* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:01:28] GOOD MORNING, WOULD YOU PLEASE BE SEATED? THANK YOU. WE'RE READY TO BEGIN. WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER THE THIRD, 2019. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER . HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER COVEO HDA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY AND MAYOR NUREMBERG. HERE. HERE, MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION AGENDA. THE TIME IS 2:20 AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE GET STARTED THIS MORNING. TO GET US TO BEGIN, [1. Invocation] WE HAVE AN INDICATION GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER REBECCA VILLAGRA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INVITE PASTOR ROBERT C RELO UP TO THE PODIUM. PASTOR AR ARVELO IS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF GRACE TABERNACLE CHURCH, LOCATED NEAR THE GROWING BROOKS AREA IN DISTRICT THREE, SUPPORTED BY HIS WIFE, WHO'S HERE TODAY, FAMILY AND CHURCH CONGREGATION. THEY WORK IN UNITY TO ENCOURAGE THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH GOD'S WORD AND HELP MEET BOTH THEIR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS. THE HEARTBEAT OF GRACE TABERNACLE CHURCH IS KNOWN TO BE ITS COMMUNITY. IT IS DISPLAYED THROUGH OUTREACH'S PLAN THE ENTIRE YEAR, FEEDING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD PANTRY MINISTRY, WARM MEALS DELIVERED ON THANKSGIVING DAY, AND TOYS GIFTED TO NEEDY CHILDREN NEAR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. PASTOR ROBERT AND GRACE TABERNACLE'S CHURCH, MAIN DESIRE IS TO SERVE IN THE COMMUNITY WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF. WOULD YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYER THIS MORNING? LORD, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY ON A SPECIAL DAY, ON A DAY THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US FATHER THE LORD TODAY, AS SEVERAL CITIZENS WILL SPEAK, I PRAY WISDOM OVER ALL OUR CITY LEADERS, LORD GOD, IN THE DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE FOR OUR WONDERFUL CITY. THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. AND THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT WE CALL SAN ANTONIO OUR HOME. WE THANK YOU AND ASK ALL THESE THINGS IN YOUR NAME, LORD. AMEN. AMEN [2. Pledge of Allegiance] TO THE FLAG IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, PASTOR VELO. [3. Approval of Minutes from the City Council Special Meeting of August 20, 2019 and the City Council Regular Meetings of August 21 - 22, 2019] OKAY, OUR FIRST ITEM FOR BUSINESS TODAY IS APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR AUGUST 20TH, 21ST AND 22ND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 20TH THROUGH 22ND. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. BEFORE WE GET TO THE REST OF OUR AGENDA TODAY, [Additional Item] WE DO HAVE A FEW ITEMS, UH, FOR PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN. UH, IF I MAY, AND LIKE TO REMIND [00:05:01] EVERYONE IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY THAT IN 2017 WE WERE PROCLAIMED THAT AUGUST 12TH WAS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME WE FORMALLY MEET IN THESE CHAMBERS UNTIL AUGUST, OR EXCUSE ME, OCTOBER 17TH. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS TO HONOR THE INDIGENOUS PAST AND OUR PRESENT AND OUR FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO ON OCTOBER 14TH, THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE SOME OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN INHABITANTS OF OUR CITY AND PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE LONG, RICH HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO ON OCTOBER 14TH, LET US REFLECT ON THE INJUSTICES THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENDURED AND JOIN THEM IN CONTINUED RESPECT FOR OUR LANDS, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, AND OUR NEIGHBORS. AND AS ANTONIO DIAZ HERE, UH, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD AND RECEIVE THE PROCLAMATION? ANTONIO, I'LL, I'LL READ IT AND THEN MAKE SOME COMMENTS. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHEREAS THE TEXAS INDIGENOUS COUNCIL WILL HOST AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY CEREMONY ON OCTOBER 14TH, 2019 TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE TRADITIONS OF AND HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS CULTURES. AND WHEREAS THE TEXAS INDIGENOUS COUNCIL IS A GROUP OF LOCAL CITIZENS WHOSE GOAL IS TO HELP BRING A GREATER COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO SAN ANTONIO, SOUTH TEXAS AND THE WORLD. AND WHEREAS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE THE EARLIEST KNOWN INHABITANTS THAT PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE LONG, RICH HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WHEREAS WHILE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENDURED PAST INJUSTICES, THEY CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE A RESPECT FOR LAND, NATURAL RESOURCES AND COOPERATION AMONG NEIGHBORS. NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HERE ABOUT HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 14TH, 2019 TO BE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THANK YOU. IT IS GOOD TO HEAR OUR DRUM SPEAK. SO INSTEAD OF ANYONE ELSE, THE DRUMS OUR HEARTBEAT, AND THAT'S DIANE OGA DOING THAT. IT'S JUST DOING THIS, THE FOUR DIRECTIONS. UH, I THANK ALL OF YOU AND AGAIN, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, TOOK 15 YEARS TILL 2015 WHEN THIS ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED FOR OCTOBER 12TH. BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR MAYOR NIERENBERG DECLARE OCTOBER 14TH, WHICH IS THE, UH, NATIONAL HOLIDAY. SO, UH, DECLARING COLUMBUS DAY. INSTEAD, IT SHOULD BE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE MAYOR NIRENBERG OF YOU DECLARING OCTOBER 14TH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY AS WE ALREADY HAVE OCTOBER 12TH SINCE 2015. [00:10:01] THIS, THESE SORTS OF CEREMONIES AND THESE SORTS OF, UH, RECOGNITIONS DON'T OCCUR UNLESS A GOVERNING BODY ALLOWS IT. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO PROCLAIM OUR IDENTITY IN SOME AREAS FOR AS LONG AS 500 YEARS AND OTHER AREAS SUCH AS HERE FOR 200 YEARS. SO HAVING THIS TODAY IS A GREAT HONOR FOR MYSELF. I AM , I AM OF THIS AREA. MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND BEING ABLE TO SPEAK AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE OUR DRUM BE HEARD AGAIN, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT MY ANCESTORS THAT ARE BENEATH ME ARE JOYFUL TODAY. SO I THANK YOU THE WHOLE BODY OF COUNCIL MAYOR NIERENBERG, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU ARE THE MAYOR AND COULD VERY EASILY IGNORE THIS TODAY, BUT YOU HAVEN'T. SO IT IT CHOSE ME A LOT ABOUT YOU FROM YOUR HEART. SO FROM MY HEART, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, BUT AGAIN, TO TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, A LONG WAY TO GO. AND I'M STILL IN THIS STRUGGLE UNTIL I CAN'T ANY LONGER. AND SO HOPEFULLY THOSE YOUNGER PEOPLE BEHIND ME WILL PUT UP A HARDER FIGHT THAN I DO. SO DON'T BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU HEAR OUR WORDS. THESE ARE WORDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD BY US BEFORE. WE ARE WRITING OUR OWN NARRATIVE, AS I SAID, SAID SEVERAL TIMES HISTORY. HISTORY IS NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF STORIES. BUT THEY HAVE NOT NOT BEEN TOLD BY US. THEY'VE BEEN TOLD BY OUR OPPRESSORS. THEY'VE BEEN TOLD BY OUR OCCUPIERS, THEY'VE BEEN TOLD BY OUR COLONIZERS. BUT NOW WE ARE STEPPING FORWARD AND MAKING OUR OWN STORIES, AND THIS IS A PART OF IT. SO I THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OH, RIGHT. RECOGNITION IS, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TRAVINA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST WANNA SAY, UH, AGAIN, MY SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY. UH, YOU KNOW, ANTONIO, YOU GOT IT RIGHT WHEN YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA TELL THESE STORIES. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU'RE SEEING IS, UH, THE CITY IS REALLY, UH, AT ITS TIPPING POINT WHERE WE'RE WE'RE TELLING OUR, OUR COMPLETE STORY. AND IT, AND IT REALLY BEGINS WITH ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. UH, SO I CERTAINLY AM HAPPY TO SEE, UH, US RECOGNIZE THIS. UH, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, DONE THIS SINCE 2015, BUT TO, TO EMPHASIZE THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR IS, IS SO, SO IMPORTANT. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. AND, UH, MR. DIAZ, UH, AND DIANA FOR YOU BEING HERE, UH, LAST NIGHT AND NOT LETTING US FORGET HOW IMPORTANT, UH, THIS IS. UM, AND I, I CELEBRATE THAT WITH YOU TOO. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT MANY OF US HERE HAVE INDIGENOUS TIES, AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THAT PRESENT AND ALIVE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. THANK YOU. UM, ANTONIO VIANNA, THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALWAYS PUTTING IT IN FRONT OF US. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS FOR, FOR NOT STOPPING. THANK YOU FOR, UM, SHOWCASING YOUR BLOOD, YOUR INDIGENOUS BLOOD, YOUR COMMUNITY. AND IT'S NOT FOR YOURSELVES, IT'S FOR, UM, OUR STORIES AND IT'S FOR THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. COUNCIL MEMBER PEIS. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING. I'M, I'M, UH, ACTUALLY THANKFUL THAT WE DON'T HAVE A THREE MINUTE DRUM RULE, UH, . AND, UH, THAT THOUGHT, THAT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT. UM, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU I CAME UP WITH THAT, THAT, BUT THAT WAS AARON BLA WHO CAME UP WITH THAT. UM, I, I'M, I'M VERY IMPRESSED, ANTONIO, FOR, FOR A REASON THAT I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU'VE HEARD, UH, BEFORE I, I THINK YOU'RE INDEFATIGABLE WHEN IT COMES [00:15:01] TO, UM, STANDING UP FOR, UH, YOUR HERITAGE AND STANDING UP FOR, UH, US NOT FORGETTING HISTORY. UM, I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE SPEAKING INTO THE WIND AND THAT NO ONE'S LISTENING. I WANNA ASSURE YOU WE ARE. UM, AND IF ANYTHING, UH, CONFIRMS FOR YOU THAT WE ARE, UH, IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU GOT A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY QUIET LISTENING TO YOUR WORDS TODAY. UM, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PICE. AND, UH, AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING THE REPRESENTATIVES TODAY. UH, I KNOW THAT I'M VERY LATE TO LEARN ABOUT OUR INDIGENOUS HISTORY. UH, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I THINK THERE IS A REASON WHY WE HAVEN'T BEEN TAUGHT OUR INDIGENOUS HISTORY. AND I MENTIONED HERE ON THIS DAIS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT A, A BOOK CALLED THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY HERE IN THIS ROOM TO READ IT. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE HERE. UH, I KNOW AS IN A MINUTE, WE'RE GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE SOME GIRLS AND GIRLS INC. AND A COUPLE OF OTHER GIRLS SCOUTS AND GIRLS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE IN THIS ROOM. AND I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALLY TEACH EVERYBODY, UH, THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY. AND SO WE HAVE SOME EDUCATORS HERE, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO PLEASE TEACH THAT TO YOUR CHILDREN. I'M VERY GRATEFUL. MY SON'S, MY SON, IS IN A LITTLE SCHOOL CALLED THE CIRCLE SCHOOL HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND IN THIS HIS SCHOOL, THEY DO TEACH THEM, UH, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S HISTORY. UH, AND SO, UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD START CHANGING THE NARRATIVE ABOUT WHAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY, UH, BECAUSE IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF SO MANY OF US HERE, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM TODAY. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. THANK YOU ESPECIALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER NU WHO I THINK WAS ON THE FOREFRONT OF MAKING THIS, UM, UH, AN ISSUE, UH, OR RATHER BRINGING IT, UM, TO THE COUNCIL IN 2015, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. SO, UM, UH, AND THE PERSISTENCE OF OF YOU ALL FOR MANY, MANY, UH, DECADES, GENERATIONS, THOUSANDS OF YEARS AS YOU MENTIONED. UH, SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, AND, UM, OUR MAYOR FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND CELEBRATE IT FROM HERE FORWARD OCTOBER 14TH AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANTONIO AND DEANNA. I WOULD LIKE TO, DIANA NOW WANTS TO, UH, SAY PRAYER IN CLOSING. OH, GREAT SPIRIT WHOSE VOICE I HEAR IN THE WIND AND WHOSE BREATH GIVE LIFE TO ALL THE WORLD. HEAR ME. I'M SMILING. WE, I SEEK YOUR STRENGTHS AND WISDOM. HELP ME WALK IN BEAUTY IN MY EYES. EVER BEHOLD THE RED AND PURPLE SUNSET. MAKE MY HANDS RESPECT THE THINGS YOU HAVE MADE AND MY EARS SHARP TO HEAR YOUR VOICE MADE ME WISE SO THAT I MAY UNDERSTAND THE THINGS YOU HAVE TAUGHT MY PEOPLE. TEACH ME THE LESSONS YOU HAVE HIDDEN IN EVERY LEAF AND ROCK WHERE I STRANGE ENOUGH TO BE GREATER THAN MY BROTHER, BUT TO FIGHT THE GREATEST ENEMY MYSELF. FOR WE ARE ALL OUR OWN ENEMY FOR WHEN LIFE PAYS AS A FADING SUNSET, I MAY COME TO YOU WITH STRAIGHT EYES AND A CLEAN SPIRIT. THAT'S A TI I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS. IT'S A ROCK, HONEY ROCK. I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL EVER HEARD OF IT, BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT AS DECORATIONS, UH, TO BRI THEIR HOMES. BUT IT COMES FROM A SACRED MOUNTAIN. NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY DON'T RESEARCH IT. BUT I FOUND OUT THAT THIS ROCK IS HEALING. I GOT HIT BY A CAR AT WALMART, AND, UH, I DIDN'T TAKE ANY, I TOOK SOME MEDICINE, BUT IT KNOCKED ME OUT COMPLETELY. LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT WAS, BUT I CARRIED THIS ROCK ON ME. AND I ALSO CARRY A LEMON FOR HEALING. THIS IS THE ONLY STUFF THAT'S BEEN HEALING ME. I NEED OPERATIONS AND STUFF. BUT LOOK, HEY, THEY'RE AMAZED ABOUT ME. YEAH, MIRACLE. SO I WANNA GIVE YOU THIS ROCK MAYOR. AND IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY, 'CAUSE I GAVE THIS LADY THAT CAME INTO WALMART, SHE SAID SHE WAS GONNA START KIMMO. AND I TOLD HER, YOU KNOW WHAT? I, I HAD A BIG LONG ONE OF THIS LONG. I BROKE IT, GAVE HER A PIECE, [00:20:01] AND I DIDN'T SEE HER FOR A MONTH. SHE HAD AN APPOINTMENT A A MONTH AFTER, AND SHE CAME TO ME TO WALMART AGAIN AND CAME, SHE STOOD UP, SHE CAME IN AN ELECTRIC CAR. SHE WAS STANDING, WALKING AND WAS TOLD SHE DIDN'T NEED NO KIMMO. AS YOU CAN SEE, WHY, WHY, UM, OUR EARTH IS A FEMININE ENTITY, BECAUSE IT NURTURES US. AND DEANNA, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, MY GREATEST ALLY AND FRIEND BECAUSE SHE, SHE DOES THAT FOR ME WHEN I, WHEN I GET OUTTA HAND WITH MY ANGER TOWARDS MOST THINGS. AND SO SHE SMOOTHS IT OUT. AND WHEN I LOOK AT HER JUST BY WHAT SHE DOES IN HER OWN WAYS, I, I CAN'T HELP BUT BECOME A LITTLE BIT KINDER. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE TODAY. TI THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. OUR CITY, GIANNA, I WANT YOU TO KNOW OUR CITY CAN USE THIS ROCK AND IT WILL HAVE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU PASS THAT TO THANK YOU. OKAY. TO PROCEED. IN OUR DAY, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL WITH THE POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TO THIS MONTH, OCTOBER, 2019. IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR IS NATIONAL CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH MONTH. AND, UH, I KNOW, UM, WHEN I WAS, UH, YOUNGER, UH, A LOT OF MY DOCTORS THOUGHT THE CHIROPRACTORS WEREN'T, WEREN'T REAL DOCTORS. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE. AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THERE'S SOME HEALING, UM, JUST LIKE THE ROCK THAT YOU GOT THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND WITH THE TOUCH, UH, OF A CHIROPRACTOR. SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WELCOME DR. TREMBLE TO, UH, TO THE FRONT. UM, SHE IS ACTUALLY MY CHIROPRACTOR, BUT , BUT SHE IS REPRESENTING, UH, THE STATE, UH, CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION HERE TO RECEIVE THE PROCLAMATION. UM, MAYOR, WILL YOU READ IT? THANK YOU. OKAY. WHEREAS THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, 2019, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL JOIN THE AMERICAN CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION OB IN OBSERVING NATIONAL CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH MONTH. AND WHEREAS CHIROPRACTORS ARE PHYSICIAN LEVEL PROVIDERS WHO FOCUS ON THE WHOLE PERSON IN THEIR CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO PAIN MANAGEMENT AND HEALTHCARE, AND HAVE PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE IN THE PREVENTION, CARE AND REHABILITATION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES AND CONDITIONS. AND WHEREAS CHIROPRACTORS RECOGNIZE THROUGH RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE THAT A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE CAN DIMINISH JOINT HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND LONGEVITY. AND WHEREAS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY NOT ONLY HELPS REDUCE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, TYPE TWO DIABETES AND SOME CANCERS, IT ALSO STRENGTHENS BONES AND MUSCLES AND HELPS REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF LOW BACK PAIN. AND WHEREAS THE GOAL OF THE OBSERVANCE IS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE AND ITS NATURAL, WHOLE PERSON, PATIENT-CENTERED AND DRUG-FREE APPROACH TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MOVE MORE NOW SO THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE BETTER LATER. NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER, 2019 TO BE NATIONAL CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH MONTH. [00:25:01] THANK YOU, DOC. THANK YOU. I'M HAPPY TO REPRESENT THE OVER 200 DOCTORS IN OUR CITY FOR, UH, THE STATE AND ALSO FOR THE NATION. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. A NEW CHIROPRACTOR. THANK YOU. SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW CHIROPRACTOR, TWO. THANK YOU. TWO MORE. OKAY. THANK. OKAY. AND MOVING ALONG WE'LL NOW RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GAR, UH, ZER GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OCTOBER 11TH, 2019. ITS DAY OF THE GIRL IN 2011. AS THE RESULT OF YOUTH ADVOCACY AROUND THE WORLD, THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARED OCTOBER 11TH AS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL WITH THE MISSION TO HELP GALVANIZE WORLDWIDE ENTHUSIASM FOR GIRLS TO BETTER GIRLS' LIVES, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. IT'S A DAY TO COME TOGETHER UNDER THE SAME GOAL, TO HIGHLIGHT, DISCUSS, AND TAKE ACTION TO ADVANCE RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS EVERYWHERE. THE GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS JOINED THE MOVEMENT IN ORDER TO CREATE AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY AND START DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY AROUND GIRLS. CURRENTLY, OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING REACTIVE. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE WOMEN WITH MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, TECH EDUCATION, AND PLACING EMPHASIS ON PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. HOWEVER, NOT MUCH IS BEING DONE PROACTIVELY, LIKE PROVIDING FUTURE LEADERS, OUR GIRLS, WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BECOME CONFIDENT LEADERS. I'D LIKE TO CALL STEPHANIE FINLEY AND CORTES UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, . THANK YOU, MAYOR EHRENBERG AND CITY COUNCIL. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UM, FOR RECOGNIZING GIRL SCOUTS AND DAY OF THE GIRL TODAY. UM, SO GIRL SCOUTS HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1912, AND IN 2011, THE UNITED NATIONS DECIDED TO GRANT, UM, AN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR DAY OF THE GIRL. GIRL SCOUTS IS THRILLED TO BE LEADING, UM, A FIRST EVER CITYWIDE INITIATIVE WITH OTHER GIRL ONLY ORGANIZATIONS TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THIS IMPORTANT DAY ON OCTOBER 11TH. WE'RE HOPE YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR OUR EVENT. UM, IN OUR MISSIONS, UM, WE SERVE GIRLS IN EVERY ZIP CODE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, WE WORK WITH GIRLS IN CRISIS AS WELL AS AS A PREVENTION FRAMEWORK SO THAT GIRLS CAN HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO BECOME THE FUTURE GENERATION OF THE NEXT LEADERS. AND THEY'RE OUR FOCUS EVERY DAY. GIRLS IS OUR MISSION, AND IT'S WHAT WE WORK ON EVERY DAY. THEY'RE ALWAYS, UM, THE STAR OF THE SHOW. THEY'RE UNIQUE NEEDS AND INTERESTS ALWAYS COME FIRST. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT AT LEAST ONE DAY OUT OF THE YEAR, EVERYONE ELSE RECOGNIZES THAT TOO. SO THAT'S WHAT DAY OF THE GIRL ON OCTOBER 11TH IS GOING TO BE ALL ABOUT. I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE REST OF OUR PARTNERS WHO A LOT OF 'EM ARE SITTING DOWN TOO. UM, GIRLS INC. GIRLS ON THE RUN, RANSOM LIFE, Y W L A SECONDARY AS WELL AS THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. PRIMARY, UM, SIGNIFICANT, YOU AND THE PEARLS THERAPEUTIC FOSTER CARE COURT ARE OUR OFFICIAL PARTNERS, AND WE INVITE EVERYONE TO BE PART OF THE CELEBRATION THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU STEPHANIE. AND ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE ALSO TO YOU ALL DO SUCH A GREAT JOB ADVOCATING FOR OUR GIRLS. THANK YOU ALSO FOR OUR GIRL SCOUT COOKIES THAT WE ALL HAVE, UH, AT OUR SEATS. UM, WE, I'M SURE WE'LL ENJOY THEM OVER THE BREAK HERE SHORTLY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, AND LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING DAY OF THE GIRL WITH YOU ON OCTOBER 11TH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON OUR GIRLS EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT. THAT WILL BE HELD MARCH 13TH AND 14TH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR, PLEASE DON'T GO ANYWHERE. PUT PLEASE COME BACK. WE HAVE, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROCHA GARCIA. WE HAVE SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UH, MAKE A FEW COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. [00:30:02] THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND, AND ALL OF THE OTHERS WHO ARE THE ADULTS WHO SUPPORT SO MUCH OF THESE EFFORTS FOR GIRLS, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, AND OF COURSE, ALL THE GIRL SCOUT PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, I HAVE TWO GREAT GIRL ORGANIZATIONS IN MY COMMUNITY. ONE IS THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE SOUTHWEST HEADQUARTERS, UH, WHICH IS NORTH OF THE AIRPORT IN DISTRICT NINE. AND THE OTHER IS A GROUP CALLED CAMP FOR SUCCESS. ANOTHER VERY, UH, STRONG, UH, ACTIVE GROUP THAT'S HELPING, UH, GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. SO I COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR WORK GOES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. UH, WHEN I WAS AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, UH, THEY HAD A, A GIRL SCOUT GROUP IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PEOPLE SAID, WELL, WHAT, WHAT ARE GIRL SCOUTS DOING IN HIGH SCHOOL? UH, BUT YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW EXPANDED THE WORK IS THAT, UH, THAT IS AVAILABLE TO HELP GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER GRA THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I WANT TO SAY I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL COMING UP. THANK YOU TO ALL THE GIRLS AND THE WOMEN THAT ARE HERE IN THE OFFICE, ALL HERE IN THE, UH, CHAMBERS, UH, WOMEN WHO WERE GIRLS WHO HAD SOMEONE SPEAK CONFIDENCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND TRUTH INTO YOUR LIFE. AND THAT IS WHY, UH, WE ARE HERE TODAY. WHY I AM UP HERE TODAY. THANK YOU GIRLS TOO FOR THE, UM, FOR THE COOKIES, AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR MY, UM, GIRL SCOUT PATCH THAT I GOT FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT ON SATURDAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PATCH AND FOR BEING THE EXAMPLE, NOT JUST HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT TO YOUR, YOUR COMMUNITIES EVERY SINGLE DAY IN SCHOOL AND WHEREVER YOU GO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND TO THE PARENTS OF ALL OF THESE GIRLS, THANK YOU FOR INVESTING YOUR TIME AND YOUR, UM, TALENTS AND TREASURES TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE YOUNG GIRLS KNOW THAT THEY ARE LOVED, THAT THEY ARE POWERFUL, AND THAT THEY CAN DO ALL THINGS. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THE GIRLS OUTTA SCHOOL TO COME, UH, BE RECOGNIZED TODAY. UH, I KNOW THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL AND I, I AM AFRAID THAT PEOPLE LEFT VERY QUICKLY SO THEY COULD GET ON BACK TO SCHOOL. UM, BUT WE WANTED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THEM A LITTLE BIT LONGER. AND I KNOW IT, IT JUST BRINGS ME SUCH GREAT JOY TO SEE THE FACES OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE GIRLS, UH, HERE THAT, UH, WE KNOW ARE GONNA BE FUTURE LEADERS IN THIS CITY. UH, WE HAVE ALSO MANY, SEVERAL GIRLS ORGANIZATIONS AND WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DISTRICT. THE GIRL SCOUTS IS RIGHT ON THE BORDER. IT'S TECHNICALLY DISTRICT SIX, BUT IT'S RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF DISTRICT FIVE AND SIX. UH, ALSO THE Y W L A RIGHT, UH, IN THE AREA. UM, THE Y M C, THE Y W C A, THE Y W L A AND GIRLS INC. ALL, UH, PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF DISTRICT FIVE. AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE MANY OF OUR GIRLS WILL GROW UP TO BE MOTHERS, AND THEY WILL BE PASSING ON, UH, THAT QUALITY, THOSE CHARACTERS THAT THEY USE. AND IF NOT MOTHERS, THEY'LL BE THEAS, THEY'LL BE SISTERS, UH, THEY'LL BE MENTORING IN SOME WAY, UH, THE REST OF OUR CITY. SO THANKS FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR TEACHING US ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL, UH, AND, UM, GETTING, ALLOWING US TO CELEBRATE YOU ALL. SO I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY BACK AT SCHOOL, AND YOU GO BACK AND YOU TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR TEACHERS, UH, WHAT YOU LEARNED TODAY ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY, UH, ABOUT CHIROPRACTORS, UH, ABOUT, UM, PAID SICK LEAVE, WHICH WILL BE, UH, A TOPIC WE'LL DISCUSS. YOU HAVE BUSINESS LEADERS IN THIS ROOM, MANY OF WHOM ARE WOMEN, UH, AND MENTORS ALL OVER THIS CITY THAT REALLY ARE WISHING YOU ALL THE VERY BEST AND ALL THE SUCCESS FOR YOUR FUTURE, ESPECIALLY THE MEMBERS OF US HERE ON THIS DAY. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THEM THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA THANK DR. ROCHA GARCIA FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. UH, THE GIRL SCOUTS FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALWAYS DO. AND OF COURSE, UH, THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. UM, IT'S HARD NOT TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE MY FAVORITE BECAUSE THEY ARE, UH, EVEN THOUGH I WENT TO JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, THERE WAS NO Y W L A BACK IN THE DAY. UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY HAS A 100% GRADUATION RATE, AND THAT IS, THAT IS JUST WONDERFUL FOR, FOR SS A I S D. UM, I ALSO, UH, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THE ACTIVISM AMONG THE, THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG THEIR STUDENTS. AND WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP, DR. MCLAREN, I DON'T THINK [00:35:01] THAT WOULD BE HAPPENING. THE WOMEN JUST REALLY TAKING ON THESE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN FACT, UM, ONE OF THEM, UH, IS WORKING VERY HARD ON GUN VIOLENCE. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S, SHE'S HERE TODAY AND WE DO HAVE AN ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THAT HAS TO DO, UH, WITH, WITH GUN VIOLENCE TODAY. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, FOR ADDING TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. AND STEPHANIE, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, AND YOU HAVE, UH, DONE AMAZING. AND, YOU KNOW, WITH YOU IN GENERAL, SALINAS, WHAT GREAT ORGANIZATION AND SKILLS THAT Y'ALL PUT FORWARD IN HELPING YOUNG LADIES AND GIRLS THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF GROWING UP AND LEARNING. AND THAT'S WHAT GIRL SCOUTS IS ALL ABOUT, IS LEARNING, LEARNING ABOUT LIFE, LEARNING THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU KNOW IS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE WORLD OF THINGS TO LOOK AT AND EXPLORE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. AND, AND LADIES, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION. IT'S A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION AND JUST CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND STEPHANIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, AND PLEASE PASS MY THANKS ALONG TO GENERAL SALINAS ALSO. I'LL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER TRAVINO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, DR. ROJA GARCIA FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS TODAY. UM, AGAIN, THE GIRL SCOUTS DO A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, POINT SOMETHING OUT. MY FRIENDS, UH, MY PILOT BUDDIES WANTED ME TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DID AT, AT A VERY SPECIAL AIRFIELD IN DISTRICT NINE. IN FACT, I'M TRYING TO GET THE COUNCILMAN TO COME OUT THERE AND TAKE A LOOK, MAYBE GO FLYING. BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT PILOTS MUST HAVE IS, UH, A DIRECTIONAL COMPASS. AND, UH, SO THE GIRL SCOUTS WENT OUT THERE AND THEY DID A COMPASS ROWS. IT IS A PLACE WHERE ALL THE PILOTS THAT LAND, UH, AND, AND TAKE OFF OUT OF TWIN OAKS CAN, CAN CALIBRATE THEIR INSTRUMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR NORTH IS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE, THE GREAT WORK THAT THE GIRL SCOUTS DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TINO. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, IT IS GREAT JOY AND PLEASURE TO SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BEAUTIFUL JEWELS STANDING HERE TODAY. UM, IN DISTRICT TWO, WE HAVE THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH IS TRULY, UH, CENTER AND A PART OF THE HEART. SO IF I THINK THEY'RE STILL HERE, IF THEY WOULD JUST STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO COME OUT AND BE WITH US TODAY. THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, UM, STARTED OFF WITH SIXTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE. UM, THERE ARE A NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL. AND TO SAY THAT THESE YOUNG LADIES ARE DOING SOME EXCEPTIONAL WORK IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. UM, I LOOK AT THEM AND I SEE A LOT OF MYSELF AND WHAT I WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD WHEN I WAS GROWING UP TO TRULY UNDERSTAND OUR FULL POTENTIAL AND OUR FULL WORTH AS WOMEN. TO SIT HERE ON THE DAAS WITH A MAJORITY FEMALE WOMEN, CITY COUNCIL, TRULY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, THEY FOCUS ON STEM, WHICH IS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, THE ARTS AND MATHEMATICS. AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS THE TRUE OPTIMISM OF WHERE WE CAN GO AS WOMEN WITHOUT HAVING LABELS AND BEING LIMITED. SO, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. AND I RECALL THE DAYS OF BEING A BROWNIE, AND I RECALL THE DAYS THAT I WAS ALWAYS WONDERING, WHERE WAS THIS GONNA TAKE ME? AND SO THE SKILLS THAT YOU TEACH, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU LEARN, USE IT TO UPLIFT OTHERS. USE IT TO UPLIFT OTHER WOMEN. USE IT TO UPLIFT OTHER GIRLS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THE SKY IS NOT JUST THE LIMIT, BUT THAT THEY CAN GO FURTHER THAN ANYTHING THEY CAN EVER IMAGINE. AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHAT WE AS WOMEN, AS GIRLS, ARE MEANT TO DO. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. AND YOU GUYS HAVE A WONDERFUL BLESSED DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS, UM, TO ALL THE GIRL SCOUTS IN THE ROOM, ACTUALLY, I'M CURIOUS, HOW MANY, UM, GIRL SCOUTS DO WE HAVE IN THE ROOM? UM, UH, AND GROWNUP GIRL SCOUTS TOO. UM, FORMER, LOOK AT THIS, LOOK AT ALL THESE HANDS. [00:40:01] WOW, THAT'S REALLY COOL. SO, UM, I WANNA LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UH, ALONG WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO JUST RAISED THEIR HANDS, OTHER PEOPLE, UM, INCLUDE THREE FIRST LADIES, UH, LAURA BUSH, HILLARY CLINTON, AND, UH, MICHELLE OBAMA AGAINST, UH, ALONG WITH OTHERS, LUCILLE BALL, UH, SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, UH, VENUS, VENUS WILLIAMS, KATIE COURIC, BARBARA WALTERS, UM, AND MY VERY FAVORITE, SUSAN LUCCI. UH, BUT, UH, THE , UH, LADIES, YOU HAVE, UH, VERY, VERY, VERY BIG SHOES TO FILL. UH, AND I EXPECT BIG THINGS FROM YOU, UH, GOING FORWARD. BUT, UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH ALL THOSE IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU TO THE YOUNG WOMEN, UH, LEADERS AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS AS PART OF THE Y M L A, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL SCHOOL. AND TO THE GIRL SCOUTS, UH, OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND BEYOND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHOWING, UH, WHAT LIMITLESS POTENTIAL, UH, YOUNG WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN HAVE. WE HOPE YOUR EXAMPLE SPREADS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AND ALSO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING US SOME COOKIES TODAY AS WELL. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FEW PICTURES. IS THAT THE END OF THE CEREMONY? OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND, UH, I'LL JUST ASK YOUR COURTESY AS YOU DEPART THE CHAMBERS, IF YOU ARE, UH, PLEASE KEEP THE CONVERSATIONS LOW [00:45:01] SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR BUSINESS AGENDA TODAY. ALRIGHT. [Consent Agenda] AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. AT THIS TIME ONLY ITEM FOUR IS SCHEDULED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? 18. 18. ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION? ITEM 18 AND ITEM FOUR ONLY ARE PULLED AT THIS TIME. IF THERE ARE NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, WE DO HAVE SOME CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT. I'LL CALL THEM NOW. BEGIN WITH OLGA MARTINEZ. I'D LIKE TO PULL 25. SORRY. OKAY. UM, MS. MARTINEZ. OKAY. UH, BEFORE YOU BEGIN, UM, WE HAD A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN IN A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY WOULD LIKE TO ALSO POLL ITEM 25. IS THAT OKAY? OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO ITEMS FOUR 18 AND 25 ARE SCHEDULED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. MS. MARTINEZ, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOEL MCCLELLAN. OKAY, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNSEL, THIS IS REGARDING, UH, NUMBER 30, THE THOROUGHFARE THAT'S GOING DOWN THROUGH ROOSEVELT. MY NAME IS OLGA MARTINEZ. I'M WITH THE VEHICLE CORONADO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS, UH, IN DISTRICT THREE. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE VEHICLE RONALDO IS, IT'S LOCATED IN THE CORNER OF FOUR 10 SOUTH AND ROOSEVELT. WHAT IT IS, WE GOT NEWS AND WE HEARD THAT A DEVELOPER WAS BUILDING OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE CLOSE TO VEHICLE CORONADO IN THE VICINITY OF VEHICLE CORONADO. WE WERE TOLD, UM, THERE WAS MEETINGS I KNOW AT SENSE AND FIELD THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO A, A SERIOUS, UH, WELL FATALITY IN MY FAMILY. SO WE GOT, UH, I CONTACTED MAYOR BERG, AND, UH, LUCKILY WITH HIM I WAS ABLE TO, UH, GET A MEETING WITH T C I. THEY CAME TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THE THIRD FIELD. WHAT IT IS, IS YOU HAVE A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY THAT'S GONNA ENTER ROOSEVELT INTO ROOSEVELT THAT'S ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PEDESTRIANS GETTING HIT, UH, TRAFFIC CONGESTION. IT'S REALLY HORRIBLE. THE FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY WILL ENTER ROOSEVELT BETWEEN TJ MAXX AND OUR COMMUNITY, CIRCLING OUR COMMUNITY, AND GOING CLOSE TO THE CHAMPION HOME APARTMENTS. THE CHAMPION HOME APARTMENTS, UM, ARE IN THE CORNER OF, OF MEH, MARSHALL MEADOWS AND CHANO. THE FOUR LANE APARTMENT IS EAST AND WEST. IT'S GONNA CROSS CHANO AND IT'S GONNA GET TO THE ACCESS ROAD GOING EAST ON FOUR 10. WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE AN ENTRANCE AT, AT FOUR 10 IN ROOSEVELT, WE HAVE AN ENTRANCE AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF AU CONNECTING TO ESPA. AT ESPA, WE HAVE AN ENTRANCE THERE. SO THAT'LL MEAN THREE ENTRANCES ON ONE ACCESS ROAD. THAT'S NOT EVEN A MILE LONG. SO THE CONGESTION AND THE PROBLEMS THAT WE, THAT WE SEE ARE HUMONGOUS. IT'S EAST AND WEST. THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING WEST AND THEY'RE GONNA BE EXITING ALSO ON ROOSEVELT. ROOSEVELT, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET CROSSWALKS THERE FOR YEARS. WE'VE HA WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH, UH, WITH PEOPLE GETTING HIT. WE'VE GOT LIKE 23 FATALITIES THERE. WE HAVE CROSSES ON ROOSEVELT SHOWING ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED, ACCIDENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE DEVELOPER IS, BECAUSE NO ONE IS BEING TRANSPARENT WITH US, WE ASKED WHO IT WAS. RUMOR HAS IT, IT'S T IT'S UH, DR. HORTON, UH, THAT'S BUILDING THOSE 3000 HOMES OUT THERE. WE DON'T MIND DEVELOPMENT, WE DON'T MIND HOUSES, BUT WE DO MIND WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THE FOUR LANE HIGHWAY THAT IS NOT NECESSARY. AND GOING THROUGH CHAU, WHICH IS A STREET THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING TO HAVE REHAB SINCE 2010 WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THAT STREET IS HORRIBLE. IT'S DARK. IT'S ONLY ONE SINGLE STREET. ONE SINGLE STREET. AND TO HAVE A FOUR-LANE, FOUR-LANE ROAD CROSSING THAT, CROSSING THAT, UH, AU AT OUR, AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS DANGEROUS. AND WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU TABLE IT BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP REALLY QUICK AND WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU TABLE IT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND TAKE IT OFF THE CONSENT LIST. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. MARTINEZ. JOE MCCLELLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JOE MCCLELLAN. CHELSEA PAYNE. IS CHELSEA PAYNE HERE. [00:50:02] JACK FINGER? WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, UH, YES, MR. MR. MAYOR, IT WAS YOUR PREDECESSOR THAT TOLD ME THAT THIS IS THE PROPER TIME TO BRING UP THESE ITEMS. A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING REGARDING THE CEREMONIAL WE HAD JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO. YES. UH, TO HONOR, UH, NATIVE AMERICANS, THEIR, THEIR CULTURE, THEIR HERITAGE. THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY NICE THING TO DO. I, I MYSELF WAS ACTUALLY A PART OF A SERVICE AND HONOR ORGANIZATION, UH, KNOWN AS THE ORDER OF THE AEL IN THE BOY SCOUTS THAT, UH, WAS FOLLOWED THE, UH, THE INDIAN CULTURE. BUT, UH, TO DO SO AT THE EXCLUSION OF THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY, HONORING THE FOUNDER OF OUR COUNTRY, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IS TRULY A TRAVESTY. I MEAN, THAT MAN WHO WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT CIVILIZATION TO OUR COUNTRY, HE BROUGHT THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION THAT ACTUALLY HELPED ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE STAY ALIVE AND SO FORTH. IT'S TRULY A TRAVESTY. I'M SORRY TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA. WELL, THEY, UH, THEY HAD BEEN A WHOLESOME ORGANIZATION 50 YEARS AGO, BUT SADLY, THEY, UH, ABOUT THAT TIME THEY, GOD WAS THROWN OUT OF THE GIRL SCOUT OATH AND SINCE THAT TIME, THEY'D BECOME INCREASINGLY PRO-ABORTION AND PRO HOMOSEXUAL. POINT OF ORDER. MAYOR, POINT OF ORDER ITEMS ARE NOT AGENDIZED. KEEP IT TO WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA, JACK. WELL, GOOD. I GUESS IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME. YEAH. I LITTLE BIT TOO MANY SCANDALS, I GUESS. ITEM NUMBER 24. YES. SEE, GOTTA GET ON WITH THESE THINGS. YES. ORDINANCE APPROVING AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S SAN ANTONIO'S FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 116TH US CONGRESS. WELL, WHAT ITEMS ARE YOU THE CITY COUNCIL TRYING TO PROMOTE WITH OUR US CON CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS? WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT WE HAVE CIRCLE THERE. MR. AUDIO MAN, ASSUMING WE CAN READ IT. OKAY. YEAH, KIND OF BLEACHED OUT A BIT THERE. UH, SEE IF WE CAN DARKEN IT A BIT. ANYWAY. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SERVICES. YEAH. SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BAN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT SHOULD DO IT RIGHT THERE. ALSO, FIREARM SAFETY SUPPORTING PROGRAMS, UH, UH, FOR SUPPOSEDLY GUN CONTROL. YEAH. I TELL YOU WHAT, UH, BRING MR. AUDIOVISUAL, MAN, I TELL YOU WHAT, MR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE THE ONE THAT'LL THEY'LL KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. PUT THAT ONE UP THERE IF YOU WOULD THERE SUPPORT FUNDING. SUPPORT FUNDING FOR A WOMAN'S OPEN CARRY GUN COURSES. YES. BY GOLLY, THAT'LL DO IT. THAT'LL, THAT'LL DISCOURAGE ANY MAN WHO WANTS TO HIT A WOMAN AND BY GUY. WE'LL, WE'LL STOP THOSE FINGERS. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. YES. OKAY. UM, WE DO HAVE ONE MORE ITEM THAT WE NEED TO PULL OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR RECUSAL PURPOSES. THAT IS ITEM 21. SO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE HEARD FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. THAT'S ITEMS 18, 21, 25, AND PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED ITEM FOUR. SO ALL OTHER ITEMS, UH, ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND. FOR APPROVAL OF THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM FOUR. [4. Ordinance amending Article XI, Chapter 15, of the City Code of San Antonio entitled “Earned Paid Sick Time”; and setting the effective date for December 1, 2019. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Jennifer Herriott, MPH, Interim Director, Health]] ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE 11, CHAPTER 15 OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO ENTITLED, EARNED PAID SIX TIME AND SETTING THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR DECEMBER 1ST, 2019. DR. BERGEY, UM, THE FLOOR IS YOURS FOR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, I'M HERE TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE, UM, SAFE AND SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. BEFORE I START, HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, CITY STAFF AND COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO WORKED, UM, REALLY HARD ON MAKING ALL OF THESE CHANGES HAPPEN AND UNDERSTANDABLE AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO SPECIFICALLY I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE METRO HEALTH. UM, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK'S, OFFICE, GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE LIBRARIES, UM, [00:55:01] AND RECOGNIZE THE, UM, PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENT. THEIR CHAIR. DANIELLE IS HERE AS WELL AS JOLENE, AL, ALEX, AND LINDA. SO MANY THANKS TO THEM. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED MAYBE. SO THE FIRST PART OF THIS PRESENTATION COVERS AGAIN WHAT WAS COVERED IN B SESSION. AND SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH IT PRETTY QUICKLY. UH, JUST AS A REMINDER OF SOME OF THE MAJOR, UH, TIMELINES HERE. IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED BY THE INITIATIVE PETITION. IN NOVEMBER, THE MAYOR APPOINTED AN AD HOC CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, THAT THEN APPOINTED A, UH, PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION. AND THAT COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING ON THESE RECOMMENDED CHANGES, WHICH YOU ARE HEARING ABOUT TODAY. HERE ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION. UM, THEY HAD FIVE SUBCOMMITTEES INCLUDING COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE, DEFINITIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS, EXECUTION, LEGAL REVIEW AND RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICE. THE COMMISSION MEETINGS BEGAN ON APRIL 17TH. THERE WERE 15 COMMISSION MEETINGS. UM, FROM THAT TIME UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THEY, THEIR MEETINGS WERE POSTED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THERE WERE ALSO SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT BEGAN IN JUNE. AND SUBCOMMITTEES MET 45 TIMES, UH, TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THIS INFORMATION. SO, RECENT HISTORY, UM, WHEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE READY FOR PRESENTATION, UM, THEY WERE PRESENTED TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 10TH. WE THEN GAVE A PRESENTATION DURING B SESSION WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL. UM, THERE WERE TWO PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS, UH, THROUGH ESSAY SPEAK UP SEPTEMBER 23RD AND 25TH. AND THEN LAST NIGHT, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD DURING, UM, THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD MOVING FORWARD. UH, TODAY'S PRESENTATION AT A SESSION, UM, IF THE CHANGES ARE APPROVED TODAY, THEN IN THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, METRO HEALTH WILL RESUME THEIR INFO SESSIONS. AND, UM, AGAIN, IF CHANGES ARE APPROVED, THE ORDINANCE OR REVISED ORDINANCE WILL GO INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 1ST. SO I'VE DIVIDED THIS PRESENTATION INTO TWO PARTS, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO COUNSEL WITHOUT, UM, COUNSEL RECOMMENDED CHANGES. SO THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF THIS PRESENTATION. THE SECOND PART OF THE PRESENTATION WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WERE REQUESTED AS A RESULT OF THE B SESSION PRESENTATION. SO I'M GONNA GO PRETTY QUICKLY THROUGH THOSE THINGS WHERE WE FELT LIKE THERE WAS CONSENSUS AND OKAY TO INCLUDE. THERE IS A, UH, BROADER AND MORE INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF FAMILY MEMBER. THERE IS, UM, A CHANGE IN THE NAME OF THE ORDINANCE TO SAFE, SAFE AND SICK LEAVE. UH, AND CLARIFICATION THAT THIS IS A BENEFIT. OH, GOODNESS, HANG ON. CLARIFICATION THAT THIS IS A BENEFIT AND NOT A WAGE. THERE IS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO THIS ORDINANCE. AND SO ANY REFERENCE TO MEDIUM, SMALL, LARGE EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN REMOVED, WHICH IS MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION. THE NUMBER OF HOURS HAS CHANGED SO THAT IT IS 56 HOURS FOR ALL BUSINESSES, AGAIN, CONSISTENT WITH THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH AND CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH. CLARIFIED LANGUAGE ON, UM, WHAT AN EMPLOYER CAN DO IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHY AN EMPLOYEE IS MAKING A REQUEST TO USE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE. AND I WILL SAY THAT WHEN [01:00:01] WE WERE, WHEN METRO HEALTH WAS DOING THE, UM, INFO SESSIONS BEFORE THESE CHANGES CAME UP, THE, UM, PROBABLY NUMBER ONE OR NUMBER TWO MOST ASKED QUESTIONS OR SETS OF QUESTIONS HAD TO DO WITH THIS SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE. AND SO THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES ARE CLARIFYING LANGUAGE TO HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONFUSION THAT WE SAW IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS ISSUE. SO THIS IS ANOTHER CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, UM, THAT SAYS THAT EMPLOYERS CAN ADOPT A REASONABLE VERIFICATION, UH, PROCEDURE, UH, AT IF AN EMPLOYEE IS OUT FOR MORE THAN THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS. AGAIN, CLARIFICATION LANGUAGE THAT AN EMPLOYER CANNOT REQUEST DOC DOCUMENTATION FROM AN EMPLOYEE UNTIL THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE DAY. WHY IS THIS NOT ALL RIGHT? SORRY, MY NOTES AREN'T MESHING WITH THE SLIDES. UM, AN EMPLOYEE CHOOSES WHAT DOCUMENTATION, UM, THAT THEY WILL SUBMIT TO THE EMPLOYER, AND THAT CAN INCLUDE A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT SAYS, I NEED TO BE OUT ON THIS DATE BECAUSE EITHER I'M NOT FEELING WELL, MY FAMILY MEMBER'S NOT FEELING WELL, OR I HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE I NEED TO ADDRESS. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO STATE WHAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A DOCTOR'S NOTE THAT STATES WHAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS. SO THIS SECTION, UM, AGAIN, HAD SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE ABOUT HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT. UM, THIS PORTION OF THIS SECTION WAS NOT ANYTHING THAT COUNSEL HAD QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ON. UM, THERE IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, AND I'LL COVER THAT IN THE NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION. THIS IS ALSO CLARIFYING LANGUAGE ABOUT HOW AN EMPLOYEE CAN WITHDRAW A COMPLAINT. AND AGAIN, CONSISTENT WITH THE UNIVERSAL APPROACH. UM, THEY'VE ADOPTED A DECEMBER 1ST EFFECTIVE DATE FOR ALL BUSINESSES, UM, NOT DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN SIZE OF BUSINESS. SO NEXT I'M GONNA COVER, UM, THE B SESSION RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE LANGUAGE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, HAS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO WITH THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL, THE DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEE, WE HAD SOME CONVERSATION AROUND TRANSIENT WORKERS AND PAID INTERNS. AND SO IN THE, UM, PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT YOU HAVE, WE'VE DEFINED TRANSIENT WORKERS AS, UM, 240 HOURS IN A YEAR OR LESS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. AND, UM, IN THIS VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE, WE HAVE EXEMPTED, UM, PAID INTERNS. SO THIS IS A CHANGE. UH, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED ALLOWING EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ALREADY HAD 180 DAY PROBATIONARY PERIOD, UM, TO BE GRANDFATHERED INTO THE ORDINANCE AND KEEP THEIR 180 DAYS. UM, COUNSEL EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO HAVE A CONSISTENTLY APPLIED 90 DAY, UH, PROBATIONARY PERIOD. SO, UH, BUSINESSES COULD DO LESS THAN THAT, BUT THEY COULD NOT DO MORE THAN THAT. AND SO THAT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT IS REFLECTED IN, UM, THE REVISED ORDINANCE. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EMPLOYEES WILL ACCRUE PAID SICK AND SAFE TIME, UM, FROM THE FIRST DAY OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT, BUT THAT THEY WON'T BE ALLOWED TO USE IT UNTIL AFTER THAT 90 DAY PROBATIONARY PERIOD. WE ADDED LANGUAGE THAT FULLY EXCLUDES ORDINANCE APPLICABILITY TO CBAS. [01:05:03] WE ADDED SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, UM, REGARDING EXISTING STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO POTENTIAL FOR DISCRIMINATION, UM, FOR SOME GROUPS VERSUS OTHER GROUPS. SO THAT'S CLARIFYING LANGUAGE. UM, REGARDING DISCRIMINATION. AGAIN, MORE CLARIFYING LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY DO RECEIVE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT AN EMPLOYEE'S HEALTH OR FAMILY MEMBER'S HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY MUST KEEP THAT INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT DISCLOSE IT. THE ORIGINAL, UM, PETITION LANGUAGE HAD A TWO YEAR TIME PERIOD FOR EMPLOYEES TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE COMMISSION CAME WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF 60 DAYS, UM, BUT WITH A DISCOVERY PERIOD. AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM COUNSEL IS THAT YOU PREFERRED A ONE YEAR, UM, PERIOD OF TIME FOR EMPLOYEES TO FILE A COMPLAINT. AND THAT LANGUAGE IS REFLECTED IN THE REVISED ORDINANCE. AGAIN, UM, CLARIFICATION THAT WHEN METRO HEALTH EMPLOYEES ARE IN THE BUSINESSES, UM, INVESTING A, INVESTIGATING A COMPLAINT THAT THEY WILL NOT, UM, DELVE INTO OTHER MATTERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THEIR SCOPE. SO THAT LANGUAGE HAS BEEN ADDED AS WELL. SO WE, WE DID, UM, WORK WITH G P A ON SOME PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS AND A SURVEY THROUGH ESSAY SPEAKUP AND LAURA IS GOING TO, LAURA MAYS IS GOING TO COME GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT THOSE RESULTS ARE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO GIVE YOU A RECAP OF OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE PROPOSED CHANGES, UM, WE HAD A SURVEY THAT WAS OPEN FROM SEPTEMBER 16TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH. THAT SURVEY ENDED UP HAVING 2,652 RESPONDENTS. WE DESIGNED THE SURVEY IN A WAY THAT ALLOWED, UH, RESPONDENTS TO SELECT EITHER AN EMPLOYEE TRACK OR AN EMPLOYER TRACK SO THAT THEY HAD DIFFERENT SETS OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER SO THAT WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT CLIMATE. OF THOSE RESPONSES, 73% COMPLETED THE EMPLOYEE BASED SURVEY TRACK AND THE REST WERE EMPLOYERS. WE HOSTED TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS. AS DR. BRIDGER MENTIONED, 42% OF THOSE MEETING ATTENDEES IDENTIFIED AS EMPLOYERS WHO ATTENDED THOSE SESSIONS. MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED THOSE ACTUAL MEETINGS AND 1700 STREAMED THE MEETINGS ONLINE AS WELL. ADDITIONALLY, OUR MATERIALS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO PAST RESPONDENTS OF PAID SICK LEAVE INFO SESSIONS, STAKEHOLDERS, GRASSROOTS GROUPS, AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. SO WHAT DID THEY TELL US? UM, IN THE SURVEY, EMPLOYERS STATED THAT WHILE MANY DO NOT OFFER SICK AND SAFE LEAVE, THEY DO OFFER SOME FORM OF PAID TIME OFF. ONLY 17% OF EMPLOYERS OFFER MORE THAN 50 HOURS OF SICK AND SAFE LEAVE OF THOSE THAT ACTUALLY DO, UH, PRO PROVIDED TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. WHAT WE ALSO NOTICED IN THIS SURVEY, UM, AND THE COMPLETE RESULTS WERE SENT TO YOU, UH, YESTERDAY, 34% DID PROJECT SOME INCREASED OPERATING EXPENSES AND 41%, UM, DID LET US KNOW IN SOME FORM THERE WERE OTHER CONCERNS OR, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE. AND THOSE ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR REPORT AS WELL. UM, ON THE EMPLOYEE RESULTS, MOST EMPLOYEES ARE NOT OFFERED SICK AND SAFE LEAVE, BUT AGAIN, ARE OFFERED SOME FORM OF PAID TIME OFF. BUT ALSO A MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE GONE TO WORK WITH AN ILLNESS AND OR AN INJURY. WE ALSO ASKED THE SAME QUESTION FOR EMPLOYEES, WHAT WOULD THE COST BE TO YOU FOR NOT HAVING SICK AND SAFE LEAVE? AND MANY OF THEM RESPONDED THAT THEY TWO THIRDS OF RESPONDENTS CHOSE, UM, TO, THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RECOVER FROM AN ILLNESS, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION, CARE FOR A CHILD, OR SEEK PREVENTIVE CARE AT THE PUBLIC MEETINGS. UM, ATTENDEES GENERALLY AGREED OR HAD NO OPINION ABOUT CHANGING THE ORDINANCES NAME. AND ATTENDEES ALSO, UH, AS A HIGHLIGHT FELT THAT MICRO BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT IMPLEMENT SICK AND SAFE LEAVE AT A LATER DATE. AND AGAIN, THE COMPLETE RESULTS OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR PACKET. WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO DR. BRIDGER NOW. SO THAT IS THE END OF THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION. UM, WE ARE HERE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS WHEN YOU'RE READY. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, DR. BRIDGER, UH, AND THANK YOU TO LAURA ELIZABETH AS WELL. WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR. THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET INTO COUNCIL QUESTION AND ANSWER. AND SO WE'LL START, UH, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO I'M [01:10:01] GONNA CALL IN ORDER. I'LL CALL THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM. UM, INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. UH, GROUPS, UH, WILL BE, UH, UP TO NINE MINUTES. ALRIGHT, WE'LL START WITH A GROUP, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, THAT'S CHRISTINA ALDRETE, RICHARD PEREZ AND AL ARLA. THEY'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DON DIXON. YOU ALL HAVE NINE MINUTES. GOOD MORNING. UM, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MAYOR. UM, I'M CHRISTINA ALDRETE, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF THE NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THANK YOU MAYOR NUREMBERG. SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND OTHER BUSINESS AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS WITH ME TODAY TO PRESENT COMMENTS REGARDING THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE SINCE AUGUST OF 2018 WHEN A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS ON THIS COUNCIL VOTED TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE. WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY BEEN OPPOSED TO WHAT THIS ORDINANCE REPRESENTS, AN OVERREACH BY MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. WE FIRMLY BELIEVE WAGE COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ARE UNIQUE TO EACH BUSINESS'S ABILITY TO OFFER THEM AND ARE DICTATED BY EXISTING STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS. THE ISSUE OF PAID SICK LEAVE IS ALREADY ADDRESSED BY PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS LABOR CODE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED BY COUNCIL TO GET THIS FAR IN THE CITY GOVERNMENTAL PROCESS AS EVIDENCED BY PUBLIC MEETINGS, HEARINGS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. P SS L DOES NOT HAVE THE BROAD SUPPORT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE VERY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE THE DRIVER AGENT IN THIS CITY. THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE SAN ANTONIO PAID LEAVE ORDINANCE DO NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS STILL PREEMPTED BY STATE LAW. THE CITY OF AUSTIN CURRENTLY HAS A PREEMPTION ISSUE ON APPEAL, AND THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT WILL ISSUE A RULING THAT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE LEGALITY OF THIS ORDINANCE FOR ALL TEXAS CITIES. ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO A SIMILAR ORDINANCE IS IN FEDERAL COURT IN DALLAS, AS WE SPEAK TODAY TOO, WE ASK THAT THIS COUNCIL IN THE WAKE OF THE CITY'S OWN LEGAL CHALLENGES IN THIS MATTER, VOTE NO TODAY. OR AT THE VERY LEAST, CONSIDER POSTPONING THIS VOTE UNTIL THESE MULTIPLE LAWSUITS ARE RESOLVED. THANK YOU. AND WE'RE HERE AS ONE GROUP, SO WE WILL SEED OUR REMAINING MINUTES. GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. DON DIXON, FOLLOWED BY A GROUP, TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. JOLENE GARCIA. MICHELLE TOMILLO. KEVIN LAMEL. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DON DIXON. IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW THAT EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, UH, BY THE CHAMBER IS NO QUESTION. I WOULD CERTAINLY AGREE WITH EVERY ONE OF THOSE POINTS. I'M SPEAKING FROM A VIEWPOINT OF A PERSON IN SAN ANTONIO THAT FOUNDED A COMPANY 1962 HAD 150 EMPLOYEES. AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, SAN ANTONIO AT THAT TIME, AND I BELIEVE EVEN NOW IS, IS A SLEEPER IN TERMS OF MANUFACTURING. IT'S A GREAT TOWN TO BE IN THE MANUFACTURING BUSINESS. BUT WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU TO DO TODAY IS TO VOTE NO ON THIS ORDINANCE. IT IS NOT THE DUTY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CITY GOVERNMENT TO INTERFERE WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYER IN RELATIONSHIP TO PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES. IT'S, AND I AGREE WITH THE CHAMBER, YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET THIS GO THIS FAR. IT'S NOT THE JOB OF THE COUNCIL OR WISE USE OF PRECIOUS TAXPAYER MONEY TO SPEND MONEY ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT YOUR, IT'S NOT YOUR DUTY. IT'S NOT YOUR JOB. I LOOK AT, UM, YOUR LIST OF MAYORS, OF MAYORS. UM, MAYOR MAVERICK WAS A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WAS MAYOR OF THIS GREAT CITY. I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM LOOKING DOWN AND THINKING, IS THIS WHAT MY CITY IS NOW DOING? YOU HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO. LIKE THE STREETS THAT THE LADY MENTIONED, LIKE THE TIMING OF THE LIGHTS, MANY, MANY MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO. THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING. NOT FRINGE THINGS LIKE THIS. SO I WOULD URGE EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL TO VOTE NO ON THIS ITEM FOR THANK YOU. BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MR. DIXON, TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. JOLENE GARCIA, MICHELLE MILLO, AND KEVIN LAMEL. THEY'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON. [01:15:30] OKAY, Y'ALL HAVE NINE MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. RECENT HEADLINES TELL A GRIM STORY OF OUR CITY TO NAME JUST A FEW. IN 2017, OUR COUNTY HAD THE HIGHEST FAMILY VIOLENCE, HOMICIDE, HOMICIDE RATE FOR WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY. SAN ANTONIO'S POVERTY RATE INCREASED TO 20% LAST YEAR. AND 39% OF OUR WORKFORCE HAS NO ACCESS TO PAID TIME OFF WHEN THEY OR A LOVED ONE GETS SICK. THE GOOD NEWS IS TODAY YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM YOUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARD OUR CITY'S PUBLIC HEALTH, TO TAKE ACTIVE STEPS TOWARDS REDUCING POVERTY AND TO PROTECT VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BY VOTING TO APPROVE THE REVISED SICK AND SAFELY ORDINANCE. WE URGE YOU TO PASS THIS REVISED ORDINANCE WITHOUT CREATING CARVE OUTS FOR SPECIFIC EMPLOYERS AND ENSURE WE DON'T HA WE DO NOT LEAVE OUT LARGE NUMBERS OF WORKING SAN ANTONIANS. THIS INCLUDES ANY INTERNS WHO ARE PAID AS EMPLOYEES. ANY INTERNS WHO ARE UNPAID OR PAID A FLAT RATE ON A 10 99 REGARDLESS OF THE HOURS THAT THEY WORK, ARE ALREADY NOT COVERED BY THIS ORDINANCE. AGAIN, WE ASK YOU TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE AND COVER ALL EMPLOYEES REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF THEIR EMPLOYER. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, METRO HEALTH, AND THE PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR ALL THE WORK THEY HAVE PUT INTO GETTING US TO THIS VOTE TODAY. I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL THE HARDWORKING VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO COLLECTED 144,000 PETITION SIGNATURES. AND EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHO SIGNED THE PETITION GAVE TESTIMONY AND SHOWED UP EACH AND EVERY TIME WE HAVE HAD TO DEFEND THIS ORDINANCE. IT IS BECAUSE OF ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THAT 354,000 FAMILIES ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO HAVING EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE ONCE AND FOR ALL. I'D LIKE TO ASK KEVIN LAMEL AND DEBBIE HERNANDEZ TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HOW SICK AND SAFE LEAVE WILL IMPACT THEIR FAMILY. YES. MY NAME IS KEVIN LAMEL. I AM A WORKER AT SS SS AND E SPURS SPORTS AND AND ENTERTAINMENT. I AM A SERVICE INNOVATION REPRESENTATIVE. I WORK HARD AND, AND, AND THE BILLS COULD BE STACKING UP BECAUSE I NEED, I MIGHT GET SICK ONE DAY AND THIS ORDINANCE WE NEED TO PASS BECAUSE ANYBODY COULD GET SICK. 'CAUSE I'M, WE ALL HUMAN. WE WANT TO GET THIS RISK RESOLUTION BE PASSED BECAUSE I COULD GET SICK. MY BILLS MIGHT BE GET PAID, NOT GET PAID OR ANYTHING ELSE WOULD HAPPEN. BUT I STAND IT FOR THE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO AND MY JOB THAT THEY WORK HARD. I DESERVE IT. THEY DESERVE IT. EVERYBODY DESERVE IT. THANK YOU. HI. UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. UM, I GUESS I CAN SPEAK FOR DISTRICT THREE, FIVE AND, AND FOUR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS. UM, MY HUSBAND, MY HUSBAND DOES NOT GET PAID IF HE MISSES A DAY. UM, HE'S IN A GOOD COMPANY THOUGH. IF HE MISSES THAT DAY IF HE STILL KEEPS HIS JOB. THERE ARE MANY LITTLE EMPLOYERS AND LARGE EMPLOYERS, AND IF PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD DON'T REPORT TO WORK, THEY'RE FIRED. THEY'RE FIRED AND REPLACED. SO MORE IMPORTANT THAN MISSING THAT DAY. NOW YOU'VE GOT AN UNEMPLOYED PERSON WHO REQUIRES, UM, UNEMPLOYMENT, POSSIBLY, UM, SHELTER, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. YOU MAY HAVE A HOMELESS PERSON NOW BECAUSE [01:20:01] OF ONE DAY THAT THEY'VE MISSED. SO WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE, AND THE VOTING THAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY BY ALLOWING US TO HAVE TO EARN OUR PAID TIME OFF WHEN WE MISS THAT DAY NOW, THEY CAN'T FIRE US. THEY CAN'T FIRE US BECAUSE WE'VE EARNED THAT TIME. SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO. IT'S NOT JUST THE PAY, IT'S ALSO THE PROTECTION OF OUR EMPLOYMENT AND THE PROTECTION OF THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU DO. THEY DON'T HAVE PAID TIME OFF IN THESE LARGE COMPANIES. THEY DON'T HAVE 10 DEGREES. SO YOU'RE PROTECTING OUR PEOPLE. AND THERE WERE THOUSANDS, THOUSANDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WANTED THIS. SO TO CAVE TO A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE AGAINST US IS NOT, IS NOT RIGHT. THANK YOU. MR. LAMEL AND MS. HERNANDEZ REPRESENT JUST TWO OF THE 354,000 FAMILIES WHO ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO HOLD TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE PETITION AND ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES ARE COVERED BY THE ORDINANCE WITHOUT EXEMPTIONS. WE SUPPORT PAID SICK LEAVE. BECAUSE IT IMPROVES PUBLIC HEALTH, IT INCREASES THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF WORKING FAMILIES, AND IT IS ONE WAY TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. NOT TO MENTION A STUDY CONDUCTED BY PROFESSORS AT OUR VERY OWN ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY DEMONSTRATES THAT IT WILL BRING BENEFITS TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. ALL OF OUR FAMILIES DESERVE EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE, AND WE ARE COUNTING ON OUR MAYOR AND OUR CITY COUNCIL TO DELIVER IT TODAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY IRENE WHITE. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. VERY HONORED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING IN SUPPORT OF THE PAID SICK AND SAFE LEAVE ORDINANCE THAT HAS BEEN WORKED ON FOR THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF. I WANNA THANK CON, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SHIRLEY GONZALEZ FOR APPOINTING ME TO THAT, UH, COMMISSION. AND I WANNA, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M HERE REPRESENTING NOT JUST MYSELF AND THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE OVER 52 YEARS OF, OF MY LIFE SPENT IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT, BUT I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO, A F L C I O, CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL THAT REPRESENTS 26 26 UNIONS AND OVER 30,000 UNION MEMBERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEAR COUNTY. LIKE I SAID, I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE. I SPENT FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS IN A VERY COLD LIBRARY. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE FREEZING, FREEZING LIBRARY. UH, BUT I SAT WITH SOME VERY GREAT PEOPLE. UH, WE DISAGREED WITH EACH OTHER, UH, ON MANY OCCASIONS, BUT I LEARNED TO RESPECT THEM, AND I LEARNED TO RESPECT THEIR OPINIONS AND HOPEFULLY THAT THEY LEARNED TO RESPECT MINE AS I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF UNION MEMBERS WHO ALREADY, FOR THE MOST PART HAVE UNION BENEFITS OF PAID SICK LEAVE, PAID VACATION, UH, ALL THE BENEFITS THAT GO WITH A UNION CONTRACT. WE ARE TALKING RIGHT NOW THAT, AND ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO VOTE FOR THE ORDINANCE AS IS. IT TOOK A LOT OF MEETINGS. YOU HEARD BEFORE OF HOW MANY MEETINGS WE HAD AS A COMMISSION TOGETHER, HOW MANY SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS SOMETIMES I FELT LIKE WAS COMING THIS DIRECTION AND GOING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AT THE SAME TIME. SO THE AFFIRMATION OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FROM YOU TODAY. SOME OF THE DECISIONS, AS I SAID, WERE NOT EASY. THEY WERE NOT UNANIMOUS, BUT WE WALKED AWAY FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION THAT WE MADE. WE ASK YOU TODAY FOR YOUR VOTE AND THE VOTE OF YES FOR THE PASSING OF THIS ORDINANCE. THERE'S OVER 350,000 PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO, WHO WILL BE VERY, EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THAT VOTE. WHO CAN GO TO WORK WITH A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOSE THE DAY'S PAY TO TAKE CARE OF A CHILD, TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, OR FOR THE MATTER OF, IN SOME CASES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO STAY HOME AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY. I THANK YOU FOR THIS AND I ASK YOU AGAIN, VOTE YES ON THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CHAVEZ THOMPSON. IRENE WHITE. IRENE WHITE, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM GASKETS. [01:25:07] GOOD MORNING. AND GREETINGS, MAYOR NIERENBERG AND MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL BUENOS DIAZ AT TODOS NOMAS. MY NAME IS IRENE WHITE AND I AM A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WITH THE MARTINEZ STREET WOMEN'S CENTER, CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF NONPROFIT SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IN 2019. THE CENTER'S MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES THROUGH WOMEN AND GIRLS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO VITAL HEALTH SERVICES, QUALITY EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE WOMEN AND GIRLS ACHIEVE EMPOWERMENT, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE. WE'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY ON THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDES OF SAN ANTONIO, AND MOST RECENTLY ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, AS I SAID. AND OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON TWO PROGRAMS, A GIRL ZONE PROGRAM, AND A COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM. I AM REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM TODAY, UM, WHICH FOCUSES ON BASIC NEEDS, REFERRALS, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PATHWAYS HUB COMMUNITY CARE COORDINATION PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY HEALTH COLLABORATIVE PARENTING CLASSES, BREAST HEALTH EDUCATION AND CLINICAL BREAST EXAMS AND MAMMOGRAM REFERRALS. WITH OUR FOCUS ON OUR PUBLIC HEALTH FOCUS BEING ON BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS AND, UH, BREAST CANCER AWARENESS, WE SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW FOR WOMEN TO NOT LOSE INCOME AS THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH. FEAR OF LOST WAGES IS A MAJOR DETERRENT FOR THOSE WHO WORK FOR HOURLY WAGES, LOST WAGES, AND THE INABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES CREATES STRESS, AGGRAVATES ILLNESS, AND SUPPORTS POVERTY. UM, JUST LAST WEEK I PARTICIPATED IN A, UH, A NEWS STORY THAT RAN, UM, THAT SHARED THAT SAN ANTONIO IN 2018 HAD MOVED TO THE TOP SPOT IN THE NATION WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF POVERTY. NOT A LABEL THAT ANY OF US ARE PROUD OF, UM, TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CITY. BUT, UM, IN PART MY WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THOSE WHO DO WORK HOURLY WAGES AND CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE OFF FOR FEAR AS WAS SHARED EARLIER OF LOSING THEIR EMPLOYMENT OR, UM, I SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHEN THEY MISS HOURS AT WORK, THEY DON'T GET PAID AND THEY HAVE ISSUES AND TROUBLE SUPPORTING, UH, THEIR FAMILIES, PAYING THEIR RENT, PAYING THEIR UTILITIES ON TIME. AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE GET INTO OUR CENTER FOR BASIC NEEDS REFERRALS TO, UH, SERVICES IN SAN ANTONIO. SO I JUST ON BEHALF OF OUR CENTER, ON BEHALF OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AND BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ARE WORKING HOURLY WAGE JOBS, WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH, GET BREAST EXAMS, MAMMOGRAMS, UH, FOLLOW UP, UM, WORK DONE, WE'D LIKE YOU TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE, AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. WHITE, WILLIAM GASKINS. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK Y'ALL TO KEEP THE APPLAUSE TO A MINIMUM SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THEIR NAMES BEING CALLED AS THEY COME FORWARD. WILLIAM GASKINS, AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MOVE TEXAS. THAT'S DREW GALLOWAY, ALEX BERNAL, AND AARON GUI. AO. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. UM, I'M A VERY LARGE EMPLOYER IN SAN ANTONIO. I HAVE A WHOPPING TWO EMPLOYEES, AND I OWN A TABLETOP GAME STORE, KIND OF LIKE A COMIC BOOK STORE. UM, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN TO ONE OR HAVE A NERDY, YOU KNOW, SON OR NEPHEW THAT FREQUENTS THEM. UH, MY STORE TABLETOP GENERALS IS ACTUALLY A GAMING TAVERN. WE, UH, RECENTLY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH T A B C TO GET A BEER AND WINE LICENSE. UH, BOARD GAMING IS VERY BIG IN THE MILLENNIAL COMMUNITY, AND SO WE SAW THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND OUR CUSTOMER BASE. I HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES THAT ONE OF 'EM IS A COLLEGE STUDENT AND THE OTHER ONE, THIS IS THEIR SECOND JOB. BOTH OF MY EMPLOYEES STARTED ACCRUING PAID TIME OFF AND PAID SICK LE LEAVE SINCE DAY ONE. THE REASON THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT THIS ORDINANCE PASSES IS DURING COLLEGE I WAS A SERVER ON THE RIVERWALK, UH, NO BENEFITS, NOT MUCH MONEY, UH, PAYCHECK, TWO PAYCHECK, AND IF YOU COULDN'T GET A SH IF YOU WERE GONNA MISS A SHIFT AND YOU COULDN'T GET YOUR SHIFT COVERED, YOU COULD BE FIRED. UH, IF YOU KNOW, I WORKED AT ONE RESTAURANT FOR TWO YEARS, I WORKED AT ANOTHER ONE FOR THREE, AND THEN I GRADUATED, AND THEN I GOT INTO JOBS WITH BENEFITS AND THINGS. THOSE WERE REALLY HARD YEARS. UH, I COULD NOT AFFORD TO GET SICK. I DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AT THE TIME. AND THE ECONOMY IN SAN ANTONIO IS COMPOSED OF SO MUCH OF A PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION. THE SERVICE INDUSTRY, THE RETAIL INDUSTRY, LIKE MANUFACTURING AND LABOR THAT DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF GETTING SICK [01:30:01] OR TAKING TIME OFF TO TAKE CARE OF A LOVED ONE WHO BECOMES SICK. UH, JOLENE GARCIA FROM TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT HAD ASKED ME TO COME AND SPEAK AS A BUSINESSMAN ON WHY I SUPPORT PAID SICK LEAVE. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR CITIZENS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. MS. GASKINS, MOVE, TEXAS. THAT'S DREW GALLOWAY, ALEX BRUNELL, AARON AG. THEY'LL BE FOLLOWED BY SHARON AEN. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR BERG AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DREW GALLOWAY AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MOVE TEXAS. THE JOURNEY TO THIS MOMENT STARTED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THIS MOMENT WAS BORN FROM THE STREETS OF SAN ANTONIO, BY THE CITIZENS OF OUR GREAT CITY, BY THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO FIGHTING FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND A BETTER QUALITY OF WORK FOR OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILY, AND OUR NEIGHBORS. LIKE EVERY MARCH FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS, THERE'S BEEN SLIPS, STUMBLES, AND FALLS, FIGHTS IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND FIGHTS IN THE COURTS. BUT AT EVERY STEP WE KEPT MARCHING. THE WORK OF THE PAID SICK TIME COMMISSION WAS A PRODUCTIVE ENDEAVOR. COMBINING INPUT FROM BUSINESS OWNERS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, FAITH LEADERS, AND LABOR LEADERS AND HEALTH EXPERTS. TODAY'S ORDINANCE, THANKS TO ITS STANDARDIZATION AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND OBJECTIVES, MAKES WORKER AND EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER EXPECTATIONS CLEARER. WE NOW HAVE A POLICY WITHOUT TEARS AND POTENTIALLY FLUCTUATING THRESHOLDS IN ITS PLACE. WE HAVE AN EASY TO COMPREHEND, EASY TO COMMUNICATE, 56 HOURS FOR ALL A NUMBER OF HOURS FIRMLY BACKED BY PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH TODAY. IN THIS MOMENT, POLICYMAKING SHOULD RESPECT THIS PROCESS. IF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS INTRODUCE AMENDMENTS AT CREATING HUGE CARVE OUTS FOR CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THEN THEY DO SO UNILATERALLY VOIDING THE HARD WORK, THE HARD DISCUSSION, AND THE COMPROMISE OF OPPOSING PARTIES TO CREATE CONSENSUS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITY'S WORKING FAMILIES. EXEMPTIONS WOULD ENTRENCH AND EXACERBATE WHAT IS ALREADY A CRISIS OF EQUITY IN OUR CITY. WE'RE NOW THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY, AND ALSO THE POOREST BY CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY. ACCORDING TO STUDIES RELEASED JUST LAST WEEK, THE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN NOW CREATES A NEW HORIZON ON EQUITY IN OUR CITY. DALLAS'S PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE AUGUST 1ST, THAT CITY IS STILL IN BUSINESS. AND AFTER DECEMBER 31ST, UH, DECEMBER 1ST, SO WILL SAN ANTONIO FOR THOSE WITH CONCERNS THAT DA DALLAS'S ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ARE NOT, NOT SAN ANTONIO'S TWO. ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY ECONOMIC ECONOMICS, UH, FOUND THAT THE NET BENEFIT TO SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE IS PROJECTED TO BE 27.7 MILLION PER YEAR. THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT JUST MOTIVATED BY PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT ALSO AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE NEED OF INCREASED WORKPLACE RIGHTS AND MORE GENERALLY THE NEED TO PASS POLICY THAT PROACTIVELY TACKLES INEQUITIES GENERATING PROSPERITY IN OUR ECONOMY, ECONOMY SIMULTANEOUSLY, HOWEVER, THESE BENEFITS TO OUR CITY, IMMENSE, AS THEY ARE, ARE DESERVED BY MORE PEOPLE THAN EVEN THE REVISED ORDINANCE CURRENTLY EXPRESSES ACROSS THE ECONOMY. WORKING AS AN INTERN IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE MOST PRECARIOUS STATUSES TO WORK UNDER. INTERNS ARE JUST AS LIKELY TO NEED TO TAKE TIME OFF DUE TO ILLNESS OR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THEMSELVES OR A FAMILY MEMBER AS ANY OTHER. HARDWORKING SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S EMPLOYEES AND INTERNS, PAID OR UNPAID, ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERED UNDERNEATH THIS ORDINANCE. MANY INTERNSHIPS ARE UNPAID OR THE INTERN RECEIVES ONLY A MODEST STIPEND AND ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS EMPLOYEES WHO RECEIVE WAGES. INTERNS WHO RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION OR ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS EMPLOYEES, ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THIS ORDINANCE. BUT THE SAME PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS AND NEED FOR WORKPLACE DIGNITY APPLY TO ANYONE WHO PROVIDES WORK REGARDLESS OF EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES. THANK [01:35:01] YOU TO METRO HEALTH, THE PAID SICK TIME COMMISSION TO CITY STAFF, AND TO ALL OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND BUSINESSES THAT MARCHED TOWARDS TODAY BESIDE US AND BESIDE YOUNG TEXANS. TODAY IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN THE JOURNEY TO WIN PAID SICK IN SAN ANTONIO FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIANS, WHO WILL FIND NEW RELIEF UNDER THIS POLICY. AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE AND FORWARD TO THE FIGHTS FOR PROGRESS AHEAD, WE WELCOME THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO STAND BESIDE US, TO INFORM WORKERS OF THEIR NEW RIGHTS, TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES, TO EASE THE UNCERTAIN STEPS OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND TO PROTECT THE ORDINANCE THAT WILL BENEFIT OVER 356,000 PEOPLE IN OUR CITY TODAY. ON BEHALF OF YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, MANY WHO, WHOM RIGHT NOW ARE AT WORK AT THIS MOMENT, WAITING TABLES ON TWO $13, TWO $2 AND 13 CENTS AN HOUR, AND TIPS TO GET THROUGH SCHOOL OR CARING FOR CHILDREN AS THEY BALANCE HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBILITIES AND THEIR HOMEWORK, OR FOR YOUNG PEOPLE NOT IN SCHOOL, BUT WHO STILL NEVERTHELESS DESERVE DIGNITY, WE URGE YOU TO PASS THE SICK AND SAFE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. SHARON AGAIN. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND CHAMBER STAFF. MY NAME IS SHARON IAN, AND I AM THE NEW C E O AND PRESIDENT FOR THE SAN ANTONIO AREA TOURISM COUNCIL. REPLACING MARCO WHO RETIRED BACK IN MAY. NEW TO ROLE, I AM JUST SO VERY SORRY THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS, BUT THAT WILL HAPPEN SOON. PROMISE, I PROMISE YOU THAT. SO I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERSHIP, A MEMBERSHIP THAT SERVES OVER 120 SMALL BUSINESSES IN THIS COMMUNITY, MOSTLY MADE UP OF TRAVEL, TOURISM, HOSPITALITY, HOTEL, RESTAURANTS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THEY STAND TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS MORE THAN ANYONE. THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, AS YOU KNOW, IS A CONTRIBUTOR OF 15.2 BILLION IN THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR CITY. AND THESE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY OFFER MANY FIRST TIME WORKERS AN ENTRY POINT INTO THE WORKFORCE, AND CAN BE A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES MENTORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO AN INEXPERIENCED EMPLOYEE. OUR POSITION IS NOT THAT WE ARE AGAINST PAID SICK LEAVE. IN FACT, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS OFFER PAID TIME OFF FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. OUR POSITION IS A DISAGREEMENT IN A GOVERNMENT MANDATED EMPLOYEE BENEFIT BEING INVOLUNTARILY ENACTED WITHIN PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND IMPACTING ALMOST 59% OF THE BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO. THEIR SUSTAINABILITY WILL TRULY BE THREATENED, ALIGNED WITH THE CHAMBERS. WE ASK THAT YOU VOTE NO THANK YOU. JUDITH VEGA, FOLLOWED BY ANDRESS CRUZ. ANDRES CRUZ, OR YOU? JU VEGA. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS HUE VEGA AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER. UM, WE ARE FULLY IN SUPPORT OF PASSING THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, WHICH ARE POOR AND WORKING CLASS WOMEN OF COLOR AND QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED. UM, IF WE CONTINUE TO NOT HAVE THIS ORDINANCE, THE CYCLE OF POVERTY WILL BE CONTINUED. SO MORE IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, I REALLY WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY BECAUSE I AM DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS ORDINANCE. MY HUSBAND IS AN IMMIGRANT FROM EL SALVADOR. UM, HE HAS SURVIVED CIVIL WAR THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND VIOLENCE IN HIS COUNTRY TO COME HERE AND MAKE A BETTER LIFE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY FOR OUR FAMILY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, HIS EMPLOYER DOES NOT HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. SO I HAVE SEEN HIM OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS BASICALLY WORK HIMSELF INTO AN EARLY GRAVE, BEING YOUNG AND STRONG. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ABLE TO WORK 10 AND 12 HOUR DAYS, YOU'RE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THE PAIN. YOU'RE ABLE TO GO THROUGH, GO THROUGH BECAUSE YOU ARE A SAC, YOU'RE SACRIFICING FOR YOUR FAMILY. UM, YOU KNOW, AND WITH THAT IMMIGRANT WORK ETHIC, YOU JUST PUSH THROUGH. BUT NOW, [01:40:01] AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF WORKING IN THIS WAY, UM, HE'S GETTING SICK AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, HIS EMPLOYER IS UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW, BUT HE SO MANY YEARS OF NOT TAKING CARE OF HIMSELF AND LETTING THAT TAKE ITS TOLL ON HIS, IT'S REALLY TAKEN ITS TOLL ON HIS BODY. AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE FORTUNATE BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS HAD, I'VE ALWAYS HAD PAID SICK LEAVE. I'VE ALWAYS HAD INSURANCE. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO COVER FOR HIM TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FOUR CHILDREN, IF ONE OF THEM ARE SICK, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY MEMBERS IF THEY ARE SICK. BUT HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO. AND, BUT WE KNOW THAT OTHER FAMILIES DON'T. UH, WE ARE WITHIN AN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY WHERE WE SEE THAT DAILY PEOPLE WERE WORKING SO HARD FOR THEIR FAMILIES, UM, IN THE CLIMATE RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE VILIFIED, BUT THEY'RE JUST WORKING HARD. AND SO THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS CITY THE GREAT CITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE. UM, WE JUST, I JUST ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT A CITY IS MADE IT UP OF PEOPLE AND WORKERS. AND IF YOU TRULY ARE A CITY THAT WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWS YOUR IDEALS AS FAR AS BEING AN EQUITABLE CITY, BEING A CITY THAT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, RUN BY INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY, BEING A CITY THAT WILL NOT ACCEPT VIOLENCE AND IN IN OUR CITY, I WOULD ASK YOU TO JUST PASS THIS. THANK YOU. ANDRES CRUZ, FOLLOWED BY PROFESSOR SEAN VINA. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR OPINIONS ON THIS ORDINANCE, WHICH I AM AGAINST. I REPRESENT A COMPANY HERE. I'M ANDRES CRUZ. I REPRESENT A COMPANY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. IT'S BEEN IN BUSINESS, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. IN DISTRICT NINE, WE EMPLOY ABOUT 650 EMPLOYEES ON AVERAGE. UM, AND WHAT THIS MEANS TO US AS AN ORGANIZATION IS THAT IT COULD BE CRIPPLING TO US, COSTING US WITH 2018 REAL NUMBERS THAT I UTILIZE TO CALCULATE WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS BENEFIT. UM, IT'S APPROXIMATELY $252,000 AT THAT CONSTITUTES TO US. FOR ONE PERSON TO MISS AN EIGHT HOUR SHIFT WOULD COST US 21 HOURS TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE IN THE SERVICES THAT WE DO. JUST LIKE COUNT THE CHAMBER SAID. AND LIKE DON SAID, THIS IS BEYOND YOUR ALL'S PURVIEW OF MAKING A DECISION ON THIS. THIS IS NOT WHERE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE MAKING A DECISION. THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD BE DICTATING WHAT A BENEFIT IS TO AN EMPLOYEE AND WHAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD OFFER. IF WE DON'T GET EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE OTHER EMPLOYERS ARE OFFERING BENEFITS THAT ARE MORE ROBUST, THEN AN EMPLOYEE MUST CHANGE WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO, TO BE COMPARABLE TO THEM TO BE RAILROADED. AND LIKE SOMEBODY JUST SAID A LITTLE BIT AGO IN PRO OF THIS, FOUR MONTHS AGO, THIS BEGAN APRIL 17TH, THEY BEGAN DOING THE, THE MEETINGS. AND MAY, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST WAS WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY SET TO BE ROLLED OUT AND PUSHED UPON US AS EMPLOYERS. THAT'S FOUR MONTHS FOR THIS HUGE ENDEAVOR. SO I APPLAUD THOSE THAT MET A LOT OF TIMES AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME MAKING THIS DECISION, BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING IT AND PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO IT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. WE OFFER A BENEFIT RIGHT NOW OF AN ALTERNATIVE. WORKERS' COMPENSATION TO OUR EMPLOYEES COST US ABOUT $120,000 A YEAR FOR THAT BENEFIT, NO COST TO THE EMPLOYEE. IF THEY GET INJURED AT WORK, WE WILL PAY THEIR WAGES UP TO 75% OF THEIR AVERAGE WAGES FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD OF TIME. WE'LL PAY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR MEDICAL BILLS, EVERY DOCTOR VISIT, EVERY MEDICATION AT NO COST TO THEM. SOMEBODY TO GET 56 HOURS, $10 AN HOUR. IF THEY'RE SAYING $8 AN HOUR, LESS THAN 560, WE'RE TALKING $500 A YEAR, WHICH IS A BETTER BENEFIT. US OFFERING THIS WORKERS' COMP FOR AN INJURY FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF BENEFITS TO THEM, OR $500 WORTH OF BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY GET SEVEN DAYS OF PAID SICK LEAVE. WE WOULD HAVE TO DISCONTINUE THAT. ADDITIONALLY, WE WOULD'VE TO DISCONTINUE BONUSES THAT WE DO THESE EMPLOYEES WHEN ONE OF THESE PEOPLE MISS. WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE TO COVER THEIR SHIFT. THEY'RE CARING FOR THE AGE AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS. AND WHILE I THINK THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DESERVE BENEFITS, THAT'S WHY WE OFFER THEM. YOU CANNOT FORCE THIS ONTO A COMPANY THAT IS PAID BY MEDICAID, WHO HAS A CEILING THAT DICTATES HOW MUCH THEY GET PAID. AND WE CAN'T PASS THIS ON TO THE CONSUMER. DON'T DICTATE, LET THE MARKETPLACE DECIDE. SEAN VI. V V VINA, FOLLOWED BY SARAH DONALDSON. UH, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S, UH, TURNED OUT. MY NAME IS SEAN VINA. I'M A MEDICAL SOCIOLOGIST [01:45:01] AND HEALTH RESEARCHER AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY. UH, THIS POLICY SHOULD BE PASSED. YOU ALL HAVE THE EVIDENCE ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT AS YOU LOOK FORWARD, I'D LIKE THIS COUNCIL TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THE RESEARCH SHOWS SICK LEAVE POLICIES DO NOT AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY, UH, MANY GROUPS ARE LEFT BEHIND. UH, THERE ARE FOUR DEMOGRAPHICS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO SAN ANTONIO. SO AMONG THOSE WITH PAID SICK LEAVE, THE EVIDENCE SHOWS LATINOS HAVE 40% LOWER ODDS THAN WHITES TO USE THEIR HEALTHCARE SERVICES WITH PAID SICK LEAVE. UH, SAN ANTONIO IS 64% HISPANIC OR LATINO. AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE SICK LEAVE, UH, THOSE BELOW A COLLEGE EDUCATION ARE 30% LESS LIKELY TO USE HEALTHCARE SERVICES, UH, THAN THOSE WITH A DEGREE. ALMOST 75% OF SAN ANTONIO IS BELOW A COLLEGE EDUCATION. UH, FAMILIES WITH INCOME BELOW 75,000 ANNUALLY ARE LESS LIKELY TO USE HEALTHCARE SERVICES EVEN WITH SICK LEAVE. OVER 75% OF SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES ARE BELOW THAT MARKER. AND, UH, IMMIGRANTS, UH, WITH SICK LEAVE ARE 10% LESS LIKELY TO USE THEIR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. UH, 15% OF SAN ANTONIO IS FOREIGN BORN. UH, SO LATINOS, THOSE WITH LOW EDUCATION INCOME AND IMMIGRANTS ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO USE HEALTHCARE SERVICES EVEN IF THEY HAVE SICK LEAVE. UH, SAN ANTONIO IS DISPROPORTIONATELY LATINO FOREIGN BORN AND POOR. SO THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO PREEMPTIVELY ADDRESS THIS INHERENT INEQUITY BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCE. WE ONLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE A C A, UH, OR OBAMACARE AS IT'S AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN. UH, THE A C A WAS PASSED IN 2010 AND STARTING IN 2016, RESEARCH BEGAN TRICKLING IN, UH, ABOUT HEALTH INEQUITY. SO DID INCREASED COVERAGE ACTUALLY INCREASE USE AND NOT FOR EVERYONE. WHILE COVERAGE INCREASED USE WAS SMALLEST AMONG LATINOS, THE POOR AND IMMIGRANTS, AND BEFORE THOSE RESULTS CAME OUT, RESEARCHERS LIKE ME WERE ALREADY CROWING. THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. SO IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THIS COUNCIL TO DO TWO THINGS, START COLLECTING DATA NOW, NOT 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD LIKE WE DID WITH THE A C A. YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY WHO AMONG OUR CITY IS NOT USING THEIR SICK DAYS AND WHY. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO USING SICK DAYS AMONG OUR CITIZENS, INCLUDING KNOWLEDGE, LOGISTIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS? AND TWO, THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO PASS FUTURE SICK DAY POLICIES THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGET THE DISADVANTAGED GROUPS THAT I'VE MENTIONED HERE, ALONG WITH ANY THAT WE IDENTIFY. THIS COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS ORDINANCE, AS IT STANDS, WILL NOT BENEFIT MUCH OF THE CITY BECAUSE IT IS ONE SIZE FITS ALL. IF YOU DO NOT ACT NOW AND INSTEAD WAIT TO COME TO CONCLUSIONS THAT WE ALREADY KNOW, THAT WE ALREADY KNOW ARE GONNA HAPPEN, UH, THEN YOU'RE IGNORING THE PROBLEM. YOU ARE SILENTLY APPROVING OF THE HEALTH INEQUITY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HARM YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE POOR, FOREIGN BORN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PROFESS VINA. SARAH DONALDSON, FOLLOWED BY ELLEN BURKEY. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SARAH DONALDSON. I'M AN EMPLOYMENT LAWYER IN TOWN, AND I HAVE TWO POINTS TO MAKE. THE FIRST ONE IS LEGAL AND THE SECOND ONE IS ABOUT SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED PAID SICK LEAVE BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY IF WE REALLY CARE ABOUT EQUALITY. UM, THE FIRST POINT IS LEGAL. THE LAWSUIT FILED BY BIG BUSINESS AGAINST THE CITY IS MERITLESS. WAGE HOUR ATTORNEYS, BOTH WHO REPRESENT EMPLOYEES AND THOSE WHO REPRESENT EMPLOYERS, KNOW THAT PAYING FOR SICK LEAVE FOR HOURS NOT WORKED, DOES NOT INCREASE AN EMPLOYEE'S HOURLY WAGE. THIS IS BLACK LETTER LAW THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE MORE THAN 60 YEARS, IF YOU WANNA LOOK IT UP. 29 C F R IS 77, 78 0.18. THE TEXAS MINIMUM WAGE ACT IS WRITTEN TO FOLLOW FEDERAL WAGE LAW. SO THE MAIN ARGUMENT IN THE LAWSUIT IS BASELESS. AND INSTEAD OF WHITTLING AWAY AT THE ORDINANCE, THE CITY NEEDS TO STAND UP, UM, FOR ITS ORDINANCE LIKE DALLAS AND AUSTIN HAVE. THE SECOND POINT IS A LOT BIGGER. I HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. YOU ALL HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. THE PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THIS HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. AND MANY PEOPLE WE'VE JUST HEARD PEOPLE TODAY WHO HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE AND RA RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERYBODY GETTING PAID SICK LEAVE. SAY THINGS LIKE, LET THE MARKET TAKE CARE OF IT. DON'T MANDATE IT. THE SAME ARGUMENT, WHAT USED TO BE MADE ABOUT CHILD LABOR LAWS AND ABOUT MINIMUM WAGE. UNTIL WE REALIZE THAT IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY, WE DO NOT LET THE MARKET TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE THE MARKET DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF IT. THE MARKET, THE MARKET DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF OUR WORKING CLASS FAMILIES IN, IN SAN ANTONIO WHO DO NOT HAVE BARGAINING POWER. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE CARE OF THESE FAMILIES, WE TAKE CARE OF THESE FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO. SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT COVERS TH MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE IN IN OUR CITY WHO WORK HARD AND DON'T [01:50:01] HAVE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DONALDSON. ELLEN BURKEY, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER HERRING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SPEAK AND THANK YOU TO THE WOMAN WHO JUST SPOKE. SHE WAS VERY ELOQUENT. UM, IN SUPPORT OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, QUOTE FROM A STATEMENT IN THE RESPONSE MAGAZINE, THE PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN. THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE UNITED STATES. THEY SAY THIS IS AN ECONOMIC AND RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WOMEN IN 2019. UNITED METHODIST WOMEN IS ADVOCATING FOR PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO GUARANTEEING ALL WORKERS A LIVING WAGE. LOW WAGE WORKERS ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE PAID TIME FOR CAREGIVING, AND THEY MUST TAKE UNPAID TIME OFF FROM WORK. LOSS OF WAGES OR JOBS MEANS THAT EVEN WORKERS EARNING A LIVING WAGE SEE THEIR INCOME DROP WELL BELOW WHAT THEY NEED TO LIVE UNEQUAL ACCESS TO PAID LEAVE EXACERBATES INEQUITY AND REINFORCES GENDER AND RACIAL STEREOTYPES. AND WOMEN STILL SHOULDER A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITY AND OFTEN MUST QUIT THEIR JOBS OR FACE GETTING FAR TO PROVIDE THAT CARE. I BELIEVE THIS STATEMENT BY THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN PROBABLY GOES DOUBLE FOR SAN ANTONIO, ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE INAUGURATION OF SAN ANTONIO'S FIRST WOMAN MAJORITY CITY COUNCIL. THIS METHODIST WONDERED WHETHER COUNCIL'S GENDER COMPOSITION WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE WORKING WOMEN OF SAN ANTONIO. HERE IS CITY COUNCIL'S CHANCE TO PROVE THAT THEY CAN AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BURKE. CHRISTOPHER HERRING, FOLLOWED BY JUANITA APPROVAL MAYOR COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER HERRING. I'VE BEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE. UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. UM, I'VE STUDIED SMALL BUSINESS, MINORITY BUSINESS WOMEN, BUSINESS VETERAN BUSINESS, AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESS. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE WITH THE PASSING OF THIS ORDINANCE TODAY. UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA TAKE A STEP BACK. I'VE GIVEN YOU A WRITTEN, UH, LETTER THAT WAS DATED AUGUST 29TH THAT CAME FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY, AND WE GAVE 10 RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHY THIS WOULD IMPACT US. UH, WHAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD TODAY IS THE FACT THAT AS WE INCREASE THE BOTTOM LINE OF COST FOR BUSINESSES, THE SAME BUSINESSES IN WHICH YOU'VE CHAMPIONED WILL NOW HAVE TO TAKE A BACKSEAT OUT OF CITY, UH, COMPANIES THAT WANT TO COMPETE FOR THOSE CONTRACTS. UH, WHAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD TODAY IS THAT WHEN COMPANIES LIKE MY COMPANY, UH, AS A SCHOOL, UH, WHEN MY EMPLOYEES ARE SICK BY STATE, I HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. SO I HAVE TO HIRE TEMP WORKERS TO COME. SO NOT ONLY WILL I DO, I PAY MY EMPLOYEES, BUT THEN I ALSO HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER SET OF, OF TEMP WORKERS THAT HAVE TO COME IN BECAUSE THE STATE MANDATES IT WITHIN MY, UH, BUSINESS. UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT AND LISTEN TO ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT SAN ANTONIO, THIS POVERTY ISSUE, THE SOLUTION CAN'T BE TO ATTACK THE BUSINESSES THAT ACTUALLY FEED THE PEOPLE. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RACIAL DISPARITY, WELL, OUR DISPARITY STUDY SHOWS THAT WE HAVE RACIAL AND GENDER DISPARITY. SO PASSING SOMETHING WITH A ONE SIZE FITS ALL DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. THIS ONE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY JUST JUST RUNS OVER THE SUB BETA ORDINANCE IN WHICH THE COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED. IT RUNS OVER THE LOCAL PREFERENCE ORDINANCE, WHICH THIS COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED. IT RUNS COMPLETELY OVER THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN CONTRACTING ORDINANCE IN WHICH THIS COUNCIL SUPPORTED. AND IT ALSO STEPS ON THE VETERANS, UM, ORDINANCE, WHICH ALSO ENABLES THERE TO YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE SIZE HAS NEVER FIT ALL. AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SMALL MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN [01:55:01] YOUR DISTRICTS THAT ARE FACING THE SAME ISSUES OF POVERTY, HOW CAN YOU IN GOOD CONSCIOUS PUT ANOTHER TAX ON THEM BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IT'S IN THEIR RIGHT INTEREST? THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF ENTITLEMENTS. YOUR ENTITLEMENTS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS COME FROM TAXPAYER DOLLARS. MY ENTITLEMENT THAT I HAVE CAME FROM MY FEDERAL SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. I DIDN'T HAVE ENTITLEMENTS FOR OWNERS JUST BASED OFF OF SAYING, WE GOT A BUSINESS, NOW WE HAVE ENTITLEMENTS. THAT'S A MYTH, AND THAT'S A MYTH THAT'S BEEN PASSED OVER AND OVER AND OVER. BUSINESS OWNERS DO NOT HAVE THE BENEFITS OF THE ENTITLEMENTS IN WHICH CITY WORKERS, COUNTY WORKERS, FEDERAL WORKERS RECEIVE. SO WHERE IS THIS MONEY COMING FROM? THAT'S THE QUESTION. WHERE ARE BUSINESSES GETTING THIS NEW MONEY TO FUEL THIS PROPOSAL? THAT'S THE QUESTION. THANK YOU, MR. HERRING. THANK YOU. JUANITA SEPULVEDA, FOLLOWED BY MARGARET TREVINO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM JUANITA FROM DISTRICT FOUR. I AM A MINORITY WOMAN-OWNED, DISABLED VETERAN. I LOOK LIKE MY YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHERE MY CHILDREN ARE BEING EDUCATED. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD SAY I'D BE IN SUPPORT, BUT I AM A WORK IN TEXAN. I RETURN FROM SERVICE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE YOU DO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY. BUT AS THE VICE CHAIR FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE, I ASK YOU TO PLEASE POSTPONE THIS VOTE AND SEE THE TRUE IMAGE OF WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS PLACING UPON YOUR COMMUNITY. NOT JUST THE BIG BUSINESSES AS HAD BEEN REFERENCED, BUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES, THE MOM AND POPS BUSINESSES. IT USED TO BE A MOM AND POPS BUSINESS, BUT IT'S NOW MOM OR POPS. I AM ONE OF THOSE WORKING TEXANS. YOU NOW HAVE 61,461 BUSINESSES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE SUCH AS THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, YOU MADE REFERENCE TO THEM TODAY. BUT IF YOU CONTINUE THIS PATH AND SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE, SMALL BUSINESSES WILL ALSO BE JUST LIKE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. WE NOW CURRENTLY HAVE THIS FEDERAL, FEDERAL ISSUE AS FAR AS SMALL BUSINESSES AND SICK LEAVE ACT BEING FACED IN FEDERAL COURT. TAKE THE TIME TO SEE THE RESULTS AS IT, AS I REQUEST YOU POSTPONE THEM. MR. DICKERSON, I APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE IN 1962 WITH YOUR BUSINESS, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT. IT'S NO BUSINESS FOR THE CITY OF A PRIVATE BUSINESS. THAT IS THE UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE. AND SO MANY BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY IN PLACE SICK LEAVE JUST AS ANOTHER COMPANY WITH OVER 600, I BELIEVE 650 EMPLOYEES WHO'VE TAKEN A FURTHER STEP. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH SEVERAL BUSINESS PARTNERS, I ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER AND POSTPONE THIS VOTE AND GET A TRUE PICTURE OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE PLACING SMALL BUSINESSES IN JEOPARDY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. VINNO, OR EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU, YOU, MS. VEDA. MARGARET VINNO, FOLLOWED BY ANTONIO DIAZ. HELLO. UM, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK NOT ONLY TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, BUT ALSO SPEAK, UM, ON INTERNS, WHETHER THEY'RE PAID OR UNPAID. UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, INTERNS ARE JUST AS VALID AS ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE JUST BECAUSE IT'S SOMEONE WHO COMES IN AND MAYBE TEMPORARY OR NOT. WE STILL DO EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF WORK. WE STILL DO AS MUCH CHANGE AS POSSIBLE IN THE ORGANIZATION WE GO TO. AND FOR THE MOST PART, IF YOU'RE AN INTERN, YOU'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, PASSIONATE ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE WORKING AT, AND YOU WORKED VERY HARD TO REACH THAT POSITION. UM, SO I'M CURRENTLY INTERNING AT THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, AND LIKE I SAID, IN HOPES TO MAKE CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, SO BY NOT PROVIDING INTERNS, UH, UNPAID OR WHAT ARE PAID, UM, THIS AMOUNT TO SICK LEAVE, WE'RE NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO JUST GO TO WORK AND COME HOME AND WE CAN JUST AFFORD TO MISS THESE WAGES. SOME OF US HAVE FAMILIES, SOME OF US HAVE OTHER TASKS THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE. AND IF WE ARE NOT PAID TO BE SICK, THEN WE'RE RISKING OUR LIVELIHOODS. I PERSONALLY HAD A BABY AT 16. I'M IN COLLEGE. I'M A SENIOR. I FOUGHT TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY. SO THAT BEING SAID, IF I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF MY SON, IF HE'S SICK, IF I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF MYSELF [02:00:01] IF I'M SICK, I'M FORCED TO EITHER CHOOSE TO WORK, TO GAIN MONEY, TO STILL CONTINUE AND GIVE THINGS TO MY SON AND TO RISK MY EDUCATION. UM, THAT BEING SAID, IF I WERE TO GIVE UP MY EDUCATION, NOT ONLY DOES THIS FEED INTO A CYCLE OF TEEN PREGNANCY, A CYCLE OF POVERTY, MY SON IS MOST LIKE, IS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TO DEPEND ON WELFARE, TO HAVE TO BECOME, UM, A CITIZEN IN SOCIETY THAT MAY NOT BE AS PRODUCTIVE. HE'S MORE LIKELY TO BE INCLINED TO GO TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO FUND HIMSELF, INCLUDING OTHERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO BE PAID WHEN THEY'RE SIX. THEY HAVE TO RESORT TO THESE OTHER MEANS OF BRINGING INCOME IN TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. UM, AND THAT BEING SAID, THIS BENEFITS THE CITY AS A WHOLE. 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO, TO DO MORE, TO ACHIEVE MORE, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS IN SOCIETY. SO IF WE'RE FORCED TO CHOOSE, UM, TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND NOT BE PAID, TO BE SICK, AND TO GO INTO WORK SICK, NOT ONLY ARE WE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN OUR EMPLOYMENT AREAS AT JEOPARDY, BUT WE'RE ALSO PUTTING OUR LIVELIHOODS AT JEOPARDY. UM, SO I JUST URGE Y'ALL TO THINK OF THAT AND THINK OF THAT AS, AS INTERNS, AS PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST AS VALUABLE AND WHO NEED THIS JUST AS MUCH AS EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY MARGINALIZED PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. . ANTONIO DIAZ, FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE SAFE TIME. IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S JUST COMMONSENSICAL. AND AGAIN, IT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S DROPPED ON YOUR ALL'S LAPS BY YOUR CONSTITUENTS. AND IT'S, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS ARE CONSTITUENTS AS WELL, BUT I THINK THE MAJORITY THAT YOU HAVE ARE THE, THE WORKERS. THE EMPLOYEES ARE THE MAJORITY ARE CONSTITUENCY. AND WHEN I'M, I'M HEARING UP HERE IS THAT, UH, YOU ONLY REPRESENT BUSINESS SOMEHOW THAT IT IS NOT IN YOUR PURVIEW TO, UH, DICTATE, UH, SICK TIME OR OR OTHER SUCH AS WAGES AND ALL THIS, WHICH IS IRRATIONAL. YOU DO BECAUSE YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE. THAT'S WHY AS PEOPLE COME OUT AND VOTE OTHERWISE, WHY HAVE ELECTIONS? YOU COULD JUST HAVE A DICTATORSHIP AND SAY, WE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY DICTATE THIS BECAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR US. WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE REST. YOU'RE DISPOSABLE. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SO, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU AS AN ELECTIVE BODY, AGAIN, A VERY TOUGH ISSUE. BUT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL SIDE WITH THE POPULATION OF CONSTITUENTS, OF WORKERS THAT ARE VERY MUCH IN NEED OF, OF SICK TIME, AS YOU'VE HEARD ALREADY. UH, SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN A VERY EXPLOITIVE, EXPLOIT, EXPLOITED CITY, LOW WAGE CITY. AND AGAIN, IN A VERY ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING. SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TOUGH, TOUGH ISSUE, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON YOU ALL TO STEP FORWARD WITH THE PEOPLE AND SECURE THAT THEY CAN BE SICK ONE DAY, TWO DAYS WITHOUT LOSING THEIR JOB. OR IF THEY'RE AT RISK AT HOME, TO ALSO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO MAKE SURE THEIR FAMILY IS SAFE AND NOT LOSE THEIR JOB, NOT END UP AT HAVEN FOR HOPE OR OTHER PLACES LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE OR STAY, OR AGAIN, LOOK FOR EMPLOYMENT WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE IT. IT IS Y'ALL'S RESPONSIBILITY. YOU SEEK OFFICE TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. YOU REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. DIAZ, JACK FINGER, MAYOR NURNBERG, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. DO YOU, AS COUNCILPERSONS VOTING FOR THIS PROPOSAL, DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY DOING? DO YOU, DO YOU REALIZE THAT ESSENTIALLY YOU ARE DESTROYING, DESTROYING ANY GOODWILL THAT EMPLOYERS HAVE [02:05:01] FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES? THERE ARE, YES. THERE ARE HONEST CHARACTER FILLED EMPLOYERS OUT THERE WHO DO GIVE SICK PAID BENEFITS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP GOOD EMPLOYEES. THAT'S WHY THEY OFFER THAT BENEFIT. BUT HERE, YOU AS A GOVERNMENTAL BODY, YOU ARE REQUIRING, YOU'RE MANDATING, MANDATING THAT EMPLOYER REACH INTO HIS POCKET AND PULL OUT MONEY FOR WORK NOT BEING DONE. LET ME REPEAT THAT. YOU'RE MANDATING PEOPLE PAY FOR WORK NOT BEING DONE. YES, I CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE WHO GET SICK. I GET SICK, I'VE GOTTEN SICK, BUT THEN AS A PERSON WHO WAS, HAS BEEN SELF-EMPLOYED FOR MOST OF MY ADULT YEARS, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNLESS A PERSON GOT SICK BY MEANS OF FACTORS ON THE JOB, I'M SORRY. THEY REALLY DO NOT DESERVE MONEY FROM THEIR EMPLOYER FOR BEING SICK, FOR STAYING HOME AND NOT DOING WORK. NO, IT'S REALLY DOWNRIGHT UNFAIR. IN FACT, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S IMMORAL REQUIRING SOMEBODY TO PAY SOMEBODY FOR WORK NOT BEING DONE. NOW I LOOK AT THE, JUST CALCULATING A FEW THINGS HERE. EVEN A, AN EMPLOYEE MAKING THE MINIMUM WAGE USED ALL 56 HOURS. HOW MUCH MONEY IS THAT? AROUND $400 OR SO? $400 PER HOW MANY EMPLOYEES THAT THAT EMPLOYER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT ADDS UP TO THOUSANDS UPON A THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT HE HIRED MORE TEMPORARIES, INTERNS, AND FULL-TIME WORKERS. YOU ESSENTIALLY WILL PUT A CRIMP IN THE ECONOMY BY DOING THIS. IT'S WRONG. PLEASE DON'T DO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. OKAY, THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP, UH, TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR TODAY. WE'LL BEGIN OUR ACCOUNTS OF DELIBERATIONS AND I'LL REMIND, UH, FOLKS THAT COUNSEL MAY RECESS A NEW EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ANY TIME TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, BUT WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH COUNSEL. UH, COMMENT QUESTIONS. NOW AT THIS TIME, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, DR. BRIDGER AT THIS POINT, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST SET THE TABLE. THE PAID SICK LEAVE PETITIONERS COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL AND AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS PUBLIC MEETINGS AND ONLINE SURVEY HAVE PRODUCED SOME REFINEMENTS TO AN ORDINANCE TO DELIVER A BENEFIT THAT WILL VASTLY IMPROVE HEALTH OF THIS COMMUNITY. I'M IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY AFTER SUCH A THOROUGH PUBLIC PROCESS. I KNOW IT'S NOT BEEN EASY FOR ANY OF US UP HERE OR DOWN THERE, UH, TO WORK THROUGH THIS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN, UH, A HARROWING SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS. ALL PARTIES THOUGH CAME TO THE TABLE AND WE LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'VE ARRIVED AT SOME REVISIONS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY SAN ANTONIO WORKING FAMILY HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE PEACE OF MIND ON THIS DAUS. A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, WE RESTORED PROTECTIONS FOR LABOR UNIONS, SUGGESTED A UNIFORM ELIGIBILITY PERIOD FOR ALL BUSINESSES PROVIDED FOR A MORE REASONABLE COMPLAINT PERIOD, AND ENSURED THAT THIS ORDINANCE REMINDED US ALL OF OUR DISCRIMINATION LAWS. AND I'M THANKFUL THAT WE RECOMMENDED CHANGES, INCLUDING PROVISIONS TO PROTECT THOSE WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING UNSAFE CIRCUMSTANCES AT HOME. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, AND THE CITY JUST APPROVED ANOTHER $1 MILLION IN OUR F Y 2020 BUDGET TO COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THIS ORDINANCE WILL SERVE AS AN EXTENSION TO OUR COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY, TO THE WELLBEING OF ALL RESIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND AS A REMINDER, I DON'T THINK WE NEED IT, BUT WE DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GONNA GET OUT OF IT OVERNIGHT. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR COMMITMENT TO WORK ON SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND YES, WATCHING OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY'S HEALTH, IT'S WHY DR. BRIDGER'S LENS AND HER AGENDA ARE SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO US TURNING THE TIDE ON THE INTRACTABLE POVERTY IN THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. DR. BRIDGER, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MY DAD, UM, KEN AND MY NEPHEW JULIO, ARE IN THE AUDIENCE THIS MORNING. UM, JULIO HAS NEVER SEEN A COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE, SO HE IS PICKED [02:10:01] A HECK OF A DAY TO GET HERE. UM, BUT I HOPE THAT ON DAYS, NOT EVERY DAY IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UM, ARE AS MEANINGFUL AS I THINK TODAY WILL BE. UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN VOTES THAT WE GET TO TAKE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THERE'S NOT THAT MANY OF THEM, MAYBE ONE OUT OF A HUNDRED THAT MAKE A A CERTAIN DIFFERENCE, THAT CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY IN A REAL WAY. I WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT WE ENTERED INTO THIS PROCESS IN GOOD FAITH. WE HEARD CONCERNS FROM BOTH SIDES. THAT'S WHY COUNCIL TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO PERFECT IT. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED. WE HEARD CONCERNS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ABOUT BOOKKEEPING RECORD KEEPING, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. IT'S WHAT THE POINT OF THE COMMISSION WAS TO HEAR THOSE THINGS. AND WE'VE ARRIVED AT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK APPLY AN ORDINANCE THAT PROTECTS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY. SHOULDN'T THAT BE WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES? I PULLED UP OUR CITY CHARTER AND IT SAYS IT IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH. SO I STAND BY THE PETITIONERS. I STAND BY THE PROCESS, AND I STAND BY THE PUBLIC AND VOTING FOR REVISIONS THAT PROVIDE ALL SAN ANTONIO WORKING FAMILIES A BETTER CHANCE TO REMAIN HEALTHY ON THE JOB AND SAFE AT HOME. THIS IS, BUT ONE SMALL STEP WE CAN MAKE TO ENSURE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'VE CREATED OVER A GENERATION AND TURN BACK THE TIDE OF THESE INTRACTABLE INEQUITIES THAT WE'VE ENDURED FOR SO LONG, OR SANDOVAL. THANK YOU MAYOR, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU DR. BRIDGER, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND, UH, MAYOR, I, I WOULD ECHO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF, UH, THE WORDS THAT YOU, THAT YOU USE TODAY. UM, I WANNA START, UH, WITH, WITH A STATEMENT OR REALLY A QUESTION FOR, FOR OUR ATTORNEY OR, OR EVEN DR. BRIDGER. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT TODAY'S VOTE IS NOT A REFERENDUM ON SICK LEAVE AND THE ORDINANCE, UH, OR WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD HAVE SICK OR SAFE TIME, BUT IT IS ABOUT CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE. THAT'S CORRECT, COUNCIL, THAT'S CORRECT, COUNCILWOMAN, AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. TO CLARIFY THAT. UM, AS A REMINDER, THE COUNCIL PASSED WHAT WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE AUGUST 16TH, 2018. AND WHAT'S BEFORE THE COUNCIL NOW IS THOSE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THAT ORDINANCE AS DEVELOPED BY THE COMMISSION, UH, AS DEVELOPED BY INPUT WE GOT DURING THE LAST B SESSION AND FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNSEL AND WHATEVER MAY CAME OUT TODAY IN TERMS OF PROPOSED REVISIONS. SO IF NOTHING IS REVISED, ESSENTIALLY THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED AUGUST 16TH, 2018, WILL STAY IN PLACE WITH ONE CAVEAT. AND THE ONLY CAVEAT IS THAT, UH, FROM THE LITIGATION THAT STEMMED FROM THAT, WE AGREED TO POSTPONE IMPLEMENTATION UNTIL DECEMBER ONE. UH, SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT WHAT'S BEFORE THE COUNCIL REALLY IS REVISIONS TO THAT ORDINANCE, NOT WHETHER WE HAVE A, UH, A PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE OR NOT. THANK YOU. SO I KNOW SOME, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAME FORWARD AND, UH, ASKED US TO VOTE NO TODAY. SO IF WE VOTE NO TODAY, WHAT WE WILL TODAY, WHAT WE WILL SEE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT IS ON THE BOOKS BEGINNING DECEMBER ONE. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE, UH, I UNDERSTOOD. UH, SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO, UH, RECOGNIZE AND THANK THOSE WHO BROUGHT THE PETITION FORWARD. UM, THOSE WHO SERVED ON THE PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION. I HAD TWO APPOINTEES, UH, DR. A CANTU, WHO IS NURSING FACULTY AT UT HEALTH, AND A, A LOCAL SUPERSTAR, UM, ALONG WITH MS. JOLENE GARCIA WITH, UH, TOP AND PAID SICK LEAVE FOR WORKING TEXANS. I ALSO WANNA GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO, UH, CITY STAFF. UH, I MET WITH SOME OF YOU YESTERDAY AND YOU MADE IT CLEAR THIS WAS ONE OF YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECTS, UH, TO DATE. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR GETTING US TO, TO THIS POINT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND OF COURSE, TO THE THANK TO THE COUNTLESS, UH, ADVOCATES WHO HAVE COME FORWARD TODAY AND ALL THE DAYS, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS ITEM. UM, IN ECHOING THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS, I, I DO THINK THIS IS, UH, HAVING THE ORDINANCE ON THE BOOKS AND COMING TO THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE COMING TO TODAY IS A LANDMARK VOTE. UM, WHEN THE MAYOR BEGAN HIS ADMINISTRATION, HE MADE EQUITY AND HE MADE HEALTH A HIGHER PRIORITY, A TOPIC HIGHER PRIORITY TOPICS THAN THEY'D EVER BEEN BEFORE CREATING THE FIRST COMMITTEE THAT HAD HEALTH IN ITS TITLE. AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF, OF [02:15:01] CHAIRING THAT. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT SHOULD COME FORWARD FROM, FROM A COUNCIL THAT PRIORITIZES HEALTH AND THAT PRIORITIZES EQUITY. SO TO THOSE ADVOCATES WHO BROUGHT THIS TO US, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO PARTNER WITH YOU, UM, ON THIS. UM, MANY OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS ORDINANCE WILL BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING SAN ANTONIO IN ANOTHER CITY RECENTLY, EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND I WAS ASKED, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES RESIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO FACE? THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES WE FACE. UM, BUT THE TOP THREE, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, ARE HAVING SOME OF THE WORST HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THE STATE IN THE NATION, INCLUDING ADVERSE, UH, BIRTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING, UH, SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF ABOVE THE KNEE AMPUTEES FROM, UH, ISSUES LIKE DIABETES. WE ALSO HAVE EPIDEMIC LEVELS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AS WE ALL KNOW, AND WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW WE ARE ONE OF THE POOREST METRO, IF NOT THE, ACTUALLY THE POOREST LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE NATION ONCE IMPLEMENTED. SICK AND SAFE LEAVE WILL HELP US ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE FRONTS. IT IS, UH, ONE OF THOSE, UH, POLICIES THAT CAN BE NOT JUST HELPFUL, BUT TRANSFORMATIVE. UM, NAYSAYERS HAVE ARGUED THAT THE SOLUTION IS HAVING PEOPLE UPSKILL TO A BETTER JOB. UM, AND THE CITY DOES INVEST IN THAT. UH, BUT I WOULD REMIND THEM THAT THOSE ARE NOT OVERNIGHT SOLUTIONS. UM, THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL AND YOU TRAIN AND YOU'RE ALSO WORKING, THAT USUALLY TAKES MORE THAN THREE MONTHS OR SIX MONTHS, AND THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE YOU MIGHT BE SICK, UH, DURING THAT TIME, OR THAT SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY MIGHT BE SICK. AND ONCE YOU CAN'T PAY THAT BILL, THAT WILL THROW OFF YOUR WHOLE UPSKILLING UH, TRAJECTORY. UM, SO IN ADDITION, WE'RE SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE THE HOME OF THE ALAMO. WE'RE THE HOME OF THE SPURS, THE RIVER WALK, ONE OF THE FINEST CONVENTION CENTERS IN THE NATION. AND UNLESS WE PLAN TO CHANGE ANY OF THAT, WE WILL ALWAYS NEED WORKERS TO WORK THOSE JOBS. THOSE JOBS AREN'T GOING AWAY. UH, WE WILL ALWAYS NEED HOURLY WORKERS OR SOMEONE TO SERVE THE DRINKS AT THE S B C CENTER FOR A SPURS GAME. WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA NEED SOMEONE TO CLEAN THE RESTROOMS AT THOSE LOCATIONS TO STAFF THE RESTAURANTS ALONG THE RIVER TO MAKE THE BEDS AT THE HOTEL. AND WHILE THESE MAY NOT BE JOBS, MANY OF US ASPIRE TO, THEY ARE DIGNIFIED JOBS, THEY ARE HONEST JOBS, AND THOSE WHO PERFORM THEM DESERVE OUR RESPECT, AND THEY DESERVE US TO CARE FOR THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY. UM, MSGI YEN, YOU CAME FORWARD AND YOU TALKED TO US ABOUT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND ITS BIG IMPACT ON SAN ANTONIO, AND IT IS A HUGE IMPACT BECAUSE IT, IT EMPLOYS SO MANY OF OUR, OF OUR PEOPLE. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, BUT I SEE IT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE. UM, WE HEARD THE, THE DOLLAR IMPACT IT HAS, BUT IT ALSO EMPLOYS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. AND THAT IS WHAT I WILL BE BASING MY, MY VOTE ON. UM, TODAY. I HAVE, UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, POINTS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AND, AND CONFIRM WITH DR. BRIDGER. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT IN THE ORDINANCE, UM, REGARDING REPORTING, UM, AND THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE EARLIER BY THAT SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR ABOUT CONCERNS REGARDING, UH, NOT ALL, UM, NOT ALL ETHNICITIES OR INCOME LEVELS USING AVAILING THEMSELVES OF PAID SICK LEAVE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IN THE REPORTING OF, OF THE ORDINANCE, THE ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENT? LET US LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT, UM, WE HAVE ACCESS TO. I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WILL LOOK AND SEE IF THAT'S AN OPTION. THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT WE'LL, UM, YOU WILL BE GIVING US AN ANNUAL REPORT ON, UH, SOME OF THE BASIC STATISTICS. UM, I THINK, UH, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT THE FIRST YEAR TO GET REALLY GET INTO ENSURING THAT IT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED EQU EQUITABLY AND USED EQUITABLY, PERHAPS THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN WORK ON AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THERE'S ALSO A STATEMENT IN THE ORDINANCE THAT TALKS ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT DEVELOPING PROCEDURES. UM, CAN YOU TELL US WHEN WILL COUNSEL BE ABLE TO SEE [02:20:01] THE PROCEDURES THAT WILL BE USED? THE PROCEDURES AND POLICIES? SO WE HAVE, UM, PROCEDURES THAT WE BEGAN TO DEVELOP FOR THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, SO WE WILL NEED TO MODIFY THOSE ONCE. UM, ANY CHANGES ARE MADE HERE TODAY. UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST INFORMATION SESSION IN I THINK NEXT WEEK. SO WE WILL START TO HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THOSE PROCEDURES LOOK LIKE AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A REQUEST THAT EITHER, UH, MY COMMITTEE OR THE FULL COUNCIL, IF THE MAYOR PREFERS, UH, BE BRIEFED ON THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURE BEFORE THEY ARE FINALIZED. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, I SUPPORT, UH, JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE CHANGES IN THE RED LINE VERSION THAT WERE PRESENTED TO US. UH, I THINK WE'VE COME TO A VERY SOLID AGREEMENT, AND I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT MANY OF THE VOTES BY THE COMMISSION WERE, WERE UNANIMOUS. SO I FEEL, UH, VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT. UM, THERE IS ONE SECTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ASK YOU ABOUT AND THAT HAS TO DO REGARDING, UH, INTERNS. UH, IT IS SECTION, UH, 15 2 6 9 UNDER DEFINITIONS. AND, UH, BASED ON OUR LAST B SESSION, A STATEMENT WAS ADDED, UH, SAYING EMPLOYEE DOES NOT MEAN A PAID OR UNPAID INTERN. UM, AND A FEW MORE WORDS AFTER THAT. SO IF THAT SECTION WERE NOT THERE, IF WE TOOK AWAY THAT SENTENCE, UM, WOULD THE ORDINANCE REQUIRE THAT ANY INTERN WHO WORKS FOR LESS THAN 90 DAYS BE GRANTED SICK OR SAFE LEAVE THE USE OF IT? NO, THEY WOULD BE EXCLUDED. UM, THEY WOULD BE EXCLUDED OR THEY WOULD, SORRY. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS LANGUAGE. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. UM, INTERNS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE PAID OR UNPAID, WHO WORK FOR LESS THAN 90 DAYS WOULD NOT RECEIVE PAID SICK LEAVE. OKAY. SO THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANTED TO, TO CLARIFY. MANY OF THE INTERN PROGRAMS I'M FAMILIAR WITH ARE, ARE FEWER THAN 90 DAYS. UM, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE LONGER. UM, AND I WOULD, UH, AND THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE PAID, UH, NOT BY WAGES, BUT UH, BY A STIPEND. AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THEY'RE NOT REALLY EMPLOYEES. IS THAT, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT, MR. GUZMAN? YES. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GOOD MORNING. UM, THERE ARE INTERNSHIPS THAT ARE PAID STIPENDS, AND GENERALLY THOSE KINDS OF INTERNSHIPS ARE STRUCTURED SO THAT YOU HAVE A, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME IN WHICH YOU HAVE TO ACCUMULATE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS FOR CREDIT IN SOMETHING. IF YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP. THERE ISN'T ANY, UH, SORT OF CALCULATION FOR TIME OFF OR PAID LEAVE. YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU DO THOSE HOURS WITHIN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. SO, UH, UH, AN INTERN THAT HAS A STIPEND WOULDN'T BE SUBJECT TO THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, TO CLARIFY. UM, AND I WOULD, IF AN INTERN IS RECEIVING WAGES AND THEY'RE THERE FOR MORE THAN, UM, THREE MONTHS, UH, UP TO SIX MONTHS, I, I WANNA ECHO THE COMMENTS OF THE YOUNG LADY THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE. I, I WOULD SAY THEY PROBABLY DEPEND ON THEIR INCOME AND WE PROBABLY DON'T WANT THEM TO, TO COME TO WORK SICK. UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT, THAT IS THE ONE, UH, CHANGE I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TO THE ORDINANCE. UM, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, MAKE A MOTION. SO I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDED REVISIONS TO CHAPTER 15. ARTICLE 11 ENTITLED, EARNED PAID SICK TIME AS SET OUT IN THE RED LINE DOCUMENT PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT, THE DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEES IN SECTION 15 2 6 9 SHOULD BE REVISED TO DELETE THE REFERENCE TO INTERNS. YES, SIR. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FOUR WITH CHANGES OF READ TO THE DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEE. MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAVEO HATO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, IN THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, CAN YOU CLARIFY IF THERE WAS AN EXEMPTION OR DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION FOR BUSINESSES FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES, LESS THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES OR SO? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR CHANGES THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED IS TO DO AWAY WITH THAT DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. THE ITERATION WE SEE TODAY DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT LANGUAGE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY, WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS? THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS BROUGHT FROM THE PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION, WAS TO GO TO A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH THAT THAT'S MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH LENS AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO THIS. SO THEY'VE ELIMINATED ANY REFERENCE TO BUSINESS SIZE AND HAVE SAID ALL BUSINESSES, REGARDLESS [02:25:01] OF NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, UM, SHALL PROVIDE UP TO 56 HOURS OF, UM, SAFE AND SICK LEAVE TIME OFF. OKAY. THAT, THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. UM, AS A BUSINESS OWNER MYSELF, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THAT EMPLOYERS FACE IN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THE BEST POLICIES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES WHILE ALSO JUST TRYING TO STAY IN BUSINESS. I'M PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THE DIRECT INVOLVEMENT OF OUR BUSINESS LEADERS WHO SERVED ON THE COMMISSION. THEIR INPUT WAS CRUCIAL IN MAKING THIS ORDINANCE MORE SOUND FOR OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT CONDUCTED BY DOCTORS, UH, NIVAN AND ROMAN SHOW THAT THE EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE WILL HAVE A NET BENEFIT TO SAN ANTONIO OF OVER, OR I'M SORRY, ALMOST $28 MILLION. THE SAFE AND SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE WILL NOT ONLY BE LIFE CHANGING FOR FAMILIES, THOUSANDS OF HARDWORKING FAMILIES, BUT ALSO WILL PROVIDE NUMEROUS BENEFITS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY. THANK YOU TO EVERY DISTRICT SIX CONSTITUENT RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER ALIKE WHO PARTICIPATED AND TOOK THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE WITH, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE CITYWIDE INITIATIVE, BUT ALSO WITH ME, JOSE AND GERALD. I SEE YOU OUT THERE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. SPECIAL THANKS TO JOLENE GARCIA. ALSO A DISTRICT SIX RESIDENT WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS CAUSE. THANK YOU, ANDY, FOR REMINDING EVERYONE THAT WE ARE NOT VOTING TODAY TO AFFECT A NEW ORDINANCE. THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN PROMULGATED. WE VOTE TODAY ON AMENDING THE ORDINANCE AFTER A PROCESS, INCLUDING ALL STAKEHOLDERS. WHEN ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE ENGAGED, WE MAKE BETTER INFORMED DECISIONS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAVEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, DISTRICT TWO IS ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED AREAS THAT I HAVE GROWN UP IN, BUT ALSO RAISED ME TO BE VERY STRONG IN HOW WE FIGHT AND STAND FOR EACH OTHER, FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT ARE WHO WE SIT HERE AND SPEAK FOR. AND SO I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF ANYTHING THAT IS GOING TO GIVE A BETTERMENT OF LIFE TO THOSE THAT WE SERVE. I LOOKED THROUGH THE REPORT OF THE SURVEYS AND THERE WAS A QUESTION, AND IT ASKED IF YOUR EMPLOYER OFFERED EARNED SICK AND SAVED TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU USE IT FOR? OUT OF THE ANSWERS THAT WERE GIVEN, 38 OF THOSE ANSWERS HAD TO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH. WE ARE LIVING IN A SOCIETY WHERE NOT ONLY DOES STRESS LIFE WORK ALL CAUSE US TO HAVE A MOMENT WHERE WE NEED TO TRULY HAVE A DAY TO HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS. AS A MOTHER, AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AND ESPECIALLY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL NOW IN THIS CAPACITY, I TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY I NEED A DAY OFF. I THINK DISTRICT TWO, I THINK, THINK THE RESIDENTS, I THINK MY CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, AND I THINK MOST DEFINITELY MOVE TOP, AND THOSE THAT CONTINUE TO PUSH FORTH IN YOUR EFFORTS TO SPEAK LOUDLY. FOR THOSE THAT NEED TO HAVE A VOICE. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WILL WONDER HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN? IT, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE BALANCE WHERE WE NEED TO FIND EXACTLY HOW TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SEEN IN AN EQUITABLE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD. I KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE A HEALTHY EMPLOYEE, YOU HAVE A HEALTHIER WORKPLACE. WHEN WORKING OUT AT U S A A, THEY MADE SURE THAT YOU HAD A MOMENT TO YOURSELF BY OFFERING MEDITATION ROOMS. YOU HAD 20 MINUTES OF YOUR OWN TIME TO TAKE AND JUST GO INTO THAT ROOM AND SAY, I NEED THIS MOMENT. A LOT OF THE BIGGER EMPLOYERS CAN DO THAT, BUT A LOT OF OUR SMALLER EMPLOYERS WILL SAY, WHAT DO I DO WHEN THAT EMPLOYEE IS OFF? THAT'S WHERE OUR INTERNS COME INTO PLAY. A LOT OF TIMES. WE NEED TO TRULY INVEST IN OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND EXCLUDING OUR INTERNS FROM THIS TRULY DOES HURT OUR ECONOMY AS WELL AND THE WORKPLACE, BECAUSE THEY OFFER A VALUE. WE HAVE OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM HERE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SCHOOL FOR THOSE FOUR YEARS, THEY DON'T HAVE MEDICAL COVERAGE, [02:30:01] BUT THEY DO NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. SO ALONG WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, I WILL STAND IN FULL SUPPORT TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE AMENDMENTS AS THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. CITY STAFF. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. HERE WE ARE AGAIN. UH, REALLY BIG DECISION, RIGHT? TO AMEND SOMETHING. AND I, I THINK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL FOR REMINDING US THAT WE'VE ALREADY PASSED THIS ORDINANCE. UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS LONG PROCESS TO COME UP WITH SOME AMENDMENTS. UM, BUT IS IT STILL RIGHT? I, YOU KNOW, I STILL AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE, AND I TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I ASKED THIS QUESTION LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, IS THIS NOW A LEGAL DOCUMENT OR IS IT A LITTLE LESS ILLEGAL? I, YOU KNOW, I'M, WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO IS WHAT THEY, AN OLD ADAGE THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS, I THINK WE'RE JUST PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG HERE. THIS STILL HAS SOME MAJOR ISSUES IN IT, AND YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S REALLY UP TO THE COURTS TO MAKE THAT DECISION. AND OH, BY THE WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THIS COUNSEL DOES TODAY, WE'RE GONNA BE HAULED BACK INTO COURT AGAIN. SO HERE WE GO AGAIN. SPENDING MORE OF YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS, DEFENDING ANOTHER LEGAL CHALLENGE OF WHAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO DO. YOU KNOW, WE'RE PREEMPTED BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL LABOR REGULATIONS, AND HERE WE ARE AS A CITY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THAT'S, THAT THAT'LL COME OUT IN THE WASH. IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, AND IT'S GOING TO REALLY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO OUR BUSINESSES. BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE BUSINESSES. WHAT MAKES UP BUSINESSES, IT'S THE PEOPLE. IT'S THE PEOPLE, FOLKS THAT ARE PART OF THOSE BUSINESSES. AND I'VE GOT SOME EXAMPLES HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY NEED TO INVOLVE OURSELVES IN THAT CONTRACT, AS WAS SAID ALREADY BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYEES? THAT'S WHERE THE CONTRACT IS. AND IF AN EMPLOYEE DOESN'T LIKE THAT CONTRACT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO WORK THERE. THEY CAN GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. IF THEY THINK IT, THERE'S A BETTER CONTRACT THAT THEY CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT PROVIDES BETTER BENEFITS, THAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE. THERE'S MANY COMPANIES HERE THAT PROVIDE SICK LEAVE, AND I WOULD DARE SAY THAT PROBABLY ALL BUSINESSES, EVEN THE MOM AND POP SHOPS GIVE THEIR EMPLOYEES PAID TIME OFF VACATION TIME, THAT KIND OF THING. WHAT THE EMPLOYEE DOES WITH THAT, THAT'S THEIR, THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR CHOICE. CHOICE. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THIS FROM A, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MAKE A MOTION HERE TO DISAPPROVE OR GET RID OF THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT TIME FOR THAT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE AT THIS POINT. YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE MANY YEARS FOR SMALL BUSINESS TO, TO RECOUP FROM THIS. UH, I'VE GOTTEN CALLS, I'VE GOTTEN EMAILS, I'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT THIS THING FROM SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN. I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU DID, YOU KNOW THAT SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE UP OVER 93% OF BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN. THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF BUSINESS. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT, A LOT OF LARGE, LARGE BUSINESSES HERE. SO WHAT WE DO TODAY IS GONNA AFFECT THE MAJORITY OF BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN. AND AGAIN, PEOPLE MAKE UP THOSE BUSINESSES. WE'RE GONNA AFFECT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING IN THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. LEMME JUST GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF, UH, UM, EXAMPLES. UM, THERE'S A COMPANY THAT SAID, WE EMPLOY 42 PEOPLE. THIS IS JUST BAD POLICY. CITY GOVERNMENT IS HERE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. AND WITHOUT A VIBRANT BUSINESS BASE, EVERYTHING ELSE BECOMES A MUTE POINT. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF THIS SOMEHOW DOES PASS, WE WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OUR EMPLOYEES WE HAVE AND TAKE AWAY OTHER BENEFITS AS OUR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO ABSORB ANY ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE, UM, EMPLOYEE COST BURDENS. AND GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE. UM, I GIVE MY STAFF [02:35:01] 10 PAID DAYS OFF EACH YEAR TO USE. HOWEVER, THEY PLEASE, IF THIS POLICY GOES INTO EFFECT, I'LL HAVE TO GIVE 'EM SEVEN PAID SICK AND SAFE DAYS AND ONLY THREE PAID DAYS OFF TO USE FOR WHATEVER THEY PLEASE. I DON'T THINK THEY'LL BE TOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. MY ONLY OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO CUT SOME OF THEIR PAID HOLIDAYS. AND IT'S MY OPINION THAT THIS POLICY IS BEING MARKETED TO THE WORKERS OF SAN ANTONIO DECEPTIVELY. IT SEEMS MOST PEOPLE THINK THEY'LL GET SEVEN PAID DAYS IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY HAVE. NOW FOR A TINY BUSINESS LIKE MINE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. THE MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE. UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT REALLY WANTS TO SPEAK, AND SIR, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP, UM, MS. HULI CARELLO IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS. I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HER AND SHE IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT THIS, UM, THIS EFFECT TO SMALL BUSINESSES. AND, UH, SHE'S WILLINGLY VOLUNTEERED TO COME UP HERE AND SAY A FEW WORDS. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU GUYS. ONE, ONE SECOND. UM, CITY ATTORNEY. UH, YES, MAYOR, JUST, JUST AGAIN, A POINT OF ORDER AND PROCESS. THERE ALREADY HAS BEEN CITIZENS THAT SIGNED UP FOR THE ISSUE. UM, SO, UM, WE'VE HAD THAT. OKAY, WELL, IT'S UP TO YOU AS PRESIDE AS TO WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW IT OR NOT. GO AHEAD. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU CAN YIELD THE FLOOR, YOU'LL GET IT BACK, BUT PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS BRIEF. UM, MS. CARELLO. SURE. UM, YOU, THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, ANNIE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW ME, I, I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. I'M A MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED CONTRACTOR HERE IN TOWN. AND, UH, WE ARE NOT ALL ONE SIZE FITS ALL BUSINESSES. UM, SERVICES ARE DIFFERENT. UM, I AM NOT AGAINST SICK LEAVE OR ANY BENEFITS. BY ALL MEANS I AM IN BUSINESS TO PROVIDE 'EM. UM, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE MAKING A TOUGH DECISION TO AN ENTREPRENEUR. IT'S A SIMPLE MATH PROBLEM. IT'S, WE GOTTA BRING IN THE CLIENTS FIRST CONSISTENTLY TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP LAYING OFF, OVER AND OVER. UM, WITH YOU MANDATING THIS TYPE OF POLICY, IT'S GOING TO FORCE ENTREPRENEURS LIKE MYSELF TO, TO HAVE TO DECIDE HOW TO SPEND OUR MONEY, RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY. AGAIN, IT'S A SIMPLE MATH PROBLEM. DO I NOT DO WORKERS' COMP? DO I NOT DO HEALTHCARE? HOW CAN I PRIORITIZE IF I CAN'T TALK TO MY EMPLOYEES ANYMORE? NOW I HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU TELL ME IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING. DO I TAKE AWAY VACATION OR, OR HOLIDAY? ALL OF IT IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE THING. AND TO ME, IT TOOK ME 10 YEARS TO GET TO THAT LEVEL. SO AS A SMALL BUSINESS, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO, TO NOT VOTE FOR IT. WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS TO CONSIDER HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT SMALL BUSINESS. I DON'T THINK YOU'VE HEARD ENOUGH FROM, FROM US. AND I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, IF YOU CAN MAKE A REVISION TO EXCLUDE A NUMBER OF SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OR THE NUMBER OF BUSINESS YEARS THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE, IT MATTERS BECAUSE 50% OF OUR STARTUP BUSINESSES WILL BE OUTTA BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS. 50%. THE REST OF 'EM, 30% WILL BE LOSING MONEY. THE OTHER 30 WILL BE BREAKING EVEN. UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO ADD BENEFITS FOR, FOR YOU GUYS BECAUSE WE NEED YOU. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AS FAST AS WE CAN AND AS SOON AS WE CAN. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO HELP YOU WHEN YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, RIGHT? WE ARE GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO BAIL THEM OUT WHEN THEIR FAMILIES ARE IN TROUBLE, WHEN THEY NEED MONEY, WHEN THEY HAVE HEART ATTACKS OR THEIR KIDS ARE IN TROUBLE. WE'RE THE FIRST ONES TO WRITE CHECKS FOR THAT. WE ARE ALSO THE FIRST ONES TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE IN OUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF AND CAN COME TO WORK. I, I KNOW MY TIME IS UP, BUT I'M OPEN FOR ANYTHING REALLY. OKAY. JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, COUNCILMAN, UH, IN ORDER TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE, IF ANYONE IS BROUGHT FORWARD BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA LIMIT COMMENTS TO TWO MINUTES AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE THE FLOOR. GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN PERRY. SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS. UM, AND TO THAT POINT, UM, BACK IN FEBRUARY, 2012, DR. STEVE NIVAN, SERVE, GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN PERRY. OKAY. SO TO CLARIFY, TO ANYONE ELSE WHO IS, ANYONE SPEAKING AT THE PODIUM WOULD HAVE TO BE RECOGNIZED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER. WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE THAT A HABIT. WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN ORDER IN THE CHAMBER. SO, IN FEBRUARY, 2012, DR. STEVE NIVEN AND, UM, MAYA HOLBECK, UH, THE SABRE, UH, RESEARCH INSTITUTE COMPLETED A TI A STUDY TITLED SMALL BUSINESS STUDY, A PROFILE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO METRO AREA. IN THIS STUDY, OUR OWN, UH, WE USE, UM, DR. NEVIN FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS HERE. [02:40:01] HE, HE'S A CONSULTANT FOR THE CITY. UM, HE SAYS THAT SMALL BUSINESSES FACE CHALLENGES INCLUDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS THAT CHALLENGED THE SUCCESS AND GROWTH OF SMALL BUSINESSES. IN FACT, IN THAT STUDY, HE FOUND THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ACTUALLY SHOULDER 36% MORE REGULATORY COSTS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN LARGE BUSINESSES. AND HERE WE ARE ADDING MORE REGULATORY COSTS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. SO HE NOTED THAT IN GENERAL, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE COSTS PLACE SMALL BUSINESSES IN, IN A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE RELATIVE TO LARGE BUSINESSES, HINDERING THEIR ABILITY TO GROW, CREATE JOBS, REINVEST IN THEIR OPERATIONS AND PROSPER. THERE WAS A 2019 SMALL BUSINESS POLICY INDEX WRITTEN BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURIAL COUNCIL, UH, THAT SAYS THAT BUSINESSES PROVIDING LEAVES AS ABSENCE TO EMPLOYEES UNDER VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES COMES WITH REAL COSTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE STUDY SITES THAT FLEXIBILITY BETWEEN EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE IS LOST. HOLDING POSITIONS OPEN AND SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITIES USING TEMPORARY WORKERS RAISE COSTS. HOWEVER, THOSE COSTS ARE PUSHED MUCH HIGHER WHEN MANDATED SICK LEAVE MUST ALSO COME WITH PAY. IN ADDITION, THE OPPORTUNITIES AND COST OF ABUSE EXPAND NO MATTER HOW COMPENSATION PACKAGES OR INSURANCE IS SET UP, MANDATED, SAFE AND SICK LEAVE ULTIMATELY MEANS HIGHER LABOR COSTS. IT WAS JUST STATED ABOUT, UH, THE FAILURE RATE OF SMALL BUSINESSES. 80% MADE IT TO THE SECOND YEAR. GREAT, 70% MADE IT TO THE THIRD YEAR. 62 MADE IT TO THE FOURTH YEAR. 56 MADE IT TO THE FIFTH YEAR. SO ALMOST HALF OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT START UP, AND THIS WAS, UH, STARTED IN 2014, THE STUDY. SO IN 2018, ALMOST HALF OF THOSE BUSINESSES FAILED. AND THAT'S NOT WITH THIS ON THEIR BACK. THIS IS JUST THROUGH TRYING TO EARN A LIVING AND PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE CITY. HALF OF 'EM THINK ABOUT THAT. WITHIN FOUR YEARS, ALL THIS STUFF IS COMING OUTTA THESE STUDIES. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE, AGAIN, WHICH BUSINESSES CAN REALLY AFFORD THIS MANDATED SAFE AND SICK LEAVE? WHO DETERMINES WITH A, WHEN A BUSINESS IS FINANCIALLY STABLE? UM, THE, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL GEARED TOWARDS SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME IN THE B SESSION WHERE DR. NEVIN HAD THIS TABLE THAT SAYS THE COST OF PAID SICK LEAVE IS GONNA BE OVER $16 MILLION, $16 MILLION, BUT SOME, THROUGH SOME SMOKE AND MIRRORS, IT'S INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY. I'M NOT SO SURE THAT HE CAN IDENTIFY 700, $6,000 WITH INCREASED PROTECTIVITY, REDUCED TURNOVER, $9 MILLION, REDUCED FLU CONTAGIONS, $643,000. SO HE CALCULATED THAT THE BENEFITS OF PAID SICK LEAVE IS $10 MILLION. THIS IS TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES A $10 MILLION BENEFIT, BUT HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA COST? $16 MILLION OVER $16 MILLION. SO WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HOLDING? THEY'RE GONNA BE HOLDING A $6 MILLION BILL. HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THEY GONNA PAY FOR THAT? THIS IS OUT A DR. NEVINS STUDY, BUT HE GOES ON SAYING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS. IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE TOTAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS, $33 MILLION TO THE COMMUNITY. WOW, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. BUT AGAIN, HOW DOES THAT HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE PAYING FOR IT? THAT MONEY DOESN'T COME BACK TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES. THAT'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS. THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STILL GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. SO AGAIN, THAT TO ME IS THE BIGGEST FALLACY OF THIS THING THAT YOU GO BACK TO THOSE NOTES THAT I READ EARLIER FROM EMAILS, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE UP THE COST BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. WE'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, REDUCING PAY AND BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE OVERALL PAID TIME OFF TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS. A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO TO MAKE UP THAT $6 MILLION. IF WE ACCEPT ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS FROM DAVID NIVEN'S REPORT, [02:45:03] UH, THAT REPORT ALSO STATES THAT THERE'S NO IN IMPACT CAUSED TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN OTHER CITIES WHICH HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE. BUT THIS IS NOT ALL, THIS ISN'T A VALID STATEMENT ALSO BECAUSE MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE ACTUALLY EXCLUDED SMALL BUSINESSES. IN FACT, ENTIRE STATES HAVE EXCLUDED THEM. MICHIGAN, CONNECTICUT, ANY SMALL BUSINESSES WITH FEWER THAN 50 EMPLOYEES, IN ADDITION, RHODE ISLAND, OREGON, MARYLAND, THEY HAVE EXCLUSIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. SO IT'S BEEN DONE, IT'S BEEN DONE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESSES THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TROUBLE ABSORBING, AND IT'S GONNA CAUSE MORE OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES TO GO UNDER WITHIN THAT FOUR FIRST FOUR YEARS OF TRYING TO OPERATE. I ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE IDEA THAT A BUSINESS CAN BE EXEMPT FROM SICK AND SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE IF THEY ALLOW THEIR EMPLOYEES TO UNIONIZE. I MEAN, WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT? WHY, WHY ARE WE EXEMPTING UNIONS FROM THIS? I I DON'T GET IT. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS THAT THOSE THAT ARE REALLY PUSHING THIS ARE WITH THE UNIONS AND THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE ANOTHER ADAGES ARE GETTING THEIR NOSE UNDERNEATH THE TENT. AND THAT I'VE GOT IS JUST AS BIG A CONCERN BECAUSE TEXAS IS A RIGHT TO WORK STATE. AND I WANT TO CORRECT WHAT MS. HARGROVE SAID THAT DAY. SHE SAID THAT CALIFORNIA AND CONNECTICUT WERE RIGHT TO WORK STATES THAT SHE WAS BASING A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION IN COMPARISONS TO THOSE, BUT THEY ARE NOT, THEY ARE NOT LIKE TEXAS, WHICH IS A RIGHT TO WORK STATE. SO GIVEN ALL THIS INFORMATION AND POTENTIAL TO SEVERELY CRIPPLE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THIS ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT REGULATION, I MOVE TO AMEND THE PROPOSED SICK AND SAFE LEAVE ORDINANCE BY EXCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS WITH 49 OR FEWER OTHER EMPLOYEES AS DEFINED BY THE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT, FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE, AND TO ALSO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT EXCLUDES FAMILY MEMBERS IN CALCULATING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FOR AN EMPLOYEE FOR AN EMPLOYER. SO, AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT MOTION USING F M L A, UM, F M L A DEFINITION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THE STANDARD SINCE 1993, AND IT'S BEEN, IN FACT, FOR OVER 26 YEARS, THE, THE, THE CATEGORY OF BELOW 50, BASICALLY 49 EMPLOYEES. SO EXCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS FROM THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT MEAN THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE NOT OFFERING SAFE AND SICK LEAVE. MANY OF THEM ALREADY ARE. MANY OF 'EM ARE ALREADY PROVIDING PAID TIME OFF, WHICH INCLUDES TIME THAT EMPLOYEES CAN TAKE OFF FOR SICK LEAVE. SO ALL MY AMENDMENT WILL DO IS TO ALLOW THE IMPACT, IMPACT OF EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TO BE TIED TO THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF OUR ECONOMY, WHICH IS CONTINUING TO GROW. BY THE WAY, SMALL BUSINESSES JUST NEED TO HAVE THE OPTION TO ADJUST BASED ON THEIR OWN BUSINESS CHALLENGES AND NOT BE IMPACTED BY WHAT THIS CITY COUNCIL DEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR OUR BUSINESSES, WHICH, BY THE WAY, EMPLOYS ALL OF THESE EMPLOYEES. WITH THAT, SIR, THAT'S MY MOTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. UM, OKAY. THERE WAS A, JUST TO CLARIFY, COUNCILMAN, YOUR MOTION IS TO AMEND THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND AS STATED. THE SECOND, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. OKAY. WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH OUR DISCUSSION. UH, JUST TO NOTE, THERE IS A PRIMARY MOTION ON THE FLOOR AS WELL AS AN AMENDMENT OFFERED. SO ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, MOTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY, WOULD BE TO AMEND THE AMENDED MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHER GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. UH, THE FIRST ONE IS NONPROFITS. IT'S CONCERNING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS REGARDING GRANT PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU COULD MAYBE HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE HOW GRANT PROGRAMS MIGHT BE AFFECTED, UM, WITH THIS LEAVE REIMBURSEMENT. SO RIGHT NOW, UM, A NONPROFIT IS CONSIDERED A BUSINESS, AND REGARDING, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE, UM, HANDLED THE SAME WAY. NOW, WE DID DISCUSS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT THERE MAY BE SOME [02:50:01] LANGUAGE IN FEDERALLY FUNDED GRANTS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THIS, IN WHICH CASE THAT WOULD SUPERSEDE ANY LOCAL ORDINANCE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, THEN ALSO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR LAURA. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S STILL HERE, BUT THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, IT WAS 73% EMPLOYEE, 27% EMPLOYERS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS A CONVENIENT SAMPLE. UM, AND, AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I, I'D LOVE FOR, UM, IN THE FUTURE TO HAVE MAYBE A RANDOM, UM, SAMPLE BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF A MORE FAIR PROCESS. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. WAS IT ONLY ONLINE OR DID YOU ALL ALSO HAVE LIKE WRITTEN SURVEYS? WE DID. WE MADE THEM AVAILABLE IN LIBRARY, SENIOR CENTERS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND THE METRO HEALTH ALSO HELPED WITH THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. AND THEN, UH, IT WAS TRANSLATED TO SPANISH AS YES'. WELL, MM-HMM. . OKAY, GOOD. UH, AND THEN I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION. CAN YOU QUANTIFY THE NUMBER OF NEGATIVE VERSUS THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE COMMENTS THAT WERE GIVEN? WE CERTAINLY CAN, IT MIGHT TAKE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO PULL THAT DATA, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE VOTING TODAY, BUT I THINK STILL IMPORTANT TO REFLECT ON THAT. UM, AND WE DID ATTACH ALL OF THOSE, UM, OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES AS WELL. GREAT. YES, I SAW THEM, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO DO FOUR AGAINST AND ADD UP, AND I GOT A LITTLE BIT, UM, BEHIND ON THAT. UH, AND THEN I, I KNOW ONE OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ASKED THIS OR REFERENCED THIS, BUT DO WE KNOW HOW MANY ORDINANCES IN OTHER CITIES SPECIFICALLY HAVE EXCLUDED SMALL BUSINESS? SO WE WERE, UM, RESEARCHING THAT THIS MORNING WHEN THAT QUESTION CAME UP. AND WHAT WE HAVE FOUND THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME NATIONAL PARTNERS IS THAT, AS COUNCILMAN PERRY REFERENCED, UM, THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, HOWEVER, OUR, UM, NATIONAL SOURCES TELLING US THAT THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT IS GETTING READY TO CHANGE THAT EXEMPTION. UM, AND THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, THAT WAS REALLY WEIRD, WHERE THE, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A OKAY TERM TO USE, BUT THE LAME DUCK, UM, GROUP OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, ESSENTIALLY GUTTED THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE ON THEIR WAY OUT. AND SO THE CURRENTLY ELECTED, UM, BODY IN MICHIGAN HAS FILED A LAWSUIT TO UNDO THAT. SO THOSE TWO STATES ARE CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS AS EXEMPTING BUSINESSES OF, UM, LESS THAN 50 ALONG WITH F M L A, BUT BOTH OF THOSE ARE GETTING READY TO CHANGE. GREAT. THANK YOU DR. BRIDGER. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU. WAS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY ALSO INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS? I, I'VE NEVER ASKED, AND IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I HADN'T ASKED IT IN THIS PROCESS. I DON'T THINK THEY WERE OFFICIALLY INVOLVED. AGAIN, THIS WAS AN INTERESTING SITUATION FOR STAFF BECAUSE, UH, COUNSEL TOOK ACTION ON AN ITEM THAT WAS NOT VETTED BY STAFF. UM, AND SO WE, WE DIDN'T DO OUR USUAL WORK. YES. AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT SOMEONE EARLIER MADE THAT, UH, MADE THAT POINT TO SAY THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL WAS, WAS DECIDING ON THIS TODAY, BUT IT IT WAS PETITIONED BY US, BY RESIDENTS. SO I JUST WANNA TO ASK ABOUT THAT. I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHO WAS INVOLVED OR WHAT DEPARTMENTS WERE INVOLVED, SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO CLARIFY THAT. AND THEN, UM, DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO PROVIDE A TRUE, A TRUE OPINION OUT ON HOW THIS WILL AFFECT SMALL BUSINESSES? I KNOW THERE WAS A FOOTNOTE AND DR. NEVINS REPORT THAT REFERENCE THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH DATA. I'M ALSO CONCERNED BECAUSE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE USING IS FROM 2008 AND 2012, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL DATA ON SMALL BUSINESSES SPECIFICALLY. AND I KNOW THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, RECENTLY HELPED PASS SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AN ENTREPRENEURIAL, UM, OR THE MASTER ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER TO DO RESEARCH ON SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THERE ISN'T KIND OF A COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD ASKED YOU ABOUT THAT IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS, AND SPECIFICALLY IF THE DATA CAN OFFER A TRUE OPINION. WHAT THE NATIONAL LEVEL DATA CAN TELL US VERY CLEARLY IS THAT THERE ARE CLEAR PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAID SICK TIME. UH, THE OTHER DATA IS MIXED. YOU HAVE SOME STUDIES THAT SAY IT'S DETRIMENTAL. YOU HAVE MOST STUDIES THAT SAY IT'S NEITHER A NEGATIVE NOR A POSITIVE. AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME STUDIES THAT SAY IT'S A POSITIVE. AND I KNOW I'M SPEAKING TO A FELLOW RESEARCHER, I'M SURE THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE YOU. UM, THAT'S PRETTY TYPICALLY WHAT WE SEE IN RESEARCH. SO THAT'S MY ASSESSMENT OF THE STUDIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. OKAY, GREAT. 