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WILL EVER SEE YOU.[1. A Briefing on Current First Amendment Assembly and Procession Procedures and Possible Revisions. [Andrew Segovia, City Attorney]]
NOT, AGAIN, NOT THE INTENT.THERE WERE, UH, AS WE SPOKE WITH THE, UH, COALITION, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THERE WERE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
AGAIN, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE, I THOUGHT, VERY PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS.
AS WE STARTED GETTING DEEPER INTO THE DETAILS.
THERE WERE OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT DID COME UP.
UH, ONE OF THE, THE KEY THEMES WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THAT SOMETIMES THE INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE WAS PERCEIVED TO BE ONE WHERE, UH, THEY FELT INTIMIDATED, UH, SO THAT, UH, SOME GROUPS FELT, OR SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT DIDN'T WANT TO COME IN OR INTERACT WITH THE POLICE IN TERMS OF THE PER, UH, PERMITTING PROCESS.
UH, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT CAME UP IS WHAT ABOUT PROCESSIONS THAT DON'T HAVE A PERMIT? UH, HOW ARE THOSE GONNA BE TREATED? UH, AND, UH, THE OTHER ISSUE THAT, UH, THEY POINTED OUT TO US WAS, UH, THE PERCEPTION AT LEAST, OR, UH, THAT, UH, THERE ARE SOME ASSEMBLY EVENTS THAT THEY FELT THERE WAS, UH, TOO MUCH POLICE PRESENCE.
UH, SO, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT WE TALKED, UH, TO THE FREE SPEECH COALITION ABOUT.
SO GOING, UH, A QUICK REVIEW OF SOME OF THE, OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE MAKING.
ONE, WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE IN OUR ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S CLEAR TO EVERYBODY THAT THE RIGHT TO SPONTANEOUS ASSEMBLY IS THERE.
UH, AND IT'S NOT BEING RESTRICTED IN ANY WAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA REMOVE THE COST FROM, UH, THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
THERE'LL BE NO FEE, THERE'LL BE NO COST TO HAVE A PROCESSION OR PARADE, BUT THERE'LL BE REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS BASED ON OBJECTIVE CRITERIA.
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, UH, AVIATION DEPARTMENT, AGAIN, DESIGNATE THOSE AREAS AT THE AIRPORT FOR ASSEMBLY BASED ON WHETHER THE, UH, THE GROUP WILL BE LARGE, MEDIUM, OR SMALL, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT.
UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA ASK THE SAME THING OF THE ALAMO DOME, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, AGAIN, TO DESIGNATE AREAS SO THAT THE, THE, THE GROUPS THAT WANT TO EXERCISE THEIR FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AT LEAST HAVE AN IDEA AS THEY'RE PLANNING OF WHERE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE.
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CENTRALIZED, UH, WEB-BASED APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM COUNCILMAN TRAVINO IS THAT WE HAVE THAT AVAILABILITY IN SPANISH, SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT.
IT'S GONNA BE MODELED ON THE CITY OF DALLAS'S WEBSITE, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD WEBSITE.
AND IN FACT, GROUPS CAN GO ONTO THAT WEBSITE AND, UH, MAP OUT THEIR OWN ROUTES.
AND, UH, THEY, UH, WILL SHOW YOU ALTERNATIVES DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOUR PARADE IS GONNA BE, WHAT, WHETHER THERE'S CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.
UH, SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD WEBSITE THAT REALLY FACILITATES THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA BORROW AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, FROM THAT AND MODEL OUR WEBSITE ON THAT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE HEARD FROM THE COALITION IS THEY WANT THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND ANY ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE THAT IN OUR PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, ONE, AS WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE, UH, DATA, WE HAD THE INFORMATION, IT WAS VERY LIMITED.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PERMITS WERE GRANTED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT GROUPS SUBMITTED PERMITS THAT WERE EITHER NOT ALLOWED OR THE PARADE DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, UH, DIGGING DEEPER DOWN IN TERMS OF A DATA ANALYSIS SO THAT, UH, WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF HOW THE PERMITTING PROCESS IS WORKING, UH, FROM, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING.
THE, UH, NEXT THING WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THE CONTINUED USE OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY AND CONTROL.
AND, UH, WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT THE PROCESS.
AND, AND FROM OUR STANDPOINT, THERE REALLY WAS, UH, NOT AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM THE REVIEW PROCESS, THE TRAFFIC, UH, THE TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND, UH, ACTUALLY WE HEARD FROM SOME, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED THE PROCESS THAT THEY VERY MUCH FOUND THAT THAT INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS USEFUL IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES, UH, AND IDENTIFYING WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDING FOR THE PARTICULAR PARADE.
SO, WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SS A P D BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
WE ARE THOUGH, GONNA ALLOW THE USE OF INWARD FACING PARADE MARSHALS.
UH, SO THAT WOULD, UH, DO TWO THINGS.
IT WOULD FACILITATE THE FLOW, BUT ALSO, UH, PERHAPS, UM, REQUIRE THEN LESS, UH, POLICE PRESENCE TO THE EXTENT WE HAVE, UH, MARSHALS THAT CAN LIAISON WITH THE POLICE, UH, IN TERMS OF ASSISTING WITH, UH, CROWD CONTROL AND TRAFFIC FLOW.
UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, APP, I'M SORRY, APPLICANTS, UH, UH, TO SUBMIT THE PROCE PROCESS APPLICATION, 15 WORKING DAYS BEFORE IT WAS 30, WHICH IS A LONG TIME, BUT
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WE'RE, UH, REDUCED IT TO 15 WORKING DAYS, AND WE'RE WORKING TO HAVE A RESPONSE TO THE APPLICANT WITHIN THREE WORKING DAYS.AND AT LEAST AN INITIAL RESPONSE, EITHER SAYING, YES, NO, OR WE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THE TIMING ON THAT.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE OTHER ISSUE WE HEARD, IS, UH, SOMETIMES IT TAKES TOO LONG TO HEAR AS TO WHETHER THE PERMIT IS GRANTED OR NOT.
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE AS THE CITY CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE WITH THE COALITION AND OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS REGARDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES.
WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE GONNA MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES, AND SO THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO MONITOR TO SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THOSE CHANGES ARE.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE, UH, UH, FREE SPEECH COALITION TO REGULARLY SCHEDULE.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT QUARTERLY, BUT REGULARLY SCHEDULE MEETINGS TO SEE HOW THE PROCESS IS WORKING.
ARE THERE ANY ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP? IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE? UH, ANOTHER THING WE'RE DOING IS IN ADDITION TO THE ONLINE PROCESS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MATERIALS LOCATED AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT HAVING THEM AT BRANCH LAB LIBRARIES, IF THAT'S, UH, IF THAT'S THE POSSIBILITY.
UH, THE OTHER RECOMMENDATION WE GOT FROM, UH, THE FREE SPEECH COALITION IS TO, WITH RESPECT TO SPONTANEOUS MARCHES, IN OTHER WORDS, MARCHES WITHOUT A PERMIT, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS, ARE THE ACTUAL MARCHERS GONNA BE HELD? ARE THEY GONNA BE CITED FOR MARCHING WITHOUT A PERMIT? UM, AND THE WAY WE, UH, ENDED UP ON THAT ONE, WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THAT ONLY THE ORGANIZERS BE CITED FOR, UH, MARCHING WITHOUT A PERMIT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, UH, IF IT IS A SPONTANEOUS MARCH, THEN, UH, DEPENDING ON, ON THE CONTEXT OF SITUATION, THE POLICE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM A SAFETY TAM STANDPOINT, TRAFFIC FLOW CAN GO AND THE ACTUAL MARCHERS, UH, UH, CAN, CAN MARCH SAFELY.
AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT A LOT WILL DEPEND ON, UH, THE POLICE, UH, EXERCISING JUDGMENT.
UH, WHEN WE DO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE, UH, A SPONTANEOUS MARCH GOING ON 14, POLICE PRESENCE AT THE ACTUAL ASSEMBLY WILL BE DICTATED BY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
CHIEF MCMANUS, UH, HAS A POLICY, AND HE VERY MUCH, UH, GETS INVOLVED WHEN WE HAVE A ACTIVITY OR AN EVENT, MUCH LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT TRAVIS PARK, UH, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITY.
AND SO THAT WILL BE DICTATED BY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
I DID WANT TO TELL THE COUNCIL THAT IRONICALLY, LAST NIGHT, CHARLOTTESVILLE, THE CITY COUNCIL, BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED THERE VERSUS WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT CHANGES TO THEIR ORDINANCE, BUT THEY'RE DOING THE OPPOSITE.
RATHER THAN OPENING IT UP AND MAKING IT MORE FLEXIBLE, THEY'RE RETRACTING ON THAT, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY IMPOSING MORE RESTRICTIONS ON ASSEMBLY BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE FOR THE COALITIONS, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE STILL RECOMMENDING THAT THE S A P D, BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY THE MAIN SERVICE PROVIDER IN TERMS OF PROVA PRO, PROVIDING TRAFFIC CONTROL SAFETY, THAT THEY BE, REMAIN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE, OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND, UH, SO THOSE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
AND WITH ADMIR ADMIN, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA REVISE A PARADE ORDINANCE, UH, CONSISTENT WITH, UH, WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION, WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL TODAY.
UH, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS, UH, IN TERMS OF TRAINING AND FOR THE NEW, UH, PARADE ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS.
AND AS I SAID, WE'LL CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DIALOGUE WITH THE, UH, FREE SPEECH COALITION.
REALLY, UH, ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE A KEEN, KEEN INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PRESERVING FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AND PROVIDING THE SAFETY TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'M, I'M PREPARED TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
AND, AND VERY GOOD WORK ON THIS.
UM, I THINK WE FIRST HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THERE'S BEEN A GROWING ANGST, UM, PROBABLY UNSPOKEN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT OUR EXISTING PARADE ORDINANCE IN THE LAST REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR OFFICE AND, AND THE COALITION SITTING DOWN TOGETHER TO WORK THAT OUT.
UM, THE MOST RECENT ITERATION OF THIS WAS MADE EVIDENT AFTER THE TRAVEL BAN, UH, LAST FALL.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF ORGANIZING AT THE AIRPORT.
AND I REMEMBER GETTING A PHONE CALL BECAUSE, UH, MANY MEMBERS THAT WERE SPONTANEOUSLY ORGANIZING IN THE AIRPORT WERE BEING ASKED TO DISPERSE TO LEAVE, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, ASSEMBLIES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
I REMEMBER CALLING THE CHIEF AND SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS BECAUSE THESE, THESE FOLKS WANT TO DEMONSTRATE, THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, USE THEIR, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT
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THEY VIEWED AND WHAT WE VIEWED AS A, A VERY DELETERIOUS POLICY.UH, AND THEY WERE ASKING NOT TO DO THAT.
UM, THE CHIEF HAD ALREADY SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
UM, HE HAS DISCRETION AT TIMES, UH, IF THERE'S NO THREAT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY TO ALLOW THEM TO, TO, TO CONTINUE ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS IS THE WORK OF TRYING TO FIND THE VERY DIFFICULT BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASSEMBLY AND FREE SPEECH, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHEN WE HAVE PARTNERS WHO ARE ACTING IN GOOD FAITH TO SIMPLY DEMONSTRATE ON A TOPIC OF IMPORTANCE, AND THEY'RE DOING SO IN A PEACEFUL WAY, WE DO HAVE SOME DISCRETION AND FLEXIBILITY.
UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, THAT THE, THAT CHIEF MCMANUS HAD ALREADY ACTED UPON, THAT HE'S SHOWN HIMSELF AS A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER WHEN IT COMES TO THESE VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUNCTION AS A COMMUNITY EVEN THOUGH THERE'S BEEN THIS GROWING ANGST.
UM, WHICH BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
UM, I LOVE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
UH, I HAVE TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR OFFICE.
LIZ, YOURSELF, UM, FROM MY OFFICE, MARISA HAS BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU AND WITH THE COALITION IN PARTICULAR, THANKS TO DR.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY DIFFICULT ISSUE, AND, AND IT'S AN ACTIVIST ISSUE, MEANING THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO TAKE A SIDE ON THIS DO NOT WANT TO COMPROMISE.
BUT SOMEHOW WE FOUND SOME MIDDLE GROUND, AND, AND I THINK THE REVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ARE VERY GOOD.
UM, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S STILL ADDITIONAL WORK THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON.
AND I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO THAT PARTICULARLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A NON-POLICE LIAISON TO WORK WITH THE ORGANIZING, UH, THE ORGANIZING GROUPS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SOME SORT OF POST-EVENT SURVEY THAT THAT IS TAKEN AFTER ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES.
AND ALSO THE SHARING OF DATA, WHETHER IT'S QUARTERLY OR MORE OFTEN MONTHLY, YOU EVEN, YOU MENTIONED, BUT ALSO REPORT BACK ABOUT HOW OUR REVISIONS ARE WORKING.
