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          >> CASTILLO: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS NOW 2:07 P.M. ON MONDAY, MAY 19TH, 2025. THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. WE CAN MOVE TO ITEM 1, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING ON MONDAY 24TH OF 2025. 
          CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. CAN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAYAYE? MOTION CARRIES. MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO ONE SIGNED UP? WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM 2, UPDATE ON THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS PRESENTED BY 
          MISS HIGGINS. >> MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE, SO GREAT TO BE WITH YOU TODAY. I'M JESSIE HIGGINS, CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER, AND HAPPY TO BE HERE TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON OUR OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT TODAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE AWARENESS MONTH AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO UPDATE YOU AND GIVING THIS TOPIC THE ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES. I HAVE GOT A RIBBON AND FLYER UP THERE FOR YOU AND WE WOULD LOVE TO GIVE Y'ALL MORE FLYERS TO SHARE WITH YOUR STAFF. TODAY, WE WILL LOOK AT THE LOCAL SUBSTANCE USE AND OVERDOSE DATA, THE CITY'S OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS, AN UPDATE ON THOSE FUNDS AND SPENDING AND NEXT STEPS. BEGINNING WITH AN OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL FATAL OVERDOSE DATA, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE DATA FROM THE CDC. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS IN THE NEWS IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT IN THE YEAR 2023, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN FATAL OVERDOSES NATIONALLY. THIS DATA SHOWS THAT INTO 2024, THAT DECREASE IS CONTINUING. HAD AS WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK INTO BEXAR COUNTY IN TEXAS, WE DELVE MORE DEEPLY INTO THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE. 
          LINE IS TEXAS AND THE TEAL LINE IS BEXAR COUNTY. THESE GRAPHS SHOW DATA FROM 2018 TO PROVISIONAL DATA FROM 2024 AND SHOW A MORTALITY RATE FOR STIMULANTS AND OPI OPIOIDS. BY STIMULANTS WE MOSTLY MEAN METHAMPHETAMINE. THE FIRST CHART ON THE LEFT SHOWS THAT OUR STIMULANT OVERDOSE DEATHS IN BEXAR COUNTY, BLUE, OUTPACE NATIONAL, GRAY, AND STATE, RED, LEVELS. THE SECOND CHART ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE NATIONAL OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATH IN GRAY FAR HIGHER THAN OUR STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS, BUT ALSO THAT BEXAR COUNTY REMAINS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          THE LAST TIME I SHOWED YOU THIS DATA, THE MOST RECENT AVAILABLE WAS FROM 2022, SO I'M HAPPY TO SHOW YOU DATA THAT SHOWS A DECREASE IN FATAL OVERDOSES. 
          I WANT TO STRESS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE SEE GOOD NEWS HERE, WE DON'T TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. WE CAN KEEP GOING WITH STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES THAT HAVE WORKED HERE AND IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. ON THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE ONE MORE DATA POINT TO CONSIDER, FROM THE BEXAR COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER 2023 REPORT, AND SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF OVERDOSE DEATHS BY DRUG. WE CAN SEE HERE THAT POHLE SUB POHLEPOLYSUBSTANCE USE IS COMMON, MEANING PEOPLE ARE NOT USING JUST ONE DRUG AND STIMULANTS AND OPIOIDS BOTH POSE A THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE ASK THAT AS YOU MAKE POLICY AND BUDGETARY DECISIONS, YOU SUPPORT THE SUBSTANCE USE CONTINUUM AS A WHOLE TO INCLUDE ALCOHOL USE AND NOT THINK OF ONE PARTICULAR SUBSTANCE OVER ANOTHER. 
          A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CONTEXT OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. 
          THE CITY, COUNTY AND STATE OF TEXAS ALL JOINED LAWSUITS AGAINST OPIOID MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS, THE SETTLEMENTS INCLUDE PHARMACY CHAINS, OPIOID MANUFACT,URERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND MORE. IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE HAVE SECURED MORE THAN $1.6 BILLION IN OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS, UP TO 15% OF WHICH WILL BE PASSED THROUGH TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AT A FUTURE DATE, BUT WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THOSE FUNDS YET. 
          THESE SETTLEMENT FUNDS DO HAVE SPENDING RESTRICTIONS ON THEM, BUT IN THE FIELD OF SETTLEMENT OR OF SUBSTANCE USE ABATEMENT, THE FUNDS CAN BE USED PRETTY BROADLY. 
          THE CITY AS OF RIGHT NOW FROM THE LAWSUITS THE CITY JOINED DIRECTLY, WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING ABOUT $6.1 MILLION, SO FAR WE HAVE RECEIVED $1.6, A LITTLE OVER 1.6, AND THE BALANCE WILL BE PAID IN PAYMENTS THROUGH 2041. WE ARE CREATING POLICY AND BUDGETARY RECOMMENDATIONS USING THE FRAMEWORK OF PREVENTION, HARM REDUCTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY AND IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DECLARING OVERDOSES A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. THIS RESOLUTION DECLARING 
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OVERDOSES A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS HIGHLIGHTS WHERE AN OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL DATA, WE ALWAYS WANT TO USE DATA AND BE DATA-INFORMED. 
          RISK FACTORS INCLUDING UNTREATED MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, TRAUMA AND BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTH SERVICES AND TREATMENT ARE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT. THE HARM TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE STRESS OF THE SYSTEM AND THE VALUE OF A COORDINATED RESPONSE. 
          THE COMMITMENTS IN THIS RESOLUTION WERE TO EXPAND HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES, TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY, TRAINING AND USE OF NALOXONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, TO OFFER TARGETED PROVIDER EDUCATION TO ADDRESS STIGMA AROUND PREGNANT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING ADDICTION, TO IMPLEMENT A MULTI-YEAR PLAN THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW COSA WILL USE SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO SUPPORT HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES AND LIJSTENINGAGE TO TREATMENT AND RECOVERY AND TO DEVELOP A CAMPAIGN THAT FOCUSES ON OVERDOSE AWARENESS, REDUCING MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA AND YOUTH EDUCATION. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE PROJECTS YOU HAVE ALREADY APPROVED FOR FY '24 AND '25 AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY '26. THE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDES WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROJECTS AS THEY ARE MAPPED TO THE FRAMEWORK, THEN WE WILL LOOK AT THE BUDGETS. IN THE AREA OF PREVENTION WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO. HOW DO WE USE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO COLLABORATE WITH PARTNERS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION EFFORTS ALREADY GOING IN OUR COMMUNITY? IN BEXAR COUNTY, THE AVERAGE AGE OF FIRST USE FOR ANY ILLICIT DRUGS WAS 13.5 YEARS OLD. WE KNOW THE YOUNGER YOU START TO USE SUBSTANCES, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT YOU WILL STRUGGLE WITH USE OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFETIME. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO EXPLORE WHAT WE COULD DO IN THIS AREA OF SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION. WE CURRENTLY ARE ENGAGING IN SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK, SPECIFICALLY THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A PRACTICE SHIFT IN SUBSTANCE REACH OUTREACH SERVICES. FOR THIS PROJECT IT SPANS PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCTION. WE ARE TAKING AN APPROACH WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE WHERE OUTREACH EFFORTS ARE COMPLEMENTARY. 
          WE ARE WORKING WITH NON-PROFITS IN BOTH OF THESE AREAS TO IMPROVE OUTREACH EFFORTS. METRO HEALTH EXECUTED A CONTRACT RECENTLY THIS MONTH FOR $100,000 WITH A NON-PROFIT, SAN ANTONIO NEXUS CONNECTION TO DEVELOP A HARM REDUCTION GUIDELINE AIMED AT ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS, INCLUDING CLEAR AND ACTIONABLE LANGUAGE THAT ENSURES ALIGNMENT WITH THE LATEST RESEARCH. 
          METRO HEALTH PROVIDES BACKBONE SUPPORT TO THIS EFFORT THROUGH PARTNER MANAGEMENT, CONVENING SERVING AS A FISCAL AGENT AND PROVIDING DATA SUPPORT. 
          IN THE AREA OF HARM REDUCTION, THROUGH AN ILA WITH BEXAR COUNTY, WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE HARM REDUCTION ANY DAY NOW TO GET MORE LIFE-SAVING NARCAN INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
          THIS WILL INCLUDE TRAINING ON NARCAN ADMINISTRATION. TO ENCOURAGE PROVIDERS TO HELP ENGAGE THEIR PATIENTS INTO TREATMENT, METRO HEALTH IS WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN RECOVERY, BEXAR COUNTY, UT HEALTH AND OUR ACCESS TO CARE TEAM ON AN ANIMATED STORY-TELLING CAMPAIGN DIRECTED AT LOCAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 
          WE ANTICIPATE ROLLING IT OUT IN SEPTEMBER. ADDRESSING RECOVERY EFFORTS, WE HAVE INCREASED THE FUNDING FOR DHS TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING BOTH HOMELESSNESS AND OPIOID ADDICTION, WHO ARE IDENTIFIED BY OUR STREET OUTREACH WORKERS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES A LIFELINE TO THOSE WHO ARE DESPERATE FOR RECOVERY AND ONLY NEED THE FINANCIAL BARRIER OF THAT ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN RECOVERY. WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT AN RFP FOR THESE SERVICES THIS SUMMER. ACROSS THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM OF SUBSTANCE USE, IS A SUBSTANCE USE RESOURCE PORTAL BEING DEVELOPED THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY. THIS PORTAL WILL PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE NEED TO ACCESS THESE RESOURCES ALL IN ONE CENTRALIZED WEBSITE THAT IS UPDATED REGULARLY. YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE DEDICATED TO A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO THE USE OF OUR OPIOID SETTLEMENT SPENDING. THIS BUDGET THAT COUNCIL -- THIS IS THE BUDGET COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED FOR FY '24 AND FY '25. 
          YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE ADDED IN YOUTH SUBSTANCE PREVENTION FOR FY '26 AND ARE SUSTAINING THE OTHER PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR. OUR NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO TAKE THIS SPEND PLAN TO A SESSION FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE METRO HEALTH, ALL THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH THIS INITIATIVE AND OF COURSE, THE COUNTY AS WELL, FOR BEING A PARTNER AND PASSING A SIMILAR RESOLUTION. I DID HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. 
          IN TERMS OF THE USE, SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION PROGRAM THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL ENVISION THIS 
          PROGRAM LOOKING LIKE? >> I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BE THE BEST 
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STEWARDS OF THE MONEY WE HAVE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE ONLY A LIMITED AMOUNT. IT'S NOT A LOT BUT WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT SOME DIFFERENT CURRICULUMS OR MAYBE A GAP ANALYSIS OF YOUTH PROGRAMMING. 
          WE HAVE MET WITH SEVERAL PARTNERS JUST TO SEE WHAT DO THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING. I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE BUT TWO YEARS AGO, THE LAW CHANGED AROUND VAPING IN SCHOOLS, AND HAS MADE THE PUNISHMENT FOR VAPING IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL MUCH MORE SEVERE. EVEN IT ESCALATES PRETTY QUICKLY TO A FELONY AND GETTING EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL. SO ONE IDEA WOULD BE SOME SORT OF CURRICULUM THAT'S EVIDENCE-BASED AND NOT CORNY TO TRY TO HELP DETER VAPING IN SCHOOLS. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT A GAP ANALYSIS BUT WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH PARTNERS. I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO GET IT IN FRONT OF YOU ALL TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR FEEDBACK AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD, YOU KNOW, AND TRY AND GET IT APPROVED SO WE CAN KEEP WORKING ON IT. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE REACHING OUR YOUTH. 
          I ALWAYS THINK BACK TO MY TIME IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AT HARRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IT WAS A PRESENTATION ON STDS AND IT WAS VERY GRAPHIC. IT SCARED THECRAP OUT OF US. 
          I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE SUBSTANCE USE AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS AND HARMS OF VAPING, BUT ALSO I KNOW IN MY COMMUNITY, AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, OUR YOUTH ARE EXPOSED TO ALL TYPES OF SUBSTANCES. LIKE THE ONES YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED IN YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY. I THINK TELLING THE STORY OF HOW THIS CAN IMPACT NOT JUST YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL BUT YOUR FAMILY, YOUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, I THINK IS A VERY IMPACTFUL AND MOVING STORY TO GET OUR YOUTH TO THINK TWICE AND TO KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE A SPACE WHEN THERE'S SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES AROUND THEM, WHETHER IT'S AT HOME, AT SCHOOL OR WITH FRIENDS. IN TERMS OF THE MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR DHS STREET OUTREACH WORKERS, WOULD THERE BE OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY EXPAND THIS TO LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOOKING AT GETTING CONNECTED TO METHADONE, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE 
          RESOURCES TO PAY FOR THE TREATMENT? >> I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THAT. THERE IS A RESOURCE THE CENTER FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES DOES PROVIDE NO COST, MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREA TREATMENT, IF PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO QUALIFY, WHICH WOULD BE IF THEY ARE UNINSURED AND IF THEIR INCOME IS UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT. I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THIS CONNECTED TO THE DHS STREET OUTREACH WORKERS IS THAT IT'S PART OF THE TOOLBOX THAT AN OUTREACH WORKER HAS TO ENGAGE SOMEONE AND TO HELP THEM ALONG THEIR JOURNEY, WHICH ALSO OBVIOUSLY IS CENTERED IN HOMELESSNESS. THAT'S HOW THEY ARE TALKING WITH OUR DHS STREET OUTREACH WORKERS. BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AS 
          WELL. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. I ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I WAS AT A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING AND WE HAD THIS ONE CONSTITUENT THAT WAS EXPRESSING HER FRUSTRATION AND SHE JUST UNPACKED A LOT AND AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I FOLLOWED UP WITH HER, AND SHE SHARED WITH ME THAT HER SON IS STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND SHE WAS JUST TIRED AND SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO CONNECT HIM OR WHERE TO GET HIM TO RESOURCES, AND THAT SHE HAD CONNECTED HIM TO ONE BUT I THINK IT WAS LIKE $25 PER TREATMENT AND SHE'S LIKE THAT'S ADDING UP AND YOU KNOW, IT JUST PUTS THEM IN A VERY TRICKY SITUATION. 
          THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE BUT OF COURSE, THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND TO PROVIDE MORE. IN TERMS OF THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COUNTY, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO IN TERMS OF FUTURE PLANNING IN TERMS OF 
          PROVIDING FUNDS TO HARM REDUCTION SERVICES? >> ABSOLUTELY. 
          THE CITY, ANY CITY IN TEXAS IS NOT ALLOWED TO PROVIDE HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE WAS A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE EXCEPTION FOR A PILOT IN BEXAR COUNTY WHERE ACTUALLY, NO CITIES OR COUNTIES EXCEPT THE COUNTY OF BEXARIS ALLOWED TO DO THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN ILA WITH THE COUNTY FOR $100,000 IN TOTAL AND THE COUNTY MATCHED THOSE FUNDS WHICH WAS AWESOME. 
          WE JUST EXECUTED IT AT THE END OF APRIL. SO NOW WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET $200,000 OF CLEAN NEEDLES AND SYRINGES AND OTHER HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES ON TO THE STREETS FOR PEOPLE, FOR NON-PROFITS TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE AND USE. 
          BECAUSE WE JUST RECENTLY EXECUTED IT IS WHY WE ARE AT $25,000 FOR NEXT YEAR, JUST KIND OF CONTINUING ON. WE HOPE THE COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO MATCH THAT. 
          THE COUNTY ALSO IS INVOLVED IN THE FIRST LINE ITEM HERE OF THE OUTREACH IN COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES. THEY RECENTLY -- THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DISTRIBUTING THEIR OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS. 
          THEY HAD QUITE A BIT MORE THAN US, $13 MILLION, I THINK, OUT FOR RFP, AND THEY ARE EXECUTING THEIR 14 CONTRACTS. WE ARE IN PRETTY REGULAR 
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COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNTY AND LIKE I SAID, THEY ARE BRINGING THOSE PARTNERS TO THE TABLE AND MONTHLY, WE HAVE A MEETING IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH STRAC WHERE ALL THE SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT PROVIDERS, PREVENTION PROVIDERS, KIND OF EVERYONE IN THAT CONTINUUM IS GETTING TOGETHER AND MEETING REGULARLY. 
          SO WE ARE TRYING AS BEST AS WE CAN. WE DEFINITELY KEEP EACH OTHER UP TO DATE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON. THEY ADOPTED OUR SAME RESOLUTION THAT WE DID IN NOVEMBER, THEY ADOPTED IT IN MARCH, I THINK. 
          SO YEAH, WE DEFINITELY TRY TO BE IN LOCKSTEP AS BEST WE CAN WITH THE COUNTY. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. LASTLY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY JAIL, HAVEN FOR HOPE IS IN DISTRICT 5. WE JUST APPROVED FUNDING FOR TWO MINISTRY OUTREACH WORKERS TO PROVIDE AND CONNECT FOLKS TO SERVICES BUT SIMILAR TO OUR OUTREACH WITH OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH WORKERS, WE KNOW ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN DO SO MUCH IN TERMS OF THE NEED THAT'S OUT THERE. I'M HOPEFUL THAT MOVING FORWARD, AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE FUTURE BUDGETS, THAT THERE CAN BE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE OUTREACH WORKERS, NOT JUST THERE BUT DOWNTOWN. OFTEN WE SEE A LOT OF FOLKS GET PUSHED OUT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THERE'S A LOT OF NEED. 
          I THINK HAVING SPECIFIC OUTREACH WORKERS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH WHATEVER PARTNER THAT YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED AS BEING MOST EFFECTIVE TO GET -- CONNECT FOLKS TO RESOURCES WOULD BE VERY IMPACTFUL. THAT'S SOMETHING I HOPE TO SEE BUT REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK WE ARE DOING WITH THE HOUSING TRUST AS WELL. 
          I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. DR. ROCHA GARCIA? 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU MENTIONED THE HARM REDUCTION KITS THAT WE ARE PASSING THEM OUT WITH VARIOUS NON-PROFITS AND WITH THE COUNTY. HOW ELSE ARE WE GETTING THEM OUT THERE? 
          >> WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET. THEY ARE STILL PART OF -- SORRY. 
          THE HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES ARE GOING TO GO OUT THROUGH BEXAR COUNTY. 
          THEN WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING NARCAN KITS. WE WILL GET THEM THROUGH AN RFP. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING THAT'S CHANGED IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF SINCE WE RECEIVED THESE FUNDS AND STARTED WORKING ON THE PLAN, AT FIRST NARCAN WAS AVAILABLE ONLY BY PRESCRIPTION. 
          WHEN WE FIRST STARTED LOOKING AT THE COST OF IT IN THIS PLAN, WE THOUGHT WE NEED A PROVIDER, WE NEED A WAREHOUSE, WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ON WHERE THEY KEEP THEIRS, THINGS LIKE THAT. WELL, SINCE THEN, NARCAN HAS BECOME AVAILABLE OVER THE COUNTER. YOU CAN GO TO HEB OR WALGREENS AND IN THE PHARMACY GET NARCAN. IT'S STILL KIND OF EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU BUY IT OVER THE COUNTER, $30 OR $40 FOR TWO DOSES. 
          THEN THROUGH THE STATE'S OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS, THEY HAVE GIVEN FUNDING, AND THE ENTITY THAT WON THE FUNDING IS ACTUALLY UH, BUT IT'S FOR THE WHOLE STATE, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOR THE WHOLE STATE, TO GIVE OUT FREE NARCAN TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES WHO NEED IT. SO OUR RFP IS REALLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON PRESCRIBING, WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON PROCURING THE NARCAN BUT THE RFP IS REALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT GETTING THE NARCAN, STORING IT, PUTTING IT INTO KITS AND THEN TRAINING ON IT. SO IT'S INTERESTING THAT JUST IN LIKE THIS YEAR, THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED A TON. SO WE ARE STILL WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING THAT PLAN. 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: GOT IT. I WOULD HOPE YOU ARE WORKING OR WILL BE WORKING WITH COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND UNIVERSITIES TO SPECIFICALLY FOR THE NARCAN. 
          I VISITED WITH RENEE WATSON AT THE COUNTY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND SHE WAS GIVING NARCAN BOXES TO LIKE ALL OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, AND HER ORGANIZATION THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO DO THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT LIKE IF WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN AREA THAT WORKS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES, I KNOW THAT EDD DOES, BUT THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER AVENUE TO KIND OF REACH OUT AND GET TO SOME OF THE BARS AND JUST THE GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT AREA. THEN WHEN THE -- I'M GOING TO GO OVER TO ENCAMPMENTS NOW. WHEN ENCAMPMENTS ARE IDENTIFIED, DO YOU ALSO DISTRIBUTE KITS THERE AND DO YOU TEACH LIKE AN ENCAMPMENT HOW TO USE NARCAN? 
          >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I'M NOT SURE THAT THE CITY DOES THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR OUTREACH PARTNERS, CORAZON, I KNOW FOR SURE THEY ARE DOING THAT AND THEY ARE REGULARLY DOING THAT AND ALSO TEACHING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO ACCESS THE CENTER 
          AND THINGS LIKE THAT. >> ROCHA GARCIA: WHERE IN THE PROCESS WOULD YOU SAY WE ARE 
          IN THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN? >> WE ARE STILL DEVELOPING IT. I THINK IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY TRYING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD ON A PRETTY FAST TIMELINE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND ALSO TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY IS DOING. 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: MY FINAL QUESTION IS ON STIGMA. ARE WE ALSO WORKING TO REDUCE 
          SELF-STIGMA? >> YES. THAT WOULD BE THE MAIN POINT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN IS THAT WE WANT TO SHOW THAT IT'S OKAY, THAT EVERYONE 
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STRUGGLES, THAT ADDICTION IS A DISEASE AND BIOLOGICAL AND REALLY ROOTED IN CIRCUMSTANCE AND TRAUMA AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, SO WE WANT TO DE-STIGMATIZE AND SHOW WHERE 
          PEOPLE CAN GET HELP. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          >> CASTILLO: DR. KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I GET TO SEE TWO OF YOU TODAY. I GUESS ONE BUT TWO PRESENTATIONS. 
          SORRY. COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT. 
          ONE IS I KNOW THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A DIRECT CORRELATION BUT WHAT WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE SOME OF THE DECREASE IN THE DATA THAT WE HAVE SEEN TO? 
          >> THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION. I MEAN, HUGELY, THE FACT, BECAUSE THESE ARE FATAL OVERDOSES. THE FACT THAT NARCAN IS AN ANTIDOTE THAT CAN REVERSE SOMEONE WHO IS ACTIVELY DYING AND WHO WOULD HAVE DIED OTHERWISE IS HUGELY THE REASON WHY WE SEE THESE DECREASES. 
          IT'S TRULY AMAZING THAT WE CAN SEE SUCH AN IMPACT. AGAIN, NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP GETTING THAT OUT AND 
          KEEP PUBLICIZING THAT THE BEST WE CAN. >> KAUR: I ACTUALLY SAW A NARCAN VENDING MACHINE THE OTHER DAY AT RISE RECOVERY, ONE OF THE SPOTS IN DISTRICT 1 THAT DOES SUPPORT FOR YOUTH. I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO GREAT. 
          BUT THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO EXTRAPOLATE THAT IS, ONCE FOLKS DO HAVE AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS, WHAT IS THE CHANCE THAT THEY ACTUALLY GET HELP SO IT DOESN'T OCCUR AGAIN? 
          DO WE TRACK THAT BY ANY CHANCE? >> WE DO THE VERY BEST WE CAN. ON EACH ONE OF THOSE DOSES THAT COMES OUT OF THE RISE RECOVERY VENDING MACHINE IS A QR CODE AND IT'S BASICALLY BEGGING PEOPLE TO PLEASE FILL OUT A VERY BRIEF QUESTIONNAIRE SO WE CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENED AND SO THAT WE CAN SEE -- THAT'S WHY WE DON'T HAVE NON-FATAL OVERDOSE DATA VERY WELL. 
          THIS IS FATAL OVERDOSE DATA THAT'S DROPPING. WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT, IF WE ARE HONEST ABOUT HOW WE TRACK DRUG USE, WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT PICTURE OF USE, EITHER, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE EVERYONE'S GOING TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE USING AND WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT DATA IN A VERY EASY WAY. SO WHEN WE PUSH NARCAN ON TO THE STREETS, LIKE I SAID, EACH DOSE, I HAVE SOME IN MY CAR FROM RISE RECOVERY FROM THE VENDING MACHINE, EACH DOSE HAS A QR CODE ON IT THAT SAYS PLEASE JUST TELL US, I THINK IT'S LIKE STREET ADDRESS, WHERE YOU'RE AT, LIKE STREET LEVEL DATA, AND IF SOMEONE SURVIVED AND IF YOU CALLED 911. THEN IT REMINDS YOU PLEASE CALL 911, PLEASE SEEK TREATMENT. I THINK THERE'S SOME LINKS FOR THAT AS WELL. BUT YES, THAT IS JUST NARCAN, IS JUST THE FIRST STEP IN HELPING PEOPLE AND HOPING THAT PEOPLE GET BACK ON TRACK. 
          THAT'S WHY WE WANT THE TRAINING PIECE AS WELL. >> KAUR: OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. JUST FROM THE MONEY STANDPOINT, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE SO I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT THE $6.1 MILLION, WHY IS 
          IT PAID OUT OVER 18 YEARS AGAIN? >> I BELIEVE THAT IT'S PAID OUT SO THAT THOSE DRUG COMPANIES THAT GOT SUED THAT ARE ACTUALLY PAYING THE LAWSUITS WILL MAKE MONEY AND BE ABLE TO PAY IT. I DON'T THINK THEY COULD PAY THE HUGE AMOUNTS THAT THEY WERE -- THAT THEIR JUDGMENT WAS FOUND AGAINST THEM IF 
          THEY HAD TO PAY IT ALL AT ONCE. >> KAUR: OKAY. 
          THEN THE LAST THING, I LOVE THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, TOO. 
          HOW ARE ARWE TRACKING SOME OF THE DATA, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PREVENTION MEASURES THAT, THE TWO THINGS AROUND THE SUBSTANCE USE COMMUNITY BUILDING AND THE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE USING TO TRACK 
          LIKE THE IMPACT OF THAT? >> I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. 