'CAUSE THAT WAS MY ASSESSMENT TOO. AND THEN I WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO SAY THANK YOU TO [02:55:01] JULISA CARELLO FOR, UH, TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY AFFORDED HER. I KNOW THAT, UH, IN SOME SITUATIONS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN OR THEY DON'T THINK THAT THEY'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN. AND, UM, FOR THIS REASON, EARLIER TODAY, I SUBMITTED A, UH, CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UM, TO CREATE A COMMISSION WHERE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ACTUALLY EXPRESS THEIR OPINION, UM, BEFORE SOME POLICIES THAT COME BEFORE US NEXT TIME TO LOOKING AT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED. UH, I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS THE NAME IS MISLEADING, THEY CAN ONLY WORK ON SP A RELATED ORDINANCES BASED ON THE BYLAWS. AND THAT WAS OF CONCERN TO ME, UM, BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. SO, UM, THAT IT WAS JUST FILED A WHILE AGO. YOU GUYS WILL SEE IT HERE SHORTLY. THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THEN, UM, BASED ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND SOME OF THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED, OFFER A SECONDARY AMENDMENT TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S AMENDMENT. AND I MOVE TO AMEND THAT THE PROPOSED SICK AND SAFELY LEAVE ORDINANCES, UH, BY EXCLUDING SMALL BUSINESSES WITH FIVE OR FEWER EMPLOYEES FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE SICK AND SAFE LEAVE, AND TO ALSO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT EXCLUDES FAMILY MEMBERS IN CALCULATING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FOR AN EMPLOYER. THANK YOU. AMY, GO AHEAD. IF I MAY, PROCEDURALLY THE CO THE AMENDMENT THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HAS PROPOSED WOULD BE, UH, IN ESSENCE, UM, TAKEN UP BY COUNCILMAN PERRY'S BECAUSE IF COUNCILMAN PERRY'S AMENDMENT IS PASSED, THEN BY DEFINITION YOUR PROPOSED ONE WOULD, WOULD ALSO BE APPLICABLE. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT TO VOTE ON COUNCILMAN PERRY'S FIRST AND THEN PROPOSE YOUR AMENDMENT COUNCILWOMAN, IF THAT'S FINE. IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. OKAY. SO PROCEDURALLY, WE ARE STILL AT PRIMARY MOTION, UH, AS WELL AS THE AMENDED LANGUAGE THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY OFFERED. IF THAT AMENDMENT FAILS, AND WE WILL TAKE UP COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE MAIN MOTION. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, MAYOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF COUNCILMAN PERRY'S, WHICH IS OFFERING TO, UH, MAKE IT NOT APPLICABLE TO EMPLOYERS OF 50 OR MORE, OR SORRY, 50 OR LESS, UH, THEN AUTOMATICALLY THAT WOULD ALSO INCORPORATE COUNCILMAN ROCHE GARCIA AS AMENDMENT. OKAY. OKAY. AND JUST TO CLARIFY FOR EVERYONE, THAT MEANS OUR PLATE IS FULL. THERE'S NO MORE MOTIONS UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE AMENDMENTS. UM, ALL RIGHT, NOW I'M SECOND. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA MADE A MOTION FOR A SECOND AMENDMENT. UM, WAS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THERE WAS A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PERRY. SO WE'LL NOW MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CAME AND, UM, WEIGHED IN ON THIS ISSUE, ESPECIALLY, UH, LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON, WHO WAS MY REPRESENTATIVE. WE HAD MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER, UM, DIANE SANCHEZ AND, UH, THAT CAME AND WEIGHED IN. AND SO, UH, AND OF COURSE, ALL THE MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY TO WEIGH ON THIS ISSUE, UM, ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. UM, SO I HAVE BEEN A VERY RELUCTANT SUPPORTER OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, BUT A SUPPORTER NONETHELESS, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA GET SOME CLARIFICATION, UH, DR. BRIDGER ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WERE ASKED AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE BY, UM, THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE HERE TODAY. ONE OF THEM, UH, REGARDING, UM, PROTECTING EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, AFTER A YEAR OF, WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU A SCENARIO. UH, COULDN'T AN EMPLOYER PAY THE SICK LEAVE, UH, AND PAY THEM, UM, WHATEVER WAS OWED FOR DAYS WORKED AND STILL TERMINATE? YES. SO AN EMPLOYER ALWAYS, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T PREVENT TERMINATION. SO, UH, EVEN IN, IN THE SCENARIO WHERE AN EMPLOYEE IS TERMINATED FOR, UH, NOT COMING TO WORK, NO, NO CALL, NO, UH, NO NOTICE, UM, AND THEY'RE TERMINATED, THE EMPLOYER STILL HAS TO PAY FOR THE DAYS THAT THEY'RE WORKED. UH, IF THEY WERE TERMINATED IN THE MIDDLE OF A PAY PERIOD, AND THEY COULD INCLUDE SICK DAYS IF THEY HAD BEEN EARNED, THEY, THEY COULD, THE, THE KEY PART THERE IS LIKE WITH THOSE OF US WHO DO HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE, THE EXPECTATION OF THE EMPLOYEE IS THAT YOU NOTIFY THE EMPLOYER THAT YOU NEED TO USE ONE OF THOSE DAYS. SO JUST SHOWING UP TO WORK OR JUST NOT SHOWING UP TO WORK WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE EMPLOYER DOESN'T, IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS ORDINANCE. THAT WOULD STILL BE A VIOLATION OF THEIR EXISTING EMPLOYMENT POLICIES. SO THE KEY [03:00:01] HERE IS THE EMPLOYEE HAS TO CALL IN SICK IN ORDER TO TRIGGER USE OF THIS LEAVE. OKAY? IF THEY DON'T, AND THE EMPLOYER HAS A POLICY THAT IF YOU NO SHOW AND NO REASON YOU'RE TERMINATED, THEN THAT IS TOTALLY APPLICABLE. OKAY? SO, UM, BUT, BUT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THAT A, AN EMPLOYEE COULD GO BACK A YEAR AND REQUEST, UH, THE COMPLAINT PERIOD IS A YEAR. AND THE, THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO THERE WOULD BE AN EMPLOYER WHO, UH, DOESN'T FULLY IMPLEMENT THE SAFE AND SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. UH, AN EMPLOYEE ASKS TO BE OFF BECAUSE THEY ARE SICK, AND THE EMPLOYEE DENIES THAT REQUEST TO BE OFF AND SAYS, YOU EITHER COME IN OR YOU'RE FIRED. AND IF THAT EMPLOYEE HAS WORKED MORE THAN 90 DAYS AND HAS ACCRUED ENOUGH HOURS IN ORDER TO TAKE A PAID DAY OFF, UM, THEN THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE. THE EMPLOYEE THEN HAS UP TO ONE YEAR TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THAT EMPLOYER THROUGH METRO HEALTH IN ORDER TO SAY, THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID ME FOR THAT DAY OFF. AND SO WHAT IF THE EMPLOYER DOESN'T HAVE A, A A IN SMALL BUSINESSES, IT'S VERY COMMON THAT THE WAY THAT YOU COME SHOW THAT YOU'RE AT WORK OR NOT, YOU CLOCK IN. WHAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM? YOU KNOW, IT'S A SMALL BUSINESS. YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, YOU ALL KNOW EACH OTHER. UM, THEY TELL ONE OF THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, I CAN'T COME TO WORK TODAY, I AM SICK. AND SO THEY'RE NOTIFIED. SO I GUESS, WHAT IS THE FORMAL PROCESS? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT MOST OF US WORK INFORM, OR MANY SMALL BUSINESSES WORK INFORMALLY. SO WHAT IS IT, I MEAN, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, NOTIFICATION, IS THERE SOME SPECIFICATION FOR THAT AS WELL? NO, THAT'S UP TO EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYER'S ROUTINE PROCEDURE. WE DON'T SAY THIS IS HOW IT HAS TO HAPPEN. WE JUST SAY IT HAS TO HAPPEN. OKAY. SO, UH, AND I THINK THIS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR, UM, LANGUAGE. SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE, WHEN WE MET INDIVIDUALLY, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT HANDBOOKS, AND SO WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AT MY PERSONAL BUSINESS. UM, BUT WE DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE ONE. UH, IT REALLY ONLY CAME UP MORE RECENTLY WHEN WE DID START TO OFFER MORE BENEFITS, UH, INCLUDING, UM, WE DIDN'T CALL IT PAID SICK LEAVE, WE JUST CALLED IT VACA PERSONAL TIME, UM, THAT WE DEVELOPED A HANDBOOK. SO THEN IS THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT A BUSINESS HAVE A HANDBOOK SO THAT THEY HAVE NOTIFICATION TO THEIR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE? THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT EMPLOYEE EMPLOYERS HAVE A HANDBOOK. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT IF EMPLOYERS HAVE A HANDBOOK, THEY HAVE TO MAKE REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS THIS ORDINANCE. OKAY, SO I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, BUT DIDN'T, WASN'T THERE SOMETHING ABOUT SIGNAGE? THE OTHER REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU MUST POST SIGNS THROUGHOUT YOUR BUSINESS NOTIFYING EMPLOYEES THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO EARNED SAFE AND SICK LEAVE. THE OTHER THING I WANNA CLARIFY YOUR COMMENT TRIGGERED FOR ME IS, UM, THERE SEEMS TO CONTINUE TO BE SOME CONFUSION AROUND BUSINESSES THAT ALREADY OFFER PAID TIME OFF, FEELING LIKE THEY ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO OFFER ADDITIONAL LEAVE TO COVER THIS SAFE AND SICK LEAVE. THE SAFE AND SICK LEAVE LANGUAGE ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO USE THEIR EXISTING PAID TIME OFF, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY CALL IT TO COVER THIS TIME, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE WHAT THESE REVISIONS, 56 HOURS. SO THE BUSINESS THAT WAS REFERENCED BY COUNCILMAN PERRY, WHO ALREADY GIVES THEIR EMPLOYER EMPLOYEES 10 DAYS OFF, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN DAYS TO THAT, THAT DAY OFF BENEFIT. THEY ARE ALREADY COVERED. NOW THEY DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY, THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE CONSISTENT WITH THESE, BUT THE NUMBER OF DAYS DOES NOT NEED TO GO UP IF THEY'RE ALREADY IN THAT SCENARIO GIVING 10. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. 'CAUSE THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. OKAY. UH, ABOUT COMPLYING WITH, UM, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AN EMPLOYERS, UH, TYPICALLY DO. SO ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD, I MENTIONED IT IN THE B SESSION, WAS THE LIMITATION OF THE INVESTIGATOR OR THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT WOULD THE, THE PROPER TERM WOULD BE INSPECTOR, UH, IN THE EVENT OF A, OF A COMPLAINT. SO IF AN EMPLOYEE FILES A COMPLAINT AND THEY, UH, MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE CITY, AND THE CITY INSPECTOR GOES TO THE LOCATION, UH, AND MAKE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE COMPLY, CAN YOU READ IN THERE THE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS WHAT THEIR LIMITATIONS ARE? I KNOW THAT IT WAS INCLUDED, BUT JUST I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE [03:05:01] ON THE RECORD FORMALLY PRESENTED. YES. SO, UM, THE LANGUAGE IS THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ONLY INVESTIGATE MATTERS RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE AND SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE. I THINK THAT ADDRESSES YOUR CONCERN. IT IT DOES, UH, AND, UH, ADDRESS MY CONCERN BECAUSE WE, AND I ASKED ABOUT THE HEALTH INSPECTORS. SO YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS HEALTH INSPECTORS THAT GOES, YOU SAID QUARTERLY AND, AND, UH, INVESTIGATES RESTAURANTS. RESTAURANTS, YES. AND, UH, THIS IS A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT. SO IT'S NOT THE SAME HEALTH INSPECTORS THAT WILL GO INTO A RESTAURANT, UH, TO INVESTIGATE A PAID SICK LEAVE COMPLAINT. THAT'S CORRECT. UH, AND TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM CODE OFFICERS WHO MIGHT GO AND HAVE A NOISE COMPLAINT OR TRASH COMPLAINT OR SOMETHING. THAT'S CORRECT. OR THE FIRE MARSHAL OR ANY OF THE OTHER INSPECTORS. UH, AND SO I GUESS A LITTLE ASIDE, BUT I JUST AS WE'RE SORT OF ON THE SUBJECT, DOES A HEALTH INSPECTOR, WHEN THEY GO INTO THE LOCATION AND THEY, THEY GO TO INSPECT, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A LIST OF THINGS, BUT WE HAVE HEARD COMPLAINTS OVER THE YEARS THAT, UM, THAT INSPECTOR MIGHT GO OFF OF WHAT IS ON THEIR LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO INSPECT. WHAT IF THEY GET TO THE LOCATION AND SEE SOMEBODY VERY SICK? DO THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO RE TO MAKE A REPORT OR SAY ANYTHING? IF YOU HAVE A VERY SICK PERSON ON THE JOB IN, IN A VENUE, IN A RESTAURANT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS ALL HAD A LOT TO DO WITH RESTAURANTS AND SERVICE OF FOOD AND THAT SORT OF THING. YOU DON'T WANT REALLY SICK PEOPLE SERVING A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE FOOD BECAUSE IT CAN, UH, INFECT A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO IS THERE A LIMITATION ON THAT SIDE THAT THE, THAT THE INSPECTOR CAN'T GO AND SAY, I WENT TO THIS RESTAURANT AND THEY HAD THREE PEOPLE REALLY SICK? TECHNICALLY, THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WE INSPECT WHEN WE GO INTO RESTAURANTS DOES NOT INCLUDE LOOKING TO SEE IF EMPLOYEES ARE SICK. UM, SO THE TECHNICAL ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS NO. IF A, A SANITARIAN GOES INTO A RESTAURANT AND SEES AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS SICK, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CITE THEM FOR ON THEIR RESTAURANT INSPECTION SCORE. NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY WON'T PULL THE MANAGER ASIDE AND SAY, LOOK, THIS PERSON LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE REALLY SICK. YOU PROBABLY OUGHT TO SEND THEM HOME. THEY RISK MAKING A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE SICK. UM, BUT TECHNICALLY THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT IS NOT ON THEIR LIST OF THINGS. OKAY. SO THAT WAS, THIS SORT OF RAISES MY CONCERN ABOUT HAVING CITY INSPECTORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE ANY PRACTICE WITH SMALL BUSINESSES GOING IN AND INSPECTING THINGS THAT PERHAPS ARE OUT OF THE PURVIEW. SO IT'S ONE OF MY, UM, REASONS WHY I'M, I'M VERY RELUCTANT SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE. I DO SUPPORT IT, BUT I, I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS. UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, UM, LET ME SEE IF I GOT IT HERE. UM, I, I THINK THAT COVERS IT. UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, HERE, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE TALKED ABOUT A FEE TO THE CITY. UH, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS IN OUR BUDGET, 430,000 OR MAYBE 340,000, UH, THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS FOR THIS ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT. JENNIFER, HOW MUCH? 530,000. OKAY. FIVE 30 ANNUAL BUDGET THOUSAND FOR AN ANNUAL BUDGET. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, IS THERE AN ESTIMATED CO, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT DOES INCLUDE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INSPECTION INSPECTORS FOR THIS. DO WE HAVE ANY, I, UH, IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD COM WOULD FILE COMPLAINTS? IS THERE NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA. UM, THIS IS A COMPLAINT BASED, SO IT'S NOT A PROACTIVE, UM, ENFORCEMENT. WE DO WAIT FOR COMPLAINTS TO COME IN. OUR THOUGHT IS THAT THE STAFF THAT WE, UM, WILL HIRE IMMEDIATELY UPON PASSAGE, UM, WILL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HELP EDUCATE THEM, BOTH THE EMPLOYEES AND THE EMPLOYERS, AND THEN TRANSITION TO, UM, DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AS THEY START TO COME IN. AND THERE'S LESS NEED FOR THAT COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION. AND IS THERE SOME POINT WHERE WE WOULD SAY, WE HAVE THIS, IT'S A CITY DEPARTMENT, WE'RE NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS, UM, THEN THAT IT WOULD DISSOLVE? IS THERE, DO WE HAVE, WE, UH, A IS THERE LIKE A SUNSET? THERE ISN'T A SUNSET, BUT THERE IS A CERTAIN RIGOR IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS THAT LOOKS AT THE NUMBER OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO DO THINGS, AND WHETHER THAT JUSTIFIES ONE PERSON TO A PERSON OR THREE PERSON TEAM TO DO IT. SO I WOULD THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE PREPARING OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL REPORT ON IS HOW MANY INSPECTIONS EACH OF THOSE EMPLOYEES, UH, DID, HOW MUCH EDUCATION EACH OF THOSE EMPLOYEES DID. AND WE WOULD READILY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO DECREASE [03:10:01] STAFF IF THEY'RE NOT NEEDED. UM, AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE'RE FLOODED WITH COMPLAINTS, WE MAY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE STAFF. OKAY. UM, AND I THINK THOSE WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT NUMBERS. SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT EVOLVES, BECAUSE IF WE ARE, UM, IT'S, IT TURNS OUT THAT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT WHAT, UH, ONE MIGHT THINK, UM, THEN WE'LL JUST DO THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES. UM, ALSO REGARDING, UM, THE, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S, WELL, MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE ME, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A SCENARIO. AND MANY YEARS AGO, I HAD AN EMPLOYEE, AND SHE'D BEEN WITH ME MANY YEARS. UM, THEN IT TURNED, THEN SHE GOT MARRIED. SHE, UH, TURNED OUT SHE WAS PREGNANT. WE WERE VERY EXCITED FOR HER. AROUND THE 26TH WEEK OF HER PREGNANCY, SHE STARTED TO GET VERY SICK. AND SHE HAD, SHE WAS COUGHING TERRIBLY, UH, SWEATING ALL THE TIME. AND SO WE WOULD TELL HER, YOU CAN'T COME TO WORK. YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. UM, YOU'RE, EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET SICK. AND SHE SAID, NO, UM, I REALLY WANNA SAVE UP MY LEAVE BECAUSE I'M GONNA HAVE A BABY AND I WANNA BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL MY TIME THEN AND HAVE LEAVE AT THAT TIME. UM, AND SO SHE WAS WORKING WITH THE OTHER EMPLOYEES TO TRY TO FILL IN FOR HER SO SHE COULD GO TO THE DOCTOR. ANYWAY, SHE HAD HER RED LEASE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS, UH, AND THEN IT TURNS OUT AFTER, YOU KNOW, MONTHS OF SUFFERING THAT SHE HAD TUBERCULOSIS, AND THAT'S WHY SHE WAS SO SICK. SO THEY DELIVERED HER BABY EARLY. SHE HAD, SHE ENDED UP WITH A HEALTHY BABY. THE CHILD'S NOW, I DUNNO, 13 OR 14 YEARS OLD, HEALTHY CHILD. BUT WHAT IS THE COST OF THE COMMUNITY? UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A CASE LA AND YOU HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE TO GO? I MEAN, WE, THEY CAME AND INSPECTED ALL OF US. WE ALL HAD TO BE ISOLATED FOR SOME TIME. AND THEN THIS IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB WHERE SHE'S CONSTANTLY, UM, DEALING WITH PEOPLE, UM, EXCHANGING PAPERS AND SIGNING AND, AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S COMMUNICABLE DISEASE. UH, AND SO THEN THEY HAD TO GO OUT AND, AND MEET, TALK TO THE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SHE HAD INTERACTED WITH FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. UH, IT'S VERY SERIOUS, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT COMMON, UH, THAT YOU DO HAVE A CASE LIKE TUBERCULOSIS, BUT, UM, I MEAN, IT WAS, UH, A A WOMAN WHO WAS, HAD BEEN HEALTHY, THE PREGNANCY, I GUESS, TRIGGERED THE, UM, IMMUNE, UH, SYSTEM. AND THEN, UM, SHE REPEATEDLY WENT TO THE DOCTOR BECAUSE SHE WAS PREGNANT, AND THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY THAT SHE HAD TUBERCULOSIS, EVEN THOUGH THE SIGNS WERE VERY CLEAR THAT SHE WAS VERY SICK, AND, UM, SHE WAS NOT GETTING THE PROPER CARE. SO WHAT IS THE COST, UH, OF WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE THAT IMPACTS THE CITY? SO IT WILL DEPEND ON THE PERSON, THE PERSON, THE POSITION, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE POTENTIALLY EXPOSED. BUT IT CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY TUBERCULOSIS, UM, WITH AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS A LOT OF CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC. UM, AND IN THAT CASE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULD GO IN, THEY WOULD TEST EVERYBODY FOR TUBERCULOSIS. AND IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE WHO, UM, REACTED TO THE TEST, THEN WE WOULD TAKE IT FROM THERE. SO, UM, IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE EXACT SITUATION, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT CAN BECOME VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE CITY, UM, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY TO DEAL WITH THAT. I WAS HOPING FOR A NUMBER, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW. UM, SO, OKAY. WELL, UM, ONLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE TO, THERE IS A COST BENEFIT, UM, TO THIS KIND OF THING. AND WHILE, UH, THE SITUATION THAT I JUST, THE SCENARIO THAT I MENTIONED, UM, IS EXTREME, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY FOR ILLNESSES, WHETHER IT'S SICKNESSES, TUB, FLUS, AND ALL THAT, THAT WE KNOW GETS, UH, TRANSMITTED. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S ALL HANDLED IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. AND AS, AS YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE IN, UM, CITIZENS, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS HEALTHY AS, AS HEALTHY AS THEY CAN BE. SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I AM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE ORDINANCE. UM, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF, UM, SCENARIOS THAT I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THAT GIVES ME GREAT PAUSE. BUT, UM, I, I DO ALSO WANNA OFFER A CORRECTION TO COUNCILMAN PERRY WHO SAID THAT 93% OF, UH, OF ALL, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES WERE, UM, LESS THAN A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES. IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, MY, MY INFORMATION SHOWS 97%. SO ALMOST ALL THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE, IN THE CITY ARE, UH, LESS THAN A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES. UM, SO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR STATS ARE, ARE OFF COUNCILMAN. BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE REASON I'M, I, I'M ON THIS COUNCIL IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO OPERATE IN OUR CITY. I'M NOT SURE THAT THIS ACCOMPLISHES THAT, BUT THERE IS A, UM, A GREATER GOOD HERE. SO [03:15:01] I'M SUPPORTIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WE MUST CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SACRED, UM, PUBLIC TRUST, WHICH WE ARE CHARGED WITH HERE, AND THAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. UH, THIS IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. UH, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK A FEW PEOPLE. FIRST. UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK MOVING TOP FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. MICHELLE, JOLENE, ALEX, UM, DREW, ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. UH, IT, IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GET 144,000 SIGNATURES, AND THAT TRULY SHOWS THAT THAT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK DR. BRIDGER FOR YOUR WORK. DR. BRIDGER, UH, ED GUZMAN HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND THE P SS L COMMISSION, AND WE SEE, UH, DR. UH, MS. HARGROVE IN THE AUDIENCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME IN TALKING THROUGH ALL THIS. UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, THAT THIS IS, THIS IS A STARTING POINT, AND I THINK SOME OF US HERE RECOGNIZE THAT. AND, AND, AND IN MANY CASES, IN OTHER CASES, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS A, A SINGLE, UH, STANCE OR SINGLE POINT, BUT IT'S NOT, UH, THE WORK OF THIS COUNCIL MUST CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S THESE KIND OF ISSUES THAT HAVE NO FINISH LINE. AND, UH, I WANNA SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT, UH, PROFESSOR SEAN BEYA, YOUR, YOUR WORDS HAVE NOT FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. AND, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD ALWAYS, WE MUST ALWAYS, UH, MEASURE AND ADJUST OUR, OUR POLICIES. UH, I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPOT ON WITH, WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU SAID. AND I'LL LOOK TO WORK, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO MEETING WITH YOU AND WORKING WITH YOU, UM, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. YOU KNOW, EARLY ON, I MENTIONED HOW THIS IS A VERY PERSONAL ISSUE FOR ME TOO. AND WE HAD ALL, WE ALSO HAD, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S STILL HERE, BUT, UH, MARGARET TREVINO, WHO SAYS SHE WORKS FOR THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER. AND, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE MENTIONED SHE'S A A YOUNG, WORKING YOUNG, YOUNG WORKING MOM, JUST LIKE MINE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE. THIS IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING. THIS IS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THAT'S WHY I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS. THAT'S WHY I SECOND IN THE MOTION. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED, UH, ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND PASSION TOWARDS MAKING THIS A REALITY. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO TAKE THESE STEPS AND WORK, UH, VIGILANTLY TO, TO HELP, UH, BETTER THE ORDINANCE. UH, SHOULD WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT AND, AND LOOK AT IT. THAT'S OUR JOB. AND I'LL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. COUNCIL MEMBER ELAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE COMMISSION, UM, OF VERY ENGAGED CITIZENS, UM, AND PARTICULARLY DANIELLE HARGROVE, WHO'S HERE WITH US TODAY. UM, THANK YOU DANIELLE, FOR GIVING UP YOUR TIME, UM, AND YOUR EXPERTISE, TAKING AWAY TIME FROM YOUR LAW PRACTICE AND YOUR ARBITRATION MEDIATION PRACTICE, CHARGING US NO MONEY, UH, FOR COUNTLESS HOURS, UM, OF WORK. AND QUITE HONESTLY, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY YES, YOU, YOU SAID YES. 'CAUSE YOU FELT THAT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS AND A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDED TO BE HAD. AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY BETTER TO HAVE WRANGLED ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, OPINIONS, NEEDS, WANTS, AND POSITIONS, UH, INTO ONE ROOM AND WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS TO COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS DOCUMENT. RIGHT? UM, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION WERE A VERY DIVERSE, UH, MIX OF, UH, ADVOCATES OF, UH, NON-PROFIT LEADERS, LABOR REPRESENTATIVES LIKE LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON, UM, HE'S ONE OF MY MENTORS. AND I ADMIRE VERY MUCH, UM, OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, LISA FULLERTON WHO OWNS A SMALL BUSINESS. WE HAVE SASHA BEAM WHO OWNS A SMALL BUSINESS. UH, WE HAD, UH, LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS THERE, AND WE ALSO HAD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE, UM, HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON, UH, THIS COMMISSION. AND, UM, I'LL POINT OUT THAT BOTH OF THOSE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TOGETHER REPRESENT MORE [03:20:01] SMALL BUSINESSES THAN ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. UH, SO YOU CAN'T GET A BETTER MIX OF, UH, OF ADVOCATES, UM, THAN THOSE FOLKS. THOSE PEOPLE TOOK TIME OFF FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND FROM THEIR WORK, UH, TO SPEND LONG HOURS, UH, AT THE LIBRARY. UM, AND SO DID OUR FRIENDS AT, AT MOVE AND TOP. JOLENE, YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR VOICE. UM, AND ALEX ELL, YOU DID A GREAT JOB, THANK YOU, TO MOVE FOR LENDING ALEX, UH, TO US FOR, UM, FOR HIM TO WEIGH IN. SO LET ME, UM, LET ME ALSO THANK THE COMMUNITY, UM, ALL OF SAN ANTONIO FOR BEING PATIENT. UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS WANTED THIS ORDINANCE TO BE ENACTED A LONG TIME AGO. AND A LONG TIME AGO, WE AS A COUNCIL DECIDED TO IMPANEL, UM, THIS COMMISSION. AND THE COMMISSION HAS TAKEN A GOOD YEAR, UH, TO FINALLY RETURN THIS PRODUCT. UM, AND SO THAT REQUIRED A LOT OF FOLKS TO REALLY TRUST THAT THE CITY WAS EVENTUALLY GOING TO GET TO THIS DAY. AND, UM, TRUSTING US TO GET TO THIS DAY IS, IS WHAT ALLOWED US TO, TO DO THIS IMPORTANT WORK. UM, SO I I I WANNA POINT OUT A FEW THINGS BEFORE I TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT'S GOT ME WORRIED. UH, I'VE SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS, UM, PRACTICING WAGE AND HOUR LAW, AND I REPRESENT EMPLOYEES, A LOT OF EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS, UM, BUT EMPLOYEES IN PARTICULAR WHO FIND THEMSELVES DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, UM, BY THEIR EMPLOYERS WHO GET RIPPED OFF BY THEIR EMPLOYERS, UM, WHO STEAL THEIR TIPS AND WAGES, UM, BY, UM, I REPRESENT EMPLOYEES BY FIGHTING FOR THEIR FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATED, UH, LEAVE RIGHTS. UM, I ADVOCATE FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE WRONGFULLY TERMINATED. UM, PUT SIMPLY MAX AND SOPHIA, MY KIDS ARE FED AND THEIR COLLEGE IS GONNA BE PAID FOR. I HOPE, UH, BECAUSE I'VE REPRESENTED MY WHOLE CAREER EMPLOYEES, UH, I ALSO REPRESENT EMPLOYERS AND I ADVISE THEM ON HOW TO OPERATE THEIR BUSINESSES IN A WAY THAT LEAVES, UM, THAT TREATS EMPLOYEES WITH DIGNITY AND HUMANITY. UM, AND THEN FROM TIME TO TIME, I'M HIRED AS AN ARBITRATOR. AND THAT'S JUST A, A JUDGE FOR HIRE, RIGHT? AND EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN DISPUTES BRING THOSE DISPUTES TO ME, AND I HELP THEM PUT THOSE DISPUTES IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BY REALLY DEEP DIVING, DEEP INTO WAGE AND HOUR AND LABOR ISSUES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE EVERYBODY LET BETTER OFF. SO, ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE I BRING TO THE TABLE, UH, AS A POLICYMAKER AND THE, I I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT POLICY. POLICY IS REALLY A PRODUCT OF THREE BOXES THAT NEED TO GET CHECKED OFF, RIGHT? SO BOX ONE IS THE SHOULD WE BOX, SHOULD WE, BECAUSE OF MORALS AND ETHICS AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS, AND WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC, SHOULD WE DO THIS ONE THING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED? BOX NUMBER TWO IS THE CAN WE BOX, RIGHT? WHICH IS, DO WE HAVE THE BANDWIDTH, THE BUDGET, THE HEADCOUNT, UH, THE IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED? AND THEN THE THIRD ONE, WHICH I THINK IS AS IMPORTANT IS THE, MAY WE BOX, ARE WE EVEN ALLOWED TO DO THIS? SO IN AUGUST OF 2018, I MADE COMMENTS EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS, UM, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CHECK THE MAY WE BOX. UM, I PREDICTED WE'D BE SUED. I PREDICTED THAT WE'D GONNA BE, HAVE A TOUGH TIME WITH THAT ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. AND I WAS REALLY HAPPY THAT WE ENDED UP CREATING THE COMMISSION BECAUSE IT WAS THE COMMISSION'S JOB NOT TO MAKE THE ORDINANCE PALATABLE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. WE WERE ALREADY PREGNANT, AND I DON'T THINK LOCAL BUSINESSES WERE EVER GONNA FIND THE ORDIN ORDINANCE PALATABLE. THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION AND THE, AND THE MAYOR'S SCOPE OF WORK FOR THIS COMMISSION WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS DEFENSIBLE, UM, IN COURT, AND THAT IT WOULD BE INOCULATED FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM LEGAL CHALLENGES. I PROMISED ANDY SEGOVIA THAT I, I'M NOT GONNA WASTE YOUR TIME BY REPEATING ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS. UH, YOU'RE WELCOME, ANDY. UH, AND, UH, BUT, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR RESOURCES, AND I'M REALLY WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE TO GO TO, ANDY AND HIS TEAM STILL HAVE TO GO TO COURT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, DEFEND THIS THING. AND I'M REALLY WORRIED THAT WE'RE GONNA END UP IN AN APPELLATE COURT AND A SUPREME COURT, AND I'LL ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO GO AND LOOK FOR YOURSELVES HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO GET ALL THE WAY UP AND BACK DOWN FROM A SUPREME COURT, UM, YOU KNOW, FIGHT. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DREW, UH, FROM MOVE AND, AND MICHELLE AND JOLENE AND TOP, I, I VERY WELL MAY BE WRONG. MY WIFE WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M FREQUENTLY [03:25:01] WRONG. UH, AND MY KIDS WILL TELL YOU THAT TOO. UH, AND I MAY BE WRONG. I MEAN, MAYBE THE SUPREME COURT WILL GREEN LIGHT THIS FOR US. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE THE LAW OF THE LAND. AND I KNOW YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE THIS. I HOPE I'M WRONG. I, I, I REALLY GENUINELY WANNA LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS PAID SICK LEAVE. I REALLY DO. I, I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. MY EMPLOYEES HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT REQUIRED TO PAY, YOU KNOW, TO PAY THAT. IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND MY BUSINESS IS BETTER OFF BECAUSE MY EMPLOYEES ARE BETTER OFF. SO I THINK LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN TEXAS IS BROKEN. UM, WE LIVE, WE LIVE IN A STATE WHERE, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE EVERY YEAR, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE LEFT BEHIND AND THEY'RE NOT PAID A DRIVABLE WAGE. AND, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF DIGNITY AND HUMANITY AT THE WORKPLACE THAT A LOT OF OTHER STATES, UH, PROVIDE FOR EMPLOYERS AND, AND, AND, AND EMPLOYEES. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT EMPLOYEE RIGHTS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS AND WAGES. UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK THAT THE PROPER FORUM FOR THAT CONVERSATION IS A CITY HALL IN TEXAS. I WISH IT WAS. SO WITH THAT, UM, I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AND ED, MAYBE, MAYBE YOU'RE THE GUY I NEED TO ASK. AND, UM, SO I, I'M CONCERNED, AND, AND MAYBE COLLEEN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE PERSON TO ASK TOO. I, I'M CONCERNED THAT I DIDN'T SEE, AND MAYBE I JUST DIDN'T LOOK AT THE RIGHT PAGE, BUT I DIDN'T SEE LOCAL DATA. UM, IN THE NIVAN REPORT, UM, DR. NIVAN PUT THIS GREAT REPORT AND HE USED A LOT OF DATA FROM OTHER STATES THAT DON'T HAVE THE KINDS OF LAWS THAT TEXAS DOES. UM, AND THEN IN HIS REPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, HE WAS LOOKING AT ORDINANCES THAT KIND OF LOOK OUT LIKE OURS, BUT REALLY AREN'T LIKE OURS IN OTHER WAYS. AND THEN HE EXCLUDED. AND A LOT OF THOSE ORDINANCES ALSO EXCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYERS BY SIZE, UM, THE WAY THAT OUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T. AND SO, AM I WRONG? I MEAN, IS THERE LOCAL DATA IN THERE THAT, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT LOCAL, HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT LOCAL COMPANIES? SO WHAT, UM, THAT REPORT DOES IS IT SAYS, GIVEN THE FIRST VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE, WHAT WOULD BE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES? AND BECAUSE WE HADN'T IMPLEMENTED IT YET, THERE WAS NO WAY TO SAY THIS IS THE IMPACT OF THIS ORDINANCE ON SMALL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO. SO HE HAD TO LOOK AT WHERE SIMILAR ORDINANCES WERE ENACTED IN OTHER PLACES AND SAY, IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THIS WOULD LIKELY BE THE RESULT. SO THE LOCAL DATA HAD TO DO WITH BUSINESSES, HAD TO DO WITH HOSPITAL COSTS, HAD TO DO WITH HEALTHCARE COSTS. THAT WAS ALL LOCAL. BUT THERE WAS NO WAY FOR HIM TO TAKE LOCAL ORDINANCE RELATED DATA BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE WASN'T IN PLACE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT, THAT'S A FAIR ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. I APPRECIATE IT. AND YOU JUST SPARED YOURSELF A CROSS-EXAMINE SESSION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SERIES OF QUESTIONS. SO, UM, ED, I CAN'T SEE IN HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SILENT. DOES PAID SICK LEAVE UNDER THIS ORDINANCE IN THE PROPO, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, DOES THE LEAVE THAT IS PROVIDED RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH, I DUNNO, F M L A LEAVE OR WORKERS' COMP LEAVE? SO IN OTHER WORDS, AN EMPLOYEE WHO TAKES SAN ANTONIO'S PAID SICK LEAVE, UM, IS THAT EMPLOYEE ALSO TAKING, AND IF THEY QUALIFY, IS THAT EMPLOYEE ALSO TAKING WORKERS' COMP LEAVE AND F M L A LEAVE. THIS LEAVE JUST BECOMES PART OF THE LEAVE AVAILABLE FROM AN EMPLOYER TO AN EMPLOYEE. SO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR F L S A, F M L A, ALL THOSE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS REMAIN IN PLACE. THIS DOESN'T SUPERSEDE ANY OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS. UH, SO, OKAY. SO YEAH, SO IF YOU'RE TAKING PAID TIME OFF OF WHATEVER KIND, IF THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU COULD USE OR, OR BURN FOR F M L A, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE TAKING, UH, AN EXTENDED BREAK FOR AN, FOR AN INJURY OR ILLNESS, YOU SAVE YOUR PLACE UNDER F M L A. RIGHT? BUT YOU HAVE TO BURN YOUR LEAVE. YOU COULD USE THIS LEAVE IN COMPLIANCE WITH F M L A, SO IT BECOMES PART OF THAT LEAVE SCHEME, BUT IT, IT, THIS DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO SUPERSEDE OR OVERRIDE ANY OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS. OH. SO LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH WHY I THINK WE MIGHT BE TRYING TO OVERRIDE AN F M L A OR AN A D A, UM, PROVISION. AND I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU FOR LEGAL ADVICE. I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU FOR JUST A MAYOR, IF I MAY INTERJECT AND WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING. I, I RECOMMEND WE GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. 'CAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE LEGALITY OF THE, OF THE ORDINANCE. UH, WELL, I MEAN, THE ORDINANCE IS ILLEGAL. ANDY. THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE IS LEGAL. AGAIN, [03:30:01] COUNCILMAN, IF WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING MY RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE THE ANSWERS WOULD ENTAIL LEGAL ADVICE, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY. ANDY? UH, I'M SORRY, ED, DON'T GIMME LEGAL ADVICE. DON'T ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION. LEMME JUST TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT I JUST READ IN THIS ORDINANCE. OKAY? WHAT I JUST READ IN THIS ORDINANCE, UM, IN SECTION 15 2 72 C THREE I, IS THAT, UM, THE EMPLOYER IS NOT ALLOWED TO REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE LEAVE VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION UNTIL AFTER FOUR DAYS. DOES ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM CONTRADICT THAT? 