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COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 9:19 AM I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE, UH, FOR A MOMENT, UH, FOR OUR, THE LAST THREE MONTHS THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEGIN, HAS BEGUN OUR SESSIONS WITH A MINUTE MOMENT OF SILENCE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE LIVES LOST DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN ENGAGED IN.
UH, A RECOGNITION OF ALSO THE HEALTH WORKERS, THE NURSES, THE DOCTORS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD 24 HOURS A DAY TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE MANY OF FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY LOST THE BATTLE TO THE CORONAVIRUS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND ACROSS THE WORLD.
DURING THAT TIME, THE ARCHDIOCESE AND THE SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL HAS RUNG THE BELLS FOR A MINUTE, AND OTHER CHURCHES AROUND THIS COMMUNITY HAVE JOINED IN, INCLUDING MISSION SAN JOSE CONCE AND SAN JUAN, AS WELL AS CHURCHES AROUND THIS COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU WOULD, UH, LET'S ALL TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND RECOGNIZE ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE BATTLING, UH, ON OUR BEHALF, AND THOSE WHO HAVE, WE'VE LOST.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UH, THE FOLKS IN THE CHAMBER.
UM, YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ON THE SCREEN, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, TO OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND, UM, OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS RECOMMENDATIONS.
FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CHOSEN TO REMOTE IN, THEY ARE STILL PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETING.
UM, AND SO WE ASK THAT YOU, UH, AS BEST YOU CAN.
IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE SIX FEET DISTANCE, PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR FACE MASK AT THIS TIME.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER JADA ANDREWS SULLIVAN, UH, TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'D LIKE TO BRING, UH, PASTOR RONALD L. GLOVER.
HE IS THE PASTOR OF TEMPLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST
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CHURCH SINCE 2007.AFTER A SUCCESSFUL BASKETBALL CAREER AT RICE CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL AND TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY.
HE PLAYED PROFESSIONALLY IN ARGENTINA, TURKEY, AND MEXICO.
HE RETURNED TO T L U AND OBTAINED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OF KINESIOLOGY IN 1996.
HE JOINED THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN 1985 AND WORKED AS A DEPUTY SHERIFF FOR 27 YEARS, RETIRING IN 2012 WITH THE RANK OF CORPORAL IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
PASTOR GLOVER IS A VISIONARY IN THE COMMUNITY, AND BY, WITH THE GRACE OF GOD, TEMPLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ERECTED A NEW CHURCH SANCTUARY IN THE HEART OF THE EAST SIDE, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 2019.
HE IS ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER AND FORMER CO-CHAIR OF THE BEXAR COUNTY REENTRY COUNCIL.
HE HAS BEEN MARRIED TO HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, PATSY, FOR 27 YEARS, AND THEY SHARE THREE CHILDREN.
PASTOR GLOVER CONTINUES TO FOLLOW THE PATH GOD HAS FOR HIM AND OWES EVERYTHING TO HIS SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
I THANK YOU PASTOR GLOVER FOR STEPPING IN IN SUCH A TIME AS THIS TO OFFER PRAYER TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
YOU ARE A TRUE INSPIRATION TO WHAT DISTRICT TWO HAS TO OFFER, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND TO COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL PRESENT TODAY.
GOD, OUR FATHER, WE THANK YOU TODAY.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND SHOW CONFORMITY WITH ONE ANOTHER.
FATHER, WE'RE ASKING RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ENDOW US WITH WISDOM, THAT YOU'RE ENDOW US WITH KNOWLEDGE, THAT YOU ENDOW US WITH THE ABILITY FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND BE ON ONE ACCORD.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, FATHER, WE NEED LOVE RIGHT NOW.
LOVE IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING THROUGH, WHETHER IT'S A PANDEMIC OR WHETHER IT'S THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR CITIES AND CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
ONCE WE GET ON THE LEVEL WHERE WE CAN ALL LOVE EACH OTHER, FATHER, WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL GUIDE US.
SO WE ARE ASKING FOR DIRECTION RIGHT NOW.
WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO ENDOW THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR WITH THE BEAUTIFUL JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
BUT FATHER, WE NEED TO LIFT YOU UP.
WE NEED TO GLORIFY YOU IN YOUR HOLY NAME.
SO AS WE'RE THAT FATHER, WE ARE GOING TO END THIS PRAYER, BUT WE'LL NEVER END OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
AND WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR A CHANCE JUST TO TELL SOMEBODY HOW GOOD YOU ARE, HOW GREAT YOU ARE, AND HOW MAGNIFICENT YOU ARE.
IT'S IN JESUS' NAME THAT WE PRAY.
OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 9TH, 2020.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE SWEARING IN OF OUR MAYORAL PRO TEM TERM FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MANNY PIAS.
COUNCIL MEMBER PALS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
AFFIRM THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES THAT I'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE OF THE OFFICE OF, OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM MAYOR PRO TEM FROM JUNE 8TH, 2020 THROUGH AUGUST 17TH, 2020.
AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS,
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THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THIS STATE.
UH, WE DO HAVE A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING THREE ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
ITEM 22, MAYOR ITEM 22, UM, ITEM 31 IS PULLED FOR RECUSAL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? YEAH, I, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, PULL THE ITEMS, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT NUMBER 18 AND P THREE AND Z 16.
ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION? ALL IF, YOUR HONOR, I, I'D LIKE
I'M SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? COUNCILS MEMBER ROSBERG? YES.
WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HIGHLIGHT IT IN COMMENTS.
IF THERE ARE NO ITEMS TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THERE ARE FOUR ITEMS ON ZONING TO HIGHLIGHT, BUT THERE ARE NO ZONING ITEMS BEING PULLED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THEY DIDN'T TELL.
FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS, WE HAVE ITEMS 5, 6, 7, 8, ALL OTHER ITEMS REMAIN ON CONSENT.
IF THERE IS A MOTION AND 22 AND 31, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN BUT MOTION FOR A BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FIVE THROUGH 8, 22, AND 31.
ALRIGHT, THERE ARE COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THEM NOW AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO COUNSEL.
DISCUSSION ON CONSENT ITEMS. JACK FINGER, MR. FINGER, UH, WE HAVE A MICROPHONE AVAILABLE ON THE STAND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH.
WE'LL SANITIZE IT IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER.
COUPLE ITEMS WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, ITEM NUMBER 30.
IT'S ABOUT, UH, IM SAS IMPACT FEE WAIVERS.
UH, MANY OF US PAY SAS WATER BILLS, BUT, UH, WE, AND CONSEQUENTLY WE DO NOT GET THE ADVANTAGE OF GETTING A, A FREE PASS WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER EXPENSES THAT, UH, BEING GIVEN TO SAS.
BUT, BUT LOOKS LIKE YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL ARE GETTING READY TO GIVE, UH, THAT FREE PASS TO SOME, UH, A CERTAIN APARTMENT, APARTMENT INITIATIVE AND NOT JUST ANY APARTMENT INITIATIVE.
THIS IS ONE THAT IS GONNA OFFER WHAT I CALL WELFARE HOUSING.
UH, THIS IS ONE LOCATED IN, UH, MS. GONZALEZ DISTRICT.
DISTRICT FIVE, THE TAMPA PICO STREET APARTMENTS THERE.
UM, THE, UH, MS AUDIO VISUAL MATTER, IF YOU PUT, PUT THAT START PUTTING ON THE AGENDA RIGHT THERE.
THE AUDIO VISUAL SHOWS THE UNDERLINED AREAS THERE AND BLOW THAT UP A LITTLE BIT IF YOU CAN.
YEAH, 200 UNITS OF WHICH 1, 3, 3, 3 6 WILL BE QUOTE UNQUOTE AFFORDABLE.
I, I CALL IT WELFARE HOUSING, BASICALLY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE OTHER UNDERLYING AREAS SAYS 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, THESE ARE GIVING JUST GIVEAWAYS TO PEOPLE WHO WANT, WANT TO MOVE INTO THOSE APARTMENTS THERE.
IF YOU MAKE LESS THAN 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN
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INCOME, YOU'VE GOT IT.40% OF THE AREA MEETING INCOME, 50%.
JUST ALL KINDS OF AND WHO'S MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE?
AND THIS IS FOR WATER EXPENSES THAT GO TO SAWS.
FINALLY, ALSO, ALSO ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER 12, IT IS A CONTRACT BY THE CITY IS DOING THE BUSINESS WITH THE PAPE DAWSON ENGINEERS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $4 MILLION OR YES.
BUT I NOTICE LOOKING AT THE BACK OF DOCUMENTS THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU, OVER HALF OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PAPE DAWSON SHAREHOLDERS AND, UH, SUB CONTRACTIONS AND SO FORTH.
MR. MAYOR, YOU, YOU GOT, UH, SHUCKS, $8,500 IN, IN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PAP DAWSON PEOPLE.
UH, MR. PALAZ, YOU GOT 350 MS. REBECCA VIA GRANDE GOT, UH, 500.
MR. PERRY, YOU GOT 700 AND, UH, MR. ROBERTO TINO, YOU GOT, UH, 250 AND ANNA SANDOVAL FROM DISTRICT SEVEN, SHE GOT FIVE, 500.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT IF ALL OF Y'ALL WHO GOT THOSE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONTRIBUTIONS ABSTAIN FROM VOTING LIKE YOU REALLY SHOULD BE DOING, UH, THIS CONTRACT WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
YES, I'D LIKE, BUT DON'T WORRY, IT'LL SAIL THROUGH FASTER THAN SANTA SLEIGH.
NO, NOBODY WILL PULL THIS ONE AT ALL.
WHO'S SAYING HALAI? IS THERE A HUSSEIN HALAI? MR. HALAI, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
SO OUR PROPERTY ON 1 0 0 4 HAMPTON STREET, UH, IT'S CURRENTLY, IT'S LOCATED ON THE, THE INTERSECTION OF HAMPTON AND K STREET.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, IT'S, UH, WE, WE'VE APPLIED FOR ZONING FOR MF 33.
IT'S RIGHT NEARLY OPPOSITE, UH, THE NEWLY BUILT, UH, BEST WESTERN MOTEL.
AND JUST OPPOSITE, UH, THE, UH, THE COMMERCIAL ZONE, IT'S THE, OUR INTENTION IS TO PUT EIGHT UNITS ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, THERE IS PRECEDENCE ON, IN, IN THAT AREA OF MF 33.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S GOT THAT FUTURE PROPOSED ZONE OF HIGH, HIGH DENSITY ON THAT STRIP OF WHERE THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED, WHICH ALLOWS MF 33.
SO I WOULD, UH, URGE TO CONSIDER, UH, UH, GOING FOR MF 33 RATHER THAN, UH, MF 18, WHICH IS I BELIEVE WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GROM.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ZONING CASES Z SIX, AND I WANTED TO THANK THE APPLICANT FOR WORKING WITH MY OFFICE AS WELL AS CITY STAFF TO WORK ON A COMPROMISE THAT ADDRESSES BOTH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ASPECTS OF THE COMMERCIAL BUILDING AS WELL AS, UH, COMING FORWARD IN, UH, UH, THE ABILITY TO HAVE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ON THE, THE PROPERTY.
SO IT CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN THAT HISTORIC DESIGNATION, BUT CONTINUES TO BE USED IN FUTURE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE APPLICANT AND MY STAFF MEMBER, CHRIS, WHO WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS AND CITY STAFF.
AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO IS, IS, UH, PULLING ITEM Z ONE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS.
SO OUR CONSENT VOTE, UM, IF THE, WE HAVE CONCURRENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE AND VIA GROUND WHO MADE THE MOTIONS? IT WILL BE ON ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 5 6 7 8 22 31 AND Z ONE MAYOR.
WE ALSO HAVE TO PULL ITEM Z FOUR OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? UH, APOLOGIES.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALREADY PULLED.
THEY'RE LISTED HERE AS INDIVIDUAL ZONING ITEMS, UH, WHICH INCLUDES ONE IN MINE, P ONE Z 14.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED.
AND I'LL JUST AGAIN, CHECK FOR CONCURRENCE ON, UH, COURAGE AND
THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE INDIVIDUAL.
CONSIDERATE, CONSIDERATE ITEMS 5, 6, 7, 8 22, 31 Z, ONE, Z FOUR, P ONE, AND Z
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14.MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA WITH, UH, THOSE EXCEPTIONS.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL GET BACK TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, TWO ITEMS. UH, ITEM NUMBER 13 AND ITEM NUMBER 16.
UH, ITEM NUMBER 13 IS AN AGREEMENT WITH TDOT TO, UH, FOR IN THE AMOUNT OF 18,876,000 FROM TXDOT FOR CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES FOR THE SARS OVERPASS.
UM, MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROJECT, MANY, MANY YEARS COMING.
UH, IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST TRAIN TRAFFIC AREAS IN THE CITY, ACTUALLY IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, AND SO WE'RE FINALLY GOT SOME FUNDING FROM TDOT, UH, TO CONTINUE WITH THE OVERPASS.
AND, UH, ITEM NUMBER 16 IS ALSO A, UH, FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH TDOT TO, UH, DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON GENERAL MCMULLEN, UH, FOR, UH, AREAS REGARDING SAFETY.
SO I JUST, I HAVE DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, RAZZIE ABOUT THAT.
UM, UH, TXDOT ON GENERAL MCMULLEN, UM, IS THIS PART OF A, UH, SAFETY CONCERN FOR JOHN MCMILLAN, OR WAS THIS REGULAR UPGRADING FOR SIGNAL SIGNALIZATION PART PART OF SAFETY? WE HAD A NUMBER OF DECKS IN THERE.
THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE THOSE THREE INTERSECTION QUALIFY FOR THIS FUNDING.
AND TECHSTARS PAYING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION COST.
SO THIS, UH, UM, PART OF OUR VISION ZERO INITIATIVES, PART OF THE ROAD TO ZERO INITIATIVES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, UH, RATHER THE STATE.
AND THAT WAS, UM, IN THE AMOUNT OF 914,000? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH ROSSIE AND, UM, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FOR, UH, GATHERING THAT FUNDING.
BOTH OF THESE ARE, UH, SAFETY, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, PART OF THE VISION ZERO INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY TO REDUCE FATALITIES IN OUR ROADWAYS.
AND THE BRIDGE OVERPASS IS A VERY LONG AWAITED PROJECT IN THE CITY, OVER 30 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS, SOME TECH STOP FUNDING, SOME, UM, UNION PACIFIC SMALL PORTION, UH, AND THEN ALSO PART OF THE 20 12 20 17 BOND PROGRAM.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, UH, THAT IS COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
UM, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT NUMBER 18, THE JUDSON ROAD SIDEWALK.
THIS IS A JUDSON ROAD IS A REAL LONG, UM, FAST CORRIDOR UP THERE IN DISTRICT 10, AND THERE WEREN'T ANY SIDEWALKS ALONG THAT ROAD.
AND YOU HAD PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS, YOU HAD CHILDREN, UM, ELDERLY FOLKS WALKING ON THE ACTUAL ROAD TO GET FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
AND WE HAD A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, HER NAME WAS CONNIE MARAK, THAT PUSHED REALLY, REALLY HARD.
IN FACT, SHE WAS AFTER ME ALL THE TIME TO GET THIS, UH, SIDEWALK DONE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH T C I AT THE TIME TO COBBLE TOGETHER SOME FUNDING FROM, UH, TXDOT AND OURSELVES.
AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE TDOT FOR THAT.
UH, AND WE CAME UP WITH A MONEY TO FUND THIS SIDEWALK, UNFORTUNATELY, AND VERY SAD TO REPORT THAT CONNIE JUST PASSED AWAY THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND, UM, UH, I'M VERY SAD THAT SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THIS PROJECT COMPLETED, BUT I, I KNOW SHE'S LOOKING DOWN FROM HEAVEN, UH, JUST CHEERING AWAY RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE GETTING THIS PROJECT GOING.
SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THANKING CONNIE FOR HER PERSISTENCE AND GETTING THIS PRO PROJECT DONE.
UM, THE OTHER ONE IS P THREE AND Z 16, AND I'D LIKE TO ENTER SOME RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS INTO THE RECORD FOR THIS, FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND I'LL PASS THESE ALONG TO THE CITY CLERK TO HAVE THEM ENTERED AND, UM, UM, SO THAT THIS PROJECT CAN MOVE FORWARD.
UH, IF I MAY, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, IF, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA ENTER THOSE SORTS OF RESTRICTIONS, IT'D BE BETTER IF WE PULL IT COUNCILMAN, AND THEN ENTER THEM AND VOTE DURING THE, AS AN INDIVIDUAL ITEM.
WE'LL, LET'S ADD ANOTHER ONE TO BE PULLED.
I WAS JUST DOING WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO ON THIS.
I'LL JUST ASK FOR A NOD FROM COURAGE
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA.
GOOD TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 17 AT SPICEWOOD PARK.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PROJECT IN DISTRICT FOUR.
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OUR VOTERS APPROVED THROUGH THE BOND $300,000 IN FUNDING FOR SPICEWOOD PARK.AND WE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY ALSO WITH THE KIDS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SPICEWOOD PARK.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'RE BEGINNING THE STAGES NOW.
UM, THERE'S GONNA BE AN INSTALLATION OF A NEW CHALLENGE COURSE, UM, BUT I THINK WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE AN ACCESSIBLE ARCH, UM, AND THERE'S GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE SWING ARCHES SO THAT KIDS WITH ALL ABILITIES WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND PLAY AND HAVE MOTION.
AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND I WANNA THANK THE FOLKS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS AT SPICEWOOD PARK AND THE KIDS FROM SPICEWOOD PARK ELEMENTARY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP.
UM, THAT'S EVERYONE IN ON THE DIOCESE WHO'D LIKE TO DISCUSS CONSENT TO AGENDA.
SO WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT ZO CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FIVE THROUGH 8 22, 31 Z, ONE Z, FOUR P ONE Z, 14 P THREE, AND Z 16.
WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. UH, WE'LL START WITH ITEM FIVE.
JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON, UH, THE MAYOR'S, I'M SORRY, THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THAT WAS ISSUED, UH, LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
GIVEN THE ROBUST AGENDA WE HAVE, I'LL GIVE A REAL QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT, UH, IS CONTAINED IN THAT ORDER.
SO, ESSENTIALLY, UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, HE'S OPENED ALL TEXAS BUSINESSES TO SOME EXTENT.
UH, BUT RESTRICTIONS STILL REMAIN IN TERMS OF GATHERINGS, ALTHOUGH THE LANGUAGE HAS CHANGED BEFORE.
IF YOU, THE COUNCIL REMEMBERS THE RESTRICTION ON GATHERINGS WAS A RESTRICTION TO MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
UH, NOW THE GATHERINGS ARE LIMITED TO GROUPS OF 10.
AND, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT MEANS, IT SEEMS THAT GIVEN THAT ALL THAT, UH, MOST OF BUSINESSES ARE OPEN TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU ARE GOING, FOR EXAMPLE, TO AN RESTAURANT OR TO AN EVENT, UH, WITH SOMEBODY OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD, STILL THE, THE ORDER SAYS THAT, THAT THOSE GROUPS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE.
UH, THE ORDER ALSO STILL ENCOURAGES PEOPLE OVER 65 TO STAY AT HOME AGAIN, UNLESS THEY ARE ENGAGING IN SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES OR OPEN BUSINESSES UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, STARTING, UH, YESTERDAY, ESSENTIALLY EVERY BUSINESS IN TEXAS CAN OPERATE WITH AT LEAST 50% CAPACITY.
UH, AND EVEN THAT 50% TOTAL CAPACITY DOES NOT APPLY TO A, A, A WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESSES.
THE FIRST ONES ARE, ARE PRETTY OBVIOUS, WHICH IS, UH, ALL THE CISA ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS INCLUDED IN OUR LOCAL ORDERS, AND THE GOVERNORS INCLUDED IN HIS, THOSE ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE 50%.
NEITHER ARE RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, CHILDCARE SERVICES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THAT 50% CAPACITY AND NEITHER OUR YOUTH YOUTH CAMPS OR RECREATIONAL SPORTS PROGRAMS. THE OTHER BROAD CATEGORY IS ALL OUTDOOR AR UH, AREAS, EVENTS, OR ESTABLISHMENTS, BUT THERE ARE SOME LIMITED EXCEPTIONS TO THAT, WHICH I'LL GET INTO.
AND THE 50% CAPACITY DOES NOT APPLY TO COSMETOLOGY, SALONS, MASSAGE PARLORS, UH, BARBERSHOPS, ET CETERA.
BUT THE, UH, THOSE BUSINESSES STILL MUST MAINTAIN AT LEAST SIX FEET OF DISTANCE BETWEEN STATIONS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE, UH, BROAD AREAS THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE 50%.
NOW, I MENTIONED THERE WERE SOME, UH, EXCEPTIONS TO, UH, THE FACT THAT OUTDOOR AREAS EVENTS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE 50%.
UH, THOSE THAT STILL MUST OPERATE UNDER A 50% CAPACITY ARE, UH, PROFESSIONAL OR COLLEGIATE SPORTS, SWIMMING POOLS, WATER PARKS, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, ZOOS, UH, RODEO AND EQUESTRIAN EVENTS.
SO THOSE, UH, MUST STILL OPERATE AT 50% UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S NEW ORDER.
AND, UH, BUSINESSES WITH A RETRACTABLE ROOF ARE CONSIDERED INDOOR FACILITIES.
I SAID JUST ABOUT EVERY BUSINESS IS OPEN, UH, STARTING YESTERDAY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.
THE ONE EXCEPTION IS AMUSEMENT PARKS.
UH, THOSE WILL BE OPEN JUNE 19TH AND UP TO A CAPACITY OF 50% OF THEIR NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS.
IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, ONE OF THE NEW THINGS THAT DID, UH, APPEAR IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THAT'S A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THIS PREVIOUS ONES IS THAT IN TERMS OF OUTDOOR EVENTS IN WHICH PEOPLE, THE, I'M SORRY, THE ATTENDANCE IS EXPECTED TO BE 500 OR MORE
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PEOPLE, UH, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE GATHERINGS.UH, SO WE HAVE NOW IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER A DIRECT, UM, ABILITY TO HAVE OR DIRECT AUTHORITY TO HAVE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS APPLY FURTHER RESTRICTIONS.
IF A GATHERING IS GONNA BE, AN OUTSIDE GATHERING IS GONNA BE 500 OR MORE PEOPLE.
UH, BARS CAN OPERATE AT 50% CAPACITY, UH, STARTING JUNE 12TH.
RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN OPERATING AT 50% CAN GO UP NOW TO 75% OF THEIR TOTAL LISTED OCCUPANCY.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, OUTDOOR AREAS, UH, ARE NOT INCLUDED IN, UH, THAT 50% CAPACITY, BUT THEY STILL MUST FOLLOW THE HEALTH PROTOCOLS ISSUED BY THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SOME THINGS THAT, UH, STILL REMAIN FROM THE PREVIOUS ORDER THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WHEN WE COUNT CAPACITY STAFF MEM MEMBERS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT COUNTING.
UH, VALET SERVICES ARE ALLOWED FOR, UH, DISABLED PARKING, UH, AND STILL ALL THESE BUSINESSES TO THE EXTENT THEY'RE ADDRESSED IN THE HEALTH PROTOCOLS ISSUED BY THE STATE.
THEY STILL MUST SHOW GOOD FAITH EFFORTS, UH, BASED ON THEIR AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND ANY OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THEY MUST AT LEAST HAVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE HEALTH PROTOCOLS.
UH, BUSINESSES MAY REQUIRE STILL UNDER THE ORDER, UH, TO HAVE ADDITIONAL MEASURES BEFORE INDIVIDUALS ENTER THEIR, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, STILL, UM, UH, RETAIL STORES, UH, MAY REQUIRE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, PEOPLE TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS BEFORE THEY ENTER.
