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THE TIME IS 1:05 P.M. ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 2026 2026.
THIS SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. THANK YOU. THIS MEETING WILL BE A DISCUSSION ON FY27 PROPOSED BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND REVENUES.
ERIK, OVER TO YOU. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THE FIRST BUDGET WORK SESSION TODAY SESSION TODAY WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE OVERALL REDUCTIONS IN REVENUES THAT WERE PROPOSED AS -- REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE PROPOSED AS OF LAST WEEK'S PROPOSED BUDGET. FREDDIE'S GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HERE TO ANSWER FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL THE REDUCTIONS AND READJUSTMENTS AT ONCE RATHER THAN KIND OF DISBURSE IT THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF PRESENTATIONS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO COVER ALL THOSE ISSUES TODAY TODAY. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO FREDDIE, JUST A REMIND REMINDER MADE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE BUDGET WORK SESSION AND TOMORROW'S WORK SESSION WILL BE FOCUSED ON THOSE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT THE COUNCIL ASKED ABOUT LAST THURSDAY. THAT WILL BE TOMORROW'S BUDGET WORK SESSION. AND YOU'LL GET THAT PRESENTATION LATER ON THIS
AFTERNOON. FREDDIE? >> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FREDDIE MARTINEZ.
I AM THE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO FOCUS AS THE MANAGER SAID ON REDUCTIONS IN REVENUES INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. THIS PRESENTATION WILL FOCUS ON GENERAL FUND.
I DID WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO MATERIALS THAT WE'RE HIDING OUT, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ALL THE REDUCTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND REVENUE FUNDS AS WELL AS THE REDUCTIONS FOR GENERAL FUND AND RESTRICTED FUNDS.
AND THEN A LIST OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED UNDER THE DELEGATE AGENCY CONTRACTS. WE'LL START WITH JUST A REVIEW OF THE BUDGET THAT WAS PROPOSED LAST THURSDAY BY THE MANAGER.
AS YOU RECALL THE TOTAL BUDGET IS 4.4 BILLION MADE UP OF 1.76 BILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND. 1.2 BILLION IN RESTRICTED FUNDS SUCH AS THE AIRPORT, SOLID WASTE AND DSD AND FINALLY 1.4 BILLION IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
ABOUT 61% OF THAT IS GOING TO BE THE AIRPORT, WHICH IS PRIMARILY MADE UP OF THE TERMINAL EXPANSION PROJECTS SUCH AS TERMINAL C, WHICH IS IN FULL CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY. THEN THERE'S ALSO 2022 BOND PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN THAT $1.4 BILLION NUMBER AS WELL. WE'LL START OFF WITH THE REDUCTIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND. AS YOU RECALL IN THE PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, WE ARE INCLUDING $89.6 MILLION OF GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS OVER TWO YEARS.
AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION WE'VE CATEGORIZED THEM INTO THREE BUCKETS, SO TO SPEAK. SO THE FIRST BUCKET WOULD BE EFFICIENCYIES, WHICH COME IN AT ABOUT 27 MILLION OR ABOUT 30%. TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, WHICH ARE 23.4 MILLION OR ABOUT 26%, AND FINALLY, REDUCTIONS WITH AN IMPACT, WHICH TOTAL WILL 39.3 MILLION OR 44%. SO IN TOTAL THOSE ADD UP TO THE 89.6. THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE REDUCTIONS BY DEPARTMENTS IN THE GENERAL FUND, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE GENERAL FUND DO HAVE A REDUCTION. THE HIGHEST ONE WOULD BE PUBLIC WORKS AT 8 MILLION, BUT KEEP IN MIND MOST OF THAT IS THE TRANSFER OF THE STREET MAINTENANCE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET. IN THESE SLIDES IT WILL TALK
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ABOUT SOME OF THESE LIKE POLICE, FIRE, SOME OF THE OTHER REDUCTIONS THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING TODAY. I'LL START FIRST WITH TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, WHICH TOTALS ABOUT 14.7 MILLION. THE BIGGEST PIECE IS SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING TRANSFERRED FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET. 7.3 MILLION OF THAT IS THE STREET MAINTENANCE ELIGIBLE FOR CAPITAL BUDGET AND THERE ARE ANOTHER COUPLE OF POSITIONS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE PAID OUT OF THE BOND PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CAPITAL BUDGET. NEXT WE'RE REDUCING THE TRANSFER TO THE RESILIENCY ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY FUND OR OTHERWISE REES.THERE'S NO IMPACT TO RATIONS THERE AS THE FUND BALANCE DOES HAVE A BALANCE TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS WITHOUT A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND IN FY27.
YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF PIES THERE THAT TOTAL UP TO FOUR MILLION.
THESE ARE HOUSING DOLLARS THAT ARE MOVING FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO RESTRICTED FUNDS FOR MINOR REPAIRS RELATED TO HOUSING INCENTIVE INCENTIVES.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 800,000 ROUGHLY AND 10 POSITIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE COMMUNITY NUTRITION AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM.
AND FINALLY, WE'RE DIRECTING THREE ELIGIBLE POSITIONS FROM THE PARK FUND OVER TO THE TREE CANOPY FUND, WHICH ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE SERVICES TO BE PAID OUT OF THE TREE CANOPY FUND. NEXT I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME EFFICIENCYIES.
TOTAL IN THE 27 PROPOSED BUDGET IS $11 MILLION. THESE [INDISCERNIBLE] OF $2.8 MILLION. ONE AND A HALF MILLION OF THIS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH A LINE ITEM REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENTS BUDGET OFFICE TO IDENTIFY SAVINGS BASED ON HISTORICAL SPENDING. IN EACH OF THE GENERAL LEDGERS ACCOUNTS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND. WE ALSO DID SOME OTHER RIGHT RIGHT-SIZING OF 700,000 AND WE ALSO MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO REDUCE TRAVEL, EDUCATION AND TEMPORARY SERVICES TO RIGHT- RIGHT-SIZE THOSE LINE ITEMS AS WELL.
NEXT, COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS, WHICH IDENTIFY 3.2 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS FOR FY27, INCLUDING THE CBR THIS YEAR INCLUDED THE POLICE, FIRE, HUMAN SOURCES, MUNICIPAL COURT AND LIBRARY. ONCE STAFFING EFFICIENCY WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE LIBRARY FOR A LITTLE OVER 900,000, WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE 39 POSITIONS ■ACROSS17 LIBRARY BRANCHES. THIS IS DUE TO 161% INCREASE IN DIGITAL CIRCULATION AND 40% DECREASE IN PHYSICAL -- EXCUSE ME, 161 IN DIGITAL AND 40 DECREASE IN PHYSICAL CIRCULATION SINCE 2019. THIS RESULTS IN THIS OPERATIONAL NEEDS FOR SHELVING AND CIRCULATION SUPPORT. ANOTHER 300,000 WAS IDENTIFIED IN MUNICIPAL COURT DUE TO A SHIFT RESTRUCTURE AND THE DUPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICE WHICH LED TO THE REDUCTION OF THREE POSITIONS POSITIONS. AND THEN AS PART OF THE CBR AN ADDITIONAL TWO MILLION WAS IDENTIFIED IN THESE DEPARTMENTS AS PART OF THE LINE REVIEW ANALYSIS DONE WITH THESE DEPARTMENTS. OTHER DEPARTMENT EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCIES TOTAL 5 MILLION 5 MILLION. THIS INCLUDES 2.9 MILLION IN OVERTIME FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OF WHICH 1.4 MILLION IS BEING USED TO ADD EIGHT UNIFORM OPERATIONS AT THE TRAINING DEEM AND FOR RECRUITMENT AND APPLICANT PROCESSING.
THERE'S ANOTHER 1.5 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS PROPOSED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT'S BEEN ACHIEVED THROUGH MODIFYING AND MANAGING AND MONITORING OF THEIR POLICIES POLICIES. 600,000 FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE RESTRUCTURE OF THE CRIME SCENE UNIT AND THE REDUCTION OF SIX VACANT SUPPORT POSITIONS. THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES 500,000 IN REDUCTIONS FOR THE FLASHING STOP SIGNS AND THE RADAR DETECTION SIGNS. AND THERE'S ABOUT A MILLION AFFECTING FIVE POSITIONS, SUCH AS ELIMINATING PARKS CLASSES WITH ZERO ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE, IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY EFFICIENCYIES AND REDISTRIBUTE IS DEUCE TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS. NEXT WE'LL TALK ABOUT REDUCTIONS WITH SOME IMPACTS IMPACTS. OF THESE POLICE, HUMAN SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION, ACCESS, MAKE UP ABOUT 12.2 MILLION OR ABOUT 78% OF THESE REDUCTIONS.
THESE WOULD BE PRESENTED ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE OTHER 2.4 MILLION. THE CITYWIDE REDUCTION YOU WILL SEE HERE IS FOR THE HIRING FREEZE THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED CURRENTLY AND ANTICIPATED TO GO INTO FY27. WE ANTICIPATE THESE SAVINGS BY HOLDING VACANT NON- NON-CRITICAL POSITIONS ACROSS THE GENERAL FUND. CRITICAL POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE EXEMPT INCLUDE ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS, 311 AND 911 CALL TAKERS AND DISPATCHERS. MUNICIPAL COURT AND ARRESTEE PROCESSING POSITIONS AND OTHERS. I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE A VACANCY REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT MEETS WEEKLY AND WE REVIEW ALL THE VACANCY REQUESTS FROM EACH DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE HAVE A BIWEEKLY MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO RELEASE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS. YOU WILL SEE ON THE SIDE
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THERE'S ALSO 450,000 TO ELIMINATE THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IMPACTS ABOUT 226 EMPLOYEES ANNUALLY. THERE'S ALSO A 210,000 REDUCTION TO THE NHD, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING. AND WHAT THIS DOES IS ELIMINATE 10 IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS BUT CONTINUES FUNDING TO HAVE ONLINE RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC RESOURCES FOR PROTEST INFORMATION.YOU ALSO SEE WITHIN CODE ENFORCEMENT SERVICES 130,000-DOLLAR REDUCTION WHICH REDUCES TWO POSITIONS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT TEAM, WHICH PERFORMS PROACTIVE SWEEPS ACROSS THE CITY THE IMPACT HERE WOULD REDUCE THE SWEEPS FROM 2 TO ONE IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS. THE FOUR MAJOR SWEEPS BEING DONE AND SUPPORT BY OTHER STAFFING WOULD REMAIN. ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON THE CITY, IT COULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CASES BY 45%. FINALLY ON THIS I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REDUCTION, WHICH WOULD BE A REDUCTION IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRESERVATION'S CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT PROGRAM.
THE EXISTING CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICTS WOULD REMAIN, BUT WORK ON FUTURE DISTRICTS WOULD BE SUSPENDED OR ELIMINATED. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND FOR REDUCTIONS WITH IMPACT WE'VE IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF $4 MILLION, $3.3 MILLION OF THAT IS OVER OVERTIME EXPENSES REDUCTIONS REDUCTIONS. 1.5 MILLION IS IN DISTRICT OVERTIME WHICH IS USED TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM STAFFING LEVELS, ADEQUATE SUPERVISION AND SPAN OF CONTROL.
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR PATROL SHIFT HOURS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED INTO THREE PRIMARY SHIFTS RATHER THAN FOUR HISTORICALLY STAFFED SHIFTS, RESULTING IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE OVERTIME EXPENSE IN THIS AREA. SOME POTENTIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE REDUCING SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS USED FOR PROACTIVE INITIATIVES, PROPOSING NONESSENTIAL TRAINING AND DISPLACING SUPERVISORS AT TIMES.
THERE'S ALSO ONE MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS GOING TO OFFSET AND REDUCE OVERTIME IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AND THAT WILL BE FUNDED BY ALAMODOME REVENUES FOR THE BIG EVENTS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE AT THE ALAMODOME.
SO ALAMODOME REVENUES WILL PAY FOR THOSE TRAFFIC CONTROL OVERTIME FOR THE EVENTS AT THE DOME. THERE'S ALSO A 560,000-DOLLAR VOLUNTARY RETURN OVERTIME REDUCTION. NOW, THIS IS USED TO AUTHORIZE OFFICERS TO RETURN TO DUTY FOR AN ASSIGNMENT. THE DEPARTMENT ANTICIPATES TO ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH DIRECT SUPERVISION, CLOSE MONITORING OF CASE STATUSES AND STRATEGIC CASE ASSIGNMENTS TO ENSURE BALANCED WORKLOAD. POTENTIAL IMPACTS HERE IS IT COULD STRAIN ON-DUTY RESOURCES WHICH COULD EXTEND NON-ARREST CASES, COULD REDUCE SOLVABILITY FACTORS AND [INDISCERNIBLE] INVESTIGATIONS MORE EFFICIENTLY. ALSO INCLUDED AS PART OF THE 3.3 MILLION IS 100,000-DOLLAR REDUCTION SPECIAL INITIATIVE OVERTIME, WHICH IS USED TO COVER POLICE OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO CURRENT CRIME TRENDS AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS. SHOULD AN INCREASE IN SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL INITIATIVES ARISE, IT COULD CAUSE A DOWNSTREAM SHORT-TERM DECLINE IN NON- NON-EMERGENCY CALL RESPONSES RESPONSES. THE NEXT REDUCTION THERE IS A PUBLIC NOTIFICATION SOFTWARE, 822,000. CURRENTLY THERE'S 140,000 INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE THOSE NOTIFICATIONS. OF THOSE, 11,000 INDIVIDUALS ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING TEXT UPDATES ON CASES. THE PLAN IS TO TRANSITION TO AN ALTERNATIVE MESSAGEING SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER AVENUES TO CONTINUE OFFICER OUTREACH TO CRIME VICTIMS AND THE PUBLIC. THERE ARE 2.7 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS THAT IMPACTS WITHIN THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
2.2 MILLION IS FOR THE SAN SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS WHICH PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE FRESHMAN THROUGH SENIORS. THE AVERAGE IS BETWEEN 300 TO 700 PER SEMESTER DEPENDING ON THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE TABLE THERE THE IMPACT BY DISTRICT FOR 2025 IS ABOUT 3300 STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED HERE. THE NEXT THING HERE IS THE PROPOSAL TO CLOSE THREE OF THE PART-TIME NUTRITION CENTERS AND REDUCE SIX POSITIONS. THIS WAS PART OF THE FY25 COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEW AND THE REASON IT'S BEING RECOMMENDED TO CLOSE THESE SITES IS THE LOW AVERAGE DAILY AND HIGHER GARNER, SOUTH SAN AND HARLANDALE PRIOR BRIAR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SOUTH SAN SIDE HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS RENOVATI THOSE PARTICIPANTS ARE CURRENTLY VISITING THE MEMORIAL CENTER AND WE WILL WORK WITH THE OTHER TWO, THE
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WILLIE CORTEZ AND THE SENIOR CENTER RESPECTIVELY. NEXT IS PARKS AND RECREATION WITH TOTAL REDUCTIONS OF 2.4 MILLION. THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS THE PROPOSED REVENUE INCREASE IN THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL FEE FROM TWO DOLLARS TO 2.25 A MONTH, WHICH CREATES ELIGIBLE COSTS AND POSITIONS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL FUND. THERE'S ALSO A PROPOSED 200,000-DOLLAR INCREASE TO THE FUNDING TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS WHICH IMPACT THEM BY DECREASING SOME OF THEIR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES. THIS WOULD REDUCE THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION FROM 1.2 MILLION CURRENTLY TO 1 MILLION IN '27.AND THEN THERE'S UNTIL ANOTHER $209,000 FOR REDUCTIONS WHICH WOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS PARK OPERATIONS YOU, BUT IT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SUPPORT PARK EVENTS FROM 103 TO 77. THE RESPONSE TO PARK SERVICES REQUESTS WOULD REMAIN AT 82% COMPLETED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.
FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE WE ANTICIPATE THAT REDUCTION OF THAT ONE BUILDING MAINTENANCE POSITION WOULD REDUCE THE ON TIME COMPLETED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS FROM 78% TO 75%. NEXT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT 1.9 MILLION.
THERE'S JUST SHY OF 400,000 INCLUDED FOR FOUR POSITIONS. IMPACTS TO THIS WOULD INCLUDE ELIMINATING THE [INDISCERNIBLE] PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS RESTAURANTS AND ALSO CURRICULUM FOR DIABETES AND COMMUNITY NUTRITION. THERE'S ANOTHER AUDIO] POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT. NO LONGER PRENATAL GROUPS.
IT WOULD END THE PROGRAM FOR MORTALITY PROGRAMS. THE INITIATIVES HAVE NOT STARTED. AND IT WOULD ELIMINATE THE MINI GRANTS TO EMPLOYERS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. FROM FY26 WE TRANSITIONED TO COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH WORKER CAPACITY BUILDING TO THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION.
WE HAVE 356,000 FOR FOUR VACANT POSITIONS. MOST OF THOSE DUTIES WOULD BE REASSIGNED WITH NO -- WITH MINIMAL IMPACT TO SERVICES.
ONE THING THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN DASHBOARD WOULD BE DELAYED A BIT TO THE SUMMER OF 2027. WE ALSO HAVE A LITTLE OVER 300,000 AND THREE POSITIONS FOR THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THAT WOULD DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND TRAINING AND REDUCE INTERNAL REPORTING FROM MONTHLY TO QUARTERLY.
THE DEPARTMENT WILL STILL PROVIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT FOR ACCREDITATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, 180,000 IN ONE POSITION FOR THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL.
THIS WOULD END STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE COUNCIL, MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL, AND IT'S FIVE SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEIR INITIATIVES. THE PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES THE COMPLIANCE AND OPPORTUNITY ACCESS OFFICE. THE FOLLOWING AREA WOULD BE MOVED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS SO THERE WOULD BE FIVE POSITIONS WITHIN DISABILITY ACCESS DIVISION THAT WOULD BE MOVED TO PUBLIC WORKS. TWO LANGUAGE ACCESS POSITIONS AND THE RELATED CONTRACT DOLLARS WOULD BE MOVED TO COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT. AND TWO POSITIONS, ONE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND ONE FOR IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS, WOULD BE MOVED TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
EIGHT POSITIONS IN THE FAIR ACCESS OFFICE WOULD BE ELIMINATED UNDER THE PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO CITY DEPARTMENTS ON REMOVING BARRIERS TO CITY SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT TOOL WILL BE ELIMINATED.
NEXT WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW AND ADJUSTED FEES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL FUND PROPOSED BUDGET BUDGET. OVERALL BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS IT'S 30.4 MILLION, 14.4 MILLION IN FY27 AND 16 MILLION IN FY28.
THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO ADJUST.
OF THE 14.4 MILLION, 10.2 OR 71% ARE CONSIDERED SERVICE FEES, MEANING THAT RESIDENTSS WILL NOT BE CHANGED THIS FEE UNLESS THEY USE THAT PARTICULAR SERVICE.
THERE'S ALSO A 2.9 MILLION IN REGULATORY FEES TO COVER THE COST OF THINGS SUCH AS ENFORCEING RULES, INSPECTIONS AND MAINTAINING OVERSIGHT FOR CERTAIN INDUSTRIES AND ACTIVITY. THERE'S ALSO 600,000 INCLUDED FOR FINE ADJUSTMENT ADJUSTMENTS AND PENALTIES AND THEN ANOTHER 700,000 FOR VARIOUS PERMITS THROUGHOUT THE GENERAL FUND. THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WE'RE PROPOSING 4.9 MILLION IN NEW REVENUES. OF THESE, APPROXIMATELY 3.7 MILLION ARE RELATED TO
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TOWING FEES, WHICH INCLUDE ABOUT 2 MILLION TO INCREASE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY TOW FEE FEES TO THE STATE MAXIMUM AND IMPLEMENTING A 25-DOLLAR PROPERTY ADMINISTRATIVE FEE FOR THE SYSTEM. THIS ALLOWS POLICE TO IDENTIFY WHERE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN TOWED AND THEY CAN INFORM THE TOWING COMPANY.TO INCREASE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INITIATED TOLL FEES TO THE STATE MAXIMUM.
ANOTHER 509,000 FOR IMPOUND AND STORAGE FEES. AND ALSO AN INCREASE TO THE ONLINE AUCTION FEE THAT WOULD INCLUDE 133,000. YOU ALSO SEE HERE A PIECE FOR E CITATIONS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE DEPLOYING 60E-CITATION DEVICES AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WITH THOSE EFFICIENCYIES AND THAT PROCESS WE ANTICIPATE THAT FINES WOULD PICK UP ABOUT 500,000. OTHER REVENUES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE POLICE PROPOSAL ARE THINGS SUCH AS THE FIREARM RETURN FEE.
THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS TO SOME ALARM FEES SUCH AS COMMERCIAL, FIRE AND ROBBERY ALARM FEES AS WELL AS AN IMPLEMENTATION OF A LATE ALARM FEE.
AND THEN SOME OF THOSE OTHER ONES ARE GOING TO BE -- THERE ARE SOME FEE ADJUSTMENTS FOR FEES THAT WE CHARGE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR USE OF THE FACILITYIES AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEW AND ADJUSTED REVENUE TOTAL IS 5.1 MIDDLE. 2.4 MIDDLE IN EMS TRANSPORTS FOR 2027. THIS WOULD RAISE THE FEE FROM $1,500 PER TRANSPORT TO $1,700 PER TRANSPORT. KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE AMOUNTS FOR THESE EMS TRANSPORTS, APPROXIMATELY 71 71% ARE PAID BY COMMERCIAL INSURANCE.
THREE PERCENT ARE SELF PAY AND THE OTHER 26% IS PAID THROUGH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS. THERE WOULD ALSO BE AN INCREASE IN THE AID FEE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE TREATMENT BUT DON'T GET TRANSPORTED TO A HOMELESS.
THERE'S ALSO A FEE THAT WOULD GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 300,000.
THIS IS A FEE TO PRIVATE ASSISTANT LIVING FACILITYIES, NURSING HOMES AND INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITY FACILITIES FOR NON-EMERGENCY LIFT ASSISTANCE CALLS.
WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING TO INSTITUTE A FLAT MEDICAL SUPPLY 42 FOR THE COST OF TRANSPORT AND THAT'S FOR THE USE FOR SUPPLIES FOR MEDICAL CALLS.
THERE'S ALSO APPROXIMATELY 200,000 TO ADJUST HAZMAT FEES, WHICH ARE PERMITS RELATED TO THE HANDLING OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. I SHOULD NOTE THIS DOES NOT RAISE THE INTRODUCTORY FEE OF 150. THAT IS GOING TO REMAIN THE SAME, IT INCREASES SOME OF THESE OTHER -- THE ONES ABOVE THAT TIER.
THERE'S ALSO 1.8 MILLION FOR DEVELOPER FEES SUCH AS FIRE INSPECTION, SCHOOL INSPECTIONS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PERMITS THAT ARE OFFERED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, BUT ARE CONDUCTED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT MONEY IS PAID INTO THE DSD FUND AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND MONTHLY. WITHIN OUR NON-PUBLIC SAFETY NEW REVENUES OF 4.4 MILLION WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A LIBRARY NON-RESIDENT CARD FEE. THE CARD FEE WOULD BE $20 ANNUALLY FOR CARD HOLDERS THAT ARE RESIDING OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS. THERE'S ALSO 700,000 FOR FIESTA COST RECOVERY. THIS WOULD INSTITUTE A COST RECOVERY PROGRAM WITH THE PARADE SUCH AS THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, THE FIESTA FLAMBEAU AND THE RIVER PARADE FOR EVENTS SUCH AS MARKET SQUARE AND OTHERS TO RECOVER COSTS FOR POLICE OVERTIME THAT ARE USED FOR THOSE EVENTS. THE OTHER REVENUES INCLUDE ADJUSTMENTS TO LIKE -- TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, LICENSES AND FEES, SOME HISTORIC PRESERVATION SEIZE FEES AND OTHER REVENUES. YOU WILL SEE A 400,000-DOLLAR PROPOSAL FOR PARK FEES. NEED WOULD BE FEES TO INCLUDE THE RENTAL OF PAVILIONS, ADJUSTMENT TO GYM RENTALS AS WELL AS SPORTS FIELDS.
THERE'S ALSO 400,000 THAT WOULD BE GENERATED FROM WASTE HAULER PERMITS COLLECTED BY SOLID WASTE AND TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.
THERE'S 700,000 IN CODE ENFORCEMENT REVENUES WHICH WOULD INCLUDE INCREASES TO FEES FOR THE PROACTIVE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM, METAL AND USED RECYCLEING LICENSES AND GARAGE PERMITS AMONG OTHERS. YOU ALSO SEE A 300K PROPOSAL FOR FOOD INSPECTIONS FOR MOBILE FOOD UNITS AND THEN A 300,000-DOLLAR REVENUE FEE FOR THREE PERCENT CREDIT CARD FEE THAT WOULD BE INSTITUTED IN FY27.
SO WITH THAT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. AS ERIK MENTIONED, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS PRESENTED TO HELP ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS
AS WELL. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: GREAT.
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COLLEAGUES, PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE REMARKS HERE.FREDDIE, A COUPLE OF GENERAL QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE RUN DOWN OF THE -- OF ALL OF THE REDUCTIONS AND REVENUES. THE REDUCTIONS PIECE, THOUGH THOUGH, AND MAYBE YOU WILL LAY THIS OUT AS WE GO DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT, BUT MY ASK TO REALLY HELP US UNDERSTAND THE CUMULATIVELY EFFECTS OF SOME OF THESE REDUCTIONS OVER TIME SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S LEFT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND EVEN SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS WE'RE PROVIDING EVEN NOW VERSUS FIVE YEARS AGO OR THREE YEARS AGO. IF YOU'RE SEEING A REDUCTION OF 30%, 50%, IT REALLY DOES RAISE THE SAVINGS AS A RESULT OF TAKING THOSE VACANCYIES THAT ARE UNFILLED, SOME FILLED. AFTER YOU DO THIS EXERCISE, HOW MANY POSITIONS, HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS DO YOU HAVE LEFT?
>> APOLOGYIES, I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT TO YOU. >> I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
OBVIOUSLY AS WE'RE BUDGETING ACROSS THE TWO YEARS, YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO NEXT YEAR AS WELL WELL. CONSIDERING HOW MUCH SAVINGS THERE IS SOME THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS I ALSO DID ASK FOR ON THE DEVELOPER FEES, I KNOW THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WAS ONGOING WITH THE STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDERS, BUT HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR CAPACITY WAS FOR THOSE INCREASES, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE INCREASES, WHERE DOES THAT PUT US AND HOW DO WE FARE IN TERMS OF COMPETITIVENESS WITH OTHER ■LARGE CITIES ARE WE STILL SHORT, ON PAR WITH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA? IN THAT'S HELPFUL TO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, GO AHEAD AND ANSWER IT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
>> SO WE ARE STILL COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER CITIES.
WITHIN DEVELOPMENT FEES. >> MELISSA RAMIREZ, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. YES, WE DID DO SOME COMPARISONS THROUGH OTHER CITIES AND WE DID SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN UPDATEING THEM OF THOSE FEES. IN THOSE COMPARISONS WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE LOWEST IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CITIES AND WE
WERE LOOKING AT AUSTIN, CORPUS CHRISTI, DALLAS,. >> ELLIS:, FORT WORTH, HOUSTON, AND WITH THAT THIS IS FOR -- EL PASO, FORT WORTH, HOUSTON, AND WITH THAT WE ARE PROCESSES THAT ARE LOWER AND WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH
YOU ON THAT BREAKDOWN. >> MAYOR JONES: I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I THINK MAYBE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE ALSO EXPECT EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER ADDITIONAL REVENUE AS A RESULT OF RAISING SOME OF THOSE FEES, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MAY EVEN BE SOME ADDITIONAL HEAD ROOM BASED ON WHAT THE OTHER LOCALS ARE LO CROSSING KALES KALES KALE OTHER. I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME HEAD ROOM IN LIGHT OF THE OTHER THINGS BEING IMPACTED.
>> WE DO HAVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE DID
MEET WITH. >> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. THE THING IS I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT OUR FEE IS IN RELATION TO AUSTIN, HOUSTON, DALLAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THESE ARE REGULATORY FEES FEES, SERVICE FEES, THINGS
OF THAT NATURE. >> MAYOR JONES: HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE US AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF PRIVATE DEBT OWED TO THE CITY, YOU CAN DO THAT NOW OR --
>> WE CAN DO THAT. WE'LL GET THAT FOR YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU.
>> PRIMARILY, MAYOR, THE GENERAL FUND IS GOING TO BE DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAXES AND THEN WHEN WE DO THE HOTEL-MOTEL, WE'LL UPDATE YOU ALL.
YOU WILL REMEMBER WE HAD DELINQUENTS ON THE HOTEL- HOTEL-MOTEL SIDE AND WE MADE PROGRESS IN THAT AREA AND WE'LL DO THAT WHEN WE DO CONVENTION CENTER, ALAMODOME
AND ARTS AND CULTURE. >> MAYOR JONES: APPRECIATE THAT.
THANKS. THIS ONE IS A PARTICULARLY BIG ONE.
MAYBE IT'S ACTUALLY FOR ANDY TO ANSWER. BUT I'D REALLY WELCOME UNDERSTANDING KIND OF THE IMPACT ANALYSIS AS A RESULT OF ELIMINATING THE COMPLIANCE OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS OFFICE. IF YOU WANTED TO DO THESE, LET US KNOW. I KNOW THESE ARE THE BIG PICTURE, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE CUTTING AND ADDING. THE INTENT IS TO DRILL DOWN ON THESE WHEN YOU DO YOUR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT BRIEFING, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO -- STRUCTURE THAT PIECE, ERIK? >> GO FOR IT NOW, ANDY.
>> MAYOR, I THINK WE HAD DR. MO YOU SOME INSIGHT. BUT JUST AS A REAL QUICK
[00:30:06]
OVERVIEW, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS TO THE CITY IN TERMS OF ALL THE VARIOUS EXPERTISE THAT THAT OFFICE PROVIDES TO ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE AS WE DELIVER CITY SERVICES WE IDENTIFY WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED AND TO DELIVER SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS IT WILL HELP INDIVIDUALS OVERCOME CHALLENGES OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES. SO THAT'S JUST A REAL QUICK OVERVIEW, AND I'LL ASK DR.DR. MATA TO GIVE MORE INSIGHT. >> THANK YOU, ANDY.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL COUNCIL. AS ANDY HAS STATED, THE LOSS OF THIS DEPARTMENT WOULD REMOVE THE CENTRALIZED HUB FOR DEPARTMENTS THAT LOOKS AT ACCESSIBILITY AND THE REMOVAL OF BARRIERS CITYWIDE CITYWIDE.
SO GIVEN THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE AND GIVEN THAT OUR VULNERABLE RESIDENTSS ARE THE MOST AFFECTED, I THINK IT IS OUR DEPARTMENT THAT IS REALLY AT THE FOREFRONT. I WILL ADD GIVEN THE FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PIVOT AND KEEP THE WORK GOING SO I'M VERY PROUD OF MY DEPARTMENT FOR DOING THAT THAT. AND I DO WELCOME ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> MAYOR, I WILL EMPHASIZE THAT UNDER THE RESTRUCTURE REST WE DO HAVE THE LANGUAGE DISABILITY MOVING THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THEN THE OTHER ACCESSIBILITY GOING TO PUBLIC WORKS. BUT IT'S A FAIR ACCESS OFFICE PRIMARILY THAT WILL PROBABLY BE LOSING, INCLUDING SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT THE RESULTS-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT TOOL WAS DEVELOPED BY
DR. MATA'S TEAM AND SO THAT PROBABLY WOULD GO AS WELL. >> MAYOR JONES: YEAH.
I SAW ALSO THE TWO POSITIONS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S THE POSITIONS, RIGHT, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE EXPERTISE, LIKE THE FOLKS THAT ARE TRAINED IN THIS, HAVE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE. SO I KNOW THE FUNCTION IS GOING TO PUBLIC WORKS, BUT
HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE IS STILL THERE? >> RIGHT.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I WILL ADD THAT THE FAIR ACCESS OFFICE, OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE ACROSS THE BOARD, ANDY MENTIONED EARLIER THE PAT, THEY HAVE WORKED WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENTS. AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS WORK IS THAT IT IS INTEGRATEIVE. THEY DO MEET WITH ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS BUT AS THEY MEET WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS THEY ARE ALL LOOKING AT THE OTHER DIVISIONS THAT ARE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND WE BRING THAT TO THE TABLE AS WELL.
AS TO HOW THAT WILL FUNCTION FUNCTION, I THINK RBA, RESULTS BASED ACCOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTABILITY, RIGHT NOW IS PICKING UP ON SOME OF THAT MOMENTUM BECAUSE IT IS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING? HOW WELL ARE WE DOING IT AND WHO ARE WE SERVING? I THINK THESE QUESTIONS ARE HELPING US TO MEASURE IMPACT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH STAFF POSITIONS THAT ARE CERTIFIED WITH RBA, THAT WOULD BE TO THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY.
>> AND AGAIN, TO ADD ON TO DR. MATA'S RESPONSE, MAYOR, I DO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE SAME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DOING THE WORK WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO DO THAT WORK BOTH IN PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNICATIONS AND TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
>> MAYOR JONES: THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, FREDDIE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MOVING PIECES. ONE, I UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT IN WHICH THERE IS A BUDGET DEFICIT AND WE DO HAVE TO TAKE THE APPROACH OF REDUCTIONS.
HOWEVER, A COUPLE OF AREAS WHICH GIVE ME PAUSE ARE PRIMARILY THE REDUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT AND THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.
I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS WITHIN MY OFFICE RELY ON AND RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AND I THINK AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO NAVIGATES THIS DEFICIT THAT WE OWE IT TO CITY EMPLOYEES TO CONTINUE TO BE THAT TOP TIER EMPLOYER AND I KNOW THAT'S A MISSION AND VISION THAT CITY MANAGEMENT SHARES, BUT I'D LIKE FOR US TO RECONSIDER HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE BENEFITS TO CITY EMPLOYEES.
I UNDERSTAND THE REDUCTION IN THE TRAVEL BUDGET. I KNOW MY TEAM AND I WHEN I AM TRAVELING I WAS ASKED FOR A SCHOLARSHIP TO ENSURE THAT I'M DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH OUR LIMITED RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO THAT THE LIBRARY STAFF. I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS DURING OUR LAST BUDGET OVER OVERVIEW A QUESTION AND A POINT, RATHER, RAISED BY ONE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE MENTIONED HOW OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE PAZ SAN LIBRARY FOR EXAMPLE WAS CLOSED AND IF WE KNOW THE AVERAGE CIRCULATION RATE WITH THE LIBRARIES THAT WERE
[00:35:01]
RECENTLY CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION, HVAC MAINTENANCE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND WHAT -- ARE WE ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE REDUCTIONS BECAUSE OF THE CLOSURE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE LIBRARYIES LIBRARYIES IN TE THE OVERALL REDUCTION INCIRCULATION? >> SO COUNCILMEMBER, UNDER THAT CBR REVIEW THEY DID TAKE INTO FACTORS ANY TYPE OF CLOSURE AND ANY TYPE OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE THAT WAS HAPPENING SO THEY TOOK THE LAST 12 MONTHS OF ACTUAL FULL-TIME OPENINGS OF THE LIBRARY. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SEE IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY ARE EXACTLY RIGHT AND
WE HAVE TAKEN ALL THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION. >> CASTILLO: I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH SOME OF OUR PTA PARENTS AT RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIGHT NEXT TO BA A ZAN LIBRARY THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A LIBRARIAN WITHIN THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE PARENTS ARE ASKING HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THE LAS PAL MASS COMMUNITY TO GET OUR STUDENTS TO GO TO THE LIBRARY TO ACCESS RESOURCES. AS OUR SCHOOLS ARE NAVIGATE NAVIGATING A REDUCTION IN LIBRARY STAFF OR THEY'RE BEING ZEROED OUT IN SOME CAMPUSES, LIKE RODRIGUEZ, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR YOUTH WHILE OUR ISDS ARE EXPLORING THOSE CUTS AND REDUCTIONS. AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND IDENTIFYING WHERE WE CAN HAVE REDUCTIONS, BUT MY CONCERN IS WE'RE SEEING LIBRARY STAFF WITHIN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM REDUCED TO ZERO AND I THINK THERE'S JUST SO MUCH VALUE WITHIN OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM. I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, BUT AS I SHARED THE LAST TIME, THEY SERVE AS COOLING CENTERS, WARMING CENTERS.
