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AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF JANUARY 15TH, 2020, A NEW DECADE.
COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER SAN DEVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER SS HERE.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:17 PM WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA TODAY.
[1. 20-1110 Briefing on the Pre-K 4 SA Program and key considerations for 2020. [Carlos Contreras, Assistant City Manager; Sarah Baray, CEO, Pre-K 4 SA]]
UH, WE'LL START WITH A BRIEFING ON OUR PRE-K FOR SA PROGRAM AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR 2020.MAYOR COUNCIL, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UH, THIS FIRST MEETING BACK, UH, IN 2020.
UH, WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS ON THIS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON'S AGENDA.
THE FIRST IS A BRIEFING ON PRE-K FOR SA.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, PRE-K FOR SA IS A COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE, UH, AIMED AT CHANGING THE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAJECTORY OF, UH, SAN ANTONIO FOR, UH, THE NEXT GENERATION.
UH, PRE-K FOR SA OFFERS FULL DAY PRE-K, UH, FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS, UH, LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE PROGRAM WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF 2012 FOR AN EIGHT YEAR PERIOD.
UH, AND IT'S CURRENTLY IN ITS SEVENTH YEAR OF OPERATION.
UM, THE CURRENT SALES TAX AUTHORIZATION FOR THIS PROGRAM, UH, ENDS IN THE SPRING OF 2021, UH, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REAUTHORIZED, UH, UH, BY VOTERS IN EITHER MAY OR NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
BRAY, UH, OUR C E O OF, UH, PRE-K FOR SA AND ELAINE MENDOZA, THE CHAIR OF THE PRE-K FOR SA BOARD, WILL PROVIDE TODAY'S BRIEFING, SIR.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, MR. MAYOR COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY AND PRESENT SOME OF THESE, UH, ITEMS TO YOU.
MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE BOARD, MAY I INTRODUCE THEM? THANK YOU.
APPOINTEE FROM DISTRICT ONE IS DR.
MIDDLETON HAS SERVED ON THE BOARD SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2013 FROM DISTRICT TWO.
BRANDON, LOGAN, BRANDON FROM DISTRICT FOUR, RICHARD BETAS, AND RICHARD TOO IS ALSO AN ORIGINAL BOARD MEMBER FROM 2013 FROM DISTRICT SIX, DR.
SHE'S FROM DISTRICT SEVEN F GUZMAN FROM DISTRICT, UM, NINE, DR.
WE ARE SO FORTUNATE THAT THESE CITIZENS, THEY ARE EXPERTS IN EDUCATION, BUSINESS LEADERS.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON PRE-K FOR SA THIS WHOLE TIME.
BREY AND I THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, WILL SHARE WITH YOU THE BACKGROUND, THE RESULTS, AND DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF PRE-K FOR SA, AND OF COURSE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO, PRE-K FOR SA IS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE THAT IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A WORLD-CLASS WORKFORCE IN ONE GENERATION THROUGH HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING.
WE HAVE FOUR PROGRAM COMPONENTS THAT HELP US REALIZE THIS VISION.
AWARD-WINNING EDUCATION CENTERS BEST IN CLASS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO, COMPETITIVE GRANTS AND, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT THAT HELPS FAMILIES TO BE THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHERS OF THEIR CHILDREN.
PRE-K FOUR SS A WAS AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE BETTER JOBS ACT.
THIS STATUTE ALLOWS CITY COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN TYPES OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, INCLUDING EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS. THE STATUTE AUTHORIZES COUNCIL TO CREATE A CORPORATION FOR CURING OUT THE INITIATIVE AND GRANTS COUNSEL THE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE CORPORATION BYLAWS, APPOINT BOARD MEMBERS, AND APPROVE THE CORPORATION ANNUAL BUDGET.
THE BETTER JOBS ACT ALSO ALLOWS COUNSEL TO LEVY A SALES TAX IN SUPPORT OF THE INITIATIVE.
THE SALES TAX UNDER THIS STATUTE MUST BE NOT LESS THAN EIGHT, ONE EIGHTH OF A 1%, AND MUST BE APPROVED BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF VOTERS IN AN ELECTION CALLED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THE 2012 VOTE THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF PRE-K FOUR S A AROSE OUT OF THE WORK OF THE BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE, AND, UH, CHAIRMAN MENDOZA WAS ON THAT TASK FORCE.
THIS TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS A GROUP OF CIVIC AND EDUCATION LEADERS, UM, WAS LED BY GENERAL ROBLES OF U S A A AND CHARLES BUTT OF EIGHT OF H E
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B.THE INITIAL EIGHT YEAR RE REFERENDUM THAT WAS PASSED IN 2012 WILL END IN JUNE OF 2021.
FROM THE BEGINNING, OUR BOARD KNEW WE HAD TO DEMONSTRATE RESULTS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE VOTERS ENTRUSTED US WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND IT WAS TO BE FOCUSED ON FOUR YEAR OLD EDUCATION, BUT WE HAD TO HAVE DATA TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFICACY OF WHAT THE VOTERS AND OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTED.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT SUCCESS, BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF OUR FOUR CENTERS, AND OF COURSE, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.
OUR BOARD STAYED FOCUSED ON DATA AND OUTCOMES SO THAT WE COULD PROVE WORTHY OF THE VOTERS', UM, SUPPORT AND THEIR INVESTMENT.
WE KNEW WE HAD TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO SARAH WILL NOW TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THOSE RESULTS THAT WE HAVE.
THE BEARING POWER TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION TO INVEST IN EARLY LEARNING WAS BASED IN THE WORK OF NOBLE LAUREATE ECONOMISTS, JAMES HECKMAN.
HECKMAN HAS STUDIED EARLY CHILDHOOD FOR DECADES AND HAS CALCULATED THAT COMMUNITIES THAT INVEST IN HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING CAN EXPECT A SEVEN TO 10% RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
THIS COMES IN THE FORM OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, A STRONGER WORKFORCE, LOWER SOCIAL SERVICES COSTS, AND BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES.
WHEN PRE-K FOUR S A WAS PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS, UM, INITIALLY WE PROMISED, UH, TO OPEN FOUR MODEL EDUCATION CENTERS, AWARD COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO SUPPORT OTHER EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS TO INCREASE ACCESS AND QUALITY AND TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF TEACHERS IN PRE-K THROUGH THIRD GRADE.
THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE DONE ALL OF THAT AND MORE.
OUR FOUR AWARD-WINNING CENTERS HAVE BECOME A NATIONAL MODEL AND HAVE SERVED OVER 14,000 CHILDREN.
LAST FALL, WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST REPLICATION SITE AT GARDENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE EDGEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVE THAT THIS APPROACH CAN BE REPLICATED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE AWARDED OVER $21 MILLION IN GRANTS TO 119 SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO THAT HAS RESULTED IN A CHANGED LANDSCAPE OF HIGHER QUALITY EARLY LEARNING ACROSS OUR CITY.
THOSE GRANTS HAVE SERVED AN ADDITIONAL 13,000 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DIVISION HAS PROVIDED OVER 60,000 HOURS OF BEST IN CLASS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO MORE THAN 23,000 TEACHERS AND LEADERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED CREDENTIALING FOR 200 BRAND NEW EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS FOR OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS EACH YEAR.
PRE-K FOUR SA IS EVALUATED BY AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TEAM, AND THAT TEAM HAS SHOWN THAT YEAR OVER YEAR PRE-K CHILDREN ENTER PRE-K FOUR SA BELOW THE NATIONAL NORM, AND THEY LEAVE US WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL NORM IN KEY INDICATORS.
THIS MEANS THAT THEY ARE MORE THAN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN.
OUR FAMILY SURVEYS SHOW THAT FAMILIES SUPPORT OUR PROGRAM, UM, AND GIVE IT HIGH PRAISE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE RESULTS OF THOSE SURVEYS SHOW THAT AFTER GOING THROUGH THE PRE-K FOR SA PROGRAM, FAMILIES ARE MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVE, UM, SUPPORT FOR ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHY HABITS, AND STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.
AND LAST YEAR, UH, U T S A RELEASED THE FIRST LONG-TERM IMPACT STUDY OF PRE-K FOUR SA TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE BENEFITS CONTINUED BEYOND THE PRE-K YEAR.
AND WHAT THAT STUDY SHOWED IS THAT EVEN AFTER CHILDREN LEAVE US AT PRE-K FOUR SA AND GO INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AT THIRD GRADE, THEY HAD BETTER READING SCORES, BETTER MATH SCORES, BETTER ATTENDANCE, AND WERE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO NEED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.
THOSE ARE POWERFUL RESULTS THAT DEMONSTRATE WE'RE HAVING A LASTING IMPACT.
AND IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCIES, WE MAXIMIZE THE INVESTMENT THAT'S BEING MADE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON WITH OTHER PROGRAMS, PRE-K FOR SA PROVIDES AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH QUALITY PROGRAM AT AN EFFICIENT RATE.
BY THE END OF OUR EIGHT YEAR REFERENDUM, WE WILL HAVE BENEFITED OVER 450,000 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO.
THAT IS A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS, BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO.
SO EARLY LEARNING AND CARE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DELIVERED IN A FRAGMENTED, UM, SYSTEM.
MIXED DELIVERY AND SAN ANTONIO IS NO DIFFERENT IN THAT REGARD.
WE HAVE A COMPLICATED SYSTEM OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, LARGE, SMALL FOR-PROFIT,
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NON-PROFIT, HOME-BASED PROVIDERS, UM, ORGANIZATION PROVIDERS.AND THEN IN THE PRE PRE-K 12 SYSTEM, WE HAVE A SIMILAR MIX OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL PROGRAMS. AND WITHIN THAT SYSTEM, PRE-K FOUR S A SERVES AS A HUB TO BRIDGE THOSE SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR YOUNG CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS AND TO HELP BUILD UP THOSE PROGRAMS BY WORKING WITH PROVIDERS ACROSS THOSE TWO SYSTEMS. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING, PEOPLE WILL OFTEN ASK, WELL, WHAT ABOUT HEAD START? DON'T WE HAVE HEAD START? AND ISN'T THAT THE SAME THING? WELL, THE THE TRUTH IS NO, THEY, THEY'RE NOT DUPLICATIVE MODELS.
PRE-K FOR S A AND HEAD START ARE DISTINCT, BUT COMPLIMENTARY PROGRAMS, HEAD START WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IT, WITH EXISTING SCHOOLS AND PR AND NON-PROFIT EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE INTENSIVE SERVICES FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
HEADSTART DOES NOT EXPAND THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-K BECAUSE THE CHILDREN ENROLLED IN HEADSTART CENTERS ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR STATE FUNDED PRE-K IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WHAT HEADSTART DOES IS SUPPLEMENT STATE FUNDING FOR A TARGETED GROUP OF CHILDREN IN ORDER TO LIFT UP THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
PEOPLE ALSO ASK, WELL, WHAT ABOUT HB THREE? IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, OUR LEGISLATORS INVESTED MORE DOLLARS INTO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING.
AND PEOPLE WONDER, WELL, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE NO LONGER NEED PRE-K FOUR SA? PRE-K FOUR SA IS STILL NEEDED BECAUSE HB THREE WAS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT ONLY GETS US PART OF THE WAY THERE.
HB THREE GIVES DISTRICTS ADDITIONAL MONEY TO SUPPORT FULL DAY PRE-K, BUT DOES NOT COVER ALL OF THOSE COSTS.
SECONDLY, DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE SOME OF THE MONEY THEY WERE GIVEN TO SEND TEACHERS TO READING ACADEMIES.
EVERY KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE TEACHER WILL NEED TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE RESEARCH READING ACADEMIES, WHICH WILL COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER TEACHER.
AND HB THREE FUNDING IS ALSO NOT GUARANTEED.
IT WAS NOT PUT INTO THE FORMULA FUNDING, WHICH MEANS THAT IT COULD BE GONE NEXT, UM, BIENNIUM AND THE DISTRICTS WOULD BE BACK TO HALF DAY FUNDING.
BUT PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, PIECE OF INFORMATION ABOUT HB THREE IS IT DOES NOT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC PRE-K.
SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THAT HB THREE WAS GONNA TAKE US TO UNIVERSAL PRE-K.
THE SAME CHILDREN THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-K BEFORE HB THREE ARE STILL ELIGIBLE.
NOW THEY JUST HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO MOVE FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY.
SO AS WE LOOK BACK OVER THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS OF PRE-K FOR SA, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT POLICYMAKERS HAVE HAD ON THE PROGRAM SUCCESS.
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARLY EDUCATION RESEARCH, WHICH SETS THE NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS, LISTS STRONG VISION AND LEADERSHIP FROM POLICYMAKERS AS THE FIRST CONDITION REQUIRED FOR HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS. SAN ANTONIO IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE STRONG VISION AND LEADERSHIP AT THE BOARD LEVEL AND AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL.
THAT INNOVATIVE AND COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP FROM POLICYMAKERS HAS LED TO A PROGRAM THAT HAS TRANSFORMED THE EARLY LEARNING LANDSCAPE IN SAN ANTONIO, PROVIDED MEASURABLE RESULTS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES AND POSITIONS, UK U PRE-K FOR SA UNIQUELY TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRESS GOING FORWARD.
AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN 2020 TO CONTINUE THAT AND DO MORE.
WHO KNEW, WHO KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? JUST THE SESSION BEFORE LAST, THE GOVERNOR GOT MAJOR PUSHBACK FROM TRYING TO INVEST INTO PRE-K EDUCATION AROUND THE STATE.
A SESSION LATER, THEY, THEY INVESTED IN OUR FOUR YEAR OLDS, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE APPLAUD THAT AS I MENTIONED, FIRST STEP.
SO THE BOARD KNEW, AGAIN, NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE RESULTS, DEMONSTRATE EFFICACY, WE ALSO HAD TO DEMONSTRATE THAT INDEED PRE-K FOR SA MET A NEED.
SO WE CHALLENGED STAFF TO DEMONSTRATE OUR VALUE PROPOSITION.
DOES PRE-K FOR SA HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT? SHOW US WE WILL NOT COME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITIZENS UNLESS WE HAVE A TRUE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR THEIR INVESTMENT.
SO UPON THAT CHALLENGE, STAFF TOOK IT UP, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WITH, UM, EVEN WITH THE BENEFIT OF HB, THREE, 40% OF OUR FOUR YEAR OLDS IN SAN ANTONIO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FREE PUBLICLY FUNDED PRE-K PROGRAMS. AND WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES CAN AFFORD HIGH QUALITY PRE-K IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT ABOUT 3000, ABOUT 3000 OF THEM CANNOT.
THE CUTOFF FOR BEING ELIGIBLE FOR FREE PUBLIC PRE-K IS ABOUT $45,000 A YEAR FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.
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MAKE ABOVE THAT, YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FREE PRE-K AND YET YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT.IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE ESTIMATE THAT IT WOULD TAKE A FAMILY OF FOUR MAKING ABOUT $65,000 A YEAR AT LEAST, TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD HIGH QUALITY PRE-K IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND WE HAVE 3000 FAMILIES EVERY YEAR THAT FALL IN THAT GAP BETWEEN THOSE THAT QUALIFY AND THOSE THAT CAN AFFORD IT.
AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS THAT WE BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF PRE-K FOR SA AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THOSE 3000 CHA FAMILIES WHO FALL INTO THAT GAP.
AND THE WAY THAT WE WOULD DO THIS IS BY BUILDING ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE IN OUR CENTERS.
WE CURRENTLY SERVE 2000 CHILDREN IN OUR CENTERS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
ABOUT 1500 OF THOSE SLOTS WILL BE RESERVED FOR THE CHILDREN WHO QUALIFY FOR STATE PRE-K, THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.
BUT 500 OF THOSE WOULD THEN BE AVAILABLE TO THE CHILDREN WHO FALL IN THAT GAP, 500 OF THOSE 3000.
WE WOULD THEN WORK WITH OUR PARTNER PROGRAMS TO CREATE 2,500 ADDITIONAL SEATS FOR THOSE, UM, CHILDREN WHO FALL IN THE GAP.
OUR GARDENDALE MODEL IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH THE EDGEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WE COULD INCENTIVIZE THEM TO MAKE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THESE OTHERWISE INELIGIBLE CHILDREN.
WE KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT SERVE ABOUT 13,000 OF THE ELIGIBLE CHILDREN IN THEIR PROGRAMS AS THEY EXPAND OUT.
AND THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 7,500 FAMILIES WHO CAN PROBABLY AFFORD PRIVATE PRE-K, UM, IN THE, IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND SO IN THIS MODEL, WE COULD GET TO ACCESS FOR ALL 25,000 OF OUR FOUR YEAR OLD CHILDREN.
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE EIGHT YEARS DOWN THE ROAD IS ALREADY HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, PRE-K FOR ESSAY HAS MADE A MEASURABLE, DEMONSTRABLE POSITIVE IMPACT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.
IT'S CREDIT TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, OUR PRE-K FOR SA TEAM, AN INCREDIBLE TEAM.
OUR PARTNER DISTRICTS, OUR GRANT RECIPIENTS, AND OF COURSE THE FAMILIES WHO ENTRUSTED THEIR FOUR YEAR OLDS TO OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE AN ALUMNI BASE THAT CONTINUES TO BE ENGAGED.
FAMILIES CONTINUE TO ENTRUST US.
THEREFORE, THE BOARD RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS YOUR CONSIDERATION TO ONE, PUT PRE-K FOR ESSAY BEFORE THE CITIZENS FOR REAUTHORIZATION.
AND TWO, INCLUDE IT ON THE MAY, 2020 BALLOT.
WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE HAS NOT BEEN REPLICA REPLICATED AROUND THIS STATE HAS NOT BEEN REPLICATED IN THE COUNTRY.
EVERY VISITOR THAT COMES IN ADMIRES WHAT OUR POLICY MAKERS HAVE COMMITTED TO AND WONDERS HOW THEY CAN DO THE SAME.
WE ARE SETTING UP OUR FOUR YEAR OLDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I CAN'T WAIT TO HIRE 'EM IN ABOUT 18 YEARS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS, INCREDIBLE CITIZENS, AND YEAH, INCREDIBLE TAXPAYERS.
SO WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THOSE TWO.
MR. MAYOR, WE'RE READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BERE, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, FIRST WANNA JUST REFLECT A MINUTE AND, AND THANK SOME FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, REALLY TO STAND UP AN INITIATIVE THAT I, I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY, HAS BEEN A, A STORY OF SUCCESS FOR SAN ANTONIO AND BEING PROACTIVE IN A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT POLICY AREA.
MENDOZA HAS BEEN OUR CHAIR SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING, DESERVES A HUGE, UH, DEBT OF GRATITUDE FROM OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, CARLOS IN OUR MANAGER'S OFFICE, ERIC WALSH, BUT ALSO OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER, CHERYL SCULLY, WHO HAS JOINED US TODAY.
ALSO PART OF THE, OF THE EARLY MATTERS ORGANIZATION THAT'S WORKING VERY HARD ON A ZERO THROUGH EIGHT AGENDA FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS, OF WHICH PRE-K FOR SA IS A AS A MODEL.
UM, AND THEN SOMEONE WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOM, BUT I KNOW HAD HIS SLEEVES ROLLED UP THE ENTIRE TIME STANDING UP IN A HERCULEAN MANNER ARE EDUCATION CENTERS.
UH, DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THE WORK, UH, THAT HE DID TO, TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM START.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA REFLECT ON THE VISION THAT BEGAN
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FIRST WITH MAYOR CASTRO AND THE WORK OF THE BRAINPOWER INITIATIVE.AND THIS COMMUNITY WAS, UH, REALLY ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT, NUMBER ONE, WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE IN 10 YEARS, IN 20 YEARS IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO BE A MORE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY, A MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY, A STRONGER, SAFER COMMUNITY, UM, AND WHAT ARE THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO MAKE AS A CITY US TOGETHER AS A PUBLIC THAT WOULD BE MOST IMPACTFUL? AND THE TOP THING ON THEIR LIST WAS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
IF WE WANT TO SPEND $1, WHERE WOULD BE THE MOST IMPACTFUL PLACE? WE COULD PUT THAT DOLLAR AS A PUBLIC? AND THEY SAID EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEGREE OF SKEPTICISM.
IN FACT, MANY OF US UP HERE WERE AMONG THE SKEPTICS.
UM, I REMEMBER I HAD TO BE, I I WAS CAMPAIGNING, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL AT THE TIME, AND THIS BECAME A CAMPAIGN ISSUE.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE DATA, UH, AND CONSIDERED THE CHALLENGES AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE HAD AVAILABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT WAS EASY TO SUPPORT.
UM, SOME OF THAT WAS TAKEN ON FAITH BASED ON THE DATA THAT YOU TALK ABOUT FROM DR.
UM, AND WE WERE REALLY WAITING TO SEE THE LONGITUDINAL DATA COME IN IN TERMS OF, OKAY, WE KNOW THE CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM ARE GONNA BE IMMEDIATELY IMPACTFUL, IMPACTED.
WILL THAT LAST IN THE KINDERGARTEN? WILL THAT LAST IN THE FIRST GRADE? AND THAT BETTER LAST FOR OUR TAXPAYERS IN THE THIRD GRADE.
AND I REMEMBER, I THINK SOMEWHERE, UH, IN 20 15, 16, WE STARTED GETTING THAT DATA BACK AND IT WAS ENCOURAGING.
UH, BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE THEN HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING, REALLY, UH, THE LEVEL OF PROGRESS THAT OUR STUDENTS MAKE WHEN THEY COME IN BELOW THEIR PEERS ON A NATIONAL, NATIONAL AVERAGE, AND WHEN THEY LEAVE, WHEN THEY GO INTO THIRD GRADE, AND HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY VERY SOON WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND GET HIRED BY ELAINE
UM, SO THIS PROGRAM HAS, UH, BEEN THOUGHTFULLY ON SOME FAITH INVESTED IN BY THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENT IN OUR SEARCH ANALYSIS OF DATA, AND WE HAVE KEPT THE PROMISE THAT THIS WOULD IMPACT FAMILIES ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THIS, AND I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DO A LOT OF DATA ANALYSIS OF ALL KINDS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GIVE US A THOUGHTFUL RECOMMENDATION.
UH, BUT WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IN SUPPORTING THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NEXT ITERATION, UH, THE NEXT PERIOD OF TIME FOR PRE-K FOR SA, IS THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO SEE THOSE STUDENTS FROM THE INITIAL COHORT FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, FINISH COLLEGE, AND ULTIMATELY GET A JOB HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'M THRILLED THAT, UH, THIS COUNCIL, PREVIOUS COUNCILS HAVE ALIGNED THAT AGENDA.
THERE'S ONE THING THAT'S TRUE ABOUT SA 2020, AND THAT IS, FOR THE MOST PART, THE BIG PILLARS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'VE KEPT OUR FOCUS ON HOUSING, EDUCATION, UH, TRANSPORTATION SOON, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND WE'VE BEEN MOVING THE NEEDLE.
BUT CERTAINLY THAT STORY IS BEING TOLD, UH, IN THE INITIAL DOWNBEAT CREATED BY MAYOR CASTRO WITH PRE-K FOR SA.
UH, THE IMPACT OF INVESTING IN THIS PROGRAM IS AN ARGUABLE, IT'S A BOON TO SAN ANTONIO'S FAMILIES, THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED, THOSE WHO ARE OBSERVING OUR WORKFORCE, OUR ECONOMY, OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR OVERALL HEALTH.
