[1. 20-4732 Approval of the minutes from the January 9, May 8, September 11, November 13, 2019, and January 14, 2020 meetings of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee]
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IT'S LIKE A RAY OF SUNSHINE IS SEEING LEO GOMEZ ON MY SCREEN, UH, THE REST OF THE DAY, RIGHT? THE REST OF THE DAY IS REALLY DOWNHILL FROM HERE.
UH, SO
UH, REMEMBER, UH, MY CO-CHAIR IS, UH, COMMISSIONER JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ.
UH, SO I'M THE, UH, HE'S THE FACE AND I'M MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? AND SO, UH, HE'S THE GOOD LOOKING ONE.
UH, HE'S THE ONE WE PUT OUT FRONT.
UH, I'M JUST THE, I'M BACK OFFICE.
AND SO, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE ROLL, RIGHT? CHAIRMAN PALIS HERE.
AND NOW WE'RE, UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE MINUTES TO APPROVE FROM OUR LAST MEETING, RIGHT? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN BROOKS, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE? YEAH, THEY MISSPELLED JESS'S NAME.
SO AS LONG AS WE FIX THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE WAS FINE WITH ME.
SO THAT SOUNDED LIKE A MOTION, UH, AND, UH, FOR THE MINUTES WITH THE CHANGES, CHAIR WITH THE CHANGES, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? AND I, I SECOND THAT WITH, UH, WITH THOSE MODIFICATIONS MENTIONED.
AND, UH, SO, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE.
THIS, UH, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2. 20-4762 2020 BUILD Grant - BUILDing Opportunity: Brooks Connectivity Project [Leo Gomez, CEO, Brooks Development Authority]]
FIRST ACTION ITEM IS THE 2020 BUILD GRANT, AND, UH, OUR FRIEND LEO GOMEZ IS HERE WEARING A TIE.LEO, NOBODY WEARS A TIE ON ZOOM.
UH, SO, UH, IT'S UP TO YOU, LEO.
WELL, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I GUESS I'M HIDING THE TIE, BUT YES, FOR THE RECORD, I AM WEARING A TIE, BUT I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND FOR FUTURE PRESENTATIONS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL SOME OF THE BROOKS STORY HERE AND, UH, AND ACTUALLY TALK, TALK TO YOU ABOUT A, WE HAVE OF, OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL AND, AND JEFF AND HIS TEAM IN PARTICULAR AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT BIG A REQUEST, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO INFORM YOU AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO A PARTICULAR GRANT PROPOSAL WE'VE SUBMITTED TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND IN CASE WE NEED SOME HELP WITH THE ADVOCACY ASSOCIATED WITH IT, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE BRIEFED AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS, WHAT IT WASN'T.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, I, I WANNA QUICKLY RECOGNIZE, UH, A A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM BROOKS THAT ARE TUNED IN HERE, STARTING WITH OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, MR. JIM CAMPBELL.
AND SO JIM IS, IS ON AND AND TUNED IN.
WE ALSO HAVE EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT ARE TUNED IN, AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT MY LIST HERE TO MAKE SURE I GOT IT ALL RIGHT HERE.
ADRIANA, ADRIANA GARCIA'S ROCHA'S APPOINTMENT TO, TO OUR BOARD IS TUNED IN.
ALICIA REYES BARR, WHO'S THE APPOINTEE OF COURSE, OF COUNCILWOMAN
AND WE HAVE ROLAND GONZALEZ, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHO IS YOUR APPOINTEE TO OUR BOARD.
WE'VE ALSO GOT DAVID CHRISTIAN TUNED IN, AS WELL AS TAMARA TAMAN AND ALEX MELLOW, JOE NICKS, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU'RE APPOINTEE TO THE BROOKS BOARD.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE CARLOS CONTRERAS, WHO'S THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEE THAT SERVES ON OUR BOARD.
SO WE HAVE NINE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND, UH, IF YOU ALL WANNA SAY ANYTHING NICE ABOUT ME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO.
MR. CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LET, LET ME IN ALL, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, LET, LET ME JUST QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT A MATTER THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US AT BROOKS, OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION.
YOU SEE, OUR VISION AND MISSION IS, DOESN'T JUST ENTAIL REDEVELOPING 1,308 ACRES THAT WERE A FORMER AIR FORCE BASE.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT REDEVELOPING THIS PROPERTY IN A MANNER THAT CREATES PROSPERITY IN THE BROOKS REGION.
IT'S WHY THE CITY COMPLETED THE BROOKS REGIONAL CENTER AS A PART OF THE SAN ANTONIO TOMORROW PLAN, FIRST AMONG ALL THE PLANS THAT IT WORKED ON.
AND SO, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE AT BROOKS TAKE THAT ROLE IN HELPING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CREATE PROSPERITY IN A REGION THAT HAS ZIP CODES WITH A HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY, UH, VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS NOT JUST CREATE JOBS, BUT CREATE JOBS THAT ARE GOOD, PAYING WITH GOOD BENEFITS, AND THAT
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HOPEFULLY ARE THE KINDS OF JOBS THAT THE FAMILIES IN THE SURROUNDING REGION CAN LITERALLY APPLY FOR.IT'S ALSO WHY I AM NOW ALL WORKING ALONG WITH CARLOS CONTRERAS AND THE CITY STAFF, AND ALONG WITH, UH, THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE TEAM ON THE WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VRAN AND COUNCILWOMAN DR.
ARIANA ROCIA GARCIA, BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP THE SKILL SETS THAT THE FUTURE JOBS COMING TO SAN ANTONIO, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO ABSORB, UH, ALONG WITH GOOD PAY AND GOOD BENEFITS.
LET ME, UH, BEFORE I GO INTO THE PARTICULAR PROJECT, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SUMMARIZE.
IN ITS HEYDAY, THE AIR FORCE EMPLOYED OVER 2200 PEOPLE AT BROOKS.
SO IT WAS BAD NEWS INDEED, WHEN OUR COMMUNITY HEARD THAT, THAT THERE WOULD BE A TRANSITION THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY CLOSE ALL THE MISSIONS, THE AIR FORCE MISSIONS THAT WERE BROOKS 2200 EMPLOYEES.
NOTHING TO TO, TO DOWNPLAY, BUT I WANT TO REMIND US THAT IN OUR EFFORTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND MANY OTHERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE NOW HAVE CREATED OVER 3,500 JOBS ON BROOKS, PLUS ANOTHER 1500 IN THE BALANCE OF WHAT IS THE BROOKS TIFF, THE TAX INCREMENT ZONE.
SO 5,000 JOBS HAVE NOW BEEN CREATED IN THIS PLACE.
WE ALL LOVE THE PER MILITARY PERSONNEL WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE NOW HAVE 5,000 PLUS JOBS WITH AVERAGE WAGES OVER 52,000 RIGHT HERE IN THIS CORNER OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP BUILDING ON, AND WE CAN'T KEEP BUILDING ON IT WITHOUT INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT BETTER THAN I DO, AS AS WE DO THIS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO AND THE SAN ANTONIO REGION, INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTY THAT ATTRACTS EMPLOYERS.
AND SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN OUR PRESENTATION HERE, AND AS WE BRING UP EDUARDO, THE SLIDE LEO, BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU DO THAT.
IF YOU CAN ASK, IF WE CAN ASK EVERYBODY TO MUTE THEIR PHONE SO THAT WE CAN, WE HEAR SOME CLICKING IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE I ACTUALLY, UH, BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, I DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE SOME PEOPLE THAT MAKE EVERYTHING I'M TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S CONNIE GONZALEZ, OUR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATIONS AT BROOKS, WHO LEADS OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AND TENANT RELATIONS ACTIVITIES AT BROOKS, AS WELL AS, UH, LEANNA PUENTE, WHO'S OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COORDINATOR, AND THE POINT ON THIS GRANT APPLICATION THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED TO THE D O T.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE TUNED IN AND I'VE GOTTA RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF SOMEONE YOU ALL KNOW.
AND THAT'S WALTER SERNA WHO HELPS US NOT ONLY HERE LOCALLY AT CITY HALL AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT, BUT WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH OUR LOBBYIST AND REPRESENTATION IN WASHINGTON DC AND ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE DEBRA, DEBRA RICHMAN, WHO'S THE CONSULTANT THAT ACTUALLY AUTHORED THE GRANT PROPOSAL THAT WE SUBMITTED TO THE D O T.
SO THE WHOLE TEAM IS HERE, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
NOW, EDUARDO, IF WE MAY GO AHEAD AND START THE, THE SLIDE OR THE FILM, UH, THAT WE HAVE THE LOOP.
OOH, THE LOOP RAN PRETTY QUICKLY.
EDUARDO, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT AND JUST LET IT GO? UH, THANK YOU.
JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY SOME VISUALS OF WHAT BROOKS IS LOOKING LIKE TODAY.
UH, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, UH, THE, THE PARK, WHICH THE CITY INVESTED IN IS TERRIFIC.
THE ROADS THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN ALONG WITH CITY HEALTH HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC.
BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE RENOVATED FOR TENANTS ALONG WITH CITY HEALTH HAS BEEN TERRIFIC.
LET ME, LET ME SAY SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VRAN CERTAINLY KNOWS AS SHE HAS LED IN GETTING MUCH OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AT BROOKS AND PARTICIPATED IN A BRIEFING OF D O T STAFF WHERE THEY WERE INFORMED OR REMINDED THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS ALREADY INVESTED ABOUT $60 MILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE AT BROOKS SINCE ITS INCEPTION AS A REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE D O T UNDERSTOOD THAT WE'RE NOT JUST APPROACHING THEM WITH OUR HANDS OUT, BUT THAT THE CITY HAS INDEED ALREADY INVESTED $60 MILLION TOWARDS THE REDEVELOPMENT OF BROOKS, ALONG WITH SOME INVESTMENT BY THE M P O OF THE REGION AND BEXAR COUNTY.
OF COURSE, BROOKS HAS, UH, FUNDED SOME OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WITH ITS OWN BOND PROCEEDS.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE HERE THAT I WANT TO CONVEY TO THE COMMITTEE AND THANK THE COMMITTEE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS FOR THE INVESTMENT IT HAS MADE THUS FAR, THAT PUTS US IN GOOD POSITION TO REQUEST FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WITH THAT, EDUARDO, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS IN THE HASH MARK THE WORK THAT, THAT ULTIMATELY IS GOING TO BE TARGETED BY THIS GRANT.
