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THE TIME IS 2:06 PM ON THIS 16TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2020.
GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION TO ORDER.
UH, MADAM CLERK COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN HERE.
ALRIGHT, UM, WELL WELCOME EVERYONE.
[1. 20-5078 Staff presentation on potential amendments to the FY 2021 Proposed Operating and Capital Budget [Erik Walsh, City Manager; Scott Huizenga, Director, Management and Budget]]
ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, UH, PERTAINS TO THE, UH, 21 OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENT.SO OVER TO OUR STATE MANAGER, ERIC WALSH.
UM, THE, UM, JOHN, IF YOU'LL PULL UP THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE, UM, UH, SENT THE COUNCIL A REVISED TOTAL LIST, UM, HERE ABOUT 30 MINUTES AGO.
IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE LIST MONDAY EVENING.
UM, THERE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, AND I'LL COVER THIS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT THERE ARE CURRENTLY 25 OPERATING EXPENDITURE REQUESTS, UH, TOTAL 27.8 MILLION 10 REQUESTS, A TOTAL 17.9 MILLION OUT OF OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO EACH OF YOU, UH, SHOULD RECEIVED THAT DIRECTLY FROM HERE.
SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE EMAIL, UH, MEMO TO THE COUNCIL ON SUNDAY EVENING, UH, WE HAVE, UH, UPDATED OUR, OUR, UH, MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES AND, AND, UH, SINCE WE HAD, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET ON AUGUST 6TH, UH, THAT HAD RECEIVED, UH, TWO MONTHS WORTH OF REVENUE FOR, UH, THE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES YOU SEE LISTED ON THE SLIDE.
UM, AND, UH, OVERALL, WHILE WE SAW A STRONGER JULY, ACTUALLY JULY WAS, UM, JULY, 2020 WAS A LITTLE STRONGER THAN IT WAS JULY OF 2019.
UH, AUGUST WAS A, WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A, UH, PRETTY FAVORABLE MONTH.
UM, SO I THINK THAT GOES TOWARDS THE, THE, UM, THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE ECONOMY.
UM, WE WILL START TO SEE THE IMPACT, IF ANY, UH, NEXT MONTH ON WHAT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THE, UM, THE, UH, ELIMINATION OR THE, THE, THE END OF THE $600 UNEMPLOYMENT, UM, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, UH, THAT WAS GUARANTEED TO THE CARES ACT HAVE ON THE ECONOMY.
AND REMEMBER, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE ECONOMIST THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU, UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UM, WERE HINGING SOME OF THEIR PROJECTIONS ON.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UH, MONITOR THESE ON A, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, THE MEMO ALSO INCLUDED, UM, AND I MENTIONED TO THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK, THE ELIMINATION OF THE POLICE CADET HIRING BONUS, WHICH HAD BEEN INSTITUTED ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD, UM, A FAIR AMOUNT OF VACANCIES.
AND WHEN THE COUNCIL, UH, MADE A PRIORITY OF FILLING ALL OF OUR VACANT POSITIONS, WE HAD INSTITUTED A HIRING BONUS PROGRAM FOR THOSE CADETS THAT SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT THROUGH THE ACADEMY.
UM, AND, UH, AS, AS WE REPORTED TO YOU EARLIER IN THE SUMMER, UM, WITH OUR CURRENT STRENGTHS AND OUR CURRENT, UH, ACADEMY CLASSES, UM, I DO NOT FEEL THAT THAT IS NECESSARY.
AND, UH, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL 7 39, ALMOST $740,000 IN THE BUDGET PROPOSED BUDGET THAT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, THE COUNCIL SHOULD, UH, REALLOCATE.
SO TOTAL OF $4 MILLION IS AVAILABLE ON THE OPERATING SIDE.
SO, UH, HERE'S KIND OF A SUMMARY VERSION OF THE, UH, 25, UM, UM, OPERATING AMENDMENTS THAT, UH, WERE SUBMITTED BY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND, AND YOU SEE, UH, WE TRIED TO GROUP THEM INTO THE, THE BROADER CATEGORIES, HOUSING, UH, FIRST, UH, 13 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, A, UH, REQUEST FOR, UM, UH, PARKS AND, UH, UH, ENHANCEMENTS TO THE AMP PROGRAM, A 1% COLA FOR ALL, UH, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
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UH, A NUMBER OF SOCIAL SERVICE TYPE, UH, RELATED, UH, AMENDMENTS, UH, RENT ABATEMENT FOR BOTH MARKET SQUARE AND LATA, UH, VENDORS, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.AND THEN KIND OF A CATCH ALL OTHER AMENDMENTS AT, AT, UH, JUST UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO A TOTAL OF $27.7 MILLION WITH AN F Y 22, UH, IMPACT OF, UH, $6 MILLION.
UM, IN TERMS OF, AND THIS IS ALSO ON THE LIST THAT YOU RECEIVED, UM, THE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CAPITAL BUDGET RESERVE OF TWO, ALMOST $2.4 MILLION, AND WE RECEIVED A NEW CAPITAL PROJECT REQUEST OF, UH, $17.9 MILLION.
SO, UM, THIS, THIS AFTERNOON, IN ORDER TO KICK OFF THE CONVERSATION, UM, I, UH, AM, UH, GIVING THE COUNCIL A RECOMMENDATION ON, ON HOW TO AT LEAST BEGIN YOUR CONVERSATION.
OBVIOUSLY, UM, UM, THE, THE, THE COUNCIL WILL KIND OF WEIGH IN AS WE PREPARE FOR TOMORROW'S VOTE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, AFTER REFLECTING UPON THE LIST THAT WERE SUBMITTED, THE, THE, THE CITY AND, AND IN PARTICULAR THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE BEEN, UM, EXTREMELY CONSISTENT ABOUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, UH, RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND, UH, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS AS WE'VE, AS WE'VE DEALT WITH OUR OWN BUDGET, UH, BUT ALSO THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND SO I AM RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL TO, UH, CONSIDERATION THAT, UH, WE, THAT WE STAY CONSISTENT WITH THAT, UH, APPROACH.
UM, AND THAT, UH, WE SET, WE SET ASIDE, UH, TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF THE $4 MILLION, UH, FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UM, UH, TO INCLUDE A, UM, UM, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING SENIORS THAT MAY BE IN A, A PREDICAMENT.
BUT, UH, ALSO THE VERY SPECIFIC, UH, CATEGORIES OF, UM, YOUTH THAT HAVE AGED OUT FOSTER CARE, WHICH, UH, I'VE HEARD FROM, UM, UH, AT LEAST, UH, ONE OF, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT THAT IS A, UH, AN UN UNMET, UH, NEED THAT WE'VE, UH, SEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN THAT CATEGORY.
UM, UM, THE, THE, UH, THAT WE INCLUDE, UM, UH, THE LEGAL KIOSK, UM, AMENDMENT REQUEST, UH, AT KEY CITY LOCATIONS WOULD BE A, UM, AN EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING, UM, RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR, OUR, UH, UH, RECOVERING RESILIENCY PROGRAM.
WE DO KNOW THAT, UH, AS TIME GOES ON, UH, PEOPLE WILL NEED INDIVIDUALS, UH, MAY NEED ASSISTANCE.
AND SO THAT WOULD ALL GET ENCAPSULATED WITHIN THAT HOUSING TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR, UH, SEGMENT.
UH, THE NEXT AREA, UH, WHICH, UH, HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT, UM, THAT, UH, FROM AN AMENDMENT FOR PROGRAM STANDPOINT, UM, TO EXPAND OUR HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM, WHICH IS A CURRENT PROGRAM WITHIN THE PUBLIC, WITHIN METRO HEALTH THAT FOCUSES IN 10 KEY NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AND, AND UTILIZES COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UM, TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S HEALTH AND, AND, UH, MAKE THOSE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH LISC, UM, THAT, UH, IS REALLY, UH, NOT JUST REGARDING, UH, TIED TO PUBLIC HEALTH NECESSARILY, BUT, UH, FACILITATING AND CONNECTING, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, HEALTH IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IMPACTED MORE SO THAN OTHERS.
AND, UH, HOW WE CAN TIE THAT INTO, UH, ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND OUTREACH, UH, TO OUR VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WOULD BE, UH, PART OF THE GOAL THERE.
UM, AND THEN IN SMALL BUSINESS CATEGORY, UM, THAT WE, UH, WE REINSTATE, UH, THE CITY FEE WAIVER PROGRAM FOR, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES AND HEALTH PROVIDERS IN, UH, OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THIS WOULD BE A NEW PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD FOCUS ON, ON HELPING ASSISTANT, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND THEN, UM, AS I'VE TALKED TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UM, MAYBE DEVELOPING A PROGRAM TO, UH, HELP, UH, INCENTIVIZE, UH, MEDICAL PROVIDERS TO LOCATE THEIR OFFICES, UM, IN, IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES SO THAT THERE IS MORE DIRECT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, UM, WOULD BE WITHIN THAT $250,000.
AND THEN, UH, WE WOULD INCLUDE, UH, THE, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD BE A PROGRAM TARGETING, UM, LATINO AND BLACK, UM, ENTREPRENEURS
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AND, UH, PROVIDE, UH, GRANT ASSISTANCE, UH, AND, AND, AND REALLY HELP THOSE, UM, POTENTIAL, UH, GET OFF THE GROUND.UH, IT IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH, UH, SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT COUNCILWOMAN SULLIVAN HAS BEEN HAVING THROUGH THE INNER CITY TOURIST FUND.
UM, AND, UH, WAS A TOPIC THAT CAME UP IN SOME OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, UH, HERE RECENTLY.
UH, SO IT, THAT, THAT, JUST TO RECAP THAT, AT LEAST WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS THAT THE COUNCIL LOOK AT THOSE MAIN PRIORITIES OF HOUSING, HEALTH AND SMALL BUSINESS, UM, OF TWO AND A HALF A MILLION AND $500,000 AS THE $4 MILLION THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
SO, UH, I, I'M ALSO MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION ON THE CAPITAL SIDE THAT WE STAY, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE PRIORITIES OF HEALTH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS THE AREA WHERE WE HAD ALMOST $18 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL REQUESTS.
UM, AND, AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT THE FOOD BANK, UH, REQUESTED A MILLION AND A HALF FOR, UH, ASSISTANCE IN THEIR NEW CULINARY COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROJECT, WHICH IS FRANKLY NOT ONLY A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO INCREASES THE CAPACITY OF FOOD BANK TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PREPARED MEALS, UM, TO NOT ONLY RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO IN CASES OF AN EMERGENCY.
UM, I'M RECOMMENDING A MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS THAT, UH, CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, $900,000 TOWARDS THE, UH, FINISH OUT OF THE CENTRAL MED ELDER CARE AND WELLNESS CENTER.
UM, AND THEN, UM, A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS THE WEST SIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER, AND, UH, THAT WE WOULD PUT THAT FORWARD AS A ONE FOR ONE MATCH, UM, TOWARDS, UH, OTHER DONATIONS.
UM, SO THAT IF THEY COULD RAISE THE, UH, THE ADDITIONAL, UH, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, THEN THE CITY WOULD COMMIT, UH, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, UM, FINISH THAT PROJECT.
UM, ALL CRITICAL PROJECTS, ALL THE PROJECTS WERE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO A NUMBER OF LARGER PROJECTS TOTALING OVER $50 MILLION THAT WERE SUBMITTED THAT WE ARE CATEGORIZING AS WE SENT BACK OUT TO THE COUNCIL.
THOSE ARE ALL POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.
