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COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM FOR, UH, DISCUSSION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 2ND, 2020 CULTURAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'M NOT SURE I CAN, I'M NOT SURE I CAN SECOND.
I WAS NOT AT THAT MEETING OR I WASN'T EVEN A MEMBER AT THAT POINT.
UM, ANDY, WHAT ARE THE RULES ON THAT? UH, CONTEXT? UH, COUNCILMAN THAT THERE WERE NOT PEOPLE THERE OTHER THAN YOURSELF.
IT'S, I WOULD SAY IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO SECOND THAT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I WILL SECOND THAT.
UH, MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF MARCH 2ND, 2020.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, A BRIEFING REGARDING THE DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE INITIATIVE AND ASSOCIATED DRAFT POLICY COMPONENTS.
UM, I ACTUALLY AM, AM HAPPY TO, TO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COME TODAY AND BRIEF YOU ON THIS DECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE.
I, I KNOW WE MET, UM, INDIVIDUALLY WITH EACH OF YOU, UM, IN MARCH OR, UM, EARLY APRIL, AND WE MET WITH EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL, EVEN, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THIS, UM, PARTICULAR COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND INCORPORATED, UM, SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK INTO, UM, THE UPDATE THAT WE'LL BE GIVING TODAY.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA INTRODUCE STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, WHO'S THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS INITIATIVE AND HAS DONE A REALLY WONDERFUL JOB.
AND SHE'S ACTUALLY GONNA GIVE YOU THE QUICK, UM, OVERVIEW AND UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE.
AND THEN, UM, I'M GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AFTERWARDS.
STEPHANIE? THANK YOU, SHANNON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH SHANNON, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ON THIS INITIATIVE.
SO WHAT IS DECONSTRUCTION? UM, ON THE SLIDE ARE TWO PHOTOS THAT WERE TAKEN IN SAN ANTONIO.
ON THE LEFT IS TRADITIONAL DEMOLITION, WHICH USES HEAVY MACHINERY TO QUICKLY REMOVE A STRUCTURE.
ON THE RIGHT IS A PHOTO OF THE EARLY STAGES OF DECONSTRUCTION.
SO DECONSTRUCTION USES MOSTLY HUMAN LABOR TO DISASSEMBLE A STRUCTURE IN THE OPPOSITE ORDER THAT IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN AN EFFORT TO RECAPTURE AS MANY MATERIALS AS POSSIBLE FOR USE AND RECYCLING.
SO BOTH METHODS RESULT IN THE SAME OUTCOME, WHICH IS A BUILDING BEING FULLY REMOVED FROM A SITE.
SO, ON THE TOP RIGHT IS A GRAPHIC THAT ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE AFTER INTO ITS NEXT LIFE.
SO BETWEEN RECYCLING AND REUSE, WE CAN DIVERT BETWEEN 65 TO 85% FROM OUR LANDFILLS ON AVERAGE.
AND IN SOME CASES, UP TO 95% OF MATERIALS CAN BE RECLAIMED AND REUSED IN SOME WAY, DEPENDING ON CONSTRUCTION DATE AND IF IT'S BEEN MODIFIED AND OTHER FACTORS.
SO WE'VE ANALYZED PERMIT, UH, DATA TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOLITION TRENDS OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO.
UM, ON THE LEFT IS A HEAT MAP SHOWING CONCENTRATIONS OF DEMOLITIONS IN A PORTION OF THE CITY.
AND ON THE RIGHT IS A GRAPH SHOWING AN OVERALL UPTICK IN DEMOLITIONS OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO.
SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE AVERAGING ROUGHLY, UM, 450 DEMOLITIONS A YEAR AS OF 2019, AND WE DO ANTICIPATE THIS LOOKING A LITTLE DIFFERENT GOING FORWARD.
SO SINCE MID 2018, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A DECONSTRUCTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF A DIVERSE SET OF STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WITH THEIR EXPERTISE, THE COMMITTEE HAS HELPED US IDENTIFY SEVERAL ITEMS TO ADDRESS AS PART OF OUR POLICY.
AN EARLY OUTCOME OF THE COMMITTEE WAS THE GRAPHIC YOU SEE ON THE LEFT THAT INDICATES KIND OF THE INTERWOVEN POLICY
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ASPECTS THAT DECONSTRUCTION TOUCHES OR ADDRESSES.SO WE HAVE ALSO HELD MULTIPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS, AND HAVE CONDUCTED A TOUR OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AS I CALL IT, UM, BY REACHING OUT TO THEM AND ATTENDING THEIR MEETINGS AND GIVING THEM UPDATES.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THIS INITIATIVE, AND WE HAVE ALSO ENGAGED MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, TASK FORCE, TO UNDERSTAND SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVES AND CONCERNS AS IT RELATES TO THOSE INDUSTRIES.
UM, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IS DEFINITELY NOT COMPLETE AND IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
UH, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE A A G C AND OUR PRIORITIZING MEETING WITH LOCAL CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATIONS IN THE COMING WEEKS.
SO THESE PHOTOS SHOW AN EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT THAT WE, WE PARTICIPATED IN.
UM, IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, OUR OFFICE ATTENDED BUILD SAN ANTONIO GREEN'S ANNUAL SOLAR FEST IN HEMISPHERE, AND OUR BOOTH INCLUDED AN ART ACTIVITY WHERE WE PROVIDED PRE-CUT RECLAIMED WOOD PIECES, PAINT, AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR CHILDREN TO MAKE ORNAMENTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, OUR FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS HAVE LARGELY FOCUSED ON HOW EXISTING MATERIALS CAN BE REPURPOSED CREATIVELY.
WE ARE ALSO ACTIVELY ENGAGING PARTNERS IN THE TECHNOLOGY AND STARTUP SPACE LOCALLY THROUGH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION.
UM, IN JANUARY, OUR OFFICE WAS PAIRED WITH A TEAM OF STUDENTS FROM U T SS A TO HELP BUILD A BUILDING MATERIAL DATING APP, AS WE'VE BEEN CALLING IT, UM, TO CONNECT BUYERS AND SELLERS OF BUILDING MATERIALS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS A SCREEN GRAB OF THE TOOL THAT THESE STUDENTS BUILT FOR US.
I'M STILL BREAKING OUT OVER IT.
UM, SO THIS ISN'T AN EFFORT TO EXPLORE ALL POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE MATERIALS BETWEEN, UM, PEOPLE INTO NEW END USERS INSTEAD OF TO THE LANDFILL, SO THEY CAN BE REUSED AGAIN.
AND IN FEBRUARY OF, UH, THIS YEAR, OUR OFFICE HOSTED A DECONSTRUCTION THINK TANK, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER CITY STAFF AND REUSED BUSINESS OWNERS FROM SEATTLE, PORTLAND, PITTSBURGH, SAN FRANCISCO, AND ATLANTA, UM, TO DISCUSS BEST PRACTICES FOR DECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS. SO AS PART OF THAT EVENT, WE HAD THE CITY OF PORTLAND, AS WELL AS A SMALL DECONSTRUCTION BUSINESS OWNER FROM PORTLAND, UM, PRESENT ON THE EFFECTS OF DECONSTRUCTION OF THE DECONSTRUCTION ORDINANCE THAT PORTLAND HAS, WHICH HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 2016.
AND THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT IS FROM THAT FREE PUBLIC EVENT, WHICH WE HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A I A SAN ANTONIO, WHERE OVER 85 PEOPLE SHOWED UP, UM, TO LEARN ABOUT THIS, WHICH WAS, UM, A GREAT TURNOUT.
AND TRAINING A WORKFORCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR US AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE FROM THE START.
SO IN OCTOBER, 2019, WE PARTNERED WITH A NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO CONDUCT A THREE DAY DECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR TRAINING.
SO WE HAD 10 SAN ANTONIO CITY LICENSE DEMOLITION AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS, UM, LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DECONSTRUCT A 1930S HOME.
UM, WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, ACOG, UM, TO CONDUCT A LONGER WORKFORCE TRAINING THAT'S OPEN TO ANYONE, FINGERS CROSSED.
AND, UM, ON AVERAGE, THE DECONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CREATES SIX JOBS FOR EVERY ONE JOB, UM, CREATED BY DEMOLITION, INCLUDING JOBS AND WAREHOUSING AND RETAIL.
AND WE'LL ELABORATE ON THAT IN IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THIS SLIDE, UH, THIS SLIDE CHARTS THE CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THESE RANGE FROM ISSUES OF COST AND TIME, UM, TO MAKING SURE THAT MATERIALS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UM, THESE BUILDINGS ORIGINATED IN ARE STAYING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO THIS CHART WILL GUIDE OUR PROGRESS MOVING FORWARD AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED A DRAFT ORDINANCE, WHICH INCLUDES PHASES.
SO THE FIRST PHASE WOULD REQUIRE DECONSTRUCTION FOR RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY, AND MULTIFAMILY UNITS, UM, OF FOUR UNITS OR LESS, BUILT IN 1920 OR EARLIER, OR ANY STRUCTURE LOCATED WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT OR N C D.
UM, AND WE ESTIMATE BASED ON OUR PERMIT DATA ANALYSIS, THAT THIS WOULD CAPTURE ROUGHLY 28% OF DEMOLITION PERMITS ANNUALLY, WHICH OUR, UM, ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AGREED AS A GOOD CHUNK TO KIND OF START WITH.
AND THEN PHASE TWO, WHICH WOULD TAKE EFFECT 18 TO 24 MONTHS AFTER PHASE ONE WAS IMPLEMENTED, UH, WOULD EXPAND TO INCLUDE RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY, UM, AND MULTIFAMILY EIGHT UNITS OR LESS, BUILT IN 1945 OR EARLIER OR AFTER WORLD WAR II.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THIS EXPANSION WOULD CAPTURE ROUGHLY 40% OF DEMOLITION PERMITS ANNUALLY.
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AND WE ARE CONSIDERING POSSIBLE FUTURE PHASES TO THE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD CAPTURE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.SO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, TASK FORCE, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE COST INCREASE, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH COMMERCIAL DECONSTRUCTION.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH THEM AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRACTOR GROUPS TO UNDERSTAND THESE CONCERNS FROM THE EXPERTS AND WORK TO ADDRESS THEM IN POLICY, INCLUDING DETERMINING SPECIFIC EXEMPTIONS, UM, A REQUIRED RECOVERY RATE.
AND TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING ADOPTION OF THESE FUTURE PHASES OR A PHASE THREE AT THIS TIME.
UM, THESE WOULD REQUIRE FUTURE COUNCIL ACTION.
AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS THAT WE WOULD USE PHASES ONE AND TWO TO GATHER DATA, UM, SEE HOW THE DEMOLITION INDUSTRY IS GROWING, UM, TO HELP INFORM WHAT THESE FUTURE PHASES WOULD LOOK LIKE.
BUT WE WANTED TO PUT THAT ON YOUR RADAR.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ACOG TO FUND A SOLID WASTE OR DECONSTRUCTION STRATEGIC PLAN OR A STUDY.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS PLAN WILL HELP US ASSESS HOW THE DECONSTRUCTION AND REUSE INDUSTRY LOCALLY CAN AID IN C OVID 19 ECONOMIC RECOVERY, UM, ASSIGN A DOLLAR VALUE TO POTENTIAL JOB CREATION, POTENTIAL INDUSTRY REVENUE, AS WELL AS WHAT I'M, UH, DUBBING THE COST OF LOST OR THE COST OF THE BUILDING OR THE MATERIALS THAT WE'RE THROWING AWAY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE RECAPTURED AND REINTRODUCED INTO A RETAIL REVENUE STREAM.
UM, WE'RE ALSO HOPING THAT THIS WILL HELP US ASSESS A POTENTIAL, UM, REUSE INNOVATION CENTER OR A HUB FOR DECONSTRUCTION, WHICH OTHER CITIES ARE STARTING TO EXPLORE.
AND WE HAVE A TARGET COMPLETION DATE OF FALL 2020.
SO WE FEEL THAT THERE'S A DEFINITE CONNECTION BETWEEN A DRAFT DECONSTRUCTION POLICY AND WELL, AS WELL AS POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THE PRES PRESERVATION OF EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH LORI'S TEAM, UM, ON POSSIBLE STRATEGIES.
SO WE COMPLETED A, UH, STUDY OF SAN ANTONIO'S OLDER AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOP JUST LAST YEAR.
AND, UM, WE REALIZED WE WERE LOSING, UM, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PRE 1960 HOUSING TO DEMOLITION, AND A LOT OF TIMES DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, UM, AND DETERIORATION CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOSS OF THOSE STRUCTURES.
UM, SO ON THE SCREEN, THERE IS AN ORGAN DONOR ANALOGY THAT WE'VE BEEN USING PRETTY FREQUENTLY TO KIND OF ILLUSTRATE THIS CONNECTION.
UM, WHICH MEANS IF A STRUCTURE HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS LIFE, ITS PIECES COULD HELP EXTEND THE LIVES OF DOZENS OF OTHER HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF FINESSING THAT CONNECTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND TO CONCLUDE, WE, WE WANTED TO SHARE OUR PROGRAM VISION WITH YOU ALL, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF, OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
UH, SO WE, WE SEE IT AIDING IN SUPPORTABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, JUST ME, WHICH I JUST MENTIONED.
WE ALSO SEE IT AIDING IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND BUILDING ON OUR EXISTING TRADES EDUCATION THAT OUR OFFICE HAS.
SO ON THE RIGHT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS WE'VE EVER TAKEN FROM ONE OF OUR TRADES WORKSHOPS.
THIS IS FROM A WOOD WINDOW REPAIR WORKSHOP JUST LAST YEAR.
UM, AND WE DEFINITELY SEE DECONSTRUCTION AS PART OF OUR OVERALL HERITAGE TRADES PORTFOLIO.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, LOCAL JOB CREATION AND REUSE FOCUS SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, WHICH TIES INTO, UM, KIND OF REBUILDING THOSE, THOSE, UM, UM, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY THUS FAR HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STEADY IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME JOBS IN THAT FIELD AND JOBS IN OTHER FIELDS MAY NOT RETURN AFTER COVID.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT SKILLED CRAFTSPEOPLE AND CONTRACTORS WILL ALWAYS BE IN DEMAND.
UM, WE ALSO ANTICIPATE THAT AN INCREASE IN DECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY BY QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS WILL INTRODUCE MORE BUILDING MATERIALS IN THE, INTO THE RE RETAIL MARKET STREAM, UM, LEADING TO MORE OP OPPORTUNITIES AND WAREHOUSING, RETAILING, UPCYCLING, TRANSFORMING THESE MATERIALS.
UM, AND FROM AN AFFORDABILITY STANDPOINT, UM, INSTEAD OF SENDING MATERIALS TO LANDFILL, THE MORE OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR ACCESS TO PRODUCTS, THE BETTER.
AND WHILE WOOD AND WINDOWS AND FLOORING AND SIDING CAN CERTAINLY HELP, UM, WITH LONG-TERM REPAIRS, UM, DECONSTRUCTION ALSO GIVES US INCREASED ACCESS TO USED APPLIANCES, WATER HEATERS, AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, LIGHT FIXTURES, HARDWARE AND MORE, WHICH ARE OFTEN SOLD AT DECREASED RACE RATES RELATIVE TO NEW PRODUCTS, WHICH IS A BONUS.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, GREAT WORK, ANOTHER GREAT, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE CAN ADD TO, UH, THE, THE WORK THAT THE CITY'S DOING AND TO HELP, UH, RECOGNIZE THE, THE VALUE OF, OF SOME OF OUR OLDER,
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MORE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THINK MAYBE, MAYBE YOU DID SAY THAT DIDN'T CATCH IT, WHEN YOU COMPARE THE TWO DIFFERENT TWO BY FOURS, UH, TO SOME PEOPLE THAT MIGHT ESCAPE 'EM, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE RINGS ON THAT, UH, ON THE LUMBER MEANS THAT IT'S, IT IS TAKEN SOME TIME FOR THAT TO GROW.
AND, UH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT THAT MATERIAL IS, IS SIMPLY NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE.
IT'S, UH, THE SCARCITY OF SOME OF THE MORE HISTORIC MATERIALS IS WHAT, WHAT'S REALLY BRINGING THIS WHOLE PRO, THIS WHOLE PROGRAM, UH, TO LIGHT.
AND THAT IT, IT ALLOWS US TO, TO UTILIZE, UM, THE, THE VALUE OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING, UH, IN SOME CASES JUST SIMPLY THROWN AWAY.
UH, THEY CAN BE USED IN, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, TO LEVERAGE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
I DO HAVE, UH, I JUST WANT A, A, A, A SMALL WORD OF CAUTION REGARDING THE, THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND IN TERMS OF, UH, DEMOLITION, YOU KNOW, I, I CERTAINLY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL OF IS WE DON'T ENCOURAGE, UH, MORE DEMOLITION, UH, THAN, THAN IS OCCURRING.
UH, THIS IS A, A, A SORT OF A, A LAST MEASURE, IN FACT, UH, I WOULD EVEN SAY THAT, UH, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT THE, THESE, THIS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THE, THE VALUE OF THESE HOMES AND TRYING TO SAVE THEM, UH, IN PLACE, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, UH, TO HELP, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, MAINTAINING THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF A HOUSE SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO COME BACK AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN'T, UH, HELP, UH, THE HOUSE IN PLACE.
SO, UH, KUDOS TO YOU ON THAT WORK.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S VERY GOOD WORK, UH, AND, UH, ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UH, AS WE, YOU KNOW, LOOK FORWARD TO PROTECTING AND VALUING, UH, THE INCREDIBLE HOUSING STOCK WE DO HAVE IN OUR CITY.
UH, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO CHAIR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY AND THOSE DEVELOPERS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE WORKING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, HAVE ANY, HAS ANY INPUT OR ENGAGEMENT BEEN DONE WITH THAT COMMUNITY? IF SO, WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR FEEDBACK ON THIS PROGRAM? AND THEN HOW MANY HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN OF DOING THIS? DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THAT, SHANNON, OR DO YOU WANNA, UM, IT'S UP TO YOU.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, AS MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN, UM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TASK FORCE, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, RE UH, REAL ESTATE PRESENCE ON OUR, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT A, A, A BIG CONCERN THAT THEY DO HAVE IS THAT I MENTIONED, IS JUST RELATIVE TO THE COST AND THE TIME, UM, THAT IT TAKES FOR DECONSTRUCTION TO OCCUR, UM, SINCE IT IS MORE LABOR INTENSIVE, WHICH HAS ITS OWN BENEFITS.
UM, SO THAT'S A, A KEY THING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON IS FIGURING OUT HOW WE MAY BAKE IN SOME INCENTIVE STRUCTURE OR PERMIT WAIVERS OR SOMETHING THAT HELPS MINIMIZE, UM, THAT, THAT COST DIFFERENTIAL TO ENCOURAGE THAT ACTIVITY TO OCCUR.