ALL THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE IN A VERY GOOD PLACE NOW AND A VERY, UH, DIFFICULT PLACE TO LAND.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO EVERYONE IS THAT WE, EVERYONE HAS PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD ON THIS.
LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PLACE WE ARE TODAY IS, IS GOOD.
AND IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WHERE WE WERE A MONTH AGO.
UM, SOME OF THESE ISSUES ARE GONNA REQUIRE US TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO WORK HARDER TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO GET TO EVENTUALLY.
BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS NOT, NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD EVER WANNA MOVE BACKWARD FROM.
WE'RE ALL AT THE TABLE TOGETHER.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THE WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE HAS BEEN MAGNIFICENT.
ALL THAT TO SAY, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, THOUGH, FIRST, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, HE TOOK THIS ISSUE, THE BURDEN ON HIS SHOULDERS, TO REALLY BRING TOGETHER THE PARTIES WHO HAVE BEEN AT INCREDIBLE ODDS OVER SEVERAL YEARS, UH, ISSUED THE C C R.
UH, WE ASKED FOR SOME GOOD WORK TO START BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE AND THE, AND THE COALITION.
AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD'VE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE HERE AT A POINT WHERE WE COULD SAY, OKAY, ANDY, WE'RE READY TO SEE SOMETHING ON THE, A SESSION TO IMPROVE OUR ORDINANCE, AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON IT.
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO SEE US DO, UH, RELATIVELY SOON, UH, HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN TRAVINO FOR STARTING THIS WORK.
UH, AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE GROUPS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND I SECOND ALL THE, ALL THOSE WORDS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT, UM, YOU, I TOO, REMEMBER THAT INCIDENT AT THE AIRPORT AND, UM, CHIEF MCMANUS IS, IS, IS, IS, UH, INCREDIBLY, UM, MAKES A, SUCH A GREAT IMPACT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE HE'S SO INVOLVED AND HE REALLY IS SO AVAILABLE.
UH, SO I WANT TO THANK CHIEF MCMANUS FOR, FOR BEING SO AVAILABLE FOR THAT, UH, THAT EVENT.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, ANOTHER PERSON THAT I THINK IS PRETTY GREAT IS CARLOS RES.
UH, HE REALLY DID A LOT THAT THAT NIGHT, UH, CARLOS RASS AND, AND, UM, THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR, RUSS HANDY, UM, MOBILIZED QUICKLY RESPONDED TO ME QUICKLY.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS WHY I'M A FAN OF CARLOS RES.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT CAME UP SURFACED OUTTA THIS, WAS THERE WAS JUST MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND OF COURSE, I, I WENT TO, UM, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ANNIE SEGOVIA.
SO I LOT OF CREDIT TO NOT JUST TAKING THIS ON, BUT, BUT THE WAY YOU TOOK IT ON, UH, BECAUSE FROM THE MINUTE I MENTIONED THIS, YOU WERE EXCITED ABOUT TACKLING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU GAVE
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US, UM, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS A, AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT, UH, BECAUSE IT REALLY SHOWS HOW SERIOUSLY YOU, YOU TAKE YOUR ROLE IN REPRESENTING US AS A CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.UM, THIS IS ABOUT AS BIG OF AN ISSUE AS I THINK WE CAN TACKLE.
AND I SPECIFICALLY WANNA POINT OUT THAT YOU, YOU MADE SURE THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THERE'S GONNA BE ONGOING DIALOGUE, THAT THE, THAT THIS IS NOT A FINISH.
UM, WANNA THANK YOU, WANT TO THANK YOUR HARD WORK AND STAFF, UH, FOR THE ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THIS IS, I THINK YOU'VE PROVEN THAT THIS CITY WANTS TO HELP, WANTS TO BE PRODUCTIVE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAS SOME STRONG, SMART COMPASSION TO PEOPLE WORKING FOR IT.
SO, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK OBVIOUSLY THE, THE FREE SPEECH COALITION FOR COLLABORATING AND WORKING WITH FOLKS.
UM, I GOT TO, UM, VISIT THE, THE LAST MEETING AT ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER.
AND IT, IT REALLY WAS SO NICE.
IT WAS, WAS, WAS TO SEE THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF, OF, OF CONVERSATION AND DIALOGUE.
IT WASN'T A PRESENTATION, IT WAS A CONVERSATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, UM, ALSO WANT TO THANK ERIC WALSH WHO WAS AT THAT MEETING.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, UH, ERIC IS, IS IS HE, I I ALSO FEEL LIKE ERIC HAS, UH, DONE SUCH A LOT OF, SO MUCH GREAT WORK FOR THE CITY.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, HIS APPROACH, HIS NO-NONSENSE APPROACH REALLY HELPED US OUT A LOT.
AND, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU PUBLICLY TO, TO ERIC WALSH FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, MOVEMENT ON THIS ISSUE.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT, ANDY, ABOUT, UH, HOW, WHAT THE APPROACH WAS.
SO WE, WE FILED THIS IN FEBRUARY, RIGHT? AND, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND I, AND I, I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, WANT TO THANK, UM, GRACIELA SANCHEZ AND AMY CASTLEY FOR, FOR MEETING WITH ME AND, AND GIVING ME SOME INFORMATION, SOME, SOME LEGACY INFORMATION, UH, LEGACY ISSUES, UH, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
AND, UH, SO WE BEGAN THE PLANNING OF, OF HOW WE, WE CAN COLLABORATE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR APPROACH TO THIS, BECAUSE THAT IS, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICAL.
NOT JUST FOR WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, HOPEFULLY IN EARLY JANUARY, UM, OR FEBRUARY AT THE LATEST.
UH, BUT MOVING FORWARD, UH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
AND, UH, THE APPROACH THAT WE USED WAS, OBVIOUSLY, FIRST OF ALL, WE, WHEN YOU BROUGHT THE ISSUE TO US WAS WELL TAKE A LOOK AT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE LAW WITH RESPECT TO WHAT CITIES CAN OR CAN'T DO.
WHAT WAS, WHAT HAVE COURTS SAID THAT CITIES CAN OR CAN'T DO WITH RESPECT TO THEIR PROCESSION, ORDINANCE, AND PARADE.
SO THAT WAS SORT OF THE, UH, BASELINE FROM WHICH WE STARTED.
AND THEN WE GOT CLEAR DIRECTION FROM, UH, COUNCIL THAT WE WANTED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF PROVIDING AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS WE COULD FOR THE COMMUNITY TO EXERCISE FREE SPEECH RIGHTS.
AND REALLY THE, THE, THE PARAMOUNT CONCERN AS WE LOOKED AT WHATEVER REGULATIONS, RESTRICTIONS WE WERE GONNA PUT ON SUCH ACTIVITIES, FUNDAMENTALLY HAD TO BE ONE OF A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.
'CAUSE WE FOUND OUT, WE, AT LEAST WE APPROACHED IT.
THAT IS THE, THE COMPELLING GOVERNMENT INTEREST THAT WE FOUND, IF ANYTHING WOULD, UH, SHOULD I SHOULD SAY, RESTRAIN ANY FREE SPEECH ACTIVITY.
AND FROM THAT, UH, WE DID LEARN A LOT FROM INTERACTING WITH THE FREE SPEECH COALITION.
THEY GAVE US SOME USEFUL INFORMATION.
WE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES, BUT, UH, I HAVE TO SAY THAT WITH EACH MEETING WE LEARNED MORE, BUT PROBABLY, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE UNDERSTOOD MORE AS TO WHERE THEY WERE COMING FROM.
AND SO THAT HELPED US FOR THEN FORMULATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
HOW MANY OF THESE MEETINGS DID YOU PERSONALLY ATTEND? I, I THINK WE HAD A TOTAL OF FIVE.
I FOUND THE ONE AT THE ESPERANZA CENTER TO BE THE MOST ENLIGHTENING.
IT WAS VERY, IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING.
IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION.
UM, SO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT, LET'S GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THE FIRST, WELL, THE FIRST THING WAS SIMPLY, UH, REMOVING THE, THE FEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TELL, TELL, TELL ME HOW YOU, HOW YOU LOOKED AT THAT, HOW YOU TACKLED THAT.
UH, I, I KNOW I, I SPOKE TO ERIC ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
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UM, HOW DID WE, HOW DID WE, UH, ASSESS THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE? THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.WHAT WE, UH, AT THE, THE REASON THAT THE, THE COSTS WERE THERE IS THAT PROCESSIONS, DEPENDING ON THEIR LENGTH AND WHAT ROUTES THEY'RE TAKING, DOING INCUR COSTS.
AND WHAT, UH, I THINK AT THAT TIME, WHAT THE CITY WAS TRYING TO DO IS BALANCE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, CONTAIN THOSE COSTS AND PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANTLY, CONTAIN, UH, THE, THE LENGTH OF THE ROUTES, PROBABLY, UH, TRY TO BALANCE THAT WITH WHAT THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH WAS.
AND I THINK THEY STRUCK THAT BALANCE.
IT WAS LEGALLY CHALLENGED AND WITHSTOOD LEGAL CHALLENGE.
BUT AGAIN, THAT, THAT WAS JUST THE BASELINE.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE DATA AND OUR, UH, THE DATA, AS I SAID, OF 23 PERMITS, GRANTED ONLY TWO WENT ABOVE THE 3000.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY WERE, UH, FREE PROCESSIONS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, AS WE SPOKE MORE WITH THE COALITION, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DATA WASN'T TELLING THE WHOLE STORY, AND THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAD THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT TO HAVE REALLY ANY PROCESSION, IT WOULD COST THEM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
AND SO ONCE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THE DATA AND SAID, WE, WELL, IF THERE'S ONLY TWO THAT WENT ABOVE, THEN THERE REALLY ISN'T, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH HARM AS MAYBE WE WOULD'VE THOUGHT TO JUST SIMPLY ELIMINATING THE COST.
I, YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO, TO, TO REACH THAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT SOME OF THESE BARRIERS CAN BE, UM, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE.
UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PROVIDING THE DIRECTOR SOME FLEXIBILITY, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALSO CRITICAL THAT WE POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE F A A, UH, WHICH WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO CONTROLLER SAY.
SO, UH, ABOUT OPERATIONS REGARDING THE F A A AND SOME OF THE REGULATIONS THAT, THAT THEY HAVE, UH, TELL US HOW WE HAVE TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN, UH, THE, THE FLEXIBILITY TO THE DIRECTOR AND THE F A A REGULATIONS AT THE ABSOLUTELY COUNCILMAN.
THE, UH, F A A REGULATIONS ARE GEARED TO MAINTAIN THE OPERATIONS OF THE AIRPORT.
IT'S A, IT'S DEEMED PART OF NATIONAL SECURITY TO MAKE SURE YOUR, UH, AIRPORTS ARE OPERATIONAL.
MUCH LIKE MILITARY BASES, AS I SAID, UH, PUBLIC FORUMS ARE ONE AREA, THEN NON-PUBLIC FORUMS. AND THEN YOU HAVE PLACES LIKE AIRPORTS, MILITARY BASES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE EVEN MORE RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE AGAIN, THOSE ARE, UH, THEY'RE FEDERAL INTERESTS THAT ARE BEING, UH, PROTECTED THERE.
SO WE FELT THAT IF WE COULD DESIGNATE AREAS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO GIVE THE DIRECTOR FLEXIBILITY, 'CAUSE MUCH OF THE, THE FLEXIBILITY WILL BE DETERMINED AS TO THE TIME OF DAY, WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'LL BE MORE RESTRICTIONS IF IT'S THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING VERSUS IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, FIRST DAY OF JULY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THE, THE DIRECTOR HAS TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY GIVEN WHAT'S OCCURRING AT THE AIRPORT TO ALLOW, UH, TO THE EXTENT HE CAN THESE FREE SPEECH ACTIVITIES TO TAKE PLACE.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE F A A HAS SOME VERY STRICT GUIDELINES.
AND, UH, THAT CAN BE, THAT CAN BE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IS UNDERSTOOD.
AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS VERY LITTLE, IF NONE, NO PURVIEW, ACTUALLY, RIGHT? I CAN'T EVEN SAY LITTLE NO PURVIEW WHATSOEVER.
SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, THAT THERE'S SOME STRICT RULES REGARDING THE F A A.
UM, I WANNA POINT OUT, UH, THE CENTRALIZED APPLICATION WEBSITE I THINK IS, IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
AND I, I'D, I'D LOVE FOR, FOR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAYBE SHOW KIND OF A, A PRE-LAUNCH AND, UH, WORK OUT BUGS WITH THIS FREE SPEECH COALITION.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A A, A SMART MOVE.
UH, SO, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO WORK OUT SOME KINKS BEFORE IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY LAUNCHED.
UH, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT IT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH.
UM, AND AT THE HEART OF THAT TOO, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS, IS EASILY UNDERSTOOD.
UH, WE WON'T HAVE LAWYERS WRITE IT.
WELL, JUST NO JARGON,
UM, AND I, AGAIN, THE FEEDBACK MECHANISM IS, IS, IS, IS GREAT.
