[00:00:47]
          >> MAYOR JONES: GOOD AFTERNOON. THE TIME IS NOW 2:05 P.M. ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BUDGET WORK SESSION IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THERE SHE IS. 
          >> MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> MAYOR JONES: THANKS, MADAM CLERK. 
          WE HAVE TWO ITEMS THIS AFTERNOON, PRE-K 4 SA AND THEN A REPORT FROM MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING. ERIK, OVER TO YOU, PLEASE. 
          >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE'LL START OFF WITH DR. DR. BARAY, SARAH BARAY, WHO WILL GIVE THE COUNCIL AN UPDATE ON THE PLAN FOR THE PRE-K 4 SA AS IT RELATES TO THE PROPOSITION BEFORE THE VOTERS LATER ON IN NOVEMBER. DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN HERE 
          ON THE FRONT END? >> THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AS ERIK MENTIONED, SINCE THIS IS A PROPOSITION ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT THAT THE COUNCIL HAS PLACED ON THE BALLOT, WE ARE BY STATE LAW PROHIBITED FROM USING CITY RESOURCES AND TIME TO ADVOCATE EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSITION, SO AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL IN THEIR REMARKS, IN THEIR QUESTIONS, NOT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PROPOSITION EITHER FOR OR AGAINST, EITHER DIRECTLY OR BY THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF YOUR COMMENTS, NOT LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU ARE 
          ADVOCATEING FOR OR AGAINST. THANK YOU, ERIK. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, 
          ANDY. >> AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THIS BRIEFING IS IN FOLLOW-UP TO THE AUGUST 13TH MEETING DURING WHICH YOU AUTHORIZED PRE-K 4 SA'S RE REAUTHORIZATION TO BE PLACED ON THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. SINCE THAT MEETING THE PRE-K 4 SA STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON WHAT WE CALL THE PROMISE TO VOTERS AND THAT IS WHAT WORK WILL WE DO IF THE PROGRAM IS REAUTHORIZED. I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND THE THINKING BEHIND PRE-K 4 SA AND WHY IT WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED, THE RESULTS WE'VE DELIVERED SINCE 2012 WHEN WE WERE FIRST AUTHORIZED, WHERE THE GAPS IN THE EARLY LEARNING SYSTEM STILL EXIST AND WHERE WE SEE PRE-K 4 SA HEADED IN THE COMING YEARS. PRE-K 4 SA BEGAN WITH A BOLD VISION, TO CHANGE THE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAJECTORIES IN SAN ANTONIO THROUGH HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION. THAT'S NOT A SLOGAN, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE DESIGN PRINCIPLE OF PRE-K 4 SA. EVERY DECISION WE MAKE FROM WHOM WE SERVE, WHERE WE OPEN CLASSROOMS TO HOW WE WORK WITH FAMILIES GETS MEASURED AGAINST TWO QUESTIONS:  IS IT HIGH QUALITY AND IS IT MOVING THE NEEDLE FOR SAN SAN ANTONIO? SO WHY THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CHILDHOOD -- WHY THE BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE -- WHAT THE TASK FORCE LANDED ON EARLY LEARNING IS THE REASON IS SIMPLE BECAUSE BOTH BRAIN SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH UNAMBIGUOUSLY SAY THE SAME THING, ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING BENEFITS NOT JUST CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, BUT ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. SO LET'S START WITH WHAT THE BRAIN RESEARCH SAYS. 90% OF THE BRAIN DEVELOPS BEFORE THE AGE OF FIVE. 
          IN THE EARLIEST YEARS OF LIFE THE BRAIN OF A YOUNG CHILD IS DEVELOPING NEW NEURAL CONNECTIONS WHICH WE CALL SYNAPSES, AT THE RATE OF 1 MILLION PER SECOND. 
          I'M GOING TOCY THAT AGAIN, 1 MILLION NEURAL SYNAPSES PER SECOND IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE. THAT PACE NEVER REPEATS ITSELF AT ANY OTHER TIME IN A PERSON'S LIFE. THIS IS WHY THE EARLIEST YEARS ARE THE WINDOW OF GREATEST OPPORTUNITY. WHEN THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BRAIN IS ACTUALLY DEVELOPING 
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DEVELOPING, IT'S BEING BUILT BUILT, SO EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND OR DON'T SPEND, EVERY MINUTE OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING INSTRUCTION AND CARE MATTERS. 
          THIS GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATES WHY THE EARLIEST YEARS ARE SO CRITICAL IN OUR DEVELOPMENT. 
          IT SHOWS THREE TYPES OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, SENSORY PATHWAYS, WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH VISION AND HEARING, LANGUAGE, AND HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. 
          SENSORY PATHWAYS DEVELOP FIRST AND MOST RAPIDLY, PEAK PEAKING WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE. LANGUAGE FOLLOWS CLOSELY THEREAFTER, BUILDING RAPIDLY THROUGH THE INFANT AND TODDLER YEARS. HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING FUNCTIONING, WHICH IS REASONING, PLANNING, SELF- SELF-REGULATION, BEGINS TOWARDS THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR, AND BUILDS OVER LONGER RUNWAY THAT EXTENDS WELL INTO THE SCHOOL YEARS, BUT PEAKS IN THOSE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF LIFE BEFORE CHILDREN EVER ENTER KINDERGARTEN. SO THAT'S WHAT THE BRAIN SCIENCE TELLS US ABOUT EARLY LEARNING AND WHY IT MATTERS SO MUCH. 
          LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE ECONOMISTS SAY ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT. 
          NOBLE LAUREATE ECONOMIST JAMES HECKMAN WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, HAS BEEN STUDYING THE ROI OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING FOR OVER 50 YEARS. 
          DR. HECKMAN'S RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN HIGH QUALITY EARLY PRESCHOOL FOR FOUR AND FIVE-YEAR-OLDS RETURNS AN ANNUAL SEVEN PERCENT ROI. THE ROI IF YOU BEGIN EVEN EARLIER WITH ZERO TO 3 IS EVEN HIGHER, 13.7%. THIS IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER INVESTMENT IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT LATER INVESTMENTS DON'T MATTER, IT'S JUST TO SAY THAT THEY COST MORE TO PRODUCE THE SAME RESULTS BECAUSE BY THAT POINT THE BRAIN HAS LARGELY BEEN BUILT BUILT. 
          EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS THE MOST EFFICIENT TOOL FOR BUILDING A STRONG WORKFORCE. 
          AND IF YOU KEEP INVESTING IN THAT CHILD ALL THE WAY THROUGH ADULTHOOD, EVEN BETTER. BUT THE EFFECTS OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING ARE NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN AND KINDERGARTEN READINESS. THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH LINKS EARLY LEARNING INVESTMENTS TO OUTCOMES FOR DECADES ACROSS FOUR AREAS:  STRONGER FAMILIES, A STRONGER WORKFORCE, BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES AND LESS CRIME. ONE OF THE MOST CITED STUDIES BEHIND THIS ECONOMIC RESEARCH IS THE PERRY PRESCHOOL PROJECT WHICH FOLLOWED PARTICIPANTS FOR DECADES. IT FOUND THAT CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING WERE MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, MORE LIKELY TO HOLD A JOB AND EARN MORE MONEY WHEN THEY DID. MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN A TWO TWO-PARENT HOUSEHOLD, HAVE FEWER PAGE PREGNANCYIES, LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY, LOWER SUBSTANCE USE AND LOWER INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS ADULTS. 
          THEY WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO OWN A HOME AND A CAR. MANY OF THESE BENEFITS CARRIED THROUGH TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE GENERATION AFTER THAT, MEANING THE RETURNS COMPOUND OVER YEAR OVER YEAR SO THE BENEFITS LAST FOR GENERATION GENERATIONS. IN SHORT, STRONG STARTS BUILD STRONG COMMUNITIES. 
          SO NOW WE'VE SEEN THE EVIDENCE FOR QUEUE QUALITY EARLY LEARNING AND WHAT I WANT TO -- FOR HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING AND WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS WHAT PRE-K 4 SA HAS DONE SINCE WE BEGAN IN 2012, HOW WE DID THE HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING HERE AT HOME IN SAN ANTONIO. SINCE 2013 PRE-K 4 SA HAS BEEN STUDIED CONTINUOUSLY. MORE THAN 20 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE EVALUATEED THE PROGRAM, ANCHORED BY ANNUAL PROGRAM EVALUATIONS EVALUATIONS CONDUCTED EVERY YEAR FROM 2014 THROUGH 2025. ALONG THE WAY WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL STUDIES THAT ANSWERED SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AS THEY'VE COME, POPULATION OF FOUR-YEAR-OLDS IN SAN SAN ANTONIO, LONG-TERM OUTCOME STUDIES TRACKING OUR ALUMNI YEARS AFTER THEY'VE LEFT OUR CLASSROOMS, AN ANALYSIS OF EARLY LEARNING DURING THE PANDEMIC, A STUDY ON DEMAND FOR PUBLIC PRE-K, AND MOST RECENTLY HIGH QUALITY PRE-K IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND A STUDY OF OUR SHARED SERVICE ALLIANCE AND THEIR 90 PARTNERS. BUT WE DON'T JUST REPORT ON THE RESULTS AND MOVE ON. 
          WE BUILD THE EVIDENCE BASE YEAR OVER YEAR AND USE THEM TO HELP US KNOW HOW TO GET BETTER. EXTERNAL RESEARCH AND VALIDATION IS BAKED INTO THE DNA OF PRE-K 4 SA. WE USE THE RESULTS TO GUIDE OUR DECISIONS TO KNOW WHEN WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH AND WHEN TO PIVOT WHEN WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RESULTS THAT WE EXPECT. SOMETHING -- AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S HOW WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU AND TO THE PUBLIC. AS I FREQUENTLY REMIND STAFF STAFF, COUNCIL HAS THE RIGHT OF INQUIRY AND THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO NOW HOW WE'RE MAKING THE BEST USE OF EVERY TAX DOLLAR. WE MUST CONTINUALLY 
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DEMONSTRATE STRONG RESULTS. THIS SLIDE SUMS UP WHAT THE EVIDENCE FROM THOSE RESEARCH STUDIES SHOWS. FIRST, QUALITY. PRE-K 4 SA DELIVERS HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING YEAR OVER YEAR, THE MODEL IS PROVEN. 
          CHILDREN MAKE SIGNIFICANT GAINS ACROSS ALL DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS AND THEY LEAVE OUR CLASSROOMS MORE THAN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN. A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT WELL INTO THEIR SCHOOL YEARS. SECOND, AT THE SYSTEMS LEVEL SAN ANTONIO, NOT JUST WITH OUR OWN SCHOOLS. SAN ANTONIO HAS OUT PERFORMED EVERY OTHER URBAN AREA IN TEXAS WHEN IT COMES TO PREKINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT. THIRD, WE'RE INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF ALL HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATORS IN THE CITY. THIS IS CRITICAL IN ENSUREING CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING. MANY PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND JUST HOW CRITICAL A HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING TEACHER IS AND I'VE TAUGHT EVERYTHING FROM THE LITTLE BITTYIES TO PH.D AND EARLY LEARNING IS THE MOST COGNITIVE AND PHYSICALLY TAXING OF ANY PART OF THE EDUCATION SPECTRUM. WHEN A BRAIN IS DEVELOPING A MILLION SYNAPSES A SECOND, IT TAKES A HIGH SKILL TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT. FOURTH, BUSINESS SUPPORT. WE'RE HELPING OTHER EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS, OUR PARTNERS, INCREASE QUALITY WHILE ALSO INCREASING THEIR BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY. FAMILIES NEED HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS THROUGHOUT OUR CITIES, OUR CITY AND OUR PARTNERS ARE KEY TO MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. FIFTH, THE STRONG ROI. PRE-K 4 SA RETURNED OVER $59 MILLION IN REAL BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY BEYOND THE COST OF THE PROGRAM IN JUST OUR FIRST EIGHT YEARS. NOW I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ONE OF THE TYPES OF DATA THAT WE GET EVERY YEAR. THIS IS KINDERGARTEN READINESS. 
          WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS IS THE RESULTS OF CHILDREN HAVING ONE YEAR OF PRE-K -- PRE-K 4 SA COMPARED TO TWO YEARS OF PRE-K 4 SA. ACROSS EVERY DOMAIN AND 
          COGNITIVE LITERACY,. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: OR LANGUAGE, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OUR CHILDREN OUT PERFORM BOTH THE STATE AVERAGE OF 51 51% AND THE BEXAR COUNTY AVERAGE OF 47%. 
          CHILDREN WITH US FOR TWO YEARS OUT PERFORM IN EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY WITH LITERACY SEEING THE GREATEST JUMP IN ONE YEAR FROM 64.5% TO 76.7% WITH TWO. 
          AND THIS ISN'T A ONE TIME EVALUATION. THIS IS PART OF OUR 12 YEAR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND WE DO THE SAME EVALUATION YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
          OKAY. SO WE HAVE PROOF THAT THE PROGRAM WORKS, THAT THE RESULTS ARE REAL, THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERIFIED INDEPENDENTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR, BUT SIGNIFICANT WORK REMAINS IN SAN ANTONIO BOTH WITHIN PRE-K 4 SA AND ACROSS OUR EARLY LEARNING SYSTEM. WHEN PRE-K 4 SA BEGAN FOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS WERE OUR FOCUS, NOT BECAUSE THE EARLIER YEARS DIDN'T MATTER, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT MADE SENSE TO START AT THAT TIME. THE PROGRAM WAS NEVER INTENDED TO SERVE EVERY FOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE WERE NEVER INTENDED TO STOP WITH FOUR-YEAR-OLDS. 
          THE BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE RECOGNIZED THE ENTEAR EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEM AS IMPORTANT AND THEY DESIGNED A PROGRAM THAT WAS NIMBLE ENOUGH TO RESPOND OVER TIME AS THE SYSTEM DEVELOPED AND THE CONTEXTS CHANGED. THAT'S WHAT SETS PRE-K 4 SA APART FROM SO MANY OTHER EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS. WE WERE BUILT TO RESPOND WHEN THE CONTEXT CHANGED AND NEEDS AROSE. SINCE OUR LAUNCH IN 2012, THE EARLY LEARNING LANDSCAPE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS IMPROVEED SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT WE STILL HAVE GAPS. ONLY 20% OF ELIGIBLE THREE THREE-YEAR-OLDS IN BEXAR COUNTY ARE ENROLLED IN PUBLIC PRE-K. HIGH QUALITY CARE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS IS REMARKABLY SCARCE. IT'S THE HARDEST AGE GROUP FOR A FAMILY TO FIND GOOD CARE FOR, AN AGE GROUP WHERE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IS MOST RAPID. MOST EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS DON'T MAKE A LIVING WAGE, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN A HIGH QUALITY WORKFORCE AND MOST FAMILIES SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF HIGH QUALITY CARE EVEN WHEN THE QUALITY OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE. THE PRICE OF NOT SOLVEING THIS ISN'T ABSTRACT. 
          TEXAS LOSES $9.3 MILLION IN PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE RELIABLE EARLY LEARNING CARE ISN'T AVAILABLE TO THE WORKFORCE. THE GOOD NEWS IS SAN ANTONIO HAS A WAY TO ADDRESS THE GAP THROUGH REAUTHORIZATION OF PRE-K 4 SA. WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITY AHEAD FOR THE ORGANIZED AROUND THREE PRIORITIES:  ACCESS, QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY. 
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, AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS OPERATING AT -- OPERATING AT NON-TRADITIONAL HOURS, NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, AND DROP-IN CARE FOR FAMILIES WHO DON'T WORK A STANDARD 8:00 TO 5:00 JOB. ON QUALITY, WE WANT TO GROW THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS MEETING STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS AND STRENGTHEN THE PIPELINE FOR EARLY EDUCATORS SO THAT IT DOESN'T COME AT THE COST OF QUALITY. 
          AND IN AFFORDABILITY WE WANT TO CREATE PUBLIC-PRIVATE COST SHARING MODELS AND ENSURE DELIVERY SO PARENTS HAVE HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS THAT WORK FOR THEM. 
          THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN TO DO WITH REAUTHORIZATION SHOULD IT BE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS VOTERS. I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE ASPECTS STARTING WITH QUALITY. WE'VE BUILT A NETWORK WITH 90 PARTNER PROVIDERS THAT HAS BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. WE WANT TO CREATE A NETWORK OF MORE THAN 300 EARLY LEARNING CARE PROGRAMS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, FAITH- FAITH-BASED PROGRAMS AND HOME PROGRAMS ALL CONNECTED UNDER ONE QUALITY UMBRELLA. THE IDEA IS TO GIVE FAMILIES HIGH QUALITY CHOICES WHEREVER THEY ARE LOOKING FOR EARLY LEARNING AND CARE, WHETHER IT'S A SCHOOL, A CHURCH OR A NEIGHBOR HOME- HOME-BASED PROGRAM, AND WE WANT TO MEASURE THOSE RESULTS ACROSS EVERY TYPE OF PROVIDER IN THAT NETWORK. 
