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>> OKAY. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS NOW 2:03 P.M. ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2025, THE MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE.
ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? CAN I GET A SECOND? WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. (CHORUS OF AYES.) ALL OPPOSED TO SAY. MOTION CARRIES, MADAM CLERK, ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS
SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. >> NO, CHAIR, WE HAVE NO
PUBLIC COMMENT. >> GREAT, OKAY, SO THE REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS, SOME ARE FOR ACTION, WE'VE GOT TWO FOR ACTION AND I THINK TWO FOR BRIEFING, SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH ITEM NUMBER 2 IS A REVIEW OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
AND IS THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION? GREAT, TROY, THE FLOOR IS
ALL YOURS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS TROY ELLIOTT, I'M THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AS TODAY, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND OUR PROPOSAL FOR CONDUCTING A REVIEW, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, I'VE BEEN DOING PROCUREMENT FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS NOW, I STARTED ON OCTOBER 1, OF 2011, I REMEMBER THAT DAY VERY WELL, BECAUSE THE RIVER VIEW BUILDING ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED DOWN, AND THAT WAS MY FIRST DAY ON THE JOB AS CONDUCTING PROCUREMENT. WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT IS PURCHASING AND FINANCE USED TO BE TWO SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS AND THAT DAY WE CAME TOGETHER AS ONE DEPARTMENT. SHERYL SCULLEY ASKED ME IF I WOULD TAKE OVER PROCUREMENT, TO BE HONEST, I WAS A LITTLE NAIVE ABOUT PURCHASING. I ALWAYS THOUGHT PURCHASING IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY SIMPLE. YOU BUY SOMETHING.
I DON'T THINK THAT COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH, IT'S HIGHLY REGULATED DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PROCUREMENT THAT YOU'RE CONDUCTING, BY STATE STATUTE, AND WE ALSO HAVE A RIGOROUS PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A FAIR PROCESS, AND EVERYBODY GETS I GUESS A BITE AT THE APPLE SO TO SPEAK, AND THAT WE HAVE SOLID OUTCOMES AT THE END THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU AS CITY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE ABOUT A LITTLE LESS THAN 80 PEOPLE IN THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION, LED BY MATA, OUR ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR OVER HERE, AND ALSO LED BY A TEAM OF FOUR OTHER INDIVIDUALS, JENNIFER JOHNSON, ESPARZA, JONATHAN MIRANDA, AND LAURA ZOMBRANO, AND TOGETHER THAT TEAM CONDUCTS ABOUT APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE LESS THAN 400 PROCUREMENT AS YEAR THAT ARE OVER $50,000. FOR FY24, THE TUNE OF ABOUT $2.4 BILLION IN ACTUAL AWARDS THAT WE ACTUALLY MADE DURING THAT YEAR.
TO PROVIDE THAT BIT OF CONTEXT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION. AS PART OF THE -- AS PART OF THE CHARGE BY THE MAYOR, SHE FOCUSED ON THE PROCUREMENT PRO VIEW AS ONE OF THOSE CHARGES, SHE ASKED THAT THIS COMMITTEE COME BACK IN CONCERT WITH A DIVERSE SET OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. REVIEW THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT PROCESSES TO ENWE MAY CONSIDER THE FULL POOL OF TALENT AVAILABLE. THE MAYOR ALSO ASKS THIS COMMITTEE, WE'LL BE MAKING OUR RECOMMENDATION TODAY ON HOW TO APPROACH THIS REVIEW, THE COMMITTEE COME BACK TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1, WITH AN UPDATE ON HOW PROPOSING TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW. SO AS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THREE CATEGORIES OR THREE AREAS OF.
MANAGEABLE BITES BASED ON I THINK YOU AS A COMMITTEE, YOU AS A COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, AREA FOCUS -- I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAILS ON THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, GOING TO BE SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT, OUR CAPACITY BUILDING OF OUR SUPPLIERS AND ALSO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN GENERAL. AND TO SUM THINGS UP, I'LL GO THROUGH KIND OF A TIMELINE OF HOW THE STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE ACTUALLY GET TO THE END OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE FIRST ITEM WE TALKED ABOUT WAS SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT, IN SUPPLY ENGAGEMENT REALLY IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. IT'S OUR INTERACTION WITH OUR CURRENT VENDORS THAT WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH, BUT ALSO VENDORS WE ALSO WANT TO HAVE THAT FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH, AN POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS ON OUR GOODS, SERVICES AND OUR CONTRACTS. THE SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT REALLY HAS A COUPLE OF KEY THINGS, KEEPING OUR SUPPLIERS INFORMED OF OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY COME UP, TIME LINES AND REQUIREMENTS, AS A MATTER OF FACT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL SEE IN MY TIMELINE IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A HIGH PROFILE FORECAST THAT
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WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AND TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IN NOVEMBER, TO THE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, AND IT'S GOING TO LIST EVERY PROCUREMENT OVER $50,000 THAT WE PLAN ON CONDUCTING THROUGH THE CALENDAR YEAR, FISCAL YEAR OR THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2026, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT TO OUR VENDOR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE PUTS IT ON THE RADAR SCREEN AS FAR AS WHAT CONTRACTS WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING IN THE FUTURE. HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE LOCAL AND SMALL BUSINESS, OUTREACH EVENTS AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, YOU WILL SEE THIS IN THE TIME LINE, COME BACK AND DRILL DOWN MORE ON EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES, WHAT WE DO SPECIFICALLY, KIND OF GIVES YOU MORE OF A SENSE OF WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT, ALSO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THINGS, IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT YOU THINK Y'ALL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN US PURSUING OR CHANGING.THE NEXT AREA IS CAPACITY BUILDING. THIS IS HOW DO WE ASSIST OUR CURRENT POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS TO COMPETE AND TO DELIVER ON CITY CONTRACTS, AS I MENTIONED, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, IT'S NOT A SIMPLE PROCESS, IT'S VERY TECHNICAL, VERY STATUTORILY DRIVEN, AND IT IS NOT THE EASIEST THING TO NAVIGATE.
SO HOW DO WE ASSIST THESE VENDORS IN NAVIGATING THAT PROCUREMENT PROCESS, SOMETIMES SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS HITTING A SUBMIT BUTTON ON A SCREEN SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT WITHOUT THAT TRAINING, THAT EDUCATION, THERE ARE MANY TIMES THAT VENDORS CALL US AND SAY, WELL, I SUBMITTED MY BID, WELL, DID YOU HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON? NO. SO THAT CREATES CHALLENGES THROUGH THIS PROCUREMENT PROCESS. TRAINING AND ONLINE RESOURCES THAT ARE OFFERED, THEN ELIMINATING BARRIERS AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS AND SOME THINGS IN TERMS OF THE VENDOR COMMUNITY, AND EVEN FROM YOU AS COUNCILMEMBERS, WE TALK ABOUT CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS, THINGS SUCH AS OUR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ON OUR CONTRACTS. DOES THAT CREATE A BARRIER FOR SOME OF OUR -- SOME OF OUR CONTRACTORS? TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BONDING ASSISTANCE, OUR BONDING REQUIREMENTS, LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY.
KIND OF ALL OF THOSE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN THERE THAT WE REQUIRE AS A CITY TO PROTECT THE CITY, AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE IT'S NOT BEING TOO ONEROUS.
THEN THE LAST AREA IS REALLY KIND OF ALL ENCOMPASSING, THE ACTUAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN GENERAL. WE HAVEN'T REALLY, TO BE HONEST, WE'VE BEEN MAKING A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WE HAVEN'T REALLY FOCUSED ON IT, BECAUSE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE INTEGRATION SERVICES AGREEMENT OUT LOOKING FOR AN INTEGRATOR FOR SAP PLATFORM, AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT UPGRADING OUR REEVA PROCESS, OUR REEVA SOFTWARE, AND IT WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT SAFE SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE. WITH THAT, WILL COME SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE BUILT IN FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT THAT WE PLAN ON ADOPTING.