LET ME FIRST OF ALL SAY THAT IF YOU LOOK AT MILITARY DRIVE AT THE TOP SHADED, UH, PORTION
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OF OUR MAP, THAT'S OUR NORTHERN BOUNDARY SOUTHWEST MILITARY DRIVE, YOU SEE SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS THAT COMES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF BROOKS, THE BROOKS CAMPUS, IT WAS THE CITY THROUGH TO TAX INCREMENT FINANCING THAT EXTENDED SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS FOR MILITARY DRIVE DOWN INTO BROOKS ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY TO WHERE IT DEAD ENDS TODAY.SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO WHERE THE HASH MARKS BEGIN, RIGHT? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT JUNCTURE THAT LEADS ALSO TO AN INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY IS MAKING THROUGH ITS LAST BOND PACKAGE INVESTMENT AT BROOKS.
AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE, IN SPANISH, WE CALL IT CACHETO, IF I MAY, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE PIECE FROM NEW BRAUNFELS THAT EXTENDS TO WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH ER ROAD, AND THEN THE HASHTAG CONTINUES ON TOWARDS LYSTER ROAD.
THAT'S A $10 MILLION PROJECT THAT IS BEING MANAGED BY THE CITY, AND THAT IS FUNDED BY THE LAST BOND PACKAGE THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT AND FOR ME TO RECOGNIZE THAT, AND THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF BROOKS FOR THAT INVESTMENT.
SO WE SHOW THAT TO THE D O T AS WELL.
BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW IS EFFORTS TO PACKAGE THE FUNDING TO TAKE SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS FROM THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS AND LEISTER ONE MILE DOWN PASS PRESA TO INTERSECT WITH LUKE FOUR 10.
THAT ONE MILE PROJECT IS A $31 MILLION PROJECT, RIGHT? IT IS A PROJECT THAT ALREADY HAS NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS COMMITTED TO IT BY THE REGIONAL M P O, AND WE'VE CONVEYED THAT TO THE D O T, AND THEY'VE RECOGNIZED THAT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY COMMITTED BY THE REGION, UH, TOWARDS THIS PROJECT AT BROOKS IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THE BALANCE OF THE 31 MILLION, WHICH IS ALMOST $22 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT WE'VE SUBMITTED AS OUR GRANT PROPOSAL.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT OUR GRANT HAS MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST STEP, AND I'M FEELING OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GETTING THROUGH THE SECOND STEP.
IT'S THE THIRD STEP THAT I'LL WANNA TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT.
BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, LOOK AT THE EMPLOYERS AND THE ASSETS THAT ARE AT BROOKS AND THEIR PROXIMITY TO SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS AND WHAT SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS CAN DO AS A RELIEVER TO THE CONGESTION THAT IS BUILDING UP BY THE DAY AT 37 AND SOUTHWEST MILITARY DRIVE.
IF I, I, IF I MAY, I, I, I WANT TO CONVEY THAT OUR, AT OUR PERIODIC TOWN HALL MEETINGS AT BROOKS, AND WE INVITE THE NEIGHBORS FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA TO THOSE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, I HEAR A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF PRAISE FOR WHAT'S GOING ON AT BROOKS, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING, THE BUILDING UP OF TRAFFIC.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THESE EMPLOYERS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE RETAIL, BUT WHY DID YOU BRING ALL THIS TRAFFIC
AND THEN THERE'S THE PROSPECTS AND OUR CURRENT EMPLOYERS.
IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE 300, 500, 600, A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES ON BROOKS AND YOU'RE MANUFACTURING PRODUCT, AND YOU NEED TO GET IT ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY.
IF YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONGESTION AT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE DAY AT MILITARY DRIVE IN 37 TO GET YOUR PRODUCT OUT, UH, IT'S NOT VERY HELPFUL, AND IT DOESN'T HELP US TO MARKET THE BALANCE OF OUR PROPERTY AT BROOKS TO ADDITIONAL MAJOR EMPLOYERS THAT COULD BE LOCATED AT BROOKS.
THAT'S WHY THIS RELIEVER OF SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS TO FOUR 10 IS SO IMPORTANT TO US.
AGAIN, ON THIS MAP, LET ME JUST QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT.
MISSION TRAILS BAPTIST HOSPITAL IS RIGHT OFF OF SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS.
AND, AND TO THEIR CREDIT, UH, IN, IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT HOSPITAL ON BROOKS ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO.
AT THAT TIME IS WHEN WE BEGIN THE DISCUSSION OF EVENTUALLY HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE NEW BRAUNFELS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO FOUR 10.
BUT THEN YOU SEE MISSION SOLAR, THE CITY ZONE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, AND THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
UH, YOU SEE THE VIA TRANSIT CENTER RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CAMPUS.
YOU SEE OTHER EMPLOYERS LIKE CUISINE SOLUTIONS THAT, UH, IS ABOUT TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION ON A $200 MILLION PLANT AT BROOKS, 300,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET.
THEY WILL EMPLOY A MINIMUM OF 550 PEOPLE.
HOPEFULLY THEY CAN START THE HIRING PROCESS THIS FALL, BUT THE PLANT WILL HAVE A CAPACITY IN EXCESS OF A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES, THAT SAME PLANT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
WE HAVE A 300,000 SQUARE FOOT LIGHT INDUSTRIAL FACILITY WITH SOME GOOD PROSPECTS.
WE BUILT IT ON A SPEC BASIS, FUNDED BY AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE INVESTOR, BUT THAT HAS THE CAPACITY FOR ANOTHER 500 PLUS EMPLOYEES AND AS MANY AS A THOUSAND.
AND THE HOT PROSPECTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE CLOSER TO THE THOUSAND MARK, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO HAVE INGRESS AND EGRESS FACILITATION OFTEN ON THE BROOKS CAMPUS.
AND SO, AGAIN, I SAY THOSE THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT
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THE NEED FOR SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS ALL THE WAY TO FOUR 10.SO, EDUARDO, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE, REALLY THE MAJOR EMPLOYERS, NOT ONLY ON THE BROOKS CAMPUS, BUT NEARBY TO THE EAST OF US.
WE HAVE HOLT KAT, UH, TO THE WEST OF US.
WE HAVE TOYOTA, OF COURSE, THE A AND M CAMPUS.
SOON, UH, WE'VE ALREADY GOT TJ MAXX IN THE AREA, AND NAVIS STAR IS COMING TO THE AREA AS WELL.
UM, IF ANYBODY DOUBTS THAT THERE'S CONGESTION AT 37 AND MILITARY DRIVE, I INVITE THEM TO JOIN COUNCILWOMAN, REBECCA VRAN AND I EARLY ON ANY WEEKDAY AND SEE THE TRAFFIC FLOW FROM ATASCOSA AND WILSON COUNTIES HEADED NORTH ON 37.
AND THEN, IF THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, I'D INVITE YOU BACK AT ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK, 5 30, 6 O'CLOCK AND SEE THAT TRAFFIC FLOW HEADED BACK SOUTH TO ATASCOSA IN WILSON COUNTIES.
THAT'S TRAFFIC ON TOP THAT'S BEING GENERATED FROM THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO GROWTH IS COMING TO THE SOUTH SIDE FOR ANYBODY WHO DOUBTS IT, AND WE DO NEED THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEP THAT GROWTH GOING.
THIS IS JUST TO SUMMARIZE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT ARE ON THE NEAR HORIZON FOR US.
SO I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS DOWN TO LUKE FOUR 10.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE ALSO ARE PREPARING A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE US ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE US COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S LOUIS BAUER.
YOU SEE A COMBINATION OF YELLOW HIGHLIGHT WITH THE GREEN HIGHLIGHT IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER OF THE CAMPUS.
THAT'S IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLIMENT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN TAKING ONE OF OUR ROADS OUT TO INTERSECT WITH PRESA AND MAKE THAT WHOLE 120 ACRES IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BROOKS VIABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MORE LIGHT MANUFACTURING AND COMPANIES.
UH, IF WE CAN DO IT AT THE SAME RATE THAT WE'VE DONE IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMPUS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT ANOTHER THREE, MINIMUM, MAYBE AS MANY AS FIVE MAJOR EMPLOYERS INTO THAT 120 ACRES.
UH, UP ON THE TOP, THE, THE LONG LINE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IS SYDNEY BROOKS.
IT'S OUR MAIN STREET AT BROOKS.
UH, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THAT WAS BUILT BY THE AIR FORCE.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU KNOW, THAT ROAD WASN'T BUILT TO CITY CODE AND, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE REDEVELOPED AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
IT'S GONNA BE A FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE NEED OF OURS, UH, UH, THAT WE'LL WE'LL FOCUS ON IN LATER YEARS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, OUR FOCUS IS ON SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS 2 4 10.
AND SO LET ME REITERATE AS WE GO TO THE FINAL SLIDE FOR QUESTIONS IN DISCUSSION.
MR. CHAIR, LET ME RE REITERATE THAT IT IS A PROJECT OF 31 MILLION.
THE LOCAL M P O HAS ALREADY COMMITTED NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO IT.
SO WE ARE PURSUING $22 MILLION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE HAD A GOOD MEETING AS COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA
UM, AND THEN WE MET WITH THE E D A FOLKS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON REGARDING THE OTHER PROJECT.
WE'RE GETTING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I APPRECIATE THE 25 LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM PRIVATE SECTOR AND ALL OUR PUBLIC ENTITY PARTNERS IN THE REGION.
THIS IS INDEED SAN ANTONIO'S SUBMITTAL TO THE D O T FOR A MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
WE'RE TOLD THAT, UH, THE RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN MID-SEPTEMBER TO LATE SEPTEMBER, SO WE'RE ABOUT 45 DAYS AWAY FROM IT.
I TRUST WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH THE NEXT ROUND.
AND THEN IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE, UH, ADVOCATE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, ELAINE CHOW.
AND, UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE MAY ASK THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AND LEADERS OF SAN ANTONIO TO HELP US WITH FINAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
OUR FEDERAL LOBBYIST AND WALTER CERNA WOULD COORDINATE WITH JEFF COYLE IN DOING THAT.
