[00:01:14]
[ PROCEDURAL ]
THE TIME IS NOW 9:04 AM ON AUGUST 14TH, AND THE MEETING OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO ANGUIANO PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE VIRTUALLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MUNGIA PRESENT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTO TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S EVOC.
TODAY I AM HONORED TO WELCOME OUR INDICATORS FROM AMM ASHRAM LOCATED IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
AMM ASHRAM HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS.
WE HA HELD ONE OF OUR LAST COFFEE WITH A COUNCILWOMAN THERE, OUR MONTHLY MEETUPS, AND IT WAS JUST SUCH A, IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE FOR SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AM ASHRAM IS A COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, MEDITATION, AND SERVICE OFFERING A PLACE FOR REFLECTION, PEACE, AND CONNECTION.
THE WORK HELPS PEOPLE, HELPS BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS CULTURES AND BELIEFS, AND THEY SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY'S VIBRANT AND DIVERSE FAITH COMMUNITY.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING ARIA NYAK TO LEAD US IN TODAY'S INVOCATION.
I WILL BEGIN WITH THE RI UNIVERSAL PEACE CHANT AS OUR INVOCATION.
THE MEANING IS MAY WE MARCH FORWARD WITH A COMMON GOAL? MAY WE BE OPEN-MINDED AND WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY.
MAY WE SHARE OUR THOUGHTS FOR INTEGRATED WISDOM.
MAY WE FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF OUR ANCESTORS WHO ACHIEVED HIGHER GOALS BY VIRTUE OF BEING UNITED.
NAMASTE, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ARI AK AND I REPRESENT HSS HINDU AND ASH FROM SAN ANTONIO, A HOME FOR EDUCATION, SPIRITUALITY, AND YOGA.
I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO JOIN YOU TODAY AS WE CELEBRATE A BEAUTIFUL TRADITION KNOWN AS RAKSHA, ABUNDANT, OR AS WE CALL IT, IN THE COMMUNITY UNIVERSAL ONENESS DAY.
BUNIN COMES FROM TWO SANSKRIT BIRDS, RAKSHA MEANING PROTECTION AND BAND, MEANING BOND OR OBLIGATION.
TRADITIONALLY THIS DAY HONORED THE SACRED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ANCIENT INDIA, ESPECIALLY DURING TIMES OF WAR.
SISTERS WOULD TIE A SIMPLE THREAD IRAQI ON THEIR BROTHER'S WRIST, A SYMBOL OF MUTUAL PROTECTION.
OVER THE CENTURIES, THIS TRADITION HAS EVOLVED, EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING EVEN MORE PROFOUND TODAY.
RAKSHA ABUNDANT REPRESENTS THE DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY WE ALL CARRY TO PROTECT AND SERVE ONE ANOTHER, NOT JUST AS FAMILY, BUT AS NEIGHBORS, CITIZENS AND MEMBERS OF ONE LARGER HUMAN FAMILY SINCE 2004, HSS HAS CELEBRATED THIS DAY NATIONWIDE VISITING CIVIC LEADERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HONOR THEIR SERVICE AND STRENGTHEN BONDS OF MUTUAL RESPECT.
TODAY WE WOULD BE HONORED TO TIE A IRAQI ON YOUR WRIST AS A GESTURE OF GRATITUDE AND PRAYER
[00:05:01]
FOR DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON THOSE WHO PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION, WE'VE ALSO PLACED A PHOTO FRAME IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE WILL NOW DEMONSTRATE WITH THE ROCKY TYING.
I NOW REQUEST EACH OF YOU TO TIE THE ROCKY TO ONE ANOTHER'S RIGHT WRIST.
WE WILL SAY OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
THANK YOU FOR THE VERY BEAUTIFUL INVOCATION.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC.
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
I'M HONORED, UH, TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE SOUTH, THE CENTRAL SUBSTATION.
IF Y'ALL COULD PLEASE MAKE Y'ALLS WAY UP TO THE FRONT.
THE CENTRAL SAFE 5K FUND FOR BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLY, DRIVE AND HEALTH FAIR HELD ON SATURDAY, JULY 12TH WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY AND COMMITMENT IN ACTION.
AND SIMPLY IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL SAFE OFFICERS.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OFFICER FRANK TAPIO, TAPIA AND SANCHEZ FOR THEIR VISIONARY MINDS AND TIRELESS HEARTS BEHIND THIS INCREDIBLE EVENT.
WHAT STARTED AS AN IDEA THAT YOU ALL BROUGHT FORWARD CAME TO FULL SCALE, A COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT THAT DELIVERED CRITICAL RESOURCES INCLUDING BACKPACKS, PENCILS, LUNCHBOXES FOLDERS, INDEX CARDS, AND SO MUCH MORE TO HUNDREDS OF S-E-I-S-D STUDENTS, YOUR ABILITY TO ORGANIZE VENDORS, COORDINATE SPONSORS, BUILD AN ENTIRE HEALTH BEAR FROM THE GROUND UP AND MAP OUT A FULL 5K RACE ROUTE IN DISTRICT FIVE, ALL WHILE MARKETING THE EVENT AND TURNING REGISTRATION INTO A GENEROUS SCHOOL SUPPLY DONATION CAMPAIGN.
IT'S NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRING YOU ALL WENT FAR BEYOND, UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND COMMUNITY DRIVEN EVENT THAT UNITED OVER 500 RUNNERS IN SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS.
THIS EVENT WAS NOT JUST FUN AND MEANINGFUL.
IT WAS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF PROACTIVE, HOLISTIC COMMUNITY SERVICE.
YOU BOTH DEMONSTRATED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SAFE OFFICER, NOT ONLY ENSURING SAFETY, BUT ALSO UPLIFTING AND EMPOWERING OUR FAMILIES THAT YOU SERVE.
TO SERGEANT TAINA, THE HEINA AND DELGADO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP AND FOR FOSTERING A TEAM SO CLEARLY ROOTED IN COMPASSION INITIATIVE AND EXCELLENCE.
YOUR GUIDANCE MAKES EVENTS LIKE THIS POSSIBLE AND WE'RE ALL GRATEFUL FOR THE CULTURE AND SERVICE THAT YOU ALL HAVE NURTURED.
OUR OFFICE WAS HONORED TO SUPPORT SUCH A THOUGHTFUL AND IMPACTFUL INITIATIVE.
WE'RE TRULY PROUD OF CENTRAL SAFE AND THE TEAM THAT DID EVERYTHING YOU DID TO HELP ENSURE A STRONG START FOR OUR KIDS.
UH, ALL THROUGHOUT S-E-I-S-D, OFFICER TAPIA AND SANCHEZ IS, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO ADD? GOOD MORNING ALL.
THIS THIS IS DEFINITELY OVERWHELMING, UH, BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, THIS PROJECT BECAME ACTUALLY THE FIRST OF ITS NATION TO ACTUALLY DO THIS.
SO WE'RE PROUD TO CONTINUE ON AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF EVERYBODY, CHAIN OF COMMAND, OUR TEAM BACK THERE CENTRAL, DOWNTOWN AND UH, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT, DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT FOR THIS.
AND I ALSO LIKE TO SAY, UH, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS BE ON THE LOOKOUT 'CAUSE WE MIGHT BE COMING TO Y'ALL TO, TO SEE IF YOU WANNA BE PART OF OUR 5K.
SO YES, UM, WE DO HAVE TO, UH, PRE-PLAN AND, AND WHATEVER, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT WE DECIDE ON, WE WILL GET WITH Y'ALL.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR US AND ALSO I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR ASSOCIATION AS WELL.
[00:10:01]
BACK THERE, UM, THEY HAD A BIG HELP WITH IT, SO IT WAS EXCITING EVENT.HOPEFULLY Y'ALL CAN ATTEND NEXT YEAR.
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COUNCILMAN MARK WHITE WITH THE RIDE ALONG OF DISTRICT FIVE AND THE PREVIOUS DAY WE WENT IN DISTRICT 10 AND I EMPHASIZED THE COMMITMENT OF CENTRAL SAFE, THE COMPASSION, UH, THAT YOU ALL BRING TO DISTRICT FIVE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS AND RAPPORT THAT Y'ALL HAVE WITH DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS.
SO I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR Y'ALL SERVICE IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND I WAS SURE TO LET COUNCILMAN MARK WHITE KNOW, UM, HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR CENTRAL SAFE.
UH, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA, SO WE MAY CLEAR THE AGENDA FOR THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 15 ARE ON THE CONSENT, EXCUSE ME, SORRY, READ MY OWN HANDWRITING.ITEM SIX THROUGH 15 ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THIS MEANS THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A GROUP AND THERE WILL NOT BE A STAFF PRESENTATION UNLESS PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, NOTE THAT ITEM 12 B HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
ITEM NINE WILL BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY FOR RECUSAL PURPOSES.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY? NO.
UH, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
OH, I'M SORRY, ON ITEM FOUR, ONLY ON, ON CONSENT ITEM ONLY.
THE FIRST AND ONLY PERSON IS JACK FINGER, WHO HAS THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
MADAM MAYOR, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL? MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, UH, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
MADAM MAYOR, UH, ARE YOU ASKING ME TO SPEAK ON, I SIGN UP JUST ON ITEM NUMBER? YES, SIR.
JUST ITEM FOUR, THREE MINUTES.
WELL, UH, IS MADAM MAYOR, IF I MAY SO ASK YOU, COULD I, COULD WE ALL SEE A STAFF PRESENTATION ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR BEFORE I, UH, MA MAKE MY REMARKS TO YOU, THE COUNSELOR? THANK YOU.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? MOTION TO APPROVE IT IS MOVED.
A SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA EXCEPT FOR 12 B, WHICH HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA WE HAVE COUNCIL, COUNCIL I, I, I HAVE A POINT.
MAYOR APPOINTMENTS WITH DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENTS, DONALD ORIAN AND JOHN KELLY.
UH, JOHN KELLY IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
IF HE DOESN'T MIND JUST STANDING UP QUICKLY.
JOHN KELLY IS A RETIRED CIVIL ENGINEER WITH A CAREER THAT SPANS 45 YEARS IN TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING 10 YEARS AS T DOTS SAN ANTONIO DISTRICT ENGINEER, AND HAS CALLED SAN ANTONIO AND DISTRICT EIGHT HOME FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
HE HOLDS A BS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AND HAS SERVED IN HIS HHOA FOR 12 YEARS.
MR. JOHN KELLY IS BEING APPOINTED TO THE ZONING COMMISSION FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, DONALD ORIAN IS THE PRESIDENT OF A DA CONSULTING GROUP AND HAS RESIDED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR OVER TWO DECADES.
HE HOLDS AN MS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM UTSA AND A BS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY.
DONALD IS BEING REAPPOINTED TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR DISTRICT DATE.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEMS 11, 13, AND 14, WHICH ARE REAPPOINTMENTS TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE HAVE FOUR OF THESE AMAZING COMMISSIONERS HERE WITH US TODAY, SO I WANNA GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT.
I'LL START BY BY RECOGNIZING FRANCIS GUZMAN, WHO IS REAPPOINTED TO THE SAN ANTONIO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
FRANCIS IS A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF
[00:15:01]
DISTRICT SEVEN AND HAS BEEN SERVING IN THIS ROLE SINCE 2015.SHE HAS BEEN A CRUCIAL VOICE IN SHAPING THE GROWTH AND DIRECTION OF PRE-K FOR SA.
FRANCIS IS NOW RETIRED, BUT HER HAS A BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
SHE ALSO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES SERVING THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE, FRANCIS.
NEXT I WANNA, UH, RECOGNIZE ROBERT S SIPES WHO'S BEING REAPPOINTED TO THE ZONING COMMISSION.
OH, THERE, IT'S, ROB WAS APPOINTED TO HIS ROLE IN 2017 AND HAS BEEN A DEDICATED VOICE ON THE COMMISSION EVEN SERVING AS CHAIR.
HE HAS BEEN APPOINTED BY THE ZONING COMMISSION TO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
HE WORKS AS AN ARCHITECT AND SPECIFIER FOR MARMON MOCK ARCHITECTURE, GIVING HIM VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS.
HE HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL PARTNER TO DISTRICT SEVEN AND KEEPS ME IN THE LOOP ON ANYTHING COMING THROUGH THE PIPELINE.
I'M HONORED TO REAPPOINT HIM FOR ANOTHER TERM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE SERVING, ROB.
ALSO, JOINING US TODAY IS MELANIE CAWTHORNE, WHO'S BEING REAPPOINTED TO THE DISABILITY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
MELANIE HAS SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE SINCE 2021, AND I WILL SAY THAT EVEN PRIOR TO, UH, ME JOINING COUNCIL I KNEW OF MELANIE'S ADVOCACY, SHE'S A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY ADVOCATE.
SHE'S THE CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DISABILITY ESSAY, A NONPROFIT THAT AIMS TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO THE NUMBER ONE COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SHE HAS CHAMPIONED INCLUSION AND EQUITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SUPPORTING AND LEADING INITIATIVES THAT REMOVE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
MELANIE BRINGS BOTH ACADEMIC EXPERTISE AND EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND HER VOICE HAS BEEN CRUCIAL IN HELPING CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU, MELANIE, FOR YOUR TIRELESS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN ON THIS COMMITTEE.
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IRENE ZIN MEISTER, WHO IS BEING REAPPOINTED TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMISSION ON EDUCATION.
WHERE IS IRENE? I KNOW SHE'S HERE.
UM, IRENE HAS, IS A TREMENDOUS MEMBER OF DISTRICT SEVEN COMMUNITY AND AMAZING PARTNER IN SERVING OUR YOUTH.
SHE HAD PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN DISTRICT SEVEN'S RECENT BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT WHERE SHE HANDED, WHERE WE HANDED OUT OVER 800 BACKPACKS TO SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES.
SHE HAS SERVED, SHE SERVED AS THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AT SAW ROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
HER TIRELESS ADVOCACY FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND EDUCATION SYSTEM AS A WHOLE MAKES HER AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION.
IRENE, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE AND HONORED TO REAPPOINT YOU TO ANOTHER TERM, AND I'M READY TO BE VOLUNTOLD FOR WHATEVER YOU NEED ME TO DO NEXT.
AND ALTHOUGH THEY COULDN'T JOIN US TODAY, I DO WANNA MENTION ASHLEY PENYA FROM THE BROOKS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ELLIE SMITH FROM THE PORT AUTHORITY OF SAN ANTONIO ANNEMARIE GROUP FOR THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION, DON RIOS FOR THE LINEAR CREEKS PARKS ADVISORY BOARD AND JC SMITH FROM THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THESE FIVE ARE ALSO BEING REAPPOINTED TO THEIR RESPECTED BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND THEY ARE ALL EXTREMELY VALUED MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT SEVEN COMMUNITY.
I'M SO GRATEFUL TO REAPPOINT EACH OF THEM AND THAT THEY ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT, UH, EXCEPT FOR 12 B, WHICH WAS WITHDRAWN, AND ITEM NINE, WHICH WAS PULLED FOR RECUSAL.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, UH, WE WILL NEED AVO VOICE VOTE FROM YOU.
COUNCIL ME COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, WE'LL NEED AVO VOICE VOTE FROM YOU.
[9. Ordinance extending the La Villita Lease Agreement with B.Link for a one-year renewal term, commencing on September 1, 2025, and expiring on August 31, 2026. Revenue in the amount of $9,308.45 will be deposited into the General Fund. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; John Jacks, Director, Center City Development and Operations Department]]
UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA FOR RECUSAL FROM THE MAYOR.SO, UM, CITY CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE CAPTION? ITEM NUMBER NINE IS AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE LA THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH B LINK FOR ONE
[00:20:01]
YEAR, RENEWAL TERM COMMENCING ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2025 AND EXPIRING ON AUGUST 31ST, 2026.REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $9,348 AND 45 CENTS WILL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
DEBBIE, THERE ARE NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SO WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION? WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO, IF THERE'S ANY FOLKS FROM LATA HERE, WE'RE ALMOST DONE, BUT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE CELEBRATING ON SOUTH ALAMO.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, STICKING WITH US THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
LET'S GET STARTED WITH ITEM THREE.
[ITEM FOR STAFF BRIEFING]
UH, CITY CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION.ITEM THREE IS A PRESENTATION OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, 2026, PROPOSED OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2025.
ERIC, PLEASE, UH, PRESENT YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, TODAY IS, UH, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LAY OUT TO YOU, UM, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT ENCOMPASSES OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL SPEND, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, AS WELL AS FISCAL YEAR 27.
FROM A BALANCED STANDPOINT, UM, IT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES, AND TODAY IS THE BEGINNING PART OF THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR ANNUAL PROCESS.
UM, IT BEGINS THAT PROCESS, UH, OF REVIEW, UM, THAT WILL CULMINATE ON SEPTEMBER 18TH WHEN THE COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET.
WE WILL HAVE BEGINNING NEXT TUESDAY, UM, A SERIES OF WORKS, UH, 12 BUDGET WORK SESSIONS SCHEDULED OVER THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS THAT PROVIDE THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH DETAILED INFORMATION IN WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
WE ALSO HAVE 10, UM, DISTRICT TOWN HALLS THAT ARE SCHEDULED IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, AT THE END OF, UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, COUNCIL WILL BE ASKED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE STATE REQUIREMENTS TO SET THE PROPOSED CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE AND THE REQUIRED PUBLIC, UM, BUDGET HEARINGS.
UM, ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, UM, I'LL, I'LL CUT TO THE CHASE.
THE TAX RATE IS NOT CHANGING AND IS STAYING THE SAME.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET.
UM, THE, THE OVERALL CITY BUDGET, UM, ENCOMPASSING RESTRICTED FUNDS, OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AND GENERAL FUND IS PROPOSED AT $4.04 BILLION, WHICH IS A 2.2% INCREASE.
OUR GENERAL FUND, WHICH WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT THE END OF JUNE AT OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION TALKING ABOUT, IS PROPOSED AT $1.69 BILLION, A 1.6% INCREASE.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THAT NUMBER AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, BUT YOU'LL RECALL DURING THE TRIAL BUDGET CONVERSATIONS AT THE END OF JUNE, OUR PROJECTED EXPENSES IN THE GENERAL FUND WERE 3.5% HIGH LEVEL IN TERMS OF CITY POSITIONS.
UM, THE, UM, THE TOTAL, UM, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS, UH, 1000, I'M SORRY, 13,723 POSITIONS.
IT'S A NET DECREASE OF 116 POSITIONS.
UM, AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THESE ELEMENTS, UH, 68 CIVILIAN POSITIONS ARE PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED IN THE BUDGET, 121 POSITIONS, UM, OR, UM, CHANGES DUE TO, UH, GRANTS OR CONTRACT CHANGES.
AND WE HAVE 73 NEW POSITIONS BEING ADDED IN OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS OVERALL WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS AN AUTHORIZED STRENGTH OF 2,893 POLICE OFFICERS AND 1,850 FIREFIGHTERS.
SO I SHARED THIS INFORMATION WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
UM, AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, EVERY JULY, UH, WE WILL GO THROUGH OUR ANNUAL BOND RATING REVIEW, UM, AS A CITY.
UM, AND AS I SHARED WITH YOU, WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN OUR TOP TIER CREDIT STATUS, UM, FROM ALL THREE MAJOR RATING AGENCIES.
THAT REALLY UNDERSCORES, AND HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE SUMMARIES THAT WERE PRODUCED BY THE THREE BOND RATING AGENCIES THAT REALLY, UH, POINT BACK TO, UM, HOW WE MANAGE OUR FINANCES, HOW WE PLAN, AND THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HOW THOSE THINGS ARE IMPACTED AND INTEGRATED.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR, OUR
[00:25:01]
BOND RATING IS OUR, OUR CREDIT SCORE AS AN ORGANIZATION.IT ALLOWS US TO BORROW AT A LOWER COST, UM, RESULTING IN MORE MONEY INTO PROJECTS.
UM, OUR RATINGS ARE THE HIGHEST OF ANY CITY OUR SIZE IN THIS COUNTRY.
UM, WE'RE AAA FROM BOTH S AND P AND MOODY'S AND AA PLUS WITH FITCH.
THIS IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UM, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DO THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, WITH PANDEMICS OR, UH, THE UPS AND DOWNS OF OUR NATIONAL ECONOMY.
AND, UH, MY HAT'S OFF TO, UM, THE, UH, FINANCE STAFF, UH, LED BY TROY ELLIOT THAT CONTINUES TO MANAGE THIS, UM, THIS AREA OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, MANY OF THESE THINGS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE CONVERSATION THAT OCCURRED AT THE END OF JUNE.
UM, THE, UH, THE FORECAST IN, IN, IN MAY, AND THE TRIAL BUDGET IN JUNE, PROJECTED DEFICITS IN OUR GENERAL FUND, BOTH IN 26, ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
UM, BUT OUR JUNE CONVERSATION, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON FY 26 AND FY 27, 1 OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN AS, AS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, THAT IS, UM, A BIT UNIQUE IS THAT, UH, WE BALANCE OUR BUDGET OVER TWO FISCAL YEARS.
YOU ALL WILL BE REQUIRED TO ONLY ADOPT ONE BUDGET AT A AT OR ONE YEAR AT A TIME.
UM, BUT FROM A FINANCIAL PLANNING STANDPOINT, IT'S A BEST PRACTICE THAT HAS SERVED US WELL.
OUR REVENUES ARE STILL GROWING, BUT, UH, AT A SLOWER THAN OUR HISTORICAL GROWTH.
UM, I SHARED WITH YOU AT END, AT THE END OF JUNE, THAT EXPENSIVE, THAT EXPENSES WERE OUTPACING REVENUE.
SAN ANTONIO WAS NOT UNIQUE IN THE SENSE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE SEEING, UM, IN SALES TAX AND, UM, IN SOME CASES, UH, PROPERTY TAXABLE VALUES.
AND MANY CITIES IN TEXAS ARE, ARE, HAVE BEEN FEE, HAVE BEEN FEELING THE SAME, UH, CHALLENGES.
THERE'S AN, AN AIR AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE AN AIR AROUND UNCERTAINTY AROUND, UH, CONTINUED FEDERAL FUNDING AND PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES OR EVEN INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND THEN AS WE SHARED WITH YOU, UM, AT THE END OF THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION DID NEGATIVELY IMPACT, UH, SOME OF OUR REVENUE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEAR.
WELL, BEGINNING, BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR AND IN FISCAL YEAR 27 AND, AND GOING FORWARD.
PART OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH YOU AT THE END OF JUNE WAS, UM, HOW WE WERE GOING TO APPROACH THIS SUMMER AND THE WORK THAT WE NEEDED TO DO, UM, TO BALANCE THE FISCAL YEAR 26 AND LAY OUT A BALANCED PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
UM, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT, THAT WE SHARED AND THAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT ON, UH, AT THE END OF JUNE, UH, WERE THAT WE WERE GONNA PROTECT ESSENTIAL AND MANDATED SERVICES, OUR CORE SERVICES.
WE WERE GONNA MINIMIZE THE IMPACT TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AND WE WERE GONNA AVOID, UH, LONG-TERM RISKS AT THE EXPENSE OF CHANGES IN THE BUDGET.
IN OTHER WORDS, UM, AVOID TAKING A, A SHORT-TERM GAIN THAT'S GONNA COST US MORE DOWN THE ROAD.
OUR OBJECTIVES WERE CLEAR, RIGHT? AND I THINK AS WE, UM, UM, WORKED THROUGH WHAT THE DEPARTMENTS AS WE WENT THROUGH THE SUMMER, OUR OBJECTIVES WERE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, IT WAS TO REDUCE OUR EXPENDITURE GROWTH, IT WAS TO REDUCE THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE THAT WE WERE PROJECTING.
IT WAS TO ADDRESS CORE SERVICE AREAS AND ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES THAT WE SAW THROUGH THE SURVEY, AS WELL AS THROUGH YOUR, YOUR CONVERSATION.
SO THE TRIAL BUDGET PROJECTED DEFICITS OF $21 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 26 AND 152 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 27.
