* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:01:36] HERE, COUNCIL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. COUNCIL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURNBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 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 THINK YOU ARE MUTED. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? GREAT. GREAT. OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO BRING, UH, PASTOR RONALD L. GLOVER. HE IS THE PASTOR OF TEMPLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST [00:05:01] 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. GOOD MORNING, LET US PRAY. 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 ANSWER. 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 MAGNIFY YOU. 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. AMEN. UNITED REPUBLIC LIBERTY. THANK YOU PASTOR GLOVER. OKAY. OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 9TH, 2020. THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMENTS. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES. SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MINUTES OF APRIL 9TH, 2020. PLEASE VOTE. AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. 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. I STATE YOUR NAME. I, MANNY PAL. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR. SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM. 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. JUNE 8TH, 2017. 2020 OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. 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, [00:10:01] THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THIS STATE. AND OF THIS STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, WE DO HAVE A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING THREE ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS. ITEM 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT. 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. OKAY. NOT FOR POLLING FOR HER. OKAY. 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. PULL ITEM 17. NO. HIGHLIGHT. HIGHLIGHT. OKAY. YEAH. WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HIGHLIGHT IT IN COMMENTS. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO ITEMS TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 22, AND 31. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. LET ME CLARIFY. THERE ARE FOUR ITEMS ON ZONING TO HIGHLIGHT, BUT THERE ARE NO ZONING ITEMS BEING PULLED. IS THAT CORRECT? THEY DIDN'T TELL. OKAY. ALRIGHT. 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. OKAY. UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN BUT MOTION FOR A BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. ONCE AGAIN. I SO MOVE. OKAY. OKAY. 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. THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES. 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. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. UH, THIS IS ONE LOCATED IN, UH, MS. GONZALEZ DISTRICT. YES. DISTRICT FIVE, THE TAMPA PICO STREET APARTMENTS THERE. YES, MADAM. UM, THE, UH, MS AUDIO VISUAL MATTER, IF YOU PUT, PUT THAT START PUTTING ON THE AGENDA RIGHT THERE. YES. 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. YEAH. 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 [00:15:01] INCOME, YOU'VE GOT IT. 40% OF THE AREA MEETING INCOME, 50%. 60%, YES. JUST ALL KINDS OF AND WHO'S MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE? GUESS WHO? YES. YOU AND I BEFORE. AND THIS IS FOR WATER EXPENSES THAT GO TO SAWS. UH, THANK YOU MR. OT. MA'AM, RETURN THE CAMERA. YES. 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. YES. 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. JUST YOU WATCH. NO, NOBODY WILL PULL THIS ONE AT ALL. . THANK YOU MR. FINGER. WHO'S SAYING HALAI? IS THERE A HUSSEIN HALAI? MR. HALAI, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 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 IT. THANK YOU, MR. HILLY. OKAY. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. THANK YOU. OKAY. 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. I, I CONCUR, MAYOR. OKAY, GREAT. COUNCIL. OKAY, THIS IS WHY I ASKED. WE ALSO HAVE TO PULL ITEM Z FOUR OKAY. FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. 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. OKAY. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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 [00:20:01] 14. I DON'T KNOW NOW. NO, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD. MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA WITH, UH, THOSE EXCEPTIONS. GREAT. OKAY, NOW WE'LL GET BACK TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. OKAY, GREAT. 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. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, UH, THAT IS COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. 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. SO THANK YOU. 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. OKAY. THAT, THAT'S FINE. 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 . ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOOD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM NUMBER 17 AT SPICEWOOD PARK. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PROJECT IN DISTRICT FOUR. UM, IN MAY, 2017, [00:25:01] 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. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. 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. PLEASE VOTE A YES. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. UH, WE'LL START WITH ITEM FIVE. ITEM FIVE, MAYOR'S. 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. UH, FIRST SLIDE PLEASE. 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 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%. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 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 [00:30:01] 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. BARS AND DINE-IN RESTAURANTS. 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 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. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 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. THAT WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GREAT. THANK YOU ANDY. 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. OH, OKAY. GO AHEAD, FATHER. PARDON. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. MAYOR BERG, CITY COUNCIL CITY STAFF. MY NAME IS FATHER JOHN RA HARJO. I'M PASTOR OF ST. 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. [00:35:01] 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. THANK YOU FA THANK YOU FATHER JOHN. OKAY. 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. IN OTHER WORDS, IN GOOD JOBS. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MATA. JACK FINGER, [00:40:01] UH, YES, MR. MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. YES, MR. MAYOR. 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. YES, JACK. GOOD TO SPEAK ON ALL OF 'EM. ALL OF 'EM. OKAY. WELL, VERY GOOD. MR. AUDIOVISUAL, MAN. TO CLARIFY, JACK, YOU'LL BE CALLED UP AGAIN ON ITEM SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT AS WELL, SO, OKAY, WELL, WELL, VERY GOOD. YES. 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. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. NO. THE PERSON ON THE LEFT, YOU MAY THINK THE THE GUY YOU'RE LOOTING, HE'S THE HERO. WHY HE'S WEARING HIS MASK. THE GUY ON THE RIGHT TRYING TO STOP HIM. HE'S NOT THE HERO. HE'S THE LAW MAN. 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. YES. BYE GUY . WHY ELSE WOULD WE, WE BE ESTABLISHING SUCH WISE RULES OF DISTANCING AND MASS AND THAT DO NOT WORK. , THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. SEAN VINA. MR. VINA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NAZARITE RUBEN FLORES PEREZ. UH, GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. UM, UH, I'M SEAN VINA. 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. THAT IS SO IMPORTANT. I RECENTLY COMPLETED MY DISSERTATION ON STIGMA AND MENTAL HEALTH AND TRAUMA, AND I COULD HAVE DONE A STATS ANALYSIS. I'M A STATISTICIAN. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 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. I WOULDN'T LIE. 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. I'M, I'M WITH YOU FELLAS. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FLORES PEREZ. UM, MR. WILSON, YOU'RE ALSO ON NUMBER SEVEN, SO YOU'RE GOOD IF YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, DEANNA ORGA IS DEANNA HERE. OKAY. ANTONIO DIAZ. GOOD MORNING. 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 [00:50:03] 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. THANK YOU MR. DIAZ. DIANNA, DEANNA REGAS. DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE YOUR TIME NOW? DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE YOUR TIME? I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE HERE. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. 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 TO GO ASK BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING FOR A TEST TO TEST ME. 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. THAT'S WHERE YOU SENT ME. 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. OKAY. WE'LL DO 'EM SEPARATELY. 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. SO THIS PROVIDES [00:55:01] 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. NO, NOTHING ELSE UP, MARY. OKAY, GREAT. ITEM FIVE IS THE, UH, AMENDING OF THE 2020 OPERATING BUDGET. UH, I'M SORRY, ITEM SIX IS. 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. I'LL CALL THE SECOND PERSON. 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. OKAY. 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. I'M SO GLAD TO BE HERE. I LOVE ITS PEOPLE. I LOVE ITS CULTURE. I LOVE ITS PARKS. 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. THERE'S NO WAY. AND SO I DID MY RESEARCH. 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. THANK YOU. 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. THANK YOU, MS. MARIE. JACK FINGER, MR. FGO. HE'D BE FOLLOWED BY APRIL. DUVALL. MR. MAYOR, I WANNA, I'M HERE TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT IS CHRISTMAS IN JUNE. 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. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DEVAL. JENNIFER FALCON. 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. POINT BLANK. 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. THANK YOU. MS. FALCON. DEA ROMAN. 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. THANK YOU MS. ROMAN. ALEX BRUNELL. MR. BRUNELL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ISABELLA SINO. LORD, LOWER IT. 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. BLACK LIVES MATTER. BLACK LIVES MATTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BURNELL. THANK YOU ISABELLA ENO. MS. ENO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEFINA FERNANDEZ. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. I'M ISABELLA ENO. 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. YES. THANK YOU, MS. PERENO. JOSEFINA FERNANDEZ. 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. THANK YOU, MS. FERNANDEZ. STEPHANIE COHAN. 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. LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL. 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. BLACK LIVES MATTER. BLACK LIVES. THANK YOU MS. COHAN. DEVIN GONZALEZ. MS. GONZALEZ, YOU'D BE FOLLOWED BY SOPHIA GONZALEZ. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL. AND EXCUSE ME IF I, I CRY. I SPEAK FROM THE HEART. 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 MASTER'S DEGREES. 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. BLACK LIVES MATTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MS. GONZALEZ. SOPHIA GONZALEZ. 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. DOROTHY LOPEZ. I DON'T HAVE A DOROTHY LOPEZ ON THE LIST FOR ITEM SIX. OH, YOU'RE ON ITEM SEVEN. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES ON ITEM SEVEN. UH, MS. LOPEZ. SO LEMME CALL AHEAD AND CALL. UM, THAT WAS SOPHIA GONZALEZ. I'LL CALL ALEXIS GARCIA. MS. GARCIA WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LEO CASTILLO. COOL. UM, GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. UM, MY NAME IS LEXI GARCIA. 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. NOT ANYMORE. WE WANT THE POLICE TO BE DEFUNDED. WE WANT THEM OUT. WE DEMAND THE JUSTICE BE SERVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA. LEO CASTILLO. MR. CASTILLO, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ERIC RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. 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. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. 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. AND THAT IS NOT OKAY. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CASTILLO. ERIC RODRIGUEZ. MR. RODRIGUEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARY URIBE. HELLO. UM, MY NAME'S ERIC RODRIGUEZ. 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. UNDERSTAND. WHEN WE SEE POLICE SHOW UP IN RIOT GEAR FOR A PEACEFUL PROTEST, IT DOESN'T MAKE US FEEL SAFE. IT MAKES US FEEL THREATENED. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. MARY URIBE. MR. URIBE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE CENTENNIAL. DON'T MAKE, HI. MY NAME IS MARY URIBE. I AM A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT ONE. I'M ALSO A SOCIOLOGY MAJOR. 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. SHAME ON YOU. 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. REMEMBER WHO YOU SERVE. THE POLICE UNION. THROWING A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT YOUR CAMPAIGN ISN'T ENOUGH LIKE THAT. IT'S NOT WORTH IT. 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. THANK YOU MS. URIBE. JOSE CENTENNIAL. MR. CENTENNIAL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY HALEY BLOOMER. UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, DEFUND THE POLICE. YES, BLACK LIVES MATTER. 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. GOOD MORNING. 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. THAT [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. YES. THANK YOU. MS. BLOOMER. BLACK. BLACK, BLACK. BLACK. BLACK LIVES MATTER. BLACK LIVES. BLACK LIVES. OKAY, FOLKS, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. BLACK LIVES BLACK. BLACK, BLACK. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. MARIA, PLEASE. 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. OKAY. THE FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. 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. OKAY. 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. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 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. YEAH. 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. OKAY. AND I'LL REITERATE THAT AGAIN LIKE I DID IN APRIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. 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. WE ADOPTED IT AT 64%. OKAY. 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. WE HAVE MADE CHANGES. 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. YES. 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. OH, AND I MOVE TO APPROVE. OKAY. THERE IS A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FIVE. DID I, OR ITEM SIX? I'M SORRY, DID I HEAR A SECOND? OKAY. AND A SECOND. UH, MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. 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. WELL, THANK YOU. UM, ERIC. 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. YEAH. 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. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU. 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. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. OKAY. THANK YOU. 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. THE COMMUNITY COMES FIRST. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. 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. OKAY. 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. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT TOO. 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. AND, UM, THAT HAPPENS. 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. AND I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF [02:05:01] THIS IS GONNA WORK. SO LET'S, UH, LET'S TRY THIS TOGETHER. UM, CAN Y'ALL SEE THAT? NO. I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HOLD IT UP. IF YOU CAN HOLD IT UP THE SCREEN, THAT'D BE BETTER. OH, NO, NO. OKAY. 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. THAT'S, THAT'S HER NUMBER. HER BADGE NUMBER IS 1161. HER NAME IS ALICIA. SHE'S A SINGLE MOM. 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. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAS. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. OKAY. 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. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA. WELL, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET. GIMME A CHANCE. , GIMME A CHANCE. , GIMME A CHANCE. 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. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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 ? YOU KNOW WHAT? LET ME JUST START WITH IT. '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 SHOWING UP. 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. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. 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. I DON'T, I DON'T HEAR THIS. WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR, WHAT YOU WANNA SEE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I'M GLAD FOR THIS. I'M GRATEFUL. I CAN'T UNDER, I'M [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. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE QUIET. SO COUNCIL MEMBER KABE, HOWEVER CAN SPEAK. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. 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. IT HAS TO START SOMETIME. 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. COUNCIL. 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. THAT IS IN PHASE FOUR. 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. OKAY. 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. OKAY, THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MARIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SIT THERE AND LAUGH. SHAME YOU. I'M EVERYWHERE IN THIS, IN THIS COUNTRY. I'M, EVERYBODY. 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. GARCIA. MS. GARCIA, APOLOGIES FOR UP. NO, NO, NO. MI MA'AM. 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. HEY, Y'ALL, LET HIM SPEAK. TRULY CARE ABOUT CHANGE. I ASK ALL OF YOU. ONE SECOND, PLEASE. 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. THAT CAN CHANGE AND END. 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. OH, I KNOW YOU, PHARAOH. YES, SIR. OKAY. THE SOONER WE CAN GET OUTTA HERE AND GET THIS MEETING DONE, YOU COME TO MY OFFICE AND WE'LL TALK. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT, SIR. 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. WE NEED SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. CAN YOU AND I AGREE THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO GET OUTTA HERE AND US TO MEET, WE GOTTA GET THIS MEETING DONE. I DO AGREE. AND EVERYBODY'S GOTTA PAY ATTENTION TO EACH OTHER AND GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO SPEAK. I DO AGREE. OKAY. 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. ALL RIGHT. FOLLOW UP WITH US. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TNO. COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. 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. I HEAR YOU, I UNDERSTAND YOU. 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. SO, MY, MY DOOR'S, UH, OPEN. 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. DEFINITELY. 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. I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THAT. 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 , SO THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS. UM, MAYOR, WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL OF MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. 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. UM, [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. OKAY. 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. I, I WAS BLOWN AWAY. 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. OKAY. 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. YEAH. 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. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YES. 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. YES. 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. WE REALLY ARE. 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. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU, MARIA. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 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. SO, THANK YOU. 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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. 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. WE NEED TO GET, UH, MAKE IT A [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. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. 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. IT WAS A FROST BANK LOBBY. 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 MORE THAN JUST SECURITY. 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. I'M PROUD OF YOU. 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. SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER. 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. SO, THANK YOU COPS METRO. 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. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM SEVEN. 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. OKAY. ERIC, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, SO THIS MORNING BEFORE YOU IS, OR THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE YOU, IS THE, UH, COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN. UH, DR. 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. AND THAT WORK IS ONGOING. 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. DR. BRIDGER, THANK YOU. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. UM, WE'LL DIVE RIGHT IN, MAYBE. OKAY. AH, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. 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. SO WE HAVE FOUR PILLARS. 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. RIGHT NOW. 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. AND [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. UH, AS DR. 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. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU ERIC. THANK YOU, DR. BRIDGER. UH, WE DO HAVE MANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN. SO SAME THING. I'LL CALL THE FIRST MEMBER, COME UP AND SPEAK. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I'LL CALL THE SECOND PERSON SO YOU CAN BE READY TO COME UP. WE'LL SANITIZE THE MIC IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS. OKAY. 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. THEY'LL HAVE NINE MINUTES. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. MIC CHECK. YEAH, THAT'S GOOD. OKAY. 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. HE'S BACK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THIS COMMUNICATION AT A PERSON TO PERSON LEVEL. SECOND THING IS I BROUGHT TWO GIFTS , ONE FOR THE MAYOR AND ONE FOR MANNY BECAUSE HE'S MAYOR PRO TIM TODAY. AND THIS IS A BOOK FOR MANNY. 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. I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYBODY. UH, IT'S EMOTIONAL. 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. IT'S A GOOD BOOK. 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. ANYWAY. SEVEN IS GOOD. ARTS ARE GOOD. LET'S INTERFACE JOB DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND HOUSING WITH THE ARTS COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE SYNCHRONIZED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. CISNEROS. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. MICHELLE RE, BRIAN RAMIREZ AND ROBERTO RIOS. UH, Y'ALL HAVE NINE MINUTES. AND THEN KAREN MUNOZ. CAN I TOUCH THAT? I'M OKAY. YEAH, I GOT IT. UH, GOOD MORNING. 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. SO THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. 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. WELL, WE ALL KNOW THAT'S BS. 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. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. KAREN MUNOZ DID. OKAY, GO AHEAD. MY COMMENT IS BRIEF. 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. THAT IS MY NAME. AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST USE THE FEW MINUTES. IS THAT BETTER? OKAY. UH, I'M NADIA LEWIS. I'M STANDING IN FOR A MEMBER WHO'S ABSENT. I AM A COMMENTER ON THE LIST. 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. IT'S BEING EFFECTIVE. 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. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. KAREN MUNOZ. MS. MUNOZ SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY RICK VINNO. I'M KAREN MUNOZ. UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I ALSO AM A LAW STUDENT AT ST. MARY'S. 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. AND THAT REMAINS TRUE HERE. 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. DELAY THE VOTE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MUNOZ. 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 FOR NUMBERS. 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. WE PUT MONEY INTO [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. PLEASE DELAY THIS. 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. SUSAN, THANKS GUYS. THANK YOU MR. TRUVIO. MOLLY. 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. THEY NEED HELP NOW. 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. OR EVEN WORSE. AND I S D YOU HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR BEFORE ASKING TO BE APPLIED TO APPLY AGAIN. JUST HEAR ME NOW. 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. NOW I'M ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE DELAY THIS VOTE. ALL THESE WORK GROUPS, THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMUNITY INPUT EXCEPT NOT COPS METRO. I'M NOT ON THEIR MEMBERSHIP. THERE'S BEEN NO COMMUNITY AWARENESS. I JUST HAPPENED TO GET THIS EMAIL FROM THEM, FROM SOMEONE ELSE. 270 MILLION STIMULUS. WE NEED THAT TO HELP PEOPLE. BUT YOU NEED TO DECIDE WITH RES REASONABLE, RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING. SO PLEASE, I ASK YOU TO VOTE TO DELAY THIS DECISION, POSTPONE YOUR DECISION BECAUSE YOU HAVE EVEN HEARD OR RESPONDED TO ALL THE STORIES THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD TO YOU LEFT AND RIGHT. IF YOU MOVE WITH THIS DECISION TODAY TO ALLOCATE $270 MILLION TO PROGRAMS THAT DON'T EVEN HELP PEOPLE LIKE PRE COVID NOW, BUT ONLY HELP NONPROFITS, THEN YOU ARE INVITING ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE EVICTED TO CAMP OUT ON CITY HALL, SIDEWALKS, FAMILIES, BABIES, WIDOWED MOTHERS AND FATHERS, SINGLE WOMEN. LA WILL BE THE NEW SA. THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE, AND I HOPE YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THAT. TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS WILL NOT BE THE ANSWER WHEN THAT HAPPENS. BE SMART. DELAY THE VOTE. COMMUNITY INPUT IS NEEDED. THANK YOU, MOLLY. NADIA, LUIS, IS MS. LUIS HERE? I APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONFUSION. I MADE MY COMMENT WITH THE GROUP ALREADY. OKAY, SO YOU'RE GOOD? YES. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, ROBERT LAWRENCE. MR. LAWRENCE, YOU'LL BE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWED BY DOROTHY LOPEZ, WHO WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES. YES. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ROBERT LAWRENCE AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, I'M A CONTRACTOR AND A RENTER AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR JOBS ALL THESE PAST FEW, TWO MONTHS, RIGHT? AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY. AND YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN APPLYING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND, UM, I APPLIED ALSO TO RENTAL ASCENT, UM, ASSISTANCE. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY DID GET BACK TO ME. UM, THEY ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M A RELATIVELY TECH SAVVY PERSON AS WELL, BUT THE, UM, THE APPLICATION PROCESS [03:40:01] WAS VERY, YOU KNOW, HARD TO GET THROUGH. UM, IT'S A REAL ISSUE, ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY, RIGHT? NOT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. NOT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO BEING TECH SAVVY AT ALL. AND THIS PROCESS IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. UM, AND STILL, I STILL HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN THIS ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DESPERATELY NEED. UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CRISIS, THESE FUNDS ARE MEANT FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED A PROCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE INVOLVED DECIDING ON HOW TO FIT TO SPEND THESE FUNDS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED AND HAVE DECIDED FOR US WITHOUT LISTENING TO US. YOU SHOULD DELAY THE VOTE TODAY UNTIL YOU'VE HEARD FROM US THE PLAN SHOULD AND HAVE MORE FUNDING FOR HOUSING, FOR DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE. TWO MONTHS RENT IS NOT GONNA CUT IT. WE ALREADY HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS BEFORE C OVID 19. WE ALREADY HAD SO MANY HOMELESS THAT WAS ALREADY CONSIDERED A CRISIS IN MY BOOK. NOW IT'S GONNA BE EVEN WORSE. WELL, WITH SO MANY FAMILIES NOT BEING ABLE TO EVEN BARELY MAKE IT BY UNDER GOOD CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IS GONNA BE A DISASTER IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY TRY TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE PEOPLE. AND THAT MEANS, THAT MEANS ACTUALLY LISTENING TO US, PLEASE DELAY THE VOTE. THANK YOU, MR. LAWRENCE. DOROTHY LOPEZ, MS. LOPEZ, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ELENA BERRY. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DOROTHY LOPEZ. UM, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE COME, ALL OF THE CITIZENS WHO HAVE COME TO TODAY TO SPEAK ON ALL THE ISSUES THAT THE CITY IS FACING RIGHT NOW. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME WATCHING RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN A TIME AS WE KNOW OF THIS CRISIS, OKAY? UM, I'M A RESIDENT. I'VE BEEN THROUGH HOMELESSNESS. UM, UH, I'M A TENANT. UM, I'M CURRENTLY HAVE A, A CASE OF MY OWN RIGHT NOW, AN EVICTION CASE. I'M ALSO AN ADVOCATE, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE WHO CAN'T BE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY. THESE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE. I WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK INSTANT. MY REQUEST FOR YOU GUYS RESPECTIVELY TODAY IS FOR YOU TO ULTIMATELY DELAY THIS VOTE BECAUSE IT IS THE HEART OF THIS COMMUNITY OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW, OKAY? WITHOUT A JOB WHO ARE SINGLE PARENTS, WHETHER THEY BE POOR, MIDDLE CLASS, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT CLASS EVERYBODY IS SUFFERING. AND FOR YOU GUYS, WE AS A COMMUNITY ELECT YOU OFFICIALS TO LEAD THE CITY. AND THAT'S NOT BEING DONE. I KNOW YOU TRY YOUR BEST, BUT FOR YOU GUYS TO VOTE ON THIS MATTER WITHOUT OUR INPUT AS A COMMUNITY, TO ME, I FEEL YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES BECAUSE IT IS THIS COMMUNITY THAT PUTS YOU GUYS IN OFFICE. THERE'S NO REASON WHY A SINGLE MOTHER WITH FIVE CHILDREN WHO HAS BEEN DENIED BY N H S D SHOULD BE LIVING OUT OF HER S U V RIGHT NOW AT A WALMART PARKING LOT DENIED. AND, AND HER VOUCHER BEING EXPIRED AND, AND NOT GETTING ANY FEEDBACK FROM SAHA. YOU GUYS HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS. YOU GUYS ARE BEING GIVEN $270 MILLION TO HELP THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS TOGETHER. AND FOR YOU GUYS TO MAKE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONLY INVESTING $50 MILLION FOR HOUSING SECURITY IS BEYOND ME. I CAN'T, I THE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS SURVIVAL FOR ALL OF US. IF WE FALL AS A CITY AND AS A NATION, LET US RISE BACK TOGETHER AS A, AS A CITY, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A WHOLE, WE, IT SHOULDN'T BE ALL INVESTED INTO THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM. I MEAN, YOU'RE, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? FLOOD THE MARKET WITH HIGH DEMAND JOBS AND THEY'RE SCARCE RIGHT? NOW, I KNOW OF A MIDDLE CLASS WORKING FAMILY WHO'S, WHO'S IN THE MEDICAL FILM, MIND YOU, WHO'S HOURS ARE BEING CUT BACK AND THEY'RE ONLY ABLE TO WORK 20 HOURS IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD. I HAVE A SINGLE FATHER WHO APPLIED FOR YOUR PROGRAM, THE N H S D PROGRAM, SINGLE FATHER OF FIVE KIDS ALSO DENIED. WHY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. [03:45:01] I MEAN, WHAT I ALSO WANNA KNOW, WHAT OUTREACH DID YOU GUYS, YOU EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER SITTING HERE UP ON THEAS TODAY, WHAT OUTREACH DID YOU DO WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO GET THEM ACTIVELY INVOLVED, TO ENGAGE WITH THEM? YOU GUYS SIT UP HERE AND YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, I HEAR, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU KNOW, IT SHOULDN'T BE LEFT TO THOSE FEW OF US HOUSING ADVOCATES OR, OR, OR LITTLE ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO GATHER EVERYTHING AND, AND GO OUT THERE AND MAKE OUR POSTER BOARDS AND TRY TO SEEK PEOPLE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE FOOD. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T MAKE, IF YOU DON'T SEE NOW, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU IN THAT WAY BECAUSE YOU GUYS STILL GET PAID BECAUSE YOU CAN GO TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY AT NIGHT. THERE'S SOME OF US THAT CAN'T, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE REALLY SEEING THE PICTURE. YOU THINK THAT, OH, WELL, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY FILINGS RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW WHAT? I PROMISE YOU? THOSE PEOPLES WHO, THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE A BACKUP PLAN, YOU KNOW, AND WHO'S, WHO AREN'T TAPPING INTO THAT MONEY, THOSE BANKS WHO SAID, WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE MONTHS LEEWAY. ALL OF THAT STUFF IS ABOUT TO HIT. AND, AND THEY, THEY CAN'T DO THAT NO MORE FROM, I PROMISE YOU, FROM JULY ON, YOU'RE GONNA SEE CATASTROPHIC THINGS HAPPENING WITHIN THIS CITY. AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T ACT NOW AND GET SOME KIND OF ENGAGEMENT, ALL YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS AN EVEN MORE, MORE EXPLOSIVE CRISIS TO BE ON THE HANDS OF THIS CITY. YOU KNOW? AND I STRONGLY, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY TO BE ENGAGED AND TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND TO COME FORWARD. DON'T BE SCARED OF YOUR LANDLORD OF RETALIATION. DON'T BE SCARED. YOU GUYS ARE PROTECTED. YOU KNOW, AND YOU AS OFFICIALS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PUT STUFF OUT THERE TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW. I MEAN, SCARED OR NOT SCARED, I MEAN, TO, TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE. EVEN IN THIS CRISIS, IT'S LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S LIVELIHOOD, IT'S HUMANITY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO REASON WHY SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE DISABLED CAN'T GET HELP, CAN'T GET FOOD. YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ULTIMATELY ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE, NOT JUST BY MYSELF, BUT BY OTHER CITIZENS HERE IN THE CITY TODAY. AND I REALLY FEEL THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH. AND I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER PLAN TO GET THIS CITY TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. THAT MONEY NEEDS TO GO INTO HOUSING. THAT IS THE UTMOST OF IMPORTANCE TO ME RIGHT NOW, IS THAT HOUSING SECURITY OR ELSE YOU WILL BE ABLE, WE WILL HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GATHER THEM ALL TOGETHER AND GO PUT 'EM AT THE HAVEN OR PUT 'EM AT THE, AT AT SALVATION ARMY. YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO PUT 'EM ANYWHERE. WHERE IS THE REMAINDER OF THE MONEY AND THE, IS THAT SIX MINUTES? WOW. . THANK YOU, MS. LOPEZ. ELENA BERRY, MS. BERRY, MS. BERRY, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS ELENA BERRY. UM, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, OFF AND ON FOR OVER 20 YEARS. UM, I LOVE THIS CITY AND I AM A PROUD MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY THAT IS SUPPORTING THIS CITY AND THAT LOVES THIS CITY. UM, SORRY THAT I'M EMOTIONAL, BUT IT'S AN EMOTIONAL TIME. UM, I HAVE THREE CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES MATTER. SO I, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY THAT THAT SAID SOMETHING EARLIER. UM, BUT I WILL MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER EQUALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND THAT IS HOUSING. UM, MY CHILDREN AND I HAVE BEEN HOMELESS, SO I'VE BEEN THERE. AND THAT IS WHY I AM URGING YOU TO PLEASE DELAY THIS VOTE, BECAUSE THESE NONPROFIT AGENCIES, WHILE THE, THE GOAL IS TO HELP PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. I WAS A RESIDENT OF HAVEN FOR HOPE. AND WHILE, ALTHOUGH THEIR MISSION AGAIN IS TO HELP PEOPLE, THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING. WHILE I WAS THERE FOR 10 MONTHS, I WITNESSED A PLAYGROUND THAT WAS BUILT FOR THE CHILDREN. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PLAYGROUND THAT WAS THERE. HOWEVER, IT WAS RENOVATED. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WAS PUT INTO A RENOVATED PLAYGROUND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH. MEANWHILE, THE RESIDENTS THAT WERE THERE, ALL FAMILIES IN THAT FAMILY DORM WENT MONTHS AND, AND STILL TO THIS DAY, I'M SURE IT'S GOING ON WHERE [03:50:01] THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO WORKING WASHERS AND DRYERS, WHICH IS A PROBLEM. WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY HOMELESS, YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT SHAME AND THAT GUILT AS A MOTHER. AND WHEN YOU CANNOT PROVIDE CLEAN CLOTHES FOR YOUR CHILDREN, IT'S HEARTBREAKING WHEN THAT FACILITY IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU. AND YOU CAN'T GIVE THAT TO YOUR CHILDREN WHEN YOU HAVE TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL IN AN UNCLEAN UNIFORM. AND THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT SHAME OF BEING HOMELESS. UH, IT IT'S UNBEARABLE, BEARABLE. SO THESE TYPE OF THINGS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. WHAT I URGE YOU TO DO IS TO CREATE A COMMITTEE, UM, USE THE H M I S SYSTEM THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE. USE IT FOR GOOD, CREATE A CLEARING HOUSE, CREATE SOMETHING THAT DOES THAT. THE MONEY DOES NOT GO DIRECTLY TO THESE NONPROFITS. IT NEEDS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT, UH, CLEARINGHOUSE THAT ALLOWS THIS MONEY TO BE FUNNELED APPROPRIATELY SO THAT IT IS NOT MISUSED. BECAUSE, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SINGLE OUT HAVEN BECAUSE AS UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALL KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER, UM, AGENCIES IN THE NEWS THAT HAVE BEEN MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS. SO TO CREATE, UM, A BETTER SYSTEM, LIKE I SAID, CHANGE NEEDS TO HAPPEN. SO I THINK THAT IF WE DELAY THE VOTE, UM, ALTHOUGH THIS IS AN URGENCY THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE AND SO FORTH FOR THE FUNDING, BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, MORE GOOD WOULD COME OUT OF IT, UM, IF WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE USED APPROPRIATELY. SO AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. BERRY. JACK FINGER, MR. FINGER, YOU'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWED BY VALERIE FINLEY. MAYOR NURENBERG, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. YES, MR. MAYOR, I, I COULDN'T HELP NOTICING ONE THING. YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO THERE, WHEN A UNRULY MEMBER OF THE TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE DISRUPTED THE COUNCIL MEETING, HE WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY EJECTED FROM THE, THE CHAMBERS HERE TODAY WHEN SEVERAL PERSONS FROM VARIOUS LEFTIST GROUPS, UH, SPEND FIVE OR 10 MINUTES DISRUPTING THE, THE PROCEEDINGS, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED. TRUE, BOLD, AND DECISIVE ACTION ON YOUR PART, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM ON THE AGENDA. I WOULD, I'M JUST SORRY TO THROW COLD WATER ON A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, NONE OF US ABSOLUTELY DESERVE A FREE LUNCH. YEAH. YOU SEE? YES, THAT'S RIGHT. THE, UH, BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. LIFE IS VERY UNFAIR. CATASTROPHES HAPPEN YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, WHEN ONE HAPPENS AND YOU MAYBE ONE IS LAID OFF FROM WORK, UH, THAT'S WHAT SIX MONTH EMERGENCY FUNDS ARE FOR. THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAVING UP YOUR MONEY FOR ALL, ALL THIS TIME. NOT DEPENDING ON THE, THE GOVERNMENT TO BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS THAT RESCUES YOU. BUT, UH, I WOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE , YOUR CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO THAT VERY THING TODAY ANYWAY. YES, MR. VISSION, MAN. PUT THAT UP HERE. IF YOU WOULD, UH, SEE WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE UNDERLINED THE AREAS SAY. YEAH. BLOW UP A LITTLE BIT IF YOU CAN. THERE. LET'S SEE. YEAH, IT SAYS, IT SAYS, BASICALLY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE HANDING OUT TODAY IS, UH, WHAT IS IT? A DOOR-TO-DOOR ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE TO HELP EDUCATE MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ABOUT THE COVID OVID 19 RELATED RESOURCES AND THE AMOUNT OF $500,000 YOU'RE GONNA GO DOOR TO DOOR TELLING PEOPLE, HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR SOME WELFARE . YEAH. FURTHER ON IT SAYS, YEAH, HOMELESS SHELTER OPTIONS WITH SERVICES FOR 500 RESIDENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 9.2 MILLION, 9.2 MILLION. NOW, UNLESS I'M WAY OFF, I CALCULATED THAT TO BE $18,000 PER HOMELESS PERSON. $18,000. I'M IN THE WRONG BUSINESS. I NEED TO JOIN MY, SOME OF MY HOMIES OVER THERE NEAR THE PECO STREET THERE. AND YOU SEE, PUT MY HAND OUT FOR FAR, A FEW, FEW, FEW GRAND THAT WAY THERE. . WHAT ELSE DOES IT SAY? UH, FURTHER ON DOWN DOOR, TOOR ENGAGE ANOTHER DOOR TOOR ENGAGEMENT FOR THE AMOUNT OF 1.3 MILLION MEN ANTICIPATED FOR REACH 5,000 BUSINESSES. MORE DOOR TO DOOR, FURTHER ON DOWN, DIS DIS DISTANCE LEARNING IN-HOME INTERN TO ACCESS TO STUDENTS K 12 AND A, A COMPUTER AT EVERY [03:55:01] HOUSEHOLDER . I'M SORRY. I REALLY THANK YOU, MR. FINGER, GIVEN THAT KIND OF VALERIE FINLEY, MS. FINLEY, YOU'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES HAMILTON. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I AM VALERIE FINLAY. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY BLESSED WITH THE LEADERSHIP THAT HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR HOMELESS. THE FA FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE NEAR HOMELESSNESS. BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE SAME HOMELESS ISSUES AS SOME COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE CAN LOOK AT MANY CITIES WHERE IT'S MUCH, MUCH WORSE GOING FORWARD. IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER, UTILIZING OUR TALENTS AND FUNDS TO ADDRESS OUR HOMELESS AND HOUSINGS INSECURITIES. YESTERDAY I LEARNED THAT WE HAVE OVER 5,000 PENDING EVICTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE COURTS. SO THIS IS A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE AT POTENTIAL OF BEING HOMELESS. WE ARE LAUNCHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THIS SITUATION. WHEN FAMILIES DO NOT HAVE A HOME AND ARE IN FEAR OF LOSING THEIR HOUSING, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE. IT'S REALLY HARD TO FOCUS ON GETTING THEIR LIVES TOGETHER, OF GETTING THAT JOB, WORKING, ALL OF THAT. WHEN OUR FAMILIES SUFFER, OUR COMMUNITY SUFFERS. WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S BETTER FOR EVERYONE WHEN WE CAN KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER. HOMELESS PREVENTION IS MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE THAN HOMELESSNESS AND REHOUSING. SOMEBODY S V D P SUPPORTS OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS GIVING HOPE AND COMPASSION IN THIS TIME, MORE IS GOING TO BE NEEDED. WE'RE GOING TO NEED DOLLARS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN THERE'S SO MANY WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO STRETCH THE DOLLARS. YOU GUYS HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET TODAY. WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US DOING IS LOOKING THREE STEPS DOWN THE ROAD. WHAT WILL BE OUR HOMELESS SITUATION IN THE FUTURE IF WE DO NOT INVEST THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO KEEP FAMILIES IN THEIR FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES TODAY? UM, WE HAVE A CHOICE TO INVEST OUR FUNDS IN KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER AND KEEPING OUR FAMILIES STRONG. IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US, AS I SAID, IN PARTNERSHIP. IT WILL TAKE FUNDING. I UNDERSTAND AGAIN, HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY AND THE OTHER PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY ON THIS CRITICAL HOUSING SITUATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. FINLEY, JAMES HAMILTON, MR. HAMILTON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY RICHARD DAVIDSON. I'M A RENTER AND DISTRICT FREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, OKAY? WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, I WANNA HAVE A VOICE, NOT JUST DURING ELECTION TIME, BUT TODAY. WE DESERVE A VOICE IN POLICY AND BUDGET DECISIONS. WE SHOULD DELAY THE VOTE FOR AT LEAST ONE WEEK TO HAVE REAL PUBLIC, A REAL PUBLIC HEARING, AND ALLOW US WHO ARE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING THIS CRISIS TO TELL YOU WHAT WE NEED. BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T PASS THE RIGHT TO CURE. YOU'RE NOT PUTTING ENOUGH FUNDING IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE. THAT MEANS A LOT OF BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES WILL BE EVICTED FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. IF SOMEONE HAS AN EVICTION ON THEIR RECORD, THEY'RE GONNA FIND A TIME, A HARD TIME RENTING FOR 10 YEARS AFTER THEY, UH, BE EVICTED OUT OF THEIR HOME. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE $2,000 IN, UH, DEPOSITS IN MOVING EXPENSES. THE CORONAVIRUS TOOK ALL OF THAT, AND EVERY DIME WENT TO RENT, EVEN THE STIMULUS CHECKS. WHAT WE ARE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS A LACK OF EMPATHY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, KNOWING THAT THESE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE WILL BE CAST OUT IN THE STREETS. PEOPLE'S GRANDMOTHERS, CHILDREN WITH BABIES, THEY RATHER SUPPORT THE DEVELOPERS AND THE LANDLORDS THAN THE PEOPLE. I ALSO ASK, UH, DON'T BAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. WE NEED TRANSPORTATION FOR WORK. AND THEY HAVE A SHORTFALL RIGHT NOW THAT'S GONNA RESULT IN INCREASED FARES FOR THE REST OF US. AGAIN, IF YOU'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN WHAT WE NEED TO RECOVER, DELAY THIS VOTE Y SAY BLACK LIVES AND BROWN LIVES MATTER. BUT WE ARE GONNA SEE WHICH ONE OF Y'ALL ACTUALLY DO BELIEVE THAT ONCE Y'ALL VOTE. [04:00:03] THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. RICHARD DAVIDSON. MR. DAVIDSON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH PATA, CITY COUNCIL PERSONS. I WANTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF WHAT THE CITY HAS PROPOSED. UM, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE CLIENTS. UH, FAMILY SERVICE HAS NOT STOPPED PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGHOUT THIS CRISIS. PRIOR TO IT, WE TYPICALLY SERVED ABOUT 7,000 FAMILIES EACH MONTH. WE'RE SERVING 10,958 IN APRIL, AND IN MAY IT WAS 12,182. SO THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES AND NEEDS ARE, ARE INCREASING IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THE CITY HAS CREATED A VERY ROBUST AND STRATEGIC PLAN TO TRY TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE ISSUES. SPECIFICALLY WITH, UM, EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IT'S BLENDED THROUGHOUT OF THE CURRENT CLIENTS WE'RE SERVING RIGHT NOW. 37% HAVE LOST A JOB. SO THAT'S SIGNIFICANT JOB LOSS FACTORS. JOB TRAINING IS GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE. 'CAUSE A LOT OF OUR SERVICE INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN VERY NEGATIVELY IMPACTED WITH MANY OF 'EM CLOSING. UM, IN SHORT, TAKING SOME OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS THE CITY ALREADY HAS IN PLACE. FOR INSTANCE, LIKE A, THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS, THOSE ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. THEY CAN QUICKLY TURN AND START COVERING, STARTING, PROVIDING RECOVERING SERVICES LITERALLY WITHIN A DAY. I MEAN, IT'S LITERALLY JUST TAKING EXISTING STRUCTURES, USING THEM TO EXPAND SERVICES, HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE DISCONNECTED. AND OF THE CURRENT CLIENTS WE'RE SERVING, WE'RE DEALING WITH A GOOD 28%. THEY CANNOT DO REMOTE SERVICES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE CONNECTIVITY OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMPUTER OR THE TYPE OF PHONE THAT CAN DO IT. SO WE'RE STILL PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES, UH, IN A SAFE MANNER, BUT THEY'RE STILL NEEDED. THOSE FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE THE SYSTEMS. UH, WHAT THE CITY'S PROPOSING IS REALLY AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM, UM, USING EXISTING CHANNELS THAT ARE IN PLACE TO REALLY HELP FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE WAYS TO ACCESS THE SERVICES AND THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED. SO I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT. I, I BELIEVE IT'S A GOOD PROPOSAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. DAVIDSON, PLEASE. ELIZABETH PATA. MS. PATA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MIA LOS. THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM A LEGAL AID ATTORNEY THAT WORKS IN HOUSING, BUT AM HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY. I ASK THAT YOU DELAY THE VOTE ON THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN TO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC INPUT ON THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS. THIS BUDGET WAS NOT PRESENTED UNTIL MAY 28TH, AND I HAVE YET TO SEE DETAILS BEHIND THE PLAN OR THE DATA THAT SUPPORTS IT. IT'S CLEAR FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF REQUESTS THAT HAVE COME IN FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THAT HOUSING SECURITY IS NECESSARY. BUT WHEN WAS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSED? WHEN COPS METRO STARTED LOBBYING FOR THIS MONEY, WHEN THEY DECIDED THAT THEY SHOULD BE FRONTLINE CENTER FOR THIS MONEY, MONEY, THIS MONEY IS MEANT TO GO TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE. AND RIGHT NOW, THOSE ARE RENTERS. RENTERS NEED POLICY PROTECTIONS AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE. YOU FAIL TO PASS ANY POLICY PROTECTIONS FOR THESE RENTERS. SO I ASK THAT YOU DON'T FAIL IN PROVIDING MORE ASSISTANCE. UNDER TEXAS LAW, LANDLORDS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A THREE DAY NOTICE TO VACATE BEFORE FILING AN EVICTION. THAT MEANS TENANTS HAVE THREE DAYS TO EITHER LEAVE OR PAY RENT IF THE LANDLORD WILL ACCEPT RENT. BECAUSE ONCE THE LANDLORD FILES FOR AN EVICTION, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO MAKE ANY SORT OF SETTLEMENT AND ACCEPT ANY FUNDS. CURRENTLY, EVEN WITH THE ALLOCATION OF $25 MILLION TO OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND, THERE IS STILL A TURNAROUND TIME OF 30 DAYS. SO RENTERS ARE NOT GETTING THAT ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED AND ALLOCATING A COUPLE MORE DOLLARS, OR, I MEAN, $29 MILLION TOWARDS MORE HOUSING ASSISTANCE ISN'T GONNA CHANGE THAT. WE NEED MORE TO BE ABLE TO REACH THESE RENTERS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THE VOTE WAS SET FOR TODAY SO THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR TO REQUEST MORE INFORMATION AND BE PENDING TO APPROVING. AND IF YOU VOTE TO APPROVE THIS PLAN TODAY, THEN YOU ARE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT AND ARE HARMING OUR CITY'S INTEGRITY. I ASK THAT YOU DELAY THIS VOTE, AND IF YOU HAVE TO VOTE TODAY, THEN VOTE TO APPROVE ONLY URGENT ITEMS LIKE HOUSING SECURITY AND NOT THOSE THAT ARE NECESSARY CAN WAIT LIKE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. FARRA. MIA LO, MS. LOAF, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEBBIE HERNANDEZ. HI, CITY COUNCIL. UH, [04:05:01] MY NAME IS MIA LOAF. I WORK FOR TEXAS HOUSERS AS AN EQUITY ANALYST, BUT I'M HERE ON MY OWN CAPACITY. TODAY I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO DELAY VOTING ON THE C OVID 19 COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE CITY HAS 270 MILLION TO MEET THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT, A TIME WHERE WE ARE CONFRONTING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, AND A COUN COUNTRY RECKONING WITH RACIAL INJUSTICE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND IT'S A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL. JUST TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, THE 270 MILLION IS MORE THAN 20% OF SAN ANTONIO'S ANNUAL BUDGET. THAT SAME BUDGET THAT COUNCIL HAS FIVE OR SIX MONTHS TO REVIEW AND ALSO TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON. I DON'T BELIEVE THE COUNCIL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PUBLIC HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO FULLY GRASP THE WEIGHT OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY. OFFICIALS SEEM VERY WILLING TO DETERMINE HOW TO HANDLE THE CRISIS WITH JUST ONE WEEK OF INPUT, ANALYSIS, AND DECISION MAKING. THIS IS NOT GOOD GOVERNANCE. IT IS ALSO A WASTE OF A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A FAIR RECOVERY FOR OUR CITY. I ASKED YOU TO DELAY THE VOTE TO SLOW DOWN AND RECKON WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN A CRISIS THAT WE DON'T KNOW THE FULL MAGNITUDE OF YET. THE COMMUNITY TRULY NEEDS TO EXPRESS TO YOU THEIR NEEDS AND BE ABLE TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT WE NEED TRANSPARENCY GOING FORWARD. AS YOU SPEND THESE FUNDS. I'VE SEEN NO NUMBERS OR RATIONALE BEHIND SUPPORTING THIS 75 MILLION FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WHAT I DO KNOW, AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY WORK ON THE GROUND IS THAT THERE IS A GREAT NEED RIGHT NOW TODAY FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH YOU DECIDING TO DEAL WITH MASS DISPLACEMENT AND HOUSING INSTABILITY. JUST AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT. PLEASE CONSIDER DELAYING THE VOTE AND GIVE YOURSELVES AND THE PUBLIC THE NECESSARY TIME TO EVALUATE WHERE FUNDS ARE MOST NEEDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. LO. DEBBIE HERNANDEZ. MS. HERNANDEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY KENNY WILSON. UM, I'M DEBBIE HERNANDEZ. I WORK WITH RAICES. I'M ALSO WITH SA STAN. UM, I'VE GOT A PARTNER HERE WHO'S GONNA HELP ME TRANSLATE. I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM AFFECTED COMMUNITY. UM, SO I'M GOING TO READ SOMETHING, UM, THAT, UM, MS. ELLI WROTE, SHE'S NOT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE RUNS, UM, A VERY IMPORTANT GROUP CALLED DOMESTIC. AND, UM, SHE'S WRITTEN, UM, THIS EMAIL TO ME AND I'M READING IT TO YOU. UM, WE DO WANT YOU TO DELAY THE VOTE TO HEAR MORE OF YOUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M GOING TO READ IN ENGLISH AND SHE'S GOING TO TRANSLATE IN SPANISH FOR ME. UM, GOOD MORNING. I'M ELLI A CLEANING WORKER. IT IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I SPEAK TO YOU ON THE BEHALF OF ALL THE WORKERS, EXCLUDED FROM THE CITY, THE CITY THAT YOU REPRESENT SINCE THE ORDER TO STAY HOME BEGAN. THE COMMUNITY SUB MY COMMUNITY IS PROBABLY WHAT SHE MEANT, BUT THE COMMUNITY SUBMITTED TO ITS ORDER. WE STAYED HOME EVEN KNOWING THE MOST OF US ARE POOR. WE'RE HUNGRY WITH HUNGRY WAGES. WE CANNOT SAVE. WE MAKE SUPERHUMAN SACRIFICES TO ACQUIRE SOME GOOD. I'M RECEIVING DESPERATE CALLS DAILY. FROM THE MOST PART, IT'S WOMEN ASKING FOR HELP, HELP HELP FOR FOOD. I AM FACING SUCH STRESS THAT I WAS FORCED TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY. I HAVE NO INSURANCE. AND LIKE ME, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO CALL ME ASKING FOR HELP FROM THE CITY WHERE I AM, I CONTINUE WORKING, LOOKING FOR RESOURCES. I CONS. I CONSOLE, SO MUCH NEED, ANXIOUS, THEY ASK FOR FOOD SIM, SINGLE MOTHERS FACING EVICTIONS, CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, GRANDMOTHERS ASKING FOR SUPPORT WITH GRANDCHILDREN WITH LITTLE TIME. I, I HAVE, I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE DESPAIR OF THOSE WHO ASK ME FOR HELP. [04:10:23] CASCIA, THANK YOU, MS. HERNANDEZ. IF YOU HAVE A WRITTEN STATEMENT, WE CAN GET IT TO THE COUNCIL AND DISTRIBUTED. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KENNY WILSON. MR. WILSON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, GRACIELA SANCHEZ, AMY CASTLEY, AND SUSANNA URA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND, UH, MY NAME IS KENNY WILSON. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF, EXCUSE ME, HAVEN FOR HOPE. AND THE PRIOR SPEAKER WHO HAD AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AT HAVEN, I'D BE HAPPY TO VISIT WITH HER AND TAKE HER CALL. UH, SHE HAD AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE WITH SOMETHING VERY FUNDAMENTAL THAT I PERSONALLY CHECK MYSELF OFTEN. UH, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDAMENTALS HERE, AND OF COURSE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS THIS ITEM. UH, REALLY THANK, UH, ALL OF YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE AND HOMELESSNESS IN GENERAL. AND, UH, THE TASK FORCES HAVE BEEN GREAT. I SERVED ON ONE FOR FOOD AND SHELTER. A COUPLE OF YOU ARE ON THAT AS WELL. WE DOVE DEEP INTO THE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, I WROTE DOWN WHAT ERIC WALSH SAID A MINUTE AGO, GREAT DEAL OF IMMEDIATE NEED. AND WE SEE THAT, UH, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED. UH, EVEN BEFORE, UH, C O D, WE WERE FULL AT ABOUT 1700 PEOPLE, AND THAT WAS IN GOOD TIMES. AND, UH, NOW WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S COMING AND WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED. AND I THINK THIS, UH, THIS ITEM IS A WAY TO DO THAT. UH, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, UH, THROUGH THIS EPISODE. ONE IS, UH, WE ARE OPERATING A HOTEL DOWNTOWN. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE CITY, UH, FOR PARTNERING WITH WITH US ON THAT SO WE CAN OPERATE THAT. THE INITIAL, UM, PURPOSE WAS TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND, BUT WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM BEING IN THAT SETTING AND HELPING PEOPLE VERY DIRECTLY. LOTS OF STORIES ABOUT THAT. WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK EVERY DAY, HOUSING PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY, NOW HOUSING THEM FROM, FROM THE HOTEL, GETTING JOBS, ET CETERA. UM, WE, UH, WE ARE GEARING UP FOR THE CONCERN ABOUT THE EVICTIONS AND WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN TO HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO. AND WE'VE GOT STAFF READY, UH, TO HELP THEM. WE DO THAT ALREADY, BUT WE DO HAVE CONCERN ABOUT THE QUANTITY THAT'S COMING. SO WE THINK THIS, UH, BUDGET ITEM THIS, UH, THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING NOW IS TIMELY AND, UH, URGENT. UH, WE THINK THE NEED IS URGENT. UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK EVERY DAY WITH YOUR HELP. UH, WE'RE DOING IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. WE'VE HAD TO RESET AND READ AND ADJUST, BUT WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THAT. WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE READY. AND, UH, I URGE YOU TO, UH, TO PASS THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WILSON ESPERANZA, PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, GRACIE SANCHEZ, AMY CASTLEY, AND SUSANNA RA. YOU'LL HAVE NINE MINUTES AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY AMELIA VALDEZ, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS GRACIE LA SANCHEZ AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER. I AM HERE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE ESPERANZA, THE WEST SIDE ARTS COALITION, AND ALL SAN ANTONIO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE IN THIS CATASTROPHIC MOMENT. I AM ALSO HERE WITH THE COALITION OF PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS CITY, WHO, [04:15:01] LIKE THE LATINO ARTS ORG AGENCIES REQUEST A DELAY IN MAKING A DECISION ON TODAY'S FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN MORE EQUITABLY AND WITH BETTER OVERSIGHT ALLOCATE THESE FEDERAL FUNDS. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT I'M ALSO FRUSTRATED THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN PREVIOUS PLANNING FOR THE CITY'S EMERGENCY FUNDS. TO BEGIN WITH, THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMUNITY HAS SUFFERED GREAT FINANCIAL LOSS THROUGH A 20% CITY FUNDING CUT IN APRIL. THE CANCELLATION OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, THE INABILITY TO EARN INCOME FROM THESE PROGRAMS AND THE LOSS OF RENTAL INCOME TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY REMAINS HEALTHY AND ALIVE. MANY OF US HAVE APPLIED FOR EM EMERGENCY RELIEF, BUT THESE FUNDS DO NOT MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF CITY FUNDING AND EARN INCOME. SADLY, MANY OF THE CITY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE THREATENED WITH BANKRUPTCY AND PERMANENT CLOSURE. ALTHOUGH IT'S GOOD POLICY TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT WILL YIELD BENEFITS IN THE MORE DISTANT FUTURE, THE EXTENT OF INJURY CAUSED BY THE CURRENT SHUTDOWN IS SO SEVERE THAT WE MUST FOCUS ON HELPING GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS TO MEET IMMEDIATE SURVIVAL NEEDS. ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE OF THE VERY, THE VERY HIGH STARTUP COSTS INVOLVED IN CULTURAL PROGRAMMING. IN OTHER WORDS, IF ARTS GROUPS CAN'T REOPEN THE NE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT WE WILL BE REPLACED. AND I KNOW, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU WANNA SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, BUT WHEN WE GET FOR ESPERANZA ALONE, WHEN WE LOSE OUR FUNDING FROM THE CITY, $200,000 OF THOSE FUNDS ARE WHAT WE GIVE TO LOCAL ARTISTS. SO THEY WILL BE THE ONES SUFFERING WHEN WE GET CUT AS WELL, WE ASK COUNCIL TO INCREASE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ARTS FUNDING, UH, TO 5 MILLION TODAY OR WHENEVER YOU MAKE THIS VOTE, PREFERABLY LATER. AND THEN THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT WE USUALLY GET IS $10.2 MILLION. BRING THAT IN WITH THE GENERAL FUNDS OR ANY HOTEL MOTEL MONIES THAT YOU FIND. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DEPENDS ON THE TOURIST INDUSTRY. AND THE TOURIST INDUSTRY DEPENDS UPON THE STRENGTH AND EXCELLENCE OF OUR CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE VIBRANT CREATIVITY OF OUR ARTISTS. THE CITY MUST USE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE FEDERAL MONIES TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED VIABILITY OF OUR ARTS COMMUNITY. AND WE ASK THAT YOU INCREASE FUNDING FOR HOUSING. SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY FIND THEMSELVES WITHOUT JOBS FACING EVICTION. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO HELP SOME, TO ACCESS RISK MITIGATION FUNDS, BUT THIS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE VERY FEW HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET. WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH VERONICA SOTO AND HER STAFF AND HAVE ORGANIZED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP, BUT THE SYSTEM THAT MUST BE IMPROVED SO THAT THOSE THAT ARE POOR, WORKING, POOR, UNDOCUMENTED, HOMELESS, MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY ILL CAN ACCESS THESE FUNDS. WE'RE CONCERNED, UH, WITH HOW THESE TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIXTY $1 MILLION WILL BE DISTRIBUTED. WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, IT SEEMS TO CHANGE A LOT. AND WHO WILL REALLY BENEFIT FROM THESE FUNDS? WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHO RECEIVES THIS FUND, THESE FUNDS, WAS DONE PRINCIPALLY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THERE WERE NO PUBLIC FORUMS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD NOT RESPOND PUBLICLY UNTIL YESTERDAY. AND TODAY WE ASK THAT YOU DELAY THE VOTE SO THAT YOU TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS OF THE ON THE BUDGET. YOU WILL SEE THE RESULTS TODAY OF, OF TODAY'S VOTE'S DECISION IN TWO MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, A YEAR. AND YOU WILL SADLY WISH, SADLY, WISH YOU HAD SLOWED DOWN THE PROCESS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS. MORE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THIS, FOR THE ARTS AND FOR HOUSING TO STOP EVICTIONS AND HUNGER AND SICKNESS, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE. WE CONTINUE TO ASK THIS COUNCIL AS WE HAVE THE PREVIOUS COUNCILS TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL, TO BE MORE CRITICAL, BUT WE GET IGNORED. THE POVERTY OF THIS COMMUNITY WILL NOT DISAPPEAR BECAUSE WE GIVE 10,000 INDIVIDUALS SKILLS TO BE, TO GET BETTER PAYING JOBS, WHEN IN FACT, OUR SERVICE-BASED ECONOMY, OUR TOURIST BASED ECONOMY, DEMANDS THAT OUR WORKERS GET PAID MINIMUM WAGE, THAT THEY NOT RECEIVE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS OR EVEN PAID SICK LEAVE. YES, YOU MAY MAKE THE LIVES OF 10,000 INDIVIDUALS BETTER, BUT REMEMBER, THERE ARE 300,000 PLUS OTHER FOLKS WHO WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM TODAY'S ACTIONS. BLACK LIVES MATTER, GEORGE FLOYD VICENTE, CHARLES RE, MARQUIS [04:20:01] JONES, AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER FOLKS THAT NEED TO TAKE UP TIME. HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS FABIOLA TOVA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US SPACE TO SHARE A BIT OF OUR CONCERNS. I SPEAK HERE TODAY AS AN ART ADVOCATE, A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, AND AS A TEACHING ARTIST. UM, I AM ALSO INVOLVED IN HOUSING ADVOCACY AS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR FOUR, EVERYONE HOME. I AM HERE SPEAKING AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST IN THE DANCE WORLD, UM, AS A CHOREOGRAPHER AND AS A TEACHER. I WANNA JUST SHARE THAT I THINK THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT THAT LOCAL ARTISTS MAKE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF SOCIAL CULTURAL, BUT ALSO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL. I WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE AS A PROFESSIONAL IN THE FIELD WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND NOW HAS AN M F A AND DANCE IF IT WASN'T FOR SPACES SUCH AS THE SPACES THAT ARE CREATED BY ARTISTS, BY CULTURAL WORKERS, ARTS ADVOCATES, ADVOCATES THAT PROMOTE, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY AND ENVISIONING AND THE ARTS AS A MECHANISM TO PUSH OUR IMAGINATIONS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OR THE CONFINEMENTS OR THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR CURRENT EXPERIENCES AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST, ANY WITHIN THE COURSE OF TWO TO FOUR MONTHS, I ENGAGE WITH 75 TO 150 STUDENTS. I PROBABLY COLLABORATE BETWEEN WITH FIVE AND 15 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT A A A A A YEAR WITHIN THE BEGINNING OF COVID TO NOW JUST WITH THE SMALL GRANT OF LESS THAN $10,000, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUBCONTRACT EIGHT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT ARE LOCAL, THAT ARE OF COLOR, THAT ARE MARGINALIZED, THAT ARE QUEER. PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE OUR VALUE ARE WORTH. PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CULTIVATING THE IMAGINATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ESPERANZA FOR GIVING ME JUST A MINUTE HERE TO SPEAK. UM, SO I'M HERE TO SAY, DELAY THE VOTE AND, UH, ECHO ALL OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING. WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE MOST IMMEDIATE, UH, IMPACTFUL THINGS WE CAN DO. AND SO I THINK, UH, REALLY ADDRESSING THE HOUSING ISSUE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING. CANCEL THE RENTS, UM, CANCEL THE MORTGAGES FOR BOTH, UH, TENANTS, HOMEOWNERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO TO WHATEVER DEGREE WE DO. UM, SOMETHING OF A, OF A WORKFORCE PROGRAM NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC. WE ARE IN A DEPRESSION. WE NEED TO, UH, TO HAVE JOBS RIGHT NOW FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S OUT OF WORK. I'VE BEEN AN OUT OF WORK HOTEL WORKER SINCE MARCH. UM, JUST FOR ONE SMALL EXAMPLE, RIGHT, FOR JOBS THAT WE CAN MAKE RIGHT NOW. WE'VE HAD A GUY WHO'S BEEN HERE CLEANING THIS, UH, THIS MICROPHONE. UM, EVERY, EVERY TIME SOMEONE SPEAKS, RIGHT? WHO'S GOING TO DO THAT IN THE CLASSROOMS OF OUR CHILDREN WHEN, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO, UM, TRY, TRY, TRY TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. SO THESE JOBS, THEY EXIST RIGHT NOW. AND THESE ARE HEALTH LIKE JOBS THAT PROTECT OUR HEALTH. THESE ARE NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY I WANNA BE A HOTEL MANAGER. NO, WE NEED THESE JOBS RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, AMELIA VALDEZ. MS. VALDEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY BLANCA RIVERA. AND I WANNA TELL A QUICK STORY. SO MAYBE, UH, WE, I CAN GET EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION. THERE'S A LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS RAISED IN A VERY BEAUTIFUL AREA THAT'S THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. MY MOTHER DID A LOT OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY HERSELF. UH, SHE TAUGHT US HOW TO GIVE, SHE TAUGHT US HOW TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE COULD HELP PEOPLE. ALSO, WE ATTENDED A LOT OF PROGRAMMING, CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS. UH, I COME FROM FOLKS THAT, MY ANCESTORS THAT WORKED ON THE RAILROAD. SO WE PRETTY MUCH DID A LOT OF WORK IN THE WEST SIDE. UH, I, AS A PART OF THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE RESIDENT ASSOCIATION, UH, I, I DID A LOT OF WORK AND I GOT A, A LOT OF HELP FROM, UM, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, WHO WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER. AND SHE'S COME TO ME, UH, SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVEN'T SEEN HER LATELY, BUT PROBABLY BECAUSE OF COVID. UH, AS A FIRST RESPONDER MYSELF WORKING WITH ESPERANZA PEACE [04:25:01] AND JUSTICE CENTER, MY WORK WAS TO GO OUT AND HELP A BUENA BUENA MAKEUP. A LOT OF OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THEY GIVE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT I GET TO DO THE WORK THAT I DO BECAUSE I LOVE TO DO AND WORK WITH ESPERANZA. THESE ARE A LOT OF OUR SPACES. I COME TO YOU TO DELAY 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA STOP DOING WHAT I'M DOING. I WANNA BE ABLE TO HELP. I WANNA BE ABLE TO HELP THE ARTISTS WHO ARE, DON'T HAVE ANY WORK RIGHT NOW. AND MY JOB IS TO HELP THEM GET ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN LASSO DE SAN ANTONIO OR ON DOWNTIME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET WORK. UH, FOR ME, IT'S TO CONTINUE HELPING DISTRICT FIVE. FOR ME. IT'S TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, TO HELP, TO, TO PUSH, UH, BUT FOR ME IS TO STOP LOVING WHAT I DO. HOPEFULLY THAT I WON'T LOSE MY JOB BECAUSE OF ALL THE CUTS RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON. SO, UM, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY. UH, BLACK LIVES MATTERS, UH, AND SUPPORT. UH, BUT REMEMBER THIS, ESPERANZA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FIRST RESPONDER. THE WEST SIDE HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE. AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HELP, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, IF WE CAN JUST EXTEND WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD REALLY HELP. THANK YOU. MS. VALDEZ BLANCA RIVERA, MS. RIVERA WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MARY HECO RIVERA. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BLANC RIVERA AND I'M A VOLUNTEER OF CENTRO. I DECIDED TO JOIN THE ZA BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY GOOD PROGRAMS ABOUT, UH, ARTS, CULTURES AND EDUCATION. THE WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THOSE CENTERS BECAUSE WE ARE A POOR FAMILY THAT CANNOT GO TO, UH, THEATERS THAT ARE EXPENSIVE. SO WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THOSE SERVICES FROM THEM. ONE OF THE EVENTS THAT THEY HAVE IS THEY HAVE A DANCE WHERE THEY GET FUNDING, UH, SO THEY CAN ATTEND, UH, THE LANIER HIGH SCHOOL. THANKS TO THAT, I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO'S A MECHANICAL ENGINEER BECAUSE SHE RECEIVED THAT, UH, SCHOLARSHIP FROM THEM. ALSO. IN THOSE PROGRAMS, THEY CONSIDER YOUR EDUCATION AND YOUR WILL TO CONSERVE YOUR TRADITIONS. IN ESPERANZA, EVEN THOUGH I HAD, UH, MY ENGLISH WAS LIMITED, THEY STILL GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TEACH MY OWN TRADITIONS, MY CULTURE, AND MY GASTRONOMY IN MY OWN LANGUAGE. THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TEACH THE TRADITION OF ALTARS AND ALSO FOOD IN MY, UH, CULTURE. FROM THOSE WORKSHOPS, I ALSO GET PAID SO I COULD GET BENEFITED SO I CAN GET IT TO MY HOUSE. SO FROM THEM, I ALSO GET FINANCIALLY AIDED FOR THE CLASSES THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR MY DAUGHTER WHO'S ATTENDING THIS UNIVERSITY. EVEN THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PANDEMIC STARTED. [04:30:01] SOME OF THE EVENTS WERE, UH, SUSPENDED, BUT WHAT WAS NOT SUSPENDED WERE THE PAYMENTS FOR THE UNIVERSITY HELP. SO, UH, I IN, I URGE YOU TO THINK VERY WELL WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS MONEY BECAUSE THIS MONEY HELPS US IN EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND ARTS. AND I INVITE YOU FOR YOU TO GO AND GO TO SEE THESE EVENTS BECAUSE THESE EVENTS ARE FREE AND IT'S FOR ALL THE FAMILY AND IT'S FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE. IT'S FREE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. MARY HEATHCOTT, FOLLOWED BY JOHN HINOJOSA. I'M MARY HEATHCOTT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY. UM, FOR 34 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN IN DISTRICT FIVE WHERE WE INSPIRE, NURTURE, AND INNOVATE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ART. WE WERE FOUNDED BY SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS AS A PLATFORM FOR THE COMMUNITY TO EXPLORE ISSUES OF TODAY AND TO PRESENT THEIR ARTWORK. I JOIN MY FELLOW LEADERS IN THE ARTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. UM, FIRST TO THANK YOU FOR THE $2.6 MILLION THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING EARMARKED FOR THE ARTS, AND TO APPEAL TO YOU TO CONSIDER MORE. UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE ARTS MAKE A WIDE RANGING IMPACT. WE GROW CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN TODAY'S TIME. WE BRIDGE GAPS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE CARE FOR OUR CITY'S CULTURAL HISTORY AND ITS ARTIFACTS, AND WE PROMOTE CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY THROUGH OUR EXHIBITIONS, PROGRAMS, PERFORMANCES, FESTIVALS, AND OUTREACH. COLLECTIVELY, WE MAKE UP A $4.8 BILLION IMPACT, WHICH WAS THE OUTCOME OF THE LATEST, UM, CREATIVE INDUSTRY ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY IN 2017. AS YOU ALSO KNOW, FUNDING OUR OPERATIONAL FUNDING, WHICH UM, COMES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, IS HEAVILY TIED, IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TIED TO THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND. THIS IS A GRIM PROSPECT AS WE FACE 2021. AND, UH, THIS YEAR THE REDUCTION IN FUNDING FOR THAT DEPARTMENT WAS EXTREMELY HEARTFELT BY ALL OF OUR AGENCIES, AND ESPECIALLY BY THE ARTISTS, ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER MORE SUPPORT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HEATHCOTT, JOHN HINOJOSA. MR. HINOJOSA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEANNA ORGA. THANK YOU OF CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF. UM, I AM, I RESIDE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND OUR ORGANIZATION C C IS IN DISTRICT FIVE. SOON, HOPEFULLY DEEPER INTO DISTRICT FIVE. UM, I WANT TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ARTS FUNDING. AND IN ADDITION TO THE INFORMATION THAT THE ARTS LEADER SHARED WITH ALL OF YOU, I HAVE ADDITIONAL DATA TO ADD TO THE PUBLIC RECORD. THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMMING HAS GROWN FROM 6.4 MILLION IN 2010 TO 7.9 MILLION IN 2018. AND THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR AN INVESTMENT OF 12.8 MILLION BY YEAR 2020. ATTENDANCE FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS HAS TRIPLED SINCE 2010 FROM 1.8 MILLION TO 5.5 MILLION IN 2018. WELL OVER THE COMMUNITY SET GOAL IN 2020 OF 3.6 MILLION. THIS WAS RELEASED IN SA 2020S, 2019 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT AND SHOWS THAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IS NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE GROWING RATE OF ATTENDANCE. THE SAN ANTONIO'S COMMUNITY VISION READS THAT THE ARTS ARE INTEGRAL TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. WHILE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SUPPORT BURR'S A RENAISSANCE OF ARTISTIC CREATIVITY WHERE A VIBRANT COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL, UH, A COMMUNITY FLOURISHES. THIS ISN'T AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR'S VISION. THIS WAS WRITTEN BY NEARLY 6,000 PEOPLE AND HAS BEEN REAFFIRMED OVER THE LAST DECADE BY TENS OF THOUSANDS. SA 2020S COMMUNITY SURVEY PRE COVID WAS COMPLETED BY 3,324. WHO ARTICULATED THE AREA [04:35:01] SAN ANTONIO MUST PRESERVE OR MAINTAIN CULTURE WAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. WHILE ARTS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS LANDED IN THE TOP 10. THESE ANSWERS CROSS CULTURAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, AGE, RACE, AND GENDER. THIS SURVEY IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION FROM OTHERS AS IT WAS AN OPEN-ENDED AND RESPONDENTS HAD TO WRITE IN THEIR ANSWERS BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN AND INVESTED IN. OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO REAFFIRM THEIR COMMITMENT AND PASSION TO THE ARTS AS THE CITY LOOKS TO REOPEN AND ENGAGE TOURISTS. THE ARTS DEPARTMENT'S OWN SURVEY FROM 2019 SHOWS THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN, SAN ANTONIO VISITORS RANK OUR CITY TOP IN ARTS AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS. THE COLD TO ART SURVEY FROM 2019 SHOWED THAT 65% OF VISITORS BELIEVE SAN ANTONIO PROVIDES A MUCH RICHER ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL OFFERING THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR CITY. AND 77% SAY, SAN ANTONIO ARTS AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS PROVIDE EVERYTHING THEY WANT. WE, ARTS LEADERS AND THE COMMUNITY DEMAND THAT YOU INCREASE YOUR SUPPORT TO OUR NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND ALSO INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS. IN ADDITION, WE ASK THAT YOU DELAY AND INCLUDE US AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I'VE BEEN USING THIS TERM A LOT LATELY FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHERS. AND TODAY I USE IT TO YOU. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. OSA. DEANNA ORGA ISGA. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY SYLVIA MORALES TO, UH, ANTONIO DIAZ. OKAY, MR. DIAZ. UM, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES. UH, SYLVIA IS UP NEXT. SYLVIA, ARE YOU HERE? YES. YOU WANNA LET ANTONIO GO FIRST? AND YOU'RE NEXT? ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. ANTONIO. ALI, UH, I, I'M HERE. BASICALLY, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR YEARS AND YEARS. AND SO WITH THIS, UH, PANDEMIC BEING UPON THE, THE NATION OR THE GLOBE, APPARENTLY, AND THE, NOW THE MONIES THAT ARE COMING DOWN THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO HOUSING, AND I SEE IT'S VERY MINIMAL. IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO HOUSING. AND I'D LIKE TO, TO ACTUALLY KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO GO TO THE, THE, THE IMPACTED LOW INCOME PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE BEHIND TWO OR THREE MONTHS IN RENT. 'CAUSE I MEAN, IF THE GOVERNMENT'S BEEN TELLING THEM TO STAY HOME AND SO THEY CAN'T WORK, AND YET THEY'RE GONNA BE, AGAIN, LAST ON THAT LETTER RUNG TO GET ANY OF THIS MONEY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOCATED FOR HOUSING, HOUSING, WHAT IS BEING DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT AREAS? THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN IS ARE THERE ACTUAL PEOPLE AND HOW MANY, AND IS THERE BE A GOOD BULK OF PEOPLE THAT WILL BE ASSISTED INSTEAD OF JUST A MINIMAL AMOUNT? AS AGAIN, UH, IF IT WAS 270 MILLION, YOU HAD ONLY 50 MILLION ARE GOING TOWARDS ASSISTING, UH, PEOPLE PAY FOR THEIR BACK RENT AND NOT BE EVICTED, OR NOT CARRY THIS BURDEN INTO TRYING TO GET A NEW, NEW HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS. AS WE KNOW, IF YOU HAVE, UH, IF YOU OWE AND YOU HAVE EVICTIONS ON YOUR RECORD, IT'LL MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO GET ANY FUTURE HOUSING. SO THAT, THAT IS, UH, UTMOST OF WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT. BUT PUTTING THIS MONEY INTO, INTO, INTO WORKFORCE IS, IS A GOOD IDEA. WE DO NEED SOME TRAINING, UH, OF OUR, OF OUR PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH AS, AS WAS MENTIONED, THIS IS MAINLY A HOSPITALITY OR TOURIST TYPE OF A CITY, WHICH WITH LOW WAGES OR, OR A A, UH, KIND OF REVOLVING DOOR TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT AS YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE JOBS OF THOSE THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED, THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OLDER, WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE HOMELESS AND WHY YOU HAVE ALL THIS DIFFICULTY [04:40:01] OF BEING ABLE TO PAY FOR HOUSING AND HEALTH AND ALL THIS OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED. UM, UH, I ALSO, I I'M HOPING THAT, HOPING THAT YOU WILL TABLE THIS AND NOT VOTE ON IT TODAY AS YOU VOTED FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX. ITEM NUMBER SIX SHOULD HAVE BEEN TABLED BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT MUCH INPUT BY THE COMMUNITY AS IS BEING TOLD TO YOU NOW BY THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, IS THERE'S VERY LITTLE INPUT BY, I GUESS, THE ART ACTUAL COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND SO FORTH. SO AS, AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT PURPOSE OF, OF ART. AND, UH, AND NOW YOU HEAR ME COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY'S GONNA BE ALLOCATED, ACTUALLY ALLOCATED TOWARDS HOUSING. AND SO WHEN YOU KEEP, YOU HEARD ALL THE YELLING AND SO FORTH BY THE LARGER CONTINGENCY THAT WAS HERE EARLIER, AND I'VE BEEN A PART OF SOME OF THE PROTESTING IN THE STREETS. AND SOME ARE VERY LARGE, SOME ARE SMALL. BUT I THINK, UH, YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT. AGAIN, YOU MAY SAY YOU'RE LISTENING, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY LISTENING. YOU'RE JUST PUSHING THE AGENDA AGAIN, WHAT'S IN THE AGENDA THROUGH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO DO, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M THE KIND OF PERSON TOO. WHEN I, WHEN I, I HAVE A GOAL AND I HAVE A COMMITMENT TO FULFILL. I TRY TO GET IT DONE, BUT YET YOU MUST LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. AND AGAIN, NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE CURSING YOU OUT AND YELLING OVER YOU, BUT TO THOSE THAT RESPECT YOUR TIME TO SPEAK BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE HEARD AS WELL. LIKE I TRY TO DO, I TRY NOT TO YELL OVER PEOPLE WHEN IT'S THEIR TIME TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO BE LISTENED TO. BUT I DON'T THINK YOU ALL ARE REALLY LISTENING. YOU'RE SIMPLY GOING TO PUSH THE AGENDA ITEMS ON THIS LIST HERE THROUGH, AND YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY LISTEN AND NOT VOTE ON THIS. AND THAT ITEMS NUMBER SIX, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SECONDED BY CITY COUNCILWOMAN VRAN AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN VOTED ON TODAY BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TABLED AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED SOME MORE CONVERSATION BY THE COMMUNITY, BY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY. AND IT'S ALWAYS, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO TELL YOU THAT THE CRUX, THE BASE, THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL THESE PROBLEMS TODAY OF INEQUALITY IS COLONIALISM. THIS IS A COLONIAL CITY TOWNS. IT'S CREATED THROUGH COLONIALISM. EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ALREADY EXISTED HERE, COMMUNITIES ALREADY LIVED HERE, BUT WE HAD NO CHOICE, NO VOICE AS TO WHEN OUR LAND WAS TAKEN. AND TO, AS TO WHAT WE ARE CALLED, I'M INDIGENOUS. I'M, MY ANCESTORS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. YET THE ONLY REMS I HAVE IS TO GO TO SAN PEDRO PARK NOW AND LOOK AT THOSE CAP SPRINGS. IS THAT THREE MINUTES? THAT WAS SIX. THAT'S SIX. THANKS, ANTONIO. WELL, LEMME TELL YOU THAT STATUE OF COLUMBUS MUST COME DOWN BECAUSE THAT IS THE BASE, THE CROCS, THE FOUNDATION OF ALL THE RACISM THAT EXISTS IN OUR AREA. THANK YOU, MR. DIAZ. COLONIALISM IS THE PROBLEM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, MR. DIAZ. SYLVIA MORALES, MS. MORALES, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA VAE. UH, SYLVIA. MY NAME IS SYLVIA MORALES. UM, I'M MEMBER OF RAICES. I'M A MEMBER OF RAICES. UM, AND I WANNA TALKING ABOUT THE TAXES IN MY, IN MY AREA. THE TAXES IS SO EXPENSIVE, PEOPLE CANNOT, THEY CANNOT AFFORD. AND, UM, MAYBE THEY WAITING FOR THE CITY HELP WITH THE TAXES. PEOPLE NOT, NOT PRODUCES MONEY FROM, FROM THREE MONTHS AGO, UM, FOR THE COVID, UH, PROBLEMS. AND THEN PEOPLE, THEY SOURCE STRUGGLE. UM, THEY NEED, NEED HELP, UH, WITH THE COMPUTER TO GET MONEY FROM THE, WITH THE, UH, WITH, UH, SOME, UH, HELP, UH, LAST TIME [04:45:01] WITH THE, WITH THE BUDGET COME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO, UM, I HELP PEOPLE WITH THE COMPUTER TO GET MONEY BECAUSE PEOPLE, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE COMPUTER. THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, AT LEAST POOR LIKE MINE. AND THEY NEED HELP SERIOUS HAVE TO CONSIDER HOW HEALTHY PEOPLE LIKE THAT 'CAUSE PEOPLE, UH, THEY NEED, UH, DO SOMETHING BECAUSE IN LITTLE WHILE THEY GONNA LOSE THE HOUSES. AND THEN, UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT TO THE PEOPLE, UH, ELDER, THEY HAVE NO MONEY. AND THEN IT'S VERY SAD, PEOPLE ASKING ME FOR HELP, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. I I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW HELD THEM. SO WE NEED TO CONSIDER AND WHERE IS THE MONEY IS GONNA GO, BECAUSE, UM, MAYBE THOSE PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THE PROPERTY AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO GET ANOTHER, UM, I KNOW THE, SOME PEOPLE, THEY, MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED IT, BUT THE PEOPLE WITH THE FAMILY CHILDREN'S, UH, GRANDPAS AND GRANDMAS, THEY NEED THE PROPERTY. SO PLEASE, I NEED, UH, I, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEMS AND, UH, THE CITY HAVE TO CONSIDER AND WHERE THE MONEY GO, BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE CONSERVE THE HOUSE. THAT'S, UH, THAT IS ENOUGH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MORALES. CHRISTINA VAYE BAI BE FOLLOWED BY ROSE HILL. HELLO, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, SUPPORTING ALL THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TODAY. I'D LIKE TO START MY STATEMENTS ALSO BY SAYING THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER AND ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS KNOW THIS AND HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND MOVEMENTS, NOT JUST FOR DECADES, BUT FOR CENTURIES. UM, SO FOR THAT REASON, IT WILL BE NOT JUST HELPFUL, BUT CRUCIAL THAT YOU SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE ARTS IN THIS ALLOTMENT OF RELIEF FUNDING. UM, I JOINED MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES AND IN, NOT JUST IN THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SPOKEN HERE AND ASK THAT YOU DELAY THIS VOTE JUST ONE MORE WEEK TO ALLOW FOR MORE TIME FOR COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, AND WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU INCREASE THE FUNDING ALLOTTED TO THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, UH, FROM 2.6 MILLION TO 10 MILLION. UH, WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, FROM DEBBIE ROCK SITTER IN PARTICULAR, UM, AND APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM A LOT OF YOU, A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE TAKEN TO, TO LISTEN TO US. UM, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE AN ENGINE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. IN OUR CASE, THE GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER IS THERE AT, AT IN THE HEART OF THE WEST SIDE, UM, HOPING TO BE AN ENGINE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UH, WE ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE OLD PROGRESSO PHARMACY BUILDING, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, COMPLETED WITH BOND FUNDING FROM THE 2017 PACKAGE. AND THAT CORNER IS SUPPOSED TO BE A, UH, GIFT SHOP AND BOOKSTORE, UM, A GIFT SHOP THAT'S GOING TO SELL PRODUCTS OF MANY OF OUR LOCAL ARTISAN VENDORS. UM, AND, UH, HOST A CHICANO LATINO BOOKSTORE THAT WILL BE A CORNER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH A GUADALUPE THEATER. UH, IN ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THIS MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, ANOTHER MEETING, UH, AN ONGOING MEETING WITH SOME OTHER COLLEAGUES, UH, TO FORM, UH, WEST SIDE CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT, UH, THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, STACY SANTO AND VENITA GUADALUPE, AMONG OTHERS. UM, SO WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE AN ENGINE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. WE EMPLOY ARTISTS IN THE CASE OF THE GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER. WE PAY OUT CLOSE TO $400,000 TO ARTISTS EVERY YEAR, UM, AND GIVE OUT MORE THAN 110 90 NINES, UH, AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER, UH, INCREASING THAT SUPPORT FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. VAD, ROSE HILL. [04:50:02] GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROSE HILL, PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE. UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW IN YOUR, IN THE PLANT TODAY, I THINK WERE VERY GOOD. UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS REGARDING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES REALLY DO NEED HELP. EAST SIDE KITCHEN AND GOVERNMENT HILL WAS, UH, UH, THRIVING LITTLE BUSINESS THAT CAME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH GREAT FOOD AND BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THIS COVID VIRUS, IT SHUT IT DOWN AND THEY, THEY LEFT VERY SAD. UM, AND SO OUR BUS SMALL BUSINESSES ARE IN TREMENDOUS NEED OF HELP. AND WITHOUT THOSE BUSINESSES GETTING UP OFF THE GROUND BECAUSE OF THE COVID DI, IT'S GONNA HURT OUR PEOPLE GETTING BACK TO WORK. WE NEED TO HELP OUR PEOPLE. AND I DO BELIEVE IN THE WORKFORCE THAT CAN HELP SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED JOB TRAINING. BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO RE-LOOK AT MAYBE NOT AS MUCH MONEY GOING TOWARD THAT AREA AND GOING TOWARD MORE TOWARD HOUSING. BECAUSE IT IS TRUE. IF WE ARE GONNA TRAIN THESE PEOPLE TO GET BETTER JOBS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO THAT, THAT THE EMPLOYERS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY DECENT WAGES. AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME EVEN OPENING THE DOORS. SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL SIDES OF THE ASPECTS, BUT ALSO, PEOPLE ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW, UH, IN FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS FROM NOW, YOU CAN HAVE A TRAINING PROGRAM, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS AND THEY DON'T HAVE FOOD ON THE TABLE? HOW ARE THEY GONNA SURVIVE? SO I THINK REALISTICALLY, THERE CAN STILL BE A SOLUTION TO WHERE EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD TODAY CAN STILL COME TO THE TABLE, AND MAYBE EVERYBODY CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT THEY WANT. BUT I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO DELAY THE VOTE. I NEED EVERY, WE NEED TO STOP. WE NEED TO LOOK AND WE NEED TO LISTEN, AND WE REALLY NEED TO HEAR EVERYBODY THAT WAS HERE TODAY. I KNOW, UH, MR. OUR CITY MANAGER'S NOT HERE. HE MUST I GET TO COMMEND HIM. HE'S GOT A TOUGH JOB. HE'S THE ONE THAT'S GOTTA MOVE THAT MONEY AROUND LEFT AND RIGHT. AND THIS LADY HERE THAT, UH, MS. GOMEZ, SHE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. IT'S HARD WHEN THE CITY IS HURTING SO BAD AND THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN DEPLETED. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS COMING. BUT WE ALSO GOTTA REMEMBER THAT THIS MAY BE A SECOND WAVE COMING ON IN THE FALL. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. I DO COMMEND THE, THE MAYOR AND I COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR TRYING TO GET OUT THERE AND HELP OUR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW WITH FI, WITH ASSISTANCE, RENTAL ASSISTANCE. BUT I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE GOTTA WORK TOGETHER. AND MR. MAYOR, YOU KEEP SAYING THIS, AND I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER, AND IF WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER, WE NEED TO STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN. LET EVERYBODY COME TO THE TABLE AND FIND A SOLUTION. SO MAYBE EVERYBODY CAN LEAVE AWAY HAPPY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HILL. OKAY. THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UM, THAT I HAVE ON THIS ITEM. I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, MAYOR, IF YOU COULD, IF WE CAN BRING UP FATHER BILL KRAUSE FROM COPS METRO FOR THREE MINUTES. THEY DIDN'T GET TO SIGN UP. THEY WERE ON THE WRONG ITEM. OKAY. UH, FATHER BILL. OKAY, FATHER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR, UH, CALLING MYSELF UP. I SPEAK HERE. I'M, I'M FATHER BILL KRAUS, UH, PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS PARISH IN, UH, SOUTHWEST, UH, SAN ANTONIO. AND I SPEAK HERE IN FAVOR OF, IN BEHALF OF, UH, 30 SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAKE UP COPS METRO HERE IN THE, IN OUR CITY. I THINK THE MAIN POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT WE, FOR OVER A MONTH HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH SO MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENCIES, OUR, OUR PARISHES, OUR ORGANIZATIONS, AND HAVE HEARD FROM THEM A LOT OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THE, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PROGRAM. PARTICULARLY, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE NEED FOR WORK. A LOT OF US HAVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THE N H SS D EMERGENCY HOUSING MONEY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE TRYING TO HELP APPRECIATE HOUSING, RENT ASSISTANCE, UTILITIES ASSISTANCE AND OTHER THINGS. BUT THEY THEMSELVES TELL US WHAT, THAT WE WANT TO WORK. I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE. UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I WAS SITTING IN THE OFFICE, LADY, THE ANGELS HELPING A FAMILY FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR N H S D, UH, THIS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND GOT THE APPLICATION FINISHED, AND THE LADY BEGA GOT UP AND BEGAN TO LEAVE. AND THEN SHE TURNED AROUND AND SAID, FATHER BILL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY WORK FOR MY HUSBAND. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BALANCE THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS PROGRAM WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND THE WORKING FOR SAN ANTONIO FOR THE FUTURE, FOR A JOBS ECONOMY, FOR A PLA, A WAY THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF EMERGENCY NEEDS AND WORK FOR [04:55:01] THE FUTURE IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO. SO WE DO SUPPORT AND A VOTE FOR THIS, UH, PROGRAM TODAY. AND, UH, WE COPS METRO WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL THIS YOU'RE DOING, AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU IN HELPING, UH, OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPING US TO WORK FOR A DECADE OF THE PEOPLE FOR SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FATHER BILL. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 9:00 AM AND BEFORE THAT, UH, FOR THIS PARTICIPATION IN OUR, IN OUR GOVERNMENT, IN OUR DEMOCRACY, AND IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD EVEN PRIOR TO THIS, I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE, UM, THANK MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE ENGAGED IN ALL OF THE WORKING GROUPS, ALL OF THE MEMBERS HERE IN THE CHAMBERS WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH WORKING GROUPS, WITH EMAILS, WITH PHONE CALLS, WITH, UM, THOSE IN THE, THE TRANSITION TEAMS, AND ALL OF THE INPUT THAT WE HAVE GAINED FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND AREAS. AND I WILL SAY, UM, ERIC AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE HERE. THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE, UM, JOB OF PEOPLE COLLABORATING EVEN AT THE END OF WHEN WE WERE COLLABORATING AND HAVING THESE MEETINGS AND UPDATES WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TOGETHER ON PHONE CALLS. UM, IT HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY, AND I WANT TO THANK CITY STAFF FOR TAKING, UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAD, UH, LAST WEEK INTO CONSIDERATION BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS AN URGENCY OF NOW AND TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. IT'S NOT JUST SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, FROM ONE MONTH TO THE NEXT. IT'S FROM ONE LUNCH TO ONE DINNER. IT IS ONE DAY, IT IS ONE AFTERNOON TO ONE EVENING THAT COULD DETERMINE WHETHER THEY STAY AFLOAT OR WHETHER THEY DON'T. UM, ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO, UM, I I THINK I NEED TO TELL CARLOS AND ALEX AND YOU, UH, ERIC RIGHT NOW, IS THAT, UH, AFTER I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE HAVE, WE'RE GONNA ADD ANOTHER COUNCIL COMMITTEE FOR E W D C FOR THE MONTH OF, UH, OF JUNE. SO THIS WILL MAKE A TOTAL OF THREE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE HAVE A LOT, UH, AND A LOT OF THE INPUT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN HERE AND THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT WHEN WE HAD THE C OVID 19 FUNDING, AND THEN WHEN WE GOT THE DETERMINATION OF HOW WE COULD USE IT FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND HOW SOME OF THAT CHANGED. UM, WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND I KNOW THAT I'M LOOKING AT 2.7 MILLION FOR ARTS IS, IS, UM, IS NOT REALLY THAT BIG OF A NUMBER. AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, UH, WITH THAT. AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. EVEN WITH THE VOTE TODAY, WE CAN STILL HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS OF ALLOCATE, UH, ALLOTMENT OF DOLLARS IN OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEES, WHICH WILL STILL HAVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, A PART OF THEM. UM, THANK YOU TO MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, CALLING, WHO HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT, WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, ASKING FOR HELP, ASKING FOR SUPPORT, ASKING FOR, UM, WHERE THEY CAN GET THE, THE EMERGENCY C OVID DO, UM, EMERGENCY HOUSING DOLLARS WHERE THEY CAN GET, UM, HELP WITH THEIR SMALL BUSINESS. AND THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE SAID IT MANY TIMES, BUT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SKILLED WORKFORCE IS NOT JUST HAPPENING FROM C O V I D, IT WAS HAPPENING PRIOR TO C O V I D. AND WE HAVE ALL OF THE DATA THAT ALSO HAS THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE TRAINING THAT IS NEEDED. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, THE 500 OR LESS, THE ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION. SO, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THOSE MAYBE WHO ARE COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS RIGHT NOW. OKAY. AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO AND BE A PART OF EITHER THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ON THE, UH, LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM TRAINING OR SMALL BUSINESS ON THE JOB TRAINING, IF THEY COLLECT A STIPEND FROM THE CITY, WOULD THAT IMPACT THEM STILL GETTING AN UNEMPLOYMENT CHECK? IF THEY'RE GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT COUNCILWOMAN? WE, MY NAME'S CARLOS CONTOS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. UM, WE CHECK WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ALAMO, WHO, UH, EMAIL THAT QUESTION FOR PURPOSES OF GETTING DOCUMENTATION TO THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS AND WHO RECEIVES A STIPEND FOR RETRAINING, UH, WILL HAVE AN IMPACT [05:00:01] ON THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS. AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED. THEY WOULD, THEY DON'T HAVE TO REPORT THAT. OKAY. THAT WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED. WE DO HAVE AN EMAIL BACK FROM THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION INDICATING THAT. OKAY. SO THE ANSWER, THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR THAT, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. AND UM, ALSO, I WANTED TO THANK YOU, ERIC AND TEAM FOR HEARING US TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A DYNAMIC DOCUMENT THAT IS STILL GOING TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THE MOVES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF YOU SAID THIS, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN BUREAUCRACY MOVE SO QUICKLY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE. AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY DO WITH THE CITY, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, UM, NEEDED TO DO BECAUSE THERE ARE DOLLARS THAT FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO, TO GET OUT. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT FLEXIBILITY IN, UH, IN THAT MOVEMENT OF OUR DOLLARS AND THOSE PILLARS OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, HOUSING STABILITY, AND DIGITAL INCLUSION. UM, AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE 500, UH, SMALL BUSINESS, 500 EMPLOYEES OR LESS TO DO THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING, UM, THAT CAN STILL BE MICRO BUSINESSES AS WELL, CORRECT. WHO CAN BE DOING THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING? THAT'S CORRECT. SO WE'RE JUST EXPANDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER BUSINESSES THAT NEED TO FILL IN OR DO THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND YOU KNOW, TO MY COLLEAGUES, I ASKED, I NEEDED MORE CLARIFICATION OR MORE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING. AND WHAT I LIKENED IT TO WAS, UM, TWO SUMMERS IN A ROW, WE HAD A, UM, A HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WITH JUNGLE DISC ON THE SOUTH SIDE IN HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL. THEY WERE PAID A STIPEND, UM, BUT THEY WERE BROUGHT ON WITH THE, THAT SMALL BUSINESS. AND THEN IT ENDED UP THAT THEY EXPANDED THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR, LIKE, THEY DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THEIR COMPANY BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT IN ALL OF THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING. AND THEY WERE ABLE TO EXPAND, UH, AT LEAST TO HIRE ONE OF THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, TO THEIR COMPANY. AFTER THAT. THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXP TO JUST MULTIPLY THAT AND SCALE THAT EXAMPLE UP. SO THAT'S WHY I AM ENCOURAGED BY THIS. AND I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID WITH, WITH, UM, S A I S D FOUNDATION, SA WORKS AND OTHERS. AND I THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITIES AND LET'S, AND LET'S BE CREATIVE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN ONE PLACE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN ONE HUB, BUT IT CAN BE ALL OVER THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TOO. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CONVERSATION. SO I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THESE MONTHLY UPDATES, UM, TOO, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE FLUID AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN EVEN IN THE NEXT WEEK. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHAT WE NEED. LORI, REALLY QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU ON OUR, UM, ECONOMIC, OUR DOLLARS FOR THEIR COVID ASSISTANCE, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY FAMILIES COULD WE HELP WITH? A MILLION DOLLARS? WITH $1 MILLION? HOW MANY FAMILIES DO WE HELP WITH THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE WITH? WITH A MILLION? UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ABOUT, OH, LEMME DO THE MATH REAL QUICK. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS. I'M SORRY. AND, UM, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SIMPLE MATH, BUT, UM, I CAN'T 500. SORRY. OKAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, . THANK YOU, LORI. I THINK IT'S, UM, I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT, OR, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND I WANT TO, UM, ALSO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR VOICES IN ALL OF OUR COMMITTEES THAT WE'VE HAD PARTICIPATION, BUT ALSO TO COPS METRO, BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE FIRST TALKING ABOUT ALLOCATING DOLLARS FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING, UM, I WAS BEING HOUNDED IN THE GOOD WAY BY COPS METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT MONEY INTO THAT EMERGENCY HOUSING. AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS OTHER, UM, PILLAR. SO, UM, SO I THINK TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE OUR DILIGENCE TO MOVE ON THIS TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THIS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INPUT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE, AND IT'S STILL GOING TO ALLOW US TO START ALREADY THE, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO, WE NEED TO START AND MOVE QUICKLY ON SOME ITEMS. I THINK THERE'S ALSO, UM, [05:05:01] OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS OUR DOOR-TO-DOOR OUTREACH PARTNERS WITHIN THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. AND THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON ONE THING. SOMEBODY MENTIONED IN, IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS, LIKE, MAYBE, MAYBE WE SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT. WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, UM, I CAN PROBABLY, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND I KNOW I'M SPEAKING FOR SOME OF THE CITY STAFF, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THEM. WE DON'T SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT. WE KNOW THE GRAVITY THAT IS ON US AND THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE HERE AT THIS, AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY. AND WE DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY. AND I KNOW THERE ARE MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS THAT WE HAVE, SO WE ARE MOVING QUICKLY, BUT WE'RE ALSO TAKING IN THE PUBLIC INPUT. AND WITH THAT, MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRA, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL MAYOR. UM, I'M HOPING THAT MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ENTERTAIN, UM, A PACKAGE OF INFORMATION, WILL BE SHARING WITH YOUR OFFICE ABOUT A PROJECT THAT OATS SENIOR PLANET, UH, WANTS TO PUT IN FRONT OF US, UH, TO HELP BOLSTER OUR, UH, DIGITAL DIVIDE EFFORTS. UH, THE, THE PACKET SPEEDS FOR ITSELF, BUT JUST PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT. UM, ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, I, I DO WANT TO SAY, UM, THAT I'M FREQUENTLY WRONG AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DON'T KNOW. AND WHEN I RECEIVED THE LETTER, UH, DEMANDING A DELAY YESTERDAY, I, I FELT CONFUSED AND ANGRY. UM, AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, HOW COULD ANYONE SAY THAT I AND MY COLLEAGUES HADN'T BEEN LISTENING FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS? YOU KNOW, THE FIVE PILLARS THAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING ON THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE A SYNTHESIS OF THREE YEARS OF LISTENING TO THE GROUPS WHO WROTE THE LETTER, UM, AS WELL AS THE GROUPS WHO DIDN'T SIGN ONTO THAT LETTER. UM, AND THOSE THREE YEARS, WELL, UH, THEY INFORM US EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THEY'VE, THEY PROPEL US TO DECLARE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THE VALUES, UM, THAT I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HOLDS DEAR, ESPECIALLY THE VALUES OF THE PEOPLE WHO, UH, SPOKE AT THE MIC TODAY. AND SO, I, I, I'LL PUSH BACK ON ANYBODY WHO SAYS, WE JUST TALK ABOUT EQUITY, WE DON'T, WE BUDGET FOR IT. UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS 300 YEAR OLD CITY, WE'VE GOT A MAYOR WHO SHEPHERDED THIS CITY COUNCIL TO DRAFT AND ADOPT A BUDGET GUIDED BY ONE THING, EQUITY. AND THIS CITY COUNCIL, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LED BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO, PUT TOGETHER THE LARGEST RENT MITIGATION FUND IN THE NATION. AND THIS COUNCIL, UH, LED BY MY FRIEND ANNA SANDOVAL, UM, HAS MADE ENGAGEMENT A KEY COMPONENT OF HOW WE GOVERN. AND SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, REBECCA BRAN, AND JADA SULLIVAN, I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS NOTICE, THEY NEVER ALLOW A COUNCIL MEETING TO END WITHOUT REMINDING US THAT VULNERABLE PEOPLE ARE DEPENDING ON US. SO, YEAH, I WAS CONFUSED BY THAT LETTER, AND I WAS ANGRY, SO ANGRY THAT I TOLD THE REPORTER THAT IT SEEMED TO ME THAT WE DEMANDED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE BEING DEMANDED TO DELAY THIS VOTE. UM, AND THAT THE, THAT DEMAND LETTER WAS REALLY MANUFACTURED CONFLICT FOR THE SAKE OF CONFLICT. AND I WAS WRONG. UM, YESTERDAY I HAD A REALLY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE MEETING WITH MICHELLE EO AND, UH, RICK TREVINO, ELIZABETH PARRA, DREW GALLOWAY, AND, AND OTHERS FROM, UH, THE, THE GROUP THAT SIGNED ONTO THAT LETTER. AND HERE, AND I LISTENED. I HOPE THEY FEEL LIKE I LISTENED. AND, UM, HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED, RIGHT? THEY, THEY FEEL THAT RESISTANCE, UM, TO THIS IDEA THAT RENT ASSISTANCE NOW IS THE WRONG WAY TO GO. THEY, THEY THINK THAT RENT ASSISTANCE NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LONG-TERM IMPACT, UM, OF AN INVESTMENT IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. UH, I, I THINK, UH, THEY FEEL THAT COPS METRO DOESN'T REPRESENT ALL OF THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THEN NOT GIVING TOP AND MOVE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THE SAME DEFERENCE THAT WE GAVE TO TOPS METRO, UM, WELL, THAT WE DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE. UM, THESE GROUPS WHO SIGNED ONTO THE LETTER, THEY DISTRUST A LOT OF LARGER NONPROFIT GROUPS. I HEARD THEM SAY THAT TO ME, UM, GROUPS THAT WE PLAN ON, UH, HELPING US INVEST THIS MONEY. AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DISTRUST BETWEEN THEM AND COPS. METRO'S INTENTIONS CONSIDERING, UM, THE INTEREST THAT COPS METRO HAS IN PROJECT QUEST'S SUCCESS. I HEARD YOU GUYS, AND THEY FEEL THAT, UM, YOUNG SAN ANTONIOS AREN'T GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN, UH, WITH THE SAME DEFERENCE THAT WE GIVE TO, UH, OLDER SAN ANTONIANS. I HEAR YOU. THAT. AND SO THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT CONCERNS. UM, AND I'M TAKING THEM TO HEART, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THOSE CONCERNS. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T [05:10:01] CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE TODAY, OR THE, UH, FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON THOSE FUNDS. AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE GROUPS WHO DIDN'T SIGN THE LETTER, BUT WHO ARE JUST AS RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF POVERTY AND THE LACK OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR POOR PEOPLE. AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IF WE DISBURSE THESE FUNDS IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING TODAY, TOMORROW, SOMEONE WILL COME UP, THOSE GROUPS WILL COME UP AND CRY FOUL WITH THE SAME VIGOR YOU GUYS DID. AND NO MATTER HOW WE SLICE THIS MONEY UP, THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE CONSENSUS. YOU KNOW THAT. AND THAT'S WHY SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE THE DIFFICULT DECISION. NONETHELESS. THAT'S THE NATURE OF A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. YOUR REPRESENTATIVES SOMETIMES ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE DIFFICULT AND UNPOPULAR DECISIONS. AND SO, THE REASON I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY IS BECAUSE DELAYING THIS ITEM, ALL IT'S GONNA DO IS DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, UH, OF EMERGENCY PROGRAMS WITH EMERGENCY FUNDS AT A TIME WHEN BASIC RESOURCES ARE VITAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF FAMILIES. I THINK THAT DELAYING THIS ITEM DELAYS THE START TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE TRAINING FOR NEW JOBS, STUDENTS ENROLLED IN TRAINING COURSES AT A C C D, WELL, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUSH THAT ENROLLMENT BACK MAYBE EVEN BY A FULL SEMESTER. THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND DELAYING THIS ITEM'S ONLY GONNA DELAY THE RESOURCES THAT COUNCIL HAS PRIORITIZED BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. I I KNOW YOU FEEL THAT WE DIDN'T TALK TO YOU, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU FOR THREE YEARS AND I, THIS, THESE PRIORITIES ARE A SYNTHESIS OF, OF WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM YOU. SO I'M NOT GONNA AGREE TO DELAY THE COVID SPENDING PLAN AS PRESENTED US TODAY. AND SOMETIMES WE GOTTA MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION, AND THAT'S SOMETIME IS TODAY. AND I'VE LEARNED THAT THE WAY YOU MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION IS THAT YOU RELY ON YOUR VALUES, YOU PRAY FOR GUIDANCE, AND THEN WE FACE, WE STARE IT RIGHT IN THE EYES, THE FEAR OF HAVING TO ADMIT THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE MIGHT GET IT WRONG. AND SO I'LL END WITH THIS. UM, JOHN WAYNE, BY THE WAY, UH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS OF ALL TIME, ONE OF THE BEST QUOTES WAS COURAGE IS BEING SCARED TO DEATH AND SADDLING UP. ANYWAY, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. I'M HERE TO SADDLE UP . UH, I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WHO SPOKE WITH US TODAY SPOKE WITH US, UH, WITH GREAT EARNESTNESS, WHETHER IT WAS EARLIER ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER OR WHETHER IT'S TODAY ABOUT, OR RECENTLY ABOUT HOUSING OR JOBS. AND I THINK THAT'S VERY VALUABLE TO US. UH, AND YOU, I, I LISTENED. I THINK ALL OF US DID. AND I RESPECT, UH, OUR, OUR GOVERNMENT, A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, A GOVERNMENT, UH, OF THE CROWD. AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND. UH, AS MANNY JUST SAID, UH, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF OUR DISTRICTS AND OF THIS CITY. AND I KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US LISTENED AND HAVE LISTENED TO PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICTS AND AROUND THE CITY AND HAVE TRIED TO MEASURE VERY CAREFULLY WHAT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SAID. UH, I'M DISAPPOINTED WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THE PUBLIC ISN'T INVOLVED. UH, I SERVED ON A WORKING GROUP, THE, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES WORKING GROUP. UH, THERE WERE OVER 30 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN MEETINGS. AND I'M NOT GONNA ASSUME THAT THEY WERE ALL IN A SILO, THAT THEY ONLY SHARED THEIR OWN IDEAS OR THAT THEY DIDN'T TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBORS OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH. I PRESUME THEY DID THAT. AND 75% OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THIS ONE COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IN THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US TODAY. AND I'M SURE WITH SEVERAL OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES, THEY CAN SAY MUCH OF THE SAME THING. SO I BELIEVE WE DID LISTEN. I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS A PROCESS THAT CAME ABOUT FROM THAT LISTENING. BUT IT ISN'T TO SAY THAT THAT'S THE ONLY LISTENING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO. I WOULD JUST CHARGE OR, OR COMMEND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO CONTINUE PUTTING INPUT INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING BY GOING TO THE COMMITTEES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THAT ARE GONNA BE OVERSEEING THE STEPS WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING FORWARD. AND LET AND, AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, THAT MAYBE HELP YOU SEE THAT [05:15:01] THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, HOUSING. YOU KNOW, THIS CITY COMMITTED TO HOUSING A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO HOUSING. AND EVEN BEFORE C OVID 19 STRUCK, WE MADE STRONG COMMITMENTS TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES, IMPROVE THEIR HOMES LIVE WELL. AND NOW THAT COVID HAS HIT US, WE'VE ALREADY HELPED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CATCH UP ON THEIR RENT AND STAY IN THEIR HOMES. AND WE'VE COMMITTED AN ADDITIONAL $25 MILLION TO DO THAT. SO TO SAY WE ARE NOT COMMITTED TO HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES IS A MISUNDERSTANDING. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE KNOW THAT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO HAVE CITY OFFICIALS AT EVERY JP JUSTICE OF THE PEACE HEARING ON EVICTION OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO LET THOSE BEING EVICTED. AND THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS UNDERSTAND WE ARE HERE TO HELP THEM. WE ARE GONNA HAVE STAFF MEMBERS THERE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE TO COLLECT THEIR RENT, AND FOR THE PEOPLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES. SO WE'RE NOT ABANDONING OR NEGLECTING OR NOT LIVING UP TO OUR COMMITMENT TO HELP THE HOMELESS, I MEAN, TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND, AND NOT BECOME HOMELESS. SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT FACT AND THE IDEA THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT FLEXIBILITY AND, AND THIS COUNCIL, AND I BELIEVE OUR ADMINISTRATION THAT ARE GONNA EXECUTE WHAT THIS COUNCIL'S PASSING ARE COMMITTED TO FLEXIBILITY. LET ME ASK YOU, CITY MANAGER, FOR EXAMPLE, WE TALK ABOUT FLEXIBILITY. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE FOUND THAT WE HAD 10,000 PEOPLE WHO WERE GONNA BE EVICTED AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT, TO HELP THEM, WOULD WE LOOK AT, LET'S SAY, OUR WATCH, EXPAND AND ASSURE PLAN AND SEE ABOUT MAYBE MOVING MONEY OUT OF THAT OR MOVE MONEY OUT OF OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OR OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION IF WE NEEDED TO, TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES? IS THAT KIND OF FLEXIBILITY AVAILABLE TO THIS COUNCIL? YEAH, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, I SAID IT AT THE BEGINNING THAT THIS IS NOT LIKE A AN ANNUAL BUDGET. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TRACK THESE, UH, THE PROGRESS AND THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF THIS ON A MONTHLY BASIS. I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN A POSITION, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT THE CITY IN A POSITION WHERE, UM, WE ARE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO US, UH, FOR THE REASONS MADE AVAILABLE. AND IF WE NEED TO ADJUST, THEN WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE FROM ONE COLUMN TO THE OTHER. UH, I I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THAT WATCH EXPAND ASSURE PLAN. THE, THE, THE SINGLE LARGEST ITEM IN THERE IS, UH, THE TESTING FOR THE COMMUNITY. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND UNLESS SOMETHING WAS REALLY BAD HAPPENING THAT WE WOULD MOVE THAT. BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT MOVING. THE BEST CASE SCENARIO IS WE'RE ABLE TO EXECUTE ALL OF THIS WITH ALL OF THE DESIRED OUTCOMES, UH, SPEND ALL OF THE AVAILABLE MONEY ON THE NEED. UM, BUT I SUSPECT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME PEAKS AND VALLEYS AS WE DEVELOP AND, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. AND FRANKLY, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND THE MULTIPLE COMMITTEE COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN JUNE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT'LL HAMMER THAT OUT. THANK YOU, ERIC. YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS THAT I, I THINK I'M GONNA ASK THE COMMITTEES TO LOOK AT AS WE GO FORWARD. AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, DOES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, IS IT GONNA INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT? AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE SUBSIDIZE THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH RETRAINING, UH, THROUGH PROVIDING VIA ADDITIONAL FUNDS SO THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE FREE BUS PASSES? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO EXPLORE. UM, AND I THINK THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA BE A KEY ISSUE FOR THE LONG TERM. UH, ANOTHER THING IS OUR, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ARTS, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE IN OUR ARTS DEPARTMENT TODAY, BUT I'M WONDERING, ARE WE STILL FUNDING ARTS RIGHT NOW? ARE THERE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE ARE FUNDING THAT ARE ONGOING, OR THAT WILL BE STARTING SOMETIME? COUNCILMAN, AS PART OF THE, UH, MIDYEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT THAT, THAT WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, WE REMOVED THE FUNDING FOR THE LAST TWO PAYMENTS THAT WERE BUDGETED FOR THE ARTS AGENCIES. THE ARTS AGENCIES ARE PAID ON FIVE INSTALLMENTS A YEAR. SO THE LAST TWO WERE SUSPENDED. SO, UH, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR [05:20:01] OUT OF THE HOTEL CAPACITY TAX. I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. THE 2.6 MILLION THEN THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED ARE REALLY FOR EXPENDITURES GOING FORWARD, UH, THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE WANNA SPEND THAT MONEY BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, COUNSEL. OKAY. BUT DOES THAT SUPERSEDE OUR NEXT BUDGET WHERE WE MAY ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS COMING YEAR'S ARTS PROGRAMS? IT DOES NOT. SO THAT WE MAY PUT IN 10 MILLION AGAIN IF WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT IN A BUDGET OR EIGHT OR SEVEN OR WHATEVER WE THINK WE CAN AFFORD WITH THIS DECLINING BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. CORRECT. SO THAT ISN'T THE ONLY MONEY GOING TO ARTS. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT PEOPLE IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, WE'RE NOT GIVING UP ON, ON THE ARTS AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING GOING FORWARD. UH, AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TO CUT THE LAST COUPLE OF PAYMENTS, WE'RE, WE'RE SUPPLEMENTING THAT BY COMING UP WITH 2.6 MILLION RIGHT NOW. SO, UH, I THINK THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, A VERY GOOD JOB OF USING THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE GETTING, UH, WHICH HAVE LIMITATIONS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, TO TRY AND FILL GAPS AND HOLES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO LOOK FORWARD TO HOW WE CAN HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES, GET A BETTER JOB, FEED THEIR FAMILIES, AND CONTINUE TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH AS ALL OF US ARE THIS PANDEMIC. AND SO, THANK YOU STAFF FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TODAY. AND I ASK PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SAYING, WE'RE NOT HAVING ENOUGH INPUT. LET US KNOW. ASK ME QUESTIONS, ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTIONS, ASK THE CITY MANAGER QUESTIONS, LET US ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT WE'RE DOING A LOT MORE THAN YOU KNOW, AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND YOU'LL BE MUCH HAPPIER WITH WHAT YOU REALIZE WE ARE DOING ON BEHALF OF EVERY GROUP AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, SO LET ME JUST START WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, WE HAVE SHIFTED AROUND SOME FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND IT WAS PRIMARILY RELATED TO ON THE JOB TRAINING. SO, UM, 5 MILLION TO GO TO THAT. AND SO COULD YOU JUST, UH, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF US HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, DOING MORE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR THE WORKFORCE, UH, OR IS THERE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR UTILITIES AND RENT AND, UH, OTHER ISSUES THAT SMALL BUSINESSES MAY, UM, INCUR? SO THERE'S $38 MILLION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. FIVE OF THAT IS NEW, AND FIVE OF THAT FUNDS THE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM. THE BULK OF THAT MONEY IS FOR GRANTS AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THAT CAN BE USED FOR, UM, ANY NUMBER OF EXPENSES THAT THEY'VE OCCURRED INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE, UH, PANDEMIC. OKAY. INCLUDING UTILITIES AND INTERNET SERVICE? YES. THAT'S ELIGIBLE. WE'LL, WE'LL BE RELYING ON, UM, INPUT FROM THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING AND ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. OKAY. SO, UH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE REQUESTED SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THAT AS WELL. UM, AND WE KNOW THAT WE OF COURSE, UH, NEED TO INCREASE WAGES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT, THAT, THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING WOULD BE AT LEAST $15 AN HOUR. IS THAT PART OF THE PACKAGE OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO DISCUSS IN AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL? THE, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING EDITION, UM, PROVIDES THAT STIPEND AT $15 AN HOUR FOR 30 HOURS A WEEK. SO $450 A WEEK OF PAYMENT TO STUDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE ON THE JOB LEARNERS OR CLASSROOM LEARNERS. UM, AS LONG AS THEY ARE LEARNING, UM, PARTING, PARTICIPATING IN A PROGRAM, THEY'LL RECEIVE THAT $450 A WEEK STIPEND. OKAY. AND, UM, AND COULD THAT ALSO BE USED FOR THE ARTS ORGANIZATION? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS IN COMMITTEE. SO WE HAVE A SEPARATE LINE ITEM FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEN A LARGER UMBRELLA OF SMALL BUSINESSES. BUT IN THE, AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, IF WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO INVEST MORE IN THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, CAN WE DO THAT? OR DOES THAT NEED TO BE DESIGNATED AT THIS MOMENT? THERE'S TREMENDOUS FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE PILLAR. SO YES, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S TREMENDOUS FLEXIBILITY IN HOW YOU DEFINE WHAT'S AN ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATION, AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE. SO YES, THERE'S, THERE'S GREAT FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE PILLAR. I THINK WE, WE WOULD LOOK FOR FULL COUNSEL ACTION TO MOVE MONEY FROM PILLAR TO PILLAR. OKAY. BUT, AND LET ME ADD THAT, THAT WHAT, WHAT DR. BRIDGER JUST SAID IS KEY. THE ELIGIBLE, ANYTHING THAT, THAT WE DO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION [05:25:01] PLAN HAS TO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FROM THE US TREASURY. SO AS LONG AS WE'RE OPERATING WITHIN THOSE ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES, THEN THAT'S THE, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S PARAMOUNT IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THAT MONEY, UH, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO THE LINE ITEM FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WAS INTERNAL? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. BA BASED ON THE COUNCIL FEEDBACK FROM TWO OF THE LAST TWO MEETINGS. OKAY. WELL, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF US HAVE CONCERN FOR OUR ARTS ORGANIZATION. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, I WANT US TO SUPPORT THEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, UH, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK THIS WAS STATED BY ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY ARE, UM, UH, EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES, UM, WE'RE SUFFERING. AND THAT'S WHY, UH, I, IN OUR LAST BUDGET, UM, I REQUESTED $250,000, WHICH MY COLLEAGUE SUPPORTED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE WEST SIDE ARTS ORGANIZATION SO THAT WE CAN START TO SCALE UP. UH, NOW THIS HAS CHANGED ALL THAT, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY THERE WAS SOME PROGRESS MADE, UH, IN THAT, UM, CAPACITY BUILDING. AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO REPORT AT SOME, PERHAPS IN THE ARTS COMMITTEE, UH, ABOUT WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THE 250,000 FOR, UM, FOR, UH, CAPITAL, FOR IMPROVEMENTS, FOR CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. AND HOPE THAT WE MADE SOME CHANGES. BECAUSE WHAT WE DO HEAR A LOT, UH, TODAY WITH THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND WITH WITH OTHER PEOPLE, IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND, UM, THE DIFFICULTY OF, OF, UH, OPERATING IN THIS CLIMATE. BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE, AND ESPECIALLY THE ARTS COMMUNITY THAT HAS SOME FLEXIBILITY TO BE CREATIVE, PERHAPS COULD BE LEADING THE WAY IN WHAT SOMETHING LOOKS LIKE, UM, FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND, AND OTHERS, UH, IN, IN FOR THE FUTURE. SO WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND I KNOW WE'LL HAVE, BE HAVING LOTS OF, UM, OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GONZALEZ, UM, I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE NOW, UH, TO JOIN WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS, UH, WHICH BEGINS AT 2 45, UH, PM TODAY, UH, IN RECOGNITION OF THE LOSS OF GEORGE FLOYD. EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS WAS A TIME THAT PEOPLE STOOD BY AS HE LAID THERE, UH, BRIEFLY, STILL ALIVE. SO WE'LL BEGIN THAT. I [05:36:18] [05:36:19] THANK YOU. THE, UH, N A A C P, UH, ORGANIZED THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, IN MEMORY OF GEORGE FLOYD. UH, AGAIN, EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS. DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME, BUT IN SILENCE, IT'S AN ETERNITY, UM, TO DO SOMETHING. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. HARD TO COME BACK FROM THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL GO STRAIGHT TO, UM, UH, SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR MIKE FLORES, WHO I THINK IS STILL HERE IN THE HOUSE. UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UH, COMING UP, UM, UH, MIKE, AND IF YOU, UM, OR DR. FLORES, UH, IF YOU, UM, WELL, UH, SO THE LAST TIME, UH, YOU WERE BEFORE US, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT L M O PROMISE, RIGHT? UH, AND IT WAS VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE TIME THAT WE HAD ISSUED THE POVERTY REPORT FOR SAN ANTONIO. AND WHAT CAME UP IN THE POVERTY REPORT, UH, DR. BRIDGER, UM, CONFIRMED, UM, THAT THE NUMBER ONE INDICATOR OF WHAT BRINGS A FAMILY OUT OF POVERTY IS EDUCATION. UH, AND WHETHER THAT IS A TRAINING PROGRAM, A 12 WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM, OR FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, EDUCATION IS THE NUMBER ONE INDICATOR. AND SO, UH, WHEN THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY CAME UP BECAUSE OF THE, UH, CARES ACT, UH, AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE SHOULD INVEST THE MAJORITY OF OUR TIME AND EFFORT IN WORKFORCE TRAINING AND IN EDUCATION. UM, SO MY, MY QUESTION ALWAYS WAS CAN YOU SCALE UP TO REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON A CITY OF 2 MILLION PEOPLE, UM, WHEN, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GENEROUS SUM, UM, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH. SO COULD YOU JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO SCALE UP A PROGRAM SURE. AND WHAT YOU THINK THE TRAINING MIGHT DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE? SURE. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND, UH, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED IS WE SEE WITH EACH CREDENTIAL THAT THE INCOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE HOUSEHOLD INCREASES. AND WE CAN TAKE THAT ALL THE WAY FROM NOT HAVING A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA TO COMPLETION OF A G E D COMPLETION OF A POST HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL, WHETHER THAT'S A SHORT TERM CERTIFICATE, WHETHER THAT IS AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, BACHELOR'S POSTGRADUATE, RIGHT? SO WE, I THINK THE INTENT IS HOW CAN WE ELEVATE THE, UM, THE LIFE CHANCES OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A CREDENTIAL, UM, AND ENSURE THEY CAN UPSCALE AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. UM, WE SEE IT EVERY DAY WITH OUR 65,000 STUDENTS AT ANY ONE OF OUR FIVE COLLEGES AND EIGHT REGIONAL CENTERS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE SCALE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE 65,000 IN ANY GIVEN SEMESTER, AND THEN WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 30,000 IN WHICH WE PROVIDE WORKFORCE CERTIFICATION THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IN AN EIGHT COUNTY SERVICE REGION. UH, THE R O I FOR THE INDIVIDUAL IS $9,400 A YEAR IF THEY EXIT WITH A CREDENTIAL. OKAY. COULD YOU JUST, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE. YEAH. SO I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT. SO THE R O I THE, FOR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, GO AHEAD AND SAY REPEAT IT. IT IS $9,400 A YEAR. A YEAR, RIGHT? A YEAR. AND SO WE KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT, UH, THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY AND PER CAPITA INCOME, SAN ANTONIO IS NUMBER FOUR IN TEXAS, WE'RE 24,000 PER HOUSEHOLD. [05:40:01] WE'RE RIGHT ABOVE EL PASO AT 22, AND WE'RE RIGHT BELOW DALLAS AT 27. SO IF WE LOOK AT THE R O I FOR A CREDENTIAL, AND THEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CREATE WHAT'S BEEN ARTICULATED BY COPS, METRO AND OTHERS, A GOOD JOBS ECONOMY, WE CAN SEE THAT THIS WOULD IN PARTICULAR BE A DOWN PAYMENT ON THAT GOOD JOBS ECONOMY. I THINK THE OTHER PART IS, WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR, UH, FAMILY, FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS DO NOT HAVE THE, THEY MAY HAVE, UH, THEY DEFINITELY HAVE THE APTITUDE TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE A CREDENTIAL OR A CERTIFICATION, BUT THEY'RE ALSO STRUGGLING WITH HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SO ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS IS A LIVING WAGE STIPEND THAT'S PROVIDED HERE, WHICH IS, UH, PROPOSED AT $48 MILLION, RIGHT? UM, AND THAT IS, UH, $15 AN HOUR FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 HOURS A WEEK, OR 30 HOURS A WEEK. THAT'S $450 THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO RECEIVE, BE ABLE TO TAKE HOME TO PAY, OR, UM, TO PAY BILLS THAT THEY HAVE THAT ARE COMING TO THEM, AND THEN CYCLE THAT $450 BACK INTO THE ECONOMY AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING A CREDENTIAL AND BEING ABLE TO EXIT. ALL OF THE CREDENTIALS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT ARE LIVING WOULD EXIT WITH A LIVING WAGE. THAT COULD BE A SUPPLY CHAIN OR LOGISTICS TECHNICIAN EXITING WITH A, UH, FORKLIFT CERTIFICATION AND AS LITTLE AS FOUR, BUT AN AVERAGE OF FIVE WEEKS. AND THEY WOULD MAKE 1644, UM, AN HOUR. THAT COULD BE SOMEBODY WHO BUILDS ON A, A, PERHAPS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, PROMA FOR THE FIRST LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION IN FIVE WEEKS, THAT THEN GOES TO AN ACUTE CARE TECHNICIAN THAT CAN THEN GO, UM, EVEN LONGER BEYOND THAT, AND THEN MAKE A MEDIAN WAGE FROM 28 TO $40,000 A YEAR AS A RESULT FROM JUST FOUR TO SIX MONTHS OF TRAINING. SO IF WE LOOK AT SOMEBODY WHO PERHAPS IS IN THE SERVICE SECTOR AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY, THEY COULD DO SO AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSAL BY CITY STAFF. UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO NOTE THAT, I MEAN, WE HAVE MANY URGENT NEEDS, UH, ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET BACK TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE REFERENCE TO A DOWN PAYMENT IS, IS RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORY OF, OF LOW WAGES IN THIS CITY, THE HISTORY OF INEQUITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN TALK, UH, UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY. I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING CHILDCARE AND, UH, HOMELESSNESS. UM, BUT MAYOR, I GUESS I'LL CHIME BACK IN, UM, AT THE END. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MIKE. UH, DR. FLORES, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BREAK IN AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. THANK, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN BE SAID RIGHT NOW. UM, THERE ARE SO MANY EMOTIONS THAT ARE BEING FELT RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT EIGHT MINUTES AS A MOTHER, THAT'S THE LONGEST EIGHT MINUTES IN THE WORLD. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, HOW WE'RE ALLOCATING THIS MONEY, I KNOW THAT WE MUST STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE. I FIRST WANT TO THANK MR. WILLIE MITCHELL, MR. JOCK ARCH, MS. ROSE HILL, MS. ERIN BERRY, MR. IAN BENAVIDES, LELA POWELL, SECRETARY HENRY CISNEROS, UH, GAB, PASTOR GAVIN ROGERS, VICTORIA GONZALEZ, DEBORAH CARTER, FRANCESCA CABRIO FOR THEIR INPUT AND OUR SHELTER ADVISORY GROUP. I WANNA THANK MR. KENNY WILSON, AND I WANNA THANK COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ. IN THIS PARTICULAR ADVISORY GROUP, WE WERE ABLE TO TALK FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE. I'VE BEEN EVICTED, I'VE BEEN HOMELESS, I'VE BEEN BATTERED, I'VE BEEN BRUISED. I CAN REALLY RELATE TO EVERY COMMENT THAT WAS MADE AT COUNCIL TODAY. I KNOW THAT THESE FUNDS WILL GO TOWARDS MAKING SURE THE MOST VULNERABLE HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD. I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ALLOCATING THIS MONEY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES. AND THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT WHEN CITY STAFF PUTS IN THE WORK I ASK FOR ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, BECAUSE WE KNOW PEOPLE NEED TO GET TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO THE EVICTIONS. I HAVE ASKED FOR THE EVICTION PROTECTION PROGRAM THAT WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE [05:45:01] RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT PROVIDE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, PROVIDE WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE FINANCIAL EDUCATION ALONG WITH CASE MANAGEMENT. WE ARE NOT HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO JUST PUT FORTH OUR OWN AGENDA. WE ARE HERE TO PUT FORTH THE PEOPLE'S AGENDA. THIS CITY COUNCIL IS TRULY LISTENING TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, OF SAN ANTONIO. TOPS IS ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE GROUPS ALONG WITH MOVE TEXAS. AND WE LISTENED TO YOU ON MANY OCCASIONS AS YOU BROUGHT FORTH MANY PETITIONS FOR US AS A CITY COUNCIL, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS WERE BEING HEARD. WE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU OUT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE A PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS AS WE WENT FORWARD IN THE WORK GROUPS, AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED FROM THE COMMUNITY. MAYOR WITH THIS, I KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE FULLY CARED FOR IN A HOLISTIC APPROACH. WE ARE HERE TO DO THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE ELECTED US TO DO, AND WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN FROM THAT. WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE HEARD. AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO GET IN TOUCH VIA THE EMAIL, OUR WEB, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICES. PLEASE CALL US. WE ARE HERE TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS IS REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, A VERY, A VERY TOUGH TIME, AND I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S ARM WRESTLING. UM, AND, AND WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN, IN, IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO TRY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. UH, BUT WE'RE ALL DOING IT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR, FOR ME TO SAY, FOR EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REALLY TOUGH TIME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUFFERING. AND, UM, AGAIN, I'M OF THE BELIEF THAT, THAT, THAT HOUSING IS, IS A PRIORITY. IT IS, UH, IT IS AN ISSUE THAT I THINK IS ONLY WEEKS AWAY FROM, FROM BEING FURTHER, UH, EXACERBATED AND, UM, AND REALLY, UM, BECOMING A, A, A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN, UH, OR A BIGGER ISSUE THAN, THAN WE THOUGHT. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR WHERE I STAND ON, ON, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS WHY, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WAS HEARING EARLIER IS IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE FLEXIBILITY. UM, IT'S SO IMPORTANT. AND SO I, I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK ERIC AGAIN, UM, HOW MUCH OF THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE APPROVING TODAY, WILL COUNCIL COMMITTEES AND THE PUBLIC HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE? WELL, COUNCILMAN, WE'VE GOT, UM, $75 MILLION, UH, SET ASIDE IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILLAR. UH, 2.7 OF THAT IS FROM, FOR CORONA RELIEF FUND. SO IT HAS TO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES AS LAID OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, $10 MILLION IN OTHER FEDERAL GRANTS. SO OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO FI FI FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES THERE. UH, AND $62.3 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, UM, WITH OBVIOUSLY LESS RESTRICTIONS. UH, THE HOUSING SECURITY HAS 43.4 MILLION IN CORONA RELIEF FUND DOLLARS. THOSE DOLLARS, UH, ANYTHING LEFT OVER ON DECEMBER 31ST, UH, GETS SENT BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UH, THAT MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT ON GUIDELINES, UH, AND ELIGIBLE CRITERIA, AN ADDITIONAL LITTLE OVER $7 MILLION IN OTHER FEDERAL GRANTS. ALL OF OUR GRANTS HAVE REQUIREMENTS, BUT, UH, UM, I, I GUESS, LET ME JUST SAY THE, THE SMALL BUSINESS, 33.1 IS CORONA RELIEF FUND. THAT MONEY HAS A SHORTER TIMELINE, JUST LIKE, UH, THE $43.4 MILLION IN THE HOUSING SECURITY. UM, YOU, YOU, BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE BUDGET FOR EACH OF THESE PILLARS. AND, UH, AS LONG AS WE ARE MEETING, UH, THE OUTCOMES THAT ARE OUTLINED AND MEETING THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THEN, UM, THAT'S THE PLAN THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMPLEMENTATION THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. AND, AND I PROBABLY SOME ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE REVIEW AT THE COMMITTEES, AND AS LONG AS IT'S ELIGIBLE, UM, THEN, [05:50:01] UH, IT'S DOABLE. DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? WELL GIVE, GIMME A, GIMME A NUMBER OR A PERCENTAGE OF, OF THE FUNDS. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GIVE YOU A PERCENTAGE WHAT YOU WANNA KNOW, HOW MUCH OF IT YOU CAN MOVE IF YOU WANT. YES, CORRECT. UM, WELL, TECHNICALLY YOU CAN MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS YOU WANT TODAY AS WELL. UM, WELL, THAT'S, TODAY I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE GO, WHEN WE GO TO COMMITTEES. IF, IF THERE ARE MASS, IF THERE ARE CHANGES BETWEEN THE PILLARS AT THE COMMITTEES, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CHANGE IS, IF, IF, IF, IF I FEEL LIKE IT IS, UM, UM, A LARGER OR DIFFERENT OR NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS YOU MAY APPROVE TODAY, THEN I WILL LIKELY BRING, RECOMMEND THAT WE BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL FOR FULL APPROVAL. IF THERE ARE SLIDER ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE PROGRAM, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S DOABLE. SO IT DEPENDS ON THE SCALE. THAT'S FAIR. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. AND I MEAN, I GUESS I WOULD ASK THAT WE KIND OF MAYBE LAY THAT OUT. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE JUST SIMPLY ASKING FOR, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME KIND OF INPUT AND, AND MAYBE THERE'S THAT OPPORTUNITY WITH, WITH THESE COUNCIL COMMITTEES TO, TO JUST TALK ABOUT THAT. AND, AND IT MAY JUST SIMPLY BE THAT IT, IT HELPS TO REINFORCE WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS. UM, BUT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE, WE SHOULD ALSO, UM, FIND A WAY TO BE RESPONSIVE AND, AND COMMIT TO THAT AS, AS PEOPLE ARE ASKING. I MEAN, WE, WE DID ADOPT THE RESOLUTION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THAT I THINK REALLY SPEAKS TO THAT. AND, UH, I THINK OUR COMMITTEES CAN HELP PROVIDE SOME OF THAT. AND IS IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT, UM, DEVELOPS A, A, A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, STRATEGY IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE PRINCIPLES WITHIN THE COMMITTEES, I, I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S DOABLE. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I I, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT THAT THAT SOMETHING IS, IS WORTH MORE THAN, THAN THAN OTHERS. IT'S MORE ABOUT JUST BEING RESPONSIVE. UH, LIKE I SAID IN A, IN A COUPLE WEEKS, I THINK WE'RE GONNA START TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A HIGH RATE OF EVICTIONS AND, UH, AND, AND IT'S CONCERNING AND, AND I JUST WANT US TO BE FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, BE NIMBLE TO, TO, TO THE NEEDS THAT, THAT, THAT MAY BE OUT THERE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I MAY BE COMPLETELY WRONG. UH, I THINK ANY ONE OF US, LIKE I SAID, ALL OF US HAVE OUR PRIORITIES AND, AND, AND WANT TO, ARE, ARE TRYING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND, AND, AND FOR THAT MATTER, I, I MEAN, WE ALL BELIEVE WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, FOCUSED ON, ON WHAT WE THINK IS IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. UH, THEY'RE ALL HIGH PRIORITIES, THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC FEELS CONFIDENT IN, IN THEIR REPRESENTATION AND, AND THE PROCESS THAT WE PROVIDE THEM AS A CITY. UM, SO CAN, CAN WE JUST AFFIRM THAT, THAT THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS THAT'S, THAT'S AVAILABLE. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOUSING SECURITY, WHICH IS THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE, UH, THE CHAIR OF. UM, AS LONG AS, UH, IF ANY ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE AT YOUR COMMITTEE, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY FOR THAT PILLAR IS COMING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND. AS LONG AS IT IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE, THEN I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY. IF, IF, IF THE COMMITTEE, AND I'M GONNA USE AN OUTLANDISH EXAMPLE, IF THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO MOVE IT TO DO $5 MILLION OF STREET MAINTENANCE OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ALLOWABLE, THEN, THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CHALLENGES, BUT I KNOW THAT'S AN OUTLANDISH EXAMPLE, BUT I, I, I, YEAH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS, UM, AS, AS WE, AS WE ARRIVE IN, IN THE FUTURE, AND NOBODY'S GOT THE CRYSTAL BALL, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS IF WE ARRIVE IN THE FUTURE, WE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE, WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE NEED, WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ASK STAFF. AND IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT. IT MIGHT JUST SIMPLY BE THE DATA SHOWING US, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T BE SO LOCKED IN THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS ALL WE'VE GOT AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOCKED IT IN. AND, UH, AND THAT'S IT. SO, I, I'M JUST, I, I THINK I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT. THESE PILLARS ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT. FIRST TO HOUSES, I THINK IS A PRIORITY. UM, I'M JUST POINTING OUT IF, IF THERE IS EVIDENCE OF MORE NEED THAT WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO, TO, TO MAKE THAT, UH, MAKE THAT PART OF OUR PROCESS. YES, SIR. YES. AND [05:55:01] THAT WOULD MEAN REMOVING IT FROM ONE OF THE OTHER PILLARS TO THAT. YES, WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY. OKAY. I JUST, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR, AND I JUST APPRECIATE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE HARD WORK. AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT HELPS TO ANSWER A LOT OF THE, THE CONCERNS THAT THE, THAT WE HEARD TODAY. UM, WE SIMPLY, WE JUST, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT IS, UH, UH, THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE, UH, LOCKED IN SO THAT, THAT WE CAN ADJUST SOMETHING EVEN, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT THERE MIGHT BE A NEED AND THAT WE CAN'T BE RESPONSIVE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO JUST GRATEFUL FOR, UH, ALL THE HARD WORK, UH, PROJECT QUEST AND, UH, ALAMO COLLEGES, MIKE FLORES, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR POINT ABOUT THE STIPEND, I THINK IS A, IS A, IS THE ONE THAT REALLY SOLD ME. SO, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. IT, AGAIN, I, I JUST WANNA KEEP PUSHING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, UH, HEAR MORE ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AS IT RELATES TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF, UH, OF JOBS THAT I, I TRULY BELIEVE ARE, UH, TRULY, TRULY, UH, GOOD JOBS AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO, UH, TO BE, UM, TO HELP THEM OUT IN, IN TIMES OF NEEDS AND, AND, AND BUILD ON A, ON WHAT I THINK IS, IS A, IS AN AMAZING INDUSTRY IN SAN ANTONIO THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP SORT OF SPAN OUT AND, AND CREATE, UH, REAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SORT OF DOVETAILS NICELY WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING WITH SMALL BUSINESS AND SO FORTH. SO, UM, JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, I, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK. UM, I THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN TELL THAT EVERYBODY IS, UH, A LITTLE WARY FROM FROM ARM WRESTLING, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TRYING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU STAFF AND EVERYBODY WHO IS THERE TODAY AND WHO HAS STAYED THIS LONG AFTER SIX HOURS. UM, THANK YOU ALSO TO THE FOLKS WHO, WHO HAD TO LEAVE. UM, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, I, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE. UM, I WAS JUST GONNA STEP OUT OTHERWISE, IF, IF YOU DIDN'T DO THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I DO WANT TO, UM, UH, JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE WATCHED OTHER COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHEN THE MAYOR ESTABLISHED THE WORKING COMMITTEES, UH, I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ADVOCATES FOR REPORT OUTS BECAUSE I WANTED THERE TO BE TRANSPARENCY TO BE, UM, UH, UH, AN AVENUE FOR PEOPLE TO GET, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS BEING SHARED IN THE COMMITTEES. UM, AND I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR, AND I WANNA THANK MR. GORDON HARTMAN, UH, FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE SA COVID ACTION.COM WEBSITE. UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT WE HAD SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVES TODAY. I, I ALSO WANNA THANK MICHELLE TRU FROM TOP, UM, FOR BEING, FOR SERVING ON THE BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT, UM, COMMITTEE, AND, UM, AND TO COPS METRO. THANK YOU FOR ADVOCATING. I KNOW YOU ALL WERE NOT A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE, BUT YOU ALL REACHED OUT, UM, AND, AND DID YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. UM, IN THOSE REPORTS, WHICH ANYONE CAN FIND ONLINE NOW, AGAIN, IT'S SA COVID ACTION.COM, AND I'LL BE QUOTING DIRECTLY FROM THEM. UM, WE GOT REPORTS FROM THE WORKING COMMITTEES EVERY WEEK, AND THEN THEY WERE POSTED THE REPORT FROM APRIL THE 24TH, SPECIFICALLY SAYS, UM, THAT THERE WAS, UH, UH, RESEARCH ON CURRENT AND PREVIOUS WORKFORCE STRATEGIES THAT INCORPORATE WRAPAROUND SERVICES. UM, AND, UH, I, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT I, I ADDRESSED, UM, THIS, BECAUSE THAT CONVERSATION STARTED BACK APRIL 24TH. I WAS NOT A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE, BUT I DID MY RESEARCH AND I WANTED TO LOOK THROUGH THESE REPORTS. UM, ON THE MEETING FOR MAY 1ST, THERE WAS, UH, ACTUALLY, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ AND MICHELLE AMI, ALSO FROM TOP, UM, WERE DESIGNATED AS THE LEADS. AND THERE'S, UM, DIRECTLY QUOTING FROM THERE, THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR LOCAL WORKFORCE, UM, UH, NONPROFIT FOR, AND, AND PARTICIPATION FROM NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS NEEDED. SO THAT WAS A DIRECT QUOTE ON THE MAY 8TH REPORT, IT SAYS THAT THE CARESS ACT FUNDING BEING PROVIDED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, COULD FUND SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS INTO MUCH NEEDED WORKFORCE TRAINING EFFORTS. BUT THIS FUNDING INCLUDES A DEADLINE OF 12 31 20 20. SO, AGAIN, UM, THE, IT SOUNDED LIKE THE RELEVANCY, THE TIMELINE, UH, WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT ON THE MAY 11TH REPORT OF THIS GROUP. THERE WAS UPDATES AND DISCUSSION, AND I'M QUOTING SAYS, IT'S CRITICAL TO REFOCUS ON JOBS. IT'S CRITICAL TO REFOCUS ON JOBS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ON THE MAY 15TH REPORT. UM, THE, I'M QUOTING, [06:00:01] TRAINING MUST BE A PRIORITY. UM, AND THE STEPS THAT THEY TALK ABOUT ARE UPSKILLING HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAMS, JOB READINESS. UM, I, I, THERE'S A NUMBER OF OF REFERENCES IN THERE AS TO HOW TO DO IT. AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO POINT THAT OUT AND, AND THANK PEOPLE FOR, FOR THINKING ABOUT THAT. IT ALSO CONTINUES ON THAT SAME REPORT, THAT FEDERAL FUNDING SHOULD BE MAXIMIZED IN SMART, EFFECTIVE WAYS. I BELIEVE THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS A SMART AND EFFECTIVE WAY. WRAPAROUND AND SUPPORT SERVICES, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, CHILDCARE, DIGITAL DIVIDE, UM, UH, ADDRESSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ARE ALL CRITICAL, IS WHAT THAT REPORT SAID. THEN ON MAY 22ND, UM, THERE WAS THE, UH, THERE WAS AN AREA THAT TALKED ABOUT EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, SKILLS TRAINING, UPSKILLING, AND TRAINING. AND A DIRECT QUOTE ON THERE IS THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPERVISOR TRAINING IS IMPORTANT. THEY EVEN REFERENCED THE GET SHIFT DONE, UM, THAT UNITED WAY IS WORKING ON A CONNECTED HOSPITALITY WORKERS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT UNITED WAY DOES. AND IN THE FINAL REPORT, IT SAYS THAT THE CARES ACT FUNDING PROVIDED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT COULD HELP AND IN SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS INTO MUCH NEEDED WORKFORCE TRAINING, WRAPAROUND SERVICES, CRITICAL FOR RESIDENTS TO REENTER THE WORK, UH, WORKFORCE. NOW, I'M REALLY EXTRA GLAD THAT I ADVOCATED FOR THOSE REPORT OUTS, UM, TO BE SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND TO BE POSTED, BECAUSE YOU ALL CAN, UH, LOOK THEM UP. I, UH, DID SPEAK TO MANY D FOUR RESIDENTS, A FEW OF THEM WHO ARE STILL IN THE CROWD RIGHT NOW, UM, ADVOCATING FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. AND I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THAT. UM, I HAD A MENTOR WHO TOLD ME, UM, MANY, MANY TIMES, EVERY TIME HE WOULD TRY TO TEACH ME HOW TO DO SOMETHING, THAT IF YOU FEED, UM, UH, A MAN A FISH, YOU'D FED HIM FOR THE DAY. BUT IF YOU TEACH HIM HOW TO FISH, YOU'VE HAD HIM FED HIM FOR A LIFETIME. AND I BELIEVE THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING DOES THAT. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, , UH, SENT AN EMAIL LATE LAST NIGHT. IT CAME IN THE FLOOD OF LIKE 250 PLUS EMAILS THAT I HAD RECEIVED ON POLICE, BY THE WAY. UM, AND I FOUND IT BECAUSE I, I TRY TO READ THROUGH EVERY EMAIL. UM, THEY DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS, AND ONE OF THEM, UH, AND I'M GONNA, AGAIN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, JUST GIVE YOU ALL MY QUESTIONS AND I'D LIKE FOLLOW UP LATER, ERIC, PLEASE. UM, BUT THEY WERE ASKING, HOW WILL WE MAKE SURE TRAINING WILL BENEFIT THOSE THAT ARE LAID OFF, SPECIFICALLY, WILL WORKERS BE SURVEYED? WHICH, BY THE WAY, I THINK THAT WAS A CRITICAL POINT. UM, WILL REGISTRATION BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, WILL FULLY FUNDED, UH, OR THE STIPENDS COVER FULLY FUNDED TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDCARE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND, YES, FROM SOME OF, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED EARLIER, WHO WILL EVALUATE AND SHAPE THE PROGRAM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHO WILL, UH, MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WHO SPEAK SPANISH HAVE ACCESS TO COURSES. UM, BECAUSE WHAT FU LEARNED IS THAT WHEN, UH, LEVI'S LEFT, THERE WAS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS WHO SPOKE SPANISH WERE NOT ABLE TO PARTAKE IN THIS. SO THANK YOU FU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, UP. THAT IS CRITICAL. THEY, UM, ALSO INCLUDED OR ASKED THAT WE INCLUDE THEIR EXPERIENCES BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS, AND I DO BELIEVE THEY ARE THE EXPERTS. THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS AND SURVIVED. SO I WANTED TO SEE IF MAYBE WE COULD, UM, DO A CONCURRENT SURVEY SO THAT WE COULD GET PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND FEEDBACK AS WE'RE DOING THIS, AS WE'RE PRESENTING INFORMATION. I, I DO AGREE, UM, WITH THE FOLKS THAT THINK THAT THIS IS A TIME FOR A PIVOT, I DO THINK THAT, UH, IT IS TIME TO STOP CHANGING THE BANDAIDS OUT. THIS IS ABOUT THE WOUND, BUT GUESS WHAT? THERE'S A DISEASE THAT'S HELPING THAT WOUND NOT HEAL. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WORKFORCE TRAINING WOULD HELP THAT. UM, I DO STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT RISK MEDICATION. UH, AGAIN, I HAD A, A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH TOP, AND THEY BROUGHT UP SOME REALLY GOOD POINTS ABOUT LANDLORDS THAT MAYBE DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE, UM, OR MAYBE INFORMAL HOUSING, UH, THAT WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS THAT I THINK WILL BE CRITICAL FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFT FUNDS APPLICATION PROCESS BEING TOO CUMBERSOME FOR SOME SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT VIA, SOMEHOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT VIAS AT THE TABLE, BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS WILL NOT GET TO WORK. THEY WILL NOT GET TO THESE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES UNLESS THEY HAVE TRANSPORTATION. I DO BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING THE ARTS. I HAD, UH, I THINK SU SUSANA WAS THERE EARLIER FROM D FOUR, AND I FULLY BELIEVE THAT A CREATIVE ECONOMY HELPS US BE MORE, MORE ENLIGHTENED CITIZENS. I ALSO WANT TO, UM, REMIND EVERYONE THAT IT'S NOT EVERY [06:05:01] DAY THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND IN OUR LIFETIME, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO ADDRESS THESE SYSTEMIC SYSTEMS. AND I THINK THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS THE WAY TO GO. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THAT TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RSO GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANKS TO ALL OF STAFF FOR, FOR PUTTING THIS WORK TOGETHER. UM, JUST BEFORE I FORGET, I WANTED TO CLARIFY, UH, SOME COMMENTS REGARDING THE BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT WORKING GROUP THAT I CO-CHAIRED WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER CHICO RODRIGUEZ. UM, WE DID NOT DISCUSS FUNDING AMOUNTS IN THOSE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN EVER GOT A CHANCE TO MEET WITH MICHELLE MILLO, OR, OR VICE VERSA. SO, UM, WHILE THOSE THINGS WERE DISCUSSED, I, I DON'T THINK THEY WERE DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS IN THERE. THE BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT WORKING GROUP NEVER DISCUSSED THE PROPOSAL, UH, FOR THE CARES FUNDING THAT'S BEING PRESENTED HERE TODAY. OKAY. UM, SO I'M GOING TO, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH TO SAY, $380 MILLION WORTH. UM, SO FIRST I THINK I'LL, I'LL GET TO THE POINT OF A LOT OF THE SPEAKERS WHO WERE HERE EARLIER. ERIC, CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR US THE, THE TIMING OF TODAY'S VOTE? UM, SO I KNOW THE COUNTY VOTED FOR DISTRIBUTING THEIR FUNDING A LONG TIME AGO, WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO WITH IT, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE NOT, WE HAVEN'T MOVED AS QUICKLY AS THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF THAT. UM, BUT WE ALSO GOT A MEMO FROM YOU THIS WEEK THAT SAID THE EXECUTION BEGAN ON JULY ONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE TIMING. THANK YOU, MARIA. UH, YES, COUNCILWOMAN. SO, UM, IF THE ITEM IS APPROVED TODAY, UH, OUR PLAN IS TO GO TO THE COMMITTEES AND THE BALANCE OF JUNE AND THEN BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION ON JULY ONE. SO ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO THOSE INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES WITHIN THE PILLARS, WE HOPE THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE MONTH OF JUNE. UM, SO WE CAN START AGAIN, EXECUTION JULY ONE. SO, SO THE ADJUSTMENTS WOULD BE MADE, HOW, SO? AS THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MENTIONED, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE WERE, UH, CHANGES BETWEEN THE STRATEGIES OF A PARTICULAR PILLAR, LET'S SAY HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE WAS A DESIRE TO ADD MORE FUNDING TO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE, UH, CARES ACT, ELIGIBLE USES, UM, THE COMMITTEE COULD MAKE THAT, UM, CHANGE IN, IN, IN THAT MEETING. AND THEN WE'LL START EXECUTION IN JULY ONE. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A CONTRACT THAT'S GONNA BE EXECUTED THE DAY, YOU KNOW, TODAY, ONCE THIS IS APPROVED, THAT'S GONNA GET EVERYTHING ROLLING. SO THE ACTION TODAY ALLOWS THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACTS WITH SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE, UM, INCLUDED ON THOSE ONE PAGES THAT WE GAVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, HOWEVER, WE NEED THE INPUT FROM THE COMMITTEES BEFORE THOSE ARE EXECUTED. WHAT THAT ALLOWS THE CITY MANAGER TO DO IS TO EXECUTE THOSE CONTRACTS, UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL IF THE ITEM IS APPROVED TODAY. UH, I, AFTER THAT, AFTER THAT WORK IS DONE AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARIA. AND THEN, UM, I LOOKED AT THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, ERIC, AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT THE ORDINANCE MEANS. IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VERY EXPLICIT IN THERE THAT THERE COULD BE CHANGES IN FUNDING AMOUNTS AND YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS . SO THE ORIGIN, WHAT IT DOES IS SETS THE BUDGET BY PILLAR. OKAY. HOWEVER, LIKE WE DO WITH A DEPARTMENT BUDGET, FOR INSTANCE, IF, UM, UH, WE MAKE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS BETWEEN LINE ITEMS, THAT AUTHORIZATION IS GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER. IN THIS CASE, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THE STRATEGIES OF THE PILLAR AS PART OF THE COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSION, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UM, SO AGAIN, AS LONG AS YOU STAY WITHIN THE, THE, THE BUDGET OF THE PILLAR, BUT IF THERE WAS A DESIRE TO INCREASE OR DECREASE THE BUDGET OF A PILLAR, THEN WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL. UNDERSTOOD. YES. IN GENERAL, IT, WHETHER WE APPROVE SOMETHING OR NOT, SIX VOTES IS GONNA CARRY THE DAY AS LONG AS WE CAN GET IT ON THE AGENDA AND WE CAN GET THE CONSENSUS OR THE, THE MAJORITY FOR THAT. UM, UNDERSTOOD. UM, AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE READY TO GO, BASICALLY. AND IF WE APPROVE TODAY, THOSE THINGS CAN, CAN GET MOVING. THEY MAY BE SOME SMALLER ITEMS, SOME SMALLER CONTRACTS. SO, UH, BUT WE'RE ADOPTING THIS AS A BIG PACKAGE, IS, IS THE [06:10:01] ISSUE. SO WHAT, UM, YOU CAN SIT DOWN. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU, MARIA. UM, LOOK, I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE WAITING TO GET STARTED ON A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS AND THAT SOME OF THE FUNDING IS ALREADY BEING, UH, BEING USED, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE. SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE APPROVE TODAY OR NEXT WEEK, LIKE THAT MONEY STILL, STILL GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. UM, AND I, I WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOVERY, UM, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT SAY, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE ODD THAT THE COMMITTEES AREN'T MEETING UNTIL AFTER WE APPROVE THE PACKAGE. UH, I KNOW SOME OF US HAVE MET THIS WEEK ALREADY. WE TRY TO DO IT IN A HURRY. UM, BUT THE COMMITTEES WEREN'T, BASICALLY, THEY WERE SORT OF ON HOLD UNTIL JUNE ONE. SO I, I, AGAIN, I WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOVERY. I THINK IT HAS A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS IN IT. UM, BUT I THINK THAT TIMING IS ODD. UM, SO I'LL JUST, UH, STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD. UM, I WANNA GO INTO THE WORK, UM, WATCH, EXPAND ASSURE OR WEEP PLAN AS, UH, AS ITS ACRONYMS SAY. UM, I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY WITH ERIC THAT, UM, THAT ALSO FALLS UNDER ONE OF THESE, IT'S NOT EXACTLY A PILLAR, BUT IT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO COMMITTEE. IT WASN'T ON ANY OF THE SLIDES. AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE WAS NOT ON THE SLIDES EITHER. RIGHT. COUNCILMAN, I MADE THAT DISTINCTION IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, UH, BECAUSE THAT HAS A PLAN THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, AND YOU HAVE A COPY OF, UH, THE, WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS A COPY OF, AND I THINK YOU HAD AN INITIAL CONVERSATION AT YOUR COMMITTEE THIS WEEK. MUCH OF THAT IS UNDER, ALL OF THAT IS UNDER OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE. UM, AND AS YOU AND I HAVE TALKED, THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THAT THAT, UH, CAN BE ADJUSTED, UH, BASED ON THE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS THAT YOUR COMMITTEE WILL HAVE, UM, IN THINGS LIKE, UH, THE RESEARCH AREA OR, UH, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH OR SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS THAT, THAT I THINK YOUR COMMITTEE HAS INITIATED DISCUSSION. IF THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, UH, IN THOSE AREAS AS YOUR COMMITTEE MEETS, UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO, TO, TO, UM, TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. SO DOES THAT NEED TO COME BACK TO FULL COUNSEL? IF, IF MY COMMITTEE MAKES A RECOMMENDATION? UH, NO, MA'AM, IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE I THINK THE, THE ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU TODAY, UH, GIVES ME THE AUTHORITY AFTER COUNCIL APPROVAL TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS AND THE, THE, UH, REVISION TO THE BUDGETS. AND ALSO, UM, UM, AS LONG AS WE ARE, REMEMBER THE, THE, UM, UH, WATCH EXPAND ASSURE PLAN, THE WHEAT PLAN, UM, UH, IS BEING FUNDED WITH CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND. AND SO AS LONG AS IT IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE TO THAT PROGRAM, UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT WITH COUN, WITH THE COUNCIL INPUT, WITH, UH, THE COMMITTEE INPUT. SO, OKAY. UH, I WANNA SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT YESTERDAY OUR COMMITTEE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY MET. I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS FOR PARTICIPATING. UM, AND WE DID HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL. UM, WE WERE GOING TO TAKE ACTION ON ONE OF THEM. WE WERE ADVISED THAT ACTION WAS NOT RECOMMENDED OR NECESSARY. UM, SO I ANTICIPATE THAT MEANS THAT IT WILL BECOME PART OF THE WEEP PLAN, UM, AFTER THE RECOMMENDATION. AND THAT WAS, UM, WE RECOMMENDED THAT NOT A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION, THAT A, THAT THE WEEK PLAN INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AS PART OF ONGOING OUTREACH REGARDING C OVID 19. UM, WE ALSO, AND THIS ONE WAS AN ACTION, A RECOMMENDED RATIFICATION OF THE HEALTH TRANSITION TEAM REPORT BY FULL CITY COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE. SO WE NEED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE RATIFICATION ITEM WILL BE AGENDIZED, UH, IN THE FUTURE, BUT THEN WE DO EXPECT THAT, UH, STAFF WILL BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT, ERIC? I CONFIRM THAT COUNCILMAN, WE ALREADY HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, UM, G P A, METRO HEALTH AND I, AND, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT ACCEPTING THE HEALTH TRANSITION TEAM REPORT AS WELL. SO WE DID ALL OF THAT YESTERDAY, AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAM REPORT. I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE GONNA DO ONE, UH, WE SHOULD DO BOTH. AND BRINGING BOTH TO COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME, AND I'LL FURTHER CONFIRM COUNCILWOMAN, THAT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE FLEXIBILITY THAT I THINK THE CHECK COMMITTEE WILL HAVE IN THAT AS THE DISCUSSION YESTERDAY WAS BUILD UPON AND, AND, OR BUILD A BETTER OR A DIFFERENT STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. THE STAFF IS GONNA EXECUTE IT. AS LONG AS WE'RE WITHIN OUR [06:15:01] BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD. I THINK THAT THAT'S THE KEY TO THE, THE COMMUNITY OR THE COMMITTEE, UH, INPUT PROCESS. AND THEN LASTLY, UH, LOOKING AT THE BUDGETING TABLE FOR THIS, IN TERMS OF THE MONEY THAT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND ROW, JUST WANTED TO KNOW, IS THAT COMING OUT OF THIS YEAR'S GENERAL FUND? IS THAT WHAT WE APPROVED IN THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT, OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT ACTION? THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THE, UH, PAYROLL ELIGIBLE EXPENSES THAT ARE COMING, UH, UM, BUDGET IN THE GENERAL FUND. UM, THAT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN WITH THIS ITEM, WHICH IS PART OF THE, UM, ONGOING EMERGENCY RESPONSE OF THE CITY THAT IS OVER THE PERIOD OF MAY, I'M SORRY, MARCH ONE TO DECEMBER 30TH. SO IT'S OVER TWO, UH, FISCAL YEARS. OKAY. AND, AND THE SAME FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN THE YES, COUNCILWOMAN, SORRY, THAT DOESN'T CLARIFY. SO WE ARE VOTING ON PUTTING THE $94.6 MILLION INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET ALREADY. IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS? SO THIS PARTICULAR, UM, PLAN COUNCILWOMAN SAID, EXPANDS OVER TWO YEARS AND THE, AND THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE FOR THOSE STRATEGIES, THAT IS A BUDGETED AMOUNT. SO YES, WE ARE ASKING AT THIS POINT THAT THOSE PAYROLL EXPENSES AND THE GENERAL FUND IS OVER TWO YEARS. AND THAT CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THOSE, UH, TWO PILLARS THAT WE RECOMMENDED IS OVER TWO YEARS. TO YOUR POINT, THE CITY COUNCIL STILL HAS TO, UM, APPROVE THE 2021 BUDGET, BUT THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT. UM, THE COUNCIL, OF COURSE, HAS A DISCRETION TO, UH, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. WITH THAT SAID, THAT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THOSE, UH, STRATEGIES, UM, THAT WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING TO THE COUNCIL TODAY. I'M SORRY, MAYOR, JUST JUST TO CLARIFY, SO IS THAT REVENUE FROM THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE COMMITTING, OR IS THAT CURRENT REVENUE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT'S BEING COMMITTED? SO, IS NOT REVENUE COUNCILWOMAN AS, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE CARESS ACT ALLOWS FOR ELIGIBLE PAYROLL EXPENSES TO BE CHARGED TO THE CARES ACT OVER THAT 10 MONTH PERIOD OF MARCH THROUGH DECEMBER. SO, UH, AS WE CREATE THAT FLEXIBILITY IN THE GENERAL FUND, THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT ABILITY TO FUND THOSE STRATEGIES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO H THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FOR, FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOW SHOULD WE PASS ALONG ANY REFERRALS, UH, REGARDING AGENCIES WHO WANNA PARTICIPATE IN OFFERING THEIR SERVICES IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT? UH, FOR, FOR NOW, COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK THE APPROPRIATE CONTACTS WOULD BE CARLOS CONTRERAS AND ALEX LOPEZ, AS THEY'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS IN PREPARING FOR THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS. OKAY. AND AS WE FINE TUNE WHICH BUSINESSES WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SMALL, UH, BUSINESS FUNDS, I WANNA ENSURE THAT ARTS BUSINESSES ARE INCLUDED AS WELL. WE TALKED TODAY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT THEY WERE GETTING, BUT I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE MORE CREATIVE WAYS IS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ARTS BUSINESSES, UM, ARE BEING FUNDED UNDER SMALL BUSINESS. SO NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, UM, JUST, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY IN ALLOCATING FUNDS TO INCLUDE ARTS BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO NON-PROFITS. UH, I KNOW THAT WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, UM, BEFORE DR. BRIDGER, SO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT BUSINESSES LIKE A MARIACHI BAND OR PIANO TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BUSINESSES AS WELL, SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE INCLUDED, UH, FOR AS FAR AS HOUSING SERVICE, SORRY, AS FAR AS HOUSING SERVICES, IF YOU'LL PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED ON ACTIVITY REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I WANNA LOOK AT, UH, ADDING THIS TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AGENDA AND ENSURING THAT OUR CITYWIDE CAMPAIGN HAS A VENUE, UM, FOR SUMMARY UPDATES. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO. HDA. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE AND A LOT OF, UH, GUEST SPEAKERS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. YOU KNOW, THE, THE EARTH MIGHT SHIFT OR TILT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BUT I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, THE FOLKS THAT CAME IN HERE TODAY ABOUT ASKING FOR A DELAY. UM, THERE'S TWO AREAS THAT I'M LOOKING AT, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND THE WORKFORCE, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ACTUALLY THE IT, UH, THE DIGITAL DIGITAL INCLUSION SECTION, UM, THIS WHOLE CARESS ACT, IF YOU GO THROUGH AND READ THAT TREASURY REPORT, AND MARIA, YOU GAVE ME A COPY OF THAT TO LOOK THROUGH. [06:20:01] AND IF YOU READ THAT AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE INTENT IS, IT'S TO GIVE A SHOT IN THE ARM TO CITIES, FOLKS THAT NEED THE HELP BUSINESSES TO HELP GETTING, GET THE ECONOMY GOING. AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THIS MONEY WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE FOR FOUR, WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT AND THE INTENT ON THIS CARESS ACT MONEY, AND I'LL, I'LL EXPLAIN THAT. IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT MARIA WAS JUST SAYING ABOUT TAKING ELIGIBLE EXPENSES AND CHARGING IT, AND THEN PULLING THAT MONEY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT THESE OTHER ACTIVITIES, THOSE OTHER ACTIVITIES, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION AND THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THEY'RE NOT IMMEDIATE SHOTS IN THE ARM. THEY'RE LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S, IT'S NOT FOLLOWING THE INTENT OF WHAT THIS CARESS ACT MONEY WAS FOR. AND THAT'S MY WHOLE, MY WHOLE OBJECTION TO THIS, AND SURE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THIS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CHART, LET'S SEE IF YOU COULD PUT THAT CHART UP THERE. I GUESS IT WAS NUMBER 15, THE, THE ACTUAL CITY RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCY RE RESILIENCY PLAN. WE GOT TOO BIG WORDS ON THIS THING, IF YOU CAN PUT THAT UP. YEAH. LOOK AT THAT CHART. LOOK AT THE, UH, LOOK AT THE SMALL BUSINESS. 38 MILLION. I MEAN, IT'S DWARFED BY MOST OF THE OTHER COLUMNS DOWN THERE. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS MONEY WAS INTENDED FOR. THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM SHOULD BE THE BIGGEST OUT OF EVERYTHING TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES GET BACK ON THEIR FEET, REHIRE THEIR EMPLOYEES, GET THEM BACK ON THE PAYROLL SO THEY CAN AFFORD RENT, SO THEY CAN AFFORD FOOD, THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED AND WANT ON A DAILY BASIS. I, I'M SORRY. I JUST DON'T, I DON'T GET IT. I DON'T GET IT. THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING GETTING THIS ECONOMY BACK ON ITS FEET AND LOOKING AT LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM GOALS OUT THERE. UM, WHO CAME UP WITH THIS, WITH THE 10,000 PEOPLE TO RETRAIN OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT? WHO CAME UP WITH THAT NUMBER? WHAT IS THAT BASED ON? THAT WAS, UM, COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN, UM, OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO PROVIDE WORKFORCE TRAINING, SUCH AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM DR. FLORES, FROM PROJECT QUEST, FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. OKAY. UM, ARE ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS GETTING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS THROUGH THE CARESS ACT LIKE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS? ARE THEY, THEY GETTING ADDITIONAL MONEY, EXCLUDING THIS, NOT LIKE THIS. NOW, THEY MAY GET GRANT FUNDING THAT IS TARGETED TO DO SOME OF THIS WORK, BUT WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM TO HAVE THAT ENHANCE WHAT WE'RE DOING. WELL, UH, UH, HERE WE GOT AN ANSWER. THANK YOU, MR. COUNCILMAN, UH, ADRIAN LOPEZ AND THE, UH, C E O OF WORKFORCE. THANK YOU, DEB. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF DOLLARS THAT CAME THROUGH THE, UM, DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS THAT CAME FROM THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION. UM, WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN SOME, UM, ABOUT 400 AND, UH, $50,000 OR SO THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR, UH, FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND AND ABOUT ANOTHER $250,000, UH, THAT WERE, UH, INTENDED TO ADDRESS RAPID RESPONSE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ACTIVITIES. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE SHEER VOLUME THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN TERMS OF THE 200,000 PEOPLE, APPROXIMATELY FOR THE 13 COUNTY REGION, UM, THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED, UH, REFLECTS A HISTORICAL TIME. SO THE RESOURCES THAT WE ARE GETTING, UM, ARE NOT ENOUGH, OBVIOUSLY, TO SUPPORT THE 200,000 PEOPLE THAT CURRENT EMPLOYED. AND, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MATCH PEOPLE TO JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT THERE, RIGHT? CORRECT. IT'S A, IT'S A COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU, DAVE. APPRECIATE IT. UM, THIS, AGAIN, THIS WORKFORCE TRAINING, IS IT A GOOD THING TO DO? ABSOLUTELY. BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO GIVE THE SHOT IN THE ARM AND PEOPLE HELP THAT NEED THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE HERE IN TOWN THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF LACK OF JOBS. BUT IF WE COULD GET OUR BUSINESSES BACK ON THEIR FEET AND REHIRE THOSE PEOPLE, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO AND GET RETRAINED FOR ANOTHER JOB. THEY WANT THEIR JOBS BACK. I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE, AND YES, THAT SENTIMENT IS OUT THERE. THEY JUST WANT TO GET BACK TO WORK AT THEIR JOBS THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO, UH, GET BACK TO. [06:25:01] SO, UM, UH, I'M JUST HAVING A REAL HARD TIME LOOKING AT THIS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND SKIRTING AROUND THE ACTUAL INTENT OF WHAT THIS CARES ACT MONEY WAS FOR. I, I APPLAUD THE CITY, UH, MANAGER AND STAFF FOR COMING UP WITH THESE ALTERNATIVES, BUT TO ME, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. UM, WE KEEP LOOKING AT WHAT DRIVES SAN ANTONIO. IT IS THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT'S OUR BACKBONE. I'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE AND GET THE HELP TO, TO GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET. UM, THAT'S ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION. UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WORK, TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I HAVE NO DETAILS. IS THAT JUST PROVIDING AN INTERNET SERVICE OUT THERE, OR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN HAVE COMPUTERS TO HOOK UP TO THAT. ARE WE PROVIDING COMPUTERS AND THE HARDWARE TO GO ALONG WITH THAT TO GET 'EM, GET 'EM CONNECTED? SO, SIR, THE INTENT FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO NOT SOLVE FOR THE ENTIRE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, SITUATION IN OUR CITY, BUT TO BE VERY FOCUSED ON STUDENTS WHO CAN CONNECT INTO THEIR, UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO WHAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF IN THIS IS THE DISTANCE LEARNING, UH, IS DIFFICULT FOR SOME STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO ACTUALLY FROM THEIR HOME, CONNECT TO THEIR SCHOOLS. OKAY? SO THAT IS VERY FOCUSED IN THIS SCOPE TO HELP IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, CONNECT THEM TO THEIR SCHOOLS. OKAY? AND AGAIN, TO MY POINT, THIS ISN'T GONNA GIVE US A SHOT IN THE ARM TO GET THE CITY BACK ON ITS FEET. THIS IS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, LONG-TERM TO UH, UH, PROVIDE THAT ACCESS. AND KIDS ARE GONNA BE GOING TO BACK TO SCHOOL AT THE, AT THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO, UM, I, I'VE GOT FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES WITH THAT. I AGREE WITH TOP AND MOVE THAT, YEAH, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, OVERALL HOUSING, UH, HOUSING SECURITY AND BEEFING THAT UP, AND PARTICULARLY BEEFING UP THE SMALL BUSINESS. NOW, I THANK YOU ABOUT MOVING $5 MILLION INTO THE SMALL BUSINESS AREA, UM, AGAIN, FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT OUT OUTTA THAT TOP LINE ITEM WHERE IT SHOULD BE COMING FROM. BUT, UH, STILL THIS IS NOT FOCUSED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE THESE TWO HEAVY LINE ITEMS TOTALING UP TO $94 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO GET THIS CITY BACK ON ITS FEET THE WAY THIS MONEY WAS INTENDED TO. THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT. I HOPE I'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR OUT THERE ON WHERE, WHAT MY OBJECTIONS TO THIS ARE. AND I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S BEYOND ME ON A LOT OF ISSUES HERE, BUT, UM, I'M JUST ONE PERSON ON THIS COUNCIL, AND I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS. AND I, I, I WANT TO GO BACK TO, UH, ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS CAME UP TODAY, UH, MIA LOAF, M LOAF, AND SHE CLOSED, OR SHE TALKED ABOUT MEET THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT. ARE WE MEETING THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT, OF THIS MOMENT WITH HOW WE'RE SHOWING THE FUNDS TO BE USED HERE? AND I SAY WE'RE NOT. AND THIS IS A ONE SHOT DEAL THAT WE'RE GONNA MISS OUT FROM THE FEDERAL FUNDS. AND I, I DOUBT THAT THIS IS A ONE-TIME LINE ITEM THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE ON OUR FUTURE GENERAL FUND AUTHORIZATIONS, THAT IT'S GONNA BE INCLUDED IN FUTURE BUDGETS AS WELL. IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME SHOT DEAL. SO THERE AGAIN, WE'RE DILUTING OUR CORE SERVICES TO PROVIDE AND PROMOTE SOMETHING ELSE THAN WHAT WE'RE ASKED TO DO IN THE CITY CHARTER. SO, WITH THAT, SIR, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THANK YOU. I JUST HAD A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND A ANOTHER COMMENT. UM, SO JUST ON, UH, SLIDE FOUR, UH, THE TOTAL OF THE 75 MILLION, 65 MILLION FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND THEN 10 MILLION FOR TEMPORARY CHILDCARE SUPPORT FOR WORKING FAMILIES, UH, AND THE WORKFORCE TRAINING SAYS, WITH A FOCUS ON HIGH DEMAND JOBS. UM, BUT ONE THING THAT WE KNOW THAT WE UNCOVERED DURING THIS PANDEMIC WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CHILDCARE WORKERS, UH, IN OUR STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT AND IN OUR POVERTY REPORT. IT CAME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THAT CHILDCARE, UH, [06:30:01] IS A PRIORITY FOR, UH, WOMEN IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND SO, AND IT DOESN'T GET HIGHLIGHTED ENOUGH. WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, UH, CHILDCARE AND TEACHERS, UM, BEING THE FOUNDATION AND THE BACKBONE OF THIS CITY AND OF EVERY CITY IN THE COUNTRY OF, OF THE ENTIRE, UM, COUNTRY, UH, REALLY CAN'T GET BACK TO WORK WITHOUT CHILDCARE. AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE IT HERE, BUT STILL NO EMPHASIS ON CHILDCARE BEING A HIGH DEMAND JOB. AND SO I WOULD ASK AS, AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF OUR COMMITTEES AND WE DEDICATE FUNDING, UM, TO, UH, AND STIPENDS IN PARTICULAR, CAN WE MAKE A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON OUR CHILDCARE WORKERS. UH, AND I THINK THAT MAY GO TO THE COUNCIL, UH, HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE THAT COUNCIL WOMEN SANDOVAL CHAIRS. UH, BUT WE'RE WORKING, UH, WITH THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEMS TO CREATE THE TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE MODEL. UM, THERE ARE MODELS ALREADY AVAILABLE TO TRAIN, UH, CHILDCARE WORKERS, UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY THEM WELL. AND SO, UM, I I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CHILDCARE WORKERS, UH, AS WE, UH, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO BACK TO WORK. UM, AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION, UH, ABOUT, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION MODEL AND THE 9.2 MILLION THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED THERE, UM, I DUNNO IF KENNY WILSON IS STILL HERE, BUT, UM, WE, UH, I GUESS THERE WAS A PILOT OF THE HOTELS. UH, WE KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE ENCAMPMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ARE WE, UH, WOULD THAT $9 MILLION BE TO, UH, START PUTTING THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, THOSE PEOPLE IN THE HOTELS OR IN WHATEVER SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE? THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY, MO PEOPLE FROM HOMELESS SHELTERS INTO A HOTEL AS A STEP TOWARDS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. WHAT THAT DOES THOUGH IS IT OPENS UP SPACES AND THE HOMELESS SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE STREET. I DO WANNA PUT THE CAVEAT OUT THERE THAT RIGHT NOW, FEDERAL HEALTH OFFICIALS DO NOT RECOMMEND REMOVING PEOPLE FROM LARGE ENCAMPMENTS. SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE DOING THAT. THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO CALL THE HOMELESS HOTLINE WHO NEED TO RECEIVE SHELTER, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM. AND AS BEDS OR, OR SPOTS BECOME AVAILABLE IN OUR LOCAL SHELTERS, WE'LL MOVE THEM IN FIRST UNTIL WE CAN GET THE ALL CLEAR ON THE REMOVAL OF ENCAMPMENTS. UH, OKAY. AND SO, UM, JUST TO, I GUESS, EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON THAT QUESTION. WE HAVE GOTTEN, UM, OR CONTINUE TO GET LOTS OF CALLS ABOUT, UM, TRESPASSING OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, UH, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. NOW, IS THAT STILL WILL, WILL THEY STILL BE REMOVED FROM THOSE PROPERTIES IF THEY'RE TRESPASSING? BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE PEOPLE CAN BE REMOVED BECAUSE THEY'RE HOMELESS, AND DO THEY NEED TO STAY THERE BECAUSE OF THE COVID? THE, THE FIRST PRIORITY IS IF THEY ARE BREAKING A LAW, THEN THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FIRST. BUT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN ENCAMPMENTS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE WILL NOT BE REMOVING THEM DURING THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YEAH, I JUST, I, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO TALK ABOUT, ABOUT THE ARTS AND, UH, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. UM, I WOULD ASK THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, WAYS, MAYBE SOME, SOME, SOME IDEAS THAT OF HOW TO DEPLOY SOME OF THE, THE SKILLS THAT ARTISTS HAVE TO, TO DO SOME OF THE, THE, THE BASIC SERVICES AND SOME, SOME THINGS THAT WE ALREADY, UH, DO AS A CITY AND NEED AND REQUIRE AS A CITY. UH, THERE MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO DEPLOY ARTISTS IN, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT SENSE. SO, UM, I'D, I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE MORE CREATIVE ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, HELPING TO SUPPORT ARTISTS IN THAT, IN THAT RESPECT, FINDING OUT WHAT IS IT THAT, THAT WE NEED AS A CITY, AND SEEING IF, IF THEY CAN BE, UH, BE HELPFUL. UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, ANOTHER KEY, UH, POINT TO MAKE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE REALLY, UH, GOTTEN, WE'VE REALLY DECIMATED OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE. AND, UM, IT, IT, WE NEED TO REBUILD THAT. UM, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT AND IT HELPS GUIDE, UH, WHAT THE CITY DOES, UH, FOR, FOR WHAT, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, [06:35:01] UH, AND SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW THAT DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN, UH, CUT, CUT BACK QUITE, QUITE DRAMATICALLY. UM, ALSO, IT, I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE, THE FUNDS OR THE BUDGET IN THE FISCAL YEAR 20, UH, 21 BUDGET PROCESS, UH, WOULD PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGES, UH, TO THIS PLAN. UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE, THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS OVER TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT, UH, AGAIN, IN, IN MY PRIORITY IS, IS IN HOUSING. AND WE TOOK MONEY FROM PROGRAMS LIKE UNDER ONE ROOF, UH, AND, AND FUNDED OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT, THAT DO SUPPORT HOUSING. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO, TO, UH, SHORE THAT BACK UP. AND, UM, I'LL LOOK FOR, I, I WILL, I WOULD LIKE FOR STAFF TO, TO HELP CREATE A STRATEGY THAT CAN HELP, UH, HELP, UH, UM, CREATE A, A, A FUNDING SOURCE TO REFUND, UH, PROGRAMS LIKE THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM. UM, SECONDLY, AND THEN LASTLY, I SHOULD SAY, UM, ERIC, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, YOU WOULD BE GOING, GOING, GETTING INTO A CONTRACT WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS. I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, BECAUSE WE, MY FIRST LINE OF QUESTIONS WAS ABOUT, UH, THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE AND, AND, AND GO THROUGH COMMITTEES, UH, REGARDING, UH, SOME OF THE, THE NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS. UM, ONCE YOU GET INTO THE CONTRACTS WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE ENTITIES, UH, ARE YOU, ARE YOU GETTING INTO CONTRACTS THAT, THAT, UH, COMMIT THE ENTIRE DOLLARS FOR, FOR THOSE PILLARS? WELL, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE ITEM. UH, COUNCILMAN, YES. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA CONTRACT WITH PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER, UM, MUCH OF THIS WORK. UH, PARTNERS LIKE THE LIFT FUND, UH, UH, A C D, ALAMO, WORKSOURCE, UH, SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS. BUT, UH, I, I THINK THOSE ARE THE DETAILS THAT WE WILL LAY OUT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND, AND HAVE THE COMMITTEES REVIEW BEFORE, CERTAINLY BEFORE I EXECUTE ANY CONTRACTS. UH, AND THAT WORK IS DONE, UM, THROUGH THE COMMITTEES. WELL, 'CAUSE I THINK TO THAT POINT, WHEN WE WANT TO CREATE SOME KIND OF PHASING THAT, THAT ALLOWS US THAT POSSIBILITY TO, TO, TO REALLY ADDRESS MY MAIN CONCERN, WHICH IS THAT IF WE FIND OUT TO THREE WEEKS FROM NOW, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SHIFT SOME DOLLARS TO DIFFERENT, YEAH, I, I I, I, I WOULD ENVISION THOSE CONTRACTS, UH, BEING, UH, STRUCTURED SO THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY EITHER OVER A MONTHLY OR BI-MONTHLY BASIS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST, UH, IN SMALLER INCREMENTS. YOU, THE, THE ITEM YOU, YOU, YOU, UH, THE COUNCIL APPROVED EARLIER WAS OUR MID-YEAR BUDGET. WE DO IT ONCE A YEAR. I THINK. I, I THINK THE AGREEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BE STRUCTURED SO THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, CLOSER TOUCH POINTS TO BE ABLE TO PIVOT. OKAY. GOOD. I, I THINK, I THINK THAT WE JUST, THAT NEEDS TO BE, I MADE CLEAR IF WE CAN SET IT UP SO THAT IT'S, IT'S LIKE THAT, THAT GIVES US, I THINK, MORE ASSURANCE THAT, THAT THERE IS FLEXIBILITY SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON A MORE, UH, FLEXIBLE PATH. I WANT TO, CAN I, CAN I, UH, ADDRESS ONE THING THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR COMMENTS, COUNCILMAN, AND I JUST MA WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR, IS THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH MARIE ANSWERED, THE, MARIE ANSWERED THE, THE QUESTION A LITTLE WHILE AGO ABOUT THAT GENERAL FUND, $94.6 MILLION BEING OVER THE COURSE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, THIS IS A, UH, THAT, THAT'S A CONSTANT BUDGET THAT WE'RE GONNA ROLL THROUGH NOW INTO 2021 AND THE 2021 BUDGET, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE, OF THE PRESENTATION. UM, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS BUILT UPON THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS INDEPENDENT OF THIS IN OUR 21 BUDGET, UH, TO INCLUDE POTENTIAL, UH, FURTHER REDUCTIONS. SO, UM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS PROGRAM AND THAT GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION IS SUBJECT TO THE 2021 BUDGET. MY ASSUMPTION AND THE PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCIL, IF THEY APPROVE TODAY, IS THAT THIS IS THE PROGRAM. NOW, IT MAY CHANGE BASED ON THE FLEXIBILITY QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE 2021 BUDGET. WE'RE GONNA NEED THE DEAL THAT, THAT ON OUR OWN BEGINNING ON JUNE 20, UH, JUNE 18TH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ERIC. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M SORRY. I, UM, I, I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE, [06:40:01] AND I JUST WANNA LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR, THEIR WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO, UM, YESTERDAY, UH, WE HAD, OR OR TUESDAY WE HAD A REQUEST FOR A MEETING. AND WITHIN 24 HOURS, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH SOME PEOPLE AND, UH, AND REALLY HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. AND SOME OF THEM, OUR D FOUR RESIDENTS, UM, AND ALSO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR D FOUR RESIDENTS. ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT WAS ON THE, UH, CALL WITH TOP YESTERDAY, UM, WAS DEBBIE HERNANDEZ, WHO WAS THERE TODAY AS WELL. UM, AND SO IN ADDITION TO, UH, MICHELLE TRUO ELA SANCHEZ, WHO, UH, WAS THERE AS WELL, UM, UM, ALSO, UM, VALEZ AND RICK TRUO, WHO YOU, UH, HEARD SPEAK TODAY. SO AGAIN, I, I, I WELCOME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE GROUPS. BUT ONE OF THE OTHER ONES THAT I FAILED TO MENTION WAS THE INTERFAITH COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK. AND SO, UM, THEY TOO REACHED OUT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SCHEDULE 'EM, AND, AND I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH THEM WITHIN THE 24 HOURS. AND SO THEY WERE, UH, OBVIOUSLY A, A GROUP OF, UM, INTERFAITH, UH, COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE, WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT AS WELL. I KNOW I HAD MENTIONED COPS METRO, UM, BUT IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S BEYOND THE, UH, COPS METRO AS WELL AS INVOLVEMENT. UM, AND THEN I WANNA JUST THANK FATHER BILL WHO WAS THERE. I SAW HIM PRAYING IN THE BACK EARLIER, UM, SISTER GABRIELA, WHO I, I'M SURE WAS ALSO PRAYING DURING THE MOMENT OF SILENCE. AND, UM, MY, OUR D FOUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR DIVINE PROVIDENCE, UH, HE'S REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT FOUR COMMUNITY ON BEHALF OF AN ENTIRE, UH, CHURCH THAT OR PARISH THAT NEEDS SUPPORT. AND THAT'S, UH, MR. JUAN, WHO I BELIEVE IS STILL THERE. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN AND ASK A FEW QUESTIONS AS COMES TO, UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT HOLDING OFF ON PORTIONS OF THE, UH, PLAN. AND IF WE CAN, IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE TO DO, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THAT. AND THEN ALSO, AS IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE RESTRUCTURING AROUND HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE ALLOCATING THIS MONEY AS IT GOES THROUGH THE COMMITTEES, IF WE KNOW THAT, UH, IF WE TAKE THE VOTE TODAY, HOW ARE WE GONNA PROPERLY FOLLOW HOW WE ARE REALLOCATING OR RE UM, REPOSITIONING THE FUNDS? SO THOSE ARE A FEW OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. WAS, WAS THERE A RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OR COUNCILWOMAN? UM, TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION, WHEN THE COMMITTEES MAKE THOSE CHANGES WITHIN THOSE PILLARS, UH, AS LONG AS IT'S WITHIN THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THOSE CHANGES AND IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM. SO, UH, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, EITHER INCREASES IN TOTAL OR DECREASES IN TOTAL TO THE PILLAR, THEN WE'LL BRING THOSE BACK TO THE COUNCIL. AS THE CITY MANAGER ALSO INDICATED, WE ARE GONNA BE PROVIDING MONTHLY UPDATES TO THE COUNCIL, SO THAT WAY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL IS INFORMED OF ANY, UH, ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO, TO THE PILLARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARIA. ALRIGHT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M, I'M LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION AND I, I, EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS, I ALWAYS HAVE THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S APRIL 22ND GUIDANCE LETTER IN FRONT OF ME, AND THEIR, UH, ANSWERS TO THE FAQS, UH, THAT ARE SUBMITTED BY CITIES LIKE OURS. AND SO, I'M JUST GONNA READ DIRECTLY FROM THEM WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, CHANGING ANY WORDS, QUOTE, NECESSARY EXPENDITURES INCLUDE EXPENDITURES INCURRED TO ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE EMERGENCY, SUCH AS ADDRESSING MEDICAL OR PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS, AS WELL AS EXPENDITURES NEEDED TO RESPOND TO SECOND ORDER EFFECTS OF THE EMERGENCY, SUCH AS PROVIDING ECONOMIC SUPPORT TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM EMPLOYMENT. INTERRUPTIONS, QUOTE, THIS INCLUDES A BROAD RANGE OF USES. QUOTE, GOVERNMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING DETERMINATIONS AS TO WHAT EXPENDITURES ARE NECESSARY, AND THEN THEY GIVE EXAMPLES, I'M, I'M JUST PICKING THEM. EXAMPLE, ONE, ONE EXPENSES TO FACILITATE DISTANCE LEARNING, INCLUDING TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, EXPENSES TO IMPROVE TELEWORK CAPABILITIES. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, [06:45:01] CREATION OF GRANT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PREVENT EVICTION AND ASSIST IN PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS. THE LAST EXAMPLE, AND THEN I'LL END HERE. RECIPIENTS MAY USE FUND PAYMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN OTHER WORDS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS. I THINK THESE FIVE PILLARS CAPTURE EVERYTHING THAT I'VE JUST SAID, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S GUIDANCE AND THE INTENDED USE OF THIS MONEY. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIAAS. ERIC, YOU WANTED A RESPONSE? Y YEAH, I JUST, I, I ACTUALLY, I, I HAD PUNCHED IN BECAUSE I WANTED TO, TO, TO SAY THE SAME THING COUNCILMAN S JUST DID AND JUST MAKE SURE, AND MAYBE IT, MAYBE IT'S HELPFUL IF THE CITY MANAGER'S TELLING YOU THIS AS WELL. UH, ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT, UH, ARE OUTLINED UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND, THE ELIGIBLE PAYROLL, THE CITY'S P AND SUPPLIES, THE WATCH EXPANDED SURE. PLAN. THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE HOUSING SECURITY, THE SMALL BUSINESS, AND THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE FUNDING IT WITH GENERAL FUND, OUR PROGRAMMING IS ALL ELIGIBLE UNDER THE CORONA RELIEF FUND. WE'RE FUNDING IT TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. WE'RE USING FEDERAL DOLLARS AND WE'RE USING GENERAL FUND DOLLARS BECAUSE OF THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE PAYROLL. AND I WANTED THE COUNCIL TO, TO, UH, BE ASSURED THAT EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING, UH, IF, UH, IF, IF, IF REQUIRED, UM, MEETS THE GUIDELINES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PUSHED OUT AS OF MAY 28TH, 2020 FROM THE US TREASURY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, ERIC. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL MAYOR, THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO CHIME IN AGAIN. UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME, UH, SOME POINTS. UM, SO I BELIEVE, UH, THERE'S $500,000 THAT ARE PROGRAMMED FOR DOOR-TO-DOOR OUTREACH, UM, AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES IN THE MOST UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS. AND IT'S NOT EXPLICITLY STATED IN THE DOCUMENT, BUT DR. BRIDGER TOLD US THIS LAST TIME THAT WE MET, IS THAT STAFF INTENDS TO CONNECT RESIDENTS TO HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER WRAPAROUND SERVICES. AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD START. UM, I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID OR FEDERAL INSURANCE SUBSIDY. AND I DON'T, UM, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SET ASIDE FOR THAT. SO I THINK THAT'S A LONGER CONVERSATION AND SOMETHING I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO TAKE UP IN, IN MY COMMITTEE, BECAUSE I DO THINK GETTING EVERYONE WHO NEEDS HEALTH INSURANCE ON IT COULD ALSO, UH, TRANSFORM THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THE H T T REPORT RE UH, MENTIONED THAT 15% OF HISPANIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDER 65 DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. AND AMONG THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THAT THAT WAS 30%. AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THE HIGHEST RATE OF FATALITIES OF C OVID 19. SO I WOULD CONSIDER THAT, UH, AS COUNCILMAN ELIA SAID, ONE OF THOSE INDIRECT, UH, IMPACTS OF C OVID 19 THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING. UM, I, UM, OKAY. I'LL ADMIT I'M, OH, I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE AND A HALF. THAT WAS FAST. UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE H T T, WAS THAT WAS EQUITY AND THAT LOW INCOME PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR SHOULD BE PART OF SHAPING THE RECOVERY DECISIONS, AND THAT WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTED ON ALL OF OUR C OVID 19 RESPONSE RELATED TASK FORCES AND COMMITTEES. SO I WILL DO, UH, WHAT I CAN TO, UH, TO ENGAGE ALL PEOPLE IN THE WORK OF, OF MY COMMITTEE, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, FROM STAFF HOW ELSE, UH, AND EXPLICITLY HOW ELSE ARE WE EMBEDDING EQUITY? I KNOW WE USE THE WORD A LOT, LIKE SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER. HOW ELSE ARE WE, UH, EMBEDDING EQUITY IN EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS AND PILLARS? THANK YOU. AND WHAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING TARGETED TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE SUFFERED MOST, UM, INEQUITIES. SO THE DOOR-TO-DOOR PROGRAMS, THE RESOURCE HUBS, WHERE THEY WILL BE LOCATED, THE, UM, DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS, WHERE THEY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, ALL OF THOSE ARE BEING DONE IN CONVERSATION AND CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE, IT'S REVERSED, BUT THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST EQUITY SCORE, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INEQUITY IN, IN THE CITY. SO THAT'S TRYING TO BE SENSITIVE TO TIME, BUT THAT'S THE HIGH LEVEL ANSWER FOR YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. AND I'LL WRAP UP, UM, JUST WITH SOME BRIEF COMMENTS. I, I WANT TO FIRST THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE [06:50:01] GARCIA FOR MENTIONING THE COVID ACTION WORKING GROUPS IN PARTICULAR, UM, GORDON HARTMAN'S ROLE IN COORDINATING THAT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT. THIS WHOLE EFFORT HAS BEEN ITERATIVE. AND THE FIRST STEP WE TOOK WAS REALLY IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY? WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND MATCH RESOURCES TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S, PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOODS WEREN'T DECIMATED. AND THAT'S WHERE THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN AND, AND OTHERS DID ON FOOD SECURITY WAS SO IMPORTANT. BUT THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, UH, WE'VE REALLY BEEN, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS AS THE FIRST STEP, UH, ONLY A BEGINNING OF A LONG PROCESS. AND SO I VIEWED THIS PROCESS AS MUCH LIKE A, A FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS. BASICALLY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FOUR MAJOR PILLARS OF OUR, UH, CORONAVIRUS RELIEF, COMMUNITY RELIEF AND RESILIENCE PLAN, UH, THAT GOES BEYOND SIMPLY THE HEALTH ASPECTS AND THE, AND THE HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC TO BE HOUSING SECURITY, MAKING SURE THAT NO ONE IN THIS COMMUNITY LOSE LOSES THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN IMPACTED BY C OVID 19. UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET BACK TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE POST COVID ECONOMY IS NOT GONNA LOOK LIKE IT DOES, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY. SOME JOBS ARE JUST NOT GONNA COME BACK VERY FAST, AND SOME JOBS ARE NOT GONNA COME BACK AT ALL. SO, UNLESS WE'RE WILLING TO LEAVE BEHIND PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS TO HAVE THE JOBS THAT ARE GONNA BE HERE POST COVID, WE NEED TO GET TO WORK ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHY IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE TREASURY GUIDELINES. UH, THE THIRD PILLAR, INTERNET, UH, ACCESS, UH, IT'S BEEN MADE PLAINLY CLEAR THAT INTERNET IS A UTILITY, NOT UNLIKE ELECTRICITY AND WATER. FAMILIES WHO ARE, WHO ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL, UM, PURCHASE FOOD, ENGAGE IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, IN THE ECONOMY, OR EVEN GO TO WORK IN MANY CASES. AND THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM. IT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM NOW. IT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. SO LET'S FINALLY ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. UM, AND SO, AND THEN THE LAST ONE, OF COURSE, AND I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY. THEY'RE CREATING JOBS. THEY CREATE THE VAST MAJORITY OF JOBS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND MANY OF THEM ARE HURTING. UH, SO WE PUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF DOLLARS IN THERE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN GET SMALL BUSINESSES BACK ON THEIR FEET. AND WE'RE PARTNERING WITH AN EXCELLENT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A SPECIALIZED IN THAT FOR YEARS. UH, SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS. IT'S THE WORK THOUGH, IS, IS ONLY JUST BEGUN. UH, THE COMMITTEES THAT WE'VE BROUGHT BACK, UH, I IMMEDIATELY ARE NOW ALIGNED TO ALL OF THESE PILLARS. SO COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY WILL BE ENGAGING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. A LOT OF THESE FUNDS, MOST OF THESE FUNDS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE SPENT ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY DECEMBER 31ST. SO TIME IS, OR, UH, TIME IS FLEETING. UH, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FLEXIBILITY AND PRIORITIES, UM, AND WE SAY THAT PANDEMIC HAS MOVED THE GROUND BENEATH OUR FEET, AND WE TALK ABOUT PIVOTS, UH, THIS IS THE TRUTH, FOLKS. OUR, THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD, ROUGHLY ANNUALLY IS ABOUT $2.4 BILLION. COUNCILMAN COURAGE TALKS ABOUT OUR ANNUAL BUDGET AS A MORAL DOCUMENT. WELL, NOW THIS IS WHERE WE PUT OUR MONEY, WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, UH, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE GOT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THIS COMMUNITY, THE SERVICES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE POST COVID ECONOMY RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S GOES BEYOND JUST THIS C O PLAN. IT GOES INTO F Y 21 AND THEN F Y 22, AND YEARS AND YEARS AFTER THAT. THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION FOR US TO CHANGE THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TRAJECTORY OF THIS CITY. AND IF ANYBODY WAS TUNED IN ON TUESDAY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO THIS IS THE FIRST STEP OF A PROCESS. UH, I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE COUNCIL. UH, OUR, OUR COUNTERPARTS AT THE COURT HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. UH, BUT THIS IS A, A, UH, GREAT GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE WITH A FEW CHANGES, MAYBE ON TIMELINES AND MAYBE, UH, ON, UH, TIMELINES FOR INPUT, WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THINGS. WE'RE ALL OPERATING FROM THE SAME VALUES. AND SO I'M, I'M EXCITED TO VOTE, UH, TO MAKE THIS AS I, I GUESS SOME OF YOU HAVE POINTED OUT A DOWN PAYMENT TO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, BUT THIS IS A HUGE MONUMENTAL LEAP FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STARTING TODAY. SO, UH, WITH THAT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM SEVEN. PLEASE VOTE YES. AYE. AYE. [06:55:01] UM, MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. ITEM EIGHT, AND IS ORDINANCE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET AND THE AMOUNT OF $42,012,182 FOR THE PRE-K FOR SA PROGRAM AS ADOPTED BY THE SAN ANTONIO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. UM, DO WE HAVE A DR UH, SARAH, ARE YOU DOING THE PRESENTATION? YEAH. OKAY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. AH, I THINK I'M GOOD. THAT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, I'M SARAH BRAS, C E O OF PRE-K FOR SA AND I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TO SHARE THE, UM, THE, UH, ADOPTED BUDGET FOR F Y 21, UM, BY THE PRE-K FAIR S A BOARD OF DIRECTORS. OH, COME UP. OKAY. UM, AND SO I'M GONNA START WITH SLIDE 12, THOUGH. I WAS GOING TO PRESENT A, UM, PROGRAM UPDATE, BUT GIVEN THAT IT'S A LONG DAY AND, UM, YOU'VE HEARD MY STORY BEFORE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE RIGHT INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS. BUT IF YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT PRE-K FOUR S A AND HOW FABULOUS OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND STAFF ARE, YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME. SO, WHEN THE BOARD BEGAN THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF THE, UM, F Y 21 BUDGET WE WERE TAKING INTO, WE HAD SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE SALES TAX REDUCTION, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT STILL STEP UP. OH, YOU'RE WALKING IN FRONT OF ME. THAT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT. NO, THAT'S OKAY. UM, THAT WE WILL BE, UM, WE WILL SEE A 6% REDUCTION IN F Y 20 FROM OUR ADOPTED BUDGET, AND THAT'S A LITTLE 2.2 MILLION. AND THEN AGAIN, FOR F Y 21, WE'RE ANTICIPATING $4.2 MILLION REDUCTION IN, UH, SALES TAX, SALES TAX REVENUE, WHICH IS OUR PRIMARY REVENUE SOURCE. WE ALSO, UM, CONSIDERED THAT THE EFFECTS OF COVID WILL CHANGE OUR PLAN FOR F Y 21, BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE, BASED ON WHAT YOU HEARD HERE TODAY AND YOU'VE BEEN ADDRESSING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, IS THAT MANY OF OUR FAMILIES ARE IN ECONOMIC CRISIS. AND THEY WILL. SO WE WILL HAVE MORE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS WHO ACTUALLY QUALIFY UNDER THE STATE GUIDELINES FOR FULL DAY FUNDING OR FULL DAY PRE-K. WE ALSO, UM, ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THERE MAY BE REDUCTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGH HB THREE, WHICH WAS FUNDING FULL DAY PRE-K PROGRAMS, AND THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RAMP UP TO FULL DAY PRE-K THIS COMING YEAR SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CUTS. UM, OUR BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A $900,000 SET ASIDE FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION ELECTION, WHICH WILL BE HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER. THAT'S A HIGH END ESTIMATE, BUT WE LEFT THAT IN THERE AT THE ADVICE OF THE, UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO, AS WE DEVELOPED THE BUDGET, PRIORITIZE OUR SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND TRY AS BEST AS WE COULD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL SERVED, UM, AND WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE REDUCTIONS. THOSE ARE COMING PRIMARILY THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND GRANTS. SO THIS IS THE EIGHT YEAR PROGRAM FINANCIAL MODEL, WHICH SHOWS YOU THE ACTUALS FROM F Y 14 THROUGH F Y 19 WITH THE PROJECTIONS FOR F Y 20 AND 21 PRIMARILY, WHAT THIS SHOWS YOU IS THAT THE BUSINESS MODEL FOR PRE-K FOURS A BUILT IN A FUND BALANCE, WHICH IN THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS WE USED DURING THE RAMP UP PHASE, AND WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING DOWN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SO IN THE CURRENT F Y 21 BUDGET, WE ANTICIPATE USING THE REMAINING $3.9 MILLION IN THAT FUND BALANCE SO THAT THERE IS A ZERO FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE EIGHTH YEAR, WHICH IS F Y 21. THE BOARD MET TO DISCUSS, UM, THE BUDGET IN A WORK SESSION ON APRIL 28TH, AND THEN ON MAY 19TH, THEY ADOPTED THE BUDGET AND THEN THEY, WE ARE BRINGING IT TO YOU. THIS IS A PRE-K FIRST, A BOARD ACTUALLY ADOPTS AND WE ASK FOR CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. SO, TO LOOK AT THE ADOPTED BUDGET, UM, WE HAVE, IN TERMS OF OUR REVENUE, WE ARE ANTICIPATING A LITTLE ABOUT 31 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE FROM SALES TAX. AGAIN, THAT'S OUR PRIMARY REVENUE SOURCE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. OUR STATE AND LOCAL MATCH, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT 4.3 MILLION, AND THAT'S THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN AT PRE-K FOUR S A ARE DUALLY ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND SO THE STATE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS PULL DOWN STATE FUNDING, AND WE ASK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT. WE ALSO RECEIVE, UM, REVENUE REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE U S D A FOOD PROGRAM, C A C F P FOR THE MEALS THAT WE SERVE. AND THEN WE HAVE SLIDING SCALE TUITION. A PORTION OF OUR CHILDREN EVERY YEAR ATTEND ON A SLIDING SCALE TUITION BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR STATE FUNDED PRE-K, UM, FREE OF CHARGE. AND THEN AS YOU CAN [07:00:01] SEE, WE ARE GOING TO ALLOCATE THAT 3.9 MILLION FROM OUR FUND BALANCE IN TERMS OF APPROPRIATIONS. UM, WHAT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU HERE WAS WHAT WAS APPROPRIATED IN FY 20 AND WHAT WE'RE APPROPRIATING IN FY 21. AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNCTIONS ARE MAKING, WE'RE MAKING SIGNIFICANT BUDGET REDUCTIONS IN ORDER TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. THE EXCEPTION IS WITHIN OUR PRE-K FOR SA CENTERS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE SERVE, UM, OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES MOST DIRECTLY. WE HAVE, UM, LIMITED THEIR BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND REALLY THE ONLY BUDGET REDUCTIONS THAT ARE COMING THERE ARE RELATED TO PART-TIME STAFF WHO WE WILL, UM, NOT NEED AS MANY POSITIONS FOR BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO REDUCE OUR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WILL GO DOWN, UM, BY ABOUT 39%. AND THEN ALSO WITH COMPETITIVE GRANTS, WE ARE REDUCING OUR GRANT AWARDS FOR THE COMING YEAR FROM 4.2 MILLION TO 2.7 MILLION, BUT STILL BEING ABLE TO AWARD TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. AND THAT OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND PROGRAM INNOVATION, WE ARE GOING TO HOLD, UH, VACANCIES AND WE ARE GOING TO PRIORITIZE THE MOST NEEDED SERVICES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO THAT WE CAN END UP WITH A BALANCE OF, UH, $42 MILLION IN APPROPRIATIONS. PERSONNEL COMPLIMENT IS GOING TO REMAIN THE SAME FOR F Y 21 AS IT WAS IN F Y 20, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT WE ARE HOLDING 20 POSITIONS VACANT. UM, IF, UH, THERE WE FIND THAT OUR PROJECTIONS ON REVENUE, UM, COME IN HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED, WE MAY FILL SOME OF THOSE, BUT THESE, WE HA WE ARE FILLING ONLY ESSENTIAL POSITIONS, WHICH WE TEACHERS AND ASSISTANT TEACHERS FOR THE CLASSROOM. AND THE REMAINING 20 WILL BE, UM, VACANT. AND AS I SAID, SOME OF THOSE ARE PART-TIME STAFF AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, UM, SPECIALISTS. SO WITH THAT, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE F Y 21 ANNUAL BUDGET AS RECOMMENDED AND ADOPTED BY THE PRE-K FOUR SS, A BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON MAY 19TH. THANK YOU. HI, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS, UM, TO SPEAK ON. THE ITEM FIRST IS, UM, ROSE HILL. MS. HILL, IF YOU'LL COME TO THE MICROPHONE. AND THEN AFTER, UH, MS. HILL WILL BE JACK FINGER. AND I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT RENEWING THIS PROGRAM. I KNOW HOW IT STARTED OUT. I'M, I'M VERY MUCH INVOLVED. I'VE BEEN VERY MUCH INVOLVED ALL MY LIFE WITH EDUCATION CHILDREN IN, IN THE CENTRAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND I THINK HOW THE PROGRAM STARTED OUT BY, BY ASKING THE TAXPAYERS BACK IN 2012 TO, TO, UH, TAKE ONE EIGHTH, UH, TAX INCREASE WAS GREAT IN HOW THEY HAD BEEN WORKING. BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, I'VE GOT A CONCERN THAT WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND, AND IN 2012, UH, EXCUSE ME, IN, IN, IN NOVEMBER, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR TAXPAYERS TO COME BACK WITH ANOTHER INCREASE IN THE SALES TAX. RIGHT NOW, OUR FAMILIES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME PAYING GAS, RENT, MORTGAGE, AND THEY'RE OWN THEIR TAXES AND IN THEIR TAXES RIGHT NOW, WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR A SCHOOL TAX, WHETHER THEY'RE SENIORS, FROZEN TAXES, WHATEVER, EVERYBODY'S PAYING FOR IT. BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND WE'RE GONNA DOUBLE DIP. AND WE'RE GONNA TELL OUR, WHEN YOU GO INTO THE BALLOT BOX IN NOVEMBER, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO INCREASE ANOTHER SALES TAX. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE TAXPAYERS RIGHT NOW. WE'RE HURTING REALLY BAD. PEOPLE ARE HURTING ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. WE HEARD IT HERE TODAY. IF THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER SOLUTION. THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER WAY WHERE THAT MONEY CAN COME FROM. UM, $31 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY. IT COULD FIX A LOT OF STREETS, COULD FIX A LOT OF BUSINESSES, CAN DO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM. I'M NOT KNOCKING THE THE PROGRAM DOWN, BUT WHAT I'M JUST SAYING IS RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE, I KEEP HEARING PEOPLE TODAY SAY, PRIORITIZE, LET'S PRIORITIZE THIS PROGRAM. IF IT DID NOT GET FUNDED AND DOES NOT GET FUNDED BY NOVEMBER, THOSE CHILDREN STILL CAN GO BACK TO OUR TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HERE WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE GOT GOOD, GOOD PROGRAMS IN S E I S D, IN THE NORTHEAST, EDGEWOOD HARLANDALE. WE GOT GOOD PRINCIPLES, WE GOT A GOOD, UH, HEADSTART PROGRAMS. SO IF, IF THAT HA HAPPENS TO THAT, IT DOES NOT PASS, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A FAILURE TO THE CHILDREN. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE A FAILURE TO THE CHILDREN. BUT I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM TOO, IS THAT BACK IN JUNE OF 2019, THE OUTRAGEOUS SALARIES THAT ARE BEING PAID TO THE DIRECTORS AND ALL THESE OTHER, IT'S OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW? HOW COULD WE HELP THOSE [07:05:01] FAMILIES? WE COULD PUT A LOT OF FOOD ON THE TABLES, PAY A LOT OF ME, AND GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK AGAIN. THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES NEED THE MONEY RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE HURTING. AND IF WE DON'T HELP THEM, THEN OUR ECONOMY IS GONNA BE, IS GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE FOR NOTHING. SO I I'M WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AND OUR CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE BECAUSE EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT. BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE FAMILIES ARE REALLY HURTING. AND THIS PROGRAM, PRE-K PROGRAM, IF IT WAS, IF IT DOES NOT PASS, IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR. IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. FIRST OF ALL, NOT TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. THIS BUDGET THAT I SAW TODAY, WHICH I COULD BARELY UNDERSTAND, WAS THE BACKGROUND IN BLUE COULD NEVER, CANNOT UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT WHEN THEY GO INTO THAT BALLOT BOX, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW EVERY LINE ITEM THAT'S ON THAT BUDGET AS TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. YOU SHOULD NOT PUT THE BLIND FOLDERS ON AND TELL US TO GO INTO A BALLOT BOX AND VOTE FOR SOMETHING WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. THANK YOU, MS. HILL. AND THAT'S JUST, I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS JUST A, UH, IS A TEMPORARY, UH, ESTIMATED BUDGET. IT'S A, WE WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE, BUT WE SHOULD REALLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND NOT VOTE ON IT. HAVE A CONTINUANCE, GET MORE COMMUNITY INPUT. WE NEED MORE COMMUNITY INPUT. THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS. THANK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND WE NEED ANSWERS. THANK YOU, MR. JINGER. WELL, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, PRE-K FOUR SA, THE PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN CRITICIZED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST FOR THE DUBIOUS, UM, GLORIFIED, UH, DAYCARE PROGRAM THAT IT IS, IS FOR FOR OUR CHILDREN. WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO, UH, SEE THAT EVEN NOW, EVEN WITH THE, IN OUR LEAN TIMES, IT IS NOW OFFERING A BUDGET THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SUPPOSEDLY APPROVE THAT IS EXTREMELY EXORBITANT. YES. EVEN FOR, FOR, FOR ALL OF US THERE, MR. AUDIO TO START PUTTING, UH, THE, THE, YEAH, THAT FIRST ONE UP THERE, YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE THE BUDGET FOR IT. THE, THE CIRCLED AREA THERE SAYS, UH, $42 MILLION AND CHANGE THERE. THAT'S FOR THE PRE-K FOR SA PROGRAM. SCROLL DOWN IF YOU WOULD, MR. ED, YOU SEE THAT LITTLE UNDERLINED AREAS SHOWING HOW MANY STUDENTS IT'S GOING TO SERVE. 2000 STUDENTS INTO, WELL, 2000 STUDENTS INTO $42 MILLION. WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT IS. GO TO THE NEXT ONE, MR. . WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE HERE? START AT THE TOP OF THAT, THAT PAGE THERE, IF YOU WOULD. THE BOTTOM LINE, THE EXPENSE FOR STUDENT HERE. WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA COMPARE SOMETHING HERE AS SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. WHAT IS ITS EXPENSE? WHAT IS ITS SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS? 8,317 FOR SAY, A TYPICAL SAN ANTONIO SCHOOL DISTRICT. PRE-K FOR SA. $21,006 PER STUDENT. THAT'S WHAT, UH, 2000 ENDED. THAT 42 MILLION IS, UNLESS I'M WAY OFF FROM MY CALCULATIONS, THAT'S ABOUT 250% MORE FOR PRE-K S A OVER YOUR AVERAGE, UH, SAN ANTONIO SCHOOL STUDENT AND IN, IN REGULAR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU. NOW, $21,000 PER STUDENT. HUH? THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABOUT TO APPROVE THIS AFTERNOON. NOW WHY DON'T, HERE'S A SUGGESTION. WHY DON'T YOU JUST STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND JUST SIMPLY HAVE PEOPLE GIVE, TELL PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEND THEIR LITTLE PRE, PRE, PRE-K PRE-KINDERGARTEN CHILD TO ANY SCHOOL. THEY WANT TO PRIVATE, PUBLIC, WHATEVER AT THE, AT ANY EXPENSE. AND THEN, AND UNLESS IT'S LESS THAN $21,000, WE SAVED MONEY. WE SAVED MONEY ON IT. HUH? WOULDN'T THAT BE MAKE BETTER SENSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL DISCUSSION. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I THANK YOU, UH, DR. BERE FOR COMING UP HERE AND [07:10:01] PRESENTING AND THE WORK OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH PRE-K FOR SA, UH, JOE, WHO'S PART OF MY, WHO'S THE SELECTION FOR DISTRICT THREE. I KNOW THAT IT JUST, LIKE HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, YOU ALL ARE GOING THROUGH SOME TIGHT BUDGETING CHANGES. AND I WANNA THANK YOUR TEAM TOO, WHO'S, WHO'S BEEN, UM, OUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY HELPING IN ALL OF THESE FOOD DRIVES AS WELL. AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF, UM, STRUGGLES COMING UP WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SALES TAX. 'CAUSE THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS NOW ARE MOVING FORWARD. ARE THERE ANY, HOW ARE Y'ALL GONNA CHECK MAYBE THE THRESHOLDS OR IS THE STATE WITH THE DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT THE STATE IS ALSO GIVING PRE-K FOR SA? ARE THERE THRESHOLDS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO MEET IN A TIMELINE? OR HAVE Y'ALL BEEN GIVEN LENIENCY ON SOME OF THESE THRESHOLDS THAT YOU HAVE TO MEET BECAUSE OF THE SALES TAX? UM, STATE, THE STATE OF THE SALES TAX, WE ACTUALLY DON'T RECEIVE GRANTS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE ARE, UM, EXPLORING SOME POTENTIAL GRANTS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF OUR VENDORS LIKE STAR SHUTTLE MM-HMM. THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, ACTUAL GRANTS FROM THE STATE, WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING A DECLINE. AND, AND IF, IF, UM, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE STATE AND LOCAL MATCH YES. FOR THE COMING YEAR, THAT WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE CHANGE MAY COME THOUGH IN THE HB THREE FUNDING MM-HMM. . AND SO THAT'S WHY WE SAY, UM, OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO EXPAND, TO SERVE MORE CHILDREN THAT WERE ABOVE THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD IN THE COMING YEAR. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE DISTRICTS AREN'T GONNA HAVE THE MONEY NECESSARILY TO EXPAND A FULL DAY TO SERVE THE ELIG ELIGIBLE CHILDREN. AND OUR COMMITMENT IS ALWAYS FIRST TO SERVE THE CHILDREN THAT ACTUALLY QUALIFY UNDER THE STATE LOW INCOME GUIDELINES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE, UM, ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MOVING FORWARD IN NOVEMBER TO GO TO THE POLLS. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US OUR LITTLE SPIRAL NOTEBOOKS FOR THE GRACIAS. YES. UM, THE SEVENTH ANNUAL GRA PRE-K FOR ESSAYS, CHILDREN'S ART EXHIBITION, AND THE CHILDREN GET TO VOTE ON WHO THIS MONEY WILL GO TO. CORRECT? YES. AND I WANTED TO, UM, ACTUALLY REMIND YOU ALL OF THAT. THERE'S JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT FOR THE ART AUCTION THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS. IT ENDS ON SUNDAY, AND THE CHILDREN HAVE SELECTED ST. PJ'S CHILDREN'S HOME TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF THE ART. AND THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT PIECES TO BID ON THAT YOU COULD PUT ON YOUR WALLS RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU ON THE SCREENS. MM-HMM. , UH, AND THEY'RE REALLY GREAT. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. THANK YOU. AND I LOVE, I GET MOST OF MY ARTWORK FROM THIS. ME TOO. AND SO I THINK, UH, I WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL MY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE WATCHING TO PLEASE GO ONLINE AND CHECK IT OUT. JUST DO NOT BID ON AWA ELU SAYS YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BID ON THAT ONE. . SO, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I, MOTION TO APPROVE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GROTON. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I HAVE ONE CONCERN, AND THAT IS ON YOUR ESTIMATE FOR REVENUE. I, I SEE THAT YOU'RE ONLY, UH, SAYING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR, LOSING $3 MILLION IN SALES TAX. AND HAS OUR STAFF LOOKED AT THAT ESTIMATE AND, AND VERIFIED THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN FOR YOU FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR? YES. THESE ARE BASED ON OUR BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATES. AND KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR FISCAL YEAR ENDS JUNE 30. SO THE LOSSES, WE ACTUALLY BEFORE MARCH ONE, WE'RE COMING IN ABOVE. SO THE LOSSES FOR F Y 20 ARE FROM MARCH ONE THROUGH, UM, THE END OF JUNE. SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE CITY'S BUDGET. I SEE. AND, UH, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE AT 31 MILLION NEXT YEAR? CORRECT. OKAY. WELL, THAT CLARIFIES THAT. YEAH. I, I TAUGHT IN THIS CITY FOR 27 YEARS, AND I COMMEND THE WORK THAT PRE-K FOUR SA IS DOING. WE HAVE PROVEN THAT WE ARE HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF STUDENTS WHO AREN'T RECEIVING PRE-K TRAINING. AND WE KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE STRUGGLING TO INTRODUCE THAT EVEN THOUGH MONEY WAS FUNDED, UH, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY FUNDED, AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL THE STUDENTS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO FILL A VERY IMPORTANT GAP. I THINK IT'S COMMENDABLE HOW WE HAVE INVESTED SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN HELPING OTHER SCHOOLS TEACH THEIR TEACHERS, AND IN EFFECT, HAVE REALLY HELPED THOUSANDS OF OTHER STUDENTS RECEIVE A LOT OF THE SAME KIND OF EDUCATION THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING AT OUR SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD THAT THE AVERAGE COST FOR SS A I S D IS $8,000 A STUDENT. WELL, I DID SOME CHECKING, AND I THINK IN 2019 THEY HAD $618 MILLION BUDGET AND 44,000 DO, UH, STUDENTS. SO IT'S A LOT MORE LIKE $13,000, ABOUT 50% MORE THAN WE JUST HEARD FROM SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T DO THEIR HOMEWORK. SO I COMMEND YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I WILL BE [07:15:01] SUPPORTING THE CONTINUATION OF THIS PROGRAM. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH, THAT THIS MONEY IS NOT NEW MONEY, SO TO SPEAK. THE LAW AND THE ORDINANCE ENABLING THIS SCHOOL IS STILL IN PLACE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN PLACE. SO WE'RE NOT TAKING MONEY, UH, THAT COULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S DEDICATED FOR THE NEXT YEAR AT LEAST. AND SO I THINK WE'RE CONTINUING TO PUT IT TO GOOD USE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. BERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, DR. BERE, THANK YOU FOR SPENDING THE DAY WITH US. IT'S BEEN LOVELY HAVING YOU. IT'S BEEN A GREAT DAY. THANKS. UM, UH, I, UH, JUST LIKE US, YOU'RE ALSO SUFFERING THROUGH SOME, UH, STRAINS, UH, FINANCIALLY. SO I WANNA THANK YOU AND THE BOARD FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. I DID NOTICE ONE, UH, WITH A NUMBER OF REDUCTIONS, BUT ONE OF THEM HAD TO DO AND HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR TRANSPORTATION, I BELIEVE. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE STUDENTS? THANK YOU. WELL, PART OF THE CHALLENGE WITH TRANSPORTATION IS THAT SOME OF OUR FAMILIES ARE NOT GONNA BE COMFORTABLE PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN ON BUSES BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER PLACE OF EXPOSURE. UM, BUT WE ARE RIGHT NOW WORKING WITH OUR FAMILIES AS WE DO EVERY SUMMER TO SAY, HOW MANY OF YOU NEED TRANSPORTATION? WHERE WOULD IT BE MOST CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO GET PICKED UP? AND IT MIGHT BE THAT WE COMBINE SOME BUS ROUTES RATHER THAN HAVE INDIVIDUAL ROUTES AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT, BUT ANTICIPATING THAT WE WON'T HAVE AS MANY BUS ROUTES AS WE'VE HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS. AND ALSO, WE DON'T THINK THAT THE DEMAND IS GONNA BE THERE QUITE AS MUCH BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN FAMILIES HAVE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE MORE PLACE OF EXPOSURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. DOES THAT MEAN THERE ARE GOING TO BE BUS DRIVERS WHO MAY LOSE THEIR JOBS? WELL, THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE CHALLENGES IS THAT FOR STAR SHUTTLE, WHEN WE SHUT DOWN IN MARCH, OBVIOUSLY THE TRANSPORTATION STOPPED. AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAY WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT STAR SHUTTLE TO EXPLORE POSSIBILITIES IF THERE'S SOME FEDERAL FUNDING THAT HELPS THEM TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THESE LOSSES. AND SO FAR WE HAVE NOT MADE A LOT OF TRACTION ON THAT, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SEE IF WE CAN, CAN'T HELP IN THAT REGARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER, PERIOD. THANK YOU, SIR. DR. BRAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GONE ROUND AND ROUND ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THAT KIND OF THING AND WHAT THEY MEAN AND, UH, SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT QUALITY EDUCATION BEING, UH, DIRECT RESULTS OF THE GRANTS. AND, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION ON THE GRANTS WERE, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WITH THE MONEY. AND I SUSPECT THAT THERE'S STILL SOME OF THAT GOING ON IN THE, IN THE, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO I, I'M, I'M REALLY SUSPECT OF A LOT OF, UH, THE CLAIMS THAT ARE MADE ON WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA DO AND DO FOR THE FUTURE OF, UH, THESE CHILDREN. AND, AND AGAIN, IT IS ONLY 2000 KIDS, UM, THAT ARE, WHAT IS A, A POOL THAT'S ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR, THIS IS LIKE 40,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE HAVE 25,004 YEAR OLDS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OVER A YEAR. AND ABOUT 60% OF THEM ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE, UH, PRE-K. BUT THEN WE ALSO, ACTUALLY ANY CHILD IN SAN ANTONIO WAS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR PRE-K FOR SE. 'CAUSE THERE'S, WE HAVE A SLIDING SCALE TUITION. UM, AND THE 2000 CHILDREN ARE JUST THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE IN OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THEY THINK OF PRE-K FOR S A. BUT, UM, ALL SAID, WE, UM, SERVE AN ADDITIONAL 3000 CHILDREN THROUGH OUR GRANTS, AND THEN EVEN MORE CHILDREN THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING BECAUSE THEY BENEFIT FROM THEIR TEACHERS HAVING GREATER EXPERTISE AND SKILL. AND WE ALSO HAVE SUPPORT TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, WHICH IS REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE THEN THAT HELPS, UM, FAMILIES GET BACK TO WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE WELL CARED FOR WHILE THEY ARE, UM, OUT IN THE WORKFORCE. OKAY. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND SOME OF THE, UM, THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE, UH, BENEFITS ARE, AND THE ADVANCEMENTS BEING MADE BY THOSE CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM, BUT ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANTS AND THAT KIND OF THING. UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LIKE HOW MUCH THESE KIDS ARE GONNA MAKE MORE PER YEAR IN THEIR SALARY WHEN THEY'RE ON THE WORKFORCE. UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S SOME, I'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH A LOT OF THAT, THOSE, UH, PROJECTIONS ON WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS DOING FOR, FOR US IN OUR CITY AND FOR THE KIDS IN THAT, IN THAT SYSTEM. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I STILL GOT A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THIS AND, UM, I'M, I'M STILL STRUGGLING ON TRYING TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM, BUT UNDERST UH, UM, KEEP WORKING ON ME. , THANKS. WELL, I'LL, AND ALRIGHT, I'LL SHARE YOU SOME OF THE ECONOMISTS. I MEAN, THE STRONGEST SUPPORT FOR EARLY LEARNING ACTUALLY COMES OUTTA THE ECONOMICS FIELD. AND THERE'S ABOUT 50 YEARS OF RESEARCH THAT DEMONSTRATES THERE WERE ACTUAL REAL INVESTMENTS. UM, I THINK I SHARED WITH YOU WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME, UM, WE HAD A RETURN ON INVESTMENT STUDY [07:20:01] CONDUCTED BY THE PREMIER R O I, UM, RESEARCHERS IN THE COUNTRY WHO, UM, INDICATED THAT PRE-K FOUR S A, JUST THROUGH OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, HAVE RETURNED $8 MILLION MORE THAN WE SPENT TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY IN REAL MEASURABLE, UM, BENEFITS, UM, OVER THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS. AND SO, IT'S NOT JUST ME THAT SAYS THIS. I MEAN, WE ACTUALLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE GREAT PARTS ABOUT PRE-K FOUR SS A IS THE ORIGINAL DESIGN HAS INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY EVALUATORS WHO LOOK AT WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. AND, UM, ALL OF THOSE RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT PRE-K FOUR S A IS A HUGE SUCCESS AND IS RETURNING BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AND IS ONE OF THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DEVELOP THE WORKFORCE, NOT JUST IN THE FUTURE, BUT TODAY. SO I WILL GLADLY CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, AND JUST, AND WHO CONDUCTED THAT RESEARCH? IT WAS OUT OF, UM, TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA, AND, UM, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND RESEARCHERS AT WESTAD. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A, AT, UM, TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA, THERE'S ACTUALLY A CENTER FOR RETURN ON INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATIONS. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO, IS THEY LOOK AT HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO INVESTING IN EDUCATION? 'CAUSE AS TO YOUR POINT, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO THINK ABOUT LONG TERM. WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHILD IS FOUR, HOW DO YOU MEASURE WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE WHEN THEY'RE 20 OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT THEY HAVE DONE THAT, UM, AND ECO AND THEY'RE ALL ECONOMISTS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY DO IS PUT THESE MODELS TOGETHER. AND, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY, WE ASKED THEM TO TAKE A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH. WE SAID, UM, THESE ARE ONLY INCLUDE THE RESULTS THAT YOU ARE 100% SURE OF. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DID. AND EVEN THEN CAME UP WITH VERY IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS. WAS THIS ONE OF THE STUDIES DONE BY U T S A OR NO, THIS IS ONE THAT, UM, WAS DONE AS I SAID BY, UM, UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA THAT WE PRESENTED. I THINK I'M, I'M LOSING TRACK OF TIME, BUT I THINK WHEN I WAS HERE IN MARCH, I SHARED THAT WITH YOU. BUT I'M HAPPY TO, UM, SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AGAIN. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, AGAIN, I GOT CONCERNS AND, UH, AT THIS POINT I'M, I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS. OKAY. BUT, UM, LET'S KEEP TALKING. OKAY, GREAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF, UM, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. I FULLY SUPPORTIVE. DR. BERE, PLEASE VOTE. AYE. YES. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. Y'ALL KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK TOO. OKAY. UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS, UH, TO GET THROUGH AND I THINK THEY'LL BE QUICK. I THINK I NO CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ANY, SO WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 22, UH, FOR, UH, SOME THINGS TO BE WRITTEN TO THE RECORD. ITEM NUMBER 22 IS AN ORDINANCE ON BEHALF OF SASS AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION THROUGH NEGOTIATION AND CONDEMNATION FOR PROJECT PURPOSES FOR PRIVATELY OWNED REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN COUNTY BLOCK 4 0 0 6, AND DECLARING THE PROJECT TO BE A PUBLIC USE PROJECT AND A PUBLIC NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION TO CONSTRUCT A WATER TREATMENT FACILITY. WETLANDS RELATED TO MITCHELL LAKE WETLANDS WATER QUALITY TREATMENT PROJECT LOCATED SOUTH OF MITCHELL LAKE AND EAST OF PLEASANTON ROAD AND COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK I'M GOING TO CONTINUE THIS. I'M JUST KIDDING GUYS. I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN BACK THERE ALL DAY. NO, MA UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND CITY STAFF AND SAS. SORRY DONOVAN. UH, AND RAZZIE, APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH US AND, UM, MAKING SURE, HAVING THOSE ASSURANCES THAT WE NEED WHEN IT COMES TO BEING BOTH IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR, UH, FEDERAL, UM, REGULATIONS AND THE FEDERAL COMPLIANCE THAT WE NEED TO GO INTO, BUT ALSO AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT, UH, SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO WITH OUR EAST WEST CORRIDOR. SO WITH THAT, I MOVE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF POWER OF EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE PRIVATELY OWNED REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC USE PROJECT FOR THE MITCHELL LAKE WETLANDS TREATMENT PROJECT BY ACQUIRING THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY DESCRIBED BY THE CITY CLERK AND INCORPORATED AS A PART OF THIS MOTION. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL. I'VE ITEM NUMBER 22, LET ME READ A PORTION. MAYOR, THE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY FOR A FEE SIMPLE INTEREST LOCATED IN SAN ANTONIO, BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE IS OUT OF THE FOLLOWING, APPROXIMATELY 2 3 4 0.07 ACRES IN CB 4 6 0 6 LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE CITY, SOUTH OF MITCHELL LAKE EAST OF PLEASANTON ROAD, AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 2 81. THIS PROPERTY IS DEPICTED IN THE OVERALL, OVERALL PROJECT DRAWING MAPS IN EXHIBITS A ONE AND A TWO OF THE ORDINANCE ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS PART OF THIS MOTION. UM, OKAY, NOW WE CAN VOTE. YES. AYE, [07:25:03] MOTION CARRIES. UM, AND I WAS GONNA MENTION SOMETHING. I'M SORRY TO YOU GUYS SITTING IN BACK THERE. REALLY, IF I KNEW IT WAS GONNA TAKE THIS LONG, I WOULD'VE TAKEN YOU FIRST, BUT I I'M SURE YOU ENJOYED THE DAY AS MUCH AS WE DID. UH, ERIC, YOU WANTED TO ROLL A VIDEO? YEAH, JUST, JUST REAL QUICK, MAYOR I, IT, AND KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, I WANTED TO PROPOSE A QUICK PIVOT AND SO THANK YOU. MY CITY MANAGER'S REPORT THAT I'LL BE DOING SHORTLY, I WANTED TO MOVE UP BECAUSE IT, IT ACTUALLY IS AN EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO ON PRE-K FOR SA AND THE GREAT STAFF AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, THEIR LAST WEEK OF WORK SCHOOLS OUT THIS WEEK. BUT I WANTED TO THANK SARAH AND THE TEAM BECAUSE WE HAD A BUNCH OF A, A BUNCH OF EMPLOYEES AND DEPARTMENTS THAT PIVOTED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND, UH, PRE-K FOR SA LED THE PACK. THEY DISTRIBUTED 7,000 BOXES OF FOOD. UM, 362 TOTAL STAFF SUPPORTED THE FOOD BANK, UH, AND OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. UH, TEACHERS HAD TO ADAPT AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE QUICK VIDEO, UH, TO PROVIDING DISTANCE LEARNING. UM, AND THEY REALLY DID A GREAT JOB AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF 'EM. AND I WANTED TO RUN THE VIDEO WHILE SARAH'S STILL HERE BECAUSE I THINK YOU'LL BE PROUD OF THEM AS WELL. LET'S RUN IT. HELLO BOYS AND GIRLS. I HOPE YOU HAD AN ENJOYABLE WEEKEND. IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE USED TO. UM, WE'RE USED TO COMING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY, SEEING OUR KIDS EVERY DAY, INTERACTING WITH FAMILY EVERY DAY. WE'VE HAD TO ADJUST AND LEARN HOW TO WORK ONLINE AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY RECREATE OR CREATE HERE IN THE CLASSROOM. WE'VE HAD TO GET CREATIVE ABOUT MAKING VIDEOS AND READ ALOUDS FOR THE KIDS TO HELP MAINTAIN THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED. IT WAS JUST REALLY A LOT OF THINGS TO TRY TO KEEP A LITTLE BIT OF NORMALCY, BUT KNOWING THAT THEY WERE OUT OF SCHOOL BUT THEY WERE STILL HAVING TO DO AND INTERACT WITH SCHOOL. THE INTERNET BECAME OUR BEST FRIEND. THE WORKLOAD WAS A LOT HEAVIER AND IT WAS A VERY HARD IN THE BEGINNING TO GET ON A ROUTINE, BUT AFTER SEEING MY KIDS AND SEEING WHAT I WAS DOING FOR THEM THAT WAS REALLY WORKING, THE ROUTINE JUST CAME NATURALLY TO ME AND IT GOT A LOT EASIER OVER TIME. WE HAVE THE BEST FAMILIES. THEY'VE ALL PARTICIPATED WITH US IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S A MESSAGE, A PICTURE, A VIDEO, THEY'VE ALL BEEN ON TOP OF IT. WE GET TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY, UM, WITH THE FOOD BANK AND, YOU KNOW, IT FELT AMAZING. IT WAS VERY REWARDING TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF MEETING THESE NEEDS FOR THE FAMILIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS A SENSE OF FEELING HELPLESS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT YOU WANT TO BE DOING SOME MORE THAT YOU WANNA BE DOING. BUT ULTIMATELY WE WERE DOING WHAT WE COULD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. WE SAW A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT CAME THROUGH AND JUST NEEDED FOOD AND THEY REALLY JUST NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY HADN'T SEEN ANYBODY FOR SO LONG. AND SO SEEING US FOR THAT BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME REALLY HELPED THEM, YOU KNOW, COPE WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND ALSO WE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE OUR STUDENTS AND HELPING OUT THIS COMMUNITY IS WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO. LIKE THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MADE SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THESE FAMILIES' LIVES WE'RE FROM, WE'RE HELPING FROM AFAR, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THEM AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM. YEAH. GREAT. GREAT JOB SARAH AND TEAM. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANKS MAYOR. THANKS ERIC. OKAY, UH, WE WILL GO NOW TO ITEM 31, UH, FOR RECUSAL. ITEM 31 IS THE ORDINANCE IMPROVING A ONE YEAR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS A AND M, SAN ANTONIO, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD AND TRINITY UNIVERSITY THAT GRANTS 300,000 IN PUBLIC FUNDS AND GOVERNMENTAL PEG ACCESS CHANNEL FUNDS AND ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS UNDER WHICH THESE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MAY PURCHASE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT USED TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE ORIGINAL TELEVISION, TELEVISION PROGRAMMING FOR POSSIBLE USE ON THE CITY'S T V S A EDUCATION CHANNEL. OKAY. UM, THIS ITEM WAS, UH, PULLED FOR RECUSAL BY D FOUR. UM, DO WE HAVE, UH, I'LL MOVE THE APPROVAL. OKAY, GREAT. THAT THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 31. AYE, AYE. [07:30:03] YES, IT'S ON MY SCREEN. YEAH, PLEASE VOTE. YEAH. YES. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO OUR ZONING ITEMS. WE HAVE ITEMS Z ONE, Z FOUR, P ONE, Z 14, P THREE, AND Z 16. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M GONNA ASK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, UH, TO TAKE THE CHAIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE'LL START WITH, UM, WITH ITEM Z ONE. YES. ITEM Z ONE. IS THIS ON GUYS? THANK YOU. ITEM Z ONE R FOUR GOING FROM REZONING FROM R FORD R FOUR CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR A BARBER BEAUTY SHOP LOCATED AT 8 27 NANDO STREET. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH AN ADDITIONAL CONDITION FOR PARKING OFF NANDO STREET ONLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE APPLICANT HAS AGREED TO, UH, HOURS OF OPERATION FROM 8:00 AM TO 7:00 PM 25 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR. ONE OPPOSED LOS ANGELES HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT, UH, WITH THE CONDITIONS. YES MA'AM. THAT'S IT. OKAY. UM, NO, THERE'S BEING NO COUNCIL COMMENT AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. UM, COUNCILMAN, OH, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T KNOW YOUR NAME. I'M SORRY. UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THE APPLICANT WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO IDENTIFY TWO KEY CONCERNS, STREET CONGESTION FROM PARK CARS AND EXCESSIVE NOISE LATE AT NIGHT. THE APPLICANT AGREED TO A CONDITIONAL USE DESIGNATION, WHICH ALLOWS CERTAIN PROVISIONS TO BE ENFORCED ON THE SPECIFIC USE BEING ALLOWED. I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION OF THE LOS ANGELES HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE APPLICANT ON THIS CASE. I MOTION TO APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS AS MENTIONED BY STAFF. OKAY. ALL THOSE, UM, IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR ACTUALLY, UM, I GUESS WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. I'LL, I'LL GIVE TINA A MINUTE. AYE YES, JUST A MOMENT. I'M SORRY. TINA'S PULLING UP THE VOTING SYSTEM. OKAY. PLEASE VOTE YES. AYE AYE. AYE. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM Z FOUR Z FOUR REZONING FROM R FOUR TO MF 33 LOCATED AT 1 0 0 4 HAMPTON STREET. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL WITH AN ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATION OF MF 18 ZONING. COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 29. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED COUNCILWOMAN UNDER SULLIVAN I MOTION TO APPROVE UH, CONDITION OF MF 18. OKAY, GO AHEAD, TINA WILL PULL UP THE VOTING SYSTEM. OKAY. GO AHEAD AND VOTE YES. AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES ONTO ITEM P ONE AND Z 14 P ONE Z 14 AND AMENDING THE NEAR NORTHWEST COMMUNITY PLAN FROM NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL LOCATED AT 1901 FREDERICKSBURG ROAD FROM C TWO N A TO C TWO LOCATED AT 1901 FREDERICKSBURG ROAD. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 27 NOTICES MAILED FOR IN FAVOR TO OPPOSE. JEFFERSON WOODLAWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU MELISSA FOR THE PRESENTATION. MY OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH MRS. RIOS ON THIS ZONING CASE SINCE LAST YEAR. IN THAT TIME, SHE HAS SURVIVED THE COVID PANDEMIC AND SHE HAS GAINED SUPPORT FROM HER NEIGHBORS COMMUNITY AND THE MONTICELLO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. [07:35:01] HER PLANS TO RESTORE THE STRUCTURE TO ITS ORIGINAL FACADE WILL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE DECO DISTRICT AND THE FREDERICKSBURG ROAD CORRIDOR. WE WISH HER SUCCESS IN HER NEW ENDEAVORS. AT THIS TIME I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS P ONE AND Z 14. SECOND, PLEASE VOTE A YES. MOTION CARRIES. UH, NEXT IS ITEM P THREE AND Z 16 AMENDING THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT VICINITY LAND USE PLAN FROM PARKS AND OPEN SPACE TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FROM N P 10 E R E D TO R R SIX E R Z D AND MF 18 E RZ D LOCATED AT 16 6 50 JONES MALTSBERGER ROAD. STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 65 NOTICES MAILED THREE IN FAVOR AND 21 OPPOSED. OKAY. OKAY. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THIS AGAIN, ANDY, AND DO THAT THIS TIME WHERE, UH, I'D LIKE TO ENTER RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS INTO THE RECORD FOR P THREE AND Z 16. AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY NEXTDOOR COMMUNITY HAS, UH, VOTED AND THEY VOTED IN FAVOR OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. I JUST WANTED TO PASS THAT ALONG ALSO. THANK YOU. SO I MOVE TO APPROVE SECOND. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. OKAY, PLEASE VOTE. AYE? YES. AYE. JUST A MOMENT. JUST A MOMENT. WE MAY HAVE HAD, UM, SOMEBODY SIGN UP TO SPEAK. NO ONE. OKAY. NEVERMIND. PLEASE CONTINUE THE VOTE. UM, SURE. WE'RE GONNA A ALLOW, UM, A PUBLIC COMMENT. TINA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN. WELL, MAYOR PRO TEM AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I, THIS IS MY NAME IS JACK INGER, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED HERE. I SIGNED UP ON A, NOT JUST THIS ITEM, BUT ANOTHER ITEM WAY BACK, WAY BACK IN THE MORNING. I GUESS SOMEBODY SOMEHOW MISSED IT. AND SO I'M JUST HERE TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, MR. PERRY, I'M GLAD YOU PULLED IT BECAUSE, UM, I PERHAPS YOU KNOW MR. PERRY THAT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, WELL I IT WAS HAD SOME CONTROVERSY ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU HAD AS MANY AS, WELL, WHAT IS IT? UH, YOU HAD OUTTA 65 NOTICES SENT OUT, 11 CAME BACK IN OPPOSITION. THAT'S ABOUT GOOD. 16% THIS, SIR, YOU'RE DOING GOOD WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE GETTING ANYTHING FROM FIVE TO 10%, A LOT OF PEOPLE OPPOSE IT TO THIS VERY IDEA HERE. AND YOU HAD AS MANY AS AT THE ZONING COMMISSION MEETING, YOU HAD AS MANY AS SEVEN PEOPLE SPEAK OUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING GOOD TO GET ONE OR TWO TO COME BY AND AND DROP BY AND SAY, SAY THAT THEY DON'T LIKE IT. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID. YEAH. AND YOU EVEN HAVE 10 PEOPLE SIGN A LETTER OF OPPOSITION TO THIS THING. NOW WHY WERE THEY DOING THAT, MR. PERRY? HUH? WELL, I, I'VE BEEN TOLD THIS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THIS, ALL THE EXTRA TRAFFIC THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE IMPOSED BY THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT HERE. WAS THAT THE ONLY REASON INQUIRING MINDS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW? I MEAN, YOU HAVE THIS MUCH OPPOSITION. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE? I MEAN, WILL THEY, WILL THESE COVENANTS AS YOU'RE SUGGESTING, WILL THAT, UH, SMOOTH OVER OVER THE, THE RUFFLE FEATHERS OR ARE WE, ARE IT JUST A, UH, OR WILL IT NOT DO THAT? GOOD QUESTION, HUH? YES. I MAY MAYBE, MAYBE WE WON. WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND FIND OUT JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE REALLY WANT BEFORE WE, YOU, WE, UH, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF ANGRY PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE. I IMAGINE, IMAGINE A BUNCH OF NORTHSIDERS COMING BY AND DISRUPTING THIS MEETING. HARD TO BELIEVE, HUH? THANK YOU. [07:40:10] PLEASE VOTE. I'M VOTING ON ITEM. PETE, I WAS ON THE QUEUE. UH, OH, MANAGER. I HAVE A QUESTION. I'M SORRY. UM, SO THIS, THIS ITEM, THIS IS 21 ACRES. IT'S OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE. YES MA'AM. IT'S E R Z D. OKAY. AND WHAT, UM, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WELL, I'M NOT LETTING THAT, UM, WHAT ARE THEY DOING WHEN IT COMES TO IMPERVIOUS COVER AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT? I KNOW YOU READ SOME THINGS INTO THE RECORD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAD. YEAH, THEY'VE, UH, GOTTEN IT THROUGH SAWS AND THEY'VE AGREED TO 35%, UH, WHICH, UH, MEETS THE REQUIREMENT AND THEY'RE GOOD TO GO AS FAR AS THE IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR THAT ENTIRE AREA. PLUS THEY'RE LEAVING A LOT OF GREEN SPACE ALONG WITH A FISHING POND IN THAT AREA THAT IF, UH, IF WE DIDN'T GET THAT, UH, A LOT OF THAT WOULD BE TAKEN OVER BY, UH, CONCRETE, WHICH MEANS DRAINAGE, DITCHES AND, AND A LOT OF CONCRETE THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE IN THAT AREA. SO THE DETENTION POND. SO THE DETENTION POND IS REALLY JUST A, LIKE A FISHING POND NOW? YES. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. FOR REAL. THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA VOTE. OKAY. PLEASE VOTE YES. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU TO MY COMMUNITY AND OUR CO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR ENDURANCE AS WE HAVE COM I'M GONNA CALL CHARLESTON, NOT YET COMPLETED OUR SESSION. DO YOU HAVE A CITY MANAGER REPORT? WE DID IT. I'M SORRY. DO YOU HAVE A CITY MANAGER REPORT? WE DID. I JUST DID IT. OKAY. HE DID IT. OKAY. SORRY. UM, AS WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A MARATHON, EIGHT HOUR SESSION, AND WITH THAT WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.