          QUALITY SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON WHICH ZIP CODE YOU LIVE IN. EVEN WHEN HIGH QUALITY PROVIDERS EXIST, FAMILIES OFTEN HAVE TROUBLE FINDING THEM, SO THIS IS WHERE THE EARLY CONNECT SA TOOL, FINDER TOOL, COMES IN. THIS TOOL IS BASED ON A SIMPLE MESSAGE:  QUALITY CARE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK, AND WE CAN HELP YOU FIND IT. EARLY CONNECT IS BUILT FOR SAN ANTONIO SPECIFICALLY, MEANING IT REFLECTS OUR ACTUAL PROVIDER LANDSCAPE, NOT SOME GENERIC NATIONAL DATABASE, IT HELPS FAMILIES FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATION, IT OFFERS PERSONALIZED SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THAT SEARCH, IT MAKES ENROLLMENT EASIER ONCE A FAMILY IDENTIFIES A MATCH, AND IT INFORMS OUR OWN PROGRAMS ABOUT WHAT FAMILIES ACTUALLY NEED BASED ON REAL DATA SO THAT WE CAN DIRECT FUTURE INVESTMENT TOWARD THE GAPS FAMILIES ARE TELLING US ABOUT INSTEAD OF JUST GUESSING. 
          THE THIRD PRONG OF OUR RE REAUTHORIZATION PROMISE IS AROUND AFFORDABILITY. 
          WE WANT TO LEVERAGE PUBLIC- PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTINUE TO MAKE HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING AND CARE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES. 
          WE WANT TO REDUCE THEIR COST BURDEN, GIVE EMPLOYER SOLUTIONS BECAUSE CHILDCARE ACCESS AFFECTS THEIR WORKFORCE, CREATE EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCIES ACROSS THE SYSTEM TO MAKE EVERY DOLLAR WORK HARDER, MEASURE RESULTS AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY SO THAT EVERY DOLLAR THAT ENTERS THE SYSTEM IS HAVING A BENEFIT. 
          THE GOAL IS TO SPREAD THE COST OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING ACROSS PUBLIC- PUBLIC-PRIVATE EMPLOYER PARTNERS INSTEAD OF PLACING THE FULL WEIGHT ON INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES. BEFORE I CLOSE I WANT TO SHARE A VIDEO CLIP WITH YOU. 
          THIS YEAR OUR FIRST COHORT OF CHILDREN WILL GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND WE RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH A FEW OF THEM AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH 
          YOU WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. ♪ >> BEFORE THE LIGHT, BEFORE THE LITTLE VOICES, BEFORE THE FIRST GOOD MORNING, SOMEONE IS ALREADY HERE MAKING THE WORLD READY TO BE MET. AND THEN THEY COME. 
          SMALL SHOES, WIDE EYES, AND EVERYTHING STILL AHEAD OF THEM. 
          THE FIRST CHILDREN, THE VERY FIRST TEACHERS MADE READY, THEY'RE READY NOW. 
          THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU CREATE TODAY BECOME THE FOUNDATION THEY STAND ON TOMORROW. 
          YOU ARE READY. THE WORLD IS WAITING. MEET THE MOMENT. 
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          >> WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT STARTING PRE-K IS ALWAYS BEING SURROUNDED BY A STRONG 
          AND ENCOURAGEING ENVIRONMENT BY THE STAFF AND TEACHERS. >> TO ME BEING READY MEANS HAVING ENOUGH EXPERIENCE TO GO OUT IN THE WORLD AND FIGURE IT OUT. 
          >> A TEACHER WHO MADE ME FEEL CAPABLE WAS MS. ASH MS. ASHWORTH BECAUSE EVERYDAY WHEN YOU WOULD SHOW UP SHE WOULD BE SO WELCOMING AND KIND AND SHE WOULD MAKE US EXCITED TO BE THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO IT JUST FELT MORE LIKE A HOME RATHER THAN A SCHOOL. AND SHE ALSO, ME AND HER ALSO STAYED PEN PALS AFTER I 
          LEFT PRE-K 4 SA SO THAT WAS REALLY NICE AS WELL. >> TO THE TEACHER WHO GOT ME STARTED, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE AND ENCOURAGEING ME 
          THROUGH THE CHALLENGES AND THE STRUGGLES. >> THANK YOU FOR NEVER LIMITING ME TO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, MAKING ME BELIEVE THAT SKY'S THE LIMIT AND I COULD 
          REALLY ACHIEVE AND DO WHATEVER I PUT MY MIND TO. >> THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CREATE A PASSION AND LOVE FOR LEARNING AND I WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE FOR REST OF 
          MY LIFE. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, DR. BARAY. 
          COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HERE, COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WASN'T EXPECTING EXPECTING THO VIDEO, BUT IT MADE MY HEART HAPPY. I GUESS I'LL START OFF BY SAYING, ONE, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU AND THE TEAM DO, EVERY EMPLOYEE AT PRE-K 4 SA, I THINK THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING. I HATE THAT EXPRESSION BECAUSE I HATE PUDDING, BUT THE PROOF IS IN IT AND IT'S SHOWING THAT THE WORK THAT ALL OF THE TEAM IS DOING IS REALLY MAKING AN IMPACT AND IT SHOWS WITH THIS FIRST COHORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING READY TO GRADUATE AND GO TO COLLEGE AND INTO THE WORKFORCE, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY PHENOMENAL AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR 18 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS FIRST COHORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO -- BABIES WHO ARE IN THE INFANT AND TODDLER CARE PILOT PROGRAM, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY WILD TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES. SO LARGELY IN THIS PRESENTATION, WE SOUGHT TO HEAR THE ANSWER TO WHAT IS PRE-K 4 SA GOING TO DO WITH THIS EXPANDED --, ONE, THE REAUTHORIZATION, BUT THEN A GREATER AMOUNT WITHIN THAT AUTHORIZATION? AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE GOAL IS GOING TO BE EXPAND ACCESS, IMPROVE QUALITY AND INCREASE AFFORDABILITY ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROVIDERS, AND MUCH OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS EXACTLY WHAT PRE-K 4 SA IS ALREADY DOING. 
          AND SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS MY QUESTIONS ON THAT. IT'S GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF. 
          SO NUMBER ONE WITH ACCESS, SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE GOALS IS GOING TO BE TO IMPLEMENT INFANT AND TODDLER CARE BEYOND THE EXISTING PILOT. CAN WE EXPECT THE PROGRAM TO 
          EXPAND TO ALL FOUR OF THE CAMPUSES? >> POSSIBLY. 
          WE DEFINITELY WILL INCREASE INFANT AND TODDLER ACCESS BECAUSE THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND WHEN WE INCREASE WE WANT TO INCREASE CAPACITY NOT JUST SHUFFLE SEATS AROUND. SO DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE LOCATED AND WHETHER THERE'S A NEED FOR INFANT CAPACITY THERE, YES, WE WOULD CONSIDER DOING THAT. 
          AND WE ARE CURRENTLY BE DOING THAT IN THE SPRING WITH EDUCARE SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS A TEXAS A&M CAMPUS THAT WE WILL BE OPENING IN THE SPRING WITH EXPANDED 
          INFANT-TODDLER CARE THERE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT WAS INCREASING HOURS FOR THOSE WHO WORK VARIOUS TYPES OF SHIFTS, INCLUDING NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT? WHAT IS THE TANGIBLE INVESTMENT THAT PRE-K 4 SA MAKES BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST IN YOUR FOUR CAMPUSES, IT'S IN THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM? WHAT DOES THAT TANGIBLY LOOK LIKE? 
          >> WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN DOING A PILOT WITH THAT OVER THE LAST YEAR WORKING WITH FIVE OF OUR PARTNER PROVIDERS, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THREE CENTERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES IT TAKE COSTWISE TO OUTFIT THE CENTERS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED, FOR EXAMPLE, IF CHILDREN ARE OVERNIGHT THEY NEED BEDS. 
          WHAT DOES IT COST ON THE STAFFING AND THEN WHAT DOES IT COST IN TERMS OF KNOWING HOW TO EXPAND. SO WE'VE GOTTEN THAT. OUR TEAM UNDER OUR CHIEF OF INNOVATION, THEY'VE REALLY KIND OF GOTTEN THE PLAYBOOK DOWN FOR THAT, AND STARTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE COST SO WE CAN CALCULATE HOW MUCH WOULD WE PUT IN. 
          WE PAY FOR THINGS LIKE THE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS, THE TRAINING FOR STAFF, HELPING THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF FAMILIES AND THEN HOW TO TRAIN THE STAFF BECAUSE CARE OVERNIGHT HOURS OR WEEKENDS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN DURING THE 
          [00:25:02]
          DAY BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT REGULATIONS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: FOR SURE. AND THE SECOND BULLET WAS IMPROVEING QUALITY. 
          THIS LOOKS LIKE TOHOW PRE-K 4 SA ENSURES THE IMPACT OF THESE FUNDS OUT LAST THE SALES TAX ITSELF BECAUSE IT'S HELPING OTHER PROVIDERS MEET HIGHER STANDARDS AND ENSURES THAT THE WORKFORCE IS IN PLACE TO SUSTAIN LONG AFTER PRE-K 4 SA IS POTENTIALLY NOT A CITY ORGANIZATION ANYMORE. SO WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS EXISTING EFFORT AND HOW GREATER FUNDING WOULD IMPACT OUR GOALS? 
          >> SO CURRENTLY WE WORK WITH THE 90 PARTNER PROVIDERS AND 96 PERCENT OF THEM ARE HIGHLY RATED WITH STARS. SO WE SEE WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MOVE A PROVIDER THAT MAY NOT BE IN A QUALITY RATING SYSTEM ALL THE WAY UP TO FOUR STARS VERSUS SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY RATED FOR QUALITY ONCE THEY BECOME NAC NACE ACCREDITED. 
          WE PROVIDE BUSINESS COACHING COACHING, PEDAGOGICAL PLANNING, BUSINESS PLANNING, THE MATERIALS. THE GOAL IS NOT FOR THEM TO BE DEPENDENT UPON US, IT'S TO HELP THEM BECOME SUSTAIN SUSTAINABLE SO THAT THEY CAN GO OUT AND CONTINUE TO EXPAND. WE HAVE ONE PROVIDER, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HAS GONE FROM ONE OUTSTANDING CENTER, SHE'S ABOUT TO OPEN UP HER FOURTH ONE THROUGH OUR HELP AND COACHING WITH HER KNOWING WHEN IT'S TIME TO EXPAND AND WHERE TO EXPAND. 
          SO THAT'S THE KIND OF INVESTMENT THAT WE MAKE. IT'S INTENSIVE, HIGH TOUCH IN THE BEGINNING WITH SOME MONETARY THINGS THAT GO INTO IT WITH STIPENDS AND OVER TIME AS AS THEY DEVELOP GREATER CAPACITY IN THEIR OWN RIGHT THEY BECOME ONE OF THE PARTNERS THAT HELPS US BRING ON NEW PARTNERS SO THAT THE COST CHANGES OVER TIME. 
          >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I IMAGINE THERE'S A LEVEL OF PROACTIVITY THAT PRE-K 4 SA AND THE TEAM DOES TO REACH OUT TO THESE DIFFERENT PROVIDERS. 
          IS THERE ANOTHER MECHANISM WHERE THEY REACH OUT -- I GUESS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS AND COULD BE RECEIVING RESOURCES, WHAT 
          DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? >> SO WE KEEP A LIST OF WHERE CHILDCARE DESERTS ARE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE THE PROVIDERS ARE THERE, SO WHEN WE'RE READY TO EXPAND WE LOOK FIRST THERE AND OUR TEAM GOES OUT AND VISITS WITH ALL OF THOSE LICENSED PROVIDERS AND IF THERE ISN'T A LICENSED PROVIDER WE START TALKING TO EXISTING PROVIDERS TO SAY DO YOU WANT TO OPEN UP THERE? WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO JOIN OUR NETWORK, BUT WE PRIORITIZE THOSE THAT ARE LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE THERE ISN'T A SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING AND CARE. HAVING SAID THAT, ANY EARLY LEARNING PROVIDER IN SAN SAN ANTONIO CAN BENEFIT FROM OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT WE OFFER AND OUR GENERAL PARTNERSHIP, BUT HIGH TOUCH GOES TO THE PLACES IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE 
          THAT INVESTMENT IS NEEDED MOST. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I CAN APPRECIATE AND I'VE SAID IT MAYBE TWICE NOW, BUT THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM BEYOND WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OR PRE-K 4 SA IS 
          DOING. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO NOTE BECAUSE INVESTING IN PRE-K 4 SA MEANS INVESTING IN ALL THESE PROVIDERS THAT OUR COMMUNITY RELIES ON. THE LAST QUESTION I GUESS IS RELATED TO INCREASING AFFORDABILITY AND IT'S IN A SIMILAR VEIN. 
          WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW AND HOW WILL THE WORK HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IF THE 
          FUNDING IS APPROVED? >> SO NOW OBVIOUSLY PRE-K 4 SA WAS STARTED TO CREATE AFFORDABLE SEATS. SO OUR SEATS ARE PRIORITIZED FOR FAMILIES 80% OF OUR SEATS GO TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND WE HAVE A SLIDING SCALE TUITION TO MAKE THAT SO IT'S NOT JUST A CUTOFF. YOU EARLY QUALIFY OR YOU DON'T. BUT WITH OUR PROVIDERS AS WELL WE FOCUS ON PROVIDERS WHO ACCEPT A CHILDCARE SUBSIDIARY OR WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT SCHOLARSHIPS SO THAT IT MAKES IT AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES. 
          THE PIECE THAT'S COMING INTO THIS IN RECENT YEARS IS OUR EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS. 
          THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE CREATE SOLUTIONS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THEIR INVESTMENT, THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE EARLY LEARNING BUSINESS SO HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT MAKES IT MORE AFFORDABLE NOT JUST FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT THE COMMUNITY, AND WE BRING ALL THOSE RESOURCES RESOURCES TOGET. 
          WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE ALL THE RESOURCES IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE 
          EFFICIENT FOR EVERYBODY. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE 5 RIGHT NOW AND I THINK EVEN THOUGH IT'S A VERY STRANGE LOOKING GRAPH BECAUSE IT DOESN'T USE THE SAME INCREMENT CHANGES, I DO THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND THE REASON WHY I THINK PRE-K 4 SA IS SO SUCCESSFUL AND WHY I BELIEVE IT'S SO -- I'M GRATEFUL FOR PREVIOUS VOTERS WHO AUTHORIZED THIS TO BEGIN WITH IS WE SEE THAT THE GREATER RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS GOING TO BE INVESTING IN FOLKS AS YOUNG AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BE AND SETTING THEM UP ON A PATH FOR HIGHER COGNITIVE ABILITY, GREATER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, WHICH THEN LEADS TO GREATER WORKFORCE OUTCOMES. I THINK WE KNOW THAT WE GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CAMPAIGN AHEAD AND WHATEVER WAYS I CAN BE SUPPORTIVE IN EDUCATEING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT PRE-K 4 SA IS DOING. 
          SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I LOOK FORWARD TO MUCH MORE. 
          [00:30:03]
          >> FULL DISCLOSURE, THE SLIDE, THE GRAPH ON SLIDE 5 IS NOT MINE, THAT'S FROM THE NEUROSCIENTISTS WHO TRY TO MAKE BRAIN SCIENCE, WHICH IS VERY CONVOLUTEED, SIMPLE FOR 
          US TO UNDERSTAND. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ, PLEASE. 
          >> GONZÁLEZ: I'LL MAKE MY STATEMENTS QUICK SO ANDY DOESN'T UNRAVEL. 
          WE DON'T WANT THAT. [LAUGHTER]. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND JUST THE UPDATE ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, BUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE. I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY AHEAD ACCESS, QUALITY, AFFORDABILITY, THOSE HIT ON ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR RESIDENTSS ARE DEALING WITH ON ANY LEVEL, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S JOBS, HOUSING. 
          IT'S ABOUT ACCESS, QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY. SO I THINK PRE-K IS PART OF THAT. SO I THINK WE'VE BUILT A STRONG EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM. RECENTLY SATX SET A UNIFIED GOAL TO INCREASE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY 45% BY 2030. WE KNOW CHILDCARE PLAYS A ROLE IN THAT ATTAINMENT FOR OUR FAMILIES HERE IN THE CITY. YESTERDAY I SIT ON THE WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE COMMITTEE, AND WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AND GOAL NUMBER THREE IS TALENT AND WORKFORCE, ENSUREING SAN SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTSS HAVE ACCESSIBLE PATHWAYS TO WELL- WELL-PAYING JOBS AND EMPLOYERS HAVE A PIPELINE TO TALENT. 
          THAT PATHWAY INCLUDES CHILDCARE, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER ANALYSIS OF BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS DATA SHOWS THAT AROUND 845,000 WOMEN HAVE LEFT THE LABOR WORKFORCE SINCE JANUARY. 
          COMPARED TO 406 FEWER MEN. MUCH OF THAT DECLINE IS DRIVEN BY MOTHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND NATIONAL SURVEY WORK POINTS TO CAREGIVING PRESSURE, THE COST OF CARE AND THE LACK OF WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY AS THE LEADING REASON THAT WOMEN ARE LEAVING. SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING THE NEEDLE, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO WITH OUR BUDGET, BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE IN THIS SPACE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS.  I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT THE ROLE THAT PRE-K PLAYS IS IN SAN ANTONIO'S BUSINESS GROWTH AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS, HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BUILDS A STRONGER WORKFORCE TWICE OVER, ONCE BY LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDENTS IN FRONT OF US AND THEN AGAIN BY MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR WORKING PARENTS TO STAY IN THE WORKFORCE TODAY AND SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. 
