* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
          WHERE'S THE GAP? OKAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          TIME IS 2:10 PM WELL, I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO CALL THE ROLE MAYOR NUREMBERG. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HERE. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. 
          MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WE HAVE THREE ITEMS FOR BRIEFING TODAY. 
          UH, BUT WE'LL 
          [1. 19-8468 Approval of the minutes from the City Council Governance Committee Meeting on October 16, 2019.]
BEGIN WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING OF OCTOBER 16TH. 
          WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 16TH. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AND THE OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. 
          [2. 19-8434 A briefing and discussion on a Council Consideration Request from Councilmember Pelaez for Community Land Trusts and sale-leaseback methods for residential homeowners. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, AICP, Neighborhood and Housing Services Department Director]]
ITEM TWO. 
          ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND SALE LEASEBACK METHODS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNERS. 
          THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY LORI HOUSTON. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          AS THE CLERK MENTIONED, THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST SUBMITTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MANNY SS ON THE USE OF COMMITTEE LAND TRUST AND SALE LEASEBACK TOOLS. 
          UM, THIS IS A TOOL THAT WE ACTUALLY WERE CONSIDERING AT THE TIME THAT THE C C R WAS SUBMITTED TO CITY STAFF, AND IT WAS INCORPORATED INTO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUSINESS PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET PROCESS, UM, FOR THE, TO FAMILIARIZE YOU WITH THE PROGRAM. 
          A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ALLOWS YOU TO SEPARATE THE LAND FROM THE ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND SO WHAT WE'RE EXPLORING IS AS WE GO FORWARD AND PURCHASE HOMES OR PURCHASE PROPERTY TO BUILD IMPROVEMENTS ON PRESENTING OPTIONS TO A LAND, OR, I'M SORRY, PRESENTING OPTIONS TO A HOME BUYER OR THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, OR THE ENTITY WOULD RETAIN THE OWNERSHIP OF THAT LAND AND ALLOW THEM TO OWN THE IMPROVEMENT, AND THEREFORE THEY WOULD ONLY PAY TAXES ON THAT IMPROVEMENT. 
          UM, IT'S A GREAT TOOL THAT ALLOWS A PROPERTY OWNER TO GROW INTO THEIR HOME PAYMENT. 
          UM, WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THIS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS AND PRESENTING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL IN SPRING OF 2020, UM, OUTLINING THE OPTIONS FOR THE USE OF A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, AS WELL AS THE SALES LEASE PACK PROGRAM. 
          THE SALES LEASE PACK PROGRAM IS VERY SIMILAR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE WOULD PURCHASE THE HOME BUT THEN LEASE IT BACK TO THAT OWNER, UM, TO THE ACTUAL, UM, TENANT OF THAT HOME. 
          IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO RETAIN THEIR HOMES. 
          IT ALLOWS US TO CONTROL COSTS AS IT RELATES TO TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROPERTY. 
          SO IF THE CITY WERE TO RETAIN THE LAND ITSELF, THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD NOT PAY TAXES ON THE LAND. 
          THEY'D ONLY PAY TAXES ON THAT IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK WITH OPTIONS IN THE SPRING. 
          AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE RECOMMENDED AS PART OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET, AND WE PUT SOME FUNDING ASIDE TO HELP US WITH THAT. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LORI. 
          UM, AND, UH, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          COURAGE. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UH, LORI, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY, UH, TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND AND LEASING BACK THE PROPERTY TO A, A POTENTIAL, UH, RESIDENT, WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE, THE TAXES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COUNTIES, HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA? I, I DO WANNA CLARIFY. 
          IT WOULD BE THE TRUST THAT WE SET UP THAT WOULD OWN THE PROPERTY, BUT THE CITY WOULD CREATE THE TRUST. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, IF THE CITY RETAINS THE PROPERTY, THE LAND ITSELF, IT IS EXEMPT FROM THOSE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES. 
          SO IT, THERE WOULD NOT BE TAXES PAID ON THE, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, PAID FROM BEXAR COUNTY, UM, PAID FROM, UM, U H S. 
          SO IT'S COMPLETELY TAX EXEMPT. 
          THE ONE THING THIS TOOL DOES NOT DO, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH JEFF COYLE AND OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM, IS THAT IF WE'RE TO USE THIS TOOL AND WE ALLOW THEM TO HAVE AN EXEMPTION, UM, FOR THEIR PROPERTY OWNER, THE THE PROPERTY THEY, THEY HAVE, UM, IT PROVIDES THAT INDIVIDUAL OWNER RELIEF. 
          BUT IF WE IMPROVE THAT PROPERTY, THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR'S VALUE MIGHT INCREASE AS WELL. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS WE'RE EXPLORING ON HOW WE CAN GO BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE AND GET BROADER POWERS TO PROTECT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT JUST THAT INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY. 
          NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ATTACK, A BIT OF TAX RELIEF BASED ON THE VALUE OF THE, THE LAND. 
          YES. 
          BUT THE, 
          [00:05:01]
UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LAND WOULD STILL BE TAXABLE TO ALL THE TAXING ENTITIES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          HAVE WE TALKED TO THE BEAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT ABOUT THIS AND GOTTEN ANY, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND THEY WORK, HAVE THEY, THEY, THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THIS PROGRAM AND IT BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL. 
          WHERE ELSE IS THIS BEING DONE IN ANY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS? UM, IT'S BEING DONE IN SEVERAL CITIES. 
          UM, I LOOK AT, UM, BALTIMORE IS ONE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT. 
          AND I CAN GET YOU A LIST OF THE OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS, THOUGH. 
          ARE THERE A FEW IN TEXAS, HOUSTON AND AUSTIN. 
          HOUSTON AND AUSTIN. 
          COULD WE MAYBE GET COPIES OF, OF THEIR PROGRAM SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH AND, AND A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, HISTORY. 
          HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? AND I CERTAINLY WOULD ENTERTAIN HEARING FROM ANY OTHER CITY MM-HMM. 
          , BUT I THINK MM-HMM. 
          YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF TEXAS AND MAYBE GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR SOME KIND OF RELIEF, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS IN TEXAS. 
          SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR FINAL PLAN. 
          WE PRESENT THAT TO THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN THE SPRING, AND THEN MOST LIKELY IN A B SESSION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, SO JUST KIND OF IN LOOKING AT IT HERE, IS COUNCIL MEMBER BEIS HERE? IS HE HERE FOR THIS? C C R? MM-HMM. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          UM, HE'S ON HIS WAY. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          UM, I GUESS WHAT IMMEDIATELY CONCERNS ME IS THAT THESE THINGS ARE, UM, NOT LEGAL JUST BY LOOKING AT IT. 
          I MEAN, ARE THESE, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF HE WAS HERE, BEING A LAWYER AND ALL. 
          SO, I MEAN, UM, THE SALE LEASEBACK PROGRAM AND THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS, I MEAN, YOU'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PILOT, UM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF THE TROUBLE THAT WE WERE HAVING PER OUR CHARTER. 
          THAT WE COULDN'T DO LAND TRUST TYPE DEALS. 
          UH, COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ARE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. 
          SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ESTABLISHED IN STATE LAW THAT WE CAN DO. 
          UH, HOUSTON AND AUSTIN ARE THE ONLY CITIES IN TEXAS SO FAR THAT HAVE OPERATING PROGRAMS TO DO THIS. 
          BUT THERE ARE MODELS TO DO IT, AND IT IS LEGAL TO DO IT. 
          THE, UH, CHARTER COMPLICATION CAME IN WITH REGARD TO HOUSING BONDS. 
          WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO ISSUE BONDS FOR PUBLIC WORK. 
          SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT CITY OWNS, BUILDINGS, STREETS, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO WE NEED CHARTER LANGUAGE TO ALLOW FOR TRADITIONAL HOUSING BONDS LIKE THEY HAVE IN OTHER CITIES AND IN OTHER STATES WHERE YOU CAN DO GAP FINANCING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO DO A VERY SPECIFIC URBAN RENEWAL HOUSING BOND MM-HMM. 
           THIS TIME AROUND. 
          BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO DIFFERENT ASPECTS. 
          SO I GUESS THAT WAS A ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE JUST, UM, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, WE CAN DO THAT WITHIN OUR CURRENT RENEW ESSAY. 
          YES, WE CAN. 
          UM, UH, UH, UM, SO I GUESS I JUST SAW THE REASON WE HAD NOT DONE THEM WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LEGAL. 
          SO THEN THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT WHY WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS IN THE PAST, EVEN THOUGH I THINK THAT WE'VE TRIED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES, HASN'T IT? WE, WE'VE HAVEN'T, WE TRIED THIS BEFORE AND IT JUST DIDN'T, THERE'VE BEEN LAND BANKING PROGRAMS IN VARIOUS ITERATIONS THAT, THAT WE'VE DONE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO LAND BANKING IS DIFFERENT FROM LAND TRUST LAND BANKING? CORRECT. 
          THE LAND TRUST IS THE CITY PURCHASES THE ACTUAL DIRT, THE, THE PROPERTY. 
          AND THAT REMOVES THAT FROM THE TAX ROLL. 
          SO IT LOWERS THE ABILITY OR THE, AND THAT'S A BANK OR A TRUST? THAT'S A TRUST. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THE LAND BANKERS WE'RE BUYING PROPERTIES AND THEN SELLING THOSE TO DEVELOPERS TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 
          WE DON'T RETAIN THE INTEREST. 
          WE COM WE SORT OF COMPILE A PORTFOLIO OF PROPERTY AND THEN WE SELL IT OUT TO DEVELOPER SYSTEM. 
          WE RETAIN THAT OWNERSHIP INTEREST SO THAT WE'RE ELIMINATING THAT TAX, UH, BURDEN ON THE PEOPLE THAT END UP MOVING INTO THOSE HOMES. 
          SO THIS IS MORE OF, OF A PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES TAX RELIEF AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY DEVELOPING HOUSING. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING. 
          SO, UM, AND THEN REGARDING THE LEASE, THE SALE LEASE BACK, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, JUST ON ITS SURFACE MAKES ME KIND OF NERVOUS ALSO FOR THE SAME THING THAT YOU MIGHT GET. 
          LIKE HOW, HOW CAN YOU PREP? UM, LIKE A, AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, ACTUALLY SET OUT WITHIN THE STATE LAW. 
          IT TELLS YOU HOW YOU CAN DO IT AND WHAT ENTITIES CAN ENTER INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS. 
          BUT THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS THAT THE CITY BUYS THE PROPERTY, THERE'S CONSTRUCTION BUILT ON THAT PROPERTY, AND AS PART OF THAT, THERE'S A LONG-TERM LEASE MADE TO THE DEVELOPER OR THE HOMEOWNER. 
          AND SO THE CITY RETAINS OWNERSHIP IN THAT PROPERTY, BUT LEASES IT LONG-TERM TO THE OCCUPANT. 
          SO IT, THAT'S THE SALE AND LEASEBACK PORTION OF IT. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT KEEPS THAT REAL PROPERTY UNDERNEATH OFF THE TAX ROLL. 
          AND THAT ALSO WOULD BE DONE THROUGH THE RENEW S A YES. 
          THROUGH RENEW, S A THROUGH WHATEVER COMPONENT WE DEEM FITS WHATEVER THE STATE LAW REQUIRES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          AND SO I GUESS THIS, WE'RE 
          [00:10:01]
TRYING TO BRING THIS TO A COMMITTEE, UM, AND, UH, PROBABLY DO SOME PILOTS TO SEE IF IT'S LIKE, I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. 
          NUMBER ONE, THAT IT, IT WOULD BE HARD TO SHOW RESULTS, UM, RIGHT. 
          LIKE, SO DO YOU HAVE A TARGETED AREA OR DO YOU HAVE A TARGETED, I MEAN, I, I, I IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE LIKE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE CONCERNS OF GENTRIFICATION. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. 
          SO WE WOULD BE RE BRINGING THAT BACK IN THE SPRING WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW WE UNVEIL THE PROGRAM. 
          AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE PRESENTING THIS AS WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPLORING IT, COMING BACK WITH A DRAFT PROGRAM, BUT MOST LIKELY IT WOULD HAVE TARGETED AREAS. 
          WE WOULD PROBABLY START WITH A SMALLER FOOTPRINT AND THEN EXPAND. 
          AND THOSE WOULD BE INCORPORATED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND THEN ULTIMATELY CITY COUNCIL. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PURSUING THIS OPTION. 
          I DO THINK IT'LL, UM, IT COULD PROVIDE SOME MUCH NEEDED TAX RELIEF, NOT ON TODAY'S LEVELS OF TAXES, BUT FUTURE, UH, INCREASES IN, UH, LAND VALUE. 
          UM, MY ONLY A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          UM, IT TALKS ABOUT A TRUST HERE MM-HMM. 
          , AND, UH, FROM THE PRESENTATION YOU GAVE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE A WHOLE NEW ENTITY THAT WOULD BE CREATED. 
          IS THAT YOUR CURRENT RECOMMENDATION OR WHAT YOU'RE EXPLORING RIGHT NOW? I'M GONNA LET ED GUZMAN SPEAK TO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE WOULD USE THE ESSAY, BUT THE TRUST, YEAH. 
          SO IT COULD BE PART OF THE RENEW ESSAY PROGRAM, BUT WE WOULD UTILIZE, UM, ONE OF THE MANDATED ENTITIES TO DO IT. 
          SO IT COULD BE A FINANCE CORP OR SOME OTHER SIMILAR CORPORATION THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MANAGE IT. 
          SO, UH, BUT IT WOULD BE PART OF THE RENEW SA PROGRAM, BUT IT WOULD'VE TO HAVE ITS OWN BOARD. 
          BUT YEAH, IT WOULD HAVE ITS OWN INDEPENDENT BOARD. 
          WE'D HAVE TO SET UP ESSENTIALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MANAGE AND DO OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRAM. 
          IS THERE, UM, WOULD THAT OVERLAP IN ANY WAY WITH THE MOST RECENT, UH, ITERATION OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION? UH, I MEAN, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND I'LL LET LORI KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES MIGHT BE, BUT I, I THINK THE CITY ALREADY HAS A, A FINANCE CORPORATION THAT COULD BE SUITABLE FOR IT. 
          IT, THERE COULD BE SOME ITERATION OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION OR, OR SOMETHING ELSE. 
          SO, BUT WE WILL LOOK AT THAT. 
          WE HAVE SEVERAL HOUSING BOARDS, UM, TO INCLUDE THE RENEW SA BOARD. 
          WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
          WE HAVE THE HOUSING COMMISSION, THE PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION. 
          WE'LL LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE. 
          AND IN FACT, WE'RE DOING OUR HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          WE'RE IN PHASE ONE OF THAT. 
          AND SO THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WILL BE DONE AS PART OF THAT. 
          AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH OF THESE ENTITIES AND THEIR APPROPRIATE ROLE AS IT RELATES TO THESE TOOLS. 
          SO THAT DUE DILIGENCE WILL BE DONE BY THE TIME WE MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          AND THAT, UH, JUST BRINGS UP A, A COROLLARY TO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE, OF THE GROUP, UH, OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION WAS THAT THERE BE SOME, UH, MORE STREAMLINING MM-HMM. 