THE PLAN BEFORE YOU THAT YOU WILL BEGIN, UM, GOING THROUGH DETAILED WORK SESSIONS ON OVER THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS, BALANCES IT IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, WE REDUCED SPENDING WITH MINIMAL IMPACT ON ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
WE MADE SURE THAT WE CAPTURED SAVINGS FROM COMPLETED PROJECTS AND UNSPENT, UM, AND, AND UNSPENT BALANCES THAT WERE NOT GOING TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE MOVED ELIGIBLE PROJECTS FROM OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
UH, WE IMPLEMENTED, UM, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE, UH, SHORTLY, UM, THE CPS REVENUE POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, AND THEN THAT SPECIFICALLY PERTAINS TO, UH, THE CAPTURE OF, UH, OFF SYSTEM SALE REVENUE WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY.
AND WE INCREASED FEES AND FINES TO ADD NEW REVENUE, HIGH LEVEL.
UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT TRANSPIRED OVER THE SUMMER.
SO THE, THE COMBINED DEFICIT, UH, PROJECTED DEFICIT OF FISCAL YEAR 26 AND 27 WAS ALMOST $173 MILLION.
UM, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE, UH, CERTIFIED TAX ROLL FROM THE BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT AT THE END OF JULY, THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE, UM, DIFFERENT
[00:30:01]
THAN THE INFORMATION THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU AT THE END OF JUNE.UM, BASED ON PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE SLIDE, WE SAW ALMOST A 1% DECREASE IN BASE TAXABLE VALUE.
UM, THE CITY'S NOT BEEN IN THAT POSITION SINCE AFTER THE 2008 EIGHT 2009 RECESSION.
UM, AND THAT RESULTED IN AN ADDITIONAL LITTLE OVER $12 MILLION IN LOST REVENUE OVER THE, THE, THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
WE HAVE CPS OFF SYSTEM SALES OF $69.2 MILLION.
WE REVISED OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS OVER, UH, BEGINNING THIS FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 26.
IN FISCAL YEAR 27, THAT'S GENERATED ALMOST A $9 MILLION.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ADJUSTED, WE'RE PROPOSING ADJUSTING FINES AND FEES AT $12 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
UM, BUT BY FAR THE MOST ATTENTION THAT WE SPENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER WAS REDUCING OUR EXPENSES BEGINNING THIS FISCAL YEAR AND PROPOSING TO REDUCE EXPENSES IN FISCAL YEAR 26 AND PLANNING FOR 27.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO, TO, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS.
AND, AND WHAT I'M PROPOSING TO THE COUNCIL IS THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU ALL WILL ADOPT A FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.
UM, WE WILL, WE WILL MONITOR AS WE DO OUR FINANCIAL QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, HOW WE'RE, HOW CONDITIONS ARE FAIRING, WHAT IS OUR REVENUE AND OUR EXPENSE LOOKING LIKE.
AND AS WE SEE ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR IN 26, THEN, UM, THEN, THEN THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WE CAN USE TO, UH, MITIGATE ANYTHING THAT IS IN A FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN.
THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN COULD LOOK ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND IT'S, IT, IT, IT ACTS, IT'S PROPOSED TO ACT AS A GUARDRAIL FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING DOWN ROAD AND NOT JUST, UH, AROUND THE, AROUND THE, UH, THE FRONT OF US.
SO I MENTIONED, UH, TAXABLE VALUES HERE.
YOU SEE THE BASE VALUES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT RESULTED IN ALMOST 1% DECREASE IN BASE VALUES.
THIS IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AT 1.76%.
UM, OVERALL, UH, A CHANGE TO THE, UH, TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH OF ONLY 0.86% AS WE GO INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, YOU'LL SEE ON THE REVENUE THERE IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WE'RE EXPECTED TO COLLECT $471.9 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
AND NEXT YEAR, UH, BASED ON THOSE TAXABLE VALUES AND THE DECREASE IN BASE VALUES, THAT AMOUNT IS GOING UP ONLY $500,000.
SO PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS RELATIVELY STABLE, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF OUR BUDGET.
UM, THERE, THE, UM, AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, AND YOU'LL DEAL WITH THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THERE IS NO INCREASE, UM, PROPOSED IN THE TAX RATE.
IT IS THE 33RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S BEEN THE CASE.
OUR RATE REMAINS THE SAME AT 54.16 CENTS PER, UH, 100 VALUATION.
SO WHERE DID WE LAND IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF? UM, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES ALMOST $152 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, THE AVERAGE, UM, THERE ARE 250, OVER 255,000 HOMESTEADS IN SAN ANTONIO WITH AN AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE OF 233,000, ALMOST 234,000.
WE HAVE $75.8 MILLION IN HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, AND THAT REFLECTS, UM, UM, AT, AT A 20% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR, UM, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE HAVE $48.8 MILLION AND OVER 65 EXEMPTIONS, AND THAT DIRECTLY IS TIED TO 113, A LITTLE OVER 113,000 SENIORS.
WE HAVE THE SENIOR TAX FREEZE AT $24.3 MILLION.
AND THEN, UH, 2.3 MILLION FOR DISABLED PERSONS.
AND THEN, UH, UH, $600,000 FOR CHILDCARE FACILITIES.
THAT'S A NEW EXEMPTION THAT THE CITY APPROVED LAST YEAR.
ALL TOLD THIS IS REVENUE THAT THE CITY IS FORGE, UH, FOREGOING, UM, AND, UM, LEAVING IN PLACE, UH, TO PROVIDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO, UH, UH, HOMEOWNERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO OVERALL, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES, YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE, UM, ARE PROJECTED, UM, TO GROW AT 0.8% OVERALL FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AND OUR THREE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES YOU SEE HERE, UM, ARE, UM, CONSERVATIVE IN NATURE.
AND BELOW OUR WILL BE BELOW OUR HISTORICAL AVERAGES.
UM, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT A 0.1% CHANGE IN PROPERTY TAX.
WE'RE PROPOSING A 2% ADJUSTMENT IN SALES TAX AND 2.8% IN TERMS OF CPS REVENUE.
UM, HISTORICALLY, UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UM,
[00:35:01]
AT, UH, AT SALES TAX, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT ABOVE 3%.UM, OUR ESTIMATE THIS YEAR IS, IS RUNNING AT ABOUT 2.3%.
THERE'S CERTAINLY A, A SENSE OF WAIT AND SEE IN THE ECONOMY.
UM, AND, UM, UM, WITH INFLATION LOW AND UNEMPLOYMENT LOW, THERE CONTINUES TO BE A HESITANCY TO SPEND.
AND, UM, SO WE ARE CONSERV BE PROJECTING ONLY 2% NEXT YEAR.
SO HIGH LEVEL, AND WE WILL ROLL THESE INTO THE, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSIONS THAT, THAT BEGIN NEXT TUESDAY.
UH, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT AT THE END OF JUNE WAS LOOKING AT, UH, A NUMBER OF OUR REVENUE SOURCES, ALBEIT SMALLER IN TERMS OF IMPACT TO OUR OVERALL BUDGET, BUT THAT WILL IMPACT, UM, SOME SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
UM, OVERALL, UH, ADJUSTMENTS TO, UM, ALARM PERMITS AND RENEWALS FOR BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
UM, THESE, THESE, UM, FEE ADJUSTMENTS, THESE PERMANENT ADJUSTMENTS, UH, HAVE LAST, WERE LAST TOUCHED IN 2010, SO IT'D BEEN SOME, BEEN SOME TIME, UH, A PROPOSED INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND PARKING, UH, FINES.
UH, NEXT TUESDAY YOU'LL HEAR FROM JUDGE ODO AT HER BUDGET WORK SESSION, AND SHE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL IN THIS, UH, IMPLEMENTING FOOD INSPECTION FEES IN ACCORD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEW STATE LAW.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, SMALLER A CS PERMIT FEES, UH, THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
AND, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE THAT REALLY ARE, UH, FOCUSED ON ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR AREAS THAT ARE DEEMED DANGEROUS.
UH, VACANT LOTS, ABSENTEE OWNER FEE INCREASES.
AGAIN, MANY OF THESE FEE INCREASES HAVE NOT BEEN ADJUSTED IN SOME TIME.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT WAS DELIVERED TO YOU YESTERDAY.
AS YOU GO THROUGH, UM, THE PREPARATION FOR THE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS, THERE'S A SECTION IN THE BUDGET THAT THAT SHOWS WHAT THE, WHAT THAT PERMIT IS NOW, WHAT IT'S PROPOSED TO BE, AND WHEN IS THE LAST TIME THE CITY ADJUSTED.
SO I MENTIONED THE A HUNDRED, ALMOST $111 MILLION IN REDUCED SPENDING, UM, THAT WE, UM, PROPOSE IN IN TODAY'S BUDGET.
UM, WELL, LET ME, LET ME WALK THROUGH KIND OF IN BIG AREAS, UM, HOW WE TACKLED, UM, THE MATTER AHEAD OF US.
YOU KNOW, WE USED, UM, SIX OR SEVEN LINEBACKERS RATHER THAN THREE, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED AT THE BUDGET WORK SESSION, WE WERE GONNA, WE WERE GONNA CHECK BETWEEN, UH, THE CUSHIONS OF THE SOFA, UM, BEFORE WE STARTED LOOKING AT MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO CRITICAL SERVICES.
SO WE DID THAT THROUGH A CRITICAL REVIEW OF BUDGET OF DEPARTMENT BUDGETS, UH, SAVINGS FROM UNSPENT FUNDS, UH, COMPLETED PROJECTS, UM, UH, HATS OFF TO THE DEPARTMENTS AS THEY PREPARED PROPOSALS TO BRING FORWARD TO MYSELF AND THE BUDGET TEAM.
UM, I HAD GIVEN GIVE GUIDANCE TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO, UM, PREPARE, UM, REDUCTIONS IN CERTAIN, IN THE SENSE OF BEING ABLE TO PREPARE FOR THAT CONVERSATION.
POLICE, FIRE AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES WERE ASKED TO PREPARE A 1% DECREASE IN THEIR BUDGETS.
UM, PARKS, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND, UH, HUMAN SERVICES WERE NOT REQUIRED TO PUT FORTH REDUCTIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE WORKING THROUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEW THROUGHOUT, UH, THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, OR THIS FISCAL YEAR, ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE ASKED TO PREPARE 10% BUDGET REDUCTIONS.
AND SO AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT, UH, WE FOUND, UH, EFFICIENCIES AND REDUCTIONS.
UM, UH, I MENTIONED, UM, THE, UH, EXPENSES TO CAPITAL.
OUR COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS OF THOSE FOUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, REFLECT A NUMBER OF EFFICIENCY ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL SUM IT UP AND YOU'LL SEE THE DETAILS CERTAINLY IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, AND WE'LL HAVE 'EM IN THE WORK SESSIONS.
NO MAJOR IMPACT TO SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THAT, THAT IT IS, UH, A REQUIRED REVIEW.
THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS WILL CONTINUE NEXT YEAR, AND WE HAVE A, UM, UH, WE'LL FINALIZE A LIST OF DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS.
I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA ASK THAT, THAT, UH, THE INNOVATION GROUP TO DO NEXT YEAR IS REALLY FOCUS ON CONSOLIDATIONS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, IN PREPARATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, THE TRIAL BUDGET, AS I LAID IT OUT IN, UH, IN JUNE, INCLUDED A 3% CO UM, ADJUSTMENT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET TODAY, UH, IS PROPOSING 2%.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU'LL NOTICE PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 COLUMN IN OUR PLAN, THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT, UM, PROPOSED OR PLANNED.
[00:40:01]
MY RECOMMENDATION AS WE GO THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 26, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'LL WANT TO ADJUST.UH, IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, FILL THAT POT AS WE GO THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 26, CRITICAL BUDGET REVIEW.
UH, THE BUDGET OFFICE WENT THROUGH EVERY LINE ITEM AND EVERY BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT HISTORICAL SPENDING ALIGNED WITH ACTUAL BUDGET.
UM, AND IT WAS A, A VERY WORTHWHILE EXERCISE THAT WE BEGAN DOING LAST SUMMER.
UM, WE HAD, WE HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE IMPACTS OF THAT.
WE REINSTITUTED THAT LAST YEAR AND CERTAINLY SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME AS WE WENT FORWARD INTO, UM, INTO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET DOCUMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL HERE BEHIND HERE, AND THEY'RE INCLUDED, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH ALL THIS DETAIL, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS.
BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO REITERATE THAT THERE IS NO MAJOR IMPACT TO SERVICES.
UM, AS WE ARE PROPOSING THE 68 POSITIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE, UH, REDUCED, UM, OF THOSE 68 POSITIONS, 35 OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED.
UM, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT, UM, WATCHED OR WERE PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD AT OUR MID-YEAR BUDGET AND FORECAST, AT THAT POINT, WE STARTED SLOWING THE HIRING OF NONCRITICAL POSITIONS THROUGH AN INTERNAL PROCESS.
UM, KNOWING AND ANTICIPATING THAT WE WERE GONNA BE IN A POSITION LIKE TODAY WHERE WE WERE PROPOSING TO, TO REDUCE POSITIONS.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO HUMAN RESOURCES AND DUE TO VACANCIES THAT WE DO NEED TO FILL, FILL, UM, WE HAVE FOUND POSITIONS FOR THOSE 35 IMPACTED EMPLOYEES, UM, UM, POSITIONS THAT THEY QUALIFY, UM, AND THAT THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR.
AND, UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE OCCURRING TODAY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THEM TO TRANSITION ON OCTOBER 1ST WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN DATE OF RANK WITH THE CITY AS WELL AS PAY.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT INVESTMENTS, UM, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL PUT BACK UP HERE, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE BUDGET SURVEY IN THE AREAS THAT WERE THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR YOU ALL AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC.
AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE AREAS, UM, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
I JUST MENTIONED THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, WITH OVER THE 13,000 EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, UH, WORKING FOR THE CITY, THEY ARE THE DAILY LIFE, UH, AND MACHINE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, UH, MAKE EVERYTHING WORK.
THEY ARE CERTAINLY THE FRONT LINES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF JOB.
UM, AND, UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER WE HAVE A 2% ACROSS THE BOARD FOR CIVILIANS, AN 8%, UH, FOR ADJUSTMENT FOR FIREFIGHTERS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER ONE, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND A, UH, AN ADJUSTMENT OF 4%, UH, FOR POLICE OFFICERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAST YEAR OF THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
WE, WE, OUR SINGLE LARGEST INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN SPEND AS WE GO, AS WE PROPOSE INTO FISCAL YEAR 26 ACROSS OUR $4 BILLION BUDGET IS $50 MILLION TOWARDS THESE, UM, WAGE ADJUSTMENTS.
AND WE ARE INCLUDING AND PROPOSING A 5% INCREASE, UH, TO CIVILIAN HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS. PREMIUMS HAVE NOT BEEN INCREASED SINCE 2018, AND WE ACTUALLY, UH, WE ACTUALLY REDUCED THEM SLIGHTLY IN 2021.
AND DEPENDING ON THE HEALTHCARE PLAN THAT EMPLOYEES, UM, ARE PART OF, UH, THAT IMPACT, UH, WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM 86 CENTS A MONTH TO $32 A MONTH PREMIUM INCREASES FOR POLICE AND FIRE ARE GONNA BE INCREASING AT 10%, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.
SO, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES WE HEARD, UH, THROUGH THE BUDGET SURVEY IN TERMS OF HOMELESS SERVICES, UM, I'M PROPOSING, UH, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HOMELESS SERVICES AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT, OUR OUTREACH WORK, UH, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, OUR, OUR PARTNERS HAS REALLY BEEN PART OF A, UH, AN OVERALL SUITE OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT I'M PROPOSING THAT, UH, WE, UM, MOVE THESE RESOURCES UNDERNEATH OUR CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, MARK CARMONA.
UM, REALLY, UH, NOT TO NECESSARILY, UM, FOCUS ON NOT JUST THE DAY-TO-DAY, BUT THE STRATEGIC APPROACH THAT, UM, THAT, UH, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN THE BUDGET AN ADDITIONAL $4.8 MILLION TO CONTINUE THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
[00:45:01]
THAT, THAT THAT LOW BARRIER SHELTER WAS INITIALLY FUNDED, UM, UH, THROUGH A LEASE, UH, I'M SORRY, THROUGH FUNDING FROM ARPA, AND IT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER OF 25.UM, IT IS A NECESSARY TOOL THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THE CONTINUUM OF ENSURING THAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
UM, AND, BUT IT IS NOT A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE OPTION FOR US.
AND SO PART OF THE STRATEGIC CONVERSATION THAT MARK WILL BE LEADING UP IS HOW DO WE COORDINATE NOT JUST, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT INSIDE THE CITY, I THINK WE DO WELL AND WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, BUT HOW ARE WE TAKING A COMMUNITY APPROACH TO CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF CARE? I DO ANTICIPATE, UM, AND I'LL MENTION IT HERE SHORTLY, SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT ALREADY.
YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT A NEW MUNICIPAL BOND PROGRAM, CERTAINLY, UH, YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, UM, POTENTIALLY PUTTING ON THE BALLOT FOR VOTERS TO CONSIDER ANOTHER ALLOCATION FOR IN HOUSING BONDS.
IN MY MIND, AND I'M SURE, I'M SURE CERTAINLY IN YOUR MIND, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSITIONAL AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, BUT THEY'RE ALL PART OF THE, THE WHOLE CONTINUUM.
AND, UM, MARK IS GONNA LEAD THAT EFFORT TO PROVIDE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU.
UM, I THINK THERE'S CLEARLY A PATH WHERE WE CAN WORK WITH THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM, UH, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THE COUNTY, AND OTHERS TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF, OF THAT THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER IS, IS PROVIDING FOR US RIGHT NOW, I'M CERTAINLY EXCITED THAT AS THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER, WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO SERVE 450 INDIVIDUALS WITH 250 POSITIVE, UM, EXITS.
UM, AND THAT A POSITIVE EXIT IS MAKING SURE THAT THAT FOLKS HAVE A PLACE TO GO THAT IS UPWARD.
AND, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR BA BATTING AVERAGE IS AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE IN DEALING WITH THAT, WITH THAT POPULATION, UM, TO ADDRESS ENCAMPMENTS, WHICH WAS A, A PRIORITY OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE ARE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR ENCAMPMENT, UH, PROGRAM, UM, THAT DON'T REQUIRE COST IN, UH, CHANGE IN COST, UM, BUT WILL COMMIT TO CONTINUE TO, UM, UH, VISIT THOSE HIGH FREQUENCY, UH, AREAS, RE RECURRING SITES, UH, WITH AN ANTICIPATED, UH, 1300, UH, ABATEMENT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE DO PLAN, AND OUR TARGET IS TO SHELTER 600 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS AS WE GO INTO NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF UTILIZING THE LOW BARRIERS SHELTER.
AS WE, AS WE WORK THROUGH, UH, GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, I'LL BREAK THIS UP INTO TWO DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT PUBLIC WORKS WAS, UH, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE LOOKED AT DURING OUR COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEW.
AND THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS ARE NOT JUST A REVIEW OF THE BUDGET AND EXPENSES, IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT THE INTERNAL PROCESSES OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THROUGH THAT COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEW, AS WELL AS, UM, UH, THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A CONSULTANT THAT WE HIRED TO LOOK AT HOW WE ARE DELIVERING, MANAGING, COMMUNICATING OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I'M PROPOSING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CAPITAL DELIVERY DEPARTMENT, WHICH WOULD BE MADE UP OF 188 INDIVIDUALS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE PARTS OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
THIS DEPARTMENT'S SOLE FOCUS WILL BE ON DELIVERING, COMMUNICATING, MANAGING, EXECUTING, AND COMPLETING CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND GO TO BED FOCUSED ON THIS EFFORT.
PUBLIC WORKS IS A CRITICAL PART OF WHAT WE DO.
IT IS ONE OF OUR CORE SERVICES, AND IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDING NEW, UM, IN MY PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT IS TOO MUCH IN THE SIZE OF OUR CITY.
UM, AND, UM, AS, AS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN CORE MENTIONED YESTERDAY, THE WORK THAT WE DID, THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED EARLIER IN THE YEAR AROUND HOW WE'RE COORDINATING WITH UTILITIES AND LOOKING AROUND THE CORNER ON PROJECTS, UM, PARTICULARLY WITHIN FOUR 10.
AND, AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE CORE AREAS OF THE CITY, WE NEED TO DO IT BETTER.
AND, AND AS WE GO FORWARD IN CONTRACTS FOR, UH, EXECUTION, UM, WE HAVE CERTAINLY TALKED ABOUT, UH, MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AND PROVIDING INCENTIVES AND STIFFER PENALTIES AS IT RELATES TO THE COMPLETION OF WORK.
YOU KNOW, OVERALL, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BETTER SERVE US, ESPECIALLY ON THE POTENTIAL CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL WILL HAVE ABOUT A FUTURE BOND PROGRAM AND ENSURING
[00:50:01]
THAT WE ARE DELIVERING, UH, THESE PROJECTS IN A TIMELY MANNER AND COMMUNICATING THEM IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY.MIKE SHANNON, UM, WHO IS CURRENTLY OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, WILL BE APPOINTED TODAY TO OVERSEE THAT EFFORT.
UH, THE TRANSITION, UH, WILL OCCUR OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF, UH, WEEKS.
UM, BUT THIS ADJUSTMENT IN OUR ORGANIZATION, UH, IS, DOES NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL COSTS.
IT'S A REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
LEMME MENTION ONE THING AT THE BOTTOM.
I I DID TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE BOND PROGRAM.
WE DO HAVE A BUDGET WORK SESSION SCHEDULED, UM, LATER ON THIS MONTH.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN, INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL DELIVERY.
UM, AND IT'S WHERE WE'LL ALSO LAY OUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST INITIATE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL, UM, AND LOOK FOR SOME DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL AS WE BEGIN, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, ON THAT PROCESS, WHICH, UM, WE'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT BY YOU ALL THE STAFF AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY.
OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION IS $1.1 BILLION.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE LARGEST SEGMENT IN, IN GOING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 IS, UM, ALMOST $650 MILLION TOWARDS THE, MAINLY THE TERMINAL, THE NEW TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, THE REMAINING ALLOCATION, IT CONSISTS OF OUR FACILITIES, PARKS, DRAINAGE, CONVENTION CENTER, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE DO INCLUDE, WE DID INCLUDE $11.4 MILLION IN THE PROPOSED BUD CAPITAL BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE FLOOD DAMAGE ON VITAL CREEK, OLD O'CONNOR AND OLD GRISSOM ROAD, AS THE MAYOR SHARED WITH YOU SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.
THAT WAS ONE THAT IS, THAT CONTINUES TO BE THAT WILL, AND I'M ANTICIPATING IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR PRIORITY IN THE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE CONTINUE, WE, WE, WE NEED TO MAKE REPAIRS.
WE'VE DONE REPAIRS TEMPORARILY, AND WE'LL NEED TO START WORKING ON, UM, UH, START WORKING ON PERMANENT, UH, FIXES IN THOSE AREAS THAT WERE DAMAGED IN JUNE.
WE ALSO HAVE WITHIN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, $2 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL STREETLIGHTS.
UM, AND SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IN ACCORDANCE WITH KEEPING UP WITH OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF STREETLIGHTS, UM, AND THE STREETLIGHT PLAN THAT THAT, UH, WAS, UH, DEVELOPED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WILL LIKELY BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION AS WE TALK ABOUT POLICE AND CODE COMPLIANCE, UM, AROUND STREETLIGHTS.
THE OTHER PART OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH, UH, WILL FOCUS ON MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR, OUR TRAFFIC SYSTEMS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MAIN MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND STILL WILL HAVE, UH, ALMOST 700 EMPLOYEES, ONE OF OUR LARGEST DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WE ARE SETTING ASIDE, UH, MONEY IN THE BUDGET, UH, TO HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN AND KICK THE TIRES ON OUR STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
AND I'M, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN JUNE, AND I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL OF YOU OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, OUR SYSTEM, OUR FIVE YEAR S AND P SYSTEM, STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, UM, WAS INITIALLY CREATED OVER 15, 16 YEARS AGO, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO BETTER, MORE ROBUST DATA.
UM, AND, UM, I, I'D LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE.
YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $122 MILLION FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, UH, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE SPENT ALMOST $600 MILLION IN STREET MAINTENANCE.
