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GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF DECEMBER THE SIXTH, 2017.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE RESIDENT COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE.
UH, WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION.
WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, CHERYL, GO AHEAD AND KICK US OFF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
THE FIRST ITEM, THE FIRST ITEM
[1. A Briefing by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District on Tobacco 21 and proposed changes to Chapter 36 of City Code. [Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager; Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Director, Health]]
ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON IS A BRIEFING ON TOBACCO 21 BY THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN HEALTH DEPARTMENT.AND OUR METRO HEALTH STAFF HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOCAL TOBACCO 21 POLICY SINCE THIS SUMMER.
COLLEEN BRIDGER, THE DIRECTOR OF METRO HEALTH, INTRODUCED TOBACCO 21 TO ALL OF YOU BACK IN AUGUST DURING HER PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018.
THAT BEGAN ON OCTOBER 1ST AS AN INITIATIVE TO TO EXPECT IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
AND HERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THIS POLICY CONVERSATION AT THE FIRST COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON AUGUST 24TH.
BRIDGER INCLUDED TOBACCO 21 IN HER PRESENTATION, BOTH AS A PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTION TO THE RATES OF SMOKING IN HIGH SCHOOL AGED STUDENTS, AS WELL AS DURING A DISCUSSION OF NINE POLICY AREAS OF THE CITY HEALTH INITIATIVE.
DURING THIS MEETING, COUNCIL, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON THE CITY COUNCIL ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TOBACCO 21 AND A PRESENTATION AT A FUTURE COMMITTEE MEETING.
FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH TO OCTOBER 23RD, METRO HEALTH CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY SURVEY TO GAUGE SUPPORT FOR THIS POLICY.
SURVEYS WERE AVAILABLE ON METRO HEALTH WEBSITE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, ALL METRO, METRO HEALTH CLINICS, AND MULTIPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, METRO HEALTH'S COMMUNITY PARTNERS WERE ALSO INVITED TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 5,400 RESPONSES TO THE COMMUNITY SURVEY WITH 77.5% OF THE RESPONDENTS IN FAVOR OF INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO TO 21 ON OCTOBER 26TH.
BRIDGER PRESENTED AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ABOUT TOBACCO 21, AS WELL AS THE RESULTS OF THE, OF THE SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE, AND THE COMMITTEE THEN RECOMMENDED THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL TO FURTHER GARNER FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON TOBACCO 21 AND PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE.
METRO HEALTH HOSTED A STAKEHOLDER MEETING ON NOVEMBER 13TH AND TO ENGAGE POTENTIAL OPPONENTS OF A LOCAL 20 TOBACCO 21 POLICY.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO MAILED A LETTER TO OVER 1600 TOBACCO RETAILERS, SPECIFICALLY INVITING THEM TO ATTEND A TOWN HALL MEETING AND LEARN MORE ABOUT TOBACCO 21, AND TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED POLICY.
THE MEETING WAS HELD AND LIVE STREAMED VIA FACEBOOK ON NOVEMBER 16.
BRIDGER IS HERE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THIS TOPIC AND THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE CHAPTER 36 ENTITLED SMOKING.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL INTRODUCE DR.
COLLEEN BRIDGER TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A DECISION THIS AFTERNOON, BUT BASED UPON THE POLICY DISCUSSION WITH CITY COUNCIL, WE WILL THEN BRING THIS ITEM FORWARD, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AS AN ACTION ITEM AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, SO LET ME JUMP RIGHT INTO MY PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
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TOBACCO IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DISEASE, DISABILITY, AND DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES.AND EVERY YEAR, NEARLY A HALF A MILLION AMERICANS DIE PREMATURELY FROM SMOKING OR EXPOSURE TO SECONDHAND SMOKE.
28,000 TEXANS DIE EACH YEAR FROM TOBACCO, AND FOR REFERENCE THAT COMPARES TO 1500 HOMICIDES EACH YEAR IN TEXAS.
SPECIFIC TO TEENS EVERY DAY, MORE THAN 3,800 YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 18 SMOKE THEIR FIRST CIGARETTE.
AND EVERY DAY, NEARLY 2100 YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 BECOME ADDICTED TO CIGARETTES AS DAILY CIGARETTE SMOKERS.
TOBACCO COMPANIES SPEND $8.9 BILLION EVERY YEAR TO ADVERTISE THEIR ADDICTIVE PRODUCT, $610 MILLION A YEAR HERE IN TEXAS ALONE, THESE AD CAMPAIGNS ARE OFTEN TARGETED TO YOUTH.
WHEN WE LOOK AT TOBACCO'S BURDEN, I WANNA POINT OUT A FEW KEY POINTS.
ALMOST A THIRD OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
NEARLY 13% OF MALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BEXAR COUNTY ARE SMOKERS.
A LOT OF THESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT ANNUALLY, UH, THE UNITED STATES SPENDS $300 BILLION ON HEALTHCARE COSTS ASSOCIATED AND HEALTHCARE COSTS AND LOST WORKER PRO PRODUCTIVITY COSTS RELATED TO TOBACCO YOUTH.
SO I AM HERE TODAY TO RECOMMEND THAT WE RAISE THE SALE AGE FOR TOBACCO TO 21, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT USED TOBACCO BY AGE 21 ARE UNLIKELY TO EVER START.
SO WHY RAISE THE AGE? WELL, FIRST, WE KNOW MOST SMOKERS START BEFORE THE AGE OF 21.
95% OF ADULT SMOKERS BEGAN SMOKING BEFORE THEY TURNED 21.
AND MANY OCCASIONAL SMOKERS IN HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITIONED TO REGULAR USE DURING THE AGES OF 18 TO 21.
NEXT, WE KNOW THAT NICOTINE IS ADDICTIVE, AND WE KNOW THAT THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO NICOTINE THAN A FULLY DEVELOPED BRAIN USING NICOTINE LITERALLY REWIRES THE TEENAGE BRAIN, NOT JUST TO BECOME ADDICTED TO NICOTINE, BUT TO BECOME ADDICTED TO OTHER SUBSTANCES LIKE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
AND IF YOU'LL PERMIT ME TO READ SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN THESE ADS ON THE TV RECENTLY, BUT THIS IS VERBATIM FROM A TOBACCO COMPANY AD THAT STARTED AIRING LAST WEEK.
NICOTINE IS THE ADDICTIVE DRUG IN TOBACCO.
CIGARETTE COMPANIES INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED CIGARETTES WITH ENOUGH NICOTINE TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN ADDICTION.
WHEN YOU SMOKE, THE NICOTINE ACTUALLY CHANGES THE BRAIN.
THAT'S WHY QUITTING IS SO HARD.
THAT IS FROM THE TOBACCO COMPANIES.
THOSE ARE THE ADS THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING.
ANOTHER REASON TO RAISE THE AGE IS THAT WE WILL REDUCE TOBACCO USE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
CURRENTLY, LEGAL HIGH SCHOOL SMOKERS AGES 18 AND 19 ARE A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF CIGARETTES TO THE YOUNGER TEENS.
AND WE KNOW THAT YOUNGER TEENS HAVE LESS CONTACT WITH PEOPLE 21 AND AND UP.
AND SO WHEN WE PUT THAT DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AGE THAT IT'S LEGAL TO SMOKE AND THE AGE WHEN YOU'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE REDUCING HIGH SCHOOL ACCESS TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
63% OF NINE THROUGH 12TH GRADERS HAVE GIVEN MONEY TO SOMEBODY OF LEGAL AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO FOR THEM.
FINALLY, TO SUMMARIZE THE REASONS WHY I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE RAISE THE AGE, IT WOULD DELAY THE AGE OF FIRST TOBACCO USE AND REDUCE THE RISK OF BECOMING A REGULAR SMOKER.
IT WOULD HELP KEEP TOBACCO OUT OF SCHOOLS, AND YOUNGER TEENS WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ILLEGALLY PURCHASING TOBACCO BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PASS THEMSELVES OFF AS 21.
SO LET'S TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES.
AND REMIND, I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS A TOBACCO ORDINANCE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CIGARETTES.
IT'S ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS, WHICH INCLUDES ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, UM, CHEWING TOBACCO,
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OTHER VAPING PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS COMBUSTIBLE PRODUCTS LIKE CIGARETTES AND PIPES.ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES ARE THE MOST POPULAR TOBACCO PRODUCT USED BY YOUTH.
IN FACT, 81% OF YOUTH WHO TRIED ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES STARTED WITH A FLAVORED, UH, E-CIGARETTE, UH, TOBACCO COMPANIES MARKET.
THESE, UM, THESE PRODUCTS, YOUTH FRIENDLY FLAVORS LIKE COTTON CANDY, GUMMY BEAR, CHERRY, AND WATERMELON, IT'S INTENTIONALLY DONE TO ENTICE YOUTH TO TRY IT.
AND WITH THE NICOTINE ADDED TO IT, ONCE YOU TRY IT WITH YOUR DEVELOPING BRAIN, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME ADDICTED TO IT AND THEN USE IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
I WANTED TO TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT TOBACCO.
IN THE MILITARY, SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED DURING BASIC TRAINING.
THE MILITARY HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE TOLL THAT TOBACCO TAKES ON TROOP READINESS, UM, AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR THE D O D.
MILITARY LEADERS ARE ACTIVELY TAKING STEPS TO REDUCE TOBACCO USE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT 18 IS NOT CONSIDERED THE AGE OF MAJORITY FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PURCHASE OR DRINK ALCOHOL UNTIL YOU TURN 21.
UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO NOT ALLOWED TO GAMBLE IN A CASINO.
GAMBLING IS ALSO ANOTHER ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR, AND AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT THE DEVELOPING BRAIN IS MORE PRONE TO ADDICTION, UM, THAT, UH, RESTRICTION HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO OBTAIN A CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT UNTIL YOU'RE OVER THE AGE OF 18.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO RENT A CAR, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK INTO A HOTEL, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO FOSTER A CHILD.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, TRENDING NATIONALLY IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS A FOCUS ON REHABILITATION AND REMEDIATION AMONG OUR YOUTH, UM, RECOGNIZING THE ROLE IN A STILL DEVELOPING BRAIN ON IMPULSE CONTROL AND CAUSE AND EFFECT PROCESSING.
SO THE, UM, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY SEEN THIS SLIDE, BUT, UM, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE TOBACCO 21 IS ALREADY, UM, COVERING 25% OF AMERICANS, UH, THROUGHOUT 18 STATES.
FIVE STATES HAVE, UM, RAISED THE AGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, AND 280 DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE RAISED THE AGE TO 21.
ONE OF THOSE CITIES IS CHICAGO.
AND, UM, THEY IMPLEMENTED THE TOBACCO 21 JULY 1ST, 2016.
UM, JUST SIX MONTHS LATER, THEY DID A SURVEY AND THEY FOUND A 36% DECREASE IN SMOKING IN THEIR 18, 19, AND 20 YEAR OLDS.
THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THAT WE DID A SURVEY AND THAT WE FOUND, UM, 77.5% OF THE RESPONDENTS AGREED THAT RAISING THE LEGAL AGE OF SALE FOR TOBACCO TO 21, UM, WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT.
THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH TWO OTHER SURVEYS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE.
ONE WAS A NATIONAL SURVEY THAT FOUND 75% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT RAISING THE LEGAL AGE OF SALE FOR TOBACCO.
AND A SURVEY DONE BY THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SPECIFIC TO TEXAS HAD A SUBSECTION FOR SAN ANTONIO, WHERE THEY FOUND 78% OF PEOPLE SUPPORT RAISING THE LEGAL AGE.
UM, JUST COVER BRIEFLY THE, UH, SOME MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE TOWN HALL.
WE DID INVITE, UM, 1600 TOBACCO RETAILERS TO COME TO THE TOWN HALL.
UM, WE ALSO NOTIFIED THE COMMUNITY THROUGH, UM, 293 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, AND MULTIPLE PRESS RELEASES AND MEDIA COVERAGE ABOUT THE EVENT.
ABOUT 85 PEOPLE CAME TO THE TOWN HALL, UM, TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND HAVE THEIR COMMENTS HEARD.
UM, 35 OF THOSE WHO CAME WERE OPPOSED TO THE ORDINANCE.
45 OF THOSE WHO CAME WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE ORDINANCE, AND FIVE WERE UNDECIDED.
WE ALSO STREAMED LIVE VIA FACEBOOK, AND THERE WERE A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO WATCHED LIVE DURING THAT PROCESS.
AND SINCE THEN, OVER 300 PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED THE TOWN HALL ON FACEBOOK.
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I THINK A LOT OF YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE SAN ANTONIO TOBACCO 21 COALITION.UM, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE A LETTER IN, UM, ONE OF YOUR FOLDERS, THE ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE METRO HEALTH ON IT, UM, THAT SHOWS YOU ALL OF THE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES WHO ARE PART OF THE SAN ANTONIO TOBACCO 21 COALITION.
ALL OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE COME TOGETHER.
MANY OF THEM ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY.
THEY HAVE PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD, AND TO REALLY FOCUS ON DOUBLING DOWN ON OUR EDUCATION ON YOUTH ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TOBACCO USE.
SO LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
CURRENT TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE ADDRESSES SALE, PURCHASE AND POSSESSION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER 18.
THE STATE LAW ALSO INCLUDES ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES.
WITHIN THESE PROVISIONS, THE STATE LAW PERMITS A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION TO CREATE STRICTER STANDARDS REGARDING THESE PROVISIONS.
SO THAT IS THE BASIS UPON WHICH WE ARE APPROACHING THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE.
THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS TO THE ORDINANCE.
THE FIRST IS SPECIFIC TO RETAIL SALES OF TOBACCO UNDER 21, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, MIRRORS THE STATE LAW, BUT WILL RE REVISE AGE RESTRICTION TO 21.
SO THROUGHOUT THE STATE LAW WHERE IT SAYS 18, OUR ORDINANCE WILL SAY 21.
THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION FOR SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS WILL ALSO MIRROR THE STATE LAW, WHICH IS A FINE SET AT A MAXIMUM OF $500.
THE NEXT PART OF THE ORDINANCE IS SPECIFIC TO YOUTH, UM, POSSESSION USE AND PURCHASE.
AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO I WANNA BE REALLY, REALLY, UM, CLEAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE THREE OPTIONS ARE.
SO THE FIRST IS YOU COULD CHOOSE TO NOT ENFORCE, UM, ON YOUTH POSSESSION USE AND PURCHASE OF TOBACCO.
AND THERE ARE SOME CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE GONE TO TOBACCO 21, WHO HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO ENFORCE ON THE YOUTH.
THE NEXT OPTION OR OPTION TWO WOULD BE AN ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT, BUT THE PENALTY WOULD BE MANDATORY EDUCATION.
THE NEXT, AND, AND LET ME JUST CLARIFY THAT, THAT WOULD BE LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY GETS A SPEEDING TICKET AND THEY GET A CITATION FOR A SPEEDING TICKET, AND THEY'RE TOLD, IF YOU GO TO THIS ONLINE COURSE AND YOU TAKE IT, UM, THAT TICKET WILL BE REMOVED FROM YOUR RECORD.
THAT WOULD BE THE SAME CASE HERE.
IF THEY GO TO THE EDUCATION, UM, THE TICKET WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THEIR RECORD, SO THERE WOULD BE NO RISK OF CRIMINALIZING TOBACCO POSSESSION.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD OPTION WOULD BE TO SET THE PENALTIES THE SAME AS THE STATE, WHICH DOES ALLOW SOME PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION.
UM, THEY COULD, THE, THE JUDGES COULD SAY THAT THE YOUTH NEEDS TO GO TO AN EDUCATION COURSE, BUT THEY CAN ALSO, UM, IMPLEMENT A FINE UP TO $250.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE GO WITH OPTION NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A MANDATORY CESSATION CLASS.
BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.
UM, ONE THING THAT I DO WANNA DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THE FACT THAT, UM, THROUGH MID-NOVEMBER, UM, S A P D HAD HAD 31 CITATIONS FOR, UM, UNDERAGE PURCHASE USE OR POSSESSION FOR CIGARETTES.
UM, ONE OF THOSE WAS FOR USING CIGARETTES.
30 OF THEM WERE FOR POSSESSION.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE YOUTH WERE STOPPED FOR SOME OTHER REASON, AND IN THE PROCESS OF PROCESSING WERE FOUND TO BE IN POSSESSION OF CIGARETTES.
SO, UM, I THINK THE INTENT HERE IS NOT TO PURSUE AGGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT ON YOUTH, BUT TO STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO ENFORCE IT WILL BE A STRONGER DETERRENT.
SO THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, THAT I AM PROPOSING IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A SIX MONTH GRACE PERIOD
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DURING WHICH TIME WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS TO HELP EDUCATE RETAILERS, UM, SCHOOLS, AGENCIES THAT WORK WITH YOUTH ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE AGE HAS CHANGED, UM, AND THAT WE WOULD DURING THAT TIME PROVIDE THE RETAILERS WITH SIGNAGE, A CHECKLIST FOR TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORMS. SO SPECIFIC TO THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, THERE IS A MEMO IN YOUR FOLDER, UM, THAT IS THE METRO HEALTH FOLDER THAT OUTLINES, UM, VERY SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE ENFORCEMENT LOOKS LIKE.DOES EVERYBODY HAVE THAT? UM, THERE'S A CHART ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THAT THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY SIMPLIFIES THE PROCESS FOR FOLKS.
ACTUALLY, TECHNICALLY IT'S THE THIRD PAGE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF POINTS I WANNA DRIVE HOME.
ONE IS THAT METRO HEALTH, UH, WILL LEAD THE ENFORCEMENT TWO IS THAT SSS A P D WILL NOT CONDUCT COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
UM, SO Y'ALL DON'T HAVE IT? WE HAVE IT.
DO YOU HAVE A FOLDER WITH METRO HEALTH ON IT? BUT IT'S YOUR OH, IT DOESN'T HAVE IT IN THERE.
WE WILL RECTIFY THAT POST HASTE, RIGHT? YES.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? YEAH, YOU'VE GOT IT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, IT, IT SAYS TOBACCO 21 EDUCATION AND IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENT.
AND IF YOU FLIP TO THE THIRD PAGE, THERE'S A, A CHART, AH, WE HAD A PRODUCTION ERROR.
WE'LL GET, WE'LL MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS A COPY.
SO, METRO HEALTH SANITARIANS WILL LEAD ENFORCEMENT, SS A P D WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
UM, EITHER THE CHECKS FOR SIGNAGE AND TRAINING, OR THE, UM, THE DECOY COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT'S KIND OF COOL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO USE PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS TO DETERMINE THE LOCATIONS OF THESE DECOY OPERATIONS.
SO THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF THE, UH, HUMAN BIAS OUT OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.
UM, AND WE WOULD PROGRAM THE SOFTWARE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PREDICT THOSE LOCATIONS THAT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO VIOLATE THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND THEN THE DECOY OPERATIONS WOULD HAPPEN AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
THE IMPLEMENTATION PHILOSOPHY, UM, IS EDUCATION.
WE WANNA EDUCATE AND PARTNER WITH RETAILERS TO ACHIEVE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW SALE AGE.
I SHOULD MENTION THAT WE HAVE A VERY LOW VIOLATION OF TOBACCO SALES TO MINERS CURRENTLY, AND I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE ANY DIFFERENT WHEN WE RAISE THE AGE, RETAILERS REALLY DO A GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT SELLING TO UNDERAGE PURCHASERS.
WE WANNA EMPHASIZE EDUCATING YOUTH ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TOBACCO ADDICTION, AND WE WANNA ENSURE THAT YOUTH ARE AWARE OF TOBACCO CESSATION AND EDUCATION CLASSES, THE TIMELINE.
UM, THIS KIND OF SPELLS OUT WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND, AND WHERE WE HOPE TO GO.
UM, WE'RE AT THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION, SO ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE CHART, UM, IF, UH, Y'ALL AGREE, THEN IT WOULD MOVE TO THE, UM, A SESSION FOR NEXT THURSDAY FOR A POSSIBLE VOTE.