I THINK, UH, WE, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SO SPEAKING OF SS A P D AND, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING THE CONTINUED USE OF SS A P D FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY AND CONTROL, AND I THINK, UH, WE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHY, UH,
[00:25:01]
BUT I'D LIKE YOU, I THINK WE NEED TO AT LEAST SAY SOMETHING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, UH, A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR PRESENTATION.AND MAYBE ERIC WALSH WOULD LIKE TO ALSO RESPOND TO THIS, BUT THE, THE POINT THAT THEY MADE AT THE ESP ESPANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER ABOUT THE, THE, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH OUR S A P D, UH, WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT WHAT YOU HEARD AND HOW, HOW WE WANT TO REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND RESPECT THAT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN, CAN DO TO, TO IMPROVE THAT, THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UH, NO, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE, UH, UH, AGAIN, I I WAS VERY MUCH IMPRESSED WITH THE MEETING WE HAD AT THE ESPANZA CENTER, AND WHAT I HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THAT THEY WERE VOICING SOME CONCERNS.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THOSE CONCERNS IN TERMS OF INTERACTION, INTERACTION WITH THE, UH, SS A P D.
BUT WHAT I DID HEAR FROM THEM WAS THAT ANY INTERACTION HAS TO BE BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT, ON TRUST, ON AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S POSITION.
UH, SO RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, I THINK, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE AGREED THERE THAT IF, IF WE'RE, IF THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE, THEN PROBABLY MORE POSITIVE INTERACTION VERSUS THAT VERSUS LESS OR NO INTERACTION IS PROBABLY A BETTER THING IF THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ENHANCE THAT, UH, RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AND I THINK ERIC'S SHAKING HIS HEAD IN APPROVAL OF THAT COMMENT.
UH, UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY RESPECT THAT.
I, I, LASTLY, I GUESS I JUST WOULD WRAP UP BY, BY, UH, SPEAKING ABOUT THE OUTREACH.
WE TALK ABOUT PUTTING PRINT MATERIALS AT, AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS, PERHAPS THE LIBRARIES.
UM, AND, UH, THE CONTINUED DIALOGUE, I THINK WILL HELP US FIND, UH, OTHER, OTHER SOLUTIONS, OTHER STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE THIS, THIS PROCESS.
UH, SO AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN A, A GREAT COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, AND, UH, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK THE FREE SPEECH COALITION, JOLENE, FOR, UH, LEADING THAT EFFORT AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING THIS ON OUR AGENDA, UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I ALSO WANT TO JUST THANK CHERYL SCULLY FOR, UH, HAVING ASSEMBLED, UH, A GREAT TEAM.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL WE COULD HOPE FOR IS THAT WHEN HE, WHEN WHEN YOU BROUGHT ON THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY THIS IS, THIS IS THE, THE KIND OF THING THAT WE'D HOPE HE WOULD TACKLE, UH, UH, STRONGLY AND PASSIONATELY.
SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, HOPE TO HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS SO CRITICAL IN, IN A TIME AS THE MAYOR EXPRESSED, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING SO MUCH VOLATILITY, UM, NOT JUST IN OUR CITY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
AND, UM, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED.
WE SAY IT EVERY DAY AND, UH, IT STARTS WITH FREE SPEECH.
AND LET ME MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE POINT OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT VOTING ON ANYTHING, UH, TODAY OR EVEN IN TOMORROW FOR, UH, OUR A SESSION.
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE GONNA GO BACK AND CONTINUE TO COOK INTO RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE, WE ARE OFFERING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, COUNCILMAN, WITH THE EXPECTATION BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE GET ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'LL RECAST, REDRAFT THE ORDINANCE AND THEN HAVE THAT REVISED ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL, A SESSION TO VOTE ON IN AN, A SESSION.
BUT, UH, NOT THE ONE TAKING PLACE TOMORROW.
NOT THE ONE, NO, NO, NOT THE ONE TAKING PLACE TOMORROW.
WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, UH, COUNCIL SESSION IN JANUARY.
WELL, I, I THINK THAT'S, UM, SO WHAT I'LL DO IS OFFER SORT OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS AS YOU ALL GO BACK AND OKAY.
AND, AND TINKER WITH SOME OF THE, THE IDEAS AND THE CONCEPTS THAT HAVE COME UP WITH YOUR MM-HMM.
LET ME FIRST SAY THAT I, I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THE FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO THAT WAS PUT UP.
SOMEBODY WAS STREAMING THE VIDEO OF THE MEETING THAT WAS TAKING PLACE AT ESPERANZA, AND IT WAS YOURSELF AND ERIC WALSH AT THE FRONT, AND SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN TOLD THE HISTORY OF THE CITY VERSUS, UH, THE, THE ADVOCATES, THE CITY VERSUS FOLKS WHO WANT TO DEMONSTRATE HAS BEEN ONE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BAGGAGE IN THAT PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP.
UH, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE NOBODY WAS THROWING ANYTHING AT YOU, UH, DURING THAT BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT, IT, IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT IT'S GONE TO, UH, AT LEAST I THINK THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT IN TERMS OF OUR DISAGREEMENT ON FREE SPEECH AND THE ABILITY TO PROTEST.
UH, IS THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT THE FIFTH CIRCUIT? LEMME FIFTH CIRCUIT, YES.
VERY CLEAR IN MY, AND PRECISE IN MY UNDERSTANDING HERE.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE, AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, AND I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO TAKING LEAD
[00:30:01]
IN BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO US, IS THAT A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THIS POINT IS, IS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN WITH REGARD TO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UH, THE ADVOCATES, THE FOLKS WHO WANNA DEMONSTRATE, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF PUTTING TOGETHER AN ORDINANCE THAT IS NOT ONLY LEGIBLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE INTERACTING WITH IT, BUT ALSO FAVORS THEIR, THEIR FREE SPEECH AND, AND, AND FAVORS THEIR ABILITY TO EXERCISE THAT WITHOUT ANY PREEMPTION FROM, FROM THE CITY.AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING, I THINK I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT MM-HMM.
ONE, THAT IT'S NOT ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR ABILITY TO PAY RIGHT.
SO WE'RE REMOVING THE ISSUE OF COST.
THERE IS JUST, UH, ONE THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT I THINK THERE'S SOME DISAGREEMENTS STILL MM-HMM.
AND I THINK YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT POINTS IN WHICH YOU FEEL THERE HAS TO BE, THERE IS A COMPELLING REASON AS TO WHY THERE SHOULD BE INTERACTION WITH S A B PD.
UH, SO I'LL GO DOWN TO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I'M GONNA SLIDE THROUGH HERE.
IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN, I THINK BACK OR FORWARD, UM, FORWARD ONE AND POLICE PRESENCE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND BOTH OF THESE IN MY HEAD.
THE ONE ABOUT THE POLICE PRESENCE DICTATED BY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, IS THAT SOME, TELL ME, TELL ME, EXPLAIN TO ME SO THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION, COUNCILMAN.
THAT FIRST ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL EVENT ITSELF WHEN IT'S TAKING PLACE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH POLICE PRESENCE ARE WE GONNA HAVE THERE.
AND, UM, PROBABLY THE, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN SPEAK BETTER TO IT.
BUT THAT IS DICTATED BY A LOT OF THINGS IN TERMS OF, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE THERE, WHERE THE EVENT IS AT.
UH, AGAIN, I'M GOING BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED AT TRAVIS PARK.
UH, AND FRANKLY, UH, THEY MONITOR A LOT OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THINGS GOING UP TO THAT EVENT TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT, IF ANY, SECURITY RISKS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
SO THERE'S A LOT THAT LEADS UP TO THE PLANNING OF IT THAT WOULD DETERMINE, WELL, WHAT SORT OF POLICE PRESENCE DO WE NEED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE? UH, AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THE TRAVIS PARK EVENT THAT NECESSITATED QUITE A BIT OF POLICE PRESENCE GIVING EVERYTHING THAT WAS LEADING UP TO IT.
WHEREAS AN ASSEMBLY THAT'S CELEBRATING, UH, A HIGH SCHOOL WINNING A, UH, TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT WOULD PROBABLY DICTATE LESS OF A POLICE PRESENCE.
SO THO THOSE ARE BASED ON, UH, A, AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE SECURITY RISKS ARE.
AND, AND THAT'S USUALLY DONE WITH CHIEF MCMANUS INVOLVEMENT.
WELL, WITH YOUR OFFICE AND THE CONVERSATIONS YOU'VE HAD WITH THE FREE SPEECH COALITION, IS THERE ANY DISAGREEMENT AROUND THAT POINT? UH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS VERY LIKELY TO ME THAT YOU CAN MAKE THE VERY SIMPLE CASE OF A TRAVIS PARK AND UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT, THAT ISSUE ARE CHARGED UP, AND THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO BE ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND HAVE THE POLICE PRESENCE THERE IF YOU DON'T NEED THEM BETTER.
BUT IF NOT, IF YOU DO, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE POLICE PRESENCE.
COUNCILMAN, THE WAY I'VE BEEN ARTICULATING IT IS I WOULD RATHER BE CRITICIZED FOR HAVING TOO MUCH POLICE AND NOBODY GETTING HURT OR INJURED VERSUS SOMEBODY GETTING HURT OR INJURED.
AND THE CRITICISM IS, YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SECURITY THERE.
BUT AGAIN, UH, ONE OF THE, THE, UH, CONCERNS OF THE FREE SPEECH COALITION WAS THAT IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH POLICE PRESENCE, SOMETIMES THAT IN AND OF ITSELF MAY, MAY TRIGGER SOME ACTIVITY THAT, UH, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO HAPPEN EITHER.
SO, IT, IT IS A, IT IS A TOUGH BALANCE.
IT'S ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL COMFORTABLE IS BASED ON PRETTY SOLID CRITERIA AND A PRETTY GOOD PROCESS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT USES TO ASCERTAIN WHAT THE SECURITY RISK IS.
UM, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT, AND ONE THAT WE WILL MONITOR, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD.
WELL THEN, LET ME FOCUS IN ON, ON ITEM 15.
I HOPE YOU ALL DO IRON OUT THIS SORT OF REASONABLE AMOUNT OF POLICE PRESENCE, REASONABLE AMOUNT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, PRESENT AT THESE EVENTS.
BUT ON, ON 15 IS ONE WHERE I THINK YOU ALL, AS, AS A CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, HAVE MADE SOME REALLY COMPELLING ARGUMENTS TO ME AS TO WHY YOU BELIEVE THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT POSITIVE INTERACTION AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SS A P D AT THE POINT OF TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN.
IT MIGHT MEAN THAT I COME AWAY FROM THAT CONVERSATION WITH A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH AN S A P D OFFICER, BUT I THINK WHAT I WANT TO DO, WHAT I WANNA DO HERE IS OFFER THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FREE SPEECH AND A CITIZEN'S, UH, RIGHT TO EXERCISE THAT FREE SPEECH, I WANT TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF THE CITIZEN IN THAT IT IS, IT, IT IS REASONABLE TO ME TO ASSUME THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME FOLKS WHO, UH, WORRY ABOUT THE INTERACTION.
THAT IF YOU ARE CREATING A LAW, YOU WANT TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF ALLOWING MORE FREE SPEECH
[00:35:01]
AND NOT LESS.AND I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT SOME FOLKS MAY NOT FEEL THAT A COMFORTABLE, UH, FACE-TO-FACE, A COMFORTABLE TED TET TO HAVE WITH AN S A P D OFFICER IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, OR MAYBE ANOTHER.
AND SO, TO THE ARGUMENT OF, OF, LIKE I SAID, WHICH I THINK IS COMPELLING OF CREATING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP MM-HMM.
OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR INTERACTION, I THINK THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF WAYS FOR US AS A, AS A CITY AND AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS, BUT WITH ISSUES THAT I CAN FORESEE GETTING EMOTIONALLY CHARGED.
AND BECAUSE I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONTENT OF FREE SPEECH, BUT I WANT TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH, I COULD ALSO IMAGINE A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE A COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND A GROUP OF ACTIVISTS THAT ARE PROTESTING AGAINST SS A P D.
AND IN THAT SITUATION, UH, YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO FEEL AS IF THAT COULD BE A HINDRANCE.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST WORKING IN THEORY, BUT I THINK WE CAN MAKE A PRETTY LOGICAL JUMP MM-HMM.
AND SO IN THAT RESPECT, I I SIDE WITH THE, THE ESSAY FREE SPEECH COALITION, IN THAT, CAN WE AT LEAST CONSIDER AN OPTION WHERE WE HAVE AN INTERMEDIARY OR A LIAISON, IF, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SOMETHING ON A TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN.
I, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE AIRING ON THE SIDE OF THE CITIZEN VERSUS AIRING ON THE SIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT OR THE REGULATOR IN THIS CASE, IN TERMS OF CREATING THE, THE LAW IN THIS CASE.