          LIKE I SAID, WE HAVEN'T REALLY FLESHED OUT THE YOUTH SUBSTANCE PREVENTION -- SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION PIECE BECAUSE WE FIRST WANTED TO GET THE OKAY TO WORK ON IT. WE KNOW WE NEED TO, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA, PREVENTION IS SUPER HARD TO TRACK AND TO SHOW. SO WITH THE CAPACITY BUILDING, WE ARE TRYING TO PUBLISH A DOCUMENT THAT HAS THESE STANDARDIZED GUIDELINES. I THINK ONE WAY WOULD BE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE USING THEM, FEEDBACK FROM OUTREACH WORKERS SAYING THIS IS WORKING, THIS IS HELPFUL, THIS WAS NEEDED. WE WILL CONTINUE, I KNOW WE TRACK LIKE -- WE TRACK REPEAT CLIENTS, WE TRACK SYRINGES THAT ARE TURNED IN, WE TRACK, BECAUSE THAT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE TRUST THE SYSTEM AND THAT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE ARE TURNING IN DIRTY NEEDLES. 
          WE TRACK PEOPLE WHO REPORT AN OVERDOSE, LIKE AN OVERTURNED OVERDOSE THAT THEY EXPERIENCED OR THAT THEY WITNESSED. SO THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE TRACK IT. BUT OF COURSE, PREVENTION IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TRACK. 
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          >> KAUR: THE ONE THING I'M IDEAATING REAL QUICK, THE THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT, IF YOU TAKE IT AT A SCHOOL LEVEL WHICH I KNOW MAY NOT BE HOW WE TARGET, BUT IF WE LOOK AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL TRAJECTORY FROM MAYBE TEN YEARS AGO, FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SEE WHAT THE RATES OF USAGE OR MAYBE EVEN FATAL DEATHS WERE FROM THE KIDS THAT WENT FROM THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL ON AND THEN TRACK IT, MAYBE IF WE ARE SERVING KIDS THIS SUMMER, NEXT SUMMER, WHAT THEIR TRAJECTORY LOOKS LIKE. 
          I KNOW IT'S A BIT OF AN LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS WE MAY NOT HAVE IMMEDIATELY BUT IT COULD AT LEAST GIVE US SOME KIND OF COMPARABLE -- THANKS SO MUCH. 
          GREAT WORK. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER ALDERETE? 
          >> GAVITO: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT ALL THE DRUG RELATED DEATHS ARE BEGINNING TO DECREASE BUT WE STILL HAVE A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE ON OUR HANDS. MANY OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ASKED BY MY COLLEAGUES. 
          I THINK I JUST HAD ONE REALLY QUICK ONE. THAT WAS ACTUALLY AROUND WHAT DR. SUKHWAS SAYING, HOW WE MEASURE THE OUTCOMES. WE ARE STILL GETTING STARTED ON IT BUT DEFINITELY CURIOUS TO SEE THE NUMBERS IN THE OUTCOMES. 
          WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR THAT. THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER 
          VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE CHAIR FOR ALL HER HARD WORK ON THIS EFFORT. ON SLIDE 11, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT TREATMENT, CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT THE TARGETED EDUCATION AU AUDIO], I KNOW THIS IS NOT A ONE AND DONE DISEASE. 
          ARE WE KIND OF ADDRESSING THAT, THAT IT MIGHT BE A NUMBER OF TREATMENTS THEY GO 
          THROUGH? >> YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT THROUGH EXPERIENCE AND THROUGH WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE SERVING PEOPLE DIRECTLY IS THAT THERE'S A BIG CONCERN FOR PREGNANT WOMEN WHO ARE USING WHO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN'T ASK DFOR HELP OR GET THE HELP OR TREATMENT THEY NEED EVEN TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND HEALTHY PREGNANCY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IF THEY TELL THEIR DOCTOR THAT THEY ARE USING WHILE THEY'RE PREGNANT, CPS WILL BE CALLED AND YOU KNOW, THE MOMENT THAT THEY GIVE BIRTH, THEY WILL HAVE TO GIVE THEIR BABY UP. SO WE WANTED TO START WITH SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO SAY SMALL, BECAUSE IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT TARGETED AND VERY SPECIFIC, SO THAT WE COULD RADIATE OUTWARD. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING DOCTORS OR PROVIDERS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS, DOCTORS, WHOEVER, WHO ARE SEEING PREGNANT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEARN HOW TO BETTER ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT AND IT'S NOT JUST ADDRESSING -- IT'S FOR THE PERSON, IT'S FOR THE PATIENT, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR THOSE DOCTORS AS WELL WHO MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF STIGMA AROUND SUBSTANCE USE, PERIOD, BUT ALSO SUBSTANCE USE IN PREGNANCY. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY COOL WAY OF DOING IT. 
          THEY ARE DOING IT THROUGH REAL STORYTELLING, THROUGH PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING LOCALLY TO SHARE THEIR STORIES BUT THEY ARE DOING IT WITH AN ANIMATION SO THAT IT'S PRESERVING SOME OF THE ANONYMITY OF THOSE STORYTELLERS AND THEN THEY ARE GOING TO BE USING THE UT HEALTH NETWORK AND OUR ACCESS TO CARE NETWORK TO GET THOSE VIDEOS OUT. SO IT'S REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS STIGMA AT A VERY SPECIFIC PLACE WITH MEDICAL PROVIDERS WHO ARE SERVING PREGNANT PEOPLE. 
          >> VIAGRAN: I'M GLAD TO HEAR THERE ARE SUCCESS STORIES AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE REAL STORIES AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SPECIFICALLY WITH THOSE THAT ARE YOUNGER THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS, MAYBE THEY STARTED THEIR ADDICTION AT 14 OR EVEN YOUNGER, AND ALSO WITH OUR SECOND CHANCE POPULATION, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU PUT EVERYTHING ON THEM AND WHEN THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS EVEN IF YOU DON'T GO AWAY FOR YOUR ADDICTION, YOU ARE ALWAYS GOING TO STRUGGLE. I THINK WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT, YOU DO ONE TREATMENT, YOU'RE DONE, YOU NEVER WANT ANY MORE, YOU NEVER DO THAT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE. 
          I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE TARGETED PROGRAMS AND SEEING MORE GROUPS COME UP AND TELLING REAL STORIES. I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY, WE CAN ALWAYS LEARN FROM CELEBRITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, SHARE, BUT I THINK THE MORE YOU HEAR REAL-LIFE STORIES OF REAL PEOPLE FROM SAN ANTONIO, THE MORE HOPE YOU GET FROM THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          >> THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: ANY LAST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WHAT I WANTED TO JUST EMPHASIZE IS JUST MY APPRECIATION FOR Y'ALL'S 
          [00:30:02]
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY. ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS JUST WHAT I HEAR FROM DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS AND HAVE SEEN MYSELF IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY JAIL IS A PLACE WHERE MANY FOLKS GO TO DETOX, AND WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED, THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE. 
          I KNOW THE CITY OF DENVER, WHEN INMATES ARE RELEASED, THEY ARE GIVEN A KIT OF DIFFERENT RESOURCE GUIDES, NARCAN, AND THINGS TO ENSURE THEY CAN STAY ON TRACK. 
          OFTENTIMES A LOT OF FOLKS ARE LET OUT TO VICES THAT ARE JUST LIKE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR, AND JUST CONNECTING THEM AND HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY'S IMPORTANT SO FOLKS ARE AWARE OF WHAT OPPORTUNITIES TO GET HELP EXIST, AND THE PLACE THAT YOU MENTIONED IS RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK FROM THE COUNTY JAIL SO JUST ENSURING THAT THE COUNTY AND THE JAIL IS EMPHASIZING THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, JESSIE, AND TO YOUR TEAM. WE CAN NOW MOVE TO ITEM 3, ECO SCHOLARS GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE PRESENTED BY JOSEPHINEE VALENCIA, DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE. 
          >> VALENCIA: GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OR I SHOULD SAY A CONCLUSION ON THE ECO SCHOLARS PROGRAM. THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT RAN IN CALENDAR YEAR LAST YEAR. THE PROGRAM WAS A GRANT PROGRAM TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. 
          IT WAS FUNDED BY THE REES PROGRAM, NOT SOLID WASTE,S AND IT MADE $1 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS WAS THAT EVERY PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THE CLIMATE ACTION AU AUDIO]. SOLID WASTE, WE HAVE NEVER DONE A GRANT PROGRAM BEFORE. WE STARTED WITH DOING RESEARCH. 
          WE CONTACTED THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT HAD A SIMILAR BUT MUCH SMALLER SCALE PROGRAM AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THEIR OUTREACH AND THEIR EVALUATIONS. 
          WE SPOKE WITH ACOG AS WELL. WE ARE A RECIPIENT OF GRANTS FROM ACOG SO WE TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT HOW THEY EVALUATE GRANTS AND HOW THEY CHOOSE WHICH ONES TO FUND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE TALKED TO TEACHERS. WE HAVE AN EXISTING RELATIONSHIP WITH A VARIETY OF TEACHERS AS A RESULT OF OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM AND WE DO PRESENTATIONS IN SCHOOLS, SO WE TALKED TO THEM AND ASKED THEM WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A GRANT PROGRAM, AND WHAT MIGHT BE SOME OF THE BARRIERS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER IN APPLYING FOR GRANTS. BASED ON ALL OUR RESEARCH, WE DEVELOPED THIS PROGRAM AND DEVELOPED A MARKETING PLAN TO REACH OUT TO SCHOOLS, ENCOURAGING THEM TO APPLY. WHAT WE HEARD THROUGH OUR RESEARCH WAS AN OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK THAT IF THE PROGRAM WAS TOO COMPLICATED, TEACHERS WOULD NOT APPLY FOR IT. 
          THAT MANY TEACHERS WERE ALREADY STRAPPED IN TERMS OF TIME AND RESOURCES AND PARTICIPATING IN A COMPLICATED PROGRAM AS MUCH AS THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED, MIGHT NOT BE REASONABLE. SO KEEPING THAT IN MIND, WE TRIED TO SIMPLIFY THE APPLICATION PROCESS. WE WANTED THE APPLICATIONS TO BE FRIENDLY AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE TO APPLY AND WE HELP TEACHERS WITH THE APPLICATION AS WELL. 
          WE HAD INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS, IF A TEACHER HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE APPLICATION, WE WERE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND HELPING WITH THEM. 
          WE ALSO HELPED SCHOOLS COMBINE ALL THE APPLICATION AWARDS WERE TO SPECIFIC TEACHERS, BUT SOMETIMES WE WOULD GET SIMILAR PROJECTS FROM MULTIPLE TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOL SO WE WORKED WITH THEM TO KIND OF COMBINE THEIR APPLICATION INTO ONE. 
          AND WE MADE SURE THAT THE END GOAL WOULD BE AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO REPORT. 
          ALL OF THESE GRANTS WERE FOR ACTUAL PHYSICAL TYPE OF PROJECTS. 
          THESE WERE NOT ANY THEORETICAL PROJECTS. THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING RESEARCH. EVERY GRANT AWARD WAS GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW PHYSICALLY, SO THE REPORTING PROCESS WAS MOSTLY A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THEIR UPDATE ON WHAT THEY BOUGHT, WHAT THEY IMPLEMENTED OR WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DID WITH THE FUNDS. THE ELIGIBILITY WAS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA FROM GRADES 1-12. THE OTHER THING THAT WE HEARD FROM TEACHERS FROM OUR RESEARCH WAS THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO START THESE PROJECTS WITHOUT ANY MONEY UP FRONT. SO WE STRUCTURED THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE HALF OF THE FUNDING UP FRONT AS SEED MONEY TO HELP THEM START THEIR PURCHASES, AND THE IDEA WAS THAT THE REMAINING FUNDS WOULD BE RELEASED WHEN THE PROJECTS WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE. SOME SCHOOLS SUBMITTED MULTIPLE PROJECTS FOR THEIR CAMPUS. IF THE PROJECTS WERE SIMILAR LET'S SAY TWO DIFFERENT TEACHERS SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR A GARDEN, THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO JUST ONE PROJECT AND ONE AWARD FOR THAT SCHOOL. HOWEVER, IF THE TEACHERS HAD DIFFERENT PROJECTS, LET'S SAY ONE TEACHER HAD A SCHOOL GARDEN AND ONE TEACHER HAD A SOLAR PROGRAM, THEN THE SCHOOL WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE TWO AWARDS. 
          THE AWARDS WERE ALL DONE, AWARDED EVEN THOUGH I KEEP TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS, THE 
          [00:35:03]
TEACHERS SUBMITTED THE APPLICATIONS BUT THE AWARDS WENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PRINCIPAL. THE APPLICATIONS CAME IN FROM ACROSS THE CITY. THERE WERE ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS WERE REPRESENTED IN AWARDS. 100 SCHOOLS RECEIVED A GRANT AWARD TO COVER 145 PROJECTS TOTALLING $1 MILLION. ON THE BACK END, SOLID WASTE STAFF EVALUATED ALL THE PROJECTS TO DECIDE WHICH ONES WOULD RECEIVE FUNDING. WE HAD THREE DIFFERENT PANELS, EACH PANEL HAD THREE CITY EMPLOYEES ON IT AND THE PANELS, WEDIVVIEDIT ACCORDING TO GREADE LEVEL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. 
          PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED WERE VAST AND COVERED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          THERE WERE A LOT OF FOOD GARDENS AND COMPOSTING RELATED PROJECTS, PROJECTS ABOUT RECYCLING, PROJECTS WITH EDUCATION, MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN BOOKS, CONSERVATION, AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, ANIMAL-RELATED PROJECTS. 
          I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE THOSE. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THEM. 
          BUT THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT WAS 91% OF THE FUNDS OR $907,000 WERE DISTRIBUTED, 109 PROJECTS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE. SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT LED TO NOT 100% COMPLETION ARE SOME OF THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT YOU ALL KNOW FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONSOLIDATION AND SOMETIMES CLOSURES OF SCHOOLS, A VAST NUMBER OF TEACHER RETIREMENTS AND REASSIGNMENTS, AND SINCE THESE WERE TEACHER-LED PROJECTS, IF THE TEACHER WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO LEAD THE PROJECT, SOMETIMES THE PROJECTS WERE NOT ABLE TO BE CONCLUDED. SOMETIMES THE PROJECTS -- SOMETIMES THE TEACHERS WERE THERE BUT THEY KNEW THE SCHOOL WAS GOING TO CLOSE THE FOLLOWING YEAR SO SOMETIMES IT MADE SENSE TO NOT FINISH THE PROJECT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD A SCHOOL GARDEN AND WE KNEW THE SCHOOL WAS GOING TO CLOSE NEXT YEAR, IT MADE SENSE TO NOT CLOSE THAT PROJECT. WHEN POSSIBLE WE COMBINED PROJECTS TO ALLOW AS MANY AS PEOPLE TO BE COMPLETED. I NOW WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THEM BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN THE RESULTS. I THINK ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS SINCE WE MADE THE APPLICATION SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE, IT GAVE TEACHERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN SUPPORT OF THE CAP GOAL OF EMPOWERMENT IN EDUCATION. 
          SOME OF THE PROJECTS WERE RELATED TO RECYCLING, EITHER STARTING A NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM OR MAYBE ENHANCING A RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT ALREADY EXISTED. 
          YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS THERE, SOME OF THE CONTAINERS THAT WERE BOUGHT WITH GRANT FUNDS. ANOTHER GOAL OF CAP WAS EDUCATION. 
          SOME SCHOOLS MADE AN INVESTMENT IN NEW CURRICULUM RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTALISM, AND AS WELL AS PURCHASES FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY RELATED TO WIND POWER, SOLAR POWER, CLIMATE CHANGE, LOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RELATED TOPICS IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. 
          YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE TITLES IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH. THIS I THINK IS PRETTY COOL. 
          SEVEN SCHOOLS PURCHASED AND INSTALLED WHAT'S KNOWN AS CO2 SENSORS, THE LITTLE GREEN THINGS THEY ARE HOLDING IN THEIR HAND, THESE ARE PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK NAMED AFTER THE FROGS. FROGS ARE VERY SENSITIVE CREATURES AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE FIRST CREATURES TO SUFFER WHEN THERE IS PROBLEMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER POLLUTION OR FROM HEAT THESE SENSORS, THEY CAN HOOK UP AND PLACE AROUND THEIR SCHOOLS, WILL MONITOR THE CO2 LEVELS IN THE AIR AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE PART -- THEY CAN UPLOAD THIS DATA TO A NATIONAL NETWORK SO WE CAN -- THEY CAN HELP TRACK CO2 LEVELS NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO BUT ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. SOME SCHOOLS USE THE GRANT FUNDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. WE HAVE A WATERCISTERN TO CAPTURE RAIN WATER. SOME SCHOOLS INSTALLED LOW FLOW TOILETS. 
          THERE WERE SOME WATER FOUNTAINS THAT ALLOWED CHILDREN TO REFILL THEIR WATER BOTTLES SO LOTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE SOLAR POWER PROJECTS. THERE WERE FOOD-GROWING PROJECTS ALSO. 
          WE HAVE A GARDEN IN ONE PHOTOGRAPH. THERE WAS ALSOHYDROPONICGARDENS THAT WERE BUILT AND CHICKENS, THOSE ARE CUTE LITTLE SILKY CHICKENS THERE. I HAVE SOME MYSELF. I DIDN'T ADVOCATE THESE BUT I'M GLAD THEY'RE THERE. IN ADDITION TO GROWING FOOD AND REDUCING TRANSPORTATION 
          [00:40:03]
FROM THAT, I THINK THIS HELPED ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY THAT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS FACE. I THINK IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE KIDS INVOLVED IN GROWING THEIR OWN FOOD. ALSO, THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY HERE, WE HAVE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FOOD, SOMETIMES FOOD WASTE. SO COMPOSTING PROGRAMS AS WELL. THIS PROJECT I THINK HAD SOME BEAUTIFUL FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN REACH THESE YOU -- READ THESE YOURSELF BUT WE ARE BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK THE BEST PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT IT HAS A LASTING IMPACT. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT SCHOOLS MADE AN INVESTMENT SO YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS THAT BOUGHT BOOKS, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO READ THOSE BOOKS, KIDS WILL BE ABLE TO READ THOSE BOOKS FOR YEARS. FOLKS WHO INSTALLED LOW FLOW TOILETS, THEY WILL BENEFIT FROM THE WATER CONSERVATION FOR YEARS. 
          EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A ONE-YEAR PROGRAM CONCLUDED, I THINK THE BENEFITS WILL CONTINUE. LAST MONTH DURING EARTH WEEK, DURING THE WEEK OF APRIL 22ND, WE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE SAME PHOTOGRAPHS I JUST SHOWED YOU. 
          I HOPE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT -- TO HIGHLIGHT THE HARD WORK THAT ALL THE TEACHERS AND KIDS DID TO BRING THIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND FOR KEEPING, BEING FLEXIBLE WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR TEACHERS AT THE FOREFRONT. JUST GREAT TO SEE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT YOU ALL HELP MATERIALIZE AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR YOU BRING UP THAT SOME TOILETS WERE INSTALLED AND WATER FOUNTAINS BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THE TOTALS BUT THAT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT WITH THIS MOVING FORWARD OR RATHER, DO YOU ALL INTEND TO REPLENISH THIS FUND TO SUPPORT MORE FUTURE GRANTS, OR WHAT'S NEXT FOR THIS INITIATIVE? 
          >> VALENCIA: THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT CAME FROM THE REES FUNDING. 
          DID NOT COME FROM THE SOLID WASTE BUDGET. I KNOW, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT CONTINUE BUT I KNOW WE HAVE A CHALLENGING BUDGET YEAR RIGHT NOW AND THERE'S A LOT OF PRIORITIES I THINK YOU AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL 
          WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO IN THE FUTURE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR 
          THAT. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO MAKE CERTAIN WE CREDIT IS DOUG AND ALSO SUSTAINABILITY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP PUSHING FORWARD WITH THE CAAP PLAN WHICH WE GREATLY APPRECIATE. HATS OFF TO SUSTAINABILITY. 
          THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALDERETE? 
          >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. IT WAS GREAT. 
          IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INTEGRATE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND TO TEACH KIDS ABOUTECO-FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS. IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE MAKING SURE MY GIRLS TAKE OUT THE COMPOST BIN AND WE DO THAT EVERY DAY AT OUR HOUSE. 
          ALSO, TOO, THIS PROGRAM REALLY SHOWS HOW FAR $1 MILLION CAN GO IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND ALSO FOR MAKING THE APPLICATIONS AND REPORTING SIMPLE BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS DO HAVE ENOUGH ON THEIR PLATES. WHEN WE MAKE THINGS EASY FOR THEM, IT GOES A LONG WAY. 
          I WAS ALSO REALLY PROUD TO SEE SO MANY SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT 7 PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. I GOT TO SEE FIRST-HAND THE COMPOSTING PROJECT AT FENWICK ACADEMY, ALL THE STUDENT GROUPS PRESENTED TO ME THEIR IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE THINGS MORE SUSTAINABLE, SO THAT WAS GREAT THAT THEY ARE THINKING LIKE THAT AND THAT THEY WERE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU, SOLID WASTE, FOR OVERSEEING THIS. I THINK THESE THINGS REALLY DO MAKE AN IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER DR. KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          I WANT TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER JUST SAID. 
          I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. WHY DO YOU THINK -- FIRST OF ALL, WHY DID THIS -- HOW DID THIS GET UNDER SOLID WASTE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND NOT 
          JUST SUSTAINABILITY? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. >> I THINK SUSTAINABILITY AND SOLID WASTE, WE PARTNER TOGETHER ON A VARIETY OF THINGS. 
          YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH OUR REWORKS PROGRAM, WHERE IT ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A SOLID WASTE PROGRAM AND HAS NOW EXPANDED INTO WATER CONSERVATION, TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER THINGS. I THINK FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE, SOLID WASTE S&P S& IS JUST A LARGER DEPARTMENT. WE HAD MORE RESOURCES ON THE 
          BACK END TO WORK ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE. >> KAUR: I WAS JUST CURIOUS. 
          THANK YOU. ALSO, WHY WOULD YOU THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK TO SCHOOLS, THEY FEEL OVERWHELMED AND DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS PARTICIPATE IN GRANT PROGRAMS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE TEACHERS ARE OVERWHELMED 
          RIGHT NOW. >> I THINK IT'S A LOT. YES. 
          >> KAUR: TELL ME THE RECEPTION ON THIS, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS REALLY GREAT AND THE PROJECTS KIDS CAME UP WITH WERE REALLY STRONG AND IT WAS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY. WHAT DO YOU THINK, WAS IT THE TOPIC THAT INTERESTED PEOPLE, WAS IT ADVERTISEMENT? HOW DID WE GET SO MUCH INTEREST AND BUY-IN ON THIS? 
          >> VALENCIA: I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS. YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW WE HAVE 
          [00:45:03]
OUTREACH COORDINATORS THAT VISIT THE SCHOOLS REGULARLY. I THINK ON THE FIRST PART, WE HAD AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN BUT WE REALLY RELIED HEAVILY ON OUR NETWORK. 
          WE ALREADY HAD EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF TEACHERS SO WE REACHED OUT TO THEM PERSONALLY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. I THINK THE WORD SPREAD THAT WAY, KIND OF SAYING HEY, YOU KNOW, SOLID WASTE CALLED US ABOUT THIS, WHY DON'T YOU APPLY AS WELL. I THINK THOSE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS, I THINK, HELPED A LOT. I THINK THE OTHER PART WAS THE EASE OF THE APPLICATION AND THAT IT WAS NOT A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD A LOT OF, THAT WE PROVIDED MONEY UP FRONT, WE TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO. AS YOU KNOW, TEACHERS SPEND A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET TO BUY PENCILS AND OTHER SUPPLIES. 
          I DON'T THINK ANY SCHOOL TEACHER OR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD HAVE FUNDED THE MONEY HOPING FOR REIMBURSEMENT LATER. I THINK THAT PLAYED A BIG 
          PART IN THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM. >> KAUR: YEAH. 
          I CAN IMAGINE THAT IS HUGE DIFFERENTIATOR WHICH WE COULD LOOK AT FOR OUR BUSINESS GRANTS, TOO. I THINK FOLKS OFTEN SAY REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS ARE A LOT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PARTICIPATION, BUT THIS PARTICIPATION WAS GREAT. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY KUDOS, GREAT WORK. ARE WE REPLICATING THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OR WHAT'S THE PLAN? I FEEL LIKE I HAVE SAID THAT FIVE TIMES TODAY. IS THIS ALREADY BEING ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET AGAIN? GREAT. GOOD TO KNOW. 
          THANKS, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA? 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW MANY TEACHERS APPLIED FOR THE 
          GRANT? >> I WOULD SAY ALMOST EVERY PROGRAM THAT APPLIED, SO ABOUT 150 OR SO WERE FUNDED. WHEN SOME OF THE INITIAL APPLICATIONS WERE LACKING, MAYBE SOME INFORMATION, WE WORKED WITH THEM TO GET THEIR APPLICATION INTO A PROJECT 
          THAT COULD BE FUNDED. >> ROCHA GARCIA: DID YOU SURVEY THEM AFTERWARDS,S THE 
          TEACHERS, TO SEE HOW WE COULD IMPROVE? >> VALENCIA: I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. WE DID NOT DO A SURVEY. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: FOR NEXT TIME. DID WE RECEIVE ANY PROJECTS TO HELP REDUCE, I KNOW THERE WAS A CATEGORY ON TRANSPORTATION ENERGY 
          CONSUMPTION. >> VALENCIA: THERE WASN'T MUCH DIRECTLY ON THE 
          TRANSPORTATION, NO. >> ROCHA GARCIA: OKAY. JUST CHECKING. 
          THE RIBBIT SENSORS, I WILL ADMIT IT, I HATE FROGS AND LIZARDS, BUT YOU KNOW, I GUESS NOW I'M LIKE OKAY, I GUESS IF I START MISSING FROGS, I'LL KNOW WE'RE ALL IN TROUBLE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THE RIBBIT SENSOR, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS BECAUSE I JUST HAD A MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND IT WAS WITH AN ORGANIZATION, ACTUALLY IT WAS METAL RECYCLERS, SO THEY BROUGHT UP THERE WAS SOME SENSORS AT THE COLLEGE AND THEY HAD BEEN TAKEN DOWN, AND THEY HADN'T BEEN REUSED, I GUESS, SINCE THE PANDEMIC. SO HOW DO WE GET THEM TO HAVE ONE OF THESE RIBBIT SENSORS? 