THE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS REMAINED THE SAME FINE, FINE OF UP TO $1,000.
UH, IT RETAINED THE LANGUAGE OF NO JAIL TIME FOR VIOLATING THE ORDER.
UH, LOCAL, THE SAME LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF, UH, SUPERSEDING LOCAL ORDERS.
THEY'RE ONLY SUPERSEDED TO THE EXTENT THEY CONFLICT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.
UH, WE CAN, AS I MENTIONED, ADD ADDITIONAL LOCAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS OF OVER 500.
AND ANOTHER NEW THING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN THE PREVIOUS ORDERS IS THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC END DATE, UH, TO THE ORDER THAT THE GOVERNOR ISSUED YESTERDAY.
UM, AND THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ACTION, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL THIS MORNING IN TERMS OF EXTENDING ANY LOCAL ORDER.
AS A REMINDER, OUR LOCAL ORDER EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING WITH ALL OUR PREVIOUS ORDERS.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MAYOR WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE JUDGE IN TERMS OF ISSUING OF ANY LOCAL ORDER, UH, AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED.
AND, UH, TO THE EXTENT THERE WILL BE LOCAL ORDERS, UH, PROBABLY IT WILL BE A LOT SIMPLER, UH, AND AGAIN, WOULD MIRROR WHATEVER, UH, THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S ORDER, UH, HAS, HAS WHATEVER IS IN THE TEXAS GOVERNOR ORDER.
UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, WE DO HAVE, UH, FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE.
UM, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THEM NOW.
I'LL CALL THE FIRST NAME IN THE ORDER AND I'LL CALL THE SECOND, UH, TO PRE PREPARED TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A MICROPHONE ON A STAND.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH IT, AND WE'LL SANITIZE IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS.
FIRST SPEAKER IS VIRGINIA MATA.
MS. MATA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY FATHER JOHN RAHAR RARO.
FATHER JOHN'S ACTUALLY GONNA SPEAK BEFORE ME.
IS HE? YOU'RE SEATING YOUR TIME TO, TO FATHER JOHN? NO, HE'S GONNA SPEAK BEFORE ME.
MAYOR BERG, CITY COUNCIL CITY STAFF.
MY NAME IS FATHER JOHN RA HARJO.
PATRICK PARISH ON THE EAST SIDE NORTHEAST AND COPS METRO LEADER.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC FORCED US INTO SOCIAL DISTANCING, COPS, METRO LEADERS FROM 30 INSTITUTIONS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, WE REACHED OUT TO FAMILIES, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND WE HEARD STORY AFTER STORY OF PEOPLES FEAR OF LOSING HOUSES.
AND WE BROUGHT THIS CONCERN TO YOU AND WE COMMEND YOU FOR THE SWIFT ACTION TO EXPAND THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND NOW AS WE HEAR OUR FAMILIES FILL OUT THE APPLICATIONS, WE ARE ALSO HEARING A DIFFERENT STORY.
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PEOPLE ARE SAYING, THANK YOU FOR THE ASSISTANCE.CAN YOU HELP ME FIND A JOB? OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR PARISHIONERS, DO NOT WANT TO STAND IN THE BREAD LINE.
THEY WANT ALSO THE DIGNITY OF A JOB THAT PAYS A DECENT WAGE WITH A CAREER PATH.
THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A GOOD JOBS ECONOMY TODAY.
AND WITHOUT DELAY, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD VOTE YES ON THIS PLAN TO ALLOCATE 75 MILLION TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WORKING WITH EXISTING PARTNERS LIKE THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND PROJECT QUESTS.
WORKERS WHO HAVE LOST JOBS DUE TO C OVID 19 WILL RECEIVE TRAINING FOR NEW JOBS.
THEY WILL NOT RELY ON CHARITY, BUT WILL BE PREPARED FOR GOOD PAYING JOBS WITH STABILITY AND DIGNITY, MAKING THIS LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN A BETTER JOBS ECONOMY.
IT MEANS INVESTING IN OUR HARDWORKING SAN ANTONIO SO THAT THEY WILL BE READY TO THRIVE AND TO PROSPER IN A NEW POST C OVID 19 ECONOMY.
SO LET US NOT GO BACK TO THE SAME SAN ANTONIO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
LET US USHER IN A DECADE OF THE PEOPLE AND MAKE SAN ANTONIO A PLACE WHERE ALL SAN ANTONIANS FLOURISH.
THANK YOU FA THANK YOU FATHER JOHN.
VIRGINIA MATA, FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS VIRGINIA MATA AND I'M A PARISHIONER AT HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AND I'M ALSO A COPS METRO LEADER.
I GREW UP IN THE EDGEWOOD DISTRICT IN THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AS A KID, I REMEMBER HOW DIFFICULT TIMES WERE FOR MY FAMILY WHEN AT EACH, AT EVERY MONTH, WE WOULD ALL OFTEN RUN OUT OF FOOD, BUT I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
YOU SEE, WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL I PARTICIPATED IN PROGRAMS LIKE PROJECTS THERE THAT ALLOWED ME TO WORK THE SUMMER MONTHS, LIKE AT PLACES LIKE LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IT WAS THAT EARLY TRAINING AND THE COLLEGE EDUCATION THAT I RECEIVED THAT HELPED ME BREAK THE CYCLES OF POVERTY AND ILLITERACY IN MY FAMILY.
BUT SADLY, THESE CYCLES CONTINUE TO PLAGUE MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, MAYOR AND MEMBERS AND CITY COUNCIL.
YOU HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ADDRESS THIS LEGACY.
MOST, MOST OF YOU WERE ON COUNCIL AND SUPPORTED COPS METRO'S PUSH FOR $15 AN HOUR WAGES YOU ALL VOTED TO INCREASE PROJECT QUEST FUNDING AND CONTINUED FUNDING FOR PRE-K FOR ESSAY.
WE COMMEND YOU FOR THESE STEPS.
TODAY, YOU WILL TAKE AN EVEN BIGGER STEP WHEN YOU VOTE TO ALLOCATE.
ALLOCATE 75 MILLION FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
A VOTE THAT WILL PROMOTE, THAT WILL MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF MODERN DAY BREAD LINES AND INTO A DIGNITY OF THEIR RESPECTFUL, GOOD PAYING JOB.
THIS IS ABOUT INVESTING IN SANTON.
SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC COPS METRO HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO GAIN YOUR SUPPORT FOR A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT HAS PROVEN TO WORK.
A, A WORKFORCE PROGRAM THAT IS UNIQUE WITH A STIPEND AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT MOST OFTEN ARE CRITICAL BARRIERS THAT KEEP, UH, GRADUATES FROM COMPLETING PROGRAMS. WORKING WITH PARTNERS LIKE ALAMO COLLEGES AND PROJECT QUEST, WHO ALREADY HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO START THE PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
BECAUSE THE NEED IS URGENT AND EVERYDAY MATTERS, OUR FAMILIES ARE READY TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
FROM CHARITY TO GOOD PAYING JOBS THAT RETURN DIGNITY TO WORKERS.
TODAY, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISRUPT THE LONG HISTORY OF ECONOMIC SEGREGATION IN SAN ANTONIO AND TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS CITY, THERE SHOULD BE NO DELAY ON THIS HISTORIC VOTE.
COPS METRO URGES CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE YES WITHOUT DELAY.
LET'S MAKE SAN ANTONIO AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES TO FOLLOW.
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UH, YES, MR. MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
UM, I SIGNED UP ON ITEMS NUMBER 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT.
UH, UH, MAY I SPEAK ON JUST FIVE AT THIS TIME OR CAN I COME UP FOR THE OTHERS LATER ON THERE? SO LUCKY.
TO CLARIFY, JACK, YOU'LL BE CALLED UP AGAIN ON ITEM SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT AS WELL, SO, OKAY, WELL, WELL, VERY GOOD.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, MR. MAY PUT, PUT UP THAT, UH, THAT PHOTOGRAPH THERE FOR FROM THE EXPRESS NEWS THERE.
IT WAS TAKEN JUST RECENTLY ABOUT THE, THE RIOTS THAT TOOK PLACE HERE IN TOWN.
AND I ASK YOU TO LOOK AT IT CLOSELY AND YOU TELL ME WHICH PERSON IS THE PERPETRATOR AND WHICH ONE IS THE HERO.
THE PERSON ON THE LEFT, YOU MAY THINK THE THE GUY YOU'RE LOOTING, HE'S THE HERO.
THE GUY ON THE RIGHT TRYING TO STOP HIM.
HE, HE'S THE LAWBREAKER, THE BAD GUY.
WHY HE'S NOT WEARING HIS MASK, MR. MAYOR.
AND BY GOLLY, WITH ARMED RULES REQUIRING MASK BE WORN AND SOCIAL DISTANCING OF SIX FEET OR SO, MY GUY, YOU NEED TO GET AFTER THAT GUY.
WHY ELSE WOULD WE, WE BE ESTABLISHING SUCH WISE RULES OF DISTANCING AND MASS AND THAT DO NOT WORK.
MR. VINA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NAZARITE RUBEN FLORES PEREZ.
I'M AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY TO AID IN THE CITY'S RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS FOR COVID TO 19.
I'M PROPOSING THE CREATION OF A NEW COMMISSION ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING THAT WILL BE COMPRISED OF BOTH HEALTH EXPERTS AND CITIZENS AT LARGE.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE MY REPORTS.
UM, WHAT THIS EPIDEMIC HAS SHOWN IS THAT THE HEALTH OF THE CITIZENS IS ALWAYS INTERTWINED WITH THE PROSPERITY OF THE CITY.
THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTS THE ECONOMY, AND THE ECONOMY AFFECTS THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE.
EVERY POLICY HAS HEALTH IMPLICATIONS, AND THIS COMMISSION WOULD ELEVATE THAT FACT TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE DISCUSSION.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE EXPANDING A HIGHWAY, IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MUCH TRAFFIC.
INCREASED TRAFFIC IS CORRELATED WITH INCREASED STRESS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. IF YOU CREATE A HOME ROOFING PROGRAM, YOU'RE POTENTIALLY DECREASING HOME TEMPERATURES AFFECTING STRESS, RISK OF HEAT, ILLNESS, AND EVEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
IF YOU'RE FIXING SIDEWALKS, BUILDING A PARK OR CLEANING STREETS, YOU ARE INCREASING THE PROBABILITY OF GETTING PEOPLE OUT, EXERCISING IN ONE OF THE MOST OBESE CITIES IN AMERICA.
THE FIRST PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE SO THAT A HEALTH IMPACT STATEMENT CAN BE APPLIED TO EVERY POLICY YOU ENACT.
HOW WOULD AFFECT HEALTH, WHO WILL BENEFIT AND WHO WILL NOT.
AND SECOND, THE COMMISSION WOULD CAPTURE THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE.
LAST WEEK, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, YOU SAID THAT WE NEED TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THESE COVID CONVERSATIONS.
I RECENTLY COMPLETED MY DISSERTATION ON STIGMA AND MENTAL HEALTH AND TRAUMA, AND I COULD HAVE DONE A STATS ANALYSIS.
UM, BUT I DECIDED TO DO A QUALITATIVE STUDY WHERE I INTERVIEWED A HUNDRED PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN WHICH THEY TOLD ME INTIMATE DETAILS OF THEIR TRAUMA.
IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I COULD LOOK THEM IN THE EYES AND CONNECT WITH THEM WHEN THEY TOLD ME THINGS LIKE BEING RAPED OR CHILD ABUSE, OR BEING A SINGLE PARENT OR MILITARY TRAUMA OR RACISM AND EVEN POLICE VIOLENCE.
I CANNOT BE AN EMPATHIC RESEARCHER, AND YOU CANNOT BE EMPATHIC SERVICE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN THEY ARE NOT IN THE ROOM WITH US.
AND THIS COMMISSION PUTS EXPERTS ACROSS THE TABLE FROM THE PEOPLE.
THIS PANDEMIC DEMONSTRATES THAT HEALTH AND WELLBEING IS INTEGRAL TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
WE NEED TO CENTER THAT FACT WHEN YOU CREATE NEW POLICY, BUT WE ALSO CAN'T LOSE THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE.
MR. VINA NAZARITE, RUBEN FLORES PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY KENNY WILSON.
UH, YES, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS NA EZ.
AND AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW TOO, THAT THE LAW OF KINDNESS, THE
[00:45:01]
LAW OF HEAVEN AND THE LAW OF THE LAND, THE LIBERTY LAWS, I DO DECLARE.NOW, UH, I REMEMBER THIS EXPERIENCES THAT I USED TO SPEAK WHILE I USED TO WORK HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
YOU KNOW, I WAS IN THE UNION, I REPRESENTED THE UNION.
I WAS A CHAIRMAN TOO, THE ESME.
AND YOU KNOW, I USED TO RUN BACK AND FORTH AND SO ON.
UH, BUT, UH, I'LL GO BY THE EMOTIONS THAT I SPOKE LAST WEEK THAT I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS AND I'LL I DO DECLARE NOW, UM, I'M 77 YEARS NEVER BEEN KISSED, OR AGAIN, I FORGOT.
MY MOTHER USED TO KISS ME EVERY SO OFTEN.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I MOVE AROUND A LOT AND SO ON.
THIS IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT ME TO STAY AT HOME MORE OR LESS SO ON.
BUT I, I KNOW HOW TO ZIGZAG GO AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE BANDS AND SO ON.
BUT, UH, I KNOW YOU ALL DO A GOOD JOB.
AND, UM, A WEEK AGO AROUND THERE, I WAS STANDING THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BILL MILLER'S RIGHT HERE IN FRONT.
AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT, I SAW A PERSON ATTACK A POLICEMAN.
I USED TO SPEAK THERE IN THE TIMES WHEN I USED TO SPEAK, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I WAS THERE IN MUNICIPAL COURTS.
I KNOW PERSONS THAT USED TO WORK THERE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, EVEN SO, BUT, UH, I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND, AND, UM, LET'S GO, LET'S GO ALL THE WAY, UH, TO DECLARE.
UM, MR. WILSON, YOU'RE ALSO ON NUMBER SEVEN, SO YOU'RE GOOD IF YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE.
UH, DEANNA ORGA IS DEANNA HERE.
UH, THIS, UH, PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED OUR WAYS OF DAILY FUNCTIONING TO A DEGREE THAT I BELIEVE IS BEING USED BY ALL GOVERNMENT GOING NATIONAL STATE AND OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO CURB AND PROHIBIT OUR CIVIL RIGHTS.
I'VE SEEN IT WITH A CURFEW, I'VE SEEN IT WITH A CONTINUED ADMONISHMENT OF ANYONE GOING OUT.
AND I KIND OF FOLLOWED ALONG WITH IT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
BUT THEN WHEN I SAW THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT EVEN BEING, UH, PERMITTED TO COME DOWN HERE FOR WHAT I USED TO CALL CITIZENS TO BE IGNORED FOR CLOSE TO 20 YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY NOW TO BE IGNORED.
'CAUSE IT CHANGED FROM PUBLIC COMMENT TO NOW YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE THE WEB IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET IT.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE CAPACITIES, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON PERSONAL MATTERS.
'CAUSE THESE ARE AGENDA ITEMS. AGENDA ITEMS ARE FIXED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT BY THE CITY PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENRY AT LARGE.
SO THAT IS WHAT I'M OBSERVING, HOW A PANDEMIC CAN BE USED BY THE GOVERNMENT ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THEIR OWN GAINS AND TO CURB THE PEOPLE'S VOICE.
I SUPPORT MUCH OF IT, AS I STATED FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.
BUT WHEN IT, WHEN I START SEEING THAT IT IS BEING USED MAINLY TO CURB, TO CURTAIL
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RIGHTS AND TO SILENCE COMPLAINTS OF THE PEOPLE, THEN I SPEAK UP AND I'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.OUR CITY IS NOT ONLY A LOW WAGE CITY, IT'S BEEN A SEGREGATED CITY SINCE ITS INCEPTION, SINCE THE SPANIARDS CAME AND TOOK THE LAND FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I SPEAK OF FOR YEARS UPON YEARS FOR DECADES NOW.
AND AS LONG AS THAT STATUTE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS REMAINS IN THAT PARK NAMED AFTER HIM, WE'RE SEEING BLACK LIFE MATTER MOVEMENT BECAUSE SUPPOSEDLY THOSE ARE THE LEAST LIVES THAT ANYONE CARES ABOUT.
WELL, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE THERE AT THE SAME LOW RUNG OF ANYONE CARING ABOUT OUR LIVES AT ALL, BECAUSE THEY CARE ONLY ABOUT THE EUROPEANS THAT CAME INTO OUR LAND.
DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE YOUR TIME NOW? DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE YOUR TIME? I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE HERE.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON, UH, MYSELF.
UH, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A JOB, UH, WITH THIS COVID.
I'VE SEEN ALL THESE COMMENTS THAT ARE ON THE FACEBOOK WHEN YOU'RE LIVE AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE JUST MARCHING AND WE NEED TO GET A JOB.
WELL, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A JOB.
UH, I'VE EVEN GONE TO BLA
AND I EVEN ASKED THEM IF, IF THEY COULD GIMME WHERE I COULD WALK IN AND GET TESTED.
I'VE BEEN GOING AND THEY SENT ME TO THE FREEMAN COLISEUM YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID, THEY HAD TOLD ME IT WAS FREE THAT I COULD WALK IN AND I COULDN'T.
UH, GW GARCIA, UH, HE'S A COP, A SHERIFF, AND HE TOLD ME I COULDN'T WALK IN, BUT THAT'S WHERE Y'ALL SENT ME.
I WENT TO THE TEXAS MED CLINIC OVER THERE ON SAAM, MORA AND MILITARY.
AND I COULDN'T DO A WALK IN EITHER TESTING AND THEN THEN THEY'RE CHARGING.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS TEST.
YAAY, IT'S FREE, BUT YET THEY'RE CHARGING FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, JUST THE RICH PEOPLE COULD GET TESTED OR WHAT.
ALSO, UH, PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE WINDING UP, HOMELESS, MORE PEOPLE.
ARE YOU GONNA BE HELPING THEM, SIR? PAY THEIR, THEIR RENT AND BILLS AND STUFF.
TELL ME, ARE YOU ALL OF Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT JOBS? IF I HAD THE JOB, I WOULD HELP ANYBODY WITH MONEY ISSUES.
THIS STIMULUS CHECK THEY'RE SENDING IS THAT BLOOD MONEY TOO? THANK YOU, MS. URIEGAS.
OKAY, ITEM FIVE, UH, WAS JUST A BRIEFING ITEM AND, UM, SO WE DON'T NEED ANY ACTION ON ITEM, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
SO WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.
AND, UH, ERIC, ARE WE TAKING ITEM SIX AND SEVEN TOGETHER, OR IS SEPARATE ITEMS, UH, WE CAN DO 'EM TOGETHER OR SEPARATE? IT'S AT, UH, AT YOUR PLEASURE, MAYOR.
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET BASED ON ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR 2020 OCTOBER, 2019 TO APRIL, 2020.
AND PROJECTIONS FOR THE REMAINING FIVE MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR 2020, MAY, 2020 THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2020 IN THE GENERAL FUND AND VARIOUS RESTRICTED FUNDS, AS WELL AS RATIFICATION OF GRANTS, EMERGENCY CONTRACTS AND PURCHASES AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACTS OF C OVID 19 ON THE COMMUNITY AND APPROVAL OF ABATEMENTS AND DEFERRALS OF CERTAIN REVENUES.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS MARIA VIE GOMEZ, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
AND TODAY WHAT WE HAVE IS A BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
WE, UH, PRESENTED A DETAILED PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK.
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A SUMMARY OF THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE TODAY.IN TOTAL, THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT ACTIONS.
ONE IS AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET, THAT IS RESETTING REVENUE AND EXPENSES FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN SEVERAL OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS IMPACTED BY C C OVID 19.
UH, THE SECOND ITEM WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER IS THE RATIFICATION OF FEDERAL GRANTS THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS RECEIVED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RESPONSE TO C OVID 19.
THE THIRD ITEM IS THE APPROVAL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE RATIFICATION OF PURCHASES, EMERGENCY PURCHASES THAT THE CITY, UH, HAS MADE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IN RESPONSE TO C OVID 19.
AND FINALLY, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS REQUEST THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED FROM SEVERAL, SEVERAL OF OUR PARTNERS TO EVADE THE RENT AS THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED FINANCIALLY, UH, BY C OVID 19.
SO I'LL START WITH OUR GENERAL FUND.
I'M, I'M SORRY, WITH OUR TOTAL CITY FUND, $2.9 BILLION IN TOTAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE GENERAL FUND BEING THE LARGEST OPERATING FUND OF THE CITY OF 1.27 BILLION RESTRICTED FUNDS, INCLUDING AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT SERVICE, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AT $938 MILLION, AND THEN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM AT 715 MILLION.
SO TODAY'S, UH, MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT WILL FOCUS ON THE GENERAL FUND AND RESTRICTED FUNDS AS WE HAVE BRIEFED THE CITY COUNCIL SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE MONTHS OF MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY.
THE CITY'S REVENUES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY C OVID 19.
OUR LAST ESTIMATE IS CLOSE TO $200 MILLION, UH, IN TOTAL OF THAT AMOUNT.
84.4 MILLION IS IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND 114 MILLION IS IN OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS TAKEN MEASURES TO TAKE TO, TO MAKE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUDGETS STAY BALANCED IN THE GENERAL FUND AND RESTRICTED FUNDS AS WELL.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT BEFORE YOU TODAY TO RIGHTSIZE THE GENERAL FUND AND ENSURE THAT WE STAY BALANCED.
WE PROVIDED TO YOU LAST WEEK A LIST OF THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUSPENDED OR DELAYED.
UH, WE ALSO POSTED THAT ONLINE LAST WEEK FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW, SO I WON'T GO OVER THE DETAIL OF THAT, BUT THAT IS A TOTAL OF $83 MILLION.
WE ALSO HAVE A REIMBURSEMENT TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE CVID 19 GRANTS AT $7.8 MILLION.
UH, OVERALL DEPARTMENT SAVINGS AT $4.5 MILLION.
WE'RE ADDING, UH, FUNDS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, UH, FOR THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OF 10.4 MILLION.
AND WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING, UH, FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION A MODIFIED OUTDOOR OUTDOOR POOL SEASON AT $322,000, MOVING, UH, TO OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND IN THE RESTRICTED FUND CATEGORY.
UH, THIS TABLE PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE REVENUE LOSSES THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING IN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AS WELL AS THE ALAMO AND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
$54.8 MILLION IS OUR ESTIMATE OF REVENUE LOSS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE BUDGET BALANCE.
UH, THIS NEXT, UH, CHART REPRESENTS THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY AND ALSO WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS.
UH, A 30% REDUCTION TO OUR CONVENTION FACILITIES AS THE ALAMO DOME AND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, VISIT SAN ANTONIO ALSO IS REDUCING THEIR BUDGET BY 30%.
ARTS AND CULTURE 22% HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, WHICH IS A TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND ALSO BEING REDUCED AS WELL AS AN IMPACT TO OUR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE, UM, CASH AVAILABILITY WITHIN THIS FUND.
WE'RE ALSO USING A PORTION OF OUR CONTINGENCY AND TRANSFERRING TWO PROJECTS TO CAPITAL PROJECTS TO THE PROPERTY TAX DEBT FUND.
FINALLY, WE'RE ALSO MAKING ADJUSTMENT TO HOSTING OBLIGATIONS AND FILM INCENTIVES.