          , UH, IN TERMS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT BODIES THAT, THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO ASK ABOUT THAT NOW, BUT HOW IS THAT GOING? THAT IS BEING DONE AS PART OF OUR HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          AND SO THE MAYOR'S HOUSING TASK FORCE DID A GREAT JOB OF CREATING A FRAMEWORK MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO NOW WE WANNA TAKE THAT FRAMEWORK AND CREATE A PLAN ON HOW WE IMPLEMENT IT, BUT WE DON'T WANNA DO IT ALONE. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSING TRUST AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. 
          WHEN THAT PLAN COMES TO CITY COUNCIL, IT'LL CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES. 
          IT'LL ALSO CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE OVERS, OVERSIGHT BOARDS AS WELL, AND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          AND THERE MAY BE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON STREAMLINING, BUT ALL OF THIS, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, THE SALES LEASEBACK PROGRAMS, THEY WILL BE PACKAGED AS PART OF THAT HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          SURE. 
          AND WHEN DOES THAT COME TO COUNCIL? WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT TO COUNCIL IN MAY OF 2020. 
          UM, WE, THE STREAMLINING OR THE, THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF, THAT INCLUDES THE STREAMLINING OKAY. 
          IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, THE DRAFT WE PRESENTED IN MAY, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE MORE PUBLIC INPUT AND GO TO COUNCIL MOST LIKELY IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME. 
          OKAY. 
          ONE OF MY CONCERNS HAD BEEN THAT, UM, THERE WAS AN EVALUATION GOING ON OF THE, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE P F C OR THE TRUST MM-HMM. 
          , UM, RIGHT NOW. 
          SO I DIDN'T KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS THE BEST PLACE TO, TO PUT THIS, GIVEN THAT THAT REVIEW THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. 
          SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT STEP IS FOR THIS TO BE DISCUSSED AT, UM, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE. 
          WELL, THE NEXT STEP IS FOR US TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND HAVE SOME COMMUNITY INPUT, AND THEN WE'LL BRING OUR PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE. 
          [00:15:01]
UM, AND THIS WILL BE MOST LIKELY PACKAGED AS PART OF THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          FOLD IT INTO THAT, AND THEN IT'LL GO TO COUNCIL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, COULD YOU TALK AND THE OUTREACH, COULD YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PLAN? WELL, WE HAVE, UH, WELL, WE, USING THE ESSAY SPEAK UP FRAMEWORK, OF COURSE, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE WOULD BE U UM, REACHING OUT TO. 
          ONE ARE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, UM, WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS, UM, MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE TOOL. 
          UM, BUT ALSO USE THE EXPERTISE IN THE HOUSING COMMISSION AND THEIR OTHER REGULATORY BODIES THAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, WE ARE ENGAGING, UM, SOME CONSULTANTS TO HELP US WITH THIS. 
          UM, LISC IS ONE OF THOSE THAT'LL BE WORKING WITH US. 
          UM, WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING WITH, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE HOUSING COMMISSION. 
          WE LIKE TO USE THEM AS THE PUBLIC INPUT ARM FOR THIS PLAN. 
          UM, THEIR, UM, MEETINGS HAVE A CITIZENS TO BE HEARD COMPONENT, SO WE CAN BE PRESENTING UPDATES ON THE PLAN AND BE GETTING FEEDBACK FEEDBACK AS WELL. 
          SO THAT CONSISTENT FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE HOUSING COMMISSION. 
          BUT WE'LL BE DOING OTHER, UM, INDIVIDUAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH THE TIER ONE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WITH OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN ADDITION TO OUR PARTNERS, LIKE THE HOUSING TRUST, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THEN THE CHODOS. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO I, I'M SORRY, JUST FOR CLARITY, UM, SO FOR, YOU'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON BOTH OF THESE MM-HMM. 
          , UM, AND THEN IT, AND THEN YOU'LL GO, UH, AND GET FEEDBACK, WHATEVER, AND THEN YOU'LL GO TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION? WELL, THE HOUSING COMMISSION HAS, IS, IS THE BODY THAT PROVIDES OVERSIGHT OF THE MAYOR'S HOUSING FRAMEWORK. 
          AND THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING CONVERTED INTO AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION. 
          AND SO THE HOUSING COMMISSION HAS BEEN, WE'LL BE PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THIS, UM, PROGRAM, AND THEN WE'LL PRESENT IT TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          I THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. 
          NO, THANK YOU, HONOR. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OTHER COMMENTS, BUT, UH, BEFORE THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PALAZ, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ANY STATEMENTS. 
          THIS IS A C C R HE HAD GENERATED MAYOR. 
          REALLY, I'M JUST AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, IF ANY. 
          AND THAT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS COME TO MY MIND. 
          UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COORDINATING AND COLLABORATING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING TRUST FOUNDATION, UH, AND, AND THE OTHER SECTIONS OF THE HOUSING TRUST PROGRAM, THEY'RE ALL KIND OF INDEPENDENT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , THEY'RE ALL, UH, INCORPORATED ON THEIR OWN. 
          AND THEN WE'VE GOT SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY. 
          MM-HMM. 
           ALSO INCORPORATED ON ITS OWN. 
          UH, AND I'M JUST SEEING SOME CHALLENGES AND TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE, BECAUSE I THINK THEY'VE ALL BEEN GOING IN PRETTY MUCH THEIR OWN DIRECTIONS. 
          YES. 
          THE DIRECTION IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          UH, BUT, UH, I'D, I'D LIKE YOU TO KEEP US UP TO DATE ON HOW YOUR WORK GOES ON DEVELOPING THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THEN MM-HMM. 
          UH, TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS NOW THAT I'M ON THE HOUSING TRUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I SEE POTENTIAL FOR THE HOUSING TRUST TO BE THAT KIND OF ENTITY THAT COULD CREATE THE KIND OF HOUSING BONDS MM-HMM. 
           THAT WE COULD USE SINCE THE CITY CAN'T DO IT. 
          BUT THE HOUSING TRUST, THE, THE FC COULD MM-HMM. 
          , UH, AND HOW DOES THAT PARTNER WITH SAHA, HOW DOES THAT PARTNER WITH, UH, WHAT WE MAY BE CREATING THROUGH A TRUST FOR LAND AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PRETTY COMPLEX. 
          SO I HOPE YOU'LL KEEP US VERY UP TO DATE ON, ON THE STEPS AND LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE BARRIERS. 
          AND I THINK THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO BE PRETTY INVOLVED IN TRYING TO GET ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTIES TO COME TO THE TABLE SOME WAY. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THOSE POINTS OUT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I DO WANNA MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE MEETING, COORDINATING, COLLABORATING, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO INTEGRATE NOW. 
          I MEAN, IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A MEETING, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE INTEGRATED AND OUR TOOLS ARE HELPING EACH OTHER. 
          SO WHEN WE BRING FORWARD THIS PLAN TO COUNCIL, IT'S GOING TO ALSO GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOUSING TRUST FOR THEIR ADOPTION AS WELL. 
          SO WE ARE ALL OPERATING ON THE SAME HOUSING PLAN FOR SAN ANTONIO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE, UM, JUST A BRIEFING ON THIS ITEM. 
          YOU DON'T NEED ANY FURTHER ACTION ON THIS? NO. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE UPDATE. 
          ALRIGHT, 
          [3. 19-8462 A briefing and discussion on a Council Consideration Request from Councilmember Rocha-Garcia for the creation of a Small Business Advisory Commission. [Carlos J. Contreras III, Assistant City Manager; Alejandra Lopez, Interim Director, Economic Development]]
ITEM NUMBER THREE. 
          ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA FOR THE CREATION OF A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION AND BY ALEX LOPEZ. 
          [00:20:02]
OKAY. 
          FLOOR ZERO IS ALEX. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          JUST A QUICK BRIEFING AGAIN ON THE C C R AUTHORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADRIANA ROCIA LAST MONTH REGARDING THE CREATION OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION. 
          UM, TO ADVISE SPECIFICALLY ON POLICY ISSUES THAT AFFECT SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          AND I'D LIKE TO START BY JUST PROVIDING A TINY BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION. 
          AND A LOT OF IT WE ALREADY KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES REPRESENT 97% OF THE BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          HOWEVER, THEIR CHALLENGES, UH, TO GROWTH AND CAPACITY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM LARGER BUSINESSES. 
          OUR DEPARTMENT PROVIDES A VARIETY OF RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES ALREADY, AND THEY INCLUDE OUR RELATIVELY NEW SMALL BUSINESS FEE WAIVER DEVELOPMENT WAIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OR DEVELOPMENT FEE WAIVER PROGRAM. 
          OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ALAMO COLLEGES FOR OUR MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM, AND THEN OUR COLLABORATION WITH LIFTFUND FOR OPERATION OF LAUNCH SA AND FOR OUR LOAN INTEREST BUYDOWN PROGRAM. 
          BUT MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, WE'RE KNOWN FOR SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT PRACTICES, WHICH IS OUR S BETA PROGRAM FOR OVER 30 YEARS, WHAT WE NOW REFER TO AS THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR SPAC, HAS ADVISED MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF ON BUSINESS ISSUES RELATED TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE S BETA PROGRAM. 
          THE SPAC MEETS ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND CONSISTS OF 11 DISTRICT SPECIFIC MEMBERS APPOINTED BY MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          THE BYLAWS OF SPAC FOCUS ON RECOMMENDATIONS OR RECOMMENDING MODIFICATIONS TO THE C BETA ORDINANCE AND TO PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES TO PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION OF SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS. 
          AND SO, TO BRING THIS BACK TO TODAY'S AGENDA ITEM, THE C C R BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA ACKNOWLEDGES THE SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THE SPAC AND CALLS FOR THE CREATION OF A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION THROUGH WHICH SMALL BUSINESSES MAY BRING FEEDBACK ON CITY POLICIES. 
          SPECIFICALLY THE C C R RECOMMENDS THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS REPRESENTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR TWO YEAR, OR APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR TWO YEAR TERMS. TWO POSITIONS ON THIS PROPOSED COMMISSION WOULD BE RESERVED FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WOULD BE RESERVED FOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS. 
          THE C C R ALSO REFERENCES THE STAFFING OF THE COMMISSION BY THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE. 
          SO, SINCE RECEIVING THE C C R, WE'VE EXPLORED WHAT OPPORTUNITIES SMALL BUSINESSES CURRENTLY HAVE TO ENGAGE AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON CITY POLICIES. 
          ONE OF THOSE BEING SPEAKING AT ISSUE SPECIFIC BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SUCH AS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONS. 
          UM, IN ADDITION, DEPARTMENTS GATHER INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC ON POLICY ISSUES THROUGH R S A SPEAKUP PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES GRASSROOTS OUTREACH THROUGH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SURVEYS. 
          WE DO POPUP MEETINGS AND INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING ORGANIZED BY OTHER ENTITIES. 
          UM, WE DO TELEPHONE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND WE DO LIVE AUDIENCE POLLING AT MEETINGS, ALL OF THIS TO TRY TO GET FEEDBACK IN MORE NON-TRADITIONAL WAYS. 
          THE CONVENIENCE OF THIS APPROACH ALSO BENEFITS SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE STAFF RESOURCES TO ENGAGE THROUGH MORE TRADITIONAL METHODS. 
          AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ALREADY A VARIETY OF FEEDBACK OPTIONS, AND WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN EVALUATING THE CREATION OF A PROPOSED COMMISSION, ALONG WITH SEEKING THEIR FEEDBACK ON OUR CURRENT ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES. 
          THE SS A C AND OTHER BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING AND SERVING SMALL BUSINESSES SHOULD ALSO BE ENGAGED. 
          SO AS FAR AS OPTIONS, CITY COUNCIL COULD CHOOSE TO EXPAND THE ROLE OF THE CURRENT SPAC, BUT WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT DOING SO MAY RESULT IN LESS FOCUS ON OUR C BETA PROGRAM. 
          WE'VE EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN OUR CONTRACTING WITH SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, AND A LOT OF THAT SUCCESS IS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM SS A C AS AN ALTERNATIVE STAFF RECOMMENDS ENGAGING WITH LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO REVIEW CURRENT FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF THIS COMMISSION REGARDING STAFFING. 
          BASED ON OUR INITIAL RESEARCH AND COORDINATION WITH THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED THAT THIS POTENTIAL COMMISSION BE STAFFED BY THE CITY AUDITOR STAFFING THIS COMMISSION AND PROVIDING INPUT ON CITY POLICIES AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES MAY COMPROMISE THE AUDITOR'S ABILITY TO LATER INDEPENDENTLY REVIEW AND AUDIT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO IN SUMMARY, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WE GATHER FEEDBACK FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, PRESENT THE FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS ALONG WITH ANY ASSOCIATED FISCAL IMPACT TO THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE NO LATER THAN MARCH OF 2020. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEFING. 
          [00:25:01]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, ALEX, UH, THIS WAS, UH, C C R AUTHORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE US. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU ALEX FOR THAT, UM, THOROUGH PRESENTATION. 
          I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF, OF RECAPPING IT. 
          AND, UM, I WANT TO LET MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT AT, AT THE HEART OF THIS IS, UM, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE A VOICE AND WE HAVE ALL OF THESE OUTLETS AVAILABLE. 
          AND YET I'M STILL HEARING FROM MY SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER, BUT WE STILL NEED TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL WORK BECAUSE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT AREN'T WITHIN OUR PURVIEW BECAUSE OF THE, UM, BYLAWS OF THE, UM, THE CURRENT, UM, VETA. 
          UM, I, I I CALL IT VETA WORKING GROUP, ALTHOUGH THAT, THAT MIGHT BE A BAD THING TO CALL IT. 
          THE REASON THAT I BROUGHT THIS UP IS AGAIN, BECAUSE I, I ASSUMED THAT SMALL BUSINESSES COULD GO TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT POLICY OR ABOUT ANYTHING COMING UP DOWN THE PIPELINE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES MIGHT BE AFFECTED WITH. 
          AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T. 
          UM, BECAUSE, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS IS NOW, IS ONLY ALLOWED TO WORK SPECIFICALLY ON S BETA ORDINANCES. 
          SO ALTHOUGH THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER RESOURCES, THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION THAT ALLOWS 'EM TO COME IN AND EVEN BE THOUGHT INNOVATORS AS FAR AS SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH ALEX AND, AND EVEN WITH CARLOS EARLIER, UM, OR BEFORE WE BROUGHT THIS UP, UH, I MADE SURE THAT I VOICED MY, UM, OR WELL, YEAH, NO, I VOICED, UM, MY EXPRESSION FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN BECOME THE, THE THOUGHT LEADERS FOR US, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE, ARE DRIVEN, UM, WE'RE REACTIVE. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BECAUSE THEY EXPERIENCE, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME IDEAS, RIGHT? AND SO COME UP WITH SOME INNOVATIVE, UM, PRACTICES THAT MAYBE THEY SEE IN THEIR INDUSTRIES THAT WE COULD APPLY TO OTHER INDUSTRIES, FOR INSTANCE. 
          AND SO, UM, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A, A COMMISSION WHERE I COULD SEE, UH, FOLKS EVEN GETTING PRESENTATIONS FROM FOR, FROM, UH, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, GROW SA, WHICH WE'VE SUPPORTED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, RIGHT? AND SO THE WEBSITES THAT GROW SA IS WORKING ON. 
          AND SO I THINK THIS WOULD BE THE IDEAL COMMISSION, IF YOU WILL, OR COMMITTEE OR GROUP OF FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME SIGNIFICANT SIG UH, SIGNIFICANT FEEDBACK BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THIS ON A DAILY BASIS. 
