Apr 09, 2026 Sesión A del Consejo de la Ciudad

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♪ MORNING. THE TIME IS NOW 9:07 ON THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2026, AND THE MEETING OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL.

>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE HAVE QUORUM. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S

INVOCATOR. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'LL BE OFFERED BY DR DR. RYAN CARPENTER, BAPTIST CHURCH, HE'S SERVED CHUNKS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS TEXAS MORE THAN 26 YEARS INCLUDING PREVIOUS SERVICE AT VILLAGE PA PACKWAY FROM 200 P TO 2014.

HE LEADS A CHRIST CENTERED CONGRESS R REGANGS COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING JESUS, THE VILLAGE PARKWAY PARTNERS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FROM 2023, 2024, 2025, AND I'M HEARING 2026 FOR MY ALMA MA TOR. SO WITH THAT, TAKE IT

AWAY, DOCTOR. >> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRAY FOR OUR CITY. FOR THOSE THAT CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LE LEADING IT. I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR COUNCILMAN GALVAN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LET US PRAY.

HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TODAY FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING IN OUR CITY SAN ANTONIO.

AS WE CELEBRATE FIESTA, WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE TRADITIONS THAT BIND US TOGETHER. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY, THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND PUBLIC SERVICE CARRIES REAL RESPONSIBILITY, WE THANK YOU FOR THEIR WIL WILLINGNESS TO INVEST THEIR TIME, WISDOM, AND ENERGY FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CITY, AND MANY TI TIMES, THEY FACE MORE COMPLAINTS AND CRITICISM THAN THANKS, SO TODAY WE ASK THAT YOU ASSURE THEM OF OUR APPRECIATION, WE ASK YOU GIVE THESE LE LEADERS WISDOM AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT NEIGHBORHOODS, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES SCHOOLS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, GIVE THEM CLARITY OF MIND, INTEGRITY OF HEART, AND A GENUINE DESIRE TO DO WHAT A GOOD AND JUST FOR THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE.

WE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY, WE THANK YOU FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, INCLUDING THOSE IN DISTRICT 6 WHERE FAMILIES WORK, CHILDREN LEARN IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND NEIGHBORS SEEK TO BUILD STRONG AND CARING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY.

MANY PEOPLE OF FAITH ARE PRAYING FOR SAN ANTONIO AND SEEKING TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS WELL. BLESS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES. WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY EACH DAY, OUR EDUCATORS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND ALL WHO LABOR TO MAKE THIS CITY A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN SAFETY, OPPORTUNITY, AND HOPE. YOUR WORD TELLS US TO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE CITY, AND TODAY, WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON SAN ANTONIO, AND UPON THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH ITS LEADERSHIP.

BLESS THIS CITY. MAKE IT A PLACE WHERE RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS, JUSTICE IS PURSUED AND NEIGHBORS CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

MAY THE WORK DONE HERE TODAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PEACE AND STRENGTH AND FLOURISHING OF OUR GREAT CITY. AND I PRAY THESE THINGS

IN THE NAME OF CHRIST OUR LORD, AMEN. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU

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AS WE CAN TELL WITH ALL THE WHICH MEANS I HAVE SIX PROCLAMATIONS TO READ.

AS SUCH I'LL READ EACH ONE AND INVITE THE REQUESTOR TO SPEAK AFTERWARDS, SO WE'LL SAVE OUR COUNCIL COMMENTS UNTIL THE VERY END OF ALL OF THE FIESTA PROCLAMATIONS.

OKAY. THE FIRST ONE, WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZES THAT FIESTA SAN ANTONIO ONE OF THE NATION'S PREMIER FESTIVALS WILL TAKE PLACE APRIL 16 THROUGH 262026 TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE HEROS OF THE ALAMO, AND TO CELEBRATE SAN ANT ANTONIO'S RICH AND DIVERSE CULTURE AND HISTORY AND WHAT BEGAN IN 1891 AS A SINGLE EVENT HAS GROAN INTO AN E EXTRAVEL BEGAN DID A LIVELY LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT AND THE LONG STANDING TRADITION OF COLLECTING AND WEARING FIESTA MEDALS AND CELE CELEBRATING HIS 135TH ANNIVERSARY, THIS TEXAS TEXAS-SIZED FESTIVAL IS COORDINATED BY THE FESTIVAL COMMISSION A NONPROFIT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF ITS PARTICIPATING MEMBER ORGANIZATION WORKS YEAR ROUND TO MANAGE THE THOUSANDS OF DETAILS AND DAILY TASKS ESSENTIAL TO PLANNING AND EXECUTING THIS CITY-WIDE CELEBRATION, AND WHEREAS THIS FUN-FILLED MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION WITH A PURPOSE GENERATES A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE CITY, BENEFITS NUMEROUS NONPROFITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS AND SHOWS THE DIVERSE HERITAGE AND HERITAGE OF SAN ANTONIO FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE, I, GINA ORTIZ JONES MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 16 THROUGH 26, 2026 TO BE SAN ANTONIO'S OFFICIAL 2026 FIESTA SEASON IN SAN ANT ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND OFFER MY BEST WISHES TO THE FIESTA SAN ANTONIO COMMISSION FOR A SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATION.

PLEASE. >> MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU TOOK MY SPEECH RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH. BUT I WILL SAY, THAT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE FIESTA SAN ANTONIO COMMISSION RECO RECOGNIZES THAT WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

WE HAVE YOUR PERMISSON FOR STREETS. WE HAVE YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH SAFETY. WE HAVE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR IT. ALSO, MAKE NO MISTAKE, THAT SAN ANTONIO WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT FIESTA. WE ARE BRINGING A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR CITY AND OF COURSE WE'RE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS WELL.

I THINK TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE SOMETHING VERY, VERY VIBRANT AND VERY GOOD.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE T TRYING TO DO THOUGH, THIS YEAR, AND I THINK WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING, IS TO SPREAD THE WORD PAST 1604. I THINK MOST OF US AS SAN ANTONIOIANS UNDERSTAND YOU LEAVE THE CITY BOUNDARIES AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT FIESTA. WE ARE THE BEST KEPT SECRET. AND IT'S A WONDERFUL SECRET.

WE HAVE BANDED TOGETHER WI WITH, INITIALLY, CHRIS FLORES OF ETMIGOS WHO BROUGHT US CONTENT CREATORS AND WE REALIZED LAST YEAR THAT SPREADING THE WORD THROUGH THEM WOULD MAKE A VITAL IMPACT ON BRINGING MORE INTO SAN ANTONIO, THOSE AS WE'LL SAY, FOREIGN DOLLARS COMING TO US THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE ASSISTANCE OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO, WE NOW HAVE 26 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL WRITERS WHO WILL COME TO OUR CITY, EXPERIENCE FIESTA WITH US, AND TAKE THE STORY HOME.

WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER WELL. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A ME MELTING POT. I THINK WE CAN LOOK ACROSS THIS COUNCIL AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT A MELTING POT BECAUSE A MELTING POT MAKES SOMETHING ONE. MAKES SOMETHING THAT'S ONE ELEMENT.

WE ARE A WONDERFUL SALAD. WE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT COME TOGETHER IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO CREATE SOMETHING VIBRANT, DELICIOUS, AND WONDERFUL.

SO PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN US STARTING APRIL 16 AT FIESTA FIESTA AS WE SPEND 11 DAYS PLAYING, EATING, AND EAR EARNING. I THANK YOU FOR THIS

OPPORTUNITY. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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PLEASE KING ANTONIO. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR JONES.

THAT WAS FANTASTIC. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL, TOO, YA'LL SPEND SO MUCH TIME. YOU'RE OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, AND YOU WORK SO HARD, WE'RE THE GUYS IN THESE FAKE MILITARY UNIFORMS AND GOOFY OUTFITS, BUT IT'S YOU THAT DO THE HARD WORK.

SO IN 1946, TO SHOW THERE'S MORE TO THE TEXAS CAVALIERS THAN THESE UNIFORMS. 1946 A FORMER KING OF OURS, PERRY SHININGEL, WHO AT THE TIME WAS PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER CREATED THIS, CREATED THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEXAS CAVALIERS AND OTHERS TO COME TALK TO THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND EXPLAIN WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO.

AND FIESTA, AS YOU HE HEARD, IS A HUGE IMPACT, OVER 400 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE, ALSO 4 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE AS WELL, SO IT'S A BIG DEAL.

BUT THE TEXAS CAVALIERS ARE MORE THAN THAT, WE WERE FOUNDED 100 YEARS AGO. 1926 IS WHEN WE STARTED. AND A COUPLE THINGS.

WITH THAT, WE CREATED OUR FIRST COIN WHICH 19461946, AND THE MEDALS YA'LL KNOW TODAY. IN THE 70S, ONE OF THE MEMBERS CREATED THE FIRST FIESTA MEDAL, WHY WE ALL HAVE MEDALS TO TODAY.

PRETTY NEAT. THE RIVER IT'S OUR 81 81ST, WE ONLY DIDN'T DO THAT FOR THREE YEARS BECAUSE OUR MEMBERS WERE AT WAR IN WORLD WAR II, SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US. MAYOR THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR INVESTITURE COMING UP IN FRONT OF ALAMO, A BIG DEAL AS WELL. BUT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, OUR PURPOSE, IS OUR CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, SO IT STARTED IN 1989 AND SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WE'VE GIVEN AWAY $25 MILLION TO CHIL CHILDREN'S CLARITIES IN BEXAR COUNTY, THIS YEAR WE PLAN TO GIVE AWAY $3 MILLION, TO PRIMARILY BREAKEN RIDGE PARK CONSERVATIVE TORY, TO A LARGE PARK THAT'LL BE THERE, WE'RE PROUD OF THAT. AND 50 VETTED CHARITIES THAT'LL BENEFIT FROM THAT GIFT. SO THAT'S OUR PURPOSE, OUR WHY. WHY WE'RE HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT TO YOU AND WHY WE WEAR THESE UNIFORMS. ALSO, COUNCILMEMBERS, WE HAVE AN ART CONTEST EVERY YEAR IN YOUR DISTRICTS THIS YEAR WE GAVE AWAY $110,000 TO ART PROGRAMS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, IN ALL OF YOUR DISTRICTS. 50 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT APPLIED TO THAT.

EACH DISTRICT HAD A WINNER AND A RUNNER UP. WE WOULD APPRECIATE AND LOVE FOR YA'LL TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT EVERY YEAR.

SO VIVA FIESTA. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT TIME.

DANCE IN FRONT OF LORD, AND I APPRECIATE YA'LL. THANK YOU.

MAYOR, ORTIZ, I'M A BOARD MEMBER AT HAVEN FOR HOPE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ATT ATTENDING, GOING TO SEE THE CAMPUS AND TALKING WITH RHONDA AND BARBARA, AND APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST THERE AND LEANING IN. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZES THE LEGEND OF RAY FEO DAYLIGHTING BACK TO EVIL TIMES WHEN THE KING OF SPAIN DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THE SUBJECTS CHO CHOOSING TO FILL HIS COURT ONLY WITH THE ARISTOCRATIC WHILE THE ORDINARY CITIZEN WAS RARELY INVITED TO THE PALACE OR GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE MONONOR, AND AS THE COMMON PEOPLE REBELLED AGAINST THE KING AND HAD ONE REIGN AS THE UGLY KING, PEOPLE'S KING, WHEREAS THE NEW ONE TRAVELED TO THE WORLD, AND RAY FEA WAS INVITED TO BE PART OF FIESTA TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO

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RAY FEO, PLEASE. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND CITY COUNCILMAN.

YOU KNOW WE, AS RAY FEO, WE ARE THE PEOPLE'S KI KING, AND WHAT WE DO MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS RAISE FUNDS FOR EDUCATION.

YOU KNOW, WE USE FIESTA AS OUR PLATFORM TO LAUNCH THESE THINGS.

WHAT WE HAVE TO REALIZE AS A CITY, FIESTA GIVES US THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR OVER 160, 170 EVENTS THAT ARE ALL CHARITIES, AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT JUST A PARTY, BUT IT'S A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE, AND THIS YEAR'S IS ALL OF US TOGETHER; RIGHT. TO GO ALONG WITH OUR CHAIRPERSON, I SAY WE'RE A BAE A RIGHT BECAUSE ESPECIALLY -- WE HAVE A MAYOR, AND A BAEA WAS FOR THE QUEEN, AND SO YOU ARE QUEEN, MAYOR, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO INCLUDE EVER EVERYONE, AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS, EVERYONE IS ADDED, EVERYTHING IS GOING ON, BUT OUR MAIN MISSION IS THE KIDS OF SAN ANTONIO, AND TO RAISE FUNDS BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT EDUCATION IS THE GREATEST EQUALLIZER. EDUCATION IS HOPE.

YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN MAKE IT WHERE IT'S EXPECTED FOR US TO GET HIGHER EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, SO WE DONATE FUNDS TO ST ST. PHILLIPS FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TRADE SCHOOLS. WE ALSO DONATE -- WE'RE GOING TO BE DONATING TO ALAMO PROMISE, THIS IS ONE THING WE HAVE TO ATTRIBUTE TO OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT EVERY STUDENT THAT GRADUATES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO GETS 2 YEARS FREE OF EDUCATION, AND THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO YA'LL AND WHAT THE CITY HAS AND DOES FOR ITS COMMUNITY. BUT WE JUST WANT TO SAY, AS RAY FEO, WE JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, VIVA MAYOR. YOU KNOW, VIVA SAN ANTONIO. AND VIVA FIESTA. THANK YOU, GUYS.

WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZES THE CONGRESS VISION SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO 78TH PRESENTATION OF A NIGHT IN SAN ANTONIO WILL BE HELD IN THE LA VIEW ETA AND WHAT BEGAN AS A HARVEST FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE THE HERITAGE OF THE CITY'S EARLY SETTLERS HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS SHOWCASING SAN ANTONIO'S UNIQUE AND DIVERSE CULTURES. AND ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEERS FEATURES 14 CULTURALLY THEMED AREAS AND MORE THAN 155 FOOD, BEVERAGE, AND ATMOSPHERE BOOTHS PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT FOR MORE THAN 85,000 ATTENDEES, AND WHEREAS PROCEEDS SUPPORTS THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY'S MISSION TO PREVERVE HISTORIC PROPERTIES, PARKS, WATERWAYS, AND THE HERITAGE OF OUR MULTICULTURAL CITIES AND NEIGHBORS COUNTIES THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, GRANTS, AND PRESERVATION PROJECTS. I, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 12 -- EXC. APRIL 21 THROUGH 24 -- THAT'S GIVING YOU MORE TIME. APRIL 21 THROUGH 24 TO BE A NIGHT IN OLD SAN ANTONIO DAYS IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS AND OFFER BEST WISHES TO THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR A SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATION FOR PRESERVATION. PLEASE.

>> GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU, MAYOR ORTIZ. CITY COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS JULIE TEREL, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE 7 78TH CHAIRMAN OF THE NIGHT IN OLD SAN ANT ANTONIO. ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE LEWIS. YOU HAD A FEW WORDS REALLY QUICK.

OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH. >> THIS IS HOW THIS ORGANIZATION IS RUN.

MAYOR ORTIZ AND COUNCIL, AND ALL THE VISITORS HERE, I CERTAINLY THANK

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>> AND LET ME FINISH THIS UP. I WANT TO INTRODUCE MY TREASURER, AND MY VICE CHAIR, THE REST OF MY CHAIRMAN ARE WORKING, WE'RE ALREADY SETTING U UP, PUTTING UP FENCES TODAY TO GET READY FOR THE 21ST. A NIGHT IN OLD SAN ANTONIO BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITY BY CELEBRATING AND PRESERVING THE CUSTOMS AND CULTURE UNIQUE TO OUR REGION WHICH IS WHY IT HAS BECOME THE PREMIER MOST LOVED FIESTA EVENTS AND LARGEST FUNDRAISER IN THE COUNTRY FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION. COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE PUBLICATION, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY WHICH PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR RESTORATION, REHABILITATION, FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, INCLUDING IN THE CI CITY-OWNED LA VITAE HISTORIC ARTS VILLAGE. WE'VE DONATED OVER $5 MILLION TO THE CITY INCLUDING LA VIE THAT FUNDS.

WE APPRECIATE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ON PRESERVATION, VIVA FIESTA. VIVA NEOS. COME ON, YA'LL.

ALL RIGHT. LOOK IN YOUR GOODY CUP, THERE'S A SPECIAL MEDAL IN THERE YOU HAVE TO HOLD IN YOUR HAND, AND YOU SAY A LITTLE PRAYER, IT'S FOR THAT FOUR LETTER WORD WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY SO WE CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. OKAY. VIVA FIESTA.