AND BECAUSE WE'VE NOW COUPLED THAT INVESTMENT WITH ADDITIONAL WORK IN CAFE COLLEGE AND NOW WITH A PROGRAM I'M THRILLED ABOUT ALAMO PROMISE, SAN ANTONIO IS SUPPORTING OUR FAMILIES WHO ARE IN MOST IN NEED BEFORE THEY ENTER THE K K THROUGH 12 SYSTEM AND WHEN THEY EXIT.
AND I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT SAN ANTONIO THREE YEARS AGO WAS NOT A CITY THAT HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL STORY TO BE TOLD IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
BUT WE WERE JUST RECENTLY RECOGNIZED BY CITY HEALTH, WHICH MONITOR MONITORS EVERY CITY ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THEY RECOGNIZED US WITH A GOLD MEDAL, ONE OF A FEW CITIES NATIONWIDE.
AND PART OF THEIR RATIONALE WAS OUR COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
UM, AND WITH THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE SEEING O OBVIOUSLY FROM THIRD GRADE TESTING AND AT AND ATTENDANCE, UH, IT'S CLEAR WE NEED TO SUPPORT, UM, THIS PROGRAM FOR THE LONG TERM AND THAT OUR CITIZENS, UM, INCREASINGLY SEE THE VALUE IN THIS.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A ROBUST, UH, APPROVAL IN MAY.
UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HITTING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO TALK ABOUT SUCCESS.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS DONE UP HERE ON THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
RE AND MS. MENDOZA FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
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APPRECIATE IT.AND, UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT IN TIME.
PERE, UM, GAVE US AN OVERVIEW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PRE-K FORAY AT THE PRE-K ESSAY EAST FOR SA EAST LOCATION.
AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I WAS THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH IT BECAUSE I WORKED WITH PETER Z'S TEAM AND WITH CHERYL, OF COURSE, ON THIS.
SO I HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.
I HELPED HIRE THE FIRST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOME OF THE MASTER TEACHERS.
AND SO I'M THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM.
MY CHILD HELPED CAMPAIGN FOR IT MANY YEARS AGO.
THERE'S A PICTURE SOMEWHERE WITH JULIAN CASTRO AND, AND RAY ZANIA AND RICHARD RES, WHO'S SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, UM, OF, OF MY CHILD ADVOCATING FOR IT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT GROUNDWORK.
AND I WANT TO START OFF BY GIVING THAT COMMENTARY.
UM, BUT I, I WANTED, I HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS AND I THINK THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT I, I'D LIKE TO BRING UPFRONT THAT, UM, I THINK HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT I JUST WANNA REITERATE TO ANYBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND SO, SINCE IT'S SINCE EXEMPT 452,161, CHILDREN HAVE BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM.
THAT'S MANY RESIDENTS IN D FOUR.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN, YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT, AND YOU'VE PRESENTED THAT TO US INDIVIDUALLY.
SO I DON'T HAVE TO REMIND MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE NUMBERS.
UM, BUT THIS WAS AN INITIAL INVESTMENT IN OUR CITY'S EDUCATION.
I THINK THAT IT'S PROVED TO BE.
UM, NOW, UH, WE'RE COMING TO THE, UM, THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO REINVEST.
AND MORE THAN $17 MILLION HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UM, INVESTED IN, IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
BUT ALL THE WHILE PRE-K FOR ESSAYS, COST PER HOUR STILL REMAIN AMONGST THE LOWEST.
SO I WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR THAT AND COMMEND THE COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS WHO CAME BEFORE ME FOR BEING, UH, STEWARDS OF OUR, OUR MONEY.
AS STATED BEFORE BY YOU AT THAT PRESENTATION ON OCTOBER THE 16TH, WE ALSO PRE-K FOUR ESSAY, MET ALL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EARLY EDUCATION, RESEARCHES 15 STANDARDS THAT ARE USED TO EVALUATE PRESCHOOLS.
AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF PARENTS.
AND SO SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR THAT.
NO OTHER EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM MEETS THE SAME QUALITY STANDABLE STANDARDS AT SUCH AN AFFORDABLE RATE.
SO I WANNA KEEP BACK TO THE AFFORDABILITY FACTOR.
UM, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
AND YES, EVEN WITH THE PASSAGE OF HB THREE BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR IN 2019, THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL FULL DAY PRE-K SEATS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS DOES NOT EQUATE TO MORE OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES.
UM, 40% OF SAN ANTONIO'S FOUR YEAR OLDS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS FREE PUBLIC KINDERGARTEN.
MANY OF THEM LIVE IN MY DISTRICT.
MANY OF THEM LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.
REAUTHORIZING PRE-K FOR SA WOULD ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE INVESTING IN OUR YOUNG RESIDENTS AND PREPARE THEM WITH MORE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO SET THEM UP FOR A GREATER CHANCE OF SUCCESS, THUS CREATING A PREPARED WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I THINK THAT'S SMART OF YOU, MS. MENDOZA, TO BE, UH, RECRUITING KIDS ALREADY.
UH, WITH THE RE REAUTHORIZATION, THE PROGRAM CAN GROW IN ADDITIONAL 3000 SEATS FOR CHILDREN FROM MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES WHO PREVIOUSLY DID NOT MEET THAT INCOME ELIGIBILITY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT BECAUSE NOW FAMILIES WITH INCOMES OF UP TO $65,000 WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
WE ALSO NEED TO HONOR OUR COMMITMENT TO THE 2000, UM, FOUR YEAR OLDS WHO IS EARLY EDUCATION BEGINS AT ONE OF THESE CENTERS.
AND I GOT TO VISIT WITH SOME OF THE FAMILIES AT THE PICNIC.
AND THE FAMILIES WERE THRILLED.
SOME OF THE TEACHERS THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM JUST REALLY LOVE IT, AND THE STUDENTS ARE SO HAPPY.
PRE-K INCORPORATES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PREPARING CHILDREN BEYOND JUST THAT ACADEMIC READINESS COMPONENT.
AND IN FACT, I WOULD INVITE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND TAKE A TOUR BEFORE WE HAVE, UM, A, A VOTE HERE.
AND, UM, I REALLY THINK THAT PERHAPS AN OPEN HOUSE IS IN ORDER FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND SEE, BECAUSE EVEN WHAT I SAW FROM THE TOUR, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WERE HAPPENING, AND I HELPED WITH THE PROGRAM ORIGINALLY.
SO I, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE PROGRAM'S KEYNOTE, UH, ACHIEVEMENTS.
AND, UH, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTS AND FAMILIES IS A MAJOR INDIRECT BENEFIT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THE REALITY IS THAT OUR PARENTS NEED IT.
OUR PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO, UM, SEEK HELP, AND WE ARE THERE TO HELP THEM.
SO THANK YOU ALSO TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR BEING SO DILIGENT IN THIS.
UM, YOU ALL CITED SOME INFORMATION FROM PROFESSOR HECKMAN ALREADY.
UM, AND HIS GROUNDBREAKING WORK SHOWS HOW QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT INFLUENCES HEALTH, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES FOR, UM, NOT ONLY THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT FOR SOCIETY AT LARGE.
AND HIS RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES HOW DEVELOPING EARLY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND NOT JUST COGNITIVE SKILLS IS CRITICAL FOR CREATING THAT PRODUCTIVE ADULTS THAT WE NEED.
[00:30:01]
TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE AND PREPARE FOR THEM TO COMPETE IN OUR EVER-CHANGING GLOBAL ECONOMY, THEN THE GROUNDWORK WE HAVE STARTED MUST CONTINUE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAM'S.R O I I AM SPEAKING TO COUNCILMAN PERRY, LOOK NO FURTHER TO PROFESSOR HECKMAN'S WORK.
AND YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR CITY HAS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE RIGHT NOW WITH PRE-K FORAY OVER OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE NOT MADE THIS INVESTMENT LONG-TERM INVESTMENT.
SO, UM, PRE-K FORAY, OF COURSE, IF WE'RE PUTTING ON NOW MY PHD IN ADVERTISING CAP AS FAR AS TIMING, IDEALLY IT WOULD BE BEST TO PLACE THIS ON THE MAY BALLOT.
AND I AM AGREEMENT WITH THAT BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS HAVE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE IF WE WAIT TILL NOVEMBER, WE WOULD BE COMPETING WITH THE ATTENTION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTIONS.
AND PRE-K COULD, UH, EASILY FADE INTO THE BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF LAUNCHING THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN LATER IN THE YEAR, THE COST WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER.
SO YES, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, I'M LOOKING AT COST.
UM, BOTH FORBES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL HAVE REPORTED ON POLITICAL AD SPENDING PROJECTED TO SET ANOTHER RECORD POTENTIALLY REACHING $10 BILLION THIS YEAR.
THIS MEANS THE COST OF DIGITAL ADVERTISING AND AIRTIME IN OUR LOCAL STATIONS WILL MEET MUCH HIGHER IF WE PLACE THIS FOR A VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
SO THAT COULD DOUBLE TRIPLE OUR COSTS.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FACTOR TO CONSIDER.
POLITICAL ALSO PARTNERED WITH ADVERTISING ANALYTICS AND CROSS GREEN MEDIA TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE 2020 POLITICAL SPENDING PROJECTIONS.
AND IN THIS REPORT, THE $10 BILLION PROJECTED FOR POLITICAL SPENDING FOR MORE THAN 2000 ELECTIONS.
AND THIS INCLUDES 8 MILLION AD EARRINGS BASED ON THE COLLECTED DATA.
THIS WOULD SIGNIFY A PROJECTED 57% GROWTH IN POLITICAL SPENDING IN JUST THE PAST TWO YEARS.
SO THIS RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS A FIGURE INDICATING THAT AN INCREASING PATTERN OF AD AIRINGS THAT BEGIN TO STEADILY BUILD IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, AND THEN THEY REACH A PEAK IN OCTOBER DURING THESE PRESIDENTIAL CYCLES.
THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE IN AD RATINGS DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, RIGHT BEFORE THE PRIMARY.
SO ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL ACCOUNT FOR THE MAJORITY OF POLITICAL SPENDING NATIONWIDE, TEXAS IS A BATTLEGROUND FOR HOU FOR THE HOUSE.
AND THERE WILL BE AT LEAST SEVEN RACES EACH PROJECTED TO SEE MORE THAN $10 MILLION IN SPENDING.
WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL THE POTENTIAL INCREASE IN COST IN AD SPENDING.
AND IF WE WAIT TO PLACE THIS REAUTHORIZATION FOR A VOTE IN NOVEMBER, WE WOULD FACE THOSE, UM, HIGHER COSTS.
SO I'D ADVISED AGAINST, UM, NOVEMBER AND, AND REALLY PUSHING FOR THE MAY, AND I WANTED TO TALK TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ABOUT THAT.
SO LET'S SHOW OUR LOVE FOR OUR KIDS BY FEBRUARY THE 14TH BY AUTHORIZING THIS MAY ELECTION.
THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAVEO.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE A PRE-K CENTER IN THE EDGEWOOD AREA OF DISTRICT SIX.
IT'S BEEN A, A GREAT, UH, BOOST TO THE AREA AND OF COURSE TO OUR, TO OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
BRAY, YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, THE IMPACT THAT HB THREE HAS ON, UM, PRE-K IN IN SAN ANTONIO.
CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE MISCONCEPTIONS, UH, THAT, THAT SURROUND THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
SO, UM, WHEN HB THREE WAS PASSED, OF COURSE, THE BIG NEWS OUT OF THAT WAS THAT WE WERE FUNDING FULL DAY PRE-K, AND WE DID TAKE A STEP TOWARD THAT.
HOWEVER, IT WASN'T FUNDED FULLY.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THE FUNDING WAS NOT PUT INTO THE FORMULA FUNDING IN THE WAY THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE TYPICALLY GIVEN THEIR BUDGETS.
UM, IN K THROUGH 12, THERE'S A FORMULA AND DISTRICTS KNOW THEY'RE GONNA GET A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DOLLARS FOR EVERY K THROUGH 12 STUDENT.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH PRE-K.
SO EVEN AFTER HB THREE, HALF DAY PRE-K IS WHAT IS FUNDED, UM, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL EARLY LEARNING ALLOTMENT THAT IS GIVEN TO DISTRICTS TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO, UM, RAMP UP TO FULL DAY PRE-K WITHIN SIX YEARS.
SO THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO IT RIGHT AWAY.
THEY ARE, UM, REQUIRED TO MOVE TOWARD THAT WITHIN SIX YEARS.
OUR DISTRICTS, OF COURSE, ARE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT EVEN THAT EARLY LEARNING ALLOTMENT DOESN'T FULLY FUND THE OTHER HALF OF THE PRE-K DAY.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, UM, THAT SAME EARLY LEARNING ALLOTMENT IS ALSO GOING TO BE NEEDED TO PAY FOR THESE EARLY, UM, READING ACADEMIES THAT EVERY K THROUGH THREE TEACHER'S REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH.
SO WHAT I HEAR FROM OUR DISTRICT COLLEAGUES IS THAT WHILE, UM, HB THREE WAS A GOOD STEP FORWARD, IT REALLY IS NOT COVERING THE FULL COSTS OF, UH, FULL DAY PRE-K, LET ALONE ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
AND ALSO THERE IS A FEAR THAT IN THE NEXT BIENNIUM, THERE WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT.
AND THEN DISTRICTS WOULD BE BACK TO THE SAME LEVEL OF FUNDING THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY.
HOW DOES IT HB THREE IMPACT STUDENT
[00:35:01]
ELIGIBILITY SPECIFICALLY? SO IT, IT DOESN'T CREATE ANY MORE ELIGIBLE CHILDREN.SO THE SAME CATEGORIES OF CHILDREN WHO WERE ELIGIBLE BEFORE HB THREE, WHICH IS PRIMARILY BASED ON INCOME, 185% OF POVERTY OR, UM, GREATER, OR, UM, IF THEY'RE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, IF THEY'RE HOMELESS, IF THEY'RE SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND A FEW OTHER CATEGORIES, THOSE CHILDREN WERE ELIGIBLE BEFORE HB THREE, THEY'RE STILL ELIGIBLE.
UM, AFTER HB THREE, IT DIDN'T CHANGE THE NUMBER.
IT ONLY CHANGED GOING FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY.
40% OF OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FREE PUBLIC PRE-K IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND FINALLY, YOU NOTED THAT THERE'S THAT, THAT GAP OF 3000 FAMILIES THAT ARE MORE MIDDLE CLASS, UH, NOT QUITE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE PRE-K, BUT UH, CAN'T AFFORD, UM, PRE-K OUT OF THEIR POCKETS.
IS THAT HOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA, WELL, IS THE ONE EIGHTH CENT GONNA BE ABLE TO FUND THAT? ARE WE LOOKING FOR MORE FUNDING FOR THAT? THAT'S PART OF THE, SO THAT'S PART OF THE NEW MODEL.
SO IN, IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT DISTRICTS ARE EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF FULL DAY SEATS THEY HAVE FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN, THAT FREES UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SEATS FOR CHILDREN IN THAT GAP RANGE.
FAMILIES SAYING, I REALLY, I WANT TO SEND MY CHILD TO PRE-K, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT.
I JUST, I DON'T QUALIFY AND I CAN'T FIND A PLACE WHERE I CAN AFFORD TO SEND MY CHILD THAT I FEEL LIKE IS QUALITY.
PRE-K FOR SA HAS ALWAYS SERVED A SMALL NUMBER OF THOSE FAMILIES.
WE'VE ALWAYS SERVED FROM 200 TO 300 THOSE FAMILIES ON OUR SLIDING SCALE TUITION.
BUT NOW WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS AND PARTNERS ACROSS THE CITY, WE WILL CREATE, UM, HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS THAT CAN ALSO SERVE, UM, THOSE CHILDREN WHO FALL IN THE GAP.
SO WE'LL CREATE 2,500 NEW SEATS FOR FAMILIES THAT CANNOT AFFORD, UH, HIGH QUALITY PRE-K IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND DON'T QUALIFY BASED ON STATE CRITERIA.
BRI, AND THANK YOU NEWLY COMMISSIONED DR.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HARVARD COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
I DO, I ALWAYS, I ALWAYS CALL HER, UH, DR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR C IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE ARE SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU ON OUR BOARD, OUR PK FOR ESSAY BOARD AND LEADING THE WAY YOU ARE.
AND OF COURSE, UH, THANK YOU TO, UH, FORMER MAYOR CASTRO AND TO, UH, THE UNDAUNTED, CHERYL SCULLY, WHO MOVED FORWARD WITH THIS AND MADE IT WORK.
AND OF COURSE, PETER, WHO WAS A VALIANT IN ALL OF THIS AS WELL, MOVING IT FORWARD.
UH, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS IS, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS TELL ME WHY.
MAY, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER DID A GREAT JOB OF TELLING US WHY MAY, BUT UNLESS SHE GAVE YOU THE PRESENTATION, UM, AT YOUR BOARD MEETING, TELL ME THE OTHER, UM, FACTORS THAT WERE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT.
I KNOW THE, UM, THE NOISE AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER, IT'S GOING TO BE A TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IN NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT IF YOU COULD SHARE, RIGHT, OUR, OUR BOARD DELIBERATED THIS AND DISCUSSED THIS.
WHAT, UH, FACTORS WE LOOKED AT, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN HAS ALREADY LAID OUT, WAS THE FACT THAT THE MAY ELECTION IS TYPI IS SHAPING UP TO BE AN EDUCATION ELECTION.
WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UH, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS RUNNING.
WE HAVE ALIMO ALAMO COLLEGES DISTRICT TRUSTEES RUNNING, AND IT'S JUST A GREAT EDUCATION SPHERE.
UH, IT'S AN IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE WHO FOLLOW EDUCATIONAL, UM, ITEMS AND ISSUES CERTAINLY WILL GRAVITATE TOWARDS THAT FIRST, AND THEN THE REST WILL WILL FOLLOW.
UM, SECONDLY, WE REALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DR.
BERE, UH, BROUGHT UP AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE HER TENDING TO HER TEAM, AND THAT IS, IF WE WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER, UH, A LOT OF OUR GREAT EDUCATORS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CENTERS START QUESTIONING, YOU KNOW, IT'S A ROLL OF THE DICE.
THIS IS A NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTING, UH, NEW SEMESTER STARTS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020.
UM, AND SO THEY WANT SOME ASSURANCE THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE AROUND.
SO DOING IT IN MAY, THEY'LL KNOW THE RESULTS.
THEY'LL KNOW HOPEFULLY THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM, WE'RE REAUTHORIZED AND WE'LL GO BEYOND 2021.
WE HAVE INCREDIBLE EDUCATORS WITHIN OUR CENTERS.
WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT GREAT TEAM OUT THERE.
BERE BRINGING THAT FO UH, FORWARD TO OUR BOARD, UM, THAT THAT IS,
[00:40:01]
THAT IS CRITICAL.UM, YES, THE LENGTH, NOT ONLY THE NOISE OF THE BALLOT, THE LENGTH OF THE BALLOT, UM, WE FEEL LIKE WE'D BE WAY DOWN THERE.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A SUCH THING AS BALLOT FATIGUE, I THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA BE ASSURED THAT WE'RE GIVEN THE HIGHLIGHT AND THE, THE PROMINENCE, IF YOU WILL, OF THE SIGNIFICANT EFFORT ON A SHORTER BALLOT.
UM, ANOTHER, SO ON THE BALLOT, YOU SAID IT'S AN EDUCATION AND IT'S, UH, ALAMO COLLEGES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICTS IT'S YES, MA'AM.
ANY I S D, IT'S ONLY ANY I S D.
IT'S ONLY ANY I S D AND THEN ALAMO COLLEGES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT DISTRICTS? THERE'S THREE OF THEM, I BELIEVE.
I DON'T KNOW THE, THE EXACT DISTRICTS ARE APOLOGIZE.
SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST HO AND I UNDERSTAND YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UM, IT'S AN EDUCATION AND THE EDUCATION, UH, COMMUNITY WILL COME OUT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM ALL PARTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, COMING OUT AND GOING AND VOTING YES, MA'AM.
UM, YES, NOT JUST THE N I S D AREA.
WELL, THE ANYBODY INVOLVED IN, IN, IN EDUCATIONAL ISSUES, WE HOPE WILL CREATE THE GROUNDSWELL, UH, FOR OTHER VOTERS TO GO OUT AND, AND, UH, MAKE THIS A, A POSITIVE TURNOUT VOTE.
BERE, YOU WERE MENTIONING, AND IF YOU, UH, WE WERE MENTIONING THAT THE ONE EIGHTH SALES TAX, IT, IT CAN BE MORE SALES TAX, UM, BUT IT CAN'T BE LESS THAN ONE EIGHTH.
THAT IS A BETTER JOBS ACT AS IT CAN BE ONE EIGHTH, ONE QUARTER, OR ONE HALF.
AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, IN SAN ANTONIO AND, UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS EVEN BEFORE, UH, WHEN IT WAS FIRST BEING, UH, DEBATED IN 2012, UM, IS EDUCATION A A PURVIEW THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT A CITY, A MUNICIPALITY SHOULD BE, UM, WORKING IN? SHOULD WE HAVE THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION? AND I THINK WE WERE AT A POINT, EVEN AT THAT TIME, THAT THIS IS A, UH, SKILLED WORKFORCE AND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUE AS WELL, AND CHARTING OUR FUTURE ECONOMICALLY AND PREPARING OUR RESIDENTS, UM, FOR THE FUTURE, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE, AND ALL OF US HAVE THOSE THAT ARE PREPARED, AND NOT JUST THAT TO WORK, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE PREPARED OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL AS THEY'RE GOING INTO, UM, COLLEGE, AS THEY'RE GOING INTO THE UNIVERSITIES, THAT THEY ARE THOROUGHLY PREPARED.
AND IT STARTS THEN, AND WHAT I ALSO APPRECIATE IS THAT IT STARTS WITH PREPARING PARENTS TO STAY ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THEIR CHILD'S, UH, SCHOOL, UH, CAREER.
AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT AND PROMOTE TO HAVE THAT PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
AND IT ALSO CREATES A GREAT, UM, FOLLOWING OF POTENTIAL REGISTERED VOTERS THAT CAN ALSO BELIEVE IN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PRE-K AND, AND SEEING THAT SONG.
ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW THAT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING WITH PRE-K AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD, IT'S HELPING TRAIN THOSE, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND THOSE THAT ARE PRIVATE, THOSE THAT ARE, ARE PRIVATELY OWNED, AND THOSE THAT ARE MOM AND POP DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.
BECAUSE WE KNOW ZERO TO THREE IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON AS A CITY IN GENERAL AND ZERO TO THREE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE ALREADY PRIORITIZED ACES ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, AND WHAT CAN WE, WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND WHAT WE ARE DOING ZERO TO THREE, AND HOW CAN WE INFORM THAT ZERO TO THREE DEVELOPMENT EVEN MORE THROUGH PRE-K.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD USE THESE PRE-K DOLLARS FOR EVEN MORE TO BUILD THAT UP? I SEE FILLING THAT GAP AND EXPANDING IT MORE, BUT EVEN FOR MORE ZERO TO THREE TRAINING.
SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY EXPANDED INTO THROUGH BOTH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND OUR GRANTS.
OUR GRANTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE MM-HMM.