UH, SOME OF THEM RATHER LARGE.
AND I THINK AS WE GO INTO FISCAL YEAR 21, UH, WE WILL, UM, UH, HOLD THOSE PROJECTS AS WE BEGIN THAT PROCESS, UM, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF SPRING OF, UH, 2021.
SO, UH, JUST TO CONCLUDE, UH, MY, UH, OBVIOUSLY, AND, AND, AND WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT, THERE ARE STILL SOME INCONSISTENCIES IN OUR REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS YOU SAW, UH, WHERE WE, UM, ARE STILL HAVING CHALLENGES.
UH, AND, AND SO THAT WILL CONTINUE, I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT OUR, OUR TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET ASSUMED, UH, INCLUDED A $49 MILLION IN PLANNED CUTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022, THAT WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR AS WE GO THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 21.
UM, THE QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE COUNCIL ARE OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT, AND AS WE SEE WHERE WE'RE STANDING FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, UM, I WILL BE, UM, INCLUDING IN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS, IF THERE IS, UH, IF WE DO END UP BETTER FOR A REVENUE PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE SHOULD START TO GUIDE, UH, USE THAT 2022, UH, REDUCTION PLAN, UM, UH, AS A GUIDE TO START TO, UH, DIAL BACK, UH, IF IT IS NOT NEEDED, UM, THAT FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, OR AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, THAT WILL PUT US IN A PRETTY GOOD POSITION AS WE GO INTO THE, UH, THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, NEXT, UH, NEXT SUMMER, UH, I'LL SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT, UH, ON THAT, UH, 2022, UH, REDUCTION PLANNED LIST DOES INCLUDE THE, UH, FURLOUGH DAYS FOR CIVILIANS.
AND SO IT WILL BE, UM, AS IT WAS THIS PAST SUMMER, UH, AT LEAST MY PRIORITY TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT AS WE FILL OUT BUCKETS, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, RESOLVE THAT ISSUE.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO SEND THAT MESSAGE TO THE ORGANIZATION, AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO THAT AS WELL.
AND WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION AS WE DO THROUGH THOSE QUARTERLY UPDATES.
UM, WE WILL ALSO UNDOUBTEDLY BE DOING CONTINUING OUR FI MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATES.
IT'LL BE KEY, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREAS SUCH AS THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND, AND OUR SALES TAX REVENUE.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, FOCUS ON THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL AND OUR RECOVERY EFFORTS, UM, AND WE ARE, UM, COMMITTED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STAFF ON THE LINE TODAY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR BE ABLE TO RESPOND.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, MAYOR, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN FACILITATE AS MUCH COUNCIL CONVERSATION AS POSSIBLE.
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THANK YOU.UH, AND THANK YOU STAFF, UH, FOR THE TOUGH WORK OVER THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF OR SO, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND HERE WE ARE, UH, DAY BEFORE BUDGET PASSAGE, AND THE WORK STILL REMAINS.
SO APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE EFFORTS HERE.
UH, REMINDER TO MY COLLEAGUES, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND BUTTON, UH, TO GET IN QUEUE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UH, LET ME JUST, UH, GO AHEAD AND START US.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE, UH, DISCUSSED THE AMENDMENTS TODAY, UH, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE TOTALS ON THE SPREADSHEET, WE'VE GOT 33, UH, $0.8 MILLION OF GENERAL FUND REQUESTS AND ABOUT $4 MILLION OF, OF ROOM.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE PILLARS THAT WE APPROVED IN MAY FOR ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITIES RECOVERY FROM THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST OVERWHELMING NEEDS, UH, WE'VE BEEN REPEATING OVER AND OVER, HAVE BEEN HOUSING, PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD SECURITY, AND OF COURSE, GETTING OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY BACK ON ITS FEET.
IT'S CRUCIAL, I BELIEVE, UH, BECAUSE OF SO MANY REQUESTS ON THE LIST THAT AS WE CONSIDER THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND AMENDMENTS, THAT WE REMEMBER WHAT THESE PRIORITIES WERE, UH, AND WHAT THEY REMAIN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AS WE DISCUSSED THE FINALIZED ALLOCATIONS, WE TRULY ONLY HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DIRECT A VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR THESE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STAFF BUDGET.
AND THESE LIMITATIONS, OF COURSE, MAKE OUR LIVES, UH, HERE IN THE NEXT 12 HOURS, A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT, UH, BUT ARGUABLY MORE IMPORTANT, UH, WE SIMPLY CAN'T MOVE OFF TARGET.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE PANDEMIC HAS PUSHED TOO MANY SAN ANTONIONS TO THE BRINK OF THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC CLIFF.
WE ALL ALSO KNOW AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY AGREED ON OUR DIRECTION, WHICH IS AND SHOULD BE GUIDED BY THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER THAT COMMITMENT BY ADDRESSING, UH, WHAT YOU'VE RECOMMENDED HERE, UM, ERIC, AND THE PRIORITIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH, HOUSING, FOOD SECURITY, AND SMALL BUSINESS.
I REALLY HAVE JUST ONE, UM, FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UM, THAT RELATES TO, TO THE BIGGEST PILLAR, WHICH IS, UH, HOUSING AND, UM, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WILL GO INTO THAT AND WHAT THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ARE, AND HOW THAT'S GONNA AFFECT THE TIMELINE.
MY UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, THE ORIGINAL STAFF PROPOSAL OF THE 22, UH, MILLION THEREABOUTS ADDITIONAL TO THE HOUSING FUND, UH, WITH THE ELIGIBILITY CHANGES WOULD'VE EXTENDED THE PROGRAM TO, UH, THE END OF DECEMBER.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT, MAYOR.
UM, SO WITH THE NEW FUNDS, UH, WHERE DOES THAT PUT OUR TIMELINE? AND SO IF WE RECEIVE $21.9 MILLION, UM, WE KNOW THAT WITH THE AMENDMENT, SO WE, WE PROPOSE, WHICH INCLUDE THE ONE MONTH OF FULL ASSISTANCE AND ONE MONTH OF CASH ASSISTANCE, THAT'LL GET US THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
AND IS THAT WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TODAY? YES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, I APOLOGIZE, THAT'S WHAT THE $21.9 MILLION THAT'S CURRENTLY PROPOSED.
LORI, WHAT THE MAYOR'S ASKING, I THINK, MAYOR, AND NOT, IF I'M GETTING IT RIGHT, THE, THE $21.9 MILLION THAT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK, THAT, UH, WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE PROGRAMMATIC, UH, BASED ON THE COUNCIL FEEDBACK.
I THINK WHAT THE MAYOR'S ASKING IS IF WE PUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS MORE FROM THE GENERAL FUND INTO IT, WHAT DOES THAT DO IN TERM, WHAT DOES THAT ADD TO THE, TO THE TIMELINE? UM, THAT WOULD PROVIDE US ANOTHER WEEK AND A HALF MOST LIKELY OF ASSISTANCE.
BASED ON THE CURRENT, UM, THE CURRENT REVENUE OF EXPENDITURES.
BASED ON OUR ASSUMPTIONS OF THE EXPENDITURES, IF WE MAKE THOSE AMENDMENTS.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, MAYOR.
SO I THINK THERE, AND, AND, AND, UH, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION IN COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S COMMITTEE THIS WEEK THERE.
THE, THE PROGRAM, UH, ADJUSTMENT BASED ON THE COUNCIL FEEDBACK LAST WEEK, IS THAT WE LOOK AT A GRADUATED SCALE, WHICH WE DID THAT, THAT DOES STILL INCLUDE ONE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE, AND THEN SEC, UH, THE SECOND MONTH OF CASH ASSISTANCE BASED ON A M I.
UM, LORI, WILL YOU SHARE WITH THE COUNSEL WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DATES IF WE GO TO TWO MONTHS? FULL ASSISTANCE AND THEN CASH ASSISTANCE, AND THEN THREE MONTHS OF FULL ASSISTANCE AND THEN CASH ASSISTANCE SO THAT THEY HAVE A, A RANGE.
SO IF WE WERE TO GO TO TWO MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE PLUS CASH ASSISTANCE, THAT WOULD GET US TO THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER WITH THAT $21.9 MILLION.
NOW, IF YOU GO TO THREE MONTHS, THAT'LL PROVIDE THAT, THAT'LL GET US TO THE LAST WEEK OF NOVEMBER.
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WE WILL RUN OUTTA MONEY THE LAST WEEK OF NOVEMBER BASED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE APPLYING AND WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT TWO TO THREE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.SO THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO AND THREE MONTHS, BUT WE'D GET TO LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER.
WELL, BASED ON, UM, THE ANTICIPATED, UH, REVENUES THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE, UM, UH, FROM C D B G, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE, THE TIMELINES ARE GOING TO, UH, EVOLVE BECAUSE OF OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND FRANKLY, JOBS COMING BACK ONLINE, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SHIFTING OVER TO TWO, TWO MONTHS ASSISTANCE, AND THEN THE THIRD MONTH CASH.
UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF OUR INTENT HERE IS TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, I'D RATHER PUT THE DOLLARS INTO PREVENTION THAN ULTIMATELY HAVING TO DEAL WITH ADDITIONAL HOMELESS ON THE BACK END.
UM, THE OTHER THING I, I WANTED TO CLEAR UP, BECAUSE I, SO IF SOMEONE, UM, IS NEEDING MULTIPLE MONTHS OF, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, IT IS LIKELY DUE, UH, ALMOST CERTAINLY DUE TO LOSS OF INCOME.
UM, SO WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO MAKE USE OF THE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH STIPENDS, DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
IT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS THEM NOT ONLY TO HAVE THAT DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, BUT ALSO GET, UH, TRAINED FOR SKILLS FOR JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
FRANKLY, RIGHT NOW, UM, IT'S A SENSIBLE SOLUTION THAT, UM, UH, ALLOWS FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
BUT LET ME JUST BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME MISINFORMATION ABOUT THIS.
WE'RE NOT REQUIRING PEOPLE TO ENROLL IN THE WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE ARE NOT REQUIRING PEOPLE, WE ARE MARKETING THE PROGRAM TO INDIVIDUALS.
WE'RE PROVIDING THE INFORMATION AND, AND, UM, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT NOT REQUIRING THEM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR, AGAIN, SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
AS I SAID, I, I'D PREFER A MOVE TO A A TWO MONTH SCENARIO IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL, UH, AGAIN, WAIT FOR THE DISCUSSION.
LEMME GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VIRON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, ERIC, EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKED SO HARD WITH ALL OF OUR NUMEROUS, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND REQUESTS, AND I REALLY DO, UH, APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE ASKING FOR SACRIFICES ACROSS THE BOARD FROM SO MANY AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING SACRIFICES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST LEVEL SET AND SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS.
THIS IS NOT A NORMAL BUDGET AMENDMENT YEAR.
THIS IS NOT THE NORMAL ASKS BECAUSE WE DON'T, UH, WE SEE THAT OUR HOT TAX IS SO FAR DOWN.
WE SEE THAT OUR SALES TAX IS DIFFERENT AND SO MUCH SO I THINK THIS IS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION ALTOGETHER WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHY, UH, TO ERIC AND TO STAFF, MY BIGGEST REQUEST IS IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE ANY DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR AMENDMENTS, IS IT WOULD GO TOWARDS A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A, A SACRIFICE AND A STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS IN 2022 TO TAKE AWAY THE FURLOUGH DAYS, BUT ERIC, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A BALANCED BUDGET, TALK TO ME ABOUT WHY THESE DOLLARS ARE NOT BEST UTILIZED THIS TIME, THESE BUDGET AMENDMENT DOLLARS FOR THIS YEAR OF THE 1% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
WELL, WELL, WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, A RIPPLE EFFECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S A RECURRING WAGE FOR US.
