[00:01:26]
WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 14TH, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 9:21 AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE GET STARTED TODAY.
[1. Invocation]
ON OUR AGENDA IS AN INVOCATION GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS.UH, MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT DISTRICT EIGHT IS THE HOME TO ALMOST EVERY SINGLE SIKH FAMILY, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT WHICH I'M MOST PROUD.
UM, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT EIGHT IS, UH, POSSIBLY THE MOST DIVERSE OF ALL THE DISTRICTS WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, OUR DIFFERENT RELIGIONS.
UM, AND IT'S ONE OF OUR STRENGTHS.
AND SO TODAY I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIEND.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF MY MENTORS AND FRIENDS BACK THERE, UH, DR.
UH, GP SINGH, UM, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF, UH, SIKH, UH, DHARMA SAL, UH, AND GP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VISITING US TODAY.
UM, BUT OUR FRIEND TODAY, UH, WHO'S GONNA GIVE OUR INVOCATION IS GERAL SINGH.
AND, UH, GERAL SINGH OWNS THE SAN ANTONIO BASED, UH, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING COMPANY CALLED, UH, ASSET ESSENTIALS.
UM, AND HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN NEW ZEALAND AND CAME TO SAN ANTONIO AT AGE 14, AND HE GRADUATED FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL IN 1995 AND RECEIVED, UM, THE CLASS PRIZE IN FAMILY PRACTICE.
AND AFTER PRACTICING AS A PHYSICIAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HE REALIZED HIS PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGY AND HE MADE THE TRANSITION TO MANAGEMENT WHILE HE JOINED, UH, CARTO TECHNOLOGIES IN 1999, FOCUSING ON ONLINE HEALTHCARE, UM, AND TRAINING.
HE'S, UH, VERY ACTIVE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND SERVED AS VICE CHAIR FOR OUR SA 2020.
AND, UH, CURRENTLY IS ON THE BOARD OF THE SAN ANTONIO MEDICAL FOUNDATION, AND HE'S THE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR THE SIKH TEMPLE, SIKH DHARMA HALL, WHERE THIS WEEK, THE LOCAL SIKH COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO COMMEMORATE AND CELEBRATE THE 550TH BIRTHDAY OF THEIR FOUNDER, GURU NAK.
AS WE LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND US, WE SEE FRAGMENTATION, FRACTURING, AND DIVISION IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
PLEASE HELP US REMEMBER THAT YOU PERVADE EVERY ASPECT OF THIS WORLD, THAT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY PRESENT IN EVERY MOMENT, SPACE AND HUMAN BEING.
I'LL NOW OFFER A BRIEF PRAYER FROM THE SIXTH SCRIPTURE, FIRST IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, AND THEN TRANSLATE IT INTO ENGLISH.
FIRST, GOD CREATED THE LIGHT, THEN ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, AND FROM ONE, ONE LIGHT WHEN THE ENTIRE WORLD WAS CREATED.
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AND WE ARE ALL PART OF GOD'S CREATION.THE CREATOR IS THE CREATION, AND THE CREATION IS IN THE CREATOR, COMPLETELY PERVADING ALL PLACES.
LET US REMEMBER TO TREAT ONE ANOTHER AS THE DIVINE BEINGS THAT WE ARE.
LET US CELEBRATE OUR UNIQUENESS AND REMEMBER THAT IT'S OUR COLLECTIVE DIVERSITY THAT MAKES US ALL STRONGER.
THIS NOVEMBER SIX, AROUND THE WORLD ARE CELEBRATING THE 550TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR PROPHET FOUNDER, GU GURU'S FIRST TEACHING, AND THE FIRST TEACHING TO APPEAR IN OUR SIXTH SCRIPTURE.
THE GURU GRANDE IS THE TERM CAR.
THE TERM REFERS TO ONENESS OF DIVINITY IN THE WAY OF GURU OH, DIVINE.
LET US SERVE HUMANITY AS WE WISH TO SERVE YOU.
TREAT HUMANITY AS WE WISH TO TREAT YOU AND HONOR HUMANITY AS WE WISH TO HONOR YOU.
[2. Pledge of Allegiance]
UNITED TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS ONE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.[3. Approval of Minutes for the City Council Regular Meetings of September 18 - 19, 2019 and the City Council Special Meeting of September 19, 2019]
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 18TH AND 19TH.ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 18TH AND 19TH.
[Additional Item]
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE, UM, VERY SPECIAL GUEST IN OUR AUDIENCE TODAY THAT I'D, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO EVERYONE.HE IS BEEN HERE FOR, UH, A FEW MONTHS NOW MAYBE.
UM, BUT, UH, LET US ALL, UH, WELCOME GENERAL MARK WEBB TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
HE'S A, PERHAPS A FAMILIAR FACE TO SOME OF US.
UH, IN FACT, MANY OF US ALL AROUND THIS COUNTRY.
GENERAL WEBB GRADUATED FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY IN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO IN 1984.
HE ATTENDED HELICOPTER PILOT TRAINING IN ALABAMA AND NEW MEXICO.
HE SERVED IN THE US AND ABROAD IN A VARIETY OF COMMAND STAFF, JOINT AND INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS.
NOTABLE ASSIGNMENTS INCLUDE MULTIPLE COMMAND AND STAFF TOURS AT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND, HOLBERT FIELD AND FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY NEAR ASIAN AFFAIRS PENTAGON.
TWO TOURS AT A SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP, ROYAL AIR FORCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, COMMANDER OF THE TASK FORCE, ALPHA, J T F, LEBANON AND CYPRUS.
MULTIPLE COMMAND STAFF TOURS AT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND.
FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, COMMANDER OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND, JOINT BASE BAAT IN IRAQ, COMMANDER OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND EUROPE, STUTTGART GERMANY, COMMANDER OF NATO, SPECIAL OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS IN MONS, BELGIUM.
GENERAL WEBB IS CURRENTLY ON ASSIGNMENT AS COMMANDER OF AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND BASED AT RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE.
THE REASON WHY HIS FACE MAY BE FAMILIAR IS THAT HE WAS PICTURED IN THE INFAMOUS PHOTO DURING THE BIN LADEN RAID.
UH, HE WAS DESCRIBED AS OUR GOOD FRIEND, GENERAL GOLDFINE AS THE POINT MAN.
UH, DURING THAT PARTICULAR OPERATION.
HIS COMMAND OPERATES 1400 TRAINER, FIGHTER AND MOBILITY AIRCRAFT, 23 WINGS, 10 BASES IN FIVE GROUPS.
THIS INCLUDES TRAINING OVER 293,000 STUDENTS YEARLY AND APPROXIMATELY 65,000 ACTIVE DUTY RESERVE GUARD AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL.
UNDER HIS COMMAND, HE IS RATED A COMMAND PILOT AND HAS FLOWN JUST ABOUT EVERY CONVENTIONAL AND SPECIAL FORCES HELICOPTER IN THE UNITED IN THE AIR FORCE'S INVENTORY.
AND HIS TIME IN THE COCKPIT INCLUDES MORE THAN 3,700 FLIGHT HOURS, INCLUDING 117 COMBAT HOURS.
HE'S RECEIVED NUMEROUS PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS TO INCLUDE THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, MULTIPLE BRONZE STARS AWARDS FROM THE UKRAINIAN, ROMANIAN, POLISH, AND LITHUANIAN GOVERNMENTS, AND THE CHENEY AWARD FOR MOST OF VALOROUS FLIGHT OF THE YEAR.
IN HUMANITARIAN REGARD, IT IS OUR GREAT HONOR, GENERAL WEBB, AS YOU TAKE COMMAND OF A E T C TO WELCOME YOU TO THE GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
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THANKS, UH, MAYOR NIERENBERG, OF COURSE, THAT LAUNDRY LIST JUST MEANS I'M OLD AND I'VE BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE A LONG TIME.UH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME, UH, AND SPEAK FOR JUST A BRIEF A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
UH, SO MAYOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, DONNA AND I HAVE BEEN, UH, IN COMMAND HERE AT THE AIR EDUCATION TRAINING COMMAND NOW FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
UH, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE THRILLED, UH, TO BE PART OF, UH, MILITARY CITY, U S A, UH, AS IF YOU HAD, UH, BEEN AT MY CHANGE OF COMMAND THIS SUMMER.
I MENTIONED THAT, UH, BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE NOW ALMOST 40 YEARS, UH, AND HAVING BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE BEEN STATIONED IN TEXAS.
I KNOW THAT'S A FEAT IN AND OF ITSELF, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF AIR FORCE BASES THERE ARE IN TEXAS.
UH, BUT WE COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, MY MOTHER COULD NOT BE MORE THRILLED.
SHE LIVES JUST UP THE ROAD HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND, UH, HAVING BEEN ORIENTED NOW HERE FOR FOUR MONTHS, UH, THIS COMMAND.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS CITY BUILDS ITSELF AS MILITARY CITY U S A AND IT IS APPROPRIATE BECAUSE IT, IT ENCOMPASSES NOT JUST OF COURSE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, UH, WHICH OF COURSE HAS BEEN FUNDAMENTAL TO THE AIR FORCE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF DECADES, YOU KNOW, PRE-DATING, UH, WORLD WAR II, BUT ALSO GIVEN THE CYBER ACTIVITY, GIVEN THE HEALTHCARE, UH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
ANY NUMBER OF MISSION SETS THAT YOU HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO ARE IMPORTANT.
I WANNA SPEND JUST A COUPLE MINUTES ABOUT AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND, UH, WITHIN THE AIR FORCE ITSELF.
UH, OUR COMMAND, UH, HERE IN THIS CITY IS CHARGED WITH THE, IS CHARGED WITH THE FORCE DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY AIRMAN.
UH, AND SO IT, IT, IT PARLAYS ITSELF INTO A NUMBER OF HUGE, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, PRIORITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING INSIDE THE AIR FORCE RE-ORIENTING, UH, THE TALENT MANAGEMENT ASPECTS, UH, AND DEFINING THE FORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY AIRMAN STARTS RIGHT HERE AT RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE AND, AND LACKLAND AND THE VARIOUS, UH, FIELDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE IN TOWN.
ANOTHER PRIORITY FOR US IS ENHANCING A LETHALITY AND READINESS.
UH, THE RECRUIT AIR FORCE RECRUITING SERVICE IS PART OF AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND.
UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, SINCE AIR THE FOUNDING OF THE AIR FORCE, WE ARE PURSUING RECRUITMENT FROM A ACTIVE RESERVE GUARD AND CIVILIAN, UH, EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS, IS ACTUALLY FAIRLY UNIQUE.
AND AS YOU HEARD, UH, MENTIONED IN OUR OPENING PRAYER, UH, DIVERSITY IS A WAR FIGHTING IMPERATIVE.
IT IS FOR THE AIR FORCE, AND IT IS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF WHAT WE, UH, PUT IN OUR CATEGORY OF ENHANCING LETHALITY AND READINESS.
UH, SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES THAT ARE UNDERWAY FROM A DIVERSITY STANDPOINT, UH, THAT FALL IN THAT CATEGORY.
UH, YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE NUMBER OF, UH, INITIATIVES, UH, INSIDE OF OUR HEADQUARTERS THAT WE CALL TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE LEARN.
UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, INITIATIVES THAT ARE UNDERWAY, UH, WITH OUR COUPLING, UH, WITH, UM, UH, UNIVERSITIES, UH, TO GET AFTER LEARNING IN A 21ST CENTURY WAY.
UH, ONE OF THE, ONE THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, UH, REMARKABLE, AT LEAST HERE LOCALLY, IS THE WAY WE'RE CONDUCTING PILOT TRAINING.
UH, IT'S CALLED PILOT TRAINING NEXT, AND IS A, IT IS UNIQUE BLEND OF, UH, TAKING, UH, TECHNOLOGIES, UH, SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND VIRTUAL REALITY, AND COUP COUPLING THEM WITH THE WAY, UH, UH, UNIVERSITIES DO EDUCATION TODAY TO REALLY BE KIND OF STUDENT CENTRIC AND TO BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE, UH, AND, UH, TO, UH, HAVE MORE EFFICIENCY, UH, OUT OF THAT TRAINING PERIOD, UH, TRAINING, UH, CONSTRUCT.
UH, IT'S MADE ITS WAY INTO PILOT TRAINING ALREADY.
IT'S ALSO UNDERWAY IN MAINTENANCE TRAINING AND MANY OF THE OTHER TECHNICAL, UH, ASPECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE INCORPORATED HERE IN THE AIR FORCE.
AND IT'S HAPPENING HERE, UH, IN GROUND ZERO, WHICH IS, UH, SAN ANTONIO AND I, BY THAT I MEAN EVERY ONE OF THE, THE, UH, VARIOUS BASES THAT WE HAVE.
AND FINALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE BILL OURSELVES AN AIR EDUCATION TRAINING COMMAND, UH, AS THE FIRST COMMAND.
UH, THERE'S NOT AN AIRMAN THAT JOINS THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE THAT DOESN'T HAVE AS ITS FIRST TOUCHPOINT, UH, AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND.
UH, AND IF WE'RE NOT FOUNDED IN THOSE, WHAT WE CALL AIR FORCE CORE VALUES, UH, AS A FIRM FOUNDATION, UH, THEN YOU WOULD, YOU, YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT WE WOULD BE OFF THE MARK.
UH, SO A AN ABSOLUTE FOCUS FOR US IS ON WHAT I, WE CALL CULTIVATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXCELLENCE SO THAT WE HAVE A UNIQUE FOCUS ON OUR AIR FORCE CORE VALUES AND ALSO THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I WOULD JUST USE THAT TO BRIDGE THAT THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, IN ALL THESE AREAS, FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT, UH, AGENCY KIND OF, UH, ASPECT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET AFTER SUPPORT FOR SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT.
UH, THE SCHOOLS, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN
[00:15:01]
SAN ANTONIO ARE REAL, REAL PLUSES.I GOT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES WITH, WITH THE MAYOR BEFOREHAND, JUST TO THANK HIM PERSONALLY, UH, FOR THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, THOSE, IF YOU ASK IN ANY MILITARY COMMUNITY, UH, THOSE THREE THINGS IN SOME ORDER ARE GONNA BE PRIORITIES, UH, FROM OUR MILITARY FAMILIES.
UH, AND SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON TOGETHER.
UH, BUT THIS IS A FIRM FOUNDATION, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, AS I SAID, DON AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED, UH, TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO INTERACTING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF MY TOUR HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME.
AND, UM, BEFORE YOU, UH, BEFORE YOU DEPART GENERAL, I THINK A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS FOR YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, THANK YOU, SIR.
AND THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR WORDS AND, AND FOR COMING HERE TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, OUTTA YOUR CONTROL ON WHERE YOU GO FROM PLACE TO PLACE, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE AND WE'VE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF TOP QUALITY LEADERS COMING IN TO A A T C, AND I'VE MET YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES AND HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH YOU AND, AND WE'RE VERY DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD HERE, AND WE WANNA CONTINUE THAT SUPPORT THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, NOT ONLY WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES, WHETHER IT'S ENCROACHMENT ISSUES, THAT KIND OF THING AROUND, UH, SAN ANTONIO AND, AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS HERE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE HAPPY TO BE HERE, AND WE'RE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER THE FUTURE BRINGS AS, AS FAR AS BRACKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU WANNA STAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I JUST WANT TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS GENERAL ON, ON YOUR ASSIGNMENT HERE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING.
UM, I WENT THROUGH AIR FORCE BASIC A LONG TIME AGO.
IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.
I KNOW IT IMPROVES THE LIVES OF EVERYBODY WHO'S TOUCHED BY YOUR COMMAND AND SERVICE, UH, TO OUR COUNTRY.
SO I WISH YOU WELL AND YOUR, AND YOUR STAY HERE, AND YOU CAN COUNT ON THIS CITY TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANY OF THE, UH, NEEDS THAT, THAT YOU IDENTIFY.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU, MAYOR GENERAL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M, UH, EXCITED TO REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR, AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, UM, LACKLAND IS A PART OF THAT.
AND I GOT TO TOUR RECENTLY WITH, UM, ACTUALLY THREE DAYS AGO OR SO WITH GENERAL LINDERMAN AND WITH COLONEL THOMPSON.
AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THE AIRMEN, AND I GOT TO SPEND A FEW, UM, MINUTES WITH THE PILOTS AT THE CONTROL TOWER.
AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF FOLKS THAT I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE EVER MET.
AND THEY'RE SO DEDICATED AND COMMITTED TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR, UH, THE AIR FORCE AND FOR, UH, ANY MILITARY MEMBER HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WELCOME, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO GENERAL WEBB, JUST WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR PROTECTION OF OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THOSE WATCHING, UH, YOU SEE THE UNIQUENESS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY AND SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
UH, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, WE ARE A BIT OF AN AIR FORCE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AN AIR SUPERIORITY STARTS RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE TAKE OUR MISSION IN THAT, ON THIS DIVE VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, GENERAL WEBB.
I DO ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE, THE PRESENCE OF THE COMMAND STAFF AND, AND LEADERSHIP OF GENERAL BRIER GENERAL, UH, LAURA LINDERMAN AS WELL.
YOU HAVE A WHOLE TEAM, UH, HERE TO SUPPORT YOU, UH, ON BOTH OF YOUR, UH, MISSIONS.
AND, AND WE'RE HERE, UH, AS A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, VERY PROUDLY.
UH, WE HAVE NO ITEMS, UH, EXCUSE ME.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION TODAY.
[Consent Agenda]
THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS, UH, FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PULL? I DO HAVE ITEMS, UH, 23, 22 AND 28, PULLED 22, 23 AND 28.UM, JUST FOR PULLING FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION AT THIS POINT, 24 IN 24, UH, HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY.
UM, SO WE HAVE ITEMS 4 22, 23, AND 28.
UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM WHICH WE'D LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
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I HAVE NO CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT.ALL CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR, AND THAT'S INCLUDING YOU, JACK, I'M SORRY, YOU SIGNED UP FOR 17.
LET ME CHECK WITH THE CLERK REAL QUICK.
WE DON'T HAVE YOU ON 17, JACK, BUT COME ON UP AGAIN, JACK.
THIS IS ON ITEM 17, SO KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO ITEM 17.
IF YOU GO OFF TRACK, I'LL CUT YOU OFF.
MAYOR NURENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
FINGER AND, AND YES, I'M, I DID, UH, MENTION SIDE OF 17 H I I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT MENTIONED ON YOUR RECORD THERE.
UM, ANYWAY, 17 H MR. VIS MAY PLEASE, UH, PUT THAT UP SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT 17 H IS.
THIS IS AN APPOINTMENT, UH, UH, ITEM, VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT THE CITY HAS IN OUR CITY.
ITEM 17 H APPOINTING LISA OCHOA OF DISTRICT SEVEN TO THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN FOR THE REMAINDER OF AN UNEXPIRED TERM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND WAIVING THE CITY CODE RESIDENCY RE REQUIREMENTS AS, AS IN CHAPTER ARTICLES, SECTION, ET CETERA.
THANK YOU, MR. AUTOMATION MEMBER.
RETURN THE CAMERA, IF YOU WOULD, TO THE PODIUM.
MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MANY OF US.
THE, UH, THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.
IT RECOMMENDS POLICY TO YOU, OUR ELECTED LEADERS REGARDING, UM, WELL, JUST VARIOUS THINGS DEALING WITH WOMEN'S ISSUES HERE IN TOWN.
NOW, AMONG THOSE ISSUES, A VERY BIG ONE IS ABORTION.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, MANY OF US, I'D SAY DARE MOST OF US DO NOT WANT, UH, THE ME THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN RECOMMENDING ANYTHING DEALING WITH ABORTION, ANYTHING THAT'S PRO-ABORTION.
BUT THE, UM, THE PERSON THAT MS. SANDOVAL FROM DISTRICT SEVEN IS SUGGESTING MS. DR.
OCHOA, UH, WE HAVE SOME BIG QUESTIONS ON HERE.
YES, MR. VIS MAY SHOW THAT IF YOU WOULD, DR.
LISA NITA OCHOA, SHE DEALS WITH GENERAL SURGERY AS ALONG WITH VASCULAR SURGERY.
HER LOCATION IS WHOLE WOMEN'S SURGICAL CENTER, YES.
THE TOP PART OF IT SHOWS ABORTION CARE AT WHOLE WOMEN'S HEALTH.
VARIOUS THINGS LIKE, UH, MEDICAL EDUCATION, ABORTION, FIRST TRIMESTER ABORTION, ET CETERA.
UH, PRIVATE ABORTION CARE AND FAST TRACK OPTIONS.
UH, KEEP SCROLL ON DOWN, KEEP GOING FURTHER THERE.
UM, ANYTHING CIRCLED THERE YOU SEE THERE? UH, OKAY.
JUST TRYING TO GET, JUST, IT SAYS, CONTACT US AND YOU'LL SEE THE ARROWS GOING ALL THE WAY.
TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE IF YOU WOULD.
OKAY, TO RETURN THE CAMERA, IF YOU WOULD.
WE KNOW THAT MS ON OCHO IS JUST, HER SUITE IS JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE ABORTION FACILITY.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT ONE OF HER COLLEAGUES RECENTLY WENT TO ANOTHER ABORTION CLINIC.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS? OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS, UH, OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 4 23, EXCUSE ME, 22, 23 AND 28.
ITEMS 4 22, 23 AND 28 ARE PULLED AND WILL BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY EXCEPT FOR 24, WHICH IS NOT GONNA BE HEARD TODAY.
WE DO HAVE ITEM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS TO HIGHLIGHT OTHERS.
I, UH, I ACTUALLY ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE APPOINTEES THAT I'M MAKING.
AMONG THEM ARE MS. SARA TREVINO.
I THINK YOU'RE, ARE YOU HERE TODAY? SARAH? SARAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU'RE BEING APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED YOU ON THERE.
UM, I'LL ALSO BE APPOINTING, UM, OR RECOMMENDING FOR APPOINTMENT MS. FRANCIS GOSMAN TO THE PRE-K FOR SA BOARD.
SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT VERY ENTHUSED TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THAT BOARD.
[00:25:01]
WAS ONE OF MY SCIENCE TEACHERS IN, UH, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, DR.
UH, LISA OCHOA, WHO IS AN ABSOLUTE, UH, ROCK STAR.
LISA OCHOA OPENED HER FIRST, UM, AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST WOMEN OWNED IN SAN ANTONIO VASCULAR SURGERY CLINIC IN DISTRICT THREE.
AND SHE DID IT PRECISELY BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PATIENTS WERE COMING FROM.
AND SHE SAID, I NEED TO GO TO WHERE THE PATIENTS ARE.
AND SHE TOOK A RISK OPEN HER OWN BUSINESS.
COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN WAS THERE FOR, FOR THE OPENING.
AND SHE IS HELPING PEOPLE, UH, AVOID AMPUTATIONS.
AND I THINK THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING VERY MUCH NEEDED IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I'M VERY PROUD TO, TO APPOINT HER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 AND, UH, IT'S AGRO AND GATE PROJECT.
AND THE THIRD LANE PROJECT IS A PROJECT BEING COMPLETED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OWNS THE GROUND AND GATE RIGHT OF WAY IN FRONT OF THE INSPECTION AREA AT JOINT BASE SA, THE GROUND GATE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTION LANE'S CHECKPOINT WITHIN THE INSPECTION AREA SERVES ALL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ENTERING J B SS A LACKLAND MAIN BASE, WHICH I MIGHT, UH, REMIND YOU HOST A LOT OF OUR FAMILY MILITARY FAMILIES HERE, 50 OUT OF 52 WEEKS OF THE YEAR.
THE CHECKPOINT IS CURRENTLY UNDERSIZED INADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE TRAFFIC AT PEAK HOURS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE ROAD LEADING TO THE CHECKPOINT GRODEN ROAD WAS BUILT AS A TWO-LANE ROAD AND DOES NOT HAVE A LANE FOR VEHICLE STACKING, WHICH CAN CAUSE POTENTIAL HEAD-ON COLLISIONS.
THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FOR THE ALLEVI ALLEVIATION OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAFFIC STACKING ON ROAD END ROAD UP TO 1000 FEET BEYOND THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INSPECTION LANE ENTRY AREA.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL WIDEN CROWD AND ROAD INTO THREE LANES TO ACCOMMODATE FOR COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC ENTERING AND WAITING TO ENTER THE VEHICLE INSPECTION CHECKPOINT, AS WELL AS THE MILL AND OVERLAY AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE DRIVEWAY TO GROUND AND GATE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN IN JANUARY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ITS, UH, COMPLETION.
BUT I'D LIKE TO NOW RECOGNIZE COLONEL VALESKY FROM JOINT BASE SA LACKLAND THIS MORNING TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT AND THE MISSIONS AT LACKLAND.
COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER, WO WOMAN OCHOA.
UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE AS ALWAYS.
AND, UH, IT'S, I'VE HAD THE HONOR TO DO THIS A COUPLE TIMES AND IT STILL REMAINS HONOR TO DO SO TO COME BEFORE, UH, THIS PANEL.
THANK THE CITY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
THIS, UH, WHAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN OCHOA HIGHLIGHTED, UH, CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY CONCERN.
AND, UH, OUR ABILITY TO WIDEN THAT LANE, OR WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE TO WIDEN THAT LANE AND OFFER A BIT MORE SAFETY ALLOWS US TO BE A BETTER PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER WITH IT.
AND WE JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND, UH, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I HAVE ONE MORE ITEM TO HIGHLIGHT, BUT I, I THINK COUNCILMAN PERRY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE SAME ITEM.
SO ITEM NUMBER 25 IS A, UM, UH, AN ITEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND IN ADDITIONAL, IN ADDITION TO THE AFFORDABLE UNITS PLANNED FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR A COMMUNITY AMENITY THAT IS SORELY NEEDED IN OUR AREA WHERE THERE IS A FAIR SHARE OF FOOD DESERTS.