          WE'D, OF COURSE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM ON ON HOURS, RIGHT? AND SO WHO CAN BE REPRESENTED AT WHAT TIME AND AT WHAT TIMES OF MEETINGS ARE, OR IF WE MOVE THE MEETING AROUND, OR WHAT LOCATION THE MEETINGS ARE HELD AT FOR EASY ACCESS TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. 
          UM, BUT THAT ALL COMES WITH, WITH LATER WITH, WITH FIGURING IT ALL OUT. 
          I AGREE. 
          AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH KEVIN, UM, THE CITY AUDITOR, AND I HADN'T THOUGHT OF IT WHEN I PUT TOGETHER MY C C R, BUT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHEN I MET WITH KEVIN, HE MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO BE ESSENTIALLY AUDITING THE VERY SAME THINGS THAT HE COULD POTENTIALLY BE RECOMMENDING TO AUDIT. 
          I HADN'T THOUGHT OF IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS WHY I'M, I'M GLAD THAT STAFF BROUGHT THAT UP. 
          AND SO, UM, I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF CARLOS, UH, CARLOS'S, UH, RESPONSES. 
          SO, SO IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COULD STILL DO. 
          I STILL DO BELIEVE THAT THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS SHOULD BE, UM, VERY SPECIFIC, UH, IN HAVING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, THAT WE HAVE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THAT WE HAVE MADE SOME OF THE LOCAL CHAMBERS OR LOCAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE PRESENT. 
          UM, BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PLACE, PLACE FOR THIS. 
          I LIKE THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA, UH, RECOMMEND TO MOVE IT FORWARD THROUGH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD BE. 
          UM, AND I LIKE YOUR PROPOSED MARCH, 2020 DAY. 
          I WOULD LOVE FOR MAYBE THE IMPLEMENTATION TO LAND ON MAY, 2020, MAY 3RD THROUGH THE NINTH, THE SMALL BUSINESS WEEK. 
          AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE. 
          UH, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LAUNCHED THIS IN HONOR OF SMALL BUSINESS WEEK SO THAT WE COULD SHOW OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH BY THE WAY, HIGHER MAJORITY OF OUR FOLKS, UM, THAT WE ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THEM AND JUST WORK WITH THEM. 
          SO THANK YOU ALEX. 
          AND, UM, MAYOR, THOSE ARE ALL OF MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BAR GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, OR YEAH, GO FIRST. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, SO I, I GUESS, UH, OH, CAN YOU WANT ME TO PROCEED OR YOU WANT ME TO NO, GO AHEAD. 
          THE, THE KINDNESS OF THIS GROUP IS ASTONISHING. 
          GO AHEAD, . 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          WE ALREADY BATTLED IT OUT EARLIER. 
          NOW WE'RE MAKING UP AND, UH, , UM, UH, SO, UM, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COUNCILMAN, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE GENERATION, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE COMMITTEE, I KNOW IT CAME UP A LOT DURING THE PAID 
          [00:30:01]
SICK LEAVE, IS THAT A LOT OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WERE COMING FORWARD, UH, SAYING, WE DON'T, WE WANT TO GIVE OUR OPINIONS ABOUT THIS, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. 
          THAT THAT WAS PART OF IT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          UM, AND, AND THEN I KNOW IN PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT I'VE BEEN DOING IN, UH, IN THE DISTRICT, I'VE, I'VE SET UP SOME CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT, UH, BECAUSE JUST IN THE MAJOR CORRIDORS IN DISTRICT FIVE, UH, MAJOR CORRIDORS, WE HAD 850 MOM AND POP SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT HOW DO THEY EVEN GET INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, UH, JUST ANYTHING, UH, ROAD CLOSURES, LIKE WHAT, AND NOT JUST SIMPLE STUFF LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEIR STREET IS GONNA GO THROUGH LIKE A MAJOR, UH, REHAB, HOW DO THEY GIVE FEEDBACK ON THAT? I MEAN, THEY, THEY JUST FELT LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO, EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE A SMALL BUS, YOU KNOW, AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY. 
          UM, THERE WAS NOT A WAY FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO COMMUNICATE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, ABOUT, UH, STREET ENHANCEMENTS, ABOUT, UM, JUST SORT OF BASIC INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO KNOW FROM THE CITY. 
          UH, AND I KNOW, UM, I GOT MY START IN SMALL CITY GOVERNMENT BY SITTING ON THE SBA COMMITTEE A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. 
          UH, AND WE WERE DOING PRIMARILY SE BETA. 
          I MEAN, BACK THEN, THAT WAS 15 YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          IN FACT, THAT'S, RENEE DOMINGUEZ AND I BOTH SAT ON THIS BACK COMMITTEE WAY, WAY BACK WHEN. 
          SO, UM, I CAN SEE THE NEED, UH, FOR IT. 
          AND, UM, I JUST, ONE THING THAT WE KNOW IS NOT HELPFUL IS WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMITTEES AND PEOPLE DON'T COME, UM, THAT, 'CAUSE THEN YOU CAN'T REALLY GET ANY WORK DONE. 
          AND THE SUB BETA COMPONENT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          UH, BUT IT IS ALSO LIKE REALLY TECHNICAL. 
          UH, AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE FOR A LONG TIME TO REALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR PURPOSE OF BEING THERE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, MOST SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS JUST WANNA KNOW, LIKE, HOW CAN I GIVE INPUT TO WHAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE CITY? WHETHER IT'S BETTER SIGNAGE IN OUR STREETS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW TO GROW OR HOW TO EXPAND THEIR SERVICES, OR, OR, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE BIG THINGS LIKE HOW DO I BECOME A CITY VENDOR? WHICH I, I DO THINK THAT WE, WE DO A GOOD JOB OF THAT, BUT, UM, STILL NOT QUITE ENOUGH, UH, COMMUNICATION. 
          UH, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S THE HARDEST PART, BUT, UM, STILL SORT OF LACKING IN THAT AREA, UH, IS THAT HOW ARE WE COMMUNICATING ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO PEOPLE. 
          SO, UM, I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING IT BACK TO, UM, THE WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S ONE THING THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE WELL AS A CITY IS PRIORITIZE OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. 
          WE DO A LOT FOR, UH, LARGE BUSINESSES AND LARGE CONTRACTS. 
          WE DO A LOT TO TRY TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES, UM, IF YOU'RE IN A BIG COMPANY, BUT VERY, VERY LITTLE TO HELP THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. 
          AND WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, OF COURSE, ALEX, YOU AND I HAVE OVER THE YEARS, IS THAT I HAVE BELIEVED THAT WE HAVE NOT, UM, REALLY DONE HARDLY ANYTHING TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, EVEN THOUGH THEY, THEY'RE 90%, 97%, I GUESS YOU SAID, OF THE WORKFORCE, WHICH I KNEW IT WAS A LOT, BUT I DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I KNEW IT WAS AS HIGH AS 97%. 
          UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. 
          AND, AND EVEN IN CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH SAWS AND C P S OVER THE YEARS, THAT THEY NEED TO DEVELOP A, A SMALL BUSINESS, UM, SUPPORT, UM, DEPARTMENT OR AT LEAST PERSON. 
          UM, AND I HAVE ASKED MY COLLEAGUES, I I THINK COUNCILMAN COURAGE IN PARTICULAR OVER THE YEARS HAVE, HAVE ANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS EVER COME TO YOU AND SAID THAT THEY FELT LIKE C P S ENERGY WAS THE ONE HOLDING UP SUPPORT OF THEIR PROJECT. 
          AND IT SEEMS LIKE HE TOLD ME NO, THAT HE HAD NOT HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. 
          THAT SAWS AND C P S ENERGY WERE NOT THE REASONS WHY BUSINESSES WERE NOT DEVELOPING IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD YET. 
          I GET CALLS VERY OFTEN OVER THE YEARS THAT SAWS IN C P S ENERGY ARE HOLDING UP PROJECTS. 
          SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I I I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT WE CAN DO STILL. 
          SO I, I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE, UM, DISCUSSIONS IN THE, IN THE, UM, COMMITTEE. 
          AND, UH, SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR, UM, FOR, FOR, UH, FOR BRINGING IT UP. 
          UM, BECAUSE, UH, PERHAPS I'VE GOTTEN SIDETRACKED OVER THE YEARS. 
          IT WAS ALWAYS, ALWAYS MY NUMBER ONE ISSUE OVER THE YEARS WAS TO DO MORE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          AND PERHAPS I'VE GOTTEN SIDETRACKED  WITH OTHER PRIORITIES. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. 
          UM, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO MAKE SURE I FULLY UNDERSTOOD WHEN I SPOKE WITH YOU ABOUT IT, YOU SAID ORIGINALLY YOU HAD WANTED THIS TO BE PART 
          [00:35:01]
OF THE CURRENT COMMITTEE AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS A SEPARATE GO AHEAD. 
          YEAH. 
          UHHUH , NO, IT WAS, UH, SEPARATE IN, IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
          UM, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. 
          I DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, JUST KIND OF SAY, LET'S GO AND TAKE OVER WHAT THE CE BETA OR WHAT THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DOES RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THERE'S DATA SPECIFIC. 
          SO THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO, OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          'CAUSE I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THE BYLAWS BEING THE LIMITATION, BUT BYLAWS CAN ALWAYS BE MODIFIED. 
          RIGHT? SO I JUST, I, I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE THE ONLY REASON WHY, WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. 
          UM, UH, SO, UH, A CO A COUPLE OF THING, AND NUMBER ONE, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO RENAME THE OTHER COMMITTEE, BECAUSE IT'S CALLED SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
          AGREED. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, TO BE CLARIFIED. 
          UM, AND I GUESS, UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU SAY 97%, WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WOULD FOCUS ON? THE, THAT STATISTIC OF 97% IS WHAT? UM, I BELIEVE IT'S ANYBODY, ANY ORGANIZATION OR ENTITY WITH LESS THAN 500 EMPLOYEES. 
          SO EVEN THAT IS VERY, VERY BIG. 
          UM, WE CAN, WE CAN BE MORE SPECIFIC. 
          UM, WE TECHNICALLY HAVE SIZE STANDARDS. 
          IT, IT JUST, WE ALWAYS END UP GOING BACK TO S BETA AND THE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE FOR S BETA THAT GOVERN SIZE STANDARD AS WELL. 
          SO WE COULD DO THAT WITHIN THAT PROGRAM. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A, A SMALLER SUBSET OF EMERGING SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE MORE OF LIKE 25% OF THAT SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD. 
          SO WE CAN BE THAT SPECIFIC. 
          WE JUST KNOW THAT IT'S, THAT THE IMPACT OF POLICIES, THE IMPACT OF ANY KIND OF INITIATIVES WE HAVE IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR A FIRM THAT HAS LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES THAN FOR ONE. 
          I MEAN, EVEN BETWEEN 50 AND 500 MM-HMM. 
          , THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE. 
          NO, AGREED. 
          UM, WHAT I WOULDN'T WANT IS FOR THOSE EMPLOYERS OF FIVE, UH, PEOPLE OR 10 PEOPLE TO GET LOST. 
          AND WE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE END UP FOCUSING ON THE 400 PLUS EMPLOYEES. 
          SO I JUST, AS WE CREATE THIS, I WANNA BE VERY MINDFUL IF WE DO WANNA FOCUS ON ONE OR THE OTHER, OR ENSURE THAT, ENSURE THAT WE CARRY THEM ALL ALONG WITH US, RIGHT. 
          THAT THERE'S ALWAYS A, A PLACE AND A CONSIDERATION FOR THE BUSINESSES OF DIFFERENT SIZE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, GOING FORWARD. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER THING I WAS, I WAS LOOKING AT THE AGENDA FOR YOUR, THE SS A C AGENDA. 
          TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD SUPPORT, UH, SOME OF, SOME OF THIS, BUT SOME OF IT IS VERY TECHNICAL, IT'S A CITY PROCUREMENT PRACTICES AND PROCESSES. 
          SO THE IDEA IS THAT THIS NEW COMMITTEE WOULDN'T FOCUS SO MUCH ON BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, RIGHT? NO, IT WOULD BE IN GENERAL, HOW DO YOU GROW YOUR, YOUR BUSINESS, RIGHT? OR LIKE THE COUNCILMAN MENTIONED, OTHER INNOVATIVE PRACTICES OR IDEAS THAT THEY COULD MAYBE, UM, GATHER CALLED, UH, BRING TOGETHER. 
          UM, SO I THINK FOR ME, THE, THE OTHER THING THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT IS THAT THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION OR INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE TWO COMMITTEES. 
          SO IF, UH, ONE DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO REPORT TO THE OTHER, BUT PERHAPS ONE CAN HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE OTHER, UH, COMMITTEE, SOMEONE WHO WILL EITHER REPORT OUT OR SHARE OUT, OR WHOSE JOB WOULD BE TO CARRY SOME OF THOSE MESSAGES, UH, BACK AND FORTH, THAT MAY HAPPEN ORGANICALLY BASED ON THE APPOINTMENTS. 
          BUT IF IT DOESN'T, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO NURTURE THAT. 
          UM, AND, UH, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE'RE OH, OH, I KNOW WHAT IT'S, UM, SO S BETA ISN'T JUST ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, RIGHT? IT'S WOMEN, IT'S SMALL BUSINESS, BUT THEN IT'S MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          THAT'S THE SPECIFIC FOCUS. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS COMMITTEE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT THEN IT KIND OF BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT THE MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES OR WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES OR BUSINESSES IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN A DEMAND TO CREATE A FORUM FOR THEM, BUT IS IT JUST, IT JUST BRINGS THAT QUESTION TO MY MIND IS WHERE WHERE CAN THEY GO? SO BECAUSE OF THE SUB BETA EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE DATA, WE KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN IN, UM, WOMEN, MINORITY VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES, THEY ARE SMALL. 
          SO THEY ALSO MEET, THEY MEET BOTH OF THOSE DEFINITIONS. 
          I THINK SMALL IS, UM, OR CONSIDERING THAT THAT DEFINITION, THE SMALL BUSINESS, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE INCLUSIVE TO OTHER BUSINESSES THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE MINORITY OR WOMEN OWNED, BUT ALSO BE OF THEIR SIZE STANDARDS CAN VERY MUCH RELATE TO THE ISSUES THAT MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ALSO EXPERIENCE. 
          SURE. 
          UM, WE STILL CATEGORIZE THEM DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT? WE CALL ONE MINORITY OWNED AND ONE, UH, WOMEN OWNED. 
          [00:40:01]
BECAUSE SOME EXPERIENCES ARE THE SAME, BASED ON THEIR SIZE. 
          SOME EXPERIENCES ARE DIFFERENT. 
          ARE DIFFERENT, YES. 
          BASED ON THE WOMAN OR THE MINORITY. 
          YES. 
          UM, SO I JUST, UH, I DON'T WANNA JUST GR ASSUME THAT THEIR ISSUES WILL BE HANDLED THERE. 
          SO I JUST, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT. 
          COUNCILMAN. 
          A COUPLE THOUGHTS. 
          ONE IS WE CERTAINLY COULD CONSIDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMITTEE SOME CLASSIFICATIONS THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THAT'S ONE OPTION. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT FOR VETA, ALL OF THOSE ARE SMALL, AS, AS ALEX SAID MM-HMM. 
          , THEY, SO THEY HAVE TO BE SMALL FIRST, AND THEN WE, AND THEN, AND THEN WE SEPARATE AMONG SO THAT WE CAN TARGET OH, OKAY. 