THE OTHER RESTRICTED FUND IMPACTED BY COVID 19 IS THE AIRPORT, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE.
AND AN ESTIMATE OF $43.2 MILLION IS THE REVENUE LOSS FOR, UH, THE AIRPORT, INCLUDING THE OPERATING BUDGET, OUR PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE FUND, AND ALSO OUR CUSTOMER FACILITY CHARGE.
THIS FOLLOWING SLIDE REPRESENTS A SUMMARY OF THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FOR THE AIRPORT.
UH, WE TOOK SEVERAL ACTIONS IN THE OPERATIONS, UH, 26.9 MILLION IN TOTAL, INCLUDING A HIRING FREEZE AND SUSPENDING SOME OF OTHER, UM, UH, PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THE OPERATING FUND REMAINED BALANCED, AS WELL AS USING SOME OF OUR CASH BALANCES AND DEFERRING SOME
[01:00:01]
TRANSFERS TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE AND THE CUSTOMER FACILITY CHARTS.SO WITH THIS ACTIONS, THE AIRPORT BUDGET REMAINS BALANCED.
THIS FOLLOWING SLIDE JUST REPRESENTS, UH, THOSE, UH, RE RESTRICTED FUNDS, ALSO IMPACTED BY COVID 19, A TOTAL OF $16.1 MILLION.
WE ARE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN THOSE FUNDS AS WELL, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN THE GENERAL FUND WITH, UM, A HIRING FREEZE AND REDUCING SOME OF OUR, UH, EXPENSES TO MAINTAIN THOSE FUNDS BALANCE AS WELL.
WE ARE ALSO ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO RATIFY $347 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED.
UH, IN TOTAL WE HAVE RECEIVED $361 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS LIE, THERE'S A TOTAL OF EIGHT GRANTS THAT WE'RE AC ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO RATIFY AND APPROPRIATE FUNDS.
IN RESPONSE TO COVID 19, THE CITY HAD TO INCUR SEVERAL EMERGENCY PURCHASES FOR A TOTAL OF 10.7 MILLION.
THOSE WERE PAID WITH THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, SO WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL ALSO TO, UH, RATIFY THOSE, UH, PURCHASE THAT WE'VE ALREADY MADE.
AND FINALLY, THE MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT RECOMMENDS ABATEMENT OF THE FERRAL OF REVENUE AND THE GENERAL FUND, THE AIRPORT FUND, AND SOME OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS, UH, TO OBEY RENT AS SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT PAY RENT TO THE CITY WERE FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY C OVID 19, AND ALSO TO PROVIDE FREE PARKING TO OUR RESIDENTS, UH, DURING THE WEEK AND ALSO ON THE WEEKDAYS.
SO WITH THAT MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, THE CITY MANAGER.
ITEM FIVE IS THE, UH, AMENDING OF THE 2020 OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, SO WE HAVE SEVEN CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM SIX.
UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE FIRST NAME AGAIN, WE HAVE, UH, A STANDING MICROPHONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH IT.
WE WILL SANITIZE IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS.
UH, IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD AND ASK EVERYONE TO RESPECT THE SPEAKER AT THE PODIUM, UH, AT THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN HEAR, IF YOU CAN LIMIT APPLAUSE SO WE CAN HEAR THE NEXT NAME IN THE LIST.
UH, WE'LL START WITH CHARLIE MARIE.
OKAY, MS. MARIE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER, NICE AND LOW.
HI EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS CHARLIE MARIE.
I RECENTLY MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO ABOUT LAST YEAR.
WE BOUGHT A HOUSE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, AND I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY.
UM, BUT BEING IN LOVE MEANS THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING, WARTS AND ALL.
UM, AS WE LOOK AT THE NEWS, WE SEE BLACK LIVES MATTER IN A LOT OF POLICE BRUTALITY.
UM, AND I THOUGHT, NO, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SAN ANTONIO, MUCH LIKE EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, UH, HAS THE SAME ISSUES, UH, WITH, UH, BULLYING PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND WE NEED MORE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO, EXCUSE ME, PLEASE RESPECT MY TIME TO SPEAK.
UM, THIS IS THE PERFECT RESPONSIBILITY.
THIS IS THE PERFECT MOMENT TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, ASSESS OUR BUDGET FOR THE POLICE.
WE'VE GOT $20 MILLION MORE THIS YEAR THAN WE DID LAST YEAR FOR, FOR POLICE FUNDING.
THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TOWARDS PROTECTING CITIZENS RIGHT NOW.
IT'S GOING TOWARDS BULLYING THEM.
UM, WHAT I SUGGEST WE DO IS WE REASSESS THE USE OF THAT MONEY AND PUT IT MORE TOWARDS DEESCALATION TA UH, TACTICS, RETRAIN POLICE OFFICERS TO REALLY PROTECT AS OPPOSED TO BULLY, UH, AND TO TAKE THAT 20 MILLION AND CATER IT MORE TOWARDS, UM, LIKE I SAID, DEESCALATION.
UM, WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, LIMIT THE HARM DONE TO CITIZENS AND WE WANNA REINFORCE UNPAID LEAVE, UH, WITH COPS WHENEVER THEY'RE ACCUSED OF, OF HARMING CIVILIANS.
AND THAT MEANS RENEGOTIATING THE, THE UNION CONTRACT AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY PIECE.
UM, TAKE THE EXTRA 20 MILLION WHILE WE'RE REASSESSING THE BUDGET AND TURN IT AWAY FROM HARMING CIVILIANS AND POINT IT TOWARDS REES DEESCALATION TRAINING AND TACTICS FOR THE POLICE SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SERVE OUR CITY AND OUR CIVILIANS AS OPPOSED TO JUST BULLYING PEOPLE OF COLOR.
[01:05:01]
THANK YOU.I'M GOING TO GIVE EVERYONE AN EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT AND PASS ON SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM.
I'LL RETURN ON ITEM EIGHT AND ITEM NINE.
APRIL DUVAL, UM, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER FALCON.
SO I'M FROM DISTRICT 10, AND I AM OPPOSED TO THE CITY'S BUDGET AS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.
UM, OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY BUDGET HAVE BEEN CUT, BUT POLICE HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY 20 MILLION.
THERE'S 479 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR POLICING RIGHT NOW WITH C OVID 19.
UM, OUR BLACK CITIZENS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO DIE FROM IT AS OUR WHITE CITIZENS, AND THAT'S DUE TO SYSTEMIC RACISM.
WE SHOULD CUT THE POLICE BUDGET THAT CAN INCREASE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.
IF THE POLICE GIVE UP, UM, PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE WHILE THEY'RE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR BRUTALITY AND THEIR PENSIONS WHEN THEY'RE CONVICTED OF BRUTALITY, UM, THAT MONEY SHOULD BE SHIFTED TO PLACES LIKE OUR EAST SIDE, WHERE OUR MINORITIES ARE MORE CONCENTRATED, UM, WITH JOB TRAINING AS HAS BEEN PROPOSED.
HOUSING SECURITY AS HAS BEEN PROPOSED EARLIER, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET IN THOSE AREAS AND MEDICAL CLINICS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE RIGHT NOW.
MS. FALCON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DELISA ROMAN.
UH, MY NAME'S JENNIFER FALCON AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
I'M A MOTHER TO TWO BLACK INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND I'M HERE IN DEFENSE OF BLACK LIVES.
I AM DEMANDING THAT YOU DEFUND THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE AND CANCEL THE UNION CONTRACT AND IMMEDIATELY PIVOT TO CREATING COMMUNITIES OF CARE.
MANY OF YOU HERE VOTED FOR THE POLICE CONTRACT THAT ALLOWS LITTLE TO NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR POLICE WITH VIOLENCE INFRACTIONS, YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN THE MURDER OF BLACK PEOPLE.
I WORKED HERE IN CITY HALL WITH MANY OF YOU WHEN THIS CONTRACT WAS PASSED.
I'VE BLOCK WALKED AND DONATED TO YOUR CAMPAIGNS.
I'VE WATCHED THE AGGRESSIVE STANCE THE POLICE HAVE TAKEN, AND I AM ASHAMED OF SUPPORTING YOU BECAUSE BY GIVING YOU THE POWER TO APPROVE THAT CONTRACT, I AM COMPLICIT IN BLACK LIVES, UH, THE MURDER OF BLACK LIVES AS WELL.
RUBBER BULLETS ARE MEANT TO BE AIMED AT THE GROUND AND NOT SHOT.
MY PARTNER IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY DOING LEGAL OBSERVING ON SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT, AND WAS, WAS NEARLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM PROTEST, AND YET A POLICE OFFICER AIMED AT HIS HEAD JUST BARELY MISSING HIM.
HOW IS MEETING PROTEST OVER POLICE? AGGRESSION? AGGRESSION WITH AGGRESSION? THE ANSWER, I I SAY NO MORE.
THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR POLICE AND FOR ALL OF YOU.
I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND ANTI-BLACKNESS DURING MY TIME AT CITY HALL AND I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TAKEN ANTI-RACISM CLASSES? YES.
IF THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO CONV CULT CULTIVATING COMMUNITIES OF CARE, YOU MUST GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
YOU MUST DEFUND THE POLICE AND INVEST.
INVEST IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT CARE FOR YOUR COMPA CONSTITUENTS WITH COMPASSION AND LOVE.
I DEMAND ANTI-RACISM TRAINING BE MANDATORY FOR EVERYONE AT CITY HALL.
EVERYONE WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY, FOR OUR POLICE AND EVERYONE SITTING ON CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BLACK LIVES MATTER AND WE HOLD WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO TAKING ACTIONS TO ENSURE THAT IS TRUE.
MS. ROMAN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ALEX BRUNELL.
HELLO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS DEA ROMAN AND I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO FOR 10 YEARS.
SAN ANTONIO IS A STRONG COMMUNITY AND WE STAND TOGETHER AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY TOGETHER.
WE ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER THE BUDGET EXPANSION FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MANY OF US DO NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN WE SEE POLICE OFFICERS, WE FEEL SCARED, WE FEEL ANXIOUS.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE COUNTLESS S A P D OFFICERS AND DEPUTIES WHO ARE DOMESTIC ABUSERS.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE STANFORD STUDY THAT HAS TAUGHT US THAT ABUSE OF POWER IS INHERENT IN THE POLICE FORCE.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE ON TUESDAY, SS A P D USED PROJECTILES INCLUDING WOODEN BULLETS AND TEAR GAS ON A GROUP OF PEACEFUL PROTESTORS.
THEY ARE NOT HERE TO SERVE AND PROTECT.
THEY ARE HERE TO ABUSE AND OPPRESS.
IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER THE $20 MILLION BUDGET
[01:10:01]
INCREASE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.WE ASK THAT YOU INSTEAD DISPERSE THESE FUNDS TO HELP IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AID, OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, AND FUND OTHER CAUSES THAT CAN MAKE BETTER USE OF CITY FUNDS.
THE POLICE DO NOT STAND WITH OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOR DO THEY STAND WITH OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY OR THE MENTALLY ILL BY INCREASING THEIR FUNDS.
YOU ARE SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY THAT YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR ARE NOT HERE TO SERVICE EITHER.
THE POLICE DO NOT SERVE AND PROTECT.
THEY ABUSE AND OPPRESS BLACK LIVES MATTER.
MR. BRUNELL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ISABELLA SINO.
CAN YOU LOWER IT, SIR? CAN YOU LOWER IT? SORRY.
I WANNA START OUT WITH THREE FACTS TODAY, THE 470 MILLION THAT WE SPEND ON POLICE, THE FACT THAT WE'RE THE MOST SEGREGATED CITY IN THE COUNTRY, THE FACT THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE POOREST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
I WANNA FOLLOW THAT BY THREE NAMES.
MARQUIS JONES, CHARLES ROUNDTREE, ANTHONY SCOTT, RIGHT.
POLICE, IF YOU ASK THE AVERAGE PERSON ARE SUPPOSED TO ENFORCE THE LAW, WE'VE EXPANDED WHAT ENFORCING THE LAW MEANS TO COVER SOCIAL DISORDER, DISTRESS AND HARDSHIP.
SOMEBODY WHO'S SLEEPING ON A PARK BENCH, SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING THROUGH A MENTAL HEALTH EPISODE, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE TOOLS TO RESPOND TO THESE PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE GUNS, HANDCUFFS, TASERS, WHEN PEOPLE NEED HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND THINGS TO ACTUALLY ASSIST THEM.
IT'S A SQUARE PEG AND A ROUND HOLE PROBLEM.
THE LAW, THE INSTRUMENT THAT IF ALL YOU HAVE IS A HAMMER, EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL.
WE NEED TO DIVEST FROM POLICE AND INVEST IN COMMUNITY.
RIGHT? IT'S BOUND TO HAPPEN THAT THESE INCIDENTS OCCUR WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS WE'VE ASKED THEM TO SOLVE.
AND AS HEAVILY ARMED AS THEY ARE, WE'RE BOUND TO HAVE THE KIND OF VIOLENCE WE'VE SEEN IN THE PROTESTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND INFLICTED ON BLACK LIVES EVERY DAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT PROTESTORS DID ARE NOT THE ONES THAT ESCALATE.
POLICE ARE THE ONES THAT ESCALATE WHEN THEY BRING GUNS, WHEN THEY BRING TASERS, WHEN THEY BRING ZIP TIES TO A, TO A NONVIOLENT PROTEST.
RIGHT? THEY ARE MADE VIOLENT BY THE PRESENCE OF THOSE ITEMS. I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH BLACK LIVES LOCALLY AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND I INVITE THE CHAMBER TO STAY WITH ME.
MS. ENO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEFINA FERNANDEZ.
I'M A RECENT U T S A GRADUATE, UM, AND I WORK AT TEXAS RISING.
I'M HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO DEFUND SAN ANTONIO POLICE CURRENTLY, UM, OUR BUDGET GIVES THE POLICE $479,091,284 MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE BUDGET.
THAT'S ABOUT 11 TIMES MORE THAN WHAT'S SET ASIDE FOR THE LIBRARY.
30 TIMES MORE THAN WHAT'S BUDGETED FOR HEALTH AND 37 TIMES MORE THAN WHAT IS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.
IT'S CLEAR WHERE PRIORITIES WERE WHEN THIS BUDGET WAS VOTED ON.
IF THE VIOLENCE AND UNREST BEING SOWED AGAINST PEACEFUL PROTESTORS IN THE STREET BY THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T ALTER THESE PRIORITIES, THEN I ASK THAT YOU STOP THROWING AROUND THE PHRASE PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE IT'S CLEARLY NOT A GENUINE CONCERN OF YOURS.
SAN ANTONIO NEED COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS AND RESOURCES.
THESE ARE WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD BE GOING, NOT TO AN OPPRESSIVE AND VIOLENT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE SAME DEPARTMENT THAT HAS TAKEN, TAKEN THE LIVES OF CHARLES ROUNDTREE AND MARQUIS JONES AMONG MANY AND MORE LIVES.
LET YOUR PRIORITIES IN DOLLAR REST WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH WORKERS, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH BROWN PEOPLE, AND MOST OF ALL, RIGHT NOW WITH BLACK PEOPLE.
THESE ARE THE REAL HUMANS WHOSE SAFETY NEEDS TO BE FINANCED AND TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
DEFUND, S A P D, BLACK LIVES MATTER.
MS. FERNANDEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE CORTEN.
GOOD MORNING, JOSEFINA FERNANDEZ.
AND I'M A SENIOR AT U T S A AND THE RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT THIS MORNING.
I STAND BEFORE YOU IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK LIVES MURDERED AND TERRORIZED BY S A P D THAT THIS GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED TO CONSISTENTLY HAPPEN.
FOR YEARS, THIS GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED THE POLICE TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR SCHOOLS,
[01:15:01]
MILITAR, MILITARIZE OUR STREETS, AND REMAIN THE MOST FUNDED DEPARTMENT IN THIS GOVERNMENT, YOU ALLOWED OVER $400 MILLION TO BE ALLOCATED DEPARTMENT.IN FACT, YOU ALLOCATED 730,000 FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE PLATFORM THAT WILL ENHANCE COMMUNICATION AND STRENGTHEN POLICE COMMUNICATION COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
BUT WHERE IS THAT SHOWN IN THE GENTRIFIED AREAS OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE PRIVILEGE AND WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS? CLEARLY IT ISN'T BEING PUT TO USE ALL OVER THE CITY BECAUSE YOUR EMPLOYED MURDERERS DIDN'T USE THEIR FRIENDLY CUSTOMER SERVICE BECAUSE CHARLES ROUNDTREE, MARQUIS JONES AND AN ANTHONY SCOTT'S KILLERS ONLY GOT A SLAP ON THE WRIST.
BUT YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT OFFICER LEE COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GUN AND A PHONE WHEN HE SHOTTER? YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT OFFICER CASANOVA DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DEESCALATE OR MAKE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN BEFORE KILLING CHARLES TRE? YOU ALSO MEAN TO TELL ME THAT OFFICER OFFICER ENCINA HAD TO SHOOT MARQUIS JONES EIGHT TIMES.
I WOULD THINK YOUR 400 MILLION WOULD GO AT LEAST TO ADEQUATE TRAINING BECAUSE IT SURE DIDN'T GO TO EDUCATION AND HOUSING IN ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
WE WANT ACTUAL DRUG TREATMENT, PRO PROGRAMS, SAFE FACILITIES AND RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS ABAN ABANDONED THE POSSIBILITY OF HOUSING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
ALMOST 3000 PEOPLE ARE DISPLACED IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S ONLY GROWING BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO CANCEL RENT.
AND ON TOP OF OUR GROWING HOMELESSNESS, YOU THEN USE POLICE TO CRIMINALIZE THEM.
TELL ME HOW THAT FIXES ANYTHING.
IT DOESN'T BECAUSE YOU KEEP THINKING THAT WE CAN TURN POLICE INTO SOCIAL WORKERS.
YOU, THAT YOU THINK WE, THEY CAN MAKE 'EM NICE, FRIENDLY OUTREACH WORKERS, BUT THEY'RE VIOLENT AND THAT WE USE ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TO ESCALATE THE SITUATION BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED DUE TO INADEQUATE TRAINING.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN DURING THE PROTESTS THIS WEEK, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY S A P D FELT THE NEED TO USE WOODEN BULLETS AND INJURED CITIZENS WHO ARE VERY ANGRY AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
THIS COUNTRY AND INCLUDING THE CITY, USES POLICE TO MANAGE THE PROBLEMS THAT OUR VERY UNEQUAL FUNDING CREATES.
REVIEW OUR POLICE UNION CONTRACT TODAY, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, EXPIRES NEXT YEAR.
THE ENTIRE ENTIRE CONTRACT DISQUALIFIES COMPLAINTS, DELAYS INTERROGATIONS, GIVES THE ACCUSED OFFICERS UNFAIR ACCESS TO EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM LIMITS OVERSIGHTS REQUIRES CITY PAY FOR MISCONDUCT AND AR ERASES MISCONDUCT RECORDS SECTION 28 POINT 19 ERASES RECORDS OF SUSPENSIONS AFTER TWO YEARS, WE'VE ALWAYS DESERVED BETTER THAN WHAT SANTO HAS GIVEN US.
AND SHAME ON THIS GOVERNMENT FOR NOT DOING MORE CARE.
MORE ABOUT YOUR CITIZENS AND DEFUND THE POLICE NOW.
MS. CORTAN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEVIN GONZALEZ.
HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, SHOW ME A CITY'S BUDGET AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT CITY VALUES AND WHAT IT PRIORITIZES.
RIGHT NOW, SAN ANTONIO SPENDS MORE MONEY ON POLICING THAN ON ANYTHING ELSE.
$479 MILLION IS CURRENTLY EARMARKED FOR POLICING IN FISCAL YEAR 2020.
THIS BLOATED BUDGET IS WHAT THEY USE TO TERRORIZE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
IT'S WHAT THEY USE TO TARGET PEACEFUL CITIZENS AND USE MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS AGAINST THOSE THEY ARE SWORN TO SERVE AND PROTECT.
IN THE PAST WEEK, WE HAVE SEEN PEACEFUL PROTESTORS MAIMED.
SOME OF THEM ARE CURRENTLY IN CRITICAL CONDITION.
SOME MIGHT DIE, SOME MIGHT NEVER RECOVER COGNITIVE ABILITIES.
WE'VE SEEN CHILDREN TEAR GASSED.
WE'VE SEEN JOURNALISTS PERMANENTLY BLINDED.
WE'VE SEEN PEACEFUL PROTESTORS, AND WE'VE SEEN INNOCENT BYSTANDERS BLEEDING FROM BULLET WOUNDS, CRATERS IN THEIR HEADS.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PRIORITIZE HEALTH OVER HARM IN THE GREATEST ECONOMIC DEPRESSION IN OUR LIFETIME.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DEVOTE RESOURCES TOWARD HOUSING FIRST HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TOWARDS EVICTION PROTECTIONS, TOWARDS RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND TOWARDS MORE C OVID 19 TESTING FACILITIES.
WE WANT YOU TO PRIORITIZE OUR HEALTH OVER HARMING US.
WE WANT YOU TO SHOW US, NOT TELL
[01:20:01]
US.WE WANT YOU TO SHOW US THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
THE TIME IS DONE FOR RHETORIC.
THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAVE CUT $150 MILLION FROM THE L A P D BUDGET.
AS THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OF LOS ANGELES, NURI MARTINEZ SAYS, IT'S TIME TO SHOW THAT WE MEAN IT.
WHEN WE WANT TO CREATE CHANGE, WE MUST SHOW THAT WE WANT TO CREATE CHANGE WITH OUR ACTIONS, NOT WITH RHETORIC.
MS. GONZALEZ, YOU'D BE FOLLOWED BY SOPHIA GONZALEZ.
AND WHAT CONCERNS ME IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THE LACK OF EDUCATION THAT THOSE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE AND PROTECT US ACTUALLY HAVE ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE.
THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT TO BE ON SS A P D IS A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WITH THE AVERAGE OF A C.
HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EXPECT THESE PEOPLE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL ISSUES, THE RACIAL ISSUES, THE EDUCATIONAL DISPARITY, THE FINANCIAL DISPARITY WHEN THEY WEREN'T EVEN ABLE TO GET AN A IN HIGH SCHOOL COURSES? WE NEED EDUCATED LEADERS, EDUCATED COMMUNITY SERVANTS.
THE STANDARD FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD NOT BE A C AVERAGE AT A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
THEY NEED SOME SORT OF COLLEGE EDUCATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE.
AND I JUST ASK IF YOU ARE GOING TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET, PUT $20 MILLION INTO MASTER'S EDUCATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE US.
MS. GONZALEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ALEXIS GARCIA.
UH, I GIVE MY TIME TO MS. DOROTHY LOPEZ.
I'M SORRY, TO WHO? UH, DOROTHY LOPEZ.
I DON'T HAVE A DOROTHY LOPEZ ON THE LIST FOR ITEM SIX.
YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES ON ITEM SEVEN.
MS. GARCIA WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LEO CASTILLO.
I AM, UM, AN ORGANIZER WITH TEXAS RISING, AND ALSO I'M JUST HERE SPEAKING AS A CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO.
AS CITIES ACROSS AMERICA RISE UP AND DEMAND THE LONG OVERDUE RECKONING OF RACIAL INJUSTICE AND MURDEROUS POLICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOTHING NEW TO BLACK PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
I'M HERE BECAUSE MARQUIS JONES SHOULD BE ALIVE TODAY, MURDERED BY AN OFF DUTY MEMBER OF YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE BECAUSE CHARLES RANCH ROUNDTREE SHOULD BE ALIVE TODAY, MURDERED BY A MEMBER OF YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE FIRST STEP IN ENDING CARCERAL VIOLENCE IS TO DEFUND THE POLICE.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS ENSURED THAT THE POLICE ARE FULLY EQUIPPED EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT THROUGH TRAINING AND GROWING THEIR PERSONNEL, BASICALLY STOCKPILING, WEAPONRY, UH, TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
ALL OF THIS AT THE FINGERTIPS OF OUR POLICE CHIEF, UH, TO, TO UNLEASH ON US BECAUSE OUR CITY BUDGETS HAVE MADE THE PRIORITY CLEAR POLICING OVER PEOPLE.
IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET, $1.6 MILLION OF THE, OF, UM, OF THE BUDGET WENT TO HIRING 16 MORE POLICE OFFICERS.
SIX OF THOSE SERGEANTS, UM, ON THE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM AND 10 OFFICERS WHO ARE DESCRIBED TO HAVE MOST INTERACTION THROUGH COMMUNITY POLICING.
WERE THESE, THE OFFICERS THAT WERE SHOOTING CITIZENS WITH WOODEN PROJECTILES THIS PAST WEEKEND? WERE THEY TRULY NEEDED THERE? WHILE MOST PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS HAVE TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS, GROCERY
[01:25:01]
WORKERS FASHION, THEIR OWN MASKS, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC FROM HOME, HAS A MEMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT EVER HAD TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN WOODEN PROJECTILES, THEIR OWN TACTICAL SHIELD, EVER.OUR MONEY IS SPREAD SO HEAVILY TO FUNDING THE POLICE AND THIS YEARLY CHOICE SIGNALS THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE NOT THINGS LIKE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, NOT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH.
BUT INSTEAD, WE CHOOSE TO FUND AND FURTHER AN INSTITUTION THAT CLEARLY TARGETS THE WORKING CLASS ARE HOMELESS AND DISPROPORTIONATELY OUR BLACK AND BROWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
I'M TELLING YOU TODAY THAT ME AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ME WILL NOT START FROM A POSITION OF COMPROMISE ON THIS.
WE WILL NOT ACCEPT APOLOGY OR POLICE TRAINING OR REFORM.
WE WANT THE POLICE TO BE DEFUNDED.
WE DEMAND THE JUSTICE BE SERVED.
MR. CASTILLO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ERIC RODRIGUEZ.
UH, MY NAME IS LEO, AND I'M A STUDENT LEADER WITH TEXAS RISING AT U T S A.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE NAMES HERE.
ERIC GARNER, MICHAEL BROWN, LAQUANA MCDONALD, WHO WAS SHOT 16 TIMES.
TANISHA ANDERSON, BREONNA TAYLOR, A 26 YEAR OLD E M T, WHO WAS KILLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY BY TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE SERGEANT WHO WENT INTO THE WRONG HOME WITHOUT NOTICE CLAIMING THEY WERE EXECUTING A WARRANT FOR DRUG CHARGES ON SOMEONE WHO DID NOT LIVE AT BRIANNA'S ADDRESS AND HAD ALREADY BEEN ARRESTED PRIOR, AH, MAUD ARBERY, A 25 YEAR OLD MAN WHO WAS GOING ON A JOG IN GEORGIA WHEN TWO WHITE MEN CHASED AND GUNNED HIM DOWN, CLAIMING THEY WERE CONDUCTING A CITIZENS ARREST FOR BURGLARY.
GEORGE FLOYD, A 59 YEAR OLD MAN WHO YELLED, I CAN'T BREATHE AS A WHITE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER VIOLENTLY PINNED HIM DOWN ON HIS, WITH HIS KNEE ON HIS NECK, LEADING TO HIS DEATH.
CHARLES ROUNDTREE, AN 18 YEAR OLD KID WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY SHOT AND MURDERED BY SS A P D OFFICER STEVE CASANOVA, WHO RECEIVED NO PUNISHMENT AND CONTINUES TO WORK FOR S A P D.
FOR YEARS, POLICE BRUTALITY HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND POLICE ARE GETTING AWAY WITH WAY TOO MUCH.
POLICE ARE CONSTANTLY KILLING UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK.
AREN'T POLICE OFFICERS SUPPOSED TO RESPECT LIFE AND LIBERTY TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH DIGNITY AND COMPASSION? WHY IS IT THAT THEY CAN ONLY DO THIS FOR WHITE PEOPLE, BUT SIMPLY CANNOT DO THIS FOR BLACK PEOPLE? WE DEMAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE DEVALUATION AND DEHUMANIZATION OF BLACK LIFE AT THE HANDS OF THE POLICE.
THIS CITY CURRENTLY SPENDS 479 MILLION ON POLICE FUNDING.
WHAT IF SOME OF THAT MONEY WAS REDIRECTED INTO OTHER PROGRAMS THAT OFFERED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, HEALTHCARE AND JOBS? WE CALL FOR THE DEFUNDING OF SS A P D.
WE DEMAND INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE RESOURCES TO ENSURE BLACK PEOPLE NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE.
WE MUST INVEST IN HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, AND HEALTHCARE IN WAYS THAT DIRECTLY TARGET THE PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
INSTEAD OF CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS, WE NEED PUBLICLY FINANCED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING INSTEAD OF GANG UNITS.
WE NEED COMMUNITY-BASED ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS, TRAUMA SERVICES AND JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SCHOOL POLICE.
WE NEED MORE COUNSELORS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS UNTIL THE POLICE CAN PROVE THAT THEY'RE PROTECTING EVERYONE, WHICH I DON'T THINK THAT THEY CAN.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN A DIME.
MR. RODRIGUEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARY URIBE.
UM, I'M GONNA ECHO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID BY EVERYBODY ELSE, AND MAYBE THAT'LL MAKE Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW PEOPLE FEEL.
UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW TO US, TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PROTESTING, I DON'T THINK THEY FEEL LIKE YOU.
WHEN WE SEE POLICE SHOW UP IN RIOT GEAR FOR A PEACEFUL PROTEST, IT DOESN'T MAKE US FEEL SAFE.
AND RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK Y'ALL REALIZE WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, IN A TIME WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR JUSTICE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN MURDERED BY POLICE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ACT LIKE SS A P D DOESN'T HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS.
WE CAN ACT LIKE Y'ALL DON'T HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS.
BUT THERE'S BEEN NO JUSTICE FOR MARQUIS JONES.
THERE'S BEEN NO JUSTICE FOR CHARLES ROUNTREE.
DEMONE WALKER WILL NEVER WALK AGAIN.
AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A POLICE UNION THAT HAS WAY TOO MUCH POWER.
SO WHEN CONTRACTS GO UP NEXT YEAR, Y'ALL NEED TO REEVALUATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND YOU KNOW, AS A CITY COUNCIL, Y'ALL REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND A LOT OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ARE SCARED OF POLICE.
THEY'RE SCARED TO CALL THE POLICE.
SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT IT AND, AND REALIZE THAT EVERYBODY'S UP HERE SAYING THE SAME THING BECAUSE THEY CARE
[01:30:01]
AND BECAUSE THEY WANT CHANGE.MR. URIBE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE CENTENNIAL.
I AM A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT ONE.
UM, AS CITY COUNCIL IS DISCUSSING THE REDIRECTION OF BUDGET, BUDGET FUNDS DUE TO ECONOMIC IMPACT OF C OVID 19, I'D ASK THAT YOU TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT THE LARGEST PART OF THE CITY'S BUDGET BEING ALLOCATED TO POLICE AND FIRE.
NOT OUR HUMAN, OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, NOR OUR STREET INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AS A SINGLE MOM WHOSE SON NEVER GOT ACCESS TO PRE-K FOR SA, THIS ONE REALLY BOTHERS ME.
UM, YOU GAVE $479 MILLION TO, OF THE, OF THE GENERAL BUDGET TO POLICE WHILE OTHER NECESSARY CITY SERVICES WERE LEFT BEGGING FOR SCRAPS IMPACTING FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY, INCLUDING MINE.
AND THEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT LAST WEEK AND YOU SEE THE MONEY BEING USED ON WOODEN AND RUBBER BULLETS, BATONS, RIOT GEAR.
YOU SEE THE MONEY BEING USED FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS ENDS UP ALSO IMPACTING FAMILIES ACROSS OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY IMPACTING BLACK AND PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT ARE OTHERWISE ALREADY STRUGGLING BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T ADEQUATELY FUND PROGRAMS TO CREATE AN ACTUAL SENSE OF EQUITY.
THIS, THIS IS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, HEALTH ASSISTANCE, ET CETERA.
THROWING A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT YOUR CAMPAIGN ISN'T ENOUGH LIKE THAT.
REDIRECT THESE FUNDS TO WHERE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THE MOST ON WHAT WILL CREATE A TRULY EQUITABLE CITY.
IF YOU DON'T, WE'LL BE HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING AND ELECTION TIME, IT'S ABOUT TIME WE, IT'S ABOUT IT'S TIME TO BE ABOUT THE EQUITY WE ALWAYS SPEAK OF AND SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
MR. CENTENNIAL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY HALEY BLOOMER.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, DEFUND THE POLICE.
UM, 479 MILLION, THAT'S NEARLY HALF A BILLION DOLLARS INVESTED INTO THE POLICE.
AND WHY NOT YOUR PEOPLE? WHY NOT INTO OUR BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES? THE WEST SIDE STILL NEEDS LIGHTS AND BETTER SIDEWALKS FOR THE DISABLED.
THE SOUTH SIDE STILL NEEDS BETTER SIDEWALKS AND LIGHTS AND YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
BUT INSTEAD, YOU GIVE IT TO THE POLICE.
THERE'S POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST PROTESTORS, YOUNG PROTESTORS EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE VIOLENCE.
IT'S, UH, THAT'S BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.
THANK YOU, MR. CENTENNIAL BLOOMER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY NERVOUS TO BE UP HERE.
I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE CITY BUDGET THE PAST COUPLE DAYS, I REALLY THINK THAT THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE NERVOUS AND ASHAMED ARE YOU GUYS.
I'M, I'M NOT ONE FOR FORMALITIES, BUT I'M JUST GONNA BE BLUNT AND HONEST WITH YOU GUYS.
WHEN I SEE AND HEAR THE TERM PROTECT AND SERVE, ALL I CAN THINK IS POLICING POVERTY.
I AM HERE TO DEMAND FOR YOU GUYS TO DEFUND S A P D 4,470 $9 MILLION.
A LOT OF THIS MONEY NEEDS TO GO BACK TO HEALING OUR COMMUNITIES OF THEIR CURRENT AND GENERATIONAL TRAUMAS.
[01:35:01]
IS A PLACE THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO START.ALSO, I WANNA DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PAST AND PRESENT POLICE BRUTALITY.
AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO DEMAND CITY COUNCIL TO IMPLEMENT A CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD FOR ALL INCIDENTS OF POLICE MISCONDUCT.
OKAY, FOLKS, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW.
ALL RIGHT FOLKS, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE INTERESTED IN HEARING THAT.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR, UH, WORDS AND, UM, YOUR PRESENCE AND YOUR ADVOCACY.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR CITY STAFF FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS, UH, THIS ITEM THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS BECAUSE I HAVE 10 MINUTES AND I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
I AM GOING TO ADDRESS, UM, WHAT YOU ALL WERE SHARING, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF MY REMARKS.
'CAUSE LET ME GET TO THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ALL OF, UM, ALL OF US IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE KNOW WHAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS DONE FOR EVERYBODY AT ALL SECTORS, AND WE'RE SEEING THIS HERE IN OUR BUDGET.
AND SO MANY OF THESE ACTIONS, ERIC, YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN, BUT WE ARE HAVING TO RATIFY THEM HERE TODAY WITH THIS MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, COUNSEL.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT OVER 270 CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED, OR 60 EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED.
200, 266, 266 EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED.
AND THESE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENTS ARE PART OF, UM, WE'RE HAVING TO COVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THINGS.
WE DO WANNA OPEN OUR POOLS THAT WOULD START SOME POOLS AT THE START OF, UH, JULY 4TH WEEK OR JULY 3RD.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT.
AND THEN PART OF THIS $10 MILLION IS ALSO, AND I'LL GET TO THAT TOWARDS THE END OF MY COMMENTS, BUT PART OF OUR, OUR, UH, MONEY IS BECAUSE OF THE FIRE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THAT WE WERE IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR HOW MANY YEARS? THE CONTRACT EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER, 2014.
AND WE STARTED NEGOTIATIONS IN, UH, JANUARY OF 2019.
SO, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL THAT YOU HAD.
UH, MARIA, JUST I THINK FOR CLARIFICATION ON, UH, PAGE NUMBER FOUR OF 16 UNDER THE, UH, EXPENSES OR THE SEVEN PLUS FIVE REPORT YOU HAVE, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PASSPORT.
AND IT SAYS THAT THE MUNICIPAL RECORDS FACILITY WILL BE CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
DOES THAT MEAN DECEMBER, 2020 OR THE FISCAL YEAR? AT THE TIME THAT WE DID THIS PROJECTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN WAS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN ALSO, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUR HEALTH.
UM, THE UNFAVORABLE VARIANTS, THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND THE PROCESS, UM, ARE, ARE OUR S T D AND IMMUNIZATION CLINICS STILL OPEN RIGHT NOW? THEY ARE OPEN, YES.
OKAY, SO THEY ARE, SO THEY'RE STILL FUNCTIONING AND PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT? YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, THOSE ARE TWO OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD, AND BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS, OH, ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE A C S IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND THERE WAS AN UNFAVORABLE VARIANCE BECAUSE A DISTEMPER OUTBREAK AMONG THE DOGS IN THE FACILITY.
WHEN WAS THAT? UH, THAT STARTED COUNCILWOMAN, UM, EARLY IN THE CALENDAR YEAR, WE HAD, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS WHERE WE SAW THAT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
SO SOME OF THE PETS THAT WERE BEING BROUGHT TO A C S, UM, HAD DISTEMPER.
SO WE SPENT ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO, UH, FOR THE NECESSARY MEDICATION
[01:40:01]
TO, TO CONTROL THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.THAT WAS PRE COVID COUNCILWOMAN.
AND THAT WAS PRE COVID? YES, MA'AM.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID SEE IN HERE, AND I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF CARLOS IS HERE, BUT AS WE ARE CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS, UM, THANK YOU TO COPS METRO FOR THAT ONE PHRASE THAT YOU SHARED A DECADE, UH, OF THE DECADE OF THE PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO BRING FORWARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION AND AS WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR FFR F Y 21 BUDGET IS, UM, THE FOOD INSECURITY STILL.
NOW, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FOOD INSECURITY, IT HAS TO COME FROM THE STATE, UM, THAT IT'S COMING FROM THE STATE.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT FOOD DOLLARS FOR FOOD, WE NEED SOME MORE MONEY AND GET THAT MONEY FROM THE STATE.
NOW, I WANT TO PUT IN MY ASS NOW AND PUSH CHANEL FOR, UM, TO EXPAND THE VEEVA, UH, SAN ANTONIO HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE.
IT'S BEEN WIDELY SUCCESSFUL IN DISTRICT THREE.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S FOOD DESERTS AND FOOD INSECURITY PLACES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S FULFILLING THE NEED THAT IT HAS HAD TO DO PRIOR TO C O I D AND NOW EVEN MORE SO THROUGH COVID.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THAT IN THE, UH, FOOD DESERTS AND IN OUR, UH, CORNER STORE HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE FOR THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR MAYBE DOLLARS OR GRANTS FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT THAT WE CAN PUT FOR FOOD, UM, SECURITY HERE.
ALSO, I WANNA MAKE SURE FROM YOU ALL, BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS THAT YOU'VE POSTPONED AND THAT YOU'VE DELAYED HAS BEEN TO THE F Y 21 BUDGET, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK IN OUR F Y 21 BUDGET.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE O OBVIOUSLY OUR STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
WE IN THE SOUTH SIDE HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS.
YOU ALL KNOW THIS, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS FOR YEARS.
FOR THE STREET MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMS, THANKFUL TO A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GONZALEZ, AND LOOKING AT AN EQUITY, UH, ASPECT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE STARTED, WE MOVED IT FORWARD, AND NOW SO MANY PROJECTS ARE BEING PULLED BACK AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO WAIT ANYMORE.
SO WHEN WE START PRIORITIZING THESE THINGS BACK, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DISTRICTS THAT WE'VE NEEDED ARE FIRST ON THE, ON THE LIST TO COME FORWARD.
SO COUNCILWOMAN, JUST AS, AS WE PRESENTED BACK IN EARLY APRIL, YES.
THOSE STREET MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, AS I SHARED WITH YOU AT THAT POINT, WOULD BE THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT ARE REINSTATED IN THE 21 BUDGET.
AND THAT MEANS EVERYTHING'S GONNA HAVE TO SLIDE, BUT IT'S MY INTENTION TO, AS WE DEVELOP REMINDER TO THE COUNCIL, WE'RE HAVING OUR FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST ON JUNE 18TH IN OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
AND THEN THE WEEK AFTER THAT WE HAVE THE COUNCIL, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSION.
UH, BUT IT IS MY INTENTION TO ENSURE THAT THOSE 50, THAT $50 MILLION WORTH OF STREET MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ARE ON THE FRONT END OF THE 2021 BUDGET.
AND I'LL REITERATE THAT AGAIN LIKE I DID IN APRIL.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND TO, UH, PUT MY VOICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MOVE IT FORWARD WITH THE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TELLING THE STORIES IS I KNOW WHAT'S BEHIND SCHEDULE IS ALSO THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
AND, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT FORWARD AS SOON AS WE CAN.
IF THAT HAS BEEN DELAYED, AND I KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEHIND SCHEDULE, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A INTENTION THAT THAT'S ALSO AT THE FRONT OF THE LIST AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR F Y 21 BUDGET.
BECAUSE TALK ABOUT A LONG TIME COMING, THAT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN A, A LONG TIME COMING.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL.
UM, FINALLY, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN HELD HERE AND THAT'S BEEN HELD THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY FOR YEARS AND, UM, YEARS AND YEARS OF WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
AND IT'S AT 62% RIGHT NOW OF OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND, OR 65.
COUNCILWOMAN, THE MEDIA ADJUSTMENT IS MAKING SOME REDUCTIONS, SO IT'S SLIGHTLY BELOW THAT, SO IT OKAY, THANK YOU.
BUT IT'S STILL OBVIOUSLY, AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET FOR AT LEAST THE PAST EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE AS WE GO TO OUR COMMUNITY AND GO TO OUR, UH, BUDGET, UM, SESSIONS, THAT'S ONE OF ALWAYS THE TOP THREE ITEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE REQUESTING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT TO, UM, TO ALL OF THOSE, THOSE HERE, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO MY COUNCIL, MY CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS, THIS CONVERSATION.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING IT FOR YEARS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A CITIZENS REVIEW COMMISSION.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, ERIC, WE HAVE A CHIEF'S ADVISORY ACTION BOARD, UH, MADE UP OF 14 INDIVIDUALS
[01:45:01]
THAT ARE SELECTED BY THE COUNCIL, UH, THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCIPLINARY REVIEW PROCESS.SO THAT IS STILL THOUGH ROOM TO ALWAYS HAVE MORE, UM, INTERACTION AND MORE CONVERSATION.
UM, LASTLY, I DO WANNA SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE COMMITTED TO FOR MY CHAIR IS THAT WE WORK WITH THE, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT UPDATES FROM THE NAACP.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS TO, OF COURSE, A BAN ON KNEE HOLDS AND CHOKE HOLDS AS ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
ANOTHER ONE IS OF THE USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM FOR ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY MUST ENSURE THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST SIX LEVELS OF STEPS WITH CLEAR RULES ON ESCALATION AND TO THOSE MEMBERS IN THE CROWD WHO KNOW THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO VOTE.
UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN JULY, WHEN WE HAVE OUR ITEMS MOVING FORWARD, UH, THE RUNOFFS, EACH STATE'S OPEN RECORDS ASKS, MUST ENSURE OFFICER MISCONDUCT INFORMATION AND DISCIPLINARY HISTORIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT SHIELD, THAT THEY CANNOT BE SHIELDED FROM THE PUBLIC.
NOW, I ENCOURAGE YOU, BECAUSE THESE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS ARE ALSO CONSTRUCTED AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND WE HAVE PROBLEMS WORKING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE STATE LEVEL.
SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO CONTACT YOUR STATE DELEGATION AS WELL, SO WE CAN DO OUR PART TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES IN THIS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WHEN WE CAN.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
THERE IS A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FIVE.
DID I, OR ITEM SIX? I'M SORRY, DID I HEAR A SECOND? OKAY.
UH, MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
AND, AND ALSO FOR EVERYBODY, UH, HERE TODAY THAT CAME TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT OUR BUDGET.
AND AS A COUNCILWOMAN REFERENCED, UH, WHEN WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEY, UH, EVERY YEAR ASKING ABOUT THEIR BUDGET REQUESTS, THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST IS ALWAYS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WE'RE DOING THIS MID-YEAR BUDGET AND APPROVING THIS TODAY WITH QUITE A BIT OF LOSSES.
AND CURRENTLY THERE IS A DECLINE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
BUT ERIC, WHEN WE WE'LL GO, WE'RE, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THIS TODAY.
WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE OUR CHALLENGING SITUATIONS, UH, FOR OUR CITY BUDGET, BUT WE WILL STILL GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN JULY, UM, OR IN AUGUST, OR PERHAPS IT'S JUNE.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A REGULAR BUDGET AND WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE UNDER THESE NEW SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS? YES, COUNCILWOMAN.
SO THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE ARE GONNA BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE TRIAL BUDGET AND THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST ON JUNE 18 THAT WEEK BETWEEN JUNE 18 AND THE FOLLOWING, UH, FRIDAY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS JUNE 25TH, WE ARE GOING TO BE CONDUCTING, UH, VIRTUAL MEETINGS, UH, TELE-TOWN MEETINGS AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THAT TRIAL BUDGET.
SO WE ARE COORDINATING OUR, UH, GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE IS COORDINATING WITH YOUR OFFICES TO SCHEDULE THOSE.
UH, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER, WE ARE GONNA BE DOING A TELE TOWN.
SO THEY CAN ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR OPINION ON THAT TRIAL BUDGET.
NOW, ONCE WE, UM, HAVE THAT INPUT, WE WILL PROVIDE IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK ON THE 25TH OF JUNE.
UH, SO YOU KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID ABOUT THE TRIAL BUDGET, THEN THE CITY STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER, WILL GET TOGETHER AND DEVELOP A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE 30 DAYS BETWEEN BUDGET PROPOSAL AND BUDGET ADOPTION FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE, UH, FEEDBACK ON THAT PROPOSED BUDGET BEFORE YOU CONSIDER THE BUDGET FOR APPROVAL IN SEPTEMBER.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, LEMME JUST ADD, AND, AND I'M GONNA STEAL A LITTLE BIT OF COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S, UM, THUNDER, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN, A CONVERSATION EARLIER BECAUSE IN THIS POST, WELL, I'M NOT, I'M, I SHOULDN'T EVEN CALL POST COVID 'CAUSE IT'S JUST, WE'RE STILL IN COVID, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAS IMPACTED OUR ABILITY, UH, TO DO THINGS LIKE A BUDGET EVENT AT TRADERS VILLAGE WITH 3000 PEOPLE OR, OR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS INITIATING AT THE CHECK COMMITTEE, UM, HOW DO WE TAKE OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES AND OVERLAY THE REALITY THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW? UH, THERE BOND PROJECTS, THE BUDGET PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT NEED TO HAPPEN, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING PUBLIC INPUT INTO THOSE PROCESSES.