SO REALLY KIND OF HESITANT TO MAKE SOME IMMEDIATE CHANGES TO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION THAT IS COMING AND HOPE TO EMBED SOME PROCESS CHANGES AS WE DO THAT. THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION, BACK IN I THINK IT WAS JUNE OF 2024, WE CONCLUDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, A STUDY WITH A COMPANY CALLED CIVIC INITIATIVES. THEY DID AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AT THAT TIME, AND IN 2024, THEY PROVIDED US WITH A TRANSFORMATION ROAD MAP, THAT TRANSFORMATION ROAD MAP BASICALLY WENT OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS, INQUIRED STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGE, IMPROVEMENTS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE, AND THEY LEFT WITH US A TRANSPORTATION ROAD MAP ON EACH OF THESE KEY CATEGORIES THAT WE'VE BEEN CHIPPING AWAY AT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU SEE MY TIME LINE COMING BACK TO YOU, EXPLORING EACH OF THESE AREAS IN MORE DETAIL, AND GETTING SOME OF YOUR FEEDBACK AT THAT TIME AS WELL. AS FAR AS THE TIME LINE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS I MENTIONTED THAT I THINK WILL BE VALUABLE AS I GO THROUGH THIS. AS I MENTIONED, NOVEMBER OF 2025, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL BE PRESENTING THE FY26 ANNUAL PROCUREMENT FORECAST, AS I MENTIONED, THAT WILL GIVE A FULL COUNCIL THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED TO BE AWARDED OR PROCURED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2026, AND WE'LL BE ASKING A COUPLE OF THINGS, ONE, WE'LL BE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE TYPE OF PROCUREMENTS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO USE TO SOLICIT SET OR TO PROCURE SERVICES OR THESE GOODS. IT WILL BE FOR EVERYTHING 50,000 AND ABOVE. ALSO BE SEEKING YOUR INPUT AS FAR AS WHAT TYPE OF PATH WILL THESE PROCUREMENTS TAKE? I TALK ABOUT PATH, I'M TALKING ABOUT WILL IT BE GOING THROUGH THE HIGH PROFILE COMMITTEE? WILL IT BE GOING THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER DELEGATION? WILL IT BE GOING THROUGH THE AIRPORT PROCESS. SO WE'RE GETTING THAT FEEDBACK.
AND ALSO IF THERE'S THINGS INCLUDED IN THAT LIST THAT ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THE COUNCIL, THEN WE CAN TAKE THAT AND BRING THAT BACK FOR A FULL B SESSION AND HAVE OTHER PRESENTATIONS AS WELL, PART OF THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL ALSO BE KIND OF GOING OVER PROCUREMENT PROCESS AT A HIGH LEVEL, GOING THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S CURRENT POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE, FOR EXAMPLE, LOCAL
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PREFERENCE PROGRAM OR VETERAN'S PREFERENCE PROGRAMS. WE'LL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY INCORPORATE THAT, MOVE FORWARD TO A FULL B SESSION IN DECEMBER, A FULL, GO UGH THROUGH THAT PROCESS REVIEW, AFTER WE KIND OF SET THAT FOUNDATION, LIKE TO COME BACK TO YOU IN THE FEBRUARY TIME FRAME AND DO A VERY IN DEPTH PRESENTATION AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS PROCUREMENT, FOCUSING ON THOSE CATEGORIES WE TALKED ABOUT, SUPPLY ENGAGEMENT, THE CAPACITY BUILDINGS, HOW DO WE PLAN ON ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS? GETTING Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK AND THEN COME BACK AND HAVE SEVERAL TOUCH POINTS BETWEEN THAT FEBRUARY TIME FRAME AND JULY, AND HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME WE GET TO JULY, COME BACK WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS FAR AS WHERE DO WE THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDING ON PROCUREMENT PROCESSES BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THIS COMMITTEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.SO IN SUMMARY, THAT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL. THE PLAN WOULD BE BASICALLY TO COME THROUGH AND FOCUS ON THOSE KEY CATEGORIES AS I LAID OUT.
AND THEN FOCUS ON THAT TIMELINE, AND THEN ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT WOULD BE KIND OF THE PRESENTATION OR THE OVERARCHING PLAN. I WOULD RECOMMEND WE GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU AND ALSO PROPOSE TO THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT ALSO THROUGH OUR AREAS BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US AS A PROCUREMENT DIVISION OR DEPARTMENT TO GO BACK AND FOCUS ON.
SO FOCUS ON THAT FEEDBACK ON THOSE KEY AREAS, THE CATEGORIES, THE TIMELINE, AND GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFIC AREAS THAT Y'ALL MAY BE INTERESTED IN.
SHORT PRESENTATION, CHAIR, BUT THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, TROY. THIS ITEM IS FOR BRIEFING ONLY. COUNCILMEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES THE FIRST ROUND AND THREE MINUTES THE SECOND, I'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND REMINDING US OF THE PROCESS.
I THINK YOU AND I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE LOCAL THAT WE CAN AND VETERAN OWNED THAT WE CAN REALLY FOCUS ON, AND WHAT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW EVERYBODY IS ORDERING FROM THE SAME VENDOR, YOU KNOW, OVERSEAS, AND IT'S JUST WHAT WE PASS THROUGH IN TERMS OF BEST VALUE, AND WHERE CAN WE SPEND BECAUSE IT'S LOCAL, AND I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE KIND OF SEE WHAT THE LOCAL -- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOCAL, WHAT DO WE MEAN? AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES, BUT IT COULD BE LOBAL, BUT IF WE KNOW THEY'RE ORDERING FROM OVERSAYS, IT'S JUST A PASS THROUGH HERE, IT'S NOT LOCAL, IF WE KNOW IT'S LOCAL AND IT'S PRODUCED HERE, IT'S BUILT HERE, THAT DOLLAR IS GOING BACK HERE, AND NOT -- AND EMPLOY A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY PAY THEM WELL, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMMUNITY OWNED, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE DIFFERENCE FROM IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DISCERN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
THE OTHER THING I THINK WE NEED TO IDENTIFY IS WHAT DO WE JUST NOT HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? IN TERMS OF PROVIDERS? WHERE ARE WE NOT -- WE DON'T HAVE THAT INDUSTRY, WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROVIDER HERE, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT OF SAN ANTONIO AND IN SOME CASES OUTSIDE OF TEXAS FOR THAT VENDOR.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE WHEN YOU PRESENT IS IF THEY DO GET A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, AND THERE'S NUMEROUS CONTRACTS OF WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT PAYMENT, BECAUSE WHAT PORTION OF THE DELIVERY DOES THE PAYMENT COME THROUGH FOR THOSE VENDORS, BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFERENT, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I -- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TOO LONG FOR ME TO GET PAID, AND I'M -- I'M LIKE, WELL, THIS IS HOW THE CITY WORKS. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS WE GET THE ORDER, THERE'S SOME THINGS WE NEED TO SEE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT AS WE TAKE IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY DO. AND THEN I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR NEW COUNCILMEMBERS IN PARTICULAR, AND THE COMMITTEE, IS THAT WHOLE -- BECAUSE I SIT ON AUDIT, I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME, BUT THAT WHOLE THIS IS WHAT HIGH PROFILE, THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF HIGH PROFILE.
THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF AIRPORT, AND THESE ARE THE RESTRICTIONS WE HAVE THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE GET -- WE USED TO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY DIDN'T WE GO LOCAL, AND WHEN IT'S LOW BID, IT'S JUST -- IT'S REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE, AND THAT IF WE COULD HAVE THAT, AND THEN THAT WAY, AS WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS, THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WE CAN LET THEM KNOW THIS IS WHY WE WENT IN THIS DIRECTION, BECAUSE IT WAS HIGH PROFILE -- HIGH PROFILE OR BECAUSE IT WAS LOW BID OR BECAUSE OF THE AIRPORT REQUIREMENTS.
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AND THEN REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE INFORMATION FOR THE CITY MANAGERS ON THE -- AND I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT OUR COUNCILMEMBERS ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE BRIEFED ON, BECAUSE WE JUST MADE THOSE CHANGES TO INCREASE THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS COMMITTEE'S ABILITY TO PROCUREMENT, SO I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF ADJUST THAT AS WE MEET KIND OF INDIVIDUALLY AND GET IDEAS, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.DOES ANYBODY WANT -- WHO WANTS TO START? RICK?
COUNCILMAN GALVAN? SORRY. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, CHAIR, THANK YOU, TROY, FOR THE PRESENTATION, A LOT OF PACKED INFORMATION THERE, EXCITED TO SEE SOME THINGS COME BACK AROUND FOR MORE DETAILED CONVERSATIONS AND THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS, MAY GO BACK TO THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS, BUT I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON -- WELL, THE FIRST PART, I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS A CERTAIN CHARGE FOR THIS -- FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT, ON FLIGHT 2, WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS GROUP, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN HAVE THE TRADES FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY BE A PART OF THAT PARTICULARLY OUR LOCAL TRADE UNIONS? I KNOW THERE'S CCR IN THIS PAST, THIS YEAR, FOR ADVISORY TRADE REFORM, I KNOW IT HASN'T GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS FULLY YET.
WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE AT THE END OF THE TABLE THERE FOR THE
PROCUREMENT PROCESS. >> YEAH, WHEN WE DO OPT TO THE STAKEHOLDER COMMUNITY, TRY TO CAST AS BROAD A NET AS WE CAN AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THEM.