          AS WE NEED TO AMONG THOSE. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          AND I THINK ALEX WAS RIGHT, RIGHT? THAT SMALL BUSINESSES SAN ANTONIO ARE LIKELY GONNA BE MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES AS WELL, RIGHT? VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          NO, NO, THAT, THAT HELPS. 
          BUT, UH, I DO THINK IT IS, UH, I, I LIKE THE SUGGESTION THAT YOU POSED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ARE, ARE REPRESENTED. 
          SO, ALRIGHT. 
          UH, GREAT. 
          THOSE WERE, OH, SORRY. 
          AND COULD YOU CLARIFY THE THING ABOUT THE AUDIT AND KEVIN BART? HOLD, I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT. 
           COUNCILWOMAN ON THAT. 
          UH, THE ORIGINAL, UH, C C R, UH, STATED THAT IT COULD BE MANAGED UNDER MY DEPARTMENT. 
          ONE THING THAT I HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT IS THE INDEPENDENCE THAT I HAVE AS THE INTERNAL AUDITOR. 
          AND IF I BECOME PART OF THIS PROCESS, THEREFORE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, LOOKING, LOOKING AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES, RECOMMENDATIONS, WHATEVER, THAT THEN COULD BE SEEN AS A HINDRANCE TO MY INDEPENDENCE TO COME BACK AND AUDIT THAT PROCESS. 
          YOU'RE GONNA SAY IT'S PERFECT, RIGHT? THAT'S, WELL, IF I'M  IF YOU'RE GONNA CREATE IT, OF COURSE, . 
          WELL, OF COURSE. 
          BUT NO, IT'S, IT'S AN INDEPENDENCE ISSUE I NEED TO BE AWARE OF OR I NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, INPUT THAT ALL OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN SO FAR. 
          I REALLY KIND OF SAT DOWN WITH THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT IN MY MIND THAT, WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST EXPAND THE, UH, UH, THE SERVICES THAT, UH, SPACS PROVIDES. 
          BUT I THINK THE MORE I'VE HEARD THE SHARED CONCERN THAT MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AND, AND WHEN I THINK MORE DEEPLY ABOUT SBA AND, AND HOW THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT SITUATION AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF WOMEN'S BUSINESSES OR VETERANS OR MINORITY OWNED IT, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT SHOULD STAND ON ITS OWN. 
          BUT I DO LIKE THE, UH, SUGGESTION THAT, THAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL MADE, THAT THERE BE SOME KIND OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE SO THEY UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN ONE AREA AND HOW IT MAY IMPACT THE OTHER. 
          UM, HOWEVER, I ALSO FEEL LIKE, UM, THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE REPRESENTED BY A LOT OF THE CHAMBERS. 
          UH, WE HAVE ONE OF THE MEMBERS HERE, MASSA SANCHEZ, FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HISPANIC CHAMBER. 
          AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT A GOOD 90% OF YOUR MEMBERS ARE SMALL BUSINESSES, AND SOME OF THEM, OF COURSE, VERY SMALL. 
          BUT I GUESS EVEN THE CHAMBERS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING DECISIONS. 
          THEY MAY HAVE SOME INPUT BY COMING TO US, WRITING TO US, SITTING DOWN AND TALKING WITH US, BUT THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING AS HAVING, YOU KNOW, SOME REAL ADVISORY CAPACITY, UH, THAT MAYBE SMALL BUSINESSES FEEL LIKE THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DIRECTLY. 
          SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING SOME MORE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MIGHT BE COMING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS C C R AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE. 
          UM, AND IT'S NOT TO SHORTCHANGE THE CHAMBERS. 
          I THINK THEY PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT, UH, RESPONSIBILITY AND THERE MAY BE A WAY OF INCLUDING SOME OF THEM IN THIS OVERALL PROCESS, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN REPRESENT EVEN MORE OF THE BUSINESSES. 
          IT MIGHT BE GREAT TO HAVE 10 OR 11 PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT 11 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD TWO OR THREE CHAMBER REPRESENTATIVES ON THERE, THEY'RE REPRESENTING HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES. 
          SO SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER IN THE MIX AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS. 
          SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, OR I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO REFERENCE, HE HAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WAS ADDRESSED BY BOTH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND BY, UM, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. 
          AND IT IS THAT WE, UM, ARE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME CONTINUITY IN THE JANUARY 18TH MINUTES OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, THERE WAS, UM, SOME CONVERSATION THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE SOME CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE TWO CITIZEN MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND TO THE SS A C MEMBERS, FOR INSTANCE. 
          AND SO I THOUGHT, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KEPT HURTING, HEARING, 
          [00:45:01]
JUST, UM, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE TALK TO EACH OTHER, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S SOME COMMITTEES THAT ARE DOING SOME WORK, BUT, BUT SOUNDING OFF OR JUST EVEN BEING, UM, UH, READING THROUGH THE MINUTES OR OFFERING, UH, THE MINUTES TO SOME OF THESE OTHER COMMITTEES. 
          I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT PART OF IT. 
          I THINK ALSO WHEN, UM, I, UH, WAS PROPOSING THE C C R, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDERED, UM, NOT ONLY THE STAGGERED TERMS, BUT THAT YES, THAT WE HAD A NONPROFIT REPRESENTED, AND THAT WE HAD SPECIFICALLY TWO OF THE LOCAL CHAMBERS INCLUDED IN THE COMPOSITION OF THIS NEW COMMISSION. 
          UM, BECAUSE I REALLY DO THINK THAT THEY'RE SOME OF THE, THE ONES THAT GET AFFECTED THE MOST. 
          AND I KNOW DIANE IS HERE, AND I, I KIND OF SAW HER, UM, GET UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW IF, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING, DIANE, UM, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, UM, UH, CHAMBER'S PARTICIPATION IN SOMETHING. 
          CAN YOU TELL, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT I'M EMOTIONAL ABOUT?  JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. 
          ONE THING IS THAT THE 97% TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IS LESS THAN A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES. 
          WE HAVE 54% THAT ARE LESS THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, AND YOU, TO YOUR POINT, UH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, UH, COURAGE, YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT, UM, A LOT OF THE SMALL, BUT, BUT THE HISPANICS ARE NOT THE MAJORITY OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. 
          WE'RE LIKE 20 SOMETHING PERCENT. 
          UM, AND SO AS WE PEEL BACK AND WE GET A HOLD OF THESE NUMBERS, I THINK THE, THE, THE, I THINK THE CONCEPT IS EXCELLENT. 
          I THINK MY, MY RECOMMENDATION HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN CAP AND, UM, SAFE AND SICK LEAVE IS THE EXECUTION SECTORS SIZE, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILWOMAN SANDAL, LOOK AT IT, NOT SO MUCH DO WE HAVE THE CHAMBERS INVOLVED, BUT HOW DO WE LOOK AT THE SECTORS, LOOK AT THE VARIOUS SIZES, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT THAT BASED ON CONTRIBUTIONS, CLUSTERS. 
          AGAIN, UH, THAT'S REALLY THE, THE PERSPECTIVE WE'RE TAKING NOW AS HISPANIC CHAMBER AND THEN LOOKING AT IT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA FIND A LOT OF NON-HISPANIC AND, AND VETERAN AND WOMEN, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT NEED TO BE ATTENDED. 
          AND YOU WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO NOW IS GET AHOLD OF THOSE NUMBERS SO WE'RE ALL TALKING OFF THE SAME SHEET. 
          BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IS GET US INVOLVED, BUT FOCUS ON THE, THE SECTORS, FOCUS ON THE SIZE, AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TARGETING ALL OF THOSE AND LOOK AT WHERE THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT IS, IS WHERE THE MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, HIRED, AND WHAT COMPANIES REPRESENT THOSE. 
          WHERE CAN WE MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT SO WE CAN TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN SOME OF THE GROWTH SECTORS, AS AN EXAMPLE, LIKE CONSTRUCTION. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO ANYWAY, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT START. 
          JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GO BACK, THAT WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT THIS FROM AN EXECUTION STANDPOINT, UM, REALLY WELL THOUGHT OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU DIANE. 
          AND THANK YOU SOPHIE ALSO FOR BEING HERE. 
          I KNOW YOU SAID THERE WAS A, A, A SUPPORT LETTER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE WHAT DIANE JUST SAID AND, AND EXPAND ON IT TO SAY THIS, THERE ARE MULTIPLE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN THE CITY. 
          ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES I'VE HEARD EXPRESSED BY DIFFERENT CHAMBER, UH, ORGANIZERS IS THAT ONE OR TWO GET PLACED ON A COMMITTEE AND THE OTHERS DON'T. 
          SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WHATEVER WE DO IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, IF WE INCLUDE CHAMBERS, THAT WE WORK OUT SOME KIND OF A ROTATING BASIS SO THAT MAYBE EVERY YEAR ONE DIFFERENT CHAMBER GOES OFF AND ONE NEW ONE GOES ON THE NEXT YEAR, THE OTHER CHAMBER GOES OFF. 
          AND THAT WAY ALL OF THE CHAMBERS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WILL HAVE DIRECT INPUT, BUT ALSO THEY'LL LEARN TO, TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'VE GOT ANOTHER CHAMBER MEMBER ON THAT BOARD OR COMMITTEE THAT NEEDS INPUT FROM THE MEMBERS OF THIS CHAMBER. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          UM, I, I I'M GONNA SAY A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK ARE GONNA MAKE A FEW PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE. 
          UM, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT EQUITY. 
          UM, SO WE, WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF POLICY MAKING IN THIS COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO SO IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER THAT ENSURES THAT WE'RE DOING SO, AND WE'RE, WE'RE PROGRAMMING AND, AND CREATING INITIATIVES AND POLICIES THAT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          EQUITY IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT CREATING, UH, BALANCED BOARDS WHERE THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE NORTH SIDE AND FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. 
          IF THAT WERE THE CASE, IT WOULD BE EASY TO DO. 
          THE CHALLENGE WITH EQUITY IS THAT WE QUITE OFTEN HAVE TO DELIBERATELY BALANCE THE CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD, DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN HERE, DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, OR THEIR, THEIR MAYOR OR ANYBODY ELSE. 
          I MEAN, THE, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS POLICY TENDS TO BE CREATED, UH, IN RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE MOST DIRECT ACCESS TO THEIR COLLEAGUES OR TO THEIR, TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY 
          [00:50:01]
FOR A GENERATION HAS HAD NO PROBLEM MAKING THEIR PRESENCE FELT. 
          THEY HAVE OUR CELL PHONES, THEY CALL US. 
          UM, THEY, THEY OUR, WE KNOW THEIR POSITIONS. 
          UM, OUR CHALLENGE FROM A PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STANDPOINT IS TO BALANCE THAT INPUT WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS THAT THAT'S OUR, OUR CHALLENGE. 
          UM, I THINK THIS IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. 
          UM, AND I KNOW IT COMES FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE TECHNICALITIES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE. 
          AND, AND LORD KNOWS WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY. 
          UM, WHEN I FIRST SAW THE C C R, AND AS I THINK MORE ABOUT IT, UM, IF I HAD TO SCRIPT THE WHOLE THING OVER AGAIN, THE SBA AND HOW IT RELATES TO THIS COMMITTEE, I MAYBE WOULD FORM A, A COMMITTEE OF SMALL BUSINESS LEADERS INFORMED BY THE BUSINESSES THEMSELVES WHO SHOULD BE ON IT, UM, AND MAYBE HAVE SUBCOMMITTEES OF THOSE WHO CAN INFORM ON CE BETA, THOSE WHO CAN FORM ON, ON OTHER CONTRACTING ISSUES, PERHAPS, UH, SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT WE CAN THINK VERY CLEARLY OF STARTUPS AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          UH, BUT I WANT TO BE REALLY, WE C UH, I WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN FORM THESE KINDS OF COMMITTEES. 
          WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO OVERBALANCE THINGS AND, AND LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT OUR, OUR REAL WORK HAS TO BE DONE REACHING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE, WHO ARE VERY, VERY RARELY REPRESENTED IN CONVERSATIONS AT THIS DAIS. 
          SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD START, BUT I, BUT I WOULD CHALLENGE US AS WE THINK ABOUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, HOW WE CAN DO SO IN A, IN A, IN A, IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER, UH, THAT BEST REPRESENTS THE, THE OUTCOMES THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND, AND, AND HAS BEEN ASKING FOR. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY ACTION NEEDED TODAY. 
          UH, IT'S BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION. 
          I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR, FOR IT. 
          AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT, NEXT STEPS ON IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. 
          [4. 19-8464 A briefing and discussion on a Council Consideration Request from Councilmembers Gonzales and Viagran regarding gender pay parity. [Carlos J. Contreras III, Assistant City Manager; Alejandra Lopez, Interim Director, Economic Development]]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS GONZALEZ AND  REGARDING THE GENDER PAY PARITY. 
          AND THIS IS TO BE PRESENTED BY ALEX LOPEZ AS WELL. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN. 
          UH, THE C C R SPOUSE SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHIRLEY GONZALEZ AND REBECCA VRAN. 
          UM, LAST OCTOBER REQUESTED A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ACTION PLAN BY THE CITY'S, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A SET OF ECONOMIC PROGRAMS AND POLICIES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS GENDER PAY DISPARITIES. 
          UH, YOU MAY RECALL THAT LAST NOVEMBER, CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION ON WOMEN'S EQUITY, REAFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMIT, COMMIT, UM, THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN BY ELIMINATING ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BY PROMOTING HEALTH AND THE, AND SAFETY OF WOMEN BY PROMOTING SUBSTANTIVE ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN. 
          AND BY PROMOTING POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP BY WOMEN. 
          SO WE KNOW THAT ECONOMIC STABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT ARE CRITICAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS CURRENTLY PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMITMENTS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE WOMEN'S EQUITY RESOLUTION THROUGH THE 2018 CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS. 
          AND IN THE ONGOING MONITORING OF DELEGATE AGENCIES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, BOTH HUMAN SERVICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE DO SO BY ADDRESSING THE VARIOUS BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC STABILITY THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT WOMEN AND BY PROMOTING THEIR ECONOMIC RESILIENCY. 
          SPECIFICALLY, D H S PROMOTES THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF WOMEN BY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SAFETY NETS. 
          THEY WORK TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION. 
          THEY PROVIDE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND FINANCIAL COUNSELING, TUITION ASSISTANCE, AND CASE MANAGEMENT. 
          AND THEN THEY ALSO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION SERVICES. 
          IN ADDITION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALSO PROVIDES INCENTIVES AND TOOLS TO FOSTER WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH INCLUDES UPSKILLING SERVICES THAT RANGE FROM LITERACY AND NUMERACY TO G E D ATTAINMENT AND WORK EXPERIENCE, OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AND JOB PLACEMENT. 
          WE ALSO PROMOTE CITY CONTRACTING, AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, UM, ACCESS TO CAPITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, FEE WAIVERS, MENTORSHIP, AND BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES IN MAY OF 2019. 
          THIS, UM, WE ALSO FINALIZED A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO PROVIDE 
          [00:55:01]
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE STANDING OF WOMEN WITH RESPECT TO HEALTH, EDUCATION, WORK, HOUSING, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND VIOLENCE AMONG OTHER DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS. 
          SPECIFICALLY, THE REPORT INDICATED THAT WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO ARE LESS LIKELY THAN MEN TO DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO COMPLETE BACHELOR'S DEGREES. 
          HOWEVER, THEIR EDUCATIONAL GAINS ARE NOT YET CLOSING THE EARNINGS GAP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. 
          WOMEN WITHOUT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS, THOSE WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREES AND THOSE WITH GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREES EARN 64 CENTS, 81 CENTS AND 72 CENTS RESPECTIVELY FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY A MAN. 
          THESE EARNINGS DISPARITIES ARE FURTHER COMPOUNDED WHEN CONSIDERING RACE AND ETHNICITY. 
          SO THEREFORE, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING TWO NEXT STEPS IN ADDRESSING THE C C R, THE FIRST BEING FOR D H S TO EXPLORE PRACTICES TO CLOSE THE GENDER PAY GAP WITH THOSE AGENCIES WITH WHICH IT CONTRACTS THROUGH ITS DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESSES. 
          AND SECONDLY, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO COORDINATE WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPLORE GENDER PAY EQUITY BEST PRACTICES BY WHICH COMPANIES CAN QUALIFY WHEN SEEKING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES. 
          SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED INCLUDE PAY TRANSPARENCY, GENDER AWARENESS TRAINING, AND WOMEN'S SPONSORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. WE PROPOSE PRESENTING THE FINDINGS OF OUR RESEARCH AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL IN A B SESSION IN MARCH OF 2020. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, ALEX. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. 
          UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ALL OF OUR BUSINESS THIS MORNING, I FORGOT TO REMIND COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND THAT THIS WAS COMING TO OUR COMMITTEE TODAY. 
          I THINK SHE'S TIED UP, BUT I, I'VE ASKED HER TO PLEASE COME JOIN US. 
          UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT SHE IS A CHAIR OF THE WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UH, WAS, UM, ESPECIALLY CONCERNED WITH AS WELL. 
          AND, AND WE DO HAVE TWO GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE WHO I WOULD LIKE TO COME AND, UM, JUST INVITE TO PLEASE ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE. 
          I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS, BUT, UM, DIANE SANCHEZ, WILL YOU COME UP AND, UH, YOU, YOU'RE, UM, HERE FOR MULTIPLE, UH, REASONS TODAY, BUT THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE AND SURE. 
          COULD YOU, UM, TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, AS WE MOVE IT THROUGH PAY PARITY? SURE. 
          I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA REPRESENT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS LOOKING AT IT FROM A, FROM A, UH, WOMEN'S PARODY OR BEEN BASICALLY WAGE PARODY PERSPECTIVE. 
          BUT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I APPRECIATE THE PRIVILEGE TO SPEAKING HERE, TO THE GOVERNANCE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THIS FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE. 
          I MEAN, REALLY THE WAY WE'RE, WE'RE APPROACHING IT FROM THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE IS, IS I THINK THE WHOLE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, IS IN, AT THREE LEVELS. 
          ONE IS THE HOURLY WAGE, WHICH I THINK RECOGNIZING THAT, THAT WOMEN ARE A MAJOR, ARE A MAJORITY HERE NOW OF THE WAGE OWNERS AND THE BREADWINNERS IN A LOT OF THE FAMILIES, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT, UM, THEY DO REPRESENT THE WORKFORCES. 
          THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT FOR US, AN INITIATIVE THAT LOOKS AT IT AT, AND AS MENTIONED, THE HOURLY WAGES IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE KNOW. 
          I THINK, UM, ALEX MENTIONED IT'S BETWEEN 56 TO, I THINK 56 TO 61 CENTS TO THE DOLLAR AS IT RELATES TO WOMEN AND HISPANIC WOMEN. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IS ADDRESSING THE, THE NEED FOR WOMEN TO BE IN MANAGEMENT POSITIONS AND LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THIS CITY AND PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, AS WELL. 
          AND THE LAST IS ON BOARDS OF TRYING TO FOCUS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THE NEEDS TO GET WOMEN EQUALLY REPRESENTED ON OUR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PAYING BOARDS. 
          BUT I THINK THAT THAT PRETTY MUCH AS A WHOLE IS, IS WHERE WE'RE COMING AT. 
          AND I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS A MINORITY MAJORITY CITY, UM, WE'RE LOSING CONSIDERABLE MONEY AND OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO, WE'RE NOT PAID THERE. 
          WOMEN ARE NOT PAID THEIR FAIR SHARE. 
          AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOW TO A POINT WHERE IT'S GETTING, UM, IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WHERE IT DOES ACTUALLY, UH, HINDER US FROM A, FROM PROVIDING A, UM, AN ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN CAN SUCCEED. 
          I THINK THAT WE WANNA RECOGNIZE ALSO, JUST TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE ON NOVEMBER THE 20TH, UH, THAT IS LATINA EQUAL PAYDAY. 
          AND WHAT THAT REPRESENTS IS ON THAT DAY, IT TAKES US 2323, UM, MONTHS TO CATCH UP WITH AN ANGLO-SAXON MALE BASED ON WHAT WE'RE MAKING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE WORKFORCE. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN THAT HAVING COME FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD, IS THAT WE CREATE A VERY SUITABLE, EQUITABLE, AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO ADDRESS THIS. 
          AND WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THE CHAMBER'S GONE OUT OF OUR WAY TO, TO ENGAGE THE 104 CORPORATE, NOT ALL OF THEM LITERALLY, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE ANCHORS IN THIS, IN THE SECTORS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND SEE IF IT'S AN ISSUE THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT. 
          AND I, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEM, I'VE NOT FOUND ONE YET THAT SAYS, NO, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS. 
          BUT THAT'S OUR INTENT TO GO FORWARD, MAKE SURE THAT THE MAJOR CORPORATIONS AND THE LEADERS 
          [01:00:01]
IN THE SECTORS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR PERSPECTIVE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, DIANE. 
          AND IS F FRANCESCA HERE? I HEARD SHE WAS HERE, BUT I DON'T SEE HER. 
          OH, HERE. 
          YOU OKAY. 
          FRANCESCA, YOU WANNA, UM, JUST COME UP AND ADDRESS TO THE COMMITTEE WHAT, UM, YOU'RE WORKING ON AT THE YW AND THE ISSUES THAT YOU SEE REGARDING PAY PARITY IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? AND IF YOU COULD, UM, JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR ORGANIZATION, PLEASE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          HI, I AM FRANCESCA TRE. 
          I AM THE C E O OF THE Y W C A. 
          THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE. 
          I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO TURN IT OVER IN, IN ONE SECOND TO OUR DIRECTOR OF EQUITY WHO HAS BEEN HIRED FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, UM, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM UNITED WAY, A FIVE-YEAR GRANT TO CREATE A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AROUND THE WAGE EQUITY ISSUE AND WHAT WE ARE, MY FIRST DUTY OF BUSINESS WAS TO HIRE LILY KURA, WHO CO-AUTHORED THE STATUS OF WOMEN REPORTS. 
          SO I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO COME UP HERE. 
          I WAS NOT PREPARED MYSELF, SO, AND I BROUGHT A HANDOUT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO RUN THROUGH THAT. 
          HELLO, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          UM, I'M LILY RA. 
          I'M THE DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AT THE Y W C A. 
          AND AS FRANCESCA MENTIONED, WE HAVE, WELL, WE HAVE 110 YEAR HISTORY IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE'RE PART OF A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT HAS OVER 200 ASSOCIATIONS. 
          AND THE NATIONAL MISSION AS WELL AS THE ONE THAT WE SUPPORT WHOLEHEARTEDLY, IS TO ELIMINATE RACISM AND EMPOWER WOMEN. 
          SO WAGE EQUITY FOR WOMEN IS SQUARELY WITHIN THAT MISSION, WHICH IS SUPER COOL. 
          AND WE HAVE A FIVE-YEAR GRANT FROM UNITED WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WITH THREE PARTS TO IT. 
          SO THE FIRST IS A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. 
          THE SECOND PART IS CREATING A BUSINESS COUNCIL SO THAT BUSINESSES CAN WEIGH IN ON THIS TOPIC, WHICH IS VITAL. 
          AND THE THIRD PART IS THAT WE CREATE A CONSULTING PRACTICE FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THIS, SO THAT BUSINESSES WHO WANNA LEARN HOW TO BE MORE EQUITABLE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE BEST PRACTICES ARE. 
          SO, UM, I THINK THIS IS A CRUCIAL TOPIC FOR SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE DEFINITELY HIT ON IT IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT. 
          AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THE MOST WAS HOW IT DOVETAILS WITH ANOTHER THING WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HERE, WHICH IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          AND ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PIECES OF THE REPORT WAS SOME RESEARCH FROM A WOMAN PROFESSOR AT BROWN UNIVERSITY, WHICH POINTS OUT THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS LIKELY TO DROP WHEN THE WAGE DISPARITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN DECREASES, WHICH IS REALLY A POWERFUL ARGUMENT IN OUR CITY FOR BRINGING THAT TO BEAR. 
          I HAVE SINCE REACHED OUT TO HER AND TALKED WITH HER MORE ABOUT HER RESEARCH, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN EXACTLY REPLICATE HERE BECAUSE OF HOW SHE COLLECTED THE DATA, BUT I THINK WHAT WE GET FROM IT IS THE OVERALL PICTURE OF WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WOMEN ARE PAID BETTER, THEY HAVE MORE OPTIONS, INCLUDING ACHIEVING PERSONAL SAFETY, PRACTICING SELF-CARE, ACCESSING DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE WHEN THEY'RE UNDERPAID. 
          AND SO AT THE MOMENT, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A WHITE PAPER ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS THE MOST, EVEN THOUGH WE, WE'VE HEARD FOR YEARS THIS IDEA THAT WOMEN ARE PAID ABOUT 80 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR COMPARED TO MEN, AND THEN IT GOES DOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY. 
          SO ASIAN WOMEN ARE THE CLOSEST TO PARODY WITH WHITE NON-HISPANIC MEN THAN WHITE NON-HISPANIC WOMEN, THAN BLACK WOMEN THAN NATIVE AMERICAN, AND LAST OF ALL HISPANIC. 
          AND THAT KIND OF IS DIFFERENT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, FROM WHERE A LOT OF THINGS END UP, OFTEN NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN AND BLACK WOMEN EXPERIENCE THE WORST OUTCOMES OF POVERTY. 
          BUT IN THIS ONE, LATINA WOMEN DO. 
          SO WE WANNA ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF THE CITY ABOUT WHY THAT MIGHT BE. 
          AND IT TURNS OUT THAT LATINA WOMEN ARE OFTEN SORT OF CLUSTERED IN VERY LOW PAYING OCCUPATIONS. 
          AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE WORK AROUND IS IN ADDITION TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, I THINK WE'VE ALMOST GOT TWO ISSUES. 
          ONE IS, HOW DO WE PAY WOMEN MORE CLOSELY TO MEN USING THE MAYOR'S CONCEPT THERE OF EQUITY? IT'S NOT PAYING EVERYONE EQUAL ACROSS THE BOARD, IT'S PAYING THEM EQUALLY 
          [01:05:01]
UNFAIRLY WITHIN THEIR OCCUPATION, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT JUST THE SPECTRUM OF OCCUPATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          MY FEAR IS THAT WE ARE TOO CLUSTERED TOWARDS THE BOTTOM PERFORMING END OF THE OCCUPATIONAL SPECTRUM. 
          SO SOME OF THE RESEARCH I'VE COME ACROSS LATELY FROM DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND OTHERS TALKS ABOUT A LOCATION QUOTIENT. 
          AND THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU WOULD EXPECT TO BE IN AN OCCUPATION VERSUS HOW MANY YOU ACTUALLY HAVE HERE. 
          WE ARE WAY OVER, OF COURSE, ON LIKE FOOD SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE LOWEST PAYING JOBS. 
          SO THEY FIGURE WHAT THE AVERAGE IS FOR SOMEONE IN SAN ANTONIO, IF THAT'S THEIR FULL-TIME JOB. 
          AND LET'S SAY IT'S $24,000, BUT THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR. 
          SO PICTURE A SINGLE MOM THAT IS HER MAIN JOB WITH THREE CHILDREN. 
          THEY'RE ALREADY BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR. 
          SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS MORE FOCUS ON, I THINK WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CALLS PLATFORM JOBS. 
          SO LET'S START MOVING WOMEN AWAY FROM VERY LOW PAYING JOBS. 
          IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR OR SUCCESSFUL TO SAY, LET'S MAKE SURE YOU GET PAID AS MUCH AS MALES IN THAT INDUSTRY IF PEOPLE ALREADY CAN'T SURVIVE FROM THE PAY THEY GET. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT PARTS. 
          ONE IS, LET'S GET EQUITY, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN ARE PAID THE SAME ACROSS THE OCCUPATIONAL SPECTRUM, BUT LET'S ALSO BOOST HOWEVER WE CAN THE TYPES OF JOBS THAT ARE OPEN TO WOMEN. 
          AND ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, APPARENTLY AUSTIN HAS PUT THROUGH SOMETHING, UH, AN IMPRESSIVE RESOLUTION THAT THEIR CITY COUNCIL PROPOSED WHEN THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, WHICH WE KNOW IS AN ISSUE HERE AS WELL. 
          AND WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN DID IS PROPOSE THAT THEY WAIVE SERVICE FEES FOR CHILDCARE, UM, BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THAT WAS REALLY A BARRIER TO MORE CHILDCARE BEING STARTED UP. 
          AND SO I BROUGHT THAT ARTICLE, BUT I ALSO REFERENCED IT IN THE HANDOUT. 
          UM, WE HAVE CHALLENGES HERE WITH GETTING WOMEN TRAINED FOR HIGHER PAYING JOBS, AND OFTEN THE ISSUES COME BACK TO TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDCARE. 
          AND SO HOWEVER WE CAN SUPPORT THAT, I THINK WE'LL END UP WITH BETTER OUTCOMES. 
          BUT IN ANY CASE, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WORKING ON THIS TOPIC, AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO SHARE IN THE COMING MONTHS, BUT WE ALSO CAN USE YOUR HELP ON IT TOO. 
          SO LET'S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I DO SEE THAT COUNCILWOMAN VERAN HAS ARRIVED. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILWOMAN, FOR COMING OVER. 
          UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE C C R TOGETHER, UH, TO DISCUSS PAY PARITY, AND I HOPE YOU GOT TO HEAR SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PRESENTED, WHICH I THINK IS FASCINATING. 
          BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE ALSO. 
          THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN AND THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY AND FOR BEING PART OF THIS, UM, VERY EXCITING C C R COUNCILMAN. 
          I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR SOME YEARS NOW, AND, UM, WHAT I ALWAYS SAY, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES, IS THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, WE NEED TO START AT THE CITY AND WE NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. 
          AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THIS ACTION PLAN FOR US, IS WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A NUMBER OF ACTION PLANS TAKING PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT, WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER, UM, AVENUE FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD TO DO THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY AND TO DO, UM, SOME MORE ACTION ITEMS HERE. 
          THANK YOU TO STAFF WHO'S ALREADY TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE IN THIS REALM. 
          THANK YOU TO THE Y W C A, WHO IS ALSO HERE AND WHO'S SPEAKING, AND EVERYBODY WHO'S GOTTEN UP AND SPEAK, UH, TO SPEAK HERE TODAY IN, UH, SUPPORT OF THIS ACTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU ALL ARE, ARE THINKING ABOUT MA MOVING THIS CONVERSATION INTO WHAT COMMITTEE, BUT OF COURSE WE HOPE E W D C IS PART OF IT AND MAYBE, UM, EVEN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY, UH, COMMITTEE TOO. 