UM, I, AGAIN, WITH THE SIX MONTH IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IF PASSED THE ORDINANCE WOULD GO INTO EFFECT JULY 1ST, 2018.
SO TO SUMMARIZE THE KEY MESSAGES OF THE PRESENTATION, TOBACCO KILLS MORE THAN 480,000 AMERICANS EACH YEAR.
VIRTUALLY ALL STARTED USING TOBACCO BEFORE 21.
INCREASING THE SALES AGE TO 21 WILL HELP PEOPLE FROM EVER STARTING TO SMOKE, WHICH WILL HELP THEM AVOID A LIFELONG ADDICTION.
AND INCREASING THE SALES AGE WILL HELP COUNTER TOBACCO COMPANY EFFORTS TARGETING YOUNG PEOPLE AT A CRITICAL TIME WHEN THEIR DEVELOPING BRAINS ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ADDICTION.
AND NOW I'M READY FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
BRIDGER, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
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LET ME JUST START BY THANKING YOU AND YOUR TEAM.UH, WHEN YOU WERE HIRED, UH, YOU WERE CHARGED WITH A VERY SPECIFIC MISSION, WHICH IS TO, UH, GO HEADLONG INTO THE DATA ON WHAT CAN MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A HEALTHIER PLACE, REGARDLESS OF, UH, THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE HEALTH EXPERTS CIRCLES.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE VERY SOBERING LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITH TOBACCO USE, NOT ONLY IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY IF WE, IF WE PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT, UH, RESTRICTS PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO BUY A LEGAL PRODUCT, WHETHER IT'S AGE RESTRICTED OR NOT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S HAVING A REAL HEALTH IMPACT.
AND FOR ME, THE MOST COMPELLING PART OF THIS STORY IS THE IMPACT TO KIDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE, ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND, AND MOST READILY ADDICTED, UH, TO SUBSTANCES.
COULD YOU GO OVER AGAIN, UH, THE IMPACT, UH, PROJECTED IMPACT LOCALLY, BUT ALSO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, UH, EMBARKED ON A TOBACCO 21 RESTRICTION? YES.
SO, UM, THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE HAS, UM, PUBLISHED DATA THAT SHOWS THAT IMPLEMENTING TOBACCO 21 WOULD RESULT IN A 12% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, SO THAT IS THE, THE LOW ESTIMATE.
NOW, WE KNOW THAT THE HIGH END OF THAT IS WHAT WE SAW IN CHICAGO WHERE THEY HAD A 36% DECREASE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY DECREASING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SMOKE, UM, OVERALL, AS WELL AS DECREASING THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPOSED TO TOBACCO DURING A TIME WHEN THEY, THEY CAN BE BECOME ADDICTED.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL IMPACTS AND, UM, OTHER CANCER AND, AND THAT THAT WOULD BE DE DECREASED AS WELL.
AND, AND THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE DON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT.
UH, AND WE PROBABLY HAVE A LESS, UH, A LESS EMPIRICAL GRASP ON, UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, POSITIVE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF GOOD HEALTH.
THE COST AVOIDANCE OF, OF COMMUNITY-WIDE, OF, OF HEALTHCARE THAT CAN BE AVOIDED.
UM, SO THERE ARE HEALTH IMPACTS.
THERE ARE ALSO THE CONCERNS ABOUT BUSINESS IMPACTS.
AND COULD YOU, DO WE HAVE A PROJECTION ON THE AMOUNT OF PURCHASE OR THE, THE PROPORTION OF PURCHASES, UH, OF THE 18 TO 20 YEAR OLD SMOKER AT LOCAL BUSINESSES? YES.
SO, UM, THE STRONGEST NATIONAL STUDY THAT IS OUT THERE PUTS THE PROJECTION AT 2%.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER STATES AND CITIES WHO HAVE DONE THIS, IT HAS RANGED FROM 1% TO 4%.
UM, BUT THE, THE, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE STATISTIC THAT, UM, MOST FOLKS CITE IS THAT 18, 19 AND 20 YEAR OLDS PURCHASED 2% OF TOBACCO IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO IN, IN TERMS OF OVERALL BUSINESS IMPACT, IF THE CONCERNS ARE VALID AND, AND, AND THEY ARE, THAT YOU COULD GO A HALF A MILE, FOR INSTANCE, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND GO TO ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY AS A DIFFERENT LAW ABOUT, UH, TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND THE AGE RESTRICTIONS, UM, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO THAT BUSINESS IN TERMS OF THE TOBACCO, UM, PURCHASE CATEGORY WOULD BE IF IT MIRRORS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ABOUT 2%.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, AND THIS IS MORE OF A, A CIVIL LIBERTIES AND PHILOSOPHY STANDPOINT, IS, UH, THE MILITARY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, MEN AND WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY VOLUNTARILY PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY, UH, WOULD TAKE A BULLET FOR THIS COUNTRY, UH, AT THE AGE OF 18.
AND YET WE'RE TELLING THEM THEY CAN'T BUY A CIGARETTE AT A LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE AT THAT AGE.
UM, YOU INFORMED ME THAT, UM, BECAUSE THE, THIS IS A LOCAL ORDINANCE AND OUR JURISDICTION DOES NOT GO INTO, UH, FEDERAL JURISDICTION, UM, THAT THOSE MEN AND WOMEN, UM, OF AGE FEDERALLY 18 YEAR OLD THROUGH 20 YEAR, YEAR OLD COULD IN FACT PURCHASE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IF THEY'RE ON A MILITARY BASE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE, THE BASIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO SPENT HIS ENTIRE CAREER DOING TOBACCO, UH, RESEARCH IN THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF TOBACCO ON PEOPLE.
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YOU KNOW, HE GAVE ME A PRETTY COM COMPELLING CASE.I HAD QUESTIONS MYSELF ABOUT THE IMPACTS IT HAS TO A COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE FORWARD PROGRESSIVE ABOUT TOBACCO POLICY AS BEING VERY POSITIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO HEAR FROM HIM.
UM, BUT HE DID REMIND ME ABOUT ONE THING ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL SIDE, WHICH IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, UH, THE HEALTH OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AROUND YOU, IT IS PERSONAL HEALTH AS WELL.
I MEAN, THERE IS A REASON WHY THE MILITARY DOESN'T WANT BASIC TRAINEES, UH, TO SMOKE.
IT'S BECAUSE IT IMPAIRS THEIR PERFORMANCE.
UH, IT IMPAIRS THEIR ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB, AND THAT'S FOR HEALTH REASONS.
SO, I MEAN, I, I WANT TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE ROOM, CERTAINLY WANT TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION ABOUT TIMING.
UM, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION TO HAVE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO, TO BRING THIS FORWARD AND, AND HAVE A REAL, REAL, A VERY REAL CONVERSATION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD IMPACT OUR, THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'LL GO NOW WITH, UH, SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.
UH, SO I WAS JUST CONFIRMING WITH MY STEPDAUGHTER, UM, WHOSE HUSBAND JUST WENT THROUGH BASIC TRAINING AND, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE COFFEE.
SO NOT ONLY CAN THEY NOT SMOKE, BUT THEY CAN'T HAVE, THEY CAN'T HAVE A LOT OF THINGS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST EXAMPLE.
I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
UM, SO I, I DO REMEMBER THAT AS SOON AS HE GOT BACK FROM BASIC, WHAT HE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS GO FOR A BIG HOT CUP OF COFFEE.
SO, UM, I JUST, UH, BECAUSE ONCE THEY DO FINISH THEIR BASIC TRAINING, THEN THEY CAN GO AND BUY CIGARETTES IF THEY WANT TO.
IT'S NOT JUST THAT IT'S FOR A RESTRICTED PERIOD WHILE THEY'RE, UM, UH, IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
BUT I GUESS JUST ANOTHER QUESTION IS, WHY, WHY DID THIS COME UP RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE WHEN YOU CAME TO PRESENT IT TO ME A MONTH OR SO AGO, UM, I THOUGHT, WELL, I'VE NEVER, I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS ARGUMENT BEFORE, UH, THAT WE SHOULD START RESTRICTING THE AGE FOR CIGARETTES.
SO HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? SO, UM, I PRESENTED IT AS PART OF AN OVERALL STATE OF THE CITY'S HEALTH REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND IT WAS THE ONE ITEM THAT ROSE TO THE TOP OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND I WAS GIVEN CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO COME BACK, UM, WITH A MORE FULLY DEVELOPED PROPOSAL, BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, VERY INTERESTING TO THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, AND THAT WAS, UM, SO I KNOW THAT YOU GAVE SOME STATISTICS ABOUT THE AGE, UH, HOW INCREASING THE AGE COULD DECREASE THE USAGE AT A LATER, BUT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO WERE LIFELONG SMOKERS STARTED SMOKING WAY BEFORE THEY WERE 18.
AND I KNOW MY, MY FATHER-IN-LAW ALSO DIED OF VERY MISERABLE DEATH FROM SMOKING.
UH, BUT HE WAS SMOKING ON THE FARM WHEN HE WAS 12.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS A, UH, I, YOU DID SHOW SOME STATISTICS HERE, BUT, UM, SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE SMOKE VERY YOUNG.
WELL, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF RAISING THE AGE TO 21.
IT'S BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SOCIALIZATION BETWEEN 18 YEAR OLDS AND 14 YEAR OLDS, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER.
AND SO 14 YEAR OLDS HAVE EASIER ACCESS TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY'RE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE OF LEGAL AGE.
IF YOU RAISE THAT AGE TO 21, THERE ARE MANY FEWER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIALIZING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE 21 AND OLDER.
SO YOU ELIMINATE THAT PIPELINE, UM, FOR TOBACCO ACCESS.
SO THIS IS AS MUCH ABOUT, UM, RESTRICTING ACCESS TO, UH, FOLKS 18, 19, AND 20, AS IT IS ABOUT DOING A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING TOBACCO PRODUCTS OUT OF THE HANDS OF, UH, STUDENTS WHILE THEY'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, AND IT WOULD WORK, WOULD IT WORK BECAUSE, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S ONLY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, RIGHT? THAT YOU CANNOT BUY CIGARETTES, BUT YOU COULD BUY THEM IN CASTLE HILLS OR IN CHEV PARK OR ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY, SO THEY COULD JUST GO TO ANOTHER PLACE AND GET IT RIGHT.
UM, IF THEY WANTED THEM, THEY COULD.
AND, UM, IF I MAY KIND OF ANTICIPATE THE NEXT QUESTION AND SAY WE'RE STARTING WITH SAN ANTONIO, IF SAN ANTONIO PASSES THIS, WE WILL GO TO EVERY SINGLE MUNICIPALITY WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY.
I'VE ALREADY HAD PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH BEXAR COUNTY ITSELF, AND WE WILL START WORKING ON FILLING THE, I THINK ONE COUNCIL MEMBER USED THE SWISS CHEESE ANALOGY FILLING THE HOLES IN THE CHEESE SO THAT WE CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO RESTRICT ACCESS.
BUT, BUT WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND I, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF WE COULD START
[00:35:01]
WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND IN OTHER STATES, YOU, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THIS IN YOUR PRESENTATION AS WELL, BUT, UM, IS IT, IS IT TYPICAL THAT A CITY WOULD DO AN ORDINANCE VERSUS HAVING IT BE STATE LEGISLATION THAT DETERMINES WHAT THE, WHAT THE AGE SHOULD BE? WHAT WE'VE SEEN, THIS IS A REALLY YOUNG INITIATIVE.IT STARTED IN 2014, AND WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT MORE CITIES WERE INTERESTED IN TAKING THE INITIATIVE ON AT FIRST, AND THEN STATES STARTED TO FOLLOW SUIT.
SO IN STATES WHERE A LOT OF THEIR CITIES HAD DONE THIS, IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO PASS IT AS A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE.
SO YES, IT'S VERY TYPICAL FOR IT TO START AT THE CITY LEVEL.
AND REGARDING SOME OF THE ENFORCEMENT.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RECENTLY HAD A PRESENTATION ABOUT HEALTH OUTCOMES IN THE CITY, AND DISTRICTS LIKE MINE, UH, HAD SOMETHING LIKE 20 YEARS LESS LIFE EXPECTANCY.
AND I THINK SMOKING WAS THE NUMBER ONE OR TWO OR THREE REASON.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? UH, I DUNNO IF YOU GAVE THE PRESENTATION OR IF IT WAS IN A DIFFERENT, IT, IT WAS, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE GIVING THAT PRESENTATION, BUT YES.
UM, YOUR DISTRICT ESPECIALLY IS HIGH ON THE SMOKING MORBIDITY.
WAS IT SMOKING? DO YOU REMEMBER? WAS IT SMOKING FIRST, SECOND, THIRD? UM, WAS IT LIKE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF, UM, I MEAN, I, I, I FEEL LIKE MAYBE IT WAS, THAT'S WHY I AM, I'M, I, I'M, I'M ASKING IF IT WAS ACTUALLY SMOKING.
THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY WE HAVE 20 YEARS LESS LIFE EXPECTANCY.
SO I DON'T REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR DISTRICT.
AND SO THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS HERE.
I CAN SAY DEFINITIVELY SMOKING IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH AND DISEASE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
WHEN WE RANK WHY PEOPLE DIE BY DISTRICT, I DON'T REMEMBER IF YOUR DISTRICT WAS THE MOST AFFECTED, UM, BUT YOU WERE DEFINITELY IN THE TOP THREE.
UM, AND I KNOW IT, THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR A, A LONG, LONG TIME.
UH, AND SO, UM, I GUESS I JUST, OF COURSE, I WANNA DO, UH, EVERYTHING TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN MY COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, MY COMMUNITY ALSO HAS HIGHER RATES OF OBESITY.
WE HAVE HIGHER RATES OF DIABETES.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UM, I, I AM, UH, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF ALL THOSE.
I GUESS I JUST HAD MY DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT RAISING IT FROM 18 TO 21 WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT.
BUT I MEAN, ARE YOU SAYING THAT IT'S A 2% CHANGE? SO IT REPRESENTS 2% OF TOBACCO SALES? UM, BUT WE'RE, THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE ESTIMATES A 12% REDUCTION IN TOBACCO USE IF WE INCREASE, IF YOU INCREASE THE AGE TO 21.
AND WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT JUST DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING PEOPLE, UH, IN COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE WHO ARE, UM, WHO MAY HAVE A HIGHER PROPENSITY TO GET TO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT COME AFTER THEM FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
WHAT I MEAN, IS THERE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? WHAT IS THE, THE, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED HERE THAT THE S A P D WILL NOT BE ENFORCING THIS FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OR SO.
S A P D WILL NOT BE ENFORCING THIS ON RETAILERS AND SS A P D UM, CURRENTLY ENFORCES THE UNDER 18 SMOKING LAW FOR THE STATE.
UM, BUT THEY ONLY ISSUED 31 CITATIONS SO FAR THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S NOT A PRIORITY, UM, FOR THE POLICE TO ISSUE CITATIONS TO YOUTH WHO ARE EITHER USING OR POSSESSING TOBACCO.
SO WOULD THAT CONTINUE NOT TO BE ENFORCED? IT WILL CONTINUE NOT TO BE A PRIORITY.
A PRIORITY, UM, BUT THEY COULD ENFORCE IT.
I MEAN, IF THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY, THEY'VE HAD THE CAPABILITY THOUGH FOREVER.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT YEAR AFTER YEAR, UM, BUT IF YOU WERE UNDER 18 RIGHT, FOR UNDER 18, RIGHT.
BUT I MEAN, FOR THE 18 TO 21 AGE, UM, WOULD IT BE A PRIORITY OR, I MEAN, I GUESS I'M, I'M, I HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, I WANNA DO WHAT'S BEST FOR MY COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE OF THE, I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING IN TERMS OF OUR HEALTH OUTCOMES.
BUT I GUESS I JUST, I'M WORRIED ABOUT A COUPLE OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE I'M JUST AFRAID THAT, AND I'LL JUST SAY IT, THAT MY COMMUNITY WILL BE TARGETED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE OF, OF HOW THEY LOOK, THEY'LL BE PROFILED, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE PULLED OVER FOR SMOKING IF THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE LESS THAN 21.
AND THEN HAVE A LOT OF OTHER REASONS TO COME AFTER PEOPLE.
[00:40:01]
CHIEF JAMES FLAVIN.UM, NOTHING WOULD CHANGE AS FAR AS THE PRIORITY.
IT WOULD REMAIN A, A LOW PRIORITY.
WE WOULD, THE THE THINGS YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING IT'S POSSIBLE COULD HAPPEN.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
IT, IT WOULD REMAIN A LOW PRIORITY.
IT, IT, THE, THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT, WE WOULD HAVE THE CAPABILITY, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING, UM, LIKE DOCTOR SAID, THE THE PAST ENFORCEMENT THAT WE, WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST 31 THAT CITED, UH, THOSE WERE CHANCE ENCOUNTERS.
IF THEY WERE STOPPED OR SOMETHING ELSE, AND THEY WERE IN POSSESSION OF IT, OR IF THEY WERE ARRESTED FOR A VIOLATION AND THEY WERE FOUND TO BE IN POSSESSION OF IT, THAT'S WHERE THOSE CAME FROM.
AND THEN, I GUESS, UH, JUST A, THAT LAST QUESTION.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A MOVEMENT FOR A DECRIMINALIZATION OF SMALL POSSESSIONS OF MARIJUANA THAT, UM, THE DA HAD SUPPORTED.
SO IS THIS IN OPPOSITION TO THAT WHERE, I MEAN, UH, UH, SO I, I GUESS I, IF IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DECRIMINALIZE SMALL PORTIONS OF MARIJUANA, BUT THEN WE CRIMINALIZE CIGARETTE USAGE, UM, IT SEEMS KIND OF CONTRADICTORY TO ME.
SO I, I MAY CALL ON THE ASSISTANCE OF AN ATTORNEY, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, OH, SORRY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THIS QUESTION? GO RIGHT AHEAD.
SO, UH, NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THAT.
UM, THE, THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT BEFORE, THAT IS BEING KICKED OFF BY THE COUNTY, UM, IS ACTUALLY, UH, PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THE ENFORCEMENT APPROACH THAT'LL BE INCLUDED WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS CITED, THERE IS NO, UH, FINE ASSOCIATED WITH DR.
BRIDGER HAD THREE OPTIONS THAT HE, SHE SHOWED ON THAT SLIDE.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE'S GIVING YOU TODAY IS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL GO THROUGH A SMOKING CESSATION OR SMOKING AWARENESS CLASS, UM, UH, PRIMARILY, UM, EDUCATION BASED RATHER THAN SOME SORT OF TICKET WHERE YOU'VE GOTTA GO TO MUNICIPAL COURTS AND PAY.
SO IN THAT RESPECT, IT IS SIMILAR TO THE WHOLE SITE AND RELEASE SITE.
AND RELEASE IS TAKING, UM, UM, UH, CASES WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA, AND RATHER THAN ARRESTING THEM, GIVING THEM A CITATION THAT THEY CAN APPEAR IN COURT LATER ON.
SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THAT APPROACH.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU PRESENTED THIS AS WELL, BUT I MEAN, WOULD A REAL STRONG EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN BE AS EFFECTIVE AS CHANGING THIS LAW? BECAUSE IF, IF THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO SMOKE BEFORE THEY'RE 21, WE KNOW THAT OR NOT TO SMOKE EVER, NOT JUST BEFORE THEY'RE 21.
BUT, UM, COULD WE TAKE A MORE EDUCATIONAL APPROACH, LIKE MAYBE WE'VE DONE WITH SUGARY DRINKS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE DANGERS WITHOUT MAKING IT A CRIMINAL ACT? SO I DO NEED TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS LIKE A SPEEDING TICKET.
SO YOU, YOU AREN'T ARRESTED FOR SMOKING, YOU'RE ISSUED A TICKET LIKE YOU WOULD BE IF YOU, YOU WERE, BUT IT'S PUNITIVE IN, IN A WAY.
SO, I MEAN, COULD WE, COULD IT NOT BE PUNITIVE AND STILL HAVE, UH, THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT? SO, UM, SO A COUPLE OF, A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE ABOUT THAT.