IT WOULD BE A RECURRING EXPENSE AND, AND FOR ONE YEAR IT'S $4.2 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OUR FUNDS THAT, UM, ARE NOT, ARE NOT IN A POSITION FINANCIALLY TO AFFORD A 1% A HOT FUND, THE PARKING FUND, UM, UM, THE SOLID WASTE, THE SOLID WASTE IS IN A GOOD POSITION TO AFFORD A, AN ADJUSTMENT.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TREATING EMPLOYEES, UH, EQUITABLY, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.
THAT THAT $4.2 MILLION, UH, REALLY IS AN $8.4 MILLION ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE OVER A TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET.
AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION, I DON'T, I'D RATHER NOT PUT THE COUNCIL OR MYSELF IN A POSITION WHERE IN LIEU OF A SHORT TERM GAIN, SUCH AS A 1%, PUTS US IN A POSITION WHERE NEXT SUMMER, UH, WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY HEADROOM
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ON THAT $49 MILLION IN, IN, UH, EXPECTED CUTS THAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.AND, AND THEN BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE GOTTA LAY OFF FOLKS NEXT SUMMER.
UH, WHICH IS, I, I THINK HAS BEEN CRITICAL, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL THIS YEAR AND MYSELF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK AS WE CONTINUE, IF WE MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE AS WE GO THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR 21 AND IF WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER, THAT WE SET ASIDE MONEY TO ELIMINATE THAT, THAT, UH, FURLOUGH, UH, IN, IN THE 2022 PLAN FIRST, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION, IS THAT BE THE FIRST BUCKET THAT WE SELL.
AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS THAT, UH, FORGO THE FURLOUGHS IN 2022? IT'S ABOUT 6.2, $6.4 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO TAKE THAT WHOLE FURLOUGH PLAN OFF THE TABLE FOR 22.
UM, AND WITH THAT BEING BEING SAID, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK AND ALL OF THE DETAILS THAT YOU WENT INTO THAT, UM, I, I WILL BE SUPPORTING, UM, I DID ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A REQUEST.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAD ALSO, UM, REDUCED AND DEFERRED, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, RIGHTLY SO.
JEFF COYLE, I SAW YOU ON THE LINE.
GIVE ME THE TOP THREE ESSAY, SPEAKUP PUBLIC SURVEY, UM, THINGS OR DEPARTMENT.
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS HOUSING HEALTH AND, UH, WHAT I WOULD GROUP TOGETHER AS HUMAN SERVICES, IT WAS SENIOR AND YOUTH, UH, SERVICES FOR THE TOP THREE.
UM, UM, THAT'S WHY I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FIRST PILLAR WITH THE HOUSING, UH, FOR 2.5, YOU DID NOT BREAK IT DOWN OF HOW MUCH WOULD GO INTO THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND HOW MUCH WOULD GO INTO THE KIOSK? UH, THE, THE, UH, THE KIOSK REQUEST, UH, AMENDMENT WAS FOR $300,000 FOR 10 LOCATIONS.
I THINK WE WOULD, THERE, THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE, WHETHER THAT'S AN IN-PERSON OR, OR AN ACTUAL, UM, MONITOR OR DIGITAL KIOSK THAT, THAT INDIVIDUALS COULD ACCESS, UM, SERVICES.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME, MAYBE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE THAT.
UM, SO, UH, TODAY, I WOULD ASSUME ABOUT $300,000 IN THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL OR LEGAL KIOSK, AND $2.2 MILLION IN THE, UM, IN THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, THE, THE FOCUS ON SENIORS AND, UH, YOUTH, UH, THAT ARE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER SYSTEM.
I, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE, THAT, THAT PORTION.
UM, I AM ALSO, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR PUSHING FORWARD WITH THE CITY, UM, FOR THE REINSTATEMENT OF AT LEAST $250,000 OF THE CITY FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.
WE, WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT MANY OF OUR SMALL, UH, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, THEY HAD PLANS IN, IN PLACE TO MOVE FORWARD OR TO EXPAND OR TO GROW, UM, IN, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT CITY FEE WAIVER PROGRAM PLAYED A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART.
SO I THINK I WANNA CONTINUE TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHEREVER WE CAN IN THAT CAPACITY.
AND SO THAT DOES NOT SLOW DOWN.
SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE AND ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO PLEASE, UM, LOOK AT THAT AND, UH, SUPPORT THAT AS WELL AS THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, UM, PROGRAM THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SULLIVAN HAS ALSO ADVOCATED FOR.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING WEALTH WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I'M VERY, I'M, I'M SATISFIED WITH THAT AND LOOKING, AND WE KNOW THAT OUR REACH PROGRAM AND OUR HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, HERE IN, IN, DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME.
SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF THAT PROGRAM AND TO CONTINUE TO, UM, BUILD THAT PROGRAM UP.
I DID WANNA ASK ABOUT, UH, SO YEAH.
AS WELL AS THE, UM, METRO HEALTH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND THE REACH PROGRAM, I DID WANNA ASK ABOUT THE, UM, HEALTHY CORNER STORE THAT WE REQUIRE OH, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT FOR DISTRICT SIX.
IS THAT STILL MOVING FORWARD AS WELL? IS THAT PART OF THE BUDGET? COUNCILWOMAN? HI, THIS IS, UH, MARIA GOMEZ, DEPUTY C HI MARIA MANAGER.
UH, THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE AMENDMENTS COUNCILWOMAN.
UH, WE HAVE, HAVE IN THE, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE CONTINUATION OF DISTRICT THREE AND THEN THE EXPANSION TO, UM, OTHER DISTRICTS OF THE CITY.
DISTRICT SIX IS NOT ONE OF THEM AT THIS POINT.
UM, WELL, I'M NOT THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THAT AREA, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO
[00:30:01]
CONTINUE TO EXPAND IT TO THAT AREA, ESPECIALLY IN EDGEWOOD.UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW SHE, SHE DISCUSSED IT.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, UM, WITH THE FOOD BANK BANK IS REQUESTING.
AND, UM, WITH CENTRAL MED, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT LOCATION.
IT IS IN AN AREA THAT IS IN NEED.
UM, IT'S A GREAT LOCATION AT DIVISION AND S UM, I THINK THAT'S THE AREA.
SO I DO WANNA CONTINUE TO, UH, SUPPORT THAT.
AND, UM, I KNOW ONE OF MY REQUESTS TO ERIC WAS FOR CHROMEBOOKS OR LAPTOPS, OR SOUTH SIDE I S D BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PART OF OUR C R F DOLLARS OR ONE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THERE.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY DOLLARS IN OUR, UH, DISTRICT THREE BUDGET TO SEE WHERE WE CAN, UH, MAYBE GET SOME OF THOSE FOR OUR DISTRICT THREE STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL IN NEED OF DEVICES, BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY IN OUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND WE ARE LOOKING HOLISTICALLY.
SO, UM, MAYOR, I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR FUNDING WITHIN OUR OWN BUDGET TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR DISTRICT THREE STUDENTS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE DEVICES THAT THEY NEED.
UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.
I, I THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO MOVING FORWARD WITH ALL OF THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE FOLLOWED BY CUSTOMER.
UH, I ACTUALLY WANNA ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WORK I KNOW THAT, UH, THE CITY STAFF HAS BEEN DOING ON THIS BUDGET.
UH, AND I'M ALWAYS PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME REVENUE OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE ADDITIONALLY, UH, OR, UH, ORIGINALLY EXPECTED.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S NO BETTER USE TO PUT THAT ENTIRE, NEARLY $4 MILLION TO, UH, BUT TO KEEP IT IN THE AREA OF HOUSING.
AND I THINK THAT ALL OF US RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE STILL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT OF WORK, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOMEOWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN RECEIVING THEIR RENT.
AND I THINK THAT THIS $4 MILLION CAN GO A LONG WAY TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND FOR HOMEOWNERS TO COLLECT SOME OF THE RENTS THAT THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE OTHER OFFERS THAT ARE OUT HERE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH, OR WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, BUT WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM BEING EVICTED AND OUT ON THEIR STREET, OUT ON THE STREET.
'CAUSE THAT CREATES EVEN MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND MORE FOOD PROBLEMS AND PROBLEMS THAT ARE GREATER THAN THIS CITY CAN PROBABLY HANDLE.
$4 MILLION COULD PROBABLY SAVE 2000 FAMILIES FROM EVICTION.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER TO LOOK AT.
UH, YOU'VE HEARD THE MAYOR, AND I AGREE WITH HIM SAYING, RELYING ON ONE MONTH'S RENT TO HELP PEOPLE OUT GOING FORWARD WITH THIS NEXT PHASE OF OUR HOUSING PROGRAM, UH, IS HELPFUL FOR ONE MONTH, BUT THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS THAT THIS CITY IS FACING.
YES, IF WE CAN HELP GET 10,000 PEOPLE INTO A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM THIS YEAR AND INTO NEXT YEAR, THAT WILL HELP THOSE 10,000 PEOPLE.
AND YES, IF WE PASS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN NOVEMBER, THAT IS GOING TO HELP 40,000 PEOPLE OVER FOUR YEARS, THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR THOSE 40,000 PEOPLE.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE TODAY WHO DON'T HAVE THAT TRAINING PROGRAM AVAILABLE, UH, WHO ARE TRYING TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVEN'T RECEIVED RENT FOR MONTHS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THE BEST USE TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO JUST VOTE TO PUT THAT 3.97 MILLION OR WHATEVER IT IS.
I BELIEVE IT'S AROUND THAT MUCH, NEARLY 4 MILLION INTO HOUSING.
AND AS YOU HEARD FROM LORI, UH, IF WE GO TO TWO, TWO MONTHLY PAYMENTS, WHICH IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN ONE, UH, THAT WOULD LAST THROUGH THE END OF, UH, NOVEMBER.
AND SO IF WE ADD ANOTHER $4 MILLION TO THAT, HOPEFULLY IT CAN HELP FAMILIES GET THROUGH CHRISTMAS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK FOR ALL, UH, ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE OUT THERE, WHICH ALL ARE, ARE IMPORTANT, ALL ARE IN INVALUABLE.
BUT I THINK THERE'S NOTHING MORE VALUABLE IN HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
[00:35:01]
FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TIO.UM, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, AND, UM, ESPECIALLY, UH, TO THE TEAM, UH, WHO PUT, UM, ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
I, I KNOW THAT, UM, OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN YOU ALL WORKING VERY LATE HOURS, AND OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT AT CITY HALL ANYMORE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT EVERY NIGHT YOU'VE BEEN STILL WORKING, UM, SO VERY HARD.
AND SO I, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU ALL.
UM, SO, UH, IT'S THE LAST TIME I HAVE TO, TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY CREATIVE AND PUTTING, UH, ALL THIS TOGETHER.
AND, UM, AND, UH, ALSO FOR MAKING ROOM FOR THESE PRIORITIES.
AGAIN, LIKE THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE NOW, I MEAN, WE'VE NEVER SEEN A BUDGET LIKE THIS BEFORE.
WE'VE NEVER SEEN, FIRST OF ALL, UH, OF COURSE, A LARGE BUDGET.
LIKE WE'VE HAD, UH, 3 MILLION, ALMOST $3 BILLION.