          SO I LOOK FORWARD TO JUST SEEING WHERE THIS ALL GOES, AND I THINK 20 YEARS GIVES US A LARGE -- A LONG RUNWAY THAT THIS PROGRAM NEEDS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN, PLEASE PLEASE. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          ANDY, REEL ME IN WHEREVER YOU NEED TO. FIRST I WANT TO START, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO ASKED ME TO SAY A FEW WORDS ON HER BEHALF. 
          SHE'S IN THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW ASSISTING STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL REELING FROM THE STORM IN THE WESTSIDE OF SAN SAN ANTONIO, BUT I WANTED TO COMMUNICATE HER APPRECIATION TO THE PRE-K 4 SA STAFF AND ENTIRE TEAM AND CONGRATULATE THE PROGRAM ON A JOB WELL DONE SERVING OUR WESTSIDE RESIDENTSS RESIDENTSS. 
          JUMPING IN I HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS ON IT. FOR SLIDE 15 I THINK IT WAS ALL THE BIG THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT, WHAT THIS HAS MEANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT WILL MEAN GOING FORWARD. ON THE AFFORDABILITY PIECE, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT TO ME ABOUT WHAT THE PUBLIC- PUBLIC-PRIVATE COST-SHARE MODELS CURRENTLY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT YOU ANTICIPATE THEY COULD LOOK LIKE IN THE 
          FUTURE? >> THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSIONS OUT THERE AND SOME HAVE BEEN TRIED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. THERE'S ONE CALLED A TRY SHARE MODEL WHERE AN EMPLOYER WILL SAY THEY'LL PUT UP $1,000 IF THERE'S A PUBLIC INVESTMENT OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THEN THE FAMILY PUTS UP A THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT HELPS BRING DOWN THE COST OF CHILDCARE. 
          SO THE EMPLOYER HAS A PARTIAL MATCH, PUBLIC INVESTMENT. 
          SO THAT'S ONE POSSIBILITY. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT IN SAN ANTONIO WE'VE HAD EMPLOYERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN SOME OF OUR PARTNER PROVIDERS, HELPING THEM TO INCREASE QUALITY OR EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS WHICH THEN WOULD ALLOW THEM TO SERVE MORE CHILDREN, INCLUDING SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. SO THE -- I THINK THE BEAUTY OF IT IS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WHERE THEY MAKE SENSE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL IN SAN ANTONIO. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LARGE TOYOTA, WHICH IS HUGE, THE MANUFACTURING HUB, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN A SMALLER EMPLOYER THAT MIGHT GO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A FEW OTHER EMPLOYERS FOR A PARTICULAR AREA OR THE MEDICAL CENTER. AND SO I THINK THAT'S -- IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE JUST STARTED AND IT'S EXCITING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT IF WE WERE RE REAUTHORIZED. 
          >> GALVAN: GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN OF COURSE ON THE ACCESS, I'M SURE I SHARE A LOT OF SENTIMENTS THAT WAS LAID OUT ABOUT THE -- YOU TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, THE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED A LOT IN OUR CITY, FRANKLY, 
          [00:35:04]
THE ENTIRE STATE, ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. FOR A LONG TIME IT WAS KIND OF LEFT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO FIGURE THAT OUT FOR FOLKS WHO HAD THE MEANS TO BE ABLE TO GO AND HAVE THEIR KIDS HAVE THE BEST QUALITY EDUCATION POSSIBLE. 
          THE PUBLIC SECTOR HAS BEEN TRYING AND IT IS NOW IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. 
          PRE-K 4 SA WAS IN THE MIDDLE THAT ALLOWED FOR MANY OF THE STUDENTS HERE IN OUR CITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ACCESS TO THAT HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE STUFF. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGHEST CURRICULUM HERE. 
          I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME, BUT I LIKE TO REFERENCE IT BECAUSE IT IS A SPECIFIC CURRICULUM, IT IS AN INCREDIBLE CURRICULUM THAT IS THE KIND OF TOP MODEL THAT WE TEACH, OUR TEACHERS WHO ARE ORCHESTRATE ORCHESTRATING THIS PIPELINE FOR THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. 
          IS ONE THING TO HAVE HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. 
          WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS FOR THEORIES ON THIS. THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS HERE, TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT THAT ENVIRONMENT LOOKS LIKE SHIFTING INTO THE FUTURE ON HOW PRE-K 4 SA IS GOING TO OPERATE. IS IT GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE OR DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT SHIFTING FROM THREE TO FOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS TO MORE UNDER THREE? ANTICIPATE IT BEING THE SAME SAME? 
          WHAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS THERE? >> I THINK IT'S THE ONE -- THE BIRTH TO 5 PIPELINE, FIGURING THAT OUT AND WHAT THE NEED IS. 
          WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IS TO BE IN ONE PLACE WITH WHAT WE CALL CONTINUITY OF CARE, THE SAME HIGH QUALITY PROVIDERS DURING THEIR ENTIRE YOUNG YEARS. THAT'S THE BEST. THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE RIGHT THING FOR EVERY FAMILY. AND SO AGAIN, I THINK IT MEANS HAVING OPTIONS, HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS, WHETHER IT'S HOME-BASED PROVIDERS, FAITH-BASED PROVIDERS, PUBLIC SCHOOL PROVIDERS, FIGURING OUT WHAT THOSE PIPELINES LOOK LIKE AND OPTIONS, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FAMILIES HAVING AN ON AFFORDABLE CHOICE THAT MAKES 
          SENSE FOR THEM. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. AND DO YOU ANTICIPATE BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH IN THE THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD KIND OF CARE THAT WE SEE NOW IN OUR CITY, DO YOU ANTICIPATE PRE-K 4 SA TO TRAIN A BIT MORE INTO THE UNDER THREE THREE-YEAR-OLD POPULATION, LOOKING AT EXPANDING AT THE SAME SITES OR MAKING NEW SITES? WHAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS THERE? 
          >> I THINK IT WILL BE LIKELY THAT WE'LL EXPAND OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE INFANT-TODDLERS TO SOME DEGREE. I THINK THAT IT ALSO MEANS EXPANDING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PRIVATE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS TO SERVE THREES AND FOURS. A LOT OF THEM HAVE GONE INTO PUBLIC PRE-K, INCLUDING PRE-K 4 SA, SO WE'RE LOOKING AND PARTNERING WITH ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WE CALL A MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM, TO SAY WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. 
          AND THEN WE GO IN AND FILL A GAP. SO YES, WE'LL ALWAYS SERVE THREES AND FOURS BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM, BUT AS THE NEED EVOLVES WE'LL ALSO SHIFT INTO SOME OTHER AREAS. FOR EXAMPLE, SIX YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT SERVING FAMILY HOME CARE PROVIDERS BUT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WAS A NEED FROM PROVIDERS AND OUR FAMILIES AND SO WE STARTED WORKING WITH THOSE PROVIDERS AS WELL. AND SO I THINK WE'LL GO WHERE THE NEED IS AND WHERE WE CAN FILL THE GAP AND BUILD CAPACITY BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD CAPACITY. 
          >> GALVAN: GOT IT. I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK IT'S HELPFUL -- THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT FEEL VERY BREAD AND BUTTER TO ME AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR, BUT THE THING ABOUT THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM, IN THIS MOMENT WHEN PARENTS ARE HAVING THEIR CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF THREE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL, GET THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE, WHERE WILL I HAVE SOMEONE CARE FOR THEM DURING THE DAY WHEN I'M DOING WHATEVER I NEED TO DO. 
          SCIENTIST PERSPECTIVE TALKING ABOUT THAT EARLY AGE AGE. 
          IT'S SO FUNDAMENTAL AND IT ALSO SHIFTS OVER TIME WHEN YOU GET TO FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, WHEN YOU GET TO LARGER CLASSROOMS, HAVE MORE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF CARE. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE SHOWCASEING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT WITHIN OUR OWN SITES BUT THAT PARTNERSHIP MODEL IS CRITICAL HERE SO GIVE THAT OPTION FOR OUR FAMILIES AS WELL AS THE COST MIX TOO. SO IT'S BREAKING THE BARRIER BARRIERS FOR A LOT OF FOLKS WHO NEVER HAVE ACCESS TO THESE KIND OF SERVICES OR WHO DO AND HAVE TO MAKE ENDS MEET WITH ALL THESE COSTS AND MAKE SURE THEIR KID HAS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLE. I APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION. 
          THE ONLY OTHER BIG THING I WANTED TO ASK IS OF COURSE COORDINATION WITH ISD'S PRE-K PROGRAM. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ALIGN OURSELVES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE NEEDS AS WELL AND THE SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW PRE-K 4 SA HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THE ISDS IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND EDUCATION PIPELINES? 
          >> SO PRE-K 4 SA WAS THE FIRST PRE-K PARTNERSHIP IN TEXAS, SO THE CHILDREN THAT ENROLLED IN PRE-K 4 SA WERE DULY ENROLLED IN IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHICH MEANT THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GOT CREDIT FOR THE ENROLLMENT, PULLED DOWN DOWN THE FUNDING AN WE ASKED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING IN RETURN FOR OFFERING FULL-DAY PRE-K. 
          BECAUSE AT THAT TIME THE DISTRICTS WERE ONLY FUNDED FOR HALF DAY. 
          THAT MODEL BECAME THE MODEL FOR THE STATE AND IN 2019 THE STATE SAID WHAT A GOOD IDEA, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO PRE-K PARTNERSHIP PARTNERSHIPS. 
          SINCE THEN IT'S BEEN THE ISD ISDS AND OUR PROVIDERS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE PARTNERSHIPS WORK BECAUSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ONE THING, THE EARLY LEARNING CARE SYSTEM IS ANOTHER. YOU PROBABLY HEARD THAT 
          [00:40:02]
THERE'S 14 DIFFERENT AGENCY AGENCIES THAT OVERSEE LICENSED CHILDCARE. 
          SO IT GETS A LITTLE CONVOLUTEED. ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON AT THE STATE RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE HELP CREATE A BIRTH THROUGH 5 SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY, INCLUDING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AND AS THAT BECOMES MORE CLEAR IT'S BEEN MURKY ON THE RULES SINCE LAST SESSION, BUT WE'LL WORK WITH THE PARTNERS AND WHAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR FAMILIES TO HAVE OPTIONS TOO. SORRY ABOUT THAT. ALMOST KNOCKED MY DAUGHTER OVER. FAMILIES NEED OPTIONS AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PART 
          OF THAT. >> GALVAN: SEEING THE EXPANSION IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THREE-YEAR-OLDS NOW. NORTHSIDE ISD HAS EXPANDED THIS YEAR TO HAVE THREE THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 
          A LITTLE A BIG ADJUSTMENT FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO TAKE IN THAT WORK AND ALSO NOT HAVE TO ADJUST THEIR BUILDING, WHICH IS A WHOLE OTHER THING. 
          SO I GUESS ONE LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK TOO WAS THINKING ABOUT CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE A 20-YEAR -- POTENTIALLY A 20-YEAR FUNDED PROGRAM, WHAT DOES THAT CAPITAL DELIVERLY LOOK LIKE OR CAPITAL INVESTMENT LOOK LIKE IN THE SCHOOLS WE OPERATE BUT ANY ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN DO WITH SCHOOLS THAT ARE CURRENTLY CLOSE UNDERSTAND MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES? 
          >> WE HAVE TWO OF OUR BUILDINGS THAT WE LEASE AND WE WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TO GET INTO BUILDINGS THAT WE OWN FOR GREATER ISN'TCY IN THE PROGRAM. 
          A LONGER AUTHORIZATION ALLOWS US TO THINK LONG-TERM BOTH FOR OURSELVES AND OUR PARTNERS. SO THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CLOSED SCHOOLS, AND HOW THOSE MIGHT HELP TO SOLVE MANY OF OUR PROBLEMS, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING OR CHILDCARE, AND THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN WITH A COUPLE OF OUR DISTRICTS SAYING OKAY OKAY, WHAT ARE WE THINKING ABOUT HERE AND WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE AND ALSO THINKING THE DISTRICTS THINK THROUGH -- BECAUSE WHAT THE NEED FOR THEM MIGHT BE IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT? SO REALLY HAVING TO THINK LONG-TERM AND A LONGER AUTHORIZATION ALLOWS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO THINK THAT WAY AND MAKE THOSE 
          INVESTMENTS OVER TIME. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR TODAY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND ALONG WITH YOUR ENTIRE TEAM WHO CONTINUE TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR OUR 
          STUDENTS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, 
          PLEASE. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, DR. BARAY FOR THE PRESENTATION. I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN. GREAT JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING OVER THERE, VERY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE WORK. I WAS SUPER EXCITED AND OVERJOYED TO BE THERE FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS FOR SO MANY, THE PRE-K SOUTH. 
          SO CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD JOB. INFORMATION WILL CHANGE AS POPULATIONS CHANGE AND PEOPLE GROW AND TRENDS CHANGE, WITH YOU KNOW KNOW THAT PRE-K AND QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS KEY TO KEEPING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN 
          AND SHARE. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE 
          GAVITO, PLEASE. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, SARAH, FOR THIS INFORMATION. 
          OBVIOUSLY I THINK THE WORLD OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING. I THINK THE RESEARCH AND THE RESULTS THAT YOU'VE SHOWN ON HERE ARE PHENOMENAL. AND I, LIKE COUNCILMAN VIAGRAN WAS -- COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN WAS MENTIONING, I LIKE GOING AND READING TO THE KIDDOS AS WELL. IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME. I KNOW I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE, BUT I JUST NEED TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT. 
          WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PRE-K 4 SA WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND A 62-MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND -- JUST SHY OF 2,000 KIDS, SO THERE'S $31,000 A STUDENT, RIGHT? I KNOW IT GOES TO DIFFERENT BUDGETS, RIGHT? SOME OF IT GOES TO EDUCATION EDUCATION, SOME OF IT GOES TO WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND SOME GOES TO I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE THIRD THING WAS. 
          >> FAMILIES. >> GAVITO: TO FAMILIES. SO REMIND ME WHEN VOTERS WHO ARE SOLD THIS IN 2013-2014, WERE THEY SOLD THAT THIS WAS JUST GOING TO GO TO 
          EDUCATION OR IS THIS SCOPE CREEP? >> NO, THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE DESIGN OF PRE-K 4 SA FROM THE BEGINNING. IF YOU READ THE BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT JUST BUILDING FOR AMAZEING CENTERS THAT DEMONSTRATE WHAT QUALITY LOOKS LIKE, BUT PROVIDING THE SUPPORTS, THE GRANTS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNINGS AND SUPPORTS TO FAMILIES THAT CHANGE THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE. THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SETS PRE-K 4 SA APART FROM SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE INVESTED IN EARLY LEARNING IS THEY REALLY FOCUSED ON ACCESS AND DIDN'T THINK SYSTEMICALLY. 
          SAN ANTONIO WAS WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND THAT WASN'T MY DESIGN, I WASN'T EVEN HERE BACK THEN, SO WE'VE STAYED TRUE TO THOSE PILLARS AND THEY'VE CONTINUEED TO GROW AND EVOLVE, MEANING INITIALLY OUR FAMILY WORK WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE FAMILIES WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT OVER TIME WE'VE REALIZED THAT WE CAN OFFER THAT SAME HELP TO FAMILIES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN BECAUSE EVERYBODY 
          [00:45:01]
NEEDS THAT HELP. SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OUR CHILDCARE CENTERS ALL THROUGHOUT THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY ALSO ARE SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT THAT. 
          >> GAVITO: YEAH. AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE NEED AS A MOM PUTTING KIDS THROUGH CHILDCARE DURING THIS TIME, LIKE I GET IT AND UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO HAPPEN FOR MORE OF OUR RESIDENTSS. I THINK AS WE'RE IN A BUDGET DEFICIT WE HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELY AT ALL FINANCES. I'M CURIOUS I THINK SAW THAT YOU DO BUSINESS SUPPORT. WAS THAT SOLD TO THE VOTERS OF WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD GO 
          TO. >> IT WAS PART OF THE CHILDCARE CENTERS. 
          THAT'S PART OF OUR COACHING AND THAT'S WHEN WE SAY BUSINESS SUPPORT PROVIDING BUSINESS COACHING. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR BOARD IS REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT'S OUR PROMISE TO VOTERS AND ARE WE STICKING WITH IT? AND ANY TIME WE BRING ANYTHING FORWARD THEY'RE LIKE HOW DOES THIS ALIGN WITH THE PROMISE TO VOTERS SO WE'RE VERY CLEAR ON THAT. I DO WANT TO SAY PEOPLE OFTEN MISTAKE AND SAY IT'S A 62-MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET, YOU'RE SERVING 2,000 CHILDREN, THAT'S $31,000 PER CHILD, WHICH IS NOT OUT THE PROGRAM WORKS. 
          WE SERVE 2300 DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR PROGRAM AND WE SERVE ANOTHER 5,000 THROUGH OUR PARTNERS, BUT ALSO WE'VE DONE THE ANALYSIS AND WE -- HOUR PER HOUR, BECAUSE WE RUN 10-HOUR PROGRAMS VERSUS THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT TYPICALLY RUN SIX, WE ARE ACTUALLY LESS PER HOUR THAN OTHER PROGRAMS. BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT VERY EFFICIENTLY AND ONLY PART OF OUR FUNDING GOES TO SCHOOLS. THE REST GOES TO OUR 
          PROVIDERS, TO OUR FAMILIES, TO PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. >> GAVITO: OKAY. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. WE DO HEAR THAT A LOT. 31,000 A KID IS MORE THAN ST. MARY'S HALL. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT MONEY IS GOING TO. I THINK YOU SAID -- JUST -- FAMILY WRAPAROUND SERVICES. 