THANK YOU, ALL. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS THE BA BA BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE. WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZES THAT THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE WILL TAKE PLACE ON APRIL 24, 2026 WITH A THEME FROM PAGES TO POSSIBILITIES WHERE STORY TELLING, IMAGINATION AND DREAMS LEAP OFF THE PAGE TAKE FLIGHT AND BLOOM INTO FLOWER-FILLED WONDERS AND WILL BE LED BY GRAND MARSHALL, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SAN ANTONIO ZOO. AND THE BATTLE OF FLO FLOWERS PARADE IS THE FOUNDING EVENT AND O OLDEST PARADE OF FIESTA SAN ANTONIO, ATTRACTING MORE THAN 350,000 SPECTATORS ACROSS THE NATION AND THE PINNACLE OF THE FIESTA, AND WHEREAS THE PARADE IS ONE OF THE FEW IN THE COUNTRY PRODUCED BY AN ALL-WOMAN VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO HONOR TEXAS HISTORY AND HERITAGE BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION, AND SERVICE AND NOW WITH MORE THAN 400 ACTIVE MEMBERS, THIS DEDICATED GROUP OF WOMEN IN BRIGHT YELLOW HATS CONTINUES A VIBRANT LI LIVING CONDITION ON THE BATTLE OF ALAMO, AND WHEREAS THROUGH THE FILL ANTHROPIC EFFORTS OF THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, THEY AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS THAT BENEFIT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY WHILE DAZZLING AUDIENCES WITH FLOWER COVERED FLOATS.

DAZZLING BALLOONS, MA MARCHING BANDS, AND FIESTA ROYALTY.

I, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRI APRIL 24, TO 26 TO BE FIESTA OF BATTLE OF FLOWERS DAY IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS. PLEASE.

>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, I'M KATHLEEN, AND I'M HO HONORED TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF BATTLE FLOWERS ASSOCIATION.

ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING US IN TODAY'S MEETING AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR STORY WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. JOINING ME TODAY IS HELEN MEYER, PARADE VICE PRESIDENT, AND ANNA CABELLO, BAND ASSISTANCE AND ALL OF THE OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRE DIRECTORS. THIS APRIL 21, WHEN THE FIRST FIESTA FLOAT WINDS ITS WAY ON TO THE STREETS OF SAN ANTONIO, BATTLE FLOWERS WILL PROUDLY MARK ITS 135TH YEAR OF PRODUCING THIS BELOVED SPRINGTIME EV EVENT. WHAT BEGAN IN 1891 AS A SINGLE PARADE TO HONOR TEXAS INDEPENDENCE HAS NOW EVOLVED INTO A DYNAMIC FORCE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.

THIS YEAR'S FROM PAGES TO POSSIBILITIES PARADE WILL FEATURE 200 ENTRIES

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AS A NONPROFIT, ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION, WE REMAIN TRUE TO OUR MISSION, TO CELEBRATE TEXAS HISTORY AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO COMME COMMEMORATING OUR PAST WHILE CHAMPIONING EDUCATION, SERVICE, AND COMMUNITY. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HONOR OF SPEAKING HERE WITH YOU TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOU.

>> AND VIVA FIESTA. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

AND THE FINAL PROCLAMATION IS WITH FIESTA FLAM BO.

HOSTING ITS 78TH ANNUAL FLAMBO PARADE WITH THIS YEAR'S THEME, ADVENTURES IN TOY LAND, LED BY GRAND MARSHALL SHAMU AND CREW AND HONORARY RONALD MCDONALD AND FRIENDS WHEREAS IN FRENCH, THE WORD FLAMBO MEANS FLAMING TORCH, AND WHEN THE SUNSETS MOR THAN 1 MILLION LIGHTS ILLUMINAT THROUGHOUT THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO, ILLU ILLUMINATING ROYAL COURTS AND FINERY AND SHOWCASING PERF PERFORMERS, MARKING BANDS, AND DANCERS HEAD TO TOE IN COSTUMES ALL SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A STARRY NIGHT. WHEREAS THE FLAMBO PARADE HAS BEEN NAMED THE BEST IN THE WORLD AND BEST IN TEXAS BY THE TEXAS FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION, AND IS ENJOYED BY MORE THAN 800,000 SPECTATORS ALONG ITS ROUTE ALONG AN ADDITIONAL 1.5 TELEVISION VIEWERS, AND WHEREAS SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1948 THE FIESTA FLAMBO ORGANIZATION HAS CELEBRATED THE RICH AND DIVERSE CULTURE AND HERITAGE BY PRODUCING A PARADE THAT ENHANCES THE CELEBRATION OF FIESTA SAN ANTONIO AND ATTRACTS VIS VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TO SHARE THE JOY OF FIESTA, NOW THEREFORE, I MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 25, 2026 TO BE FIESTA FLAMBO PARADE IN SAN ANTONIO

TEXAS. PLEASE. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS IRWIN DELUNA I'M THE CURRENT 2026 FIESTA FLAMBO PARADE PRESIDENT.

AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO WELCOME JOINED HERE TODAY BOARD MEMBERS SEBASTIAN, OUR PARADE DIRECTOR, DEALREADY REZ, OUR MARCHING DIRECTOR, CECILIA OR COMPLIANCE, AND MADELINE, OUR TREASURER, WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE IT'S ACCESSIBLE THIS YEAR. SINCE ITS INCEPTION THE PARADE PURPOSE IS TO PLAN, TO ORGANIZE, AND PRODUCE THE FIESTA FLAMBO PARADE TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF FIESTA FOR VISITORS AND THOSE IN SAN ANTONIO AND SURROUNDING AREA.

THIS YEAR, THE PARADE WILL BE SEEN, AS YOU SAID, BY A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT ALSO SEEN BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH FOR ALL OF OUR TELEVISION AT THE SAME TIME.

SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT THIS YEAR. IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE WORKED FOR FOR A LONG TIME. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR'S GRAND MARSHALL, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT EARLIER WITH SHAMU AND RONALD MCDONALD, BOTH BELOVED CHARACTERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BOTH VERY WELL SUPPORTIVE OF US ALL THE TIME. THE SCRIPTS ARE BEING FINALIZED.

THE TEXAS LONG HORN BAND WILL LEAD THIS YEAR'S PARADE AGAIN.

WE HAVE 37 ADDITIONAL BANDS THAT WILL BE IN THE PARADE FROM LOCAL AND STATE SEC SECTIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE ALSO HAVE WORKING WITH HOUSTON SCHOOLS FROM ALABAMA AND FIVE ADDITIONAL OUT OF STATE BANDS AS WELL AS WELL AS ONE BAND FROM MEXICO PARTICIPATING. ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL HAVE 63 FLOATS FROM GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS, LOCALLY, THE FLOATS ARE BEING PRODUCED BY A LOCAL PRODUCER, CREATIVE PARADE STUDIOS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING A LOT TO THE PARADE THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF OUR FLOATS, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED. WE WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE COULDN'T DO IT, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MAYOR, THE POLICE CHIEF, AND THE FIRE CHIEF ALL BEING PART OF THE PARADE AND TRAVELING DOWN THE STREETS OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEING W WOWED BY ALL THE CITIZENS OF

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>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW COMMENTS.

ONE, JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. IT'S ALWAYS A VERY SPECIAL TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY, A GREAT TIME TO CELEBRATE, AND REALLY A GREAT TIME TO ALSO SHOWCASE THE WONDERFUL REPRESENTATION OF SERVICE ALL THROUGHOUT. EACH, I MEAN OF YOU ARE VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZATIONS AND WORK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NOT ONLY FOR THE COMMUNITY BUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS AND AS I MENTIONED, ALSO THOSE THAT WILL COME TO EXPERIENCE SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THEIR TELEV TELEVISION.

I CAN THINK OF MY OWN FIESTA EXPERIENCES HAVING BEEN ON A PARADE IN THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS WHEN JOHN JAY WAS IN THERE, AND OUR THEME WAS GREASE. I WON'T TELL YOU WHICH CHARACTER I WAS.

I WAS ALSO A -- I KNOW. I KNOW. I WAS ALSO A POPPER SCOOPER ONE YEAR AT THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PAR PARADE.

AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE PHILIPPINE WOMEN OF AMERICA, IN THE FIESTA FLAMBO WHERE WE PROUDLY SHOW OUR SHOES. SO A SPECIAL EVENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE AND WILL DO AND PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR OUR CITY.

THANK YOU. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. I'LL START OVER HERE. COUNCILMAN MUNGIA.

>> MUNGIA: FIRST OF ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND ADDING THIS COLOR AND FUN TO OUR MEETING, AND WITH ALL THE BAGS, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT. AND, YOU KNOW,ED A MAYOR SAID, WHILE IT'S SUCH A LARGE EVENT AND A LOT OF FUN, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THE PURPOSE THAT'S BEHIND IT, AND ALL THE FUNDRAISING YA'LL DO AND THE TIE TO EDUCATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OF OUR CITY, AND YA'LL ARE THERE PLUGGED INTO THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

IT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MY PARTNER KELLY'S FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR, SO THIS IS THE MOST FUN WE'LL HAVE THIS YEAR, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR THAT. AND I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLUG RIDE SHARE AND VIA OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR ALL OF US HERE TODAY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO PLACES SAFELY TO AND FROM, AND THIS TIME OF YEAR IS ALWAYS PROCAROUS, AND THERE'S EXTRA PRECA PRECAUTIONS MADE BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE REMEMBER THE EXTRA TOOLS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF TH THEM, MAYBE NOT WAY MO BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS THERE. AND BASED ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, I WANT TO PROPOSE ANOTHER GROUP TO ADD TO FIESTA, MAYBE THE ORDER OF POOPER SCOO SCOOPERS, AND THE FIRST YEAR WOULD BE ALL OF US, IT'D BE FUN FOR US TO DO THAT ROLE. BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE EVENTS AND SUPPORTING OUR KIDS IN THE CITY OF SAN

ANTONIO. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. AND HAVE IF WE'RE NOT THERE WHEN YOU'RE THERE FOR THE POOPER SCOOPER. WAIT.

WE'RE ON THE WAIT. COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.

>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THAT. HELLO, FRIENDS.

I THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT SAN ANTONIO.

ONE, WE CAN MARCH. WE HAVE SOME OF THE LARGEST MARCHES IN THE COUNTRY, WE CAN PARADE, SOME OF THE LARGEST PARADES IN THE COUNTRY.

WE CAN PARTY. OBVIOUSLY BIGGEST, MOST FUN PARTY IN THE COU COUNTRY. AND WE CAN ALSO SERVE. AND I APPRECIATE THAT EACH ONE OF YOU IN ADDITION TO THE LIVES THAT YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF YOUR ROLES HERE, YOU'RE ALSO CONTRIBUTING AND GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY IN SUCH A ME MEANINGFUL WAY, NOT TO JUST OUR ECONOMY, AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY DEPEND ON THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE HELPING PROVIDE AND HELPING TO EMPOWER, EMPOWER, LET'S GO WITH THAT ONE. I LOOK FORWARD TO ATT ATTENDING EACH OF THE EVENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO G GETTING TO SEE EACH OF YOU. AS A PERSON WHO -- THE PERSON WHO MADE THE STOLES AND SASHES HERE? OKAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE RIVER PARADE. WHAT I ALSO WANT TO CONVEY.

I GIVE A CHALLENGE TO YA'LL EVERY YEAR. DO YA'LL REMEMBER WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS? SO WHEN I LOOK INTO THE CROWD, I'M LOOKING FOR THE SALAD; RIGHT? I'M LOOKING FOR THE PAYA, LOOKING FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT COULD BE MISSING, YOU KNOW, AND I'M WONDERING WHERE IS THE BEVERLY WATTS DAVIS' OF THE WORLD, THE BONNIE AND FRANCINE, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT I FEEL LIKE COULD BE HERE AND COULD BE OF SERVICE, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE REPRESENTATION FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE EACH COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE NEXT YEAR JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO THAT'S MY

[00:35:02]

BUT, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR WIL WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SAN ANTONIO IN SUCH A ME

MEANINGFUL WAY. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMA

GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AN THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO CAM OUT TODAY AND MAKING FIESTA POSSIBLE EVERY SINGLE YEAR AT SUCH AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS.

IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF YEAR. I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME FIESTA MEDAL COLLECTOR, AND FOR THOSE THAT HAVE ASKED ME, THE MEDAL IS ON THE WAY AND THE SASH WILL BE WORN WHEN IT STARTS, BUT EXCITED TO HAVE IT TOGETHER. I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLKS COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SERVICE EVERY DAY, NOT JUST THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT YEAR ROUND WHO HELP STRENGTHEN EDUCATION SYSTEM AND PUBLIC SERVICES ALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY THAT MANY COMMUNITIES RELY ON. AND I HAVE TO SAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE LONG HORN BAND. I'M A PROUD LONG HORN AND ALWAYS EXCITED TO HAVE THEM LEAD THE FLAMBO PARADE.

SO I'M EXCITED TO BE THERE AND HOOK 'EM. VIVA FIESTA.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM BER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING. JUST WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKING SURE THAT SAN ANTONIO PARTIES WITH A PURPOSE.

AS STATED THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT THAT YA'LL HAVE WITH THE FUNDRAISING IS IMMEASURABLE, AND I THINK BACK TO MY TIME IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHERE RAY FEO WOULD COME, GIVE US A MEDAL. SHARE THEIR WORK THEY'RE DOING, BUT READ STORIES TO RESIDENTS, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT LIMITED TO DISTRICT 5 BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN WHICH YA'LL IMPACT AND GIVE BACK, AND I CAN'T COUNT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT I VOLUNTEERED ALONGSIDE YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE HOUSE OF NEIGHBORLY SERVICES TO WRAP GIFTS FOR KIDS OR SENIORS, BUT SUCH A GREAT IMPACT THAT EACH OF YOUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE, AND I WOULD BE JUST REMISS IF I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT THE WAYS IN WHICH IT KEEPS GIVING BACK; BACK; RIGHT? SO I APPRECIATE THE HISTORY AND YOU WALKING US THROUGH THE FIRST FIESTA MEDAL BECAUSE EVERY YEAR OUR CONSTITUENTS ASK, WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE, WHEN CAN I GRAB ONE, BUT IT'S PROVIDED US AS A COUNCIL OFFICE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BA BACK. FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR FOR A DONATION OF PAMPERS, WE'RE TRADING OUR MEDALS FOR PARENTING PLUS, A NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES PARENTS FOR R RESOURCES AND PARENTING CLASSES, AND WE'RE FUNDRAISING TO HELP GIVE BACK TO ITSD TEACHERS LIVING IN DISTRICT 5 SO TRADING OUR MEDAL FOR A DONATION AND GIFT CARD SO WHEN WE GO BACK TO SCHOOL WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO TEACHERS TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT TO DO WHATEVER THEY LIKE IN THE CLASS. SO WE WANT TO APPRECIATE AND HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND THEN OF COURSE ALLOWING US AS AN OFFICE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK.

NOW, WE WON'T BE RAISING THE MILLIONS ALTHOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO IN TERMS OF THE FIESTA MEDALS BUT WE KNOW THE IMPACT YOU HAVE IS GREAT, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YA'LL DO FOR YOUR DESIGNATED ORGANIZATION,

THANK YOU ALL AND VIVA FIESTA. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM

BER KAUR. >> SUKH KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND ALL YOU DO FOR FIESTA AND ALL OF YOUR DIFFERENT WAYS. I HAD A CHANCE TO SIT YESTERDAY AND I ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOMEONE YESTERDAY WHERE WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT PEOPLE LITERALLY PLAN THEIR ENTIRE CONFERENCES AND TRIPS AROUND FIESTA, AND THEN YOU ALL HAVE TO MANEUVER AND FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE.

SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU DO BECAUSE IT IS TRULY THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR CITY. EVERYONE PLANS THEIR YEAR AND ALL THE CELEBRATIONS AROUND THIS EVENT, AND WE KNOW WHAT IT IS.

IT IS -- AGAIN, THE REASON WHY I LOVE IT THE MOST IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST MARDI GRAS, WHERE I FEEL LIKE NOS OF YOU'RE JUST PARTYING, BUT THIS IS PARTYING WITH A PURPOSE, SO EVERY SINGLE EVENT THAT HAPPENS IS A FUNDRAISER, AND WE'RE FUNDING SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S A STUDENT TRYING TO PAY FOR BOOKS IN COLLEGE, WHETHER IT'S A LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL FIELD YOU'RE HELPING WITH LIGHTS ON. WHATEVER YOU ALL ARE FUNDRAISING FOR, IT'LL GO TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THROUGH THE TRICKY CONVERSATIONS WE KNOW WE HAVE IS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS COLLECTIVELY AS A WHOLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, AND VIVA FIESTA.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM BER ALDERETE GAVITO. WELL, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

THIS IS DEFINITELY, LIKE MY FAVORITE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE YEAR.

IT -- YOU KNOW, FIESTA IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DON'T FORGET ANYTHING, BUT FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK THE FIESTA COMMISSION. STEVE, FERN, ALISON, J JIM, AND ALL OF YA'LL'S TEAMS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ORGANIZING ALL OF THIS FOR THE WHOLE CITY. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YA'LL'S WORK.

I KNOW YA'LL START THE DAY AFTER FIESTA IS OV OVER.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND, YES, FERN IS A DISTRICT 7 RESIDENT SO I'M ESPECIALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW WE ARE ALL

[00:40:01]

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PARADE EVERY YEAR, THAT IS SUCH A PHENOMENAL EVENING, I MEAN, THE CITY LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL, SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YA'LL DO THERE. RAY FEO, YES, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.