ONE IS, I DO WANT US TO HAVE A REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE STARTING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT ON YOUTH, BECAUSE THERE ARE CITIES THAT HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO HAVE ENFORCEMENT ON YOUTH.
UM, SO I'M RECOMMENDING A LITTLE BIT OF ENFORCEMENT WITHIN THE FORM OF EDUCATION, BUT YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO DO NOTHING, UM, OR YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO GO FULL FINE.
IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU YOUR QUESTION ABOUT EDUCATION.
UM, IN A PERFECT WORLD, YES, WE COULD TELL PEOPLE NOT TO DO THINGS THAT ARE BAD FOR THEM AND THEY WOULDN'T DO IT, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT DOESN'T WORK.
AND PART OF THE REASON IT DOESN'T WORK IS THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THE TOBACCO COMPANY IS PUMPING INTO THE AIRWAVES ABOUT HOW ENTICING AND SEXY AND REBELLIOUS, UH, TOBACCO USE IS TARGETING YOUTH.
SO UNLESS WE HAD, YOU KNOW, $8.9 BILLION TO COUNTER THEIR $8.9 BILLION, WE'RE REALLY, UM, WE'RE ROWING UPSTREAM ON THAT ONE.
WELL, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
[00:45:01]
PRESENTATION.UH, AND JUST TO RECOUNT TO MY COLLEAGUES THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST, AT OUR FIRST MEETING, THE FIRST PRESENTATION I ASKED DR.
BRIDGER TO GIVE US WAS, TELL US WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE HEALTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OF OUR POPULATION? BECAUSE I TOOK MY CHARGE OF THAT COMMITTEE VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S, I THINK IT IS MEANT TO PROTECT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND, UH, AND TO LOOK OUT FOR THE EQUITY OF, OF OUR POPULATION.
SO I WANTED US TO KNOW WHAT IS IT WE CAN DO AS GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY? WHAT'S GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT, UM, AND WHAT'S WITHIN OUR POWER AND WHAT'S WITHIN OUR BUDGET? AND DR.
BRIDGER, UH, OBLIGED AND SHE GAVE US A LONG PRESENTATION ON LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE OPIOID CRISIS, INCLUDING, UM, MATERNAL MORTALITY, INCLUDING INFANT MORTALITY.
AND, UH, THIS CAME UP ALSO AS A STRATEGY THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT.
SO I WANT TO, I WANNA POINT OUT, AND, AND DR.
BRIDGER FEEL FREE TO, TO FILL IN ON THIS, IS WHEN WE ADDRESS SOMETHING LIKE SMOKING, WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING IT IN ISOLATION.
EVEN THOUGH SOMEONE MAY DIE OF LUNG CANCER, UH, DISEASES INTERACT AND THEY COMPLICATE ONE ANOTHER.
SO IF YOU HAVE OBESITY AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU DECIDE TO SMOKE YOUR DEATH CERTIFICATE MAY NOT SAY OBESITY, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO DIE A WHOLE LOT FASTER IF YOU SMOKE.
UM, COULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, COULD YOU PLEASE ADD ONTO THAT IN MORE OF AN EXPERT WAY THAN I CAN? SO SMOKING DOES EXACERBATE, IT'S, SO, IT'S THE NUMBER ONE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH, BUT IT ALSO EXACERBATES THE OTHERS.
SO DIABETES AND OBESITY, SOMEBODY WITH DIABETES WHO SMOKES IS AT MUCH HIGHER RISK FOR AMPUTATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR KIDNEY IMPAIRMENTS, FOR, YOU KNOW, BLINDNESS BECAUSE TOBACCO CONSTRICTS YOUR ARTERIES AND SO DOES DIABETES.
AND SO YOU GET A DOUBLE WHAMMY, AND THAT CAN, UM, EXACERBATE THAT.
SO YES, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT ARE MADE WORSE BY SMOKING.
SO EVEN THOUGH I, I HAD SECRETLY WANTED YOU TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR OBESITY AND DIABETES IN, IN A ONE ACTION ITEM THAT WE COULD TAKE, AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT THIS DID COME FORWARD, AND I FELT IT WAS WORTHY OF FURTHER DISCUSSION.
IN FACT, MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE THERE ASKED ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND, UH, ACTUALLY MADE THE, THE REQUEST FOR IT TO, TO COME BACK.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS THIS IS NOT COMING OUT OF NOWHERE.
WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN NICOTINE, SORRY, AND TOBACCO USE.
AND, AND YOU, YOU DIDN'T MENTION THIS, BUT I WILL, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE HOOKAH BARS, NOW WE HAVE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES.
WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY OF THOSE 20 YEARS AGO.
SO ALL THE GAINS THAT WE'VE MADE IN REDUCING SMOKING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE STAND TO LOSE THOSE IF WE DON'T TAKE SOME TYPE OF ACTION.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS ALSO WHY I'M IN SUPPORT OF, OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, THE OTHER RESEARCH OR THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS AGO WAS THE SCIENCE OF WHEN THE BRAIN BECOMES, UH, WHEN THE BRAIN IS WIRED AND WHEN ADDICTION HAPPENS.
SO, UM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, UH, PEOPLE CAN STILL BECOME ADDICTED BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND AND 21.
UM, AND I THINK WE, WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T USE THAT INFORMATION IN MAKING OUR DECISIONS AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO I, I SUPPORT THE, I SUPPORT THIS, UH, PROPOSAL.
UH, I DO WANNA HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECTS OF IT.
I I DO NOT WANT THIS TO END UP HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, THE IDEA IS TO SAVE LIVES.
SO, UM, I'M, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW, HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, COUNCILMAN P THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, I, I, I NEED TO PREFACE MY COMMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY COMES BACK AND MISINTERPRETS THEM.
UM, AND SO I'LL MAKE THE FOLLOWING CAVEATS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT LAWYERS ARE GOOD AT.
I, I, I THINK TOBACCO DESTROYS, THERE'S NO HEALTH BENEFIT TO IT.
I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE PRODUCT OUT THERE THAT, UM, IS SOLD AT STORES THAT IS OTHER THAN TOBACCO, THAT IS DESIGNED TO HURT PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, UH, THAT SAID, I'VE HAD,
[00:50:01]
I'VE HAD MY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS.BRIDGER AND I, YOU AND I HAVE MET TOGETHER, AND I'VE PROBABLY BEEN THE BIGGEST THORN IN YOUR SIDE ABOUT THIS.
AND THE REASON I, I, I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT IT ISN'T BECAUSE OF THE SCIENCE.
I'M, I'M WITH YOU ON THE SCIENCE, OKAY? UM, FOR ME, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE DISPARATE IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON ONE PARTICULAR GROUP.
AND NOW THAT I'M LISTENING MAYBE ON MORE THAN JUST THE GROUP I'VE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT, RIGHT? AND SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL START BY SAYING I ADMIRE THE PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS COMPONENT OF THIS.
I THINK THAT'S SMART, RIGHT? AND I, I, I KEEP TALKING ABOUT BIG DATA AND DATA, DATA DATA, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
THE, THE PROBLEM WITH PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS IS THAT IT SOUNDS COOL, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU, YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COOL THINGS, RIGHT? IT SOUNDS COOL, BUT EVERYBODY WHO'S REALLY LOOKED AT THIS DEEP AND GRANULAR AGREES THAT THE DANGER OF PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS IS THAT YOU CAN STACK THE DECK WITH BAD DATA, RIGHT? AND THAT BAD DATA INCLUDES UNINTENTIONAL BIASES, UM, THAT MIGHT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ONE, LET'S SAY ETHNIC GROUP OR ONE MINORITY GROUP, RIGHT? AND SO ALONG THOSE LINES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS BEING USED IN CHILD SUPPORT CASES, UH, YOU KNOW, USED BY DIFFERENT, UH, ATTORNEYS GENERALS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES HAVE PROVEN THAT THERE IS A UNINTENTIONAL, ALBEIT NEUTRAL, BUT UNINTENTIONAL NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CERTAIN MINORITY POPULATIONS WHO SEEM TO BE MORE TARGETED BY THESE MACHINE LEARNING SMART ALGORITHMS. AND SO MY ONLY REQUEST IS THAT SOMEBODY PLEASE COME BACK AND REASSURE ME OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THESE ALGORITHMS ARE AND HOW WE INPUT THIS DATA AND WHAT THE DATA SETS ARE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
NUMBER TWO, ALONG THE LINES OF, YOU KNOW, NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING CERTAIN POPULATIONS.
I, I, I, I ADMIRE ALSO THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, SLIDE NUMBER 22 SAYS S A P D WILL NOT CONDUCT COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
AND JUST SO EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE IN THE ROOM KNOWS, I HAVE A FEELING THAT THAT'S IN THERE BECAUSE I MADE A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT.
RIGHT? AND, UH, IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, SIR.
AND SO I, UH, I'M HERE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, FOR THAT ONE SENTENCE, AND I'D, I'D LIKE TO GO INTO A LITTLE BACKGROUND IF, IF YOU'LL ENTERTAIN WHY IT IS THAT I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WAS APPROACHED BY THE COMMUNITY OF, UH, CONVENIENCE STORE RETAILERS WHO WERE COMPLAINING THAT THEY WERE BEING SCRUTINIZED AND IN THEIR VIEW, HARASSED AND HASSLED BY SS A P D OFFICERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, GIVING THEM CITATIONS FOR THINGS LIKE THE WATER'S NOT HOT ENOUGH.
EX EXTINGUISHERS ARE EXPIRED, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AREN'T MEETING CODE OR SOME SUCH SILLINESS.
UM, AND WHILE THOSE CODE ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS ARE IMPORTANT, IT WAS ALARMING TO ME THAT IT WAS SS A P D HANDING TICKETS TO THE CASHIERS FOR THESE VIOLATIONS, RIGHT? AND SO, STARTED LOOKING INTO IT, AND I GOT REASSURANCES THAT IT WASN'T HAPPENING.
I PUSHED A LITTLE HARDER AND WAS REASSURED AGAIN THAT IT WASN'T HAPPENING
UM, AND THEN LATER WE DISCOVERED ALTOGETHER, RIGHT? DOC, THAT IT WAS, RIGHT? YES.
AND SO, UM, AND I'VE GOT THIS INTERESTING REPORT OF, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DIFFERENT VIOLATIONS THAT WERE BEING HANDED OUT BY POLICE OFFICERS THAT QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WOULD AGREE, PROBABLY HAD BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN GOING AND CHASING TO SEE HOW HOT THE POT OF COFFEE WAS, OR WHETHER OR NOT THE EXTINGUISHER WAS EX EXPIRED AT 2:00 AM.
AND ALSO, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD AGREE THAT THE CASHIER AT THESE BUSINESSES HAS NO BUSINESS BEING TICKETED FOR VIOLATIONS OF THAT KIND OF CODE, RIGHT? AND SO I COMPLAINED AND I PUSHED, AND I PUSHED AND I PUSHED, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I MADE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WAS THAT MY BUY-IN FOR THIS PROGRAM IS CONDITIONED UPON YOUR ASSURING ME THAT THIS IS REALLY A HEALTH AND EDUCATION EFFORT AND LESS A LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FEE COLLECTION EFFORT, RIGHT? SO, GOING BACK TO DISPARATE IMPACT, MY CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE SORT OF ETHNIC MAKEUP OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN TARGETED BY WHAT I'VE JUST BEEN DESCRIBED, RIGHT? UNINTENTIONALLY, SO IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY'RE ALL MIDDLE EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN FAMILIES, ALL OF THEM, RIGHT? NOBODY'S TARGETING H E B, EVEN THOUGH H E B SELLS CIGARETTES, RIGHT? UM, UNDER THE SAME ROOF WHERE THEY HAVE A PHARMACY, WHICH BY THE WAY, I THINK IS AS UNETHICAL AS IT GETS.
BUT, UH, NOBODY'S TARGETING WALMART.
[00:55:01]
WALGREENS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.THEY'RE TARGETING THESE MOM AND POP SHOPS.
AND, UH, I FEEL THAT BEING PAKISTANIAN IN THE UNITED STATES OR BEING INDIAN IS HARD ENOUGH IN 2017, THAT FINDING ONE MORE REASON FOR SS A P D TO JACK WITH THESE FAMILIES RIGHT, IS WRONG.
SO I, YOU'LL FORGIVE ME, ASSISTANT CHIEF, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE AND YOU TELL US, WELL, AND I'M GONNA QUOTE YOU, IT'S A LOW PRIORITY, AND YOU LOOKED AT COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ AND SAID, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
I'VE ALREADY BEEN ASSURED THAT IT WASN'T HAPPENING, ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT IT IS HAPPENING, RIGHT? AND THANKFULLY, I'VE BEEN ASSURED AGAIN THAT IT'S NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, SS A P D IS GONNA DO THOSE THINGS THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE EXPECT THEM TO DO, WHICH IS ACTUALLY GO CATCH BAD GUYS AS OPPOSED TO MEASURING THE TEMPERATURES OF HOT DOGS AND COFFEE POTS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, I, I GET THE HEALTH ARGUMENTS, I GET THE SCIENCE ARGUMENTS, I GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOXIC, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MARKETING THAT HAPPENS AROUND TOBACCO.
UM, AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE COUNTER ARGUMENT STOCK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF 18 YEAR OLDS ARE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE MILITARY, AND IF THEY'RE ALLOWED TO VOTE, WELL THEN CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO, TO, YOU KNOW, SMOKE A CIGARETTE.
I'M NOT SWAYED BY IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALSO, WE LIMIT THE AGE OF WHAT AGE YOU CAN BECOME A JUDGE.
WE LIMIT THE AGE ON WHAT AGE YOU CAN OWN A PAYDAY LENDING LICENSE.
WE LIMIT THE AGE ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? AND SO I'M UNSWAYED BY THAT KIND OF WEAK ARGUMENT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE OTHER INSTANCES WHERE WE LIMIT THE AGE AND NOBODY COMES OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WAVES AN AMERICAN FLAG OR, YOU KNOW, TELLS US ABOUT THEIR, UH, THEIR DAYS IN THE MILITARY.
SO I HAVE, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK, AND SO ALL OF THIS IS REALLY JUST TO HAVE YOU WALK ME THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT AND WHEN WILL S A P D GET INVOLVED AND WHEN WON'T THEY? OKAY.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ENFORCEMENT MEMO, IF YOU CAN JUMP TO PAGE THREE, UM, THERE ARE TWO COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES SPECIFIC TO RETAILERS.
THE FIRST IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE POSTED THE SIGN THAT SAID, SAYS 21 IS THE NEW AGE, AND THE SECOND IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, OR, SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SIGN POSTED AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'VE TRAINED THEIR STAFF SO THEIR STAFF KNOW NOT TO SELL TOBACCO TO PEOPLE UNDER 21.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE DONE, UM, AS PART OF OUR ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE MEANING METRO HEALTH.
SO WHEN A SANITARIAN GOES OUT FOR A TIER ONE ESTABLISHMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE KEEPING THEIR HOT DOGS AT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE, UM, THEY WILL ALSO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SIGN IS UP AND THAT THE TRAINING LOG IS COMPLETE.
THERE ARE ABOUT 400 ESTABLISHMENTS OUT OF THE 1600 THAT DO NOT HAVE A FOOD PERMIT FROM METRO HEALTH.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AKATA, UM, WHO ALSO GO IN AND DO EDUCATIONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH TOBACCO RETAILERS TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THE RULES ARE AND TO HELP THEM BE IN COMPLIANCE.
SO THEY WILL GO OUT TO THOSE OTHER 400, IF THEY FIND ANY OF THOSE ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, THEN METRO HEALTH WILL DO A FOLLOW UP.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S REFLECTED ON THE FIRST FLOW CHART.
S A P D IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY OF THAT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, UM, AND YOU LOOK AT SALES COMPLIANCE CHECKS, AND THAT'S WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD, UM, GO IN WHO IS UNDER 21 AND WOULD TRY TO PURCHASE TOBACCO.
AND AGAIN, THE LEAD OF THAT IS METRO HEALTH.
UM, SS A P D IS NOT PART OF THE TEAM THAT DOES THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, CHECKS WHERE WE WILL RELY ON SS A P D AND THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE IS TRAINING METRO HEALTH SANITARIANS ON WHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO DO THAT SO THAT IF IT DOES HAVE TO GO TO MUNICIPAL COURT, WE'VE DONE IT CORRECTLY AND CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO SAP D'S ROLE WILL BE TO HELP TRAIN THE HEALTH INSPECTORS WHO WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT IS CLEARLY EXPLAINED ON THE FLOWCHART.
IF IT IS NOT, I AM HAPPY TO REVISE IT.
AND THEN, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS IS I'M, I'M, I'M JOINING YOU IN, IN ONE CONCERN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP TO ME BY STATE REP.
I MEAN, HOW IS, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SHE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE REGARDS TO THE PUP COMPONENT OF IT, WHICH IS THE POSSESSION
[01:00:01]
USE AND PURCHASE PURCHASE FOR THE MINORS, THAT THIS WOULD BE ONE MORE REASON TO STOP SOMEONE AND ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS NOW THAT YOU'VE GOT 'EM, BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THEM SMOKING A CIGARETTE, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK WE'VE ALREADY FILED SUIT OVER WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CREATE SITUATIONS WHERE STOPPING PEOPLE FOR NEBULOUS AND REALLY VAGUE REASONS, UH, IS A GOOD IDEA FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.AND SO THAT WAS ONE MORE REASON WHY I INSISTED THAT S A P D FIND OTHER THINGS TO DO, THEN WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ENFORCING THIS CIGARETTE, UM, POLICY.
COUNCILWOMAN GRA THANK YOU, MAYOR.
BRIDGER, UM, FOR SITTING DOWN MEETING WITH ME AND, UM, GOING THROUGH THIS, I, I HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING IN THOSE COMMUNITY IN THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO REALLY GET DOWN TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH DR.
BRIDGER, SOME WITH MY STAFF, SOME WITH SOME OF YOUR STAFFS, UM, TO KIND OF GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THIS.
YOU MENTIONED THERE'S A, IF THE AGE IS INCREASED, THAT THERE WOULD BE A 12% DECREASE IN TOBACCO USE, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IS AND, AND WHERE, IS THAT IN THAT AGE GROUP OR IS THAT CITYWIDE AND FOR OVER HOW LONG A PERIOD OF TIME? SO THE, THE ESTIMATES ARE ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'M LOOKING AT MY EXPERTS OVER HERE, RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND, UM, DID WE HAVE A TIMEFRAME? YEAH, SO THERE, THEY, THEY JUST SAID IF YOU, IF THE UNITED STATES WERE TO DO THIS, IT WOULD RESULT IN A 12% REDUCTION IN SMOKERS.
UM, SO WE, WE CAN FIND OUT THE TIMEFRAME.
YEAH, THAT'S, I MEAN, I WANNA KNOW, WE'RE SAYING 12% OVER 50 YEARS, FIVE YEARS, SIX MONTHS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S SOME, SOME INFORMATION AND DATA THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW MM-HMM.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE POLICE MADE 31, THEY ISSUED 31 CITATIONS.
AND IS THAT HOW OVER ONE YEAR IT WAS 31? WELL, IT WAS, IT'S SO FAR THIS YEAR, THIS CALENDAR YEAR, SO THROUGH MID-NOVEMBER.
AND WHAT IS THAT AN INCREASE, A DECREASE? IS IT THE SAME RATE THAT WE'VE DONE EVERY YEAR? IT'S ABOUT THE SAME.
I THINK IT WAS 44 LAST YEAR FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S AN INCREASE, A DECREASE, OR, OR IS SOMETHING WORKING WHERE PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER SELLING TO 18 YEAR OLDS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
THIS IS, I'M TRYING TO CONNECT THE DOTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, TO SEE WHERE WE ARE STANDARD STANDARDIZING THIS AND WHAT, AND I SAW THE, THE DATA FOR BEAR COUNTY, AND I MEAN, I UNDER, AND, AND LIKE COUNCILMAN BELI MENTIONED, AND COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND BRINGING IT UP, UM, TO SEE WHERE WE CAN, CAN DO THE MOST GOOD WITH ONE VEIL SWOOP.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT.