THE N R P HAS SET ASIDE LAND AND IS FINALIZING PLANS FOR A COMMUNITY GARDEN ON THIS SITE.
PLANS FOR PROGRAMMING HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED, BUT N R P ANTICIPATES THAT ITS RESIDENT SERVICE PROVIDER C H R PARTNERS WILL DEVELOP A COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM THAT INVOLVES THE RESIDENTS AT TRADER FLATS, THE PACE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND MED CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I WANT TO THANK THE N R P GROUP FOR LOOKING AT AMENITIES AIMED AT TEACHING HEALTH, HEALTHY EATING AND DIET OPTIONS, AND TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE FOOD INSECURITIES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS COMMUNITY GARDEN BECOME A REALITY AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND AGAIN, JUST WANT TO THANK N R P GROUP.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PALS.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING, UM, THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND, UM, I'M GLAD IT'S GONNA PASS TODAY UNANIMOUSLY, I HOPE.
UH, AND THAT IS THAT OUR RECORDS, UH, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS BEING UPGRADED FOR SS A P D.
UM, THIS IS AN ENORMOUS, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENT ON THE PART OF I T S D AND S A P D, PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UM, AND THE REASON IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT DEAL IS BECAUSE THIS SYSTEM IS GONNA BE ALLOWING US TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT A POLICE OFFICER TAKES TO REPORT, IN OTHER WORDS, TO WRITE A REPORT.
UM, UH, AND ALL OF US HAVE SEEN THEM, RIGHT? A POLICE OFFICER IN A PARKING LOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
AND WE ALWAYS WONDER, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? UM, THEY'RE WRITING A REPORT AND IT TAKES THEM A LONG TIME TO WRITE THESE REPORTS.
THIS IS GONNA REDUCE, UH, REPORT WRITING TIME SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND 80%,
[00:30:01]
WHICH MEANS THAT POLICE OFFICERS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET BACK UP ONTO THE STREET, UM, AND CONTINUE ANSWERING THOSE IMPORTANT 9 1 1 CALLS, AND, UH, REALLY DOING WHAT IT IS WE WANT THEM TO DO.UH, ALTHOUGH REPORTING IS VERY IMPORTANT, ANY EFFORT WE CAN MAKE TO, UH, MAKE THAT PROCESS MORE AGILE, UH, ONLY SERVES TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND I'M PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY, UH, THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID TODAY.
THANK YOU CHIEF, UH, FOR HELPING US DO THIS.
AND THANK YOU TO CAPTAIN FALK.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.
UM, WE'VE BEEN PUSHING VERY HARD TO HAVE OUR DISTRICT TWO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS COMPLETELY FILLED, AND SO I'M JUST EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO APPOINT THOSE FROM DISTRICT TWO.
UH, WE HAVE MR. SEYMOUR BATTLE, THE THIRD WHO WILL BE APPOINTED AS AN ALTERNATE TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE MS. JADE MCCULLOUGH, WHO WILL BE APPOINTED TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE REAPPOINTING, UH, JOSE A PECON TO THE SAN ANTONIO HIGHER EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD.
SO I'D LIKE TO COMMEND EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM FOR TAKING THE STEP TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME IN THEIR SERVICE AND TO REPRESENT OUR DISTRICT.
AND I THANK THEM SO MUCH FOR THEIR, UH, CONTINUED SUPPORT.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 27, AND THAT IS A ORDINANCE THAT IS GOING TO BE A JOB ORDER CONTRACT FOR A TREAT INSTALLATION INITIATIVE IN THE DENVER HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD, LOCATED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO, AS WELL AS IN DISTRICT THREE, FOUR, AND, UH, FIVE.
AND SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO BEAUTIFICATION.
WE ALL KNOW THAT TREES ARE A SOURCE OF OXYGEN.
THEY'RE A SOURCE OF BRINGING LIFE AND SHADE BACK INTO OUR AREAS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THESE TREES PLANTED.
WE KNOW THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S SMALL.
IT MAY NOT BE GRAND ON A LARGER SCALE, BUT TRULY BEAUTIFICATION CAN BRING ABOUT A MINDSET CHANGE IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN UNDERDEVELOPED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE ITEMS. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE GROUND AND GATE, UH, ISSUE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE AIR FORCE OR THROUGH THE, UH, J B SS A ON WHAT THEIR REQUIREMENTS ARE.
AND WE GO THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS ON THE, UH, MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE THAT HELPS TO IDENTIFY AND PUT THOSE INTO THE SYSTEM OF SAN ANTONIO'S FUNDING STREAM.
AND ALSO THE COUNTY KICKS IN MONEY ALSO TO HELP OUR INSTALLATIONS IN, IN OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER OF THE, OF THE BASES, WHETHER IT'S, UH, FENCING, DRAINAGE, UM, SEWER LINES NOW WITH GROUND AND GATE.
UH, WE DO A LOT FOR THE MILITARY HERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AGAIN, THAT THAT ALL COMES THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT ON SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY HERE LOCALLY.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEPPED FORWARD TO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, AND I HAVE THREE PEOPLE FROM DISTRICT NINE WHO ARE GONNA BE SERVING, UH, FRI DE FACEY ON THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION IS, UH, REAPPOINTMENT AS WELL AS JAMES MOCK ON THE PORT AUTHORITY PORT SA BOARD.
UH, I APPRECIATE THEIR CONTINUED SERVICE.
KEVIN LOVE IS NOW GOING TO BE ON THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, UH, AND I THINK IT'S A CREDIT TO EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHEN THEY STEP FORWARD AND AGREE TO SERVE ON THESE BOARDS, AND I THINK THEY GET VERY LITTLE RECOGNITION FOR IT.
SO I'M GLAD TO RECOGNIZE THOSE PEOPLE FROM DISTRICT NINE, UH, ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
I TOO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF GEORGE GARCIA ON THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES COMMITTEE.
HE'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, AND I'M PROUD THAT HE CONTINUES TO SERVE.
I ALSO WANT TO, UM, ECHO COUNCILMAN ELIAS IN RECOGNIZING THE ADOPTION OF, OR THE APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE NEW RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY LONG PROCESS, BUT IT'S SO NEEDED AND VERY, UM, IT'S GOING TO HELP US A LOT.
LIKE YOU SAID, NOT ONLY REDUCING THE TIME TO WRITE REPORTS FOR POLICE, BUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET YOUR POLICE REPORT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FILE AN INSURANCE CASE.
UM, RIGHT NOW, IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT THANKS TO THIS NEW SYSTEM, IT'LL TAKE, UH, A MATTER OF, OF, WELL, I DON'T WANNA COMMIT POLICE TO HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT IS NOT GONNA TAKE WEEKS ANYMORE.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK THE WHOLE TEAM THAT WORKED ON
[00:35:01]
THAT, ESPECIALLY, UH, CAPTAIN FOX.I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE, BUT SHE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE SAW HER, UM, COME PRESENT AN ITEM TO, TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
AND WE WERE ALL, AT LEAST I CAN SAY I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HER, UH, CHIEF.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
OKAY, UM, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THERE'S BEEN ONE CORRECTION, THE ITEMS PULLED, UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UH, ITEM 24 IS NOT GOING TO BE HEARD TODAY.
IT'S BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA.
ITEMS 4 22 AND 23 WILL BE PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
ITEM 28 WILL REMAIN ON CONSENT.
UH, I NEED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE WHO MADE THE INITIAL MOTION AS WELL AS VIA GROUND WHO SECONDED.
SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS 22, 23 AND FOUR FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, PLEASE VOTE.
[Items 4A & 4B]
FOUR, ITEM FOUR A IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE MIDTOWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT.ZONE NUMBER 31, GRANTING UP TO $6 MILLION IN REIMBURSABLE FUNDS FROM THE MIDTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE 31 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AVENUE B AND N NORTH ALAMO BIKE LANE PROJECT, AND APPROVING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AND AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 THROUGH 2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM WITH FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6 MILLION FROM MIDTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE 31 FUND FOR THE AVENUE B AND NORTH ALAMO BIKE LANE PROJECT ITEM FOUR B IS THE ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT UP TO $6 MILLION TO THE 2017 BOND BROADWAY CORRIDOR.
LOWER SEGMENT DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT WITH SUN CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AVENUE B AND NORTH ALAMO BIKE LANES AS PART OF THE BROADWAY LOWER SEGMENT PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE REIMBURSED FROM THE MIDTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
NUMBER 31 FLOOR IS YOURS, ROD.
ALRIGHT, MORNING, MAYOR, COUNSEL.
UH, AS THE CLERK JUST READ, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS BEFORE US, UH, TODAY.
THE, UH, FIRST ITEM IS BASICALLY ACCEPTING $6 MILLION FROM THE MIDTOWN TOURS, UH, TO PUT BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B ASSOCIATED WITH THE BROADWAY PROJECT.
I AM SORRY, I HAVE TO RELEARN HOW TO DO THIS THING.
UH, ITEM B UH, IS SIMPLY AMENDING THE CONTRACT WITH S IS THE CONTRACTOR DOING THE WORK ON, ON BROADWAY.
THEY WOULD AWARDED THE, UH, DESIGN BUILT CONTRACT, AND THIS WOULD AMEND THE CONTRACT, SO THEY WOULD DO THE WORK ON, UH, AVENUE B.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, THE FIRST ITEM, UH, MONEY'S COMING TO US FROM THE MIDTOWN TOURS.
UH, THIS IS A TOURS THAT COVERS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 450 ACRES, UH, IN D ONE, TWO AND NINE.
UH, IT'S FOUNDED BY HILDEBRAND TO THE NORTH, UH, AND WE HAVE 35 OF THIS OUT, ST.
MARY'S TO THE WEST AND BROADWAY FALLS.
UH, ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, THE BOARD VOTED, UH, TO PASS A RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE $6 MILLION, UH, TO ADD TO THE BROADWAY PROJECT, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO PUT BIKE LANES ON, UH, ON AVENUE B.
JUST THERE ON THE SIDE, I, I, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE.
UH, SO WE ADDED THAT TO THAT SLIDE, SO YOU COULD HAVE THAT FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
UH, SO ANYWAY, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE FUNDS ARE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED TO PUT THE, THE BIKE LANES ON, UH, ON AVENUE B.
AND HERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
HERE'S A SCHEMATIC OF, UH, WHAT AVENUE B IS GONNA LOOK LIKE, WHAT THE $6 MILLION, UH, WILL GET US.
SO THE PROJECT, UH, PROVIDED THE ITEM PASSES TODAY, UH, WHICH START THE DESIGN PROJECT IN, UH, JANUARY OF 2020.
CONSTRUCTION WOULD START THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND, UH, IT WOULD FINISH THE FALL OF, OF 2021.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ORIGINALLY APPROACHED THE, UH, THE TOUR.
SO WE'D ESTIMATED $3 MILLION IS WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO THIS PROJECT.
UH, BUT AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THEM, THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED A MORE ROBUST DESIGN.
THEY WANTED MORE LANDSCAPING, MORE TREES.
UH, SO THEY, THEY PROVIDED US MORE.
UH, AND WHAT WE'LL GET OUTTA THAT IS TWO, UH, A TWO-WAY PROTECTED BIKE LANE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, LANDSCAPING AND TREES.
UH, THEY'LL MILL AN OVERLAY THE, UH, THE STREET PAVEMENT MARKING SOME BALL BOUTS, AND WE'RE GONNA CONVERT AVENUE B TO ONE WAY TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR THOSE, THOSE BIKE THE BIKE COMMUNITY.
[00:40:02]
SO THAT'S THE FIRST ONE.AMENDED B IS, IS SIMPLY AMENDING THE, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE.
UH, THIS CONTRACT ORIGINALLY WAS AWARDED IN MAY OF, UH, 2018.
IT'S A $32 MILLION CONTRACT WITH THEM.
UH, ONLY 24 OF THAT IS A CITY PORTION.
UH, THE REST COMES FROM SAWS AND, AND C P S.
AND WE WENT WITH, WE WENT WITH SUN.
WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO GO WITH SUN AND SUN'S ALREADY THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STREETS ARE JUST A BLOCK FROM EACH OTHER.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA SHARE A LOT OF UTILITIES.
SO IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD TO HAVE ONE, ONE CONTRACTOR DOING ALL THE UTILITY COORDINATION, UH, COORDINATING WITH ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, YOU KNOW, COORDINATION, MOBILIZING, UH, THE CREWS TO, TO DO THE WORK.
UH, IT'LL BE MORE EFFICIENT FOR ONE CO CONTRACTOR TO DO THAT RATHER THAN HAVE TWO CONTRACTORS, UH, STEPPING OVER EACH OTHER.
SO THAT IS WHY WE BROUGHT AN AMENDMENT, UH, TO THIS CONTRACT.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE ITEMS, UH, THAT ARE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UH, BUT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ITEM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I THOUGHT I'D JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PROCESS, THIS PROJECT HAD ITS GENESIS, UH, BACK IN 2016, UH, WHEN THE BROAD, IT WAS BUILD YOUR OWN BROADWAY, UH, CENTRO, UH, COORDINATED A PROCESS YOU CAN SEE WITH ALL THE FOLKS INVOLVED.
YOU HAD YOUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, YOU KNOW, THE MUSEUMS, UH, THE ZOO, THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY, UH, PUBLIC AGENCIES, UH, INCLUDING T C I, TDOT VIA THE COUNTY, AGAIN, MIDTOWN T UH, AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, A WHOLE, A WHOLE HOST OF, OF PRIVATE, UH, SECTOR FOLKS, STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE INVOLVED.
YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS GOT TOGETHER WAY BACK THEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD HERE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THEY HAD THOSE BACK THEN, UH, HAD VERY ROBUST DISCUSSIONS, UH, DESIGN CHARETTES.
AND, AND IT WAS BACK THEN, UH, THAT IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE LOWER ONE THIRD OF BROADWAY THAT THOSE BIKE LANES WERE GONNA GO ON AVENUE B, THE UPPER TWO THIRDS, UH, WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THERE.
UH, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM THERE AND WE WILL HAVE BIKE LANES ON, ON BROADWAY, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS HERE IN 2016 WHERE THIS PROJECT, UH, GOT ITS BIRTH AND BACK THEN, UH, IT WAS DECIDED BIKE LANES, AVENUE B, LOWER BROADWAY, UH, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ON BROADWAY FOR THE UPPER PORTION FROM THIS PROCESS.
THIS IS WHAT LED TO THE BOND PROCESS.
THIS IS WHAT LED TO THE PROPOSAL TO THE BOND COMMITTEE, WHAT LED TO COUNCIL TAKING ACTION AND WHAT WE PUT OUT TO THE VOTERS.
UH, I ADDED HERE THE LANGUAGE, UH, THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT WAS IN, IN THE BOND THAT THE FOLKS VOTED, THAT THE VOTERS VOTED ON.
UH, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RECONSTRUCTING BROADWAY FROM HOUSTON TO HILDEBRAND.
UH, AND IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT INCLUDES, INCLUDING CURBS, DRIVEWAY APPROACHES, BICYCLE AMENITIES, AND IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE DONE AS APPROPRIATE AND WITH WITHIN AVAILABLE FUNDS.
I'VE HEARD SOME DISCUSSION THAT, UH, THAT, THAT LANGUAGE IS KIND OF DECEPTIVE.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BOND PROGRAM AND YOU GO THROUGH ALL THE, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS, YOU WILL SEE THAT LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT THAT PROGRAM.
WE PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE 'CAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND UNTIL THE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS START DESIGNING THE PROJECT.
UH, WHEN THEY PUT THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, THAT'S WHEN THEY DISCOVER DIFFERENT THINGS.
I MEAN, IT, IT COULD BE A CAVE, IT COULD BE SOME GEOLOGICAL FEATURE.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ADJUST, WE HAVE TO AMEND SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON.
SO THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT THERE TO, TO DECEIVE THAT LANGUAGE.
IS THERE REALLY TO HONOR OUR COMMITMENT TO THE VOTERS TO GET THESE PROJECTS BUILT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
SO FROM HERE, VOTERS VOTED ON ON THAT PROJECT.
UH, AND THEN WE WENT FORWARD WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT WE JUST, OR WE, WITH THE CONTRACT THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH, WITH SUN.
UH, IT WAS A DESIGN BUILT, AND IT'S JUST FOR THE LOWER PORTION OF, OF BROADWAY, JUST FOR THAT, UH, THAT ONE THIRD OF THE STREET, UH, OTHER, THE UPPER TWO THIRDS WE ALL AGREE WILL HAVE BIKE LANES ON IT.
THEY WILL HAVE BIKE LANES ON THE UPPER TWO THIRDS OF BROADWAY.
BUT THE LOWER PORTION, THE BIKE LANES FROM THE PROJECTS INCEPTION BACK IN 2016, UH, IN, IN OUR MINDS AS STAFF, THOSE BIKE LANES WERE GONNA BE, UH, ON, ON AVENUE B.
UH, AND THAT IS WHY, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE R F P, YOU LOOK AT THE R F Q, YOU LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT WITH SUN, THERE'S NO MENTION ABOUT BIKE LANES, UH, ON BROADWAY.
'CAUSE IN OUR MINDS, THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAD ALREADY BEEN HAD, AND THAT DECISION HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE WHEN THE PROJECT STARTED IN 2016.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEARD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND MAYBE WE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH.
UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE HAVE ESSAY SPEAK UP.
THANKS TO THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL, UH, WE PUT ENGAGEMENT ON STEROIDS.
WE DID NOT HAVE THAT AT THE TIME OF THE, OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT.
[00:45:01]
A, A, A VERY THOROUGH JOB, VERY GOOD JOB OF ENGAGING THE PUBLIC.YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, OVER 60 MEETINGS, UH, WERE HAD, UH, FIVE BOND MEETINGS, 15 PUBLIC MEETINGS AND, AND 47 MEETINGS WITH, WITH THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF INPUT.
WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS.
WE'RE STILL HEARING, UH, FROM PEOPLE ON THIS PROJECT.
AND, AND THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME AS WELL.
SO, LIKE I SAID, NOT SA SPEAK UP, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE DID A THOROUGH JOB OF ENGAGING THE PUBLIC ON THIS PROJECT.
AND HERE I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO LAY OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THE PROJECT, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE, THE BIKE LANES, THEY START ON ALAMO, THEY SWING OVER TO AVENUE B, UH, AND THEN RIGHT THERE AT ROY SMITH, UH, THEY'RE ON BROADWAY FROM, FROM HERE ON OUT.
UH, I THINK TO, TO ME, IT'S A THING OF BEAUTY.
WE HAVE ONE CONTINUOUS BIKE PATH, PROTECTED BIKE PATH FROM OUR DOWNTOWN AREA ALL THE WAY TO HILDEBRAND.
LET'S BE THE FIRST IN THE CITY.
IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD PROJECT AND, UH, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO, TO GETTING IT DONE.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? UH, ANTICIPATING, UH, THAT COUNCIL APPROVES THE ITEM TODAY, UH, FOR THE LOWER SEGMENT OF BROADWAY.
WE WILL, UH, CONTINUE, UH, WITH, WITH OUR DESIGN BY JANUARY, WE WILL BE 70%, UH, DONE WITH THE DESIGN, UH, DESIGNED.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE IT'LL END IN JUNE OF 2020.
CONSTRUCTION, PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION WILL START IN FEBRUARY, BUT, BUT THE FULL CONSTRUCTION WILL NOT REALLY GET STARTED TILL THE SPRING.
AND THE PROJECT, THE LOWER, THE LOWER, YOU KNOW, PORTION OF ABROAD WILL BE DONE IN THE SUMMER OF 2023.
THE UPPER PORTION, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A DESIGN FIRM, UH, FOR THAT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT TO COUNCIL, UH, IN FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE DESIGN SHOULD, UH, GO THROUGH, UH, 2021 MARCH OF 2021.
CONSTRUCTION WILL START THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND, AND THE UPPER PORTION WILL BE DONE BY THE WINTER OF 2023.
SO WITH THAT, MAYOR COUNSEL, UH, THAT, THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF FOLKS BEHIND ME FROM T C I STAFF TO P DAWSON.
UH, WE HAVE ARCHITECTS, UH, AND OTHER FOLKS THAT WORKED ON THE PROJECT THAT ARE PREPARED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE HAVE SOME CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS FOUR A AND FOUR B.
UH, I'LL CALL THE FIRST PERSON ORDER, UH, IN ORDER, UH, AND CALL THE NEXT PERSON.
UH, IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM, WE'LL START WITH MICHAEL GUINO.
MR. GUINO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LYNN NAIC.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, COUNCIL PERSONS AND MR. MAYOR.
UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE, AND, UM, IN THE INTEREST OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I VOTED FOR BOTH THE DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE MAYOR, UM, WHO I'M AN ARDENT SUPPORTER OF.
UM, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT LIVING DOWNTOWN AND, UH, AVENUE B.
SO, UM, I HAVE TWO POLES IN MY LIFE.
UH, CURRENTLY I TEACH AT U T S A IN THE COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE.
AND, UM, I'M NOW A DESIGN DIRECTOR AT A FIRM THAT'S BASED AT THE PEARL.
SO, AVENUE B IS MY, UH, COMMUTER AVENUE, AND I AM A CYCLIST.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW I GET TO WORK.
UM, THE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT AVENUE B RIGHT NOW, EVEN WITHOUT IMPROVEMENTS, IS THAT IT'S A SAFE WAY FOR ME TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK.
I WOULDN'T CONSIDER TRYING TO BE ON BROADWAY AT THE MOMENT, BUT OF COURSE, BROADWAY DOESN'T HAVE THESE IMPROVEMENTS YET.
I MEAN, SECTIONS OF IT ACTUALLY ARE PART OF THE PLAN.
SO WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE PLAN THAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT IT SEEMS TO BALANCE ALL OF THIS ALL VERY WELL.
UM, THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD GET A LINK FROM WHERE I LIVE DOWNTOWN ALL THE WAY TO HILDEBRAND IS UTTERLY FANTASTIC.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT, UM, THE AVENUE B SECTION OFFERS MORE POSSIBILITY IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC CALMING.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD BE GENERATED BY IT THIS SEMESTER, I HAVE MY, UH, GRADUATE STUDENTS LOOKING AT THAT SECTION OF AVENUE B, UH, AND THE AREA BETWEEN SAY NINTH AND EIGHTH STREET, UH, IN A PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, THAT BUTTS UP AGAINST THE RIVER.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE THERE AND WHAT KIND OF ACCOMMODATIONS COULD BE THERE AND HOW COULD YOU GET AROUND WITHOUT A CAR.
SO THEIR PROFESSOR IS TRYING TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN LIVE THAT WAY.
UM, I HAVE ONE OTHER OBLIGATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, WHICH IS THAT ONE QUARTER A YEAR.
UM, I TAKE THE STUDENTS TO ITALY WITH ME TO OUR PROGRAM IN ORINO, WHICH IS A BIT SOUTH OF VENICE.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE CAN USUALLY GET TEXANS OUT OF CARS, AND THEN THEY DISCOVER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WHICH SUDDENLY BECOMES A REVELATION TO THEM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD A CADRE OF PEOPLE WHO WILL COME BACK AND ADVOCATE FOR THIS WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR CAREERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'M ABSOLUTELY ALL FOR IT.
[00:50:01]
UM, BY THE WAY, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE DOWNTOWN TEARS, AND I OWE YOU ALL 300 BUCKS ON MY ANNUAL ASSESSMENT, BUT, UM, IT CHECKS IN THE MAIL.SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PROGRESS OF THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THE UNLEASHING OF A LOT OF THINGS IN THE LOWER SECTION OF AVENUE B.
THERE'S AN INTERESTING, UM, FUNCTION THERE, WHICH IS THAT WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SOUTH OF NINTH STREET, THEY GET SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER AS THEY GET CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE CENTER CITY.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE, UH, THE RIVER.
SO WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT FRONT DOOR PROJECT FOR THAT AND WILL STIMULATE A LOT OF ACTIVITY THERE.
UM, LYNN ICK, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HURD.
I LIVE AT THREE 12 PEARL PARKWAY.
UH, I AM A MEMBER OF THE TS BOARD, BUT I AM HERE SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN TODAY, AND I GOT THAT ALL APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THAT WAS OKAY FOR ME TO DO THAT.
UM, I AM A, UH, LOWER BROADWAY, UH, DOWNTOWNER.
UH, I'VE LIVED THERE FOR NINE YEARS AND AS A BUS RIDER, UH, I DO THAT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
MATTER OF FACT, I RODE THE BUS HERE TODAY.
AS A REALTOR, MY BUSINESS DOESN'T ALLOW ME THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR WORK.
BUT WHEN MOVING AROUND DOWNTOWN FOR PLEASURE, THE BUS IS MY PREFERRED METHOD OF, OF TRANSPORTATION.
I OWN A BIKE AND I HAVE, UH, HELD A SWELL CYCLE, UH, MEMBERSHIP SINCE DAY ONE OF IT BEING BCYCLE.
UH, I'D PROBABLY BIKE MORE OFTEN IF THERE WAS MORE PROTECTED LANES TO, TO DO THAT, AND THE WEATHER WAS A BIT MORE INVITING.
I'VE ATTENDED A NUMBER OF THE PRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE REMAKING OF BROADWAY WITH GREAT INTEREST WITH LIVING AT PEARL.
BASICALLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE ACTION I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND WHY LOWER BROADWAY CAN'T BE CONFIGURED THE SAME AS UPPER BROADWAY, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE CARS AND BUSES AND BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, ALL THIS, UM, TAKES ME RIGHT BACK TO MY VERY FIRST FORAY INTO BECOMING A, UH, CITIZEN OF INVOLVEMENT.
UH, RIGHT BEFORE I MOVED TO PEARL IS WHEN THE MIDTOWN BRECKENRIDGE PLAN FIRST CAME INTO BEING.
AND THAT WAS MY, THE FIRST THING THAT I, UH, GOT INVOLVED IN NINE YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S REALLY BEFORE 2016 THAT THIS WHOLE THING STARTED WHEN WE WERE GIVEN, UH, WORKING ON THAT PROJECT, WE WERE GIVEN MAPS AND WE WERE SHOWN THAT UPPER BROADWAY AND LOWER BROADWAY HAD TO BE DIFFERENT.