YOU REMEMBER, YOU VI VISITED MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL, I THINK YOU'RE ESPECIALLY PROUD OF THE BEAUTIFUL AND SMART KT KTARINA THERE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND ALL THE FUNDS YOU RAISE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS IT IS TRULY REMARKABLE WORK. NIOSA, I KNOW OUR DISTRICT 7 RESIDENT P PATTY IS EXTREMELY INVOLVED AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A MARÍA'S TORTILLA, YOU NEED TO GET ONE, THEY'RE SO GO GOOD.

AND THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST -- THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL, THIS N IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES OSA FIESTA MEDAL.

A JOB WELL DONE. BATTLE OF FLOWERS, I TAKE MY GIRLS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE CORE MEMORIES THAT ALL SAN ANTONIOIANS HAVE OF BEING AT THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE.

I KNOW IT'S NO EASY LI LIFT, SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YA'LL DO FOR THE CITY. AND I KNOW THAT WE WORK WITH -- TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS THERE.

AND THEN FIESTA FLAMBO. MR. DELUNA HAS KNOWN ME SINCE ST. PAUL'S, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU LEADING THAT EFFORT, SOUNDS LIKE AN AMAZING EVENT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING MY GIRLS THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR EFFORTS COMBINED REALLY HELP THE CITY SHINE.

AGAIN, IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR IN SAN ANTONIO, AND TO KNOW IT IS ALL PURPOSE DRIVEN, IS JU JUST -- IT'S A REFLECTION OF OUR CITY, AND A REFLECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YA'LL'S EFFORTS. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILWOM AN MEZA GONZALEZ. THANK YOU

>> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU. I DID NOT HEAR CHICKEN ON A STICK.

HOPEFULLY WE DON'T FORGET THAT. THANK YOU TO FIESTA COMMISSION, BATTLE OF FLOWERS, NIOSA, TEXAS CAVALIERS, FIESTA FLAMBO AND EVERYBODY NOT HERE THAT'S DOING THE WORK TO MAKE THESE NEXT TEN DAYS SO SPECIAL FOR OUR CITY. YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE EVENTS HAPPEN DOWNTOWN, BUT IT REALLY DOES TOUCH EVERY PART OF THE CITY. I SEE MR. GARZA, A FO FORMER RAY FEO NUMBER 4 40, AND I KNOW THEY'RE ON 70 NOW.

SO HE'S MY NEIGHBOR AND THERE'S A LOT OF WON WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, VOLUNTEERS DOING SO MUCH, AND THE LOVE REALLY SHOWS THROUGH, SO WE RECENTLY WENT TO TEXAS CAVALIER'S ART CONTEST TO CELEBRATE CATHRYN PILE A DISTRICT 8 FINALIST WHO'S A FOURTH GRADER, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT. THOSE KIDS WERE SO HAPPY TO BE THERE, JUST TO BE FINALISTS WAS JUST SO EXCITING, THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH VIA, WHICH IS GREAT, THEIR ART PIECES ARE GOING TO BE DRIVING AROUND ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. SO WE IN DISTRICT 8 ARE HOSTING A FIESTA MEDAL GIVEAWAY. WE'RE HAVING FOUR OF THOSE, AND THOSE ARE SUPPORTING ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND SAN ANTONIO HUMANE SOCIETY. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MEDAL MEET-UPS IN DISTRICT 8 DONATING ANY ITEM OF PET FOOD, CAT FOOD, AND YOU'LL RECEIVE A MEDAL. SO DOING OUR PART IN DISTRICT 8 TO SUPPORT

FIESTA. AND VIVA FIESTA. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM

BER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. WELL, WHAT WE KNOW IN THIS ROOM IS THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL, UNIQUE CULTURE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT IS -- THAT IS OURS. AND NEVER OR NOWHERE IS IT SEEN MORE THAN THE COUPLE OF WEEKS OF FIESTA.

WE ARE A COLLECTION OF PERSONALITIES, DIFFERENT GROUPS FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS, AND WE ALL COME TOGETHER DURING THESE TWO WEEKS TO NOT ONLY CELEBRATE SAN ANTONIO, BUT DO IT FOR A -- FOR A GOOD CAUSE. AND I WON'T BELABOR MANY OF THE POINTS MADE BY MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I'M THRILLED YOU'RE ALL HE HERE, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL, MORE THAN ANYTHING, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO FOR THIS CITY, BECAUSE IT IS A -- IT IS A TEAM EFFORT, AND FOR SAN ANTONIO TO BE WHAT IT IS, WE NEED EVERYBODY PULLING ON THE SAME END OF THE ROPE, DOING THEIR PART TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PLACE. AND YOU ALL ARE A SH SHINING EXAMPLE OF THAT. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.

AND VIVA FIESTA. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE -- I'M SORRY.

COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS, PLEASE. PLEASE.

PLEASE. >> SPEARS: THANK YOU. I'VE GOT TO TELL YA'LL, I'M JUST SO EXCITED. THIS IS MY FIRST FIESTA UP ON COUNCIL, AND I

[00:45:05]

ALL OF YOU LOOK STUNNING IN THE REGALIA, AND I JUST LOVE THE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE OF THIS, IT'S JUST ALMOST MAG MAGICAL.

AND I REALLY LOVE THE TRADITION AND THE SPIRIT THAT THIS SPRINGS OUR CITY TOGETHER. NO MATTER WHAT WE LOOK LIKE, WHERE WE COME FR FROM, WE ARE ALL FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN SAN ANTONIO AROUND FIESTA, AND I JUST -- I JUST AM EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THIS YEAR. THE PARADES, THE FESTIVALS, THE CHICKEN ON A STICK, YES, SHE'S RIGHT, WE GO AROUND T TRYING ALL THE DIFFERENT CHICKEN ON A STICK, AND WE LOVE THAT. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE FIESTA COMMISSION FOR THE MONEY YOU'RE RAISING, FOR THE CHARITIES, AND FOR THE KIDS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY ALL AB ABOUT.

AND WE'RE DOING IT DISGUISES AS A PARTY, AND THAT'S SUPER SLICK.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY A GOOD STRATEGY THERE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE N NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAKE PART, AND THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR A LOT OF THEM. THIS IS A REALLY BIG PART OF THEIR YEAR. SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN D9 AND ALL OVER THE CITY TO BE INVOLVED.

YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT -- THANK YOU TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING TO KEEP US SAFE AS WE PARTY ALONG ALL OF OUR TWO WEEKS, AND I WANT TO R REMIND EVERYBODY TO TAKE THE VIA LINK.

TAKE THE UBER, AND USE THE STONE OAK PARK AND RIDE.

WE HAVE, LIKE, SEVERAL EVENTS OUT THAT WE'RE GOING -- TAKING A PART IN. SO -- BUT AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING, AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES US U UNMISTAKENLY SAN ANT

ANTONIO. SO VIVA FIESTA, YA'LL. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM

BER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I HOPE YA'LL CAN HEAR M ME. I'M GOING TO KEEP IT QUICK.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYBODY WHO CAME AND PRESENTED.

I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FIESTA. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN PICK FIRST THAT I LIKE THE MOST, BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO THE FIESTA COMMISSION AND STEVEN, APPOINTMENT TO THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE TIM AS THE GRAND MARSHALL FOR THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, YOU KNOW I REALLY WANT ONE OF THE GORILLAS THERE, BUT WE'LL TAKE YOU INSTEAD, AND GREAT CALL TO THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS ASSOCIATION, AND THE NIGHT PARADE, WHILE I DIDN'T GO TO UT, IT'S OKAY THAT YOU START WITH THEM.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MU MUCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE AND G GETTING MY CHICKEN ON A STICK FROM NIOSA.

THANKS. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. I KNOW THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A PICTURE, SO IF ONE -- A PERSON WHO SPOKE WOULD JOIN US FOR A PICTURE UP FRONT. THANK YOU.

[00:53:33]

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: NOTHING ELSE GOING ON. THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY.

THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. MARÍA, OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU. >> CLERK: GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

FOR THIS CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH AN U UPDATE OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS BODY ON FEBRUARY 12 RELATED TO SUPPORTING EVALUATION OF STRATEGIES TO PROTECT ALL SAN ANTONIOIANS. WE DID THE FIRST REPORT ON AN UPDATE OF THOSE ACTIONS TO THIS BODY ON MARCH THE 5TH.

SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY IS GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF THOSE ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED SINCE AS WELL AS THOSE ACTIONS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AND UNDER EV EVALUATION. SO IN TERMS OF ACTIONS COMPLETED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE ON MARCH 5, THERE WAS A REQUEST TO LINK THE DATA PROVIDED BY ICE RELATED TO THEIR ACTIVITY IN SAN ANTONIO.

SO WE HAVE LINKED THE I ICE REPORT TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE UNDER THE COMPLIANCE OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS WEB PAGE, AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IN -- AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE INFORMATION THAT IS

[00:55:02]

ALSO, THE DATA IS U UPDATED BY ICE, AND IN TERMS OF TIMELINESS AND ACCURACY. NOW, IN TERMS OF THE ACTIONS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TRAINING FOR CITY STAFF ON RESPONSE PROTOCOLS WHEN ICE ENTERS A CITY FACILITY. SO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAVE CONDUCTED IN-PERSON SECTIONS FOR OUR LIBRARY DEPARTMENT, HUMAN SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION, METRO HEA HEALTH.

DEPARTMENT SERVICES, AND FOR THE CD DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.

THE TRAINING FOR THE R REMAINING DEPARTMENT IS ONGOING.

ANOTHER UPDATE IS RELATED TO A CITY COUNCIL POLICY TO THE FUTURE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DETENTION FACILITIES.

I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT WE HAVE POSTED, YESTERDAY, FOR NEXT WEEK'S A SESSION AGENDA OF APRIL 16, THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT WILL REGULATE PRIVATE DETENTION CENTERS. ALSO, A CITY MANAGER WILL BE MEETING WITH YOU TO BRIEF YOU ON THE PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WILL BE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AGAIN, NEXT THURSDAY. CONTINUING WITH ACTIONS AND PROGRESS. THE COUNCIL REQUESTED A REPORT MECHANISM FOR COMMUNITY TO REPORT OR LOG ALLEGED RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.

WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, AND WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON IS A COUPLE OF OPTIONS. WE'RE EVALUATING AN OPTION FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO RECORD THOSE ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OR HAVE A THIRD PARTY DO I IT. WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME ORGANIZATIONS FOR THAT, THE ABILITY TO DO SO. SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 15. JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS WILL BE JUST A REPORTING TRACKING MECHANISM, BUT THE CITY CANNOT ACT ON THOSE REPORTED ALLEGED VIOLATIONS. IN RELATION TO A JUSTICE FUND TO SUPPORT N NONPROFITS OR THOSE VICTIMS OF I.C.E.

ACTIVITY WITH LEGAL STATUS, THE LEGAL CRITERIA IS BEING EVALUATED THAT WOULD MITIGATE RISK, AND IT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 15, WE WOULD REPORT THAT TO COUNCIL, AND ANY BUDGETARY IMPACT WOULD BE DISCUSSED AS PART OF THE PROCESS, AND WE'LL HAVE OUR GOAL-SETTING SESSION WITH THE COUNCIL IN MAY.

ANOTHER ACTION WAS ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC SIGNAGE, INFORMING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF THEIR RIGHTS. SO WE ARE AND HAVE EVALUATED AVAILABLE PUBLIC SIGNAGE WAS DEVELOPED BY THIRD PA PARTIES, AND THAT EV EVALUATION WILL BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 15, AND THAT -- THOSE -- THAT INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING WHETHER A THIRD PARTY CAN ASSIST US IN PRO PROMOTING DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE MATERIALS, AND WE INCLUDED IN THE POWERPOINT AS ONE OF THE BACKUP SLIDES THAT SIGNAGE FOR YOUR REVIEW. NOW, MOVING ON TO P PROCUREMENT ACTIONS THAT ARE ALSO IN PROGRESS. YOU'LL SEE ON SLIDE 6 THAT THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT ACTIONS THAT ARE BEING EVALUATED BY OUR CITY'S TEAMS, DEPARTMENTS, AND WE WILL BE PRESENTING POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS TO THE ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH IN THE MONTH OF MAY FOR DISCUSSION OF THE COMMITTEE AND EVALU EVALUATION. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ACTIONS THAT WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE RELATED TO THE DETENTION FACILITIES.

ONE IS RELATED TO AN ASSESSMENT AND THE TERMINATION OF WHETHER FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, AND THAT IS AN EV EVALUATION AT THIS PO POINT. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT INCLUSION OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND ACTION TO PREVENT AND/OR END THE USE OF ANY FACILITY IN SAN ANTONIO IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION WHO'S AWARE OF THE CITY COUNCIL POSITION ON THE ISSUE, AND THIS IS BEING CONSIDERED AS WE DEVELOP THE FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 120TH CONGRESS THAT WILL BEGIN LATER THIS YEAR. FINALLY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THESE UPDATES,

[01:00:02]

MY REPORT, MAYOR. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU MARÍA, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATES ON -- THOROUGH UPDATES ON EACH OF THESE ITEMS FOR EVERYONE'S AWARENESS, YESTERDAY I SENT A LETTER TO THE NEW DHS SECRETARY MULLEN EXPRESSING MY -- OUR COMMUNITY'S CONTINUED LACK OF INTEREST IN HOSTING AN I.C.E. PROCESSING FACILITY. MENTIONING I HAD COMMUNICATED THAT MESSAGE TO A PREDE PREDECESSOR, DID NOT RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON TH THAT, AND JUST AS A R REMINDER FOR THOSE WA WATCHING THAT, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE NOR THE CITY STAFF HAVE YET TO BE COMMUNICATED FORMALLY WITH ANYBODY AT DHS REGARDING THE PROPOSED I.C.E. PROCESSING FACILITY ON THE EAST SIDE TO THIS DAY DESPITE THE MONTHS OF INFORMATION, SO AGAIN THAT'S GONE TO SECRETARY MULLEN, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE AND TRANSPARENT DIALOGUE WITH HIS OFFICE VERSUS HIS PREDECESSOR. MARÍA, A COUPLE OF POINTS OF CLARIFICATION ON YOUR PRESENTATION. I KNOW WE HAD -- IT WAS RAISED BY A SUPP COUPLE OF FOLKS AGAIN, ABOUT THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF SOME OF THESE ACTIV ACTIVITIES. SO ON SLIDE FOUR, I KNOW LAST WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT G GETTING THE INPUT OF SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPOSED CODE CHANGES WERE REFLECTIVE OF THEIR I INPUT, AS AN EXAMPLE, ASKED TO PART OF THAT. CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE AS TO WHICH OF OUR ECONOMIC STAKEHOLDERS MAY HAVE INFORMED THE PROPOSED CODE CHANGE.

>> CLERK: MAYOR, I'M GOING TO ASK JOHN PET TERRIC WHO'S LE LEADING THE EFFORT IN THE CODE

CHANGES TO ADDRESS THAT QUE QUESTION. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR, SO AS FAR AS BOTH THE -- REMITTING SEVERAL PIECES OF CITY CODE WITH WHAT'S BEFORE YOU NEXT WEEK, BUT THE UDCP HAS GONE BEFORE THE ZONING COMMISSION THIS WEEK, AND THERE ARE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DIRECT INVOLVEMENT WITH SACDC OR OTHER ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FULLY -- AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT PARTICIPATE I THAT. I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US THOUGH TO FORMALLY HEAR FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO LET THEM KNOW, ONE, WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING AND TO FORMALLY HEAR THEIR INPUT ON MANY ZONING CONSIDERATIONS, WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US ECONOMICALLY, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE IN THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THAT WE HEAR FROM THEM. SO I'D LIKE US TO DO OUR PART SO TRANSMIT THAT TO THEM FOR THEIR AWAR AWARENESS. NOW, IF THEY CHOOSE TO REPLY, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT TRANSMITTING IS SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO

DO PLEASE. >> YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT TODAY.

WE HAVE A DRAFT, A RED LINE CHANGE OF THE PI PIECES OF CITY CODE THAT

WE CAN SHARE IMMED IMMEDIATELY. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

MARÍA. ON SLIDE FIVE. INFORMING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS OF THEIR RIGHTINGS, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND I APPRECIATE THE TIMELINE. CAN YOU PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE FIDELITY, SO LOOKING AT A THIRD PARTY ASSISTING TO PROMOTE DISTRIBUTION, HOW WOULD A BUSINESS EXPRESS INTEREST IN GETTING A COPY OF THAT MATERIAL?

IS THAT -- HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? >> CLERK: SO THAT'S WIN OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING IN TERMS OF THE DISTRIBUTION AND HOW WE MAKE THOSE BUSINESSES AWARE. SO I'M GOING TO ASK TO GIVE MORE SPECIFICITY.

