* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WE WILL START THE MEETING NOW, PLEASE. ATTENTION CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE. WELCOME TO THE MEETING. I WILL NOW TAKE ROLL CALL CHAIRMAN TREVINO. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY CHAIR. WE HAVE A QUORUM. GREAT, GREAT. UH, WELCOME TO THE FIRST, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE. UM, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS WE HAVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF FOLKS HERE IN ATTENDANCE AND I KNOW I THINK ORIGINALLY WE HAD IT, UH, SCHEDULED, UH, AT 9:00 AM IT'S, UH, IT IS 10:00 AM AND OUTTA RESPECT FOR THOSE THAT, UH, MAY HAVE TO GET BACK TO WORK OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY HAVE TO GET GOING. I, I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, MOVING FIRST. SO, UH, CAN WE GET THE, THE LIST OF THOSE THAT ARE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. OKAY. WELL, [1. 20-1749 Staff briefing on the Neighborhood Association & Community Organization Registration Policy. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services] ] WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PRESENT ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD REGISTRY, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER THAT. NUMBER TWO. OKAY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE PRESENTATION ON REGISTRY, ACTUALLY NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT. I WANT TO INTRODUCE BARBARA. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT KINDNESS. UM, SO, 'CAUSE THIS IS A PLACE OF DECORUM. UM, MY NAME IS VERONICA SOTO. I'M THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, BARBARA ANIMA BUFFER, WHO WILL GIVE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. TODAY I'LL BRIEF YOU ON THE HISTORY AND INTENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REGISTRY AND THE INTERNAL POLICY OF OUR DEPARTMENT. THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REGISTRY WAS CREATED AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL FOR NOTIFICATION OF ZONING AND PERMITTING REQUESTS BY CHAPTER 35 4 0 8 OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE PER THE U D C DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT MUST NOTIFY PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN 200 FEET OF ANY PROPERTY SITE THAT IS PURSUING A ZONING CHANGE OR DEVELOPMENT PERMIT THAT REQUIRES PUB A PUBLIC HEARING. THE REGISTRY IS UTILIZED BY D S D TO IDENTIFY THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MUST BE NOTIFIED AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL. THE REGISTRY IS ALSO UTILIZED BY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO NOTIFY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS, EVENTS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND OTHER INITIATIVES IN THEIR AREAS DEVELOPMENT. EXCUSE ME. DEVELOPERS USE THE REGISTRY TO IDENTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THEY SHOULD CONTACT TO DISCUSS THEIR PROJECTS. OTHER PARTNERS, SUCH AS C P S ENERGY, VIA HAVE ALSO UTILIZED THE REGISTRY TO NOTIFY ASSOCIATIONS OF EVENTS AND MEETINGS. THE U D C ALSO ESTABLISHES REGISTRY REQUIREMENTS AND PROVIDES OUR DEPARTMENT A DETAILED LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION AND ASSOCIATION MUST SUBMIT TO BE REGISTERED. THESE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE A MAP OF THE ASSOCIATION'S BOUNDARIES, THE LIST, A LIST OF OFFICERS ADOPTED BYLAWS AND OTHER INFORMATION SUCH AS MEMBERSHIP SIZE, MEETING LOCATIONS, AND TIMES. THOUGH THE U D C PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON WHAT IS REQUIRED AND WHO MUST BE NOTIFIED, OUR DEPARTMENT UTILIZES AN INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY, WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION GUIDANCE. THIS ADMINISTRATIVE, THIS ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2011 AND INCLUDES THE U D C REQUIREMENTS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. THE POLICY ALSO PROVIDES STAFF GUIDANCE ON ITEMS SUCH AS BOUNDARIES AND GEOGRAPHIC SIZE, HOUSING UNIT REQUIREMENTS, ANNUAL REGISTRATION UPDATES, REMOVAL FROM THE REGISTRY AND GRIEVANCE AND GRIEVANCES. [00:05:05] THE U D C AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY GUIDANCE HAS ALLOWED US TO REGISTER 362 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND, AND HOAS AND 40 COMMUNITY, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO DATE A REGISTRATION LIST OF THIS MAGNITUDE DOES NOT GET DEVELOPED WITH, WITHOUT SOME ISSUES. MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, OFFICIALS AND ASSOCIATIONS HAVE SHARED A VARIETY OF ISSUES PLAGUING THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REGISTRATION WHILE CHAPTER 35 4 0 8 OF THE U D C DOES NOT SPEAK TO THE ISSUE OF OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES. THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY DOES ALLOW OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES BASED ON THE REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE NEW PROPOSED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CONSENTING TO BOUNDARY OVERLAP. AS A RESULT OF THIS REQUIREMENT, THERE'S USUALLY ONLY ONE REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PER GEOGRAPHIC AREA BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OFTEN CANNOT AGREE TO THE OVERLAP. THEREFORE, ONLY THE REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION RECEIVES NOTIFICATIONS WHILE THE OTHER ASSOCIATION HAS NO MECHANISM TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS TAILORED TO THEIR GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF INTEREST. THIS CREATES A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE REGISTRY. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 17 REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OUT OF THE 362 ASSOCIATIONS THAT I MENTIONED PRIOR WHO HAVE CONSENTED TO SHARED BOUNDARIES. STATE LAW REQUIRES THE CITY TO NOTIFY PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET IF MORE THAN 20% OF THE AREA OPPOSE OPPOSING THE REZONING. EXCUSE ME, LET ME START THAT AGAIN. STATE LAW REQUIRES THE CITY TO NOTIFY PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET. IF MORE THAN 20% OF THAT AREA OPPOSES THE REZONING, THEN A COUNCIL SUPER MAJORITY VOTE IS REQUIRED. THIS IS A STATE LAW REQUIREMENT. OUR U D C ADDS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF NOTIFICATION BY INCLUDING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND POSTING NOTIFICATION SIGNS IN THE AREA. EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE ISSUES INCLUDED INCLUDE PLANNING STAFF BEING ASKED BY REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO EXCLUDE A RESIDENT FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE REGIONAL CENTER PLANNING MEETINGS DUE TO THE RESIDENT NOT BEING A MEMBER OF THEIR ASSOCIATION OR PART OF AN ASSOCIATION NOT LISTED ON THE REGISTRY. OTHER EXAMPLES INCLUDE ASSOCIATIONS IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES BEFORE REGULATORY BODIES AS THE OFFICIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR THE AREA AND ZONING AND H D R C COMMISSIONERS ASKING THE APPLICANTS TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE, THE REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. BUT THERE ARE CHANGES UNDERWAY. I T S D IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENT ON DEVELOPING AN IMPROVED WEB-BASED APPLICATION FOR REGISTERING AND UPDATING AN ASSOCIATION'S INFORMATION. THIS WILL BE A USER-FRIENDLY TOOL THAT WILL ALLOW ALL ASSOCIATIONS TO BEGIN THEIR REGISTRATION APPLICATION AND SUBMIT THEIR REGISTRATION WHEN IT IS COMPLETE. OTHER CHANGES ARE UNDERWAY AS WELL WITH D S D TO CREATE A NOTIFICATION SYSTEM ALLOWING ANYONE TO RECEIVE NOTICES AND GET THE INFORMATION IF THEY CHOOSE. SO CHANGING THE NAME OF THE REGISTRY IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE NAME REFLECT WHAT THIS TOOL IS, A COMMUNICATION TOOL. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE'S THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE THE REGISTRY. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES? SHOULD ONLY ONE ASSOCIATION BE ALLOWED TO REPRESENT A GEOGRAPHIC AREA? SHOULD THERE BE, SHOULD THERE BE A RESIDENT REQUIREMENT FOR OFFICERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION? OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO COORDINATE WORKSHOPS WITH ZONING PLANNING AND H D R C COMMISSIONERS TO PROVIDE THIS SIMILAR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSS THE INTENT AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THOSE QUESTIONS I JUST PROPOSED EARLIER. WE WILL ALSO HOST A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, SMALL FOCUS GROUPS, AND ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS. SO THEY TOO [00:10:01] CAN PROVIDE INPUT ON OUR POLICY. AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL WORK WITH D S D AND I T S D TO DEVELOP AN EXPANDED NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND WE PLAN TO RETURN TO THE COMMITTEE IN MARCH AND APRIL WITH PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I WILL MOVE BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UM, REGARDING HEARING THE THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU BARBARA. UM, LORI HOUSTON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND I OVERSEE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ALONG WITH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ROD SANCHEZ. AND WE CONTINUE TO TAKE INPUT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT PROCESS AND COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE IN MARCH OR APRIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION. BUT WE WANTED TO LAY OUT THE ISSUE TODAY. FIRST, WE KNOW THAT OUR REGISTRY, UM, IS REALLY NOT DOING WHAT IT SHOULD BE DOING. WE THINK IT'S A VERY STAGNANT TOOL ONLINE. IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DYNAMIC. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THOSE CHANGES. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT YEAR YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE, BE ABLE TO CLICK ON A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, FIND THE BOUNDARY, HAVE THEIR BYLAWS ON THERE. 'CAUSE WE WANT THIS TO BE A TWO-WAY TOOL AND THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN BE MAKING. BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED FROM THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL AS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOU'RE USING THE TOOL. AND SO WE BROUGHT TO YOU TWO INSTANCES OF WHERE WE THINK WE NEED SOME INPUT AS WELL AS HOW YOU'D LIKE TO USE THE REGISTRY. ONE, THIS ISSUE OF OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES, AS BARBARA MENTIONED, THE INTENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REGISTRY IS AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL. IT'S TO GET INFORMATION OUT AND ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO USE THE TOOL TO GET INFORMATION TO THE APPROPRIATE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. UM, SO SHOULD THERE BE, UM, SOME LENIENCY ON OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES IF THE OVERALL GOAL IS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION. AND THEN TWO, SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP THROUGH OUR INTERVIEWS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IS RESIDENT REQUIREMENTS. AND SO A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE REGISTERED, SEVERAL OTHER OFFICERS MAY NOT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOUNDARY. SO IF WE MOVE FORWARD TO GO FORWARD WITH AN ACTUAL REGISTRY, SHOULD WE HAVE SOME RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS IN OUR GUIDELINES? THOSE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF SOME INPUT WE'D LIKE. BUT WE ARE NOT HERE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. WE'RE HERE TO GET YOUR INPUT. UM, WE THINK THIS TOOL IS A VALUABLE TOOL. ANOTHER THING WE BROUGHT UP IS MAYBE WE SHOULD CHANGE THE NAME. IT SHOULDN'T BE CALLED A REGISTRY. 'CAUSE I THINK BY CALLING IT A REGISTRY, IT CREATES THAT THOUGHT THAT IT VALIDATES OR CREDENTIALS IN ASSOCIATION. SO THOSE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF YOU, SEVERAL OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. BUT LIKE I SAID, WE WANT YOUR INPUT AND WE WILL COME BACK IN MARCH AND APRIL AFTER WE GET MORE INPUT. WE WANNA LOOK AT ZONING PLANNING AND H D R C COMMISSION MEMBERS. HOW ARE THEY USING THE TOOL AND ARE THEY AWARE OF WHAT THE TOOL WAS SET UP TO BE AND WHAT THOUGHTS THEY HAVE? SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S A LISTENING SESSION AND WE'LL COME BACK. THANK YOU LORI. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, BRIEF SUMMARY. THANK YOU BARBARA, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND VERO FOR YOUR HARD WORK AT NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PROFESSIONALISM. UH, YOU KNOW, QUICK REMINDER, YOU I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS, THIS IS A RECONSTITUTED COMMITTEE AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE SENTENCE THAT REALLY DESCRIBES WHAT THE CHARGE OF THIS COMMITTEE IS ABOUT. IT SAYS, THIS COMMITTEE WILL OVERSEE SAN ANTONIO'S UNIQUE ARTISTIC, CULTURAL, AND HISTORIC HERITAGE IN ADDITION TO ISSUES THAT SERVE TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR CITY'S NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S OUR CHARGE. UM, AND CERTAINLY COMMUNITY INPUT IN ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS A MUST. WITH THAT WE'LL BEGIN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, STARTING WITH GORDON GRAVEL FROM CAMELOT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. CAMELOT ONE. CAMELOT ONE. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK, UM, BECAUSE I'M NOT A GOOD EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKER. I HAVE NOTES WHICH I'M GONNA READ, SO I HOPE I DON'T BOTHER YOU WITH THAT. BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE. UM, I HAVE NO, NO PROBLEM PERSONALLY WITH WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED EXCEPT FOR ONE ISSUE. THAT'S OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES. THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE IN OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, THE KEY PRINCIPLE IS ELECTION OF REPRESENTATION BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. BUT THE CITY WANTS TO CHANGE THAT A LITTLE BIT. YOU'RE ASKING FOR OR SUGGESTING YOU'RE CLEVERLY DISGUISING. ACTUALLY TWO GROUPS OR MORE CLAIMING TO BE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALTERS THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF OUR GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO REPRESENTS US. EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL [00:15:01] OFFICIALS. THAT'S WHY IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE MEET ANNUAL, WE ELECT OFFICIALS. YOUR PROPOSAL WILL ALLOW FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GO DOWN AND REGISTER WITH THE CITY WITH THREE OR FOUR OTHER FRIENDS. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE TWO REGISTERED NEIGHBOR ASSOCIATIONS OF WHICH ONE REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ELECTED AND THE OTHER REPRESENTS A SMALL GROUP. THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IT'S WRONG. PEOPLE WORK HARD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. THEY DON'T NEED TO BE UNDERCUT BY THE CITY. MY EXAMPLE IS, UH, JADA, COULD YOU FORESEE TROUBLE IN DISTRICT TWO? FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR OPPONENT IN THE ELECTION, LAST ELECTION, DENISE GUTIERREZ HOMER WAS ABLE TO GO TO CITY HALL AND REGISTER AS A SECOND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT TWO. WHAT THAT PRESENT A PROBLEM TO YOU? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING ASKED HERE. I AGREE. WE NEED COMMUNICATION, BUT WE DON'T DO IT BY CUTTING THE LEGS OFF OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED TO DO THE JOB. THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT THIS WILL HAVE IS WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO KNOW WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS THEY'RE THINKING. AND THERE'S TWO ASSOCIATIONS REPRESENTING ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. HOW YOU GONNA KNOW WHAT YOU ONE REPRESENTS THE MAJORITY? HOW COULD YOU KNOW? ALL YOU KNOW IS A LOUD MOUTH GETS, GETS THE EAR. AND WE DON'T WANT THAT. WE WANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVES TO REPRESENT THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE THERE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD TO GET THERE. AS ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS SAID, WHAT A STUPID IDEA, HAVING TWO ASSOCIATION, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. OTHER THAN THAT GREAT REGISTRATION POLICY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. GRAVEL. UH, MR. JOSEPH JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY MARTY HUTCHINSON. GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'M FROM THE SUNRISE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH CONFUSION IN GOVERNMENT AS IT IS IN ORDER TO HAVE TWO DUELING COMPETITORS IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. LET'S LET THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS VOTED IN VOTE AMOUNT. WE'RE WASTING A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME HERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE'S JOBS THIS ISSUE WAS, HAS, HAS WASTED ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY. WE GOT POTHOLES TO FIX. OKAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. JOHNSON. MARTY HUTCHINSON, FOLLOWED BY ROSE HILL. AND SIR, I'LL YOU SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER TWO. DID YOU WANT THAT NOW? ACTUALLY, NO. WE'LL WAIT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO. I APOLOGIZE. MS. ROSE HILL, FOLLOWED BY MAURICE STOUT. MY NAME IS ROSE HILL, PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HILL, UM, ALLIANCE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND ALSO HEADING UP THE D TWO PRESENCE ROUNDTABLE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THE REGISTRATION POLICY IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. NUMBER ONE, YOU LEFT THE COMMUNITY OUT. NO INPUT. THIS HAPPENED IN 2018. RESULTS SHOW THAT 52% OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE, WERE SURVEYED AND 52% ACROSS DISTRICT ONE THROUGH 10 SAID ABSOLUTELY NO. THAT WAS RESPECTED. IT WAS MR. PETER ZONI, THE ASSISTANT MANAGER AT THAT TIME, TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO SEE HOW IMPORTANT THIS WAS TO THE ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS. WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE TELLING YOU THE ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO THROW, THROWN OUT AND TRY TO BE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER INE ASSOCIATION. WHAT IT'S GONNA DO, IT'S GONNA CON CONFUSE. IT'S GONNA CREATE CONFUSION. IT'S GONNA CREATE DIVISION. AND AS WE'RE SEEING THAT NOW A LOT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING IN A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S NOT OUR FAULT, BUT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT. SECOND OF ALL, UH, A LOT OF THINGS THAT, UH, HAVE TRANSPIRED. ONE, ONE IS THAT YOUR, YOUR REGISTRATION POLICY. WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FIX SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BROKEN? WHY ARE WE NOT ENFORCING? WE'RE REALLY GOOD ABOUT CHANGING THE POLICY OF CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT ENFORCING THE LAW? AND IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MS. HOUSTON, ABOUT YOUR, ABOUT YOUR PROPOSING THIS FORWARD, WHY AREN'T, WHY ISN'T YOUR DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING THE PROCESS? IT'S IN THIS NOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, I BELIEVE MR. ZONI SENT A LETTER OUT SOMETIME BACK. THIS HAS STARTED BACK SINCE 20 18, 29. HERE WE ARE, 2019, OPENING ANOTHER PANDORA BOX. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. IT'S A PANDORA BOX. IT'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF LEGAL ISSUES TO A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. DOES THE CITY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGE? I DON'T THINK SO. BUT ALSO, YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA LISTEN IN HEAR. AND I'D LIKE FOR EVERYBODY THAT THAT IS, UH, AREN'T THAT CAME HERE TODAY. STAND UP, TOOK OFF WORK TODAY. PLEASE STAND UP FOR THE ONES THAT ARE, UH, ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS. PLEASE STAND UP. THESE ARE ALL THE ASSOCIATIONS IN DISTRICT TWO. LET ME TELL YOU THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE WORKED [00:20:01] VERY HARD TO DO WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE'VE CREATED A MODEL FOR DISTRICT TWO. NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF DISTRICT TWO. HAVE WE DONE THIS? AND SOME PEOPLE THINK WE MIGHT'VE LEFT THEM OUT. WE'VE BEEN DOING BABY STEPS ALONG THE WAY. ARE WE A PERFECT ORGANIZATION? NO, BUT WE'RE ELECTED JUST LIKE EACH ONE OF YOU'RE ELECTED BY YOUR OFFICIALS AND WE FOLLOW OUR BYLAWS. YOU'RE ASKING US TO COME AROUND AND CHANGE OUR BYLAWS. SOME OF US HAVE INVESTED MONEY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BYLAWS. YOU'RE ASKING US TO GO BACK AND CHANGE ALL THOSE BYLAWS TO BE ABLE TO SUIT THE POLICY THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING FORWARD. WHY ARE YOU NOT WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO FIND, GET INPUT FROM THE REGISTERED NEIGHBOR ASSOCIATION? WHAT CAN WE DO AS A CITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENHANCE WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND BUILD OFF WHAT WE HAVE? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO CREATE A, A POLICY THAT'S REALLY TO TELL YOU TRUTH IS USELESS AND IT CREATES DIVISION AND COMMUNICATION? MS. HOUSTON IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE THE HEARTS. WE ARE THE HEARTS OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE BOARD MEETINGS, WE HAVE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE HAVE OUR MEETINGS WITH OUR COUNCILWOMAN. OUR COUNCIL WAS COMPLETELY OUTTA DISARRAY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET WITH OUR COUNCILWOMAN EVERY MONTH TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH IDEAS AND ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. DON'T TRY TO TAKE THAT AWAY. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US. THANK YOU. NEED YOU TO REALLY LOOK AT SITUATION, WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS. DON'T WORK WITH, UH, DON'T WORK AGAINST US. WORK WITH US. THANK YOU MS. HILL. MAURICE STOUT. GOOD MORNING. I'M MAURICE STOUT AND I AM THE OLDEST, THE ONLY ONE LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE. WE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE CITY, WITH THE STATE FOR A LONG TIME NOW. THERE IS TRYING TO BE ANOTHER ORGANIZATION FARMED IN THE AREA, WHICH ONLY WILL GIVE US DIVISION. WE DON'T NEED DIVISION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED EVERYBODY WORKING FOR IT, NOT WORKING AGAINST IT. ALSO, THE OTHER GROUP IS VERY OPPOSED TO ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON. IF PEOPLE BUY VACANT LOTS IN AN AREA, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO PUT SOMETHING ON IT. IF THEY DON'T PUT ANYTHING ON IT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY THAT MUCH TAXES. WE PAY TAXES, BUT WE'RE GLAD TO PAY TAXES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DECENT CLEAN NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DO THREE CLEANUPS A YEAR. WE, UH, I GO AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING. WE MEET THE TRUCKS. WE START AT EIGHT. WE GET MR. UH, THE CITY MAN GUT TERRORISTS CAN TELL YOU WE COLLECT A LOT OF GARBAGE OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE THROWING THINGS ON THE CURB NOW LIKE WE USED TO HAVE. SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE. I KNOW I'M OLD. I HIT 95 THE LAST DAY OF JANUARY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESENTMENT ABOUT AGE. ALL YOU'VE DONE ALL THESE YEARS IS WORK. RAISE YOUR CHILDREN AND TRY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. NOT DO THINGS FOR OURSELVES. I HOPE THAT WE WILL NOT GET A SECOND GROUP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THAT WILL, IT WILL GO RIGHT BACK DOWNHILL JUST LIKE IT USED TO BE. DIRTY PEOPLE THROWING THINGS ON THE CURB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. STOUT. PHYLLIS NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY STELLA ASHLEY. HELLO, I'M PHYLLIS NEWMAN. I'M GONNA SPEAK AS A PROPERTY OWNER. AND I WANNA SPEAK TO WHEN I HAD A C C R, UH, GOING THROUGH THE CHANNELS WHEN IT GOT TO, UH, THE ZONING, UH, COMMISSION, AND I HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE. I ALSO HAD SUPPORT FROM OUR COUNCIL PERSON. BUT YET AT THIS ZONING, SOMEONE GOT UP AND SPOKE AND SAID THAT THEY WERE SPEAKING FOR THE OTHER OFFICIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND I HAD ALREADY CHECKED WITH THE CITY, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH WAS GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE. AND SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. SO I WENT TO THEIR NEXT MEETING AND I ASKED THEM, WHY, IF YOU WERE OPPOSED AGAINST ME, WHY WOULD YOU NOT ASK ME TO COME SPEAK IN MY FAVOR? SO AT LEAST YOU'D KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THIS PROJECT. THE [00:25:01] PERSON THAT I ACCUSED OF DOING THIS, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS. I ACCUSED THIS PERSON OF DOING THIS. AND THEN SHE SAID THAT I MISUNDERSTOOD HER. SO I WAS THERE. I KNOW I DID NOT MISUNDERSTAND HER. UM, WHEN I, UM, UH, UH, ADDRESSED THIS, UM, I FELT THAT, UH, I HAD PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK IN IT. THE COUNCILMAN HAD PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK IN IT, AND I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS BEING UNDERCUT. UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WANT TO HAVE TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF QUORUM. WHEN I'VE GONE TO GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE THERE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE THERE. WHEN SOMETHING IS VOTED ON, THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE THERE. THERE'S NOT LIKE FIVE OR SIX OR EIGHT PEOPLE THERE TO VOTE ON ONE THING THAT AFFECTS A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. I, I, I DISAGREE STRONGLY WITH THAT. IF, IF THIS WERE A GOOD IDEA, WHY DON'T WE HAVE TWO PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES? WHY, WHY, WHY DON'T WE HAVE TWO MAYORS? SO, SO I, I'M AT THE POINT TO WHERE, UH, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF, UH, SOMETHING IN THE CONSTITUTION THAT SAYS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON SOMETHING FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD, X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO BE THERE. IT CAN'T JUST BE FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. NEWMAN. I ALSO PLEASE HOLD COMMENTS WHILE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING. WE WANNA RESPECT EVERYBODY'S RIGHT TO SPEAK AT THIS COMMITTEE. UH, MS. STELLA ASHLEY, FOLLOWED BY, UM, MILLIE DENO. HELLO, MY NAME IS STELLA ASHLEY. I'M A PAST PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE, AND RIGHT NOW I'M A VICE PRESIDENT. UH, BACK IN 2005, UM, WE WENT THROUGH, UM, A PROBLEM AND WE WOUND UP IN COURT FOUR TIMES. AND ANOTHER GROUP STARTED, UH, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. UH, WE DID NOT WORK TOGETHER. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU WORKING APART. UH, AND WHAT BROUGHT THIS PROBLEM UP NOW WAS SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE VOTED OFF OF THE BOARD AND THEY WERE DISGRUNTLED AND THEY WANTED TO START THEIR OWN ORGANIZATION. AND YOU CAN DRIVE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOOK IT UP. ALL THE SIGNS THAT ARE UP THERE ABOUT, UH, H D R C, UH, ABOUT THE DEVELOPERS COMING IN. AND EVEN ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS' NAME IS UP THERE. SO THEY'RE NOT PROMOTING, UH, LOVE OR TO WORK FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS BETTER. WE WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE ALL THESE BIG, UH, BUILDINGS AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS. BUT WE KNOW CHANGE IS COMING AND WE TRY AND WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT TO HAVE TWO GROUPS, IT WILL NOT WORK. WE WENT THROUGH THIS BEFORE AND NOW I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE THREE THAT'S GONNA BE TRYING AND BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND PHYLLIS SAID IT. UM, YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO COUNCIL PERSONS FOR A DISTRICT. YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO MAYORS. THEY WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. ASHLEY MILLIE VENO, FOLLOWED BY CYNTHIA S SPILLMAN. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET UP AND GET DOWNTOWN DRIVING. I KNOW WE DON'T LIKE IT. IN MY OPINION. I AM FAIRLY NEW BEING PRESIDENT, BUT I, WHAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED OVER THE YEARS HELPING IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIVISION ALREADY WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND PEOPLE WON'T WORK WITH THE ASSOCIATIONS BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL WE'RE EFFECTIVE ENOUGH. BUT SOMETIMES IT'S HARD AS A PRESIDENT AND AS EACH COUNCIL KNOWS TO ADDRESS EVERY ITEM THAT COMES UP IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WE WORK HARD. WE DON'T JUST CONCENTRATE ON JUST THE DEVELOPMENT. WE DON'T CONCENTRATE ON WHAT A RENTAL HOME IS GONNA AFFECT AREA. WE TAKE IN THE STREETS, WE'VE TAKEN IN, UH, A C S ISSUES. AND SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE ITEM THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT. WE WORK FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. EVERY ONE OF MY RESIDENTS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. IF THEY COME TO ME, I WILL DO MY BEST TO WORK WITH THEM AND MY DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON TO SEE HOW WE CAN RESOLVE THIS. IF YOU ADD THIS DIVISION OVERLAPPING AND ALLOWING OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ONLY HAVE 900 HOMES IN OUR AREA. IT'S SMALL. HOW ARE WE GONNA DIVIDE THAT UP? HOW ARE WE GONNA WORK TOGETHER? HOW ARE WE GONNA CONCENTRATE ON THOSE IMPORTANT [00:30:01] ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A LONG TIME? THAT SOMETIMES THE MONEY'S NOT THERE, BUT IT SUDDENLY GOT PULLED AWAY FROM SOMEBODY ELSE BECAUSE THEY WERE LOUDER STRONG WITHIN THE CITY AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEIR POINT ACROSS EASIER THROUGH THAT PERSON. SO IN MY OPINION, WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH SAFE OFFICERS. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH COUNCIL PEOPLE, STAFF. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CODE COMPLIANCE AND A C A A C S OFFICERS AND SO ON TO ATTEND EVERY MEETING. NOW THEY HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE. SOMETIMES IT'S SUNRISE BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING A BIG ISSUE. SO THEY DON'T COME TO OUR MEETING. SOMETIMES THEY'RE ABLE TO SEND SOMEONE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE PERSON DOESN'T EVEN KNOW OUR AREA. SO AS WE STRETCH THOSE STAFF, ARE WE PREPARED TO HAVE MORE MONEY IN THE BUDGET, TO HIRE MORE STAFF, MORE SAFE OFFICERS? 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE SHORT ON OFFICERS PERIOD. SO WE NEED A C S OFFICERS, WE'LL NEED MORE. SO AS YOU STRETCH THOSE BOUNDARIES OUT, ADD MORE OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES. JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH MORE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DENO. CYNTHIA SPILLMAN, FOLLOWED BY ANN ENGLER. GOOD MORNING. UM, MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE PRETTY CONTENT WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE. THEY SEE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT, UM, ATTENDING MEETINGS. THEY'RE CONTENT WITH THE IDEA THAT THERE IS A FUNNEL TO ADVOCATE FOR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES THROUGH A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION. UM, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES. IN SOME AREAS IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS NOT ABOUT STARTING ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. EV THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO START NEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS DON'T CARE ABOUT THE STRAY DOGS AND THE SIDEWALK. AND MRS. GONZALEZ'S, YOU KNOW, CAT THAT KEEPS GETTING IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S YARD. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT. I MEAN, THIS IS AN ISSUE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAS CAUSED A HUGE AMOUNT OF STRESS. AND I WOULD COUNTER THAT EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO HAVE A VOICE IN TERMS OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER THEY'RE PART OF AN ORGANIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR NOT. AND THAT COMES DOWN TO PROCESS. AND I'M HOPING AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS ISSUE, AND I HOPE YOU WORK WITH ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT, THAT, THAT, THAT THIS DEPARTMENT CAN HELP OFFER WITH WORKING WITH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS BEST PRACTICES ON HOW DO YOU MAKE ZONING DECISIONS? HOW DO YOU CREATE DECISIONS THAT ARE TRANSPARENT AND FAIR AND INCLUSIVE? AND THAT'S, THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S AT THE HEART OF. THIS IS THE DEVELOPED IS THE DEVELOPMENTAL STRESSES, UM, THAT IS PUT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SPIELMAN. ANN ENGLER, FOLLOWED BY TAMMY KEGLEY. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I JUST REALLY WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS. ONE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF TRYING TO GET A NEW POLICY UP AND RUNNING. I HAVE PERSONALLY MET WITH, UH, LORI HOUSTON, ERIC WALSH, AND MEMBERS OF THAT DEPARTMENT, BARBARA AND VERO, SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. AND THE POLICY THAT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW IS THE 2011 POLICY. AND I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR FLAWS WITH IT. BUT THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS, IS PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO ORGANIZE OR NOT ORGANIZE. AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE GROUPS AND VOICES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING ORGANIZED AND RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY, THEREFORE, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO COME TO THE TABLE. THAT HAPPENS REGULARLY, NOT JUST IN ONE PART OF TOWN, BUT RAMPANTLY ACROSS THE CITY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT GOVERNMENT HILL WHERE THERE ARE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THERE AND OR TRYING TO BE THERE, BUT THEN THEY DON'T GET TO BE RECOGNIZED AND GET TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, SAY AT THE PRESIDENT'S ROUND TABLE HOSTED BY THE D TWO, UH, GROUP. UH, SO WE KNOW THAT THAT IS HAPPENING, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THIS IS PREVALENT ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL. NOW, THE PERS THE PO THE POLICY RIGHT NOW SAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE 50 MEMBERS REGISTERED IN YOUR GROUP. YET YOUR OWN POLICY REGISTRATION FORM DOES NOT SAY, PLEASE SUBMIT A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT ARE REGISTERED IN THE GROUP. RIGHT? RIGHT. THERE IS A FLAW. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THEY CHANGE THE BYLAWS, BUT THE BYLAWS ARE NOT ALSO UPDATED. UH, THE CITY REGISTRY FORM THAT WAS SPOKEN OF BY BARBARA AND THE, UH, PRESENTATION TALKS ABOUT THERE BEING APPROXIMATELY 350 REGISTERED GROUPS RIGHT NOW AND 40 ARE COMMUNITY GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE REST OF THE STORY IS SOME OF THOSE GROUPS UP TO, UM, 115 OF THEM HAVE NOT BEEN RE-REGISTERED THROUGH THE CITY POLICY IN MORE THAN 700 DAYS. AND SO FOLLOW, FOLLOWING THAT POLICY HAS LEFT BEHIND OTHER PEOPLE THAT NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. SO I THINK THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE A COMMUNICATION TOOL, THEN BE THAT FOR THE RESIDENTS, THE TAXPAYERS, [00:35:01] AND THE RENTERS THAT ACTUALLY WORK AND LIVE THERE. THE REST OF THE STORY IS IT ALSO GOES FOR BUSINESSES. AND WHETHER OR NOT WE AGREE WITH ALL OPINIONS, ALL PEOPLE MATTER, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS ALL NEED TO GET AND BE INVOLVED AND NOT BE LEFT BEHIND. AND RIGHT NOW, THE POLICY AND THE PRACTICES THAT ARE HAPPENING BY THE CITY ARE PRECLUDING PEOPLE FROM BEING JUST THAT INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK I NEED TO REALLY STAND UP ON THAT, KNOWING THAT RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, CITY OFFICIALS THAT HAVE THEIR OWN GHOST LISTS, WHERE THEY INVITE CERTAIN PEOPLE TO CERTAIN EVENTS AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE LEFT BEHIND SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON AN OFFICIAL REGISTRATION POLICY OR AN OFFICIAL REGISTRATION LIST IS, IS PROBABLY THE BIG MATTER AS WELL WHEN CYNTHIA SPEAKS THAT IT'S ABOUT ZONING AND THE OTHER THINGS, ADJUSTMENTS. THOSE ARE SOME SERIOUS ISSUES TOO. AND WHEN THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT GET TO BE SPOKEN, GET TO SPEAK, AND THEY'RE DENIED ACCESS TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY EMPLOYEES, AND WE REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM. AND SO THAT'S WHERE MY, MY PURPOSE IS OF COMING AND SPEAKING TODAY ON THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK THANK YOU MS. ENGLERT. TAMMY KEGLEY, FOLLOWED BY LIZ FRANKLIN. HEY THERE EVERYONE, THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. I I DIDN'T COME WITH PREPARED COMMENTS BECAUSE I, I WANTED TO COME AND LISTEN. I WANTED TO BE AT THIS INAUGURAL MEETING TO, TO LISTEN AND, AND I APPRECIATE LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU. UM, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALTA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WE HAD OUR BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S AN ANNOUNCED MEETING. VERY OFTEN PEOPLE DON'T ATTEND OTHER THAN THE BOARD, BUT IT IS OPEN SPEAKING TO THE POINT OF TRANSPARENCY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL GETTING AT. UH, WE ALL NEED TO HAVE ACCESS. OUR CONCERN THAT I CARRY FROM OUR BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY IS THAT OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES MAY CREATE SOME CONFUSIONS. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. DOES THIS OPEN THE DOOR TO SPECIAL INTERESTS? DOES IT CREATE A BATTLE? DO WE NEED TO CREATE OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES? I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS BE HELD TO A STANDARD OF COMMUNICATION. UH, THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT EMAILS ARE GOING OUT. THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY'RE HAVING MEETINGS AND THEY'RE MAKING THESE MEETINGS PUBLIC. THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE OUTREACH. THEY HAVE THEIR UPDATED BYLAWS. THEY ARE KEEPING UPDATED WHEN THE CITY REACHES OUT TO SAY, WE NEED YOUR UPDATED WHEN YOU HAVE AN ELECTION, YOU MUST BE ON TOP OF THAT. THAT'S A LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM THAT ALTHOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE VOLUNTARY, WE MUST HOLD OURSELVES TO THAT LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ZONING, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, UH, UM, IRREGULAR ZONING ISSUES. UM, OUR OUR LITTLE, UH, LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR, OUR HISTORIC, OUR NCDS. SOME OF US THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CREATING NCDS OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE NOW GETTING ACTIVE. AND THAT'S A GREAT THING. SO AS WE GO FORWARD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE TRANSPARENCY FOR ANYONE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS. MUCH THE WAY WE CAN SIGN UP TO GET ZONING, UH, HEARING INFORMATION AND PLANNING INFORMATION AND, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT WE CAN BE IN THE ROOM AND WE CAN SIT IN THE ROOM AND NOT BE EXCLUDED AND THAT WE MUST BE HEARD. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK OUT THAT OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSO ASSOCIATIONS, AS I MENTIONED, ARE KEEPING BEST PRACTICES. BECAUSE WHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE INFILTRATED OR THEY, THEY LOOK VULNERABLE AGAIN, IT CREATES ISSUES. IT CREATES HARD FEELINGS. AND WE DON'T NEED HARD FEELINGS. WE'RE NEIGHBORS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT WE LIVE TOGETHER. WE WANT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE SAFE. WE WANT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE CLEAN. WE WANNA KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT DON'T SHUT US OUT ON THE BUSINESS END. THAT'S IMPORTANT. I'LL BE WATCHING. I APPRECIATE THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CAGLEY. LIZ FRANKLIN, FOLLOWED BY EDWARD CASTOR. HI. I GOTTA SAY THREE, THREE THINGS BEFORE I REALLY GET STARTED. I'M WORKING ON MY INDOOR VOICE, SO I'LL STEP AWAY FROM THE MIC. , THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. I'M [00:40:01] GLAD I DID NOT FOLLOW MARIE STOUT. WHO WANTS TO DO THAT? UH, NO MUCH RESPECT AND LOVE TO MISS OUT. ALRIGHT, SO, AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SPEAK, I THOUGHT COMMITTEE WAS CLOSED, SO I WAS GONNA ZIP LIP. BUT I WANNA GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU CAN REALLY BITE ON BASED ON THE PRESENTATION. AND LORI USON, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW HOW THEY STAND OVER THERE AND I DON'T KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE VISITING AND YEAH, IT'S A MIXED BAG. BUT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS IT WAS A COMMUNICATION TOOL. THAT'S WHEN IT WAS WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR. THAT'S WHAT, AND, AND A PORTAL FOR ZONING, RIGHT? LET ME TELL YOU TWO CASES THAT ARE UPFRONT, CLOSE AND PERSONAL AND NOT WRITTEN IN 2011. OR YOU WOULDN'T BE REVIEWING THIS BOARD, RIGHT? UH, OR THIS POLICY RIGHT NOW IS DIGNITY HILL. UH, WE ARE DIVORCING OVER. THERE COULD STILL BE JUST A SEPARATION, BUT WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT 26 PEOPLE AND THE COUNCILWOMAN KNOWS THIS. I THINK SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE'S A CHALLENGE. GOTTA GIVE HER CREDIT. THANK YOU. THAT, UH, YOU ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT. 26 PEOPLE VOTED ON THREE ZONING CASES. NONE OF THEM LIVED WITHIN THE 200 FEET. THAT P****D ME OFF BECAUSE I LIVED WITHIN THE 200 FEET WITHIN MY OWN HOME. WE HAD TWO DIVIDED VOTES. I CAN'T CONTROL HER. BUT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS HE WAS SENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND DENIED ACCESS TO CITY COUNCIL EVEN THOUGH HE MET THE 200 FEET THRESHOLD. BECAUSE A LETTER FROM 17 PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE WITHIN 200 FEET TRUMPED ME. THAT'S BAD. YOU GUYS CAN LOSE 26 VOTES. I'M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN'T LOSE 2,600. AND THEN THE SECOND ONE GOING RIGHT BACK TO ZONING. AND I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS 'CAUSE THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS TOO. THERE'S THREE GROUPS OVER THERE. LET ME TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW THE THIRD GROUP CAME ABOUT. WAS THE QT GAS STATION ON WALTERS. I CAN TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE AGAIN, I'M GIVING MY COUNCILWOMAN THE CREDIT FOR WEEDING THROUGH THAT. BUT IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS US NOT GETTING ALONG OR US NOT AGREEING. THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THAT PROJECT. THE OTHER GROUP THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED, ANYBODY SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED IF THEY CAN MEET THE CRITERIA, CHANGE A LITTLE BIT OF THE CRITERIA. IT'S AMERICA. I LIKE THE TWO PRESIDENT THING. TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE KNOW. BUT ANYWAY, ALL RIGHT, SO GOING BACK, I'M GONNA GET QUICK ON THIS. 19. PEOPLE WENT TO ZONING BECAUSE NOBODY SUPPORTED THEM WHEN THEY WENT TO THEM AND THEY WENT TO BOTH OF THEM. LOVE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. FRANKLIN. EDWARD CASTOR, FOLLOWED BY OSCAR VIX. UH, GOOD MORNING. UH, EDWARD CASTOR. I'M OUT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT. I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FOUR 10, VERY CLOSE TO 1604. I AM A RECENTLY ELECTED BOARD PRESIDENT. AND AS A BOARD PRESIDENT, I REPRESENT 241 MEMBERS OF MY NONPROFIT CORPORATION. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, WE'RE A NONPROFIT CORPORATION. I'M THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF THAT NONPROFIT CORPORATION, BUT I HAVE 241 PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TO REPRESENT. WOW. AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN AT CITY, COUNTY, STATE AS BOARD PRESIDENTS OUT HERE, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. SO UP THERE ON THE SCREEN THERE, THAT LAST BULLET. SHOULD THERE BE RESIDENT REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICERS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION? WELL, I'M AN H O A, SO I'M ASSUMING I'M A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND OUR BYLAWS, WE HAVE RESIDENT REQUIREMENTS. SO THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF ALREADY. WE, WE HAVE, YOU HAVE TO BE A PROPERTY OWNER IN OUR BOUNDARIES TO BE A MEMBER. NOW, CAN YOU BE A, A LANDOWNER OR, OR HOUSE OWNER AND NOT LIVE THERE? YEAH, PROBABLY. BUT IF WE VOTE SOMEBODY LIKE THAT TO BE ON THE BOARD, WELL, GOSH, THAT'S ON US. THE H O A IF YOU WANT GET TECHNICAL, MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT TO RESIDE IN THOSE BOUNDARIES. IF THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP INTO THIS, YOU WANNA STEP INTO THIS [00:45:01] PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT TO LIVE WITHIN YOUR BOUNDARIES. NOW, NUMBER TWO, OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES. EH, THERE SHOULD ONLY BE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WE WERE INCORPORATED IN 1992. WE'RE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS AND EVERYBODY SHOULD BE INCORPORATED WITH THE STATE. OTHERWISE YOU'VE BEEN OPERATING. HMM. ALL RIGHT. AND HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THE REGISTRY? WELL, I USED THE REGISTRY, BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE I'M AN INVOLVED CITIZEN. I'M AN INVOLVED MEMBER WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE BOARD PRESIDENT. AND THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTS WITH US BEING INVOLVED. AND WE GO TO OUR MEETINGS AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE BOARD AND MY WIFE AND THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHO SHOWS UP. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND I KNOW Y'ALL, YOU HAD ON THE SCREEN EXAMPLES OF ISSUES. THOSE ARE ALL JUST, UH, COMMUNICATION ISSUES WITH WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. THE CITY SHOULDN'T BE STEPPING INTO THAT. THAT IS COMMUNICATION ISSUES WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL SHOWING UP. AND LIKE I SAID, CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT EIGHT, CAMINO BANDERA, H O A, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. CASTOR. OSCAR VICKS. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS OSCAR VICKS AND I'M THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT FOR UNITED HOMEOWNERS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION. A LOT OF Y'ALL KNOW THE AREA OFF OF AT AND T YOU PASS, GO DOWN AT AND T IT'S 350 HOMES TO YOUR LEFT. IT DON'T LOOK LIKE IT UNTIL YOU GO IN THERE. AND WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND IT LOOKED ALMOST THE SAME AS IT DID 50 YEARS AGO. NOW I I, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALL THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. WE GOT CITY COUNCILMEN THAT REPRESENT DISTRICTS. AIN'T NO WAY YOU CAN REPRESENT MY STREET AND REPRESENT THE STREET NEXT DOOR. THAT DON'T HAPPEN. YOU GOTTA REPRESENT THE WHOLE DISTRICT. NOW, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERY ORGANIZATION I'VE EVER BEEN IN, WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE NAME FROM KONO TO, UH, LEON THOMAS. THEY SAID, WELL GET 50% OF THE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON LEON THOMAS. I SAID, DON'T NOBODY LIVE ON THE STREET. THEY SAID, CALL A MEETING AND GET WHOEVER SHOW UP AND 15 PEOPLE SHOW UP AND 10 OF 'EM VOTE. THEN YOU CAN GET THE STREET DONE. SO NOW WHY WE HAVING THIS PROBLEM ABOUT MORE THAN ONE PRESIDENT? EVERYBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOW UP. EVERYBODY VOTE. THAT'S WHO GONNA BE THE PRESIDENT. OR THAT'S WHO DECIDE WHO GONNA GET RID OF THE PRESIDENT. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? I DON'T GET IT. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TO ABOUT TWO OR THREE MEETING EIGHT. WELL, WE WANT A PRESIDENT OVER HERE. WANT A PRESIDENT ON. AIN'T NO WAY IN THE WORLD YOU COULD COME TO U H I A AND REPRESENT PICARD STREET AND REPRESENT TUSCANY STREET. YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ANYBODY EVEN CONSIDER THAT. HOW, HOW CAN YOU SIT HERE AND SAY TWO ORGANIZATION REPRESENT THE SAME STREET? NOW WE GOT THREE NEIGHBORHOODS, MEADOWVIEW, NORTH MEADOWVIEW, AND WILLOW WOOD. NOW, IF WE DECIDE TO GET A PRESIDENT OF EACH ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S MY VICE PRESIDENT RIGHT THERE, BROTHER JONES. BUT IF HE DECIDE THAT HE GONNA REPRESENT PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I REPRESENT PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NO, WE GONNA CALL THE MEETING AND THEY GOING DECIDE WHO WE GONNA GET RID OF. ME OR HIM, ONE OR THE OTHER. NOW THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT GOING TO BE. SO NOW WHY WE, WHY WE MAKING ALL THESE ISSUES? WHY THE CITY TRYING TO DIP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, MAKE 'EM, MAKE 'EM TAKE, MAKE 'EM HANDLE THEIR OWN PROBLEM. NOW I'M TELLING Y'ALL RIGHT NOW, ALL THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, LEMME TELL YOU, IT IS HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK IN THE ORGANIZATION. HOW YOU GONNA HAVE TWO ORGANIZATIONS? WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO WORK IN ONE ORGANIZATION. HOW YOU GONNA HAVE TWO ORGANIZATIONS? NOW, NOW, NOW I'M TELLING THE CITY TO PUT THE, PUT THE PUT THE PUT THE BLAME ON US AND TELL US HOW TO TAKE AND TELL. LET US TAKE CARE ON PROBLEM. AND I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WOULD JUST TELL EVERYBODY, ALL THE ORGANIZATION, I'M TELLING YOU, NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, Y'ALL KNOW YOU ONLY GET 25 OR 30 DEDICATED MEMBERS. CALL THEM MEMBERS IN THERE AND SAY, NOW THIS PERSON SAY HE WANNA BE THE PRESIDENT. THIS PERSON SAY HE WANT TO BE THE PRESIDENT. LET'S VOTE. AND A MAJORITY RULE, THAT'S BEEN THE DEMOCRATIC WAY ALL, ALL THE TIME. SO NOW WHY WE CAN'T DO IT LIKE THAT. NOW YOU DON'T LET US COME DOWN HERE AND TELL THE CITY COUNCIL, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA REPRESENT HALF A DISTRICT TWO AND SOMEBODY ELSE WANNA RUN FOR THE OTHER HALF A DISTRICT TWO. YOU DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN. SO WHY, WHY WE WON'T LET IT HAPPEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. V. AND THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENTS [00:50:01] FOR THIS ITEM. UH, AGAIN, GREAT COMMENTS AND UH, CERTAINLY, UH, REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR, FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT. UH, THANK YOU LORI FOR EMPHASIZING THAT. AND, UH, BARBARA, UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, VERO FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE BEING HEARD. UH, I THINK IT'S OUTLINED HERE. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THE WORKSHOPS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, PRESCRIBED IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, SMALL FOCUS GROUPS AND SO FORTH. SO, UH, WITH THAT I WILL ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IF THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE ANY, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN JADA SULLIVAN? UH, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. SO AS YOU SEE, DISTRICT TWO HAS SOME OF THE MOST OUTSPOKEN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS AND I COMMEND THEM FOR STEPPING UP AND SPEAKING OUT. UM, DISTRICT TWO HAS BEEN DIVIDED IN MANY WAYS, IN MANY AREAS. AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE STARTING TO SEE THE MAJORITY OF THAT HAPPEN WITH DIGNA, WHITTY HILL, WITH DENVER HEIGHTS, WITH GOVERNMENT HILL, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND THE WORK STARTS WITH NOT ONLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, BUT IT ALSO STARTS WITH US AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. WE HAVE TO HAVE A FORM OF UNITY WITHIN EACH AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. IT'S HARD TO REPRESENT WHEN YOU'RE LISTENING TO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VOICES SPEAKING ALL AT ONE TIME AGAINST ONE ISSUE. AND YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO. WE HAVE RIGHT NOW OVER 31 REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE AS A TEAM TRY TO GET TO EVERY MONTH. IF YOU'RE ADDING ON AN ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, HOW DO WE MAKE IT TO WHERE EVERYBODY IS TRULY HEARD? OUR COMMUNICATION DEVICE IS PRETTY MUCH OPEN. WE HAVE OUR FACEBOOK, WE HAVE OUR INSTAGRAM, WE HAVE OUR TWITTER. A LOT OF THE INFORMATION WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO PUSH OUT TO EACH AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB? MOST DEFINITELY WHEN IT COMES TO ZONING. WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THOSE THAT ARE RIGHT THERE IN THAT 200 FEET. I WISH YOU WOULD . AND WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT STEP UP WHEN IT CAME TO THE QUICKTRIP, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME WAS GO GET THOSE 200 FEET RESIDENTS AND BRING ME BACK THOSE LETTERS. BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE BEEN MISSING WHEN IT COMES TO ZONING IS WE HAVE LETTERS THAT ARE MAILED OUT AND THEN WE GET NOTHING BACK. WE HAVE NO WAY OF SAYING WHO'S IN OPPOSITION, WHO'S FOR IT BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION IS NOT RETURNED TO US. SO WE GO AND WE LOOK FOR IT AND I TELL MY ZONING PERSON, ORLANDO IS REALLY GREAT AS SAYING, I'M GONNA MAKE THESE PHONE CALLS TO SPECIFICALLY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA AND FIND OUT BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS IT THAT YOU REALLY WANT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT TWO PRESIDENT'S ROUND TABLE, IT'S MEETING WITH EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE PRESIDENTS WHO HANDS ME A BOOK AND TELLS ME THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEN IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO RETURN TO THEM AND TELL THEM WHAT WE AS A CITY COUNCIL WILL BE DOING. IT WORKS AND IT FLOWS. BUT IF WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR DIFFERENT BOOKS WITH FIVE TO SIX DIFFERENT ISSUES, AND THEN ALL OF THEM OVERLAP, WHO'S TRULY BENEFITING FROM THE INFORMATION THAT WE AS A CITY COUNCIL ARE RECEIVING? WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND IF WE'RE SPEAKING AS A CITY TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, UNITY, THIS IS NOT A AN ISSUE OF ARE WE DIVIDING? WE KNOW WE ARE. IT IS VERY DIVISIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S ALREADY TRULY DIVIDED. IF WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION, WE NEED TO USE OUR COMMUNICATION TOOLS. WE HAVE CONSTANT CONTACT. WE HAVE THE EMAIL LIST, WE HAVE E-BLAST. WE HAVE SO MANY WAYS OF GETTING THAT COMMUNICATION OUT TO EACH AND EVERY LAST RESIDENT. ARE WE DOING A GREAT JOB AT USING IT? WE'RE NOT. I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN POSTCARDS MAILED OUT TO INDIVIDUALS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED AND THEN THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEM. MS. LIZ FRANKLIN CAN CONTEST THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I RECEIVE, THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED. I KNOW WHAT AIN'T THAT FOR. AND SO WE'RE NOW IN A, IN A ISSUE TO WHERE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE FORWARD, BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE FORWARD BY CAUSING DIVISION IN EACH AND EVERY LAST NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE ONE PERSON DOESN'T LIKE THE PRESIDENT THAT WAS ELECTED OR THEY DON'T LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN IT. WE ALL LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT IS THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD WE LIVE IN. I CAN HONESTLY SAY I NOW PAY $300 A YEAR FOR HOMEOWNERS [00:55:01] ASSOCIATION AND I HAVE YET TO EVEN MAKE IT TO MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. BUT DO I KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? I DO. WHY? BECAUSE THEY COMMUNICATE. THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH EMAIL, THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH FLYERS, THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH BILLBOARD. IT IS A PROCESS. AND WHAT DISTRICT TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE. WE THANK YOU. YOU ARE A PART OF MAKING SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE REPRESENTED. AND DO WE NEED TO OPEN THE MEETINGS? WE'VE DONE IT. WE DID IT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL TO HAVE A VOICE REPRESENTED. WE HAD PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS SAGE THAT WAS THERE. THIS IS NOT A YOU THING, THIS IS NOT AN I THING. IT'S DEFINITELY A WE THING. AND WE AS A CITY MUST WORK TOGETHER FOR EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE REPRESENT. THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. GREAT COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER K. THANK YOU CHAIR. WE HAVE THREE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED TO US, BUT BEFORE I ANSWER THAT, I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF AN H O A MYSELF, UH, NOT AN H O A A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. IT WAS IN VALLEY FORGE, NORTHEAST PART OF TOWN. AND I REMEMBER HOW DIFFICULT, HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS TO GET PEOPLE TO BE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER TO DO THINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND YOU ALWAYS HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE WHO COMPLAINED, WHO DIDN'T LIKE THINGS, BUT MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WEREN'T WILLING TO STEP UP TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SO I KNOW EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, EVERY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION FACES THE SAME THING. NOW, GETTING TO LOOK AT THESE QUESTIONS, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THE REGISTRY? I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL INTENT THAT HAS BEEN EXPLAINED TO US SHOULD BE HOW THE REGISTRY'S USED AS A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL. IT DOESN'T BEQUEATH ANYTHING TO THE PEOPLE RECEIVING THE COMMUNICATION. IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE BLESSED WITH SOME KIND OF POWER. IT SIMPLY MEANS WE'RE LETTING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION KNOW WHAT I SUGGESTED. AND WHAT I WOULD CONTINUE TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE EXPAND THAT LIST AND ANYBODY IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE INFORMATION. NOT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CONTACTS EVERY RESIDENT IN THEIR ASSOCIATION. I KNOW TOO MANY OF 'EM THAT KEEP IT WITHIN THEMSELVES, JUST WITHIN THEIR BOARD MEMBERS OR THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE MEETING MAYBE 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO SEND OUT, UH, 500 OR 800 LETTERS. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS IF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW BY SIMPLY GETTING ON THIS LIST. AND FOR THE CITY, IT'S RELATIVELY EASY. YOU CALL US AND TELL US, THIS IS MY MY EMAIL ADDRESS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN ANYTHING COMES UP. THAT'S A ZONING ISSUE OR PLANNING ISSUE. AND IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY A LOT OF MONEY TO ADD THAT LIST, WHETHER IT'S RIGHT NOW 400 AGENCIES OR IT BECOMES 4,000 PEOPLE. IT'S PUTTING THAT ON A COMPUTER DATABASE AND MAILING THE INFORMATION OUT. WE CAN MAIL OUT 500 TO 5,000 EMAILS ANYTIME WE NEED TO. SO IT'S A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT CONTINUES TO BE AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE, UH, THE NEXT ITEM. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES? I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GREAT GROUPS OUT THERE AND I'M, I SEE A LOT OF YOU HERE TODAY AND I KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK AND I KNOW YOU DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS DESCENDING VOICES. NOW I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE OR TWO OR THREE PEOPLE WHO MAY YELL THE LOUDEST. WE HAVE A CERTAIN CRITERIA IN ORDER TO GET ON THIS AS AN OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION. AND YOU'VE SEEN THE CRITERIA. YOU HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LET US KNOW WHO THEY ARE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE MEETINGS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE BYLAWS. YOU ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF OTHER GROUPS WHO ARE COMPLAINING OF SAYING, HEY, WE RE WE WANNA BE RECOGNIZED. HAVE THOSE THINGS. SO TRULY THEY, THEY AREN'T THE SAME. THEY AREN'T, UH, REPRESENTING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY MAY SAY THEY ARE, BUT IF THEY'VE HAD MEETINGS, IF THEY'VE GOT ELECTED, IF THEY'VE GOT A BOARD, IF THEY HAVE BYLAWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN WE SHOULDN'T BE SAYING, YOUR BOUNDARIES ARE THIS AND THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL NEED TO WORK OUT BETWEEN YOURSELVES. BUT IF THERE ARE OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES, THEN YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY THE PEOPLE IN THOSE STREETS THAT ARE IN BOTH GROUPS THAT NEED TO DECIDE WHAT MEETING DO THEY WANT TO GO TO? WHO DO THEY THINK IS REPRESENTING THEM BEST? NO ONE GROUP SHOULD SAY WE ARE THE ONES REPRESENTING 'EM. IT'S UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE TO DECIDE WHO REPRESENTS THEM. SO AS FAR AS OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES, HEY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO RESOLVE IN YOUR OWN ORGANIZATION. 