I, BUT LIKE, LIKE I SAID, I, I REALLY, I REALLY DO, I REALLY DO TAKE THE, THE, THE CASE THAT WAS LAID BEFORE ME WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND, AND LIZ, UH, PROVINCIO WAS IN OUR OFFICE TALKING ABOUT THIS MIGHT BE A REALLY GREAT WAY TO RECREATE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS S A P D OFFICERS IN UNIFORM, UH, SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A CROWD AND, AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY DISLIKES ONE ANOTHER.
THEY'RE HAVING CORDIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
UH, I THINK THERE'S OTHER WAYS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO SET THAT UP.
IT'S JUST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FREE SPEECH AND THE ABILITY NOT TO, TO LIMIT THAT, I CAN BUY THE ARGUMENT THAT SOME FOLKS, WHETHER THEY'RE UNDOCUMENTED OR WANT TO PROTEST A SPECIFIC CONTENT, MIGHT NOT LEAD THEM TO MM-HMM.
AND SO I WOULDN'T WANT TO, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I, I, I, ONE THING I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT IF WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, AN OPTION FOR THAT, THAT IT'D BE REALLY AN OPTION AND NOT THE DEFAULT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK PARTICULARLY SINCE WE'VE REMOVED THE COST ISSUE FROM THE DISCUSSION, UH, WE REALLY DO THINK THAT THAT INTERACTION WITH THE S A P D, UM, LEADING UP TO THE EVENT IS PROBABLY GONNA BE A VERY POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE ONE.
BUT WE'LL LOOK INTO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT OPTIONS IN FACT WANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW, UH, IMMIGRATION COMMUNITY LIAISON LIAISON.
MAYBE THERE'S A ROLE FOR HIM OR HER THERE, UH, FOR THAT.
BUT WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN CREATE AN OPTION.
BUT AGAIN, OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE WHAT, IT WOULD BE AN OPTION, UH, THAT WOULD BE TRULY AN EXCEPTION IN THAT THE RULE, WELL, IF THIS IS THE ONLY ARGUMENT I WOULD MAKE, I THINK THAT IF WE DO TRY THIS OUT, I, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AS, AS A PILOT PHASE, AND THE PILOT PHASE BEING ONE IN WHICH WE CREATE FIRST, THE, THE SENSE OF, OF A LIAISON AND AN INTERMEDIARY BEFORE WE GO STRAIGHT INTO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SS A P D INTERACTION.
UM, BECAUSE I, I, LIKE I SAID, I, I, BY THE ARGUMENT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A, A ILLOGICAL LEAP TO, TO MAKE BETWEEN THE IDEA THAT THERE'S SOME FOLKS WHO JUST MIGHT NOT GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, SO, UH, THOSE ARE THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAVE FOR YOU.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE THAT WAS A DISAGREEMENT ON, YOU'VE GOT A 95% ON THIS TEST, AND, AND THAT'S AN A PLUS.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT YOU'VE GIVEN US A CONSTITUTION, OTHER LAWYERS, OTHER CITY ATTORNEYS JUST GAVE US CHOCOLATE, YOU GAVE US US A CONSTITUTION,
THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING US THINK THROUGH THIS AND, AND FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND TO JOLENE WHO'S, UH, BEEN, BEEN HEADING THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALL CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
BECAUSE NONE OF US, I SAY NONE.
NOT ALL OF US ARE LEGAL EXPERTS.
I'M LOOKING AT THE LEGAL EXPERTS TO MY LEFT.
UM, AND, AND WE, WE, WE WANNA TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT.
WE TRY TO WANNA TRY TO CREATE A LAW THAT DOESN'T IMPEDE, DOESN'T, UH, UH, RESTRICT.
AND I THINK IN THAT RESPECT, WE WANNA TRY TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF, OF THE CITIZEN RATHER THAN ON THE, THE GOVERNMENT PIECE.
COUNCILWOMAN GRO, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WANT TO THANK YOU COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UH, FOR MOVING THIS, BUT, UM, VERY MUCH FIRST AND FOREMOST OUR FREE SPEECH COALITION FOR TAKING THE LEAD IN THE INITIATIVE AND NOT STOPPING AND, UM, KEEP BEATING THAT DRUM.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK, DR.
GARCIA AND EVERYONE WHO'S WORKED SO HARD ON THIS.
AND I DO WANT TO, UM, AND I HAVE TO THANK ALSO THE, THE GROUP OF DISTRICT THREE COALITION RESIDENTS WHO CAME AND ME MET AND SHARED, UH, THE ISSUES AS WELL.
VERY ORGANIZED, VERY ON MESSAGE WITH EVERYONE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON THAT.
AND, UM, ANDY, YOU, YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS,
[00:40:01]
YOUR WORK, LIZ, THE ENTIRE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I'M SURE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WERE VERY, VERY E EXCITED TO WORK ON, UM, BECAUSE OF THIS POLICY AND BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CONSTITUTION, AND YOU HAVE DEFINITELY SHOWN THE WORK OF A FORMER MALDEF BOARD MEMBER, THAT'S FOR SURE.UM, WE SEE THAT LOUD AND CLEAR, UM, IN YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT FORWARD HERE AND YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, THOUGH RIGHT NOW, AND, AND I DO, UM, I HEAR WHAT COUNCILMAN SALDANA IS SAYING, AND I ALSO, UM, DO, UH, AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THAT.
WE WOULD LOOK AT IT AS AN OPTION AND NOT THE DEFAULT MM-HMM.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE GIVEN THIS VERY, A LOT OF, UH, THOUGHT, UM, AND YOU WOULDN'T BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD IF IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECTED OUR CITY AND, UM, HAD NOT HAD AN UNINTENDED IMPACT ON THESE THINGS.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, AND I THINK JUST RANDOMLY, 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SAFETY, UM, AND AFTER THE CHARLOTTESVILLE, UH, PROTESTS THAT HAPPENED THERE AND DEMONSTRATIONS AND MANY OF THE, THE CONFRONTATIONS OR THE, THE ASSAULTS THAT HAPPENED IN, WHEN THE GROUPS CAME TO EACH OTHER, UM, AND I WAS READING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF JUST ACTION THINGS, ACTION POINTS.
MANY PEOPLE GOT BEAT IN THE STREETS BY, UM, UH, PEOPLE FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
AND WHAT WAS ALSO DONE, UH, SOME SUGGESTIONS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SEE IF Y'ALL HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT BY LIMITING, UM, THINGS LIKE STICKS AND MACES AND SHIELDS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, BRINGING THEM TO, UM, TO ASSEMBLIES OR PROTESTS.
DID Y'ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT? UH, COUNCILMAN ACTUALLY, WE, WE, WE VERY, VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS, THE REPORT ON CHARLOTTES BURG CAME OUT VERY LATE AFTER, IN FACT, I THINK AFTER WE HAD OUR LAST MEETING.
AND, UH, IN FACT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AT IN CHARLOTTESVILLE WAS CONSIDERING LAST NIGHT WAS JUST, AS YOU SAID, LIMITING WHAT PEOPLE CAN BRING TO THOSE, UH, ASSEMBLIES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT GOING FORWARD MM-HMM.
AGAIN, THE FOREMOST THING IS SAFETY.
SO WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST LIMITED IN TERMS OF, UH, PEOPLE CAN'T BRING, UM, WHAT IS IT, THESE SPRAY CANS AND CERTAIN OTHER THINGS.
BUT, UH, IT, IT'S PRETTY DATED, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, WHAT WE CURRENTLY PROHIBIT.
SO WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, UH, AS WELL.
I, I WAS JUST WONDERING 'CAUSE THOSE WERE SOME OF SUGGESTIONS THAT PEOPLE WERE PUTTING OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO I WASN'T SURE IF Y'ALL HAD HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CITY PARKS, BUT WHAT ABOUT COUNTY PARKS AND WHAT ABOUT MAINE PLAZA? I I AM JUST ASKING THESE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TOO.
WELL, THE GOOD NEWS COUNCILWOMAN IS THAT THE, THE, UH, COUNTY PARKS AND MAINE PLAZA ARE ALSO PUBLIC FORUMS. OKAY.
SO WHATEVER RIGHTS THAT, UH, YOU WOULD HAVE FOR A CITY PARK, YOU WOULD HAVE IN A COUNTY PARK.
SO THAT'S NOT GONNA BE UNDER THEIR DISCRETION AT ALL.
NO, THEY, THEY, AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY LIMITED IN TERMS OF WHAT REGULATIONS THEY CAN HAVE IN A PUBLIC FORUM.
WELL, I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IS, THOSE ARE ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UH, FOR THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE, UH, BEEN GOING THROUGH A, A BIG, BIG PROCESS IN THIS WHOLE THING.
AND I DO KNOW THAT, UM, LIVING LIMITING OUR SPEECH AND OUR CAPABILITY AT FIRST, OUR, UH, OUR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH ISN'T GOING TO MAKE US A BETTER, A BETTER CITY OR A BETTER COUNTRY.
BUT THIS, HAVING THIS OPTION HERE AND WORKING TOGETHER TO SEE THIS THROUGH, I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH IT.
AND I AM, I'M ECSTATIC THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THIS KIND OF POLICY FORWARD.
COUNCILMAN V GRIND, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE.
SO I WANTED TO JUST TELL YOU, UH, THAT I THOUGHT THE WORK YOU DID WAS EXCELLENT AND, UH, YOU ANSWERED ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, AND EVERY TIME IN MY INTERACTIONS WITH THE FREE SPEECH COALITION, UH, IN MY OFFICE, THEY CAME OUT AND VISITED WITH ME.
AND AS SOON AS I REACHED OUT TO YOU, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO REITERATE THE GOOD WORK YOU'VE DONE.
UH, EVEN WHEN, UH, THEY WERE, THEY CAME DOWN AND THEY WERE ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL THERE AND THEY WERE HOLDING THEIR
[00:45:01]
ASSEMBLY, YOU CAME OUT AND LISTENED.AND I, I I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.
I MEAN, I, I THINK, UH, YOU DID ONE HECK OF A JOB, YOU AND THE TEAM, AND IT JUST A TESTAMENT TO I THINK, UM, HOW THE LAW WORKS BOTH WAYS, RIGHT? IT PROTECTS, IT PROTECTS BOTH SIDES,
SO, UH, THAT'S KIND OF THE BEAUTY OF IT.
AND YOUR, YOUR TEAM DID A, A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, TO CHIME IN AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I SAID THAT, AND MOST OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT EVER HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY HAPPENED BECAUSE SOMEBODY SPOKE UP AND SAID SOMETHING IN THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME.
AND IS ANYTIME WE CAN PROTECT THAT, UH, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, I'M ON BOARD OF THAT AND I'M GLAD YOU REMOVED THE COST.
UH, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING SHOULD STAND IN THE WAY OF SOMEBODY SPEAKING FROM THEIR HEART OR FOR SOMETHING THEY TRULY BELIEVE IN.
AND THAT'S JUST KINDA WHAT I'M PUT ON THE RECORD.
I WANNA THANK THE FREE SPEECH COALITION.
UH, I LEARNED, YOU KNOW, FROM THEM IN, IN MY MEETINGS AS WELL, LIKE THAT, SEVERAL OF THEM LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX
SO, WHICH I FOUND INTERESTING AND COOL AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, SO WE HAD, WE HAD A GREAT DIALOGUE AND I THINK YOU, YOU CONDUCTED YOURSELF.
SO WHEN I TALKED TO JOLENE ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY AND I SAID THAT WHAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME WAS THAT YOU'VE GOT, YOU GOT THE STAFF OUT OF THEIR NORMAL ENVIRONMENT AND INTO YOURS, AND THAT THE ENVIRONMENT WAS CONDUCIVE TO OPPORTUNITIES.
SOMETIMES THE GROUP'S TRYING TO AFFECT CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY TRY TO, IT, IT'S AN ANTAGONIST.
YOU ALMOST COME TO IT ANTAGONISTIC AND IT'S VERY DEFENSIVE, AND THEN IT JUST, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT SPOT.
I THOUGHT YOU HANDLED IT VERY WELL IN GETTING THE TEAM OUT THERE AND GIVING THEM AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY COULD LISTEN AND LEARN AND YOU SUCCEEDED AT THAT.
SO THE REASON YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU WERE AND WHAT YOU WANTED, NOT ALL OF IT, BUT 95% OF IT, OR 90% WHATEVER NUMBER YOU'RE AT, WAS BECAUSE I THINK YOU, YOU ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN TOO.
AND YOU, YOU GOT THEM IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT.
THE MORE YOU CAN GET THE STAFF INTO YOUR AREA AND, AND SEEING THAT, AND YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL.
SO I THOUGHT YOU DID ONE HECK OF A JOB, UH, JOLENE AND THE TEAM, AND I, I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR TIME.
I DO WANNA JUST CHIME IN ON WHAT COUNCILMAN SALANA SAID.