SHANNON, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? UM, NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
UM, BUT I, I ALSO THINK THAT ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF PUSHBACK.
I MEAN, THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT WITH THE PE WITH THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TALKED TO TODAY FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, WHICH IS WHY THOSE ARE OUR FIRST TWO PHASE PROPOSALS.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, UM, THERE'S QUESTION MARKS ABOUT WHAT THE COST DIFFERENTIAL MAY BE FOR, UM, ESPECIALLY AS YOU GET INTO LARGER STRUCTURES AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE REALLY KIND OF MODIFIED OUR, OUR, UM, RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT TO START WITH THE RESIDENTIAL AND THEN USE THOSE LESSONS, UM, TO HELP US BUILD WHAT THE COMMERCIAL SIDE SHOULD, SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND IT MAY MEAN THAT THERE ARE MORE PARAMETERS THAT WE MORE CLEARLY DEFINE FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAVE TO BE SALVAGED AND WHAT, AND WHAT MAYBE ISN'T AS IMPORTANT.
AND, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF IT, AS STEPH TOUCHED ON IN THE PRESENTATION, IS WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON HOW WE BUILD AND DEVELOP THE MARKETPLACE.
AND SO AS THAT MARKETPLACE GROWS AND THE DEMAND GROWS FOR THE MATERIAL, THEN OBVIOUSLY COST WILL GO DOWN, THE COST DIFFERENTIAL WILL GO DOWN BECAUSE THEY'LL MAKE MONEY FROM THE SALVAGE THE MATERIAL THAT COMES OUT OF THE DECONSTRUCTION.
AND SO WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS THAT MARKETPLACE DEVELOPS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THAT MARKET IS THERE.
I MEAN, LITERALLY AN HOUR BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE MEETING, A COLLEAGUE WAS LAMENTING TO ME THAT THEY, THEY WANT, HE WANTS TO PUT, UM, SALVAGE DOORS
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INTO HIS HOUSE AND THE VERY FEW PLACES WHERE YOU CAN BUY THEM LOCALLY, THE COST IS SUCH THAT IT'S OUT OF REACH.AND SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR GOALS IS TO REALLY, UM, MAKE IT PROVIDE MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE HIGHER QUALITY MATERIAL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO, TO WORK ON THEIR HOMES.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ITEM? YES, COUNCILMAN, THIS IS, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? HEY, COUNCIL? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I, I DIDN'T SEE A SPECIFIC TIMELINE OTHER THAN THIS MIGHT BE BY THE FALL, THAT IT MIGHT COME TO COUNCIL.
UH, ARE THERE PROJECTED, UH, ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED? UH, AND ARE WE SEPARATING THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS FROM RESIDENTIAL AND THEN COMMERCIAL? OR ARE THEY ALL KIND OF COMING TOGETHER? SO, UM, TODAY WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, NOT BY RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL, BUT JUST LIKE REACHING OUT TO, TO DIFFERENT GROUPS AS I, ME, YOU KNOW, UH, STEPH AND I BOTH HAVE MENTIONED TALKING TO THE, THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TASK FORCE.
WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE A G C AND SOME OF THOSE, UM, KIND OF OBVIOUS GROUPS.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND THEN JUST THE PUBLIC EVENT KIND OF OUTREACH.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THERE ISN'T A FIRM TIMELINE IN TERMS OF WHEN IT'S GONNA BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU ALL FOR, FOR ACTION.
UM, THIS IS A, A BRIEFING ONLY.
UH, WE WANTED TO GET ANY FEEDBACK.
IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE OR OTHER GROUPS YOU'D LIKE US TO TALK TO, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY OPEN.
LIKE WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO BRING THE ORDINANCE FORWARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PRIORITIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY OPEN TO YOUR, UM, FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE.
WELL, I'M NOT TRYING TO MOVE THIS, UH, QUICKLY, BUT I HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE CONTACT ME ABOUT THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE ATTENDED SOME OF THE PRIOR WORKSHOPS OR IF NOT.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL SCHEDULED OR WILL BE SCHEDULING SEVERAL SO THAT I CAN INFORM THOSE PEOPLE TO GIVE THEM THE INPUT.
I THINK THEY'RE ASKING ABOUT, UH, YES, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT COST AND TIME AND TIME IS MONEY.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO CONTINUE TO, UH, WELCOME INPUT FROM ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO I'D LIKE YOU TO SHARE WITH ALL OF US AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND MAYBE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ANY FUTURE MEETINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HOLD.
AND IF YOU NEED SOME SUGGESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO SUGGEST A COUPLE OF TIMES AND LOCATIONS.
BUT, UH, I'D REALLY RATHER HAVE YOUR STAFF DO THAT, REACH OUT AND DEVELOPMENT AND ASK SOME OF THE PARTNERS YOU'VE BEEN VISITING WITH, CAN WE HOLD ANOTHER MEETING? DO YOU THINK THERE'S INTEREST, UH, WHERE AND WHEN IN ORDER TO ATTRACT, UH, THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF INPUT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AND WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED, UH, AS WE SCHEDULE MORE MEETINGS.
BY THE WAY, HAVE WE HAD ANY OF THE, I KNOW YOU HAD SOME SESSIONS WHERE WE INVITED RECYCLERS, PEOPLE WHO DEAL WITH THIS TO COME IN.
HAVE WE HAD ANY THAT HAVE REALLY EXPRESSED AN INTEREST SAYING, I WANNA BE THE FIRST IN LINE WHEN WE BRING THIS PROGRAM OUT? UM, DEFINITELY WE HAVE, WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE LOCALLY WHO ARE VERY INVESTED ALREADY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, TO KIND OF JUMPING IN ONCE IT BECOMES A, A REQUIREMENT.
UH, AND GREAT COMMENTS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANNA COMPLIMENT THIS GROUP IS THE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, FEEDBACK AND ENGAGEMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE ASKED THEM TO WORK WITH THE LOCAL A I A CHAPTER, AND I, I ALSO HEARD THAT YOU, YOU'RE WORKING WITH A G C, SO THEY'RE RE THEY ARE REACHING OUT TO, UH, A LOT OF, UH, UH, PERTINENT STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I, I THINK THIS IS REALLY DEMONSTRATING THAT, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, PROCESS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WE AGREE, UH, WE HOPE TO, TO HEAR BACK ABOUT SOME MORE OF THESE MEETINGS.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
COUPLE WORDS ALSO AND HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, SHANNON, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE, AND, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ENGAGEMENT, UH, UP TO THIS POINT, BUT HAS LIKE THE GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION BEEN A PART OF THIS GROUP AND A G C UP TO THIS POINT, OR HAVE THEY NOT BEEN INVITED AT THIS POINT? UM, THE, THE A G C ACTUALLY HAS, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND INITIALLY THEY, WE, THERE WASN'T INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING.
UM, BUT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOW FOLLOWING BACK UP AND THE DIALOGUE IS
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OPEN AGAIN.AND SO, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO, TO TRY TO MAKE INROADS THERE AND TALK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
UM, I KNOW THAT SOMEONE, SOMEONE, UH, FROM A G C CONTACTED YOUR OFFICE TODAY.
AND SO, UM, I TOLD PAUL THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW UP DIRECTLY WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL AND, AND MAYBE WE'LL GET IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT GROUP, UM, OR OR SUBGROUP OF, OF THE A G C AS A RESULT OF THAT CALL.
UH, THAT'S JUST ONE, ONE ORGANIZATION.
THERE'S ANOTHER VERY LARGE ORGANIZATION CALLED THE GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.
AND, AND HAVE THEY BEEN, UM, INCLUDED IN THIS DIALOGUE? UM, YES, THEY'VE ALSO BEEN INVITED TO, UM, TO OUTREACH DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD AND OUTREACH, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT, BUT, UM, BUT AS I SAID, WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO TRY TO FOLLOW UP.
SO IF THERE, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE, UM, CONTACTS ARE MADE WITH, IN, WITH SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, THAT YOU CAN PASS ON TO ME, I'M HAPPY TO TO MAKE THOSE CALLS.
AND, AND THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE.
WE GOT, UH, WE'VE GOT THIS FULL BRIEFING AT THIS POINT, AND WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S ALL THE BENEFITS.
HERE'S, HERE'S, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A LOT OF GOOD LOOKING STUFF AT THIS POINT, AND I'M GOING TO, AND THAT'S THE WAY I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY EXECUTE THESE PROGRAMS LIKE A, B, C, UH, GABA, THOSE WERE, AND I'M GETTING A DIFFERENT STORY THAT WHETHER THEY WERE INVITED OR NOT INVITED, BECAUSE I'M GETTING A STORY THAT THEY WEREN'T INVITED.
AND I'M, THAT'S VERY, VERY CONCERNING AT THIS POINT THAT WE, WE'VE GONE THIS FAR AND, AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED ALL DUE RESPECT TO A I A, THEY, THEY, UH, DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK ON THE FRONT END AS FAR AS DESIGNS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT THE, THE CONSTRUCTORS ACTUALLY BUILDING AND DOING THIS, AND DECONSTRUCTING AND DEMOLISHING ARE ACTUALLY THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS OUT THERE AND, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UH, I AM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AT THIS POINT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT INPUT INTO THIS PROGRAM.
AND, AND AS I TOLD YOU, SHANNON, UH, IN, IN THE BRIEFING, IT WAS ACTUALLY MEANT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ACTUALLY SAID THE REASON THAT, YOU KNOW, HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND WHAT HAVE YOU THAT IS USED TO TAKE DOWN FACILITIES IS BECAUSE OF THE SPEED AND THE LESS, UH, LABOR AND LABOR INTENSIVE TYPE OF THING.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO BRING THIS INTO THE MIX, I, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THE OVERALL BENEFIT TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST.
UH, AND ANY COST SAVINGS, AND I, I'M HEARING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS AND THAT.
NOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER THIS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM, I WOULD SAY, BY ALL MEANS, LET'S OPEN IT UP AND HAVE THIS AS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM AND REALLY SEE AS TO WHO WOULD ACTUALLY USE THIS PROGRAM VERSUS WHO WOULDN'T USE IT.
UH, THERE MIGHT BE A MARKET OUT THERE, BUT LET'S LET THE MARKETPLACE DETERMINE THAT AND NOT DRIVE IT FROM THE CITY AS A, AS AN ORDINANCE IN POLICY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
BECAUSE I, I ONLY SEE COST RISING AND, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS MENTIONED IN THERE.
UM, I, I DON'T SEE ANY WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE HOUSING ANY CHEAPER OR LESS COSTLY BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM.
I CAN ONLY SEE IT GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION.
AND, AND AGAIN, IF WE PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS OUT TO THE MARKETPLACE SAYING, HEY, Y'ALL USE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO USE IT, MONITOR THAT AND SEE IF IT'S USED, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
BUT TO COME UP WITH A POLICY DICTATING THAT AT THIS POINT, NO, I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT GONNA BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
SO, UM, WE NEED TO GET THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED NOW IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN.
AND WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THEY HAVEN'T BEEN, WE NEED TO GET 'EM INVOLVED NOW AND LISTEN TO 'EM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CLEARLY EXECUTING THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
UH, AND ALL GOOD POINTS, FAIR POINTS.
UH, UH, SHANNON AND STEPHANIE, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING TO CHAIR.
UH, WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S THAT? IT'S ME, COUNCIL MEMBER
WE'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, THAT, UH, AGAIN, SHANNON, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT LIST IS, IS, UH, AS, AS COUNCILMAN PERRY MENTIONED, THAT THAT IS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE, UH, ALL FACETS OF CONSTRUCTION.
CERTAINLY THE A I A HAS BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PART OF THE A I A, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE CONCERNS THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY HAD
[00:30:01]
REGARDING, UH, LARGER GROUPS LIKE THE, UH, THE, THE, UH, GREATER, UH, BUILDERS ASSOCIATION AND, UH, OTHER FOLKS ARE, ARE BEING HEARD.OKAY, COUNCILOR, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, SHANNON OR STEPHANIE, UM, HAVE Y'ALL NOT REACHED OUT TO THE GREATER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OR THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, OR HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO THEM? YES, WE'VE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE MADE OUTREACH TO ALL OF THOSE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS.
WE'VE HAD, UM, SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL AND THEN MEMBERS OF MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TASK FORCE THAT'S CONVENED BY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
I FIGURED YOU ALL HAD BEEN MAKING CONTACT WITH THEM.
IT'S THEIR CHOICE IF THEY CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT IN THIS, AND IF THEY LIKE WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OR NOT.
UH, THEY MAY NOT LIKE IT AND THEY MAY BE SAYING, UH, ONE THING OR ANOTHER, BUT YES, OF COURSE WE WANT TO ENGAGE EVERYONE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE REACHED OUT BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS REACH OUT TO ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT.
UH, AND YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY AND SEEING THIS COUNCIL MOVE ENOUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO ENGAGE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
ONE QUESTION ON, WELL, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SLIDE NUMBER 11, YOU HAVE THE PERCENTAGE OF DEMOLITION PERMITS 20% ON A CERTAIN AMOUNT, AND THEN ANOTHER 40%.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF DEMOLITION PERMITS ARE COMMERCIAL OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES? UM, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
STEPH, DO YOU HAVE, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? YEAH.
SO THE, THE PIE CHARTS ON THAT SLIDE, UM, ANYTHING THAT ISN'T INCLUDED IN THE 28% OR 40% ARE DE OR RELEGATED AS EXEMPT AND COMMERCIAL INCLUDES THOSE EXEMPT SINCE WE WERE JUST FOCUSING ON RESIDENTIAL.
UM, WE DID DO AN EARLY ANALYSIS OF, UM, POTENTIALLY, UH, THOSE FUTURE PHASES THAT WOULD CAPTURE COMMERCIAL.
AND IT'S A VERY SMALL SLICE IF WE'RE STICKING TO 1945 OR EARLIER AND EVEN SMALLER, IF IT WOULD BE 1920 OR EARLIER.
I THINK ON AVERAGE IT'S ABOUT, UM, 15 OR LESS, UM, 1940 AND EARLIER.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, UH, I THINK I WILL JUST TELL YOU FROM MY, UH, PERSPECTIVE, NUMBER ONE, YES, I AGREE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN HAVE MORE TRAINING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT AREA WHERE WE COULD SEE THAT DEVELOPMENT WITH JOB TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, I WILL SAY, I'M ON THE SIDE THAT'S SAYING THAT WE ARE BEHIND ON THIS.
I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN THIS POLICY EVEN SOONER.
UM, I WAS HOPING WE WOULD EVEN SEE THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020.
SO, UM, I AM, I THINK THAT WE ARE EVEN BEHIND THE CURVE ON THIS.
UH, AND YOU ARE RIGHT, SHANNON, YOU GAVE ME THIS BRIEFING EVEN BEFORE WE ALL WENT INTO COMPLETE SHUTDOWN IN EARLY MARCH.
SO, UM, I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY BEHIND ON THIS, OR I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD, AND I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU NOW, WHAT I EVEN SHARED THEN IS THAT I BELIEVE I WOULD LOVE TO EVEN SEE THE CONVERSATION OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES OF THOSE PRE 19 45, 19 20 BUILDINGS IN SAN ANTONIO, A PART OF THIS PROCESS, THESE PHASE ONES AND PHASE TWO.
WHY? BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS MATERIAL THAT WE COULD HAVE FOR, UM, DE CONSTRUCTION AND THAT CAN BE USED AND THAT CAN BE SALVAGED AND TELL THE STORY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND SO IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, LIKE OUR BEACON HILL SCHOOL, LIKE THE TODOS BUILDING, LIKE THE GAS STATION ON
SO I, UM, SO I AM GOING TO LEAN ON THE SIDE OF MOVING FORWARD WITH EVEN HAVING THE CONVERSATION, UH, WITH COMMERCIAL, BUT, UM, IN GEN, BECAUSE ALSO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST BURDEN THAT THIS MAY PUT ON SINGLE FAMILY, UM, HOMEOWNERS BECAUSE THEY WANNA BUY A DREAM.
UH, THEY WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GONNA CREATE A BIGGER FINANCIAL BURDEN ON PEOPLE.
SO ALL THAT TO SAY, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS AND I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE, UH, MOVE MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY ON THIS.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU STEPHANIE FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
SHANNON, UH, ANOTHER, UH, GREAT, GREAT, UH, UH, TOOL AGAIN, UH, WITH OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS, THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND ITEM NUMBER
[00:35:01]
THREE, UH, ALSO ANOTHER BRIEFING.IT'S A BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ARTS CULTURE, UH, PROGRAMMING DURING POST COVID.
WHO'S TAKING THAT? COUNCIL MEMBER
DEBBIE ROCKED, OUR DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND CULTURE WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM.
UH, PLEASE, UH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND AFTER THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, UH, AND GOOD AFTERNOON CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO, UH, PROVIDE THIS UPDATE ON ARTS AND CULTURE FOR YOU.
AGAIN, I'M DEBBIE ROCK SITTER AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
UH, ON THE SECOND SLIDE, I WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON, UM, PUBLIC ART.
SO OUR PUBLIC ART DIVISION LED BY PUBLIC ART PROGRAM MANAGER VERONICA RIPPLE, WITH THREE PROJECT MANAGERS ARE OVERSEEING PROJECTS CITYWIDE.
UH, WE HAVE MANY PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGES IN DISTRICTS 2, 3, 4, 6, AND SEVEN.
BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME PROJECTS THAT I COULD HAVE SOME GOOD IMAGES FOR TO SHOW YOU.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY TRAILS SYSTEM PROGRAM THAT WE'RE DOING CALLED BLOOM.
LETICIA HUERTA IS A SAN ANTONIO BASED ARTIST, AND SHE HAD A 2012 BOND PROJECT IN MCALLISTER PARK WHERE SHE DID SOME FLOWERS.
AND THESE ARE ABOUT 16 FEET TALL.
UH, THE SERIES IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND IT SHOWCASES OUR NATIVE FLOWERS AND IT ALSO SHOWCASES BICYCLE PARTS BECAUSE IT'S A TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH, UH, DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO PUT FLOWERS ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE HAVE WANDERLUST IRON WORKS WHO IS OPERATING OUT OF DESIGN, WHO FABRICATED AND INSTALLED THESE FLOWERS.
AND THEY WILL WORK WITH CIA HUERTA ON THE REST OF THE SERIES.
THE NEXT IN THE SERIES, UH, PLANNED IS AT THE RIVERWALK, UH, AND THAT'S AT THE RIVERWALK PUBLIC ART GARDEN.
AND WE HAVE THE CONCEPT OF THOSE FLOWERS GOING TO OUR PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE TOMORROW FOR REVIEW.
AND, UH, WE HOPE THAT THEY, UH, WILL GIVE SOME GOOD FEEDBACK.
AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE AT THE RIVERWALK GARDEN SIGNAGE THAT WILL TELL ALL ABOUT THE BLOOM SERIES AND THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.
WE ALSO HAVE FLOWERS PLANNED FOR SATO CREEK AND EISENHOWER PARK, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT EIGHT, APACHE CREEK AND BRAUS, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND THE TESLA ROAD FACILITY, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND, UH, SOUTH SIDE LIONS AT THE TRAILHEAD IN DISTRICT THREE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE A CITYWIDE PROJECT, THE, AT THE RIVERWALK GARDEN LABOR PLAZA.
SO THIS IS WHERE THE GOMER STATUE OF SAMUEL GOMER USED TO BE.
AND IT WAS TAKEN DOWN, IT'S ON MARKET STREET ACROSS FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND STATUE WAS, UH, SAMUEL GOER'S WAS DONATED BY THE A F L C I O IN 1982.
SO WE BEGAN WORKING WITH, UH, TOM CUMMINS, WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE A F L C I O AND LU CHAVEZ THOMPSON TO THINK ABOUT HONORING LABOR AND ALL OF OUR RICH HISTORY OF LABOR IN SAN ANTONIO WITH A PLAZA IN THIS AREA.
SAN ANTONIO BASED ARTIST ANNE WALLACE, WAS SELECTED TO WORK WITH TARA DESIGN GROUP TO COME UP WITH THE DESIGN.
AND THIS, UH, FINAL DESIGN APPROVAL IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE TOMORROW AND TO THE ARTS COMMISSION ON NEXT WEEK.
UH, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE A SPIRAL WALKWAY WITH SEVERAL ENTRY POINTS, A CENTRAL AREA WITH THE ICON OF THE HAND, WHICH IS LABOR, DIFFERENT IMAGES THAT REPRESENT ALL TYPES OF LABOR UNIONS, AND THEN REFLECTING ON NOTABLE FIGURES AND GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE PLAZA AREA.
WE WILL HAVE QUOTES FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
UH, JOHN F. KENNEDY, AND A SONG LYRIC FROM THEIR ANTHEM FROM THE A F L C I O SOLIDARITY FOREVER.
ANTA AVIO ILLA, WHO IS THE POET LAUREATE FROM 2018 AND 2019, AND HE'S WRITTEN A SPECIAL POEM THAT WILL GO AND BE ETCHED, UH, IN THIS AREA.
THIS PROJECT IS, UH, LOOKING TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FALL OF 2021.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE LOVE SEBASTIAN, OUR MEXICAN SCULPTOR
[00:40:01]
FRIEND WHO HELPED US WITH A CITYWIDE EXHIBIT AND IS THE CREATOR OF THE ICONIC TORTURE FRIENDSHIP.AND I JUST HAVE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME OUT YESTERDAY TO REMOVE THE SPRAY PAINT FROM THE PUBLIC ARTWORK.
UH, THEY, WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY LOVES OUR PUBLIC ART AND WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WE ARE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY IN DE-INSTALL THE CITYWIDE EXHIBIT, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT, IF YOU'VE BEEN TOO POSITIVE ARM.
SO YOU WOULD SEE THAT WE ARE TAKING DOWN THE ONE IN FRONT OF THE SPANISH GOVERNOR'S PALACE.
THOSE LOANED ARTWORKS ARE GOING BACK TO THE ARTIST.
WE ARE GETTING EXTENSIONS FOR THE PIECES AT THE RIVER WALK AT THE AIRPORT, AND AT MISSION PARKY PLAZA.
SO THOSE WILL STAY FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
UH, COUNCIL INTRAVENOUS ACTUALLY ENVISIONED A GATEWAY DOWNTOWN FOCUSING ON SAN ANTONIO'S RICH HISTORY OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS BY PIONEERS SUCH AS MALDEF AND LULAC.
AND WHEN WE WORKED WITH SEBASTIAN, HE CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT ON THE LEFT CALLED THE DOOR OF EQUALITY.
THAT WOULD BE A, THE SECOND DOWNTOWN GATEWAY SCULPTURE BY SEBASTIAN.
AND IT'S INSTALLED AS A GIFT, UH, BECAUSE SEBASTIAN JUST CONSIDERS THIS TO BE HIS SECOND HOME IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE ARTWORK, WHICH IS IN THE SAN PEDRO ROUNDABOUT, A BLOCK NORTH OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, WHICH IS ITSELF AN AWARD-WINNING, UH, ARCHITECTURAL TREASURE BY RENOWNED MEXICAN ARCHITECT RICARDO LEGRETA.
UH, THAT SCULPTURE WILL FEATURE TWO 30 FOOT TALL ROYAL BLUE COLUMNS THAT STAND SIDE BY SIDE AS TIGHTLY WOUND, GEOMETRIC PILLARS THAT RISE INTO THE SKY EQUAL IN STRENGTH AND BEAUTY, LEAVING THE CENTER OPEN WITH LIGHTS.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT SEBASTIAN HAS LIT ANY OF HIS SCULPTURES FROM THE INSIDE.
AND IT CIVILIZES THE INFINITE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND SHOWCASES THE WORK DONE BY HI HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS CHAMPIONS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THESE PILLARS ARE BEING SET AS A GATEWAY TO SYMBOLIZE THAT SAN ANTONIO'S DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN, A NOD TO OUR TENACIOUS HISTORY.
WE WILL BE INSTALLING THIS SCULPTURE, UH, THIS FALL.
ALSO ON THE RIGHT IS ANOTHER SCULPTURE, UM, BY SEBASTIAN.
WE ACTUALLY PURCHASED THIS AT A VERY DISCOUNTED RATE FROM SEBASTIAN, UH, THE STAR OF TEXAS.
SO THE STAR OF TEXAS SYMBOLICALLY IS PLACED AT THE AIRPORT, UH, ON THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
AND IT REPRESENTS THAT A GUIDING STAR LEADS YOU HOME AND A SIGN THAT YOU'VE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESIGNATION DESTINATION FOR, FROM YOUR JOURNEYS.
THIS IS A 15 FOOT TALL SCULPTURE THAT IS THE ICONIC RED, UH, THAT SOUTH BASTION IS KNOWN FOR.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN, UH GONZALEZ AND TO BE INSTALLED, UH, THIS FALL WE'RE LOOKING AT A MURAL THAT'S THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST SIDE.
UH, THIS, THE GATEWAY GOES FROM SAN PEDRO CREEK ALL THE WAY UP COMMERCE STREET, ALL THE WAY OVER THE BRIDGE, UH, TO ALLAN.
SO IF YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE COMPOSITION OF THE MURAL COMBINES ITS SIGNIFICANCE OF MAPS AND PLACEMAKING WITH SYMBOLIC REVERENCE TO THE NATURE AND ECOLOGY OF THE UNIQUE CITY'S WEST, WEST SIDE.
AND THIS GATEWAY MURAL EMPLOYS A WARM COLOR PALETTE INSPIRED BY THE CONCEPT OF THE SUN SETTING IN THE WEST, NEARING THE COLORS OF THE NEARBY COMMERCE STREET BRIDGE COLOR PALETTE BY, UH, SAN ANTONIO ARTIST ALEX RUBIO.
WE, UH, HAVE THE, THE INDIGENOUS TO THE AREA ARE THE GREAT BLUE HERON THAT SOARS ABOVE THE MAP WITH A FLOCK OF SILHOUETTES, SYMBOLIZING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY TRAVELING ACROSS THE STYLIZED COMMERCE STREET BRIDGE FRAMED JUST BEHIND IT.
AND THE GEOMETRIC GRECA PATTERN REFERENCES THE MULTICULTURAL, UH, Z OF CULTURAL AND THAT WILL BE INCLUDED, UH, IN THAT LITTLE.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO AS A CONCEPT TO THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE TOMORROW.
AND SO THE DESIGN OF THE MURAL COULD CHANGE SOMEWHAT.
UH, THE PAINTING OF THE COLUMNS, WHICH ARE IN A PATTERN, UH, BY RUBIO.
THE COLUMNS WILL BE PAINTED A COOL PALETTE UNDERNEATH COMMERCE STREET, UH, AND A WARM PALETTE UNDERNEATH A BUENA VISTA.
AND THEN WE WILL ALSO SEE A SPECIAL COLOR PALETTE ON UNDER THE COLUMNS AT GUADALUPE BRIDGE THAT MATCH THE GUADALUPE'S, UH, VERSION OF GUADALUPE'S ROBES.
THIS IS A VERY EXCITING PROJECT, UH, THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK WITH, UH, BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BEXAR COUNTY ON AN M O U FOR THE USE OF THE ELIZONDO CLINIC EAST WALL FOR THIS GATEWAY MURAL.
AND SO YOU'LL BE SEEING THIS COMING FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE TO APPROVE THAT, UH, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, THE NEXT, UM, SLIDE IS, UH, HARBURGER PARK WILDLIFE BEAUTY VIEWING AREAS.
SO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WILDLIFE, UH,
[00:45:01]
OF THE BLAND BRIDGE THAT CREATES A SAFE PATH FOR ANIMALS AND HUMANS TO CROSS EAST AND WEST SIDE OF HARBURGER PARK.WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE HARBURGER PARK CONSERVANCY AND LOCAL COMMUNITY AND DISTRICTS EIGHT AND NINE.
UH, THE ARTIST TEAM IS STEVEN STIMSON STUDIO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS OUT OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, WORKING WITH TWO SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS, C BRADSHAW AND ASHLEY ELLIS.
AND THEY HAVE DESIGNED THE SKINS, UH, FOR THESE TWO WILDLIFE VIEWING BLINDS THAT WILL BE INSTALLED.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MADE OF QUARTE STEEL, WHICH IS KIND OF A RUSTED LOOKING METAL.
KATE BRADSHAW WAS INSPIRED BY TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS OF HARBURGER PARK.
AND THIS WORK USES LAYERED OFFSET STEEL PANELS TO TURN THE TWO D TOPOGRAPHIC PROJECTION INTO A THREE D FORM.
AND THE SILHOUETTES OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS ARE HIDDEN INSIDE THESE FORMS APPEARING BEFORE THE INQUISITIVE VISITOR.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A SEEK AND FIND.
AND THAT'S THE SMALLER PICTURE THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT.
AND THEN THE LARGER ONE ON THE BOTTOM IS LING RAILS, IS DESIGN THAT USES FLORA NATIVE TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE LARGER THAN LIFE REPRESENTATIONS THAT THE PLANT MATERIALS WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE THROUGH AND FEEL NESTED WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING AT WILDLIFE.
THROUGH THIS, UH, WILDLIFE VIEWING AREA, THIS IS A HANDMADE PATTERN, PATTERN CREATED FOR THE STRUCTURE, AND IT'S MIRRORED ACROSS THE WALL PANEL AND THE CEILING WITH THE IDEA OF BEING SURROUNDED BY THE DESIGN.
THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER FABRICATION AND IS PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED THIS FALL, UH, WHEN THEY OPEN THE LAND BRIDGE.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, VERY EXCITED, UH, TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 AND THE FRIENDS OF COMANCHE LOOKOUT PARK.
WE HAVE A TEAM OF ARTISTS, UH, AN ESTABLISHED SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS CARLO CORTEZ, AND AN EMERGING ARTISTS FROM SAN ANTONIO BEING MENTORED BY CARLOS CORTEZ DORTE GARZO.
THEIR DESIGN IS A NOD TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE TO THE AREA.
THEY USE PAN-INDIAN NARRATIVE BASED ON CURRENT RESEARCH IN THE PARK, AND THEY WANT IT TO BE AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL TO SHOW MANY TRIBES A SOUTH TEXAS AND SAN ANTONIO.
CARLOS CORTEZ DOES WORK IN A FO STONE STYLE, EXCITED TO CREATE HIS LARGEST FO STONE PROJECT TODAY.
HE, THIS WAS A MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR DOTE GARZA, WHO IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE TAP LACA NATION.
THESE ARTISTS HAVE CHOSEN THE TOP OF THE HILL, AND IT HAS A LARGE CLEARING THAT LOOKS OUT OVER SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE INCLUDING BEN BENCHES AND PLANTERS WITH ETCHING RELATED TO NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONY AND RELIGION.
THE STONE POCKETS FEATURING NATIVE PLANTS, THE IMAGE SHOWS CACTUS, UH, BUT IT WILL LIKELY BE SOMETHING FLOWERING LIKE AN ESPERANZA.
THE DEER AND HALF MOON PETROGLYPHS AND PICTOGRAPHS ARE SHOWN BECAUSE DEER IS A COMMON FOOD SOURCE SPECIFIC TO PAST AND CONTINUES TO THE PRESENT DAY.
SOME SYMBOLISM INCLUDES PEYOTE THAT SAYS, WHEREVER A DEER STEPS, A PEYOTE GROWS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF A, A LEGEND FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN.
THE ARTISTS HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES AND AMERICAN INDIANS IN TEXAS TO FIND SHAPES OF POTTERY AND ENSURE AUTHENTICITY OF THE ETCHINGS.
THE FINAL DESIGN APPROVALS WILL BE TOMORROW WITH THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE AND NEXT WEEK WITH THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION.
AND WE EXPECT THIS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED THIS FALL.
SO THIS CONCLUDES THE SECTION ON PUBLIC ART, AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND TALK ABOUT SOME WORK THAT THE HOTEL OCCUPANTS OCCUPANCY TAX SIDE OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON.
SO, CRYSTAL JONES AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON RESEARCHING AND POSTING ANY COVID RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS.
COUNCIL VINEO SUGGESTED THAT WE SET UP A DONATE TO THE ARTS WEBSITE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF I T S D AND FINANCE.
THE SITE HAS BEEN UP FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND WE RAISED A LITTLE OVER $1,300.
WE'RE OFFERING, UH, THE CITY'S LIMITED EDITION FIESTA METAL TO THOSE WHO DON DONATE $20 OR MORE WHILE WE STILL HAVE THEM.
UH, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE COUNSEL'S HELP IN POSTING IMAGES OF YOURSELVES WITH THE FIESTA METALS ASKING FOR DONATIONS TO THE ARTS.
UM, THE PROCEEDS WOULD GO TO OFFSET LOSSES TO THE HOT TECHS FOR OUR ARTS AGENCIES.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE MANY ONLINE EVENTS AND LIVE STREAMING EVENTS THAT WE'RE ADVERTISING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
UM, MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD HAS BEEN LIVE STREAMING THEIR PROGRAMMING, ALONG WITH THE GER ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER HAS, UH, HAS BEEN LIVE STREAMING.
ITS NOCHE ZU, UH, URBAN 15 HAS HIS HIDDEN HISTORIES AND A NEW ONES COMING UP TONIGHT.
[00:50:02]
JOSIAH MEDIA FESTIVAL AS WELL.THEY'VE BEEN, UH, SHOWING OLDER VERSIONS OF THAT THE SAN ANTONIO ART LEAGUE AND SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM, MUSEUM OF ART AND OTHER OF OUR MUSEUMS ARE DOING VIRTUAL TOURS.
BUT I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT EVEN THOUGH OUR PUBLIC, OUR PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS CANNOT OPEN, THE BRISCOE OPENED ON THE 23RD AND THE WITTY AND SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART HAVE BOTH OPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND.
UH, BLUE STAR IS OPENING ON JUNE 11TH, AND ARTPACE IS OPENING TOMORROW.
UH, AND SO WE CAN ALL ENJOY, UH, BEING SOCIALLY DISTANCED AND GO TO THOSE, UH, FACILITIES AND CHECK OUT THE ARTWORK.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, WHAT WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK BY, UH, DR.
BRIDGER, THE FUNDS FOR, UH, ART WITH THE CARESS ACT.
SO WE'RE CALLING IT SA CARES FOR ART GRANT PROGRAM.
THERE'S $2.6 MILLION PROPOSED FOR ARTS BUSINESSES.
UH, THIS 2.6 MILLION IS FOR NON-PROFIT AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
AND THE FOR-PROFIT WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE LIFT FUND AND THEY WOULD BE APPLYING AS SMALL BUSINESSES.
BUT FOR NOW, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS HAVING ALLOWABLE COSTS, INCLUDE BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COSTS DUE TO REQUIRED CLOSURES, EFFECTS OF DECREASED CUSTOMER DEMAND, REQUIRED SOCIAL DISTANCE, AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT MANY OF THOSE WHO HAD TO SPEND MONEY TO PIVOT THEIR PROGRAMMING TO ONLINE.
WE ARE STILL REVIEWING THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES ON THE CARES ACT FUNDING, AND WE'LL ENSURE THAT, UM, WHATEVER GUIDELINES ARE CREATED FOR THIS FUNDING MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, LIKELY, UH, WE WILL SET UP SOME SPECIAL GUIDELINES AND PROCESSES THAT WE WILL COME FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THIS COMMITTEE FOR YOUR REVIEW.
UH, AND THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, AND BEFORE WE GET TO, UH, COUNCIL, UH, DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS, UM, I WILL, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THE CITY CLERK READ SOME, SOME PUBLIC, UH, STATEMENTS OR COMMENTS.
AND I HAVE A FEW MYSELF HERE AS WELL.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SUMMARIZE THESE BECAUSE, UH, IT IS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT ONLINE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE'S COMMENTS ARE BEING HEARD, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET TO EVERYBODY.
SO I'LL HAND IT OFF TO THE CITY CLERK NOW FOR, FOR, UH, A SUMMARY OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN I'LL TAKE OVER FROM THERE.
I HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT FROM E LAUREN MEEKER.
DEAR COUNCILMAN TREVINO, MY NAME IS LAUREN MEEKER AND I AM THE NEW GENERAL AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF OPERA SAN ANTONIO.
I'M WRITING TO REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE JUNE 4TH FUNDING ALLOCATION VOTE OPERA.
SAN ANTONIO PERFORMS AT THE TOBIN CENTER AND ENGAGES OVER 100 LOCAL ARTISTS IN OUR TWO PRODUCTIONS EACH YEAR.
OUR FUTURE IS UNSTABLE IN THE WAKE OF FUNDING LOSS FROM MAJOR SOURCES LIKE THE CITY.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO, AND TO PROVIDING EXPERIENCES THAT ENHANCE THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FABRIC OF SAN ANTONIO.
BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO FIND NEW FUNDING FOR NEXT SEASON AND BEYOND.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE MORE ABOUT OPERA SAN ANTONIO AND OUR MISSION, IF YOU HAVE TIME TO SPEAK WITH ME.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
WARMLY, LAUREN, THAT IS ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT I HAVE.
UH, WELL, I HAVE SEVERAL HERE THAT I, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ, UH, STARTING WITH BEN SANTO CULTURAL ARTS.
UH, AND, AND IT, AND I'LL BE SUMMARIZING EACH OF THE COMMENTS IN, IN BASICALLY A PARAGRAPH.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS COMMITTEE MOVE TO RESTORE FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THIS CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MECHANISM PROVIDES A VITAL SYSTEM OF LEADERSHIP, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, FUNDING, ADMINISTRATION OF CONTRACTS, AND MONITORING, EQUITY COMPLIANCE.