THEY COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF, UH, TRANSPORTATION.
UH, BROADWAY HANDLES FOUR BUS LINES, THE 9, 10, 11, AND 14 AND RIDERS TRAVEL ON THESE LINES FROM A NUMBER OF, UH, THE NORTH SIDE AREAS AND MIDTOWN LOCATIONS TO GET TO DOWNTOWN ARE LOCATIONS BEYOND AND TRAVEL ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO BUS RIDERS.
HOW MANY MORE CARS, WHETHER IT BE ON THE STREETS.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE NEED MORE OF IT, NOT LESS SO.
SAFE BUS ACCESS ON BROADWAY IS IMPORTANT.
I WALKED ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES THIS MORNING, OR A THOUSAND STEPS.
MY FITBIT TOLD ME TO GET TO THE BUS ON BROADWAY.
UH, UH, BUT LEAVING BROADWAY, UH, ON A BIKE TO GET TO AVENUE B WOULD BE HOW MANY ROTATIONS OF THE PEDAL OF THE BIKE? I WONDER.
I THINK A LOT MORE, A LOT, A FEW, A LOT FEWER THAN THE THOUSAND STEPS I HAD TO WALK TO GET TO THE BUS THIS MORNING.
UH, PEDESTRIANS DESERVE SAFE SIDEWALKS ON BROADWAY AND WIDENING SIDEWALKS AS A MUST, BOTH FOR THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND COMFORT, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO THE BUSINESSES THAT SOON WILL POPULATE THAT CORRIDOR.
THERE JUST ISN'T ROOM FOR FOUR BUS LINES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WIDE SIDEWALKS FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND BUSINESS ACCESS, AUTO ACCESS AND BICYCLE SAFETY ON LOWER BROADWAY BICYCLISTS HAVE BEEN KNOWN, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS.
THEY KNOW THEIR SAFETY IS OF GREAT CONCERN.
THOSE FEW PEDAL STROKES TO GET TO THESE WELL-DESIGNED AND PLAN BIKE FRIENDLY STREETS SEEM LITTLE TO PAY, UH, FOR ONLY A FEW SECONDS LOST IN THEIR TIME OF TRAVEL.
DAVID HERD FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER.
UH, I'M HERE AS C O OF TECH BLOCK AND WE'RE HUGE SUPPORTERS OF NON-CAR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR OUR CITY.
BUT I'M ALSO HERE AS THE MAYOR APPOINTED COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR FOR THE 2017 THROUGH 2022 STREETS, BRIDGES AND SIDEWALKS BOND COMMITTEE.
UH, I MET COUNCILMAN P PERRY ON THIS VERY COMMITTEE.
HE SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH ME.
UM, IT WAS IN THIS COUNCIL APPOINTED CITIZENS COMMITTEE THAT WE CONSIDERED DEBATED AND APPROVED ROUGHLY $600 MILLION IN STREETS PROJECTS TO SEND TO CITY COUNCIL AS PART OF THE $850 MILLION TOTAL BOND PACKAGE THAT WAS ULTIMATELY APPROVED BY SAN ANTONIO VOTERS IN MAY OF 2017.
THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT,
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OF COURSE, WAS A CENTERPIECE PROJECT DURING OUR DELIBERATIONS OVER THE SEVEN PUBLIC MEETINGS.I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO SPEAK TO THE TRANSPARENCY, INCLUSIVENESS, AND PROFESSIONALISM OF THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE LOWER BROADWAY PROJECT WAS PRESENTED BY CITY STAFF AND RELATED DESIGNERS.
I'VE RECENTLY HEARD SOME COUNTER NARRATIVES THAT PERHAPS THERE WAS, UH, IN MY WORDS, A BAIT AND SWITCH DURING THE PROCESS RELATIVE TO THE INCLUSION OF DEDICATED PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON THIS LOWER PORTION OF BROADWAY.
WHERE RIGHT OF WAY BECOMES MORE RESTRICTED THAN THE NORTHERN PORTIONS.
I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS NARRATIVE.
I CAN ATTEST THAT THE BOND PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO THE BROADWAY PROJECT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCLUSIVE, TRANSPARENT, AND INVOLVED IN-DEPTH DESIGN ANALYSIS AND COORDINATION ACROSS MANY PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
IN NO WAY WAS THE INCLUSION OF DEDICATED PROTECTED BIKE LANES MISREPRESENTED TO THE VOTERS.
SO I'M HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE BROADWAY STREET CORRIDOR LOWER LOWER SEGMENT DESIGN BUILD PLAN AS APPROVED BY VOTERS IN 2017 AND OUR CITYWIDE ELECTION.
AND ADDITIONALLY, I'D ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO PROVE FUNDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AVENUE B AND NORTH BROAD NORTH ALAMO BIKE LANE PROJECT TO PROVIDE CRITICAL BIKE LANE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED BY OUR CITY ALONG THIS BROADWAY QUARTER.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
JACK FINGER, FOLLOWED BY CARL BRENT MILLER.
MARY NURENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
NOW MUCH HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT BIKE LANES, ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO CONSTRUCT THEM.
WHY? BECAUSE WE WANT TO REDUCE THE AIR POLLUTION THAT COMES FROM CARS THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE RIDING OTHERWISE.
WE ALSO HAVE MADE MUCH ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY OFFER EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE USING IT, THEREBY WITH ALL THE HEALTH BENEFITS.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT AS ONE MAN GENTLEMAN MENTIONED JUST A MOMENT AGO, WE WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT STRIKES ME AS SOCIAL ENGINEERING.
I THOUGHT THE IDEA OF TRUE PROGRESS WAS HAVING PEOPLE RIDE IN MACHINES INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WALK AND BICYCLE THEIR WAY TO WORK OR TO PLEASURE.
NO, I, UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M, I'M TIRED OF HAVING BICYCLISTS HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN ME.
YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME YEARS AGO WE PASSED RULES AS SAYING THAT MOTORS COULD NOT GET WITHIN, UH, THE THREE FEET OF A BICYCLIST.
WELL, THAT RULE DIDN'T ALLOW, TELL ANYBODY HOW BICYCLISTS MIGHT VEER INTO A MOTORIST LANE AND A MOTORIST THAT HAS IS, UH, LEFT IN THE LURCH THERE ALSO.
UH, I'VE NEVER SEEN A A COP STOP A BICYCLIST FOR RUNNING THROUGH A RED LIGHT.
HAVE YOU? UM, I DON'T SEE BIKERS BEING REQUIRED TO GET INSURANCE OR REGISTRATION OR ANY OF THESE OTHER THINGS THERE, BUT, UH, BIKE LANES, THIS IS ONE THING THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, UH, SADLY HERE, MR. ION, MR. SHOW, IF YOU CAN, SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, LINED OUT, UH, AREAS THERE NEAR THE BOTTOM THERE.
UH, ALONG NORTH ALO AND AVENUE B TWO-WAY PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
TWO-WAY PROTECTED, LIKE BIKE LANES.
FURTHER ON DOWN, YOU SEE THE, THE PHRASE CONVERSION TO ONE WAY SOUTHBOUND.
THAT MEANS WHAT? THAT APPARENTLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT MOTORIST LANES, CAR LANES ARE GONNA BE TAKEN AWAY.
TWO WAYS ARE GONNA BE TAKEN AWAY.
TURN THE PAGE IF YOU WOULD, MR. AMEN TO ONE MORE PAGE.
I THINK IT'S, UH, LET'S SEE IF YOU SEE WHERE IT IS.
FOR FURTHER ON AVENUE B AND ONE THIRD BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B IN, IN NORTH ALAMO.
CARL BRAND MILLER FOLLOWED BY LAUREN BARTHOLOMEW.
MR. MAYOR COUNSEL, UH, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE AND, UH, TRANSPORTATION CYCLIST.
UM, IT'S EXCITING THAT THERE IS FUNDING
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FOR BICYCLE AMENITIES.UH, WHENEVER THERE'S A CHANCE TO FUND BICYCLE AMENITIES, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, GET EXCITED BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THOSE THINGS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE WORKED IN GOOD FAITH TRYING TO DESIGN A LOWER BROADWAY SOLUTION THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, UH, MANY OF WHOM ARE IN THIS ROOM.
UM, AND I THINK THAT MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE WORKED IN GOOD FAITH TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.
DESPITE THAT WE'VE KIND OF LANDED IN THIS ADVERSARIAL PLACE WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO OPPOSING, UH, YOU KNOW, BESIDES THAT STRONGLY OPPOSE EACH OTHER.
UM, AND SO I HAVE KIND OF RELUCTANTLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION TO SUPPORT FUNDING THE AVENUE, UH, B AND ALAMO SEGMENTS OF THE LOWER BROADWAY, UH, PROJECT, BUT NOT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S THE BEST SOLUTION IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, MANY PEOPLE CAN PROBABLY, UH, PICTURE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE HIGHWAY OVERPASSES, THE PEDESTRIAN HIGHWAY OVERPASSES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, GO OVER SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, I 10 AND, AND VARIOUS PLACES.
AND IT'S LIKE THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT YOU NEVER SEE PEOPLE USING BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT OF THE WAY, RIGHT? AND SO IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION, SAN ANTONIO AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NEED TO BE PREPARED TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING, TO PUT, UH, HUMAN SCALE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, NOT JUST WHERE IT'S CONVENIENT, UM, WHERE THERE'S LOW HANGING FRUIT, BUT IN PLACES WHERE IT REQUIRES TOUGH DECISION MAKING.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE AT THIS POINT, THIS IS THE BEST, UH, OPTION THAT WE'RE GONNA GET IN TERMS OF THIS PROJECT.
AND SO BASICALLY RESIGNED AS A PRAGMATIST TO GET, WHILE THE GETTING'S GOOD, THERE'S MONEY ON THE TABLE, IT'S GONNA RESULT IN AN IMPROVEMENT IN AN INFRAS IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'LL PROBABLY ALSO RESULT IN IMPROVEMENT IN BICYCLE SAFETY.
ALTHOUGH, UH, OTHER EXECUTED, UH, BIKE PROJECTS LIKE THE ONE AT AVENUE B AND JOSEPHINE STREET COMES TO MIND WHERE THERE IS EXISTING PROTECTED BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS DETRIMENTAL TO BICYCLE SAFETY.
SO A BIKE LANE DOES NOT NECESSARILY A SAFE ENVIRONMENT MAKE.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE COUNCIL GOING FORWARD TO REALLY PREPARE YOURSELVES TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING, TO MAKE THOSE HUMAN SCALE TRANSPORTATION, UH, INVESTMENTS, UM, IN A WAY WHERE THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE USED AND EFFECTIVE, UM, FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO USE 'EM.
HI, I'M LAUREN BARTHOLOMEW, DISTRICT TWO MEMBER.
I FEEL LIKE THIS DISCUSSION IS ONE THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE, LIKE IN 1910, WHERE WE SHOULD PUT HORSE TIE UP AND WATER TROUGHS, BECAUSE WE'RE AT THAT KIND OF CHANGE IN OUR WORLD, AND WE NEED MICRO TRANSPORTATION ALL THE WAY DOWN BROADWAY SO PEOPLE CAN GET DOWNTOWN.
SO IT'S NOT THE CONTINUED DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR OF VEHICLES.
HOW MANY ROADS DO WE HAVE? HOW MANY ARE SAFER BICYCLES? NOT VERY MUCH.
I THINK THERE'S A ZONING ISSUE COMING UP REGARDING THIS PROJECT.
I'M ASKING COUNSEL NOT TO SIGN OFF ON THIS UNTIL MORE DISCUSSION IS HAD.
I RESPECT THE ARCHITECTS AND THE ENGINEERS AND THEIR, THEIR DESIGN PLANS.
I'M NOT DISPUTING THE FACTS ON THE GROUND.
I WISH I WAS A FACT WITNESS, BUT I'M NOT.
UM,
AND THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
AND NO PUTTING BIKE LANES ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THAT SIDE, YOU KNOW, TWO BLOCKS THIS WAY, TWO BLOCKS THAT IT'S A JOKE.
I'LL STILL RIDE ON BROADWAY, AND I THINK A LOT OF CYCLISTS WILL ALSO.
SO PLEASE DO NOT SIGN OFF ON THIS.
UH, I'VE SEEN THE, THE DESIGNS.
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR MICRO TRANSPORTATION, BUSES AND CARS TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN BROADWAY TO DOWNTOWN.
I THINK ANY OF THOSE DESIGNS WOULD WORK.
THERE'S ALSO OTHER ONES, UM, IF YOU'RE, I DON'T KNOW, PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE IN NEW YORK, I MEAN IN WASHINGTON, CLOSE TO PENNSYLVANIA, CLOSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THEY HAVE BIKE LANES RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, UH, OF THAT LARGE STREET THAT ALLOWS THE BUSES AND RIDER CHAIR AND EVERYTHING TO CONTINUE ON
[01:05:01]
BROADWAY.I WALKED FROM NINTH STREET TO COUNCIL TODAY, AND THEY'RE, ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS ON BROADWAY HAS PARKING BEHIND OR DELIVERY BEHIND.
ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS IS, WELL, PEOPLE DOING DROP OFFS AND DELIVERIES WILL NEED TO TAKE UP MORE LANES ON BROADWAY.
WE NEED, THE CARS WILL FIND A WAY AROUND.
UM, COMING OFF OF SOUTHBOUND 2 81, THERE'S BEEN A ROAD CLOSED FOR TWO YEARS.
CARS HAVE FOUND A WAY AROUND, YOU CAN'T EVEN EXIT.
SO I THINK THAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO RE-LOOK AT THIS.
AND WE CAN'T JUST DO BUSINESS AS USUAL.
WE CAN'T SIGN OFF ON CLIMATE CHANGE PLANS.
WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ELSE AND JUST SAY, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
IRBY HIGHTOWER, FOLLOWED BY EDDIE ROMERO.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE, AND MY OFFICE IS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, ABOUT 1990, I JOINED THE FIRST SOUTH TOWN BOARD, AND THE GOALS THAT SOUTHTOWN HAD WERE TO CREATE A GREAT ENVIRONMENT FOR GROUND FLOOR BUSINESSES ALONG SOUTH ST.
MARY STREET, SOUTH ALAMO AND SOUTH PRESTA STREET.
ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES WAS TO IMPROVE SIDEWALKS, ADD STREET TREES, UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, PROVIDE ON STREET PARKING, ACCOMMODATE BUSES, AND BUILD BIKE LANES AND BIKE PATHS.
OVER TIME, WE REALIZED THAT THAT'S BOTH VERY EXPENSIVE, HARD TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, AND THEN IT TAKES DECADES OF PERSEVERANCE TO GET THERE, WHICH I THINK SOUTHTOWN IS NOW PRETTY CLOSE TO ACHIEVING THESE.
BECAUSE I WAS ON THE SOUTH TOWN BOARD, I WAS THEN APPOINTED TO THE MISSION TRAILS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, WHICH LOOKED AT CREATING A MULTIMODAL NETWORK CONNECTING ALL OF OUR SPANISH COLONIAL MISSIONS.
AND 'CAUSE OF THAT WORK, I CO-CHAIRED THE RIVER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
MY FIRM, ALMO ARCHITECTS ALSO VOLUNTEERED TO WORK ON THE RIVER NORTH MASTER PLAN, AND WE WERE THE URBAN DESIGN CONSULTANTS FOR THE MIDTOWN BRECKENRIDGE TOURS MASTER PLAN.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFICULT COMPROMISES THAT EACH OF THESE INITIATIVES HAVE FACED AND HOW THEY'RE CURRENTLY FUNCTION HAVE DEVELOPED SOME STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THE ISSUES OF MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE OLDEST PARTS OF SAN ANTONIO.
EVERY STREET DOWNTOWN IS TOO NARROW TO ACCOMMODATE ALL OF THE USES OUTLINED IN A STANDARD COMPLETE STREET PLAN.
AND WE HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH OUR STREETS CONNECTING FROM DOWNTOWN TO OUR SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT CREATIVE PLANS AND TO LOOK AT WAYS TO CREATE A CONNECTED MULTI MOBILITY NETWORK MORE THAN A STANDARD COMPLETE STREETS PLAN.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL AND PICTS HISTORIC STREET GRID OF NARROW STREETS.
WE CAN CREATE AT STREET LEVEL THE KIND OF WORLD CLASS PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE CREATED WITH A RIVER WALK, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE HARD AND THERE'LL BE MANY COMPROMISES.
WE NEED TO CREATE GREAT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE, AND THEN PROVIDE WAYS OF GETTING PEOPLE THERE.
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT COMBINED WITH THE THE MIDTOWN BRECKENRIDGE PLAN HAVE AVENUE B IS THE BIKE ROUTE CONNECTING THE WITTY IN BRECKENRIDGE PARK WITH THE PEARL AND THE RIVERWALK.
THE RIVER NORTH PLAN STATES IT'S A PEDESTRIAN FIRST PLAN, AND ITS CYCLISTS ARE PART OF A PEDESTRIAN FIRST STRATEGY.
BUT ODDLY, IT DOES NOT SHOW BIKE LANES ON ANY STREETS IN THE, IN THE MASTER PLAN.
THAT IS AN AUTO MISSION, BUT IT'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE DIFFICULTY OF FITTING IN SEGREGATED TRANSPORTATION AND NARROW RIGHT OF WAYS.
THAT PLAN INSTEAD LOOKS AT SLOWING TRAFFIC DOWN SO THAT BIKES AND, AND CYCLISTS AND VEHICLES ARE ALL TRAVELING AT ABOUT THE SAME SPEED.
I THINK AVENUE B BIKE LANES LOOK A LITTLE ODD AS PART OF A LARGER NETWORK AND A NETWORK THAT HOPEFULLY CONNECTS, CONTINUES TO CONNECT NORTH THROUGH ELMO BASIN TO THE AIRPORT AND THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY SYSTEM.
I WORK WITH CENTRAL SAN ANTONIO.
UH, IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU SHOULD HAVE OUR BOARD RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE CURRENT DESIGN BUILD PLANS FOR LOWER BROADWAY AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR AVENUE B.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, I'M HERE THIS MORNING AS A BUS RIDER.
UM, I, I TAKE THE BUS BY CHOICE.
SO HONESTLY, IF IT WAS A LITTLE COLDER OUTSIDE OR RAINING A LITTLE HARDER, UH, I WOULD'VE ASKED MY WIFE TO, TO TAKE ME TO WORK OR CALLED, UH, CALLED RIDESHARE.
UH, I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE BROADWAY IS A MAJOR MULTIMODAL BACKBONE FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
UH, THOUSANDS OF BUS RIDERS USE BROADWAY EACH DAY.
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UH, IN FACT, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED TRANSIT CORRIDORS IN THE CITY.UH, NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE CHOOSE TO RIDE IT, BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE DEPEND ON IT.
COMBINED WITH AVENUE B AND NORTH ALAMO, UH, BIKE LANE PROJECT IS THE SAFEST AND MOST COMPASSIONATE COMBINATION OF TRANSIT THAT SERVES THE BROADEST NUMBER OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
IT SERVES THE BROADEST SUR BROADEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE NOW, THAT WILL BE BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND THAT MAY MOVE HERE IN THE FUTURE.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THE MAJORITY OF SAN ANTONIO CITIZENS THAT DEPEND ON THIS MULTIMODAL CORRIDOR.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON ITEMS FOUR A AND FOUR B TODAY.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THANK ON THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS, AND I'M GONNA START FIRST BY THANKING ROD SANCHEZ.
UM, YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, AND HAVE, UH, AND HAVE APPRECIATED HOW YOU'VE OUTLINED, UH, A LONG, LONG PROCESS, A PROCESS THAT INVOLVED A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, TO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU, ROD, FOR, FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
UM, CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR RESPECT FOR PROFESSIONALISM ALONG THIS PROCESS.
UM, I'M GONNA FIRST START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING IT'S GOTTA BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHY THIS PLAN IS THE WAY IT IS, AND THAT'S SAFETY.
AND SO I'LL DIRECT THIS QUESTION TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, IF, IF HE CAN JUST, UH, SIMPLY ANSWER, YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE OF, OF REGISTRATION FOR AN ENGINEER OR AN ARCHITECT WHO WILL TELL US, UH, A, AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT LIKE THIS ONE IS NOT SAFE.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT? WELL, THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IS IF THE, UH, ENGINEER, UH, SIGNS OFF ON SOMETHING COUNCILMAN, AND IT'S NOT WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF ESTABLISHED ENGINEERING PRACTICES OR PRINCIPLES, UM, THEN THERE COULD BE AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY FOR THAT ENGINEER.
IS IT A CRIMINAL LIABILITY? THAT'S VERY RARE, BUT THERE, THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR THAT.
ESPECIALLY IF SOMEBODY LOSES THEIR LIFE.
AND I, I WOULD REFERENCE OUR OCCUPATIONS CODE FOR, UH, REGULATION OF ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE, LAND SURVEYING, AND RE RELATED RELATED PRACTICES.
FOR THE RECORD I'D POINT OUT SECTION 1 0 5 0 5, PURPOSE OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT ONE, SAFEGUARD LIFE, HEALTH, PROPERTY AND PUBLIC WELFARE.
TWO, PROTECT THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE IRRESPONSIBLE PRACTICE.
UM, ROD, LET ME ASK YOU, UM, IN PART OF YOUR PROCESS OF, OF PROCURING, UH, THESE DESIGN, UH, UH, CONTRACTS WITH, WITH ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GO THROUGH, UH, THE QUALIFICATIONS AND HOW, HOW THAT IS A, A RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU TAKE SERIOUSLY, AND, AND HOW DO WE AS A CITY ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO WHO MAY NOT BE QUALIFIED TO, TO, UH, ADDRESS LIFE SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN? SURE.
WELL, WE, WE DO HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST, YOU KNOW, R F Q R F P PROCESS, UH, WHERE WE, WE START OUT BY, YOU KNOW, ANNOUNCING WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, WE ACCEPT APPLICATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE USUALLY, THERE'S, THERE'S A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF POINTS, YOU KNOW, GIVEN TO, YOU KNOW, THE BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE, UH, AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF POINTS GIVEN TO THE, THE PROJECT THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UH, WE GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WE ASSIGN A COMMITTEE OF, OF SOMETIMES INTERNAL FOLKS, AND THEN SOMETIMES WE INVITE EXTERNAL FOLKS TO HELP US, UH, REVIEW ALL THE VARIOUS APPLICATIONS.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE, THE BEST FIRM THAT'S GONNA PUT THE BEST DESIGN OUT THERE, THE SAFE DESIGN OUT THERE.
UM, AND FROM THERE, WE USUALLY, UH, WE, WE PICK, WE, WE, WE SHORTLIST, UH, WE INTERVIEW, WE, WE ASK THEM TOUGH QUESTIONS, UH, AND THEN IT IS FROM THERE THAT, UH, WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO, TO THIS COUNCIL.
AND ULTIMATELY IT'S COUNCIL THAT, UH, THAT VOTES ON IT.
UH, ALL ALONG THE WAY, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR COUNCIL, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF, UH, TO QUESTION THOSE PROFESSIONALS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THEY'RE SUITED TO DO THE JOB AT HAND.
AND IF, IF THERE WAS EVER ANY QUESTION IN YOUR MIND ABOUT SOMEBODY'S QUALIFICATION OR ABILITY TO EXECUTE A PROJECT SAFELY, WHAT DO YOU DO? WE, WE WOULD NOT, WE WOULD NOT SELECT THEM.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD GO TO A DIFFERENT, UH, A DIFFERENT FIRM.
UH, IF WE WENT TO, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL FOLKS ON THE LIST AND WE DIDN'T FIND THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE
[01:15:01]
WERE LOOKING FOR, UH, WE WOULD SIMPLY PUT OUT THE R F P AGAIN AND, AND ASK FOR MORE FOLKS TO SUBMIT.SO, AS PART OF THE PROCESS, UH, EARLY ON, AS YOU MENTIONED, EARLY 2016, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, BROADWAY CORRIDOR AS A PROJECT, WE IDENTIFIED THIS BEING A, AN ISSUE.
AND SO AVENUE B AND ALAMO BECAME AN OPTION.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, AND, AND THE PRIMARY REASON WAS THE, THE PROJECT LIMITATIONS? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
THE, IT WAS THE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD 72 TO 78 FEET OF RIGHT AWAY ON, ON BROADWAY.
AND, UH, THE STAKEHOLDERS DID NOT FEEL IT WAS ENOUGH TO PUT EVERYTHING INCLUDING BIKE LANES, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THAT AREA.
NOW, THIS PLAN WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH SOME SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TOO, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.
THERE WAS A LIST OF, IT WAS ON ONE OF THOSE SLIDES THAT I, THAT I SHOWED YOU, BUT A LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT, THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT.
I WANT TO THANK CENTRO FOR ALL THAT THEY DID ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
THEY DO QUITE A LOT FOR, FOR DOWNTOWN.
BUT ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, EDDIE, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, MATT BROWN'S ALSO HERE TO THE ENTIRE CENTRAL BOARD.
UM, THIS WAS A, A, A MODEL PROCESS IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT, AND I THINK, UH, DAVID HEARD CAN ALSO ATTEST TO THAT AS, AS A TRI CHAIR.
I WANT TO THANK ALSO, I SPOKE WITH SONNY COLLINS AND ROSA VALDEZ, WHO ARE PART OF THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, I WANNA ASK KOOL TO COME UP HERE FOR JUST FOR JUST A QUICK MINUTE.
UH, 'CAUSE I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AVENUE BE, AND NOT EVERYBODY'S HAD A CHANCE TO KIND OF GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
NOW, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BASICALLY THE GUY WE, WE LEANED ON TO, TO KIND OF HELP, UH, DESIGN, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE OPTIONS.
AND, AND SO ONCE WE DETERMINED THAT AVENUE B WAS A SAFER OPTION, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT IS.