UH, JUST TO WRAP IT UP, I THINK, LOOK, I'M A, YOU KNOW, I'M, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THIS IS A TRICKY ONE FOR ME BECAUSE, UH, AS MUCH AS I, I VALUE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT, THE UNIFORM THEY WEAR DOES TEND TO CAUSE OCCASIONALLY, RIGHT? IN ISSUES LIKE THIS, AN IMPEDIMENT THROUGH, NO, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? THEY HAVE A JOB DUTY, THEY SHOW UP AND THEY DO THEIR WORK.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THEY DO IT TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, OBVIOUSLY WITH NO REGARD TO SPEECH OR THAT'S HOW I BELIEVE THEY COME TO THE JOB.
BUT THE CITIZEN COMES TO IT FROM A, FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.
AND WHEN THEY INTERACT WITH THAT, UM, I, I HAVE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, AND I KIND OF ALWAYS DID THAT MM-HMM.
UM, I MEAN, HECK, WE GOT A WHOLE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT THAT ARE GENIUSES, ART REINHARD, HIS TEAM, WE GOT TRAFFIC PLANS.
WE, WE DO THIS STUFF ALL THE TIME.
IT'S JUST HOW DO YOU GET AND, AND SET THAT UP SO THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE THAT FEAR FACTOR TO COME IN.
THE MORE AND ALL, I GUESS I'M, WHAT I'M GETTING TO IS IF WE CAN REMOVE ANY BARRIER POSSIBLE TO SPEECH, I WOULD BE FOR IT 100% OF THE TIME.
UH, EVEN IF SOMEONE'S SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS, SOMETHING THAT I ABSOLUTELY JUST LIKE GOOD GRIEF, REALLY.
UM, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO LIKE REALLY GRAB A HOLD OF THAT.
SO IF IT MEANS, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW THE SYSTEM'S SET UP, YOU KNOW, WHAT I BELIEVE, WHICH IS IF THAT, WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEIR RIGHT TO DO, THAT SPEECH SHOULD OUTWEIGH OUR, SOME OF OUR, ALMOST ALL OF OUR COMFORTABILITY LEVELS AND, AND UNCOMFORTABILITY LEVELS AND THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO PUT A GOOD OPPORTUNITY AROUND THEM.
AND IF WE CAN DO THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
I THINK LIAISONS, AND, I MEAN, THE PD CAN STILL BE A PART OF THE APPROVAL OF A TRAFFIC PLAN ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF, YOU KNOW, I WOULD WANT THEM TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
SO MAYBE THERE IS A TRAFFIC LIAISON THAT SETS UP A PLAN AND THE PD REVIEWS IT.
UH, PLUS I DO WANT POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET DOING THE GOOD WORK, RIGHT? AND THEN THAT REVIEW PROCESS CONCERNS ME, UH, IN A SPONTANEOUS ASSEMBLY, RIGHT? LIKE, HOW, HOW ARE YOU EVEN GONNA ACCOMPLISH THAT? RIGHT? SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE PROTECT ALL THAT.
BUT, UH, THOSE ARE MY, IT'S JUST MINOR CONCERNS.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU'VE GOTTEN VERY, SO FAR IN THE PROCESS WITH SUCH SUCCESS THAT, UH, WORKS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BIG THANKS TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO FOR, UH, SEEING THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE NEED AND, AND LINKING THE TWO TOGETHER AND, UH, PUSHING THIS THROUGH.
SO FANTASTIC WORK TO YOU, ANDY, AND THE FREE SPEECH COALITION.
I'M, I'M 100% IN SUPPORT OF THIS, AND I, I THINK WE GOT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO GO, BUT THIS IS A GREAT START.
AND I, I, YOU'VE BEEN STANDING AT THE PODIUM FOR A LONG TIME, AND SO I'M, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU WANNA TAKE A BREAK.
I, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO EXPRESS PLATITUDES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREE SPEECH AND HOW WE'RE ALL BEHIND IT.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE AND FROM ALL MY OTHER COLLEAGUES, RIGHT?
[00:50:01]
WHICH IS THAT FREE SPEECH IS AN ESSENTIAL, RIGHT? RIGHT.AND IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT FREE SPEECH IS ALLOWED BECAUSE FREE SPEECH IS NOT ALLOWED.
IT IS A RIGHT, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO ALLOW SPEECH.
UM, THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT, AND TO WHAT EXTENT GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWED TO RESTRICT IN TIME, PLACE, AND MANNER THE EXERCISE OF THAT FREE SPEECH, RIGHT? AND IF IT WAS REALLY JUST AS SIMPLE AS READING A PARAGRAPH, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN LESS THAN A PARAGRAPH IN THIS BLUE BOOK, THEN THERE WOULDN'T BE AN ENTIRE BODY OF LAW OUT THERE DISCUSSING HOW IT IS THAT WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT SPEAK FREE SPEECH ISSUE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM UNDERSTANDS IS THAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS COME UP WITH NEW AND CREATIVE AND SOMETIMES ALARMING WAYS TO TEST THE LIMITS OF THAT FREE SPEECH, RIGHT? EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND I RECOGNIZE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MY SWEATER TESTS THE LIMITS OF THIS FREE SPEECH, RIGHT?
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ORDINANCES, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA QUESTION THE INTENTIONS OF PRIOR CITY COUNCILS WHO PUT IN PLACE WHATEVER ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVING THROUGH A DIFFERENT REALITY AT THE TIME, AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT FACTS ON THE GROUND, RIGHT? UM, ALL I KNOW IS WHAT MY JOB IS TODAY AND WHAT OUR JOB IS, AND THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS' RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED AND THAT WE DO NOT IMPEDE THEM, RIGHT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS THIS BALANCE, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM, WE'VE GOT MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM, AND MY JOB IS ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T GET HURT, RIGHT? AND WHEN IN EXERCISING THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO KEEP ALL OF US SAFE, RIGHT? AND SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE FREE SPEECH COALITION, YOU KNOW, VIOLATING ORDINANCES OR DOING CRAZY THINGS.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, AS INTERESTING AS Y'ALL ARE, YOU'RE KIND OF BORING WHEN IT COMES TO THE FREE SPEECH ISSUE, RIGHT? THE, THE FREE SPEECH TEST REALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT ARE PLAYING OUT.
YOU KNOW, IN 2017, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, GROWN MEN IN CAMOUFLAGE COSTUMES, MARCHING AROUND PARKS WITH MACHINE GUNS, RIGHT? WHO ARE ASKING TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
UM, YOU'VE GOT CARS DRIVING THROUGH CROWDS, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT BOMBINGS, UH, AT MARATHONS, AND YOU'VE GOT SHOOTERS AT, YOU KNOW, CONCERTS, THE REALITIES OF THAT.
NOW, FACE THE POLICE AND US WHEN WE SEE LARGE GATHERINGS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY EVER WERE BEFORE, AND YOU KNOW, NOW FREE SPEECH AND ORDINANCES ARE BEING TESTED AND TRAFFIC PLAN PLANNING IS BEING TESTED BY THESE NEW REALITIES THAT WE CAN'T IGNORE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN AN IDEAL WORLD, EVERYBODY WOULD BE LIKE THE FREE SPEECH COALITION, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GUYS THROW MOLOTOV COCKTAILS OR, YOU KNOW, DRIVE VEHICLES AND DO HUMAN, YOU KNOW, INTO HUMAN GATHERINGS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE STRUGGLE AND THAT'S THE BALANCING ACT THAT THESE ORDINANCES TRY TO SOLVE FOR.
UM, AND SO I, I RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU DO TO PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE DOING LEADERSHIP TO ME AND YOUR LEADERSHIP IS IMPEDING MY RIGHTS.
AND SO THE BALANCING ACT THAT THE MAYOR AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IN YOUR EXERCISE OF FREE SPEECH RIGHTS, YOU'RE NOT IMPEDING OTHER PEOPLE'S RIGHTS, RIGHT? TO GET TO WORK ON TIME, RIGHT.
OR THEIR RIGHT TO THEIR OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY, RIGHT? OR THEIR RIGHT TO GET INTO AND OUT OF AN AIRPORT SO THEY CAN CATCH THEIR FLIGHT, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE, THAT BALANCING ACT REQUIRES REASONABLENESS ON THE PART OF EVERYBODY, WHICH IS WHY I, I DON'T WANT TO BE POLLYANNA ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA OF HAVING A FREE SPEECH LIAISON.
WE KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, THE FREE SPEECH LIAISON IS GONNA BE A REASONABLE EXPERT, YOU KNOW, IN FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AND HOW THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FREE SPEECH ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IS ENFORCED AND THEY'RE GONNA LIAISE WITH VERY REASONABLE PEOPLE LIKE THE ONES WHO SHOWED UP TODAY.
IT'S THE LUNATICS WAVING SWASTIKAS, THROWING MULLETS OFF COCKTAILS AND CARRYING MACHINE GUNS IN PARKS THAT PROBABLY WON'T CARE WHETHER OR NOT YOU GOT A LIAISON OR HAVE AN INTEREST IN LIAISING WITH ANYBODY.
THEIR IDEA OF LIAISING IS DOING THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE SEE ON TELEVISION.
AND SO, I, I APPLAUD THE EFFORT, ANDY, YOU KNOW, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT WHETHER IT'S THIS COUNCIL OR THE NEXT ONE OR THE ONE AFTER THAT, THIS ORDINANCE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE EXPANDED AND RESTRICTED AND EXPANDED AND RESTRICTED IN REACTION TO THE REALITIES.
RIGHT? AND SO I'M WITH YOU ON THIS ONE, BUT I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE NOT BE NAIVE ABOUT THIS.
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN AN IDEAL WORLD, EVERYBODY WOULD EXERCISE THEIR FREE SPEECH IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T IMPEDE ANYBODY'S RIGHTS.AND, UM, MY ONLY REQUEST IS THAT WE TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN OUR PEOPLE ON OUR SIDE.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY ALL WE CAN CONTROL FOR, RIGHT? AND EXPECT GOOD FAITH ON THE OTHER.
AND THANK YOU, ANDY, FOR PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS, UH, UH, WHEN THE COALITION CAME TO MY OFFICE TALKING, I, I DIDN'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I DID HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND I, I STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS, BUT, UM, I, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE SOME ANSWERS ON, ON IT.
BUT I WANNA SAY THAT, YEAH, THIS IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S OUR, ONE OF OUR BASIC RIGHTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING BACK IN THIS LITTLE BOOK THAT YOU GAVE US THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, AND WE WANNA KEEP THIS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT I AGREE WITH THE, UH, UM, THE, THERE'S A BALANCE OUT THERE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, AND ALSO KEEPING OUR CITIZENS SAFE AND OUR BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, UNOBSTRUCTED, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BALANCE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.
AND, AND I, I THINK THIS IS GETTING CLOSER THERE.
UH, DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON IT, THOUGH.
UM, IN THE PAST, IT'S BEEN $3,000 THAT, UM, WAS BASICALLY FREE GRATIS, UH, IN THE PAST ON THESE, THESE, UH, THAT'S CORRECT.
COUNCILMAN, WHAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE ORGANIZERS WOULD WORK WITH THE S A P D ON THE ROUTES, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE AND HOW LONG AND WHERE THE ROUTES WERE, THE, THEY WOULD COME UP WITH A TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN THAT WOULD DETERMINE HOW MANY BARRICADES, HOW MANY, UH, TRAFFIC CONTROL POLICEMEN WERE REQUIRED.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD COME UP WITH A COST.
AND THE COST, AS LONG AS IT WAS BELOW 3000, IT WAS BASICALLY WAIVED OR FREE, AS YOU SAY.
SO IT WAS ONLY IF IT WENT ABOVE THAT, THAT THEY WERE CHARGED.
AND YOU SAID THERE WAS ONLY TWO OF THEM THIS LAST YEAR, OR THERE WAS ONLY TWO, TWO OUT OF 23 THAT WERE, THAT FIT THAT, OKAY.
AND WHAT WAS IN OUR BUDGET FOR THIS LAST YEAR? FOR, FOR THIS.
AND IS THIS ONLY IN THE, UH, POLICE BUDGET THIS ON, ON, UH, BUDGETING FOR THESE TYPES OF PARADES, THAT KIND OF THING? IT, UH, COUNCILMAN IN MOST OF THE CASES, UH, THE 23 THAT HAPPENED IN 2016 THAT ANDY'S REFERRING TO, UM, MOST OF THAT ALL CAME OUTTA THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO THOSE 23 WERE, UH, GENERALLY ON DUTY OFFICERS.
SO IT WAS AN EXPENSE THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS, UH, ABSORBED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE DIDN'T BRING ON ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS OR ANYTHING DURING THOSE, THERE, THERE WERE A, THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF EVENTS THAT REQUIRED OFFICERS TO COME IN ON AN OVERTIME, BUT I THINK IN MOST CASES, WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TRIED TO DO IN THE PAST IS, UM, IF IT'S, IF IT CAN BE, UH, HANDLED BY ON-DUTY OFFICERS, THEN, THEN, UH, THEN THEY WOULD UTILIZE THAT.
AND, AND FRANKLY, THAT, I DON'T THINK THAT'LL CHANGE, UH, GOING FORWARD EITHER, SIR.
WELL, JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET, SIR? NO, SIR.