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. ANOTHER I WANTED TO ADD, FOR THE FOCUS AREA, I DON'T KNOW WHICH SLIDE THAT WAS ON, FOCUS AREA REVIEW GENERAL L. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT DATA, TO THE CHAIR'S POINT ABOUT LOCAL IMPACT THAT WE'RE MAKING NOT ONLY ON THE PROVIDERS THAT WE HAVE HERE, BUT ALSO KIND OF ON HOW MANY BIDS ARE WE PUTTING OUT THAT ONLY COME BACK WITH ONE BIDDER, VERSUS A WHOLE RANGE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? FOR OUR CITY? AND WHERE ARE THE CONTRACTS COMING FROM, WITHIN OUR CITY? CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE DOING MOST OF THE WORK FOR THE CITY? AND WHERE DOES THAT IMPACT HAVE ON EMPLOYMENT? WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY? WHO IS BEING HIRED, WHO FROM OUR CITY, WHAT PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS BEING HIRED, OVERALL MAKE SURE PUBLIC DOLLARS ARE COMING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY, TRY TO SEE IF WE TRACK THAT, PUBLIC DATA FORMAT OR EVEN WITH ANNUAL REPORTS AS WELL.
YEARLY REVIEW WHERE OUR MONEY WENT FOR PROCUREMENT, HOW IT IMPACTED OUR
COMMUNITY WOULD BE HELPFUL. >> WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. EXCITED FOR THAT. LAST THING, THE CHAIR POINTED OUT DELIVERABLES, FOR THE VENDOR FOR SURE, BUT ALSO DELIVERABLES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, HOW IS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IMPACTING ON PUBLIC WORKS
PROJECTS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS PROCUREMENT HERE -- >> THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS ALL UNDER THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WE CONSOLIDATED THE
CONSTRUCTION, A AND E, UNDER ONE UMBRELLA. >> GALVAN: WHERE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IMPACTS DELIVERABLES FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF TIME, ARE THEY PUBLIC WORKS OR PARKS, OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE THINGS IN THAT PROCUREMENT PROCESS COULD IMPACT THE SPEED IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC PROJECTS, THOSE TWO, CONSTRUCTION, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL -- WELL, LET ME MAKE SURE.
THOSE ARE ALL OF MY MAJOR POINTS. THERE'S SOME GENERAL HIRING PROGRAMS THAT I KNOW MY TEAM AND I WERE LOOKING AT, THOSE OFFLINE TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE COULD LOOK LIKE, IF WE'RE DOING -- HIRING WITHIN OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PLACE ALREADY, A CHANCE TO SEE IF WE CAN COMPARE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE IN THE PAST TWO CITIES ON THE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES, I'LL LEAVE MY COMMENTS THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SPEARS? >> SPEARS: THANK YOU, TROY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED TO BE ON THIS BOARD.
I AM THRILLED TO SEE HOW PREPARED YOU APPEAR AND REALLY FOCUSING ON HOW TO IMPROVE THIS PROCUREMENT PROCESS. I KNOW IT'S CHALLENGING.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS THERE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT METRICS WE CAN GATHER ABOUT WHO WE'RE SERVING AND WHERE JUST AS COUNCILMAN GALVAN AND CHAIR VIAGRAN WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND ESPECIALLY LIKE WHERE THE WORK IS COMING FROM IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND, YES, THE LOCAL BUY-IN, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE INSURANCE BARRIERS, BECAUSE I HEAR THAT A LOT. AND IT'S HARD FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO SOMETIMES REACH THOSE REQUIREMENTS, AND I'VE HEARD THE SAME ABOUT PAY, BECAUSE FOR A
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SMALL BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE MAKE IT OR BREAK IT TIME, BUT THIS WOULD BE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.TOO, MORE OF OUR METHODS FOR OUR OUTREACH, AND HOW WE CAN REACH MORE OF THE BUSINESSES, AND LIKE YOU SAID, THE TRAINING ON HOW TO WALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO BE KEY, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT GETS COMPLICATED IN OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE IT THOROUGH, IT CAN GET COMPLICATED, SO I APPRECIATE THAT FOCUS.
AND I ALSO, TOO, WANT TO SEE OUR VETERANS REALLY ENGAGED HERE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING VERY HELPFUL FOR OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IF WE COULD REALLY ENGAGE OUR VETERANS. SO YOU DID MENTION WE'RE TRYING TO GET A SPECIAL -- WHAT DID YOU CALL, THE POSITION THAT'S STILL OPEN, THE SPECIALIST OR THE ASSISTANT THAT'S GOING TO HELP WITH THE SOFTWARE?
>> THERE'S A -- IT'S A CONSULTANT CONTRACT, AN INTEGRATION AGREEMENT, SO WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT ON THE STREET TO ACTUALLY HAVE A CONSULTANT COME IN TO ACTUALLY HELP IMPLEMENT AND INTEGRATE NOT ONLY OUR FINANCIAL SOFTWARE FOR (INDISCERNIBLE) BUT ALSO FOR PROCUREMENT WITH REEVA, THEY WILL COME AND LOOK AT HOW WE TRANSITION FROM THE CURRENT SYSTEM TO THE NEW SYSTEM AND WHAT PROCESSES WE BUILD AS
SO YOU'RE BRINGING IN ONLY ONE NEW SOFTWARE TO INTEGRATE INTO AN EXISTING
SOFTWARE, RIGHT? >> YEAH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE SAP, THAT IS OUR PLATFORM, AND WE HAVE SAFES WHICH IS A PROCUREMENT PLATFORM, IT'S AN UPGRADE MOVING TO THE NEXT VERSION I GUESS I'LL SAY OF SAP.
TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS. >> SPEARS: YEAH. I'M SURE THAT WILL GREATLY
IMPACT OUR PROCUREMENT. >> IT WILL. IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER ANY PROCESS ENHANCEMENTS AND ALSO HOW WE INTERACT WITH OUR -- AND
ENGAGE OUR SUPPLIERS AND HOW THEY RESPOND TO OUR BIDS. >> SPEARS: OKAY.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. I DO ALSO WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN INCLUDE SOME TANGIBLE MAYBE GOAL SETTING SESSION ON WHAT WE WANT TO SEE LIKE CHAIR VIAGRAN WAS MENTIONING, LIKE THE REAL IMPACT AND BUYING -- GOING LOCAL.
I DON'T HAVE A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT WE DO NEED SOME SORT OF TANGIBLE BENCHMARKS OR GOALS THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO MEET WITHIN -- AS BEST WE CAN IN COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND EVERYTHING BUT HOW WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND TRY TO ACHIEVE THOSE ACTUAL
GOALS. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN DO, I CAN SHARE THEM, AND WE TRACK OUR LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM AND WHAT WE AWARD UNDER THAT PROGRAM, SO WE CAN KIND OF SHARE WITH YOU ON AN ANNUAL BASIS HOW MANY AWARDS WE MAKE TO THOSE CONTRACTORS THAT FALL UNDER A LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM, BOTH ON OUR LOW BID AND OUR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS. >> SPEARS: AND MAYBE THEN AS A BOARD WE CAN REALLY ADDRESS THOSE THINGS -- THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEN TOO. SO... BUT, THANK YOU, I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS COMES OUT. AND THE CIVIC INITIATIVES, CAN YOU -- CAN YOU REVISIT
THAT FOR ME OR GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL? >> YEAH, WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEY -- WE WANTED TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON PROCUREMENT AND WHAT WE COULD DO TO ACTUALLY -- LOOKING AT THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, LOOKING AT THE OTHER ALSO BIG BUSINESS, WHAT BARRIERS OR HOW CAN WE ENHANCE OUR PROCESS. SO WE ENGAGE THEM, AND THEY ACTUALLY WENT OUT, AND THEY ACTUALLY MET WITH A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE BOARD, BOTH BIG AND SMALL, AND BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, WE HAVE WHAT WE REFER TO WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU IN FEBRUARY, WE CAN GO THROUGH THAT CIVIC INITIATIVES REPORT, AND KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THEY'RE -- I GUESS WHAT THEIR TRANSFORMATION ROAD MAP LOOKS LIKE BASED ON A MATURITY MODEL FOR THE PROCUREMENT, AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WERE
RECOMMENDING, AND HOW WE HAVE ACHIEVED SOME -- >> SPEARS: OKAY.
GREAT, THANK YOU. >> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
SO TROY, CLARIFY, Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE THIS TO B SESSION NEXT WEEK ON OCTOBER 1?