AND YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH THAT, THE SCIENCE AND, UM, THAT HEALTH ISSUE THAT EXISTS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE.
AND I'M GLAD WE'RE LOOKING AT TOBACCO USE TOO.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO KNOW THE, THE STATUS, LIKE IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER CITIES IS OUR USE, UM, ANY USE, I BELIEVE IS NOT GOOD USE, BUT IS IT ABSOLUTELY RAMPANT OUT OF CONTROL? DO WE HAVE A RETAILER SAILING OUT OF CONTROL TO PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 18? UM, THAT KIND OF DATA IS SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW TOO, IF YOU HAVE IT.
UM, SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT, UM, WHEN WE ASK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR SMOKING HABITS, UM, MORE BEARER COUNTY STUDENTS ARE SMOKING THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT MORE BEARER COUNTY STUDENTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES MM-HMM.
UM, AND AGAIN, I WANNA RESTATE, RETAILERS GENERALLY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF NOT SELLING TO UNDER 18.
THE CHALLENGE IS THAT WHEN AN 18 YEAR OLD CAN PURCHASE CIGARETTES, AND AN 18 YEAR OLD IS IN SCHOOL WITH A 14 YEAR OLD, THAT'S THE ACCESS TO CIGARETTES THAT THE 14 YEAR OLD HAS.
RIGHT? SO, UM, YEAH, YOU GAVE ME SOME GREAT EXAMPLES WHEN WE MET TOGETHER ON THAT.
I, I DO HAVE A MORE SPECIFIC QUESTION, AND I AM GONNA GET INTO THE WEEDS HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW, UM,
[01:05:01]
YOU SAID THAT USING NICOTINE AT, AT A CERTAIN AGE, IT REWIRES THE TEENAGE BRAIN.WHAT DOES EXPLAIN, WHEN YOU SAY REWIRED THE TEENAGE BRAIN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT IS BEING REWIRED? SO IF YOU'RE GONNA GONNA GET TECHNICAL, THAT'S FINE.
I WANT YOU TO, UH, BECAUSE I, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY THAT IT IS.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE BRAIN AS A BUNCH OF SYNAPSES OR CONNECTIONS, WHAT WE KNOW HAPPENS, UM, UP UNTIL ABOUT THE AGE OF 14 IS THE BRAIN IS, IS JUST FORMING, FORMING, FORMING NEW CONNECTIONS, NEW SYNAPSES, NEW BRANCHES.
IT'S JUST A, A REALLY DENSE MASS OF CONNECTIONS.
WHEN THE BRAIN HITS ADOLESCENCE, IT STARTS TO, TO PRUNE SOME OF THOSE CONNECTIONS.
SO JUST LIKE WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR GARDEN AND YOU'RE PRUNING BACK THE ROSE BUSH, YOU DO THAT TO MAKE THE CONNECTIONS THAT YOU HAVE LEFT STRONGER.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT NICOTINE DOES IS IT DURING THE PROCESS THAT THE BRAIN IS PRUNING THAT 14 TO 24 YEAR AGE, YOU INTRODUCE NICOTINE INTO THAT PRUNING PROCESS, AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE STIMULATED BY ADDICTION STRONG, AND THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT PROCESS NORMAL PLEASURE, LESS STRONG.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAY THAT WHEN YOU EXPOSE A DEVELOPING BRAIN TO NICOTINE, IT'S GOING TO MAKE THOSE, THAT PRUNING PROCESS, HONE IN ON THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE ADDICTIVE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TOBACCO, IT'S ABOUT ANY ADDICTION.
AND SO THAT'S, DOES THAT HELP EXPLAIN THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY IT DOES.
THAT WAS VERY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR ME.
I THINK IT HAS BEEN, UH, TALKED ABOUT A LOT WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ AND BELI, UM, ABOUT THE, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW TOO, ON THE ENFORCEMENT.
I DON'T THINK EVEN WITH THE OPTIONS THAT I HAVE HERE, THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THIS RIGHT NOW.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR ENFORCEMENT TEAM.
YOU'RE SAYING THE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WOULD BE MADE UP OF, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, YOUR HEALTH INSPECTORS, AND OCCASIONALLY SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE, UM, THE, THE PRIMARY TEAM WILL BE COMPOSED EXCLUSIVELY OF METRO HEALTH.
SANITARIANS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND D S D HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THIS.
SHOULD WE CALL ON THEM AND ASK THEM FOR ASSISTANCE? BUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS THAT SANITARIANS CAN HANDLE THIS.
SO, UM, SO WALK ME THROUGH HOW THE SANITARIANS WOULD HANDLE THIS.
SO, UM, THE, THE FIRST PART, WHEN THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THE SIGNS ARE UP AND THE TRAINING LOGS ARE COMPLETE.
SO IF SOMEBODY'S ON THE STREET SMOKING AND SOMEONE'S OUT HERE SMOKING ON THE SIDEWALK, THEY LOOK YOUNG, UH, A HEALTH INSPECTOR CAN STOP THEM AND ASK THEM, ARE YOU 18? ARE YOU 21 YEARS OLD? THEORETICALLY, YES.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS NOT THE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND, AND WE, WE DO NEED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, UH, ONLY BECAUSE, I MEAN, AND, AND ALSO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET FOR THIS? MM-HMM.
AND EVEN, EVEN IF, IF YOU SAY, WE DON'T NEED THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS NOW, UM, OR THE BUDGET NOW, YOU DON'T NEED ANY MORE MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET.
NOW WHAT ABOUT IN THE FUTURE? WILL WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING AT MIDYEAR TO PUT MORE DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET IF WE SEE SOMETHING HAPPENING? UM, SO TH THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
SO, SPECIFIC TO THE YOUTH, UM, THE REASON I'M RECOMMENDING THAT THERE BE A LITTLE BIT OF ENFORCEMENT ON YOUTH IS TO QUOTE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOME SORT OF ENFORCEMENT, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE, YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE THE ABILITY TO HAVE CAUSE AND EFFECT FOR THE YOUTH LIKE WE DO WITH THE RETAILERS.
UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IN LOTS OF OTHER CITIES, THERE IS NO ENFORCEMENT ON THE YOUTH.
AND SO I, I REALLY DO WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
NOW, SPECIFIC TO THE RETAILERS AND YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT, ARE WE GONNA
[01:10:01]
BE ASKING FOR MORE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE THIS? SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS ALREADY GET AN ANNUAL VISIT FROM A HEALTH INSPECTOR.THIS WILL ADD FIVE MINUTES TO THAT VISIT.
SO I AM NOT ANTICIPATING A NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HEALTH INSPECTORS, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SOTA, WHO WILL BE HELPING US DO THIS.
I DO NOT ANTICIPATE NEEDING ADDITIONAL HEALTH INSPECTORS.
THE OTHER THING IS, AND THESE ARE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, SO THEY'RE ABOUT RIGHT.
UM, SS A P D, UH, HAD A GRANT LAST YEAR TO DO THESE DECOY COMPLIANCE CHECKS FOR UNDER 18 MM-HMM.
SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ONE, A HUGE NUMBER OF RETAILERS WHO ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
AND TWO, A HUGE NUMBER OF DECOY CHECKS.
I THINK IT'S JUST THAT YOU RETAILERS KNOW THAT IT COULD HAPPEN, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.
NOT THAT IT HAPPENED EVERY WEEK.
SO, I AM NOT YOU AND YOU WILL SEE IN THE, UM, THE MEMO FOR THE A SESSION, THE FISCAL IMPACT DOES NOT ASK FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF OR ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
UM, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING, ERIC? NO, I, I MEAN, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT ALL THINGS JUST, THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME.
WE ALWAYS GET, YOU KNOW, ADJUSTMENT REQUESTS ANYWAY.
WE WON'T TALK ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE ALWAYS GET REQUESTS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT IS MY CONCERN, JUST SO WE CAN GO CLEARLY FORWARD WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
BUT AGAIN, MY CONCERN IS TOO, ON THE ENFORCEMENT END, WHEN SOMEONE'S HANGING OUT IN A CERTAIN AREA AND SOMEBODY'S GONNA STOP THEM AND ASK THEM, WELL, ARE YOU 21? AND WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO? IF THERE'S AN INTERACTION THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY SAYS SOME SOMETHING TO THEM THAT SOMEBODY ELSE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, THERE'S AN ALTERCATION, WHAT CAN CAN HAPPEN? AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES BEING TARGETED.
AND I KNOW THAT IN YOUR, IN YOUR ED LETTER RIGHT HERE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION AND BRINGING ON, UH, MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE ABOUT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT OUR EDUCATION TEAM.
I GUESS, WHERE WAS THIS? THE YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO DEAL WITH EDUCATION.
AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, AND I THINK IT IS.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY HAS THE EQUITY, UM, HAS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY BEEN ENGAGED ALREADY IN THIS? AND WHAT HAS THEIR RESEARCH SHOWN ABOUT JUST THE DIFFERENT, UM, RETAILERS AND ABOUT SMOKING AND ABOUT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY? DO WE HAVE ANY RESEARCH FROM OUR EQUITY, UM, OFFICE ON THIS? UM, NOT FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HEALTH EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE OF LOWER INCOME AND PEOPLE WHO ARE MINORITIES ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE SMOKERS OR TO USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
SO THEY ARE SOME OF THE MORE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS WORKING TO PROTECT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN PROTECT IT FROM A HEALTH ASPECT, BUT ALSO FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT ASPECT TOO, THAT THEY'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AS WELL.
SO IF SOMEBODY GETS A $250 FINE, OR IF SOMEBODY GETS TO GO, THEY HAVE TO GO TO EDUCATION CESSION, UH, PROGRAM, AND THEY DON'T GO, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? SO IF THEY GET A CITATION, AND AGAIN, JUST 31 PEOPLE SO FAR THIS YEAR MM-HMM.
SO IT'S NOT A TREMENDOUS NUMBER.
I'M TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, INDIVIDUAL CITATIONS, UM, IF THEY ATTEND THE CLASS, EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON MM-HMM.
SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO THERE AND THERE, THERE'S, SO THERE YOU DON'T GET THE $250 FINE IF YOU GO TO THE CLASS MM-HMM.
AND IF YOU DON'T GO TO THE DON'T GO AND YOU DON'T DO THE PRO THIS CLASS, THEN IT IS THE UP TO $250 FINE.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS? SO, UH, ED,
[01:15:01]
SORRY.WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T GO TO THE CLASS AND DOESN'T PAY THE FINE, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SYSTEM? YOU WOULD BE HANDLED AS ANY OTHER CLASSY MISDEMEANOR IN MUNICIPAL COURT WOULD BE HANDLED.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS 'CAUSE THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED TO ME.
SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS YOU COULD, YOU COULD HAVE A, A SUMMONS OR A WARRANT ISSUED IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH THE THING, GENERALLY YOU'LL BE ASKED TO SHOW CAUSE AND COME BACK AND GO TO THE COURT AND OFFER AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY YOU HAVEN'T ATTENDED A CLASS OR PAID THE FINE.
A LOT OF TIMES THERE WILL BE A WARRANT THAT WILL JUST HANG OUT THERE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A WARRANT ROUNDUP WHERE THEY COME AND, AND TELL YOU, LOOK, YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING FINE, YOU NEED TO PAY THE FINE.
AND THEN IT'S EXCUSED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S GENERALLY HOW IT WORKS.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WHEN YOU GET THIS TICKET, IT ACTS AS IF ANY, AS IF YOU HAVE A SPEEDING TICKET.
THAT'S HOW IT GENERALLY WORKS, RIGHT.
I, I THINK, AND YES, MY POINT OF PAUSE AND I I, MY POINT OF PAUSE IS CERTAIN AREAS AND CERTAIN PEOPLE BEING TARGETED OR JUST CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY TO START ASKING MORE QUESTIONS AND HOLDING PEOPLE UP, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER EITHER RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW I'M NOT COMFORTABLE AT THIS MOMENT, AND I'M GONNA TRY, I WANT TO GET COMFORTABLE ON SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
SO MAYBE, UM, COUNCILMAN SHAW HAS THE ANSWER AND WE CAN HEAR OR SOME SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, SO LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER.
I, I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH, UH, MY FELLOW COUNCILMAN THAT THIS IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME.
UH, MY MOTHER AND HER, HER BOYFRIEND, WHO LIVED WITH ME AS A SURROGATE FATHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, SMOKED TWO PACKS A DAY.
UH, HE BURNED OUR HOUSE DOWN, AND THEN MY MOTHER DIED AT THE AGE OF 50 FROM HEART PROBLEMS RELATED TO SMOKING.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE PERSON WHO SMOKES, IT'S THE WHOLE FAMILY THAT'S IMPACTED BY THE, THE CONTINUING PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE WITH TOBACCO USAGE AND ADDICTION IN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THIS MIGHT HAVE ON CERTAIN GROUPS.
WELL, I HOPE THE IMPACT IS THAT IT COULD SAVE A LOT OF LIVES BECAUSE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR WHO ARE DYING IN SAN ANTONIO RELATED TO TOBACCO USE.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, MAYBE SOME OF YOU KNEW SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO'VE DIED BECAUSE OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING CIGARETTES, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SO MUCH THE THE 15 YEAR OLD WHO GETS ONE CIGARETTE HANDED TO THEM FROM, UH, AN 18 OR A 19 YEAR OLD.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SMOKE A PACK A DAY AND OTHERS WHO MAY EVEN SMOKE.
HOW MUCH DOES A PACK A DAY COST? $5 A DAY? IF YOU DO IT 300 DAYS A YEAR, THAT'S $1,500.
WHERE DO THESE 15, 16, 17 YEAR OLD KIDS, PARTICULARLY THE CHILDREN WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY, WHERE DO THEY GET THIS KIND OF MONEY? WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? WHAT DO THEY SACRIFICE FOR THEIR ADDICTION TO CIGARETTES THAT COULD PLAY ANOTHER IMPORTANT ROLE IN THEIR LIVES, WHETHER IT'S FOOD ON THE TABLE, CLOTH ON THEIR BACK, OR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THEIR LIFE THROUGH BETTER ACTIVITIES THAN SMOKING? AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO.
NOW, I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYONE HARASSED BY A COP BECAUSE THEY SMOKE CIGARETTES, AND WE'RE SAYING THAT THE POLICE ARE NOT GOING TO ENFORCE THIS.
WE'RE SAYING THAT IF SOMEBODY COMMITS, UH, AN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AND THE POLICE SEE THEY'RE SMOKING A CIGARETTE, THEN IT, AN ADDITIONAL TICKET MAY BE WRITTEN BECAUSE OF THAT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE PRIMARY REASON FOR STOPPING THEM.
THAT'S NOT THE JOB THAT THE POLICE ARE UNDERTAKING.
WE KNOW THAT THE MAIN ENFORCEMENT ELEMENT FOR THIS IS THE BUSINESSES THAT ALLOW TOBACCO TO BE SOLD TO PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 21, ACCORDING TO THIS ORDINANCE.
AND IT'S VERY SIMPLE FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE FOR THOSE BUSINESSES TO SAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA SELL 'EM ANYMORE.
AND YES, THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE 2% OR 3% OR 4% OF THEIR TOBACCO SALES.
DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA LOSE ANY MONEY FROM THEIR SODA, THEIR ICE CREAM, THEIR CANDY, THEIR NEWSPAPER, THEIR OTHER THINGS THEY SELL IN THAT STORE.
IT'S JUST TWO OR THREE OR 4% OF THEIR TOBACCO INCOME.
[01:20:01]
AND SO, BECAUSE THEY LOSE THAT INCOME, WE'RE SAVING LIVES IN SAN ANTONIO.WE'RE SAVING THE FUTURE HEALTH OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WE WANNA PUT INTO GOOD JOBS IN THIS CITY.
HOW MANY OF US UNDERSTAND HOW MANY EMPLOYERS TODAY DON'T WANT TO TAKE PEOPLE IN TO WORK FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE SMOKERS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA PAY THE HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR THAT? THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE BEHIND THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE ON THIS ISSUE.
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU WHO OWN A BUSINESS AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE A LIFE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I UNDERSTAND EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT EVERY LIFE THAT COUNTS.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THIS CITY AND THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO JUST AREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES AT 15, 16, 17.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE AT 18, 19 AND 20 AS WELL.
THAT'S WHERE OUR EFFORTS SHOULD BE.
AND THAT'S WHY I AM GONNA STRONGLY VOTE TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE.
AND I HOPE THE REST OF YOU WILL AS WELL.
UM, I THINK WE ALL HAVE PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT TOBACCO USE.
UH, AND I MEAN, I THINK AT THE HEART OF THIS, I WANT TO KEEP US ON SUBJECT, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH SOMETHING THAT IS, IS, UH, WE KNOW IS GONNA IMPACT, UH, YOUNGER PEOPLE AND HOPEFULLY INFLUENCE HOW THEY, HOW IT IMPACTS THE REST OF THEIR LIVES REGARDING THEIR HEALTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN SEAT BELTS WEREN'T REQUIRED.
NOBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT ANYMORE.
UM, WOULD ANYBODY BUY, UH, A TY A TYLENOL CONTAINER? THAT WAS THE, HAD THE, THE SEAL BUSTED ON IT.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS A TIME YOU COULD BUY THAT WITH NO SEAL.
UM, WHEN I WAS A KID, UH, THEY CAME OUT WITH BIG LEAGUE CHEW, EH, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THAT.
AND IT WAS KIND OF A BIG DEAL.
AND I KIND OF HAD THAT, YOU KNOW, I I WASN'T AS GREAT A BASEBALL PLAYER AS COUNCILMAN SALDANA, BUT WE PLAYED BASEBALL WHEN WE WERE KIDS AND WE ADMIRED BASEBALL PLAYERS.
AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY TARGETING THAT MINDSET.
AND IT WAS EVEN CALLED, IT'S CALLED, IT'S STILL AROUND.
AND YOU TAKE IT OUT THERE JUST, AND YOU STICK IT IN YOUR MOUTH JUST LIKE A BIG WAD OF TOBACCO.
ONE DAY SOMEBODY CAME INTO MY HOUSE AND SAID, HEY MAN, UH, YOU NEED TO COME DOWN TO THE SCHOOL.
YOUR BROTHER'S REALLY IN TROUBLE.
AND, UH, I WENT RUNNING TO THE SCHOOL, HE'S LEANING UP AGAINST A WATER FOUNTAIN, AND HE HAD THIS TIME, GOT SOME BIG CHIEF, AND HE WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO, HOW TO USE IT.
UH, AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS A KID.
WE WERE IN ELEMENTARY, WE WERE KIDS.
AND I CAN SEE THAT DIRECT MARKETING RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU'RE UP AGAINST THE LOT, DR.
AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU, UM, 'CAUSE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW YOU MUST FEEL, UM, FIGHTING SUCH A BIG BATTLE.
UM, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LONGEST TIME.
UM, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR APPROACH.
AND I WROTE DOWN, YOU KNOW, REALLY YOU'RE TACKLING SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS SMART, AND THAT'S THE SOCIALIZATION BETWEEN 18 AND UNDER.
UM, IN FACT, I WAS 16 YEARS OLD WHEN THEY CHANGED THE DRINKING AGE FROM 18 TO 21.
SO THERE IT IS, RIGHT? UH, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, WE KNOW THAT SMOKING IS THE LARGEST OR THE BIGGEST PREVENTABLE DEATH WE KNOW EXISTS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IS THAT, IS THAT NOT THE CASE? THIS IS, THIS IS THE LARGEST YES.
RIGHT? SO WHY WOULDN'T WE? WE KNOW IT'S THE LARGEST PROVI.
AND AT THE HEART OF THIS IS, IS KIDS.
AND I REMEMBER GROWING UP AND BEING SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALL THAT, THE, THE, THE STEADY STREAM OF OF, OF HOW TO GET INTO A KID'S MIND AND GET THEM TO USE A PRODUCT.
[01:25:01]
MORALLY WRONG.UM, SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, 'CAUSE THIS IS REALLY MY ONLY QUESTION, UH, AT THE HEART OF THIS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS.