BECAUSE YOU ALSO SAID SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, IS ALSO NOT BEING SAID, WHICH IS HOW IT, IT IS, IT IS SUPERIOR, UH, UH, LOCATION TO BROADWAY BECAUSE OF THE INTERSECTIONS AS WELL.
WELL, AND HOW IT CAN TRULY, UH, BE A GREAT PLACE FOR CYCLISTS, AND IT IS ALONG THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR.
UH, SO WHEN, WHEN WE CONSIDERED, I, I JUST WANNA STEP BACK AND JUST SAY THAT WHEN WE STARTED THE BROADWAY PROCESS, WE MADE A VERY, VERY, VERY STRONG EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT BICYCLISTS, ALONG WITH PEDESTRIAN AND TRANSIT USERS WERE EQUAL USERS OF THIS STREET PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY.
UM, WE TRIED DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF, UM, MAKING BICYCLISTS ALONG WITH OTHER USERS, EQUAL USERS OF BROADWAY.
BUT WHEN WE LOOKED AT AVENUE B BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINED RIGHT OF WAY OF BROADWAY, WE LOOKED AT AVENUE B AS WELL AS ALAMO.
AND WE FOUND THAT BECAUSE OF THE NEAR ACCESS, UH, LOW VOLUME, UH, LOW TRAFFIC, UM, THE NUMBER OF CONFLICTS FOR BICYCLISTS WERE FAR SUBSTANTIAL.
UM, AND ON AVENUE B AS WELL AS ALAMO, THEREBY CREATING A LOW STRESS FACILITY FOR WHAT WE SAY SHOULD BE PEOPLE FROM EIGHT TO 80 SHOULD BE ABLE TO BIKE ON AVENUE B OR JUST ON OUR STREETS AT LARGE.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR COMMON COUNCIL MEMBER, AS A BICYCLIST, I FEEL UNSAFE AT TWO, TWO PLACES.
ONE, IF I'M NEXT TO A PARKED CAR WHERE I CAN GET DOORED, AND THE OTHER PLACE, I FEEL UNSAFE AS A BICYCLIST AT THE INTERSECTION, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF TURNING MOVEMENTS AS WELL AS, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH.
UM, SO AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF AVENUE B AS WELL AS ALAMO, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED ARE PROTECTED INTERSECTIONS, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT IS THE NEW STANDARD OF BICYCLE SAFETY, THAT AS BICYCLISTS WE ALL DESERVE.
UM, AND WE, AND IT REALLY ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO BIKE MORE AS A RESULT OF THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN BROADWAY, WITH THE CONSTRAINT RIGHT OF WAY, WE CANNOT GET THE PROTECTED INTERSECTIONS.
IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
UM, AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, WANNA REITERATE THAT THE FOCUS OF THE PROJECT ALL ALONG AND ITS DESIGN HAS ALWAYS BEEN PEDESTRIAN FOCUSED.
UM, IT'S SIDEWALKS ARE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES, COMPLETE STREETS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WALKABILITY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE ALWAYS INTENDED TO BETTER CONNECT AVENUE, BE IN ALAMO STREETS, WHICH THIS FUNDING IS DOING JUST THAT.
UM, WE WANT A WALKABLE URBANISM WITH A WALKABLE CONTEXT, AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SPEND MORE TIME IN THIS CORRIDOR.
AS, UH, MR. GARINO MENTIONED, IT IS
[01:20:01]
A THRIVING CORRIDOR, AND WE EXPECT A LOT OF GREAT THINGS TO HAPPEN.ULTIMATELY, AVENUE TO BE IS THE SAFER OPTION AND WILL PROVIDE, UH, PROTECTED INTERSECTIONS, AS YOU JUST HEARD.
UM, AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE, THE PROCESS, UH, MY OFFICE, MYSELF HAVE, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, UH, AS, AS YOU SAW, THERE'S MANY, MANY MEETINGS, AND WE ADDED TO THOSE MEETINGS WITH OUR BOND BLOCK PARTIES, UH, TO REALLY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AMAZING AND TRANSFORMATIVE, UH, UH, PROCESS OR PROJECTS, UH, THAT THIS PROCESS WAS BRINGING US.
AND SO, UH, I THINK THAT THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, A ANOTHER PIECE OF A, OF A VERY, VERY LARGE COMPLICATED, UH, PROJECT AND PROCESS.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY I, I SUPPORT, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S SOME CONCERNS THAT WE'RE RAISING, UH, WITH REGARDS TO QUESTIONING THIS BOND PROCESS AND THE LANGUAGE.
AND I WANT TO ASK JEFF COYLE TO STEP UP.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND THIS, THIS GOES BACK TO, UH, LEGISLATURES THAT GO BACK, UH, AS FAR AS 2013 WITH REGARDS TO OUR BOND LANGUAGE.
AND, AND SPEAK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR IN REGARDS TO LOCAL CONTROL IN OUR CITY, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE AMAZING BOND PROJECTS, UH, IN OUR CITY, AND HOW, HOW WE, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE DEFINING THE, THE PROJECT SO THAT AS ROD SAYS, WE CAN HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO, TO DESIGN THE PROJECTS AS NEEDED AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE DOING THEM IN THE BEST POSSIBLE, POSSIBLE WAY WITHOUT IT BEING INTERFERED BY THE LEGISLATURE.
I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
GOING BACK TO 2013, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS, UM, BATTLES AT THE LEGISLATURE OVER, OVER DEBT ISSUANCE, UH, PARTICULARLY AMONG SOME LEGISLATORS WHO JUST OPPOSE LOCAL DEBT PERIOD.
THE, THE EASY RESPONSE FROM CITIES AND COUNTIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS, THESE ARE VOTER APPROVED.
UM, THE, WHERE THAT HAS LED OPPONENTS OF LOCAL DEBT, UH, IS TO TRY TO MAKE LANGUAGE ON BALLOTS SO ONEROUS AND SO CONFUSING THAT, UH, THAT VOTERS MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE DISCOURAGED, UH, TO VOTE FOR IT.
UH, SO, UH, THAT'S A LONG WAY OF SAYING THAT A LOT OF THE FOCUS AT THE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN ON BOND LANGUAGE.
WE'VE HAD TO GO UP THERE REGULARLY AND DEFEND HOW WE PRESENT, UH, BOND PROPOSITIONS.
AND THEY'VE ALWAYS PASSED THE TEST.
IN FACT, THE LEGISLATION THAT HAS MADE IT THROUGH THE PAST FEW SESSIONS HAS, UH, RESULTED IN MANDATING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALREADY DO HERE, LIKE PRODUCE A BOND INFORMATION GUIDE WITH A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT BY GROUPING PROJECTS IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, SO THAT IF THERE'S A SAVINGS, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE REINVESTED WITHIN THAT CATEGORY.
IS THAT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN? I THINK SO.
UM, AND I, I, I THINK THAT'S OUR, MY POINT IS, IS THAT, UH, WE KNOW THAT, THAT THE BOND LANGUAGE IS, IS SOMETHING THAT IF, IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, CAN OH, I SEE.
CAN, CAN BE, UH, CAN BE ATTACKED, USED AGAINST US, USED AGAINST US AT, AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH YOU, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT CREATING, UH, SCENARIOS OR A SLIPPERY SLOPE WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING YOU KNOW I WANNA POINT OUT IS, UM, ROD, I'LL ASK YOU AGAIN, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THET SS FUNDING, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR AVENUE BEING ALAMO STREET.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO, UM, WHAT IS, WHY, WHY $6 MILLION? WELL, WHEN WE, UH, WENT TO THE TURS BOARD, WE, WE HAD ESTIMATED WE NEEDED $3 MILLION, UH, TO, TO DO THE PROJECT.
AND, AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE IT WITH $3 MILLION.
UH, BUT THE TURS BOARD, YOU KNOW, REALLY WANTED TO CREATE A REAL SENSE OF PLACE, UH, A REAL COMFORTABLE, UH, ENVIRONMENT FOR FOLKS TO RIDE THEIR BIKE.
SO THEY, THEY INCREASED IT, THEY DOUBLED IT SO THAT WE COULD GET MORE, MORE IN THE WAY OF LANDSCAPING, MORE IN THE WAY OF TREES, YOU KNOW, TO BETTER CREATE THAT SENSE OF PLACE.
AND SO, I, I THINK IT ALSO DEMONSTRATES THAT, UH, THE, THE BOARD WAS, UH, OVERWHELMINGLY IN SUPPORT OF, OF FUNDING THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT ON AVENUE B.
UM, I ALSO RECEIVED, WE'VE ALL RECEIVED LETTERS.
UM, AND I WANNA SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD, UH, IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THE LETTER FROM VIA TO T C I, IT, IT EXPLICITLY, UH, TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE, THE ROUTES ON BROADWAY AND HOW, UH, CHANGING THE, THE, UH, THE AMENITIES ON, ON BROADWAY COULD AFFECT
[01:25:01]
THE ROUTE ITSELF.AND I'M GONNA SUBMIT THAT FOR THE RECORD.
UM, ALSO RECEIVE LETTERS FROM, UH, SUZANNE SCOTT, THAT'S, THAT SITS ON, ON THE, UH, TOURS BOARD AS WELL, AND IS, UH, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY, UH, AND HAS BEEN VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, WE DID GET A LETTER FROM THE M P O, UH, WHICH, UH, FROM KEVIN WOLF, AND HE'S ALSO ASKED ME TO READ A STATEMENT ON HIS BEHALF.
UM, WHEN THE M P O WAS ASKED TO CHANGE OUR SUPPORT FROM THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT DID NOT INCLUDE BIKE LANES ON BROADWAY TO THE ONE THAT DID, THE BOARD VOTED TO RETAIN SUPPORT FOR THE ORIGINAL PLAN, NOT ONLY DID WE FEEL THERE WERE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE NEW PLAN, WE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN WHERE BIKE TRAFFIC COULD BE ADDRESSED AND SUPPORTED VIA PARALLEL STREETS.
AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE MUST RELY ON SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO GUIDE US.
IN THIS CASE, ENGINEERS, THIS IS NOT ANTI CYCLIST STATEMENT.
AS WE ALL KNOW, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO BE VIEWED THROUGH A WIDE LENS.
IT'S A MATTER OF TRUSTING THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HIRED FOR THEIR EXPERTISE SO WE CAN SAFELY SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS.
I IMPLORE THE CITY COUNCIL TO STICK WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN AND SUPPORT ITS PASSAGE WITHOUT AMENDMENT.
I'LL SUBMIT THAT FOR THE RECORD.
UM, AND THEN I, I JUST WANT TO ALSO MENTION, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE ALL, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN, UH, GET PAST THIS AND, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE ALL IN ALIGNED IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, TRUTH IS, IS IS HOW WE GO ABOUT IT.
AND WE, WE FIRST HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT LIFE SAFETY ISSUES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE, THE EXPERTS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HELP BRING THIS PROCESS TO THE FOREFRONT.
AND THAT GOT US HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND SO, I, I KNOW THAT CENTRO HAS, HAS TALKED ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BEGINNING HELPING THE CITY BEGIN A, A REAL MASTER PLAN PROCESS, UH, ESPECIALLY ONE FOR DOWNTOWN, ONE THAT CAN BE AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND I AGREE, WE GOTTA CREATE A REAL MASTER PLAN.
ONE THAT WILL BE EXECUTED, ONE THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, ONE THAT WORKS.
AND AS, UH, IRBY HIGHTOWER MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST PIECES OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTIVITY OR THE, THE ABILITY FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN, IN AN OVERALL PLAN.
AND SO, INFRASTRUCTURE, IN MY OPINION, HAS TO BE SEEN AS CONNECTED.
IT HAS TO WORK WITHIN A FRAMEWORK.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO.
WHAT WE'VE OFFERED HERE IS A GOOD OPTION.
IT'S A SAFE OPTION, IT'S A FUNDED OPTION.
AND, UM, I ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH, WITH AVENUE B AND THIS FUNDING.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED LONG AND HARD.
UH, AGAIN, I, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THANK, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I'M COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERY, UH, BIT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS SAFE, IS WELL DESIGNED, AND IS EFFECTIVE.
UH, I THINK THAT THESE, THESE ARE THE VERY THINGS THAT WE WANT, UH, OUT OF ALL OUR PROJECTS.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE VERY THING THAT, UH, ROD SANCHEZ AND, AND ROD USI STAND FOR, AS WELL AS ALL THE, THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS.
THEREFORE, UH, I MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR, FOUR A AND FOUR B.
AND, UH, I'M ALSO OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE FUNDING, UH, FROM THE TOURS TO AVENUE B, UM, TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM BROADWAY.
I DON'T SEE HOW THESE PROJECTS CONNECT AT ALL.
WE SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON EVERY PUBLICLY FUNDED STREET, ESPECIALLY A CITY STREET LIKE BROADWAY, $97 MILLION VOTER APPROVED PROJECT, LOTS OF COMMUNITY INPUT.
I ALSO WENT TO MANY COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS, UH, HOSTED BY CENTRO.
THEIR INTERACTION, THE PEOPLE THERE WERE VERY COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT.
UM, AND MOST OF THEM, UH, WERE DEVELOPERS, URBAN PLANNERS, INVESTORS, UH, IN THE CORRIDOR.
BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS FOOD AND A GREAT CROWD OF PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE COMMITTED.
SO, UH, NO QUESTION THAT THERE WAS LOTS OF INPUT AND LOTS OF, UM, ENGAGEMENT, UH, LOTS OF DRAWINGS.
AND, UH, SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY EVEN A QUESTION, UM, OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT COMMUNITY INPUT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD TO BE ON A LIST TO GET THAT.
UM, THE, ALL OF THE FEEDBACK I GOT WAS HOSTED BY CENTRO AND FROM
[01:30:01]
CENTRO AT, UM, SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND PERHAPS OTHER LOCATIONS, BUT NOT REALLY, UM, GOING TO COMMENT ON BROADWAY AND THE BIKE LANES THERE.THIS ITEM IS PRIMARILY REGARDING AVENUE B, OF WHICH I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF DIRECTING THE FUNDS, UH, AND HAVING PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON EVERY CITY STREET.
UM, SO LET ME JUST ASK ABOUT THE T FUNDING.
UM, AND SO MY QUESTION FIRST OF ALL, UH, IS HOW MUCH MONEY'S IN THAT TOURS? UH, WHEN I SAW $6 MILLION, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED, UM, BECAUSE YOU RARELY SEE SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT FOR ONE PROJECT IN A TOURS.
GOOD MORNING, VERONICA SOTA NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.
THE MIDTOWN TOURS ANNUALLY GENERATES ABOUT $5 MILLION, AND THERE'S A BALANCE, UM, LAST AUGUST OF ABOUT 1.2 MILLION IN THAT.
SO ALMOST ALL THE FUNDING THAT'S IN THAT TOURS IS GONNA GO TO THIS PROJECT.
THE WAY THIS IS DESIGNED IS THAT THERE'S 2 MILLION PER YEAR STARTING IN 2021.
AND SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE WHOLE FUNDING, IT'S GONNA BE STAGGERED OVER FIVE YEARS.
SO CAN THEY COMMIT TO THE FUNDING EVEN THOUGH IT'S, THEY DON'T HAVE IT? THERE'S PROJECTED FUNDING IN OUR PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN, AND WE HAVE PROJECTED FOR OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.
SO IS THAT, UM, NORMAL, UM, THAT YOU WOULD COMMIT TO FUTURE FUNDS WITHOUT THAT YOU COULD COMMIT TO IT WITHOUT HAVING IT? YES, IT IS.
WE PROJECT THAT FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BECAUSE IT'S ALL REIMBURSEMENT BASE.
SO AS THE REVENUE COMES INTO THE TURS FUND, THAT'S WHEN THE PAYMENTS ARE MADE OUT.
AND CAN A PRIVATE DEVELOPER HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY? YES, WE HAVE DONE IT FOR SOME PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.
WE HAVE FRONTED FUNDING FOR SOME PROJECTS OUT OF THE MID OUTERS.
UM, THAT GIVES ME TREMENDOUS PAUSE.
WELL, I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT THERE FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S A, A GREAT CONCERN.
UM, SO THEN EVEN REGARDING THE, UH, THE TOURS, UM, UH, FUNDING, WHO REQUESTED IT? SO ON THE TOURIST BOARDS I'VE SAT ON, IT'S PRIMARILY DONE BY A PRIVATE DEVELOPER HOPING TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.
WHO WAS, WHO REQUESTED THE MONEY COUNCIL LUMAN, T C I DID ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, SO I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT DONE BEFORE, UH, ON THE TOUR.
CAN YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHEN THE CITY HAS SUBMITTED A REQUEST FORT FUNDING COUNCILMAN, WHILE LORI'S WALKING UP TO THE PODIUM? I'LL, I'LL ADD THAT.
UH, THERE'S, LATER ON, ON TODAY'S AGENDA, UH, NUMBER 23 IS, UH, $6.2 MILLION FROM A VARIETY OF TOURS, UH, IN SUPPORT OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW, I KNOW I, I, I'VE, I SAW THAT FOR THE FUTURE, BUT IN THE PAST, I'VE NOT SEEN, UM, THAT A, THAT THE CITY APPLY FORTS FUNDING.
WE, WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE IT RECENTLY WITH, UM, AS ERIC MENTIONED, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, THE ALAMEDA, THAT IS A CITY OWNED FACILITY, AND THE HOUSTON STREET TOURISM IS FUNDING THAT PROJECT.
WE'VE DONE THAT FOR, FROM THE INNER CITY TOURISTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LA VITA AND MAVERICK PLAZA.
SO IT'S A VERY COMMON PRACTICE.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT VERONICA SOTA MENTIONED THAT THERE, THERE'S ABOUT $5 MILLION IN INCREMENT THAT COMES INTO THE MIDTOWN TOURS ANNUALLY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT INCREMENT IS GOING TO BE COMING IN BASED ON ITS HISTORY.
AND SO WE'RE NOT PROJECTING NEW INCREMENT AND USING THAT.
WE KNOW THAT THAT INCREMENT IS GOING TO BE THERE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS COMING IN.
THAT'S WHY THE TOURS BOARD APPROVED THAT $2 MILLION ANNUALLY.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, JUST TOUR ARE A UNIQUE, UM, CREATURE.
UH, I, I'M, I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF TOUR.
I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ONES.
SOME OF THEM ORIGINALLY STARTED BY THE CITY TO GENERATE, UM, FUNDING FOR AN AREA THAT WAS, UH, NOT SUFFICIENTLY BEING FUNDED.
SO PERHAPS WHAT DOES, UH, WHEN DOES THIS TOURS EXPIRE? YES, COUNCILMAN, THIS TUR WILL EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2031.
BECAUSE DIDN'T WE JUST RENEW IT? NO, WE HAVE NOT RENEWED THIS TUR.
SO THIS TURS WAS ALWAYS, WHEN WAS IT STARTED? IT STARTED, UH, DECEMBER 11TH, 2008.
SO I KNOW WITH THE INTENTION TO GENERATE THAT WHATEVER TAX INCREMENT WAS IN THE AREA WOULD STAY IN THE AREA.
SO LET ME SAY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN THAT THIS TURS, MIDTOWN TURS IS ONE OF THE
[01:35:01]
MOST ROBUST TOURS THAT WE HAVE.SO OVER THE LIFE OF THE TURS, IT IS PROJECTED THAT WE WILL HAVE 122 MILLION IN TAX INCREMENT THAT COMES INTO THE TURS.
SO THAT'S BY THE LIFE OVER THE LIFE OF THE TURS.
SO IN TERMS OF TAX INCREMENT AS THEY COME IN OVER THE LIFE OF IT, WE ARE EXPECTING OR PROJECTING 122 MILLION TO COME INTO THIS TOURS.
UM, SO I, I, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE COUNCIL ABOUT TOURISTS, SO PERHAPS WE'LL HAVE A BRIEFING ON THAT AT SOME POINT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO MONEY THAT COULD GO TO THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND OTHER PROJECTS.
AND PERHAPS WHEN THIS WAS STARTED IN 2008, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THAT WAS WHEN THE CITY WAS JUST MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THE AREA, AND THERE WAS A DESIRE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THE AREA.
AND WE DO, THE TOURIST BOARD EVALUATES THE TOUR EVERY, AND SO YOU MENTIONED 2031 IS STILL QUITE A LONG WAY.
IT'S ABOUT 10 YEARS AND THEN 120 MILLION, LIKE PERHAPS, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES IN THE CITY.
UH, MAYBE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE AS THE TIME COMES.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, UM, I'M SURE WE'LL GET A BRIEFING ON THAT AT SOME POINT, AS WELL AS WHAT IS THE PRIORITY FOR THE TOURS, UM, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, USE IT FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT, WHICH I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A, A PROJECT THAT'S FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
UM, I JUST HADN'T SEEN THE CITY APPLY FOR IT.
IT PRIMARILY HAD BEEN PRIVATE ENTITIES, UH, IN MY EXPERIENCE THAT WERE APPLYING FOR T FUNDING TO SORT OF HELP WITH, UM, UH, INVESTMENT IN THE AREA.
SO A SMALL BUSINESS THAT WAS REQUIRED TO PUT SIDEWALK IN WOULD REQUEST FUNDING FROM THE T TO HELP WITH THAT PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
SO THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S CITY GENERATED, CITY FUNDED, CITY INITIATED, UM, TOUR.
PER CHAPTER THREE 11, WHICH GOVERNS THE TOUR, UH, THE CITY CAN APPLY FOR TOUR FUNDING.
AND AS LORI MENTIONED, WE HAVE FUNDED, OR THE TOUR BOARDS HAVE FUNDED SEVERAL CITY, UH, PROJECTS.
SO IT IS ELIGIBLE UNDER THE, UH, CHAPTER THREE 11 OF THE TAX CODE, WHICH GOVERNS THE, THE TOUR.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE.
AND IT, IT'S, UM, UH, I THINK IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE $43 MILLION PUBLIC FUNDING THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OTHER MONIES THAT THE PUBLIC DIDN'T APPROVE GOING TO THIS PROJECT.
SO I THINK THAT THAT JUST IMPLIES THAT IT SHOULD BE A PROJECT THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL ROAD USERS, NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT HAVE PRIVATE INVESTMENT, UH, IN AVENUE B OR ON BROADWAY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT TO BE ON THE TOURIST BOARD, YOU HAVE TO EITHER OWN PROPERTY OR LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
SO, UM, THAT'S FOR EVERY TOURS, NOT JUST THIS ONE, BUT EVERYBODY WHO VOTED TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT ALSO HAS SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE PROJECT.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE WAY THEY'RE DESIGNED.
SO THAT'S, IT'S NOT THAT, THAT'S, UH, I, I'M, I'M NOT UNVEILING ANYTHING NEW, BUT, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT IS AN ADDITIONAL $6 MILLION GOING TO THE AREA THAT WASN'T ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR.
UM, SO ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE, UM, ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND, AND SORT OF THE TIMING OF THIS ALL.
SO WE KNOW IN OUR MANY DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, BROADWAY AND AVENUE B THAT IT'S COME UP THAT WE ARE GONNA REQUIRE ZONING CHANGE HERE.
UM, SO WHY IS THIS NOT FIRST GOING TO PLANNING, THEN GOING TO ZONING, THEN COME TO THE COUNCIL FOR A VOTING CHANGE, THEN COMING FOR APPROVAL OF THE TOURS, THEN GOING AND GETTING THE, UH, EXTENSION OF THE CONTRACT AND ALL THAT? WHY ARE WE DOING ALL THIS IN THE WRONG ORDER? I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S THE WRONG ORDER.
UM, WE, WE OFTEN ALLOW PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GET THEIR START, UH, UH, SOMETIMES WE DON'T LET LET 'EM GET A C F O UNTIL THEY GET THE ZONING IN PLACE.
UH, BUT IN THIS CASE, UH, WE DON'T REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE ZONING IN PLACE UNTIL, UH, WE'RE GONNA START TURNING DIRT.
SO, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A, AN AREA WIDE REZONING.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, UH, TO GET THAT DONE.
UH, WE SHOULD BE COMING TO COUNCIL, UH, EARLY, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, FEBRUARY TO GET IT DONE.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T SEE THAT AS A REASON TO, TO DELAY THE PROJECT.
BUT ISN'T THERE A CHANCE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPROVED AND SUPPORTED? I MEAN, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A CHANCE AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD HAVE TO REEVALUATE THE PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, AS A PRIVATE INVESTOR, YOU WOULD NEVER START CONSTRUCTION RIGHT, AND START PLANNING AND START DOING ALL THESE THINGS IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE, UH, EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
UM, I WOULD SAY THIS, THOUGH, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT THAT WAS IN 2010, UH, 2011, WE PASSED THE BIKE MASTER PLAN AND THE DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION STUDY, BOTH OF THOSE PLANS REMOVED THOSE BIKE LANES FROM BROADWAY, RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK CONSISTENT WITH
[01:40:01]
THE PLANS, RIGHT? UM, BUT, BUT PHIL, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT ONE USUALLY GOES THROUGH.I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT IS THE URGENCY TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW FOR THE AVENUE B IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL MANY STEPS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE ACCEPT THE FUNDS FROM, FROM THE TOURS? I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ISSUE IS, UH, THERE WAS, UH, SOME DIVISION AMONG THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AND, AND, AND WE NEED DIRECTION FROM YOU.
WE NEED DIRECTION TODAY SO WE CAN KEEP THE PROJECT GOING.
OTHERWISE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT TIME DELAYS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT AT DOLLAR DELAYS.
SO WE'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM THE COUNCIL WHERE YOU STAND ON THIS.
WELL, I, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK MY POINT WAS NEVER LIKE THAT.
THESE ARE NOT THEIR SEPARATE PROJECTS.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE CONNECTED TO AVENUE B OR, UH, ALAMO.
I MEAN, BROADWAY WAS ITS OWN PROJECT, THIS, OR SEPARATE PROJECT.
THIS IS A DEDICATED BIKE LANE, UH, FUNDED PROJECT, WHICH, UM, I OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT.