          >> FAMILY SERVICES, WRAP WRAPAROUND LEARNING, FUNDING FUNDING, PUBLIC, PERSIST, CENTERS AND SCHOOLS AND OF COURSE OUR SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE SERVING. 
          >> GAVITO: YEAH, YEAH. AND ANDY, DON'T WORRY, DON'T KICK ME. 
          I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT AND BE OKAY WITH WHERE THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING. OBVIOUSLY I RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS SO HOWEVER THEY CHOOSE TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AROUND PRE-K 4 SA OR OTHER THINGS, I THINK WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO RESPECT THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME TOO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON. 
          SO ONLY A CHUNK OF IT IS GOING TO EDUCATEING KIDS. THE REST OF IT IS GOING -- 
          >> IT'S ALL GOING TO EDUCATE EDUCATING CHILDREN. IT'S JUST A CHUNK OF IT GOES TO THE DIRECT SERVICE IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I RAN INTO WHEN I FIRST -- BEFORE THE LAST AUTHORIZATION, I RAN INTO SOMEBODY WHO SAID THE SAME THING, IT'S $31,000 PER CHILD, AND I SAID LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK. AND HE WAS A VOCAL CRITIC OF PRE-K 4 SA, TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WENT AGAINST IT. HE BECAME THE TREASURER THE NEXT TIME BECAUSE ONCE HE UNDERSTOOD IT HE UNDERSTOOD THE BENEFITS OF IT. AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES IS IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM WHICH IS WHAT MAKES IT SO SUCCESSFUL, BUT IT ISN'T EASY TO CHUNK OUT IN SOUND BITES. 
          >> GAVITO: AND ALSO TOO ARE WE DOING WORK TO PULL IN OTHER PARTNERS LIKE WHETHER IT'S NON-PROFITS OR DIFFERENT CORPORATIONS TO HELP TAKE THIS LOAD OFF OF 
          JUST THE CITY? >> ABSOLUTELY. SO WE WILL WORK WITH ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING. WE OFTEN HAVE FUNDERS THAT COME TO US AND SAY WE'D LIKE TO INVEST. WHAT IS THE NEED AND CAN WE HELP? AND SO YES. IS THERE ENOUGH INVESTMENT FOR PRE-K 4 SA TO GO AWAY? NO, NOT YET. I HOPE SOMETIME IN MY LIFETIME THAT WILL HAPPEN. WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT YET. 
          >> GAVITO: DEFINITELY I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A GOAL. I DEFINITELY UNDERSTOOD THE START OF THE INITIATIVE LIKE HEY, LET'S DO THIS, WE'RE SEEING A VOID IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY WITH THE EARLY CHILDCARE LEARNING SO I APPRECIATE THE INTENT, BUT SOMETIMES I THINK THAT THE CITY GETS BOGGED DOWN WITH KEEPING THESE PROGRAMS RUNNING FOREVER AND THEN WE CAN'T PAY FOR SHADED BUS SHELTERS OR DIFFERENT THINGS 
          LIKE THAT. >> AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS -- IT'S A SEPARATE TAX, IT'S SALES TAX, IT CAN'T GO TO UNFORTUNATELY HELP WITH THE GENERAL FUND AND SOME OF THE 
          OTHER THINGS. IT'S VERY SPECIFIC. >> GAVITO: YES. 
          THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANKS. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR, PLEASE. PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU WOULD 
          LIKE TO. >> KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR AND THANK YOU, DR. BARAY, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I'M JUST GOING TO REITERATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE KIND OF ALREADY MADE ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAM AND I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ MADE SOME OF THEM ALREADY. 
          BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT I JUST WANT TO TAKE SLIDE 15 15. 
          [00:50:04]
SO IF YOU TAKE SLIDE 15 I THINK JUST WANTED TO -- THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE OPPORTUNITY AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SELLING AND I THINK IF I -- WE'RE VOTING ON THIS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. 
          SO AS YOU GUYS THINK THROUGH HOW MUCH THE SALES TAX IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS THAT WE COULD CREATE, LIKE HOW MANY THREE-YEAR-OLDS VERSUS ADDITIONALLY ALL OF THOSE OTHER CENTERS THAT WE SUPPORT, HOW MANY ADDITIONAL CENTERS COULD WE SUPPORT? I'M ON THE BOARD FOR WORKFORCE LEARNERS. WE SUPPORT WORKFORCE SOLUTION ALAMO'S WORK AND I KNOW THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF CHALLENGES NOW. 
          SO HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY FILL THAT GAP IN TERMS OF WHERE THOSE KIDS ARE ACTUALLY GOING AND THE CHILDCARE FACILITYIES THAT THEY'RE PICKING AND THEIR FUNDING FOR THOSE KIDS. AND THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY FIT UNDER THE QUALITY BUCKET TOO IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE THREE AND FOUR-STAR RATINGS. AND OF COURSE WITH THE AFFORDABILITY AND I KNOW YOU'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE MODEL IN EDGEWOOD AND SEEING IF THERE'S ANY REPLICATION OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. 
          SO REGARDLESS I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT OF THAT PLANNING AND WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU AS MUCH OF A HEAD'S UP AS YOU GUYS NORMALLY HAVE, BUT IF YOU COULD MAYBE -- DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT? 
          >> SO WE WILL HAVE -- WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER WHAT WE CALL OUR GUIDE FOR VOTERS THAT LAYS OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THIS. WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO COUNCILWOMAN'S POINT THAT VOTERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THEY'RE VOTING ON ON. WE HOPE THAT WILL BE OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
          >> KAUR: ALL RIGHT, GREAT. THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL ABLE TO SEE THAT AND OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET FEEDBACK AT ALL. JUST AS FAR AS THE NUMBERS THAT WERE SHARED ABOUT HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO EDUCATE A CHILD, NOT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF HOW MUCH WE FUND AT THE STATE, BUT TEXAS IS 43 43RD IN THIS COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE GIVE OUR SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN. 
          AND THAT NUMBER HAS NOT INCREASED. NEW YORK STATE GIVES EACH SCHOOL $31,000 PER KID TO EDUCATE KIDS. IT'S NOT CHEAP TO EDUCATE KIDS AND I THINK WE HAVE CREATED A SYSTEM THAT KIND OF BUCKS THE TREND OF WHAT THE STATE IS DOING FOR US AND CREATING A LOCAL -- AS COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN ALWAYS SAYS, A SAN ANTONIO SOLUTION SOLUTION. SO IT'S -- I THINK COMPARING HOW MUCH IT IS PER KID -- FIRST OF ALL, IT'S 15,000 KIDS AS MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN THE CENTERS IMPACT THAT PRE-K 4 SA SAYS. BUT ALSO WHY NOT HAVE EVERY KID AFFORD TO GO TO A ST. MARY'S HALL STYLE EARLY CHILD EDUCATION CENTER? THAT IS WHAT ALL OF OUR KIDS SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO, AND THEY'RE GETTING THAT. AND IT'S ACTUALLY IF YOU DIVIDE THAT UP BY 15,000, WHICH I KNOW IS NOT APPLES TO APPLES, IT'S ONLY 4,000 PER KID. 
          BUT THE STATE, QUITE FRANKLY FRANKLY, IS NOT WHAT OUR BAR SHOULD BE. 
          AND WE SHOULD BE PUSHING ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE AND THIS COUNTRY TO GET BETTER AT PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING BECAUSE ON THE ALTERNATIVE SIDE, IT ALSO COSTS ABOUT $31,000 TO FUND A PERSON IN JAIL FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR OR EVEN MORE THAN THAT FOR A POLICE OFFICER. SO WE CAN CHOOSE AUDIO] I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THAT THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS AS A VOTE, ALMOST THREE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE SAID THEY WANTED TO FUND THIS AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT NUMBER AGAIN. THANKS. 
          OH, SORRY. THAT WAS -- >> AGAIN, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COUNCIL NOT TO ADVOCATE FOR OR AGAINST THIS PROPOSITION. 
          IT'S ON THE BALLOT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDER UNDERSCORE THAT ADVICE. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, ANDY. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO 
          SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? >> KAUR: I WAS GOING TO SAY I WITHDRAW MY LAST 
          >> GO AHEAD. >> SO -- >> YOU CAN, YOU JUST CAN'T 
          ADVOCATE. >> YEAH. GREAT JOB, DR. BARAY. 
          I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE. IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL. 
          IT'S SO AMAZING YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THESE STUDENTS FROM THE FIRST COHORT. 
          I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THEIR FUTURE HOLDS. THAT'S VERY INFORMATIVE FOR THE 
          COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. 
          WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? THANK YOU, DR. BARAY. 
          I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU FOR LAYING FLAT SOME OF THOSE MISCONCEPTIONS. 
          IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. YES, WE ARE BEING FISCALLY JUDICIOUS WITH THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE HAVE ENTRUSTED TO US, BUT AS YOUR DATA SHOWS, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS HARD TO ARGUE WITH. OBVIOUSLY, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS SOMETHING THAT I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT, JUST IN GENERAL AS WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL CHALLENGES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS JUST RECOGNIZING, AGAIN, BEXAR COUNTY SENDS A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE MILITARY. IF WE ARE NOT RAISING 
          [00:55:01]
ACADEMICALLY PREPARED KIDS, IT'S A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS A KEY PART OF THAT. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          I SHARE THE SENTIMENT THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT IN THE FOLLOW-ON WEEKS ABOUT THE TYPES OF THINGS FOLKS CAN EXPECT. HOW DOES THIS REAUTHORIZATION -- HOW DO YOU ENVISION IT ENABLING US TO BETTER SUPPORT KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? OBVIOUSLY AT THE SAME TIME THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, WE'RE ALSO SEEING A CHANGE IN POLICIES THAT .WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE KIDS AD MORE KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW YOU SEE THE REAUTHORIZATION ADDRESSING OUR ABILITY TO BETTER SUPPORT KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? 
          >> AS I SHARED WITH YOU IN A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, PRE-K 4 SA IS AN INCLUSIVE PROGRAM. 
          WE SERVE -- >> MAYOR JONES: CLOSER. >> PRE-K 4 SA IS AN INCLUSIVE PROGRAM. WE SERVE 13% OF OUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES. AND WE HAVE RECENTLY STARTED HELPING OUR PARTNER PROVIDERS GAIN THE SKILLS SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE CHILDREN WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS AND DO THAT EFFECTIVELY. 
          WE THINK THIS REAUTHORIZATION WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THAT WORK TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW DO WE CREATE CLASSROOMS WHERE CHILDREN WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS CAN BE PART OF THE GENERAL ED CURRICULUM, BUT GET THE SUPPORTS THEY NEED. WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE THERAPY SERVICES THAT WE'RE LEARNING WITH THEM HOW BEST TO EXPAND THAT. 
          A LONGER REAUTHORIZATION GIVES US MORE TIME TO FLESH THAT OUT, AND BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH 
          STRATEGIES WE CAN REPLICATE AT SCALE. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. 
          WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME, BUT THE PRIORITY ON SAN ANTONIO KIDS. 
          WE LOVE OUR MILITARY KIDS, BUT THE PRIORITY ARE THOSE THAT ARE LIKELY TO SPEND THEIR ENTIRE LIVES HERE. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT TODAY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP, BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE PRIORITIZING CAM -- CAPPG IF NEEDED THE NUMBER OF MILITARY 
          KIDS. >> ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE ROUND TABLE I HOSTED ON THIS ISSUE, ONE OF THE WAYS SOME OF THE PROVIDERS THOUGHT THAT ASSISTANCE WOULD BE BEST UTILIZED IS IN SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY -- THAT COME WITH WORKING FOR PRE-K 4 SA BUT DO NOT COME IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE ALLIANCE ENTITIES. 
          CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW YOU SEE THAT ISSUE BEING ADDRESSED WITH THE REAUTHORIZATION? 
          >> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT JUST THE WAGES ARE LOW, BUT MOST EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS, WORKERS DO NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF BENEFITS, RETIREMENT, OR HEALTHCARE. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO CREATE A POOL OF -- FOR INSURANCE AND BENEFITS FOR EARLY LEARNING AND CARE AT THE STATE LEVEL, POSSIBLY DOING THAT LOCALLY, FIGURING O OUT HOW DO WE TAP IN TO CREATE A BIGGER MARKET THAT MIGHT MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE. 
          IT'S COMPLICATED. A LONGER INVESTMENT ALLOWS US TO THINK THROUGH THOSE THINGS AND PARTNER WITH PEOPLE WHERE THEY HAVE SOME ASSURANCE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AROUND FOR JUST A YEAR. IT'S WORTH THE INVESTMENT TO FIGURE THIS OUT SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH A WAY TO DO THIS AGAIN, AT SCALE. AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SYSTEM. WE'RE WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH POLICY-MAKERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TO THINK THIS THROUGH, BUT ALSO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AT OUR LOCAL LEVEL AND WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR POOLING RESOURCES THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PARTNERSHIPS 
          WITH TRS, OR SOME OTHER MECHANISM TO DO THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT FORMALLY SPELLED OUT OUR -R CALLED OUT IN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS WELL. 
          LOOKING AT SOME OF THE METRICS, WHY ARE THERE FEWER FAMILY INTERACTIONS EXPECTED IN FY '27? 
          75K VERSUS 81K THAT YOU STOMACHE IN '26. >> WE HAD SOME SPECIAL EVENTS LAST YEAR WE MAY NOT REPEAT THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF INTERACTIONS ALL THE TIME. AND WE WANTED TO BE REALISTIC THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT 
          UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER THIS COMING YEAR. >> MAYOR JONES: CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, THE PERCENTAGE OF CLASSROOMS WITH HIGH SCORE IN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT? PLEASE HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS, AND WHY IT'S OF BENEFIT. 
          >> SO, WE USE A VALID, RELIABLE, NATIONAL MEASURE OF QUALITY INSTRUCTION. 
          EACH ONE OF OUR CLASSROOMS GETS ASSESSED EVERY YEAR WITH THIS INSTRUMENT BY AN EXTERNAL OBSERVER. IT'S LOOKING AT DIFFERENT AREAS -- INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS CRITICAL FOR THE EARLIEST YEARS BECAUSE IT'S WHAT DEVELOPS COGNITIVE FUNCTION. 
          [01:00:01]
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR CLASSROOMS ARE USING STRATEGIES THAT HELP CHILDREN -- THAT ARE CHARACTERIZED BY STRONG EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. THAT TRANSLATES INTO HIGHER 
          COGNITIVE FUNCTION ON THE CHILD OUTCOME SCORES. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. 
          WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF COACHES FOR THE SHARED SERVICE ALLIANCE, HELP US, WHAT IS THE LARGEST CONSTRAINT THERE IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED BY THE PARTNER PROVIDERS. 
          WHAT IS THE LARGEST CONSTRAINT THERE? >> PART OF THAT IS THE PROVIDERS THEMSELVES ARE LI LIMITED IN THE SPACE THEY HAVE. THEY CAN ONLY SERVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CHILDREN. IF WE EXPAND, CAN YOU GET INTO A DIFFERENT SPACE WHERE YOU COULD SERVE MORE, COULD WE BRING ON OTHER PROVIDERS THAT WILL INCREASE THAT NUMBER. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. IT'S ALSO JUST NICE TO COMPETE WITH THE OTHER TEXAS CITIES. 
          SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RATING, HOW DO WHERE WE ARE VERSUS WHERE WE WANT TO BE, HOW DO WE FARE AGAINST DALLAS, HOUSTON, AUSTIN? ANYTIME WE CAN STICK IT TO THEM, WE LIKE TO DO THAT. 
          >> I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE CAUGHT UP. I HAVEN'T LOOKED RECENTLY. 
          OUT OF THE GATE, SAN ANTONIO WAS WAY FAR AHEAD, LIKE WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE? IT WASN'T JUST PRE-K 4 SA. IT WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT WITH EARLY MATTERS AND WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO, TO SAY HOW DO WE GET ALL OF OUR PROVIDERS UP TO THAT HIGH STANDARD AND WHO ARE YOU WORKING WITH. AND LET'S FOCUS ON THAT. AND WE'VE GOT -- WE HAVE -- NOT KIND OF. WE HAVE A PLAYBOOK. WE FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU GET A PROVIDER FROM NOT IN THE SYSTEM UP TO 3 AND 4 STARS WITHIN A YEAR. 
          WE ARE SHARING THAT AND SAYING, WE'VE GOT TO GET THEM ALL THERE. >> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENT ABOUT SOME -- THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE POINTED TO. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, IF THIS IS REAUTHORIZED, AT THE END OF 20 YEARS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE X NUMBER IN THE ALLIANCE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE X NUMBER OF PROVIDERS. 
          WE ANTICIPATE, BASED ON SOME ASSUMPTIONS OF HOW THIS HAS PERFORMED, X PERCENTAGE IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, X PERCENT REDUCTION IN CHILDCARE DESERTS. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN SINK THEIR TEETH INTO AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING AS A RESULT OF THE REAUTHORIZATION. SO, I OFFER THAT AS FEEDBACK AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT YOU COME BACK WITH. THANKS, DR. BARAY. APPRECIATE IT. 
