Dec 13, 2019 Community Health and Equity Committee on 2019-12-13 2:00 P.M.

ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

UH, NANCY, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR HELP TODAY, UH, WE HAVE, UH, QUITE A FEW ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU DO WANT, UH, A COPY OF THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'LL BE SEEING, THEY'RE LAID OUT ON THE, UH, COUNTER FOR ON THE LEFT.

UH, THANK YOU.

UH, THE FIRST

[1. 19-9169 Approval of the Minutes for the November 18, 2019 Community Health and Equity Committee Meeting. ]

UH, BUT BEFORE WE GET A MOTION, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, DO WE HAVE THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SHEET AS REQUESTED AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT WAS EMAILED YESTERDAY? OKAY.

UM, WELL, THE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? YES.

WE HAVE, WE HAVE QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANSWERS? I WAS, SO MY REQUEST AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, WAS THAT, UH, YOU ADDED AS PART OF THE PACKET.

UM, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD, UH, AMEND IT TO THE MINUTES, THAT'S FINE.

BUT THAT, THAT BECOMES PART OF OUR RECORD, IS THE LIST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING.

WHEN WE CONCLUDE THE MEETING AND THE RESPONSE TO THE UNDERSTOOD, WHAT I SAW WAS THE LIST OF EVERY QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED AT THE MEETING.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR JUST THOSE, CAN YOU USE THE, I'M SORRY, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JUST THOSE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED IN THE MEETING.

SO THE MINUTE SHOULD REFLECT WHATEVER ANSWERS WE GOT, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THAT WEREN'T RESPONDED TO AT THE TIME, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE GET AN ANSWER TO THOSE BEFORE WE CAN CONVENE AGAIN FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

SO, UM, YOU WOULD LIKE THOSE INCORPORATED INTO THE MINUTES, UH, AS AN ATTACHMENT? MM-HMM.

YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A LITTLE UNCLEAR FOR ME.

I WASN NOT HERE AT THE MEETING WHEN THE REQUEST WAS MADE.

MM-HMM.

AND I DID SEE THE LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT THEY WERE, IT WAS EVERY SINGLE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED AT THE MEETING, REGARDLESS OF IF IT WAS ANSWERED.

SO WHAT YOU WANT IS THE QUESTIONS THAT SOMEBODY SAID, WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU.

EXACTLY.

GOT IT.

, WE WILL DO THAT FOR THE NEXT TIME.

UH, IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND.

BRIEFING ON HUMAN SERVICES HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START CHILDCARE PROGRAM.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE

[2. 19-9140 Briefing on the Human Services Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Programs and Fiscal Activities for December 2019. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Melody Woosley, Director, Human Services]]

AND SO, UM, WE ARE ALSO ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF THE HEAD START, UM, FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

AND SO WITH THE, UM, TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE ARE TRANSITIONING GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HEAD START, UH, PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD, UM, WHO WILL BEGIN SERVING AS OUR HEAD START GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARENT POLICY COUNCIL AS, UM, REQUIRED BY HEAD START REGULATIONS.

HOWEVER, THIS WILL NOT BE THE HEAD, LAST HEAD START PRESENTATION TO THIS COMMITTEE OR TO CITY COUNCIL AS MAJOR ITEMS WILL CONTINUE TO REQUIRE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.

AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO UPDATING THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR ON THE PROGRESS OF HEAD START AND TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO THE PROGRAM.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING BACK, UM, SOME REALLY GREAT INFORMATION TO YOU DURING THE YEAR.

NO, HERE WE GO.

AND SO TODAY WE'RE REQUESTING ACTION ON SEVERAL ITEMS. THE 2019 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT UPDATE, OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE 2021 E C POLICIES, THAT'S OUR, UM, RECRUITMENT, ENROLLMENT, UM, AND ATTENDANCE POLICY AND GUIDELINES, AND THEN OUR PROGRAM GOVERNANCE POLICY.

I'LL ALSO PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON OUR MONTHLY PROGRAM AND FISCAL ACTIVITIES FOR OCTOBER OF 2019, AS WELL AS A BRIEFING ON OUR FEDERAL REVIEW, WHICH WAS COMPLETED THIS WEEK.

AND SO, HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT AN ANNUAL UPDATE.

AND, UM, OUR GOVERNING BODY, OF COURSE, IS, UH, REQUIRED TO APPROVE THAT DOCUMENT.

AND SO THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR OF OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN.

SO WE'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF OUR ANNUAL UPDATE TODAY.

UM, COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS INCLUDE GEO, UH, THE GRANTEE PROFILE, A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF OUR SERVICE AREA, WHICH IS SAN ANTONIO, I S D, AND, UM, EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR HEALTH, EDUCATION, NUTRITION, AND SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS.

[00:05:01]

IN NOVEMBER, OUR HEAD START DIVISION HELD A, UM, ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING AT OUR, OUR BRADY LOCATION.

AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCESS, AND THEY INCLUDE STAFF, PARENTS, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND OUR COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS.

AND WHILE ONE OF THE KEY GOALS WERE CHANGED DURING THAT PROCESS THIS YEAR, THERE WERE SEVERAL CHANGES MADE TO THE OB OUR OBJECTIVES THAT INCLUDE UPDATING, UM, TARGETS AND REVISING TARGETS FOR OBJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN MET BY THE PROGRAM AND ALSO SETTING TARGETS FOR NEW OBJECTIVES.

AND THIS YEAR WE WILL HAVE THE FIVE GOALS AND 30 OBJECTIVES TO GO ALONG WITH THAT.

AND A COPY OF THAT IS IN YOUR PACKET FOR MORE DETAIL.

WE ARE ALSO REQUESTING APPROVAL OF THE 2021 ENROLLMENT, UM, RECRUITMENT SELECTION AND, UH, AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES.

ALL POLICIES, UM, HAVE MINOR REVISIONS FOR CLARIFICATION.

UH, EXCEPT THE TRAINING POLICY IS A LITTLE MORE OF A MAJOR REVISION.

AND THAT IS, UM, EXTENDING THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO TRAIN NEW GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS FROM 90 DAYS TO 180 DAYS.

OUR POLICY WAS MORE STRINGENT THAN FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.

AND 90 DAYS SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT IT GOES FAST WHEN YOU'RE IN A NEW POSITION.

AND SO 180 DAYS WILL GIVE US MORE TIME TO DO A MORE THOROUGH TRAINING WITH NEW GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS.

AND WE ARE ALSO REQUESTING APPROVAL OF AN UPDATED PROGRAM GOVERNANCE POLICY TO INCLUDE UPDATED WORDING THAT, UM, REQUESTS AN, UM, IDENTIFIES THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD AS THE REVIEWING BODY.

AND FINALLY, WE ARE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED NEW SHARED GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD.

THE CAB, AS IT'S KNOWN, WOULD TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY HERE HELD BY THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, INCLUDING APPROVAL OF ENROLLMENT, UM, AND ELIGIBILITY PROCESSES, STRATEGIC PLANNING, COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, OUR ANNUAL REPORT, AND VARIOUS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

AND JUST OUR BRIEF, UM, PROGRAM AND FISCAL UPDATE FOR OCTOBER.

AS OF, UM, THE END OF THE 2019 FISCAL YEAR FOR EARLY HEAD START, WHICH WAS CLOSED OUT IN OCTOBER, WE EXPENDED 97% OF THE GRANT, $4 MILLION, UM, OF THE CURRENT GRANT FOR EARLY HEAD START.

WE'VE EXPENDED 19% OF THAT GRANT.

WE'RE ON TARGET TO, UM, GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR AND SPEND THAT, THOSE DOLLARS DOWN.

WE HAVE EXPENDED 58% OF OUR CURRENT HEAD START FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.

AND AGAIN, WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING THAT DOWN.

THAT FISCAL YEAR ENDS JANUARY 31ST.

AND SO WE ARE FINALIZING OUR EXPENDITURES NOW.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE 2019 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT UPDATE, THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE 2021 S E POLICIES AND PROGRAM GOVERNANCE POLICY, OUR, WHICH IS OUR NEW STRUCTURE.

UM, I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR FEDERAL REVIEW, WHICH OCCURRED OVER THIS WEEK.

AND THROUGH A SERIES OF FIVE INTERVIEWS, UM, WE ARE REVIEWED, UH, TRI ANUALLY EVERY THREE YEARS BY THE, UM, OFFICE OF HEAD START AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

UM, THEY WERE VERY COMPLIMENTARY IN THEIR CLOSING COMMENTS.

UM, THEY HIGHLIGHTED MENTIONED AS A STRENGTH, THE PARTICIPATION OF OUR GOVERNING BODY, THE COMMUNITY, UM, HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO PARTICIPATED ON THAT CALL.

AND, UM, THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THAT.

THEY SAID THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THEY SAW THAT AS A PROGRAM STRENGTH, YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM.

SO WE APPRECIATE THAT.

AND OF COURSE, THEY COULD NOT SHARE THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW THAT WILL COME AT THE END OF JANUARY.

BUT, UM, WE ANTICIPATE A GOOD REPORT AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

MELODY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, CIA.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

TO BE MORE SPECIFIC? LIKE IS THAT CHECK, SHOULD WE BE MORE SPECIFIC? IS IT BECAUSE IT COULD BE MOVED AT ANY TIME.

MELODY.

I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND THERE, IN REGARD TO THE POLICY CHANGES THAT YOU ALL, UM, OR THAT SOMEBODY'S RECOMMENDING.

FIRST, JUST A CLARIFICATION, UM, ON ONE OF THEM, AND I'LL START WITH THE EXAMPLE OF IS IT E C ONE E R S E A ONE? I, I DUNNO WHAT, HOW, HOW YOU SHORTEN THAT.

BUT ANYWAY, SO IT TALKS ABOUT HOW, UM, RESPONSIBILITY OF PROGRAMMATIC OVER OVERSIGHT AS IT REPORTS TO CITY COUNCIL, AND THEN IT'S IN PARENTHESES GOVERNING BODY.

DO WE HAVE

[00:10:01]

I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT WAS JUST KIND OF GENERAL.

IT'S CHECKED TODAY, BUT UM, NEXT MONTH IT'LL BE OKAY.

THE, THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD.

UM, AND SO I THINK THE POLICIES HAVE BEEN MORE GENERAL BECAUSE IT HAS MOVED SEVERAL TIMES.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF IS TO, TO NAME THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD AND, AND CLARIFY THAT IN MORE OF OUR POLICIES.

OKAY, GREAT.

'CAUSE IT, THAT WAS CONSISTENT THROUGH SOME OF THESE.

SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY NOTES.

AND THEN ON, UM, E R S E A TWO, WE HAVE A REVISION UNDER RECRUITMENT, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING WHY WE GOT RID OF FIVE PARAGRAPHS.

AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF THERE WAS ANY JUSTIFICATION, ALL I SAW WAS LIKE THE RED LINE AND, AND THE BLUE LINE VERSION.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN.

I'M, I'M THINKING THAT IT'S SUMMARIZED SOMEHOW BECAUSE WE WERE VERY SPECIFIC BEFORE WE TALKED ABOUT NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING AND BILLBOARDS AND CANVASSING NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND THEN NOW IT'S KIND OF GENERAL.

I JUST WANNA VERIFY THAT IT'S GENERAL AND THAT IT WASN'T DELETED FOR SOME OTHER PURPOSE.

I'M, I'M GONNA LET, UH, AUDREY JACKSON, OUR HEADSTART ADMINISTRATOR, KIND OF GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL ON THAT.

AND I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS SUMMARIZING, BUT OKAY.

WE'LL GET IT FROM THE HORSES NOW.

THE PURPOSE REALLY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR POLICIES ARE TOO, NOT TOO PRESCRIPTIVE, SO THAT WE MAKE A CHANGE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BRING THEM BACK TO YOU FOR APPROVAL.

UM, THAT PARTICULAR POLICY WAS GETTING INTO SORT OF MORE PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURES, AND WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO SEPARATE THEM.

GREAT.

AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT YOU, UM, MENTIONED APPLICANT'S NATIVE LANGUAGE AND AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OR LACK THEREOF.

YES.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BY THE WAY.

UM, I DID NOTICE, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHILD PLUS OR WHY THEY DON'T HAVE TO COMPLETE CHILD PLUS NOW? I'M SORRY, I, I'M GETTING SO TECHNICAL, BUT I, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO, UM, CHILD PLUS IS OUR DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

I'M NOT QUITE SURE ABOUT THE WORDING, BUT IT PROBABLY MEANS THAT WE KNOW WE NOW HAVE A PAPERLESS SYSTEM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE SCAN ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING UP INTO CHILD PLUS.

AND THAT JUST FACILITATES NOT NOT HAVING A LOT OF PAPER WASTE AND ALSO COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE TEAMS. SO IT'S REALLY, WE'RE JUST GETTING RID OF ONE APPLICATION PROCESS AND USING ANOTHER ONE.

IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE DELETING AN ENTIRE, UM, OKAY.

SORRY, JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK.

UM, AND THEN NEXT, UH, SORRY.

OH, ON, UM, THE E R C FIVE OR E R S E A FIVE, YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, THE EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE ENROLLMENT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS ARE MET TO INCLUDE REVIVIFICATION OF INCOME.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

IT'S A TYPO, SO IT'S A REVERIFICATION.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I GENUINELY THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THAT.

UM, AND THEN, AND I'M SORRY, I'M PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON, ON SOME OTHER ONES, BUT I'LL ASK, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TRAINING FOR GOVERNING BODY AND POLICY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ON E C THREE, OR I GUESS IT CHANGED FROM THREE TO 10, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS COMBINED OR MAYBE IT'S LIKE THE THREE 10.

I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT HAPPENED.

THE NUMBERING FROM RC THREE TO RC 10 Y YEAH.

OR FROM 10 TO THREE OR SOMETHING.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO GO CHECK.

I THINK IT'S JUST A NUMBERING SYSTEM, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY THEY TRANSPOSE THOSE, PERHAPS, OR OKAY.

I CAN LOOK IT TO IT.

UM, BECAUSE ON THAT ONE, IT TALKS ABOUT TRAINING FOR GOVERNING BODY AND P POLICY COUNCIL MEMBERS WITHIN YES.

FROM 90 TO 180 DAYS.

SO WE WERE GIVING THEM BASICALLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING.

WAS THAT ALSO FOR A REASON? SO PREVIOUSLY IT SAID 90 DAYS, WHICH IS MORE STRINGENT THAN THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS.

AH, GOT IT.

AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHY WE WERE GIVING US THAT SORT OF PRESSURE.

SO WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO MOVE IT BACK TO THE 180 DAYS AND GIVE OURSELVES MORE TIME TO DO THOROUGH TRAINING.

SO THEN THAT WAS JUST KIND OF OUR, UM, CHECKS AND BALANCES.

SO THANK YOU.

UM, JUST CHECKING ON THAT.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS ON P DM 12.

AND SO, UM, SO THIS ONE'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS IS THE ONE WHERE WE'RE ELECTING THE PARENTS.

AND, UH, IT'S BASICALLY WE'RE OKAY.

EVEN THOUGH, 'CAUSE IT SAYS POLICY COUNCIL ALLOWS FOR PARENT PARTICIPATION IN POLICY MAKING AND OTHER DECISIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AS STATUTORILY REQUIRED BY THE HEAD START PROGRAM.

SO I WAS JUST KIND OF REVISITING AND WE'RE ENTIRELY OKAY.

THIS IS PROBABLY CHECKED.

I KNOW WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY IN THE ROOM.

UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY WITH THE WORDING THAT WE ARE REVISING IT TO? YES.

UM, REALLY TECHNICALLY ALL YOU'VE DONE IS CHANGED IT FROM A SINGULAR TO A PLURAL.

WE HAD MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WE HAD AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND NOW WE HAVE TWO ADVISORY COMMITTEES THAT WILL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL.

SO WE'VE ADDED THE COMMUNITY ACTION ADVISORY BOARD, AND IT'S THAT SECOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

GOT IT.