IT JUST COMES RIGHT OFF THE TOP, UH, IN USING EXISTING FORCES.
UM, THE, UM, TRAVIS PARK, THE, THE REMOVAL OF THE MONUMENT WAS, UM, I THINK I REMEMBER, WHAT WAS THAT? IT WAS 150 FOR POLICE, AND THEN THE CONTRACT WAS FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, FOR A TOTAL OF TWO 50.
BUT ON THE, ON THE POLICE SIDE, THAT WHO PAID THAT OUT OF, OUT OF THAT DEAL? IT CAME OUTTA THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
AND MANY OF THOSE OFFICERS DID WORK, UH, AND COME IN ON OVERTIME.
WELL, AND IT IN THE POLICE BUDGET.
SO THEY HAVE AN OVERTIME BUDGET.
SO IT DID COME OUT OF THE POLICE BUDGET.
I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING TO IN OUR CURRENT POLICY, WHAT THIS HAPPENED UNDER, THEY, SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ADU EXTRA COST ON THAT FOR THE POLICE OR, OR NOT? I MEAN, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS A $3,000 IN ANYTHING ABOVE $3,000, THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
IN, IN THAT CASE, THAT WAS INITIATED BY THE CITY.
UH, THERE WASN'T A PERMIT FOR AN ASSEMBLY THERE.
IT WASN'T A PERMITTED ACTIVITY.
PEOPLE DEMONSTRATED INSIDE, YOU KNOW, IN A PARK.
BUT THE REMOVAL OF THE STATUE WAS INITIATED BY THE CITY? YEAH.
UM, SO GOING FORWARD, WE'LL JUST AGAIN,
[01:00:02]
BE COVERED BY EXISTING POLICE, UH, ACTIVITIES AND NOTHING SPECIAL BUDGET, NOTHING SPECIALLY BUDGETED FOR, CORRECT? YES, SIR.UM, ANDY, ON, ON THE INWARD FACING, I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT, THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, THAT RECOMMENDATION, FRANKLY, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN WAS, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD WHEN WE STILL HADN'T, UH, COMPLETELY RESOLVED THE COST ISSUE.
AND IT WAS REALLY FOCUSED AT TRYING TO REDUCE THE COST BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF POLICE PERSONNEL THAT WE REQUIRED FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL.
AND SO ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH BY THE COALITION IS IF WE, IF WE COULD USE, UH, THESE MARSHALS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE GROUP THAT WOULD, UH, WORK WITH THE POLICE IN TERMS OF CROWD CONTROL.
AND THEN THE ISSUE BECAME COULD THEY ACTUALLY WORK IN TERMS OF, OF, OF, UH, DIRECTING TRAFFIC.
AND THAT WAS FRANKLY, A LINE WE DIDN'T WANT TO CROSS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.
ONCE WE REMOVED THE BARRIER OF COST, IT BECAME, YOU KNOW, LESS OF AN ISSUE.
BUT WE STILL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE TO ALLOW FOR, UH, THESE PARADE MARSHALS SO THAT THEY COULD WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO LIAISON AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, INSTRUCTIONS THAT COULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE LARGER CROWD APPROPRIATELY, AND THEY COULD ASSIST.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE, THE INTENT WAS TO, YOU KNOW, MINIMIZE NOT ONLY THE COST, BUT THE AMOUNT OF ACTUAL POLICE PERSONNEL WE NEEDED.
AND SO WE STILL THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO ALLOW IT, BUT JUST NOT ALLOW IT FOR, FOR ACTUAL TRAFFIC CONTROL.
AND THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, WHO ACTUALLY APPROVES THE PERMIT? WHOSE SIGNATURE GOES ON THE PERMIT? WHO APPROVES? OH, THAT'S THE, UH, THAT'S THE POLICE DEPARTMENT USUALLY, YES.
SO, WELL, THAT'S WHAT IT HAS BEEN.
BUT FOR THE PROCE, FOR THE PROCESSION AND PARADES, CORRECT? YES.
SO THAT'LL STAY THE SAME FOR PARK.
IT WOULD BE PARKS AND REC FOR YOU WERE RESERVING A PARK.
IT WOULD BE PARKS, RECREATION, OR CENTER CITY.
BUT FOR, FOR THE PARADES, PROCESSIONS, IT WOULD BE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO SEPARATE APPROVAL AUTHORITIES THEN PARKS, CORRECT? YES.
AND THEN, UH, YOU MENTIONED A CITATION.
WHAT IS THE CITATIONS? THE CITATION FOR, UH, HAVING A PROCESSION OR PARADE WITHOUT A PERMIT? IT'S A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR, WHICH IS ABOUT A TRAFFIC TICKET.
AND THE, AND, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, IF YOU DO HAVE A SPONTANEOUS PARADE OF PROCESSION, IT WOULD BE ONLY THE ORGANIZERS, UH, WHICH I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE TO TACKLE HOW WE IDENTIFY THOSE IF IT'S NOT PERMITTED.
UM, BUT IT'LL BE THE ORGANIZERS, NOT THE ACTUAL MARCHERS THAT'LL BE CITED FOR THAT.
THAT WAS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT OR CONCERN THAT THE COALITION HAD.
THANK YOU, ANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU TWO SCENARIOS MM-HMM.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK, UH, I WAS ON MY WAY TO MY CAMPAIGN EVENT, AND, UH, IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE, SO I WAS PEDDLING OVER ON MY BICYCLE.
AND, UM, I COULD HEAR AS I WAS GETTING CLOSER TO THE CAMPAIGN EVENT, UM, AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASM COMING FROM THE LOCATION.
THERE WERE PEOPLE, UM, CHANTING, AND I WAS SO EXCITED.
I TURNED THE CORNER AND THERE'S ALL THESE PEOPLE DRESSED IN PINK, WHICH WERE MY CAMPAIGN COLORS, ALL LINING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS.
THEY WERE WEARING SIGNS, THEY WERE WEARING THEIR PINK HATS WITH THE, UM, KITTY HATS,
AND I WAS, UM, SO MOVED TO SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
UH, NOT FOR ME, UH, UNFORTUNATELY
BUT, UM, UH, AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT WAS GOING ON, I HAD MY EVENT WITH MY FEW PEOPLE THAT WE WERE GONNA KICK OFF, UM, ON THE SAME LOCATION, BUT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, AND THERE WAS A BIG CROWD.
AND, UM, MANY OF THEM, UH, FELT LIKE THEY WANTED TO MARCH FROM THAT LOCATION INTO MILAN PARK, WHICH IS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY.
UM, AND, UH, THERE WAS NO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD NOT ORGANIZED IT PRIOR.
THE PLACE WAS A PRIVATE EVENT PLACE.
UM, BUT I, UH, I, I, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT SCENARIO.
THEY WANTED TO, AND THEN THEY WERE, THEY EITHER DIDN'T, BECAUSE IT WASN'T ORGANIZED.
[01:05:01]
AND SO THEN YOU HAVE TO GATHER EVERYONE AND SAY, LET'S MARCH INTO TOWN.THAT WAS UP TO, TO THE ORGANIZERS THEMSELVES.
UM, BUT THEY DIDN'T EITHER BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED, UH, FOR, UM, IF THEY WOULD GET CITED, UH, OR IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON.
BUT THERE HAD BEEN A DISCUSSION THERE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THEY MARCH? RIGHT.
UM, AND SO, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ANOTHER SCENARIO.
UM, THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL CHURCH CONGREGATION EVERY YEAR THEY PUT ON A BEAUTIFUL, UH, SADA MM-HMM.
AND WHEN I FIRST WAS, UM, ELECTED, THE PRIEST INVITED ME TO THE CHURCH, UM, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN, HE INVITED ME FOR DINNER.
AND, UH, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS BIG POSADA EVERY YEAR.
HE SAID, HOW DO YOU EXPECT US TO MARCH TO DO OUR POSADA IF THERE'S NO LIGHTS AND THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS? UH, SO I QUICKLY GOT LIGHTS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES THAT WE DID PUT LIGHTS WHEN WE DID OUR NEW LIGHTUP PROGRAM.
BUT THE SIDEWALKS WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO ALL AROUND THE CHURCH.
UH, WHICH I HOPE TO DO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME, UH, EVENTUALLY GET ALL THOSE SIDEWALKS DONE.
SO MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO WALK ON A SIDEWALK IN A STREET WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS? SO YOU HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO WALK, BUT IN THE STREET.
UM, AND, UH, AND THERE, THERE, THAT'S AN ORGANIZED EVENT.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT EVERY YEAR FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
UM, AND THE OTHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THAT SPONTANEOUS MARCH, UM, IS ALWAYS BEEN MY IMPRESSION AND MY BELIEF.
AND, AND MAYBE I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO GET A, A LEGAL QUESTION ON THIS.
STREETS ARE PUBLIC SPACES PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE EQUAL ACCESS TO EVERYONE.
THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN FIGHTING SO HARD FOR THE VISION ZERO INITIATIVE.
BECAUSE VISION ZERO, IF WE WERE REALLY IMPLEMENTING VISION ZERO, WE WOULD HAVE EQUAL ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WALKING, PEOPLE CYCLING, AND PEOPLE USING PRIVATE AUTOMOBILES, NOT JUST FOR PRIVATE AUTOMOBILES.
UH, SO THOSE, THAT'S BEEN MY QUESTION.
IF IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY SLOW MOVING CAR, IT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAY ON THE ROAD, BUT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING, THEN THEY CAN'T STAY ON THE ROAD.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THREE QUESTIONS IN THERE, UH, ANDY, ABOUT HOW THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GONNA APPLY TO THIS SCENARIOS THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCILMAN, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS EACH ONE.
UH, THE FIRST ONE, IN TERMS OF THE SPON, THAT WOULD BE, YOU'RE RIGHT, A SPONTANEOUS PROCESSION OR MARCH.
AND IT'S ONE WHERE, BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT AT THAT TIME, WHEREAS THEY HADN'T APPLIED FOR A PERMIT.
IT'S ONE WHERE, UH, AS YOU SAID, IF IT'S JUST A MILE TO MILE APART, UH, A COUPLE OF OPTIONS, IT WOULD, ONE WOULD BE AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK AND FOLLOWING, IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WALK SIGNALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, OR IF THEY LOOK BOTH WAY, WHICH AS LONG AS THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE NORMAL TRAFFIC REGULATIONS, PATTERNS, THERE'S NOT AN ISSUE WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, MARCHING FROM THAT POINT TO MILAN, PARKER, REALLY ANY POINT AS LONG AS, AGAIN, THEY'RE FOLLOWING REGULAR TRAFFIC REGULATIONS.
SO THAT'S OPTION ONE IS TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, OPTION TWO WOULD BE IF THEY WANT, BUT EVEN IF THEYRE IN THE, THEY WANT, BUT EVEN IF THEY'RE IN THE STREET, BECAUSE THERE'S PARTS WHERE THERE'S SIDEWALKS AND PART WHERE THERE'S NO.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY NEED TO GET ON THE STREET, IT WOULD BE ONE WHERE, UM, IF, IF THEY GET ON THE STREET AND IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T IMPEDE TRAFFIC FROM GOING THROUGH, LET'S SAY IT DOES IMPEDE TRAFFIC.
I MEAN, THAT'S MY POINT ABOUT THE PUBLIC SPACES.
THE, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, BECAUSE, UH, ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE REQUESTS THAT THE, THE COALITION BROUGHT UP, AND I THINK MAYBE THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT, IS, UM, HOW DO WE ALLOW FOR SPONTANEOUS MARCHES? AND WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT WHERE EVEN THEY DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT MARCHING, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET A PERMIT.
BUT I WOULD ALWAYS RECOMMEND, TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN PLAN, YOU KNOW, THE PER PERMITTING PROCESS WORKS PRETTY WELL.
BUT THE REASON IS, IS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, A PERMITTING PROCESS, AND BASICALLY ANYONE CAN, AS YOU SAID, THEN, YOU KNOW, TAKE TO THE STREETS, UH, AT ANY TIME AND IMPEDE TRAFFIC FLOW, AND, UM, IT, IT IS A, A POLICY ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT EVEN IF YOU ALLOW, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIANS OR MARCHERS ON THE STREET, UM, HOW, HOW DO YOU THEN BALANCE THAT WITH THE NEED TO HAVE TRAFFIC BE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC? I THINK THAT'S MY QUESTION, MAYBE FROM ONE OF THE OFFICERS, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THAT THERE'S REALLY NO LAW AGAINST IMPEDING TRAFFIC.
I MEAN, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TAKE TO THE STREET, UM, UH, ANY, I MEAN, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC SPACE, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL, UM, I'M ROBERT BLANTON.
[01:10:01]
ASSIGNED TO THE CHIEF'S OFFICE AT S A P D.THERE IS A LAW AGAINST, UH, PEDESTRIANS IN THE STREET, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A SIDEWALK PROVIDED.
UM, I THINK HOW WE WOULD BEST ADDRESS THAT WOULD BE ON-DUTY RESOURCES.