IT'S WHERE INDIVIDUALS GO TO MAKE COPIES, GET CONNECTED TO HOT SPOTS, SO ON AND SO FORTH. THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT HUBS BEYOND CHECKING OUT A BOOK, RIGHT? AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S STAFF AVAILABLE WHEN CONSTITUENTS HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A RESOURCE. AGAIN, I MENTIONED OF THE LAST TIME TOO, MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, THE LIBRARY IN PARTICULAR, FOLKS AREN'T NECESSARILY CHECKING OUT A BOOK, BUT THEY ARE PULLING BOOKS FROM THE SHELVES, SITTING, READING, PUTTING IT BACK. SO THERE IS CIRCULATION, NOT NECESSARILY CHECKING OUT THE BOOK. AGAIN, THAT TAKES EMPLOYEES TO GO MAKE SURE THE BOOK IS PLACED BACK WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO AND IF THERE'S QUESTIONS, NAVIGATEING -- HOW TO APPROPRIATELY PLACE A BOOK BACK.
SO I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE TAKING ALL THESE IMPORTANT PIECES IS INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE NAVIGATE MOVING FORWARD WITH A PRETTY LARGE REDUCTION TO OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH ALL CITY ORGANIZATIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE SCHOOL LIBRARIANS. WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH OTHER YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS SO WE HAVE BEEN HOLISTICALLY LOOKING INTO ALL THESE THINGS.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME CUTS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIANS SO OUR LIBRARIANS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP AND ASSIST. AND REGARDING THESE CUTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SHELVING BOOKS AND STUFF, SO WE WORK WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INNOVATION DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT PRE PRECOVID IN 2019 AND THEN WE COMPARE OUR 2025 STATS THAT THE HANDLING OF OUR PHYSICAL MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE CHECKING THOSE IN, IS 40% LESS. EVEN THOUGH OUR CIRCULATION IS-- PHYSICAL CIRCULATION IS 18 PERCENT DOWN SINCE 2019, BUT HANDLING OF THAT PHYSICAL MATERIAL IS 40% LESS. SO WE CONSIDER THAT, AND THAT'S WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE HOLISTIC APPROACH. WE CONSIDERED EVERY SINGLE BRANCH LOCATION. WE LOOKED AT LIKE HOW MUCH STAFF THEY HAVE, WHAT THEIR WORKLOAD IS AND THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE ON THESE POSITIONS.
>> CASTILLO: I APPRECIATE THAT. I'D LIKE AN OFFLINE BRIEFING JUST TO WALK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT LIBRARY BREAKUP OF CIRCULATION AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY TEAM HAS REQUESTED FROM SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF THE WORKLOAD IN OUR DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY JUST TO UNDERSTAND.
WHETHER I UNDERSTAND IT'S FROM CODE OFFICERS OR SAFE OFFICERS, THERE SEEMS TO BE HIGH USE OF CITY RESOURCES, A HIGHER NEED. IS IT AN APPROPRIATE WORKLOAD FOR A CITY EMPLOYEE WHO MAY HAVE X AMOUNT MORE CASELOAD THAN ONE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT, FOR EXAMPLE? BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AN AREA THAT'S ALSO GIVES US PAUSE IS REDUCTION IN CIP.
I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION DURING THE LAST MEETING ON WHY, BUT I
[00:40:02]
JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THAT RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE FOR US TO MEET THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE REDUCTION OF STOP SIGNS AS WELL BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ANY AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, THESE ARE THE TOP TWO AREAS, REQUEST FOR A SPEED HUMP AND WE TRY TO WALK THEM THROUGH ALTERNATIVE TRAFFIC-CALMING MEASURES, AND OF COURSE CONCERNED WITH THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY WITH OUR SAFFE OFFICERS. THOSE ARE THE TWO TWO THINGS I'M GOING TO HEAR NO MATTER WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING I'M AT. SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH STRATEGY, BUT ALL THAT TO SAY I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE CIP CONTRIBUTION.I UNDERSTAND WE'RE KEEPING THAT IN MIND BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL BOND PROPOSITIONS, BUT EXPECTATIONS MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE IS THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE WE'RE MEETING THOSE NEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW DISTRICTS THAT USE ALL OF OUR NPA AND CIP DOLLARS BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A HIGH NEED. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT RESOLUTION WE FIND THERE.
THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT THE TAX INCREMENT WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT MINOR REHAB AND HOUSING FINANCING THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH OUR CONSTITUENT TEAM CAN BE PART OF THE RESOURCES. PLEASED TO SEE THAT, I'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR RESIDENTSS THAT THERE WON'T BE A REDUCTION FOR MINOR REHAB. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. IN CASE IT'S HELPFUL FOR ANYONE ELSE, ON THE LIBRARY, SIR, BECAUSE WHILE THERE ARE SOME REDUCTIONS THAT ARE NOTED ON THE HANDY CHEAT SHEET THAT WE GOT OF ALL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN '26 AND '27, WE'RE SEEING A 2.2 2.2-MILLION-DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE LIBRARY BUDGET, FOUR PERCENT.
SO IF YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE HIGH LEVEL SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN CASE IT INFORMS
ANYONE ELSE'S COMMENTS. THANK YOU. >> THE BIGGEST PART OF THE LIBRARY'S INCREASE FROM THE '26 ADOPTED TO '27 IS THERE'S OVER 500 POSITIONS AT THE LIBRARY AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE THREE PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD.
THERE'S ALSO INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE COSTS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE JUST COMMODITY RELATED, INFLATIONARY THINGS, THE PRICE OF MATERIALS AND OTHER
THINGS OF THAT NATURE. >> JUST TO FOLLOW-UP, WE'RE ALSO ADDING MAINTENANCE AND
STAFFING FOR THE CARVEER LIBRARY THAT'S OPENING. >> MAYOR JONES: THANKS,
JUSTINA. COUNCILMEMBER GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL Y'ALL'S WORK. WE HAD OUR DISTRICT 7 BUDGET TOWN HALL YESTERDAY EVENING SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED. IT WAS A COOL EVENT.
WE HAD A LOT OF RESIDENTSS THERE WITH A LOT OF REALLY GOOD CONCERNS.
I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO WENT OVER SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS THAT WAS CURIOUS ABOUT -- THAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT. I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S PRESENTATION BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I'M ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO PROPERTY TAX INCREASE SO I KNOW THESE CUTS ARE HARD, BUT WE'RE GOING TO -- WE NEED TO DO THEM SO WE DON'T PUT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON TO OUR RESIDENTSS. I DID WANT TO FOCUS TODAY ON SOME REVENUE CHANGES.
I KNOW IN THE PAST I HAD BEEN PUSHING FOR INCREASING SPEEDING TICKETS.
IT'S SOMETHING I MENTIONED AGAIN AT OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT.
I KNOW IT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS AND WE CAN'T GO CHARGING AN ARM AND A LEG FOR SPEEDING TICKETS, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FURTHER EXPLORE HERE BECAUSE RESIDENTSS HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY'RE SPEEDING THROUGH ALL OF OUR 10 DISTRICTS. SO HOW CAN WE DISINCENTIVIZE THAT BEHAVIOR WITH HIGHER SPEEDING TICKET? IF WE CAN COME BACK WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, ON WHAT WE CAN DO LEGALLY WHAT WE CAN DO AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME TOO KIND OF SET THE PROPER BEHAVIOR IN OUR CITY, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS AND IT'S ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH COUNCILWOMAN TERI CASTILLO ON, IS VACANT LOT CLEANUP FEES. YOU KNOW, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE INCREASE, BUT TO ME I THINK WE SHOULD GO A LOT HIGHER.
SO AGAIN, IT'S JUST ABOUT DISINCENTIVIZEING THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW VACANT HOUSES, R, WHETHER BUSINESS BUILDINGS OR RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, BECOME TOXIC FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IF WE CAN AGAIN DIS DISINCENTIVIZE THAT BEHAVIOR BEHAVIOR, I THINK THAT IS A
[00:45:05]
GOOD APPROACH. REALLY QUICK ON THAT FEE INCREASE, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION. DOES THAT FEE INCREASE COVER OUR COSTS WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE LABOR AND RESOURCES? RESOURCES THAT IT TAKES TO ADDRESS A VACANT BUILDING? AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE LABOR AND RESOURCES,POLICE HAVING TO GO THERE, THAT KIND OF STUFF. >>
>> SO AS PART OF THE PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION WE DO LOOK AT THE COST OF SERVICES AND TRY TO RECOVER UP TO 100 100% OF THE COST OF SERVICES SERVICES. GRANTED, THERE ARE SOME FEES AND OTHER REVENUES WE'RE CHARGING THE FULL 100% COST RECOVERY WOULD BE AN IMPACT TO POPULATIONS THAT CAN'T AFFORD THOSE KIND OF FEES. WE LOOK AT THAT AS WELL. MOST OF THE ONES THAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY, ACTUALLY ALL OF THE ONES YOU'RE SEEING TODAY THERE WAS A COST RECOVERY ANALYSIS DONE TO DETERMINE. THE OTHER THING IS MAKE SURE WE DON'T OVERCOST RECOVER. IF THERE'S A FEE, IT'S EASY TO SAY RAISE THIS FEE THIS AMOUNT, BUT IF IT'S COVERING MORE THAN THE COST OF SERVICES WE'LL KEEP IT AT
THAT 100%. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THESE VACANT BUILDINGS COSTS OUR POLICE OFFICERS' TEAM, OUR FIREFIGHTERS' TIME TIME. ACTUALLY IN DISTRICT 7 THERE WAS A FIRE NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT STARTED IN A VACANT HOUSE AND CREPT OVER TO A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. AND THAT HAPPENS ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
SO I DEFINITELY WANT US TO FIGURE OUT AND THINK STRANGELY ABOUT HOW WE DIS DISINCENTIVEIZE SPEEDING AND VACANT STRUCTURES AND INCREASE THOSE FEES AT A TIME WHERE WE ACTUALLY NEED THE FUNDS. ALSO TOO, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I HAD HEARD FEEDBACK ON AND HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON IS THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION UNIT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO DIG IN AT A DIFFERENT TIME.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS DEPARTMENT'S SCOPE OF WORK HAS BEEN REDUCED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE TAXES HAVE DECREASED AND THE CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION LANDSCAPE. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT SPECIFIC REDUCTIONS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED FOR THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION UNIT. COULD THESE DUTIES BE SHIFTED TO OTHER STAFF OR DEPARTMENTS? AND SHOULD WE LOOK AT -- I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BUILDING INVOLVED FOR THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION UNITS, SO JUST CURIOUS ON WHAT REDUCTIONS COULD POTENTIALLY BE MADE THERE?
>> I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE LOOKED AT INCREASING FEES FOR TAXICAB PERMITS, PEDICABS, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, ET CETERA. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY WE JUST DECIDED THAT THOSE FEES WERE SET, THEY WERE COMPARABLE TO OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS.
>> GAVITO: THANK YOU. THAT MAKES SENSE. I'M NOT FLIGHTS TO TAXICABS OR PEDICABS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION UNIT ADMINISTRATION OVERALL, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONSOLIDATEED SOMEWHERE ELSE? DOES IT NEED TO BE A STANDALONE TEAM STRUCTURE?
>> COUNCILWOMAN -- SHORT ANSWER THIS IS A STANDALONE UNIT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE ENFORCEMENT OF THAT PORTION OF THE CODE IS UNDER SAPD. SO THAT UNIT HAS AN INCREASE IN MANY YEARS.
IT RUNS VERY EFFICIENTLY AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO IN THIS BUDGET. THERE IS NO REDUCTIONS RECOMMENDED.
>> GAVITO: SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, MARIA. I'VE HEARD FEEDBACK FROM SOME RESIDENTSS WHERE THEY'RE - THEY'RE SAYING THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION UNITS' FUNCTIONS ARE A LITTLE OUTDATED, RIGHT? SO ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE DOES IT NEED TO BE AT THE STAFFING LEVELS IT IS OR IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THAT AREA MORE EFFICIENT? THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ.
>> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
I WANTED TO SEE -- GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE THREE CITY PARKING RELATED REVENUE SOURCES, THE PARKING GARAGE AND SURFACE LOT FEES, THE ON STREET METER RATES AND COLLECTIONS AND THE LEASES FOR RETAIL SPACE. I NOTICED THOSE WEREN'T IN
THE REDUCTIONS AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THOSE -- >> SORRY.
CHANGING THE NAME, DOWNTOWN OPERATIONS. SO THOSE ARE IN THE PARKING FUND, SO THOSE FEES THAT WE COLLECT FOR PARKING IN CITY GARAGES AND CITY LOTS DOWNTOWN AND THE LEASES IN THOSE BUILDINGS, THOSE REVENUES GO TO THE PARKING
[00:50:03]
FUND. SO WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY REDUCTIONS IN THOSE AREAS.>> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY. THAT HELPS, THANK YOU. JUST BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE REDUCTION OF STOP SIGNS AND SPEED HUMPS, I THINK ALSO IS THERE ANY POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS? I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THE SPEEDING TICKETS, BUT I WOULD AGREE WITH THOSE CONSIDERING WE ARE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF STOP SIGNS AND SPEED HUMPS, I WOULD HOPE ON THE OTHER END WE ARE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING WHERE WE
CAN ON SPEEDING TICKETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. >> CERTAINLY HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE SPEEDING TICKET COSTS. FOR ABSOLUTE CLARITY, WE'RE NOT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SPEED HUMPS AND STOP SIGNS, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO ADD ADDITIONAL ONES WITH THAT POT OF MONEY. THERE WILL BE WARRANTED SPEED HUMPS AND STOP SIGNS PUT IN THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT THERE'S NOT AN
ADDITIONAL POT OF MONEY FOR FLASHING STOP SIGNS. >> GONZÁLEZ: BECAUSE THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL POT OF MONEY FOR FLASHING STOP SIGNS, CAN WE STILL LOOK
INTO -- >> ABSOLUTELY. >> GONZÁLEZ: THE SPEEDING TICKETS AND HOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT FEE? ON THE -- I WILL ECHO, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE WITH THE OTHER BIG CITIES BECAUSE THOSE VACANT LOTS ARE A SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR US.
THOSE ARE SMALL BUSINESSES, THOSE ARE A PROPERTY VALUE FOR US THAT I THINK WE CAN'T LOOK PAST. WHATEVER YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE THAT FEE I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL. I THINK JUST IN GENERAL AS WE CONSIDER THE FEE ADJUSTMENTS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AFFECT SERVICES WHICH HAVE THE LEAST DIRECT IMPACT ON THE CENTRAL SERVICES OUR RESIDENTSS NEED. SO ON THE 39 POSITIONS FOR THE LIBRARY STAFFING, ARE THOSE BEING MOVED WITHIN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM?
>> NO, MA'AM, THOSE WOULD BE ELIMINATED. THERE'S A PORTION OF THOSE THAT ARE VACANT, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE FILLED THERE HAVE BEEN POSITIONS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CITY ORGANIZATION FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
>> GONZÁLEZ: SO THOSE 39 ARE VACANT? >> NO, NO, ONLY A PORTION OF
THEM ARE. >> GONZÁLEZ: HOW MANY? >> I'LL GET THAT NUMBER FOR
YOU. >> GONZÁLEZ: AND I'VE GOT CODY LIBRARY AND [INDISCERNIBLE] LIBRARY IN MY DISTRICT. AND JUST SPECIFIC TO CODY LIBRARY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW ANY MOVEMENT THERE.
I SAY THIS BECAUSE I VISITED THAT LIBRARY A NUMBER OF TIMES AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY THERE ARE 90 KIDS THAT GO THERE FOR AFTER SCHOOL CARE ESSENTIALLY.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST A LIBRARY FOR FOLKS TO CHECK OUT BOOKS AND USE WI-FI.
IT REALLY IS A PLACE -- I KNOW IT'S NOT INTENDED FOR THAT, BUT IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF HAUSMAN ELEMENTARY AND CODY -- HOBBY MIDDLE SCHOOL ON BOTH SIDES.
SO BETWEEN THREE AND 5:00 YOU WILL GET 90 KIDS A DAY STOPPING IN THERE AND THAT'S WHERE THEY WILL SPEND THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. SO JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT
THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR CODY LIBRARY SPECIFICALLY. >> JUST WANT TO FOLLOW-UP THAT THERE'S 20 VACANT POSITIONS IN LIBRARY OUT OF THOSE 39.
>> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY. AND THE OTHER 19 ARE GOING OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM.
>> OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY YES. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE LIBRARY WITH OTHER VACANCYIES THAT SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS REQUEST APPLY FOR AND POTENTIALLY BE THERE, BUT THAT'S THE PLAN THUS FAR.
>> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY. >> COUNCILWOMAN, JUST TO ADD ADD, AS WE HAVE THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE FILLED IN TERMS OF PLACEMENTS WE HAVE POSITIONS FOR THOSE.
AS WE CONTINUE THE BUDGET PROCESS WE HAVE SOME OTHER VACANCYIES SO THE FINAL DESTINATION OF THOSE POSITIONS WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
AGAIN, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS WHETHER THERE ARE SUFFICIENT
POSITIONS TO PLACE THOSE EMPLOYEES. >> GONZÁLEZ: UT THOSE ARE
ALL MY QUESTIONS. >> GO AHEAD, JOHN. >> I JUST WANTED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT VACANT LOT FEES AND COMPARISON CITIES WHILE WE'RE HERE.
TODAY WE'RE 250. WE'RE GOING TO 300 WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGETS, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT OUR COMPARISON CITIES IN THE STATE, AUSTIN, HOUSTON, FORT WORTH-DALLAS AND CORPUS CHRISTI, DON'T HAVE THIS VACANT LOT ADMIN FEE THAT WE HAVE. SO THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY AN APPLES TO APPLE COMPARISON. JUST WANTED YOU TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU. >> JUST TO DO THE FOLLOW-UP, WE WILL COVER THE IMPACT BY BRANCH LIBRARY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WHILE HE'S GOING UP THERE, THE OTHER THING REGARDING SPEEDING TICKETS, YOU NOTICED IN THE THE -- IN FREDDIE'S PRESENTATION AND LAST WEEK'S PRESENTATION, WE ARE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL 60E-CITATION WITH DEVICES TO PATROL. RIGHT NOW THOSE ARE PAPER TICKETS.
THE TRAFFIC UNIT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT USES E- E-CITATION.
WE THINK THAT USING -- DISTRIBUTING THAT TOOL TO PATROL WILL MAKE THE
[00:55:01]
ENFORCEMENT OF SPEEDING A LITTLE BIT EASIER. SO THAT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT ANDALSO WHICH RELATE BACK TO SPEEDING. >> FOR CODY LIBRARY, SIX POX POXES POX POSITIONS ARE BEING IMPACTED IMPACTED.
SIX POSITIONS. >> GONZÁLEZ: ARE THOSE VACANT POSITIONS?