AND, AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SANDOVAL IS GONNA HAVE
[01:50:01]
THAT ON A, ON HER NEXT, UH, CHECK COMMITTEE AGENDA.AND, AND SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE, THE CROWD THAT WE SEE HERE TODAY IS MOSTLY YOUNGER PEOPLE, BUT THE REALITY IS WHEN WE GO OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES, LIKE AT, UM, AT NORMAL OIL OR AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE HAD OUR COMMUNITIES, IT WAS MOSTLY SENIORS.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE NOT GONNA, ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE OF THE FEARS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND, AND STILL THE RECOMMENDATION THAT PEOPLE OVER 65, UH, NOT, UM, JOIN IN CROWD.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT BALANCE, UM, OF PARTICIPATION.
UH, AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING MORE CREATIVE IN HOW WE DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET INPUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THAT.
WE'RE, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET THE WAY, UH, THAT IT IS PRIMARILY WITH CUTS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT.
WE, WE'VE NOT REALLY SEEN AN INCREASE IN ANYTHING TODAY.
UM, AND, UH, PRIMARILY WE'RE APPROVING $197 MILLION OF CUTS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SHOWED IN THAT VERY FIRST SLIDE? IN ADDITION TO SOME DEFERRALS AND, UH, RENT ABATEMENTS FOR A NUMBER OF OUR CONTRACTORS WHO MADE REQUESTS AND NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF RELIEF, NEEDED A LOT OF RE RELIEF.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING OTHER CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE BUDGET, UH, UH, SOON ENOUGH, UH, AND PERHAPS IN A FEW WEEKS.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, UM, THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND ALSO WITH THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UM, I DID, YOU KNOW, MONTHS AGO, ASK A COUNCILWOMAN, UH, CAB HDA WHO CHAIRS THAT COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS, UH, ISSUES OF, UH, RECRUITING, UM, AND TRAINING IN THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
UM, I REQUESTED THAT SOME, SOME TIME AGO AS WE WERE DISCUSSING, UH, THE BUDGET AND THE STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT AND THE POVERTY REPORT, THAT WE ADDRESS ISSUES OF RECRUITING IN THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS, UH, AND HOW WE CAN, UM, CHANGE THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH MAY END UP, UH, RESULTING IN AN IMPROVED, UM, WELL SUPPORT FOR, OR THAT MAY END UP HAVING THE DEPARTMENTS BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, THE OTHER REQUEST THAT, UH, I ALSO HAD, AND I WOULD ASK THAT THE COUNCILMAN ADDRESS IN HER COMMITTEE, UM, IS HOW, UH, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT OF, OF INCIDENTS.
LIKE WE'VE SEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THIS DECLINE IN, IN, OR WE HAVEN'T SEEN PROTESTS LIKE THIS BEFORE, AT LEAST NOT IN MY LIFETIME.
SO WE WOULD ASK THE CHIEF TO GIVE US A BRIEFING ON WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF US WERE VERY SURPRISED, UM, TO SEE RESPECT TO SPEAKERS NOW SEE HAPPENING.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BRIEFING, WHAT, WHAT IS THE STEPS THAT ONE TAKES THAT THE DEPARTMENT TAKES TO, THAT ENDS UP LEADING TO THE VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN? SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE STEPS ARE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT BRIEFING IN THE COMMITTEE.
AND JUST THE LAST THING, UH, REGARDING THE ISSUES OF, OF, UH, THE COMMITTEE, UM, UH, REGARDING THE EQUITY TRAINING THAT WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, UM, THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR SOME TIME LATER.
I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL SEE THAT THERE'S SOME URGENCY TO MOVE THAT UP.
SO, UH, THE DEPARTMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH SOME EQUITY TRAINING, SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE A BRIEFING ON WHEN THAT HAPPENS AS WELL.
SINCE I, I KNOW THAT THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY ARE IN REFERENCE TO THE BUDGET.
UM, I JUST WOULD DEFER THEM TO THOSE COMMITTEES AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
COUNCILWOMAN, IT SEEMS, UH, THAT YOUR COMMITTEE WAS SCHEDULED FOR SOMETIME THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A FULL AGENDA, BUT THAT PERHAPS WE COULD, UM, ADVANCE SOME OF THESE ISSUES SINCE THERE'S A BIG CONCERN HERE IN, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, REGARDING THAT.
AND ALSO, UM, SOME YEARS AGO WHEN, UH, MAYOR TAYLOR WAS HERE, THERE HAD BEEN SOME BRIEFINGS WITH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, AND PERHAPS SOME OF YOU ALL HERE PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
UM, MANY OF THOSE WERE DONE IN CLOSED SESSIONS, SO WE DON'T, UH, AND IN FACT, I CAN'T RECALL WHAT THE FINAL BRIEFING WAS, UH, AS A RESULT OF THOSE.
SO ERIC, IF WE COULD GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT, OR WHOMEVER HAS IT.
WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS? DID WE IMPLEMENT THEM AND, AND ARE THEY STILL RELEVANT TODAY? UH, SO IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, BUT PERHAPS, UM, IN FACT, IF THOSE, UH, ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE HERE PARTICIPATED, UH, THEY MIGHT LIKE TO REOPEN THAT OR TRY AGAIN, MAYOR, PERHAPS IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.
AND, AND EARLIER THIS WEEK, I ASKED THE STAFF TO PULL THAT WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE AT THAT TIME IN 2016 OR 2017, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THAT COMMISSION DID MAKE A RE A, A A, UM, UM, A PRESENTATION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND WE HAVE THOSE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN STATE
[01:55:01]
LAW THAT WERE NOT DONE AND WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL.BUT I'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO COMPILE A MEMO FOR THE ENTIRE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO KIND OF RE-SUMMARIZE WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT IT WAS, THE STEPS THAT WERE TAKEN, WHAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING AS SORT OF A FOUNDATIONAL CONVERSATION THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, TODAY WE'RE JUST, UH, LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, AND SO I'LL LEAVE MY REMARKS THERE.
WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
UM, BUT WE, UM, TYPICALLY DONE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, SO WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
AND I'LL MAKE SURE I DON'T SIT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, BUT I'LL, UM, HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY, UH, AND, AND PARTICIPATE AS MUCH AS I, AS I CAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF AND TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, BUT MOST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE STEPPED UP TO SPEAK UP.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A, A TIME, UH, BRINGS ABOUT A BOILING POINT AND A CHANGE, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
MARIA, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WITHIN THE BUDGET, AS WE LOOK AT THE CUTS, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE BUILDINGS THAT WE AS A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE RENTING? AND, UM, ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS ON RENTAL BUILDINGS? OR CAN THOSE EMPLOYEES BE REMOVED TO REMOTE WORKERS? UH, COUNCILWOMAN, SOME OF THE, UH, BUILDINGS THAT THE CITY RENTS, UH, CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE WITH THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WORKING AT CITY FACILITIES.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PAY THE RENT.
WE ARE NOT, UH, REDUCING THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT INCLUDES SOME OFFICE FACILITIES, LIKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, LIKE OUR FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO RENT FACILITIES FOR COMMUNITY USAGE LIKE SOME OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT OPEN TO THE SENIORS RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE STILL UTILIZING THOSE FACILITIES OR FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT, UH, CONSIDERING A REDUCTION IN THAT AREA.
UM, I SAID ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN HAVING HAVE TO DO WITH HOW TO TRULY IMPLEMENT TRUE, UH, POLICING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY GROWING UP HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, IN DISTRICT TWO, WE DID NOT SEE OUR POLICE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, BEING THE ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN VOICE THAT SITS ON THIS DAAS, I MUST SPEAK FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WE KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WILL RESTART, AND WE WILL HAVE THESE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
AND NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS, WE WILL HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW I SIT UP HERE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT I'M A MOTHER OF TWO AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOYS AND TWO AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALES.
THIS CONVERSATION WILL NOT STOP HERE.
AND WE AS A CITY ARE DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS KNOWS THAT WE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU AND WE WILL NOT KNEEL ON YOUR NECKS, BUT WE WILL STAND TO RISE ABOVE EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I, I WANT TO ADDRESS TWO THINGS, BOTH, UH, THIS BUDGET ITEM AND THEN, UH, THE AUDIENCE, THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I'M GONNA BE APPROVING THE AMENDED BUDGET THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING FOR THE REMAINDER THIS YEAR.
I THINK THE STAFF DID ITS DUE DILIGENCE IN LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN AFFORD TO READJUST A LOT OF OUR SPENDING BASED ON, UH, THE DECLINE IN INCOME.
AND SO, UH, I'M GONNA RELY ON, UH, YOUR, YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT, ALTHOUGH I AND MY STAFF HAVE LOOKED AT THIS, AND I THINK YOU'VE HEARD FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, UH, HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT THIS.
SO I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB IN, IN THE FACE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IN A DECLINE IN REVENUE AND THE, UH, CONTINUED BATTLE AGAINST C OVID 19 TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AND WHO HAVE JUST SPOKEN.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY RELEVANT.
AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE BEEN MISTREATED, ABUSED, AND OPPRESSED IN THIS LAND FOR 400 YEARS.
MEXICAN AMERICANS, ASIAN AMERICANS, AND VARIOUS RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS MOST OTHER MINORITY PEOPLE, HAVE BEEN JUST AS MISTREATED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
AMERICANS AS A PEOPLE BELIEVE IN OUR DECLARATION
[02:00:01]
OF INDEPENDENCE AND IT'S STATEMENT THAT ALL MEN, AND I WOULD SAY PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL, BUT OUR NATION HAS NOT UPHELD THAT BELIEF WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THE LAW AND JUSTICE HAVE INTERSECTED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.WE'VE LIVED MORE PEACEFULLY THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT ARE STILL IMPERFECT.
WE NEED TO STRIVE GREATLY TO BECOME A GREATER COMMUNITY AND A GREATER PEOPLE AS WE DEAL WITH ONE ANOTHER, ESPECIALLY BLACK PEOPLE AND BROWN PEOPLE, AND ALL PEOPLE WHO DIFFER IN THEIR COLOR, CREED OR RELIGION.
TODAY, I PROPOSE THAT WE CREATE A COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY RECONCILIATION THAT WILL EXAMINE HOW WE OVERCOME THE PREJUDICE, RACISM, SEXISM, INJUSTICE, AND POVERTY THAT DIMINISHES THE QUALITY AND HARMONY OF LIFE WE ALL DESERVE.
IT SHOULD BE A COUNCIL NOT MADE UP OF JUST POLITICIANS OR BUSINESS PEOPLE, OR EVEN RELIGIOUS PEOPLE.
UH, IT SHOULD BE A COUNCIL MADE UP OF YOU, THE PEOPLE WHO CAN SIT AND TALK ABOUT AND DEVELOP HOW WE CAN OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS AND WORK TOGETHER.
AND I HOPE TO SEE THE COUNCIL CONSIDER, UH, THIS AS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF.
COUNCIL MEMBER S THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO SHOWED UP, MARIA, JUST, UH, REGARDING THE BUDGET, UM, AND THE SPENDING, UH, ARE, ARE WE REDUCING ANY DOLLARS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS OR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS? NO, COUNCILMAN, WE ARE NOT.
UM, THANK YOU ERIC AND MARIA AND ALL OF STAFF FOR DOING WHATEVER IT IS YOU HAD TO DO, UM, TO NOT WHITTLE AWAY AT THOSE PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE ALREADY UNDERFUNDED AND, AND, UH, VERY MUCH IN NEED OF OUR SUPPORT.
I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ AND MYSELF, UM, STARTED A CONVERSATION, IT SEEMS SO LONG AGO, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, STARTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE ALL BLESSED TO HAVE STAFF THAT KEPT THAT AS A PRIORITY AND REMEMBERED THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND SO, UM, I, UH, ON, ON BEHALF OF ALL THE FOLKS WHO WORK IN, IN THOSE INDUSTRIES WITH, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THESE CUTS, UM, THANK YOU.
UH, I, I DO WANNA ADDRESS, UH, THIS, THIS CALL FOR DEFUNDING POLICE, UM, AND, AND ADDRESS THE FOLKS THAT THAT SHOWED UP TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING REALLY HARD FOR THE PAST WEEK TO BE QUIET AND LISTEN MORE.
UM, I THINK THAT ALL TOO OFTEN POLITICIANS WILL JUMP, UM, AND PULL THE TRIGGER ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, AND DUST OFF, UH, A PLATITUDE LIKE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, AND WE'RE WITH YOU.
AND, UH, AND YOU'VE SEEN THEM PLAY OUT.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT ALL OF YOU ARE VERY, VERY FRUSTRATED HEARING POLITICIANS, UM, UH, FEED YOU THE SAME REWARMED AND REHASHED, UH, YOU KNOW, STATEMENTS THAT REALLY EVERYBODY JUST GETTING TIRED.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA DO ANY OF THAT TODAY.
I MEAN, I COULD SIT HERE AND TELL YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, BRUTALITY EXISTS, THAT RACISM EXISTS, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT YOU DON'T NEED ME TO AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, I COULD SEE HERE TODAY AND TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER.
RIOTING IS CERTAINLY NOT THE ANSWER.
UM, YOU KNOW, BREAKING WINDOWS AND DESTROYING PEOPLE'S BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN IS NOT THE ANSWER.
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM I THINK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DECIDED THAT THE WAY TO, I DON'T KNOW, HAVE FUN, UH, THE OTHER NIGHT WAS TO BREAK INTO SHEILA'S RESTAURANT AND STEAL ALL THEIR BOOZE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM WHO THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, I COULD TELL YOU THAT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE'VE HAD TOO MANY INCIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO AND ALL AROUND THE UNITED STATES OF, OF, UM, CERTAIN POLICE OFFICERS JUST BREAKING THE LAW AND COMMITTING MURDER AND RAPING PEOPLE AND STEALING AND CHEATING AND LYING.
UH, BUT YOU DON'T NEED ME TO CONFIRM FOR THAT FOR YOU.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I KNOW.
UM, SO I, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT TO SAY, UM, AND I STRUGGLE.
AND, AND INSTEAD OF SAYING SOMETHING, I, I FIGURED I'D, I FIGURED I'D SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
SO, UH, IF, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, SHOW YOU TWO PHOTOGRAPHS.
[02:05:01]
THIS IS GONNA WORK.SO LET'S, UH, LET'S TRY THIS TOGETHER.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HOLD IT UP.
IF YOU CAN HOLD IT UP THE SCREEN, THAT'D BE BETTER.
WELL, NO, THEN, THEN FORGET IT.
UM, I CAN DESCRIBE IT FOR YOU, BUT THAT'LL, THAT'LL TAKE IT, TAKE AWAY THE IMPACT.
UM, SO LET ME LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT A PHOTOGRAPH THAT I DID SEE, GUYS, THERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH, UH, THAT I SAW OF A LITTLE BOY STANDING IN THE STREET HOLDING A SIGN THAT SAID, I MEAN, JUST A LITTLE BOY, SIX YEARS OLD AS, AS OLD AS MY NEPHEW THAT SAYS, STOP KILLING US LITTLE BLACK BOY WITH A MASK ON BEHIND HIM IS A CAR BURNING.
AND THAT BROKE MY HEART, AND IT, IT, IT MADE ME WANT TO, UH, WELL, IT MADE ME WANT TO WEEP.
UM, I, I'D NEVER SEEN THIS FRAMED LIKE THAT, RIGHT? UM, I'LL NEVER WALK THE PATH OF A YOUNG BLACK MAN AFRAID TO STEP OUT OF HIS HOUSE BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT HE'S ACTIVELY BEING HUNTED.
UM, BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, THERE IS NO MAYOR, I, I ONCE REMEMBER YOU STANDING IN FRONT OF A ROOM AND TELLING PEOPLE THERE'S NO LEARNING CURVE ON HUMAN RIGHTS.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE HERE.
I THINK ALL OF US, UM, VISCERALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? UM, AT, AT THE SAME TIME, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT I ALSO SAW A PHOTO OF OFFICER 1161.
UM, AND IT'S A PHOTOGRAPH OF HER STANDING IN A CROWD WEARING HER, UM, HER RIOT HELMET, STANDING WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER OFFICERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE, SHE'S AFRAID.
AND THE REASON I SAW THAT PICTURE IS 'CAUSE ONE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS PUT IT UP THERE ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE AND SAID, THAT'S MY MOM.
AND TODAY, SHE MISSED THE GRADUATION OF MY BROTHER AND MY SISTER.
HER TWO TWINS, A SINGLE MOM, AND ALICIA WAS CALLED INSTEAD DOWNTOWN BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE VIOLENCE.
UM, AND SHE MISSED HER KID'S GRADUATION.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO FEEL SORRY FOR HER, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, SHE'S A PROFESSIONAL AND SHE'S NOT ASKING YOU TO FEEL SORRY FOR HER EITHER.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME IS THAT RIGHT BEHIND HER, THERE WAS A SIGN BEING HELD UP.
AND I, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PHOTO, I'LL POST IT ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE AND YOU GUYS CAN GO SEE IT IN A FEW MINUTES.
RIGHT BEHIND HER, THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS, NO COP IS A GOOD COP.
UM, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT SENTIMENT, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHOEVER'S HOLDING UP THAT SIGN SINCERELY BELIEVES IT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE SAN ANTONIO BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER IS FULL EVERY WEEK BECAUSE GOOD COPS DROP OFF WOMEN THERE WHO THEY SEE, WHO NEED HELP.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE SERVED ALONGSIDE POLICE OFFICERS, UM, AT HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND I'VE, UH, SEEN THEM COLLECT TONS.
LITERALLY THE WORD TONS MEANS TONS TRUCK FULLS OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS THAT THEY THEMSELVES DRIVE OFF AND DELIVER TO THE POOREST OF THE POOR KIDS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, IF ANYBODY OUT THERE THINKS THAT NO COP IS A GOOD COP, THEN, UM, I, I INVITE YOU TO, TO COME WITH ME, UH, THE NEXT TIME WE DO ONE OF THESE GIFT DRIVES.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN MEET SOME, UM, BUT, UH, I, I, I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S CLEAR TO EVERYBODY UP ON THIS DIET THAT THE PAIN IS REAL, UM, AND THAT IT'S NOT LOST ON US.
SO I CAN GIVE YOU PLATITUDES, BUT INSTEAD, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I HEAR YOU.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I SAID THAT HATRED WAS MORE CONTAGIOUS AND MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE CORONAVIRUS.
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN GUYS, PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET LOST THEIR MINDS.
UM, AND SO I'LL, I'LL REPEAT IT AGAIN.
HATRED AND FEAR AND VIOLENCE IS MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN A VIRUS.
AND I MEAN, ASK EVERYBODY IN RWANDA, UH, ASK SURVIVORS OF WORLD WAR II.
UM, YOU KNOW, ASK PEOPLE OF THE WATTS RIOTS AND THE RIOTS IN CINCINNATI.
UM, MA'AM, PLEASE ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK.
HATRED IS REAL AND IT HURTS MORE THAN A VIRUS DOES.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL POINT OUT THAT PEOPLE LOST THEIR MINDS AND THEIR HAIR WAS ON FIRE.
WHEN I ALSO SAID THAT BIGOTRY AND CRUELTY ARE IN OUR D N A, OUR NATIONAL D N A, LOOK AT OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENTS.
IT IS CODIFIED, IT'S BAKED INTO OUR CON OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENTS THAT SLAVERY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE LESS THAN OTHERS, UM, THAT THOSE ARE VALUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE THREE-FIFTHS RULE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR VOTING, JIM CROW LAWS, BIGOTRY AND HATRED ARE OUR
[02:10:01]
ORIGINAL SIN.AND EVENTUALLY WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO COPE WITH THAT.
AND WE'RE COPING WITH THAT TODAY.
THAT'S AN ORIGINAL SIN FOR WHICH WE HAVE TO ATONE AT SOME POINT.
SAN ANTONIO'S REDLINING AND THE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND THE ECONOMIC SEGREGATION ARE A PRODUCT OF THIS ORIGINAL SIN.
YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT, AND I THINK YOU HEARD JADA SULLIVAN'S, AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR THE REST OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO STEP UP AND MEET THIS CHALLENGE, EVEN THOUGH OTHERS BEFORE US HADN'T.
SO, UM, MAYOR, WITH THAT, I'LL PASS ON, UM, THE MICROPHONE.
AND, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME AND BEING PATIENT WITH YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BEING PATIENT WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS, THE GOOD ONES.
FOLKS, FOLKS, WE ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN RESPECT IN THIS CHAMBERS.
EVERYONE, INCLUDING THOSE FOLKS WHO COME UP TO THE PODIUM ARE GONNA BE HEARD, OKAY? SO WE GOTTA LISTEN TO FOLKS AS THEY COME UP.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER KIO HDA.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBER CAB.
I'M GONNA ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN ADDRESS WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT, UM, FOR OUR SENIOR CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND CITY SWIMMING POOLS, WILL YOU PLEASE RESTATE PROGRAM COSTS AS WELL AS START DATES FOR, FOR PUBLIC USE OF ALL THREE.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA HAS THE FLOOR.
ALL RIGHT FOLKS, WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN ORDER SO EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAR PEOPLE SPEAK, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO BERDA HAS THE FLOOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA HAS THE FLOOR.
GIMME A CHANCE TO SPEAK THERE.
ALRIGHT FOLKS, I REALLY DON'T, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO RECESS THE MEETING BECAUSE EVERYONE HERE CAME TO SPEAK OR TO BE HEARD.
OKAY? I DON'T WANNA RECESS THE MEETING.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HO TO THE FLOOR IF YOU WANT TO HEAR COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HO TO SPEAK.
WE GOTTA GIVE HER THE CHANCE TO DO THAT.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HO TO THE FLOOR COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'M GONNA ASK A COUPLE OF BUDGET QUESTIONS AND THEN I'M GONNA TALK WITH YOU GUYS IN HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT, UM, THE, FOR THE SENIOR CENTERS, LIBRARIES, THE CITY SWIMMING POOLS, WILL YOU PLEASE RESTATE THE PROGRAM COSTS AS WELL AS THE START DATES FOR PUBLIC USE OF ALL THREE
'CAUSE LET ME GET Y'ALL TO GIVE YOU A MINUTE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR YOUR COLLECTIVE VOICE.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THAT.
AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S ABOUT, UM, AS PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIR, AS A DISTRICT SIX COUNCIL WOMAN, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS A PERSON OF WOMAN OF COLOR, LIVING AND GROWING IN THIS CITY, BORN AND RAISED IN THIS CITY, IN THE ACTUAL DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT, I MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOU TO SCRUTINIZE OUR POLICIES, TO SCRUTINIZE RECRUITING.
RECRUITING CRITERIA, MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR BOTH OUR CITIZENS AND OUR OFFICERS.
EQUITY TRAINING, ANTI-RACISM TRAINING, WHICH WILL REQUIRE MORE SPECIFIC INTERVENTION THAN JUST ANTI, UH, I'M SORRY, EQUITY TRAINING.
AND YES, BUDGETING CONCERNS WITH YOUR INPUT.
WHAT I ASK YOU HERE TODAY IS WE'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND WHEN WE DO, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ NOTED THAT MOSTLY WE HEAR FROM SENIORS, AND THAT'S GREAT.
I WANNA HEAR FROM OUR SENIORS.
BUT ON A NORMAL DAY, I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR, WHAT YOU WANNA SEE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
[02:15:01]
SORRY, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU.SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO FINISH.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHEN WE REACH OUT TO YOU, I CAN'T, I CAN CAN'T HEAR YOU.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER KABE, HOWEVER CAN SPEAK.
SO WHEN WE REACH OUT TO YOU AND WE ENGAGE WITH YOU, CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH US.
DON'T JUST USE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE'RE, THAT NO ENGAGEMENT CAN HAPPEN.