AND WHAT I WANT TO ENSURE AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO YOU ALL IS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT WORK WHERE IT'S NEEDED, UM, AND, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING IT THAT IS MAKING, UH, A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK, I THINK IT'S LONG DUE, UH, FOR A LOOK TO SEE HOW WE REVAMP THAT, THAT WOULD BE A, A REVIEW THAT WE WOULD DO, SOMEBODY WOULD DO FOR US.
AND CERTAINLY WE WOULD BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
I THINK A KEY PART OF, UH, ONE OF YOU ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FIVE YEAR STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM? WELL, NOTHING HAPPENS TO IT.
I THINK A KEY PART OF ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM SOMEBODY ARE NOT JUST RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT TO DO, BUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT, BECAUSE CERTAINLY THERE IS, UM, INFORMATION OUT THERE AND WE WANNA BE FORTHCOMING AND CLEAR WITH THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS OUR FINANCIAL PLANS.
SO I JUST MENTIONED THE $122 MILLION IN STREET MAINTENANCE.
IT'S ALMOST 1500 PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR 416 MILES.
UM, AND THEN $17 MILLION IN, UM, NEW SIDEWALK INVESTMENT, BOTH NEW SIDEWALKS AS WELL AS REPAIRING, UM, UM, UH, SIDEWALKS THAT ARE, UM, PUSHED UP BY ROOTS AND TREES OR CRACKED OR CROOKED
[00:55:01]
OR UNUSABLE.UM, AND, UH, WILL RESULT IN, UH, 21 MILES OF NEW SIDEWALKS AND 11 MILES OF REPAIRED.
THE NEXT AREA OF FOCUS IS, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY AS WE CONTINUE ON OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $30.4 MILLION IN, UH, BOTH GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS GRANT FUNDS.
UM, TO CONTINUE OUR WORK GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR OF THE GOAL OF THE, THE, UH, THE, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF 28, A LITTLE OVER 28,000, UM, 13,100 WILL BE CONSTRUCTED UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, OF THE $150 MILLION BOND ALLOCATION THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED IN MAY OF 2022, UH, YOU ALL HAVE ALLOCATED AND APPROVED $127.8 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE, BY FAR A MAJORITY OF THE MONEY OUT IN PRODUCTION, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, PART OF, UM, THE INITIATIVES THAT WERE IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHORED UP AS WE WENT INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, OUR PROPOSED GOING TO THE NEXT YEAR WAS ENSURING THAT THERE WAS NO CHANGE TO THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPACT AND SERVE IN TWO PRIMARY AREAS, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS, UH, MAJOR AND MINOR REPAIRS.
UM, AND IN BOTH CASES, UM, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WE MOVED MONEY INTERNALLY FROM THE CITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THAT NUMBER, UM, WILL, UH, WILL NOT DECREASE.
YOU'LL HEAR FROM VERONICA GARCIA, HER BUDGET WORK SESSION, UM, HOW SHE HAS WORKED TO, UH, IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL, UM, EFFICIENCIES, FRANKLY, BY WORKING CLOSER WITH OUR NONPROFITS AND BEING ABLE TO DELIVER THOSE SPEC, SPECIFICALLY OUR MINOR REPAIR PROJECTS, UM, IN A MORE EFFICIENT, LESS COSTLY WAY.
UM, AND SO WE'LL CERTAINLY START HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, THAT, UH, NEXT WEDNESDAY, UH, AT YOUR BUDGET WORK SESSION.
IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY OPERATING UNDER TIGHT BUDGET CONDITIONS AND, AND BEING MINDFUL OF OUR FINANCIAL POSITION, UH, INVESTING IN CORE SERVICES THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR CERTAINLY STILL APPLIES, UH, TO POLICE AND FIRE.
UH, I AM PROPOSING ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE PROPOSED PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 IN OUR GENERAL FUND IS 63.7% COMPARED TO 61.6% IN OUR FY 25 BUDGET TOTAL COMBINED BETWEEN POLICE AND FIRE.
UM, THOSE TWO BUDGETS MAKE UP, UH, $1.079 BILLION OF OUR $1.6 BILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
IN TERMS OF POLICE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS AT $630.6 MILLION.
UM, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES THE ADDITION OF 53 NEW POLICE OFFICERS, 28, OF WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT DURING, UM, BOTH IN OUR MID-YEAR BUDGET AS WELL AS THE JUNE TRIAL BUDGET.
THOSE 28 POSITIONS ARE PRIMARILY OUR, UH, UH, SUPERVISORY POSITIONS THAT WILL BE NEEDED AT OUR SOUTH FLOORS, UH, POLICE SUBSTATION THAT IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN UP IN 2027.
WE'LL NEED TO GET THOSE POSITIONS IN THE ACADEMY NEXT SUMMER AND, AND BE, HAVE THEM IN PLACE, UH, BY THE TIME THEY, UH, BY THE TIME THAT THAT BUILDING OPENS.
WE ALSO ARE PROPOSING AN ADDITIONAL 25, UH, POLICE OFFICERS FOR, UH, PATROL.
UM, AND THIS CONTINUES US ON OUR MOVE TOWARDS ADJUSTING OUR, UH, OFFICER TIME TO 60% PROACTIVE WORK AND 40% ON CALL.
WE HAD A GOAL OVER FIVE YEARS OF ADDING 360 OFFICERS.
UM, AND WITH THESE 25 FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THIS PLAN, UM, WE WILL HAVE ADDED 190 TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
AND CERTAINLY THERE WILL BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.
THE, THE POLICE BUDGET WORK SESSION IS ON TUESDAY.
UM, AND, UM, THE GOAL IS A GOAL, RIGHT? AND WE DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES WE HAVE.
UM, AND I KNOW THERE'LL BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT NEXT TUESDAY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH IN, UM, IN THE CITY, THAT, UM, ENSURING THAT RESPONSE TIMES, UM, AND OUR PROACTIVE ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY OF OURS.
WE ARE ALSO CONVERTING, UM, 65 VACANCIES IN OUR PARK AND AIRPORT POLICE, UM, FROM, UH, FROM THOSE TWO DIVISIONS INTO, UH, PO POSITIONS WITHIN, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, SIX ACADEMY GLASS CLASSES.
AND WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR SIX ACADEMY CLASSES AS WE GO INTO FISCAL YEAR, UH, 26 WITH A PROJECTED ESTIMATE OF 270 GRADUATES, UH, GOING FORWARD
[01:00:02]
IN TERMS OF FIRE.UM, OUR TOTAL, UH, FIRE, UH, BUDGET, PROPOSED BUDGET IS 428 AND A HALF, ALMOST, ALMOST A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR GENERAL FUND.
UM, IT FOCUSES IN, IN REALLY TWO CORE AREAS.
UH, ONE IS INCREASING OUR ENHANCED, UM, SQUAD UNIT PROGRAM.
WE BEGAN THAT PROGRAM THREE YEARS AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, UM, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR ENHANCED, UH, SQUADS.
THE ENHANCEMENT ABOUT THIS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY LOCATED, UM, AT OUR BUSIEST ENGINE COMPANIES AND ALLOW A, A, A SLIGHTLY ADDITIONAL CHANGE IN OUR STAFFING MODEL TO ALLOW, UM, A, A, UH, A PICKUP TRUCK WITH THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY CALLS.
80% OF THE CALLS, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM CHIEF FROSTO ON TUESDAY, 80% OF OUR CALLS ARE MEDICALLY RELATED.
AND SO, UH, THIS, UH, ENHANCEMENT ALLOWS THE ENGINE AND THE STAFFING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT OR HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS.
UM, AND, UH, WE ADDED, UH, THREE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO ADD TWO MORE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THEY WOULD BE LOCATED AT FIRE STATION 10 AND AT FIRE STATION 21.
SECONDLY, IN TERMS OF PRIORITY FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, WAS, UM, IS $1.4 MILLION FOR REALLY TWO DIFFERENT TYPE OF ASSESSMENTS THAT WE NEED TO DO, ALTHOUGH WE'RE RECOMMENDING WE DO.
ONE IS FOCUSED ON STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT, UM, AND, UM, WHAT ARE THE EMERGING TRENDS IN TERMS OF PREPARATION AND TRAINING, UM, THAT WE NEED TO DO AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT, UM, IS REALLY AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR, UM, FACILITIES.
WE HAVE TWO FIRE STATIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BOTH DISTRICTS, THREE AND DISTRICT FOUR.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER, UH, REPLACEMENT FIRE STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION HERE WITHIN THE, PROBABLY THE NEXT HALF YEAR, UH, NINE MONTHS IN DISTRICT THREE REPLACING, UH, FIRE STATION 21.
AND SEVERAL OF YOU, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TO FIRE STATIONS.
UM, AND, UH, THOSE ARE THE ONE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE PROBABLY OTHER THAN THE AIRPORT THAT ARE USED 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, SO THE ASSESSMENT OF OUR FACILITIES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE CAN DEVELOP A PLAN TO MAINTAIN, RENOVATE AND MAYBE IN SOME PLACES REPLACE SOME OF OUR FIRE STATIONS.
LAYING OUT THAT PLAN, UH, ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THAT? WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT ALL AT ONCE, BUT, UH, THAT TYPE OF ASSESSMENT IS GONNA BE NECESSARY.
UH, MARIA, THE CHIEF, AND, UM, AND I MET WITH, UM, UM, JOE JONES AND JAVIER LAN YESTERDAY, UH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND, UM, THEY BROUGHT UP, UM, THREE, ALBEIT MINOR ISSUES, UH, BUT IMPORTANT TO THE FIRE STATIONS, AND THEY ALL HAD TO DO WITH SMALLER FACILITY ISSUES.
SO WITH 54 FIRE STATIONS AND LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE CITY, UM, KINDA REASSESSING WHERE WE'RE AT AND PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH IT, BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BORROWS THE, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S, DRONES AND, UM, UH, WE'RE SETTING ASIDE MONEY TO ENHANCE THAT, UH, THAT CAPABILITY WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THIS INCLUDES PROBABLY WOULD ALSO POTENTIALLY BE A, IN, UH, A TOPIC OF REVIEW IN TERMS OF NEEDS AND RESOURCES AND EMERGING TRENDS.
UM, BUT, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE DRONES NEXT YEAR, UH, FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, UM, UH, MAPPING PERIMETERS, UH, AND IDENTIFYING HOTSPOTS AND ALL KINDS OF, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE OUTFITTED TO THOSE DRONES.
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UH, THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THERE ARE NO MAJOR REDUCTIONS, CERTAINLY IN OUR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS APPROVED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT ALL OF OUR MAJOR METRICS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, JOHN AND THE TEAM AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ARE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE ANIMAL COMMUNITY, UM, AND WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR PERCENTAGE RESPONSE TO CRITICAL CALLS, WHICH WAS EMBARRASSINGLY LOW TWO YEARS AGO AT 44%.
UM, WE ARE PROJECTING, UH, THIS YEAR TO END AT 83% AND THEN 97% NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE ARE IN AN OVER HIRE POSITION AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE THOSE POSITIONS FILLED.
OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE, UM, CONTINUES TO REMAIN HIGH.
OUR ADOPTIONS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE UP, AND I THINK PROBABLY THE ONE THAT, THAT IS SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED, BUT, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND MR. BACHMAN SHOWS UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE ON WEDNESDAYS AND REMINDS YOU, BUT OUR SPAY NEUTER NUMBERS ARE UP THIS YEAR AND ARE PROJECTED TO GO UP, UH, NEXT YEAR BY SIX POINT A HALF PERCENT.
[01:05:01]
UP THOSE TWO, UH, SPAY NEUTER CLINICS ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDES, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.AND, UM, IT IS A GREAT RESOURCE AND IS PROVING TO BE VERY VALUABLE BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDES THEM ACCESS TO THOSE FREE OR LOW COST, UH, SPAY NEUTER, UH, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE THEY NEED IT.
UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS A COMBINED 28, UH, $0.9 MILLION, AND YOU ALL WILL RECALL THAT WE HAD A CONVERSATION IN THE SPRINGTIME ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS, WHICH IS OUR SOLICITATION PROCESS TO PROCURE, UH, SERVICES FROM NONPROFIT AGENCIES, WHETHER THEY BE, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES, SENIOR PROGRAMMING, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING, UH, SAFETY NET SERVICES.
UM, PART OF THE CONVERSATION, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL HAD IS REFLECTIVE IN THE IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FUNDING.
WE HAVE WHAT, WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS DESIGNATED FUNDING AND COMPETITIVE FUNDING.
DESIGNATED FUNDING, UH, FOR US, UM, ARE, UM, AGENCIES LIKE HAVEN FOR HOPE, OR THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT PROVIDE AFTERSCHOOL CARE OR, UH, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY AND ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, AND OUR COMPETITIVE FUNDING ARE THOSE AGENCIES WHERE WE ASK YOU ALL PRIORITIZE IN A SESSION, WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF MOST IMPORTANCE TO YOU AS A BODY? AND THEN THROUGH THE SOLICITATION AGENCIES PROPOSE HOW THEY WILL DO THAT SERVICE FOR US OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THOSE DESI FOR THOSE, UH, COMPETITIVE FUNDING AGENCIES ONLY INCLUDES FUNDING THROUGH THE END OF MAY.
AND, UH, BEGINNING NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY WHEN, UM, MELODY WOOSLEY PRESENTS HER PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT DELEGATE AGENCIES AND BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND, UH, DEPENDING ON THAT CONVERSATION, UH, WE MAY, UH, UH, NEED TO REVISIT WITH YOU WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE BECAUSE WE WILL NEED TO DO AN RFP THIS, UH, FALL, UM, FOR FUNDING AFTER, UH, UH, THE END OF MAY, UH, 26.
UM, WE DID MAKE A, A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN, UH, THE DELEGATE AGENCIES IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, TYPICALLY AGENCIES DON'T SPEND ALL THEIR MONEY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A, FROM A, UH, A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW.
UM, SO WE ELIMINATED, UH, A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OUTTA THAT BUDGET IN THE PROPOSED, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE FOR, UM, ANTICIPATED UNSPENT FUNDS AS WE GO, UH, THROUGH NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, FOR THOSE COMPETITIVE AGENCIES DOES NOT REFLECT ANY CHANGE TO WHAT THEIR BUDGET IS NOW, AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT PART OF Y'ALL'S CONVERSATION IN THE SPRINGTIME AROUND THESE SERVICES.
UM, PART OF THE CONVERSATION WAS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING, AND PART OF THE TAKEAWAY FROM THAT MEETING WAS TO LET'S, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHERE THE GROUND IS GONNA SETTLE.
LET'S KEEP EVERYBODY THROUGH THE END OF MAY.
LET'S HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE NEW MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN THE FALL, UM, AND RESET OUR FOCUS AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT IN THE BUDGET.
OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS, UH, THERE'S NO PROPOSED FEE INCREASE TO OUR, OUR SOLID WASTE, UH, BUDGET.
UM, THAT FUND, UM, IS A UTILITY FUND AND IS, UH, ALMOST 161 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND PROVIDES, UH, PRACTICALLY DAILY SERVICE, UH, TO 380,000 CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE WILL HAVE A CONTINUED FOCUS ON HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENT, AS WELL AS ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UM, SOME OF YOU WILL RECALL THAT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THE CITY HAD NOT MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT UTILITY, UH, RATE.
UM, AND, UH, AFTER, UH, GOING THROUGH SOME ADJUSTMENTS, UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, PART OF WHAT WE DO NOW IS LOOK AT THAT RATE EVERY TWO YEARS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE ARE, UH, PASSING ALONG, UM, THE SERVICES THAT CONSISTENTLY ARE HIGHLY RATED BY THE PUBLIC AND, AND CERTAINLY NEEDED.
OUR AIRPORT, UH, IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A PROPOSED BUDGET OF $169.4 MILLION, AND JESUS WILL BE BEFORE YOU IN SEVERAL WEEKS TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
WE ARE EXPECTING A, UH, AN INCREASE, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN, UH, WE PASSENGERS THROUGH, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR, OR GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 26.
WE HAVE 48, UH, NONSTOP DESTINATIONS.
UM, MANY OF SEVERAL OF THE, UH, FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCEPTS THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, WILL BEGIN OPENING LATER ON THIS YEAR IN NOVEMBER.
UH, WE HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING, UH, FOR THE NEW PARKING GARAGE, UM, IN, UH, IN THIS FALL.
AND OUR, UM, GROUND LOAD FACILITY, THE ADDITIONAL, UH, GATING THAT'S AT, THAT'S BEING CONSTRUCTED AT THE END OF THE, UH, TERMINAL A
[01:10:01]
IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN DECEMBER OF 2025.I WAS OUT THERE ON SATURDAY, AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UM, IS HAPPENING, WAS HAPPENING EVEN ON SATURDAY.
UM, AND WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS OUT THERE AT THE AIRPORT IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, ANOTHER ENTERPRISE FUND WE HAVE WHERE IT ACCOUNTS FOR ALL THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH ALL DEVELOPMENT RELATED ACTIVITY.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN A, UH, A DECLINE IN RESIDENTIAL PERMITTING BY, UM, A LITTLE OVER 16% THIS YEAR, AND A DECREASE IN COMMERCIAL PER PERMITTING OF 10.5%.
AS WE GO INTO FISCAL YEAR 26, UH, WE ARE PROJECTING, UM, A 0.3% DECREASE IN RESIDENTIAL AND A 0.7% DECREASE IN COMMERCIAL.
MUCH OF THIS, AS YOU CAN EXPECT, IS LIKELY TIED TO THE ECONOMY, UH, TARIFF CONVERSATIONS AND INTEREST RATES.
AND SO WE CLOSELY MONITOR, UM, THIS ACTIVITY.
AND IN THIS ENTERPRISE FUND, AS REVENUES DECLINE, WE STRATEGICALLY REDUCE OUR EXPENSES, UH, TO ENCAPSULATE ALL OF THAT WORK.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEGUN THAT WORK, UH, IN THE SPRINGTIME.
UM, WE DO THIS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, EBB AND FLOW WITH THE DEMAND.
UM, AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE INCLUDING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR CONSIDERATION AS WE GO IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27, IS A CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, CHANGES TO POTENTIAL REVENUE OR SERVICES.
AND THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I THINK I'D LIKE TO PROBABLY START WITH YOU ALL, UH, APPROPRIATELY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, EXAMINE HOW WE, HOW WE APPROACH THAT AS WE GO INTO, UH, FISCAL YEAR 27.
I'LL ALSO SAY THAT BUILDING PERMITS ARE ONE OF OUR EARLY WARNING INDICATORS.
SO I SHOWED EARLIER THAT WE SAW 1.6% INCREASE IN TAXABLE VALUES.
SO, UH, WITH PERMITTING BEING DOWN, UH, THIS YEAR AND NOT ANTICIPATED THE CHANGE, UM, UH, ONLY MARGINALLY, UH, GOING INTO 26, THOSE ARE LIKELY TO BE PRESSURES WE SEE IN FUTURE TAXABLE VALUES GOING FORWARD.
LASTLY, UH, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS $108.7 MILLION.
UM, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX PROJECTIONS ARE 2.8% HIGHER THAN OUR FY 25 ESTIMATED BUDGET.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, AND YOU'LL SEE ON THAT TABLE, UH, MAINTAINS THE SAME LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO, ARTS AND HISTORY, ARTS AND HISTORY AND PRESERVATION.
UM, THE GENERAL FUND DOES INCLUDE A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR GEN, UH, PUBLIC ART MAINTENANCE, UM, AND IN ORDER TO ADJUST FOR, UH, UH, NECESSARY CHANGES WITHIN THE BUDGET WE MAKE, UH, YOU SEE ON THE CHART, UH, WE SAW WE MADE THE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN SPENDING AT BOTH OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND ALAMO DOME, AND PATRICIA WILL BE LAYING THAT OUT TO YOU HERE, UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
LASTLY, UM, WE HAVE $162 MILLION, $162.7 MILLION IN FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, AND IT DOES REFLECT, UM, CHANGES THAT WE'VE SEEN.
WE'VE HAD $1.4 MILLION IN, UH, REDUCTIONS IN METRO HEALTH GRANTS.
UM, AND YOU SAW, UH, LIKELY SAW MY EMAIL, UH, LA AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, UM, A $27.1 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR SOLAR GRANT, UM, WHICH WAS A LARGER EFFORT, UM, PRACTICALLY STATEWIDE.
UM, THAT WAS LED BY HARRIS COUNTY, UM, IN THE EPA, UM, CANCELED THAT GRANT, UH, LAST WEEK, WHICH AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $27.1 MILLION OF GRANT FUNDS FOR US, UM, PROSPECTIVELY GOING FORWARD, IT WAS WORK THAT HAD NOT BEGUN YET AND WAS IN THE PREPARATION PHASES, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY, THERE CONTINUES TO BE, UM, SOME UNCERTAINTY AROUND FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD.
I SHARED WITH THE, WITH THE MAYOR, UH, THE OTHER DAY THAT I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT, WELL, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYTHING, BUT I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL CHANGES TO CDBG AND HOME.
UM, WE'VE NOT SEEN THOSE IMPACTS YET.
UM, AND CERTAINLY AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR FEDERAL INITIATIVES PROGRAM, THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE ONE OF OUR CORE AREAS.
AND AS A BIG PART OF ONE OF THE COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND THE PUBLIC'S PRIORITIES, AND IN BE ENSURING THAT WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE FROM AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STANDPOINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MAYOR AND I TALKED ABOUT, UM, AND IT WAS A QUESTION THE MAYOR HAD, YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT OF TABLETOP EXERCISES ABOUT FLOODS OR CYBERSECURITY OR THOSE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, BUT THE MAYOR ASKED ME A GREAT QUESTION.
SHE SAID, DO YOU EVER, HAVE YOU EVER DONE A TABLETOP ON WHAT HAPPENS IF CDBG GOES AWAY OR HOME, OR METRO HEALTH GRANTS FOR IMMUNIZATIONS? AND, UM, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, WE'LL BE CONDUCTING, AND I THINK, UM, UM, BASED ON
[01:15:01]
CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR, UM, THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR ECOSYSTEM THAT ARE EQUALLY IMPACTED, LIKE THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, UH, BEAR COUNTY, POTENTIALLY THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS.SO CONVENING A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE ALL INEXPLICABLY LINKED, UM, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, IF THERE ARE DECLINES AND POSITIONS AND SERVICES THERE THAT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR OUTREACH, OUR EMS UNITS AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
SO, UM, IT WAS, UH, A, A, A GREAT IDEA, UH, AND QUESTION THAT THE MAYOR HAD THAT REALLY STARTED, UM, KIND OF THE, THE NOTION THAT WE NEED TO DO A TABLETOP EXERCISE ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE RANKS, UH, IF THERE ARE CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN TERMS OF FUNDING, ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH THIS, ADOPT THE, ONCE YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET.
UM, JUST TO PUT A MARKER FOR YOU, WE DO WANNA REVISIT HOW WE DO THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
AND THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT BEGAN IN THE SPRING, ACTUALLY STARTED LAST FALL, UM, THROUGH, UH, A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST, UM, AND CULMINATED IN A PRESENTATION BY PFM, UH, TO THE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR.
REALLY DESIGNED AROUND GIVING THE COUNCIL UNDER A FOUR YEAR TERM, A LITTLE BIT MORE LEG ROOM TO BE STRATEGIC IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES, UM, AND, UH, DEVELOP A HYBRID BUDGET METHODOLOGY THAT THAT INVOLVED OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING, ZERO BASED BUDGETING, PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, NOT LISTED HERE, BUT CERTAINLY A NECESSARY PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGETING.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE APPROACHES THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, PARTICULARLY THIS COUNCIL, IS YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT IN CONVERSATION, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY, UH, GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 27.
THE NEXT STEPS ON THE BUDGET PROCESS.
OBVIOUSLY, BUDGET WORK SESSIONS START NEXT FRIDAY, I'M SORRY, NEXT TUESDAY.
UH, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A YOUTH TOWN HALL, WHICH WAS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL LAST YEAR, AND WE'LL, WE'RE, WE'RE SCHEDULING TO DO IT THIS YEAR AS WELL, AS WELL AS THE, THE, THE, THE, UM, UH, THE COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS, UH, IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
UM, WE HAVE TWO BUDGET, UH, AND TAX RATE HEARINGS THAT WILL OCCUR IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THE, THE, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL BE UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR ANY AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE IN ADOPTION.
ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, OUR BUDGET THIS MORNING WAS UPLOADED ONLINE, UH, TO OUR OPEN GOV SYSTEM, UM, WHICH HAS, UH, LITERALLY ALL THE INFORMATION, NOT JUST THE, THE PRETTY PICTURES.
UM, AND SO THE PUBLIC IS CERTAINLY INVITED TO, UH, VISIT THAT SITE AND LOOK INTO THE, THE DEPTH OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND, UH, WHERE WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO.
OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS, AS I MENTIONED, BEGIN NEXT WEEK AND RUN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17TH.
AND OUR BUDGET TOWN HALLS ARE LISTED HERE.
THEY BEGIN, UH, ON AUGUST 18TH AND END ON AUGUST 27TH AT THESE WORK SESSIONS.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH EACH OF YOU TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THEY'RE STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT, UH, THAT YOU'D LIKE.
UM, AND THESE, UH, WORK SESSIONS WILL CERTAINLY INCLUDE, UM, EXECUTIVE STAFF AND MYSELF, UM, FOR ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS AND, AND PRESENTATION, UM, ON THOSE NIGHTS THAT ARE HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY, UH, MARIA AND I WILL DIVVY THOSE UP AND, AND COVER BOTH MAYOR COUNCIL.
THAT IS THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE, UM, UM, THE DEPARTMENTAL STAFF THAT WORKED, UM, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, I CERTAINLY WANT TO, UM, EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO THE, UH, DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVES, UH, FOR THEIR WORK AND DILIGENCE, UH, AS WELL AS JUSTINA AND FREDDY AND THE BUDGET STAFF, UM, TROY, UH, AND, UH, THE FINANCE TEAM.
AND, UM, FINALLY, UH, MY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, UM, WITH MARIA AND BEN, UM, AND THE REST OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, UM, MANY TIMES, UM, THE, THE, UM, THE SUMMER SUMMERS ALWAYS ARE LONG.
UM, AND THIS WAS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF THE MATTER AHEAD OF US, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME SPENT AWAY FROM FAMILIES, UH, OVER THE SUMMER.
SO I WANNA THANK THE STAFF FOR WHAT THEY DID.
I ALSO WANNA ECHO, UM, THIS COUNCIL'S THANKS TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, UH, THAT DID THAT TOO MANY TIMES.
I THINK WE SAW EACH OTHER THERE ON SATURDAY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE VERY HARD WORK TO HELP ENSURE THAT, UM, WE COULD CONSIDER THESE THINGS THOUGHTFULLY AND AND THOROUGHLY.
UM, THE, UM, I, I DO WANNA, UM, REITERATE I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TABLETOP EXERCISE.
I THINK AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO TO HELP OURSELVES UNDERSTAND
[01:20:01]
WHAT ASSUMPTIONS WE ARE MAKING NEEDLESSLY, UM, OR MAYBE UNINTENTIONALLY, UH, THAT'LL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY SOME FLEXIBILITY, UM, AS WE ENTER INTO A VERY DIFFICULT FISCAL ENVIRONMENT.UH, CERTAINLY AS I'VE MENTIONED, AGAIN, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECONCILIATION BILL, IT'S ALMOST LIKE, YOU KNOW, A COVID IS COMING, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE ESSENTIALLY ENSURE WE'RE BEST PREPARED AND POSTURED, UH, TO RESPOND TO THAT AS WELL AS WE ALSO LOOK AT SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE KNOW WILL COME BEFORE THIS BODY NEXT YEAR, WHICH ARE RATE INCREASE, UH, REQUESTS FROM BOTH CPS AND FROM SAWS.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, AS, AS PART OF, AND AS PART OF THE TABLETOP, NORMALLY AS I'VE PART PARTICIPATED IN THOSE, THOSE ALWAYS ILLUMINATE, UM, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.
NOW, I THINK WHAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL, UM, EVEN BEFORE THAT THOUGH, UM, ERIC, IS IF, UM, YOU CAN MAYBE REFRESH THE THINGS THAT WERE DONE, UM, DURING THE TIME OF COVID THAT WE MIGHT ALREADY BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, AS WE, UM, LOOK TO SHORE UP SOME OF THE CAPABILITIES IN, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THOSE, UH, THOSE DEPART THE DEPARTMENT ADDRESSING ARE UNHOUSED THOSE APART, THOSE, UH, DEPARTMENTS ADDRESSING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, ET CETERA.
JUST SO WE KNOW THOSE ARE ALREADY OPTIONS, AND MAYBE WE ALSO INCLUDE THOSE AS CONSIDERATIONS IN OUR, IN OUR TABLETOP.
UM, UM, I KNOW WE WILL, UM, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
I, IF YOU COULD THOUGH SPEAK TO, OR, UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY MARIA THAT GAVE ME THE BRIEF, SO MAYBE IT'S MARIA THAT DOES IT.
BUT, UM, THIS, HOW THIS IS INFORMED BY, OR HOW WE MIGHT THINK ABOUT, UH, THE STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE, UM, MEASURES AS PART OF, UM, SHAPING, UM, THIS BUDGET.
I KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO DO GIVEN, YOU KNOW, A LONGER TIME HORIZON.
SO IF YOU COULD, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S BEING REFRESHED, UM, BUT IF YOU PLEASE HELP, UM, ADDRESS THAT HERE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE A SET OF PERFORMANCE METRICS.
YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOCUMENT.
UH, AND THAT IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THOSE METRICS THAT EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, COMPILE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT REDUCTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET THE DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE AS PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION, WHAT ARE THOSE METRICS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THOSE CHANGES THAT WE'RE MAKING? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, THEY HAVE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEY HAVE CERTAIN METRICS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS, LIKE OUR GETTING TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF RESPONDING TO OUR CRITICAL CALLS.
SO THAT'S HOW THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, ARE TYING THOSE, UH, STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THEM, AND HOW WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR INITIATIVES ARE MOVING FORWARD, THOSE GOALS OR, OR POTENTIALLY HOW WE'RE IMPACTING THEM WITH THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO YOU ALL.
MAYOR, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE OTHER EXAMPLE THAT I THINK THAT, THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
I, I MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET DID NOT REDUCE THE, THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT WE COULD HELP WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND, UH, BASED ON FUNDING, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE METRICS, WE SAW THAT NUMBER WAS DECLINING.
SO AS, AS WE DEVELOPED THE BUDGET IN THE SUMMER TO, TO ME, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL HAD, AND FROM THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND, AND FRANKLY JUST BEING A HUMAN BEING, THAT'S NOT A NUMBER THAT, THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO LET GO DOWN.
SO WE MADE SOME INTERNAL ADJUSTMENTS MM-HMM
TO ENSURE WE WEREN'T TAKING BACKWARDS STEPS.
SO WE USE THE METRICS GOING AND COMING SOMETIMES, AND, AND THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING AGAIN, THE, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WHICH IS FUND OUR NO FAIL MISSIONS, MINIMIZE LONG-TERM RISKS TO OUR MOST, UH, MOST VULNERABLE AND MINIMIZE ANY, UH, LONG-TERM RISKS AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN THE BUDGET.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE, THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, MY DIRECTION WOULD BE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND GEOGRAPHICALLY AND BY, UH, BY CERTAIN, UH, FRANKLY, MOST VULNERABLE DEMOGRAPHICS, HOW ANY CHANGES, UH, THAT YOU'VE PROPOSED HERE IN THE BUDGET, UM, HOW THAT IS ILLUMINATED, UM, IN, IN THOSE CHANGES, AND HOW WE MIGHT NEED TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THOSE.
UM, UH, WHEN WE, AS I'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE WANT TO ALSO BE, THE CITY WANTS TO BE CONSIDERED AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT 13 MILLION LOOKS LIKE, IF EVERYBODY GETS 2%, WHAT I'D ASK THE STAFF TO PROVIDE, UH, THE COUNCIL WITH, UM, IS WHAT AN ALTERNATIVE VERSION OF THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE KEPT THAT, UH, PAY INCREASED PROMISE, AND WE WORKED OUR WAY FROM THE BOTTOM UP, UM, WHAT DOES THAT 13.1 MILLION GET US? UM, THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE ANSWER SOME FOLKS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE WANNA HEAR, BUT WHAT I THINK IT DOES IS HELP US UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT GET US? MAYBE THAT GETS US EVERYBODY UNDER 40 5K WORKING FOR THE CITY, GETS A, A PAY RAISE.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW FAR THAT MONEY GOES IF WE START FROM THE BOTTOM UP VERSUS JUST THE 2% FLAT.
[01:25:11]
ERIC, CAN YOU SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT, UM, YOU MENTIONED HERE THE CONTINUED KIND OF STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE, UM, THAT WE WILL HAVE, UM, BUT HELP US AS WE, FRANKLY, AS WE SHOULD BE DOING.AND I KNOW YOU SAID EVEN A YEAR FROM NOW, THE 27 BUDGET MAY LOOK VERY DIFFERENT.
I THINK FOR MANY OF US THAT ARE TAKING A LONGER TERM OUTLOOK ON THIS, WHAT IS A LITTLE BIT SCARY IS WHAT 2030 LOOKS LIKE, UM, IF WE DON'T TAKE, MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
SO CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS BUDGET IN THE CONTEXT OF ADDRESSING THAT LONGER TERM CHALLENGE? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SO WE DO THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AS A, AS AN EARLY WARNING INDICATOR.
IT'S A BEST PRACTICE THAT MANY CITIES DO.
UM, AND, UM, THE, THE THINGS ABOUT A FORECAST IS THAT IT, IT IS, IT IS, UM, BASED ON HISTORICAL TRENDS AND INFORMATION WE HAVE AS WE TRANSITION TO THE ACTUAL BUDGET, WE FOCUS ON THE FIRST TWO YEARS.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF, UM, OF CHANGES THAT WILL OCCUR OR PLANS THAT YOU ALL MAY WANT TO DISCUSS.
UM, I JUST STOOD UP THERE AND TALKED ABOUT A, A FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WOULD LOOK AT THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, THOSE TYPE, THAT TYPE OF STRATEGIC, UH, VIEWPOINT, WHETHER IT'S ANIMAL CARE SERVICES OR POLICE OR FIRE OR ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS REALLY KIND OF, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT A BUTTRESS UP AGAINST, YOU KNOW, OUR CAPACITY AND OUR, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK I SAID THIS AT THE END, IT'S NEVER GONNA BE, OUR REVENUES ARE NEVER GONNA MATCH OUR EXPENSES EVENT, UH, EXACTLY.
BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE WITHIN ONE OR 2%, UM, THEN I THINK THAT'S FISCALLY PRUDENT.
UM, AND THE GAP THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL AT THE END OF JUNE WAS A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN, BUT IN, UH, EXPENSES, A 1% INCREASE IN REVENUE AND A $98 MILLION GAP IN OUR, IN OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
THAT GAP HAS BEEN NARROWED TREMENDOUSLY IN TERMS OF ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, 26.
AND I THINK MAYOR, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH THE, UM, THE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS AND THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL, UM, WE WILL, UM, WORK TO GIVE THE COUNCIL MAYBE A RANGE OF IMPACTS, UH, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY SEE BEGINNING IN 28.
THAT WAY, THAT WAY YOU ALL CAN LOOK, UH, FURTHER DOWN THE HORIZON.
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND THAT'LL BE HELPFUL.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME INITIAL DISCUSSION ON, UH, EVEN REVIEWING CITY INITIATED, INITIATED TOURS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, BUT UNDERSTANDING FRANKLY, HOW FAR WE CAN GET WITHOUT MAKING SOME OTHER CHANGES IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
UM, THE, I, UM, APPRECIATE THE, THE THOUGHTFULNESS AROUND, UM, THE, UM, UH, THE UNIT SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE, THE UNHOUSED, UM, AS WELL AS THE THOUGHTFULNESS AROUND MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT DEDICATED FOLKS, THE CAPITAL DELIVERY DEPARTMENT AT THIS POINT.
DID YOU HAVE EITHER A QUALITATIVE OR A QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT ABOUT HOW THAT HELPS US EITHER STAY ON TRACK OR MEET SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, UH, SOONER THAN, THAN EXPECTED? WELL, OTHER THAN KNOWING WE NEED TO DO BETTER, UH, NO.
SO, I MEAN, LOOK, I, I, I THINK THE, THE, OUR OUTREACH TEAMS YEAH.
AND THE RELATIONSHIP ON THE HOMELESS SIDE, UM, UM, WORK WELL AND, AND NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WELL, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF, OF THEIR, THEIR, UH, REQUEST FOR SERVICE.
WHAT I THINK, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I THINK IT WILL BE, UM, UH, SOMETHING THAT MOVES THE NEEDLE IS A COMMUNITY WIDE CONVERSATION WITH OTHER PARTNERS ABOUT HOW WE ARE TACKLING THIS COMPREHENSIVELY AND NOT AS INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MR. CARMONA, UH, NO PRESSURE, BUT HE, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, UM, AND STRATEGIC ADVICE TO ME THAT ME, THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UM, TO BETTER INFORM YOU ALL AS YOU TALK THROUGH THE HOUSING BOND POTENTIAL IN, IN, IN, IN ANOTHER, UH, UH, POTENTIAL MUNICIPAL BOND PROGRAM.
AND, AND THERE ARE CLEAR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND 30% AND 50% A MI, AND, UM, UM, THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR PERMANENT SUPPORT, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK WE'LL START TO SEE SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION NEXT WEDNESDAY AT THE BUDGET WORK SESSION ON THE HOMELESS SIDE.
ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, I DID MENTION IT DURING THE PRESENTATION, BUT THE, THE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT WHO CAME IN CONDUCTED A LOT OF EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS AS THEY DEVELOPED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UH, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS THAT, THAT THE EMPLOYEES KNEW WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, AND THEY HAD JUST AS MANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATION, OUR EXECUTION.
[01:30:01]
I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE SET THE TRAIN ON THE RAIL AND ENSURE THAT THAT RAIL IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.AND I, I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR THAT, UH, AND MARIA SAT IN AND SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS, UH, THE EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA BE ENERGIZED AND ARE ENERGIZED BY THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GERRAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
THANK YOU, MARY, THE BUDGET TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR Y'ALL'S CONTINUED WORK IN ENSURING THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET IN FRONT OF US.
UH, AS I EMPHASIZED DURING THE LAST, UH, BUDGET CONVERSATION.
OFTENTIMES WHEN, UH, COUNCIL HAS OUR LIST OF REQUESTS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL AS OUR, OUR, OUR WANTS THAT WE HAVE, IT'S THE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT HELP MATERIALIZE, UM, THAT PROJECT, UH, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE 2% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, I'D LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER 3%.
UH, I UNDERSTAND YOUR ARGUMENT, BUT WHEN WE CONSIDER THE, THE PREMIUM INCREASES, IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY, IT, IT ESSENTIALLY NULLIFIES THAT 2%, UH, COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE FUND REDUCTIONS, I SEE THAT SOME OF THE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAMS ARE, UM, SET TO BE ELIMINATED, PARTICULARLY PERSONIFY, WHICH ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO, UH, ADD FUNDS TO COVER SOME OF THE COSTS, WHETHER IT'S LIKE A DENTAL APPOINTMENT, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RECONSIDER AND LIKE HOW WE CAN ADJUST, UH, SOME OF THOSE PIECES.
UH, IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT I'D LIKE CLARIFICATION ON, AND, UM, IF WE COULD GET THIS OFFLINE, ARE REGARDING SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR, UH, SOME OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS PIECES.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FLASHING STOP SIGNS.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE HIGH, UH, PRIORITY AREAS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, AND THERE'S FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO TACKLE, UH, 326 MORE.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REDUCTION OF THAT PIECE, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, CITYWIDE WHERE THOSE 326 ARE GOING TO BE PLACED.
UH, AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE REQUESTS FOR THOSE FLASHING STOP SIGNS.
IS IT BECAUSE WE MAY NEED TO INCREASE SUPPORT AT PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP GET THOSE FLASHING STOP SIGNS INSTALLED.
SO I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE REQUESTS THAT FOLKS HAVE FROM CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN ARE THERE ISSUES IN TERMS OF INSTALLING, UH, THOSE STOP SIGNS? UM, SAME REGARDING THE RADAR, RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS.
I KNOW THESE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MY CONSTITUENTS REQUEST, AND I SEE THERE'S STILL FUNDING TO INSTALL SOME, UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHERE THOSE ARE SET TO BE INSTALLED, UM, BEFORE WE ELIMINATE, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, SAME THING WITH THE NON-SERVICE ALLEYWAYS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF NON-SERVICE ALLEYS.
UH, PUBLIC WORKS DOES A GREAT JOB AT, UH, HELPING TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, BUT OF COURSE, WE'RE LIMITED IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH FUNDING EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT RECEIVES AND TACKLING THOSE PIECES.
SO, UM, SHIFTING OVER TO HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, UH, I'M PLEASED TO SEE WITHIN THE BUDGET, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN HOMES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HOME REHAB PROGRAM DESPITE, UH, A REDUCTION IN FUNDING.
SO JUST GRATEFUL FOR VERONICA AND HER TEAM FOR, UM, OF COURSE, ALWAYS MEETING OUR CONSTITUENTS WHERE THEY ARE, LITERALLY IN THEIR HOMES, UH, TO REHAB, UM, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, BUT I DID WANNA SHIFT OVER TO THE FINES AND FEES.
WHAT I HEARD FROM DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS DURING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IN TERMS OF VACANT PROPERTIES AND VACANT LOTS.
SO IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE PROPOSED INCREASES, I THINK THAT WOULD RUN PARALLEL TO WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM COMMUNITY.
MORE ACCOUNTABILITY WILL LIKELY MEAN INCREASED FINES AND FEES FOR VACANT LOTS AND OVERGROWN VEGETATION.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF.
AND THEN WITH THE PROPOSED INCREASES TO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, UH, IF WE CAN RECEIVE A HEAT MAP OR DATA DISTRICT BY DISTRICT ON WHERE THOSE, UH, CITATIONS ARE ISSUED, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
MOVING FORWARD, UH, WITH THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, UH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE, UH, ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENTS.
WITH THE 5 MILLION ALLOCATED TOWARDS THAT, IS THAT LABOR FROM A SPECIFIC TEAM, OR CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE, THE ALLOCATION OF THE 5 MILLION? YES, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN, MY NAME IS JUSTINA TATE ON THE BUDGET DIRECTOR.
SO THE MONEY THAT'S OF ALLOCATED TO THE ENCAMPMENT INCLUDES BOTH THE OUTREACH TEAM FROM, UH, THE HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR SOLID WASTE TO DO THE ACTUAL CLEANUP.
UM, BECAUSE THE QUESTION THAT WE GET FROM COMMUNITY, RIGHT, IS IF THAT 5 MILLION IS SHIFTED TOWARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, INVESTING IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, HOW CAN WE HELP GET FOLKS IN LONG-TERM HOUSING? BUT ULTIMATELY, A REDUCTION IN THE 5 MILLION WOULD BE REDUCTION IN LABOR IN TERMS OF OUR OUTREACH WORKERS? CORRECT.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO JUMPING INTO THE WEEDS OF THINGS AS WE GO DEPARTMENT
[01:35:01]
BY DEPARTMENT.I WANNA START BY THINKING JUSTINA AND HER TEAM, UH, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL DID ON, ON THIS BUDGET.
I KNOW THAT SUMMER IS NOT NECESSARILY FUN FOR Y'ALL, SO I HOPE Y'ALL GET TO TAKE THE REST Y'ALL, Y'ALL NEED AFTER THIS.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE ERIC AND BEN, UM, AND Y'ALL'S TEAMS FOR KEEPING OUR BOND RATINGS HIGH.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE, I THINK ALL OF US FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE ARE A WELL RUN CITY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL Y'ALL'S EFFORTS THERE.
UH, I WANNA REITERATE THAT CORE SERVICES, UM, ARE MY RESIDENTS AND MY TOP PRIORITY, OBVIOUSLY, POLICE, FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THESE ARE SERVICES THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT NEXT YEAR.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO FIND, UH, IN FIND EFFICIENCIES.
AND I, I AM DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING EACH DEPARTMENTAL, UH, DEPARTMENTS.
BUT, UH, PRESENTATIONS REGARDING HOMELESSNESS, I, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO DIGGING IN HERE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEAR THAT I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS IS THAT WE, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY HERE, BUT THEY'RE, THEY ALSO FEEL LIKE THE PROBLEM'S GETTING WORSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT WE SPEND LESS, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE STRATEGIC ON HOW WE SPEND THAT MONEY.
I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW HOMELESS SERVICES AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT.
ERIC, YOU JUST MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT WE NEED, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS HOLISTICALLY AS A COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LEFT, THE LEFT HAND NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S AREAS WHERE THERE'S DUPLICATION OF SERVICES AND MAYBE THERE'S AREAS THAT AREN'T BEING ADDRESSED AT ALL.
UM, BUT ALL I KNOW IS THAT I GET THE FEEDBACK THAT, WOW, THE CITY SPENDS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE.
AND THEY FEEL THAT IT'S GETTING WORSE.
I, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE WORK DONE FOR, UH, CLEANING UP HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR RESIDENTS ASK FOR A LOT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF, OF THE LOW BARRIER SHELTERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, LET, LET'S JUST, LET'S, LET'S DIVE DEEP INTO THAT AND SEE WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON PRIORITIZING ABATEMENTS INSENSITIVE AREAS SUCH AS DRAINAGE DITCHES.
UH, WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF, UM, DEATHS OF, OF OUR UNSHELTERED, UH, RESIDENTS IN BE IN A DRAINAGE DITCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR US, THEY END UP IN WOODLAWN LAKE.
AND THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY IS SCARY FOR A LOT OF OF FOLKS.
AND SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE DRAINAGE CHANNELS, IN PARTICULAR FOR CLEANING UP HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, OBVIOUSLY, INVESTING IN EFFECTIVE STREET OUTREACH, ACCESSIBLE MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SUBSTANCE AND ABUSE TREATMENT, UH, THE EVICTION PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IS CRUCIAL.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE CAPITAL PROJECT DELIVERY DEPARTMENT, I WANNA CONGRATULATE MIKE SHANNON ON HIS NEW ROLE.
WHERE IS MIKE? IS HE HERE? THANKS
LET'S GIVE A ONE OF A PAUSE FOR
I'M STILL MAD THAT I HAVE BUTTER FROM A CS, BUT, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW ROLE.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT WORKING WITH MIKE, UM, IN, IN THE PREVIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND SEEING WHAT HE DID AT A CSI, I'M, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS LEADERSHIP HERE.
UM, WE PUBLIC WORKS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I PARTNERED WITH COUNCILMAN DR.
UR AND COUNCILMAN CASTILLO ON THE PUBLIC WORKS RESET.
THIS IS A CONCERN THAT WE CONSTANTLY HEAR FROM OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SEEING 88 POSITIONS VACANT IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THAT DID HAVE AN IMPACT, UH, ON THE D ON THE SERVICE DELIVERY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO I WANNA ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT CRI CRITICAL POSITIONS ARE FILLED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO CON IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC WORKS THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MY RESIDENTS, UH, LET ME KNOW ABOUT AGAIN AND AGAIN, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING FOR A PROJECT TO START ON X, Y, Z DATE, AND IT DOESN'T TWO WEEKS LATE.
AND THAT'S VERY DISRUPTIVE TO THEIR DAILY LIVES ON, UM, SLIDE 25.
I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN WHITE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT US TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE HOW ADDING 65 POLICE OFFICERS INSTEAD OF 25 WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND, AND SEEING WHERE WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, IF WE CAN HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, INFORMATION BY NEXT WEEK, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, UM, I KNOW COUNCILMAN WHITE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MEMO, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ALSO, TOO, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
CAN Y'ALL FILL ME IN ON THE 65 PARK AND AIRPORT POLICE VACANCIES AND WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE?