>> NOT ALL OF THEM ARE VACANT POSITIONS, NO. >> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY.
THANKS. >> MAYOR JONES: TO BE VERY CLEAR 39 POSITIONS IN THE MONEY YOU SAVE PER YEAR IS ALL STAFF, CORRECT? THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, PLEASE.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET A DEPARTMENT PRESENTATION BECAUSE ALL THE FIRE PEOPLE WERE HERE. SO I'M A LITTLE OFF, BUT I DO WANT TO PUT OUT MY QUESTIONS. YOU DO NOT NEED TO ANSWER THEM TODAY, BUT AS YOU COME OUT AS DEPARTMENTS, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. IF YOU COULD PLEASE IDENTIFY WHEN YOU COME GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION WHAT IS THE VACANT POSITION NOT NEEDED. SO I'M GETTING THE REDUCTIONS AND THEY'RE LIKE VACANT POSITION NOT NEEDED, SOME OF THE DESIGNATION.
AS YOU PRESENT THROUGH THESE WEEKS TELL ME WHAT'S NOT NEEDED.
THAT WENT AWAY, WE ALL KNOW THE MARCH WENT AWAY SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T NEED. THEN VACANT POSITIONS WE NEED BUT THAT BECAUSE WE'RE IN -- WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE BUDGET, WHAT ARE YOU HAVING TO FREEZE AND HIRE.
AND IF YOU CAN'T GET ME THE ANSWERS, I'LL ASK AS ME AFSCME, THE UN'MONTE, POSITIONS THAT WILL BE UNEMPLOYED AS A RESULT OF THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE ON THIS BUDGET IF WE DO NOT RAISE PROPERTY TAXES. SO I NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY IN THAT POSITION WHICH AFTER WE TAKE THIS VOTE WILL NO LONGER HAVE A JOB.
BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY AT 4.6% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, I BELIEVE, CURRENTLY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO I'D LIKE THAT. THE OTHER THING, AND ERIK, THIS IS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM, IS YOU SAY OTHER PEOPLE WILL HANDLE THESE POSITIONS. DOES THAT MEAN WE WILL BE UNDEREMPLOYED BECAUSE THEY WILL BE DOING A MANAGER'S POSITION, BUT NOT BEING PAID FOR THAT? BECAUSE I WANT US TO BE EXTREMELY CLEAR ON IF THEY WILL BE GETTING A PAY INCREASE OR STIPEND FOR DOING A JOB THAT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WITH A HIGHER POSITION WOULD HAVE DONE. THE OTHER THING IS IF YOU ARE PART OF THE GROUP OF A DEPARTMENT GETTING CUT COMPLETELY, WHICH I AM NOT A FAN OF, OR A DEPARTMENT LIKE WORLD HERITAGE WHERE YOUR LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP MEANS A LOSS OF DESIGNATION.
IF WE CUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP OR WE CUT THIS TRAVEL BUDGET, YOU LOSE THAT DESIGNATION, YOU LOSE THAT PARTICIPATION. I'D LIKE THAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. LIBRARY, THE LIBRARY NEEDS AND ROLES ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE THIS LIKE THIS IS JUST ABOUT -- LIKE THIS IS JUST ABOUT POSITIONS IN DISTRICT 3 IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, LIBRARIES FILL A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR MY COMMUNITY. AND THAT IS PROGRAMMING, THAT IS AFTER SCHOOL, SOME PLACES TO GO, THAT'S A COOLING CENTER, THAT'S A WARMING CENTER. I NEED THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT IMPACT.
AND LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO SAID, SOMETIMES IT'S THAT AFTER SCHOOL HOMEWORK PLACE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE INTERNET AT HOME OR BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A LIBRARIAN AT THEIR SCHOOL. SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
SLIDE 11, THIS ONE -- LET ME MAKE SURE IT'S NOT A DIFFERENT ONE.
I'M SORRY, THE HEALTH, THE 1.9 MILLION, THAT WAS SLIDE 11 FOR ME.
HOW DO WE DO THIS WHEN I HAVE A 20-YEAR DIFFERENCE IN MORTALITY RATE ON THE SOUTHSIDE? HOW DO WE CUT LIKE THIS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AND I'M VERY -- I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT, BUT WE HAVE WORKED FOR GENERATIONS TO GET TO THIS POINT AND PROVIDE A QUALITY OF SERVICE FOR THE RESIDENTSS OF THE CITY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE TALKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN ABOUT THE RED LINEING AND THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THE
[01:00:02]
TWO PARTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WE'RE JUST READY.1.9 MILLION OF A $4.4 BILLION BUDGET, AND THAT WORKS.
THAT'S OKAY. IT'S NOT OKAY. AND THEN SLIDE NUMBER 12 TWO TWO, GETTING AHOLD OF THE COMPLIANCE IN CONTROL ACCESS ACCESS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT EITHER. YOU CAN MOVE IT ALL YOU WANT WANT, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW YOU BECOME THE NEXT LARGEST CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU MOVE FORWARD. WHEN YOU COME BACK AND YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME, OH, THIS IS WHAT AUSTIN DOES AND THIS IS WHAT DALLAS DOES AND THIS IS WHAT -- CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THE LAST TIME THEY HAVE INCREASED THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND WHAT THEIR PROPERTY TAX RATE IS? AND WHAT THEIR AMI IS FOR THAT AREA OF TOWN? SO I APPRECIATE THAT WE NEED TO CUT, BUT WE CANNOT CUT OUR WAY OUT OF THIS DEFICIT AND WE NEED TO COME WITH THAT REALITY AND UNDERSTANDING. AND EITHER WAY OUR RESIDENTSS ARE GOING TO PAY BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT PAYING THROUGH A PROPERTY TAX VARIABLE INCREASE -- AND I KNOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE THERE SOMEWHERE BECAUSE WE HAD THEM PRESENTED WHEN COUNCILMAN PERRY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE EXEMPTIONS. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY IT IN FEES. AND I CAN TELL YOU WHERE THE BURDEN IS GOING TO LIE WITH THE FEES. IT'S GOING TO LIE ON THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLEING DAY-TO-DAY. IT'S GOING TO LIE ON THE PEOPLE THAT THE SENIORS OR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE -- DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS, MY SENIORS IN PARTICULAR WHO HAVE SOMEONE REGULARLY COME DO THEIR YARD AND HAVE THE CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES.
SO EITHER WAY THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO JUST BRING THE PROPERTY TAX RATES OF THE DIFFERENT CITIES, PLEASE, AND WHEN THEY LAST RAISED THEM AND WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY AT AND WHAT SORT OF -- IF THEY'VE MAXED OUT THEIR EXEMPTIONS ALSO, I'D LIKE THAT WITH ALL THE FEE INCREASES AS WE COME.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE -- AND THE REASON I ASKED FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE OR MOVE TO THE VARIABLE RATE IS BECAUSE I AM NOT WILLING TO VOLUNTARILY PUT ANY OF MY MORNING MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECTS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT WANT A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, PUT THOSE MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PUBLIC WORKS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK BECAUSE GOING $500,000 $500,000, $1 MILLION AT A TIME, IS NOT GOING TO GET THIS DONE.
>> MAYOR, JUST ONE FOLLOW-UP FOLLOW-UP. COUNCILWOMAN, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THOSE THINGS, BUT TO ANSWER QUESTION NUMBER TWO THAT YOU HAD, THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE POSITIONS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT ARE FILLED THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING EMT NATION, ALL OF THOSE -- ELIMINATION, ALL OF THOSE IDENTIFIED WE HAVE IDENTIFIED LIKE POSITIONS FOR THEM AND PART OF THE COMMUNICATION TO THOSE EMPLOYEES IS AS THEY MOVE IN THERE THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE IN THEIR CURRENT SALARIES. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION THAT YOU DESCRIBE WHERE WE'VE GOT SOMEONE EITHER IN A HIGH LEVEL POSITION OR A LOWER LEVEL POSITION. BECAUSE OF THE HIRING FREEZE IT'S GIVEN US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY. I WILL SAY IN ADVANCE OF TOMORROW'S CONVERSATION THE SCENARIOS THAT WE'LL LAY OUT BEFORE YOU, THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE FOR THOSE POSITIONS POSITIONS. THOSE POSITIONS WILL LIKELY BE -- WILL LIKELY NOT BE LAY LAYOFFS WE'VE TALK ABOUT THAT TOMORROW.
>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
TODAY AND ALL THE BACK END WORK THE STAFF HAS BEEN DOING.
COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS JUST FOR LATER FOLLOW-UP. ON THE HIRING FREEZE AND I THINK THE TEMPERATURE SERVICES CUTS, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THOSE, WHERE WE'LL SEE THE CUTS COME FROM SPECIFICALLY.
ON THE HIRING FREEZE IN PARTICULAR, JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND.
I THINK ERIK MENTIONED LAST WEEK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BETWEEN -- A LITTLE BIT OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOST EMERGENCY ONES OR MAYBE NOT EMERGENCY, BUT I THINK MOST CORE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE DETAILS ARE WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HIRING FREEZE IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO IMPACT.
OF COURSE WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NEED FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT HIRING FREEZE WILL LOOK LIKE IN
[01:05:04]
PRACTICE ON WHAT -- WE CAN DO THAT LATER. >> DO YOU WANT ME TO WAIT? I DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME SO I'LL ANSWER THAT AT THE END.
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. ALSO CONCERNED, OF COURSE, ABOUT THE LIBRARY POSITIONS.
CAN WE GET SOME INFORMATION INFORMATION -- I APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ' POINTS ABOUT CODY. IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN DETAIL OUT WHAT BRANCHES WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THAT IN THE BACK END, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THEN OF COURSE COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO'S POINT ON THE DATA FOR EACH ONE AND IF WE HAVE OVERTIME DATA. JUST TO HELP UNDERSTAND THAT THAT.
I KNOW TWO LIBRARIES IN DISTRICT 6, GREAT NORTHWEST AND PETRANCO ARE SOME OF THE FURTHEST POINTS IN THE CITY FOR CERTAIN COUNTY RESIDENTSS TO GO TO SO I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCULATION ARE FOR THOSE. I KNOW I ASKED LAST TIME ABOUT THE LIBRARY, UNDERSTANDING HOW MANY OF THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT CUTTING ESSENTIALLY, DUE TO OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, OTHER PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY AND WHAT PROGRAMS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY
>> GALVAN: HOW OFTEN DO THEY DO THAT WORK AT EACH BRANCH, JUST BASE I WOULD ASSUME THAT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE CIRCULATION ITSELF, WE HAVE THOSE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE ANSWERING QUESTIONS WITH FOLKS, HELPING FOLKS WITH THE INTERNET, HELPING FOLKS UNDERSTAND THE INTERNET.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE SLIDE BEING BROUGHT UP. IF YOU CAN SEND THAT OVER -- IT'S ON THE BACK END SLIDES. OKAY.
IF WE CAN SEND THAT OVER, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. ON -- OF COURSE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WANTED TO SEE HOW WE COULD MAINTAIN THAT ONE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE NEARLY 600 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR IN EDGEWOOD ALONE WHO GET THE SUPPORT TO GO TO SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE IN SCHOOL OR GOING TO START SCHOOL VERY SHORTLY, SO CUTTING THIS PROGRAM IN OCTOBER WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR BOOKS AND OTHER COST OF ATTENDANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AS WE KNOW ALAMO COLLEGES MAKE GREAT STRIDES AND OTHERS, THERE ARE THOSE GAPS WHEN THEY'RE LAST-DOLLAR PROGRAMS, THE STUDENTS HAVE TO PAY OUT-OF-POCKET TO TRY TO MEET THEIR COLLEGE NEEDS. AND IT'S ALWAYS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE. I MEAN, WE TALKED TODAY IN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE ABOUT SERVICES TO SUPPORT OPPORTUNITY YOUTH HERE IN OUR CITY, AND ALL OF THESE SCHOLARS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, THE COLLEGE ADVISORY, BUT THAT SAPD DOES, ALL WITHIN THE URBAN CORE OF OUR CITY, THAT'S WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, A LOT OF THEM LIVE IN OUR CITY. AND WE HAVE THE DATA THAT'S VERY CLEAR, THE DIRECT RESULT FROM THIS, SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO STILL ACHIEVE THESE -- OR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT ACROSS OUR CITY, I THINK THIS IS A CRUCIAL PROGRAM WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I REMEMBER WHEN THE NORTHSIDE ISD STILL HAD THE CONTRACT UNTIL RECENTLY, A LOT OF MY CLASSMATES WOULD GO USE IT, HOW TO ACCESS FAFSA, HOW TO GET IN THE PELL GRANT, IT'S JUST A REALLY ESSENTIAL PROGRAM TO HAVE, EVEN WITH ALL THE GREAT STRIDES WE'VE MADE IN HIGHER EDUCATION BECOMING MORE AFFORDABLE IN OUR CITY, THERE ARE STILL GAPS THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO ATTEND EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS THAT ARE NOT COLLEGE INCLINED, THESE ARE THE FOLKS TO GET INTO HIGHER EDUCATION. JUST A REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM I BELIEVE WE SHOULD MAINTAIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
DHS, OF COURSE, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT [INDISCERNIBLE] THIS IS ONE THEY'VE BEEN TALKING WITH MELODY AND EVERYBODY WITH DHS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE -- WELL, I APPRECIATE, FOR ONE, POTENTIALLY MOVING THOSE RESIDENTS AND THOSE ATTENDEES TO THE CORTEZ CENTER, WHICH IS NOT TOO, TOO FAR AWAY, I THINK, YOU KNOW -- I'LL LEAVE THAT ALONE FOR NOW. IT'S THE SAME ISSUE THAT I'VE RAISED FOR A LONG TIME IN THAT SPOT, IT IS A SPOT OF THE CITY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO SOME REVITALIZATION EFFORTS RIGHT NOW ON THURSDAY TALKING ABOUT WOLFF STADIUM WITH EDD WHAT RESIDENTS WANT TO SEE IN REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT WHEN IT HOVES DOWNTOWN, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
WE SEE SCHOOLS MOVING TO A DIFFERENT AREA, WE SEE THIS WHOLE STADIUM MOVING TO A DIFFERENT AREA -- USE THIS SPACE EVERY DAY AND TRY TO MAKE IT SOMEWHERE MORE LIVELY THAT YOU HAVE TO GET OUT TO. IT DOESN'T CREATE THAT FEELING THAT THIS GOING TO BE THE NEXT DESTINATION FOR THIS DISTRICT OR THIS PART OF THE CITY. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THE EVALUATION OF THE COST OF CONSOLIDATION BETWEEN THIS ONE AND BETHEL DOWN THE ROAD ON ACME HAVING FOLKS MOVE ALL THE WAY TO WILLIE CORTEZ OR ANY
[01:10:03]
OTHER CENTER IN THE CITY, THOSE ARE MUCH CLOSER IN PROXIMITY AND SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE COST OF CONSOLIDATION IS IN TERMLESS OF THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS THAT WOULD BE CONSOLIDATED POTENTIALLY AND THEREBY WHAT SPREADS THE COSTS THROUGH THEM ALL FOR THE USE OF THE CENTER AND ALSO THE TRANSPORTATION COST AS WELL FOR FOLKS WHO NEED TRANSPORT SERVICES TO GET TO THE CENTER ITSELF. I WOULD ASSUME, GIVEN THE VOLUME OF BOTH OF THOSE CENTERS, THAT IT WOULD BE LESS -- IT WOULDN'T BE A HIGH WAITLIST OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND IT WOULD HOPEFULLY BE NOT AS COSTLY IN TERMS OF LOCATION AND MOVEMENT COMPARED TO MOVING FOLKS FROM DARNER TO WILLIE CORTEZ OR ANY OTHER CENTER.I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT ANALYSIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND THEN OF COURSE EVEN THE TRANSPORT TIME BETWEEN THE TWO.
WHAT'S THE WAITLIST LIKE FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FROM DARNER OR FROM THAT AREA TO WILLIE CORTEZ, IF THERE'S A WAITLIST ALREADY, AND WHAT THAT TIME WOULD LOOK LIKE, IS IT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF, HOW LONG WOULD THAT TRANSPORT TIME LOOK LIKE? ON HEALTH, FOR THE ACCESS TO CARE INITIATIVE, I THINK I SAW WITH THE CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT, ACCESS TO CARE INITIATIVES, WHICH ONES ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE? I KNOW I SAW A COUPLE OF THEM LISTED.
DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE HEALTHY START OR ANY OF THE OTHER HEALTH PROGRAMS
PROVIDED? OKAY. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. DR. JACOB WITH METRO HEALTH.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE TEAM WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT -- CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT, THAT'S THE ACTUAL UNIT.
SO THE ACCESS OF CARE TEAM, THAT'S A THREE-MEMBER TEAM THAT
WOULD BE ELIMINATED AS A PART OF THESE CUTS. >> GALVAN: IT'S MORE THE FOLKS ON THE POLICY END TRYING TO HELP WITH PRENATAL CARE OR --
>> YEAH, THE HEALTHY START IS A SEPARATE INITIATIVE WITHIN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THE TEAM SUPPORTING THE PRENATAL WORKING GROUP AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TIED TO THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR IMPLICATION OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH
IMPROVEMENT PLAN. >> GALVAN: I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT STILL GIVES ME SOME PAUSE, WHO'S GOING TO MAINTAIN THAT GOING INTO THE FUTURE G GIVEN THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN ON A LOT OF THAT WORK.
SO I'M PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND WHAT -- IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE AS WELL ABOUT REDUCING THE -- WILL WE NOT BE ABLE TO
THEN DO THE ENTIRE CHIP AT ALL OR -- >> JACOB: SO THERE ARE FOUR PRIORITIES REFLECTED IN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, SO IT'S ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY, HOUSING STABILITY, PRENATAL CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. WE HAVE DIFFERENT STAFF AND TEAMS ASSIGNED TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN, AND, AGAIN, WE'RE PART OF THE BROADER, COMMUNITY-WIDE
COLLABORATIVE. >> GALVAN: RIGHT. AND SO IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT STAFF, WHAT'S THE IMPACT TO OUR GRANT APPLICATIONS OR ANY KIND OF EXTERNAL FUNDING, IS THERE ANY KIND OF REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE THAT
KIND OF STAFF -- >> JACOB: YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE THINKING PROGRAMCALLY TIED TO OTHER INITIATIVES, BUT THIS IS THE TOUCH POINTS OF THE FOUR PRIORITIES OF THE CHIP. .