UH, DID YOU, DID YOU TALK TO SOME OF THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE AREA AND, AND WHAT'S THEIR POSITION ON, ON THIS AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING? SO WE HAD A STAKEHOLDER MEETING AND, UM, MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHOWED UP IN SUPPORT OF THIS, UM, CHANGE.
AND IN FACT, UM, HELP ME, IT WAS SS A A I S D BOARD MEMBER, ED GARZA, ED GARZA, UM, SPOKE TODAY AT OUR PRESS CONFERENCE IN FAVOR OF THIS AND SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING, UM, ALL OF THE ISDS TO WRITE A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THIS, BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, AS USUAL, I TOOK THIS LIKE LITANY OF CRAZY NOTES THAT I DON'T, I CAN'T EVEN FOLLOW WHAT I WAS ASKING ANYMORE.
AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION, IT'S VERY FORMATIVE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION COMING AND I'LL, UM, UH, TRY TO JUST, MOST OF WHAT I WANTED TO ASK KIND OF ALREADY BEEN ASKED, BUT DURING YOUR PRESENTATION, I THINK YOU RAISED SOME ADDITIONAL CONCERNS, UM, THAT I WOULD WANT TO BRING UP.
AND I, I, I THINK THAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, QUESTIONS WERE COMPLETELY ON POINT ABOUT IMPACTING PEOPLE WITH THE LEGISLATION AND THE LAWS AND THE ORDINANCES AND THE THINGS WE DO OFTENTIMES, I MEAN, I LOOK, I'M VERY MUCH SWAYED BY THE PERSONAL ARGUMENTS AND OF, OF MY PEERS.
I THINK I TRIED IT ONE TIME IN A DITCH OFF BY SAM RAYBURN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS COOL, AND I BOUGHT PUKED.
I MEAN, IT WASN'T ANYTHING THAT HAD ANY INTEREST TO ME WHATSOEVER.
UH, SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY I HAVE ANY VESTED INTEREST IN IT FROM A SMOKER'S PERSPECTIVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I, I GOTTA TELL YOU, I DON'T THINK YOUR, YOUR PLAN IS READY FOR PRIME TIME.
AND IT'S, I I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD GO TO A SESSION YET.
I THINK YOU GOT MORE WORK TO DO.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT SCARED ME, ONE LINE COMPLETELY WORRIES ME ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID.
I HOPE MY PEERS TAKE NOTE OF WHAT THE WORDS YOU USED COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND ASKED IF YOU APPROACHED A PERSON ON THE SIDEWALK ABOUT SMOKING TO ASK THEM THEIR AGE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND YOUR ANSWER WAS, FIRST NOTHING.
AND YOU, YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT IT.
AND THEN YOU SAID, THEORETICALLY, THIS, WE PASS A LAW.
WE DON'T DEAL IN THEORY, WE GOTTA DEAL IN CONCRETE PLANNING.
WE GOTTA DEAL IN EXPECTATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY HAVE TO BE A PART OF THIS.
WE CAN GO AROUND FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS ALL DAY LONG.
BUT HOW WE ENFORCE THOSE, AND WHEN WE PASS LEGISLATION, ONE OF THE MOST SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO HERE IS TO PUT LAWS ON THE BOOKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND FUTURE, UH, MEMBERS OF THIS BODY HERE.
THAT THOSE OPINIONS ARE GONNA COME IN AND MOVE AND MOVE AND MOVE OUT.
THERE'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT FOLKS SITTING HERE.
I MEAN, MINDSETS ARE GONNA CHANGE, TIMES ARE GONNA CHANGE.
UH, PEOPLE'S BELIEF SYSTEMS ARE GONNA CHANGE.
I REMEMBER BIG LEAGUE CHEW, AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT A SEATBELT ON THOSE OTHER THINGS TOO.
AND, AND THIS MAY VERY WELL BE A FOREGONE INCLUSION THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS NOW IN THE LAWS WE DEAL WITH AND CREATE, NOW, YOU'RE NOT READY TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
UM, IT CAN'T BE THIS VOID OF UNKNOWN ON ENFORCEMENT.
UM, YOU, YOU SAID IT WAS COOL THAT YOU WOULD PROFILE SOMEBODY WITH DATA THAT, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER SCARY THING YOU SAID.
THINK ABOUT IF SS A P D SAT IN FRONT OF US TO MY FELLOW MEMBERS, THINK ABOUT THAT.
IF S A P D STOOD RIGHT THERE AND SAYS, WE'RE GONNA USE DATA TO GO TO WHERE WE KNOW THE CRIME THE CRIMINALS ARE, AND WE'RE GOING TO RUN DECOYS AND TRY TO CATCH 'EM, THAT'S WHAT DR.
THE ENFORCEMENT PLAN WAS TO USE DATA TO IDENTIFY FREQUENT VIOLATORS AND SEND DECOYS IN ON THEM.
THAT THAT'S NOT WHO WE ARE AS A CITY.
THAT'S, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE DATA TO TARGET AND PROFILE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE STANDING IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE WHO MAY VERY WELL BECAUSE OF THE PLACE THEY LIVE.
THEY MAY BE A SMALL LITTLE OWNER OFF OF SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN IN THE EDGEWOOD SCHOOL.
THERE'S MY AREA, MY AREA I REPRESENT, AND THEY MAY HAVE A HIGH PROLIFERATION OF IT.
BRIDGER, YOU NEED TO SEND A DECOY IN THERE.
AND THEN SOMEBODY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN IS DOING THE SAME THING, BUT THEY DON'T GET THE DECOY.
UH, IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST YOUR ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM.
AND PLANNING HAS SO MUCH MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS PROCESS UNDERSTANDS WHERE THE LINE IS, WHAT THE LAW LOOKS LIKE, AND WHAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS IS.
FOR INSTANCE, WHO'S PAYING FOR THE CESSATION CLASS?
[01:30:02]
SO THE, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF, UH, EITHER LOW COST OR FREE, UH, SMOKING CESSATION OR TOBACCO EDUCATION.BUT IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT COULD BE LOW COST OR FREE INITIALLY UNTIL PEOPLE START INCURRING COSTS.
AND THEN YOU GOT COMEDY DEFENSIVE DRIVING, YOU GOT ALL THESE OTHER, YOU MENTIONED GETTING A SPEEDING TICKET.
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TRAINING.
UH, AND IF YOU'RE, IF THESE ARE PROPORTIONATELY, I GOTTA, I GOTTA KNOW THAT, LIKE, WHO'S ACTUALLY DOING THIS SMOKING BY DEMOGRAPHICS, IS THIS, IS THIS IS DISPROPORTIONATELY GONNA AFFECT MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENT, THAT IF THEY GET THAT AND THEY HAVE TO GO TAKE A SMOKING CESSATION CLASS OR HAVE TO PAY FOR IT IN THE FUTURE, OR SOMETHING COMES UP WITH THAT LITTLE EXTRA DOLLARS, OR WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TURNING SOMETHING VERY PUNITIVE, WHO'S GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT? THAT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL COST ON A PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? SO ENFORCEMENT WISE, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE DIGGING INTO HOW THIS IS GONNA AFFECT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE THOSE THAT ARE ACTUALLY SMOKING RIGHT NOW BY DEMOGRAPHICS, BY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO I CAN, YOU CAN SIT HERE AND SAY, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE'RE GONNA TARGET WITH OUR DATA AND ANALYTICS COUNCIL.
SO MAY I CLARIFY? UM, THE PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS IS SPECIFIC TO RETAILERS.
IT'S NOT YOUTH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT'S TO TAKE THE HUMAN, THEY'RE CITIZENS, THEY'RE, I DON'T, I DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE YOUTH OR WHOEVER, CITIZENS.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
IT'S TO TAKE THE HUMAN BIAS OUT OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.
YEAH, NO, I MEAN, THEY'RE CITIZENS AND YOU'RE GONNA TARGET THEM USING DATA.
AND IF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID, WE'RE GONNA TARGET PEOPLE USING DATA, WE'D LAUGH THEM THE HECK OUTTA HERE.
I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A, A, A VIOLATION OF THE UMPTEENTH IF WE WERE JUST TARGETING PEOPLE BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA, UH, THEY WOULD BE LIKE, WELL, WE KNOW HISTORICALLY THAT HOUSE COMMITS CRIME, SO LET'S GO RAID THAT HOUSE.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THAT'S THE PARALLEL.
AND THAT SHOULD SCARE ALL OF US NO MATTER WHAT.
SO, UH, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ ALSO MADE AN EXCELLENT POINT THAT WE ARE DE DECRIMINALIZING AND DE-STIGMATIZING MARIJUANA USAGE.
WE ARE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WE BEGIN TO GO TO SITE AND RELEASE AND UNDER THREE OUNCES GETS A TICKET, WE ARE DECRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA USAGE AND WE'RE CRIMINALIZING TOBACCO USAGE THAT I HAVE A D A VERY STRONG PROBLEM WITH.
AND WE'RE CREATING A SOLUTION FOR A PROBLEM.
FRANKLY, THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST VERY MUCH.
IF YOU SAID IT ONLY IMPACTS 31 CITATIONS OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR, DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A MOUNTAIN OF PROBLEMS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS IN THE ENFORCEMENT.
WITH OUR CONVENIENCE STORE FOLKS, AND THE PEOPLE ARE HERE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T SENSE A MOUNTAIN OF PROBLEMS OR THIS OVERWHELMING WAVE OF CONVENIENCE STORE OWNERS, IF THERE'S ONLY 31 CITATIONS IN AN ENTIRE YEAR TO DATE, I, I DON'T SEE MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
AND METRO HEALTH WORKERS, UM, AN EXTRA FIVE MINUTES.
SO BY YOUR DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS PROCESS WOULD WORK, A CONVENIENCE STORE WOULD GET SEEN ONCE A YEAR FOR FIVE ADDITIONAL MINUTES.
THEY'D BE LOOKING TO SEE IF THEY'RE VIOLATING THE, THE LAW.
SO AGAIN, A SOLUTION WITH A, WITH THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? THAT, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT 'EM ONE TIME A YEAR, I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT'S GONNA BE.
AND FURTHERMORE, YOU SAID TOO, THAT THIS IS ONLY ABOUT 2% OF THE SALES OF A CONVENIENCE STORE.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT BIG OF A CONCERN TO A BUSINESS IF THEY LOSE THEIR FINANCIAL RESOURCES OVER THIS.
IF THEY TAKE A HIT ON THE BOTTOM LINE WHILE I USE THIS, THAT SAME STATISTIC, AND I'LL TELL YOU, WELL, THEN IT'S NOT THAT BIG A IMPACT THEN IF WE GO IN AND WE SEE HIM ONCE A YEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY MEASURABLE IMPACT OF YOU WALKING INTO CONVENIENCE STORES.
AND I DON'T BUY YOUR ARGUMENT.
THE SAP D'S NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED.
I, THE, HIS, THE HISTORY HAS TOLD US THEY WILL BE.
UM, I SPOKE TO CHIEF MCMANUS HIMSELF AND HE SAID, UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING HE THINKS WE SHOULD DO.
HE DOESN'T WANNA HAVE ANY PART OF IT.
DOESN'T WANT HIS MEN AND WOMEN WASTING THEIR TIME ON THIS.
THAT WAS A DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF.
AND I THINK HE TOLD YOU THAT AS WELL.
SO, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE INVOLVED.
WHAT I, I, ARE WE GONNA PUT THAT IN THE ORDINANCE? THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS.
WELL, IT'S IN THE ENFORCEMENT MEMO WHO WILL BE INVOLVED.
IT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE ORDINANCE SO THAT IN THE FU SO FUTURE COUNSELS CAN'T DECIDE TO GO DEEPER WITH THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THINGS.
SO AGAIN, ANOTHER EX ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, I DON'T THINK THE ENFORCEMENT AND THE ENTIRE PIECE OF HOW WE HOLD A COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS IS, IS SET IN STONE OR READY.
I THINK, UH, I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT ONE TOWN HALL.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU, YOU GRABBED ENOUGH DATA FOR SUCH A COMMUNITY MINDED CHANGE, RIGHT? THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
UM, I THINK ONE TOWN HALL, IT FRANKLY ISN'T ENOUGH.
I DO THINK THIS WAS RUSHED, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UH, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE THIS CAME UP FROM.
I KNOW WE, IT, IT BUBBLED UP THROUGH HERE, BUT, UH,
[01:35:01]
WHERE DID YOU GET THIS I IDEA FROM ANYWAYS? LIKE WHERE WAS THIS GENESIS FROM FOR YOU? BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT IT TO THE, SO I MEAN, HOW, HOW IT WAS, IT WAS PART OF THE CITY HEALTH INITIATIVE.WHEN I PRESENTED THE CITY HEALTH INITIATIVE AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UM, THE INTERVENTIONS THAT THEY RECOMMEND AND THAT THEY GRADE THE CITY ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE AWARD.
THE, THE BRONZE, SILVER, UM, GOLD MEDALS THAT YOU CAN EARN.
WHERE'S YOUR, HAVE YOU DONE THIS BEFORE IN ANOTHER CITY OR NO? NO.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH IT.
UM, AND THE COST TO COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT'S POINT, I, I, I DON'T, AGAIN SEE, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT'S THOROUGHLY IRONED OUT YET.
UM, I DON'T SEE HOW ONE VISIT A YEAR FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIVE MINUTES IS GONNA MAKE THIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY PASSING A 100% TOOTHLESS ORDINANCE, UM, OTHER THAN YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA DETRACT THE CHILD FROM PURCHASING TOBACCO.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SIT HERE AND SAY, OH, WELL, A SERVICE MEMBER THIS AND, UM, THE MILITARY THAT, AND I SERVED IN THE MILITARY, AND, AND, UH, IF THE, IF THEY WANTED TO BAN TOBACCO USAGE, THEY WOULD'VE, THEY, THEY, THEY BAN IT IN BASIC TRAINING, BUT THEY'RE NOT BANNING IT WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF BASIC TRAINING.
IF THEY, IF IT WAS THAT BAD OF A READINESS ISSUE, UH, THEY WOULD'VE BANNED IT, PERIOD.
AND THEN THEY HAVEN'T, UM, I MEAN, TOBACCO'S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BE THE BEGINNING OF ARMY'S PERIOD, A CONTINENTAL ARMY.
SO I DON'T, I I, I DO CONCEDE THE HEALTH RISK IN THE SCIENCE.
I'M ALSO STANDING UP A LITTLE BIT FOR PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL, AND CHOICES AND TAKING GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE REGULATION OF OUR DAILY LIVES.
AT WHAT POINT DOES IT END? UH, AND I THINK THIS IS JUST, THIS JUST CONTINUES DOWN THE PATH OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO REGULATE AND TELL A CITIZEN WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO SPEND THEIR TIME, THEIR MONEY, THEIR RESOURCES.
UM, AND I'M SORRY IF THE, IF THE BRAIN'S NOT DEVELOPED AT 18 TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF CHOICES, THEN THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
AND I GUESS WE GOTTA TAKE A STEP BACK AND DETER, DETERMINE IF WE'RE GOING TO BAN AND RAISE THE AGE ON THINGS.
AND WE CAN LAUGH AT THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SIT AROUND AND SAY, YOU GOOFBALL, COME ON.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN VOTE AT 18, BUT YOU, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SMOKE.
I MEAN, THAT'S A TIRED, THAT'S A BIT CONDESCENDING IN MY MY OPINION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU'RE 18, YOU COULD PUT IT ON THE LINE AND DO THOSE THINGS.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE AT THAT POINT CAN SAY THAT'S A DEVELOPED BRAIN FOR THESE, THIS DECISION, THIS DECISION, THIS DECISION.
BUT FOR THIS, OVER HERE IN SMOKING, THAT'S NOT A DEVELOPED BRAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS.
AND, AND THE, THE, THE BIGGEST THING THAT CONCERNS ME AND OBVI, IT'S OBVIOUS WHERE I'M AT.
I THINK WE NEED, WE, YOU HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD GO TO AN, A SESSION IN JANUARY.
I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK AND COMPLETELY LOOK AT AND DIG WAY DEEPER INTO YOUR ENFORCEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS. 'CAUSE IT'S AMBIGUOUS.
I THINK IT'S TARGETING, WHICH IS VERY SCARY.
I WOULD HOPE THIS COUNCIL WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE TARGETING GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH, WITH YOUR ENFORCEMENT PLAN.
UM, TO HAVE A NO ENFORCEMENT ONE UP THERE IS A BIT COMICAL, RIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA PASS A LAW AND LITERALLY SAY, NO ENFORCEMENT.
I MEAN,
SO FOR MUNICIPALITY OUT THERE PASSED A LAW AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS THE LAW, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA FORCE IT.
I THAT I, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S A FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE EITHER.
SO I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS TAKE A STEP BACK, UH, REVERT TO A, A CLEAR REVIEW ON ENFORCEMENT USE METRICS, SEE WHAT THIS LOOK LIKE ELSEWHERE.
WHO'S SMOKING? HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY? I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN LIVING THE EQUITY CONVERSATION FOR SIX MONTHS.
THIS IS AN EQUITY CONVERSATION.
IS THIS GOING TO DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT SOCIALLY CHALLENGED, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY? ARE THEY GONNA END UP PAYING MORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY IN THEIR LIVES AND WHERE THEY'VE GROWN UP BEEN SMOKERS? IT'S A FA IT'S A FAMILIAL THING, RIGHT? THE EDUCATION HASN'T BEEN THERE FOR THEM.
SO ARE, IS YOUR ORDINANCE, IS THIS LAW GOING TO DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT THEM? I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANSWERED.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT WE TABLE THIS, UH, WE, WE GO BACK, WE HOLD MORE TOWN HALLS SO THAT WE CAN ALL HAVE INPUT ON IT, UH, AT MORE CONVENIENT TIMES FOR BOTH THE INDUSTRY.
I'M, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY INDUSTRY ON THIS, BUT ALSO TO RESIDENTS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND WE GATHER MORE INFORMATION, DATA, SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT, AND THEN WE DO THE HARD WORK ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, SIDE OF IT.
'CAUSE I GOT REAL CONCERNS ABOUT HEALTH INSPECTORS AND CODE OFFICERS OUT THERE ENFORCING THIS WITH SUCH AMBIGUOUS MECHANISMS. UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STAND ON IT.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT A, UH, IT'S, I'M NOT AN ANTI-SCIENCE GUY.
YOU'RE THE EXPERT ON THE SCIENCE, BUT WE'RE THE EXPERTS ON THE, ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE JUST GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT, MA'AM.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
I MEAN, WITH THE POLICIES YOU ESPOUSE, WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THEY TURN INTO COST TO RESIDENTS, HOMEOWNERS.
I MEAN, HECK, YOU MENTIONED TAX AND SUGARY DRINKS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BUT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS BE COGNIZANT
[01:40:01]
OF HOW THIS AFFECTS PEOPLE THEIR LIVES.AND WE CANNOT BE AMBIGUOUS AND LEAST, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LAW AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES THAT WE WANT TO PUT ON OUR CITIZENS.
YOU, YOU GOT A LOT OF TALKING AT YOU.
I DON'T KNOW KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING AND INTERJECT OR SAYING I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTION Y'ALL HAVE.
I WILL SAY, COUNCILMAN BROADCAST, I DO WISH THAT, UH, VOTING WAS ADDICTIVE.
YOU MIGHT HAVE 16 OR 17 YEAR OLDS.
OH MAN, I NEED TO GET MORE VOTING IN.
I WISH THEY WOULD DO IT TWICE A YEAR.
I WISH I COULD GET IT LESS THAN ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CYCLE.
THE, THE, THE FACT IS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, UH, WE PUT AGE LIMITS ON SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE, UH, THEY MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO MORE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
AND, AND I, I, I, I DON'T, I'M NOT QUEASY ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T VACILLATE BACK AND FORTH AS TO WHETHER I SUPPORT IT.
UH, I SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT WOULD, WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY TO TARGET VULNERABLE YOUTH AND, AND VULNERABLE YOUTH.
WE HAVE TO DEFINE, WE SAY, ARE YOU A YOUTH AT 18? ARE YOU A YOUTH AT 19? UM, I, I'M NOT GONNA DEFINE THAT AS A POLICY MAKER.