          SO WE CAN HAVE MANY EYES ON THIS AND GIVE A LOT OF INPUT HERE BECAUSE WHEN WE, UH, I WAS JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION IN ANOTHER MEETING RIGHT NOW BEFOREHAND, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE THE SPACE AND THE AVENUES FOR WOMEN FOR PROMOTION AS WELL THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED HERE, NOT JUST TO BE IN, UM, ENTRY JOBS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, MID MANAGEMENT POSITIONS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THESE C-SUITES AND BE PREPARING FOR THESE JOBS MOVING FORWARD. 
          WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT, UM, LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP BUSINESS LEADERS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE PREPARED TO. 
          AND, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS 
          [01:10:01]
A COUPLE OF, UH, MAYBE A WEEK AGO, AND TO THE CITY MANAGER, THE, UM, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S WOMEN LEADERSHIP MENT MENTORING PROGRAM IS ABSOLUTELY KEY TO THIS. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO PREPARE WOMEN, UM, TO PREPARE THE TOOLS FOR WOMEN TO START MOVING FORWARD AND HAVING THAT UPWARD MOBILITY. 
          BUT I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF NEED IN THIS CITY AND A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN. 
          WE KNOW THAT, UM, EVEN THOUGH WOMEN HAVE MADE THE MOST, UM, EDUCATIONAL GAINS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY'RE STILL NOT MAKING THOSE GAINS IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR. 
          SO WE NEED TO HELP FIND OUT WHERE, WHY, WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP ALLEVIATE AND TURN THAT NARRATIVE AROUND. 
          SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, AND WE DO ASK FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, COUNCILMAN FOR YOUR GROUND FOR COMING OVER. 
          AND SO I, I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS, AND, AND I'M, UH, ALEX, I KNOW THAT, UH, I, MY SENSE WAS THAT THIS ALWAYS SHOULD BE A WORKFORCE ISSUE. 
          THAT'S WHY WE ALSO HAVE DIANE HERE FROM THE CHAMBERS. 
          AND I THINK THE STUDY IS ALSO, UM, GONNA BE REALLY FASCINATING AS WE, UH, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          BUT I, I, I, UM, I DIDN'T, UM, I'M NOT THAT THRILLED ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT YOU MENTIONED. 
          LIKE I REALLY WANTED A LITTLE BIT MORE IMMEDIATE ACTION. 
          LIKE, WE NEED TO KNOW, LIKE CURRENTLY WHERE WE STAND, UM, IN SOME OF OUR, UH, WITHIN THE CITY, IF WE HAVE PAY PARITY THERE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN THAT, UH, HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT PERHAPS EVEN IN OUR OWN ORGANIZATION, WE DON'T HAVE PAY PARITY. 
          UH, WE KNOW THAT, UM, MOST OF THE, UM, EXECUTIVE TEAM ANYWAY, THEIR, THEIR PAY IS PUBLIC INFORMATION. 
          I CAN LOOK TODAY AND SEE HOW MUCH ERIC WELSH IS, UH, MAKING. 
          UM, AND I THINK THE TOP, UM, UH, MAYBE 20 PEOPLE, UH, THERE, THAT INFORMATION IS PUBLIC AS WELL. 
          BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT IT A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, UM, I THINK THERE WERE ONLY TWO WOMEN ON THAT LIST, AND IT WAS CHERYL AND CASSANDRA, MAYBE THERE WAS ONE OTHER ONE POLICE OFFICER. 
          UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HIGHEST PAID EXECUTIVES, EVEN AT THE CITY, WE ARE NOT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE PARODY. 
          THE OTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I WANNA SEE ANSWERED TODAY, UM, I THINK WE COULD DO THE SAME EXERCISE IN OUR COUNCIL OFFICES. 
          UH, WE HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SPOKE VERY HIGHLY SAYING THAT HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITIES WAS COUNCIL AID PAY. 
          WERE ALL THOSE COUNCIL AIDES ALSO BEING PAID EQUALLY, UM, BASED ON THEIR LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE. 
          AND, UH, I THINK WE COULD START THERE VERY EASILY. 
          UH, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT ALL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'VE INCENTIVIZED OVER THE YEARS, TOYOTA, THAT WE KNOW OF, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE, UM, MANUFACTURING JOBS THAT HAVE COME UP, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT WE INCENTIVIZED. 
          UM, ARE THEY PAYING PAR, UH, EQUALLY NOT I, AND I THINK THAT EVEN WE NEED TO WORK ON THE LANGUAGE. 
          SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, AND I'M LOOKING AT LILY NOW, IT'S NOT PAID PARITY. 
          IT'S THAT ARE YOU BEING PAID BASED ON YOUR EDUCATIONAL, UH, OR WORK EXPERIENCE? UM, COULD YOU JUST COME BACK UP AND CLARIFY THAT ONE MORE TIME? UM, BECAUSE I THINK I'M USING THE WRONG LANGUAGE. 
          SO WE'RE NOT A ASKING TO BE PAID EQUALLY, WE'RE ASKING THAT WOMEN ARE PAID BASED ON THEIR EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND THE WORK, UM, THAT WORK EXPERIENCE THAT THEY HAVE. 
          I THINK I WAS MAKING A SIMPLER POINT,  THAT JUST, WE ARE USED TO TALKING ABOUT EQUALITY, BUT EQUALITY WOULDN'T REALLY SERVE THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE SOMEONE DOING FOOD SERVICE VERSUS SURGERY, WE DON'T WANT THEM PAID THE SAME BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT QUALIFICATIONS, BUT WITHIN ANY OCCUPATION, THERE OUGHT TO BE PARODY. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, UH, BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAD A BRIEFING, UM, FROM ALAMO PROMISE, AND IT WAS STATED BY, UH, DR. 
          BRIDGER THAT THE ONE, UM, GREAT EQUALIZER IN POVERTY COULD BE, UH, EDUCATION. 
          BUT YET WE KNOW WE DO HAVE INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THAT WOMEN IN FACT DO HAVE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT RATES THAN MEN, YET WE'RE STILL SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERPAID. 
          SO THAT, UM, I THINK IS LIKE JUST STRAIGHT SEXISM. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE YOU COULD SAY IT. 
          UH, BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS IN THE STUDY. 
          SO, UM, ALEX, COULD YOU JUST COME BACK UP AGAIN AND TELL ME YOU WERE, YOU WERE, YOU HAD SUGGESTED SOME, A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS TO IDENTIFY, WE KNOW THAT WHY W IS ALREADY DOING SOME RESEARCH, UM, THAT THAT WAS A GRANT FROM THE UNITED WAY, SO THERE'S NO NEED TO DUPLICATE THAT EFFORT, IF I UNDERSTAND. 
          NOT AT ALL. 
          AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, 
          [01:15:01]
WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING ACTUALLY WAS TO COORDINATE WITH, UH, I MENTIONED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. 
          WE WERE SPECIFICALLY THINKING THE Y W C A, BECAUSE WE KNOW SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THAT LILY AND AND FRANCESCA ARE DOING. 
          UM, SO WE WANTED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT THEIR STRATEGY WAS, HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE. 
          UM, BUT THEN ALSO WITH ADDITIONAL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, WE KNEW SOME OF THE WORK THAT HISPANIC CHAMBER IS DOING, BUT WE'D ALSO LIKE TO REACH OUT TO E D F AND JENNA. 
          UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S INTEREST ON THEIR PART ALSO AROUND THIS TOPIC. 
          SO WE WANNA COORDINATE WITH SOME ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO PUT TOGETHER WHAT SOME OF THOSE PRACTICES WOULD BE, UM, WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY OR OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN OR BEST PRACTICES CAMPAIGN WE CAN TRY TO PROMOTE HERE IN OUR LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, I JUST, UH, I DON'T WANT US TO DUPLICATE SERVICES. 
          SO IT, IT WASN'T ENTIRELY CLEAR IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE YW 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THAT, BUT I'M SURE THAT, UM, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE YW AND I KNOW THEY COULD USE ALL THE HELP THEY COULD GET, AND NOT JUST, PROBABLY NOT IN THIS STUDY, BUT JUST IN ALL THE OTHER THINGS. 
          AND I ALSO THINK I DO ALSO HAVE A C C R FOR CHILDCARE, UM, IN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. 
          WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, UH, AS WELL. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT HIGH QUALITY, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE CHILDCARE. 
          WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT IS CHILDCARE AVAILABLE FOR AFTER HOURS MEETINGS? BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, MY CHIEF OF STAFF CAN TELL YOU AND, AND MY MOTHER AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO HELP ME EVERY DAY, UH, SO THAT I CAN ATTEND NIGHTTIME MEETINGS. 
          UM, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY IT IS SO HARD TO ATTEND, UH, NIGHTTIME NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, UM, IS BECAUSE I DO HAVE TO THEN HIRE A THIRD SHIFT BABYSITTER, WHICH IS A MINIMUM OF $3 OF THREE HOURS AT $15 AN HOUR. 
          SO FOR ME TO ATTEND A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING COSTS ME A MINIMUM OF $50, AND I STILL HAVEN'T FED MY CHILDREN. 
          AND BY THE TIME I GET HOME, UH, IT'S ALREADY NINE AND IT, IT'S JUST MAKES FOR A VERY DIFFICULT, UM, NIGHT. 
          SO I HOPE THAT THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE CAN ADDRESS. 
          AND AS IT RELATES TO OUR POVERTY REPORT, UH, I DON'T WANNA PILE TOO MANY THINGS ON BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THAT THEN IT GETS COMPLICATED. 
          UH, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TO JUST CHECK OUR OWN CITY DEPARTMENTS, OUR OWN COUNCIL STAFF, UH, DEPARTMENTS, TO DETERMINE THAT WOMEN ARE GETTING PAID EQUALLY GIVEN THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING AND OR THAT WOMEN ARE BEING PAID APPROPRIATELY AND JUST START IN HOUSE. 
          AND THEN ANY BUSINESS THAT WE'VE INCENTIVIZED, UH, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH A TAX ABATEMENT OR, UM, THROUGH THE NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS THAT WE INCENTIVIZE, UH, THAT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, THAT WHAT THE STATUS OF WOMEN IS WITHIN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MY COLLEAGUES. 
          UM, AND SO I GUESS THIS, THIS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE, IS THAT ACTION OR DO, IS IT, DO I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? OR IS THAT, DOES THAT GIVE YOU CLARITY OF, I KNOW THAT, UM, THIS HASN'T ALL THOROUGHLY BEEN VETTED, UH, BUT ANDY, CAN WE START WITH THAT? I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YOUR QUESTION WAS, CAN WE START WITH A LOOK AT OUR DEPARTMENTS, OUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, OUR COUNCIL DEPARTMENTS, AND ANY BUSINESS THAT WE'VE INCENTIVIZED? I KNOW LORI STEWART ISN'T HERE, BUT I KNOW, I THINK WE'VE, WE HAVE A, A STUDY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS CITYWIDE, UH, THAT, BUT WAS DONE, UH, MAYBE 20 14, 20 15 TIMEFRAME THAT WE CAN UPDATE. 
          WAS IT UPDATED? OKAY. 
          WHATEVER. 
          LET, LET ME, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO THE, THE, THE COMMENT THAT YOU MADE, UM, ABOUT ORGANIZATIONALLY, UM, THAT THAT ISSUE HAS BEEN RAISED UP AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          AND, UH, WE PROVIDED INFORMATION. 
          I'LL TELL YOU THAT FROM, FROM AN INTERNAL STANDPOINT. 
          UM, WE REVIEW THAT QUITE OFTEN. 
          UH, IT, THOSE JOB CATEGORIES GET REVIEWED WHEN WE HIRE A NEW EMPLOYEE TO DETERMINE BASED ON THE MARKET AS WE BRING THAT EMPLOYEE IN, WHAT DOES IT DO TO OTHER EMPLOYEES? AND AS PART OF THE ANALYSIS AND THE PAY, UM, AS IT GOES UP THE CHAIN. 
          AND, AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME TO ME, SOMETIMES THEY GO TO THE E L T, UM, HR DOES THE ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE EXISTING EMPLOYEES WITHIN THAT JOB CATEGORY. 
          UM, I'M FRANKLY QUITE CONFIDENT IN MOST OF OUR INFORMATION. 
          ACTUALLY, ALL OF OUR INFORMATION IS ONLINE, TO YOUR POINT. 
          UM, AND, AND WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, POLICE OFFICERS, EXECUTIVES, ACCOUNTANTS, I'M CONFIDENT THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE, UM, ARE, ARE EQUITABLE IN OUR PAY BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN RAISED UP BY COUNCIL, UM, OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. 
          AND, AND FRANKLY IT'S GOOD HR PRACTICES AND, UM, AND MOST OF THAT AND ALL THAT INFORMATION IS ONLINE. 
          I DID WANT TO, UM, UM, POINT OUT THAT, I GUESS JUST LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION, WHICH HA UH, ADD ADDS SOME COLOR TO THE, THE C C R, YOU KNOW, IT, UM, IT REALLY TIES INTO MAYBE A LARGER CO COUNCIL POLICY DISCUSSION ABOUT INCENTIVES AND BUSINESSES AND THE THINGS THAT WE 
          [01:20:01]
SHOULD REQUIRE THAT WE WANT, UM, AS OUR STATED GOALS. 
          AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BRIEF YOU PERIODICALLY ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. 
          THERE ARE PRIORITIES THAT THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE COUNCIL'S APPROVED. 
          UM, AND, UM, I'M WONDERING IF PART OF THAT CONVERSATION THAT YOU MAY BE TRYING TO INITIATE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE, OR MAYBE YOU'RE INTENDING I, AND I'D LIKE THE CLARIFICATION THAT MAYBE WE LOOK AT THAT, UH, FOR A POTENTIAL COMPONENT GOING FORWARD. 
          SO, UH, THANK YOU, ERIC. 
          WELL, I MEAN, PART OF IT IS JUST A STUDY LIKE CURRENTLY THOSE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN INCENTIVIZED, COULD WE JUST PICK A NUMBER IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UM, THAT HAVE GOTTEN, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN WE DO AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEIR, WE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THOSE. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, COUNSEL. 
          WE, WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO NOT COLLECT IT. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD GATHER THAT INFORMATION OR HOW WE WOULD AUDIT IT, OR, BUT I MEAN, THEY, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A CERTAIN WAGE. 
          CORRECT. 
          WE KNOW THAT, THAT THERE ARE EXECUTIVES THAT HAVE TO PAY A CERTAIN WAGE, RIGHT? SO WE DO VALIDATE ALL OF THAT. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          AND SO, BUT, BUT YOU DON'T VALIDATE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE MEN OR WOMEN, NOT BY GENDER? NO. 
          CAN YOU JUST ASK? WE COULD ASK. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD GATHER THAT FOR INFORMATION. 
          WE COULD CERTAINLY ASK. 
          I MEAN, I GUESS, IS IT LEGAL? CERTAINLY WE CAN ASK. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S NO LEGAL OBLIGATION FOR THEM TO PROVIDE THE, TO PROVIDE THE, THE INFORMATION COUNCILWOMAN. 
          BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM ASKING. 