[01:40:05]
YES.SO BACK IN EARLIER IN MAY, WE MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GONNA TRANSITION LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM AIRPORT AND PARKS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE ARE CURRENTLY 65 VACANT POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING TRANSFERRED AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THOSE WILL BEGIN THE ACADEMY CLASSES MM-HMM
AS WE BEGIN THE FISCAL YEAR TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
WHEN WE PRESENT TO YOU NEXT TUESDAY, THE CHIEF WILL ELABORATE ON HIS PLAN ON HOW TO DEPLOY THOSE POSITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, NUMBER TWO, TO ASSURE YOU THAT THERE'S NO GAP IN SERVICE MM-HMM
WHEN IT COMES TO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE SAFETY TO BOTH THE AIRPORT AND OUR PARKS.
AND, AND, AND I'M, YES, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT, MARIA.
'CAUSE I'M PARTICULARLY, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT THE GAP IN SERVICE FOR OUR PARKS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS USE THE PARKS, UM, UM, FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, FOR MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITIES, FOR, FOR COMMUNITY GATHERINGS.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO GAPS OF SERVICE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD UNDERSTOOD FROM OUR PARK POLICE, AND THIS IS A WHILE AGO, IS THAT THEY SPENT SO MUCH TIME DRIVING FROM PARK TO PARK, YOU KNOW, AND SO ALL THAT TIME DRIVING IS LESS TIME ACTUALLY MONITORING AND BEING AT THE PARK.
SO I WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MAKE THAT MORE EFFICIENT, UH, FOR THEM AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU ON, UH, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE I PUSHED HARD ON, ON MY FIRST TERM, UM, ALONG WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
SO LET'S DEFINITELY KEEP THE MOMENTUM GO GOING.
WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THE PAST.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LET, LET'S JUST KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE GAS WITH THAT ONE.
UH, ON SLIDE 28, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION ON DELEGATE AGENCIES AND SEEING WHERE WE CAN, UH, POTENTIALLY REDUCE THE DUPLICATION OF SERVICES.
UM, I ALSO WANT US TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE DELEGATE AGENCIES, UM, WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AREA FOR, UH, POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP, UM, AND, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN WORK EFFECTIVELY TOGETHER WITH, WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS.
AND ALSO TOO, UM, AS COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I ALSO WANTED TO SEE THE NUMBERS ON A, WHAT A 3% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
YOU KNOW, I OFTEN SAY THAT, UH, I HAVE THE BEST TEAM, UM, AND I KNOW THE POWER OF A GREAT TEAM, AND THE CITY TEAM IS AN AMAZING TEAM.
AND SO I WANT US TO PRIORITIZE THAT AND, AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, I DID ALSO WANNA AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON THE VACANT BUILDING.
FINDS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR A LOT OF FROM RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
SO, UM, I DEFINITELY WANNA EXPLORE THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING GREAT JOB TO THE TEAM ON THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I KNOW IT'S, UM, ALWAYS TOUGH GOING INTO A DEFICIT.
IT'S NOT AS FUN FOR US EITHER, BECAUSE WE HAVE LESS ROOM TO SAY WHAT, UH, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE SAW, UM, THIS LAST YEAR THAT WE REALLY WANT Y'ALL TO FOCUS ON IN THESE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
BUT I'D LIKE TO ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IS THE CONSULTANTS THAT CAME OUT, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
AND ERIC MENTIONED THIS, UM, AND THE MAYOR ALSO DID TOO.
I'D LOVE FOR US TO REALLY GET STRONG ON PERFORMANCE BASED AND OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
I KNOW MAR OUR COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE WILL TALK ABOUT ZERO BASE IN A BIT, BUT I REALLY WANT US TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE REALLY TRACK TOWARDS OUTCOMES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES VERSUS JUST OUTPUTS.
SO, NOT HOW MUCH WE'RE DOING, BUT HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT WE'RE MAKING BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO, UM, I, I THOUGHT THEY DID A GREAT JOB PRESENTING TO US WHEN THEY CAME EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SO WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT, I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND HOPEFULLY REALLY FOCUS ON SOME DEPARTMENTS AND TRY TO START A, A DEPARTMENT AT A TIME TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA TRACK TOWARDS, UM, BIG GOAL WISE.
AND THEN, UH, JUST WANTED TO GET A CLARIFICATION ON THIS COLA BECAUSE THE, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE 5% PREMIUM, IS THAT TO OUR EMPLOYEES OR ARE WE COVERING THAT? NO, MA'AM.
IT'S AN INCREASE IN THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUM.
AND DEPENDING ON WHAT PLAN THEY'RE ON, UM, AND DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS, IT WOULD HAVE, UH, AN 86 CENT IMPACT PER MONTH UP TO $32 IN OUR MOST EXPENSIVE PLAN WITH THE FAMILY.
AND, AND WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE DO THE COMPENSATION, HR BUDGET WORK SESSION, WE'LL LAY THAT OUT AND, AND, AND LAY OUT SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE COVERING THE INCREASE IN THE PREMIUM.
UM, BUT SO I WOULD SUPPORT WHAT MY, BOTH OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE JUST SAID, LET'S PLEASE LOOK AT WHAT A, AT LEAST A 3% WOULD BE, BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE GIVING JUST A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THEN JUST TAKING THAT SAME THING BACK FOR PREMIUMS.
[01:45:01]
UM, AS FAR AS THE REVENUE GOES, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING UP WITH SOME OF THOSE CREATIVE SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE.UM, LIKE WAS MENTIONED, I KNOW COUNCILMAN CASTILLO ASKED FOR A HEAT MAP FOR TRAFFIC INCIDENCES.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PARKING VIOLATION INCREASE BECAUSE MY DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS HATE WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEIR PARKING VIOLATION IS CHEAPER THAN WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN TO PARK AT THE ALMO DOME FOR AN EVENT.
AND SO I THINK SEEING THAT INCREASE IS GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO FOR THE NEW HEALTH INSPECTION FEE.
I MENTIONED THIS WHEN WE CONNECTED IN OUR BRIEFING, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE NET BENEFIT IS FOR FN OR THE NET CHARGE MAYBE IS FOR F AND B BUSINESSES, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE HEALTH INSPECTION FEES ARE INCREASING, BUT THEY ALSO GOT A REDUCTION BASED ON STATE LAW CHANGE.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT IS.
UM, SORRY, I HAVE SOMETHING IN MY THROAT.
UM, ALSO, IS THERE, WE TALK ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND I KNOW SOLID WASTE IS NOT CHANGING IN OUR BUDGET, BUT I KNOW MANY OF US OFTEN SEE, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, HAVE WE EXPLORED LOOKING AT INCREASES TO FINES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING? NO, MA'AM.
THAT WAS NOT ONE OF THE AREAS WE LOOKED AT, BUT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK AT.
UH, JUDGE ODO WILL BE BEFORE Y'ALL NEXT TUESDAY, AND THE SOLID WASTE COMES SEVERAL WEEKS LATER.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO EXPLORE, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO EXPLORE THAT.
AND IF JUDGE ODO COULD ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE GETTING MORE STRINGENT ON THE CODE CODE FEES AND A CS VIOLATION FEES, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
UM, IT WAS FASCINATING TO ME WHEN Y'ALL SHARED THAT IF YOU GO ONLINE AND PAY A TICKET, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE PAYING, UH, MORE THAN IF YOU WERE TO GO TO COURT.
SO I JUST WANNA SEE THE IMPACT OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
GOING INTO DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR FUNDING THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A DEBATE FOR SOME OF US, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT WORK AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, FOR THE DHS PRESENTATION, COULD WE GET, THE ONE THING I DID HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR STREET OUTREACH FOLKS WAS THAT NOT EVERYONE IS ACTUALLY ALLOWED IN THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE BEING, UM, PUSHED AWAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, 'CAUSE IN MY THOUGHT, IT'S LOW BARRIER, MEANING ANYONE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, BE A RESIDENT THERE.
SO IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY AND WHY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
AND I, I KNOW I'M JUST GONNA MAKE THE REACH, BUT I THINK COUNCILMAN CASTILLO MENTIONED, I KNOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AT THAT, UH, AT THAT SHELTER.
SO HOW, AND WE, IT'S GONNA COST MORE MONEY, BUT IT WOULD BE A GREAT EXERCISE FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IF WE COULD HAVE MORE, UM, FUNDING ALLOCATED TO IT.
HOW MANY ADDITIONAL UNHOUSED FOLKS COULD WE SERVE THERE? I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS BEING DONE.
I KNOW THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT LONG-TERM IMPACTS FOR SOME OF OUR MACHINE EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA.
AND I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THE SQUAD PROGRAM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY VERY COOL.
LIKE, IT'S, UH, A GREAT WAY TO SAVE MONEY AND NOT USE OUR FIRE ENGINES AS MUCH AS WE NEED TO.
SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE'RE INCREASING SUPPORT THERE.
UM, COUNCILMAN AL GATO TOOK MY EXCITING NEWS ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, BUT I REMEMBER WE WERE ALL SITTING IN A SESSION EARLIER THIS YEAR AND WE WERE GETTING A PRESENTATION FROM MIKE AT A CS AND I WAS LIKE, MIKE, BE CAREFUL.
THIS MEANS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE, WE SHOULD PUT HIM IN PUBLIC WORKS NEXT AND TRY TO HELP FIND SUPPORT THERE.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, YOU'RE TOTALLY OUR SWISS ARMY KNIFE.
AND SO I CAN'T WAIT, UH, TO SEE WHAT YOU DO AT THE CAPITOL PROJECTS TEAM.
AND MOSTLY THE THING THAT I THINK I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT MIKE IS MIKE SAYS WHAT HE, HE SAYS HE'S GONNA DO SOMETHING AND THEN HE DOES IT, AND HE FOLLOWS UP WITH YOU.
AND IT MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE THE ANSWER, BUT IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT FINDING A WAY TO GET THE WORK DONE.
UM, ONE OF MY PREVIOUS CHIEFS SAID, IT'S NOT KNOW, IT'S HOW, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ONE OF YOUR BIG RULES THAT YOU LIVE BY.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET ALL, WE'RE GONNA GET COMMUNICATION TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME FOR EVERY SINGLE PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ALL THE PERFECT DOOR HANGERS AND ALL THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I KNOW IT, MIKE, BUT THAT ALSO BEING SAID, DSD, NOW YOU GUYS GOT BIG, SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL.
SO, UM, WITH THE PERMIT, WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR DSDS ACTUALLY DECREASING, I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FOLKS THAT ARE REVIEWING OUR PERMITS AND THAT ALL OF THEM ARE TRAINED REALLY WELL AND REALLY WELL ALIGNED SO THAT FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR THAT GET CLEAR, CONCISE INFORMATION AND THAT THEIR SERVICE IS NOT, UH, THAT DELIVERY.
WE CAN'T LET THAT SERVICE DELIVERY DROP BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO GOOD IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO WE DON'T WANNA MAKE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T GET AFFECTED BY THE REDUCTION.
SO, UM, JUST A ONE CLARIFICATION ON THE, THE FOLLOW UP MEMO WAS REALLY HELPFUL ON THE PCI SCORES.
I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS 500 K FOR REDOING OUR SMP.
LIKE OFTENTIMES I HAVE AN, UM, I HAVE A NEW STAFFER
[01:50:01]
NOW FROM COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S OFFICE PREVIOUSLY, AND SHE DOES INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SHE'S LIKE, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO RESIDENTS WHEN THEY'RE LIKE, OH YEAH, MY, MY STREET'S NOT BEING DONE.BUT THE ONE BEHIND ME IS, AND MY, I'VE LIVED ON MY STREET FOR 40 YEARS AND IT'S NEVER BEEN TOUCHED.
AND THAT STREET HAS GOTTEN A SLURRY SEAL FOUR TIMES.
AND SO I'M SO EXCITED TO HAVE LIKE A MAP AND IT'S GONNA SHOW THE PCI SCORE AND IT'S GOING WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT CHANGES EVERY DAY AND IT'S GONNA SHOW THE LAST TIME THIS STREET IS, I'M PUTTING THIS OUT THERE SO THAT IT COMES TO FRUITION
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO SEE DONE.
BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN OUT THERE AT THE CVI ALSO MENTIONED OUR PUBLIC WORKS AUDIT.
AND SO WHEN I TALKED TO ERIC, HE MENTIONED THAT THE NEW DIRECTOR COMING IN, WHO I HEARD WAS MIKE FRISBEE IS GOING TO DO
UM, I HEARD HE'S GONNA, UM, I HEARD HE OR SHE IS GOING TO, OR THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AUDIT AND DO IT INTERNALLY.
SO I'M REQUESTING, AND I, THIS IS GONNA DOUBLE DOWN IF MY COLLEAGUES WILL, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT AUDIT IS.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO JUST BE SOMETHING INTERNAL THAT NEVER GETS RELEASED.
SO I'M ASKING FOR THAT TO MAKE SURE IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN RECRUITING FOR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND HOPE TO MAKE A SELECTION, UM, UH, BY SEPTEMBER, UH, ROSIE'S LAST DAY IS, UH, THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH YEAR, YEARS AND YEARS, DECADES OF SERVICE, UM, WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRANSITION IS, IS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE IN THIS FOCUSED, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AREA.
AND R'S DONE A GREAT JOB, AND WE'RE SUPER GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY IS, UH, HAS BEEN REALLY INCREDIBLE.
UH, TWO REAL CRUSTS, IF WE CAN SQUEEZE THEM IN, IN THE BUDGET THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
UM, A CS WE DID THIS CASA OUTREACH PROGRAM WITH SOME OF OUR, UH, FOLKS THERE THAT WENT DOOR TO DOOR AND KNOCKED AND TALKED TO RESIDENTS.
AND IT'S LITERALLY THE BEST WAY.
LIKE, I LOVE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING CRITICAL CALLS AND IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TOO.
AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
SO IF WE CAN SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO OVER 200 FAMILIES AND WE SAW 125 PETS THAT WERE NOT, UH, STERILIZED, THAT WE COULD NOW START BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE FAMILIES.
SO A REQUEST TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM ADDITIONALLY.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING, THE STREETLIGHT PROGRAM WAS MENTIONED, AS I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ABOUT, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY THAT THE NEW CONTRACTING TEAM COULD ACTUALLY DO IF THEY WERE RECEIVED MORE FUNDING.
THERE'S 3000 GAPS, 3000 LIGHTS IN THE GAP ANALYSIS IF WE WERE TO FUND.
BUT IF WE WERE TO FUND $15 MILLION EVERY YEAR, WE COULD KNOCK THAT PROGRAM OUT IN TWO YEARS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN, BUT IF WE CAN GIVE EVEN AN ADDITIONAL COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS JUST THE GAP AND THERE'S A LOT MORE NEED FOR STREETLIGHTS TOO.
UH, THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL TO, UM, TO THE BUDGET TEAM.
Y'ALL DO AMAZING, AMAZING WORK.
AND SO WE REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
UM, YEAH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO BECAUSE SHE MENTIONED IT EARLIER AND, AND WE DID GET TO RIDE AROUND HER, UH, HER DISTRICT YESTERDAY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE TOUR AND, UH, REALLY A VALUABLE EXERCISE, I THINK, UH, PRIOR TO THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, UH, THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, THE VACANT PROPERTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN WAS ABLE TO, UH, TO SHOW ME YESTERDAY AND, AND SEE THE NEEDS THERE.
AND SO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU.
UH, VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE, UH, WE'RE NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE THAT THAT WAS A, WAS A NON-STARTER FOR MOST OF IT AND MOST OF US.
AND I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SAID IT A LOT.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A REVENUE PROBLEM.
I THINK WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM.
UH, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND EVERYTHING, STAYING, STAYING FLAT OR LOWER.
UH, FIRST I WILL SAY, UH, THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, AND I, UH, WANT TO, AGAIN, APPLAUD MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE THAT WORKED WITH ME TO MAXIMIZE THE, UH, PROPERTY HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, UM, TWO, TWO YEARS AGO.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S VALUABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND, AND I'M, AND I'M GLAD WE DID IT.
UH, WHAT WE'VE GOTTA DO IS GET A HANDLE ON, ON WHERE WE ARE, ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY.
UH, AND I WAS HAPPY THAT COUNCILWOMAN ALTE, GATO AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, SAID THOSE, THOSE TWO WORDS, CORE SERVICES, UH, THAT IS WHAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT, UH, TO BE DELIVERED, UM, IN, IN A HIGH QUALITY MANNER.
[01:55:01]
AND WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR DOLLARS, UH, THERE ON THE, ON THE CORE SERVICES TO ME.UM, AND I'M GONNA START RIGHT OFF THE TOP AND, AND, UH, WELL, LEMME SAY THIS FIRST, UH, THE BUDGET TEAM DOING THOSE, UH, UM, DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS WHERE WE WENT LINE BY LINE AND TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE EXPENSES AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED, UM, THAT IS OF COURSE, WADING INTO, UH, MY FAVORITE THREE WORDS OF ZERO BASED BUDGETING.
AND, UH, I THINK WE FOUND IT VALUABLE HERE BECAUSE WE FOUND SOME INEFFICIENCIES.
WE FOUND SOME DOLLARS THAT WE COULD THEN, UH, MOVE TO, TO OTHER AREAS.
AND, AND A REMINDER FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, AGAIN, THAT THAT IS WHAT ZERO BASED BUDGETING IS ALL ABOUT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT CUTTING, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT FINDING THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE SPENDING NEEDLESSLY, WASTEFULLY, UH, REDUNDANTLY TAKING THAT MONEY AND THEN MOVING IT TO THE PRIORITIES OF OUR CITIZENS.
AND SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION, UH, LATER IN THE YEAR ON, ON HOW WE'RE GONNA BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT THIS NEW PROCESS.
AND YES, COUNCILWOMAN CORE, I UNDERSTAND HYBRID PROCESS, ZBB, PERFORMANCE BASED, OUTCOME BASED, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET SOMEWHERE, UH, THAT I THINK WAS GOING TO HELP IMPROVE OUR, OUR BUDGETING PROCESS.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE GOTTA TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, BECAUSE EVERYBODY UP HERE, EVERY SINGLE YEAR, EVERY BUDGET CONVERSATION SAYS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN ADDING THE OFFICERS THAT WE NEED IN THIS BUDGET TO GET TO THE 360 MORE QUICKLY, RIGHT, NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY.
TO ME, IT'S NOT, WELL, CAN WE ADD THE FULL 65? SHOULD WE ONLY DO THE 25? NO.
IF PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, YOU START WITH ADDING THE 65 OFFICERS LIKE THE PLAN WAS, AND THEN YOU BUILD THE REST OF THE BUDGET AROUND IT.
SO I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO ONLY SEE FUNDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 25, UH, NEW OFFICERS IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND IN THAT LIGHT, UM, SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE SIGNED, UM, UM, A MEMORANDUM, ERIC, WHICH WE'RE GONNA, WHICH WE'RE GONNA SEND YOU LATER TODAY.
UM, AND, AND, UM, MARIA, WE TALKED ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY AND, AND I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT THIS WOULD BE COMING JUST TO ASK YOU, IF WE WERE TO GO FROM THE 25 TO THE 65, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? WHERE WOULD WE MOVE THE MONEY, UH, IN THE BUDGET TO ACCOMMODATE THE FUNDING OF THOSE ADDITIONAL, UM, 40 OFFICERS? SO, UM, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, UH, IN ADVANCE LOOKING INTO THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UH, THAT, THAT WE STICK TO THE PLAN BECAUSE AGAIN, EVERYBODY WILL REMEMBER THE PLAN HERE IS TO HAVE MORE OFFICERS ON PATROL RATHER THAN ON CALL.
AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW WHEN WE PUT MORE OFFICERS ON THE GROUND, PARTICULARLY IN THE HIGH CRIME AREAS, CRIME GOES DOWN AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT, I DON'T THINK TO ANYBODY UP HERE, UH, THAN KEEPING OUR RESIDENTS, UH, SAFE AND, AND KEEPING THEIR PROPERTY, UH, SAFE AS WELL.
THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER, UH, I'M GOING TO RESPECTFULLY, UM, DISAGREE WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT ONE, UM, $4.8 MILLION FOR THIS LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
UM, AS THE CITY MANAGER STATED, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS DURING WITH, UH, WITH ARPA MONEY, IT'S NOW RUN OUT.
AND THIS WAS MY FEAR THAT NOW WE WOULD TAKE MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND DO THAT.
UH, I, I THINK IT WAS SAID THAT THIS IS GONNA SERVE, YOU KNOW, 450 PEOPLE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OCCUPANCY THE HOTEL HAS, HAS, UH, HAS HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT $4.8 MILLION FOR 450 PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOME WOULD SAY TO ME, WELL, MARK, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE OVER $10,000 A PERSON.
AND SO IS IT, ISN'T THIS A GOOD INVESTMENT? THE THE ISSUE HERE THOUGH IS, UH, COULD THAT $4.8 MILLION, UH, BE SPENT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER? UM, AND ONE OF THE WAYS IS WHAT I JUST MENTIONED, WE COULD ADD THE 40 UH, OFFICERS TO THE BUDGET WITH SOME OF THAT MONEY, RIGHT? SO WOULD WE RATHER USE THAT MONEY, UH, KEEPING, UM, PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE, KEEPING THEIR PROPERTY SAFE, OR DO WE WANT TO DO, UM, THIS, THIS LOW BARRIER SHELTER? SO I, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IF THAT'S SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHO, WHO IS BEING, UH, HOUSED, UH, AT THIS LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
UM, ARE THESE, UH, SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, I THINK IS A QUESTION THAT I RAISED LAST YEAR THAT, THAT I THINK WE STILL, UM, NEED, NEED TO SORT THROUGH, BECAUSE
[02:00:01]
AGAIN, SAN ANTONIO TAX DOLLARS NEED TO BE SPENT ON SAN ANTONIO, UM, RESIDENTS, UH, DELEGATE AGENCIES, $28.9 MILLION.UM, VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK YOU SAID IN THE FALL OR, OR NEXT YEAR, STARTING NEXT WEDNESDAY.
STARTING NEXT WEDNESDAY EVEN BETTER.
UM, THE DAYS OF EVERY GROUP COMING TO US EVERY YEAR, 250,000 FOR YOU, 500,000 FOR YOU, $750,000 FOR YOU THOSE DAYS HAVE TO STOP.
UH, WE NEED TO REQUIRE THESE DELEGATE AGENCIES TO SHOW US WHAT THEY'VE BEEN RECEIVING AND HOW THAT MONEY HAS HAD AN IMPACT FOR, RIGHT.
WHAT IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY? AND IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY, WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH THAT MONEY? WHAT RESULTS CAN WE EXPECT? UH, WE CANNOT JUST CONTINUE TO DOLE OUT MONEY, UH, TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES EVERY, EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
I WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, SENTIMENTS ON THE 3%, ERIC, FOR, UH, SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS WORK SO HARD.
OUR, OUR COUNCIL STAFFS WORK, UH, WORK SO HARD.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT, IT HURTS ME THAT, THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT 3%.
SO I CERTAINLY, UH, ECHO MY COLLEAGUE SENTIMENT THERE AND SEE WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
UM, MIKE, I, I, AGAIN, EVERYBODY UP HERE HAS ALREADY SAID IT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW SPOT.
UM, I KNOW IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA WORK OUT GREAT FOR YOU, UH, AS WELL AS FOR THE CITY, UH, AND THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, RAZZIE, UM, I'M GLADS MENTIONED IT YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN A, UM, REAL JOY TO WORK WITH OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
EVERY SINGLE TIME, UM, I'VE CALLED AND, AND NEEDED SOMETHING, YOU'VE, YOU'VE FOUND A WAY TO, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AND, AND MAKE IT HAPPEN QUICKLY.
AND, UH, WHAT A
IT'S, IT'S A HUGE DEPARTMENT AND SO MUCH GOING ON, AND, UH, YOU, YOU WORK SO HARD AND YOU ALWAYS DO IT WITH A, WITH A SMILE AND, AND IN A MANNER THAT I, I KNOW, UH, THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES REALLY, UM, UH, REALLY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOUR WORK, UM, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR NOW.
I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE BRIEFINGS COMING UP OVER THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND, UH, HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT WHAT THEIR DISTRICTS NEED AND REALLY TRYING TO, UM, FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS.