>> THANK YOU, MARIE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

JUST FOR PURPOSES OF OPTIONS BEING EXPLORED, WE'VE WORKED ON IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SIGNAGE THAT IS ALONG THE LINES AS WE UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL INFORMATION THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE VALUABLE TO BUSINESSES HAVING. AS PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS, WE'RE LO LOOKING AT WHETHER A THIRD PARTY IS EVEN POSSIBLE FOR PURPOSES OF DISTRIBUTION OR WHETHER IT'S SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT WE MAKE AVAILABLE, POTENTIALLY ON THE CITY WEBSITE AND THEN WE WORK WITH ENGAGEMENT SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY TO BE ABLE TO NOTIFY AND CREATE SOME SORT OF AWARENESS THAT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE EVENT THAT THEY CHOOSE OR WOULD LIKE THIS.

SO TO YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THESE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN PRESENT TO YOU THOSE OPTIONS, AND YOU CAN GIVE YOUR I INPUT IN TERMS OF HOW BEST; SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON CUR

[01:05:01]

CURRENTLY. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: IF I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, SO IT'S GOING TO BE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE, SPECIALLY ON THE WEBSITE, AND THEN IN PRACTICE, THEN, SOMEBODY WOULD GO ON THERE AND SAY, OH, I THIN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL, AND IN THEORY HAVE TO PRINT IT THEMSELVES AND POST IT IN THEIR BUSINESS?

IS THAT . >> HYPOTHETICALLY, THAT COULD BE ONE OPTION, MAYOR, ANOTHER OPTION TO PREPRINT AND MAKE AVAILABLE POTENTIALLY THROUGH YOUR OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO GET ONE EASILY. IT'S NOT -- LOGIST LOGISTICALLY, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BARIERS TO THAT. SO WE HAVE OPTIONS, AND

WE COULD EXPLORE THOSE WITH YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

THANK YOU. >> YES. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: ANDY, DID WE HAVE A TIMELINE REGARDING TH NATIONAL FIRM FOR THE EPA PORTION?

>> ACTUALLY, WE HAVE ENGAGED A FIRM ALREADY, MAYOR, AND SO THEY'RE PREPARING RIGHT NOW ESSENTIALLY THE COURT DOCUMENTS WE WOULD NEED TO FILE A COMPLAINT, AND THAT'S ABOUT AS MUCH DETAIL AS I WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO GIVE YOU DURING A PUBLIC SESSION.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: GOT IT. OKAY. I KNOW THAT'S A BIG ONE.

SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING WHAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE SHARING AT THIS POINT.

OKAY. FOR THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS, QUESTIONS ON THIS, COUNCILMAN? ANYTHING? NO? ANYTHING? ANYTHING? ANYTHING? ANYTHING? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE UPD UPDATE. COUNCILMAN VIAGRAN, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

OR COMMENTS ON THE U UPDATE? >> VIAGRAN: NO, THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: ITEMS 4 THROUGH 20 ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, MEANING THEY'RE CONSIDERED AS A GROUP, AND THERE'S NOT A STAFF PRESENTATIO UNLESS PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY?

ANYTHING ON THE RIGHT SIDE? >> GALVAN: ITEM 17.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: ITEM 17. COUNCILMAN GALVAN. ITEM 17.

ANYTHING ELSE? NOTHING. OKAY.

OKAY. ITEM 17 HAS BEEN PULLED BY COUNCILMAN GALVAN FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSID CONSIDERATION. WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, ACTUALLY, ALL OF THOSE NOW ARE ON INDIVIDUAL, SO WE HAVE NOBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. OKAY. GIVEN THE ITEM WAS PU PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, THERE'S NOBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THIS POINT. OKAY. OKAY.

IS OUR MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ABSENT ITEM 17.

OKAY. IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM 17. WE HAVE SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTS.

I'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN KAUR. >> SUKH KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR, I HAVE TWO QUICK HIGHLIGHTS, ONE IS ITEM 7, WHICH IS APPROVING A LEASE AND USE AGREEMENT WITH TH SAN ANTONIO TENANT ASSOCIATION FOR THE MCFARLAND TENNIS CENTER, THE LARKEST CENTER IN REGIONAL SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE PARTNERING WITH THEM TO CONTINU OFFERING THIS SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY AT LA LARGE.

I ALWAYS SEE SO MANY KIDS PLAYING AT THE CENTER, WHICH IS GEN GENERALLY A SPACE THAT IS NOT PROVIDED FOR A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES, AND SO EXCITED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO OFFER THAT AT SAN PADRES PARK, I'M LOOKING AT HOMER, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING THERE. I'M EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 8, WHICH IS THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF STREETS, YA'LL. JUST TEMPORARY, FOR FIESTA, WHICH IS COMING UP, BUT IN THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE, WE'LL ALSO BE CELEBRATING THE FULL OPENING OF SOUTH ALAMO, SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR CAPITAL DELIVERY DEPARTMENTS LEAD MIKE FOR GETTING US --

>> SUKH KAUR: I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE SAYING IT. I TOLD EVERYBODY NOT TO HOLD THE BREAST, BUT I'M GLAD TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING, WE'LL DO A CELEBRATION NEXT WEDNESDAY IN THE AFTERNOON SO WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE SO WE CAN HAVE A NEW HASHTAG, SOUTH ALAMO IS OPEN, AND A FUN PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT FOR FOLKS, AND THE DOWNTOWN OFFICE IS WO WORKING TO COORDINATE WITH US. SO THANK YOU, ALL, WE'RE FINALLY THERE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: COUNCILMEM BER SPEARS. >> SPEARS: CAN YA'LL GUESS WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT? ITEM NUMBER 9, ABOUT OUR AIRPORT.

TODAY WE'RE RECOGNIZING AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR SAN ANTONIO

[01:10:05]

WITH THIS AWARD, THE AIRPORT HAS NOW SECURED A REMARKABLE $91.5 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS STILL PENDING. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. THIS IS THE RESULT OF A DISCIPLINED, STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PURSUING EVERY AVAILABLE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.

UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JESUS SIGNS, AND THE ENTIRE AIRPORT TEAM, THEY HAVE TRULY LOOKED UNDER EVERY ROCK TO BRING FEDERAL DOLLARS BACK TO SAN ANTONIO. THEIR STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FAA CONTINUES TO DELIVER REAL RESULTS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS, TRAVELERS AND LOCAL ECONOMY. WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE IMPACT OF THAT HARD WORK THROUGH ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS AND RECENT ENHANCEMENTS AT THE AIRPORT THAT ARE ELE ELEVATING THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE AND PREPARING US FOR CONTINUED GROWTH. THIS INVESTMENT POSI POSITIONED SAN ANTONIO TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, AND SUPPORT THE BILLIONS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY T TIED TO THE AIRPORT. AS THE NEW TERMINAL MO MOVES FORWARD TOWARDS THE ANTICIPATED OPENING IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2028, THIS FUNDING ENSURES WE'RE BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OUR CITY NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE. I WANT TO COMMEND THE AIRPORT TEAM FOR THEIR PERSISTENCE, PROFE PROFESSIONALISM, AND COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING FOR SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU -- WHEN STRONG LEADERSHIP, SMART STRATEGY, AND PARTNERSHIPS COME TOGETHER TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WHYTE.

>> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. WELL, I'M HIGHLIGHTING ITEM 20, AND THIS ITEM HAS BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF IN THE MAKING, AND I'M PROUD THAT WE'RE FINALLY HERE. WE'RE HERE WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT DAVID J EV EVEN'S MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T REMEMBER, I MET MR MRS. EVANS AT THE POLLS BACK IN 2023 AND SHE TOLD ME THE STORY OF HER BRAVE, LATE HUSBAND, OFFICER DAVID EVANS, AND HOW HE GAVE 37 YEARS OF HIS LIFE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING 30 WITH SAPD.

THERE WAS AN EVENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHERE HE WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, AND HE SURVIVED, AND HE RETURNED TO DUTY THAT DAY AND SERVED UNTIL RETIREMENT, BUT HE CARRIED THE WOUNDS FROM THAT DAY FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE, AND HE ENDED UP PASSING AWAY FROM THOSE INJURIES IN FEBRUARY OF 2022.

THIS IS AN OFFICER HO HONORING. DESIGNATING THIS HIGHWAY DAVID G. EVANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY. AND TO THE EVANS FAMILY, YOU KNOW I ALWAYS KEEP A PICTURE OF DAVID HERE WITH ME ON THE DIAS.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.

THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING US TO GET IT. I PROMISED WE WOULD MAKE THIS DAY HAPPEN AT THE POLLS, AND I'M PROUD WE'RE HERE TODAY.

OFFICER EVANS SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN IN DISTRICT 10 AND IN ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WITH THAT, MAYOR, I BELIEVE THERE'S A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY THAT IS HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: YEP. PLEASE COME FORWARD. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, AND THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LO LORENZO, I'M THE SON-IN-LAW OF DAVID EVANS. ELIZABETH EVANS IS NOT HERE TO DELIVER, SHE'S TRAVELING CURRENTLY, TO DELIVER THE LETTER, BUT THE LETTER GOES AS, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH WORDS TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE WE HAVE IN HONORING DAVID. THE THOUGHT OF DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY WE TRAVEL OFTEN AND SEEING HIS DEDICATION TO OUR FAMILIES PATRIARCH WILL BRING A SENSE OF JOY AND PRIDE KNOWING THAT DA DAVID'S LEGACY WILL CONTINUE AND THAT HIS LIFE MATTERED. COUNCILMAN WHYTE, YOU MADE A PROMISE THAT DAY THAT I MET YOU, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR KEEPING YOUR WORD, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES OF YOUR INTEGRITY AS A PUBLIC AND AS A HUMAN BEING. YOU WOULD ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS OF OUR FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR HONORING, NOT ONLY DAVID, BUT TO EVERY SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICER WHO DAILY LAYS THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE

[01:15:06]

THANK YOU, GOD BLESS Y YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

COUNCILMEMBER IT'S A TEE OWE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.

MAYOR, THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 14 AND 15, WHICH IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF ROBERT TO THE STANDARD BOARD, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BOARD THAT'S QUASI JUDICIAL THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO ISSUE DEMOLITION OR REPAIR FOR STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO.

SO THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TASKED WITH PRIORITIZING THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. SO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE AND OBVIOUSLY THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE WHO VETTED THE APPLICANTS, CHAIRS, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK THE CLERKS OFFICE WHO PREVETS THOSE TO TAKE ACTION AND DELIBERATE ON, AGAIN, JUST GREAT GRATEFUL FOR THESE APPOINTMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT THIS IS A VITAL BOARD TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND WAS IMP IMPRESSED WITH THESE APPLICANTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: ANY OTHER HIGHLIGHTS ON THE CONSENT AG AGENDA? OKAY. GREAT. I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ROBERT MIHARA, WHO IS MY APPOINTEE TO THE STREETS, BRIDGES AND SIDEWALKS ADVISORY BO BOARD. HE'S AN ARMY VETERAN, LONG LINE OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HIS THOUGHTS AND INPUT INTO MAKING THIS AS ROBUST AS IT CAN BE.

SO THANK YOU FOR ST STEPPING UP TO SERVE AGAIN.

OKAY. THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, MINUS ITEM 17. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY.

COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, WE WOULD NEED A VERBAL, THANK YOU.

>> VIAGRAN: AYE. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: HOLD ON. MINE IS NOT WORKING.

AYE. YEP. OKAY.

THE MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER 17 WAS PULLED BY COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. WOULD YOU LIKE A STAFF PRESENTATION? I'M SORRY? OH, YES, PLEASE.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. >> CLERK: ITEM 17 IS ANED OR NANS AMENDING THE AGREEMENT WIT RAY FEOKONSEJO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE FIESTA DELOS RAYS EVENT AT MARKET SQUARE TO ESTABLISH HOURS FOR THE EVENT TICKETING DURING SOME EVENT H HOURS, SETTING AN INITIAL GAIT FEE, ESTABLISHING A REVENUE SHARE RELATED TO THE TICKET REVENUE, REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE CITY WILL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE MARKET SQUARE FUND.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: PLEASE. THANK YOU. >> YES.

WE DO HAVE -- GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. SHANNON MILLER, THE CHIEF DOWNTOWN OFFICER, AND WE HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO GO THROUGH IT, OR I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.

WHICHEVER YOU PREFER. PRESENTATION. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO SINCE 2010, THE RAY FEO FOUNDATION HAS PRODUCED THE EVENT IN MARKET SQUARE, AND IT'S AN EVENT THAT LASTS THE WHOLE TEN DAYS IN FIE FIESTA, AND IT IS THE LARGEST -- PROBABLY THE LARGEST EVENT ATTRACTING ABOUT 250,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR, AND LAST YE YEAR, AS A RESULT OF SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS, THE CONSEJOS SAW A FINANCIAL LOSS WE'RE T TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS YEAR.

SEVERAL SAFETY AND SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS MADE RELATE TO PERIMETER FENCING AND CONTROLLED ENTRY POINTS SO THAT PEOPLE ARE SCREENED BEFORE THEY ENTER THE AREA. SO THEY DO GO THROUGH THE MAGNET TOM TERES, AND THERE'S A BAG POLICY AND ALL OF THAT IS SO THE ATTENDEES ARE ALL CHECKED FOR SECURITY REASONS.

THERE WERE ALSO SOME OTHER ADJUSTMENTS RELATED TO MOVING STAGES AROUND TO ALLOW FOR BETTER SECURITY. NOT ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE PARKING DECK BY THE PUBLIC, SO THAT IS ALSO RESTRICTED, AND THEN REDUCING THE ACTUAL HO HOURS OF THE EVENT ITSELF.

SO THE AMENDMENT THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY, THE CURRENT CONTRACT FOR THE EVENT GOES THROUGH 2030, BUT THE AMENDMENT TO THAT CONTRACT, IT WOULD ALLOW FOR A $5 GATE FEE DURING PEAK EVENT HOURS, AND THOSE HOURS -- AND THEN IT ALSO SETS THE EVENT HOURS, AND SO MOST OF THE DAYS, THE EVENT WOULD BE FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 11:00 P.M., THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS BEING ON THE NIGHT OF THE PARADE, IT'S OPEN UNTIL MIDN MIDNIGHT.

[01:20:05]

AND SO BASED ON PREVIOUS ATTENDANCE, WE ESTIMATE BEING AROUND $37,500.

SO STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY

QUESTIONS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

WE'RE GOING TO -- LET'S SEE. YEAH. SO FOR YOU.

SO MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL SO WE MAY AGAIN DISCUSSION.

>> MOTION. >> SECOND. >> MAYOR JONES: WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND I'LL CALL THEM IN THE ORDER THEY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THE FIRST PERSON IS THELMA GONZALES FOLLOWED BY YVETTE RAMIREZ AND THEN VERONICA SANDOVAL. IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE LINE UP BEHIND THE SPEAKERS SO WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THIS. THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS THELMA GONZALES AND I HAVE BEEN A BUSINESS OWNER AT THE FARMERS MARKET PLAZA FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS. THIS IS A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS BUILT THROUGH DECADES OF DEDICATION, CULTURAL PRIDE, AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

TODAY THE FARMERS MARKET PLAZA IS HOME TO 54 TENANTS, ALL OF THEM WHO ARE NOW BUSINESS OWNERS OF SAN ANTONIO. THERE ARE OVER 100 LOCAL-OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE MARKET SQUARE AREA. WE OPEN 356 DAYS A YEAR EXCEPT MAJOR HOLIDAYS. LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE PAY RENT, UTILITIES, AND SALES TAXES, A PORTION OF WHICH DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE CITY. OUR BUSINESSES ALSO CREATE LOCAL JOBS, SUPPORT FAMILY LIVELIHOODS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE TOURISM ECONOMY SAN ANTONIO IS KNOWN FOR.

MARKET SQUARE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FREE PUBLIC SPACE. A PLACE WHERE LOCALS AND VISITORS CAN ENJOY OUR CULTURE, FOOD, MUSIC, AND TRADITIONS WITHOUT BARRIERS.

IT IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING CULTURAL HUBS IN THE CITY WHERE FAMILIES CAN GATHER AND EXPERIENCE AUTHENTIC SAN ANTONIO HERITAGE.

FOR THIS REASON, WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED $5 ENTRY GATE FEE BEING SUBMITTED FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE AGREEMENT WITH REY FEO CONSEJO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION . THIS WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE NATURE OF MARKET SQUARE. IT RISKS REDUCED FOOT TRAFFIC, HARMING SMALL BUSINESSES, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO FAMILIES WHO HAVE VISITED THE SPACE FREELY FOR DECADES. IT ALSO CONTRADICTS THE SPIRIT OF FIESTA, A CELEBRATION MEANT TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND NOT CREATING FINANCIAL BARRIERS. WE RESPECTFULLY ASK OUR CITY LEADERS TO RECONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL AND TO WORK WITH US.

THE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE SUSTAINED MARKET SQUARE FOR DECADES.

TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT SUPPORTS BOTH THE CITY AND THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THIS HISTORIC PUBLIC SPACE. THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M GLAD ON THE MAYOR'S REPORT BECAUSE THAT SETTLED EVERYTHING DOWN, WITH ALL THE SHINY, SPARKLY METALS AND EVERYTHING. I'M NOT HERE TO RAIN ON ANYBODY'S PARADE, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR ASSOCIATION AT MARKET SQUARE.

