* 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. [00:00:57] SIX TWENTY TWENTY. GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION, UH, TO ORDER. UH, MADAM CLERK, YOU COULD READ THE ROLE. COUNCIL MEMBER TINO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER COVEO DEN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER S. COUNCIL MEMBER, COURAGE PRESIDENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR, MEMBERS HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. HI. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, UH, A SESSION AGENDA. UH, WELCOME BACK. UH, WE DO HAVE A BIG AGENDA TODAY, UH, BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UH, I'D LIKE US TO ALL, UM, OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UH, BOTH FOR THE VICTIMS OF C OVID 19 AND OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE WORLD, AND THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING ON THEIR BEHALF, UH, BUT ALSO FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE EXPLOSION IN BEIRUT. UH, WE HAVE A VERY VIBRANT, UH, LEBANESE COMMUNITY HERE, AND WE ARE WITH THEM IN SOLIDARITY. UH, SO IF WE CAN ALL TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. TO GET US [1. 20-4434 Invocation] STARTED TODAY, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR. I THINK IT'S ME, MAYOR. I'M SORRY. I, I THINK THAT IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ WILL WELCOME ARMS. SORRY ABOUT THAT. GO AHEAD. UM, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AND, UH, WE'RE SO GLAD TO SEE, UH, RAMON WITH US HERE VIRTUALLY TODAY, NO STRANGER TO THIS COUNCIL. WE'RE, UH, VERY, UH, PROUD OF ALL THE WORK RAMON AND HIS FAMILY HAS DONE, UH, FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND, UH, WE WILL, UM, WELCOME HIM WITH, UH, UH, THE INVOCATION TODAY, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RAMON. THANK YOU M GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. IN THE LANGUAGE OF OUR FIRST PEOPLE OF THE CITY, I OFFER THIS PRAYER. WE PRAY THAT THE GREAT SPIRIT TAKE AWAY THIS SICKNESS THAT HAS AFFECTED ALL OF THIS WORLD. CLEANSE OUR THOUGHTS, OUR HEARTS, AND OUR SPIRITS TOGETHER. WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE ARE STRONG WITH THIS. I ASK THAT YOU BLESS OUR CITY LEADERS TODAY, GREAT SPIRIT, THAT YOU OPEN THEIR HEARTS AND GUIDE [00:05:01] THEIR HANDS AS THEY PREPARE TO LEAD US INTO THE UNKNOWN. AND THEIR DECISIONS BE BASED ON LOVE, NOT FEAR, UNTRUTHS, NOT UNTRUTHS AND COMPASSION FOR ALL OF US THAT CALL THIS CITY HOME FROM THE ABORIGINAL FAMILIES TO THE NEWEST IMMIGRANTS, OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE IS IN THEIR HANDS. I ASK THAT YOU LEND THEM YOUR EARS AND YOUR EYES SO THAT THEY HEAR THE WEEPING, THE WHISPERS, AND THE SCREAMS THAT OUR LEADERS SEE THE PAIN AND THE INJUSTICES AFFECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. DURING THESE TIMES OF UNREST, I ASK THAT YOU LEND THEM YOUR FEET TO MOVE THEM IN THE DIRECTION THAT MANY FEAR. YET MANY HEARTS DESIRE TO BE A CITY WHERE RACIAL EQUALITY AND EQUITY IS NOT A FUTURISTIC GOAL, BUT A LIVED EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND I PRAY CREATOR, THAT WHEN THIS DAY IS OVER, THAT YOU FILL OUR LEADERS' HEARTS WITH PEACE. AND I ASK THIS FOR ALL OF OUR RELATION. , THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN. UH, GOD BLESS YOU, MAYOR, AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND, UH, GOD BLESS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, RAMON. THANK YOU, BROTHER VASQUEZ. UH, AT THIS TIME WE WILL, [2. 20-4435 Pledge of Allegiance] UH, PROCEED WITH OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, ONE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. SORRY, WE'RE HAVING SOME AUDIO DIFFICULTY HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO, UM, OUR MAIN AGENDA. FIRST, [3. 20-4436 Approval of Minutes from the City Council Meetings of April 30, 2020 and May 5, 2020.] UH, ON ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES OF APRIL 30TH AND MAY 5TH. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES TO APPROVE. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES OF APRIL AND MAY 5TH. UM, YOU CAN YOUR TABLETS FOR VOTING. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ AND ELAS. I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO TURN ON THAT OTHER COMPUTER. UM, I, YES MA'AM. AND ELAS. AYE. MOTION CARRIES, MAYOR. ALRIGHT, MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL MOVE NOW TO, UM, OUR MAIN AGENDA. WE DO HAVE, UM, ONE ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. THAT IS ITEM FOUR, OUR BUDGET HEARING. UM, ALL THE OTHER ITEMS REMAIN ON CONSENT. UM, [Consent Agenda] AND SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS, UH, FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. MAYOR? YES. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN VIAGRA? UM, ITEMS 15 AND Z 12. ITEM 15 AND Z 12? YES. OKAY, THANK YOU. ANY OTHERS? MAYOR, IF I MAY, I, UM, EMAILED A PROPOSED ZONING LIST THIS MORNING FOR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT INCLUDED P THREE AND Z 11 FOR P FOUR AND Z 17 FOR GARCIA Z 12 FOR VIA AND Z 28 FOR COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. [00:10:04] THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH, UH, WITH PULLING THE ITEMS THAT TINA REFERENCED. OKAY. AND, UM, ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE FOR YOU. UM, THOSE REMAIN, YEAH. UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION AS WELL? YES, PLEASE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHERS? UM, UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, IF NONE, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAY FOR 15 Z 12, Z 11 AND P THREE, P FOUR, AND I, I GOT THAT Z 17, Z 17, AND Z 12, AND THEN D 28 AND Z 28. UM, ACTUALLY MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ITEMS THAT WILL BE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION AND THEN WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THAT? YES MA'AM. FOR THE REMAINING ITEMS, ITEM 15, ITEM P THREE Z, 11 Z, 12 P FOUR, Z 17, AND Z 28. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER ITEMS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR THOSE JUST READ BY THE CLERK. IS ANYONE MOVED? SECOND. OKAY. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT. UM, ARE THERE FOLKS SIGNED UP TO STAKE ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT? CHECKING OUR LIST? UM, I DON'T KNOW. DO WE HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR CONSENT ITEMS? I HAVE IT. WE DO HAVE, UM, ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, UH, ITEMS SPEAKING ON ITEMS FIVE, SIX AND, AND SIX AND SEVEN. WE HAVE ANTONIO DIAZ. UH, MR. DIAZ, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. HE'S NOT ON, SIR, IS MR. DIAZ ON? NOT MR. DIAZ IS NOT CONNECTED. UM, AND THEN, ALRIGHT, ALSO ON ITEM SEVEN WE HAVE MIA FACTORY IS MS. FACTORY ON. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WE'RE NOT HAVING, UH, SUCCESS CONNECTING WITH CAMIA AS WELL. UM, OKAY. ALRIGHT. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR THOSE READ BY THE CLERK. AGAIN, WE CAN USE OUR TABLETS TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. I, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LAG. I CLICK START VOTING. CAN YOU SEE THE VOTING? NO, I VOTE YES. I, YES. OKAY. SEE IF WE CAN GET THE, UH, IF THE TABLET IS NOT RESPONDING WE'LL TAKE A VOICE VOTE. AYE, UM, IS IT RESPONDING? MADAM CLERK? NO, MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, WE WILL TAKE A VOICE VOTE. UM, ANDY, IF THAT IS OKAY ON THIS ITEM? YES, THAT'S FINE. UH, MAYOR, WE HAVE . EVERYBODY'S VISIBLE. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR THOSE READ BY THE CLERK. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. [00:15:01] MOTION CARRIES. UH, UNANIMOUSLY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL [4. 20-4430 Presentation of the City of San Antonio 2021 Proposed Operating and Capital Budget for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2020, and approving the following related Ordinances: [Erik Walsh, City Manager]] MOVE NOW TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A PRESENTATION OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, 2021, PROPOSED OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2020, AND APPROVING THE FOLLOWING RELATED ORDINANCES. ITEM FOUR A IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING THE CITY'S PROPOSED MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION TAX RATE AT 34.68 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION. AND THE CITY'S PROPOSED DEBT SERVICE RATE AT 21.15 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION. AS RECOMMENDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2021, PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE IS NO INCREASE IN THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAX RATE. AND ITEM FOUR B IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE FOR TWO BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TWO, A RUM TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARINGS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, UH, ERIC, I THINK YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNSEL. UM, I AM, UH, PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU THE, UH, F Y 2021, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, PROBABLY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN A VIRTUAL, UM, UM, SETTING. UM, AND I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE IN THE, UH, IN THE CHAMBERS. BUT, UM, WE ARE WHERE WE'RE AT. I APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS. OUR FISCAL YEAR 21 PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, OVERALL, UM, IS BALANCED, UH, DESPITE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THAT WE'LL BE DEALING WITH, UH, GOING FORWARD. AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. UM, IS OUR OVERALL BUDGET, UH, 2020 BUDGET. PROPOSED BUDGET IS $7.7 MILLION LOWER THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, INCLUDES NO LAYOFFS OR FURLOUGHS OF CITY EMPLOYEES. UH, THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS INCLUDE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT INCLUDE, UH, A HIRING FREEZE, UH, NO PAY INCREASES FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, REDUCED OVERTIME EXPENSES IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND REDUCTIONS IN TRAVEL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES IN OUR RELIANCE UPON THEM. THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, UH, AND NATIONWIDE PROTESTS, UH, FOR POLICE REFORM, HAVE CERTAINLY BROUGHT INTO A SHARPER FOCUS HOW EQUITY AND JUSTICE IS, IS REFLECTED IN OUR INSTITUTIONS, OUR VALUES AND OUR SPENDING DECISIONS. UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES NOT DEFUND THE POLICE, BUT RATHER PROPOSES TARGETED AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS THAT BALANCE THE ECONOMIC REALITIES, UH, WITH OUR PRIORITIES. THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS, WILL SHOW IN THIS PRESENTATION, ADDS RESOURCES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE, IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH, ENSURE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF THE SAN ANTONIO'S WORKFORCE, ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESSNESS, AND ALSO ENSURES OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS MAINTAINED AND OUR EMPLOYEES ARE VALUED. GO AHEAD. NEXT SLIDE. SO IN TERMS OF SA SPEAKUP, WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, UM, UM, OUR VIRTUAL, UM, GRASSROOTS STYLE EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT AND GET INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC. UM, ALL YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE HAD, UH, VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS THAT WERE HELD BETWEEN JUNE 18TH AND, UM, AND JUNE 24TH. UM, OUR SURVEY OPENED UP ON JUNE 18TH AND CLOSED ON JULY 31ST, AND WE UTILIZED A VARIETY OF METHODS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE THAT WE HAD OVER 22,000 PARTICIPANTS, UH, WHICH IS 14,000 MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD, UH, LAST YEAR, 163% INCREASE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDE, UM, THE TOP FIVE PRIORITY AREAS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, SENIOR AND YOUTH SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. NEXT SLIDE. SO JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON, ON MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN GOING ON OVER THE LAST MONTH. UH, AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU KIND WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF C OVID 19, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT OVERALL, UM, WE, UH, UPDATE OUR PROGRESS AND WARNING INDICATORS AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY WEEK. UM, OUR COMMUNITY RESPONSE COALITION AND 150 [00:20:01] PARTNERS, UH, HEALTH ADVISE. OUR HEALTH STAFF, UH, CHIEF HOOD AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE CONTINUED TO, UH, MANAGE THE DAILY, UH, TESTING CENTERS OF OUR LOCATIONS. OUR TOTAL TESTING CAPACITY IN SAN ANTONIO, ALL, ALL SOURCES IS, UH, AT 7,500 PER DAY. UM, IN TERMS OF METRO HEALTH, WE'VE REDEPLOYED, UH, STAFF. UH, WE HAVE 119 EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE HIRED, UH, TO DO TO HELP WITH CASE INVESTIGATION AND, AND CONTACT INVESTIGATION. UH, WE'VE CONSOLIDATED ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS AT OUR ALAMO DOME FACILITY, UM, WHERE THEY CAN, UH, SEE THE EFFICIENCIES OF WORKING TOGETHER. I THINK WE'VE SEEN A BETTER PRODUCTION OUT OF THE GROUP, UM, OVER THE LAST MONTH, AND THE UT PUBLIC HEALTH CONTRACT HAS COME ON BOARD AND THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE BEING TRAINED, WHICH WILL HELP, UH, BEEF UP OUR RESPONSE. JUST IN TERMS OF THE RECOVERY RESILIENCY PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IN JUNE, UM, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF THE WORK OF, OF SEVERAL OF OUR KEY DEPARTMENTS, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED AND FOCUSED ON THIS EFFORT. UM, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS ROLLING OUT THIS MONTH IN AUGUST. OUR HOUSING SECURITY EFFORT, UM, HAS SO FAR AS OF JULY 31ST HELPED 10,903 FAMILIES, UM, AND EXPENDED, UH, ALMOST $31 MILLION. UH, OUR NOTICE OF TENANT RIGHTS TRAINING IS ONGOING IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESS. MANY OF YOU PROBABLY SAW THE EMAIL UPDATE THAT ALEX AND HER TEAM SENT OUT A WEEK AGO ON OUR SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, HAD OVER 3,100 GRANT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, AND WE HOPE TO, UH, GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS TOWARD THIS MONTH. AND OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION, UM, PROGRAM, UM, IS KICKING OFF WITH THE PILOT AREA IN THE LANIER HIGH SCHOOL AREA. REMEMBER, THE GOAL IS TO, WE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED 50 NEIGHBORHOODS WORKING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE, UH, IDENTIFIED AS A CHALLENGE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH, WITH CHILDREN IN THOSE AREAS. THE END OF THE DAY, OUR GOAL IS TO TARGET THOSE 20,000 STUDENTS IN THOSE 50 NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK, UH, WITH EIGHT INNER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. UM, JUST SO THE COUNCIL KNOWS, NEXT WEEK, NEXT TUESDAY, WE WILL BE PRESENTING KIND OF AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE AT ON ALL OF OUR RECOVERY PROGRAM AND OUR RESPONSE AND THE USE OF THE CARES ACT MONEY. UM, UH, NEXT, NEXT TUESDAY WILL BE THE FIRST MONTHLY REPORT, AND WE BUILT THAT INTO OUR WORK SESSION, SO EMBEDDING EQUITY. UM, AND WE'VE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, INCORPORATED IN WHAT WE'VE DONE. UM, AND OUR REVIEW OF BUDGETS OVER THE, OVER THE MONTH OF JULY, UM, THE BUDGET EQUITY TOOL HAS, UM, GONE THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A TRANSFORMATION, AND I THINK, UH, YOU'LL BE PLEASED WE WILL BE INCORPORATING THAT, UM, INFORMATION INTO OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE FOR EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS. IT'S REALLY, UH, IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN EACH EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENT SERVICE AREAS, UM, UH, THAT WE SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 21. UM, AND, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT WITH YOU AS WE GO, UH, THROUGH THOSE WORK SESSIONS. OUR PROPOSED OVERALL 2021, UH, UH, BUDGET IS AT $2.9 BILLION. UM, OUR LARGEST CATEGORY IS IN OUR GENERAL 0.28 MILLION BILLION, OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS, UH, AT 999 MILLION, AND OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AT 64 MILLION. UM, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, THIS BUDGET IS $7.7 MILLION LESS THAN THE F Y 2020 BUDGET. OUR RESTRICTED BUDGET, UH, OF 999 MILLION DOES ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL CARESS ACT MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED EARLIER IN THE YEAR. UM, UH, $61 MILLION, I'M SORRY, WE RECEIVED $376 MILLION IN TOTAL THROUGH CARES ACT, THE MAJORITY OF THAT BEING THROUGH THE CORONA RELIEF FUND. WE DO ANTICIPATE SPENDING THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY BEFORE THE END OF SEPTEMBER, AND WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN THE OVERVIEW FOR YOU NEXT TUESDAY. SO, AS WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THE SUMMER, UM, SOME AREAS OF OUR BUSINESS, UH, HAVE GOTTEN, UM, HAVE, HAVE BEEN STABLE. UH, SOME HAVE, UM, UM, GOTTEN A LITTLE WORSE, UH, AND OTHERS HAVE IMPROVED. OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL WIDE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT A PROJECTED $127 MILLION IMPACT ON REVENUES IN FISCAL YEAR 21, 20 4 MILLION OF THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND $103 MILLION [00:25:01] SPREAD OUT THROUGH ALL OF OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS. THE MAJORITY OF THAT, OF THAT, THE $103 MILLION LIES IN SOME OF OUR LARGER OPERATIONS. UH, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, UH, AS WELL AS OUR AIRPORT. THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN TERMS OF POSITIONS, UH, ADDS 108, UH, CIVILIAN POSITIONS. AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE OPENING, UH, THERE ARE NO LAYOFFS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. 65 OF THE 108 ARE, UH, CONVERSIONS, UH, FROM TEMPORARIES TO FULL-TIME POSITIONS. AND, AND SOME OF YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE USE OF TEMPORARIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. UH, WE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME REVIEWING THOSE EFFORTS. IN MANY CASES, THOSE TEMPORARIES, UM, ESSENTIALLY WORK FULL-TIME FOR THE CITY AND, UH, WE SAW SOME EFFICIENCIES BY BEING ABLE TO CONVERT 'EM TO FULL-TIME POSITIONS. THE COUNT ALSO ACCOMMODATES THE REDEPLOYMENT OF ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE FURLOUGHED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER, ALMO, DOMAN ARTS, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER ON. UM, AND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT, UM, EFFORT. THE PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO ADDS 25 POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED, SPECIFICALLY FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE POLICE SECTION. SO EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH THE SPINNING WHEEL CHART. UM, OUR PROPOSED GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS 1.28, UH, BILLION DOLLARS. IT IS, UM, A LITTLE OVER $5 MILLION MORE THAN IT WAS IN, UH, FY 2020 FOR ABOUT FOUR TENTHS PER PERCENT OF AN INCREASE. UM, C P S, UH, WHICH IS PROJECTED TO, UH, WHICH IS PROJECTED TO GENERATE $351 MILLION NEXT YEAR IN REVENUE. AND IS A REMINDER, THE CITY RECEIVES 14% OF ALL C P SS GAS AND ELECTRIC GROSS REVENUE AS A RETURN ON AN INVESTMENT, UH, AS OWNERS AND IN PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES. OUR PROPERTY TAX IS ESTIMATED AT $398 MILLION, AND OUR SALES TAX IS PROJECTED AT $295 MILLION. UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING AS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AT 64.5%. COUNCILOR PERRY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU NOTICE THAT WE DID INCLUDE THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS OFF TO THE RIGHT, UH, WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE SPECIFIC, UH, ISSUES YOU HAD ASKED FOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT C P S REVENUE. UM, WE ARE, UM, COMPARED TO THE F Y 2020 BUDGET, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING $351 MILLION IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, $351.5 MILLION. THAT'S ABOUT SIX TENTHS OF A PERCENT DECREASE FROM THE F Y 20 BUDGET. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO REMAIN VERY CLOSE WITH C P S AS THEY EXAMINE THE, THE CHANGE IN THE LOADS THAT THEY'VE SEEN. UH, MAYBE SLIGHT DECREASES ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE AND, UH, INCREASES ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE ARE PROJECTING $2.2 MILLION LESS REVENUE NEXT YEAR WITH C P S. AND THEN, UH, THE CATEGORY THAT WE, WE USUALLY DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON, ON THIS SLIDE, ON THE UPPER LEFT, THE OTHER RESOURCES, UM, OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS INTEREST INCOME, UH, FINES, UH, CONCESSIONS FROM THE RIVER ARTS CONTRACT E M S TRANSPORTS, UH, WE ARE SEEING DECREASES ACROSS THE BOARD AND PROJECTING, UH, A LITTLE OVER $20 MILLION LESS REVENUE IN THAT OTHER RESOURCE CATEGORY, A DECREASE OF 9.4%, UH, GOING INTO 2021. CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX PIECE? UM, THE CITY'S TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE IS INCREASING BY 5%. AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE SLIDE. UH, EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL VALUES, UM, COMPRISED 3.1% OF THAT, UM, VALUE ADJUSTMENT, UH, WHILE ANNEXATIONS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION, THE MAJORITY OF THAT BEING, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION AT 1.9%. UM, THE, UH, APPRAISAL DISTRICT, UM, HAS, UM, HAS BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING WITH US, UM, AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS. UM, AND WITH THIS BUDGET, UH, THERE IS NO PROPOSED CHANGE IN OUR TAX RATE. UH, AS A REMINDER, UH, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, SB TWO LIMITS THE, UH, TAX REVENUE GROWTH AT 3.5%. UM, AND UNDER THAT, UM, UH, NO INCREASE IS RECOMMENDED, OBVIOUSLY, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET AS THE CLERK READ OFF. UM, AND OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE GROWTH WITHIN THAT SSB TWO FACTOR IS AT 2.23% OVERALL IN TERMS OF REVENUE. UM, F Y 21 IS PROJECTED TO BE [00:30:01] 397, ALMOST $398 MILLION, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT A 4.4% INCREASE IN ACTUAL REVENUE TO THE CITY, UH, AND A LITTLE OVER $16 MILLION ON THE FLIP SIDE ON SALES TAX. UM, THIS GRAPH REFLECTS THE CHANGE IN SALES TAX COLLECTION, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN F Y 21, WE'RE PROJECTING, UH, TO BE BELOW THE F Y 2020 ADOPTED BUDGET BY 5.7%, WHICH IS, UH, ALMOST $17 MILLION LESS REVENUE NEXT YEAR. SO THAT'S DECREASING, UH, A BIT AS WE GO, UH, INTO 2021. UH, YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT, UH, WHEN WE DID THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, THE ECONOMISTS THAT WE WORKED WITH OUTLINED, UH, THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. A PESSIMISTIC SCENARIO, A BASELINE SCENARIO, AND AN OPTIMISTIC SCENARIO. UM, AT THE TIME DURING THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, WE WERE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THAT BASELINE AND OPTIMISTIC SCENARIO, AND WE CONTINUED TO BE IN THAT POSITION, UM, AT LEAST IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET GOING FORWARD. UM, STILL TO BE DETERMINED WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE IMPACT OF THE LOSS OF THE ADDITIONAL $600 UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, UH, TO THOSE, UH, SAN ANTONIANS, UH, WHO WERE UNEMPLOYED AND WHAT IMPACT THAT HAD ACTUALLY IN OUR ECONOMY. AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT, UM, CLOSELY. SO JUST TO KIND OF RECONCILE WHAT WE WERE AT, UH, THE LAST TIME, UH, WE MET AS A GROUP, UM, OUR, UM, F Y 21 AND 22 DEFICIT, UM, UH, TO STAY WITHIN OUR TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET POLICY. UM, IN JUNE, UH, WAS ESTIMATED AT $109 MILLION. UM, WE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME OVER THE SUMMER TO, UM, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND REVIEW OUR EXPENSES AGAIN FOR OUR THIRD TIME. WE DID IT IN APRIL WHEN WE REBALANCED OUR BUDGET. WE DID IT IN JUNE, MAY AND JUNE WHEN WE PREPARED THE FINANCIAL FORECAST AND WENT BACK THROUGH OUR OPERATING BUDGET, UH, AGAIN DURING JULY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE WERE, UM, IN LINE WITH OUR ANTICIPATED SPENDING, UM, GOING INTO 2021. WE ALSO SAW SLIGHTLY ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, THAT WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR, UH, IN 2021 AND 2022. THE MAJORITY OF THAT BEING, UH, 4% ADDITIONAL MONEY IN, UH, PROPERTY TAX. WE DID BETTER IN JULY IN TERMS OF SALES TAX. SO YOU RECONCILE THAT OUR, UH, PROJECTED OUR PROPOSED 2021 AND PLAN 2022. UM, TARGET IS 87, REDUCING SPENDING BY $87 MILLION. NOW, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. I SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL A, UM, AT LEAST IN THE TRIAL BUDGET, UM, UH, SOME IDEAS ON HOW WE WOULD BALANCE OVER TWO YEARS. AND I SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME THAT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET REVIEW WITH THE COUNCIL AND EVENTUALLY AT THE, THE ADOPTION OF SEPTEMBER. UM, AND WE WILL OBVIOUSLY, THE COUNCIL WILL OBVIOUSLY, UM, UM, I THINK INCLUDE REDUCTIONS IN OUR BUDGET IN ORDER TO STAY, UM, BALANCE. UM, I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE INCLUDE IN THE 2021 BUDGET, AT LEAST THE PLANNED, UH, REDUCTIONS IN 2022. AND THERE'S SOME PRECEDENT WITH THAT. IN 2010, AS THE, UH, CITY WAS COMING OUT OF THE RECESSION, THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME APPROVED REDUCTIONS FOR 2010 AND PLANNED REDUCTIONS FOR 2011. AND AT THE TIME THEN, UM, AS, AS THE CITY WENT THROUGH 2010, UM, AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR FINANCIAL STATUS, UM, WE KEPT, UH, THE COUNCIL AND THE STAFF KEPT GOING BACK AND REFERRING TO THAT 2011 ROADMAP OR PLANNED EXPENSES. I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, GOOD FOR US TO DO. I THINK AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE 2021, YOU CAN EXPECT TO, UM, SEE MORE FINANCIAL UPDATES AS WE, UH, MONITOR OUR POSITION IN TERMS OF THE F Y 21, UM, PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, THE REDUCTIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED, UH, IN LARGER CATEGORIES. UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, NO PAY INCREASES FOR CIVILIANS CONTINUING OUR FREEZING, UH, OF HIRING, UH, FOR $14 MILLION. A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT IN OUR, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET, UH, OF $8 MILLION. WE'LL TALK ABOUT STREETS IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT STILL REMAINS, KEEPS US AT $102 MILLION, UH, IN 2021, UH, FOR OUR BUDGET PRODUCING POLICE OVERTIME AT $3.4 MILLION, SUSPENDING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AT $5.5 MILLION, SUSPENDING OUR CONSULTANT SERVICES PRIMARILY AT OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THE [00:35:01] USE OF, UH, OF CONTRACTORS OF $1.4 MILLION OF THE, UH, EXPIRED AGREEMENT WITH HEMISPHERE PARK AT $1.7 MILLION. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER OPERATING REDUCTIONS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT AT THE WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK THAT TOTAL $1.6 MILLION. THERE ARE THINGS LIKE, UM, REDUCING TRAVEL BUDGETS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, UH, BY 50%, UM, AND, UM, EXECUTIVES, UH, PERMANENTLY GIVING UP, UH, CELL PHONE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE ISSUES GOING FORWARD. UM, ONE THING THAT WE DIDN'T CONTEMPLATE AS WE, UH, DID SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY WORK IN JUNE WHERE, UM, THE IMPACT TO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, AGENCIES SUCH AS PROJECT QUEST AND, AND OTHERS. UM, AND AS WE WORKED WITH THEM OVER THE SUMMER, UM, MANY OF THESE AGENCIES ARE, UH, DEEPLY INGRAINED WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILLAR AND THE EFFORTS, UH, UNDER THAT $75 MILLION PROGRAM THE COUNCIL APPROVED. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED FOR THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH THOSE AGENCIES WERE, DO YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO FOR THE CITY? AND, UM, THE ANSWER WAS THAT THEY HAD REDUCED CAPACITY AS THEY TARGET THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. UM, UH, PILLAR. THAT'S A ONE-TIME, UH, ADJUSTMENT IN $2.2 MILLION. AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE SLIDE THAT, UH, WE HAVE RESTORED PLANNING, AT LEAST IN THE PLANNED F Y 22 BUDGET, UH, GOING FORWARD. THE LAST LINE ON THAT SLIDE, UNPAID FURLOUGH DAYS. UM, AND, UH, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS IN JUNE, AND I'VE HAD A FAIR NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH EMPLOYEES AS WE WENT THROUGH THE SUMMER ABOUT THE REALITY OF OUR SITUATION. UM, I AM NOT RECOMMENDING AN F Y 20 IN THE F Y 21 BUDGET THAT WE DO ANY FURLOUGH DAYS, UH, FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. I DO SEE ON THE CHART THAT I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE KEEP THAT IN OUR F Y 22 PLAN AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POLICE AND SERVICES. UM, IN GENERAL, THE POLICE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT, OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS INCREASING BY 1.7%. UM, IT'S GOING FROM $479 MILLION TO $487 MILLION TO AN INCREASE OF 1.7%. NEARLY ALL OF THE INCREASE, UH, IS DUE TO OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. POLICE OFFICERS ARE SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE A 5% WAGE ADJUSTMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 21. AND, AND, UH, THE ENSUING SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE MADE REDUCTIONS IN AREAS THAT WE CAN CONTROL. WE'VE REDUCED OVERTIME FOR TRANSFERRING SOME FUNCTIONS AND, UH, INTO EMPLOYEES AND DOLLARS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UM, AND WE'RE PROPOSING INVESTMENTS IN AREAS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES, AND I THINK THE COUNCIL HAS IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES, PUBLIC HEALTH, HOUSING, EDUCATION, HOMELESSNESS, AND MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU, UM, IS A PROPOSED PATH THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL TO DEAL WITH MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT, UM, UH, ADDRESS, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND HERE LOCALLY. AND IT REALLY RESTS ON FOUR DIFFERENT PILLARS, IF YOU WILL. UM, THE FIRST IS, UM, DEALING WITH FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES, UM, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISCIPLINE, UH, HIRING AND TRAINING, TRANSPARENCY AND DATA, AND HOW WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. UM, THESE ARE CORNERSTONE ISSUES WITHIN ANY ORGANIZATION, AND THEY CERTAINLY ARE, UH, WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SOME OF THESE ARE TIED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND SOME OF THEM ARE NOT. UH, SOME OF THEM ARE WELL WITHIN OUR ABILITY TO MANAGE AND THINK THROUGH HOW WE CAN DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AS A CITY, AS A DEPARTMENT, AND AS AN ORGANIZATION. THE SECOND AREA IS, UH, EXPECTATIONS. UM, HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE POLICE, UM, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PATROL OFFICER? WHAT KIND OF ENCOUNTERS, UH, DO WE WANT TO HAVE, DO WE WANT POLICE TO HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC? AND TO THAT POINT, WE RECEIVE 2.1 MILLION CALLS FOR SERVICE, OR 9 1 1 CALLS A YEAR. UM, AND I SPENT SOME TIME OVER THE SUMMER REVIEWING, UH, THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT WE RECEIVE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES ON THE 9 1 1 LINE. UM, AND [00:40:01] I THINK IT WARRANTS A REVIEW OF THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE TO DETERMINE ARE THOSE REALLY ENCOUNTERS THAT WE WANT POLICE TO BE IN. UM, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT THEY ARE ENCOUNTERS THAT MAYBE EVEN THE POLICE DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AND SEGREGATE THOSE AREAS THAT ARE EMERGENCIES WHERE PEOPLE NEED HELP AND, UM, WHERE PEOPLE NEED MAYBE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HELP. THE THIRD AREA IS INPUT, AND I THINK, UM, REALLY PRIMARILY THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND COUNCILWOMAN HARA AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMITTEE'S ALREADY STARTED. UM, AND PRIMARILY THROUGH THAT VENUE AND MAYBE OTHERS. UM, WE NEED TO GET THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT. UM, UM, I HAVE HEARD FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, ASPECTS FROM THE COMMUNITY OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE AN EXPECTATION, PROBABLY AN INDIVIDUALIZED EXPECTATION OF WHAT WE THINK THE POLICE SHOULD DO OR SHOULDN'T DO. UM, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, CALL 9 1 1 EVERY YEAR. UM, AND I THINK THAT POINTS TO PROBABLY THE DIVERSE OPINIONS THAT EXIST OUT THERE. SO WHAT DOES THAT INPUT LOOK LIKE, AND HOW DO WE GET THAT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE, UM, HOW WE WANNA REFINE OUR POLICE SERVICES, UH, GOING FORWARD? THE LAST AREA IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE AREAS THAT HAS THE HEAVIEST LIFT AND IS THE MOST COMPLICATED. UM, AND IT'S, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES AND FUNDING? MANY CITIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE, UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, AND REVIEWING IT AS WE DID OUR WORK DURING THE SUMMER, WE IDENTIFIED THREE KEY AREAS THAT, UM, ARE GOOD CANDIDATES TO BEGIN WITH. UM, ONE IS VIOLENCE PREVENTION, SECOND HOMELESS, AND THIRD, MENTAL HEALTH. AS WE REVIEWED, UH, THIS ISSUE OVER THE SUMMER, UH, WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT VIOLENCE PREVENTION REALLY SHOULD STAY A MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT CAN LOOK DIFFERENTLY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE. UM, BUT IN THE AREAS OF HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH, UM, WHAT ARE THOSE ALTERNATIVE, UH, RESPONSE, UM, MECHANISMS. THEY COULD BE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, THEY COULD BE OTHER PROVIDERS, IT COULD BE OTHER PARTNERS, IT COULD BE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF WE LOOK TO CHANGE HOW WE RESPOND AND WHAT ELEMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IS INVOLVED IN THAT RESPONSE, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THAT'S FUNDED. UM, AND PROBABLY THAT CONVERSATION CROSSES ORGANIZATIONAL LINES AND DEPARTMENTAL LINES AND, AND WILL BE A BIG FOCUS OF THIS WORK AS WE GO THROUGH. I'M PROPOSING THAT WE WORK ON THIS, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, HUMAN SERVICES, POTENTIAL HEALTH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND DRAFT THAT PLAN TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, BY APRIL OF NEXT, UH, YEAR. A COUPLE OTHER AREAS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. WE ARE TAKING, UM, SEVERAL, UH, VACANT POSITIONS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I'M PROPOSING TO MOVE THEM INTO OUR OFFICE OF INNOVATION. UH, THAT TEAM WILL WORK ON TRANSPARENCY AND DATA AND ANALYSIS, UM, AND, UM, REALLY WORK TO IMPROVE OUR TRANSPARENCY AND AVAILABILITY OF DATA TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE DEPARTMENT, TO THE ORGANIZATION, AND TO COUNCIL. UM, AND THEY WILL REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND WORK WITH AND, AND THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE SECOND AREA, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHT WAS, UM, AS WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS DURING THE SUMMER, THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT, UM, CHANGING THE WAY WE ENGAGE, UM, THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND A CERTAIN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR CITY. UM, SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES MAYBE, UM, THOSE COMMUNITIES DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO A SAFE OFFICER OR A PATROL OFFICER. UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A, AN ADDITIONAL POSITION THAT WE'RE REALLOCATING THIS POSITION WILL REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE CHIEF AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENGAGING THOSE COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED AND, AND NEED THAT DIRECT CONNECT. IT'S NOT A UNIFORM POSITION, IT'S NOT A POLICE OFFICER POSITION. IT WOULD BE A CIVILIAN POSITION, UM, THAT, UM, UNDERSTANDS THE COMMUNITY AND CAN HELP, UM, IMPROVE OUR ENGAGEMENT. THE LAST AREA SOME OF THE COUNCIL MAY REMEMBER, WE ADDED $150,000 IN THE 2020 BUDGET TO, [00:45:01] UM, OUT OF OUR ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS TO DO A NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM THAT R F P IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE EXTEND AN ADDITIONAL $150,000, UH, TO STAND UP THAT PROGRAM IN 2021. SO I MENTIONED VIOLENCE PREVENTION. UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS CREATING A, UH, NEW VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION WITHIN OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND REALLY IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONSOLIDATE, UM, ALL OF OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS UNDER ONE DIVISION, UM, TO WORK TOGETHER, WHETHER IT'S GUN VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD AND YOUTH VIOLENCE. WE TALKED ABOUT IN JUNE, THE WORK, THE GREAT WORK THAT THE STANDUP, UH, SS A TEAM DOES. UM, THERE ARE 11 OF THEM. UM, AND LAST WEEK, UM, I, UM, UH, SIGNED OFF TO MAKE THOSE 11 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. UM, AND WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT WITHIN, UH, THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED BUDGET. WE'RE ALSO ADDING 12 ADDITIONAL STANDUP SA OUTREACH WORKERS TO BEEF UP OUR OUTREACH, UM, IN, UH, THE NEAR WEST SIDE AND EXPAND OUR HOSPITAL-BASED VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER PROGRAM. UM, THAT, THAT GROUP, UM, HAS, DOES, DOES REALLY GREAT WORK, UH, ON THE GROUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND, UH, THEY CERTAINLY HAVE THE CREDIBILITY OVER THE WORK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE INCREASE THAT. I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL BE TRANSITIONING, UH, SOME PHYSICIANS, UM, AND BUDGET OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'LL BE MOVING 20 OF OUR CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT WORK WITH, UH, POLICE OFFICERS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. UM, THOSE 20 INDIVIDUALS WILL BE MOVED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THEY'LL STILL CONTINUE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, WE'RE MOVING THEM AND THE $1.3 MILLION, UH, OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN DEMENTIA HEALTH, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF SYNERGIES THAT WE'RE EXPECTING, UH, WITH THIS GROUP, UM, AND DEALING WITH VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UM, IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. UH, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BUDGET WORK SESSION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD IN JUNE WAS TO NOT ADD AN ADDITIONAL $1.6 MILLION, UH, FOR THE COPS GRANT. 