'CAUSE THE CITY IS NOT GRANTING [01:00:01] YOU ANY LICENSE OR TAKING AWAY ANY LICENSE FROM ANY ORGANIZATION. WE'RE JUST COMMUNICATING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. THE LAST THING ABOUT RESIDENT REQUIREMENT FOR OFFICERS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, I WOULD SAY IN ANY ASSOCIATION THAT WE PUT ON, ON OUR LIST THAT SAYS WE ARE AN ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, EVEN IF THERE'S CONFLICTING, UH, REPRESENTATION, AT LEAST THE PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. ANYBODY WHO LIVES, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO STARTS A GROUP THAT THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, IT IT MAKES NO SENSE. IT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. PERSONAL AGENDAS, IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY AGENDAS. SO THAT'S THE WAY I SEE THESE RIGHT NOW. THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT 'EM. BUT I, I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS SAID I'VE GOT AN OPEN MIND. I CAN BE CONVINCED ABOUT OTHER THINGS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE OF THE COMMENTS AND THE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT COMMUNICATION, I SEE MIKE SHANNON IN THE BACK. UH, WE'VE STARTED THAT, UH, DATABASE. YOU CAN CONTACT DEVELOPMENT SERVICE. MIKE, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT DATABASE? 'CAUSE THAT, THAT EXISTS NOW. BOY, HE WAS HIDING IN THE BACK ROW. HE WAS HIDING . I'M GLAD YOU THOUGHT . ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. UH, MIKE SHANNON, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR. YES. A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, WE HAD ENHANCED OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE ANYTHING INCLUDING, UH, ZONING CASES THAT ARE COMING UP, UH, PERMITS THAT ARE APPLIED FOR AND SUCH. SO WE USE THE CONSTANT CONTACT. ANYONE CAN SIGN UP. UH, WE'RE LISTENING TO SOME OF THE CON UH, CON UM, COMMENTS NOW TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO CERTAINLY, UH, TO IMPROVE THAT WE'LL WORK WITH LORI AND, AND CERTAINLY VETO AND HER TEAM. BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE A METHOD RIGHT NOW TO GET A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION JUST BY YOU GIVING US ACTUALLY GOING ONLINE YOURSELF. UH, AND YOU CAN RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION WEEKLY ABOUT WHAT'S COMING THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT. LORI, GO AHEAD. I WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS TAKING THAT CONSTANT CONTACT AND REFINING IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. SO IF COUNCILMAN COURAGE SIGNS UP AND SAYS, I ONLY WANNA BE CONTACTED ABOUT REZONING CASES WITHIN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA, THEN THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION. RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE ON THE REGISTRY, YOU GET SPECIFIC ZONING AND PERMIT REQUEST INFORMATION. IF YOU'RE ON CONSTANT CONTACT, WHAT YOU GET IS YOU GET THE PLANNING OR ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA, AND YOU'RE ASKED TO GO THROUGH 40 PAGES. AND WE DON'T WANT THAT. WE WANT THIS TO BE, IF YOU WANT THIS INFORMATION, YOU GET IT AND YOU CAN TAILOR IT TO YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS. AND SO THAT SPEAKS TO COUNCIL OF ENCOURAGEMENT'S POINT OF EVERYBODY SHOULD GET THE INFORMATION. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE ENGAGED AND WE SHOULD MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE. AND SO WE'RE TAKING HIS CONSTANT CONTACT AND PUTTING IT ON STEROIDS TO BE MORE USER FRIENDLY. WELL, AND AND I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT THE BUILD SA, UH, PLATFORM IS, IS ALLOWING US TO DO. SO IT'S, IT'S, AS WE GET THAT DATABASE, WE CAN GROW THAT AND, AND TAILOR IT TO DO JUST THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? CORRECT. THAT IS INCLUDED WITH OUR BUILD SA UH, UPDATE, WHICH GOES LIVE, LIVE AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. THERE'LL BE ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDED THAT TOUCHES SOME OF THIS AS WELL AS WHAT LORI JUST MENTIONED. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT, THANKS, MIKE. GO PETS. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. AND FIRST I DO JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT NOT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO CONSTANT CONTACT. CORRECT. AND SO THERE STILL IS A DIGITAL DIVIDE IN, IN, ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. SO LET'S JUST REMIND OURSELVES AND BE MINDFUL THAT WE NEED TO BE REACHING OUT TO FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT BE, UH, EVEN TECHNOLOGY SAVVY BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UM, UH, ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION. DOES EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, PAY DUES? DO, DOES ANY OF IT? OKAY, SO I DIDN'T THINK SO. SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION. UH, SO DO WE KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE REGISTERED, UH, HAVE ZERO DUES? ZERO DUES, NO DUES? I DO NOT KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP, BUT WE CAN RESEARCH THAT. OKAY. AND THEN THE SECOND ELEMENT THAT I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO RESEARCH IS ALSO, UM, IF THEY HAVE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. AND SO I, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT MOST DO, BUT I JUST, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT INFORMATION IN, IN, UH, THE FORM OF A REPORT OR SOMETHING. AND THEN, UM, WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYBODY THAT THAT SPOKE. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN FOR, UH, MAYBE CREATING DIVISION. I ALSO, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, UH, SHOULD BE A, UH, AND RESPECT A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. AND SO, UM, MY NEXT QUESTION THEN IS TO CITY STAFF AND WHAT DO WE DO AS A CITY TO HELP THEM PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR IN, UH, HOAS FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. [01:05:03] SO WE, AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT STAFF, HAS SPOKEN AT SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS REGARDING THIS ITEM. AND REALLY IT'S JUST EXPRESSED TO BE INCLUSIVE WHEN THERE HAS BEEN CONFLICT, UM, THAT HAS ARISE AND VISION. WE'VE ENCOURAGED MEDIATION. UM, AND WE'VE ALSO HOSTED, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, WE'VE HOSTED SYMPOSIUMS. SO WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS TO GO TO PHYSICALLY TO GO TO MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, HELP ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS. AND THEN WORKING TO DEVELOP PROGRAMMING TO ALSO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. WE'RE GONNA REALLY FOCUS THAT, FOCUS ON THAT A LOT MORE THIS YEAR OF BUILDING A TOOLKIT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, TO HOW TO BETTER, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP YOUR BYLAWS, ADHERE TO YOUR BYLAWS, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND, AND JUST REALLY WORK ON HELPING THEM BE BETTER STEWARDS WITHIN THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT HAPPENS IF A NEIGHBOR WANTS TO JOIN A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR CAN'T AFFORD IT? IT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE GET INVOLVED IN TERMS OF MONETARY. OKAY, THAT'S OKAY. I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE IF WE, OKAY. BUT WE, I MEAN, IF THEY STILL HAD A QUESTION OR A CONCERN, THEY'RE ALWAYS FREE TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY. AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE INVOLVED AT THAT POINT, OR THEY'RE AL THEY'RE ALWAYS, THEY'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO CONTACT US. SO THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE OF, ON SLIDE EIGHT, ON BULLET POINT, UH, NUMBER THREE, IT SAYS THAT THERE'S A, A CONCERN FOR LACK OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY ZONING PLANNING AND H D R C COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE ASSOCIATION IS NOT A REGISTERED ASSOCIATION. SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MORE WHERE, WHERE THAT CAME FROM. IS THERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CALL IN? I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS. THAT ISSUE IS WHEN A ASSOCIATION THAT ISN'T ON OUR REGISTRY SELF-IDENTIFIES THEMSELF AS EX ASSOCIATION, AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE TOLD, OR, OR THE APPLICANT IS TOLD YOU NEED TO WORK WITH THE REGISTERED ASSOCIATION, SO THEREFORE IMPLYING THE GROUP THAT ISN'T ON THE LIST DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO WORK WITH THEM. IT IS THE REGISTERED ASSOCIATION THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON THAT YOU NEED TO COORDINATE WITH. BUT THEY CAN STILL COME AND SPEAK. THEY CAN STILL COME. OKAY. BUT AGAIN, THE PERCEPTION IS I'M NOT BEING HEARD BECAUSE I'M NOT ON A LIST. LORI, I THINK YOU WERE GONNA ADD SOMETHING. I WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, UM, REGARDING THE DUES AND, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEM, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE GOVERNANCE OF THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. SURE. AND THAT'S WHY OUR BYLAWS, I MEAN OUR, OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE YOU JUST PROVIDE US THIS INFORMATION SO WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH THE STEPS TO CREATE IT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT. OKAY. UM, YOUR CONSTANT CONTACT INFORMATION, THAT'S POINT WELL TAKEN. UM, AS WE GO THROUGH AND CREATE THIS PROCESS, WE'LL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ASK PEOPLE IF THEY PREFER TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAIL, UM, INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH AND USING, UM, ONLINE SO WE CAN EXPAND THAT. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THE ISSUE ABOUT ZONING. YOU DO HAVE A LOT OF COMMITTEES WHO COMMISSION, UM, ASSOCIATIONS WILL GO UP AND SAY, WE ARE THE OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THIS AREA. AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE AN ASSOCIATION COME UP WHO HAS MEMBERS OF THAT AREA, BUT THEY'RE NOT OFFICIAL. AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO GO THROUGH AND HAVE THIS WORKSHOP WITH THE PLANNING ZONING AND H D R C AND UNDERSTAND LIKE, HOW WOULD THEY LIKE TO USE THE REGISTRY? IS THERE A NEED? AND THIS IS STEP ONE TO DOING THAT. UM, SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF LAYERS AND WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE NEED TO USE IT AND HOW BEST WE CAN CREATE A TOOL THAT'S DYNAMIC FOR EVERYONE TO USE. SURE. OKAY. THANKS LORI. AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL ARE, ARE HAVING OR WILL BE HAVING COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS AS A FORMER PARTICIPANT IN N L C. I'M SURE THAT WE'LL PROBABLY GET A, A SURVEY OF SOME SORT, UM, AS ALUM OF THE GROUP AND THE CURRENT GROUP. UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. AND THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND TRYING TO SEE EVERYTHING, AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I CAN. I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE COMING BACK TO COMMITTEE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. LORI, I JUST, I WANTED TO ADD THAT YOU BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT WHAT WORKSHOPS ARE WE PROVIDING TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. AND WE DO THE TYPICAL ONES WHERE WE KIND OF REACT TO THEIR NEEDS AND PROVIDE SOME WORKSHOPS. BUT AFTER WE RESOLVE THE REGISTRY PROCESS, UM, WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, DO A SURVEY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DO THEY NEED. SO WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WE NEED HELP ON HOW TO REVIEW ZONING CASES. WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE YOU SHOULD BRING IN TO HELP MAKE A DECISION? UM, WE NEED HELP WITH MEDIATION. SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A SURVEY OF ALL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO HELP US CREATE A CURRICULUM FOR, UM, THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. AND IT COULD BE LUNCH AND LEARNS, AND THEN IT COULD BE QUARTERLY MEETINGS, BUT [01:10:01] IT'S BASED ON THEIR NEEDS. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, AND I ALSO HAVE A, A LETTER FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL ADDRESSING THIS COMMITTEE. AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL READ A PORTION OF IT JUST TO, TO, UH, AT LEAST GET, AT LEAST THE, THE MEAT OF, OF WHAT SHE WANTS TO COMMITTEE COMMUNICATE TO OUR COMMITTEE AND SUBMIT IT TO THE CLERK FOR THE RECORD. UH, OVER THE PAST 60 DAYS, THE DISTRICT SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS HAVE VOICED STRONG CONCERNS AND OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY CHANGES, SPECIFICALLY THE PROVISION, ALLOWING NEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO REGISTER WHERE ONE ALREADY EXISTS WITHOUT REQUIRING COORDINATION WITH THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION. A CHANGE LIKE THIS THREATENS TO UNDERMINE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR DECADES OF WORK. UH, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE HEARING A LOT OF GREAT COMMENTS TODAY. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION AND I WILL SUBMIT THIS LETTER ALONG WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SANDAL HAS EXPRESSED IN THIS. UH, AGAIN, WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TODAY. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO A ROBUST COMMUNITY PROCESS. THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR, UH, YOUR TIME. UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE, GO AHEAD AND [2. 20-1765 A briefing and discussion on a Council Consideration Request from Councilmember Treviño for the establishment of a Renters Commission. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, AICP, Neighborhood and Housing Services Department Director] (Part 1 of 2)] MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, RENTER'S COMMISSION. GOOD MORNING, VERONICA SOTO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES COMMITTEE. UM, I'M GOING TO PRESENT THE ITEM REGARDING THE RENTER'S COMMISSION C C R ACCOUNTS CONSIDERATION REQUEST. AND WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS PROCESS. SO THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST WAS REQUESTED IN JUNE OF 2019 BY COUNCIL MENINO, AND IT WAS HEARD BY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, UH, IN JANUARY OF 2020. UH, PART OF THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST, OR C C R ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY FACED. THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT RENTERS ARE ABOUT OCCUPY ABOUT 46% OF THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK IN OUR CITY, THAT THEIR ISSUES WITH THE MEDIAN RENT INCREASING, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY. UM, FOR RENTERS IN OUR CITY, THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT RENTERS DO HAVE A LOWER MEDIAN INCOME, UH, OF ABOUT 33,600 COMPARED TO THE, UH, MEDIAN INCOME FOR HOMEOWNERS, WHICH IS AROUND 63,700. AND AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AS WELL THAT NEARLY HALF OF OUR RENTERS IN THIS CITY ARE COST BURDENED. THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE PAYING MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARDS RENT. AND SO THE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THAT A FAMILY SHOULD NOT SPEND MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME FOR HOUSING NEEDS. SO RECOGNIZING THAT ABOUT HALF OF OUR RENTERS HAVE THIS ISSUE OF COST BURDEN IS PART OF THE, UH, ITEMS THAT WERE, UM, PUT IN THE RENTER'S COMMISSION. UH, C C R, THE C C R LISTED. ONE EXAMPLE, UH, IN SEATTLE WHERE THERE IS A RENTER'S COMMISSIONS, UH, AND OTHER CITIES DO HAVE SIMILAR DELIBERATIVE BODIES. SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF OTHER CITIES AND HOW THEY DO IT. UM, DIFFERENT POWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. THE, AGAIN, THE ONLY, UH, EXAMPLE THAT IS CALLED THE RENTERS COMMISSION IN SEATTLE, AND THEY PROVIDE INFORMATION ADVISING COUNCIL ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, TRANSPORTATION ACCESS, LAND USE. UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS THERE TO HELP THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN PORTLAND. UM, IT'S NOT CALLED THE RENTERS COMMISSION, THE RENTAL SERVICES COMMISSION, AGAIN, IT'S MORE OF AN ADVISORY BODY, BUT THEY TOO LOOK AT LANDLORD TENANT ISSUES, POLICY INITIATIVES, SOME REGULATION, UM, MORE, UM, RESTRICTIVE IS THE RENT BOARD IN SAN FRANCISCO. SO THAT ONE STARTS TO GET INTO MORE LEGAL, UM, ISSUES WITHIN THE LAWS THAT THEY HAVE. UH, SO THEY DO DEAL WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING A RENT ORDINANCE THAT EXISTS. SO IT GETS MORE PRESCRIPTIVE, UH, IN THAT INSTANCE. SO OTHER CITIES DO HAVE THESE KIND OF COMMISSIONS. UM, SAN ANTONIO HAS A LOT OF BODIES THAT ADDRESS HOUSING RELATED ISSUES WHERE HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTER ISSUES COME UP. SO THE FIRST ONE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IS THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING COMMISSION. NOW, THIS BODY WAS RECONSTITUTED, UH, LAST YEAR AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE, AND THEY HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTIONS IN THIS REPORT. THIS REPORT TALKS ABOUT HOUSING GENERALLY, AND THERE ARE GOALS SPECIFIC TO RENTERS IN THAT REPORT. THERE ARE 10 YEAR GOALS FOR PRODUCTION [01:15:01] PRESERVATION AND REHAB OF EXISTING HOMES, THEIR PRODUCTION GOALS FOR RENTERS AS WELL. SO OUR HOUSING COMMISSION, UM, IS PROBABLY THE, THE BODY THAT HAS THE MOST, UM, TO SAY ABOUT THIS. UM, AND THERE'S OTHER BODIES THAT WE HAVE, BUT YOU SEE THE MAKEUP, UH, THEY'RE THE PUBLIC OVERSIGHT BOARD. THEY HAVE HEARD HOUSING ISSUES. UM, THAT'S THEIR, THEIR GOAL, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR HOUSING STRATEGIC, UM, OF OUR HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK. AND THEY HAVE ACTED ON ITEMS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THE GOALS THEY SET FOR THEMSELVES. ANOS IS KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT AGAIN, OVERSEE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK HELP TO HAVE, UH, AN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGY. WE KNOW RENTERS ARE FEELING SOME OF THOSE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES, SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GUIDING ONE OF OUR EFFORTS THERE. THEY DO ENGAGE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEY SERVE AS A FORUM TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON THE ISSUES REGARDING HOUSING. THEY HAVE PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL THAT THEY WORK ON, UM, AS WE, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MEET THE TENURE PLAN OF THIS. AND THEN, UM, THEY ARE FOCUSING ON A EQUITY ADV ADVOCACY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS HOME OWNERSHIP AT RENTER RENTAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT INCOME BANS THAT NEED IT. UM, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE AND, AND ALIGNED, BUT LOOKING AT 30% A M I, 40% A M I, 50% A M I, IN OTHER WORDS, A BROAD SPECTRUM OF HOUSING. AND THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED CERTAIN THINGS THAT IMPACT RENTERS IN PARTICULAR. SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT'S IN THE REPORT THAT THEY HAVE OVERSEEN IS THE RISK MITIGATION FUND THAT CITY COUNCIL CREATED. AND THEY DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED THE POLICY THAT ALSO WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, THAT GUYS HAD THAT FUND IS SUPPOSED TO USE. RENTERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, USING THE RISK MITIGATION FUND, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMEOWNERS AS WELL. AND SO THAT'S ONE ISSUE THAT HAS A VERY DIRECT IMPACT ON RENTERS CAN TELL YOU MORE THAN 90% OF THE CLIENTS THAT USE THAT FUNDING ARE RENTERS. AND IT IS RENTERS FACING THOSE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES. THEY SET GOALS AND PRIORITIES ON HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL GOALS. UM, THEY HAVE REP RECOMMENDED APPROVAL, WHICH AGAIN, COUNCIL ADOPTED OF THE HOUSING TAX CREDIT POLICY. NOW, THAT PROGRAM CREATES, FOR THE MOST PART, RENTAL PROPERTIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW. THEY, UM, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT, OF COURSE WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOUSING, BUT RENTERS ISSUES ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THAT. UM, THEY ARE WORKING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING DASHBOARDS. SO THE COMMUNITY HAS THE INFORMATION OF WHERE THE CITY HAS INCENTIVIZED DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT INCLUDES RENTAL HOME OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKING TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATOR. WE KNOW RENTERS WILL HAVE, UM, UH, ANOTHER TOOL ONCE WE HAVE THAT UNDERWAY SO THAT THEY CAN FIND HOUSING THAT HAS NOT JUST THE KIND OF HOUSING THEY CAN AFFORD, BUT THE AMENITIES THAT THEY NEED, THE SOCIAL SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. AND SO THEY ARE LOOKING AS A HOUSING COMMISSION AT THESE RENTER FOCUSED ISSUES. UM, THEY'RE WORKING WITH US ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST ASSESSMENT WHERE A LOT OF FEEDBACK HAS COME. AND AGAIN, THE ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST WORKS FOR THE MOST PART IN CREATING RENTAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL AS THE MARKET RATE HOUSING. UM, THEY HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PUBLIC FEEDBACK, INCLUDING COUPLE MEETINGS WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT EVICTIONS WITH THE SAN ANTONIO, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEIR BODY. THAT TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THOSE RESIDENTS AND THEIR CONCERNS. UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY, THEY DID, UM, JUST LAST MONTH WAS THEY APPROVED, UH, THE FORMAT AND THE PATH TO IMPLEMENT THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PILOT. SO THAT PROGRAM IS NOW UNDERWAY. AND AGAIN, A PROGRAM THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THEY HAVE SEEN THOSE BODIES. UM, ARE THEY ONLY FOCUSED ON RENTER ISSUES? UH, NO, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THERE. UH, BESIDES THAT, I MENTIONED THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS OTHER GROUPS THAT ADDRESS RENTERS ISSUES. SO FOR THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM THAT I DESCRIBED, THE PICTURE SHOWS THE MEMBERS OF, UM, THIS GROUP THAT IS HELPING US, UH, REFINE AND BETTER, UM, PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED. ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT, UH, POLICY, THE RIGHT OUTREACH? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE FAMILIES GETTING HELP? AND THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING US ADVICE AS WE EVALUATE OUR CLIENTS, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM. ONCE WE ASSIST SOMEONE WITH THAT FUND, WE GO BACK SIX MONTHS LATER AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY'RE AT. ARE THEY STILL NEEDING ASSISTANCE? ARE THEY STABLE? SO THIS GROUP IS, IS HELPING THAT. AND THIS IS MADE UP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING SOME FAMILIES THAT HAVE USED THE FUND THEMSELVES. [01:20:01] UM, AND SO IT DOES REPRESENT AND HAS RENTER VOICES IN THEIRS. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER GROUPS THAT IS ADDRESSING, UM, SOME OF THE RENTER'S ISSUES AT A HIGHER LEVEL, I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT POLICY, IS OUR REMOVING BARRIERS COMMITTEE. NOW, THIS ONE IS LOOKING AT POLICY AND CURRENT CITY CODES. UM, WE KNOW THE U UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE IS GOING TO BE AMENDED. SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, INPUT AROUND THAT AND HOW WE CAN CREATE SOME ISSUES THAT, UH, ADDRESS RENTAL HOUSING UNIT, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE THREE SUBCOMMITTEES. ONE OF THEM IS AROUND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH. ONE OF THEM IS AROUND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS. WE KNOW THOSE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS OR ADUS WOULD BENEFIT RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THIS GROUP, EVEN THOUGH IT'S TACKLING LEGISLATIVE KIND OF THINGS, IS LOOKING AT ISSUES THAT IMPACT RENTERS AS WELL. AND THEY'RE LOOKING OF COURSE AT THE CAUSE BURDEN THAT SOME OF OUR REGULATIONS MAY HAVE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THE OTHER EFFORT THAT WE HAVE IS OUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT EFFORT. AND AGAIN, BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS FACE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THE FOR EVERYONE HOME INITIATIVE IS OUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT EFFORT. AND THIS IS A GROUP THAT EVENTUALLY WILL GO AWAY, BUT IT DOES HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS BEING IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES THAT ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT HAS JUST BEEN COMPLETED. WE'RE READY TO PRESENT AND NOW IS GOING TO DEVELOP THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT AGENDA WITH BROADER FEEDBACK. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL COMMITTEES THAT ADDRESS RENTER ISSUES. UM, ONE, TWO LAST ONES THAT I'LL MENTION. ALL OF THESE ARE STAFFED BY OUR DEPARTMENT BY THE WAY. UM, SO WE HAVE OUR URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, R S A, WHICH HAS A NONPROFIT ARB, AND THEY DO DEVELOP, UH, HOUSING AS WELL. AND THAT ONE IS, UH, SEVEN MEMBER MAYORAL APPOINTEE BOARD. UH, AND WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AGAIN, COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION. WE DON'T SPECIFY THAT IT HAS TO BE RENTERS, BUT IT IS COMMUNITY MEMBERS. UH, IN ADDITION, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOUSING BOND PROGRAM. AND WHEN THAT WAS CREATED, THERE WAS A, UH, 17 MEMBER NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DOES NOT SPECIFY THAT IT HAS TO BE RENTERS, BUT A LOT OF THE PRODUCT THAT THE HOUSING BOND IS CREATING ARE RENTAL PROPERTIES. AND SO WE HAVE ALL THESE BODIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT RENTERS ISSUES. AND THE C C R IS SAYING IT'S A TIME TO FOCUS IN GIVEN ALL THE ISSUES, UH, ADDRESSED WITH RENTERS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS ONE AT A TIME. UM, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, UH, LOOKING AT ALL HOUSING ISSUES FOR HOMEOWNERS, FOR RENTERS, IS WE HAVE ONE FULL YEAR UNDER OUR BELT OF DELIVERING ON THIS HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK. AND WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT WE NEED AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT CLEARLY OUTLINES FOR ALL OF THE PARTNERS, BECAUSE THE CITY'S NOT THE ONLY ONE PRODUCING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY, WHAT THEIR ROLE IS. AND SO, UM, AT THE C C R, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT PERHAPS THAT STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS HOW WE ADDRESS THOSE RENTERS ISSUES, PERHAPS AS WE DEFINE WHAT THE CITY'S ROLE IS, WHAT THE NONPROFIT ROLE IS, WHAT THE ROLE OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, AND WHAT THE ROLE OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY IS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE FIND A WAY THAT RENTERS, UM, CAN HAVE A, A LARGER VOICE THERE AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITY LIKE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO HEAR THOSE ISSUES AND IS PART OF THEIR CHARGE. UM, THAT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASES RIGHT NOW. AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS PLAN AND FIGURING OUT WHAT ARE THE DETAILS THAT WE NEED TO FLESH OUT, JUST LIKE THE RENTERS COMMISSION MIGHT BE ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO FLESH OUT IN OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. SO WHEN WE WENT TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND THEY REVIEWED THIS, UH, WE PRESENTED THAT WE SHOULD FOLD IT INTO THIS, UM, HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. UM, GOVERNANCE AGREED THAT THERE WAS SOME NEED AND FURTHER DELIBERATION WAS NEEDED, AND IT RECOMMENDED THAT IT COME FORWARD TO THIS COMMITTEE THAT WAS NEWLY CREATED SO THAT THIS COMMITTEE COULD HAVE MORE DELIBERATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT A RENTER'S COMMISSION COULD DO, UH, WHERE IT SHOULD SIT, UM, WHO SHOULD BE ON IT. I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS. I MENTIONED THAT THE HOUSING COMMISSION IS A BODY THAT RECEIVES A LOT OF FEEDBACK. AND SO AT THE JANUARY MEETING, UH, SHORTLY AFTER THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ASKED THAT THE RENTER'S COMMISSION ISSUE BE BROUGHT TO THIS BODY, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK ABOUT OUR RENTER'S COMMISSION, IN A SENSE, FROM, FROM WHAT WE HEARD, THAT YES, IT WAS A GOOD IDEA, BUT NOT TO LEAVE OUT THE OTHER VOICES THAT IF YOU CREATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT SHOULDN'T BE SOLELY RENTERS BECAUSE THERE'S LANDLORDS [01:25:01] THAT GET IMPACTED AND THEY SHOULD BE PART OF CRAFTING, UH, POLICY OR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE IMPACTED. SO THE FAIRNESS OF HAVING REPRESENTATION WAS THERE. UM, THERE WAS DESIRE FOR MORE POLICIES THAT WERE PRO RENTER IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THE DESIRE TO HAVE RENTERS REPRESENTED, UH, IN OUR DELIBERATIONS AS AS WE GO FORWARD. BUT AGAIN, MAYBE IT SHOULDN'T BE ALL, ALL RENTERS. MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE LANDLORDS. MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE OTHERS THAT ARE PART OF THIS RENTERS COMMISSIONS BECAUSE IT'S THE GROUPS THAT ARE IMPACTING EACH OTHER. SO THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF FEEDBACK, UH, AT THAT. UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT THE SEATTLE MODEL. UM, SO I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'RE LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY READING? IT WAS SEATTLE INFORMATION THAT EVEN OUR STAFF HAD NOT READ. UM, SO WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU AGAIN, IS THAT, UM, THIS BODY, THIS COMMITTEE IS THE ONE THAT IS GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THIS RENTER'S COMMISSION, UH, TO BE, SHOULD IT BE A STANDALONE OR SHOULD IT BE FOLDED INTO ONE OF THE BODIES? COULD ONE OF THE OTHER EXISTING COMMITTEES BECOME EVOLVING TO THIS RENTER'S COMMISSION? SHOULD IT BE PART OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION? UM, SO WE NEED THAT STAKEHOLDER INPUT. UH, AND WE DO WANNA COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION, THE MAKEUP OF SUCH A BODY. YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION, SHOULD IT BE HOUSING COMMISSION MEMBERS? SHOULD IT BE OTHERS? IF IT'S ITS OWN BODY, IF WE CREATE A SEPARATE BODY, WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF THAT? ALL OF THAT IS DELIBERATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE. AND SO WE WANT, AGAIN, STAKEHOLDER INPUT SO THAT WE CAN COME FORWARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION, UH, ABOUT WHERE THIS SHOULD BE AND WHO SHOULD BE REPRESENTED IN THAT BODY. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WHAT WE REALLY WANNA HEAR IS INPUT ABOUT WHERE THIS COULD FIT AND WHAT KIND OF MAKEUP IT COULD HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VERO. AND WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS STARTING WITH MARTY HUTCHINSON, FOLLOWED BY PHYLLIS NEWMAN. I HAVE QUESTIONS. MR. CHAIRMAN. COUNCILMAN, I'M MARTY HUTCHINSON. THERE'S A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'M A PAST PRESIDENT OF THAT ASSOCIATION THIS YEAR. PRESENTLY, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS FOR HOME OWNERSHIP. IT IS NOT FOR OWNERSHIP AND A PROPERTY MANAGER. WE HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN, AND OUR BUSINESS IS TO RUN THE BUSINESS AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR INVESTORS ARE TAKEN CARE OF AND THAT THE TENANTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF. WE'RE NOT OUT THERE TO EVICT INDIVIDUALS, AND WE DO NOT WANT TO EVICT FAKE PEOPLE BECAUSE IF THEY WOULD JUST FOLLOW THE CONTRACT, PAY THE RENT, EVICTIONS WILL NEVER HAPPEN. I'M PROUD BECAUSE I HAD A TENANT AT ONE TIME THAT WAS A SAHA SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THE LADY HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT OF HER RENT PAID BY SAHA. THE NEXT YEAR IT DROPPED DOWN TO 80% AND THE SUBSEQUENTIAL YEARS DROPPED DOWN TO 60 40, 20 0. SHE WAS OFF THE PROGRAM AND SHE WENT ON TO GET HER OWN HOUSE. THAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM. WE'RE HERE TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN THAT STEP, AND SOMETIMES THEY NEED SOME EXTRA HELP. AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE ALREADY HOME OWNERSHIPS IN MY OFFICE, WE DETERMINE THE RENT INCREASE BY THE PROPERTY TAX. SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE TAKE THE RENT OR THE PROPERTY TAX, AND IF IT'S INCREASED BY $600, DIVIDE THAT BY 12. THAT WAY THE RENT GOES UP FIVE $50. THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S PUBLIC RECORD. AND WE TELL THE TENANTS THAT, HERE'S THE PUBLIC RECORD, YOU CAN GO AND SEE WHAT THE PROPERTY IS OR PROPERTY TAXES ARE, AND THAT WAY THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE 48.7% OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ONLY OWN ONE INVESTMENT PROPERTY. OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT OWN TWO TO FIVE, THERE'S 32.3% THAT COMES UP TO A TOTAL OF 81%. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IN THE UNITED STATES, IF WE WERE TO RELATE THAT TO THE SAN ANTONIO, IF THE CORRELATIONS ARE STILL THE SAME, THAT WE HAVE 81% OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE RENTING HOMES AS INVESTORS, ONE TO FIVE HOUSES, IF THERE IS A DELAY IN THEIR RENT BECAUSE OF EVICTION PROCESS, AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT PAY PAY HIS MORTGAGE PAYMENT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH, UNLESS HE OWNS A HOUSE FREE AND CLEAR AS AN INVESTOR, THERE IS A MORTGAGE OUT THERE. SO AS A RESULT, IF, IF YOU NOTICE ON THAT SCREEN THAT WAS PRESENTED EARLIER, ALL THE ISSUES THAT WERE OCCURRING OCCURRING WERE ON THE WEST COAST, THE SEATTLE, PORTLAND, AND THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA. I HAVE INVESTORS EVERY DAY [01:30:01] THAT ARE CALLING MY OFFICE UP AND SAYING, HOW CAN I GET OFF THE WEST COAST AND COME AND INVEST IN SAN ANTONIO? I HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOOD. HAVE A HEALTHY, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP, AND THESE ARE THE INVESTORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING? AND I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE PROPERTY MANAGERS OUT THERE IN SEATTLE BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT OWN ONE TO FIVE PROPERTIES, THANK YOU, MA'AM, ARE GETTING OUT. SO AS A RESULT IN AN INSTITUTIONAL, INVESTORS ARE COMING IN AND BUYING UP THESE PROPERTIES, AND IF THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM, THAT'S GONNA BE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. HUTCHINSON. PHYLLIS NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY MARK ROSS. I'M PHYLLIS NEWMAN. AND UM, I DID BRIEFLY SPEAK WITH MY COUNCILWOMAN BEFORE, UH, THIS AND, UH, I ATTENDED THE, UM, JANUARY 22ND MEETING OVER AT ALAMO COLLEGE, AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED. UM, IT SEEMS TO ME AS IF THE RENTERS COMMISSION IS ALREADY DEFINITELY GOING TO BE ESTABLISHED, AND WE'RE JUST ASKING WHERE TO PLACE IT UP UNDER WHICH UMBRELLA. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE JANUARY 22ND MEETING IS THAT IT WOULD BE OPEN FOR MORE DISCUSSION. AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE WEBSITE, BUT I NEVER SAW, UM, A DATE. AND I JUST CAME THIS MORNING TO SPEAK ON ANOTHER ISSUE AND THEN COME TO FIND OUT, THE RENTER'S COMMISSION IS ALSO ON THIS. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I WAS CONCERNED, UH, FOR MY PART AS FOR LANDLORD, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE ON THERE, UH, SUCH AS NO BACKGROUND CHECKS, I WAS CONCERNED WITH THAT. 'CAUSE I HAVE, UH, TENANTS THAT COME TO MEET FAMILIES THAT THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S A SEX, IF THERE'S A SEX OFFENDER OR, OR A CHILD ABUSER IN MY BUILDING. AND, AND I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. I DON'T HOLD, UH, FELONIES AGAINST ANYONE. IF YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME, I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT I DO DRAW THE LINE WITH SEX OFFENDERS AND CHILD, CHILD MOLESTERS. UH, THE ANOTHER ISSUE WAS TO PROVIDE LEGAL COUNSEL. AND I SAW THAT UP ON THE THING. I GUESS IT'S A PILOT OR SOMETHING ABOUT LEGAL COUNSEL. AND MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WHEN I'VE ACCEPTED SOMEONE WITH A PRIOR EVICTION, NORMALLY I WIND UP EVICTING THEM TOO. AND IF, IF THE COUNSEL JUST GOES AHEAD AND PROVIDES THEM WITH LEGAL COUNSEL TO FIGHT, THEN I'M IN A COURT PAYING FOR MY LEGAL COUNSEL. WHEN I'VE BEEN TO COURT MANY A TIME WITH NOT MANY A TIME, BUT THE TIMES I'VE BEEN TO COURT, I'VE HAD, UH, TENANTS SAY THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD EVEN TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP. AND THE JUDGE GRANTS THEM THAT TO, WHEREAS I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THEY DO HAVE OTHER JOBS AND OTHER INCOME, BUT YET THEY'RE OPENLY SIGNING SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT THEY DON'T. AND SO THEN YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE THEM LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT, THAT PUTS ME AT A DISADVANTAGE IF I KNOW THE PERSON IS DEFINITELY NOT A, A, A GOOD FIT FOR, FOR MY PARTICULAR BUILDING OR PROBABLY FOR ANYWHERE. UH, THE OTHER THING ABOUT, UH, EVICTIONS IS THAT ON THE JULY 22ND, UH, JANUARY 22ND, THERE WAS ALSO A MENTION OF, UH, WE COULD NOT HOLD EVICTIONS AGAINST THE PERSON THAT ARE, UH, THREE YEARS TO SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHEN I PULL UP ANYTHING, I DON'T PULL YOUR CREDIT UP, BUT I DO PULL UP THE FACT THAT I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT A HISTORY OF BEING AN EVICTION, UH, PERSON, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MY, UM, EXPERIENCE THAT ONCE YOU'VE BEEN EVICTED, UH, THAT YOU DO IT AGAIN. UH, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE ON THERE ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO EVICT BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER AND MARCH. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WERE FROM, I GUESS THE SEATTLE, UM, THAT THOSE WERE FROM THE SEATTLE MODEL. AND THAT WOULD TRULY HURT A LAND LANDLORD OWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER IF THEY COULD NOT EVICT BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND MARCH. THANK YOU MS. NEWMAN. MARK ROSS, FOLLOWED BY NANCY HALVERSON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. SO I HAVE A LITTLE EXPERIENCE. I AM THE 2016 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, AND I SPENT THAT WHOLE YEAR PRETTY MUCH DOING VOLUNTEER WORK, TRAVELING THE COUNTRY, SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS THE THREE EXAMPLES THAT YOU PUT UP FOR RENTERS ORGANIZATIONS ARE PROBABLY THE WORST THREE IN THE COUNTRY THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW WHILE OUR ORGANIZATION, I'M NOT HERE TO TALK. OUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE NOT, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, I GIVE YOU SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES THAT I THINK YOU SHOULD ADHERE TO. [01:35:01] ONE IS YOU NEED A BALANCED GROUP, OKAY? IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO REPORT TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION. SO YOU HAVE A LEVEL WHERE IT CAN TAKE WHAT'S BEING ADVISED AND LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND SEE HOW THAT FITS IN. THE SPLIT PROBABLY SHOULD BE 50 50, AND THE LANDLORD REPRESENTATION ON THAT COMMISSION SHOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT THE LANDLORD SO THAT YOU REALLY GET THE BUY-IN AND SUPPORT OF A MUCH BROADER GROUP OF PEOPLE RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO MAY JUST BE APPOINTED, WHO DOESN'T REPRESENT THE OFFICIAL LANDLORD POSITION. THE GOOD THING IS, IS WE'VE BEEN, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE DISPLACEMENT AND THE RISK MITIGATION. AND IT WAS VERY SURPRISING WHERE A LOT OF US WALKED INTO THE ROOM SAYING, YOU KNOW, BRING IN OUR, UH, COMBAT HATS AND COMBAT BOOTS TO DO BATTLE. AND WE REALIZED THAT DURING THE MEETING, THAT WE ALL PRETTY MUCH AGREED ON THE SAME THING AND WERE ABLE TO SIGN OFF ON WHAT THE CITY FINALLY ADOPTED WITH SUPPORTS OF BOTH THE PROVIDERS, THE RESIDENTS THAT WERE PART OF THAT GROUP, AS WELL AS THE LANDLORDS THAT WERE THERE. AND I THINK THAT IS A MODEL THAT IS ESTABLISHED AS CONSENSUS IS WAY MORE, WAY BETTER THAN FIGHTING ABOUT IT. I WOULD ALSO, AS A, UH, FORMER CITY COUNCILMAN'S SON, WHO SPENT PROBABLY FIVE HOURS, FIVE MONTHS IN THIS ROOM DOING THE MASTER PLAN BACK IN THE NINETIES, IS TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW TODAY TO POINT RENTERS TO EVERY BOARDING COMMISSION. AND IF IT'S NOT HAPPENING, IT'S BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE NOT DOING IT. AND SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO APPOINT PEOPLE, RENTERS ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. I WOULD, I WOULD, WE'RE SEEING A DIFFERENT STORY THAT PEOPLE ARE RENTING BY CHOICE. SO PEOPLE HAVE INCOME LIVING AT SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES THAT HAVE ENOUGH FINANCIAL INCOME TO BUY AND DO THAT, BUT, BUT THEY'RE CHOOSING TO RENT BECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY WITH JOBS, AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO BE MOBILE, AND THEY WANT ALL THESE FANCY AMENITIES THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE APARTMENT WORLD THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN USED TO WHEN THEY WERE IN COLLEGE. SO I WOULD JUST SUGGEST TO YOU THAT AS YOU'RE FIGURING OUT WHO YOU'RE APPOINTING, THAT YOU BROUGHT IN YOUR HORIZON AND, AND TAKE THE RENTER INTO THAT. BUT I THANK YOU MR. ROSS. THANK YOU. AND I ALMOST, I ALMOST SKIPPED OVER THAT ESA BROWN FOLLOWED BY NANCY HALVERSON. GOOD MORNING. I'M JUST HERE TO PIGGYBACK AND AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID. Y'ALL ARE OBVIOUSLY GONNA GO FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT YOU GOTTA BALANCE IT OUT. I'VE BEEN READING SOME FACEBOOK POSTS ON SOME OF THESE THAT ARE SET UP AND I ALMOST FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LYNCH MOB OUT FOR OWNERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS. WE'RE NOT ALL BAD. THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD ONES OUT THERE. THERE ARE GOOD TENANTS AND THEY'RE NOT SO GOOD TENANTS. BUT IF Y'ALL SET THESE STRINGENT, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, LIKE IN SEATTLE, THE CRIME RATE IS GONNA GO UP. INVESTORS ARE GONNA LEAVE. I'VE ALREADY BEEN SPOKEN TO A LOT OF MY OWNERS. SOME ARE INVESTORS, SOME ARE MILITARY, MILITARY PEOPLE. THEY'RE OUT SERVING OUR COUNTRY. JUST AS SOMEONE ELSE SPOKE IN THE LAST MEETING, THIS IS GONNA HURT THEM TREMENDOUSLY. THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THEIR SECURITY CLEARANCES 'CAUSE THEY'RE GOING INTO FORECLOSURE. 'CAUSE WE HAVE TENANTS. THERE ARE TENANTS OUT THERE BECAUSE I SPEND A LOT OF TIME, MORE TIME THAN I WANT TO ADMIT IN EVICTION COURT. AND THERE ARE SOME WHO PLAY THE SYSTEM. THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO COME SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, I'M GONNA STOP PAYING MY RENT. 'CAUSE NOW WITH, IF THIS NEW THING COMES UP TO WHERE WE CAN'T EVICT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE PUT OUT TILL COURTS ARE GONNA BE BACKED UP. 'CAUSE THEY ALREADY ARE. SO THEY'RE GONNA SPEND ALMOST A YEAR IN A HOME TEARING IT UP. AND THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS. I HAVE SOME WONDERFUL TENANTS AND I HAVE TENANTS THAT LOVE ME BECAUSE I AM A FAIR PROPERTY MANAGER. I SEE A LOT OF OTHER OF MY FELLOW BROTHER AND SISTER PROPERTY MANAGERS IN HERE, PEOPLE WHO I'M GLAD TO BE IN THIS BUSINESS WITH BECAUSE WE DO CARE ABOUT TENANTS. TENANTS HAVE RIGHTS. WE ARE NOT ALL BAD. WE CARE ABOUT OUR TENANTS. WE ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR OWNERS AND OUR TENANTS. SO WE, WE ARE THE MIDDLEMAN. SO WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE HAPPY 'CAUSE IT MAKES OUR JOB HAPPIER. SO PLEASE, AS Y'ALL GO FORWARD, DON'T LEAVE US OUT. THE WHOLE CITY WILL LOSE. IT'S GONNA HURT OUR ECONOMY. INVESTORS ARE GOING TO PACK UP JUST LIKE THEY [01:40:01] ARE COMING FROM THE WEST COAST AND THE EAST COAST. THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT THEY CAN BE. IT'S TOO EASY FOR THEM TO LIQUIDATE THEIR ASSETS AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THIS IS NOT HERE. LET US HELP YOU FIX THE PROBLEM. 'CAUSE WE KNOW IT BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO SUPPOSEDLY FIVE DAYS A WEEK. BUT I END UP WORKING SEVEN DAYS A LOT OF TIMES. BUT ME AND MY FELLOW BROTHER AND SISTER PROPERTY MANAGERS IN HERE, WE KNOW IT BETTER THAN Y'ALL. WE KNOW THE TENANT ISSUES, THE GOOD AND THE BAD. WE KNOW THE OWNER. WE GOT SOME OWNERS OUT HERE THAT ARE NOT THAT GREAT, BUT WE WORK WITH THEM ANYWAY BECAUSE WE WANT TENANTS TO HAVE A PLACE. I RENT BY CHOICE. I CAN AFFORD TO GO AND BUY A HOUSE, BUT I RENT BY CHOICE FOR PERSONAL REASONS. AND I LIKE MY LANDLORD. I HAVE A GOOD LANDLORD. SO LET US WORK WITH Y'ALL. DON'T LEAVE US OUT. THANK YOU MS. BROWN. NANCY HALVERSON. THANK YOU. I WANNA BEGIN BY AFFIRMING EVERY SINGLE COMMENT THAT HAS GONE BEFORE ME. AND TO ADD THAT HOUSING IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. IT DOES AFFECT ALL OF US IN SAN ANTONIO. ADDING ANOTHER COMMITTEE FOR THIS ISSUE, UH, WILL BE REDUNDANT AND IT'LL BE DILUTING AND CONFUSING. THERE ARE ALREADY BOARDS AVAILABLE FOR RENTERS TO BE HEARD. THE CITY SHOULD FOCUS AND BOLSTER THE EXISTING HOUSING COMMISSION AS AN OVERSIGHT BOARD TO BALANCE THE MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS OF LANDLORDS IN TENANTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS. SAN ANTONIO'S BLESSED WITH A STABLE REAL ESTATE MARKET AND WE HAVE A LOT OF INVESTMENT PROPERTIES. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS ON PROPERTY VALUES. IF PROPERTY OWNERS DIVEST, IF WE ADD A UNILATERAL COMMITTEE WITH REPRESENTATION FROM ONLY ONE SPECIFIC VIEWPOINT, THAT'S WHAT THIS WILL HAPPEN. IT WILL CERTAINLY CAUSE THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO DIVEST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. HALON. CYNTHIA SPIELMAN. I AM GONNA WEAR A DIFFERENT HAT THAN I USUALLY WEAR WHEN I COME UP HERE. UM, I AM A LANDLORD. UM, I'VE HAD OVER SEVEN UNITS FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. I UNDERSTAND ISSUES ABOUT TENANTS AND EVICTIONS AND, UM, SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT LANDLORDS FACE. AND I AM HERE WITH WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT FOR A RENTER'S COMMISSION. I THINK, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD POINTS. THE PERSON THAT JUST SAID THAT, UM, IT'S DILUTING AND CONFUSING. THAT'S WHAT IT IS FOR RENTERS. NOW, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU'RE A RENTER'S ADVOCATE OR YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN RENTER'S RIGHTS, TRYING TO GO TO ALL THOSE DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ISSUES ARE RENTER'S COMMISSION OR RENTER'S ISSUES. WHAT ARE HOMEOWNER UH, ISSUES? I THINK THAT A RENTER'S COMMISSION SHOULD ONLY BE MADE OF RENTERS. I THINK THOSE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MAKING, THEY'RE NOT MAKING ORDINANCE. THEY'RE NOT. AND THERE HAS TO BE ONE PLACE THAT RENTERS CAN MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. FROM THERE THEY GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND THAT'S WHERE OTHER PEOPLE, INCLUDING EXTREMELY POWERFUL INTERESTS, UM, THAT HAVE SPOKE TODAY, THAT THEY CAN ALSO THEN HAVE THEIR SAY. UM, I FORGOT WHAT ELSE I WAS GONNA SAY. THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS WRITE THINGS DOWN. UM, UM, OKAY, WELL, I GUESS THAT'S IT. WELL, THANK YOU. SORRY. THANK YOU MS. FILLMAN. RICHARD ACOSTA. ALL RIGHT. I'M MOSTLY DOING READING. UM, I WROTE THIS THIS MORNING. I'M RICH ACOSTA, A DISABLED VETERAN AND, UH, PRESIDENT OF A 5 0 1 C THREE NONPROFIT. CALLED MY CITY IS MY HOME, WHICH PROVIDES FREE SERVICES FOR BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS, AND IS 100% MADE OF ONLY VOLUNTEER REALTORS FROM ANY BROKERAGE. I'M AN ACTIVE LICENSED REALTOR AND I MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS KNOWN AS SABOR. I AM A, I AM ON THE SABOR BRAND NEW DIVERSITY COMMITTEE, WHICH HOPES TO BRING MORE DIVERSITY INTO SABOR AND FIND MORE WAYS TO SERVE OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. I PERSONALLY SUPPORT AN INDEPENDENT RENTERS COMMISSION DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO AN EXECUTIVE UNDER THE CITY MANAGER AND OR CONJUNCTION TO A COMMITTEE THAT IS SEATED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THEY CAN ENSURE THAT RENTER'S VOICES ARE HEARD DIRECTLY TO CITY LEADERS. THE RENTER'S COMMISSION. IN MY OPINION, UH, MY OPINION SHOULD BE ONLY OF RENTERS. WE [01:45:01] KNOW THAT THERE ARE LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS THAT ARE RENTERS, AND I FULLY SUPPORT THEM APPLYING AND HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AS ANY OTHER RENTER TO BE ON THIS COMMISSION. REALTORS ARE ALSO RENTERS. WE EVEN HAVE A VOLUNTEER REALTOR THAT IS A RENTER, CLARA GILROY. SHE IS ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER LEADERS, AND SHE HELPS HOMELESS CL OUR HOMELESS CLIENTS FROM HAVEN FOR HOPE, WHERE SHE ALSO VOLUNTEERS WEEKLY TO HELP CHILDREN, AND SHE WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY AND BE ON THIS COMMISSION. LASTLY, I BELIEVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD GO BACK TO EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS, HAVE A DISTRICT MEETING AND CALL UPON THE RENTER'S COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN HELP THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS CHOOSE WHO SHOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THEIR DISTRICT, BRING UP ISSUES OF RENTERS FROM THE DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO INCLUDE VETERANS, SENIORS, DISABLED PERSONS, FIRST RESPONDERS, NURSES, TEACHERS, PUBLIC HOUSING, AND MOBILE HOME RENTERS. INPUT FROM RENTERS IS ACTUAL RENTERS FROM THE COMMUNITY IS VITAL TO THIS PROCESS. RENTERS ISSUES GO BEYOND LANDLORD AND TENANTS RELATIONSHIPS. THEY, THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH TRANSPORTATION CRIME, AND THERE ARE MANY COMMITTEES IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT HOW MANY RENTERS VOICES ARE BEING REPRESENTED IN THESE COMMITTEES. THERE IS ALSO A COMMISSION THAT, UH, THIS COMMISSION CAN ALSO ADVOCATE FOR THIS BECAUSE ADDING A RENTER TO ALL THESE COMMITTEES OVERNIGHT, THOUGH A FANTASTIC SUGGESTION FROM THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE DEC THE DECADES OF UNRESOLVED ISSUES. SO IT TAKES A FOCUS COMMISSION TO DO SO. THANK YOU MARTY HUTCHSON FOR REMINDING EVERYONE THAT RENTERS ARE TAXPAYERS TOO, PROPERTY TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. ACOSTA. KATIE ROSS. SHE LEFT. OKAY. UH, ANN ENGLER. HI, I AM ANNE ENGLER. AND LAST SUMMER I WROTE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF A RENTER'S COMMISSION. AND I STILL FEEL STRONGLY THAT ONE, SOMEHOW RENTERS NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK WHAT'S GOING ON AS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A RENTER FOR A VERY LONG TIME UNTIL I BECAME A HOMEOWNER, IS THAT I CAN TELL YOU OF TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES THAT OCCURRED IN MY BUILDING. I CONTINUED TO PAY MY RENT WHEN MY LANDLORD, WHO ONLY OWNED THAT ONE BUILDING, HE OTHERWISE HE WAS A SURGEON. I CONTINUED TO PAY MY RENT WHEN HE DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THINGS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN. AND WHAT I DID IS I WORKED WITH MY BANK, U SS A, A, A AND WE CREATED A SEPARATE ACCOUNT WHERE EVERY MONTH I PAID MY RENT TO THAT SEPARATE ACCOUNT. AND WHEN MY LANDLORD SAID, YOU OWE ME RENT, I SAID, YOU OWE ME TO FIX THIS WORK. YOU NEED TO FIX THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS. AND I DID EVERYTHING I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN WRITING TO GET HIM ORGANIZED SO THAT HE WOULD DO THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND YET HE FAILED TO DO SO. I HAD TO READ THE ENTIRE PROPERTY CODE, UNDERSTANDING TENANT'S RIGHTS IN ORDER TO KNOW THAT ONE OF THE RULES I HAD TO FOLLOW WAS TO CONTINUE TO PAY MY RENT. MY NEIGHBOR, WHO LIVED IN THE SAME BUILDING AS ME, GOT FIRED UP, REFUSED TO PAY THE RENT. AND INSTEAD, WHEN FINALLY GOT EVICTED, DECIDED TO POUR ALL THE CONCRETE THAT THEY COULD DOWN ALL THE PIPES. THEY LIVED ON THE SECOND FLOOR. WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT ON THIS WAY OUT THE DOOR, WHEN THE CONSTABLE SHOWED UP TO, TO EVICT THEM, THEY TURNED ON THE WATER AND DID OVER 40,000 DAMAGES, DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THAT PROPERTY RIGHT THEN AND THERE. I MYSELF, ONCE THE LANDLORD DECIDED, OH, WE'RE NOT GONNA MESS WITH ANN. WE'RE GONNA GO FIX OUR THINGS, I WAS THEN ABLE TO GIVE HIM ALL HIS RENT MONEY, AND I WAS ABLE TO SHOW AND PROVE THAT I HAD DONE THAT. NOW, IN THE END, WHAT I'M HERE TO DO IS TO SHARE WITH YOU, IS THAT RENTERS NEED TO BE WELL-INFORMED. THEY NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THEIR RIGHTS AND ULTIMATELY BECOME THE AMERICAN DREAM OF OWNING A HOME. RIGHT NOW IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE NOW HIT THE FLIPPING POINT WHERE WE HAVE 51% RENTERS, AND THEN THE REST OF THE HOMEOWNERS, OR THEY'RE THE DEVELOPERS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE THE PROPERTY OWNERS. AND WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A GREAT BALANCE BETWEEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE RENTERS, AND THAT THE RIGHTS ARE ENFORCED ON BOTH SIDES AND NOBODY GETS FAIR AND UNEQUAL TREATMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND HI, MARNI, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. MS. S ENGLERT. BRETT FINLEY. UH, GOOD MORNING STILL. UH, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS BRETT FINLEY. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS. WELCOME BACK FROM DC UH, AND HAPPY MONDAY. UM, WE AGREE THE [01:50:01] CITY'S EFFORTS, UH, AND WITH THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE RENTERS, UH, HAVE A VOICE. WE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT, UH, DISPUTE THAT THEY ARE A GROWING POPULATION, UH, AS THE C C R LAYS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND THEY NEED TO HAVE A VOICE AND HAVE A REPRESENT REPRESENTATION AT THE CITY LEVEL. HOWEVER, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CREATION OF THIS COMMISSION, UM, THE MAKEUP OF THAT COMMISSION, AND THAT SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO HAVING ALL PROPERTY, UH, NO PROPERTY OWNERS BEING REPRESENTED ON THAT. UM, THIS COMMISSION, UM, AS VERONICA HAD MENTIONED IN HER, UH, PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WOULD BE MODELED, UH, AND, AND LOOKED AT SPECIFICALLY AT SEATTLE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SAN FRANCISCO, UH, IN PORTLAND AS WELL FOR EXAMPLES. UH, WE WOULD CAUTION YOU WITH THOSE EXAMPLES, UH, IN OUR RESEARCH THAT THINGS THAT HAVE HAD BEEN POINTED OUT SO FAR, EVICTION, MORATORIUMS, RENT CONTROL, UM, THINGS THAT I THINK RUN COUNTER TO THE SPIRIT OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH. AND SO, AS THIS CONTINUES TO GET VETTED AND SORTED OUT, UH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE A SEAT AT THAT TABLE TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UM, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THERE ARE ALL SIDES. THERE'S A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE. UM, AND THAT IT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT. I THINK AS THE, THE, UH, THE WOMAN FOREMAN WHO HAD SPOKEN, UM, EFFECTIVENESS OF A RENTER'S COMMISSION, IS IT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SORT OUT, UH, LANDLORD AND TENANT DISPUTES INDIVIDUALLY OR OVER A LARGE SCALE WITH JUST ONE SIDE OF A PERSPECTIVE? CERTAINLY THAT COULD PRESENT SOME LEGAL CHALLENGES. UM, IDEAS, YOU KNOW, CAN GET THROWN TO THE WALL. AND UNDOUBTEDLY SOME OF THOSE CRAZY IDEAS BE IT MAYBE THEY RUN AGAINST THE LAW, UH, THEY COULD MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS AND THAT COULD, UH, UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSE CITY STAFF, UH, ATTORNEYS AND OTHERWISE TO HAVE TO LOOK INTO, UH, IDEAS THAT AGAIN, EFFECTIVENESS WISE JUST AREN'T GOING TO SOLVE, UH, THE WHOLE SCALE PROBLEM THAT RENTERS FACE. UM, VERONICA GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION, WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY SHOWS HOUSING OF ALL TYPES IS BEING ADDRESSED IN A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS, BOND PROGRAMS, OTHER SPECIFIC INITIATIVES, UH, THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT ON A DAY IN AND DAY OUT BASIS, USING THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES AND ENERGY AND EFFORTS, UH, TO SORT OUT THIS, THIS HOUSING, UH, CONUNDRUM. AND, AND CERTAINLY NO ONE WILL ARGUE, UH, DIFFERENT, RIGHT? AFFORDABILITY CONTINUES TO BE A, A PROBLEM THAT FACES BOTH HOMEOWNERS, UM, AND RENTERS. AND SO WE CERTAINLY WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT PROBLEM. UH, BUT WE DO HAVE DOUBTS THAT, THAT A SPECIFIC RENTER'S COMMISSION IS GOING TO SOLVE, UH, ALL OF THOSE PROBLEMS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITH BOTH THEIR RISK MITIGATION FUND, UM, AND ALSO THEIR EFFORTS TO, TO ENSURE THAT, UH, HOUSING OF ALL TYPES IS, IS BEING EFFECTUATED AND SOLVED, UH, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. I DO WANNA READ A QUOTE BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS. WE THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY RUN COUNTER, UH, TO THE MAYOR'S HOUSING, UH, POLICY FRAMEWORK, UM, THE HUNDRED SOME ODD INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT SPENT, UH, OVER TWO YEARS DEVELOPING AND REALLY SPECIALIZING AND FOCUSING IN ON DELIBERATE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES TO SOLVE A LOT OF THESE PROBLEMS, FORECASTING 10 YEAR PLANS. UM, AND, AND ON PAGE 47, AND I QUOTE, UH, THROUGH THIS POLICY TASK FORCE PROCESS, A STRONG CONVICTION SURFACE THAT TOO MANY NEW COMMISSIONS AND OVERSIGHT BOARDS WOULD SIMPLY MUDDY THE WATERS, STRENGTHEN THE HOUSING COMMISSION, PROVIDE THEM THE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, DO NOT CREATE GRIDLOCK BY UNILATERAL COMMISSIONS THAT ARE GOING TO RUN HEAD-TO-HEAD AND DELAY THE PROCESS OF EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PUBLIC POLICY CREATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. MR. FINLEY. LIZ FRANKLIN. OKAY. UM, GRACIE SANCHEZ. HELLO, UH, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS GRACIELA SANCHEZ. I'M WITH THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, BUT I ALSO, UH, I'M A MEMBER OF THE WEST SIDE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE AND THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE RESIDENCE ASSOCIATION AND PART OF THE MI ANODE COALITION. BACK IN 20 14, 20 15, WE HAD PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OVER ON MISSION TRAILS WHO BEGGED TO STAY IN THEIR HOUSING AS TRAILER HOME OWNERS. SOME PEOPLE HAD BEEN THERE FOR 35 YEARS, MANY OF THEM SPOKE ONLY SPANISH AND DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT LITTLE YELLOW ZONING COMMISSION SIGN, AND WENT TO THEIR 17 YEAR OLD SON AND SAID, WHAT DOES THAT MIKO? FIND OUT WHAT THAT SIGN MEANS. AND WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE PUSHED OUT, THEY LEARNED ABOUT GOING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, AND THEY LEARNED ABOUT GOING TO THE ZONING COMMISSION, AND THEY PACKED THOSE MEETINGS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. AND THEY WENT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THERE WAS A DELAY AND A DELAY, AND THEN FINALLY THEY WERE VOTED DOWN AND THEY GOT DISPLACED. AND NOTHING HAPPENED IN THAT HOUSING AREA FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. ALL I SAW WERE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PLANTS AND BUSHES THAT GREW AND GREW. AND [01:55:01] I THOUGHT, HOW COME CO COMPLIANCE ISN'T COMING AFTER THESE FOLKS? AND WHAT WAS BUILT WAS LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR THE NEW PEOPLE WHO WERE GONNA GET THE BENEFITS OF THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE SOUTH SIDE WITH THE MISSION TRAIL SOUTH. BUT THOSE 300 PEOPLE, MANY DIED, MANY WENT HOMELESS, AND THEY ALL SAID THAT THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN. AND IT WAS WHAT THEY SAID WAS WHAT HAPPENED? AND THEY HAD NO PLACE TO GO. RIGHT NOW, I'M SEEING THE SAME THING WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY AT THE ALLAN COURTS. THERE'S A VISION AND THEY HAVE ALREADY PUT IT AND GONE BEFORE ZONING, AND THEY'RE GONNA ASK FOR 4% AND 9% LIGHTSY. AND I'M LEARNING ALL THIS STUFF MYSELF, BUT THE 1200 PEOPLE AT THE ALLAN COURTS ARE GONNA BE DISPLACED. THAT'S AMAZING. NUMBER OF PEOPLE. AND WHERE DO THEY GO TO? THEY'RE COMING TO OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY, HEY, I'M BEING PUSHED OUT. I'M BEING EVICTED. THEY'RE GOING TO THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE RESIDENCE ASSOCIATION, A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE SPENDING SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS AND LEARNING AND MEETING WITH VERO AND HER OFFICE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE IN PLACE. THEY'RE GETTING CHARGES OF 3,550 $200 AT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR LATE FEES AND LATE FEES IN, IN MID, MID MONTH. AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND. SO THEN WE GET THE RISK MITIGATION FUNDS TO OFFSET THEIR COSTS, AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, THEY'RE STILL GETTING AN EVICTION LETTER. WHERE DO THESE FOLKS GO TO, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR SUGGESTIONS, THEY WENT TO THE HOUSING, UH, SOUTH HOUSING COMMISSION AND THE HOUSING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, RESPECTFULLY LISTENED TO THEM, BUT SAID, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE NOT ON OUR AGENDA. SO NEXT MONTH THEY HAVEN'T HAD A VOICE. WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A VOICE. AND THESE ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE IN THE CITY. SO I AM EXCITED THAT SINCE JUNE, WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD ON IT. AND IN THAT TIME, LOTS OF PEOPLE AGAINST THIS RENTERS COMMISSION ARE ORGANIZING. SO PLEASE RESPECT THE RENTERS GRACIA. THANK YOU GARCIA. UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT CAME TODAY AND SPOKE. UM, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR ALL THEIR WORK ON THIS BRIEFING AND, AND, UH, AND KNOW THAT, UH, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION. UH, LOTS, LOTS OF WORK TO DO. AND, AND I KNOW, UH, WHILE WE LISTED SOME EXAMPLES IN THE PRESENTATION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST THAT THERE, THERE IS, THERE IS ACTUALLY NOT A RECOMMENDATION JUST YET. THERE'S NO PRESCRIPTION. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO IS, IS FORM WHAT WE THINK IS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, TEXAS HOUSERS, AND MY CITY IS MY HOME FOR THE WORK TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS RENTERS COMMISSION. AND I, AND I WANNA ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS. UH, I KNOW YOU, UH, YOU OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES HAVE RECEIVED COMMUNICATIONS FROM VARIOUS GROUPS IN, IN OPPOSITION OF CREATING A RENTER'S COM COMMISSION. SO I WANNA BE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD, A RENTERS COMMISSION IS NOT A DEFACTO HOUSING COURTS. IT IS A PLATFORM THAT IS INTENDED TO MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE A GROUP THAT MAKES UP ALMOST HALF OF OUR POPULATION WHO STATISTICALLY EARN LESS, SPEND A GREATER PROPORTION OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING, AND WHO HAVE MORE BARRIERS TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. RENTERS HAVE A UNIQUE VIEWPOINT ON ISSUES LIKE TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, HOUSING, AND SO MUCH MORE BECAUSE THEY'RE UNIQUELY AFFECTED BY THESE ISSUES, RENTERS. TO THE, TO THAT END, I HOPE THAT THE DISCUSSION TODAY WILL HAVE RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING, ESTABLISH A TENTATIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN THAT WILL ENSURE THAT RENTERS COMMISSION IS CREATED BY THE PEOPLE IT SEEKS TO SERVE, ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING THE CREATION OF A RENTERS COMMISSION. AND NOTE OTHER CONCERNS FOR FU FUTURE DISCUSSION. I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES. I THINK THIS IS A, A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HOW OUR COMMISSIONS ARE MADE UP. WE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE HOUSING COMMISSION. I WANNA POINT OUT THE HOUSING COMMISSION IS, IS AN AT LARGE COMMISSION. THERE ARE A LOT OF SERIOUS ISSUES THAT WE TACKLE IN OUR CITY, AND HOW OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE MADE UP IS VERY IMPORTANT, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THEY ARE APPOINTED INTO THOSE POSITIONS. ONE OF THE KEY, UH, POSITIONS I HAVE ON THIS RENTERS COMMISSION IS THAT THEY ARE APPOINTED BY EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ON THIS, UH, UH, ON CITY COUNCIL. SO THEY'RE SINGLE MEMBER REPRESENTATION. WE DO THAT FOR ZONING, WE DO THAT FOR H G R C, WE DO THAT FOR VERY SERIOUS ISSUES. AND IT MEANS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SKIN IN THE GAME. AND I, AND I INTEND [02:00:01] TO, TO SEE THIS THROUGH, UH, I INTEND TO TALK TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MEET WITH ME. I'VE MET WITH A LOT OF FOLKS IN OPPOSITION TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCERNS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE AND HOW THEY SHOULD HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXISTING MAKEUPS OF AT LARGE COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS, AND HOW THAT AFFECTS TRUE, UH, INPUT AND COMMUNITY TRANSPARENCY. SO WITH THAT, I'LL, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS, UH, STARTING WITH MS. ANDREW SULLIVAN. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY EXPLAINING HOW THE PROCESS IS GONNA WORK. UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS THAT WE HEAR THROUGHOUT US ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND PUTTING IN COMMISSIONS AND PROCEDURES IS EXACTLY HOW DO, DOES EVERYONE HAVE A VOICE? AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND, AND HOW WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION OF NOW THAT ARE MADE UP OF MOSTLY RENTERS, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE. SO THAT DOES INCLUDE THE LANDLORDS. THAT DOES INCLUDE SABOR, THAT DOES INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, AND IT MOST DEFINITELY INCLUDES THE RENTERS BECAUSE WE KNOW A LOT OF TIMES THAT IF THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LANDLORD AND THE RENTER, THINGS ARE LOST IN TRANSLATION. SO HOW DO WE BRIDGE THE GAP OF MEDIATION BETWEEN THAT LANDLORD AND THAT RENTER, IF NOT EVERYONE IS AT THE TABLE? SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE SPECIFICALLY ARE, I KNOW WE HAVE THE RISK MITIGATION, BUT WILL WE HAVE MEDIATION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH THIS COMMISSION THAT DEALS WITH, UH, A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LANDLORD AND THE RENTER WHEN IT COMES TO AN EVICTION PROCESS TO MAYBE FIND THE BEST FORM OF RESOLUTION OUTSIDE OF JUST STRAIGHT EVICTION? UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE. AND THEN ANOTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEVELS OF WHAT RENTAL RATES LOOK LIKE AND HOW THE INCREASES ARE TRULY IMPACTING THOSE THAT ARE RENTERS, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT EVENTUALLY MEANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LAYING IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IS THAT THE STUFF THAT YOU HAD IS OUT ON THE CURB. AND SO YOU HAVE TO FIND THE COMMON GROUND OF HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH A MEDICAL CRISIS, THOSE THAT ARE IN THE MILITARY, THAT ARE ON DEPLOYMENT, ARE NOT GONNA LOSE THE PLACE THAT THEY CALL HOME. WE KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS, BUT IT CAN BE ONE OF, UM, A BARRIER TO HOW RENTERS PAY THEIR RENT AS WELL, IF IT SOMEHOW IS A GLITCH AND THAT RENT DOES NOT GET RECEIVED. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE TOOLS IN PLACE TO COUNTERACT, UM, AN EVICTION FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, MEANT TO, TO BE IN THAT PLACE. HOW DO WE WE MITIGATE THAT? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THE COMMISSION. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS COMMISSION TRULY HAVE A REPRESENTATION OF EXACTLY HOW THE CITY LOOKS, AND MOST DEFINITELY LOOK AT THE LOWER INCOME AREAS THAT DO HAVE MORE OF THE, UH, EVICTION PROCESS. AND THEN IF WE CAN GET A REPORT ON WHAT IS THE, THE BREAKDOWN OF EVICTIONS IN EACH AND EVERY PRECINCT IN EACH AND EVERY AREA THAT WE AS A CITY COUNCIL REPRESENT, WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT AS WELL. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. AND THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN ITEM NUMBER THREE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, AND I AM, I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSION. I WANNA THANK, UH, SABOR AND, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION ALSO FOR, UM, FOR, FOR BEING, UH, FORTHRIGHT IN YOUR INFORMATION THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SENT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF I, I COULD ASK ONE OF THE MEMBERS. UM, BUT HOW HAVE YOU ALL ALREADY LOOKED AS A GROUP AT, AT EVICTIONS AS A WHOLE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH YOUR PROPERTY OWNERS OR, OR LANDLORDS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, YEAH, ANYONE? I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ALREADY, I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN AND THIS IS PART OF IT, AND I'M JUST, I, I, I, I OBVIOUSLY AM NOT A PART OF THE THOSE GROUPS. I'M JUST WONDERING IF DISCUSSIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. SO HAVING BEEN IN A FAMILY THAT'S OWNED RENTAL REAL ESTATE SINCE THE YEAR I WAS BORN 1958, WE HAVE A PRETTY LONG TRACK RECORD WHERE EVICTION, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, TOOK 21 DAYS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE COULD WORK WITH OUR TENANTS LONGER BEFORE WE FILED IT. EVICTIONS TODAY ARE UP TO ABOUT 45 TO 60 DAYS, WHICH MEANS WE'RE FILING EARLIER IN THE PROCESS TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM BEFORE WE GET TO D-DAY. AND SO A LOT MORE EVICTIONS ARE BEING FILED, BUT MOST OF THE EVICTIONS THAT ARE BEING FILED, YOU KNOW, A GOOD CHUNK ARE NOT EVER ACTED UPON WHERE THEY WORK OUT A DEAL. THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING I THINK YOU HAVE TO REALIZE IS THERE'S [02:05:01] A NEW PHENOMENON THAT'S GOING ON, AND THAT'S, SOMEBODY ALLUDED TO IT WHERE I CALL IT THE RENTER WHO KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM TO NOT PAY RENT, BUT ONE MONTH. SO THEY WILL MOVE INTO A PROPERTY, QUIT PAYING RENT, GOES TO THE NEXT, THE COURT PROCESS FILES, A PAUPER'S AFFIDAVIT GOES TO DISTRICT COURT, AND THAT CASE COSTS US ABOUT $10,000 IN ATTORNEY'S FEES, PLUS ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MONTHS RENT. SO WE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TIGHTENING UP ON WHO CAN GET IN, WHICH, WHICH EXASPERATES ALL THE PROBLEM. I WOULD ALSO, UM, ON THE RENT INCREASES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SAN ANTONIO WAS ONE OF THE LOWEST, YOU KNOW, RENT INCREASE CITY FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. THEY'VE AVERAGED ABOUT 2% A YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS INFLATION. UM, OUR BIGGEST, NUMBER ONE, INCREASING EXPENSE IS SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE CONTROL OVER, AND THAT'S OUR PROPERTY TAXES. UH, YOU ARE BEGINNING TO GET REFERRED TO AS OUR PREFERRED EQUITY PARTNERS BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING A PIECE OFF THE TOP BEFORE THAT. AND THAT IS IMPACTING, YOU KNOW, RENTS PROBABLY AS MUCH AS ANYTHING. BUT ON THE EVICTION, WE DON'T WANT AN EVICTION. AN EVICTION COSTS ME, YOU KNOW, 60 TO 90 DAYS IN RENT BEFORE WE CAN RENT IT. IT COULD COST ATTORNEY'S FEES. WE TRY TO WORK WITH THE RESIDENTS EVERY WAY THEY CAN, BUT, UM, LIKE PEOPLE DO, THEY DON'T ALWAYS MAKE GOOD CHOICES. SO WHEN THEY CHOOSE TO, YOU KNOW, GO BUY A $500 A MONTH CAR PAYMENT VERSUS PAYING THEIR RENT, I CAN'T, I CAN'T HELP THAT. WE, WE BRING THEM IN. WE'LL, MOST OF US IN THE INDUSTRY WILL LET THEM MAKE PAYMENT PLANS ON THE RENT. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SAHA, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T COMMENT 'CAUSE WE DON'T PARTICIPATE WITH SAHA IN ANYTHING ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE RULES THAT THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED AS A COMPANY. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, ALL WE WANT TO DO IS COLLECT THE RENT. WE DON'T WANT TO KICK PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET. YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES OF BEING IN THIS BUSINESS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO DO AN EVICTION BY MY, ALL BY MYSELF, WHERE I WAS A GROWNUP. AND IT WAS THE MOST HORRIFYING THING. I DIDN'T SLEEP FOR WEEKS. YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE KIDS CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL. BUT WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO REMEMBER IS YOU DID A GREAT JOB BY PUTTING THE MITIGATION FUND TOGETHER TO HELP PREVENT THESE THINGS FROM HAPPENING. YOU REALLY CAN DO VERY LITTLE BECAUSE THAT ALL THE EVICTION RULES ARE GOVERNED BY THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND ALL OF THE LANDLORD TENANT ISSUES OR CHAPTER 92 OF THE PROPERTY CODE. AND SO WHAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, AND I TELL THIS TO MY COMP PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR ME IS WE NEED TO BE SOLUTIONS BASED AND NOT PROBLEM IDENTIFYING. OKAY, PEOPLE ARE GREAT AT JUST LISTING UP THE PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GOING TO PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE CITY COMES UP WITH A FUND FOR RISK MITIGATION WHERE, BECAUSE WE DO FEEL HOUSING IS IMPORTANT, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU GO TO THE FOUNDATIONS OF SAN ANTONIO AND GO IN FOR A FOUR OR $5 MILLION A YEAR KICK IN TO HELP PEOPLE WHO WERE IN TROUBLE STAY IN THEIR HOUSES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOLUTIONS, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE THOSE SOLUTIONS IN A VACUUM WITH BLINDERS ON. YOU KNOW, IT'D BE LIKE, LET'S, LET'S APPOINT A COMMITTEE OF LANDLORDS TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY THAT THEY DO AWAY WITH EVERY RULE AND REGULATION. YOU'RE JUST NOT CREATING SOMETHING THAT IS EVER GONNA BE SOLUTION BASED BECAUSE IT'S SEEN FROM A NARROW PERSPECTIVE. I THINK WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TAKE THE BLINDERS OFF, PUT PEOPLE INTO ROOM, MAKE THE FORUM FOR THOSE THINGS TO DO. YOU'RE GONNA COME UP WITH ALL THESE THINGS. YOU WANT RENTERS MORE ENGAGED. YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT THE LANDLORDS GETTING ON BOARD TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES, WE'RE GONNA HOST MEETINGS FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TALK TO THEM. WE ARE GONNA DO ALL THAT STUFF AND ALL THE LEGWORK, HOW YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF WE'RE NOT PART OF THE PROCESS. THANK YOU MR. ROSS. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND MAYBE I CAN GET WITH YOU ALL A, A LITTLE BIT LATER, UM, FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. CAN SOMEBODY HELP EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THE, FOR EVERYONE HOME, I KNOW IT'S, IT SAYS IT'S AN 18 MONTH ANTI DISPLACEMENT AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH STRATEGY THAT'S CO-LED BY THE COMMUNITY. WHAT DOES THAT CO-LED BY THE COMMUNITY? UH, SO THIS IS, UH, OUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT EFFORT FUNDED BY THE FORT FOUNDATION. IT'S A COMPETITIVE GRANT. IT WAS SOMETHING COUNCIL ASKED US TO MOVE UP ON OUR TIMELINE TO LOOK AT ANTI DISPLACEMENT. AND BECAUSE WE GOT THIS GRANT, [02:10:01] WE WORK WITH GROUNDED SOLUTIONS NETWORK. AND PART OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND THEIR TECHNICAL EXPERTS WHO WORK ON THIS WAS THAT WE HAD TO HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BE THE STEERING COMMITTEE. SO WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SAGE, FROM ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER. UM, THERE IS A HOUSING COMMISSIONER WHO'S A MEMBER, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THOSE AREAS ARE THE ONES FEELING SOME DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES. AND SO THEY'RE PART OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE. UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION BE PART OF IT. I'M A MEMBER. MAYOR'S OFFICE IS A MEMBER. SO THIS IS THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT IS LOOKING AT THE WORK DOING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. THEY, THE GROUP ITSELF HIRED, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, PERSON TO COME AND DO FEEDBACK SESSIONS WITH PEOPLE BEING IMPACTED. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION IS THAT WE HAD TO HAVE PEOPLE OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO REPRESENT THESE COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BE PART OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE. IS THAT THE SAME WAY THAT WE ALSO DETERMINE WHO SITS ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING COMMISSION? NO, THAT'S DIFFERENT. OKAY. SO HOW, HOW WAS THE, I GUESS JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND SURE. HOW IT WAS DECIDED WHO WAS GOING TO BE APPOINTED TO THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING COMMITTEE? WELL, SO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT, UM, THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK IS THAT WE RECONSTITUTED THE HOUSING COMMISSION. THE HOUSING COMMISSION USED TO BE A MUCH LARGER BODY. UM, IT, I, I DON'T RECALL THE REPRESENTATION, BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBERS APPOINTED, BUT IT ALSO SAID YOU HAD TO HAVE A CITIZEN, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BANKING INDUSTRY, ET CETERA. SO IT WAS ONE OF THOSE KIND OF COMMISSIONS, BUT IT WAS ABOUT 20, 23, 24 MEMBERS ON THAT. UM, AND SO THE RECONSTITUTION CHANGED IT TO HAVE CITIZEN APPOINTEES. AND IF I GO BACK TO THE SLIDE, MAYBE THAT WILL HELP, BUT ALSO SEATS AT THE TABLE FROM DIFFERENT ENTITIES. UM, WHERE'S THAT? SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S COMPOSITION HERE. IT IS. IT WAS THE ONE WHERE, WHERE IT'S FIVE AT LARGE SEATS? YES, FIVE AT LARGE SEATS. THOSE ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. AND THEN, UM, SO THEY'RE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SO WITH CONSENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. SO DO WE GET TO RE LIKE, I GUESS I'M, I'M, I'M WONDERING AND HELP ME BECAUSE I KNOW I, I'M, I'M STILL KIND OF NEW. SO DO WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE FROM EACH DISTRICT AND THEN THE MAYOR, LIKE INTERVIEWS THEM? HOW, HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY DID WITH THIS PROCESS. THEY DID DO A CALL. UM, I RECALL THAT THEY WERE DOING A CALL FOR THIS COMMISSION FOR APPOINTEES TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL, SINCE THOSE ARE ALSO MAYOR APPOINTEES. AND SO THEY, UM, IT WAS BEFORE YOU CAME INTO OFFICE, I BELIEVE. AND SO, UH, THIS IS HOW THIS MAYOR AND HIS OFFICE HANDLED IT. THEY DID ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR NOMINEES FOR INPUT. UM, I BELIEVE THEY VISITED WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHO THEY WERE CONSIDERING. UH, AND THEN THEY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. SO CITY COUNCIL WOULD APPROVE THOSE AT LARGE MEMBERS. THE OTHER SEATS AT THE TABLE, YOU CAN SEE THE LIST THERE. FINALLY GOT TO THAT, UM, ARE FOLKS WHO REPRESENT DIFFERENT ENTITIES. SO VIA HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND THE VIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S, THE ONE THAT, UM, SELECTED WHO WOULD REPRESENT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE. IT'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, WHO HE SITS AT THE TABLE. HE HAS A BACKUP IN CASE HE CAN'T MAKE IT. UH, WE DO HAVE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO INTERIM EXECUTIVE, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST THERE. AND THEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION. SO THE HEAD OF THAT APPOINTED A STAFF MEMBER TO THAT. UH, BUT THIS WAS THE RECONSTITUTION WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE REPORT THAT SAW THE, THE LARGE BODY, UM, PERHAPS NOT BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS. OKAY. GREAT. SO, AND I KNOW THAT THE DISCUSSION IS TO WHERE, WHERE THIS COMMISSION OR IF IT, IF IT IS A RENTER'S COMMISSION OR SOMETHING ELSE WHERE IT'S GONNA FIT IN. IF WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION, WOULD THIS BE THE ENTITY THEN THAT, UH, WOULD DO IT AND, AND TAKE SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OR SEND FORTH SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS? ARE YOU ASKING IF THIS CULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE, I THINK WE'RE TAKING ALL INPUT TODAY. WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THE RENTER'S COMMISSION BE CREATED? IF IT IS TO BE CREATED, WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION? NORMALLY THE PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TAKES UP ISSUES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. AND THEY'VE HAD A RELATIONSHIP FOR THE PAST YEAR SINCE THEY WERE RECONSTITUTED. BUT IF THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT MEMBERSHIP ON THE RENTERS COMMISSION, WE THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE BACK AS PART OF OUR OVERALL HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN EFFORT AS WELL. THANK YOU, LORI. AND I DO THINK THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND JUST FROM, FROM THE STATS THAT I'VE [02:15:01] BEEN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT 2016, UM, BUT COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES, 27 PEOPLE ARE BEING EVICTED PER DAY IN COMPARISON TO, YOU KNOW, MINOR EVICTIONS IN SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES. SO I KNOW THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE. I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S, UM, RESPONSIBLE AND WELL-INTENTIONED LANDOWNERS THAT WOULD, OR, OR, UM, UH, LANDLORDS THAT WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF THIS. SO I'M TRYING TO FIND KIND OF THIS MEDIUM. SO, UM, I'D LOVE TO MAYBE LEARN SOME MORE INFORMATION OR IF SOMEBODY CAN, UM, EXPLAIN TO ME A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE OR HOW WE'RE, UM, PLANNING TO ENGAGE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE ALSO, OR, OR SO HOW IT WORKS TOGETHER. SO ARE WE GONNA RECOMMEND SOMETHING AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO ALSO RECOMMEND SOMETHING SEPARATE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE HOW WE WORK TOGETHER. I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD COMMENTS. OKAY. UM, BECAUSE OUR CHARGE IS TO TAKE THIS FEEDBACK AND COME BACK TO YOU AFTER SOME MORE PUBLIC INPUT. OKAY. UM, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT THAT SHOULD INCLUDE AS WELL COME BACK IN MARCH, APRIL WITH THAT STRUCTURE AND HOW IT WOULD FLOW BETWEEN OTHER COUNCIL COMMITTEES OR HOW IT WOULD BE INTEGRATED IN THE HOUSING COMMISSION. IS THERE. AND THE FINAL QUESTION, THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE CHAIR. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO, NOT THAT I WANNA VOLUNTEER OR THAT I AM ADVOCATING FOR MORE SUBCOMMITTEES, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, LIKE, IS THERE EVER A JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE, LIKE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THIS COMMITTEE AND FROM THE OTHER COMMITTEE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER ON SOMETHING I'VE, I'M NOT AWARE OF, OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING? DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T CONSIDER. OKAY. SO WE'LL SHARE THAT FEEDBACK AS WELL. THANK YOU, LORD. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND TO ADDRESS SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS. I THINK I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT ALLOWS FOR MORE INPUT, BUT IS ALSO EXPEDIENT. SO I, I DON'T WANNA SLOW ANYTHING DOWN. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU. CHAIR. UM, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING COMMISSION I THINK HAS A LOT ON ITS PLATE. I THINK IT HAS MORE ON ITS PLATE THAN IT CAN DEAL WITH IF WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE, THE BIG PROBLEM OF RENTERS. UH, AND SO I BELIEVE WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE IS, UH, A RENTER'S COUNCIL THAT WOULD BE UNDERNEATH THE AUTHORITY OF THE, UH, HOUSING COMMISSION. AND I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND A STRUCTURE FOR THIS COMMITTEE AND FOR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE TO THINK ABOUT. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT RENTERS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO RENT HOUSES, PEOPLE WHO RENT APARTMENTS. YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN EVICTED, YOU'VE GOT VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS, WE'VE GOT HOMELESS, WE'VE GOT SENIORS. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN HAVING A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE. AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN RENTERS OR ARE RENTERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. AND I RECOGNIZE THOUGH, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE HAVE LARGE APARTMENT OWNERS, THESE TWO AND 300 UNITS OR, OR MORE. WE'VE GOT SMALL APARTMENT OWNERS, UH, THAT MAYBE HAVE 12 OR 15 OR 20. WE'VE GOT HOUSING OWNERS. WE JUST HEARD FROM A WOMAN WHO SAID SHE OWNS SEVEN HOUSES IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, WE'VE GOT THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE BUILDING THESE. WE'VE GOT SAHA WHO HAS HOUSING FOR, I DON'T KNOW, ALMOST 20,000 PEOPLE, EITHER THROUGH VOUCHERS OR THROUGH THE, WHAT THEY'VE BUILT. AND WE'VE GOT SOME BIG ORGANIZATIONS. WE'VE GOT THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGERS THAT HAS A SAN ANTONIO SUB-ASSOCIATION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM BOTH SIDES. I THINK A LOT OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO HAVE INPUT INTO THIS PROCESS. YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID A WHILE AGO, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS SOLUTIONS. SO IN ORDER TO FIND SOLUTIONS, YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, THE PERCEPTION OF THE RENTERS FOR THEIR PROBLEMS. AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE PERCEPTION, THE REALITY THAT BOTH SIDES FACE, WHETHER YOU'RE A PROPERTY OWNER OR A RENTER ON THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE. AND THEN YOU NEED TO TRY AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN ALL LIVE WITH. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UH, A RENTER'S COUNCIL CAN DO. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ORGANIZE A RENTER'S COUNCIL MADE UP OF 11 MEMBERS, ALSO TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION TO SERVE ON THAT COUNCIL SO THAT THERE'S A DIRECT CONNECT TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION SO THEY CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I WOULD SUGGEST THERE BE SIX RENTERS, SIX PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OR ACTUALLY BEING RENTERS. AND THAT GIVES THEM A MAJORITY AT THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK, IF WE'RE SAYING 11 PEOPLE. BUT I THINK THAT'S ONLY RIGHT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A LOUDER VOICE THAN THEY HAVE TODAY. AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, AND YOU TALK ABOUT, LET'S SAY, HAVING FOUR [02:20:01] PEOPLE REPRESENTING PROPERTY OWNERS, WHETHER IT'S MANAGEMENT OR APARTMENT OWNERS, OR PEOPLE WHO OWN HOUSES OR WHATEVER, THEY'VE GOT A LOT MORE ON THEIR SIDE THAN THE AVERAGE RENTER DOES. SO IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT EQUITY IN THIS COMMITTEE, HAVING SIX RENTERS AND FOUR PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT THE VARIETY OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP, I THINK STILL CREATES A PRETTY WELL BALANCED COMMITTEE. UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONE MORE PERSON, AND I SAID SIX AND FOUR, I THINK THAT ODD PERSON OFF OUGHT TO BE AN OMBUDSMAN. SOMEBODY WHO HAS A HISTORY AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF TENANTS AND OWNERS' RIGHTS ABOUT LESSOR AND LESSEE LEGAL RIGHTS WITHIN THE LEGAL SYSTEM THAT CAN BE A PART OF THIS COMMITTEE AND KIND OF HELP PEOPLE GET ON TRACK. BECAUSE IF YOU START GOING OFF TRACK WHERE THINGS ARE OUTSIDE THE LAW OR AREN'T COVERED BY THE LAW, AND YOU START TRYING TO, TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO A DISCUSSION OF PEOPLE, I THINK IT'S TOO EASY TO GET LOST IN THE MINUTIAE. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK SOMEBODY WITH THAT KIND OF LEGAL BACKGROUND, BEING A PART OF THIS COMMITTEE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE RIGHTS OF BOTH SIDES, CAN HELP INSTRUCT BOTH SIDES AS THEY DISCUSS WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS, WHAT CAN, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS DO, WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF, OF THE, UH, RENTERS? AND SO I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE AN OVERVIEW. AND SO WITH TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 13 MEMBERS ALTOGETHER. THE, UH, THE SIX AND THE FOUR, AND THE ONE REPRESENT 11 PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS WHAT WE'VE DONE ON SOME OTHER COMMITTEES HAVE THIS COMMITTEE OR ANOTHER COMMITTEE REVIEW ALL THE APPLICANTS WHO WANNA SERVE ON ALI'S COMMITTEES. AND WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL WHO SHOULD REPRESENT THE SIX TENANTS, WHO SHOULD REPRESENT THE FOUR PROPERTY OWNERS, WHO SHOULD BE THAT OMBUDSMAN WITH THE EXPERIENCE IN THAT AREA. AND THEN THE COUNCIL GO AHEAD AND VOTES ON THAT. AND THEN THE COMMISSION APPOINTS ITS OWN TWO MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THAT COMMISSION. ALL OF THEM WITH EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS, ALL OF THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER FOR A SOLUTION. NOW THAT'S, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION ON A RENTER'S COUNCIL. BUT I'LL ALSO MENTION TWO OTHER THINGS. YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE ARE AFRAID, OH, ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S GONNA BE LIMITS ON PUTTING PEOPLE OUT. WELL, THE ONLY LIMIT I WOULD SAY WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER IS NO ONE SHOULD BE EVICTED WHEN THE WEATHER'S BELOW FREEZING. AND I THINK THAT'S A SIMPLE, EASY, HARD RULE TO FOLLOW IN THIS CITY. NO ONE SHOULD BE PUT OUT IN SUBFREEZING WEATHER, BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT LASTS FOR A WEEK OR A MONTH. MAYBE A DAY MAY NOT OCCUR AT ALL FOR 99% OF THE EVICTIONS, BUT I THINK THAT COULD BE ONE HARD AND FAST RULE. BUT THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THE RENDERS COMMISSION NEEDS TO CONSIDER. BUT ONE THING I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE A LEAD ON IS EXPANDING OUR RISK MITIGATION FUND BY REQUIRING EVERY PROPERTY OWNER WHO OWNS A RENTAL UNIT TO PAY A FEE OF $1 PER UNIT PER MONTH TO THIS RISK MITIGATION FUND SO THAT THE CITY HAS THE FUNDING TO GO AHEAD AND HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING PUT OUT DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES MANY TIMES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. AND I'M NOT SAYING SUBSIDIZING THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE PLAYING A GAME, BUT WE KNOW AND CAN FIND OUT THAT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST FALLING ON HARD TIMES, MAYBE THEY'VE BEEN SICK AND THEY'VE BEEN OUTTA WORK FOR TWO WEEKS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE A PAYCHECK. AND SO THEY GET BEHIND 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR FOOD, THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR GROCERIES, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE A MONTH OR TWO BEHIND. OUR RISK MITIGATION FUND RIGHT NOW HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP PAY THEIR BACK RENT IF THEY'RE BACK ON THEIR FEET AND THEY'RE BACK AT WORK. SO THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE NEED TO EXPAND THIS BECAUSE THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BEING EVICTED. THEY DON'T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. WE'VE SET UP A FUND TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN IT. IF WE HAD 400,000 PEOPLE IN FAMILIES IN RENTAL HOUSES RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT IF IT WAS 400,000 AND WE ASKED EACH OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO GIVE $1 A MONTH FOR EACH UNIT THEY OWN, THE TOTAL COMMITMENT TO THAT FUND WOULD BE ABOUT $1.8 MILLION. IF SOMEBODY OWNS, UH, YOU KNOW, 24 UNITS, YOU KNOW, $24 A MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS, THAT'S NOT GONNA PUT ANYBODY OUTTA BUSINESS. IF WE CAN HELP KEEP A TENANT IN THAT PROPERTY LONGER BECAUSE WE MAKE UP AS A CITY OF BACK PAYMENT AND HELP THEM CONTINUE, THEN THAT SAVES THAT PROPERTY OWNER. A LOT OF PROPERTY OWNERS RIGHT NOW WHO OWN [02:25:01] MAJOR PROPERTIES HAVE ACTUAL RENDER DEFAULT INSURANCE PAYMENTS THAT THEY PAY. SO THEY KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. BUT YOU KNOW, ONE THING, THEY DON'T GET OUT OF THAT, THEY STILL HAVE TO PAY THEIR DEDUCTIBLE. WELL, MAYBE THIS FUND CAN HELP PAY THAT DEDUCTIBLE FOR THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND ACTUALLY SAVE THEM MONEY WHEN THEY'RE CLAIMING, UH, SOMEBODY DIDN'T PAY AND THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR INSURANCE, BUT THEY'RE OUT THE DEDUCTIBLE. SO THIS FUND CAN BE A GUARANTEE NOT ONLY FOR RENTERS TO GIVE THEM THE EXTRA BOOST, MAYBE TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE OR RELOCATE, BUT IT CAN ALSO HELP PROTECT SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS FROM LOSING ADDITIONAL MONEY. SO I THINK IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY. AND UH, THAT'S MORE OR LESS AN ASIDE, I WOULD SAY, TO THE RENTAL COMMISSION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED. SO THOSE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS. I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. I HOPE WE GET TOGETHER AND GET MORE INPUT FROM ALL SIDES ON THIS, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS HAVE INPUT INTO. BUT I'M GONNA SIDE ON THE, ON THE SIDE OF THE RENTERS, GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE WEIGHT IN THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A LOT MORE TO LOSE AND IT'S A LOT MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM. AND, UH, SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT FOR THE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. AND CERTAINLY WE WILL BE DISCUSSING RISK MITIGATION FUND AT SOME POINT SO WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST SIMPLY WRAP UP BY SAYING, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION. UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW COMMISSIONS ARE MADE AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE WE CAN REALLY TALK ABOUT. UM, COUNCILMAN YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP A POINT ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT COMMISSIONS, UH, BRING OUT. I'LL, I'LL POINT OUT ANDY SEGOVIA, HIS NAME TAG IS RIGHT THERE. I'M SURE HE'S, HE, HE'S GOT SOMETHING ELSE, HE'S GOT A BE AT. BUT TYPICALLY WE DO HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY PRESENT AT THESE HERE TODAY, SIR. I'M SORRY. OH, THERE THEY ARE. OKAY, WELL GREAT. WE GOT CITY ATTORNEYS RIGHT HERE, SO, GREAT. OKAY. DIDN'T SEE YOU GUYS NO INSULTS. UH, BUT, UH, TO THAT POINT IS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY TO JUMP ON US IF WE, IF WE GET OUT OF BOUNDS. SO, UH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE CITY ATTORNEYS, UH, PRESENT AND, UH, AND POINT OUT THAT AS WE MAKE THIS UP, WHAT, WHAT IT'S ABOUT, HOW, HOW WOULD BE STRUCTURED AND WHY, UH, I AGREE ABOUT THE REPRESENTATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, VOICES, UH, HEARD. I, UH, I WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH, UH, AWAY FROM THE AT LARGE POSITIONS. SO I DON'T AGREE WITH YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO BRING THIS TO THIS COMMITTEE FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO DECIDE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. THAT IS THAT I, I WANT TO EMPOWER THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT THAT THEY THINK IS BEST. UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, I THINK THE, THE BEST WAY TO GET SKIN IN THE GAME. SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU TO, TO ARRIVE TO A, A, A VERY, VERY THOUGHTFUL SOLUTION MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA ALSO SKIP AHEAD TO, UH, ANYBODY WANT, WANNA GET TO THE CONSENT [Consent Agenda] AGENDA? ANYONE WANNA PULL ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? UH, WITH THAT I'LL HEAR MOTION, MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. MOTION PASSES. ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER [3. 20-1866 Discussion facilitated by Chairman Roberto Treviño on the development of a monthly dashboard and calendar of events that tracks art and neighborhood issues that can be shared with Council Committee members at each meeting.] THREE, AND I'LL BE BRIEF ON THIS ONE. THIS IS A DISCUSSION. UH, SO AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY MEETING, UH, I'D LIKE FOR US TO HAVE, UM, A, A DASHBOARD, SO TO SPEAK. AND IF, IF YOU RECALL, UM, YOU MAY HAVE GET GOTTEN E YOU MAY GET EMAILS BY THE 3 1 1 SYSTEM, UH, AND IT'S A DASHBOARD LIKE THIS, SO I'LL PASS THIS OUT. UM, THE IDEA IS TO HAVE SOME, SOME STATS AND FIGURES THAT WE CAN ALL, UH, HAVE A QUICK LOOK AT THINGS LIKE, AS YOU BROUGHT UP, UH, THINGS LIKE NUMBERS OF DEMOLITIONS PER DISTRICT, UH, NUMBER OF ROOFS COMPLETED THROUGH THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM ON A MONTHLY BASIS, LINEAR FEET OF SIDEWALK BEING CONSTRUCTED OR COMPLETED, UH, NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PERMITS, UH, AND FILED IN THE DISTRICT, NUMBER OF TREES PLANTED, MEALS PROVIDED TO SENIOR CENTERS. UH, NUMBER OF DISCONNECTS MADE BY SAWS AND C P SS. THIS KIND OF GOES ALONG WITH OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT EVICTIONS BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE SORT OF PRECURSORS TO A, A BIGGER ISSUE LIKE EVICTIONS, UM, AN ARTS AND CULTURE CALENDAR OF EVENTS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH EVERYBODY. AND, UM, AND OF COURSE, IN A OLDER AMERICAN SENIOR CALENDARS OF EVENTS AND, UH, ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO, TO DISCUSS AND CREATE, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SUBMIT THEM TO ME AND I WILL [02:30:01] ASK STAFF TO PREPARE, UH, A DASHBOARD LIKE, LIKE WE HAVE FOR, FOR 3 1 1 TO PRESENT TO THIS COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL RIGHT, GREAT. AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE, UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, LORI, [2. 20-1765 A briefing and discussion on a Council Consideration Request from Councilmember Treviño for the establishment of a Renters Commission. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, AICP, Neighborhood and Housing Services Department Director] (Part 2 of 2)] I'M, I'M SORRY. I WOULD LIKE ACTION FROM THIS COMMITTEE ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS SUPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CREATION OF THE RENTER'S COMMISSION, BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW, DO WE WANNA CREATE ONE? AND IF SO, THEN STAFF WILL START WORKING ON WHAT THE COMPOSITION LOOKS LIKE. AND THAT'LL STILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE ULTIMATELY GOES TO COUNCIL. OKAY, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, COUNSEL. I BELIEVE IT JUST SAID BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION THAT DIDN'T CALL FOR ACTION. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION. ACTUALLY, THE, UM, BEGINNING OF THE CAPTION'S, UM, AGENDA SAYS YOU MEETING AT THIS TIME FOR DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS. YEAH. IT'S A KIND OF A, IT'S A CATCH ALL. IT'S A CATCH ALL. YES. OKAY. OKAY. WELL, I'LL, WE'LL, I'LL ACCEPT THE MOTION. SURE. I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD ON A RENDER'S COMMISSION DISCUSSION. SO I, OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND WE HAVE A QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY. SO IF WE VOTE ON THIS TODAY, ARE WE VOTING ON A SOLE RENDER ON A SOLE RENTER'S COMMISSION, OR IS THERE STILL DISCUSSION? THERE'S STILL DISCUSSION. OKAY. BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YES, YOU ALL WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RENTER COMMISSION. IT'S ING THEM TO, OR IT'S NOT DEAD TO EXPLORE IT. YES. OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. UM, AND OH YEAH, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. A MOTION IS SECOND TO, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO CREATE A RENTER'S COMMISSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. MOTION PASSES. J A SECOND, J A SECOND. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, WE'D ADJOURN. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.