I DO WANT TO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GALVAN, FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE AND PULLING IT FROM CONSENT AGENDA. I THINK IT'S TOO IMPORTANT TO ALLOW IT JUST TO PASS ON A CONSENT AGENDA. IT IS AN ISSUE THAT INVOLVES THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AT MARKET

[01:25:01]

A CELEBRATION THAT WELCOMES RESIDENTS WITHOUT BARRIERS TO ENTRY.

OUR TAX DOLLARS HAVE HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED THE SECURITY AND SAFETY OF THIS EVENT. IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT CITY ALLOCATES APPROXIMATELY 400 TO $600,000 IN PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES DURING THE FIESTA EVENT.

ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN HAVE GREATER SAFETY. THESE ARE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENDITURES MADE BY THE CITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, NOT COST CARRIED BY THE CONSEJO ORGANIZATION. IN 2024, ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING DECISIONS MADE BY THE CONSEJOS BROUGHT A LARGE NUMBER OF MINORS TO MARKET SQUARE.

UNFORTUNATELY, IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, SOME POOR DECISIONS WERE MADE AMONG THOSE MINORS, WHICH LED TO INCIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN TO JUSTIFY THE USE OF RESTRICTING OUR PUBLIC SPACE. BUT WE MUST ASK OURSELVES THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION: ARE WE SOLVING AN EXISTING PROBLEM OR ARE WE SIMPLY CREATING A NEW ONE? ON FEBRUARY 25, WE WERE CALLED TO A MEETING BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE FIESTA DE LOS REYES AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CCDO.

WE WERE ADVISED ON THAT DAY, BY MR. STEVENS, THAT THE CONSEJOS WERE ADVISING US OF A $5 FEE IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR. WHEN WE VOICED OUR CONCERNS, WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS A DONE DEAL. SURPRISING OUR BOARD THAT WE HAD NOT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS FOR THE BUSINESSES AND FAMILIES WHO RELY ON MARKET SQUARE AS AN OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC MARKETPLACE. ANY ORGANIZATION COMING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WITH REQUESTS THAT WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS --

>> MAYOR JONES: IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU THEIR TIME?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO CONCEDE MY MINUTES. >> MAYOR JONES: YOUR NAME,

MA'AM? >> VERONICA SANDOVAL. >> MAYOR JONES: YOU HAVE

AN ADDITIONAL THREE MINUTES. >> ANY ORGANIZATION COMING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WITH A REQUEST THAT WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO PUBLIC SPACE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE FINANCIAL NEED AND PROVIDE TRANSPARENT FINANCIAL RECORDS.

IF THAT IS NOT REQUIRED IN THIS CASE, THEN IN ESSENCE THE ORGANIZATION IS ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THE DECISION TO CHARGE FIESTA VISITORS, NOT THE CONSEJOS.

BY ALLOWING THIS TO BE BURIED INTO A CONSENT AGENDA WOULD HAVE BEEN NON-JUSTIFIABLE TO THE PUBLIC. AND THAT RAISES A LARGER CONCERN THAT CONTINUED LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. FOR EXAMPLE, AS OF YESTERDAY, THIS ORGANIZATION HAS NOT SUBMITTED A MAP TO THE TABC COMMISSION SHOWING WHERE IT IS INTENDED TO EXPAND ALCOHOL SALES. THIS LEADS UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR THE BUSINESSES OPERATING INSIDE THE FARMERS MARKET BUILDING.

WILL THEY REQUEST AN EXPANDED LIQUOR LICENSE? WILL OUR CUSTOMERS WILL PREVENTED FROM ENTERING THE SPACE? WHEN THE CITY ORIGINALLY CONTRACTED WITH THE ORGANIZATION, MARKET SQUARE WAS INCLUDED IN A REVENUE-SHARING AGREEMENT THAT ALLOCATED A PORTION OF THE BEVERAGE SALES BACK INTO THE MARKET SQUARE FUNDS, SPECIFICALLY 75 CENTS FOR BEER, 25 CENTS FOR SODA AND WATER, WHICH HAVE NEVER INCREASED, ALTHOUGH THEIR PRICES HAVE.

HOWEVER, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THEY HAVE INCLUDED NOW LIQUOR SALES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THEIR BEVERAGE MENU. TO THIS DAY, THE ENTERPRISE FUND HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY PORTION OF OR PERCENTAGE OF THOSE SALES.

I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS EVEN INTEGRATED INTO THE NEW AGREEMENT OR POSSIBLY CAN BE DISCUSSED IN THIS NEW AGREEMENT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE WITH THE CITY. AGAIN, ANOTHER LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.

WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO PAUSE THIS DECISION AND ASK THE NECESSARY QUESTIONS TO THE CONSEJO ORGANIZATION, SEEK PUBLIC INPUT, ENSURE TRANSPARENCY BEFORE ALLOWING ANY ACTION THAT WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO A HISTORIC PUBLIC SPACE. BECAUSE BY ORDINANCE MARKET SQUARE HAS ESTABLISHED AS A FREE AND PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. ALLOWING ANY THIRD PARTY TO

[01:30:03]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. >> MAYOR JONES: REVEREND

SYLVIA VASQUEZ. >> GOOD MORNING. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, I'M THE REVEREND SYLVIA VASQUEZ AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT 4.

I'M A THIRD-GENERATION SAN ANTONIO-BORN TEJANO AND I HAVE ENJOYED THE SEASON FOR MANY YEARS. GROWING UP MY FATHER NEVER PAID FOR ANY ENTRANCE FEES FOR ANY OF FIESTA. I REMEMBER WE WOULD BRING PRODUCE BASKETS TO SIT ON TO WATCH THE DAY PARADE . WE WOULD BRING SANDWICHES AND MY DAD WOULD MAKE DOUGHNUTS SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BUY ANY FOOD. WE WOULD WALK AROUND THE CARNIVAL AREA AND MY FATHER WOULD LET US GET ON ONE OR TWO RIDES.

HAVING THOSE OPTIONS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR LARGE FAMILY TO ENJOY SOME OF FIESTA. I APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX DECISIONS AND THE TASK BEFORE YOU IN LEADING OUR CITY IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. BUT I AM HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO CHARGE A $5 FEE FOR ENTRANCE TO THE MARKET SQUARE FIESTA ACTIVITIES. IN TODAY'S ECONOMIC CLIMATE, IT WOULD SEEM IMPRUDENT AND PERHAPS EVEN CRUEL TO IMPOSE MORE EXPENSE ON THE PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THE MARKET SQUARE ACTIVITIES. JUST THIS YEAR PARKING FOR THE RODEO IN FEBRUARY COST ME $40. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT WILL COST DURING FIESTA.

IN MY 73 YEARS, I CAN REMEMBER ONLY TWICE ATTENDING NIOSA OR MOST OF THE OTHER EVENTS THAT FIESTA OFFERS BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE.

I MANAGED TO ATTEND ONLY ONE OF THE MANY PARADES BECAUSE IT COST TOO MUCH TO ATTEND MORE THAN THAT. I AM MOST OFTEN COMING TO MARKET SQUARE FOR FIESTA BECAUSE IT IS SOME PLACE I CAN AFFORD TO BE. I'M A RETIRED PRIEST AND IF I WERE TO BRING MY FAMILY TO THE MARKET SQUARE, IT WOULD COST ALMOST $100 BETWEEN ENTRANCE FEES AND PARKING BEFORE I EVEN GOT A TASTE OF A GORDITA.

I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE IMPACT THIS CHARGE WILL HAVE ON THE FAMILIES OF OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHOSE INCOME HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH THE COST OF ENJOYING LIVING HERE. MARKET SQUARE HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A PLACE WHERE ANYONE COULD COME WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. PLEASE DON'T CREATE A BARRIER TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALWAYS FELT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS HISTORIC AREA.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND GIVE YOU WISDOM AND COMPASSION AS YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: RAMON PENA FOLLOWED BY ELAINE DE LA

SANTOS. >> GOOD MORNING, MADAME MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS NICK PENA, ALSO KNOWN AS ROMAN PENA. I'M A RETIRED MERCHANT FROM THE EL MERCADO AND I WAS ASKED TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS OF THIS FEE THAT REY FEO WANTS TO CHARGE TO GET INTO THE MERCADO. BUT I WANT TO BE HERE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT THE FIESTA. I HAVE BEEN AT THE MERCADO FOR 50 YEARS SO WE'VE SEEN FIESTA 50 TIMES. AND NEVER BEEN A CHARGE THERE. AND THE REASON IS THIS: SOMETIME BACK WHEN WE HAD THE EVENT, WE WERE THE SPONSORS AND WE'RE THE CREATORS OF FIESTA DEL

[01:35:03]

WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHARGE THEM ANYTHING. IT IS A FREE EVENT.

IT'S BEEN FOR 100 YEARS AT MARKET AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE IT LIKE THAT.

AND WE ONLY WANTED TO CHARGE A DOLLAR, MADAME MAYOR. TODAY, LIKE THIS LADY JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU, $5 -- AND IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY OF FOUR, THAT'S ALMOST $20.

AND THEN THE PARKING. THEY'RE GOING TO ROB YOU, SCAMS OF PEOPLE THERE.

THEY ALWAYS DO. IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT $30, MADAME MAYOR.

SO THIS COUNCIL HERE HAS TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT AREA IS.

THAT IS AN AREA OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME THERE FOR 100 YEARS, MAYBE, ON FIESTAS. BUT MORE LIKELY IN THE LAST 50 THAT I'VE BEEN THERE, TO ENJOY THE MUSIC AND THE FOOD AND ALSO TO COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

SO YOU HAVE THIS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP IT A PEOPLE'S PLACE.

THEY'VE CALLED ME TO COME HERE AND TESTIFY BECAUSE THEY SAY THE PEOPLE NEED PROTECTION. OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECLARE SPANISH] MADAME MAYOR. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU HERE AS A MAYOR BECAUSE WE WORKED VERY HARD TO GET YOU ELECTED. I RECALL THAT IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE YOU, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ROLANDO PABLO BUT YOU'RE HERE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO STAY FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE AND ALSO ON ICE.

WE ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED ANT ICE ISSUE. IN FACT, WE HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT. WE HAD TWO MEETINGS. ONE WITH CALVERT, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, AND THE OTHER ONE WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

WE KNOW THAT THE REPUBLICANS WANT THAT DETENTION CENTER TO HOUSE OUR PEOPLE.

AND WE ASK THAT THE ONES HAVE AT LEAST A LITTLE COMPASSION TO THINK ABOUT

THAT PRISON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MAYOR JONES: ELAINE DE

LA SANTOS FOLLOWED BY HENRY RODRIGUEZ. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING US TODAY AND FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR WONDERFUL CITY.

MY NAME IS ELAINE DE LA SANTOS. I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR THE REY FEO CONSEJO EXECUTIVE FOUNDATION. FIESTA DE LOS REYES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CELEBRATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WILL NOT CHANGE .

THE QUESTION IS WHY INTRODUCE THE FEE NOW AND WHY THE TIMING? TO PRODUCE CONTENT, A FORMAL DEBRIEF WAS CONDUCTED FOLLOWING FIESTA 2025.

IN JUNE OF 2025 THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHICH I'M GOING TO REFER TO AS COSA, AND FIESTA DE LOS REYES, IF I'M GOING TO REFER TO AS FDLR LEADERSHIP MET.

ONE OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR THE SUCCESS OF ENHANCEMENT SECURITY MEASURES.

SAPD REPORTED NO MAJOR INCIDENTS, WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT.

HOWEVER, PRIORITIZING SAFETY CAME AT A COST. FDLR, AS A NONPROFIT, INCURRED A LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY $143,000 DUE TO INCREASED SECURITY EXPENSES. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A POTENTIAL GATE FEE BEGAN IN JUNE OF 2025. THESE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUED.

IN AUGUST OF 2025, COSA AND FDLR LEADERSHIP REVISITED THE PROPOSAL.

IN DECEMBER OF 2025, FDLR FORMALLY SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL OUTLINING COSTS AND HOURS. IN FEBRUARY OF 2026, COSA ISSUED A MEMO SUPPORTING THE $5 GATE FEE AND PROPOSED SCHEDULE. IN LATE FEBRUARY 2026 WE MET WITH THE FARMERS MARKET TENANTS TO SHARE THE PROPOSAL.

WHILE CONCERNS WERE RAISED, WE LISTENED CAREFULLY AND MADE ADJUSTMENTS.

BY MARCH OF 2026, AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH COSA AND THE TENANTS, WE REACHED A COMPROMISE. OUR WEEKDAY SCHEDULES BASICALLY CHANGED.

OUR PROPOSAL WAS TO START CHARGING AT 5:00 P.M. THAT CHANGED TO 6:00 P.M.

OUR PROPOSAL, IN THE BEGINNING, WAS TO CHARGE ON THE WEEKENDS FROM THE BEGINNING AT 10:00 A.M. AND WE CHANGED THAT TO 1:00 P.M.

[01:40:01]

SO AGAIN, KIDS 12 AND UNDER ARE ALWAYS FREE. HOURS OF OPERATION AND PROPOSED GATE TIMES ARE AS FOLLOWS: FIESTA DE LOS REYES WILL BE OPEN FROM APRIL 17 THROUGH 26 FROM 10:00 A.M. UNTIL 11:00 P.M. EXCEPT FOR MIDNIGHT ON THE NIGHT PARADE, APRIL 25. THE FEE SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS: APRIL 17, FRIDAY AFTER 6:00 P.M., APRIL 18 AND 19 AFTER 1:00 P.M. APRIL 20 THROUGH 23, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTER 6:00 P.M. THE 24 THROUGH 26, FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AFTER 1:00 P.M. IF APPROVED, THE EVENT WILL REMAIN FREE DURING DAYTIME HOURS, ON WEEKENDS, AND EARLY HOURS ON THE WEEKENDS.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, MA'AM. YOU CAN SUBMIT THE REST OF YOUR COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU.

HENRY RODRIGUEZ. >> THANK YOU. HENRY RODRIGUEZ.

I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR LULAC. I'M ALSO THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CHAIR FOR THE ORGANIZATION. I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THIS $5 THAT IS PROPOSED IS GOING TO AFFECT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY LOW INCOME IN THE VERY LOW INCOME STATUS. THESE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT GO TO THE CARNIVAL -- USED TO GO TO THE CARNIVAL AND JUST WATCH THE RIDES, MAYBE BUY A SODA.

THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT GO TO MARKET SQUARE TO WATCH THEIR FAVORITE BAND, MAYBE BUY A BEER, BUT THAT'S ALL THEY CAN AFFORD. THEY BRING THEIR FAMILY.

THEY JUST GO TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. YOU KNOW, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO MARKET SQUARE THERE'S FIVE COURTS, IF YOU WILL, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

THEY ARE PUBLIC PROJECTS, HOUSING PROJECTS. ALAZAN, CASSIANO, SAN JUAN AND MIRASOL. THOSE PEOPLE GO TO FIESTA. THAT'S A LOW-INCOME AREA, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT 5. THIS IS A BURDEN AND THESE PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. I WAS RAISED IN THE COURTS AND WE USED TO GO JUST TO SEE. JUST TO WATCH. HAVE A GOOD TIME JUST BY WATCHING THE PEOPLE RIDE. WE COULD NOT AFFORD IT. TODAY, IT IS HARD TO GO AND ALSO BUY A $10 TACO. BUT YOU STILL GO FOR THE EXCITEMENT.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE BEING TARGETED, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEBODY MAKES A COMMENT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPOSED TO KEEP THE RIFFRAFF OUT.

IT WAS MADE AND YOU WANT TO ASK ME WHO TOLD ME, I WILL BUT I'M NOT AT THIS TIME.

BUT IT IS INSULTING AND THEY'RE PICKING ON THE LOWEST OF THE LOW PEOPLE IN THE INCOME LEVELS. ONE DAY THEY WILL RISE UP BECAUSE THEY GET EDUCATED.

BUT AT THIS TIME THEY NEED FOR MARKET SQUARE TO BE FOR EVERYBODY.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GO TO A PARADE AND STAND. THEY DO NOT -- BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE CHAIRS. THEY'RE TOO EXPENSIVE. $20 RIGHT NOW OR MAYBE MORE.

SO I AM TELLING YOU THAT WE NEED SOME HEROES TO STEP FORWARD AND SAY I'M FOR THE PEOPLE. I'M FOR EVERYBODY. FIESTA IS FOR EVERYBODY.

EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE CELEBRATING AT THEIR OWN LEVEL, EACH ONE.

I'M ASKING YOU RIGHT NOW, PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.

I DON'T CARE WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHO IS PROPOSING IT. I ALSO STAND WITH ALL THE MERCHANTS THERE IN MARKET SQUARE, FARMERS MARKET ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WORK YEAR-ROUND. AND ANYBODY THAT COMES TEMPORARILY, THEY HAVE TO WORK AROUND THEIR SCHEDULE AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, SIR. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> MAYOR JONES: FRANK GARZA. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL, MARIA, ANDY. NOBODY EVER SAYS HI TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.