WHEN WE REACH OUT TO YOU AND ASK YOU TO SIT ON THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, DO THAT.
DO IT FOR US, DO IT FOR YOURSELVES.
DO IT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE LYRICS IS IT HAS TO START SOMEWHERE.
WHAT BETTER PLACE THAN HERE? WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW? BUT WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO IT.
SO WHEN WE REACH OUT AND ENGAGE TO YOU, HELP US TO, FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE.
WE GOTTA MOVE FORWARD, NOT BACK.
SO ON THAT, I'M GONNA ASK ABOUT THE CITY, THE CITY, UM, CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND SWIMMING POOLS.
CAN YOU TELL US WHEN THEY OPEN? YES.
SO JUNE 15, WE'RE GONNA START OPENING, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR LIBRARIES, UH, ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR LIBRARIES WOULD HAVE THE DROP OFF, UH, CAPABILITY FOR RE RESIDENTS TO GET, GET SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE HAVE THERE.
UM, OUR POOLS ARE OPENING THE WEEKEND OF JULY THE FOURTH.
UH, SOME OF THE POOLS, UH, AS INDICATED IN THE MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
AND FINALLY, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, UH, WE DEVELOP A PLAN TO, UH, OPEN THOSE, UH, FACILITIES THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN, IN FOUR DIFFERENT PHASES.
WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINED, UH, DATE YET.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL AS WE CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PLAN.
AND JUST ONE MORE QUESTION AS, UH, WE CONSIDER PROGRAMMING EXPENSES.
CAN WE USE CARES ACT FUNDING, UH, FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE? UH, SPECIFIC FOR C P S REPROGRAM? CAN WE USE SOME OF THAT? UH, THE CARESS ACT ALLOWS FOR, UH, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, UH, FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WERE IMPACTED DIRECTLY BY C OVID 19.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEBODY CANNOT PAY THEIR, UH, UTILITY, UM, BILL, UH, THAT IS AN ELIGIBLE USE WITHIN THE CARES ACT.
I'M EVERYWHERE IN THIS, IN THIS COUNTRY.
I WE'RE 20 YEARS FROM THE MILITARY, WE'RE, HOW CAN YOU DO THAT? YOU'RE, MA'AM, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MY NAME IS ZOE GARCIA.
MS. GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP.
NOW I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TALK TO EVERYBODY HERE FOR A SECOND.
THIS COUNCIL IN THIS WHOLE CITY IS WORKING REALLY HARD, OKAY? AND ALTHOUGH THERE'S BEEN SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS MADE IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT THAT WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO HAVE BACK, OKAY? BUT EVEN THE FOLKS UP THERE, THEY'RE DOING THEIR VERY DAMN BEST.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY OR IN THIS CITY, IT STARTS AT MEETINGS LIKE THIS.
SO I'M ASKING YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, JENNIFER, CAN I FINISH WHAT I'M SAYING? PLEASE, LISTEN, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA START SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HARVARD WAS SAYING.
[02:20:02]
YOU KNOW WHAT, IF WE WANNA START, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA RESPECT EACH OTHER.CAN I AGREE? CAN WE AGREE ON THAT, MS. GARCIA? ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD.
YOU'RE IN THE CHAMBER BECAUSE YOU WANT US TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT? THIS, THIS KIND OF INTERACTION IS NOT GONNA SOLVE ANYTHING.
WE GOTTA TALK RIGHT? MAYOR ABOUT CHANGE, TRULY CARE ABOUT LET HIM SPEAK.
DUKE, PLEASE, PLEASE, IF YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT CHANGE, THEN I ASK ALL OF YOU, I'VE COME TOGETHER WITH THE LIST OF 10 REQUESTS FROM CITY COUNCIL OF THINGS THAT WE CAN TELL OUR CITIZENS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DO.
WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW? I WANT PEACE FOR SAN ANTONIO.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? I LOVE THIS CITY.
WHAT'S YOUR MY NAME IS PHARAOH CLARK.
THE SOONER WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE AND GET THIS MEETING DONE, YOU COME TO MY OFFICE AND WE'LL TALK.
I REALLY, CAN YOU HELP ME KEEP CONTROLLING IT? 'CAUSE I, I TRULY WANT, I WANT BETTER FOR THIS CITY.
I DON'T WANT THIS TO GO ON, BUT PEOPLE ARE HURTING.
CAN YOU AND I AGREE THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO GET OUTTA HERE AND US TO MEET, WE GOTTA GET THIS MEETING DONE.
AND EVERYBODY'S GOTTA PAY ATTENTION TO EACH OTHER AND GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO SPEAK.
CAN WE AGREE ON THAT? AND IF WE HAVE OUTBURSTS, I REALLY DON'T WANNA RECESS THIS MEETING.
LOOK, THERE ARE MANY CITY COUNCILS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY THAT WOULD'VE RECESSED THIS MEETING ALREADY.
BUT WE CARE ABOUT YOU GUYS AND WE WANT TO HEAR YOU.
SO PLEASE, LET'S HAVE THIS MEETING, OKAY? AND PHARAOH, YOU AND I IN MY, IN MY OFFICE AFTER WE'RE DONE.
OKAY, THANK, I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RAN OUTTA TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER OR IF YOU WERE DONE.
ALL RIGHT, NOW I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER.
LET'S LET THEM ALL SPEAK, AND THEN AFTER THIS WE CAN MEET COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.
UM, AND I WANT TO, UH, AFFIRM THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER AND I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON A PATH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND HEALING.
UM, I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT, THAT WERE ALREADY EXPRESSED.
UH, ONE OF COLLABORATION AND, AND HEALING IS EXACTLY WHAT WOULD, WHAT, UH, WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE BUDGET.
UH, JUST SIMPLY WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
WE HEAR YOU AND I'M COMMITTED TO THAT.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS TODAY.
AND I'M SORRY THAT I COULD NOT BE THERE, UM, BECAUSE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING.
UM, I DO WANNA START OFF BY, UM, THANKING THE MAYOR FOR RECONSTITUTING, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
I HAD BEEN ASKING FOR, UM, THIS, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WITH OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE COULD HEAR THE NEEDS.
UM, AND, AND I AM SUPPORTIVE OF, OF YOUR NEEDS.
AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, UM, WITH YOU ALL.
IF YOU ALL WANT TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, I'D, I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ALL.
UM, I HAD BEEN ASKING, UH, FOR, FOR SOME, SOME CLARIFICATION ON SOME THINGS.
AND SO I WANNA START, UM, OFF BY SAYING THAT, UH, LAST YEAR I VOICED A CONCERN, UH, FOR SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO THE RECRUITMENT POLICY, ALLOWING, UH, FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN PREVIOUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDERS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO THERE, THERE WAS A CONCERN, UM, AND, AND I, I'M NOT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UM, BUT I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE BAD APPLES EVERYWHERE AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO START ADDRESSING THAT PROBLEM.
UM, I ALSO ASKED ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ON THE DAAS, AND I'VE APPLAUDED SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, UM, FROM WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DONE AND REALLY REPAIR OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP.
[02:25:02]
I ALSO THINK, UM, AND I VOLUNTEER IN FACT, TO GO THROUGH ANY OF THE DIVERSITY TRAINING THAT THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO THROUGH, BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING.I WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW FIRSTHAND AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY DO, HOW THEY'RE TRAINED, AND I REALLY WANNA SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IT, HOW WE CAN, UM, MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT.
SO I'LL BE, UM, THE FIRST TO VOLUNTEER FOR ANY OF THAT TRAINING THAT OUR, UH, OFFICERS ARE GOING THROUGH SO THAT I CAN GIVE PROPER FEEDBACK.
UM, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, COMING UP WITH THE POLICE CONTRACT TO WORK ON CHANGES ON MEANINGFUL CHANGES THAT I THINK HAVE BEEN, UH, SYSTEMIC WHO, WHO THAT NEED TO BE, UH, ADDRESSED.
UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN ON THE STREETS, UM, WITH POLICE, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA MOVE ON, UH, TO MY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, BUDGETING PURPOSES.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE STREET MAINTENANCE FUNDS HAS A REDUCTION OF, UM, ABOUT $50,000.
AND I AGREE THAT SOME OF THE STREETS IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND SOME OF OUR MOST IMPOVERISHED AREAS ARE IN MOST NEED OF REPAIR.
UM, I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE BUDGET CUTS TO THE UNDER ONE ROOF, TO THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, TO THE MINOR REPAIR, AND TO THE LET'S PAINT PROGRAM BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THOSE ARE FROM MY DISTRICT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PRIORITIZATION LIST AGAIN, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY EVENTUALLY.
ERIC, UM, THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, I ASKED TO SEE WHO BENEFITS MOST FROM THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS PROGRAMS. I DO KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BENEFIT FROM THAT.
I'M, UM, I'M ALSO WONDERING WHO ELSE BENEFITS FROM THAT AND HOW MUCH, IT LOOKS LIKE ALMOST A MILLION DOLLAR CUT, AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE, STRATEGIC PLAN BEING CUT BY ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE CUTTING.
I WANNA KNOW HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZE PRIORITIZING THOSE CUTS.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO KNOW, UM, WHAT THE WARRANTED TRAFFIC SIGNALS WILL BE THAT WILL BE CUT.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT IN AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY SEEING INCREASED, UM, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS AND, AND JUST IN GENERAL AUTO ACCIDENTS.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THAT THAT I HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN ADDRESS, UM, AT A LATER POINT.
I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE ALL JOTTING THEM DOWN.
I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE UP ALL OF MY 10 MINUTES WITH, WITH YOU ALL RESPONDING, SO THAT'S WHY I'M GOING QUESTION AFTER QUESTION.
UM, I DO ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL BUDGET SHORTFALLS, BUT I WANNA ALSO KNOW IF WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEVERAGE ANY PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR WITH ANY OTHER ENTITIES WHERE WE CAN, UH, MAXIMIZE OUR RESOURCES AND WE COULD ALL PITCH IN.
AND THEN I DO ALSO WANT TO END BY SAYING THAT THE BUDGET PROCESSING SHOULD, UM, AGAIN, UH, REALLY RECONSIDER THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
I THINK THAT THE FOLKS IN MY COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE IT IF WE CONTINUE RELYING ON, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THERE BE A PUBLIC SAFETY INPUT MEETING IN SPANISH.
A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS IN MY DISTRICT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SOME OF THE, UM, THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND I REALLY WANT TO, UM, MAYBE, MAYBE, UH, WORK WITH, WITH YOU ALL, MAYBE WORK WITH SOME OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WITH, UH, RAICES, WITH TOP, WITH COPS METRO, WITH
UM, MAYOR, WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL OF MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
UH, STICKING WITH THE BUDGET ITEMS HERE.
UM, THANK YOU ERIC AND STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF IN BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE ON A LOT OF THIS, BUT, UH, MARIA, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND I, I WANT TO COMMEND Y'ALL ON, UH, INCLUDING THE METRICS IN THE BACK OF THAT BOOK.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT A LOT OF THESE METRICS ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION UNTIL, OF COURSE, 2020.
BUT I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND ACROSS THE BOARD ALL THE METRICS THAT ARE GOING UP, WHICH MEANS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, SOME ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, WE GOT SOME ISSUES WITH, BUT OVERALL, I THINK WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THE, UH, PRIORITIES IN THE POLICIES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE ALONG WITH THE FUNDING.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS FUNDING A LITTLE BIT.
[02:30:02]
THE BIG THING, AND I, I CONCUR WITH, UH, UM, A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES TALKING ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO TAKE $50 MILLION OUT OF OUR, OUR I M P, WHICH IS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO STREETS.AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE WILL GO TO THE TOP OF THE PRIORITY FOR 2021, BUT ARE WE GONNA PLUS UP THAT I M P BY $50 MILLION TO COVER THAT PLUS WHAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN 2021, COUNCILMAN? UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR STREET MAINTENANCE IS $110 MILLION WAS FISCAL YEAR 20.
SO THIS ACTION DELAYS $50 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS INTO FISCAL YEAR 2021.
WE ARE STILL DEVELOPING THE, UM, TRIAL BUDGET FOR YOUR REVIEW FOR JUNE 18.
OUR INTENT WAS NOT TO PLUS THE 50 PLUS ONE 10, UH, BUT RATHER TO MAKE THOSE $50 MILLION, UH, THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
WE DON'T KNOW TODAY WHAT THE SIZE OF THE STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM WILL BE, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021, AS WE ARE AGAIN STILL WORKING ON THOSE PROPOSALS FOR YOUR REVIEW ON, ON JUNE 18TH.
WELL, AGAIN, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE PIE, AND I'VE SAID THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES.
WHAT, UM, I KNOW IN MY DISTRICT ARE, AND I THINK SA SPEAK UP, CONFIRMS THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WHERE, UH, PEOPLE WANT GOOD STREETS, THEY WANT SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND THEY WANT THEIR PROPERTY TAXES CONTROLLED, THOSE ARE THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES.
AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE CARRY, IF WE'RE CARRYING OVER THIS $50 MILLION INTO NEXT YEAR, THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE THAT AS A PLUS UP TO THE STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
SO INSTEAD OF 110 MILLION, IT SHOULD BE 160 MILLION NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE DEFER THAT, THAT, THAT MONEY GOING TO STREETS, THAT JUST MEANS THE STREETS ARE GONNA GET IN WORSE SHAPE AND WE'RE DEFERRING MORE AND MORE TO FUTURE YEARS.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT IN THIS CITY, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY EXPECT THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO GO TO.
UH, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE THOSE TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TO, UM, IN THIS, IN THIS PLAN.
OR THERE'S, UM, HOW ARE WE HANDLING THIS CARES ACT MONEY AND LOOKING AT FUNDING CLOSE TO $90 MILLION IN WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DIGITAL INCLUSION.
HOW, HOW, HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE ABLE TO BRING THAT OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE'RE ALREADY SHOWING AN OVER $80 MILLION SHORTFALL, UH, COUNCILMAN.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU WANNA DEFER UNTIL THE NEXT PRESENTATION, WHEN WE COVER THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, WE CAN, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY A, UM, CONCERN OF MINE WITH THIS, WITH THIS UPDATE RIGHT HERE.
AND, UM, PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOW THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING ON THE REDUCTIONS TO INCLUDE USING CARES ACT FUND FUNDING.
TO ME, IT'S KIND OF WORKING AROUND THE INTENT OF WHAT THAT MONEY WAS WAS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED FOR THIS CITY FOR, SO WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN THE NEXT SECTION.
UM, BUT I, I DID WANT TO AGAIN, COMMEND YOU ON THE METRICS.
UH, DID HAVE ONE, ONE QUESTION ABOUT, UH, PROPERTY TAXES.
IN YOUR SLIDE YOU SHOWED A ZERO FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS ABOUT? SURE.
SO OUR, WE DON'T HAVE TODAY A, A PROJECTOR REVENUE LOSS AND PROPERTY TAXES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT OUR PROCESS WORKS, WE GET A CERTIFIED PROPERTY TAX ROLL FROM THE VERA APPRAISAL DISTRICT BY THE END OF JULY OF EVERY YEAR.
SO BY THE TIME THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS AND APPROVES THE BUDGET, THAT CERTIFIED ROLE IS SET.
AND THAT IS, UH, WHAT OUR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS WILL PAY FOR PROPERTY TAXES THE NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE DEVIATION IN, IN THE HISTORY OF PROPERTY TAXES FROM THAT AMOUNT.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING, UM, ANY REVENUE LOSS IN, IN THAT AREA FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, BUT YEAR AFTER YEAR, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THE PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE UP INTO THE CITY'S BUDGET AND WE'VE, WE'VE REAPED ADDITIONAL FUNDING EVERY YEAR IN OUR GENERAL FUNDS FROM, FROM, UM, INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES
[02:35:01]
ACROSS THE CITY.AND I, LET ME TELL YOU, I JUST GOT MY APPRAISAL, IT WENT UP $20,000 IN ONE YEAR.
SO CAN'T WE INFER A LITTLE BIT ON THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT'S GONNA COME INTO THE GENERAL FUND BASED ON THE HISTORY OF WHAT PROPERTY TAXES HAVE DONE IN THE PAST? AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, BECAUSE OUR FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET IS FOR TAX YEAR FOR 2019.
SO IS IS FOR, UM, VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AND APPEALS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
SO THAT IS WHAT THE RESIDENT OR THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER KNOWS THEY'RE GONNA PAY.
TO YOUR POINT, AS WE START THE, THE PROCESS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET, WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
WE ARE GONNA BE EVALUATING ANY, PERHAPS INCREASES IN THE VALUES OF PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU ON JUNE 18 FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR FOR 2021.
BUT FOR 2020, UM, THE, THIS, THE ROLES ARE SET AND, AND IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT WE WON'T SEE A DEVIATION FROM, FROM THAT AMOUNT, BUT WE WILL SEE A, A CHANGE IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR FOR 2021.
UH, WELL, I JUST QUESTION THE, THE ZERO IN THAT, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY WE HAVE BEEN INCREASING OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND BY AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND, UM, I, I JUST QUESTION THAT AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROJECTING IT CORRECTLY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LARGER, WANT EVERYBODY IN HERE INTO THE YEAR BUDGET ON EXTRA MONEY.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY SHOWING THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A $15 MILLION SURPLUS.
A BETTER ENDING BALANCE THAN, THAN WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN, TO YOUR POINT, UH, THE PROPERTY TAX, UM, INCREASES IN REVENUE THAT YOU MENTIONED IS TYPICALLY WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THAT AMOUNT REMAINS FLAT, PRETTY FLAT FOR, FOR THE BALANCE OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, THE INCREASES OR DECREASES FOR THE YEARS THAT WE COLLECTED LESS PROPERTY TAXES, LIKE DURING THE GREAT RE UH, RECESSION, UH, THAT HAPPENS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR WHEN, WHEN YOU ARE CONSIDERING THE BUDGET FOR ADOPTION.
COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY JUST SO THAT WE'RE WE'RE REALLY CLEAR.
IT'S ZERO BECAUSE IT'S THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, FRANKLY, I, I SUSPECT WILL BE THINGS THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL WILL TALK ABOUT ON JUNE, BEGINNING ON JUNE 18TH AND, AND, UH, BUT, BUT IT'S ZERO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IS BALANCED AND MUCH OF THAT REVENUE HAS ALREADY BEEN COLLECTED.
UH, AND, AND YOU MAY BE FORESHADOWING SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT THE, THAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE IN JUNE.
UH, AND, AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO BE HAD THEN AS WE DEVELOP THE F Y 21 BUDGET.
THOSE ARE THE OPTIONS AND THE INPUT THAT I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR.
I DO WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT OUR BUDGET IN 2021 WILL BE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? THERE IS A LOT OF NEED, AND WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT SO FAR THIS MORNING, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT IT ON THE NEXT ITEM.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US IN JUNE.
UM, WE'VE GOTTA MAINTAIN, UH, THE SERVICES, UM, HOWEVER THEY ARE, WHATEVER THEY LOOK LIKE, AND WE'VE GOTTA MAINTAIN OUR FINANCIAL VIABILITY AS A CITY.
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE WILL BE PREPARED, COUNCILMAN, TO, TO TALK ABOUT OPTIONS BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON JUNE 18TH AND SUBSEQUENTLY, UH, ON THE, THE WORK SESSION, IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS, ULTIMATELY, EVERY DECISION THAT YOU MAKE HAS AN IMPACT AS BY THE BODY.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF IMPACT THAT INPUT THAT I NEED TO DEVELOP THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, OVER THE MONTH, MONTH OF JULY.
AND JUST ONE LAST QUICK QUESTION.
UM, WITH OUR SITUATION WHERE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, WHY, WHY ARE WE KEEPING THAT ALMOST $16 MILLION CUSHION CARRYOVER INTO NEXT YEAR? UH, COUNCILMAN, AS THE, UH, CITY MANAGER JUST MENTIONED, AND AS OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT, THAT YOU HAVE ADOPTED, WE HAVE A RESERVE FOR A TWO YEAR, UM, BUDGET, UH, PLAN.
SO THAT $15 MILLION THAT YOU SEE AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR WILL HELP US TO BALANCE 2021.
SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RESERVE THAT AS, UH, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE'LL BE FACING SOME FISCAL CHALLENGES IN IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, MARIA.
AND, UH, I, UH, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT, UH, TODAY TO, TO SPEAK.
I OFTEN SAY MOST PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO BE DOING INSTEAD OF COMING TO, UH, TO
[02:40:01]
A, A LONG CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT MAY SOMETIMES BE, UH, BE BORING TO THOSE, EVEN TO THOSE OF US WHO KNOW THE INTRICACIES OF, OF WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA.UH, BUT IT SPEAKS TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND RESIDENTS WHEN THEY COME AND TAKE THE TIME TO, TO SPEAK.
AND THAT ALWAYS, UM, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT WE REMEMBER.
USUALLY IT'S A MR. FINGER BY HIMSELF HERE, SO, UH, SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TO GET DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, SEAN WHO CAME AND SPOKE, UM, JENNIFER, UH, MY DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT, AND, UH, ANNA ROMAN, WHO, WHO WAS HERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S, UH, ANYTHING I COULD SAY THAT'S GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I WILL BE, UH, AVAILABLE AFTER TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, I'LL COME BACK AND BE HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CONTINUE, UH, A DIALOGUE.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, UM, I KNOW IT WAS TOUGH.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF THE COUNCIL WOMEN'S COMMENTS REGARDING FOOD SECURITY, THE HEALTHY STORE INITIATIVE, UH, THE CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE, AND REALLY A NUMBER OF HEALTH INITIATIVES THAT HAD TO BE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE OF THE COVID RESPONSE.
AND I JUST REALLY HOPE WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE.
UH, VERY EXCITED TO WORK ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
HOPEFULLY NOW WE CAN, UH, GET MOVING ON THAT EFFORT.
WE HAVE SOME MONEY SET ASIDE REGARDING HOW WE CAN, UH, IMPROVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE CITY.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S A DECISION THAT WE CAN MAKE.
UH, WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A DECISION WE CAN MAKE WITHOUT FURTHER INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO WE HAVE SOME MONEY SET ASIDE FOR, UM, IT SOUNDS VERY META, BUT FOR INPUT ON PUBLIC INPUT ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UH, THOSE OF, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED, UH, PLEASE REACH OUT TO MY COUNCIL OFFICE AND OR SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST, AND WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON HOW, HOW THAT MOVES FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.
A, A QUICK FOLLOW UP, JUST WATCHING TODAY UNFOLD, UM, AND, AND JUST FEELING THE ANGER IN THE ROOM AND, AND, UH, ALL THE RAW FEELINGS.
IT, IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS LITTLE TIME THAT WE SPENT TOGETHER TODAY IS NOT ENOUGH.
UM, WHICH IS WHY I'M, UH, INVITING ALL OF YOU TO ATTEND.
UM, YOU KNOW, AN ONLINE, UH, TOWN HALL THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON SATURDAY MORNING, WHERE WE'RE GONNA TALK IN VERY RAW TERMS ABOUT RACE RELATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG, I, I UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR STAFF JUST NOW, UM, THAT YOU'VE AGREED TO, UH, SERVE AS ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO'S GONNA PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION ONLINE WITH US.
AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR AGREEING TO THAT.
UM, YOU, YOU CAN FIND THE DETAILS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND THROUGHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WILL ATTEND AND BE READY TO TALK, UH, UH, IN THE MOST RAW TERMS ABOUT, UM, THE WAY YOU FEEL AND, YOU KNOW, THE SOLUTIONS THAT, UM, YOU THINK NEED TO BE PUT ON THE TABLE.