THAT'S, UM, PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR AT THE HEIGHT OF, OF, UH, OF THE ECONOMY.
AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY SPEAKS VOLUMES TO, UH, THE TEAM THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED BUDGET DESPITE ALL THE HARDSHIPS.
SO I JUST WANNA REALLY, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
AND, AND, UM, ALSO FOR PRIORITIZING, UM, EITHER THE NEED, THE CONCERNS OF THE COUNCIL, AGAIN, IT'S LIKE THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN HOUSING AND, UH, YOUTH SERVICES AND HEALTH, UH, AS A PRIORITY.
AND, AND WHAT OF COURSE, THIS PANDEMIC HAS REVEALED IS, UM, THE TREMENDOUS HEALTH DISPARITY, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY, UH, IN MY DISTRICT.
UH, WHICH IS WHY SO MANY OF MY AMENDMENTS ARE REALLY RELATED TO THOSE PARTICULAR THINGS, HOUSING, UH, WORKFORCE, UM, AND, UM, SOME YOUTH SERVICES.
SO, UM, FOR, FOR MANY YEARS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, UH, REQUESTING IN EVERY BUDGET AMENDMENT MONEY FOR REHAB HOUSING.
AND SO I STARTED THAT PROGRAM MY VERY FIRST TERM ON THE COUNCIL WHEN I ONLY TRIED TO GET LIKE $25,000, MAYBE $50,000 FOR A PAINTING PROGRAM.
UM, AND THAT, UH, LET'S PAINT PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT WAS SIMPLE.
UM, I, I, I BELIEVE, UH, WAS ABLE TO BE EXTENDED TO OTHER AREAS.
AND THEN WE DID, YOU KNOW, MINOR REHAB PROGRAMS, AND THEN WE DID, UH, MAJOR REHAB PROGRAMS, UH, AND THEN WE ADDED THE ROOF PROGRAM TO THAT EXISTING PROGRAM.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE EXPANDED AT CITYWIDE AND HAVE PUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN IT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE WE KNOW, AGAIN, THAT HOUSING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY ONE OF MY REQUESTS WAS FOR A SHOTGUN HOUSE, UH, PROGRAM, UM, THAT I'M ASKING.
UH, IT, IT, IT DIDN'T NEED TO GO TO AN AMENDMENT.
WE CAN KEEP IT IN SOME OF OUR EXISTING FUNDS.
UM, BUT I WANNA DO THREE SHOTGUN HOUSES THAT ARE IN DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY IT'S ALSO A MODEL THAT WE CAN BUILD ON, JUST LIKE WE BUILT ON THE LET'S PAINT PROGRAM, UH, TO ADD, UH, EVENTUALLY THE ROOF PROGRAM ACTUALLY CAME FROM WHAT, UH, WHAT I BUILT IN DISTRICT FIVE FROM A SMALL PROJECT.
SO I HOPE THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, I CAN SHOW YOU ALL BEFORE, UH, I LEAVE OFFICE, UM, SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL SHOTGUN HOUSES THAT WERE EITHER REMODELED OR, UM, OR, UH, UH, SAVED, UH, FROM DEMOLITION, UM, EVERY YEAR, EVERY MONTH IN THE, UH, BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD.
UM, MOST OF THE HOUSING, UH, OR BUILDINGS IN, UH, THAT GO BEFORE THE BOARD ARE IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND SO WE NEED TO REHABILITATE SOME OF OUR EXISTING HOUSING STOCK AND THEN KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES.
IT ALSO MAKES FOR, UH, SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 500 SHOTGUN HOUSES IN DISTRICT FIVE.
SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO, UH, PRESENTING THIS MODEL AND, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT GOING CITYWIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY REQUESTS ALSO WERE FOR, UM, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, AND, UM, FOR THE CENTRAL MED CLINIC, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT FIVE, IT'S KIND OF AT THE VERY, VERY END BETWEEN DISTRICT FOUR, UH, AND DISTRICT THREE.
UM, DISTRICT THREE AND DISTRICT FIVE, UH, PART OF THE CENTRAL MED PROGRAM.
IT'S, UM, ACTUALLY STATE-OF-THE-ART PROGRAM.
NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT, UH, UM, IN THE STATE, I THINK WILL BE THE FIRST, OR MAYBE THE ONLY, THE SECOND PACE PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO EVERYONE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, IT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT MODEL FOR TAKING CARE OF, ESPECIALLY OUR MOST VULNER VULNERABLE CITIZENS, THE ELDERLY.
SO THANK YOU FOR PRIORITIZING THAT ISSUE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE GET ONTO WESC, WHICH IS PART OF OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING, UH, PROGRAM.
UM, WE KNOW THAT AS, UH, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THEM PUTTING IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR A VOTE, UM, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE GOOD FACILITIES.
AND, UM, THE WET C IS IN AN OLD EDWOOD BUILDING.
IT'S IN TREMENDOUS NEED OF, OF SUPPORT.
UH, IT WAS APPROVED IN THE BOND, UH, THAT A C C D BOND A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
UH, AND SO WE'RE ADDING TO THAT PROGRAM AND, AND, UM, I HOPE THAT IT ALSO BECOMES, UH, A MODEL FOR, UM, FOR, UH, FUTURE, UH, BUILDINGS, UM, AS WE
[00:40:01]
TRAIN OUR WORKFORCE, UH, TO BE BETTER SKILLED.AND THEN I JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, UM, UH, BASED PROGRAM THAT, UM, I'M REQUESTING WITH LI LISC.
UM, SO, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM, UM, ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT COUNCIL WOMEN'S SANDOVAL HAD FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WHICH WE KNOW THAT WE NEED.
UM, BUT IN THIS PROGRAM, WE WOULD BE TRAINING THOSE EXISTING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THE ONES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, JUST FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES, UH, LIKE, UM, FAMILY SERVICES ASSOCIATION AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN, AND ALSO, UM, UH, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, UH, THAT, THAT ARE THERE IN THE DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME.
THEY REALLY ARE THE BEST EQUIPPED TO, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE EMPOWERING THEM AND TRAINING THEM, UH, TO GET THE WORD OUT, NOT JUST, UM, HOW, WHERE TO GET TESTING AND HOW TO, UM, PREVENT COVID, BUT ALSO, UM, ONCE, UH, PERHAPS IF A PERSON, UH, DOES HAVE COVID, HOW CAN THEY, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE REST OF THE FAMILY DOESN'T SPREAD IT, AND TO EDUCATE THEM IN SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
UH, WE KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEST DONE PEER TO PEER FROM RE TO TO RE, THAT'S HOW WE REALLY, UM, INFORM OURSELVES ABOUT CRITICAL ISSUES.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE, UM, A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY WITH LIST TO EXPAND ON THE MODEL THAT THEY'VE DONE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND I'M LOOKING, AGAIN, FOR SAN ANTONIO AND SPECIFICALLY FOR DISTRICT FIVE, UM, TO BE A MODEL, UH, FOR HOW WE REALLY HELP OUR COMMUNITY FROM WITHIN.
UM, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE THE BEST CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF OUR, OF EACH OTHER.
SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING, UM, MY AMENDMENTS AND, UM, FOR THE INCREDIBLE STAFF THAT HAS, UH, DONE, UM, REALLY, UH, REALLY GREAT WORK IN, IN, UM, UH, PRIORITIZING THESE THINGS.
UH, ALSO TO OUR MAYOR FOR HIS INCREDIBLE VISION, UH, WITH SOME OF THESE WORKFORCE INITIATIVES, HOUSING, AND MAKING THAT A PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY, UH, AS WE HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE.
AND I'M SO PROUD TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, UH, WITH ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY, UH, MY FIVE, UH, WOMEN COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, TO REALLY MAKE A CHANGE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, UH, IT, IT, IT, IT SOUNDS VERY TRITE, UM, AND SO SIMPLE TO SAY, LIKE, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS WORK.
BUT, UM, THE TEAM, ERIC, THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE HERE, UM, MARIA AND LORI, AND, UM, AND BEN AND, AND ALL OF YOU GUYS THAT I COULD SEE HERE, ROD AND MIKE, AND, UM, IT, IT'S REALLY, UH, UH, INCREDIBLE TO, TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
AND, AND I'M SO PROUD TO, TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO APPROVING THE BUDGET TOMORROW.
ALRIGHT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UH, AND I DO WANNA THANK THE, UH, CITY MANAGER AND THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
WE KNOW YOU GUYS, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD AND IN THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME, AND WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
I KNOW, UH, THAT WE PUSH YOU VERY, VERY HARD.
UH, BUT, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT, UH, WE, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, I FIRST WANNA ADDRESS THE COMMENT ABOUT MISINFORMATION.
THERE IS NO MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD.
UH, THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE NOW NEEDS TO BE, UH, NEEDS TO CONTINUE AS IS.
UH, THE, THE, THE POINT THAT, THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT, UH, WE'RE REDUCING THE, THE ELIGIBILITY OF PEOPLE DOWN FROM THREE MONTHS OR $5,000, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST DOWN TO ONE MONTH.
AND IF, AND IF THEY DON'T, IF, IF THEY NEED MORE THAT THEY WOULD BE TOLD THAT THE ONLY, UH, OTHER POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY WAS TO GO TO WORKFORCE TRAINING, WE SHOULDN'T BE MAKING PEOPLE, UH, HAVE TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF CHOICES.
UH, AND SO WHEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING, IF WE'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE HOUSING, WE NEED TO WORK ON HOUSING AND HOUSING ISSUES.
AND, AND I THINK, UH, THE DATA IS SHOWING THAT WE'VE HELPED OVER 15,000 HOUSEHOLDS.
THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS, IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE AUDITORS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING.
UH, EVERY SINGLE DAY WE'RE AT ABOUT A $500,000 A DAY BURN RATE WITH THE PROGRAM THE WAY IT IS.
SO IF YOU LEAVE THAT THE WAY IT IS, AND MY CALCULATIONS, AND YOU CAN CHECK ME, UH, IS THE FIR IT GETS US TO THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
UH, THE POINT I I ALSO MADE WAS THAT WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR THE NEXT STEPS OF, OF THIS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, WHICH WILL PUT US RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF WINTER, FOR THAT MATTER.
UH, SO WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK THAT THE POTENTIAL IS THIS, THIS SPERM RATE WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE.
UH, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE A GREATER NEED.
[00:45:01]
INTO THESE WINTER MONTHS IS GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR MANY.AND, UH, LESS EX EXACERBATE THE PANDEMIC.
UH, SO I'M ALL FOR PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO THE, UH, EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND.
AND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS WHOLE PROGRAM, IT TOOK ABOUT 53 DAYS FOR AN APPLICATION TO GO IN AND BE APPROVED.
THAT IS, THAT IS EXTRAORDINARY AND WANNA THANK STAFF FOR, FOR HELPING TO MAKE THAT A REALITY BECAUSE AGAIN, THE, THE IDEA, THE POINT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, WITH THEIR, THEIR CURRENT NEEDS, THE, THE NEEDS TODAY.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO, UH, AGAIN, UH, MAKE A PLUG FOR THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE, ARE, ARE NEEDING FOR, UH, THE, THE ID RECOVERY PROGRAM THAT, UH, OUR NEW CITY CLERK WILL BE HELPING TO, TO SPEARHEAD THROUGH HER OFFICE.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, IDS, UH, YOU NEED TO START OFF WITH, WITH, UH, OR YOU TYPICALLY START OFF WITH A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, AND THAT COSTS MONEY.