AND I'M GONNA SAY IT TODAY, AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME PROBABLY SAY IT 10 MORE TIMES AND SAY, MARK, YOU GOTTA QUIT SAYING IT, BUT I'M GONNA KEEP DOING IT.
OUR JOB, WHEN WE SPEND OUR CITIZENS TAX DOLLARS IS TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN MOST DIRECTLY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR RESIDENTS DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.
AND I HOPE WE KEEP THAT IN MIND IN, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
AND I TOO WANNA THANK, UH, CITY MANAGER WALSH, AND THE WHOLE TEAM.
I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF WORK AND EFFORT, AND I THINK YOU'VE LAID A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR US TO WORK FROM.
UM, I DO BELIEVE OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION DOES NEED TO GO BACK TO BASICS.
AND THIS MEANS FOCUSING ALSO ON OUR CORE SERVICES, WHICH A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING THAT THEY TOO CARE THE MOST ABOUT.
UM, THESE CORE SERVICES IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEY MUST BE AND REMAIN THE TOP PRIORITY.
AS SAN ANTONIO IS GROWING, WE DO HAVE A GREATER DEMAND FOR OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
I, I WANT THE 100 OFFICERS STILL.
I I'M, TO ME, THE 65 IS THE FLOOR.
WE NEED A HUNDRED, LET'S GET THE 100.
AND, UM, SO I'M ASKING THAT WE LOOK AT INCREASING OUR POLICE RECRUITMENT NUMBERS AND EXPEDITE GETTING TO THAT GOAL AS THE 60% OF PROACTIVE PATROL OFFICERS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SEE THAT WE ARE ADDING ADDITIONAL SQUADS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THESE ARE INVESTMENTS THAT KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE AND CONNECTED AND THRIVING, AND WHAT MY RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR AND QUITE FRANKLY, DESERVE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, OUR PERSONNEL ARE WHO MAKE THESE SERVICES POSSIBLE.
UH, EVERY MILE OF THE STREETS ARE THAT ARE PAVED.
EVERY NINE ONE ONE CALL ANSWERED EVERY CODE ENFORCEMENT VISIT, AND EVERY PARK THAT'S MAINTAINED DEPEND ON THE COMMITMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO I, THE, THE, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR CITY ARE INVALUABLE.
WE FIND A WAY TO KEEP THE EMPLOYEE COLA ADJUSTMENT AT THE 3%, UH, COST OF LIVING INCREASED, DOESN'T KEEP PACE WITH THEM, THAT DOES NOT KEEP PACE WITH INFLATION.
[02:05:01]
MEANS OUR, OUR MEANS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE INEFFECTIVE, EFFECTIVELY EARNING, I'M STUMBLING OVER MY WORDS, EFFECTIVELY, EARNING LESS MONEY YEAR OVER YEAR TO REMAIN WITH THE CITY.THEY ARE, THEY'RE DOING SO MUCH TO SERVE ALL OF US.
UM, WITH REGARD TO ARPA DOLLARS, I THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT THESE DOLLARS WERE MEANT TO BE SPENT ON ONETIME EXPENSES AND NOT MEANT TO SUSTAIN PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.
SO I'M ASKING THAT WE PLEASE REVIEW AND PREPARE INFORMATION REGARDING ANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE RELIANT ON ARPA DOLLARS AND ADDRESS HOW WE CAN MINIMIZE ANY IMPACT ON OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND FURTHER, HOW CAN WE REDIRECT OUR DOLLARS TO CORE SERVICES IN A MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY, REALIZING THAT THIS MAY MEAN WE REWORK AND ELIMINATE PROGRAMS OR INITIATIVES THAT ARE RELIANT ON ARPA DOLLARS, BUT CANNOT SUSTAIN THEMSELVES OR THAT WE FIND ARE INEFFICIENT OR INEFFECTIVE.
UM, I DO WANNA ECHO WHAT A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE ALREADY SAYING, WHICH IS, UH, THE, THE NEED HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED AND EMPHASIZE THAT WE NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY, OTHER SUBURBAN CITIES AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WITH TAX DOLLARS AND REDUCE REDUNDANCIES.
I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE KEY MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT BEING SAID, AGAIN, WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL STEWARDS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS.
UM, MANAGING OUR SPENDING DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO CUT VITAL SERVICES.
IT MEANS THAT WE'RE JUST ASKING THOSE TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERY PROGRAM AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE TO ENSURE OUR DOLLARS ARE GOING WHERE THEY HAVE THE MOST IMPACT.
I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN DIVE INTO AS WE ARE MOVING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I DO SEE THE AIRPORT HAS A HUGE CHUNK OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING HOW THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TURN INTO MORE JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR SAN ANTONIO.
UM, OUR BUDGET, IT'S RELYING ON SHIFTING ELIGIBLE COSTS TO CAPITAL FUNDS.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS, THAT WE'RE NOT OVERLOADING THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND CREATING LONG-TERM DEBT OBLIGATIONS FOR SHORT TERM OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK, HAVE WE RECEIVED FROM GREATER SATX INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS FROM BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING TO SAN ANTONIO OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS? AND COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE ANY POTENTIAL RELIEF? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I'M HIGHLIGHTING, BUT DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON THAT? I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT WE WILL INCORPORATE YOUR QUESTIONS INTO THE WORK SESSIONS AND, AND, UM, UM, BOTH ON THE AIRPORT AND, UM, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND UM, AND THEN IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT POTENTIALS, WE SEE GENERALLY OVER THE NEXT, UH, 12 TO 24 MONTHS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE BUDGET SESSIONS THAT WE HAVE COMING IN.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO ANGUIANO.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF AND ERIC FOR PUTTING THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER.
I KNOW WHEN I GOT THAT 700 PLUS PAGE BINDER, I WAS VERY EXCITED TO JUST KIND OF TEAR INTO THAT AND RIP IT OPEN, UM, EVEN THOUGH I'M A VERY SLOW READER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL FINISH IT DURING MY TWO MONTHS, BUT I WILL MOST DEFINITELY TRY
UM, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE A QUICK STATEMENT FOR THE T I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN MCGEE RODRIGUEZ ON SOME BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND TOMORROW I'LL SEND THAT MEMO TO ALL OF Y'ALL.
UM, LISTING THOSE ITEMS. AND WITH THE MAJOR BUDGET DEFICIT, UH, ONE OF DISTRICT TWO'S TOOLS IS THE INNER CITY TOURISTS, WHICH BASICALLY JUST ALLOWS, UH, INVESTMENT IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED PARTS OF TOWN.
AND IT'S BASICALLY JUST GONNA INCLUDE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, DESIGNS, UM, LAND ACQUISITION AND SOME COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AND SO MY REQUEST IS THAT WE JUST PREAUTHORIZED THESE ITEMS SIMILARLY TO WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR, UH, THAT WAY THEY DON'T IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO I WOULD APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES' SUPPORT, UH, INCLUDING THOSE, UM, ITEMS FOR PRE-AUTHORIZATION.
AND I'LL GET WITH Y'ALL TODAY, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT I DO WANT TO TRANSITION TO, UM, THE CITY EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION, OR SORRY, CITY EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
I'M DEFINITELY WANT TO ECHO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WITH THE 3% COLA UH, FOR CITY, UH, EMPLOYEES.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY WANNA, YOU KNOW, UM, ENSURE THE RETENTION OF CITY EMPLOYEES AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEAM HAS THE RESOURCES, UH, THAT WE NEED TO DO THE HIGH QUALITY WORK.
AND THEN, UH, I DO WANT TO DIG INTO THE HOMELESS SERVICES, UM, SINCE THIS IS BASICALLY MY EXPERTISE.
UH, SO ARE WE MAINTAINING OUR INVESTMENT IN SERVICES TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE ALSO GONNA BE MOVED INTO THAT DEPARTMENT?
[02:10:01]
NO, SIR, IT'S NOT.IT'LL BE, IT'LL STILL BE HOUSED WITHIN THE HOUSING OFF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, CLARIFYING THAT.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO, I, I GUESS I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS FOR ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS, UH, AND WHERE WE ARE PLANNING ON PLACING HOUSES, FOLKS.
UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE KIND OF CAN'T JUST PICK THEM UP, MOVE THEM WITHOUT A PLAN IN PLACE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S ONLY 28, UH, DETOX BEDS AVAILABLE IN THE COUNTY, AND I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE LOOK AT INVESTING MORE IN THIS AREA, OR IF POSSIBLE RELOCATE SOME OF THAT FUNDING THAT WE GIVE TO NONPROFITS, UH, TO ADD TO THAT CARE.
UH, 'CAUSE NOT A LOT OF FOLKS WANT TO GO TO HAVEN FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
UM, AND SO IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT FOR US TO FORCEFULLY PICK THESE FOLKS UP, UM, WITHOUT THEIR, UM, I GUESS APPROVAL.
SO I, I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THAT.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS ARE HELPFUL, AND I THINK THAT THEY ONLY CAUSE MORE HARM IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, THIS IS THE, UH, COMMUNITY THAT I WORK WITH AND AT THRIVE I SEE AT FIRSTHAND THAT FORCES PLACEMENT AND PROPERTY SEIZURE CAN JUST STRIP PEOPLE OF THEIR ESSENTIAL NECESSITIES, LIKE TENTS AND SLEEPING BAGS, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, MEDICATION AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS LIKE IDS OR BIRTH CERTIFICATES.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS, UH, MOST OFTEN THESE ITEMS ARE DAMAGED OR LOST, WHICH CAN BE PRETTY DEVASTATING AND TRAUMATIZING.
AND SWEEPS JUST ALSO DISRUPT SOCIAL NETWORKS WITHIN THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, LEAVING INDIVIDUALS JUST MORE VULNERABLE AND ISOLATED.
UM, AND THIS CAN DEFINITELY, UM, MAKE ONE'S MENTAL HEALTH WORSE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALSO A HEALTH CONCERN, LIKE LACK OF ACCESS TO WATER TO USE THE RESTROOM OR SHOWER, WHICH CAN EVENTUALLY CAUSE CHRONIC OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SOMETIMES LEADING, UM, TO DEATH.
AND, UM, SWEEPS ARE JUST OFTEN MOST VIOLENT IN THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES NOT COME IN A COMPASSIONATE, HOLISTIC APPROACH AND IS OFTEN MORE HOSTILE TO OUR AS OUR OWN HOUSE.
UM, I'VE WITNESSED IT WITH MY OWN EYES, SO I CAN ATTEST TO THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT SWEEPS ARE, OR I SHOULD SAY THAT I, I THINK SWEEPS ARE NOT OR ARE A WASTE OF CITY MONEY, AND THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS ADDRESSES THE ROOT CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS, LIKE A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALSO COSTLY.
I ACTUALLY DID SOME DEEP DIVING AND FOUND THAT THE AVERAGE COST OF SWEEPS WAS ABOUT 1600 TO 6,000 ACROSS DIFFERENT NATIONS, UH, OR SORRY, ACROSS DIFFERENT CITIES IN THE NATIONS.
AND I, I GUESS I WANTED TO SEE IF WE KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE COST WAS FOR ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, OR CAN WE FIND THAT ANYWHERE? WE, WE'LL PROVIDE THAT AT THE WORK SESSION FOR, UH, FOR HUMAN, UM, FOR ACTUALLY THAT, THAT WORK SESSION IS NEXT, UH, NEXT WEDNESDAY.
SO WE'LL INCLUDE THAT AVERAGE COST.
AND THEN, UH, DO WE KNOW IF OUR CURRENT OUTREACH WORKERS RECEIVE HAZARDOUS PAY? AND IF NOT, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR HIGHER WAGES FOR THE OUTREACH TEAM, UH, BECAUSE THEY WORK SUPER HARD AND THEY DO A LOT OF WORK THAT'S TRAUMA INFORMED, AND IT'S ALSO MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINING.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A VERY HIGH, UH, TURNOVER IN THESE HOMELESS OUTREACH POSITIONS THAT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS, UM, THE CONCERNS FOR HOMELESSNESS.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO RETAIN THE QUALITY FOLKS IN THESE POSITIONS WHO CAN BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOLKS LIVING ON THESE STREETS AND THOSE WITH RELATIONSHIPS WE CAN BUILD TRUST AND JUST HELP MORE PEOPLE, UM, FEEL SAFE TO ACCEPT ACCEPTANCE.
AND THEN I DID WANT TO TRANSITION TO, UH, POLICE CHANGES.
AND I, I, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A LITTLE, UH, TOUGH TO GET INTO 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT CONSIDERING THE POLICE BUDGET IS DIFFICULT TO CUT BACK.
UM, BUT I, I GUESS I WANNA LOOK AT REDUCING OUR INVESTMENT HERE BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE HIRE NEW OFFICERS, WE LOCK OURSELVES INTO FUTURE INVESTMENTS REQUIRED BY THE CBA AND WHEN RESIDENTS RESPOND TO SURVEYS, WE NEED TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN CRIME REDUCTION AND POLICY RESPONSE TIME, UH, AFTER THE CRIME OCCURS.
AND SO IF WE ARE CONCERNED WITH MAINTAINING A REDUCTION IN CRIME, THEN WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR INCREASE, UH, INVESTMENT IN THE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SAFETY OFFICE, WHICH WORKS TO BRING ABOUT THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO REDUCING CRIME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, DO WE KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR INVESTMENT IN THIS DEPARTMENT, COUNCILMAN? UM, WE, UM, FOR THE OFFICE OF INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SAFETY, UH, WE TRANSITIONED A POSITION OVER THE YEAR.
UM, SO YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE OF ONE PERSONNEL IN THE OFFICE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A CHANGE THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN I, I DO WANT TO LASTLY ECHO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLOS ON THE ABSENTEE PROPERTY FEE.
UM, I, I GUESS I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A MAX FEE THAT WE CAN CHARGE COUNCILMAN.
[02:15:01]
PROPOSED BUDGET IS THAT WE'RE INCREASING THE REGISTRATION FEE.UM, AND COUNCILMAN CASTILLO HAD ASKED ABOUT THE FINE AND WE'LL COVER THAT NEXT WEEK.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS 500 IS A MAX BY STATE LAW.
SO TODAY, THE, THE, WE CAN GO UP TO THAT AMOUNT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE NOTES THAT I HAVE FOR TODAY.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MUNGIA, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE BUDGET TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK AND PREPARING THIS.
AND, UH, THERE WERE SO MANY TIMES I PASSED BY AND SAW MARIA'S CAR HERE ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE'S AT LATE AT NIGHT.
UM, JUST A COUPLE NOTES FOR A CSI SAW WE DID HAVE SOME CRITICAL CALL, UH, RESPONSE TIME, WHICH WAS PRETTY HIGH.
AND I'M HOPING IN, IN THE PRESENTATION FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, WE DO SEE THE NON-CRITICAL CALL SECTION.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE STILL ASKING ABOUT.
AND ALSO, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO THAT POINT.
BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE D FOUR A CO POSITION.
THAT'S SOMETHING I BROUGHT UP BEFORE, I THINK IT WAS DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FIVE HAD A DISTRICT SPECIFIC ANIMAL CARE OFFICER.
UH, AND I THINK THOSE HAVE BEEN REASSIGNED TO COVER THE CRITICAL CALL LOAD, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT I WANNA KNOW A TIMELINE WHEN WE EXPECT THOSE TO COME BACK TO OUR DISTRICT.
UH, ALSO ECHO THE COMMENTS ON CIVILIAN COMPENSATION.
I WAS ACTUALLY AT A HOA MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND, UH, THERE'S A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE WHO SAID, YOU GUYS CAN GIVE US 2%, BUT OUR HEALTHCARE'S GONNA GO UP 5%.
AND IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO HIM.
SO I THINK WE GOTTA DO BETTER UP TO 3%, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT I'LL ALSO, UM, ECHO THE PERSONIFY HEALTH BENEFITS, UH, INCLUSION.
I KNOW A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, DO EXTRA STEPS DURING THE DAY JUST TO GET UP TO A CERTAIN LEVEL TO ADD SOMETHING TO THEIR HSA ACCOUNT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S VERY BENEFICIAL FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I DO SUPPORT, OF COURSE, THE TWO EXTRA SQUADS, UH, FOR SUPPORT.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE TWO STATIONS.
I THINK Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT ADDING THAT TO FIRE STATION 10 AND FIRE STATION 21.
WHERE ARE THOSE? FIRE STATION 10 IS OFF, UH, IS OVER THERE BY, UH, LITTLE FLOWER CHURCH AND FIRE STATION 21 IS DOWN HERE OFF OF, UH, SOUTH FLOORS.
UM, AND WE WILL BE, WE'LL HAVE A NEW FIRE STATION A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE STREET, UH, HERE IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I KNOW, UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO GET AN EXTRA SQUAD FOR THE SOUTH SIDE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S MAINTAINED, UH, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, D FOUR DOES NOT HAVE A HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, UH, IN OPERATION.
SO THAT IS, UM, PEOPLE'S EMERGENCY LINE, UH, IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I AGREE ALSO WITH THE STREETLIGHT GAP.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT WHERE WE ARE ON THAT STATUS.
AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE PROCEDURES FOR RIGHT OF WAY, UH, AUTHORITY BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL LIGHTING NECESSITATED RIGHT OF WAY ENTRY, ESPECIALLY FOR TRENCHING.
UM, SO IT'S EFFECTIVELY THE SAME WORK WE DO WITH SIDEWALKS, WHICH WE DO NOT REQUIRE SIGNATURES FOR.
SO THAT COULD BE A FASTER PROCESS TO GET THESE DONE QUICKER IF WE'RE STILL DOING THE OLD SYSTEM VERSUS WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THE NEW SYSTEM.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL STRESS THAT WITH THAT LIGHT GAP, AS MANY LIGHTS AS IT HAS IN IT, UM, WAS EVALUATED UNDER THE CURRENT UDC PROCESS, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE IS STILL, UM, NOT WHERE FOLKS HAVE THE EXPECTATION FOR LIGHTING.
SO I THINK IN THE NEXT UDC, WE'LL LOOK AT CLOSING THAT GAP FOR STREET LIGHTS, WHICH WILL MEAN THAT EVEN IF THIS GETS COMPLETED, THERE WILL BE MORE LIGHTS IN THE FUTURE NEEDED.
UH, AND THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, DOES IT INCLUDE, UH, CIP FUNDING FOR EACH DISTRICT THAT WE TYPICALLY GET? NO, SIR.
SO I WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE ALL UTILIZE THAT AND I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A DEBT, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDING.
SO, UM, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MANY OF US AND ON PUBLIC WORKS, I HAVE TO SAY.
AGAIN, UM, THANK YOU TO RAZZIE.
I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY THE HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW, UM, BASED ON YOUR TIME.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, MICHAEL.
I THINK, UH, WE'LL GIVE YOU A TASK FORCE FOR PUBLIC WORKS SINCE YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THOSE.
UM, SO, AND AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT, THAT HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT THAT, WE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT.
I WOULD SAY THAT WHEN IT COMES TO LOW BARRIER SHELTER, THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT ZERO INCOME GOING INTO THAT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHY IT COSTS SO MUCH TO DO THAT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, RIGHT? 30 TO 60 TO 80% A MI, THERE IS STILL INCOME COMING INTO FINANCE THAT PROJECT FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS, THERE IS NO INCOME AT ALL COMING INTO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY THOSE PROJECTS ARE, ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO DO.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD DO, OF COURSE, OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKING SURE THAT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT.
BUT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, MOST OF THIS IS CONCENTRATED IN THE CENTER CITY.
[02:20:01]
UH, AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT AT THE EDGE OF THE CITY, UH, BORDERING THE COUNTY, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO DOWNTOWN TO THE HOTEL HERE, RIGHT? SO WE DO HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT SOME MOBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO SHELTERS.UH, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD IDEAS ON THAT.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, POLICE, WHICH A FEW FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED, THE 60 40 PLAN IS WHAT'S INFORMING THE GROWTH OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PASSED, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE LAST COUNCIL, TECHNICALLY THERE ARE SIX NEW PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE BENEFIT TO SEE THAT PLAN OR THE DETAILS OF THAT, OR WHAT'S BEEN DONE SINCE THAT'S BEEN ENACTED.
UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROACTIVE PLAN THAT UTSA DID THAT WE'VE BEEN UNDERGOING.
IT HAS BEEN IN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THE PROACTIVE WORK AT THOSE HOTSPOTS HAVE BEEN SAFE OFFICERS, WHICH THIS IS ADDING TO PATROL, WHICH IS NOT SAFE.
SO THESE ARE NOT OFFICERS THAT ARE DOING THAT PROGRAM.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THAT PRESENTATION, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE CORE TEAM, UH, BECAUSE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY TRAGEDIES THAT CONTINUE TO ENSUE WITH FOLKS EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISES, THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH OUR, THE WORK ON OUR HOMELESS, UH, OUTREACH.
AND LAST NIGHT AT THE HOA MEETING, SOMEONE ELSE BROUGHT UP THE SAPD EXPLORER PROGRAM.
THEY STATED THAT PARENTS, UM, HAVE COVERED THEIR COST OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THE CITY HAS NOT COVERED THEIR END.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROGRAM, UH, BUT I HOPE THAT THAT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
OR IF IT IS, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT TO, TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER GALVAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO CITY YOUR TEAM AS WELL AS OF COURSE, ALL CITY DEPARTMENT LEADERS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO DID EXCRUCIATING WORK THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SUMMER.
I KNOW, UH, IT'S A COUPLE TIMES WHEN I WAS GETTING MY, MY FEET WET A LITTLE BIT THAT I WOULD COME IN, UH, AND MARIA AND I WOULD TEACH EACH OTHER GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY LATER AT NIGHT, UH, THAN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
UM, BUT IT SPEAKS TO THE WORK THAT WE WERE DOING, RIGHT? AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ON THAT.
I
'CAUSE A LOT OF THOSE SAME POINTS I ECHO.
SO JUST ALL THE POINTS YOU SAID, MAKE SURE, ADD ME ON THOSE, THE, THE SIX AND D FOUR ON THE SAME PIECES THERE.
UM, I WANTED TO MENTION, OF COURSE, MY FOCUS GOING INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS OVERALL, UM, AND THESE FUTURE BUDGETS AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD WITH SEEING KIND OF DEFICITS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OR EXPECTING, IS TO ENSURE THAT ANY ADJUSTMENTS, UH, IN OUR SPENDING DON'T UNDERMINE OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH, UM, AND RESILIENCY AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF CONCERNS, UM, AROUND METRO HEALTH SUSTAINABILITY, DHS AND THE PARKS ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, BUT I'LL SAVE THOSE FOR THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, SO I'M GONNA FOCUS MORE TODAY OF COURSE, ON THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES PRESENTED.
UM, FIRST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, ERIC, CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR ME WHAT THE EXACT BUDGET IS FOR THE DEPARTMENT? I THINK THE PRESENTATION SLIDE HAD 30 MILLION, BUT PAGE 56 OF THE BUDGET SAYS 14.69 MILLION.
THE PAGE 44 WHERE IT SHOWS OUR CHART HAS 4 MILLION.
SO I JUST WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS FOR THAT DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY.
SO THE TOTAL 30.4 MILLION INCLUDES BOTH, UM, GENERAL FUND, THE HOMELESS SERVICES AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES SOLID WASTE FUNDING FOR THEIR ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS AND CODE AND PARKS THAT THEY WORK ON ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS.
SO IT INCLUDES THAT TOTAL, UH, DIRECT INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY.
SO ON THE ACTUAL HOMELESS BUDGET, THE TOTAL HOMELESS BUDGET IS ON, UH, PAGE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS DELEGATE AGENCIES, AND THEN THE FUNDING FOR THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
AND THEN I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CLARIFICATIONS IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS TOO ABOUT OUTREACH, UH, WORKERS FOR THAT PIECE.
UM, SO IS THAT JUST THE 4 MILLION THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THERE WITH THE OUTREACH WORKERS, OR, I'M JUST A BIT CONFUSED OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY IS WORKING ON AT DAY-TO-DAY COMPARED TO THE DELEGATE AGENCIES PIECES COMPARED TO THE PARTNERSHIP, THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER PIECE.
I JUST WANNA FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF IS DOING ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, LIKE WHAT ARE WE DIRECTLY FUNDING INTO OUR, FROM OUR GENERAL FUND FOR THAT DEPARTMENT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH.