AND I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO THE FOLKS WHO, WHO HAVE A MORE SCIENTIFIC BEND TO THEIR APPROACH.
AND, UH, WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US IS THAT, AND, AND I'LL TRUST YOUR EXPERTISE, AND ALSO THE DECADES LONG OF, OF RESEARCH THAT HAS LED US TO THE POINT THAT WE CAN SAY THAT AT 1819, YOU ARE STILL MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ONE OF THE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, AVAILABLE TO 18 OR 19 OR 20 YEAR OLDS, WHICH IS NICOTINE.
SO IF WE CAN SUPPORT AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR 18, 19, 20 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE AND, UH, TO THE ADDICTIVE NATURE OF NICOTINE, THEN I'LL SUPPORT IT.
AND THERE'S THIS OTHER BIG IDEA, ANYTIME THAT, UH, PEOPLE READ THE NEWSPAPER OR WATCH TELEVISION AND HEAR THAT, UH, GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BE REGULATING A SPECIFIC ACTION, UH, ESPECIALLY IF IT MEANS REGULATING A SPECIFIC, UH, INDIVIDUAL CHOICE.
AND I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY TO THAT, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING.
I MEAN, IT, IT SHOULDN'T BE THE JOB OF GOVERNMENT TO DO EVERYTHING.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S NOT EXCUSE FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO NOTHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO A DECISION THAT WOULD LEAD US TO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS AN OVERALL GOOD.
UH, THE OVERALL GOOD BEING THAT LESS 16, 17 YEAR OLDS WOULD BE GOING, UH, TO SCHOOL WITH AN 18 YEAR OLD WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO GO AND PURCHASE, UH, CIGARETTES FOR THEM.
AND SO WE WANT TO TRY SOMETHING.
WE DON'T WANNA SIT ON OUR HANDS, UH, AND CONTINUE TO SEE THIS PROBLEM WORSEN.
SO, UH, THE, THE QUESTION THAT I, I'LL, I'LL HAVE FOR YOU IS ABOUT THE DATA POINTS THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED.
I THINK YOU SAID YOU'VE LOOKED AT TWO YEARS OF WHICH, UM, THERE'S AN IDEA FLOATING AROUND IN THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT IS IF IT'S PENALIZING FOLKS OF A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY, IF IT'S PENALIZING INDIVIDUALS.
WHAT WERE THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN? SO THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS ISSUED TO UNDERAGE SMOKERS BY SS A P D FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR SO FAR WAS 30, I'M SORRY, 31.
30 OF THEM WERE FOR POSSESSION AND WERE THE RESULT OF BEING STOPPED FOR SOME OTHER REASON.
AND ONE WAS FOR USE OR FOR SMOKING.
UM, THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE ENTIRE YEAR THERE WERE 44, AND THE DISTRIBUTION WAS VERY SIMILAR AS FAR AS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM WERE FOR POSSESSION AND WERE THE RESULT OF BEING STOPPED FOR ANOTHER REASON.
SO I, JUST TO REPEAT WHAT I HEARD IN, IN THESE CASES WHERE WE DO HAVE 16 OR 17 YEAR OLDS WHO WERE STOPPED, WHO DID GET A CITATION, UH, THE REASON FOR THE INITIATED CONTACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE HOLDING A CIGARETTE.
SO WE HAVE EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT ENGAGING INTO, UH, LOWER INCOME OR, OR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR SPECIFICALLY ON THE ANGLE OF, UH, SOMEBODY HOLDING A CIGARETTE OR IN POSSESSION OF CIGARETTE.
IT'S TYPICALLY BECAUSE OF A DIFFERENT BEHAVIOR, AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE PART OF IT.
UH, SO I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ALARMED BY, BY THE FEAR, ALTHOUGH I'M SENSITIVE TO WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, COUNSEL, IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE, GIVE ME A SUGGESTION.
AND YOU'VE GIVEN US THREE OPTIONS.
AND SO THOSE ARE FOR US TO DISCUSS AND DEBATE.
IF YOU COULD PUT THOSE, I THINK IT'S SLIDE 20.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE EFFECT OF GOING TO 21 AND, AND, AND THOSE WHO MAY BE TARGETED, WHAT WE COULD DO IS, IS JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'LL BE NO ENFORCEMENT, THAT IF YOU ARE 18 OR 19 TODAY, IN SIX MONTHS, WHEN IT DOES GO INTO EFFECT, UH, YOU CAN BE STOPPED FOR IT AND HAVE NO CONSEQUENCE AS A RESULT OF IT.
AND THE QUESTION FOR US AS POLICY MAKERS IS DO WE THINK THAT WILL WILL ACTUALLY HAVE AN EFFECT? AND THE TERM TOOTHLESS IS CORRECT IN MY OWN ESTIMATION, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, UH, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THAT, THAT A RULE WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCE IS
[01:45:01]
JUST A SUGGESTION.AND WE SUGGEST THAT IF YOU ARE 18 OR 19, YOU SHOULDN'T SMOKE IF THERE'S NO CONSEQUENCE TO IT.
SO, I I IN MY OWN, MY OWN FEEDBACK TO YOU, DOCTOR, WOULD BE THAT WE WOULDN'T JUST DO NO ENFORCEMENT.
I'M SORRY, ARE YOU, I WAS JUST TOLD BY COUNSEL TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT NUMBER ONE DOESN'T MEAN NO ENFORCEMENT.
NUMBER ONE MEANS THAT IT WILL NOT BE, UM, COVERED IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO JUST THE SALE OF TOBACCO WOULD BE COVERED IN THE ORDINANCE, POSSESSION, USE AND PURCHASE WOULD NOT BE, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? YES.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU REPEAT IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY? SO, UM, THE WAY THAT THE ORDINANCE WOULD BE WRITTEN, IF Y'ALL SAID TO ME WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, DO ANYTHING WITH THE YOUTH IS THAT WE WOULD TAKE OUT OF THE ORDINANCE ANYTHING REFERENCING, UM, POSSESSION, USE OR PURCHASE, AND THE ORDINANCE WOULD ONLY COVER THE SALE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO YOU WOULD, IN MY MIND, THE WAY I WOULD, I WOULD SUMMARIZE THAT IS, IS THAT YOU WOULD LOOK TO THE F FOLKS WHO ARE DISTRIBUTING, WHO ARE SELLING, CORRECT.
AND SO IF YOU ARE AN H E B OR A CONVENIENCE STORE, SMALL, LARGE, OR MEDIUM SIZE, UH, THE ORDINANCE WOULD APPLY TO YOU.
AND I'LL GO BACK TO THE SAME CASE ABOUT SUGGESTING THAT IF WE HAVE NO ENFORCEMENT, UH, AT THE, AT THE LEVEL OF A 18 OR 19 YEAR OLD, UM, I THINK IT DOESN'T HAVE THE, THE, THE SUGGESTED EFFECT THAT WE WANT, WHICH IS THAT WE DON'T WANT YOUTH GETTING, UH, THEIR HANDS ON, UM, AN ADDICTIVE AND DANGEROUS PRODUCT AT THAT AGE.
SO TWO IS WHEN I WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, BECAUSE BEFORE I WALKED IN TODAY, I THINK I WAS LEANING TOWARDS US HAVING SOME SORT OF, OF A FINE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE HAULED OFF IN, IN HANDCUFFS.
UH, IT DOES MEAN YOU GET A CITATION.
SO I, I, I WANNA SORT OF MOVE THAT AWAY AS AN OPTION IN MY MIND AND JUST FOCUS IN ON NUMBER TWO.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M, UH, I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT MY OWN OPINION WOULD BE, UH, IF WE PUT THE ORDINANCE INTO PLACE.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, THE 18 YEAR OLD WHO HAS JUST GOTTEN A TICKET? WHAT DOES THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OR THE NEXT WEEKS OF HIS LIFE LOOKED LIKE AS A RESULT OF THIS TICKET? SO THEY WOULD GO TO MUNICIPAL COURT, AND THE JUDGE WOULD, LOOKING AT OUR ORDINANCE, SAY, I SENTENCE YOU TO MANDATORY, I DON'T KNOW, I, I SHOULDN'T TRY TO BE A LAWYER.
IF I SAY IT WRONG, JUST JUMP UP AND DOWN.
UM, BASICALLY THE, THE JUDGE WOULD TELL THE PERSON TO GO TO THE EDUCATION CLASS, AND WHEN THEY HAVE PROOF THAT THEY'VE BEEN TO THE EDUCATION CLASS, THE CITATION WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THEIR RECORD.
SO THERE, I TRIED TO ELIMINATE ANY USE OF LEGAL TERMS THAT I MIGHT MISCONSTRUE
WELL, THAT, THAT I WOULD AGREE WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, IF WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE, THAT IT GOES IN WITH POTENTIALLY WITH, WITH THE OPTION TWO FOR A MANDATORY SMOKING CESSION, UH, CLASS.
IT'S NOT, UH, SO HEAVY HANDED.
IT'S NOT SO LOOSE IN ITS ENFORCEMENT THAT I THINK IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE, UH, AT LEAST PASSING A LAW THAT HAS SOME CONSEQUENCE TO, TO YOUTH WHO MAY BE, UH, ENGAGING WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
BRIDGER, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB WITH A VERY DIFFICULT SUBJECT MATTER THAT, YOU KNOW, RESPONDS WITH A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, QUICK KNEE-JERK REACTION ABOUT EMOTIONS AND, AND WHETHER THIS IS A GOOD IDEA OR NOT.
AND I'LL JUST REALLY GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS THAT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO DELAY THE TIME AT WHICH SOMEBODY GETS A HOLD OF A DANGEROUS PRODUCT THAT CAN BE POTENTIALLY LIFELONG IMPACTING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THAT ADDICTIVE NATURE IS BUILT, UH, IN, IN, IN MORE SUSCEPTIBLE BRAINS AT EARLY AGES, THEN I'LL AGREE WITH IT.
AND SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS AT, AT AN A SESSION, AND I WANT TO THANK SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE FROM, UM, ORGANIZATIONS AS LONGSTANDING WITH EVIDENCE TO BACK, UH, LIKE THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND SOME LOCALLY WHO ARE GONNA HELP US TRACK THIS, LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO COALITION ON DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.
AND IN THIS, IN THE SAME URGENCY THAT WE HAVE WHEN, UH, WE DISCUSSED SEVERAL, UH, MONTHS, I WANNA SAY EVEN A YEAR AGO, THE WAY TO TRY TO PROHIBIT THE ACCESS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, GETTING AHOLD OF ALCOHOL AND HAVING, UH, SOCIAL EVENTS AND HAVING PEOPLE NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO IT WITH THE HELP OF, UH, AKATA AND THE SOCIAL HOST IS THE SAME WAY THAT I APPROACH THIS SUBJECT MATTER.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CRIMINALIZING ANYTHING HERE, CRIMINALIZING IS, IS, IS THE TYPE OF WORD THAT BRINGS TO PEOPLE'S MINDS, HANDCUFFS, AND, AND BEING THROWN IN JAIL.
I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD SEE HERE IS SOMETHING LIKE, UH, A TRAFFIC TICKET, AND WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S GONNA HAVE AN EFFECT.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S THE ROLE IN WHICH WE AS POLICYMAKERS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING SO HEAVY HANDED IS TO TELL PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT OUTRIGHT BANNING SMOKING.
IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL 21, THAT MAY BE THE, THE GREATEST HEARTACHE THAT YOU'LL SEE OUT OF US RA RAISING THIS AGE TO 21.
SO, MAYOR, THOSE ARE THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAVE.
[01:50:01]
YOU.COUNCILMAN SALANI, COUNCILMAN SHAW.
BRIDGERS, THIS IS MORE OF A CONVERSATION PIECE, SO YOU CAN RELAX, UH, SIT BACK, SMILE, AND JUST DO YOUR THING.
I WANNA GET A DRINK IN, IN TERMS OF SEVERAL COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, AT ONE TIME I WASN'T, I DON'T THINK I WAS ALIVE, BUT YOU COULD DRINK AND YOU CAN DRINK AND DRIVE.
IT WAS LEGAL TO GET DRUNK AND GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR.
BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN PEOPLE START DYING, WE IMPLEMENTED LAW FROM A STATE LEVEL.
SO THINGS CHANGE OVER AND OVER.
AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE COUNCILMAN ION'S POINTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT POINTS POINTING OUT THE INCONSISTENCIES OR THE FLAWS IN THIS POLICY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THIS THING WORK.
UM, AND SO ONE POINT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT THE DECRIMINALIZATION, MARIJUANA IS STILL LEGAL.
REGARDLESS IF YOU GO TO JAIL OR NOT.
IT'S STILL ILLEGAL REGARDLESS.
SO IT'S NOT BEING DECRIMINALIZED.
MARIJUANA'S STILL ILLEGAL, AND YOU CAN NOW, INSTEAD OF GOING TO JAIL FOR IT, YOU GET A TICKET AND GO TO BEXAR COUNTY COURT.
NOW, TYPICALLY, YOU CAN STILL GO TO JAIL IF THE JUDGE WANTS TO SEND YOU TO JAIL.
UM, NUMBER TWO, THE, IF WE GO TO AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM, LIKE A TRAFFIC TICKET, AND I HATE TO WEAR MY LAWYER HAT, BUT I'M WEARING IT NOW, IF WE GO INTO A MECHANISM, LIKE A TRAFFIC TICKET AND SOMEONE, IF A, A CHILD IS GIVEN DEFERRED, IT'S STILL ON THE RECORD.
IT'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT IT'S DISMISSED.
SO IT'S STILL ON THEIR RECORD ON THE CLASS C.
NOW, WHEN YOU GO APPLY FOR A JOB, IT MAY NOT COME UP UNLESS THEY APPLY FOR A C D L, BUT THEY WILL STILL HAVE A RECORD FOR A CITATION AS A JUVENILE OR AS A YOUTH.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A PAIN FOR OUR KIDS WHEN THEY GET TRUANCY TICKETS OR SPEEDING TICKETS.
THAT'S WHY THEY HIRE US, BECAUSE IT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY THEY HAVE TO SPEND.
I'M NOT TOO SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT, UH, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE IN, IN COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ'S, UH, PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS MAY AFFECT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES MORE THAN OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES WHO CAN'T AFFORD, THEY STILL GOTTA PAY FOR IT.
SO A TICKET IS WHAT? 140 BUCKS.
OKAY? SO EVERY TIME YOU GET A TICKET, THAT'S HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO PAY TO GET TO DEFERRED.
SO THERE'LL STILL BE A COST ASSOCIATED UNLESS WE WORK MUNICIPAL COURT TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA CHARGE.
AND THAT'S STILL AN OPTION THAT WE MAY HAVE.
UM, IN TERMS OF REGULATION, I, I, I'M HEARING, YOU KNOW, THE TAX IMP OR HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA PAY, OR WE SHOULD BE REGULATING PEOPLE'S LIVES, BUT WE EITHER PAY FOR IT NOW OR WE'RE GONNA PAY IT FROM THE BACK END.
PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM CIGARETTE SMOKE, THEY'RE DYING FROM TOBACCO.
THEY GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THEY GO TO DOCTOR VISITS, AND SOME OF 'EM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THOSE VISITS.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS NOT CHECKERS, THIS IS CHEST.
WE HAVE TO THINK LONG TERM, AND WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
THIS MAY NOT AFFECT US RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'LL AFFECT OUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS.
SO IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT REGULATION, WHAT'S GONNA BENEFIT? IF I DARE HAVING THE KIDS MANNY'S KIDS, OKAY, WELL, THEY BENEFIT FROM THIS 20, 30 YEARS.
AND I WOULD SAY YES, BECAUSE LESS PEOPLE ARE DYING, HOPEFULLY ARE, OR LESS PEOPLE ARE DYING, ARE NOT DYING FROM TOBACCO USE.
THEN THE BUS, THE, THE ARGUMENT TOWARDS THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY, HOW IT'S GONNA HURT THEM.
YOU KNOW, I, I PRACTICE CRIMINAL DEFENSE.
I WOULD LOVE CRIME TO BE ERADICATED, AND THERE'S NO MORE CRIME.
WOULD IT HURT MY BUSINESS? YEAH, IT WOULD HURT MY BUSINESS.
BUT THEN I HAVE TO GET CREATIVE AND DO OTHER FACETS OF LAW.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CITY WHERE THERE IS NO CRIME.
AND IT WOULD HURT MY BOTTOM LINE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY 50% OF WHAT, WHAT WE DO IN OUR OFFICE, BUT WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE AS A SMALL BUSINESS AND WORK AROUND THAT.
SO THAT ARGUMENT, I, EVEN THOUGH I SYMPATHIZE, IT'S NOT THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT.
SO WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING THIS THING OUT, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT TOBACCO IS KILLING OUR YOUTH.
HOW DO WE SLOW THAT DOWN? IF NOT, STOP IT.
MY BIGGEST ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS THE ENFORCEMENT.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH S A P D CAME UP AND SAID IT WON'T BE A PRIORITY, IT'S STILL, THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY.
OKAY? SO THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY MIGHT NOT BE A PRIORITY, BUT THEY HAVE A, THE AUTHORITY, THERE'S MORE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW IN PRISON FOR NOT PUTTING ON THEIR BLINKER, FOR CHANGING LANES OR THE TAILLIGHT BEING OUT.
BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES, THAT GIVES POLICE OFFICERS REASONABLE SUSPICION FOR A STOP.
SO THEREFORE, IF THEY SEE SOMEBODY WHO LOOKS YOUNG SMOKING, I CAN PULL THAT PERSON OVER AND THEN AN INVESTIGATION BEGINS.
AND THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE.
IS THAT TOO MUCH LEEWAY FOR SS A P D? I THINK IT IS.
[01:55:01]
SEE SS A P D NOT INVOLVED IN THIS CONVERSATION, STRICTLY METRO HEALTH.THEY CAN GO TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY CAN DO THEIR INSPECTIONS, THEY CAN CITE, LEAVE IT TO THEM.
BUT I'M VERY HESITANT TO ALLOW SS A P D ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PULL FOLKS OVER.
BECAUSE IF YOU GO INTO BEAR COUNTY JAIL, YOU'LL SEE WHO'S IN THAT JAIL.
AND I, I'M NOT GONNA BE POLITICALLY CORRECT, IT'S A BUNCH OF BLACKS AND A BUNCH OF LATINOS.
AND SO I, I DON'T WANT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN MOVING FORWARD ON A POLICY LIKE THIS.
OKAY, YES, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
WE HAVE TO, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, WE PROTECT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE IN MAKING THIS DECISION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST HAVE MORE OF A CONVERSATION PIECE INSTEAD OF JUST POINT OUT THE HOLES IN THIS, BECAUSE IT HAS TO HAPPEN.
SO I, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR THIS, THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE.
I WOULD RATHER S A P D BE REMOVED FROM THE ORDINANCE, STRICTLY METRO HEALTH.
THEY GO INTO THE, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY CAN CITE, THEY CAN DO THEIR INSPECTIONS.
IF EVERYONE'S DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, THEN WE'RE FINE.
BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP OUR KIDS FROM SMOKING CIGARETTES.
A LOT OF, LOT OF GREAT ARGUMENTS TODAY.
NOT ARGUMENTS, BUT DISCUSSIONS AND FACT FINDING AND, AND, UH, A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM YOU, DR.
BRIDGER, ON, ON OUR, OUR SINGLE TALK ON THIS ISSUE.
I TOLD YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, 18 YEAR OLDS, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE SERVICE IN THE MILITARY AND, AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE CLASSIFIED AS AN ADULT.
BUT IN THIS ISSUE, UM, OF SMOKING, THEY'RE WE'RE SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S NOT UP TO YOU.
THAT'S UP TO US, THE GOVERNMENT, TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO AT 18.
SO I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE DATA, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT AS WELL.
UH, BUT I AM DEFINITELY NOT, UH, FOR ANY KIND OF ENFORCEMENT AGAINST OUR YOUNG KIDS.