>> GALVAN: GOT IT. OH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, MY BAD, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. ON THE UTSA PURCHASE -- MAYBE A LITTLE BIT BEYOND THE SCOPE OF REDUCTIONS, BUT ON THE UTSA PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, IS THAT PRIMARILY -- DOES THAT SUPPORT PROGRAMMING IN ANY WAY, OR IS IT PRIMARILY THROUGH WORK -- PLAY NOW, THIS IS THE THIRD COHORT OF STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL.
SO WE HAVE STAFF WHO ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THIS IS OUR -- THIS IS NOW GOING TO BE OUR FIFTH YEAR OF OUR MULTIYEAR COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN STAFF, WE DO HAVE A SEPARATE GRANT TIED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH INTEREST PROTECTION GRANT AND THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK THAT WE HAVE AND THE COLLABORATION THAT WE DO WITH THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
>> GALVAN: GOT IT. IF YOU CAN GIVE SOME MORE INFORMATION LATER ON TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF THAT FUNDING GOES BACK -- OR HELPS US KIND OF STAFF UP ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS, IF IT DOES AT ALL, OR IF IT'S -- SOME OF OUR FOLKS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE -- IN THEIR EDUCATION THERE, JUST KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE OVERLAP IS THERE.
>> JACOB: GOT IT. THEY'RE COMPLIMENTARY BUT THEY'RE EXCEPT BRAT
BUCKETS. >> WALSH: MAYOR, JUST TO RESPOND TO TWO OF THE ISSUES. UT HEALTH, THAT WAS A FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT, $10 MILLION, LITERALLY TO GET THE SCHOOL STARTED. IT WAS SCHOOL OPERATIONS, IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UT SYSTEM, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I THINK INITIALLY BEXAR COUNTY, RIGHT, CLAUDE? AND IT WAS -- EVERYTHING -- EVERYBODY MADE A FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY MADE A FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT OF
[01:15:01]
$2 MILLION A YEAR, AND AS CLAUDE SAID, WE'RE ENTERING THE LAST YEAR OF THAT COMMITMENT. WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING CONTINUING TO DO THAT IN FISCAL YEAR '28. IT WAS TO SEED FUND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SCHOOL. AND THEN SECONDLY, REGARDING THE FREEZE IN POSITIONS AND WHAT I DESCRIBED LAST WEEK, SO THERE ARE -- AND CERTAINLY AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THE -- ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS MADE, WE'LL TRY TO DISTINGUISH THAT IN THE DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS, BUT THERE ARE CRITICAL AND NONCRITICAL POSITIONS THAT WE VIEW.AND THE PROCESS WE HAVE IN PLACE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WITH THIS CURRENT HIRING FREEZE IS THE BUDGET OFFICE AND HR MONITOR THAT LIST WEEKLY. I AM A -- I AM NOT A PROPONENT OF HIRING FREEZES ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOSE CRITICAL POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE TO FILL THAT ARE CORE SERVICES.
SO WE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH. WE -- THEY EVALUATE THEM WEEKLY, THEY COME TO ME EVERY TWO WEEKS, WE LOOK AT IT, AND I THINK WE GAVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES LAST WEEK, 9-1-1 OPERATORS, ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS, THOSE POSITIONS AFFECT OUR FIELD AND OPERATIONS, SO AFTER REVIEW, WE WILL KICK THOSE LOOSE. THE ONES THAT -- AND THEY'LL -- THE LIST WILL PROBABLY CHANGE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS EVERY TWO WEEKS. IF WE START TO SEE IMPACTS ON PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING, OR ENGINEERING TECH OR PROJECT MANAGERS OR FIELD PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC WORKS, THEN WE'LL START TO RELEASE SOME OF THOSE, SO WE'VE SET OURSELVES A TARGET WITHIN THE '27 BUDGET TO ACHIEVE SOME HIRING FREEZE SAVINGS, AND WE'LL WORK TO ACHIEVE THAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE -- IT'S GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT AS WE GO THROUGH THE YEAR DEPENDING ON THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORK. SO IT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST -- OTHER CITIES DO COMPLETE HIRING FREEZES. I DON'T BELIEVE IN IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS A MUCH MORE NEGATIVE EFFECT THAN THE SAVINGS THAT THEY'RE ANTICIPATING TO ACHIEVE.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE,
PLEASE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. SO WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS NOT IN ESSENCE PLAYING A SHELL GAME WITH SOME OF THIS MONEY. THE -- $41.3 MILLION IN WHAT'S BEEN LABELED AS -- AND I GUESS SAVINGS OR REDUCTIONS, BUT WHAT I SEE IS 15.6 MILLION IN REAL REDUCTIONS, BUT THEN 14.7 TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, AND THEN $11 MILLION IN -- $11 MILLION IN EFFICIENCIES, WHICH, OF COURSE, I THINK -- I THINK IS GREAT. AND, YES, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING IT UP THERE ON THE SLIDE. SO MY FIRST QUESTION RELATES TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET. AND IF ROUTINE STREETS AND PARKS MAINTENANCE IS GETTING RECLASSIFIED AS A CAPITAL EXPENSE, THEN ARE WE USING BOND CAPACITY TO COVER COSTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PAID OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET?
>> WALSH: YES. >> WHYTE: ALL RIGHT. AND SO THAT, I GUESS, EATS INTO THE CAPACITY THAT WE WOULD BE USING FOR BIGGER PROJECTS IN
FUTURE YEARS? >> WALSH: YES. >> WHYTE: ALL RIGHT.
SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE'RE USING A CREDIT CARD RATHER THAN A DEBIT
CARD TO PAY OFF SOME OF THESE THINGS, RIGHT? >> WALSH: I WOULDN'T
CHARACTERIZE IT LIKE THAT. >> WHYTE: YOU WOULDN'T?
>> WALSH: NO, BECAUSE THOSE ARE LEGITIMATE CAPITAL EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN OVER THE YEARS TO CASH FUND. THE MAJORITY OF THE STREET WORK WE DO AT THE CITY IS CAPITALIZED, AND WE DON'T HAVE -- SO THE ANALOGY I WOULD USE IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE CASH TO PAY FOR CASH FUNDING CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND WE SHOULD UTILIZE THE CAPITAL BUDGET, WHICH ALLOWS US TO SPREAD THAT COST OVER THE LIFE OF THAT IMPROVEMENT.
>> WHYTE: OKAY. I DON'T KNOW THAT I -- THAT I SEE MUCH OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND SORT OF PUTTING IT ON CREDIT, BUT OKAY.
>> WALSH: THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE.
>> WHYTE: A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE, ALL RIGHT. SO, AGAIN -- SO ONE OF
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THE THINGS HERE, IT'S MOVING -- IT'S MOVING OUR EXPENSE A BIT AFFECTING OUR FUTURE BOND CAPACITY, WHICH I THINK WE CERTAINLY NEED TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE GO FORWARD, BECAUSE THOSE -- THOSE, TO ME, AREN'T TRUE CUTS.LET ME ASK YOU NOW ABOUT THIS -- THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, RIGHT, GOING FROM $2 TO $2.25. AND SO THAT -- THAT INCREASE OF FUNDS SHIFTING THE GENERAL FUND PARKS EXPENSE ONTO A FEE FUNDED PARKS
ENVIRONMENTAL FUND. HOW DOES THAT WORK? >> SO THERE ARE CERTAIN EXPENSES IN THE PARKS BUDGET, LITTER, MAINTENANCE OF THE PARKS THAT WE HAVE IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT CAN BE FUNDED OUT OF THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL -- THAT ARE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES TO BE FUNDED OUT OF THE PARKS
ENVIRONMENTAL FUND. AND BY IT -- GO AHEAD. >> WHYTE: SO -- BUT WE'RE NOT -- WHEN THIS IS DOWN AS A -- I MEAN, THIS ISN'T A SAVINGS, RIGHT? THIS IS TRANSFERRING -- I MEAN, IT'S ADDING COST TO THE RESIDENTS, RIGHT?
>> CORRECT. SO WE'RE INCREASING THE ENVIRONMENTAL -- IN ORDER TO DO THIS, WE'RE INCREASING THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL FEE FROM $2 TO $2.25.
RIGHT. >> CORRECT. >> WHYTE: SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAX INCREASES THAT APPARENTLY IS ON THE TABLE, I MEAN, HERE'S ANOTHER INCREASE IN EXPENSES THAT WE'RE PASSING ON TO A CITIZEN AS OPPOSED TO FINDING THIS MONEY AND CUTTING IT
IN OTHER AREAS. RIGHT? >> WALSH: YES.
I MEAN, PART OF THE BALANCING OF THE BUDGET AND ONE OF THE EXPRESS GOALS THAT WE LAID OUT IN JUNE WAS TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE.
WHAT I HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL IN MAY AND JUNE WAS THAT COME UP WITH A BALANCED APPROACH, AND THAT BALANCED APPROACH INCLUDED INCREASING OUR REVENUE TO THE PROPOSAL OF 5.1% FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND REDUCING OUR EXPENSES DOWN TO 4.1. SO THAT -- THAT IS, IN FACT, WHAT WE'RE
ATTEMPTING TO DO. >> WHYTE: BUT A FEE INCREASE LIKE THAT, THAT'S NO -- THAT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN A TAX HIKE, RIGHT? I MEAN, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN ALDARETE GAVITO MENTIONED EARLIER POTENTIALLY RAISING THE FEES ON -- FOR SPEEDING TICKETS, RIGHT? SOMEBODY DOES SOMETHING WRONG, THEY'VE GOT TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE.
HERE, NOBODY'S DOING ANYTHING WRONG. THEY'RE GETTING CHARGED
MORE ON THEIR CPS BILL. >> WALSH: THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH MAINTAINING PARKS IS GOING UP, AND WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT.
>> WHYTE: SO THERE WEREN'T OTHER AREAS IN THE BUDGET THAT WE FOUND THAT WE COULD CUT EXPENSES AS OPPOSED TO RAISING THIS FEE ON THE
CITIZENS? >> WALSH: THERE WERE OTHER REDUCTIONS WE LOOKED AT, BUT IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WHAT I LAID OUT TO YOU LAST WEEK WAS DOABLE AND REASONABLE THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR IMPACTS TO SERVICES, ALL BE IT SOME OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM SO FAR TODAY. YOU'LL SEE A SCENARIO TOMORROW THAT WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES NOT TO ADJUST THE TAX RATES, THE NECESSARY CUTS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $172 MILLION THAT WE'LL
NEED TO MAKE. >> WHYTE: YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I -- I THINK THAT -- AND I WANT TO SAY, I APPRECIATE THE CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, AND I KNOW WE'VE DONE THESE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS AND FOUND EFFICIENCIES AND FOUND DOLLARS.
BUT ALL OF THIS STUFF ADDS UP. AND THESE FEE INCREASES THAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT JUST SHOW UP ON THEIR MONTHLY BILLS, THAT CONCERNS ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE ON TOP OF IT. I WANT TO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON THE CIP. I THINK IT GOT KNOCKED DOWN TO $200,000 HERE, I THINK A COMPROMISE WOULD BE TO GET IT BACK UP TO HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, SO I KNOW THAT'S 300,000 EXTRA PER DISTRICT, SO THAT'S 3 MILLION MORE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FIND, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ELSE. MIGHT NOT BE THE DAY FOR IT, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY
[01:25:01]
IT AGAIN, ANY TIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, WE NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS. I THINK WE SHOULD FIND A WAY TO FUND AN ADDITIONAL SAFE OFFICER IN EACH DISTRICT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN KAUR TO MAKE THIS -- TO MAKE THIS A REALITY.AND MAKE OUR PUBLIC SAFER. I'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THESE FEE INCREASES THAT I HAVE, BUT I'LL SAVE THEM, I THINK, FOR THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS IN THEIR BUDGET SESSIONS.
I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THAT -- IN REDUCTIONS, INCLUDING SOME TELL GATT AGENCY FUNDING AND OTHER THINGS. -- DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING AND OTHER THINGS. ARE WE LOCKING THESE IN AS COMMITMENTS OR ARE THESE SORT OF PLACE HOLDERS THAT COULD CHANGE AROUND OVER THE NEXT
YEAR? >> WALSH: FOR FISCAL YEAR '28, COUNCILMAN?
>> WHYTE: UH-HUH. >> WALSH: NO, THEY'RE PART OF OUR FISCAL '28 PLAN, AND JUST LIKE THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE HAD A 2027 PLAN, IT DOESN'T -- WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW DOESN'T EXACTLY MATCH THAT. IT DOES IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, SO IT'S JUST A PLAN, IT COULD CHANGE AS LONG AS WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.
>> WHYTE: SO IF A DEPARTMENT COMES BACK NEXT SUMMER AND SAYS THEY
CAN'T HIT THE FY '28 NUMBER -- >> WALSH: OR THEY COME -- OR A DEPARTMENT COMES BACK AND SAYS, LOOK, I KNOW THIS ITEM WAS ON SUCH A POTENTIAL REDUCTION LIST IN '28, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THESE REASONS, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SUBSTITUTE ANOTHER REDUCTION IN ITS
PLACE. >> WHYTE: OKAY. GOT IT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA?
>> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT WILL BE REALLY A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW. SO REALLY QUICK, ERIK, I'VE SEEN HERE YOU'VE GOT THIS SHEET THAT WE GOT E-MAILED TO US, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE, WHICH GOES DOWN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND THE CUTS OR INCREASES TO THAT DEPARTMENT. SO I'M SEEING THERE'S 12 DEPARTMENTS OVERALL THAT ARE DECREASING, THE REST ARE -- HAVE SOME SORT OF INCREASE.
BUT I GUESS OF THE 12 DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HAVING A CUT IN THEIR BUDGET, I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH OF THOSE CUTS ARE SIMPLY THE VACANT POSITION ELIMINATION? SO MAYBE THAT CAN -- IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT NOW,
WE CAN GET THAT LATER. >> WALSH: WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE FOLLOW-UP MEMO. IT'S PROBABLY -- IT'S PROBABLY NOT MUCH BECAUSE OF THE VACANT POSITIONS OUT OF THE 101, 40-SOME-ODD WERE VACANT, SO THAT'S NOT REALLY THAT MUCH. BUT WE CAN BREAK THAT OUT
AND ADD A COLUMN ON THAT DOCUMENT. >> MUNGIA: YEAH. I'M JUST CURIOUS TO MEASURE THAT IMPACT AND SEE WHAT'S BEYOND THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST ECHO SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT LIBRARIANS THAT FOLKS HAVE SAID. IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THERE IS A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR THAT, SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF E-MAILS FROM RESIDENTS ASKING ABOUT THAT, SO I APPRECIATE THE FOLLOW-UP SLIDE ON THE IMPACT TO EACH BRANCH SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT OUR INDIVIDUAL LIBRARIES AND WHAT AFFECT THAT MIGHT HAVE.
I DO ALSO WANT US TO HOPEFULLY RECONSIDER -- THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY AN INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION FOR OUR OWN STAFF THAT'S GOOD, IN ADDITION TO THAT I'M ALSO A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REDUCTION IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS.
I WONDER, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS THERE.
AND THEN I DID BRING THIS UP EARLIER, I DO HAVE A COPY AND A LETTER FOR THE CLERK THAT WE CAN SUBMIT PERPERHAPS FOR THE RECORD FROM SOUTHWEST ISD. AND LAST FISCAL YEAR, THEY WERE GOING TO BE AWARDED SOMEWHERE IN THE $80,000 RANGE -- $81,000, AND THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A WAITLIST FOR THEIR AFTER-SCHOOL CHALLENGE PROGRAM.
SO IN WORKING WITH DHS LAST YEAR, WE WERE -- MY OFFICE WAS ABLE TO ALLOCATE AN EXTRA, YOU KNOW, $50,000 THROUGH OPERATING DOLLARS, AND THAT WAS ABLE TO BOOST THEM UP, WHICH WAS GOOD, BUT IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, THEY WILL BE RECOMMENDED FOR THE SAME AMOUNT AS LAST YEAR, OMITTING THE $50,000. AND SO WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY -- WITHOUT THAT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT, ABOUT 127 STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROGRAMÚTHAT DID .
OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, AND SO I -- I THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN THROUGH MY OFFICE, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO FIND A WAY TO SEE HOW WE CAN ALLOCATE THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR THEM, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR KIDS. AND THEN MAYBE LONG-TERM DISCUSSION ON HOW WE ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS, BECAUSE IT'S SAYING HERE
[01:30:02]
THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, -- THIS IS GREAT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, RIGHT, BUT HARLANDALE HAS 390 EDUCATED, EDGEWOOD, 390,000, SOUTH SAN, WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER DISTRICT, 87, AND THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS 81,000, SO PERHAPS WE COULD FIND A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT REQUEST. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STOP SIGNS AND SPEED BUMPS AND ALL THAT. ARE YOU SAYING -- DID I MISS, IS THE NASM BUDGET BEING REDUCED PER BUDGET?>> NO, IT'S NOT. >> MUNGIA: SOMEBODY WAS SAYING ABOUT THE SPEED BUMPS AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE -- DO WE DO SPEED BUMPS OUT OF NAMPF
BUDGETS. >> YES, WE DO. >> MUNGIA: TELL ME A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. >> YES, COUNCILMAN.
ART REINHARDT, PUBLIC WORKS. THE MAJORITY ARE SPEED BUMPS TO REDUCE. IT'S THE RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS.
>> MUNGIA: OKAY. I HEARD WRONG. SOMEBODY SAID THE SPEED
HUMP WAS GOING TO BE REDUCED. >> THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. >> MUNGIA: SO NAMPF WILL BE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR? IF THERE'S A WAY TO PAY FOR SPEED BUMPS OUT OF NAMPF, I WOULD BE INTERESTED. OKAY.
IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE METRO HEALTH SLIDE REDUCTIONS AND MAYBE, CLAUDE, IF YOU CAN COME BACK UP HERE FOR THAT.
TEAM ABOUT YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO HAVE A REDUCTION IN GENERAL FUND STAFF BUT YOU'RE REALLOCATING STAFF FROM ONE PROGRAM TO ANOTHER AND SAVING MONEY THERE. SO I'M VERY INTERESTED TO KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE -- IMPROVEMENT, WHERE ARE THOSE FOLKS GOING TO BE TRANSITIONED TO FROM
WITHIN THAT PROGRAM? >> THE STAFF THAT ARE PART OF THE CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT, THOSE ARE REDUCTIONS.
SO THOSE ARE REDUCTIONS IN POSITIONS, HR WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO PRAISPLACE THEM IN OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY
TRANSFERRING THEM TO ANOTHER HEALTH PROGRAM. >> MUNGIA: OKAY.