>> ELLIOTT: NO, WOULDN'T BE A B SESSION. WHAT I THINK THE MAYOR REQUESTED IS SOME FORM OF COMMUNICATION BACK FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
ONE, I THINK THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS MET AND HAS HEARD STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN SUMMARIZING TO THE FULL COUNCIL WHAT THE APPROACH IS GOING TO BE AND
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THE TIMELINE IS GOING TO BE TO CONDUCT THE REVIEW. >> VIAGRAN: SO I THINK WHILE -- WHILE THIS -- WHAT I SAID INITIALLY WAS FOR BRIEFING ONLY, WE CAN TAKE ACTION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, WITH -- BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION, WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSSION, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I HEARD THAT I THINK WHEN YOU ASK FOR FEEDBACK ON FOCUS AREA, THAT YOU CAN LET THE MAYOR KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE THE TIME LINE, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE FOCUS AREAS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, Y'ALL CAN -- COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN ADD ONTO IT, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PREDICAMENT THAT WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT EWDC ITEMS JUST TWO OF US AT A TIME, SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT HERE, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS METHOD OF OUTREACH WITH A FOCUS ON UNIONS AND VETERANS, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THAT IN YOUR -- IN HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT PART OF REVIEW, AND THEN THE BARRIERS, OR THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS, WHICH INCLUDES, I THINK INSURANCE AND PAYOUT TIMELINES, AND THEN I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE METRICS ON TERMS OF HOW YOU WANT, BUT I THINK WE'VE ALL AGREED TO TALK ON THAT.
SO AND LEGAL, YOU MIGHT NEED TO HELP WITH HOW WE MOVE THE MOTION, SO ONE OF MY COUNCILMEMBERS CAN MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REVIEW WITH THESE FOCUS AREAS. SO IS THAT ALL THEY WOULD HAVE TO SAY? OKAY. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AREA, WITH THE DISCUSSED FOCUS AREAS? I HAVE A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. (CHORUS OF AYES.)
OKAY. GET THAT OUT, TROY. >> ELLIOTT: YES, MA'AM.
>> VIAGRAN: EASILY DONE. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE ON TO ITEM 3, IT IS A CREATION OF A LANZAROTE SPAIN WORKING GROUP. IS THERE A STAFF
PRESENTATION? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M BRENDA HICKS-SORENSEN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. TROY SAID HIS WAS BRIEF, MINE IS GOING TO BE EVEN SHORTER. SO JUST REAL QUICKLY, OBVIOUS WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE CANARY ISLANDERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO , AND A THOSE CANARY ISLANDERS WERE FROM LANZAROTE.
WE'VE HAD -- SO WE'VE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FRIENDS IN LANZAROTE, AND IN RECENT YEARS, SO THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND A SISTER CITY REALLY STARTED IN THE EARLY 2 THOUSANDS, THAT ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED THE LAST HANDFUL OF YEARS. YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HIGHLIGHTED SOME RECENT TRADE MISSIONS, BOTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND OF COURSE SAN ANTONIO OVER TO LANZAROTE. WE BECAME OFFICIAL SISTER CITY FRIENDS OR CITY CITY RELATIONSHIP IN JUST EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO THAT IS A FAIRLY NEW OFFICIAL RELATIONSHIP, BUT AGAIN, A LONG HISTORY OF THAT ACTIVITY, AND THEN JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH, THERE WAS A 20 MEMBER -- 21-MEMBER DELEGATION THAT WAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR CELEBRATION OF FOOD, WINE, TOURISM, AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS, WHICH REALLY LEADS TO THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP, AND SO OUT OF THAT, WHAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATION AROUND A COUPLE OF ACTIVITIES SPECIFICALLY, THE UPCOMING WORLD CUP, AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SAN ANTONIO TO BE A BASE FOR THE SPAIN TEAM, AND THEN ALSO HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPLORE AND REALLY FOCUS ON THAT DIRECT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND SPAIN WITH THE EXPANSION OF OUR AIRPORT, AND REALLY AGAIN CONTINUING TO ADD ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT WORKING GROUP, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE TWO AREAS, AND THEN REALLY TO SUNSET EITHER WHEN THOSE TWO ITEMS ARE COMPLETED OR JANUARY 2027. INITIAL RECOMMENDED MEMBERS WOULD INCLUDE HERE YOU WILL SEE THE HONORARY COUNCIL OF SPAIN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVE OF COURSE FROM AVIATION DEPARTMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, VISIT SAN ANTONIO, GRE GREATER SATX, AND THEN ANY OTHER MAYORAL AND EWDC APPOINTEES. SO THAT CONCLUDES THE REALLY BRIEF PRESENTATION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, BEFORE WE START DISCUSSION, CAN I GET A MOTION TO ESTABLISH THE WORKING GROUP?
>> GALVAN: SO MOVED. >> VIAGRAN: CAN I GET A SECOND?
ALL RIGHT -- >> CHAIR, IF I COULD, THE MOTION NEEDS TO BE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE, SO PERHAPS WE WAIT UNTIL DISCUSSION FROM THOSE PURPOSES OR DO YOU WANT TO NAME THE PURPOSES THAT WERE ON THE SLIDE.
>> VIAGRAN: THE PURPOSES ON THE SLIDE. >> OKAY, THEN THAT'S FINE.
>> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. SO AGAIN, PART -- YES -- NO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
[00:30:06]
DISCUSSION. SO LET'S START WITH DISCUSSION.YOU SAW THE TWO PURPOSES. IT'S FOR THE SPAIN GROUP WHICH I THINK FALLS IN LINE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING IN TERMS OF MAKING -- MAKING US DIVERSIFIED IN OUR ECONOMIC AND THEN ALSO MOVING FORWARD TO MAKING SURE WHEN WE SIGN THESE SISTER CITIES, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO -- A WAY TO GET THERE AND KIND OF MAKE IT EASIER TO GET TO THE SISTER CITIES, AND THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE A FLIGHT TO POSSIBLY MA READY, SO I THINK THIS IS GOOD CONVERSATION FOR US TO HAVE, IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR FIRST MOTIONS OF THIS COMMITTEE, SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU ALL. AGAIN, THE -- WE'VE GIVEN -- WE DON'T KNOW WHO HAS GOT WHAT TIME COMMITMENTS, SO WE GAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING AND THEN HOW WE AS MEMBERS WILL KIND OF AGAIN ROTATE THROUGH THAT WORKING GROUP, AND MAKE SURE WE ARE TOUCHING BASE WITH THEM. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM Y'ALL. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I THINK IT MEETS THE GOALS OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING THAT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS. SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO
FIRST? COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS. >> SPEARS: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
I THINK WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW STEVE WORKS REALLY HARD TO REPRESENT US REALLY WELL IN THE CANARY ISLANDS, SO I WANT TO ECHO THAT WE DO NEED A DIRECT FLIGHT SO MAYBE WE CAN START PLANTING SEEDS ON THAT IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. SO BEYOND WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND TOURISM, ARE WE PLANNING TO DIVERSIFY THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE IN LANZAROTE LIKE MAYBE WITH TECHNOLOGY? I KNOW THEY HAVE GREAT WATER IDEAS OR -- IS THERE ANYTHING -- ANY TALK BEYOND THAT?
>> SO ABSOLUTELY. SISTER CITY ARRANGEMENT, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE, SO THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL TRADE MISSIONS, WE JUST HAD AN ARTIST EXCHANGE, SO REALLY STRONG CULTURAL TIES AND CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THAT. OF COURSE FOOD, WINE, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES IN WHICH YOU SEE SOME OF THAT BUSINESS TO
BUSINESS CONNECTION ALREADY TAKING PLACE. >> SPEARS: OKAY.
AND THEN, ARE WE -- ARE WE -- I'M WONDERING HOW WE CAN INCLUDE OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNINDTY GROUPS TO HELP US WITH SHAPING THESE PARTNERSHIPS IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT TO SOME DEGREE. I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM INCLUDED THERE, TOO. AND LET'S SEE ... DO WE HAVE ANY -- I MEAN, I GUESS IT'S SO EARLY TO BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME BENCHMARKS AGAIN ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GAIN AND OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN THE WAYS THAT WE CREATE THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LANZAROTE, AND I GUESS I'M EXCITED TO SEE THOSE THINGS AS WE -- AS WE START TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THAT.
I KNOW IT'S VERY EARLY ON, SO YOU WERE RIGHT, IT WAS A SHORT PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S JUST MADE ME START THINKING ABOUT SOME MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS WE CAN GO LOOK AT OUT THERE, AND VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT, AND WHAT WAS YOUR OTHER QUESTION YOU WANTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, LIKE WHO TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE? YES, JUST IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THIS, THE CURRENT RECOMMENDED MEMBERS
INCLUDED. >> SPEARS: YES, I THINK THAT IS A GREAT LIST.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY. BRENDA, CAN YOU PROVIDE WITH US SOME OF THE -- I KNOW WHICH EVE DONE THIS BEFORE WITH OTHER SISTER CITIES WHERE WE'VE KIND OF SET THOSE METRICS WITH RETURN ON INVESTMENT, AND PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOCUSED ON HERE, BECAUSE MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING DISTRICT-SPECIFIC THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE LIKE THIS COULD IMPACT OUR DISTRICT THE WORKING GROUP COULD START LOOKING AT.