IT'S INTERESTING BEING ON THIS SIDE INSTEAD OF THAT SIDE.

BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT MY NAME IS FRANK GARZA AND I HAVE BEEN THE CHAIR, CO-CHAIR, AND TRI-CHAIR OF FIESTA DE LOS REYES AT MARKET SQUARE SINCE 2011.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS A CHILD GROWING UP ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF SAN

[01:45:02]

I WILL TELL YOU, AND THE BOARD MEMBERS OF MY ORGANIZATION WILL TELL YOU I HAVE FOUGHT FOR YEARS TO KEEP THIS EVENT FREE BECAUSE IT IS THE PEOPLE'S EVENT.

JUST LIKE REY FEO IS THE PEOPLE'S KING, THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S EVENT.

HOWEVER, LAST YEAR, WITH THE INCREASED SECURITY -- WHICH I WILL TELL YOU EVERYONE WHO WENT TO THAT EVENT WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE INCREASED SECURITY, THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM FOLKS THAT SAID I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO MARKET SQUARE BUT IT'S GREAT.

THE INCREASED SECURITY IS A GREAT BENEFIT TO THIS EVENT BUT IT COMES AT A COST.

MARKET SQUARE IS PROPOSING A $5 FEE DURING CERTAIN HOURS. 10:00 TO 6:00.

ALMOST EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK IT IS STILL FREE. I REMEMBER ALL THOSE TIMES I WENT OVER THERE FOR LUNCH DURING FIESTA AT MARKET SQUARE, TAKING STAFF AND SO FORTH. THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE HERE TO GO DOWN TO MARKET SQUARE FOR FREE. WE ARE PROPOSING FREE HOURS ON WEEKENDS.

WE WON'T BE KICKING PEOPLE OUT WHEN WE START CHARGING. ONCE YOU ARE THERE, YOU ARE THERE. THE INCREASED SECURITY COMES AT A COST AND WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING TO PAY THE $5 FEE. YES, I KNOW THAT A $5 FEE COULD BE BURDENSOME TO SOME FAMILIES. AGAIN, IT'S ONLY FOR 13 AND OVER AND ONLY CERTAIN HOURS.

WE NEED TO RAISE THE FUNDS TO CONTINUE OUR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF OUR ORGANIZATION. YOU HEARD REY FEO EARLIER DISCUSS THAT. AND SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A REASONABLE AMENDMENT.

ONE THING THAT'S NOT BEEN POINTED OUT, YOU SAW THE INCOME SHARE WITH THE INCREASED FEE. THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT AND THE CONTRACT WE HAVE IN PLACE, 50% OF ALL OUR REVENUE GOES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO HELP PAY FOR THAT SECURITY YOU ARE PROVIDING. WE'RE NOT KEEPING ALL OF THE REVENUE. 50%, WHETHER IT'S SPONSORSHIPS, WHETHER IT'S THE SALES OF ALCOHOL AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND THE SALE OF OUR VENDOR BOOTHS THAT WE CHARGE FOR THE FOLKS DURING THOSE TEN DAYS, 50% OF ALL THAT REVENUE STILL GOES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THIS CONTRACT. SO I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON AMENDING THE CONTRACT TO ALLOW FOR THAT FEE AND OTHER AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. SEVERAL MIMI COLLEAGUES OF MY COLLEAGUESWOULD LIKE TO S.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS FOR OUR CONVERSATION THIS MORNING. I REALLY APPRECIATE GOING THROUGH THESE DETAILS.

GIVEN THE LARGER CONTEXT OF THIS CONVERSATION, THE REQUESTS FROM RESIDENTS IN MY COMMUNITY WHO ASK WHAT IS IT GOING TO MEAN FOR MARKET SQUARE AND FIESTA, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR OUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO HAPPEN, AND MAKE CLEAR WHAT THE INTENTION IS.

WE ALL KNOW WE WANT TO MAKE SURE MARKET SQUARE AND ALL OF OUR FIESTA EVENTS ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEASON. THAT'S CLEAR.

OBVIOUSLY THOSE SECURITY MEASURES COME WITH A COST. IT'S A MATTER OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THIS THE BEST WAY. AT NO POINT SHOULD WE CONSIDER THAT NOBODY WANTS EXTRA SECURITY THERE. REGARDLESS, WE KNOW WE NEED THAT THERE AT MARKET SQUARE AND ACROSS THE BOARD AT FIESTA.

JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT'S NOT MY INTENT TO SAY REMOVE ANY ADDITIONAL SECURITY, BUT JUST A MATTER OF HOW TO GO ABOUT IT AND WHAT'S THE PRACTICE, PARTICULARLY FOR MARKET SQUARE GIVEN THE HISTORICALLY USE OF IT BEING FREE FOR ALL FAMILIES HERE IN OUR CITY. WITH THAT, I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE POINTS MADE BY PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS BUT I WANTED TO ASK SHANNON OR JOHN, COULD YOU WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT WHEN THIS PROCESS BEGAN, WHO WAS AT THE TABLE FOR IT, AND HOW THIS FEE WOULD WORK. I KNOW WE HEARD THE TIMING.

I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHEN THE MARKET SQUARE VENDORS ARE OPEN.

WHEN THE EVENTS FOR FIESTA WOULD TAKE PLACE AND HOW THAT WRAPS TOGETHER IN A

DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION. >> SURE. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THESE CONVERSATIONS I MIGHT HAVE TO DEFER TO JOHN JACKS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS ROLE A SUPER LONG TIME. BUT I WILL DO MY BEST AND HE CAN HELP ME OUT. I THINK ONE OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT -- SO THE CONSEJOS PROVIDE THEIR COSTS AND EXPENDITURES TO THE CITY SO

[01:50:04]

AND THAT'S WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE $5 FEE.

I ALSO KNOW THAT CCDO STAFF HAS MET WITH THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION AT VARIOUS POINTS ALONG THE WAY. AS YOU HEARD FROM SOME OF THE SPEAKERS, THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS TO START CHARGING THE FEE AT 5:00 P.M. AND ALL DAY ON THE WEEKENDS. AND SO THERE WERE SOME CONCESSIONS, BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TENANTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO GOING THERE FOR LUNCH, AS ANOTHER SPEAKER MENTIONED, OR WANTING TO GO THERE DURING THE DAY. AND SO MORE RECENTLY, IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, THE PROPOSAL WAS CHANGED TO 6:00 P.E DAYS FOR 13 AND UP. SO 12 AND UNDER IS FREE ALL THE TIME. ON THE FIRST WEEKEND -- ON BOTH WEEKENDS AND THE SECOND FRIDAY OF FIESTA, THE CHARGE WOULD START AT 1:00 P.M. AGAIN, THAT'S INTENDED TO ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO AT NO COST IN THE MORNING AND THROUGH LUNCHTIME, EVEN ON THOSE BUSY DAYS. AND THE TENANTS' TYPICAL SCHEDULE OF OPERATION ARE 10:00 TO 6:00. BUT THEIR CONTRACT DOES ALLOW FOR EXTENDED HOURS TO BE REQUESTED. AND SO IT IS TYPICAL THAT THE SPEAKER MENTIONED, THE BUILDING CLOSES AT 8:30, SO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE FARMERS MARKET SPACE AT 8:30 CAN GO AHEAD AND BE SERVED. BUT THEN THE BUILDING FULLY

CLOSES AT 9:00. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THAT'S HELPFUL TO HELP FRAME WHAT THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPACTING THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE -- I KNOW WE MENTIONED THE SECURITY PROVISIONS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SECURITY PROVIDED BY SAPD AND THE CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT

WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE? >> YES. SO THE EXISTING CONTRACT REQUIRES THAT THE CITY, SAPD, PROVIDE GENERAL EVENT SECURITY.

SO THE OFFICERS INSIDE THE FOOTPRINT AND OVERALL SECURITY FOR THE EVENT, AS THEY HAVE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THE ADDITIONAL COST THAT THE CONSEJOS COVER ARE FOR THE PRIVATE SECURITY THAT DOES THE SCREENINGS FOR PEOPLE ENTERING THE EVENT.

THEY PAY FOR THE PERIMETER, THE SCREENING, AND THE TICKETING PLATFORM.

>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. OF COURSE THE BAG CHECK-IN, THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> EXACTLY. >> GALVAN: CAN YOU REMIND ME OF THE TOTAL COST FOR

THAT CONTRACTED EXTRA SECURITY? >> SO BETWEEN THE PERIMETER FENCING -- LIKE THE ADDITIONAL COST, BECAUSE OF THOSE SECURITY MEASURES, IT WAS ABOUT $140,000 IN ADDITIONAL COST. AND THEN THERE WAS THAT ADDITIONAL $100,000 THAT THE CONSEJOS PROVIDE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ISN'T

COVERED IF THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH REVENUE. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THAT. I GUESS MY QUESTION -- NOT NECESSARILY YOU BUT OVERALL, MAYBE TO MARIA OR TO BEN ABOUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THROUGH THE CITY, JUST TO LAY THAT OUT THERE, ABOUT HOW WE COULD HAVE THE

SECURITY THERE BUT WITHOUT THE FEE IN PLACE? >> VILLAGOMEZ: COUNCILMAN, IF I MAY. TO ANSWER YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION IN TERMS OF SOME BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT, HOW WE ARRIVED TO THIS GATE FEE. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THERE WAS AN INCIDENT IN MARKET SQUARE THAT REQUIRED FOR BOTH THE CONSEJOS AND THE CITY TO SIT DOWN AFTER THE EVENT AND DO A REVIEW OF OUR SECURITY MEASURES AND THINGS WE COULD DO BETTER TO ENSURE THAT THE EVENT IS SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC.

SO IN DISCUSSION WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, THE CONSEJOS AND MYSELF, WE MET SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MEASURES THAT SHANNON DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF THE FENCING AROUND THE EVENT, HAVING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TAKEN IN, WHAT IS BEING BROUGHT TO MARKET SQUARE, THOSE EXPENSES WERE TO BE COVERED BY THE CONSEJOS AND THE CITY COMMITTED TO INCREASE OUR POLICE PRESENCE AT THE TIME. SO WE COMMITTED TO AN ADDITIONAL, ROUGHLY $250,000 FROM WHAT WE WERE SPENDING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

SO IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL OPTIONS, THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED DISCUSSING A POTENTIAL FEE, TRYING TO BALANCE THE SECURITY, THE EXPENSES TO THE CITY THAT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS IN PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE OPPORTUNITY

[01:55:02]

>> GALVAN: DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT COST FOR SAPD TO PROVIDE THAT EXTRA SECURITY?

>> VILLAGOMEZ: IN TOTAL, LAST YEAR WE SPENT ABOUT $690,000 IN TOTAL SECURITY FOR MARKET SQUARE. WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT'S GOING TO BE AROUND $730,000

FOR THIS YEAR. >> GALVAN: OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECURITY

COMPANY SELECTED FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THIS ONE? >> YES.

THE CONSEJOS, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THE PRIVATE SECURITY

THAT THEY PAY. YES. >> GALVAN: I GUESS WHAT I WAS WONDERING, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT'S A PUBLIC FACILITY, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT ALREADY IN PLACE WITH THE SAME COMPANY, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN DO SOMETHING THERE WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO COMMIT A CONTRACT.

I KNOW WE HAVE SOME SPECIFIC RULES WHERE THAT'S TAKING PLACE.

JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME AS THE CONVERSATION GOES FORWARD.

WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION. OTHERWISE, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY GENERAL QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR HELPING ANSWER SOME OF THESE

QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY AND TENANTS HAVE ASKED. >> VILLAGOMEZ: COUNCILMAN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THEY ALREADY USE THE SAME CONTRACTOR THAT WE HAVE FOR THE ALAMODOME. IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU GO TO AN EVENT TO THE ALAMODOME, THOSE INDIVIDUALS SCREEN INDIVIDUALS WHEN THEY COME IN IS THE SAME CONTRACT. SO THEY GET THE SAME PRICING THAT WE DO.

>> GALVAN: OKAY. I GOT IT. SAME PRICING IN TERMS OF HAVING A SHARED ONE. BUT THERE'S NO WAY SAME -- NOT THE SAME PEOPLE BUT SAME COMPANY TO DO THAT SECURITY?

>> VILLAGOMEZ: YEAH, JUST TO FURTHER CLARIFY. THE FACT THAT THEY UTILIZE THE SAME CONTRACTOR THAT WE USE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MUCH MORE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IT GIVES ECONOMY OF SCALE SO THEY GET A REDUCED PRICE THAN IF THEY WERE TO DO IT ON THEIR OWN. THAT'S ALREADY AN ADVANTAGE

THEY GET BY USING OUR CONTRACTOR. >> GALVAN: I SEE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE AND I APPRECIATE IT BUT MY LARGER QUESTION IS WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THAT SECURITY DIRECTLY, WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL FEE, GIVEN THAT WE ARE ALREADY CONTRACTING WITH THEM. I KNOW IT'S A PRIVATE EVENT,

TECHNICALLY. >> RIGHT. AND THERE'S NO AVAILABLE BUDGET. THE REVENUE THAT GOES INTO THE MARKET SQUARE FUND, THE MARKET SQUARE FUND DOES NOT MAKE MONEY AND THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR US TO COVER

ADDITIONAL SECURITY. >> GALVAN: THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER KAUR.

>> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE FOR PULLING THIS ITEM. SHANNON AND THE TEAM FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON IT.

THE CONSEJOS FOR WORKING WITH THE TENANTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND FOR ALL THE TENANTS AND FOLKS THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, ONE OF MY FIRST MEETINGS THAT I HAD WAS WITH THE TENANT ASSOCIATION AND THE FARMERS MARKET FOLKS AND WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE ISSUES AND THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THE HVAC. AND I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING IF YOU GO OVER THERE. I WANT TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THE WEST SIDE TIRZS THAT WAS ABLE TO FUND THE REHAB OF THE HVAC. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN BUSINESSES AGAIN FOR A LONG TIME AND WE FACE THAT ALREADY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION. AND THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S ALMOST ALSO ALREADY DONE ON ZONA CULTURAL, WHICH WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH CITY STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE TRIED TO, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, REDUCE RENTS DURING THAT TIME BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THE CONSTRUCTION AFFECTED THE FOLKS COMING TO THE BUSINESSES.

CITY STAFF AND I REALLY TRIED TO HELP REDUCE THE COST DURING CONSTRUCTION AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN DURING THE HVAC INSTALLATION, WHICH IS A NECESSARY IMPROVEMENT. I'M PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE TEAM IS COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION, STILL IN THE WORKS BUT COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION TO KEEP MARKET SQUARE OPEN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE BUILDING AS WE INSTALL HVAC.

THAT'S A PURPLE LINING IN THIS SITUATION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, GUYS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY IN WORKING WITH THE CONSEJOS. I KNOW IT'S A TEN-DAY EVENT BUT IT'S A TEN-DAY EVENT THAT TRULY MAKES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT HELPS KEEP THEM GOING. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS BENEFITING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CONSEJOS WERE CONSIDERING DOING WAS INCREASING THE RENT FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO SIT OUT ON THE PATIO AND SELL. SO THAT FOR THIS YEAR HAS BEEN DROPPED BACK TO THE PRICE THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY AS WELL.

[02:00:01]

I WAS ACTUALLY IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS IT HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN SEVERAL YEARS. AND THE DAY AFTER SOMETHING TRAGIC LIKE THAT HAPPENS, EVERYONE STOPS AND PAUSE AND THINKS WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? EVEN JUST ONE SINGLE DEATH AT AN EVENT LIKE THAT CAN TRULY SCARE FAMILIES FROM COMING BACK.

AND SO I FOUGHT LAST YEAR -- AND SOME FOLKS SAID YOU CAN'T CHARGE.

WE PUSHED AND WE TRIED AND WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO HELP FUND WITH CITY DOLLARS.

WE KNOW WE'RE COMING UP INTO BUDGET CONVERSATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, NO CITY DOLLARS TO BE HAD TO HELP SUPPORT THE EXTRA ADDITIONAL SECURITY COSTS.

SO IT'S A VERY TOUGH SITUATION WHEN YOU'RE DEBATING PUBLIC SAFETY WITH KEEPING AN EVENT FREE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO I TRULY UNDERSTAND THE FAMILIES WANTING TO COME AND BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE SO IF IT WERE ME AND WITH THE PARKING ISSUES, I WOULD TAKE VIA FROM MY HOUSE.

I WOULD TAKE THE TWO DOWN AND GET IN AT 5:45 P.M. AND GET MY TICKET IN AND ENJOY THE BAND AND BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT STILL FOR FREE. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE SECURITY THAT WE DO GET TO PREVENT IS THE BRINGING OF OUTSIDE ALCOHOL, WHICH WAS A CHALLENGE IN THE PAST, WHICH CAUSED SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE SEEING. I DO THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO PILOT THIS STRATEGY.