AND RECENTLY WE'VE BEGUN AN INITIATIVE CALLED SHARED SERVICES, WHICH IS, UM, AN INITIATIVE TO HELP SMALLER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS BECOME PROFITABLE BUSINESS MODELS SO THEY CAN BE SUSTAINED WITH HIGH QUALITY.
UM, THE 89% OF THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE NOT IN THE QUALITY RATING SYSTEM, MEANING THAT THEY HAVEN'T YET BEEN, UM, EVALUATED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY'RE MEETING THOSE QUALITY STANDARDS FOR OUR YOUNG CHILDREN.
BUT PART OF WHAT GETS IN THE WAY OF THAT IS THAT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE QUALITY IN A SMALL CENTER.
THERE'S ESTIMATES THAT SAY THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CENTER THAT MEETS ALL QUALITY STANDARDS, YOU NEED BETWEEN
[00:45:01]
90 AND A HUNDRED CHILDREN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT PROFITABLE, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE TAKING CHILDREN WHO ARE ON SUBSIDIZED CARE.SO, UM, MOST OF OUR CENTERS, THOUGH, ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN THAT, 30 TO 60 CHILDREN.
SO THE IDEA OF THE SHARED SERVICES MODEL IS TO BRING A GROUP OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS TOGETHER WITH THE SUPPORT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT UNITED WAY TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE CREATE EFFICIENCIES SO THAT THOSE CENTERS CAN HAVE, UM, BE MORE PROFITABLE AND THEN INVEST THOSE PROFITS INTO QUALITY, INCLUDING RAISING THE, UH, PAY FOR THEIR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER TEACHERS.
PRE-K FIRST A IS ACTIVELY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THAT.
IT'S GOING ON, IT JUST PROBABLY FINISHED UP RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE 17 CENTERS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THAT, AND WE ARE PROVIDING TRAINING FOR THEIR TEACHERS.
WE'RE HELPING THEM TO GET AUTOMATED TO HAVE A, A SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT DOES THEIR BOOKKEEPING, THEIR ENROLLMENT, ALL OF THAT, WHICH FREES UP THE TIME FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
IT'S A, IT'S A SPACE THAT WE'RE ALREADY IN AND SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO AND WE SEE INCREASINGLY AS PART OF OUR WORK, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS ABOUT CHILDREN BIRTH THROUGH AGE EIGHT.
AND, UM, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ALSO GIVE YOU, UH, AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES ARE COMING IN LOOKING AT THIS.
THIS IS THE MODEL THAT NOW, UM, OTHER STATES, ET CETERA, ARE LOOKING AT.
I KNOW WHEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES WAS HERE, THEY HAD A WHOLE COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE SUMMIT TO COME AND LEARN FROM YOU ALL THE STANDARDS AND THE PRACTICE THAT WE'RE DOING WITH PRE-K FOR SA HERE.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS GREAT NEWS, AND I'M GLAD WE ARE THE, THE STANDARD THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A THOROUGH DISCUSSION YET, WE HAVEN'T HAD A DISCUSSION AT ALL ABOUT THIS YET, IS, UH, WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ MOVED FORWARD WITH THE, UM, THE STATUS OF POVERTY REPORT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND KNOWING THAT IN, UM, OUR EDUCATION ATTAINMENT, NO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IN SAN ANTONIO IS 18% AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE OR EQUIVALENT IS 26.2%.
THAT'S THE EDUCATION OF ATTAINMENT.
SOME COLLEGE BA BACHELOR'S IN SAN ANTONIO IS 30.1%, AND THE AVERAGE OF TEXAS IS FOR NO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IS 17%.
AND SAN ANTONIO HAS 18% OF NO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
SO I SAY THOSE STATS TO SAY HOW PRE-K IS GOING TO IMPACT PRE-K FOR ESSAY WILL IMPACT THOSE.
SO WE GET A, A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF JUST 18% THAT WE SEE THAT NUMBER GOING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE PARENTS, BECAUSE OF THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT PRE-K FOR ESSAY CAN EVEN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THESE NUMBERS THAT WE ARE, WE'RE SEEING THESE PERCENTAGES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE AN OVERALL IMPACT WITH OUR POVERTY.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER POINT ABOUT INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, POVERTY, BUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OUR SCALED WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, ANDY, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, TELL ME, FOR THE, FOR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, WHEN WOULD SOMETHING HAVE TO COME TO COUNSEL TO GET APPROVED IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ONTO THE NOVEMBER BALLOT? WHAT IS THE DATE FOR THAT? SOMETIME IN AUGUST.
WE'LL GET YOU THE EXACT DATE BEFORE THE END OF THE SESSION, COUNCILWOMAN, BUT IT'LL BE IN AUGUST DAY.
WE'LL DO THE, WE'LL DO THE MATTHEW IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN THE, FOR MAY, IT IS FEBRUARY 14TH, CORRECT? FEBRUARY 14TH.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR THE MAY BALLOT.
AND WHEN IS, UH, FEBRUARY 13TH? IS CITY COUNCIL IS A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, CORRECT? THAT'S A THURSDAY, CORRECT? YES.
COUNCILMAN, THERE'S A CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 13TH.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE NOW.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, DR.
I DID STAY AT A HOLIDAY INN LAST NIGHT,
YOU'LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME AFTER, SORRY.
BERE, BUT NO, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT SEVEN APPOINTEE, MS. FRANCIS GUZMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC, UH, AND CONTINUING SERVICE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, OR I THINK, UH, A LOT OF THANKS GOES TO, UH, MAYOR CASTRO AND THE TEAM THAT HE HAD, UH, AT, AT THAT TIME, INCLUDING OUR CITY, OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER, CHERYL SCULLY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT AND YOUR CONTINUING, UH, WORK ON THAT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UH, I SPOKE WITH, UH, WITH CHERYL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND, UH, I TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE ABOUT THIS.
[00:50:01]
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY PROUD OF SAN ANTONIO FOR TAKING ON THIS, THIS ISSUE.UH, A FEW YEARS AGO I HAD THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A CLASS CALLED SOCIETY AND, AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND ONE OF THE, UM, IT IDENTIFIED WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO GOOD HEALTH IN, IN YOUR LIFE.
AND EDUCATION WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE.
AND THE, THE EARLIER THE EDUCATION INTERVENTION HAPPENED, THE BIGGER THE IMPACT, UH, IT HAD.
AND THE GENTLEMAN GIVING THE LECTURE SAID, OH, BUT IN THE US, YOU KNOW, CITIES DON'T PROVIDE THAT, OR, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS DON'T PROVIDE THAT.
AND I SAID, I BE TO DIFFER IN, IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS, IT'S A PUBLICLY FUNDED PROGRAM.
AND HE WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, ALWAYS BEEN VERY PROUD OF IT.
UM, AND IN FACT, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD AND THE MAYOR ASSIGNED ME TO LEAD THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, I'D PUT A PLACEHOLDER IN MY TWO YEAR AGENDA FOR THAT, SPECIFICALLY TO HEAR THIS ITEM IN TIME FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE, THE REAUTHORIZATION OF IT.
UM, I'M GLAD WE'RE TAKING IT UP AT, AT THE SESSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DIDN'T GET LOST.
UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT IT CAME TO COUNCIL, THAT SOMEONE WAS, WAS TRACKING IT AND HEARING IT.
SO YOU'VE, YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD MY SUPPORT TO, TO CONTINUE FORWARD ON THIS.
AND I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO TAKE THE TOUR, UH, LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN RECOMMENDED AT A COUPLE OF THE SITES, AND, UH, HAVE WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
UH, I COULD TELL THE QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION AND THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE, WITH THE YOUNGSTERS, UM, WAS SO IMPRESSIVE.
THE LIGHTS WERE VERY SOOTHING.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF YOUR, YOUR BEST PRACTICES, UH, THAT THE LIGHTS AREN'T TOO BRIGHT.
UM, THE PLANNING OF THE DAY THAT THE STUDENTS DO EVERY DAY TOGETHER, UH, THAT COLLABORATION, THAT THEY LEARN THEIR CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS.
I ALMOST WANTED TO SIGN US ALL UP FOR ONE DAY,
UM, BUT, UH, I, I WILL ALSO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN BRAN'S, UM, COMMENTS IN TERMS OF HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS NOT JUST FOR OUR ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT AS A CITY AND PREPARATION FOR JOBS, UH, BUT FOR THE EQUITY FRAMEWORK THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TOOK ON, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR HEALTH AND FOR THE POVERTY, UH, ISSUE THAT, UH, THAT IS SO BIG AND PERVASIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND THIS IS, WE ALL KNOW THAT EDUCATION IS A WAY OUT OF POVERTY.
AND I, I JUST DON'T SEE ANY WAY THAT WE COULDN'T, UH, SUPPORT PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE VOTERS TO, TO COME OUT AND, AND SUPPORT IT IDEALLY.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE WHEN THIS COMES TO COUNCIL.
AND I, I ALSO SUPPORT THE, THE MAY ELECTION FOR
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ELAS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AS ALWAYS.
UH, I, I, AS I'M SITTING HERE, I'M REMEMBERING A HOT DAY ON, UH, IN 2012, UM, I WAS DOWNTOWN, UH, LEAVING A, A LUNCH SPOT WAITING FOR MY CAR, UH, TO BE BROUGHT OUT.
AND, UH, THERE I SEE, UH, CHERYL SCULLY AND THEN IVY TAYLOR, THEN COUNCILMAN IVY TAYLOR.
UH, THE, YOU KNOW, GETTING READY TO WALK BACK TO CITY HALL, IT WAS HOT.
AND SO, UM, MY MAMA HAD BROUGHT ME UPRIGHT, SO I IMMEDIATELY ASKED, YOU KNOW, DO Y'ALL NEED A RIDE BACK IN MY AIR CONDITIONED CAR,
AND THEY, THEY, UM, THEY JUMPED IN AND I, I WAS, I WAS NERVOUS AND EXCITED, RIGHT? NERVOUS BECAUSE I HAD CHEERIOS ALL OVER THE FLOOR OF THE CAR.
'CAUSE IT WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, A NEAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO HAVE, OR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE A NEAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A AN INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH, WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, WHO I ADMIRED VERY MUCH, WHO WAS ACCOMPLISHING REALLY BIG THINGS AT THE TIME.
AND, UM, THE, UH, AND SO VERY CASUALLY, I SAID, SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S NEW? RIGHT? AND, UM, CHERYL, UH, YOU KNOW, TOOK A PREGNANT PAUSE AND THEN SAID, WELL, I GUESS I'M GONNA RUN A MUNICIPAL PRE-K INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THEN SHE WAS QUIET, YOU KNOW, AND VERY SERIOUS AND DIDN'T BETRAY A SINGLE EMOTION.
AND, UH, AND YOU, AND YOU KNOW, THAT SILENCE FROM CHERYL RIGHT? SPEAKS VOLUMES.
AND, AND, UH, CHERYL, YOU LEFT ME THINKING, I MEAN, UP WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS, RIGHT? AND THAT SILENCE, I HAD TO INTERPRET IT.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW, WAS SHE COMPLAINING? LIKE, WAS SHE, WAS SHE TELLING ME THAT, UH, I DON'T WANT THIS, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, UH, WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, DID I HEAR RESENTMENT IN THEIR VOICE? OR WAS SHE TELLING ME THIS IS A NEW MISSION I'VE GOTTA TAKE ON AND I'M, I, YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TO THROW ALL OF WHAT I GOT BEHIND IT.
AND, UH, AND IT REALLY JUST LEFT ME WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT A STRANGE THING
[00:55:01]
TO TASK A CITY MANAGER WITH STANDING UP A BRAND NEW PRE-K LITTLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.UM, AND, AND, AND CHERYL, TODAY, I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IN MY HEAD, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE ANSWER IS, SHE INTENDED TO THROW A HUNDRED PERCENT OF HER WEIGHT BEHIND IT AND ALL THE RESOURCES OF CITY HALL, UM, AND EVEN RESOURCES SHE DIDN'T HAVE, AND, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND DRUM UP SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROOF, UH, IS, IS IN WHAT YOU PRESENTED TO US TODAY, UH, WHAT WE'VE WITNESSED IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS EVER DELIVERED FOR THE VOTERS.
UM, AND, AND CHERYL, UH, YOU AND, AND DR.
B AND YOUR TEAM, AND YOUR BOARD, AND, UM, ESPECIALLY YOUR TEACHERS AND THE MOMS AND DADS OUT THERE, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE DELIVERED SOMETHING WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, BORN FROM JUST COLLABORATION AND SHEER WILLPOWER.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE IGNORED, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO I THINK THOUGHT, UH, THERE'S A FLASH IN THE PAN, UH, A SHINY NEW THING TO PLAY WITH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL FIND A NEW PROJECT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
BUT YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE REALLY STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
SO, UM, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU MADE IT VERY EASY.
YOU, AND YOU AND CHERYL MADE IT VERY EASY FOR ME TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT IS PRE-K FOR ESSAY AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UM, AND HERE'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED, AND THIS IS MY TAKEAWAY.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, OKAY? UM, AND SEE IF I, SEE IF I'VE PICKED UP ON THE LESSON.
IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE'RE PREPARING KIDS, UM, AND GIVING THEM A BETTER CHANCE AT SUCCEEDING, BUT THERE'S A BUSINESS CASE TO BE MADE FROM THE POINT OF CITY HALL, UM, THAT IT HELPS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS.
THAT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE FELT GENERATIONS, UH, TO COME.
AND SO ONE IS, YOU KNOW, KIDS WHO ARE MORE READY ARE A BETTER WORKFORCE, RIGHT? THE, AND, UM, THEY WILL HELP US ATTRACT THOSE HIGHER PAYING JOBS AND THAT REALLY IMPORTANT INVESTMENT FROM COMPANIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
UM, TWO, WE KNOW THAT THE KIDS WHO GO THROUGH THIS KIND OF PRE-K PROGRAM WILL BE BETTER ENGAGED CITIZENS, UM, AND THEY'LL PARTICIPATE MORE IN THEIR OWN CITY.
UM, THREE, WE KNOW THAT, UM, KIDS WHO GO THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE THIS HAVE BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES.
AND WHEN THAT KID HAS A BETTER HEALTH OUTCOME, OTHER KIDS AT HOME HAVE BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES, THEIR PARENTS HAVE BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND THEN THOSE HEALTH HABITS BECOME MUSCLE MEMORY AND THEY TEACH IT TO THEIR KIDS GOING FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, A LOT, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, HELP THEM IN CRISIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH CRISES ARE AVERTED DOWN THE ROAD.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT PRE-K FOR SA IS FOR MANY, UH, KIDS AND FAMILIES, THE PATHWAY OUT OF POVERTY, RIGHT? UM, AND WE KNOW THAT LESS POVERTY MEANS LESS CRIME, LESS WORK FOR CHIEF MCMANUS TO DO, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, AND IT ALSO MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, BETTER EDUCATED CHILDREN MEANS FEWER WOMEN IN THE FUTURE AT BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS, RIGHT? FEWER MEN WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS, UM, FEWER MEN AND WOMEN AT HAVEN FOR HOPE.
AND SO, UH, FEWER OPIOID ADDICTS, FEWER ALCOHOLICS.
AND SO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE ACCOMPLISHING IS NOT JUST SENDING KIDS TO PRE-K AND MAKING SURE YOU KNOW THAT THOSE KIDS ARE IMPACTED AND THAT IMPACT ENDS THERE.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YOU GOT IT RIGHT.
HECKMAN'S 50 YEARS OF RESEARCH.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF A PRE-K FOR ESSAY LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS START BEHIND, RIGHT? AND, UM, WHEN YOU START BEHIND YOU, YOU STAY BEHIND, RIGHT? AND TO GET THEM IN A BETTER PLACE LATER ON IS MUCH DIFFICULT, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN GETTING 'EM TO A BETTER PLACE STARTING TODAY.
AND SO, I, I SAY ALL THIS, UH, BECAUSE YOU GOT MY SUPPORT, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT ALL OF MY SUPPORT.
UM, AND, UH, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT, BUT UM, IT PUT ME TO WORK AND LET, LET ME KNOW HOW I, WE, WE CAN BE HELPFUL IN DISTRICT EIGHT AS FAR AS SPREADING THE GOSPEL OF, OF PRE-K FOR SN.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO, UH, YOUR BOARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THANK YOU BRANDON FOR BEING HERE AND REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO, UM, THE WAY THAT YOU REPRESENT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN PIAS HAS TOUCHED ON MANY OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, MAKE PRE-K FOR SA A GREAT ASSET TO NOT ONLY SAN ANTONIO, BUT TO US AS A NATION.
[01:00:01]
AND SO WE KNOW THAT IN THE STUDIES THAT COUNCILMAN PLIERS WAS SPEAKING OF, THAT PRISONS ARE BUILT BASED ON HOW A CHILD CAN READ WHEN THEY GET TO THIRD GRADE.AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR THE ADVANCEMENTS THAT YOU ARE MAKING AN EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING AND EXCEEDING WHEN THEY GET TO THIRD GRADE ON THEIR READING LEVELS.
UM, I HAVE A HEART AND A PASSION WHEN IT COMES FOR PRE-K FOR ESSAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I GOT MY START IN TEACHING EDUCATION.
AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SEE THESE FOUR YEAR OLDS COME IN WITH, UM, THE BRIGHTEST OF IDEAS AND THEM BEING ABLE TO WALK IN A CLASSROOM AND SAY THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY ASSIST THEIR TEACHERS AND MAKING THEIR DAYS A LOT BETTER, THAT IS WHAT PRE-K FOR SA TRULY STANDS FOR.
AND SO IN A AREA WHERE WE KNOW THAT MANY FOUR YEAR OLDS WILL EITHER BE AT HOME OR WITH THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, BUT NOT TRULY GETTING EDUCATION, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, THANK YOU MS. SCULLY, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A CITY UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR POPULATION, WHICH ARE OUR YOUTH.
SO I TOLD YOU ONCE BEFORE WHEN WE HAD THE BRIEFING, AND I TOLD YOU WHEN I WAS ABLE TO VISIT OUR EAST SIDE, UH, CENTER, THAT YOU ALWAYS WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT AND I WILL BE ONE OF THE LOUDEST VOICES TO TELL EVERYONE WHY PRE-K FOR SA NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE A STRONG POINT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THIS GO FORWARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND I HAVE ALREADY STARTED SPEAKING WITH ERIC AND OUR MAYOR ABOUT HOW WE AS A CITY CAN BE CHAMPIONS FOR THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO BY UTILIZING T V S A EVEN MORE TO GET THIS MESSAGE ACROSS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, UM, I JUST, I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, SO ONE OF THEM, UH, IN FACT THIS MORNING I JUST ENROLLED MY YOUNGEST CHILD, UH, IN PRE-K, UH, AND SHE WON'T START TILL NOVEMBER, BUT I HAD TO ENROLL HER DURING, YOU KNOW, THIS TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD IN JANUARY.
SO WHAT DO YOU ALL DO FOR OUTREACH IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FULL CLASS IN AUGUST? UM, AND YOU HAVE TO START NOW, RIGHT? WE HAVE A, UM, ENROLLMENT TEAM, AND WE HAVE AN ONGOING, WE'RE ACTUALLY ALWAYS DOING ENROLLMENT EDUCATION WITH FAMILIES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY LEARNING AND GETTING IN THERE, EVEN IF IT'S MID-SEMESTER AND YOUR CHILD IS ELIGIBLE, BECAUSE EVERY DAY MATTERS.
SO AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROJA GARCIA IS TALKING ABOUT OPEN HOUSES.
WE HAVE ONE COMING UP THIS SATURDAY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHERE WE INVITE FAMILIES TO COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT IT.
COULD YOU GIVE ALL THE INFORMATION WHAT TIME? I WILL, YES.
LET ME DOUBLE CHECK SO THAT I'M GIVING THE RIGHT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ON ALL FOUR CENTERS, UM, FROM 10 TO TWO.
DO YOU HAVE A BLAST FOR THAT SO THAT WE CAN SHARE? WE DO.
SO MAYBE WE COULD GET THAT SO WE CAN ALL SHARE.
BUT THEN WE ALSO, OUR CENTERS, WE SCHEDULE TIMES FOR FAMILIES TO COME IN.
OUR FAMILIES ARE ACTUALLY THE BEST RECRUITERS OF CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY SHARE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND THEN HELP TO LEARN ABOUT THAT.
ONCE FAMILIES MAKE AN OUTREACH TO US.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE FAMILIES WILL ALL OFTEN ASK US QUESTIONS ONCE THEY MAKE AN OUTREACH TO US, THEN WE BEGIN TO ENGAGE WITH THEM, UM, AND CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THEY GET INTO THEIR SEAT IN AUGUST.
UM, INCLUDING WE HAVE A WHOLE, UM, WHAT WE CALL WELCOME WEEK IN AUGUST TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN COME IN FOR PART OF THE DAY TO GET USED TO IT SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
SO ON THE FIRST DAY, WE'RE READY TO GO.
BUT IT REALLY IS OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FAMILIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CENTERS, IT'S ABOUT IT INCOMING FAMILIES, AND THEN OUR ALUMNI FAMILY.
HOW DO WE STAY CONNECTED TO THE FAMILIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTED ALL THE WAY ALONG THE WAY? OKAY.
IN FACT, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN FOR SIBLINGS, THAT THAT'S WHY WE HAD THAT WINDOW IS THAT'S WHY IT'S SO EARLY.
UH, THAT WE HAD TO ENROLL THE KIDS.
UM, AND, AND SO ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS REGARDING THE ZERO TO THREE THAT COUNCILMAN
BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE IN CRISIS ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE CHILDREN ZERO TO THREE THAT AREN'T ENROLLED IN ANY PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE SEE THE VIOLENCE AND THE NEGLECT AND ALL THOSE THINGS, UM, THAT ARE SO, UH, DANGEROUS FOR CHILDREN.
UM, SO I PERHAPS, UM, WE COULD ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I HATE TO DO IT IN THIS FORM 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ARE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
[01:05:01]
PERHAPS WE FIND OTHER WAYS TO EXPAND ON THAT ZERO TO THREE, UH, AGE, UM, GROUP OR FAMILIES WITH AGE GROUPS.SO DO YOU HAVE LIKE A
WE, NOT SPECIFICALLY YET, BUT WE ARE PART OF A GROUP OF, UM, CITIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR APPLYING FOR A PRITZKER GRANT THAT WILL HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S INCREASINGLY THAT'S AN AREA WE SEE WE NEED TO BE, UM, HELPING WITH.
AND SO WE'RE CREATING THAT NETWORK.
AND I'D BE HAPPY, THERE ARE MANY, SEVERAL DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU EITHER, UM, IN A, A ONE-TO-ONE MEETING OR COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND TALK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THE ZERO TO THREE SPACE IS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON FOR EARLY MATTERS.
UM, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AS A CITY BE, UM, ROLLING OUT HIGH QUALITY PRE-K FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS, BUT, UM, AS PETER JOHN HOLT LIKES TO SAY BEFORE THEY'RE FOUR, THEY'RE THREE AND TWO AND ONE, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THEM? AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE WORK OF THE EARLY MATTERS COMMITTEE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'LL COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHAT NEXT FOR SAN ANTONIO FOR THAT AGE GROUP.
UM, SO I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
AND ALSO, I VIE COUNCILMAN GERRAN ASKED A QUESTION, SHE DID, UM, UH, ANSWERED MOST OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ALSO REGARDING, UM, THE, THE TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE PIECE.
SO YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH DR.