AND WITH THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M GLAD TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW HOW, HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN PINING AWAY AT PUNCHING THROUGH TO FOUR 10.
UH, AND I MEAN, YOU, YOU WERE A MAN WITH NO WHITE HAIR ON HIS HEAD, UH, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT ING ALL THE WAY THREE TO FOUR 10.
AND NOW, NOW WE'RE FINALLY DOING IT.
UM, LEO, JUST A QUESTION FROM ME.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE, UH, MORE FROM OUR TEAM, UH, AT COSA TO BE ABLE TO PUT WIND IN YOUR SAILS FOR THIS, UH, APPLICATION? WELL, MR. CHAIRMAN, AS WE GET INTO THE FINAL STAGE, UH, TRUSTING WILL GET THERE, UH, ADVOCACY BY NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, BUT THE SENATORS REPRESENTING TEXAS IS GONNA BE KEY AS IT IS WITH ANY FEDERAL GRANT.
AND SO, AT THE RIGHT TIME, UH, WE NEED TO REENGAGE
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WITH OUR TWO US SENATORS AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO.I'M ADVISED THAT WE SHOULD WAIT TO SEE WHAT, WHO THE FINALISTS ARE FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ONCE WE KNOW THAT, AND WE WILL KNOW IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, THEN WE WILL REENGAGE WITH, WITH OUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMAN HURD, I, I IS IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UH, CLEARLY WE WANNA ASK OUR ENTIRE DELEGATION FOR HELP, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REPUBLICAN WHO'S THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY MIGHT BE THE BEST ONES TO HELP US ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE MAY COME BACK TO YOU ALL AND, AND ASK YOU ALL TO HELP US MAKE SURE WE GET MORE THAN LETTERS FROM THEIR, THEIR OFFICES.
UH, JUST GOING AROUND THE HORN, COUNCILWOMAN
UM, JUST TO THANK YOU, LEO, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO GIVE A, UM, VERY BIG THANK YOU TO, UH, MY APPOINTEE, UH, DR.
AND SHE CONSTANTLY TELLS ME, UH, MAN, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU PUT ME TO WORK ON THE BROOKS BOARD.
AND SHE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE HER THERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE TWO PHDS FROM THE SOUTH SIDE REPRESENTING ON THE BROOKS BOARD, UM, LATINAS MUJERES, WHO ARE OUR FIERCE ADVOCATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, TO MY COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU FOR, UH, SO MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL, UM, HAVE HELPED WITH, UH, PROMOTING AND, UH, PUSHING FORWARD.
WHEN I CAME TO ASK, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO BROOKS, WHEN IT COMES TO DOLLARS FOR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHEN IT CAME TO, UM, THE SA TOMORROW PLAN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE BROOKS AND THE SOUTH SIDE AS THE FIRST PHASE, AND THEN BROOKS TO BE THE FIRST ONE OUT OF THE GATE.
APPRECIATE YOU ALL, UM, AND HAVING VERY POINTED QUESTIONS TOO DURING THE WHOLE CONVERSATION.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM AT BROOKS, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE TO ANSWER, UM, QUICKLY.
AND FRANKLY, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE.
UM, TWO, IT IS VERY EXCITING, BUT TO YOUR POINT, MR. CHAIR, UM, PRIOR TO, I MEAN, WHEN EVERYTHING WAS JUST GETTING ON BOARD, THERE ARE ALL THESE, THESE, UM, URBAN LEGENDS AND, AND RUMORS THAT HAPPEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT PEOPLE HERE, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE PASSED DOWN.
AND ONE OF 'EM WAS LIKE, OH, WELL, ALL THIS PROPERTY OVER HERE, SOUTH OF 1604 IS GONNA, DISNEY BOUGHT THAT, AND THEY'RE GONNA DEAL SOMETHING HERE.
OH, WELL, ALL OF THIS OVER HERE, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
WELL, SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS PUNCHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH 2 4 10 HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE, OH, YEAH, I HEAR THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.
AND I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THIS, THAT, UM, AND THAT ONE CONVERSATION DURING THE ESSAY TOMORROW BRAINSTORMING, THAT WOMAN SAID THAT WE NEED BELIEVERS.
AND SO WE ARE MAKING, WE ARE SHOWING THOSE NAYSAYERS THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING, IT'S TAKING LONGER, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NOT 10 YEARS, IT'S NOT 20 YEARS ANYMORE.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CREATIVITY THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO TO GET TO THIS POINT, BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WITH THE JOBS, WITH THE SCHOOL, WITH THE LIVING ASPECTS THAT WE'RE GETTING IN AND AROUND THIS AREA.
AND YES, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF FEDERAL, UM, MOMENTUM WITH OUR OPPORTUNITY ZONE, WITH OUR TIP, WITH OUR SMART CITY INITIATIVE THAT THIS IS HERE.
THE CITY HAS, UM, INVESTED A LOT IN THIS AREA.
AND IT'S ALSO PROVING RESULTS BY JOBS AND BY THE FASTEST, THE SECOND FASTEST GROWING ZIP CODE IN THE CITY.
UM, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, I THINK COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU'RE STILL ON THE CALL.
AND YOU'RE, I CAN'T SEE YOU, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S BECAUSE MY INTERNET, BUT YOU'RE ALSO ON THE M P O, AND THANK YOU FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD, UH, THROUGH THE M P O, BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE THAT, UM, FOUR 10 IS GOING TO CONTINUE, THAT TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS GOING TO CONTINUE.
WE STILL NEED TO BE PROACTIVE AND PLAN WITH THE M P O AND LOOKING AT DOLLARS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT BROOKS IS CONTINUING TO GROW, AND TEXAS A AND M SAN ANTONIO IS NOT FAR AWAY, AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS WELL AS TJ, UM, T J X IN THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
SO WE CONTINUE TO NEED THAT INVESTMENT IN THE M P O IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR.
[00:25:01]
I THINK WHAT I HEARD, UH, LEO, WAS THAT WE'RE REALLY IN THE TECHNICAL, UH, REVIEW OF OUR GRANT, BUT WE DID GET TO SHARE THAT THIS IS OUR UNITED FRONT, AND THAT WE'RE PUTTING ALL OF OUR CHIPS INTO THIS PROJECT.AND I THINK THE REPRESENTATIVE, MR. POOLE, UH, APPRECIATED THAT WE HEARD THEM THE LAST TIME NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY TOO MANY, UM, GRANTS AND JUST COME AS A UNIFIED FRONT.
SO I THINK THAT WAS WELL, UH, RECEIVED.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS CONTINUING TO BE A DYNAMIC AREA, A PLACE THAT IS OF GREAT, UM, PEOPLE LOVE, BUT ALSO GROWING FRUSTRATION BECAUSE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.
I, I, I ECHO AND APPLAUD ALL THOSE COMMENTS.
REBECCA, UM, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA ROCHA, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU, LEO, FOR THAT WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I KNOW THEY WORK REALLY HARD AS WELL AS YOUR TEAM, CONNIE, UH, AND LEANNA OVER THERE.
I HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK WITH, UM, IT'S MY QUARTERLY MEETING WITH MY APPOINTEES.
LORRAINE POLITO, YOUR VICE CHAIR, WAS ABLE TO BRIEF ME ON WHAT WAS GOING ON AT BROOKS, AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED.
UM, NOT ONLY ABOUT THIS APPLICATION, WHICH I, I, I BELIEVE DOES HAVE A REALLY GOOD SHOT, UM, BUT ALSO I WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN DOING DURING THE COVID RECOVERY AND, UH, IF YOU WILL, WITH YOUR MICRO BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU BECAUSE WITH YOUR COVID RESPONSE, UM, YOU ALL REACHED PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL SENT OUT 13,000 DIRECT MAIL PIECES, UM, WITH INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES ON COVID.
AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT WAS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, UH, A, A WHOLE LOT OF THANKS JUST YET ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU, UH, HAVE SHARED THAT WITH TOO MANY OF, UM, MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT OUR COMMUNITY MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET CONNECTION, AND YOU WERE QUITE FRANKLY, TAKING CARE OF THEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
AND CONTINUING ON EVEN OFFERING WITH, I KNOW YOU HAD, I THINK ON AUGUST THE FIFTH, YOU HAD A VIRTUAL JOB FAIR, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, FOR YOUR, UM, YOUR THOUGHTS ON PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
THANK YOU FOR DOING, UH, A VIRTUAL JOB FAIR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, UH, ARE OUT OF JOBS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT TOOK SOME, UM, REALLY GOOD LEADERSHIP FOR YOU ALL TO DECIDE TO DO THAT.
SO, BEYOND WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING FOR THE SOUTH SIDE AND GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND I WANNA APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW EXACTLY, UM, WHAT WOULD BE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD.
THAT'S THE ONLY CRITICISM, AND THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF GROWTH.
SO THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THAT POINT OF CRITICISM IS THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WITH GROWTH COME A LITTLE BIT OF TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS THEM THROUGH THIS GRANT.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DO EVERYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU, TO SUPPORT, UM, MY NEIGHBORS IN THE BROOKS AREA.
AND I HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS OTHER THAN, THAN SAY THANK YOU.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT MR. UH, PERRY CLAYTON.
NOW
ANYWAY, NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE BRIEFING, LEO, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT TO SEE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE FUNDING, ON THE PROPOSED FUNDING FOR THAT CONNECTION, UH, DOWN TO FOUR 10, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHERE, WHERE WE'RE, WHERE YOU'RE TARGETING THE MONEY COMING FROM, UH, WHERE THE COMMITMENTS, HOW, HOW THE COMMITMENTS HAVE COME IN, OR DEFINITE, OR THIS IS JUST KIND OF STILL OVER THE HILL.
BUT, UM, IF, IF YOU COULD LIST, GIVE ME A PAPER ON EXACTLY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT'S BEING PUT TOWARDS IT, AND WHO'S, WHO WE'RE GETTING THE MONEY FROM, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE THAT.
WE'VE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THERE.
BROOKS TOOK FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE, UH, BEING ASSIGNED THERE.
SO, UH, I'M, I'M ALWAYS A SUPPORTER OF BROOKS DOWN THERE FOR NUMBER ONE, NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN IRAN'S POINT.