          >> VALENCIA: I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ONES THAT WERE AT THE COLLEGE. 
          THESE ARE RELATIVELY LOW COST WHICH I THINK IS REALLY NEAT. THESE SENSORS ONLY COST ABOUT 
          $200 EACH. >> ROCHA GARCIA: THEY ARE THE ONES GOING INTO THE NATIONAL 
          DATA BASE YOU MENTIONED, RIGHT? >> VALENCIA: UM-HUM. 
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: THAT'S WHAT THE EXCUSE WAS FOR THE OTHERS NOT BEING IN SERVICE. 
          IF A FEW OF OUR SCHOOLS CAN DO IT, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW LIKE A COLLEGE OR SOMEBODY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT. ANYWAY, MAYBE I WILL GET ON THAT A LITTLE BIT OFFLINE. 
          I WAS JUST KIND OF SHOCKED. THEY MENTIONED ANOTHER PLACE, ANOTHER AREA, I WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS IN YOUR AREA, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. WE CAN PROBABLY PAY FOR THESE IF IT'S THAT CHEAP AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE AND JUST FOR BREATHING PURPOSES. 
          THE HYDROPONIC GARDENS, HOW MANY PLANTS WERE THEY IN THE PROJECT? 
          >> THE ONE IN THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS A SMALLER GARDEN BUT THERE WERE A VARIETY OF 
          PROJECTS FROM SMALL DESKTOP ONES TO MUCH LARGER MODELS. >> ROCHA GARCIA: BE I SAW ONE LAST WEEK AT SOUTHWEST HIGH SC SCHOOL, THEY HAD IT INSIDE THE LIBRARY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE COOLEST THING BECAUSE IT'S INSIDE THE LIBRARY, YOU WOULD ASSUME YOU NEED A BIGGER SPACE. 
          THEY HAD IT IN THE LIBRARY. I THINK PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT IT. 
          I WAS WONDERING HOW BIG THEY WERE OR WHERE THEY WERE. THEN I JUST HAVE TO ALWAYS GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO WHOEVER CREATED THE BOOK, WHERE DOES IT GO, AND THE TRASH BOOK, THE ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSIONS ARE JUST AWESOME. THAT'S IT. 
          >> VALENCIA: THANK YOU. WE HAVE THOSE BOOKS IN THE LOCAL LIBRARY NOW. 
          [00:50:03]
          >> ROCHA GARCIA: AWESOME! I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD EVENTUALLY. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> CASTILLO: COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN? 
          >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THIS CREATIVE USE OF THIS PROJECT. 
          I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WHILE WE DO FACE CHALLENGES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS PAST YEAR AS PRIVATE DONORS AND OTHER NATIONAL GROUPS LOOK TO TRY AND HELP. WE ALREADY KNOW WE HAVE ON RECORD WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WHETHER IT'S THE RIBBIT SENSORS, ANYTHING, BEES, BATS, BUTTERFLIES AND CHICKENS, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THOSE POLLINATORS, WE SHOULD PUSH FORWARD. I'M HOPING THAT WHILE OUR BUDGET DOESN'T LOOK AS HOPEFUL AS WE WOULD LIKE, THAT WE CAN AT LEAST FIND SOMETHING TO FUND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THIS EVEN IF IT'S JUST THE RIBBIT SENSORS, NEXT YEAR SO WE CAN SEE, WE CONTINUE HAVING IT MOVE FORWARD AND WE CONTINUE HAVING IT FOR THE REES PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THIS WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION. I'M GLAD SHE ASKED THE QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW HOW SMALL SUSTAINABILITY IS, AND THANK YOU FOR JUST WORKING TOGETHER, NOT IN SILOSTO MAKE SURE WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND OUR YOUTH AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW 
          IMPORTANT AND THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. >> VALENCIA: THANK YOU. 
          >> CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOUR TWO SUPERSTARS THAT HELPED YOU WITH THIS THAT ARE HERE 
          TODAY? >> VALENCIA: ABSOLUTELY. BEHIND ME IS MARCUS, OUR MARKETING MANAGER, AND BREANNA. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT JUST THIS PROGRAM BUT PRETTY MUCH ALL THE PROGRAMS, THE COOL COMMERCIALS AND BOOKS YOU SEE COME OUT. THEY ARE THE MAIN SUPERSTARS IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> VALENCIA: THANK YOU. >> CASTILLO: WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM 4, SA CLIMATE READY CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVE FOR 2025. 
          PRESENTED BY DOUG. >> MELNICK: GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US. 
          DOUG MELNICK, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER. APPLAUSE FOR JOSEPHINE. 
          HANDING OUT $1 MILLION IN GRANTS TO SCHOOLS WAS NOT AN EASY TASK. 
          I DEFINITELY COMMEND THEM FOR ALL THAT WORK. I'M HERE JUST TO PROVIDE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME PRIORITY INITIATIVES WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. 
          ONE RELATED TO THE SA CLIMATE READY PLAN WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2019, AND THEN THERE'S A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS THAT FALL UNDER OUR CLIMATE RESILIENCE OFFERINGS. 
          ONE IS THE MUNICIPAL ON-SITE SOLAR PROGRAM YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF, THEN THERE'S FOUR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE MORE COMMUNITY-FOCUSED YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, BUT SOME REALLY AMAZING INNOVATIVE WORK'S BEING DONE BY MY STAFF THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF. SA CLIMATE READY. PROBABLY YOU HAVE SEEN A VARIATION OF THIS SLIDE NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT BACK IN 2017, WHEN MAYOR NIRENBERG TOOK THE REINS AND COUNCIL MEMBER S SANDOVAL WAS ON BOARD, SHEPHERDED A RESOLUTION COMMITTING US TO MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT WHICH SAID BY 2050, WE NEED TO REDUCE OUR EMISSIONS AS A COMMUNITY TO ZERO, AND ADAPTING TO THOSE CLIMATE IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THEN WITHIN A COUPLE YEARS, WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL THE SA CLIMATE READY PLAN WHICH WAS APPROVED IN OCTOBER 2019. THIS BASICALLY IS OUR PATHWAY. WHAT DO WE DO TO MEET THOSE OBJECTIVES AND THE OTHER KEY THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, IT'S REQUIRED TO BE UPDATED APPROXIMATELY EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THE PLAN IS REFLECTIVE OF SAN ANTONIO'S GOALS, OBJECTIVES AS WELL AS CLIMATE SCIENCE WHICH IS REALLY WHAT DRIVES THIS WORK. 
          SO IN TERMS OF WHAT IS SA CLIMATE READY PLAN, WHEN WE LOOK AT CLIMATE CHANGE, AS YOU ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER, THERE'S A COUPLE COMPONENTS OF IT. 
          WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE EVERY TIME I DRIVE AROUND IN MY CAR, BURNING, IN MY EV, I'M RELEASING EMISSIONS OR WHEN I PLUG MY CAR IN AT NIGHT, IT'S CONNECTED TO SOMETHING THAT'S RELEASING EMISSIONS. THAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS REALLY WHERE IT STARTS. SO BASICALLY, OUR PLAN IS TO MITIGATE THOSE EMISSIONS AND WE HAVE GOT SIX CATEGORIES, YOU CAN SEE HERE. THERE'S NOTHING SHOCKING HERE. IT'S THE ENERGY THAT'S BEING GENERATED BY CPS ENERGY 
          [00:55:01]
THAT'S BEING USED TO POWER OUR BUILDINGS. IT'S THE ENERGY THAT'S BEING CONSUMED AS WE MOVE AROUND OUR CITY OR GOODS THAT ARE COMING TO AND FROM SAN ANTONIO. WEN WE LOOK AT SOLID WASTE RESOURCES, THERE'S NEVER THROWING ANYTHING AWAY, IT ENDS SOMEWHERE IN A LANDFILL AND BREAKS DOWN, RELEASES EMISSIONS, THEN WE HAVE BIODIVERSITY, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT'S CALLED A CARBON SINK. HOW WE MANAGE OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPES, OUR FORESTS, CONTRIBUTES TO HOW MUCH CARBON WE CAN ACTUALLY SCORE LOCALLY. 
          THE OTHER SIDE OF CLIMATE ACTION IS THE ADAPTATION SIDE. 
          THAT REALLY IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IMPACTS NOW THAT ARE PROJECTED TO GET WORSE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, ARE PREPARED AND ADAPTING TO THOSE IMPACTS. 
          SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE IN THE PLAN GOING FORWARD BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT DOING IS REALLY LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE FOCUSING. 
          WE HAVE, YOU SEE AT THAT BOTTOM, WE HAVE 135 STRATEGIES, BASICALLY 90 MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND 45 ADAPTATION STRATEGIES. THAT IS A LOT. 
          THAT IS A LOT FOR US TO MOVE ON. THAT'S A LOT FOR US TO FUND AND PRIORITIZE. SO WE WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTMENT ON HOW WE UPDATE THIS PLAN AND IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING FROM CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HOW DO WE BE MORE STRATEGIC WITH THE URGENCY AND WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES WE HAVE. SO THIS UPDATE HAS SIX GOALS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON. 
          ONE IS WE ARE NOT SCRAPPING THE 2019 PLAN. THE 2019 PLAN IS COMPREHENSIVE. THE STRATEGIES THAT NEED TO BE IN OUR PLAN ARE THERE. 
          SO WE BASICALLY WANT TO BUILD UPON THAT, USE IT AS A JUMPING-OFF POINT FOR REENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR TARGET. YOU HEARD I MENTIONED CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050. THAT MAY NOT BE THE TARGET ANYMORE. 
          THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS THAT ARE BECOMING MORE OF THE NORM WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THOSE CLIMATE IMPACTS THAT WE ARE FACING, AND WHAT ARE THE REDUCTION TARGETS THAT WE NEED TO HIT TO REACH VERY SPECIFIC MILESTONES. WE REALLY WANT TO, AGAIN, USE SCIENCE TO HELP DRIVE OUR DECISION-MAKING. THEN WE WANTED TO DEVELOP OR PRIORITIZE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. WHEN I MENTIONED WE HAVE 90 MITIGATION STRATEGIES, MY RECOMMENDATION IS GOING THROUGH AGAIN, A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, TONS OF COMMUNITY INPUT, USING SCIENCE-BASED PROCESS. WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES. IDENTIFY SHORT AND MID-TERM GOALS, PERHAPS 2030, 2035, AND IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE 10, 15 STRATEGIES THAT ARE GOING TO GET US THERE. ALL THE OTHER STRATEGIES ARE STILL ON OUR BOOKS AND WE STILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THEM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ACCELERATING CLIMATE ACTION, WE NEED AN UNDERSTANDING AS A CITY ORGANIZATION, WITH OUR LEADERSHIP AND WITH THE COMMUNITY, ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE REALLY EARNEST PROJECT. DO WE REALLY WANT TO BE AS STRATEGIC AS POSSIBLE. THE OTHER THING WE WANT TO LOOK AT IS MORE ROBUST INDICATORS. RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR CLIMATE PLAN, THE BIG ONE IS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. WE CAN TELL YOU EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS, IT'S GOING UP, IT'S GOING DOWN, IT'S STAYING FLAT. THAT'S NOT REALLY TELLING US ANYTHING. SO THERE'S A NEW TOOL THAT WE'LL BE USING, I WILL EXPLAIN IN A MINUTE, THAT WILL LET US DRILL DOWN INTO VERY SPECIFIC INDICATORS FOR OUR SELECTED STRATEGIES. THEN ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH CLIMATE PLANNING AND GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES IS IT'S PRETTY BORING AND IT'S PRETTY NON-INTUITIVE. 
          SO LEADERSHIP, INTERNAL ST STAKEHOLDERS, EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IF YOU WERE TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OR REDUCING CONSUMPTION OF X, IT'S NOT GOING TO RESONATE. SO AGAIN, THIS NEW TOOL WE ARE GOING TO BE USING REALLY TRANSLATES ALL OF THESE ACTIONS INTO VERY CLEAR OUTPUTS. THEN FINALLY, WE HEARD THIS THE FIRST ROUND OF THE CLIMATE PLAN, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE COST BENEFITS. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT SAYS WE ARE GOING TO DO THESE 30 THINGS WITHOUT A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR THOSE DOLLARS AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE. SO THE TOOL WE WILL BE USING, SUPER EXCITED, WE ARE A MEMBER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY. WE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS FOR YEARS. IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL NON-PROFIT THAT WORKS WITH GOVERNMENT SECTORS ON GREENHOUSE GAS ACCOUNTINGS. VERY, VERY NOT EXCITING. 
          THEY PARTNERED WITH A GROUP OUT OF SWEDEN CALLED CLEAR VIEW. 
          [01:00:04]
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THEM PROBABLY FOR THE PAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS. 
          THEY HAVE CREATED A PLATFORM THAT HAS BASICALLY EXPLODED IN EUROPE. 