BRIDGER ABOUT THE TRAUMA COMPONENT AS WELL.
SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE ALSO FOR THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND JUST THE, THE FINAL QUESTION, UH, THAT I HAVE, UM, SOME YEARS AGO I SPOKE WITH YOU, UH, ABOUT, UM, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.
AND IT WAS A, UM, MARTHA PELLI WHO CAME TO TALK ABOUT HOW HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS REALLY BEGAN AT THIS YOUNG AGE, AND SO THAT THEY LEARN TO IDENTIFY, UH, WHEN THEY'RE BEING ABUSED AND, AND THAT THEY DON'T GET INTO A TEEN VIOLENCE TYPE OF SITUATION LATER.
ARE YOU INCORPORATING THAT INTO, UH, THE PRE-K FOR ESSAY PROGRAM? YEAH.
SO HIGH QUALITY ADULT CHILD INTERACTIONS IS THE BEDROCK OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING.
HOW DO YOU INTERACT WITH CHILDREN AND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THEM.
SO YES, IT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, WE HAVE IN OUR FAMILY CAFE, WE OFFER THOSE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY FOR FAMILIES AS WELL, CONNECTING THEM TO RESOURCES ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.
AND AND DO YOU HAVE TO BE IN PRE-K FOR SA TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PROGRAMS? NO.
SO ANYONE FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR FREE CAN GO AND LEARN ABOUT HEALTH, THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
OUR FAMILY CAFES ARE OPEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS THAT COME IN THERE ARE PEOPLE CONNECTED TO PRE-K FOUR S A.
BUT WE DO HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE THAT, UM, WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ANYTHING THAT'S GOOD FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS IS PART OF THAT.
AND SO IS THAT, UH, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS OR IS IT BY APPOINTMENT ONLY? BECAUSE I IMAGINE IF IT WAS AN OPEN DOOR POLICY, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SOMEBODY ON STAFF PREPARED IF YOU HAD WALK-IN.
WHEN WE HAVE WALK-IN PEOPLE, WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER IN THE FAMILY CAFES AND THEY WILL TALK WITH, UM, A PERSON WHO COMES IN, FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, ARE, AND THEN GET THEM CONNECTED TO THE RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S ONE OF THE GROUPS WE HAVE OR ONE OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH.
BECAUSE WHAT WE WANNA DO IS MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES ARE CONNECTED TO LONG-TERM RESOURCES, EVEN IF, IF THEY'RE WITH US FOR A YEAR AS A PRE-K, UM, WITH THEIR, WHEN THEIR CHILD IS THERE FOR PRE-K, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES CONTINUE ON WITH THEM WHEN THE CHILD GOES TO KINDERGARTEN.
SO IT DEPENDING ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE THAT ARE NEEDED.
SO, UM, AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO PROMOTED YES.
THAT WE HAVE THAT AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
I JUST, UM, I, I, I ALSO, UH, WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE AND I MEAN, I KNOW THAT MOST FAMILIES THAT HAVE OPTIONS WILL START SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO A PRE-K PROGRAM BY THE TIME THEY'RE THREE.
UH, I KNEW THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE MY CHILD IN SOME SORT OF PROGRAM, UH, BY THE TIME SHE'S THREE YEARS OLD.
AND SO THOSE OF US THAT HAVE OPTIONS AND, AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WILL TAKE THEM.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPTION AND, UH, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO OFFER IT AND EXPAND IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ALL BRINGING IN THOSE THREE YEAR OLDS.
UM, HOPEFULLY, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT STEP.
UH, ANDY, YOU WANTED TO CLARIFY? YES.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN
AND THE ANSWER IS AUGUST 17TH COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT IN MY HEAD WHILE WE WERE TALKING, BUT THAT'S WHY I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL.
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, AND OTHERS HERE, KNOW I WAS A TEACHER FOR 27 YEARS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY VALUE AN EDUCATION MORE THAN I DO.
AND SO, UH, I WANT TO JUST REALLY CONGRATULATE YOU, DR.
AND, UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD.
UH, MS. MENDOZA, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB BEING A CHAIRPERSON.
MY, MY OWN REPRESENTATIVE, UH, GOGI DIXON, WHO I KNOW IS HERE, WHO'S DONE A GREAT JOB REPRESENTING PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THIS TIME.
UM, AND I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, I THINK SLIDE 12.
AND, UH, IT SHOWED REALLY, UH, AN EVALUATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF GRADUATES FROM OUR EDUCATION CENTER, PRE-K FOR SA AT THE THIRD GRADE.
COULD YOU TELL ME, WAS THIS, UM, ONE OF THE PARTICULAR COHORTS? I KNOW WE STARTED STUDENTS IN 14 AND THEN 15.
AND THEN, UH, SO WHICH PARTICULAR GROUP AND HOW BIG WAS THIS TESTED GROUP HERE? SO THIS WAS OUR FIRST COHORT COHORT OF CHILDREN, WHICH THERE WERE ABOUT 750 CHILDREN WHO WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT YEAR.
AND THIS WAS A SUBSET OF THOSE CHILDREN MATCHED TO CHILDREN WHO WERE ON THE WAITING LIST THAT DID NOT ATTEND THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THIS WAS DONE USING THE EXISTING PEMS DATABASE FROM T E A, WHICH YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MM-HMM.
UH, IS THIS AN ONGOING AND CONTINUING PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO TRACK THE KIND OF SUCCESS WE, WE EXPECT IT IS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THIS IS SET UP, WE COULD, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THESE, UM, CHILDREN ALL THE WAY UP, ACTUALLY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND INTO COLLEGE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WE REALLY ARE LOOKING FOR THE LONG TERM IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WANT, THERE ARE PLANS TO, UH, EXPAND THE PROGRAM GOING FORWARD.
I THINK IT WAS ON PAGE 22 OR SLIDE 22.
AND IN THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO HELP MORE MIDDLE CLASS STUDENTS GET SERVED.
AND WHAT I'M IMPRESSED WITH IS THE 2,500 MIDDLE CLASS STUDENTS YOU HOPE TO SERVE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS. AND, UH, I'M AWARE OF THE GARDENDALE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE ONGOING.
ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH THAT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW? CURRENTLY THERE ARE 140 STUDENTS IN THERE.
NEXT YEAR WE'LL ADD FIRST GRADE AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT SECOND GRADE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER POINT.
UH, SO I PRESUME THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS BY YOUR BOARD ABOUT PRE-K FOR SA OR OUR PARTNER PROGRAMS THAT USE PRE-K PROGRAMMING TO GO INTO UPPER GRADE LEVELS.
AND WHAT HAS BEEN THAT DISCUSSION AND HOW SHOULD THAT PROGRESS? SO PRE-K R S A WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE CHILDREN AND TEACHERS WHO ARE SERVING THOSE CHILDREN IN PRE-K THROUGH THIRD GRADE, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE EARLY LEARNING CONTINUUM.
AND SO OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SPECIALISTS HAVE ALWAYS WORKED WITH TEACHERS IN KINDERGARTEN, FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD GRADES.
SO GARDENDALE IS JUST REALLY AN EXTENSION OF THAT.
WE, UM, HELP THEM TO SET UP THEIR PRE-K K CLASSROOMS, BUT ALSO USING WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH TEACHERS IN THE UPPER GRADES, BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THAT TO CREATE A FULL MODEL PRE-K THROUGH SECOND GRADE AND WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE IN AN EXISTING PUBLIC SCHOOL.
IF I MAY, IF I MAY ADD COUNCILMAN.
UM, THE BOARD TOOK, TOOK A LOOK AT THIS VERY CAREFULLY, UH, KNOWING WHAT OUR, OUR, OUR MANDATE WAS FROM THE VOTERS, UM, AND DO ALL IN TERMS OF FRAMING PRE-K FOR ESSAY AND DETERMINED THAT BECAUSE THE 1882 ENABLES REIMBURSEMENT OF FUNDS, ENABLES US TO GO OUT THERE AND THE TEAM TO GO OUT THERE AND WORK WITH THE EDGEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
OUR, OUR BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY OUT FURTHER, UM, THE, THE THEORY THAT IT IS DEFINITELY, UH, PRE-K THREE AND, AND MOVE ON FORWARD.
SO WE WERE VERY EXCITED AS A BOARD TO ENTER INTO THIS AND, AND ASK OUR TEAM TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IF, IF WE HAVE LIKE GARDENDALE A A A A SCHOOL THAT HAS ABOUT 150 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THIS, UM, HOW DO WE GET 2,500 IN THE PROGRAM IN A YEAR? I MEAN, WHAT ARE, WHERE ARE THE OTHER PARTNER SCHOOLS GONNA COME FROM? RIGHT? SO THE 2,500 WON'T ROLL UP IN THE FIRST YEAR.
UM, GARDENDALE EVENTUALLY GARDENDALE WAS SORT OF OUR PILOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND THEN EVENTUALLY THAT SCHOOL WILL BE A FULL PRE-K THROUGH SECOND GRADE CAMPUS WITH 25 CLASSROOMS. IT'LL HAVE 500 CHILDREN IN IT.
UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD OUT SOME OF THOSE SIMILAR PROGRAMS AND, BUT IT'LL BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS BECAUSE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.
AND SO WE WILL, UM, INDIVIDUALIZE THAT TO WHATEVER THE PROGRAM IS OFFERING.
IT'S POSSIBLE WE'LL EVEN GO INTO SOME EXISTING CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS WHO ARE OFFERING PRE-K TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABILITY,
[01:15:01]
UH, WITH THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND OUR SCHOOLS.UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE COST TO A MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY? AND AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVING 2,500 MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES IN EITHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR OTHER PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE COST TO THEM? HOW DOES IT ACTUALLY BECOME AFFORDABLE AND WHAT DO WE COMPARE THAT TO? RIGHT.
SO CURRENTLY THERE'S A SLIDING SCALE TUITION THAT RANGES FROM ONE TO 4% OF INCOME, A FAMILY'S INCOME, DEPENDING ON, UM, HOW MUCH THE FAMILY MAKES.
SO IT, OUR TUITION CAN RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, AS FEW AS, YOU KNOW, $25 A MONTH ALL THE WAY UP TO A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FAMILY'S INCOME IS.
UM, WHEN WE GO INTO BUILDING THESE PARTNERSHIPS, IT WILL BE FREE FOR FAMILIES IN THAT GAP.
THE 45 TO 65,000 K, IF WE CAN MOVE UP AND, AND CREATE EVEN MORE SPACES, IT COULD BE AVAILABLE ON SLIDING SCALE, WE'LL DO THAT, BUT OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON THE FAMILIES THAT FALL IN THAT GAP.
BUT I THOUGHT THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-K SERVICES.
SO HOW WILL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO GIVE THEM FREE SERVICES? RIGHT.
SO, WELL, SO WE WILL PARTNER WITH THEM TO INCENTIVIZE THAT.
RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHEN CHILDREN ARE ENROLLED AT PRE-K FOR S A, THEY'RE ALSO DUALLY ENROLLED IN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THEN PULLS DOWN THE STATE FUNDING FOR THAT CHILD.
AND WE ASK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING IN RETURN.
UNDER THIS NEW SCENARIO, WE MIGHT SAY, YOU CAN KEEP THAT STATE FUNDING AND IN RETURN SERVE ONE OF THESE INELIGIBLE CHILDREN.
SO IT'S THOSE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS AND WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, PROGRAMS TO FIND OUT HOW DOES IT BECOME ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT ALREADY SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE MOVING IN THIS DIRECT DIRECTION.
SOUTHWEST I S D FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR ANNOUNCED PRE-K FOR ALL, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE PRE-K AVAILABLE TO ANY FOUR YEAR OLD WHO SHOWS UP IN THEIR DOORS.
SO, UM, WE WOULD HELP WORK WITH THEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THAT THROUGH OUR GRANTS PROGRAM OR THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT MAKES THAT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THE DISTRICT TO EXPAND THOSE SERVICES.
AND I PRESUME IF WE'RE SUPPORTING THEIR PROGRAM, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ENROLLED IN OUR SCHOOL, SO WE DON'T GET ANY OF THE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD GET FOR THOSE STUDENTS IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IF WE'RE DOING THAT EXCHANGE AND IT COULD, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IS WHAT'S THE RIGHT EXCHANGE AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? MM-HMM.
WELL, I KNOW OVER THE LAST THREE, THREE YEARS, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GIVING GRANTS, YOU'VE PROBABLY, UH, GRANTED BETWEEN 12 AND $13 MILLION TO MANY DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR, OR RELATED AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THOSE GRANTS? WELL, SO THAT, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE MEASURING IT IS BY LOOKING AT CLASSROOM QUALITY SO THAT THE CLASSROOMS THAT RECEIVE GRANTS, WE HAVE, UM, CLASS OBSERVERS THAT GO IN AND MEASURE IS THE QUALITY OF THE INSTRUCTION IMPROVING? SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT LITERACY LEVELS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE TO SEE HOW, HOW WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE ON THOSE.
THERE IS A CHALLENGE WITH THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, IN THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
EACH ONE USES A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IS HOW DO WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP COMMON ASSESSMENTS THAT ALLOW US TO SEE HOW CHILDREN ARE PROGRESSING OVER TIME.
BUT THE, THE DISTRICTS DO HAVE TO PROVIDE TO US DATA THAT, THAT DEMONSTRATES IF THEY'RE, FOR EXAMPLE, GETTING A GRANT ON FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, HOW MANY FAMILIES HAVE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT? OR, UM, IF YOU'RE GOING FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY, HOW MANY CHILDREN WERE ENROLLED AND BENEFITED FROM, UM, THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS THAT WERE INVESTED.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US A GREAT OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM.
AND AS I SAID, AS AN EDUCATOR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, I'M CERTAINLY IN SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
AND I WOULD THINK MOVING THIS EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER WOULD BE A GOOD MOVE ON THE PART OF THE CITY, BECAUSE I THINK THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS ARE GOING TO BE SO COMPLICATED.
THERE'S GONNA BE SO MANY RACES ON THERE, AND BALLOT INITIATIVES END UP BEING AT THE END OF THE BALLOT.
THEY MAY NOT GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY SHOULD GET.
SO, UH, I'D CERTAINLY BE FOR MOVING THIS FOR APPROVAL BY THE COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY TO GET IT ON THE MAY BALLOT.
I THINK THIS IS MORE FOR, UM, ERIC AND ANDY.
UM, I DON'T, I'M GONNA JUST THROW THIS OUT HERE BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THINGS ON THE MAY BALLOT AND THE TIMING OF IT.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE AS A COUNCIL CAN PUT A REFERENDUM ON THE MAY BALLOT TO FIGURE OUT IF PEOPLE WANNA VOTE FOR, SAY WE HAVE ONE EIGHTH CENT THAT WE STILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION OR AQUIFER.
CAN WE PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE MAY BALLOT TO TAKE IT TO THE RESIDENTS TO SEE, DO YOU WANT US TO SHIFT
[01:20:01]
THE, HAVE THE MONEY FOR, FOR AQUIFER OR FOR TRANSPORTATION? COULD WE DO THAT? COULD WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION? THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY NOVEL IDEA.UH, COUNCILWOMAN, BUT MY, AND WE'LL STUDY IT MORE, BUT MY SENSE IS NO, BECAUSE THEY, THEY BOTH COME UNDER DIFFERENT STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION THAT IT'D HAVE TO BE, ARE YOU AUTHORIZING PRE-K TO GO FORWARD OR NOT? UH, AND IT CAN'T BE CONTINGENT ON SOMETHING ELSE, SO NO, BUT THIS WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PRE-K.
THIS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, UH, RIGHT.
OHUM, THEY'D HAVE TO AUTHORIZE ONE OR THE OTHER.
SO PUT ANTH AUTHORIZED TO, TO, TO DO ONE OR THE OTHER.
OH, TO, TO, AND PUT SOME OF THE BALLOT TO AUTHORIZE ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT BOTH.
THAT I WOULD, MY INITIAL ANSWER IS NO, BUT WE'LL STUDY IT FURTHER.
AND THE REASON I SAY NO IS EACH BALLOT INITIATIVE HAS TO STAND ON ITS OWN.
SO IT, IT, IT EACH, WHEN THE VOTER LOOKS AT IT, THEY HAVE TO VOTE.
DO I WANT THE TRANSPORTATION TO, YOU KNOW, IN WORDS, DO THEY WANT ONE? UM, AND THEN THEY VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN THEY DO AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE NEXT ONE.
WHEREAS EACH ONE HAS TO STAND ON THEIR OWN.
SO I THINK I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION MORE TO SEE IF, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT IN FEBRUARY FOR A MAY BALLOT, AND WE ARE BEING ASKED IF WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS ONE EIGHT, DO, UH, PERCENT, ONE EIGHT, UH, CENT IS GOING TO, IT'S, IT'S, UH, GOING TO BE GOING AWAY FOR AQUIFER PROTECTION.
UM, CAN WE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT TO SAY, OKAY, RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, YOU DECIDE HOW WE CAN DO THIS ONE ACELL TAX.
IF Y'ALL CAN JUST GET BACK TO ME, WE SURE WILL.
COUNCILWOMAN, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, DR.
ONLY SAY THAT 'CAUSE YOU'RE NAGGY
BUT, UH, YEAH, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
BRAY, UH, I'VE SAT THROUGH SEVERAL OF YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND I BROUGHT UP MY CONCERNS IN THE PAST.
UH, I STILL HAVE THOSE CONCERNS.
UM, I, I GUESS IT'S REALLY THE QUESTION WHETHER THIS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A CITY FUNDED FUNCTION OR A STATE FUNDED FUNCTION, JUST LIKE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE, AND SHOULD THE CITY PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT THE STATE SHOULD BE DOING NOW, THE STATE HAS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND THEY'RE STARTING TO FUND THIS PROGRAM.
AND I, I THINK THE HOPE WOULD BE THAT THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN EVEN THROUGH THE NEXT LEGISLATURE, IS TO EVEN INCREASE THAT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT WOULD A CITY THEN BACK AWAY FROM THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND USE THOSE RESOURCES ELSEWHERE.
SO I GUESS THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION IS, IS THIS, ARE OUR CITIZENS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO SATISFIED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FUND A SCHOOL SYSTEM? AND THAT IT DIDN'T PASS BY A LOT LAST TIME.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME POLLING NUMBERS THAT SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS POLLING VERY WELL FOR AN ELECTION, BUT I HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THERE'S COMPETING INTERESTS, AND IT KIND OF GOES TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN GRA WAS TALKING ABOUT.
BUT WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT CONNECT SA COMING UP, A LARGE PORTION OF THAT MONEY GOING TO VIA, WE'VE GOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOING ON THAT WE'RE INCREASING OUR TAKE FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
WE'VE GOT THIS AQUIFER PROTECTION THING, WHETHER WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FUND THAT WITH AN EIGHTH CENT SALES TAX OR GIVE THAT TO SAS AND LET THEM FUND IT OUT OF THEIR BUDGET, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OUR RATES GOING UP BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, PRE-K FOR SA IT'S ON THAT LIST.
WE'VE GOT THE ALAMO PROMISE, IT'S ON THAT LIST.
AND I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW, WELL, I'M CERTAINLY GONNA DO IT, IS PACKAGE THIS ALL TOGETHER TO LET WHAT OUR CITIZENS KNOW WHAT'S COMING IN THE FUTURE, HOW THIS ALL BUNDLES UP TOGETHER IN ONE BILL.
SOMEBODY'S GOTTA PAY FOR IT, AND WHERE'S THAT MONEY GONNA COME FROM? AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE REALLY EVALUATED, WHETHER WE, UH, MOVE ON WITH THIS PROGRAM OR NOT.
AND AGAIN, TEXAS AT THE LEGISLATURE LEVEL IS STARTING TO FUND THIS PROGRAM, AND I THINK THAT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT.
I, YOU KNOW, THE REAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT, YOU CAN ARGUE THAT BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT YOU'RE REALLY GETTING FOR YOUR DOLLARS.
[01:25:01]
THAT'S, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.UH, ALONG WITH THAT, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS COMING UP IN MAY, I'M NOT, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT EITHER.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT, WELL, EVEN FOR CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS, THERE'S SOME TALK ABOUT, WELL, LET'S MOVE THOSE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER, BECAUSE YOU GET A BIG BIGGER VOTER TURNOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET MORE PARTICIPATION.
AND THE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE SCHOOL, THEY, THEY HAVE EMPLOYMENT THROUGH 21, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S VOTED ON IN MAY OR NOVEMBER.
SO I GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT IN ONE SIDE OF THE, ON ONE SIDE OF THE TABLE WE'RE TALKING, YEAH, LET'S MOVE THIS ELECTION TO NOVEMBER FOR MORE PARTICIPATION, BUT LET'S MOVE THIS ONE EARLIER THAT YOU WON'T GET AS MUCH PARTICIPATION.
SO WE'RE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF OUR MOUTH ON THAT.
SO, UM, AND, AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE COST INFORMATION WAS REFERRING TO BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS DON'T PAY FOR ANY KIND OF ADVERTISING ON, WE DON'T, WE DON'T TAKE TAXPAYER MONEY AND ADVERTISE FOR THIS PROGRAM OR AGAINST THE PROGRAM.
THAT'S FOR PACS THAT WANT TO DO SOMETHING OR NOT.
AND IT'S, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S JUST FOR THE CITIZENS TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
BUT WE DON'T GET INTO FUNDING ANYTHING TO PROMOTE OR NOT PROMOTE ANY PROGRAMS. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, THE GRANT THING, THAT STILL REALLY BOTHERS ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF TRACKING OR METRICS OR KNOWING WHERE THAT MONEY WENT AND WHAT IT WENT FOR AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE RESULTS WERE OF THAT MONEY.
AND I LOOK, I LOOK, I STILL LOOK AT THAT AS A DOUBLE-DIPPING, IF YOU WILL.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PAID FOR WITH STATE TAXES.
WE PAY STATE TAXES, WHETHER IT'S GAS OR SALES OR WHATEVER GOES INTO THE STATE, OUR TAXPAYERS HERE, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TAX HERE LOCALLY THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR PRE-K FOR SA.
BUT PRE-K FOR SA IS FUNNELING A LOT OF THAT MONEY BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO I'M, TO ME, THAT'S A DOUBLE DIPPING THAT OUR TAXPAYERS HERE DON'T REALIZE THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING TO A LOT OF THOSE, A LOT OF THOSE DOLLARS.
AND SO I GOT STILL HAVE CONCERNS WITH THAT.
I THINK WE'VE SET THAT MODEL HERE IN TEXAS AND THE LEGISLATURE IS LISTENING AND THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO FUND THIS PROGRAM.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S GONNA BE UP TO THE VOTERS WHETHER THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO FUND AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH THEIR CITY TAX DOLLARS VERSUS LETTING THE STATE TAKE ON THAT BURDEN.
UM, AND THANK YOU MS. MENDEL AND, UH, DR.
BERE, UH, CHERYL, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO THANK MY APPOINTEE, DR.
MIDDLETON, WHO IS IN THE CROWD, UH, DOING A GREAT JOB.
UM, AND, AND JED MAUS, BY THE WAY, WHICH, UH, OF COURSE WE'VE, WE'VE THANKED HIM EARLIER TODAY, BUT, UH, ON, ON OTHER ISSUES.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW HOW SOME ISSUES ARE ARE SO BIG THAT THAT'S KIND OF AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH.
AND SO I WANT TO JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT AGAIN, UH, START OFF BY SIMPLY SAYING, YOU GUYS HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT.