AND RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME TO STRIKE.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS OUR PROJECTS, OUR BIG MAJOR PROJECTS AT THE M P O HAVE ALL BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND I'VE BEEN PUSHING
[00:30:01]
TXDOT TO, OKAY, TDOT, OUR, OUR CONNECTION ON 1604, GETTING IT ALL THE WAY TO 35, THE 35 CORRIDOR.UH, THERE'S ONLY TWO, TWO PIECES LEFT.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEXT, NEXT PROJECTS? BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IT TAKES 10 TO 20 YEARS TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE, YOU KNOW, GET 'EM THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND THEN GET 'EM, GET 'EM ACCOMPLISHED.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE BIG PROJECTS IDENTIFIED FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I, I, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO SET UP A INDIVIDUAL MEETING WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER WOLF AND TXDOT TO KIND OF LOOK OVER THE HORIZON.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE NEXT BIG PROJECTS THAT WE REALLY NEED IN THIS, IN THIS M P O AREA REGION.
UM, AND REMEMBER, IT'S NOT JUST SAN ANTONIO OR BEXAR COUNTY, IT'S, UM, KNOW BIG REGION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE GOTTA, WE GOTTA TAKE A LOOK AT OUR AREA MAPS AND IDENTIFY THOSE, THOSE ROADS THAT NEED TO BE EXPANDED OR NEW ROADS PUT IN.
SO, UH, NOW'S THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THAT.
AND I, I NEED TO, I GUESS, SIT DOWN WITH YOU, COUNCILWOMAN OR WHOMEVER TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS AND GET TXDOT TO START TAKING A LOOK AT THAT AND ADD IT TO THE LIST.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS OUT THERE, BUT WE JUST HAVE NOT DONE THAT WITH TDOT TO LOOK OVER THE HORIZON ON WHERE, WHERE WE NEED TO GO, UH, FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND, UH, HANDLING THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
SO, AND I'M WILLING TO JUMP IN THERE AND DO THAT DOWN THERE ON, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, JUST AS MUCH UP HERE ON, ON THE NORTH, NORTHEAST SIDE.
IF YOU CAN GET THAT TO ME, LEO, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
JUST ONE LITTLE QUESTION ON TOP OF THAT.
YOU SAID THAT IT, THAT YOU HAVE A TIFF ESTABLISHED DOWN THERE.
DON'T YOU ALSO HAVE A TSS ESTABLISHED? YES, SIR.
IT'S THE TS I, I USE THE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.
I GOT, I SAID TIFF, I MEANT THE TS.
WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR BALANCE IN THERE RIGHT NOW IN THAT, IN THAT TS ACTUALLY, UM, THE, THE CAPACITY FOR IT WAS USED, IT'S, IT'S UP TO CAPACITY WITH THE LAST INVESTMENT IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF TWO BUILDINGS, UH, THAT NOW OAK AND B P S HAS MOVED INTO.
AND SO, YEAH, WE'RE, WAIT, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER THREE TO FIVE YEARS FOR THE CAPACITY OR BUILDUP TO BE ABLE TO USE ANY MORE OUT OF THE TURS.
AND WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR EXPECT EXPECTED GROWTH IN THAT TURS PER YEAR? WELL, UH, ABOUT $2 MILLION PER YEAR.
SO OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER $6 MILLION IN IN THE, YES, SIR.
I'D RATHER, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE MY THOUGHTS ON HOW LONG WE WOULD PREFER TO WAIT BECAUSE I'D RATHER TACKLE A MAJOR PROJECT, BUT EVEN AS BROOKS GROWS COUNCILMAN, I DON'T MIND SAYING AT THIS POINT THAT SOME OF THOSE FUNDS MAY BE NEEDED ON ARTERIALS OR ROADS JUST OUTSIDE OUR OWN BOUNDARIES, BUT WITHIN THE TURS, UH, WE ARE HAVING AN IMPACT, AND THERE IS GROWTH TAKING PLACE, NOT ONLY ON OUR BROOKS CAMPUS, BUT LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET AND DOWN THE STREET.
WELL, UH, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS CONNECTION TO FOUR 10, UM, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FUNDING OUTLIERS ARE AND HOW MUCH WE GET IN GRANTS OR THROUGH TDOT OR WHOMEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WOULD, WOULD YOU BE LOOKING AT MAYBE KICKING IN SOME FROM THE TURS TO MAKE UP ANY DIFFERENCES? WELL, COUNCILMAN AND, AND, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL HERE, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND WE WOULDN'T NEED ANYTHING FROM THE TURS OR ANYWHERE, ANY OTHER SOURCE.
BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND WE'LL GET YOU THE DETAILS, AND I'M GLAD TO SIT DOWN AND, AND, AND BRIEF YOU ON THE DETAILS OF IT.
BUT THE M P O TOOK FORMAL ACTION ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, COUNCILMAN AND DEDICATED NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO THIS PROJECT.
AND SO THAT MONEY HAS BEEN, UH, OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED BY THE M P O, AND THE M P O IS HOLDING THAT MONEY TILL 2025, I BELIEVE, UH, AND GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THESE EFFORTS TO PR TO PURSUE THE BALANCE OF THE PROJECT FROM D O T.
AND SO IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEN WE'LL CONSIDER ALL, INCLUDING THE NEXT CITY BOND PACKAGE FOR SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, PERHAPS THE TURS AND, AND OTHER SOURCES.
BUT IF WE DO THIS RIGHT AND SECURE IT ALL FROM D O T, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL.
THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS AN IDEAL SOLUTION, BUT SOMETIMES WE CAN'T QUITE GET TO THAT FINAL SOLUTION, IF YOU WILL.
[00:35:01]
WANTING TO KEEP ALL THE OPTIONS OPEN OUT THERE FOR, FOR THIS.WELL, YEAH, IF, IF WE COULD SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON, ON, UH, THAT PARTICULAR CONNECTION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND, UH, UM, YEAH, THANKS FOR THE JAB ABOUT
AND, UM, SO, UH, JEFF COYLE, I, I, I THINK, UH, YOU CAN HELP US OUT HERE, PUT THE BOW ON THE FEDERAL ADVOCACY CONVERSATION.
LEO WANTS, UH, MORE THAN LETTERS.
UH, I'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO NOT CUTTING MY HAIR UNTIL THIS GRANT APPLICATION IS SUCCESSFUL.
SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW FROM THE STAFF LEVEL WE'RE ALL IN.
UM, OUR, JUST IN CASE ANYONE WAS WONDERING, UM, THERE ARE NO COMPETING BILL GRANT APPLICATIONS.
OUR, OUR FORMER T C I DEPARTMENT, UH, AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE BEST PROJECT FOR US TO GET BEHIND.
UH, SO COUNCILMAN GAN MENTIONED THAT MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON HAS BEEN CONSISTENT.
YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T, UH, GIVE US MULTIPLE CHOICES, GET BEHIND ONE.
SO, UH, WALTER AND HIS WORK WITH LEO AND BROOKS, AND, AND OF COURSE REPRESENTING US, UH, HELPED, HELPED STREAMLINE ALL OF THAT.
OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT YOU ALL APPROVED, UM, RECOGNIZES BROOKS AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER WHO WE WILL SUPPORT AND HELP AND WORK WITH.
UH, SO WE'RE STANDING BY TO DO THAT.
I THINK LEO'S SUGGESTION ABOUT WAITING TO SEE WHAT OTHER TEXAS APPLICATIONS MIGHT MAKE IT TO THE NEXT ROUND IS IMPORTANT.
THE SENATORS OFTEN HAVE DIFF A DIFFICULT TIME CHOOSING AMONGST THEIR CHILDREN IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE APPS.
AND IF WE'RE LUCKY, MAYBE THIS IS THE ONLY TEXAS ONE THAT MAKES IT TO A, TO A NEXT ROUND.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE'VE GOT A MUCH BETTER ASK TO MAKE OF THOSE SENATORS.
SO, UH, LEO, YOU GOT OUR HELP, HOWEVER YOU NEED IT, OBVIOUSLY WITH THIS COMMITTEE'S DIRECTION.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, COUNCILMAN.
AND, UH, I WANNA REASSURE YOU ALL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A QUESTION.
OH, YES, GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, JUST TO, TO, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT, UH, LEO ON THE CALL WITH, UM, U SS D O T, THEY DID MENTION THAT OTHER THAN OTHER BUILD GRANTS, THIS BUILD GRANT WAS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGES, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
BUT IT WASN'T ALL, THE MAJORITY WASN'T ALL GOING TO RURAL.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY, UM, WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE PERCENTAGES? YES, MA'AM, I DO.
UH, THE, THE GOAL IS 50% RURAL, 50% URBAN.
YET IN THE ACTUAL APPLICANTS, WHEN YOU SORT 'EM UP BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN, ONLY 40% OF THE APPLICATIONS ARE FROM URBAN AREAS.
SO THAT IMPROVES OUR ODDS ALREADY BY 10%, UH, WHICH, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS IN THAT RESPECT, BUT IT, IT, THE INTENT WAS TO DISTRIBUTE IT EVENLY AMONG RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.
UM, THE, THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, TEXTBOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF BROOKS, BECAUSE IT'S THE PERFECT CASE STUDY ON, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO REDEVELOP A, UH, A BIG, YOU KNOW, GEOGRAPHIC AREA, BUT ALSO TAKE AN AIR FORCE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT IT IS YOU'RE GONNA DO.
I, I, UH, I PREDICT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE WHO ARE GONNA STAND AT THE GATES OF BROOKS AND TAKE CREDIT FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING DOWN THERE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THEY DO WITH EVERYTHING, AND THAT'S OKAY.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I DO WANNA REASSURE, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, THE BROOKS BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE LISTENING THAT NONE OF THIS, UH, WOULD BE POSSIBLE, UH, WITHOUT, UH, LEO GOMEZ'S, UM, POURING HIS, POURING HIS ENERGY INTO THIS AND HIS WHOLE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF IT, UH, INTO THIS AND, AND REALLY JUST, UH, CONTINUING TO EXCEED ALL EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO, LEO, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR THE HARD WORK, AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ONE.
I, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT LEO, THAT, UH, IT'S ALSO A CASE STUDY, I THINK, ON, UM, A C E O AND THE BOARD WHO, UH, REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, UH, ADVOCACY IN DC AND IN AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO JUST MALIGN, UM, ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH LOBBYISTS, RIGHT? BUT WHAT YOU'VE PROVEN IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY YOU'VE SENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY YOU SPENT ON, ON, UH, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, ADVOCACY HAS PAID OFF BY MANY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT GRANTS AND, UH, PROJECTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPED.
[00:40:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, WALTER CERNA, UH, WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE STORY.AND SO WILL YOUR, UH, YOUR CONSULTANT AT DC CHRISTINA ANELLO.
AND SO CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON PUTTING TOGETHER JUST A, YOU KNOW, A TEAM OF NINJAS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE GETTING IT DONE UP THERE.
UH, REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD FROM YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE UNANIMOUS UP AT, UH, THE REST OF CITY COUNCIL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO THROW OUR WEIGHT BEHIND, UH, BROOKS, 'CAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT PAYS OFF DIVIDENDS FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, SO THANK YOU, LEO, FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, FOR BRINGING YOUR BOARD ON, UM, YOU KNOW, TO LISTEN TO THIS.
IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY SEE YOU DO THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
WELL, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
AND, AND I DO, IF I MAY PICK UP ON YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT OF A LOT OF FOLKS WANTING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE HOPE THAT'S THE CASE, AND IT SHOULD BE, BECAUSE IT'S TAKEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND IT DOES START WITH A VISION, AND THE GOALS OF THAT ARE SET BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THAT REAL EMBRACING OF A, OF AN AGENDA TO NOT JUST REDEVELOP 1300 ACRES, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR VISION.
AND SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR VISION, THEIR SUPPORT, THEIR LEADERSHIP, THE ENTIRE TEAM.
I, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IN CLOSING, UH, OUR, OUR CORE VALUES AT BROOKS, AND THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS THAT IS THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS FROM OUR BOARD TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, TO OUR ENTIRE STAFF, OUR TENANTS, OUR PROPERTY OWNERS, OUR EMPLOYERS.
AND THAT IS THAT WE KNOW IT'S BIGGER THAN US.
AND WHAT WE DO, WE DO WITH OUR EYES, NOT JUST ON OUR 1300 ACRES, BUT WITH OUR EYES ON THE BENEFITS TO THE FAMILIES WHO SURROUND THIS PROPERTY AND WHO NEED THOSE GOOD PAYING JOBS WITH GOOD BENEFITS.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THIS MORNING, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH Y'ALL.
[3. 20-4764 Federal Legislative Update - Coronavirus Relief Legislation [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
GOT A, UH, AN UPDATE, UH, FROM YOUR TEAM.SO, UM, THE, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UH, AND SALLY HAS BEEN TRACKING THIS INCREDIBLY CLOSELY, SO I'M GONNA TOSS IT TO HER IN A SECOND.
I JUST ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT KEVIN KELLY IS ON THE PHONE FROM, UH, IS ON THE SCREEN FROM OUR, UH, LOBBY TEAM IN DC AND, UH, CLOSELY WATCHING THIS.
AND OF COURSE, WALTER, UH, AS WELL, YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY SEEN A LOT OF, UM, NEWS ABOUT THE HOUSE AND SENATE AND WHITE HOUSE NEGOTIATIONS OVER NEXT RELIEF PACKAGE.
WE HAVE REFRAINED FROM SENDING YOU THE DAY BY DAY BLOW BY BLOW, UM, UPDATES BECAUSE IT'S AWFULLY COMPLICATED.
BUT THE, THE SHORT SUMMARY IS THAT IT IS STALLED RIGHT NOW, AND THE WHITE HOUSE TOOK ACTION ON ITS OWN THIS WEEKEND, UM, WITH, UH, UH, DEBATABLE, UH, EFFECT, WHERE THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF DEBATE ABOUT IT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'LL JUST LET SALLY, UH, RUN THROUGH THE UPDATE.
AND, UM, WE KNOW YOU ALL ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THESE CALLS, SO WE'LL TRY TO KEEP THINGS, UH, TIGHT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE BACK END.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? I HAVE TO CALL IN 'CAUSE I WAS HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SOUND DIFFICULTIES.
EDUARDO, CAN YOU PULL UP THE POWERPOINT? YOU'RE COMING IN LOUD AND CLEAR.
SALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS, UH, TODAY I AM GOING TO PROVIDE, JEFF SAID AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE FIFTH, UH, CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS PACKAGE THAT, UH, CONGRESS HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UM, HERE MOMENTARILY.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO KICK IT OFF.
THE PRESENTATION WILL INCLUDE BACKGROUND ON TWO LEGISLATIVE MEASURES AND ONE EXECUTIVE ACTION.
UM, AS A REMINDER, BACK IN MAY, THE HEROES ACT WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE, AND THIS MEASURE IS A, UH, 3 TRILLION PLUS FUNDING MEASURE.
ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, IN LATE JUNE, THE SENATE DECIDED NOT TO TAKE THE HEROES ACT.
INSTEAD, THEY INTRODUCED A MEASURE THAT IS AT ABOUT THE 1 TRILLION PLUS, UM, PACKAGE, UH, PRICE TAG.
AND THE HEELS ACT IS COMPRISED OF EIGHT SEPARATE BILLS, CLEARLY A MUCH SLIMMER, UH, COUNTER OFFER.
IN THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'M GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME HIGH LEVEL INFORMATION ON SOME KEY AREAS.
BUT FIRST, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HEROES ACT PROPOSAL BY THE HOUSE THAT WAS PASSED ON MAY 15TH, HAS THE PRICE TAG OF 3.4 TRILLION.
AND THE HEELS ACT, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED ON JUNE, JULY 27TH, EXCUSE ME, IS AT 1.1 UH, TRILLION DOLLARS.
IN, UH, THESE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, I'M GONNA PROVIDE SOME COMPARISONS ON WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE HEROES ACT AND
[00:45:01]
THE HEALS ACT FOR STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING.THE HEROES ACT INCLUDED $915 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THE HEALS ACT DID NOT ADDRESS IT.
THE HEROES ALSO INCLUDES, UH, THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW TO ADDRESS REVENUE SHORTFALLS FOR STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FRONT, THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR, UH, THE FEDERAL PORTION OF BENEFITS UNDER THE HEROES ACT IS 433 BILLION.
AND IN THE HEALS ACT IT'S 113 BILLION.
UH, THERE'S DEFINITELY A, A DIFFERENCE THERE.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS UNDER HEROES IS ESSENTIALLY A RENEWAL OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CARES ACT, WHICH IS $600 A WEEKLY THAT IS PART OF THE FEDERAL BENEFITS.
AND IN THE HEELS PORTION, IT WOULD BE $200 WEEKLY AS THE FEDERAL, UH, MATCH, HOWEVER, THE STATES WOULD HAVE TO KICK IN 25%.
AND UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE STATES ARE ALREADY CASH STRAPPED, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW.
IT ISN'T CLEAR WHAT STATES WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, STATES WOULD HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY GENERATE A NEW PLAN TO BE ABLE TO ROLL OUT THESE BENEFITS.
AND IT IS UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR STATES TO BE ABLE TO ROLL OUT, UH, THAT PARTICULAR MONEY FOR THE, UH, PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM AND ASSISTANCE TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
UNDER THE HEROES, UM, SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE WOULD COME AT 16 BILLION, AND THE HEALED ACT IS PROPOSING 158 BILLION.
HOWEVER, PLEASE DO NOTE THAT THE HEALED ALLOCATION INCLUDES A HUNDRED BILLION FOR P P P FROM UNENDED FUNDS OUT OF THE CARES ACT FOR BOTH BILLS.
UH, BOTH ACTS ARE PROPOSING $1,200 PER ELIGIBLE ADULT.
ON THE EDUCATION FRONT TO HEROES IS PROPOSING 209 BILLION FOR K THROUGH 12 AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE.
IT ALSO ADDRESSES STUDENT LOANS RELIEF WHILE HEELS ALLOCATES 105 BILLION.
IN COLLEGES ON THE HOUSING FRONT, HEROES PROPOSES 200 BILLION FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AID TO HOMEOWNERS AND FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES.
AND C D B G HEALS PROPOSES 3.3 BILLION FOR SECTION EIGHT, RENTAL ASSISTANCE HOUSING, AND ALSO FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES.
OF SPECIAL NOTE, THE HEROES EXTEND THE EVICTION MORATORIUM FOR 12 MONTHS.
HOWEVER, THE HEALED ACT DOES NOT ADDRESS EVICTIONS IN THE BILL.
ON THE CHILDCARE SIDE, THE HERO DIRECTS 132 BILLION FOR CHILDCARE THROUGH CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES, AND A BIG CHUNK OF IT, 119 BILLION, WOULD BE, UM, ALLOCATED TO CHILD TAX CREDITS.
SHIELDS PROPOSES 14.7 BILLION FOR A PROGRAM CALLED BACK TO WORK CHILDCARE GRANTS, THAT WOULD BE 10 BILLION, MOST OF THE FUNDING THERE.
AND ALSO THE REMAINING AMOUNT WOULD BE FOR CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS.
IN THE TRANSPORTATION FRONT, HEROES DIRECTS 31 BILLION, WHICH INCLUDES 15.8 BILLION FOR TRANSIT SYSTEMS. FROM THE HEELS PROPOSED 10.4 BILLION.
10 BILLION IS FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO MOST OF THE MONEY WOULD BE FOR A I P.
AS A REMINDER, A I P PROVIDES GRANTS TO AIRPORTS FOR PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS, SO THAT WOULD BE VERY WELCOME BY OUR AIRPORTS AND AIRPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE DEFENSE ARENA, THE HERO DID NOT PROPOSE ANY FUNDING THERE HEALS, UH, THE HEELS ACT DID.
HOWEVER, A THIRD OF THE FUNDING WOULD GO TO DEFENSE CONTRACTORS TO PAY EMPLOYEES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS.
A SMALL PORTION OF IT AT ABOUT THE 700 MILLION, UH, PRICE TAG WOULD GO TO THE DEF DEFENSE DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY.
UH, FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS, HEROES IS PROPOSING 5.5 BILLION.
