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LEND IT AT 6 OR 7 OR 8% AND ASK THEM PAY US BACK AT 8 OR 9%, WE MAKE A LITTLE BIT, WE GET THAT MONEY BACK, WE REUSE IT, AND IT'S CHEAPER THAN WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO GO AND BORROW AT THE MARKET RATE TODAY. THAT, I HOPE, WOULD INCREASE THE AFFORDABILITY WE CAN BUILD INTO MORE AND MORE HOUSING.
>> SO I. ONCE WE MOVE BEYOND THE ELECTION, LET'S MAKE THAT A KEY ISSUE THAT WE CAN ASK PEOPLE TO CONSIDER SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO ARE STRUGGLING AND CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR BEING EVICTED.
I MEAN, 14,000 PEOPLE, THAT'S A TERRIBLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BE ADDED TO THE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. WELL, AND, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL TO EVERYONE, AND SO I'M LIKE COUNCILMAN COURAGE, LET'S GET ANOTHER HOUSING BOND DONE SOONER THAN LATER, AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, AND SO IT'S OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.
THANK YOU, AGAIN, TO OUR PARTNERS. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE
WE DON'T NEED ANY ACTION ON THIS, CORRECT? >> NO.
I WAS GOING TO REMIND YOU WE WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE CEMETERY DISCUSSION.
>> ROCHA GARCIA: ABSOLUTELY, YES. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE, WHO ARE IN THE ROOM. TO MY COLLEAGUES, IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO STEP OUT, FEEL FREE. WE WERE TALKING HOUSING SO I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE TIME. WE ARE ALREADY HALF AN HOUR OVER.
I DID WANT TO GIVE THE ABILITY FOR MY COLLEAGUE IN D3 TO PROVIDE HER INPUT ON ITEM NUMBER 2, WHICH WAS THE CEMETERY ITEM. THERE WAS AN ISSUE THERE GOING ON.
COUNCILMAN, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED THE PRESENTATION AGAIN BUT GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOUR REMARKS.
>> VIAGRAN: I KNOW RIGHT NOW, WE ARE PENDING ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL. I THINK THE NEXT THING I'M ASKING FOR IS WHERE ARE -- I JUST DROVE DOWN ONE OF THE STREETS IN MY COMMUNITY AND THERE'S A MISSION SAN JOSE CEMETERY SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COMMUNITY. I THINK I REALLY WANT TO SEE -- HAVE THAT INFORMATION, THERE WE ARE. HERE ARE CEMETERIES, WHAT'S THE POSSIBILITY, WHO IS TAKING CARE OF THEM AND THEN IN RELATION, IF WE ARE CONTRACTING OUT WITH OTHER FUNERAL HOME COMPANIES AND COMPANIES THAT WANT TO COME IN AND IN SOME CASES, THAT WANT TO COME IN AND HAVE A CEMETERY HERE WITHIN THE CITY DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS, LETTING THEM LOOK AT THIS AND SAY HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT WE COULD USE IS YOU HELPING OUT WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL
[02:30:06]
CEMETERIES AND SEEING WHAT SORT OF QUALITY SERVICE THEY HAVE. >> BASED OFF THE INFORMATION, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT WE HAVE FOUND, THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE PRIVATE, SOME ARE LARGE, SOME ARE SMALL. BUT THE ONES THAT ARE CITY-OWNED, THEY ARE MANAGED BY PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THERE IS ONE THAT IS CO-PARTNERSHIP, IF YOU WILL.
I HAVE SOMEONE HERE FROM PARKS DEPARTMENT TO HELP ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO
ELABORATE ON THOSE. >> VIAGRAN: NO, I THINK FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT, WE DO NEED -- I DO WANT TO MAYBE TALK WITH PARKS AND THEN WAIT UNTIL WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEN TALK WITH PARKS ABOUT IS THIS SOMETHING WE C CAN -- HOW DO WE MANAGE IT AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE INVENTORY OF HOW MANY SPACES DO
WE HAVE AND IS THIS AFFORDABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. >> WE CAN COORDINATE A MEETING DEPENDING UPON THE OUTCOME OF THE HOUSE BILL, WE CAN COORDINATE A MEETING AND DEFINITELY HAVE PARKS DEPARTMENT WITH YOU TO HELP ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> VIAGRAN: YEAH. I THINK DEPENDING ON THE HOUSE BILL, WE ARE GOING TO SEE, DO WE STILL HAVE LOCAL CONTROL TO PUT IN AN ORDINANCE WITH CEMETERIES AND IF WE DO, WHAT'S THAT POLICY GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND SECONDLY, IF WE DON'T, WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR CEMETERIES CURRENTLY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND IS THERE A WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM SO PEOPLE ARE RESTING IN PEACE WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE PLACES. THANK YOU.
THAT'S IT. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING FOR TODAY. 11:37, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.