I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IN, IN PRE-K FOR SA, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN IMAGINE THE, THE IMMENSE NEED.
AND THE ONLY REAL QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS IT JUST MAKES ME WONDER ABOUT WHAT'S THE UNIVERSE OF THIS? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEED? BECAUSE WHAT I HEAR MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IS JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE WANNA BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM BUT CAN'T.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE SHOOTING FOR, ESPECIALLY A CITY THAT, THAT IS GROWING, UH, THE WAY WE ARE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE DEMONSTRATING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT NEED IS, IS GROWING THAT NEED IS, IS, IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT.
AND, UH, EDUCATION IS, IS REALLY THE, ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN REALLY HELP, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN A, IN A REALLY TOUGH SITUATION, UH, IS, IS PROBABLY THE BEST INVESTMENT, I SHOULD SAY, THAT THEY CAN MAKE IN THEIR LIVES.
AND, UM, AND SO, UH, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE UNIVERSE OF, OF THIS.
SO CURRENTLY WE ESTIMATE WE HAVE
[01:30:01]
ABOUT 25,004 YEAR OLDS.AND, AND THE NEED OR THE INTEREST IN EARLY LEARNING IS GROWING.
ONE OF THE OTHER OUTCOMES THAT CAME OUT OF THE, UM, U T SS A STUDY, WAS IT PRE-K FOUR S A CREATED A SURGE OF AWARENESS AMONG FAMILIES.
SO WHEN WE STARTED IN 2012, THERE WERE, UM, A SIZABLE PORTION OF, OF FOLKS THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHETHER FOUR YEAR OLDS BELONGED IN SCHOOL OR WHETHER THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY NEEDED TO DO.
FAMILIES KNOW AND WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE IN HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS. AND SO PRE-K FIRST A HAS CREATED THAT DEMAND.
AND WE KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A WAITING LIST.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE IMPORTANT, UM, ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE THE GRANTS THAT ALLOW OTHER PROGRAMS TO BUILD UP THEIR QUALITY, BECAUSE TEXAS DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT PRE-K PROGRAMS OR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS MEET ALL, YOU KNOW, 10, UM, QUALITY INDICATORS.
AND SO OUR GRANTS ALLOW MORE PROGRAMS TO MEET THOSE INDICATORS, WHICH GIVES FAMILIES MORE OPTIONS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS MAKING SURE THAT EVERY FAMILY HAS ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, EARLY LEARNING.
AND IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT, THAT'S GREAT, BUT IF THEY CAN'T, WE NEED TO, UM, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP PROVIDE THAT.
SO EVERY CHILD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OFF TO A GREAT START, BUILD A STRONG BRAIN THAT WILL SUSTAIN THEM, UM, IN LIFETIME OF LEARNING AND GETTING THOSE GREAT BENEFITS THAT THE ECONOMISTS TALK SO MUCH ABOUT.
I MEAN, AT THE HEART OF THIS, I THINK YOU COULD SAY SAFE TO SAY THAT, UH, PRE-K FOR SA IN ITSELF HAS BROUGHT AN AWARENESS FOR, FOR, FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS EARLY EDUCATION.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW MUCH MORE, UH, OUTREACH DO WE NEED TO, TO MAKE? AND HOW, HOW DO WE, UH, EXPAND THAT, THAT, UH, AWARENESS BY SUPPORTING WHAT YOU'RE DOING? UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE PROGRAM IN ITSELF IS, IS DOING THAT JUST THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU GET 25 STU, 25,000 STUDENTS.
BUT IS THAT FIGURE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF GROWTH IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU SEE OURSELVES IN, LET'S SAY 10 YEARS? OH, WELL, I, I, WHEN, UH, PRE-K FIRST A WAS FIRST, UM, UH, CONCEPTUALIZED IN 2012, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 20,004 YEAR OLDS AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, WE'RE NOW UP TO 25,004 YEAR OLDS.
SO WE ARE A GROWING CITY, AND WE'RE A GROWING CITY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.
SO THE NEED IS GOING TO BE THERE AND, AND TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THAT NEED AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS IS REALLY THE CHALLENGE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE MORE UPDATED NUMBERS THAN THE 25,000, BUT OF COURSE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AND THAT THE PORTION OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN OUR CITY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW OVER THE COMING YEARS AND WILL WANT TO.
THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS TO CREATE MORE SEATS FOR THOSE CHILDREN SO THAT ALL FAMILIES HAVE THAT OPTION.
RAY, MS. MENDOZA, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
A HUNDRED PERCENT IN SUPPORT OF THIS, I SUPPORT YOU MOVING TO HAVE THE ELECTION IN, IN MAY, SO YOU CAN COUNT ON MY SUPPORT.
UM, THAT IS ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
I SEE WE ARE ABSENT OUR MANAGER AND OUR ATTORNEY.
ED, DO YOU WANNA STEP IN? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE WITH REGARD TO NEXT STEPS.
WHAT I HAVE HEARD, UH, A PRETTY CLEAR CONSENSUS ON IS A MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO CONSIDER THIS ITEM IN THE FEBRUARY AGENDA, UH, IN TIME FOR US TO CALL THE ELECTION, UH, FOR MAY.
SO I THINK, UM, UH, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTION FOR STAFF.
UM, AND ANDY, DO YOU WANT TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION? YES.
I, IN FACT, I WAS TALKING TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN NDA, JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS ASKING ME NOW THAT I DO THE, UH, AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT HER PROPOSAL, HER IDEA WAS, IS TO HAVE ON THE BALLOT IN MAY A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER, UH, IN THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, UH, THE VOTERS WANTED TO CONSIDER THE ONE EIGHTH FOR EITHER AQUIFER OR TRANSPORTATION.
UH, AND, UH, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
IT'S ONE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNSEL OR VIA, OR WHATEVER LEGAL ENTITY HAS THE LEGAL RIGHT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT, HAS TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
UM, AND YOU CAN'T PUT THAT TO THE VOTERS AS TO WHETHER OR WHAT VOTERS WANNA HAVE PUT ON THE, ON THE BALLOT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO NOW THERE'S, THERE'S WAYS FOR FOR VOTERS THROUGH, UH, PETITION TO PUT THINGS ON THE BALLOT, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE AN ELECTION TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANNA VOTE ON LATER.
UM, SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS WE CAN'T DO THAT.
SO, AGAIN, TO REITERATE, WE HAVE, UH, OUR DIRECTION FOR STAFF.
WE'LL CONSIDER AN ITEM, UH, FOR AGENDA
[01:35:01]
IN FEBRUARY TO CALL FOR PRE-K FOR ESSAY VOTE IN MAY.UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT SUCCESS AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND WE WILL MOVE NOW TO ITEM
[2. 20-1131 Briefing regarding City Council Staff Compensation Review and overview of recommendations. [Ben Gorzell, Chief Financial Officer; Lori Steward, Director, Human Resources]]
NUMBER TWO.UH, OUR SECOND ITEM, UM, IS A, UH, PRESENTATION BY LORI STEWART ON, UM, CITY COUNCIL STAFF, UH, COMP COMPENSATION.
UM, JUST A A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
SO THE, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL STAFF PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RESEARCHING AND COMMUNICATING PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO, UH, YOUR INDIVIDUAL OFFICES.
UH, THE COUNCIL STAFF AND THE CITY STAFF WORK HAND IN HAND AND, UH, THE WORK OF THE CITY AND, UH, ARE ALL COMMITTED, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE, UH, UH, THIS WORK, UH, AS IT, UH, DEVELOPED AND WAS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ALONG WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR, UH, AND LED BY, UH, CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, UH, COURAGE COUNCILMAN, UH, TRAVINO AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, UH, AND WORKED AND DEVELOPED, UH, THE REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL STAFF COMPENSATION.
LORI'S GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THAT, THAT COMPENSATION REVIEW AND, AND LAY OUT, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UH, I KNOW THAT THIS HAS TAKEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, UM, AND I WANTED TO THANK THE COUNCIL STAFF, UH, WHO PARTICIPATED AS WELL AS, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND OUR FINANCE TEAM, UH, AND ALL THE WORK, UH, DEVELOPING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE QUESTIONNAIRES AND THE MEETINGS.
UH, WE, WE DID A LOT OF WORK RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND, UH, WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TO PRESENT, UH, THE RESULTS OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS ON COUNCIL STAFF PAY.
AS A REMINDER OF HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY, A C C R ON COUNCIL STAFF PAY WAS SUBMITTED IN AUGUST OF 2019.
AND DURING THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET PROCESS, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN AMENDMENT RELATED TO THE COMPENSATION OF CITY COUNCIL STAFF TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
FOLLOWING A POLICY DISCUSSION DURING THE OCTOBER 16TH GOVERNANCE MEETING, THE MAYOR APPOINTED A COUNCIL AD HOC COMMITTEE TO MEET REGULARLY WITH HUMAN RESOURCES AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK THROUGH A, UH, COUNCIL STAFF COMPENSATION REVIEW PROCESS.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE IS CHAIRED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, AND INCLUDES COUNCIL MEMBERS, COURAGE, SANDOVAL, AND TREVINO.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE CREATED THE FOLLOWING GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT, HELP GATHER DATA FROM ALL DISTRICTS TO FACILITATE THE REVIEW, ACHIEVE CONSISTENCY ACROSS DISTRICTS AND THE CITY WITH AN EQUITABLE EQUITABLE PAY STRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
RETAIN FLEXIBILITY IN STAFFING DISTRICT OFFICES TO BEST SERVE CONSTITUENTS, ENSURE STRUCTURE AND COMPENSATION ARE LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE.
AND TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE APPROVED THE USE OF A THIRD PARTY COMPENSATION CONSULTANT TO REVIEW THE DATA, GATHERED AND RECOMMEND A PAY STRUCTURE AND SALARY RANGES.
SINCE BEING APPOINTED, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE HAS MET EIGHT TIMES, SO WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY.
THE DATA PROVIDED TO THE CONSULTANT ON THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COUNCIL STAFF WAS GATHERED BY HUMAN RESOURCES THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES AND INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS IN ALL 21 QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SUBMITTED, AND 46 STAFF MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS.
THIS INFORMATION GATHERED FROM COUNCIL STAFF WAS USED TO DEVELOP DRAFT JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT WERE REVIEWED BY THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER THE 15TH.
AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS THEN VOLUNTEERED TO MEET INDIVIDUALLY WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INPUT.
WITH ALL INPUT GATHERED, A TOTAL OF NINE DESCRIPTIONS WERE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE NINE JOBS THAT WERE CREATED, ALONG WITH SUMMARY INFORMATION ON EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS.
JOBS INCLUDE CONSTITUENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, ONE AND TWO, CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, EVENT SERVICES DIRECTOR, POLICY DIRECTOR, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO COUNSEL, ZONING SLASH PLANNING, DIRECTOR AND CHIEF OF STAFF.
THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS PROVIDE A MENU OF JOBS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CONSIDER BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICT.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WILL NOT USE ALL OF THESE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
IT IS, IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL JOB DESCRIPTIONS WILL ALLOW SUBSTITUTION RATIO, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE BETWEEN LEVELS OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE.
AND THEY'RE WRITTEN TO BE FLEXIBLE TO GIVE DISCRETION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER ON DEFINING WHAT RELEVANT EXPERIENCE IS.
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ALL OF THE INFORMATION FROM COUNCIL STAFF GATHERED BY HR ALONG WITH THE NEW JOB DESCRIPTIONS WERE PROVIDED TO THE THIRD PARTY COMPENSATION CONSULTANT, WHIRLING ASSOCIATES, INC.ON NOVEMBER 22ND FOR ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHIRLING ALSO WAS PROVIDED COMPARISON DATA FROM EIGHT OTHER CITIES, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PAY PLAN, WITH JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL JOBS, A 20 YEAR COST OF LIVING, PAY, ADJUSTMENT, HISTORY, AND THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE RECEIVED THE CONSULTANT'S INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON DECEMBER THE 20TH.
FOLLOWING DISCUSSION, THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED THE CONSULTANT REVIEW ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.
THE COMMITTEE ALSO REQUESTED THAT HR STAFF, UH, REVIEW AND MAKE AN ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION.
RECOMMENDATION USING THEIR INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
FINAL CONSULTANT RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE STAFF ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION WERE REVIEWED BY THE AD HOC COMMITTEE JUST THIS PAST FRIDAY ON JANUARY THE 10TH.
THIS CHART SHOWS THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY DR.
WHIRLING FROM WHIRLING ASSOCIATES, INC.
OUR THIRD PARTY COMPENSATION CONSULTANT.
BASED ON HIS REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND OTHER DATA SUBMITTED, YOU'LL NOTICE THE LOWEST ENTRY AT $34,528, AND THE HIGHEST MAXIMUM AT $105,181.
THE CONSULTANT'S FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ONLINE WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM.
HR STAFF LISTENED TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AND TALKED WITH SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO UPDATE THE CONSULTANT RECOMMENDATION USING OUR ADVANTAGE OF INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY OPERATION.
WHILE WE UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT THAT MANY OF THE COUNCIL STAFF POSITIONS REQUIRE LESS SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND NO PRIOR SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE, WE BELIEVE THE LEVEL OF INTERACTION WITH CITY STAFF AND THE CONSTITUENTS DEALING WITH COMPLEX COMMUNITY ISSUES PARTIALLY OFFSETS THAT ANALYSIS.
WE HAVE ALSO RECOMMENDED SOME INCREASES TO THE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS THAT'LL HELP SUPPORT THE INCREASED, UH, PAY RANGES AND BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY ORGANIZATION.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS RANGE FROM AN ENTRY LEVEL, WHICH IS AT THE CITY'S ENTRY WAGE, $32,200 TO THE HIGHEST MAXIMUM OF $116,737.
THERE IS A DOCUMENT AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM THAT SHOWS THE CONSULTANT AND STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS SIDE BY SIDE.
UM, THERE WAS A CORRECTION TO THIS DOCUMENT SINCE IT WAS INITIALLY POSTED.
A WRONG LINE WAS COPIED FROM THE WHIRLING REPORT, JUST FOR PURPOSES THAT CREATED THIS SIDE-BY-SIDE DOCUMENT.
IT DID NOT IMPACT THE ANALYSIS, BUT IT HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION INCLUDES ANNUAL ADJUSTMENTS OF THESE PAY RANGES BASED ON ANY COUNCIL APPROVED COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
WE BELIEVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION PROVIDES THE COUNCIL WITH A PAY STRUCTURE THAT IS UNIQUE TO THE COUNCIL STAFF.
WE HAVE EXPANDED THE WIDTH OF THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE JOBS TO SUPPORT RETENTION AND COUNCIL FLEXIBILITY, AND WE HAVE ESTABLISHED WRITTEN JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO PROVIDE STRUCTURE FOR RECRUITMENT AND HIRING.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED MULTIPLE JOB OPTIONS TO PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH THE FLEXIBILITY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT SO THAT THEY CAN CUSTOMIZE THEIR STAFF COMPLIMENT AND BEST MEET THE, MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
AND FINALLY, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A STRUCTURE THAT WILL HELP PROMOTE CONSISTENCY IN STAFF COMPENSATION ACROSS THE DISTRICTS.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M SURE YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO ADOPT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON JANUARY 30TH WILL BE TO ADOPT THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET ORDINANCE, ADOPT THE STAFF, RECOMMENDED, UM, COUNCIL STAFF PAY RANGES, INCREASE THE CAP ON AN INDIVIDUAL SALARY TO MATCH THE MAXIMUM OF THE NEW CHIEF OF STAFF PAY RANGE, AND THEN ADD $79,116 TO EACH COUNCIL OFFICE BUDGET.
THIS WILL ALLOCATE THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT OF $870,284 OUTTA MY POCKET, THE TIMELINE.
AND NEXT STEPS, THERE WILL BE AN ITEM TO AMEND THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ON JANUARY 30TH, 2020.
AND UPON APPROVAL, COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN IMPLEMENT PAY CHANGES THAT THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 2020.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP AND ALL OF THEIR WORK ON THIS PROJECT.
THANK THE CITY COUNCIL STAFF WHO PARTICIPATED AND PROVIDED INFORMATION TO HELP IN THIS REVIEW.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, LORI, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THANKS TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AND SPECIFICALLY OUR, OUR CHAIR, DR.
A ADRIANA GCIO GARCIA, UH, FOR THE WORK AND FOR, UM, OUR CONSULTANT AND STAFF AND OUR COUNCIL STAFFS, UH, FOR THEIR WORK ON, ON THIS.
I KNOW THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW
[01:45:01]
AT TIMES, BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT, THEN WE'LL WORK TO FIX IT.AND WHILE I'M MORE INTERESTED IN LISTENING TO MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS THIS AFTERNOON, I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALL OF US WHEN I SAY THAT WE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, RELY HEAVILY ON OUR STAFFS TO GET US THROUGH EACH AND EVERY DAY.
IF WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM BOTH INDEPENDENT EXPERTS AND FROM THE CITY IS THAT A LITTLE MORE CAN BE DONE, THEN WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO THAT A LITTLE MORE.
ULTIMATELY, I FULLY RESPECT MY COLLEAGUES' DECISIONS AND HOW THEY STRUCTURE THEIR OFFICES.
JUST AS EACH ONE OF US ON THE DIA BRINGS A UNIQUE ARRAY OF TALENTS AND EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCES TO THE TABLE.
AND I THINK THE SOLDIER DISCRETION OF HOW EACH OFFICE IS COMPOSED SHOULD REST WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE DECI DISCUSSION TODAY IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON SALARIES.
SO IT SEEMED THAT THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE REGARDING BENEFITS AND TOTAL COMPENSATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE CONTINUING THE WORK TO DETERMINE A FAIR RESULT FOR EVERYONE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE OVER TO, UH, COUNCIL COMMENT.
WE'LL START WITH OUR CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU LORI AND CRYSTAL STRONG, WHO IS HERE.
I DO HAVE TO MENTION THAT THE STAFF WORK DILIGENTLY OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK.
UH, THEY PROBABLY GAVE UP AN HOUR, I'M SORRY, A DAY OR TWO OF THEIR HOLIDAY BREAK TO HELP US WITH THIS.
AND SO, UM, AS CHAIR OF THE COMPENSATION AD HOC COMMITTEE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL COUNCIL AIDS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO FOR US.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WE REVIEWED JOB DESCRIP DESCRIPTIONS AND PAY RANGES.
I WANNA THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT WERE ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TIME TO MEET AND THE HOLIDAYS WERE COMING UP.
SO WE MET AT 7:30 AM MAYBE 8:30 AM ON FRIDAY MORNINGS.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT.
I, I'VE HEARD SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SAY, THANK GOD I WASN'T ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SO WE BROUGHT TACOS SO THAT PEOPLE COULD BE HAPPY.
AND WE ARE STILL DEBATING WHO HAS THE BEST TACOS IN, IN THE CITY.
UM, BUT I, I WANT TO START OFF BY THAT BY THANKING YOU ALL.
SO THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, AND, UH, LIZ PCIA FROM THE SEA ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL, FOR, FOR HER TIME AND FOR MAKING IT SO EARLY AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, REMIND MY COUNSEL, COLLEAGUES THAT YOU ALL STILL HAVE FULL DISCRETION AT THE END OF THE DAY.
THESE ARE SO SOME RECOMMENDED, UM, SALARY RANGES, UH, RECOMMENDED JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
AND AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO NOT HAVE AN S O P GIVEN TO ME, RIGHT? AND SO I, THEY, I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T HAVE, OR WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WOULD SAY, AND THESE ARE THE GENERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT YOU'D WANNA FILM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, BECAUSE AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I KIND OF LUCKED OUT BECAUSE I HAVE, UH, A WONDERFUL STAFF THAT I KEPT IN PLACE AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DO VERY WELL, AND THEY DO IT VERY WELL ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, BUT I WAS AFRAID THAT WHAT IF THIS COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, IS ALL NEW AT ONE POINT, RIGHT? LIKE, WHO'S GONNA GIVE THEM THAT GUIDANCE OR WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS? AND SO I WAS REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M GLAD THIS IS A STEPPING STONE, UM, TO SOME OF THE OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING.
UM, SO ALSO THE CONSIDERATION FOR US TO EITHER CONTINUE THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE OR CONSIDER A NEW COMMITTEE FOR, UM, UH, BENEFITS, ET CETERA, I THINK IS, IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'LL PROBABLY DISCUSS TODAY.
BUT I WANNA APPRECIATE, TAKE A ANOTHER, ANOTHER MINUTE TO APPRECIATE THE STAFF BECAUSE NOT ONLY WERE WE WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO.
SO, UM, WE WERE ASKED TO WORK WITH A CONSULTANT AND, AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE COUNCIL AIDS FELT LIKE THEY WANTED A THIRD PARTY TO DO SOME RESEARCH.
THIRD PARTY DID THAT RESEARCH.
WHEN THIRD PARTY, UH, CAME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHEN BEN GELLE AND TEAM STEPPED IN AGAIN, EVEN OVER THE HOLIDAYS TO WORK ON THIS, UH, AND TO FIND A MORE EQUITABLE PAY STRUCTURE.
SO FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I'M GONNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT, FOR BEING ABLE, AND, AND JUST TO JUMP IN, BECAUSE YOU GUYS COULD HAVE JUST DONE THIS THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE CONSULTANT PRESENTED, UM, BUT YOU ALL GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CONSULTANT TO PRESENT AND THEN GAVE ANOTHER COMPARISON OR ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT BALANCE.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD REVIEWED ALREADY CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS EXPECTED OF HUMAN RESOURCES STAFF, AND WE FELT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
SO THANK YOU ALSO FOR ALLOWING US TO REVIEW THAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ALSO ALLOWED THE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO EXPAND THE LIST OF RECOMMENDED CITIES THAT YOU ALL
[01:50:01]
HAD INCLUDED IN YOUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE FULLY AWARE OF.
WE GOT TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL CITIES.
WE, UM, ADDED, UH, I THINK WE ADDED LIKE HOUSTON AND, AND SOME OTHER CITIES.
AND SO THANK YOU ALSO FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS ANOTHER ELEMENT OF RESEARCH THAT YOU ALL HAD TO DO.
UM, THE TIMELINE, WE WERE TRUE TO THE TIMELINE.
WE SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING IT TO TODAY PRETTY MUCH TO BE SESSION, UM, SO THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FEBRUARY 1ST IMPLEMENTATION.
SO SINCE BACK ON THE DAY WHEN ERIC SAID HE WOULD, UH, FIND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THEN WE WERE WORKING BACK FROM THAT TIMELINE.
UM, ALSO, UH, ALTHOUGH NOT EVERY CITY COUNCIL AID PARTICIPATED IN THE DATA COLLECTION AND INTERVIEW PHASE, UM, WE WERE REASSURED BECAUSE WE WERE OPEN, UH, AND TRANSPARENT WITH COUNCIL AIDES ALL ALONG.
WE SUBMITTED WEEKLY ME, UH, WEEKLY MEMOS, UPDATES OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS, THAT HAPPENED IN THE COMMITTEE, MAJOR MILESTONES, THINGS THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND WE ALSO ALLOWED, UM, UH, FOLKS TO BE IN THE ROOM.
SO I KNOW MY STAFF ATTENDED SEVERAL MEETINGS.