'CAUSE I'M, THAT, I'M READING THAT, UH, THREE DAYS, COLLEEN. THREE DAYS. THREE DAYS. ALRIGHT. THE WAY I REMEMBER F M L A AND A D A AND ALL THAT IS THAT AN EMPLOYER CAN REQUIRE THAT DOCUMENTATION ANY TIME, EVEN BEFORE THE EMPLOYER TO EMPLOYEE TAKES AN HOUR OFF, RIGHT? SO, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, AND THEN FURTHER, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DOWN IN THE SAME SECTION IT SAYS THAT AN EMPLOYEE CHOOSES HOW AND WHAT DOCUMENTATION THEY'RE GONNA BRING. IT'S NOT UP TO THE EMPLOYER. WHEREAS THE F M L A SAYS, NO, NO, NO. IT IS UP TO THE EMPLOYER. AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THE EMPLOYER CAN ASK AND THERE'S NO WAY AN EMPLOYEE WILL EVER CHOOSE WHAT IT IS THEY BRING AND WHAT THEY DON'T. RIGHT. UM, I, MY CONCERN, AND I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER, MY CONCERN IS I JUST DUNNO HOW COLLEEN'S GONNA SQUARE THAT CIRCLE. UM, AND THAT WORRIES ME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'D URGE THIS COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THAT ONE PROVISION. UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S JUST GONNA CREATE A REALLY BIG HEADACHE FOR COLLEEN. I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM IN A LAWSUIT. I JUST THINK THAT COLLEEN'S GONNA COME BACK TO US, YOU KNOW, AND SAY, HEY GUYS, WE GOT THIS BIG PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE IT. THAT'S MY CONCERN. GO AHEAD, ANDY. UH, I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, IN AN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITHOUT PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE, COUNCILMAN, THE F M L A REQUIREMENTS ARE THE F M L A REQUIREMENTS. AND AGAIN, AS ED SAID, THEY MAY RUN CONCURRENT, BUT, UH, THE F M L A UH, REQUIREMENTS WILL STAY IN PLACE. AND IF SOMEONE'S GONNA TAKE F M L A LEAVE, THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THOSE RE YEAH. AND SO I THINK WE'RE TALKING APPLES AND ORANGES. ANDY, WHAT THE CONCURRENT AND, YOU KNOW, IS HOW MANY DAYS THEY CAN TAKE LEAVE AND ALL THAT. I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT DOCUMENTATION. RIGHT? SO IF AN EMPLOYEE SHOWS UP AND TELLS THEIR EMPLOYER, HEY, EMPLOYER, I DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU DOCUMENTATION FOR A FEW MORE DAYS. 'CAUSE COLLEEN BRIDGER'S RULES SAY, I DON'T HAVE TO, RIGHT? WE'VE NOW RUN UP AGAINST A CONFLICTING RULE. I DON'T KNOW HOW COLLEEN'S GONNA SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. AGAIN, COUNCILMAN, IF THEY'RE TAKING F M L A RULES, THEY WILL COMPLY WITH THE F M L A REQUIREMENTS. YEAH. NOTHING IN THE LOCAL ORDINANCE CAN, CAN OVERRIDE THAT FEDERAL REQUIREMENT FOR VERIFICATION. SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO COMPLY AND BE ABLE TO TAKE F M A F M L A LEAVE, THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE F M L A LEAVE. OKAY. THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY. THANKS, ED. THAT'S, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PELA. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR, I JUST, UH, I KNOW WE HAVE TWO SUBSEQUENT MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR AND I I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THEM. I'D LIKE TO CALL MS. HARGROVE TO, UH, THE PODIUM, EVERYTHING THAT MADDIE SAID ABOUT YOUR SERVICE. I, I ECHO THAT. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. UM, UH, THE, THE MOTIONS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, UH, RIGHT NOW HAVE TO DO WITH CHANGING THE APPLICABILITY OF THE ORDINANCE BASED ON EMPLOYER SIZE. UM, AND THERE HAD BEEN IN THE, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE, IT'S ON THE BOOK, A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN EMPLOYER SIZE. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION, THE DECISION WAS NOT TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHY YOU FEEL THE COMMISSION CAME TO THAT INCLUSION. WELL, WE ORIGINALLY WENT DOWN THROUGH THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE ATTEMPTING TO FIND, UH, UNANIMITY OR WHERE WE FOUND UNANIMOUS CONSENT THROUGHOUT. AND THAT PROVISION WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE WE DID NOT. AND SO WHERE WE BEGAN TO FOCUS AT THAT TIME WAS ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH FOCUS. AND IT SEEMED CONTRARY. IT SEEMED CONTRADICTORY FOR US TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE EMPLOYER IF THE ISSUE WAS WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP FOLKS, UH, OUT OF THE WORKPLACE WHO WERE ILL. UM, AND WE WERE FOCUSING ON THAT SEVEN DAY PERIOD OF TIME WITH THE FLU, UH, AND THE CONTAGION PERIOD. SO IT REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS NOT [03:35:01] BEING CONTRARY TO OUR STATED PURPOSE AND OUR FOCUS, WHICH WAS TO FOCUS ON PUBLIC HEALTH. AND IT SHOULD NOT MATTER WHETHER YOUR EMPLOYER WAS OF A LARGE SIZE OR A SMALL SIZE, IF THE END GOAL AND THE INTENT WAS TO KEEP FOLKS SAFE IN THE WORKPLACE. THANK YOU. AND, UM, SO AGAIN, THAT WAS NOT A UNANIMOUS DECISION, OR IT ENDED UP BEING SO THE REASON WE GOT TO WHERE WE WERE WAS THAT WE ULTIMATELY DECIDED THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO BE CONSISTENT AND WE WANTED TO BE, UH, FOCUSED ON PUBLIC HEALTH, WE NEEDED TO GO THIS ROUTE. WE STARTED OUT, UH, ALL OVER THE PLACE, QUITE HONESTLY, BUT I THINK IN THE END WE ENDED UP MORE WITH MORE, UH, UH, WE ALL AGREED MORE ON THE NOTION THAT WE SHOULD GET AWAY FROM, UM, TRYING TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE EMPLOYERS AND THAT WE SHOULD GO WITH A ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR THAT PURPOSE. GREAT. AND SO I, I DUNNO IF YOU RECALL, BUT, UM, THERE WERE SOME SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ON THAT, UH, COMMISSION. THERE WERE SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CHAMBER. WAS YOUR SENSE THAT THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS APPROACH? I BELIEVE SO. AND I, I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE HERE, MAYBE HERE NOW, BUT IN THE END, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD A LARGE, UH, UM, UH, THEY HAD A LARGE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR DELIBERATIONS. THEY WERE, UH, HEARD, WE PROVIDED EVERY OPPORTUNITY. AND SO MY SENSE WAS IS THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ON THE COMMISSION AND THE ONES THAT THEY ALSO SPOKE WITH ALSO WERE IN SUPPORT OF, UM, OF THIS. SO, OF NOT EXEMPTING BUSINESSES OF A, OF A SMALLER SIZE OR TREATING THEM DIFFERENTLY IN SOME WAY. EXACTLY. THERE, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE, THE IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, PLAYED HEAVILY IN OUR DELIBERATIONS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT WHEN IT CAME RIGHT DOWN TO IT AND WE MADE THE FINAL CHANGES THAT WE DID MAKE IT RE IT WAS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. HARGROVE, FOR YOUR, UH, ANSWERS AND FOR YOUR SERVICE. UM, MAYOR, UH, EARLIER THERE WAS A, A WOMAN, UH, MS. CELI WHO, UH, CAME FORWARD TO, TO GIVE COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, GIVE HER THE FLOOR FOR TWO MINUTES, PLEASE. AND SHE NEEDS, UH, INTERPRETATION. SO I THINK WE NEED TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR ADDITIONAL TIME. SURE. UH, GO AHEAD. WE WILL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES, UH, GIVEN TIME FOR THE TRANSLATION. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE LITTLE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND LOSSES AND US, THE EMPLOYEES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK BEING SICK BECAUSE THEY DON'T GIVE US, THEY DON'T ALLOW US TO MISS WORK. AND I THINK IT'S UNFAIR THAT THIS LADY CAME HERE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE RICH PEOPLE, THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING RICHER AND RICHER, PAYING US, UH, MISERABLE WAGES. AND THEN TO MAKE IT WORSE, THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO PAY US FOR ONE DAY OR SEVERAL DAYS THAT WE'RE SICK. THIS IS UNFAIR. AND I JUST WANNA TELL YOU, FOR YOU TO THINK THAT WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS OURSELVES, AND BECAUSE OF THE MISERY, MISERABLE WAGES THAT WE EARN, WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT FITTING OURSELVES WELL, LA LOS, THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKERS ARE FULL OF ILLNESSES DUE TO STRESS AND DUE TO THE LOWER WAGES THAT WE RECEIVE. IN THE END, WHEN WE RECEIVE OUR WAGES AND WE HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE THE PAVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, THEN MONEY IS NOT ENOUGH. AND THEN WHEN THE NEXT TIME, WHEN IT'S ALREADY, THE NEXT TIME THAT WE HAVE TO PAY THEM, MONEY IS NOT ENOUGH. [03:40:04] NEVERTHELESS, THE PEOPLE, OWNERS OF SMALL BUSINESS BUSINESSES ARE DOING ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE GONNA LOSE AND WHO'S AND WHO'S THINKING ABOUT ABOUT US. WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE IT. THAT WHAT WORRIES? THAT'S WHAT WORRIES ME, YES. AS A WOMAN, AS A WORKER, AND AS A SINGLE MOM. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, COLLEEN, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, PLEASE. UH, AND MAYBE FOR ED AS WELL. UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND, AND WHO, UH, AND THIS, UM, OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE, UM, WHO DOES IT NOT IMPACT? YOU TALKED ABOUT POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, SO WE KNOW THAT PAID TIME OFF OR PAID SICK LEAVE, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW DOES NOT IMPACT, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND DOES NOT IMPACT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND, UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO ELSE IT IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT? YEAH, THAT'S IN THE EMPLOYER SECTION IN 2 69, THAT DEFINITION. UH, IT WOULD ALSO EXCLUDE CORPORATIONS WHOLLY OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT, STATE AGENCIES, UH, OBVIOUSLY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS THAT THE CITY HAS NO AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. SO THAT MAY, UM, INVOLVE A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH INTO WHAT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZATION THERE IS FOR THAT CREATION AND AUTHORITY OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES. AND THEN, UH, THERE'S ALSO AN EXCLUSION UNDER THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT BECAUSE THOSE ENTITIES ARE COVERED BY FEDERAL LAWS AND HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, HOUR LIMITATIONS AND, UH, RECORD KEEPING LIMITATIONS ON DUTY HOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THEY'RE ALSO EXCLUDED. SO THIS WON'T IMPACT, UM, SAY TEACHING ASSISTANTS, UM, TEACHER AIDES OR ANYONE WHO WORKS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT. IT SHOULD NOT. CORRECT. OKAY. UM, WILL THIS, UH, SO WHAT ABOUT SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY AND THE OTHER ENTITIES? SOME OF THE, HOW MANY OF THEM, UH, AT THIS POINT, I, I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT 23 THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT TO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT WE'LL NEED TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT AND DETERMINE ARE THEY A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION? ARE THEY CREATED OR OWNED BY THE STATE? ARE THEY A STATE AGENCY? SO IT'S ALL GONNA DETERMINE, IT'S ALL GONNA REST ON WHAT KIND OF ENTITY THEY ARE. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO RESEARCH ON THOSE INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES TO DETERMINE IF THIS APPLIES OR NOT. AND SO THOSE THAT YOU KNOW ALREADY, UM, ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS, HOW MANY OF HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DOES THAT CONSTITUTE? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE LIKE AN EMPLOYEE COUNT. UH, FOR THE MOST PART, IF YOU THINK OF SARAH AND SOME OF THOSE ENTITIES, A LOT OF THOSE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOO. WELL, I, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OBVIOUSLY HAVE A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. IF YOU LOOK AT SARAH OR SOME OF THOSE, THEY, THEY TEND TO BE SMALLER ENTITIES. SO MM-HMM. , I, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME THAT WILL BE AS SMALL AS FIVE, 10 OR 15 MM-HMM. . AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS. AND THEN, UM, FOR JUST TO DIFFERENTIATE, THERE IS NO, IN THIS, UH, ORDINANCE OR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, UM, ALL OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THERE IS NO, UH, DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. CORRECT. THE, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WILL BE THAT YOU CAN EARN UP TO 56 HOURS OF LEAVE. AND SO IF YOU'RE FULL-TIME, YOU'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO EARN UP TO 56 HOURS ON THE ACCRUAL METHOD, WHICH IS ONE HOUR FOR EVERY 30 HOURS. OR YOU CAN FRONT LOAD THAT AS AN EMPLOYER. SO YOU GIVE 56 HOURS AT THE START OF EACH YEAR, HOWEVER YOU DETERMINE THAT YEAR TO BE FISCAL ANNUAL ANNIVERSARY DATE. SO THAT MEANS MAYBE SOME OF THESE LARGER COMPANIES THAT SAY WALMART, WHO HAS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MAYBE JUST PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, UM, IF THEY ACCRUE THE 30 HOURS, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET PART-TIME. I MEAN, THEIR SICK LEAVE, THEY'LL CORRECT. THEY WOULD GET THE ONE HOUR OF LEAVE CORRECT. OF ACCRUED FOR 30 HOURS OF AC CREW. CORRECT. AND SO PART-TIME MAY ACCRUE A SMALLER NUMBER THAN 56, 'CAUSE THEY MAY NOT WORK ENOUGH HOURS TO ACTUALLY GET TO A FULL 56. BUT, SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, WITHOUT THE PROPO, WITH THE ORDINANCE WE'VE ALREADY ADOPTED MM-HMM. , IS THAT THE CASE AS WELL? OR IS THERE A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME? THERE'S NOT A DIFFERENTIATION. DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME. THERE IS A DIFFERENTIATION ON SIZE. RIGHT. OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE 15 OR SMALLER, YOU WOULD BE AT 48 HOURS AS YOUR ACCRUAL UP TO, AND IF YOU'RE A LARGE EMPLOYER, IT WOULD BE 64 HOURS THAT YOU COULD ACCRUE UP TO. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, DR. BRIDGER WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL REPORT AND A REVIEW. [03:45:01] WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE, WHAT STATISTICS WILL YOU BE REVIEWING? SO THE, UM, METRO HEALTH DIRECTOR WILL BE REVIEWING, UM, YOU WELL, HOPEFULLY THAT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. HOPEFUL ME WHEN IT'S HAPPENING. UM, SO ESSENTIALLY THE REPORT'S GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THE EDUC FOR THE FIRST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE. AND WE'LL HAVE ALL OF THE EDUCATION SESSIONS THAT WE DID, UM, ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVED, HOW MANY OF THEM WERE FOUND TO BE LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS, HOW MANY WERE FOUND NOT TO BE LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS, HOW MANY WERE RESOLVED WITHIN THAT 10 DAY WINDOW WHERE EMPLOYERS, WHEN WE BRING THE FACT THAT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE COMPLAINT TO THEIR ATTENTION, THEY HAVE THOSE 10 DAYS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WE EXPECT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM WILL RESOLVE IT THAT WAY. SO HOW MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WERE LEGITIMATE WERE RESOLVED IN THAT 10 DAY WINDOW AND THEREFORE DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP OF A CITATION AND, UM, A COURT CASE. OKAY. AND PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS, CAN WE, UM, ALSO DOWN THE LINE WHEN WE REVIEW, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT IS ALSO TO SEE THE IMPACT TO SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND SEE WHAT THE, THE IMPACT WHEN WE DO AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHAT THE IMPACT IN THE JOB CREATION AS WELL. HAVE WE SEEN A SLOW DOWN IN JOB CREATION? HAVE WE SEEN, UM, DIFFERENT CHANGES IN SOME OF THE, DO MAYBE A SURVEY OF THE BUSINESSES AS IT GOES FORWARD? 'CAUSE I KNOW SOME SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE GOING, IT TAKES ABOUT 60 TO 90 DAYS FOR THEM TO IMPLEMENT THIS AND WHAT KIND OF CHANGES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TO PREPARE. AND IF WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A RANDOM SAMPLE OR A SURVEY OF THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHO, UM, WHAT IS THE CHANGE, WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO CHANGE? AND MAYBE THERE IS NOT AN IMPACT, BUT ACCORDING TO THIS DATA, WE DON'T HAVE DATA FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO. RIGHT. SO THAT'S, I THINK IS VERY TELLING AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND SO THERE WE GO. AND SO I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW, UM, HOW AND WHEN DID YOU COMMUNICATE OR BRING IN WITH DIFFERENT EN UH, ENTITIES SUCH AS, UM, LIFT FUND AND LAUNCH SENATE AND LAUNCH SA? I'M GONNA DEFER TO LAURA. DID WE, AND WHEN YOU SAY COMMUNICATE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE? DID YOU ENGAGE ORDINANCE THEM WITH THIS ORDINANCE? YES. SO TO GET, UM, FEEDBACK OR, OR JUST THOUGHTS? WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE AMENDMENTS WITH THE PAID, UH, SICK LEAVE COMMISSION. SO THE COMMISSION ENGAGED WITH VARIOUS CONSTITUENT GROUPS RIGHT. DURING THE SUBCOMMITTEES. MAYBE DANIELLE, MS. HARGROVE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS DURING THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS. DID THEY, UM, DO WE KNOW IF THEY'RE, IF, UM, LIFT FUND OR LAUNCH ESSAY WAS ENGAGED? MICHAEL, YOU'RE HERE. DO YOU WANNA ANSWER SOMETHING? GREAT. YOU HAVE. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN. HI. SO AS IN ALIGNMENT WITH LAURA WITH THE SA SPEAKUP CAMPAIGN, WE MADE SURE THAT WE WERE DISTRIBUTING ALL THE MECHANISMS IN WHICH SMALL BUSINESSES COULD SHOW UP, PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK. WE SENT THAT TO EVERYBODY IN OUR CENTRAL VENDOR REGISTRY AND OVER 70 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE JUST COMMUNICATE WITH IN GENERAL WHEN WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESS UPDATES OR ANNOUNCEMENTS. OKAY. AND WHAT DID THEY, WHEN YOU SENT OUT THOSE SURVEYS, WHAT DID THEY RETURN BACK? SO THAT WAS THE SURVEY THAT LAURA WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. OH, THAT WAS THE INCLUSION OF ALL OF THAT. IT WAS TO DIRECT THEM ALL THROUGH THAT EFFORT. SO WHAT, UM, WHAT WAS THEIR, THE, YOUR GROUPING OF PEOPLE THAT YOU SENT OUT TO YOUR MEMBERS, WHAT DID THEY SAY? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID THAT WASN'T A NUMBER OF POSITIVE OR NEGATIVES, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT COUNT. IT WAS JUST THE OVERALL YEAH. AS, AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL RESPONSES OF THE SURVEY DATA, UM, OF THE 27% THAT COMPLETED THE EMPLOYER BASE, THAT'S I THINK WHAT WE COULD COUNT AS OUR RETURN THERE. MM-HMM. . UM, AND AS MICHAEL MENTIONED, WE DID SEND IT OUT TO VARIOUS CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BUSINESS GROUPS, UM, HIS LISTS AS WELL. AND SO 27% WERE WHAT ACTUALLY FILLED OUT THE SURVEY AS BUSINESSES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OF COURSE. UM, THANK YOU. AND I THINK ANOTHER QUESTION I WANTED TO, UM, ASK, I CAN'T, I NEED MY GLASSES. I DON'T EVEN HAVE GLASSES, BUT I NEED SOME, UM, I ASKED THIS ONE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES. SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR ANDY OR ED OR LIZ, UM, . SO CAN I PICK WHO ANSWERS? YES, YOU CAN. OKAY. SO, UM, QUESTION IS, CAN WE TAKE THIS WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED TODAY, COULD THIS GO TO, UH, A REFERENDUM AND THE BALLOT TO HAVE THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO VOTE ON THIS? [03:50:01] NO. GENERALLY WE'RE LIMITED ON WHAT CAN BE PUT ON A BALLOT. SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD GENERALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK AT THIS POINT, IF WE WERE, UM, TO GET ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, AND THERE ARE ENTITIES THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE LOOK AT THIS, THAT WERE NOT LOOKED AT THIS, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I JUST WANTED TO, AND THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS, AND I THINK I JUST WANNA HAVE SOME COMMENTS RIGHT NOW. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN SO ENGAGED IN THIS, UM, THIS CONVERSATION. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU READ THE DATE THAT IT WAS ALREADY A YEAR, AUGUST, 2018, UM, IT DOESN'T FEEL IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS THAT LONG AGO, BUT IT WAS SO LONG AGO. AND ON THAT LONG LANDMARK VOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT I DID, UH, VOTE IN FAVOR OF PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE IN PLAY. AND IT IS IN PLAY. AND IN THIS CURRENT ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE, UM, AN SMALL AND MEDIUM AND LARGE BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW. AND THEN AGAIN, ON APRIL 18TH, 2019, I VOTED WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE TO GET THE CITY TO SIGNAL OPPOSITION TO THE STATE LEGISLATION TO STOP OVER, UM, OVERWRITING THE CITY'S PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. BUT REMEMBER THAT ORDINANCE TO HAVE A LETTER TO GO TO THE STATE FAILED. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CITY AND TO LOOK AT THIS ORDINANCE HOLISTICALLY. I KNOW WE WERE LOOKING AT IT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT AS WE SHOULD. ABSOLUTELY. PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH PROSPERITY. WE CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS IN A VACUUM AND ONE CANNOT BE VIEWED WITHOUT THE OTHER. WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE AMENDMENTS AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL CAME UP WITH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND THIS IS JUST PART OF IT. THIS IS, I BELIEVE, A ONE SIZE FIT ALL. AND THAT DOES NOT SPEAK TO THE UNIQUE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WITH THE SAN ANTONIO PERSPECTIVE. AND IT'S NOT THE BEST REPRESENTATION NECESSARILY OF, WITH THE SAN ANTONIO PERSPECTIVE. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WE HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. THAT IS WHY I VOTED ON FOR IT THESE TWO, TWO TIMES BEFORE. BUT THEN TO HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES BEING DEMONIZED IN SOME ASPECTS THROUGH THIS, UM, WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP WITH THE JOB CREATION AND MY FAMILY, HAVING BEEN A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, MAKING SURE THAT WE INCLUDE ALL PEOPLE HERE. WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL IMPACT HAIR SALONS. WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL IMPACT FOOD TRUCKS. WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL IMPACT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO LIFT FUND, WHO ARE GOING TO LAUNCH AS SAY, WHO ARE GOING TO MAESTRO, THAT WE INVEST IN THAT. WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE YES, WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE PAID SICK TIME SO THEY CAN BE HEALTHY AND BE REPRESENTED, BUT WE ALSO WANNA BUILD WEALTH FOR THE LATINO AND THE FEMALE COMMUNITY TOO, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. AND WHY IT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT AMENDMENTS HERE. AND I BELIEVE WE NEED TO KEEP THIS ON TRACK WITH THE ORIGINAL PETITION. THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO GET WRONG, AND WE HAVE TO, UM, AND SO IT SHOULD BE VOTED ON BY THE P PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. WE DON'T, WE CAN'T DO THAT AND WE NEED TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS BEEN VERY HARD WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, THIS LENS OF EQUITY, A PART OF THAT AS WELL. AND I'M VERY, UM, CONCERNED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE YES, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY POVERTY AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY SEGREGATION. AND THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY FIGHTING FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND THE CITY FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS. AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY THAT, TO SAY THIS IS A PERFECT AMENDMENT. I DO NOT THINK IT IS. AND WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO IS MOVE FORWARD AND STAY WITH THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIN, COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE ALL OF US ARE LOOKING AT THIS, UH, FROM, UH, OUR OWN THOUGHTFUL PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CREATED, THOUGH. WE KNOW 144,000 PEOPLE SIGNED [03:55:01] PETITIONS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THOSE PEOPLE, SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. AND WE ARE OBLIGATED AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FOLLOW OUR CITY CHARTER, WHICH SAYS, WHICH SAID, IF YOU GET ENOUGH SIN, ANTONIO CITIZENS SAYING THEY WANT SOMETHING, THEN WE'RE REQUIRED TO WORK WITH THAT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AND I THINK THAT AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS PRESENTED AND THE COUNCIL ACTED ON THIS, WE ACTED IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I FELT I WAS ACTING IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BY SAYING, LET US AS A COUNCIL APPROVE THIS, BUT LET US RECOGNIZE THERE IS MORE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND TO MY FRIENDS WHO WORKED HARD TO BRING THIS FORWARD, I NEVER ENVISIONED THIS TO BE A PERFECT, UH, ORDINANCE. AND I REALIZED ALL ALONG THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO MAKE IT A BETTER ORDINANCE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND SO THIS IS THE RESULT OF THAT PROCESS, AS IMPERFECT AS THAT PROCESS WAS, WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO DECIDED TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES AND DID NOT GET AS INVOLVED AS THEY COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE TO WORK TO TRY AND MAKE THIS AN EVEN BETTER ORDINANCE THAN IT ORIGINALLY WAS. BUT WE KNEW AS A COUNCIL, IF WE PASSED IT, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE ABOUT IT IN TIME. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY. IS IT PERFECT? NO. UH, IS IT BETTER THAN IT WAS? I BELIEVE YES. IS THERE STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? I WOULD SAY YES, THERE IS, BUT I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH IN TIME AS THIS ORDINANCE, IF IT'S APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL, GOES INTO EFFECT. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY. WE'RE GOING TO BE COLLECTING AS MUCH INFORMATION, UM, AS MUCH DATA, AS MUCH REAL LIFE STORIES FROM BUSINESS PEOPLE AND WORKERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS BETTER. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND IMPROVE AND, AND APPROVE THIS, UH, AS A RECOMMENDED, UH, MODIFICATION TO THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. NOW, I'LL MAKE IT CLEAR I DON'T, UH, OR, AND WILL NOT, UH, AGREE WITH THE TWO AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED. UH, OF COURSE, THE ONE SAYING, UH, BUSINESSES UNDER 49 OR MORE SHOULDN'T BE INCLUDED, NOR IF THERE'S A SECOND AMENDMENT TO SAY ANY UNDER FIVE SHOULDN'T BE INCLUDED. AND I THINK WE HEARD A VERY GOOD REASON WHY FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, 'CAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, AND WHETHER YOU HAVE FIVE EMPLOYEES OR 25 OR 500, IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT THAT WAY. I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THOUGH. UM, AND, UM, YES, I GUESS, UH, COLLEEN, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS. UM, HOW DO WE DEAL OR HOW DOES THIS ORDINANCE DEAL WITH BUSINESSES LOCATED AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? SO ED'S GONNA HAVE TO HELP ME WITH THAT. I CAN DO THAT. HOW DID WE, HOW DID WE END UP WITH THAT? I'LL TAKE THAT ONE. SO IF THERE'S A BUSINESS IN ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES WHOLLY WORK IN THAT MUNICIPALITY, THIS IS NOT AFFECT THEM. SO IF YOU'RE BASED IN ALMA HEIGHTS OR SHIRTS AND ALL OF YOUR WORK IS DONE THERE, THIS HAS NO EFFECT ON YOU. IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT DO WORK IN SAN ANTONIO, THEN THE TIME THAT THEY SPEND IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD BE APPLICABLE UNDER THIS ORDINANCE. HOW DO WE ENFORCE THAT? FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY A BUSINESS IN HE LOTUS SAID, WELL, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR LAW IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ARE NOT GONNA GO AHEAD AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE HOURS. AND IF SOMEBODY COMPLAINS, YOU FIGURE IT OUT. YEAH. AS, AS DR. BRIDGER POINTED OUT THIS, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A PROACTIVE ORDINANCE. THIS IS GONNA BE COMPLAINT BASED, RIGHT? SO IF THAT EMPLOYEE WERE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND SAID, LOOK, I DID ACCRUE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF HOURS TO TAKE LEAVE, UM, THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE TO INVESTIGATE. WE DON'T THINK THERE'S SOME KIND OF LEGAL, UH, OBSTACLE IN TRYING TO HOLD, UH, A COMPANY IN NEW BRAUNFELS ACCOUNTABLE TO A SAN ANTONIO ORDINANCE. THERE, THERE IS SOME ABILITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE WORK THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING DONE IS OCCURRING WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO [04:00:01] WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THAT SPECIFIC WORK. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT JURISDICTION LIES. SO WE, WE WOULD BE ALL RIGHT WITH DOING THAT, BUT WE'RE RELYING ON THE, THE BUSINESS IN ANOTHER CITY TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT ACCORDING TO OUR REGULATIONS, CORRECT? AS, AS WE WOULD WITH ANY BUSINESS THAT DOES, UH, HAS EMPLOYEES TO DO WORK AND OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WELL, I GUESS WE'LL JUST SEE HOW ALL OF THAT WORKS OUT. BUT I, I REALLY BELIEVE NO ONE SHOULD LOSE THEIR JOB AND NO ONE SHOULD LOSE THEIR INCOME BECAUSE THEY'RE SICK OR THEY HAVE A CHILD WHO IS SICK OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR BECAUSE A FAMILY MEMBER DOES, OR BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THIS IS ONE COMMUNITY. WE ALL NEED TO SHARE AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS. AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE, UH, WHO HAS BEEN HERE AND SAT THROUGH THE DELIBERATIONS THANKING MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR VERY THOUGHTFUL COMMENTARY. UH, AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO CHAIRWOMAN, UH, HARGROVE, UH, FOR YOUR HARD WORK. UH, THIS IS HOPEFULLY THE END, UH, FOR YOU FOR A LITTLE WHILE, MAYBE. UH, BUT THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A PROCESS. OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING, UM, INITIATIVES TO LIFT UP OUR COMMUNITY ON EVERY FRONT. AND CERTAINLY HEALTH IS AT THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THAT. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH METROPOLITAN HEALTH ON EMPTY IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT, UH, TODAY WE MAKE A MARKED IMPROVEMENT AND A MARKED STEP FORWARD ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO WORKING FAMILIES. THE FIRST ITEM, THOUGH, THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER IS AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD, UH, CHANGE AND EXEMPT ALL BUSINESSES, UM, OF 49 EMPLOYEES OR LESS. UH, SO WE'LL TAKE UP THAT VOTE NOW. I'LL JUST, UH, MAKE CLEAR OUR GOAL HERE IS TO BOLSTER PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL OF OUR CITY'S RESIDENTS. SO I, FOR ONE, WILL BE STRONGLY AGAINST ANY AMENDMENT THAT DENIES THE RIGHT TO P SS L FOR ALL AND LEAVES A MAJORITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S WORKING FAMILIES. SS O L. THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. WE'RE TRYING TO LIFT THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THIS IS ONE STEP IN THAT DIRECTION, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE TAKEN A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH AND WE SHOULD MAINTAIN THAT. ANDY? UH, YES, MAYOR, JUST A A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED PROCEDURALLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP COUNCILMAN PERRY'S MOTION FIRST BECAUSE IF THAT PASSES, IT WOULD SUBSUME THE MOTION THAT HAS BEEN, UH, MADE BY, UH, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA. UM, AND THE SECOND ITEM IS, AS COUNCILMAN COURAGE NOTED, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY THOUGHTFUL STATEMENTS FROM THE DIOCESE TODAY ON, ON THIS TOPIC. UH, SOME OF 'EM RELATED TO THE LEGALITY OF THIS ORDINANCE. UH, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, THE CITY'S OFFICIAL POSITION, UH, IS AS ARTICULATED IN ANY DOCUMENTS OR PLEADINGS, UH, OR ARGUMENTS MADE BEFORE THE COURT. AND OUR PUBLIC AND, UH, LEGAL POSITION REMAINS THAT, UH, BOTH THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE AND ANY ORDINANCE AS AMENDED PROPOSED AMENDMENT TODAY, UH, IS, IS VALID AND NOT PREEMPTED. OKAY. THANK YOU ANDY. AND SO, WE'LL NOW TAKE UP THE MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD EXEMPT ALL BUSINESSES UNDER 49. AND AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE AGAINST THAT AMENDMENT. MOTION FAILS. WE'LL TAKE NOW TAKE UP THE SECOND AMENDMENT OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THAT WOULD EXEMPT ALL BUSINESSES UNDER FIVE. AND LIKEWISE, I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE AGAINST THAT AMENDMENT. MOTION FAILS. WE'LL NOW TAKE UP THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGES AS READ INTO THE DOCUMENT WITH ONE, UM, CHANGE OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. YES, MAYOR, IS THERE A WAY THAT I CAN MOVE FOR A MOTION OF DIVISION OF TWO OF THE QUESTIONS? UM, WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTION BE, COUNCIL MEMBER? SO THE MOTION WOULD BE TO DIVIDE THE TWO AREAS. I THINK I HEARD SOME DIALOGUE AMOUNTS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ON THE TRANSIENT WORKER ISSUE, AND THEN PERHAPS ON THE INTERNSHIP ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, I COULD MAKE A, A MOTION FOR THAT. YEAH. UM, ANDY, COULD YOU HELP WITH THE LANGUAGE OF A MOTION LIKE THAT? YES. THE, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE COUNCILWOMAN IS ASKING, UH, FOR A MOTION TO CONSIDER TWO ITEMS SEPARATELY. UM, SO BEFORE WE WOULD VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION, WE WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER THAT MOTION AND VOTE ON THAT MOTION. REPEAT THAT, ANDY, I'M SORRY. SO THE, THE COUNCILWOMAN HAS MADE A MOTION THAT THE COUNCIL CONSIDER THE TWO ITEMS THAT SHE IDENTIFIED SEPARATELY FROM THE GROUP OF OF AMENDMENTS. SO, UH, SINCE THAT MOTION HAS BEEN MADE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN SECONDED OR NOT. UM, BUT IF IT'S MO, IF IT'S MADE AND SECONDED, THEN [04:05:01] THE COUNCIL HAS TO VOTE ON WHETHER THEY WILL CONSIDER THEM SEPARATELY. RIGHT. ALRIGHT. SHE DID NOT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DID NOT, UH, VOICE A MOTION YET, SO I'LL GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. NOW, UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MOTION FOR DIVISION OF THE QUESTION ON TRANSIENT WORKERS AND INTERNSHIPS SEPARATELY. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR DIVISION OF THE QUESTION, UH, TO VOTE SEPARATELY ON TRANSIENT WORKERS AS WELL AS INTERNS. UM, AND, AND WILL THAT MOTION BE TAKEN UP AS A WHOLE YES. MAYOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, OH, CORRECT. ALL YOU'RE, ALL YOU'RE CONSIDERING IS WHETHER YOU WILL CONSIDER THOSE SEPARATELY. YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY VOTING ON THE MERITS. TH THIS IS A MOTION TO SEPARATE THOSE TWO ITEMS. IT'S NOT A MOTION ON THE MERITS OF THOSE TWO ITEMS. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ANDY, I JUST TO KILL BEAT THIS DEAD HORSE, I'M STILL VERY CONFUSED. UM, SO, UH, INTERNS SEPARATELY FROM THE WHOLE ORDINANCE, AND COULD YOU GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE MOTIONS ARE? I'M, I'M JUST NOT CLEAR. SURE. YES. UM, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HEARD JUST DISCUSSION ABOUT WAS, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, UM, EARLIER WHEN WE ASKED, WELL, WOULD NEW BRAUNFELS HAVE TO FOLLOW THIS ORDINANCE? AND SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WE MIGHT MERIT A SEPARATE DISCUSSION, OR NOT A DISCUSSION, BUT A SEPARATE VOTE. AND THEN ALSO, UM, UM, I'M SORRY. AND WHEN YOU SAY A SEPARATE VOTE, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SO TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF TRANSIENT WORKER? NO, JUST TO, UM, WE'RE VOTING ON KEEPING IT AS IS BEFORE STRIKING IT BEFORE WE MAKE THE, UH, FINAL VOTE ON THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED. SO IF, IF I MAY CLARIFY, IF, IF WE WERE TO GO AND APPROVE THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S MOTION SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, WE WOULD VOTE ON TWO AMENDMENTS, ONE OF THEM BEING TO EXEMPT ALL TRANSIENT WORKERS, MEANING THAT THE ONLY WORKERS THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD APPLY TO ARE THOSE WHO ARE BASED IN SAN ANTONIO AND WORK IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE THAT WE EXEMPT ALL INTERNS. IS THAT CORRECT, ANDY? UM, I'M GONNA GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY HERE. . OKAY. UM, WHAT, WHAT FIRST YOU'RE CONSIDERING IS WHETHER THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY. SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SPECIFIC CHANGES OR THE SPECIFIC MERITS ARE. YOU'RE SIMPLY CONSIDERING WHETHER THOSE TWO SHOULD BE HANDLED SEPARATELY. CORRECT. OKAY. I'M JUST READING YOUR MIND COUNCILMEMBER. SO, UM, ALRIGHT. SO IS EVERYONE CLEAR THEN ON THE, THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, WHICH IS TO SEPARATE, TO DIVIDE THE QUESTIONS. SO WE WOULD TAKE UP THE ISSUES OF INTERNS AND TRANSIENT WORKERS SEPARATELY. THAT IS THE MOTION. AND THERE WAS A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. UM, AGAIN, I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE AGAINST THE MOTION. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION FAILS. OKAY. NOW WE'LL TAKE UP THE MAIN MOTION OFFERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, WHICH IS THE MAIN MOTION WITH THE CHANGE BEING, UH, REMOVAL OF THE EXEMPTION FOR INTERNS. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAYING STANDING WITH US, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THAT IS ONE ITEM. WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE TO GO THROUGH, UM, [18. An Ordinance authorizing the City Manager or designee to enter into a lease agreement with the Animal Defense League of Texas (ADL) to operate and manage the Paul Jolly Center for Pet Adoptions and PETCO Pavilion located at 210 Tuleta in Brackenridge Park for a one-year term with an automatic extension of two years if performance requirements are met, plus the option to renew the lease for one additional three-year term if performance requirements are met. Funding in the amount of $475,000 for the first year of the contract is included in FY 2020 General Fund Adopted Budget. [María Villagómez, Deputy City Manager; Heber Lefgren, Director, Animal Care Services]] AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. ITEM 18. SO CLERK ITEM NUMBER 18. ITEM NUMBER 18 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE OF TEXAS, A D L, TO OPERATE AND MANAGE THE PAUL JOLLY CENTER FOR PET ADOPTIONS AND PETCO PAVILION. LOCATED AT TWO 10 TOTA IN BRACKENRIDGE PARK FOR A ONE YEAR TERM WITH AN AUTOMATIC EXTENSION OF TWO YEARS IF PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, PLUS THE OPTION TO RENEW THE LEASE FOR ONE ADDITIONAL THREE YEAR TERM IF PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE ALSO MET. FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $475,000 FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT IS INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 GENERAL FUND ADOPTED BUDGET COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, I'M SORRY. WE'VE GOT TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. I APOLOGIZE. WET. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 18. I'LL CALL THEM NOW. UH, I BELIEVE JOEL MCCLELLAN HAS JOINED US. JOEL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CHELSEA PAYNE. GOOD AFTERNOON [04:10:01] MAYOR COUNCILMAN. WE APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO MY NAME IS JOEL MCCLELLAN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE OF TEXAS. HI, I AM JUST A FEW WORDS ON MYSELF. I'M AN ACCOMPLISHED MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE WITH MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE SEVEN OF THOSE YEARS BEING A LEADER OF MID-SIZE AND LARGE NON-PROFIT ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE JUST A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF PROGRESS MADE WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION OVER THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, WHICH HAS REDUCED OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS THAT HAS HISTORICALLY LIMITED THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO REACH ITS PAST OBJECTIVES. FIRST, WE EVALUATED THE POLICIES SURROUNDING THE USE OF MEDICAL HOUSING. A D L IS FORTUNATE IN IT IN THAT IT CURRENTLY HAS 240 MEDICAL HOUSING SPACES TO TREAT A WIDE VARIETY OF DISEASES. PAST PRACTICE WAS TO LEAVE THESE WARDS UNPOPULATED UNTIL WHICH TIME AN EXISTING ANIMAL WITHIN OUR PROGRAM BROKE WITH DISEASE. WE NOW EMPLOY A TWO-PRONGED POLICY FOR OCCUPANCY MANAGEMENT, THE FIRST PLANNED OCCUPANCY UP TO 50% OF ALL MED WARD HOUSING. THIS SHIFT IN POLICY PROVIDES OUR INTAKE PROGRAM WITH ACCESS TO AN ADDITIONAL 120 INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT SPACES. THE SECOND PRONG LEAVES THE REMAINING 50% AS EARMARKED FOR DISEASE OUTBREAK MANAGEMENT FROM INTERNAL POPULATIONS. THE RESULT IS NOW THAT A D L INTENTIONALLY TARGETS AND REHABILITATES A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF SICK AND INJURED ANIMALS RESCUED FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES IN THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, FROM MAY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, IN 2018, A D L RESCUED 1,315 PETS FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES FOR THE SAME REPORTING PERIOD, MAY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 35TH, 2019, A D L RESCUED 2006 ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WHICH WAS A 50 57% INCREASE IN VOLUME. SECOND, WE COMPLETED A THOROUGH PROCESS MAPPING INITIATIVE, WHICH IDENTIFIED AND REMOVED BOTTLENECKS WITHIN OUR INVENTORY AND SUPPLY CHAIN. THE RESULT IS, IS THAT WE NOW EFFECTIVELY CLASSIFY, DIVERT, AND TREAT UNHEALTHY OR ABNORMAL CASES TO THEN RETURN THEM TO THE HIGH THROUGHPUT CHANNEL. SO THIS PRODUCED AN INCREASE IN SYSTEM EFFICIENCY AND OUTPUT RESULTING IN THE ATTAINMENT OF THE TARGET 90% OCCUPANCY, PERCENT OCCUPANCY RATES WITHIN OUR DOSING OR WITHIN OUR ADOPTIVE HOUSING POPULATIONS. THESE TWO PRIMARY INITIATIVES HAVE RESULTED IN A SUSTAINED INCREASE IN PROGRAM BANDWIDTH. BASED ON THESE AND OTHER INITIATIVES, I'LL STATE WITH CERTAINTY AND CONFIDENCE THAT A D L IS CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING THE DELIVERABLES OUTLINED IN ITS PROPOSAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. MCGOWAN. CHELSEA PAYNE. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS CHELSEA PAYNE AND I'M THE LEAD SHELTER VETERINARIAN AT THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LAKE. UM, AS JOEL MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, UH, WE'VE TAKEN IN ABOUT 35 TO 50% OF INTENTIONAL MEDICAL CASES, UH, THAT REQUIRE, THAT ARE NON-ROUTINE AND REQUIRE ADVANCED MEDICAL CARE. OVER THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, WE'VE INCREASED THESE MEDICAL CASE POOLS UP TO ABOUT 60 TO 70% OF THE ANIMALS THAT WE'RE PULLING. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE OUR INFO AND OUTFLOW FROM THE CITY SHELTER BY APPROXIMATELY 25%. DURING THE SAME PERIOD, WE ARE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE ADVANCED OR MANAGING THESE ADVANCED MEDICAL CASES DUE TO OUR UNIQUE ABILITY TO HAVE IN-HOUSE BLOOD WORK, UH, CAPABILITY, URINE ANALYSIS, DIGITAL X-RAY, AND ULTRASOUND AND ADVANCED SURGICAL CAPABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, OUR FOSTER PROGRAM HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT 50% FROM 2018 TO 2019. IN 2018, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 450 ANIMALS FROM A C S INTO OUR FOSTER SYSTEM. IN 2019, WE HAVE ALMOST 900 WITH AN ADDITIONAL QUARTER LEFT POOL. FOR THIS REASON, WE BELIEVE THAT ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE, UH, WILL HAVE THE BEST CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT THE PAUL JOLLY ADOPTION CENTER AND THE CITY'S INITIATIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PAYNE. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, IF I MAY, MAYOR, WE HAD WON, UH, CITIZEN WHO WAS NEEDED TO SPEAK, IF I COULD BRING HIM UP. JOHN BACHMAN. THANK YOU MR. BACHMAN. AND, AND AGAIN, TO, TO BE CONSISTENT, WE'LL HAVE YOU SPEAK AND WE'LL PUT A TWO LIMIT, TWO MINUTE LIMIT ON YOU. THANK YOU. CERTAINLY. I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE A HANDOUT I HAD PASSED OUT TO YOU. FIRST OF ALL, MY POINT IS, I THINK ADL'S WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. I THINK EVERYBODY INVOLVED HERE, A C S AND THE CITY MANAGEMENT WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND SAVE AS MANY ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE. MY POINT ON THIS ITEM IS THAT THEY'RE CALLING FOR 2000 ANIMALS TO BE, UH, RESCUED AT THE PAUL JOLLY CENTER. THAT'S MUCH LESS THAN THEY WERE CALLING FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND IN SEVERAL OF THOSE YEARS, MORE HAVE BEEN RESCUED [04:15:01] AND ADOPTED OUT. AND THIS ONE, THEY'RE GOING CALLING TO PAY FOR $225 PER ANIMAL. WHEN IN THE PAST THEY GOT PEOPLE TO DO THESE CONTRACTS FOR ZERO OR $50 PER ANIMAL, OR IN THE CASE OF INJURED OR, UH, UNHEALTHY OR TREATABLE ANIMALS, THEY'D GET AN EXTRA STIPEND. BUT THAT WAS A MAXIMUM OF 75,000, NOT THE 450,000 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. NOW THAT MONEY COULD BE USED, IT COULD SPAY A NEUTER, 5,000 ANIMALS. ANIMAL CARE SERVICES SAYS IT WOULD COST THEM A MILLION DOLLARS TO OPERATE THE FACILITY THEMSELVES. BUT I DON'T SEE ANY AUDITED ESTIMATE OF THAT ANYWHERE. SO I PROPOSE THAT YOU DELAY THIS, YOU ALLOW ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TO START OPERATING THE FACILITY USING IN-HOUSE RESOURCES AND THE 450,000 THEY'VE GOT, MEANWHILE, GET AN AUDITED ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, UH, OPERATION AND THEN MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO DO ANOTHER R F P OR TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE. A D L IS A, UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT IS DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO HAVE 3000 ANIMALS THEY HAVE TO TAKE UNDER THE KENNEL AGREEMENT. AND THIS ONE SHOULD BE MUCH HIGHER, PROBABLY 3000 MORE. THANK YOU MR. AND I THINK THEY'RE OVEREXTENDED. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, HEBER. MARIA, CAN WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION PLEASE? COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU. AND, UH, COUNCILS MAYOR. UH, DID YOU WANT ME TO DO THE PRESENTATION? YES. ALRIGHT. UM, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I BEGIN, I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU. YOU MET A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS FROM ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE THAT IS HERE, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND, UH, THANK OUR ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS HERE THAT ARE IN SUPPORT. UH, WE DID MEET WITH THE ADVISORY BOARD, UH, ABOUT THIS ITEM AND PROVIDED SOME DISCUSSION WITH THEM. SO, AS YOU KNOW, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WE IMPOUND 31,000 CATS AND DOGS EVERY YEAR, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIND PLACEMENT FOR THOSE CATS AND DOGS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN A 91% LIVE RELEASE RATE. UH, IN 2010, WE BUILT A, OR, UH, WE BUILT A ADOPTION FACILITY AND IT BECAME OPEN IN THE, IN 2013. UH, THAT FACILITY LOCATED IN BRECKENRIDGE PARK, UH, IS, UH, HAS BEEN OPERATED BY PARTNERS AND IS CURRENTLY BEING OPERATED BY ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAK. THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT THROUGH YEAR CONTRACT, UH, IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. IN, UH, AND, UM, THE, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE, WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR PERFORMANCE, UH, THEIR CONTRACT, THEIR CURRENT CONTRACT OBLIGATION RANGED BETWEEN TWO 2,300 A YEAR TO 35 OR 3,600, UH, A YEAR. THEIR THREE YEAR AVERAGE, UH, IS OVER 1800. UM, WE RECOGNIZE, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DECLINE, WHICH IS THE REASON FOR WHY WE HAVE CHOSEN TO BRING THIS OUT AND TO DO AN R F P TO BE ABLE TO SEEK ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS. UH, THE TIMELINE OF THAT R F P. IN APRIL, WE, WE RELEASED THE R F P FOR CONSIDERATION. UH, THAT PROPOSAL CLOSED IN MAY AND IN JUNE WE HELD AN EVALUATION WHERE, UH, A COMMITTEE WAS SELECTED. A DIVERSE COMMITTEE WAS SELECTED FROM REPRESENTATIONS FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, THE A C SS ADVISORY BOARD, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO, AS WELL AS, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES. THE, THE COMMITTEE MET IN ON JUNE 4TH, INTERVIEWED. THE TWO RESPONDENTS THAT WE RECEIVED ARE TWO VIABLE RESPON RESPONDENTS. WE RECEIVED, UM, THE RESULT OF THE R F P WAS THEN PRESENTED TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 30TH. AND THEN ALSO, UH, WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED TO BE FORWARDED HERE TODAY, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS ALSO PRESENTED TO THE A C S ADVISORY BOARD DURING A BOARD EXECUTIVE SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 24TH. THIS SLIDE, UH, DEMONSTRATES THE TWO PROPOSALS THAT WE RECEIVED. AS I WALKED THROUGH THESE TWO PROPOSALS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PERSONAL COMMENT THAT, UH, BOTH OF THE PARTNERS THAT SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL WORKS WITH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND THAT THEY ARE VITAL TO THE CITY. WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF BOTH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, AND THIS WAS NOT AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE. UM, HOWEVER, BASED UPON THE [04:20:01] PROPOSALS THAT WERE PROVIDED, AS YOU SEE HERE, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE WERE PROVIDED IS THE OPTION OF ONE PROPOSAL OFFERED TO RESCUE 2000 PETS ANNUALLY AT A, AT A REIMBURSEMENT RATE OF $225 PER PET. THE SECOND PROPOSAL WA ALLOWED US TO RESCUE 500 PETS AT A PER PER ANIMAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE OF ABOUT 740. THE, THE COMMITTEE, THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, UH, BASED UPON THE PROPOSAL, THE CORRESPONDING INTERVIEWS, UH, THE COMMITTEE AND STAFF RECOMMEND ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE FACILITY, UH, OF PAUL JOLLY CENTER. UNDER THE PROPOSED TERMS, THE RECOMMENDED CONTRACT, A D L WILL BE, UH, WILL BE ASKED OR WILL BE REQUIRED TO MINIMIZE OR TO RESCUE A MINIMUM OF 2000 PETS ANNUALLY AT A REIMBURSEMENT RATE OF 225 PER PET. UH, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, ADEQUATE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS PARTNER IN THE 2020 BUDGET. A D L WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE FACILITY. UH, IF APPROVED, WE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE INITIAL CONTRACT WILL BE FOR ONE YEAR AND BASED UPON THE PERFORMANCE, UH, AS, UH, IF THEY MEET THE PERFORMANCE, THEN WE CAN, UH, AUTOMATICALLY RENEW THAT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEAR. UH, FOLLOWING THAT, UH, AS PERFORMANCE IS MET, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPTION TO RENEW IT, UH, ADDITIONAL. AND SO THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, HEBER FOR THIS, I PULLED IT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND THE POLY PAUL JOLLY CENTER. WE'VE HAD, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, EPISODES BEFORE OF THIS PAUL JOLLY CENTER AND WHERE, UM, SOME OF OUR PARTNERS OR AGENCIES, PARTNER AGENCIES HAVE NOT MET THE MARK HERE. UM, AND SO SOME AREAS OF CONCERN THAT I HAVE, UH, ARE, THAT CURRENTLY ARE, UM, OUR PROVIDER ISN'T HITTING THEIR METRICS RIGHT NOW. SO, AND THE BEFORE IT WASN'T NECESSARILY HITTING THE METRICS EITHER. SO IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG, MARIA HEBER, IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH OUR R F P WHEN WE PUT IT OUT? ARE WE DOING, ARE, IS THIS RIGHT OR ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN WE'RE PUTTING THESE OUT, THIS R F P OUT? UM, THIS IS MY CONCERN HERE. UM, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN 225 PER ANIMAL AND 7 42 PER ANIMAL. SO TELL ME WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHY WAS ONE SO MUCH HIGHER THAN ANOTHER? SO ONE OF THEM WAS, WAS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER ONE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE, UH, THEY ARE, UH, COVERING A LOT OF, A LOT OF THOSE EXPENSES WITH AN ENDOWMENT THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO THE, THE SHARE RATIO IS LOWER THAN THE OTHER. AND SO, UM, I WAS READING IN THE R F P, IN THE BIDDER, THE PRE-SUBMIT BIDDERS CONFERENCE, THERE WERE 37 QUESTIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED. EVERYTHING FROM, UH, WHO IS, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM. SO, AND I ASKED YOU, HEBER MARIA, HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST FOR THE CITY TO TAKE THIS IN? AND WHAT IS THE ANSWER? IF THE CITY WERE TO TAKE THIS IN, IF WE WERE TO DO, IT'D BE ABOUT, IT WOULD BE A MILLION DOLLARS. AND HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS? BECAUSE WE HAVE PRICED IT OUT. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE WOULD BE 11, 11 STAFF MEMBERS WHO'D BE THERE TO OPERATE IT. UM, WITH THE WAGES, BASED UPON THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH THOSE POSITIONS, ABOUT 750,000 OF IT WOULD BE FOR, UH, FOR, SO PULLING PERSONNEL, PULLING THE SAME METRICS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS R F P, WE'D NEED 11, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 11 STAFFERS, AND IT WOULD COST A MILLION DOLLARS. CORRECT. OKAY. BUT WE'RE CHARGING 400, WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH A $450,000. CORRECT. OKAY. THE, THE BUDGET AND THE COSTS ARE, ARE THE SAME. UH, THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE IS ASKING US TO DO A COST SHARE. AND SO THEY ARE COVERING AND THEY ARE, UH, TAKING A HEAVY BURDEN WITH THAT, WITH THAT COST. MM-HMM. . UM, AND SO THIS IS A COST SHARE METRIC OR PROPOSAL. OKAY. OKAY, COUNCILMAN, AND JUST TO ADD TO WHAT HE EVER MENTIONED, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DURING THE SUMMER IS TO EVALUATE THIS TWO PROPOSALS, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED FROM, UH, A D L IN SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE, BUT WE ALSO, UH, LOOKED INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RUNNING THE FACILITY TO, TO SUMMARIZE THE THREE, UH, WE HAVE THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE INDICATING THAT THEY COULD, UH, RESCUE 2000 PETS AT A COST OF A LITTLE BIT OVER $200 PER PET. 220 AND 2000 [04:25:01] PETS. THAT'S AT PAUL JOLLY OR PAUL JOLLY AND THE LOCATION ON THEIR, ON THEIR PROPERTY. JUST PAUL JOLLY. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE INDICATED THAT THEY COULD DO A TOTAL OF 500 PETS AT $742. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN DO 2000 PETS ANNUALLY AT A COST OF $500, UH, UH, PER PET. SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO GO THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. WE HAD, UH, MANY CONVERSATIONS AND ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE HERE WITH US ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE AND THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. UH, AND THAT IS WHY WE RECOMMEND IT TO THE COUNCIL. A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT IN WHICH WE ARE GONNA MONITOR CLOSELY THEIR PERFORMANCE. AND IF THEY MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS, WE'LL, WE'LL, UM, UH, BE ABLE TO RENEW THAT CONTRACT. WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A ANIMAL CARE SERVICES BOARD WHO SHARE THE SAME CONCERNS OF, UH, THE PERFORMANCE, BUT THEY FELT THAT IT WAS A GOOD COMPROMISE TO DO THIS FOR ONE YEAR. UH, THAT WE WILL WE'LL MONITOR THAT, UH, PERFORMANCE WITH A, UH, ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL AS WHEN WE MEET WITH THEM EVERY OTHER MONTH, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF WE CONTINUE THE CONTRACT WITH, WITH THE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. LEMME ASK YOU WHY WERE THERE ONLY THREE RESPONDENTS? YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT WE DO AN R F P. THE FIRST YEAR WE HAD ONE, WHICH WAS SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE. THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE DID THIS, R F P, WE HAD, UM, SAN ANTONIO PETS LIFE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE AND HUMANE SOCIETY. AND THIS YEAR WE HAD, UH, TWO FIRMS THAT WERE VALID. THE OTHER, UM, UH, PROPOSAL WAS NOT, UH, RESPONSIVE. UH, AND WHAT WE, THESE ARE THE STRONGER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD IS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, RUNNING THE FACILITY. UM, SO THAT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT, THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS. AND THAT IS WHY IN THEIR PROPOSAL THEY'RE REQUESTING A, UH, STIPEND FROM THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR PERFORMANCE. SO I THINK ERIC MARIA, MOVING FORWARD, I THINK BECAUSE WE, YOU SENT ME YOUR LIST OF ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND ALL THE AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, SO THAT WE ONLY HAVE THREE PEOPLE MOVING FORWARD WITH A, UM, WITH AN R F P, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH US THAT WE MAYBE NEED TO DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE. AND I'M WILLING TO WORK AND FIND OUT THE ANSWER SO WE CAN MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT AND SAVE MORE DOGS AND CATS. HEBERT COUNCILWOMAN, LET ME LET JUMP IN HEBREW. ONE SECOND. SO, UM, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILWOMAN, LET ME PREFACE THESE STATEMENTS BY ECHOING WHAT HEBREW SAID. SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE, AND I'LL EVEN THROW IN THE HUMANE SOCIETY, UM, ARE ARE KEY PLAYERS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, UH, AS AN ORGANIZATION. UM, I, I WAS, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAUL JOLLY CENTER AND THAT WAS CITY MONEY THAT WAS BUILT WITH THE CONCEPT THAT WE WERE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THE NON-PROFIT AGENCIES OPERATED. WE SPENT, WE, WE SPENT TIME AT THAT POINT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE STAFFING THAT FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. BUT WHAT, I'LL TELL YOU THAT YOUR, YOUR QUESTION, ONE OF YOUR INITIAL QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT DID WE DO WRONG IN THE, IN THE R F P I? I'D SAY THAT WE PROBABLY DID IT WRONG THE LAST TWO TIMES WE PUSHED THAT BAR TOO HIGH. AND, AND THERE WERE, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, BOTH SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE AND, AND A D L UH, HAD TROUBLE MEETING THOSE MARKS. 'CAUSE WE WANT TO SAVE AS MANY DIFFERENT ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE. SO WE PUT THAT BAR TOO HIGH. THERE WERE TWO OCCASIONS, BOTH PETS ALIVE AND A D L WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO HIT THAT MARK. BUT THERE ARE, I, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY IN A BETTER POSITION NOW, SIX YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. UH, THAT'S WHY WE WROTE THE R F P THE WAY WE DID AND ASKED THEM TO TELL US HOW MANY ANIMALS THEY WERE GONNA, UM, BE ABLE TO ADOPT OUT, RATHER THAN US COMING UP WITH A NUMBER THAT MEETS A FORMULA IN THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT THEY REPORT TO ME AND THAT I REPORT TO YOU. SO WE KIND OF, WE, WE TURNED IT AROUND AND I'D SAY THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER MODEL NOW. WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MONITOR IT. AND, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROBABLY PICK UP ADOPTIONS AND OTHER AVENUES AND RELY UPON RESCUE AGENCIES TO CONTINUE TO PULL, TO HIT OUR MARKS. UM, BUT, BUT I, I, I WOULD SAY THAT WE PROBABLY, BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS R F P, UH, I THINK THE LAST TWO RFPS PROBABLY WERE A LITTLE UNREALISTIC. THANK YOU. THAT'S A FAIR, THAT'S A FAIR ASSESSMENT AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING, UM, VERY OPEN ABOUT THAT. UM, I APPRECIATE THAT. ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, UM, AT THE PAUL JOLLY CENTER, THEY ALSO DO, DO, UH, VACCINATIONS, CORRECT? [04:30:02] CENTER, IT'S JUST FOR THE ADOPTIONS. NOW NEXT TO IT, THERE IS A, A LOW COST CLINIC MM-HMM. THAT IS BEING OPERATED BY A SEPARATE PARTNER. SO THAT'S A SEPARATE PARTNER. AND THAT'S A SEPARATE R F P? CORRECT. AND SO THEN THEY ARE ONLY PAYING OR PART OF WITH THE CITY, SO THE A D L, WHOEVER'S THE RESPONDENT HERE, IS GONNA HAVE NO, UM, NO, UH, AUTHORITY OR ANYTHING OVER LEASING WITH THE, THE NEIGHBORS. CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN, UM, I THINK FINALLY ABOUT, UH, WHAT ANIMALS DO THEY, ARE THEY GOING TO BE DECIDING WHICH ANIMALS THEY'RE GONNA BE PULLING FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES KENNELS? OR ARE WE GOING TO TELL THEM, OKAY, HERE ARE THE ANIMALS THAT ARE ON READY TO BE EUTHANIZED. PLEASE TAKE THESE SO MY STAFF IS VERY PERSUASIVE, UHHUH . BUT IN THE END OF THE DAY, UH, OUR PARTNERS DECIDE NOW THAT IS WITH ALL OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS, UH, WHAT I CAN, ALL OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS ARE IN THIS FOR THE RIGHT REASON. MM-HMM. TO BE ABLE TO SAVE LIVES. UH, THEY DO TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE AND, UH, ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE, THAT THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF THAT MEDICAL CARE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PULL, UH, THOSE THAT NEED TO BE POLLED. AND AGAIN, MY STAFF IS VERY PERSUASIVE, BUT IN THE END OF THE DAY, UH, THEY DECIDE WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT POLL. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU MARIA ANN HEBER FOR, FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR ALSO DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A ONE YEAR REVIEW OF THIS. AND WHEN YOU DO THIS REVIEW, WILL IT GO BACK TO AUDIT OR WILL IT JUST BE A CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE WITH US AN EXECUTIVE, OR, OR WHAT IS THE PROCESS IF, IF THEY ARE NOT HITTING THERE MARKS? SO IF THEY ARE NOT, THEN WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RENEW THE CONTRACT. OKAY. AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE WILL HAVE TO EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH OPTIONS. JUST TO ADD TO WHAT HEBER MENTIONED, WE WILL REPORT TO THAT, TO THE COUNCIL, AND WE CAN DO IT THROUGH ONE OF OUR SUBCOMMITTEES ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UH, IS UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY SUBCOMMITTEE. SO WE CAN REPORT THERE. WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE, UH, A MEMO TO THE COUNCIL. AND SINCE THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT BEGINS NOVEMBER ONE MM-HMM. AND ENDS, UH, OCTOBER, UM, UH, 30TH, UH, WE CAN ALSO REPORT TO THE COUNCIL AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DO SO MUCH WORK, AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE, THE NUMBERS DO COME DOWN TOO, BECAUSE OF THE MICROCHIPPING THAT HAS HAPPENED. SO WE'RE ABLE TO RETURN IT TO OWNER NOW. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION, AND I WANTED TO PULL IT TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AND, UH, TO A D L ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE. THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND FOR SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY TO JOHN AND THE ANIMAL ADVOCATES, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. UM, AND TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, YOU PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE CITY TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER AND SAFER FOR EVERYONE. SO WITH THAT, MARY I MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 20. EXCUSE ME. 18, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM 21. UH, WE'LL HEAR SEPARATELY FOR RECUSAL PURPOSES. UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH THAT. ITEM 21 IS THE RESOLUTION. NOMINATING ROBERTO C VINNO AS THE CITY'S CANDIDATE TO SERVE ON THE BEAR APPRAISAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TERM OF OFFICE TO EXPIRE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021. CAN I GET A MOTION? OKAY, WE HAVE MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. ANY OPPOSE? YES. OKAY. OPPOSED? SAME SIGN? NO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. OH, SORRY. DID ANYBODY HAVE COMMENTS ON THAT? OH, IT'S JUST FOR RECUSAL, I THOUGHT. OKAY. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. UM, WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON. UH, [25. Ordinance approving a contract with the Center for Common Concerns/HomeBase in the amount of $128,898.00 to conduct a comprehensive Homeless Strategic Plan for the period of October 3, 2019 through September 30, 2019. Funds for this contract are included in the FY 2020 General Fund Adopted Budget. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Melody Woosley, Director, Human Services]] 25. ITEM NUMBER 25. ITEM NUMBER 25 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A CONTRACT WITH THE CENTER FOR COMMON CONCERNS HOME BASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $128,898 TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESS STRATEGY PLAN FOR THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 3RD, 2019 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020 FUNDS FOR THIS CONTRACT ARE INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 GENERAL FUND ADOPTED BUDGET. THAT'S ME. OKAY. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU MA'AM. MELODY, HI. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UH, WHAT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IS GONNA BE. AND SO I HAVE A PRESENTATION. WE RUN THROUGH THAT REAL QUICK. THAT'D BE GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, THE MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT INCLUDED AN ALLOCATION OF [04:35:01] $200,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING CONTINGENCY FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE OR LOCAL HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM. IT INCLUDES IDENTIFYING GAPS IN SERVICES AND PRIORITIZING IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO AS, UM, BACKGROUND, WE ISSUED AN R F P FOR SERVICES IN JUNE FOR THIS CONTRACTOR. EVALUATED THE PROPOSALS IN AUGUST, AND THEN THE CONSULTANT WOULD BEGIN, UM, WITH YOUR APPROVAL TODAY CONDUCTING FIELD WORK THIS MONTH. WE ANTICIPATE PRESENTING, UM, THE RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY IN MARCH OF 2020. AND SO, UH, WE HAD SIX FIRMS THAT RESPONDED TO THE R F P AND THEY WERE SCORED AND EVALUATED ON THE EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS, THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT THEY SUBMITTED PRICING, LOCAL PREFERENCE, VETERAN AND SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE, AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, UM, DID INTERVIEW ALL APPLICANTS. THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY SCORED THE CENTER FOR COMMON CONCERNS, DOING BUSINESS AS HOME BASE AS THE HIGHEST RANKING. APPLICANT HOME BASE IS BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE CONDUCTING HOMELESS PLANS AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR HOMELESS PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, OKLAHOMA, AND NEVADA, THOUGH, AND YOU MAY RECALL THEN IN THE F Y 20 ADOPTED BUDGET, UM, IT DOES INCLUDE A SET ASIDE OF $560,000 TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND IDENTIFY THE GAPS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED. TO THAT END, WE WOULD ISSUE AN R F P, UM, BY APRIL 1ST OF NEXT YEAR IN ORDER TO CONTRACT FOR THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS. AND THOSE, UM, CONTRACTS WOULD BEGIN IN JUNE OF 2020. AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT WITH HOME BASE TO CONDUCT THE HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. MELODY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. AND, UH, UM, I JUST GOT SOME QUESTIONS HERE. SURE. LOOKING AT THIS HOME BASE COMPANY, YOU SAID THEY'RE BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO? YES. AND YOU SAID THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN CALIFORNIA? THEY'RE CALIFORNIA. THEY'VE WORKED IN, UM, OKLAHOMA AND NEVADA. THEY'VE DONE, UM, PLANS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. OKAY. HAVE YOU BEEN TO SAN FRANCISCO? GO ? WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE NECESSARILY DONE THE PLAN FOR SAN FRANCISCO. THEY'VE DONE SANTA CLARA, THEY'VE DONE, UH, CITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT YES, I HAVE BEEN TO SAN FRANCISCO RECENTLY. BUT HAVE THEY DONE SAN FRANCISCO? I DON'T BELIEVE SO, NO. OKAY, GOOD. BECAUSE IF THEY DID, I WOULD CERTAINLY VOTE AGAINST THIS BECAUSE THE WHEELS HAVE COME OFF THE CART. RIGHT. IN SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, SEATTLE. RIGHT. THOSE KIND OF PLACES. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE NOT DONE THE PLANS IN THOSE CITIES? LOS ANGELES, SAN SAN FRANCISCO, OR SEATTLE? SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES? I DON'T SEE ON MY LIST. I CAN CONFIRM MARGARET CONSULTATION. THEY HAVE TO WORK IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. OKAY. SO THEY'VE DONE, UM, WORK IN CONSULTATION IN SAN SAN FRANCISCO, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY DIDN'T WRITE THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN. SO THEY DO CONSULT WITH THE, UM, AGENCIES IN SAN FRANCISCO, BUT THEY ARE, THEY DIDN'T DEVELOP THE PLAN. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE CONSULTING. WE CAN FOLLOW UP MORE ON THAT. YEAH, I, I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY, WHATEVER THEY'RE CONSULTING IT SURE ISN'T WORKING, SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. MM-HMM. , UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. SO WHAT, WHAT ARE WE HOPING TO REALLY, REALLY GET ON THIS CONTRACT? SO, UM, THEY'LL GO THROUGH A SERIES OF STAKEHOLDER, UM, MEETINGS AND FOCUS GROUPS, RESEARCHING, UM, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON NOW IN THE COMMUNITY. IDENTIFY, UM, THROUGH STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WHAT ARE THE GAPS IN THE SYSTEM? WHAT, WHAT IS WORKING WELL, WHAT IS NOT WORKING, WHAT NEEDS TO BE RE UM, RETHOUGHT. THEY'LL IDENTIFY THOSE GAPS. THEY'LL, THEY'LL MAKE A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO PRIORITIZE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, POTENTIALLY EVEN ON HOW TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS. [04:40:01] UM, AND BASICALLY THEY'LL, THEY'LL USE DATA-DRIVEN INFORMATION TO, TO HELP US DETERMINE WHAT WE DO NEXT TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A CONSULTANT TO DO THIS. I MEAN, HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN WORKING ON HOMELESSNESS? DON'T WE HAVE HAVEN FOR HOPE? DON'T WE HAVE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES? DON'T WE HAVE SAFE OFFICERS OUT THERE? DON'T WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE DA'S OFFICE, OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT? I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON WITH ALL THESE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. BUT HERE WE'RE GONNA SPEND ANOTHER 125, WHAT IS IT? A HUNDRED AND, YEAH, UP TO 125,000 HUNDRED. 25,000. I, I'M, I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, ERIC WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN. YES. YES, SIR. THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, JUST TO REMIND YOU, THIS, UH, THIS EFFORT CAME OUT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, HAD AT THE END OF 2018. AND THEN, UH, WHEN WE CAME BACK TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL AS PART OF OUR MIDYEAR, IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION, PRIMARILY NUMBER ONE, BECAUSE THE, THE, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO EXACTLY WHAT, UH, UH, MEL JUST DESCRIBED, WAS REEVALUATE THE, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT. OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVEN FOR, HOPE NONPROFITS, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE AT. UM, AND, AND WE HADN'T DONE THAT IN A LONG TIME, AND THAT WAS THE BASIS OF THAT RECOMMENDATION. I ALSO WANTED TO JUST REMIND YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, THAT AS PART OF THE ADOPTED BUDGET, WE SET ASIDE, WE BUDGETED A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AS A RESULT OF THE 50 CENT ADJUSTMENT ON TOWER RIDES AND BARGE RIDES. UM, WE BUDGETED THE MONEY BUT DIDN'T ALLOCATE IT BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN THIS CONSULTANT AND D H SS AND DR. BRI, BRIDGER AND MEL COME BACK, UH, IN MARCH OR APRIL TO, UH, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT THOSE GAPS ARE, WE'VE GOT MONEY SET ASIDE THAT THEN THE COUNCIL CAN, UH, LOOK TO FILL THOSE GAPS. AND, UM, YEAH, CERTAINLY WE'RE DEALING WITH IT, UH, ORGANIZATIONALLY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HUMAN SERVICES, UH, OTHER AGENCIES ARE DEALING WITH IT. UH, THIS IS TO REEVALUATE WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COMMUNITY. UH, IT'S DESIGNED TO INCORPORATE, UH, THE ISSUE OF ENCAMPMENTS, UH, UH, NOT JUST HAVEN FOR HOPE. UH, IT'S ALSO DESIGNED TO, UH, TO LOOK AT, UM, WHAT OTHER FOLKS SHOULD BE POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING. AND THAT'S BEEN A TOPIC THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DISCUSSED SEVERAL TIMES. UM, UH, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, CENTRO WAS HERE, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE LOOKING AND THEIR PARTNERS OF THIS, UH, EFFORT AS WELL AS VISIT SAN ANTONIO. SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND, UH, YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL THAT YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN AFTER FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE, AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ANSWER AT ONE TIME, BUT HOW MUCH FEDERAL AND STATE AND LOCAL DOLLARS ARE GOING TO HOMELESSNESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? OVER $50 MILLION. AND THAT'S, THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF FEDERAL AGENCIES. IT INCLUDES STATE AGENCIES, UM, BOTH THE CITY AND BEXAR COUNTY. UM, AND IT ALSO, BUT IT INCLUDES VERY, UH, PROJECT SPECIFIC GRANT FUNDING. AND SO THERE'S FUNDING THAT'S RESERVED FOR VETERANS, FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. THERE'S FUNDING FOR VETERANS FAMILIES, THERE'S FUNDING FOR HIV AIDS, UM, PEOP UH, PEOPLE WITH HIV AIDS THAT ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THEIR HOUSING. AND SO THE, IT'S GENERALLY VERY SPECIFIC, VERY REGULATION ORIENTED, NOT FLEXIBLE. AND, AND WE FUND A LOT OF NONPROFITS AS WELL. YES, WE DO IN DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS. RIGHT. AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS, IS I DON'T SEE ENOUGH CROSSTALK COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE NONPROFITS AND OTHER AGENCIES, UM, WHO, WHO WILL, WHO WILL ALL BE INCLUDED IN THIS STRATEGIC PLAN. SO IT'LL BE, UM, SO ONE, I THINK, UM, IT'LL BE LED BY THE CITY, BUT ALSO BY THE SAN OR THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS. THAT IS OUR FEDERALLY MANDATED CONTINUUM OF CARE. AND THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE WORK OF, UM, ALL OF THE HOMELESS PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO SARAH, UM, WILL BE RIGHT THERE ALONGSIDE OF US, UM, THROUGH THIS FACILITATED PROCESS. WE WILL ALSO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS COMMUNITY WIDE. NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST NONPROFITS, BUT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEIR FEEDBACK BECAUSE THE ENCAMPMENTS, AS ERIC MENTIONED, UH, IMPACTS THEIR LIVES. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL OFFICES COUNTY GONNA BE INVOLVED. COUNTY ABSOLUTELY WILL BE INVOLVED. SARAH, IS THE VA PART OF SARAH DA'S OFFICE GONNA BE INVOLVED? WE WILL ENSURE THAT THEY'RE INVITED. OKAY. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO SEE A LIST MM-HMM. OF WHO YOU ENVISION TO BE A PART OF THIS. I, YOU KNOW, [04:45:01] THIS, THIS WHOLE THING. LEMME TELL YOU, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN DISTRICT 10 RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS OUT THERE, BUT THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM. AND PEOPLE WANT ACTION. PEOPLE WANT ACTION NOW. AND WE JUST HAD A FIRE STARTED BY A, A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT HERE NOT TOO LONG AGO. AND I'VE GOT COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT ARE ORGANIZING THEMSELVES TO DO SOMETHING. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF THE ISSUE BEFORE IT GETS TO THIS LEVEL. AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE POLICE AREN'T DOING, THE SAFE OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE. GREAT. UM, TIFFANY MM-HMM. , TIFFANY. TIFFANY IS DOING AN AWESOME JOB FOR US THERE IN DISTRICT 10. WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN AT THIS POINT, BUT THERE'S, THE FRUSTRATION LEVELS ARE OUT THERE. MM-HMM. SO HIGH IN THE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS. YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES ARE HAVING TO GO OUT THERE AND PICK UP THAT TRASH, PICK UP THE NEEDLES, PICK UP THE, THE TENTS, THE, THE PALLETS. I SAW A STACK THAT WAS BIGGER THAN A TRUCK SITTING OUT THERE THAT THEY PULLED OUT OF THE WOODS TO BE HAULED AWAY. AND THIS IS OUR CITIZENS THAT ARE, I THINK ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HARM WAY, HARM'S WAY TO DO THIS. BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT. AND I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH RESOURCES. I KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE. AND, AND I THINK YOU, UH, UH, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS HERE, UH, MR. GONZALEZ AND I, I, THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH PROSECUTION AND AN ISSUE WITH POLICE GETTING FRUSTRATED MM-HMM. AND CERTAINLY THE CITIZENS GETTING FRUSTRATED OUT THERE. SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE RIGHT FOLKS INVOLVED IN THIS AND THAT THIS ISN'T SOME STUDY THAT TAKES ON FOR ANOTHER YEAR. AND, AND AGAIN, I'M KIND OF CONCERNED THAT WE GOT SOMEBODY THAT IS BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE OVER THERE. UM, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME ANSWERS, AND WE NEED SOME ANSWERS FAST AND NOT JUST ANSWERS, BUT ACTION. SO I'LL SUPPORT THIS. OKAY. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SURE. WHAT THE PLAN IS, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THERE, AND HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE US TO GET THERE. ABSOLUTELY. I'LL SCHEDULE SOME TIME AND WE CAN, WE CAN GO OVER SOME OF THOSE DETAILS. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELODY. SURE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY. AND FOR THOSE, UH, BEFORE I GET TO COUNCILMAN P, FOR THOSE WHO ARE HERE FOR THE ZONING SESSION AT TWO O'CLOCK, WE ARE STILL IN THE A SESSION AGENDA. UM, AFTER WE GET THROUGH THIS ITEM, WE ARE GONNA BREAK FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR OR SO. SO I ANTICIPATE WE WILL RECONVENE FOR THE ZONING AGENDA ABOUT 2 45, UH, AT THE EARLIEST. IT WON'T BE TOO MUCH LONGER THAN THAT IF IT IS. UH, SO IF YOU WANT TO GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT OR A CUP OF COFFEE OR SOMETHING SO YOU DON'T, NOT SITTING THERE FOR SO LONG, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO. COUNCIL MEMBER PAPA. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY FOR, FOR BRINGING UP THESE POINTS. UH, MELODY, IT'S, IT'S BECOME AN INCREASINGLY, UM, DISTURBING PROBLEM ON, ON, ON THE NORTH SIDE. YOU KNOW, THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN HAD NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. UH, AND IT'S JUST GETTING WORSE AND WORSE, RIGHT? UM, I, I IMAGINE THAT IT MUST BE BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S MORE AFFLUENCE UP THERE. THERE'S MORE PEOPLE WITH LOOSE CHANGE IN THEIR CARS, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, UM, AND MAYBE THEY FEEL SAFER IN CAMPING RIGHT OUT IN, IN THE NORTH SIDE THAN THEY DO DOWNTOWN. DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR WHY THIS IS HAPPENING? I DON'T. UM, I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE, IN 2018, WE DID ABOUT 170 ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH EVENTS. UM, IN 2019 WE DID 240. YEAH. AND RESPONDED TO MANY MORE CALLS. I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT'S MORE AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE AND THAT THERE IS A RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO, UM, DO OUTREACH AND HELP RESTORE THOSE, UH, AREAS WHERE THE ENCAMPMENTS ARE, ARE BEING HELD. THE POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN JANUARY SHOWED A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS AND THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESS. BUT ANECDOTALLY, WE'RE, WE'RE RECEIVING MORE COMPLAINTS AND, AND HEARING MORE. SO. SO FOR ME, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY DRILLING DOWN AND LOOKING FOR ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS AND ALL THAT, UM, I, I WANT THE QUESTION ANSWERED. WHY, IF WE'RE INVESTING SO MUCH ENERGY AND RESOURCES AND TREASURE IN HAVEN FOR HOPE, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE FACILITIES WHICH ARE CLOSER TO THE CITY, THE CENTER OF THE CITY, WHY IS IT THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY ON THE NORTH SIDE, RIGHT? LIKE, WHAT IS IT THAT IS CHASING THESE FOLKS AWAY, UH, FROM DOWNTOWN? AND, [04:50:01] UM, WHY WOULD, WHY DO THEY PREFER TO BE ON THE NORTH SIDE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, UNDER BRIDGES, UH, OR WHEREVER IT IS THEY ARE DOWNTOWN? RIGHT? UM, AND SO I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER NOW, MELODY, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE ANSWER I'M LOOKING FOR. 'CAUSE I THINK IF I'M ABLE TO ANSWER THAT FOR MY CONSTITUENTS, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ASKING ME, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? UM, LIKE WHEN IT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. AND SO IS THAT, IS THAT A FAIR YEAH, WE, WE DO STILL SEE FEWER IN DISTRICTS EIGHT AND NINE 10 THAN WE SEE IN DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT SIX. UM, THOSE ARE REALLY THE HIGHEST WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE MOST ENCAMPMENTS OR WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE RECEIVING INFORMATION. OKAY. UM, AND SO IT, IT, IT STILL REMAINS A MORE INNER CITY, UH, PROBLEM. BUT IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THERE'S A, A GREATER AWARENESS, UM, OF WHAT AN ENCAMPMENT IS, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, AND THAT THERE'S A, A INITIATIVE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO IT. OKAY. UM, SO LASTLY, I I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS HERE. HE'S SITTING BEHIND YOU. YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE HIM 'CAUSE HE SPORTS A BEARD THESE DAYS. BUT, UH, UH, JOE, THANKS FOR THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. AND, AND, UM, IF, IF I COULD IMPOSE UPON YOU, JOE, TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND, UM, SO I CAN PESTER YOU WITH ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. I, I KNOW THAT QUITE FREQUENTLY, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE LIKE TO SORT OF THROW THIS AT YOUR FEET AND SAY, IT'S ALL JOE GONZALEZ'S FAULT. THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE UNTIL JOE GONZALEZ CAME. I MEAN, I, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AT, IN THIS SEAT FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, WAY BEFORE YOU SHOWED UP, UH, AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON MY, MY SIDE OF TOWN. WHAT, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME ACCURATE, UH, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS YOU'RE DOING AND WHY IT IS YOU'RE DOING IT? THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN AYA. I, I DO WANT TO ADDRESS A COUNCIL ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, HOMELESSNESS EXISTED BEFORE MY ADMINISTRATION, UH, TOOK OFFICE. UH, IT IS A, IT IS A PROBLEM, A PROBLEM CITYWIDE AND COUNTYWIDE. UH, UNFORTUNATELY YOU SEE IT MORE IN SOME DISTRICTS THAN OTHERS. BUT, UH, OUR JOB IS TO PROSECUTE CRIME. OUR JOB IS TO REVIEW A CASE WHERE A CRIME IS COMMITTED. UH, AND UNDER THE TEXAS PENAL CODE, BEING HOMELESS IS NOT A CRIME. THERE HAS TO BE SOME OTHER CRIME THAT, THAT OCCURS FOR US TO TAKE ACTION. NOTHING THAT I'VE DONE UNDER MY POLICY HAS EVER PROHIBITED LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM DOING THEIR JOB. NOTHING PREVENTS THEM FROM GOING TO A, A SITE AND MAKING A DETERMINATION OF, OF WHETHER SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME OF, LET'S SAY, CRIMINAL TRESPASS. IF IT MEETS THE ELEMENT OF THE OFFENSE. LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTAINLY HAS THE ABILITY AND HA THEY HAVE MADE ARRESTS DURING, DURING MY ADMINISTRATION. UH, AND SO THAT'S HAPPENING. WHEN THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE IMMEDIATELY REJECTING THE CRIMINAL TRESPASS CASES, UH, UNDER MY NEW POLICY OVER THE SUMMER, WE, WE, WE, UH, TWEAKED IT SO THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT UNDERSTOOD WE WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE ANY FINAL DECISIONS UNTIL A 48 HOUR HEARING. SO THAT LAW OFFICERS HANDS WOULD NOT BE TIED. THEY ARE, THEY ARE MAKING THOSE ARRESTS. WE ARE MAKING, NOT MAKING DECISIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT A CRIMINAL TRESPASS CASE UNTIL AT LEAST 48 HOURS AND SOMETIMES FIVE OR SIX DAYS. SO, INDIVIDUALS, SOME OF THEM THAT ARE HOMELESS, ARE BEING DETAINED, AND THEY ARE BEING HOUSED AT THE BEXAR COUNTY JAIL. WHILE WE'RE MAKING THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO GO FORWARD ON THIS CASES, I WILL TELL YOU, AND I HAVE MY CHIEF OF LITIGATION HERE, WHO HAS PARTIALLY, HE'S THE NUMBER THREE PERSON IN OUR, UH, OFFICE OF OVER 500 PEOPLE. HE HAS PERSONALLY TAKEN IT UPON HIMSELF TO REVIEW EVERY ONE OF THESE CASES AND MADE DETERMINATIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE, UH, RIGHTEOUS CASES, WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD GO FORWARD. HE TELLS ME AS OF AUGUST, UM, WE HAVE ACCEPTED OVER 65, UH, 67 CASES, UH, FOR CRIMINAL TRESPASS. SO WE ARE ACCEPTING THOSE CASES. WE ARE PROSECUTING CRIMINAL TRESPASS CASES WHEN THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS CASES, WHEN THERE ARE CASES THAT WE NEED TO GO FORWARD. SO, UH, IF, IF THE PERCEPTION OUT THERE IS THAT THE IN THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION BECAUSE OF WHAT JOE GONZALEZ'S ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE, THAT'S INCORRECT. IT'S INACCURATE. UM, HE'S GOT THE NUMBERS, HE'S GOT THE, THE CASES WITH HIM. HE'S CERTAINLY ABLE TO ADDRESS EVERY ONE OF YOU IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HIM. BUT, BUT WE ARE HERE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT YOU GET ACCURATE INFORMATION. UH, AGAIN, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH. IT'S A SOCIETAL PROBLEM, BUT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM OF CRIME. WE HAVE A JOB TO DO. WE, WE JOB, OUR JOB IS TO KEEP EVERYONE HERE SAFE. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE AN ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO ONLY PROSECUTE SOMEONE THAT HAS COMMITTED A CRIME. THANK YOU, MR. GONZALEZ. AND, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. UH, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE ARE TALKING CONTRACT [04:55:01] APPROVAL HERE. WE ARE NOT TALKING HOMELESSNESS POLICY. ALL THAT DISCUSSION IS NOT GERMANE TO THE ITEM HERE. SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN CONTRACT WITH HOME BASE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. DID THIS GO THROUGH THE HIGH PROFILE PROCESS? NO, THIS WAS NOT CONSIDERED A HIGH PROFILE CONTRACT. IS THERE A REASON? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HOMELESSNESS IS, IS A BIG ISSUE. SO I, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS TOOK IT UP BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY, UH, IT DIDN'T OR IT WOULDN'T HAVE GONE THROUGH HIGH PROFILE. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS 'CAUSE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WAS BELOW THE THRESHOLD, AND IT IS A HIGH PROFILE TOPIC, BUT IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T CLASSIFIED AS HIGH PROFILE CONTRACT PROCESS. AND I THINK WE NOW HAVE A DEFINITION OF HIGH PROFILE CONTRACTS IN BEING ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF ATTENTION. RIGHT. A LOT OF PUBLIC ATTENTION, I THINK IS WHAT I REMEMBER. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, IF, WAS THAT NOT AN ORDER BEFORE? THANKS, MAYOR. UM, SO SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COUNCIL CONVERSATION GOING BACK TO THE END OF 2018. UH, WE'VE HAD AT LEAST TWO B SESSIONS ON THE TOPIC, AND SO THERE'D BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION. I'M NOT SURE, BASED ON OUR, ARE THE GUIDELINES AND THE DISCUSSION THE COUNCIL HAD LAST WEEK. I'M NOT SURE WE WOULD'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS AS A HIGH PROFILE. IT'S A, IT'S AN UPDATE TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. NOW, WHAT MAY COME OUT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WHEN IT COMES BACK TO YOU GUYS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE HIGH PROFILE AND THEY'RE LIKELY GONNA BE A LOT OF MONEY. SO THAT WAS PROBABLY OUR THINKING. UH, BUT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN IN THE QUEUE FOR, UH, SINCE AT LEAST THE SPRINGTIME LATE SPRING. OKAY. SO THEN WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT TODAY. LIKE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS YOU, UH, THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE TO VOTE. IT'S BEFORE YOU. IT'S UP TO YOU. UM, THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN THAT WE HAD THAT WAS INCLUDED IN AS PART OF THE MID-YEAR UPDATE. AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET, OUR PLAN IS TO BRING IT BACK TO YOU IN MARCH SO WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE MONEY WE ALLOCATED THIS YEAR. BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY, ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA TODAY, THE, THE COUNCIL HAS THE COMPLETE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT THEY SEE, UH, FIT. OKAY. I'M, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM UNTIL THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER THE 17TH. SECOND. OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION AND WAS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. FOR DELAY OF THE ITEM UNTIL OCTOBER 17TH. UM, I GUESS LEMME JUST ASK A QUESTION. I I'M NOT CLEAR ON, UM, THE RATIONALE FOR DELAY. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT QUESTIONS ARE WE TRYING TO ANSWER IN THE INTERIM? MINE WAS JUST, AGAIN, THE HIGH PROFILE. I MEAN, WE SEE THAT HOMELESSNESS IS AN INCREASING ISSUE. WE HAVE SEVERAL DISTRICTS. I MEAN, I HAD SEVEN ENCAMPMENTS A MONTH AGO, AND I THINK IT'S UP TO 11 NOW. AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, THE QUESTION THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY, FOR INSTANCE ASKED EARLIER I THOUGHT WAS VERY VALID. AND I KNOW CHIEF MCMANUS HAS ALSO, UH, SHARED WITH US SOME INFORMATION FROM SEATTLE, UH, A VIDEO. AND, UH, SAN FRANCISCO, JUST, I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR PARTICIPATED ON A, UM, HOMELESSNESS PANEL THIS WEEKEND AT TRIBE FEST. AND SO, OR TRIP FEST, SORRY. AND SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT MERIT SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION, OR I KNEW THAT AT LEAST I DIDN'T, UM, GET BRIEFED ON IT. AND I'M SO SORRY. I I MUST HAVE MISSED THIS ENTIRELY, MELANIE, I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T PREPARE FOR IT. UM, BUT, UH, IF NOT, THEN I'LL JUST COMPLETELY ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL PREPARED TO VOTE FOR IT TODAY. SO, NO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. I JUST, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD SOME INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GET TO THE COUNCIL OR PUT IT THROUGH, UH, OR SOME INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS BEFORE WE GET TO THERE. IF THERE'S NO MATERIAL DIFFERENCE, UH, IN US TAKING THIS UP TODAY VERSUS THE 17TH, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THAT. UM, AND I'M NOT SURE, UH, ANYONE WOULD DEBATE THAT. SO IS THERE A REASON TO GET THIS DONE TODAY? UH, THE REASON WOULD BE FOR THE AGENTS. SO FOR THE CONSULTANT TO BE ABLE TO START, WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO A TI THROUGH A TIMELINE. WE SET A TIMELINE TO FINISH BY MARCH. OKAY. THAT'S ABOUT SIX MONTHS FOR THE, UM, CONSULTANT TO DO FIELD WORK SURVEYS. BUT IF WE NEED TO ADJUST THE CALENDAR, CERTAINLY WE WILL, DR. Y'ALL ARE FAIRLY CONFIDENT WE WON'T BE TOO FAR GONE AFTER TWO WEEKS OF ADDITIONAL COMMENT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, SO WE'LL TAKE UP THAT MOTION FIRST. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU. I'M, I'M STILL UNCLEAR ON WHY WE'RE PUTTING THIS OFF. I MEAN, ARE WE GONNA RECONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS PERSON AND REOPEN UP THE R F P PROCESS? NO, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE, THE, THE RATIONALE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, FOR DELAYS JUST TO HAVE, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS TO GET COMFORTABLE [05:00:01] WITH THE ITEM, UH, FOR TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, WE CAN TAKE IT UP AT THAT TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, GREAT. UM, ALRIGHT. THERE IS A PRIMARY MOTION NOW TO DELAY THE ITEM UNTIL OCTOBER 17TH. SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. AND IF WE CAN SCHEDULE THOSE BRIEFINGS, WE CAN GET THAT DONE IN SHORT ORDER. UH, WE HAVE, UH, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, TWO CITY MANAGER UPDATES AND, UM, A SONG TO SING. GO AHEAD. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK, MAYOR. UM, SO JUST REAL QUICK, THERE'S A BIG GROUP OF, UH, EMPLOYEES THERE IN THE BACK. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE OUR PROCUREMENT DIVISION, UH, WHO WAS, UH, AWARDED THE, UM, UH, ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AND, UH, OF EXCELLENCE IN PROCUREMENT. WE WERE ONE OF 48 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TEXAS TO RECEIVE THE AWARD AND ONE OF 67 CITIES IN THE US AND CANADA TO RECEIVE THE AWARD. UH, THOSE FOLKS BACK THERE, UH, DO A LOT OF WORK ON THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU SEE EVERY THURSDAY. SO I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM AND CONGRATULATE 'EM. AND THEN, UH, SECONDLY, JUST A REMINDER, NEXT WEEK IS T M L, UH, IT STARTS ON OCTOBER 9TH. UH, THEY'VE SET A RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE REGISTERED. WE'LL HAVE OVER 3000 CITY OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS, UH, THE STATE. AND, UH, THERE WILL BE, UH, WE ACCEPTING DONATIONS AS PART OF THE, UH, CONFERENCE, UM, UH, DONATIONS OF CLOTHING, TOILETRIES, UH, HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, UH, ALL TO BENEFIT, UH, VIOLENCE, UH, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES AND THE BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU LET THE COUNCIL KNOW ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. AND, UH, BEFORE WE ADJOURN INTO LUNCH, UH, LET'S ALL GIVE OUR, UH, OUR COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT 10, UH, A GREAT SALUTE FOR HIS, UM, UNDISCLOSED NUMBER BIRTHDAY, COUNCILMAN PERRY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE, UH, ADJOURNED UNTIL 2 55. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [Zoning Consent Agenda (Part 1 of 2)] WE WILL GET STARTED. WE WILL RESUME WITH OUR ZONING AGENDA. THE ITEMS ON CONSENT TODAY ARE Z FOUR, P ONE AND Z FIVE, P THREE, AND Z SEVEN, Z EIGHT, Z 11, Z 12 P FIVE, AND Z 14, Z 15, AND Z 16. SO WHICH ONES ARE, UH, THOSE ARE THE ITEMS ON CONSENT. UH, AND THEN THE ITEMS, INDIVIDUAL ZONING ITEMS, Z ONE, Z TWO, Z THREE P TWO, AND Z SIX P FOUR AND Z NINE, Z 10 AND Z 13. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS? ANY OTHER ITEMS MY COLLEAGUES WISH TO PULL ON CONSENT. OKAY. SO CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ZONING ITEMS? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, COMMENTS? DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. I'M SORRY, I MOVED THIS ALONG. THE CHAIR. [Z-1. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700151 CD (Council District 1): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 CD MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for Motor Vehicle Sales on Lots 1 and 2, Block 1, NCB 2817, located at 2701 West Martin Street. Staff recommends Approval. Zoning Commission recommends Denial. (Part 1 of 2)] OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. MOVING ALONG TO ITEM Z ONE Z ONE FROM C TWO TO C TWO C D WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SALES LOCATED AT 27 0 1 WEST MARTIN STREET. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL. 53 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR. THREE OPPOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M MOTIONING TO, UH, FOR A CONTINUANCE TO THE NEXT ZONING, WHICH WOULD BE OCTOBER 17TH, CONTINUES TO OCTOBER 17TH. THE APPLICANT IS CURRENTLY RECOVERING FROM A RECENT SURGERY AND CANNOT ATTEND TODAY'S HEARING. I CERTAINLY WISH HER, UH, SPEEDY RECOVERY AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS, THIS CASE ON HER BEHALF. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE ON ITEM Z ONE. PLEASE VOTE. AND SEVERAL OTHERS. [05:05:03] HI MAYOR, IF WE CAN, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF SPANISH SPEAKER, UH, CITIZENS IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE. CAN WE PLAY THE VIDEO FIRST? PLEASE ROLL THE VIDEO. INTERPRET. UH, OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [Zoning Consent Agenda (Part 2 of 2)] UM, AND WE WILL START WITH PEOPLE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. JACK FINGER? YES, MADAM MAYOR PRO TIMM. UM, JUST FOR INFORMATION, MADAM MAYOR PRO TIMM, YOU, YOU AND THE COUNCIL HAVE ALREADY VOTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, MEANING THAT ANY, UH, COMMENTS WE THE CITIZENS MAKE ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ALREADY FOREGONE CONCLUSIONS. UH, YOU'VE ALREADY, UH, TAKEN YOUR ACTION ON THAT AND RENDERS OUR COMMENTS, BUT PRETTY MUCH, UH, MEANINGLESS, UH, UNLESS YOU WANT TO OFFER A MOTION TO RETURN, UH, RE RESCIND AT THAT, UH, LAST ACTION, THAT'D BE THE PROPER THING TO DO. YEAH, I KINDA, SORRY, THE VOTE WAS CANCELED. I MOVED US ALONG TOO QUICKLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. WELL ANYWAY, MADAM MAYOR PRO TEM AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER. A FEW ITEMS I WISH TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS DISJOINTED PORTION OF THE AGENDA HERE. UM, VARIOUS THINGS HERE. AND, UH, WE'LL GO BY THE NUMBERS IN MR. BINION IN YOUR DISTRICT. THE USED CAR LOT ZONING COMMISSION THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA, SIR. MAYBE THEY'RE, THEY'RE TIRED OF USED CAR LOTS, JUST AS MUCH AS, AS I AND OTHER CITIZENS ARE. I THINK I'M GLAD YOU MAY WANT TO CONTINUE. MAY, MAYBE THE BEST THING TO DO IS JUST SIMPLY SAY NO TO THIS THING. DO YOU THINK, UM, ELSEWHERE, SPEAKING OF USED CAR LOTS IN, UH, LET'S SEE NOW THIS ONE IS Z UH, WE'LL LOOK AT IT HERE. QUITE A FEW HERE. UH, OKAY. Z 10. AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN IN, UH, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ, IS THAT ACTUALLY IN YOUR DISTRICT? YES. THERE IS A, A PROPOSAL FOR USED CAR LOT THERE, BUT, UH, BOTH THE STAFF, BOTH STAFF AND THE COMMISSION THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA BECAUSE OF QUOTE, THE SATURATION OF USED CAR LOTS. AND THE AREA IS HIGH, PERHAPS IF YOU'D WANT TO SAY NO TO Z 10 AS WELL. WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE HERE? WELL, Z TWO, UM, YES, UH, THE, UM, AND THIS ONE IS IN WHOSE DISTRICT? I'LL FIND IT. UH, THIS IS ONCE AGAIN, MR. TINO, YOUR DISTRICT ONCE AGAIN, THE IDEA OF PLACING, UH, THREE DWELLING UNITS OVER ON EAST EUCLID AVENUE. YES, SIR. THREE, THREE DWELLING UNITS. IT GETS, THE STAFF THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO SHOE HORN. THAT'S RIGHT. SHOEHORN THREE, THREE UNITS ONTO THIS LITTLE PLOT OF LAND. AND, AND IN THE NOTICES ARE SENT OUT, UH, EIGHT NOTICES ARE SENT OUT. ONE A POST. THAT'S A, WHEN YOU GET ANYTHING OVER 10%, MR. TREVINO, THAT'S A SHOWSTOPPER. I'D SAY, SAY MAYBE, UH, IT'S TIME TO SAY, SAY NO TO, TO JUST THE EXCESSIVE DENSITY. YES. UM, THAT'S, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE WORDS. THAT'S NOT MY WORDS, SIR. THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE WORDS OF THE STAFFERS THERE. AND THE Z IN FACT, Z FIVE IS ALSO IN THIS TIME. MS. SULLIVAN, YOUR DISTRICT THERE? YES. I GOLLY, WE, WE HAVE FOUR DWELLING UNITS AND THIS ONE IS OVER ON SOUTH CHERRY STREET. UM, WHY DO WE HAVE TO SHOEHORN SO MANY IN THERE? YES, I KNOW THERE'S QUITE A BIT FEW VACANCIES OVER THERE. UH, BUT, UH, UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OVERBOARD ON THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW. AND, UM, Z THREE, THIS IS IN, UM, ONCE AGAIN, YOUR DISTRICT MAY, IS SULLIVAN A BAR, A TAVERN? LIKE WE, WE NEED SOME MORE BARS OR TAVERNS IN YOUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU. [05:10:09] SORRY. THANK YOU. IF WE COULD VOTE ON ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, Z FOUR, P ONE AND Z FIVE P THREE AND Z SEVEN, Z EIGHT, Z 11, Z 12 P FIVE, AND P 14 Z 15 AND Z 16 IS, I'M SORRY. NO, THAT WAS JUST YOU. OKAY. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON, ONE OTHER PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. DOUGLAS WELCH. ITEM 16. NO. OKAY. UM, MR. WELCH IS NOT HERE. SO WE WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY. WE HAD A MOTION. AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YES. OKAY. MOTION. AND SECOND FOR ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. ERIC, DID YOU HAVE A, I'M SORRY. OKAY. [Z-1. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700151 CD (Council District 1): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 CD MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for Motor Vehicle Sales on Lots 1 and 2, Block 1, NCB 2817, located at 2701 West Martin Street. Staff recommends Approval. Zoning Commission recommends Denial. (Part 2 of 2)] UM, NOW WE WERE GONNA CONSIDER ITEM Z ONE Z. OH, ARE WE GONNA RECONSIDER IT AGAIN? OKAY. NO. SO YES MA'AM. MOTION VOTED ON. WE HADN'T VOTED ON IT. SO WE HAVE A, SO I, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA, UH, CLARIFY. WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO CONTINUE. IT'S OCTOBER 17TH. YES, SIR. UM, AND OF COURSE I MENTIONED THAT THIS PERSON RECENTLY HAD A SURGERY. YES, SIR. WISH HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY. WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT THEN. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR Z ONE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [Z-2. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700180 (Council District 1): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R-6 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Airport Hazard Overlay District to "IDZ-1 AHOD" Limited Intensity Infill Development Zone Airport Hazard Overlay District with uses permitted for three (3) dwelling units on Lot 2, Block 3, NCB 829, located at 804 East Euclid Avenue. Staff recommends Denial. Zoning Commission recommends Approval.] Z TWO. Z TWO IS FROM R SIX TO I D Z ONE WITH USES PERMITTED FOR THREE DWELLING UNITS. LOCATED AT 8 0 4 EAST EUCLID AVENUE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 34 NOTICES MAILED 12 IN FAVOR AND TWO OPPOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS PART OF THE, UH, NEWLY DEVELOPED OR APPROVED MIDTOWN REGIONAL CENTER PLAN, WHICH ENCOURAGES URBAN LOAD DENSITY DEVELOPMENT. UH, THE NEW HOMES ARE BEING BUILT BY A DEVELOPER WHO HAS GROWN UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WILL BE PROVIDING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO JOIN THE TOBIN HILL COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS WITH THE ADDED DENSITY AS THE INFILL DESIGNATION FOR THREE UNITS WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO DENSE FOR THE PREVIOUS TOBIN HILL COMMUNITY PLAN. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE, THE NEW MIDTOWN REGIONAL PLAN AND AM EXCITED TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE BEAUTIFUL TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, THEREFORE I MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THIS ITEM. THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. TONY CORTES. UH, RALPH CORTES. I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. HELLO, COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN. UM, MY NAME'S TONY CORTEZ. I'M ALSO THE APPLICANT AS WELL. UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE ZONING CHANGE. UM, I CAN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROCESS, IF THAT'S OKAY. IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO GO OVER AND KIND OF WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND, AND BEING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TALKING TO THE NEIGHBORS, GETTING THEIR SUPPORT PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THE, UH, REZONING AND THEN MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UM, PRIOR TO OUR MEETINGS AS WELL. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT FROM ALL THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE GO OVER AT THIS TIME OR YOU CAN MR. UH, CORTEZ, YOU DO HAVE THE FLOOR IF YOU'D LIKE. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. OKAY. SO WE, UM, WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, IT WAS IN VERY DILAPIDATED STRUCTURE. IT WAS TAKING ON WATER ON THE INSIDE. THERE WAS A LOT OF MOLD THAT WAS ACCRUING ON THE INSIDE OF THE PROPERTY. UH, WE APPLIED TO HAVE IT DEMOLISHED AND IT WAS APPROVED BY A HISTORICAL, UH, COMMITTEE. UH, THEY FOUND THAT IT WASN'T ORIGINAL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO THEREFORE [05:15:01] THEY, UH, ALLOWED US TO TO DEMOLISH THE HOUSE. SO THE HOUSE IS NO LONGER AT THE LOCATION ANYMORE. IT'S GONE. IT'S A VACANT LOT. UM, WE TALKED TO ALL THE NEIGHBORS. WE OWN THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR AT 8 0 2 EAST SID AT FIVE 16 WILMINGTON, AND THEN ALSO CADDY CORNER ACROSS THE STREET AT 7 23 EAST EUCLID. UH, MY FATHER AND I HAVE, HAVE DONE MULTIPLE RENOVATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, WE'VE RESTORED SIX 11 EAST EVERGREEN, FULLY PERMITTED, FULLY, UH, RESTORED TO THE HISTORICAL CODE AND AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, FIVE 18 EAST EVERGREEN, FIVE 12 MYRTLE, FIVE 20 CORTLAND. UM, ALL FULLY RENOVATED, EITHER RENTED OR RESOLD. SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE LOVE REMODELING AND KEEPING THAT HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT DIDN'T WORK FOR THIS ONE JUST BECAUSE IT WAS IN SUCH DISREPAIR. UM, SO WE APPLIED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT REZONED, DO THE THREE STRUCTURES. SPOKE WITH ALL THE NEIGHBORS AROUND, HAD THEIR SUPPORT AS YOU KNOW, 11 WERE IN SUPPORT OF THAT. WE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THEY WERE IN SUPPORT OF IT. UH, INITIALLY WHEN WE HAD MET, UM, UP UNTIL THE ZONING COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WE HAD THE DAY BEFORE, THEY SAID THERE WAS SOME OPPOSITION WITHIN THEIR, UM, ORGANIZATION. SO THEY WEREN'T GONNA SUPPORT IT NOR DENY IT. THEY WERE GONNA TAKE A NEUTRAL STANCE. UM, WE MET WITH ZONING, UH, ON NINE 17 AND, AND WE ENDED WITH THEIR SUPPORT OF AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT MEETING. SO, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS' TIME AND LETTING ME SPEAK AND, AND WE ARE JUST HERE TO REQUEST COUNSEL AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY MR. TREVINO TO, UH, SUPPORT OUR, OUR REZONING FROM TO OUR SIX TO I D Z ONE. THANK YOU MR. CORTES. THANK YOU. RALPH CORTES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY. WE HAVE A, YOU DON'T NEED A PRESENTATION, RIGHT? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [Z-3. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700133 S (Council District 2): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-1 AHOD" Light Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 S AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District with Specific Use Authorization for a Bar and/or Tavern Without Cover Charge 3 or more days per week on Lot 36, NCB 984, located at 217 Casa Blanca. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval. (Continued from September 19, 2019)] ITEM NUMBER Z THREE Z THREE IS FROM C ONE TO C TWO SS WITH A SPECIFIC USE AUTHORIZATION FOR A BAR AND OR TAVERN WITHOUT COVER. CHARGE FOR THREE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK, LOCATED AT TWO 17 CASABLANCA STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 12. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR. ZERO OPPOSED? GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE IS OPPOSED. COUNCILWOMAN. ANDREW SULLIVAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT WHEN IT CAME TO ZONING I WOULD LISTEN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THIS, THIS AREA. SO I RECOMMEND AND I MOTION FOR DENIAL, UH, BASED ON, UM, OPPOSITION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM Z THREE. PLEASE VOTE. YES. CAN I, I VOTED WRONG. . UH, COUNCILWOMAN. UH, MAYOR PROTE. UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE RETAKE THE VOTE. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. NOW WE WILL REVOTE. MOTION TO DENY. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR DENIAL. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. PERFECT. MOTION CARRIES ITEM [Items P-2 & Z-6] P TWO AND Z SIX. I BELIEVE WE'RE ON P FOUR AND Z NINE, IS THAT CORRECT? P TWO AND Z SIX. LET ME SEE, I'M SORRY I'M OFF. APOLOGIZE. ONE SECOND. SORRY. UH, P TWO AND Z SIX AMENDING THE CAMELOT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN FROM BUSINESS PARK TO MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FROM C THREE TO MF 18. GENERALLY LOCATED AT WEST OF WALDEN ROAD IN DIAL, IKE DRIVE. STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 11. NOTICES MAILED ONE IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED COUNCILWOMAN. ANDREW SULLIVAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M ASKING OR MAKING A MOTION FOR A CONTINUATION TO OCTOBER 17TH. UM, RECEIVE NOTIFICATION FROM THE CAMELOT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WANTING AND REQUESTING MORE INFORMATION ON EXACTLY HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THE TRAFFIC WITHIN THE AREA. UM, ASKING [05:20:01] FOR TO CONTINUATION FOR THERE TO BE FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION UNTIL OCTOBER 17TH. GOT IT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR P TWO AND Z SIX, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [Items P-4 & Z-9] ITEM P FOUR AND Z NINE P FOUR AND Z NINE AMENDING THE HERITAGE SOUTH SECTOR PLAN FROM COUNTRY TIER TO SPECIALIZED CENTER FROM FR TO I TWO, LOCATED AT 1 5 7 7 0 SOUTH US HIGHWAY 2 81. STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 20. NOTICES MELDED ONE IN FAVOR, ZERO OPPOSED. AND THE APPLICANT HAS AMENDED THEIR REQUEST TO REDUCE THE ACREAGE FROM 4 26 TO 2 2 4 0 4 AND HAS SUBMITTED THE REVISED FIELD NOTES. COUNCILWOMAN VRAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH STAFF FOR WORKING FOR THE APPLICANT AND I I WANNA THANK THE APPLICANT FOR BEING AMENABLE TO THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BUFFER SPACE BETWEEN MITCHELL LAKE AND AS WELL AS THE HIKE AND BIKE LAYING THERE. I KNOW THAT THE APPLICANT DID MEET WITH THE MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON SOCIETY. SO I'M GONNA CALL UP THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE APPLICANT. MR. ORTIZ, CAN YOU PLEASE, UM, COME UP HERE AND SHARE WITH US JUST, UM, HOW, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE MEETING AND, UH, THAT THE MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON SOCIETY WAS GOOD WITH THIS? UH, YES. COUNCILWOMAN DANIEL ORTIZ, ONE 12 EAST PECAN HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT. WE MET WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY, UH, HERE RECENTLY. HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. SHE UNDERSTANDS THE, UH, ULTIMATE USE OF THE PROPERTY. SHE MADE US AWARE OF EFFORTS THAT SAWS AND THE AUDUBON CENTER HAVE, UM, FOR MITCHELL LAKE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA, WHICH WITH THE REVISED BUFFER WE THINK WE CAN COMPLIMENT. UM, SO WE HAVE COMMITTED TO WORK WITH THEM MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU. SO, UH, FOR THE ZONING STAFF AS WELL, FOR YOUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AND I MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO A AGENDA ITEMS P FOUR AND Z NINE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM [Z-10. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700152 CD (Council District 5): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 MLOD-2 MLR-1 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-1 CD MLOD-2 MLR-1 AHOD" Light Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District with Conditional Use for Motor Vehicle Sales (Full Service) on Lot 353, NCB 8524, located at 1448 Somerset Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Denial.] P 10 Z 10 IS FROM C TWO TO C ONE CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SALES IN FULL SERVICE. LOCATED AT 1448 SOMERSET ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND DENIAL. 30 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED. UH, THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. ELI MARROQUIN. WANNA START THIS? GOOD AFTERNOON, ELI. MY NAME IS ELI. THE PURPOSE OF ME BEING HERE WITH YOU IS THAT WE OBTAIN A CHANGE OF IFICATION IN 1488 OF ZONE 1448. 1448 SOMERSET ROAD. OKAY. UM, WE BOUGHT THAT PROPERTY WHEN WE HAD A GOOD OPPORTUNITY C F O KNOWING THAT THAT, UH, SPACE HAD A C F O AND IT WAS OPERATING AND THE CONDITIONS WERE VERY BAD. WE FACED SEVERAL OBSTACLES WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE PROPERTY. THERE WERE THREE FAMILIES LIVING THERE THAT DID NOT WANNA LEAVE THE PROPERTY. THEY HAD APPROPRIATED THE PROPERTY. WE ACTUALLY HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THERE. AND THEN IN THE END, AFTER A MONTH AND TWO WEEKS, TWO OF THE FAMILIES LEFT. FAMILIES STAYED THERE. IT WAS A PERSON WITH [05:25:01] A LADY. THEY HAD A LOT OF JUNK OLD CARS THAT HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND THEY ACTUALLY BOUGHT A LOT OF ILLEGAL THINGS. THEY PROMISED AND PROMISED THAT THEY WERE GONNA GO LEAVE AND THEY NEVER LEFT. AND THAT, THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT ME A LOT OF PROBLEMS. REPORTERS, THE CODE COMPLIANCE, , THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CODE COMPLIANCE THAT THEY HAD TO CLEAN AND THEY JUST DIDN'T DO IT. WE ACTUALLY HAD TO TAKE ACTION AND CLEAN THE BUSINESS 'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, CLEANING. CLEANING NEEDED. THESE PEOPLE THERE WOULD DRINK ALL DAY, UH, USE DRUGS AND THEY ACTUALLY TOOK, UH, UH, THINGS THAT THEY, UH, ROBBED OR STOLE. BUT THANK GOD, AFTER SEVEN MONTHS, AFTER PRESSURING THE PEOPLE, THEY COULD LEAVE REZONING. WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR RE UH, REZONING BECAUSE THE BUSINESS IS FOR SELLING. USED AUTOS, AUTO SALES. WE DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD, UH, RESPONSE TO THE FIRST MEETING AT THE PRESS STREET AREA. THOSE COUNSELORS, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH YOU. COUNCIL MEN AND WOMEN GONZALEZ. I HAD TO GO MYSELF TO TALK TO THE COUNCILWOMAN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, GONZALEZ, I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO MEET HER, BUT I MET HER STAFF. VERY, VERY KIND PEOPLE THAT TREATED ME WELL. THEY HAD VERY GOOD ADVICE FOR, I WANNA THANK THEM VERY MUCH. MEETING THE NEIGHBORS. THEY, UH, RECOMMENDED THEY ATTENDED, UH, SOME MEETINGS ON ANA ROAD TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS. THEY WERE COMPLETELY IN AGREEMENT. I TALKED TO THE PEOPLE OVER THERE AND ALSO WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE DIRECTOR, MR. BAR. UM, OKAY, IF YOU COULD WRAP UP PLEASE. JUST A MOMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I REALLY, REALLY NEED YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAR. THANK YOU. UM, AS MR. MARROQUIN STATED, HE DID MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. THIS IS HIS FIRST TIME COMING TO APPLY FOR A ZONING. AND SO HE DID GET THE REQUEST OF HIS NEIGHBORS, THE SUPPORT OF HIS NEIGHBORS TO SUPPORT THE ZONING CHANGE. UH, AND I'LL SUBMIT THAT FOR THE RECORD. UH, AND THEN ALSO DID GET THE SUPPORT OF THE NEIGHBORING, UH, THE NEIGHBORING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SINCE THIS AREA DOES NOT, UH, COVER A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. SO WITH THAT, I WILL MOTION TO APPROVE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE VOTE. MOTION [Z-13. ZONING CASE Z-2019-10700153 CD (Council District 7): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 CD AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for Live Entertainment without cover charge for 3 or more days a week on 0.5779 acres out of NCB 14160, located at 5455 Evers Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval with Conditions. (Continued from September 19, 2019)] CARRIES ITEM Z 13 Z 13 FROM C TWO TO C TWO CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR LIVE ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT CO COVER CHARGE FOR THREE OR MORE DAYS A WEEK. LOCATED AT 54 55 EVERS ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION. RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS, HOURS OF OPERATIONS FROM 5:00 PM TO 2:00 AM THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND 5:00 PM TO 12:00 AM SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO OUTDOOR AMPLIFICATION. 22 NOTICES MAILED. ZERO IN FAVOR. AND ONE OPPOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU MELISSA. I HAVE ONE MORE, UH, CONDITION. SURE. IT READS, UM, NO TEMPORARY PLASTIC, DIGITAL OR BLADE SIGNAGE. [05:30:01] SO I MOVE TO APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS AS STATED. AND THE ADDITIONAL CONDITION OF NO TEMPORARY PLASTIC, DIGITAL OR BLADE SIGNAGE. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. DID WE GET IT? SECOND? OKAY. MOTION CARRIED. I THINK THIS CONCLUDES OUR COUNCIL ZONING MEETING. UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. DOES SHE SAY AUTO SALES ONLY? OKAY. BUT BEFORE WE LEAVE, WE DO HAVE ONE VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. UH, ON MONDAY WAS LETICIA VA'S BIRTHDAY WILL BE. OH. NEXT MONDAY WE'LL BE OKAY. LETICIA, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. SO LET'S ALL SING EVERYBODY IN THE CHAMBERS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MATIA. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. DON'T FORGET TO STICK AROUND FOR THE GRID IRON VIDEO RECORDING PLEASE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.