          GREAT. THE NEXT ITEM, THIS IS A READOUT OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING. I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU THAT RECOMMENDED SOMEBODY TO PART IN THIS. AND YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THE FINAL REPORT, SHARED THAT IN EARLY JULY WHEN THEY FINALIZED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND NOW WE'VE GOT THE FACILITATOR AND SOME OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE THAT CAN WALK US THROUGH THEIR WORK AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION. SO, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW DREW FROM HIS TIME AT MOVE TEXAS, AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER COMMISSIONER MEMBERS HERE AS WELL. SO, DREW, PLEASE. AND TO THE I.T. TEAM, IF YOU 
          COULD BRING UP THE SLIDES. THANK YOU. >> I THINK I'M GOING TO GO 
          FIRST. >> MAYOR JONES: SORRY, CATHY. I WAITED FOR YOU TO WALK UP. 
          AS WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING FROM TRYING TO ADDRESS THE NUMBER OF FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT MAY BE ON THAT VOTER SUSPENSION LIST, 1.2 MILLION TEXAS REGISTERED VOTERS ON THAT LIST, WHICH IS 6% OF REGISTERED VOTERS. TO NO KIDDING HELPING OUR FOLKS HAVING THEIR VOICES HEARD AS WE DEAL WITH EVERYTHING FROM THE WAR IN IRAN, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT, BUT, OF COURSE, THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT AS A RESULT OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AS WE THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF ELECTIONS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD IN THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY, WHICH IS AT THE 
          BALLOT BOX. CATHY. >> LET ME ADD TO THAT COMMENT. 
          BEXAR COUNTY IS LOOKING AT 153,000 REGISTERED VOTERS ON THE SUSPENSION LIST. 
          THAT PUTS BEXAR COUNTY AS THE NUMBER 1 COUNTY IN TEXAS WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF SUSPENDED REGISTERED VOTERS. HARRIS COUNTY HAS A HIGHER NUMBER, BUT BECAUSE THEIR POPULATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN BEXAR COUNTY, THEY ARE NOT AT THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE. THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IS OURS TO CLAIM IN BEXAR COUNTY. 
          [01:05:01]
LET ME BEGIN MY COMMENTS. MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE ALLOTTED FOR US TODAY. EVERY VOICE, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. MY NAME IS CATHY VALE, DISTRICT 1 HOMEOWNER, MEMBER OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING, AND VICE CHAIR OF BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS AND VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND ELECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD REPRESENTING PRECINCT 2. I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE THIS WAS JOYFUL WORK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMISSION OVER A VERY COMPRESSED TIMEFRAME OF ONLY EIGHT WEEKS. 
          BECAUSE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC TRUST ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE HEALTH AND OUR CITY AND WE BELIEVE THE NINE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING ARE WORTHY OF YOUR UNANIMOUS, UNIFIED SUPPORT. I AM ALSO COMPELLED TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AS OUR CITY SLOWLY EMERGES FROM A DEVASTATING FRIDAY NIGHT STORM, DESTRUCTIVE WINDS THAT RIPPED DOWN POWER LINES, UPROOTED TREES AND SENT THEM CRASHING ONTO HOMES AND CARS ACROSS THE CITY, FROM INDIAN CREEK IN D4 TO THE WOODLAND PARK AREA IN D7, AND THE WIDER AREA AROUND OUR CITY'S MOST IMPOVERISHED ZIP CODE ON THE WEST SIDE. 
          THIS HORRIFIC STORM DID NOT CREATE OUR CITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE DISPARITIES THAT HAVE PERSISTED THROUGH GENERATIONS, IT EXPOSED THEM FOR EVERYONE TO SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ON TV, ACROSS THE STATE, AND OUR NATION. AND WE NEED CIVIC -- A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EQUITY LENSE TO BEAR WITNESS TO WHAT HAS OCCURRED. NEIGHBORS, MUTUAL AID EFFORTS BY UNSUNG HEROES LIKE SUSANA WITH BREAD AND BLANKETS STEPPED INTO THIS CHASM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND ARE STILL OUT THERE WORKING TODAY, ALONG WITH SA FOOD BANK, CPS, AND OTHERS CONNECTING RESOURCES AND SHARING EMPATHY. MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN UP-ENDED, AND PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND WILL WANT THEIR VOICES HEARD. I ENCOURAGE COUNCIL TODAY TO CONSIDER CONVENING A SPECIAL MEETING VERY SOON TO RECEIVE THAT COMMUNITY INPUT. LET'S BE INTENTIONALLY PURPOSEFUL HOW WE LISTEN AND SURGE RESOURCES TO CRITICAL NEEDS. 
          THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING'S JULY REPORT MAKES A PRINCIPAL POINT -- CIVIC PARTICIPATION IS NOT SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ON ELECTION DAY, IT IS A YEAR-ROUND CIVIC PRIORITY IN TIMES OF JOY, AND IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE, AS WE HAVE BEFORE AS RIGHT NOW IN SAN ANTONIO. AND AS WE APPROACH SEPTEMBER 15TH, WHICH IS NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY, AND WILL BE CELEBRATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THE MIDTERM ELECTION WITH EARLY VOTING STARTING IN ONLY 49 DAYS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, SAN ANTONIO HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND PROMOTE VOTER REGISTRATION AND NONPARTISAN VOTER INFORMATION, AND ENGAGEMENT AS ESSENTIAL PARTS OF SUSTAINING A HEALTHY CIVIC CULTURE. AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE 2027 MUNICIPAL CITY BOND VOTE, SHALL WE SET A MEASURABLE GOAL FOR VOTER PARTICIPATION AND MAKE A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO REACH OR EVEN SURPASS IT? THE COMMISSION COMPARED SAN ANTONIO'S CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE WITH OUR PEER TEXAS CITIES AND FOUND SAN ANTONIO TO BE COMPARATIVELY UNDER-RESOURCED COMPARED TO EL PASO, HOUSTON, AUSTIN, DALLAS. WE ALSO OFFER -- THIS SITUATION OFFERS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY. HIGHER VOTER PARTICIPATION, RELIABLE VOTING INFORMATION, MEANINGFUL OUTREACH AND INTENTIONAL ACCESS WILL STRENGTHEN CIVIC PARTICIPATION, RESPECT COMMUNITY VOICES, AND BUILD PUBLIC TRUST. SAN ANTONIO'S MUNICIPAL TURNOUT TELLS THE STORY BEFORE US. IN THE 2025 REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION, ONLY 9.2% OF SAN ANTONIO'S 1.2 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS CAST A BALLOT. AND OUR YOUNGEST ELIGIBLE VOTERS, AGES 18-29, TOOK PART AT THE LOWEST RATE. THAT DATA POINT SHOULD CONCERN EVERY ONE OF US. SAN ANTONIO IS A BEAUTIFUL, LARGE, DIVERSE CITY WITH EXTRAORDINARY HOMEGROWN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC ASSETS. 
          LOW VOTER AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION SHOULD MAKE US MORE, NOT LESS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A CULTURE OF MUNICIPAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOTING YEAR-ROUND. 
          IT SHOULD MAKE US MORE, NOT LESS TRANSPARENT, PUSHING CITY HALL TO EMBRACE STANDARDS THAT GO BEYOND THE STATUS QUO OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. PERHAPS PUBLIC TOWN HALLS 
          [01:10:03]
SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT PRE-K 4 SA WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. OUR REPORT GIFTS YOU THE ROAD MAP. WE DEFINE CIVIC PARTICIPATION AS AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT INCLUDES VOTER EDUCATION, VOTER TURNOUT, AND MEANINGFUL TWO-WAY DIALOGUE BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND GOVERNMENT, WITH GOVERNMENT HAVING A RESPONSIBILITY TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE WE ARE, TO REMOVE BARRIERS, PROVIDE TRUSTED INFORMATION, AND SHOW THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IS 
          INTENTIONALLY HEARD AND CONSIDERED. >> I'M SORRY. 
          POINT OF ORDER. >> ESPECIALLY WHEN DIFFICULT. THAT PRINCIPLE SHOULD GUIDE HOW 
          CITY HALL -- >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> MAYOR JONES: HOLD ON. 
          COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: ARE WE GOING THROUGH THE SLIDESHOW? I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT THE A ROADMAP FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION. DO WE HAVE SLIDES? 
          >> SLIDES ARE COMING. >> MAYOR JONES: SHE'S PROVIDING OPENING COMMENTS. 
          THIS IS ONE OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, KATHY VALE. >> VIAGRAN: ARE ALL THE 
          COMMISSION MEMBERS GOING TO SPEAK? >> MAYOR JONES: NO. 
          SHE'S PROVIDING OPENING COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE SLIDE DECK. 
          >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. I DON'T SEE HER, EITHER, SPEAKING. 
          I JUST SEE THE ROADMAP. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: WE CAN PUT THE CAMERA ON HER? THANK YOU. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. PLEASE GO AHEAD, KATHY. >> MORE THAN EVER, AS OUR CITY CONSIDERS GENERATIONAL DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS AND GRAPPLES WITH A JARRING $158 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW OUR VOICES, OUR DREAMS, OUR STRUGGLES, AND OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES MATTER. CIVIC TRUST IS FELT WHEN RESIDENTS ARE INFORMED BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE, WHEN INFORMATION IS TRANSPARENT, WHEN ISSUES ARE OPENLY DEBATED IN MEETINGS AND WHEN PUBLIC INPUT IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED. OUR REPORT SHARES SAN ANTONIO HAS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A NATIONAL MODEL FOR LOCAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY INVESTING IN THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE SYSTEMS THAT STRENGTHEN PUBLIC TRUST AND GIVE EVERY RESIDENT A MEANINGFUL VOICE IN SHAPING OUR SHARED FUTURE. THIS IS THE SAN ANTONIO I KNOW YOU BELIEVE IN. WE CAN BUILD TOGETHER WITH THIS COUNCIL'S UNIFIED LEADERSHIP. 
          A SAN ANTONIO WHERE COUNCIL HOLDS OCCASIONAL MEETINGS ON A SATURDAY MORNING WITH COFFEE AND BREAKFAST TACOS IN ADVANCE OF CONVENTIONAL -- CONSEQUENTIAL ISSUES AND DECISIONS. 
          A SAN ANTONIO WHERE HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO REGISTER TO VOTE AND WORK ELECTIONS ARE CELEBRATED, WHERE OUR RETIRED SENIORS WHO KEEP WORKING ELECTIONS FOR THE LOWEST HOURLY WAGE COMPARED TO OUR PEER CITIES ARE RECOGNIZED. A SAN ANTONIO WHERE RESIDENTS ARE ENGAGED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER IMPORTANT DECISIONS, AND WHERE IMPACTS ARE MEASURED BY INCREASING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH CIVIC CITY COUNCIL AND HIGHER ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT. 
          CONSISTENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS THE PILLAR THAT STRENGTHENS EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE, WORTHY OF PUBLIC TRUST. EVERY VOICE, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, KATHY. DREW? 
          OKAY. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JILL TORBET, PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING. IT WAS AN HONOR TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION, AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WAS PUBLISHED. THE COMMISSION WAS COMPRISED OF 12 COMMISSIONERS AND LED BY DREW AS THE FACILITATOR. THE COMMISSIONERS CAME FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS, BUT HAD ONE THING IN COMMON -- WE BELIEVE THAT SAN ANTONIO CAN AND SHOULD IMPROVE VOTER ACCESS AND VOTER AWARENESS OF ELECTIONS, AND DEVELOP AND FOSTER A CULTURE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. 
          OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE A GAME PLAN TO DO SO. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DEVELOPED OVER EIGHT WEEKS. THE COMMISSION MET WEEKLY ON MONDAY EVENINGS FOR TWO HOURS. 
          THE FIRST FEW MEETINGS WERE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS WHERE WE ADDRESSED WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AND WHAT COULD BE DONE. DURING THESE SESSIONS, NO IDEA WAS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL. 
          THEY WEREN'T RIGHT, AND THEY WEREN'T WRONG. WE STAYED FOCUSED ON HOW WE COULD IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE POLLS AND PROVIDE WIDER DISSEMINATION OF ELECTION INFORMATION. EACH COMMISSIONER BROUGHT TO THESE SESSIONS THEIR INSIGHTS FROM WORK THAT THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITY. FROM THE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS 
          [01:15:01]
WE BEGAN TO COLLATE THE IDEAS INTO NINE CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          DREW THEN TOOK THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDEAS THAT HAD BEEN GENERATED THROUGH THE PROCESS AND BEGAN DRAFTING THE REPORT. EACH COMMISSIONER THEN REVIEWED THE REPORT AND ADDED SUGGESTIONS. SOMETIMES NOT HAVING A LOT OF TIME TO DO SOMETHING MEANS THAT YOU DON'T WASTE TIME, BUT EFFICIENTLY GET THINGS DONE. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS TRUE FOR THE WRITING OF THIS REPORT. WE STAYED VERY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE NEEDED TO PRODUCE. I DON'T THINK THAT THE REPORT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT OR EVEN BETTER IF WE HAD HAD SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR TO DO THE WORK. IT IS A THOUGHTFUL REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD, IF IMPLEMENTED, MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HOW PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH GOVERNMENT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY PRESSING ISSUES IN THIS CITY, BUT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS ONE THAT SHOULD NOT BE DONE -- EXCUSE ME -- BUT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS NOT ONE THAT SHOULD BE LEFT FOR ANOTHER DAY. I LIKE TO SAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PASSION IS, UNLESS YOU VOTE, YOUR PASSION DOES NOT MATTER. 
          I WILL ADD TO THAT, UNLESS YOU KNOW WHEN AND WHERE TO VOTE, YOUR DESIRE TO VOTE DOESN'T MATTER. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE CONFIDENCE TO VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION, WHICH, OF COURSE, MEANS LOCAL ELECTIONS, TOO. 
          AND WHETHER THAT ELECTION IS ONE THAT DETERMINES WHO'S GOING TO RUN THE CITY OR WHAT THE PRIORITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE, OR WHETHER THERE WILL BE A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OR A PRE-K 4 SA. AN ENGAGED CITIZENRY HAS PRIDE IN ITS COMMUNITY, GIVES BACK TO THE CITY MORE THAN THE CITY GIVES TO THEM, AND IS ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD. 
          AN ENGAGED CITIZENRY IS ALWAYS ASKING THE QUESTION, CAN WE DO BETTER? HOW CAN MY CHILDREN BE BETTER-EDUCATED? HOW CAN MY DAUGHTER HAVE A BETTER JOB THAN ME? HOW CAN I HAVE A PARK THAT I CAN WALK TO? ISN'T THIS WHAT WE WANT FOR SAN ANTONIO? COUNCILWOMAN SUKH SAID WE NEED A SAN ANTONIO SOLUTION, AND I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. PLEASE BRING UP THE SLIDES. 
          THANK YOU. OVER TO YOU, DREW. THANKS. 
          >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU, CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE WORK OF THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON VOTING. MY NAME IS DREW GALLOWAY, COMMISSIONS FACILITATOR. TODAY I'LL BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S PROCESS, KEY RECOMMENDATIONS, SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS, AND ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          THE COMMISSION INCLUDED 12 MEMBERS FROM ALL ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. 
          COMMISSIONERS BROUGHT EXPERIENCE FROM NEIGHBORHOODS, EDUCATION, CIVIC LIFE, NONPROFIT WORK, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I WANT TO THANK EACH COMMISSIONER FOR THEIR TIME, CARE, AND SERIOUSNESS. WE DID A LOT IN 45 DAYS. MY ROLE WAS TO GUIDE THE PROCESS, SUPPORT DISCUSSION, PROVIDE RESEARCH AND DATA, AND HELP THE COMMISSION MOVE TOWARDS CLEAR, IMPLEMENTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE RECOMMENDATIONS REFLECT THE COMMISSION'S COLLECTIVE WORK, NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE. THE COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED IN EARLY MAY 2026. WE MET REGULARLY OVER SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS TO REVIEW DATA, IDENTIFY PARTICIPATION BARRIERS, AND DEVELOP OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. THE WORK WAS GROUNDED IN NONPARTISAN SOLUTIONS. THE FINAL REPORT WAS SUBMITTED ON JULY 1ST AND RELEASED PUBLICLY ON JULY 8TH. PUBLIC FEEDBACK WAS COLLECTED AND IS STILL IN THAT PROCESS THROUGHOUT JULY AND AUGUST. RECOMMENDATIONS -- WE HAVE NINE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO WALK THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE IN THE REPORT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THEM. THE FIRST SET FOCUSES ON STRUCTURE AND COORDINATION. 
          THE COMMISSION SAW A NEED FOR CITY GOVERNMENT TO HAVE CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD HELP ALIGN CITY DEPARTMENTS, FUNDED PARTNERS, VENUES, EVENTS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THE GOAL IS NOT TO DUPLICATE 
          [01:20:05]
WORK, BUT TO COORDINATE IT BETTER. THE NEXT SET FOCUSES ON SUSTAINED INFRASTRUCTURE AND MEASURABLE GOALS. CIVIC PARTICIPATION CANNOT BE TREATED AS SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENS DURING ELECTION SEASON. THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS INVESTING IN YEAR-ROUND HABITS, PUBLIC GOALS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND EXPANDED POLLING LOCATIONS. 
          THESE IDEAS ARE ABOUT MAKING PARTICIPATION MORE VISIBLE, ROUTINE, AND ACCESSIBLE. 
          THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOCUS ON VOTER INFORMATION AND CAMPUS ACCESS. 
          RESIDENTS NEED ONE TRUSTED PLACE TO FIND ACCURATE, NONPARTISAN VOTING INFORMATION. 