CHIEFS OF STAFF WERE THERE REPRESENTING THEIR STAFFS, AND THEN WOULD REPORT BACK TO THEIR, UM, TO THEIR COUNCIL AIDES.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THAT WAS, UM, WE ALLOWED ALSO FOR QUESTIONS DURING THOSE, UM, DURING THOSE MEETINGS.
SO THANK YOU TO THOSE CHIEFS OF STAFFS WHO ALSO MADE IT THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING ON A FRIDAY MORNING WHEN YOU PROBABLY COULD HAVE SLEPT IN A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
WHIRLING ALSO ATTENDED TWO OF THOSE MEETINGS.
SO WE DID HAVE THE OUTSIDE, UH, THE THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT COME IN.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, RIGHTFULLY SO.
AND SO, UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE DR.
WELLING FOR BEING AVAILABLE TO US TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, STAFF THEN, LIKE LORI MENTIONED, PRESENTED ALL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL AID, UH, AIDS FELT COMFORTABLE AND HAD ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.
SO WE HAD TWO PRESENTATIONS, ONE IN THE MORNING AND ONE IN THE AFTERNOON SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO COME IN.
I THINK LORI SENT IT TO EVERYBODY OF ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE STILL ASKED BY SOME OF THE, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL AIDE.
SO THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT AS WELL.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE, UH, QUICK RECAP BECAUSE IT WAS LITERALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY THAT THEY WERE PRESENTED WITH THIS INFORMATION.
UM, I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE PRELIMINARY LIST OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AND FOR THE CONSIDERATION TO THE INDIVIDUALITY OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, REMIND YOU ALL THAT, UH, WE DID LOOK OVER EIGHT SPECIFIC DRAFT JO JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A WAY OF HELPING AND OF SAYING, HEY, HERE'S THE START.
HERE'S WHERE YOU START TO CONSIDER, HERE'S THE TYPICAL MARKET RANGE.
UM, HERE'S A TYPICAL CITY RANGE.
UH, AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS TIME YES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, BUT I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE BECAUSE OUR AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS THEN MET INDIVIDUALLY WITH EVERY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER ALL ALONG AND BRIEFED THEM.
AND I GOT TO BRIEF THE MAYOR ALONG AS WELL ON WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, WHERE WE WERE GOING, UM, ET CETERA.
AND SO, UM, ALSO, WE, UM, WERE ALWAYS, UH, IN, IN CONSTANT CONTACT AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, OR WE WERE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS MIGHT HAVE THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T WANNA ASK IN THE OPEN.
SO I KNOW THAT WE WERE ALL OPEN TO MEETING AND EVERY SINGLE MEMO THAT WE SENT OUT SAID, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO ADDRESS IN A LARGER GROUP, YOU COULD REACH ANY OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
I'LL PROBABLY HAVE, UM, A ANOTHER QUESTION DEPENDING ON, ON WHAT QUESTIONS ARE ASKED TODAY, BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK YOU ALL AND THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR WORK.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER ILLA GRANT.
UM, QUICKLY THANK YOU TO OUR CHAIR OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR GETTING UP SO EARLY IN THE MORNING AND DOING ALL OF THIS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT DUE DILIGENCE AND FOR CITY STAFF WHO WAS THERE AND REALLY WORKED SO HARD ON THIS AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, TO OUR COUNCIL AIDES WHO ARE IN IT WITH US DAY IN AND DAY OUT WHO WORK SO VERY HARD AND WHO REALLY, UM, BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY OF THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY REPRESENT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK AND MY COUNCIL AIDES IN PARTICULAR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR DILIGENCE AND YOUR DEDICATION TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF PA OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, JUST SOME QUICK, UH, REC UH, QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, LORI, FOR GIVING THE, UM, BUDGET NUMBERS AS WELL AND WHAT CHANGES WE'LL NEED TO SEE ON THE BUDGET.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT WE LOOKED AT AND WAS THAT, IS HERE IS THE
[01:55:01]
REQUIRED EDUCATION, UM, ON THESE FOR CONSTITUENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES.AND I KNOW THIS IS STILL AT THE DISCRETION OF, OF EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, BUT JUST FOR CONVERSATION AND FOR CLARIFICATION, EVEN WITH, UH, CONSTITUENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES TOO, YOU KNOW, I WAS MENTIONING IN THE OTHER PRESENTATION HOW ONLY, UM, CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF, UH, MEMBERS IN SAN ANTONIO, SPECIFICALLY LATINO ONLY HAVE, UH, A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND LOOKING AT OUR POVERTY REPORT, HOW A SMALL, UH, JUST THE AMOUNT OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND I KNOW SOME OF OUR, UM, AIDES AND SOME OF MY AIDES IN THE PAST, UM, ARE STILL WORKING TOWARDS THEIR BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
SO THEY'RE WORKING FULL-TIME, BUT THEN THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO GET THEIR EDUCATION IN THEIR, IN THEIR DEGREE.
SO MAKING IT A, A REQUIRED EDUCATION, EVEN FOR A CONSTITUENT SERVICES TO REPRESENTATIVE.
I THINK THAT IS, UM, KIND OF A RESTRICTING, IF YOU WILL, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IF WE'RE DOING A, A CONSTITUENT SERVICES REP TOO, TO EVEN HAVE A REQUIREMENT OF A BACHELOR'S DEGREE BECAUSE THEY MAY BE WORKING TOWARDS THAT DEGREE OR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I WOULD JUST, UM, RECOMMEND TO MY COLLEAGUES MAYBE LOOKING AT, UM, HIGH SCHOOL G E D OR ASSOCIATES OR SOME COLLEGE IN THERE 'CAUSE THEY MAY BE LOOKING, WORKING TOWARDS IT.
UM, THAT IS ONE OF MY, UH, JUST POINTS OF CLARIFICATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION.
I SAW BEN A WHISPER IN YOUR EAR, RIGHT? WELL, I, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN TO JUMP IN, BUT, OKAY.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UM, REASONS THAT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE HAD RECOMMENDED CREATING TWO LEVELS FOR THAT JOB.
UHHUH
SO IF YOU WANTED TO HIRE SOMEONE WITH NOT QUITE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE OR, YOU KNOW, NOT THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE, YOU COULD HIRE AT THE ONE LEVEL.
AND THEN ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING SUBSTITUTION RATIO ON ALL OF THESE JOBS.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS HAD CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE DOING CUSTOMER SERVICE TYPE WORK, UM, BUT DOESN'T HAVE THE DEGREE THEY, THEY CAN STILL QUALIFY FOR THE TWO LEVELS.
SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY EVEN WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THAT ENTRY LEVEL POSITION THAT REALLY JUST REQUIRES HIGH SCHOOL WITHOUT ANY EXPERIENCE THAT YOU COULD BRING IN AND DEVELOP THAT PERSON AND THEN PROMOTE THEM ALONG THE WAY AS WELL.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S THAT FLEXIBILITY.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT, UH, PUT THAT OUT THERE TO MY COLLEAGUES.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU ALL HAD THIS CONVERSATION IN YOUR AD HOC COMMITTEE AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PART OF MY, MY QUESTIONING AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER ILLA GRANT, COUNCIL MEMBER KIO.
UH, THANK YOU TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WHO, BECAUSE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MEET SO EARLY IN THE MORNING AND NOTING DULY NOTED THAT BREAKFAST TACOS CAN RIGHT.
UM, I WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE D SIX, UH, STAFF WHO ALWAYS PUTS THE CONSTITUENTS OF DISTRICT SIX FIRST, MARTIN, RAUL, NATALIE, ASHLEY, AND CHARLIE, AND OUR NEW HIRE, UM, ANDREW, WHO'S DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND MY QUESTION INVOLVES, UH, THE CONTINUATION OF, UM, THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, UM, CAN SOMEBODY CONFIRM THAT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO MEET REGARDING TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR COUNCIL AIDS, UM, SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, RETIREMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT, DESIRE TO DO THAT.
SO IF THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, WISH OF THE COUNCIL, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO MEET AND WE'RE EXPECTING TO DO THAT.
UM, I WANNA REALLY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF.
UM, I THINK IT WAS HANDLED VERY WELL, VERY PROFESSIONALLY, AND, UM, IT PUT THE, UH, THE COUNCIL STAFF AT AIDS AT EASE AND, UH, DID A GREAT JOB IN PULLING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT YOU DIDN'T GET AS MANY QUESTIONNAIRES, UH, AND, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THOSE MEETINGS.
I JUST WANNA SAY DISTRICT 10 WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT, UH, UM, I THINK Y'ALL HANDLED THIS VERY, VERY WELL AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING OUT RIGHT.
I TOO, UH, SHARE WITH COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA THAT WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY GUIDELINES.
THERE WASN'T ANY JOB, JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
I SPENT 21 YEARS IN THE AIR FORCE AND THERE WAS ALWAYS JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
THEY WERE GRADED OUT A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL BASED ON, UH, CRITERIA AND ALL OF THAT WAS LAID OUT, AND YOU JUST DID THAT WHENEVER YOU MOVE FROM JOB TO JOB.
AND THAT WAS AN EXPECTATION, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT HERE.
UM, SO JUST GOING BACK, DID Y'ALL LOOK AT
[02:00:02]
WHICH CITIES HAD LIKE SYSTEMS VERSUS OTHER SYSTEMS? I MEAN, DID WE DO ANY BENCHMARKING WITH OTHER CITIES? WE DID ATTEMPT TO DO THAT.COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, WE DID SURVEY SOME OTHER CITIES.
I THINK THE END RESULT OF THAT, AND EVEN THE OUTSIDE COMPENSATION CONSULTANT SAID AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT, IT WASN'T REAL USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE IT JUST SHOWED US HOW DIFFERENT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE AND HOW THEY SET UP THEIR OFFICES AND EVEN DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CHARTER TYPE REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE.
WE DID LOOK AT IT, I, I THINK FROM A, A, A STANDPOINT OF WHAT WE SAW, IF YOU AVERAGED ALL THE SALARIES OF THE INFORMATION WE GATHERED, OUR SALARIES WERE PRETTY CLOSE ON AVERAGE.
BUT THE, UH, STAFF SIZE WAS ABOUT, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT DOUBLE THE STAFF SIZE PER OFFICE HERE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A CHOICE THAT THE ORGANIZATION MAKES ON HOW THEY WANT TO, UH, DO THE WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT, SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT JUST ENDED UP, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTING HOW, UH, CITIES ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND HOW THEY'RE DOING THIS WORK.
SOME DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF AT ALL.
AND, AND LOOKING AT YOUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW, HOW DOES THAT, AND THESE ARE FOR COUNCIL AIDES, HOW DOES, HOW DO THESE SALARIES COMPARE TO CITY STAFF SALARIES IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UH, PAID BRACKETS? RIGHT.
WE, WE DID LOOK AT CITY STAFF SALARIES TO DO PART OF THE COMPARISON.
YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THE RANGES THAT WE RECOMMENDED AREN'T GOING TO MATCH UP TO ANY CITY RANGE.
THESE ARE OUR UNIQUE SET OF RANGES FOR THE, FOR YOU TO USE AS COUNSEL.
UM, IT PROVIDES A LITTLE BROADER RANGE TO START AT THOSE ENTRY LEVELS, WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT GIVEN THE, UH, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GETTING ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY AND LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE IN AND MOVING THEM ALONG, AND RETENTION BEING SO IMPORTANT.
BUT IN TALKING TO SOME OF THE OTHER CITY STAFF ON WHAT THE BEST MATCHES WOULD BE, WE OFTEN LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, A SENIOR LEVEL OF STAFF AND THEN COMING UP HALFWAY TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
SO A LOT OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS KIND OF FALL BETWEEN A COUPLE OF CITY PAY RANGES, BUT WE DID THAT DELIBERATELY.
SO THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A DIRECT MATCH, BUT THE WORK IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED EITHER.
THERE'S DIFFERENCES IN THE WORK, RIGHT.
BUT EVERYTHING WORKS TOGETHER FOR THE SYSTEM.
AND I, I ASSUME THAT EVEN BETWEEN ALL THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS THERE'S MIXES AND MATCHES AND CHANGES AND ONE PERSON DOES THAT, ANOTHER PERSON DOES A COMBINATION OF, OF SOME OF THESE.
SO IF THERE'S CHANGES, LET'S SAY IT'S A COMBINATION OF TWO OF 'EM, DO WE HAVE TO REWRITE THOSE OR DO YOU REWRITE 'EM? OR WHO DO WE EVEN HAVE TO DO THAT? WELL, I WOULD RECOMMEND ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT WAS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY AMONG THE DISTRICT.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD WORK TOGETHER, IF ONE OF YOU THINK THERE'S A REVISION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, WE COULD WORK ON SENDING IT OUT TO EVERYONE FOR A REVIEW AND JUST TRY TO KEEP EVERYONE CONNECTED SO THAT WE'RE USING A COMMON DESCRIPTION.
BUT IT IS INTENDED TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH DIFFERENT, UM, EXAMPLES OF THE WORK PERFORMED.
SO OUTTA THESE POSITION DESCRIPTIONS, UM, WILL WE THEN DEVELOP A PERFORMANCE CRITERIA, THAT KIND OF THING? UM, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? I THINK I, ANY OF THAT WOULD BE YOUR OPTION AS THE EMPLOYER OF OKAY.
OF THE STAFF IN YOUR DISTRICT IF YOU WANNA DEVELOP.
AND THEN, UM, I, I SEE YOUR, YOUR COMPENSATION, YOUR RANGES, AND THEN I, I FORGET WHAT THE TOTAL, TOTAL COMES UP TO.
860, 870,000, RIGHT? IS THAT HOW MUCH WE BUDGETED OR WHAT, WHAT DID WE BUDGET IN 2020? THAT WAS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO WHEN WE DID THE, WHEN WE ADOPTED THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET, THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FOR THIS DISCUSSION, AND THAT AMENDMENT WAS ABOUT $870,000.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S, THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION IS TAKING IT RIGHT UP TO THAT LIMIT.
SO IF WE CARRY THIS ON FURTHER, LET'S SAY THE PAY AND BENEFITS, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE DO THE, WHERE DOES THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT COME FROM IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR THE STAFF? SO WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, WE WOULD ALLOCATE THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THAT AMENDMENT TO EACH OF THE DISTRICTS.
SO THAT WOULD, UM, THERE'D BE NO DOLLARS REMAINING OKAY.
BUT IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE LOOKING AT BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE NEXT STEP, RIGHT? UH, YES, SIR.
AND, AND I THINK WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? THE INTENT WAS THAT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT WOULD COVER BOTH OF THOSE ISSUES IF WE CONTINUE TO STUDY IT.
[02:05:01]
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS WE CAN'T REALLY COST OUT AND TELL YOU BASED ON THESE NEW JOB RANGES, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE.BECAUSE AS INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYERS, YOU'LL DECIDE WHERE YOUR EMPLOYEES SLOT IN THAT RANGE, YOU KNOW, AFTER FEBRUARY 1ST.
SO YOU'LL BE GIVEN THIS ALLOCATION OF AN ADDITIONAL $79,000 ROUGHLY PER DISTRICT, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE THAT BUDGET TO MANAGE.
WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE BENEFIT SIDE, UM, TO LOOK AT OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES, AND HOPEFULLY TO WRAP THAT WORK UP FAIRLY QUICKLY SO WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AS WELL.
LIKE MID-YEAR REVIEW OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR WHAT? OH, AT LEAST BY THEN IF, IF NOT SOONER, IF WE CAN GET THROUGH IT.
UM, YEAH, JUST ANOTHER KUDOS TO YOU, YOU AND YOUR STAFF, LORI, DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND MY STAFF WAS VERY WELL ACCOMMODATED AND HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS, SO THANK YOU.
UM, AND, UM, THANK YOU TO BOTH CURRENT AND FORMER COLLEAGUES WHO RECOGNIZE NOT ONLY THE SIGNIFICANT WORK COUNCIL HAS PERFORM, BUT THE HISTORIC WAGE AND BENEFIT INEQUITY THEY HAVE ENDURED.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE WORK OF LAURIE STEWART AND CRYSTAL STRONG AND THEIR HR TEAM THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF MY AD HOC COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES OVER THE LAST THREE PLUS MONTHS THAT WE HAVE MOVED THIS ISSUE FORWARD.
UH, OF COURSE, ANDY SEGOVIA WAS ALWAYS ALSO IN THOSE MEETINGS, SO I WANNA THANK HIM AS WELL.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I, I AM GLAD THAT WE'RE AT THIS POINT WHERE THIS COUNCIL CAN PERMANENTLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON A LONG, UNADDRESSED ISSUE.
IT IS TIME OUR PUBLIC SERVANT PROFESSIONAL STAFFS GET THEIR DUE.
AND I DO, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, UH, LORI.
SO WE'LL, WILL THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, PAY CAP AND THE NUMBER OF ALLOWED FTES BE REMOVED OR RAISED? WE DISCUSSED THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING PAY RANGES, BUT WE ALSO SORT OF HAVE A ALMOST KIND OF LIKE A LIMITING SWITCH.
UM, HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS FTES? YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT THERE WASN'T A, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THAT NUMBER.
WE WEREN'T RECOMMENDING CHANGING THAT AT THIS TIME.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AND CONTINUE TO REVIEW MAYBE SOME, UH, UPGRADES AND BENEFITS THAT WILL COST MONEY.
OF COURSE, ADDING THE NUMBER OF FTES WOULD MAKE THAT COST EVEN GREATER.
SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S REVISITED LATER ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
BUT AT THIS POINT, THAT WASN'T PART OF WHAT WE HAD LOOKED AT RECOMMENDING.
WELL, I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF IT.
AND I MEAN, I, THE ORIGINAL MEMO AND THE C C R ALWAYS INCLUDED BENEFITS.
AND SO I, I WILL CON CONTINUE TO PUSH.
UM, AND, AND WE KNOW THAT, LOOK AT THAT, THE FTES ARE A COMPONENT OF THAT, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA IGNORE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, I I THINK THAT THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, UH, CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I I, WE DID GET A THIRD PARTY, UH, PERSON TO COME IN AND REC DO SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
I FOUND, I FOUND THOSE TO BE COMPLETELY FLAWED.
UM, SOMEONE WHO, WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CITY CITY GOVERNMENT WORK DID NOT DO AN ANALYSIS OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE KNOW IS WITHIN THESE BUDGETS.
UM, AND SO I HOPE WE CAN, WE CAN FIX THESE IMBALANCES, UH, TO PUSH FOR COUNCIL LATE PAY EQUITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THESE POSITIONS HAVE EXISTED, UH, OVER AND ABOVE COUNCIL AID BUDGET, UM, ALLOCATED TO 11 OFFICES.
UM, AND I'M, AND I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BUDGET FOR CITY COUNCIL AIDS AND THERE'S THREE POSITIONS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT ARE PAID OVER AND ABOVE.
AND I, AND, AND THOSE WEREN'T ADDRESSED.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THAT'S ADDRESSED.
AND I WILL SAY THAT THESE POSITIONS SEEM TO HAVE COME ABOUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A, UH, THE COUNCIL, A BUDGET WAS NOT SUFFICIENT.
UH, AND TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN PROFESSIONAL STAFF, OF COURSE, IN ANY OFFICE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A LARGELY CORRECTIVE EFFORT IN WRITING THE COMPENSATION, UM, OF THIS OFFICE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WITH, WITH AN, WITH A MORE EQUITABLE APPROACH, UH, UH, AND MORE APPROPRIATE BUDGET FOR EACH OFFICE, I BELIEVE COUNCIL SHOULD
[02:10:01]
EVALUATE THE NEED FOR THESE ADDITIONAL THREE POSITIONS AS WE LOOK AT 'EM IN THE BUDGET.COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, UH, MANAGER WALSH.
YOU ASKED LORI TWO QUESTIONS AND SHE ANSWERED ONE.
UH, THE, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, WILL THE CAP BE ADJUSTED? UH, THE ANSWER IS YES.
THAT WILL BE ON THE ORDINANCE ON JANUARY 30TH.
UH, LORI, I KNOW YOU WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS.
UH, SO I, I WANT TO, I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS BENEFITS QUESTION, AND I, I, I HONESTLY WASN'T PLANNING ON TALKING ABOUT BENEFITS TODAY, BUT NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT, DO YOU OR, OR THE CONSULTANT, OR DOES ANYBODY ON STAFF, CAN, CAN ANYBODY ARTICULATE A REASON WHY MY STAFF SHOULDN'T GET THE SAME BENEFITS THAT CSSA STAFF GETS? OKAY.
AND IF THERE'S NO ANSWER, THERE'S NO ANSWER.
BUT, UM, I, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THREE PEOPLE TODAY.
UH, ONE OF THEM IS A COUNCILMAN.
UH, LEMME JUST SAY THAT, UM, WE DO INTEND TO KEEP WORKING WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AND EXPLORE THAT ISSUE.
WE WERE UNDER A PRETTY TIGHT TIMELINE TO LOOK AT THE PAY ISSUE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT TO START WITH.
SO WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF TIME TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THE BENEFIT QUESTIONS YET.
AND, AND, BUT WE INTEND TO DO THAT.
BUT IT'LL TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO READ AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO, TODAY, IN FRONT OF US, DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO TELL ME THAT MY STAFF SHOULDN'T GET THE SAME BENEFITS THAT COOSA STAFF HAS? UH, I, I THINK, YEAH, IF, IF I MAY, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, WE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATELY IN, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
'CAUSE AS, AS YOU KNOW, UH, AND AS WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE, UH, IN A DEMAND LETTER, WE GOT, THERE'S CO-EMPLOYMENT ISSUES AT WORK OR MAYBE AT WORK.
AND SO WHAT BENEFITS THEY GET AND HOW THEY'RE DELIVERED, UH, WILL PLAY INTO THAT ANALYSIS.
THAT'S THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
WE'RE GONNA ANSWER IT MORE IN LENGTH, THAT EXEC.
UM, SO I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THREE PEOPLE.
UH, ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, A YOUNG WOMAN NAMED STEPHANIE, WHO WORKED IN MY OFFICE, UM, WAS A BARTENDER, UH, AND DID EXCELLENT WORK IN OUR OFFICE.
AND WE, UH, SHE WAS WITH US FOR A WHILE AND, UM, WE TRAINED HER IN ESSENCE AND, AND REALLY GAVE HER EXPOSURE TO A LOT OF, UH, HEADY PROJECTS AND, UH, GAVE HER THE ABILITY TO PUT SOME IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON HER RESUME.
UM, TODAY SHE IS CSA STAFF AND AS PART OF THE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, AND IS DOING SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
UH, THE SECOND PERSON I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT IS A YOUNG WOMAN BY THE NAME OF ERIN NICHOLS, WHO WAS ONE OF MY STAFFERS.
AND WE WORKED WITH HER FOR, YOU KNOW, A YEAR PLUS AND, AND TRAINED HER.
UH, AND TODAY SHE'S DOING ALMOST THE IDENTICAL WORK SHE WAS DOING FOR ME AT, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND HER TASKS REALLY HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD PERSON I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS, UH, BO ANDERSON.
BO IS A RECENT GRADUATE FROM U T S A AND I, I CAN AFFORD THE BO OF 20 19, 20 20, BUT WITH THE BUDGET THAT I'VE GOT, I CAN'T AFFORD THE BOW OF FIVE YEARS FROM NOW BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, DEVELOPING HIM TO BE THE PROFESSIONAL THAT HE WILL BE.