UH, AND WHEN I SAY YOUNG KIDS, I'M SAYING THAT TONGUE IN CHEEK, THEY'RE NOT YOUNG KIDS.
WE'RE CLASSIFYING THEM AS ADULTS AT 18 YEAR OLD, YEARS OLD FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, ONE OF WHICH IS SERVING IN THE MILITARY.
UH, THERE WAS A COMMENT, WELL, THEY DON'T ALLOW ANY SMOKING AND BASIC TRAINING.
BUT THEY GET OUTTA BASIC TRAINING, AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE SIGNED RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, FORT SAM, RANDOLPH LACKLAND.
THEY GO STRAIGHT IN INTO WORK, UM, AND THEY CAN PURCHASE THERE ON THE, ON THE INSTALLATIONS.
OH, THEY DON'T JUST STAY ON THOSE INSTALLATIONS.
THEY COME DOWNTOWN, OR AT LEAST I HOPE THEY COME DOWNTOWN.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF THEY BRING THEIR PACKET OF CIGARETTES WITH THEM DOWNTOWN? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH OUR THOUSANDS OF VISITORS THAT COME HERE TO TOWN EVERY, EVERY DAY, EVERY YEAR THAT ARE 18 YEARS AND OLDER, THAT ARE COMING FROM RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, OUTSIDE OF THE STATE, OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY THAT COME HERE TO SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY BRING THEIR CIGARETTES WITH THEM, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM? SO I AM DEFINITELY AGAINST ANY KIND OF ENFORCEMENT AGAINST OUR, OUR, UH, YOUTH HERE.
UH, AND A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE, THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT.
I I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS READY.
UM, UH, AND THAT'S REALLY ON THE, UH, ON THE YOUTH SIDE.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SAN ANTONIO BEING AN ISLAND WITHIN TEXAS.
UH, YOU SHOWED A SLIDE SHOWING HOW MANY STATES WAS THAT AGAIN, THAT HAVE, UH, ADOPTED THIS? SO 280 CITIES IN 13 DIFFERENT STATES, AND FIVE STATES HAVE GONE COMPLETELY TOBACCO 21.
AND, UH, IN TEXAS, HOW MANY CITIES ARE IN TEXAS? WE WOULD BE THE FIRST.
THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
I THINK IF, UH, IF WE'RE THAT CONCERNED ABOUT PROTECTING OUR YOUTH, I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE A STATEWIDE, A STATE LEVEL ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND NOT BE THE ONLY ONE IN TEXAS TO SIT HERE AS AN ISLAND THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE VISITORS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, AND I'M CONCERNED YES, ABOUT THAT ISSUE, ABOUT NOT SELLING IT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND YOU'RE JUST DRIVING IT UNDERGROUND.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE GOING OUTSIDE THE CITY, BRINGING 'EM INTO THE CITY UNDERGROUND AND SELLING THEM, YOU KNOW, AT PROBABLY A BIG MARKUP OF, PROBABLY A BIG PREMIUM OF THEM TAKING THAT RISK, COMING BACK INTO TOWN AND RESELLING THOSE CIGARETTES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM OF SAN ANTONIO BEING AN ISLAND.
AND I, I HEAR, I GET WHAT YOU MEAN.
WE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THIS.
WE NEED TO START, WE NEED TO DO ALL THIS HERE IN TEXAS.
BUT I THINK THAT IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
[02:00:01]
FOLKS ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, WE NEED TO MAKE THIS A STATE ISSUE AND NOT A SAN ANTONIO ISSUE.I DON'T WANNA DRIVE THIS UNDERGROUND.
I DON'T WANNA BE ENFORCING ANY LAWS UPON OUR, ON OUR YOUTH.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON THIS.
AND I HOPE THAT, UH, THIS IS DELAYED BECAUSE THIS IS NOT READY.
I MEAN, AGAIN, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT KIDS THAT ARE COMING INTO TOWN FROM OUT OF TOWN, UH, OFF THE INSTALLATIONS COMING HERE WITH THEIR CIGARETTES? AND THAT TO ME IS A BIG PROBLEM.
NOT TO MENTION THE, UH, THE TARGETING AND THE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE CITY.
I'M, I'VE GOT REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE.
SO, UM, I JUST THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE A STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUE AND NOT A SAN ANTONIO ISSUE AT THIS POINT.
COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL PROMISE.
THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'LL TALK ON THIS, ON THIS ITEM TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE AROUND THIS TABLE WHO SAYS, YES, LET'S LET 480,000 PEOPLE DIE MORE IN THE US DIE EVERY YEAR, INCLUDING THE ONES HERE IN, IN BEXAR COUNTY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE WHO, WHO OPPOSES THE SAVING OF LIVES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I THINK WE CAN, I HOPE WE CAN AGREE ON THAT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO IMAGINE US IN A FUTURE WHERE NOBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS SMOKING, WANTS TO, WANTS TO SMOKE, WANTS TO GO TO A TOBACCO OUTLET, UH, LOCATION.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
AND THE HARDEST PART OF ANY CHANGE IS THE, IS THE TRANSITION ITSELF.
SO I'M ACTUALLY GLAD THAT WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR EVERYONE'S COMMENTS AND CONCERNS AND EVEN SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD ON IMPLEMENTING THIS TRANSITION.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE TOUGH PART.
BUT HOPEFULLY IN THE END, WE WILL BE, WE WILL BE SAVING LIVES.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO, TO THE ENFORCEMENT PLAN, UH, I AM THE ONE WHO TOLD, I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONE, BUT I DID TELL DR.
BRIDGER, IF WE HAVE NO ENFORCEMENT, IT IS MERELY A SUGGESTION.
AND I ALSO SAID, I WILL NOT VOTE ON THIS UNTIL I KNOW WHAT THE ENFORCEMENT PLAN IS.
AND SO I, SO SHE HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT WITH THE TEAM AND I, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, AND I DO WANNA MAKE SURE ALL FOLKS ARE, ALL OF US ARE OKAY WITH WHATEVER THAT ENFORCEMENT PLAN IS.
AND I ALSO ENCOURAGED HER TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE RETAILERS OF TOBACCO, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY, ALL SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO HAVE THE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE IF THEY'RE GONNA WORK.
OTHERWISE, THEY BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE AND WE FIGHT ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR REACHING OUT TO THEM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UM, I, I JUST, UH, WANNA RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT, THAT WERE SAID.
AND IN TERMS OF THE 18 AND 19 AND 20 YEAR OLDS WHO ARE GONNA VISIT US FROM SAN, FROM OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, COUNCILMAN PERRY, I HOPE THEY GO BACK TO WHEREVER THEY CAME FROM AND SAY, I DON'T SMOKE ANYMORE, OR I'VE DECIDED NOT TO SMOKE, AND YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER.
AND THAT WE SAVE LIVES OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AS WELL.
UM, AND WITH, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, TARGETING CERTAIN POPULATIONS, ABSOLUTELY.
WE DON'T WANT ANY DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS.
AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE THE EFFECT EITHER.
THE EFFECT, I HOPE, IS THAT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WILL BE HELPED WITH THIS.
COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ BROUGHT UP THE 20 YEAR LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP BETWEEN THE RICHES AND THE POOREST ZIP CODES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I WOULD WAGER THAT THE ZIP CODES THAT HAVE THE SHORTEST LIFE EXPECTANCIES PROBABLY HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST SMOKING RATES AS WELL.
AND THIS IS A WAY TO BEGIN TO REDUCE THOSE HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THESE ARE NATIONALLY, SOME OF THE BIGGEST HEALTH DISPARITIES WE SEE ARE AT FIVE YEARS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT THIS MEASURE AND WE CAN BEGIN TO REDUCE THAT, I AM, I AM ALL FOR IT, AGAIN, IN A WAY THAT THE TRANSITION DOES NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR, UH, OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, DR.
BRIDGER, AND, AND TO ALL THE COLLEAGUES FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNCILMAN GRA QUICKLY, UM, IS THIS GOING TO ALSO PROHIBIT THE SELL OF TOBACCO PARAPHERNALIA? NO.
SO PEOPLE COULD STILL SELL THOSE PIPES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT IN THOSE STORES? YES.
[02:05:01]
OKAY.WELL, THANK YOU, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, AND LIGHTENING IN MANY LEVELS.
I THINK, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THERE'S VERY LITTLE DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE SCIENCE THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING, UH, THE COMPELLING NATURE OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE TO DO BETTER ON TOBACCO.
BRIDGER AND I COMMEND YOU FOR, FOR DOING IT IN A, IN A VERY CLEAR WAY FOR US.
UM, YOU KNOW, CHERYL, YOU AND I WERE DISCUSSING JUST BRIEFLY THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR ENFORCEMENT, AND CLEARLY WE NEED TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
BUT ONE OPTION, UH, WHICH WE USED, UH, AS PART OF OUR HANDS-FREE ORDINANCE, WHICH HAD A VERY SIMILAR KIND OF DISCUSSION HAPPENING, UH, WAS THAT WE CHOSE TO, UH, IMPLEMENT, UH, BUT HAVE A WARNING CITATION, A WARNING ISSUED, UH, FOR DURATION BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED SO WE COULD GET A STUDY BACK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE RETAILERS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE, UH, TOBACCO USERS THEMSELVES.
AND THAT WAY THE COMMUNITY CAN GET A LITTLE USED TO IT.
WE CAN GET GOOD DATA ABOUT THE IM, THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING POSITIVELY, HOPEFULLY.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN CHOOSE, UM, TO FULLY IMPLEMENT AFTER THAT.
SO DO YOU WANNA HELP FILL THAT IN, CHERYL, AS AN OPTION FOR COUNSEL? YEAH.
AS WE LISTENED TO THE CONVERSATION, WE WERE POW WOWING ABOUT HOW TO GO FORWARD ON ENFORCEMENT IN, IN YEAR ONE.
WE COULD CHOOSE TO, RATHER THAN ISSUE CITATIONS, JUST ISSUE WARNINGS.
AND THAT COULD BE PART OF THE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO YOUTH, SINCE THERE WERE ONLY 31 ISSUED THIS PAST YEAR.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE IS MUCH EDUCATION TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE SO MANY YOUTH DO SMOKE, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THAT COULD BE AN OPTION FOR THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE WOULD PLAN TO COME BACK AFTER YEAR ONE REPORT TO THE COUNCIL AS TO, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED, UH, WITH REGARD TO HEALTH IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AND THE TYPE OF EDUCATION PROGRAM.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT IS NO CITATIONS ISSUED, BUT RATHER WARNINGS THAT IS HERE, IS, HERE ARE THE NEW RULES.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO YOU NEXT WEEK WITH A COUPLE OF OPTIONS SINCE THIS IS AN ITEM THAT IS PROPOSED FOR NEXT WEEK'S, UH, A SESSION AND ACT ACTION.
UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT OR NOT WANTING LAW ENFORCEMENT A PART OF THIS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS ANOTHER OPTION, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS? BECAUSE I KNOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE A WHOLE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT TOO.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE CLARITY OR A DELINEATION OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL.
AND WE WILL ASK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO COORDINATE WITH THOSE DISTRICTS SINCE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CHIEF AND AND STAFF ON, ON ENFORCEMENT.
BUT I, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD COORDINATE WITH SS A P D IF THE ORDINANCE IS VERY SPECIFIC TO SAY, WARNINGS IN YEAR ONE, AND THEN TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL A YEAR LATER.
THAT'S, UH, WE HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS, UH, PROBABLY AS IT RELATES TO THIS COUNCILMAN BROADCAST.
SO, I, I JUST WANT TO, THIS IS PROPOSED FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
UH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RUSH.
I DON'T GET WHY WE WITH NOT, I MEAN, WE, I GUESS WE COULD FRIDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, GO THROUGH SOME ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. BUT THERE SEEMS TO ME THERE'LL BE A LOT OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS AND, AND THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD PUSH THIS NEXT WEEK.
I, I, I DON'T SENSE AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL HERE IS.
UH, I THINK BECAUSE I'M BELIEVING WE SHOULD BUMP IT, AND WE, WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO TO FIGURE OUT HOW THIS ENFORCEMENT'S GONNA WORK, WHO IT AFFECTS, UM, I WOULD WANNA SEE MORE RELATIONSHIP VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGETARY ASPECT OF IT.
BRIDGER'S TEAM'S GONNA ENFORCE IT IN A FIVE MINUTE, ONCE A YEAR MEETING, UH, ABOUT PEOPLE ON THE STREET, WHICH MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN GRO ASKED PEOPLE COMING IN, COUNCILMAN PERRY, UH, THE SOCIO SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES FROM COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, GO RIGHT DOWN THE LIST.
COUNCILMAN SHAW, THOUGH HE IS VERY ELOQUENTLY ARGUED IN FAVOR, ALSO SAID HE'S GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF IT, TO THE POINT WHERE HE SAID, THIS IS A MARK ON SOMEBODY'S RECORD, THAT IF THEY GET, UH, YOU KNOW, FURTHER INVOLVED WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM, COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THEM.
AND WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE RUNNING SECOND AND THIRD OFFENSES WHEN THEIR FIRST OFFENSE, UH, WAS, YOU KNOW, WAS CIGARETTE SMOKING.
AND, AND THIS IS CITY ATTORNEY QUESTION, I HAVE NO IDEA OR FOR THE CITY MANAGER, BUT I, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE DEFINITIVE HERE.
IF THIS IS GONNA GO TO NEXT WEEK, I, I DON'T, WOULD NOT WANT ANY AMBIGUITY WALKING OUTTA HERE.
IF WE HAVE TO GO TO A ROLL CALL, VOTE ON IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS OR WHAT'S ALLOWABLE IN THIS FORM, BUT WE SHOULD,
[02:10:01]
WE SHOULD WAIT.THERE'S NO REASON TO RUSH THIS.
SO I'D LIKE TO DEFINE THAT FURTHER, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS TO PUT THIS ON NEXT WEEK.
I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
UH, I CAN'T SEE STALLING THIS ANY FURTHER.
I THINK THE EVIDENCE IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE RELATED TO WHAT YOU JUST, UH, SUGGESTED WAS THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN SHAW TALKED ABOUT IF PEOPLE WERE STOPPED, UH, THAT IT COULD LEAD TO MORE AND MORE.
AND, UH, THEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING RELATED TO THE HANDHELD, UH, DEVICES ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED ABOUT TEXTING WHILE DRIVING.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT COMPARING, UH, AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS, FOR THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE JUST GONNA GIVE WARNINGS FOR, UH, PEOPLE WHO SMOKE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE WARNINGS WE GAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE DRIVING BY TEXTING, AND HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE RECEIVED WARNINGS? HOW MANY OF 'EM ARE STOPPED? HOW MANY OF THOSE THINGS LED TO OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED? BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING STOPPED FOR SOMETHING AS MINOR AS SMOKING, BECAUSE IT COULD EASILY ALLOW THE POLICE OR ANY, ANY GROUP TO TRY AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S WRONG WITH THEM.
WELL, IF WE'VE RUN A TEST CASE TO FIND OUT ABOUT HANDS-FREE DRIVING, AND IF WE'VE HAD 50 PEOPLE WHO WERE STOPPED AND 13 OF 'EM WERE FOUND TO BE IN POSSESSION OR SOMETHING ELSE HAPPEN, IT MIGHT VERIFY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT MAYBE IT ISN'T GOOD TO STOP 'EM FOR ANY REASON.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE'VE HARDLY HAD ANYBODY STOP FOR IT, AND NO ONE HAS FOUND ANY OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WHEN THEY WERE STOPPED, IT SEEMS TO ME TO INDICATE THAT USING THAT FOR AN EXAMPLE, FOR A YEAR AS A TEST CASE, UH, IS PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE.
SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF COMPARISON WE CAN SAY TO THE HISTORY OF THAT TEST CASE WITH WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
IF WE GIVE WARNINGS IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ME DECIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S HARMLESS, BUT IT WORKS.
SO YEAH, IF WE CAN FIND THAT OUT BY NEXT WEEK AND, AND HEAR IT IN THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
I, I FEEL COMPELLED TO ANSWER COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S, UH, UH, THING ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE GOING OUT OF THE CITY THAT HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION, UH, GOING BACK OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE AN OPPOSITE EFFECT SAYING, TELLING THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY, THEIR CITIES.
DON'T YOU GO TO SAN ANTONIO, IF YOU SMOKE, YOU'RE GONNA GET PULLED OVER, OR YOU'RE GONNA GET A TICKET, OR YOU'RE GONNA, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S THAT REACTION THAT IT HAPPENED AND NOT A POSITIVE REACTION.
COUNCILMAN SHAW? DID YOU OKAY.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ANSWER? SURE.
NOBODY'S ASKING ME SPECIFICALLY, BUT I'M, I DON'T SEE A REASON, I DON'T SEE A REASON FOR THE DELAY.
NO ONE'S ASKING ME TO TAKE A SPECIFIC POSITION ON THAT, BUT I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE'VE GOT ANOTHER HOUR.
IF FOLKS STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, THERE'S AN ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US THAT WE'LL HAVE A FEW MORE DAYS TO LOOK THROUGH ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT.
THE BIG DISCUSSION POINT WAS OF THE THREE OPTIONS, UH, ON ENFORCEMENT.
SO I'M READY TO TAKE THIS ON NEXT WEEK.
UM, I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
I, ONE THING THAT I DEFINITELY, UH, LIKE TO SEE IMMEDIATELY IF, IF WE ADOPT THIS, UH, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE ADOPT THIS, IS, UM, THE SIGNAGE AT THE TOBACCO, UM, RETAILERS AT THE OUTLETS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, VERY FAIRLY QUICKLY.
AND IF WE CAN DO THAT IN THE FIRST YEAR AS YOU AS STAFF SUGGESTED, YOU KNOW, ONLY ISSUE, ISSUE WARNINGS.
I, I THINK JUST THE SIGNAGE ALONE WILL GO A LONG WAY IN, IN HELPING US IN, IN YEAR ONE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, UM, TAKING THE ITEM NEXT WEEK.
AND I WOULD, UH, I WOULD CONSIDER, UH, MODIFYING THE ENFORCEMENT ACCORDING TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION MADE TODAY.
ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH, COUNCILMAN BROCK.
HOUSE MAYOR, I, AGAIN, UM, I'D LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO CHIME IN ON HOW HE DETERMINES, UH, THROUGH OUR CHARTER AND THROUGH ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, HOW THIS HAS MOVED TO NEXT WEEK IF THERE'S NOT A ROLL CALL VOTE AND, OR CLEAR CONSENSUS.
UH, I MEAN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, REVIEW PEOPLE'S COMMENTS AND DECIDE HOW IT MOVES FORWARD, BUT THIS IS, I DID SENSE AT LEAST FOUR AND ONE UNDECIDED ON MOVING IT FORWARD.
[02:15:01]
I MEAN, I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS WORK WITH THE CITY CHARTER AND, AND MOVING THINGS TO NEXT WEEK AND, AND WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S THE RECOURSE FOR A MEMBER AT THIS POINT TO ATTEMPT TO DELAY THIS AND HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION? MM-HMM.I, AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE ASKING ME A, YOU KNOW, A PROCEDURAL QUESTION.
UH, AND, UH, BUT FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE GIVING ME MORE CREDIT THAN I DESERVE
I DON'T SET, I DON'T SET THE AGENDA
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK AS, AS WAS, UH, INVOLVED HERE, UH, THE MAYOR AND THE MANAGER GET INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL AS TO, UH, WHAT THE, UH, FEELING IS IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD OR NOT ON A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE AN ACTUAL VOTE.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
'CAUSE MY CONCERN IS, AT WHAT POINT DO THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN YOU SEE MULTIPLE MEMBERS, AND I GUESS THAT'S GONNA BE THEIR JUDGMENT CALL THEMSELVES TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
I MEAN, IF YOU MAKE THE CALL TO PUT IT ON NEXT THURSDAY, YOU, YOU'RE THE MAYOR.
SO, BUT MY, MY POINT IS, UH, YOU HAVE MEMBERS WHO HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS, AND IT'S NOT JUST ONE, IT'S NOT TWO, IT'S NOT THREE, IT'S NOT FOUR, IT'S POTENTIALLY UP TO FIVE THAT HAVE ENFORCEMENT QUESTIONS THAT I DON'T THINK CAN BE ANSWERED IN FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S MY QUESTION, WHICH IS, IT IS AT THIS POINT ON YOURSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER, UM, TO GIVE IT TIME.
BUT AGAIN, I, I COME BACK TO YOU, MAYOR, THAT WHAT IS THE RUSH 31 CITATIONS OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR TO DATE? IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT OVERFLOWING WITH ISSUE.
UM, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? THIS CAME UP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK.
YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE REPRESENTING AREAS OF TOWN HERE WHO ARE SAYING, WE'VE GOT CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, AIR, YOU KNOW, OUR FOLKS THAT WHO COULD BE DETRIMENTALLY AFFECTED BY THIS.
AND WE'VE GOTTA BE CLEAR IN THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF IT, UH, AND I, AND HOW THOSE LAW LAWS AND RULES WORK.
AND I DON'T THINK FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AND COMING BACK TO US ON WEDNESDAY AND LETTING US SEE THAT, THEN MAKING AN OVERNIGHT DECISION MAKES SENSE RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M ASKING FOR, UH, SOME COURTESY AND AT LEAST A PAUSE TO GIVE US SOME TIME TO BUILD THIS AND, AND TO COME BACK AND REEVALUATE THAT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE GOING ON THE CHRISTMAS BREAK.
I MEAN, IT, THIS, THIS IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME AND IT'S WORTHY, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS KIND OF POLICY ON THE BOOK FIRST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT THAT WE DO THIS, RIGHT.
NOT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A VISION OF, OF THIS COMMUNITY WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AND ALL THIS, I GET THAT.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE RESPECTFUL OF PROCESS AND ALLOWING, UH, MORE INVESTIGATION, YOU KNOW, TO MOVE FORWARD.
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT CALL.
SO, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ.
SO, UH, EVEN WITH REGARD TO POTENTIALLY A DELAY, OR IF WE OPT TO GO WITH THE, UM, OPTION TO, UH, HAVE A, UM, WARNING PERIOD, UH, I KNOW THAT THE RETAILERS WHO WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED NEED TIME AS WELL TO PREPARE, NOT JUST FOR, UM, TO COMPLY, BUT ALSO TIME TO ADJUST THEIR BUSINESS PLANS.
SO WHILE IT WAS NOTED BY YOUR DATA THAT IT WAS A SMALL PERCENTAGE, WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT ACTUALLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SALES ARE IMPACTED, UH, AND ALSO SUFFICIENT TIME TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND, AND, AND TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE SOMEBODY MENTIONED I COULD HAVE BEEN SHAW, UH, ABOUT CHANGING YOUR MODEL.
IF THERE ARE, UH, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT IN YOUR SALES, AND AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT A YEAR IS SOMETIMES NOT ENOUGH TIME TO, UM, ADJUST BECAUSE, UH, A SUDDEN DECREASE IN, IN YOUR, UH, IN YOUR BOTTOM LINE, UH, IMPACTS YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY AND EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TIME TO CATCH UP.
YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES, YOU HAVE, UH, BILLS TO PAY, YOU HAVE TAXES TO PAY, YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT CAN BE A VERY IMPACTFUL, EVEN A SMALL PERCENTAGE FOR RETAILERS, UH, TO COMPLY.
SO WHAT IS THE OPTION FOR, IF WE GO WITH A ONE YEAR WARNING FOR, UM, FOR THE, UH, ENFORCEMENT OF YOUTH? CAN WE DO THE SAME FOR RETAILERS? SO THE, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN IS, UM, IF YOU PASS THIS NEXT WEEK, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL JULY 1ST.
SO THERE WOULD BE A SIX MONTH PERIOD, UM, FOR US TO WORK WITH RETAILERS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE FOR THIS CHANGE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, THE WARNINGS, THE WARNING CITATIONS CAN APPLY TO RETAILERS, LIKE THEY CAN APPLY TO YOUTH.
SO AS OF JULY 1ST, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD START WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY KIND.
[02:20:01]
OKAY.AND THEN A YEAR FROM JULY I, 2019, I GUESS IT WOULD BE.
JUST A LITTLE CLARITY ON THAT.
BRIDGER, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR VERY CLEAR HEADED ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SANDOVAL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CHAMPIONING OF THIS.
I THINK IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
UH, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE THAT YET IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH A VOTE IMMEDIATELY NEXT WEEK TO GIVE US COMFORT THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED ALL THE ISSUES.
I I DO AGREE THAT THIS HAS A, A LONGSTANDING IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY, A POSITIVE ONE.
WE HOPE A COUPLE OF EXTRA WEEKS OF MAKING SURE THAT IT COMES FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL IN A CONDITION THAT, THAT A, A CLEAR MAJORITY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH BEFORE WE GO AND VOTE ON, I THINK IS A GOOD THING TO DO.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I EXPECT A GOOD FAITH EFFORT FROM EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE BECAUSE IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CHAMPIONING THIS, UH, COUNCILMAN CURD, VERY GOOD COMMENTS TODAY, UH, AS WELL AS DR.
BRIDGER AND YOUR TEAM AND COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, THEY'RE READY TO GO, BUT THIS BODY AS A WHOLE IS NOT, SO WE'RE GONNA WORK HARD TO GET THERE.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE WITH US ON THIS VOTE.
UH, AND THAT'S THE DECISION POINT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE EVERYONE COMFORTABLE WHAT THAT, WHAT'S BEING PUT ON THE AGENDA THERE.
THEY'RE READY TO, TO, TO MAKE A DECISION ON.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE ASKING FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
EVERYBODY WORK HARD TO ENSURE THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR INPUT WITH DR.
BRIDGER AND HER TEAM, AND THEN WE'LL GET THIS ON THE AGENDA WITH, WITH GOOD HASTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, DR.
WE DID HAVE A SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WE'LL MOVE THAT TO NEXT WEEK, BUT WE'RE GONNA MOVE THAT TO NEXT WEEK.
[Executive Session]
WE'RE GONNA GOVE SESSION.GO TO THE, UM, TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE TIME RIGHT NOW IS 4 33, UH, PM ON THIS SIXTH 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 AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, A PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO STATE STATUTES ADDRESSING SS A P D FIELD RECORDING DEVICES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO LITIGATION STYLED ABDO VERSUS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
[Ceremonial Recognitions]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.CONTRARY TO CONVENTIONAL WISDOM.
WE ALL WEREN'T OUT ON RECESS HAVING FUN.
WE JUST GOT OUT OF OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE THIS EVENING.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE CEREMONIAL ITEMS I KNOW YOU ALL ARE HERE FOR.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'LL GET TO THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THE FIRST CEREMONIAL ITEM, UH, IS A CERTIFICATE FOR THE 14TH WORLD CONGRESS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLD HERITAGE CITIES.
THE 14TH WORLD CONGRESS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLD HERITAGE CITIES WAS HELD IN, UH, G J REPUBLIC OF KOREA ON OCTOBER 31ST THROUGH NOVEMBER 3RD, 2017.
DURING THE CONGRESS, THE O W H C HELD THEIR FOURTH INTERNATIONAL VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPETITION ENTITLED MY CITY, OUR WORLD HERITAGE.
THIS COMPETITION IS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, AGES 14 THROUGH 17 YEARS OLD, AND 18 THROUGH 21 YEARS OLD.
AT THE INVITATION OF THE CITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE O W H C NETWORK AND THAT HAVE REGISTERED THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CALLED UPON TO PRODUCE A VIDEO OF A MAXIMUM DURATION OF FIVE MINUTES ON A WORLD HERITAGE CITY.
MS. FATIMA AION OF THE HARLANDALE SCHOOL OF FILM WAS PRE SELECTED AS THE WINNER IN THE 14 TO 17 YEAR OLD CATEGORY.
BOTH FATIMA AND MYSELF WILL BE PRESENTED WITH THEIR HONORARY CERTIFICATE THAT WAS AWARDED BY THE O O W H C, EXCUSE ME.
ALRIGHT, YOU WANNA READ THE CITATION NOW? MADAM CLERK? I'M READING FATIMA.
[02:25:01]
MAYOR, THIS IS THE ONE.SO I WILL READ THE CITATION FOR FATIMA RIGHT NOW.
AND IT SAYS, IN RECOGNITION OF WINNING THE INTERNATIONAL VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPETITION IN THE 14 TO 17 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP AT THE 14TH WORLD CONGRESS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLD HERITAGE CITIES, HELD IN WSU REPUBLIC OF KOREA ON NOVEMBER 2ND, 2017, YOUR DEDICATION THROUGH YOUR PERSONAL VISION YORK'S YOUR WORLD HERITAGE CONVEY A STRONG SENSE OF PRIDE CONCERNING WORLD HERITAGE THROUGHOUT YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL VISION AND EXPRESS YOURSELF ON THE WORLD'S HERITAGE AND IN YOUR PER PARTICULAR CITY IS WORTHY OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND OF PRAISE.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NUREMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL, PROUDLY COMMEND YOU ON THIS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, EXTE AND EXTEND BEST WISHES FOR MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS.
DENISE, IS THIS A SEPARATE ONE OVER HERE? YES, THIS IS YOURS, MR. MAYOR.
SO LEMME, CAN WE GET THIS MIC? AND THIS CERTIFICATE IS ALSO PRESENTED TO MAYOR RON NUREMBERG BECAUSE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS PART OF OUR WORLD ORGANIZATION, WORLD HERITAGE CITIES, AND BOTH OF FATIMA AND MAYOR NUREMBERG WERE PRESENTED WITH THESE CERTIFICATES.
SO EACH OF THEM GET ONE AS WELL.
YOU SHOULD BE IN THIS PICTURE.
LEMME UM, LET, LEMME GET ONE OVER.
OKAY, FATIMA, I'M GONNA LET YOU HOLD, UH, I'LL HOLD THIS ONE FOR YOU 'CAUSE THIS ONE'S YOURS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME GREAT.
UM, WELL, HAVING WON CONTEST, IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO REPRESENT THE GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE CITY THAT I TRULY DO LOVE.
AND I'M, UH, WHAT'S IT CALLED THAT I TRULY DO LOVE AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN BORN HERE AND RAISED HERE.
CONGRATULATIONS, FATIM, ON, ON, ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE CITY, WE DO HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WANT TO TALK.
I JUST TOO, ALSO, I WANT TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO FATIMA, UM, AND ALL OF YOUR WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION AND GETTING, UH, THE TEAM THAT YOU HAD TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS VIDEO HAPPEN.
MY CITY, OUR WORLD HERITAGE WAS THE NAME OF THE CONTEST, AND SHE WENT OUT AND, UM, SHE TOOK VIDEOS.
DID WE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD A CLIP OF THE VIDEO HERE, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN SEE IT ON OUR VISIT OR ON OUR ORGAN, OUR WORLD HERITAGE SITE.
YOU CAN SEE A, UH, HER VIDEO THERE, BUT IT'S ESPECIALLY, UM, IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, SHE IS A STUDENT FROM THE HARLANDALE HIGH SCHOOL FILM SCHOOL.
AND MR. ERMA HERE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO TEACHING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF, OF FILMMAKERS.
BUT WHAT'S MOST POIGNANT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION SAN JOSE WAS, UH, HARLANDALE HIGH SCHOOL, WAS FIRST FOUNDED IN MISSION SAN JOSE, WHICH IS PART OF OUR WORLD HERITAGE AREA.
AND TO BE ABLE TO SHOW HER MOVIE ON THE MISSION MARQUEE AND THEN WIN THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD BEATING OUT 13 OTHER COUNTRIES, IT IS A GREAT HONOR.
YOU DO A SO PROUD FATIMA, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND CONTINUE IT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT EVEN BETTER THINGS ARE TO COME, AND NOW WE HAVE THIS STANDARD THAT WE NEED TO LIVE UP TO INTERNATIONALLY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO EVEN MORE GREAT FILMS COMING THROUGH FROM THE CITY AND FROM THE HARLANDALE FILM SCHOOL.
I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS CITY HAS, HAS RECENTLY, UH, CREATED A, A, A STRATEGY FOR, FOR FILM.
UH, BUT WE NEVER SAW YOU COMING, AND THAT'S REALLY AMAZING.
[02:30:01]
JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS.UM, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT THAT'S READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO HELP YOU.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE GREAT WORK FROM YOU.
AND TO FATIMA, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WORK.
YOU MAKE US PROUD OF SAN ANTONIONS.
YOU MAKE ME ESPECIALLY PROUD AS A SOUTH SIDER.
UH, WELL REPRESENTED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR GREAT PRODUCTIONS IN THE YEARS TO COME.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN VILLAGRA AS WELL FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND WORLD HERITAGE AND RE REPRESENTING OUR CITY ON THE WORLD STAGE AS WELL, UH, IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
ALRIGHT, OUR, OUR SECOND CEREMONIAL ITEM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE, IS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND GRADUATION.
I'D LIKE TO CALL ON OUR, UH, MIKE, MIKE KTN, UH, TO HELP US WITH THIS RECOGNITION.
AND, UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UH, MY NAME IS MIKE, H N I'M THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF EAST POINT.
UM, IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE THAT I ESSENTIALLY CELEBRATE WITH YOU THE THIRD GRADUATING CLASS OF THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE LAUNCHED THE ACADEMY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IS TO ESSENTIALLY PROVIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED SO THEY CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO HELP REVITALIZE AND SUSTAIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THIS YEAR OR TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE GRADUATION OF OF 45, UH, GRADUATES, UH, OF THE F 45, 25 ARE FROM THE EAST SIDE, AND THE REMAINING ARE FROM THE WORLD HERITAGE, UM, AREA.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE CITY MANAGER FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND HELP US, UH, IN HELPING US LAUNCH THE UH, PROGRAM THREE YEARS AGO.
SHE IS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND ENGAGING THE, UH, COMMUNITY.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, LAURIE HOUSTON, WHO IS OUR, WHO'S MY BOSS, AND ALSO FOR HELPING, UH, MANAGE THE PROGRAM.
AND OF COURSE, JAMIE LALEY, WHO'S DONE A GREAT JOB MANAGING THE, UH, PROGRAM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
SO, UH, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, WE WILL LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM CITYWIDE BEGINNING IN JANUARY.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL, UM, TAKE OVER THE PROGRAM CITYWIDE AND WILL BEGIN IT IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, TO, UH, RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCILMAN SHAW, UH, FOR HIS GREAT SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM AND ALSO COUNCILMAN GRO FOR HER SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM.
SO NOW IT'S TIME TO CALL THE, UH, GRADUATES.
I WILL HAVE JAMIE LALEY CALL THE FIRST, UH, 25 FROM THE UH, EAST SIDE AND ALSO ASK COUNCILMAN SHAW TO COME FORWARD AND HELP, UH, GREET THE EAST SIDE GRADUATES.
MAYOR, MAYOR, COULD YOU FRONT AND CENTER PODIUM? LLOYD TAYLOR COLISEUM.
RENEE DAVIS COLISEUM, WILLOW PARK.
WILL COVINGTON AND DONNA COVINGTON.
COLISEUM WILLOW PARK, LAUREN MUON FROM DIGNITY HILL.
WE HAVE WARREN SMITH FROM DIGNITY HILL, WHO IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
[02:35:03]
LEE RUSSELL FROM EACH ONE TEACH ONE ALBERTA HARRIS FROM HARVARD PLACE EAST LAWN.JANET JONES, WHO IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
DONALD RAY HUNT FROM HARVARD PLACE, EAST LAWN.
KATIE RIE, WHO IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
JOSE MARTINEZ FROM HIGHLAND PARK.
NICOLE SANCHEZ FROM HIGHLAND PARK.
JESSICA ORTEGA, PROM ZONE RESIDENT.
MONICA DELAROSA, ISAI PROMISE ZONE RESIDENT.
JIMMY VARA EAST, I PROMISE ZONE RESIDENT.
MONICA BRIGHT, E SIDE PROM ZONE RESIDENT.
ANITA LONGORIA, WHO ISN'T WITH US TONIGHT.
DAN MACGYVER, WHO ISN'T WITH US TONIGHT.
RYAN SMITH, WHO IS NOT WITH US TONIGHT.
I'M SORRY, WHO IS NOT WITH US TONIGHT? CRYSTAL REYES, WHO IS NOT WITH US TONIGHT.
THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO ASK COUNCILMAN
WE HAVE SHELLY GALBRATH WITH THE KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION.
SCOOT OVER JUST A LITTLE BIT THERE.
THOMAS ROTH, KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION.
YOU KIRSTEN GARDNER WITH THE LAVACCA NEIGHBORHOOD
[02:40:01]
ASSOCIATION.TERESA IBANEZ WITH THE MISSION, SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CAMMI DIAZ WITH THE MISSION.
SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
1, 2, 3 BLANCA WILLIAM WILKINS WITH THE MISSION.
SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION,
BAYER WITH THE EAST PIRATE SYMPHONY LANE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
OLGA MARTINEZ WITH THE VIA CORONADO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
JESSICA OLA WITH THE VIA CORONADO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
NADIA GAONA WITH THE VIA CORONADO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
KEN ADO, LONE STAR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SUSAN POWERS LONE STAR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
ROGELIO ZAPATA WITH THE LONE STAR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, GRACE MARENGO SANCHEZ WITH THE ROOSEVELT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
VICTORIA GARCIA WITH THE ROOSEVELT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND VERONICA DIAZ, MARTINEZ, CITYWIDE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE, UH, CEREMONY.
I JUST WANNA ONCE AGAIN SAY THAT THE GOAL OF THE ACADEMY IS TO TEACH THE RESIDENTS ON HOW THIS CITY WORKS AND HOW THEY CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, ANOTHER GRADUATING CLASS, UH, NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
COUNCILMAN SHAW, IT'S AN EXCITING DAY IN SAN ANTONIO.
I'M, I'M SO PROUD OF ALL Y'ALL.
[02:45:01]
THING NOW IS IT'S ALMOST LIKE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE OR HIGH SCHOOL.NOW WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? SO I ASK, AND I PLEADED YOU TO GO OUT INTO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND PASS ALONG THE INFORMATION THAT, THAT YOU WERE TAUGHT.
YOU WERE GIVEN SOME VITAL INFORMATION THAT'S GOING TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THESE COMMUNITIES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU EVEN MORE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ONE OF YOU BEING IN THIS SEAT ONE DAY, MAKING THE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT TWO.
SO ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT TWO, MY COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER, CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING THE STEP TO INVEST YOUR TIME AND YOUR TALENT AND YOUR TREASURE TO BE A PART OF THIS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FROM HIGHLAND PARK AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HERITAGE AREA INTO THE PROMISE ZONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE MANY OF YOU ALL I KNOW ARE ALREADY VERY ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THIS IS JUST TAKING US TO ANOTHER LEVEL OF, OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE CITY AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO DO TO SPREAD THAT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE OTHER AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC.
AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE MOVING THIS EVEN TO A BROADER SCALE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND THEN BEYOND.
AT TIAN AND THE STAFF AND COLLEEN, UH, JAMIE, ALL OF Y'ALL WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SPONSORS AND THOSE LOCATIONS THAT OPENED THEIR DOORS THROUGHOUT THE, THE MONTHS TO GO SEE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.
UM, HAVE THAT KIND OF CROSS POLLINATION BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND BETWEEN DISTRICTS.
'CAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, CAPTAIN, MAYOR.
AND I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THE THANKS TO YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO GO THROUGH THIS ACADEMY.
IT'S, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND I HOPE YOU ALSO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.
YOU ARE NOW, UH, AMONG YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AMONG THIS COMMUNITY, AMONG THE CITY, UH, THE TRUE LEADERS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE NEED YOUR VOICES, UH, FOR ALL THE ZONING CASES, ALL THE PLANNING CASES, ALL THE WORK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES.
WE WANT TO DO IT IN AN INFORMED WAY.
WE WANT TO DO IT SO THAT WE'VE, WE IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I CHALLENGE YOU NOW TO TAKE YOUR LEADERSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT ARE OPEN.
WE NEED YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TONIGHT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS CITY FOR THE YEARS TO COME.