THE CHUNK OF THAT MONEY, 5 BILLION, WOULD GO TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
THEY HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED E-RATE, AND THAT PROGRAM PROVIDES GRANTS FOR INTERNET
[00:50:01]
SERVICES, WIFI, AND EQUIPMENT FOR SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES TO HELP BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND HELP WITH DIGITAL LEARNING.THE 1 BILLION ALLOCATION FROM HEELS WOULD GO, UM, TO SMALL TELECOM COMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES.
SO, UH, VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, UH, DIRECTIONS THAT THE TELECOMS POTS OF FUNDING ARE GOING TO.
THESE ARE THE LAST THREE KEY AREAS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SHARING HIGHLIGHTS ON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CENSUS HEROES IS PROPOSING 410 MILLION.
THIS FUNDING IS TO HELP ADDRESS THE CORONAVIRUS RELATED, UH, DELAY THAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY SPRING.
AND THEN THE HEAL ALSO PROPOSES 448 TO SUPPLEMENT CENSUS FIELD OPERATIONS ON THE HEALTHCARE FRONT.
ASSISTANCE FROM THE HEROES INCLUDES A HUNDRED BILLION OUT OF THE 4 68 FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, 3 BILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH, 7.6 BILLION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, AND 21 BILLION FOR C D C.
THE THE HEALS BILL 25 BILLION TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
SO BOTH, UH, PROVIDE FUNDING FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
UM, THE HEALS ACT DOES PROVIDE 16 BILLION FOR TESTING AND CONTRACT TRACING AND 4.5 BILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
OUT OF THE 106 BILLION, BOTH HEROES AND HEELS PROPOSED FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
340 FOR HEROES AND 2 65 FOR HEELS ACT.
SO THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PROPOSED STIMULUS FUNDING BILLS ON THE NEGOTIATIONS FRONT.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAS JUST SAID, UH, IN THE WHITE HOUSE HAVE BEEN UNDERGOING NEGOTIATIONS.
THE, THOSE NEGOTIATIONS LASTED ABOUT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN LAST FRIDAY ON AUGUST 7TH, THEY CAME TO A HALT, UH, SPEAKER PELOSI, SENATOR SCHUMER, SECRETARY MNUCHIN, AND THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MEDALS WERE NOT ABLE TO AGREE ON THE TOP LINE NUMBER FOR THE PACKAGE.
SO THAT WAS THE FIRST OBSTACLE.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, FUNDING FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WAS AN AREA OF GREAT DISAGREEMENT.
UM, IT WAS CONSTANTLY BEING REPORTED THAT THAT WAS AN AREA THAT SPEAKER PELOSI WAS STICKING TO, UM, HER PROPOSAL OUT OF THE HERO'S BILL.
WE DID HEAR MID LAST WEEK THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAD PROPOSED 150 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL AID, BUT SPEAKER PELOSI REFUSED TO ACCEPT THAT DEAL.
ALSO, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS WAS REPORTED IS ALSO, UM, AN AREA THAT NEGOTIATED NEGOTIATORS WERE VERY FAR APART ON.
SO TWO, TWO AREAS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND CONSENSUS ON.
AS JEFF ALSO INDICATED OVER THE WEEKEND, THE PRESIDENT, UH, DECIDED TO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
VO DECIDED TO FOLLOW UP ON, UM, SOME MESSAGING THAT HAD BEEN COMING OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO FILE, UM, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.
AND SO ON AUGUST, UH, SEVENTH ON AUGUST 8TH, I'M SORRY, THE PRESIDENT SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT COVERS THREE AREAS, A $400 WEEKLY AND ENHANCED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, WHICH STATES, LIKE I SAID, WOULD HAVE TO COVER 25% OR A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THIS PROGRAM.
44 BILLION WOULD COME FROM FEMA'S DISASTER RELIEF FUND.
UH, THE, THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM, HOWEVER, IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE STATES WOULD HAVE TO SET UP A SEPARATE SYSTEM.
ADDITIONALLY, ALREADY CASH STRAPPED STATES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS.
AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THEM, UM, ARE IN VERY TOUGH FINANCIAL SITUATIONS DUE TO THE LOSS OF REVENUE.
UM, SO THAT 25% WOULD BE, UH, VERY, VERY COMPLICATED.
IT ALSO INCLUDES PAYROLL TAX CUTS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD, UH, TAKE THEM THROUGH DECEMBER, 2020 FOR PEOPLE EARNING LESS THAN A HUNDRED, UH, THOUSAND ANNUALLY.
HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT FORGIVE THE TAXES.
THE ORDER REFERENCES, ALSO THE EVICTION MORATORIUM, BUT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE A MORATORIUM ON EVICTION.
INSTEAD, THE LANGUAGE, IT DIRECTS H H S AND C D C TO CONSIDER WHETHER EVICTION MORATORIUM IS REASONABLY NECESSARY TO PREVENT THE FURTHER SPREAD OF C OVID 19.
ALSO, THE, UM, MEMORANDUM DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING.
UM, THE ORDER ALSO DEFERS STUDENT LOAN REPAY RELA REPAYMENTS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT ONLY FOR FEDERALLY HELD LOANS, NOT FOR PRIVATE LOANS.
AND ULTIMATELY IT DOESN'T REDUCE OR FORGIVE THE LOANS FOR STUDENTS.
UM, AS OUR CONSULTANT SHARED WITH US IN AN UPDATE THAT
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WE INCLUDED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S UPDATE UP TO YOU VIA EMAIL, UH, NORMALLY EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE FOLLOWED BY AGENCY GUIDANCE AND AS OF NOW, NONE HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, MAKING THE ORDERS VERY UNCLEAR AND UNCERTAIN.UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SPECULATION THAT THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS WILL BE LEGALLY CHALLENGED.
UM, AND ON THE NEGOTIATIONS FRONT, SINCE THEY WERE STALLED ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN, HEY, MARK SCHEDULED, COME ON, COME ON IN.
HOW YOU DOING SIR? SIR, HOW YOU DOING? ALRIGHT.
OKAY, SO ON THAT NOTE, UM, AS, UH, JEFF SAID ALSO, UM, UM, AS OF THIS MORNING, I DIDN'T SEE THAT ANY NEGOTIATIONS, UM, HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY RESPONSE, UH, FROM SPEAKER PELOSI AND SENATOR SCHUMERS, UM, MESSAGING THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO COME BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.
SO, UM, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO JEFF, KEVIN, CARLOS, FOR ANY FURTHER COMMENTS.
THAT'S MY PRESENTATION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
JEFF, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
SALLY'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB TRACKING IT.
OBVIOUSLY, KEVIN'S THERE ON THE GROUND, SO HE'S A RESOURCE HERE FOR YOU ALL WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT, UM, BACK TO YOU CHAIRMAN.
OKAY, WELL, UM, LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL START IN THE O OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, COMMENTS ON, ON SALLY'S.
THIS IS ALL UP AT THE FEDERAL, FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL ON THIS AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES OUT IN THE END ON THIS.
UH, WHEN I, WHEN I SEE THESE, NOT MILLIONS, BUT YOU'RE TALKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, I THINK TO MYSELF, WOW, WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
I KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, UM, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA PAY THE BILLS.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IN THE FUTURE AND WHAT WE'RE, UM, BUILDING UP FOR OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
AND I'M, I'M JUST REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, IS, IS THIS A TIME TO BRING UP A COUPLE OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, ON THE I G R AND I TAUGHT THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE I G R WITH, UH, UM, GOSH, ALREADY FORGOT HIS NAME, WHO WAS THE CHIEF COUNCILMAN PRYOR? I'M SORRY.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT COUNCILMAN PRYOR AS THE CHAIR? NO, NO, NO, NO.
ANYWAY, UH, I HAD A, A LONG DISCUSSION WITH HIM.
IT DIDN'T GO VERY FAR, BUT, UM, IT, THE CONCEPT OF THE I G R, INSTEAD OF US DEVELOPING OUR, UH, ONCE AND WISHES, YOU KNOW, SEPARATE FROM OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, I, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALWAYS RECOMMENDING THAT WE GET WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS UP FRONT AND LET THEM KIND OF GIVE US WHAT THEIR VISION IS AND THEN US GIVE THEM WHAT OUR V VISION IS PRIOR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, US DEVELOPING OUR OWN SEPARATE FROM WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING AFTER.
AND I'D, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT UP IN THE SCHEDULE, JEFF, TO KIND OF GET A FEEL WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING.
THEY CAN GET A FEEL FOR WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET EVERYTHING SORTED OUT, THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER MEETING WITH THEM OR NOT, AND, UM, PRESS ON WITH WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT I, 'CAUSE I JUST THOUGHT WE WERE LATE TO THE GAME WITH OUR LEGISLATORS ON GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE.
UH, BY THE TIME WE HAD THOSE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS SET IN STONE AND, AND PEOPLE GOING OFF IN, IN, IN THEIR OWN DIRECTIONS.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'D STILL LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, IF THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MEET THAT UP IN THE SCHEDULE.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS, WHAT I SAW THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE I G R WAS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY CAME UP WITH OUR OWN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, RIGHT? BUT THEN C P SS HAD THEIR OWN SAWS, HAD THEIR OWN, BROOKS MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE ALL THESE ENTITIES THAT ARE COMING UP WITH THEIR OWN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO TAKE TO THE LEGISLATURE.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT C P S IS DOING, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SAS IS DOING.
AND TO ME, I THINK AS A CITY, PARTICULARLY WITH SAS AND C P SS, SINCE WE OWN THEM, WE SHOULD, UH, BE BRIEFED ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING UP TO THE LEGISLATURE
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AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OTHER THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OURSELVES IN OUR OWN LITTLE BASKET.I THINK WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY IS DOING AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING UP TO THE LEGISLATURE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS IS THAT WE, UH, WORK WITH THOSE ENTITIES AS WELL, SO THAT WE HAVE A COORDINATED EFFORT AND NOT EVERYBODY IS JUST GOING UP AND DOING THEIR OWN OWN THING.
THAT'S MY OTHER COMMENT THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT SOME MORE AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME MOMENTUM ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
UM, WE, UH, JEFF AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOUR SECOND POINT AT LENGTH.
UM, AND JEFF, WHY DON'T YOU UNPACK THAT FOR US A LITTLE BIT? SURE.