UM, AND I'VE HAD TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM, AND I'VE, I'VE TOLD HIM, AND I'VE TOLD THE REST OF MY STAFFERS, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE QUALITY PROFESSIONS YOU WORK HERE BECAUSE OF THESE WEIRD CAPS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BECAUSE OF THE LIMITS PLACED ON US.
HOWEVER, IF YOU WERE WORKING FOR THE CITY DOING THE EXACT SAME JOB THAT YOU DO FOR THEM, THAT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.
AND SO, AND BO YOU KNOW, UH, IS A REALLY POLITE, SWEET GUY, AND HE DOESN'T PUSH BACK.
UM, AND, BUT YOU CAN TELL FROM THE LOOK ON HIS EYES THAT, THAT, THAT MADE NO SENSE.
UH, AND IT MADE NO SENSE TO HIM BECAUSE IT MAKES NO SENSE.
AND SO, I, I DO WANT TO LA THIS COMMITTEE'S WORK IN, UM, TAKING THIS ON AND STANDING UP FOR BO RIGHT? AND HELPING US DEVELOP THESE, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE OUT.
UM, NOW I, I DO WANT TO PUSH BACK ON SOMETHING HERE.
I, I DID NOTICE THAT OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, JO WAGE RECOMMENDATIONS, OR I'M SORRY, JOB LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PAY GRADE 5 27 AND Y'ALL COMPARED IT TO PAY GRADE 600 FOR THE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND I TAKE ISSUE WITH, UM, ANYBODY WHO WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE
[02:15:01]
VERY BRILLIANT EMILY MCGINN DOES MORE THAN, OR HER WORK IS BETTER THAN MY CHIEFS OF STAFF, UH, OR THE OTHER CHIEF OF STAFFS, UH, WHO SERVE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.UM, I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT OUR DISTRICTS ARE ROUGH.
YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME SIMPLE MATH, 150,000 PEOPLE IN EACH DISTRICT, RIGHT? THE AMOUNT, THE SHEER AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IS DONE OUTSIDE OF THESE, THE FOUR WALLS OF THIS BUILDING IS STUNNING.
AND IN ORDER TO BE A CHIEF OF STAFF, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP ALMOST EVERY ONE OF YOUR NIGHTS, UM, TO DELIVER AND MANAGE THESE LARGE TEAMS. UM, MY PHONE RINGS OFF THE HOOK EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND DELIVERED SERVICES.
AND SO, UM, I, I WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WALKS AWAY FROM THIS THINKING THAT SOMEHOW, UH, ALL WE'RE GONNA DO IS SWEETEN THE, THE POT A LITTLE BIT FOR CITY STAFFERS, I'M SORRY, CITY COUNCIL STAFFERS, UH, JUST TO CHECK THE BOX AND MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE APPRECIATIVE.
I, I REALLY HOPE THAT FROM THIS ENTIRE EXPERIENCE, EVERYBODY IN THE ORGANIZATION REALIZES THAT THIS ISN'T SOME OTHER GROUP OF FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH A KNOW, WITH THEIR HAND OUT, TRYING TO DO A MONEY GRAB HERE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE PROFESSIONALS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMPENSATE FOR INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND BURDENSOME WORK.
AND SO, UM, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT COMES FROM THE BENEFITS CONVERSATION.
ANDY, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
UM, THE FIRST PERSON I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS RUBEN LI ALL DAY.
UM, JUST VERY QUICKLY, UM, FOR THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, DID YOU ALL HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MOVING OUR COUNCIL AIDES TO CITY STAFF AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? DID Y'ALL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION? CAN I ASK HER? OR IS THAT OKAY? YES, THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD AT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE THE CURRENT, UM, COUNCIL AIDE ARE ABLE TO WORK ON CAMPAIGNS, IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, AND, AND HEARING FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE NOT, UH, VERY, WE'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF MOVING THEM TO BE FULL-TIME CITY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRA AND COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE I REALLY DID THINK THAT THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT, UM, UM, THE BENEFITS PACKAGE.
UM, I JUST, I THINK WHAT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC MAY NOT UNDERSTAND AND MAYBE EVEN SOME MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, IS THAT WE ARE GIVEN A BUDGET.
AND IN THAT BUDGET WE CAN DO A VARIETY OF THINGS, INCLUDING PAY STAFF, BUT THAT'S PART OF OUR TRAVEL BUDGET.
IT MEANS WE CAN OPEN ANOTHER OFFICE, IT DETERMINES HOW MUCH, UH, WE CAN, UH, UH, MAIL, MAIL OUT.
I MEAN, THERE'S A BUDGET OF THINGS, AND I EVEN, I'VE BEEN HERE ONE OF THE MOST TENURED STAFF MEMBER, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I'VE NEVER ENTIRELY UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE BREAKDOWN.
NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PRESENTED TO ME AND IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.
UM, BUT I JUST, I HAD A CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THAT, AND IT WAS THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S ROLE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE COMPENSATED FAIRLY, UH, AND THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS ENOUGH MONEY.
AND OF COURSE, EMILY AND, AND CHRIS BEFORE HER, THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF THE OFFICE TO RUN THINGS.
I KNOW THAT AT ONE POINT WE HAD TO ADD AN ALARM SYSTEM TO THE OFFICE, AND THAT WAS INCLUDED.
SO THERE IS JUST SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE WAY THAT WE DO THIS.
AND WHAT I THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT FLEXIBILITY.
FOR A LONG TIME, I HAD TWO FIELD OFFICES, I FELT LIKE THE STAFF WERE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME SITTING IN THE OFFICE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME, THAT THEY WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, GOING TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES, HELPING THEM, UH, TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAD, UH, VERSUS SITTING IN THE OFFICE WAITING FOR THEM TO COME.
SO WHILE THE OFFICE, UM, IS IT, IT, I, THAT OFFICE IS SORT OF IN LIMBO BECAUSE, UH, I JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS THE BEST USE OF OUR BUDGET TO HAVE AN OFFICE AND SOMEBODY SITTING THERE JUST WAITING.
IT'S MUCH MORE PROACTIVE TO BE OUT THERE.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE HOPE,
[02:20:01]
WHAT I WOULD HAVE HOPED TO SEE WAS A BENEFITS PACKAGE.IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT THE STAFF WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR COUNCIL STAFF WAS NOT NECESSARILY THE COMPENSATION, BUT THE BENEFITS.
SO WE HAVE, I MEAN, WE COULD ALL HAVE FOUR EMPLOYEES AND PAY THEM $90,000 EACH, AND THAT WOULD NOT BE A BAD GIG.
UH, SO, UH, I JUST, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THAT FLEXIBILITY, WHICH WE HAVE ANYWAY.
WE, EVEN THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND ALL THIS EXERCISE, AND WE HIRED THIS CONSULTANTS AND YOU GUYS SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON IT, WHICH I'M GRATEFUL FOR MY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO THOUGHT THIS AS, UH, HIGH ENOUGH PRIORITY TO WORK ON IT AS LONG AS THEY DID EIGHT MEETINGS AND OUTSIDE COMPENSATION.
BUT THE REALITY IS, WE CAN DECIDE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, HOWEVER, WE WANNA RUN OUR OFFICES.
SO, UM, THAT NEEDS TO STAY BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.
AND A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, OR, UH, PERHAPS LIKE IN AN OFFICE LIKE MINE, WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT A AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY.
MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE A FULL-TIME COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR LIKE I DO, VERSUS OTHERS THAT HAVE MUCH MORE SOCIAL MEDIA AND MUCH MORE PEOPLE, UH, IN THAT REGARD.
SO I GUESS I JUST, I, I'M, I, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK, BUT, UM, WE ALSO DO HAVE A BUDGET.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, JUST COMPENSATION, WE KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY COMPENSATING THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH THE BUDGET THEY ALREADY HAVE.
AND IF THERE IS A CONCERN IN, UH, OUR COUNCIL BUDGET ABOUT COMPENSATION, PERHAPS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER COULD CONSIDER TRAVELING LESS OR NOT HAVING A SECOND FIELD OFFICE, OR NOT HAVING A FULL-TIME COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR THAT IS ENTIRELY UP TO US TO DECIDE, UH, AND THEREFORE, YOU COULD PAY YOUR KEY MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM BETTER.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE WORK, BUT IT IS STILL ALWAYS UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S DISCRETION TO USE THAT MONEY, UM, AS EFFECTIVELY AND TRANSPARENTLY, UH, AS POSSIBLE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, UH, I ECHO ALL THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, THAT WERE MADE FROM THIS DIOCESE.
I, I THINK WE'RE HAVING A WONDERFUL, UH, DISCUSSION.
UM, I WANT TO, UM, THANK THE, THE COMMITTEE THAT, OH, ME, THE COMMITTEE
BUT, UH, I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE CHAIR DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
COUNCILWOMAN WAS THE FIRST TIME ON A COMMITTEE.
I'M ON A COMMITTEE THAT YOU CHAIR, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PACE AND, AND HOW WELL YOU LET US ALL EXPRESS OURSELVES AND OUR CONCERNS.
AND I THINK WE'RE AT A MUCH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE AT A GOOD LOCATION RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
UM, I, UH, I DID SUPPORT, UH, REVIEWING COUNCIL AID COMPENSATION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, I THINK THE TEAM, AT LEAST MY TEAM AND, AND I'M SURE SOME OF THE OTHERS WORK VERY, VERY HARD.
ALL OF THE OTHERS, I SHOULDN'T SAY SOME OF THE OTHERS, ALL OF THE OTHERS WORK VERY, VERY HARD.
UM, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN OUR OFFICE, THEY TAKE ON A SACRIFICE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO DO THIS, BECAUSE WITH TWO YEAR TERMS, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT ANY OF US WILL BE BACK IN TWO YEARS.
AND THOSE, ANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES COULD BE WORKING TOWARD A LONGER TERM CAREER SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO THEY'RE TAKING A GAMBLE ON US.
AND SEAN, ERIC, BIANCA, MATEO, FRANK, UM, EVEN DEBBIE, WHO'S A VOLUNTEER, THANK YOU FOR, UH, GAMBLING WITH ME AND WORKING FOR, FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, AND I, I SUPPORT THE EFFORTS TO HELP US RECRUIT THE BEST EMPLOYEES THAT WE CAN AND TO RETAIN THEM.
UM, COUNCILMAN BELAY MENTIONED A COUPLE OF, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE REALLY HE'S COMPETING WITH THE CITY AS AN EMPLOYER.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S HAPPENED IN, UH, DISTRICT ONE AS WELL.
SO, UM, GIVEN THAT FACT AND THE FACT THAT, UM, THE COMPENSATION DISPARITY CAN AFFECT MORALE IN OUR OFFICES, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS IT SO THAT OUR COUNCIL OFFICES WORK BETTER WITH THE CITY OFFICES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS.
NEXT, I WANNA SAY, I, I DO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF EACH COUNCIL MEMBER DECIDING HOW TO RUN THEIR OFFICE.
UH, YOU WERE ELECTED, WE WERE ALL ELECTED BECAUSE PEOPLE PUT THEIR FAITH IN US THAT WE WOULD USE OUR BEST JUDGMENT AND THAT WE WOULD DELIVER ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON, ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
I'M ALSO HYPER AWARE THAT WHEN WE DO THAT, WE ARE USING PUBLIC FUNDS TO PAY FOR OUR OFFICE.
AND LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SAID, I LOVE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY COUNCILWOMEN THAT I HAVE TO NOW SPECIFY WHICH ONE.
YEAH,
[02:25:01]
BE TRANSPARENT, UH, WHEN WE DO THAT.SO I FELT THAT, UH, AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR THIS, FOR THE BUDGET, I ALSO FELT THAT WE DID HAVE TO JUSTIFY HOW THE FUNDS WOULD BE OR COULD BE SPENT.
AND, UH, THEREFORE, UM, HAD RECOMMENDED THAT WE DO THIS EVALUATION.
SO I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR, FOR TAKING THAT ON, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
UM, ONE THING I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN IS THAT WE HAVE A FLOOR, UH, IN TERMS OF THE SALARY THAT WE PAY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA USE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THAT, EVERY EMPLOYEE WHO'S FULL-TIME SHOULD MAKE A LIVING WAGE.
AND TODAY, WE, WE MAY ALL BE DOING THAT TOMORROW, THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE.
SO I DID WANT TO PUT THAT, UH, WANT THAT TO BE DISCUSSED.
UH, IN FACT, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK WITH THE SALARY RANGES, IT IS.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE STILL HAVE DISCRETION, UM, THAT'S NOT REALLY DISCRETION THAT I WANT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HAVE, IS TO PAY FOLKS LESS THAN A LIVING WAGE FOR FULL-TIME JOBS.
UM, SECONDLY, UM, I WANNA, I WANNA TELL STAFF I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW QUICKLY YOU MOVED ON THIS.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD A QUICK TIMELINE AND, UH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DILIGENCE.
YOU PUT YOUR RESOURCES ON THIS.
UH, LORI, CRYSTAL, UH, LIZ, UM, WHEN YOU STARTED WORKING, IT WAS SO FAST, I DON'T THINK SOME OF US EVEN KNEW IT WAS HAPPENING ALREADY.
UM, BUT ONE THING THAT I DID FEEL AT THE TIME WAS THOSE EMPLOYEES REPORT TO US.
IT IS OUR NAME ON THOSE, ON THOSE PAYCHECKS, AND IT'S REALLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO WALK THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UH, IN FACT, IF WE HAD MORE TIME, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT OURSELVES PERSONALLY, RIGHT? HAVE THE CONSULTANT REPORT TO US.
UM, SO I ADVOCATED FOR THE FORMATION OF THIS, UH, COMMITTEE THAT WOULD OVERSEE, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS.
SO I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR, UM, TAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION.
AND FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, UH, WHEN WE FORMED THAT COMMITTEE, I THINK IDEALLY I WOULD'VE WANTED THE OUTSIDE ENTITY TO DO BOTH THE INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS THE SALARY COMPARISONS.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIME LIMIT, WE HAD STAFF, UH, DID THE INTERVIEWS AT FIRST, AND THEN WE HAD SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE DO THE COMPARISONS.
AND I CAN SEE WHERE COUNCILMAN TRIVIO IS COMING FROM, BECAUSE THAT CONSULTANT DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION FIRSTHAND.
HE DIDN'T INTERVIEW OUR STAFF.
UM, SO I CAN SEE THE DISCONNECT.
ALL, IT ALMOST BACKFIRED,
UM, ONE THING THAT WE DID LEARN, WHEN HE CAME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, I TOO THOUGHT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE GOING TO INCLUDE COMPENSATION, UH, THE OTHER TYPES OF COMPENSATION AT THE TIME, LIKE, LIKE BENEFITS.
UM, WE ASKED HIM IF IT WAS INCLUDED, AND HE SAID, I, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD'VE DONE THAT FIRST BEFORE LOOKING AT, AT SALARIES.
THAT'S ACTUALLY MUCH MORE HELPFUL IN RECRUITING AND, AND RETAINING PEOPLE.
UM, I'M PARAPHRASING WHAT HE SAID, BUT I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT WE HADN'T DONE THE, THE BENEFITS COMPENSATION.
UM, THE OTHER THING I LEARNED FROM HIS WORK IS THAT HE LOOKED AT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH OF THESE JOBS IN ORDER TO SET THE FLOOR FOR THE SALARY.
SO, UM, FOR INSTANCE, ONCE YOU TAKE OUT THE, REQUIRES A BACHELOR'S OR REQUIRES X YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, THAT RANGE STARTED MUCH LOWER.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT WE HAD THAT WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANNA START THE RANGES LOWER, AND WHEN IT CAME TO CONSTITUENT SERVICES, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S BO WHO, UM, WHO JUST STARTED, BUT HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND THEN THERE ARE, UM, CONSTITUENT SERVICES STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS, WELL, MAYBE NOT 20 YEARS, BUT FOR A LOT OF YEARS AND COME AND BRING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO COMPENSATE ALL OF THAT, THAT VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE AND STAFF WITH US.
UM, SO, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, FOR LORI, COULD YOU REMIND ME WHAT IS THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR COUNCIL? UM, OFFICE SALARIES? NOT ANY OF THE BENEFITS, BUT THE SALARY.
THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 ADOPTED BUDGET IS 375,007.
THAT'S JUST FOR THE AIDES, NOT THE COUNCIL MEMBER, CORRECT.
[02:30:01]
CORRECT.AND, UM, ON TOP OF THAT, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE A MATCH FOR, UM, CAN, CAN YOU EL CAN YOU WALK THROUGH WHAT THOSE BENEFITS ARE RIGHT NOW? SURE.
SO THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES, UH, FUNDING FOR PAYROLL, TAXES, HEALTH, UH, PARKING, UH, A MATCH ON AN I R A MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO WE'RE EACH ADDING 79,000, AND SO THAT WOULD BE, WE CAN PUT THAT INTO THE 3 75, BUT SOME OF THAT MAY ALSO HAVE TO GO TO TAXES OR TO THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.
IS THAT HOW IT WOULD WORK? OKAY.
AND, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, THERE ARE 3 75 IS THE BUDGET FOR EVERY COUNCIL OFFICE, CORRECT.
AND THE BUDGET, UH, WAS $870,000.
SO IF I DIVIDE THAT BY 10, THAT'S $87,000 PER OFFICE, BUT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS 79, IT WOULD INCLUDE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS WELL.
UM, AND IS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE BUDGET? WHAT, WHAT'S THAT? IT'S, UH, 3 370 5,000.
IT'S THE SAME FOR THE, UH, SALARIES.
UM, SO, UH, I GUESS JUST BEFORE WE PUT THIS ON, UH, ON AN AGENDA, THE INFORMATION I WOULD LIKE IS, UM, THAT BROKEN OUT BY, UM, EXACTLY WHAT LINE ITEM, UH, WOULD INCREASE.
SO BASICALLY THE BUDGET FOR OUR, FOR OUR OFFICE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME RECOMMENDATION ABOUT SETTING A FLOOR FOR A LIVING WAGE FOR ALL COUNCIL AIDES.
AND, UM, AT THIS POINT, I, I REALLY DON'T, UH, SUPPORT SETTING A CAP.
I THINK THAT'S ALSO UP TO, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UM, LORI, I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE HARD WORK YOU DID.
UH, AND ANDY AND LIZ, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU BEING THERE TO HELP US WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LEGAL QUESTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, BEN, WITH THE FINANCIAL QUESTIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT WE HAD A GOOD COMMITTEE AND I THINK WE WORKED TOGETHER WELL.
AND I THINK WE CAME UP WITH A, A GOOD PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ADDRESSING, UH, THE SALARY CONCERNS.
BUT I TOO, UH, RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR LOOKING BEYOND THE SALARIES, BUT ENSURING THAT THE BENEFITS ARE, ARE ON PAR WITH WHAT, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES WOULD EXPECT FOR BENEFITS SHOULD THEY COME TO WORK FOR THIS CITY, EVEN IF THEY'RE WORKING IN OUR OFFICES.
AND I REALIZE THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK.
UH, BUT I THINK ALL OF US RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU GO TAKE A JOB NOWADAYS, YOU DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE PAY, YOU LOOK AT THE BENEFITS, PARTICULARLY HEALTHCARE, BUT, UH, TO, UH, ADDRESS EVEN LONG-TERM SECURITY, RETIREMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE WHO WORK ON SOME OF OUR STAFFS WHO HAVE WORKED FOR THE CITY THROUGH A CITY COUNCIL OFFICE, OR NOT WORKED FOR THE CITY, BUT WORKED THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY FOR SIX YEARS, EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS.
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF REAL RETIREMENT SECURITY BASED ON A 4 0 1 K.
UH, YET ALL THE OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT KIND OF SECURITY.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE, UM, UNANSWERED AREA THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.
BUT I THINK WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
BUT I WANNA ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT SEVERAL OF MY COMMITTEE, UH, SEVERAL OF OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, CONCERN ABOUT SETTING LIMITS OR CONCERN ABOUT QUALIFICATIONS OR, OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, CHART, LORI, THAT LAYS OUT ALL OF THE PAY SCALES AND QUALIFICATIONS, I BROUGHT THIS UP IN COMMITTEE, BUT WE DIDN'T COME TO ANY DETERMINATION ON IT.
AND THAT IS THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE QUALIFICATIONS LISTED AS AS REQUIRED.
AND I KNOW THAT IF THOSE WERE THE QUALIFICATIONS WHEN I CAME TO WORK, NONE OF MY STAFF WOULD'VE WORKED FOR ME.
AND MOST OF 'EM COULDN'T WORK FOR ME.
NOW, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THIS, THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY THINK I HAVE THE VERY BEST STAFF THEY'VE EVER HAD IN DISTRICT NINE, BUT I COULDN'T HIRE 'EM BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CHANGE.
AND SO I WANNA RECOMMEND AN AMENDMENT, UH,
[02:35:01]
TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WOULD CHANGE THE WORD REQUIRED TO RECOMMEND IT SO THAT WE AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MORE FLEXIMA FLEXIBILITY.AND ALSO, I THINK IT WOULD NOT DETER PEOPLE FROM APPLYING.
'CAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY THIS IS REQUIRED, IT JUST SAYS IT'S RECOMMENDED.
AND THAT MAY HELP PEOPLE WHO THINK, WELL, I'VE GOT THE EXPERIENCE, OR I'VE GOT THE ENERGY.
I'VE, I'VE GOT THE WILL TO REALLY DO THIS JOB, AND I'D JUST LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INTERVIEW.
BUT IF IT SAYS REQUIRED AND YOU DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT, YOU MAY NOT EVEN GET THAT CHANCE.
SO YOU MAY WALK AWAY AND WE MAY MISS SOME GOOD PEOPLE.
SO, UM, I PROPOSE THAT AMENDMENT TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE STAFF HAS BROUGHT FORWARD, AND I MAKE A MOTION TO THAT.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A BRIEFING AND STAFF WILL BRING BACK, UM, ACTION COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO, SO I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION WHEN WE COME, WHEN IT COMES BEFORE COUNCIL, UNLESS THE STAFF TAKES THE ADVICE FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT CHANGE THEMSELVES.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BENEFITS AND REON CONTINUING THIS AD HOC, BUT ERIC, LORI, I KNOW THAT YOU LORI, UM, HAVE TO WORK AT THE NEW PAY STRUCTURE FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR CHARGES BY THE CITY COUNCIL DURING THE BUDGET, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES WHO, WHO ARE IN LIMBO ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEXT YEAR'S PAY RANGE.
SO HOW IS THIS GOING TO, DO WE KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ADJUST TO BE ABLE TO DO BOTH OF THESE THINGS? 'CAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE, UM, MONUMENTAL TASK FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
THAT WAS MY QUESTION, AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR REMEMBERING THAT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN, IN THE OFFICE, BECAUSE THAT IS A PRIORITY IS TO WORK ON THE STEP PAY PLAN REVISIONS FOR NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
BUT FORTUNATELY, I HAVE, UH, AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER MY BENEFITS AREA.
SO I'M LOOKING AT KIND OF SWAPPING OUT STAFF SUPPORT ON THIS PROJECT.
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH BOTH PROJECTS.
YOU'LL GET TO SEE, YOU'LL GET TO MEET A DIFFERENT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ON THE NEXT PHASE.
ANYTHING ERIC? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WE'RE GOING TO GET IT DONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, UM, THAT IS THE LENGTH OF OUR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO, UM, OUR AD HOC COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL, UH, GET TO WORK.