          THERE'S ONLY TWO OR THREE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT ARE USING IT BUT BASICALY, IT'S A DATA VISUALIZATION TOOL. IT ALLOWS, WE COULD PULL UP THIS DATA RIGHT HERE AND RUN THROUGH SCENARIOS WITH YOU, IF WE WERE TO REDUCE CARS BY 10%, INCREASE PEDESTRIAN WALKING BY 3%, IT SPITS OUT WHAT THOSE ACTUAL EMISSION REDUCTION TARGETS ARE AND WE CAN START TYING ACTUAL MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES TO THEM. WE ARE REALLY LOOKING, SO THAT TOOL FROM CLIMATE VIEW HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO OUR MEMBERSHIP WITH ICLE. AT NO COST TO US, WE CAN START USING THIS. WE WILL BE THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO BE USING THIS TOOL AS PART OF OUR PLAN UPDATE PROCESS. SUPER EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS CAN IMPROVE OUR PROCESS. IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, THE FIRST PLAN TOOK TWO AND A HALF YEARS. I'M HOPING WE DO NOT NEED TO TAKE TWO AND A HALF YEARS DOING IT. I WOULD -- WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS TRYING TO GET A DRAFT PLAN BY MID NEXT YEAR, AND I WILL BE THE FIRST 1 TO SAY IT'S VERY AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE WE ARE REENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY, REENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS. 
          WE NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE ON BOARD EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. 
          BUT AGAIN, IN TERMS OF CLIMATE ACTION BEING SUCH A PRIORITY, WE HAVE AN EXISTING PLAN IN PLACE, WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIES THAT HAVE A SWEET SPOT. 
          I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN REALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD A LITTLE QUICKER THAN WE DID DURING THE FIRST PLAN PROCESS. PHASE ONE HAS BEEN SINCE OCTOBER THROUGH JUNE, HAS BEEN JUST A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK, ASSESSING THE CURRENT CLIMATE PLAN, PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION, BEST PRACTICES. WE ARE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THE 2023 GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS MUNICIPAL OPER OPERATIONS. WE ARE CONVENING, SETTING UP OUR FIRST SUBCOMMITTEES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PROVIDE STAKEHOLDER AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT INTO THE UPDATE OF THE PLAN. WE HAD OUR FIRST SA CLIMATE READY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST MONTH, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR CREATING THAT, WAS A GREAT MEETING. REALLY GREAT LEVEL-HEADED PEOPLE THERE. 
          ONCE THESE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE UP AND RUNNING, YOU WILL SEE A LOT MORE ACTIVITY. 
          PHASE TWO BETWEEN JUNE AND FEBRUARY, THAT'S REALLY THE MEAT OF THIS. 
          THAT'S REALLY WHEN WE WANT TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH ROBUST ENGAGEMENT, TALKING WITH LEADERSHIP, TALKING WITH STAKE HOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND WHAT SHOULD OUR UPDATED TARGETS BE, WHAT ARE THOSE PRIORITY STRATEGIES, WHAT ARE THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR THOSE, AND THEN WHAT DOES IMPLEMENTATION LOOK LIKE. 
          THEN HOPEFULLY BY SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, HAVING A DRAFT THAT WE CAN START CIRCULATING AROUND AND GETTING FEEDBACK. THAT'S BASICALLY HIGH LEVEL FOR WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PLAN UPDATE. I WILL SHIFT FROM THAT INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS. WE ALL REMEMBER THE MUNICIPAL ON-SITE SOLAR PROGRAM. 
          IT'S GOING EXTREMELY WELL. BIG SUN HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. THEY DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WIL TO DATE, JUST AS REFRESHER, THIS WAS NOVEMBER OF 2023, YOU APPROVED, COUNCIL APPROVED ROOFTOP AND ON-SITE SOLAR AT CARPORTS, AT CITY-OWNED FACILITIES. 
          COST OF $30 MILLION. BETWEEN '24 AND '26, WE ARE ESTIMATING AN ANNUAL ENERGY SAVINGS, CONSERVATIVELY, $1.8 MILLION PER YEAR, WHICH WOULD OFFSET ABOUT 11% OF THE CITY'S TOTAL ELECTRICITY USAGE. IT DOESN'T GET US THE FULL WAY THAT WE NEED TO GO BUT IT'S A START, AND THEN THE OTHER THING I ALSO WANT TO REALLY CLARIFY IS ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE INSTALLING SOLAR ON HAVE BEEN PART OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND IMPROVEMENTS. WE BASICALLY HAVE A ROBUST PROGRAM IN OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND WHERE ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY THE LARGEST ONES, ARE ALL BENCHMARKED IN AN EPA TOOL WHICH IS SLATED TO GO AWAY, BUT -- I THINK WE ARE ALL SCRAMBLING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE REPLACE THAT TOOL. 
          BUT BASICALLY, IT BENCHMARKS US AGAINST OTHER BUILDINGS NATIONALLY AND LETS US KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING. SO IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE, WE HAVE COMPLETED TO DATE A TOTAL OF JUST OVER 4.1 MEGAWATTS. WE HAVE TWO MORE PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 13 PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GIVEN BIG SUN THE GREEN LIGHT TO 
          [01:05:01]
START WORK ON, TOTALLING ANOTHER THREE MEGAWATTS. THAT WILL GET US UP TO JUST UNDER EIGHT MEGAWATTS. THE CHALLENGE THAT WE ARE HEARING, THOUGH, FROM OUR CONTRACTOR IS THE AVAILABILITY OF STEEL. AND SO AGAIN, WE TAKE THIS ALL WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. THERE'S ALSO SOME DISCUSSIONS GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AROUND CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS SO THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING. BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S CREATING JOBS, IT'S REDUCING LOAD FOR CPS AND IT'S SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE DAY. NOW I'M GOING TO SHIFT TO FOUR COMMUNITY CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROGRAMS. THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO TOUCH UPON, IT REALLY BUILDS UPON WHAT JOSEPHINE TALKED ABOUT WITH ECO SCHOLARS, WE LEARNED A LOT FROM ECO SCHOLARS. OUR TIMING WAS PERFECT. CREATING A MILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM, HOW DO YOU ADMINISTER IT, HOW DO YOU WORK THROUGH FINANCE. 
          WE HAD THE PLEASURE AND LUXURY OF LEARNING FROM THEM. WE HAD I THINK A VERY STREAMLINED PROCESS, TO REITERATE WHAT JOSEPHINE SAID, THIS HAS TO BE EASY FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE APPLICATION INTAKE FORM HAS TO BE SIMPLE. 
          I THINK WE CRACKED THAT. WE ALSO WANTED TO BASE IT IN METRICS. 
          WE WERE PROVIDING DOLLARS BUT WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR IT, WHAT, IS IT CARBON REDUCTION, IS IT AN INCREASE IN TREE CANOPY, A CHANGE IN PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY. THAT WAS BUILT INTO THE PROGRAM. 
          YOU CAN SEE WE CREATED THIS COMMUNITY ACTION FUND THAT HAS SEVERAL GRANT PROGRAMS BUILT INTO IT, A BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, FUNDED AT $2.5 MILLION, A $2 MILLION NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM. THOSE ARE GRANTS UP TO $20,000 WAS THE MAX SO IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SMALL $125,000 GRANT PROGRAM WHICH WAS REALLY, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. THAT WAS ACTUALLY MR. MCCARY'S BRAINCHILD WAY BACK WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH BRINGING ON A LOCAL CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, CARVING OUT FUNDING FOR LOCAL GROUPS TO HELP SUPPORT THAT. SO THAT'S AN ONGOING PROGRAM. 
          IN TERMS OF SORT OF GETTING AHEAD OF THE QUESTION HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THIS, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS ALL THE MONEY'S BEEN ALLOCATED. WE ARE PLANNING ON RELEASING A MID-YEAR REPORT BY NEXT MONTH, WHERE WE CAN START PROVIDING COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP AND COUNCIL HOW ARE THESE PROJECTS GOING. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE SEEING AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT. AS JOSEPHINE SAID, BUDGETS ARE TIGHT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS WE ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP FUND SOME OF THIS WORK. 
          AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS FUNDING THAT GOES INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
          IT GOES TO MOSTLY SMALL BUSINESSES. IT GOES TO SMALL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO DO WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SO WE BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A FOUNDATION, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SOME KIND OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, SOME WAY TO BASICALLY HELP SUSTAIN THE PROGRAM DURING THIS REALLY ROCKY ECONOMIC TIME. NEXT THING I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A REAL HIGH LEVEL UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE READY NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK, PROVIDED YOU SOME DOCUMENTS. ALL THESE FIELD GUIDES YOU SEE UP THERE, WE PROVIDED TO YOU. THIS IS A REALLY AMAZING PROGRAM. 
          THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTRY THAT WE ARE AWARE THAT'S DOING THIS. 
          IT REALLY STARTED WITH DISCUSSIONS AROUND YEARS AGO, AROUND RESILIENCE HUBS. 
          EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE A RESILIENCE HUB. YOU SEE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING TO CREATE THESE RESILIENCE HUBS. WE SORT OF TOOK A STEP BACK AND REALIZED THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WERE MISSING WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DEPTH AND THE HISTORY OF COMMUNITY AND FAITH-BASED AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN NEIGHBORHOODS DOING THE WORK, THAT THEY ARE ALREADY THERE BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THE APPROACH THAT WE TOOK WAS HOW DO WE HELP, HOW DO WE HELP BUILD CAPACITY AND SUPPORT FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          SO WE LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM CALLED CLIMATE READY NEIGHBORHOODS NETWORK AND AGAIN, THE CITY BEING A PARTNER AND HELPING FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THESE ORGANIZATIONS. AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE THERE TO HELP CONNECT THEIR COMMUNITIES TO RESOURCES. AND THEY DO THIS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF WHAT ARE CALLED PODS, POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION. AND THESE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION COULD BE AROUND 
          [01:10:03]
COMMUNICATION, THEY CAN BE AROUND RESOURCES, BUT YOU CAN SEE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT CREATING COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE THAT NEIGHBORS KNOW NEIGHBORS, BUSINESSES KNOW THEIR RESIDENTS AND THE REASON WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT IS TONS OF RESEARCH HAS OCCURRED OVER THE YEARS THAT IDENTIFIED SOCIAL COHESION AS SUCH AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR OF COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. WHEN AN EVENT HAPPENS, WHETHER IT'S IN SOMEBODY'S DAILY LIFE, SOMEBODY RUNS INTO THEIR OWN PERSONAL CHALLENGE, HAVING SOMEBODY THAT THEY ARE CONNECTED WITH WHO CAN THEN PROVIDE THEM DIRECTION TO GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, OR AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL. 
          THE FIRST THING IS WHO DO YOU TURN TO, WHERE DO YOU GO FOR HELP. 
          THE CITY WILL BE THERE, BUT IN THE INTERIM, THERE'S CAPACITY THERE TO DO THAT. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM, IT'S BEEN HOLDING VARIOUS CONVENINGS, WORKING THROUGH DIFFERENT CAPACITY BUILDING EXERCISES. WE PROVIDED SOME VERY SMALL MICRO-GRANTS TO THEM AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT THE CHICKEN TRACTOR IS, I WILL ASK KATE TO COME UP DURING THE QUESTION PERIOD. 
          BUT IT'S COUPLED WITH CONVERSATION AND BUILDING COMMUNITY AND VERY SMALL DOLLARS TO HELP INCENTIVIZE THEM TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT OF THIS PROGRAM IS BUILDING COMMUNITIES. 
          I THINK AGAIN, LOOKING AT FUNDING IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY'S ROLE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT AND MANAGE THIS EFFORT. THE AREAS THAT THEY FOCUS IN ON ARE BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, CONNECTIVITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND TRANSPORTATION, POWER AND OPERATIONS, AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THESE PODS, CURRENTLY KATE WILL BEGIN WORKING WITH EACH OF THEM AROUND WHAT DOES COMMUNICATIONS AND OPERATIONS PLANNING LOOK LIKE, WHAT IS THEIR ROLE IN TERMS OF CONNECTING AND BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF INTEREST AROUND THESE LOCATIONS, UNDERSTANDING THEIR ENERGY USE AND WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE. AND REALLY, AGAIN, THE KEY IS REALLY LOOKING AT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. THE LAST THING I WILL MENTION ABOUT THIS IS, THIS IS -- WHAT WE HAVE REALLY LEARNED IS THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY THAT IT GETS OVERWHELMING SOMETIMES. 
          SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS FROM IS KATE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND THE TABLE WITH OUR PARTNERS, LIKE CPS ENERGY. 
          THEY ARE AT THE END OF THE ROOM. THEY HAVE GOT RESOURCES. 
          OR WHETHER IT'S OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. JUST GETTING EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEED IS AND WHAT THE NEXT PROGRAM I WANT TO TALK ABOUT QUICKLY IS THIS LOW INCOME COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PROGRAM. WE PROVIDED YOU A COPY OF THAT PLAN, BUT BASICALLY WE WERE ALLOCATED $825,000 TO TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH. THE INTENT WAS, INSTEAD OF TAKING MULTI YEARS TO DO A REAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS, CAN WE TRY TO SPEED IT UP? SO WHAT THESE FUNDING -- THIS FUNDING DID WAS ALLOWED US TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT WHO WORKED WITH OUR FIRST PILOT COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS SOUTH SAN AND QUINTANA. WHAT ARE THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITIES? HEAT, FLOODING, EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, THEY IDENTIFIED EXTREME HEAT AS THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN. SO THROUGH A GRASSROOTS PROCESS WHERE WE REALLY WORKED WITH THEM TO BE OUR LEAD WHERE WE HAD THEM SERVICE THE CONVENER, LIFTED THEM UP AS LEADERS IN THIS PROCESS INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING A COMPLETE CITY-LED PROCESS. 