UH, A LETTER FROM A FLORES CONJUNTO HERITAGE.
WE URGE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER CONTRIBUTIONS OF LOCAL ARTS GROUPS AND DELEGATE AGENCIES WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT CARES FUNDING GRANTED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR RECOVERY, AS WELL AS THE GENERAL BUDGET BEING CONSTRUCTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THE PROGRESS MADE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TOWARDS CULTURAL EQUITY, NOR CAN WE LOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF SAN ANTONIO'S ARTS AND CULTURE FOR DECADES.
A LETTER FROM GEORGE CISNEROS, SUBURBAN 15.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS COMMITTEE MOVE TO RESTORE FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MECHANISM PROVIDES THE VITAL SYSTEM OF LEADERSHIP, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION
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OF CONTRACTS AND MONITORING OF EQUITY COMPLIANCE.I KNOW THAT A COMBINATION OF FUNDS FROM BOTH FEDERAL AND GENERAL FUND SOURCES COULD PROVIDE A D A C WITH SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO REOPEN, EMPLOY, AND, AND APPROPRIATE STAFF SKILL PROFESSIONALS, AND ENGAGE NEW CONTRACTS WITH AGENCIES TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED ARTS, EDUCATION AND PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS. A LETTER FROM RAMON, UH, JUAN VASQUEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN INDIANS IN TEXAS AT THE SPANISH COLONIAL MISSIONS.
DURING THESE 10 WEEKS, UH, A I T AND OTHER CITY DELEGATE AGE ARTS AGENCIES HAVE, UH, NOT IGNORED THE NEEDS OF THEIR AUDIENCES AND STUDENTS IN LIMITED FASHION.
OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ONLINE PERFORMANCES, CLASSES AND DISCUSSIONS.
SOME ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PROVIDED CURBSIDE ART SUPPLIES AND BOOKS.
LETTER FROM PATRICIA RUIZ HEALY, UH, FROM ART PACE, SENATOR ANTONIO BOARD CHAIR.
I KINDLY ASK THAT THE, THE ADMINISTRATION ACT SWIFTLY TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO NONPROFIT PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE, TO SURVIVE AND PROVIDE CRUCIAL SERVICES.
NOW AND AFTER THIS PANDEMIC, A LETTER FROM KATIE PACE HOLLERAN.
WHEN MY LATE AUNT, UH, LINDA PACE STARTED ART PASTE, SHE WAS INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING CREATIVITY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS TRULY, UH, IT TRULY IS A VITAL ASPECT OF BEING A HUMAN BEING, BUT BECAUSE ARTISTS ARE OFTEN THOSE WHO ASK THE HARDEST QUESTIONS, WHO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO, WHO UNITE AND BRING PROFOUND EXPERIENCES TO US, MORE THAN JUST INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS A COMMUNITY.
A LETTER FROM MARIA LOPEZ, EL LEON, PRESIDENT OF, UH, AND C E O OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURES NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURES, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF, UH, OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURES AFFIRMS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
WE BEAR WITNESS TO VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE, AND SPEAK FROM THE DEEPEST IMPULSES OF OUR HEARTS TO UPLIFT BLACK LIVES AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS COMMITTEE MOVE TO RESTORE FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MECHANISM PROVIDES THE VITAL SYSTEM OF LEADERSHIP, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, FUNDING, ADMINISTRATION OF CONTRACTS, AND MONITORING, EQUITY COMPLIANCE.
A LETTER FROM GARCIA SANCHEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE ESPERANZA, UH, PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, BLACK LIVES MATTER, GEORGE GEORGE FLOYD PRETE.
WE ASK THIS COMMITTEE TO INCREASE THE RECOMMENDA RECOMMENDATION OF $202.6 MILLION, INCLUDING $800,000 CURRENTLY SET ASIDE FOR THE SUP SIGNAGE, A LUXURY THAT THE CITY CANNOT AFFORD AT THIS TIME.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ASK THAT YOU ADD FUNDING FOR THE DELEGATED ARTS AGENCIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 IN THE GENERAL BUDGET.
A LETTER FROM, UH, I THINK THAT'S THE SAME ONE.
A LETTER FROM, UH, CENTRAL CULTURAL ASPL ORGANIZATION DEPENDS ON CITY FUNDING AND MANY ARTISTS WHO SERVE OR PRIMARILY SELF-EMPLOYED SOLE PROPRIETORS, ESSENTIALLY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
INVESTING IN THE ARTS IS AN INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE ARTS ENTREPRENEURS, THE VALUE AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF OUR CITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THE UNIQUE IDENTITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHICH HAS BEEN FORGED IN ARTS AND CULTURE OVER DECADES, ESPECIALLY MEXICAN AMERICAN ARTS AND CULTURE.
UH, MELINA GONZALEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND A LETTER FROM RILEY ROBINSON FROM ARTPACE RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS WITH A THRIVING ARTS AND COLCHICINE, TOURISTS STAY LONGER, THEREBY SPENDING MORE MONEY.
ADDITIONALLY, WHEN A PERSON ATTENDS AN ARTS EVENT IN THE CITY, THEY ARE LIKELY TO SUPPORT OTHER BUSINESSES LIKE RESTAURANTS AND STORES.
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS, ARTS AND, AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, UH, REPORT FOUND THAT PATRONS WHO ATTEND AND AND ATTEND A PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS TYPICALLY SPEND MORE THAN $27 PER PERSON, WHICH EXTRAPOLATED OVER THIS COURSE OF THE YEAR, REPRESENTS A LARGE REVENUE STREAM FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE, THE SUPPORT FOR, FOR, UH, MORE ARTS PROGRAMMING IN OUR CITY.
AND NOW WHAT I'LL DO IS I'M GONNA TAKE, UH, COMMENTS IN ORDER OF DISTRICT STARTING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THANK YOU DEBBIE, SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THE ARTS ARE VERY VITAL, UM, AS WE TAKE A STANCE WITH RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY.
UM, AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, DEBBIE, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE, UH, REACHED OUT FOR SUPPORT OR, UH, WITH THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM OR LOST ENGAGEMENTS? HOW MUCH WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE NEED WITHIN THAT, THAT
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INDIVIDUAL POPULATION? COUNCILWOMAN, WE WORKED WITH LUMINARIA ON THE COVID ARTIST RELIEF PROGRAM.THAT WAS EARLY ON SOMETHING THAT, UH, LUMINARIA CAME TO US, UH, TO SEE IF THEY COULD USE THEIR FUNDING THAT WE NORMALLY PROVIDE FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THIS EMERGENCY MANNER.
THEY RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM, UH, OVER 115 ARTISTS.
UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO FUND WITH, UH, THE CITY'S DOLLARS, ABOUT 25 ARTISTS.
UH, THE GRANTS WERE LIMITED TO, UH, $600, BUT, UH, THEY, WE WORKED WITH, UH, TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO AND LUMINARIA, AND THEY HAD A TELETHON AND RAISED SOME MORE MONEY AND GOT, UH, H E B AND OTHERS TO DONATE SOME FUNDS.
SO THEY ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO SERVE MANY MORE ARTISTS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
UH, SO THAT WAS A, A, A GOOD INDICATION EARLY ON OF THE NEED.
UM, AND THEN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURES HAS WAITING, UH, TO FUND ABOUT 20 SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS WITH GRANTS OF ABOUT $500 A PIECE.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ARE GONNA ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE THE USE OF THEIR GRANT MONEY FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO USE THAT AS WELL FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO RIGHT NOW, THAT IS A SMALL, UH, AMOUNT OF FOLKS THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS IN NEED.
UH, BUT IF WITH THESE NEW FUNDS, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO OPEN UP A NEW PROCESS TO SEE WHO WOULD APPLY, UH, FOR THOSE DOLLARS.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, B M I, WHICH MOVED THEIR HEADQUARTERS TO AUSTIN.
HAVE YOU HEARD FROM ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS B M I OR THE GRAMMY ACADEMY OR ANY OF THE OTHER INDUSTRY, UH, REPRESENTATIVES AS TO WHAT RELIEF FUNDS ARE GONNA BE, UM, SUPPORTED WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT? WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO B M I OR, UH, GRAMMYS, BUT WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT VERY CLOSELY WITH THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
AND BRANDON ANTHONY, WHO IS ON THE TEXT, UH, THE GOVERNOR STRIKE FORCE.
UM, OUR, WE'VE HAD VERY MANY PHONE CALLS WITH THE PERFORMING ARTS COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES MUSIC TO TALK ABOUT REOPENING.
UM, MOST OF OUR PERFORMING ARTS, UM, FACILITIES WOULD LIKE TO REOPEN AND THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO RIGHT NOW.
DUE TO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS, UH, EVEN THOUGH BARS ARE ABLE TO, TO OPEN.
UH, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT BRENDAN ANTHONY FROM THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE IS TAKING UP TO THE GOVERNOR, UH, ON THE BEHALF OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GAN.
UM, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, DEBBIE, FOR CLARIFICATION ON YOUR PRESENTATION FOR THE ARTS UPDATE AND ALL OF THE, UM, THE PIECES OF PUBLIC ART.
REMIND ME, HOW ARE THESE GETTING PAID? ARE THESE PAID FOR THROUGH OUR BOND PACKAGES? SOME OF THEM ARE BOND PROJECTS AND, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UH, EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE AIR, THE AIRPORT IS PAID WITH THE AIRPORT FUNDS, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS, AND THEN THE HOWARD PEAK GREEN GREENWAY TRAILS WERE A MIXTURE.
UH, THE FIRST BLOOM PROJECT THAT WAS DONE AT MCALLISTER PARK WAS A 2012 BOND PROJECT.
AND THE, UH, THE MANY MORE OF THOSE COMING FORWARD, THERE ARE GONNA BE A MIX OF BOND AND THE VENUE TAX.
SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WILDLIFE LINES ON THE HARDBERGER LAND BRIDGE, THAT WAS PART OF THEIR BOND DOLLARS.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, JUST BECAUSE I, I LIKE IT A LOT, THAT KECHI LOOKOUT PARK, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD LOOKING, UM, SET THAT THEY HAVE THERE.
SO THAT'S REALLY, I LOOK FORWARD TO GOING AND VISITING IT.
UM, IF COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, LETS ME GO AND VISIT OVER THERE.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM? HAVE, ARE THEY ALREADY OPENED OR HAVE THEY ANNOUNCED? I HAVE NOT RECEIVED WORD FROM THE MUSEUM THAT THEY'VE OPENED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE WAITING GOVERNOR'S ORDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED A HANDS-ON MUSEUM AND OKAY.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARED TO OPEN THOSE TYPES OF EXHIBITS.
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THEY DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING HANDS-ON LIKE THE MUSEUM IS.SO I THINK THAT THE MUSEUM IS WAITING A LITTLE BIT FOR THE GOVERNOR TO, UH, MAKE SOME MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND THEN CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME MORE CLARIFICATION? I THINK, UM, BECAUSE ON THE PROPOSED 2.6 MILLION, WHICH I'M VERY, UM, HAPPY ABOUT WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AND LOOKING AT THE ARTS BUSINESSES, NON-PROFIT AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
BUT YOU ALSO MENTIONED FOR-PROFITS, DID YOU MEAN ALL OF THEM TOGETHER ARE STILL GOING TO BE UP FOR THIS 2.6 MILLION
UM, AND THEN HAVE YOU ALL DISCUSSED THE PARAMETERS FOR THE 2.6 MILLION THAT IT 'CAUSE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS, A GRANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT 20 EMPLOYEES OR LESS OF A SMALL BUSINESS, IS WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? I KNOW YOU HAVE SOLE PROPRIETOR THERE, BUT ARE WE LOOKING AT NON-PROFITS WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES OR LESS? IS IT THE SAME PARAMETERS AS 20 EMPLOYEES OR LESS? WE FEEL LIKE THAT THOSE PARAMETERS ARE A LITTLE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE NONPROFITS, BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAVE OUT SOME OF OUR VERY KEY PLAYERS, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE EMPLOYEES THAN THAT.
FOR INSTANCE, THE SYMPHONY, WHAT YOU SAY.
UM, BUT HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING AT GIVING THE SYMPHONY THEN? I MEAN, I MEAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE 2.6 MILLION THAT WE HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE CALLED OR SENT THAT ARE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, ET CETERA, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.
WE ALSO HAVE THE, UM, BALLET SAN ANTONIO.
BUT, UM, SO I'M TRYING TO, TO MAKE THE DIFFERENTIATION OF HOW Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT DIVVYING OUT THESE $2.6 MILLION OR THAT POLICY THAT WE GET TO DISCUSS HERE.
COUNCILMAN THAT IS, UM, DEBBIE ALLUDED TO US RETURNING TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE MM-HMM.
AND, UM, THE COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THE FUNDING ON THURSDAY.
WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING IN JUNE, SO WE CAN RETURN WITH THOSE GUIDELINES ALONG WITH ANOTHER ITEM FOR HOUSING.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, UM, IDEA.
AND I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
AND, UH, IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD AND LOOKING AT DIFFERENT GUIDELINES, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE PUTTING MONEY TOWARDS THIS, I THINK, UM, THAT WHOMEVER WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WITH OUR DOLLARS, WE ALSO HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO BE WILLING AND ABLE TO GO THROUGH AN EQUITY ASSESSMENT OF HOW EQUITY PLAYS A PART, UM, IN THEIR ORGANIZATION AND IN THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ET CETERA.
IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, REQUESTING DOLLARS FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'M THINKING, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, JUST THAT THEY LOOK THROUGH, UM, SOME EQUITY TRAINING AND IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING AS WELL.
AND, UH, FINALLY, WHEN DID OUR POET LAUREATE TERM BEGIN? DEBBIE.
SO THE POET LAUREATE TERM COINCIDES WITH POETRY MONTH AND WE
I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL IN APRIL.
WELL, I THINK IT WAS AN EXCELLENT SELECTION AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HER HAVING A LOT TO DO WITH OUR ART AND JUST IN GENERAL, OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I GUESS THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRYING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PEOPLE IN THE ARTS.
UH, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT ALMOST EVERY, UH, EVERY ARTIST IS, UH, ALMOST LIKE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.
UH, THERE MAY BE MANY THAT DO HAVE ARRANGEMENTS WITH CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO PERFORM, BUT, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT MEANS THEY'RE ELIGIBLE UNDER, UH, THE CARES ACT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE AND HOPE THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PERFORM, UH, PROVIDE, UH, THE SERVICE OR THE ART THAT THEY SPECIALIZE IN, BUT ALSO I KNOW THEY NEED TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND PAY THEIR RENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS 2.6 MILLION THAT WE
[01:10:01]
PUT TOGETHER ARE, ARE FOR THOSE PURPOSES.SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, WE HAVE ENCOURAGED ANY ARTIST IN THE COMMUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE OTHER PROCEDURES, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH, UH, OUR HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES TO GET RENT PAID IF THEY, IF THEY'RE BEHIND IN RENT OR MORTGAGES OR IF THEY NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
I HOPE THAT, UH, A LOT OF THEM, IF THEY WERE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, COULD HAVE APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, UH, TRY AND GET STATE AND FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, CONTRACT INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE KIND OF SUPPORT THEY NEED TO AT LEAST ASSIST, AND THAT WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IS FOR THEM TO GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE THEIR ART.
AND, UH, SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THAT GOES INTO CONSIDERATION.
'CAUSE 2.6 MILLION DOESN'T GO VERY FAR, BUT THEORETICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HELP, UH, 2,600 PEOPLE AND GIVE 'EM EACH A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND IF WE HAD THAT MANY ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT GIVES 'EM A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO WORK IN THEIR ART, WHICH MAY NOT BE VERY MUCH, OR MAYBE WE'VE GOT HALF THAT MANY 1300 ARTISTS AND WE CAN GIVE 'EM $2,000.
BUT THEN AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE ALSO THINKING OF THE LARGE ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SYMPHONIES, UH, OR THE OPERA, OR THE BALLET, UH, OR THE MUSEUMS. AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING AS MUCH SUPPORT FROM ALL OF OUR CARES FUNDING, UH, AND NOT JUST RELYING ON THIS 2.6 MILLION.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS ON HOW WE ENSURE THAT THAT MONEY GOES TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THEIR ART.
SO, ANYWAY, I I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN THE MIX.
SO, COUNCILMAN, UH, IF I MAY, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR, UH, WEBSITE FOR THE COVID ARTISTS, UH, PROGRAMS, WE LISTED, UH, ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS, THE P P P, THE UNEMPLOYMENT, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL GRANTS THAT WERE ONLY AVAILABLE TO ARTISTS ON THAT WEBSITE.
WE ALSO, UH, SENT EMAILS TO ALL THE ARTISTS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR LIST, UH, WHICH WE HAVE LISTS OF, UH, ABOUT 300 ARTISTS THAT WE WENT AHEAD AND SENT DIRECTLY, UH, NOTICES SO THAT THEY COULD APPLY.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION WHEN DEVELOPING GUIDELINES.
WE'VE GOTTA THINK HOLISTICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, JUST REAL QUICK, DEBBIE, YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, UH, AND I, I THINK YOU, I HEARD IT THAT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED UP FRONT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, THEY'RE ALL FUNDED AND THEY'RE ALL GOOD TO GO, IS THAT CORRECT? RIGHT.
FOR THE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, THOSE ARE ALL FUNDED WITH CAPITAL PROGRAM DOLLARS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT ELSE IS IN THE QUEUE AT THIS POINT? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S UPCOMING? I, I WOULD LIKE, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT'S THE LIST OF NEXT PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TO GET A SCOPE OF THAT.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT FUNDED, BUT I'M MORE INTERESTED IN OKAY, WHAT'S UPCOMING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET A CLEARER PICTURE OF THAT, WHERE, WHERE THE PLANS ARE, WHERE, UH, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PLACING 'EM, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN AS WELL.
UH, YES, ON SLIDE NUMBER TWO, THERE, THERE ARE PROJECTS PLANNED FOR DISTRICTS 2, 3, 6, AND SEVEN THAT I DIDN'T HAVE, DIDN'T GO OVER BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL IN EITHER THE PROJECT INITIATION OR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE, AND WE HAVE BUDGETS ALLOTTED FOR THOSE.
AND THERE ARE SOME EVEN FURTHER DOWN THE LINE THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON, UH, AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE PLAN THAT I CAN PROVIDE YOU FOR THE PUBLIC ART THAT'S BUDGETED.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY WHAT'S BUDGETED AT THIS POINT, BUT WHAT'S YOUR FUTURE FORECAST? YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE WE LOOKING AT IN THE FUTURE? ALSO, I, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE LIKE A FIVE YEAR PLAN, YOU KNOW, A TACTICAL PLAN OR A STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THAT SHOWS THAT KIND OF, UH, DATA AND INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN GET A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE FOR, UH, THIS COMMITTEE AND, AND RUNNING
[01:15:01]
THINGS BY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S HAPPY WITH WHAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON.WE HAVE, UH, WE USUALLY DO A FIVE-YEAR PLAN ALONG WITH THE BOND PROGRAM.