          STUDENTS ALSO FACE PRACTICAL BARRIERS, INCLUDING DORMITORY ADDRESSES USED FOR VOTER REGISTRATION. THESE ARE SOLVABLE ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS. THE COMMISSION IDENTIFIED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD MOVE QUICKLY. 
          THESE ARE HIGH-IMPACT AND RELATIVELY LOW-COST. THEY BUILD COORDINATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION CAPACITY WITHOUT REQUIRING MAJOR NEW INFRASTRUCTURE. TODAY I'M GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THREE OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 3. 
          AND THIS RECOMMENDATION CREATES A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COORDINATION ROUND TABLE. 
          THE AND SU PURPOSE IS TO BRING E CITY, NONPROFITS, SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO THE SAME TABLE. A REGULAR ROUND TABLE WOULD HELP SHARE INFORMATION, IDENTIFY GAPS, COORDINATE OUTREACH, AND SOLVE BARRIERS BEFORE THEY BECOME LARGER PROBLEMS. THIS COULD BE LAUNCHED QUICKLY AND WOULD IMMEDIATELY IMPROVE COORDINATION. 
          RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 6 -- THIS RECOMMENDATION ASKS THE CITY TO SET ANNUAL CIVIC PARTICIPATION GOALS. WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS IMPROVED. 
          GOALS COULD INCLUDE VOTER REGISTRATION, AWARENESS, TURNOUT, AND OUTREACH BENCHMARKS. PUBLIC REPORTING WOULD HELP RESIDENTS AND COUNCIL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS WORKING AND WHERE MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED. AND FINALLY, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 8. THIS RECOMMENDATION CREATES A CENTRALIZED VOTING INFORMATION HUB. RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SEARCH MULTIPLE PLACES TO UNDERSTAND WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE. THE CITY CAN USE ALREADY-IMPLEMENTED TRUSTED TOOLS LIKE 311, TEXT MESSAGES, MAIL, SOCIAL MEDIA, SIGNAGE, AND EXISTING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS. THE KEY TO THIS IS PROACTIVE, ACCURATE, NONPARTISAN INFORMATION. AND THEN THE LAST RECOMMENDATION THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IS THE ONE THAT'S CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE HIGHEST IMPACT. THIS COMMISSION ALSO IDENTIFIED ONE RECOMMENDATION AS HAVING THE LONGEST-TERM IMPACT. THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD GIVE THE CITY A DURABLE STRUCTURE FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION, AND IT WOULD HELP MOVE THIS WORK FROM OCCASIONAL PROJECTS TO YEAR-ROUND RESPONSIBILITY. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 1 IS TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION. EVERY MAJOR CITY WE RESEARCHED THAT HAD HIGH VOTING AND HIGH CIVIC PARTICIPATION METRICS HAD A MUNICIPAL OFFICE DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THIS RECOMMENDATION WOULD ELEVATE EXISTING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WORK INTO A DEDICATED OFFICE RATHER THAN DISPERSED THROUGHOUT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. 
          IT WOULD DEEPEN THE CITY'S EFFORTS FROM INFORMING RESIDENTS TO ENGAGING AND COLLABORATING WITH THEM. THE OFFICE WOULD COORDINATE YEAR-ROUND NONPARTISAN OUTREACH, VOTER INFORMATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES ACROSS CITY GOVERNMENT. IMPROVING THE WAY THE CITY AND OUR RESIDENTS COLLABORATE WOULD STRENGTHEN TRUST IN GOVERNMENT AND RESULT IN MORE VOTER EDUCATION OVER THE LONG TERM -- VOTER ENGAGEMENT OVER THE LONG TERM. WHILE THE COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THIS SHIFT IS NOT QUICK, NOR WITHOUT SOME FINANCIAL COST, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION MOST LIKELY TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMMISSION'S PROCESS, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, OR ANY POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE REPORT IS INTENDED TO BE A ROADMAP AND A LIVING DOCUMENT. COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHICH RECOMMENDATIONS MOVE IMMEDIATELY AND WHICH REQUIRE FURTHER PLANNING. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANKS, DREW. I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, MAYBE THE SAME WAY I AM, ARE LISTENING TO SOME OF THESE THISD THINKING ABOUT THE WEEKEND. IT'S THE WEEKEND AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND, AND QUICKLY GET MESSAGES OUT, NOT ONLY GETTING IT OUT, BUT EVEN THE CONTENT. 
          [01:25:03]
HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE WE ARE TRYING TO GET ACROSS IN A TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE MANNER. SO THAT'S ONE, HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH FOLKS IN A CRISIS. 
          TWO, EVEN JUST THIS MORNING, MY OFFICE GOT SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT SOME WORK BEING DONE ON THEIR STREET AND THE STREET HADN'T NOTIFIED. ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE WERE STUCK IN THEIR HOMES AS THIS PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT IS HAPPENING. 
          THERE'S A LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT PEOPLE WOULD APPRECIATE. CERTAINLY RUDIMENTARY THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF CRISIS. TO YOUR POINT, THE WAY IN WHICH YOU WANT THAT CONNECTIVE TISSUE TO EXIST BEFORE THE CRISIS SO FOLKS ARE NOT LEFT WONDERING WHO THEY SHOULD REACH OUT TO, OR WHAT'S THE PRIORITY FOR OUTREACH, IF THEY WILL BE OUTREACHED AT ALL. I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION AS I WAS THINKING MORE ABOUT NOVEMBER. BUT YOU HAVE RIGHTLY DESCRIBED AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO EXIST, TO CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD BE CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING,  DO -- TO YOUR POINT, WHY PEOPLE NEED TO VOTE, HOLDING FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE IN THAT WAY. 
          TO THE POINT, I THINK IT WAS KATHY OR JILL THAT MADE THIS, THE IDEA THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE LAGGING BEHIND SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE STATS ON VOTER REGISTRARS, CAN YOU SHARE THAT WITH THE BODY IN TERMS OF HOW WE FARE VERSUS SOME OF THE 
          OTHER COUNTIES? >> YOU KNOW, FROM A REGISTERED VOTER STANDPOINT, THERE'S 1.2 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN BEXAR COUNTY. AND PARTICULARLY, WE'RE THE SECOND-HIGHEST NUMBER OF UNREGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE, BEHIND HARRIS COUNTY. 
          AND PARTICULARLY BEHIND THE AGES OF 18-34. WE ARE THE SECOND-HIGHEST COUNTY IN THE AREA. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PLUS OUR VOTER TURNOUT IN MUNICIPAL ELECTION ANALYSIS THAT'S IN THE REPORT, WE ARE THE -- OUR VOTER TURNOUT THIS LAST ELECTION WAS 9.26%. HOUSTON, 17%. AUSTIN, 24%. 
          WE ARE WATCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND US AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, RAPIDLY APPROACHING NOVEMBER, I THINK BEING AWARE OF WHAT MORE WE CAN DO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WHEN WE LOOK AT, CERTAINLY THE THREAT OF AN IMPLEMENTATION LIKE THE SAVE ACT AND FURTHER RESTRICTIONS ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ELDERLY, MILITARY MEMBERS THAT ARE DEPLOYED, ETC. 
          MY THANKS TO THE COMMISSION AND YOUR THOUGHTFUL RECOMMENDATIONS AND HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE TIME SENSITIVITY OF SOME OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR SOME COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. 
          >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. I WANT TO BEGIN BY SAYING VOTING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 
          AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN GET TO VOTE, THE BETTER. 100% AGREE. 
          NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO SERVED ON THE COMMISSION. 
          UNPAID WORK, IMPORTANT WORK. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. WITH THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY. THE MAYOR PROPOSED TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL COMMISSION HERE, SANCTIONED BY THE CITY, THROUGH NORMAL CHANNELS. 
          IT CAME UP FOR A VOTE ON THIS DAIS. IT DID NOT SUCCEED. 
          THE COUNCIL SAID, LET'S GO TO A B SESSION. BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF VALID POINTS BROUGHT UP. WHAT ARE WE ALREADY DOING? WHAT IS BEXAR COUNTY DOING? WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS AT A B SESSION. AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION ON THAT DAY. FOLLOWING THAT COUNCIL SESSION, AT SOME POINT, I GUESS IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE MAYOR DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THE B SESSION PROCESS. 
          AND SHE FORMED HER OWN COMMISSION. AGAIN, THAT WAS NEVER SANCTIONED OR VOTED UPON BY THIS BODY. SO, THAT'S WHERE WE SIT TODAY. AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY STRIKING TO ME WHEN WE -- EVERYBODY WAS STANDING UP HERE TALKING TODAY THAT, OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO STAFF PRESENTATION AT ALL. AND, OF COURSE, IF WE WOULD HAVE GONE TO A B SESSION ON THIS, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A STAFF PRESENTATION. AND A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT I BELIEVE I HAVE WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE LAID OUT -- THE 
          [01:30:05]
COST OF SOME OF THESE THINGS, WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, WHAT ARE OUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH BEXAR COUNTY, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS. BUT AGAIN, RATHER THAN THAT, THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY UNUSUAL PROCESS, AT LEAST DURING THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, TO PUT US HERE TODAY. AND THAT'S WHY, FRANKLY, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE WORK, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT HERE THAT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS. 
          FIRST, IT'S GOT TO BE SAID THAT OUR C&E DEPARTMENT SERVES ALL SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS, AGE, OR ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SOMEBODY WANTS TO VOTE OR NOT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY CERTAINLY HAS THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR VOICE BE HEARD BY CHOOSING NOT TO VOTE IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT. MAYBE THEY DON'T LIKE EITHER OF THE CANDIDATES INVOLVED, OR WHATEVER THEIR REASON IS. EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. BUT OUR C&E DEPARTMENT IS HERE TO COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE WITH EVERYBODY. COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA RELATIONS, CRISIS, MARKETING, CREATIVE, TELEVISION OPERATIONS, CITYWIDE RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT, OUR C&E DEPARTMENT DOES MUCH MORE THAN JUST VOTER ENGAGEMENT. IT ALSO SUPPORTS PUBLIC INPUT ON CITY SERVICES, ON POLICIES, ON BUDGET PROJECTS, ON EMERGENCIES, AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. IT IS BEXAR COUNTY, AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT ADMINISTERED VOTER AR REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS. I DO BELIEVE CITY EFFORTS COULD SUPPORT AND SHOULD SUPPORT AND AMPLIFY THE COUNTY'S WORK, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT -- DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE IT OR SHIFT COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE CITY. AND ONE THING THAT I DON'T THINK WAS PRESENT, UNLESS I MISSED IT IN SOME OF THE PRESENTATION, IS C&E'S ENGAGEMENT TEAM HAS THREE EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE, IF I'M RIGHT ON THAT? THAT'S RIGHT? THREE EMPLOYEES TO DO AND TAKE ON SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT IT LOOKS LIKE ARE BEING PROPOSED HERE. IT WOULD REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF THAT DEPARTMENT, MORE EMPLOYEES, MORE COST, AND ESPECIALLY IN A TIME LIKE WE ARE NOW, THAT I THINK HAS TO RAISE SOME CONCERN. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT -- AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ALL THE DETAILS ON THIS, BUT JEFF OR ALANNA MIGHT. C&E HAS ALREADY PLANNED FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY'S BROADER FY2028 COMMUNICATIONS CONSOLIDATION. 
          THERE'S SOME CHANGES THAT ARE COMING. IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. AND SO I THINK THAT RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECTING THE STRUCTURE AND RESPONSIBILITIES, OR AUTHORITY OF OUR C&E DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE EVALUATED THROUGH THAT PROCESS RATHER THAN THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT WE'RE HERE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS TODAY. THE REPORT ALSO CHARACTERIZED C&E AS "LIMITED AND LARGELY REACTIVE." AND I DON'T THINK IT REALLY REFLECTS THE DEPARTMENT'S FULL -- THE CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE WORK THAT IT DOES. C&E DOES DO PROACTIVE CITYWIDE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT METHODS. 
          SO, I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A DISCOUNTING OR A MINIMIZING OF WHAT C&E DOES. 
          AND TO JUST SAY, HEY, WE JUST NEED TO SCRAP IT AND TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING ELSE -- I DON'T T THINK IS THE WAY TO GO. QUICKLY, IN TERMS OF THE REST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE SAID HERE -- AGAIN, CIVIC PARTICIPATION MUST SERVE ALL RESIDENTS. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT VOTING. A SEPARATE CIVIC GRIEVANCE SYSTEM COULD POTENTIALLY DUPLICATE 311, OUR 311 SYSTEM. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT. I THINK C&E CAN PROVIDE, ON RECOMMENDATION TWO, GUIDANCE AND STANDARDIZED NONPARTISAN MATERIALS, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR STAFFING OR 
          [01:35:05]
MONITORING VOTING ACTIVITIES AT EVERY CITY-FUNDED -- AGAIN, IT'S BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS THAT SHOULD REMAIN THE SOURCE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, ELECTION INFORMATION, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. RECOMMENDATION THREE, THIS ROUNDTABLE -- IF WE'RE GOING FORWARD ON IT, IT SHOULD BE ADVISORY. IT SHOULD NOT BE DIRECTING CITY COMMUNICATIONS. NUMBER 4, YEAH, ANY CI CITY-SUPPORTED FUND SHOULD ADVANCE BROAD NONPARTISAN RESIDENT PARTICIPATION, NOT EXCLUSIVELY FOCUS ON VOTER TURNOUT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH TOO NARROW. 
          THERE'S MORE  ON EACH OF THOSE. POLLING LOCATIONS, EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEXAR COUNTY. THE CITY CAN CERTAINLY OFFER UP ADDITIONAL SUITABLE POLLING LOCATIONS IF THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SUCH LOCATIONS -- DON'T KNOW WTHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT. PROBABLY REQUIRE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. I'D DEFER TO ANDY AND OUR LEGAL FOLKS ON THAT. 
          ALL ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WOULD GO INTO THIS. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE REST, BUT THE SHORT VERSION I GUESS IS THAT THIS COMMISSION -- I APPRECIATE THE WORK, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE WOULD BE RUSHING TO ALL OF A SUDDEN SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO AWAY WITH OR CHANGE OUR C&E DEPARTMENT, TO CHANGE IT INTO THIS NEW CIVIC PARTICIPATION DEPARTMENT OR WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL IT. I THINK COUNCIL CERTAINLY NEEDS TO -- OR CAN CONSIDER THIS FURTHER IF WE WANT TO DO SO. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A B SESSION ON IT LATER. MAYBE WE NEED TO OR MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO SANCTION AN OFFICIAL CITY COMMISSION TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. BUT AGAIN, VOTING'S IMPORTANT. 
          YES. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT REALLY WE'VE DONE THIS THE RIGHT WAY TODAY. AND I THINK SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TOO NARROW AND DON'T LOOK AT THE BROADER IMPACT OF WHAT OUR ENGAGEMENT TEAM HAS DONE AND SHOULD BE 
          DOING IN THE FUTURE. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: LET ME PLAY FLAT  A -- LAY FLAT A COUPLE OF THINGS. WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED, THE MOTION TO CONTINUE IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN UNTIL AUGUST, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE PROVIDED ENOUGH TIME TO -- EITHER FOR THE COMMISSION TO DO THEIR WORK,  -- NOR TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS. WANT  TO BE CLEAR, WE CARE ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE VOTE IN THE ELECTION AND MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, IN LIGHT OF THE REAL THREATS, VERY REAL THREATS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT MAKE THAT HARDER FOR PEOPLE. 
          AND SO, YEAH, SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO ADJUST IN LIGHT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. 
          I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY, I APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          AND THIS IS IN NO WAY A CRITIQUE OF HOW OUR CURRENT C&E OFFICE FUNCTIONS. 
          I DON'T THINK YOU HEARD ANY DISPARAGING COMMENTS. WHAT YOU DID HEAR WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WAYS -- OTHER WAYS WE COULD DO THAT IN THE INTEREST OF ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY. SO, I THINK AS YOU DESCRIBED, COUNCILMAN WHYTE, THERE ARE SOME FORM THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, SOME CONSOLIDATION. BUT IF THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME FUNCTION AS WHAT THEY HAVE NOW BUT THEY'RE JUST CONSOLIDATED THAT DOESN'T SPEAK TO WHAT THE COMMISSION IS TALKING ABOUT. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT FUNCTION, NOT JUST A DIFFERENT FORM. THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS HERE. 
          COUNCILMAN GALVAN, PLEASE. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN 
          MEZA GONZALEZ IS NEXT. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK TO PROVIDE THIS BODY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS MORE. WANT TO READ A STATEMENT FROM COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO, WHO COULDN'T BE HERE, REGARDING THE COMMISSION, SHE WANTED TO 
          [01:40:04]
RECOGNIZE GARZA FOR HIS WORK, AND TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGAGING IN THE CONVERSATION. 
          JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS FROM MYSELF. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR HANDLING THE LOCATION, SUPPORT FOR ELECTIONS, AND MAKING SURE WE'RE ORGANIZING THOSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS HAVE ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS TO VOTE. 
          I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE LIBRARY WORKERS WHO HAD TO DEAL WITH ALL OF US AS CANDIDATES, INCLUDING MYSELF, AND HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE -- BETWEEN VOTERS AND NONVOTERS, AND FOLKS JUST GOING TO THE LIBRARY, AND FOLKS WHO TRY NOT TO CROSS A LINE. 
          I WANT TO APPRECIATE THEM FOR THE WORK THEY DO, IN PARTICULAR DURING ELECTION TIME. 