          IT WENT REALLY WELL IN TERMS OF BUILDING TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY WHERE THIS WASN'T THE CITY COMING IN AND SAYING THIS IS WHAT YOU GET BUT MORE  OF ANITIERIVE PROCESS. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN. THIS IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRYING TO SOLVE CLIMATE RESILIENCE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DONE IN ONE FISCAL YEAR. 
          THIS IS AN ON THE GO COMMITMENT. WITH SOME OF THAT $825,000, WE'VE GOT RESOURCES THAT WE CAN COMMIT. 
          SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO HELP SUPPORT -- THESE ARE THREE OF THE PRIORITIES OUTCOMES IDENTIFIED, A SMALL MIKE RE GRANT TO PROVIDE MINI SPLITS TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, MOST IN NEED THAT WAS COUPLED WITH A 
          [01:15:03]
TEMPERATURE SENSOR PROGRAM WHERE WE FOUND ASTONISHINGLY THERE WERE PEOPLE WHOSE HOUSES WERE 100 DEGREES, 105 DEGREES. 
          SO, AGAIN, TRYING TO USE THIS DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH, PROVIDING SOME RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THAT RELIEF. THE OTHER BIG PART OF THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS, IT'S ABOUT COOLING, RECREATION, AND SO WORKING WITH OTHER PARTNERS, IT'S NOT JUST THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY. 
          WE BROUGHT PARKS AND REC, PLANNING, NHSD, ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          THEY HAVE FUNDING FOR ART THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO SHADE. 
          SO, AGAIN, IT'S CONVENING THE COMMUNITY, COMING UP WITH A CLEAR VISION, HAVING FUNDING THAT OS CAN BRING TO THE GAME BUT THEN LEVERAGING THAT WITH OTHER INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DOLLARS IN ORDER TO BRING OUTCOME. 
          THEN THE THING THAT'S MOST INTERESTING, AND I'M MOST INTRIGUED BY, IS THE LAST THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE PLAN WAS A SOUTH SAN COOLING COMMITTEE WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING. 
          THIS ISN'T JUST ONE AND DONE. WE NEED A GROUP OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT COSA AND OUR PARTNERS CAN WORK WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN IS ALIVE AND FRESH AND THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT. SO WE'RE HOPING THIS IS A GOOD MODEL, THAT, AGAIN, DEPENDING UPON FUNDING GOING FORWARD, BUT TO BE ABLE TO GO NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD, PARTICULARLY OUR MOST CLIMATE VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS IS INTRIGUING BECAUSE PLANNING IS ONE THING. IMPLEMENTATION IS REALLY THE IMPORTANT FEATURE. THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE. I'M SORRY IF I'VE GONE ON TOO LONG. THE LOW INCOME E BIKE PROGRAM IS GOING. 
          WE HAD FUNDING. WE HAVE FUNDING FOR 244. 
          >> STUDENT: 4 LOW INCOME VOUCHERS. THERE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM. THE POINT OF THIS SLIDE, WE WANTED TO TEST THIS, WE'VE SEEN THERE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES -- THIS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE ARE ABOUT TO ROLL OUT OUR FIRST DISBURSEMENT -- WE PARTNERED WITH NH SD BECAUSE WE WANTED INCOME QUALIFIED HOUSEHOLDS. 
          THE FIRST SET OF APPLICANTS THAT WE'VE APPROVED HAVE GONE THROUGH AN NHSD PROGRAM SO WE KNOW THEY MEET INCOME QUALIFICATIONS. 
          I WAS SURPRISED. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY I WAS SURPRISED. 
          SPREAD OUT ACROSS CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. FOLKS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A BIKE SKILLS CLASS WITH THE NPO TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO RIDE SAFELY ON CITY STREETS. THEN THEY WILL GO PICK OUT A BIKE. 
          WE BELIEVE THAT THE ENTRY LEVEL MODEL IS PROBABLY AROUND $1,000. 
          IF THEY WANT ANY BELLS AND WHISTLES LITERALLY OR UPGRADES, THEY CAN PAY FOR THAT OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET. THEN THE BIG THING ABOUT THIS IS, WE ARE REQUESTING/REQUIRING THEY PARTAKE IN A PROCESS BY WHICH WE CAN EVALUATE USAGE. THERE'S A TOOL WE'LL ASKING THEM TO DOWNLOAD FROM THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LAB. 
          IT'S A TOOL THAT GOES ON A SMARTPHONE AND WHEN THEY RIDE AROUND IN THE PROGRAM, IT TRACKS IT. IT ALL GETS ANIMIZED. SO WE DON'T SEE ANYBODY'S SPECIFIC INFORMATION, BUT WE CAN START UNDERSTANDING HOW OFTEN THESE BIKES ARE BEING USED. ARE THEY DISPLACING OTHER SORTS OF CAR TRIPS? WE'RE HOPING THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE A REPORT THAT SAYS THIS WAS THE INVESTMENT. 
          THIS WAS THE FEEDBACK. THIS IS THE IMPACTED WE SAW. 
          AGAIN, BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ARE THERE, BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEPING THESE PROGRAMS GOING FORWARD BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY NEED? AND GETTING THEM THE SERVICES AND RESOURCES THEY NEED AND RESERVE. 
          WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK A CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATIONS IS THE WORK THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS DONE TO SUPPORT OUR YOUTH, WHETHER IT'S COMING UP WITHIN A PROGRAM WITH METRO HEALTH OR THE GRANT PROGRAM WITH SOLID WASTE. 
          AS MENTIONED IN THE PAMPHLET, THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, A PANEL FACILITATED BY YOUTH, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT THE CITY DOES AND WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT IN PARTICULAR. 
          I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE WHETHER IT'S A TRANSITION WITH A PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION OR A MAYORAL SHIFT, WHAT IS EVIDENT IS WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRIO PRIORITIZE THE SA CLIMATE PROGRAM AND FUNDING THE GRANTS YOU HAVE INITIATED. 
          [01:20:01]
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SOLAR AND COST IT HAS, $1.8 MILLION, THAT'S SAVING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MONEY BUT I THINK THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO REDUCE ANY PROGRAMMING WHETHER IT'S WITH SUSTAINABILITY OR SOLID WASTE TO CONTINUE TO HELP US REACH THOSE CLIMATE GOALS. THERE'S PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION. 
          SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD TO REDUCE ANY SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE INITIATED. WE NEED TO SEE IT COMPLETED. 
          I'M VERY PROUD THAT I GET TO SHARE THE QUINTANA COMMUNITY WITH DR. ROCHA GARCIA AND REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE CREATED A SOUTH SIDE COLLABORATIVE WITH SO MANY GREAT COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK, AS YOU MENTIONED. 
          THAT'S WHAT I REALLY VALUE ABOUT THE WORK OF YOU AND YOUR TEAM IS, YOU KNOW, NOT GOING INTO COMMUNITIES AND TELLING THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO BUT ALLOWING THOSE IMPACTED TO DRIVE THE CONVERSATION AND COME UP WITH A POLICY PROPOSAL, PARTICULARLY WITH THE MINI SPLITS. 
          I KNOW YOU MENTIONED 105-PLUS THAT FOLKS ARE EXPERIENCING IN THEIR HOMES. THIS IS LIFESAVING WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE TACKLING. IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN AND THE TIME LINE TO RE-EVALUATE AND COME FORWARD WITH AN ADDITIONAL DRAFT TO UPDATE, RATHER, ARE THERE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT EMPHASIZING OR BEING -- CONTINUING TO BE KEY 
          WITH -- >> YEAH. I THINK LOOKING AT WHERE OUR MISSION IS COMING FROM -- AND IT'S SIMILAR TO MOST OF THESE -- IT'S ENERGY BEING CONSUMED IN OUR BUILDINGS. SO ENERGY EFFICIENCY, BUILDING STANDARDS, THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IS OUR OTHER BIG ONE. 
          I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT CITIES HAVE IN GENERAL, GROWING CITIES, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL LEF AGE WE HAVE? THERE'S SO MUCH NATIONAL INFLUENCE IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION POLICY, AND WE SAW UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THERE WAS MONEY TO HELP, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVIZE THE SHIFTS AND THEN THAT MONEY IS NOT THERE NOW. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY -- BASICALLY, BUILDINGS AND THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, I THINK, CONTINUING TO WORK WITH CPS ENERGY AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR GENERATION PLANNING PROCESS. BUT FOR ME IN MY MIND, IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT DO WE CONTROL? WHAT CAN WE IMPLEMENT? I THINK IT'S FINE TO HAVE STRATEGIES THAT WOULD BE GREAT OR THAT WE SHOULD DO, BUT I THINK WE REALLY, OVER THIS NEXT YEAR, HAVE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CAN WE REALLY DO? I THINK WE -- I THINK THERE'S A MIDDLE GROUND RIGHT THERE, BUT FOR MYSELF AND MY STAFF, IT'S WE'RE ALREADY DOING SO MUCH, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND WHAT WE CAN DO. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION. 
          >> THAT'S HELPFUL. ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND ARE PARTNERSHIPS. 
          WITH VIA AND THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON VIA LINK.  THAT'S GREAT IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY. 
          IT'S AN ADDITIONAL CAR ON THE ROAD. MORE EMISSIONS. 
          THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MORE -- JUST -- HOW ARE WE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WHILE IT IS CONVENIENT, IT'S MORE CARS ON THE ROAD. RIGHT? OUR GOALS ARE TO ENSURE WE'RE GETTING MORE FOLKS ON LARGE VIA BUSES, USING E-BIKES AND THOSE THAT CAN AFFORD TO HAVE A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE. 
          >> I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN. OKAY. 
          COSA KNOWS WHAT'S OUR LANE, BUT THEN VIA, CPS, SAWS, ALL OUR OTHER INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, EVERYONE HAS A PLACE AT THE TABLE. 
          WE JUST NEED TO CONVENE AND REALLY UNDERSTAND, OKAY. 
          WHO CONTROLS WHAT? HOW DO WE MOVE IN THAT RIGHT DIRECTION? 
          >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DOUG. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. 
          >> VIAGRAN: YEAH. A LOT OF INFORMATION. I THINK THE KEY IS THAT WE GET THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN DONE SOON. I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HEARD ON A FEDERAL LEVEL THAT CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, AND NEW YORK ARE CLAIMING THEIR DONOR STATE STATUS AND SAYING THEY WANT THEIR DOLLARS BACK. I THINK TEXAS NEEDS TO DO THE SAME THING BECAUSE WE ARE A DONOR STATE. WE NEED OUR MONEY BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE PROGRAMS. IN ORDER FOR OUR INDUSTRIES TO SURVIVE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BUILD INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INCLUDES THIS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. 
          I THINK THE SOONER WE CAN TELL THEM, WE ARE DOING THE SMARTER STREETS, SHORTER ROUTES, MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK OR BACK HOME OR LIVE THERE OR FIND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION THROUGH 
          [01:25:01]
E-BIKES THAT WE CAN GET THAT DONE. THERE'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE SECTION OF THE SYMPOSIUM THAT'S GOING TO BE DEDICATED TO THIS AREA. I THINK WE JUST NEED -- I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE OUR PRIORITY. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTION FUND. I WENT TO BLESS A SACK REPRESENT AND THEY HAD THE CLIMATE ACTION KIDS REFERRING TO THINGS AS YUCKY STUFF AND DID THEIR WHOLE CARTOON. BUT PRESCHOOLERS UNDERSTANDING WHY WE DON'T -- WHY WE NEED TO RECYCLE, WHY SUSTAINABILITY IS ATTORNEY. IMPORTANT. THE SOONER WE CAN COME TO THAT PLAN AND MOVE THAT FORWARD, THE BETTER ARGUMENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR THE STATE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS 
          WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. 
          >> DR. KAUR. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, DOUG, SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. IT WAS GREAT. I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT THE SMALLER BUT MORE IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT YOU'RE LEADING. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M GOING TO START OUT WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. I WAS ON THE SUBSIDIARY. I WAS NOT ON COUNCIL WHEN THE FIRST POINT WAS IMPLEMENTED, AND THERE WAS, I THINK, A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT OUR GOALS WERE AND HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET THERE. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE LEARNED FROM THE PROCESS THAT YOU THINK THAT WE MIGHT DO DIFFERENTLY THIS TIME TO ENSURE MORE BUY-IN FROM THE 
          COMMUNITY? >> THAT'S THE QUESTION ON THE -- THAT'S THE QUESTION. I THINK IT'S ABOUT TRANSLATING WHAT CLIMATE ACTION IS IN TERMS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND. 
          AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT -- WE -- I THINK WE AS AN ORGANIZATION TRY TO DO THAT. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY OR THE BIKE MOBILITY PLAN, IT'S NOT JUST -- IT'S NOT ABOUT CARBON. 