I THINK YOU SAW VERY FEW PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK AGAINST IT BECAUSE EVERYBODY BELIEVES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B AND ALAMO.
SO THAT'S REALLY NOT IN QUESTION.
UM, THE QUESTION WAS ALWAYS THE BIKE LANES ON BROADWAY.
SO, UM, I ALSO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STORY ABOUT THIS, IT, I THINK IT WAS NOT CONVEYED PROPERLY THAT SOMEHOW THIS WAS AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE.
UM, IT'S NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE.
IT'S A COMPLETELY SEPARATE PROJECT ALTOGETHER.
UH, AND SO THAT'S, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT IT.
UH, WHILE I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, I DON'T, NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THE BIKE LANES, UM, OR TAKING THEM OUT OF ALAMO.
SO, I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I HAVE, UM, ABOUT THE, UH, PROJECT, UM, ABOUT THE EXTENSION, UM, I MEAN, SO WHAT WE'RE APPROVING HERE TODAY, WE'RE APPROVING ACCEPTING THE FUNDS.
WE'RE ALSO APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE SENATE CONTRACT.
UM, AND, AND WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT, IT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM TO CONTINUE, BUT WHY WOULDN'T YOU ISSUE A SEPARATE R F P? I MEAN, IT'S A SEPARATE PROJECT FUNDED SEPARATELY, UM, THROUGH A DIFFERENT POT OF FUNDS, NOT VOTER APPROVED.
UM, AND SO WHAT IS THE, THE RATIONALE FOR NOT ALLOWING, UM, SOMEBODY ELSE TO PARTICIPATE IN A $6 MILLION PROJECT? WELL, I, I, I THINK ONE, UH, YOU KNOW, I ALLUDED TO IN THE, THE PRESENTATION IN 2016, UH, WHEN THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, UH, WHERE THE PROJECT HAD ITS BIRTH, BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE DESIGN CHARETTES THAT YOU ALLUDED TO, IT HAD BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B, UH, AND THEN IT, THAT ONE SLIDE THAT I SHOWED WHERE YOU HAVE THAT ONE CONTINUOUS BIKE LANE, ONE CONTINUOUS BIKE PATH FROM DOWNTOWN, ALL THE HILDEBRAND.
SO WE'RE SEEING IT AS, AS ONE PROJECT.
UH, SO, SO THAT'S WHY IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD TO AMEND THIS CONTRACT.
PLUS, LIKE I MENTIONED, COORDINATION.
UH, THERE'S UTILITIES IN THE GROUND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSING STREETS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
IT, IT'S BETTER TO HAVE ONE CONTRACTOR BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT.
IT'S MORE EFFICIENT, IT'S BETTER.
WELL, YOU KNOW, AND I NORMALLY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I MEAN, IF IT WERE THE WHOLE THING, WERE BID AS ONE CONTRACT, UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD MERIT A SEPARATE PROCESS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A, A PROCESS FOR ISSUING RFPS.
AND, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALSO, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE EFFICIENCY SIDE OF IT.
UH, WHAT I DON'T SUPPORT IS THAT THEN YOU DON'T GIVE OTHER PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO A PROBLEM WITH SORT OF JUST TRANSPARENCY.
AND WHAT WE HAVE CLAIMED IS A PRIORITY IS THAT WE ALLOW CONTRACTORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIDDING OF, OF THESE CONTRACTS.
SO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AS WELL.
I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S APPROVED HERE, BECAUSE I DO, UM, SUPPORT FUNDING FOR AVENUE B.
UH, BUT I, I JUST, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND, AND REMAINS A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, WHAT IS, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING ON ALAMO? I DON'T SEE, REMEMBER SEEING ANYTHING ABOUT ALAMO? WHY IS IT INCLUDED? THAT'S WHERE THE, THE, THE BIKE LANES ACTUALLY START.
UH, AND THAT ONE SLIDE THAT I HAVE, IF I CAN PULL IT UP, SLIDE, UH, NUMBER EIGHT, UH, IF WE CAN GET AB TO PULL THAT UP FOR US.
UH, THAT'S WHERE THIS, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT UP, THERE'S THE, THE VERY FAR LEFT OF THE SCREEN, THAT'S WHERE THE BIKE LANE ACTUALLY STARTS RIGHT THERE ON HOUSTON STREET, ON ALAMO STREET.
THEN IT SWINGS OVER TO AVENUE, OH, THAT, THE CROSS STREET, RIGHT.
UH, SO THEN YOU HAVE TO CROSS ALAMO.
SO THERE HE IS ONE, ONE LONG CONTINUOUS PROTECTED BIKE LANE FROM, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON STREET ALL THE WAY TO HILDEBRAND.
SO IT'S THE STREET THAT CROSSES, RIGHT, THAT INTERSECTION.
UM, SO, UH, I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I HAD, UH, ABOUT, UM, THIS STREET,
[01:45:01]
WELL, AND IN FACT, AGAIN, WE HAD THE OTHER, THE ITEM NUMBER 28 WAS A FUNDING CONTRACT FOR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, $500,000 TO SILVER VENTURES.COUNCILMAN COURAGE HAD PULLED IT AND THEN I GUESS DECIDED TO LEAVE IT ON.
SO I MISSED THAT INTERACTION THERE WHERE I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LIKE A LOT OF MONEY GOING TO THIS PROJECT THAT HAS NOT BEEN VOTER APPROVED, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PRESENTED THAT THIS WAS ALL ONE PROJECT, AND YET WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THIS AREA WHEN WE HAVEN'T HAD VOTER APPROVED PROJECT, OR REALLY EVEN A B SESSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, MY INTENT WAS TO BRING THIS ITEM OUT OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR A FULL VETTING, UH, AT THE COUNCIL.
AND I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO SAFETY.
THERE'S SPECIFIC ISSUE OF SAFETY COMING UP.
I MEAN, NOBODY IS QUESTIONING.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IS CONSTRUED AS SAFETY AND WHAT ISN'T.
UM, WE KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY, OUR ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS, OR RATHER MOSTLY TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, HAVE DESIGNED VERY UN UNSAFE STREETS IN OUR CITY.
AND ACTUALLY CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, I MEAN, WE CONTINUE TO KILL PEOPLE ON OUR CITY STREETS.
UM, WE'VE HAD MORE FATALITIES THAN EVER.
UH, WE KNOW THAT, ESPECIALLY ON HAUSMAN, UM, A STREET THAT WAS DESIGNED BY SUN CONSTRUCTION, THE SAME ONES THAT ARE DOING THIS PROJECT, WHEN THEY EXPANDED, UH, THE, THAT AREA ON HAUSMAN HAS ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO MORE FATALITIES, UH, AND MORE SERIOUS INJURIES THAN IT DID BEFORE.
AND I'M VERY CONSCIOUS OF COUNCIL MEMBER TINO'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE LIABILITY AND THE LEGAL LIABILITY OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERS TO DESIGN SAFE STREETS.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF INFORMATION, UH, THAT SHOWS THAT CITIES HAVE BEEN SUED FOR DESIGNING UNSAFE STREETS.
UM, AND ANDY, I DON'T KNOW, DO YOU CARE TO ADDRESS THE, THOSE COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, DESIGN, UH, AND STREETS? WELL, UH, UH, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILWOMAN, YES.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUED AND HELD LIABLE IN TERMS OF STREET DESIGN.
BUT AGAIN, THAT, UH, THAT WOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER, YOU KNOW, SOUND ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES WERE USED IN THOSE DESIGNS, AND TO WHAT EXTENT, UH, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE HISTORY OF ACCIDENTS RELATED ONLY TO VEHICLES, BUT PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER THINGS.
UH, SO YEAH, YES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY EVEN IN STREET DESIGN, UH, FOR CITIES TO BE HELD LIABLE.
SO WE KNOW THAT CURRENTLY OUR OVER $600 MILLION OF OUR BOND MONEY WENT TO STREETS, ALL DONE BY TRAFFIC ENGINEERS WHOSE PRIMARY CRITERIA IS THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION RELIEF.
UH, AND THAT IS WHERE, I MEAN, THEY'RE LIMITED IN THEIR SCOPE OF WORK.
THEY CAN DESIGN ONLY FOR STREETS.
THEIR PRIORITY IS TO MOVE AS MANY CARS THROUGH AS POSSIBLE, UH, BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION.
UH, THEY CAN ONLY DESIGN FOR STREETS.
UH, THEY CAN'T DESIGN FOR THE AREA AROUND IT.
THEY CAN'T DESIGN FOR PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY.
THEY CAN'T DESIGN FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THEIR FOCUS IS ON LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION RELIEF.
AND UNTIL WE'VE REMOVED THOSE MARKERS FROM OUR STREET DESIGN AND UNTIL WE STOP ALLOWING TRAFFIC ENGINEERS TO DESIGN OUR CITY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME RESULT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND THAT MEANS MORE FATALITIES ON OUR ROADS.
THAT MEANS MORE CONGESTION, IT MEANS MORE SPRAWL ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, AND WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IN OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, NOT UNLIKE OTHER CITIES, UH, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DESIGN FOR A LEVEL OF SERVICE AND TRANSPORTATION AND CONGESTION RELIEF UNTIL WE GET VERY SERIOUS, UH, ABOUT HAVING SOME OTHER MEASURES ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN OUR CITY.
WE COULD USE OTHER MEASURES FOR OUR DESIGNING STREETS.
WE COULD USE, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WE COULD BE USING, UM, REDUCED VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED.
UH, WE COULD BE USING, UM, UH, WHE WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE CHOOSE AN ALTERNATE MODE.
WE COULD DESIGN A STREETS SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CARS ON THEM.
WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT ON BROADWAY.
UH, BUT IT WOULD IMPACT A LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN A VERY FALSE, UH, NARRATIVE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THIS DIALOGUE, IS THAT SOMEHOW WHAT HAS PRESENTED TO US WAS THE SAFEST OPTION.
AND IT'S NOT THE SAFEST OPTION.
IT'S THE OPTION THAT PROVIDES THE MOST SERVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.
[01:50:01]
AND I THINK EVEN IN THEIR OWN DESIGN, THEIR CONCERN HAS BEEN TR CONGESTION, BACKING UP TRAFFIC, UH, AND, UM, THE, THE SLOW POTENTIAL, SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC THAT TAKING A LANE OF TRAFFIC WOULD DO IF YOU'VE REMOVED IT FROM BROADWAY, HAVING WIDE SIDEWALKS, HAVING PROTECTED BIKE LANES, SLOWING DOWN THE CARS, UM, ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE THE SAFEST OPTION FOR PEOPLE.AND SO I WOULD URGE US IN THE FUTURE TO TAKE OUT LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION RELIEF FROM THE MODELING.
AND SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, I KNOW THAT, THAT JEAN DAWSON IS HERE.
YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR, FOR, UM, A WHILE AND YOU'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
AND I JUST DO WANNA ASK A QUESTION ABOUT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
UM, AND IF YOU COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT ABOUT STREET DESIGN AND LEVEL OF SERVICE.
YOU MENTIONED IT IN A COUPLE OF MEETINGS BEFORE.
UM, COULD YOU JUST TALK ABOUT PARTICULARLY BROADWAY AND WHAT REDUCING THE LANES WOULD DO TO LEVEL OF SERVICE? OKAY.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW, BROADWAY, THE LOWER BROADWAY SECTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAS SEVEN LANES OF, UH, PAVEMENT.
AND, UH, THE PROPOSED DESIGN BUILD THAT, UH, THE CITY IS MOVING FORWARD ON HAS FOUR LANES.
AND SOME OF THE PROPOSALS ON TRYING TO PUT ALL THE PROPOSED USES WITHIN THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY, UH, TAKES THOSE SEVEN LANES DOWN TO THREE LANES.
AND SO WHAT, UH, WE HAVE DONE COME IN, UH, AS, UH, KIND OF THE HOLDERS, THE DOWNTOWN TRA UH, TRANSPORTATION STUDY IS, UH, HOW WILL ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS POTENTIALLY IMPACT THE OPERATION OF THE, OF THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR? AND I EMPHASIZE CORRIDOR 'CAUSE IT'S, WE'RE ALL KIND OF FOCUSED ON BROADWAY, BUT IT'S A CORRIDOR TO THE ADJACENT STREETS, AND THEN THE STREET'S ADJACENT TO THERE.
BUT CLEARLY, IF YOU GO FROM SEVEN LANES TO FOUR LANES OR TO THREE LANES, YOU'RE GOING TO IMPACT WHAT IS DEFINED AS THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, WHICH CAN BE MORE CLEARLY DEFINED AS THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES YOU FROM TO GET FROM POINT A TO B.
AND SO, UH, RIGHT NOW, BROADWAY, UNDER ITS EXISTING CONDITION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT EXISTS THERE TODAY, IT HAS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE BECAUSE YOU CAN PRETTY FREELY DRIVE, UH, THROUGH THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR AS THE DEVELOPMENT OCCURS.
UH, WE SHOWED IN OUR PRESENTATIONS, THERE'S AS MANY AS 4 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPMENT AND 6,000 APARTMENTS PLANNED ALONG THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR.
SO THAT'LL SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TRIPS IN THIS AREA.
AND SO IF YOU GO FROM SEVEN LANES TO FOUR LANES, UH, TO THREE LANES, YOU CHANGE YOUR LEVEL OF SERVICE.
AND SO, UH, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE GO TO THREE LANES OR ONE LANE IN EITHER DIRECTION, JUST ONE WAY NORTH OR ONE WAY SOUTH, OR THERE'S EVEN AN OPTION WHERE THERE'S ONE LANE IN BOTH DIRECTION, IT INCREASES THE TIME OF TRAVEL FROM HOUSTON STREET TO JONES BY EIGHT MINUTES.
THAT'S CALLED THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
UH, AND, UH, SO ONCE YOU THEN ESTABLISH WHAT THE, UH, THE, UH, APPROXIMATE LEVEL OF SERVICE IS, WHAT THEN ROOM DO YOU HAVE LEFT TO PUT IN FOR YOUR TRANSIT? YOUR BUSES USE THIS SAME AREA.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU INCREASE THE, UH, TRAVEL TIME BY EIGHT MINUTES OVER THOSE FEW BLOCKS, YOUR BUSES ARE INCREASED EIGHT MINUTES.
SO IT IMPACTS YOUR LEVEL OF SERVICE ON YOUR TRANSIT, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO USE THE LESS, THE REST OF THE AREA FOR YOUR SIDEWALKS AND, UH, YOUR PEDESTRIANS AND YOUR BICYCLES.
AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE TODAY ON LOWER BROADWAY AS WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR ALL OF THOSE, UH, MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
BECAUSE IT'S, I THINK THIS CORRIDOR IN PARTICULAR, AVENUE B WAS NEVER REALLY ABOUT SAFETY.
IT'S ABOUT LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND WE HEAVILY COMPROMISED LEVEL OF SERVICE, UH, IF WE REDUCE TWO, THREE, UH, AND EVEN FOUR LANES WITH THE BIKE LANES THE WAY THAT IT'S PRESENTED.
SO, UM, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHY THIS CONVERSATION DID MERIT MUCH MORE CONVERSATION BECAUSE THE SAFETY CONCERN IS, UM, WE CURRENTLY ARE NOT BUILDING SAFE STREETS.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO KILL PEOPLE.
UH, IF YOU HAD A VERY SAVVY LAWYER LIKE COUNCILMAN BICE, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE KILL ON OUR STREETS, ESPECIALLY TEXTILE ROADS.
UH, WE KILL MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE A YEAR ON OUR TEXTILE ROADS.
AND PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GET REALLY WISE TO THAT.
I THINK EVENTUALLY OUR ELECTEDS, UH, ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RESPOND TO WHY WE KEEP KILLING PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS.
UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DAY OF RECKONING, AND I SUSPECT THAT IS VERY SOON, UM, THAT WE ARE HAVING TO REALLY ANSWER, UM, TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
PEOPLE ARE, HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE FATALITIES AND, AND EVEN AT THE TDOT LEVEL WHO RECENTLY ADOPTED A, A QUEST TO ZERO,
[01:55:01]
UM, ARE STARTING TO SAY, WE HAVE GOT TO CHANGE, UH, OUR LEVEL OF, UH, WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR PRIORITIES.SO WE ARE, UM, TALKING HERE TODAY ABOUT AVENUE B.
I, UH, VERY OFTEN TAKE MY CHILDREN DOWN THE AVENUE.
IT CONNECTS ALL THE WAY FROM THE ZOO.
UH, YOU CAN RIDE ON A LOVELY PATH THROUGH BRACKENRIDGE PARK, ALONG AVENUE B TO THE PEARL.
UM, BUT IF I'M TRYING TO GO SOMEWHERE AND WE'RE TAKING A BICYCLE, UM, WE JUST RIDE ALL THE WAY DOWN BROADWAY AND PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE ALL THE WAY DOWN BROADWAY.
NOT HAVING THE PROTECTED LANES DOWN BROADWAY DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA USE IT.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON EVERY CITY STREET THAT'S FUNDED WITH OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DO THAT.
UH, WE WOULD DO IT WITH ANY PUBLIC BUILDING.
UM, I DON'T SEE HOW IN THIS CITY AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE DON'T PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND AN EQUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY REGARDLESS OF YOUR MODE, WHETHER YOU'RE ON A BUS OR YOU'RE WALKING OR YOU'RE CYCLING OR YOU'RE DRIVING A CAR.
UM, I THINK THAT EVERYONE WOULD AGREE THAT WHEN WE BUILT CITY HALL, UM, WE WOULDN'T MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE USING WHEELCHAIRS TO ACCESS THE BUILDING.
YOU'D STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE EQUAL SAFE ACCESS FOR EVERYBODY USING THAT CORRIDOR.
AND, AND A LITTLE, UH, JAUNTED AROUND THE BLOCK, FIVE WAYS OR FIVE BLOCKS DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH THAT.
YOU STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE A, A SAFE ENVIRONMENT ON, ON THE CORRIDOR, WHICH WE COULD DO, BUT IT IMPACTS LEVEL OF SERVICE.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO START HAVING THAT DIALOGUE SHIFT, UM, IN, IN OUR, IN OUR STREETS.
SO I AM LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING BROADWAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A CONVERSATION, UH, ON THIS DAIS WITH MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT ELIMINATING LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION RELIEF, UH, FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION, UH, COMMITTEE ALTOGETHER, I, I WITH RAZZIE AND WITH ART, AND NOW WITH, UM, WITH ROD.
UM, WHAT DOES OUR CITY LOOK LIKE IF YOU REMOVE THOSE FROM YOUR DESIGN? AND SO WE'LL SEE WHAT, WHAT, HOW THAT HAPPENS.
CAN YOU EVEN DO IT IS EVEN POSSIBLE TO DESIGN A STREET WHERE YOU DON'T CONSIDER LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION RELIEF, UH, IN YOUR DESIGN, AND YOU CONSIDER THINGS LIKE EQUITY, CLIMATE, ECONOMIC IMPACT.
DOES IT CONNECT PEOPLE TO SERVICES, UH, OR IS THERE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S, UM, THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE AT, UH, VERSUS JUST THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO DRIVE THROUGH? SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATION.
I HOPE IF NOTHING ELSE, THIS CONVERSATION SPURS THAT AND SPURS A, UH, A TRANSFORMATION, UH, IN THE WAY THAT WE DESIGN OUR CITY STREETS AND THE WAY THAT WE SPEND TAXPAYERS DOLLARS, BECAUSE THIS IS A TAXPAYER FUNDED PROJECT, 97 MILLION ON THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
NO QUESTION THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.
I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
I BELIEVE THAT IF WE REALLY WANT OUR CITY TO BE, UH, A CITY OF THE FUTURE, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UH, BROADWAY, IT INCLUDES A SUN KNUCKLE AL, IT INCLUDES HEMISPHERE, INCLUDES ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THAT SURROUND DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT USED TO BE.
UH, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A NECESSARILY A VISION FOR A FUTURE, IT'S REALLY JUST LOOKING BACK IN THE PAST, UH, AND HAVING A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN AND VIBRANT CORRIDORS.
AND IF WE TAKE OUT LEVEL OF SERVICE, WE MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR INDULGING ME ALL THIS TIME.
I DO THINK THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE, OVER $50 MILLION OF TAXPAYERS' MONEY, UH, FOR A VERY, VERY SMALL STRETCH OF ROAD.
UH, AND IT DESERVES AND MERITS, UH, LOTS OF CONVERSATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, TOURS FUNDING TODAY.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RESPECT THE DETERMINATION OF THET BOARDS.
UH, THIS BOARD'S MADE UP OF VOLUNTEERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, AND THEY SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE.
UM, THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT IS READILY AVAILABLE AND REASONABLE, UH, AND OFFERING SOME, SOME REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES TO BIKE LANES ON LOWER BROADWAY.
AND FOR ME, THE ISSUE IS ABOUT, UH, SAFETY AND PRIORITIZING, UH, MASS MOBILITY AND BROADWAY IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MASS MOBILITY.
UH, IT IS CURRENTLY AND IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.
I UNDERSTAND ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION ARE IMPORTANT AND, UH, IF IT, IF WE COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO FIT 'EM ALL IN THERE.
I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD INCORPORATE BIKE LANES, HOWEVER THE EXPERTS ARE TELLING US, UH, THAT IT DOESN'T FIT.
AND IF WE INCLUDE THEM, UH, MASS TRANSPORTATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MOBILITY IN GENERAL, UH, WOULD SUFFER.
[02:00:01]
UH, TO HAVE A FEW THINGS CLARIFIED.AND ROD, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU, UH, TO HELP ME WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT, COULD YOU, UH, PULL UP SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT AGAIN? AND I BELIEVE SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT SHOWS THE PROJECT, UH, IT DOES WITH BIKE LANES AND EVERYTHING, WE CAN GET IT UP THERE.
YEAH, I'VE SAID THE, THE TWO ISSUES THAT I'M REALLY THINKING MOSTLY ABOUT RIGHT NOW ARE SAFETY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES THAT THIS CREATES.
UH, IN THIS ILLUSTRATION, IT, IT SHOWS, UH, SOME OF THE BIKE ROUTES, BUT COULD YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND, IF YOU'RE HEADING SOUTH ON BROADWAY TOWARDS DOWNTOWN BROADWAY'S GOING TO HAVE BIKE LANES UNTIL, WHERE DO THOSE BIKE LANES STOP? AND THEN TRAFFIC IS DIRECTED TO AVENUE B RIGHT AT ROY SMITH.
SO THERE ACTUALLY WILL BE BROADWAY ALL THE WAY PAST JOSEPHINE, ALL THE WAY PAST, UH, I'M SORRY, CASA BLANCO DOWN TO ROY SMITH.
IT'S AT JOSEPHINE WHERE THEY STOP AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE A PROJECT THERE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE BIKE LANE, I GUESS, UH, JUST BEYOND BROADWAY, AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO BROADWAY UP TO ROY SMITH.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SEE.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND ENTER THE WHATEVER TRAFFIC IS ON JOSEPHINE TO CATCH AVENUE B.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT'S A ONE-WAY GOING NORTH, BUT THE ANTICIPATION IS CHANGING AVENUE B TO GO BOTH WAYS FOR BIKES ONLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? COUNCILMAN AVENUE B IS TODAY TWO WAY, HAS VERY LOW TRAFFIC, RIGHT? 1,200.
COMPARING TO BROADWAY, 18,000 AVERAGE VEHICLE PER DAY TODAY IS TWO WAY OUR INTENTION TO CONVERT FROM EXISTING TWO WAY TO ONE WAY SOUTH TO BE ABLE TO ADD PROTECTED BIKE LANE.
SO AVENUE B THERE WILL BE ONE WAY SOUTH FROM JOSEPHINE TO WHERE? JOSEPHINE TO AS FAR AS TO MCCULLOUGH.
ALRIGHT, BUT DON'T YOU HAVE TO GET OFF OF AVENUE B WHEN IT INTERSECTS CASABLANCA WITH 35 AND 2 81 INTERSECT AND ACTUALLY GET ON BROADWAY AGAIN.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BICYCLE OR VEHICLE? YEAH, THE BICYCLE.
BICYCLE IS GOING SOUTH FROM HILDABRAND.
OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE PROTECTED BIKE LANE ON BROADWAY.
WHEN THEY GET TO JOSEPHINE, THEY WILL GO TO, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
STAY ON AVENUE B UNTIL TO NEWELL.
THEN IT'S GO UNDER HIGHWAY 35, TAKES OUT THE DRIVEWAY, THEN GO BACK ON AVENUE B AGAIN ON ROY SMITH.
BUT IT, IT GETS ONTO BROADWAY FOR A CERTAIN, NOT ON BROADWAY ROADWAY ON THE SIDE OF THE BROADWAY UNDER BRIDGE.
OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS A LANE WENT THROUGH THERE.
THERE IS A BRIDGE OVER THE, THAT'S THE AREA 35 CROSSES THE BROADWAY.
THAT AREA WILL BE UNDER BRIDGE, CROSSING THE BRIDGE, AND IT'LL GO BACK TO AVENUE B ON ROY SMITH.
STAY ON AVENUE B WHENEVER B FINISHES END UP AND MCCULLOUGH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE PROTECTED INTERSECTION TO CROSS BROADWAY TO GET FOR NORTH ALAMO AND STAY ON NORTH ALAMO UNTIL IT REACHES TO HISTORY STREET.
AND WHAT IS THE PROJECT, UH, WHAT DOES AVENUE B LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS CAR TRAFFIC THAT EXISTS ON IT NOW? IT IS TODAY'S TWO LANE, TWO WAY.
SO, UH, TRAFFIC WILL HAVE TO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, AN EXTRA ROAD PUT IN? 'CAUSE I, I THINK UNDER I WAS 35 AND, AND 2 81 COME TOGETHER.
ISN'T THERE AN ACCESS ONTO BROADWAY THAT, UH, IS IN THE WAY RIGHT NOW? THERE? I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A STREET THAT GOES STRAIGHT THROUGH THERE.