YOU, YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR TO BE BROKEN OUT.
UM, WE'LL, UM, ALL, ALL OF THOSE ARE IN THE, THE 30 MILLION IS THE DIRECT INVESTMENT REGARDLESS OF SOURCE.
RIGHT? WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TAKE, UH, AND WE CAN EMAIL THIS TO YOU GUYS THIS AFTERNOON.
WE'LL TAKE THE, THE, THE PORTION THAT'S IN THE HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES AND STRATEGY OFFICE AND BREAK IT OUT BY BETWEEN OUTREACH, THE, THE NONPROFIT SUPPORT, THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
THAT'S WHAT'S MAKING UP THAT 20 SOME ODD MILLION DOLLARS.
I THINK UPON FIRST GLANCE OF LOOKING AT IT, I WAS A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT IF THE SCALE OF INVESTMENT FOR, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES STRATEGY FOR THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS $4 MILLION.
[02:25:01]
THINK WE'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE OF HOW ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THIS PIECE.UM, AND IF MORE SUPPORT IS GOING TOWARDS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS VERSUS ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES, THAT IS ANOTHER ALARMING, UH, PIECE THERE.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND HOUSING, UH, INTEREST WILL BE SUPPORTING THESE PIECES AS WELL AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER AGENCIES WILL BE SUPPORTING.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR INVESTMENTS, UH, INTO THE ACTUAL OUTREACH AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT IS THERE.
AND SO I KNOW WE'LL HAVE THE CONVERSATION WHEN WE GET THERE, BUT SOMETHING I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON WITH THAT, UH, IS DEFINITELY THE OUTREACH WORKER POSITIONS.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS AT THE MOMENT OF ADDING MORE POSITIONS, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT CONCERNS ME THAT WHEN WE'RE ALL REPRESENTING EACH OF, UH, COLLEAGUES UP HERE, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE, UM, EACH ONE OF OUR DISTRICTS GETS ONE OUTREACH WORKER FOR, UH, DHS WORK FOR HOMELESS OUTREACH.
UM, GIVEN ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE LARGE, THE GEOGRAPHIC SIDES OF OUR DISTRICTS.
I THINK ABOUT DISTRICT THREE, DISTRICT FOUR, AND EVEN DISTRICT SIX, RIGHT? OF COURSE, MY OWN, GOING FROM OLD HIGHWAY 90 TO OUR RANCH IS NOT THAT EASY, UM, IF THE HIGHWAYS ARE NOT CLOSED.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I REALLY WANNA LOOK AT.
UM, ALONG WITH THE CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE OF IT, IT'S ONE THING TO DO THE OUTREACH, UM, CONNECT WITH THEM, FIND THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE STREETS, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO STAY ALIVE, BUT ALSO THEN TO DO THE CASE MANAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH EACH OF THE STEPS.
I KNOW SOME OF THE PARTNERS DO THAT WORK TOO, SO I WANNA JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE A BIT MORE.
UM, AND, AND HONESTLY, FIGURE OUT WHAT, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAD STRATEGIC PLANS OR SOME OTHER PLANS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST OF HOW WE CAN REALLY ADDRESS THESE PIECES.
UM, BUT I WANNA KIND OF DO A LITTLE REFRESH, I THINK WITH THE NEW COLLEAGUES UP HERE, OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE INTERNAL WORK AND EXTERNAL WORK IS AND HOW WE CAN SCALE UP SERVICES AROUND.
NOT JUST THE OUTREACH ITSELF, NOT JUST YES, THE HOUSING ITSELF TOO, ESPECIALLY FOR PSH SPECIFICALLY.
UM, BUT THE, THE WORK AROUND HEALTHCARE, THE WORK AROUND, UH, REHABILITATION SERVICES, THE WORK AROUND SOBERING CENTERS, THE WORK AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EVEN JUSTICE RELATED PIECES TOO, RIGHT? THINKING ABOUT DIVERSION CENTERS, THINKING ABOUT MAGISTRATION PROCESSES AND RECIDIVISM.
UM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING ALL THESE PIECES NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR GENERAL FUND, BUT WITH OUR PARTNERS TOO.
AND THAT WAY I THINK IT JUST GIVES MAYBE JUST MORE FOR MYSELF, BUT ALSO FOR MAYBE THE FULL COUNCIL, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE ARE WE ACTUALLY GETTING AT WITH THIS? WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF THIS FUNDING? UM, AND YEAH, OF COURSE THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER TOO.
AND SO, UH, I'M VERY GRATEFUL.
I WILL SAY, DESPITE MY MAYBE WHAT SOUNDS TO BE CRITIQUES, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS DEPARTMENT BE CREATED BECAUSE I THINK IT'S WORTH THE, THE FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT FOCUSED ATTENTION ALSO COMES WITH, UH, THE THOUGHTS OF WHAT CAN WE DO.
UM, SO WANNA PUT THOSE PIECES OUT THERE AND I'M EXCITED TO GET INTO THAT WORK SESSION.
UH, SOMETHING ELSE I WANTED TO LOOK AT WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, IT'S A BIT OF, UH, IT'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
I WAS A BIT ALARMED ON THE TRAFFIC CALMING FUNDING THAT I SAW WITHIN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT OR BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
UH, THINK IT'S ONLY A MILLION DOLLARS FOR TRAFFIC CALMING, AND IT CAN ONLY RELATE TO THREE PROJECTS IN OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER FUNDING THAT WE FIND OTHER PLACES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, INCLUDING THE CIP FUNDING.
SO I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALSO ALLOCATED IN HERE SOMEWHERE.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, OR I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS COULD BE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW OUR A TD OR ADVANCED ROTATION DISTRICT CAN SUPPORT TRAFFIC CALMING EFFORTS, VISION ZERO EFFORTS, AND COMPLETE STREET EFFORTS TOO.
UM, I KNOW SOME OF THOSE PIECES ARE ALREADY HAPPENING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BIGGER INVESTMENT IN THAT IF POSSIBLE, JUST SO THAT WE CAN REALLY HAVE A DEDICATED FUND TOWARDS TRAFFIC CALMING TOWARDS, UH, COMPLETE TOWARDS, UH, COMPLETE STREETS AND TOWARDS, UH, VISION ZERO EFFORTS, UM, SINCE THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED.
UM, AND THEY DON'T, I WOULD LIKE TO NOT HAVE TO BUTT HEADS TOO MUCH WITH, UM, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH LIKE NEW CAPITAL, UH, DELIVERY DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE CPS POLICY, I KNOW THE, THIS COUNCIL, UH, IT'S HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE CCPS ENERGY POLICY, AND I KNOW I MAY BE ASKING TO DO ANOTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, THE RETURN OF, UH, DOLLARS THAT WE WERE GETTING OR GIVING BACK TO CPS.
I KNOW HERE WE HAVE THE CLAUSE IN THERE.
IT SAYS THAT IF WE HAVE SOME DEFICITS, THAT WE'LL BE FOCUSING THAT MONEY BACK IN OUR BUDGET.
BUT I THINK, UH, IT'S WORTH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO CON MAINTAIN THAT POLICY OR NOT GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT 2030 IN THESE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, STORMWATER FEE, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO THROW OUT THERE.
DID WE EVALUATE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STORMWATER FEE? WE DID NOT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, COUNCILMAN.
BUT, UM, THAT IS POTENTIAL DISCUSSION AS WE TALK ABOUT, UH, INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE, UH, AND A POTENTIAL MUNICIPAL BOND.
YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU ON THAT DAY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL.
THE STORMWATER FEE IS A, UM, IS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF, OF REVENUE FOR, FOR DEBT.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANNA LOOK INTO, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH IS WHAT IT DOES.
UH, FIGURING OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCENTIVIZE A REDUCTION IN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, AND IF HELPS US WITH OUR DRAINAGE PIECES ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
LET'S ABSOLUTELY FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WITHOUT, OF COURSE, IT BEING TOO MUCH OF A BURDEN ON RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS
[02:30:01]
ALIKE, UM, OR NON-RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYERS.UM, THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT, UH, COUNCILOR RICK CASTILLO'S REQUEST ON THE 3%, AS WELL AS MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO SUPPORTED IT, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S PIECE ON LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT KIND OF SCALED VIEW ON IT.
I THINK THAT'S WORTHWHILE, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT AND JUST EVALUATING OUR OPTIONS FOR 3% AND EVEN THE 2% TOO, UH, TO SEE WHAT COULD WE, WHAT DOES THAT MONEY LOOK LIKE IF WE SCALE, UM, THE KOHLER RATHER THAN ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, APPROACH.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE ADDED DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THAT.
SEEING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
MAYBE WE CAN BREAK IT OUT IN DIFFERENT PAY SCALES OR PAY RANGES.
I THINK IT'S JUST WORTH, IT REALLY HELPED PUT IN PERSPECTIVE WHAT THE PREMIUMS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, WHEN ERIC, YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, I MENTIONED THE KIND OF COST THAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE WITH $5 OR $32 OR ET CETERA.
SO I THINK JUST SEEING THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL THAN THE PERCENTAGES SOMETIMES.
UM, LEMME SEE WHAT TIME I GOT.
ONE OTHER PIECE I WANTED TO MENTION WAS THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS IN MY BUDGET GOAL SETTING COMMENTS WAS LOOKING AT WAY, IF THERE'S ANY DATA ACTUALLY BEFORE WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT APPROACHES, IS THERE ANY DATA THAT WE HAVE ON THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, UH, FOR RECIPIENTS OF TAX EXEMPTIONS? THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT
MAYOR, OR, UM, SORRY, COUNCILMAN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
WE COULD PICK SOME, WE'VE GOT THE, THE, PROBABLY THE ASSESSED VALUATION OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS, RIGHT? UM, AND WE COULD, WE COULD PROBABLY WORK WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT TO GEO LOCATE, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THESE KIND OF RELIEF EFFORTS, UH, THAT ARE MORE TARGETED, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO DESPERATELY NEED IT, VERSUS FOLKS WHO MAYBE CAN'T AFFORD A BIT OF AN INCREASE IN TERMS OF THE RISING COST OF LIVING HERE IN OUR CITY.
AND AS WELL AS PROBABLY TAX EVALUATIONS.
UM, I'LL SAVE THAT ONE FOR A LITTLE BIT LATER.
I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME, I THINK, WITH SOME OF THE CRITIQUES AND CONCERNS.
SO I WANNA ALSO MENTION MY SUPPORT FOR THINGS.
I KNOW I MENTIONED THE PUBLIC WORK CHANGES, VERY EXCITED FOR THOSE PIECES.
UH, THE FOCUS ON VACANT LOT AND BUILDING FEES ARE REALLY GREAT.
SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANNA SEE DONE.
HOMELESS SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AGAIN, SUPPORTING THAT NEW EFFORT, THE FIRE, UH, SUPPORT AS WELL WITH THE ENHANCED SQUAD UNITS.
I BELIEVE I ALSO SAW IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT FIRE STATION 44 DISTRICT SIX WILL BE GETTING, UH, SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING AS WELL.
IF NOT, LET ME KNOW, UH,
UM, A CS ABSOLUTELY GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE IS MORE SUPPORT AND CONTINUED SUPPORT IN THAT, UH, DEPARTMENT.
AND I DEFINITELY WANNA MENTION, UH, CUSTOMER'S POINT ABOUT THE KIND OF DEDICATED OFFICERS WITHIN A CS.
UM, I KNOW IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY AFFECT DISTRICT SIX, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WAY, UH, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT MAYBE, UH, DISTRICT FIVE, DISTRICT SIX, WEST SIDE PIECE OF IT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, A CS ISSUES THAT ALSO RELATE IN THE EDGEWOOD PART OF MY DISTRICT AS WELL AS EVEN THE MARBA AREA.
AND SO WITHIN INTER FOUR 10, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I WANNA FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT WORK TOO, THAT DOESN'T JUST STOP AT THE DISTRICT FIVE BORDERLINE, BUT GOES ACROSS, UH, WEST COMMERCE TOO.
UM, DEFINITELY SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER CO'S POINT ON THE FURTHER NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO AND VERY HAPPY TO HAVE DONE AS A STAFF MEMBER AND EXCITED TO GET BACK OUT THERE.
I KNOW MY STAFF ARE ALWAYS CAUTIOUSLY REMINDING ME THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE READY TO GO WHEN WE GO BACK OUT TO NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I AM MORE THAN EXCITED TO DO SO AND HELP OUT WHERE I CAN WITH THAT TOO PERSONALLY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AS WELL WITH THE STREET LIGHTING PIECE, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING WAYS THAT WE CAN FUND THOSE PIECES FOR STREET LIGHTING TOO.
AND I THINK I GOT ALL MY COMMENTS IN JUST IN TIME.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? HEAR ME, HEAR ME, HEAR ME.
AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET CYCLE, I WANT TO ENSURE WE ENTER THIS SESSION AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FISCAL 2026 BUDGET CYCLE.
I WANNA ENSURE WE ENTER THIS SESSION WITH A CLEAR DISCIPLINE, GIVEN THE PER CURRENT BUDGET DEFICIT.
WE MUST CONFRONT THE FISCAL REALITIES HEAD ON AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT REMAINS A PRIORITY AND WHAT MUST BE SCALED BACK OR UNFORTUNATELY ELIMINATED.
CRAFTING THIS BUDGET REQUIRES TOUGH CHOICES AND THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS.
I WANT TO THANK CITY MANAGER, UM, ERIC WALSH, MARIA VILLA GOMEZ, AND JUSTINA, AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR INCORPORATING THE POLICY AND DIRECTION PROVIDED BY MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AT OUR GOLD SETTING SESSIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE TIME THROUGH OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS, UH, AND I WILL HAVE ONE OF THE FIRST TOWN HALLS MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH ON 2025 AT SOUTH SIDE LIONS AT 6:00 PM TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES.
[02:35:03]
YEAH, YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME.CAN YOU HEAR US? COUNCIL MEMBER? YEAH, I CAN HEAR.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE CITY HAS IDENTIFIED REDUNDANCIES AND CUT BACK WHERE NECESSARY WITHOUT AFFECTING CITY SERVICES.
I ECHO THE CITY'S GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROTECT ESSENTIAL AND MANDATED SERVICES, MINIMIZING THE IMPACT TO VULNERABLE POPULATION AND AVOIDING LONG-TERM RISK.
I KNOW THAT AS WE BEGIN THIS 30 DAY REVIEW, UM, I WANNA SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ON BEHALF OF MY RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, THAT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT WE ENSURE THAT OUR CORE MUNICIPAL SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, ARE FULLY FUNDED, UH, STAFFED AND ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS WITHOUT ANY INCREASE IN OUR TAX RATE.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, OR A FEW QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UH, THE REVAMPING ON THE STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, WILL THAT CONTINUE TO COME BACK TO FULL COUNCIL? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'LL DO, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL SOLICIT, WE'LL UH, DO THE REPORT AND THEN, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONSULTANT OR THE WHOEVER WE, UH, RELY UPON, WE'LL COME BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
AND DOES THE INCREASE IN THE, JUST TO CONFIRM, DOES INCREASE IN THE FIREFIGHTERS INCLUDE MORE PERSONNEL FOR THEIR HEAVY SQUAD UNITS? YES.
THE TWO ENHANCED SQUADS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF 12 NEW, UH, FIRE POSITIONS TO GO ALONG WITH, UH, SIX AT EACH OF THE ENHANCED, UH, SQUADS.
AND THEN I THINK YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THE FUNDING TO COVER SOME OF THOSE SMALLER ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, WE HAVE A DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, UH, PROGRAM THAT, UM, KEEPS UP WITH ALL MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, INCLUDING FIRE STATIONS, THAT THE, THE EXAMPLE I GAVE WAS THAT, UM, UM, WITH THE NUMBER OF FACILITIES WE HAVE AND SQUARE FOOTAGE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF OUR FACILITIES TO IDENTIFY, UM, HOW WE CAN PRIORITIZE AND, AND IDENTIFY THOSE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AT, AT THE FIRE STATIONS.
OR IN THE CASE THAT MAYBE FIRE STATIONS, THE, THE CONSULTANT MAY COME BACK TO SAY, STOP SPENDING MONEY ON THAT OLD BUILDING.
I KNOW, I KNOW, UM, IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, FIRE STATION 34 AND 37, I KNOW 37 IS RIGHT ON MY WAY HOME EVERY DAY.
SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET SOME MUCH NEEDED DRAINAGE WORK THERE.
AND SEWAGE TRIED SEWAGE WORKS, TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES, SO YEAH.
AND, AND SOME SEWAGE, UH, LIFT STATION WORK THERE.
AND I KNOW, UM, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT FENCING AROUND THE FIREHOUSE AND ON FIREHOUSE 34, 34 AND 35.
WANTED TO ECHO DISTRICT ONE'S POINT.
UH, MAKING SURE THAT THE HIRING FREEZE DOESN'T CREATE ANY DELAYS, UH, IN OUR PERMITTING.
AND ALSO SUPPORTING, UM, HER INTEREST IN LOOKING AT, UH, ANY OF THOSE FINE INCREASES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE WANT A SAFE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO AS A CLEAN COMMUNITY.
SO I KNOW THAT'S WHAT DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING FOR.
UM, AS FAR AS THE TABLETOP EXERCISE, THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, WILL COUNCIL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW OR RECOMMEND ANY STAKEHOLDERS TO THAT GROUP? UH, YES MA'AM.
I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO FRAME OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT TABLETOP LOOKS LIKE AND WHO'S INVOLVED, UM, AND, AND LAY OUT A POTENTIAL SCOPE, A PROPOSED SCOPE.
UM, AND CERTAINLY I WOULD ENVISION THE COUNCIL WEIGHING IN ON THAT SCOPE.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH ED BONOS AT UHS AND, AND JOLYN JAMESON AND CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON, ON, UH, WHAT WOULD WHAT WOULD BE MOST PRODUCTIVE FOR ALL OF US.
I THINK I ALSO WANNA SUPPORT, UH, KNOWING THAT OUR PROFESSIONAL DEPARTMENTS WILL BE MOST IMPACTED.
UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, I SUPPORT THE CIVILIAN COMPENSATION INCREASE TO 3%, UH, LIKE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED.
UM, AND CONSIDERING THE FEDERAL CUTS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, IN SUPPORT OF MAINTAINING FUNDING TO OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES.
UH, ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MIKE SHANNON, YOU'VE BEEN MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES HERE, SO I WELCOME YOU TO DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, TO SHARE THE NEWS ABOUT YOUR NEW ROLE.
UM, I KNOW DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENTS WILL BE VERY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT.
UH, WE HAVE A, A PART, A DEPARTMENT THAT IS FOCUSED ON, UH, DELIVERY TIME COMMUNICATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS AND, UM, BOND PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE, ARE SO VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[02:40:01]
UH, LET'S SEE.I WANNA, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I THINK THERE'S ALSO SOME, UH, UT HEALTH APPROACHED US ABOUT, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
UT HEALTH APPROACHED US, UM, ABOUT A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR WELLNESS AND TRANSITIONAL CARE CLINICS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN, IF THEY'VE MENTIONED THIS TO YOU AT ALL, BUT RELATED TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
UM, SO NO MA'AM, BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP.
WE CAN TALK ALL FLAGGING ABOUT THAT ONE.
I MEAN, FOR ME IT'S REALLY, WE'RE, WE'VE STATED THIS BEFORE.
UH, WE ARE LIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.
UM, WE'RE SEEING CUTS EVERYWHERE, UH, IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND JOBS AND SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, WHICH REALLY REAFFIRMS MY BELIEF THAT EVERYTHING STARTS AND ENDS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE EVERY DAY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES OVER THIS NEXT 30 DAYS, UH, TO BRING A BUDGET THAT, UH, BRING BACK A BUDGET AND APPROVE A BUDGET THAT PROTECTS AND STRENGTHENS OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT MAKES SURE THAT WE KEEP RESIDENTS, UH, SAFE, UH, CLEAN, UM, AND CONNECTED.
I WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN TO EXPRESS SUPPORT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNTY RELATIONS, UH, AS COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS EMPHASIZE, UH, OFTENTIMES WITH MANY OF THE DELEGATE AGENCIES, PARTICULARLY AROUND HOMELESS SERVICES IN DISTRICT FIVE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CITY AS WELL AS THE COUNTY, AND IN TERMS OF SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS VERSUS, UH, FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTRIBUTION AND EXPECTATION WE SHOULD HAVE FROM THE COUNTY AS WELL IN PROVIDING SERVICES.
SO I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF VALUE, UH, IN THAT COORDINATED EFFORT.
I KNOW, UH, OUR SERVICE SERVICE PROVIDERS DO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK A MORE ROBUST, UH, AGENDA IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AND WHAT METRICS WE'D LIKE TO SEE WOULD BE OF VALUE IN TERMS OF THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, UH, AND ENFORCEMENT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAD SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING FOR SOME MONITORS.
DO WE KNOW WHEN THOSE ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE, UH, PUT OUT? UH, BECAUSE MY, MY QUESTION CONCERN, EVEN WITH THE INCREASED FINES AND FEES IS, UH, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THESE FEES DON'T REMAIN UNCOLLECTED, RIGHT? SO WE'RE INCREASING THEM, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE RECEIVING THEM.
SO ONE, RIGHT? DO WE KNOW WHERE, UM, THOSE TRAILERS ARE AND WHEN CAN WE ANTICIPATE THEM, UH, BEING PUT THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY? UM, BUT ALSO RIGHT FOR US TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT, UH, THOSE ADDITIONAL FINES AND FEES.
UM, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I, I'M, UH, SHARE THE SIMILAR SENTIMENT AS, UH, THE POINTS RATHER THAT COUNCILMAN MONIA RAISE IN TERMS OF LET'S ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING INTENTIONAL, UH, SAFE CONTINUES TO BE, BE OUR CONSTITUENTS REQUEST.
AND IF THAT'S NOT BEING WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, I HAVE CONCERNS GIVEN THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS AND THROUGH THE UTSA PLAN.
SO LET'S ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING CONSISTENT, NOT, UH, PICKING AND CHOOSING, UH, WHICH PIECES OF A PLAN THAT WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE ARTS DEPARTMENT, I'M NOT QUITE SURE.
BUT, UH, ERIC, IF YOU COULD SHARE, IS THIS A POLICY DISCUSSION OR A BUDGET DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE HOT CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY'S ARTS DEPARTMENT? IT, IT, WOULD, IT, IT'S MORE OF A BUDGET CONVERSATION COUNCILWOMAN? YES, MA'AM.
BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, UM, FOR US TO REEVALUATE THE HOT CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY'S ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? WE ARE A CITY THAT'S GROWING.
WE KEEP, UH, CONTINUING TO INCORPORATE PIECES OF THE COUNTY INTO THE CITY.
AND WHAT WE HEAR IS THE EXPECTATION DESIRE FOR MORE ART PIECES.
WE KNOW THAT'S A, A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR CITY.
UM, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR ARTS DEPARTMENT, UH, IS, UH, ADEQUATELY FUNDED.
I KNOW THEY DO A GREAT JOB WITH WHAT THE BUDGET THEY HAVE, BUT I KNOW WHAT I HEAR FROM DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS AND FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY IS THEY WANT, UH, MORE SUPPORT TO THE ARTS DEPARTMENT.
SO I HOPE, I'M HOPEFUL THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, THE CIP FUNDING, THIS IS A BUCKET OF FUNDING WE'VE USED TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN DISTRICT FIVE, PARTICULARLY AROUND NEWLY REDISTRICTED AREAS THAT JUST HAVE A LOT OF FAILED STREETS, SIDEWALK GAPS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCORPORATED IN THE BUDGET, UH, WITH THE UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IT'S ALLOWED US TO MEET, UH, SO MANY NEEDS FROM PROVIDING, UM, SHADE STRUCTURES AT OUR PARKS FOR OUR KIDS AND AT OUR SENIOR CENTERS, AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD DRASTICALLY NEGATIVELY IMPACT DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS IF WE, UH, DON'T SEE IT IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY TELLING OUR RESIDENTS, YES, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING UP.