AND DID THE ACTIONS ALREADY GET HELD? WERE THEY HELD ALREADY? I KNOW.

WERE THEY APPROVED THE ACTIONS? WELL,

[00:15:01]

OH NO, I'M SORRY.

THE, THE ELECTIONS.

OH, YES.

SO YES, FOR, SO WE HAD CAMPAIGN DAY AND OUR FIRST POLICY COUNCIL, UH, MEETING WILL BE ON DECEMBER 17TH.

WE HAVE 14 PARENTS THAT WERE ELECTED.

AND AT THE DECEMBER 17TH MEETING, THEY WILL ELECT TWO COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES.

AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE FIVE APPLICATIONS, FIVE APPLICANTS, AND OUR PARENTS WILL ELECT THEM ON TUESDAY.

SO MY FINAL QUESTION IS ON THE DIVERSITY OF THE APPLICANTS, DID WE ENSURE THE DIVERSITY AND YES.

SO, I, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.

'CAUSE I WAS ABLE TO KIND, UH, JUST SNEAK IN AND PEEP AT THE CAB MEETING THAT THEY HAD YESTERDAY OVER AT THE CLAUDE BLACK CENTER, WHICH REALLY SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT.

AND, UM, IT'S IN MY DISTRICT MM-HMM.

AND SO THERE WASN'T A TRUE IDENTITY OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE ROOM.

AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW WE ACTUALLY GONNA TACKLE THAT.

I KNOW THAT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION OF SAN ANTONIO IS ONLY 6%, BUT HAVING A VOICE FOR THAT COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING THAT TRULY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ACROSS THE, THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN TRULY TACKLE THE DIVERSITY INCLUSION OF HOW OUR CITY IS, IS COMPRISED AND MADE UP DEMOGRAPHICALLY.

AND BEING THAT IT'S WITHIN DISTRICT TWO, HAVING SOMEONE TRULY REPRESENT THE DISTRICT WHEN IT SITS THERE WOULD BE AWESOME.

SO THOSE ARE JUST MY COMMENTS.

AND I'LL FOLLOW UP AND, UM, GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE MAKEUP.

WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS RIGHT NOW.

IT, IT'S POSTED RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE CAN LOOK AT HOW WE, UM, IMPROVE THE DIVERSITY OF THE GROUP.

UM, COUNCILMAN TRINO? UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND I WOULD JUST ECHO THOSE WORDS.

I, I DO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN SULLIVAN.

UM, SO MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER UP SOME, SOME, UH, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS.

SO, SO WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UM, MAYBE WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND GET SOME INPUT ON HOW TO IMPROVE THAT.

THANK YOU, MELODY.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, SO WE WILL BE RECEIVING FEWER PRESENTATIONS ON THE SAR PROGRAM, UH, GOING FORWARD.

DO YOU, UH, SO WE NEED AN ACTION.

UM, CAN I GET A MOTION MOVE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.

AND THANKS TO THE WHOLE TEAM.

IS, UM, A BRIEFING ON THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION AND LINEAR CREEKWAY PROGRAMS FOR THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2018 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, UH, 2019.

UH, OUR NEXT ITEM

[3. 19-9117 Briefing on the Annual Report for the Edwards Aquifer Protection and Linear Creekway Programs for the period of October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Homer Garcia III, Interim Director, Parks and Recreation]]

AND AFTER, I JUST WANNA SAY WE HAVE TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AFTER THE REPORT AF AFTER THE BRIEFING, AFTER YOU GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION.

UH, WATER QUALITY AND RECHARGE OVER WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE, UH, EDWARDS AQUIFER AREA OF INTEREST THAT IS THE, UH, RECHARGE AND CONTRIBUTING ZONE.

THANK YOU, HOMER.

YES, THANK YOU.

WELL, UH, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY OFFERING EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT OUT ON THE, UH, EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM AND LINEAR CREEK WAY SYSTEM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2019.

AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING SOME SPECIAL GUESTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.

DR.

FRANC ROMEO, WHO IS CHAIR WITH, UH, CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, IS HERE ON LISA PEACE WITH GREATER EDWARD AFER ALLIANCE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING WITH US TODAY.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR PROJECT TEAM OVER BOTH PROGRAMS. SO OF GRANT ELLIS, HE IS OUR NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER, LONGTIME, UM, OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRAM.

PHILIP COVINGTON IS SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER, UH, WORKS DIRECTLY WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM AS WE LOOK FOR PROPERTIES TO PROTECT OVER THE AQUIFER.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR EVER POPULAR HOWARD WP GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.

BRANDON ROSS IS OUR PARKS MANAGER OVER THAT PROGRAM.

SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

SO FOR BOTH THESE PROGRAMS, I KIND JUST WANNA PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW.

UH, BOTH SHARE A ONE 8 CENT SALES TAX, UH, THROUGH PROPOSITION ONE AND TWO.

AND, UH, THOSE ARE, HAVE A CAP AT WHICH TAXES COLLECTED.

AND SO IT'S NOT AN EVEN SPLIT, BUT IT'S A PRORATED.

UM, BUT FUNDING THAT SHARED BY EACH PROGRAM BASED ON THAT CAP.

UH, BOTH OF THESE, UH, PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN, UH, VOTER APPROVED SINCE 2000, AND MOST RECENTLY IN MAY OF 2015.

SO THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM, UH, NOT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT IT IS, BUT REALLY IT'S WITH THE GOAL OF PROTECTING,

[00:20:01]

AND, UM, THAT IS NOT ONLY IN BEXAR COUNTY, BUT ALSO WEST OF BAYAR COUNTY.

SO, AS WE'LL SEE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE A MAP THAT ILLUSTRATES WHERE WE HAVE PROTECTED ACREAGE, AND YOU'LL SEE SOME PROPERTIES WEST OF BEXAR COUNTY.

AND IT'S FOR THAT REASON THAT THE WATER TABLE FLOWS FROM, UM, WEST TO EAST.

AND 70% OF THE RECHARGE INTO THE AQUIFER COMES FROM, UH, WEST OF SAN ANTONIO.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, CAP, OR UNDER THE CAP, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE 2015 EDWARDS PROTECTION PROGRAM, UH, THAT CAP WAS SET AT $100 MILLION.

90 MILLION OF THAT IS FOR, UM, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, LAND PURCHASES, BASICALLY PROTECTING, UH, AND SECURING THOSE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.

UH, BUT AN ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION WAS SET ASIDE AN EARMARK FOR WATER QUALITY STRATEGIES.

UH, AND WE HAVE A SLIDE LATER THAT WE'LL KIND OF GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, FOR, UM, THIS PROGRAM, WE DO HAVE A NINE MEMBER COUNCIL APPOINTED ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH AGAIN, IS CHAIRED BY DR.

FRANCINE ROMERO.

SO I TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT THE CAP, AND THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES WHERE THE PROGRAM HAS COME.

INITIALLY, THAT CAP IN 2000 WAS SET AT 45 MILLION.

AND THEN IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, UH, IT WAS VOTER APPROVED AGAIN IN 2005 AND 10.

AND THEN NEW IS THE ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION, UH, FOR THOSE WATER QUALITY STRATEGIES THAT ARE RESTRICTED TO BEAR COUNTY OVER THE RECHARGING CONTRIBUTING ZONE THAT SETS THE CAP AT, UM, $100 MILLION.

AND SO PROTECTED PROPERTIES, UH, THIS MAP ILLUSTRATES, UH, WHERE WE HAVE INVESTED DOLLARS UNDER THE EDWARDS PROGRAM.

THESE ARE THE ORANGE POLYGONS THAT ARE, UH, YOU SEE ON THE MAP.

YOU SEE A MAJORITY OF THAT IS WEST OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT YOU ALSO IN BEAR COUNTY.

BUT THEN YOU ALSO SEE SOME OTHER POLYGONS IN YELLOW.

THOSE ARE OTHER PROPERTIES UNDER CONSERVATION DUE TO VARIOUS LAND TRUSTS OR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS CAMP BULLIS.

SO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER DIVE INTO OUR, UH, WATER QUALITY PROJECTS THAT, UH, SET ASIDE WAS $10 MILLION.

AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH, UH, SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY AS PROJECT MANAGER.

AND SO WHAT THEY DID WAS COME IN AND WE WORKED WITH THEM TO SET UP A PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD CONNECT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FUNDING THROUGH AN OPEN SOLICITATION PROCESS.

SO OVER, UH, THE YEARS, BASICALLY, THE RIVER AUTHORITIES HAD A QUARTERLY CALL FOR PROPOSALS.

THOSE THEN COME IN, THEY ARE SCORED AND RANKED, UM, WITH A TECH TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND THEN THOSE PROJECTS, WHICH RECEIVE A SCORE OF 50 AND HIGHER, THEN COME FORWARD TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR FUNDING.

UM, THESE PROJECTS ARE RESTRICTED TO BEXAR COUNTY, AND THE GOAL IS TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE, UM, WATER QUALITY THAT CURRENTLY IS BELOW OR FAILING TO EXCEED TE T C E Q STANDARDS.

SO OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, OUR TARGET, UH, FOR PROTECTING ACREAGE UNDER, UH, THIS PROGRAM WAS 5,000 ACRES.

WE DID MEET THAT TARGET IN FISCAL YEAR 2019.

UH, WE SPENT 25, 20 $0.5 MILLION, AND THAT IS ACROSS SIX CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND TWO LAND PURCHASES.

IN ADDITION, WE DID HAVE SOME WATER QUALITY PRO THREE ACTUALLY THAT WE FUNDED.

UH, TWO ARE WITH U T S A, UH, AND ONE WITH TECH.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT DR.

FRANCINE ROMERO, WHO IS CHAIR OF THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, IS EMPLOYED BY U T S A.

SHE DOES RECUSE HERSELF FROM THAT VOTING PROCESS.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS THAT COME FORWARD, UH, ARE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, AN OPEN SOLICITATION AND, AND ARE TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC.

ALSO, IN 2019, UH, WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE, UH, BASICALLY A STUDY OR ASSESSMENT TO THE PROGRAM.

SO LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, UH, THEY PERFORMED AN ASSESSMENT TO THE PROGRAM BACK IN 2014.

UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE THEN.

SO WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE IT.

AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I GUESS JUMPED OUT.

UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP THAT WE LOOKED AT EARLIER, WE, WE SAW, UM, ORANGE AND YELLOW POLYGONS.

SO WHEN YOU COMBINE ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 239 ACRES THAT ARE UNDER CONSERVATION OR PROTECTED FROM, UM, DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN IN THE REPORT, THERE WAS

[00:25:01]

A LOOK AT WHAT IS THE WATER NEED UP UNTIL 2070.

AND SO IT WAS DETERMINED THAT 105 BILLION GALLONS ARE NEEDED TO MEET THE WATER DEMAND FOR SAN ANTONIO UP TO 2070.

AND SO IN ORDER TO MEET THAT, WE NEED TO ACTUALLY PROTECT 295,000 ACRES.

SO THE DELTA THERE FROM WHAT'S PROTECTED TODAY TO, UM, BASED ON THE REPORT WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE WE NEED TO BE, IS 56,000 ACRES, UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED.

OKAY, SO MOVING ON TO OUR LINEAR GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.

UH, PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO, UH, IT IS A QUALITY OF OF LIFE ISSUE.

IT IS A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, AND CONNECT COMMUNITIES TO EACH OTHER.

UH, AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY POPULAR AND IT'S ENJOYED BY RESIDENTS AND VISITOR VISITORS ALIKE.

AND THAT IS AN 11 MEMBER COUNCIL APPOINTED BOARD.

SO FUNDING FOR THE, UH, GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.

THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES AGAIN, THE CAP FOR THAT.

IT IS SET AT, UH, 80 MILLION FOR 2015.

UH, SINCE YOU CAN SEE THAT INCREASING FROM WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS FIRST APPROVED IN 2000, THAT CAP WAS SET AT 20 MILLION, AND THEN IT INCREASED, UH, THE NEXT TWO ELECTIONS AT 45.

AND THEN FOR 2015 CAME AT, UH, $80 MILLION.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT UNDER BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS, THERE ARE PAY AS YOU GO, WHICH MEANS, WHICH MEANS WE PUT DOLLARS INTO PRODUCTION BASED ON MONIES COLLECTED.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE GET ALL OF THE FUNDING UP FRONT, AND THEN IT SITS IDLE.

SO AS WE SEE THOSE REVENUES COME IN, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PLAN OUR INVESTMENTS BOTH ON THE EDWARD SIDE AND WITH OUR, UH, GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM TO KEEP THOSE DOLLARS IN PRODUCTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SPENDING MORE THAN WE'RE, WE'RE WHAT WE ARE COLLECTING.

SO, PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, THROUGH 20, EXCUSE ME, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2019.

SINCE INCEPTION, WE'VE GOT 70 MILES, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AN ADDITIONAL, UH, 14 OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

WE HAVE, UH, 19 MORE MILES UNDER DESIGNED.

AND TO ACHIEVE THIS, UH, WE'VE ACQUIRED 1500 ACRES OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE TO DATE.

SO THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, JUST SOME, I THINK, KEY PROGRAMS AND, AND PRO, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN UP THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

SO IN THIS FIRST SLIDE, UM, THIS WAS OVER BY THE RIM IN COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT.

UH, IN THE MIDDLE, UH, WE HAVE A SATO CREEK GREENWAY SEGMENT FROM HENER 1604 THAT SITS IN DISTRICT NINE.

AND THEN, UM, AT THE, WE HAVE THE DEFO PARK TRAILHEAD, WHICH OPENED UP IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

AND WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BUTTERFLY GARDEN THERE.

SO YOU SEE IN THE IMAGE A BUTTERFLY BENCH, WHICH IS KIND OF A DESIGN ENHANCEMENT AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO.

SO WE LOOK FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY TIE IN THE TRAILHEAD TO THAT SPECIFIC AREA THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THE INVESTMENT.

ADDITIONALLY, HERE'S SOME, UH, OTHERS THAT WE OPENED IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.

UM, THIS FIRST IMAGE, AND WE TALK ABOUT IN EVERYTHING WE DO UNDER THE CREEKWAY PROGRAM, IS WHERE WE CAN INCORPORATE LOW IMPACT DESIGN FEATURES.

WE DO SO.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, AT THE LEON CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL, RED AT TRAILHEAD AT PRU ROAD, WE, THAT IS A LOW IMPACT DESIGN PARKING LOT.

UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER TRAILHEAD THAT WE OPENED UP IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO AT J STREET.

AND THEN, UH, VERY POPULAR THERE.

THE LAST IMAGE ON, UM, YOUR RIGHT, THE LACKLAND CORRIDOR MONUMENT SITE, THAT, AGAIN, IS A LOW IMPACT DESIGN FEATURE WITH A WATER BASIN IS PART OF THE PROJECT.

AND THAT'S WIDELY VISITED AND VERY POPULAR.

SO THIS LAST SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE UNDER, UH, BOTH PROGRAMS THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT MANAGES.

UH, WE MENTIONED OUR CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY, SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.

THEY HAVE SEATS ON THE BOARD.

UM, UNDER THE EDWARDS PROGRAM, WE DO WORK WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM.

THAT IS HOW PROPERTIES COME TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.

UH, THAT IS WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND GREEN SPACES ALLIANCE.

THOSE ARE OUR PARTNERS, UH, AS WE SEEK INTERESTED, UH, LANDOWNERS THAT MAY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.

AND THEN FOR PROPOSITION TWO, WE, UM, WE OWN THAT.

WE PUT THOSE DOLLARS IN PRODUCTION.

WE HELP AND, AND BRING CONSULTANTS ON BOARD FOR DESIGNING THEM AND CONSTRUCTING THEM.

BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF

[00:30:01]

PARTICIPATION WITH, UH, TDOT C P SS ENERGY VIA, UH, T C I, OF COURSE.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE, IN ADDITION TO OUR, UH, SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE ROOM TODAY, WE ALSO HAVE A MULTITUDE OF OTHER PARTNERS THAT HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESSES OF THE PROGRAM AND DELIVERING AND GETTING THESE SERVICES OUT INTO THE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE BRIEFING ON THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019 FOR BOTH THE EDWARD AFER PROTECTION PROGRAM AND THE, UH, GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.

I'M CERTAINLY AVAILABLE AND HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS THE PROJECT TEAM.

GREAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HOMER.

AND DR.

BRIDGER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING THIS REPORT DONE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ON YOUR LIST TO DO, OR YOU JUST, YOU WERE PLANNING TO DO IT.

IT, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

I, I ASKED AND I RECEIVED EVERYONE.

SO THANK YOU.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, DR.

FRANCINE ROMERO, UH, AND ANISA PEACE, UH, HERE TO SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH US.

UM, ANISA, IF YOU WANNA START, UM, MM-HMM.

HI.

EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM FUNDED AT THE SAME LEVEL AND ALSO MANAGED THE SAME WAY THAT THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN MANAGED SO WELL.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.

I'M REPRESENTING THE GREATER EDWARDS AQUIFER ALLIANCE.

WE HAVE 52 MEMBER GROUPS, BUT WE HAVE 15 SAN ANTONIO BASED MEMBER GROUPS.

UH, WE SET POLICY AND GOVERN, UH, BY CONSENSUS, WHICH MEANS A HUNDRED PERCENT CONSENSUS.

UH, AND OUR GROUPS HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY MUCH, UH, DISCUSSING THE CONTINUATION OF THIS PROGRAM.

I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, SAN ANTONIO LOVES THIS PROGRAM.

I MEAN, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION AND THE GREENWAY TRAILS.

WHEN ARTICLES STARTED COMING OUT IN THE PAPER THAT THEY WANTED TO SHIP THE SALES TAX, I STARTED GETTING DELUGE WITH CALLS AND EMAILS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM THE WAY IT IS.

UM, UH, AS FAR AS THE, UM, 10 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE WATER QUALITY, Y'ALL MIGHT NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST $10 MILLION THAT'S EVER BEEN SPENT AROUND HERE IN TERMS OF WATER, UH, PROTECTING OUR WATER QUALITY.

UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

JUST THE OTHER DAY WE HAD A MEETING, AND IT WAS FROM ONE OF THE FUNDED PROGRAMS. IT'S TEXAS A AND M, AND THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY THEY PUT TOGETHER, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER A CURRICULUM FOR FIREFIGHTERS TO TRAIN THEM HOW TO, UH, FIGHT FIRES THAT ARE ON THE RECHARGE ZONE.

NOW, WE'VE LONG KNOWN THAT THIS REALLY POSES APPAREL TO THE AQUIFER BECAUSE, UH, WATER THAT'S CONTAMINATED, UH, WATER THAT PUTS OUT A FIRE.

WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY FIRE MARSHALS THAT SAY, A LOWE'S OR ONE OF THESE BIG BOX THAT HAS A LOT OF HAZMATS, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO LET IT BURN BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF THAT CONTAMINATED WATER GOING INTO THE AQUIFER.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE WANTED FOREVER.

I MEAN, FOR ME, FOR LIKE THE PAST 30 YEARS, UH, HAVING THIS MONEY, YOU HAVE A CURRICULUM.

WE HAD ALL THE AGENCIES AT THE TABLE, ALL THE EXPERTS AT THE TABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THIS CURRICULUM.

AND WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO HAVING, UH, UH, TRAINED FIREFIGHTERS WITH A SPECIAL TEAM WHO WILL BE CALLED OUT, AND THEY'LL BE NOTIFIED WHEN A FIRE'S OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE.

THEY'LL BE CALLED OUT TO PUT SPECIAL MEASURES IN PLACE THAT COULD BETTER PROTECT OUR EDWARDS AQUIFERS.

SO THAT, THAT'S JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THAT MONEY FOR THE WATER QUALITY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO SEE THAT CONTINUE.

UH, WE HAD A MEETING OF, UH, ALL THE EXPERTS, THE TECHNICAL EXPERTS WHO ARE ADVISING THAT PROGRAM, AND ALL THE EXPERTS WHO GOT GRANTS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.

AND IT WAS A DAY LONG MEETING WHERE WE LOOKED AT WHAT, UH, RESEARCH AND WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS, PROJECTS WERE NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD, WHAT TYPE OF POLICIES THAT WE COULD WORK ON TOGETHER WITHOUT FUNDING MIND YOU, UH, TO, UH, ADVANCE PROTECTIONS OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFERS.

SO, SO THAT, UH, PROJECT, UH, IS JUST AMAZING.

UM, AS FAR AS, UH, THE CONSENSUS OF OUR MEMBER GROUPS, WE MET ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN WE FIRST HEARD THAT THE PROSPECT OF TAKING THE SALES TAX FUNDING AWAY FROM THE PROGRAMS, IT WAS THE CONSENSUS OF OUR 15 MEMBER GROUPS.

UM, NO, THEY, AND, AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE SALES TAX FOR, UH, THE EDWARDS FOR PROTECTION PROGRAM AND FOR THE GREENWAY TRAILS PROGRAM.

NOW, SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS WITH THE MAYOR.

AND, UM, THE GROUPS ARE ADAMANT THAT THEY WANNA SEE THE

[00:35:01]

AND IT IS A NATIONAL, UH, UH, EXAMPLE.

I MEAN, WHEN THE, WHEN THE, UH, ARTICLES HIT THE PAPERS ABOUT TAKING AWAY THE SALES TAX FUNDING, I WAS ACTUALLY GETTING CALLS FROM ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

I MEAN, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS SUCH A MODEL FOR OTHER PEOPLE, AND THEY WERE VERY DISMAYED THAT THE PROGRAM MIGHT BE THREATENED.

SO WE'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TRY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IN A MANNER THAT ALL OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS COULD BE MET.

BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY CERTAIN, HAVE SOME, SOME CAVEATS, UH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEFORE WE WOULD CONSIDER ANY SHIFT IN FUNDING.

THANK YOU ANALISA, UH, DR.

FRANCINE ROMERO.

UH, COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.

UM, IT IS REALLY MY HONOR, UH, TO BE ABLE TO CHAIR THIS COMMITTEE.

DON'T TELL U T SS A, BUT THIS IS THE BEST THING I DO.

UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE THREE QUICK POINTS.

UM, THIS PROGRAM IS A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MODEL.

IT USED TO BE WHEN PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT CITIES PURCHASING LAND TO PROTECT THE WATER THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK CITY WAS THE FIRST ONE TO DO THIS ON A LARGE SCALE, AND THAT WAS OUR MODEL.

BUT NEW YORK CITY NOW LOOKS TO US AS THE MODEL.

WE HAVE PROTECTED MORE LAND FOR LESS PER ACRE THAN NEW YORK CITY HAS.

AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS.

I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE THERE.

I'VE ALSO GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS FROM AROUND THE STATE AS ANALISA HAS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

UM, UH, SO WE ARE THE MODEL, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE DON'T BRAG ENOUGH ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.

OTHER CITIES THINK THIS IS AMAZING WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND PROTECTING THE WATER, NOT THROUGH REGULATION, BUT BY PURCHASING EASEMENTS TO PROTECT THE LAND.

AND SOMETIMES JUST BUYING THE LAND ITSELF, IT IS THE CLEANEST, SIMPLEST WAY TO DO IT.

UH, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT SOME OF THE BEAUTY OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, COMES FROM THE GUIDELINES THAT BIND US IN THIS.

SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF PEOPLE THAT WORK ON THIS PROGRAM.

AS FAR AS THE CITY'S CONCERNED, IT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT PROGRAM IN THE WORLD.

THERE ARE THREE EMPLOYEES DEDICATED TO THIS PROGRAM.

THAT'S IT.

THREE EMPLOYEES.

UM, AND THEY ARE VERY DEDICATED.

UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WORK ON THE SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION TEAM, ON THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, ON THE LAND ACQUISITION TEAM.

MOST OF THEM DO IT ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS.

UH, LAND ACQUISITION TEAM, THEY DO GET PAID FOR THEIR TIME, UH, NATURE CONSERVANCY AND GREEN SPACES ALLIANCE.

BUT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME GUIDING PRINCIPLE BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE THAT GOVERNS HOW THIS SALES TAX CAN BE SPENT IS SET BY THE STATE AND THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.

IT'S FOR RECHARGE PURPOSES.

WE CAN'T USE THIS MONEY TO PROTECT LAND FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN FOR ITS RECHARGE POTENTIAL.

IT DOES HAVE REALLY IMPORTANT SIDE EFFECTS, BUT THAT'S NEVER THE REASON WHY WE PROTECT THE LAND.

UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THE SURETY OF THIS PROGRAM.

SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS MONEY? ARE YOU JUST RENTING THE LAND OR YOU JUST PAY PEOPLE TO DO CERTAIN THINGS? NO, WE, WE PURCHASE THEIR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.

WE PURCHASE THEM FOREVER.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO INHERITS THE, THE LAND WHO BUYS THE LAND, NOTHING.

THIS IS FOREVER IN PERPETUITY.

THE CITY OWNS THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.

AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF THIS.

THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN SAY IT.

THE NUMBER OF ACRES PROTECTED IS 151,000 RIGHT NOW, BUT IT WILL GO UP QUITE A BIT BY THE TIME THE REMAINING FUNDS ARE SPENT OUT BE ABOUT $160,000.

THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS, I WAS JUST FIGURING OUT IS THAT WE'VE PROTECTED MORE OF THE RECHARGE ZONE THAN IS ALREADY DEVELOPED.

AND SO IF YOU GO THROUGH BEXAR COUNTY AND ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE PROTECTED MORE THAN THAT.

ANOTHER WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, WELL, WE HAVE PROTECTED 30% OF THE RECHARGE ZONE.

AND ANOTHER WAY TO THINK OF IT IS WE'VE PROTECTED 50% OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO BE PROTECTED.

UM, SO IT'S AN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM.

IT IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU, DR.

ROMEO.

UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL AND, UH, DON'T GO AWAY IN CASE WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR, FOR YOU, PLEASE.

SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS WITH THE, THE 10 MILLION ON SLIDE FOUR IS, IS THAT ALSO FROM THE EIGHTH CENT, OR WHERE EXACTLY IS THAT 10 MILLION COMING FROM? THAT THAT

[00:40:01]

IS CORRECT.

SO THIS 10 MILLION IS PART OF THAT $100 MILLION CAP FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.

10 MILLION WAS EARMARKED FOR THESE WATER QUALITY STRATEGIES IN BEXAR COUNTY ONLY THEN THE OTHER 90 ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, PROTECTION OF ACREAGE OVER THE, THE AQUIFER.

UM, HOMER, I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT ONE THING THAT I REALLY, UM, COMMEND YOU ON IS, IS THAT THE FO PARK TRAILHEAD.

AND I GUESS BECAUSE IT'S ONLY LIKE TWO BLOCKS FROM FROM MY HOME THAT I GREW UP IN AND WHERE MY, MY MOTHER STILL LIVES.

AND IT REALLY CHANGED THE FACE AND THE LOOK OF OUR COMMUNITY.

'CAUSE FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE HAD THE PARK, BUT THAT WAS IT.

WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT, THAT WAS NATURE DRIVEN TOWARDS THAT PARK.

IT WAS LITERALLY JUST THE PARK THAT WE WENT AND PLAYED IN WHEN WE FELT LIKE IT.

BUT SINCE THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN HAS BEEN THERE, WE SEE KIDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN OUTSIDE IN YEARS GOING OVER TO THAT SPECIFIC CORNER OF THE PARK THAT TRULY HAS SOMETHING NEW AND, AND UNIQUE TO IT.

AND SO I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE DIFFERENT IDEAS INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT NORMALLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, UH, THIS PART OF NATURE AND THE BEAUTY OF IT.

AND SO, UM, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN DISTRICT TWO IS TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR A LOT OF THE CHILDREN THAT LIVE THERE.

AND SO I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I HEARD WHEN THE STORIES BROKE ABOUT, UM, SAS TAKING OR VOTING ON THIS WAS THE FACT THAT, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT OR HOW THAT WAS GONNA AFFECT THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.

HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT THE PROTECTIONS THAT WE AS A CITY ARE DOING FOR OUR WATER AND OUR WATER QUALITY? CAN YOU HELP, UM, KIND OF BRING US TO THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT THAT TRULY MEANS FOR THIS PROGRAM? WELL, I MEAN, FOR US, ALL WE KNOW IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE READ IN THE PAPERS A LOT OF OTHERS.

AND SO I DON'T, CAN'T REALLY SPEAK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS PROGRAM MOVING OUT OF THE CITY'S LEDGER.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT WE DO AND THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, WE CERTAINLY LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE THOUGHTFUL AND WE'RE PRIORITIZING THOSE INVESTMENTS BASED ON THE GUIDANCE OF OUR CONSERVATION AND ADVISORY BOARD.

AND WE'VE, WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY DONE THAT.

AND SO AT, AT THIS TIME, WHAT'S STILL REMAINING IN THE RESERVE FOR THE, UH, ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES, UM, AS IT COMES TO THE PLACES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PRESERVE? OKAY.

ARE YOU, UH, TALKING ABOUT LIKE OUR FUND BALANCE FOR THE EDWARDS PROGRAM? MM-HMM.

, IS THAT THAT OKAY? YES.

LET ME, I GOT SOME NOTES HERE.

SO FOR THE EDWARDS PROGRAM, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IT IN THE BOOK, SO RIGHT.

SO FOR THE EDWARDS UM, PROGRAM, WE HAVE, UM, TO LEFT, TO COLLECT, TO REACH THE CAP, UH, JUST UNDER $25 MILLION.

AND IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THAT CAP, THE MAXIMUM OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE 100,000 OR EXCUSE ME, MILLION, WOULD BE REACHED IN, UM, EARLY 2021.

AND SO ONCE WE REACH THAT, DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH ANOTHER VOTING PROCESS OR ? MY TIME IS UP.

THANK YOU, .

UM, ONCE WE REACH NOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP? SO, SO UNDER, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE A, UM, UNDER BOTH, UM, PROGRAMS, I MENTIONED THAT IT'S A PAY-AS-YOU-GO PROGRAM.

WHILE WE WILL HAVE COLLECTED OR THE, WE ANTICIPATE COLLECTING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON LOCAL COMMERCE, THAT WE WILL REACH THAT CAP IN EARLY 2021.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE DOLLARS WILL ALREADY BE COMMITTED, SPENT AND PROGRAMMED.

SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE EDWARDS PROGRAM, THE QUICK RATE PROGRAM, CONTINUING TO PUT THOSE DOLLARS INTO PRODUCTION INTO 2022, AND IT'S REALLY BASED ON LANDOWNER INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM.

UM, AND BACK TO GUIDANCE AND INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY ADVISORY BOARD SPECIFIC TO EDWARDS, WHERE WE NEED TO MAYBE LOOK AT FOCUSING SOME, UM, KEY OR SOME KEY AREAS.

SO AGAIN, UM, VERY POPULAR AREA OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW IS THAT EASTERN MEDINA COUNTY, KIND OF BEXAR COUNTY.

AND SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, YOU KIND OF SEE WHERE WE'VE PROTECTED A LOT OF PROPERTIES ALREADY, BUT ONCE THE CAP IS REACHED, WE STILL HAVE FUNDS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST USE.

AND SO WE'LL STILL HAVE SOME, SOME LEAD TIME

[00:45:01]

THERE.

CAN I CLARIFY, UM, SO IN THE PAST WHEN WE REACH THE CAP, WE GO BACK TO THE VOTERS AND ASK FOR APPROVAL FOR ANOTHER CAP.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO MOVING FORWARD FROM HERE, BUT PREVIOUSLY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, WHEN WE REACH THE CAP, WE GO BACK TO THE VOTERS AND ASK THEM TO APPROVE ANOTHER SALES TAX PROPOSITION AT THIS CAP.