LET ME START WITH GIVING THE COMMITTEE A STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO WE ARE, UH, WRAPPING UP THE PROCESS OF RECOMMENDING STATE LOBBYISTS.
UM, UH, WE, WE GO TO AUDIT NEXT WEEK FOR, FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE PROCESS AGNOSTICALLY, AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONCE OUR TEAM IS ON BOARD, WE'RE GONNA, IN EARNEST, BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THAT STATE AGENDA.
UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, UM, ABOUT HAVING MEETING THE DELEGATIONS INPUT ON THE FRONT END, AND WE'VE TRIED IT WITH VERY MODEST, AT BEST SUCCESS IN THE PAST, IN PART BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET 10, 12, 14 MEMBERS IN THE ROOM AT A TIME.
WHAT C O V I D HAS DONE IN THIS VIRTUAL WORLD IS, IS ELIMINATE A LOT OF THOSE BARRIERS.
WHEN WE'VE DONE CALLS WITH THE STATE DELEGATION, WE'VE HAD 10 OR 12 MEMBERS, UH, ON THE CALL, BOTH PARTIES WORKING TOGETHER.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD GROUNDWORK IN PLACE, FOUNDATION IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND WE'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENT TO HEART AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE SURE WE SCHEDULE THAT IN.
IN TERMS OF SAWS AND C P SS AND BROOKS, WE ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AND WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE.
WE TYPICALLY WILL, IF THERE'S A REAL HIGH PRIORITY ONE, WE'LL ACTUALLY BUILD IT INTO THE PROGRAM.
IF NOT, WE'LL PUT IN AN EXPRESSION OF SUPPORT FOR THEM IN THEIR AGENDA, AND THEN WE WORK WITH THEM REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.
IT SOUNDS TO ME WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE PRESENTATIONS FROM THOSE PARTNERS ON WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE.
I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE OWN THOSE UTILITIES OR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, AND SO WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ADVOCATING FOR.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, SUBMITTING LETTERS OR SUPPORT OR IF THERE'S CONFLICTS, THERE COULD BE CONFLICTS OUT THERE AS WELL.
AND, UH, I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR ENTITIES ARE DOING LEGISLATIVELY UPFRONT.
AND, AND EVEN TAKING IT ONE STEP FURTHER, RIGHT, BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP SOME SORT OF, UM, INTERAGENCY, UH, DASHBOARD BETWEEN ALL OF US, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF REAL TIME UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THEY'RE CHASING, WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS, WHAT SUCCESSES THEY'RE REALIZING, UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE A, A PULSE ON, ON EVERYBODY, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT THIS COMMITTEE, JEFF AND YOUR OFFICE, UM, SORT OF BE THE CENTRAL HUB FOR COLLECTING ALL THAT INFORMATION, BECAUSE I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT INFORMS WHAT WELL, WHAT YOU ARE, YOU AND SALLY AND WALTER AND OUR FRIENDS STR ARE GONNA DO SO.
AND ANYWAY, I THINK YOU GET THE POINT.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, LEMME JUST, UH, I FORGOT TO MENTION ONE THING WHILE AGO WHEN WE WERE ON THE ISSUE OF BROOKS.
UH, I WANTED TO SEND OUT A SHOUT OUT TO MY REPRESENTATIVE, JOE NICKS ALSO, HE'S, UH, HE'S GOT AN ENGINEERING BACKGROUND, AND I THINK THAT ADDS A LOT OF VALUE TO THAT TEAM ON ALL OF THIS, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION DOWN AT, AT THE BROOKS AREA.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU SALLY FOR THAT, UM, PRESENTATION.
I THINK THIS IS MORE OF A, UM, GENERAL QUESTION.
WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR JOINT COMMITTEES WITH THE COUNTY, AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE DOING THAT, THERE WAS A DASHBOARD AND I WAS KINDA LIKE, INDICATING WHERE THE PROGRESS WAS.
ARE WE KEEPING UP WITH THAT? LIKE, DO WE STILL HAVE THAT? UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE, SO MAYBE I'VE MISSED IT, BUT I, I THOUGHT I'D ASKED THAT.
SALLY, SHE'S REFERRING TO THE STIMULUS TRACKER.
WE KEPT UP WITH THE, WITH THE TRACKER.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE STILL, UM, ARE LOOKING AT IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
THERE'S BEEN VERY, VERY LIMITED CARESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN ROLLED OUT SINCE THEN.
UH, ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING AT THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS, UM, IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING OUT OF HUD.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT CONGRESS GAVE
[01:05:01]
TO THE SECRETARY, UM, FOR HUD FOR THOSE, UH, SECOND ROUND OF $2 BILLION, UH, THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED, BUT AS PER CONGRESS, THE SECRETARY HAS A LOT OF DISCRETION ON HOW HE WILL ROLL THAT OUT.
SO WE'RE STILL KEEPING AN EYE ON IT.
I WANNA SAY THAT THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED IT WITH A NEW FUNDING STREAM THAT HAD BEEN SENT OUT WAS PROBABLY THE LATE, LATE JUNE.
I CAN SEND YOU THAT VERSION IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT.
UM, I DO WANNA AGREE WITH, UH, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN PERRY.
AND, UH, I, I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AT, AT I G R IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, SO THANK YOU JEFF AND, AND, UH, CHAIR ELIAS FOR ADDRESSING IT.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, AS I WAS PREPARING TO BE ON THE I G R COMMITTEE, UH, A YEAR OR SO AGO, I NOTICED THERE WAS A REQUEST BY COUNCILMAN PERRY, WHO WAS THEN ON I G R ABOUT, UH, IT WAS A FOLLOW-UP FOR SA DEI.
AND SO HE WENT TO SEE WHAT THE MOVEMENT WAS, IF THERE WAS ANY TRACTION MADE ON ANY OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.
I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, MAYBE COME TO, I, I DON'T, IT'S NOT A COMPLETE STOP, BUT I THINK THAT WE'VE, UM, COVID HAS KIND OF DERAILED SOME OF THAT, BUT I'M WONDERING WHERE WE ARE ON THE TRACKING OF SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE VERY MEANINGFUL.
I KNOW THAT EVEN ON, ON THE
HOW DO WE MEASURE THAT? HOW DO WE TRACK THAT? WHERE DO WE DO THAT? YEAH, I MIGHT RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, DO A, AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND WHERE CERTAIN ITEMS STAND.
I, I THINK YOU, YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD AT THE END THERE, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CONGRESS HAS LIMITED ABILITY TO FOCUS ON MUCH MORE THAN ONE THING AT A TIME,
SO, UH, THE REALITY IS, MANY OF THE ITEMS PROBABLY HAVEN'T CHANGED A WHOLE LOT SINCE OUR TRIP UP THERE IN FEBRUARY, BUT WE TEND TO GIVE YOU UPDATES ON THE, ON THE PRESSING MATTERS AT THE TIME.
LIKE THE DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE RELIEF PACKAGE, UM, I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE WORTH IT FOR US TO COME BACK AND, AND LAY OUT AGAIN WHAT OUR AGENDA, WHAT OUR PRIORITY ITEMS ARE, AND GIVE A STATUS REPORT ON EACH.
UH, IF YOU ALL FEEL THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, WE CAN, WE CAN PUT THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO CHAIR, UM, ONE THING TO CONSIDER IS IF WE CONTINUE WITH, UM, COVID THE WAY THAT IT IS CURRENTLY, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S THIS BIG ADVOCACY THAT WE MAKE, BUT WE DO IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHAMBERS AND IT'S A ESSAY TO DC TRIP.
BUT WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE IF WE'RE NOT VISITING? LIKE, HOW I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE A SITE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S COMING A LOT FASTER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
AND EVEN WITH, UH, WITH THE STATE SIDE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY IS FIGURING OUT HOW TO CONTINUE ENGAGING, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE, WE'RE NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING YET FROM THE CHAMBER ON WHAT THEY INTEND.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING THE SAME THING ABOUT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THAT WE MAY NOT BE UP THERE IN THE HALLWAYS, UH, TWISTING LEGISLATOR'S ARMS NEXT SESSION.
WE MAY BE WORKING THROUGH THE PHONES AND THE COMPUTER AND OUR CONSULTANTS TO GET TO MEMBERS.
UM, I KNOW SALLY IS IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH OUR DELEGATION FOLKS AS IN THREE TIMES, FOUR TIMES A WEEK PROBABLY.
AND, AND KEVIN DOES A LOT OF THE SAME WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING ON THE GROUND.
DO, DO EITHER OF YOU WANNA, SALLY OR KEVIN ADD IN, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'VE SORT OF ADAPTED OUR OUTREACH RIGHT NOW IN THIS, UH, COVID ENVIRONMENT? PLEASE, PLEASE.
SO LET ME JUMP IN REAL QUICK BEFORE KEVIN DOES.
UM, AS JEFF SAID, COUNCILWOMAN, I'M PROBABLY ON THE PHONE AND ON ZOOM MEETINGS, UM, NOT JUST WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF AND THE MEMBERS, BUT ALSO WITH OUR ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON, UM, VARIOUS AREAS THAT ARE PART OF OUR CURRENT FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, ON THE TRANSPORTATION FRONT, LIKE JEFF SAID, THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF MOVEMENT.
WE'VE BEEN KEEPING CLOSE, UH, TABS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS SO THAT THE, KEVIN CAN PROBABLY GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
BUT THE HELP HAS DONE A LOT MORE, UH, IN ADVANCING THEIR APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
UM, THE LAST I READ LATE LAST WEEK, UH, THE HOUSE IS SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE ON THEIR APPROPRIATIONS BILL IN MID SEPTEMBER.
UH, THE SENATE HAS BEEN REALLY SLOW TO FOCUS ON THEIR APPROPRIATIONS BILL, AND KEVIN CAN PROBABLY ATTEST AT A CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR A PR WILL BE SOMETHING THAT CONGRESS WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON BEFORE THE END OF THE SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWING CLOSELY.
UM, THE ISSUE WITH CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS IS THAT, AS YOU PROBABLY
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KNOW, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL, UH, FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS TO THOSE.SOMETIMES THEY ARE USED TO, YOU KNOW, LATCH ON, UM, SOME EXTERNAL TYPE ITEMS THAT BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AGREE ON.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN MAJOR FOCUS ON COVID AND ON HEALTH RELATED BILLS, BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED THAT WE ARE, UM, SUPPORTING.