IF IT WAS ENOUGH TO CAUSE CONCERN, WE WOULD RESPOND AND WE HAD TO GET OUT THERE AND, AND USE THE VEHICLES AND OR OFFICERS TO, TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AND MAKE SURE THOSE PEDESTRIANS ARE GETTING DOWN THE STREET SAFELY TO WHERE THEIR DESTINATION IS.
SO, AND WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT LAW? WHAT IS THE IT'S A PEDESTRIAN ROADWAY WHERE SIDEWALK IS PROVIDED, IT'S AN ORDINANCE, A CITY ORDINANCE MM-HMM.
AND, AND SO WHAT IF THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT AND A CAR IN THE BACK, LIKE A ROLLING ENCLOSURE WE CALL 'EM FOR BIKE RACES? UH, I MEAN, I, I, I SUPPOSE THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
WE WOULD PROBABLY STILL WANT TO BE INVOLVED TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE KIND OF A, KIND OF A CARAVAN OR, OR A LEAD IN THE TAIL SPEAK.
SO IN BIKE, I MEAN, WE, WELL, WHEN WE DID BIKE RACES, IT WAS ALL SANCTIONED, BUT YOU STILL HAD A CAR THAT WAS FOLLOWING IN THE BACK AND A CAR IN THE FRONT SO THAT THE PEOPLE WERE PROTECTED.
BUT IT WAS CALLED A ROLLING ENCLOSURE SO THAT THE PEOPLE WERE PROTECTED.
AND THEN, AND THEN THEY DON'T TECHNICALLY VIOLATE THE LAW BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, YOU STILL HAVE A CAR THERE, WHICH APPARENTLY IS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM.
I MEAN, IF IT WAS A CAR MOVING REALLY, REALLY SLOW, THEN EVERYBODY WOULD JUST GO AROUND.
BUT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING, THEN SUDDENLY THIS IS A IMPEDIMENT TO TRAFFIC.
BUT, BUT I THINK THE MAIN FOCUS IS PEDESTRIANS AND CARS IN THE SAME SPACE IS IS KIND OF BY DEFINITION UNSAFE BECAUSE THE, THE CARS COULD, COULD HIT ONE OF THE PEDESTRIANS, IT SERIOUSLY INJURE THEM.
SO I, I, I SEE YOUR POINT WITH KIND OF THE, THE BLOCKAGE OF THE OTHER VEHICLES, BUT THEN YOU MAY HAVE PEOPLE GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH IT MOVING SO SLOWLY AND THEM DRIVING ERRATICALLY.
AND IT IS JUST A, IT'S KIND OF A RECIPE FOR YEAH, THAT'S JUST BEING RUDE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT A, SO, I MEAN, I, I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
AT, I MEAN, THE POINT I'M MAKING, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE HOTSPOT, BUT IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN MY, MY FEELING OR MY UNDERSTANDING THAT STREETS ARE PUBLIC SPACES PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AND SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL ROAD USERS IN ANY FORM.
SO THAT'S A QUESTION I HAD HERE.
AND THEN IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS, SO, UM, UH, THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS.
SO THEN THE RULE DOESN'T APPLY.
IF THERE, A, A AGAIN, COUNCILMAN, THE, THE, IF THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS, OBVIOUSLY IF PEOPLE HAVE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, THEY'RE PEDESTRIANS, THEY CAN USE THE STREET AGAIN.
IT, IT, IT BASED, IT'S A REASONABLENESS TASK AS TO ARE THEY USING THE STREET IN A REASONABLE WAY THAT DOESN'T, UNRE UNREASONABLY IMPEDE OTHER CITIZENS' RIGHT.
AND SO, AND IT'LL DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE STREET AND THE TIME OF DAY AND THE AMOUNT OF THE CROWD.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S ONE THING THAT, THAT WOULD BE HARD TO, YOU KNOW, UH, PUT IN AN ORDINANCE, ALL THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
UM, BUT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE POLICE, IF, IF THEY ARE CALLED TO, LET'S SAY, A SPONTANEOUS MARCH, LIKE THE ONE, THE FIRST SCENARIO YOU OFFERED, THEY'RE GONNA USE THE BEST JUDGMENT THEY CAN TO LET THE PROCESSION GO FORWARD IN A SAFE MANNER.
AND AGAIN, IN A MANNER THAT DOESN'T, DOESN'T UNREASONABLY IMPEDE THE USE OF THAT ROADWAY BY EVERYBODY.
SO SOUNDS LIKE THEN IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED, THE TWO SCENARIOS THAT I'M PROPOSING, BOTH FOR THE CHURCH POSADA AND FOR, AND FOR THE CHURCH, POSADA, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, IS FOR THE CHURCH POSADA.
'CAUSE THAT'S A PLANNED EVENT.
THAT ONE, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT WE USE A PERMITTING PROCESS BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GET A PERMIT.
UH, AND THEN WHEN THEY GET A PERMIT, YOU'LL HAVE THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, POLICE PERSONNEL THERE, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO OR THREE OR MORE, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE POSADA.
BUT THAT'S ONE WHERE IF YOU HAVE THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND THEN YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A SAFE AVENUE TO GO FROM THE CHURCH TO THE, THE DIFFERENT HOUSES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, UM, OKAY.
WELL, AND I, I GUESS THAT'S JUST MY, YOU KNOW, MY FINAL, I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ARE, UM, ACCEPTABLE.
I JUST HAVE THAT QUESTION ABOUT INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M, I'M STILL SORT OF RELUCTANT ON THOSE TWO ISSUES, THE POLICE PRESENCE DICTATED BY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, WITH THE EXAMPLE THAT OF THE SPONTANEOUS MARCHES AND, AND THE POSADAS AND THE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN, IT SHOULDN'T REQUIRE A SAFETY PLAN FOR A CHURCH POSADA, I MEAN, BEYOND WHAT THEY DO THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LOT OF YEARS MM-HMM.
SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST, I MEAN, I, I HAVE RELUCTANT, I KNOW
[01:15:01]
THAT WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS AGAIN, BUT I AM RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT THOSE TWO BECAUSE, UM, THEY DON'T, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD REQUIRE SAFE POLICE PRESENCE OR A SAFETY PLAN, UM, IN THOSE TWO SCENARIOS.SO THAT'S, I THINK THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN TREVINO FOR WORKING WITH THE FREE SPEECH COALITION ON BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK AND THAT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE COALITION.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ANDY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, LIZ AND CHELSEA FOR, FOR YOUR BRIEFING.
AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT MIKE AND RUSS ARE ALSO HERE AND PARTAKING AND, AND BEING A PART OF THIS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT.
UM, SO I, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, ABOUT MAKING IT, UH, LESS RESTRICTIVE.
I DID MEET WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE COALITION IN, IN MY DISTRICT, AND THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD SOME GREAT POINTS, UM, SUCH AS THE RELIGIOUS EVENTS THAT HAD, UH, SEEN A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS BECAUSE OF THE, THE COST HURDLE TO OVERCOME.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED.
UM, I, I KNOW, UH, THERE'S THIS NATURAL TENSION ABOUT WANTING TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING OR WANTING TO KEEP BUSINESS MOVING, AND THEN FREE SPEECH.
AND I THINK THE TENSION IS IF YOU WANNA GO OUT AND SPEAK, YOU WANNA BE HEARD, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WANNA BE OUT OF THE WAY.
SO, UM, SO I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE BALANCE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE AND, AND CERTAINLY PDS CONCERN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS, IS SAFE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT YOU'VE MADE, UH, SEPARATING THE COST FROM WHAT THE MESSAGE IS.
I THINK THAT WAS, UM, INHIBITING SOME SORT, SOME FORMS OF FREE SPEECH.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, REMOVING THE COST ALTOGETHER SO THAT THE RELIGIOUS EVENTS COULD, COULD TAKE PLACE AND, UH, THIS, THIS FEEDBACK MECHANISM.
UM, THAT SAID, I DO, UM, AND I, I SPOKE WITH, WITH YOUR ATTORNEYS ABOUT THIS, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT S A P D BEING THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT, AND I'LL, I'LL EXPLAIN WHY.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME NOW, I'VE NEVER ORGANIZED A MARCH, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE A LOT OF THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE KIND OF LOGISTICAL WHEN, WHEN YOU MAKE THEM, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO, UM, I DON'T, UH, I GUESS I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S EXCLUSIVE TO, TO PD I AND SEEING AS A DEPARTMENT IS SO SHORT STAFFED MM-HMM.
NOW, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY MM-HMM.
SO I WOULD, UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND EXPLORING, UH, UH, LIKE A ONE-STOP PERSON.
SOMEONE WHO, AND AND I MENTIONED THIS LIKE A, A PROCESSION CZAR, WHO KNOWS, UM, OR, OR LIAISON, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL THEM, WHO KIND OF KNOWS, OKAY, HOW DO YOU WORK WITH PARKS? HOW DO YOU WORK WITH PD OR T C I, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO TO PARKS TO GET CERTAIN PERMITS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO NAVIGATE INTERNALLY, IT'S GOT TO BE DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE TO, TO NAVIGATE.
UM, I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE IF, IF WE TRIED THAT APPROACH.
I'D RECOMMEND, UH, LOOKING INTO THAT.
AND KIND OF TO, TO ECHO COUNCILMAN SAL'S POINTS IS I THINK BRIDGING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND S A P D IS, IS, UM, IS A GREAT THING TO DO.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE PRIMARY GOAL HERE.
RIGHT? THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO I DON'T WANT THAT TO GET OBSCURED MM-HMM.
WHICH AGAIN, I THINK IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING PROBABLY IN EVERYTHING, BUT WE, WE SHOULDN'T HOLD ONLY THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS TO, TO THAT GOAL.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK IS, UH, REGARDING THE SPONTANEOUS MARCHES, UM, HOW WOULD YOU, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THERE MIGHT BE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW YOU DETERMINE WHO THAT ORGANIZER IS, RIGHT? THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S THE, THAT THAT WILL BE THE CHALLENGE COUNCILWOMAN MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, UH, YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THAT CHALLENGE THAN, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE OF THEN CITING, HAVING THE NEED TO THEN CITE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY THEN THERE MARCHING.
AND THAT WAS A, UH, CONCERN THAT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR MM-HMM.
AND, UH, SO IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY WHO THE ORGANIZER IS.
I MEAN, SOME OF THAT MAY DETERMINE, BE DETERMINED AS TO WHETHER IT'S THE SAME ORGANIZER.
[01:20:01]
IF IT'S A RECURRING EVENT, THAT MAY BE ONE THING.'CAUSE WE KNOW THEN WE'VE HAD HISTORY WITH SOME ORGANIZERS.
BUT, UH, WE'LL UNDERTAKE THE CHALLENGE IN LIEU OF HAVING TO CITE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY THERE.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE ALTERNATIVE.
NOW, ONCE YOU, IF THIS IS OCCURRING, IS YOUR INTENTION TO SHUT THE MARCH DOWN, OR IS IT JUST TO CITE THEM AND LET IT CONTINUE? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
NO, THE INTENTION IS NOT TO SHUT IT DOWN.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, IT'LL, IT'LL, IT'LL, IT'LL BE ONE WHERE THE POLICE WILL PROBABLY BE CALLED AND THEY'LL HAVE TO USE JUDGMENT.
AND, UH, HISTORICALLY THEY DO NOT TRY TO DISBAND OR SHUT IT DOWN.
WHAT THEY TRY TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE AT.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, COUNTER GROUPS THERE OR NOT? AND FRANKLY, THEIR MAIN CONCERN IS TO KEEP THE PROCESSION SPONTANEOUS, PROCESSION ORDERLY AND SAFE.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF THAT IS CONTEXTUAL.
A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND SO, AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HISTORICALLY, THE S A P D'S DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN EXERCISING THAT JUDGMENT IN TERMS OF LETTING THAT GO FORWARD.
BUT AGAIN, LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY'S ACCOMMODATED.
'CAUSE I CAN FORESEE, OR WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPEN WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WALK IN THE STREETS LIKE A VIGIL, UH, ABOUT THE SHOOTING.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME DOWN TO MAINE PLAZA, BUT, UH, SOMETIMES THEY JUST, THEY WANT TO WALK 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER IN THE MOMENT.
UM, AND WE WANT THEM TO, AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO DO THAT ON A SIDEWALK
UM, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE ONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE.
UM, UM, UH, AT LEAST IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE, I CALL THEM SINGLE FILE SIDEWALKS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY WALK ARM IN ARM
UM, ANYWAY, SO I'D, I'D JUST BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES DO IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, AND MAYBE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T TREAT THOSE THE SAME AS A PERMITTED MARCH BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF 48 HOURS.
UM, AND I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THEY WON'T NECESSARILY BE SHUT DOWN.
UM, SO ANYWAY, I JUST LIKE TO, TO EXPLORE THAT WE FIND HOPE THAT WE FIND SOMETHING THAT, THAT WORKS IN, IN THAT CASE.