>> ABSOLUTELY, GLAD TO PROVIDE THAT. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY, GREAT,
COUNCILMAN GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, CHAIR, THANK YOU, BRENDA FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANT TO SHARE THE SAME KIND OF EXCITEMENT FOR THIS WORK THAT THE GROUP WILL BE DOING, I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE FOLKS LISTED OUT HERE.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY. THINKING ABOUT THE CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR, OR THIS MONTH, ABOUT VISIT SA, AND ALAMODOME, AND ALL OF THE VENUES WE HAVE, FINDING WAY, I THINK SOCCER IS ALWAYS A
[00:35:05]
GOOD ONE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR PHYSICAL LOCATION, OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, IT JUST TO ME MAKES PERFECT SENSE, SO, YOU KNOW, IF AND WHEN WE GET THE WORLD CUP HERE, I'M GOING TO SAY WHEN INSTEAD OF IF, THEY'RE GOING TO DO A GREAT JOB TO PUSH FOR IT, THIS GROUP, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME FOLKS -- IT CAN BE FROM ANY ONE OF THESE, I THINK THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO EXPERTISE IN SOCCER, WHETHER IT'S WITHIN THE ACTUAL SPORTS ARENA CURRENTLY OR EVEN FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY GOOD CONNECTED FOLKS TO OUR CITY, OUR PERSPECTIVES, ALSO REALLY GOOD SOCCER FANS, OF COURSE FANS WE CAN GAUGE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, I THINK IT'S WORTH WELL, NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT EVEN THE SPORTS CULTURE THAT IS HERE IN OUR CITY, HERE IN OUR CITY, AND ALSO TRANSPORTATION LENS, TOO. I KNOW I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT SATX, THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT CAN TALK ABOUT SOME PIECES, BUT I THINK, TOO, THINKING ABOUT MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CREATING CONNECTIONS OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTRY OF COURSE, BUT PARTICULARLY IN PLACES LIKE EUROPE. I KNOW I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT WHEN WE MOVED OVER HERE, AND OF COURSE HE WAS YOUNG, DIDN'T HAVE A LICENSE TO BEGIN WITH, ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, USED TO FRANCE AND THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION THEY HAVE OVER THERE, AND TRANSITIONING HERE INTO OUR CITY, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO THAT, OR MAKING EFFORTS THEY'RE ABLE TO GET AROUND WITH EASE, WHETHER THEY'RE PLAYERS OR TEAMS OVERALL OR FOLKS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OVER THERE COMING HERE. OTHER TWO PIECES I WAS GOING TO SAY I THINK, AGAIN, WHEN WE SECURE THE HOME BASE HERE, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO FIND WAYS TO INVOLVE THE UNIVERSITIES, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH EXCHANGE PROGRAMS OR THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES OR WAYS TO CONNECT TO THE LARGER GLOBAL WORLD CUP, THE GLOBAL SOCCER FRANCHISE, PEOPLE THERE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE MAYBE HERE IN TOWN FOR THEIR HOME BASE. THE TEAMS ARE HERE IN TOWN, THAT'S GOING TO HELP WITH OUR COMMUNITY TOO, BUT FRIEND CENTER WITH THE CONVERSATION WITH THE WORKING GROUP. LAST THING I WAS GOING TO SAY, OR I WAS GOING TO ASK I GUESS FIRST, ARE THERE VENUES OR LOCATIONS WE'RELOOKING AT FOR THE HOME BASE TO BE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? >> I'LL JUMP IN HERE, COUNCILMEMBER, YES, IT'S TOYOTA FIELD, THAT WOULD BE SERVING IN THAT CAPACITY.
>> GALVAN: OKAY. GOT IT, I'M GOING TO DO A SOFT PLUG FOR D6 PLACE, SOCCER ALSO AVAILABLE HAS A GREAT FIELD, I UNDERSTAND, MAKING SURE THEY ARE GOOD AND QUALITY FOR THE FOLKS COMING HERE, MAKE P TAKE A TAKE, THAT GOES ON FAR WEST, I'M EXCITE FORD THIS, EXCITED TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD. AS PROPOSED.
THANK YOU. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. AND BRENDA, I THINK YOU GOT THE INPUT FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO I -- WE'RE PROBABLY EXPECTING UPDATES VIA MEMO, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS NEEDS TO MOVE FAST, AND THEN IF NEEDED, WE'LL ADD AGENDAIZE IT FOR THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING, BE PREPARED FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE REQUEST FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AT MAYBE A WORKING GROUP MEETING, THANK YOU, I KNOW WE ALL HAVE BUSY SCHEDULES, SO WE HAVE A MOTION -- I DON'T --
DO I NEED TO MAKE -- >> CAN WE DO ONE MORE CLARIFICATION ON THE MOTION.
WE ALSO NEED TO SET THE DURATION OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, SO I THINK ON THE
SLIDE IT WAS UNTIL THAT TIME, IS THAT OKAY? >> VIAGRAN: YES.
>> OKAY. >> VIAGRAN: I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER OF Y'ALL WANT TO TRY TO MAKE THE MOTION, OR IF YOU WANT ME TO TRY AND RESTATE IT.
I MOVE TO ESTABLISH AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN SPAIN AND SAN ANTONIO AND THE PROSPECT OF SAN ANTONIO SERVING AS A 2026 WORLD BASECAMP, THE GROUP SHALL SUNSET JANUARY 2027 OR UPON COMEECOMPLETION OF THIS CHARGE,I DESIGNATE ALEX LOPEZ TO --
ALEX OR -- >> OH, THAT WILL BE ANY OF THE EWDC MEMBERS SHALL
SERVE -- >> VIAGRAN: WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT OUR SCHEDULE.
>> WE CAN LOOK AT THAT LATER. >> VIAGRAN: I DESIGNATE EWDC MEMBER WILL SERVE TO LEAD THE GROUP. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THIS?
>> SO MOVED. >> VIAGRAN: SECOND? ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, "AYE.
(CHORUS OF AYES.) MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, THAT'S WHY LEGAL IS HERE, TO MAKE SURE WE STAY ON TRACK. ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 4, IS SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION COMPOSITION. IS THERE A PRESENTATION?
[00:40:02]
YES, THERE IS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, COMMITTEE, ALFRED BREWER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I EAT JUST LIKE TO START OFF TO SAY OUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR HAD PLANNED TO ATTEND, THEY WERE UNFORTUNATELY ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY. OUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSIONER WAS FORMED IN 2021 TO GIVE A VOICE TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TO OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND OTHER EFFORTS THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS GROUP HAS HELPED US INFORM PLANS AND PROGRAMS FROM ARPA TO CONSTRUCTION TO READY TO WORK.
THEY ARE TASKED WITH ORDINANCE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY. THEY SERVE AS A MAJOR OUTREACH TOOL TO THE COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND THEY CONTINUE TO ADVISE STAFF ON EFFORTS. CURRENTLY, THE GROUP THAT DOES THAT IS MADE UP OF 15 MEMBERS. THAT IS 11 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO FOUR MEMBERS AT LARGE THAT ARE APPLY AND ARE INTERVIEWED HERE AT THE EWDC COMMITTEE. IN AN EFFORT TO REACH A BROAD REPRESENTATION SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM, INITIALLY WE HAD CREATED CATEGORIES FOR EACH MEMBER TO FALL INTO. SO THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT THE 15 MEMBERS BE MADE UP OF TWO SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS FROM TRADE ORGANIZATION, TWO FROM A NONPROFIT SMALL BUSINESS SERVING PROVIDER, FOUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OF EMPLOYEES LESS THAN 10, FOUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS FROM EMPLOYEES 10 TO 50, AND THEN THREE SMALL BUSINESSES REPRESENTING THE CITY'S TARGETED INDUSTRIES.
THE CURRENT COMPOSITION IS HERE ON THE SCREEN, CURRENTLY, WE'RE IN A TRANSITION POINT. ALL ARE ON HOLDOVER AT THIS MOMENT EXCEPT FOR D8 AND D10 HAVE APPOINTED MEMBERS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS FIT TO THOSE APPOINTEES. THIS CAN CAUSE SOME LIMITATION TO OUR ABILITY TO HAVE A FULL COMMISSION, AND CAUSES MAYBE CHALLENGES HAVING THE INTENT OF THE MEETINGS IS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, WHEN WE CANNOT FULFILL A BOARD, WE CANNOT HAVE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS. OUR RECOMMENDATION AS STAFF THAT SUPPORTS THIS COMMISSION IS TO AMEND THE SECTION OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS FROM 15 TO 11, THIS WOULD MAINTAIN APPOINTMENTS FOR THE MAYOR AND EACH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO -- IT WOULD REMOVE THE AT LARGE APPOINTMENTS. WE WOULD ALSO ADJUST THE CATEGORIES. WE WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN THOSE CATEGORIES, BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE AT CREATING ENOUGH, BROAD REPRESENTATION OF THE ECOSYSTEM HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST LIMIT -- KEEP THE LIMIT AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION MEET EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGE TO THE MISSION OR PURPOSE OF THE SPAC.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE SBAC CAME TOGETHER AND REAFFIRMED THAT THAT MISSION AND PURPOSE WAS ON TRACK , AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION?