IS THERE? NO, THERE IS A PLENTY RIGHT OF WAY ON BROADWAY.
WE ARE BEING ABLE TO PUT BIKE LANE UNDER HIGHWAY ONLY.
BUT THEY, OKAY, SO THEY WILL BE BACK ON BROADWAY ONLY UNDER HIGHWAY ON ONLY, ONLY UNDER HIGHWAY.
AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE TO CROSS BROADWAY LATER ON WHEN THEY GET TO MCCULLOUGH, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THAT'S SOME OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT, THAT I HAVE IS THAT YOU'RE STILL INTERACTING WITH BROADWAY ON A COUPLE OF MORE OCCASIONS WHEN YOU'RE USING AVENUE B.
SO YOU'RE NOT TOTALLY TAKING ALL OF THAT BIKE TRAFFIC OFF OF BROADWAY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS NARROWER.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK ON.
THEN THEY'RE GONNA GET OFF ON B AND THEN HIT MCCULLOUGH AND THEN THEY'VE
[02:05:01]
GOTTA CROSS BROADWAY AGAIN.SO THERE SEEMS TO BE CONTINUED INTERACTION BETWEEN BIKES AND CARS ON THAT LOWER SECTION OF BROADWAY WHERE THERE ISN'T AS MUCH ROOM TO PUT IN BIKE LANES.
UH, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GONNA ALSO HAVE TO DO SOME ZONING CHANGES AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY TRAFFIC FLOWS ON AVENUE B.
AND ALL OF THAT IS TO DIVERT TRAFFIC OFF OF BIKE TRAFFIC OFF OF BROADWAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TOURS SAID WE'RE GONNA GIVE $6 MILLION, BUT WE ONLY ASKED FOR THREE.
BUT THEY SAID, BUT WE WANNA SPRUCE UP THE AREA.
SO ARE WE DOING THIS FOR, FOR TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY OR ARE WE DOING THIS FOR RECREATION? ARE WE SPENDING ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY TO MAKE AVENUE B LOOK SO GOOD THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TRAVEL THERE? UH, AS OPPOSED TO WHY AREN'T WE GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN NORTH ALAMO? WHY AREN'T WE JUST SAYING WHEN YOU GET TO JOSEPHINE CROSS BROADWAY ONE TIME, GET ON NORTH ALAMO AND JUST HAVE BIKE LANES STRAIGHT DOWN TO HOUSTON STREET, NEVER INTERSECTING BROADWAY TRAFFIC AGAIN.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AND WHY ARE WE SPENDING AN EXTRA $3 MILLION TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD? WHY AREN'T WE JUST PUTTING IT ALL ON NORTH ALAMO ONE CROSS AT BROADWAY, ONE STRAIGHT SHOT DOWN TO HOUSTON INTO DOWNTOWN? I'D LIKE TO ASK SAM IF THEY LOOK AT THAT COUNCILMAN, THAT'S A GOOD CONCERN.
WHY WE ARE CHOOSING AVENUE B OVER NORTH ALAMO.
AVENUE B HAS ALREADY SIGNIFICANT ON BIKE LANE.
AND THE OTHER PART, AS YOU SEE ON THE ORANGE COLOR, IS GOING TO BE DONE BY PRIVATE DEVELOPER.
THEREFORE, WE WANNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXISTING BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B RATHER THAN STARTING ON NORTH ALAMO.
IT'LL COST MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN 6 MILLION IF WE DO ENTIRE EQUAL LAND ON NORTH ALAMO, THEN WE ARE, DO WE HAVE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ON AVENUE B, AVENUE B THE 6 MILLION ONLY ON THAT GREEN PART.
PART IS ALREADY GOING TO BE, SOME OF THEM IS THERE AND SOME WILL BE THERE BY DEVELOPER.
YEAH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO A ZONING CHANGE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO STOP TRAFFIC FROM GOING BOTH WAYS ON THAT STREET, WHICH CREATES A DIFFERENCE.
AND YOU'VE GOT ONE STRAIGHT LANE GOING STRAIGHT DOWN WITHOUT CROSSING BROADWAY TRAFFIC AT ALL, OR CAUSING ANY MORE, UH, POSSIBILITY OF SAFETY ISSUES.
'CAUSE THE TRAFFIC ON ON ALAMO IS MUCH LESS THAN ON BROADWAY AND CERTAINLY NOT LESS THAN ON, UH, AVENUE B.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON AVENUE B TO GET IT READY AND BIKE LANES EVEN PROTECTED ON, ON ONE STREET LIKE NORTH ALAMO.
IF IT, THEY MAY COST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT THE SAFETY FACTOR I THINK IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I WAS GONNA ASK MR. DAWSON IF THEY HAD LOOKED AT THAT IN THEIR WORK TO DETERMINE THE SAFETY FACTOR OF NORTH ALAMO AS AN ENTIRE, UH, STREET TO TRAVEL ON RATHER THAN JUST PART OF IT AT THE END.
SO NORTH ALAMO COUNCILMAN HAS THREE TIMES MORE VEHICLE TRAFFIC THAN AVENUE B.
THAT, THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO DO ON AVENUE B BECAUSE OF NOT JUST HAS LESS TRAFFIC, EASY TO CONVERT ONE WAY THAN REALLY NORTH ALAMO BECAUSE OF HAS MORE TRAFFIC.
SECONDLY, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT EXISTING BIKE LANE ON AVENUE B.
WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE, WE ARE DOING JUST PART OF IT, NOT ALL OF IT.
RIGHT, BUT I SEE YOU HAVE UP THERE FUTURE BIKE PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'RE SAYING THAT IN THE FUTURE AVENUE A WOULD BE A, A GOOD BIKE LANE.
WHY WAIT TO THE FUTURE? WHY NOT MAKE IT ALL SAFE NOW? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF NORTH ABO? WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A MATTER FOR MAYBE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, WE WENT TO T FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, 3 MILLION.
NOW IT'S SIX TO MAKE AVENUE B LOOK GOOD, LOOK BETTER THAN IT DOES.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOT OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, USE OVER THERE TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER.
WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR TREE PRESERVATION FUND, PRE TREE MITIGATION FUND.
THE CITY PARKS DEPARTMENT COULD SUPPLY THE TREES AND BUSHES INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR THEM WITH THAT 3 MILLION.
THAT 3 MILLION COULD GO AND HELP, HELP ALL OF BROADWAY, I MEAN ALL OF, UH, NORTH ALAMO.
ANYWAY, I, I JUST THINK FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE NOT TAKING THE SAFEST ROUTE OR THE MOST DIRECT AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE.
[02:10:01]
THAT WE DON'T AND, AND SHOULDN'T BE PUTTING BIKE LANES ON BROADWAY IN THAT, IN THAT SECTION.IT'S TOO NARROW, BUT IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME TO BE LITERALLY ZIGZAGGING OFF AND ON BROADWAY AND CROSSING BROADWAY.
UH, WHEN YOU CAN GET ON IT AT JOSEPHINE WHERE YOU GET ON AVENUE B ANYWAY.
AND YOU CAN HAVE ONE STRAIGHT SHOT RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
NOW YOU SAID THE TRAFFIC IS THREE TIMES ON AVENUE B.
WHAT IS THAT TRAFFIC COMPARED TO BROADWAY? BROADWAY HAS 18,000.
SO YOU'RE SAYING ALAMO NORTH ALAMO ONLY HAS A THIRD THE TRAFFIC ON BROADWAY.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S PRETTY EASY TO PUT BIKE LANES THERE TOO, RATHER THAN TO SAY IT'S A TRAFFIC CONGESTION PROBLEM.
SO ANYWAY, UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THOSE ISSUES FORWARD FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AS, UH, WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD.
UH, I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE MONEY, UH, FROM TS, BUT I THINK THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE USING THIS IN IS INCONSISTENT WITH SAFETY, UH, FOR THE, UH, CYCLISTS AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT, THAT UP.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL OF THE STAFF THAT HAS WORKED ON IT, THE STAFF THAT'S HERE WITH US TODAY, AND THE STAFF THAT HAS, UH, SINCE GONE, UH, LIKE MIKE FRISBEE AND, AND MAYBE SOME OTHERS AND ALL THE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU GAVE A LOT OF YOUR TIME, UH, TO SEE THIS, UH, THIS PROJECT, UH, GET DESIGNED AND, UH, BUILT TO, UH, A STANDARD THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN SAN ANTONIO BEFORE.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, THE COUNCILMAN FOR, I GUESS STAYING THE COURSE.
YOU'RE PROBABLY THE ONE OF THE ONLY FOLKS LEFT THAT WAS HERE IN THE BEGINNING.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ FOR HER, UM, TIRELESS RESOLVE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR, FOR OFFICE, THE, THE FIRST TIME, UH, I SAT DOWN WITH AN ARCHITECT WHO WORKS, UH, ON THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR.
'CAUSE HIS OFFICE ISN'T ON BROADWAY.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY CLOSE TO IT.
AND WE, UM, HE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AND SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SOME INEQUITY IN HOW SAN ANTONIO WAS SPENDING ITS DOLLARS WHERE I GREW UP.
WE STILL HAVE MANY STREETS WITHOUT CURBS.
UH, WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF DRAINAGE PROBLEMS AND CERTAINLY A LOT OF PLACES WITHOUT SIDEWALKS.
AND I SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE PEARL, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
UM, BUT I, I COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL LIKE IT WASN'T FAIR.
UM, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO NEED MODELS FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY TO ASPIRE TO, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS.
SO EVER SINCE THEN, THAT'S HOW I HAVE SEEN WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR, UM, WITH LESS RESENTMENT, BUT MORE LIKE THIS IS SETTING UP A MODEL, UH, FOR THE REST OF SAN ANTONIO WHEN WE HAVE OTHER BIG PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHY I'M SO, UM, IT'S HARD TO ACCEPT THAT THERE WON'T BE A PLACE FOR BICYCLES IN THAT MODEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMEONE ALSO SAID IT SEEMS LIKE BROADWAY'S THE PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IS, UH, PLANTING THEIR FLAG WHEN IT COMES TO, TO BICYCLES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GUYS STARTED THIS PROJECT, UM, MAYBE IT WASN'T SUCH A BIG ISSUE, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, UM, I, I REALLY DO WANNA EXPLAIN WHY I THINK THERE IS SOME SCRUTINY, UH, NOW AND MAYBE YOU JUST HAPPEN TO BE AT THIS PLACE AT THIS TIME.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIKE MASTER PLAN THAT WE HAVEN'T MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE BOND PROCESS, ONE OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES WAS SOMETHING CALLED COMPLETE STREETS.
I'M ANOTHER TYPE OF ENGINEER, ONE THAT NEVER SEEMS TO BE USEFUL FOR, FOR MOST OF THESE THINGS.
UM, UH, I'M ANOTHER TYPE OF ENGINEER, BUT, UM, SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT WITH THAT.
UM, UM, SO THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS MADE ON THE, ON THE BIKE MASTER PLAN.
AND WE HAVE, UM, PROBABLY WHAT'S, UH, WHAT MAY BE ONE OF OUR MOST ICONIC STREETS HERE, RIGHT? THE, THE PARADE THAT
[02:15:01]
WE ALL GO TO IS ON THE STREETS.SO I THINK WE ALL FEEL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP.
UM, SO THERE'S THAT LEVEL OF SCRUTINY AND UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN THOUGH WE ALWAYS HAVE BICYCLE FATALITIES, WE'VE HAD A FEW HIGHER PROFILE BICYCLE FATALITIES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS DESIGN.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY DIRECTING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THIS.
YOU HAPPEN TO BE CAUGHT IN, IN THE CROSSHAIRS.
MAYBE YOU DIDN'T INTEND THERE INTENT FOR THERE TO BE, UM, BIKES AT THE, AT THE BEGINNING.
OH, I REMEMBER WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS
UM, SO I, I HAVE, UM, I HAVE SOME BIT OF A HARD TIME WITH AMBIGUITY.
SO WHEN WE SAW THAT AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE AND THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOND COMMITTEE, AS YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE BIKE LANES.
I THINK FOR SOME FOLKS, NOT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT FOR SOME FOLKS, THERE'S STILL THE QUESTION OF HOW DID IT GET FROM THAT POINT TO WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT COMPLETE STREETS AND BICYCLE AMENITIES.
TO THIS POINT, YOU'VE KIND OF DEMONSTRATED HOW, HOW WE GOT THERE.
UM, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT ABOUT THAT AND WHY THERE'S SCRUTINY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S THE HIGHEST DOLLAR PROJECT WHEN IT COMES TO THE STREETS BOND.
UM, SO SCRUTINY IS TO BE, UH, EXPECTED ON SOMETHING, UH, LIKE THIS.
I WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SAFETY.
UM, I DID SIT DOWN, UH, WITH SOME FOLKS AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, THE PATH GOING ON TO AVENUE B.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE DESIGNS OR THE DRAWINGS FOR WHAT DOES THAT TRANSITION LOOK LIKE? IF I'M RIDING MY BICYCLE, UM, DOWN ALAMO AND THEN I'M GOING TO GET ON AVENUE B, UM, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MODEL, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE PICTURE.
HOW CAN YOU CONVINCE ME THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE SAFER, THAT TRANSITION IN THOSE LEFT TURNS? SO I DO WE HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE? YES.
WE, WE DO HAVE THE DRAWINGS AND WE EVEN HAVE THE SIMULATIONS.
WHAT HAPPENS ON MCKELLAR? WHAT HAPPENS ON ALAMO? WHAT HAPPENS ON AVENUE P? I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE THEM HERE.
I DID SPECIFICALLY ASK THAT QUESTION AT OUR LAST TRANSPORTATION, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND I, I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING AN ANSWER TO THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK YOU NEED TO, UH, YEAH.
SPEAK INTO, OH, IT'S NOT, SO THAT SHOWS ALAMO AND THEN IT GOES ONTO MCKELLAR AND YOU SEE THE PROTECTED INTERSECTION THAT IS BEING CREATED AT MCKELLAR AND ALAMO.
HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU MEAN PROTECTED INTERSECTION? SO PROTECTED INTERSECTION IS BASICALLY WHAT IS MORE LIKE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS A DUTCH INTERSECTION, WHAT IT BASICALLY MEANS.
AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S, IT WAS FIRST STARTED IN EUROPE AND IT HAS SHOWN TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES FOR THE MIC.
BUT, BUT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? THERE IS ANOTHER, I DUNNO IF THERE'S A SIMULATION.
WE SHOWED A SIMULATION OR CREATED A SIMULATION ALSO FOR THE PROTECTED INTERSECTION.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S IN THESE DRAWINGS, BUT THE INTENT WAS THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE A PEDE, UH, A BICYCLIST, YOU ARE PROTECTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
SO AS A BICYCLIST, I'M ON ALAMO STREET, I GET TO GO THROUGH AND I'M NOT NEVER BEING CONFLICTED BY PEOPLE TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT.
SO AS THE PEDESTRIANS ARE GOING AND AS THE, UH, BICYCLISTS ARE GOING, THEY HAVE A VERY CLEAR, PROTECTED RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, ESPECIALLY AS THEY GROW, GO
[02:20:01]
THROUGH THE INTERSECTIONS.UM, IF YOU GOOGLE DUTCH INTERSECTIONS OF PROTECTED INTERSECTIONS, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF EXAMPLES.
ONE OF THE FIRST THAT WERE INSTALLED IN AMERICA WAS IN THE CITY OF DAVIS, WHICH AGAIN, IS ONE OF THE MOST BICYCLE FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT REALLY HELPS CREATE THAT PROTECTION.
SO WHEN YOU SAY IT'S PROTECTED AND THEY'LL HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, THERE'S A SIGNAL THAT'S, THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE BICYCLE MO MOVEMENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
WELL, IF, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S SIGNAL OR UNSIGNED, IF IT'S SIGNALED, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A LEAD TIME FOR BOTH THE PEDESTRIANS AND THE BICYCLIST ABOUT THREE SECONDS TO GO INTO THE INTERSECTION.
SO THAT SIGNAL BY ITSELF PROVIDES THAT, BUT EVEN WHEN IT'S UNSIGNED, YOU, YOU CAN STILL HAVE A PROTECTED EXPERIENCE GOING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
SO THE INTERSECTION DOESN'T NEED TO BE SIGNALED FOR A DUTCH OR A PROTECTED INTERSECTION TO WORK.
WELL THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO EXPLAIN
I I WOULD HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED A SIMULATION, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
I MEAN, WE'RE PROVING $6 MILLION AND WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UM, BUT I HOPE IT'S GONNA BE SAFE.
UM, THE, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TO ASK IS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE ON THEIR BICYCLE WILL BE COMING FROM ANOTHER END OF BROADWAY AND WILL ACTUALLY WANT TO GO TO A DESTINATION ON BROADWAY THAT'S BETWEEN MCCULLOUGH AND ROY SMITH OR, OR JOSEPHINE.
TELL ME HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE GONNA GET THERE ON THEIR BIKES.
SO THE INTENT WAS THAT EVEN IF HE COULD NOT CREATE PROTECTED BIKE FACILITIES ON BROADWAY, WE HAD TO STILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF HOW THE EXPERIENCES FOR THE BICYCLISTS ON BROADWAY.
SO KEEPING IN MIND WE STARTED TO REDUCE THE TRAVEL LANES, PUT IN TRAFFIC COMING TREES, ALL OF THAT.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE ON BROADWAY IS HOW FAST IT IS.
AND THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT OF FEELING UNSAFE, BOTH LITERALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY AS A BICYCLIST.
SO WHAT THE OTHER STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DOING THROUGH THE REDUCTION OF TRAVEL LANES, THROUGH THE ADDITION OF TWO TO THREE ROWS OF TREES IS TO, UH, REDUCE THE SPEED AT WHICH CARS ARE TRAVELING.
AND SO AS A BICYCLIST, IF I STILL WANT TO GO ON BROADWAY, MY EXPERIENCE IS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY THAN WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND ALL THE OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
SO WE DO EXPECT THAT THERE WILL STILL BE BICYCLES ON THERE, ABSOLUTELY.
BICYCLISTS WHO WANT TO BE ON BROADWAY CAN CONTINUE TO BE ON BROADWAY THROUGH THE SHARED FACILITY OFFER TRAVEL LANE.
BUT ALL THE OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING IT SAFER FOR FOLKS WITHIN THE EXISTING CONSTRAINT RIGHT AWAY.
AND, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT A SLOWING TRAFFIC BASED ON THE DESIGN.
I THINK WE NEED THAT EVERYWHERE IN, IN OUR CITY.
THE COMPLAINT, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS I HEAR THE MOST ARE TRAFFIC IS TOO FAST ON MY STREET.
UM, WHAT DO WE INTEND THE, UH, ACTUAL TRAFFIC TO BE MOVING AT WHEN IT'S FREE FLOW TRAFFIC? COUNCILMAN? THE CURRENT POSTED SPEED LIMITS VARY FROM 30 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR ALONG BROADWAY.
THE DESIGN SPEED FOR THE LOWER SECTION OF BROADWAY IS 30 MILES AN HOUR.
UM, AND WILL WE HAVE ANY ENFORCEMENT OF THAT? THERE WILL BE ENFORCEMENT, LIKE THERE'S ENFORCEMENT CITYWIDE.
UM, SO IN, IN, AS MCO MENTIONED, UM, THE DESIGN ELEMENTS RIGHT NOW, BROADWAY IS KIND OF A WIDE OPEN SPACE.
SO WITH THE TREES, THE OTHER FACTORS, IT'S GONNA GIVE THAT NARROWING APPROACH THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THE SEATS SPEED LIMITS DECREASE TO ACTUALLY BELOW THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT.
WHEN WE POST 30, MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING 35 AND 36.
AND THAT'S NOT, THAT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN YOU'RE ON A BIKE OR YOU'RE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO I, I WOULD NOT WANNA SEE THE TRAFFIC MOVING THAT QUICKLY IF WE ACTUALLY INTEND THIS TO BE A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR PEDESTRIANS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE SIDEWALK WIDTH, UH, LAST QUESTION ON THIS, UM, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT THIS IS ABOUT SAFETY, THAT YOU DO NEED WIDE SIDEWALKS.
UM, MR. DAWSON TOLD US SEVEN FEET, NOT VERY SAFE.
I WENT OUT AND I MEASURED IT BEHIND THE CATHEDRAL.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ENJOYABLE TO, TO BE WALKING ON A SEVEN FOOT SIDEWALK.
[02:25:01]
DURING THIS STRETCH OF, ON THIS STRETCH OF BROADWAY, THAT SIDEWALK ONLY BE USED FOR PEDESTRIANS IN, SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS, ARE WE GOING TO BE LEASING OUT SIDEWALK CAFE SPACE TO THAT ON THAT STRETCH? THAT'S NOT OUR INTENTION.IT'S GOING TO BE 10 FOOT SIDEWALK ON THIS LOWER SECTION OF THE BROADWAY 10 FOOT.
THE DESIGNS, THE DRAWING, SAY 11 TO 17, IT VARIES, BUT RIGHT AVERAGE WILL BE 10 FOOT MOST OF THE TIME.
AND AS YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN MANY TIME THERE IS ALSO OTHER UTILITY ON 10 FOOT SIDEWALK.
THERE IS A FIRE HYDRANT, THERE IS SIGNAGE AND OTHER THINGS.
THAT'S THE REASON WE NEED TO HAVE WIDER SIDEWALK TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THOSE.
AND ALSO PEDESTRIAN TO BE ABLE TO WALK SIDE BY SIDE.
BECAUSE BEHIND THE CITY HALL, WE HAVE A EIGHT FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK, I BELIEVE IS, DOESN'T FEEL TOO WIDE BY FLORIS.
SO WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE AND WE DO NOT PLAN, AND WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY LEASED SPACE FOR FOR PROFIT ON THIS STRETCH OF BROADWAY.
COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANNA ADD, SO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS PROJECTED IS VERY SIMILAR TO HOUSTON STREET.
UM, AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, THE NEW, THE, THE, THE BLUE, UH, BLUE STAR GROCERY WHERE THERE'S THAT OUTDOOR CAFE.
WELL, THAT'S NOT SPECIFIC USE TO THEM.
IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC LEASE, BUT THERE'S THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WIDE SIDEWALK AND THE PLACE MAKING THAT THIS PROJECT'S ABOUT.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BE HONEST, I AM NOT OPPOSED TO CAFE SEATING.
I JUST WANNA BE FRANK ABOUT WHAT THE TRADEOFFS ARE BY NOT PUTTING BICYCLE LANES IN.
IS THE TRADE-OFF THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO MOVE MORE VEHICLES ON BROADWAY? YES.
AND THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO AGREE TO THAT TRADE-OFF.
OR IS THE TRADE-OFF GONNA BE THAT WE'RE GONNA USE THAT SPACE FOR SIDEWALK SEATING? I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE TRADE-OFF IS.
THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN THIS WENT TO TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
THAT WAY I CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
SO TELL ME, IS SOME OF THIS SPACE GOING TO BE USED FOR SIDEWALK SEATING FOR BUSINESSES? WE, WE ANTICIPATE, YES.
AS ART SAID THERE, THERE WILL BE.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME, SOME SEATING AND IT WILL BE LEASED FOR PROFIT.
NO CITY MANAGER WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
GO HERE, LET, LET ME, LET ME JUMP IN HERE.
IT, IT IS NOT, AND, AND EVERYBODY'S SEEN THE SAME DRAWINGS FROM 2016.
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY, UH, PLANS, UM, FOR POTENTIALLY SIDEWALK OR A PATIO, UM, SEATING.
WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING, UM, DRAFTING OR AGREEING TO ANY SORT OF, UM, LEASE SPACE OF SIDEWALKS LIKE THE RIVERWALK.
WE'RE NOT INTENDING ON DOING THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THOSE, THOSE DRAWINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN FROM THE 2016 BUILD YOUR OWN BROADWAY AND THAT WERE SHOWN TO THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, WERE ALL PART OF THE CON THE CONVERSATION AND THE CONTRACT THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IN MAY, 2018.
SO I I I, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THE FRANKNESS OF THE QUESTION, BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, THAT THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THAT ORIGINAL CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL OR CONSIDERATION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD BACK THEN.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT WE HAD A CONVERSATION HERE ABOUT THAT COUNCILWOMAN.
I, I, I WASN'T THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.
YOU ARE, YOU ARE IN MAY OF 2018.
WE APPROVED ALMOST LIKE A, WE APPROVED A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
I I DO NOT RECALL A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT HERE.
I KNOW MANY WERE HAD BY THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT.
IT'S A CITYWIDE PROJECT, BUT I, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT AND I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THE FRANKNESS OF THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE TRADE-OFFS THAT WE'RE MAKING? THAT'S WHAT I WANNA KNOW WHEN WE'RE GIVING UP THE BIKE LANES, WHAT ARE WE GETTING INSTEAD? AND I, I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE THE FRANKNESS, UM, AND SOME TRANSPARENCY FROM STAFF ON THAT.
UM, ERIC, I WANTED TO BRING UP, UM, THE, I THINK THE FACT THAT THIS HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF SCRUTINY, AND I'VE SHARED THIS ALREADY, IS THAT I, UM, WE HAVEN'T MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON BIKE LANES IN, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO ON PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
WE GOT A PRESENTATION FROM ROD THE OTHER DAY.
HE SHOWED US SEVERAL EXAMPLES.
MOST OF THEM WERE OUTSIDE OF LOOP FOUR 10.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT ONE GOOD THING, AS UNPLEASANT AS THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN, ONE GOOD THING THAT HAS COME OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION IS A RECOGNITION THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FURTHER AND WE NEED TO MAKE MORE PROGRESS SOONER.