DOES THAT HELP? YES, MA'AM, IT DOES.

THANK YOU, HOMER.

UM, SO THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IT'S KIND OF ON THE SAME LINES THAT YOU WERE GOING DOWN WHEN IT COMES TO THE MEDINA, UM, AREA AND AND DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING OUT THERE WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE VISTA RIDGE PROJECT AND EXACTLY HOW ARE WE LOOKING TO, OR WHAT OTHER SPECIFIC, I GUESS, PROPERTIES ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT TRULY WOULD SAY BENEFIT THIS WHOLE PROGRAM? UM, WHERE ARE WE TAPPING INTO NEXT TO, TO HAVE THOSE SECURITIES PUT IN PLACE? OKAY, I'M GONNA ASK GRANT ELLIS TO COME UP.

UH, WE DID HAVE A RECENT, UH, ACTUALLY IT WAS THIS WEEK WE HAD OUR MOST RECENT CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD.

AND SO IF YOU'D COME UP GRANT AND SHARE KIND OF WHERE SOME OF THOSE PRIORITIES ARE BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ON WEDNESDAY.

SO, COUNCILWOMAN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES, UH, OVER THE RECHARGE AND THE CONTRIBUTING ZONE, WHICH THEN FEEDS INTO THE, THE RECHARGE ZONE THAT ARE IMPORTANT FROM A PROGRAMMATIC PERSPECTIVE.

AND SO THERE ARE PROPERTIES IN BEXAR COUNTY, MEDINA COUNTY, AND A FEW IN, IN UVALDE COUNTY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND WORKING WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM, NON-PROFIT PARTNERS, TO, TO WORK WITH THE LANDOWNERS.

UM, MOST OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS. WE KNOW THAT WHERE THE WATER RUNS DOWN THROUGH THE RECHARGE ZONE, THAT IS WHERE THE RECHARGE PRIMARILY OCCURS IN LARGER NUMBERS.

AND SO, UH, WE ARE WORKING, UH, WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM MEMBERS TO TARGET PROPERTIES WHERE THE STREAM STREAMS AND CREEKS FLOW, UH, SPECIFIC WATERSHEDS THROUGHOUT THE THREE COUNTY TARGET AREA.

UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE PARTNERS AND I DON'T SEE LIKE COCA-COLA, OUR COMPANIES THAT ARE, ARE REALLY LOOKING AT DOING, UH, BETTER BOTTLED WATERS, UM, COMING IN THAT TRULY KIND OF CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO OUR SOCIETY AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

ARE YOU WORKING WITH ANY OF THE COMPANIES LIKE THAT AS OF YET? NOT, NOT, NO.

BUT WE WILL LOOK FOR AND CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES.

AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS YOU'D LIKE US TO EXPLORE, I MEAN, PLEASE, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE AND WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.

UM, THOSE ARE REALLY ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, HOMER.

AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, UH, FOR TRULY PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO THROUGH THE CAB, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WATER IS PROTECTED.

I KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WHEN I MOVED INTO MY NEW HOME IS THAT I HAD MY WATER TESTED AND I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED, UM, WITH THE ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN IT.

UM, BUT KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THESE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE TRULY, UM, MAKES IT HELPFUL.

UM, AS FAR AS WHEN WE GO THROUGH WITH THE, THE CAP PLAN AS WELL, UM, HOW WE PROTECT OUR WATER TRULY WILL BENEFIT HOW WE ALSO DO THE CAP PLAN AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GENERATIONS THAT WE ARE GONNA LEAD THIS PLANET TO.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYONE HAS DONE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN DO AND HOW WE CAN TRULY LEAVE A MARK ON, ON OUR FUTURE.

SO THANK YOU.

UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO THROW IN A QUESTION REAL QUICK.

DID YOUR REPORT IDENTIFY 56,000 ACRES NEED TO BE, UM, NEED TO BE PROTECTED? WAS THAT THE, THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

BASED ON THE L M I ASSESSMENT AND THE ANTICIPATED WATER NEED BY 2070 AND LOOKING THE AMOUNT OF GALLONS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED, THEN THAT RESULTED IN THAT DELTA OF, I BELIEVE, 56,000 ACRES WHEN YOU LOOK AT MM-HMM.

WHAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER CONSERVATION, AND THEN TO MEET THAT WATER NEED.

SO THAT IS CORRECT.

AND I GUESS IT WOULDN'T, WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE A GOOD ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO SAVE THOSE, UH, EACH PARCEL'S GONNA VARY, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

UM, THERE, I, I ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP A, A CURRENT INVENTORY OF THOSE THINGS THAT TERRIFY ME THE MOST.

AND NUMBER ONE ON MY LIST IS THE THOUGHT OF FRANC AND ROMERO NO LONGER BEING IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT SHE'S, THAT SHE'S WITH US.

I THINK SHE'S, SHE'S A, SHE'S A JEWEL AND, UH, REALLY ONE OF THE MOST, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.

THANK

[00:50:01]

YOU DR.

ROMERO, FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.

UM, THE, I'LL, I'LL ADMIT TO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, I, I REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THIS PRO THIS PROGRAM UP UNTIL RECENTLY.

I VERY GENERAL BROAD STROKES, BUT QUITE HONESTLY, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

AND IT'S MY FAULT, UH, JUST FOR NOT HAVING ACQUIRED, UM, AND, AND GOTTEN GRANULAR, RIGHT.

AND TO LOOK INTO IT, THE MORE I LOOK INTO IT, UM, THE MORE IMPRESSED I AM.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOMER, YOU, YOU GAVE US A PRESENTATION AND I JUMPED DOWN YOUR THROAT AND REALLY THAT WAS JUST A EVIDENCE THAT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

AND SO YOU CAME TO MY OFFICE AND YOU GAVE ME A, YOU KNOW, A CRASH COURSE ON THIS AND VERY IMPRESSED.

AND THEN I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT DR.

ROMERO ALSO CAME TO MY OFFICE AND, UM, IN A VERY PROFESSORIAL AND KIND WAY, UH, SHOWED ME HOW OBTUSE I'D BEEN, UH, ALL ALONG.

AND, UH, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

AND NOW I'M A BELIEVER, UM, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND SO, UM, I I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THOUGH, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT DOLLARS.

WHAT, UM, I KNOW THAT THE L M I SAYS THAT WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL 56,000 ACRES TO PROTECT, RIGHT? UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET OUR, OUR GOAL IS, IS THAT TO SAY THAT ONCE WE'VE, ONCE WE'VE EITHER ACQUIRED OR PROTECTED BY WAY OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR WHATEVER, THESE 56,000 ACRES WE'RE DONE.

WELL, SO THE L M I REPORT WAS VERY TECHNICAL.

WHAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT WAS EXTRACTING THAT INFORMATION THAT BASED ON THEIR STUDY WE NEED TO ACHIEVE.

SO THE, IF THE TARGET IS 2070, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS THE REFERENCE IN THE REPORT, AND IN AN AVERAGE RAINFALL YEAR BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF RECHARGE PER ACRE, THAT IS HOW WE DETERMINED THE $56,000 ACRE, UH, EXCUSE ME, 56,000 ACRES ARE THE NEED, UM, IN A VERY WET YEAR.

IT, YOU KNOW, WOULD VARY.

BUT, UH, THAT WAS DERIVED BASED ON AN AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, UH, RAINFALL YEAR WITH AVERAGE RECHARGE PER ACRE.

DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NOT REALLY.

I, I, SORRY.

MAYBE.

NO, IT'S OKAY.

I MEAN, IF THE ANSWER'S, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW.

RIGHT? UM, THE, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME TO COME TO US IN 2070 AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE DONE.

WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HIT THE 56,000, YOU KNOW, ACRE MARK MM-HMM.

, DOES THAT MEAN THIS PROJECT IS NOW, I MEAN, WE STOPPED SPENDING THIS, THIS MONEY, OR I MEAN, ARE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE US NEEDING TO DISCOVERING MORE ACREAGE THAT NEEDS PROTECTION? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND MAYBE DR.

ROMERO KNOWS, UH, I'M NOT SURE.

UM, I UNDERSTAND.

UH, BUT BACK TO WHAT THE CONSULTANT THAT WE BROUGHT ON BOARD TO UPDATE THE 2014 REPORT, THAT WAS WHAT, UM, THEY DID PROVIDE AS THE TARGET.

UM, AND THAT THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO WORK ON.

AND I, I GET THAT RIGHT.

THAT'S THE NUMBER YOU GOT.

AND THOSE ARE CARDS THAT ARE, WERE DEALT TO YOU.

AND IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE I'M ASKING YOU A QUESTION THAT, THAT MAYBE YOU JUST DUNNO THE ANSWER TO.

I MAY NOT HAVE INFORM AND THAT ALL THE INFORMATION, IT REALLY IS.

AND SO IT MEANS THAT MAYBE AT A LATER DATE, YOU AND I GET TOGETHER.

SURE.

AND WE, WE FIGURE OUT RIGHT, THAT IF THIS CITY IS TO DO FORWARD, YOU KNOW, LOOKING, BUDGETING, AND PLANNING RIGHT, FOR THE NEXT 20, 30, 40 YEARS AS FAR AS OUR MONEY IS CONCERNED, UM, THEN IT 56,000 ACRES, I MEAN, IT'S, I'M SURE IT'S A REASONABLE NUMBER, RIGHT? IS I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'VE ALWAYS GOT THAT TARGET IN MIND AND THAT IT'S NOT SORT OF A, A GOALPOST THAT CONTINUOUSLY MOVES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT GOVERNMENT IS REALLY GOOD AT DOING IS NOT ALLOWING PROJECTS TO END .

SO, UM, AND IF, AND IF WE HAVE TO ADJUST THAT, THAT GOALPOST, THAT'S FINE.

UM, I JUST, I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE AT LEAST WORKING TOWARDS A, A TARGET THAT WE CAN ALL SPIKE THE BALL AT THE END AND SAY, WE HIT, WE HIT THE TARGET.

AND, AND, UM, AND THEN THE SECOND THING I I WANTED TO ASK YOU IS, EXCUSE ME, COUNCILMAN, I THINK, UH, DR.

BRIDGER WANTED TO CLARIFY, UH, I WANTED TO WEIGH IN ON THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.

THE, THE SIMPLEST WAY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IS GIVEN AVERAGES OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT WILL GIVE US WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH GALLONS OF WATER TO SERVE THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO BY 2070.

NOW, IS THE GOALPOST GONNA MOVE? YES.

BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA WANNA LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO AFTER 2070 AS POPULATION INCREASE.

WELL, SOME OF US WILL BE DEAD, BUT SOME OF US WILL STILL BE AROUND NOT FRANCINE ROMERO.

SHE'S HERE FOREVER.

GONNA HAVE BETTER DATA AND BETTER INFORMATION.

DON'T YOU, SO AS POPULATION INCREASES PAST 2070, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE MORE WATER IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THEY ALL HAVE ENOUGH WATER TO DRINK.

SO, SO THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT'S AN AVERAGE ESTIMATE THROUGH 2070.

THAT AVERAGE IS GONNA CHANGE THE CLOSER WE GET TO 2070, BECAUSE WE'RE

[00:55:01]

AND THAT'S OKAY.

AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY I'M ASKING.

I MEAN, IT'S, I'M NOT TRYING TO HIDE THE BALL HERE.

IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSFERRING THIS OBLIGATION OVER TO SAWS, I'M JUST TRYING TO START WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND WHAT IT IS THAT SAWS IS GONNA HAVE TO START CONSIDERING AS FAR AS IT'S SPEND ANNUALLY, RIGHT.

IN ORDER TO GET US TO A 56,000 ACRE RIGHT, UH, WIN.

AND I MEAN, JUST ME DOING, UH, CHICKEN SCRATCH MATH OVER HERE, I MEAN, THAT'S AVERAGES 1100 ACRES A YEAR RIGHT.

OF US ACQUIRING, BUT I IMAGINE YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS SOONER THAN LATER, RIGHT? RIGHT.

AND SO, UM, MY QUESTION THEN IS, IS AS WE ARE PLANNING THIS OUT AN ACRE, WE WANT TO EITHER ACQUIRE OR PROTECT, HOW DO WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ACRE WE WANT VERSUS AN ACRE WE NEED? RIGHT.

UM, THAT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, PROTECTED VERSUS ONE THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE.

SO IS THERE CAN, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THAT IN YOUR REPORT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THIS ACRE YES.

AND THIS ACRE? NO.

SO EACH PROPERTY THAT IS CONSIDERED AND BROUGHT FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD ADVISORY BOARD GOES THROUGH A GEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT THAT BASED ON THAT ASSESSMENT SAYS THIS IS VERY HIGH WATER, UH, QUANTITY OR VERY HIGH WATER QUALITY, AND THEN KIND OF TIERED FROM THERE.

VERY HIGH, HIGH MODERATE.

AND SO ONE OF, UM, THIS MOST RECENT DISCUSSION, THIS GOES BACK A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN'S QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, WHAT'S NEXT? SO AT THE CAB MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, THE CHARGE TO OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM WAS THEY'RE READING THE PAPERS.

AND SO THEY'RE GONNA GET TOGETHER AND THEY'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE THINK AND WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND IS IT WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT STILL IN EASTERN MEDINA COUNTY, WHICH THAT IS STILL, UM, A RECURRING THEME WITH OUR ADVISORY BOARD, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME KEY WATER BASINS AND WATERSHEDS THAT THEY FEEL NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED.

UM, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, HAS, UH, REALLY RINGED THE BELL FOR, UM, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN INCREASE EFFORTS TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND MAYBE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER AREAS ALL TO SAY THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH TO PROVIDE US WITH, HERE'S WHERE WE THINK, AND THEN HELP KIND OF SET THOSE PARAMETERS FOR HOW, FOR WHAT'S LEFT THAT ABOUT 25 MILLION STILL TO COLLECT.

HOW THEN THAT WOULD BE PROGRAMMED.

AND THAT'S THE DISCUSSION THAT THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD'S HAVING RIGHT NOW WITH STAFF AND THEN WITH OUR LAND ACQUISITION TEAM, WHICH IS GREEN SPACES ALLIANCE AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

SO ARE WE, PRIORITI AND I, I GUESS IT'S, I'M DOING A BAD JOB AT, AT ARTICULATING WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT.

SO FORGIVE ME, UM, A A A NICE TO HAVE ACRE VERSUS AN ABSOLUTELY NEED ACRE.

ARE THOSE PRICED DIFFERENTLY WHEN WE BUY THEM? I MEAN, DO WE, DO WE SHARE THAT WITH THE, WITH THE PERSON FROM WHOM WE'RE PURCHASING THIS CONSERVATION EASEMENT AND TELL 'EM, LOOK, RIGHT, UM, WE WANNA BUY THIS MUCH, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE WILLING TO PAY THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WILLING TO PAY X BECAUSE THAT'S A NICE TO HAVE ACRE VERSUS AN ABSOLUTELY NEED ACRE.

I MEAN, ARE, ARE WE BUYING, ARE, ARE, IS OUR DEGREE OF NEED COMMENSURATE WITH THE PRICE WE'RE PAYING PER ACRE? UM, SO SOMETIMES, I MEAN THAT, THAT IS A, UM, DISCUSSION THAT IS HAD.

TYPICALLY EVERY LANDOWNER THAT COMES TO US THAT'S GONNA LOOK FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, THEY, UH, WE DO NEGOTIATE AT TIMES AND THEY MAY COUNTER ONCE OR TWICE.

AND IT IS BASED ON THOSE THINGS WHERE, HEY, MAYBE WE'VE GOT 2000, THIS 2000 ACRE RANCH, AND WE'VE GOT MAYBE A SMALL GAP, IF YOU THINK OF THAT MAP MM-HMM.

AND THEN ON THIS SIDE WE HAVE ANOTHER 500 ACRES.

IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE THIS CONTIGUOUS, UM, I GUESS EFFECT ACROSS THAT SPECIFIC AREA OF LAND.