>> GALVAN: MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
>> VIAGRAN: CAN I GET A SECOND? OKAY.
WE CAN BEGIN DISCUSSION. NO, I -- I SAT ON EWDC FOR FOUR YEARS, AND THIS HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC IN TRYING TO CHAIR IT WITH THE AT LARGE MEMBERS, SO I THINK IF LEFT TO THE COUNCIL, I THINK WE CAN FIND THE POSITIONS TO MAKE SURE AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE SITS IN EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES, SO I THINK IT HELPS US AS WE GO OUT AND WHICH PUT THIS OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WISH TO SERVE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THESE CHANGES. I KNOW WITH FIFTEEN, THEN IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO MAKE QUORUM, IF THEY HAD VACANT POSITIONS OR IF THE POSITIONS WERE FILLED, BUT PEOPLE WERE GOING BACK ON -- BACK AND FORTH WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANTED TO STAY ON THE COMMISSION, SO I DO LIKE THE -- THE COUNCIL
[00:45:06]
APPOINTING THIS, AND LEAVING THE ONE REPRESENTATIVE. SO THANK YOU FOR ADJUSTING AND PIVOTING TO THIS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION TO WORK.I MEAN COUNCILMAN GALVAN? >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
LET'S SEE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION REGARDLESS, EVEN ANOTHER SHORT PRESENTATION, I APPRECIATE IT, VERY TIMELY AND QUICK. BUT ONE BIGGEST QUESTION I HAD, FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE ON IT, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN REVIEWS BY THIS COMMITTEE FOR SMALL BUSINESS POLICIES VERSUS SBEDA. I KNOW SBEDA HAS SPECIFIC
ORDINANCE TIED TO IT. >> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
SO SBEDA IS STRICTLY FOCUSED ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM, AND WE DO TOUCH UPON THEIR SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, BUT REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT PARTICULAR EFFORTS, WHEREAS IN THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, IT'S PRETTY WELL EVERYTHING ELSE RELATED TO SMALL BUSINESS.
>> GALVAN: GOT IT. DO WE EVER SEE SBEDA TREADING INTO THOSE WATERS OR -- BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EVERYWHERE TO A POINT WHERE SBEDA IS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE THEY HAVE TO JUST STOP.
>> WE HAVE FANTASTIC STAFF THAT WORKS WITH SBEDA AND FANTASTIC SBEDA, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PARTICULAR TOPIC.
>> GALVAN: GOT IT. >> SO WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF KEEP THAT SEPARATE AMONGST
THE GROUPS THEMSELVES. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. I APPRECIATE IT.
I WAS LOOKING ORE THE PRESENTATION AND TRYING TO REVIEW THE PAST WORK OF SBAC AND SBEDA, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IT WORTHWHILE TO JUST AMEND THIS OR LOOK AT WAYS TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE OTHER ONE. BUT THE FOLKS ARE FOCUSED ON THAT, LET'S KEEP THEM FOCUS ON THE THAT, THAT'S THEIR JAM, LET'S DO THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS. I FEEL GOOD WITH IT.
THANKS SO MUCH, CHAIR. >> VIAGRAN: COMMITTEE MEMBER -- WHAT I WOULD SHARE IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SBEDA COMMITTEE, AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO FOCUS ON THAT POLICY, THERE'S ALSO SOME TECHNICAL BACKGROUND THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE, AS YOU HEARD TROY TALKING ABOUT HOW COMPLICATED PROCUREMENT CAN BE, WITH THE SBEDA COMMITTEE, THEY REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THOSE PROCUREMENT TECHNICALITIES, WHICH REALLY DOES PERHAPS LIMIT, BUT IT REALLY HELPS THE COMMITTEE AND THOSE MEMBERS FOCUS, ON SMALL BUSINESS, IT COULD BE ANYTHING, IT COULD BE CONSTRUCTION. IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, PERMITTING. IT COULD BE ALL OVER THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THAT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM. IF THERE'S BEEN A CROSSOVER, IT PROBABLY STARTS ON THE SMALL BUSINESS, ON THE SBAC, ON THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSION, THAT EVENTUALLY WE GET DOWN INTO THE DETAILS, OF, OKAY, THAT IS ACTUALLY A PROCUREMENT ISSUE, SO SBEDA SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IT (LOPEZ) IT TENDS TO GO THE OTHER WAY
FROM SBEDA OVERALL. >> VIAGRAN: COUNCILMAN SPEARS?
>> SPEARS: I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN INCLUDE VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES OR THEIR PERSPECTIVE HERE, AND THEN I TOO HAVE THAT SAME QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THERE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, I JUST -- I'M A BIG FAN OF BENCHMARKS AND GOAL SETTING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE MEET THOSE MEASURABLE GOALS. YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HEAR ME SAY THAT AD NAUSEUM. IF WE CAN ESTABLISH THOSE EFFECTIVELY, AND LOOK AT THAT AS A GROUP, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
>> VIAGRAN: NO, THANK YOU, AND WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE END TO KIND OF BRING UP NEW BUSINESS ITEMS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE BENCHMARKING AND HOW WE CAN AGENT DOLLARS, AND TALK TO LEGAL WHERE WE DO THAT DISCUSSION, WHETHER IT'S IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OR IT'S HERE AND WE AGENT DOLLARS IT AND MAKE IT FOR A BRIEFING HERE. WE'LL DISCUSS THAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT INPUT, WE HAVE
A MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> CLARIFICATION ON THE MOTION, SO BECAUSE THE COMMISSION WAS CREATED BY ORDINANCE, WHAT THIS ITEM WOULD BE WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE THAT ORDINANCE FORWARD TO AMEND THE COMPOSITION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMMISSION, NOT COMMITTEE, THE COMMISSION
FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY.
I DON'T HAVE A SCRIPT FOR THAT ONE. BUT -- DO YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT. COUNCILMAN GALVAN, TAKE IT AWAY.
>> GALVAN: GIVE IT IT MY BEST SHOT, RECOMMEND THE ORDINANCE RELATED TO TOPIC
[00:50:07]
AT HAND. >> RECOMMEND THE ORDINANCE TO RECOMMEND FOR THE
COMMISSION TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. >> GALVAN: AM I ABLE SO SAY SO MOVED BASED ON YOUR CONVERSATION? ALL RIGHT, SO MOVED.
>> VIAGRAN: WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. THIS WILL GO TO FULL COUNCIL FOR THEM TO DECIDE, AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.
AND MOTION ■CARRIES.&-ÚALLRIGHTE THINGS THAT SMALL BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT GRANTS,
[01:06:33]
LIFTFUND, JUST SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE INITIATED, SOME OF THEM, HOW DO WE NEED[01:06:39]
THEM AND HOW DO WE NEED THEM ADJUSTED? SO I THINK THERE'S GOING TO[01:06:43]
BE -- BEFORE WE HIRE A CONSULTANT, AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE DO HERE, AND I KNOW WE DID THAT LAST TIME, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT -- WE'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW, AND I'M NOT -- I NEED THE PRICE TAG OF WHAT A SOLICITATION -- WHAT THIS WOULD COST, AND HOW THIS PROGRAM WOULD BE SPENT, BECAUSE I THINK AS WE -- AS WE HAD THE CONVERSATION DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS IS THAT HOW WE BUDGET NEXT YEAR BEGINS, YOU KNOW, BEGAN THAT DAY, AND I -- I'M JUST CONCERNED -- BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES, AND IT'S A LOT OF DATA TO COLLECT, BUT I THINK WE DID THAT LAST TIME, AND NOW WE'RE WALKING INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WE DID FOUR YEARS AGO, SO... YEAH, I THINK - I THINK WE WOULD NEED AN UPDATE NEXT MONTH ON WHAT EXACTLY WE'RE GOING TO SET FORTH FOR THIS SOLICITATION PROCESS AND WHAT OUR EXACT GOALS ARE HERE. WHILE SMALL BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT GRANTS WE USED, I THINK A LOT OF THE -- AND WE'RE JUST ONE COMMITTEE, I THINK A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION COMING OUT OF COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, AND B SESSION, IS -- GET CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DONE FASTER, GET THINGS DONE FASTER, AND I THINK UNTIL WE ADDRESS THAT, AND TALK ABOUT THIS, THAT MOVING FORWARD WITH PROGRAMS NEEDS TO BE IN A LIMITED CAPACITY. BUT THAT'S JUST WHERE I'M AT NOW. SO I KNOW WE WANT TO GET THIS PROCESS STARTED IN THE FALL, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO COME BACK NEXT MONTH AND KIND OF GIVE US A -- THE CLEAR GOALS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS STAKEHOLDER INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO CHANGE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET SBAC SET AND GOING. THIS COMMITTEE SET WITH MEMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT. SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO -- THIS IS FOR BRIEFING ONLY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, ANYONE WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO GOFIRST? OKAY, COUNCILMAN SPEARS. >> SPEARS: OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DO SEE, PROBABLY DO NEED A REFRESH, BUT I WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON WHAT CHAIR VIAGRAN IS SAYING, IT SEEMS LIKE AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING TO DO WELL AND COMPREHENSIVELY. I ECHO THAT.