JUST ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION, SHANNON, THEY CAN'T INCREASE THE PRICE

UNLESS WE PROVE IT? >> CORRECT. >> KAUR: THAT'S THROUGH

2030? >> YES. >> KAUR: WE HAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS TO ASSESS AND SEE HOW THIS GOES. NO OFFENSE, SOME OF OUR OTHER EVENTS THAT WE LOVE IN DISTRICT 1 THAT CHARGE ALMOST $30 FOR A TICKET, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. AND SO THAT FAMILIES CAN STILL ACCESS AND PURCHASE THEIR FAVORITE STUFF AT MARKET SQUARE.

I'LL JUST END BY SAYING LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING MINDFUL AND MAYBE WE CAN CREATE A PROGRAM AT THE CONSEJOS THAT OFFERS FREE TICKETS FOR FAMILIES ON THE WEEKENDS THAT WANT TO GO, THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO COME. I'M SURE YOU GUYS WILL COME UP WITH SOMETHING CREATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS FEE DOES NOT INHIBIT FAMILIES FROM ENJOYING FIESTA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.

WE'LL KEEP FIGHTING. WE'LL KEEP WORKING TOGETHER TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT FIESTA STAYS A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE. THANKS, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU TO THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME OUT. THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN GALVAN FOR PULLING THIS ITEM. I'LL BE BRIEF. I KNOW FIESTA SERVES MANY PURPOSES FOR ALL OF US, ALL THE MEMORIES THAT WE MAKE THERE.

BUT AT ITS CORE, IT IS RAISING MONEY -- WELL, THIS EVENT IN PARTICULAR IS RAISING MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. WHEN THEY ARE OPERATING AT A LOSS, WE HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY. AND I DO HEAR THE CONCERNS FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT MAKING SURE THESE EVENTS ARE ACCESSIBLE.

I KNOW ELAINE AND FRANK, Y'ALL MENTIONED THE ACCOMMODATIONS Y'ALL ARE MAKING TO WHERE IT IS STILL VERY ACCESSIBLE. LIKE, ALL THE HOURS, CHILDREN UNDER 12 FREE. THANKS FOR WORKING ON IT. IT'S NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION BUT AS COUNCILMAN GALVAN MENTIONED, WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO KEEP OUR EVENTS SAFE. THAT'S A MUST. COUNCILWOMAN KAUR JUST MENTIONED -- I MEAN, JUST THE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENING WILL SCARE A LOT OF OTHER FAMILIES AWAY. THIS IS A STEP THAT WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO TAKE IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE AND SO I'M ON BOARD WITH IT. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK.

I WAS LITERALLY JUST SPEAKING WITH AN ORGANIZATION EARLIER THIS WEEK AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC MARKETS AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PEARL AND WE WERE DISCUSSING OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF BROUGHT UP MARKET SQUARE AS SORT OF A MODEL MARKET THAT FEELS INTRINSICALLY SAN ANTONIO. YOU WOULD THINK SECURITY COSTS, MONEY, THE ORGANIZERS NEED TO COVER THE COST SOMEHOW . BUT THEN YOU READ COMMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING THIS WILL FINALLY KEEP THE EDGARS OUT.

THAT IS RACIST AND CLASSIST AND I AGREE WITH MR. PENA WHO SAID PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE UNDESIRABLES OUT OF FIESTA. IT'S UGLY, MEAN SPIRITED,

[02:05:05]

AND THE INTENT OF THE FEE MAY BE SIMPLE BUT IMPACT COULD BE A SLIPPERY SLOPE.

I WANT TO PARAPHRASE A FEW THINGS THAT WERE SAID TODAY THAT STOOD OUT TO ME.

MS. GONZALES MENTIONED THAT THE FEE WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE NATURE OF MARKET SQUARE. MS. RAMIREZ MENTIONED THAT MARKET SQUARE SHOULD EXIST WITHOUT BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND WITHOUT RESTRICTING ACCESS TO A PUBLIC SPACE.

REVEREND VASQUEZ MENTIONED THAT MARKET SQUARE WAS ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES SHE AND HER FAMILY COULD GO FOR FIESTA AND URGED US NOT TO CREATE A BARRIER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALWAYS FELT WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE. AND THOSE ALL TOUCH ON THE CHALLENGES I HAVE WITH THIS ITEM. I DO HEAR THOSE WHO SAY, OH, WELL, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE $5 ENTRY FEE YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE $100 THAT YOU WOULD EASILY SPEND AT THE DIFFERENT VENDORS AND WHATNOT. A FEW THINGS CAN BE TRUE. ONE, PEOPLE DO SAVE UP MONEY SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR FAMILY AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. TWO PARENTS CAN SAVE $100 TO SPEND ON FOOD AND FUN FOR THEIR 14 AND 15-YEAR-OLD BUT NOW THEY'RE PAYING $20 BEFORE THEY EVEN GET INSIDE. SO THAT'S A 20% IN COST TO DO THE SAME THING.

AND TWO, FIESTA IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, IT'S NOT ABOUT SPENDING MONEY WHEN YOU'RE THERE, IT'S ABOUT BEING IN COMMUNITY. IT'S ABOUT EXPERIENCING THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND WITHOUT BARRIER.

INTRODUCING A $5 FEE IS A START BUT IT BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIMIT ACCESS EVEN MORE. IT CAN EASILY BECOME A 10, 15, $20 FEE.

WHEN DOES IT STOP? I WISH WE HAD TAKEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORKSHOP THIS AS A BODY BEFORE IT CAME TO A SESSION. AND BECAUSE THE SECURITY MEASURES WENT INTO PLACE LAST YEAR, EVERYONE KNEW BEFORE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET DISCUSSIONS BEGAN THAT SECURITY HAD A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULDN'T TRY TO FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO FUND THE SECURITY MEASURES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE EVENT IS SUCH A BENEFIT TO OUR CITY.

FIESTA AS A WHOLE IS A HUGE ECONOMY AND CULTURAL BENEFIT TO OUR CITY.

I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN ASKED THIS BUT I WANT TO HEAR IT TOGETHER.

WHAT IS THE TOTAL COST OF THESE SECURITY MEASURES? I HEARD LAST YEAR IT WAS 690K POLICING AND 730K THIS YEAR. AND THEN THERE'S THE

$100,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS. IS THAT IT? >> VILLAGOMEZ: COUNCILMAN -- I'M GOING TO ASK SHANNON TO HELP ME. THE RECORDS I HAVE IS FOR THE TOTAL COST TO THE CITY. SO YES, YOU ARE CORRECT. $690,000 WAS THE SECURITY COST TO THE CITY IN FISCAL YEAR '25. AND WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT $730,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR '26. NOW THE CONSEJOS OCCURRED AN EXPENSE FOR SECURITY -- SHANNON, IF YOU COULD INDICATE WHAT THAT AMOUNT

IS. >> YES. YOU ARE CORRECT.

THE EXPENSE THAT THEY INCURRED LAST YEAR FOR THE ADDED SECURITY WAS ABOUT $140,000. AND THEN I DON'T KNOW MAYBE THOSE CONTRACT COSTS HAVE GONE UP A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR. SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE

THAN THAT THIS YEAR. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH IS RAISED,

TYPICALLY? >> I KNOW -- WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT I DO KNOW THAT.

I'M SURE THE CONSEJOS COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WOULD

SOMEONE MIND? >> SO LAST YEAR UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST $143,000. AND THE YEAR BEFORE WE ACTUALLY RAISED ABOUT

$85,000. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND SO THAT INCLUDES THESE COSTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES -- WHAT IS THE BUDGET, I GUESS -- REVENUE AND

EXPENSES. WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? >> ROUGHLY, AGAIN, IT'S USUALLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS TO RAISE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

AND SO, AGAIN, IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY TO PUT THIS EVENT TOGETHER AS WELL.

AGAIN, IN 2024, BEFORE ALL THE SECURITY MEASURES, WE MADE ABOUT $85,000.

>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL.

DO WE KNOW SALES TAX-WISE WHAT'S THE IMPACT? >> VILLAGOMEZ: FOR THIS

SPECIFIC EVENT, NO, MAYOR. NO, COUNCILMAN. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YEAH,

[02:10:04]

DON'T DO THAT. >> VILLAGOMEZ: WE DO RECEIVE REVENUE FROM THE CONSEJOS, A PORTION OF THE LICENSE AND BEVERAGE FEES THAT COMES TO THE CITY, TO THE MARKET SQUARE FUND. AND THAT LAST YEAR WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT $190,000 OF A PORTION OF THE REVENUES THAT WE GET FROM THE SALES OF THE BEVERAGES AND THE LICENSE

FEE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET -- THAT IS HELPFUL. WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO GET AT IS IF WE HAVE AN EVENT LIKE THIS, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT FIESTA EVENTS AND WE KNOW THEY ATHEY ARE EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL. I FAIL TO SEE HOW WE CAN'T FIND SOME MEANS TO HELP COVER THE COST OF SECURITY IN A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR -- IF THE GOAL IS REALLY, IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT THIS EVENT, WHICH

SEES -- IS IT IN THE 100,000S? >>

>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: 250,000 PEOPLE. I THINK IT'S UP THERE WITH MLK AND THE LIKE. AND SO I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT?

CAN WE FIGURE THAT OUT? >> VILLAGOMEZ: COUNCILMAN, THIS IS DEFINITELY A DISCUSSION FOR -- A POLICY DISCUSSION FOR THE COUNCIL. JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, IN TERMS OF ALL THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES THAT COME TO THE CITY DURING FIESTA, NOT ONLY THIS EVENT. THE CITY SPENDS OVER AND ABOVE $3 MILLION.

SO ANY ADDITIONAL COST THAT THE CITY WOULD INCUR WOULD BE OVER AND ABOVE THAT.

DEFINITELY, AGAIN, A POLICY DISCUSSION WITH AN OPTION THAT WE EVALUATE WITH CONSEJOS. WHEN I INDICATED THE CITY INCREASE THE COST FOR SECURITY ABOUT $250,000 AND WE DISCUSSED WITH THE CONSEJOS FOR THEM TO ALSO CONTRIBUTE IN A WAY TO BE ABLE TO FUND FOR THOSE SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE IDENTIFIED. SO DEFINITELY A POLICY DISCUSSION, JUST TO GIVE YOU THAT CONTEXT THAT WE ALREADY SPENT ABOUT $3 MILLION OVER AND ABOVE THE REVENUES THAT

WE RECEIVED. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WHAT DOES THE $5 HOPE TO RAISE? WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE WILL BE THE REVENUE AS A RESULT OF THE $5?

>> VILLAGOMEZ: ABOUT $400,000 THAT IS ANTICIPATED.

AND THE CONSEJOS ANTICIPATES TO RETAIN ABOUT $250,000 TO BE USED FOR THE TICKETING AND THE RELATED SECURITY THAT I DESCRIBED. AND THE CITY WILL RECEIVE 25% OF ANY REVENUES ABOVE THE $250,000. ROUGHLY, WE'RE ESTIMATING, IF THEY COLLECT $400,000, THE CITY WILL GET ABOUT $37,500.

>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I GUESS -- I SEE THE ANTSINESS.

IT JUST -- WHAT'S BEING ASKED IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S ALREADY BEING PAID FEELS LIKE PENNIES. IT FEELS LIKE WE SHOULD JUST EAT THAT.

BUT I DON'T KNOW. I CAN'T SUPPORT THE FEE. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE -- LOTS OF NUMBERS.

LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THEM. OKAY.

MA'AM, CONSEJO. PLEASE. ELAINE.

THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. SO YOU GROSS $1 MILLION AND

YOU NET 85K? >> THE MATH, I CAN SEE THAT. THOSE ARE THE CORRECT FIGURES.

YOU GROSS $1 MILLION AND YOU NET 85K AND THAT'S THE 85K THAT GOES TOWARDS THE

SCHOLARSHIPS, IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU.

AND MARIA, YOU SAID THE CITY ALREADY CONTRIBUTES $3 MILLION TOWARD FIESTA,

CORRECT? >> VILLAGOMEZ: FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT.

SPECIFICALLY FOR MARKET SQUARE, IT'S ABOUT $730,000 NET OF THE REVENUE.

>> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S $730,000. THAT'S JUST SECURITY.

HOW MUCH DO WE PAID TOWARD CLEAN UP? >> VILLAGOMEZ: SO I'M

GOING TO TRY TO SIMPLIFY THIS. >> MAYOR JONES: PLEASE.

>> VILLAGOMEZ: I'M GOING TO USE FISCAL YEAR '25 NUMBERS.

THE CITY RECEIVED $190,000 IN REVENUE. AND THAT IS FROM THE COMMISSIONS AND THE BEVERAGE COMMISSIONS THAT WE RECEIVED.

WE SPENT ABOUT $740,000. THAT INCLUDED $695,000 FOR SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY.

[02:15:04]

CITY WAS $548,000 LAST YEAR. >> MAYOR JONES: SO THEN THE 730 IS REFLECTIVE OF THE

COST OF CLEAN UP, BASED ON WHAT YOU DESCRIBED? >> VILLAGOMEZ: YES, MA'AM.

>> MAYOR JONES: I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.

WALTER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? >> BALTHAZAR SERNA, FOR THE RECORD. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR CONTEXT PURPOSES, MAYOR, TO DIGRESS A LITTLE BIT AND TELL YOU HOW THE CONTRACT WORKS.

SO WE'RE 50/50 PARTNERS WITH THE CITY ON THIS THING. WHEN WE STARTED THIS CONTRACT BACK IN 2011, THE CITY SAID WE GET 50% OF WHATEVER YOUR NET REVENUES ARE. IT'S APPROXIMATELY ABOUT $750,000 TO A MILLION TO PUT THIS EVENT ON EVERY YEAR, BECAUSE IT'S A TEN-DAY FESTIVAL WITH LOTS OF HOURS IN BETWEEN. IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE EVENT. OF COURSE, WE LIKE DOING IT BECAUSE IT PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR US. BUT EVERY YEAR IT'S HIT AND MISS BECAUSE A FEW DAYS OF BAD WEATHER KILLS US. WE MAKE ALL OUR MONEY ON THE WEEKENDS. IF WE DON'T -- IF WE GET A RAINSTORM, WE AREN'T GOING TO MAKE MUCH MONEY. YOU SEE THAT AND WE MADE $85,000 LAST YEAR.

WE MADE 8500 OVER TEN DAYS. AND WE'RE STILL OBLIGATED TO GIVE $100,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS. WE DON'T MIND THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, WE'RE ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS. SO THE MONEY THAT WE RAISE IN THIS EVENT, A LOT OF IT GOES INTO PUTTING IT ON. THE WAY WE MAKE MONEY IS THROUGH VENDORS, SPONSORSHIPS, AND BEER SALES. AND BEVERAGE SALES, WATER AND COKE. WE GET ALL THAT MONEY COMBINED AND YOU GET AN ADDITIONAL SURCHARGE -- WE HAVE TO PAY A SURCHARGE FOR EVERY BEER AND BEVERAGE WE SELL. WE HAVE TO PAY 75 CENTS FOR BEER AND 25 CENTS FOR BEVERAGES ON TOP OF THE 50% THAT WE'RE ALREADY SPLITTING WITH YOU.

THE REASON BEHIND THAT -- AND SHERYL SKULLLEY WAS THE BRAIN CHILD OF THIS MANY YEARS AGO. SHE WANTED TO HELP DEFRAY THE COST.

SAPD IS A LOT OF MONEY Y'ALL SPENT TO HELP SECURE THIS EVENT.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHATEVER Y'ALL HAVE, YOUR HALF THAT YOU GET, THE CITY IS PUTTING THAT INTO THE MARKET SQUARE FUND. IT IS INTENDED TO GO BACK TO MARKET SQUARE TO HELP WITH ANY IMPROVEMENTS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

AND SO THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERY YEAR SECURITY GOES UP, EXPENSES FOR POLICE OFFICERS GO UP AND THEY HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT THE MARKET FUND TO COVER THAT.

THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT. WE DIDN'T WANT TO CHARGE BUT UNFORTUNATELY THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS THERE AND WE LIVE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NOW AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW.

IT'S NOT EASY TO GET ORGANIZED AND START CHARGING BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS YEAR. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS

EVENT BE SUCCESSFUL. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN MEZA GONZALEZ.

>> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU. JUST A QUICK QUESTION ON THE --O PURCHASE TICKETS BEFOREHAND OR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION STANDING IN LINE AND MAKING SURE THAT THE VENDORS AND THE FOLKS, OPERATORS, THE DAY-TO-DAY FOLKS AREN'T GETTING STUCK IN THOSE LINES. HAVE YOU ALL PLANNED THAT OUT? AND WHO IS MANAGING THE TICKET BOOTH, I GUESS?

>> YES. SO THAT IS ACTUALLY OUR PLAN IS TO GO AHEAD AND PUT QR CODES OUT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, THROUGH ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ALSO LET THE MEDIA KNOW AFTER THIS VOTE, HOPEFULLY. YES.

THIS WAY PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO STAND IN LINE. BASICALLY YOU SHOW A QR CODE AT THE DOOR AND YOU GO THROUGH SECURITY AND GO THROUGH PRETTY QUICKLY.