25 OFFICERS THAT WERE, UH, SUBMITTED, UH, TO HELP BEEF UP OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES, THE PROPOSED BUDGET REALLOCATES, UH, EXISTING POLICE FUNDS, UM, SLIGHT AMOUNT OF, UH, FUND, UH, SAVINGS WITHIN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND A PORTION OF THE OVERTIME REDUCTION, UH, IN THE F Y 21 BUDGET. THESE DETECTIVES, UM, WILL ALLOW US TO PROVIDE 24 7, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. CURRENTLY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE THAT IN PLACE. THIS IDEA ORIGINATED, UH, THROUGH OUR WORK WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COLLABORATIVE, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT. SO NO NEW, UH, DOLLARS ARE BEING ADDED, UH, FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS GRANT IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, CURRENTLY THE F Y 2020 BUDGET HAS ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UM, SET ASIDE AND A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO, UH, ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCREASES THAT TO $6 MILLION. UM, MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG TREATMENT. WE CONTRACT WITH CLINICIANS TO ASSIST THE SS A P D MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AND OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH EFFORTS. AND THEN, UH, SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. I'M RECOMMENDING THAT THAT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS BE SET ASIDE, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE RE UH, RESPONSE MECHANISMS IN OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THAT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THAT PROCESS. IT COULD MEAN THAT WE CONTRACT ADDITIONALLY WITH THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, AND I KNOW JOLENE IS ON THE WEBEX. UM, IT COULD MEAN THAT WE CONTRACT OR HIRE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WITHIN OUR OWN ORGANIZATION. UM, BUT I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE SET THAT ASIDE AND USE THAT AS A RESOURCE AS WE GO THROUGH THE POLICE CONVERSATION ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS GOING FORWARD. AND, AND ALL OF US KNOW THAT, UM, SINCE THE MIDDLE OF MARCH AND THE ADVENT OF COVID, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO, UH, STRUGGLE AS A COMMUNITY, UM, WITH THE AMOUNT OF HOMELESS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONDITIONS THAT EXIST. UM, PRE COVID IN JANUARY, 2020, [00:50:02] THE HOMELESS POINT IN TIME COUNT IDENTIFIED 1,274 UNSHELTERED HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY. AND THAT WAS PRIOR TO COVID. THAT'S A 7% INCREASE OVER 2019, A LARGE PART OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITY RECOVERY RESILIENCY PLAN, THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED DEDICATED MONEY, UM, TO, UH, CREATE A HOMELESS OUTREACH PLAN. UM, AND THAT TEAM THAT WAS APPROVED IN THAT, IN THAT, UM, RESILIENCY PLAN, UM, IDENTIFIED OR CREATED FIVE, UH, POSITIONS TO, UH, ESTABLISH THIS OUTREACH TEAM. I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UH, FOR HIS WORK WITH HUMAN SERVICES DURING THE COURSE OF JUNE AND JULY BECAUSE, UH, HIS DISTRICT AND SPECIFICALLY THE DELL VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AREA WAS REALLY THE FIRST AREA THAT WE, UH, UM, TOOK THE TRAINING WHEELS OFF OF THIS NEW APPROACH AND WAS MET WITH, UM, A FAIR AMOUNT OF SUCCESS. UM, I'M PROPOSING IN THE BUDGET THAT WE INCREASE THAT, UM, UH, PROGRAM RIGHT NOW WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE, UH, OUR CARES ACT GRANT FUNDS INCREASE THAT PROGRAM AND ADD SIX ADDITIONAL STAFF TO COMPLEMENT THE FIVE WE ADDED, UM, THROUGH OUR RECOVERY PROGRAM. UM, THAT WILL ADD THAT, THAT WILL PROVIDE, UH, ONE OUTREACH WORKER. UH, SOME OF THEM ARE CLINICIANS AND SOME ARE OUTREACH CASE WORKERS, UM, IN EACH AREA OF THE DIS IN EACH, IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS, AND PROVIDE FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL TO HELP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, WHAT WE SAW DURING JUNE AND JULY IN THE WORK WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO IN HIS OFFICE IN THE BELLEVUE AREA WAS THAT AS WE FACILITATED, UM, ONGOING COOPERATION AND ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP, BUILT UP A RELATIONSHIP AND TRUST BETWEEN, UH, THOSE THAT ARE AT ENCAMPMENTS AND THE OUTREACH TEAM AND HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, UM, THE SAFE OFFICERS THAT ASSISTED WITH THAT AND THE COMMUNITY WE FOUGHT, WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A MORE EFFECTIVE OUTREACH AND INTAKE TO THE SHELTER. UH, MANY OF THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, ARE IN A, UH, UM, ARE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION AND NEED THE ASSISTANCE. AND, UM, I THINK, UH, WHAT WE SAW OVER THE SUMMER, UH, WE MAY, UH, WE ARE GONNA BE, UH, TAKING OFF A DIFFERENT APPROACH, UM, TO, UH, MAKE THAT CONNECTION TO ALL OF THOSE ENCAMPMENTS AREAS, COMMUNITY SERVICES. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL IN JUNE, UM, TWO GUIDEPOSTS THAT I HAD COMING INTO THE BUDGET WERE TO, UM, NOT HAVE NOT BE HERE TODAY, UH, PROPOSING TO YOU, UH, EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS OR CUTS TO COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES THAT. UM, AND THE AREA OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, OUR SENIOR SERVICES ARE LIBRARIES, YOUTH SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION AND DELEGATE AGENCIES, UM, TAKES THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO FULLY FUND ALL THESE PROGRAMS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WILL RESUME NORMAL OPERATIONS DURING 2021. UM, MANY OF YOU ARE VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T DO THINGS LIKE OPEN OUR POOLS THIS PAST SUMMER, OR HAVE A ROBUST, UM, SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM, UH, AT PARKS AND REC. I MEAN, THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE NOT OPENED UP OUR SENIOR SERVICES, BUT TRANSITIONED TO MEAL DELIVERY AND OTHER WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE SENIORS. ALL OF THAT IS INCORPORATED IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. BUT IN THE HOPES OF THAT, WE WILL RESERVE RESUME TO NORMAL. I DID NOT WANNA FIND, UH, MYSELF NOR THE COUNCIL IN THE POSITION WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY ALLOCATED TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. IN TERMS OF DELEGATE AGENCIES, THE DELEGATE AGENCY'S OVERALL FUNDING REMAINS THE SAME AT 24, A LITTLE OVER $24 MILLION GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. UH, YOU'LL RECALL THAT THE R F P THAT WAS SCHEDULED, THAT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO GO THROUGH IN THE SPRING WAS, WAS DELAYED. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE DELEGATE AGENCIES, UH, AND SURVEYED THEM OVER THE SUMMER PROGRAMS. UM, AND THE QUESTION TO THE AGENCIES, WHERE CAN YOU STILL PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE'VE CONTRACTED, UH, FOR GOING FORWARD? SEVERAL OF OUR AGENCIES, UH, INVOLVED IN YOUTH PROGRAMS AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, SENIOR PROGRAMS, UM, ARE SEEING A CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD. WE ALSO ASK OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES TO MAINTAIN THEIR VACANCIES GOING FORWARD, JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING HERE [00:55:01] AT THE CITY. UM, AND MADE ADJUSTMENTS DOWN IN A NUMBER OF THOSE AGENCIES THAT SAW, UM, A CHALLENGE PROVIDING THE SERVICES GOING FORWARD, THAT RE THAT, THAT AMOUNT THAT WE REDUCED OF $1.4 MILLION WE ARE LEAVING IN THE DELEGATE AGENTS. I'M PROPOSING THAT WE LEAVE IT IN THE DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGET TO DEAL WITH UNFORESEEN NEEDS THAT MAY OCCUR DURING THE YEAR OR, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, UM, ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE HAVE $25 MILLION IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UM, THAT'S COMPRISED OF OUR, UM, REGULAR, UH, ANNUAL HOME AND C D B G GRANT ALLOCATIONS AND THE GENERAL FUND, OUR GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION, UH, IN THIS AREA IS GOING UP FROM $9 MILLION IN 2020 TO $11 MILLION IN 2021. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SHIFTING OUR FOCUS A LITTLE BIT, UH, FOR PRODUCTION AND DISPLACEMENT, UH, PREVENTION AND HOUSEHOLDS STABLE STABILIZATION. NOW, IT'S NOT THAT THOSE THINGS AREN'T IMPORTANT, BUT SINCE APRIL VETO AND HER TEAM HAVE WORKED HARD TO ADMINISTER THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UM, AND CONTINUE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TO THAT END, ONE OF THE MAJOR SHIFTS WE MADE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I PROPOSED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS INCREASING OUR RISK MITIGATION, UH, FUND. UM, YOU'LL RECALL PRE COVID IN THE 2020 PROPOSED BUDGET, WE HAVE $1 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR RISK MITIGATION, THE 2021 BUDGET. UM, I'M PROPOSING 5.25 MILLION. AND, UH, COUNCILMAN TREO TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AT THE B SESSION YESTERDAY ABOUT WHY HAVING FUNDS THAT ARE FLEXIBLE, UM, ARE, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS, UH, THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE, UM, UNDER FEDERAL GUIDELINES. UM, WE ARE STILL CLOSELY WATCHING, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IN WASHINGTON DC AND ANTICIPATING, UH, SOME FIFTH ROUND OF FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING HOUSING CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AT OUR WORK SESSION NEXT TUESDAY. MENTIONED EARLIER THAT OUR STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET PROPOSED AN F Y 21, UH, IS AT $102 MILLION. UM, $32 MILLION OF DEBT IS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, $4.3 MILLION FROM OUR ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT FUND, $66 MILLION CAPITAL DEBT. UM, OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST PRIORITY GOING INTO 2021 WILL BE THE $43 MILLION IN DEFERRED PROJECTS FROM EARLIER THIS SPRING. UH, THE REMAINING WILL BE DISTRI DISTRIBUTED, PROPOSED TO BE DISTRIBUTED BASED ON THE CONDITIONS OF THE DI OF THE, UH, OF THE DISTRICT'S NETWORK AND THE SIZE OF THE NETWORK TO KIND OF KEEP, UM, AN EQUILIBRIUM PRESENT. UM, IT ACCOUNTS FOR OVER 371 CENTER LINE MILES OF MAINTENANCE AND OVER 1200 PROJECTS. OUR CURRENT P C I SCORE, UH, THAT, UH, RAZZI REPORTED IN JUNE IS AT 76.09. REMEMBER, OUR GOAL, UH, WAS TO BE AT 76. WE'RE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THAT RIGHT NOW. AND THIS STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET GOING FORWARD, UM, TAKES US A LITTLE OVER 77. SO, UM, I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RESTORE, UM, MUCH OF THAT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING. ACCORDING TO THE 2021, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL. OUR SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE IS PROPOSED TO BE $18 MILLION. THAT'S $13 MILLION FROM OUR 2017 BOND PROGRAM AND $5 MILLION FROM OUR ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT FUND. UM, THE TARGET IS TO FILL 60 MILES OF GAPS AND REPAIR TWO MILES OF, UM, OF SIDEWALKS WITH OUR, UH, REPAIR CREW THAT WE ADDED IN THE 2020 BUDGET. THAT WILL BRING, UH, A LITTLE OVER SIX AND A HALF, UH, MILES OF USABLE, UH, SIDEWALK NETWORK, UH, BACK INTO, UH, USE OF OUR CONSTRUCTION COST. UH, GOING FORWARD, UH, PROPOSED IN THE 2021 IS TO MAINTAIN OR PROVE OUR $55 PER LINEAR FOOT. REMEMBER RAZZI REPORTED IN, IN JUNE, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, BETTER PRICES IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND BIDS, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND PUSH THIS, UH, PRODUCTION OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR 2021 CAPITAL BUDGET OF $641 MILLION. AND WE HAVE A SPECIFIC WORK SESSION SET ASIDE [01:00:01] TO TALK ABOUT OUR CAPITAL BUDGET AND OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN, UM, ENCOMPASSES 383 PROJECTS, UH, 232 MILLION IN STREETS 101 IN PARKS, 75 MILLION IN DRAINAGE, $190 MILLION IN AIRPORT AND FACILITY WORK. AND WE'LL GO INTO GREATER DETAIL WITH YOU AT OUR WORK SESSIONS SCHEDULED EACH YEAR. AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE REVIEW OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OUR BUDGETS, UM, AND AS PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED, THE PROJECTS ARE CLOSED AND ANY BALANCES REALLOCATED TO FUNDING, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND, UH, WE DO, WE, WE, WE, WE TRY TO ALIGN, WE DO ALIGN, UH, WHERE THOSE BALANCES ARE COMING FROM TO CATEGORIES YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN. THE TOTAL OF $39 MILLION IS BEING ALLOCATED TO NEW PROJECTS, UM, OR THE CONTINUATION OF SOME EXISTING PROJECTS. 30, A LITTLE OVER $33 MILLION IS COMING FROM, UH, THAT CAPITAL REVIEW AND $5.3 MILLION IS COMING FROM OUR GENERAL FUND. UH, ONE, ONE PROJECT THAT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, IN HERE UNDER THE PARKS AREA IS THAT, UM, SINCE BECOMING CITY MANAGER, UM, THE FOCUS ON, UH, THE HAY STREET PROPERTY, UM, HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE. UM, AND THE CITY, UH, WENT THROUGH A PRETTY ROBUST COMMUNITY, UM, CONVERSATION, UH, LAST FALL TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE VISION IS FOR THAT PROPERTY OFF OF HAY STREET BY THE HAY STREET BRIDGE. UM, THE REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL IN, IN, UH, LAST DECEMBER, UH, PROJECTED, UM, THAT WE NEEDED AT LEAST, UM, TO ALLOCATE $4 MILLION FOR THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PROJECT, OF THAT PARK. UM, I'M RECOMMENDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE, THAT WE, UM, FUND THAT PARK THE 2021 BUDGET AND NOT WAIT FOR THE 2022, UM, BOND PROGRAM. SOME OF YOU'LL RECALL, A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME AGO, IN FEBRUARY, UM, I CREATED A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THE COMMITMENT THAT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET, WE WOULD, UM, MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES, UM, TO HAVE THIS DEPARTMENT. UM, WE'VE MOVED POSITIONS FROM PUBLIC WORKS INTO THIS DEPARTMENT. WE'VE MOVED, UH, SEVERAL POSITIONS THAT ALIGNED WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT REVIEW INTO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. THIS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AS A REMINDER, UM, WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY, PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE SAFETY FUNCTIONS, AND TRA TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT, AND SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN. UM, AND WE HAVE ENGAGED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FILL THIS EXECUTIVE POSITION, UH, GOING FORWARD INTO THE FALL. SO WE'RE MAKING THE NECESSARY CHANGES IN THE 2021 BUDGET TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND, AND THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND FOR THE COUNCIL. OUR HO OUR, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RATE IS AT 16.75%. 7% OF THAT COMES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND 2% GOES TO OUR CONVENTION CENTER, UH, DEBT SERVICE. OUR, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, ALLOCATION, UH, YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, 35% TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, 15% TO ARTS, 15% TO HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, AND 35% TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO. NEXT SLIDE. IN TERMS OF REVENUE, THIS IS ONE OF OUR AREAS OF BUSINESS THAT, UM, UH, THE STAFF MONITORS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. UM, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, THIS AREA OF OUR BUSINESS, UM, UM, UH, WORSEN AS THE GONE ON, UM, AND HAVE, UM, A PRETTY DRASTIC IMPACT ON OUR REVENUES. YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, UM, IN 2019, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE WE COLLECTED THROUGH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE CONVENTION CENTER REVENUE AND ALAMO DOME REVENUE WAS $126 MILLION. OUR FY 2020 BUDGET WAS AT 120, A LITTLE OVER $129 MILLION EARLIER THIS YEAR. WE REVISED THAT ESTIMATE AND REDUCED IT BY $60 MILLION TO $69 MILLION. AND IN FY 21, WE ARE ESTIMATING $78 MILLION, UH, BETWEEN THOSE THREE MAIN REVENUE SOURCES IN THAT FUND. THAT'S A DECREASE OF $51 MILLION FROM THE F Y 2020 BUDGET. IN TERMS OF OUR DEPARTMENTS [01:05:01] THAT ARE SUPPORTED, UH, BY THAT FUND, UM, OUR CONVENTION CENTER, ALAMO DOME ARTS AND CULTURE, OUR CONTRACT WITH BUSINESS SAN ANTONIO, AND HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, WHICH IS THE TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR DOWNTOWN OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, ALL HAVE SEEN, UM, A LITTLE OVER 30. WE'LL SEE A 30, A LITTLE OVER $36 MILLION WORTH OF REDUCTIONS GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, INTO 2021, I THINK I'VE SHARED WITH SOME OF YOU THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR VERY CLOSELY, UM, AND, UH, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF NECESSARY. UM, I WANT TO THANK PATRICIA AND DEBBIE FOR THEIR WORK OVER THE SUMMER. UM, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN, UH, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, BUT THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WORKING WITH CARLOS AND LORI TO, UH, PROVIDE A GOOD, WELL-ROUNDED PLAN THAT ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN STRUCTURE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THIS SLIDE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT MEANS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THOSE AREAS. THE FFY 2020 BUDGET HAD 369 EMPLOYEES IN THAT, UM, FUND, UH, IN F Y 2021. UH, WE WILL ONLY, I AM PROPOSING TO ONLY FILL 157 POSITIONS IN 2021. UM, A BIG CHANGE. UM, LEMME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FURLOUGHED EMPLOYEES, UM, FROM OUR HOT FUND. WE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL MEMO IN JULY, UM, AND YOU'LL RECALL 266 EMPLOYEES WERE FURLOUGHED IN APRIL. UM, A LITTLE OVER 90 OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WERE RECALLED. UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SOME IN MAY, A PORTION IN JUNE. WE STILL HAD 170 OVER 170 EMPLOYEES THAT WERE STILL OUT. UM, MANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES, UH, WERE ELIGIBLE FOR MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE AND BUMPING RIGHTS. UH, AFTER THE JULY 31ST DEADLINE OF THE $600 A WEEK, FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT EXPIRED. UH, OUR HR DEPARTMENT AND MANY, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WORKED REALLY HARD TO ACCOMMODATE AND OFFER POSITIONS. WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER POSITIONS TO THOSE OVER 170 EMPLOYEES SIMILAR POSITIONS TO WHAT THEY HAD NOW, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DEPART THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. I KNOW SOME OF THEM MAY RETIRE, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US, IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO. UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE BACK, AS BUSINESS PICKS UP, WE WILL MAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO THOSE EMPLOYEES. I WANTED TO THANK THE DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, UH, AND OUR HR DEPARTMENT, LORI AND CRYSTAL, AND WANDA AND RENEE, UH, FOR REALLY WORKING ON A PRETTY ROBUST PLAN TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE. ARTS AND CULTURAL FUNDING, UH, ANOTHER PRIORITY THAT I HEARD IN JUNE FROM THE COUNCIL, UM, THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION, YOU'LL SEE ON THE SIDE BY SIDE CHART COMPARISON OF THE 2020 BUDGET IN OUR 2021 PROPOSED BUDGET. IT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT. UM, IN TERMS OF COMPONENT AND MAKEUP, WE WORKED HARD TO TRY TO MATCH UP THE OVERALL INVESTMENT, UM, SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, $700,000 FROM OUR PUBLIC ART SAN ANTONIO PROGRAM AND OUR CAPITAL BUDGET, $1.7 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND, UH, ONE-TIME SUPPORT PRIMARILY FROM THE SAVINGS WE RECEIVE FROM THE ECONOMIC, THE ONE-TIME SAVINGS FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE ENGAGED IN THE, IN OUR RESILIENCY PROGRAM. AND THEN THE $2.6 MILLION THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED WITHIN OUR RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS AND ART AGENCIES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT PROCESS IS GOING UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. UM, SO WE WORKED HARD TO BALANCE THAT STILL AT 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN TERMS OF, UH, FUNDING GOING FORWARD. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED 19 CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL ARTIST INCLUSION. UM, THEY'RE AT THE APPROPRIATE POINT WHERE, UM, DEBBIE AND RAZZIE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO, UM, WILL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE ARTISTS WITHIN THOSE SOLICITATIONS. AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, DURING, UH, DEBBIE'S PRESENTATION. IN TERMS OF THE AIRPORT, WE'VE UPDATED THIS SLIDE. [01:10:01] UH, JUST FOR REFERENCE, WE SAW 10.4 MILLION PASSENGERS GO THROUGH THE AIRPORT IN FFY 2019. UM, WE'RE EXPECTING 5.3 MILLION TO GO THROUGH THE BUILDING IN F Y 2020. THAT'S A 49% DECREASE FROM, UH, THE YEAR FOR 2019. AND GOING FORWARD, IT IS A 2021 4.7 MILLION, UM, PASSENGERS, A 11% DECREASE FROM 2020. UM, ACTIVITY IS, UH, SLOWLY, UH, PICKING UP AT THE AIRPORT. UM, I KNOW JESUS AND HIS TEAM, I'VE SEEN THE, THE REPORT HE GETS ON A DAILY BASIS THAT CHECKS AND SS BOTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT AT AIRPORTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, NATIONWIDE AND SS ARE DOWN 70%. AND, UH, WE ARE AT, UH, BETWEEN 65 AND 68%. UH, THE AIRPORT NEXT YEAR IS PROJECTING REVENUE LOSS OF ALMOST $34 MILLION IN THE 2021 BUDGET. SO WE ARE HAVING TO SPEND LESS IN OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AREA, UM, REDUCE OUR OPERATING EXPENSES AND USE SOME OF OUR RESERVE FUNDING. YOU'LL RECALL THAT WITH THE, UH, THE CARES ACT FUNDING THAT THE AIRPORT GOT DIRECTLY AND B RECESSION PRESENTATION THAT JESUS PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL IN JUNE, WE'RE UTILIZING THAT MONEY OVER A 36 MONTH PERIOD IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD SOLID FINANCIAL PLAN GOING FORWARD. UH, IN THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, IT'S OUR $35 MILLION A YEAR ENTERPRISE FUND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH OUR DEVELOP WITH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN THE CITY. UM, AND F Y 2020, UM, PERMITS ARE FROM F Y 2020 PERMITS ARE ANTICIPATED TO DECREASE BY 13, 1.1% RESIDENTIAL AND 27.1% FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS. MIKE AND ROD AND THEIR TEAMS HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. WE ARE EXPECTING FURTHER REDUCTIONS IN 2021 IN TERMS OF THAT ACTIVITY. A 10% DECREASE IN RESIDENTIAL AND A 10%, UH, DECREASE IN COMMERCIAL. UM, WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IS THAT FINANCING FOR NEW PROJECTS MAY BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT, SO WE'RE HAVING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT TO THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, AS WE START TO SEE A SLOW DOWN ON NEW GROWTH AND NEW DEVELOPMENT, THAT ULTIMATELY WILL ALSO IMPACT OUR TAXABLE VALUES AND THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT GROWTH THAT WE MAY EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 24 MONTHS. SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS AND THE ACTIVITY AND ANY ENSUING IMPACTS. THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, FUND IS PROJECTING TO DEAL WITH A $3 MILLION REVENUE LOSS IN 2021, AND WE ARE HOLDING POSITIONS VACANT IN THAT AREA, REDUCING SOME OPERATING EXPENSES, AND USING A PORTION OF OUR RESERVE FUNDING. I, I'VE TALKED ABOUT ELEMENTS OF ALL OF THIS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, BUT JUST TO RECAP WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES. UH, FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, THERE ARE NO LAYOFFS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UM, BUT THERE ARE ALSO NO PAY INCREASES, NO COST OF LIVING, NO PERFORMANCE PAY, NO STEP PAY INCREASES, OR ANY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE. AND I AM PROPOSING THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT FURLOUGH DAYS IN OUR F Y 22 PLAN. IN TERMS OF OUR UNIFORM EMPLOYEES, UM, THERE ARE INCREASES IN PAY THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE POLICE ARE SCHEDULED TO GET A 5% PAY INCREASE IN 2021. OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE A 2% SALARY INCREASE AND A 1% LUMP SUM PAYMENT IN JANUARY OF 2021. IN TERMS OF OTHER BENEFITS, UM, AND CIVILIAN HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, UM, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS NO CHANGES TO HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR CIVILIANS. I WANT TO THANK THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DILIGENT WORKING WITH US, UH, AND THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO MANAGE OUR EXPENSES. THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES, UH, RECOMMEND A 10% REDUCTION IN HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR CIVILIANS, UH, GOING FORWARD TO HELP OFFSET THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NO PAY ADJUSTMENTS, UH, FOR CIVILIANS IN 2021. ANOTHER AREA, UM, UM, THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE CITY HAS 13 PAID HOLIDAYS [01:15:01] EVERY YEAR, AND TWO OF THOSE PAID HOLIDAYS ARE, UH, GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS WINTER HOLIDAYS. UM, I'M, I'M RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL TO INCLUDE WITHIN OUR HOLIDAY SCHEDULE GOING FORWARD, THE RECOGNITION OF JUNE 19TH, UH, AS ONE OF OUR CITY'S, UH, 13 PAID HOLIDAYS, AND CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE, UH, THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT AND THE IMPACT IT'S HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY, UH, GOING FORWARD. SO THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. UH, AND WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF BUDGET WORK SESSIONS THAT ARE SCHEDULED OUT, UM, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16TH. UM, WE ARE WORKING ON A VERY DIFFERENT LOOKING COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS, AND I THINK SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY FIND EXCITING. I KNOW I DID. UM, WE'RE HAVING TO DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. THE GOAL BEFORE WAS TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE OUT TO OUR EVENTS AS POSSIBLE, AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO DO THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA. WE, I WILL MISS THE TRADER'S VILLAGE, UH, EVENT AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT WAS A GOOD EVENT. UH, WE ALSO HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS. THE CLERK READ THE CAPTION, UH, ONE ON SEPTEMBER 2ND AND ONE ON SEPTEMBER 10TH WITH BUDGET ADOPTION SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 17TH. THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION TOPICS, UH, PROPOSED TOPICS. WE WILL KICK IT OFF NEXT TUESDAY WITH THAT, UH, COVID 19 UPDATE AND GENERAL FUND BUDGET. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE RECOVERY RESILIENCY PROGRAM AND WHERE WE'RE AT WITH ALL OF OUR FEDERAL SPENDING. UM, NEXT, UH, THE NEXT DAY, AUGUST 12TH, UH, WILL BE, UH, FOCUSED ALL ON POLICE. UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE DISCUSSION WILL BE, UH, A DISCUSSION FOR THE COUNCIL TO HAVE ON THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESOLUTION THAT WAS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA AT THE END OF JUNE, UM, THE COLLECT. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. WE WILL ALSO HAVE A REPORT OUT IN CONVERSATION, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL AND STAFF ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY LISTENING SESSIONS, AND THEN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. SO ALL FOCUSED ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THEN YOU SEE WE'VE COPIED MANY OF OUR, UH, LARGE TOPICAL AREAS SCHEDULED OUT. UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING ON THIS LIST THAT, UH, OR YOU DON'T SEE SOMETHING ON THIS LIST THAT YOU WANT TO SEE, UH, WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE BUILT IN SOME FLEXIBILITY IN OUR SCHEDULE, AND WE CAN ALSO CERTAINLY ADD ADDITIONAL WORK SESSIONS. UM, SO PLEASE LET, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. WE CONTINUE TO STRESS THE TRANSPARENCY OF OUR BUDGET. UM, I AM, UH, PLEASED THAT, UH, PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE HAVE HAVE ACCESSED, UH, OPENGOV, WHICH IS OUR FINANCIAL ONLINE FINANCIAL TOOL TO SEE THE DETAILS OF OUR BUDGET. UH, MORE SO IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS THAN PROBABLY THE, UH, SINCE IT'S BEEN ONLINE, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET DOCUMENT AND ALL THE INFORMATION AND OPENGOV ARE ALL AVAILABLE ONLINE RIGHT NOW TO, FOR REVIEW BY THE PUBLIC AS OF THIS MORNING. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO, UH, USE THOSE TOOLS, UM, TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED BUDGET. SO IN SUMMARY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, THERE, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, STILL REMAINS A FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY, UM, GOING INTO F Y 21. UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, STRONGLY MANAGE OUR FINANCES AS WE GO FORWARD. UH, THE CITY WAS, UM, REAFFIRMED OUR BOND RATINGS WERE REAFFIRMED AGAIN IN MID-JULY. UM, AND I THINK IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAINTAIN, UM, A POSITION OF MANAGING, MONITORING AND ADJUSTING ACCORDINGLY OF CONDITIONS WARRANT. THE SOONER WE DEAL WITH ISSUES FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE BETTER OFF WE'LL BE. AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DID IN THE SPRINGTIME TO REBALANCE OUR BUDGETS ORGANIZATIONAL WIDE, UM, UM, MADE, UH, COULD'VE, UH, IF HAD WE NOT DONE THAT WOULD'VE MADE, UH, THE WORK THIS SUMMER A LOT HARDER. UM, AND, AND I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION OF THAT AND THAT EARLY, THOSE EARLY ADJUSTMENTS WE MADE. BUT WE WILL CONTINUE, UH, TO FOCUS AS AN ORGANIZATION ON THE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY PROGRAMS. UM, YOU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALEX, MICHAEL, UH, SOCHI, UM, VETO, EDWARD, UH, IAN AT NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, METRO HEALTH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, CHIEF HOOD, AND HIS TEAM, UM, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES ARE ALL, AND HUMAN SERVICES ARE ALL REALLY FOCUSED ON THE RECOVERY PROGRAMS. [01:20:01] AND, UH, THAT WILL BE, UH, OUR TOP PRIORITY GOING INTO 2021, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE IF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IT. UM, AND WE HAVE THE FUNDS THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO IT, AND IT'LL BE INCUMBENT UPON US TO DELIVER UPON THAT. THE CITY TEAM ION COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY. IT CERTAINLY IS IMPORTANT TO, TO ME, AND I KNOW THE REST OF THE CITY TEAM. UM, I'D LIKE TO, UM, THANK, UH, THE ENTIRE CITY TEAM FOR THEIR WORK OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS. THIS WAS A PROPOSED BUDGET PROCESS LIKE NO OTHER. UM, AND I SUSPECT OVER THE NEXT 45 DAYS AS WE WORK THROUGH THE WORK SESSIONS WITH COUNCIL, IT WILL BE DIFFERENT. UM, STILL, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE THE PROFESSIONALISM AND WORK OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EXECUTIVES AND ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE TO LEAD THEIR DEPARTMENTS. UM, I WANT TO THANK THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR DILIGENT WORK, UM, AND FOCUS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, IN PARTICULAR, THE MONTH OF JULY, AND KEEPING AN EYE ON, UH, WHAT THE WORK PLAN IS GOING FORWARD. I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UH, MARIA GOMEZ AND BEN GORD, WHO, UM, ARE, UH, CRITICAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN AND PROVIDE, UM, A BALANCED APPROACH. AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, SCOTT AND JUSTINA AND THE REST OF THE BUDGET STAFF WHO, UM, HAD A VERY DIFFERENT, UH, WORK ENVIRONMENT THIS SUMMER, BUT PROBABLY DIDN'T WORK ANY, PROBABLY WORKED JUST AS HARD, IF NOT HARDER. UM, AND THE TEAM DID A GREAT JOB, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY, UH, GOING FORWARD. SO WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, ERIC. UM, AND, UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, WE ARE NOW OUR CLOSE BUDGET. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS AND THEN, UM, WORK TOWARDS OUR FINAL RATIFICATION. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, TO OUR CITY STAFF. WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON THIS. UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE SCOTT SENGE, WHO IS OUR, UH, NEW BUDGET DIRECTOR, UH, WHO PROBABLY ENTERED THIS, UM, JOB AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME FOR SOMEONE TRYING TO CREATE A BUDGET, UH, IN A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. SO THANK YOU SCOTT. UH, JUSTINA, BEN, UH, MARIA, UH, ERIC. UM, I'M LEAVING OUT MANY, MANY FOLKS, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK, UH, IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. UM, WE DO HAVE MANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CONNECTED. WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH MOST OF 'EM, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THROUGHOUT. UH, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START CALLING FOLKS, UM, BY ORDER THAT THEY SIGNED UP. EVERYONE WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. I'LL CALL THE FIRST NAME ON THE LIST, FOLLOWED BY THE NAME, UM, OF THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED. UH, WE'LL BEGIN WITH JAN FLORES, FOLLOWED BY MARLON DAVIS. OKAY, MS. FLORES, HE'S UNMUTED. YEAH. FLORES, WE HAVE YOU CONNECTED. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE TO MARLON DAVIS AND MR. DAVIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY STEVEN LUCKEY. IS MARLON DAVIS THERE? UNMUTE MR. DAVIS, YOU ARE CONNECTED AND UNMUTED. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE TO STEVEN. LUCKY, MR. STEVEN LUCKY. HANG ON ONE SECOND WHILE WE WORK THIS, WORK THIS OUT. ONE SECOND. I CAN'T HEAR. [01:25:16] I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. WE'LL TRY 'EM AGAIN. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA READ THROUGH THIS LIST AGAIN. UH, WE HAVE FOLKS CONNECTED IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE UNMUTED. FIRST, UH, SPEAKER SIGNED UP IS JAN FLORES. MS. FLORES, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? ALRIGHT. MARLON DAVIS, STEVEN, LUCKY, CELESTE BROWN CLARK. KATIE, MEA. ALL RIGHT, ONE SECOND. WE'RE HAVING, UH, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS CONNECTION HERE. ONE SECOND. I KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING, YOUR HONOR. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S, THERE'S A A, THERE'S A CONNECTION ERROR HERE, SO I KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE WAITING TO SPEAK. UH, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY THIS AGAIN. UM, MS. WILSON, UH, JANNI FLORES, WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO GET YOU ON THE LINE RIGHT NOW. SO HANG TIGHT. WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I DUNNO, WHAT ELSE? APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE'RE GONNA CONNECT WITH Y'ALL IN JUST A MINUTE. MAY I SUGGEST THAT, UH, WE OFFER A A, A PHONE CALL IN IF, IF, UH, IF POSSIBLE, ONE SEC. OKAY. UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UM, CELESTE BROWN, WHO WE CAN CONNECT WITH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, UH, TRY TO PASS THIS TOGETHER HERE. UH, BUT CELESTE BROWN, UH, WILL BE FIRST. UH, CELESTE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. GO AHEAD YOUR TIME. MARY. COUNSEL. UM, SO I, I JUST FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT WE BEGAN THIS CONVERSATION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET BY SPEAKING ON EQUITY AND JUSTICE, UM, AND THE SENSE OF EMBEDDING EQUITY. UM, BUT TO ME, SPENDING $19.3 MILLION ON HEALTHCARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, SPENDING $14.9 MILLION ON HOUSING IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FACED WITH A WAIVER EVICTION AND [01:30:01] SPENDING JUST $24.1 MILLION ON HUMAN SERVICES, WHILE THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED AN $8 MILLION INCREASE BASED ON THIS PROPOSAL, DOESN'T QUITE SOUND LIKE EQUITY ME WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME OF THE INCREASE COMES FROM , UH, C B A, UH, REQUIREMENTS. UH, THE OTHER PART OF THAT HERE, RIGHT, IS THE FACT THAT, UM, THERE'S $96 MILLION THAT IS NOT TIED TO THEA CONTRACT. THERE'S $96 MILLION THAT IS NOT TIED TO THE C B A AND FRANKLY, UM, I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL AS THOUGH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IS A SLAP IN THE FACE, NOT ONLY TO THE HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZERS THAT FOLKS HAVE ENGAGED WITH, BUT TO THE CITY AND SAN ANTONIO, AND HOW WE ARE ADDRESSING THE PUBLIC CRISIS THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. THAT IS BOTH COVID AS WELL AS BASED. AND SO I'M STRONGLY URGING CITY COUNCIL TO PUSH BACK. THIS IS NOT OKAY. I ALSO ADVISE SAN ANTONIO, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO TAKE NOTE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF GREG KHAW, AS WELL AS MAYOR ADLER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BECAUSE THEY ARE HEARING THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY'RE HEARING THE PAIN OF THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY'RE ACTING ACCORDINGLY TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT PREVENT ISSUES LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE. UM, BEYOND THAT, THE, THE NEXT ONE THAT I WANTED TO MENTION THAT ALSO SEEMED KIND OF, UH, PROBLEMATIC IS THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION WHEN THE REALITY IS, UM, IS THAT IMPLIES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE A, INHERENTLY VIOLENT TO BEGIN WITH. AND B, IT IGNORES THE FACT THAT IF WE MORE ADEQUATELY FUNDED OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT WOULD BE WRAPAROUND AND, AND SUPPORTIVE, UM, OF ENSURING OUR COMMUNITIES AREN'T CRIMINALIZED IN THE FIRST PLACE, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR SERVICES LIKE THAT. BEYOND THAT, I'D LIKE ALSO LIKE TO MENTION TO THE FACT THAT 25 NEW OFFICERS, UM, ARE BEING HIRED TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT SAY THAT, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE PROBLEM THAT IS, IS VERY, VERY MUCH SO ALL TOO COMMON. S A AS YOU ALL I'M SURE SAW ON THE NEWS, UM, THERE AN 18 YEAR VETERAN THAT ULTIMATELY RAPED A WOMAN. AND SO, UM, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AS WELL WHEN, LIKE HISTORICALLY, THERE'S, THERE'S TONS OF DATA ACROSS THE NATION THAT SHOWS THAT SOME OF THE MOST DOMESTICALLY VIOLENT PEOPLE WITHIN SOCIETY ARE POLICE OFFICERS. THIS JUST SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY TONE DEAF, EXTREMELY UNACCEPTABLE. UM, AND SO I'M STRONGLY URGING YOU TO TAKE NOTE OF THIS AND TO ACTUALLY HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE, UH, WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE YES, I KNOW ERIC LIKENED THE 2.1 MILLION CALLS TO 9 1 1 SHOWING DIVERSITY AND THOUGHT. BUT ONE THING WE CAN ALL AGREE ON IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS SUPPORT RIGHT NOW IN THE TIME OF COVID, AND WE ARE NOT RECEIVING THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MS. BROWN, I THINK WE HAVE THE WEBEX FIXED NOW, SO WE CAN GO TO, UM, FLORES. MS. FLORES, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARLON DAVIS. HELLO SPEAKING. HEAR YOU MS. FLO. WE CAN HEAR YOU OKAY. UM, AM I GOOD TO GO? OKAY. AWESOME. UM, HI, MY NAME IS JANET TORRES. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE, AND I WANNA URGE CITY COUNCIL MAYOR RON NUREMBERG TO REALLOCATE MONEY FROM THE OVER INFL POLICE BUDGET TO HELP CARE HOUSING AND EDUCATION. THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, NEARLY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS CAN BE USED TO FURTHER INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND BEYOND. IN THE MIDST OF A MONTH LONG MONTH PLUS LONG C 19 PEAK, IT IS CRITICAL AND IN THE EVE OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RETURNING TO TO SCHOOL, WE NEED A CITY THAT WORKS FOR US. WE NEED INVESTMENT IN FREE HEALTHCARE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION. AS YOU ALL KNOW, SAN ANTONIO'S RACIST POLICE HAS WORKED AGAINST THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEIR OFFICERS HAVE COMMITTED ABUSE AND MURDER AGAINST THE PUBLIC AND HAVE BEEN PROTECTED BY YOU, BY YOUR IN ACTION. S A P D'S BUDGET MUST BE REALLOCATED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE. WE HAVE TO INVEST IN EACH OTHER. INVESTING IN THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE YOUR MAIN PRIORITY TODAY AND ALWAYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. FLORES. MARLON DAVIS. MR. DAVIS, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY STEVEN LUCKY. WONDERFUL. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? UM, WE CAN HEAR YOU. I THINK THAT PERFECT. I THINK OUR RECENT RECONNECTION WITH THE INTERNET IS A PRETTY, PRESENTS A PRETTY STRONG CASE AS TO WHY WE SHOULD PROBABLY DISINVEST SOME OF THAT MONEY POLICING AND ON THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT TO THE POINT, CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH JUST SAID THAT HE WANTS SAN ANTONIO TO BE DELIBERATE ABOUT THIS APPROACH, BUT THERE'S NOTHING DELIBERATE ABOUT THE SAME BUSINESS AS USUAL APPROACH THAT MADE SAN ANTONIO THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY IN THE NATION. OVER 300 PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS AGENDA ALONE, SPECIFICALLY CALLED FOR REALLOCATING THE POLICE BUDGET INTO COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION AND HOUSING. AND INSTEAD OF HEARING THAT AS THE PILLAR OF INPUT MIGHT SUGGEST, WE ARE ARE PRESENTED WITH A BUDGET THAT INCREASES FUNDING FOR POLICE. AND THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE [01:35:01] IF WE ARE FORESHADOWING BUDGET CUTS OF 110 MILLION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, HOW DO WE HAVE MONEY TO GIVE POLICE A RAISE? AND WHAT RESEARCH VALIDATES THAT DOING SO WILL HAVE ANY POSITIVE EFFECT ON PUBLIC SAFETY TO THAT POINT, WHY ARE THESE SAME RAISES NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FOOD BANKS THAT SUSTAINED US THROUGH THIS CRISIS? WHY IS THIS FUNDING NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR TEACHERS AS HAZARD PAY, OR BETTER YET INVESTED DIRECTLY INTO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND FAMILIES TO SUPPORT A PLAN THAT KEEPS THEM OUT OF CLASSROOMS? THIS FALL, CITY MANAGER WALSH, WANTS TO WAIT UNTIL 2021 BEFORE WE REALLOCATE POLICE SPENDING. BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME IN-PERSON CLASSES COULD VERY WELL BE A DEATH SENTENCE. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE SEEN NO RECOVERY FROM COVID AND THE RECESSION IT BRINGS. AND NOW WITH THE EXPIRATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE EVICTION MORATORIUM, WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF CRISIS. WE NEED ACTION NOW. WE NEED FLEXIBILITY TO THESE. WE NEED THE FLEXIBILITY OF THESE GENERAL FUNDS. AND NOW, AND THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT ADEQUATELY REFLECT THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT AND THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WHEN WE STRUCTURE THE BUDGET IN THIS WAY, 480 MILLION FOR POLICING AND ONLY 58 MILLION IS SPLIT BETWEEN HEALTH, HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMBINED. WE CREATE THE INEQUALITY AND WE SET UP POOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THOSE UNDERFUNDED SERVICES TO BE CRIMINALIZED AND BRUTALIZED BY OUR POLICE FORCE. I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGER IS ALSO MISTAKEN. AS HE SAID EARLIER IN THIS PRESENTATION, THAT SCRUTINY AND CALL TO ACTION FOR POLICE REFORM IS RECENT. AN ANTHONY SCOTT WAS KILLED BY POLICE IN 2016. MARQUIS JONES WAS KILLED BY POLICE IN 2018, AND CHARLES ROUNDTREE WAS ALSO KILLED BY POLICE IN 2018. IN EACH OF THESE INSTANCES AND WELL BEFORE THEM, THERE WERE ORGANIZED EFFORTS TO SEEK JUSTICE. AND THIS IS NO DIFFERENT. IT'S ONLY IN AN ECONOMIC SENSE, BUT WHAT IS NEW IS THE PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT OF CITY MANAGER. AND IN THE PAST WHEN MR. WALSH WAS HEAD OF THE POLICE AS AS FIRE AND SAFETY, HIS PREDECESSOR, CHERYL SCULLY, MADE A PRACTICE OF TELLING EACH CITY DEPARTMENT TO PREPARE VERSIONS OF THEIR BUDGETS WITH 5% CUTS. WHY WAS THAT PRACTICE NOT INSTITUTED HERE? WHY INSTEAD ARE WE ENCOURAGING GREATER SPENDING IN A DEPARTMENT THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A DOCUMENTED INTEREST IN SEEING REALLOCATED AS SOMEONE WHO ORGANIZED TO SEE IT HAPPEN? I'M GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE HAY STREET BRIDGE PARK, BUT I'M AGAIN CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE'S SUCH A LIBERTY TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS THERE AND SLOW DOWN CONVERSATIONS AROUND POLICE BUDGET, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE THIS CONVERSATION OF BUDGET REALLOCATION IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY STARTED WITH MAYOR BERG'S EQUITY LENS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT EACH DISTRICT IS NOT FAIRLY FUNDED, ONLY TOOK STEPS TO SOLVE IT. DEFUNDING THE POLICE TO ADDRESS THE INEQUALITY IS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE WAY OF ADDRESSING THAT REFORM BECAUSE IT DOES SO AT THE ROOT, IF WE DEFUND THE POLICE, WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO ACCESS ABOUT 18% OF THEIR BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT $96 MILLION. UM, AND IF YOU LIKE ME, ARE SOMEONE THAT IS DISAPPOINTED BY CITY MANAGER WALSH'S CURRENT PROPOSAL, THEN PLEASE JOIN US@DEFUNDCOALITIONSA.ORG. AGAIN, THAT'S DEFUND COALITION SA.ORG. THANK YOU MR. DAVIS. STEVEN LUCKY. YES. UH, STEVEN LUCKY IF YOU'RE THERE, UH, I THINK WE CAN HEAR YOU. YOU'LL BE BE FOLLOWED BY LEAH WILSON, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. I KNOW THAT WITH, UH, THIS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION'S BEEN DIFFICULT, I DO THINK WE NEED TO FIND SOME BEST SOLUTIONS. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW THESE ARE TRYING TIMES, UH, WITH THE PANDEMIC AND WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THAT'S OCCURRING RIGHT NOW. AND WE KNOW WE NEED MORE FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, FOR HEALTHCARE, FOR YOUTH PROGRAMMING, FOR HOMELESSNESS AND OTHER HUMAN SERVICES. AND I, A LOT OF US BELIEVE THAT MONEY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN BE USED FOR THAT. UM, TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY FUNDING THE LOCAL SYSTEM AS A PART OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH JUSTICE. UH, SPECIFICALLY THE GOALS LISTED IN THE ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN THAT WERE PASSED IN 2016 AND CLIMATE AND ACTION PLAN PASSED IN THOUSAND 19. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, COUNCIL COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE CONSISTENTLY AGREED THAT OUR FOOD SYSTEM IS A PRIORITY. WITH THAT SAID, NOT MUCH FUNDING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS THESE GOALS. UM, WHILE FOOD INSECURITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE WITHIN OUR REGION, COVID 19 HAS ONLY EXACERBATED THE SYSTEM THAT KEEPS PEOPLE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF NOT HAVING ACCESS HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS. OUR MAIN COUNCIL FOR PILOTING ONE OF THE GOALS, WHICH WAS THE HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE. UH, BUT WHEN WILL THE REST OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL STEP UP? UM, I'M CURRENTLY WORKING WITH COALITION TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL OF $1 MILLION TO TRULY TAKE STEPS TOWARDS A FOOD JUST AND FOOD SOVEREIGN CITY. IF OUR COUNTERPARTS UP THE STREET, AUSTIN CAN DO IT AND SO CAN WE. ALRIGHT, I PLEASE ASK YOU TO JOIN ME AND ALL OF US IN AGREEING GOALS THAT WERE ESSAY TOMORROW AND THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION ACTION PLAN. I'LL LIST A FEW OF THOSE. ENHANCE AND EXPAND EXISTING FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM INITIATIVES. EDUCATE AND ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO PURCHASE HEALTHY FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMERS MARKET IMPLEMENT CORNER STORE INITIATIVE, PRODUCE FRESH FOOD, CIRCULATORS AND MOBILE VENDORS AND NEIGHBORHOODS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO FRESH FOOD. DEVELOP A STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT FUND AND HIRE A FOOD POLICY COORDINATOR. EXPAND THE NUMBER AND FREQUENCY [01:40:01] OF FARMERS' MARKETS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO. PILOT A PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES INCENTIVES AND RESOURCES TO FACILITATE URBAN AGRICULTURAL TREAT FROM VACANT, CAN UNDERUTILIZED LAND, AND DEVELOP AN URBAN AGRICULTURE TRAINING PROGRAM TO TRAIN NEW URBAN FARMERS AND CREATE BUSINESS PRACTICES. I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE BENEFITS TO THE ECONOMY, TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY OF HAVING GOOD, HEALTHY FOOD. AND WE KNOW THAT HEALTH IS PRIORITY FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. LUCKY LEAH WILSON. MS. WILSON? YES. THANK YOU. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY EBOT, UH, FALCON. I HAVE. THANK YOU. UM, I STRENUOUSLY AGREE WITH ALL THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS THAT THIS BLOATED POLICE BUDGET IS UNACCEPTABLE. YOU SAY THAT YOU'VE HEARD OUR CALLS TO DEFUND THE POLICE, AND YET INSTEAD, YOU'VE DONE THE OPPOSITE AND EXPANDED THEIR BUDGET ANOTHER YEAR. WHILE YOU HAVE THROWN US BREADCRUMBS OF EXPANDING EXISTING PROGRAMS, YOU HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY FUNDED THEM, NOR HAVE YOU ADDRESSED THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE VIOLENCE HERE IN OUR CITY THAT YOU FEEL WOULD NECESSITATE A CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE POLICE FORCE. WE KNOW THAT POVERTY IS DIRECTLY THE MOST OBVIOUS DRIVER OF VIOLENCE. IF VIOLENCE IS WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, THEN YOU NEED TO REALLOCATE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE POLICE BUDGET INTO HOUSING, INTO EDUCATION, INTO HEALTHCARE, INTO COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP THOSE OF US IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE MOST MARGINALIZED. UM, WITH, WITH COVID, AS PART OF OUR LIFE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, WE ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE POVERTY AND OUR COMMUNITIES. THERE IS HOUSING INSECURITY AND FOOD INSECURITY AND ASTRONOMICAL RATES, AND WE'RE ONLY GOING TO SEE THE EXPANSION OF THAT WITH THE EXPIRATION OF THE ADDITIONAL, UH, $600 A WEEK BENEFIT. AND WITH THE, UH, EXPIRATION OF THE EVICTION MORATORIUM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY HAS DONE VERY LITTLE TO ADDRESS ALL OF THESE VERY URGENT NEEDS. UM, AND INSTEAD IT IS JUST MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO WITH, AS I SAID, BREADCRUMB THROWN TO TRY TO APPEASE US. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. SAN ANTONIO CAN DO BETTER. YOU HAVE EXAMPLES YOU CAN LOOK AT AS MANY PEOPLE PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED AUSTIN, AND TAKE A CUE FROM THEM AND ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HERE SPEAKING OUT, ASKING YOU TO PLEASE DEFUND THE POLICE AND REALLOCATE THOSE RESOURCES INTO EVIDENCE-BASED IN INVESTMENTS THAT WE KNOW WILL PROVE MORE SUCCESSFUL. STATISTICS HAVE SHOWN THAT AS POLICE BUDGETS GROW, THEY DO NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT VIOLENCE OR CRIME RATES IN CITIES AT ALL. WE'VE SEEN THAT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS SINCE THE MILITARIES MILITARIZATION OF THE POLICE IN THE POST NINE 11 ERA, AND IT HASN'T WORKED. WHY WOULD WE CONTINUE TO THROW GOOD MONEY INTO A PROGRAM THAT DOESN'T DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO? TAKE THAT MONEY, REINVEST IT IN A WAY THAT WON'T ACTUALLY DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO AND SUPPORT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. WILSON YVETTE FALCON, FOLLOWED BY FAROH CLARK. YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. UM, MY NAME IS PRONOUNCED YVETTE FALCON. I JUST WANNA SAY I FIND IT FUNNY THAT WE'RE INCREASING OUR POLICE BUDGET AND DISGUISING IT BETW BEHIND HOMELESS OUTREACH, MENTAL HEALTH AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION. I CAN SPEAK FIRSTHAND ON SS A P D'S RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S LAZY, SLOPPY, AND PASSIVE. THE ENVIRONMENT OF VIOLENCE THAT SSS A P D CREATES IS FURTHER PERPETUATED BY THE COUNTLESS PAST AND CURRENT SS A P D OFFICERS WHO HAVE HAD DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTS PUT OUT AGAINST THEM THEMSELVES. WE DON'T NEED ERIC WAL TO TELL US THAT HIS, TELL US ABOUT HIS FOUR PILLARS OF POLICE REFORM WHEN WE'VE ALREADY PROVIDED YOU NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF POLICE VIOLENCE AND PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS. YOU DON'T NEED TO TEACH US ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S MURDERING AND HARASSING OUR CITIZENS. WE, WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO IS DEFUND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN OUR COMMUNITY HOUSING, PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION. LASTLY, I'D LIKE I'M IN DISTRICT TWO AND I'D LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY CALL ON MY COUNCILWOMAN JADA, ANDREW SULLIVAN AND ASK YOU TO STAND WITH US AND DEFUNDING THE POLICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. . UH, WE'LL GO DOWN TO PHARAOH CLARK. YES. UH, YEAH. THIS IS STERL CLARK. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR WITH THE BUDGET, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO STATE THAT THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE, THERE'S MANY MORE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE AND PRODUCED ON THIS BUDGET. I, MYSELF HAVE SAT DOWN AND THOUGHT ABOUT DIFFERENT AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD ADDRESSED FROM THE CITY ON HOW THIS BUDGET PLANS CAN HELP AFFECT [01:45:01] POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO WE CONTINUE TO KEEP GIVING MORE MONEY TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT WHILE NEGLECTING OUR CITIZENS. UM, SO I DEFINITELY, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING IN, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER AS FAR AS WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON THAT ARE CALLED UNREST WITH OUR CITIZENS. AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED THOROUGHLY, BUT I DO HAVE MYSELF PUT TOGETHER SOME, SOME THINGS AND SOME THOUGHTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO YOU GUYS AND, AND SHOW YOU BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH WHAT IT MEANS TO MAKE A BUDGET THAT'S GONNA COMPREHENSIVELY, UM, INCLUDE EVERYONE IS GONNA TAKE CARE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE NEED TAKEN CARE OF. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO REITERATE THAT BANG UP JOB THAT THEY'RE GOING FOR, BUT NOT TO BANG UP JOB THAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND THE CONCERN THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE AND THE CONCERNS THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THIS CURRENT BUDGET. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. CLARK. UM, WE'LL GO NOW TO JACKSON HALL. MR. HALL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY KATIE MERCER. UH, HELLO. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HEY, UH, WHAT'S UP GUYS? I'LL MAKE YOU A PRETTY, UH, SHORT AND SWEET. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS PRETTY MUCH BEEN SAYING, AND IT'S ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. UH, 8 27 $0.7 MILLION TOWARDS POLICE AND FIRE. THAT'S MORE THAN MOST OF US ON THIS GROUND LEVEL. WE'RE MAKING OUR ENTIRE LIVES OUT OF THE WHOLE BUDGET. WHY DO POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS GET THE BIGGEST BITE OF THE PIE? LIKE, IT'S KIND OF, IT'S A LOT. I COULDN'T, I WAS LOOKING IN THE AV ROOM TO WATCH THE MEETING AND I COULDN'T EVEN READ THE OTHER SLICES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SMALL. WHAT IS THAT BUYING? IS IT DOING INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATIONS AND BACKGROUND TRAININGS? MORE TRAINING FOR POLICE, COUNSELING FOR POLICE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, BAD THINGS? UH, I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT MONEY, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF WOULD COST ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS. UH, THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, Y'ALL CITIZENS HAVE BEEN ASKING TO DEFUND THE POLICE FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS AND PROBABLY EVEN BEFORE THEN. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THE POLICE BUDGET GETS INCREASED. THAT'S KIND OF WEIRD. ANYWAYS, I DON'T SPEAK MUCH. SORRY ABOUT THAT. ARGUABLY, MOST OF SAN ANTONIO'S CHERISH COMMUNITY RESOURCES ARE BEING OVERLOOKED AND UNDERFUNDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN OVERLY MILITAR MILITARIZED POLICE FORCE THAT NONE OF US REALLY ASK FOR IT. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T STOP CRIME THAT OFTEN KILLS OUR CITY. IT KILLS OUR CITIZENS SOMETIMES FREQUENT, MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WE'D LIKE TO ADMIT. IT DISRUPTS THE PIECE. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CUT THE FUNDING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OUR CITY NEEDS MORE HEALTHCARE, HOUSING AND EDUCATION AS EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN SAYING AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS MORE THAN WE NEED A SWAT TEAM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UH, MORE THAN WE NEED ALL THESE UNDERCOVER MISSIONS AND DRUG BUSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. GRANTED, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. UM, HONESTLY, LIKE BLATANTLY IGNORING THE OVERWHELMING REQUEST TO REALLOCATE THE BUDGET WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY COUNCIL PLEDGE TO SERVE. AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS THAT I MAYOR CLAIMED TO WOULD FIGHT FORWARD, WOULD KIND OF GO UNNOTICED AT THAT POINT. ALMOST OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER THAN A MILITARIZED POLICE FORCE. I'M SORRY I DON'T TALK VERY WELL, AND MY ENGLISH ISN'T GREAT, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT DAY THAT'S LISTENING AND Y'ALL ALL STAY SAFE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MR. HALL. WE'LL MOVE NOW TO, UM, I'M SORRY. UH, WE'LL GO TO DEANNA REGAS. YES, I'M HERE. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. UH, I'M MORE INTO WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING. DEFUNDING THE POLICE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU. WE GO AHEAD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. DIANNA, GO AHEAD. HELLO. OKAY. I'M MORE INTO, UH, DEFUNDING THE POLICE AND MORE INTO, UH, UH, GIVING MONIES TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, ON EDUCATION, UH, HOUSING AND HEALTH BECAUSE OF THIS COVID. EVERYBODY'S GETTING SICK AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DYING. AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S THE MORE MOST CONCERNED THING RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, AS FAR AS THE COPS, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAD A SHOOTING NEAR, NEAR MY HOUSE ON THE CORNER OF MY HOUSE, [01:50:01] AND THE COPS TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THERE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, LIKE THAT LADY SAID BEFORE ME, YEAH, THERE'S, THEY'RE, UH, NOT DOING THEIR JOB RIGHT. A LOT OF 'EM MIGHT, BUT, UH, THERE'S SOME THAT DO, DO THEIR JOB, BUT, UH, A LOT OF 'EM MIGHT DOING THEIRS. SO WHY DO YOU FUND THEM? I MEAN, WHY FUND THEM? YOU KNOW, MORE MONEY. JUST PUT IT TO BETTER USE AS A TAXPAYER. I'M TELLING, UH, REBECCA , UH, DISTRICT THREE TO GO ALONG WITH US, THE PEOPLE AND YOU, MR. MAYOR, I'M ASKING FOR YOU TO GO WITH THE PEOPLE TOO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS OUR CITY AND, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT NEED MORE, MORE HELP RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE, A LOT OF HOMELESS. UH, WE DROVE AROUND, UH, AND WENT INTO, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND SOME OF THESE LANDLORDS ARE, ARE TAKING OUT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE WINDING UP IN THE STREET. WE PASSED BY THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THERE'S A BRIDGE RIGHT THERE, AND THERE'S PEOPLE THERE, YOU KNOW, AND UNDER THAT BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, TOO, AND IT'S PANTS SPAN, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE LIVING IN THERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT. AND THEN THEY'RE HAVING TO USE A RESTROOM WHERE PEOPLE ARE PASSING BY AND YOU COULD SEE 'EM, YOU KNOW, USE THE RESTROOM AND THE, UH, ALL OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S NOT A NICE THING TO SEE, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO DO THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES LET IN, CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HELLO? YEAH. UH, YEAH, THAT WAS YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISSOURI. I GUESS. OKAY. THANK EITHER WE HAVE KATIE. WE HAVE KATIE MESA NOW ON THE LINE. YES. UM, THEY, UH, MAKE CUTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS $479 MILLION BUDGET, SHIFTING THESE FUNDS INTO SOCIAL SERVICES THAT PREVENT CRIMES AND RESPOND TO MINOR OFFENSES. THE BASED APPROACH IS BEING TAKEN AROUND THE COUNTRY. CURRENTLY, S A P D IS USING 64% OF THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND. EVEN THOUGH OUR CITY HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST POVERTY IN THE COUNTRY AND IS IN GREAT NEED OF OTHER SERVICES, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS BEING ASKED TO DEAL WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PROBLEMS WHICH OTHER PROFESSIONALS ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO SOLVE, INCLUDING ADDICTION, MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. ARREST IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION FOR MANY OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM IT'S CURRENTLY BEING USED, AND IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TO TRANSITION FUNDS TO THE PREVENTION OF AND RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES THROUGH SOCIAL SERVICES SUCH AS HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND HEALTHCARE. SOME HAVE PROPOSED REFORMS SUCH AS CHANGES TO USE OF FORCED PROCEDURES AND REPORTING. HOWEVER, THESE REFORMS HAVE PROVEN INEFFECTIVE AND HAVE FAILED TO PREVENT POLICE FROM KILLING PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY. THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF A FEW BAD APPLES ON THE POLICE FORCE. OUR TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MODEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN INHERENTLY VIOLENT AND RACIST, REGARDLESS OF GOOD INTENTIONS OF LOCAL LEADERS. THIS PROBABLY CANNOT BE SOLVED BY ROOTING OUT INDIVIDUAL RACISM BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US ARE INEVITABLY CONTRIBUTING TO OUR RACIST SYSTEM AS LONG AS IT EXISTS IN ITS CURRENT FORM. THIS CAN BE SHOWN BY THE FACT THAT THE MAYOR PRESENCE OF AN OFFICER IS ALREADY CONSIDERED A STEP ON THE USE OF FORCE CONTINUUM. AND THIS VIOLENCE ALWAYS DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY BLACK COMMUNITIES. UM, SO I ALSO ASK THE CITY REDUCE THE POWER OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION THROUGH THE UPCOMING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS BY MAKING NEGOTIATIONS PUBLIC AND ENSURING MAXIMO PROTECTION TO PREVENT ALL OFFICERS WHO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE FROM STAYING ON OR RETURNING TO THE POLICE FORCE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR ANYWHERE ELSE. AND BANNING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE ASSOCIATION. UM, A WASHINGTON POST STUDY SHOWS THAT 70% OF FIRED SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS WERE REINSTATED BETWEEN 2006 AND 2017 DUE TO THE POLICE CONTRACT ARBITRATION CLAUSE. UNFORTUNATELY, WERE LEADING IN THE NATION IN THOSE NUMBERS. THE CONTRACT ALSO ALLOWS CERTAIN VIOLATIONS TO AUTOMATICALLY DISAPPEAR FROM, UM, OFFICER RECORDS AFTER CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR OFFICERS TO BE FIRED. UM, SO WE, UH, BUT REGARDING THE BUDGET, WE CONTINUE TO POUR MORE MONEY INTO POLICING ACCORDING TO A FALSE NARRATIVE THAT MORE MONEY MEANS A SAFER COMMUNITY. UM, BUT THE COMMUNITY IS ONLY SAFE RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WHITE LIKE ME, OUR BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAN OTHER SAN ANTONIOS OF COLOR LIVE THEIR LIVES AND MORE AND MORE FEAR AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT JUST INCREASE. AND SO, WHILE SOME ARE AFRAID OF WHAT A COMMUNITY WITH MINIMAL [01:55:01] POLICING WOULD LOOK LIKE, IT ACTUALLY ISN'T ALL THAT DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE, BECAUSE IT ALREADY EXISTS TO A SIGNIFICANT EXTENT IN WIDER HIGHER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, WE STILL COULD PROVIDE HELP TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO NEED IT, BUT COULD PREVENT THE ESCALATION BY HAVING PROFESSIONALS OTHER THAN LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPOND IN MANY SITUATIONS. UH, THIS WOULD BE BETTER FOR ALL OF US. I WANNA LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE MY NEIGHBORS CAN ASK FOR HELP AND GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT FEAR, AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASK FOR HELP, UM, FROM A PROFESSIONAL WITHOUT WORRYING THAT I COULD PUT MY NEIGHBORS IN DANGER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. ANTONIO DIAZ? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME OR CAN HEAR YOU? MR. DAVIS? HELLO? WELL, YOU CAN HEAR ME AGAIN. WE ARE GOING BACK WITH THE SAME ISSUES OVER. I WAS LISTENING TO, UH, CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH'S REPORT, AND, UH, THOSE PILLARS ON POLICE FUNCTION ARE JUST NOT, THEY'RE NOT IN PLACE. UH, AND AGAIN, THE CONTINUED, UM, FUNDING IS JUST NOT, NOT APPROPRIATE THIS TIME. WE SEE THAT NATIONWIDE WE'RE HAVING THESE PROTESTS AND STILL CONTINUED VIOLENCE BY MOST OF THE CITY POLICE IN DIFFERENT CITIES. OURS IS NOT AS BAD, I THINK, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME CASES THAT THE DA SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP THAT DIDN'T PICK UP STARTING WITH DA LAHOOD NOW TO, UH, JOE GONZALEZ. AND THEIR RATIONALIZATION OF WHY, OR BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS OR SO FORTH, IS JUST NOT ADEQUATE. IT'S JUST AT THIS TIME, IT'S NOT. WE NEED MORE THAN THAT. AND SO TO CONTINUE FUNDING AND ELEVATING THE FUNDING IS NOT CORRECT. I'VE ASKED THROUGH CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH'S OFFICE FOR A MEETING WITH MYSELF AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS THE CONTRACT AGREEMENT THAT IT WILL BE FORTHCOMING BEGINNING IN, IN JANUARY. AND I'VE YET TO, I, I, I GOT A RESPONSE, BUT NO DATE AS TO A MEETING, UH, SUCH AS TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS THROUGH THIS WEB WEBINAR TYPE OF, UH, SETUP. AND I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY OF THESE ISSUES TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN. UH, IF THEY HAVE CABLE TV, I GUESS THEY CAN SEE WHAT THE AGENDA WOULD BE LIKE, BUT CAN THEY COMMUNICATE IF THEY DON'T HAVE A CELL PHONE OR THEY DON'T HAVE A, A COMPUTER TO CONTACT YOU, THEN IT'S, THIS IS NOT INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE CITIZENS, TO THE STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS ANY OF THESE ISSUES ON THE AGENDA, INCLUDING THE, THE, THE CONTINUED INCREASE OF, UH, POLICE FUNDING IN OUR BUDGET, IN OUR CITY BUDGET, WHEN WE HAVE ALL THESE FORECAST, UH, DOWNFALLS AS FAR AS, UH, INCOME FOR THE BUDGET. SO, UH, WE, WE HAVE MUCH, MUCH TO TALK ABOUT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS COVID SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO, UH, DO THIS TYPE OF MEETINGS WHERE THERE IS LESS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND TO UNDERSTAND, TO HAVE MORE UNDERSTANDING. IT'S JUST LIKE EDUCATION. ALL TEACHERS KEEP SAYING THAT IT'S BETTER TO DO IN-PERSON TEACHING INSTEAD OF THIS ONLINE TEACHING, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE HAVING AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW, ACCESS TO OUR OWN, UH, COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. THANK YOU. MR. DIAZ. WE'RE DOWN TO AMELIA VALDEZ. HELLO? HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, AMELIA. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MAYOR AND, UH, THE COUNCIL FOLKS. UM, I'M HERE ON A, I'M HERE ON THE ZONING CASE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO STATE SOMETHING REAL QUICK BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY, UH, PROBLEMS THAT I HAD JUST COMING IN AND OUT AT 8:30 AM UH, IMAGINE THAT IN DISTRICT FIVE WHERE NOBODY HAS ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, AND I AGREE WITH ANTONIO DIAZ. UH, WE NEED TO WORK ON, ON THIS, UH, DILIGENTLY BECAUSE DISTRICT FIVE INTERNET PROBLEMS, COMPUTERS, NOTHING THAT CAN HELP US IN THIS, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M HERE FOR ANOTHER, UH, UH, UH, PART OF A, OF, OF A REGARDING A ZONING REQUEST. AND, UH, BUT I JUST [02:00:01] WANTED TO SAY THAT OUR ASSOCIATION MADE WITH APPLICANT REGARDING ZONING REQUEST FOR 1 0 7 0 0 7 5, AND MUTUALLY AGREE ON THE FOLLOWING. ONE, THE DENSITY WILL BE A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT DWELLING UNITS ALLOWED UNDER I D Z ONE TWO. THERE WILL BE A MAXIMUM OF FOUR DWELLING UNITS ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF 3 0 3 AND PASO THREE. THERE WILL BE NO SECOND FLOOR ADDITIONS TO THE HISTORICAL STRUCTURE OF 3 0 3 AND PASO BASED ON THESE CONDITIONS THAT WE WERE MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BY THE APPLICANT AND THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE RESIDENT ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS THE SUBMISSION OF A MANDATE SITE PLAN, WHICH REFLECTS THESE CHANGES. THE ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS THE ZONING CASE OF I D Z ONE AND PERMITTED USES IN FM 18 AND NC. SO, UH, OFF THIS, UH, UH, UH, COMMENT ON REZONING, I JUST WANNA CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, AGREE WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT CALLED ON, ON, ON THE OTHER TOPIC. UH, ALSO, THIS IS ALL HAPPENING IN DISTRICT FIVE, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR A LONG TIME, HELPING DISTRICT FIVE MOVE ALONG IN ZONING B SS B, AND WE JUST WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME OF THAT CREDIT, AND WE WORK VERY DILIGENTLY, UH, FOR, UH, UH, FOR THESE KIND OF CASES. SO I APPRECIATE, UH, ALL YOUR, UH, EFFORTS. I HOPE EVERYBODY'S LISTENING AS FAR AS COUNCIL FOLKS, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT FIVE, COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, BECAUSE WE ARE A PART OF THIS VILLAGE. WE DO A LOT OF WORK HERE, AND IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, WE'RE ONE OF THE MOST, UH, FOLKS THAT GET HIT WITH B S B IN DISTRICT FIVE. UH, I HAVE SIX, SIX, UH, ZONING CASES RIGHT NOW, UH, AND IT'S REALLY SAD THAT, UH, WE CAN SEEM TO KEEP UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. VALDEZ. UH, WE HAD YOU SIGNED UP FOR ITEM FOUR, BUT I, I SEE YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEM CONSENT, JUST, UH, FOR THE RECORD. UM, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN NOW, OUR COUNSEL, UH, DISCUSSION, AND WE'LL GO IN ORDER. I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, DELAY IN THE TABLETS AND I'M TRYING TO REFRESH THAT, BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SIGN UP THROUGH THE TABLET, IF YOU CAN, UH, TEXT JOHN IC, HE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU INTO THE QUEUE. I'VE GOT STARTING OUR DISCUSSION. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, UH, THANK YOU ERIC, MARIA SCOTT FOR, FOR ALL YOUR WORK. AND, UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO, UH, MADE THE TIME TO NOT ONLY SPEAK TODAY, BUT SIGN UP IN ADVANCE AND, UH, UM, EXEMPLIFIED SOME TREMENDOUS PATIENCE WITH US AS WE, AS WE WORKED OUT THIS NEW, NEW SYSTEM. SO, UH, HATS OFF TO YOU GUYS, AND HOPE IT'S NOT THE LAST TIME WE HEAR FROM YOU. UM, THIS BUDGET AND THIS BUDGET PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFERENT FROM, UH, WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS HERE AT AT COUNCIL, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT, UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION, WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE REDUCED REVENUES, UM, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND AS SPOKEN BY, BY MANY OF OUR, OUR SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, THE CALL FOR RACIAL JUSTICE THAT WE'RE HEARING LOUD AND CLEAR IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL THANK THE STAFF FOR MAKING AN IMPROVED, UH, AND A GREATER INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH. UH, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TALKED ABOUT, UH, DISTRICT THREE'S, UH, CORNER STORE, HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT WILL BE EXPANDED. UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S, UH, A TREMENDOUS HELP TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND CAN SET THE STAGE FOR IMPROVED HEALTH. IN FACT, EARLIER THIS WEEK, I SPOKE WITH A DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT, UH, WHO, UH, WAS RECOVERING FROM COVID. HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, UH, BUT HE ORIGINALLY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF A FOOT AMPUTATION. UH, SOMEONE WHO HAD EXPERIENCED DIABETES, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I THINK ALL OF US KNOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON, IF NOT MANY, WHO EXPERIENCE, UH, DIABETES. AND WHAT HE ASKED ME WAS THAT WE USE OUR BUDGET TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, HAVING HEALTH, UH, ISSUES RIGHT NOW, UH, DURING COVID. THAT'S WHAT HE WANTED US TO SEE US USE OUR MONEY TOWARD. AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT, UM, MY OFFICE, UH, OPENED A DIALOGUE WITH, UH, A PHYSICIAN IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, WHERE THEY ALSO EXPERIENCE MANY AMPUTATIONS AND [02:05:01] THE HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, AND DR. LISA OCHOA HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO. AND WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME, SOME TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL THREE, THREE BODIES MOVING FORWARD. AND I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT CAN BE SUPPORTED, UH, BY OUR, BY OUR BUDGET. UM, SORRY, MY NOTES ARE VERY LONG HERE, , SO I'LL TRY TO KEEP, UH, GOING. UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE THANK ERIC AND THE TEAM FOR THE SCRUTINY THAT THEY ARE PLACING ON PUBLIC SAFETY AT THIS POINT IN TIME. UH, IT IS, UH, OVERDUE OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE CERTAINLY ASKED OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO TAKE ON MORE DUTIES THAN THEY PROBABLY ORIGINALLY INTENDED. UH, SOMEWHAT. ONE OF THE COUNCIL LEADS WAS TELLING ME THAT OVER THE YEARS, UH, THINGS WOULD COME UP AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SAY, WELL SEND THAT TO POLICE. AND PART OF THE REASON THAT WAS DONE IS BECAUSE, UH, 9 1 1 COUNTS ON THIS DISPATCH SYSTEM, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UH, ANYWHERE ELSE. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE YOUR MULTI-PRONGED, UH, REVIEW, UM, ERIC, AND, AND IT IS TIME, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE TAKING TO HEART WHAT THE POLICE CHIEF HAS TOLD US MANY TIMES, WHICH IS, WE CANNOT ARREST ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS AWAY. WE NEED OTHER METHODS TO BRING PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, YOU COULD SAY WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY WHAT WE CALL OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PORTFOLIO SO THAT WE GET TO THE ROOT CAUSES. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE INCREASED, UM, INVESTMENT IN OTHER TYPES OF APPROACHES THAT DON'T REQUIRE A UNIFORM, THAT DON'T REQUIRE, UH, A WEAPON . UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CONSTITUENTS, THE ACTIVISTS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE. UM, WHAT PEOPLE ULTIMATELY WANT IS A SAFE COMMUNITY, AND THERE ARE DEFINITELY WAYS THAT WE CAN GET THERE. THIS PROPOSED BUDGET DOESN'T MAKE ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND THE ACTIVISTS ARE, ARE ACTING FOR, BUT I THINK IT DOES BEGIN TO SET THE STAGE FOR A, UM, FOR A TRANSFORMATION IN HOW WE DELIVER PUBLIC SAFETY. SO I AM GOING TO REQUEST THAT, UM, THE PLAN, ERIC, THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT FOR US. I'M GOING TO REQUEST A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THAT. NUMBER ONE, WE ALSO NEED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT POLICE IS OPERATING. UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ MADE A REQUEST TO EVALUATE THE MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT PROGRAM AS PART OF YOUR YEAR LONG ASSESSMENT. UH, I WOULD ALSO REQUEST THAT YOU INCLUDE EVALUATION OF ALL THE PROGRAMS, METRICS AND TARGETS, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, BECAUSE WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS, UH, IN WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ENDS UP DOING. I ALSO NOTICED THAT, UM, AND YOU GAVE US A SLIDE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNIFORM PERSONNEL AND NON-UNIFORM PERSONNEL, AND EVERYONE IS BEING ASKED TO HAVE A HIRING FREEZE. EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT, UH, EVEN THE DELEGATE AGENCIES ARE BEING ASKED FOR, UH, TO, TO HOLD THEIR VACANCIES. UH, YET WE DON'T SEE THAT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH A YEAR LONG REVIEW THAT MAY END UP SHIFTING SOME OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. I WONDER IF AT THIS POINT, IT IS WISE TO FILL THE VACANCIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IF AT THE END, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM RETIREES. IF AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE EVALUATION MAY DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY REALLY NEED TO, THAT A CERTAIN TYPE OF FUNCTION NEEDS TO GO TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, UH, UNIFORM PERSONNEL, UH, HAVE A LOT OF PROTECTIONS, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF STAYING ON BOARD AS A, AS A PUBLIC SERVANT. UM, SO I'M GOING TO SAVE MOST OF MY OTHER COMMENTS FOR, UM, FOR WHEN WE, UH, FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF COMMENTS, BUT ALSO WHEN WE MOVE INTO THE DETAILED DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS, UH, IS A MOTION, UH, REGARDING THE, THE ACTIONS ON OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY. ONE OF THEM I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, MODIFIED IS THE CALL FOR TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE WILL HAVE IN SEPTEMBER. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT EVEN THOUGH THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE IN PERSON AND WILL BE AT MUNICIPAL CHAMBERS, THAT [02:10:01] WE OFFER A VIRTUAL REMOTE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT, CANNOT MAKE IT DOWNTOWN OR HAVE A COMPROMISED HEALTH, OR IF THEY CHOOSE TO USE A VIRTUAL OPTION. OBVIOUSLY, I HOPE THAT WILL HAVE THE KINKS WORKED OUT BY THEN. THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO COME DOWNTOWN TO PROVIDE COMMENT THAT WE OFFER THEM VALIDATED OR FREE PARKING, IF THEY DRIVE DOWNTOWN OR, UH, UH, REIMBURSE THEIR BUS FARE IF THEY COME DOWNTOWN, I THINK THE PUBLIC HEARING, ALTHOUGH MOST THINGS WILL BE FIGURED OUT BY THEN, IS REALLY, UM, AN IMPORTANT, UH, SYMBOLIC AND FORMALITY WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET. AND WE SHOULD TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY AND ENSURE THAT WE REMOVE ALL BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. SO AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR, AND I HOPE THAT THERE'S A SECOND OUT THERE. AND I, I WOULD LIKE, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SANDOVAL. SO THE MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE IS TO ADOPT THE BUDGET CALENDAR. UM, AND SO, UH, WE NEED A SECOND FOR THAT. SECOND, SECOND, MAYOR, MAYOR, MAY I ASK CITY STAFF TO RESPOND TO, UH, THE REQUEST FOR VIRTUAL, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT AND FREE PARKING, PLEASE? AND, AND JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YES, UH, ABSOLUTELY. UM, THERE IS A MOTION FOR, FOR A AND FOUR B, UH, WHICH IS THE ADOPTION OF THE, UM, EFFECTIVE TAX RATE AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE, THE CALENDAR FOR THE BUDGET COR, THAT'S CORRECT. MARY, THIS IS ANDY. UH, THE, THE ITEMS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TO TAKE ACTION ON OUR ITEMS FOUR A AND FOUR B FOUR WAS A BRIEFING ON THE BUDGET. GOT IT. OKAY. UM, WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA. AND, UM, A REQUEST NOW FOR, UM, STAFF RESPONSE. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, RIGHT NOW FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, UH, WE HAVE ASSUMED THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE VIRTUAL. SO I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUEST, UM, IF FOR SOME REASON THAT CHANGES, UM, AND WE END UP DOING 'EM IN PERSON, YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S SOME SORT OF VIRTUAL CAPABILITY. UM, I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, GO AHEAD, I'M SORRY. OH, UM, OKAY. THAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, THAT WAS AGENDIZED SAYS. SO WE WOULD NEED TO, I, I GUESS, MODIFY THE, THE MOTIONS SO THAT THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY HAS THAT LANGUAGE. I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, UH, MAKING A MOTION ON, ON LANGUAGE THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY POSTED. ANDY, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN ON THERE? UM, BECAUSE OUR, OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE VIRTUAL AT THIS POINT. , CORRECT. SO IF THE ORDINANCE SAYS THAT WE CAN MODIFY THE ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THAT, CAN YOU READ THE LANGUAGE AS TO HOW YOU WOULD MODIFY IT OR, OR MAYBE I NEED A MOTION TO MODIFY IT BECAUSE IT DOES SAY IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 1 0 5 MAIN PLAZA AND SCHEDULING BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. ANDY, IF I MAY ADD ITEM FOUR B. THE CAPTION READS AS FOLLOWS, SETTING THE FOLLOWING DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATIONS FOR THE FIRST AND SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 THROUGH 2021, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2020 5:00 PM AND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2020 9:00 AM IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1 0 5 MAIN PLAZA SETTING THE FOLLOWING DATE AND TIMES AND LOCATIONS FOR THE FIRST AND SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND THE TAX YEAR, BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2020, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2020, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2020 5:00 PM AND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2029. AM ANY CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1 0 5 MAIN PLAZA AND SCHEDULING BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. SO WHAT, WHAT THE MOTION WOULD BE, COUNCILWOMAN WOULD BE A MOTION TO, UH, ADD RIGHT AFTER WE SAY COUNCIL CHAMBERS OR A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH A NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC TO ADD THOSE WORDS. THANK YOU. I MOVE TO APPROVE WITH THE CHANGES DESCRIBED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY. OKAY. [02:15:01] UM, THERE IS A MOTION MODIFIED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA, YOU PROVIDED A SECOND. IS THAT, UH, OKAY WITH YOU? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ADOPTION OF ITEMS FOUR A AND B. WE'LL CONTINUE NOW WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER GRA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU EVERYONE, UH, FOR THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK YOU ARE UP THERE FOR OVER AN HOUR WITH THE PRESENTATION. AND I WANNA THANK TOO, ALL OF THE SPEAKERS WHO CALLED IN TO GIVE COMMENTS, YOUR PATIENCE IS HOPEFULLY REWARDED IN VERY MANY GREAT WAYS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND ALL YOUR WORK TO CITY STAFF. THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR DILIGENCE IN THIS. I HAVE, I'M GONNA JUST JUMP STRAIGHT INTO MY QUESTIONS. FIRST QUESTION, ERIC, IN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND IN THE, UM, VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS, IT WASN'T, I DIDN'T SEE IT EXPLICIT IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, YOU ME, BUT WILL ONE OF THESE, UH, PRESENTATIONS FOR THE BUDGET BE AN ENTIRELY IN SPANISH? IF NOT IT ONE NEEDS TO BE ENTIRELY IN SPANISH? YES, MA'AM. WE'LL, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ENSURING THAT WE DO THAT. WE, WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE PLAN THIS YEAR AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I GUESS I'LL WORK BACKWARDS WITH SOME OF MY, UH, QUESTIONS. UM, SLIDE NUMBER 38, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, THE OTHER BENEFITS AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING, FOR RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH AS ONE OF THE CITY'S 13 PAID HOLIDAYS. I THINK IT IS ALSO APPROPRIATE, UM, FOR THE OTHER BENEFITS. THERE'S NO CHANGES PROPOSED TO HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO, UM, COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT RIGHT NOW, UH, SCHEDULED, BUT, AND THERE'S A 10% REDUCTION TO HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR 21. IS THIS GOING TO ENSURE THAT NONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WILL BE UPSIDE DOWN IN THEIR PAYMENTS? WELL, WITH NO PAY ADJUSTMENTS FOR ANY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AND A REDUCTION IN PREMIUMS, THOSE EMPLOYEES AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES ARE ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, WE'LL PAY LESS AND SEED NET AHEAD. UH, IF WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON, UM, THE TRICARE, UH, RETIRED, UH, MILITARY PROGRAM, THOSE EMPLOYEES DO NOT PAY HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS RIGHT NOW. SO THEY WOULD BE, UM, AT THE CURRENT, AT THE, AT, THEY'D REMAIN AT THAT SAME LEVEL, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS DONE, UM, TO, UM, RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT, UM, THERE ARE NO PAY ADJUSTMENTS IN THE BUDGET PROPOSED BUDGET. AND, UH, WE WOULD PUSH SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK TO ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE SYSTEM. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UM, NEXT QUESTION. SLIDE NUMBER FOUR. THIS GOES TO OUR, UH, PARTICIPANTS, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE PRIORITIES AND THE SURVEY RESPONSE. THE THIRD HIGHEST WAS, WAS SENIOR AND YOUTH SERVICES. CAN YOU EXPOUND ON THAT? HOW WAS THAT BROKEN OUT? WAS THAT, UM, SHARED EXPLICITLY OF WHAT THAT MEANT? N NO, THIS IS JEFF COUNCILMAN. UH, IT WASN'T, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE BROAD CATEGORIES THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THEM. SO THERE WASN'T A, UH, SPECIFIC DEFINITION BEHIND IT. UH, WE JUST SIMPLY ASKED THESE, THESE CATEGORIES AND, AND ASKED THEM TO RANK THEM. OKAY. UM, SO YOUTH SERVICES COULD MEAN EDUCATION OR, I MEAN, IT'S SUCH A BROAD CARE CATEGORY. UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, TO TAKE IN INTO CONSIDERATION. UM, ON SLIDE NUMBER 15, UM, SO THE GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS AND THE PROPOSED BUDGETS, UM, SO THIS ONE AGAIN, YOU HAVE ERIC OR ERIC IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN IN THE GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS, YOU HAVE POLICE OVER TIME. SO EXPLAIN TO ME 3.4 MILLION IS THE AMOUNT OF REDUCTION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, [02:20:01] IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. UM, SO LET ME GO ON AND TALK ABOUT, UM, THE POLICE, UH, DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE SLIDE. AND, UM, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THIS. AND, UH, THANK YOU ERIC, FOR LOOKING FORWARD AT THIS VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION. AND I THINK IT IS, UM, IMPORTANT THAT WE WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO BE, UM, WELL THIS IS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY NEEDED, UM, HERE WITH OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION AND WITHIN METRO HEALTH, UM, AND MOVING THE CRTS TO THIS VIOLENT PREVENTION DIVISION WITH WITHIN METRO HEALTH. BUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH SS A P D WILL STILL BE THERE, CORRECT? ERIC? YES, MA'AM. IT IS. IT, THEY WILL, THEY WILL STILL CLOSELY WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT ARE IN NEED OF THE ASSISTANCE. OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF, UH, SINCE WE ARE DOING SO MUCH VIRTUALLY, IF WE CAN SEE, UM, DOING MORE TRAINING, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE TRAINING FOR OFFICERS, SINCE IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ONLINE AND VIRTUAL, NOT JUST LIMITED TO AN ANNUAL WEEK OF TRAINING, BUT THAT WE ALSO PUT IT IN THERE IN DIFFERENT, UM, ITEMS DURING THE, THE YEAR. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TO SEE WHAT IS THE, WHAT ARE THE CHANGES YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ALL WERE GOING TO LOOK AT FOR, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, SCREENING AND, UH, BIAS, UH, RACIST, RACIST BIASES OF OUR S A P D OFFICERS, UM, TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, NOT JUST ONCE A YEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF WHEN WE FIRST HIRED THEM, BUT THE NEW CHANGES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH SCANNING FOR FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS. YES, MA'AM. AND WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THAT WITH YOU, UH, OVER THE, THE DETAILED ABOUT YOUR WORK SESSION ON POLICE NEXT WEDNESDAY. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, UH, FOR HAVING THAT. AND ALSO TO MY COLLEAGUES AND WHAT WAS MENTIONED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AS SANDOVAL, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE HEALTHY CORNER STORES, UH, INITIATIVE IS GOING TO BE FUNDED, UH, CONTINUALLY, IS GOING TO BE CON UH, FUNDED THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET WITHIN DISTRICT THREE, BUT THEN ALSO IN, UM, A COUPLE MORE COUNCIL DISTRICTS. SO I'M VERY PLEASED ON THAT. AND, UM, ERIC, SO, YOU KNOW, I WILL ALSO BE LOOKING AT, UM, FOR THE HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, WITHIN THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HOW CAN WE DO SOMETHING THAT IS EVEN MORE CREATIVE, GO EVEN HIGHER THAN WHERE WE ARE ALREADY, NOT JUST STANDING WHERE WE ARE WITH THE CORNER STORE INITIATIVE, BUT THEN LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE, WE CAN DO TO PERFORM IN STORE HEALTH, UH, SCREENINGS IF POSSIBLE, AND EVEN SOME TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE STORE OWNERS. UM, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS WE GET CLOSE, UH, CON METRO HEALTH, THE METRO HEALTH, UH, WORK SESSION, UH, TO SEE WHAT MORE CREATIVE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN HAVE WITH THAT. UM, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS. I'M STILL EXCITED THAT IT IS BUDGET SEASON, UM, EVEN WITH THE, THE STATE WHERE WE ARE, BUT I THINK WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF, A LOT MORE WORK TO DO. AND BEFORE I CLOSE, CAN YOU EX EXPAND ON WHERE HEALTHY CORNER SHORE INITIATIVE IS GOING NOW, ERIC? HOW THAT'S GROWING? YEAH, THANKS, COUNCILWOMAN. AND I'M, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I, I, UH, I MEANT TO MENTION IT, UH, DURING THE PRESENTATION, BUT I DIDN'T. SO THANK YOU TO YOU AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOFF FOR, FOR BRINGING IT UP. UM, WE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET CURRENTLY HAS $120,000 SET ASIDE TO FULLY FUND THE PROGRAM. THAT STARTED AS A PILOT IN DISTRICT THREE, BUT I ASKED, UM, I ASKED METRO HEALTH TO IDENTIFY WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY DO WE HAVE THESE HEALTHY FOOD DESERTS. AND, AND THEY CAME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO EXPAND IT INTO, UH, DISTRICTS 1, 2, 4, AND SEVEN. AND SO, UM, THAT MONEY THAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET NEXT YEAR [02:25:01] ADDRESSES THE EXPANSION AND THEN THE PERMANENT, UH, FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT THREE GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE CRITICAL FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE, UH, IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE GETTING TO WHERE WE NEED TO WITH OUR 21 BUDGET, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET. AND I WANT TO, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE, UH, GIVE THEIR, UH, REQUEST AND GIVE THEIR INPUT AND PARTICIPATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIME, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THIS IS A BUDGET THAT HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS OF PROBLEMS. UM, FOR ME TO LOOK AT IT AS AN INCLUSIVE BUDGET, WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FUND OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, COMMUNITIES, WE'RE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A TEAM THAT WORKS SO DILIGENTLY TO COME UP WITH THIS BUDGET, BUT WE STILL KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. UM, THE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE FOR ADDRESSING AND ACTUALLY DEMOLISHING POVERTY HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS STILL NEEDING TO BE ADDRESSED INTO THIS BUDGET. UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT ADDRESSING HOW PEOPLE ARE AGING OUT OF PAYING RENT, WE HAVE NO SENIOR HOUSING FACILITIES THAT ARE LOOKING TO BE DEVELOPED BECAUSE WE ARE CUTTING DEVELOPMENT. WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE ARE GONNA TREAT OUR YOUTH THAT ARE AGING OUT OF C P S CUSTODY AND ADDRESSING HOW THEIR RESOURCES ARE MET, THERE IS NOWHERE OF THAT BEING PLACED INTO THIS BUDGET. WHEN WE LOOK AT ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTHCARE THROUGH TELEMED SERVICES, THROUGH OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, I DON'T SEE THAT WITHIN THIS BUDGET. AND THEN TO HAVE THE SERVICES FOR OUR YOUTH THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY CUT IS A PROBLEM WITHIN THIS BUDGET. SO, AS I LOOK AT THIS, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, ERIC E EXACTLY, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH 827 MILLION OR 827.7 MILLION THAT IS GOING TO, UM, BE ADDED OR, UM, EVEN INCREASE OUR POLICE BUDGET? UM, AND WITHIN THAT BUDGET, HAVE WE LOOKED AT OR HOW MUCH HAS ACTUALLY BEEN REALLOCATED OUT OF THE POLICE BUDGET TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITIES? THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, I MENTIONED DURING MY PRESENTATION THAT THE OVERALL POLICE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS GOING FROM $479 MILLION TO $487 MILLION. SO THAT'S A, THAT'S, UM, UM, AN $8 MILLION INCREASE. WE'RE HAVING TO ADD $12 MILLION JUST TO, UM, ADHERE TO OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. UM, SO, UM, WE ARE ALSO REMOVING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OVERTIME. WE'RE REDUCING THAT, GIVEN WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR STAFFING. A PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS TO FILL, HAS BEEN TO FILL ALL OF OUR VACANT POSITIONS. AND WITH THE ACADEMY CLASSES THAT ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ACTUALLY OVER AUTHORIZED. UM, AND SO, UM, UH, MAKING, WE'RE CERTAIN WE CAN MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND REDUCTIONS IN THE OVERTIME, GIVEN OUR STAFFING LEVELS. WE'RE MOVING $1.3 MILLION FROM S A P D TO METRO HEALTH INTO THIS NEW VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION. UM, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK, UM, THE, THE ISSUE OF MAINTAINING, UH, A BALANCE IN TERMS OF OUR BUDGET, UM, HAS BEEN CRITICAL FOR US FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE A FINANCIAL POLICY THAT SAYS WE WON'T SPEND, UH, WE'LL SPEND LESS THAN 66% OF OUR, OF OUR, UH, REVENUE GENERAL FUND REVENUE ON PUBLIC SAFETY. AND YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION IT'S AT 64.5%. A BIG DRIVER OF THAT ARE, UH, WAGE INCREASES. THE MAJORITY OF THAT BUDGET IS CENTERED DIRECTLY INTO ACTUAL EMPLOYEES. AND SO, UH, AS WE GO INTO THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS NEXT YEAR WITH POLICE, IT'LL BE CRITICAL THAT WE START TO MANAGE THAT EXPENSE, CONTINUE TO MANAGE THAT EXPENSE. WE MADE A LOT OF HEADROOM IN THE LAST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS TO GET EMPLOYEES TO POLICE AND FIRE, TO, TO START CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTHCARE AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THAT FRANKLY HADN'T CHANGED IN 25 YEARS. AND SO I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTINUE TO SQUEEZE DOWN THOSE EXPENSES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN AFFORD THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT, THINGS THAT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TALK ABOUT, AND THE THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC THINKS ARE, ARE IMPORTANT, INFRASTRUCTURE, SOCIAL SERVICES, HOMELESSNESS. THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF NEED OUT THERE, AND THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES. SO IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO, UM, CONTINUE TO MANAGE THAT EXPENSE AND HOLD DOWN EXPENSES GOING FORWARD. AND IT'S GONNA BE A BIG CHALLENGE. AND I THINK THIS COUNCIL'S UP TO IT, AND I KNOW I AM, AND WE'LL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE [02:30:01] THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY. THANKS, ERIC. UM, AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, WHEN IT COMES TO THE HIRING PHRASE, DOES THAT HIRING PHRASE INCLUDE FIRE AND POLICE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET? IT DOES NOT. IT DOES NOT. OKAY. SO, ARE WE GONNA START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL? SINCE WE'RE PUTTING A HIRING FREEZE ON OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE WILL SHOW TO NEXT WEDNESDAY'S, UH, POLICE CONVERSATION. WE WILL OUTLINE, UH, THE, UH, AT LEAST THE PROPOSED HIRING SCHEDULE. WE'RE ANTICIPATING, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE OVER 70 RETIREMENTS NEXT YEAR, UM, AND, AND WHAT OUR PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET ENCOMPASSES FOR THE FILLING OF THOSE POSITIONS ONCE THOSE OFFICERS RETIRE. AND WE'LL GO. SO WE'LL GO OVER THE DETAILS OF THAT NEXT WEDNESDAY WITH YOU DURING THE POLICE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE OPEN GOV WEBSITE. HOWEVER, UM, WE HAVE A 391 PAGE BUDGET. UM, WILL ALL OF THOSE EXACT LINE ITEMS BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY TO READ EACH AND EVERY LINE ITEM AS IT PRESENTS ITSELF WITHIN THE PROPOSED BUDGET? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UM, REALLY LOOKS AT, UH, THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WHEN IT IT COMES TO HOUSING, I'VE HEARD THAT WE ARE GONNA USE OUR RESERVE FOR THE AIRPORT, AND WE'RE ALSO RE UH, USING OUR RESERVE FOR, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. WITHIN THIS, THIS BUDGET, UM, HAVE WE LOOKED AT ADDITIONAL LEAD PUTTING MAYBE 25 MILLION OUT OF THAT RESERVE INTO OUR HOUSING, OR SETTING IT ASIDE FOR IMMEDIATE HOUSING OR EMERGENCY HOUSING NEEDS? UM, THE, THE RESERVE OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND COUNCILWOMAN? YES, SIR. SO IN THE, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT, UM, WE'RE GIVING YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TODAY, UM, WE, OVER THE TWO YEARS GET TO A FIF. WE WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR 15% GENERAL FUND RESERVE. UM, AND I SUSPECT THAT IF THAT'S A TOP DIP THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DISCUSS AS WE GO THROUGH THE WORK SESSION, UM, REMEMBER, WE, WE TRY TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET OVER TWO YEARS. SO THAT ASSUMES THAT WE WILL SAVE SOME MONEY IN 2021, ENABLE TO THAT, THAT THAT WILL, THAT WILL ENABLE US TO BALANCE 2022. AND, UH, WE WILL GO THROUGH THAT IN DETAIL WITH YOU ON NEXT TUESDAY AFTERNOON'S BUDGET WORK SESSION. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, TO CLOSE OUT MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AT THIS TIME, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, UM, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC OUTLINES OR, OR IS THIS IN LINE WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN OR THE HOMELESS, UM, UH, GUIDELINES THAT WE WERE GIVEN DURING THE YEAR, UH, WHEN WE WERE HAVING THAT, THAT CONVERSATION OF HOW WE WERE GONNA ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. COUNCILMAN IT. IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T, WE NEVER, WE NEVER PRESENTED COUNCIL THE FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, IN THE SPRING, BUT IT DOES ENCOMPASS MANY OF THE ASPECTS OF THAT WERE ENCOMPASSED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PLAN THAT THEY HAD AS PART OF THE RECOVERING RESILIENCY PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN TERMS OF THE OUTREACH. UM, AND, AND AS I MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION IS PRIMARILY BEING FUNDED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR. AND THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, UH, OVERLAYS ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, LOCAL DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT BASED ON THE PILOT AND THE SUCCESS THAT I THINK COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND THE TEAM SAW IN JUNE AND JULY. OKAY. AND THEN TO SPEAK TO COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S, UH, POINT ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOTICED IS THAT EVEN AS WE GO FORTH WITH PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER A PRESENTATION OR RIGHT BEFORE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL OR BEFORE OUR SESSIONS EVEN BEGIN. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN START MAYBE EVEN DOING A PRERECORDED PUBLIC SESSION COMMENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO COME IN AND VIDEO RECORD THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT TO BE PLAYED OR ADDRESSED TO US PRIOR TO, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERY VOICE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY HAS A TRUE OUTLET OF BEING HEARD? UM, COUNCILMAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH, UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT OTHER, UH, HOW WE CAN EXPAND, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, IN THIS VIRTUAL WORLD THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN. THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO CLOSE OUT BY SAYING THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTINUES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD. UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH THE DEFICIT OF 109 MILLION, BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO DO. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING OUR SENIORS, [02:35:01] MAKE SURE WE ARE ADDRESSING OUR YOUTH, BECAUSE THOSE TWO AREAS ARE THE AREAS THAT WILL HELP US THRIVE WITHIN OUR CITY. IF WE ARE NOT SPEAKING TO THIS PROBLEM OF RACISM AS A WHOLE, WE ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE AS A CITY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS, UH, CONVERSATION, BUT I MOST DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY AS WE GO FORWARD ON HOW WE TACKLE THE ISSUES AT HAND. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ERIC AND, AND CITY STAFF. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK AND THE TIME Y'ALL HAVE EXPENDED ON THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT ONE OF MY BUDGET PRIORITIES PULLED FROM THE RESPONSE OF MY CONSTITUENTS, AND, AND MANY OF WHOM WE'VE HEARD HERE, WE'VE HEARD HERE, UM, FROM HERE TODAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH POLICING REFORM. AND I, I JUST, I DON'T SEE ENOUGH OF A CHANGE HERE. I APPRECIATE THE ECONOMIC REALITY THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED, BUT THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ENOUGH OF A SHIFT. THIS IS A BUDGET PROPOSAL. I UNDERSTAND. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH BUDGET TALKS, I, I JUST WANNA SEE MORE DONE. UM, AND I'LL WORK WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, TO, TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER. I'M HAPPY TO SEE PART OF THE BURDEN OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION MOVING FROM POLICE TO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, UM, LIKE RACE IS, AND VIOLENCE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. ON THAT NOTE, UH, I THINK THAT'S BEEN COVERED A LITTLE BIT, BUT ON SLIDE 17, WE NOTED THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WILL BE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF METRO HEALTH. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT EXACTLY IS SHIFTING FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HERE? YES, MA'AM. IT'S, UM, UH, 20 OF OUR CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM OF MEMBERS THAT, UH, CURRENTLY ARE IN, IN THE POLICE DEPART. WE'RE IN THIS, THIS FISCAL FISCAL YEAR IN THE 2020, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. UM, THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY THERE. THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH POLICE OFFICERS, AND THEY ARE, UM, UM, THEY ARE BEING MOVED, PROPOSED TO BE MOVED, THOSE 20 POSITIONS AND THE $1.3 MILLION THAT FUNDS THEM, THAT THOSE TWO AMOUNTS WILL BE MOVED INTO THE NEW MITCHELL HEALTH DIVISION. OKAY. AND, UM, WE, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ALREADY ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT AS WE PROCEED INTO THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS AND REALLY BEYOND, UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE'RE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. UM, I'M TALKING MORE ABOUT LIKE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, H O A MEETINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT. I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL VERY LIMITED RIGHT NOW, BUT HOW, WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH ARE WE, ARE WE PLANNING ON DOING? JEFF, DO YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PLAN? I DO. THANK YOU, ERIC. AND LET ME, UM, I CAN, I GUESS I CAN START WITH A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID THAT WERE NON-DIGITAL, UH, RELATED TO THE BUDGET LEADING UP TO THIS POINT. WE, UH, WE DID, UH, SHARE THE SURVEY WITH ALL THE HOAS, WHO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT. UM, WE, UH, SENT AN E-BLAST OUT FROM THE LIBRARY TO ALL THE LIBRARY PATRONS WHO USED THE SERVICES, PRE-K TRIBUTED IT TO THEIR PARENTS. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT NON-DIGITAL, AND SO WE HAD FLYERS, UH, HANDED OUT AT THE MEAL DISTRIBUTIONS AT OUR, OUR SENIOR CENTERS AND TWO THROUGH SIX FLYERS AT THE LIBRARY, CURBSIDE PICKUP FLYERS AT THE PARKS, COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT WERE DOING MEALS. THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION HELPED US GET FLYERS OUT TO COMPLEXES. UH, THE CITY MANAGER DID A, DID A LONG, UH, UH, BRIEFING WITH A A R P. UH, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY DID SOME ROBOCALLS IN DISTRICTS 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE TO TRY TO GET, UH, ATTENDANCE UP THERE. WE'RE GONNA CARRY A LOT OF THOSE THINGS OVER AS WE MOVE INTO THESE BUDGET HEARINGS. UM, WE'RE, I'M SORRY, UH, JEFF, I THINK YOU CUT OUT. OH, SORRY. UM, WE'RE GONNA, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I CUT OUT, BUT WE'RE GONNA CARRY THOSE OVER INTO THESE BUDGET HEARINGS. UH, SO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE BY LISTENING ON THE TELEPHONE, UH, BY WATCHING IT ON TV, AND THEN OF COURSE, DIGITALLY THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THE MEMES WE'RE DOING HERE, UM, UH, IN WEBEX. UM, I WILL, I WANNA GO BACK ACTUALLY, ALSO REAL QUICKLY, AND THEN I'LL STOP HERE TO COUNCILMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN'S POINT ON THE E UH, ON THE COMMENT WE LAUNCHED LAST WEEK, AN E-COM WHERE PEOPLE CAN COMMENT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. WE HAD OVER 250 COMMENTS IN ADVANCE OF THIS MEETING THAT WERE POSTED IN THE AGENDA ONLINE. AND YOU CAN ALSO DO THAT BY TEXTING, BY LEAVING A COMMENT WITH THE CLERK'S [02:40:01] OFFICE. SO SOME NON-DIGITAL WAYS TO DO THAT TOO, BUT WE ARE CONTINUALLY TRYING TO EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITIES, KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE, UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP PUSH THESE, UM, PUSH IT OUT TO, TO GET TO MORE PEOPLE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. UM, TH THOSE ARE REALLY ALL MY QUESTIONS. I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE BENCHMARK OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDIRECTS ON SERVICES THAT CAN BE TRANSITIONED OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THESE DISCUSSIONS AND, AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. JOHN, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED. I GOT IT, SIR. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE GOT YOU. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. UH, ERIC, UH, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY, UM, HAVE WE HEARD A FINALIZED ESTIMATE ON OUR TAX REVENUES? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, UH, B C A D WAS STILL HAVING HEARINGS ON, UH, CONTESTED VALUES, COUNCILMAN? UM, GENERALLY IN A NORMAL YEAR, WHEN WE GET THE CERTIFIED ROLE FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, UM, IT'S, IT'S USUALLY AT A 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL. UM, THIS YEAR, UH, ACTUALLY LAST, EARLY LAST WEEK WHEN WE GOT THE CERTIFIED ROLE, IT WAS AT 92.3% CONFIDENCE. THEY'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT FIELD PROCESS. UM, WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT BASED ON THEIR RECOMMENDATION ON THE VALUES AND THE ASSUMPTIONS FOR REVENUE NEXT YEAR. SO I THINK WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THAT, UH, BASED ON THEIR GUIDANCE, UH, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. AND WE WERE SAYING THAT THE, UH, PROPOSED INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR WAS 3.1%, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THE INCREASE IN, UH, BASE TAXABLE VALUES WAS 3.1%. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO WE'RE, WE'RE SAFE. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO OVER THE 3.5%, UH, THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURES PUT IN THERE, RIGHT? NO. AND, AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT CALCULATION THAT, THAT THE 3.1 IS JUST DECREASED IN OUR, IN THE IN BASE VALUES, THERE'S A DIFFERENT CALCULATION, UM, AND, UH, TO, TO CHECK THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE. AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE'RE AT 2.2%, UM, SO WELL BELOW THE 3.5%, UH, CAP. OKAY. IT'S AN EFFECTIVE TAX RATE THEN. OKAY. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME IN YOUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, HAVE YOU ANTICIPATED, UH, BECAUSE OF COVID AND ITS EFFECT ON, FOR EXAMPLE, LIBRARIES OR SENIOR CENTERS OR THE COURT SYSTEM OR OTHER AREAS, HAVE YOU ANTICIPATED MAKING ANY REDUCTIONS IN THEIR BUDGETS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID? UH, NO, SIR. AND, AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT ON ONE OF OUR, ONE OF THE SLIDES IN THE AREAS OF LIBRARIES AND PARKS AND SENIOR CENTERS. UM, WE ARE, THOSE BUDGETS ARE FULLY FUNDED PROGRAMMATICALLY. NOW, THEY, IF THERE ARE VACANCIES THAT EXIST IN THOSE AREAS, THEN, THEN THERE, THOSE POSITIONS ARE ON A HIRING FREEZE. BUT THE ASSUMPTION THAT, THAT I WANTED TO MAKE GOING INTO THE BUDGET IS THAT AT SOME POINT, WE WILL REACH A PART A POINT WHERE WE WILL BE BACK TO SOME SORT OF OPERATIONAL BALANCE. AND, UM, SO ALL THOSE BUDGETS ARE FULLY FUNDED, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE FULLY FUNDED. OKAY. UH, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND, UH, AND THANK YOU, UM, ERIC, UM, AND YOUR STAFF FOR, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON, ON THIS BUDGET. UH, THIS BUDGET. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S LIKE UN UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN RECENT HISTORY. UH, AND OF COURSE, WE'VE OFTEN SAID THAT OUR BUDGET IS A, IS A MORAL DOCUMENT. UM, OOPS. UH, CITY COUNCILS ALWAYS FACED THE, THE CHALLENGE OF FUNDING BASIC SERVICES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID TO 19 HAS TRULY MADE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS, THE HIGHWIRE ACT. UM, FAMILIES ARE LOSING THE ABILITY TO AFFORD FOOD AND SHELTER. OUR COMMUNITY DEMANDS A BUDGET WHICH REFLECTS THE BASIC TENANTS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE CONSTITUENTS AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, WE HEAR THE TERM DEFUND THE POLICE. I'D LIKE TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT THAT MEANS. [02:45:01] IT MEANS REALLOCATING FUNDS TO BETTER SUPPORT THE SERVICES AND DEPARTMENTS THAT USE SOCIAL SERVICES AS A LIFELINE OF SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. IT MEANS BETTER FUNDING RESOURCES TO THE THINGS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS, HOUSING. IT MEANS THAT WE FUND THE SERVICES WE SAY ARE VALUABLE. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE POINTING OUT THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS PROBLEMATIC. UH, HERE'S WHAT DISTRICT ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 21, UH, DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE FOR FOOD AND SHELTER. WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THAT. THERE HAS BEEN MANY REPORTED ISSUES WITH LANDLORDS OPTING TO NOT ACCEPT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ASSISTANCE. DIRECT CASH WOULD EMPOWER THE RESIDENTS TO PAY THEIR DEBTS WHILE BEING PROTECTED BY ANY LEASE LANGUAGE, WHICH WOULD OBLIGATE THE LANDLORD TO ACCEPT THEIR RENT OR FEES. AND AGAIN, I MENTIONED YESTERDAY, UH, THE WAY WE'VE, WE'VE ALLOCATED SOME OF THE FUNDS, UH, CAN BE PROBLEMATIC IF WE'RE ONLY RELYING ON FEDERAL FUNDS. SO WE HAVE TO DIVERSIFY THAT BUCKET, UH, OF, OF RESOURCES. UH, WE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE. AUSTIN'S RICE PROGRAM IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAN WORK WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS OF ALL SIZES, BACKGROUNDS TO GET DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED. UH, THE FOCUS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MUST BE, MUST COME WITH REASSURANCES AND A SAFETY NET FOR THE HUMANS WHO MAKE UP THE WORKFORCE, UH, AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO IMPACT. UH, AND WHO SHOULD COVID CONTINUE TO IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO BUY FOOD AND SHELTER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION, ISSUES WITH DISTANCE LEARNING AND THE TECHNOLOGY DIVIDE WILL ONLY BE EXACERBATED IF THE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILY BECOME HOMELESS. UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET SHOULD INCLUDE MORE FUNDS FOR MORE FOOD AND SHELTER ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES AND OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESS CONCERNS. THERE WILL BE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN EVICTIONS NEXT MONTH. UH, UH, A TOPIC WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, UM, FOR IT SEEMS LIKE AL ALMOST A YEAR NOW, WE MUST USE THESE LOCAL DOLLARS IN ORDER TO HAVE, HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO ADMINISTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP THE MOST RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO MAY BE UNDOCUMENTED. WE MUST ALSO, UH, EXPAND, UH, THE, THE, UH, HOMELESS RESOURCE COORDINATOR FOR EACH DISTRICT. UH, AND THANK YOU, ERIC. THANK YOU, MARIA VIA GOMEZ FOR, FOR VISITING THE, THE FIELD OFFICE AND, AND CHIEF MCMANUS. THEY WERE OUT HERE SPECIFICALLY TO SEE THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM. THIS, WE ARE SEEING, UH, INCREDIBLE SUCCESS WITH THIS COORDINATOR, UH, SLASH SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, INTERN MODEL IN, IN THIS AREA AROUND OUR FIELD OFFICE KNOWN AS BELLEVUE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS APPROACH IS IN LINE WITH THE CITY STANCE ON REDUCING ENFORCEMENT AND INCREASING OUTREACH THAT OFFERS A LIFELINE OF SUPPORT TO SERVICES. THIS APPROACH ALSO EMPOWERS LOCAL SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO USE THEIR TALENTS. THE FUNDING IS FOR STAFF RESOURCES AND TRAINING, AS WELL AS, UH, ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTNERING WITH, IN THIS CASE, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY. UH, AND, BUT I, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE OTHER INSTITUTIONS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND PUT A COLLEEN OUT TO THEM AS WELL TO, TO PARTAKE AS THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK, UH, EFFORT. I WANNA PARTICULARLY THANK, UH, JOE VAN KIKEN, UH, FROM, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR ALL HE'S DONE. HE HAS SET THE EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF A KIND OF EFFORT, KIND OF, UH, PERSON WE WANT WORKING ON THESE TYPE OF ISSUES. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, JAMIE NICHOLSON, WHO'S BEEN HELPING FROM OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY AS AN INTERN, OUR SOCIAL SOCIAL SERVICES INTERN, UH, FOR HER DAILY OUTREACH. SHE HAS DONATED HER TIME, UH, AND BEEN AN INCREDIBLE ASSET IN THIS, IN THIS EFFORT, AND PARTNER WITH JOVAN KIKEN. AS WE WE TACKLE THESE ISSUES, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT PEOPLE WANTING HELP TO THE APPROPRIATE SERVICES, EVEN HELP TO CONNECT THEM TO THEIR FAMILIES. THE WORK AND ENERGY THEY HAVE PUT IN EACH DAY IS TIRELESS THROUGH THEIR WORK. AND IN THIS INITIATIVE, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW THE CAPACITY WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR SERVICES SPECIFIC TO THE HOMELESS DOES NOT ADEQUATELY, ADEQUATELY MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING HOMELESS POPULATION. UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED. UH, OF COURSE, MELODY, UH, WOOLSEY, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. I, I TRULY FEEL THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT IS, IS SEVERELY UNDERFUNDED. AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP TO DEMONSTRATE, UH, THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A, A, A DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, THAT, THAT IS WELL FUNDED, UH, HAS, HAS AVAILABLE [02:50:01] AT ITS FINGERTIPS, UH, AS MANY RESOURCES AS WE CAN GIVE IT, BECAUSE, UH, YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD THROUGH THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, MARGERY AND PATRICK, UH, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ENTIRELY A TEAM TEAM EFFORT. UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR SAFE OFFICERS. UH, THIS PROGRAM WAS ALL DONE WITHOUT INCREASING, UH, THE, THE, UH, SUPPORT FROM, FROM S A P D WITHOUT ADDING A SINGLE POLICE OFFICER. IN FACT, I THINK THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU, AND I'LL ASK YOU TO, TO, TO ASK THEM, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, THE WORK OF, OF JOE VAN KAI AND, AND JAMIE HAS, HAS PROVEN TO, TO FREE THEM UP TO GO TACKLE, UH, CRIME. UH, THAT IS, THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY STILL OCCURRING AND, AND, UH, AND, UH, ALLOWS THEM TO, TO, UH, EXPAND THE, THE, THE SERVICES, UH, THAT, THAT ARE REALLY MUCH NEEDED HERE IN, IN THIS AREA, BUT OF COURSE, ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY. SO WE'RE TRULY, TRULY PROUD TO, TO HAVE SEEN THIS AND, AND HOPE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM AS IT CONTINUES. OF COURSE, HOUSING CONTINUES TO BE A BIG ISSUE. AND A, A PROGRAM THAT I'VE SEEN, UM, MUCH SUCCESS. AN AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM, THE UNDERWENT ROOF PROGRAM, UH, FUNDED AT $2.25 MILLION IS, IS, UH, LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT IT WAS. BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M GLAD THAT IT CONTINUES. UH, THIS PROGRAM IS, IS REALLY SERVING, UH, THE, THE MOST UNDER UNDERSERVED DISTRICTS. IT IS, UH, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AS, AS PART OF A HOUSING STRATEGY TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES. UM, HO HOMEOWNERS ESPECIALLY, THOSE VULNERABLE TO HEALTH AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF COVID WILL HAVE TO SPEND LESS ON UPKEEP. THE, THEIR UTILITY BILLS ARE REDUCED. UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING THAT, THAT, THAT THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT THAT REALLY, UH, CHECKS THE BOX ON SO MANY, SO MANY LEVELS, UH, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF, OF THOSE WHO, UH, BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM IS SO CRITICAL. UM, ALONG WITH THAT IS THE, THE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM THAT I HOPE WE CAN EXPAND ON ON AS WELL. WE'VE PROVEN THAT FOR EVERY, UH, DOLLAR THAT WE INVEST IN THE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM, THAT IT ACTUALLY, UH, HELPS TO TRANSFORM BLOCKS AND BLOCKS OF, OF, OF NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALKS, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE LEFT, UH, SIDEWALKS IN DISREPAIR, ESPECIALLY IN THE INNER CITY, IN OLDER, IN OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR VISION ZERO. UH, IT, IT, IT ALLOWS US TO INVEST MORE INTO AREAS THAT NEED THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT. UH, IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH VIA, TO FUND THE NEEDED SIDEWALK REPAIRS ALONG WITH CERTAIN HIGH TRAVEL ROUTES. AND OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SIDEWALK REPAIR PROGRAM SHOULD BE COUPLED WITH THE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. I'M, I'M, I'M PROBABLY, UH, UH, I'M ASKING THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY TO ALSO LOOK AT OUR UDC 2011 AND TO INTERPRET THE, THE WORD MAINTENANCE AS, AND DIFFERENTIATE THAT FROM CONSTRUCTION. UH, BECAUSE THESE TWO THINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT. AND I, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE LEFT SIDEWALKS IN DISREPAIR FOR TOO LONG BECAUSE OF THAT ORDINANCE. UM, I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING. UH, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND CULTURE WILL SEE A REDUCTION OF ALMOST $4 MILLION THIS FISCAL YEAR. UH, THIS IS A CULTURALLY RICH, UH, CITY AND NEEDS, AND NEEDS A LOT OF SUPPORT, AND ARTISTS NEEDS SUPPORT EVERY DAY. THERE ARE LETTERS FROM ARTISTS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO JUST SIMPLY STAY ALIVE, TO, TO PAY THEIR BILLS, TO PAY, UH, FOR SIMPLE THINGS LIKE FOOD. AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND EVERY AVENUE WE CAN TO HELP SUPPORT POLICY THAT, THAT EXPLORES INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC ART THROUGH THE CITY BY SETTING MORE FUNDING ASIDE FROM PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO CLOSE. UH, I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO CONSIDER PUTTING TOGETHER A CITYWIDE MAILER, INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS BUDGET HEARINGS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN PARTNER WITH SAWS AND C P S, UH, DIRECT MAILER IS A HIGH, HAS A HIGHER TRUST FACTOR, AND ALMOST EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO A MAILBOX VERSUS, UH, AN AD VIA EMAIL OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR LOCAL NEWS. UM, BUT I, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, I'LL, I GUESS I'M RUNNING OUT, I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME, SO I'LL, I'LL CHIME BACK IN, UH, FOR, FOR SOME MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO. UH, WE'LL GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER. THANKS, MAYOR. UH, SO A, A A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, ERIC, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET MY, MY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. [02:55:01] UM, LIKE, LIKE ALL BUDGETS FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION, THIS ONE IS, UH, IMPERFECT. UM, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, BUT I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO GET US HERE IS EXCELLENT. UM, AND, AND YOUR BUDGET TEAM NEVER CEASES TO IMPRESS ME IN THEIR, UH, IN THEIR ABILITY TO BALANCE EVERY ONE OF THE COMPETING INTERESTS AND ALL THE COMPETING VOICES AND LOUD VOICES. UM, AND YOU GUYS ALWAYS SEEM TO DELIVER A DOCUMENT THAT IS, IS FAITHFUL TO OUR PRIORITIES AND OUR VALUES. AND, AND THAT'S THE NATURE OF A, A GOOD CITY BUDGET, IN MY OPINION. IT'S, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT FUNDS, UM, COMPETING PRIORITIES WHILE BEING FAITHFUL TO OUR, OUR VALUES. AND SO, UM, THE OTHER REASON I THINK THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT'S IMPRESSIVE IS, IS BECAUSE IT IS A, YOU KNOW, IT'S OUR ANNUAL ROADMAP, BUT IT'S A ROADMAP FOR A C THAT, UM, KNOWS THAT IT HAS TO ADAPT TO THE C OVID 19 CRISIS, THIS BIG GUT PUNCH, UM, TO OUR RESILIENCY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE TRUE TESTS TO RESILIENCY IS OUR ABILITY TO WITHSTAND A GUT PUNCH LIKE THAT, DUST OURSELVES OFF, AND, UM, KEEP ON MOVING FORWARD. AND THIS BUDGET, I BELIEVE, DOES THAT BY MAKING SOME REALLY DIFFICULT, UH, REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING. UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, I, I DO WANNA, UH, CALL OUT TWO GROUPS THAT I THINK NEED TO BE CALLED OUT. ONE OF THEM, UH, IS THE CITY EMPLOYEES. UM, ALL OF 'EM, THE MANY THOUSANDS OF CITY EMPLOYEES THAT SHOWED UP TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, AND DIDN'T ALLOW THIS CRISIS TO, UH, DIMINISH THEIR QUALITY OF WORK OR IMPEDE, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICES WE DELIVER TO OUR 1.5 PLUS MILLION PEOPLE, OUR CUSTOMERS. UM, AND, AND REMIND EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THAT, THESE ARE SAN ANTONIANS TOO, RIGHT? UH, WHO'VE GOT THEIR OWN DIFFICULTIES AT HOME AND WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH WHETHER OR NOT TO SEND KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL AND, UH, WHOSE SPOUSES MAY HAVE BEEN LAID OFF. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, I, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE A FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP ON OUR PART ON CITY COUNCIL TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THAT THESE PEOPLE , UH, REALLY PUT FORWARD A LOT OF THEIR, OF THEIR EFFORT AND TIME, AND STEPPED UP WHEN WE NEEDED IT THE MOST. SO, THANK YOU TO THEM. AND, UH, ALSO THANK YOU TO OUR, UM, OUR OFFICERS AT THE PRU ROAD SUBSTATION. UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THIS COVID CRISIS, I'VE GOTTEN TO SPEAK TO A NUMBER OF THEM. AND THE ONE THING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS CLEAR, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LAYER ON TOP OF THAT, THIS, THIS VERY LOUD DEBATE THAT WE'RE HAVING ABOUT THE ROLE OF POLICE IN AMERICA, WHAT, WHAT'S CLEAR TO ME AND WHAT'S EVIDENT IS THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS AT THE P ROAD SUBSTATION BEHAVED LIKE THE PROS, UH, THAT WE WANT 'EM TO. AND, UM, THEY SHOWED UP TO WORK AND, UM, AND STILL PATROLLED TO MY NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, UH, AND DID VERY, VERY WELL, UH, KEEPING MY NEIGHBORHOOD SAFE. AND SO, FROM THOSE HOAS, I'LL, I'LL, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DO OFFER MY THANKS AND THEIR THANKS TOO, UH, ERIC, A A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I, I WAS LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, UH, FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NONPROFIT THAT, UH, RUNS, I THINK NINE PROGRAMS, ONE OF THEM IS THE BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER. THE NUMBERS FOR LAST YEAR WERE 60,000 PLUS PEOPLE WHO CAME THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, MANY OF THEM BROUGHT TO THE PROGRAMS BY POLICE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I DON'T SUPPORT DEFUNDING POLICE IF IT MEANS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE GOING TO LESSEN THE QUALITY OF SERVICES TO THE FOLKS, UH, WHO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP. UM, THE OTHER THING, UH, I I'LL MENTION IS THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S, RIGHT? DEFUND THE POLICE MEANS, RIGHT? REALLOCATING CERTAIN, UH, MONIES SO THAT WE CAN REDEDICATE THEM TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR POLICE TO BE HANDLING. BUT WE GOTTA BE HONEST, TO A LOT OF FOLKS, IT ALSO MEANS DEFUND THE POLICE AND ABOLISH IT, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE BUDGET BECAUSE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BELIEVE OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, LESS POLICE OFFICERS IS JUST BETTER. UM, AND SO I, I'VE HEARD THOSE CALLS TOO, AND I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS THAT THINK THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING THOSE CALLS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THAT I HEAR YOU. I JUST VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE WITH YOU. UH, AND SO I, UH, ERIC, I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE DO, NEVER, EVER, EVER IN PERILS, SAP'S, YOU KNOW, UH, PRESENCE IN MY NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, PARTICULARLY THE SAFE DEPARTMENT, [03:00:01] UH, OR THE SAFE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM. I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST A HUGE SUCCESS. AND SO, I, I, I THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS DEDICATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. UH, THE OTHER THING, UH, AND AND THIS IS LAST ERIC, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I WORRY, UH, ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE NOT FUNDING, UH, OR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REDUCING. AND SO I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND, AND FOR ME AND THE MAYOR AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO REASSURE PEOPLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THAT WE STILL ARE GONNA BE DOING A SIX MONTH CHECK-IN, RIGHT? UH, OUR MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING THE TEMPERATURE OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS AND MAKING, YOU KNOW, AND ADAPTING MIDYEAR. AND SO, I, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS A YEAR LONG SUICIDE PACT , UH, THAT THERE, THAT THERE IS BUILT IN FLEXIBILITY. AND LASTLY, I I, I WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT THIS IS ALSO A BALANCED BUDGET, AND THAT'S NO EASY FEAT. UM, AND, UH, SO I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ERIC, UH, I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA, IF YOU WANNA UNPACK THAT, UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO, BUT I, I, I THINK, I THINK MY POINT'S BEEN MADE. AND SO, MAYOR, THANKS SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER , UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UM, OKAY. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. AND THEN, SO I, I, UH, ERIC, UM, AND, AND, AND TEAM. SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, A REALLY UNIQUE TIME, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO, UM, WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT I GUESS, UH, CON MORE CONFUSION, UM, SHOW WHAT WE'RE FUNDING IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, AND THEN SOMEHOW SIDE BY SIDE, SO SHOW WHAT'S BEING FUNDED FROM THE CARES MONEY, UH, BECAUSE IT DOES LOOK LIKE THERE'S BEEN A BIG REDUCTION IN HOUSING, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A REDUCTION IN SOME SERVICES THAT ARE ACTUALLY BEING COVERED BY THE CARESS MONEY. UH, AND SO, I MEAN, GRANTED, IT'S, IT'S A ONE-TIME SITUATION, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY CREATE A, AN ENTIRE PICTURE OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO, TO WORK WITH SOME OF THESE REALLY CRITICAL ISSUES. UM, IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE LEGAL FOR YOU ALL TO DO THAT? UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT, WE ALREADY VOTED ON THE CARES MONEY. UM, CAN YOU PUT IT SIDE BY SIDE? YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT, COUNSEL, WHEN THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT, UH, IN THE WORK SESSIONS AND, AND A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE HOMELESS, UH, OUTREACH TEAMS, UM, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UM, A LOT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS THERE, THERE IS KIND OF A LAYERING EFFECT. AND, AND, AND WE'LL DO THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SUGGESTION. WE'LL MAKE SURE WE CLEARLY DO THAT IN, IN THE WORK SESSION SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE DISTINCTION HOUSING'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE, LIKE YOU SAID, RIGHT? AND SO, BECAUSE I, I THINK IT, IT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, EVERYTHING'S DISTORTED RIGHT NOW, UM, IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE ARE APPROVING THIS BUDGET. UM, AND JUST IN THAT, THE FACT THAT THERE'S A TON OF FUNDING AVAILABLE IN, IN ONE AREA, AND OF COURSE, THIS INCREDIBLE NEED IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT WE FUNDED, UM, THROUGH THE CARESS FUNDING, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE GENERAL FUND, THAT'S LIKE JUST OUR WORKING BUDGET THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. UM, UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, MY, MY LAST AND, AND FINAL BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY DOES IN MANY WAYS ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT I'VE BEEN BEEN REQUESTING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, WHICH WAS MORE DEDICATION TO SOCIAL SERVICES. AND SO I, I, I THINK IT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOESN'T REFLECT IN THE BUDGET, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW WHAT DEFUND THE POLICE MEANS. UM, WE UNDERSTAND IT VERY CLEARLY. WE DON'T NEED TO, UM, BE REMINDED, UH, BY MY COLLEAGUES WHAT DEFUND THE POLICE MEANS, . UH, THE REALITY IS THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND I, I MEAN, I COULD SPEAK FOR MYSELF, I HAVE ALWAYS ASKED FOR MORE OFFICERS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE ASKING FOR MORE FUNDING IN SOCIAL SERVICES, BECAUSE TRULY, LIKE THAT'S HOW WE'VE SEEN IT PRESENTED. UM, AND I HAVE BEEN ON, ON SITE MANY TIMES OF, OF, OF CERTAIN SITUATIONS, WHETHER IT WAS A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT OR, UM, SOME VIOLENCE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT OF COURSE, LIKE THE FIRST INSTINCT TO DO IS TO CALL NINE ONE ONE AND CALL THE POLICE, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE'VE BEEN TRAINED OUR ENTIRE LIVES. [03:05:01] AND WE KNOW THAT OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE DEPENDED TOO HEAVILY ON THE RAPID RESPONSE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO RESPOND TO THESE CRISIS SITUATIONS. AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU ALL HAVE HEAR, HEARD ME BRAG OVER THE YEARS ABOUT THE VERY FAST RESPONSE TIMES IN DISTRICT FIVE. AND, AND AS WE'VE, UM, GONE ON TO, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE FUND THE POLICE, UM, ONE OF THE MAIN, AND AND THE CHIEF MENTIONED THIS BEFORE IN ONE OF HIS PRESENTATIONS, LIKE WHAT WAS THEIR, LIKE DETERMINED, UM, SUCCESS RATES, AND IT WAS RESPONSE TIMES. AND SO THAT WAS WHAT WE'VE BEEN JUDGING THEIR, UH, SUCCESS ON IS RESPONSE TIMES, NOT, UH, SHIFTS IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT VERY PLAINLY NOW, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DATA, UM, IS WEAK, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT REALLY REQUESTED THAT IN THE PAST. SO THIS IS A, A, A VERY, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, UNIQUE SITUATION IN THAT IT LOOKS LIKE OUR BUDGET, UH, IS NOT REALLY ADDRESSING THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY RELATED TO HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, AND ALSO, UH, VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY IN THE CARES MONEY DEDICATED TO SOME, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS WELL. SO, UM, I, I JUST, UM, IT'S, IT, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET, I FEEL SORT OF DISAPPOINTED, LIKE WE DIDN'T ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. UM, I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THAT ALL THE REDIRECTION OF, UH, RESOURCES OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REALLY HAD LIKE ALMOST ZERO IMPACT ON THEIR ENTIRE BUDGET, JUST GIVEN THE LARGENESS OF IT. UM, AND THE, UM, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BRINGING THESE POSITIONS OVER TO METRO HEALTH, UH, WHICH IS AGAIN, LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. WE KNOW THAT MOST OF THE FUNDING IN METRO HEALTH HAS LARGELY BEEN GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS, UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED IN OUR, OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK. UM, SO, UH, THAT'S, UM, UH, I THINK IMPORTANT DISTINCTION THAT, UM, TODAY I ALSO, UM, THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY, I ALSO, UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES JUST REGARDING OVERALL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO, UM, THE, THE PHYSICAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, EARLY IN MY TENURE, I, I TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT, AND THEN, UM, IT SEEMED LIKE WE JUST, WERE NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS. WE'RE NOT MOVING THE NEEDLE IN THE LEAST BIT WHEN IT CAME TO, UM, DIABETES AND OBESITY. AND, UH, AND BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THAT, I, I REALLY BELIEVED NEEDED TO BE AT AN INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SPACES. SO BETTER PARKS, UH, BETTER ACCESS TO, UM, SIDEWALKS AND, UH, BIKE LANES AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND BETTER, UM, UH, PUBLIC SPACES IN PARTICULAR. AND WE STARTED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. AND NOW, NOW, AS A RESULT OF COVID, IT'S LIKE WE HAVE ALMOST NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE PUBLIC GATHERINGS AND PEOPLE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE ACTIVITIES IN THE PARKS. AND SO I DID LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN WE CAN START TO ADDRESS SOME PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, UH, BECAUSE I, I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE HEALTH DISPARITIES IS THROUGH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. AND, AND IT'S JUST REALLY SKEWED, UM, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF, OF THE, UM, INABILITY TO DO PUBLIC GATHERINGS. SO, UM, I JUST, UH, I, I WANTED TO JUST ALSO, UM, AS IT RELATES TO SOME QUESTIONS, UM, AND I ALSO THINK, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR, UM, HOUSING, UM, TRUST, UH, IS ACTUALLY A LOT OF HOUSING. UH, AND SO THAT'S ALSO NOT REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, UH, IN FACT IN OUR, UH, OUR HOUSING TRUST COMMITTEE JUST, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, UM, WE WERE PRESENTED A LOT OF, UH, HOUSING, REHAB, UM, HOUSING, UM, NEW BUILD, UH, THAT ARE AFFORDABLE, UH, UH, NOT AS DEEP AFFORDABILITY AS WE KNOW WE NEED TO SEE. UH, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALSO USE SOME OF THAT CARESS MONEY TO LAYER IN, UM, SOME OF THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO CAN, IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL, UH, SOMEBODY CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW, IF, UM, PART OF THAT CARESS FUNDING THAT CAN BE USED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 'CAUSE I ALSO THINK THAT THAT PAINTS A FULLER PICTURE OF THE BUDGET, UM, UH, THAT WE, WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY. SO I DUNNO IF THAT'S LORI, OR, UM, I DON'T, OR IF EVEN YOU'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER BECAUSE [03:10:01] IT'S, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE BUDGET, BUT IT REALLY IS, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, THAT WHAT PEOPLE ARE REQUESTING IS ALSO MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WELL, UM, AND I THINK LORI'S ON IT, I'LL LET HER ASK, ANSWER THE DETAILED QUESTION, BUT, BUT ALL OF THAT PROGRAMMING FOR FEDERAL FUNDS HAS BEEN ALLOCATED, UM, THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE RECOVERY PLAN. SO IF YOU'RE ASKING, IF WE, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR US TO DEVELOP MAYBE SOME OPTIONS TO MOVE MONEY AROUND FROM PROGRAMMING, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF, LORI, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT SEE, WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING SEEING COMING DOWN THE PIKE IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO LET ME JUST KIND OF REPHRASE THE QUESTION, AND PERHAPS IT WILL HELP LAURIE ANSWER. BUT THE, THE, THE, THE, WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPRESS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THIS INDEPENDENTLY AS WE LOOK AT THE CARES FUNDING, AND THEN WE LOOK AT HOUSING, SOME OF THE HOUSING INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE. AND, AND BECAUSE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS AND BECAUSE OF, UM, OUR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK, WE SORT OF LOOK AT THINGS IN SILOS, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT GETTING A FULL PICTURE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT THE CITY IS DOING TO TRY TO EASE, UH, THE SUFFERING OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE, ARE TALKING A LOT ABOUT. AND THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE WAY THAT PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS, HOUSING AND SORT OF THE FOOD INSECURITY, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UM, BEFORE US TODAY. AND I THINK, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO ONLY VOTE ON THIS BUDGET, BUT FOR THE, FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC WHO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH, UH, PERHAPS IF YOU SAW THE OTHER SIDE, YOU COULD SEE THAT I THINK THAT WE ARE LEADING THE NATION IN HELPING OUR CONSTITUENTS DURING THIS VERY CHALLENGING TIME. THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION, COUNCIL, WELL, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT IN THE, IN THE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UM, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, YOU MAYOR, UH, AND THANK YOU ERIC AND TEAM FOR, UM, THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW YOU ALL HAD GIVEN ME A, UH, BRIEFING, UH, OF A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE WOULD BE SEEING TODAY. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, I I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU BECAUSE THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF YOUR MOST DIFFICULT, UM, CHALLENGES EVER, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TO DEAL WITH COVID AND, UM, EVERYTHING I'LL AT ONCE. SO WE HAD GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND, AND BUDGET TO PREPARE FOR. SO THANK YOU ALL. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION. WHEN WILL WE RECEIVE DISTRICT SPECIFIC VIEWS, UM, OF ITEMS LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, STREAK AND, UM, ANY IMPROVEMENTS? WHEN, WHEN DOES THAT COME, COUNCILMAN? HI, THIS IS MARIA PGO, CITY MANAGER. UM, WE WILL BE PREPARING THOSE, UM, HANDOUTS THAT WE TYPICALLY DO FOR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UM, UH, BEGINNING TODAY WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING THOSE TO YOU, UH, EARLY NEXT WEEK BETWEEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH ALL YOUR PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO YOUR DISTRICT. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MARIA. AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND I HAD BEEN ASKING FOR THIS, AND I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD BEEN ASKING FOR THIS AS WELL, WITH THE COVID, UM, SITUATION THAT WE HAD GOING ON, I WAS AFRAID THAT COVID WAS TAKING A MAJORITY, UH, OF THE DEATHS WERE COMING FROM SOME OF THE POOREST DISTRICTS IN OUR CITY. AND, UM, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, UM, MY THEORY WAS CORRECT. AND SO COVID HAS TAKEN A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN DISTRICTS THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE, SPECIFICALLY WITH DISTRICT SIX CLOSELY BEHIND. AND I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD MAKE A PLUG TO HAVE MAYBE SOMEONE DEDICATED IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, DEPARTMENT AS, UM, WE ARE ALREADY DEDICATING, UH, FOLKS IN, IN PUBLIC HEALTH TO BE SPECIFIC TO CONGREGATE SETTINGS AND ET CETERA. IF THEY COULD MAYBE FOCUS ON A FEW OF OUR DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THE MOST DEATHS AND SEE WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO TO PUSH SOME MORE INFORMATION IN THOSE AREAS. I, UM, THINK THAT WE ARE, UM, AFFECTED EVEN MORE BY, UM, A LOT OF THESE THINGS. I, WE HAD A PRESENTATION, I THINK IT WAS EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND, AND WE SAW IT WAS WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND, AND IT WAS THOSE THREE DISTRICTS, AGAIN, THAT HAD THE LEAST PARTICIPATION, UH, IN SOME OF THE FUNDING AVAILABLE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO [03:15:01] INCREASE WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THESE DISTRICTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO, UH, COVID, UH, PREVENTION. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, UH, THE CORRECT, UM, PLACE TO, UH, ASK FOR IT. MAYBE IT'S AT THE BUDGET WORK SESSION, BUT I DID WANT TO GO ON RECORD ASKING IF THERE WAS ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THOSE SPECIFICALLY. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A, A QUESTION THAT CAN BE ANSWERED NOW OR AGAIN DURING THE BUDGET WORK SESSION, BUT I WANTED TO, UM, GO ON RECORD ASKING ABOUT THAT. UM, THIS WOMAN, UH, DR. BRIDGES ON THE PHONE, IF YOU WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK ANSWER AND UPDATE ON THAT HERE. SURE, YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, WE ARE WORKING ON YOUR QUESTIONS, UM, PROVIDING A MORE GRANULAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEATHS AND THE CASES, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE THREE DISTRICTS. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS, REMEMBER FROM THE BEGINNING THAT TEAM WAS, UM, KIND OF OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN OUR HIGH RISK AREAS. WE ARE REDEPLOYING THOSE TEAMS TO AREAS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE PER CAPITA OF CASES AND DEATHS IN ADDITION TO A HIGH, UM, EQUITY SCORE. SO, UM, YOU AND I, I THINK ARE IN LOCKSTEP THERE. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. BRIDGER. THAT MEANS A LOT, UM, TO ME. AND, AND I'M SURE TOO, MY FELLOW COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, WE, UM, ARE, ARE JUST DEVASTATED AT THOSE NUMBERS. UM, SO I'LL CARRY ON WITH THE, THE, THE REST OF THE ITEMS, UM, ON POLICE. I WOULD LIKE TO, AND, AND NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CURE VIOLENCE PROGRAM. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT I KNOW THAT WE ARE, UM, ALLOCATING SOME, UH, OR REDIRECTING SOME FUNDS THERE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE'S 11 POSITIONS THAT WILL NOT BE FUNDED IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE MOVED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. I KNOW ON SLIDE 17 OF YOUR PRESENTATION, ERIC, YOU HAD, UM, UH, SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, C R T, FOR INSTANCE WAS MOVING TO HEALTH, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE A BREAKDOWN, BECAUSE THE WAY THAT I SEE IT ON YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET DOCUMENT, THE ACTUAL 391 PAGER, WHICH BY THE WAY, IS ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OF LAST YEAR. SO I'M IMPRESSED WITH WHOEVER, WHOEVER Y'ALL DID TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THAT. BUT THEN I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT IT WAS HALF, HALF THE LENGTH. UM, THE, UH, I, I'M KIND OF ADDING UP AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THERE'S COMMUNITY LIAISON, UH, THAT YOU ALL ARE CREATING POSITION, UH, STATISTICS AND REPORTING UNIT MOVING OVER TO INNOVATION THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE 20 SPECIALISTS THAT ARE MOVING TO METRO HEALTH. I AM ADDING UP AND, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF A REDUCTION IN POLICE IS MOVING OVER TO HEALTH. AND IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT $5.5 MILLION ACCORDING TO PAGE ONE 14. BUT I ALSO SEE THEM LISTED IN SEVERAL AREAS, SO I WANNA SEE THAT I GET THE CORRECT NUMBER. SO I GUESS THE, THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH IS BEING REALLY REALLOCATED IN TOTAL FROM, UM, POLICE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST HEALTH, BUT ALSO TO INNOVATION. SO IF SOMEBODY COULD FOLLOW UP WITH ME ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON DELEGATE AGENCIES SPECIFICALLY. AND I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU TALKED TO DELEGATE AGENCIES TO, UM, UH, ASK ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY WOULD NEED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021, AND YOU CITED PROJECT COST AS AN EXAMPLE, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE THEY ALSO ASKED ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 2022, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T ASSUME THAT THE ONE 8% TAX IS GOING TO, UM, PASS. AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDER THEIR NEEDS FOR 2022 FISCAL YEAR 2022. UM, ADDITIONALLY, THANK YOU FOR THE JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY. UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO CREATE. I DO BELIEVE THAT TRANSPORTATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE FOCUSING ON RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT FOR USE TRANSPORTATION. AND SO I, I LIKE THAT WE'RE CREATING AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT FOCUSED ON THAT. ON THE, UM, ON THE, UH, ONLINE BUDGET WORKSHOPS. I AM HOPING THAT WE CAN ENGAGE, AND YOU MENTIONED THAT WE CAN'T DO TRADERS VILLAGE OBVIOUSLY THIS YEAR, BUT I'M WONDERING HOW ELSE WE WILL ENGAGE FOLKS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY. UH, AND, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER JUST KIND OF QUE OBSERVATION OR QUESTION FOR YOU ALL TO, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH. I'M WONDERING ALSO, UH, THE, THE HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT YOU'VE ALLOCATED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UM, WONDERING WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM, UH, HOW, HOW IT CAME ABOUT. UM, I AM IN SUPPORT OF IT, BUT I'M TRYING TO SEE WHERE IT WAS MOVED FROM. ALSO, I AM, UM, HAPPY BY THE WAY THAT, UH, THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AT, AT THE PROGRAMS IN THE DISABILITY, UM, ACCESS OFFICE. I'M, I'M, UM, [03:20:01] ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. I AM ALSO WONDERING IF, UM, THE PAGE 91 OF YOUR FULL BUDGET DOCUMENT HAS THE, UH, CONVENTION SPORTS FACILITIES, THERE'S A MANDATE, UM, AND IT'S MOVING FROM 1.7 TO 2.5 MILLION NEXT YEAR. AND I'M WONDERING IS THAT BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT MORE EVENTS WILL BE BROUGHT BACK, UH, AND SO SOMETHING THAT I, I'M SURE CATALYST WILL, WILL BE WILLING TO ANSWER THERE. AND THEN MY FINAL IS CONTACT TRACING. I SAW THAT FIRE, UH, DID 5,300 CASE INVESTIGATIONS. I'M WONDERING IF, UM, ALL OF THE COVID SUPPORT IS COUNTED UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET. CAN SOMEONE ANSWER THAT? I THINK THAT MIGHT BE DR. BRIDGER. COUNCILWOMAN. HI, THIS IS MARIA AGAIN. I, I THINK I CAN, UM, TEAM UP WITH DR. BRIDGER ON, ON YOUR QUESTION. SO WHEN WE, UH, PRESENTED TO COUNCIL THE, UH, EMERGENCY BUDGET, UM, AND ALSO THE RESILIENCY PLAN, THE EMERGENCY BUDGET SPECIFICALLY WAS ALLOCATED BETWEEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO, SO WE HAVE A, UH, THAT BUDGET COMBINES BOTH. THANK YOU. AND I'D LOVE TO SEE MAYBE A BREAKDOWN OF, UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE THEN, UH, IT, IT MAKES UP IN PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, JUST A, A, AN OVERVIEW, IF YOU WILL. AND THEN FINALLY ALSO THE TIMELINE, I NOTICED THAT WE HAD, THE PROPOSAL ERIC HAD ON HIS SLIDE WAS THAT WE WOULD PRESENT BY APRIL 21 A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT THE, UH, I GUESS THE TIMELINE BREAKDOWN IS, AND I'M SURE WE'LL GET THAT DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, I'M ASSUMING, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL SAID THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE A SIX MONTH PROGRAM, UH, I'M SORRY, A PILOT PROGRAM OR, OR ACTUALLY A REVIEW OF DATA, ET CETERA. AND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY APRIL, 2021. YEAH, COUNCILMAN, I'LL, I'LL ANSWER THAT LAST QUESTION. THE, THE APRIL, 2021 WAS JUST, UM, KIND OF A PROJECTED DAY FOR US. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND COUNCILWOMAN HARA HAVE, HAVE INITIATED A REVIEW AND I, I, UM, I THINK IT PROBABLY WARRANTS SOME MORE CONVERSATION WITH HER AS COMMITTEE CHAIR AND, AND, UM, KINDA LAY OUT A, A TIMELINE FOR THAT. UM, PART OF THAT WAS ALSO BEING DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, I WAS ANTICIPATING SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNITY, UH, UH, INPUT, UM, AND, UM, UM, PROBABLY A WHOLE SLEW OF, OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS. BUT, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, BEYOND THE, THE GENERAL BRIEFING, REALLY SIT DOWN WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN, THE CHAIR AND KIND OF THINK THROUGH THAT WHOLE THING. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU, ERIC. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, IF, IF IT WAS SET IN STONE. SO THANK YOU, ERIC. THANK YOU, MARIA. UH, THANK YOU, DR. BRIDGE. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, WOW. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ERIC AND THE WHOLE BUDGET TEAM MARIA, UH, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, UH, GONNA BE INTERESTING IN THE INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS ON, ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS. UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK Y'ALL FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AT THIS POINT. UM, I WAS PARTICULARLY HAPPY, UH, ERIC, WHEN, UH, YOU AND MARIA GAVE ME THAT PRE-BRIEF ON THIS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PLUS UP OUR STREETS. UM, BUT BECAUSE AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE REALLY LOOKING F FOR SAFE STREETS, MAINTENANCE REPAIR, UM, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GET OUT, GO TO WORK, GO TO PLAY, WHATEVER. SO I'M, UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT PLUS UP AGAIN. WE'RE STILL A LITTLE BIT SHORT FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, BUT, UM, WE BUMPED IT BACK UP TO OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS GREAT. UM, SO I WAS HAPPY ABOUT THAT. THERE'S SOME OTHER AREAS THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A LOT OF DISCUSSION. AND, UH, JUST ABOUT, EVERYBODY HAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE POLICE, POLICE BUDGET. UM, I MENTIONED THE, THE THING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES TO RESPOND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT EVENTS AT A HOME OR BUSINESS OR WHEREVER IN TOWN, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CONCERNED KNOW, I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT POLICE PROTECTION THAT GOES ALONG WITH THEM, SO I'M NOT SEEING WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET A BIG SAVINGS IN POLICE TIME AND, AND BUDGET FROM THAT, BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO RESPOND ALONG WITH THOSE SOCIAL SERVERS, SERVICE PEOPLE. I [03:25:01] MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE THEM GOING INTO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, UM, PROBLEM WITHOUT SOME KIND OF PROTECTION. SO I, I, I NEED MORE DETAILS ON THAT, ON WHERE YOU'RE MOVING, UM, AUTHORIZATIONS TO WHO'S ACTUALLY GONNA FILL THOSE AUTHORIZATIONS AND THAT KIND OF THING. I'M, UM, UM, BUT OVERALL, EVEN MEMBERS ON THIS COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO, UM, ELIMINATE THAT SHORTAGE OF POLICE OFFICERS BY, IN INCREASING CLASS SIZES, BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CLASSES THAT WE HAVE. UM, AND WE WORK VERY, VERY HARD TO GET UP TO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. AND I, I DON'T WANT TO DO ANY BACKSTEPPING OR, OR SLIDING BACK BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO, THEY WANT MORE POLICE OFFICERS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY WANT MORE CONTROLS, SAFE OFFICERS. UH, I, I KNOW IN DISTRICT 10 THAT IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HARD FOR ME TO GO TO THE DISTRICT SAYING, WE'RE LOSING FIVE OR 10 AUTHORIZATIONS, OR FIVE OR 10 POLICEMEN IN, IN OUR COVERAGE AREA. AND I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT MOST EVERYBODY ON THIS CALL WOULD HAVE THE SAME, SAME REACTION FROM THEIR DISTRICT ABOUT REDUCING THE NUMBERS OF POLICEMEN OUT IN ON, IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I'M VERY, VERY, UH, CAUTIOUS ABOUT THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THE PLAN IS. BUT I CAN TELL YOU FROM DISTRICT 10, THEY WANT MORE POLICEMEN OUT ON THE STREETS. THEY WANT MORE SAFE OFFICERS TO PROVIDE THAT SAFETY, AND THAT, THAT BEING ABLE TO GO OUT WITHOUT BEING FEARFUL FOR THEIR LIVES, UH, PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY. I, I GET WEEKLY REPORTS ON, ON THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HERE IN, IN MY DISTRICT, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT, IT'S NOT GOING DOWN. IF ANYTHING, IT'S INCREASING VANDALISM, THEFT, UM, SHOOTINGS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT GOES ON AND ON. AND POLICE, UH, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT. WE'RE LOOKING AT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF, UH, POLICEMEN OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE PAYING, UH, INTO THIS CITY IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS, WHETHER IT'S C LAWS, PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, ALL OF THAT IS HELPING TO PAY FOR OUR BUDGETS. AND THEY'RE EXPECTING THAT, THAT SAFETY FACTOR. AND, UM, I, I'LL SAY IT NOW, IF, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS OF POLICEMEN, Y'ALL SCORE THOSE REDUCTIONS IN Y'ALL'S DISTRICTS, BUT I WANNA STAY WHERE I'M AT IN MY DISTRICT AND NOT HAVE ANY REDUCTIONS. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS WHEN WE GET TO THE INDIVIDUAL AREAS TO BE DISCUSSED. I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, ERIC, THOUGH, ON THE, THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION ON THE HOLIDAY, IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS, OR ARE WE REPLACING A HOLIDAY WITH THIS DATE? COUNSEL, WE'RE REPLACING A HOLIDAY. THE, THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS 13 PAID HOLIDAYS, AND WE'LL STILL HAVE 13 TO 2021. WE'RE JUST MOVING ONE OF THOSE, UH, THEY'RE CALLED WINTER HOLIDAY. UM, UH, WE HAVE TWO OF THEM. WE'RE MOVING ONE OF THEM, OR I'M RECOMMENDING WE MOVE ONE OF THEM TO, UH, TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, WHICH, WHICH NEW HOLIDAY? WHEN YOU SAY WINTER HOLIDAYS, WHICH HOLIDAY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? UH, THE DAYS THAT ARE UTILIZED BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S. SO IT'S MOVING THAT DAY TO JUNE 19TH, OR IN THIS CASE IN 2021, WOULD BE, UH, CELEBRATED ON, ON FRIDAY, JUNE, JUNE 18TH. OKAY. ALRIGHT, GREAT. WELL, AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSIONS ON THIS. I'M SURE THERE'LL BE VERY INTERESTING AND, UH, UH, JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, UH, WE GOT A FEW FOLKS WHO WANT TO CHIME BACK IN. UM, SO WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I, UH, LOVE HEARING ALL THE COMMENTS FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES. UH, JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO, FIRST OF ALL, A COUPLE OF THINGS I DIDN'T MENTION IS I AM REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY. I THINK THAT'S, UH, BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC FOR, FOR THE CITY TO, TO BE DOING. UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS THAT I SAW IN THE BUDGET, AND, UH, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THEM AS WE GO, UH, ITEM BY ITEM IN THE UPCOMING BRIEFINGS. BUT ONE THING I, I THINK WE, WE [03:30:01] DO JUST HAVE TO PUT OUT THERE FOR, FOR THE SAKE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN COME TO THE COUNCIL, UH, ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR, FOR SO MANY THINGS, FROM SIDEWALKS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO, TO SO MANY THINGS. DRAINAGE PRO PROJECTS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL THAT WE'VE HAD A UNIFIED VOICE COME FORWARD OR, OR A STRONG VOICE COME FORWARD ASKING US TO ACTUALLY REDUCE A BUDGET FOR SOMETHING. UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR, FOR THE BUDGET, I SEE THAT THE GENERAL FUND IS GROWING BY ONLY 6 MILLION. A TINY, TINY, I'M, I'M SORRY, IS, AM I GETTING THAT RIGHT? IS IT 6 MILLION? MARIA? YES, COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. SO A TINY PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S STILL A LOT OF MONEY. UM, AND THE ONLY BUDGET PROGRAM BUDGET OR DEPARTMENT BUDGET THAT'S GROWING BY THAT MUCH IS THE POLICE BUDGET. IT'S GROWING BY 8 MILLION. IT'S GROWING MORE THAN THE WHOLE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS GROWING, WHICH MEANS WE PROBABLY HAD TO TAKE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN ORDER TO, TO GROW IT. AND, UM, NOT JUST THAT YOU'VE ALREADY REDUCED IT, RIGHT? UH, YOU'VE REDUCED THE OVERTIME, YOU TRANSFERRED. I THINK IT'S A 1.2 MILLION IN THE CRISIS, UH, RESPONSE TEAM. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS YET FOR, FOR DATA, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT. UM, AND, AND RESTATE AGAIN, THAT IF WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING THE FUTURE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, DOES IT MAKE FISCAL SENSE TO FILL ALL OF THE VACANCIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IF WE ANTICIPATE 70 VACANCIES AND WE ASSUME, UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, DOLLARS SALARY ON AVERAGE, AND THAT, THAT'S $7 MILLION. THAT'S JUST MY ASSUMPTION. UH, I KNOW WE STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR PENSION, UH, FOR THOSE FOLKS. SO THERE MAY STILL BE SOME, SOME COST. BUT, UM, AS WE GO INTO THAT BUDGET DISCUSSION, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE AGAIN, ONCE WE HIRE THOSE POLICE OFFICERS, WE KNOW THAT THE, THAT THE ABILITY TO LET THEM GO IS, IS LIMITED. AND THAT, UH, THAT ALSO COMES WITH A COST, RIGHT? WITH THE PENSION COST FOREVER, NOT JUST FOR WHEN THEY, THEY SERVE WITH US. UM, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS, UH, IS AGAIN, THAT I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE MORE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, $5 MILLION MORE. UH, PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABOUT PREVENTING DISEASE PROLONGING LIFE. AND, UM, MANY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE UNDERFUNDED. AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE PUT MORE OF THE BURDEN ON RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T ALWAYS PICK UP THE BILL, BUT WE PUT THE BURDEN ON RESIDENTS TO EITHER GO INTO CATASTROPHIC BANKRUPTCY WHEN THEY HAVE, UH, A DISEASE THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PREVENT. AND, AND WORSE, WE ROBBED THEM OF YEARS OF HEALTHY LIFE. SO I'VE CALLED FOR INCREASE, UH, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE BUDGET. UH, SO I'M GLAD TO SEE IT, UH, HAVE AN INCREASE. UM, I DON'T WANT US TO STOP THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN ANNEXATION, WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING OR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SPENDING, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH SPENDING, WHICH REALLY MEANS THAT WE'RE DECREASING OUR PER CAPITA INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH AS THE CITY GROWS. SO WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF FLOOR FOR FUNDING PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR FUNDING OUR, OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS WE GO FORWARD. AND I'M GLAD TO, TO ALSO SAY THAT COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN, THAT I'LL BE SUPPORTING HER IN THE RESOLUTION CALLING, UH, RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'LL BE DISCUSSING IT AT COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW, AND I PLAN TO SUPPORT HER ON THAT. BUT IT'S A RESOLUTION, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. IT SETS OUR DIRECTION. UH, WE CAN'T STOP THERE. UH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME MONEY BEHIND THAT AND THE SOLUTIONS FOR THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES. UH, SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE COMMENTS. AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MORE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU, MARIA. THANK YOU, ERIC. THANK YOU, SCOTT AND EVERYBODY ELSE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TOO WANNA EXPRESS, UH, MY, MY GRATITUDE FOR, UH, JUNETEENTH BEING, UM, SHIFTED OVER TO A CITY HOLIDAY. I THINK THAT'S A TREMENDOUS THING. UH, AND I ALSO WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF COUNCIL MEMBER JADA'S, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WE WILL HEAR TOMORROW IN, IN COMMITTEE, [03:35:01] UM, AS COUNCILMAN, UM, SANDOVAL MENTIONED. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO, LOOK, I, I'M HOPEFUL THROUGH THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WILL ESTABLISH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF DEFUNDING THE POLICE. I WANNA ENSURE THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT ONLY HEARD AT THE UPCOMING BUDGET SESSIONS, BUT THAT THEIR INPUT IS CONSIDERABLY LISTENED TO, ESPECIALLY IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY DISCUSSION. WE ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND SPEAK OUT ON MATTERS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM. I HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, WE SEE THAT INPUT IS REFLECTED EFFECTIVELY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND SO I JUST, I, I, I WANTED TO MAKE MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE, UM, VIRTUAL, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL. AND SO TO REALLY URGE US, UM, TO STAY VIRTUAL. AND, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD AN A SESSION, UH, VIRTUAL. UM, AND IT'S A REAL STRU. I MEAN, I, I KNOW EVERYBODY CAN SEE ME STRUGGLING WITH THE CHILDCARE ISSUE AND WHY I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SO MUCH, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT UNUSUAL. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE MAINTAIN, UM, THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS, UH, AND, AND MAINTAIN, UH, AND NOT ENCOURAGE A LOT OF PUBLIC GATHERINGS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE MAYOR ISSUING, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND WE HAVE TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. AND AS MUCH AS IT PAINS ME, UM, TO HAVE TO DO IT, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF IN SHOWING UP IN PERSON, UH, AND BEING FULLY PRESENT, UM, AT ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE A SESSIONS, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, AND SO FOR ANYBODY THAT WAS PAYING ATTENTION, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALWAYS PHYSICALLY PRESENT. UM, BUT THE NUMBERS, UH, CONTINUE TO RISE. AND, AND JUST TODAY I HAVE ANOTHER, UM, VERY CLOSE, UH, MEMBER, UH, WHO IS, UM, UH, NOT WELL AND, AND DUE TO C AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S REALLY, UH, SO COMMON FOR, FOR SO MANY OF US. SO, UM, HOWEVER WE DO THAT, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET COMMUNITY INPUT, WE KNOW, UM, WITH THIS KIND OF A SITUATION. BUT, UM, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE CREATIVE, UH, IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND, AND SO IT, IT, UM, I, I ALSO THEN JUST WANT TO GIVE A PUBLIC THANKS TO MY OWN STAFF, UH, FOR WORKING SO HARD TO REACH OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, AND, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN THIS REALLY A CHALLENGING TIME, BUT JUST ENCOURAGING US TO STAY VIRTUAL, UM, WITH ALL OUR MEETINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO RELY VERY HEAVILY, UM, ON, ON, UH, NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO, UM, TO COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYONE. WE DO KNOW THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY NOW HAS A PHONE. UM, AND, AND ONE THING THAT CAME UP IN, IN ONE OF, UH, MY DISCUSSIONS, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER WITH WHOM NOW, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PROVIDED DEVICES TO COMMUNICATE. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE A, UM, A DEVICE HERE. I'VE GOT TWO DEVICES. IN FACT, WE, UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT ALLOWS US TO VOTE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT I'M USING CURRENTLY. UM, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S A WAY WE CAN TRY TO PROVIDE SOME FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE MEETINGS, UH, OR FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT REQUEST THEM IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT, SO THAT THEY CAN FIND WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. SO, I, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF NECESSARILY, UM, HAVING, UH, DEVICES PROVIDED TO EVERYONE IS FEASIBLE, BUT PERHAPS WE COULD GIVE TRAINING, UH, IN-HOUSE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SO THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THESE THINGS, UM, AND, AND, AND COMMUNICATE WITH US. SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED? UM, PERHAPS THAT QUESTION MIGHT BE FOR, UM, FOR JEFF AT G P A. UH, ARE WE GIVING TRAININGS FOR PEOPLE TO HOST MEETINGS AND USE THE DEVICES AND FIGURE IT OUT THE WAY THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TRAINING FOR US? UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, THIS IS JEFF HERE. WE HAVE NOT, UH, DONE THAT BEFORE. WE HAVE PRODUCED SOME P S A TYPE VIDEOS AND SO FORTH TO HELP PEOPLE UTILIZE SOME OF THE, UH, ACCESS POINTS WE HAVE. BUT THAT, THAT'S A GOOD THOUGHT. I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE THE TRAINING FOR PO FOR FOLKS TO BETTER, AND AS WE'RE ROLLING OUT ALL THESE NEW THINGS LIKE VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND E-COM AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING, IT, IT, IT PROBABLY WOULD SERVE US WELL TO DO SOME OF THAT SO WE CAN HUDDLE WITH OUR TEAM AND, UH, AND COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS. UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. UH, I KNOW THAT WE DO. UM, UH, BUT IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S A LEARNING CURVE FOR ALL OF US. SO I ALSO [03:40:01] JUST WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AND OF COURSE, MY PUBLIC FOR, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS FOR BEING FLEXIBLE WITH, UH, ME DURING, UH, THIS PARTICULAR TIME, UM, AS I, I HAVE A CHILDCARE ISSUE, BUT, UH, IT SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY NEXT WEEK. SO, UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER VIE, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH A COUPLE OF MORE COMMENTS. UH, YES, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VI GARCIA FOR, UH, ADVOCATING FOR SOMEBODY DESIGNATED TO OUR AREAS THAT ARE SEEN IN HIGH INCREASE IN, UH, CASES AS WELL AS DEATHS. WE KNOW THAT THERE COULD BE SOME CONGREGANT SETTINGS, BUT I THINK IF YOU EVEN PUT AN OVERLAY OF WHERE THE TESTING SITES ARE, YOU WOULDN'T SEE MANY TESTING SITES, EVEN IN OUR, THE AREAS THAT ARE ALSO THE HIGHEST IMPACT WITH CASES AND WITH DEATHS OF COVID. UM, ALSO TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT, YOU KNOW, NALEO WAS HAVING THEIR NATIONAL CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW ALL VIRTUALLY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID PRESENT LAST WEEK OR YESTERDAY, UM, IS THE COVID TO 19 CRISIS IMPACT ON LATINOS. AND PART OF THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS ARE COMING UP IS, UM, THE SCHOOL AND ACCESS TO INTERNET IS REALLY ONLY THROUGH THE PHONES TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ'S POINT. SOME OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD IS, UM, PEOPLE GETTING LAID OFF, FURLOUGHED, AND NO MORE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. SO NOW THERE IS A BIGGER GAP, AND TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE EXPANSION. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EVEN GREATER CONCERN, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTHCARE COMING FORWARD IN THIS, IN THIS, UM, NOT JUST NOW AND THE IMMEDIACY, BUT EVEN AS WE RECOVER IN A YEAR, IN 24 MONTHS, HOW ARE WE AS A COMMUNITY GOING TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING ADVANCEMENTS? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AS WELL? AND HOW CAN THAT HELP WITH OUR I G R, UM, AGENDA MOVING FORWARD? I, UM, ERIC, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MENTIONED THIS, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION. YOU SAID THAT THE 12, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $12 MILLION FOR SALARIES FOR FIRE AND POLICE IN THIS BUDGET. WHERE DID YOU HAVE THAT NOW? WHERE DID THAT $12 MILLION COME FROM? AND IF YOU HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION, IF YOU HAVE IT BROKEN UP, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT, UM, EVEN BEFORE THE, UH, POLICE WORK SESSION NEXT WEEK. SURE. WE CAN SHOW OR MARIA. YEAH. YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL INCLUDE IN THERE HOW THE RECONCILIATION, BUT THE, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT CAME FROM THE GENERAL FUND. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REVENUE LOSS THAT WE HAD TO PLAN FOR THE $24 MILLION, UH, IN REVENUE LOSS, WE HAD TO MAKE, UH, $38 MILLION, OR THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS, IS RECOMMENDING $38 MILLION IN CUTS. UM, AND, AND, BUT WE CAN SHOW A HIGH LEVEL RECONCILIATION OR ACTUALLY A DETAILED RECONCILIATION FOR YOU TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THAT CAME FROM. 'CAUSE WE HAD TO DO THAT TO A LESSER DEGREE ON THE FIRE SIDE AS WELL. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU TO ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THE DISCUSSION, UM, ON THE RESOLUTION DECLARING RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRULY SEEING, AND IT SPEAKS TO THIS BUDGET AS WELL. UM, THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR, UH, THE JUNE 19TH, UM, HOLIDAY. I KNOW THAT THAT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS WE SPEAK TO, UM, EQUALITY AND EQUITY ACROSS OUR BOARD. UM, SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN ON IS, WHEN IT COMES TO THE REDUCTION WITHIN THE, UM, SS A P D BUDGET, WHAT EXACTLY WAS REALLOCATED OR WHAT WAS THE COST, COST DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO DEMILITARIZING, UM, OR TAKING OUT THAT PORTION OF WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON MILITARIZED EQUIPMENT? DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT, UH, QUESTION, MARIA COUNCILWOMAN. UM, WE, THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE MADE IN THE POLICE BUDGET INCLUDED, AS WE MENTIONED OVER TIME, AND THE REALLOCATION OF PHYSICIANS OUTSIDE OF THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF METRO HEALTH AND THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION, WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY OTHER, UH, REDUCTIONS. UM, YOU HAD ASKED A QUESTION WAS ASKED DURING THE GOAL SETTING SESSION ON HOW MUCH MONEY THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT SPENDS ON, UM, UH, EQUIPMENT, UM, RELATED TO, UM, HELMETS AND, AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OF [03:45:01] THAT KIND. AND WE, UH, MENTIONED THAT IT WAS ABOUT $59,000 ON AVERAGE THAT WE SPEND ON, ON A ANNUAL BASIS. UH, THAT AMOUNT IS STILL IN THE BUDGET, UH, AND THE PROPOSED 2021. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL, UM, TO SEE HOW WE CAN TRULY TACKLE THAT. UM, AND THEN UNDER OUR ANNEXATION AND OUR PS AND, UM, OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, HOW MUCH HAS THE COUNTY, UM, PAID INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO ASSIST US WITH THAT? I GUESS THAT'LL BE MY QUESTION. UH, WHAT THE COUNTY HAS DONE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN WAS A PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH CAMELOT TOO, IS THEY HAVE ACTUALLY PICKED UP THE SLACK IF THEY WEREN'T GETTING PAID, UH, THROUGH THE CURRENT BILLING FROM THE SERVICE FOR THE 600 CUSTOMERS. SO I THINK THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS ABOUT 35,000 OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. SO EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN PAID FOR. WE HAVE ABOUT A 90, MAYBE 98% SUCCESS RATE WITH THE PAYMENTS, SO THERE'S NOTHING LACKING. THANK YOU. IF THAT HELPS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, DAVID. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, SO MY CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE FOR US TO TRULY LOOK INTO OUR C C P F AND TRULY START INVESTING INTO OUR NONPROFITS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ASSIST WITH OUR YOUTH AND OUR SENIORS, TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE HELP WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCES FOR THE YOUTH, UM, AND RESOURCES FOR OUR SENIORS, SUCH AS FOOD SECURITY. UM, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, UM, THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE FOR OUR CITY STAFF IS TO TRULY LOOK AT OUR CHURCH FUNDING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA INVEST INTO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, FOOD, HOUSING, FOOD HOUSING AND SECURITY WITHIN THOSE AREAS. I LIKE TO ASK THAT WE ALLOCATE ABOUT 300,000 OUT OF THE INNER CITY TURS TO GO TOWARDS THE SAGE, UH, BENEFIT TO HELP OUR SMALLER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY OF THE CARESS ACT FUNDING, ANY OF THE P P P FUNDING OR ANY OF THE OTHER LOANS AND GRANT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH LIFTFUND. ALSO, I'M ASKING JEFF IF HE COULD PUT TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE NON-DIGITAL OUTREACH PLATFORM THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THOSE ALL MY FURTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YEAH, THANKS, ERIC. UM, WELL, BUT FIRST OF ALL, THE COMMENTS I'M GONNA MAKE ARE, LIKE I SAID A COUPLE DAYS AGO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA SOUND LIKE I'M QUESTIONING THE UNQUESTIONABLE AND THAT IT'S HERETICAL TO THROW THIS OUT THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL COUCH IT IN THESE TERMS. THERE, THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE FILING BANKRUPTCIES ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO, AND, UH, THERE'S CONSTITUENTS AND OF ALL OF OURS WHO ARE FACING HOME FORECLOSURES 'CAUSE THEY WERE LAID OFF. I'VE GOT BUSINESS OWNERS GETTING CASH CALLS FROM THEIR BANKS. UM, AND THESE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE FINDING THAT BANKS REALLY DON'T CARE WHETHER OR NOT THE ASSETS THAT THEY HOLD ARE WORTH LESS THAN THEY WERE WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD, WHICH WE'RE SEEING APPRAISAL DISTRICTS ALL OVER TEXAS VALUING BUILDINGS AS IF THOSE BUILDINGS WERE FULL OF PEOPLE. AND IT IS AS IF TENANTS WERE PAYING RENT AND PEOPLE ARE GOING BROKE AND THEY'RE DROWNING. AND I, I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET IN THE FIRST PAGE OF FINANCIAL IMPACT, YOU KNOW, SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A 2.9 MILLION SO FAR, 2.9 MILLION APPLICATIONS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT HAVE BEEN FILED, AND THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RATE NATIONWIDE SEEMS TO BE, UH, GETTING CLOSE TO LEVELS WE HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'M LOOKING AT PAGE 1 93 OF YOUR 400 PAGE BUDGET. UH, AND IT'S FINE. I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU GUYS CAME UP WITH THE NUMBERS THAT YOU CAME UP WITH, BUT I, I'M GONNA HAVE A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME EXPLAINING TO THE MY CONSTITUENTS WHY WE'RE FUNDING THE CACTUS PAIR MUSIC FESTIVAL OR THE, OR, PEACE AND JUSTICE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT, QUITE HONESTLY, I, AND, AND PROGRAMS THAT QUITE HONESTLY, LIKE, DON'T MAKE SENSE DURING A TIME OF, OF CRISIS, RIGHT? AND SO, I'M, I'M GONNA NEED SOME HELP AT A LATER DATE TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS. UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE WHY IT IS WE'RE PAYING $44,174 TO METROPOLITAN BALLET. I'M SURE THEY DO A GREAT JOB, BUT IS, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, PAYING LIP SERVICE TO CRISIS, [03:50:01] THESE NUMBERS SEEM TO BETRAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDAMENTAL REALITY. AND SO, UM, AND I'M GONNA GET A LOT OF HEAT BY PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M A MONSTER FOR NOT SUPPORTING ARTS AND CULTURES, BUT THIS IS STILL SOMETHING I'M GONNA HAVE TO CONVINCE MY MY CONSTITUENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FUND AT A TIME, UH, WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING SERVICES TO DELEGATE AGENCIES. AND SO, I, I DON'T KNOW, ERIC, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THESE NUMBERS? THANKS, MAYOR. COUNCILMAN. I MEAN, MANY OF THOSE CULTURAL PROGRAMS, THOSE ARTS PROGRAMS, UM, HAVE GONE THROUGH A, UM, A FAIR AMOUNT OF TRANSITION THEIR OWN. UM, AND AS A STARTING POINT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE DID RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THERE'S LESS FUNDING IN THOSE AREAS. UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROPOSED BUDGET PROCESS, IF THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE, THEN, THEN WE WILL WORK ON ALTERNATIVES. BUT, BUT I GET, UM, I GET, UM, UM, YOUR, YOUR POINT. UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PRIORITIES, UM, AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED RIGHT NOW. AND, UM, UM, I SUSPECT OVER THE NEXT 45 DAYS, WE WILL ALL BE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LAYING OUT THAT FINANCIAL PLAN, UM, THAT FOCUSES IT ON THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL. YEAH. AND SO, I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. BUT I MEAN, OPERA OF SAN ANTONIO, $130,000 SISTER CITIES MAYOR, I LOVE SISTER CITIES, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CUTTING EVERYWHERE, BUT WE'RE SENDING $75,000 OFF TO THEM, RIGHT? AND, UH, I, I, I, I, I DON'T KNOW, I, I MEAN, I, I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I HAVE YET TO MEET A CONSTITUENT ON MY SIDE OF TOWN WHO THINKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD SPEND THAT AS OPPOSED TO BUYING MORE P P E OR MORE MONEY FOR THE FOOD BANK. AND SO, ANYWAY, THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOMELESS, UH, SITUATION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND YES, IT IS, UH, SEEMING TO GROW RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE LOOKING AT THIS INTERNALLY WITHIN JUST THE CITY RESOURCES. I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE EXTERNAL, UH, IN DEALING WITH OTHER AGENCIES, UM, PARTICULARLY NONPROFITS. AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, WE WE'RE STOVE PIPE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING LIKE SERVICES. AND SOMEHOW WE NEED TO FOCUS THAT AND CONCENTRATE THOSE, UH, LIKE SERVICES TO REALLY TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. UM, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH, UH, THE DA AND, YOU KNOW, OUR MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM. UH, WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY LIKE THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN, UH, COMBINE THOSE EFFORTS TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE HELP WHERE IT'S REALLY NEEDED. AND OF COURSE, SOME, SOME FOLKS AREN'T GONNA ACCEPT THE HELP. THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA TAKE IT. AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY WANT TO CONTINUE LIVING THAT WAY. SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER GET TO A, A ZERO POPULATION OUT THERE, BUT IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON TO LOOK AT IT ACROSS THE SPECTRUM AND NOT JUST AT THROUGH THE CITY. UM, TRANSPORTATION. ERIC, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE AND, AND, UH, WORKING, WORKING WITH THEM. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND, UM, LAST THING, I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS JUNETEENTH, UH, CELEBRATION HOLIDAY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEXT YEAR WHEN WE ACTUALLY CELEBRATE IT. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE LAST OF MY, MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY. THANKS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE OUT JUST SOME, A FEW COMMENTS. UM, I'LL, I'LL JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND ALSO, UM, THANK OUR CITY, THANK OUR MANAGEMENT FOR RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH AS A HOLIDAY. UH, LONG TIME COMING. I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING IT, UH, THIS YEAR. UM, I ALSO WANNA ECHO THE COMMENTS OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA AND COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL WITH REGARD TO, UH, A CONTINUED FOCUS ON THE UNDERSERVED DISTRICTS WITH REGARD TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY AND COVID. UH, IT'S VERY CLEAR, GIVEN THE DATA THAT WE'VE SEEN ON CASES, UH, THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY HITTING HARD AS WE KNOW IN THE UNDERPRIVILEGED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, HONE IN ON THAT AND FOCUS ON IT. UM, WHICH BRINGS ME TO, TO, UH, SOME REFLECTION THAT I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE WE'VE BEEN TALKING. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KNOWN, UH, SOME UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS ABOUT OUR CITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I WOULD SAY, UH, DECADES, GENERATIONS, UH, AND HAVE UNDER [03:55:01] THIS COUNCIL AND OVER THE LAST 5, 6, 7 YEARS, DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION ON IT. UM, EVERYONE KNOWS THE DIVIDING LINE ROUGHLY AROUND HILDEBRAND, UH, THAT DIVIDES OUR CITY, UH, NORTH SOUTH, UH, IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHIC, UH, BUT ALSO HISTORICALLY I SHOULD SAY, UH, BUT ALSO WHAT THAT MEANS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, AND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT MERIDIAN, UH, OVER TIME IT'S STRIKING. AND IT HELPED TO ILLUSTRATE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HAS BEEN SAYING SINCE SHE GOT TO COUNCIL, WHICH IS THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS EQUITY, UH, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD OUR APPROACH TO OUR CITY BUDGET AND TO OUR CITY SERVICES ON A FOUNDATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH. I WOULD SAY WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S A 20% PLUS INCREASE FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT AND TO METRO HEALTH. I THINK THAT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UH, BUT IT'S IN THAT PROCESS THAT REMINDS ME THAT, UH, IMPORTANT CHANGE, UH, THE CRITICAL CHANGE THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY DOES TAKE TIME. IT TAKES US BEING THOUGHTFUL. IT TAKES US BEING DELIBERATE. UH, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF WORK WE HAVE TO DO TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITY IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT MORE THAN JUST LIP SERVICE. AND IF I HEAR THE FRUSTRATION OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH, OR THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ABOUT RACE EQUITY, OR THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT POLICE REFORM, THEY'RE TIRED OF LIP SERVICE, AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE CHANGE THAT THEY'RE SEEKING TO DO IT WILLY-NILLY. AND JUST TO TRY TO, UM, UH, CHECK A BOX. SO I AM, UH, EXCITED BY THE WORK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HDA IS DOING, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA IN OUR COMMITTEE, UH, WITH CONVENING OF THE COMMUNITY. I DO SUPPORT, UH, THE APPROACH THAT OUR CITY MANAGER IS TAKING IN LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC PILLARS OF WHAT REAL REFORM LOOKS LIKE. UH, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIES THAT HAVE MADE SOME PRETTY GOOD HEADLINES ON THIS ISSUE OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, BUT HAVE BEEN WALKING BACK THEIR PROMISES ALREADY. UM, FOR SEVEN YEARS, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ HAS BEEN AT THIS TABLE, UM, BANGING HER FISTS ALMOST ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEEDED MORE EQUITABLY FUND OUR COMMUNITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. IT WASN'T UNTIL 2017 THAT WE ACTUALLY INCORPORATED AN EQUITY LENS INTO OUR BUDGET. AND THAT WAS A SMALL STEP, A SIGNIFICANT STEP, BUT A SMALL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TODAY. UH, THREE BUDGETS LATER. WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN, A BUDGET EQUITY TOOL THAT'S BEEN USED IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. ERIC, I'D ASK, UM, IN OUR BUDGET DEPARTMENT BRIEFINGS, IF YOU WOULD BETTER, UM, DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO HOW THAT TOOL WAS USED TO COME UP WITH OUR, UH, BUDGET STRATEGIES IN EACH OF THESE DEPARTMENTS. BUT THE PROCESS OF INFUSING EQUITY INTO OUR APPROACH OF A BUDGET, UH, WHILE IT TOOK SOME STEPS TO GET THERE WAS DECADES IN THE MAKING, PEOPLE COMING TO COUNCIL, ASKING FOR FLOOD CONTROL, ASKING FOR HOUSING RELIEF, ASKING FOR X, Y, Z, WHICH ARE BASIC SERVICES THAT ANYONE SHOULD EXPECT FROM OUR CITY. BUT IT TAKING UNTIL 2017 FOR ACTUALLY US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT HAD TO BE DONE, AND THAT THE ROOTS OF THESE CAUSES WERE SO DEEP GOING INTO THE REDLINING POLICIES OF DECADES PRIOR. REAL CHANGE, IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT MORE THAN JUST LIP SERVICE TAKES TIME AND DELIBERATION. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO. UH, AND YES, IT WILL BE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA, WE, WE'VE GOT TO DO IT OVER TIME. WE'VE GOTTA DO IT STRATEGICALLY, BUT IF WE WANT REAL CHANGE, THAT'S WHAT'S REQUIRED. UM, LET ME JUST WRAP UP, UH, MY, MY COMMENTS ON, ON THE BUDGET BRIEFLY, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THIS. BUT, UM, BY JUST COMMENDING OUR STAFF AGAIN, UH, FOR THE VERY DIFFICULT WORK I'VE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT BUDGET ENVIRONMENT AT A CITY THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE AT ANY TIME IN HISTORY. ERIC AND HIS STAFF HAS DONE A, A GREAT JOB, UM, AND, AND THE STRENGTH AND EXPERIENCE OF THIS TEAM AND OUR CITY HAS REAPED MAJOR DIVIDENDS FOR THE CITY THAT'S ALREADY IN CRISIS. UH, DON'T NEED TO REMIND ANYONE THAT CUTS AND DELAYED SPENDING IN THE 2020 BUDGET SAVED MAJOR PAIN IN 2021. WE AREN'T LOSING A SINGLE CIVILIAN STAFFER AND FURLOUGHS UNTIL 20 20, 20 22. I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED. AND, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY BIG STEP, UH, AND WHAT I, I HOPE WE TAKE MORE OF, [04:00:02] UH, WITH THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION DIVISION BEING CREATED IN METRO HEALTH AND THE TRANSFER OF POLICE DEPARTMENT POSITIONS THAT SIMPLY REALLY WEREN'T A GOOD FIT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BEGIN WITH. UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT HOW WE INVEST IN COMMUNITIES, SO YOU DON'T NEED EMERGENCY RESPONSE. UM, IF WE'RE ONLY FUNDING EMERGENCY RESPONSE, WE'VE WAITED TOO LONG AND WE HAVEN'T INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES PROPERLY TO BEGIN WITH. THE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE ALLOWED US TO REALIZE HOW ALSO LIMITING THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IS THE C B A HANDCUFFS, THE CITY'S ABILITY TO BETTER DISTRIBUTE FUNDS. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU TO ENSURE A FAIR POLICE CONTRACT NEXT YEAR SO THAT WE CAN BETTER ALLOCATE FUNDS TO FIT THE NEEDS OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. UM, SO I WANNA ASK YOU THIS, ERIC, WILL WE BE SEEING MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO ENSURE THAT KIND OF, UM, UH, CREATION OF PROGRAMMING SUCH AS WE'RE SEEING WITH THE VIOLENCE OF THE, UH, PREVENTION DIVISION, IF WE'RE ABLE TO GAIN SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE POLICE CONTRACT? NO, MAYOR, I THINK THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A LARGE ELEMENT OF IT. UM, I, I, I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT, THAT SOME OF THAT, UH, MAYBE REST IN, IN THAT STRATEGIC REVIEW OF, OF EVALUATING, UM, UH, WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES AND, AND, AND WHAT ROLE THEY PLAY IN THE FUTURE, THAT THAT EQUALLY GIVES US A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, SHIFT AND REFINE FOR THE FUTURE. AND IT'S PART OF THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S PART OF THAT DELIBERATE APPROACH THAT YOU DESCRIBED. SO, I, I WOULD SAY THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT. OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE, UH, SOME, UH, CORNERSTONE CHANGES IN THE NEXT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO, TO DEAL WITH SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES BECAUSE, UH, WE ALL, WE ALL HAVE EXPECTATIONS AND WE ALL PAY TAXES. AND, AND THERE'S A CERTAIN STANDARD THAT WE EXPECT OF ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST POLICE OFFICERS, BUT EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE. UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT, BUT MANAGING THE OVERALL COST OF THAT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WILL BE KEY. UM, AND, AND I THINK ALL THOSE TOGETHER GIVE US SOME LATITUDE. IT'S MUCH LIKE, YEAH, WE ADDRESS EVERYTHING ELSE. THE MORE TOOLS WE HAVE, UH, THE MORE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE CREATE FOR OURSELVES, THE MORE LATITUDE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TO KIND OF FACE THE FUTURE. YEAH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GO UPSTREAM IN THE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSES IS WAY, WAY DOWNSTREAM. SO WE NEED TO GET ALL THE WAY UPSTREAM. AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE POINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT HEALTH ARE, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS. AND SO THE MORE FLEXIBILITY WE CAN GAIN TO START INVESTING UPSTREAM INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH SERVICES, UM, THE BETTER. UH, AND I, AND I HAVE NOTED IT DOES, UM, WHEN WE SCORED THE BUDGET, UH, IN 2014 AS A CITY COUNCIL AND SAID, WE SHOULDN'T GO ABOVE THIS AMOUNT BECAUSE IT'S GROWING SO QUICKLY, THE BUDGET, UH, FOR, UH, POLICE AND, AND, AND FIRE WERE GROWING TWO AND A HALF TIMES FASTER THAN REVENUES WERE GROWING. UM, WE WERE BLEEDING IN EVERY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF IT. UH, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, BE MINDFUL OF. I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UH, $25 MILLION IS RETAINED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UM, THIS IS IN ADDITION, OBVIOUSLY TO OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PROGRAMMING. THESE FUNDS WILL HELP, UH, THE COVID EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, BUT ALSO SERVE TO RETAIN A, A, A NECESSARY AND PERMANENT SPOT IN OUR CITY BUDGET THAT WE WORK, AGAIN, YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH. WE HAVE A 10 YEAR HOUSING STRATEGY, UM, THAT I DON'T NEED TO, UM, REITERATE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO GET TO THAT POINT, AND I DON'T WANNA SEE IT CONTINUE. E ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND MANAGING THE COVID CRISIS WILL REMAIN PRIORITIES FOR THIS ENTIRE CITY IN 2021. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BUDGET WILL HAVE TO BE OBSERVED AND MONITORED AS WE MOVE FORWARD. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR TEAM IS UP TO THE TASK. I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS TODAY FROM MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THIS IS OUR STARTING POINT FOR OUR BUDGET, AND, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DO IT WITH Y'ALL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEMS FOUR A AND FOUR B. UH, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT, UH, MAYOR, TAKE THAT QUESTION. YEAH, ANDY, I, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT EXACTLY THE COUNCIL WAS, UH, VOTING ON. OH, SURE. YEAH, PLEASE. FOUR A AND FOUR B. IT'S THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, AND FOR THE DEBT SERVICE TAX, THE ACTUAL TAX RATES WILL BE SET WHEN [04:05:01] THE COUNCIL APPROVES A BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER. THESE ARE, AGAIN, THE PROPOSED TAX RATES. AND THEN FOUR B ESTABLISHES A SCHEDULE FOR THE BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, AND THE TAX PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GREAT. UM, AND LET ME ALSO, UH, GIVE A SHOUT OUT REAL QUICK BEFORE WE TAKE UP THAT MOTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER VERON. UM, IF WE'RE TALKING HISTORICALLY ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO MOVE BUREAUCRACIES, UM, SHE HAS BEEN ON INVESTMENT IN THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE TIME WE'VE BEEN HERE. AND FINALLY, WE'RE SEEING THAT THE SOUTH SIDE IS NOW THE EPICENTER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR CITY. THAT SHOWS YOU THE KIND OF PERSISTENCE THAT IT TAKES FOR US TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE FOCUSED ON IT. BUT I, I KNOW THAT WE ARE. SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. [Items 4A & 4B] AND SO THERE IS A MOTION A SECOND FOR ITEMS FOUR A AND FOUR B, PLEASE VOTE. OH, I'M SORRY. WE DON'T HAVE THE TABLET, SO LET'S TAKE A VOICE VOTE. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. A. UM, ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. GOOD JOB, EVERYBODY. ALRIGHT. UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, A LOT OF ITEMS THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO GET TO YET STILL, UH, BUT WE'LL START, UH, IN, IN ORDER. SO WE'LL START WITH [15. 20-4305 Resolution appointing 3 persons to the San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees and confirming the Mayoral recommendation for Chair. [Tina J. Flores, Acting City Clerk]] ITEM 15. ITEM 15 IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING THREE MEMBERS TO THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEE AND CONFIRMING THE MAYORAL RECOMMENDATION FOR CHAIR. ALRIGHT. UM, DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE TWO, UM, CITIZEN SIGN UP TO SPEAK. I THINK WE HAVE THEM CONNECTED. WE TAKE THEM NOW. I START WITH, UH, ANTONIO DIAZ. WE CAN HEAR YOU. MR. DIAZ. HELLO? GO AHEAD, ANTONIO. UH, YES. MY CONCERNS OVER THE, UH, APPOINTMENT OF, UH, AGAINST SAAS BOARD MEMBERS IS THAT, UH, ARE THEY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RATE AGAIN, INCREASES THAT ARE, THAT HAVE BEEN COMING ON SINCE THE VISTAGE PROJECT, WHICH IS NORMAL AND ENORMOUS COST TO THE RATE PAYERS, TO THE STAKEHOLDERS AGAIN. AND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE ONE 8% SALES TAX, UH, THAT'S BEING REMOVED FROM THE EDWARDS PROTECTION PROGRAM, THESE ISSUES, I WANTED TO KNOW WHERE THESE PEOPLE, THESE CANDIDATES THAT ARE, UH, TO BE APPOINTED STAND. WE, WE DON'T KNOW, OR AT LEAST I DON'T, IF, IF THEY, IF THEY SUPPORT, UH, THE EDWARDS PROTECTION PROGRAM CONTINUING, UH, BEING A PART OF SAS OR STANDING ALONE, WHICH WE WE'RE STILL CONCERNED OVER THAT, OR, UH, WHERE THEY STAND AS FAR AS MR. RIDGE IS. I MEAN, WE, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT IS OBVIOUS GOING TO CONTINUE TO RAISE THE RATES OF, OF RATE PAYERS AS AS, AS IT CONTINUES TO DEVELOP. ON, ON, ON I, ON I 35. I'M VERY CONCERNED, UH, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE OR WHERE, WHERE THEY STAND ON THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MR. DIAZ, JACK FINGER. HELLO? UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN GO AHEAD, MR. FINGER? YES. OKAY. BERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. YES, YOU WERE ABOUT TO APPOINT, UH, MEMBERS TO THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD. WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THEY ARE, HAVE SOME, SOME DEGREE OF ETHICS AND MORALITY ABOUT THEMSELVES, BUT SADLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE. SO WE'RE, UH, JOLENE BURLEY USED TO BE A, A CITY OFFICIAL WHO, WHO, UH, WAS A TOP CITY OFFICIAL AT THE, AT THE TIME, SOME YEARS AGO WHEN THE BIG B I H SCANDAL TOOK PLACE. UH, SHE, THEY ADMITTED THAT SH SHE WAS OUTGUNNED BY THE BIG LOBBYISTS WHO WERE COMMITTING THAT SCANDAL. BUT WITH THE BIG COCOS OVERRUNS WENT WITH THE BIG DOWNTOWN HOTELS. SHE ALSO EVENTUALLY BECAME THE, UH, UH, THE, THE CITY PUBLIC SERVICE ACTING GENERAL MANAGER. AND SHE CAME ON BOARD JUST BEFORE THE SCANDALS WITH THE BIG COST [04:10:01] OVERRUNS WITH THE NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM, UH, ERUPTED. UH, WE ALSO LEARNED THAT SHE'S ALSO YES, VOTED FOR TOLL ROSE. AND YOU WANT HER, MR. MAYOR TO BE THE CHAIRMAN OF THIS BOARD. UH, NO, I THINK THAT'S A BAD IDEA. UH, ALSO YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON LETITIA OZUNA, WHO ONCE A ONE TIME, GOOD YEARS AGO, WAS THE CITY COUNCILWOMAN WHO CO COMPROMISED HER VALUES ON THE, UH, PECAN VALLEY GOLF COURSE SITUATION. AND ALSO WE FOUND OUT SOME YEARS AGO, WAS MARRIED TO HER TRANSGENDERED, UH, THANK YOU MR. FINGER. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER GRA MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. YEAH, I, I WANTED TO, UH, LET COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA GO FIRST, THEN I'LL GO AFTER HER. MAYOR. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPOINT THE FOLLOWING TO THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES JOLYN LEBLANC, BURLEY TO THE NORTH SECTOR POSITION. LETICIA OZUNA TO THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT FOR THE REMAINDER OF AN EX UNEXPIRED TERMS ENDING MAY 31ST, 2022. AND CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT OF JOLYN LEBLANC BURLEY AS CHAIR OF THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO SERVE THE REMAINDER OF THE UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 31ST, 2021 SECOND. UM, EXCUSE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, I THINK YOU MISSED, UH, ONE OF THE CANDIDATES IN YOUR MOTION. YOU'RE MUTED. COUNSEL, YOU ANDY? UH, YES. AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN AND ROBERT POTTS TO THE SOUTH SECTOR FOR THE REMAINDER OF AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 31ST, 2024. 24. SECOND NER. THANK, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROSA GARCIA. UH, ARE YOU YIELDING? OKAY. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GARCIA FOR MY COLLEAGUES RIGHT NOW. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO DIVIDE THIS MOTION VOTING ON EACH NOMINEE SEPARATELY. THE WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO SO. I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO SO JUST FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES. I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND THEIR RECOMMENDATION BROUGHT FORWARD TO US TODAY. BUT EACH SECTOR AND QUADRANT IS REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION SO WE CAN ASK THE CANDIDATES QUESTIONS, UM, THAT MAYBE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ASK. AND IT'S MUCH MORE BEYOND JUST QUESTIONING. I THINK EVERY, UH, QUADRANT, UH, NEEDS ITS OWN ATTENTION. SO WITH THAT, THAT IS MY MOTION. SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. UH, THERE'S A, UH, MOTION, THERE'S TWO MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR. UH, THE PRIMARY MOTION IS THE MOTION ON THE, ON THE THREE, WE HAVE A SECONDARY MOTION TO DIVIDE THE QUESTION. UH, THAT, THAT QUESTION WILL BE TAKEN UP FIRST. UH, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET IT, UM, IN A DISCUSSION. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIA GRO, DO YOU STILL, UH, WANT THE FLOOR OR ARE YOU YIELDING? SO WE ARE GOING TO GO THEN FOR EACH, UM, I CAN START MY QUESTIONS OR ARE WE STILL MOVING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONS? IF, IF, IF I MAY CLARIFY, MAYOR, YEAH. THE DISCUSSION SHOULD BE NOW ON WHETHER, IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, IT SHOULD BE WHETHER TO DIVIDE IT OR NOT, AND NOT ON, UH, THE NOT MANY THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES. GOT IT. OKAY. OKAY. UM, SO, UH, LET'S, UH, LET'S TAKE UP THAT QUESTION NOW ABOUT DIVIDING THE MOTION. UH, SO THAT'S THE QUESTION ON THE FLOOR COUNCIL MEMBER GRA YES, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT. OKAY. . OKAY. . THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. GRA UM, I THINK THE EASIEST THING FOR YOU TO DO, I CAN SEE YOU ALL ON THE SCREEN, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, DISCUSS THIS MOTION, UH, PLEASE SIGNAL ME WITH YOUR HAND. OTHERWISE, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA. UM, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN DEREK GROUND'S, UH, CONCERNS [04:15:01] AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, WITH THE APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE, UH, ONE THING THAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE A SECTOR THAT WE TRULY NEED TO SPEAK TO. UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST PERSON FOR THAT. SO, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR PULLING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN. COUNCIL MEMBER ROSA GARCIA. SEE IT. MAYOR, I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, I, I'M SORRY, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WE COULD JUST TAKE UP THE VOTE. ALRIGHT. UH, ANYONE ELSE ON THE QUESTION OF DIVIDING THE MOTION? ALRIGHT, UM, SO THE, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO DIVIDE THE, UH, MAIN MOTION. UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. UH, THOSE OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. UH, SO WE WILL TAKE UP THE THREE MOTIONS OR THE THREE CANDIDATES IN SEPARATE MOTIONS. UM, AND I'LL NEED A QUEUE. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, MAYOR? YES. IT, IT, NOW THAT THAT MOTION IS PASSED, WHAT WE'LL NEED IS A MOTION ON EACH INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATE. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. UM, AND I GUESS COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA WILL BE DOING THAT. OKAY? MM-HMM. , GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPOINT JOLYN LEBLANC BURLEY TO THE NORTH SECTOR POSITION OF THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE REMAINDER OF UNEXPIRED TERMS, ENDING MAY 31ST, 2022. AND TO CONFIRM THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT OF HER CHAIR OF HER AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD TO SERVE THE REMAINDER OF THE UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING. MAY 31ST, 2020. ONE SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UH, CANDIDATE LYN LEBLA FURLEY. ANDY, ARE, ARE WE EXPECTING COUNCIL MEMBER TO DO THIS IN SUCCESSION? YES. UM, OKAY. YEAH, YOU, YOU STILL HAVE THE FLOOR COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPOINT LETICIA UNA TO THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT POSITION OF THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE UNEXPIRED TERMS ENDING MAY 31ST, 2022. AND I MOVE TO APPOINT SECOND. OH, SORRY. YES. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION TO SECOND FOR CANDIDATE LETICIA AND MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPOINT ROBERT POTTS TO THE SOUTH SECTOR POSITION ON THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE REMAINDER OF AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 31ST, 20, 24. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CANDIDATE ROBERT POPS. ALRIGHT. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER GRO WHO, UH, THINK WAS IN THE QUEUE, AND THEN I'LL GO SEND IT OVER TO YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDAL. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, UH, TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES WHO, UH, WERE SO WONDERFULLY BEING ABLE TO WATCH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS SINCE, UH, NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING A PART OF THIS WITH US AND, UH, FOR BEING ON THIS CALL. UM, THANK YOU TO, UH, MS. BURLEY AND MS. OZUNA FOR TAKING THE TIME IN SPEAKING WITH ME. UM, LETICIA, I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WELL, AND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO, UM, BE REACHING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT. SOME THINGS I WANTED TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU AS YOU ALL ARE HERE, OR JUST SOME ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, BUT ALSO ISSUES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO, TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, BUT BEFORE THAT, I DID WANT TO GET, UM, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR MR. POTTS. UM, I, I HAVE, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THANK YOU ALL, FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR STEPPING FORWARD AND FOR, UH, PUTTING YOUR NAMES IN AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SERVE. APPRECIATE THAT. UM, BUT MR. POTTS, SO WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUE FOR SAS OVERALL AND THE SECTOR THAT YOU ARE APPLYING TO REPRESENT THE SOUTHERN SECTOR? I, UM, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. UM, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR, UH, [04:20:01] THE SECTOR THAT I WOULD BE REPRESENTING AND FOR, AND FOR ALL THE SAWS IS ONE OF, OF AFFORDABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR WATER SYSTEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, ANOTHER ITEM THAT I WANTED TO ASK, UH, WELL, ONE ITEM IS, UM, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP. UH, THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU ALL, JUST SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION. UM, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP WITH LIFTING STATIONS AND ODORS THAT ARE IN OUR, UH, COMMUNITY. THE WAY THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY, AND OUR PIPE SYSTEMS WERE, WERE, UM, DEVELOPED AS A CITY. UM, EVERYTHING RUNS SOUTH AND WE KNOW WHERE THE RIOS PLANT IS AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, UM, LIFTING STATIONS AND ODORS THAT COME FROM THERE, UH, THAT RESIDENTS, SAS CUSTOMERS ON THE SOUTH SIDE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH ALWAYS WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IS YOUR HELP AS SAS APPOINTEES TO THESE LIFT STATIONS AND WASTEWATER FACILITIES THAT ARE IN AND AROUND ONE THE SOUTH SIDE AND OUR WORLD HERITAGE BUFFER ZONE. WE NEED TO REMEDY THIS. UM, IN THE PAST, THE SAS TEAM CONTINUES TO TELL OUR OFFICE THAT IS AS EXPENSIVE, AND IT ABSOLUTELY IS, BUT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN PERSISTENT FOR DECADES, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU ALL VERY CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS TO HELP US COME UP WITH AN ISSUE THAT WILL REMEDY THIS AND BRING FORWARD SOLUTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SUITABLE OR, UM, ACCEPTABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE LIVING THROUGH THIS. AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE QUESTION WOULD BE, HISTORICALLY THERE WOULD BE, THERE'S A LACK OF UTILITY INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE. SOME ARE STILL ON SEPTIC TANKS AND SWITCHING OVER TO SASS IS TOO COSTLY FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TO ALSO OVERCOME SIMILAR FINANCIAL OBSTACLES. AND TYING TO INTO THE SAS PIPELINES, HOW WOULD YOU, UM, MR. POTS IN PARTICULAR ADDRESS THIS INEQUITY OF SERVICES ON THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO? WELL, THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO DO WOULD BE TO, TO MEET WITH YOU AND LEARN PRECISELY WHERE, WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING. AND THEN WE CAN, UH, TAKE IT UP, UH, WITH INS, SAWS, I'M, I'M GETTING IT RE REMEDIED. I MEAN, THAT'S, IT'S INEXCUSABLE THAT THAT'S THE CASE AND I'M, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN AND THAT YOU'RE VOICING THOSE CONCERNS. GREAT. AND THEN, UM, ALSO IN AND AROUND, UM, DISTRICT THREE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND SAWS, WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE ASSET, UM, MITCHELL LAKE, AND WE KNOW, UH, MANY OF US KNOW THE HISTORY OF WHAT MITCHELL LAKE USED TO BE. AND NOW WHERE WE ARE WITH, UM, MITCHELL LAKE, IT IS A, IT'S HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH OUTFLOW. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU SEE IN, IN THAT AREA. WE'RE SEEING SOME GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO, OR THAT NO, THE MAYOR STATED LAST, UH, IN THE LAST SESSION, BUT NEXT TO MITCHELL LAKE, WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE GREAT, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EAST WEST CONNECTOR OF A HIGHWAY THAT, UH, WITH THE GROWTH OF NAVISTAR WITH TEXAS VAN M SAN ANTONIO WITH TJ, UM, X AS WELL AS WITH TOYOTA, HOW DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT NEAR IN AND AROUND THE MITCHELL LAKE? AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF, UH, TO MOVE PEOPLE IN AND AROUND THAT AREA. UM, WE'VE HAD TO, UM, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH SAS TEAM, THE PRESIDENT, AND WITH CITY STAFF. WE ARE ALREADY PUTTING THE INVESTMENT DOLLARS INTO THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO GET A COMMITMENT FROM YOU ALL AS YOU DO YOUR WORK, AS YOU WORK WITH ME AND THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA THAT Y'ALL WILL SEE, SEE THAT THERE IS AN ABILITY TO LIVE BOTH WITH AN EAST WEST CONNECTOR AS WELL AS, UM, THE MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON AND THE MITCHELL LAKE, AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THESE CAN LIVE TOGETHER BECAUSE WE CAN'T STIFLE THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING THERE, UH, ECONOMICALLY. DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS, UM, ON THAT? AND I'LL TAKE ANY COMMENTS FROM, UH, LETICIA AND ROBERT LETICIA, ANYONE? UM, THIS IS ROBERT. UM, MY COMMENT ON THAT IS [04:25:01] THEY'RE BOTH VALUES THAT NEED, THAT NEED TO BE SUPPORTED. AND I HAVE SPENT OVER 25 YEARS WORKING IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE PROTECTING IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES. AND MITCHELL LAKE IS ONE, IT'S A WONDERFUL RESOURCE, IT'S A WONDERFUL EDUCATION RESOURCE, IT'S A WONDERFUL BIRDING RESOURCE, BUT ALSO ACCOMMODATING THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF THIS, OF, OF, UM, OF THE COMMUNITY. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THAT COULD BE DONE, WE'D HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND WORK ON, BUT IT IS, THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WORKED ON FOR OVER 25 YEARS. YEAH. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT, LIKE, THIS IS LITERALLY MY BACKYARD. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, THE SEWAGE, UH, LIFTING STATION ISSUES, I MEAN, NOT, I NOT ONLY LIKE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THEM AT THIS TIME, RIGHT? I'M GOING INTO THE GREENWAYS AND GOING INTO THE WALKWAYS. I'M SPENDING A LOT OF TIME OUTDOORS AS I'M SURE EVERYBODY IS. AND, AND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE. LIKE THOSE, THOSE, UM, UH, UH, ODOR PROBLEMS ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, FRONT AND CENTER. UM, AND, AND THE SAME TIME I, UM, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS A CITY COUNCILWOMAN AND NOW EVEN LIVING, UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, A HUGE PROPONENT OF ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE, ALL OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, ALL OF THE INDUSTRIAL BASE THAT WE HAVE HERE, ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THEIR CHOICE TO LIVE ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN. AND SO, YEAH, WE'VE GOTTA BALANCE THE BOTH BECAUSE MITCHELL LAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT TIES INTO THE WHOLE GREENWAY SYSTEM, WHICH IS A TARGET FOR ALL OF THIS RESIDENTIAL GROWTH THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING HERE. I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF, UM, A DRIVER THAT MAKES IT REALLY ATTRACTIVE. SO WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, UH, UH, STIFLE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MITCHELL LAKE BY NOT ADDRESSING THE OUT ALCOHOL ISSUES APPROPRIATELY. AND WE ALSO NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO CREATE THE CONNECTOR SO THAT WE HAVE THE, YOU CAN ALLEVIATE TRANSPORTATION. I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK WE CAN DO IT. I THINK WE CAN PAY ATTENTION TO THE COMMUNITY. I THINK WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO SHEPHERD THAT IN. THANK YOU. SO COUNCILMAN VIRON, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. I, WE HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION AT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND I, I SHARED WITH THEM THAT I THOUGHT GROWTH WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR THE SAWS BOARD TO BEGIN TO TACKLE AND DO SO UNDERSTANDING OUR NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR WATER SOURCES AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, UTILIZED APPROPRIATELY IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER. AND OF COURSE, RATE AFFORDABILITY IS GOING TO BE KEY AS WELL. SO ANY PARTI, ANY POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHERE WHERE WE HAVE OLDER INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE HISTORY WE HAVE WITH MITCHELL LAKE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE DONE ALONG WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL, AND ALL CONCERNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROJECT IS PLANNED APPROPRIATELY AND, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE EQUITY OF SERVICES IN THAT AREA. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE. THANK YOU, JALYN. THANK YOU. UH, JALYN. THANK YOU LETICIA. AND ROBERT, UM, JUST SOME OTHER CLOSING COMMENTS FROM MY, UH, POINT OF VIEW IS YES, AFFORDABILITY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AND KEY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, MAKING SURE THAT YOU ALL CAN HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE APPOINT YOU ALL, BUT THE COMMUNITY ALSO WANTS TO HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE SAS BOARD. UM, SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND, UH, I APPRECIATE IT. MAYOR, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. I THINK YOU'RE MUTED. I GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR THOSE EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT QUESTIONS THAT ARE MAKING ME FEEL MORE AND MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT OUR, OUR DECISION TODAY. UH, FIRST, UH, BEFORE I, I GO INTO FURTHER COMMENTS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, CONDEMN THE DISCRIMINATORY ATTACK THAT MR. FINGER MADE ON ONE OF OUR APPOINTEES. UH, TODAY, I CERTAINLY, UH, DO NOT, UH, CONDONE THOSE VIEWS AND THOSE THAT DOES NOT MATTER AT ALL IN TODAY'S APPOINTMENT. UM, UH, NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO INTERVIEWED, UM, FOR THIS POSITION. I WOULD SAY WE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF QUALITY CANDIDATES. UH, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WHO TO INTERVIEW, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WHO TO SELECT. UH, IF YOU THINK THAT WAS AN EASY DECISION, LEMME TELL YOU, IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT EASY, UM, AT ALL. THERE WAS ARM [04:30:01] TWISTING, THERE WAS, UM, THERE WAS ARM WRESTLING, THERE WAS HEADLOCKS, THERE WAS, UH, AND METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING IN THAT EXECUTIVE, UH, SESSION, I DO WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK, UH, DR. FEMI OZZY DELI FOR APPLYING AND GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. HE WAS NOT SELECTED TO, TO THIS, TO THIS APPOINTMENT, BUT WE WERE ALL VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS, UH, QUALIFICATIONS AND YOUR CONNECTION TO, TO CONNECTING WATER USAGE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. I WANNA ALSO THANK, UH, FORMER ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, BEL MAREZ FOR HIS, UH, ALL THE EXPERTISE THAT HE BROUGHT TO HIS INTERVIEW AND HIS GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH SIDE, I THINK SHOWN THROUGH, UH, IN THAT INTERVIEW. UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, DR. SMILE ALSO FOR, FOR BEING PART OF THAT PROCESS AND FOR YOUR, UM, WONDERFUL COMMENTS REGARDING, UH, AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY IN AFFORDABILITY. UH, I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED EVERYTHING THAT, THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD. UM, AT THIS TIME, MAYOR, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH MY, UH, REMAINING TIME IS, UH, OFFER IT TO, UM, EACH OF THE CANDIDATES TO SPEND MAYBE TWO MINUTES TELLING THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, WHO THEY ARE AND WHY THEY, UH, REALLY WANT THIS POSITION, UM, AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE. UH, I HAVE ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES LEFT, SO MAYBE IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, OF TWO MINUTES FOR, FOR EACH ONE, BECAUSE I, I REALLY WOULD LOVE THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES AND THE PUBLIC WHO MAY BE WATCHING, UH, TO HEAR ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE. THANK YOU, CHRIS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, YEAH, AND, UH, ALL THREE ARE AVAILABLE WITH US, UH, ON WEBEX. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH, UH, JOLENE LEBLA, BURLEY NORTH SECTOR AND CHAIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. I REALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY OF USING MY EXPERIENCE BOTH AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ITS C P S ENERGY, AND MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH SAS IN THE PAST TO HELP GUIDE, UH, THESE SAWS AND THE CITY IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, FORWARD. WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF ISSUES TO DEAL WITH. UM, I WAS ABLE TO HEAR YOUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS THIS MORNING. THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL. THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL'S DOING, UM, WITH YOUR EQUITY PROJECTIONS FOR, FOR THE CITY IS AMAZING. UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SAWS BEING AT THE TABLE TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY. GROWTH WILL BE OUR BIGGEST ISSUE. UM, CONSERVATION OF OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE IN THIS COMMUNITY WILL ALSO BE IMPORTANT, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AFFORDABLE RATES AND THAT WE ARE UTILIZING THIS RESOURCE IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY. SO, I, I HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN THIS COMMUNITY. IT HAS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL, UM, BUT I'M PROUD OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS I'VE MADE. UM, I'VE BEEN BLESSED THAT THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING IN THIS ROLE AT THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM. THANK YOU, MS. BURLEY. UM, WE'LL GO TO, WE'LL TAKE THEM IN ORDER THE MOTION. SO WE'LL GO FIRST TO, UH, LETICIA UNA. YES, I'M, UM, FROM SAN ANTONIO. UM, I GREW UP HERE. THIS IS MY HOME. UM, I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, UM, I KNOW MY NEIGHBORS VERY WELL. UM, I KNOW MR. SAM, WHO LIVES ACROSS THE STREET. HE'S A RETIREE. I KNOW A LOT OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WHO LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE TALK ABOUT TAKING CARE OF AN OLD HOUSE AND THE CHALLENGES OF THAT. BUT WE ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO BE WORKING WITH KIDS THAT ARE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, SENSITIVE, LIKE ECONOMICALLY SENSITIVE HOUSEHOLDS. LIKE WHAT IT MEANS WHEN THINGS LIKE CHANGE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN THEY'RE ECONOMICALLY, UM, AT RISK. I, UM, I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE BEFORE I, I UNDERSTAND, UM, SERVING THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, AND I LIKE TO THINK THAT I'M PRETTY PRESCIENT IN WHAT WE NEED TO DO. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BEING A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT IN SERVICE I CAN MAKE, UM, OTHER OBSERVATIONS AND MOVE, UM, OUR INSTITUTIONS LIKE SAWS INTO, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY TO, UM, AFFECT CHANGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WATER IS A CRITICAL RESOURCE, NOT JUST FOR OUR CITY, BUT IN THIS ENTIRE REGION. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SAWS IS, UM, OUR REGIONAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN CYBERSECURITY. A BIG PIECE OF THAT IS TAKING CARE OF [04:35:01] CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE THE KIND THAT SAWS MANAGES. SO I HAVE AN EXPERIENCE AS A PROJECT MANAGER ON WORKING ON $2 MILLION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS THAT HAVE TO BE RESILIENT AND SECURE. SO I, I THINK I CAN BRING BOTH OF MY PERSPECTIVES AS A PUBLIC SERVANT AND MY PERSPECTIVES AS A NEIGHBOR AND MY PERSPECTIVES AS A PROFESSIONAL TO, UM, BE IN THIS ROLE AS A TRUSTEE FOR SAS. GREAT. THANK YOU, MS. . AND NOW WE HAVE DR. ROBERT POTS. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY CITY COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR THIS POSITION. I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING, UH, ON THE EDWARDS AQUIFER IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES FOR OVER 20 YEARS. AND I, THE MORE I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW THAT PARTICULAR RESOURCE AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO SAN ANTONIO AND THE COMMUNITY, THE MORE I'M IMPRESSED WITH IT AND THE MORE THANKFUL I AM FOR IT. AND THE MORE I, I'M COMMITTED TO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW, BUT FAR, FAR INTO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE IT SERVES AS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN SAN ANTONIO. AND WITHOUT IT, WE WOULD BE IN A, A LOT OF TROUBLE. IT'S NOT TO SAY IT'S SUFFICIENT IN AND OF ITSELF. AS WE GROW, WE'RE GONNA NEED OTHER, OTHER RESOURCES, BUT IT IS THE BASIS FOR IT. AND IT IS WHAT HAS PROVIDED FOR, UM, THE CITY TO HAVE A, AN AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY SOURCE OF WATER FOR SO LONG. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT CONTINUES NOT ONLY THE, THE QUALITY OF THE WATER AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THE WATER, BUT THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE WATER. AND SO, AS WE'RE BRINGING ON NEW WATER RESOURCES TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH OF THE CITY, WE NEED TO, WE NOT, WE NEED NOT TO FORGET, UH, ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME THAT HAVE, HAVE DEPENDED ON THIS AQUIFER AND HAVE DEPENDED ON IT AS, AS A LOW COST SOURCE OF HIGH QUALITY WATER. SO THAT, THAT IS ONE OF MY PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT. UM, I, I THINK THAT GROWTH IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS VERY INTERESTED IN. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT, BUT IT'S WHAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO IN A WAY THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE ALL THE NEEDS WITH THE RIGHT, WITH THE RIGHT PREPARATION, RIGHT AMOUNT OF WORK. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO DOING. AND, UM, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURES, UM, ISSUES THAT, UH, THAT WERE MENTIONED EARLIER. GREAT. THANK YOU. VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. PODS. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THREE OF OUR CANDIDATES. UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SAND, YOU'RE YIELDING THE, THE FLOOR NOW. I'LL MOVE ON. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. I HAD HIM IN THE QUEUE. THANKS, MAYOR. OKAY. I DON'T SEE YOU, BUT GO AHEAD. WELL, UH, YOU CAN SEE ME NOW? YEAH. YES. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS. SO, UM, I, THIS IS, THIS IS A STRUGGLE FOR ME, UH, BECAUSE I, I THINK OF UTILITIES AS ENTERPRISES, RIGHT? AND, UM, THE, EVEN THOUGH SAWS IS A COMMUNITY OWNED ENTERPRISE, IT'S AN ENTERPRISE NONETHELESS. AND, UH, IT'S A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED ENTERPRISE. UM, A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR, YOU KNOW, ENTERPRISE. UM, AND LIKE ALL ENTERPRISES, UH, LIKE THAT, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, PRIVATE OR PUBLIC, RIGHT? THEY HAVE ONE OBLIGATION, AND THAT IS OVERSIGHT. UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF IS, OR, YOU KNOW, OR THE MANAGEMENT STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, UH, DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, RIGHT? UM, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT UTILITIES AND BOARDS OF UTILITIES, UM, THOSE ENTERPRISES ARE BEST SERVED WHEN, WHEN THE PEOPLE, UH, EXERCISE IN THAT OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, HAVE EXPERTISE IN MANAGEMENT CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS, UM, ASSET DEPRECIATION, PRODUCT PRICING, COST RECOVERY, COST MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONS, EFFICIENCIES, HUMAN RESOURCES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. UM, SO WHOEVER'S GONNA BE DOING THAT OVERSIGHT OF MR. PUENTE AND HIS STAFF, I, I, I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO READ A BALANCE SHEET AND A P AND L STATEMENT AND UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE CHALLENGES. UM, I THINK INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS SOMETHING THAT'S ABSOLUTELY KEY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND AND FAMILIARITY WITH THAT, WHICH IS, UM, WHY I LOOK AT THE BOARD, AND I'M ON THIS OTHER SCREEN I'VE GOT HERE. I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR, UH, FOR SAS, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, BY TAKING THIS VOTE TODAY, WE'RE GONNA BE REPLACING RA AND, UH, GLYN, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A [04:40:01] LONG TIME, AND I, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, YOU GOT SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL IF, IF THIS COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, APPROVES YOU, AND I THINK IT WILL. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BERTO, GUERRA IS A RECOGNIZED EXPERT , UH, IN ALL THE THINGS THAT I JUST LAID OUT, RIGHT? UM, AND HE'S THE, YOU KNOW, HE'S THE C E O OF SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT ENTITIES HERE IN TOWN FOR PROFIT, EMPLOYS A LOT OF PEOPLE, UNDERSTANDS, YOU KNOW, FINANCE AND BALANCE SHEETS AND ALL THAT. AND THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT HE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO I, JOLENE, I'M CONVINCED YOU'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB OF TAKING UP THE REINS AND, AND NOT MISS A SINGLE STEP. UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME THOUGH, THAT YOU BRING A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN BERTOS, AND THAT'S GREAT, RIGHT? YOUR BODY OF KNOWLEDGE IS MANAGING A UTILITY. YOU HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT, RIGHT? AND SO YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO TO TOE TO TOE WITH, UH, ROBERT PUENTE AND MAKE SURE THAT HE'S, YOU KNOW, DOTTING THE I'S AND CROSSING THE T'S. UH, BUT ONE THING I DON'T THINK YOU'VE EVER BEEN, AND, AND IT'S OKAY, IT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER BEEN RIGHT, IS THE C E O OF A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION WITH YOUR OWN NAME ON PERSONAL BANK LOANS AS A GUARANTOR, RIGHT? UM, AND YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR AND, AND ALL THAT. AND AGAIN, THAT'S OKAY, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS AND PERSPECTIVE THAT BERTO BROUGHT. UM, AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT. WELL, THEN I, I LOOK TO THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED, UM, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH YOU TODAY, AND LETICIA UNA, YOU'VE GOT THE POLICY CHOPS, YOU'VE GOT THE, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHOPS, UM, THAT I THINK IS GONNA BE PERFECT, UH, TO COMPLIMENT, YOU KNOW, LYN, UM, AND YOU'VE ALSO HELPED, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PUB, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC AGENCY BUDGET. UM, AND SO I THINK YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT. UM, I THINK YOUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IS IMPRESSIVE, MR. POTTS. I THINK YOUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. UM, MY, AND THEN HERE COMES THE, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, SOMEBODY WITH YOUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IS ALREADY ON THIS BOARD. WE'VE GOT AMY HARDBERGER, WHO'S AN EXPERT IN, UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL THE ISSUES THAT COME, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ENVIRONMENTAL. UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE MAY BE DOUBLING UP THERE. AND SO, CONSIDERING THE LOSS OF THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT IS NOT BEING MADE UP BY EITHER OF THESE, AND, AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE THAT MR. GUERRA HAS THAT, UM, THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. AND SO CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE LOSING THAT VERY IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE, UM, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NOT APPOINT MR. POTTS AND THAT WE INSTEAD REPLACE HIM WITH, UH, FERNANDO REYES, WHO WAS ONE OF THE APPLICANTS WHO DOES HAVE THAT EXPERTISE AND WHO I THINK WILL COMPLIMENT THIS BOARD AND BE ABLE TO REPRESENT BUSINESSES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMERS, UM, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS, UH, LIKE THE TOYOTAS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHO BRING THAT, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DECADES OF BEING ABLE TO READ BALANCE SHEETS AND P AND L STATEMENTS AND ACTUALLY HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT A BUSINESS FAILS. AND SO, MAYOR, MY MOTION IS TO, UH, APPOINT MR. FERNANDO REYES AS OPPOSED TO MR. POTS. THAT'S IT. THANKS. UM, MAYOR, IF I MAY, COUNCILMAN, IF I MAY, UM, WE HAVE THE THREE NOMINATIONS, AND, UM, IF I MAY SUGGEST THAT WHAT THE, THE ALTERNATIVE BE THAT, I MEAN, IF ONE OF THEM IS NOT SELECTED BY THE COUNCIL, THEN THERE'LL BE, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION MADE BY THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. AND, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, MY MOTION STANDS, AND I'M LOOKING FOR A SECOND. THANKS. SECOND. I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, YOU SECONDED THE MOTION? YEAH, SECOND. OKAY. UM, SO MAYOR, HOW DOES THAT WORK? EXPLAIN THAT? WELL, THAT IT DOESN'T WORK. I GUESS THAT'S MY POINT. IT DOESN'T WORK IN THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THREE MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY STRETCHING THE AMOUNT OF MOTIONS WE SHOULD HAVE ON THE TABLE. UH, WE DID THAT TO MAKE, UH, IT EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF THE COUNCIL CONSIDERING THE CANDIDATES. AND SO, AGAIN, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST THEN IS LET'S VOTE ON ONE AND TWO, AND THEN ON THE THIRD ONE, THEN, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, LIAS, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION FOR WHEN WE'RE VOTING OR CONSIDERING THE THIRD NOMINEE. AND I APPRECIATE THAT SUGGESTION. UM, AND, UH, THAT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE LEGAL ADVICE. IT SOUNDED LIKE EFFICIENCY ADVICE. AND, AND, UM, I'M TRYING TO ADD A FOURTH MOTION TO THREE. SO THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR. UM, AND AGAIN, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE INTENT IS, BUT MY MOTION STANDS, WE'VE GOT A SECOND. UM, AND I MEAN, PEOPLE CAN VOTE ON ALL OF THEM, OR NONE OF THEM IF THEY WANNA, ALRIGHT, I STILL NEED TO HAVE, UM, THAT EXPLAINED. LEGALLY THOUGH, WE HAVE THREE MOTIONS, AND NOW [04:45:01] WE HAVE A FOURTH MOTION. WHAT IS THE ORDER THAT THEY GO IN AND CAN WE HAVE FOUR? UM, LEGALLY JUST WE NEED A RULING ON THAT. ANDY? I, I, I THOUGHT I GAVE IT MAYOR. THE RULING IS WE'RE ALREADY STRETCHING IT WITH THREE. UH, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE FOUR MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. UM, IF WE WANT TO GO IN ORDER, YOU DO ONE, TWO, AND THEN ON THE THIRD ONE, AGAIN, COUNCILMAN PAL CAN MAKE THIS MOTION. OKAY? OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROSA GARCIA, MAYOR, UM, YES, I'D, I'D JUST, UH, LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE APPLICANTS FOR, UM, APPLYING, AND I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, ANDY AND I, I'M, I'M LIKE, EVERYBODY JUST A TADD BIT CONFUSED RIGHT NOW. I I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE COULD MAKE A, A MOTION FOR ANOTHER CANDIDATE. SO I WAS TRYING TO, UH, FIGURE OUT, I THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD ONLY HAVE TWO MOTIONS ON THE TABLE AT ONCE. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE PROBABLY SAYING TO TAKE IT UP WHEN WE GO FOR THE THIRD CANDIDATE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE ONE IN QUESTION. I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M DOING HERE, ANDY. OKAY. UM, LET ME TRY TO RE REGROUP. THEN. WE HAD THE INITIAL SET UP ON THE AGENDA THAT ALL THREE WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT ONCE, HENCE, YOU MADE YOUR MOTION FOR THAT. AND WE NAMED IN THE THREE NAMES, THE THREE CANDIDATES, COUNCILWOMAN THEN MADE THE MOTION THAT WE SPLIT UP THOSE IN THREE. SO NOW THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY THREE ITEMS. UH, AGAIN, FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE, WE SET THREE SUCCESSIVE MOTIONS. MM-HMM. , UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, USUALLY CAN ONLY HAVE TWO MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE CONSIDERING CANDIDATES OFFER THE SAW BOARD, LET'S DO THE THREE MOTIONS. SO THE THREE MOTIONS ARE THERE. UH, COUNCILMAN LIAS WANTS TO DO A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. I SAY WE ADDRESS THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE THIRD ONE, SO THAT, THAT WAY THERE'S ONLY TWO MOTIONS ON THE TABLE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT ONE. OKAY. SO ANDY, AFTER THAT, IF I WANTED TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION, I COULDN'T, BECAUSE I HAVE THREE TECHNICALLY MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. UM, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A MOTION ON THE THIRD WHEN WE GET TO THE THIRD CANDIDATE? CORRECT. YOU, YOU CAN, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MOTION IS, COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. WELL THEN I, I, I WILL GET THERE THEN WHEN WE, UM, VOTE ON THAT MOTION. SO THANK YOU, ANDY. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER VARDA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA, UH, ASKED MY QUESTION. I'M, I'M JUST, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT, UH, , I GUESS THE ORDER WE'RE TAKING THEM, BUT I ALSO JUST QUICKLY, UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCILMAN BAIL'S, UM, THOUGHTS. AND I, I JUST BE REAL OPEN. I, I'M HAVING SOME KIND OF MISGIVINGS ABOUT EVEN GOING FORWARD TODAY WHEN I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, TO READ THROUGH, UM, ALL OF THE, UM, ALL OF THE APPLICANTS IF WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR THAT THIRD SPOT, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, JUST, JUST A THOUGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MANNY, THIS REMINDS ME OF WHEN WE TOOK A, UH, A MOTION TO FULL COUNSEL AND IG AND IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I G R HAD RECOMMENDED, AND YOU REMINDED US ALL WHAT THE COMMITTEES WERE FOR. SORRY, CAN'T HELP, BUT, BUT REMEMBER THAT. BUT, UM, I HAVE, I DON'T HAVE COMMENTS PREPARED, OBVIOUSLY FOR, FOR THIS ACTION THAT'S, UH, ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW. BUT I, AS SOMEONE WHO, UH, COMES WITH A SCIENCE BACKGROUND, I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT FAIR TO PUT ALL SCIENTISTS IN THE SAME BOX BECAUSE WE DON'T DO THAT WITH BUSINESS PEOPLE. UH, MR. AM THE, THE PRESIDENT OF AMEE BANK, OR SOMEONE FROM AGI, WHAT'S HIS NAME? CAN SOMEONE HELP ME HERE? DAVID MCGEE. DAVID MCGEE. DAVID MCGEE IS ON THERE, RIGHT? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE DOUBLING UP WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESSES, UH, BY THAT CRITERIA. AND NUMBER TWO, I DO NOT THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR A MUNICIPAL UTILITY TO RESERVE A SPOT FOR SOMEONE WHO WORKS, UH, WHO IS INVOLVED WITH THE TOYOTA PLANT. THAT'S, THAT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY ALWAYS GET A SPOT EVERY TIME WE GO FORWARD. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING RIGHT NOW. UH, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A GOOD CONSENSUS ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE [04:50:01] ABOUT GOING FORWARD WITH DR. POTTS. AND I, I WANNA SAY THAT, UM, WITHOUT REVEALING WHAT HAPPENED AT EXECUTIVE SESSION, I DON'T THINK DR. SMILE WAS FAR, FAR BEHIND WITH, I GUESS I KIND OF JUST DID. UM, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. AND I, I WILL ALSO ADD THAT THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE ARD REPORT REGARDING DR. POTS WERE ENTIRELY UNFAIR, AND THEY WERE NOT INFORMED WITH THE INFORMATION THAT HE BRINGS TO THIS COUNCIL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANNA REITERATE REALLY WHAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JUST SAID. UH, WE HAVE A, A BANKER WHO DOES BUSINESS WITH HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES IN THIS COMMUNITY ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO CERTAINLY HE UNDERSTANDS AND CAN WELL REPRESENT A POINT OF VIEW OF BUSINESSES. WE HAVE ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER WHO'S A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AN ARCHITECT, UH, WHO WORKS WITH BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO I THINK THAT THAT REPRESENTATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE. BUT I THINK HAVING A STRONG VOICE OF SOMEONE WHO HAD WORKED WITH THE EDWARDS AQUIFER FOR A LONG TIME AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AQUIFER CAN PLAY AND SHOULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE ON THE SAWS BOARD, WHICH REALLY PULLS THE WATER OUT OF THE AQUIFER, AND, UH, REALLY HAS A LOT TO SAY WITH, UH, CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF OUR WATER RESOURCES AND THE AQUIFER BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE RIGHT NOW. SO, I WOULD AGREE THAT, UH, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO VOTE INDIVIDUALLY ON EACH OF THESE CANDIDATES. UH, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF, ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND THE WORK THAT WENT IN, UH, WITH THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. AND, UH, I HOPE THAT YOU'D RESPECT THE RECOMMENDATION WE MADE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER GRA MAYOR, CAN WE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AT LEAST THE OTHER, THE NORTH SECTOR AND THE CHAIR POSITION AND THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT. I DON'T KNOW IF, AND MY COLLEAGUES HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS WITH THOSE TWO. UM, IF NOT, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION AND MOVE FORWARD AT LEAST WITH THOSE TWO SELECTIONS TO VOTE ON THOSE TWO RIGHT NOW, IF POSSIBLE. OKAY. WE WE'RE, WE'RE ALMOST THERE. UH, WE JUST HAVE ONE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER TO, TO, UH, SPEAK, AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THE, THE MOTIONS HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST THOUGHT I SHOULD, UM, EXPLAIN MYSELF, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE AND I, I SUPPORTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE COMMITTEE. UM, UH, BUT, UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, PALAIS PUT FORWARD A MOTION. UM, MY DESIRE, UH, FOR THE POSITION, AND IN FACT FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, IS THAT WE WORK, UH, ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT, UM, I'VE HAD WITH SAS JUST SPECIFICALLY IN MY DISTRICT, UM, AND , UM, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION OF, UM, THE, UH, OF SOME ISSUES THAT I'VE HAD. AND IT'S BEEN MY PRIORITY FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS WHY, UM, I LIKED, UH, UM, FERNANDO RA'S, UM, APPOINTMENT, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE. UM, BUT, UH, AGAIN, I MEAN, THE, THE SLATE OF CANDIDATES PRESENTED WERE ALL VERY QUALIFIED AND ALL BROUGHT A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE, UM, TO THE BOARD. AND I THINK WE'LL ALL BE FAIRLY, UM, WE'LL DO A GOOD JOB ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY. MY PRIORITY WAS FOR, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENT OF WHAT SASS IS DOING, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER PLIS PUT IT FORWARD, I SECONDED IT EVEN THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I AGREED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, BY THE COMMITTEE. SO, UM, I JUST THOUGHT I SHOULD CLARIFY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. OKAY. UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND WRAP THIS UP. UM, LET ME PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF LEVITY. UM, IT IS REAL, REALLY REMARKABLE THAT NONE OF OUR APPOINTMENTS GO QUITE SMOOTHLY AS WE EXPECTED THEM TO. UM, BUT, UH, HERE WE ARE, AND I WILL REITERATE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ SAID, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THIS IS ONE EXTRAORDINARILY, UM, BRILLIANT, UH, POOL OF CANDIDATES, UH, FOR THE SAS APPOINTMENTS IN GENERAL. UM, WE HAD, UH, JUST TO GO OVER THE PROCESS AGAIN, UH, THIS APPOINTMENT OR THESE APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UM, WE KNOW THAT, UH, [04:55:01] BERTO GUERA SERVED HONORABLY FOR, UH, NEARLY 10 YEARS AND, UH, CROSSED A SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLD WITH THE COMPLETION AND DELIVERY NOW OF THE VISTA RIDGE PIPELINE. UM, BUT WE KNEW THESE WERE, WERE ANTICIPATED. WE HELD OPEN THE, UM, APPLICATION PERIOD A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO GET A QUALIFIED POOL OF CANDIDATES. AND I, AND I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, IF I MAY SPEAK FOR THE, FOR THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE, WE WERE REALLY BLOWN AWAY BY THE TALENT AND EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF ALL OF THE CANDIDATES. SO I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY, UH, WHO APPLIED, UH, MANY OF THEM WE KNOW AS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND FRIENDS VERY DEARLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, AND WE THANK THEM FOR THAT. UH, AND WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AND SERVE IN, IN A REMARKABLY IMPORTANT BODY FOR US. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL SPEAK TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ALL OF OUR CANDIDATES TODAY. UH, I AM, UH, THRILLED THAT INE BURLEY WILL BE OUR NEW CHAIR AT SAS. UH, I HAVE KNOWN, UH, INE SINCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND HAVE ADMIRED HER LEADERSHIP. UH, SHE ALSO BRINGS A, A BREADTH OF TALENT THAT OBVIOUSLY EXTENDS TO THE HEALTHCARE ARENA NOW AS WELL. UM, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE AT THE CITY, BUT ALSO C P S PROVIDES AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, SEE SOME PROGRESS IN THE WATER ENERGY NEXUS FOR THE NEXT ERA OF SAWS. UM, LETICIA OZUNA, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER AND CYBERSECURITY EXPERT, UH, IS SOMEONE WHO I HAVE ADMIRED FOR A LONG TIME AS WELL. AND, UM, I ECHO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLY HAS SAID ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SECURITY AND CYBERSECURITY AND OUR UTILITIES MOVING FORWARD. UH, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU AS WELL, LETICIA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, AND DR. POTTS, UH, I'VE NEVER MET YOU PERSONALLY, BUT I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT YOUR WORK AND ADMIRED THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AT THE E A A FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UM, I, I ALSO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL THAT, UM, BEING, UH, UH, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARENA DOESN'T MAKE YOU THE SAME AS EVERY ENVIRONMENTALIST. UM, THAT IS TRUE. UH, BUT I DO THINK THAT SOME, THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU, YOU BRING, UH, GIVEN THE, UH, WORK REGIONALLY IN THE E A IS, IS IMPORTANT IN THIS NEXT AREA OF SAWS AS WELL. SO, UH, A REMARKABLY DIVERSE POOL OF CANDIDATES, UM, AND A GREAT QUALIFIED GROUP OF FINALISTS. LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH ALL OF YOU. AND, AND SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND TAKE UP THE MOTIONS. NOW. UM, WE'VE GOT THE THREE SEPARATE MOTIONS, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THEM IN ORDER. UH, AND THEN IF, UM, THE FINAL MOTION, UH, DOES NOT, UH, GO THROUGH, THEN WE, WE HAVE, UH, ANOTHER MOTION TO BE MADE. SO WE'LL START WITH THE MOTION TO APPOINT CANDIDATE DILIN LEBLANC FURLEY TO THE NORTH SECTOR, AND CONFIRM THE SELECTION OF CHAIR. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. OKAY. MOTION CARRIES. MOVE NOW TO THE SECOND SELECTION. AND THAT IS, UM, THE APPOINTMENT OF LETICIA ZUNA TO THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT, AND WE'LL DO THE SAME THING. VOICE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. UH, MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, NOW IS THE TIME THAT COUNCILMAN WANTS TO MAKE HIS MOTION, UH, TO MAKE THE MOTION ON NOW THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE ITEM IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL. THANKS. AND, AND, AND MAY I DO, UH, REGE THAT MOTION LOOKING FOR A SECOND, AND THEN, UH, I'VE GOT, HOPEFULLY IT'LL INVITE COMMENTS ON MY MOTION. OKAY. UM, SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UM, THE ALTERNATIVE APPOINTMENT, UM, OF FERNANDO REYES TO THE SOUTH SECTOR. UH, WE'LL TAKE THE MOTION FOR ROBERT POTTS. FIRST, UH, ANY DISCUSSION? A SECOND? MAYOR, UH, MAYOR? YES. I THINK WE HAVE TO FIRST CONSIDER, I THINK WE ASKED TO FIRST CONSIDER, UH, COMPLIMENT S MOTION. OKAY. WE TAKE IT IN THAT ORDER. WE HAVE THE MAIN MOTION. NOW HE HAS MADE A MOTION IN SUBSTITUTION, THEREFORE, WE TAKE THAT ONE FIRST. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO WE'LL TAKE UP THE MOTION, UH, FOR, FOR FERNANDO REYES TO THE SOUTH SECTOR. MAYOR, I HAVE A, YEAH. COUNCIL [05:00:01] MEMBER GARCIA MAYOR. UH, AND ANDY, I, I HAVE, UM, A CLARIFICATION IF I'D LIKE TO MAKE, UH, ANOTHER MOTION. DO I MAKE IT NOW OR DO WE WAIT ON COUNCILMAN S AND THEN MAKE IT? YES. ANDY, YOU'RE ON MUTE, SIR. UH, I'M SORRY, I WAS ON MUTE. COUNCILWOMAN, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR MOTION'S GONNA BE, I THINK WE HEAR YOUR MOTION FIRST. SO IF YOU CAN, UH, ARTICULATE WHAT YOUR MOTION'S GONNA BE. SURE. THANK YOU, ANDY. UM, I MOVE THAT WE DELAY, UH, THE VOTE ON THE THIRD CANDIDATE UNTIL THE NEXT POSSIBLE AVAILABLE MEETING OF THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL. SECOND. SECOND. SO, MAYOR, UH, THE MOTION IS A DELAY MOTION, THEREFORE, THAT TAKES PRECEDENT OVER THE OTHER MOTIONS ON THE TABLE. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. AND, AND I GOT A MOTION TO DELAY THE SOUTH SECTOR APPOINTMENT, UM, UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING NEXT WEEK. UM, AND, UH, WHO MADE THE SECOND, I'M SORRY, YOU RAISE YOUR HAND HONOR COUNCIL MEMBER, VE ON SECOND. OKAY. UH, SO WE'LL TAKE UP THE MOTION TO DELAY THE SOUTH SECTOR APPOINTMENT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT, UM, THE NEXT MEETING, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOICE VOTE, ACTUALLY, MAYOR, MAYOR COMMENTS ON THE MOTION? I'M SORRY. COMMENTS ON THE MOTION? OH, SURE. YEAH. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO DELAY? COUNCIL MEMBER GRA OKAY. I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS HAD A QUESTION TOO, BUT I'LL GO. UM, SO, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO START IN INTRODUCING OTHER CANDIDATES THAT WERE ALREADY INTERVIEWED, UM, JUST LIKE WE HAD ALL THREE CANDIDATES PRESENT FOR THIS INTERVIEW, I WOULD WANT THEM TO BE HERE SO WE COULD ASK QUESTIONS OF THOSE CANDIDATES IF YOU'RE PROPOSING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CANDIDATE THAN THE ONE TODAY. UM, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SHARE. THANK YOU. YEAH, NO, PROCEDURALLY, UM, SO THIS IS PROCEDURALLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS DELAYING THE MOTION. WE'RE NOT DELAYING THE CANDIDATE SELECTION OR THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE GOVERNANCE. IS THAT CORRECT, ANDY? THAT'S CORRECT. BUT YOU STILL HAVE THE, I MEAN, WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, UH, JUST AS COUNCILMAN PLY DID, TO PROVIDE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION OR A SUBSTITUTE CANDIDATE. OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO DELAY THE SOUTH SECTOR APPOINTMENT? YES, MA'AM. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLA YEAH, THANKS. AND, AND, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS, UH, THE , ANYBODY WATCHING THIS IS PROBABLY CONFUSED AT THIS. UH, AND, UH, IF ANYBODY DESERVES A DAY OFF AFTER, THIS IS ANDY SEGOVIA, A DAY OFF AND A COLD BEER. UH, SO THANKS ANDY, FOR PUTTING UP WITH ALL OF OUR SILLINESS. UM, I, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ANNA, I, I NEVER SAID THAT ALL SCIENTISTS ARE PUT IN THE SAME BOX. THAT WAS A HUGE SHOCK. IT'S UNFAIR. UH, I NEVER SAID THAT. YOU KNOW, I NEVER SAID THAT. UM, AND SO, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE TO REVISIT THESE CANDIDATES, UM, IT'S, UM, I, I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I REALLY DON'T CARE IF THEY COME FROM TOYOTA OR NOT. I WANT REPRESENTATION, UH, FROM THE LARGEST CUSTOMERS. UM, AND I THINK LAST TIME I CHECKED, TOYOTA IS AMONG THE TOP FIVE LARGEST CUSTOMERS IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS GUY'S THE ONLY GUY WHO APPLIED THAT FITS THAT CATEGORY. AND SO HAD HE APPLIED FROM SEAWORLD, I'D BE STILL, YOU KNOW, OR FROM, YOU KNOW, A BOTTLING PLANT, I, YOU KNOW, I'D STILL BE ADVOCATING FOR SOMEBODY WITH THAT EXPERIENCE. AND SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, I, I SUPPORT A HUNDRED PERCENT THE DELAY. SO, UH, YOU'RE GONNA GET MY VOTE. COUNCILMAN ROCHA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY FURTHER QUESTION ON THE MOTION TO DELAY? OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL TAKE A VOICE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO DELAY, UM, ACTION ON THE SOUTH SECTOR APPOINTMENT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGNED. AYE. AYE. OKAY. WE HAVE SANDOVAL AND COURAGE, UH, VOTING, UM, NAY ON THE ITEM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. SO WE'LL TAKE UP THIS ITEM AGAIN, UM, ON, UH, NEXT THURSDAY. [05:05:03] ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE NOW TO, AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR CANDIDATES WHO CAME, UH, ENDURED, UH, A LONG MEETING. UM, THE MEETING'S NOT OVER. YOU'RE WELCOME TO HANG AROUND STILL. UM, [Items P3 & Z11] BUT WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON NOW TO ITEMS P THREE AND Z 11. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, MELISSA RAMIREZ HERE, UH, P THREE AND Z 11 AMENDING THE HERITAGE SOUTH SECTOR PLAN FROM SPECIALIZED CENTER TO MIXED USE CENTER FROM I TWO TO M X D, GENERALLY LOCATED AT ELEVEN NINE HUNDRED AND TWELVE, SIX HUNDRED BLOCK OF IH 37 SOUTH STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL, 21 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ONE OPPOSED. OKAY. UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS. I ON THESE ITEMS START WITH ANTONIO DIAZ. MR. DIAZ? YES. UH, CAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE WE CAN HEAR YOU GO, GO AHEAD. YES. WELL, I WAS, I WAS IN OPPOSITION TO THIS MR. DIAZ. YES, YES, YES. UH, AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO COLLECT MY THOUGHTS OF WAITING SO LONG, BUT, UH, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT WHAT I'VE SAID, I, I WAS, AND THEN THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. DIAZ. CAROLINE MCDONALD. HI. YES, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. I, I'M JUST, I'M PHONING IN BECAUSE I AM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE APPLICANT FOR THIS ZONING CASE AND WE SUBMITTED AN AMENDMENT TO THE SITE PLAN. I BELIEVE, UH, MS. RAMIREZ AND COUNCILWOMAN GRO ARE BOTH AWARE OF THIS AND ARE SUBMITTING IT INTO THE RECORD. OKAY. THANK YOU, MS. MCDONALD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YES. SO FOR ITEM UH, P THREE AND Z 11, I AM ENTERING INTO THE RECORD WITH THE CITY CLERK, AN AMENDED SITE PLAN FROM THE APPLICANT. SO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS P THREE AND Z 11. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NO ITEMS P FOUR AND Z 17. [Z-12. 20-4046 ZONING CASE Z-2020-10700066 (Council District 3): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 IDZ AHOD" Commercial Infill Development Zone Airport Hazard Overlay District on Lot 12 and Lot 13, Block 79, NCB 3347, located at 103 Bailey Avenue and 107 Bailey Avenue. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval.] UH, ACTUALLY MAYOR, I THINK THINK WE HAVE Z 12. OH YES, I'M SORRY. I WROTE IT OUT OF ORDER. OKAY. Z 12. UH, YES, SIR. Z 12 FROM Z TWO TO C TWO I D Z, LOCATED AT 1 0 3 BAILEY AVENUE AND 1 0 7 BAILEY AVENUE. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 35 NOTICES MAILED ONE IN FAVOR AND ONE OPPOSED. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, ANTONIO DIAZ. MR. DIAZ, PLEASE, UH, TAKE YOUR TIME. YES, ANTONIO, YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEM Z 12. UH, NO SIR, I WON'T DO THAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO YOU'RE SIGNED UP FOR Z 12 AND, AND P FOUR AND Z 17 AND Z 28. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THOSE? OTHERWISE I'LL JUST, UH, WON'T CALL YOUR NAME ANYMORE. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. DIAZ. ALRIGHT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. [05:10:03] IT'S ACTUALLY ME COUNSEL, UH, M**K. I THINK IT'S ME. Z 12. OH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER . OKAY, NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS IS A PROPOSED CHURCH ON BAILEY, BUT THE APPLICANT AND THE HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO BE DONE ON THIS CASE. SO I MOTION TO CONTINUE FOR TWO WEEKS TO AUGUST 20TH. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND TO DELAY ITEM Z 12 TO AUGUST 20TH. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ITEMS P THREE AND Z 11. AYE. YES, SIR. MAYOR, WE'RE [Items P4 & Z17] AT P FOUR AND G 17. I'M SORRY. THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY. UH, THIS IS AMEND. YES SIR. UH, AMENDING THE WEST SOUTHWEST SECTOR PLAN FROM AG BUSINESS TIER TO SUBURBAN TIER FROM NP 10 TO R FOUR AND R FIVE, GENERALLY LOCATED AT 93 0 0 BLOCK OF IH 35 SOUTH. STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 15. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA. OH, I'M . SORRY. CAST MEMBER. WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS. JAMES MCKNIGHT. HELLO, THIS IS JAMES. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. UM, WE, UH, JAMES MCKNIGHT FOR BRIAN ORTIZ. WE'RE JUST HERE REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNER IN CASE, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN OR OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS. WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UH, CIVIL ENGINEER WITH US IF IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. MCKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA MAYOR. AND I WANT TO, UH, PREFACE MY QUESTIONS BY SAYING THAT I UNDERSTAND THE PROGRESS OF EGRESS AND INGRESS WILL BE ADDRESSED DURING THE DESIGN OR PLANNING PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, BUT MY CONCERNS ARE MORE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE LIVING THERE. AND SO I HAVE A QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW WHO CAN ANSWER, BUT CAN YOU PROVIDE ME AN OVERVIEW ON HOW THE CODE READS ON UN FLOODED ACCESS COUNCILWOMAN? UM, I CAN, I CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS. UM, SO STORMWATER OBVIOUSLY IS THE ONE WHO DOES THE REVIEWS AT THE TIME OF PLATTING, LIKE YOU MENTIONED. UM, BUT THE, THE CODE IS REFERENCING THAT EV ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES THROUGH SHOULD REQUIRE UN OR SHOULD, YEAH. SHOULD, UH, PROVIDE UN FLOODED ACCESS TO A PROPERTY. SO IF UN FLOODED ACCESS IS NOT ABLE TO BE PROVIDED, THEN THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROCEED. SO, UM, DOES THIS PROPERTY THEN HAVE UN FLOODED ACCESS OFF THE ACCESS ROAD ON I 35? LIKE FOR INSTANCE, FOR, UM, FROM A FIVE YEAR STORM EVENT? SO WHAT MY, WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS TALKING ABOUT THE LAND USE AND TYPICALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE TYPE OF DETAILS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL AT THE TIME OF PLATTING. OKAY. SO, AND I, I DON'T KNOW THEN THE, IF THIS, IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT IF THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY FALLS WITHIN A QUARTER MILE FROM THE CREEK, WILL IT BE SUBJECT THEN TO UN FLOODED ACCESS REVIEW AT THAT POINT? SO I KNOW STORMWATER HAS, UH, CERTAIN SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT EV THAT REVIEW. UM, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEIR ACCESS WILL BE FOR THIS SITE, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH OUR REGULATIONS. COUNCILWOMAN, THIS IS ROD. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THAT'S ONE OF THOSE ISSUES AT THE TIME OF PLATING THAT THEIR ENGINEER WILL HAVE TO SHOW US AND PROVE TO US THAT THEY HAVE UN FLOODED ACCESS AND THAT WILL BE VERIFIED BY OUR PUBLIC WORKS, UH, ENGINEERS AT, AT THAT TIME. UH, BUT AT THE TIME OF ZONING, WE USUALLY DON'T GET INTO THAT LEVEL OF, OF DETAIL. OKAY. OKAY. SO, UM, ROD, SO THIS IS KIND OF, UM, TO THAT POINT, AND MAYBE WE DON'T GET INTO IT, BUT, UM, IF THE DEVELOPER PUTS THEIR DRIVEWAY OUTSIDE OF THE, THE THRESHOLD OF THE QUARTER MILE, UH, THRESHOLD WILL CODE ALLOW THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT THE UNVETTED ACCESS REVIEW. AND LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. WE HAVE MULTIPLE DROWNINGS, UH, DOWN THE ROAD. THERE'S ALWAYS HIGH WATER RESCUES AND WHATEVER I DECIDE TODAY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING THIS DISTRICT, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T IMPACT RESIDENTS THAT HAVE TO GO TAKE THAT NEXT TURNAROUND AND POSSIBLY DROWN OR, YOU KNOW, FIND THEMSELVES IN A HIGH WATER RESCUE SITUATION. SO, I'M SORRY THAT I'M ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN, IN, IN THIS SCOPE, BUT I NEED TO JUST BE [05:15:01] ASSURED THAT MY RESIDENTS ARE GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF. I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT THAT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE CODE. SO AT, AT THE TIME OF PLATTING, THEY WILL HAVE TO ABSOLUTELY HAVE, UH, UN FLOODED ACCESS AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT, UH, THEIR PLATT SIMPLY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. UH, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, UH, GIVEN THAT THIS IS AN AREA OF, OF, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT DRAINAGE ISSUES, UH, THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY ADVERSE IMPACT ON ANY OF THE DEVELOPMENTS ADJACENT TO IT OR DOWNSTREAM FROM THAT. SO THOSE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, VERY DETAILED, UH, ENGINEERING REVIEWS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE TIME OF PLANNING AND EVEN AT THE TIME OF BUILDING PERMIT AS WELL. OKAY. UM, SO, UH, WITH, I GUESS WITHOUT THE, THE FINAL REPORT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THIS ISN'T OVERLOOKED BY SOME SORT OF TECHNICALITY? WELL, IT'S, UH, IT, IT IS IN THE CODE . IT IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE CODE. AND, AND IT IS, IT IS OUR JOB AS STAFF TO REVIEW THAT AND ENSURE THAT THE CODE IS FOLLOWED ON, ON NOT JUST THIS PROJECT, BUT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT WE REVIEW. OKAY. UM, AND THEN JUST FINALLY, HAVE YOU ALL HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH TXDOT ABOUT MOVING THE ENTRANCE RAMP OR, OR ANYTHING THAT MAYBE I'M NOT AWARE ABOUT THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH REGARDING SOMETHING LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE? I I, I HAVE NOT. WE HAVE NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. I DON'T, UH, JACOB JAMES MCKNIGHTS ON THE PHONE, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE APPLICANT HAS, BUT WE SURE HAVEN'T THE ENGINEER THAT AS WELL. WE HAVE HAD DEFINITELY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT. SO CHRIS, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT, UH, YES MA'AM. WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT, UH, REGARDING, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF RELOCATING THE RAMPS, UH, FOR UN FLOODED ACCESS. OKAY. WELL, SO, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. MAYBE WE CAN THEN I, I, I THINK WHAT I WANNA DO TODAY IS I, I MOVE THAT WE REQUEST A CONTINUATION OF THIS CASE TO THE AUGUST 20TH, 2020, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SECOND, SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR POSTPONING ITEMS. P FOUR TO Z 17 TO AUGUST 20TH. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. [Z-28. 20-4044 ZONING CASE Z-2020-10700091 CD (Council District 10): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-2 AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-2 CD AHOD" Commercial Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for Motor Vehicle Sales (Full Service) on Lot 42, Block 1, NCB 14952, generally located in the 5800 block of Randolph Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval.] ITEM Z 28 Z 28 IS GOING FROM Z C TWO TO C TWO CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SALES FOR FULL SERVICE, GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE 5,800 BLOCK OF RANDOLPH ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 16. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ONE OPPOSED. AND WE GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY? YES. THANK YOU SIR. UM, I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE, THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS. UM, NO FEATHERED OR BANNER SIGNS. ONLY ONE SIGN FOR PROPERTY FOR THE PROPERTY THAT WILL COMPLY WITH THE CITY CODES AND ORDINANCES. NO SIGNAGE ON ANY FENCE. THERE WILL BE A GUARDRAIL FENCING ON THE PORTION FACING THE STREET. UH, ONLY SIX TREES WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE SITE. UM, AND THERE'S AN ATTACHED SITE PLAN TO THAT. UH, IDENTIFYING THOSE LANDSCAPING WILL WILL FRONT THE PROPERTY AS DRAWN ON THAT SITE PLAN AS WELL. AND THEN CONTROL MEASURES TO BE PROVIDED IF NECESSARY ON THE GRAVEL PARKING LOT. THAT'S MY MOTION. SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. UH, COULD YOU RESTATE THE MOTION? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. SORRY. WELL, I MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTUAL LIST OF THE, UH, RESTRICTIONS THAT I, I JUST MENTIONED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR, UM, APPROVAL OF ITEM Z 28 WITH RESTRICTIONS AS STATED. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OKAY. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL THE ITEMS, UH, ON OUR, UH, AGENDA. UH, [20. 20-4437 City Manager's Report] WE DO HAVE A BRIEF, UH, STATE MANAGER'S REPORT. GO AHEAD ERIC. THANKS, MAYOR. JUST REAL QUICK, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY FOR THE COUNCIL. I DID WANT TO, UM, I'M SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE EMAILS I SENT OUT EARLIER THIS WEEK. UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, FOUR, UM, [05:20:01] EMPLOYEES PASS AWAY FROM COVID TO THIS PAST WEEK. UM, ONE WAS AN EMPLOYEE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, THE SECOND ONE WAS AN EMPLOYEE AT ALMO DO. AND THEN THE TWO EMPLOYEES THAT PASSED AWAY THIS WEEK, UH, WHERE ONE WAS, UH, FROM A SOLID WASTE AND THE OTHER ONE FROM, UH, OUR PARKING OPERATIONS. UM, I KNOW YOU EACH OF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT, UM, AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK, UH, IN THE DAILY EMAIL I'VE BEEN SHARING WITH YOU THE UPDATED NUMBERS, UM, IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED THAT, THAT OUR NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN. UM, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH JULY, UM, AT, AT, UM, AT THE HIGH POINT, UH, WE HAD NEARLY 600 EMPLOYEES OUT. UM, AND THAT NUMBER, UM, AS OF, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WAS 150. UM, AND SO, UH, OF THE A HUNDRED FIFTY, FIFTY SIX ARE, UM, UM, ACTUALLY POSITIVE. UM, 32 WERE, UM, UM, QUARANTINE DUE TO SOMEBODY ELSE IN THEIR FAMILY OR THEIR HOUSEHOLD WHO WAS CONFIRMED. AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER 62 WHO WERE SYMPTOMATIC AND PENDING TEST RESULTS. SO OVERALL, THAT NUMBER HAS STARTED TO TREND BACK DOWN. UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE COUNSEL AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AND, AND ASK EVERYBODY TO KEEP THE FAMILIES OF THE FOUR EMPLOYEES WHO PASSED AWAY AND THEIR THOUGHTS. AND I APPRECIATE THE SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE REACHED OUT OR ARE REACHING OUT TO THOSE, UH, FAMILIES, UH, AS WELL. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU ERIC. UM, ALRIGHT. UH, LONG DAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR HANGING IN THERE. UM, ANDY, ARE, WE'RE POSTPONING EXEC? UH, YES, MAYOR, UH, I THINK THE, UH, I, I WON'T GET ANY PUSHBACK BY DOING THAT. SO YES, WE'RE MOVING THE EXEC ITEMS TO NEXT WEEK OR TO INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS, BUT YES, NO EXEC TODAY. OKAY. UH, ONE LAST ITEM. UM, ON UH, THE 30TH OF THIS LAST MONTH, WE HAD ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES CELEBRATE A BIRTHDAY. UH, SO WE WANNA WISH COUNCIL MEMBER JADA, ANDREW SULLIVAN, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AND BECAUSE WE'RE ON WEBEX AND I THINK SYNCING IS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE, I'M GONNA ASK THE ONLY QUALIFIED SINGER IN THIS GROUP TO GO AHEAD AND SING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UH, ACAPELLA. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. I, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING US ALL TO SING MAYOR. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. I'D SAY WE'VE TRIED. WE GO AHEAD AND TRY IT. UM, I'VE SEEN THIS MUSIC CLASSES WHERE EVERYONE IS PLAYING THEIR OWN INSTRUMENT, SO DON'T WANNA ROCK WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT THAT OPPORTUNITY. ALRIGHT, SO EVERYBODY TAKE OFF MUTE SO NOBODY IS, UH, EMBARRASSED. HERE. GET THOSE MUTE SIGNS OFF AND THEN WE'LL START. OKAY. 1, 2, 3. THANK YOU. YAY. GOOD. THAT WAS AWFUL. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. ANDREW SULLIVAN. SORRY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADA. HOW MUCH EVERYONE? THANK YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT Y'ALL. IT'S UH, TWO 30 AND OUR COUNCIL ADJOURNED. * 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.