          IT'S ABOUT IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES. IT'S ABOUT POTENTIALLY IMPROVED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT STREETS WITH BIKE LANES, BUSINESSES DO BETTER. SO I THINK IT'S TYING WHATEVER STRATEGIES WE END UP ON THAT WE WANT TO PUT FORWARD, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOUR AVERAGE RESIDENT AND BUSINESS? 
          >> YEAH I WAS GOING TO SAY ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE SEEING IS US LEADING BIKE SAMPLE AND DEMONSTRATING THE CLEAR ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WE HAVE HAD AS A CITY WITH OUR BUILDING DEMONSTRATING THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL IN MULTIPLE WAYS. THEN WE'RE COULD GO THE ENGAGEMENT -- DOING THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE OF IT, THINKING ABOUT THE WORKFORCE GROUP WE CREATED WITH TODD. 
          I DON'T THINK WE DID IT PERFECTLY, BUT THERE WERE DIFFERENT GROUPS REPRESENTED. I THINK IF WE -- WHILE YOU'RE SITTING DOWN AND THINKING ABOUT ALL THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HAVEN'T DONE IT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND GLEANING WHAT THEY FELT LIKE WAS MOST EFFECTIVE IN THEIR TRAFFIC FORCE OR WORKGROUPS WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE I'M SURE CAT HAS LESSONS LEARNED. WE HAVE SOME LESSONS LEARNED IN TERMS OF HOW -- SOME OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WEREN'T DIRECTLY ON THE TOD LINE WERE NOT INCLUDED AND THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. SO MADE ME THINK WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT WORKING LIKE A SMALL ENOUGH WHERE IT COULD BE ACTUALLY MEANINGFUL BUT HOW TO WE DO THAT IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS WHERE IT'S NOT JUST ONE OPPORTUNITY BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT 
          WAYS TO ENGAGE? >> THAT'S ONE OF THE TACTICS THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON USING. WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON, WHETHER IT'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY OR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS. HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? IF WE ARE DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT'S GOING TO DO THIS, HOW DO WE USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE PEOPLE ON THIS BROADER CLIMATE PLANNING INITIATIVE? 
          >> I LOVE THAT. THE NEXT THING I WANT TO SAY IS I LOVE THIS NEW -- I'M A DATA NERD. HOW DO WE MEASURE THINGS THAT'S NOT JUST CARBON NEUTRALITY BUT ALSO WANTING TO THINK ABOUT THE -- I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE COMMENT YOU MADE ABOUT LOSING -- POTENTIAL LOSING OF INCENTIVES. AS EDUCATORS, WE KNOW THE BETTER WAY TO CONVINCE A KID TO DO SOMETHING IS BY GIVING THEM A REWARD TO DO IT AND POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION SYSTEMS HAVE PROVEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL. SO I JUST WONDER HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE 
          [01:30:02]
INCENTIVES LOOK LIKE GIVEN WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT FEDERAL SUPPORT. 
          >> I THINK THERE'S OTHER MODELS OUT THERE. THERE'S RECOGNITION PROGRAMS. THERE'S MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS THAT HAVE LEVERAGED THAT RECOGNITION. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. IT'S NOT JUST OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY. 
          I THINK THERE'S NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE STARTING TO THINK, WHAT DO WE DO? THE WORK NEEDS TO KEEP GOING. 
          >> YEAH. >> REGARDLESS. BUT TO YOUR POINT, WHAT 
          IS GOING TO BE THE LEVER FOR FOLKS? >> I LOVE THAT POSITIVITY. OKAY. AND THEN SO GOING ON TO THE SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, THE SPECIFICALLY ON THE SOLAR WORK, I GOT BRIEFED BY THE SUB THAT YOU APPROVED FOR THIS PROJECT AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          THEY WERE ABLE TO HIGHER UP THE STAFF THEY NEEDED AND I KNOW THERE WAS ROUGH STUFF IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE BACK ON TRACK. THIS PROJECT SEEMS TO BE GOING REALLY WELL. 
          EXCITED TO SEE THAT HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE COMPLETED BY 2026. 
          >> THAT'S THE TARGET. >> OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY GREAT WORK ON THIS, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT FULLY COMPLETED. 
          AS FAR AS THE -- I REMEMBER I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ACTION FUND LAST BUDGET CYCLE BECAUSE I WAS NERVOUS THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE FUNDING LOST FOR THIS PROGRAM. WASN'T THIS PROGRAM THAT 
          WAS CUT LAST -- THERE WAS ONE OF THE -- >> SO THE FUNDING THAT WE HAD FOR THAT WAS FY 24 DOLLARS, BUT IT, WOULD OUT, GETTING BACK TO WHAT JOSEPHINE WAS SAYING, TRYING TO MOVE THAT KIND OF MONEY IS A LOT. BY THE TIME WE GOT ALL OF THE MONEY OUT, EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE, NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS WHERE WE'RE MONITORING AND SO I -- I WOULD HAVE BEEN -- I WOULD HAVE BEEN HESITANT TO HAVE ANOTHER POT OF MONEY TRYING TO GET OUT. I THINK WHAT WE'LL KNOW THIS YEAR IS IMPACTS AND THEN, AGAIN, DEPENDING ON BUDGETS, BUT I THINK WE WANTED TO PROVE THE POINT THAT IT WORKS BEFORE REQUESTING ANY 
          ADDITIONAL FUNDS. >> GOT IT. AND SO WE'LL HAVE THAT 
          REPORT IN JUNE? >> TARGETING BY JUNE. >> OKAY. 
          JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES, I HAD HAD SOME COMMUNITY GROUPS INVOLVED IN THIS TELL ME THEY WERE WORRIED THAT LOSING THIS FUNDING COULD MEAN THE ENDING OF THIS PROGRAM. SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IF IT'S A PRIORITY, 
          WE SHOULD BRING IT UP DURING BUDGET. >> I SHOULD MENTION THIS IS ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE REALLY THINK -- I DON'T KNOW IF I'M BEING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT I THINK IT'S GOT MARKET POTENTIAL. I FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE SOMEBODY WHO -- 
          >> EXPLAIN THAT TO ME. WHAT DO YOU MEAN MARKET POTENTIAL? 
          >> WHETHER IT'S A CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OR WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS. THE PROBLEM IS, EVERYBODY IS IN THE SAME BOATRIGHT NOW. THERE'S JUST A NATIONAL PAUSE ON EVERYTHING. BUT I THINK, AGAIN, BACK TO THAT OPTIMISM, THERE'S SUCH GREAT PROGRAMS. IT'S A COMBINATION OF BEING CREATIVE, TRYING TO FIND AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE. THIS WAS A LOT OF MONEY. 
          EVEN IF IT'S A SMALLER PROGRAM, SCALING IT DOWN A LITTLE. 
          SO I THINK WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO KEEP SOMETHING GOING OVER THE ROUGH PERIODS THAT WE SEE. 
          >> I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH IN YOUR REPORT FOR OUTCOMES. SO I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT NEXT MONTH. THE LAST COMMENT ON THE E-BIKES, I JUST BOUGHT MIMIC, AND I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN E BIKE BECAUSE I WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY TRYING TO BIKE IN 95 DEGREE WEATHER WITHOUT HAVING AN E BIKE. 
          YOU'VE GOT TO GO FOR THE E BIKE. THANKS, CHAIR. 
          >> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. 
          >> THANKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION. YEAH. 
          I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S HELPFUL APPROACH ON THIS. 
          I WILL SAY ON SLIDE 12, WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP PROMOTE HOW THE COUNCIL OFFICES CAN HELP PROMOTE BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN DISTRICT 7. 
          SORRY. GOING BACK TO SLIDE 10, WERE THE TARGETED 
          BUILDINGS SOME OF O HIGHEST ENERGY USERS? >> YES. 
          >> I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE GARZA COMMUNITY CENTER BE PART OF THIS. 
          YEAH. AS DR. KAUR WAS SAYING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT THE OUTCOMES ARE BEING TRACKED -- THE OUTCOMES OF EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS BEING TRAPPED AND AS YOU SAID, DOUG, EVEN THOUGH SUSTAINABILITY ISN'T A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR FEDERAL AND STATE LEADERS, I KNOW THAT WE -- IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THIS MOMENTUM GOING HERE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 
          [01:35:01]
WHAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE WORKING ON, AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN WE'RE TALKING 
          ABOUT OUR BUDGET. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          >> THANKS, CHAIR. >> DR. ROCHA GARCIA. >> THANK YOU, DOUG, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. I WANT TO FOCUS ON SOLAR PANELS. 
          WHAT'S THE LIFE-SPAN? >> 20 TO 25 YEARS. >> OKAY. 
          HAVE WE HAD ANY MAINTENANCE ISSUES? >> WITH THE CURRENT? 
          >> UH-HUH. >> WELL, ONE SOLAR PANEL GOT HIT BY SOMEBODY. 
          IT'S GETTING REPAIRED. THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH THE PROGRAM.  THE BEAM. OVERALL, NO. THE -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY ARE ACTUALLY PERFORMING BETTER THAN TO BE EXPECTED. 
          >> DO WE HAVE ANY TAKEAWAYS ALREADY THAT WE CAN PUT TO USE, ANY 
          BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU'VE SEEN ALREADY? >> FROM OUR PROGRAM? 
          >> UH-HUH. >> DO YOU GET ANY BEST PRACTICES OR LEARN ANYTHING? I THINK -- I GUESS IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. 
          I THINK WHAT I WOULD SAY IS OUR PROGRAM'S LANDED AS A BEST PRACTICE. 
          >> OKAY. >> SO I THINK FOLKS ARE LOOKING -- WHAT WE HAD DONE WAS A TRULY COLLABORATIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL PROCESS. I THINK WE MADE SURE -- IT'S EASIER TO BASICALLY GO OUT AND BUILD THE SOLAR FARM SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT WHEN YOU START TRYING TO TOUCH BUILDINGS WITHIN THE CITY, IT'S A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. SO I THINK WE -- I THINK IT'S JUST BEING REALLY ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND -- AND WHO YOU CONTRACT WITH. 
          BIG SUN REALLY ARE THE PROFESSIONALS WHO -- BRILLIANT FOLKS PROBLEM SOLVING.  I THINK -- I DON'T THINK WE'VE LEARNED ANYTHING NEW YET AS FAR AS OUR APPROACH IS WORKING 
          >> SHE SAID WE'VE ENGAGED DEPARTMENTS THOUGHT THE ENTIRE 
          PROCESS I. >> OF THE $825,000 YOU HAD AL OWE VATED FOR THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITY PROGRAM, HOW MUCH HAVE WE USED? 
          >> DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH -- DO YOU WANT TO COME UP FOR A SECOND? 
          HOW MUCH WAS THE CONSULTANT? >> HI. 
          IN '24, WE JUST USED ABOUT $100,000 TO ENGAGE THE CONSULTANTS REALLY FOR THE PLANNING PART AND THEN THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT ABOUT 450,000 ALREADY COMMITTED, AND WE'RE WORKING TO GET THE REST 
          COMMITTED. >> GOT IT. HOW MANY PROJECTS DOES THAT INCLUDE? IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T KNOWMENT I'M JUST 
          WONDERING. >> IT'S AT LEAST FOUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND THEN IT'S ALSO CONVENING THE COOLING COMMITTEE AND SOME OTHER 
          STUFF LIKE THAT. >> MY LAST QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT THE COOL PAVEMENT STUDY. I'M WONDERING IF YOU ALL 
          DID ANY OF THAT IN THE SOUTH SIDE. >> LESLIE, DO YOU WANT 
          TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THAT? >> SO FOR 2023 -- WE DID ONE INSTALLATION IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT INCLUDING YOURS AND THEN IN 2024, WE DID 11 ADDITIONAL INSTALLS AND WE FOCUSED ON TARGET AREAS WHICH WERE IN DISTRICT 5 AND IN DISTRICT 3. 
          >> OKAY. >> THEN THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THAT MODEL. WE HAVE 22 MILES WE NEED TO DO, BUT THAT WILL BE CITYWIDE AND WE CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE CLOSER AS WE GET INTO BUDGET 
          WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE INSTALL PLANS. >> OKAY. 
          WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE MINI SPLIT PROGRAM BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS GOT TO BENEFIT FROM THAT. I ALWAYS GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DEBBIE PONCE WHO IS AWESOME IN DISTRICT 4. SHE HELPS THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. OF COURSE, THE LADIES AND EVERYTHING THEY DO, TOO. SO BEYOND IN FOOD PANTRY AND BEYOND WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY, THEY GO OUT AND TEACH EVERYBODY ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY. 
          THANK YOU FOR PARTNER WITH THEM. I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> THANK YOU, AND I SEE FOLKS HERE FROM ANGELICA SOLUTIONS. I KNOW THEY INSTALL SOLAR LIGHTS. 
          WE GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW LIGHT POSTS AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT CPS ENERGY IS HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          THE POSTS ARE GOING UP, THE SOLAR LIGHTS.  MORE COCOCO CONSTITUENTS ARE CALLING. ARE THERE ANY LAST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR DOUG AND HIS TEAM? WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, DOUG. APPRECIATE IT. 
          THE TIME IS 3:47 P.M., AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.