          SO MAYBE THAT WE COULD START THERE. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST ASK LIKE ALL THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WE'VE INCENTIVIZED THAT WERE, THAT, THAT ARE NOT PAYING TAXES, THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, UNFORTUNATELY THE, I, I THINK OF THE TWO THAT WE JUST DID, AND THEN TOYOTA, THAT'S ALL THAT'S COMING TO MIND RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, WE DID THE BAKERY RECENTLY, SO THAT'S ONE ANOTHER ONE THAT I IS COMING TO MIND. 
          BUT IT, I, I MEAN, I, I, I THINK THERE ARE MANY, MANY, I'M SURE ALEX CAN THINK OF MANY OF THEM. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE DATA THAT SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PAYING CERTAIN WAGES, CAN WE THEN JUST GO ASK THEM, IF YOU'RE PAYING $50,000 ANNUALLY, HOW MANY OF THOSE JOBS ARE GOING TO WOMEN? UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT PART OF IT'S INFORMATION GATHERING, BUT ALSO THEN IN THE FUTURE, CAN WE SAY, IN ORDER TO GET THIS INCENTIVE, YOU NEED TO HAVE X NUMBER OF WOMEN ON YOUR TEAM. 
          SO I THINK THAT MAY NOT BE LEGAL. 
          UM, BUT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY, AGAIN, AS, AS ERIC SAID, THAT'S A POLICY QUESTION FOR THE COUNCIL, BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT CRITERIA ON COMPANIES THAT ARE ASKING THE INCENTIVES FROM THE CITY THAT IS NOT ILLEGAL. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WELL, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY DO NEED TO GO TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UH, THAT WE WOULD START SORT OF INTERNALLY. 
          BUT THE PURPOSE, UM, UH, IS PRIMARILY FOR, IN MY OPINION, A, A, A BUSINESS, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. 
          'CAUSE IF WE CAN RAISE THOSE RAGES, AND MAYBE IT HELPS US WITH ALL THE OTHER STUFF, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AND POVERTY, UH, AND EVERYTHING, UH, COULD BE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AFTER. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DISCUSSION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR. 
          AND THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMEN, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS AND, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SIGN ON TO THE C C R. 
          I WAS VERY EXCITED, UM, THAT SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT THIS AND, UH, I JUST, UM, CAN'T EXPRESS MY, MY SUPPORT ENOUGH FOR THIS. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. 
          I DO, UM, I, I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS SO FAR. 
          AND SO, UH, I AM ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT, AT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, AND A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE ARE SITTING ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNCIL AID PAY. 
          SO, UH, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ, I'M SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ALSO, UM, BRING UP AT TOMORROW'S MEETING. 
          UM, UH, THERE'S ALSO, UM, IN A PREVIOUS LIFE, AND ERIC WALSH KNOWS THIS, AND, UM, SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES IN HERE, I WAS A CITY'S EXECUTIVE RECRUITER. 
          SO, UM, IN, IN MY JOB DUTIES, UH, I ALWAYS, AND I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF CHERYL SCULLY, SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN WERE FAIRLY REPRESENTED. 
          SO HER, UM, HER RATIO WAS ALWAYS TO TRY TO HAVE 51 49. 
          THAT'S 51% WOMEN, 49% MEN EXECUTIVES. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF SHE EVER SHARED THAT, UH, PUBLICLY, BUT THAT WAS HER KIND OF PERSONAL GOAL TO ALWAYS HAVE THE 51 49. 
          UM, AND SO I HAD ALL SORTS OF BEAUTIFUL PIVOT TABLES, AND WE WERE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THERE WAS SOME, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION IN JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GO, UM, ON THE RECORD, LETTING YOU ALL KNOW THAT I THINK FOR MANY YEARS THE CITY HAS BEEN LOOKING AT IT, I, AT THE VERY TOP LEVEL AND AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL. 
          BUT I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ THAT, UM, WE SHOULD PROBABLY, AND I'M SURE THAT LORI STEWART IS LOOKING AT IT OR HAS LOOKED AT IT, UM, BECAUSE I JUST TURNED OVER TO THE MAYOR A WHILE AGO AND I CIRCLED A BULLET POINT THAT WAS GIVEN, GIVEN TO US BY 
          [01:25:01]
THE Y W C. 
          I SAID, MAYOR, DID YOU SEE THIS? AND SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, SO IT KIND OF WORRIED ME ABOUT ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS ON THERE SAYING THAT EVEN AMONG CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES, WOMEN EARN ON AVERAGE TO 70% OF WHAT WOMEN, OF WHAT MEN DO. 
          AND SO I'D REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, UM, COME TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR POLICY CONSIDERATION BECAUSE IT JUST WORRIES ME THAT, UM, IN AN ORGANIZATION, UH, OR IN A CITY LIKE SAN ANTONIO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE EQUITABLE, UM, ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE, WE STILL HAVE MAYBE SOMEWHAT OF AN ISSUE. 
          AND SO I'D LOVE TO JUST DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. 
          I ALSO WANTED TO SEE, UM, I SEE THERE'S A, UH, A, A KIND OF A, UH, A REFERENCE ON THERE. 
          AND SO I'D LOVE TO, MAYBE, I KNOW YOU ALL YOU REFERENCE, IT'S THE EXPRESS NEWS, AN ARTICLE ON THE EXPRESS THAT REFERENCES THAT. 
          SO I'LL JUST HAVE TO, I, I, I'M GONNA HAVE TO PULL UP THAT ARTICLE AND DO SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND SEE, UM, WHAT THEY'RE QUOTING OR, OR MAYBE WHAT STUDIES THEY'RE REFERENCING ON THAT AS WELL. 
          BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION ON THAT SPECIFICALLY FURTHER. 
          AND I JUST WANNA THANK AGAIN, MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMAN FOR THEIR TIME. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE CLARIFIED IF THERE WAS ACTION OR NOT. 
          THE AGENDA SAYS BRIEFING, THE MEMO SAYS ACTION. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE TAKING ACTION. 
          AWESOME. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, GREAT. 
          SO, UH, OOH, LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT THE MOTION IS. 
           IS NOW, UH, I, I SUPPORT THE COUNCIL WOMEN'S, UH, REQUEST TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE CITY'S PAY PARITY, UH, STATUS. 
          I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT'S, UH, CONTINUALLY DONE IN YOUR PROCESS. 
          I THINK, I THINK HAVING YOU PRESENT, IT WILL BE A GREAT EXAMPLE TO OTHER COMPANIES THAT WANNA WORK WITH THE CITY AND COMPANIES THAT ARE REGULATED BY, BY THE CITY. 
          UH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND, AND FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I KNOW AS A C E O OF THIS ORGANIZATION WITH 12 AND A HALF THOUSAND EMPLOYEES, THAT THE 70% DOES NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN POLICE, FIRE, AND CIVILIANS. 
          AND THEN IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT ANALYSIS, YOU HAVE TO BREAK THAT OUT. 
          WE HAVE 11% POLICE OFFICERS AND ABOUT 6% FI UH, 11% OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE FEMALE. 
          AND ABOUT 6% OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS, EVERYBODY'S SEEN THAT, THAT MATERIAL ONLINE, THAT THE SALARY SHEETS 'CAUSE WE COLOR CODED RED, BLUE AND, AND, AND WHITE. 
          UM, THE, THE, THE MAJORITY OF OUR, OUR HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEES ARE FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO THE ANALYSIS THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, AND THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, THAT WE DO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, IS BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THAT, WITHIN THOSE CATEGORIES OF POLICE AND FIRE. 
          AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, THERE ARE, UM, EVERYBODY GETS PAID THE SAME AMOUNT BASED ON THE RANK, UH, WHAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR. 
          THE SPECIAL INCENTIVES KIND OF ADDS ONTO IT, BUT THAT'S THE TYPE OF INFORMATION I KNOW WE'VE SHOWN IN THE PAST. 
          AND WE CAN, WE CAN, UM, UPDATE THAT AND SHOW IT TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I'D MOVE THAT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE, UH, PAY PARITY ANALYSIS AT WHAT COMMITTEE? WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, THE OTHER, UH, I'D LIKE TO ADD SOME COLOR TO THAT PRESENTATION. 
          HAHA. 
          LITERALLY, CAN WE LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF, SORRY, THAT'S SO CORNY. 
          SORRY. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO BREAK OUT THE ETHNICITIES. 
          UM, I MEAN, WHAT LILY SAID WAS CONCERNING, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IT'S LATINA WOMEN THAT USUALLY ARE HISPANIC WOMEN THAT USUALLY END UP IN THE LOWEST PAY RANGES. 
          UH, THAT MAY OR NOT, MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE CASE HERE, WE WE. 
          BUT, UM, BUT WE'LL NEED TO SEE, AND ALSO WHAT DIANE MENTIONED IN TERMS OF NOT JUST WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE WOMEN IN, BUT WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES, RIGHT? DO WE HAVE LATINAS IN THE DIRECTOR OR HIGHER POSITIONS? WE KNOW WE'VE GOT MARIA GOMEZ, BUT HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT IN, IN YOUR 12 AND A HALF THOUSAND EMPLOYEES? UM, AGE MAY BE HELPFUL TOO, UH, IN TERMS OF PARODY. 
          UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU. 
          I'D, UH, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT AT THE FUTURE COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          AND ONE OTHER THING, UH, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO SEE IS NOT JUST THE BASE SALARIES, BUT THE PERFORMANCE PAY. 
          AND ARE THERE ANY PATTERNS IN HOW THOSE ARE DISTRIBUTED? I, I THINK TO BE CONSISTENT, YOU JUST SHOWED TOTAL COMPENSATION, LIKE WE REPORTED ONLINE, THAT INFORMATION IS, IS, IS, IS, UH, ONLINE AND IT INCLUDES TOTAL, IT'S TOTAL COMPENSATION. 
          SO IT INCLUDES WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SHOW IT ANY OTHER WAY, BECAUSE THEN THAT'S THE SAME. 
          AND WE STARTED PUTTING THAT ONLINE AT THE END OF THE YEAR BECAUSE WE GET OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND IT CREATES A LOT OF EFFORT. 
          SO WHAT WE DO IS WE PUBLISH THE REPORT, TOTAL COMPENSATION FROM THE CITY MANAGER DOWN TO THE PART-TIME LIBRARIAN, UM, AND 
          [01:30:01]
EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN. 
          AND, AND WE PUT IT ONLINE. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S INCLUDED. 
          IT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF YOUR TOTAL. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO THEN I, I'LL PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, BUT I, I'M OPEN TO, TO YOUR SUGGESTION, I GUESS MY, WHAT I WOULD WANT TO ENSURE IS, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCE PAY YOU, WHAT IS IT ONE TO 4% ADDITIONAL BASED ON WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS IT? RANGE? I'M NOT REMEMBERING RIGHT NOW. 
          WHAT IS IT? IT'S ONE TO, IT'S A POT OF 3%, ONE TO FOUR, DEPENDING ON, ON, ON, UM, ON, UM, SCORES, SCORE ON PERFORMANCE, ON, ON THE SCORE THAT, THAT YOU GET. 
          AND THAT'S FOR, FOR PROFESSIONALS. 
          UH, OR THAT'S THE 2,500 EMPLOYEES, NOT THE COLA, THEY DON'T GET THE COLA, THEY GET THE, THE ONE TO 3%. 
          AND, UM, IN OTHER PLACES, UH, WHERE THERE IS SOME DISCRETION IN THE PERSON WHO EVALUATES, RIGHT. 
          UM, WHAT WE SEE SOMETIMES IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS GIVING THAT EVALUATION MM-HMM. 
           ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET THAT, UM, THAT BONUS. 
          UM, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S HUMAN BIAS. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, THAT'S WHAT I AM, YOU KNOW, WITH A 12,000 EMPLOYEES, NOT ALL OF THEM, UH, RECEIVE PERFORMANCE PAY. 
          THAT WOULD BE MY, MY CONCERN. 
          UM, I'M NOT SAYING IT HAPPENS HERE, BUT I THINK IF IT, IF IT DOES, IT'S SOMETHING TO, TO BE MINDFUL OF. 
          SO I'D, UH, MAYBE WE DON'T DO IT IN THIS ROUND. 
          MAYBE WE FIRST FIX THE OTHER THINGS AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND SEE IF THAT'S AN ISSUE AT ALL. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS YOU'RE DESCRIBING. 
          AND, AND, UM, THE, THE, THEN THE COUNCIL'S REAL WELL AWARE, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGETS, THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM IS, UM, UM, A, A MATURE SYSTEM HERE, BUT, UH, IS CONSTANTLY UPDATED EVERY YEAR TO ENSURE THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, UM, DON'T OCCUR. 
          THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T OCCUR, BUT IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY, UM, UH, MONITOR THAT. 
          AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE WAYS UP THE CHAIN WHERE WE REQUIRE, UH, REPORTING AND REVIEWING AND SIGN OFF BEFORE, UH, THAT HAPPENS. 
          BUT IT'S, IT'S LIKE CONSTANT. 
          WE NEED TO, WE, WE ALWAYS NEED TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR IT. 
          I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE THOSE PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE. 
          SO YOU DO MONITOR IT? YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. 
          SO MAYBE JUST A FEW WORDS, WHEN YOU GIVE THIS PRESENTATION ON HOW YOU MONITOR IT AND WHAT KIND OF ADJUSTMENTS SURE. 
          UM, THAT YOU MAKE. 
          I ALSO SUPPORT THE COUNCILWOMAN IN, UH, SUGGESTING THAT OUR OWN, UH, STAFF, OUR OWN COUNCIL OFFICES, UH, CONDUCT THAT TYPE OF ANALYSIS. 
          UM, COUNCILWOMAN YOU ARE OVERSEEING THE, UH, AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COUNCIL AID COMPENSATION, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD CONSIDER, UH, UNDERTAKING UNDER THAT COMMITTEE ANSWER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          SO MY MOTION IS THAT WE RECEIVE A PRESENTATION ON, UH, PAY PARITY AMONG CITY EMPLOYEES AT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, TO INCLUDE, UH, MANAGEMENT ROLES, LEADERSHIP ROLES, UM, ETHNICITIES, AND THAT THIS PRESENTATION GO TO THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AT THE, UM, UH, CONVENIENCE OF THE CHAIR. 
          UM, UH, IF I COULD MAKE AN AMENDMENT OR A SECOND, I HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO ALSO, UH, INCLUDE SAS AND C P S ENERGY IN THAT ANALYSIS. 
          I TOTALLY ACCEPT THAT AMENDMENT. 
          IS THAT, UM, ALSO OPEN? UH, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE A PUBLIC CORPORATION OWNED BY US, CAN WE INCLUDE THEM AS WELL? WELL, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, THAT THE ONE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL THAT'S ALSO ON THEIR BOARD, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, UH, APPROACH THEM ABOUT GETTING THAT INFORMATION. 
          YEAH. 
          MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT BEN IN HIS CAPACITY CAN REQUEST FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION OF SAWS OR C P S? OR DOES IT NEED TO COME THROUGH THE BOARD? IF IT NEEDS TO COME THROUGH THE BOARD, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO MAKE THAT REQUEST. 
          UH, WHY DON'T WE COME UP WITH A, WITH AN APPROACH AND THEN WE CAN TALK. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, UH, FOR, UM, FOR ALL THAT I DO, I DO, UH, SECOND, UM, THE MOTION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WAS IT, WHAT WAS THE AMENDMENT PROCEDURAL MAYOR? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          COUNCILMAN HAD AN AMENDMENT. 
          OH, I DO. 
          UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE SORT OF DOING THINGS A LITTLE BIT ON THE FLY HERE, BUT, UM, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T YOU SECOND THE MOTION AND THEN ASK FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE CAN WORK THAT OUT. 
          SO, UH, I WOULD SECOND THE MOTION OKAY. 
          AND THEN ASK FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE SA AND C P S ENERGY. 
          IT MAY NOT REQUIRE THEN US TO WAIT UNTIL C P S AND SAWS PROVIDE. 
          RIGHT. 
          LET, LET ME DO THIS. 
          MAY I WITHDRAW MY MOTION AND RESTATE IT? UM, RESTATE THE PART ABOUT, 
          [01:35:01]
UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PRESENTATION GO TO ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THE CONVENIENCE OF THE CHAIR, UH, TO DISCUSS PAY PARITY, TO INCLUDE MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP ROLES OF WOMEN, UH, ETHNICITIES AND AGE AND DIRECT STAFF TO WORK WITH SAWS AND C P S, UH, TO REQUEST A SIMILAR STUDY, UM, OF THEIR WORKFORCE, AND TO REPORT BACK TO ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ON THE PROGRESS OF THAT REQUEST. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NOW THE MEN WILL SPEAK. 
           COUNTS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, I, I WANTED TO CLARIFY, UH, TWO THINGS. 
          IF WE GO BACK TO, UH, THE ACTUAL C C R, IT SAID WITHIN IT, UM, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, NO, WAIT A MINUTE. 
          IT WASN'T THERE. 
          I WANNA, I WANNA FIND THIS AND MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT IT. 
          UM, THAT WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, THE DISPARITY ACROSS MULTIPLE INDICATORS. 
          UH, AND, AND I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. 
          UH, BUT IN THE ACTUAL, UM, SUGGESTION FROM STAFF IN THEIR MEMORANDUM, THEY INDICATED, UH, THAT THEY WOULD ALSO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE IN THEIR STUDY THE GENDER PAY GAP WITH THOSE AGENCIES IN WHICH IT CONTRACTS THROUGH ITS DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE SAYING THAT THEY WERE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY ALSO LOOK AT DELEGATE AGENCIES, WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY NONPROFITS. 
          UH, I THINK THAT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. 
          NONPROFITS PARTICULARLY ARE NOTORIOUSLY UNDERPAID. 
          AND I WOULD IMAGINE WE MAY FIND SOME SERIOUS DISPARITIES IN PAY IN THOSE, BUT WAS THERE AN EFFORT TO INCLUDE THOSE IN WHAT YOU WERE PRESENTING BEFORE US, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS NOW? OR IS THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME? 'CAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT STAFF CAME OUT WITH ORIGINALLY. 
          I THINK THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU CAME UP WITH. 
          UH, I, I, MY SENSE IS THAT THE DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING COMPONENT WAS NOT NECESSARY SINCE WE HAVE, UH, THE YW ALREADY DOING A SEPARATE STUDY. 
          AND I AGREE WITH THAT. 
          I THINK WITH THE, WE'LL WORK WITH THE YW ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY COMING UP WITH OUR NEXT CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS TO INCLUDE THAT AS A RESPONSE QUESTION THAT THEY, UM, DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE'S PAY PERIOD OR SOMETHING THAT THEY LOOK AT. 
          BUT WE'LL COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A QUALIFIER AND IT CAN BE PART OF THEIR EVALUATION AGAIN. 
          SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY. 
          I'M SORRY, JOHN. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE YOU GONNA YIELD THE FORWARD TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ? YEAH, IF, IF SHE'D LIKE TO HAVE, GO AHEAD. 
          UM, I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, MY SENSE WAS WHY TARGET THE NONPROFITS VERSUS THE, UM, COMPANIES THAT ARE BEING SUBSIDIZED? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT RECOMMENDATION. 
          I DIDN'T SUPPORT IT. 
          BUT WHY WOULD WE HAVE SPEND ANY TIME WORKING ON DELEGATE AGENCIES WHEN WE HAVE THESE BIG COMPANIES THAT ARE GETTING SUBSIDIZED, LIKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DO? WELL, I'M EXAGGERATING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. 
          UM, SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT ME RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM THE COMMITTEE, OR WE WERE LOOKING AT THE AGENCIES WE CONTRACT WITH AS A DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE DELEGATE AGENCIES AND THE OTHER NONPROFITS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGER DISCUSSION IS OTHER CONTRACTS THAT THE CITY IS ENGAGED IN. 
          THE CCR, IT'S PART OF THE C C R SPECIFICALLY SAYS TO DEVELOP A SET OF ECONOMIC PROGRAMS AND POLICIES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS GENDER PAID DISPARITIES IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS CITYWIDE. 
          SO THE C C R WAS SAYING WE WANTED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING AND A POLICY THAT WE WOULD BE CONSIDERING AS A CITYWIDE POLICY. 
          SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS OF COURSE, C P S OR SAWS, BUT IT ALSO MEANS MAYBE EVERY OTHER BUSINESS IN THIS CITY. 
          AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO TRY AND GENERATE A CITYWIDE POLICY THAT WOULD AFFECT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY. 
          UH, BUT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY WHAT WAS MENTIONED IN THERE. 
          UH, INSTEAD OF IN, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, JUST WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CITY GOVERNMENT OR THE, UH, GROUPS THAT WE DO BUSINESS WITH, IT SAYS DISPARITIES IN THE CITY. 
          [01:40:01]
SO, UH, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADHERE TO THAT, I FEEL A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION, UH, BEYOND THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE SAWS OR C P S OR MAYBE EVEN, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR, YOU KNOW, UH, A FEW ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT. 
          BUT IT WOULD INCLUDE, I THINK THE NONPROFITS THAT WE GIVE MONEY TO THAT HAVE CONTRACTS WITH US. 
          IT COULD ALSO IMPROVE, UH, INCLUDE BUSINESSES, UH, THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE HIRE TO DO THE ROADS AND THE STREETS, OR BUILD BUSINESS, UH, BUILDINGS OR THINGS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A VERY WIDE NET WE'RE CASTING. 
          AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO NARROW IT AND KEEP IT THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THEN THE C C R MIGHT'VE BEEN A NICE IDEA, BUT THAT ISN'T EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE TODAY, I GUESS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING. 
          AND I WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP TO MAKE SURE OF THE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WIDE ANNETTE WE'RE GONNA CAST ON ALL OF THIS. 
          THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 
          UM, I'LL, I'LL JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, UH, I, I THINK WE'RE GOING INTO A, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, ERIC? UH, I WAS GONNA JUST ASK CLARIFICATION BECAUSE OKAY, GO AHEAD. 
          UM, IS, IS IT THE COMMITTEE'S INTENT FOR US TO DO THAT POR IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE MOTION WAS TO DO THE PORTION THAT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDING ABOUT THE NONPROFITS THAT WE FUND? AND AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. 
          BE PROCEDURALLY, BECAUSE OF WHAT MEL POINTED OUT, WE'RE GETTING NEXT SPRING, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE, THE TWO YEAR R F P PROCESS WHERE, WHERE THE COUNCIL ESTABLISHES KIND OF WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND IT. 
          THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE, THE SERVICES. 
          I KNOW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND, AND, UH, HOMELESSNESS WILL BE TOP PRIORITIES. 
          BUT, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO CONSIDER POTENTIALLY? DO YOU, DO YOU FORECAST THAT THAT COULD BE A POLICY DISCUSSION NEXT SPRING? 'CAUSE IF IT IS, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD INCLUDE THAT IN THIS GATHERING OF INFORMATION AS WELL, SO THEN YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DECISION LATER. 
          UM, I'LL GO AHEAD YIELD THE FLORIDA COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. 
          UH, ERIC, THANK YOU FOR ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION. 
          YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          WE DID NOT ADDRESS THAT IN, IN THE MOTION. 
          MY, MY INTENT OF THE MOTION. 
          AND OF COURSE, I'LL HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHAT THEY THINK IS THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE, THE FIRST STEP IS LOOKING AT OURSELVES AND EVALUATING OURSELVES AND THEN TAKING DIRECTION, UH, FROM THAT POINT, FROM THE, FROM THE COMMITTEE, I'M OKAY WITH DEFERRING THE DIRECTION TO THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          UM, HOWEVER, I ALSO WANNA GIVE MY POSITION ON HAVING THE NONPROFITS EVALUATED. 
          I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S BYE MELODY . 
          OH, OKAY. 
          I, I THINK, UH, IT MAKES SENSE TO EVENTUALLY, ONCE WE MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS, TO LOOK AT THE COMPANIES THAT WE CONTRACT WITH. 
          BUT I WOULDN'T THINK THAT IT'S FAIR TO FOCUS JUST ON THE DELEGATE AGENCIES AND NOT ON COMPANIES THAT WE DO BUSINESS WITH THAT ARE ACTUALLY FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES THAT COME IN CONTRACT WITH THE CITY. 
          SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M OKAY LEAVING THAT IN THE HANDS OF ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND I'LL JUST, UM, CLOSE, I, IT'S A INTERESTING CONVERSATION. 
          WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS ANYTHING THAT WAS IN MOTION ALREADY BY THE STAFF AND ADDRESSING THE C C R KEEP IT IN MOTION, BUT YOU HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION, UH, WITH THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE TODAY. 
          IS THAT FAIR? I'M GONNA JUST, I'M GONNA REPEAT IT BACK. 
          WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID, MAYOR, EVERYTHING THAT THE STAFF WAS RECOMMENDING KEEP MOVING FORWARD IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE ADDITIONAL MOTION WAS. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND ARE WE IN AGREEMENT ON THAT? OKAY. 
          YEAH, GO AHEAD. 
          ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION. 
          SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE EVALUATION OF THE DELEGATE AGENCIES CONTINUES? WELL, IT, IT WILL HAD IT STARTED. 
          OKAY. 
          NO, IT, I'M SORRY, MEL. 
          NO, IT WON'T, RIGHT? NO, WE HAVEN'T STARTED. 
          NO, WE HAVEN'T STARTED, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING UNTIL TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT, BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          AND IF, AND, AND WE'LL KICK THAT OFF ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          UM, NEXT, AT THE END OF NEXT FEB OR END OF FEBRUARY, WE HAVE A B SESSION WITH THE COUNCIL TO GET YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE R F P FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS WORTH OF DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING. 
          AND SO THAT'LL, THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT TOUCH POINT FOR THAT. 
          AND, AND IF THE CONVERSATION AT THE B SESSION IS, HEY STAFF, UH, WE WANT EQUITY, PAY EQUITY TO BE A, A COMPONENT OR A REQUIREMENT IN THE R F P, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED AT THAT POINT. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY SO I'M CLEAR NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND WHEN IS THE TOUCH POINT FOR SOLICITATION PROCESSES? UH, THEY'RE AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, RIGHT? NOT JUST FOR DELEGATE AGENCIES, BUT IN GENERAL FOR THE CITY'S CONTRACTING PROCESSES THAT HAPPENS ON 
          [01:45:01]
DAILY BASIS, RIGHT? ON CONTRACTING FOR, FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS. 
          UM, SO HOW CAN WE, IF WE'RE GOING TO POSSIBLY HAVE THAT POLICY DISCUSSION FOR DELEGATE AGENCIES, UH, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE THAT POLICY DISCUSSION FOR ALL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE CITY. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE OR WHEN THAT WOULD BE, BUT I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR, UH, UH, WE CAN SCHEDULE SOMETHING IN THE SPRING. 
          I WOULD SEPARATE THAT FROM THE DELEGATE AGENCY PROCESS. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY A MUCH LARGER CONVERSATION THAT Y'ALL WILL NEED TIME TO, UH, TO DISCUSS. 
          YEAH. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ARE WE NO CRYSTAL CLEAR ? NO. 
          CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? ALRIGHT. 
          COULD YOU GO AHEAD AND REPEAT, UH, THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GONNA GIVE STAFF, ERIC? WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDED TO YOU IN ADDITION TO THE, THE MOTION THAT THAT WAS MADE TO LOOK AT THE INTERNAL CITY ORGANIZATION REQUEST THE SAME FROM SAS AND C P S. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UH, COMMITTEE. 
          WE'LL SCHEDULE IT THROUGH THERE. 
          IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME. 
          UM, AND, UM, UH, WE'LL BEGIN THE WORK ON THE DELEGATE AGENCIES IN PREPARATION FOR THE POTENTIAL POLICY DISCUSSION YOU'LL HAVE AT THE END OF FEBRUARY REGARDING THE RFPS. 
          AND WE'LL THEN WE'LL SCHEDULE A B SESSION AT SOME POINT IN THE SPRING ABOUT GENERAL CONTRACTING AND POTENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. 
          GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I THINK I GOT IT AND I THINK WE GOT IT. 
          UM, AND I'LL JUST CLOSE BY, UH, THANKING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ AND, UH, AND SANDOVAL RO GARCIA, ACTUALLY OUR WHOLE COUNCIL, WHICH IS NOW FEMALE MAJORITY FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE FORWARD, UM, IN A ROBUST MANNER. 
          I, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OUT THOUGH THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME GOOD WORK. 
          I THINK WE CAN, UH, DERIVE SOME GOOD INFORMATION FROM, UH, FROM THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHO CONDUCTED AN IMPACT STUDY THROUGH  LAST YEAR IN, AND THE RESULTS OF THAT IMPACT STUDY ARE PRETTY A ASTONISHING, AND I'LL JUST READ 'EM TO YOU. 
          WE HAVE A ROUGHLY 110, $109 BILLION ANNUAL G D P, UH, IF YOU ADJUSTED IT FOR EQUAL PAY AND THE VALUE OF WORK PERFORMED IN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE SESSION SHIFT BY WOMEN IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT GOES UNACCOUNTED FOR IT'S HOMEMAKING. 
          IT'S A LOT OF TAKEN CARE OF COMMUNITY, UH, THAT JUST SIMPLY IS NOT PART OF OUR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS. 
          IF YOU ACCOUNTED FOR ALL THAT, OUR ADJUSTED G D P IS ROUGHLY $150 BILLION ANNUALLY, THAT MEANS THAT APPROXIMATELY $40 BILLION OF ECONOMIC OUTPUT GOES UNACCOUNTED FOR SIMPLY BECAUSE WOMEN ARE NOT BEING PAID WHAT THEY'RE WORTH. 
          AND SO, I, I WANT TO, UH, THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THAT ISSUE HERE AT A POLICY LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WAYS THAT WE CAN WEIGH INTO IT. 
          AND IF NOTHING ELSE, UM, STARTING NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN THE RESEARCH GATHERING PHASE, WE'RE SIGNALING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. 
          AND, AND MAYBE THE REST OF THE WORLD IS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. 
          BUT SAN ANTONIO IS GONNA START, UH, AT HOME. 
          UH, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, WE MAKE GOOD PROGRESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. 
          I HAVE TO SAY, UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE MY WIFE ERICA, UH, WHO IS IN MY EAR EVERY SINGLE DAY ABOUT THIS. 
          UM, AND IS SERIOUS ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE KNOWS, UH, THE VALUE IT BRINGS TO OUR FAMILY, BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY THAT SHE LOVES AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, I WILL OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THIS MOTION. 
          SO THERE'S A MOTION IN A SECOND. 
          I WON'T BOTHER READING IT, BUT IT'S BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED SEVERAL TIMES. 
          UH, PLEASE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. 
          GREAT. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S THE DURATION OF OUR MEETING. 
          WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.