AND SO WE NEED, WE NEED, UH, SOME MONEY TO, TO, UH, GIVE THE CITY CLERK SOME FLEXIBILITY AND, AND HELP PROVIDE A LOT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE AS WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS TRYING TO HELP THEM.
UH, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT AND HOPEFULLY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AMOUNTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF IMPACT FOR THOSE WHO ARE, UH, SIMPLY TRYING TO BEGIN, UH, THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, POTENTIALLY WE COULD LOOK AT, UH, IN THE, IN THE MIDYEAR REVIEW, UM, THE IDEA THAT THAT, UH, THE CITY CLERK HAD TO POTENTIALLY GO TO, UM, A, A PASSPORT CARD THAT CAN REALLY HELP, UH, MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ON A VERY DIFFERENT SYSTEM, A SYSTEM THAT CAN HELP MANY HOMELESS, UH, WHO, UH, MAY OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES, UH, LOSING THEIR, THEIR, THEIR IDS OR, UH, MISPLACING THEM OR, OR EVEN BEING ROBBED.
AND, UH, THIS, THIS WILL HELP THE, THE, THEIR ID RECOVERY, SHOULD THEY HAVE A PASSPORT, UH, CARD, HELP THEM BE IN THE SYSTEM AND MORE READILY ACCESS THEIR, THEIR IDS IF THEY NEED THAT.
AGAIN, UM, ALSO WANT TO MAKE A, A PUSH FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT INVESTIGATOR.
UH, AGAIN, UH, WE THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY A, A, A CRITICAL, UH, PIECE OF, OF, OF THE, OF THE, OF THE CITY THAT IS, IS SEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MANY ISSUES REGARDING, UM, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UH, I KNOW A LOT OF THE, THE, UH, PROSECUTORS THERE THAT, THAT HAVE REQUESTED THIS, UH, BELIEVE THAT, THAT, THAT IS A, UH, AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT, UH, THAT WE CAN HAVE.
AND I'LL, I'M GLAD TO WORK WITH ANDY SEGOVIA, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO, UH, TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PROVIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A BETTER, MORE, UH, UH, UH, A FASTER, UH, RESPONSE, AND, UH, A BETTER WAY TO, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT, THAT I HAD HEARD.
UH, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, YOU KNOW, WE DID ASK FOR SOME MORE FUNDING FOR THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, AND HAS BEEN CUT BACK, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, AGAIN, UNDER ONE ROOF IS ABOUT HOUSING.
UH, AND THIS IS A, A, UH, AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM THAT, UH, I BELIEVE THIS WEEK WE'LL SEE.
IT'S 1000TH ROOF, UH, BEING DONE.
THAT'S, THAT AMOUNTS TO AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 200 ROOFS A YEAR.
UM, THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY, UH, AGAIN, A, A PROGRAM THAT IS, UH, HOPEFULLY GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW AND CAN CONTINUE TO, TO HELP, UH, A LOT OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, MANY OF WHICH ARE SENIORS OR DISABLED FOLKS, UH, WHO SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD, UH, THE MAINTENANCE OR CONTINUE THE MAINTENANCE OF, OF THEIR HOME, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS THEIR ROOF.
UH, SO, UH, I'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, UH, MAKE THAT, UH, CONTINUOUS ASK, UH, FOR, FOR CONTINUE THE, THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, UH, AS IT IS NOW CITYWIDE.
UH, AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, CERTAINLY IS GONNA BE THE ONE OF THE MOST, UH, PROUD MOMENTS, UH, THAT I'VE HAD ON CITY COUNCIL IN, UH, HELPING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THAT OFF THE GROUND AND CREATE THAT PROGRAM.
UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE ONE THING THAT I HOPE, I THINK I, UH, I CAN CHANGE THE, THE PARADIGM ON IS THAT THE ROOF IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN A HOUSE, NOT THE FOUNDATION.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, UH, I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, BEN GOEL PUBLICLY FOR ALL HE'S DONE, UH, TO MAKE THAT A REALITY.
THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE IS TRULY A GAME CHANGER FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
[00:50:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, THE UPDATE ON THE DEBT SERVICE AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON OUR ABILITY TO, TO DO SIDEWALKS AS EVERYONE IN IN OUR CITY, UH, IN ALL CORNERS HAS ALWAYS ASKED FOR, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE TOP REQUESTS IN, IN OUR BUDGETS, UH, IN OUR SPEAK UP.AND, UH, THIS WILL HELP US, UH, TO REALLY MAP OUT A, A SOLUTION THAT I, I BELIEVE IS ACTUALLY GONNA HELP, UH, THE, THIS VERY, VERY VITAL, IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ONCE AND FOR ALL.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE STAFF AND, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
JUST, UH, CAN THE, THE LAST POINT THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO BROUGHT UP, AND THEN WE SENT OUT A MEMO YESTERDAY, MAYBE IF I COULD HAVE BEN JUST GIVE LIKE, THE 32ND VERSION OF, OF WHAT THAT ISSUE WAS THAT COUNCILMAN, UH, TREVINO RAISED AND HOW OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WORKED ON A PROGRAM THAT REALLY FRANKLY GIVES, UH, UH, ALL OF US THE ENTIRE CITY A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY ON THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT COUNCILMAN'S TALKING ABOUT.
SO BEN, MAYBE JUST THE, THE 32ND VERSION.
BEN, UH, YOU'RE NOT CONNECTED VIA AUDIO.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THIS WAS AN, UH, AN ITEM THAT COUNCILMAN TRI BROUGHT TO ME PROBABLY IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO.
AND THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER WE COULD USE BOND PROCEEDS TO DO SIDEWALK REPAIRS.
UH, TYPICALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING REPAIRS, THAT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR BOND PROCEEDS, BUT SIDEWALK REPAIRS ARE REALLY SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION.
AND SO OUR, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS WAS ABLE TO RE-LOOK AT ALL OF THAT.
AND WE HAVE CHANGED, UH, AND MODIFIED OUR CAPITALIZATION THRESHOLD, UH, THAT WE USE FOR ACCOUNTING PURPOSES.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE FACTORS WE LOOK AT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER WE CAN FUND SOMETHING WITH A DEBT PROCEED.
SO EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, WHAT WE'VE CHANGED IT TO IS, UM, IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION WHERE WE'VE GOT A LIFE OF AT LEAST 20 YEARS WITH SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION.
I MEAN, SIDEWALKS ARE GONNA BE IN PLACE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE'RE DOING SMALLER SEGMENTS, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT, UH, BASED ON A STREET SEGMENT SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT ALONG, UH, UH, AND DEFINE A STREET.
AND AS LONG AS WE'RE IMPROVING THAT STREET TO MAKE IT MORE USABLE BY MAKING THE REPAIRS VIA THE RECONSTRUCTION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FUND THAT USING, UH, BOND PROCEEDS.
SO THAT'LL BE, AGAIN, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST.
COUNCIL MEMBER TURINO, AND, UH, THANK YOU BEN.
I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT IN 30 SECONDS, BUT HATS OFF AND GOOD JOB.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROSO GARCIA.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU TO OUR CITY STAFF AND, AND OUR TEAM AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU TO OUR CITY MANAGER LIAISON, MR. DAVID MCCAREY, UM, FOR REALLY ASSISTING US WITH, UH, THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR REALLY STEPPING UP AS WE LOOK AT OUR YOUTH AND OUR FOSTER SYSTEM THAT ARE AGING OUT.
WE KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR HOMELESS PLAN, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND LOOKING AT THE AGES.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP IN THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF OUR SENIORS BECAUSE, UM, THE CALLS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR SENIORS DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS IN RELATION TO, UM, BEING PRICED OUT OF WHERE THEY WERE BASED ON THEIR INCOMES, BUT NOT HAVING, UM, ANY FORM OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR ANYWHERE TO GO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PART OF, OF THIS BUDGET AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, GETTING OUT OF WORK, BUT THEN LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN TRULY TACKLE THE RECIDIVISM RATE THROUGH THIS ENTREPRENEURIAL ASPECT AS WELL AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THE FOOD BANK BECAUSE WE KNOW FOOD INSECURITY IS A BIG ISSUE.
WE'VE SEEN IT THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND HOW IT'S TRULY AFFECTING AND STILL AFFECTING FAMILIES AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO I AM DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
UM, AS WE PUSH FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THE INITIATIVES, UM, ESPECIALLY WORKING WITH LISC AND BECOMING THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, UH, I REALLY WANNA KNOW HOW WE CAN ASSIST WITH, UH, THE CHROMEBOOKS, UM, WITHIN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN BARRON'S REQUEST.
IF THERE IS A, A PARTNERSHIP THAT MAYBE WE CAN DO WITH AN OUTSIDE AGENCY OR WITH, UM, AN ESTABLISHMENT THROUGH THE CITY, UM, THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING ALEX CAN LOOK INTO, UM,
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NOT NECESSARILY COMING OUT OF THE CITY BUDGET, BUT IF THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP THAT THE CITY CAN FORM, UH, TO HELP WITH THAT INITIATIVE, UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A DEFINITE PART OF SCHOOL THAT WE HAVE TO TACKLE AT THIS PRESENT TIME.UM, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASKS AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WITH THE DISTRICT WHO BEING SO LARGE AND WITH A C S BEING ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE CALLS INTO 3 1 1, UM, I'M REALLY ADVOCATING FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL A C SS OFFICER WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
UM, SO ERIC, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, UM, THOSE ARE REALLY ALL OF THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, MAYOR.
ERIC, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I CAN SPEAK TO IT.
COUNCILWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I DISCOVERED OUT OF THE 45, UH, A C S OFFICERS THAT ARE IN PLACE IS THAT THEY HAVE, OUT OF THE FIVE THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FIVE, THEY HAVE THREE THAT ARE PART OF A SUITE PROGRAM THAT ARE ALSO OFFICERS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND WOULD BE TO TAKE ONE OF THOSE, THOSE THREE OFFICERS, BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY TOUCH ON WHEREVER THE NEED PRESENTS ITSELF.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THOSE THREE FIRSTS BEFORE ADDING TO THE BUDGET JUST TO SEE AND MEETING WITH, UH, HEBER THE A C S DIRECTOR AND SEE WHAT HIS RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
WE WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU, UH, ON THAT.
I DO THINK WE CAN LEVERAGE SOME, UH, SERVICES THERE FOR, UH, YOUR DISTRICT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT FOLLOW UP AND, UM, THANK YOU JUST FOR THE CONTINUOUS WORK AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE NEVER HAD TO ENDURE BEFORE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, HELPING OUR RESIDENCY THAT WE ARE TRULY PUTTING OUR RESOURCES BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VARGA.
UM, AND THANK YOU ERIC AND, AND MARIA AND, UH, AND, AND BEN AND SCOTT AND THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR WORKING ON THIS.
I APPRECIATE IT AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR, UM, ACCEPTING MY, MY LATE NIGHT CALLS WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONS AND, UM, MY EARLY MORNING, UH, TEXT AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING ABLE TO, UM, CONNECT WITH ME AND TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.
I'LL START OFF WITH THE EASY ONE, UM, THAT I THINK, AND SO IT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE CAPITAL $2.4 MILLION.
AND SO I, I BELIEVE, AND I APPRECIATE IN WHAT YOU PUT FORWARD ERIC, UM, IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO, UH, FOOD SECURITY IS HUGE AND I THINK THAT THE FOOD BANK, UH, DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB.