YES, YOUR CPOS CPS BILL IS GOING UP, BUT YOUR EXPECTATION OF A SIDEWALK IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE PUSHED FURTHER BACK.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT'S, UH, UNACCEPTABLE.
SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN REVISIT AND, UM, IMPLEMENT CIP FUNDING BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
UH, LASTLY, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE POINTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE RAISED AROUND, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES AND OUR OUTREACH WORKERS, UH, AGAIN, RIGHT, THIS IS SOMETHING WE SEE EVIDENT, WHETHER IT'S THE PROJECT MARVEL ABLE CITY SURVEY OR THE BUDGET SURVEY, HOMELESSNESS IS A PRIORITY.
GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT, UM, MARK CARMONA
[02:45:01]
WILL BE TASKED WITH THE, UM, DEPLOYING THE SERVICES AND TRACKING ALL THAT REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.UM, BUT AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, IT'S ALSO ABOUT HAVING THE WORKERS TO CONDUCT THAT OUTREACH, FACILITATE ENGAGEMENT, AND TO CONNECT FOLKS TO THE HOUSING THAT WE ALSO NEED TO INVEST IN.
UM, SO JUST WANNA ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, UH, BURDENING, UM, OUR OUTREACH WORKERS, WHICH EACH OF US ONLY HAVE ONE OF, AND IT'S THE ONE OF THE TOP REQUESTED, UH, ITEMS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, WHETHER THAT'S ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND OF COURSE THE HOUSING NECESSARY.
UM, THOSE ARE THE, OH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, RIGHT, THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, UH, IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND WHERE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, NO MATTER WHAT DISTRICT FIVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION I GO TO, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS ARE PRIMARILY AROUND ENCAMPMENTS.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK INTO WHAT THAT PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN IS AND HOW DO WE TIE IT BACK TO THE BUDGET, WHICH IS SUPPORTING OUR OUTREACH WORKERS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, PROVIDING THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COMPONENT.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S OFTENTIMES, AND I, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS, EVERY BUDGET, UH, IT'S OUR SAFE OFFICERS ESSENTIALLY GETTING GRILLED ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSING COMPONENT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO ADD.
UM, AN ATTACK ON AN ECHO, COUNCILMAN MIA'S POINT, UM, D NINE IS OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION SURROUNDING HOMELESSNESS DISCU, BUT WE DO HAVE POCKETS OF NEED AND POVERTY IN DISTRICT NINE, AND THESE PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE LIFTED UP AS WELL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A POINT IN TIME HEAT MAP FOR DISTRICT NINE BROKEN DOWN BY DEMOGRAPHICS SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT, UM, GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE FACING HOUSING INSECURITY, LIKE OUR ELDERLY AND OUR VETERANS, AND HOW WE CAN BEST ADDRESS THEIR, THEIR SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT COME UP ON HOW THEY BECOME UNHOUSED.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING VERY IMPACTFUL AND EFFICIENT WITH OUR SPENDING HERE.
IT'S CLEAR WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS, AND IT'S CLEARLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO ALL OF US, BUT IT'S COMPLICATED AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER HOW WE'RE SPENDING THESE DOLLARS.
ARE WE JUST THROWING MONEY AT THE PROBLEM AND IT'S NOT REALLY SOLVING ANYTHING? UM, SO I REALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO DIVING DEEP INTO THIS.
AND, UM, I REALLY WANT DISTRICT NINE TO BE AT THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA ECHO THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CIP BEING LEFT OUT OF THE BUDGET.
UM, THIS BRINGS UP A POINT THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
UM, MAINTAINING OUR ASSETS IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN FULL REPLACEMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND I THINK CIP IS A VEHICLE FOR US TO DELIVER THESE ESSENTIAL CORE SERVICES FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND THE LAST THING IS, I JUST WANNA REMIND MY DISTRICT THAT OUR TOWN HALL WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TH AT SIX 30 AT THE WALKER SENIOR CENTER.
SO MAKE TIME AND COME 'CAUSE WE WANNA HEAR YOUR VOICES.
UH, REAL BRIEFLY, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, CASTILLO ANO, DEFINITELY WILLING TO LOOK INTO THE, THE TS ISSUE, UM, THAT, THAT YOU RAISED.
UM, THE FLASHING STOP SIGNS THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER BY COUNCILMAN CASTILLO.
I THINK THAT THAT DESERVES, UH, SOME CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
AND THEN I'LL ECHO, UM, COUNCILMAN MANIA AND MY COLLEAGUES ON THE, ON THE CIP AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR RAISING THAT BECAUSE, BECAUSE I THINK WE, UH, EACH DISTRICT CERTAINLY NEEDS SOME, UM, SOME CIP DOLLARS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COR, THANK YOU MAYOR.
ALSO JUST CHIMING BACK IN FOR SUPPORT, ECHOING THE INNER CITY TOURS REQUESTS.
I KNOW WE WERE JUST AT OUR INNER CITY TOUR BOARD MEETING, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS REALLY GET SOME MORE LAND BANKING DONE SO THAT THEY CAN TRY TO CONTINUE THAT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS SUPER NEEDED ON THE EAST SIDE.
AND ALSO SOME OF THE GREAT, UM, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND JUST WEEKEND PROGRAMMING THAT THEY'RE DOING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE AS SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, PUBLIC SAFETY IS MORE THAN JUST, UM, POLICING.
AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS.
UM, IT'S A PORTION OF IT, BUT NOT THE WHOLE THING.
A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION.
THE, I THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CASTILLO FOR FLAGGING THAT THE, UM, FLASHING STOP SIGNS AND RAIDER FEEDBACK SIGNS WERE BEING ELIMINATED.
I SAW THAT 700 K IN IT AND I WAS LIKE, OH, IT'S BUDGETED.
AND I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET REDUCTION SECTION.
UM, AND SO THAT IS SUPER, THEY HAVE BEEN DELAYED.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO INSTALL THEM FOR THE LAST EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS BECAUSE RAZZIE, WE KNOW THIS, THAT THE, THE PRODUCTION
[02:50:01]
PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET US THE MATERIALS.BUT I WAS AT LOS ANGELES HEIGHTS LAST WEEK AND LITERALLY THEY WERE CHEERING ME ON.
THEY'RE LIKE, YOU GOT US TWO FLASHING STOP SIGNS.
THE COMMUNITY LOVES THESE AND THE RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS, WE KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS TO GO OUT AND GIVE SPEEDING TICKETS.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS SPEEDING.
IN ALL OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS, RESIDENTS ALWAYS TELL ME, AND SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE FOLKS ARE SPEEDING WAY FASTER THAN THEY ARE, BUT PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING THROUGH OUR RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
WE CAN'T JUST HAVE A POLICE OFFICER POSTED UP AT EVERY BIG, UM, INTERSECTION.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS.
SO I COULD LITERALLY GIVE YOU 20 LOCATIONS RIGHT NOW, AND I'M SURE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES COULD TOO.
SO PLEASE, LET'S LOOK AT THOSE, UH, THAT FUNDING AMOUNT AND SEE IF WE CAN BRING THAT BACK IN THE CIP DOLLARS ALSO THAT, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR FLOGGING THAT.
I UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO PUT $10 MILLION INTO CIP BECAUSE IT'S NOT EQUITABLE.
IT'S JUST DIVIDING IT EQUALLY.
HOWEVER, IF WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE A SIDEWALK PLAN BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, THE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHAT IS THE THING THAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? I FEEL LIKE I'M PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS WITH SIDEWALKS BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE SAY, WE NEED OUR SIDEWALK DONE, WE ESTIMATE IT, COST IT OUT, AND IT'S THREE, $400,000 FOR ONE BLOCK, OR ONE OR ONE TO TWO BLOCKS OF SIDEWALK.
SO THAT MEANS I'M PICKING TWO OR THREE WINNERS A YEAR.
AND I, AND IT'S HONESTLY WHY WE'VE BEEN SITTING ON OUR DOLLARS.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EVERY SINGLE CREATIVE WAY TO MAKE A DECISION, QUARTER MILE RADIUS TO A SCHOOL, UH, A 10TH OF A MILE TO A BUS STOP, A 10TH OF A MILE TO A UNIVERSITY.
LIKE I'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF THOSE DATA POINTS TO TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THESE, AND WE STILL HAVE OVER 300 PROJECTS.
AND ERIC TELLS ME, YOU GOTTA MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE NEED A SIDEWALK PLAN.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS OUT, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR SIDEWALK PLAN'S GONNA BE BECAUSE, UH, I, I DON'T WANNA BE THE ONE MAKING THE DECISION, BUT I NEED SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT IN THE CITY HAS ACCESS TO A SIDEWALK, THE ONES THAT WANT THEM.
'CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF OUR SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOODS CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE THEM, BUT ERIC, ARE YOU GONNA MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? I WAS JUST GONNA, I, I DIDN'T MENTION DURING THE PRESENTATION, BUT YOU ALL WILL RECALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP THAT SIDEWALK PLAN AND, AND, AND WE STARTED AT THE CORE CITY AND WE DID WITHIN FOUR 10, AND THEN IT'S OUTSIDE FOUR 10 AND, AND THERE'S $17 MILLION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO ADD SIDEWALKS.
SO I I, I JUST DON'T WANT THE, THE PUBLIC TO HEAR THAT THAT SIDEWALKS IS RELIANT UPON THE CIP BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE $17 MILLION IN THE BUDGET, BUT CERTAINLY THERE IS 17 PLUS THAT THERE ISN'T, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH.
AND, AND I THINK, I THINK TO YOUR POINT, THE SIDEWALK PLAN AND THE 17 MILLION THAT'S GONNA GET DEPLOYED BASED ON ACCESS TO SCHOOLS, BUS STOPS, HOSPITALS, AND THOSE PRIORITY AREAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, THOSE CONNECTIONS ARE THERE.
BUT I'M HEARING YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE'LL MAKE SURE WE COVER THAT IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATION.
AND IF THAT PLAN IS BEING DONE, IS IT HAVING FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST FOR ALL OF THAT? WELL, INCREMENTALLY, INCREMENTALLY WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
I SUSPECT THAT COULD BE, BE POTENTIALLY A CONVERSATION IN THE MUNICIPAL BOND PROGRAM.
YEAH, I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING AN ANALYSIS, BUT WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE COST? WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE FOR US SO THAT WE KNOW HOW MUCH TO BUDGET FOR THAT? UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I DIDN'T GET TO SHOUT OUT, MARK.
SO I, I KNOW SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ALREADY DID, BUT I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT, MARK, FOR GETTING, UM, FOR LEADING THIS NEW DEPARTMENT.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT DECISION, ERIC, AND I LOVE THAT YOU RECOMMENDED IT.
I THINK, UH, MARK HAS HAD SOME REALLY GREAT LEADERSHIP IN HOUSING AND HAVING US REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS A HOUSING SOLUTION, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S NOT A HOUSELESS AND UNHOUSED POPULATION.
AND THEN, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALL OF THAT IS INTERTWINED.
SO I AGREE WITH, UM, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS ON THAT AND JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT WORK MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER MUNGIA, JUST WANNA ADD A COUPLE POINTS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS TOOK THE TIME TO DO A BUDGET SURVEY AND PART OF THAT SURVEY INCLUDED, UM, YOU KNOW, TOP DEPARTMENTS WITH THE GREATEST NEED AND THE GREATEST IMPROVEMENT REQUESTED.
SO I HOPE WHEN WE DIVE INTO THIS, WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE ON THAT SURVEY AND OUTLINE SOME THINGS WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE SERVICES.
I, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO RESIDENTS IF WE SAW THAT INFORMATION AND JUST DECIDED TO PUT THAT ASIDE AND, AND CONTINUE ON.
UM, AND REAL QUICK QUESTION, THIS WAS FUNDING LAST FISCAL YEAR AND SUPPOSED TO BE THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR THE CHEST NONPROFIT.
IS THAT THIS FUNDING STILL INCLUDED THIS FISCAL YEAR? OKAY, THAT'S THAT.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER POINT ON HOMELESSNESS, UH, MARK, I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU MORE.
[02:55:01]
WAS A SURVEY, THERE WAS A CCR THAT I, I WROTE AS A STAFFER THAT TALKED ABOUT, UM, WORKING WITH, UH, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS TO DO WORK WITH HOMELESSNESS.'CAUSE THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE THAT WANT TO HELP.
UH, IT'S MY ARGUMENT THAT THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM ZONING LAWS AND ZONING RULES.
SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE TROUBLE OF ZONING BATTLES, UM, FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS.
AND THEN, YEAH, OF COURSE, WHEN IT COMES TO FLASHING STOP SIGNS, WE'VE GOTTA DO MORE.
I'VE HAD TO SUPPLEMENT THAT WORK A LOT THROUGH NAMP.
SO I PERSONALLY HAVE SENT OUT A LOT OF NAMP MEMOS, UH, FOR FLASHING STOP SIGNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND THEN THE CITYWIDE PROGRAM IS, IS 10 PER DISTRICT OR WAS, THAT IS 10 INDIVIDUAL STOP SITES, NOT 10 LOCATIONS.
SO IF YOU HAVE A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION, THAT'S FOUR.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ALSO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CIP BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, UH, AS COUNCILMAN CORE POINTED OUT, SIDEWALKS ARE, ARE SO, UH, KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE SO COSTLY, BUT THERE'RE SO NEEDED.
UM, THERE, THERE WAS A STORY THAT I SAW THIS MORNING, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ON CASE A OR KEN'S, BUT IT'S ABOUT LITTLE KIDS BIKING TO SCHOOL, RIGHT? UM, AND HOW WE NEED TO HAVE SAFE STREETS SO KIDS CAN BIKE TO SCHOOL.
AND IT ACTUALLY TOUCHES ON COUNCILMAN GALVAN'S POINT ABOUT SAFE STREETS VISION ZERO.
ALL OF THIS STUFF IS INTERTWINED.
UM, AND SO WE, THAT IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE OUR CIP BUDGET 'CAUSE THAT IS HOW WE DELIVER ON THESE CRUCIAL PROJECTS FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO, JUST WANTED TO ECHO MY SENTIMENTS THERE.
JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN FOR SOME PIECE OF SUPPORT.
UM, DEFINITELY THE FLASHING STOP SIGNS.
AND HOPEFULLY THE AT TD CAN HELP WITH THAT IF WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT.
UM, AND UH, ALSO REALLY WANT TO, UH, SHOUT OUT CUSTOMER CASTILLO FOR THE PIECE ON INCREASING THE HOT, UH, PIECE TOWARDS, UH, MORE ARTS AND CULTURE.
SOMETHING THAT I MISSED IN MY FIRST 10 MINUTES.
UH, 'CAUSE I HAVE A IDEA THAT I WANNA RUN BY STAFF SOON WITH THE CCR, UM, ABOUT AN OFFICE OF MUSIC, UH, AND FILM TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SUPPORTING THE LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO FILM AND MUSIC HERE IN OUR CITY.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT IT'S A POLICY CONVERSATION, UH, TO BE A BIT MORE OF THAT.
I KNOW CITY CLERK IS DOING SOME STUFF WITH THAT TOO, SO WE CAN ALWAYS DO DUAL EFFORTS.
UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT'S, UH, PROPERLY FUNDED HAS A GOOD PIECES THERE TO CONTINUE THAT WORK.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS SOMETHING, UH, I PROMISED AT MY LAST A CS, UH, HEADQUARTERS VISIT, WHICH IS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I'M SHOUTING UP THE MARKETING TEAM FOR A CS TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND THAT, UH, IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE SERVICES OUT THERE TO OUR COMMUNITY, GETTING PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
UM, AND THEY'RE JUST INCREDIBLY CREATIVE.
UH, AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT MY TEAM ASPIRES TO AS WELL AS MY PERSONAL SELF ON HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MARKETING THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE DO AT CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, MAKE SURE I FULFILLED THAT PROMISE OF THE FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO THERE.
HAVE ALL MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO SPEAK.
UM, I THINK YOU, UM, HEARD TODAY ERIC, UM, UH, QUITE A BIT OF INTEREST IN, IN PLUSING UP SOME SERVICES.
UH, WHETHER THEY BE CORE OR, OR NOT CORE.
UM, I, I WOULD REITERATE TO MY COLLEAGUES, UM, WELL, LEMME JUST SAY THANKS AGAIN TO, TO ALL THE HARD WORK.
UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY ACTUALLY, NOT ONLY IN THESE SESSIONS, UM, BUT ALSO AS PART OF OUR ONGOING, UM, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, UH, TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS.
NOT ONLY OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS, UH, BUT CERTAINLY THE COUNCIL THAT'LL SIT IN THIS SEAT IN FIVE, 10 YEARS FROM NOW.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS, UH, LIKE NOT ONLY THE, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF, OF, UM, CITY INITIATED TOURS OR WHETHER YOU'RE LOOK LOOKING AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOP INITIATIVES, UH, THAT WE PROVIDE FOR, FOR PRIVATE ENTITIES.
UH, AND CERTAINLY AS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT, UM, UH, THE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SPURS AND THINGS LIKE REVENUE SHARING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WHICH HELP, WHICH WOULD GO TO HELP, UH, STRENGTHEN OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COPS OR A SIDEWALK PLAN OR THE ARTS, UH, WE CAN HELP, UH, NOT ONLY OUR, AGAIN, UH, BE COGNIZANT OF WAYS WE CAN STRENGTHEN THAT.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO VERY THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UM, IN THIS DAY THOUGH, ABOUT POTENTIAL OFFSETS, UH, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE, THE HARD WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, UH, TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE, THERE'S FRANKLY JUST NOT A LOT OF GIVE.
ERIC, DO YOU HAVE THE COUNSEL DIRECTION THAT YOU NEED? YES, MA'AM.
WE'RE GONNA BE READY ON TUESDAY.
LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, UH, WHICH IS FOR ACTION CITY CLERK.
PLEASE READ THE CAPTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
M NUMBER FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING.
THE CITY'S PROPOSED MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION TAX RATE AT 33.01 CENTS OF PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION.
[03:00:02]
PROPOSED DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE AT 21.15 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION.AS RECOMMENDED IN THE FY 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE IS NO INCREASE IN THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAX RATE.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK JACK FINGER.
OKAY, MR. FING, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WE, WE ALREADY GAVE THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, SO NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO SPEAK, SIR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
THREE MINUTES, MADAM MAYOR, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD.
AND, UM, I, UH, UPON HEARING THE EARLIER CONVERSATIONS AND UPON HEARING THE, UH, LOOKING AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS, I, I, UH, I DECIDED I WOULD USE SOME, SOME AUDIO VISUALS HERE TO KIND OF, UH, HELP ME RE OFFER MY REMARKS HERE.
UH, THIS IS WHAT YOU SAW A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, PROPERTY TAX, TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUES THERE.
OKAY? YOU LOOK AT THE, TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, IT SAYS, CITY'S RATE REMAINS AT 54.1 59 PER $100 VALUATION.
WELL, WE HAD HEARD RUMORS THAT IT WAS GOING TO, WE WERE GOING TO GET A TAX CUT, VERY MINUSCULE, MIND YOU, BUT, UH, STILL A TAX CUT, MAYBE 1E-05% OR SOMETHING.
BUT NO, WE COULD NOT EVEN GET THAT FROM YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO NOW IF YOU LOOK FURTHER UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PAGE, IN YELLOW, IT SAYS, UH, BASE VALUES, UH, ESTIMATE TO 20, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2025.
THAT MEANS THAT THE AVERAGE PROPERTY TAX OWNER, HIS PROPERTY TAX BILL INCREASED ABOUT TWO OR 3%, TWO POINT 67%.
AND, UH, UH, FURTHER ON AND, AND LATER ON FOR THE FUTURE, UH, YOUR, YOUR EXPERTS ARE PREDICTING THAT IN PARENTHESES, WHEN IT SAYS IN PARENTHESES 0.0 0.9%, SOMEBODY'S EXPECTING A RECESSION OR, OR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MOVE OUT OUTTA THEIR HOMES AND HAVE A LOT OF VACANT HOUSING AROUND.
YES, UH, UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE BEING FACED WITH.
BUT SEE, IN OTHER WORDS, OUR TAX BILLS HAVE INCREASED, EVEN THOUGH USED ADVERTISED.
MR.
IT SAYS, NOW YOU'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, JACK, WE GIVE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE, THOSE VARIOUS, UH, CATEGORIES, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS OVER AGE 65 DISABLED PERSONS CHILDCARE, THOSE ARE, ARE JUST A VERY SMALL FRACTIONS FACTIONS OF THE, THE, THE BIG, UH, REVENUE THAT YOU HAVE, THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER.
WE, WE DON'T GET ANYTHING DECENT.
WE REALLY, IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO GIVE US A DECENT TAX CUT, IT'D BE MORE THAN JUST A 0.000.
YOU'D ACTUALLY GIVE US SOMETHING LIKE 10% TAX CUT TO, TO COMPENSATE FOR ALL THE TAX INCREASES WE WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST 10, 20 YEARS OR SO.
UH, CONTINUE THE NEXT PAGE, MR.
AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO G GIVE US SOMETHING GOOD, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US BACK OUR CPS TAX, UH, MONEY THAT WE, THAT ESSENTIALLY GOES TO THE CITY, OR EVEN BETTER THAN THAT, GIVE US A, A TA OUR SALES TAX, UH, REBATE.
WHY, WHY NOT? HUH?
IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL? SECOND.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND A SECOND TO, TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR.
I KNOW THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH ITEM THREE, BUT IS THERE ANY FURTHER COUNSEL DISCUSSION? GREAT.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
[5. Ordinance setting the date, time, and place for two Budget Public Hearings and two Ad Valorem Tax Rate Public Hearings. [Erik Walsh, City Manager]]
FIVE, WHICH IS FOR ACTION.MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION.
HEIN NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE FOR TWO BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TWO, A VALOREM TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UH, MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE A MOTION AND SECOND FOR APPROVAL?
[03:05:02]
MOTION SECOND.I KNOW THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH ITEM THREE, BUT IS THERE ANY OTHER FURTHER COUNSEL DISCUSSION? OKAY, IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM FIVE.
UM, THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
[City Manager's Report ]
NEXT ITEM IS, UH, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.ERIC, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT TODAY? YES, MA'AM.
UH, TWO ITEMS, UH, THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL.
UM, THIS SUMMER, UM, HERE RECENTLY, UH, METRO HEALTH RECEIVED TWO NATIONAL AWARDS FROM THE, UH, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS.
UM, ONE IN THE MODEL PRACTICE AWARD AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE DEPARTMENT'S INITIATIVE AROUND, UH, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND, UH, AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
AND THE SECOND WAS A, UH, PROMISING PRACTICE AWARD, WHICH FOCUSED ON METRO HEALTH'S WORK, UH, WITH THE RESOURCE CENTER AT VIA CORONADO, UM, AND, UH, WAS EARNED FOR ITS COMMUNITY DRIVEN APPROACH, UH, TO ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THOSE SUBMISSIONS UNDERGO A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS, UH, IN PEER EVALUATION.
SO I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE, UH, DR.
JACOB AND THE ENTIRE METRO HEALTH TEAM FOR THAT RECOGNITION.
AND THEN LASTLY, MAYOR, UH, JUST A REMINDER FOR THE COUNCIL, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR OUR, OUR, UH, FOUR PRE-K FOR SA UH, SCHOOLS IS MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH.
UM, IF YOU'VE, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AT, UH, ONE OF OUR PRE-K CENTERS, IT, UM, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING TO SEE, UH, NEARLY 2000 STUDENTS SHOW UP, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, AND, UH, IN OTHER GOOD NEWS, THE, UH, PRE-K FOR SA DID OPEN UP APPLICATIONS FOR, UH, INFANTS AND TODDLERS, UH, ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 8TH.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE OPENING OUR NEW SOUTH CENTER, UH, WITH THIS YEAR'S SCHOOL YEAR.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IN ATTENDING OR, OR SHOWING UP, UH, PLEASE REACH OUT TO DR. BRAY OR MYSELF OR ALEX LOPEZ.
BUT IT IS, UH, CERTAINLY EXCITING TO, UH, TO BE THERE ON THAT, ON THAT OPENING MORNING.
JA JACOB AND, UH, DR. BRAY GODSPEED.
UH, THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF OUR BUSINESS.
THE TIME IS NOW 12:11 PM AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.