          FAIRLY SUPPORTIVE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, SEEING HOW WE CAN IMPROVE DEMOCRACY. 
          AS A FORMER REGISTRAR, THAT'S HOW WE MET, THIS PULLS AT MY HEART, HOW WE CAN ENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS. AS A FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, FINDING WAYS TO ENGAGE FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS TO IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO HERE. SO, I THINK RECOMMENDATION 3 IS ONE THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR. WOULD LOVE TO CREATE A ROUNDTABLE THAT IS JOINTLY CREATED WITH THE COUNTY IF POSSIBLE. WE SHOULDN'T SLOW DOWN EFFORTS HERE. BUT IT'S WORTHWHILE TO SEE HOW WE CAN ENGAGE WITH OUR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE, AND THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE TO SEE HOW THIS GROUP CAN CONTINUE TO AD ADVISE THIS BODY, SO OUR ATTORNEY HERE, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, BOTH HANDS ARE FULLY ENGAGED. 
          AND WE CAN SHARE RESOURCES, TOO, WHETHER IT'S SENDING OUT MESSAGES TO FOLKS TO REMIND THEM TO VOTE AS SOMETIMES WE DO, A NONPARTISAN WAY OF SAYING THE ELECTIONS ARE HERE. 
          EVEN THE OTHER DAY, AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, I HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING LAST THURSDAY. A RESIDENT ASKED ME, WHERE CAN I GET INFORMATION? ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHOUT OUT VOTE411.ORG. BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT EASILY ACCESSIBLE ON CITY RESOURCES IN SOME WAY IF WE CAN WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THIS KIND OF WORK HERE. RECOMMENDATION 1 IN PARTICULAR, ON THE OFFICE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS. WE ALWAYS DO, TALKING ABOUT SOME WAYS WE CAN CHANGE AND ADJUST ON WAYS WE DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION IN PUBLIC WORKS OR ANYTHING ELSE HERE IN OUR CITY, NOT JUST PUBLIC WORKS. SORRY. BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT OUR RESIDENTS FEEL MOST TANGIBLY. BUT I THINK ABOUT EVEN DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN ENGAGE FOLKS ON THEIR IDEAS FOR WHAT THIS CAN LOOK LIKE. I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE THE INSTAG, THE WORK THE COUNCILMEMBER DID ON INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, HE PARTNERED WITH THE MUSEUM TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO ENGAGE ON WHAT THAT STREET COULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW IT COULD PHYSICALLY BE, A BETTER WAY THAN JUST AN ENGINEERING MAP THAT SOMETIMES I HAVE A HARD TIME GOING, WHERE IS THE STOP SIGN. BEYOND THAT, IN DISTRICT 6, ALL THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH. THEY WALKED IN, A COUPLE OF THEM WHO LIVED NEARBY AND SAID, THEY HAD -- TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE MEETING WAS ABOUT. BY THE END OF IT, WHEN THEY GOT TO SEE, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PARK. THAT'S HAPPENING. 
          THE STREET IMPROVEMENT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU'RE ASKING ME WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHAT THE SITE COULD BE. THEY CONTINUED TO ENGAGE AND BRING IN MORE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO TALK ABOUT THIS KIND OF BECAUSE THERE WAS A FEELING OF OWNERSHIP AND SAYING, I CAN TRUST WITH THIS CONSTITUTION THAT I ENGAGE WITH EVERY NOW AND AGAIN TO DEAL WITH TRASH COLLECTION OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. I CAN TRUST THEY'RE TAKING MY IDEAS IN TO HOPEFULLY DEVELOP SOMETHING INCREDIBLE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY. THOSE KINDS OF ENGAGEMENTS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, FROM THE SMALLEST TO LARGEST SCALE, NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE THIS WAY. 
          BEING ABLE TO LEAN ON WITH C&E, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ISSUES, WITH THIS ADVISORY GROUP THAT SAYS HERE'S HOW WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE, SHOULD GO BEYOND VOTING. AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO BUILD PUBLIC TRUST WITH OUR RESIDENTS SO WHEN THAT TRUST IS THERE, THEY CAN SAY MY VOTE DOES MATTER. 
          MY ENGAGEMENT DOES MATTER. EVERYTHING I DO WITH THIS CITY ENTITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE ELECTIONS ASPECT, HAS AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE THAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL. 
          [01:45:01]
THAT IS THE HEART OF DEMOCRACY. JUST WANT TO REITERATE MY SUPPORT FOR ALL THE WORK THE COMMISSION HAS DONE, APPRECIATE THE MAYOR FOR PUTTING THIS COMMISSION TOGETHER, EXCITED TO SEE WHAT CAN COME OUT OF IT EITHER DURING THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETINGS OR WORKING GROUPS TO GET THINGS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ. >> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR FACILITATION, DREW. THANK YOU TO MY APPOINTEE, MOLINA, PRESIDENT OF NORTH SIDE AFT, I WAS PROUD TO HAVE HER PARTICIPATE. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT WORK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VOTING AND MAKING SURE RESIDENTS ARE COMING OUT. 
          WE WANT, AS A CITY, WE PICK OUR VOTING LOCATIONS, OUR CITY CLERK DOES AND WE PAY FOR THEM. 
          BECAUSE OF THAT WE SHOULD BE AT THE TABLE AND DECIDING WHAT WORKS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          ONE THING I WILL ADD, BECAUSE I HEAR THIS FROM FAMILY THAT MIGHT WANT TO SEE THEIR COUNCILMEMBER ON TV. TV SA DOES NOT GO ON YOUR STREAMING DEVICES. 
          WE WATCH YOUTUBE TV. WE CAN'T GET THE PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL THAT WAY. 
          WHEN I GREW UP HERE, YOU WENT TO CHANNEL 99 OR SOMETHING AND YOU'D SEE YOUR COUNCIL MEETINGS. 
          SO MANY PEOPLE ACCESS THEIR REGULAR TV THROUGH THOSE STREAMING DEVICES. 
          IF THERE'S A WAY THAT C&E CAN LET US KNOW HOW FOLKS ARE ACCESSING TV SA, IF THERE'S 
          ANYTHING THAT IS PREVENTING US FROM . . . >> I WON'T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME. TV SA IS FUNDED BY A FEE ON CABLE BILLS. 
          IT'S ON CABLE PROVIDERS WHERE YOU GET THAT CHANNEL. HOWEVER, WE STREAM IT THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND THE YOUTUBE PAGE, AND FACEBOOK. SO, WE WOULD DIRECT SOMEBODY TO 
          GET TO IT THROUGH A DIFFERENT -- >> GONZALEZ: NOT YOUTUBE TV? >> I DON'T THINK. 
          >> GONZALEZ: IS THERE A WAY TO GET IT ON YOUTUBE TV? THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          THAT'S WHERE MOST PEOPLE NOW ARE WATCHING TV. SO TO HAVE IT THERE IS HELPFUL. 
          BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE . . . YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT. I HAVE IT ON MY TV IN MY OFFICE AT CITY HALL SO I CAN SEE WHAT FOLKS ARE WATCHING. BECAUSE -- ANYWAY. 
          I THINK JUST CITIES ARE BEGINNING TO BUILD. EVERY CITY RIGHT NOW IS BUILDING CONVENTION CENTERS. CITIES ARE ALSO BUILDING IN THIS AREA. 
          SO I THINK WE CAN DO BOTH. I THINK WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, AND WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE, AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION. SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT WAS TAKEN INTO GETTING HERE. AND ONE THING I KNOW, GIVEN OUR BUDGET SHORTFALL WE ARE WORKING THROUGH, I THINK WE DO NEED TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF THE COST AND THE SEQUENCING OF THIS SO WHATEVER WE TAKE ON FIRST IS SOMETHING WE CAN SUSTAIN IN YEARS AFTER. 
          AND I THINK HAVING THIS, JUST LIKE PUBLIC WORKS OR PUBLIC SAFETY, THESE ARE STANDING MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE TO ENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TOUCHING THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NOT JUST DURING CAMPAIGNS, OR NOT JUST DURING BUDGET TIME. AND NOT JUST FOR SPECIFIC PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, BUT IN GENERAL. 
          SO, THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK. AND THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, 
          COUNCILMEMBER. COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND DREW. I'M HAPPY ONE OF MY RESIDENTS IS HERE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT WAS NICE TO SEE THE COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU TO NATALIE GARZA, WHO I WAS ABLE TO RECOMMEND. 
          IT'S NICE TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE ON THE LIST DOING HARD WORK. 
          YOU AND I MET WAY BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I WAS A BOARD MEMBER AT MOVE SAN ANTONIO. 
          SO, JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE THESE THINGS COME TO FRUITION. I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS. WHEN I VOTED TO MOVE THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID WAS DISTRICT 4 HAVING THE SECOND-LOWEST VOTER TURNOUT DISTRICT IN THE CITY MAKES ME HAVE TO DO SOMETHING MORE. I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT THERE IS IN MY COMMUNITY. OTHER FOLKS, THERE'S HIGHER NUMBERS IN OTHER PLACES AND I RESPECT THAT. THAT'S WONDERFUL. 
          BUT A GREAT EXAMPLE, I'M LOOKING AT THE CANVASSING REPORT OUR CLERK PUTS TOGETHER. 
          IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOT RUNOFF, SECOND PLACE PERSON TO COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS HAD MORE VOTES THAN TOTAL TURNOUT IN MY DISTRICT. AND THAT WAS ONE CANDIDATE THAT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT. THAT SHOWS THE WIDE GAP. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN 
          [01:50:03]
THE CANVASSING REPORT, DISTRICTE THE LOWEST. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA WE HAD THE OTHER DAY, DISTRICTS 1-5 HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS GOING THROUGH -- WE SAW THE STORM DAMAGE AND WHO THAT AFFECTED MORE BASED ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
          I THINK IT'S HIGH TIME TO ENGAGE FOLKS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT. AND I BRING THIS UP, TOO. 
          THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAT VOTED IN THE PROP A AND B ELECTION FOR THE COUNTY VOTES THAN CAME OUT IN MY ELECTION. AND IT WAS PROBABLY 81% INCREASE JUST FOR THAT. 
          SO, I DON'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARILY THE CAMPAIGN AS MUCH AS THE GENERAL TALKING OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AND, OF COURSE, OUR CLERK LIKES TO BRING UP THE PROPOSITIONS DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE BALLOTS MORE THAN INDIVIDUALS. BUT I WANT RESIDENTS TO KNOW THEY HAVE A VOICE HERE AND IT MATTERS WHO THEY VOTE FOR COUNCIL. 
          IT MATTERS IF THEY PARTICIPATE. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          THE ONE THAT WAS MOST SURPRISING TO ME WAS THE COLLEGE ADDRESS ONE. 
          CAN YOU TALK VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT ONE? >> YES. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THIS PARTICULARLY HAS TO DO WITH UTSA MAIN CAMPUS BUT THERE'S OTHER RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES HERE IN THE CITY AS WELL. AND WHENEVER A STUDENT WHO LIVES ON-CAMPUS REGISTERS TO VOTE, THERE'S ONE SET ADDRESS FOR ALL THE MAIL AT UTSA. 
          THEY WRITE 1UTSA BOULEVARD, THE ZIP CODE, AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          IF THEY DO NOT PURCHASE A MAILBOX AS PART OF THEIR RESIDENTIAL PACKAGE, THEN WHEN THAT VOTER REGISTRATION CARD IS PROCESSED BY   THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS AND SENT TO UTSA, THERE'S NO PLACE FOR IT TO GO. IT GETS KICKED BACK TO THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE. 
          AND BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS THEN SENDS A LETTER SAYING WE CAN'T FIND YOUR ADDRESS. 
          PLEASE DO THIS. BUT IT'S GOING TO THE EXACT SAME ADDRESS. 
          IT GETS KICKED RIGHT BACK. THEY GO TO THE SUSPEND LIST. WE FELT THE CITY COULD PARTNER WITH BEXAR COUNTY AND UNIVERSITIES AND ENSURE THAT GAP GETS CLOSED. 
          >> MUNGIA: THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. MOVE WAS FOUNDED AT UTSA'S CAMPUS. WHATEVER WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT IS GREAT. 
          GOING TO TV SA, I SUPPORT WHAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ WAS SAYING. 
          BUT THE PAST FEW WEEKS MAY -- MY STAFF HAS HAD TROUBLE GETTING IT ONLINE. 
          THE STREAMING HAS BEEN SPOTTY. I'M SURE YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT ALREADY. 
          BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THOSE THINGS LIKE THAT DO AFFECT. 
          THEN THE LOCATION. THE CITY IS THE ONE WHO SELECTS THE VOTING LOCATIONS FOR OUR OWN 
          ELECTIONS? >> SO, YES. THAT'S CORRECT. 
          FOR THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, THE CITY BASICALLY GOES TO BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS AS A VENDOR AND SAYS, WE WOULD LIKE THIS MANY POLLING LOCATIONS HERE, THAT KIND OF THING. 
          AND THEY THEY MAKE SURE THE MACS AND VOLUNTEERS GO OUT. SO, THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY WE WANT TO EXPAND POLLING LOCATIONS, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THEM, IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. 
          AND I BELIEVE ALSO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, IN THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH BEXAR COUNTY, SAY WE HAVE EXTRA SCHOOLS AVAILABLE, OR WE HAVE EXTRA CITY OFFICES. HAVE EXTRA CITY OFFICES. 
          >> MUNGIA: I'LL TALK ABOUT ANOTHER AREA THAT'S GEOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT OF DISTRICT 3, DISTRICT 4 AND DISTRICT 5 BY PAN AM LIBRARY. 
          BOTH USED TO BE VOTING LOCATIONS, THEY'RE NOT ANYMORE, AND THAT LITTLE POCKET, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY HAVE TO GO DOWN TO I GUESS -- I'M NOT SURE OF THE PLACE, BUT THEY HAVE TO GO DOWN TO CORTEZ LIBRARY AND THEY HAVE OTHER VOTING LOCATIONS, WE HAVE [INDISCERNIBLE] COLLEGE AND TEXAS A&M CLOSE TOGETHER. 
          SOME FOLKS IN THAT AREA FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE A MORE CONVENIENT PLACE, SO I'LL 
          ADD THAT FOR OUR CONTEXT JUST IN THE FUTURE. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA, CAN I PAUSE YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT. THE CLERK WANTS TO SAY 
          SOMETHING? >> GOOD AFTERNOON. CITY CLERK. 
          I AM BY CHARGE THE VOTING ADMINISTRATOR. THAT'S NOT EXACTLY THE WAY IT WORKS WITH SELECTION OF POLLING SITES. WE MEET, WE HAVE A GREAT 
          [01:55:01]
PARTNERSHIP WITH BEXAR COUNTY AND THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR AND WE MEET WITH THEM, AND ANY ENTITY THAT'S GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ELECTION WOULD OFFER UP VOTING SITES THAT MEET THE CRITERIA THAT ARE REQUIRED BY BEXAR COUNTY FOR A POLLING SITE. SO SOME SITES THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO USE AS A POLLING SITE MIGHT NOT MEET THE HAVING A LOCKED ROOM, ACCESS FOR ADA COMPLIANCE AND ACCESS DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC. SO WE EVALUATE THOSE SITES AND OUR OFFICE WILL OFFER UP SITES THAT WE HAVE USED IN THE PAST. 
          WE WILL LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED AND WE WILL ASK THE LIBRARY, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. WE WORK WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND WE MANAGE THOSE SITE AGREEMENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK, AND SOMETIMES SOME SITES ARE JUST NOT AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER REASON, BUT ALSO THE COUNTY DOES HAVE A LOT OF SAY IN THAT WITH THE PARTNERS BECAUSE THE MORE SITES YOU HAVE, THE MORE IT'S GOING TO COST ALL THE PARTNERS. AND IF A POLLING SITE HAS TRADITIONALLY NOT HAD HIGH TURNOUT, THE COUNTY WILL RECOMMEND ADDING A SITE AND THE PARKS WON'T SUPPORT THAT. SO THERE'S A LITTLE NEGOTIATION THERE AND WE MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE SITES AND WE COULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE ONES YOU RECOMMEND TO IDENTIFY FOR THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S NOT SIMPLY THAT THE CITY CLERK SAYS HERE'S WHERE THE SITES ARE GOING TO BE FOR OUR ELECTION. WE DO COORDINATE THAT WITH BEXAR COUNTY. 
          >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU. THAT WAS GREAT CONTEXT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE DO GET UP FOR ME, DEBBIE. I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THE TEXTING ESPECIALLY -- I THINK CAN SEE WE NEED HELP ON THIS, BUT I HAVE A REALLY GOOD VOTING RECORD AND THE ONE THAT I ALWAYS MISS IS WHERE IT'S JUST THE STATE THAT HAS SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT, WHICH I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I NEVER KNOW ON THAT UNLESS I'M LOOKING AT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WHICH IS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT RESOURCE, AND THAT'S WHO I PLUG WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHO TO VOTE FOR, IN PUBLIC MEETINGS I REFER THEM ALWAYS TO Y'ALL BECAUSE OF THE NONPARTISAN NATURE. 