UH, AND THANK YOU TO OUR STAFFS AS WELL.
I, I PARTICULARLY WANT TO THANK MY STAFF FOR WORKING VERY HARD EVERY SINGLE DAY, UM, TO MAKE THE WORK OF
[Executive Session]
OUR CITY GO.SO, UM, WE ARE NOW GONNA MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I KNOW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE FILING INTO THE CHAMBERS.
UH, FOR OUR CEREMONIALS, WE'RE GONNA BE SLIGHTLY LATE BECAUSE THIS PAST SESSION JUST, UH, LASTED LONG.
UH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT HERE BEFORE FIVE 30.
UH, SO IF Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK, GET SOMETHING TO DRINK, NOW'S A GOOD TIME.
BUT WE ARE GONNA COME OUT, UH, AND AS EXPEDITED, EXPEDITED A MANNER AS POSSIBLE.
TIME IS NOW 4:54 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2020.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY TO DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH HER ATTORNEY.
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACT LANGUAGE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS LEGAL OPTIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND TO DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT, EVALUATION AND DUTIES OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
IT'S QUITE OFTEN REQUIRED IN THIS CHAMBERS.
UM, THE TIME IS NOW 5:32 PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2020.
CITY COUNCILS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[Ceremonial Recognitions]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US IN OUR CEREMONIALS.LOTS TO CELEBRATE AS WE GEAR UP FOR THE FIRST OF A NEW DECADE.
AND OUR FIRST ITEM IS TO CLOSE UP THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE MAYOR'S LIGHTUP DOWNTOWN AWARDS.
THE NINTH ANNUAL MAYOR'S LIGHTUP DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY LIGHTS CONTEST
[02:40:01]
WINNERS WILL NOW BE RECOGNIZED.BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMPETED FOR THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST HOLIDAY DELIGHT DISPLAY.
THE GOAL OF THE CONTEST WAS TO CREATE AN ILLUMINATED VIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN SKYLINE AND SHOWCASE THE HEART OF THE CITY TO LOCALS AND VISITORS FOR UNIQUE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS, C P SS ENERGY, W A I AND SAN ANTONIO LIVING THE SAN ANTONIO CURRENT AND AMAZING MARKETING GROUP, A M G.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE DECORATING CONTEST.
IT WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS YET.
SO NOW LET'S RECOGNIZE THE 2019 AWARD WINNERS.
AND THE FIRST IS THE MAYOR'S CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST OVERALL DISPLAY CATEGORY, WHICH GOES TO SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY MUSEUM.
REACH, COME ON UP IF YOU'RE HERE.
AND THAT SHOULD BE REPRESENTED BY, UM, GLORIA CARMONA.
IS GLORIA NOT HERE? OKAY, WE'LL GO ON.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE OF BEST LIGHTING DISPLAY OF A STOREFRONT FOR SMALL BUSINESS GOES TO OFFICE SOURCE LIMITED.
AND THEY ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY BY KAY HERIG.
SO COME ON OUT, YOU'RE CAPTURED.
OKAY, THE NEXT AWARD GOES TO THE MAYOR'S CHOICE OF BEST LIGHTING DISPLAY OF A BUILDING ALAMO DOME, REPRESENTED BY PATRICIA AND STEVEN ZITO.
THE NEXT AWARD IS THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE OF BEST LIGHTING DISPLAY OF A BUILDING AND C P S ENERGY'S CHOICE FOR GREENEST TO LIGHTING DISPLAY UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM.
ROBERT B. GREEN CAMPUS, REPRESENTED BY ANITA MARTIN AND LENNY KIRKMAN.
COMING UP, THE NEXT AWARD IS THE MAYOR'S CHOICE AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE CATEGORIES FOR BEST DELIGHTING DISPLAY OF A STOREFRONT.
AND THIS GOES TO WHATABURGER, REPRESENTED BY KIM
[02:45:01]
HARLEY, SIDNEY, MONDO, RACHEL, ALEX, ANDREA, AND NANCY.THEY WIN EVERY YEAR BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYONE.
THE MAYOR'S CHOICE AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE OF BEST HOTEL GOES TO HILTON, PALACIO DEL RIO, MR. BE, COME ON UP.
HE SAID HAMBURGERS, WE NEED TO SHARE.
WE'RE NOW, WE'RE THE MAYOR'S CHOICE AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE FOR BEST USE OF SPACE GOES TO TRAVIS PARK, REPRESENTED BY JENNIFER FARAGA, BRANDON LOGAN, AND LIZ BUR.
AND THE MAYOR'S CHOICE FOR BEST NONPROFIT GOES TO THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO REPRESENTED BY HOPE ROTH AND JENNIFER, SEE THE, THE MAYOR.
MAYOR, IT WON'T BITE YOU, MAYOR.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE FOR THE BEST NON-PROFIT GOES TO FRIENDS OF SOUTHERN PACIFIC STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 7 94.
THEY'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT GO AHEAD AND, UM, YOU'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THEIR AWARD.
I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.
UM, WHATABURGER, YOU'RE ALWAYS JUST A SLAM DUNK WITH THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE.
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE OPEN 24 HOURS.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO
[02:50:01]
ALSO CONGRATULATE AND ALSO THANK THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO FOR ALSO WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH THE COORDINATED EFFORTS IN AUSTRALIA TO HELP WITH THOSE WILDFIRES.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
AND SO I AM JUST ELATED AND OVERJOYED TO SEE HOW MANY OF OUR DISTRICT TWO PARTNERS ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO PARTAKE AND RECEIVE AWARDS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR DISTRICT TWO.
THANK YOU FOR LIGHTENING THE WAY FOR DISTRICT TWO AND SHOWING THE BEAUTY THAT WE HAVE.
AND OF COURSE OUR SAN ANTONIO ZOO, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT TWO, IS THE HEART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN BRING NOT JUST TO THE CITY BUT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD LIKE MY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS ALSO REFERRED TO.
AND SO WE'RE JUST HAPPY THAT DISTRICT TWO IS DOING WHAT WE DO AND LET'S KEEP DOING IT BIGGER, BETTER, AND BRIGHTER.
ALSO, I DO WANNA URGE, UH, ROTARY CLUB CENTRO, ALL THE FOLKS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN TRAVIS PARK.
UH, YOU'VE SET A REALLY HIGH BAR DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR EFFORTS WAS SUCH A MAGICAL PLACE THIS YEAR.
AND IF WE CAN EVEN APPROACH THAT LEVEL NEXT YEAR, WE'LL ALL BE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO PATRICIA AND TO STEVE WHO DO AN AMAZING JOB AT THE ALAMO DOME.
WE, WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT YOU TWO WHENEVER WE'RE TALKING TO OTHER FOLKS FROM OUT OF TOWN ABOUT EVENTS OR BIG THINGS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE CAP IN IN ALAMO DOME, THOSE TWO ARE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
ALRIGHT, UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTH STAR BOOTS.
JANUARY 16TH, 2020 MARKS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTH STAR MALL BOOTS ARTIST BOB DADDIO WADE CREATED THE THEME TEXAS THEME SCULPTURE IN 1979 TO BE FEATURED IN AN EMPTY LOT, JUST A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON DC.
SHORTLY AFTER THE CREATION OF A BIDDING WAR, THE OWNERS OF A NORTH STAR MALL PURCHASED THE ICONIC STRUCTURE FOR $20,000, SHIPPED IT TO THE ALAMO CITY IN THREE FLATBED 18 WHEELERS AND REASSEMBLED IT IN THE CURRENT LOCATION.
IN 1980, THE BOOTS HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN COMMERCIALS GARNERED STATE AND NATIONAL RECOGNITION, AND BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A MASTER'S THESIS CONFIRMED BY THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS.
AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST COWBOY BOOTS SCULPTURE IN 2016, EACH BOOT CAN HOLD UPWARDS OF 300,000 GALLONS OF BEER JUST IN CASE ANYONE WAS INCLINED TO FILL THEM.
WADE PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 23RD, 2019, BUT IS LARGER THAN LIFE-SIZED ART WILL CONTINUE TO BE ENJOYED FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
SO IT IS HEREBY PRESENTED OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS IN RECOGNITION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF NORTH STAR MALL'S, WORLD'S LARGEST COWBOY BOOTS, THE ICONIC 35 FEET TALL NINE FEET WIDE ART CREATED BY BOB DADDY O WADE IN 1979 WAS REAFFIRMED BY THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS IN 2016 TO BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST BOOT SCULPTURE.
THE PROMINENT, THE PROMINENT BLACK BROWN AND FAUX WHITE OSTRICH SKIN BOOTS ARE KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD AND HAVE EARNED THEIR PLACE IN TEXAS CULTURE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ARE PROUD TO CELEBRATE THE MILESTONE OCCASION AND OFFER BEST WISHES FOR MANY MORE YEARS OF ENJOYMENT.
ALRIGHT, OUR THIRD CEREMONIAL ITEM IS A PROCLAMATION FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR MARCH.
UM, THIS MONDAY THE SAN ANTONIO M L K JUNIOR COMMISSION WILL HOST THE ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR MARCH ON MONDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2020.
NEARLY 300,000 PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE THREE MILE JOURNEY THAT WILL BEGIN AT 10:00 AM AT THE M L K FREEDOM BRIDGE AT 3,500
[02:55:01]
M L K DRIVE AND ANNETTE PITTMAN SULLIVAN PARK AT 1101 IOWA STREET.THE ALAMO CITY IS HOST TO ONE OF THE LARGEST MARCHES IN THE UNITED STATES.
A COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WILL BE HELD IN THE PARK IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MARCH.
SO I'D LIKE TO CALL FORWARD DR.
KEELEY PETTY AND THE COMMISSION TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION, WHICH I'LL READ NOW, WHEREAS THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIANS WILL COME TOGETHER ON JANUARY 20TH, 2020 FOR THE DR.
MARCH TO KEEP ALIVE THE SPIRIT OF DR.
KING AND HIS CRUSADE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
KING DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE AMERICAN PROPOSITION THAT WE AS A PEOPLE HAVE ACHIEVED AND CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE.
KING ADMONISHED THAT IT IS FAR BETTER TO LOVE THAN HATE SEEK JUSTICE RATHER THAN REVENGE AND REFRAIN FROM ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ANY PERSON, GROUP, RACE OR RELIGION.
AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JANUARY, A VARIETY OF OTHER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OR SCHEDULED AT VARIOUS LIBRARIES, COLLEGES, AND UNIVERSITIES, MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, AND PLACES OF WORSHIP THAT WILL HONOR ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST REVERED CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MONDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2020 TO BE DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY, TAKE A PICTURE.
UM, WHO GOES? YOU GUYS GO FIRST.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? I WANTED TO SAY TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S 91ST BIRTHDAY.
HE WOULD'VE BEEN 91 YEARS OLD.
I WANNA, UH, THANK OUR DISTINGUISHED MAYOR, UH, RON BERG BERG, THE BEAUTIFUL COUNCILWOMAN, UH, JADA, ANDREW SULLIVAN, AND ALL OF THE OTHER COUNCILPERSONS WHO ARE LIVING THEIR DREAM.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL SUPPORT TO, UH, SUPPORTING WHAT WE DO ON BEHALF OF MARTIN LUTHER KING'S VISION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT THIS CITY HAS THE LARGEST MARCH IN THE NATION.
THAT IS SOMETHING CERTAINLY TO CELEBRATE.
MANY THANKS TO OUR COMMITTEE PERSONS, UH, WHO SERVE ENDLESSLY, WHO ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
THESE WHO STAND HERE WITH US, WHO ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB TO MAKE THE MARCH BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER EACH YEAR.
WANNA MENTION AND, UH, SAY THANKS TO THE YOUTH WHO DESIGN OUR ARTWORK EVERY YEAR.
UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE MENTION, UM, ABOUT YOUTH BEING INVOLVED IN THIS DREAM, HELPING THEM TO DREAM AND DO REALLY INCREDIBLE THINGS IN LIFE.
I WANNA CLOSE MY THOUGHTS BY SAYING, UH, A QUOTE FROM DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING IS SO APPROPRIATE, QUOTE, HE SAID, WE MAY HAVE ALL COME IN ON DIFFERENT SHIPS, RIGHT? ALL OF US CAME IN ON SOME KIND OF SHIP FROM SOMEWHERE HE WENT ON TO SAY, BUT WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT NOW.
AND THAT IS, UH, DEMONSTRATIVE OF WHAT SAN ANTONIO DOES IN ITS COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP, UH, TO KEEP THIS DREAM ALIVE.
LET'S KEEP DREAMING AND MAKE THE DREAM EVEN BIGGER.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
SO, UM, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I GOT MY START IN THE SAN ANTONIO CITY GOVERNMENT REALM, FIRST AND FOREMOST WITH THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
UM, THE PEOPLE THAT STAND BEHIND ME DON'T STAND JUST BEHIND ME.
UM, WHEN I WENT IN, I WENT IN THIS LIKE, WHERE DO WE START? HOW DO WE BEGIN? WHAT DO WE DO? AND TO HAVE THE THEME THIS YEAR, BE DREAM, BELIEVE, UNITE AND DO TRULY REFLECTS EXACTLY WHAT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
STOOD FOR, WHAT THIS COMMISSION STANDS FOR, AND WHAT WE AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUOUSLY DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
I HONESTLY KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, THE WORK THEY CONTINUE TO DO, YOU CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE WHERE THEY START AND WHERE THEY END.
AND TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS AS THE LARGEST MARCH IN THE NATION.
AND THAT IS WHAT THIS TEAM DOES.
AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[03:00:01]
ALWAYS HAVING MY RIGHT, MY LEFT, MY FRONT, MY BACKUM, THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOWHERE ELSE TO HANG IN THERE AND HANG ON TO.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU.
I AM SO ELATED TO BE YOUR COUNCILWOMAN, BUT I'M MORE OVERJOYED TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS CONTINUOUSLY DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN VERAN, THANK YOU, UM, COMMISSION MEMBERS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING TO THIS POINT.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ALREADY BECAUSE I KNOW OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR THIS YEAR, ALREADY PUT IN THIS YEAR.
AND I KNOW EVERYONE IS WITH BATED BREATH WAITING FOR.
OKAY, HOW'S IT GONNA GO? WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? WHAT'S GONNA GO ON? UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS MY PLEASURE TO AND HONOR TO WALK IN THIS MARCH.
YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING I WAS, UM, IN A MEETING AND I WAS SITTING WITH, UM, ERIN AT A PIERCE AND SPEAKING WITH HER ABOUT THE, ONE OF THE FIRST MARCHES THAT WE ALL HAD AND HOW ROSA PARKS WAS HERE AT OUR MARCH.
AND SHE WAS THERE HERE SHE WAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO MARCHING.
AND IT WAS FROM THERE THAT YOU COULD HAVE BUILDING AND BUILDINGS SORT OF WITH 30,000.
UM, AND IT'S MORE THAN JUST A MARCH.
WE ARE LIVING OUT THE LEGACY AND THE DREAM.
WE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF THE DREAM OF WHAT NOT JUST DR.
HAD, BUT EVERYONE WHO FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAD AND STILL HAS MOVING FORWARD.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS THIS PAST FRIDAY AT THE LUNCHEON WAS, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CELEBRATING THE LEGACY, IT'S ABOUT CONTINUING TO DO AND TO TAKE ACTION ON THE DREAM, AND THAT WE STILL NEED TO MAKE THOSE STEPS, UM, TOWARDS THE DREAM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST SUMMER I WAS IN WASHINGTON, DC WITH MY MOM AND GOING TO THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND BEING ABLE TO SEE RIGHT THERE ON THE STEPS OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, THEY HAVE IT ENGRAVED NOW OF WHERE HE STOOD AND WHERE HE GAVE THAT SPEECH THAT IS JUST SO MOVING.
AND YOU SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD GOING TO THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND ALL STOPPING THERE AND JUST STANDING IN THAT SAME PLACE.
AND HOW WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AND A DUTY TO CONTINUE TO LIVE AND WORK TOWARDS THAT DREAM, THAT DREAM OF NON-VIOLENCE, THAT DREAM OF EQUITY, THAT DREAM OF UNIFYING OUR, UM, OUR NATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR LIVING IT AND BEING IT, AND TAKING ACTION STEPS.
AND TO SOME OF HIS QUOTES, HE HAS SO MANY OF HIS ARTICLES AND I KEEP ONE OF HIS BOOKS IN MY, IN MY OFFICE OF WHY WE CAN'T WAIT.
UM, HIS BOOK THERE AND THE URGENCY OF NOW AND EVERY DAY IS THE URGENCY OF NOW AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND I LOOK AT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE TERM LIMITED IS IN OUR COUNCIL POSITIONS, BUT THERE IS EVEN MORE SO AN URGENCY OF NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS IN STORE, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO LIVE OUT THE PURPOSE TO OUR CALLING.
SO THANK YOU FOR LIVING OUT THE PURPOSE TO YOUR CALLING AS WELL.
AND ALL THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE ALL ALSO GONNA BE ABLE TO BREAK THOSE CYCLES OF POVERTY THAT WE NEED TO BE RELEASED FROM.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIE GOAN, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
THANKS FOR COMING HERE THIS EVENING.
AND IT'S GREAT TO RECOGNIZE Y'ALL AND WORKING THIS AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MARCH AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GRO WAS SAYING.
IT IT, IT COMES TOGETHER AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION AND PUTTING TOGETHER ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, EVENTS FOR THIS WHOLE DREAM WEEK.
SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM IN UNCOVERING A LOST CEMETERY UP ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE, THE HOCKLEY CEMETERY.
AND WE PUT THIS, WE PUT THIS LITTLE FUNCTION TOGETHER AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE JUST A FEW PEOPLE SHOWING UP, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR HERITAGE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE DAYS AND LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PARTICULARLY THE BLACKS ELEMENTS AROUND SAN ANTONIO.
AND IT WASN'T JUST IN THE EAST SIDE.
THEY WERE ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO AND THIS PARTICULAR, UH, CEMETERY WAS LOST.
AND HE DID THE RESEARCH AND FOUND IT AGAIN.
AND WE HAVE UNCOVERED IT, WE'VE CLEARED IT, IT'S VERY VISIBLE.
AND GUESS WHAT, WE HAD OVER 120 PEOPLE
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AT THAT EVENT.AND IT, IT WAS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND NOT ONLY FROM DISTRICT 10, THEY WERE FROM ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO.
SO IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT EVENT.
AND AS I TOLD THOSE FOLKS THAT ATTENDED, I SAID, THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, IS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND CULTURES AND HOW WE'RE LIVING TOGETHER TODAY, AND HAVE REALLY THANKFUL FOR OUR BLESSINGS, WHAT WE HAVE TODAY BASED ON WHAT THEY DID BACK THEN.
SO, UH, I I REALLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, I DID HAVE ANOTHER THING THAT I WENT TO LAST NIGHT.
I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO VISIT WITH THE ORIGINAL, SOME OF THE ORIGINAL MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM WRITERS AND JUST LISTENING TO SOME OF THOSE STORIES.
AND I CAN RELATE TO SOME OF THOSE STORIES BASED ON, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF OLD MYSELF.
UH, SO WE, WE SHARED STORIES AND VIGNETTES LAST NIGHT AND THAT WAS REALLY COOL AS WELL.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MARCH, IT'S ABOUT ALL THESE EVENTS COMING TOGETHER AND BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DO AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON MONDAY.
I READ THAT IN THE PAPER, SO THANK YOU.
IT'S A TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF TODAY'S RECOGNITION.
THE FACT THAT SAN ANTONIO HOSTS THE LARGEST M L K MARCH IN THE NATION IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION.
KING QUOTES, AND ONE I TRY TO LIVE BY EVERY DAY IS IT THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY OUR OBLIGATION, BUT OUR DUTY TO ONE ANOTHER TO HELP EACH OTHER SUCCEED AND ENCOURAGE COMPASSION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I WANNA ALWAYS BE THE LARGEST, UH, M L K MARCH IN, IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY.
I THANK THE MAYOR AND MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN PRESENTING THIS PRO PROCLAMATION AND I'M HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS AS WE CELEBRATE THE LEGACY THAT IS.
COUNCILMAN KABE HDA, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR PURAM, THANK YOU TO THE M L K COMMISSION.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ALL DO EVERY YEAR, AND YOU'LL ALWAYS DO SUCH A GREAT JOB.
I'M VERY PROUD OF, UM, SERVING YOU, UM, AND ADVOCATING FOR YOU AND SAYING THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS THE LARGEST MARCH.
AND SO EXCITING TO SEE THAT WE GO, UH, YEAR AFTER YEAR AND TRY TO OUTDO OURSELVES RIGHT AS SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S REALLY YOUR WORK.
UM, I I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, LET YOU KNOW I WILL NOT BE PRESENT ON MONDAY AT THE MARCH BECAUSE MY COUSIN PASSED AWAY IN HOUSTON AND WE THINK THE SERVICES ARE SUNDAY AND MONDAY IT'LL BE CONFIRMED, BUT I MORE THAN LIKELY WILL NOT BE THERE, BUT I WILL BE THERE IN SPIRIT AND I THINK SOME OF MY STAFF WILL BE THERE AS WELL.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE THE TIME TO SAY THAT, UM, DREAM WEEK, UH, I'VE, I'VE HAD MY PEN ON ALL WEEK AND I'VE HAD MY PEN AND PROMOTING, UM, THE EVENTS AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME REALLY COOL THINGS GOING OUT THERE.
UM, I DROVE BY THE Y M C A, UH, THE OTHER DAY AND THEY WERE ANNOUNCING ONE OF THE EVENTS.
SO GOOD JOB ON THE MARKETING FOR THE EVENTS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL NEXT YEAR.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE ON MONDAY.
UH, THIS IS A FIRST YEAR THAT MY SON, WHO IS NOW SIX YEARS OLD, UM, SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND, UH, A FEW THINGS.
AND HIS SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE THERE AS A SCHOOL, SO I'LL HAVE TO DECIDE IF I LET HIM GO WITH HIS SCHOOL OR IF I KEEP, UH, HIM WITH ME UP, UH, UH, AS WE MARCH.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, REMINDING US OF THE HISTORY AND KEEPING IT ALIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO.
AND, AND I'LL CLOSE, UH, ALSO I'LL CLOSE ALSO BY REITERING MY THANKS.
UM, I KNOW THIS IS A YEAR-ROUND EFFORT FOR YOU AND, AND THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF WORK.
UH, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT WORK.
LIKE ALL THE OTHERS, THERE'S REASONS TO MARCH.
UH, WE'RE REMINDED OF THEM ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, WE SEE 'EM ON TV, WE SEE, WE READ 'EM IN THE PAPER.
AND SO AS WE TAKE THOSE STEPS, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE MARCHING FOR A LARGER CAUSE.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RECORDS THAT WE SET.
BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ JUST SAID, BUT FOR ME IT'S BEEN PERSONAL.
UH, I'VE TAKEN MY SON EVERY YEAR THAT HE'S BEEN BORN EVERY YEAR.
AND UH, LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR HE COULDN'T GET ON MY SHOULDERS ANYMORE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT A 10 YEAR OLD ON MY BACK, BUT, UM, BUT HE'S 11 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, IT'S FUN TO SEE THE CHILDREN GROW UP MARCHING AND THEY GET OLDER.
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YOUNG MAN.UH, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE MARCH TO TEACH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
AND, UH, I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE COMMISSION'S MISSION IS DOING JUST THAT.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON MONDAY.