UH, THE SECOND THING I, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT, UM, OUR VERY OWN GILBERT GARCIA AT THE EXPRESS NEWS TODAY, UH, CAUGHT SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING ON TWITTER.
UH, AND THAT WAS THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, SUGGESTING THAT THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD WAS A STAGED EVENT, UM, ALONG THE LINES OF MK ULTRA.
AND THAT, UM, THIS WAS A FILMED, UH, HOAX EXECUTION, UM, SO THAT, UH, PEOPLE COULD FOMENT RACIAL TENSIONS AND DRIVE A WEDGE IN THE GROWING GROUP OF AN, THE GROWING ANTI DEEP STATE SENTIMENT, WHATEVER THE HELL THAT MEANS.
UM, FOLKS, I, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT JUST NOW, GREG ABBOTT, UM, JOHN KOEN AND OTHERS ARE DEMANDING THE RESIGNATION OF, OF THIS, THIS REALLY BAD PERSON.
UM, AND SO THERE IS, UH, THERE DOES SEEM TO BE, UH, A NEW DAY IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE PEOPLE OF THE SAME PARTY DON'T STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER JUST BECAUSE THERE'S AN R OR A D BEHIND THEIR NAME.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE FOR TOO LONG TALKED ABOUT THE RIGHT WING, UM, BEING WRONG, AND THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT WING BEING WRONG.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THESE ARE TWO WINGS ON THE SAME, VERY, VERY, VERY SICK BIRD.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TALKING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER, BRINGING ME BACK TO SATURDAY.
I HOPE THAT WE'LL SEE YOU ALL THERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN TO, UM, EXPRESS ALSO, UH, AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT FOUR, UH, MENTIONED, UH, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, UH, THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM IS, IS BEING, UM, CUT.
UH, I, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WILL JUST MAKE A PUSH AND REQUEST THAT STAFF, UH, PLEASE, UH, MAKE THAT A PRIORITY.
UH, IT'S CERTAINLY A PRIORITY OF MINE.
[02:45:01]
PRIORITY TO, TO BRING IT BACK UP TO, UM, TO, ITS, ITS NORMAL FUNDING LEVELS, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.IT, IT IS AN IMPORTANT HOUSING PROGRAM.
IT, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY DAY THAT WE WAIT, UH, HOUSES SUFFER MORE AND MORE DAMAGE, AND IT JUST MAKES THE THE PROBLEM WORSE WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S BEEN A, A, A PROGRAM THAT I'VE BEEN VERY PROUD OF AND, UH, FEEL THAT IT IS WORTHY, UH, OF US TO, TO REALLY INVEST IN.
I ALSO WANNA MAKE A, A COMMENT ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, UH, THE ARTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, HOW MUCH WE'VE ALREADY CUT THE ARTS ARTS PROGRAMS, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, AND, UH, AGAIN, UH, UNDERSTANDING HOW, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS, UH, FOR, FOR STAFF TO, TO, TO, UH, TO FIND WAYS, TO, TO BALANCE OR TO, UH, FIND THE, THE, THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO, TO KEEP UP OUR BASIC SERVICES.
BUT I, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY, UM, MY SUPPORT AND MY HOPE THAT WE CAN PUSH FOR, UM, MORE ARTS FUNDING, UH, BECAUSE WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS CRISIS TO, TO LOSE, UH, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS, UH, IN OUR CITY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, WHAT WE FUND, WHAT WE SUPPORT, WHAT WE CULTIVATE, WHAT WE CARE ABOUT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS OUR ARTISTS.
THAT IS OUR ART, IT'S OUR CULTURE.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, CERTAINLY HELP, YOU KNOW, FIND A WAY TO, TO MAKE THAT PART OF OUR, OUR LIST OF PRIORITIES AND STRATEGICALLY, UH, PLAN AHEAD TO, TO FUND THIS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
UM, THAT'S ALL COUNCIL, UH, DISCUSSION.
I'LL CLOSE, UH, WITH A FEW COMMENTS.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY UNTIL NOW, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE, UH, COPS METRO FOR BEING HERE.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER, BUT THIS BUILDING BEFORE IT WAS COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, WAS A BANK.
UM, AND IN 1974, I BELIEVE, 1975, THIS S THIS CITY, UH, HAD COME TO A NEW LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING THAT IN FACT, THERE WAS A LOT OF SYSTEMIC INJUSTICES AT THE TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE RED, RED LINING POLICIES, RACIST POLICIES THAT WERE ON THE BOOKS THAT NOW ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BUT THEY BUILT THIS CITY, UH, IN 1975, COPS COMMUNITY ORGANIZED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE BEFORE IT WAS COMBINED WITH METRO ALLIANCE, WHICH NOW IS COPS METRO, UM, POINTED THIS OUT AND SAID, WE NEED A CHANGE.
WE NEED A REVOLUTION IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THAT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAD BEEN BORN, THAT HAD BEEN DEVELOPED, UH, SEGREGATED, THAT OFTEN FLOOD, UH, ARE BEING DROWNED IN RAINWATER, AND THAT KIDS ARE WALKING TO SCHOOL IN MUD, AND THAT IT'S TIME THAT THE CITY COUNCIL STARTED PUTTING MONEY TOWARDS FLOODING CONTROL AND POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, OF COURSE, THESE ARE LARGELY MINORITY COMMUNITIES, AND COPS IS LARGELY A MINORITY ORGANIZATION MADE UP OF FAITH LEADERS AND SO FORTH.
AND SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TENSION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO WHAT THEY DID WAS, UH, THEY DECIDED TO FORM A PROTEST OVER AT FROST BANK, AND THEY PROCEEDED TO TAKE EVERY DOLLAR THAT THEY HAD, WHICH WASN'T A WHOLE LOT, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH, AND GO TO THE TELLERS ONE BY ONE AND EXCHANGE THEM FOR PENNIES.
AND AFTER THEY HAD DONE WITH THAT, AND PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DID THAT, THEY GOT BACK IN LINE, AND THEY MADE THE TELLERS CHANGE THEIR PENNIES AND COUNT THEM ONE BY ONE INTO DOLLARS.
AND THEY DID THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL THEY SHUT DOWN FROST BANK.
NOW, UM, SINCE THEN, YOU'VE SEEN THIS CITY SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON FLOODING CONTROL, AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY, AND THE WORK IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR COMPLETE, WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD A CITY WHERE IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN IS, UH, YOU CAN LIVE ANYWHERE THIS CITY YOU WANT TO.
OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY BARRIER WE KNOW THAT.
UM, FLASH FORWARD TO TODAY, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THIS CITY COUNCIL FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, LOTS OF INJUSTICES, LOTS OF INEQUITIES.
AND IN FACT, THE FIRST ACTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK IN 2017 WAS TO ESTABLISH EQUITY AS ITS FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE CHANGE IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT
[02:50:01]
IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.WHAT'S APPARENT TO ME IS THAT THERE ARE CITY COUNCILS AND CITY HALLS BEING OVERRUN ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN FROM COAST TO COAST AND SMALL TOWNS AND IN LARGE TOWNS.
AND WHAT THEY'RE POINTING OUT, NUMBER ONE, IS THAT THERE IS A SYSTEM OF RACIAL PREJUDICE THAT'S BUILT INTO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT BECAUSE BAD PEOPLE FILL THOSE POSITIONS WHEN THERE ARE, WE GET THEM OUT AS BEST WE CAN, BUT IT'S BECAUSE THE SYSTEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN BUILT, THAT WE'VE BUILT, AND THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT BY PEOPLE ARE THEMSELVES INEQUITABLE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING TAKE PLACE HERE.
WHEN WE HEAR YOUNG PEOPLE COME TO THE PODIUM, SAY, DEFUND POLICE, THEY'VE SEEN THE SAME INCONVENIENT TRUTH THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE.
AND SO, WHEN I SAY I'M LISTENING TO YOU, I'M LISTENING TO YOU, WE SPEND $470 MILLION, $479 MILLION THIS YEAR IN POLICE.
THAT DOESN'T LEAVE A WHOLE LOT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THE, AND THE PATTERN CONTINUES AND CONTINUES AND CONTINUES.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO BUILD A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, A SAFE COMMUNITY, IT'S MORE THAN JUST POLICE SERVICES.
IT'S BEING ABLE TO FUND HEALTH PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO BASIC HEALTHCARE IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOOD SERVICE, HEALTHY FOOD SERVICE IN DISTRICT THREE, WHICH HAS A FOOD DESERT.
IT'S BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE TOP-NOTCH PARKS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO WALK TWO MILES, THREE MILES JUST TO GET TO A NEIGHBORHOOD POCKET PARK.
AND YES, IT INVOLVES MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE FLOODING CONTROL IN OUR POORER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT GET WASHED OUT EVERY TIME IT RAINS.
THIS STUFF DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MARCHING AND, AND, AND SOMETIMES YELLING AS HARD IT IS TO HEAR.
YOU ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE WRITTEN ABOUT 35 YEARS FROM NOW WHO ARE GONNA BE AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHANGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
AND, AND I'M WITH MANNY, YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT FROM ME.
YOU WANT TO SEE ACTION, BUT IT STARTS SOMEWHERE.
AND SO, AS WE GO FORWARD, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR CITY STAFF BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD, AND THEY WORK AT THE BEHEST OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT CREATES POLICIES.
I DIDN'T RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I FELT LIKE EVERYTHING'S DOING GREAT.
I JUST WANT TO BE ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
I RAN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I SAW CHANGE, AND I HEARD THAT WE NEED CHANGE, AND I WANNA BE PART OF THAT CHANGE.
AND EVERYBODY UP HERE RAN FOR THE SAME REASON.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY, IT'S NOT GONNA BE COMFORTABLE, AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA WRITE NICE THINGS ABOUT ME.
BUT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT, THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO HAND THE CITY OFF TO YOU, BECAUSE IF IT'S AS CLEAR TO ME AS IT IS TO YOU, THIS IS A YEAR THAT WE CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE.
THE ONLY YEAR THAT COMES CLOSE IN MY MEMORY.
AND, AND IT'S NOT EVEN MY MEMORY.
IT'S WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS SINCE 1968.
THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY IS BEING BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES BECAUSE THERE IS A GENERATION THAT'S RISING UP AND SAYING, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
BLACK LIVES MATTER, AND WE NEED JUSTICE IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
ES ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
UM, IF THERE'S A, A COMMON THREAD THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF REFORM IN SAN ANTONIO, IT'S COPS METRO.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME, EVEN WHEN WE DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUR BEST, UH, TO MAKE YOU PROUD.
AND THE FOLKS ON THIS SIDE PROUD.
AND, UH, PHARAOH, I HOPE YOU'RE STILL HERE BECAUSE I'M GONNA MAKE YOU WAIT THROUGH THE REST OF THIS MEETING WITH ME, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO UPSTAIRS.
SO WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM SIX, PLEASE VOTE.
ITEM SEVEN IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN FOR THE ONGOING C OVID 19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING STEPS TO ADDRESS SECOND ORDER EFFECTS
[02:55:01]
IMPACTING THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AND SUPPLEMENTAL INITIATIVES TO FURTHER THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN.THE ORDER ALSO AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY NECESSARY AGREEMENTS, APPROPRIATE FUNDS, AND APPROVE BUDGET EXPENSES TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS AND PRIORITIES WITHIN THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN AND ANY SUPPLEMENTAL INITIATIVES.
UH, SO THIS MORNING BEFORE YOU IS, OR THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE YOU, IS THE, UH, COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
BRIDGER WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, UM, AND IT'S, UH, THERE WERE SLIGHT, A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE BASED ON THE COUNCIL'S, UH, FEEDBACK LAST WEEK.
I, I DID WANT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE ISSUES UP FRONT.
UM, THE TODAY'S ACTION, UM, IF, IF TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL IS A CULMINATION OF THREE PRIOR COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MAY.
AND, AND IF APPROVED TODAY, AND DR.
BRIDGER HAS A SLIDE TOWARDS INTERVAL PRESENTATION THAT SHE'LL COVER.
STAFF WILL BE ENGAGING, UH, RESPECTIVE COUNCIL COMMITTEES TO SOLICIT INPUT AND REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UH, EQUITY AND NEED WILL BE PART OF THOSE STAFF PLANS THAT EACH OF THE COMMITTEES WILL SEE, UH, UH, IN THE MONTH OF JUNE.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THAT IS A, THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
UM, AND I SUSPECT THAT THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE, EACH COMMITTEE WILL HAVE TO HAVE MULTIPLE MEETINGS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, PUSH THROUGH, UH, THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
MUCH OF THE PLAN THAT YOU'LL SEE.
AND JUST A REMINDER, SOME OF THIS IS BASED ON AN IMMEDIATE NEED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS.
AND, AND PART OF IT IS BASED UPON, UH, TRYING TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY THAT THIS COMMUNITY WAS ON, UH, POST COVID OR PRE COVID, UH, AND, AND, AND LAND SOMEWHERE IN A BETTER PLACE, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A CRITICAL PART AND A GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THIS WORK AS WE DEVELOPED IT.
THE WATCH EXPAND ASSURE PLAN WILL BE PROVIDING A REGULAR UPDATES TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.
THIS WORK WILL FACILITATE THE, THE, ON THE, THE FUTURE DISCUSSIONS AND, AND WORK FROM THAT COMMITTEE AROUND HEALTH EQUITY.
THAT WAS A, A MAJOR RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HEALTH TRANS, THE HEALTH TRANSITION TEAM REPORT.
UH, AND, UM, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE, AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, UH, THIS STAFF WILL BE PROVIDING MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATES ON PROGRESS AND SPENDING.
ARE WE HITTING OUR OUT OUR OUTCOMES? UM, UNLIKE THE TOPIC WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, THIS IS NOT LIKE OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST BASED ON NEED.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE FUND, THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL AND PROGRESS REPORTS ARE GONNA BE KEY TO THE PLAN.
WE WILL NEED TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AS WE, AS WE, AS WE IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN AN ANNUAL BUDGET.
I'M NOT, YOU'RE PROVING THAT A BUDGET TODAY, BUT, UH, UNLIKE OUR ANNUAL BUDGET WHERE WE GIVE YOU A QUARTERLY UPDATE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE, UH, AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND, AND, UM, I WANNA GIVE YOU FAIR NOTICE THAT IT'S NOT LIKE OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
I, THAT'S THE THIRD TIME I'VE SAID IT, BUT, BUT THERE ARE, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF IMMEDIATE NEED AND, UH, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO IMPLEMENT QUICKLY, UH, AND GET THE HELP, UH, WHERE IT'S NEEDED.
UM, WE'LL DIVE RIGHT IN, MAYBE.
UM, SO YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WERE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EQUITY, THE ABILITY TO USE BRAIDED FUNDING TO RESPOND QUICKLY, A FOCUS ON LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING.
THESE ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE USE TO DEVELOP THE PLAN.
THEY ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE WILL USE AS NEW FUNDING, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, AND NEW CHALLENGES PRESENT THEMSELVES IN RESPONSE TO C OVID 19, AND OUR RECOVERY FROM THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF C OVID 19.
[03:00:03]
AS THE MANAGER'S MEMO COVERED, AND CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH YOU COVERED BASED ON YOUR INPUT LAST WEEK, WE MADE A CHANGE TO WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING.I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT CHANGE, UM, WHICH IS TO MOVE $5 MILLION FROM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE PILLAR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILLAR TO THE SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT PILLAR, FOR US TO DEVELOP AN ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR 1000 INDIVIDUALS, THESE INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO CLASSROOM LEARNERS.
THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO THE STIPEND BEING PROVIDED TO IN CLASSROOM LEARNERS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, WHICH SOME FOLKS, MYSELF INCLUDED, DO BETTER IN HANDS-ON TRAINING.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TO ESTABLISH A THREE MONTH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM WITH SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND IN THIS STRATEGY, WE ARE DEFINING SMALL BUSINESSES AS THOSE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE 500 OR LESS EMPLOYEES.
THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE STARTED SOCIALIZING THIS IDEA WITH SOME OF OUR MICRO BUSINESSES, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY MIGHT STRUGGLE WITH HAVING THE CAPACITY TO, UM, HIRE THESE INDIVIDUALS AFTER THE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WAS, UH, COMPLETED.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE EXPANDED THIS TO INCLUDE 500 OR LESS.
WE ARE STILL DEFINING MICRO BUSINESSES FOR THE REST OF THE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS, UM, STRATEGIES AS THOSE BUSINESSES HAVING 20 OR LESS EMPLOYEES.
SO TO SUMMARIZE THIS CHANGE ON THE JOB LEARNERS, RECEIVE THE WRAPAROUND SUPPORT, THE STIPENDS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
OUR SMALL BUSINESSES RECEIVE THREE MONTHS OF EXTRA BANDWIDTH AT NO COST TO THEM, AND PRECISELY TRAINED WORKERS TO HIRE WHEN THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
NEXT, I'M GOING TO QUICKLY GO OVER WHAT I PRESENTED LAST WEEK.
UM, THAT STILL REMAINS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR MOVING FORWARD.
THE FIRST PILLAR IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THE FUNDING TOTAL FOR THAT PILLAR NOW IS $75 MILLION, 65 MILLION FOR THE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL SERVE 10,000 INDIVIDUALS.
THE OTHER COMPONENT TO THIS PILLAR IS TEMPORARY CHILDCARE SUPPORT, UP TO THREE MONTHS OF CHILDCARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. HOUSING SECURITY IS THE SECOND PILLAR.
ITS TOTAL FUNDING IS $50.5 MILLION.
A REMINDER, PART OF THIS FUNDING GOES FOR, UM, AN EXTENSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES, UH, CASH ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES AND GIVES THEM THE POWER AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO DECIDE HOW THEY BEST NEED TO SPEND THAT FUNDING.
THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THE HOUSING SECURITY PILLAR IS THE $27.9 MILLION THAT'S GOING TO THE FAIR HOUSING COUNSELING AND RESOURCE CENTER, $25 MILLION.
AND THAT STRATEGY, UM, WILL REPLENISH THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO HELP INDIVIDUALS PAY RENT.
THE REMAINING WILL FOCUS ON, UM, ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS COORDINATING AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
ANOTHER STRATEGY IN THIS PILLAR IS OUR VIRTUAL, UM, AND PLACE-BASED RECOVERY HUBS.
THE FOCUS FOR THESE HUBS WILL BE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS, UM, PREVENT AND REDUCE HOUSEHOLD DEBT, CONTINUING WITH HOUSING SECURITY.
UM, ANOTHER STRATEGY IS TO CONNECT RESIDENTS TO LOW COST FINANCIAL PRODUCT PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE BANK ON PROGRAM, AND THEN EXPANDING OUR TAX ANTICIPATION REFUND, OUR TAX REFUND ANTICIPATION LOANS.
WE HAVE TWO DOOR TO DOOR STRATEGIES IN THIS PLAN.
THE FIRST ONE FOCUSES ON INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND THAT IS WHERE WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY
[03:05:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING DOOR TO DOOR TO INTERACT WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT BE AS CONNECTED TO RESOURCES AND LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE VARIOUS RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING ESTABLISHED THROUGH THIS RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN, AS WELL AS OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.THE, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT TIES ALL OF THIS TOGETHER IS THIS DIGITAL REFERRAL PLATFORM FOR JOINT CASE MANAGEMENT.
THIS ALLOWS US TO MAKE SURE THAT PROGRAMS, SERVICES, PROVIDERS, NONPROFITS, ARE ALL ABLE TO PROVIDE A MORE SEAMLESS SYSTEM AND ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE, AS WELL AS WITH EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
FINALLY, UNDER HOUSING SECURITY, WE HAVE ADDED, UM, $9 MILLION TO OPEN AN ADDITIONAL HOMELESS SHELTER, UM, OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS.
THIS OPTION WOULD MOVE PEOPLE FROM EXISTING HOMELESS SHELTERS INTO A HOTEL THAT WE WOULD LEASE AND WOULD FREE UP, UM, SPACES IN OUR HOMELESS SHELTERS FOR NEWLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THE HOTEL WOULD BE, UM, READY FOR THE WORK ON RAPID REHOUSING AND WOULD RECEIVE INTENSIVE SERVICES TO MOVE THEM FROM THE HOTEL INTO A HOUSING SITUATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE PROPOSE A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE STARTED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, FOCUSED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SO WE WOULD WANT TO EXPAND THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HIGH RISK TEAMS. WE WOULD WANT TO EXPAND OUR EXISTING MEDIA CAMPAIGN, OUR LOVE IS CAMPAIGN, UM, AND THEN WE WANT TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THE THIRD PILLAR IS SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, AGAIN AT $38 MILLION.
NOW, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGE I DISCUSSED EARLIER AS THAT FIRST ONE, THE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITH 500 OR LESS EMPLOYEES AT $5 MILLION.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY HUB, BOTH VIRTUAL AND PLACE-BASED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, A PLACE THAT'S A ONE STOP SHOP WHERE BUSINESSES CAN GO AND GET TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, CONNECTION TO RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP THEM, UM, WITH THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY.
ALSO, IN THIS PILLAR IS THE $2 MILLION THAT, UM, WE HAVE ALREADY USED FOR THE P P E.
UM, THAT WAS A, AN EXTREMELY POPULAR PROGRAM.
SMALL BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU PARTICIPATED IN IT AS WELL.
CONTINUING WITH SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, THIS IS OUR SECOND DOOR-TO-DOOR STRATEGY.
UM, AND THIS STRATEGY, AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, UM, WILL BE EXPLICIT AND INTENTIONAL, UM, IN OUR OUTREACH TO MARGINALIZED MICRO BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, MANY OF WHOM DO NOT KNOW WHAT SERVICES AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT IS THIS NEXT STRATEGY, THE MICRO BUSINESS GRANTS.
UM, WE ESTIMATE WE CAN SERVE ABOUT A THOUSAND BUSINESSES WITH GRANTS.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR MICRO BUSINESSES, SO 20 OR FEWER EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN LAST WE DID WANT TO, UM, REITERATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PULLED OUT $2.6 MILLION SPECIFICALLY FOR ARTS GRANT SUPPORT.
THIS WOULD PROVIDE GRANTS TO BOTH INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND NON-PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
FOR PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY UNDER THE MICRO BUSINESS GRANT SUPPORT.
OUR FOURTH AND FINAL PILLAR IS DIGITAL INCLUSION.
$27 MILLION IN THAT PILLAR, UM, HAS TWO STRATEGIES.
THE FIRST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE IS TO, UM, FACILITATE DISTANCE LEARNING, UM, BY PROVIDING IN-HOME INTERNET ACCESS TO STUDENTS IN, UM, K THROUGH 12 AS WELL AS COLLEGE.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED 50 NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE WOULD PRIORITIZE.
THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE, UM, BEEN IDENTIFIED IN COLLABORATION
[03:10:01]
WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AS, UM, NEEDING THE MOST SUPPORT TO PROVIDE THIS DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY.UH, I DID WANNA MENTION IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION I RECEIVED LAST WEEK ABOUT THIS IS, OKAY, GREAT, YOU'RE GONNA SET UP, UM, ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, BUT WHAT WILL THEY USE IN THE HOME? AND I DID WANNA CLARIFY THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH IDS, UM, TO PROVIDE IN-HOME RESOURCES TO ACCESS, UM, INTERNET SERVICES THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE OTHER STRATEGY IN DIGITAL INCLUSION IS TO CREATE THE COSO RECOVERY PORTAL.
AS A REMINDER, THIS CREATES 150 ADDITIONAL WEBPAGE THAT, UM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE MANAGER MENTIONED THAT I WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
UM, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT HOW TO ENSURE COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EACH OF THESE STRATEGIES.
AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE ALLOCATED EACH OF THE PILLARS TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY RELATED.
THEY WILL BE GOING TO, UM, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PILLAR WILL BE, UM, WORKING WITH THE, UM, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE HOUSING SECURITY PILLAR.
AND ALL OF ITS STRATEGIES WILL BE GOING TO CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
THESE COMMITTEES ARE CRITICAL TO THIS WORK.
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT WE HAD TO DEVELOP THIS PLAN, WE REALLY NEED TO RELY ON THE COMMITTEES TO GIVE US INPUT ON STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, UM, THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING TO THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES FOR INPUT AND, UM, AND, UH, FEEDBACK.
THE FOCUS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL IS GOING TO BE ON ENSURING EQUITY AND ENSURING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, WE WANTED TO CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO TODAY, FULL CITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING THE APPROVAL OF, UM, THE RECOVERY PLAN AS WELL AS ITS BUDGET.
AND ALSO IN THE ORDINANCE, WE EXPLICITLY LISTED OUT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
SO YOUR VOTE TODAY IS ALSO A VOTE, UH, FOR THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, AFTER THAT, THE COMMITTEES WILL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH STAFF ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE STRATEGIES, AGAIN, WITH A REAL EYE TOWARDS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE CITY MANAGER WILL EXECUTE THE PLAN, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE IS GIVING INPUT INTO.
SO THIS IS A, A FAST MOVING TRAIN, AND IT'S, IT'S EVERYBODY, UM, IS GOING TO BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING AS CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLE AND ENGAGED AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, GIVEN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
FINALLY, I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE, UM, TIMELINE.
JUST A REMINDER THAT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS ITEM, UM, IN ANY DEPTH WAS ON MAY 7TH, WHERE, UM, MARIA GAVE AN A SESSION PRESENTATION ON APPROPRIATE USES OF THE CARESS ACT FUNDING.
UM, I THEN GAVE A B SESSION PRESENTATION KIND OF OUTLINING REALLY HIGH LEVEL, GETTING YOUR INPUT ON WHAT YOU'RE THINKING FOR THIS PLAN.
UM, WE CAME BACK AGAIN LAST WEEK AND GAVE YOU A LOT MORE DETAILS ABOUT EXPECTED OUTPUTS SPECIFIC TO THE PLAN.
AND THEN TODAY, UM, AGAIN, TAKING YOUR INPUT AND REVISING SLIGHTLY THE RECOMMENDED PLAN, UM, FOR YOUR VOTE TODAY.
THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE WILL BE REALLY INTENSE COMMITTEE LEVEL WORK, UM, AS WELL AS REALLY INTENSE STAFF LEVEL WORK, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS AND STRATEGIES THAT, UM, ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND HAVE BUILT IN FLEXIBILITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN WE WILL IMPLEMENT THE PLAN JULY 1ST.
UM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FUNDING IS THAT A BIG PORTION OF THE FUNDING, UM, ALMOST A HALF OF IT IS DUE TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
[03:15:01]
SO WE NEED TO GET THIS MONEY OUT RIGHT AWAY IN ORDER TO HAVE IT REALLY HAVE GREAT EFFECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT JULY 1ST IMPLEMENTATION DATE, UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD, BUT I WILL REITERATE, WE WILL BE BRINGING MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATES TO CITY COUNCIL SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW WE'RE DOING, UM, AND HAVE INPUT INTO, DO WE NEED TO PIVOT? DO WE NEED TO CHANGE? UM, I WANNA CLOSE BY JUST REVIEWING THIS SLIDE THAT YOU SAW PREVIOUSLY.
UM, LAST WEEK, MARIA PRESENTED, UM, SEVERAL BUDGET SLIDES, AND THIS SLIDE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE CHANGE MOVING $5 MILLION FROM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO SMALL BUSINESS.
SO WHAT WAS PRESENTED LAST WEEK HAS CHANGED.
IT'S NOW 75 MILLION IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND 38.1 MILLION IN SMALL BUSINESS.
UM, THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED FROM THIS SLIDE THAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY SHORT, UM, PRESENTATION ON WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS, UM, THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE PLAN AS PRESENTED.
AND, UM, WE ARE ALL HERE FOR QUESTIONS, MAYOR, JUST A COUPLE OF, UH, CLOSING REMARKS.
SO THE, OBVIOUSLY THE PLAN IS TARGETED TOWARDS THE RECOVERY OF, OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY C OVID 19.
THE PLAN ALSO ASSUMES, AS I SHARED LAST WEEK, THAT WE WILL ADDRESS, UH, OUR FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET AND ENSURE THAT IT'S BALANCED AND MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS.
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE WILL DO THAT.
BRIDGER MENTIONED, UH, AT HER FIRST B SESSION, THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE BUILT THEM INTO THE ORDINANCE.
UH, UH, WE, WE WANNA BE VERY DELIBERATE IN OUR FOCUS, UH, AND I THINK IT SETS US UP FOR IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN, UH, IN PAST SESSIONS, THEN, THEN WE HAVE A FOUNDATION THAT'S BEEN SET, GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT ARE SET, UM, AND, AND, UH, AND WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UM, MAKING THE INVESTMENT IN THE AREAS, UH, OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
UH, WE DO HAVE MANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN.
I'LL CALL THE FIRST MEMBER, COME UP AND SPEAK.
I'LL CALL THE SECOND PERSON SO YOU CAN BE READY TO COME UP.
WE'LL SANITIZE THE MIC IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS.
SO THE FIRST, UH, PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN IS GEORGE CISNEROS.
GEORGE WILL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES, AND THEN WE HAVE THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, UH, SIGNED UP AS A GROUP.
MICHELLE TRU, BRIAN REMEZ AND ROBERTO RIOS.
UH, I HAD PREPARED COMMENTS ABOUT ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, BUT BASED ON THE EMOTIONS OF TODAY, UH, I JUST WANT TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK CHIEF MCMANUS FOR RETURNING TO THE CONSULATE CHAMBERS.
HIS PRESENCE HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WHEN HE WAS LEFT A WHILE AGO, I FELT IT WAS A STRANGE OPTICS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THIS COMMUNICATION AT A PERSON TO PERSON LEVEL.
SECOND THING IS I BROUGHT TWO GIFTS
THIS IS ABOUT COMMUNITY, INCLUSIVENESS AND DIGITAL DIVIDE ISSUES FROM 2005 FROM U C L A.
AND, UH, I WANT YOU TO STUDY IT BECAUSE IT IS GOOD PRIMER ON COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN SCHOOL-BASED.
AND FOR MR. MAYOR, I HAVE CHRIS TOMLINSON'S BOOK CALLED TOMSON HILL, AND THIS IS THE BEST BOOK ON RACE RIGHT NOW THAT I'VE READ DURING THE LAST 10 WEEKS.
CHRIS TOM TOMLINSON IS A COLUMNIST FOR THE EXPRESS NEWS.
IF YOU READ HIS IN THE BUSINESS PAGES THREE, FOUR TIMES A WEEK, HE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD A DISTANT RELATIVE, UH, A YOUNG MAN NAMED, UH, DI UH, TOMLIN TOMLINSON, WHO PLAYED FOR THE SAN DIEGO, UH, CHARGERS.
THEY SHARE THE SAME GREAT-GRANDFATHER, BUT THE GREAT-GRANDFATHER ON CHRIS'S SIDE, GRANDMOTHER WAS WHITE, AND THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER ON THE LINS WAS BLACK.
AND HOW THE TWO TOMLINSON'S FAMILIES COME TOGETHER FROM EAST TEXAS, THE BLACK FAMILY AND THE WHITE FAMILY, AND THE DIFFERENCE IN
[03:20:01]
THEIR LIVES IS INCREDIBLE.SO, MR. MAYOR, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY A GOOD BOOK.
UH, CHRIS WAS THE FORMER WRITER AT THE TEXAS OBSERVER, SO HE LOVES DETAILS.
HE, HE DOCUMENTS LYNCHINGS, VOTER SUPPRESSIONS, BOMBINGS, EVERYTHING IN EAST TEXAS AND THE DALLAS AREA OF THE BLACK TOMLINSONS.
AND YET HE TALKS ABOUT THE ENTITLEMENT AND THE COLLEGE AND THE, THE, THE CAREERS OF THE WHITE TOMLINSONS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UH, THEY'VE BOTH BEEN SANITIZED.
I USED SOME, UH, LYSOL, THEN I USED HOLY WATER FROM, UH, LORDS.
AND JUST FOR SAKE, KEEPING ME, I DO SOME PATRON TEQUILA ON THEM.
SO, UH, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY NEW HABIT, WHICH IS BINGE VIEWING CHANNEL 21 AND WATCHING THE CONS MEETINGS THREE AND FOUR TIMES AND KNOWING YOU GUYS AND WHERE YOU REALLY STAND.
AND THE B SESSIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN ALL THE COMMITTEES, BUT IF THE COMMUNITY REALLY UTILIZES IT, THANK YOU.
LET'S INTERFACE JOB DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND HOUSING WITH THE ARTS COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE SYNCHRONIZED.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT.
MICHELLE RE, BRIAN RAMIREZ AND ROBERTO RIOS.
MY NAME IS MICHELLE TOMILLO AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT.
TODAY I AM HERE TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO DELAY THE VOTE ON THE C OVID 19 COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND WE ALL FEEL AN URGENCY TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS.
SO WHEN WE ASK YOU FOR A ONE WEEK DELAY, WE DON'T MAKE THAT ASK LIGHTLY.
WE NEED TO BALANCE EMERGENCY AND LONG-TERM NEEDS.
AND SADLY, THERE HAS BEEN NO MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS TO DEVELOP THIS PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION HAS GIVEN INPUT TO THIS PLAN, AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THAT ORGANIZATION.
WHAT I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CITY IS THAT IN THE PAST, YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT THAT INPUT FROM ONE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION WAS ENOUGH.
I CAN REMEMBER TWO YEARS AGO WHEN OVER A DOZEN COMMUNITY AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS DELIVERED TO Y'ALL 144,000 PETITION SIGNATURES IN SUPPORT OF A PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE.
YOU FELT THE NEED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO HEAR FROM ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, NOT JUST THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENGAGED MORE VOTERS THAN TYPICALLY VOTE IN A CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.
WHEN YOUR PAID SICK LEAVE COMMISSION MADE MINOR CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE, YOU MADE US JUMP THROUGH HOOPS TO DEMONSTRATE CONTINUED COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PAID SICK LEAVE BY HOLDING NOT ONE BUT TWO PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS.
BUT FOR THIS RECOVERY PLAN, YOU'VE DECIDED YOU NEED ZERO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPARENTLY NO LONGER NEED ALL STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE, YOU HAVE GIVEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST DIRECTLY SUFFERING FROM THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS, ZERO MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY NEED TO RECOVER AND HOW YOU SHOULD ALLOCATE THIS FUNDING.
AND DO NOT SAY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR WEEKS BECAUSE YOU ONLY PUT OUT DOLLAR AMOUNTS SEVEN DAYS AGO, AND YOU ONLY PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE SECTIONS BY PHONE YESTERDAY.
SO ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO PARTICIPATE HAD TO RISK C OVID 19 INFECTION, JUST LIKE I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU.
NOW ALSO, THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PUBLIC LISTENING SESSIONS IN THO IN THOSE WORKING GROUPS, A LISTENING SESSION.
I PERSONALLY SIGNED UP TO HELP PLAN AND IT NEVER HAPPENED.
AND I WAS NEVER TOLD WHY IT WAS CANCELED OR WHO CANCELED IT.
Y'ALL LIKE TO USE THE WORD EQUITY A LOT IN THIS BUILDING, BUT THERE'S NOTHING EQUITABLE ABOUT THE PROCESS YOU USE TO CREATE THIS PLAN.
EVEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED WANTING CHANGES TO THIS PLAN.
COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL SAID IN HER OP-ED YESTERDAY, DIRECT INVESTMENT IN HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS IS NOTICEABLY ABSENT FROM THIS PLAN.
SOME OF YOU WANT MORE MONEY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND I GUESS YOU GOT SOME.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT YOU, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION DON'T YOU AGREE?
[03:25:01]
SOME OF YOU EXPRESS SKEPTICISM AND WANT DATA TO BACK UP THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT.GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THAT DATA.
AND SOME OF YOU AGREE WITH US THAT THIS PLAN DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESS OUR LOOMING EVICTIONS CRISIS AND THINK MORE FUNDING SHOULD BE PUT INTO HOUSING AND DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
I ALSO FIND IT CURIOUS HOW THERE'S NO MENTION OF TRANSIT IN THIS PLAN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED THERE WILL BE NO ONE EIGHTH CENT SALES TAX FOR TRANSIT ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT VIA WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET SHORTFALL OVER 60% OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE VIA USE IT TO GET TO WORK.
YOU'RE DEVOTING $80 MILLION, I'M SORRY, $75 MILLION TO WORKFORCE TRAINING WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT THAT A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE 10,000 PEOPLE MIGHT NEED ACCESS TO A FUNCTIONING BUS ROUTE IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT BALANCING THE EMERGENCY AND THE LONG TERM, AND YOU ARE RUSHING THROUGH THIS WITHOUT AMPLE COMMUNITY INPUT.
YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US THAT THERE'S FLEXIBILITY BUILT INTO THIS PLAN.
SO IT'S OKAY TO PASS IT TODAY AND YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT WHEN THE NEED ARISES.
Y'ALL DON'T JUST UNDO ORDINANCES THAT YOU PASS.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU'VE MADE GOOD OR BAD INVESTMENTS, MOST OF THIS MONEY WILL BE GONE IN SIX MONTHS.
SO THE LIKELIHOOD OF CHANGING THE ORDINANCE, CHANGING YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES IS PROBABLY THE SAME AS THE PUBLIC EARRINGS IS PROBABLY THE SAME AS THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS YOU HAVE HAD, WHICH AGAIN IS ZERO.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE, THOUGHTFUL DECISION MAKERS, WHICH YOU HAVE PROMISED TO BE IN SERVICE TO YOUR CITY.
THIS MEANS TAKING IN THE DATA, ASKING CRITICAL QUESTIONS, AND LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS BEFORE PASSING A $380 MILLION PLAN.
ONE MORE THING, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS ITEM AND TO SEE ALL THE WONDERFUL BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVISTS AND TO SEE YOUNG LEADERSHIP, YOUNG BLACK, AND BROWN LEADERSHIP TAKING ROOT PROTEST IS A SACRED RIGHT IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND I HOPE YOU ARE REALLY LISTENING TO THESE YOUNG LEADERS BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT THAT PROTEST INTO CITY HALL TODAY.
AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS REAL POLICY CHANGE AND REAL POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO YOU BETTER HUMBLE YOURSELVES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE THE MOVEMENT TO DEFUND THE POLICE IS REAL AND YOU BETTER MAKE SPACE FOR IT.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM STANDING IN FOR A MEMBER WHO IS ABSENT IN THE GROUP OF THREE, BUT I AM A PART OF TOP.
I'M ACTUALLY LISTED AS A COMMENTER UNDER NADIA LEWIS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST USE THE FEW MINUTES.
I'M STANDING IN FOR A MEMBER WHO'S ABSENT.
I'D LIKE TO JUST USE THE TIME THAT REMAINS TO MAKE MY COMMENT ALREADY.
SO IN REGARDS TO HAVING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION VIRTUALLY AND, AND HOW THAT HAS BEEN MADE TO EXIST FAIRLY RECENTLY, I DO THINK THAT THAT LEAVES OUT A FAIR PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY MAY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS, WE'VE HAD LITTLE, I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY RESEARCH AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR CURRENT FUNDING PLAN.
UM, AND THAT DOES MAKE ME FEEL RATHER UNEASY ABOUT SAN ANTONIO'S COMMITMENT TO BETTERING OUR COMMUNITY.
IF INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY FOR A BUDGET OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CURRENT TIME, I QUESTION HOW MANY OTHERS ALSO DO.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS A USEFUL TOOL FOR BETTERING OUR CITY.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN RESEARCHED AND IT HAS BEEN EVALUATED.
HOWEVER, MY ISSUE WITH THAT IS THAT DURING THIS TIME WHERE PEOPLE ARE FACING REAL EVICTION CRISES, THEY'RE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR RENT OR THEIR MORTGAGES.
I'M, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE THE PRIMARY PILLAR.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE HOUSING AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE HOUSING SECURITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGE TO BEING THE PRIMARY
[03:30:01]
PILLAR.I DO UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO MAKE A HASTY DECISION DURING THIS TIME.
THAT IS MY ONLY CONSIDERATION.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
MS. MUNOZ SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY RICK VINNO.
UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I ALSO AM A LAW STUDENT AT ST.
I URGE YOU TO DELAY THIS VOTE UNTIL YOU'VE GIVEN THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT.
WE END UP WITH MEANINGLESS MEASURES AS SEEN IN THE UNRELATED EXAMPLE OF THE MAYOR REINSTITUTING, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
INSTEAD OF ANY OF THE REAL SOLUTIONS COUNTLESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR AND ALL THE ONES WE HEARD TODAY.
AS WE ALL KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THE WORST OF WHAT IS LEFT TO COME, AND THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM ARE ALWAYS CLOSEST TO THE SOLUTION.
SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS THEMSELVES WHO ARE SUFFERING THE WORST ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF C OVID 19 KNOW BEST WHAT THEY NEED.
AND YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THIS MONEY WITHOUT TRULY GIVING THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED A SEAT AT THE DECISION MAKING TABLE AND GIVING THEM REAL AUTONOMY.
IDEALLY, YOU WOULD ULTIMATELY VOTE TO GIVE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS IN NEED DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE JUST LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE TO THOSE OF US PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT.
AND JUST LIKE I WAS ADDITIONALLY LUCKY ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FROM ST.
MARY'S UNIVERSITY AS A RESULT OF HAVING CONTRACTED THE VIRUS MYSELF.
AND IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRUSTS US ENOUGH TO DECIDE HOW TO USE OUR OWN MONEY, THEN YOU SHOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME, WHICH IS DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
IF DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE IS TOO MUCH TO ASK.
THOUGH, THE LARGE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET REGULARLY, EVERY SINGLE YEAR GOES TO POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY VIOLENTLY TARGETING PEACEFUL PROTESTORS AS WE'VE ALL SEEN, THEN THE ABSOLUTE LEAST YOU CAN DO TO ENSURE YOUR RESIDENTS DON'T LOSE COMPLETE FAITH IN YOU IS TO DELAY THE VOTE AND CREATE REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY TO BE HEARD.
NOT ON BEHALF OF ANY ORGANIZATION, BUT ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES.
AND YOU'VE NOT DONE THAT AT ALL.
RICK TNO, MR. TNO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY.
MOLLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO MANY OF YOU, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
IT WAS REALLY, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO REALLY GET TO SEE HOW YOU GUYS DO THINGS.
UM, I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY THE PROCESS, UH, HAS COME, HAS COME TO BE.
THERE WASN'T REALLY AN AUTHENTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO INPUT NOT IN THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND AGAIN, THEY JUST MENTIONED JUST UNTIL WEDNESDAY, THERE WAS A LIVE, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO CALL IN.
AND I JUST KEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS WORD, ACCOUNTABILITY.
I THINK I MENTIONED THIS TO YOU LAST YEAR, RON, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BUT WHEN THE RENT COMES DUE, TENANTS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IF YOU DON'T PAY YOUR RENT, YOU GET EVICTED.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF BLACK AND WHITE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I REALLY TRIED TO ENGAGE AN ISSUE I CARE ABOUT HERE.
AND WE, LIKE MICHELLE JUST MENTIONED, ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
WE ARE ASKED, UH, FOR RESEARCH.
WE, AGAIN, ON THE FLY TRYING TO ORGANIZE TENANTS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN ORGANIZED, WHO ARE AT CRISIS, WHO ARE APOLITICAL AND MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY REAL POLITICAL LEANINGS.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TOGETHER AND THE BURDEN IS PUT ON US TO COME UP WITH THAT WHEN WE HAVE ELECTED YOU TO LEAD.
NOW WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AGAIN, I FIND MYSELF AGAINST COS METRO FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT I'M FINE WITH THAT.
THEY HAVE POWER AND THEY GOT IT.
YOU JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBER, THEY GOT THEIR MONEY, THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR PLAN, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE BE BE PEOPLE THAT GET THAT JOB.
BUT HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? I USUALLY DISAGREE WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY ON A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT WHEN HE ASKS FOR SIMPLE METRICS, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES? CITY HASN'T PROVIDED ANY OF THAT.
AND WOULDN'T YOU WANNA KNOW IF THIS 86, WELL, $75 MILLION OF INVESTMENT ACTUALLY WORKS.
SO IF LEADERS IN THE FUTURE ARE CONFRONTED WITH A CHALLENGE THAT THEY DON'T MAKE THOSE MISTAKES, I WANNA KNOW IF THIS WORKS.
I JUST READ FROM THE, THE C E O OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAYING THAT WE'VE MADE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVEL AND THIS, BUT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA GET IT RIGHT.
AND WHAT I DON'T SEE FROM THIS STRATEGY IS A PUSH FROM Y'ALL ON WITH THE BULLY PULPIT AND CONFRONT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
IF WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE SIX $75 MILLION OF INVESTMENTS, IS THE CHAMBER ACTUALLY GONNA ALLOW A LIVING WAGE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR? THEY ARE NOT PRESENT AT THESE TALKS.
[03:35:01]
THIS AND WE NEVER GET REAL ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THEM.THEY'RE THE ONES THAT OPPOSE PAID SICK LEAVE.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT VOTE AGAINST, YOU KNOW, A LIVING WAGE.
THEY LOBBY AGAINST US AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL, AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO WANT, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT THAT THEY'RE JUST GONNA PLAY BALL WITH US.
GIVE THE CITY A CH, GIVE THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON THIS AND GIVE MORE MONEY TO US WHEN IT COMES TO RENTAL.
MOLLY, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NADIA LUIS MAYOR CITY COUNCIL TO RUSH IN A DECISION SOLELY BASED ON RESEARCH FROM A NONPROFIT LIKE COPS METRO, EVEN THOUGH I RESPECT THEM, BUT TO BASE YOUR DECISIONS AND YOUR GUIDANCE ON THEM IS IRRESPONSIBLE.
THE, I SAW THE LIST THAT COMPS MITCHELL GAVE ME, THE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT THAT'S GONNA RECEIVE THE TWO 70, 270 MILLION ALLOCATIONS.
THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT DON'T EVEN HELP PEOPLE.
AND THESE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WHERE A PERSON IS EITHER TOO SLOW TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST SEVEN OR 10 PEOPLE CALLING IN TO GET HELP, AND THEY'RE TOLD, YOU GOTTA TRY BACK NEXT MONDAY.
OR THEY'RE TOLD THAT THEY'VE ALREADY APPLIED WITH CAM AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT THREE TO SIX MONTHS BEFORE ASKING AGAIN.
AND I S D YOU HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR BEFORE ASKING TO BE APPLIED TO APPLY AGAIN.
YOU NEED TO STOP LISTENING TO NONPROFITS LIKE THESE WHO RAZZLE DAZZLE YOU WITH NUMBERS AND GRAPHS AND PRETTY COLORS AND CHARTS.
AND YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
PEOPLE LIKE DOROTHY, WHO'S ABOUT TO SPEAK RIGHT NOW, JESSICA, MAUREEN, AND MYSELF, WHO ACTUALLY LISTEN AND BRING THE STORIES OF ACTUAL PEOPLE IN NEED, LIKE PRE C OVID 19 THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ASSISTED BY THESE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE GIVING VERY LITTLE MONEY TO.