SO I GUESS I'D LIKE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE ELIMINATING THOSE THREE POSITIONS. WHAT I UNDERSTAND HR WAS TELLING FOLKS IS WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH YOU TO GET YOU A LATERAL POSITION, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT? COUNCILMAN, YES.
SO TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, HUMAN RESOURCES IS LOOKING AT THE VACANCIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT FIRST. IF THAT IS NOT AN OPTION, THEN WE START AT LOOKING OTHER VACANCIES IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
>> MUNGIA: COULD THAT BE AN OPTION FOR FOLKS IF BY CHANCE THEY'RE OVERQUALIFIED TO FILL ANOTHER POSITION WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT.
>> VILLAGOMEZ: I GUESS YOU'RE ASKING IF THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE A
DEMOTION? YES. >> MUNGIA: SO THEY CAN TAKE A DEMOTION, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO -- THE QUALIFICATIONS -- I GUESS, IF THEIR CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS ARE HIGHER THAN THE JOB THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET INTO, OR THAT Y'ALL WANT TO GET
THEM INTO? >> WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO PLACE PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY, WE LOOK FIRST TO PLACE THEM IN A LATERAL POSITION.
AND TO THE PLACEMENT OFFER WE WOULD OFFER IS A LATERAL POSITION.
IN SOME CASES THERE MAY BE A DEMOTED POSITION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAT IF IT COMES AVAILABLE, MAYBE EVEN GETS POSTED BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT THEY COULD APPLY FOR A DEMOTION, BUT WE LOOK FIRST FOR A
LATERAL PLACEMENT. >> MUNGIA: GOT YOU. OKAY.
SO THE GENERAL LEVEL OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE IS NOT GOING TO REALLY CHANGE, RIGHT, IN THE STAFF POSITIONS BECAUSE SOME OF THE POSITIONS YOU'RE ELIMINATING YOU'RE HOPING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET INTO ANOTHER
VACANT POSITION WITHIN THE CITY? >> YES.
>> MUNGIA: OKAY. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS AFTER THE BUDGET PASSES AND SOME TIME GOES ON, IDENTIFY MAYBE WHAT THE REAL EFFECT OF THAT WAS, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, THIS IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL THESE EMPLOYEES AND PUT THEM INTO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND CLOSE A PROGRAM IS -- SOUNDS GOOD AND DOES REDUCE THE BUDGET, BUT IF FOLKS JUST END UP LEAVING THE CITY, THEN I THINK WE -- THE REAL EFFECT OF THAT WAS THAT WE LOST THESE POSITIONS PERMANENTLY. SO I'M INTERESTED IN
THAT. >> WALSH: YEAH, THAT COULD HAPPEN.
I MEAN, IF -- IF AN EMPLOYEE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHOOSES NONE OF THE LATERAL OPTIONS THAT HR PROVIDES AND CHOOSES NOT TO APPLY FOR A SELF-DEMOTION, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL CHOOSES TO LEAVE, THEN THEY'LL
LEAVE. >> MUNGIA: YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T OVERSIMPLIFY THAT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION FOR SOMEBODY TO
[01:35:02]
MAKE, RIGHT? IF SOMEBODY WENT TO SCHOOL AND GOT A DEGREE IN HEALTHCARE AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO DO SOMETHINGCOMPLETELY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT -- >> WALSH: WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THE CARE AND ATTENTION IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE -- AND FRANKLY, BECAUSE OF FREEZING OF THE POSITIONS EARLIER IN THE YEAR, WE'VE GOT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CAPACITY. I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PLACE THOSE INDIVIDUALS, LIKE RENE AND MARIA SAID, DEPARTMENT FIRST, ORGANIZATION SECOND. AND OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, IF WE'RE -- IF THERE'S -- ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE LEAVE. BUT WE HAVE -- WE PROBABLY HAVE PEOPLE LEFT THE CITY TODAY. I MEAN, IT'S A HUGE
ORGANIZATION, WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHURNIG. >> MUNGIA: YEP.
I'M JUST SENSITIVE TO THE IDEA OF THESE FOLKS GETTING HR LETTERS AND THEN THEM HAVING -- YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT GOES. SO I GET YOUR POINT, I
UNDERSTAND. >> WALSH: NO DOUBT. WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THAT, TOO. I DON'T WANT TO BE INSENSITIVE.
WE TAKE THAT WITH GREAT CARE AND ATTENTION, BECAUSE THAT SETS A TONE FOR THE ENTIRE 13,700 EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, SO WE PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. WE TRY TO BUBBLE WRAP IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S NOT EASY FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES TO GET THOSE LETTERS, THAT'S WHY THERE'S A PERSONALIZED CUSTOMIZED APPROACH WITH EACH ONE OF THEM.
>> MUNGIA: THAT'S GOOD SOVMENTD HOPEFULLY AFTER THE BUDGET WE CAN ANALYZE THOSE POSITIONS AND SEE WHO ACTUALLY STAYED WITH THE CITY AND MAYBE FOR WHAT REASONS. AND YOU KNOW, WITH THAT -- THANK YOU, CLAUDE, I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THESE POSITIONS HERE FROM, I GUESS, '22 TO '26, GENERAL FUND INCREASE OF 501 POSITIONS. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THOSE POSITIONS WERE PLACED OR WHICH DEPARTMENTS RECEIVED THE MAJORITY OF
THOSE 501 EMPLOYEES? >> WALSH: POLICE. WE CAN GET YOU A BREAKOUT OF THOSE, BUT IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO BE POLICE AND PROBABLY FIRE. NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, BUT WE'LL -- YOU
SAID '22 THROUGH '26. >> MUNGIA: '22 THROUGH '26 I SAW 501 POSITIONS
INCREASE. >> WALSH: YEAH, IN THE FOLLOW-UP MEMBER WE'LL
BREAK THAT UP BY DEPARTMENT. >> MUNGIA: AND IF YOU CAN
CC MARC WHYTE, PLEASE. >> WALSH: YES, SIR, OF COURSE.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR?
>> THANK YOU TO ALL OF CITY STAFF THAT'S DONE REALLY GOOD WORK ON THIS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING, IN COMING UP WITH REDUCTIONS AND INCREASES OF REVENUE WHILE STILL TRYING TO GET TO A GOOD PLACE, SO I DO SEE THAT YOU GUYS DID A LOT OF THOUGHT AND I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAD A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE WITH THAT THIS SUMMER.
I KNOW I SAID THAT LAST WEEK, BUT I WANTED TO REITERATE MY THANKS THERE. A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS OR ACTUALLY, I WANTED TO START OFF WITH A HIGHLIGHT, I NOTICED IN THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE THAT WE ARE REDUCING ALMOST $3 MILLION NEXT YEAR FOR COMMUNICATIONS BECAUSE WE'RE CONSOLIDATING -- WE'RE DOING A CONSULTING CONTRACT TO CONSOLIDATE COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO CONSTITUENTS. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AN C & E PROJECTOR, I HOPE,
WITH ITSD. >> YES, IT'S COMMUNICATIONS AND
ENGAGEMENT. >> KAUR: SO IS THERE MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THE CONSULTANT THAT'S GOING TO COME IN AND DO THAT ANALYSIS, DID I READ
THAT CORRECTLY? >> NO, THE ANALYSIS IS GOING TO BE DONE INTERNALLY. THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR A
CONSULTANT. >> KAUR: OKAY. WHO'S LEADING -- JEFF, IS THAT GOING TO BE YOU? GREAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT -- ONE THING I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO MENTIONED THIS SEVERAL BUDGETS, TOO, WE REALLY NEED BETTER COMMUNICATIONS EXTERNALLY TO RESIDENTS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS. YOU GUYS JUST HELPED US DO A SURVEY AND THE INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT OF THAT SURVEY WAS REALLY INTERESTING. ALL RESIDENTS WANTED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE GOING TO BE HAPPENING, THEY WANTED TO RECEIVE IT VIA TEXT, ON THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL OR WORK, SORRY. ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT KIDS.
THAT SURVEY REALLY GOT DECENT RESPONSE RATE AND I REALLY THINK A CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO CREATE -- I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOREVER, YOU CREATE A PROFILE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SAY HOW YOU WANT YOUR NOTIFICATIONS, WHEN YOU WANT THEM -- SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ANYTHING THAT WE USE, SO I THINK THAT'S SMART THAT WE CAN MAKE IT ALL IN ONE SPOT.
I JUST WANTED TO, LIKE REITERATE MY SUPPORT FOR THIS AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE EARLY ON AS YOU COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO USE OUR TOOLS TO CONSOLIDATE THEM BETTER. WITH 3-1-1, WITH OUR IQ, WITH WHAT WE ALREADY
[01:40:01]
HAVE, I KNOW WE WERE LOOKING AT A [INDISCERNIBLE] SOLUTION BUT I AM JUST REALLY, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FACT THAT NOW THATIT'S CUT FROM THE BUDGET THAT MEANS WE >> THOSE TWO THINGS AREN'T NECESSARILY DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER. WE ARE WORKING ON THE SYSTEM YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TO BETTER CONNECT OUR SYSTEMS SO THAT THERE ARE PROFILES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND WE CAN BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. WE HAD A MEETING WITH IT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO SO WE'RE WORKING THAT ALREADY. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF COMMUNICATIONS. THAT'S WHY IT'S IN YEAR TWO.
I WON'T BORE YOU WITH ALL OF THE PLANNING AT THIS POINT BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE A VERY DE-CENTRALIZED FOOTPRINT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS FOLKS IN ABOUT HALF OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS. IT'S GROWN LIKE THAT SORT OF AD HOC FASHION OVER THE YEARS SO THE IDEA IS TO CREATE A CENTRALIZED, MUCH BETTER SYSTEM FRANKLY THAT WE THINK CAN WORK FOR ALL OF US. IT WILL LIKELY -- IT WILL LEAD TO SOME REDUCTION IN POSITIONS AS WE CENTRALIZE. BUT IT ALSO CREATES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES TO GET ON TO TEAMS WITH LIKE-MINDED FOLKS, WITH OTHER COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS, WITH A HIERARCHY SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERNAL PROMOTION. THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS TO IT AND FRANKLY, THE IDEA FOR IT STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BEFORE THE NEED FOR THE BUDGET CONFLATING THE TWO. I'M GLAD TO KNOW BOTH OF THEM ARE STILL HAPPENING.
THANKS. I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANTED TO REITERATE MY SUPPORT FOR THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT. ACTUALLY COMING FROM ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS WHO IS AN AMAZING CODE PERSON LIAISON. SHE GRADUATED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND WENT TO GET HER MASTER'S. I CAN'T PAY HER WHAT SHE DESERVES BUT THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT IS ONE THING THAT'S KEEPING HER EXCITED TO STAY COMING BACK. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT. I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE OF THE 450K, HOW MUCH WE USE. MAYBE YOU CAN DO THAT, SEND THAT IN A FOLLOW-UP TO SAY HOW MUCH IS ACTUALLY USED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. FROM PUBLIC WORKS, THIS HAS COME UP ALREADY A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE A SIDEWALK REBATE PROGRAM AND WE BUDGET LIKE 150K. I KNOW THIS IS REALLY SMALL. I HAVE ALREADY TOLD ART ABOUT THIS. SAYING IT PUBLICLY, WE USE ABOUT 45K OF THAT A YEAR.
I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU COME BACK IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATION TO TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TO OPEN IT UP TO NON-PROFIT SCHOOLS SO THAT WE COULD TRY TO GET MORE USAGE FROM THAT. YOU KNOW THERE ARE CASES IN D-1 THAT CAME UP FOR WANTING TO USE THAT. ALSO FOR CIP, LIKE ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES, THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS WE DO THE PROJECTS THAT REALLY MATTER TO OUR RESIDENTS AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO AS MUCH OF PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING AS WE CAN WHEN WE ARE USING THOSE DOLLARS BUT LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE GOING -- I WILL ADVOCATE TO TRY TO INCREASE IT BECAUSE WE ALWAYS, WE WANT TO USE OUR MONEY BUT OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS TIME FOR EXECUTION. SO WE HAVE A SLATE OF CIP PROJECTS THAT WE SUBMITTED IN MARCH AND APRIL OF 2025. WE'RE NOW IN AUGUST OF 2025 AND THOSE AREN'T COMPLETED. IT'S JUST SIDEWALKS AND CURB PROJECTS.
SO YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO ONE YESTERDAY AND THEY HAD TOLD ME WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, SO I KNOW ART, YOU'RE WORKING ON IT, I KNOW THE PROJECTS WERE SUBMITTED BEFORE YOU GOT HERE BUT ALL I WANT TO SAY IS WE SHOULD BE -- AT LEAST SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL ME YOU MIGHT BE SUBMITTING THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW IN AUGUST BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DONE UNTIL NEXT AUGUST SO JUST WORKING TO HELP US GET MORE EXECUTION ON CIP BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WHEN ERIK IS GOING TO SHOW US THE REPORT OF HOW MUCH MONEY EACH MUCH OUR OFFICES HAS, WHY MY OFFICE HAS MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EXECUTE BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE WHICH PROJECTS ARE DONE FIRST TO GO TO THE NEXT ONE. ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT I SAW THAT'S SUPER SMALL THAT'S ON THE CUT LIST IS THE WORLD HERITAGE OFT GASTRONOMYPROGRAM, WHERE OUR CHEFS GET TO BE AMBASSADORS. I WAS KIND OF BUMMED TO SEE THAT.
I KNOW SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE PREVIOUSLY GONE TO THE WORK THEY ARE DOING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S -- IT'S A SUPER SMALL BUDGET, LIKE 80K.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS, I TALKED ABOUT THIS A COUPLE TIMES. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS SOME CONCERN REGARDING OVERLAP AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR ALAMO PROMISE.
ALAMO PROMISE IS LAST DOLLAR, DOLL DOLLARS.
IT SOMETIMES SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GIVING TO THE SAME KIDS, SO WHAT I ASKED, AND I KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW IF ANNA MIGHT BE HERE, THE QUESTION I WOULD LIKE US TO ASK IS HOW MANY OF THOSE KIDS ARE GETTING, THAT WERE AT LEAST PROMISED FOR THIS YEAR, WERE GETTING ALAMO PROMISE DOLLARS VERSUS GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT RANGES BETWEEN 35 TO 45%.
SO IF WE REMOVE THAT POT SO THAT ALAMO PROMISE CAN COVER THOSE, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR PROMISE, AND JUST LOOK AT THE POT OF DOLLARS THAT WAS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE NOT GOING, BECAUSE THAT COULD BE AN ACTUAL REAL IMPEDIMENT FOR THOSE STUDENTS. FROM THE PARKS, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SHARE AGAIN THAT
[01:45:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER WHYTE KIND OF ALLUDED TO THIS, BUT WE ARE INCREASING THE PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL FEES, THEN WE'RE ALSO REDUCING SOME FOLKS AND FROM PARKS, I KNOW THE PARKS RESPONSE RATE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DECREASE LESS THAN 82%, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT DROP, SO I MEAN, I JUST AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESPONSE RATE FOR PARKS. BUT ALSO, THOSE FEES GOING UP, REALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT WHO IS IMPACTED BY THE FEES, THAT'S THE QUESTION I ALWAYS ASK. WHO IS THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS FEE INCREASE. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THEM, YOU'RE LIKE OH, THESE ARE BUSINESSES. BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COST OF DOING BUSINESS.BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT PARKS FEES GOING UP, I'M LIKE WHO IS THE -- WHO IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THAT? IT'S OUR RESIDENTS TRYING TO GET ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS SPORTS FIELD OR WHATEVER, LIKE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR PARKS FEES INCREASING BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE OUR PARKS, WE WANT THEM TO USE OUR FACILITIES MORE, AND THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S DOING THE OPPOSITE. SO I'LL LEAVE THAT WHERE IT IS.
ALSO FOR OTHER NEW ACS REVENUES, WERE YOU GUYS ABLE TO GET THOSE, LIKE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE INCREASED PARKING FEES AND BOOTING FEES?
>> WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. >> KAUR: OKAY.
SOUNDS GOOD. JOHN, YOU MIGHT BE GETTING UP BECAUSE OF THE ACS REVENUES.
IS IT ONLY LIKE FIVE PERMITS THAT ARE IN AGGRESSIVE LEVEL ONE? AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY? FOR THE FEES GOING UP FOR AGGRESSIVE LEVEL ONE? IT'S $25. THEN IT SAYS REVENUE RECEIVED IS 250 OR WHATEVER.
>> YEAH. IT IS PRETTY LOW BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY THREE AGGRESSIVE LEVELS AND WE DON'T WORK NEARLY AS MANY AGGRESSIVE AS DANGEROUS.
IT IS A SMALL NUMBER. >> KAUR: OKAY. ALRIGHT.
I WAS LIKE AM I READING -- MAYBE THEY'RE MISSING A NUMBER.
AND THEN THE ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD ABOUT SCHOOL INSPECTIONS.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A SCHOOL INSPECTIONS, $545, BUT THAT'S FOR FIRE, TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. IS THAT ONCE A YEAR THEY HAVE TO DO THAT?
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. YES, THAT'S ONCE A YEAR. EVERY YEAR FEE.
>> KAUR: OKAY. >> IT'S ALSO TO REVIEW NOT JUST EQUIPMENT BUT THE AD REQUIREMENT, THERE'S A STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DO THAT.
>> KAUR: OKAY. IT'S GOING UP TO $545. I JUST HATE PUTTING FEES ON OUR SCHOOLS. I JUST WANTED TO NAME THAT IN CASE ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, I MEAN, IT IS ACTUALLY A DECENT AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN IT SUMS UP.
JUST NAMING THAT. I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS BUT I'LL BUZZ BACK IN.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ?