UH, SO WE PRETTY MUCH GO OUT THROUGH WHAT'S IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET TODAY.
UH, SO I WILL BE PROVIDING THAT UPDATE.
GENERALLY, I DO THAT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT I CAN DO IT WITH THIS COMMITTEE, UH, AS, AS THE PROJECTS COME ALONG, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON HOW THEY'RE COMING ALONG AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALLY HIGHLIGHTING SOME GREAT POINTS AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, WE KNOW BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, UM, REALLY, UH, WAS, WAS HIT VERY, VERY HARD.
UH, DEBBIE, HOW MANY, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? WE HAVE, UH, FOUR EMPLOYEES IN PUBLIC ART AND TWO IN THE HOTEL TAX.
SO OUR REDUCTIONS CAME IN THE HOTEL TAX.
AND SO IT, IT, IT'S CLEAR THAT, UH, AS, AS, AS WITH SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY, WE REALLY NEED TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT SOME OF YOUR NEEDS ARE IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH FOR, FOR BUDGETING, UH, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING OVERTIME, UH, AS WELL AS YOUR STAFF TO, TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO, TO KEEP, TO KEEP US AFLOAT.
AND, UH, I CONSIDER YOUR DEPARTMENT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS IN OUR CITY.
UH, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREAT PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD, LIKE THE
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THE DONATE TO THE ARTS, UH, BUTTON OR, OR, OR PAGE.
UH, IF WE CAN GET THAT TO US INDIVIDUALLY, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT WE CAN SPREAD THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WE'LL CERTAINLY DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROMOTE THE NEED TO, TO DONATE TO THE ARTS AND, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KEEP THAT, UH, A VITAL PART OF OUR CITY.
WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AN UPDATE ON THE PARKING GARAGE FOR THE SE 2017 BOND, UH, AND 20, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2020 PARKING, OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE FUND FUNDED PROJECT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, JUST A BRIEF, UH, PRESENTATION THERE.
IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE CAN SEE THE, UH, PROJECT BACKGROUND.
THIS WAS A BOND PROJECT, AS YOU STATED, THERE WAS $11.75 MILLION IN THE BOND, UH, PUT FOR, UH, THIS PROJECT.
AND THERE WERE 600, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, THAT WERE ALSO FORTH FROM THE, THE PARKING FUND.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE, THE BOND, UH, PACKET, UM, THE PROJECT WAS LABELED ZOOM PARKING GARAGE.
IT HAS THE $11.75 MILLION, IT SAYS, DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PARKING GARAGE FACILITY TO SERVICE BRECKENRIDGE PARK AND SAN ANTONIO ZOO PATRON.
SO, SO THAT'S THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, UM, THE PROJECT, UH, THE GARAGE IS DESIGNED TO HAVE FIVE, UH, LEVELS OF PARKING, 612 SPACES.
UH, IT INCLUDES VERY EXCITING ELECTRIC VEHICLE SPACES AND SPACES FOR, UH, BICYCLE PARKING, UM, AND ALSO A SIDEWALK EXTENSION, UH, FROM THE GARAGE TO THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO.
SO, ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WHICH IS THE PROJECT TIMELINE.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, WAY BACK IN JUNE OF 2018, UH, THE PROJECT DESIGN BUILT WAS A DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT, AND IT WAS AWARDED TO G***O CONSTRUCTION, UH, COMPANY.
UH, WE THEN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HARD, HARD TO WORK ON IT.
UH, WE THEN WENT TO THE H D R C H D R C, UH, REVIEWED THE DESIGN OF THE GARAGE, AND THEY ISSUED, UH, A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, UH, FOR THE GARAGE FACILITY ITSELF.
UH, OCTOBER, UH, 2019 HERE, JUST RECENTLY, THE GARAGE WAS COMPLETED AND IT'S BEEN OPEN FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC USE, UH, ON MAY 5TH, UH, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, THE D R C UH, REVIEWED THE SIGNAGE FOR THE GARAGE.
UH, SO THAT WAS, IT WAS A PRELIMINARY REVIEW THAT GAVE YOU, UH, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UH, SHANNON IS ON THIS WEBEX, SO WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
SHE'S AVAILABLE TO ANSWER FROM THAT.
UH, WE WENT TO COUNSEL ON MAY 14TH, JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, AND WE WERE ASKING COUNCIL TO AMEND THE DESIGN BILL CONTRACT, WHICH
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COUNCIL APPROVED.UH, AND, AND THAT WAS FOR THE SIGNAGE AND, UH, DESIGN OF THE SIGNAGE, THE FABRICATION OF IT, AND THE INSTALLATION.
UM, FROM THERE, UH, THE ITEM WENT, UH, TO THE H D R C ON MAY 20TH, WHERE, UM, THE H D R C CONTINUED THIS ITEM UNTIL JUNE, UH, THE 14TH.
UH, FOR, FOR MORE, MORE DISCUSSION, UM, THERE IS A MEETING RIGHT NOW SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW AT, AT 1:00 PM UH, BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND, AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE ZOO AND THE BRECKENRIDGE, UH, PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, TO, TO DISCUSS, UH, SOME ISSUES RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF THE SIGN TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY ROOM FOR, FOR COMPROMISE.
SO WE WILL HAVE THAT MEETING, UH, TOMORROW.
AND, UH, BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE H D R C, SO NEXT SLIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, ARE TO GO TO THE H D R C ON, UH, JUNE 14TH.
UH, FROM THERE, UH, THE SIGN WILL BE FABRICATED AND THEN, UH, BE INSTALLED BY FEBRUARY OF 2021.
SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST A, A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF, OF THE PROJECT AND WHERE WE WE ARE AND, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, UH, RAZZIES ON THE, ON THE WEBEX WITH ME, WE HAVE HOMER ON THE WEBEX AND, UH, SHANNON MILLER'S ON THE WEBEX, SO, UH, WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, ROD, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE CITY CLERK REACH SOME, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PHONE CALL.
AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLIC COMMENTS I'LL BE READING AS WELL, AND WE'LL TOSS IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR QUESTIONS.
SO, SO, CITY CLERK, OUR FIRST COMMENT IS FROM LYNN BOBBIT.
THE RENDERING PRESENTED TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN, HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION WAS PRESENTED TO BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2019, AS A SIGNAGE THAT WOULD RECOGNIZE BRACKENRIDGE PARK PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR AND ZOO LEADERSHIP STATED THIS SIGNAGE WAS ALL THAT WAS POSSIBLE.
BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT EQUITABLE, AND THAT BRACKENRIDGE PARK SHOULD BE DISPLAYED IN THE MOST VISIBLE LOCATION ON THE CITY FUNDED PARKING GARAGE TO DIRECT VISITORS TO PARKING FOR THE PARK, THE ZOO, AND ITS ATTRACTIONS.
THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM GEMMA KENNEDY.
THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY SHOULD BE CONSULTED IN ALL ACTIVITY OF FECKING BRACKENRIDGE PARK.
THERE WAS NO MENTION OF SIGNAGE AT THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY ANNUAL MEETING, OR AT THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THERE WAS A LACK OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE ASKED FOR A DELAY ON APPROVAL FOR THE SIGNAGE AND OUR INSTALLATION ON THE PARKING GARAGE UNTIL THERE WAS A TRANSPARENT PUBLIC PROCESS AS OUTLINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES.
THE RIVER ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD WAS OPPOSED, WAS OPPOSED TO THIS PARKING FACILITY NEXT TO THE WITTY MUSEUM, AND ONLY AS SEATED WHEN THE NAMING AND BRANDING CLEARLY INDICATED THAT THE PARKING FACILITY IS FOR ALL PARK PATRONS AND WOULD NOT SERVE AS A GRAPHIC ADVERTISING BILLBOARD WEIST.
THE SAME GUIDELINES BE APPLIED TO THE NEW PARKING FACILITY BY THE ZOO AT THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE ZOO C O STATED THAT THE GARAGE IS LOCATED UNDER THE ZOO'S ADDRESS AT 39 0 3 NORTH ST.
MARY'S, UH, AND NOT THE TOLE STREET ADDRESS, BUT THE GARAGE IS BEING CONSIDERED AS THE ST.
MARY'S STREET ADDRESS THEN IT IS BY THAT CONSIDERATION OF PART OF THE HISTORIC PARK AND MUST FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC TRUST, WE, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE CITY FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE THOROUGH PUBLIC BETTING THROUGH THE CITY'S OWN APPROVED AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
SINCERELY, UH, RIVER ROAD RESIDENCE, AMY HARTMAN, GEMMA KENNEDY, JOHN LECARD, PATRICIA PRATCHETT, I HAVE ANOTHER BY MS. NIA AS RIVER RESIDENTS, WE WANNA EXPRESS OUR DISAGREEMENT WITH SAN ANTONIO'S ZOO'S REQUEST FOR WHAT IS A DEFACTO TO A GRAPHIC BILLBOARD ON THE NOR TWO LITTA PARKING STREET GARAGE.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU NOT SUPPORT OR APPROVED A MAY 14TH, 2020 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, CASE NUMBER 22 6 6 3.
THIS ITEM REQUESTS AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT IN THE INCREASED AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 800,000 TO THE 10,800,000 DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT WITH G***O CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
PLEASE OF ORDER MR. CHAIR, UM, CITY ATTORNEY.
IS THIS LINE OF PUBLIC COMMENT GERMANE TO OUR ITEM ON THE AGENDA RIGHT NOW FOR AN UPDATE? IF I CAN GET YOUR OPINION? I, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, BUT I I, IN THIS SITUATION, AS WE OFTEN DO, I WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD
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LEAVE IT UP TO THE CHAIR AS TO WHAT, WHAT HE WANTS TO HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON OR NOT.TO CONTINUE WITH PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THE, THAT THE ESSENCE COUNSEL, WE NOT, UH,
THIS IS, UH, WE, WE JUST SPOKE ON MANY ITEMS TALKING ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THESE COMMENTS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE LACK OF CONTINUOUS CITY CLERK.
THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM MIN MIMI QUINTANILLA.
IT IS THROUGH, IT IS HER THIRD OR THREE COMMENTS.
I'M A PARK USER WHO LIVES IN THE RIVER ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY.
THE GARAGE ON THE NORTH EDGE OF BRACKENRIDGE PARK WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH THE BOND FUNDS THAT WE CITIZENS VOTED FOR.
IT IS FOR ALL BRACKENRIDGE PARK USERS, INCLUDING THE ZOO.
I'M OPPOSED TO THE DESIGN OF THE ZOO PARKING GARAGE SIGNAGE.
THIS IS, THIS DESERVED A PUBLIC PROCESS BEFORE IT IS APPROVED.
THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM TIM SWAN.
SAN ANTONIO PRIDES ITSELF ON THE HISTORY OF CIVIL COOPERATION, COOPERATION, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING.
THAT IS WHY MANY OF US TELL OUR CHILDREN THAT SAN ANTONIO'S A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN.
WHY IN THIS CASE, AS THE CITY ALLOWED THE ZOO TO RUSH AHEAD WITH AN ISSUE THAT UNAVOIDABLY PITS AGAINST EACH OTHER, TWO OF OUR CHERISHED INSTITUTIONS, BRACKENRIDGE PARK IN SAN ANTONIO ZOO, WHY HAS THE ZOO BEEN GIVING UNILATERAL SOLE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT GRAPHICS WILL APPEAR ON A GARAGE BUILT WITH PUBLIC MONEY? FOR AS THE BOND OFFERING STATED DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PARKING GARAGE FACILITY TO SERVE BRACKENRIDGE PARK AND SAN ANTONIO ZOO PATRONS, I CHALLENGE ANY REASONABLE PERSON TO LOOK AT THE FOUR ELEVATIONS OF THE ZOO, PROPOSED GRAPHICS.
I BELIEVE THE PARK EVER AGREED TO GRAPHICS THAT PROVIDE EXACTLY ZERO READABLE WAY FINDING SIGNAGE FOR VISITORS TO THE PARK.
THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF LIFE SAFETY, IT IS SIMPLY GRAPHICS ON THE BUILDING.
CAN'T WE PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME, GATHER PUBLIC INPUT SO WE ARRIVE AT AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION? LAST PUBLIC COMMENT I HAVE, UH, CHAIR IS FROM ALLY WOOD.
I'M CONCERNED THIS PROJECT WAS NOT OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR DISCUSSION, AS WAS THE CASE WITH THE PARK GARAGE NEAR WHITTY MUSEUM.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS SCALE OF SIGNAGE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE SCENIC 2 81 CORRIDOR OR FOR THE HISTORIC PARK.
THOSE ARE THE COMMENTS I HAVE.
AND I GOT A FEW OTHERS I'LL JUST READ, UH, QUICKLY.
UH, TONY CANDU, UM, I SUPPORT THE REQUEST BY COUNCILMAN DOMINO FOR OPENING UP THE CONVERSATION TO A PUBLIC PROCESS REGARDING THE QUESTION, WHY IS THERE A NEED TO PROCEED NOW ON THE SIGNAGE WITHOUT ALLOWING TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? UH, FROM PATTY Z, UH, A MORE EQUITABLE GARAGE SIGNAGE PLAN NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED FOR THE ZOO AND THE PARK.
THE BRECKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY HAS OFFERED SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR BALANCED PARK SIGNAGE WITH ZOO SIGNAGE, BUT THE OFFER HAS BEEN DISMISSED.
UH, JOE CALVERT, PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, BOARD OF OF BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY, THE CONSERVANCY REQUESTS PLACEMENTS ON THE TOWER, ALONG WITH THE ZOO LOGO AND SUPPORTS THE BRACKENRIDGE NAME ON THE FACADE.
THE SIGN ON THE RETAINING WALLS WILL BE RELOCATED IN SOME FORM TO THE ENTRY OF THE GARAGE TO ENSURE THAT VISITORS UNDERSTAND THAT FREE PARKING IS AVAILABLE TO THE PARK AND ZOO PATRONS AS REPRESENTED IN THE BOND LANGUAGE.
UH, AND THOSE ARE THE, UH, YEAH, THOSE ARE THE, THE, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR SUBMITTING THOSE.
I'LL START OFF BY SIMPLY AGAIN, YES, I ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A BRIEFING AND, UH, AND A DISCUSSION, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
UH, AS ROD MENTIONED, WE SIMPLY VOTED ON THIS, UH, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, WHICH WAS BRINGS THE QUESTION, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS COMMITTEE IN PLACE, UH, WHY WE COULDN'T, UH, SIMPLY, UH, ALLOW THERE TO BE SOME TIMES FOR, FOR THERE TO BE DISCUSSION TO ALLOW THE, THE COMMUNITY TO, TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS TODAY, UH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED A REVIEW OF DISCUSSION AND WAS, AND OF COURSE, THIS COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR WAS DISBANDED LAST YEAR, JUNE OF 2019.
SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN NO PUBLIC PARTICIP PARTICIPATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS THE, UH, BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY, AND RIVERWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WERE NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO MEANINGFULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ITEM.
FURTHERMORE, THE DISTRICT ONE, UH, HISTORIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION MEMBER ASKED WHY WAS THIS ITEM EXPEDITED ON THE H D R C AGENDA AHEAD OF MANY OTHER CASES THAT WERE IN THE QUEUE? WELL BEFORE THE PANDEMIC DISRUPTED BUSINESS AS USUAL.
UH, WHAT WAS, WHAT IS WHAT'S PROPOSED IS IN ESSENCE A PUBLICLY FUNDED SIGNAGE PACKAGE FOR THE ZOO.
IT WASN'T IN THE 2017 LANGUAGE, DID NOT ORIGINALLY INCLUDE SIGNAGE FOR BRECKENRIDGE PARK AND ONLY CURSORY INVOLVING MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS.
THE BRECKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY, $800,000 IS ALWAYS A LOT OF MONEY.
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EVEN MORE SO NOW THAT WE'RE FACING A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET SHORTFALL DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER NONPROFIT THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROVIDES ADVERTISING FOR.
TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE BEING USED TO PAY FOR WHAT AMOUNTS TO A BILLBOARD IN THE GUISE OF SIGNAGE FOR THE ZOO.
A NONPROFIT, I'M SURE THE SYMPHONY WOULD LOVE $800,000 IN BRAND ADVERTISING.
UH, THIS ADD-ON WAS NOT PART OF WHAT THE VOTERS APPROVED, HAS NOT GONE THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS, WAS GUIDED BY CITY STAFF AT THE BEHEST OF THE ZOO, NOT INCLUSIVE OF THE BEAR OF THE BRACKENRIDGE PARK CONSERVANCY, AND IS EXPENSIVE WHEN WE CONSIDER THE PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION AT THE AIRPORT, COST $260,000 AND WENT THROUGH A PROCESS TO SELECT THE ARTISTS AND THE ARTS.
WE SHOULD BE APP, UH, WE SHOULD BE APPALLED AT THE SIGNAGE PROJECT THAT COSTS FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS A PUBLIC HEART INSTALLATION HAS SAIL THROUGH THE BUREAUCRACY AS A SWEETHEART DEAL.
UH, ONLY AFTER WE'VE BUILT AN 11 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS GARAGE.
AND, UH, PRIMARILY TO SERVE, UH, THE ZOOM, UH, IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC, WE SHOULD NOT PULL MONEY FROM PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE WE SPEND ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS ON SIGNAGE FOR A NONPROFIT, I THINK MANY NONPROFITS IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS.
UH, AGAIN, AND HERE'S JUST SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
IS THE GARAGE CURRENTLY FUNCTIONING AND FOR LONG? HA FOR HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN OPEN, RON? IT IT'S BEEN OPEN SINCE OCTOBER.
COUNSEL, I'LL LET YOU VERIFY THAT FOR ME.
SO WAS, WAS THE RIVER RIVER ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NOTIFIED OR INCLUDED IN ANY OF THESE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THIS PHASE OF, OF THE PROJECT? NO, IT WAS NOT COUNCIL MA.
UH, SO WHY WAS THERE NO PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS ITEM? COUNCILMAN? WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE USER, WHICH WAS PARKS, DEPARTMENT AND ZOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE COME TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE THE VOTE? WAS THERE AN EMERGENCY? I, WE, WE TYPICALLY, I DON'T THINK BRING BOND PROJECTS TO COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THIS IS DESIGN BILL.
AND, UH, AND WE TYPICALLY PERCEIVE, UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A TON OF BOND PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, WE WE WOULD FLOOD YOUR COMMITTEES, I THINK IF WE BROUGHT 'EM TO ALL YOUR COMMITTEES.