[02:30:01]
FROM ERIC OR FROM ROD, WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT GOING FORWARD WHEN WE DESIGN OUR STREETS AND WE BUILD OUR STREETS? I'LL TAKE THAT ONE COUNCILWOMAN.IT'S PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS FOCUS ON THIS PROJECT, UM, IS, IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT, YES, BROADWAY IS AN IMPORTANT CORRIDOR TO OUR CITY, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO A, UM, UM, AS A RESULT OF US BEING FRAGMENTED OVER TIME, UM, NOT CONSISTENT AND NOT MOVING FAR ALONG, UH, WITH THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN, THE BIKE MASTER PLAN.
UM, I, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UH, LESSONS OR TAKEAWAYS, UM, THAT, UH, I, AS CITY MANAGER AND I THINK THE ORGANIZATION SEE, THE, THE FIRST IS THAT IT'S CRITICAL THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO, UM, DELIVER ON THE COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONALLY MANAGE AND DELIVER BOND PROJECTS THAT THE VOTERS APPROVE.
WHETHER IT'S A, A PARK, A STREET, A DRAINAGE, WHATEVER IT IS.
UH, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE, THE BIG WE, THE, THE STAFF, THE COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY THE COUNCIL SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ON PROJECTS AS THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED AND DISCUSSED ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE END PRODUCT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES, UM, AS WE GET INTO THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM, THERE WILL BE A WHOLE SLEW OF PROJECTS, AND THAT'LL BE DIFFICULT TO DO.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT I'VE HAD WITH THE STAFF IS THAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL OR BE PREPARED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL THAT ELM STREET IS BEING, IS A, IS A PROPOSED STREET PROJECT BECAUSE OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, OR, UM, OAK STREET IS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
AND THAT WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF DISCUSSION ON THE FRONT END OF THESE LARGER CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK, UH, AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ MENTIONED A COUPLE OF, UM, ITEMS WHEN SHE SPOKE THAT, UM, WE NEED TO, UM, CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND EMBRACE SOME OF THE, UM, MOBILITY ISSUES THAT MANY CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY ARE DEALING WITH.
UM, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL POINT OUT AND REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT WE ADDED THREE MEMBERS TO, THERE WERE VERY FEW PLACES WHERE WE ADDED CIVILIAN POSITIONS IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND WE ADDED THREE POSITIONS TO WORK WITH OUR PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY OFFICER TO CREATE AN, UH, UH, AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION TEAM THAT IS REALLY DESIGNED TO LOOK AT.
AND, AND TWO OF THOSE THREE POSITIONS ARE FILLED AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, TO, UH, LOOK AT THE, THE POLICY BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND DEVELOP IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND REALLY BE THE POINT GROUP ON THE MASTER PLAN BIKE MASTER PLAN FUNDING THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
UM, WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ NTO, C C R, THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY GOVERNANCE A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, UH, REGARDING STANDARDS AND TRAINING.
UM, I'LL SHARE WITH THE GROUP IF THE COUNCILWOMAN IS OKAY WITH IT, THAT, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN AND I, AND ROD AND HER STAFF MET WITH, UM, UM, UM, UH, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SMART GROWTH AMERICA LAST FRIDAY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT, UM, THE ASSISTANCE AND THE CHALLENGES THAT A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND A LOT OF STATES ARE HAVING.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION AND MANY OF THE POINTS THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN TALKED ABOUT, I THINK THERE ARE SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW, FOR INSTANCE, UH, UH, FOR AT LEAST FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE COUNCIL AND THE STAFF HAVE BEEN ALIGNED AROUND THIS P C I SCORE, WHICH IS AN ENGINEERING INDEX.
UM, THAT'S DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN.
AND WE'VE HAD A GOAL AND WE'VE REACHED A GOAL.
UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY ENLIGHTENING CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THEM, AND I'D LIKE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO BRING THEM IN TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT.
THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES OR CONSIDERATIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY WANT TO CONSIDER WHEN IT COMES TIME TO BOND PROGRAM PROJECTS OR STREET MAINTENANCE FUNDING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, SO I THINK I REALLY, I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
I DO WANNA ALSO REMIND THE COUNCIL, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A NDO ACCELERATOR PROJECT WITH THE, UH, AMERICAN CITY'S CLIMATE CHALLENGE GROUP THAT IS IN TOWN HELPING US TO IMPLEMENT TWO TO THREE STREET REDESIGNS THAT ARE DESIGNED, THAT ARE, THAT ARE INTENDED ON ATTRACTING RIDERS, UM, INCREASING SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, SCOOTERS, AND REDUCING RELIANCE ON SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, THREE MAJOR PROJECTS.
ONE OF THEM, UM, IS, IS GETTING GEARED TO KICK OFF AND IS FULLY FUNDED
[02:35:01]
AND RUNS THROUGH THREE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.UM, AND THAT'S ZAMORA AND I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF BRING ALL THAT IN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF, OF THOSE FOLKS AND NATO TO, UM, HAVE THAT DEMONSTRATION.
UM, AND AND TO YOUR POINT, UH, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PEARL AREA, WE NEED TO HAVE A PROJECT THAT WE CAN POINT TO, TO SAY THAT'S WHAT WE WANT THERE.
UM, AND I THINK THEY'RE CRITICAL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, WHERE I'M AT, ORGANIZATION AND, AND, AND T C I, THE T C I STAFF AND I HAVE HAD, UM, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS OVER THIS OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY PROMISING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF THAT PROGRESS, UH, COMING UP IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE END OF MY QUESTIONS AND APOLOGIES TO THE EXPERTS.
WE ALL USE ROADS, SO WE ALL FEEL LIKE EXPERTS
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
UH, WOW, THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
WE'RE TALKING ONE STREET AND A BIKE BICYCLE LANE.
UH, I WAS ON THE STREETS BOND COMMITTEE BACK THERE, DAVID, UH, YOU WERE ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS.
REMEMBER WHAT, UH, MY COMMENTS, UH, WERE ON THIS OVERALL PROJECT TO BEGIN WITH.
RAZZIE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WERE MY COMMENTS ORIGINALLY ON THIS? DO YOU REMEMBER MY COMMENTS ON THIS PROJECT? COUNCILMAN? I BELIEVE YOU WERE TRYING TO DIVIDE THAT $42 MILLION BY 10 AND EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT TO GET 4 MILLION, BASICALLY NOT HAVE THIS PROJECT.
BECAUSE I SAW THIS PROJECT IS BASICALLY, UH, CLOSE TO A 10TH OF OUR TOTAL BOND MONEY GOING TO ONE PROJECT.
AND THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WAS GONNA MEAN BASICALLY CONSTRICTING OUR LARGEST, LARGEST ACCESS DOWNTOWN AND RESTRICTING IT, CREATING BOTTLENECKS, ADDITIONAL WAITING TIME, AS MR. DAWSON SAID, UH, TO GET IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN.
AND GOD FORBID WE HAD SOME KIND OF BIG DISASTER DOWNTOWN THAT YOU TRY TO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT IN A HURRY AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CARS STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER OR PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OUTTA DOWNTOWN, UH, THROUGH BROADWAY AND YOU CAN'T DO IT.
SO THOSE WERE MY MAJOR OBJECTIONS, BUT PART OF THAT, PART OF THAT, UH, WHOLE COMMITTEE PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY TOOK A TOUR AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE BACK BIKE LANES.
REMEMBER OZZY, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT ON THE BUS THAT YEAH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM ON BROADWAY TO TAKE IT ALL, ALL THE WAY DOWN, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD.
AND IT WAS AVENUE B AT THAT TIME, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT.
RAZZI, I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
SO WE STARTED THIS, THE BOND COMMITTEES, THAT WAS BACK IN 2016, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND THEN, UH, ONCE THE BOND WAS APPROVED, UM, AND I, I MADE THE MOTION TO CANCEL THIS PROJECT.
I GOT OUTVOTED DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
I, I WAS READY TO GO WITH THIS.
BUT, UH, WITH THAT PROCESS, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE, HAVE THERE BEEN MEETINGS AND DESIGN REVIEW MEETINGS, PRE-DESIGN, THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF THING TO GET INPUT ON THIS PROJECT? COUNCILMAN, MANY TIME AS, UH, ROD MENTIONED, WE HAD OVER 60 MEETINGS FROM COMMUNITY MEETINGS FROM OTHER AGENCY TEXT OUT VIA SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY PUBLIC MEETING.
WE HAD NUMBER OF THE MEETINGS.
DID HAS ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO THOSE MEETINGS OR REVIEW OF ANY KIND OF DRAWINGS OR PROPOSALS ON THIS? NO, SIR.
SO EVERYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL HAS HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S DANGEROUS ABOUT NOT PARTICIPATING AND WAITING TILL SOMETHING COMES UP AT THIS LEVEL, UH, WHEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS, WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THIS? WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT? WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WASTING VALUABLE TIME ON SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA START COSTING MONEY BECAUSE DELAYING THIS THING WILL BE COSTING MONEY.
AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE COMMENTS AND, AND VIEWS ON PROJECTS, BUT DO IT AT THE RIGHT TIME,
[02:40:01]
WHICH YOU SAID THERE'S BEEN A PROCESS INVOLVED WITH THIS, AND EVERYBODY HAS HAD THAT ACCESS TO A PROJECT, TO THIS PROJECT TO MAKE COMMENTS.SO, UM, JUST, IT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT.
I SAW THE PROJECT, I MADE MY COMMENTS, VOTED ON IT, IT GOT APPROVED.
I WISH MY COLLEAGUES HAD THAT SAME OUTLOOK ON PROJECTS BEFORE IT GETS UP TO THIS LEVEL TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, CAN, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE ABOUT, UH, BICYCLES OVERALL.
CAN BICYCLES USE ANY STREET IN THIS CITY? YES, THEY CAN.
AND WHO HAS A RIGHT OF WAY? A BICYCLE OR A CAR? CORRECT.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THOSE PROFESSIONAL BIKER THEY USE WITH THE SAME LANE AS TRAFFIC IS USING.
SO, AS WAS MENTIONED, UH, BY COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO PEEL OFF ON AVENUE B.
THEY CAN STAY ON BROADWAY, RIGHT? CORRECT.
OKAY, SO THERE'S NOTHING PROHIBITING BIKES FROM GETTING ON THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGINEERS OUT THERE, TRAFFIC ENGINEERS THAT DEAL WITH CONGESTION, TRYING TO EXPAND ROADS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT NOBODY, WE ARE NOT KILLING PEOPLE.
YOU CAN'T ENGINEER RECKLESS PEOPLE OUT OF THE SYSTEM, TEXTING, DRINKING, SPEEDING.
THAT'S WHAT'S KILLING PEOPLE, NOT ROADS.
SO I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD SAYING, I, I'VE HEARD THAT COMMENT BEFORE.
UM, WE ENGINEER THESE ROADS TO ACCOMMODATE TRAVEL AND PEOPLE GETTING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER PLACE SAFELY, ASSUMING THAT THEY FOLLOW THE RULES ON THE ROAD AND THE LAWS, SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T CAUSE ACCIDENTS THAT YES, PEOPLE GET KILLED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALMOST UP TO 3000 DEATHS ON THE TEXAS ROADS RIGHT NOW.
AND YES, TXDOT HAS COME UP WITH $600 MILLION TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT, TO TRY TO GO ONE DAY WITHOUT A DEATH ON OUR TEXAS ROADS.
I HOPE THAT, I HOPE THAT HAPPENS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE PEOPLE RECKLESS DRIVING, SPEEDING, DRINKING, TEXTING, TALKING ON THE PHONE.
THAT'S WHAT'S KILLING PEOPLE, NOT THE ROADS.
SO I JUST, UM, WANNA SAY THAT OUR CAR DRIVERS IN THIS TOWN DON'T WANT THIS TOWN TO TURN INTO AN AUSTIN, A HOUSTON FORT WORTH DALLAS, AND THEY PAY TAXES.
THEY WANT TO SEE ROADS AND LESS CONGESTION ON OUR ROADS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GET TO WORK.
THEY WANT TO GO PLAY WITH THEIR CARS.
MR. DAWSON SHOWED A, UM, A GRAPHIC THE OTHER DAY AT B SESSION THAT SHOWED WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BICYCLES USING THIS, THIS, UH, CORRIDOR.
AND I THINK IT'S OVERESTIMATED.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THAT MANY BICYCLES, EVEN WITH THE EXPANSION ON BROADWAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TO THAT POINT.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE TAKING THAT CAPACITY OUT FOR BICYCLES.
WE'RE TAKING IT AWAY FROM CARS, VEHICLES, BUSES, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION IT'S GONNA GO.
HOPEFULLY, UM, WE'LL GET AN INCREASE IN BICYCLE USE.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS TEXAS WIDE OPEN SPACES.
THIS CITY IS A WIDE SPRAWLING CITY THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ON A BICYCLE UP ON FOUR 10 OR 1604 AND DRIVE DOWNTOWN TO GO TO WORK.
WE'VE GOT HOT DAYS AND WE GOT DAYS LIKE TODAY, FEW OF THESE, BUT A LOT OF HOT DAYS, PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA BE DOING THAT.
I, I'M JUST TRYING TO USE A LITTLE BIT OF COMMON SENSE ON THIS PROJECT.
NUMBER ONE, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE GET IN AND REVIEW THESE THINGS AND GET YOUR COMMENTS IN EARLY BEFORE WE GET TO THIS POINT.
AND REMEMBER THAT THERE'S AN EXPECTATION OF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING CARS VERSUS BICYCLES TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK, GET TO WORK ON TIME,
[02:45:01]
BE ABLE TO GO DOWNTOWN AND ENJOY SOME GOING TO EAT OUT OR GO TO WHATEVER.SO THAT IS MY CONCERN, IS WE'RE WE'RE TAKING THAT AWAY AND RESTRICTING OUR LARGEST ACCESS DOWNTOWN.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, I, I WORKED THIS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL DURING THE BOND SESSION, GOT OUTVOTED.
I'M ON BOARD, SO LET'S GET THIS THING GOING.
ALL RIGHT, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
COUNCILMEMBER PERRY, COUNCILS MEMBER.
I WON'T, I WON'T TAKE VERY LONG.
UM, I THINK EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID ON THE ISSUE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STRUCTURAL, THE PLANNING, THE ENGINEERING AND THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND ALL THAT.
I, I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE, UM, THAT, UH, SOMETIMES WE APPEAR ON CITY COUNCIL, UM, REALLY JUMPED DOWN Y'ALL'S THROAT.
UM, AND SOMETIMES, UM, WE MAY GO OVERBOARD.
AND SO I, I DO WANNA, I DO WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GET A LITTLE PERSONAL HERE, BUT ROD, YOU'VE GOT LITTLE ONES, UM, ART, YOU'VE GOT LITTLE KIDS TOO, AND SO DOES JEFF COYLE AND SO DOES LORI HOUSTON AND LIZ PROVENCIO.
YOU'VE GOT LITTLE ONES, AND, UH, ERIC, YOU'VE GOT LITTLE ONES ALSO.
AND ALL THESE FOLKS, UM, HAVE CHILDREN WHO GO TO OUR, YOU KNOW, THE SAME SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN GO TO, AND THEY ALL WANNA RIDE ON THE SAME SAFE STREETS THAT OUR CHILDREN, UH, THAT I WANT MY KIDS TO RIDE DOWN.
AND, UM, ALL YOUR KID, YOU KNOW, JEFF, I KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CYCLE.
UM, AND SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE PART OF A SHADOWY CABAL TO KILL CYCLING IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE IN BAD FAITH TRYING TO HIDE THINGS FROM US, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE SAN ANTONIANS.
UM, AND I, I BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS SHOW UP TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND IN GOOD FAITH, TRY TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU GOT SKIN IN THE GAME QUITE LITERALLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AND SO I AM, UH, I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR JOBS IS TO CALL BALLS AND STRIKES UP HERE SOMETIMES.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY UP HERE DOES APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, AND I, FOR ONE, UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO TO MAKE STREETS ALL THAT MUCH SAFER.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I I THINK THAT YOU GUYS DON'T GET THANKED OFTEN ENOUGH.
AND SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, UH, I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
WELL, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY INTERESTING DIALOGUE.
UM, I'LL START JUST BY SAYING THAT IT, IT APPEARS TO ME THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO US, UM, ACTING IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T CONFORM WITH THE POLICIES THAT WE SET.
EVEN IF THOSE POLICIES DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH THE TIMELINES WHEN WE SET THEM, THE VOTE BEFORE US TODAY IS TO AMEND THE CONTRACT RELATED TO THE 2017 BOND PROJECT TO INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF BIKE LANES ON AVENUE B, WHICH TO SIFU TO SAY MEANS THAT THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
THE MAP OF THE BOND PROJECT DOESN'T INCLUDE AVENUE B DOESN'T, NEITHER DOES THE PRESENTATION, CONTRACTS, PLANS, AMENDMENTS.
THESE ELEMENTS ARE ALL AMENDED ALL THE TIME IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
THAT IN OF ITSELF IS, SHOULD BE OF LITTLE SURPRISE TO ANYONE.
BUT IN DEVELOPING THIS ROUTINE, WE BECOME SKILLED AT ADAPTING TO THE CURVE BALL.
ONE OF THOSE CURVE BALLS IS CHANGING PUBLIC SENTIMENT OR PERHAPS POLICY PRIORITIES.
I WORRY THAT IN DOING SO, THOUGH WE'VE BECOME, WE'VE BECOME COMPLACENT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
THE NARRATIVE ON BROADWAY SHIFTED FROM A PROCESS THAT WAS LOCKED AND SECURED TO A PROCESS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE LOCKED AND SECURED.
AND THOUGH IT MAY SEEM THAT CONSTRUCTION WAS DELAYED AS A RESULT OF A PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE ABOUT BIKE LANES, WE'RE NOW FACING A ZONING CHANGE NEXT YEAR TO CLEAN UP A PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN MESSY.
AT BEST, OUR PROJECT, THE BOND PROJECT DEFINITIONS SHOULD BE AND ARE AFFORDED SOME FLEXIBILITY.
WHAT MATTERS IS ON THE BOND BALLOT, BUT GOING FORWARD, WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES TOO MUCH OF A CHANGE.
YOU'RE HEARING ELEMENTS OF THAT TODAY.
A VOTER APPROVED BOND PROJECT WITH AN AMENDMENT OF THIS STATURE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN EXCEPTION, NOT A PRECEDENT.
EVEN THEN, OUR CITY'S POLICIES AND DEFINITIONS SURROUNDING COMPLETE STREETS ARE NOW NEARLY A DECADE OLD.
THEY DIDN'T EXIST OUT OF A VACUUM EITHER.
THEY WERE CREATED BY THE PUBLIC IN BROAD SUPPORT OF A PROCESS CALLED ESSAY 2020 THAT CONTINUES TO GUIDE THE METRICS THAT WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO.
THE SAME SHOULD BE SAID OF THE POLICY THAT GOVERNS IT.
EVEN THEN, OUR POLICIES AND DEFINITIONS SURROUNDING COMPLETE STREETS, UH, CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY AND MAINTENANCE IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN A CONCEPT OF UPDATING WHERE WE HAVE
[02:50:01]
ALREADY BEEN.AND THAT SHOULD BE THE SAME WITH OUR POLICIES ON THIS DAIS.
IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE HEARD EVERY BUREAUCRATIC EXCUSE IN THE BOOK TO BUILDING ANYTHING OTHER THAN A CAR-CENTRIC ROAD IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN.
THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO'S MOBILITY SHOULD NOT BE A ZERO SUM GAME THAT ONLY FOLLOWS THE STATUS QUO.
IF SAFETY IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, THEN MOST EXPERTS WOULD AGREE THAT REMOVING ON-STREET PARKING SHOULD BE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE EVOLUTION OF OUR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROCEDURES.
TO THOSE LISTENING, NO ONE SHOULD LECTURE COUNCIL MEMBER SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WHEN SHE IS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING VISION ZERO TO BE PART OF THE CITY'S VERNACULAR.
SO, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ FOR HER CLARION CALL MANY YEARS AGO THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT HAVE COME UP SHORT AND FOR HER DOGGED COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY OF ALL SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
AND IN A CITY THAT'S STRUGGLING WITH GENERATIONAL POVERTY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WHERE IS THE EQUITY IN SUGGESTING THAT EVERY RESIDENT WOULD BE BETTER OFF PURCHASING A CAR FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEIR OWN VEHICLE? IS IT ANY WONDER WHY THEY REMAIN, REMAIN SEGREGATED? ANYONE WHO HAS LIVED IN THE CITY FOR MORE THAN A FEW YEARS KNOWS THAT WE HAVE MADE MANY REGRETFUL DECISIONS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IN THE PAST.
I BELIEVE THAT PATHS SHOULD NOT BE PROLOGUE, AND I DO BELIEVE WE WILL REGRET THE DECISION TO EXCLUDE BIKE LANES FROM THE ENTIRETY OF BROADWAY.
SO FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, I HOPE WE CAN EMPLOY A TRULY EQUITABLE APPROACH TO THESE CONCERNS, INCLUDING A REVIEW OF OUR BONDS, PUBLIC INPUT PROCEDURES, COMPLETE STREET POLICY, AND ALL FUTURE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY LANES.
I SALUTE THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON ON ON AVENUE B.
I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC PROJECT.
IT SHOULD BE A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S NOT A ZERO SUM GAME, AND IT'S NEITHER, IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR.
IF WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE BETTER, THEN WE HAVE TO START BUILDING BETTER, AND ONLY THEN WILL WE ACHIEVE IT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR A, A VERY FRANK, UH, SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT DISCUSSION.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A LOT TO OF WORK TO DO AND DISCUSSIONS TO BE HAD MOVING FORWARD.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, WE CAN TELL THE PUBLIC THE AVENUE B BICYCLE LANES ARE MOVING FORWARD, AND WE SHOULD ALL CELEBRATE THAT.
SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FOUR A AND FOUR B, PLEASE VOTE.
[22. Ordinance approving an Interlocal Agreement with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council to provide three clinicians to assist with mental health crises stabilization in an amount of $209,831.00 for one year with renewal options. Funding is available in the FY 2020 General Fund Adopted Budget. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Melody Woosley, Director, Human Services]]
ON NOW TO ITEM 22.ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH SOUTHWEST TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THREE CLINICIANS TO ASSIST WITH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS STABILIZATION AND AN AMOUNT OF $209,831 FOR ONE YEAR WITH RENEWAL OPTIONS.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020, GENERAL FUND ADOPTED BUDGET.
UM, COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION FOR THIS ITEM? THANK YOU.
UH, MELODY WOOSLEY, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO, AS QUICK BACKGROUND FUNDING FOR THE CLINICIAN SUPPORT TO THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, METROPOLITAN OR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT WAS ADDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET.
IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH THE S A P D MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL TO ISSUE AN R F P FOR CLINICIAN SERVICES, UM, THAT WOULD IMPROVE CARE COORDINATION FOR HIGH UTILIZERS OF EMERGENCY, UM, RESPONSE SYSTEMS. AND SO THOSE CLINICIANS PROVIDE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO HELP PATIENTS NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM AND CONNECT TO SOCIAL SERVICES.
THE TEAM ALSO ASSESS S A P D WITH THREAT ASSESSMENTS POST RESPONSE FROM SS A P D.
THE CLINICIANS CURRENTLY PROVIDE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, HOMELESS OUTREACH AND COORDINATION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN CRISIS THREAT ASSESSMENT CASES AND HIGH UTILIZERS OF EMERGENCY SOCIAL SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TRANSITION OF THE CONTRACT FROM BAPTIST TO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL OR STRAC.
THIS TRANSITION WILL PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES TO
[02:55:01]
THE TEAM AND WILL IMPROVE COORDINATION OF SERVICES FOR THESE VERY VULNERABLE CLIENTS BY ENSURING THAT CASE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH NEEDS MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS IS MANAGED UNDER ONE PROGRAM UNDER ONE ROOF.UM, THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES WILL INCLUDE ACCESS TO A PSYCHIATRIST OR A MEDICAL DIRECTOR WHO CAN WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH APPOINTMENT SLOTS, ACCESS TO AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD, AND THAT'LL HELP US MONITOR CLIENT'S CLINICAL PROGRESS.
AND THEN ALSO COORDINATION WITH THE STRAC PICK PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM FOR INTENSIVE CARE COORDINATION.
IT IS A, UM, SOMEWHAT SIMILAR PROGRAM THAT ALSO SERVES THE HIGH UTILIZER POPULATION.
AND I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE THREE CLINICIANS WHO ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WILL TRANSITION TO THE NEW CONTRACTOR TO ENSURE THERE'S CONTINUITY OF SERVICES FOR THE CLIENTS.
AND SO THIS, UH, THE TOTAL CONTRACT OVER FOUR YEARS IS $927,299.
AND THIS DOES REFLECT AN INCREASE IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT OF 180,000.
SO WE'RE, IT'S ABOUT, UH, 40, $60,000 MORE PER YEAR.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, WHO WILL BE THE SUBCONTRACTOR FOR THE CLINICIAN, PAYS A, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SALARY FOR THIS POSITION.
THEY ARE REALLY, UM, RIGHT AT THE MARKET RATE, UH, FOR THE STARTING CLINICIANS AND THEIR, UH, BENEFIT PACKAGE IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.
ALSO, THE CONTRACT WILL ALSO INCLUDE, INCLUDE A SMALL AMOUNT FOR THE, THAT PSYCHIATRIST SERVICES THAT WE ARE NEEDED, AS WELL AS COMPUTERS AND SUPPLIES.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY, UH, BRIEF PRESENTATION.
UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH STRAC FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING THESE THREE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS.
UH, MELODY, UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT WHY I, UH, WANTED TO BRING THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.
SO LAST MONTH I SPENT SEVERAL DAYS IN DC ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING FOR OUR CITY, UH, NOT JUST FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, OR FOR, UM, OUR ARMED SERVICES FACILITIES HERE, BUT ALSO FOR MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING.
AND I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PANEL DISCUSSING, IN PARTICULAR THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL AND THE WORK THAT'S DONE HERE THAT WAS STARTED BY THE CHIEF IN, IN 2009.
AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE WONDERFUL WORK, UH, THAT THEY DO.