I'M HEARING EVERYWHERE CONSTRUCTION, FASTER, ON TIME, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT US IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS INCLUDING FUNDING, SO WE'VE REALLY GOT TO GET THAT UNDER CONTROL. AND, YEAH, I'M MORE MEASURABLE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR EXPECTATION WOULD BE FROM A CONSULTANT, MAYBE WE DO THIS IN CHUNKS.
MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING MORE COMPREHENSIVE. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT IS HOW -- HOW -- ON THE UNMET DEMAND AND LOW FUNDING RATES ON THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ENSURE THE REFRESH CLOSES THOSE
[01:10:04]
DISPARITIES AND HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? AND THAT QUESTION ALONE SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PUNCH TO IT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I OF COURSE WELCOME CONTINUED GROWTH IN DISTRICT 9, JUST GOING TO THROW THAT OUT THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SEE MORE SMALL BUSINESSES COMING BACK. I KNOW -- NO DISTRICT IS WHOLE FROM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN COVID, AND SO HOW DO WE -- WHAT'S THE LOW HANGING FRUIT? HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN QUICKLY AND I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THE WRAP AROUND SERVICES, WHICH -- HOW ARE WE FUNDING AND COORDINATING ACROSS SO MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND THE DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS PRIVATELY WE CAN HAVE, AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO REALLY MAKE THEM ACTIONABLE, AND WHAT'S AFFECTED. I KNOW CHILD CARE IS ALWAYS MENTIONED, BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT WELL AND SERVING IT WELL TO SET IT UP FOR SUCCESS. IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS. AND, AGAIN, I DO LIKE SEEING THE MILITARY PERSONNEL IS INCLUDED ON YOUR TALENT AND RETENTION AND ATTRACTION. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT.AND... -- AND THEN IN THE GRADING, I THINK THAT IS WISE IN A GRADE THE INTERNATIONAL COMPONENT THERE BECAUSE, UM, WE DO -- WE DO WANT TO PRY OR TEASE THAT AND TO -- PRIORITIZE THAT AND TO SEE THAT GROWTH HERE LOCALLY. SO I AM GLAD THAT WE'RE ADDING THAT. BUT I SHARE THOSE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION AND HOW -- I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS COULD BE -- HOW LONG DID THE STUDY TAKE LAST TIME TO DO?
>> SO WE KICKED IT OFF IN ABOUT JANUARY. AND THEN IT CAME TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER. BUT A LOT OF THE WORK, IF YOU WILL, THAT KIND OF INITIAL PHASE DATA COLLECTION WAS PRETTY WELL DONE BY JUNE. WE HAD DONE A B SESSION AND THEN WE JUST USED THE REST OF THE TIME FOR SOME KIND OF CLARIFICATION, FOLLOW-UP,
VETTING? >> SPEARS: SO I GUESS THAT WE ADDED A LOT OF PROGRAMMING THEN,
I WOULD ASSUME? >> SO WE ADDED A -- WELL, SO THE FRAMEWORK IDENTIFIED GAPS, OPPORTUNITIES, STRENGTHS. AND THEN AS A RESULT PROGRAMS WERE ADDED OR SOME OF THEM WERE REQUESTED BY COUNCIL. I THINK THAT YEAR WE HAD FIVE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WERE ADDED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO THE PROGRAMS KIND OF GOT ADDED.
AND THEN WE USED THE FRAMEWORK AND THEN THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND RELATIONSHIPS TO HELP SHAPE, IF YOU WILL, THE PROGRAMS. S AS WELL.
AND THEN ALL OF THEM AS WE LOOKED AT, LIKE, THE DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE METRICS AND DELIVERABLES FOR EACH PROGRAM. IT WAS, AGAIN, HELPED SHAPED BY THE FRAMEWORK.
>> SPEARS: OKAY. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IS THAT THE LEFT HAND KNOWS WHAT THE RIGHT IS DOING.
SO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS RESPONDING AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS FOR WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. I THINK -- I KNOW THAT THERE'S A GAP THERE.
SO I REALLY AM LOOKING AT HOW WE REVAMP, OR REWORK THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIECE.
TO REALLY TO MEET THOSE GOALS SO WE SEE SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS STORIES COME OUT OF THAT.
I -- I REALLY GET EXCITED TO THINK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL THERE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. BUT, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT I'VE SAID IT NOW THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TIME AND I'M TOTALLY ON THE SAME VEIN AS YOU, CHAIR VIAGRAN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
>> VIAGRAN: COUNCILMAN GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M ON THE SAME BOAT AND WE WERE ALIGNED ON THIS CONVERSATION. I -- I MEAN, I GUESS THAT THE BIGGEST THING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT INITIALLY IS OF COURSE I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE BENCHMARKING PIECE AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL WITH THE FRAMEWORKS AND WORKING FOR MEASURABLE GOALS THAT WE'RE ATTAINING HERE. AND TO YOUR POINT ON MOVING THE NEEDLE, I'M FOCUSED ON IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN OUR CITY AND IF THERE'S POVERTY, HOW IS OUR PROGRAMMING NOT ONLY IN THIS DEPARTMENT BUT GENERALLY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS IMPACTING THAT.
WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, RIGHT? ARE WE SEEING PROGRESS -- REDUCING POVERTY? I THINK THAT THOSE ARE VALUABLE BENCHMARKS TO HAVE AND MEASURABLE GOALS TO LOOK AT OR MAYBE ANALYSIS -- ANALYSES. I REALLY -- UH, I JUST STARTED WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL AND SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM, AND I HELD DEAR WITH THE STATUS OF THE POVERTY REPORTS AND SOME OF THE OTHER REPORTS TREHAT WE HAVE COMMISSIONED OR CONDUCTED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS TOO, AND WERE VERY HELPFUL FOR THAT REASON AND SEEING WHERE ARE WE AT HERE AND WHAT HAVE WE DONE SINCE THEN, AND IT'S MISSING -- THOSE ANALYSIS ARE MISSING SOME OF THESE PIECES OF OUR INTERNAL
[01:15:05]
WORK, RIGHT, OF WHAT WORK WAS DONE ON THIS OR THE CONSTRUCTION GRANT DO ON THIS.VERSUS SIMPLY WE'LL ADDRESS MAYBE THIS PROBLEM IN SOME WAY, RATHER THAN DID IT AFFECT THE ENTIRE SCOPE OF THE ISSUE AT HAND EFFECTIVELY OR TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE.
LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I GOT THESE POINTS... AGAIN, JUST APPRECIATE THE FOLKS AND OUTCOMES AND THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE HELPFUL WITH THIS. I DON'T KNOW, CHAIR VIAGRAN AND I HAD THE SAME HESITATION WITH THIS PIECE, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I MENTIONED -- I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH COUNCIL MEETING IT WAS. I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS DURING THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CONVERSATION AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE INTERNAL CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT AS A CITY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, OR THE DEPARTMENTS TOO ON SOME OF THIS WORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, ON SOME OF THESE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. ARE WE ABLE TO DO ANY KIND OF PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS THAT ARE MORE REGULAR? WHETHER IT'S REGULARLY REPORTED TO OUR COUNCIL, UM, OR EVEN JUST IN A REPORT ANNUALLY. AND SO WE CAN KIND OF SEE HOW WE'RE TRACKING THIS.
I GUESS THAT MY QUESTION SEEING OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN BRING SOME OF THIS STUFF IN HOUSE.
AND WE HAVE GOOD PARTIES OUT HERE AND I THINK THAT WES IS DOING A GREAT JOB AND I REFERENCED THEIR WORK A LOT BUT I THINK THAT IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS IN-HOUSE WITH STAFFING CAPACITY, RIGHT, UNDERSTANDING THAT. TO SEE THAT IT'S EASIER FOR US TO BETTER ANALYZE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE GIVING OUT AND ANALYZE THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PRODUCING AND ANALYZE HOW OUR CITY IS JUST REALLY MAKING THESE IMPACTS.
THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT IS ON THE TOP OF MY MIND AND I THINK OF LOOKING AT ANALYSIS FOR ECONOMIC CONDITIONS HERE IN OUR CITY. LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION WAS IT'S KIND OF ALONG THE LINES -- I KNOW THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS WITH THE REFRESH, RIGHT, LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE GOALS THAT WE HAVE SET. I THINK THAT THE LARGER PART OF ALL OF IT IS, UH... I GUESS OUR COUNCILS OR MAYBE OUR CITY'S GOALS IN RETURN FOR ALL OF THESE PIECES. MAYBE THE SAME POINT OF MOVING THE NEEDLE.
BUT I THINK ABOUT, RIGHT, WE LOOK AT GROWTH, RIGHT? AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES HERE, INVESTMENT AND GROWTH AND LOOKING AT ASSETS AS WELL AND LOOKING AT RESILIENCE -- MAYBE MORE EQUITY THAN RESILIENCE. SEEING THE REALITY THAT WE'RE IN OUR CITY AND THE CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE FACING WITH PROPERTY TAX FLATTENING, SALES TAX DECLINING, UM, IT FEELS LIKE -- I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ANY HARM TO THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE SET BUT I THINK THAT IT FEELS TO THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN, HOW ARE WE EVEN MOVING THE NEEDLE ON THESE THINGS WITH OUR -- WITH OUR PROGRAMS HERE, OR THROUGHOUT OUR CITY IF IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY THAT WE'RE DOING GOOD WORK AND YET I'M NOT SEEING THE REALITY SHIFT IN OUR CITY. SOME PARTS ARE, RIGHT, AND THAT'S FINE.
IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THIS DEPARTMENT ISN'T DOING GOOD WORK OR THE CITY IS NOT DOING GOOD WORK, AND IT'S JUST UNDERSTANDING ARE THERE WAYS TO MOVE BETTER AS A CITY.
I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THIS ENTIRE ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE NOT JUST GOOD GOALS TO HAVE, BUT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY INCHING CLOSER TO.
ACCESS AND CREDIT ACCESS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. AND THE DATA WITHIN THE DASHBOARD THAT I THINK TANGIBLE IS ALWAYS THE BIG QUESTION, THE TANGIBLE FEEL FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND WE SEE STAGNATION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY.
AND ONE HAND IS DOING WELL AND THE OTHER ONE IS NOT. ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY SOAP BOX
CONVERSATION ON THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT ADD HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND YOU GUYS HAVE BROUGHT US OUT OF THE PANDEMIC TO THIS POINT BUT I THINK THAT WHERE WE ARE AT NOW AND WHY, BRENDA, TO HAVE YOUR TEAM VISIT SOME OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS IS IN TERMS OF THE REFRESH -- WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT EQUITABLE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE SO MANY NEW COUNCILMEMBERS THAT WHEN YOU GIVE THEM THAT TERM, IT'S GOING TO MEAN SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER COUNCIL THAT YOU JUST HAD.
AND THEN OUR CITY MANAGER JUST CREATED TWO NEW DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS GOALS.
I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT HOW ARE WE WORKING HOLISTICALLY IN TERMS OF -- IF I'VE GOT, UM, DIRECTOR SHANNON WORKING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GOALS OF BOND PROJECTS AND THEN I'VE GOT DIRECTOR CARMONA WORKING ON HOUSING, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE? AND THEN A WHOLE NEW UDC OPPORTUNITY COMING IN WITH WHAT THE STATE HAS JUST PUT FORWARD. SO I THINK THAT WHEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, THIS IS WHERE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT DOES -- YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK WHAT DOES EQUITABLE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
[01:20:03]
LOOK LIKE FROM MEMBER TO MEMBER? YOU KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS. FOR THE OTHERS THAT HAVE JUST ARRIVED, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THEM? AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THAT REALLY WELL TO WHOEVER COMES UP WITH THE SOLICITATION PROCESS SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE FULL PICTURE.BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT I HEARD THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD REGARDING THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION, IS THAT IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT COUNCILMEMBERS ON DIFFERENT STREETS.
AND, UM, THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT GEEVERS AND PLEASANT ONAN --ON AND THEY'RE PAYINGRENE 20 YEARS OLD AND PAYING RENT AND WATER FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED -- WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING INTO THIS BEFORE WE START THE SOLICITATION PROCESS. SO TO GIVE YOUR TEAM A LITTLE MORE WORK IS JUST TO BRIEF THE NEW COUNCILMEMBERS -- AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BRIEF THE -- THE COUNCILMEMBERS THAT WERE HERE AGAIN AND JUST SAY, HEY, HERE'S A REMINDER -- THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO HEAD.
THIS IS WHAT THE REFRESH IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU.
AND THEN THE COUNCIL CAN GET ON ONE PAGE SO THAT WE'RE NOT HERE, UM, NEXT YEAR AT BUDGET CYCLE AND WE'RE NOT BEING TOLD THIS ISN'T WHAT WE WANTED IN TERMS OF GRANTS OR, OR THIS ISN'T WHAT WE WANTED IN TERMS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN HALF OF US ARE SAYING, YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED. SO LET'S JUST GET ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THAT. AND HOPEFULLY LATE FALL WE CAN MOVE -- MOVE THIS FORWARD WHEN
WE ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT. >> JUST TO THAT POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT -- WHICH I DID NOT -- BUT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAD SIGNIFICANT ROLES THROUGHOUT THE PRESS THIS LAST TIME. AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY PLAN ON CONTINUING THAT. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH MAYOR AND COUNCIL BY OUR CONSULTANTS AND KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND OUR CONSULTANTS DID A FANTASTIC JOB ON THAT.
SO CERTAINLY WOULD EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE. >> VIAGRAN: AND, THANK YOU, BRENDA. AND THEN IF YOU COULD GIVE TO US WHERE WE HOLD OUR COUNCILMEMBERS ACCOUNTABLE. IF YOU TRY TO SET UP MEETINGS WITH COUNCILMEMBERS AND THEY'RE NOT MEETING WITH YOU, LET US KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN SAY DON'T COME TO US AND COMPLAIN WHAT WE DO IN COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE ASKED THEM TO GO TO TALK TO YOU. SO LET'S GET THAT DONE SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. I THINK THAT WHAT YOU HEAR IS THAT YOU HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT'O SUPPORT, WE JUST HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND WE MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT -- THEY TRULY DO MOVE THAT NEEDLE, UM, LIKE WE HAVE -- WE HAD IN THE PAST AND BEFORE.
AND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WORKED AND YOU IDENTIFIED THEM. SOME OF THEM -- I MEAN, I CAN THINK ABOUT FACADE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU MADE UP AND DOWN THE BUSY CORRIDORS ON PREZA AND ROOSEVELT AND SOME OF THEM ARE LIKE WE NEED TO TWEAK. AND YOU SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT BUT WE NEED TO GO TO THIS COUNCIL AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT IS COMING, ALL RIGHT? THANK YOU. THIS IS FOR BRIEFING ONLY. BEFORE WE END, ARE -- ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS AS WE PREPARE FOR, UM, THE UPCOMING MEETINGS FOR, UM, EWDC THAT WE -- THAT WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED BENCHMARKS, UM, ANY -- ANYTHING ELSE SPECIFICALLY? I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE MEMBERS TIME TO BRING FORWARD. FORWARD NO, SPECIFIC TO ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT. SO WE'VE GOT -- I THINK THAT WE STILL NEED TO LOOK AT THE SMALL BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION GRANTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HEARD FROM OUR COUNCILMEMBERS. BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE'RE -- WE NEED TO HAVE THE DATA TO SAY THIS IS WHY IT DIDN'T WORK, OR THESE ARE THE ONLY CASES THAT IT DID WORK IN, BECAUSE I HEARD A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, TALK REGARDING BUDGET ON THAT.
SO IF Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TODAY, WE CAN SEND THAT VIA MEMO.
AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT, UM, AGENIZED OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE SPECIFIC THIS Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT -- I WANT TO BRING IT UP NOW BECAUSE WE'RE AT QUORUM.
I WANT TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT QUORUM LEVEL SO THAT'S WHY I'M GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY NOW.
AND, AGAIN, THEY CAN SEND IT VIA MEMO, AND WE'RE FINE WITH THAT. >> SO OVERALL WE'RE GOING TO GET
THE BENCH -- >> VIAGRAN: YES, WE'RE GOING TO START PRIORITIZING BENCHMARKS.
[01:25:05]
AND WE'LL BRING WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING -- AND BRENDA CAN HELP WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY ALREADY DO THAT ON MOST -- ON MANY OF THE PROGRAMS AND IT'S ON THE, UM, DASHBOARD.AND THEN WE CAN -- FROM THERE WE CAN SEE WHERE WE MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE DATA.
ANY -- ANYTHING ELSE? >> GALVAN: I THINK THAT I WILL SEND A MEMO BUT I THINK THAT I
GENERALLY LAID OUT ALL OF MY COMMENTS. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU.
SO THE TIME IS NOW 3:29 AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.