          SO VERY EXCITING THINGS. THANK YOU, DREW. I KNOW IT WAS A QUICK TIMELINE. YOU WORKED EXTREMELY HARD, BUT THIS IS REALLY GOOD INFO AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN START ACCOMPLISHING THESE GOALS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE IT. >> MAYOR JONES: DEBBIE, YOU HAVE THE LIST OF LOCATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING ALREADY, IS THAT CORRECT, FROM THE COUNTY? OKAY. IS THAT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE? THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN MUNGIA JUST RAISED IN TERMS OF WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN EXPLAIN WHY ONE WAS SELECTED OVER ANOTHER, I DON'T KNOW, IT MAY VERY WELL BE ON THIS LIST, BUT IF IT'S NOT, ONE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AND BE AS HELPFUL AS WE CAN, AND AS PART OF OUR 
          COMS. >> YES, MA'AM. THE POLLING SITE LOCATIONS I DON'T BELIEVE HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE COUNTY YET. WE HAVE THEM FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADDING THEM TO OUR ORDINANCE AND THEY WILL BE PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE IN OUR POSTINGS THAT WE DO IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN, AND BEXAR COUNTY WILL ALSO POST THEM AS WILL ALL THE PARTICIPATING PARTNERS. BUT WE CAN STILL LOOK AT THE PAN AM LIBRARY AND SEE IF IT'S SUITABLE. WE WILL GET WITH BEXAR COUNTY AND ALSO SOUTH PARK MALL MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THAT, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK TO THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS 
          ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT THAT SITE AS WELL. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, PLEASE. 
          >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK MY D3 APPOINTEE, BERNADETTE PEÑA AND HER HARD WORK IN THE SHORT TIMELINE. 
          ANDREW, I WANTED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING. YOU WERE NOT PAID FOR THIS 
          WORK? >> I WAS PAID AS A FACILITATOR FOR THE ROUGHLY 45 TO 60 DAYS. TODAY I'M HERE AS A VOLUNTEER. 
          >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. I WAS LIKE IF WE DIDN'T PAY -- IF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE 
          DIDN'T PAY YOU, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. >> MAYOR JONES: WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS SHE WOULD LIKE TO COVER HALF OF IT IS WHAT SHE'S SAYING. 
          [LAUGHTER]. >> VIAGRAN: NO, BECAUSE I HAVE A BETTER PROPOSITION FOR YOU, DREW, AND THE TEAM. AS I LOOKED THROUGH THIS, AND THE ONE THING I REALLY THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THAT ESTABLISHING A NON-PROFIT COORDINATION ROUNDTABLE. HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE THE CITY ALONE. 
          I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A CITY-COUNTY AND I WISH COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS WAS STILL HERE BECAUSE SHE'S ALWAYS TOUTING ABOUT THE COUNTY. 
          BUT I REALLY THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A CITY COUNTY WIDE INITIATIVE AND I THINK WE 
          NEED TO BRING IN OUR SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES-- >> MAYOR JONES: SORRY. 
          [02:00:03]
WE HAD A BIO BREAK HERE. WE'LL PAUSE AND BE BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. 
          >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. 
          THANK YOU. >> VIAGRAN: SO ALL THAT TO SAY, I LOVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING A NON-PROFIT ROUNDTABLE. THE CIVIC PARTICIPATION GOALS AND THE CITY -- NOT A MANAGED INFORMATION HUB. I JUST THINK WE NEED TO THINK WIDER SCALE. 
          I THINK JUST FOR THE CITY IT'S NOT GOING TO DO WHAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF GETTING VOTER TURNOUT THAT WE WANT, SO I THINK THAT I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS COME, TAKE IT TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES -- MY COUNTERPARTS OVER AT THE COUNTY AND THEN VISIT WITH THE CITY COUNCILMEMBERS AND MAYORS OF OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES. CNE'S WORK IS CITY WORK AND I THINK ANY CHANGE TO ANY DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH A CLEAR SCOPE, A LEGAL REVIEW, CLEARLY IDENTIFYING WHICH DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE OWNER OF THIS AND MEASURABLE GOALS, AND THAT REALLY IS THE CITY MANAGER'S JOB. SO I THINK RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE FOR ME IS NOT HAPPENING, BUT FOR THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT, DREW, I WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU SOON TO KIND OF SEE HOW WE CAN TAKE THIS MORE AS A REGIONAL METRO TYPE LOOK AT REALLY COORDINATING THAT ROUNDTABLE. VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT MOVE TEXAS HAS DONE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO TO REGISTER VOTERS. 
          LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WE HAVE THE -- YOUR VOTER GUIDES OUT AT OUR FIELD OFFICE. I JUST THINK A CITY-ONLY VIEW DOES NOT REALLY ENCOMPASS WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TO REALLY SHOW US ON A STATE LEVEL AND A FEDERAL LEVEL OF OUR VOTER IMPACT THAT WE CAN HAVE. 
          SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO. I LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF COORDINATING WITH YOU AND SEEING IF WE CAN'T DO THIS AT A REGIONAL LEVEL WITH THE 
          COUNTY'S HELP. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. AND JUST TO BE VERY FAIR TO THE COMMISSION, OBVIOUSLY THEIR CHARGE WAS JUST TO FOCUS ON SAN ANTONIO, THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, TARRO HILLS, ALAMO HEIGHTS, THEY CAN DO THEIR OWN THINGS. 
          I THINK THERE'S VALUE OBVIOUSLY IN EVERYBODY VOTING, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR DEDICATED RESOURCES, THIS WAS REALLY ABOUT SAN ANTONIO. 
          I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR WHAT THEIR CHARGE WAS AND OF COURSE WHAT YOUR GOOD APPOINTEE, BERNADETTE, ACTUALLY WEIGHED IN ON. OKAY. 
          COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SMALL ROOM NOW. 
          I JUST WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND WORK, AND I KNOW YOU HAD A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME TO TACKLE A VERY BIG ISSUE AND COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED NEARLY IMMEDIATELY THROUGH A VARIETY OF MECHANISMS AND ESPECIALLY DURING A TIME WHERE WE'RE DISCUSSING THE BUDGET. OVERALL I THINK SOME OF THOSE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE LOW COST ALMOST HAVE A LEVEL OF IMMEDIACY TO THEM. 
          I THINK THERE'S -- I LOST MY PRESENTATION. THERE WAS ONE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CONVENING A ROUNDTABLE. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR COULD ABSOLUTELY DO AND PROBABLY SHE'S DEMONSTRATED SHE COULD MOVE FAIRLY QUICKLY. I THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN. I THINK A AND E, I THINK WE COULD MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME TERMS AS TO WHAT THE COMMISSION IS ASKING FOR AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS BEING DONE CURRENTLY AND WHAT IS NOT BEING DONE BASED OFF THE RECOMMENDATION. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ DID BRING UP AN INTERESTING CONCEPT ORED WHY, AND THAT'S THE -- MAKING COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OTHER TVSA PROGRAMMING READILY AVAILABLE ON STREAMING SERVICES SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE FOR ME NETFLIX, HULU, ALL THE POSSIBLE STREAMING SERVICES. 
          LET'S FIGURE OUT LIKE -- LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR US TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A VERY INTERESTING IDEA AND MAY MAKE CITY COUNCIL MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE. BEYOND THAT I KNOW THAT MAYBE IF THERE WAS A ONE-STOP SHOP ON OUR WEBSITE THAT HAD EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT VOTING, MAYBE FOLKS WOULD-- MAYBE IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO COMMUNICATE ISSUES WITH BEING SUSPENDED OR PURGED FROM THE VOTER ROLL. 
          AND I KNOW TODAY I HAD A FEW MEMBERS OF MY STAFF WHO SAID THEY WERE LOOKING UP THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION AND THEY HAD BEEN -- THEIRS WAS IN SUSPENDED STATUS. 
          [02:05:05]
SO IF YOU HAVE ABOUT A THIRD OF MY TEAM THAT IS ALMOST AS CLOSE TO GOVERNMENT AS MOST PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS, I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT THE TOTAL IMPACT IS GOING TO BE ALL ACROSS OUR CITY AND COUNTY, AND MUCH LESS THE STATE. SO I THINK AS MUCH OF THIS AS WE CAN DO, WE DO. 
          I KNOW THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE DISCUSSION IN THE FUTURE AND TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN WHYTE MADE ABOUT SIX, SEVEN MINUTES ABOUT HOW THIS COMMISSION CAME ABOUT, IF EVERY TIME SOMEONE TOLD ME NO, I DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE OFFICE OF INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SAFETY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE DIABETES INSULIN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE PET DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE AC -- THE GRAFFITI CHANGE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON MAKING. 
          SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PUSH FORWARD WHEN YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT SOMETHING, AND IF COUNCIL WAS GOING TO BE SLOW-MOVING ON THIS INITIATIVE, I THINK THE MAYOR WAS WITHIN HER RIGHT TO CONVENE A GROUP, AND SHE DID SO. 
          AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT NOMINATED A PERSON TO SERVE AND THANK YOU TO VALERIE RIGHTFORD WHO WAS MY RECOMMENDATION WHO SERVED ON MY BEHALF. 
          I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MUCH MORE OF THE WORK. I KNOW YOUR WORK DOESN'T STOP WITH THIS COMMISSION OR AS A FACILITATOR. I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO WORK THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT OUR CITY TO INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SEVERAL UP HERE WHO ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERS IN THAT MOVEMENT. SO THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          COUNCILWOMAN KAUR, PLEASE. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK AND PRESENTATION AND FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK. 
          IN MY MIND I THINK OF CIVIC -- OF VOTING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. WE ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS WANT TO INCREASE VOTING AND WANT FOLKS TO GO OUT AND VOTE, BUT IT IS OUR JOB THAT REGARDLESS OF WHO VOTES IN OUR ELECTION THAT WE ARE REPRESENTING OUR ENTIRE POPULATION. 
          SO ALTHOUGH ONLY 15,000 PEOPLE VOTED IN DISTRICT 1, IT IS MY JOB TO REPRESENT ALL 150,000. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE ONLY REASON THAT I'M ACTUALLY SITTING HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I RAN MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN THINK I WAS GOING TO GET OWE OKLAHOMA CITIED, IS BECAUSE I BLOCK WORKED. 
          AND WHAT I LEARNED IN MY FIRST ELECTION IS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY USE INSTITUTIONAL METHODS OF CONVENING TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN CIVIC -- IN A 
          CIVIC WAY. >> MAYOR JONES: ONE SECOND. 
          COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA. PREVIOUSLY WE SHARED THAT WE JUST NEEDED TO HAVE IT ON WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING, BUT PLEASE TURN IT ON. 
          THANKS. >> SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO. >> KAUR: CAN WE JUST GO 
          OFF RECORD AND NOT RECORD FOR THIS? >> TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER, NO, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A QUORUM THEN ESSENTIALLY THE MEETING IS 
          IN ABEYANCE UNTIL WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> KAUR: WE COULD JUST END 
          THE MEETING AND I COULD GIVE MY COMMENTS. >> BUT THEY WON'T BE RECORDED AND IT WON'T BE IN THE NOTES. ESSENTIALLY THE MEETING'S 
          OVER. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR CAMERA, PLEASE? THE IRONY AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. SO UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE BROKEN QUORUM ON ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS I THINK WE WILL COVER. SO THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED, BUT FOR THOSE OF US, WE'LL STAY AND OF COURSE LISTEN TO THE COUNCILWOMAN'S FEEDBACK AND HAVE THAT IN THE BACK OF OUR HEAD. THE MEETING IS 4:16 -- THERE 
          WE GO, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. >> KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. I'LL BE BRIEF. 
          I GUESS THE THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS I THINK THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IS TALKING DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTS. AND SO IN THE LAST -- AND ALSO GETTING REALLY INNOVATIVE ABOUT HOW WE TALK TO RESIDENTS BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, MOST OF MY FOLKS THAT ARE IN FIVE POINTS DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY RIGHT NOW TO BE AT A MEETING OR TO BE ENGAGING IN OTHER DIFFERENT TOWN HALLS AND 
          STUFF. >> MAYOR JONES: ONE SECOND. 
          COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, ARE YOU STILL THERE? THANK YOU. 
          YOU ARE QUORUM FOR US, SO THANK YOU FOR HOLDING ON FOR A LITTLE BIT. 
          THANKS. >> VIAGRAN: SORRY. >> KAUR: SO THE THING THAT I'LL SHARE IS LIKE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT -- SO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AROUND HOW DO WE ENGAGE FOLKS TO GET TO BE BETTER VOTERS. 
          A LOT OF THAT IS THE ROUNDTABLE COMMUNICATION THAT WAS DISCUSSED. 
          I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I LOVED GETTING TO WORK WITH 
          [02:10:01]
GET OUT THE VOTE. THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. THEY'RE MY GARRETT GO-TO IN TERMS OF LEARNING AND UNBIASED STATEMENT IN TERMS WOULD HAVE IS ON THE BALLOT. 
          SO I THINK GETTING FOLKS TO VOTE IS A WAY TO GET THEM ENGAGED CIVICALLY. 
          BUT IF WE'RE FOCUSING ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE BROADENED IN TERMS OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT IT. TOO OFTEN I AM TOLD BY LIKE -- THE LOUD VOICES ALWAYS KIND OF CAPTURE THE ROOM. I THINK THE MAYOR ALWAYS SAYS WHO IS NOT BEING HEARD? AND I THINK THE CHALLENGE AT LEAST THAT WE HAVE IS LIKE THE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE REAL-LIFE ISSUES THAT ARE -- THEY'RE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE COMING AND SPEAKING AT PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          SO JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OUR OFFICE -- I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO BE THOSE FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO IS NOT HERE BECAUSE SHE IS LITERALLY IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW WORKING TO GET SNAP BENEFITS THAT SHE JUST TOLD ME SHE WAS ABLE TO GET EXTENSIONS FROM SENATOR MENÉNDEZ ON. AND THAT IS OUR JOB TO BE GOOD REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE DO. 
          IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS WE'VE DONE TWO BIG SURVEYS THAT HAVE GOTTEN ENGAGEMENT ABOUT CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT CAME UP AND HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GREAT AT THAT. 
          WE'RE ALSO DOING A SURVEY ON ART IN THE CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. THOSE ARE WAYS TO GET FOLKS ENGAGED THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO COME TO A MEETING AND BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, SPEAK -- BE IN A BUDGET TOWN HALL OF 200 PEOPLE. THIS SUMMER WE BLOCK WALKED OVER 200 HOMES FROM THE OFFICE. AND THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT FOLKS TALKED TO ME ABOUT IS SIDEWALKS. I SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD SAY ITING IT, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING IN OUR OFFICE FOR SIDEWALKS. 
          WE ALSO DO CONSTITUENT OFFICE HOURS. KATHY ACTUALLY CAME TO ONE OF OUR OFFICE HOURS AND AS A RESULT OF HER ADVOCACY WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE SOMETHING WITH OUR -- MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT IN OUR DANGEROUS DOG REPORTING PROCESS. SO UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES THOSE FOLKS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO US THEY DON'T COME TO US SO WE ALSO GO TO THEM. 
          WE DO CCPF EVENTS ONCE A MONTH WHERE WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE SPONSOR EVENTS AND TABLE AND SHARE. SO THESE ARE ALL WAYS THAT I DO THINK THAT WE ARE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AS A -- AS EACH REPRESENTATIVE. 
          I WILL ALSO GIVE A PLUG THAT THURSDAY COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND I ARE PARTNERING ON AN AFFORDABLE ROUNDTABLE WHERE WE'LL BE HEARING FROM EIGHT TO NINE DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN AND THAT ARE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY THEIR PRIORITIES AS WE GO INTO DISTRICT PLANNING. SO I AM -- THERE'S ALWAYS MORE WORK WE CAN DO AROUND ENGAGEMENT AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT ALSO COLLABORATE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHO IS REALLY THE ONES HELPING TO GET THOSE VOTER TURNOUTS BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH FROM THESE SEATS, AS I WAS TOLD EARLY E NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANY POLITICAL ADVOCACY UP HERE, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALLOWING OUR NON-PROFITS TO THRIVE IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND SUPPORTING THEM AS BEST AS WE CAN. THANKS, MAYOR. 
          >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. THANK YOU AGAIN, DREW. 
          AND HONESTLY, THIS WAS -- HE HAS SINCE LEFT, BUT COUNCILMAN WHYTE'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS HERE. MOVING FORWARD THIS WILL BE A BETTER PROCESS ACTUALLY INFORMED OF MY COLLEAGUE'S FEEDBACK, AND CERTAINLY YOUR RESPONSE AND FOR EACH OF THOSE THINGS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT FOLLOW-ON STEPS, OBVIOUSLY IT WILL BE AGAIN INFORMED BY WHAT HAS BEEN ARTICULATED HERE. I KNOW SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND KIND OF ARTICULATE MAYBE THINGS THAT THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS ON OR FRANKLY THINGS THAT ARE NOT HAPPENING. 
          BUT I THINK EVEN IN THIS DISCUSSION YOU'VE SEEN THE VALUE OF -- VERY CLEARLY, FIVE OR SIX IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO BETTER ENGAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT INFORMATION IN A WAY THAT'S CONSISTENT, THOUGHTFUL AND ACCESSIBLE. 
          SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN AS WE ARE, AGAIN, FOCUSED ON BEST SERVING OUR CONSTITUENTS AND WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN WE HEAR FROM THEM AT THE BALLOT BOX, AS BEST TABLE. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO NOMINATED SOMEBODY, TOOK THE TIME TO READ THE REPORT, PROVIDE FEEDBACK TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO AS WE IMPLEMENT THE BEST WAY FORWARD. THE TIME IS NOW 4:22 AND THE MEETING IS
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.