>> GONZALEZ: REGARDING THE VENDORS AND THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BUSINESSES THERE EVERY

DAY, IS THERE ANY SORT OF -- >> THEY HAVE CREDENTIALS. YEAH, THEY DON'T PAY.

>> GONZALEZ: ARE THERE STAFF, ANYTHING LIKE THAT? >> SURE.

EXACTLY. AGAIN, IF THEY TELL US AHEAD OF TIME HOW MUCH CREDENTIALS THEY NEED FOR THEIR COMPANY TO RUN, WE GIVE THEM THOSE CREDENTIALS AND IT'S FREE OF

CHARGE. >> GONZALEZ: I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL JUST FOR FOLKS,ING BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE ROUGH YEARS. CLEARLY LAST YEAR WAS ONE OF THEM.

BUT IF THERE'S A FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OR ONE-PAGER YOU COULD PROVIDE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF THIS EVENT.

IT IS KIND OF A FIESTA WITHIN A FIESTA BECAUSE IT'S THE LONGEST EVENT DURING

[02:20:05]

>> NO, IT'S NOT. >> GONZALEZ: IT'S A BIG ONE.

FOR CONTEXT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, NOT SO MUCH ON THAT LAST YEAR, BUT OVER THE

LAST FIVE YEARS. THANK YOU. >> CERTAINLY.

>> MAYOR JONES: ACTUALLY, MA'AM, JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.

SO IF THIS $5 FEE IS NOT APPROVED, WILL THE PRIVATE SECURITY FUNCTION STILL BE

PROVIDED? >> YES, MA'AM. >> MAYOR JONES: DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY FEWER OFFICERS ARE NEEDED AS A RESULT OF THIS PRIVATE SECURITY BEING UTILIZED? BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING IT'S MORE SECURE.

IDEALLY, THERE'S LESS OF A NEED FOR POLICE OFFICERS. I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE DONE

THAT ANALYSIS. >> VILLAGOMEZ: SURE, MAYOR.

WHEN WE WORKED WITH THE CONSEJOS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BECAUSE WE INCREASED OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR POLICE PRESENCE LAST YEAR. WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE MEASURES THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO RAISE THE FEE TO PAY FOR

TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY. >> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD. NOT MEANT TO OFFSET. HOWEVER, IF THE SECURITY ITSELF RESULTS IN LESS NEED FOR SECURITY AS A RESULT OF FEWER INCIDENTS, IF YOU WILL, THEN THAT IS HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. OKAY.

COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANTED TO HEAR THE INPUT FROM MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE GIVING COMMENT. THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING ITEM FOR ME, IN PARTICULAR. IN THE MID 2000S I LOST A FRIEND TO GUN VIOLENCE AT THE CARNIVAL. IT WAS WHEN IT MOVED TO THE ALAMODOME GROUNDS.

AND HEARING THE CONVERSATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND NOW I'M THINKING IS IT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN ENTRY FEE -- WAS HIS LIFE LESS VALUABLE BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN ENTRY FEE? BECAUSE I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO WORK AT MARKET SQUARE, WHETHER YOU'RE A VENDOR OR A WAITRESS, THIS POTENTIALLY IMPACTS THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC INTO THE RESTAURANTS. I SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO'S WORKED AT MARKET SQUARE FROM ROUGHLY 2008 TO 2016. SO PRE-CONSEJO HAVING EVENTS AND DURING. AND JUST SEEING THE SIMILAR FLOW OF PARTICIPATION THERE AT MARKET SQUARE. AND MY QUESTION IS -- PUBLIC SAFETY IS KEY AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HEAR YOU WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SECURITY IF THIS ITEM DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD TODAY. DID Y'ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT POTENTIALLY TRANSFERRING THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL SECURITY ON TO ALCOHOL SALES? BECAUSE I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YES PEOPLE WILL LIKELY BUY LESS ALCOHOL IF IT COSTS MORE BUT THAT'S LESS POTENTIAL OF DANGER OUT ON THE ROAD. WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL'S BOARD CONSIDERED AND

WHAT WAS THE DISCUSSION? >> YEAH. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS EVER CONSIDERED THAT I'M AWARE OF. I'M ALSO NEW TO THIS ROLE SO

MAYBE I MIGHT HAVE TO PIVOT. >> ANY TIME WE ASK FOR AN INCREASE IN ALCOHOL, WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE CITY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT. I THINK WE HAD AN INCREASE TWO YEARS AGO. WE TRY AND STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET AND NOT OUTPRICE OURSELVES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT NIOSA IS CHARGING THESE DAYS BUT I THINK EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THAT OUR CROWD'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT TOO SO WE TRY TO STAY REASONABLE WITH THE PRICES. ALL THAT'S GOOD FOR MAYBE NEXT YEAR TO TALK ABOUT. MAYBE INCREASING AND MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE TO CHARGE THE FEE. A LOT OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN US AND THE CITY AND IT GOT LATE ON US AND BY THE TIME WE KNEW IT, FEBRUARY WAS HERE. WE SUBMITTED A LETTER IN DECEMBER TO THE CITY SAYING THAT WE INTENDED TO CHARGE AND HERE'S HOW WE WANTED TO CHARGE. AND IT GOT LATE ON US. I THINK THE MAYOR ASKED IF THE $5 DOESN'T PASS TODAY, WILL WE STILL PROVIDE SECURITY? ABSOLUTELY BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR MONEY AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE

SCHOLARSHIPS BECAUSE OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED. >> CASTILLO: TO THAT POINT ON THE SCHOLARSHIPS, WHAT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT

>> OVER THE YEARS, IT'S $11 MILLION. LAST YEAR, I THINK FABIAN CASTILLO RAISED $750,000. THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, MCFADDEN RAISED A MILLION DOLLARS. I THINK DANNY WAS WELL ON HIS WAY TO THE $700,000 RANGE TOO. WE PUT ALL THAT MONEY INTO THE SCHOLARSHIP ORGANIZATION. THIS YEAR WE HAD 1500 STUDENTS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR THAT SCHOLARSHIP. WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ALIVE.

AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO CHARGE THE $5 BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE BUILT IN ENOUGH

[02:25:04]

IF WE DON'T BRING THE MUSIC, PEOPLE WON'T GO DOWN TO MARKET SQUARE DURING FIESTA.

IT COSTS MONEY. IT'S TEN DAYS OF MUSIC. THAT'S WHY IT'S SO EXPE

EXPENSIVE. >> CASTILLO: PEOPLE WILL GO TO MARKET SQUARE WITH OR

WITHOUT A LIVE BAND. >> THE NUMBERS THEY GO, THE MUSIC DRIVES A LOT OF THAT THAT WE BRING. AND UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO BRING THOSE ACTS AND IT'S

QUITE EXPENSIVE. >> CASTILLO: I APPRECIATE THAT, WALTER.

THINKING ABOUT OF THE WHOLE PICTURE AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THE MARKET SQUARE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN IMPACTED WITH MUCH-NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE -- I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL. THANK YOU.

MUCH-NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITY ITSELF. I THINK AS WE HAVE LARGER DOWNTOWN CONVERSATIONS, WHAT I'VE OBSERVED IS THAT MARKET SQUARE TENDS TO GET LEFT BEHIND OR THE SHORT END OF IMPROVEMENTS, INVESTMENT, AND PRIORITIZATION WHEN IT COMES TO ENSURING THE BUSINESSES AND VENDORS WITHIN THAT FACILITY GET A FAIR SHAKE WHEN IT COMES TO REDEVELOPING DOWNTOWN. WITH THIS ITEM, IN PARTICULAR, I'M CONCERNED THAT IT MAY BE TELLING OF WHAT'S TO COME WITH THE EXPANSION OF PROJECT MARVEL, WITH OUR PUBLIC SPACES. WE ALL PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY. GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SERGEANT SUAREZ HERE WHO OVERSEES FIESTA PUBLIC SAFETY WITH PD, WHO DOES A GREAT JOB IN KEEPING SAN ANTONIO AND RESIDENTS SAFE DURING FIESTA TIME . I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS WHO CONTINUE TO GO TO MARKET SQUARE STILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

HENRY DID A GREAT JOB OF COLORING THE PICTURE OF WHAT MARKET SQUARE HAS BEEN TO SAN ANTONIO, BEING ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOUR BACKPACK TO HAVE YOUR OWN SNACKS AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD GO TO IT.

I'M NOT GOING TO PAY $20 FOR A TURKEY LEG OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

OR A COVER FEE. IT WILL DETER FOLKS FROM GOING, ENJOYING THE CULTURE AND COMMUNITY THAT HAS SHAPED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

WHEN WE THINK OF MARKET SQUARE AND PRODUCE ROW AND THE RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY, IT'S JUST -- I'M A BIT CONCERNED IN TERMS OF HOW WE MAY PREVENT MORE INDIVIDUALS FROM ACCESSING THAT SPACE.

I ALSO WANT TO CAUTION US -- BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT NOT EXPLICITLY BUT IF THERE'S A FEE IT WILL DETERMINE CRIME AND/OR CRIMINALS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT CRIMINALS THAT COMMIT CRIME BUT I WANT TO CAUTION US FROM USING THAT LANGUAGE THAT A $5 FEE WILL KEEP INDIVIDUALS FROM COMMITTING A CRIME IN THIS SPACE.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMAN MUNGIA. >> MUNGIA: I'LL BE BRIEF AS POSSIBLE . UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ARGUMENT.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. SHANNON, THIS FELL INTO YOUR LAP RECENTLY BUT I HOPE YOU'RE TAKING NOTES AND I ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL BE A MUCH BETTER PROCESS NEXT YEAR. I THINK THIS WAS NOT DONE SO WELL. ALSO, I UNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF THE TENANTS.

I HAVE SPOKEN TO THEM. I WAS AN ADVOCATE FOR THEM FOR GETTING ADDITIONAL RENT TAKEN OFF WHAT THEY OWED BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AROUND THE AREA.

I WILL TELL YOU, SHANNON, THE MARKET SQUARE TENANTS, PRODUCE ROW ARE IN REAL DANGER IN THE FUTURE. THEY HAVE A LOT MORE SUPPORT THAN WE'RE CURRENTLY GIVING THEM. I UNDERSTAND MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S POINT AND SOME OF THE OTHER POINTS MADE, IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER SUBSIDIZE THIS TO KEEP IT FREE IN THE FUTURE, THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED THIS UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE. BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH MORE FOR US TO INVEST IN FIESTA. BUT IT'S A TEN-DAY EVENT, GREAT MUSIC. WHILE I WILL SUPPORT THE ISSUE TODAY, I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE AND HAVE OUR ROLE BE BETTER IN HELPING TO KEEP IT A FREE EVENT. I UNDERSTAND COSTS GO UP, SECURITY COSTS GO UP.

OBVIOUSLY, NOBODY WANTS THEIR CHILD TO BE AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER AT AN EVENT WHERE A TRAGEDY HAPPENS SO WE NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS BUT WE AS A CITY NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN ADDING TO THAT AND TRYING TO KEEP IT AS FREE AS POSSIBLE.

I UNDERSTAND THIS YEAR BUT LET'S DO BETTER. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU.

TOTALLY BROUGHT DOWN THE FIESTA VIBE BUT I JUST WANT TO START WITH THIS.

IF YOU ARE A DISTRICT 3 RESIDENT AND MARKET SQUARE IS ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE WEEKEND AND YOU CAN'T MAKE IT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE AND WE WILL HELP YOU GET THAT ENTRY FEE IF YOU'RE GOING IN AT 2:00 OR 3:00 DURING THE WEEKENDS.

[02:30:04]

I AM NOT FOR UNDERWRITING OR SUBSIDIZING SECURITY COSTS BECAUSE I THINK IF WE DO IT FOR MARKET SQUARE WE HAVE TO START DOING IT FOR EVERYONE, WHICH INCLUDES THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, THE EVENTS ON THE EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. IT JUST CAN GO ON AND ON. DISTRICT 3, REACH OUT TO US SO YOU CAN GO ON THE WEEKEND. NOT FOR UNDERWRITING SECURITY COST. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME HARD CONVERSATIONS AND MAKE SOME DIFFICULT CHOICES. IF THIS DOESN'T WORK OUT, THEN IT GOES THAT WAY BUT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

THEY BROUGHT WITH US SOMETHING THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO MAKE MONEY ON.

IT'S NOT IDEAL BUT WE'LL DO IT THIS YEAR AND LET'S HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS DURING THE BUDGET. BUT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PRIORITY AND ONE SHOOTING IS ONE SHOOTING TOO MANY. SHANNON, MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS DO WE HAVE THE HOURS OF OPERATION FOR THE BUSINESSES IN AND AROUND THE MARKET SQUARE? ARE THEY ALL THE SAME OR DO SOME OF THEM WORK AT DIFFERENT HOURS?

>> YES. THE HOURS OF OPERATION ARE 10:00 TO 6:00, TYPICALLY.

BUT THEY CAN REQUEST THOSE ADDITIONAL HOURS. SO DURING THE EVENT, THEY'RE

OPEN UNTIL 8:30. >> VIAGRAN: CAN WE GET A LIST OF THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE STAYING OPEN UNTIL 8:00 AND THOSE BUSINESSES CLOSING AT 6:00, AS WE MOVE FORWARD? I LIKE TO SEE THOSE BUSINESSES SO WE CAN SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.

>> OKAY. >> VIAGRAN: AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE -- MAYBE WE HAVE TOO MANY FIESTA EVENTS DOWNTOWN. MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.

THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES TO ACTIVATE. WE CAN HAVE THE LARGER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHO THIS COMMUNITY IS AND TELLING OUR STORY.

AGAIN, WHAT I FIND UPSETTING IS THE FACT THAT SAN ANTONIO ISN'T JUST THE ORIGINAL SAN ANTONIO. AND THE SOUTH SIDE, AGAIN, IS GETTING IGNORED AND THEY CONTRIBUTE AND ENJOY FIESTA JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THAT INFORMATION AS WE MAKE DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMAN GALVAN ON THE SECOND ROUND. >> GALVAN: I JUST WANT TO WRAP UP MY COMMENTS AROUND A COUPLE QUICK THINGS. VERY CLEAR WE CALL AGREE PUBLIC SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT TO THIS EVENT AND TO ALL EVENTS AT FIESTA AND IN GENERAL TO ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE. I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS ASKING TO REMOVE SECURITY. THE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A SUBSIDY OR FEE, IT'S MAKING SURE SECURITY IS THERE.

I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A PUSH AND PULL -- WE'RE DOING THIS FOR A REASON. WHAT WE DON'T AGREE ON IS IF FEE SHOULD GO IN PLACE.

I UNDERSTAND IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND MONEY IN THE CITY BUDGET TO DO SO BUT I ECHO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED ABOUT THE ROLE THIS EVENT PLAYS, THE ROLE MARKET SQUARE PLAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CULTURE AND RECREATION AND IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.

I SHARE THE CONCERN TOO ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS CAME UP THROUGH AN A SESSION. I UNDERSTAND MAYBE IT FELT SMALLER ON THE BACK END BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IN THE FUTURE WE HAVE BETTER CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD, GIVEN WHAT I JUST LAID OUT ABOUT MARKET SQUARE AND WHAT WE ALL TALKED ABOUT MARKET SQUARE AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO OUR CITY, DOWNTOWN, AND CULTURE.

ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN WEST AND ITS CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENT AND IN MARKETS. THERE'S A CLEAR NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC SPACE THAT WE HAVE THERE IS ALSO BEING LEVERAGED IN A POSITIVE WAY FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THAT MEANS HAVING BETTER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT IN ITS ENTIRETY. WITH THAT, I WANTED TO SAY EVERYBODY.

KNOW THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THIS PARTICULAR EVENT IS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF MARKET SQUARE, THE SPIRIT OF FIESTA. I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY THAT SPOKE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU, MARIA FOR LAYING OUT THAT THE CITY CONTRIBUTES $3 MILLION IN TOTAL TO FIESTA.

CONSEJOS, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO TO RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR

[02:35:01]

ONE THING SHANNON THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT NEXT YEAR.

THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THESE SECURITY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. THOSE FOLKS THAT HAVE CLEAR AT THE AIRPORT -- I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE EVER USED CLEAR AT FIESTA. BUT AT SOME OF THE MAJOR SPORTING AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, CLEAR IS AN IMPORTANT PARTNER AND MAY HELP DEFRAY SOME COSTS. THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT WHO ENJOYS AND WHO PAYS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S POINT EARLIER ABOUT WHO IS IN THE SALDANA, WHO IS IN THE PAELLA.

I'LL TAKE A PAELLA, JUST NEEDS 11 SPOONS. ULTIMATELY ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THIS AN EVENT TRULY REFLECTIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANKFUL THERE WILL BE SECURITY PROVIDED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THIS COUNCIL APPROVES THE $5 SURCHARGE.

THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF

ITEM 17. PLEASE VOTE. >> VIAGRAN: AYE.

>> MAYOR JONES: MINE'S NOT WORKING. HOLD ON.

I'M A NO. THE MOTION CARRIES. THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF OUR BUSINESS. THE TIME IS NOW 11:43 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.