AND, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, WHEN WE WERE HAVING OUR DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY MM-HMM.

, DR.

ROMEO KIND OF STARTED LOOKING AT THE MAP AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LINKAGES GOING ON HERE AND IS IT MAKES SENSE TO TARGET THOSE.

SO THAT IS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AND GOES INTO THE ANALYSIS OF THE NICE TO HAVE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO HAVE.

UM, BUT IT IS STILL TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SCIENCE, IF YOU WILL, WITH THAT GEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT THAT TELLS US BASED ON, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S GREATER SYNERGIES, RIGHT? IF YOU, IF YOU FILL THAT LITTLE GAP, THEN YOU HAVE THIS WHOLE SYNERGISTIC EFFECT, AS OPPOSED TO IF IT WERE A STANDALONE OUTSIDE OF ANY CONTIGUOUS AREA OF PROTECTION.

SO THAT, THAT IS DISCUSSION THAT IS HAD AS CONSIDERED BY CAB.

AND THEN LAST, LAST QUESTION.

UM, AND, AND IF I'M ASKING YOU FOR SECRET SAUCE INFORMATION, DON'T GIMME THE SECRET SAUCE RECIPE.

OKAY? OKAY.

I, I JUST, I REALLY WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW DO Y'ALL DECIDE WHEN TO BUY FEE? SIMPLE, RIGHT? VERSUS WHEN TO ACQUIRE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.

AND WHAT IS THE COST DIFFERENCE FOR THOSE? SO THE, UM, PREFERENCE

[01:00:01]

IS, UM, EASEMENTS.

UH, IF WE OBVIOUSLY BUY IT, THEN THAT IS A, BECOMES A LEGACY COST.

WE GOT TO MAINTAIN THAT LAND, LAND MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, FENCING, WHAT HAVE YOU.

SOME LANDOWNERS WILL COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY, I ONLY WANNA SELL.

AND THAT'S IT.

A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE NO CONCERN ABOUT, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING, BUT THEY WANT TO PROTECT IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MAY BE SETTING THE STAGE FOR WHEN THEY'RE NOT AROUND, BUT THEY WANT TO KEEP IT IN CONSERVATION FOR THEIR FAMILY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN LOVED ONES TO, TO CONTINUE.

SO LARGELY, WE HAVE 92 EASEMENTS, RIGHT? AND OUR LAND PURCHASES ARE 19 SINCE INCEPTION.

SO, YOU KNOW, VERY CLEARLY OUR PREFERRED METHOD IS EASEMENT.

UM, AND THEN EACH OF THOSE THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT DIFFERENT PRICE POINT WITH AN EASEMENT, WITHOUT AN EASEMENT.

OBVIOUSLY, IF WE PURCHASE IT, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE A DIFFERENT PRICE AT A LATER DATE.

NO HURRY, WAIT TILL, YOU KNOW, THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER AND ALL THAT.

BUT SOMETIME IN JANUARY, IF YOU CAN BRING ME, UM, A BREAKDOWN OF, UH, OF HOW MANY ACRES WE'VE GOT UNDER FEE, SIMPLE, RIGHT.

THAT WE PURCHASED VERSUS, YOU KNOW, TOOK OUT AN EASEMENT ON.

AND THEN WITH THE PRICE DIFFERENCES YES.

BETWEEN A PURCHASED ACRE AND AN EASEMENT ACRE.

UM, JUST SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I'VE SEE NO FAULT IN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

I, UH, MY JOB IS TO PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT.

AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

THANK, THANK YOU.

WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.

THANKS, MAN.

THANKS.

I THINK I HEARD THE KEY WORD FOLLOW UP.

, , UH, COUNCILWOMAN RO GARCIA.

THANK YOU HOMER, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROPERTIES.

YOU MENTIONED 19.

WE'VE PURCHASED OUT OF THOSE, HOW MANY IN BEXAR COUNTY HAVE OPENED AS A PARK OR AS A RECREATIONAL AREA? I'M GONNA LOOK TO MY TEAM.

DO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, OR IS THAT GONNA BE A FOLLOW-UP ITEM? SO, I, I, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, BUT, BUT I CAN SAY THAT, UM, A VAST MAJORITY OF THE LAND THAT HAS BEEN ACTUALLY ACQUIRED HAS BEEN EITHER TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE AND HAS BECOME PART OF GOVERNMENT CANYON STATE NATURAL AREA, OR IS NOW MANAGED BY THE CITY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

UH, BUT, BUT WE CAN GET YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.

CAN YOU ALSO GIMME THE PERCENTAGE THAT'S MANAGED BY PARKS AND REC AND THAT HAS BEEN TURNED OVER? AND THEN ALSO IF WE COULD, UM, WHO, WHAT CITIES ARE WE COMPARING OURSELVES? 'CAUSE I HEAR THAT THIS IS A BEST IN THE NATION, AND I, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT OTHER CITIES WE'RE COMPARING TO, JUST KIND OF FOR PEACE OF MIND.

WELL, AND SO NEW YORK IS THE PRIME EXAMPLE.

UH, NEW YORK CITY HAS A, HAS HAD A, A VERY EXTENSIVE WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE HAVE NOW, I THINK SURPASSED WITH REGARD TO, UM, LAND PROTECTED AND PRICE PER ACRE.

AS DR.

ROMERO ALLUDED TO EARLIER, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A SMALLER, UM, UM, AQUIFER AND OPEN SPACE PROTECTION PROGRAM, UM, BUT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO, I MEAN, NOT BEEN ABLE TO, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE NOT PROTECTED NEARLY AS MUCH PROPERTY AND, AND LAND OVER THE AQUIFER THAT WE HAVE.

SO, AND THEN AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE, THE PREVIOUS QUESTION THAT I HAD, CAN WE, UM, BE THE CITIES THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED, BY THE WAY, CAN WE CHECK WHAT THEIR PACE IS IN DEVELOPING THESE AREA OR IN KIND OF TURNING THESE AREAS BACK INTO SPACE? UM, BACK TO, I THINK ONE OF THE POINTS THAT COUNCILMAN LIOS IS TRYING TO MAKE, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO CONVERT IT, TO ACTUALLY USE IT INSTEAD OF JUST KIND OF HOLD ONTO IT.

UM, I, I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE THERE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THAT'S IT.

THAT QUESTION.

I'M TRYING TO WRITE DOWN ALL THE QUESTIONS.

I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTOOD.

YES.

UM, SO I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT FIRST HOW MANY HAVE BEEN CONVERTED OVER, RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT.

AND SO THE FOLLOW UP WAS, UM, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE STILL MANAGE AND THE PERCENTAGE THAT THE STATE MANAGES.

AND THEN THE THIRD ELEMENT WOULD BE HOW WE COMPARED TO OTHERS IN PACE, IN, IN CONVERSION SPACE, PACE OF, OH, IN THE PACE OF WHEN WE ACTUALLY PUT THEM BACK TO USE, BASICALLY, INSTEAD OF JUST HOLDING ONTO THEM.

THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.

COUNCILMAN TIO.

A CASE FOR SORT OF CHANGING THAT CALCULUS.

AND I THINK PART OF THE, THE, THE QUESTIONING, UH, THAT I, THAT I HEARD MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, ELIAS, UH, REQUESTING, AND I, I TOO WANT TO WANNA SEE A FOLLOW UP.

UH, SO I, I WELCOME A VISIT ON THIS, UM, IS SIMPLY, DOES THE CALCULUS CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHO IS MANAGING THIS? AND, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AND THE PLANNING BEHIND YOUR METHODOLOGY.

UM, I CERTAINLY, I, I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THE PROGRAM AND CERTAINLY, UM, HAVE SUPPORTED IN THE PAST AND, UH, WANNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

I, I JUST, I THINK IT'S ALSO CRITICAL AS, AS FOLKS ARE TRYING TO SORT OF MAKE

[01:05:01]

UH, WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO KIND OF GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT IS AND, AND, AND HOW THAT CHANGES.

SO WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT THAT WOULD BE ADJUSTED? WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY RISKING? UH, SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO GET MORE FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

UM, NOW I AGREE.

UM, IT'S A MOVING TARGET.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, ISSUES AS, UH, DR.

BRIDGER EXPLAINED.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.

2070, UH, IS A LONG WAY AWAY.

I, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE, THE, THE SOONER WE GET THERE, THE BETTER BECAUSE WE ALSO CAN'T CONTROL, UH, SOMETHING UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE IT, OR UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET THERE.

SO, UH, IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF TIMING.

AND I THINK THAT ALSO HAS TO BE PART OF THE, THE CALCULUS THAT THIS IS REALLY A, A PROGRAM THAT'S, THAT HAS GOT GREAT MOMENTUM AND, AND, UH, AND HOW WOULD THE TIMING BE AFFECTED, UH, BY, BY DOING A CHANGE THIS IN, IN THIS STAGE OF THE GAME.

SO THAT, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.

AND, UH, GO PATS TO MY FRIEND MIKE CHAN BACK THERE.

I OWN ONE OF THOSE.

I DON'T, I DON'T ACTUALLY MEAN IT.

UH, THANK GOD.

UH, OKAY.

UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, HOMER AND THE, AND THE WHOLE TEAM FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND ANNELISA AND, UH, DR.

ROMERO.

I THINK, UH, THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GOING TO END UP HAPPENING ABOUT, UH, THE SECURITY OF THE AQUIFER AND, UH, THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THAT GOING FORWARD.

UM, BUT I DID WANT US TO AT LEAST HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROGRAM, UH, ITS BENEFIT SO THAT, UM, WE CAN KEEP THAT IN MIND AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

UM, ALRIGHT.

UH, WE WILL BE U UH, HEARING ITEM NUMBER

[4. 19-9078 A review of the public engagement process used to inform draft recommendations on the sale of pets within San Antonio, and an update on canine distemper in the community. [María Villagómez, Deputy City Manager; Heber Lefgren, Director, Animal Care Services]]

FOUR.

UM, WE, IT'S ABOUT PET SALES.

IT'S A VERY LONG TITLE.

DILIGENT IN THE CARE THAT WE PROVIDE OUR, OUR PETS.

THANK YOU HEBER COMMITTEE.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS HEBER LEFKIN, THE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.

UM, I'M HERE TO, UH, TO SHARE THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN REGARDS TO THE, THE CELL OF, UH, PETS IN THE COMMUNITY.

I WAS ALSO ASKED TO BRING TO THE COMMITTEE AN UPDATE ON SOME EXPRESSED CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH DISTEMPER.

AND SO BEFORE I GO INTO THE PRESENTATION, I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE A FEW, FEW FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH DISTEMPER.

UH, COMMITTEE DISTEMPER IS A VIRUS THAT HAS ALWAYS EXISTED IN SAN ANTONIO, AND AS WELL AS PRESENTED ITSELF IN AN AT A C S.

UH, IT IS A VERY HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VIRUS INFECTION THAT CAN BE FATAL TO PUPPIES AS WELL AS UNVACCINATED DOGS.

HOWEVER, DISTEMPER CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO PEOPLE, NOR IS IT, NOR TO OTHER DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY VACCINATED.

UH, CLINICAL SIGNS OF DI OF DISTEMPERED GENERALLY START TO SHOW ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER BECOMING INFECTED.

UM, BUT THOSE SIGNS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER NON, NON-LIFE THREATENING DISEASES, SUCH AS KENNEL COUGH OR, OR THE FLU.

UH, TESTING FOR DISTEMPER CAN BE CONDUCTED, UH, ONCE CLINICAL SIGNS BECOME PRESENT AND CAN BE PERFORMED BY A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.

UM, BUT THE TEST RESULTS NORMALLY TAKE ABOUT THREE TO FIVE DAYS TO OBTAIN, TO BE OBTAINED, AND WILL ONLY INDICATE SUSPECTED CASES.

NOT NE NOT, WILL ALSO INCLUDE SUSPECTED NOT CONFIRMED DISTEMPER.

SO, DUE TO AC S'S HOLD PERIOD BEING LESS THAN ONE WEEK LONG, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIME DISTEMPER DOES NOT PRESENT ITSELF UNTIL AFTER THE DOG HAS LEFT OUR SHELTER.

UM, WHEN A C S SUSPECTS POTENTIAL DISTEMPER, WE WILL COMMUNICATE IT TO, UH, TO OUR PARTNERS AND OUR POTENTIAL AND ANY POTENTIAL ADOPTERS, UH, OF THAT ANIMAL.

AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ADOPTERS AND RESCUE GROUPS AFTER THEY PULL PETS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, UM, IF THE, IF DISTEMPER OR OTHER LIFE-THREATENING DISEASES PRESENT THEMSELVES.

THIS INCLUDES, UH, HAVING THEM RETURN THE DOG TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES FOR OUR VETERINARIAN, WHO DR.

GOT BETTER, OUR CHIEF VETERINARIAN IS HERE.

IF THERE'S ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, UM, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ASSESS AND TO ASSIST WITH THAT NOW WITH DISTEMPER.

IN ORDER FOR, WE KNOW THAT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF EXPRESSED CONCERNS.

UH, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASED, UM, OF PETS COMING INTO OUR SHELTER.

WITH, WITH THAT, WITH, UM, CLINICAL SIGNS OF THAT CAUSES US CONCERN.

HOWEVER, UH, THE NUMBER DOES NOT, DOES NOT EQUATE WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AS AN OUTBREAK.

SIMPLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT JUST, THERE'S THE, THE AMOUNT THAT INDICATES THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE MORE, MORE

[01:10:01]

REMEMBER THAT DISTEMPER IS 100%, UH, AVOIDED AND OWNED PETS.

AND THAT ANYBODY WHO IS LOOKING TO ADOPT OR FOSTER FROM US OR, OR OUR RESCUE PARTNERS, IT IS NOT A CONCERN BECAUSE IF THEY ARE, UH, VACCINATING THEIR DOGS, THEIR DOGS WILL BE PROTECTED IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR PETS.

UH, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DOES A COUPLE THINGS TO HELP MITIGATE ANY TYPE OF SPREAD OF DISEASE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE ENSURE THAT EVERY PET UPON INTAKE IS VACCINATED PRIOR TO ENTERING OUR SHELTER.

UM, WE ALSO ENSURE THAT THE PETS ARE NOT COMMINGLED, UM, AND THAT WE, THEY ARE WITH OTHER POPULATIONS OR, AND WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUPPIES THAT COME IN ARE HOUSED SEPARATE FROM ANY ADULT DOGS.

UH, WE ENSURE THAT OUR KENNELS ARE NOT OVERCROWDED.

UH, WE DO NOT.

THERE'S THE GUILLOTINE DOOR THAT WE HAVE THAT IS INTENDED TO HELP WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF AND THE CARE OF THE ANIMALS.

WE DO NOT, UH, PLACE MULTIPLE PETS IN, IN A SINGLE CAGE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

UH, AS WELL AS WHEN, UH, WHEN PETS START SHOWING SYMPTOMATIC SIGNS OF ANY DISEASE, WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ISOLATE THEM AND TO KEEP THEM, UH, NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE OTHER PETS.

UH, SO YOU ARE AWARE THAT AS A ADDED PRECAUTION, A C S AND OUR LARGE PARTNERS HAVE CONTINUALLY BEEN COMMUNICATING BACK AND FORTH, UH, ON WHAT WE ARE SEEING.

UH, WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH NATIONAL BEST NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BEST PR OR BEST SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

SO FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.

UH, ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE IS WORKING WITH AMER, OR WITH, UH, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, AND THEN SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE IS WORKING WITH AMERICAN PETS ALIVE.

ALL OF US JUST KIND OF KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP A SAFE, UH, A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR PETS.

I'LL TELL YOU, OR, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT DUE TO THESE, UH, THESE POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, AS WELL AS THE PRECAUTIONS WE HAVE MADE, I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE, AND I CONTINUE TO SEE THAT THE, THAT THE A C S SHELTER PET IS STILL AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE SAFER OPTION TO FIND YOUR FOREVER PET.