AND, UM, WE'LL CERTAINLY EXPLORE THAT COUNCILWOMAN MM-HMM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO WANNA, YOU KNOW, ERR ON THE SIDE TO GIVE AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, FLEXIBILITY, UH, AS WE CAN.
BUT, UM, IF, IF WE TREAT, UH, SPONTANEOUS MAR MARCHES EXACTLY THE SAME AS WE TREAT PERMANENT MARCHES, IT, IT SORT OF OBVIATES THE NEED FOR A PERMANENT YEAH.
NO, AND THAT'S, I POSSIBLE WE DON'T WANNA RIGHT, EXACTLY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I, TO ME, UH, PEOPLE WHO SPEAK OUT, UH, IT, IT'S AN INDICATION THAT WE HAVE AN ACTIVE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO SPREAD A MESSAGE.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, ANDY.
UH, I TOO WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS, ANDY, YOUR TEAM AND THE FREE SPEECH COALITION.
I THINK EVERYBODY IS WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL OF, OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, UH, SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
YOU KNOW, I TAUGHT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND, UH, A LOT OF TIMES I'D TEACH ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE THE RIGHT TO PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES AND THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, UH, A REALLY FUNDAMENTAL TO A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UH, WELL, I'LL SAY THIS IN MY OWN PART.
I'M, I'M PROUD TODAY OF BEING PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING PART OF MAKING THIS AN EFFECTIVE PART OF HOW WE LIVE AND, AND OPERATE OUR GOVERNMENT AND HOW PEOPLE LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE'RE AT A REAL GOOD PLACE ON THIS.
I STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS TOO, AND SO I THOUGHT I'D, I'D BRING 'EM UP.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT MARSHALLS.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF INWARD FACING, BUT ARE WE ALSO, UH, PREPARED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A TRAINING REQUIREMENT OR RECOMMENDATION FOR MARSHALLS SO THAT AHEAD OF TIME THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT MAYBE, UH, THEIR NECESSITIES CAN BE IN WORKING WITH CROWDS? IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT I THINK THAT WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT THERE AND THERE.
WE DO, UH, UH, ENVISION A TRAINING COMPONENT FOR THAT COUNCILMAN.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHEN THEY'RE WORKING WITH LARGE GROUPS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I REALLY BELIEVE, AND I, I HAVE TO CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUES BOTH, UH, COUNCILMAN SALANA AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, THAT THERE SHOULD BE A
[01:25:01]
LIAISON OTHER THAN, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO WOULD BE THE CONTACT PERSON TO INITIATE THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.I THINK IT WOULD MAKE, FEEL, MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT INITIATING THIS IF THEY WEREN'T GOING TO TALK TO THE POLICE ABOUT IT.
UH, AND SO I, I'D REALLY RECOMMEND WE FIND A WAY OF DOING THAT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFIC SAFETY PLANNING, THE POLICE, T C I TOGETHER CAN HANDLE THAT.
UH, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SECURITY, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY BASED ON THE DAY OF AND THE SIZE OF THE CROWD.
SO YOU DON'T NEED TO KIND OF SIT DOWN AND PLAN THAT OUT VERY FAR IN ADVANCE.
I MEAN, YOU MAY SAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE 10,000 PEOPLE AND ONLY 500 SHOW UP, OR VICE VERSA.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE FLEXIBILITY FOR THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE IN ON A LOT OF ADVANCED PLANNING ON THAT.
IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING PRETTY MUCH DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF, OF THE CROWD, BUT HAVING A, A LIAISON TO WORK WITH THE POLICE AND WORK WITH THE T C I AND WORK WITH THOSE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE MARCH OR THE PARADE, I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEIR RIGHT TO EXERCISE THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH OR, OR THEIR RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE.
I KNOW THERE WAS A, A TALK ABOUT SPONTANEOUS, AND, AND I THINK ALSO RELATED TO THAT IS THE IDEA, ARE WE GOING TO SET UP AN ONLINE AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THESE IN ADVANCE? IN OTHER WORDS, CAN WE PUT SOMETHING ON THE WEBSITE THAT WOULD ENABLE PEOPLE TO GET ONLINE AND, UH, SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY'RE PLANNING SOMETHING, YOU SAY 48 HOURS NOTICE.
UH, AND, AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN APP LIKE CONNECTED TO OUR 3 1 1 APP OR SOMETHING SO THAT IF A GROUP WANTS TO DO SOMETHING SPONTANEOUSLY, THEY COULD GET ON THAT APP AND SAY, WE'VE DECIDED WE WANNA MARCH.
THIS IS SPONTANEOUS, WE HAVEN'T HAD IT PLANNED, BUT WE'RE LETTING YOU KNOW WE'RE GONNA MARCH FROM HERE TO MILAM PARK.
AND THAT WAY THE POLICE ARE WARNED THEY CAN GET OUT AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S OKAY, BUT YOU'RE NOT LIMITING OR PUTTING PEOPLE IN A, A POSITION WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE CHALLENGED, UH, FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS I WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND WE CONSIDER IN TRYING TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER.
AND LAST THING IS, I'LL THROW INTO MY OWN EXPERIENCE.
YOU WANNA FIND THE ORGANIZER FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? LOOK FOR THE PERSON WITH THE BULLHORN
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
COUNCILMAN SHAW? YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND, UH, I I THINK IT'S FROM YOUR, YOUR POLICY POINTS ARE, ARE PRETTY ON POINT.
I DO HAVE NOT JUST QUESTIONS, BUT REGARDING THE S A P D RELATIONSHIP, I THINK THAT'S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, RIGHT? UM, THERE'S A BIGGER ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS OTHER THAN DEALING WITH MARCHES OR RIGHT TO PROTEST.
IT'S, IT'S THE ABILITY FOR S A P D IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO COME BACK TOGETHER.
I THINK WE HAD, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIG ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO TACKLE.
SO I, ONCE AGAIN, I THINK IT'S OUTSIDE OF THIS REALM.
UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE IDEAS OF FINDING ALTERNATIVE MARSHALS OR OTHER RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP GUIDE MARCHES.
MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THE LIABILITY PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE MM-HMM.
UM, AND EVERYONE'S, IT WASN'T ME.
AND I, YOU HATE TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN, THEN HAVE TO GO BACK AND TRY TO FIX IT.
I LIKE TO BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER IN TERMS OF WHEN WE HAVE S A P D OR ANY, ANY, UH, CITY AGENCY GUIDING MARCHES OR RIGHT TO PROTEST BECAUSE THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY FACTOR THERE.
THEN IN TERMS OF THE TRAFFIC CONTROL, CAN WE, UM, LIMIT THE, THE TRAFFIC STUDY OR TRAFFIC CONTROL TO HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS? SO IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MARCH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR AROUND THE BLOCK, OR YOU JUST AT A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA, THERE'S LESS RESTRICTIONS THAN IF THEY WANNA MARCH UP AND DOWN BROADWAY.
SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN KIND OF, I, I KNOW IT'S MORE WORK, BUT I, I THINK THAT WOULD BENEFIT THOSE WHO WANT TO, UH, CAPITALIZE AND UTILIZE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT IF ANYONE'S DIRECTING TRAFFIC, IT'S, IT'S SS A P D.
UM, AND IF, UH, AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, MARY, BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU HAD A QUESTION, WHAT, WHAT DO THEY CONSIDER AS WE COME UP WITH A TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN? IF I CAN ASK OFFICER MCLAUGHLIN, WHO, WHO WORKS WITH THE, UH, A LOT OF THE GROUPS COME UP AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS, UH, THAT HE GOES INTO IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH POLICE AND THE EXTENT OF POLICE PERSONNEL
[01:30:01]
REQUIRED? HI, I AM JEFF MCLAUGHLIN.I'M THE PERMITS OFFICER FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
USUALLY I MEET WITH THE APPLICANT AND WE'LL DISCUSS WHERE THEY WANNA START, WHERE THEY WANNA FINISH, AND, UH, WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM TO, UH, GET THE ROUTE THAT THEY WANT.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES, LIKE IF THEY WANT TO GO AGAINST ON COMMERCE STREET AGAINST TRAFFIC AT RUSH HOUR, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT DESIRABLE.
UM, SO WE TRY TO WORK WITH THEM TO FIND A, A ROUTE.
UM, WHENEVER WE'RE DEVELOPING THE TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN, WE WILL HAVE LIKE A LEAD VEHICLE, SOME MOTORCYCLES ON THE SIDE, AND THEN A TAIL VEHICLE TO ESCORT THE PEOPLE DOWN THE STREET.
SO MOST OF THE TIME WE USUALLY DON'T USE BARRICADES.
IT'S EASIER IN, UM, QUICKER TO USE POLICE OFFICERS.
DO YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE, THE TRAFFIC VOLUME IN WHATEVER AREA THEY'RE TRYING TO MARCH? YES, WE DO.
AND IS IT CATEGORIZED SAYING, YOU KNOW, BROADWAY IS A, A CATEGORY, SO YOU KNOW, IT'S HIGH TRAFFIC.
UM, MAN PARK IS B CATEGORIZED 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S IT'S MILD TRAFFIC AND THEN MAYBE A C CATEGORY SAYING THERE'S NO TRAFFIC AT ALL, LET 'EM GO.
DO Y'ALL DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES, BUT IT'S NOT CATEGORIZED.
WE KIND OF JUST THINK OF LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON, BECAUSE AT SAY, COMMERCE AND ALAMO FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK, WE KNOW THE TRAFFIC'S REALLY HEAVY VERSUS SUNDAY MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK THERE'S NOT MUCH TRAFFIC.
SO WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND I, I GUESS MY, MY FINAL, I GUESS COMMENT WOULD BE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ABOUT PERCEPTION AND WITH THE WHOLE TRAVIS PARK ISSUE, UM, A LOT OF THE, I'VE HEARD SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF S A P D BEING THERE IN UM, RIGHT.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU THAT NEGATIVE PERCEPTION SAYING THEY, THEY WANNA FIGHT ME BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY HAVE THE, THE SHIELDS, THEY HAVE THE BELLY CLUBS IN THEIR HAND, THEIR FACES ARE COVERED, AND I GET IT BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AS WELL.
AND IF I'M RUNNING UP ON SOMEBODY WHO'S WEARING THAT, MY FIRST INSTINCT IS IT'S GONNA BE A CONFRONTATION.
SO I THINK A PERCEPTION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO WITH CHIEF AND SSS A P D ABOUT THAT WHEN WE HAVE S A P D AT THESE MARCHES OR AT THESE RALLIES, HOW CAN WE COME TOGETHER? BUT LIKE I SAY, IT'S A BIGGER ISSUE.
IT'S BIGGER THAN MARCHES, IT'S ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THIS POLICY.
IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE OF THIS COUNTRY, WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE NOW IS MASS SHOOTINGS.
AND I, WE'VE TALKED TO CHIEF ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN COMMITTEE AS WELL AS IN B SESSION REGARDING HOW TO PREPARE FOR THAT.
SO I DO WANNA SEE S A P D MAINTAIN THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH MARCHES WITH PROTESTS BECAUSE OF THAT ONE FACTOR THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE NEED OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AVAILABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SITUATION.
BUT THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
I WANT TO CLOSE, UM, BY SAYING THAT, UM, THE FREE SPEECH COALITION AS WELL AS, UH, SSS A P D, UH, DESERVE A LOT OF CREDIT.
THEY'RE ALREADY DOING A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITY RELATIONS MEETINGS PROACTIVELY WITH THE PRO-IMMIGRATION COMMUNITY, WITH, UH, L G B T COMMUNITY, WITH, UM, BLACK LIVES MATTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS ALREADY TAKING PLACE, AND I KNOW THEY'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS SO FAR TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE NEXT STEPS, UM, ANDY, I THINK YOU HAVE PRETTY CLEAR CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL THAT WE WANNA SEE FIRST STEP, THE, THE MM-HMM.
SO AS WE SEE THE, UH, ORDINANCE COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR VOTING ON AN A SESSION SOMETIME IN JANUARY, WANNA SEE THAT? AND WE ALSO WANNA SEE THAT, UM, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, RESPECTING CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAWS THAT WILL ALWAYS RE REGULATE AND SUPERSEDE HOURS WITH REGARD TO THE USE OF ROADWAYS.
WE WANT TO SEE EVERY UNNECESSARY RESTRICTION REMOVED WITH REGARD TO ASSEMBLY AND FREE SPEECH.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN A GREAT SPOT.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO'S WORKED ON THIS, UM, GREAT STUFF.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
UH, ANDY, ESPECIALLY YOUR OFFICE, SO, ALRIGHT.
AND I, I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT LEAVES US NO TIME TO DO OUR STREETLIGHTS.
[Executive Session]
WE'RE GONNA GO NOW INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM IN THERE.THE TIME NOW IS 4:15 PM ON THIS 13TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2017.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE V T C S, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 51 0 8 7, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE
[01:35:01]
OR VALUE OF THE REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LITIGATION RELATED TO OPIOID MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND PROMOTERS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE COMPLIANCE OF BI PARTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE LICENSING MEDIA AND PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.