BUT AS THE CHAIR, I GET TO REVIEW THAT AND, AND PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ONES ARE PERTINENT TO OUR COMMITTEES, MUCH LIKE WE DID WITH CONRAD.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE DEALING WITH SEMANTICS, BUT, OKAY.
SO WHY WAS THE ZOO'S APPLICATION MOVED UP, UH, ON THE SCHEDULE AT H C R C AHEAD OF OTHER APPLICANTS? UM, I CAN ADDRESS THAT QUESTION.
UM, WHAT THAT BACKLOG THAT'S IN PLACE, UM, FOR H D R C CASES, AS FOR, UM, DISCUSSION ITEMS, WE DO, WE ARE LIMITING THE NUMBER OF NON-CONSENT ITEMS PER AGENDA JUST BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF, OF MANAGING THE WEBEX.
AND THEY, THE, THOSE MEETINGS TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THERE'S NOT A BACKLOG FOR, UM, CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. AND SO THE 60 DAYS THAT WAS REFERENCED, THAT'S A DEADLINE FOR ACTION.
THAT'S NOT HOW LONG IT NORMALLY TAKES TO SCHEDULE AN ITEM.
UNDER NORMAL NON COVID CIRCUMSTANCES, THE H G R C MUST ACT WITHIN A 60 DAY DEADLINE, NOT AFTER.
SO, UM, WE TYPICALLY RECEIVE AN APPLICATION AND IT GOES ON THE VERY NEXT AGENDA.
THE ONLY REASON THAT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE NOW IS, IS THAT WE ARE LIMITING THE NUMBER OF NON-CONSENT ITEMS PER AGENDA DURING THIS PERIOD.
BUT THE H R C H C R C DID VOTE TO, TO DELAY THE ITEM FOR MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
WHY, WHY, WHY DID, UH, WHY DID THIS MOVE FORWARD DESPITE MULTIPLE REQUESTS FROM ME, A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THE GARAGE ACTUALLY SITS ON IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, WHO'S, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, MY, MY REQUEST TO PULL THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION, UH, I FOUND, FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT MAY 8TH.
WHY DID THIS CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD? DESPITE MY OBJECTION, I THINK CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN, AT THIS POINT, I DO HAVE TO INTERRUPT ON THAT.
I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S A QUESTION PROBABLY BETTER FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, AND, AND, UH, I MEAN, THE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF PROCESS ARE OKAY, BUT, UH, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE H D R C IS GOING TO VISIT THIS ITEM.
AND SO IF WE COULD TO THE EXTENT LIMIT, UH, THE QUESTIONS JUST TO THE PROCESS, AND, AND LIKE I I SAID IT, IT, IT JUST AS A MATTER FROM PRACTICALITY, THAT QUESTION IN PARTICULAR SHOULD
[01:35:01]
BE DIRECTED TO ERIC.UM, AND IS IT A REMINDER, CONSIDER THIS IN JUNETEENTH, LEMME ASK YOU AS A CITY ATTORNEY, AS A CITY ATTORNEY, AND PART OF THE PROCESS IS A, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER FIRST SEASON AN ITEM AND ASK THAT, THAT THE ITEM, UH, NEED MORE TIME, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THAT, AND THAT COUNCILOR IS, IS, IS NOT SATISFIED WITH, WITH ANY KIND OF ANSWER.
AND IN FACT, AS PART OF MY NEXT QUESTION WAS SIMPLY, UH, A, A, UM, A MEETING THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE DAY BEFORE THE COUNCIL VOTE SIMPLY CANCELED.
HOW MIGHT, HOW, HOW DO WE EXPRESS THAT? HOW DO WE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALLOW FOR, FOR THIS TO BE PART OF OUR PROCESS? IF I'M SAYING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THESE, THAT THESE ITEMS ARE, ARE GOING, UH, BASICALLY AROUND ME.
WELL, AGAIN, UH, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S, UH, UH, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE ESTABLISHED PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, UM, AND, UH, I AGREE WE CAN'T BE SLAVES TO THEM IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE WE DO THE RIGHT THING.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, ONCE WE DO HAVE, UH, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE, WE SHOULD TRY TO HOLD TO THEM.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WHY, UH, WHY THAT THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF, OF WHAT CONVERSATIONS YOU MAY HAVE HAD WITH THE MAYOR, WITH ERIC.
UM, BUT, UM, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE, HE PROBABLY CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION BETTER THAN I, I, I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS, IS THAT, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, WE RUSHED THROUGH THIS, AND NOW HERE WE ARE, AND I'M TRYING TO GET SOME ANSWERS.
AND I, THE HOPE WAS TO COME TO THIS COMMITTEE TO, TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE, THE LACK OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT STARTING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THAT WE TYPICALLY DEFER THESE PROJECTS TOO.
SO IF A PROJECT WAS IN DISTRICT 10, AND COUNCILMAN PERRY WAS REVIEWING THAT AND SAID, LISTEN, I, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS BEING RUSHED.
I, I DON'T ENOUGH TIME, UH, I THINK HE WOULD HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, UH, POSITION IN TERMS OF PROCESS THAT I HAVE IN THIS CASE.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, IT IS JUST THE, THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, THAT THIS IS A, UH, A, A A A PUBLICLY FUNDED GARAGE, UH, WITH, WITH TAX DOLLARS.
AND THERE'S MANY FOLKS WHO, WHO JUST SIMPLY FELT, FEEL LEFT OUT OF THE PROCESS, ME BEING INCLUDED, THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THAT DISTRICT, UH, WHO IS TELLING YOU RIGHT HERE PUBLICLY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THIS ISSUE WAS NOT CONSIDERED, UH, AT LEAST I WASN'T CONSIDERED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS ASKING FOR MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS.
I, I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SANDOVAL TO TAKE THIS UP IN HER COMMITTEE WITH REGARDS TO THE RESOLUTION OF, OF, OF, UH, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
BECAUSE I, THIS CERTAINLY DOESN'T MEET ANY OF THAT CRITERIA.
UM, AND AGAIN, I, I REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE ALSO DEALING WITH SEMANTICS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ISSUE, UH, AS I SEE IT, AND THE MORE I I DIG INTO IT, UH, UH, THE, THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WILL SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ART, IT'S SIGNAGE, WHICH, WHICH IS BASICALLY A DIFFERENT, UH, UH, PROCESS ALTOGETHER AS WE JUST LEARNED FROM, FROM DEBBIE ROCKET SITTER'S PRESENTATION BEFORE, IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS TO DO PUBLIC ART.
WE HAD A PROCESS FOR THE CONRAD.
UH, WHY COULDN'T WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR THIS? I, I, YOU KNOW, THE KEY HERE, I THINK IS CONSISTENCY.
IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD PUBLIC TRUST, AND CERTAINLY THERE, THERE JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONSISTENCY IN WHAT, WHAT IS OCCURRING.
I'M NOT GETTING ANY STRAIGHT ANSWERS FROM ANYBODY.
UM, AND SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS WHERE WAS THE PROCESS? UM, AGAIN, HERE'S MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT NEGATIVE IMPACTS, UH, IS, IS, IS THE ZOO OR ANYBODY GONNA INCUR BY, BY NOT HAVING THIS SIGNAGE PACKAGE THAT WE VOTED IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, UH, A WHEN WE JUST HEARD THAT THE GARAGE IS FULLY FUNCTIONING, WHAT, WHAT EMERGENCY WAS THERE THAT IT COULDN'T HAVE COME TO A COMMITTEE? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PROCESS THAT THAT GOT US TO THAT POINT, UH, I THINK IS CRITICAL.
I ALSO WANNA ASK, WHEN HAVE WE EVER, AS A CITY PAID FOR, UH, UH, NON-PROFIT SIGNAGE? I'D LIKE A LIST OF THAT.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE VERY CRITICAL TO POINT OUT WHEN HAVE WE EVER ACTUALLY DONE THAT FOR, FOR SOMEBODY, ESPECIALLY TO THIS SCALE.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT IS, IT IS A LOT OF MONEY.
AND I, AND I SIMPLY REQUESTING THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'D BE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THIS.
WHILE I KNOW THIS IS A BRIEFING, UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF PART OF MY ROLE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CENTER CITY IS TO PROVIDE AS BIG A VOICE AS I CAN TO, TO THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD.
AND I'M ONE, UH, OF THOSE THAT
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INCLUDED THAT IS SIMPLY ASKING FOR A, A BETTER PUBLIC PROCESS.AND H D R C VOTED UNANIMOUSLY, WELL, NOT UNANIMOUSLY, 9 0 1, UH, TO ALLOW FOR SOME PUBLIC INPUT.
IN 2016, THE, THE, UH, BRACKENRIDGE PARK WENT THROUGH A SIMILAR, UH, ISSUE WITH REGARDS TO ITS MASTER PLAN.
AND WE WENT ALL OVER THE CITY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THAT MASTER PLAN MEANS AND WHAT, WHAT THE CITY PARK MEANS TO OUR, TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT I, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS FOR, FOR THESE THINGS TO BE BRUSHED, UH, UNDER THE RUG AND, AND TO, TO, TO NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THAT.
AND I'M, I'M REQUESTING THAT THAT MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BE MADE, UH, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR ITEM AS IT DOES GO BACK TO H D R C.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND THEN WE CAN FIND A MORE EQUITABLE COMPROMISE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE'LL TAKE, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS.
I'LL START BACKWARDS THIS TIME FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
OH, YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD THERE GOING IN REVERSE ORDER.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NUMBER ONE, I'M CONFUSED AS TO WHY THIS IS COMING BACK TO COMMITTEE.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY NEEDED TO, IT, IT COME BACK TO COMMITTEE AT ALL AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE COUNCIL ALREADY VOTED, NOT SPECIFICALLY ON THE DESIGN, BUT ON THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE FUNDING.
AND, UH, THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT THE COUNCIL, AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, IT WAS A, UH, 10 TO ONE VOTE TO PRESS ON WITH THE FUNDING ASPECT.
NOW, IT STILL HAD TO GO THROUGH H D R C, UH, TO GET THEIR, THEIR APPROVAL ON IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE IT.
SO I'M VERY CONFUSED AS TO WHY WE'RE SPENDING THIS MUCH TIME ON THIS ITEM HERE IN A COMMITTEE LEVEL AFTER THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE, THE FUNDING.
AND I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY AND, UM, PUBLIC INPUT, THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT, UH, AND I'M GONNA THROW SOME STONES HERE A LITTLE BIT, BUT I FIND IT ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD NOT KNOW ABOUT HIS INDIVIDUAL PROJECT.
UH, I KNOW EVERY ONE OF MY COUNCIL PROJECTS FROM THE BOND, I HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEY SHOW ME DESIGNS.
I'VE EVEN MADE SITE VISITS OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PROJECTS.
AND I, THIS, TO ME, THIS IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT WE WAIT TILL THIS POINT TO BRING THIS UP.
AND I THINK I MADE THAT COMMENT ON COUNCIL THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE MAKING CHANGES TO PROJECTS WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMING UP FOR APPROVAL OR A VOTE IT COUNCIL.
UM, ABSOLUTELY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG, IF THERE'S A TRAIN WRECK ON SOMETHING, UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED.
BUT I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT ACCORDING TO MR. CALVERT, THEY HAD APPROACHED THE MAYOR IN DECEMBER AND IN JANUARY THAT THE CONSERVANCY WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS DESIGN.
I, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SILENCE ON THE DAIS WHEN THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT, OR I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEIR BOND PROJECTS.
AND IF THERE'S HICCUPS, UH, IN DESIGNS OR LAYOUTS OR, OR PROCESS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE TERRITORY.
AND I, I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE'RE REHASHING THIS AGAIN AFTER WE DID THIS ON THE DAIS DURING A COUNCIL MEETING.
SO I JUST HAD TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OZZY, WHAT, WHAT DO Y'ALL DO FOR ME AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO IT, UH, ON BOND PROJECTS? COUNCILMAN, WE MEET WITH YOU EVERY OTHER MONTH, AND WE MEET WITH THE COUNCIL
AND YOU RIGHT, IS, AND WE MEET WITH COUNCIL HONOR ON NOT EVERY PROJECT HE HAS, BUT ANY PROJECT HE'S INTERESTED TO MEET WITH US, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO ASK, MEET WITH THEM.
BUT WE HAVE 180 PROJECT, JUST THE BOND PROJECT AND MANY OTHER PROJECT.
WE JUST CANNOT MEET WITH THE COUNCIL FOR EVERY PROJECT WE PICK AND CHOOSE WITH COUNCIL TO MEET THOSE PROJECT IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM AND REVIEW WITH THEM.
WE ALL TOGETHER THE PROJECT, WE
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ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY CONCEPT TO MEET IN THE OFFICE.WE HAVE THE SITE REVIEW THOSE PROJECT EARLY ENOUGH TO NOT REALLY AFFECT OUR PROJECT DESIGN AND ADVERTISEMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT, THAT I WANT TO GO THROUGH IS, OKAY, WHO DID WE COORDINATE WITH? DID WE GET THE NEIGHBORHOODS ENGAGE? UH, WHAT DOES A DESIGN LOOK LIKE? WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? ARE WE GONNA HAVE ANY, UH, COST OVERRUNS OR UNDERRUNS? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE EXTRA MONEY? ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND, AND THAT ALL COMES INTO, UH, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW.
AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND THAT'S WHY WE DO IT ON THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS, IS, UH, I'LL SAY COPACETIC AND MAKING SURE THAT IT GOES THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AND WE DON'T HAVE HICCUPS LIKE THIS.
SO, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS COMING BACK TO COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE, UM, STILL SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME ISSUES OUT THERE.
UM, BUT THIS IS FOR H D R C TO TAKE UP AT THIS POINT AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOB.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING FOR, AND LET 'EM DO THEIR JOB AND SEE WHERE THEY COME UP WITH.
CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS HAS TURNED INTO A BATTLE BETWEEN, UH, VARIOUS GROUPS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S GETTING CHALLENGING FOR US TO KNOW HOW TO, TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT I WANNA, UH, SAY THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT SIGN.
I'VE JUST, JUST PUT UP ON MY SCREEN WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE UNDER CONSIDERATION THAT, UH, THE SIGNAGE ON BOTH SIDES, UH, OF THAT SIGN PILLAR, SAY THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO AT BRACKEN RIDGE PARK.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE THAT H D R C WILL HEAR FROM BOTH SIDES AND COME UP WITH A REASONABLE SOLUTION.
UH, BUT I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IN A WAY IT'S PETTY, BUT IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO BOTH GROUPS INVOLVED AND TO THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT MY 2 CENTS IN.
I HOPE SOME OF YOU COULD HAVE SEEN WHAT I SHARED UP THERE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.
CAN I INTERJECT? PLEASE? GO AHEAD.
UM, AGAIN, I'D, I'D LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THE RULES IN WHICH WE ESTABLISH IN TERMS OF THIS DISCUSSION WAS NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE SIGNAGE, BECAUSE THE H D R C IS GOING TO HEAR THIS JUNE 14TH, AND THEN WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT WHAT POSITIONS THAT THE H D R C SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T TAKE.
WE'RE PUTTING OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE IN TERMS OF THEIR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD URGE COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE SIGNAGE AT THE ZOO PARKING GARAGE.
AND, ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DERAN, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, ALSO REITERATE THAT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION OR HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AT THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE WHERE WE DID, UM, VOTE TO DENY BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE FOR A DISCUSSION.
WE HEARD IT, WE HEARD PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
WE KNEW WHAT YOUR SIDE WAS, CHAIR, AND WE ALSO DENIED IT.
UM, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT STAFF GOING AROUND YOU, YOUR ACTIONS BY BRINGING THIS TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE IS AN ACT OF GOING AROUND THIS, OUR VOTE ON THE DAAS TO BRING IT TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
AND I FIND THAT ABSOLUTELY DISRESPECTFUL AND ABSOLUTELY, UM, A FARCE TO THE PROCESS THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
SO I TAKE AN ISSUE WITH THAT, AND I TAKE ISSUE WITH HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE RECEIVED EMAILS FROM THE CONSERVANCY FROM THE RIVER ROAD, AND IT IS IN THE PROCESS, THE H D R C PROCESS.
SO FOR YOU TO GO AROUND, SAY THAT STAFF IS GOING AROUND, YOU HAVE GONE AROUND YOUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE'S EXPLICIT VOTE ON THE DIET, WHICH I TAKE, UM, ISSUE WITH, AND I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS THING CHICK-FIL-A UP.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING TO END.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE DISCUSSION AMONGST MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IS ON POINT.
H D R C IS THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA HANDLE THE DESIGN PROCESS.
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WILL DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT.I CAN HONESTLY SAY I DID MINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS WITH THE CONSERVATORY AGAINST THE SIGN PROJECT.
I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S DOCUMENTATION OF THAT THAT CAN BE LOCATED.
WE COULD BE DOING SO MUCH MORE WITH OUR TIMES SPEAKING ABOUT HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND CULTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO ARE TRULY MET WITH THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THIS PROCESS WAS ALREADY VOTED, IT WAS SIGNED, STILL DELIVERED TO H D R C.
WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT EXACTLY HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND NOT ABOUT A SIGN.
AND I'LL CLOSE BY SAYING, UH, I, I ALWAYS DO MY WORK, UH, DILIGENTLY.
UM, SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UH, THE CASE I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT WHEN CA, WHEN, WHEN STAFF DOES NOT MAKE YOU AWARE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
UH, I'M SIMPLY ASKING FOR MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SUFFERING FROM, FROM MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROCESS THAT SHOULD BE, UH, ADDRESSED THROUGH SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THE THE OTHER ISSUES, UH, BROUGHT UP IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED ON THIS COMMITTEE IS IT IS UP TO THE CHAIR AND I, AND I FEEL IT'S VERY, VERY PERTINENT TO A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE REGARDING THE WAY WE LOOK AT CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
UH, SO, UH, AGAIN, WITH THAT, IT'S MY REQUEST THAT WE, WE, WE PROVIDE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO CONTINUE THAT VOICE, UH, AND WE'LL MOVE ON AT THIS POINT, UH, TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A BRIEFING ON THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, AND IT'LL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, A PROJECT WE'RE WORKING ON, REFERRED TO AS A NOTICE OF TENANTS WRIGHT.
WE HAD PRESENTED THIS TO COUNSEL ABOUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AGO.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REGARDS TO THE EVICTION PROCESS.
SO HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH EACH OF THE PRECINCTS TO MAKE SURE THAT DEFENDANTS ARE AWARE OF OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY WILL HAVE A PRESENCE IN EACH OF THOSE COURTS AS PEOPLE GO FORWARD WITH THEIR HEARINGS.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO IAN BENAVIDEZ, WHO IS GONNA DO THE PRESENTATION.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IAN BENAVIDEZ WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW ON THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, AS LORI STATED, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A COUPLE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY AND TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM.
THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM, UH, IS MEANT TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE OR REPRESENTATION TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS DURING TENANT LANDLORD DISPUTES COULD NORMALLY WOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES.
THE QUALIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAM IS THE SAME AS OUR RISK MITIGATION FUND OR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT BENEFIT, UM, WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD MITIGATE THE DOWN THE ROAD COSTS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER CITY PROGRAMS THAT RESIDENTS NEED ACCESS TO AFTER BEING EVICTED.
THERE'S A STUDY UNDERWAY WITH DR.
STEVE NIVAN THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT THE END OF THE MONTH THAT WILL TRY AND QUANTIFY SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS.
THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN JANUARY, 2020.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN TEXAS.
IT WAS INITIATED BY AN AUGUST, 2019 C C R, UM, SIGNED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TIA, AND IT IS FUNDED OUT OF OUR $1 MILLION RISK MITIGATION FUND.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM OUR FIRST YEAR CARRY FORWARD BUDGET.
AS A RECAP OF OUR EVICTION PROCESS, THERE'S THREE REASONS WHY EVICTION COULD BE FILED.
ANOTHER IS VIOLATION OF LEASE TERMS, AND A THIRD IS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OR UNSAFE BEHAVIOR.
THE PROCESS FOR THOSE EVICTIONS IS THREE DAY, THREE DAY NOTICE TO VACATE OR QUIT, FOLLOWED BY A FORCIBLE ENTRY AND A DETAIN SUIT FILED WITHIN 21 DAYS.
THERE'S A EVICTION HEARING IN JP COURT WITH A FIVE DAY APPEAL PO PROCESS FOR THE TENANT, FOLLOWED BY A WRIT OF POSSESSION.
I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL, UH, SERVICE PROVIDES.
THAT INCLUDES ADVICE, MEDIATION AND REPRESENTATION IN COURT, ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS IF NEEDED.
THERE'S COMMON ISSUES BEYOND EVICTION THAT THEY
[01:55:01]
DEAL WITH, INCLUDING NON-RENEWALS, REPAIRS, AND ALLEGED HARASSMENT IN ADDITION TO ONE-ON-ONE EDUCATION.THEY ALSO DO PUBLIC AND TARGETED KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS.
I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THOSE HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE MOST RECENT USE OF OUR, UH, R T C OR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM WAS DURING THE NO COVID 19 CRISIS.
AND WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE ALMOST CLUB APARTMENTS.
THIS WAS WHEN 50 PEOPLE WERE LOCKED OUT OF THEIR UNITS AT THEIR APARTMENTS FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT CITY STAFF.
ONCE THEY WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, OF THE ISSUE, CONTACTED T R L A, WHO IS OUR R T T C, UM, CONTRACTOR, THEY REACHED OUT TO THE LANDLORD.
AND THE LANDLORD WITHIN 24 HOURS, REMOVED THOSE LOCKS AND ALLOWED ACCESS TO THOSE APARTMENTS.
C R A THEN HOSTED A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING ON SITE FOR INFORMATION OF A CARESS ACT.
SO THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE, THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THE LOCKOUT AND THE CARES ACT ACTUALLY PROHIBITS THEM FROM DOING ANYTHING, INCLUDING, UM, ISSUING NOTICES TO VACATE.
AS AN ADDED MEASURE, LORI UH, ALLUDED TO THE PROPOSED NOTICE TO VACATE THAT SHE PRESENTED TO COUNSEL LAST MONTH.
THIS PROPOSED NOTICE OF VACATE WOULD BE ADDED TO ANY, UH, I'M SORRY, PROPOSED NOTICE OF TENANT'S RIGHTS THAT WOULD BE ADDED TO ANY NOTICE TO VACATE THAT'S ISSUED.
AND WHAT THIS REALLY WILL DO WAS WILL ADD AN, UH, ADDITIONAL LAYER OF INFORMATION TO THOSE RESIDENTS TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
IT WILL IDENTIFY THE PROCESS TO THE RESIDENT AND WILL INFORM THEM THAT A NOTICE TO VACATE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE 10 TO LEAVE THE PREMISES.
IT ADVISES A PAYMENT PLAN WITH THE LANDLORDS.
IT PROVIDES CITY EMERGENCY RESOURCES, INCLUDING 3 1 1 AND EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IT OUTLINES THE EVICTION PROCESS AND WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE, AND IT PROVIDES A LINK TO SELF-HELP INFORMATION WITH A PACKET AND ADVOCACY INFORMATION.
SINCE IT WAS PRESENTED TO TO COUNCIL LAST MONTH, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUP, A RIGHT TO COUNCIL STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
THIS, THIS STAKEHOLDER GROUP WAS INVOLVED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE SCOPE OF SERVICES AND AS WELL AS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED OR ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE EVICTION PROCESS AND RECEIVE NOTICE TO VACATE.
AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THAT FEEDBACK IS THAT RECEIVING A NOTICE TO VACATE IS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE, CAN LEAD TO HASTY DECISIONS IN THE MOMENT.
SEEING THAT NOTICE, UH, INCLUDING PAWNING VALUABLES, IMMEDIATELY VACATING A UNIT OR STRAINING, UM, RELATIONSHIPS TO BORROW MONEY.
THE LANGUAGE AND THE NOTICE OF VACATE CONTRIBUTES TO THAT FEELING AND ACTUALLY MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR RESIDENTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR LANDLORDS.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE WANNA CONSIDER AS WE CRAFT THIS, UH, TENANT'S RIGHTS.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE NEEDS, THAT THE LANGUAGE ON THE, UH, PROPOSED NOTICE THE TENANT'S RIGHTS, NEEDS TO BE A DIFFERENT COLOR AND A DIFFERENT LOOK SO THAT IT CAN DIFFERENTIATE, DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF FROM THAT NOTICE TO VACATE THE LANGUAGE SHOULD BE SIMPLE, DIRECT AND HUMAN.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EMPHASIZE THAT THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE AND AVOID WORDS THAT CAN, AGAIN, CAUSE THAT TUNNEL VISION AND MAKE INDIVIDUALS FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE OR A WAY OUT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SEEN AND REPLACING IT ABOVE THE NOTICE TO VACATE SO THAT RESIDENTS KNOW FIRST, KNOW THAT THERE IS ASSISTANCE FAILED.
PREVENT GOING
IAN, CAN CAN YOU BACK UP TO THAT ONE SLIDE? YOU BROKE UP AND, AND, UH, WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU JUST REDO THAT SLIDE? OH, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, THIS IS FACT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR
UM, I LEFT SOME AS SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE THROUGH THE EVICTION PROCESS.
AND SO WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IS THAT RECEIVING A NOTICE TO VACATE IS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THAT CAN LEAD TO PRETTY HASTY DECISION MAKINGS, UH, DECISION MAKINGS BY THOSE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING VACATING THE UNIT, UM, PAWNING MATERIALS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE PAYMENTS, UM, OR STRAINING RELATIONSHIPS TO BORROW MONEY.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE CRAFT THIS NOTICE OF
AND SO THAT IS DISTINCT FROM THE NOTICE TO VACATE THAT THE LANGUAGE IS SIMPLE, DIRECT AND HUMAN.
THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE EMPHASIZE THAT HELP IS AVAILABLE AND THAT WE AVOID WORDS THAT CAN CAUSE THAT TUNNEL VISION AND SCARCITY.
IS YOU ALL ABLE TO HEAR ME ON THAT? YES, PLEASE PROCEED.
[02:00:02]
NEXT SLIDE.UH, IN ADDITION, WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LINK IN THE PROPOSED NOTICE TO VACATE TO, UM, THE TEXAS JUSTICE COURT TRAINING CENTER WHO RELEASED THIS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT RESOURCES ONLINE THAT HELPS AN INDIVIDUAL NAVIGATE THE COURT SYSTEM, WHAT TO EXPECT, UM, WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE, UM, AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NOTICE OF TENANT'S RIGHTS.
SO, AS LORI MENTIONED LAST MONTH, THIS PROPOSED NOTICE OF TENANTS RIGHTS IS GONNA BE ENACTED THROUGH ORDINANCE.
IF ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, IT'LL APPLY BEYOND THE EMERGENCY PERIOD.
SO IN PERPETUITY IN THE FUTURE, IT'LL APPLY TO ALL LANDLORDS, NOT JUST THOSE COVERED BY THE CARES ACT.
ENFORCEMENT WILL INCLUDE FINES OF UP TO $500 AND MAY HAVE MULTIPLE CITATIONS IN A WAY IN WHICH IS, WHICH IT WILL BE, UH, ENFORCEABLE, IS THAT A TENANT WOULD REPORT FAILURE TO PROVIDE THIS NOTICE OF RIGHTS AND THEY WOULD SUBMIT IT TO THE CITY FOR INVESTIGATION.
THE INVESTIGATOR FINDS THAT THE F THE LANDLORD FAILS TO PROVIDE THIS NOTICE.
MUNICIPAL COURT ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING OFFICER WILL CONDUCT A HEARING, AND AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE PENALTIES UP TO $500 WITH SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.
UM, COMPOUNDING THAT NEXT SLIDE.
I ALLUDED TO THE R T C GROUP AND SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, EVICTION AND NOTICES TO VACATE AS PROVIDING FEEDBACK.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO GET INPUT, UM, NOT JUST FROM THOSE GROUPS, BUT FROM OUR RISK MITIGATION FUND STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CALLED OUR FAIR HOUSING HOTLINE, OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING APPLICANTS, PROPERTY OWNERS AND LANDLORDS, INCLUDING THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS, REAL ESTATE COUNSEL, HOUSING PROVIDERS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTY MANAGERS.
WE KNOW THAT LANDLORDS, UM, WANNA AVOID EVICTION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS WELL.
AND SO WHERE THEY CAN, UM, PARTICIPATE IN MAKING SURE THAT RESIDENTS RECEIVE THE NOTICE AND THAT THE LANGUAGE IS CLEAR IS ALSO TO THEIR BENEFIT.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING COPS, METRO AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT OUTREACH AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT, T R A, UM, WHO IS OUR CURRENT CONTRACTOR, WILL CONTINUE TO DO THESE EDUCATION SESSIONS AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRADINGS AS WE DEVELOP THIS.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL, WE HOPE WILL, WILL CONSIDER THIS IN JUNE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO BRING BACK A PROPOSAL OF WHAT THAT TENANT'S RIGHTS LOOKS LIKE TO THIS COMMITTEE IN JUNE AS WELL.
ONE OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE EVICTION PROCESS IS THE BEXAR COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE COURT PEACE COURTS.
THERE ARE FOUR, JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PRECINCTS WITH FIVE PLACES.
PRECINCT ONE HAS TWO PLACES WITH TWO JUDGES.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE HEARINGS WERE SUSPENDED UNTIL JUNE 1ST, WHICH IS THE TODAY AND WE'LL RESUME TOMORROW ARE ALLOWED TO RESUME TOMORROW.
AND THAT'S THE THREE CONSECUTIVE COURT ORDERS.
EACH COURT IS WORKING ON ITS TIMELINE FOR REOPENING.
MID-JUNE IS WHEN MOST, MOST PLACES WILL BEGIN.
WE HAVE, UM, THE HEARING, THE, THE DOCKETS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THE SCHEDULES FOR EACH COURT, EACH COURT HEARING EVICTION CASES.
AND THE EARLIEST ONE IS JUNE 15TH.
WE'RE COORDINATING WITH THE CITY AS THE CITY IN BEXAR COUNTY ON WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND MITIGATE EVICTION THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THE THREE WAYS ARE WE ARE COLLECTING THIS DOCKET INFORMATION, WHICH HAS IDENTIFIED PLAINTIFF AND THE DEFENDANT FOR EACH ONE OF THESE CASES.
AND WE ARE GONNA CONNECT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION TO LEVERAGE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY OF THEIR MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THAT LIST TO SEE IF WE CAN PROVIDE THEM ACCESS TO EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR BEXAR COUNTY'S EMERGENCY, UH, HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO MAILING OUT ASSISTANCE TO EACH OF THOSE LANDLORDS THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION TO.
AND THAT INFORMATION WILL INCLUDE HOW, UM, TO ALLOW THEIR RESIDENTS ACCESS TO RISK MITIGATION FUNDS, I'M SORRY, EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS, AS WELL AS HOW TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
THE SECOND THING WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS WE'RE GONNA BE PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY ON A FLYER THAT WILL GO OUT WITH THE, UH, EVICTION HEARING INFORMATION TO BOTH THE PLAINTIFF AND THE DEFENDANT.
AND THAT WILL INCLUDE A LOT OF THE SAME INFORMATION ON THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT IS AVAILABLE AND HOW THEY CAN MITIGATE THE EVICTIONS GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN LASTLY, CITY AND COUNTY STAFF WILL BE PRESENT AT THE EVICTION HEARINGS, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO INFORM LANDLORDS AND RENTERS THAT HAVE SHOWN UP ABOUT AVAILABLE RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
WE CAN START THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WE CAN WORK WITH AGREEMENTS WITH THE COURTS AND THE LANDLORDS TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE EVICTIONS.
WHEN THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT ALLOWED, UH, EVICTION HEARINGS TO PROCEED STARTING JUNE 1ST, THEY PUT IN ADDITIONAL
[02:05:01]
PROTECTION FOR CARES PROPERTIES.AND THEY, THEY STATED THAT ANY EVICTIONS FILED BETWEEN MARCH 27TH AND JULY 25TH CANNOT PROCEED WITHOUT A SWORN PETITION FROM THE, UH, PLAINTIFF STATING THAT THE PROPERTY IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, UM, IMPOSED BY THE FEDERAL CARESS ACT.
SO THOSE PROPERTIES THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO OPERATE, AND WE ESTIMATE THOSE AT APPROXIMATELY 50% OF RENTAL PROPERTIES IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD NEED TO CERTIFY, UH, THAT THAT PROPERTY IS NOT A CARESS ACT PROPERTY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ALMOST CLUB APARTMENTS IS A CARESS ACT PROPERTY.
IF THEY WERE TO CONTINUE WITH AN EVICTION FILING, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIGN IF THEY HAVE ANY DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, THEN THAT COULD BE USED AGAINST THEM THROUGH THEIR COURT PROCEEDINGS.
MOVING FORWARD, UM, I MENTIONED THAT THE ORIGINAL BUDGET FOR THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, WHICH JUST GOT STARTED, WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THAT IS, UH, BEING ADMINISTERED TO T R L A, UM, OUT OF OUR CARRY FORWARD FROM RISK MITIGATION FUNDS, DR.
BRIDGER PRESENTED LAST WEEK, OUR RESPONSE AND RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE $270 MILLION CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND IN THAT $500,000 WAS PROPOSED TO EXPAND, EXPAND THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, AND THAT $500,000 INCLUDED $150,000 FOR LEGAL SERVICES, $250,000 FOR EVICTION COURT HEARINGS, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATION, LEGAL SUPPORT AND DOCKET OUTREACH, AND THEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR OUTREACH AND GENERAL AND, UH, EDUCATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
WE'RE ALSO COORDINATING WITH SALSA, WHICH IS SAN ANTONIO LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION, UM, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROJECT, A T R L LA
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, LAURA HOUSTON IS ALSO AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU, IAN, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, LAURA HOUSTON, FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING ON THIS, UH, AS A GOOD BRIEFING.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM IS, IS CRITICAL.
AND, UH, WE'RE GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, TO GET IT OFF, OFF THE GROUND AS A PILOT AND UTILIZE IT, UM, IN A, IN A REAL TIME CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THE ALMOST CLUB APARTMENTS, UH, I THINK DEMONSTRATED THE, THE VALUE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE HOPE TO GROW, CONTINUE TO GROW THE PROGRAM.
UM, WHILE WE APPRECIATE $500,000, UH, FOR NOW, I, I THINK WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE PROGRAM GROWING QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY IN, UH, IN MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MUCH, MUCH LARGER THAN THAT.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD ASK YOU TO KIND OF, UH, BASICALLY LET'S, LET'S MONITOR THIS AND REPORT BACK TO COUNSEL IN TERMS OF WHERE THE FUNDS ARE FOR RIGHT TO COUNSEL, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SEE ABOUT REPLENISHING THOSE FUNDS, UM, ON THE FLY.
BECAUSE I, I DO ANTICIPATE THAT, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT IS POTENTIALLY GONNA BE NEEDED.
YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, TODAY WAS THE, THE LAST OFFICIAL DAY FOR THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, IN SPEAKING WITH THE JUSTICE OF THE PIECE, UH, THEY, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HEAR ANY OF THESE CASES REALLY UNTIL, UH, SOMETIME AFTER MID-JUNE.
UH, THEY INDICATED PROBABLY JUNE 22ND.
SO THAT IS BY IN US SOME TIME.
AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WANT TO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE JUST OF THE PIECE THAT HAVE BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE, UH, AND COLLABORATIVE IN THIS, IN THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT.
SO I THINK IT IS A, A GAME CHANGER TO HAVE WHAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN THEIR COURTS TO HELP, UH, PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE DESPERATELY IN NEED, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THOSE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THE, UM, THE PETITION, BUT I THINK I'M CERTAINLY NOT A LAWYER, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LANGUAGE I'VE SEEN IN, UH, IT'S AN AFFIDAVIT IS, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE MAYBE WE CAN PROVIDE A COPY OR A TEMPLATE OF WHAT THAT AFFIDAVIT LOOKS LIKE, LOOKS LIKE TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT, AT AT LEAST UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT, UH, THAT WILL BE REQUESTED BY THE JPS AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THOSE COURTS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA MAKE THE CASE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, RAMPING UP SOME, SOME NEW PROPOSALS, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, IS BEING VETTED AND, AND SUPPORTED BY THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE, LIKE THE HOUSING FELLOW PROPOSAL.
UH, WE THINK THAT IT, IT'S HIRING A HOUSE HOUSING FELLOW, UH, TO TAKE ON THE TASK OF BUILDING OUT INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS, UH, TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AND LEGAL EDUCATION.
AND THE INTERVENTION AND OVERSEEING OF COHORTS OF VOLUNTEERS, UH, IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT IN PROVIDING THAT ASSISTANCE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE MENTION OF THAT.
MAYBE, UH, UH, NEXT MONTH WE CAN, YOU CAN REPORT BACK ON, ON WHERE WE ARE ON THAT HOUSING FELLOW PROPOSAL, AS WELL AS A KIOSK PROPOSAL.
AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE HAVE MANY KIOSKS THROUGHOUT OUR, OUR CITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, FUND, UH, APPROXIMATELY 10 LEGAL KIOSKS.
UM, I, I WONDER IF WE COULD USE SOME OF THE EXISTING DIGITAL,
[02:10:01]
UH, KIOSKS, UH, AVAILABLE AS WELL.BUT IF YOU COULD BRING BACK A REPORT, UH, REGARDING THE, THE KIOSK PROPOSAL AS WELL.