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAD MY BUDGET TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT AND CANNOT WAIT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO, AS A RESULT, REAFFIRM ALL OF MY PAST COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET AND I WILL MAKE MORE SPECIFIC COMMENTS AT THE DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS BUT FOR NOW, I WILL START OFF AT MY HARD LINE SINCE A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE THEIRS. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY EMPLOYEES CUT OR LAID OFF, EVEN RELOCATING POSITIONS WITHIN OTHER DEPARTMENTS MAY OFFER A SHORT-TERM COST SAVING, BUT THE CHALLENGE THEN ARISES WHEN WE HAVE DECENTRALIZED WORK, WHERE SYNERGY ALREADY EXISTS. SO IF YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING WORK WITHIN A CERTAIN DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE NOW BEING SPLIT INTO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE WORK THAT WAS CENTRALIZED IS NOW BEING SPLIT AND I WORRY ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO ULTIMATELY IMPACT LATER ON DOWN THE LINE AND IF THAT'S GOING TO LEAD TO FURTHER EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE FUTURE THAT WOULD NOT EXIST IF WE HAD NOT RELOCATED THOSE POSITIONS. BUT BEYOND THAT, LETTING ANY CITY EMPLOYEE GO FOR ME IS UNACCEPTABLE, WHETHER EXISTING L OR ANY ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO. WE CANNOT ON ONE HAND SAY CITY EMPLOYEES HELP OUR CITY RUN AND THAT THEY DESERVE ALL OF OUR APPRECIATION, BUT THEN WE QUIETLY ACCEPT THAT IN A FEW MONTHS THEY WILL BE NEEDING UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICES, RENTAL AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FROM OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THOSE EMPLOYEES BEING TRANSFERRED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. NUMBER ONE, YOU DID MENTION THEY WOULD BE DOING -- YOU'RE PRIORITIZING LATERAL SHIFTS. THESE EMPLOYEES WOULD BE DOING SIMILAR WORK FOR THE SAME PAY. IS THAT ACCURATE?
>> YES, SIR. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SO LET'S USE LIBRARIES AS AN EXAMPLE SINCE THAT'S THE MAIN DISCUSSION AT THE MOMENT. SOMEONE IS WORKING FRONT DESK AT THE LIBRARY. WHAT IS THE MOST COMPARABLE POSITION OR THEY ARE A LIBRARY EMPLOYEE. LET'S USE AN EXAMPLE. WHAT IS THE MOST COMPARABLE
POSITION FOR THEM ELSEWHERE? >> I'M GOING TO ASK RENEE TO HELP ME WITH THAT.
THE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE CUTTING AT THE LIBRARY, THE MAJORITY ARE PART-TIME POSITIONS. WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER PART-TIME POSITIONS WITHIN
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THE LIBRARY THAT HAVE SIMILAR DUTIES OR OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT THAT MAY HAVEDIFFERENT DUTIES BUT THEY'RE PAT EMPLOYEES AS WELL. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THAT SOUNDS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HEARD. LIBRARY EMPLOYEES, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER PART-TIME POSITIONS WITHIN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM?
>> IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE, YES. THAT'S OUR FIRST PRIORITY TO
KEEP THEM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: UM-HUM.
I'M WONDERING IF, SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE THESE PART-TIME POSITIONS, THESE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES TO POSITIONS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHY CAN WE NOT JUST MOVE THAT PART-TIME ROLE INTO THIS DEPARTMENT WHERE AN EMPLOYEE ALREADY EXISTS?
WHY IS THAT NOT POSSIBLE? >> SO IN THE CASE OF THE LIBRARY, THE REASON WHY WE'RE ELIMINATING THE POSITION IS BECAUSE THE WORKLOAD IS NOT THERE ANYMORE.
SO WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE BUT THE WORKLOAD HAS DECREASED IN THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT, SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PLACEMENT, ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THIS INDIVIDUAL CAN USE THEIR SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM OTHER DUTIES WITHIN THE CITY.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WHAT DO WE USE TO GAUGE WORKLOAD OF AN EMPLOYEE?
>> WELL, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE REASON WHY WE ARE ELIMINATING THE POSITIONS IS BECAUSE OUR PHYSICAL CIRCULATION HAS DECREASED AT THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVE MOST OF THE USERS UTILIZING DIGITAL COLLECTION RATHER THAN BOOKS, SO THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE CHECKING OUT THE BOOKS, PUTTING THEM BACK ON
THE SHELVES, SO THAT WORKLOAD HAS REDUCED. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: HM.
THAT'S INTERESTING TO ME, BECAUSE I'M IMAGINING THAT AND I THINK A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP, BUT THERE'S OTHER DUTIES THAT TAKE PLACE AT THE LIBRARY IN RESPONSE TO, SAY, BOOKS NOT BEING CIRCULATED AS FREQUENTLY, THERE'S NOW OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AND LIBRARIES ARE ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN BOOKS, SO YOU TAKE AWAY SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO EXIST IN THIS SPACE AND THEN YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE USING THE KIDS, THE TEEN ROOM THERE, OR YOU'RE OFFERING DIGITAL SERVICES, AND NOW YOU HAVE LESS EMPLOYEES, LESS SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UTILIZING THOSE ALTERNATIVE SERVICES. SO I WOULD CHALLENGE THAT A LITTLE BIT AND I WOULD WONDER WHAT OTHER METRICS THERE ARE TO GAUGE WORKLOAD AND IS THERE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MAYBE SOMEONE'S TAKING ON, OTHER EMPLOYEES ARE TAKING ON THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T BE, THAT COULD OTHERWISE BE DONE BY THESE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
>> I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN. WE LOOKED AT ALL THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE LIBRARY. THE LIBRARY HAS ABOUT 500 EMPLOYEES SO ALL THE POSITIONS THAT ARE PROVIDING PROGRAMMING OR THEY'RE WORKING WITH A DIFFERENT POPULATION THAT COMES TO OUR LIBRARIES, COULD BE CHILDREN, YOUTH, ADULTS, WE TOOK ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION, THERE'S NO IMPACT TO OTHER SERVICES WE PROVIDE AT THE LIBRARY.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: HM. LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS SOME MORE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M FULLY THERE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. >> WALSH: ONE THING, WE WILL DO THE FOLLOW-UP, THE SLIDE WE SHOWED TO YOU HERE BRIEFLY THAT SHOWS KIND OF BY BRANCH, WHEN WE LAY OUT THE CIRCULATION BY BRANCH, AND BY THE POSITION ADJUSTMENTS, WHEN YOU SEE, LOOK AT THE STAFFING, THE CURRENT STAFFING OF THE CURRENT LIBRARIES, GO BACK ONE. GO BACK -- YEAH, THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.
IT RANGES IN TERMS OF STAFFING FROM 13 TO 22. SO PART OF THE ADJUSTMENT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING ADJUSTS FOR THE CIRCULATION AND THE ACTIVITY BASED ON EACH BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY BUT WE'LL SEND THAW INFORMATION. YOU CAN USE THAT TO KIND OF
THINK THROUGH THAT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: DEFINITELY.
I GUESS ALSO, TOO, COUNCIL MEMBER MUNGIA'S POINT, I FEEL THIS IS JUST A DELAY TO ULTIMATELY HAVE THESE EMPLOYEES NO LONGER WORK FOR THE CITY BECAUSE WHAT IS RETENTION GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR AN EMPLOYEE WHO JOINED TO WORK AT THE LIBRARY BUT ARE BEING TRANSFERRED OVER TO CODE OR PUBLIC WORKS DOING SOMETHING, I'M USING EXAMPLES THAT I THINK ARE PRETTY OPPOSITE TO THE LIBRARY. ARE THEY GOING TO BE HAPPY THERE, IS THE ENVIRONMENT GOING TO BE COMPARABLE TO WHAT THEY BELIEVED THEY WERE GETTING WHEN THEY WERE FIRST HIRED WITH THE CITY. SO ARE WE JUST SETTING THEM UP TO WHERE HEY, WE'RE KEEPING THESE EMPLOYEES, WE'RE NOT LETTING THEM GO AS A PART OF THIS BUDGET, BUT THEN IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE
GONE. THAT'S CONCERNING. >> WALSH: YOU KNOW, THAT COULD HAPPEN BUT OUR PRIMARY GOAL AT THIS POINT IS TO BE EFFICIENT AND MAKE REDUCTIONS IN OUR EXPENSES, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE GOT PROBABLY BETTER SITUATIONS
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FOR THE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE IMPACTED BECAUSE A NUMBER OF THEM, IF WE DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE SPACE WITHIN THE LIBRARIES, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE VERY FEW IMPROVEMENTS WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET IS PERMANENTLY EXPANDING THE SENIOR SERVICES, SENIOR CENTERS, AND THE HOURS. AND WE NEED PART-TIME EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S A GOOD LOGICAL PLACE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE AT THE LIBRARY NOW ON A PART-TIME BASIS THAT DON'T END UP STAYING AT THE LIBRARY, MOVING INTO DHS AND HELPING US FOR STAFFING ATTHOSE SENIOR CENTERS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I'M ONLY GOING TO GET SPECIFIC ON TWO OTHER THINGS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S DISCUSSION ON ALTERNATIVE PLANNING. I DO WANT TO FLAG THAT TOMORROW'S DISCUSSION IS GOING TO BE SCARY FOR A LOT OF STAFF AND THAT IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY DEMORALIZING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THAT THEY COULD BE AT RISK, TOO, THEIR JOBS.
ONE IS ONE OF THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS IS SLIDE EIGHT. IT MAY JUST BE A SET OF MISCELLANEOUS OVERTIME EXPENSES BUT YOU IDENTIFIED -- CAN YOU PULL UP SLIDE EIGHT? YOU IDENTIFIED $3.3 MILLION IN OVERTIME CUTS BUT ONLY
LISTED $3.16 MILLION. WHERE IS THE LAST $140,000? >> I THINK THE 3.3 --
>> WALSH: IT'S A LINE ITEM. WE DO EACH DEPARTMENT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THEN I'M WONDERING, THIS IS ANOTHER SPECIFIC AREA, I'M WONDERING IS THERE ANY WAY TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THE CUTS TO SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP? YOU MY UNDERSTANDING RECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND NOTIFIED AND NOT FUNDING THEM IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR PUTS THAT IN JEOPARDY. IF NOT THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, IS THERE SUPPORT FROM A SOURCE LIKE READY TO WORK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE, AS THE MAYOR HAS MENTIONED? AND IF TED INDHE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP IS LISTENING, ONLY 5.6 RECIPIENTS ARE STUDENTS IN DISTRICT 2 WHICH IS A DISPARITY IN MY BOOK. IF I'M GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR YOU, I EXPECT YOU TO DO GREATER OUTREACH IN MY DISTRICT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DO A GREAT JOB ON OTHER SIDES OF TOWN AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE EAST
AND NORTHEAST SIDES BE NEGLECTED IN THIS INSTANCE. >> ON THE PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED FOR THIS YEAR YET.
THERE'S PROBABLY OVER 3,000 STUDENTS THAT ARE STILL PENDING AWARD OF THAT
SCHOLARSHIP. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: ARE WE USING A TECHNICALITY? I'M SAYING THE AWARDEES HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND NOTIFIED. AWARD, BEING AWARDED I IMAGINE MEANS THEY ACTUALLY RECEIVED THAT FUNDING. THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT
FUNDING? >> MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LETTER.
THEY APPLIED. I BELIEVE THE PARTNERSHIP'S PROBABLY GONE THROUGH THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS BUT THE STUDENTS HAVE NOT RECEIVED AWARD LETTERS.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: CAN WE MAKE SURE WE ARE 100% CLEAR ON THAT? BECAUSE I HAD MY TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP.
THANK YOU. AS A FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS, IF WE COULD ALSO SHOWN HERE BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE RECEIVED THOSE AS WE GET THE REGULAR SLIDE
SHOW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> WALSH: JUST TWO THINGS.
COUNCILMAN, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT YOU MADE ABOUT IN ADVANCE OF TOMORROW'S CONVERSATION AND JUST WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU ALL WILL LIKELY GET COPIED ON THE E-MAIL I'M GOING TO SEND OUT TO EMPLOYEES TOMORROW. WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROPOSED BUDGET PROCESS AND THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES AND THIS IS THE PROCESS BUT I'M GOING TO SEND A QUICK NOTE TO THE EMPLOYEES TOMORROW MORNING JUST LAYING OUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS. IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY CHANGE MY PROPOSED BUDGET BUT THE REQUEST THE COUNCIL HAS IS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND WE WILL KEEP EMPLOYEES UPDATED AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. I DO WANT TO POINT TO THE VERY HELPFUL MEMO THAT ALEX SHARED WITH US IN TERMS OF THE READY TO WORK MONEY THAT CAN BE BROUGHT OVER ABSENT A PUBLIC VOTE, AND YES, THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY BECAUSE YOU BACK-FILL IT, THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU COULD DOUBLE IT IF YOU WANTED TO. SAME THING WITH PROJECT QUEST.
OKAY. PLEASE. >> WALSH: THAT WAS THE SECOND POINT I SHOULD HAVE MADE. YOU SUGGESTED LAST WEEK ON THURSDAY, WE'RE STARTING, AND YOU ALL WILL BE FAMILIAR, WE'RE STARTING OUR AMENDMENT LIST SO THAT READY TO WORK SUGGESTION THAT YOU HAD LAST WEEK, THAT'S ON OUR AMENDMENT LIST.
WE ARE KEEPING TRACK AND WILL KEEP YOU GUYS UPDATED AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, ERIK. COUNCIL MEMBER GALVAN?
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE LAST QUICK THINGS.
ON THE REDUCTIONS PIECE, I WANTED TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
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REIMBURSEMENT TUITION, MAINTAIN THAT IF POSSIBLE AS WELL AS THE CIP DOLLARS.I WOULD PREFER THE HIGHER AMOUNTS. OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO APPROVE A BUNCH OF PROJECTS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR SIDEWALKS OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT THAT ARE REALLY CRUCIAL THERE.
THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD ON THE FEES OR REVENUES, ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ONES RELATED TO HEALTH, PD AND I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE, WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION WITHIN SMALL BUSINESS GROUPS THAT WE HAVE OR ADVISORY COMMITTEES? I'M WONDERING WHAT THE ANALYSIS LOOKS LIKE FOR LEVEL OF IMPACT TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY. I KNOW THEY CAN RANGE IN SCALE BUT I GUESS I'M WONDERING WHAT THE LONG-TERMINALS IS IF WE'RE INCREASING FEES ON SMALL BUSINESS IN THIS WAY WHETHER IT'S THROUGH HEALTH, POLICE OR OTHER ONES, ALL OF THE ABOVE, WHAT'S THAT IMPACT ON THAT BUSINESS'S REVENUE ENTIRELY. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW -- I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY WHEN WE DO THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO OPEN UP OR MAINTAIN SERVICES KNOWING THEY ARE ON STRETCHED MARGINS EVERY SINGLE DAY. INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THAT IMPACT LOOKS LIKE IN OUR CITY. IS THERE ANALYSIS THAT CAN BE DONE EVEN FROM PREVIOUS TIMES THAT WE HAVE INCREASED THOSE FEES IN THIS KIND OF ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.
I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY THINGS. YEAH.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAUR, PLEASE. >> KAUR: THANKS. THERE WAS JUST A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. I ALSO MET WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE ADVOCATING FOR THE LIBRARY AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT THEY SHARED WITH ME WAS SECURITY WHEN IT COMES TO SINGLE INDIVIDUALS AT CIRCULATION. I ACTUALLY WENT TO GO DO A REEL TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL THAT WILL BE AT CENTRAL LIBRARY NEXT TUESDAY, AND DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MANY OF OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS ARE LITERALLY WAITING FOR THE LIBRARY TO OPEN SO THEY CAN ENTER. SO I KNOW THERE WAS A PILOT DONE THERE AND WE ALWAYS WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR LIBRARIES BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR EMPLOYEES ARE SAFE. SO I WOULD JUST -- I NOTICED THAT CENTRAL LIBRARY WASN'T ON THAT LIST BUT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO
REDUCTIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY. >> WALSH: WELL, THERE CERTAINLY AREN'T ANY REDUCTIONS IN THAT AREA. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE LIBRARY BOARD IN THEIR LAST BOARD MEETING. ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'VE ASKED IS HOW THE LIBRARY CAN IMPROVE IN TERMS OF SECURITY AND SAFETY WITHIN THE EXISTING BUDGET AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT IN TERMS OF THE REPORT TO THE BOARD AND
ME. >> KAUR: I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT, TOO, WHEN IT'S COMPLETE IF THAT'S OKAY. ONE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS, THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT US NEXT YEAR BUT IT'S OUR DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING.
Y'ALL KIND OF, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT AND PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU GUYS KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE UPSET ABOUT THAT, BUT WE CANNOT CUT OUR DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING.
THE MAYOR AND I WERE WITH SENATOR MENENDEZ THIS MORNING AT RESPITE CARE AND THEY JUST OPENED THEIR FIRST EVER CRISIS NURSERY. CRISIS NURSERIES ARE SEEN TO HAVE A 99%, SEVERAL OF THEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE REDUCED THE RISK OF REPEATED CHILD ABUSE BY 99%. AT THAT SAFETY NET NETWORK, THERE WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, MOST OF WHOM ARE ON OUR DELEGATE AGENCY LIST. IT WAS, LIKE AVANTEWAS THERE, OBVIOUSLY RESPITE CARE, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AMONGST OTHERS. THEY WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS TO HAVE CITY SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
BECAUSE THE FUNDERS THAT WERE ALSO THERE, INCLUDING HEB AND THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, THEY WANT TO SUPPORT THINGS THAT THE CITY SUPPORTS. SO I'M MAKING THE PITCH THAT I ALWAYS MAKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS. WE CANNOT BACK DOWN ON THOSE PREVENTIVE SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS. IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE A HEALTHY, FULFILLED LIFE, WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND THAT INCLUDES -- COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ MENTIONS THIS ALL THE TIME, PART THREE OF OUR VIOLENT CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY SUPPORTING THESE ORGANIZATIONS DOING WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE GOING TO CHANGE COMPONENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE LONG TERM. SO THAT'S A THING, WE ARE TECHNICALLY APPROVING THE TWO-YEAR BUDGET BUT IT'S A PRO FORMA FOR TWO YEARS.
WE ARE NOT TECHNICALLY APPROVING. WE ARE TECHNICALLY APPROVING ONLY THE FISCAL YEAR '27 BUDGET. THIS IS TO SHOW US WHAT POTENTIAL CUTS COULD BE HAPPENING NEXT YEAR AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO WILL BE CONVENING SOMETHING THIS FALL
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SO I'M SURE THEY WILL TALK ABOUT IT THEN TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT WAY TO MOVE THAT FORWARD. I JUST DIDN'T WANT THIS TO GO AND I BHOWON'T MENTION AGAIN FOR THIS BUDGET SEASON BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO GO WITHOUT IT BEING SAID, TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THAT. TH THAT'S ALL I GOT.THANKS. MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: I WILL ACTUALLY PICK UP ON THAT EXACT POINT BECAUSE AS ERIK AND THE STAFF HAS PRESENTED, THIS BUDGET ONLY BALANCES IF YOU MAKE THOSE CUTS, THE $4 MILLION IN THE DELEGATE AGENCY PIECE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE, AGAIN, THE VERY HELPFUL INITIAL ANALYSIS THE TEAM DID IN TERMS OF READY TO WORK MONEY, SOME OF THOSE THINGS YOU COULD BACK-FILL, UNDERSTANDING IT'S ONE-TIME MONEY BUT IF YOU DID HAVE THE PUBLIC ELECTION TO REDIRECT SOME OF THE READY TO WORK MONIES, IT ALLOWS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO BACKFILL SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT I AGREE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS ERIK ALREADY MENTIONED, FY '28 IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY EASIER. THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN AFFORD OURSELVES SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW HAVE THE HIGHEST ROI, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND CERTAINLY THAT READY TO WORK MONEY IS A KEY WAY TO DO THAT.