THAT AGAIN, I, IN OUT OF PRECAUTION, WE ARE ALERTING, WE ARE REMINDING INDIVIDUALS THAT THIS TEMPER IS COMPLETELY, UM, AVOIDABLE, UH, THROUGH SIMPLE ACTIONS THAT THEY CAN DO.

UM, BUT THERE, EVEN WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, THERE'S NO, NO NEED TO FEAR ABOUT, UH, NOT ADOPTING OR COMING AND HELPING US FOSTER OR RESCUE.

SO THAT, THAT LEADS INTO, OR WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL GO INTO THE PRESENTATION, UH, ABOUT THE PROPER OR ABOUT THE CELL OF, UH, CELL OF CELL OF PUPPIES.

SO, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, MANAGING THE PROPER CELL OF ANIMALS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY OF ANIMAL CARES SERVICES AND THE IN THE CITY.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2010, WE MADE CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE TO PRE TO PROHIBIT THE CELL OF PUPPIES ALONG ROADSIDE, UH, THIS ORDINANCE WAS DESIGNED TO KEEP PETS SAFE AND NOT SITTING OUT IN UNPROTECT, IN UNPROTECTED IN THE SUN.

IN 2017, ADDITIONAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE CODE TO ASSIST OUR OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, IN PROVIDE ADDED ENFORCEMENT AND TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE OFFICERS TO IDENTIFY AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THIS INCLUDES, UH, REQUIRING THAT IN ALL ADVERTISEMENTS, UH, FOR THE CELL OF PUPPIES, THERE HAS TO, THEY NOW HAVE TO PLACE A, THEIR PERMIT NUMBER, UH, ON ALL FORMS OF ADVERTISEMENT.

SO THAT GIVES OUR OFFICERS THE ABILITY TO HOLD PEOPLE MORE ACCOUNTABLE.

LAST YEAR, UH, THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE WERE, WE, WERE, WE ABLE TO ADD IN ONE OFFICER INTENDED TO BE ABLE TO INC, UM, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ILLEGAL CELL OF PUPPIES.

UM, WITH THESE, UH, WITH THESE INITIATIVES OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE OR ISSUE OUT OVER 400 CITATIONS FOR BOTH ROADSIDES AS WELL AS VIOLATIONS OF PERMITS, AS WELL AS LAST YEAR ALONE, OR SINCE LAST YEAR, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, INVESTIGATE OVER 400, UH, ILLEGAL PET CELL, UH, CASES, UH, THROUGH THAT ADDITIONAL OFFICER.

AS PART OF THE 2019 BUDGET STRATEGY OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, A C S INDICATED THAT WE WOULD REACH OUT TO NATIONAL ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS AND CONDUCT BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH ON THE TOPICS OF SELLING OF ILL SELLING OF ILLEGAL PUPPY CELLS.

WE REACHED OUT TO THE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BEST FRIENDS, ANIMAL C SOCIETY, AS WELL AS THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, UM, AND RESEARCH THE CELL OF RE CELL REGULATIONS THAT ARE HELD THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

IN JULY, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A SPEAKUP SURVEY,

[01:15:01]

ESSAY, SPEAKUP SURVEY IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WOULD SUPPORT ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS, UH, RELATING TO THE CELL OF PUPPIES OR CELL OF ANIMALS.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS, AGAIN, TO SHOW SHARE WITH YOU THE FINDINGS, UH, OF BOTH OF THOSE EFFORTS.

IN REGARDS TO BEST PRACTICES, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT WE, THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO STATES, CALIFORNIA, MARYLAND, THAT HAVE, UH, CHOSE TO BAN THE ILLEGAL OR BAN THE CELL OF PUPPIES OR OF OF PETS, PARTICULARLY PUPPIES AND CATS OR DOGS AND CATS, AS WELL AS ABOUT 280 CITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

UH, THEY'VE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO BAN THE CELL OF DOGS AND CATS IN PET STORES.

THESE REGULATIONS ARE DESIGNED TO DISCOURAGE THE COMMERCIAL BREEDING OF CATS AND DOGS, AND TO PROMOTE THE ADOPTION OF PETS FROM SHELTERS AND NOT-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

THE REGULATIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN ESTABLISHED BY MANY OF THESE ORGANIZA BY BY MANY, IN ORDER TO DISCOURAGE THE INHUMANE CONDITIONS AND PRACTICES THAT ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH COMMERCIAL BREEDING.

FOR EXAMPLE, U S D A LICENSED BREEDER ARE LEGALLY ABLE TO KEEP DOGS IN CRAMPED STACKED WIRE CAGES ONLY SIX INCHES LARGER THAN THEIR BODY FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.

UH, IN THE QUEST TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS AND MAINTAIN A LOWER OVERHEAD, MANY PUPPY MILL LOCATIONS AND COMMERCIAL PET SHOPS CAN PROVIDE LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR THEIR DOGS.

UH, THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES ALONE HAS PERFORMED MULTIPLE SELF-PRODUCED AUDITS OF VARIOUS PET STORES HERE IN TEXAS AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND HAVE FOUND IN MANY TIMES THAT THOSE PETS ARE BEING HOUSED AND CARED FOR IN SUBSTANDARD UH, CONDITIONS.

IN REVIEWING THE BEST PRACTICES, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE PROHIBITING OF THE CELL OF PETS IN IS LIMITED TO THE CELL OF PUPPY MILLS IN COMMERCIAL PET STORES.

THEY DO NOT, UH, THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED THESE OR THESE CITIES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED THE LAWS, UH, DO NOT LIMIT THE INDIVIDUAL CELLS FROM SELLING PETS FROM THEIR HOME.

SO, AGAIN, IT'S INTENDED FOR THE COMMERCIAL.

HOWEVER, UH, THESE, UH, THESE REGULATIONS ARE, ARE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE, THE CELL OF PETS AT THE HOME AND IN THE BY INDIVIDUALS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE NATION.

THOSE ARE GENERALLY REGULATED THROUGH VARIOUS, UM, PERMITS.

UH, THESE REGULATIONS DO NOT PREVENT THE COMMERCIAL PET STORES FROM PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND ADOPT OUT RESCUE PETS.

UH, FOR EXAMPLE, A FEW YEARS AGO, EVEN SAN ANTONIO, WE, WE WORKED WITH A LOCAL PET STORE TO COMPLETELY TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE CELL OF PUPPY MILL PUPPIES TO THAT OF RESCUED PUPPIES.

AND THEY HAVE BEEN, THEY CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY DO.

UH, IN ADDITION TO DOING THE RESEARCH, WE CONDUCTED THE S A SPEAKUP CAMPAIGN, UH, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SURVEY, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE RESIDENTS FEEL.

THERE ARE FIVE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED, AND THOSE QUESTIONS WERE CONDUCTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

THE SURVEY WAS ALSO ADMINISTERED THROUGH A BROAD RANGE OF, UM, EFFORTS, INCLUDING EMAIL, DISTRIBUTION LISTS, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, CITY COUNCIL E-BLASTS, AS WELL AS IN PERSON, UH, MEETING WITH THEM IN PERSON AT VARIOUS COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

THIS GRAPH, OR THIS, THIS SLIDE, UH, SHOWS THE REPRESENTATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION.

WE WERE ABLE, OVER THE COURSE OF THAT MONTH, WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT ABOUT 3,200 SURVEY RESULTS.

AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UH, OF THE 3002, 200, ABOUT 13 OF 1300 OF THEM WERE FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO EITHER DID NOT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY OR CHOSE NOT TO DISCLOSE WHERE THEY WERE FROM THE FOLLOWING.

UH, SLIDE SHOWS THE SHARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED, OR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO SHARE.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, ASPECTS OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE WHO, UH, PARTICIPATED WITH THE INITIAL SURVEY MAY NOT ENTIRELY REFLECT THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAN ANTONIO POPULATION.

UH, WE WILL, AS I WILL SHARE WITH YOU MY NEXT STEPS, WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, SURVEY THAT WE WILL BE CONDUCTING, AND WE WILL ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAKE, UH, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT WITH THE SECOND SURVEY.

UM, HOWEVER, WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT BY COMPARING THE RESULTS OF EACH OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC, UH, STUDIES OR CATEGORIES, WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY DRASTIC CHANGE, UH, IN THEIR VIEWS IN COMPARED TO THE EVERYBODY WHO WAS, UH, PARTICIPATED.

THE FIRST QUESTION OF THE SURVEY WAS, ARE THERE TOO MANY LOOSE DOGS, UNKNOWN OR UNKNOWN DOGS IN CATS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO? UH, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THAT ALMOST OVER 95% OF THOSE SURVEYS AGREED

[01:20:01]

OR STRONGLY AGREED WITH THAT ASSESSMENT.

THE SECOND, SECOND QUESTION IS ASKING IF BUSINESS BREEDERS AND DOGS AND CATS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF SELLING PETS CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM OF TOO MANY UNKNOWN PETS IN SAN ANTONIO? UH, THROUGH THIS, ABOUT 82% OF THOSE PARTICIPATED, UH, FELT THAT, UH, THAT THEY EITHER AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED WITH THAT QUESTION.

THE THIRD QUESTION IS IF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS FELT THAT IF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS BREEDING TO BREEDING DOGS AND OR CATS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSES OF SELLING PETS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM OF TOO MANY PETS OWNED IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND ABOUT 87% OF THOSE SURVEYED INDICATED THAT THEY EITHER FELT STRONGLY OR AGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT.

THE FOURTH, FOURTH QUESTION WAS THAT IF THE SAN ANTONIO SHOULD CREATE LAWS THAT PROHIBITED THE BUSINESSES FROM SELLING DOGS AND CATS, THAT DID NOT COME FROM AN ANIMAL SHELTER OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT RESCUE, 77% OF THOSE PARTICIPATED EITHER AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT.

FINALLY, THE LAST QUESTION IS, IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SHOULD CREATE LAWS THAT PROHIBIT IN PROHIBIT INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS FROM SELLING DOGS AND CATS, THAT DID NOT COME FROM AN ANIMAL SHELTER AND RESCUE GROUP FROM THAT POPULATION, 77% OF THEM AG, UH, OF THOSE SURVEYED AGREED, OR STRONGLY AGREED WITH THE QUESTION.

AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR, THE FINDINGS OF BOTH THE SURVEY AS WELL AS OUR RESEARCH, WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT ONE, THAT THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT, UH, FOR CITY ACTION ON THIS TOPIC.

UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE TOPIC OF BANNING, UH, ESTABLISHING LAWS THAT BAN THE CELL OF DOGS AND CATS AND PET STORES.

HOWEVER, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES, UH, WE, I ALSO IDENTIFY THAT THE BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE COMMITTEE, EVEN THOUGH THAT THE RESIDENTS MAY INDICATE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CELL THAT THEY WOULD BE, UH, IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, THE BEST PRACTICES INDICATE THAT THE, THE BETTER ROUTE IS TO, UH, UTILIZE THE PERMITS AND UTILIZE THE LAWS THAT WE CURRENTLY EXIST IN SAN ANTONIO TO REGULATE THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.

UM, SO WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEXT STEPS, AS FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AS WELL AS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS GOING FORWARD, BASED UPON THE RESEARCH, IS WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE LEGAL TEAM TO FINALIZE RECOMMENDED LANGUAGE CHANGE TO THE CITY CODE THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THE COMMERCIAL CELL OF CATS AND DOGS IN SAN ANTONIO PET STORES.

NOW, THE, THE, THE LANGUAGE WOULD ALLOW FOR PET STORES TO WORK WITH THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESCUED PETS, AS WELL AS IT DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE SALE OF PUPPIES BY INDIVIDUAL, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AS THE, UH, THE LAWS ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ENFORCE THAT BEHAVIOR.

UM, WE ARE HERE, OR I AM HERE TODAY, TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT INITIAL THOUGHTS FROM THE, FROM THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE.

UM, IN PREPARATION, WE WILL THEN, UH, TAKE THE INFORMATION AND THE LEGAL AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LEGAL AND CONDUCT ANOTHER SURVEY, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THE INTENT IS TO BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, UH, AT A FUTURE POINT, UH, PRIOR TO SEEKING APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL.

THE TIMELINE, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED AND THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS IS IN JANUARY WE WILL LOOK, WE WILL BE DOING THE SECOND ESSAY SPEAKUP CAMPAIGN ON THE SPECIFIC ORDINANCE CHANGE IN HOPES TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO BRING BACK TO YOU IN FEBRUARY OR IN MARCH, THE, UH, THE REVISED RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT IN APRIL WE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING IT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, FOR DETERMINATION, SO, OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HEBER.

I'M GONNA DO A QUICK TIME CHECK.

IT'S THREE 30 AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR.

UM, I DO KNOW THAT WE ALREADY HAVE COUNSEL QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE, SO WE'RE GONNA HEAR THOSE.

UM, BUT LET'S, UH, DO WE, THE ITEM ON SOLID WASTE, DOES THAT NEED ACTION TODAY? I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WAITING SO PATIENTLY IT'S, IT'S FIVE MINUTES, BUT IT'S ONLY ACTION WOULD BE TO TAKE IT TO A SESSION.

SO WE'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES AND THEN, UH, HEAR YOUR ITEM.

UM, ALRIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS KEEPING US ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON OVER AT A C S AND HOW WE ARE TAKING CARE OF OUR FOREVER FRIENDS THAT ARE GOING TO THESE FOREVER HOMES.

AND SO, UM, I COMMEND YOU ON THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT'S AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT

[01:25:01]

THING THAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE DISTEMPER, IF A ANIMAL EXPIRES WITHIN THE HOME, UM, IT'S A C S ASSISTING THEIR FAMILY WITH THE REMOVAL OF, OF THE, THE REMAINS OF THAT, THAT ANIMAL, THAT PET.

SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THOSE THAT WERE RECENTLY ADOPTED BY US, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT JUST GENERAL, UM, THE ONES THAT ARE RECENTLY ADOPTED AND THE ONES THAT MAYBE GET IT WITHIN THE HOME, UM, THAT THEY'RE IN? SO, I, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE OPTIMAL, I MEAN THERE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, PARTICULARLY WITH DISTEMPER, THAT THERE IS AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THE SIGNS ARE, ARE PREVALENT AND IT IS REASONABLE THAT ANY ADOPTER WILL SIT THERE AND SAY, HEY, I SOMETHING'S GOING ON HERE.

AND SO IT'D BE HOPEFUL THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT US AND BRING IT TO US SO THAT DR GOT BETTER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE CLOSER AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HELP, WHETHER IT, WHETHER IT BE THEM RETURNING THE PET TO US OR, UM, FOR US BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME MEDICATION WHILE, WHILE THE PET, UM, RETURNS BACK HOME.

AND IF FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T GIVE THE ANIMAL THE CARE THAT IT NEEDS, AND IT DOES.

SO IF THE ANIMAL DOES PASS AWAY THAT THERE IS THE OPTION THAT THEY CAN CALL 3 1 1 NOTIFY OF INDICATING THAT THEIR DOG HAS PASSED AWAY, AT WHICH POINT SOLID WASTE DOES PROVIDE THE SERVICE.

UM, OKAY.

UM, I JUST, I'M ASKING BECAUSE I'M WONDERING HOW, UM, IF THEY HAVE THE DISTEMPER SO THAT IT IS PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF AND NOT SPREAD THROUGH BY THEM JUST KIND OF DUMPING IT IN THE BACK ALLEY OR THROWING IT IN THE CREEKWAY.

IT DOESN'T SPREAD.

SO, SO DOCTOR, WITH THE, WITH THE DISEASE ITSELF OF DISTEMPER, THE DISTEMPER IS SPREADABLE NOT NECESSARILY BY CONTACT.

IT IS SPREADABLE BY EITHER THE, UH, THE GI TRACT OR THROUGH THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.

UH, THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS THAT THAT DISEASE WILL SPREAD.