UM, UH, AGAIN, WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, FOR GETTING THIS PROGRAM OFF THE GROUND.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE RELIANT ON THIS, UH, AS, AS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED IN THE ALMOST CLUB APARTMENT.
AND, UH, JUST, UH, WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING FOR, FOR THIS REALLY TOUGH TIME THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, PASS IT TO COUNCIL COMMENTS AND, UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY BEING USED TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT IT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY, I, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE THREE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I, I'M SORRY, I JUST NO, THAT'S OKAY.
SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE THOSE AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SARAH DEVEN AND SALSA, FORMERLY THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROGRAM FOR FOUR YEARS.
I HAVE REPRESENTED LARGE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS.
IN THE LAST YEAR, I TURNED IN OVER 100 HOURS OF PRO BONO WORK TO THE TEXAS BAR ASSOCIATION, AND WAS ADMITTED TO PRO BONO COLLEGES OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS THROUGH SALSA AND THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROGRAM.
I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS CLINICS AT DOTTY MURPHY VETERANS HOSPITAL AND VETERANS OUTREACH ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
I PARTICIPATED IN WILL'S, CLINICS AND FAMILY CLINICS AS WELL.
ALL MY PRO BONO WAS A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS OF SARAH, HER STAFF, AND HAS LED TO THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED MEMBERS OF SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY THAT OTHERWISE COULD NOT AFFORD LEGAL SERVICES.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, I MET WITH SARAH AND HER STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBER TNA, TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE THOUSANDS OF EVICTIONS.
SAN ANTONIOS HAVE SUFFERED WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PROVE, TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED? EVERYONE WALKED AWAY WITH THAT MEETING WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACT THAT EVICTIONS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE OUT OF HAND.
SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE AT BOTH THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE LOCAL LEVEL TO KEEP TENANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES OFF THE STREET.
SINCE THAT MEETING, SALSA HAS HIT ALL SEMINARS AND PROVIDED TRAINING VIDEOS AND COLLABORATION WITH TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID FOR THE SAN ANTONIO LEGAL COMMUNITY TO EDUCATE LAWYERS THAT DO NOT PRACTICE IN THE FIELD ABOUT LANDLORD 10 LAW, TENANT LAW RIGHTS, AND TENANT RIGHTS, AND DISCUSS THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CARES ACT.
THE POINT OF MY EMAIL IS TO JUST STATE HOW EFFECTIVE SALSA HAS BEEN UNDER SARA DINGA MANAGEMENT, AND TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR PRO BONO ASSISTANCE WITH THE UPCOMING FLURRY OF EVICTIONS IN SAN ANTONIO AND BARAR COUNTY.
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES AND TENANTS WILL BE IMPACTED, AND THE SERVICES OF SALSA AND THE SAN ANTONIO LEGAL COMMUNITY WILL BE IMPACTED.
FUNDING OF SALSA'S PRO BONO SERVICES TO TENANTS WILL GO A LONG WAY, AND CONTINUING LEGAL SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE PROVEN IN THE PAST TO BE EFFECTIVE AND APPRECIATED BY THE UNDERSERVED WILL BE MONEY WELL SPENT.
THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM ROBIN EUBANK.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WORKING WITH SALSA ON THE TENANT'S RIGHTS CLINICS.
I'M WRITING WITH RESPECT TO THE $500,000 RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
I UNDERSTAND FROM SARAH DINGA THAT SALSA IS SEEKING FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR A HOUSING FELLOW TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE RESPONSE TO THE UPCOMING EVICTION DELUGE.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TENANTS RIGHTS CLINICS FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
A HOUSING FELLOW WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO US SO THAT WE CAN OFFER MORE ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH EVICTION CRISIS.
MOST MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE SEVERAL FULL-TIME STAFF ALLOCATED TO HANDLE TENANTS RIGHTS CASES ON A PRO BONO BASIS.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A GREAT NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK IN SAN ANTONIO.
GIVEN THE COVID CRISIS, A DEDICATED HOUSING FELLOW WHO COULD REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS COORDINATE VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS WOULD BE A BLESSING TO KICKSTART OUR NEW CLINIC.
NEXT AND LAST PUBLIC COMMENT I HAVE, UH, CHAIR GREG NIK.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PRO BONO PROGRAMS AT ST.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION SALSA, AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE SOUTH AL ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS.
SARAH, THROUGH MY WORK, I'VE SEEN HOW EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM MAKES OUR COMMUNITY MORE EQUITABLE WHILE WORKING WITH PEOPLE, WHEN WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO GET TO, WELL, WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO GET WITH AN ATTORNEY.
NOT ONLY DO THEY SEEM IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR THEIR LEGAL CHALLENGES, THEY ALSO HAVE A GREATER PEACE OF MIND.
IT EXPANDS DIGNITY FOR ALL INVOLVED CLIENTS AND ATTORNEYS ALIKE IN THE CITY.
AS ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED, AS SAN ANTONIO PRO BONO PROGRAMS BUILD BRIDGES ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY INCREASING ITS INVESTMENT IN RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN LEVERAGE LAW RELATED TECHNOLOGY AND AS WELL AS THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES OF THE PRIVATE BAR TO
[02:15:01]
STABILIZE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.EXPANDING FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WILL ENSURE FAIR ADMINISTRATIVE OF JUSTICE, EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY, SAFEGUARD ALL AGAINST DISPLACEMENT, EVICTIONS, AND HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL COMMENTS AGAIN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN CHAIR, AND, AND WE'RE SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY AN AREA WE DON'T SKIP.
UM, I WANNA, UH, JUST ASK A FEW QUESTIONS AND, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE RISK MITIGATION AND THE, UH, RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GAVE US A LIST, BUT ARE WE WORKING WITH ANY OTHER DIRECT TENANT RIGHT.
ASSOCIATION GROUPS? UM, WE'RE PRIMARILY FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP, THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
UM, AND I CAN, IT IS MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, EVICTIONS.
SOME OTHER MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THAT GROUP, UM, INCLUDE, UM, HAVEN FOR HOPE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
MY CITY IS MY HOME, TEXAS, HOUSERS SABOR, T R L A, ST.
MARY'S LAW SCHOOL, AND SOME OTHERS.
SO THAT IS, UM, WHO'S ON THERE RIGHT NOW.
I CAN GET YOU A COMPLETE LIST OF GROUPS THAT WE REACHED OUT TO.
UM, ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT, AT THE CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WITHIN THE BUDGET, UM, DO WE KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY TALK TO BRING, UM, A CHIEF HOUSING, UM, OFFICER BACK, UM, INTO THE CONVERSATION? OR ARE WE STILL STAYING STAGNANT ON THAT PARTICULAR ROLE WITHIN THE CITY? COUNCILMAN? THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY ACTIVITY ON THAT JUST YET.
UM, WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING INTERVIEWS AND, UM, WE STOPPED DOING INTERVIEWS AND WE'LL CONTINUE OUR SEARCH SEND, UM, HOPEFULLY, BUT I'LL GET YOU AN UPDATE, UM, FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE PROPOSED TO THE MAYOR ONCE WE WERE GOING THROUGH, UH, THE PROCESS OF THE HOUSING AND FOOD, UH, SECURITY GROUP, IS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE CONSIDER A PROBATIONARY OR EVICTION, PROBATIONARY PROCESS WITHIN THIS PROCESS, THE CITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE COUNTY HOUSING OFFICER WILL ACT AS A CASE MANAGER THAT LORI IS SPEAKING ABOUT.
AND SO I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT IS GOING FORWARD.
ALSO, UH, WITHIN THIS PROCESS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SET TENANTS AND LANDLORDS UP WITH FINANCIAL EDUCATION, WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE, AND FUNDS THAT WILL TRULY HELP THEM BE, UH, SUSTAINABLE AS THEY GO FORWARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS REALLY COMING INTO PLAY TO NOT ONLY HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT AS WE GO FORWARD TO HELP THEM ALSO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT IN FINDING WORK AND WORKING WITH THOSE LANDLORDS TO ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENTS THEY HAVE THERE CONTINUE TO FLOURISH.
SO I'M THANKFUL THAT LORI AND STAFF AND OUR COUNTY PARTNERS ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH MAKING THIS HAPPEN, HAVING THAT CASE MANAGER AND BEING PROACTIVE, WHAT OUR DOCKETS WILL TRULY HELP COMBAT THE SITUATION THAT WE'LL HAVE COMING FORWARD.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, IAN, OR, OR, OR LAURIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY GOOD AND VERY INFORMATIVE, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FROM, OF THE $200,000 THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE F Y 20 BUDGET, HOW MANY, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO HELP AND OR MAYBE HOW MANY HOURS DID THAT COVER? SORRY, JUST THE, THE, THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BUDGET, HOW WAS IT USED? IS THAT THE QUESTION? MM-HMM.
HOWEVER, WE'VE DONE SEVERAL KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND AS THOSE HAVE HOSTED DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, SO I CAN GIVE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, AND THEN RIGHT NOW, THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, IT IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SELECT IF THEY NEED, UM, MORE ASSISTANCE TO BE, AND I CAN GET YOU THE MOST UPTODATE NUMBERS, UM, AFTER THIS OF HOW MANY INQUIRIES WE'VE RECEIVED FOR ASSISTANCE.
AND SO, UM, WITH THE $500,000 THAT'S BEING, UH, PUSHED FORWARD, HOW MANY ARE YOU ANTICIPATING? HOW MUCH, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU ANTICIPATING TO HELP OR HOURS BILLED OR PAYMENTS TO,
[02:20:01]
UH, IF YOU WILL, I SAW IT WAS 150,000, I THINK THAT ONE SLIDE SAID FOR LEGAL SERVICES.AND, AND COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON.
UM, YEAH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO MONITOR THAT, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM THAT'S CURRENTLY IN EXISTENCE, EVEN THOUGH WE GOT FUNDED IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE DIDN'T REALLY KICK OFF THE PROGRAM UNTIL JANUARY.
SO THAT $500,000 BUDGET, 150 OF IT IS JUST STRICTLY FOR LEGAL SERVICES.
THE REST, WE HAVE ABOUT TWO 50 THAT'S GONNA HELP US WITH ACTUALLY STAFFING THAT EVICTION PROCESS.
AND THAT MIGHT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL EVICTION LEGAL SERVICES, BUT IT'S LIMITED TO THAT EVICTION PROCESS AT THE COURT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AS, AS WAS SUGGESTED EARLY ON, AND, UM, PROVIDE UPDATES.
AND IT WAS MENTIONED THAT CITY, OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THIS MUCH BIGGER.
WHAT, WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES DOING? IAN, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO SOME OF THE MODELS YOU'VE LOOKED AT? YEAH, THERE'S SOME MODELS, UM, IN NEW ORLEANS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME MODELS IN NEW YORK THAT PROVIDE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAMS, AND THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR.
UM, THEY, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST RESIDENTS THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
UM, MANY OF THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING THROUGH THE COURT ARE STEPS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN THE COURT AND BE ABLE TO OFFER RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE RESIDENTS.
SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT ON TRACK.
I THINK LORI IS, IS RIGHT THAT THIS PROGRAM JUST GOT STARTED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AND HOW TO EXPAND IT AND HOW TO INCREASE OUTREACH.
I THINK THE ALMOST PARK, UM, ALMOST CLUB APARTMENTS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, WE DIDN'T HELP EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON, BUT BY US BEING INVOLVED, WE AVOIDED, OR WE GOT 50 PEOPLE BACK INTO THEIR UNITS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INDIRECT BENEFITS TOWARDS EDUCATION AND, AND JUST BEING INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION.
SO, UM, I THINK OUR PROGRAM, UH, IS MODELED AFTER SOME OF THE BEST MODELS, UH, IN TEXAS.
WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES, UH, THAT I KNOW OF.
AND THEN THIS IS, UH, IS THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION AND COPS METRO? YES.
AND SO THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL, OR THE, I'M SORRY, THE RIGHT TO THE, THE NOTICE OF TENANT'S RIGHTS IS FROM THAT EFFORT.
AND, UM, WE, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS.
'CAUSE AS IAN MENTIONED, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT READS FRIENDLY, IT'S VERY EASY TO READ.
IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE COMPASSIONATE AND WANNA HELP MM-HMM.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING SOME OTHERS MAKE SOME EDITS, AND WE'RE GONNA RETURN TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE WITH THE ACTUAL NOTICE OF TENANTS RIGHTS FOR YOU TO REVIEW.
I THINK THIS IS, UM, A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE FRUITS OF ITS LABOR, AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, NEEDED FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, AS MENTIONED LAST WEEK, UM, ON THURSDAY, THAT, UH, EVEN THOSE WHO NEEDED OUR ASSISTANCE IN APRIL, APRIL, MAY NEED IT IN MAY AND JUNE AND BEYOND.
SO LET'S BE THERE FOR OUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I JUST THINK THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM AND, UH, I WANNA SEE IT GO FORWARD AND, UH, I COMMEND EVERYBODY'S BEEN WORKING ON IT.
UH, I THINK EDUCATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE END UP, UH, LOOKING AT EVICTION IS AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY FOR US.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK GOING FORWARD.
UM, UM, ON THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE OF, UH, FUNDS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE ACTUALLY HELPING, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT I HEARD THE FIGURE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND WE ONLY HELPED SEVEN PEOPLE WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IS IT, WAS THAT, DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? THAT IS, NO, WE HAVE A BUDGET OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND TO DATE, WE HAVE HELPED SEVEN PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO OUR TRAINING EFFORTS AND HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP WITH OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS.
WHEN YOU SAY TRAINING, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHO ARE WE TRAINING AND WHAT ARE WE TRAINING 'EM ON? SO WE DID A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING WITH THE ALMOS CLUB APARTMENT WHERE, UM, OUR T R L A STAFF WENT TO THE COMPLEX AND PROVIDED TRAINING TO THE TENANTS, LETTING 'EM KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, UM, IN OTHER AREAS OUTSIDE OF ALMOST CLUB PRIOR TO COVID.
[02:25:02]
AND, OKAY.AND THAT GETS PAID FOR OUT OF THIS BUDGET, THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO TRAINING OR IT, YOU PAY T R L A TEXAS RIO GRAND LEGAL AID TO DO THAT TRAINING FOR US.
AND HOW MUCH HAVE WE SPENT ON THAT? THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, IS COVERING MOSTLY STAFF COST.
SO THAT IS SO THAT WE HAVE A TIER A PERSON THERE THAT'S ABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE TRAININGS WITH ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION SERVICES, UM, UH, WITH ANY OTHER COURT REPRESENTATION THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED.
SO THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS GOES TO.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A LIMIT ON NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
WELL, BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HELPING.
I MEAN, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS FOR WHAT? ONE, ONE PERSON, TWO PEOPLE.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR HERE? YOU'RE PAYING FOR LEGAL SUPPORT FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM T R L A.
IT'S ONE PROJECT COORDINATOR AND ONE DEDICATED ATTORNEY.
SO TWO PEOPLE WERE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND, AND WHAT IS, OKAY, I THINK YOU'RE MISUNDERSTANDING THE STAFF.
I THINK YOU'RE MISUNDERSTANDING THE, THE PAYMENT IS FOR THE STAFF.
IT HELPS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE HAVE THE, THE DATA ON EXACTLY HOW MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN ARE BEING HELD, BUT THE EXPENSES THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE THAT'S FOR THE STAFF.
AND, AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SAID THIS MEAN, WHAT'S OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE REALLY HELPING AND OUTTA THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS? THERE, THERE SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, METRICS SHOWING WHO WE'RE, HOW MANY WE'RE HELPING AND WHAT THE OUTCOMES OF THAT HELP IS.
OR IS SOMEBODY JUST COMING IN ASKING QUESTIONS, OR ARE THEY REALLY GETTING HELP? THAT KIND OF THING.
SO YEAH, I'D LIKE SOME MORE DETAILS ON THAT, LORI, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BREAK THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
I WANNA SEE HOW THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY BEING SPENT AND HOW MANY, WHAT'S THE METRICS TO SUPPORT THAT.
UH, THAT'S, AND, AND THAT KIND OF GOES FOR THIS, THIS WHOLE PROGRAM.
UH, WE NEED TO DEVELOP THE METRICS TRACKING MEASUREMENT ON WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING WITH THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE.
AND, AND I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HEARD IAN MENTION THAT IT, IT, THAT WHILE THEY MIGHT HELP ONE PERSON, UH, LIKE AT THE ALMOST CLUB, UH, TERRACE DEPARTS THE, THAT IMPACTED 50 RESIDENTS IN, IN THOSE UNITS.
SO IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S GOING TO, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE ISSUES OF, UH, HOW YOU QUANTIFY IT.
BUT WE KNOW THAT IT IS HELPING QUITE A LOT OF FOLKS.
NOT TO MENTION WE ARE, THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS HAS JUST BEEN LIFTED.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE LAYERS, UH, THAT ARE IN PLACE, UH, REPRESENT, UH, THE, THE KINDS OF FOLKS WHO MAY BE LOOKING FOR THE, THE HELP AND SUPPORT, UH, NOW THAT, THAT, THAT THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS HAS BEEN LIFTED.
SO, UH, WE, WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE MORE.
UH, LORI, THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN FOR YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS ON THIS.
UH, IAN, YOU ALWAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR HARD WORK IS, IS COMMENDABLE.
UH, CERTAINLY AM IN FAVOR OF THIS PROGRAM, EXPANDING AND CONTINUING.
UM, TO PUT A, TO PUT A, A NUMBER ON IT, AS WAS ASKED EARLIER, WAS HOW MUCH, HOW BIG IS THE PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY? UM, I KNOW I WAS TOLD IT WAS OVER $200 MILLION IN NEW YORK CITY.
WHILE I KNOW SAN ANTONIO IS NOT QUITE AS LARGE AS NEW YORK CITY, IT JUST KIND OF DEMONSTRATES, UH, THE, THE MAGNITUDE IN TERMS OF DOLLARS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED.
IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM AND HOPE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO, TO EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP OUR COMMUNITY WITH IT.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU ASKED FOR PERRY, UH, THAT WILL BE PART OF A DASHBOARD THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED.
I KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL COMMITTEE IN THE, IN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY GONE OVER QUITE A BIT.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL ASK TO, UH, PRESENT THE DASHBOARD AT THE NEXT, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WE HAVE REGARDING THIS PROJECT, TO, TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE ANALYTICS, UH, OF, OF HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GONE, UH, QUITE A BIT, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS MEETING AND WE'LL, WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND MOVE THE DASHBOARD TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, I THINK WE'RE ADJOURNED AND WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR STICKING WITH US.