SO I THINK THAT THE NEW CULINARY COMMUNITY KITCHEN WILL JUST BE AN ADDED VALUE, UH, FOR THE FOOD BANK TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
I ALSO, UM, CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ ON THE NEED FOR THE INVESTMENT IN THE CENTRAL MED ELDER CARE AND WELLNESS CENTER.
UM, AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH DR.
GOMEZ AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN GERRAN AND COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN ON PHONE CALLS, UM, TALKING, UH, WITH OTHER FOLKS WHO, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUR AREAS OF TALENTS BECAUSE THEY SEE THAT WE ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
UH, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE BUDGETED THAT MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE WE C UM, TRAINING CENTER AND IN MANUELA AND, AND AMIRO AND THE TEAM OVER THERE, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALSO, UM, ADDED THE, THE TRAINING CENTER, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, FUNDING FOR THAT.
UH, AND SO I'M A LITTLE TORN ON THE OPERATING BUDGET RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS, UH, THE, THE FIRST, UM, TIME THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL CHALLENGES.
AND SO LITERALLY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THIS MEETING, I WAS ON A PHONE CALL WITH ERIC WALSH AND, UM, HE, UH, WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT HIS, UH, RECOMMENDED, UM, GUIDELINES.
AND SO I, I KIND OF LET IT SINK IN AS I WAS LISTENING TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, BUT I ALSO WAS DOING SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND I HAD SEEN THE 812 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT YOU ALL SENT OUT ON ESSAY SPEAK UP.
AND OF THAT, UH, I, I DON'T BELIEVE, AND I RAN THROUGH THIS, UM, AGAIN, 'CAUSE I HAD SEEN IT WHEN YOU ALL FIRST SANTA, THANK YOU, LAURA, YOU DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB, BY THE WAY.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE ANY CUTS TO, TO HEALTH, WHICH, WHICH MEANS THIS IS GREAT.
LIKE PEOPLE WERE NOT ASKING FOR DECREASES.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS 63 PAGES WORTH OF COMMENTS WHERE FOLKS, AND, AND BY THE WAY, UH, A MAJORITY OR THERE WAS A BIG INCREASE, THERE WAS AN 8% INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH AGES OR, OR FOLKS AGES 25 TO 34.
SO THESE ARE, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS, THESE ARE, THIS IS OUR FUTURE AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR OUR HELP.
AND IN THERE I NOTICED THAT MENTAL HEALTH WAS HUGE, WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE ASKING.
AGAIN, IN THESE 63 PAGES WHERE THEY'RE
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ASKING FOR AN INCREASE IN PUBLIC HEALTH, IT WAS MOSTLY CENTERED AROUND PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, SPECIFICALLY MENTAL ISSUES.RIGHT NOW, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I KNOW MY, ONE OF MY SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT I REPRESENT RECENTLY CUT BACK ON SOME MENTAL HEALTH, UH, SERVICES TO THEIR STUDENTS THROUGH CUTTING ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT THEY HAD BEEN FUNDING.
UM, AND SO I'M REALLY WORRIED, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THE PANDEMIC IS TAKING THE TOLL.
SO I KNOW THAT, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO PUT, UM, 2.5 MILLION IN HOUSING AND AN ADDITIONAL 1 MILLION IN HEALTH.
BUT I WOULD ASK IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO, UM, STILL ADJUST THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE STILL NEED TO INVEST IN ADDITIONAL, UH, FOR HEALTH.
AND SO, ERIC, I TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO HEART.
AND I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION AND YOU MENTIONED SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU TOLD COUNCILMAN VRAN WITH THE COLA INCREASES.
THIS WOULD BE TEMPORARY, BUT THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
WELL, I THINK THAT IF WE PUT ALL OF OUR MONEY OR MORE OF OUR MONEY IN HEALTH NOW, UM, IT MIGHT BE THIS ONE TIME THAT WE NEED IT, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT INCREASING THE PUBLIC, UH, HEALTH, UH, BUDGET WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S THE FLU, FLU SHOTS, UH, OR THE FLU SEASONS COMING UP.
SO INVESTING IT IN FLU SHOTS, INVESTING IN THESE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES THAT THE PUBLIC IS ASKING US FOR.
THEY'VE BEEN ASKING US FOR THIS INDIRECTLY, DIRECTLY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE IT ON EVERY SORT OF BUDGET, UH, DOCUMENT THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE.
AND, UM, THAT WAS, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS 8.1% OF THE ESSAY SPEAK UP COMMUNITY, UH, PRIORITIES, SERVICE PRIORITIES WERE FOCUSED ON THIS ELEMENT, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES.
BY THE WAY, SHORTLY BEHIND THAT, ANOTHER 6% WERE ASKING FOR SENIOR AND YOUTH SERVICES.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND YOU MERGE THOSE, THAT'S A GOOD 14% OF THE, UH, FOLKS THAT SPOKE UP ON OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP ARE ASKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
AND SO I WOULD BE OF OPINION, AND, AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ON INVESTING MORE IN, UH, IN HEALTH AND ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL, I DON'T THINK THAT A MILLION DOLLARS IS ENOUGH DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DO SOMETHING WITH THIS, UM, ONE TIME, UH, FUNDING THAT MIGHT NOT NEED TO BE CARRIED OVER AND REALLY DO, UH, OR REALLY USE IT AS AN INVESTMENT IN, UM, IN WHAT WE NEED NOW.
AND SO, MAYOR, UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY ALL MY COMMENTS OUT OF THE 440 PAGES THAT I SAW THAT AS FOR AN INCREASE IN FUNDING.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, MANY OF THOSE WERE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, GO ON THE RECORD REFLECTING THAT I WOULD LOVE AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SHARE MORE OF THE, UH, $4 MILLION INTO THE HEALTH BUDGET.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TEAM.
COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER BERDA, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LIA.
AND THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR THE LONG HOURS YOU'VE PUT IN TO BALANCE, ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING BUDGET.
I TRULY RESPECT AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR HARD WORK AND APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIZENS.
UM, I HAVE A, A LIST OF, OF ITEMS OF COURSE, THAT I WANNA, UM, TO PUSH AND TO, TO REALLY KIND OF TO THE FOREFRONT.
BUT I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION, UM, THAT I, I, I DON'T, I STILL DON'T THINK THAT WE DID ENOUGH.
WE DOING ENOUGH TO LOOK AT POLICE FUNDING AND POLICE, SO, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
AND I'M GONNA GET ONTO MY, UH, MY ITEMS. UM, ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENT LIST, I ASKED FOR FLOODING ROAD NEAR HIGH SCHOOL.
COULD, COULD YOU MOVE CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE? IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION, MA'AM.
JOHN, CAN YOU HEAR ME A LITTLE BETTER? OKAY.
UM, SO ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET AMENDMENT LIST, I ASKED FOR INCLUSION OF FUNDS TO ALLEVIATE FLOODING ON PIN ROAD NEAR JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS AREA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF FLOODING AND IT'S THE MAIN ACCESS IN AND OUT MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, WESTWOOD.
UM, BUT, UH, I WANNA FOCUS ON, UM, THE, THE FOOD BANK, THE NEW CULINARY COMMUNITY KITCHEN.
ONE OF THE MORE PRESSING CONCERNS GIVEN OUR FOOD SECURITY ISSUES.
AND THE, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE FOOD BANK HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER AND HELPS SO MANY TO SURVIVE THIS PANDEMIC.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN IS A NECESSITY.
IT'LL ALSO BE A BIG BOOST TO THE EXIT AREA.
SPEAKING OF FOOD SECURITY ISSUES, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK DONE DISTRICT SIX INITIATIVE.
AND AS IT FALLS UNDER OUR HEALTH PRIORITY,
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I'D LIKE TO SEE IT COME TO BUDGET AS WELL.UM, THE, THE WEC, THE, THE HALF A MILLION GONNA WEC, THIS ALSO FALLS IN ONE OF OUR PRIORITY CATEGORIES, FOREST DEVELOPMENT.
THE, WE HAS MANY INITIATIVES INCLUDING HELPING INDIVIDUALS TO GET THEIR GEDS.
THEY WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE UPSKILLING EFFORTS OF FGF BAKERY, WHICH WORKED VERY, UH, VERY LONG HOURS TO GET TO MOVE INTO, INTO THIS AREA.
THE WESC IS A DUAL IN DISTRICT SIX AND EDGEWOOD, BUT I, I NEED TO POINT OUT THAT ITS EFFORTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO ONE AREA.
THEY REALLY EXPAND ACROSS OUR CITY.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HELPING THEM FURTHER THEIR WORK.
AND FINALLY, UH, MY DISTRICT IS MADE CLEAR THAT PARKS ARE A PRIORITY FOR THEM, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE PARKS ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS ARE SOMETHING VERY DEAR TO ME.
THE LAND AT THE, UH, NEAR HOMES HIGH SCHOOL, THE AREA WORK FOR A SMALL PARK IN THE VISTA AREA.
IT, THE LAND ACTUALLY WILL BE DONATED.
SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK NEAR HIGH SCHOOL.
THERE'S NOT ONE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FOR THOSE.
AND WITH THAT, I, UM, ACTUALLY, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELIA, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
UM, I WAS LISTENING TO, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S POINTS ABOUT ID RECOVERY.
AND I'M WITH, I'M WITH YOU, UH, ROBERTO.
THE, UM, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THE MORE I BELIEVE THAT OUR ID RECOVERY PROGRAMS NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED AND, UM, AND SCALED UP.
UH, THE MORE I READ ABOUT IT AND TALK TO EXPERTS ABOUT IT, IT SEEMS THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, ELEMENTS TO A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION OUT FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOUSED.
UM, AND TO GET BACK INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE ECONOMY AND TO FIND A HOUSE AND TO, YOU KNOW, ACCESS RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, UH, YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE MY SUPPORT AND CITY STAFF WILL ALWAYS HAVE MY SUPPORT IF WE CAN FIND WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, ENHANCE THAT.
UM, I, I DO THINK IT'S ALSO, UM, VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER HOW WE GOT TO THE, THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT ID RECOVERY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND, AND, AND CHIEF MCMANUS, I THINK YOU ARE, IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS ID RECOVERY PROGRAM WAS STARTED BY TWO BIKE PATROL OFFICERS, RIGHT? IT WAS, YES, SIR.
AND, UM, CAN, CAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TARGETS YOU SET FOR YOURSELF OR SUCCESSES THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE REALIZED FROM THAT PROGRAM? I DON'T HAVE THOSE WITH ME, COUNCILMAN, BUT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN IN THE HUNDREDS, UH, WHERE WE'VE HELPED FOLKS RECOVER THEIR IDS.
'CAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS RESOURCES WITHOUT AN ID.
AND SO THEY, THEY, UH, THE TWO BIKE PATROL OFFICERS WHO HAVE, WHO STARTED THAT AND HAVE STUCK WITH IT OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS ANYWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN, IN GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET.
SO I, I, I THINK AT, AT SOME POINT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THAT PROGRAM.
'CAUSE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE EXPANDING IT OR IF WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, ADDING, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVING IT A SHOT OF B 12, UH, I, I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE, UM, UM, THAT WE REALLY UNDERSTAND IT, RIGHT? UM, FROM THE, THE PERSPECTIVE OF, OF YOUR DEPARTMENT.
SO ANYWAY, JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR, UH, UH, CONVERSATION FOR A LATER DATE.
UM, BEN, UH, CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPITALIZATION OF SIDEWALKS? UM, BUT I, BECAUSE I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU'RE DOING THAT, BUT, UM, CAN YOU DO IT IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES?