IT'S FROM ONE DOG BREATHING ONTO ANOTHER DOG, OR IT IS SPREAD THROUGH, UH, FECAL MATTER OF INTER OF ONE DOG INTERACTING WITH THE FECAL MATTER.

NOT SO MUCH FROM THE, THE OUTSIDE OF, OF THE DOG.

AND IF A FAMILY CANNOT, I MEAN, ONCE THEY TAKE THE ANIMAL HOME AND FOR SOME REASON TRANSPORTATION OR, OR THE TIMEFRAME, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT TO BRING THAT ANIMAL BACK INTO THE SHELTER, UM, IS THERE ANY RESOURCES THAT GO TO THAT PET OWNER TO GIVE THEM OR, OR SUPPLY THEM WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO CARE FOR THE ANIMAL? SO WE DO NOT, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, WE DO NOT DO HOME HOME SERVICES WHERE WE SEND A VETERINARIAN OVER TO THE HOME, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE HELP.

NOW WE DO INVITE EVERYBODY TO WHO ADOPTS A PET, AND THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE AMONG ALL THE RESCUES THAT THEY REALLY DO NEED TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR PERSONAL VETERINARIAN.

AND SO WE ASK EVERYBODY TO GO HOME, TAKE WITHIN A WEEK, TAKE THEIR DOG TO THEIR PERSONAL VET TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME HELP.

SO WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITS, UM, DO WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY PERMITS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR? THE PERMITS FOR, FOR TYPE OF PERMITS? FOR OF ANIMALS? SORRY, OF JUST OF, OF THE CELL.

OF ANIMALS? MM-HMM.

SO AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, ABOUT 15.

AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, WE DON'T GET VERY MANY PERMITS.

UH, AND THOSE ORDINANCES CHANGES THAT WE MADE, UH, IN 2017 WAS NOT INTENDED OR IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO GROW THE PERMITS.

IT WAS, IT WAS DESIGNED TO ALLOW US THE ENFORCEMENT TOOL THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO.

INFORMATION, WE'LL SEND THEM IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THEM AND HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE.

AND THEN I KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE SEE PEOPLE THAT I GUESS TRY TO GO AROUND HAVING THIS PERMIT.

THEY JUST GO TO THE STORE AND STAND THERE AND JUST START HANDING OUT THESE PUPPIES.

WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE THEIR PUPPIES, IF THEY'RE STOLEN PUPPIES OF WHERE THESE ANIMALS TRULY COME FROM.

UM, ARE, ARE THERE ANY INITIATIVES TO KIND OF TACKLE THAT SITUATION SINCE I KNOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ROADSIDE AND, AND PET STORES? YES.

SO AGAIN, LAST YEAR WE WERE AT, WE, UH, POSITION WAS ADDED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

UH, ANYBODY WHO CALLS 3 1 1, UH, IT GOES TO OUR DISPATCH.

AND OUR DISPATCH UNDERSTANDS THAT THAT IS A HIGH PRIORITY AND IT IS SENT TO THE NEAR NEAREST OFFICER TO GO BE ABLE TO CATCH THEM.

WE, WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS, THAT THEY KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN AND THEY ARE VERY QUICK TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER PLACE.

UM, BUT OUR OFFICERS, WHEN WE GET THAT

[01:30:01]

AND THEN AS FAR AS ON THIS, UH, ON THE REPORT THAT YOU GAVE US, WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPIKE AND, UM, LEMME GET TO THE SLIDE, EXCUSE ME.

THE SPIKE THAT HAPPENED IN APRIL OF 2019, DO, DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT WAS IN RELATION TO, UH, THE SPIKE IS FOR THE NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS WE WERE ABLE TO DO? YES.

IT WENT TO, THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN CONNECTION WITH THAT NEW POSITION THAT WAS ADDED.

BY US HAVING, GETTING THAT NEW POSITION, WE WERE ABLE TO FOCUS THAT PERSON ONTO DOING THOSE TYPE THAT TYPE OF WORK.

IS THE NEW POSITION, THE ONE THAT YOU HAD ASKED FOR WITHIN THE BUDGET, IS THAT THE NEW POSITION WAS TAKEN OUT? YES, IT WAS THE POSITION.

IT WAS ONE OF THE POSITIONS THAT WAS ADDED IN THE 2019 BUDGET.

AND AS FAR AS THE, THE PERMITS OR, OR THE SALE PERMITS, ARE THEY FOR BREEDERS OR SPECIFICALLY FOR JUST PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SELL AN ANIMAL? WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONE PERMIT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR ANYBODY WHO IS BREED, WHO IS BREEDING THEIR DOG.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PERMIT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR ANYBODY WHO IS SELLING.

AND SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, HOW WE TRULY TRACK THESE BREEDERS AND HOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE BREEDING, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY BREEDING THE ANIMALS IN? ABSOLUTELY.

SO IF WE GET NOTIFIED OF SOMEBODY WHO IS BREEDING, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL MAY GET A CITATION FOR NOT HAVING THE PROPER PERMITS AND THEREBY HAS TO GO TO COURT TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THAT.

BUT IF WE SEE ANY TYPE OF MISTREATMENT OF THAT ANIMAL OR THE CONDITIONS OF THE ANIMALS ARE INAPPROPRIATE, WE HAVE OTHER, OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER CITATIONS THAT WE WILL ISSUE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE OTHER ISSUES BECOME, UM, ADDRESSED OR ARE ADDRESSED.

AND ARE THE FEES RELATED? ARE THERE ANY FEES RELATED TO THESE VIOLATIONS? AND IF SO, HOW MUCH HAVE WE, UM, GAINED IN, IN REVENUE ACCORDING TO THE FEES OR THE PENALTIES THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED? SO, SO THERE ARE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH OBTAINING THE PERMITS, AND THOSE FEES ARE GENERALLY IS MINOR.

UH, IT IS, UH, SO THOSE FEES TO, TO DO THE RIGHT THING IS ARE SMALL.

THERE ARE CITATIONS THAT HAVE FISCAL PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

FOR THOSE, UH, CRIMINAL CI OR FOR THOSE CIVIL CITATIONS, THAT FEE IS ABOUT $300 PER ISSUE PER PER CITATION.

SO IF YOU HAVE FIVE PUPPIES, THAT CAN BE UP TO FIVE, UH, FIVE CITATIONS.

IF THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO GO BEYOND THE CIVIL CITATION AND GO INTO THE CRIMINAL ROUNDS, THAT THOSE FEES CAN BE UP TO AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT, CAN GO UP TO ABOUT $2,000 PER CI PER CITATION.

AND HOW MANY REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE WE SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO THE VIOLATIONS? SO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, UH, THE ILLEGAL CELL, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH AND THAT THEY ARE ON OUR TOP 10 LIST.

AND SO WE ARE, UH, WATCHING THEM AND MONITORING THEM.

AND ANY CHANCE THAT WE SEE WE WILL FOLLOW THEM.

UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE INTERACTING WITH ARE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, IT'S NOT, THEY ARE NOT DOING IT ON A REGULAR BASIS.

WELL, THANK YOU HUB FOR, UH, SO MUCH INFORMATION.

THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, OUR FOREVER PETS AND THEY'RE FOREVER HOMES, AND WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT THE ANIMAL POPULATION IS TRULY CARED FOR BECAUSE THEY ARE A VITAL SOURCE OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO, THANK YOU.

CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA.

HE'LL JUST LIST MY QUESTIONS AND THEN MAYBE YOU COULD JUST SEND THEM TO ME.

UM, YOU ANSWERED SOME OF THE ONES THROUGH COUNCILMAN, UM, ANDREW SULLIVAN.

CAN YOU HELP ME AT SOME POINT UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT THE PROCESS IS WHEN WE FIND OUT THAT THERE'S ANY TYPE OF OUTBREAK, NOT JUST DISTEMPER, BUT WHEN DO WE INFORM OUR RESCUE GROUPS? HOW DO WE INFORM THEM? WHEN DO WE ALERT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY? UM, SO JUST THE PROCESS.

I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT.

I'M SURE YOU'VE PRESENTED IT BEFORE, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT.

ALSO, CAN YOU TELL ME MAYBE HOW WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL LITERALLY JUST CROSS THE COUNTY LINE AND THEN, SO I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE, BUT IT'S OKAY.

IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'LL JUST ASK ALL MY QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU CAN CIRCLE, CIRCLE BACK LATER.

WHAT THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IS IN THE UNITED STATES? I WOULD SAY SAN ANTONIO .

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANSWERING.

I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN HOW MANY, UM, LITTER PERMITS WE ISSUE, UM, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY ACCIDENTALLY OR DOESN'T KNOW TO CALL 3 1 1 AND CALLS 9 1 1 INSTEAD, LIKE, DO THEY JUST SAY, OH, WE WANNA TAKE CARE OF THAT.

DO THEY SEND THEM OVER TO 3 1 1? UM, BECAUSE I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CONFUSION THERE.

UM, AND THEN ALSO WHAT OTHER, WHAT DO OTHER CITIES DO, UM, WHEN THERE'S OUTBREAKS AS WELL? SO I'M LOOKING FOR, FOR COMPARISON CITIES.

DO YOU KNOW

[01:35:01]

WHAT'S THE SECOND? SO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE ISN'T A REALLY GOOD SURVEY OUT THERE THAT KIND OF IDENTIFIES THAT.

I MEAN, I THINK YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE AND IDENTIFY A DIFFERENT LIST IN DIFFERENT ORDER.

UH, SO I REALLY CAN'T, UH, WELL, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION PERFECTLY BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE AND AS ONE OF THE TOP THREE ISSUES THAT KEEPS COMING UP ON THE ESSAY, SPEAK UP.

I THINK THAT OUR OFFICE OF INNOVATION SHOULD BE ALL OVER THIS, HOW TO ASSIST A C S WITH THIS.

AND I ACTUALLY HAVE THIS ON MY RADAR TO TALK TO ERIC WALSH ABOUT.

UM, SO I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU THE HEADS UP FIRST, AND I'LL BE VISITING WITH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION AS WELL.

BUT WE KEEP KIND OF GETTING STUCK IN, IN THE SAME BOATS THAT I SEE, EVEN AS BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL.

AND I THINK, WELL, MAYBE IT'S INNOVATION CAN HELP US BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE PRESSED, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR TIME.

WE'RE, WE'RE PRESSED ON MANPOWER AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HELP, UM, HELP YOU AS WELL TO LOOK FOR IDEAS.

I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU 'CAUSE I, I MEET WITH AND A LOT OF THOSE FROM THE OTHER CITIES AND, UM, OTHER, THROUGHOUT THIS, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, UH, PARTICULARLY THE TOP LEADERS, THE, ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS INVITED OVER TO A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION WHERE THEY TOOK THE TOP 20, UH, PERFORMING CITIES, UH, IN ORDER TO KIND OF BRAINSTORM WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE SAME DISCUSSIONS GOING ON THAT WE HAVE AND SOME, UM, SOME OF THE PERCEPTION PER INCORRECT PERCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I THINK WHY I THINK WE NEED TO BRING DIVERSITY OF OPINION.

SO IT CAN'T JUST BE ALL A C S PEOPLE TALKING.

WE NEED TO BRING PEOPLE THAT CAN THINK FROM DIFFERENT AREAS.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION SHOULD ALSO LOOK INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT'S IT.

SO JUST SOME FOLLOW UP AND I KNOW WE'RE I'LL TO THE ANSWERS.

YOU SAID THE MAGIC WORD FOLLOW UP.

UM, AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET.

COUNCILMAN ELAS.

SO, UM, I, I'M GONNA FORGET TO MENTION IT IF I DON'T MENTION IT NOW.

THE MAYOR PUT OUT A VIDEO YESTERDAY, UH, OF HIM WITH ONE OF Y'ALL'S DOGS, UM, URGING EVERYBODY TO, YOU KNOW, THAT THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A TIME THAT ONE OUGHT TO CONSIDER, UH, ADOPTING PETS.

IT WAS AN EXCELLENT VIDEO.

UH, AND IT'S, I I URGE ALL OF YOU TO WATCH IT AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, POST IT AND BLAST IT OUT ON YOUR FACEBOOKS AND YOUR WHATEVER PAGES YOU'RE ON MYSPACE OR WHATEVER YOU DO.

COUNCILMAN MINO, UH, HE POINTS AT TREVINO WHEN HE SAYS THAT.

BUT, UM, THE, UH, AND I THINK YOU GUYS DO A GOOD JOB, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH, UH, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE.

AND I KNOW THAT YOUR RESOURCES ARE VERY LIMITED, AND IT'S INTERESTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT ARE THROWN AT YOU, I I, I'M NOT SURE IF, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE, THEY MATCH THE URGENCY, UH, THAT YOU FEEL FROM S A SPEAK UP, RIGHT? UM, I MEAN, IT IS COMPLETELY OUTTA WHACK IF I LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR YOU VERSUS WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

AND YOUR BIG WIN FOR THE YEAR IS ONE MORE POSITION, RIGHT? UH, WE GOT ONE MORE PERSON TO HELP US.

AND I'M SITTING HERE SCRATCHING MY HEAD THINKING, WAIT A SECOND.

WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE, I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S TELLING US, EVERYBODY'S TELLING US THAT THEY WANNA SEE MORE THROWN AT A C S AND I GET IT.

WE'VE GOT INFINITE PROBLEMS, LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT, UM, I DO THINK THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO CALL TO ERIC'S ATTENTION NEXT BUDGET, YOU KNOW, ROUND TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PUBLIC'S ASKING US TO DO THIS, RIGHT? UM, THE SECOND THING IS, I FIND IT REALLY CURIOUS THAT THE TOP FOUR DISTRICTS, UH, WHO RESPOND TO YOUR SURVEY ARE, UH, NORTHSIDE DISTRICTS.

AND I'D VENTURE TO SAY THAT THE, WHERE YOU'RE PROBABLY HAVING THE MOST TROUBLE WITH STRAYS, UM, IS NOT IN THOSE FOUR DISTRICTS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, IT'S A, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN ESSAY SPEAK UP PROBLEM TOO, RIGHT? I MEAN, TO SORT OF, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON, ON THE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS, UM, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WEIGHING IN AREN'T EVEN EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM, UH, THEN MAYBE ESSAY SPEAK UP NEEDS TO FOCUS ON THOSE DISTRICTS IN PARTICULAR WHERE IT'S BEING FELT RIGHT? BECAUSE I'D LIKE, I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR THEIR VOICES AS WELL AS FAR AS SOLUTIONS.

UM, THE OTHER THING I'LL TELL YOU IS THERE'S A DOG I HAD, UM, FOR MANY YEARS.

SHE WAS, WE GOT HER FROM YOU GUYS FROM A C SS, HER NAME WAS, UH, HER NAME WAS CHLOE.

UM, CHLOE DIED AT 13, BUT WE GOT CHLOE IN ABOUT A MONTH INTO IT.

UM, SHE WAS COUGHING AND SNEEZING, HORRIBLE FEVERS, AND SHE HAD DISTEMPER.

AND, UM, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR MULTIPLE VETS HAD TO TELL US, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEED TO PUT YOUR DOG DOWN.

IT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT GONNA END WELL.

AND, UM, SHE LIVED FOR 13 YEARS AND BECAUSE OF ALL THE FEVERS, SHE HAD THESE HORRIBLE PITTED BROWN TEETH, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE WAS A SMOKER.

UH, BUT, UH, SHE LIVED A LONG LIFE AND WE WERE VERY, VERY LUCKY.

UM, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WE WON THE LOTTERY BY GETTING A DOG WHO DIDN'T DIE FROM DISTEMPER.

RIGHT? UH, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S, SHE, SHE HAD IT, IT'S A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE THING.

AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE MONITORING THIS AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT SPREADING.

BUT IT'S, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S YOU AND EVERY OTHER, YOUR COMPADRES WHO WORK IN ANIMAL CARE AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM, RIGHT? CORRECT.

SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UM, THESE INSTANCES THAT WERE, IT'S MORE THAN PREVIOUS TIMES.

LAST YEAR IT WAS HOUSTON, UH, DURING THE SUMMER IT WAS

[01:40:01]

PALM VALLEY, UH, RIGHT.

UH, NOW WE ARE SEEING KIND OF LIKE THE TREND OF GOING BACK TO WHERE IT, WHERE IT PREVIOUS WAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

SO THERE WAS A TIMEFRAME WHERE WE HAD TO BE EXTRA DILIGENT, EVEN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

BUT YES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GOES ON.

NOW, THERE ARE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, THE IDEA OF A DOG THAT HAS DISTEMPER IS ITS ULTIMATE DEATH.

WHILE THE DISEASE IS VERY CONTAGIOUS AND VERY NEEDS TO BE MONITORED THERE, YOU CAN CARE FOR THAT.

YOU CAN TREAT IT.

AND AS IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT A LOT OF THESE DOGS ARE ABLE TO OVERCOME, UH, THAT VIRUS.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL PARENTHETICALLY TELL YOU THAT, UM, THERE ARE DISEASES, HOWEVER THAT ARE COMMUNICABLE.

AND YOU AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME YESTERDAY AND THAT, THAT THAT WOULD, AND YOU, AND I'VE, I'VE ALREADY TEXTED YOU ABOUT IT, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD SUBJECT FOR A FUTURE MEETING, RIGHT? THE, UM, OH, IT'S ON OUR LIST.

LEPROSY AND TUBERCULOSIS ARE STILL A THING, RIGHT? DOC.

AND SO, UH, FIND, AND THEY DO A LOT OF WORK.

YEAH, THEY DO.

THEY DO.

THE DOC THAT DR.

BRIDGE AND HER TEAM DO A LOT IN, YOU KNOW, WITH REGARDS TO LEPROSY AND, UM, AND, AND TUBERCULOSIS.

BUT MOVING ON, THE ONE THING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE IT, IT, IF YOU'VE GOT ONE EXTRA POSITION AND THAT RESULTED IN A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW OPEN CASES AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THE BAD GUYS IN THEIR PLACE AND SAVING DOGS AND ALL THAT, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THAT CROSS DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, RIGHT? MAYBE THE WAY TO GO HERE WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND AN EXTRA DOLLAR, RIGHT? AND YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, AND WE WENT TO THE DISTRICT TWO, UH, FIRE POLICE STATION, UM, UH, KHAW SAID, HEY, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.

GO DO IT.

AND, UH, SO WE WENT AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE WENT AND WE HELPED TRAIN UP SOME SAFE OFFICERS ON WHAT ARE ALL OF YOUR RULES THAT YOUR, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATORS AND YOUR OFFICERS ENFORCE TO TRAIN THEM ON HOW TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR VIOLATIONS, WHAT TO DO IF THEY DO SEE ONE, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW AND ALL THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT EVER PANNED OUT 'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE EVER FOLLOWED UP.

AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF ONE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TO ALL THOSE OFFICERS REALLY STICKS.

BUT IT SEEMS TO ME, DOC, UH, THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE.

IF WE'VE GOT THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, ROVING, UH, THE STREETS, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO SEE A PUPPY CELLAR ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET THAN YOU GUYS ARE CONSIDERING HOW UNDERSTAFFED YOU ARE.

RIGHT? YEAH.

AND DO YOU GET THAT? DO THEY CALL YOU AND SAY, HEY, I SEE A PUPPY SELLER GO GET 'EM.

SO THEY DO, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR DISTRICT OFFICERS, THAT OUR DISTRICT OFFICERS ARE WORKING WITH THE SAFE OFFICERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OKAY? AND SO THEY ARE WORKING, UH, WE DO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND WE CONTINUE TO, UH, WORK WITH THOSE SAFE OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO EXEC TO COLLABORATE.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS GENERALLY, AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR ANIMALS, UH, ARE, UH, SEE IT MORE FREQUENTLY AND ARE REPORTING IT MORE FREQUENTLY.

UM, AND SO, SO WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT THE, OUR CUSTOMERS, THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? UM, AND THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO SOMETHING.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THOSE FOLKS THAT AREN'T THAT PASSIONATE, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB, WHICH IS TO LOOK FOR ALL VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW, WHETHER THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT OR NOT, RIGHT? I, I, I'M THROWING THIS OUT THERE AND CHIEF MCMANUS IS GONNA KILL ME 'CAUSE I'M SAYING IT WHEN HE'S NOT AROUND.

BUT WE DO HAVE A VICE SQUAD, RIGHT? WHO SPENDS A LOT OF TIME AT STRIP CLUBS LOOKING TO SEE IF PEOPLE HAVE PASTIES, , UM, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ENFORCING THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY CARESS ABOUT.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ON, ON SPEAK UP, SOMEBODY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED TO GET CRACKED DOWN ON THAT PASTY ISSUE.

UH, RIGHT.

BUT THEY DO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS DOG ISSUE.

UM, VICE OFFICERS ALSO SPEND THEIR TIME AT CONVENIENCE STORES SOMETIMES CHECKING THE TEMPERATURE OF COFFEE AND REFRIGERATORS AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME OF THIS STUFF.

AND SO IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN, DOC, BY THE WAY.

UM, SO WE, UH, UH, YEAH, WE DID.

AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OF COPS OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO CONSTRUCTIVE.

AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE SAFE OFFICERS COULD USE ADDITIONAL TRAINING.

SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAYBE TAKE THAT ON IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UM, AND TRAIN UP OUR OFFICERS TO BE AS CONVERSANT AS YOUR OFFICERS.

AND NOT JUST COLLABORATE, BUT DEPUTIZE DISTRICT SEVEN DISTRICT, WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN DISTRICT SEVEN.

DISTRICT FORCE AND THE SOUTH SIDE.

KEEP POINTED IT OUT THAT NO, SO YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

SO I MEAN, REALLY AS OPPOSED TO COLLABORATE AND ENCOURAGE DEPUTIZE, RIGHT? AND SAY, LOOK, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR ANOTHER OFFICER, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE GUNS AND BADGES TOO.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW YOU RIDE A TICKET FOR ONE OF THESE THINGS.

PLEASE HELP US.

IS THAT WHAT YOU DO TOO? SO, YEAH, I, SO WE DO COLLABORATE.

UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE COULD BE MORE, UH, I THINK THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE DISTRICTS WHERE YOU HAVE A DISTRICT OFFICER, THAT THAT IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO BE THAT CENTRAL POINT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.

UH, SO WE CAN WORK TO BE, WE CAN WORK

[01:45:01]

WITH THE PD.

I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR OFFICERS, LIKE PARTICULARLY SHANNON AND AMY DO REGULARLY GO INTO THE, UH, THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE TRAINING.

WE ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR, UH, THEIR RETRAINING AT THE ACADEMY THAT THEY DO, WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING THEM INFORMATION ON HOW TO READ A DOG, HOW TO FOLLOW A DOG, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE.

SO THIS ISN'T A SUGGESTION.

AND THEN THIS IS A, THIS IS A HARD CONCRETE REQUEST.

THE NEXT TIME WE GET A PRESENTATION FROM A C S AT OUR BUDGET MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HOW MANY SUCCESSFUL CASES WERE OPENED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HELP OF SS A P D, RIGHT? AND SET OURSELVES A GOAL THAT IF ONE POSITION, YOU KNOW, CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO WORK ON 400 NEW CASES, HOW MANY NEW CASES CAN YOU OPEN AND CLOSE AND DISPOSE OF WITH, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE CONCRETE, YOU KNOW, TARGETS WITH S A P D AS OPPOSED TO JUST A SOFT COLLABORATION AND LET'S CROSS OUR FINGERS AND, AND HOPE IT WORKS.

'CAUSE I THINK YOU'RE PROVING IT WORKS.

SO LET'S, LET'S SET SOME GOALS, RIGHT? SO WITH THAT, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF, RIGHT? UM, THAT WE, IS THAT RIGHT? DO YOU WANT US TO TAKE ACTION TODAY? NO, THIS WAS A INFORMATION.

ALRIGHT, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.

THANKS.

UM, COUNCILMAN BELI, I HAVE TO SAY IT'S A TREAT TO WATCH YOUR, UH, POLICY DIRECTOR SMILE WHEN YOU TALK, BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU'RE READING ALL THOSE SPEAKING POINTS VERBATIM THAT NOAH PREPARED FOR YOU ABOUT THE, THE PASTIES AND THE LOOK LIKE A SMOKER'S TEETH.

YOU'RE MOVING THE CONVERSATION .

UM, OKAY.

UH, SO JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, SORRY, BEFORE, BEFORE WE WRAP UP.

UM, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ELIMINATING THE SALE IN, IN THE CITY.

I WANNA KNOW IF, UH, WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT, UH, OR HAVE YOU EVALUATED A FEE, UH, LIKE A, A HIGH DOLLAR FEE IF YOU BUY, UH, A BREAD PET IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT A COMMERCIAL LOCATION? SO, AND DOES THAT HAVE KIND OF A SIMILAR IMPACT TO? SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU GO TO A PET STORE, THERE'S ALREADY A HIGH FEE FOR THAT PURCHASE OF THE PET.

NOW THERE IS A, THERE'S A LICENSE THAT WE ISSUE FOR THOSE THAT FOR ALL PET STORES, BUT, UM, AND SO WE DO HAVE A FIEF TO CONDUCT THE, TO GET THE, TO GET THE PERMIT FOR THAT.

UM, AND WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE PET STORE OWNERS? SO KEEP IN MIND, PARTICULARLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 45 PET STORES, BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE THREE THAT ARE SELLING PETS.

SELLING CATS AND DOGS.

UM, SO RIGHT NOW, UH, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE FOR THE PET STORE, BUT WHAT IT COULD, BUT IT COULD BE IN ADDITION.

UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE STORES THAT GENERALLY WHERE THE PUPPY MILLS ARE GOING TO.

AND WHAT'S THEIR VOLUME? THE VOLUME, I WOULD SAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PETS ARE GOING THROUGH A, UH, A PET STORE.

I KNOW THAT THE ONE THAT HAS, THAT DID CONVERT INTO THAT THEY PULL ABOUT 200 FROM US A YEAR.

OR HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ALLOWING THEM TO SELL.

BUT VERIFYING WHERE IT COMES FROM SO THAT IT DOESN'T COME FROM A PUPPY MILL, IS, IS THERE SOME KIND OF CERTIFICATION, LIKE THE WAY WE HAVE U S D A ORGANIC NO, NO, THERE'S NO ORGANIC PUPPY MILLS.

NO.

IT'S JUST, OKAY.

NOW WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUIRE A RESCUE PET AND TO REQUIRE THEM TO PROVIDE A, UH, PROOF.

AS FOR THAT IT DID COME FROM A RESCUE ORGANIZATION.

MM-HMM.

UM, AND I, UH, I CONCUR WITH THE COMMENTS FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UH, WHEN YOU DO COME BACK, SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE IN, IN YOUR FIELD, BUT WHEN I WORKED AT ANOTHER REGULATORY AGENCY, UH, WE'D GET A TARGET FOR COMPLIANCE.

SO ONCE WE PASS THIS LAW, I MEAN, WHEN IT'S ONLY THREE STORES, IT'S PRETTY EASY, RIGHT? UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT TO HAVE 66% COMPLIANCE.

AND TO GET THERE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED X AMOUNT OF, UH, LIKE MAN OR WOMAN POWER.

UH, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD, UH, BRING BACK TO US? OR IF YOU, IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MEET THAT COMPLIANCE, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US IN PREPARING FOR THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR AS WELL.

SO, OKAY.

FOR OUR CHAPTER 14, WHICH IS OUR SOLID WASTE CODE THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

UM, MR. MCCAREY, TAKE IT

[5. 19-8970 Briefing on a minor amendment to Chapter 14 City Code- Collection of Solid Waste Material [Roderick J. Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; David W. McCary, Director, Solid Waste Management]]

AWAY.

ARE Y'ALL BUCKLED UP? OKAY.

DID THEY LOAD? SO AS THEY LOAD UP THE POWERPOINT, I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.

'CAUSE WE HAVE PROPOSED CHANGES

[01:50:01]

I'LL GET A CHANCE TO COVER FOR YOU.

OH, LET'S SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

I'LL GET A CHANCE TODAY TO COVER FOR YOU HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.

SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, BUT ALSO THOSE SOLUTIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.

SO WE'LL GET STARTED.

THESE CHANGES, UH, ARE TO CLARIFY UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES INFIELD DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SOLID WASTE SERVICES IS BASICALLY THAT SIMPLE.

NOW, WE WANTED YOU TO HAVE JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND HERE.

UH, WE INTRODUCED AUTOMATED, SORRY, WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE OVER HERE.

OH, OKAY.

, WHEN YOU SAID IT'S THAT SIMPLE, SHE SAID IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

SO THAT'S AWESOME.

SO WHAT WE WANTED YOU TO KNOW IS THE INFORMATION BULLETIN WE HAVE NUMBER 5 76.

IT'S ONE OF YOUR HANDOUTS.

THE GOAL IS TO ALIGN 5 76 WITH THE NEW CITY CODE, WITH THOSE SMALL REVISIONS.

THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IN ADVANCE TO KNOW WHAT OUR STANDARDS ARE FOR OUR SERVICES.

IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

SO WHEN YOU SEE THIS PARTICULAR FEATURE HERE, YOU SEE THE TRADITIONAL THREE, UH, UH, HOMES THERE.

BUT NON-TRADITIONAL WILL HAVE ONLY THE ONE HOUSE THAT FACES THE STREET.

THE STREET'S GOING KIND OF NORTH AND SOUTH, BUT THE OTHER THREE ARE BEHIND IT.

BUT BOTH PROPERTIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SERVICES.

THE BOTH THE NON-TRADITIONAL AND THE TRADITIONAL.

WHAT MAKES IT THE EXCEPTION IS WHEN THEY'LL ADD A FIFTH HOME, BECAUSE WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE NOT SERVICED OVER FOR ANYTHING GREATER THAN FOUR, EVEN WITH MULTIFAMILY, UH, HAS GONE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

BUT IN NON-TRADITIONAL, AS YOU DEAL WITH THE INFILL, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR THAT DEVELOPER TO LOOK AND REVIEW WHAT THE IB SHOWS, AND THEY CAN STILL POSSIBLY QUALIFY FOR OUR SERVICES.

IF THEY CHOOSE TO OPT OUT AND NOT HAVE OUR SERVICES, THEN THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOLID WASTE SERVICES AS YOU SEE THERE.

THE IDEAL IS THAT WE STILL WANT TO GIVE SOLID WASTE SERVICES, BRUSH AND BULKY PICKUP THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE DIAGRAM THERE.

BUT THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE THESE PERMANENT CHANGES.

THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, MICHAEL SHANNON'S HERE, DAVID NEWMAN'S BEEN RUNNING POINT FOR, HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF ALIGNING, UH, THOSE REQUIREMENTS WHERE IT IS EASILY UNDERSTOOD, AND THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

NEWMAN MET WITH THEM EARLIER THIS MORNING TO LET 'EM KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE HERE THIS EVENING.

THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HERE IS FIVE UNITS OR MORE, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING.

SOME OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S CHALLENGING IS BECAUSE OF DESIGN AND SPACE CONSTRAINTS.

UH, YOU HAVE TURNAROUND REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE TO MEET THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODES.

ALSO, STREET LIN WSS, THEY HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A, A LOCAL TYPE A STANDARDS AS WELL AS IF THEY'RE PRIVATE STREETS.

BUT THAT DEVELOPER WILL STILL HAVE THAT OPTION, UH, ONCE YOU'RE GREATER THAN FOUR.

SO FIVE OR MORE.

UH, AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, OUR CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION FOR THESE PERMANENT CHANGES TO CHAPTER 14.

MICHAEL, DID I STAND TO FOUR MINUTES OR FINAL? OKAY.

WE, WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

JUST KIDDING.

WE HAVE A .

WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

UH, MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU MR. MCCAREY.