DON'T MOVE VERY MUCH RIGHT NOW, BUT APPROPRIATIONS HAS BEEN MOVING SOME ON THE HOUSE SIDE.
UH, KEVIN, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO, I WOULD JUST, UH, ONLY ADD THAT, UH, THE, THEY'LL HAVE TO DO A CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT WILL KEEP GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR ALL AGENCIES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATIONS FUNDED, PROBABLY THROUGH THANKSGIVING.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT'LL HAPPEN, AND THEY'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE ELECTION, BUT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BY SEPTEMBER 30TH TO AVOID THE SHUTDOWN, WHICH, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO SHUT DOWN HERE IN AN ELECTION YEAR.
I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD HELP THE PRESIDENT, UM, ANY MORE THAN HIS CURRENT STRATEGY IS PROBABLY HELPING HIM.
BUT, UM, THAT'LL BE ANOTHER FLASHPOINT WHERE THEY WILL POTENTIALLY TRY AND FORGE A DEAL OR FORCE A DEAL ON, ON THE COVID PACKAGE.
UM, AND I THINK SALLY'S ANALYSIS IS, IS ENTIRELY CORRECT ABOUT WHERE THE PUTS AND TAKES ARE WITH BETWEEN THE TWO PACKAGES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SPEAKER AND, AND SENATOR SCHUMER DID PROPOSE A COMPROMISE LAST WEEK, WHICH AGAIN, THE DYNAMIC HERE THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST FOUR PACKAGES IS, UH, THE PRESIDENT'S NEW CHIEF OF STAFF, MARK MEADOWS, IS, UM, WAS THE HEAD OF THE TEA PARTY CAUCUS, THE FREEDOM CAUCUS IN THE HOUSE.
AND SO THEY HAVE A VERY HARD LINE AGAINST MOST OF THIS.
AND SO FAR, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT ESSENTIALLY SHIFTING GEARS AS HE OFTEN DOES IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMES BACK AROUND.
UM, SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
I DO THINK, UH, THE VOLATILITY OF SOME OF THESE RACES, UH, BOTH THE, AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL AND AT THE SENATE LEVEL IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS THAT ARE NOW, UM, ALL OF A SUDDEN IN PLACES THAT WOULD BE UNEXPECTED IN ARIZONA AND GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
EVEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THERE'S SOME TALK ABOUT SOME RISK.
YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN TEXAS, SO I THINK THAT MAY DRIVE SOME DIFFERENT ACTIVITY HERE FOR THE LAST, UH, 60 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
THEY DON'T COME BACK IN UNTIL THE DAY AFTER LABOR DAY, AND THEN THEY DON'T HAVE ANY VOTES IN THE HOUSE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK BASED UPON THE CADENCE THAT THEY HAVE ABOUT TRAVEL AND SO FORTH.
SO IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THERE'LL BE A TRIGGER POINT HERE WITH ANYBODY TO GET BACK TO THE TABLE BEFORE LABOR DAY, BUT THERE'LL BE MORE ACTION ON THIS IN SEPTEMBER, FOR SURE.
CHAIRMAN, UH, ELIZA, IF I COULD JUMP IN.
THIS IS WALTER CER, JUST WALTER, UH, TO, TO COUNCILMAN ROCHA, GARCIA'S QUESTION ABOUT HOW ARE WE STAYING IN TOUCH WITH WASHINGTON DC A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT, COUNCILMAN IS, UH, RECENTLY AS, AS LEO, JUST, UH, BRIEFED YOU ON THE BILL GRANT, UH, IN, IN A NORMAL WORLD, WHAT WE WOULD'VE DONE IS WE WOULD'VE FLOWN A DELEGATION OF, UH, ELECTEDS UP TO, UH, WASHINGTON, DC THE MAYOR, UH, I G R COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, THE COUNTY, THE CHAMBER, AND GONE AND SAT DOWN IN, UH, A DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S OFFICE AND, AND KIND OF GONE THROUGH, GO THROUGH THEIR, OUR GRANT WITH THEM IN PERSON.
HOWEVER, WITH, BECAUSE OF COVID, UH, JUST LAST WEEK, OR I BELIEVE IT WAS THIS WEEK ACTUALLY, WE, UH, SET UP A ZOOM CONFERENCE THAT WENT OFF VERY WELL, THAT WAS LED BY COUNCILMAN, UH, UH, REBECCA GRO AND COMMISSIONER KEVIN WOLF AS CHAIRMAN OF THE M P O TO GO OVER OUR GRANT WITH, UH, DOT.
AND SO WE WE'RE, WE ARE FINDING WAYS TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON DC AS YOU WELL KNOW.
UH, MY ROLE IS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE, THE, OUR LOCAL DELEGATION LIKE CONGRESSMAN INQUIRE CASTRO DOGGETT.
I HAVE, UH, I'M BLESSED WITH GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL THREE AND, AND, UH, CONGRESSMAN ROY AS WELL, WHERE I'M ABLE TO CONTACT THEM IF THE CITY HAS ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS THAT THEY'D LIKE FOR ME TO ASK THEM.
SO EVERY NOW AND THEN, SALLY WILL PICK UP THE PHONE AND SAY, CAN YOU CALL, CALL CONGRESSMAN QUARE AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, WHICH I DO.
UH, AND THEN AS FAR AS I SAY TO DC, UH, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO COUNCILMAN, UH, NOT TO, TO, TO, UH, UH, RICHARD BETAS LAST WEEK.
UH, THERE ARE TALKS ABOUT PUSHING THE, NOT CANCELING ALL TOGETHER, BUT PUSHING S A DC, UH, TO FAR AS FAR BACK AS JUNE SO THAT WE CAN GET PAST THIS VIRUS, HOPEFULLY HAVE A VACCINE, AND WE CAN MAKE THE TRIP TO, TO, UH, WASHINGTON DC.
BUT THAT, THOSE, THOSE TALKS ARE STILL IN, IN FLUXX RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN WE HAVEN'T DISCOUNTED THE, OR WE HAVE, OR WE HAVEN'T, UH, COMPLETELY DONE AWAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING TO DC THIS FALL IF THINGS ON THE
[01:15:01]
VIRUS GET BETTER.THE APPROPRIATION PROCESSES SALLY HAS TOLD YOU IS, UH, IS ONGOING, IS PROBABLY GONNA BE A CONTINUED RESOLUTION TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO IF, IF THERE'S A TIME IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER THINGS ARE BETTER WITH CORONAVIRUS OR COVID 19, THEN UH, WE'LL TAKE THE DELEGATION UP THERE TO GO, UH, BANG OUR DRUM AND, AND KNOCK ON DOORS.
AND SO JUST LET YOU KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL POUNDING THE PAVEMENT, NOT PHYSICALLY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE'RE ALLOWED TO, UH, IN THESE TIMES.
UM, I, I, WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING AGAIN, IS A DESIRE FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO HAVE SOME OF THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR DELEGATION.
SO PERHAPS IF WE DO A SORT OF MID-YEAR UPDATE ON OUR LEDGE AGENDA AND WHERE OUR VARIOUS PRIORITIES STAND, WE CAN INVITE OUR DELEGATION OFFICES TO BE ON THAT CALL AS WELL.
AND THAT WAY THEY'LL BE REMINDED OF WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
BUT THEN ALSO YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO ENGAGE WITH THEM DIRECTLY ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON QUESTIONS AND, AND TWIST THEIR ARMS AND SO FORTH.
UH, IF, IF THAT SOUNDS AGREEABLE TO YOU, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH,
UH, HEY, SIR, I, I'VE GOT ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, WHERE ARE WE IN THE, UH, UM, OUR LOBBYIST SELECTION FOR THE STATE LEVEL? YEAH, I ASSUME, YES.
UH, WE, UH, UM, I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU ALL THIS DETAIL AT THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I AT LEAST LAY OUT THE PROCESS FOR YOU.
WE, UM, SOLICITED, UH, UH, PROPOSALS BACK IN FEBRUARY, INVITED 70 PLUS FIRMS IN, UH, AT THE STATE CAPITAL TO BID.
UM, WE GOT EIGHT, UH, PROPOSALS SUBMITTED.
WE HAD A SELECTION COMMITTEE THAT INVOLVED SOME INTERNAL AND SOME OUT, UH, EXTERNAL FOLKS.
IT WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WITH COVID.
SO WE REENGAGED THE PROCESS IN JULY, AND WE HAVE GONE THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND SCORING RIGHT NOW.
NEXT WEEK, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW THE PROCESS WITHOUT KNOWING THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN FOLLOWING AUDITS, UH, REVIEW OF THE PROCESS, WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS GROUP AND MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STAFF LEVEL AS TO OUR TEAM.
UH, IF YOU ALL APPROVE, THEN IT WOULD MOVE ON TO THE COUNCIL, LIKELY AN EARLY SEPTEMBER VOTE.
UH, ONE, ONE NOTE ON THE TIMING, WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE THESE AS JULY THROUGH JUNE, 12 MONTH CONTRACTS.
THAT LEAVES SIX MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE SESSION, AND THEN THE FULL SESSION PLUS THE GOVERNOR'S VETO PERIOD IN JUNE.
ALL OF THAT TIMELINE HAS SHIFTED BECAUSE A SPECIAL SESSION IS ALMOST INEVITABLE NEXT YEAR, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN TO DEAL WITH REDISTRICTING AND THE LATE CENSUS DATA.
SO, UM, IF THESE CONTRACTS BEGIN SEPTEMBER ONE, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO RUN THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST NEXT YEAR, WHICH WOULD, IN THEORY COVER A SPECIAL SESSION, UH, PERIOD AS WELL.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S WORKED OUT, UH, ADVANTAGEOUSLY WE BELIEVE AT THIS POINT.
UH, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THE SAME DURATION OF TERMS FOR THE RECOMMENDED CONTRACTS.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN? YEP.
NO, UM, THIS HAS, UH, BEEN A GOOD MEETING.
THANK YOU, UH, TO JEFF AND SALLY AND, AND STAFF, UH, FOR YOUR HELP.
UM, THANKS KEVIN FOR BEING HERE.
UH, UNLESS ANYBODY'S GOT ANYTHING FURTHER, UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.