ALRIGHT, SO OUR CURRENT, UH, CAPITALIZATION THRESHOLD IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAPITALIZE ASSETS.
INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD PICK UP STREETS, UH, SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE, UH, KIND OF BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND SO, WHEN THIS REQUEST CAME UP A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO WAS TO LOOK AT, IN PARTICULAR SIDEWALK REPAIRS.
AND AS WE LOOKED AT IT, UM, REALLY THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN REPAIR A SIDEWALK IN MOST CASES IS TO REMOVE THE OLD SECTION OF SIDEWALK AND PUT IN NEW SIDEWALK.
AND WITH THAT, THAT SECTION OF SIDEWALK IS GONNA LAST 20 PLUS YEARS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HOW LONG THAT ASSET'S GONNA LAST.
UM, IN ADDITION TO IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHEN DOES, WHERE DOES A SIDE, WHERE DOES A SIDEWALK BEGIN AND WHERE DOES THE SIDEWALK END? SO WE LOOKED AT IT BY STREET SEGMENTS.
SO WE SAID, YOU KNOW, ALONG A SEGMENT THAT CAN BE DEFINED
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ON A PROJECT, YOU MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE SMALL RECONSTRUCTIONS HAPPENING.AS LONG AS THOSE ADD UP TO $5,000, WE'RE DOING RECONSTRUCTION WHERE WE'RE REMOVING OUR OLD SIDEWALK AND PUTTING IN NEW SIDEWALK, AND IT'S IMPROVING THE USABILITY OF THAT SIDEWALK.
WE, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO USE BOND PROCEEDS FOR THAT.
WHEREAS IN THE PAST, WE WOULD'VE SAID, YOU'VE GOTTA FUND THAT OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
I, I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER NOW.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, BEFORE I MAKE MY, MY CLOSING ARGUMENT, UH, I, I WILL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UM, FOR THROUGH OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THIS NEXT CYCLE, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING, UM, IN AS FAR AS ID RECOVERY IS CONCERNED, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING THE LEGISLATOR TO CONSIDER AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FREE BIRTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.
UM, AND JEFF, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S COMING FROM JUST US, OR ARE YOU HEARING THIS FROM OTHER CITIES? UH, UH, WE'RE LIKELY GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ALLIES FOR THAT.
THERE WAS A BILL THAT PASSED LAST SESSION THAT IT PERTAINED TO HOMELESS YOUTH.
THE CLERK, UH, IS SUBMITTING A REQUEST TO US, UH, TO PUT IN FRONT OF YOUR COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION AND EXPANSION OF THAT, THAT WOULD APPLY TO ALL HOMELESS.
SO, UH, IN THEORY, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT, SOME OF THOSE FILING FEES MAY BE WAIVED ANYWAY.
BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, UH, OBVIOUSLY THIS BUDGET ITEM ADDRESSES THE ISSUE MORE QUICKLY.
SO, SO IN CLOSING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN WRITING TO ME, AND I IMAGINE THERE A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, CALLING AND WRITING, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, THE 2020, UH, CRISIS AND HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT OUR DECISION MAKING WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, UM, THIS BUDGET.
AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING THEM IS THAT THIS BUDGET, IF IT HAD A THEME, THAT THEME WOULD BE CONTINUITY.
UM, 'CAUSE IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF A $200 MILLION SHORTFALL AND IN LIGHT OF AN ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, SWEEPING OVER THE PLANET, OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, UM, DELIVERS ON CONTINUITY OF SERVICES, OUR BUDGET DELIVERS ON CONTINUITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, UM, CONTINUITY OF OUR FOCUS ON SAFETY, CONTINUITY OF OUR INVESTMENT IN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, CONTINUITY ON OUR, OUR FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY, HOMELESS RESPONSE EFFORTS, FISCAL MANAGEMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT, IT SEEMS TO BE LIVING UP TO OUR VALUES OF, OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL TELL YOU, IF YOU HAD TO PICK TWO THEMES, UH, THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE, WOULD BE INNOVATION.
I MEAN, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED, ERIC, WITH THIS BUDGET.
I MEAN, IN LIGHT OF ALL THE DIFFICULTIES THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, WE'RE SOLVING FOR AN EVICTION CRISIS, UM, THAT HAS NOT JUST BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, 2020 SUCKS AND 2020 SUCKS, UH, BUT IT'S AN EVICTION CRISIS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BURDENED WAY TOO MANY VULNERABLE PEOPLE FOR WAY TOO LONG IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL'S STEPPING UP IN A REALLY INNOVATIVE WAY.
I, I REALLY AM IMPRESSED WITH, WITH THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS INVESTMENT.
AND THEN ALSO, I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS BUDGET THAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO IN A VERY AUTHENTIC AND IMPACTFUL WAY, SOLVES FOR THE DIGITAL DIVIDE OBSTACLES THAT HAVE FACED SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, FOR WAY TOO LONG.
AND SO, I'M, I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO SEE OATS SENIOR PLANET IN THERE.
AND, UH, ERIC, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT SERIOUSLY, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, TAKING A DEEP DIVE, ESPECIALLY ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE.
UM, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THAT SLIDE BACK UP? YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, EVERYBODY HAS REQUIREMENTS.
IF YOU GO BACK AND ADD IT UP, WE HAD OVER $51 MILLION WORTH OF REQUIREMENTS IN AMENDMENTS, RIGHT, ERIC? UM, AND WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT $4 MILLION THAT'S AVAILABLE.
NEVER GONNA GET HERE FROM THERE.
I LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, AND LIKE I SAID, EVERYBODY HAS GREAT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.
I GOT, I GOT GREAT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.
I HAVE, I HAVE, UH, ONE OF 'EM THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP ON THE LIST, ERIC, AND IT MUST HAVE, I, I DON'T KNOW, FALLEN OFF OR SOMETHING IN THE, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.
BUT, UH, I'VE GOT A HOUSING AREA CALLED TOWN LAKE THAT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY THEY DIDN'T GET PICKED UP ON THE CITY AS CITY, UH, CITY RE UH, REQUIREMENTS.
THEY WERE, THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE IN A FENCE COMMUNITY, WHEREAS THEY WEREN'T.
[01:15:01]
STARTED BUILDING HOUSES THERE IN 71.SO THEY'VE BEEN WITHOUT ANY STREET MAINTENANCE SINCE 1971.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THOSE STREETS, THE CONDITIONS ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF 'EM THAT I WANTED TO PUT IN FOR ABOUT $500,000 JUST TO START WORKING ON THEIR STREETS IN AMENDMENTS THIS, FOR THIS, THIS YEAR.
WELL, I HAVE, I HAVE OTHER, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE OTHER GREAT REQUIREMENTS ON MY LIST, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN THIS PANDEMIC AND WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THIS BUDGET YEAR IN THE CUTS THAT WE HAD TO TAKE JUST TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR, AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND THE CUTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, WHERE, WHERE WE THINK WE'RE GONNA END AT.
AND I, I THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S GREAT, ERIC, THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE SHOWING A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT THE TRUE REQUIREMENTS ARE RIGHT NOW, THIS, I, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC.
PEOPLE ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR BILLS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN LET GO FROM THEIR JOBS.
NOW, I'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH SAYING, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S HELP OUT OUR, OUR BUSINESSES MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE AND GIVE THEM GRANTS OR WHATEVER, SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN, KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES AT WORK, AND KEEPING 'EM, EARNING THEIR PAYCHECKS SO THAT THEY CAN AFFORD THEIR RENT.
SO COULD, THEY CAN AFFORD CAR PAYMENTS, FOOD, GAS, ALL OF THAT.
WE, WE DID THAT TO A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS.
BUT I, I REALLY HAVE TO RESPECT YOUR RECOMMENDATION HERE, ERIC, ON USING WHATEVER AVAILABLE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
AND THIS IS A $4 MILLION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
PEOPLE ARE STILL LOSING THEIR JOBS AND STILL ARE GONNA NEED SOME HELP.
I, I WILL, I WILL AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP THEIR, LET'S KEEP THAT AVAILABLE FOR THE FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED THE HELP OUT HERE.
THESE, WHEN I STACK THAT UP AGAINST THIS WHOLE LIST, TO ME, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
ALL OF THESE OTHERS, LISTENING TO ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, THOSE ARE ALL SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH PRIORITIES DOWN THE ROAD.
OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY SHOULD BE HELPING OUR FOLKS OUT HERE IN THE CITY.
SO, UH, I WOULD, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IT GOING INTO THE HOUSING AND LESS IN THOSE OTHER CATEGORIES.
ERIC, I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, LET'S PUT IT ALL TOWARDS THE HOUSING.
AND I, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT AT OUR LAST MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT A GRADUATED SCALE, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEIR PRIOR INCOME WAS, UH, TO ADJUST THAT ASSISTANCE OUT, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT THEY WERE MAKING BEFORE THIS ALL STARTED.
AND, UH, HELP THEM TO GET OVER THAT HUMP, WHICH I THINK WOULD STILL EXTEND THAT, UH, AVAILABLE, UM, POT OF MONEY EVEN FURTHER THAN WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND WOULD STILL LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS A PROPOSAL.
BUT I, I, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE, IF THIS IS AVAILABLE TO US, WE NEED TO GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THE HELP NOW BECAUSE THAT, THAT SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO I, I'M GONNA SAY, HEY, TAKE ALL MY PROJECTS OFF THE LIST.
I WANNA SUPPORT OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND AND, AND GET THE PEOPLE HELP THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THEIR RENT PAYMENTS AND GET THOSE RENT PAYMENTS TO THE, TO THE OWNERS WHERE THEY CAN KEEP THE DOORS OPEN AND NOT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH AN EVICTION PROCESS, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S BANNED OR NOT.
THAT BAN WILL EVENTUALLY COME OFF.
UM, AND EVERYBODY NEEDS HELP ALONG THAT WHOLE LINE, WHETHER IT'S THE OCCUPANT, THE OWNER, THE BANKS, EVERYTHING UP THE LINE NEEDS THAT NEEDS THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M WILLING TO DO IS PULL MINE OFF THE TABLE, PUT IT TO THE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND, HOUSING ASSISTANCE
[01:20:01]
FUND.AND I KNOW THOSE OTHERS ARE IMPORTANT ALSO, ERIC, THAT ARE IN THOSE OTHER COLUMNS.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THAT SHIFTED INTO, INTO THE HOUSING PART, JUST THE WAY COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN TNO WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I, I KNOW THERE WERE OTHER REQUIREMENTS FROM COUNCILMAN TNO ALSO, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT'S THE PRIORITY? EVERYBODY HAS REQUIREMENTS, BUT WHAT IS, WHAT SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THAT, GET THAT HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED IT OUT THERE.
I WAS READING THE JOHN'S STAND RAISE HONOR.
I ALSO, UH, WANT TO DO THE STANDARD THANK YOUS OF ALL THE STAFF, BUT TRUST ME, IT IS GENUINE, IT'S SINCERE.
UH, IT WAS A, IT IS A TOUGH BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TO PROCESS THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAD TO FORGO MANY THINGS THAT WE WANTED, JUST LIKE COUNCIL AND PERRY SAID RIGHT NOW.
AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE BUDGET STAFF FOR WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UH, BUT I ALSO WANNA THANK EVERY EMPLOYEE AT THE CITY WHO IS, UH, WHO IS NOT GOING TO BE GETTING THEIR INCREASE THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, HAVING A GREAT ATTITUDE ABOUT THAT.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, THE PUBLIC APPRECIATES THAT.
DISTRICT SEVEN APPRECIATES THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S GOING TO HELP US KEEP OUR CITY MOVING FORWARD.