ON THAT PIECE, ERIK, I KNOW IT'S GOING THROUGH THE AMENDMENT PROCESS, JUST FOR EDIFICATION, WHEN THEY RECOMMEND THAT, WOULD THAT COME OUT OF THE $40 MILLION-ISH IN THE CURRENT BUDGET OR DOES IT COME OUT IN THE OUT YEAR?
>> WALSH: NO, MAYOR, WE WOULD TAKE IT OUT OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND JUST AMEND
THAT BUDGET. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL.
THANK YOU. OKAY. BECAUSE WE'RE ALL CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT THE IMPACTS TO THE TEAMMATES ON THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TEAM AND ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE IMPACTS TO SERVICES ARE MINIMIZED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, FOR OUR EDIFICATION, IS THERE FOR CONSIDERATION KIND OF A TARGETED, FOR LACK OF -- IT'S GOING TO SOUND CRASS, BUT BUY-OUT, KIND OF WHERE YOU'RE OFFERING A PAYOUT, MAYBE MORE SO FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES TO ENSURE THAT THE REDUCTIONS ARE MINIMIZED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE? AND ARE TARGETED TO CERTAIN
AREAS? >> WALSH: YEAH. WE HAVEN'T SEEN SUCCESS IN
THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: HAVE NOT? >> WALSH: IN THE PAST.
IT'S ENDED UP COSTING US MONEY. I THINK OTHER CITIES HAVE EPERIENCED THAT. IT COMES DOWN TO MAKING SURE THAT YOU ELIMINATE THE POSITION AND THE EXPENSE AND SOMETIMES IF YOU OFFER THOSE TYPES OF INCENTIVES, YOU HAVE THOSE CRITICAL POSITIONS LEAVING THAT YOU'RE INCENTIVIZING TO LEAVE, AND THOSE POSITIONS WE'LL HAVE TO FILL LIKE A 911 OPERATOR, SO WE'VE NOT HAD GREAT SUCCESS
WITH THAT HERE TO DO THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL.
OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO DOWN INTO SOME PARTICULARS AND I KNOW WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT OTHER REVENUE STREAMS THAT COULD BE HELPFUL HERE. IN PARTICULAR, THE TIRZ. I KNOW IN THE PROPOSED FY '27 BUDGET IT'S ABOUT $46.6 MILLION THAT WE FOREGO. I DIDN'T SEE THE EXACT CITY BREAKOUT BUT I GUESS IF IT'S SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR, IT'S ABOUT 38, 39 FROM THE CITY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE HAVE ALL JUST ARTICULATED HERE, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO PLUS UP, WE RECOGNIZE WHERE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OURSELVES, EVEN IF YOU TOOK, YOU KNOW, 10%, 20% OF THAT, IT CERTAINLY WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO FILL SOME OF THESE CRITICAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF THE TIRZ AREAS THAT I THINK FOLKS WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ARGUING ARE BLIGHTED.
OKAY. YOU ALREADY ARE TRACKING THE REIMBURSEMENT, NOT REIMBURSEMENT, BACKFILL OF THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNER SCHOLARSHIP.
AS MENTIONED, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOUBLING THAT. GIVEN THE AFFORDABILITY COSTS SEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY, HELPING MORE STUDENTS UTILIZING MORE THAN EVEN THE 2.2 THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.
SIMILARLY, I SUPPORT THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
ON THE MATERNAL MORTALITY, DR. JACOB, PLEASE. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND
THE CONTOURS OF THE PILOT? >> JACOB: THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES.
WE HAVE AN INITIATIVE, AN ALLIANCE WE ESTABLISHED HERE IN THE CITY RECENTLY.
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THIS IS PART OF OUR PRIORITIES AROUND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN. TIED TO THAT PRENATAL CARE IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY AREAS.WE HAVE HAD A DESIGN OF AN ASSESSMENT. WE WORKED WITH AREA PROVIDERS AND IT'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SOCIALIZE AND MAKE SURE THERE IS HEIGHTENED AWARENESS AROUND THE IMPACTS OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE IN THE CITY.
I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE HAVE AS THAT INITIATIVE.
THE ACTUAL INITIATIVE ITSELF IS CALLED THE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR RESULTS IN EQUITY. IT IS A COLLABORATION TO RESHAPE MATERNAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN BEXAR COUNTY BY BUILDING PATIENT/PROVIDER TRUST AND ALIGNING AROUND SHARED EQUITY STANDARDS AND AIMS TO REDUCE RACIAL DISPARITIES AND POST-PARTUMDEPRESSION AND OTHER PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. THERE ARE CERTAIN COMPONENTS THAT WE HAVE BUILT AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE AND IT'S A PILOT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER AS PART OF A BROADER COLLABORATIVE HERE IN THE CITY AND GREATER BEXAR
COUNTY. >> MAYOR JONES: HOW LONG IS THE PILOT SUPPOSED TO LAST? I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN LATE LAST YEAR SO THIS WOULD BE A VERY SHORT TIMELINE THAT IT'S HAD ALREADY. BUT I GUESS HOW LONG WAS THE
PILOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN PLACE? >> JACOB: THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR IN THE MAKING. AND IT DOVETAILS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES, BUT JUST KNOW THAT IT'S FAIRLY NEW. WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNING THIS FOR SOME TIME AS PART OF -- ONE OF OUR PRIORITY AREAS, BUT JUST KNOW THAT'S THE CARE INITIATIVE AND AGAIN, STANDS
FOR COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR RESULTS IN EQUITY. >> MAYOR JONES: UM-HUM.
BECAUSE THERE'S THE CUT TO THAT PILOT. THERE'S ALSO THE OTHER ONE FOR THE MATERNAL MORTALITY OR MAYBE SORRY, THE PRENATAL GROUP THAT IS SEPARATE,
CORRECT? SEPARATE EFFORT? >> JACOB: THESE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. THIS IS TIED TO THE SAME TEAM.
ANCHORED TO THE CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT.
SO IT DOES IMPACT OUR CAPACITY TO COMMIT TO THE BROADER ALLIANCE WITH THIS COALITION. SO THE WORKING GROUP IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY AREAS REFLECTED WHICH THE COUNCILMAN HAD ASKED ABOUT. OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THIS IS A STAFFING FUNCTION THAT WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT
COALITION. >> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AS DR. KAUR MENTIONED, WE WERE JUST AT AN EVENT EARLIER TODAY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT NEED THAT THIS CRISIS NURSERY WILL NOW SUPPLY. HOWEVER, I WOULD ARGUE INVESTMENTS IN THE PILOTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEFUNDING THOSE ONLY INCREASES OUR NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO THESE DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT THEN NEED TO RESPOND ON THE BACK END, UNFORTUNATELY. SO I THINK $1.9 MILLION IS A SMALL CRY AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE $691,000 WE SPEND ON THAT ANNUALLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE COULD RECOUP THAT EVEN JUST WITH RECOUPING, FULLY RECOUPING THE FIESTA MONEY.
AGAIN, I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT DOING THAT AND IF THAT WAS A DIRECT ONE-FOR-ONE, HAPPY TO CALL THAT AS WELL. I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, DR. JACOB, AND I WELCOME KIND OF YOUR, IF YOU WANT TO ELABORATE ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO HELP US DO THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE TALKED ALREADY ABOUT THE REDUCTION IN SNAP KRECIPIENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE REDUCTIONS WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE, SO PROGRAMS LIKE THIS THAT HELP US AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BUILD IN THAT RESI RESILIENCE, NOT ONLY IN THE NEAR TERM BUT ALSO IN THE LONG TERM, ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF. SO HOWEVER YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT, NOT ONLY IN LIGHT OF THE DIFFERENCE IN FUNDING BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE AGAIN THE EFFECTS OF LEGISLATION THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR INDIVIDUALS IN AUDIO] THE NEED FOR THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. SO BACKFILLING ALL OF THE HEALTH CARE FUNDS AS IT RELATES TO WHAT YOU'VE JUST IDENTIFIED, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE DELAY IN THE PROGRAM, THE INTERSECTIONAL PROGRAM.
YOU SAID FOOD SECURITY, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DELAY IN THOSE THINGS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN. SO FULLY FUNDING THAT IS IMPORTANT. ON THE LIBRARY POSITIONS, I CERTAINLY, I MEAN, WHEN WE LOOK AT $940,000, $946,000 A YEAR, 39 POSITIONS, THAT'S ABOUT 24K-ISH, IF I DO THE ROUGH MATH. I SUPPORT BRINGING THOSE -- ONCE YOU HAVE DONE A CAREFUL ANALYSIS, AS COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ ALLUDED TO, SOME OF THE OTHERS ALLUDED TORQUES TO, SOME OF THESE LIBRARIES SERVE OTHER CRITICAL FUNCTIONS. DON'T HAVE TO DO WITH PUTTING A BOOK ON THE SHELF BUT HAVE TO DO WITH CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES LITERACY AND IS A SAFE COMMUNITY RESOURCE IN THOSE WAYS. SO 24K APIECE, I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE THREE FOLKS, IF YOU TOOK THE MONEY FROM PLACES I WOULD LOOK FOR FOR THAT MONEY, FIESTA, BOTANICAL GARDEN, BOOK FESTIVAL. IN TERMS OF POTENTIALLY
[02:15:04]
EXPLORING NOT FUNDING THESE THINGS, UT SAN ANTONIO, I KNOW WE ENTERED INTO THAT AGREEMENT IN A VERY DIFFERENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, ERIK. UT SAN ANTONIO'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS $975 MILLION. I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD JUST NOT PAY THAT LAST $2 MILLION IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO COVER DOWN IN OUR OWN BUDGET. I WOULD LIKE TO -- I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THE BOTANICAL GARDEN $1 MILLION IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE ARE DEFUNDING. I WOULD ALSO, THOUGH, AS PART OF THIS, IF THERE'S SOME ANALYSIS THAT SHOWS WHY THAT, IN FACT, IS THE BEST USE OF $1 MILLION, I WOULD WELCOME UNDERSTANDING THAT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE WIND-DOWN PLAN FOR THAT. I APPRECIATED THE BOTANICAL GARDEN FOLKS COMING TO MEET WITH ME AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AS THEY SEE IT. AS THE COMMUNITY SEES IT, THOUGH, THEY ARE SITTING ON $48 MILLION IN ASSETS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN EXPLAIN TO FOLKS WHAT WE'RE PROTECTING IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CUTTING. I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THOSE MAY BE CITY RESOURCES BUT HOWEVER YOU CAN HELP US MAKE SENSE OF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.I KNOW THIS IS COMING BUT HELP ME JUST TO MANAGE MY EXPECTATIONS, THE PERFORMANCE THAT IS COMING REGARDING THE OUTSIDE CONTRACT AGENCIES. SO LIFT FUND.
>> YES. YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE CONTRACTS.
YES. WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO
GET THAT INFORMATION. >> MAYOR JONES: THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, I SEE THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS THAT HAVE COME IN TO MAKE THE INNER CITY INCENTIVES POSSIBLE. DO WE HAVE AN ANALYSIS OF THE ROI OF WHAT THAT HELPS US ACCOMPLISH? IS IT $1.5 MILLION-ISH APIECE? OKAY. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK AND THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THOSE DELEGATE AGENCIES BECAUSE WHILE THEY'RE SHORED UP THIS YEAR, AS MENTIONED, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THOSE LARGELY PROGRAMS THAT ARE IMPACTING OUR YOUTH. THIS ONE JUST CONTINUES TO INTEREST ME. THE PUBLIC EDUCATION GRANTS THAT WE GET FROM THOSE FOLKS, DO WE HAVE, IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT REDUCING, CAN WE THINK OF THAT AS A RESOURCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE LET THOSE FOLKS, MY UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE REIMBURSE THOSE FOLKS FOR CONTENT THAT THEY CREATE VIA THOSE PRODUCTION UTILITIES, RIGHT, THOSE FACILITIES AT
EACH OF THOSE UNIVERSITIES? >> SO THOSE FUNDING, THEY MUST BE USED FOR PRODUCTION OF GOVERNMENT OR EDUCATIONAL CHANNELS, SO WE CAN'T USE THAT FOR A GENERAL FUND OR
OTHER SERVICES. >> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WAS CURIOUS, THOUGH, IF WE HAD ANY ABILITY TO MAKE REQUESTS OF WHAT THAT CONTENT FOCUSED ON. COULD YOU HAVE SOME CONTENT AROUND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT HELPS WITH EITHER FOOD NUTRITION OR SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE PROGRAMMING FOR DUE TO COST REDUCTIONS, CAN WE ACTUALLY ASK THAT THOSE ENTITIES THAT APPLY TO USE THOSE FUNDS, YOU KNOW, TAILOR TO THEIR CONTENT TO THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY?
>> I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS, MAYOR, YES, WE CAN. THE EDUCATION CHANNEL IS INTENDED TO BE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES FOR THESE INSTITUTIONS TO BE ABLE TO FURTHER THE EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY SO THEY GENERALLY HAVE DRIVEN THE CONTENT. BUT IF WE WANTED TO DICTATE TO THEM A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY WHAT SORTS OF THINGS, I THINK WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN EXPLORE.
>> MAYOR JONES: LIKE WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM A SCRIPT ON THE PROPERTY TAX COURSE THAT WE'RE CUTTING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU.
YOU GET THE INTENT WHICH IS CAN WE GIVE THEM A REQUEST FOR CONTENT THAT MAY ACTUALLY
HELP KILL A COUPLE OF BIRDS WITH THE SAME STONE. >> WE ALSO HAVE OUR OWN PUBLIC CHANNEL THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AS OPPOSED TO THE EDUCATION CHANNEL THE INSTITUTIONS USE. BUT UNDERSTOOD.
>> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. THANKS. OKAY.
ON THE FIRE FEES, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS RELATED TO INCREASING THE FEE BY WHICH FIRE PERSONNEL RESPONDED AND I THINK THERE WAS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE THAT WERE MEDICARE/MEDICAID, IS THAT RIGHT? YOU SAID LARGELY WAS COVERED
BY THOSE THAT HAVE PRIVATE INSURANCE. >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> MAYOR JONES: SO WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS FOR THOSE, AS WE SEE THE CUTS TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO IMPACT HOW THEY
[02:20:03]
PAY FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU ALL PROVIDE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COGNIZANT OF WHAT THAT MAY MEAN FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVEPOTENTIALLY LESS COVERAGE THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS. >> SURE.
SURE. RIGHT NOW, THE MEDICARE/MEDICAID, ABOUT 26%, LIKE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, 71% IS THROUGH INSURANCE AND 3% IS INDIVIDUAL PAY.
SO IT'S THE BULK OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL FOUR CATEGORIES.
>> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. WHAT I WANT TO DO, THE INTENT IS REALLY TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COGNIZANT OF AS WE'RE RAISING THESE FEES, TO CLOSE A BUDGET GAP, FOR THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE LESS RESOURCES, MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, CHIP AND SNAP, DUE TO CUTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE. IF YOU WOULD HELP US
UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE DOING THAT. >> SURE.
SO WE OFFER A CHARITY PROGRAM FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY. SO WE WORK WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE INSURANCE, THOSE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID, MEDICARE AND IF THOSE BENEFITS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM, THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CHARITY POLICY WHICH IS A PROGRAM THROUGH THE STATE WHERE WE GET REIMBURSED RATHER THAN CHARGING THOSE
INDIVIDUALS. >> WALSH: GENERALLY, MAYOR, RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT GETTING FULLY REIMBURSED ON MEDICAID/MEDICARE THROUGH THE EMS SYSTEM.
WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WITH OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS AS WE GO FORWARD BECAUSE WE DON'T GET 100% NOW. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EVER GOTTEN 100% OF THE TRANSPORT
COST FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID. >> MAYOR JONES: UM-HUM.
OUT OF CURIOSITY, IS THAT ONE OF THE POTENTIAL THINGS THAT WILL BE COVERED OUT OF
MEDICAID 1115 WAIVER? >> WALSH: NO, MA'AM. >> MAYOR JONES: IT'S NOT
ELIGIBLE? >> WALSH: I DON'T THINK IT'S ELIGIBLE BECAUSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY SERVICE. YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU'VE GOT PRIVATE INSURANCE, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY, YOU GOT MEDICARE, MED
MEDICAID, WE ARE GOING TO TRANSPORT YOU REGARDLESS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY.
OKAY. IN TERMS OF, SO ON THE REVENUE SIDE, JUST TWO POINTS. DO WE HAVE A FEE FOR THOSE THAT ARE DOING ILLEGAL
BACKYARD BREEDING? >> YES, MAYOR. IT DOES REQUIRE A PERMIT FOR
BACKYARD BREEDING. >> MAYOR JONES: WE HAVE A PENALTY IF THEY DON'T HAVE
THERE'S CITATIONS IF THEY DO IT WITHOUT IT. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE THAT. ON THE ADDITIONAL REVENUES, I WAS LOOKING AT -- I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW LITTLE WE BRING IN FROM THE GOLF COURSE.
SEEMS LIKE THERE MAY ALSO BE AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY ON MARKET SQUARE SO I WOULD WELCOME UNDERSTANDING HOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO MAXIMIZE REVENUES IN THOSE TWO AREAS, IN PARTICULAR, OR HOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING SO.
OKAY. THOSE ARE ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, ERIK AND THE TEAM, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. SOMEONE'S GOT TO GO.
BASED ON THAT, ANY CLOSING COMMENTS? YOU HAVE ANYTHING, ERIK?
>> WALSH: THANK YOU. I WILL PUT A LITTLE BIT OF MARKER OUT HERE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE STILL HERE. HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR ON THE REDUCTIONS.
I APPRECIATE SOME OF YOU HAD OTHER SUGGESTIONS ON REVENUE CHANGES OR SUBSTITUTIONS FOR REDUCTIONS BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN REDUCE AS WE GO THROUGH THESE WORK SESSIONS, THAT WILL BE HELPFUL. BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO CLOSE THE PROCESS IN MID-SEPTEMBER WITH A BALANCED BUDGET.
APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. THE TIME IS 3:28.
THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.