UM, IN FACT, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE N B C SHOW, UH, ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL THAT CAME OUT NOT LONG AGO.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS A MOVIE, UH, COMING OUT SOON ON NETFLIX, AND THAT IT'S BEEN IN THE FILM FESTIVAL CIRCUITS, UH, SUCCESSFULLY, UH, FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
SO WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THAT COMING OUT LATER.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT THESE THREE CLINICIANS ARE REALLY THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE TEAM MM-HMM.
AND THAT BY HAVING THEM ON BOARD, WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO ALMOST, UH, EXPONENTIALLY GROW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL BECAUSE, UM, UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN, UH, RAY SYA, FORMER COUNCILMAN RAY SYA, WHO ADVOCATED FOR THE FUNDING YES.
FOR THESE THREE POSITIONS IN, UH, THE PREVIOUS BUDGET CYCLE AND, AND THE COUNCIL WHO APPROVED THAT.
UM, THAT SAID, UM, AND BASED ON WHAT I'VE LEARNED, I I SUPPORT ANY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SERVICE.
I SUPPORT ANY EFFICIENCIES IF WE CAN MAKE OUR DOLLARS GO FARTHER AND HELP PEOPLE MORE.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS CHANGE IS GOING TO ALLOW, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL TO CONTINUE BEING AS EFFECTIVE OR EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN IT HAS BEEN, UH, SO FAR.
UM, SO I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, UH, WITH REGARDS, UH, TO THAT.
I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED A COUPLE OF THEM.
UM, ALREADY, UH, WHAT I LEARNED IN, UH, PREPARING FOR THAT PANEL AND HEARING FROM, UH, FROM THE HEAD OF THE DETAIL IS THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM NOW.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, YOU COULD DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL, UH, STRUCTURE IS.
DO YOU WANNA DO THAT CHIEF? MM-HMM.
SO COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK YOUR, I THINK YOUR QUESTION IS IF THE CLINICIANS DETERMINE THAT THERE'S NOT A THREAT, BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE OFFICERS DO, WHOSE DECISION OVERRIDES? IS THAT, IS THAT THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING? UM, WELL, FIRST I, I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEAM FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT KNOW.
SO WE HAVE 10 PATROL OFFICERS TO DETECTIVES, THREE CLINICIANS, AND THE SUPERVISOR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND YES, I'M GETTING, I'M GETTING TO THAT.
[03:00:01]
AND CAN YOU TELL US WHY THE DETECTIVES WERE ADDED? UH, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S OFTENTIMES FOLLOW UP THAT'S NEEDED IN THESE CASES.AND, AND ACTUALLY, UH, TO, TO EXPAND ON YOUR, ON YOUR QUESTION, THE, THE CHANGE TO STR ACTUALLY PROVIDES, UM, UH, THE ABILITY FOR THE DETECTIVES TO, TO HAVE THE MENTAL HISTORY OR MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY OF THAT PERSON.
AND THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT MEL, THAT, UH, PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES YEAH.
AND PSYCH PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES ARE ALSO PROVIDED, UM, BASED ON THAT DETECTIVE'S INVESTIGATION.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HEARD A COUPLE OF ANECDOTES ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MONITORED BY THE CLINICIANS, AND, UH, SOME OF THEM WEREN'T NECESSARILY FREQUENT USERS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE WAY THIS IS PHRASED, IT'S, IT TALKS ABOUT TARGETING FREQUENT USERS OR HELPING FREQUENT USERS.
THEY WEREN'T FREQUENT USERS, BUT THEY WERE VERY DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS WHO IT WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD AN EMERGENCY DETENTION, BUT THEY WERE MAYBE IN THE PROCESS OF ABOUT TO COMMIT A GRAVE CRIME, LIKE A MASS, A MASS SHOOTING.
UM, AND AS THE CHAIR OF YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I WOULD WANT TO ENSURE THAT IN THIS TRANSITION, WE DON'T GIVE UP THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO DEDICATE RESOURCES TO THAT.
IF SOMEONE NEEDS THAT FOLLOW UP AND THERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S VERY DANGEROUS, WE, WE WILL NOT GIVE UP THAT ABILITY.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT RIGHT NOW THE CLINICIANS WORK VERY CLOSELY, UH, WITH THE TEAM.
THEY'RE PRETTY, THEY'RE PRETTY INTEGRATED.
SO IS THAT GOING TO CONTINUE TO, TO BE THE CASE? YES, MA'AM.
JUST FOR SOME QUICK BACKGROUND MM-HMM.
AND I SAID, WELL, GO TO THE MEETING AND SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT.
BUT, BUT IF IT, IF IT DOESN'T, IF IF THE SERVICES DON'T CONTINUE OR IF THEY'RE NOT EXPANDED TO MAKE IT BETTER, THEN, THEN WE WON'T AGREE TO IT.
AND THEY WERE QUITE HOPPED UP BEFORE THEY LEFT FOR THIS MEETING.
WHEN THEY CAME BACK, WE DISCUSSED HOW IT WENT AND THEY WERE PERFECTLY SATISFIED WITH, WITH THE RESULTS OF THAT MEETING, THEY GOT EVERYTHING THAT THEY ASKED FOR AND MORE.
UM, SO I, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING IS IT, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS INTEGRATED TEAM OF CLINICIANS WITH THE OFFICERS RIGHT NOW, BUT NOW WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH STRECK, AND THEN STRECK IS GONNA SUBCONTRACT TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND THEN THAT'S SOMEONE ELSE IS GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIRING THE CLINICIANS.
IT JUST, I, I WAS CONCERNED THAT THAT MIGHT IN, UM, INTRODUCE A LOT OF STEPS BETWEEN THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL AND THE CLINICIANS AND THAT IT, IT MIGHT MAKE IT HARDER FOR THEM TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE AGREEMENT FROM THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES WHO WILL HIRE THE CLINICIANS THAT, UM, WE WILL HAVE INPUT INTO THE HIRING.
AND SO, ONE, THE, UM, REQUIRED CREDENTIALS ARE SPELLED OUT IN THE CONTRACT, UM, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES HAS AGREED TO HIRE THE THREE CLINICIANS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED, AS I SAID.
UM, AND THEY, THEY ARE, HAVE AGREED TO MOVE, UM, OVER TO THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
AND SO THE CONTINUITY OF CARE WILL REMAIN.
I THINK THAT HAVING THE SALARIES AT MARKET RATE AND MUCH BETTER BENEFITS, WE'LL HELP WITH RETENTION SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THOSE POSITIONS.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY ANTICIPATE THIS TO BE A VERY SMOOTH TRANSITION.
RA'S ROLE WILL REALLY BE THE OVERSIGHT PIECE, CONNECTING THE DOTS BETWEEN MULTIPLE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS. CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES IS OUR LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.
WE WORK WITH THEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, AND SO THAT RELATIONSHIP, UM, WILL CONTINUE.
ARE THEY HERE TODAY? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
THANK YOU THAT, UM, THAT ALLAYS A LOT OF, UH, OF MY CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS GUN VIOLENCE THING, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THING, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS STILL, UM, GONNA BE A PRIORITY FOR, FOR THAT MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL IS, IS IMPORTANT.
JUST A, A QUICK, UH, QUESTION.
UM, LAST TIME THAT THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED, IT WAS DONE BY AN R F P? YES.
AND NOW WE'RE DOING A SOLE SOURCE OR AN I L A.
IS THERE ANY ISSUES WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD DONE AN R F P BEFORE AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO SOLE SOURCE?
[03:05:01]
NO, BOTH, UM, STRAC AND CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES ARE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, AND SO WE DO, UH, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL CONTRACTS.AND THEN THE, UM, THE MEMO SAYS WE'RE APPROVING THE I L A AND IT'S EFFECTIVE ON TODAY'S VOTE.
IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE ON TODAY'S VOTE YES.
IF, IF THE CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL.
SO, UM, I DIDN'T SEE THE CONTRACT ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA.
SO, AND PROVIDE THE SCOPE OF WORK.
SO THEN WHEN DOES THE TRANSITION OCCUR? WELL, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL CONTRACTING WITH BAPTIST HEALTH SYSTEM, SO THEY AGREED TO A MONTH TO MONTH EXTENSION OF THEIR CONTRACT.
SO THEY'RE ON UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH YES.
TO ENSURE THAT SMOOTH TRANSITION.
SO, UM, WE WILL ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PAID THROUGH THE END OF THEIR CONTRACT.
UM, I, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PROGRAM, UM, SINCE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF THIS CONTRACT.
SO ONE THING I I LEARNED WAS THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S POLICE DEPARTMENT PROCESSES ABOUT 1600, UH, EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH DETENTIONS EVERY MONTH.
SO THAT'S, UH, A LOT EVERY DAY WE HAVE 10 OFFICERS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL, SO CERTAINLY THEY CAN'T PROCESS ALL OF THOSE.
SO, UM, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A BIG NEED.
AND, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN HOUSTON, THEY HAVE A HUNDRED PEOPLE ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL.
IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? I KNOW THEY HAVE A LARGE ONE.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT, UM, STAFFING NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW THEY HAVE A LARGE UNIT.
WELL, UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW THIS PROGRAM? AND MAYBE WE CAN DISCUSS THIS WHEN WE DO THE MENTAL HEALTH GAPS ANALYSIS, BUT WHAT, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO GROW THIS PROGRAM? WELL, WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO EXPAND THE SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
IF WE WERE TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO THAT UNIT, WE WERE TO EXPAND THAT UNIT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE, BUT, BUT EVERY OFFICER IN THE DEPARTMENT IS TRAINED IS CI IS CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINED.
SO THEY GET THAT 40 HOUR BLOCK AND, AND IT, UM, QUALIFIES THEM TO, TO, UH, TO SOME DEGREE TO WORK WITH, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CRISIS ON THE STREET.
UH, I HEARD THAT ALMOST ALL OF THEM, UH, WERE SO, YOU KNOW, WE WENT AND WE DID ALL THIS ADVOCACY FOR, FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRANT.
SO I'M, I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT OUT THERE TO MY COLLEAGUES, THAT IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING ANY OF THAT MONEY, I'M CERTAINLY GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO BE USED TO ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE, IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UH, AREA.
I MEAN, YOU'VE SAID IT YOUR WAY YOURSELF, THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS THAT CAN'T BE ARRESTED AWAY.
RIGHT? AND THEY NEED, UM, THEY NEED DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
UM, IN FACT, JUST YESTERDAY WE HAD SOMEONE COME TO CITIZENS TO BE HEARD ASKING US TO BEGIN CHANGING THE WAY WE DO THE TRADITIONAL POLICING, RIGHT? AS OPPOSED TO ARRESTING PROBLEMS AWAY.
SO THIS IS, UH, ONE WAY TO, TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, OF THE PROGRAM, AND I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 22.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I JUST WANTED INVITE MY COLLEAGUES.
STR IS IN DISTRICT FOUR, AND I'VE TAKEN THE TOUR OF IT, AND I WAS ENTIRELY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
AND I CAME BACK AND I THINK I TOLD ERIC WALSH THAT THEY JUST DID SOME AWESOME JOB.
AND SO I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT STRECK DID UNTIL I WENT AND I LEARNED FIRSTHAND, AND THEIR ENTIRE OPERATION IS JUST PHENOMENAL.
SO I'M A BIG ADVOCATE FOR STR NOW, I ALSO THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THAT FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY IN I G R WORKING TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS LIKE STR, BECAUSE THEY REALLY ARE, UM, WHAT I CONSIDER THE MODEL OF WHAT A CONCENTRATOR OR A CONNECTED EFFORT BETWEEN, UM, CITIES, UH, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THEM SHOULD BE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MEL AND DR.
BRIDGER FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT, UM, THAT YOU OFFER STRECK AND, UH, UH, GO ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT I BELIEVE THAT STR DOES A GREAT JOB.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 22.
[23. Ordinance approving the acceptance and appropriation of $6,230,000 from the Houston Street TIRZ, Inner City TIRZ, Midtown TIRZ, Mission Drive-In TIRZ, and Westside TIRZ to fund affordable housing projects and programs. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services]]
ITEM 23.ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF $6,230,000 FROM THE HOUSTON STREET TOURS, INNER CITY TOURS, MIDTOWN TOURS, MISSION DRIVE-IN TOURS, AND WEST SIDE TOURS TO FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.
JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN, ANOTHER, UH, GREAT EXAMPLE
[03:10:01]
OF THE WORK OF STAFF, UH, TO REALLY TO HELP TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES THAT THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO, TO THE VERY THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON.SO, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, LORI AND, UM, VERONICA FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UH, I SETTING A GREAT, UH, PRECEDENT FOR HOW WE LOOK AT, UH, ALL OUR POTENTIAL RESOURCES TO ADDRESS, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 23.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THIS IS AN EXCITING PROGRAM AS WE KNOW THAT WITH OUR STATUS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE HAVE KIND OF MISSED THE MARK HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO DOING SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TRULY BRING UP TO PAR AND GIVE A PERSON A PLACE THAT THEY CAN CALL HOME AS SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.
AND SO, I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAD OUR FIRST CONTRACTORS OPEN HOUSE IN RELATION TO GETTING THIS SET UP.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE ACTUALLY TODAY AT, AT TWO, UM, OVER AT CLAUDE BLACK.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING IT IN.
UM, NOT ONLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ACTUALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL WITH THIS PIECE, BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO REACH OUR LOCAL CONTRACTORS TO REALLY GET THIS PROGRAM UP AND OFF THE GROUND.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, VERONICA.
THANK YOU, LORI, UM, FOR ACTUALLY PUSHING THIS FORWARD AS WELL.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING, LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN, AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT DISTRICT TWO IS GONNA BE A PART OF THIS PILOT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
SO LORI, THESE ITEMS HAVE NOT ALL BEEN VOTED ON OR APPROVED.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING TODAY IS USE OF THE TOURIST FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN.
THE ONLY TOUR BOARD THAT HAS NOT TAKEN ACTION ON THIS IS THE WEST SIDE TOURS.
AND THAT WILL GO FORWARD ONCE THE TOURS BOARD HAS A QUORUM, AND WE'LL PUT THAT ON THEIR FIRST AGENDA.
SO IT SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE COME TO THE COMMITTEE.
I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT TSS WAS GIVING, WHAT I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
UM, GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VOTER, THIS ONE HAS NOT COME TO MIND.
SO HOW COME THIS DIDN'T COME TO THE COMMITTEE? THIS WENT TO CITY COUNCIL DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND WE IDENTIFIED EACH OF THE TS THAT WERE, WE WERE GONNA BE USING.
AND SO IT WENT TO THE FULL COUNCIL INSTEAD OF GOING TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NOT BEEN VOTED ON BY THE TURS.
AND SO WHAT WE SAID, WE'D BE GOING THROUGH THE TOURS PROCESS TO, UM, SOLICIT THEIR APPROVALS, AND WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM ALL THE TOURS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WEST SIDE, EXCEPTION OF WEST SIDE BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT BOARD TO BE APPOINTED.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO, TWO OR THREE BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN APPOINTED.
AND SO WE'LL BE SCHEDULING THAT MEETING.
SO, UH, I MEAN, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF MOVING THOSE MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I JUST, I'M RELUCTANT TO VOTE ON IT TODAY WHEN THEY HAVE NOT ALL, I MEAN, THERE IS, UM, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY DON'T SUPPORT IT, THEN YOU'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FUNDING AS PLANNED AS, AS THAT WE HAVE, HOWEVER, AS IT'S AVAILABLE.
AND SO, I MEAN, IS ALSO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IT'S GOING TO, IS THAT, UM, HOW, SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TOURS, UH, HOUSTON TOUR STREET OR THE INNER CITY TOURS MID AND EVEN THE MISSION, UH, DRIVE-IN, DO THOSE TOUR STAY IN THEIR APPROPRIATE AREAS? NO, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, THE, THE TOUR FUNDING IS ALL GOING INTO ONE POT TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES.
AND, BUT HOWEVER, THE, THE ENTIRE $35 MILLION PLAN IS GOING TO HELP CITYWIDE AS WELL.
BUT THERE IS A TARGETED EFFORT TO FOCUS ON DISTRICTS 3, 5, 2, AND ONE WITH THAT FUNDING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE WEST SIDE TOUR ONLY HAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
SOME OF IT'S ALREADY DEDICATED OR HOPE TO BE DEDICATED IF THE BOARD APPROVES IT.
BUT, UM, IF ONE HAS MORE MONEY THAN THE OTHER, IT STILL GOES CITYWIDE.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A TARGETED FOCUS WITHIN THOSE FOUR DISTRICTS, UHHUH OR IN THOSE AREAS.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT WE HAVE A BRIEFING IN THE COMMITTEE ABOUT WHAT PROJECTS WE INTEND TO FUND WITH EASE.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO MORE OF THE 30% OF A M I MM-HMM.
IS THAT A REQUIREMENT OF THESE, THIS FUNDING? THAT IT GOES TO SUPPORT THAT THIS FUNDING IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE PRESENTED AS PART OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN.
AND MAJORITY OF THIS FUNDING WE'RE USING TOWARDS GAP FINANCING FOR MULTIFAMILY.
AND WE DO HAVE A DEEPER AFFORDABILITY
[03:15:01]
REQUIREMENT, AND ALSO WE'RE USING IT FOR THOSE INFILL PROJECTS AND THOSE REHAB PROJECTS THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT WILL BE TARGETED IN THOSE DISTRICTS.WELL, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, JUST RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT WHEN WE HAVE NOT APPROVED ALL OF THE FUNDING.
ERIC, YOU HAD A COMMENT? I, I WAS JUST GONNA SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, NEXT MONTH WILL BE, WILL BE A QUARTER INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, SO IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL TO GIVE THE COMMITTEE AN UPDATE ON THE ENTIRE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES THIS, UH, THE TOURIST FUNDING AND THE COMPONENTS.
AND THAT WAY WE CAN, WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, AND WE'LL DO THAT NEXT MONTH.
MAYOR, CAN I JUST, AND ONE MORE A QUESTION.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT IN THE BUDGET WE APPROVED 21 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE 35 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH INCLUDES THE 6 MILLION OR 6.1 MILLION FROM THET.
AND PERHAPS WE COULD GET ALL OF THAT.
UM, YES, SO I, YEAH, UM, CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBERS SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT WOULD BE, UH, I THINK IMPORTANT TO KNOW, UH, HOW MUCH OF IT IS GOING TO THE GAP FINANCING, PARTICULARLY FOR MULTIFAMILY.
AND HOW MUCH IS GOING TO THE INFILL, UH, PRODUCT? UM, SO LIKE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, JADA MENTIONED, WE, WE'VE ALSO HAD LOTS OF, UH, WORKSHOPS IN THE DISTRICT TO CONTINUE TO DO INFILL HOUSING, REALLY TARGETED SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DEVELOPERS ARE HAVING ACCESS TO THESE FUNDS.
THAT WAS, WE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE NOW CAB WORK SESSION THAT WE HAD IN DISTRICT FIVE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE OUTREACH TO THOSE CONTRACTORS.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL AS WELL, THAT THIS MONEY'S NOT JUST GOING TO THE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT OR EVEN LARGE SCALE INFILL PROJECTS.
WE ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THOSE SMALL CONTRACTORS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE SMALL INFILL AND REHAB PROJECTS.
AND I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT WE'RE SLATED TO GO TO A B SESSION IN EARLY DECEMBER ON A PRODUCTION PIPELINE UPDATE, AND WE CAN PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THIS AT THAT B SESSION TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION IN THAT NOTE.
UM, BECAUSE TO COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT, UM, OUR MISSION DRIVE ENTERS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE AND WE'RE BUILDING IT UP.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT, UM, WE, THEY WERE HAPPY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GIVING SOME DOLLARS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE IT'S A, A LARGER PLAY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND, UM, TO ALSO, TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT YES TO AT THAT PRODUCTION PIPELINE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THESE DOLLARS ARE BEING FUNDED AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO, IF THEY ARE, UM, A MINOR HOME REPAIR OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TOWARDS.
COUNCIL MEMBER P THANK YOU, SIR.
JUST WANTED TO REITERATE MY, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THIS AND MY NON-SUPPORT OF THIS BECAUSE THE TURS MONEY IS REALLY MONEY THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND IT'S ADDITIONAL, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL STRAIN ON THE GENERAL FUND, AND I DON'T SEE THAT THE HOUSING IS REALLY GONNA MAKE UP THAT, UH, SHORTFALL OR THAT, THAT SPEND OUT OF THOSE TURS TO BUILD THOSE TURS UP.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, UM, VOTE AGAINST THAT.
JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT BACK OUT THERE AGAIN.
UM, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 23.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU LORI, UH, FOR THE WORK.
THIS IS DIRECTLY OUTTA THE POLICY THAT CITY COUNCIL PASSED, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE IT.
OH, THAT'S ALL OF OUR ITEMS TODAY.
[30. City Manager's Report]
DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? YES, SIR.JUST REAL QUICK, UH, I WANTED TO REMIND THE COUNCIL MANY OF YOU'LL BE PARTICIPATING NEXT WEEK, UH, AS WE HOST THE, UH, ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPECTING OVER 4,000 MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS IN TOWN NEXT WEEK, AND LOCAL LEADERS, UH, MANY OF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF THE SESSIONS.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO TO REMIND YOU THAT, UH, PATRICK STACK AND CARLOS CONTRERAS, WHO HAVE BEEN KIND OF THE STAFF LEADS, HAVE HELPED ORGANIZE 18 MOBILE WORKSHOPS TO SHARE WITH VISITORS, UH, AT THE CON WITH THE CONVENTION, UH, AND HIGHLIGHT A NUMBER OF AREAS THROUGHOUT TOWN REDEVELOPMENT OF BROOKS, PRE-K FOR SA, UH, THE NEXT LEVEL OPPORTUNITY CENTER, AND A WHOLE SLEW OF OTHERS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT NEXT WEEK.
I DID WANT TO ALSO, UH, ANNA, IF YOU'LL STAND UP, UM, MAY YOU KNOW THAT, UM, EMILY, UM,
[03:20:01]
UM, AT THE END OF NEXT MONTH, WE'LL BE EX UH, DELIVERING, UM, UM, A NEW BABY.AND, AND, UH, UM, IN ADVANCE OF THIS, UH, I'VE ASKED ANNA BRAD BRADSHAW, UH, HONOR WAIVE YOUR HAND.
UH, ANNA IS, UH, THE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR IN OUR HR DEPARTMENT.
UH, SHE'S WORKED IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND, UH, WHILE, UH, EMILY'S ON MATERNITY LEAVE, ANA, UH, WILL FILL IN.
UM, AND SHE'LL BE WORKING WITH EMILY OVER THE NEXT MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SKIP A BEAT.
AND I WANTED TO THANK ANA FOR, FOR STEPPING UP.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HER.
THE LAST, AND, UH, BUT NOT LEAST, UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW, DEBRA HILL.
DEBRA HILL, UH, IS, UH, IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UH, TODAY IS HER LAST DAY, 36 YEARS WITH THE CITY.
UM, AND, UM, UM, SHE'S WORKED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
HR PARKS AND REC, UH, AND, UH, AS A MEMBER OF A SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES.
SO MANY THANKS TO DEBORAH HILL WHO, UM, DID NOT WANT TO COME OVER HERE TODAY.
SO IF YOU GOT TIME, WALK ACROSS THE STREET AND CATCH HER IN THE BUILDING.
BUT I WANTED TO TO THANK HER FOR HER YEARS OF SERVICE.
UM, AND DEBORAH, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE, UM, AND, UH, THE MODESTY OF YOUR, UH, SERVICE.
UM, AND NOT APPEARING BEFORE COUNCIL, BUT WE DO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DEBORAH, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
UM, WE HAVE SOME POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE REALLY QUICKLY.
WE ALSO DO HAVE A EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO EVERYBODY STAY TUNED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, AND THEN VIRON.
JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF, UH, OR A FEW LESS THAN A MINUTE TO ANNOUNCE THAT ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER THE 16TH, THE KABOOM AND WOLF PACK NINJAS WILL BE HOSTING A FREE ADVENTURE COURSE CHALLENGE AT PEARSON PARK.
I INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO DROP IN AND PLAY LIKE A NINJA ANYTIME FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:30 PM SO I'LL BE THERE AS WELL.
TAKING THE CHALLENGE LATER THAT DAY, THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT LADY HEROES WILL COMPETE IN A CAMP HERO LIKE HER FAST PIT SOFTBALL EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST THE PALO ALTO PALOMINO GIRLS TEAM TO BENEFIT THE CAMP HERO LIKE HER PROJECT, BECAUSE THERE'S NO HERO WITHOUT HER OPENING.
CEREMONIES BEGIN AT 3 45 AT U T S A ROADRUNNER SOFTBALL FIELD, AND YOURS TRULY WILL BE THROWING AT THE FIRST PITCH AT 4:00 PM SO HERE'S MY JERSEY.
AND FINALLY, I INVITE YOU ALL AND THE PUBLIC TO A FORUM ON HOMELESSNESS THAT WE WILL HOST IN DISTRICT FOUR ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH AT 6:30 PM AT NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN CENTER.
AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK IS NEXT WEEK, AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR THIS EVENT.
SO I INVITE YOU ALL INTO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF Y'ALL THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
UM, THIS IS JUST TO SAY, ERIC, I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT LAST WEEK WE HAD OUR DISTRICT THREE FIVE K AT THE NU STINSON HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
I WANNA INVITE ALL OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO GO OUT THERE.
BUT I WANTED TO TELL YOU, ERIC, THAT STAFF HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB WITH THAT.
CARLOS AND RUSS, WHO WILL MISS, UM, THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE, GIVE THEM KUDOS AND TO YOU.
UM, WAS IT, I THOUGHT SOMEBODY ELSE TAPPED IN.
[Executive Session]
WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.THE TIME IS NOW 12:43 PM ON THIS 14TH DAY.
THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WILL NOW RECESS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY CONCERNING ATTORNEY-CLIENT MATTERS UNDER CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.