YOUR SACRIFICE IS APPRECIATED.
UM, I, UM, I SUPPORT THE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT I MADE, UH, WAS TO GROW.
UM, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO QUADRUPLE THE CURRENT SIZE OF THE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM, BUT I MADE A REQUEST FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR AMENDMENT THIS YEAR.
UH, THIS IS AN AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN AROUND, UH, A FEW YEARS.
IF YOU WERE TO GOOGLE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS, SAN ANTONIO, YOU'D SEE, UH, THE MAP.
SO THEY'RE IN SEVERAL, THEY'RE IN 10 NEIGHBORHOODS IN, UH, SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WHO'S AT THE AL ELEMENTARY HERE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IN DISTRICT SEVEN AT AL ELEMENTARY HAS IMPLEMENTED A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS. UH, ONE OF THE MOST RECENT ONES, IT'S SOMETHING CALLED THE GIRLS ON THE RUN.
AND GIRLS ON THE RUN INTEGRATE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS RUNNING, OF COURSE,
UM, OTHER COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AT OTHER SCHOOLS ARE, SORRY, IN THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE WORKED ON GARDENING.
THEY'VE WORKED ON COOKING, THEY'VE INTRODUCED YOGA, UH, AT CAMELOT ONE OVER IN, IN DISTRICT 10.
THEY'VE ORGANIZED WALKING SCHOOL BUSES AND FARMER'S MARKETS.
AND I AM, I'M PROPOSING THAT WE GROW THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE I THINK THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS CAN REALLY SERVE AS A HUB TO CONNECT SO MANY THINGS, UH, AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
SO WHETHER IT'S A WALKING SCHOOL BUS THAT WORKS WITH PUBLIC WORKS, OR WHETHER IT IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WHO TALKS TO, UM, SABA OR COMMUNA ABOUT BRINGING A HEALTH FAIR TO A SCHOOL, UM, OR WHETHER IT'S ANOTHER COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER THAT PARTNERS WITH ERBE AND BRINGS THAT TO OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE AREA.
UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE CONNECTORS, AND THEY WILL, THEY'RE ALSO VERSATILE IN TERMS OF THE HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY CAN BRING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND IT'LL BE NEIGHBORHOOD BASED.
SO THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ALLOW FOR SIX MORE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, MY OFFICE MET WITH THE METRO HEALTH STAFF, UH, THIS WEEK, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THEY WERE, I WAS NOT IN THE MEETING, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WERE SUPER EXCITED AND COULD HARDLY CONTAIN THEMSELVES WHEN THEY HEARD THAT, UH, WHAT I WAS HOPING TO DO IS TO HAVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AT EVERY TITLE ONE SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT IS A GOAL THAT WE CAN STRIVE FOR.
UM, I ALSO, UH, WANTED TO JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT HOW WE, WE PRIORITIZE THE, THE MANY THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO, TO OUR CITY.
ONE OF THEM IS THAT, UM, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT COVID HAS, UH, HIGHLIGHTED A LOT OF VULNERABILITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, CHIEF AMONG THESE WERE THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY AND DIABETES.
THOSE ARE THE FAMOUS UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT WE HEAR STAFF AND THE MAYOR TALK ABOUT.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT THESE ARE AMONG THE MOST PREVALENT.
AND THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO TACKLE THESE
[01:25:01]
CHRONIC CONDITIONS AT THE SOURCE, UH, WITH CHILDREN AT SCHOOLS, AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE, UH, WHERE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT A MOMMY LEADERSHIP GROUP TOGETHER, OR SENIORS WALK PROGRAM TOGETHER.RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, SAN ANTONIO'S COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE HELPING TO CREATE PEER GROUPS AND IDENTIFY COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERS IN THE PART OF OUR CITY, MOST AFFECTED BY COVID IN THE PANDEMIC.
MANY OF THE LEADERS, MANY OF US, ARE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING AS WE SEE, TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ALSO IN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE INVESTED NEARLY $200 MILLION IN THESE AREAS IN WAYS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE TRANSFORMATIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I, I WANNA REMIND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING THAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, COVID WAS A HEALTH CRISIS, AND IT PREYED ON ALL OF OUR POPULATIONS, ON ALL POPULATIONS, BUT IT REALLY, BUT IT REALLY RAVAGED THOSE POPULATIONS THAT HAVE THESE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS AND THAT DO NOT HAVE REGULAR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT HEALTH RESILIENCY IS AS IMPORTANT AS ALL OF THESE OTHER RESILIENCY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I, I DON'T FEEL THAT WE CAN WALK AWAY FROM THIS PANDEMIC WITHOUT INVESTING IN HEALTH.
UM, SO I AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA.
IF WE CAN MAKE IT BIGGER, UH, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
UH, EARLIER WHEN WE DID DISCUSS THE METRO HEALTH BUDGET, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE GROW THIS BUDGET IN THE FUTURE? AND I THINK WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE FUTURE.
WE CAN START NOW WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
BRIDGER AND I ARE ALSO IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH U H SS, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS ALONE, BUT TO BRING THEM ALONG, WE'VE ALSO GOT TO COMMIT TO, UH, TO THIS ISSUE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THANK YOU ERIC, AND THANK YOU MARIA AND, AND DR.
BRIDGER, UH, AND TO ALL THE TEAM AT THE IN THE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM.
UM, I, I ASKED FOR, UM, MY COUNCIL MEMBER'S SUPPORT ON THIS AMENDMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.
YEAH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
WITH THE CONVERSATION OF, UH, ALL 4 MILLION GOING TO HOUSING, I THINK, LORI, IF LORI'S STILL ON THE LINE, IF IT WERE ALL TO GO TOWARDS, UM, UH, HOUSING, HOW LONG WOULD THAT EXTEND THE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY OR, OR HOW LONG WOULD IT EXTEND THE, UM, THE PROGRAM WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS OF ONE MONTH PLUS ONE MONTH'S CASH? THAT WOULD GET US THROUGH MID-JANUARY.
HOWEVER, IF WE WERE TO GO WITH THE TWO MONTHS WITH ONE MONTH'S CASH, THAT WOULD PROBABLY GET US TO MID-DECEMBER.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK THIS, IS THIS, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD? OR IS THIS MORE OF A BRIEFING? UH, THIS IS, UH, A BRIEFING, UM, AND STAFF WILL TAKE, UM, TAKE THE COMMENTS, UM, AND BRING FORWARD THE, THE FINALIZED RECOMMENDATION IN THE MORNING.
UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST REITERATE, AND I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, HAVE KIND OF SAID THEY UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF, OF, UH, KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS ARE, ARE VERY WORTHY AND WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM.
AND IN A NORMAL YEAR, WE PROBABLY WOULD.
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS BUDGET GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO JUNE.
AND HERE WE ARE THE DAY BEFORE, AND WE START TO HEAR ABOUT THESE VERY IMPORTANT PROJECTS THAT I WISH I HAD HEARD MORE ABOUT, UH, A MONTH AGO OR LONGER.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ONLY FINDING IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE'VE, WE'VE UNCOVERED THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WATCH OUR BUDGET, AND WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA MEET AND DISCUSS THIS AGAIN IN THREE MONTHS.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE MAY FIND THE, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT COULD BE VALUABLE IN INITIATING
[01:30:01]
SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS.OR MAYBE IT'S GONNA BE SIX MONTHS, OR MAYBE THEY'RE ALL BOND ISSUES IN THE FUTURE.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, I, I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL, WILL DEFINITELY IN THEIR OWN WAY, LET THE CITY MANAGER KNOW HOW IMPORTANT TO THEM, UH, HOUSING SECURITY IS AS IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
UM, OKAY, UH, LLOYD, LET ME ASK A WRAP UP QUESTION REAL QUICK.
SINCE THE, UM, AGAIN, I, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HELPFUL CONVERSATION.
WE, WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, UM, ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, WHICH IS THAT THIS LIST OF 27 ITEMS, UH, THERE'S AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THOSE PILLARS OF THE RECOVERY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, HOUSING, OF COURSE BEING, UH, THE, THE, THE FOCUS, BUT THERE'S ALSO, UH, UH, HEALTH IN THERE AS WELL, UH, AND SMALL BUSINESS.
UM, LET ME ASK YOU, LORI, UH, OR, OR MAYBE THIS IS JUST FOR YOU, ERIC, WITH THE BUDGET COMING UP AND THE PROPOSED, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU BRING FORWARD TODAY, WHAT IS THE TOTAL, UH, ADDITION TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND THAT WE WOULD BE ADDING TOMORROW WITH THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET AS AMENDED? THE, THE, UM, THE, UH, PHASE THREE OF THE, OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS 2.9, UH, MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S MADE UP OF, UH, BOTH CITY DOLLARS AS WELL AS CARES, UH, CORONA RELIEF FUND DOLLARS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, BASED ON TODAY'S CONVERSATION, UM, IT WOULD BE, UH, TWO, UH, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL $2.2 MILLION OUT OF THAT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
'CAUSE 300,000 OF THAT WAS FOR THE, UH, RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
SO ANOTHER ADDITIONAL 2.2 ON TOP OF THE 21.9.
MAYOR, YOU'RE TALKING, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
UM, SO THE TOTAL IMPROVEMENT TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND, UH, WOULD BE ROUGHLY $24 MILLION, UH, IN THE BUDGET COMING UP? YES, SIR.
I THINK THAT'S GOOD PERSPECTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE AMENDMENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL ONE AND A HALF MILLION, UH, WHETHER THAT GOES TO HOUSING OR, OR THESE OTHER, AGAIN, PILLARS OF THE RECOVERY.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE, UM, THAT'S THE, THE, UH, THINKING THAT ALL THE MEMBERS HAVE TO DO.
UH, I WOULD ARGUE THAT WHETHER YOU DECIDE THE ONE AND A HALF MILLION GOES TO HOUSING OR IT GOES TO HEALTH AND SMALL BUSINESS, THESE ARE CLEAR PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE RECOVERY.
UM, AND THE HEALTH ASPECT, UH, WE'VE NOTED IS ABSOLUTELY FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND WE CAN'T FORGET BUILDING PROPER HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS, IS ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE CRISIS HEALTH RESPONSE TO BEGIN WITH.
UH, WHICH IS WHY I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, ROCHE GARCIA AND COUNCIL MEMBER VIE GRAND'S POINTS MADE ABOUT, UM, BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
BECAUSE AGAIN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THE DISPARITIES IN INFECTION RATES AND DEATH FOR C OVID 19 IN THOSE DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT, UH, SIMPLY ABOUT NICE TO HAVES.
HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL FOR US AS WE COME OUT OF THE, OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO, UM, THE HEALTH, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE HOUSING BUDGET, AGAIN INCREASING BY 24, UH, THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
UH, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL FUNDS COMING DOWN AS THEY ARE MADE AVAILABLE.
UM, ALRIGHT, UH, THAT'S ALL FOR OUR AGENDA HERE.
[Executive Session]
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE'LL BE CONVENING IN NOW.SO THE TIME IS, UH, 3:40 PM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2020.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY AND TO DELIBERATE TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 REAL PROPERTY AND CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY AND COVID 19 PREPAREDNESS.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A SECOND LINK, JOHN.
YEAH, THERE'S A SECOND LINK AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS LINK TO CLOSE THIS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALRIGHT, THE TIME IS, UM, 4:39 PM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2020.
[01:35:01]
AND THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION.NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY BUT NOT REACHED, WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2020.
AND TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS.