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COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
[Items 1 & 2: 1. 20-5994 Approval of the minutes from the August 17, 2020 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting 2. 20-5995 Approval of the minutes from the September 14, 2020 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting]
FIRST ITEM, UH, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 17TH, 2020, AND THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2020.UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY DISCUSSION OR A MOTION.
I WILL MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM BOTH MEETINGS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? KATHY PERRY, RAISE HIS HAND.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 17TH AND SEPTEMBER 14TH OF THIS YEAR.
[3. 20-5820 Briefing and possible action on policies related to Public Art, Design Enhancement, and Art in Private Development. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Debbie Racca-Sittre, Director, Department of Arts & Culture]]
BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON POLICIES RELATED TO PUBLIC ART DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS AND ART IN PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS.IS IS THAT, UH, LORI OR DEBBIE OR RAZZI? COUNCILMAN.
UM, I'M GOING TO KICK IT OFF AND PASS IT OVER TO DEBBIE TO DO THE OPENING, AND THEN DEBBIE AND RAZZIE WILL DO THE PRESENTATION FOR THE COMMITTEE.
AND I WANNA, UH, SAY THANK YOU TO, FOR HIS SUPPORT AND HELPING ME PUT THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND, AND FOR BEING HERE FOR Q AND A.
UH, SO THIS IS, UH, PUBLIC ART POLICY, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL CULTURE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 5TH, 2020.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
UH, COUNCILMAN TRAVINO INITIATED A C C R REQUESTING THE FOLLOWING, ANY INCREASE IN THE PERCENT FOR PUBLIC ART FROM 1% TO 2%, THAT WE CREATE A POLICY FOR DESIGN ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN ART AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT POLICY.
THE C C R WENT TO GOVERNANCE SEPTEMBER 16TH, AND THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REQUIRES ALL POLICIES, UH, UNDER THIS SECTION, UNDER THIS C C R TO BE REVIEWED BY THE CULTURE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE, AND ALSO THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT POLICY TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I JUST WANNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC ART.
OF COURSE, IT'S FREE AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY TRYING TO DO ART IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR CITY.
IT PROMOTES ECONOMIC GROWTH, NOT ONLY CREATING JOBS FOR THE ARTISTS WHO ARE CREATING IT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSTRUCTING AND INSTALLING.
UH, IT ALSO INCREASES FOOT TRAFFIC AROUND THE AREAS, UH, WHICH BENEFITS SURROUNDING BUSINESSES.
IT CREATES AND ENHANCES CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND CONNECTIVITY.
PUBLIC ART REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY IN ITS SURROUNDINGS TO CULTIVATE THAT CULTURAL IDENTITY BY SETTING THAT COMMUNITY APART AND ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO ITS UNIQUENESS.
THE CULTURAL IDENTITY AND SENSE OF BELONGING THAT IT CAN CREATE IN MANY WAYS REPRESENTS LIFE.
WHEN COMMUNITY TEAM MEMBERS SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN SOCIAL SPACES, THEY FEEL A SENSE OF RESPECT.
ULTIMATELY, ALLOWING FOR PEOPLE TO IDENTIFY WITH THE PLACE THEY ARE FROM LIVE OR VISIT PROVIDES THAT SENSE OF PRIDE.
ALSO, I WANNA GIVE A LITTLE STORY.
IN THE 1930S AND FORTIES AS A PART OF A NEW DEAL, THAT WAS A FINE ARTS INITIATIVE THAT PUT WORLD CLASS ARTS IN RURAL POST OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THIS WAS A PART OF THE W P A PROGRAM.
AND COUNCIL VINNO, I THINK, IS TRYING TO, TO DO THIS AS A COMPREHENSIVE WORKS PROGRAM.
UH, WHILE THAT PROGRAM PUT A LOT OF ARTISTS TO WORK ITS INTENT, UH, TO HAVE PUBLIC ART IN EVERY RURAL POST OFFICE AROUND OUR COUNTRY, OR IN MANY OF THEM, WAS BECAUSE OF THE, THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
F D R HAD A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE NEW DEAL FOR FINE ARTS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE ART IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY DESERVE TO HAVE BEAUTY, AND THEY DESERVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE DID A SURVEY OF ART IN 2019, A COMMUNITY SURVEY AND VISITOR SURVEY.
WE SURVEYED A THOUSAND RESIDENTS AND 400 VISITORS, AND WE'RE REDOING THIS SURVEY AGAIN RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T HAVE 20, 20 NUMBERS, BUT I'LL HAVE THEM VERY SOON.
BUT 88% OF THOSE SURVEYS SAID, SEEING AND EXPERIENCING ART IS IMPORTANT.
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AND THOSE WHO SURVEY WHO WERE SURVEYED HAD STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT IMPACT ART MAKES IN SAN ANTONIO.IT MAKES US MORE COMPETITIVE, STIMULATES THE ECONOMY.
IT IMPROVES THE APPEARANCE AND EXPERIENCE OF PUBLIC FACILITIES AND OPEN SPACES.
MAKES ART ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
IT OPENS A DIALOGUE, CONNECTS ART AND CULTURE TO NEIGHBORHOODS, AND TELLS THEIR STORIES AND PROVIDES LANDMARKS THAT DEFINES OUR CITY.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANTED TO GO INTO A HISTORY OF THE CITY COUNCIL ACTION ON PUBLIC ART POLICY.
SO WE HAVE A 1% POLICY FOR PUBLIC ART RIGHT NOW.
IN 1996, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A 1% FOR PUBLIC ART POLICY MANAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ART AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
THEN IN 1997, CITY COUNCIL RESCINDED THAT ORDINANCE AND MOVED THAT THE PROGRAM INTO A DESIGN ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS.
IN 2001, THAT DESIGN ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM ADDED PUBLIC ART AND WENT INTO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, BUT HAD NO PERCENTAGE SET FOR HOW MUCH WOULD BE INVESTED IN PUBLIC ART.
IN 2011, CITY COUNCIL TOOK ACTION TO REMOVE PUBLIC ART AND DESIGN ENHANCEMENT POLICY OUT OF THE U D C AND ADOPTED A NEW POLICY DESIGNATING 1% OF ELIGIBLE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS FOR PUBLIC ART, AND RETURNED THE PROGRAM FROM, FROM PUBLIC WORK BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE EXISTING POLICY HAS 1% FOR PUBLIC ART, WHICH APPLIES TO THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ANY CAPITAL PROJECT CONTAINED WITHIN THE CITY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
BUT THERE ARE SOME EXCLUSIONS.
IT'S A TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET, SO IT'S A STANDALONE PROJECT, NOT A PART OF THE BOND.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE PUBLIC ART BECAUSE 1% IS ONLY $5,000.
NOT ENOUGH REALLY TO DO ANYTHING WITH.
IF PROJECTS ARE ONLY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL ESTATE OR DEMOLITION, THOSE WOULD NOT NEED PERCENT FOR ART.
IF YOU'RE BUYING EQUIPMENT OR PURCHASING, UH, IT, THOSE DO NOT HAVE A PERCENT FOR PUBLIC ART.
AND EQUIPMENT MIGHT INCLUDE AN HVAC SYSTEM, UH, GOING IN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
EVEN FIRE TRUCKS ARE CONSIDERED EQUIPMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE PERCENT FOR ART IN THEM.
BELOW GRADE WATER AND STORM WATER PROJECTS DO NOT HAVE THE PERCENT FOR ART BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE IT.
SO YOU WOULDN'T WANNA PUT ART WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T SEE IT.
AND THEN MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR PROJECTS ARE ALSO EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC ART 1%.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THE 2017 BOND.
THAT'S WHAT WE THINK OF GENERALLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC ART.
UH, THE TOTAL BOND WAS $850 MILLION, AND THE PUBLIC ART PORTION WAS EIGHT POINT, UH, 3 MILLION.
UH, THE 2017 BOND DID NOT INCLUDE 1% IN PROPOSITION SIX, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS, UH, OF 20 MILLION BECAUSE THAT WAS PRIMARILY A PROJECT THAT WOULD DEMOLISH STRUCTURES, CLEAR ENVIRONMENTAL, PROVIDE, MAKE, PROVIDE PLACES THAT WOULD BE READY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT DID NOT QUALIFY UNDER THE PUBLIC ART POLICY POLICY.
I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CAPITAL ADMINISTRATION.
THERE'S A, WE CALL IT FOR SHORT CAP ADMIN.
THAT'S THE COST OF THE OVERSIGHT OF THE PROJECT.
OUR PUBLIC ART HAS TEN SIX POSITIONS FUNDED THROUGH CAP ADMIN.
SO WE HAVE SIX STAFF WHO WORK UNDER ME, AND THEY MANAGE THOSE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
THE COST FOR THOSE STAFF ARE CURRENTLY BUDGETED OUTSIDE THE PERCENT FOR ART, AND THEY AMOUNT TO ABOUT A HALF A PERCENT OF THE BOND.
SO THE CAP ADMIN IS CHARGED TO THE BOND PROJECT, SIMILARLY TO THE WAY PUBLIC WORKS CHARGES, AND IT COMES OUT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PORTION OF CAP ADMIN.
THIS IS IMPORTANT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THAT WAS ALL CREATED BACK IN 2008 WHEN, UH, PUBLIC ART WAS A PART OF PUBLIC WORK.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, NUMBER EIGHT, THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS FOR INVESTING, UH, FOR THE 2% INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC ART.
IF WE TAKE THE CURRENT ESTIMATE FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT THAT THE 2022 BOND WILL BE SMALLER THAN THE 2017 BOND, THEY'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT $675 MILLION.
BUT THIS IS ONLY A ROUGH ESTIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR FINANCE, BUT I'M USING IT AS AN EXAMPLE.
THE OPTION IN GREEN AT THE TOP IS USING THE CURRENT MODEL OF FUNDING CAP ADMIN OUTSIDE OF THE PERCENT FOR ART, LEAVING 2% TO CREATE ART AND THE COST OF THE PUBLIC ART OVERSIGHT.
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TENTHS OF 1% OVER FIVE YEARS.AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE 2% AVAILABLE FOR ART, AND YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE THE OVERSIGHT COMING OUT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS FUND LIKE IT DOES NOW, IN THE REVISED OPTION, THAT'S THE BLUE OPTION AT THE BOTTOM, IT SHOWS A MODEL WHERE THE CAP ADMIN FOR PUBLIC ART IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE 2%.
FOR PUBLIC ART, THIS WOULD LEAVE ABOUT 1%, 1.4% LEFT FOR ACTUAL ART.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THESE COMPARISONS.
UH, AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, COUNCIL VINNO ASKED US TO DO SOME COMPARISONS OF OTHER CITIES AND HOW DO THEY INVEST IN PUBLIC ART.
WE HAVE, UH, COMPARED OURSELVES WITH AUSTIN FORT WORTH AND SAN DIEGO AT 2%.
AND THEN CHICAGO, DALLAS AND HOUSTON ARE HIGHER THAN 1%, BUT LESS THAN 2% ON THEIR PUBLIC ART INVESTMENT.
ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES INCLUDE SOME CAP ADMIN WITHIN THEIR PERCENT FOR ART.
SO, UH, NONE OF THEM COMPLETELY, UH, PAY FOR THEIR PUBLIC ART STAFF OUTSIDE OF THE PERCENT FOR ART.
BUT THEY USUALLY HAVE A MIX OF FUNDING.
FOR EXAMPLE, CHICAGO'S PROGRAM IS IN THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, WHICH SUPPORTS THE PROGRAM.
UH, AND ALTHOUGH CHICAGO HAS A DIFFERENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT, 'CAUSE THEY'RE A STRONG MAYOR, AUSTIN'S PROGRAM IS HOUSED IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL FUND AND HOT REVENUES AS WELL AS THE PERCENT FOR ARTS.
AND, UH, THE REST OF THE CITIES HOUSE THEIR PUBLIC ART PROGRAM LIKE WE DO WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
SO, JUST AN EXAMPLE, I AM RECOMMENDING, UM, THAT WE FUND OUR CAP ADMIN WITHIN THE PERCENT FOR ART.
UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT FROM 1% TO 2% OF CAPITAL AND PRO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UH, THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE TIP COLLECTION.
AND RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T, UH, CLARIFY THE DEFINITIONS OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS WAS NOT REALLY A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, BUT JUST A CLARIFICATION, UPDATE THE NAME OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ARTS COMMISSION BECAUSE THIS WAS DONE IN 2011.
SO ALL THE, IT'S REFERRING TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, DEPARTMENTS FOR CULTURE AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
THE PUBLIC ART BOARD, THAT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO STREAMLINE SOME PROCEDURES TO PROVIDE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND EQUITY, UH, INCLUDING OUR EQUITY STATEMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN ART.
AND THIS WOULD PROVIDE FOR MORE ART BEING THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND, AND BEING DISPERSED IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND THEN WE ARE LOOKING TO CREATE A CANVASSING PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY ART THAT IS INITIATED BY THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLACE ON CITY PROPERTY.
UH, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE A PROCESS FOR.
HOW DO WE GO ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT AND CANVASING THAT.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DESIGN ENHANCEMENT.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ARTWORK PROGRAM THAT COUNCILMAN TINO PROPOSED.
ZI AND I, UH, WELL, LET ME START.
FIRST, DESIGN ENHANCEMENT IS DEFINED AS THE INCLUSION OF ARTISTS TO INFORM AND HELP GUIDE THE DESIGN OF CAPITAL PROJECT WITH THE PURPOSE OF MAKING ORDINARY COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT MORE BEAUTIFUL, ARTISTIC, AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT.
SOME EXAMPLES THAT I SHOW YOU IN THESE PICTURES ARE ARNOLD PARK PLAYGROUND SURFACE DONE BY ARTIST KATIE PELL.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA PUT THE, THE SURFACE ON THERE, BUT IT COULD BE DONE BY AN ARTIST, UM, SIMPSON AIRPORT, TERRAZA BY KHAKI BRAWLEY, THE CACTUS ON THE CONVENTION CENTER BUILDING.
UH, WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, THERE WAS A NEED TO PUT A SURFACE THERE THAT COULD BREATHE.
AND SO THE CACTUS DESIGN HELPED FACILITATE THAT.
AND THE RO WROUGHT IRON GATE THAT'S IN FRONT OF, UH, BRACKENRIDGE PARK, UH, WAS BY GEORGE SCHROEDER.
HE DID THE TRIBUTE TO FREEDOM SCULPTURE ON HIGHWAY 90 NEAR, UH, AND MILITARY NEAR LACKLAND.
SO YOU, YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM AND HIS WORK.
SO WE'RE ALREADY DOING SOME DESIGN ENHANCEMENT, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT IS TO BETTER DEFINE THE PROCESS AND DEVELOP SOME GUIDELINES.
AND RABY HAS SELECTED 19 PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS FOR A PILOT THAT WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT.
ONE MORE PROJECT TO ADD TO THAT PILOT.
THERE ARE PROJECTS IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT THAT WE WILL BE PILOTING, AND WE WOULD INVITE TO LIKE, TO ENGAGE AT LEAST SEVEN ARTISTS TO WORK WITH THE DESIGNERS.
EACH ARTIST WOULD HAVE MORE THAN ONE PROJECT UNDER THIS MODEL, BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD IF THEY COULD WORK ON TWO OR THREE PROJECTS TO PROVIDE
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THEIR FEEDBACK.UH, IN THIS MODEL, ARTS AND CULTURE IS SELECTING THE ARTISTS FROM OUR PRE-QUALIFIED LISTS AND PUBLIC WORKS IS GONNA MANAGE THE PROCESS.
AND THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK, UH, LATER WITH SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, ALSO ABOUT DESIGN ENHANCEMENT.
I WANTED TO SHOW YOU HOW PUBLIC ART AND DESIGN ENHANCEMENT CAN WORK TOGETHER.
SO THE CON REC AT THE AIRPORT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH A BEAUTIFUL MURAL, UH, ON, ON THAT'S PUBLIC ART.
BUT THIS IS A DESIGN ENHANCEMENT, THE LIGHTING, THE STYLE, THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING THAT IS VERY UNIQUE AND ARCHITECTURALLY BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS DESIGN ENHANCEMENT AND PUBLIC ART TOGETHER.
SO WE'D LIKE TO WORK ON SOME CLEAR GUIDELINES AND RETURN BACK TO THE COMMITTEE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS WITH SOME FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON DESIGN ENHANCEMENT AND PUBLIC ART DESIGN ENHANCEMENT.
UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE ART AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WAS THE THIRD COMPONENT OF THE C C R.
THE PROPOSAL WAS FOR DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE ART OR DESIGN ENHANCEMENT IN THEIR PROJECTS, OR PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF ONSITE ART.
OTHER CITIES IN CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, AND VIRGINIA HAVE THESE KIND OF POLICIES.
UH, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THIS BE CONSIDERED AS A PART OF THE U D C AMENDMENT PROCESS, GOING THROUGH LOTS OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.
AND IT WOULD RETURN BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE AFTERWARD, AND ALSO TO THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AS WELL.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE SUMMARY OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THE 2% FOR PUBLIC ART, UM, I, I HAVE TO RECOMMEND THAT ON THE ARTS DIRECTOR, BUT, UM, I DO RECOMMEND THAT WE USE THE REVISED METHODOLOGY OF INCLUDING OUR CAP ADMIN COST WITHIN THE PERCENT FOR ART AND REQUEST THAT FULL COUNSEL THAT THIS COMMITTEE WOULD ADVANCE THAT FORWARD.
WE RECOMMEND BRADLEY AND I RECOMMEND THE DESIGN ENHANCEMENT CONTINUE TO PILOT AND WE REPORT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, AND THAT THEN THE ART AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND GO THROUGH THAT U D C PROCESS.
UH, THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION AND I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND RAZZIE IS ALSO HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
THANK YOU, DEBBIE, AND THANK YOU RAZZIE FOR, FOR BEING A PART OF THE MEETING.
UH, WE'LL GO AROUND, UH, AROUND THE HORN HERE, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JADA, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN? UH, YES, THANK YOU.
CAN YOU PLEASE GO TO SLIDE NUMBER NINE? UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE, UM, LET ME, I JUST GOT IT HERE, SO LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SENDING RIGHT NOW I HAVE TO OPEN IT UP.
SO SLIDE NUMBER NINE OF YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES AND HOW MUCH THAT WAS.
SO THE 1%, HOW MUCH MONEY WAS THAT? SO FOR OUR, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, YEAH, WE HAVE, IN THE BOND PROGRAM, WE HAVE $8.3 MILLION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE FUNDS THAT, UH, COME UP EACH YEAR WITHIN THE AIRPORT, IMPROVEMENT BUDGETS AS WELL AS, AS IF THERE ARE ANY NEW PROJECTS.
BUT ON AVERAGE, WE SPEND AROUND ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON PUBLIC ART IN SAN ANTONIO.
THAT'S SO, UM, SO ONE AND A HALF MILLION.
SO TELL ME WHAT A 2% IS FOR AUSTIN.
SO AUSTIN HAS A SMALLER BOND PROGRAM.
I WOULD HAVE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU.
UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET COMPARISON.
YEAH, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN PLEASE GIVE ME COMPARISONS IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
I UNDERSTAND PERCENTAGES, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THERE.
UM, AND SINCE YOU'RE ON HERE, UH, WHERE IS THAT MURAL? THAT MURAL IS IN, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 IN THE SENIOR CENTER.
YEAH, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S A VERY NICE, THAT'S A VERY NICE MURAL.
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MUCH WAS THAT MURAL AND HOW WAS THAT PART OF THE WHOLE EQUITY CONVERSATION? BECAUSE I KNOW DISTRICT THREE HAD A BRAND NEW SENIOR CENTER AND WE WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HAD A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ARTWORK LIKE THAT AS WELL.SO THAT MURAL WAS A PART OF THE 2012 BOND PROGRAM.
AND AT THAT TIME WHEN WE DID THE POLICY, UH, WE WEREN'T HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EQUITY.
SO IT, IT, THAT BUREAU PROBABLY DOESN'T REPRESENT EQUITY, ALTHOUGH WHAT WE TRY TO DO WHEN WE DO THE PUBLIC ART PLAN IS WE TRY TO PROVIDE, UH, THE IDEA IS THAT EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT GETS PROJECTS, UH, THAT EVERYBODY DESERVES PUBLIC ART IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
AND THAT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT EQUITY NOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS TRYING TO GET MORE SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS AND TRYING TO GET MORE ARTISTS OF COLOR AND TO DO THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY HAVE, HAVE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH TO SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS.
AND WE HAVE, UH, ABOUT 75% OF THE ARTISTS ON OUR PRE-QUALIFIED LIST ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I THINK, UM, I, I, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE, WHEN YOU'RE COMING BACK TO US WITH A CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT NOT JUST EQUITY IN ARTISTS, BUT ALSO EQUITY IN GETTING THIS GREAT CALIBER PIECES OF ARTWORK IN, UM, ALL OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AS WELL.
BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM THE SAME RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE DISAPPOINTING PART.
UM, AND I WASN'T HERE IN 2012 OR WHENEVER THAT, UH, THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD WITH THE BOND ISSUANCE.
AND THEN, SO TELL ME ABOUT TWO IN BOND PROJECTS THAT RUN OVER BUDGET OR YOU HAVE TO DO, UM, VALUE ENGINEERING.
DOES THAT IMPACT OUR PUBLIC ART BUDGET OR NOT? I THINK I'M GONNA LET RAD ANSWER THAT.
COUNCIL, ROMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
THE PUBLIC ART IS, UH, SHOWING ON THE BOOK AS A PROJECT BY ITSELF.
IF THE PROJECT RUNS OVER OR UNDER, IT DOES NOT AFFECT PUBLIC ART.
FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER THE STREETS, WE HAVE 4.4 MILLION FOR PUBLIC ARTS, AND THAT'S BASICALLY PROJECT BY ITSELF.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON.
I WANTED TO ADD, UM, TAKING ROSSI'S EXAMPLE OF STREETS HAVING $4.4 MILLION FOR ART, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY ART PROJECT, EVERY PROJECT IN THE STREET PROPS GETS AN ART PROJECT.
IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE $4.4 MILLION THAT WE CAN USE, UM, WITHIN THE STREETS PROP FOR ART.
AND SO FOR YOUR EXAMPLE WITH YOUR SENIOR CENTER, YOU MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN A PIECE OF ARTWORK ON THAT SENIOR CENTER, BUT YOU DID GET A PIECE OF ARTWORK IN DISTRICT THREE.
LAURIE, MAY I ADD A LITTLE MORE LESSON LEARNED ON PREVIOUS BOND, EVERY PROJECT HAD 1% FOR, FOR THE ART AND IN ON A SMALL PROJECT END UP BEING REALLY NOT ANY ARTWORK.
AND WE HAD JUST TOO MANY SMALL ARTWORK.
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE IT, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
AFTER WE BUILT IT, PART OF 2017, DECISION WAS MADE RATHER THAN HAVING ON EVERY PROJECT ART RELATED ITEM, WHY NOT? WE DO SOME GOOD ART THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THAT'S THE REASON IN THAT BEING A PROJECT BY ITSELF AT END OF EACH PROPOSITION.
UM, IF YOU CAN GO TO SLIDE 10, PLEASE.
UM, SO THE TELL THE CREATE CANVASSING PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY ART ON CITY PROPERTY.
CAN YOU, OH, AND ALSO, WHEN YOU MEAN TIFF, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY, SO TWO THINGS ON THIS SLIDE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE TIFF COLLECTIONS? UH, IF YOU CAN GO INTO MORE DETAILS ON THAT AND THEN, UH, ALSO MORE DETAIL ON CREATE CANVASSING PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY ART ON CITY PROPERTY.
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WHAT DOES THAT ALL ENCAPSULATE IN YOUR MIND? SO I'M GONNA START WITH THE TIFF.THE TIFF IS THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING THAT GOES INTO THE TS.
UH, SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, IS PART OF THE, PART OF THE C C R WAS TO INCLUDE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING IN THE 1%.
RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO 1% POLICY APPLYING TO THE, THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.
AND, UH, THE SUGGESTION IS TO GO AND PUT, UH, 1% OR 2% INTO THE CHIPS AND MAKE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS OUT OF THOSE FIRST, UH, ELIGIBLE AREAS AND HAVE IT FOR, FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
MAYBE LORI CAN EXPLAIN THAT BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT 2% THIS WOULD BE IN EVERY SINGLE, WOULD IT BE PRIVATE OR CITY CREATED? TURS WOULD HAVE A 2% OF THAT MONEY THAT'S IN THERE WOULD HAVE TO STAY JUST WITH PUBLIC ART.
AND SO COUNCILMAN, IT WOULD BE CITY INITIATED TOURS ONLY, NOT THE DEVELOPER INITIATED.
AND, UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT FOR THOSE COLLECTIONS THAT YEAR, WE CARVE OUT 2% THAT WOULD GO INTO A, A, A POOL OF FUNDING FOR PUBLIC ART.
AND SO MAYBE IT COLLECTS OVER A COUPLE YEARS AND WE DO ONE LARGE ART PROJECT, BUT MAKE SURE WE'RE RESERVING AT LEAST 2% OF THOSE TAX COLLECTIONS TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC ART.
UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, I UNDERSTAND COLLECTING IT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY BIG DEAL TO PUT ON THE TURS, ESPECIALLY CITY INITIATED THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN VERY ACTIVE AND ARE JUST NOW SEEING THE GROWTH WITHIN THOSE TURS.
AND SOME OF THOSE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW ACTIVATED IN IT ARE, ARE, UM, UH, ARE PLANNING ON IT.
SO THIS WOULD NOT, IF THIS WOULD BE A GRANT, IF SOMEBODY ALREADY HAS A PROJECT ON THERE, IT WOULD ALREADY BE GRANDFATHERED IN.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THE 2% OF THE 1% OF THE PUBLIC ART.
IT'S NOT FOR NOT ONE PUBLIC ART, BUT IT WAS, IT'S NOT PER PROJECT.
IT WOULD BE IF OVER AN ANNUAL PERIOD, LET'S SAY THE HOUSTON STREET TOURIST COLLECTS $2 MILLION IN INCREMENT, WE'D AUTOMATICALLY TAKE 2% OF THAT AND PUT IT ASIDE FOR THE CITY TO DO ART PROJECTS WITH.
SO IT'D BE OUR CITY PUBLIC ART.
IT WOULDN'T BE TIED TO THE DEVELOPER'S PROJECT WHERE THEY IN, THEY ASKED FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN, UM, THE CREATE CANVASSING PROCESS, DEBBIE, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, ROSIE AND I HAD A, A VERY LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME ISSUES, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANTING TO, UH, DO ART ON CITY PROPERTY.
AND WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A POLICY OF HOW WE ADDRESS THAT OTHER THAN, UH, AND I KNOW SHANNON'S, UH, ON AS WELL GOING THROUGH THE, UH, IF, IF IT'S IN HISTORIC DISTRICT OR GOING THROUGH THE H D R C, BUT H D R C DOESN'T REVIEW THE ART THEY REVIEW, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO BE ON THAT HISTORIC STRUCTURE OR IS IT APPROPRIATE TO BE IN THAT PUBLIC SPACE? BUT THEY DON'T LOOK AT THE ACTUAL ART.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING A PROCESS THAT IF SOMEONE OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO PUT ART ON CITY PROPERTY, INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF WAY, INCLUDING THE STREET OR THE SIDEWALK, THAT THERE WOULD BE A PROCESS THAT, UH, MY DEPARTMENT WOULD MANAGE THAT WE WOULD CANVAS THE DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE, UH, IMPACTED AND WORK TO HELP STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS.
AND IF IT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, ALLOW THOSE ARTWORKS TO BE PUT INSTALLED IN ON CITY PROPERTY.
HOWEVER, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT THEY, THE REQUESTS ARE COMPLETELY PAID FOR AND THAT THE REQUESTS ARE ALSO MAINTAINED.
AND AT THE END OF THE TEMPORARY PERIOD THAT THEY REMOVED IT COMPLETELY.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE PERMITS AS REQUIRED COUNCIL.
THIS COUNCILWOMAN, WHEN WE DID THE POET LAUREATE STREET MURAL AROUND TRAVIS PARK, WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROCESS AND WE WERE GOING TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE COORDINATING.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLES WHERE CENTRAL COMES, CENTRO COMES TO US AND THEY WANNA DO A MURAL IN A PUBLICLY OWNED BUILDING, OR ANOTHER ARTIST COMES TO US OR ORGANIZATION, WE WANNA HAVE A PROCESS, UM, FOR CANVASSING.
SO WE DON'T LOSE OUT ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED ON THE NEXT SLIDE,
[00:30:01]
UH, I BELIEVE WAS THE PUBLIC ART HAS, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE PUBLIC ART HAS TO BE, UM, UH, CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT.SO TELL ME WHO, UM, DETERMINES WHAT'S CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT.
THE GOAL OF DESIGN ENHANCEMENT IS TO INCLUDE ARTISTS TO, TO MAKE THOSE COMPONENTS MORE BEAUTIFUL, ARTISTIC AND CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT.
UH, WE'RE ASKING THE ARTISTS TO DO THAT AND THEY WOULD BE WORKING WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND IF THERE'S A NEED FOR A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THAT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ALREADY DOES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR PROJECTS AND WE DO IT AS WELL WITH OURS.
UH, SO IT WOULD JUST DEPEND ON THE PARTICULAR PROJECT AND WHETHER IT'S BROUGHT CULTURAL COMPONENTS INTO IT OR MORE JUST AESTHETIC TYPE COMPONENTS.
UM, I JUST WILL GO ON THE RECORD SAYING IF YOU'RE GONNA SAY SOMETHING AND DO IT QUOTE UNQUOTE, CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT, THAT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY, UM, GET THE COMMUNITY THAT THE LIDS COMMUNITY THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THEIR INPUT FOR CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT, UM, IN THE AREA.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, IF YOU COULD GET THIS BACK WITHIN FOUR MONTHS, THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, ON THE SLIDE ABOUT, UM, THE ONE AND 2% AND KIND OF BROKE IT DOWN AND LET ME LEAD INTO THAT FIRST.
DEBBIE, UH, YOU'VE BEEN OVERSEEING THE ART AND CULTURE SINCE THE, UH, LAST BOND PROJECT PRETTY MUCH.
IS THAT RIGHT? I STARTED IN 2016, SO YEAH, PRETTY MUCH.
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR STAFF NOW? I HAVE SIX.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD MORE THAN THAT? NO.
WE HAD, UH, THE SIX STAFF WERE, UH, UH, REQUE, THEY WERE ADDED, THERE WERE FEWER STAFF.
THERE WERE FOUR ADDED IN 2012 WHEN PUBLIC WORKS ADDED SEVERAL STAFF FOR THE LARGER BOND ISSUANCE BACK THEN.
THE SIX STAFF DEBBIE IS REFERRING TO ARE THOSE STAFF THAT WORK ON PUBLIC ART ONLY.
SO THOSE STAFF I WAS JUST GONNA ASK.
IT'S THE PUBLIC ART SAN ANTONIO GROUP.
AND THEN, UH, SO YOU HAVE OTHER STAFF THAT HANDLE THE REST OF THE ART, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND THOSE ARE ALL, THE REST OF MY STUFF IS BUDGET WITH THE HOTEL TAX.
UH, BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC ART ADMINISTRATION COSTS $770,000 A YEAR, UH, SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR SIX PEOPLE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PAYING 'EM, WHAT, $90,000 A PIECE OR SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S A PRETTY HIGH PAYCHECK.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PEOPLE DO IN YOUR OFFICE, BUT THAT'S A VERY LARGE BITE OUT OF THE PUBLIC ART MONEY THAT GETS APPROVED.
UH, AND I, I, I REALIZE AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE WHOLE PUBLIC ART, IT'S, IT'S SMALL, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AS A HOW MUCH OUT OF 8.3 MILLION IN THE LAST BOND ISSUE, 3.85 MILLION IS USED FOR ADMINISTRATION.
NOW YOU'RE PROJECTING IN THE NEXT ONE 13.5 MILLION AND 3.85 MILLION OF THAT IS USED FOR ADMINISTRATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT.
UH, AND HOW MANY PROJECTS DO WE DO A YEAR, FIVE OR 10 OR 20 TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE DEDICATED TO THE PROJECTS OVERSEEING THE PROJECTS, UH, THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND SO THAT, THAT JUST CONCERNS ME THAT SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY IS GOING TO OVERSIGHT OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO I'LL BE GLAD TO ADDRESS THAT.
UH, EACH PROJECT MANAGER MANAGES AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THREE TO FIVE PROJECTS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, RIGHT NOW THERE'S TWO VACANCIES IN THE PUBLIC ART TEAM.
SO WE ONLY HAVE FOUR STAFF RIGHT NOW, UH, PERMANENTLY PAID OUT OF THE PUBLIC ART, BUT, UH, THE STAFF COST IS ONLY AR AROUND 550,000 OF THAT.
THE REST IS OTHER LINE ITEMS THAT ARE COSTS OF OPERATIONS.
[00:35:01]
BUILDING CHARGES, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR OUR COMPUTERS.IT CHARGES, THERE'S A COST OF, OF GETTING ADVERTISING FOR, UH, THE PRE-QUALIFIED LIST AND DOING ALL OF THE PROGRAMS TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE SOFTWARE AND EVERYTHING.
SO THERE'S OTHER LINE ITEMS IN THERE BESIDES STAFF.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF, LIKE MY STAFF AREN'T MAKING AN AVERAGE OF 90,000 A YEAR.
UH, I'M SURE THEY WISH THEY WERE.
UM, BUT, UM, SO YEAH, THE, THE, THAT'S MISLEADING, BUT IT'S ALSO REALITY.
THE REALITY IS THAT ALL THE COSTS TO OVERSEE THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, UH, HAVE MAYBE NOT QUITE ALL BUT HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF THAT CAP ADMIN.
AND THEY'RE COMING OUT OF ESSENTIALLY RA'S PROJECTS AT THE CURRENT TIME.
UH, AND HIS STAFF WHO OVERSEE HIS PROJECTS ARE FUNDED THE SAME WAY, UH, AS WELL, AS WELL AS HIS OVERHEAD FOR THOSE STAFF THAT, THAT DO THAT.
SO THAT'S A MODEL THAT WAS CREATED IN 2008 AND, UH, IT'S JUST CARRIED ON, UH, FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THIS PROPOSAL GOING TO COUNCIL THIS YEAR AND GOING TO INTO EFFECT PRETTY MUCH AS SOON AS IT'S PASSED.
IS THAT RIGHT, LORI? DEBBIE, I SHOULD SPEAK TO THAT.
THE POINT WOULD BE, UH, TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, IF THIS COMMITTEE ADVANCES IT FORWARD AND TO HAVE THE, I BELIEVE THE C C R REQUESTED THAT THE NEW POLICIES TAKE EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST, 2021.
UM, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO GO AHEAD AND DOUBLE THE AMOUNT THAT WE WANNA SET ASIDE FOR ART.
UM, I CAN, I CAN EMPATHIZE WITH IT AS PART OF THE BOND PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE TALKING TWO YEARS FROM NOW BEFORE WE START REALLY COLLECTING THAT MONEY AND START DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.
AND I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE IN A MUCH BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION TWO YEARS FROM NOW THAN WE WILL BE COME JANUARY 1ST.
UH, BUT I JUST THINK, UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK TO START, UH, SETTING ASIDE FOR ART IN THE KIND OF FINANCIAL SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF CUTBACKS.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR.
UH, I, I DON'T MIND SUPPORTING THIS CONCEPTUALLY IN THE NEXT BOND PROJECT, BUT I, I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TRYING TO, UH, INITIATE THIS NEXT YEAR.
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH TRYING TO INCREASE IT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, AND THAT COULD BE BY A ROUND NUMBER OR SOMETHING TO GET US TO WHERE WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH IT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S TOO MUCH TOO SOON CONSIDERING THE FINANCIAL SITUATION WE'RE IN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COMMENT, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING IT HERE, BUT I, I WOULD HAVE A REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO IMPOSE THIS ON THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL PASS THAT ON TO THE NEXT COMMITTEE THAT MEETS ON THAT.
BUT THAT WAS A THIRD LEG OF THIS WHOLE THING.
AND, UH, I JUST THINK THAT, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY HARD SELL 'CAUSE YOU'RE JUST REALLY RAISING THE COST FOR THE CONSUMER ON WHAT THEY'LL BE BUYING.
CLAYTON, I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD OVER THERE.
ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
COUNCILMAN, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? THIS IS
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY INCREASED ONLY FOUR 10TH PERCENT.
TODAY IS 1% FOR BOND AND SIX 10TH PERCENT DEBBIE STAFF, DEBBIE'S DEPARTMENT CHARGE ON THE PROJECT.
MY PROJECT, IN REALITY, THEIR COST FOR THE BOND PROJECT IS 1.6.
ALL WE ARE ASKING TO MAKE 2% AND DEBBIE'S DEPARTMENT TO BE INDEPENDENT BY ITSELF.
I CAN FINISH THE PROJECT ON TIME AND CLOSE IT ON TIME.
NOW IS, I CANNOT CLOSE THE PROJECT ON TIME BECAUSE THE ARTWORK IS NOT DONE YET.
ALL WE ARE REALLY ASKING TO INCREASE TO FOUR 10%, BUT THE MONEY IS GONNA COME OUT OF A 2%.
IT'S JUST INSTEAD OF THE MONEY AND INSTEAD OF YOU SUPPLYING MONEY OUTTA YOUR BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A 2% INCREASE.
AND SOME OF THAT MONEY IS GONNA GO TO DEBBIE DIRECTLY AND NOT THROUGH YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S STILL A RA INCREASE OF 2%.
IT'S STILL RAISING MORE MONEY AND I THINK A, A DIFFICULT TIME TO DO IT.
BUT I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'VE GOT A COPY HERE, SO I'VE BEEN KIND OF FOLLOWING YOU ALONG.
AND I THINK TO, TO RA'S POINT, HE'S SAYING THAT, THAT THE
[00:40:01]
1% PLUS THE ADMIN COST IS WHAT, WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PAID.SO IT'S A FOUR, FOUR TENTHS OF THE PERCENT INCREASE.
AND, UH, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO, TO HELP ARTISTS, UH, RECOVER.
UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT IS A HARD TIME, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROVIDE A ROADMAP FOR ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO BOUNCE BACK QUICKLY.
UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME TO SORT OF CREATE THAT KIND OF, UH, PLANNING.
AND THERE IS MORE TO THIS, THE STAFF REQUEST.
I'LL ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, TO TAKE A LOOK.
UH, THEY'VE ALL, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PROPOSALS INCLUDE THE, UM, THE PILOTING OF THE 19 PROJECTS PLUS ONE MORE, UH, TO, TO BEGIN THAT PILOT, UH, PROCESS AND BRING IT BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO SEE HOW THAT, THAT WORKED OUT.
WE'LL GO ON NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
UM, YEAH, CAN YOU GO BACK SLIDE NUMBER THREE? I
UM, I, I, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, DEBBIE, I I, I TOOK A EXCEPTION TO THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IN THAT FIRST BOX THERE, IT'S FREE.
SO WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT TITLE IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT FREE.
YOU'RE, THE MONEY'S COMING FROM SOMEBODY AND IT'S COMING FROM THE TAXPAYER, SO IT'S NOT FREE.
SO YOU NEED TO REWORD THAT, THAT BOX ON THAT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S VERY MISLEADING.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET THAT CHANGED ON THE SLIDE ITSELF.
AND, UM, UH, ON THE SLIDE THAT HAS THE CON COMPARISONS, UH, THE TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS, IF YOU CAN GO TO THAT.
SO YOU DON'T NEED A TICKET,
UM, YOU KNOW, I COUNCILMAN COURAGE TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH, UM, ABOUT THIS INCREASE.
AND THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME FOR AN INCREASE.
MAYBE ON THE NEXT BOND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT A LITTLE BIT, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
I, I, I JUST CANNOT SEE THIS COMING UP IN 2022 BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS WE'RE UNDER NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, UH, MR. WALSH HAS BEEN SAYING THIS, THIS COULD TAKE ANYWHERE TO, FROM THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO COME OUT OF THIS, UH, HOLE THAT'S BEEN DUG FOR US ON THIS, UH, COVID-19.
AND I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA HAMSTRINGING US WITH ADDING OR TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THE PROJECTS TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL ART.
AND THAT'S, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE JUST FOCUSING ON THE 2% AS A GIVEN THAT WE'RE GONNA MARK THIS UP TO 2%.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE CURRENT SITUATION, WHICH IS THE 1% ADDED TO THIS SLIDE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY GAUGING IT AGAINST.
AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE, UH, AUTHORIZING ON FOR PUBLIC ART, WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW? WHAT'S THE TOTAL? AND COMPARE THAT IN THEN TO THESE TWO OPTIONS HERE TO INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR STAFF TIME AS WELL.
IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, THAT'S FINE.
UH, BUT, OR IF IT'S BEING PAID FOR OUTTA THE BOND, THAT'S FINE.
BUT WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT ON WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING FOR IN PUBLIC ART.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT SHOWN ON ANY OF THESE SLIDES WHAT WE'RE GETTING NOW.
SO WE NEED TO ADD THAT TO THIS SLIDE ALSO, TO SHOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE INCREASE IS AND WHERE IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM.
IT'S GONNA COME FROM THE ACTUAL BOND PROJECTS THEMSELVES, WHICH WE, WHICH WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE, IT'S DOUBLING THAN WHAT WE, UM, ARE PROPOSING HERE AND WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UM, AND RAZZIE, I, I, I HEAR YOU WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I REALLY, YOU KNOW, AND I I I BET YOU I COULD TAKE ANYBODY IN THIS CITY THAT REALLY CARESS TO MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
WE DON'T WANNA MAKE, MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING TO THIS PROGRAM.
THAT, THAT, THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE COMMENT IN MY BOOK.
UH, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS FOR.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM ON THAT, BUT, UH, NO, SORRY, CAN'T, CAN'T GO
[00:45:01]
ALONG WITH THAT.UM, ALONG WITH THAT, DEBBIE, I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO COUNT IN OR SHOW HOW MUCH MONEY THAT THE COUNTY PUTS INTO OUR PUBLIC WORKS WITHIN PUBLIC ART WITHIN THE CITY.
THAT'S ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT WE'RE NOT SHOWING WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING.
AND THEY DO A LOT OF PUBLIC ART ALSO.
THEY'VE DONE A HECK OF A LOT ON THE CREEK WASTES.
SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT AND SHOW, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT MONEY'S NOT FREE.
AND IT'S YOU AND ME AND EVERYBODY ELSE, IT'S LOOKING AT THIS, UH, BROADCAST HERE.
EVERYBODY IS PAYING FOR THIS PUBLIC ART, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE CITY OR THROUGH THE COUNTY.
DOES SAWS AND C P SS DO ANYTHING WITH PUBLIC ART? THAT'S A QUESTION.
DO THEY? SAWS AND C P S DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.
OKAY, WELL, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO APPROACH THEM.
I MEAN, THEY DO VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OUT THERE AS WELL.
SAWS, SAWS, PIPES AREN'T TOTALLY UNDERGROUND.
THEY HAVE STORAGE TANKS, WOULD, COULD DO PUBLIC ART ON STORAGE TANKS.
C P S HAS TRANSMISSION LINES, THEY'VE GOT FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, JUST ASK A QUESTION.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY HAVE TO, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY COULD TAKE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OUT OF THEIR, OUT OF THEIR PROGRAMS ALSO AND SUPPORT THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.
AND, UM, IT WAS TALKED ABOUT EQUITY, UH, BEFORE, YES, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE, LET'S, LET'S PUT ON A DISTRICT, UH, A CITY MAP BY DISTRICT, WHERE THE PUBLIC ART FUNDS HAVE GONE BY DISTRICT.
HOW MANY DOLLARS HAS EACH DISTRICT GOTTEN? I'D REALLY BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT.
IN FACT, DEBBIE, DIDN'T YOU DO THAT FOR ME AT ONE TIME? WE HAVE IT FOR THE, THE PLAN 2017 BOND.
SO NOT EVERY PROJECT'S DONE YET, AND WE'RE STILL, YOUR, ACTUALLY YOUR PROJECT IS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES GONNA GET DONE AT COMANCHE LOOKOUT PARK.
OKAY, WELL, I THINK WE CAN GO, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE EQUITY OVER THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW, HOWEVER LONG WE'VE BEEN DOING PUBLIC ART, UNLESS IF IT WAS FROM THE LAST BOND IN 2012, LET'S ADD IT UP, ADD IT UP IN EACH DISTRICT, HOW MUCH EACH DISTRICT GOT IN PUBLIC ART IN DOLLARS.
AND AGAIN, I, I LIKE TO SEE THE ACTUAL DOLLARS ON THERE AND NOT JUST PERCENTAGES.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, PART THAT WE'RE MISSING HERE ON SOME OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION.
UM, AGAIN, I SUPPORT PUBLIC ART.
I'M NOT WILLING AT THIS POINT TO RAISE ANYTHING, ANY PERCENTAGE, ANYWHERE, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE CUT MILLIONS OUT OF OUR CITY BUDGET TO GET BY THIS NEXT YEAR, CUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND HERE WE'RE HERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING AGAIN, UH, IN AN AREA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST COME RIGHT OUT AND SAY IT.
THAT IS NOT CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT THOSE COMMENTS WERE, I THINK, TAKEN WHEN TIMES WERE GOOD AND NOT WHEN TIMES WERE BAD.
AND IF YOU WENT IN AND ASKED ANYBODY TODAY, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE YOUR STREETS FIXED? OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE PUBLIC ART? YOU'D PROBABLY GET YOU WANT, THEY WANT THEIR STREETS FIXED FIRST.
SO AGAIN, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
YOU KNOW, LET'S LEAVE THE PROGRAM WHERE IT'S AT AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WE'LL GET CLOSER TO THE BOND OR IN FUTURE BUDGETS, BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS STUFF.
IT'S THE PEOPLE'S MONEY OUT THERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PER PERRY.
UH, FIRST LET ME JUST SAY, UM, REGARDING RAZZY, I, I, YOU KNOW, RAZZY IS, UH, SOMEBODY I WORK WITH, UH, QUITE A BIT.
AND I, I THINK WHAT HE WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO SAY WAS, UH, HE'S TRYING TO GET THINGS, UH, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY MORE ORGANIZED AND IN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY CAN, THAT ARE BEST SUITED TO, TO HANDLE, UH, A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO THAT THIS IS HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THIS IS ABOUT COORDINATING ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE ALL ASPIRE TO.
UH, THE, WHAT WE DO KNOW, AND WE'VE ALWAYS HEARD, IS THAT PEOPLE WANT ART, UH, CLOSER TO THEM.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS, THIS IS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO, UH, TO SUPPORT THIS.
WE THINK THAT THIS WILL BE THE RIGHT STEP MOVING FORWARD.
[00:50:01]
REMEMBER THAT THIS, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ACTUALLY SEVERAL, SEVERAL PARTS.NOW, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE BOND PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE, THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE DESIGN ENHANCEMENT WITH, WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH IS NOT ADDING ANY MORE MONEY, BUT RATHER WORKING WITHIN THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES.
AND I ASK THAT, UH, THIS COMMITTEE MOVE THAT FORWARD AT LEAST, AND WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE MORE DISCUSSION REGARDING THE BOND LANGUAGE.
UH, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN PERRY ABOUT C P S.
IN FACT, I KNOW THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE PARTNERED WITH ME.
UH, GO CHECK OUT THE DRESDEN, UH, SUBSTATION, UH, RIGHT OFF OF BLANCO AND DRESDEN AND BLANCO.
AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT WAS AN AMAZING, UH, PROJECT THAT INCLUDED ART ALONG THEIR WALLS.
THESE, UH, PRECAST CONCRETE WALLS.
TO THIS DAY, THERE'S NO GRAFFITI ON IT BECAUSE PEOPLE CHERISH AND, AND RESPECT THAT AND, AND APPRECIATE, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, WAS PUT UP.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS, WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE, ESPECIALLY AROUND AN AREA WHERE YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT ART.
AND, UH, SO I WANNA PUBLICLY THANK C P SS FOR, FOR BEING A, A GREAT PARTNER IN THAT.
AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO ALL OUR PARTNERS, UH, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT I THINK IS, IS AN ESSENTIAL THING IN OUR CITY.
OUR ARTISTS HELP CARRY THAT FORWARD, AND WE NEED TO INVEST IN THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AS WE'RE FACING A VERY SERIOUS CRISES IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THERE'S MANY ARTISTS THAT, THAT ARE HAVING TROUBLE, UH, YOU KNOW, SUSTAIN, AFLOAT, AND THE LAST THING WE'D WANT IS TO LOSE THAT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE VERY THING THAT, THAT HAS GENERATED REVENUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE INVESTING IN AND SHOWING OUR SUPPORT FOR.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THAT, UH, THE STAFF CAN PRESENT, UH, SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU REQUESTED IN TERMS OF WHAT WE SPEND NOW WITH THE 1% VERSUS THE INCREMENT THAT, THAT WE'RE ASKING, WHICH IS A, WHICH I THINK IS A MODEST, UH, STEP UP.
BUT REMEMBER THAT MONEY IS, IS HELPING TO, TO SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS, LOCAL ARTISTS, UH, THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT 10, UH, DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE, ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY REVISIT THIS AT A FUTURE DATE AND ALLOW, UH, STAFF TO, TO PRESENT, UH, THE NUMBERS.
BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOME TIME FOR THE NEXT BOND, UH, ELECTION TO, TO HAPPEN.
AND I WOULD ASK FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE ON WHAT THAT MEANS.
BUT THE SECOND PIECE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IS THE, THE DESIGN ENHANCEMENT WITH, WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, UH, PILOT BE MOVED FORWARD, UH, AND KNOWING THAT, AGAIN, THAT THAT IS NOT A, AN INCREASE IN, IN BUDGETS ON, ON ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS, BUT RATHER WORKING WITHIN THOSE CONFINEMENTS TO, TO SEE ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATE EXISTING PROJECTS.
AGAIN, PUBLIC WORKS HAS EXISTING PROJECTS, WHEREAS WE DROPPED OFF WITH ART PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THIS IS WELCOMING ARTISTS TO THE TABLE TO HELP CONTRIBUTE TO HOW WE BUILD OUT THE CITY AND DO IT IN A CREATIVE WAY.
UH, SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, WE'LL, UH, HOPEFULLY CAN, CAN GET A, A MOTION FROM, FROM THIS COMMITTEE, UH, TO, TO AT LEAST MOVE THAT PORTION FORWARD.
I JUST WANTED TO WEIGH BACK IN.
UH, I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT C P S THAT THEY'VE DONE, DONE SOME FOR US, BUT AGAIN, UH, THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST THIS LITTLE POT OF MONEY OVER HERE OR THIS LITTLE POT OF MONEY THERE.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING AS IN, IN THE CITY AS A WHOLE TO INCLUDE SAUCE, C P S, AND ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION OUT THERE THAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC ART.
SO, I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT ALL-ENCOMPASSING VIEW, THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THIS MUCH.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIGGER, BIGGER NUMBER.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT IS OUT THERE AND WHAT HAS BEEN PAID FOR IN THE PAST, AND WHAT PROJECTS ARE COMING UP IN THE FUTURE WITH THE COUNTY.
WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT OTHER ARE PIECES ARE THEY PLANNING FOR IN THE FUTURE AS WELL? SURE.
SO, YEAH, I REALLY, REALLY LIKE THAT.
THE, THE, UH, COMMERCIAL, THE COMMERCIAL THING REQUIRING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES AND COMMERCIAL BUILDERS OUT THERE TO PUT FINGER IN, UH, ARTWORK.
WE CAN'T BE DICTATING TO OUR, OUR
[00:55:02]
PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GROW BUSINESSES BUILD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.WE CAN'T BE REQUIRING THEM TO INVEST THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, CORPORATE MONEY OR PERSONAL MONEY THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THIS CITY WITH AND TELLING THEM, NO, YOU GOTTA SET ASIDE THIS MUCH MONEY FOR, FOR ARTWORK.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE REQUIRE THAT, WHO'S GONNA END UP PAYING FOR THAT? IT'S THE CUSTOMER THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SELLING OR PROVIDING SERVICES OR GOODS TO.
AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT JUST GETS PASSED ON TO, UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I KEEP SAYING IT ALL THE TIME.
WE KEEP SAYING THAT THIS IS THE POOREST CITY IN, IN THE NATION, BUT YET WE JUST KEEP PILING ON AND PILING ON TO EXACERBATE THAT PROBLEM.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA BE, I, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
UH, I I THINK THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM, UH, THE CORPORATE, UM, COMPANIES OUT THERE, UH, AND, AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRYING TO DO PROJECTS OUT THERE THAT, THAT WILL ENHANCE THEIR BUSINESS THAT THEY SEE FIT.
AND WE SHOULD NOT, COUNCIL PERRY, COUNCIL PERRY, THAT THAT'S NOT PART OF TODAY'S STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TODAY.
CAN THEY? THAT'S PART OF A, THEY, THEY EXPLAINED THAT THAT'S GOING TO ANOTHER COMMITTEE.
WELL, THE PART I, SO AGAIN, THERE WAS A, THE, THE PUB, THE, THE 2%, AND THEN THERE WAS THE DESIGN ENHANCEMENT WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I ASK THAT, UH, THAT THIS COMMITTEE SUPPORT THAT.
WELL, BEFORE I CAN SU SUPPORT THAT, SIR, I WOULD, I WANNA SEE WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, JUST A NUMBER.
I WANNA SEE WHAT PROJECTS AND WHAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, WHAT'S THE COST GONNA BE TO THE, EXCUSE ME, TO THOSE PROJECTS.
I I CAN'T SUPPORT WHAT YOU LAID OUT RIGHT NOW AS THE RECOMMENDATION UNTIL WE GET MORE DETAILS ON THAT'S, UH, DEBBIE LAID IT OUT.
SO DEBBIE, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? YES, I THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, FOR BRINGING UP THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAD WITH C P S FOR THE SUBSTATION, BUT THAT WAS A 2012 BOND PROJECT, AND WE FUNDED IT.
BUT C P SS WAS A GREAT PARTNER ALLOWING US TO PUT THE ART ON THEIR FACILITY.
UM, AND, AND WE ACTUALLY ARE WORKING ON ANOTHER, UH, SUBSTATION, UH, FOR C P S TRYING TO BEAUTIFY THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AND, AND WE'VE WORKED ON SOME UTILITY PROJECTS WITH THE COUNCILMEN AS WELL.
SO, UH, I WILL CHECK WITH C P S TO SEE IF THEY ACTUALLY FUND ANY PUBLIC ART, BUT THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH THEM, THEY WERE ASKING US TO FUND THE PUBLIC ART ON THEIR FACILITIES, UH, WHICH WE'VE DONE.
YEAH, IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.
WE WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK AND CHECK WITH THOSE PARTNERS.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, BEFORE I SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THIS PILOT PROJECT, I WANNA SEE THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AND WHAT THE COST IMPLICATION IS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS.
COUNCILMAN? COUNCILMAN? YOU'RE ON MUTE.
UM, YEAH, I LIKE COUNCILMAN PERRY.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE PILOT PROJECTS.
CAN YOU BRING THAT BACK UP AND GIVE US A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT THOSE ARE? AND I'LL MUTE MYSELF NOW.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT, DEBBIE, DO YOU HAVE THOSE PROJECTS YET, OR DO YOU, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA BRING BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE? YOU'RE ON MUTE, THEN YOU, OKAY.
WE CAN, UH, WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
WE DO HAVE A LIST, UH, OF THE 19 PROJECTS.
THE, THE 20 PROJECTS IS THE ONE THAT'S STILL UP IN THE AIR, BUT, UH, WE COULD PROVIDE THAT LIST TO EACH OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A COST OF AROUND, UH, $2,000 OR LESS PER PROJECT FOR THE ADVICE, UH, OF THE ARTISTS.
UH, THEY WOULD BE ATTENDING UP TO SEVEN MEETINGS.
THEY WOULD BE, UH, PROVIDING THEIR, UH, POINT OF VIEW AND THEIR INSIGHT AND, UH, PERHAPS EVEN, UH, SOME SORT OF A CONCEPT OF WHAT THEY MIGHT RECOMMEND.
AND THEN IT WOULD REALLY NEED TO BE UP TO, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM TO DETERMINE IF IT'S A FEASIBLE, UH, ADDITION OR NOT.
SO WE'RE, WE REALLY NEED TO COME BACK AND, AND VET HOW THAT, HOW THOSE POLICIES WOULD LOOK FOR THE DESIGN ENHANCEMENT.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND I, I SEE YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JUST A MINUTE.
UH, SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET SOME, UH, TIME,
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UH, FOR, FOR DEBBIE AND RAZZY TO, TO, UH, FURTHER DEFINE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND, AND GET WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEN, UH, ADVISE US ON WHEN THEY CAN COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE.I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO START DANCING OR SOMETHING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THESE 19 PROJECTS ARE, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BACKUP SLIDE ON WHAT THEY ARE.
AND THEN THE GRAND TOTAL IS, IS IT 2000 PER PROJECT OR 2000 FOR THE ARTIST, OR COULD YOU, WHICH ONE IS IT? I, DEBBIE? YES, MA'AM.
WE'RE WORKING ON NEGOTIATING THAT.
UH, IT, IT'S GONNA BE LESS THAN $2,000 PER PROJECT.
UH, IT MAY BE THAT SOME ARTISTS WHO HAVE THREE PROJECTS MAY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN $2,000 BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK ON THREE PROJECTS, BUT OKAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE COST DOWN WITH REALLY, IT IS GIVING THEIR ADVICE AND, UH, ON WHAT THEY THINK COULD BE ADDED TO THE PROJECT ARTISTICALLY.
UH, AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE 19 PROJECTS, AND THAT IS, THERE'S ONE IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT, CORRECT? YES.
UM, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE THE, UM, THE, THE LIST OF THE PROJECTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE KIND OF WHAT, UM, ARE WE ASKING THE ARTIST TO DO, UH, ORDINARY COMPONENTS MORE BEAUTIFUL.
I THINK THAT'S A, I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UM, AND THEN HAVE YOU SELECTED THE SEVEN ARTISTS ALREADY? WE HAVE, NOT YET.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD, AND WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, MAYBE AT THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE TO COME BACK WITH IT, WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION IS BECAUSE, UM, TOO MANY TIMES WE'VE, WE'VE DONE PILOT PROJECTS AND EITHER THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL AND THEY COME BACK, OR THEY JUST KEEP GOING AND WE DON'T HAVE A RUNNING RECORD OF WHAT WAS WORKING POSITIVE AND WHAT WAS NOT.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT BEFORE I, I GIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THE, ON THIS, UM, PILOT PROJECT.
SO CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE JUST, YOU'RE JUST GONNA GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF OR IF YOU NEED A MOTION FOR US TO BRING IT BACK TO THE NEXT COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING NOW, I THINK WE'LL JUST TABLE, I THINK WE HEARD CONSENSUS THAT, UH, WE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
SO WE'LL ASK, UH, DEBBIE AND RAZZIE TO PUT THEIR HEADS, UH, TOGETHER, UM, AND, UH, AND GET US, GET US, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED AS THEY HEARD.
AND, UH, AND THEN I'LL WORK WITH THEM TO AGENDIZE IT WHEN THEY FEEL READY.
[4. 20-5984 Briefing regarding proposed local historical markers programs. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Shanon Miller, Director, Office of Historic Preservation]]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, BRIEFING REGARDING THE PROPOSED LOCAL HISTORICAL MARKERS PROGRAM.COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON.
I'M GOING TO ASK SHANNON MILLER, OUR DIRECTOR OF OUR OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO PRESENT THIS ITEM.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME A FEW MINUTES TO, TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEW PROGRAM THAT, UM, O H P IS, IS PREPARING TO LAUNCH.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE CONVENED INTO A WORKING GROUP TO, TO HELP US DEVELOP AN ALTERNATIVE LOCAL MARKERS PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE W P A AND SAY A M AND, UM, ESPERANZA PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER AND SOME, AND THE SAN ANTONIO CONSERVATION SOCIETY, JUST TO NAME A FEW.
AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UM, DENZEL, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE, UM, WE KNOW THAT WE WANT, WE WANTED TO CREATE A PROGRAM THAT IS LIKE A LOCAL VERSION OF THE STATE HISTORIC MARKERS THAT YOU'RE USED TO SEEING THOSE BIG SILVER MARKERS.
BUT, UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE, THAT WAS AN AFFORDABLE OPTION TO, TO, TO, TO BOTH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
AND REALLY, IT'S AN EFFORT TO KIND OF CELEBRATE BOTH PERSONAL STORIES AND HISTORIES THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE CITY'S CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, UM, SO WE'RE PROPOSING TWO LOCAL MARKERS PROGRAMS. IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WE'RE STARTING TO SOFT LAUNCH IN THE NEXT, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, IT'S CALLED, THERE'S A STORY HERE.
AND THE IDEA BEHIND THIS PROJECT IS TO BE REALLY A CROWDSOURCED OPTION TO TELL, LIKE, KIND OF FUN, OBSCURE, QUIRKY, UM, MEANINGFUL STORIES ABOUT, UM, THE, THE PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE ENDEARING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY'RE MAYBE NOT LIKE CAPITAL H HISTORY BOOK KIND OF STORIES.
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UM, MORE MORE COMMUNITY BASED.AND SO WE WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR STORIES ONLINE AND THROUGH A FORM THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS HIS, THERE'S A STORY HERE, UM, PROGRAM, AND WE WOULD HAVE MARKERS EITHER STICKERS OR LITTLE SIGNS, LIKE IMAGINE THE, UH, THE LITTLE SIGNS, LIKE FROM YOUR ALARM COMPANY.
SO JUST SOMETHING SMALL LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT WOULD HAVE A QR CODE AND A, AND A LINK TO THE STORIES SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN PULL IT UP AND THEY CAN LEARN SOMETHING AND THEN THEIR LOCATION ENABLED.
AND SO ONCE YOU'VE PULLED THAT UP, YOU CAN SEE ON A MAP OTHER, UM, SITES THAT ARE ON THE MAP THAT ARE NEARBY.
AND I WILL, I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT MAP WILL LOOK LIKE A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE JUST, WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO START SUBMITTING THOSE STORIES.
AND SO I'M, ALL OF YOU HAVE GREAT STORIES IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS, AND SO WE'D, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR, UM, ANY IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE SOFT LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, UM, WE HAVE, WE'VE COLLECTED PROBABLY 10 OR 15 STORIES AT THIS POINT, UM, FOR THE LAUNCH.
BUT HERE'S A FEW THAT WE, I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE KINDS OF THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THE FIRST ONE YOU SEE IS A PHOTO OF PAT THE HORSE, WHO WAS A CALVARY HORSE THAT ARRIVED IN SAN ANTONIO IN 1912 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON.
AND APPARENTLY THE HORSE WAS VERY SWEET AND EVERYBODY LOVED HIM.
AND SO WHEN THE, WHEN THE ARMY BEGAN TO DISPOSE OF CALVARY HORSES, LIKE IN THE THIRTIES, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE PETITIONED FOR PAT THE HORSE TO STAY AT FORT SAM HOUSTON.
AND SO HE WAS THERE UNTIL HE DIED IN 1953.
HE WAS 45 YEARS OLD, AND HE WAS GIVEN A FULL MILITARY FUNERAL WITH TAPS, AND OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE ATTENDED PAT THE HORSE'S FUNERAL.
AND HE'S, AND HIS, HIS GRAVE IS STILL AT FORT SAM.
UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS, UH, RANDY'S RODEO OR RANDY'S BALLROOM.
UM, IN ADDITION TO BEING A, A COMMON VENUE FOR LIKE WEDDINGS AND QUINCEANERAS, UM, IT WAS THE LOCATION OF ONE OF ONLY SEVEN SHOWS BY THE SEX PISTOLS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE SEX PISTOLS PLAYED RANDY'S RODEO ON JANUARY 8TH, 1978, AND THE BAND BROKE UP SIX DAYS LATER, WHICH IS KIND OF A FUN LITTLE STORY.
UM, THE OFFICE OF NORTH CELL, HAYWOOD AND ASSOCIATES ON W W Y, THIS BUILDING WAS HIS OFFICE.
AND SO HAYWOOD WAS THE FIRST LICENSED BLACK ARCHITECT IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IS ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, ALONG WITH JOHN CHASE, UM, THAT THEY GRADUATED IN 1960.
UM, SOME OF HIS WORK INCLUDES ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, CLAUDE BLACK CENTER AND BRACKENRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN THE OTHER LITTLE EXAMPLE IS THE REPTILE GARDEN AT THE WITTY MUSEUM, WHICH, UM, WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1939, AND IT HOUSED THOUSANDS OF STAKES, SNAKES, AND OTHER REPTILES FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
AND, UM, APPARENT, APPARENTLY IT ATTRACTED 750,000 VISITORS EVERY YEAR AND PRODUCED INCOME FOR THE WITTY DURING THE DEPRESSION BY HOSTING TICKETED EVENTS.
AND THEY WOULD SELL FRIED RATTLESNAKE ON, ON SUNDAYS, UM, AND RANCHERS COULD SELL THEIR SNAKES TO THE REPTILE GARDEN FOR, UM, 10 TO 15 CENTS PER POUND.
SO JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF JUST KIND OF A FUN STORY THAT, UM, THAT WE WANT BE, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO IN DEVELOPING THE LOCAL MARKER PROGRAM, WE, WE REALLY, WE DID LOOK AT THE PROCESS THAT IT TAKE, THAT YOU GO THROUGH TO APPLY FOR A TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION SUBJECT MARKER.
UM, THAT PROCESS TAKES 12 TO 18 MONTHS FROM APPLICATION TO ACTUALLY GETTING A SIGN INSTALLED.
IT'S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT APPLICATION.
UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S A SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT PROCESS FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SOME, UH, VOLUNTEERS WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY FAMILIAR WITH DOING, UM, DRAFTING A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE.
IF THE MARKER IS APPROVED, THOSE MARKERS COST UP TO $1,800, SO IT'S ALSO NOT CHEAP.
AND SO, SO WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THESE AS BARRIERS TO ENTRY INTO THAT PROGRAM.
IT'S, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT EVERYBODY JUST CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN IT BE DUE TO COSTS DUE TO THEIR RIGOROUS APPLICATION, THEIR REQUIREMENT FOR A NARRATIVE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS REQUIRE SOME SORT OF EITHER STAFF OR VOLUNTEER TIME THAT SOME APPLICANTS JUST DON'T HAVE.
SO AS AN ALTERNATIVE, WE'RE PROPOSING ANOTHER LOCAL MARKER PROGRAM CALLED HISTORY HERE.
AND THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, IT, IT BASICALLY WOULD BE KIND OF OUR LOCAL VERSION OF THAT T H C MARKER.
AND, AND WORKING WITH OUR MARKER COMMITTEE, WE
[01:10:01]
IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES, THE KIND OF THE GUIDING STATEMENT FOR THE PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WHICH IS THAT WE PRIORITIZE UNDERTOLD AND GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE STORIES SUBSTANTIATED BY RESEARCH EMBEDDED COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE, ORAL TRADITIONS, AND OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO PUBLIC HISTORY.AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT NOMINATIONS WOULD BE SUBMITTED AND THEY WOULD BE REVIEWED BY PEOPLE REPRESENTING ALL AREAS OF SAN ANTONIO'S, UM, CULTURE.
AND SO IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE A FIRM APPLICATION CRITERIA OR SET PREDETERMINED CRITERIA.
IT WOULD REALLY BE A COMMUNITY DRIVEN, UH, REVIEW PROCESS SO THAT, UM, IF THE COMMUNITY, UH, REVIEW BOARD SAW THAT THERE WAS POTENTIAL IN A STORY, BUT MAYBE IT DIDN'T HAVE QUITE ENOUGH, OR THEY NEEDED A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION OR WANTED TO HELP DIRECT THAT NARRATIVE, THEY WOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT, WHAT THE MARKERS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
UM, THIS WOULD BE 18 BY 24, UM, MARKER.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF METALLIC FINISH, SO IT LOOKS LIKE METAL, BUT IT'S NOT.
AND SO THEREFORE IT'S A LOT, LOT MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, WE, THEY WOULD BE, WE WOULD, THE PROGRAM WILL COST AROUND 200 TO $250.
UM, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO FEEL LIKE THAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS PROHIBITIVE FOR THEM.
AND SO WE WOULD WORK TO HAVE SPONSORSHIPS AND, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT IF SOMEBODY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE, THE, THE COST OF THE MARKER THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE PRECLUDED FROM THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE WOULD WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS, SOME OF WHOM I ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT YOU SEE OTHERS LISTED HERE.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT BASED ON THE SUBJECT AREA OF THE MARKER, THEN WE MIGHT PULL IN ADDITIONAL PARTNERS THAT HAVE EXPERTISE IN THAT AREA.
UM, BUT WE, WE WOULD LOOK TO INVOLVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IN KIND OF REVIEWING THESE STORIES AND, AND MAYBE ENHANCING THEM OR ADDING TO THEM IF, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL RESEARCH THAT THAT COULD BE DONE.
AS I MENTIONED, UM, WE DO HAVE A LOCATION ENABLED MAP THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.
THIS IS CALLED OUR DISCOVERY MAP, AND THIS IS UP ON THIS ON THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRES PRESERVATION WEBSITE.
CURRENTLY, UM, WE HAVE STORY LIKE PINS THAT REPRESENT A DIFFERENT STORY OR HISTORIC PHOTO THAT PEOPLE CAN PULL UP BASED ON LOCATION.
UM, YOU CAN SEE LIKE OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES ARE, ARE AVAILABLE ON THIS MAP.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WE DID A PROJECT WITH ST.
MARY'S PUBLIC HISTORY STUDENTS, AND SO THE, THE SITES THAT THEY IDENTIFIED, THOSE ARE IN THE MAP, UM, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TEAMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISCOVERY MAP, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A PLACEHOLDER THERE WAITING FOR, THERE'S A STORY HERE, WHICH WILL BE COMING SOON.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION RELATED TO KIND OF MAPPING AND RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, UM, THIS IS OUR OTHER MAP THAT WE CALL OUR EXPLORER MAP.
AND ON THIS MAP, YOU CAN, UH, ANYBODY CAN GO TO THE SITE AND THEY CAN SEE, LIKE, YOU, CAN YOU NOTICE THE PINK SQUARES? ALL OF THOSE ARE PENDING CASES THAT ARE UNDER REVIEW, NOT RIGHT NOW EITHER FOR, UH, EITHER BY STAFF OR PENDING H D R C HEARING, LIKE DESIGN REVIEW CASES.
BUT YOU ALSO CAN GO TO INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES AND YOU CAN PULL UP CASE HISTORY, YOU CAN SEE PHOTOS FROM IF A PROPERTY'S BEEN SURVEYED.
SO IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, PARTNERS WHEN THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, BOTH H D R C CASE HISTORY AND ALSO JUST, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT HISTORIC PROPERTIES AROUND THE CITY.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, I THINK IS THE WRAP UP SLIDE, ACTUALLY.
SO BASICALLY WE, THERE'S NOTHING, WE, WE DON'T, WE AREN'T ASKING FOR ANY ACTION TODAY.
I REALLY JUST, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BOTH OF THESE MARKER PROGRAMS. WE THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE ALL KINDS OF FUN AND UNIQUE AND DIVERSE STORIES FROM AROUND THE CITY.
AND SO, UM, WE WERE JUST EXCITED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM AND, UH, YOU, YOU'VE GOT MY FULL SUPPORT.
I THINK THE ONLY QUESTION I REALLY HAVE IS THAT, UM, YOU MENTIONED ALL THESE PARTNERS.
I KNOW THAT THE INNER CITY TOURS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ESTABLISHING THIS.
WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS, UH, TO SET UP SOME MARKERS.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS AN INNOVATIVE, UH, WAY, UH, TO DO THAT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN INCLUDE, UM, THE GROUP AT, UH, INNER CITY TOURS THAT HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY WANNA DO SOME ART PROJECTS, BUT I THINK, I THINK THESE TWO SORT OF CAN MAYBE EVEN COMBINE, UH, TO, TO KIND SHARE RESOURCES.
UH, BUT I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
UH, I KNOW FIVE POINTS HAS BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR, FOR A LONG TIME, AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, DEFINITELY GET THE WORD OUT TO, TO KEEP OKAY.
ANY, UH, SO WE'LL GO AROUND THE HORN AGAIN THIS
[01:15:01]
TIME.UM, YOU SHOWED A COST OF ABOUT $250 FOR THIS PARTICULAR PLAQUE.
IS THAT TO BE MOUNTED, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE EXACT SPOT AT, AT THAT LOCATION? YES.
THE, THE MARKERS, THE HISTORY HERE MARKERS WOULD BE PLACED AT THE LOCATION, AND, UM, AND THAT WOULD BE TOTAL COST WITH MOUNTING AND EVERYTHING SIMILAR TO THE WAY YOU SEE, UM, LIKE THE STATE MARKERS THAT ARE AROUND.
BUT THE STATE MARKERS ARE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUAL, THEY'RE REAL METAL, AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE EXPENSIVE, AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THE COST DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND WHAT'S, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ADMINISTRATIVE COST TO PROGRAMS LIKE THESE.
UH, IS THAT GONNA COST ANYTHING TO YOUR BUDGET? IS IT YOUR BUDGET GONNA
UM, IT WOULD ALL BE, IT, IT WE'RE PROPOSING THAT IT, IT WILL ALL BE HANDLED WITHIN OUR EXISTING BUDGET.
AND, UM, AND THE IDEA IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BELIEVE WE CAN PRODUCE THE SIGNS FOR AROUND $150, BUT BY CHARGING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR REPLACEMENT, LIKE IF THERE'S DAMAGE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, JUST KIND OF NORMAL MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN ALSO THAT WILL ENABLE US TO BUILD UP A LITTLE BIT OF RESERVE SO THAT WE CAN COVER THE COST IF SOMEBODY CAN'T AFFORD THE, THE APPLICATION FEE FOR THE MARKER.
UM, BUT THE INTENT IS DEFINITELY TO, UM, WORK WITH AN EXISTING BUDGET AND THEN ALSO THROUGH, UM, DONATIONS AND LIKE FOR THE, THERE'S A STORY HERE, MARKER.
A LOT OF FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN FROM PEOPLE ALREADY IS THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PAY FOR THAT MARKER PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE'LL ALLOW FOR LIKE, SUGGESTED DONATIONS, UM, FOR ANYONE WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE PROGRAM, SO THAT THAT WAY IT CAN HELP OFFSET THE COST OF, AGAIN, OF PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD.
AND AS FAR AS THE, UM, ANY ANYBODY CAN SUBMIT FOR THIS PROGRAM? YEAH, SO ANYBODY CAN SUBMIT, WELL, ANYBODY COULD SUBMIT FOR, FOR EITHER PROGRAM THAT, THAT, THERE'S A STORY HERE.
PROGRAM IS REALLY INTENDED TO HAVE A VERY, VERY LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY.
I MEAN, WE'RE EVEN IMAGINING THAT PEOPLE MIGHT LIKE, SUBMIT A STORY ABOUT THEIR, YOU KNOW, EPIC FIESTA PARTY THAT THEY HAD 30 YEARS AGO, WHATEVER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE REALLY FUN POPULAR CULTURE TYPE THINGS THAT CAN BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO, UM, OUTSIDE OF, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE THE DISCLAIMERS FOR ANYTHING THAT'S SORT OF INAPPROPRIATE OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT, IT'LL BE PRETTY, PRETTY OPEN.
UM, THE HISTORY HERE, MARKER PROGRAM ALSO IS OPEN FOR ANYBODY TO SUBMIT, BUT AS, AS I MENTIONED, THERE WILL BE LIKE A COMMUNITY REVIEW PANEL.
AND SO THEY'LL, THEY WILL THEN, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S ENOUGH BACKING UP WHATEVER IS BEING SUBMITTED, THAT WE BELIEVE IT TO BE TRUE AND, AND FACTUAL.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COMMUNITY REVIEW BOARD WILL COME IN.
SO YOU SHOWED A MAP SHOWING ALL THESE SUBMITTALS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENDING? YEAH, SO THE MAP THAT I SHOWED, WHICH I THINK IS SLIDE, UH, 11, DENZEL, IF YOU WANNA PULL IT UP, UM, IT'S, SO THAT MAP HAS MULTIPLE LAYERS.
UM, AND SO ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE ADMINISTER OUR LEGACY BUSINESS PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE LAYERS IN THAT MAP, UM, THE ONE BEFORE THAT, I'M SORRY, DENZEL, UM, LIKE THE DIFFERENT, LIKE YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE MARKER, THE KIND OF GOLDISH COLORED MARKER, THE SECOND ONE FROM THE BOTTOM IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS, THAT'S THE LEGACY BUSINESS, UM, LOGO.
SO ALL OF THOSE GOLDISH MARKERS ARE DIFFERENT LEGACY BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AND SO YOU CAN, YOU COULD SEARCH BY LAYER OR YOU CAN LOOK, YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU ARE ON THE MAP AND LOOK FOR ANYTHING THAT'S CLOSE TO YOU.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY HAS SUBMITTED LIKE HISTORIC PHOTOS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR LIBRARY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO POPULATE THE MAP THAT WAY.
SO IT'S, IT'S CROWDSOURCED FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES.
SO THIS PROGRAM WILL JUST BE ANOTHER LAYER ON THIS THAT WILL IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL PLACES.
JUST OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, HOW MANY DO YOU THINK WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS PROGRAM? ANY IDEA? I MEAN, I'M ENVISIONING HUNDREDS, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREALISTIC.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHENEVER WE START TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT, IMMEDIATELY PEOPLE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, WELL, DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WAS, UH, ONE OF OUR STAFF SUBMITTED A STORY WHERE, UM, THERE'S A HOUSE THAT THAT RECENTLY BECAME A LANDMARK IN ALTA VISTA IN DISTRICT ONE, AND THE WOMAN THAT LIVED THERE WAS FRIENDS WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND WITH I, I FORGET ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THERE'S SOME CONNECTION TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN, AND IT'S JUST LIKE THOSE LITTLE
[01:20:01]
KIND OF TIDBITS THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT ARE PASSED DOWN A LOT OF TIMES JUST THROUGH, UM, STORIES THAT THEN CAN BE CAPTURED AND OTHER PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT THEM.UH, UH, WHO, WHO, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE ON THIS COMMITTEE THAT'S GONNA BE REVIEWING ALL THESE THINGS? WHAT, WHAT'S THE MAKEUP OF THAT? AND ARE THERE GONNA BE ANY LIKE, PAID, PAID, UH, MEMBERS, LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, REAL HISTORIANS AND THAT KIND OF THING THAT CAN VALIDATE THESE STORIES? WELL, I MEAN, THE IDEA IS NOT THAT THEY WOULD BE, THEY WOULDN'T BE PAID BY US, BUT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE VOLUNTEER DRIVEN BASED ON ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATION.
SO YES, IT WOULD BE HISTORIANS, UM, LIKE, LIKE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE TANA COLLECTION AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE BASED ON THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE SIGN.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WILL BE ON THIS COMMITTEE? UM, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF INTEREST.
I MEAN, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T LET IT BE UNWIELDY, BUT I THINK, I THINK THERE'LL PROBABLY BE, UM, YOU KNOW, 20 OR MORE PEOPLE THAT'LL BE, ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, BUT MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T REVIEW EVERY MARKER.
YOU KNOW, LIKE WE MIGHT, AS A MARKER COMES IN, WE MIGHT PICK FIVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE EXPERTISE TO TAKE TO TACKLE THAT MARKER.
SO WE WOULD HAVE SORT OF A STABLE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE READY AND WILLING TO REVIEW THEM, AND THEN WE WOULD, UM, ASSIGN IT TO THE MOST APPROPRIATE NUMBERS.
WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE REST OF THAT ON WITH THE PROPOSAL.
STILL, STILL STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE SORTED OUT ON THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST HEARD YOU PRESENT THIS, SHANNON, THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND IS, KNOW I'M FROM BOSTON, SO I REMEMBER THE BOOK, THE FREEDOM TRAIL, AND IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO BOSTON MM-HMM.
YOU CAN WALK AROUND THE CENTER OF THE CITY AND GET AN IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR IN BOSTON.
UH, YOU GO A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH AND YOU GO UP TO SALEM AND YOU CAN WALK AROUND THERE AND THEY'VE GOT A GUIDED TRAIL FOR ALL THE SALEM, WHICH TRIAL THINGS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN AND THAT WITCH SCARE.
UH, AND SO I CAN SEE HOW SAN ANTONIO REALLY IS, IS A PRIME LOCATION FOR THIS KIND OF A HISTORIC OR, OR COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT.
SO, UH, I, I'M ENTHUSIASTIC JUST HEARING ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY TRAIL ABOUT IS, UH, THE BATTLE OF SAN ANTONIO, WHICH PRECEDED THE ALAMO, AND WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT, EXCUSE ME, AS WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE, DEVELOP THE ALAMO AS A GRAVER CENTER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A TRAIL THAT COULD WALK YOU AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE BATTLE OF SAN ANTONIO THAT HAPPENED YEARS EARLIER.
SO, UH, AND, AND I KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN POCKETS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE VERY STRONG HISTORIC ROOTS THAT WE COULD EASILY HAVE, UH, AREAS WITHIN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE VERY HISTORICAL OR THAT HAVE A LOT OF, UH, CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT, UH, THERE'S AN INTEREST IN IT AND IT, IT SUCH SOUNDS LIKE FUN.
WELL, AND I, SOMETHING YOU SAID REMINDED ME OF, OF SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I HIGHLIGHTED, BUT, UM, WE, THERE WILL BE AN ABILITY TO KIND OF CATEGORIZE THE MARKERS AS THEY COME IN BY THEME.
AND SO THEN IT'LL ALSO ENABLE US TO CONNECT THOSE IN ON THE MAPPING.
AND SO THEN YOU COULD CHOOSE, LIKE, I'M INTERESTED IN X TOPIC, AND SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE MARKERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN THAT WOULD ENABLE SOMEONE TO CREATE A, A WALKING TOUR OR A DRIVING TOUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE ARE IMAGINING SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU, THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UH, SHANNON, I THINK THIS IS A, A VERY GOOD, UM, EXCITING IDEA.
I AM, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AS LONG AS WE CAN, UH, AS LONG AS I CAN DESIGNATE, UH, AND SAY THAT THERE'S A STORY HERE, UM, ABOUT THE DONKEY LADY BRIDGE IN DISTRICT THREE BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN TRIES TO STEAL THE DONKEY LADY BRIDGE IN DISTRICT TWO.
SO I'M GONNA PULL OUT MY APPLICATION SOON SO I CAN PUT THAT HISTORY THAT THERE, THERE'S A STORY THERE,
BUT, AND, AND TO YOUR POINT TOO, LIKE RANDY'S THE SEX PISTOLS, I THINK YOU TOO PLAYED THERE.
ALL OF THESE GREAT STORIES THAT WE NEED TO SHARE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A LOT, IS THAT WE NEED TO TELL OUR STORIES.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT TREASURES AND JEWELS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
[01:25:01]
AND IT'S A, IT TAKES THE COMMUNITY COMING AND SHARING THAT.UM, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HISTORY HAPPENS HERE OR THE STORY, UM, THERE'S A STORY HERE.
WOULD THAT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON, UM, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT THEN IT HAS SOMETHING THAT SAYS, HISTORY HAPPENED HERE AND IT'S PEOPLE WANNA TAKE IT AND REUSE IT, REHAB IT, TEAR IT DOWN, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WOULD THIS HAVE ANY IMPACT ON IT? NO, IT, IT WOULDN'T.
THIS IS, THIS IS PURELY LIKE EDUCATIONAL, UM, KIND OF PROMOTIONAL.
IT, IT DOES, IT IS NOT TIED TO LIKE ZONING DESIGNATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT TO THAT OTHER POINT, LIKE SOMEBODY SAID IT WAS, UH, SOMEBODY WHO WAS FRIENDS WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN LYNCHED IN THAT HOUSE, IF IT'S A PRIVATE RESIDENCE, BUT THERE WAS A STORY TO IT, SOMEBODY CAN STILL SUBMIT THAT AND, BUT IT WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT PERSON'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE.
AND, AND THERE, THERE IS A, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A PROPERTY OWNER'S PERMISSION TO PUT A SIGN UP, SO, YOU KNOW, A STORY COULD BE SUBMITTED, BUT WE STILL WOULD HAVE TO GET THE OWNER'S PERMISSION IN ORDER TO PLACE, UH, TO PLACE IT ANY TYPE OF MARKER.
AND, AND IT REALLY IS JUST, IT INTENDED TO BE KIND OF EDUCATIONAL AND ALSO FUN.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THE THING ABOUT IF THE SEX PISTOLS PLAYED AND U TWO ALSO PLAYED, SO WHAT I'M HOPING AND IMAGINING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WILL SEE THAT THERE'S A STORY HERE MARKER AT, UM, AT THAT LOCATION AND, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE SEX PISTOLS.
AND THEN THEY'LL GO, OH, BUT I WAS AT THIS AMAZING U TWO CONCERT.
AND SO THEY'LL SUBMIT A STORY TOO.
SO THERE MIGHT BE MORE THAN ONE STORY SUBMITTED ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE SAME LOCATION, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
SO I THINK ONCE PEOPLE START SEEING THESE, IT'LL, IT'LL INSPIRE THEM TO GO, OH, WELL I HAVE A SIMILAR STORY ABOUT THIS PLACE, OR A DIFFERENT PLACE.
AND SO THAT WILL HELP, UM, GENERATE MORE ENTRIES.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF Y'ALL DONE THIS OR HOW YOU ALL HAVE WORKED WITH EVEN THE, THE STREET NAMES AND, UH, IF THERE'S EVEN ANY WAY, YES, WE HAVE MEMORIAL PARKWAYS AND YES, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THE STREETS AROUND THE MISSIONS ARE NAMED AFTER FAMILIES FROM THE MISSIONS, AND THERE'S A STORY IN ALL, IN A LOT OF OUR STREET NAMES YEAH.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO, LET'S BRAINSTORM ON, HOW DO WE TELL THAT STORY? HOW DO WE TELL LIKE, OKAY, WHY IS LA SOYA NAMED LA SOYA? WHY IS, UM, BUS'S NAME BUSTILLOS, ET CETERA.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY NEAT WAY, IF IT'S JUST, IF WE NEED TO PUT NEW, IF MAYBE A NEW STREET SIGN IS COMING INTO PLACE IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS, IS THERE A WAY JUST TO PUT, ALTHOUGH IT'D BE HARD FOR SOMEBODY TO PICK UP THEIR PHONE AND TAKE A PICTURE OF IT, BUT WHERE, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN CREATIVELY TELL THE STORY OF WHY STREETS ARE, ARE NAMED CERTAIN WAYS? YEAH.
UM, THAT'S JUST ONE THOUGHT THAT I HAVE.
AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I DID WANNA BRING UP, AND I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSEDLY LATER THIS WEEK, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ALAMO, THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN AND THE
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PRESS FORWARD WHENEVER WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF HISTORY HAPPENS HERE AND HOW IT COMES TO THE ALAMO, UH, PLAN.
THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS, BUT I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC, UM, MOVING FORWARD THIS FORWARD.
THANKS, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND REGARDING THE ALAMO, WE DEFINITELY WILL ALWAYS, UH, UPHOLD THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WHICH REALLY HELP OUTLINE, UH, THE IMPORTANT, THE IMPORTANT, UH, COMPLETE AND INCLUSIVE HISTORY THAT, UH, MUST BE TOLD, UH, FOR SAN ANTONIO AND FOR TEXAS.
UM, I APOLOGIZE TODAY AS ON THE MOVE DAY, BUT, UM, SHANNON, YOU KNOW, I HAD MY SUGGESTIONS OF THE FOOTPATHS, UM, THAT LEAD FROM THE GJ SUTTON, UM, PROPERTY UP TO THE, UH, HOME WHERE THE SACA IS HOUSED AND RIGHT THERE, UM, TO LEAD A PATTERN IN A WAY.
SO I'M, I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS GO FORWARD.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S RECOMMENDATION OF WORKING WITH THOSE THAT ARE ON THE TURS BOARD.
UM, EVEN IF IT'S, UH, THE DONKEY TRAIL AND THE DONKEY LADY,
[01:30:01]
UM, WITHIN MARTIN LUTHER KING PARK, UM, THE COUNCILWOMANUM, AND SO THOSE THINGS NEED REFERENCE
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH HISTORY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE TIME THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TRULY SHOWS WHAT WE'RE MADE OF.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I'M GONNA TAKE CHAIRMAN'S PRIVILEGE AND MOVE TO ITEM SIX.
'CAUSE I REALLY, I REALLY WANT TO HAVE THIS BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION
[6. 20-5973 Briefing and discussion on Emergency Housing Assistance Program eligibility. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services]]
ON EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.UH, CAN, CAN WE, UH, IS THAT, IS THAT YOU BETO? YES.
I'LL PASS IT ON OVER TO VETO, UM, ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, IF YOU'RE OKAY, WE'LL DO INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE SO WE CAN FOCUS ON ITEM NUMBER SIX.
SO THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS TO TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND BEFORE I GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY RELATED TO THIS, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE C D C, UM, EVICTION MORATORIUM BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE TAKE CLIENTS WHO ARE FACING EVICTION AS PART OF BEHALF.
SO I'LL TAKE A COUPLE MOMENTS JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY WEEK, UH, NEW GUIDANCE IS ISSUED.
SO JUST REMEMBER WE DO HAVE THIS, UH, C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM THAT WAS ISSUED, AND IT'S EFFECTIVE FROM SEPTEMBER 4TH THROUGH THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC WAYS BY WHICH A TENANT CAN QUALIFY FOR THE PROTECTION.
UM, AND, AND SO THERE'S A DECLARATION FORM THAT MUST BE, UH, SIGNED BY THE TENANT AND NEW GUIDANCE HAS COME OUT.
UH, BUT ONE THING THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT THERE'S STILL, UH, OBLIGATIONS THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AND THAT LANDLORDS CAN STILL CHARGE FEES, PENALTIES, AND INTEREST, EVEN THOUGH, UH, THIS PROTECTION FROM EVICTION, UM, IS STILL THERE.
UM, AND OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE WE SHARE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, UM, WITH OUR CLIENTS AND WITH THE LANDLORD.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT ONE OF THE REFINEMENTS THAT CAME DOWN, UH, ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO NOW.
SO THIS WAS THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT ORDER THAT ADDRESSES THAT C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM.
THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT IS THE BODY THAT SAYS MORE OF THE PROCESS BY WHICH EVICTIONS, UM, ARE HANDLED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO THEY CLARIFIED SOME ACTIONS REGARDED TO THAT C C MORATORIUM.
IT IS DEFECTIVE THE ORDER FROM THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT FROM THE 17TH OF SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER 15TH.
AND IT DOES CLARIFY THAT LANDLORDS NEED TO STATE IF THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE DECLARATION WHEN THEY'RE FILING AN EVICTION.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PROTECTION TO TENANTS.
AND ALSO THE COURTS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT DECLARATION, UM, IN A TEMPLATE FORMAT TO DEFENDANT.
AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF MAKING SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS PASSED ON DIAL DOWN TO TENANTS.
UM, AND SO THIS JUST CAME OUT WITH ADDITIONAL OF GUIDANCE.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE JUST TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE SEEN, UM, WITH THE DECLARATION.
SO, SO YOU'RE AWARE, UM, THERE ARE FOUR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURT WITH TWO OF THOSE COURT, UH, HAVING TWO JUSTICE, AND EACH ONE STILL HAS, UM, THEIR OWN WAY OF PROCESSING.
UM, SO THEY'RE ACCEPTING DECLARATIONS MOSTLY, UH, VIA EMAIL OR FAX.
UM, AND WHEN THEY DO RECEIVE THEM, IF SOMEONE HAS AN EVICTION HEARING, THE CASES ARE BEING RESET.
AND SO THIS NEW, UM, MECHANISM BY WHICH PEOPLE CAN STAY HOUSED AND AVOID EVICTION IS BEING UTILIZED IN THIS WAY.
UM, AND AGAIN, OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE WE SHARE INFORMATION, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING OR FORMS ARE NOT COMPLETELY FILLED OUT BY TENANTS OR SOMETIMES, UM, THE LANDLORDS ARE, ARE CHALLENGING THE DECLARATIONS.
[01:35:01]
SO OUR STAFF TEAM WORKING AT THE COURTS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE SHARE INFORMATION, THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF WHAT THE GUIDANCE THAT HAS COME DOWN IS.UM, AND THAT, UH, THE COURTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THIS, UM, ARE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS SHARED.
UM, SO OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL ATTORNEY THAT, AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF, OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE, UM, ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO, UH, THE DUE DILIGENCE FOR ANYONE COMPLETING THOSE DECLARATIONS.
AND SO OUR TEAM IS MAKING SURE PEOPLE, UH, ARE AWARE OF THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WITHIN THE DECLARATION STATE THAT THE TENANTS THOUGHT THAT EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE OR, OR THAT THEY, UM, DID AN EFFORT TO GET THAT ASSISTANCE.
AND SO THAT'S THE HIGH IMPACT FOR OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO LET ME SHIFT TO TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE RAN THE NUMBERS AS OF THE END OF THE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 30TH TO CLOSE THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND AS OF THAT DATE, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAD A 17,000 140 HOUSEHOLDS OR FAMILIES THAT HAD BEEN ASSISTED.
THE AVERAGE AREA MEDIAN INCOME CALCULATION SHOWS THAT MOST OF THOSE, OR THE AVERAGE IS JUST UNDER 30% WITH THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE BEING PROVIDED SINCE APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER AT JUST OVER 2,800, THE PERCENT OF RENTERS IS JUST OVER 85%.
SO THIS EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS MOSTLY ASSISTING RENTERS.
THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW MUCH HAS BEEN OFFERED, UH, THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
AGAIN, THIS IS AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH WITH 48.8 MILLION EXTENDED.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BULK OF IT, UH, CONTINUES TO BE THE ASSISTANCE FOR RENT AND MORTGAGE, 41.2 MILLION.
AND OF COURSE, THE PROGRAM COVERS UTILITY, E P S, INTERNET, AND WE HAVE THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE COMPONENT AND THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE THAT THE REMINDER IS BASED ON HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND CAP AT 30%.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN.
UM, YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS FOR INFORMATION AND MORE DATA.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE WHERE WE DEAL WITH A BREAKOUT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR THE AVERAGE A M I, UH, IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BEEN ASSISTED IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, WHAT THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE IS, AND HOW MUCH HAS BEEN EXPENDED IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT.
WE TOOK THIS REFINEMENT AND WE UPDATED OUR DASHBOARD.
WE ACTUALLY, UM, UNVEILED THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO ALL THIS DATA, UM, AND ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UM, IT'S VERY, VERY, UM, NEED INFORMATION, BUT YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT ELIGIBILITY AND WHO WE'RE ASSISTING.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE DID ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS WITH REGARDS TO HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS WE HAVE ASSISTED IN THE NUMBER OF MONTHS.
SO HOW LONG, UM, DID WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR? AND SO THIS IS TAKING, AGAIN, THE AVERAGE OF PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO OF OUR PROGRAM AGAIN FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER.
AND WE HAD MOST OF THE CLIENTS SEEKING ASSISTANCE FOR THREE MONTHS.
WE HAD SHARED THAT INFORMATION, BUT THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN.
IT'S BEEN RARE THAT WE ONLY ASSIST FOR ONE MONTH BECAUSE BY THE TIME PEOPLE COME TO US, THEY'RE ALREADY LATE ON THAT FIRST MONTH.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN AS OF SEPPE, SEPTEMBER 30TH.
IN ADDITION, THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS HOW MUCH WE HAVE ASSISTED IN TERMS OF DOLLARS FOR THE FAMILIES IN THE HOUSEHOLD BY MONTH.
UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE HAD THE PROGRAM RUNNING SINCE, UH, FOR MID TO LATE APRIL, AND WE TOOK THE FULL MONTH OF, OF ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE OFFERED AN AVERAGED IT ON AVERAGE EVERY MONTH SINCE MAY.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH WE HAVE ASSISTED, AND THIS IS THE TOTAL PACKAGE SINCE, FOR PHASE ONE AND SIX TWO, WE WOULD PAY FOR THREE MONTHS OF RENT MORTGAGE, THREE MONTHS OF THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE AS WELL.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS VARIED A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE ASSISTED ON AVERAGE, UM, BETWEEN 2,400 TO 3,900.
UM, SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THAT HAS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE DISTINCTION
[01:40:01]
BETWEEN RENTERS AND UM, MORTGAGES.AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, UM, WHAT A M I LEVELS ARE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE SYSTEM.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, SLIGHTLY MORE RENTERS, UM, HAVE THE LOWER A M I, SO UNDER 30% A M I CALCULATION, BUT EVEN MORTGAGE HOLDERS STILL HAVE, UH, LOW A M I.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS CALCULATED BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT ECONOMIC HARDSHIP CAUSED BY COVID.
BUT AGAIN, MORE DATA FOR YOU TO, UH, SEE HOW THE PROGRAM IS RUNNING AND WHO IT IS SERVING.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE, WE DO THE CALCULATION TO COMPARE RENTERS.
SO THIS IS JUST LOOKING AT THE 85 OR SO OF THE CLIENTS WHO GOT, UM, ASSISTANCE AND WE'RE PAYING RENT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT PER MONTH THE AVERAGE WAS COMING DOWN.
AGAIN, UH, IT VARIES A LITTLE BIT.
IT IS LOWER THAN THE MORTGAGE, WHICH I'LL SHOW IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT HERE THE RANGE IS, UM, JUST OVER $2,000 TO, UM, JUST OVER 2,800.
AND THEN WE CAN COMPARE IN THE NEXT SLIDE WHAT WE HAVE PAID OUT FOR MORTGAGES.
AND AGAIN, THE SAME KIND OF ANALYSIS.
SO, UM, I THINK YOU WENT ONE TOO FAR.
UH, SO FOR MORTGAGES, YOU CAN SEE, UM, HOW MUCH WE ARE PAYING OUT.
THIS IS HIGHER THAN FOR THE RENTERS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE RENTS TEND TO BE LOWER THAN, THAN THE AVERAGE MORTGAGE.
AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE RECEIVING MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, THE, THE RANGE, UM, OF, OF WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR HOUSEHOLD, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
SO YOU SEE RANGES FROM 2,600 TO, UM, 3,200.
AND SO NOW WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, STARTING OCTOBER ONE, WE STARTED THE THIRD PHASE OF OUR PROGRAM.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO ADDED MONEY ROUGHLY.
PHASE ONE STARTED IN APRIL AND LASTED FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
UM, WE USED PHASE TWO WAS MOSTLY THE, UM, CORONAVIRUS FUNDING.
THAT PLAN, OF COURSE WENT TO COUNCIL IN JUNE, AND THAT'S WHEN, UH, ROUGHLY PHASE TWO STARTED.
AND WE USED OCTOBER ONE, THE BEGINNING OF OUR FISCAL YEAR FOR PHASE THREE, WHICH WAS PART OF THE BUDGET.
SO NOW WE HAVE 76.6 MILLION, UH, IN THE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THIS WEEK WE, UM, ARE GONNA FINISH ALL OF THAT PHASE TWO.
SO LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THAT HAS, UM, THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE OVER THE LAST FIVE WEEKS.
AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT HOW MUCH ARE WE PROVIDING PER FAMILY THAT IS BEING ASSISTED, UM, PER WEEK.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS OUR SPEND RATE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE SPENDING EVERY WEEK TO HELP THESE FAMILIES? UM, THIS IS THE LATEST DATA.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A STEADY STREAM OF APPLICATIONS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AVERAGE, UM, FOR A WEEK IS, IS JUST UNDER $2 MILLION.
AND THAT'S HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING.
SO WE CAN TELL, UM, MORE OR LESS HOW LONG WE CAN KEEP THE, THE PROGRAM RUNNING.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS REFER FAMILIES TO THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
SO IN THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU SEE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF, OF THAT DATA, AND WE'RE STILL, COURSE WE GET ADDITIONAL CLIENTS EVERY DAY AND ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS APPROVED, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE CLIENTS, UM, TO BE REFERRED TO THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
SO 34, UM, 3,400 FAMILIES HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS ALAMO, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PARTNERS IN THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN FOR THE WORKFORCE COMPONENT.
UH, WE DID FOCUS ON ADDRESSES WHERE, UM, AFTER MAPPING THEM, THEY WERE LOCATED, UM, IN CENSUS TRACK.
THAT'S 4 8, 4 TO EIGHT, NINE OR 10 IN THE EQUITY ATLAS MAP.
UM, SO AGAIN, THE AREAS THAT WE BELIEVE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED WHO HAVE A DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND THERE ARE CONTACTS, UM, TUESDAY AND THURSDAYS BY WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER THE INFORMATION AS TO HOW MANY FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN REFERRED HAVE ENROLLED AND THEREFORE TRY AND COUNT HOW MANY RECEIVED EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND ALSO, UH, ENROLLED IN THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN, OTHER FAMILIES WILL BE CONTACTED AS WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE AND PROCESS APPLICATION.
SO LET'S GO TO THE ELIGIBILITY ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
[01:45:01]
WHERE THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED, WE HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ELIGIBILITY.WE STILL ARE RUNNING OUR PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF OUR HARDSHIP, UM, DUE TO COVID.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO ASSIST WITH RENT AND MORTGAGE.
SO THIS IS WHERE THE ELIGIBILITY STARTED TO SHIFT.
WE USED TO COVER FAMILIES UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
NOW IT'S UP TO 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE, UM, ASSISTANCE THAT IS PROVIDED.
BEFORE WE HAD UP TO THREE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE OF THE FULL PACKAGE, THE FULL PACKAGE, UH, PRICING OF THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, THE CHANGE WAS TO HAVE A SECURE APPROACH SO THAT THE MOST ASSISTANCE WOULD BE DIRECTED TO FAMILIES WITH LOWER INCOME WITH, UM, PRESUMABLY MORE NEEDS.
SO, UH, THIS TABLE SHOWS THAT FOR FAMILIES AT OR BELOW 50% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME IN OUR CITY, THAT THE 25% OF THE LOWER INCOME, UM, HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR CITY, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR TWO MONTHS OF RENT AND MORTGAGE, PLUS THE FULL PACKAGE, MEANING THE UTILITIES AND THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
IF A FAMILY STILL NEEDED A THIRD MONTH OF ASSISTANCE, THEY WOULD BE, UM, THEY'LL BE RECEIVING A CASH, UH, GRANT OF 500.
SO THAT'S HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO ASSIST UP TO THREE MONTHS.
FOR FAMILIES THAT MAKE BETWEEN 51% TO 80% OF THE, THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, THEY ONLY GET RENT OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, NOT THE FULL PACKAGE FOR TWO MONTHS.
SO THEY STILL CAN GET THE ASSISTANCE FOR RENT AND MORTGAGE, AND IF THEY NEED A THIRD MONTH OF ASSISTANCE, THEY TOO GET A CASH RENT.
BUT THEIR ASSISTANCE IS ONLY 250, UH, FOR THAT THIRD MONTH.
SO AGAIN, THE CHANGES HAD TO DO WITH THE ELIGIBILITY AT 80% A M I A, CHANGING HOW MUCH WE PAID OUT WITH A TIERED APPROACH.
AND SO I BELIEVE, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO FOCUS ON, UM, AND, AND DISCUSS.
AND SO I'LL CONCLUDE THIS PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WITH THE HELP OF OUR STAFF.
UM, EDWARD IS ON THE LINE, UM, AND SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, I'LL START, UH, BY SAYING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, SHARED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE RECENT CHANGES TO THE, UH, EAP, UH, WHICH IS WHY I ASKED FOR THE DISCUSSION, UH, ON AT THE SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING.
AND SO THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE ITEMS I HOPE THIS COMMITTEE CAN DISCUSS AS PART OF ITEM SIX TODAY, WITH THE GOAL OF POTENTIALLY BRINGING THEM BACK FOR ACTION.
REINSTATING THE INCLUSION OF 81 PERCENTAGE, A HUNDRED PERCENT A M I FAMILIES REINSTATING THE PREVIOUS AWARD CRITERIA AND THE CREATION OF A SPECIAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND CRITERIA FOR COLLEGE SLASH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.
WE MAY HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS ON, ON ON THEM, UH, THOUGH WE CAN AGREE THAT THEY HAVE MERIT, UH, THE MERIT CONSIDERATION, I'M SURE THE RECENT CHANGES WERE MADE TO ENSURE THE EAP LASTS THROUGH THE NEW YEAR AND REALIZE THAT SOME CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO THE PRO TO THE PROGRAM TO ENSURE IT CAN ASSIST AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
WITH THIS, WE ALSO NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE SUFFICIENTLY ASSISTING FOLKS AS WELL.
IF WE DO NOT FULLY ASSIST THEM, THEN THEIR LANDLORD IS STILL IN THE HOLE, CAN CHARGE LATE FEES AND EVENTUALLY EVICT THEM AFTER THE NEW YEAR.
THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM EVEN COVERS THOSE MAKING UP TO 175% A M I LOCALLY, YET OUR EAP COVERS ONLY UP TO 80% A M I AND FALLS SHORT IN OFFERING ASSISTANCE THAT COVERS EVERYONE UNDER THIS MORATORIUM.
I'VE ALSO LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE HOUSING STRUGGLES AREA COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE FACED IN TRYING TO APPLY FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE CITY.
FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS AND U T SS A STAFF, STUDENTS HAVE A HARD TIME MEETING THE APPLICATION CRITERIA OR DO NOT EXHIBIT THE AMOUNT, UH, OF NEED.
NON-STUDENT APPLICANTS FACE STUDENTS FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY AREA, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HAVE SENT IN EMAILS EXPLAINING THAT THEY NEED HELP, NOT JUST WITH HOUSING COSTS, BUT WITH GETTING OUT OF A LEASE THAT THEY NO LONGER NEED OR CAN AFFORD.
SOME STUDENTS HAVE BEEN LAID OFF AND ARE UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEASE.
[01:50:01]
AND CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION EXPENSES.COUPLED WITH A, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT THE PRIVATE STUDENT APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH STUDENTS, STUDENTS ARE IN DIRE NEED TO ACCESS TO THE ACCESS OF LOCAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
RECENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL LOCAL ARTICLES ABOUT STUDENTS HAVING TO MAKE THE DEC THE DIFFICULT DECISION ON WHETHER TO DROP OUT BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THEIR PRIVATE STUDENT LEASE THAT THEY CANNOT AFFORD.
STUDENTS LIKE ASH
SO THEY WITHDREW FROM U T S A AND HE STILL PAID A $900 FEE TO CANCEL HIS LEASE.
A REQUEST WAS MADE TO THE GOVERNOR ASKING HIM TO INTERVENE AND HELP STUDENTS ACROSS TEXAS WITH THEIR LEASE.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A LOCAL U T S A STUDENT, ISABELLA GUTIERREZ SALINAS, FOR HER CONTINUED EFFORTS TO GET SOLUTIONS ON THIS ISSUE.
THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED FOLKS ACROSS ALL INCOME BRACKETS, AND WE CANNOT PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER THEM WHETHER THEY MAKE $9 OR $99,000.
I UNDERSTAND THAT ONLY ABOUT 3.4% OF THE PREVIOUS EAP APPLICANTS WERE ABOVE 80% A M I, BUT, BUT THAT WAS STILL 527 FAMILIES.
JUST FOR COMPARISON, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE AWARD FOR A RECIPIENT IN THE ZERO TO 10% A M I RANGE, AND THE ONE AND ONE IN THE 82 100% RANGE WAS ONLY $355.
FURTHERMORE, THOSE 527 RECIPIENTS USED LESS THAN 4% OF THE FUNDING.
SO IT ISN'T AS IF 80 TO 100% A OF MY GROUP WAS USING UP THE FUNDING DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS.
FURTHERMORE, IF THE AVERAGE AWARD WAS OVER $2,800, THEN WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT THE TWO MONTH LIMITATION MAY NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE NEED.
IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING SOME TWEAKS, I WOULD LIKE TO REINSTATE THE $5,000 OR THREE MONTH LIMITATION FOR THE AWARD CRITERIA.
ONE U T S A STUDENT YOU BACK IN APRIL THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE RENT FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST, WHICH ADDED UP TO $2,785.
THE NEW CHANGE DOES LITTLE TO, TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE HER.
THE THE NEW CHANGE HAS CREATED UNINTENDED GAPS, WHICH CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH A DIFFERENT TIERED APPROACH INSTEAD OF BOXING OUT COLLEGE STUDENTS.
AND THOSE IN NEED IN THE 80% OR ABOVE A M I RANGE RETAIL SALESPEOPLE, CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, OFFICE CLERKS, AND TRUCK DRIVERS, WE SHOULD USE THE EXISTING DATA TO SET ASIDE FUNDING FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE EDIT THE TIERED APPROACH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE MOST IN NEED THAT EXIST IN THE ZERO TO 80% A M I RANGE, WHILE SETTING ASIDE SOME FUNDING FOR THOSE ABOVE 80% A M I OR ABOUT $39,800, AS WELL AS HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND LEGAL AID PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS USING THE, THE APPROXIMATELY $24 MILLION COUNCIL APPROVED FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS A M I DATA OF THE PREVIOUS 17,000 APPLICANTS IN MY OFFICE DEVELOPED A DRAFT OF WHAT THE CHANGES, UH, COULD LOOK LIKE.
BUT THE MA BUT THE ROUGH MATH SHOWS THAT THIS APPROACH IS PROPORTIONATE TO THE LEVEL OF FUNDING AND ASSISTS JUST AS EFFECTIVELY AS THE PHASE TWO FUNDS.
IT ALSO SETS ASIDE ABOUT $480,000 IN TO ASSIST COLLEGE STUDENTS IN PRIVATE HOUSING.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A SLIDE I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND QUEUE UP SO THAT, UH, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES CAN SEE IF THEY CAN, THEY CAN PULL THAT UP.
IF THE PROGRAM NEEDS MORE FUNDING, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE THE DISCUSSION AS A COUNCIL, BUT WE CANNOT ALLOW GAPS IN THE PROGRAMS TO EXIST.
THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO ASSIST FOLKS AND REMOVE BARRIERS OF SUPPORT AND NOW BECOME A BARRIER TO SUPPORT.
THERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE QUICK, UM, UH, GRAPHIC WE PUT TOGETHER.
SO AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, THIS ITEM, UH, IS LISTED FOR BRIEFING ONLY.
SO, UH, THIS IS JUST AN ASK FOR THE COMMITTEE IF SUPPORTIVE, UH, TO PROVIDE STAFF WITH DIRECTION TO COME BACK AND PRESENT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
AGAIN, I THINK WE CAN, UH, DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS A LARGE NEED, ESPECIALLY, UH, THOSE INCLUDING, UH, OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS.
I ASK, UH, FOR, FOR FURTHER, UH, COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE.
AND I'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JADA ANDREWS SULLIVAN MEMBER, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN.
[01:55:04]
I APOLOGIZE, CHAIR.I WAS HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, UM, WHILE TRAVELING.
SO, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE THAT I'LL ARE, UM, IN RELATION TO, I KNOW THAT WE ADDED FUNDS FOR THE SENIORS AND UM, ALSO THE, UM, AGED OUT YOUTH FROM FOSTER CARE, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS BROKEN DOWN OR COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD? EDWARD, DO YOU WANNA YES, EDWARD, DO YOU WANNA HELP ME ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH THE SET ASIDE FOR THE SENIORS? SO, UM, A LOT OF OUR HEAD IS ON ALSO, BUT A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS, UM, ARE SENIORS AND, UM, IN THE DASHBOARD WE SHOW THE DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN.
SO WE ARE SERVING, UM, A LOT OF SENIORS ALREADY.
AND SO THE MONEY IS BEING UTILIZED, UM, TO HELP ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
NOT ONLY A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, BUT WE CURRENTLY DO HELP, UH, STUDENTS TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE POINTS COMPLIMENTS THAT WE KNEW WAS, UH, RAISING.
WE STILL, UM, WE STILL OFFER THE, UH, PROGRAM, BUT THAT DOCUMENTATION IS STILL NEEDED.
UM, SO SOME STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE DEPENDENT, UM, WITH THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR PARENTS ARE THE ONES WHO SIGNED THE LEASE, THAT'S WHEN, UM, THEY MIGHT NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD NEED, UM, THE PARENTS' INCOME.
AND SO WE HAVE HAD STUDENTS BEING DENIED IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES FOR, THEY'RE NOT THE ONES THAT FIND THEIR NEED TO PREPARE.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO SENIOR AND THE SENIORS AND THE MOST VULNERABLE, AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO HELP, UM, THOSE FAMILIES.
UM, AND, AND WE TREAT 'EM IN THE SAME MANNER, IN THE SAME WAY.
UM, SO OUR DASHBOARD, UM, IF YOU WERE TO VISIT IT TODAY, YOU WOULD SEE THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND YOU CAN SEE THE AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WILL SET ASIDE.
UH, WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH D H S, UM, SO FOR SOME OF THAT, UM, SO BE AWARE THAT D H SS IS ALSO WORKING TO SERVE THAT POPULATION.
COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LAURIE HOUSTON.
I WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, WE, WE ARE CURRENTLY ABLE TO SERVE ANYBODY WHO APPLIES FOR THE PROGRAM PROVIDED THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.
SO WHETHER IT'S A SENIOR OR A, A YOUTH OR SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT THREE, UM, WE CAN SERVE THEM RIGHT NOW.
WHERE WE WILL START LOOKING AT SET ASIDES IS WHEN WE RUN OUT OF THAT FUNDING.
BUT AS VERO SHOWED ON THE SLIDE, WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED THE FISCAL YEAR 21 MONEY YET.
UM, AND WE HAVE A BURN RATE OF ABOUT, IT WAS 1.5 MILLION LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT IT GOES ANYWHERE FROM 1.5 MILLION TO 2.8 MILLION.
WE EXPECT TO RUN OUT OF FUNDING IN ABOUT 10 TO 12 MONTHS.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A SET ASIDE, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD USE THAT SET ASIDE AFTER WE USE ALL THE 24 POINT ALL THE, THE REMAINING FUNDING IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE, THE COLLEGE STUDENTS, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AS FAR AS A CHANGE IN THE POLICY, THE ORDINANCE? UM, OR IS SOMETHING THAT COULD JUST BE DONE, UM, INTERNALLY WITH THIS PROCESS BECAUSE WE'RE IN THIS PANDEMIC? UM, I'LL ADD, I FIRST WANNA CORRECT I MEANT 10 TO 12 WEEKS, NOT 10 TO 12 MONTHS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE WILL LOOK INTO THE STUDENT, UM, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS, A STUDENT IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES YOU HAVE TWO STUDENTS LIVING IN ONE APARTMENT AND THEY'RE SHARING THE RENT AND WE WORK WITH THEIR LANDLORD TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE ACTUAL AMOUNT THEY OWE.
THE CHALLENGE THAT VERO MENTIONED IS OFTENTIMES IT'S NOT THE STUDENT ON THE LEASE, IT'S THE PARENT ON THE LEASE.
AND FOR THEM TO QUALIFY, WE NEED TO HAVE THE PARENTS SIGN THE HARDSHIP DOCUMENTS.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK ON THAT.
AND AS COUNCILMAN MINO MENTIONED, THIS IS A BRIEFING SO WE CAN COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH WHAT WE, WE, WE FOUND WITH RELATED TO THAT AMENDMENT.
BUT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP STUDENTS PROVIDED THEY'RE THE ONES ON THE LEASE AND THEY MEET THE INCOME REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S, THE CHALLENGE IS WHEN IT'S THE PARENT ON THE LEASE.
[02:00:02]
OKAY.I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, CAN, UM, ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THAT, WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE PARENT FAXING OR, UM, EMAILING THE DOCUMENTATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT OR, UH, BANK STATEMENTS OR SOMETHING SHOWING THAT THEY'VE BEEN LAID OFF.
OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENTS OR THE BURSAR DEPARTMENTS AT THE UNIVERSITIES, UM, TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN GET A HARDSHIP LETTER, UM, FROM THOSE PARENTS FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL DO.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO TO, UH, CLAYTON PERRY 'CAUSE HE'S, HE'S GOT, HE'S GOT, UH, ANOTHER APPOINTMENT HE'S GOTTA GET TO, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA HAND THE FLOOR OVER TO COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UM, I JUST LOOKING AT THE, AT THE NUMBERS, DARROW, IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND, AND ADD TO, UH, YOUR SLIDES.
WHAT, UH, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO YOUR PROPOSAL SLIDE, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
YOU WANNA SEE THE COUNCILMAN'S PROPOSAL SLIDE? NO, I SEE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT Y'ALL WERE PROPOSING.
SO THAT WOULD BE SLIDE, UH, 16 AND 17.
AND COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON AGAIN.
UM, THIS IS WHAT WAS ADOPTED WHEN WE DID THE AMENDMENT TO THE RESILIENCY PLAN.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED, BUT AS COUNCILMAN VINNO REQUESTED AT THAT MEETING, UM, TO BRING THESE BACK, AND IF THERE ARE CHANGES WE MADE, WE COULD DISCUSS 'EM HERE AND BRING THEM BACK TO COUNCIL.
WELL, BUT YOUR, YOUR REVISIONS, WHAT Y'ALL WERE TRYING TO DO IS SPREAD, SPREAD THE MONEY A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UM, AND GET, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I HAD RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE A SLIDING SCALE ON THAT.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WAS OR DID Y'ALL EVER COME UP? THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.
OKAY, LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE THE SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THE SLIDING SCALE IS THE TIERED APPROACH.
UM, SO, UM, IF WE BROKE IT OUT, IT, IT'D BE TOO MUCH MATH TO TRY AND CALCULATE LIKE 30 TO 40, 40, 50.
SO WE BROKE IT INTO TWO TIERS.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL THAT SLIDING SCALE AND THIS IS HOW THAT SLIDING SCALE IS APPLIED.
SO, AND IF YOU SEE THIS IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN HIGHER INCOME.
WHEN I, WHEN I'M HOPING THAT THIS COMES BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND THEN SIDE BY SIDE WHAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO IS TRYING TO DO.
AND THEN SHOW WHAT THE COST DIFFERENCE IS AND WHAT, HOW LONG THAT, THAT, HOW LONG WILL THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY GET US UNDER THIS PROGRAM VERSUS HOW LONG THE, UH, THE COUNCILMAN'S PROPOSAL WILL BE AND HOW, HOW LONG THAT WILL TAKE US OUT.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OUT THERE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE COULD POTENTIALLY NEED HELP WITH.
AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US TAKING, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING IN THE PAST, UM, WE WERE, WE WERE GOING THROUGH THAT MONEY PRETTY QUICKLY AND I, I STILL THINK THAT THIS IS A WAY TO MAKE IT LAST A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND GETTING, STILL GETTING HELP OUT TO THOSE FOLKS THAT, THAT NEED THE HELP AT THOSE, THOSE DIFFERENT AMIS INSTEAD OF JUST EVERYBODY GETTING THE SAME THING.
SO, UM, I I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS TO SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES US BASED ON OUR HISTORICAL, YOU KNOW, OUR HISTORY AT THIS POINT WITH THIS PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL I WANTED TO, TO UH, GET ACROSS AND SEE IF WE COULD HAVE THAT PUT TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT TIME WHEN THIS COMES BACK UP, DO THAT.
I HOPE IT COMES BACK UP TO THE COMMITTEE FIRST BEFORE IT GOES UP TO COUNCIL.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PERRY.
FIRST ONE IS I, I THINK I'M KIND OF LIKE THE OP I'M THE OPPOSITE OF COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE THIS GO TO A B SESSION HONESTLY, TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
I KNOW WE TOOK IT BACK TO, UM, HEAR OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SIDE BY SIDE OR MY FIRST QUESTION IS,
[02:05:01]
DID STAFF GET TO SEE COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO'S STAFF, UM, RESEARCH ALREADY PRIOR TO THIS? UH, I HAD NOT, I DON'T KNOW.THE REST OF THIS TEAM HAD YES, NO, NO, I HAD THAT RECEIVED.
COUNCILMAN DID YOU PROVIDE IT TO OUR OFFICE PRIOR TO THIS? JUSTIN WILL BE PROVIDING THAT TO YOU.
SO IT WASN'T PROVIDED PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.
SO I THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT DATA, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, THE SIDE BY SIDE, BUT ALSO, UM, HAVE STAFF LOOK AT IT AS WELL.
OUR STAFF LOOK AT IT AND, AND TALK ABOUT THE DISPROPORTION, UH, THE DISPROPORTIONALITY OF IT OR, OR IF IT'S NOT DISPROPORTIONAL TO THE REQUEST.
BECAUSE AS I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN IN DISTRICT FIVE, IN DISTRICT FIVE, THAT HAS THE LOWEST AVERAGE, UM, THE LOWEST AVERAGE.
A M I ALSO HAS, UM, SOME OF THE LOWEST FORMS APPROVED HOUSEHOLDS AND ONE OF THE LOWEST AMOUNTS, IF NOT THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF APPROVED AMOUNT, DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OR WHAT THE ISSUE IS THERE, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW PROBABLY THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THAT THIS AREA WOULD LIKE TO, TO LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIS UM, UH, YOU KNOW, DISPROPORTION.
SO THAT'S WHERE I AM ON, ON THAT WHOLE THING.
AND IF WE WERE TO PUT FORWARD WITH A B SESSION, I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE THE COLLEGE, THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, UM, COME AND PRESENT OR COME AND GIVE US JUST SOME INFORMATION OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR THEIR COLLEGE STUDENTS OR WHAT, UM, WHAT ELEMENTS ARE THEY PUTTING INTO PLACE TO HELP WITH THEIR, WITH THE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD WITH THIS KIND OF A, UM, THE SCENARIOS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO LIVE THROUGH, AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO AND WORK TOGETHER ON.
I THINK THERE'S, THERE ARE SOLUTIONS IN COLLABORATION, AND I THINK, AND I THINK IF THEY COME AND PRESENT AND WE HAVE A COLLABORATION THAT'S GOING ON, AND I, I BELIEVE YOU ALL DO, I THINK WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING MAYBE IF IT'S IN FRONT OF A B SESSION.
SO THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO COUNCILWOMAN RON'S, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DISTRICT FIVE AND THE, THE LOWER NUMBER.
WE SPOTTED THAT EARLY ON, AND WE MET WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN, AND WE'VE ALSO LOOKED INTO IT, AND WE BELIEVE THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS IN DISTRICT FIVE, UM, THAT THE, THERE MIGHT NOT BE A LOT OF APPLICANTS WHO LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE OR, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE APPLYING FOR IT BECAUSE OF THOSE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, AND THEY'RE ALREADY EITHER BEING SUPPORTED THROUGH VOUCHERS OR THAT PUBLIC HOUSING.
UM, BECAUSE WE WERE ASKING HOW DO WE GET OUT THERE MORE, UM, WE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH IN THAT AREA, UM, THROUGH COPS, METRO AND OTHER NONPROFITS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT.
WE BLOCK WALKED THAT AREA AS WELL, BUT WE THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC HOUSING IN THAT DISTRICT.
UM, AND, UH, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE REACHING THOSE IN MOST NEEDS.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GERRAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I WANNA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN, AND I THINK ALL OF US AGREE THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, BUT SOMETIMES THAT MEANS SOME PEOPLE GET SOME MONEY, OTHERS GET LESS MONEY, AND SOME PEOPLE GET NO MONEY.
UH, WE JUST DON'T HAVE, UH, A WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO GO AHEAD AND RESOLVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
I, I'M HOPEFUL THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GETTING BACK TO WORK AND ARE STARTING TO EARN SOME KIND OF INCOME TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEMSELVES.
WE HAD HEARD AT THE BEGINNING, LIKE 160,000 PEOPLE OUTTA WORK.
I I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT THAT NUMBER WAS CUT DOWN TO 60,000 PEOPLE OUT OF THAT 160,000.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR US TO KNOW, BUT EVEN, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO IT, AND I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE MORE MOVEMENTS TO TRY AND FIND MORE FUNDING TO PUT INTO THIS FACT, IS THAT A LOT OF THIS IS, IT'S LIKE A HOUSE OF CARDS.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO FALL DOWN BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GIVEN SOME PEOPLE THREE MONTHS WORTH OF RENT, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEY'RE STILL BEHIND
[02:10:01]
AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING EVICTED YET.BUT EVENTUALLY ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO COME OUT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY HAS ANY KIND OF RESOURCES TO RESOLVE ALL OF THAT IN THE LONG RUN.
SO WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY IS I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP PEOPLE.
I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF GIVING PEOPLE MORE, WHICH IS WHY WE WENT FROM ONE MONTH TO TWO.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE MORE THAN THAT.
LIKE WHAT YOU MAY BE SU SUGGESTING ROBERTO GOING UP TO THREE MONTHS OR 5,000 BECAUSE WE'RE JUST GOING TO RUN OUTTA MONEY SOONER.
AND SO SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET NOTHING.
NOW I KNOW WE'RE SAYING, WELL, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND MORE MONEY.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, OVER THE PAST, I THINK THE CITY MANAGERS AND THE PAST, AND PROBABLY THE CITY MANAGER WE HAVE NOW MAY BE ABLE TO FIND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOMEWHERE OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
BUT MORE THAN LIKELY, SOMETHING ELSE IS GONNA SUFFER FOR THAT.
SOMETHING ELSE IS GONNA BE CUT.
BUT THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE KEEPING PEOPLE IN A HOME, KEEPING 'EM SAFE.
SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE THAT.
BUT EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, AFTER DECEMBER, THERE, THERE IS NO MORE, THERE WILL BE NO MORE EXTENSIONS.
AND, UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN PROPERTIES WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THEIR MORTGAGE, THEY'RE GONNA BE STUCK.
AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO OWN APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THEIR MORTGAGE.
AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN ALL OF THOSE PROPERTIES AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT, THEY'RE GONNA BE STUCK AND THERE WILL BE NO SOLUTION.
UH, I'M JUST SAYING, LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN WHILE WE CAN.
UH, BUT I'M, I'M STILL NOT VERY HOPEFUL THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A, AN EASY, UH, AND A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THIS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, SO SORRY TO BE THE PURVEYOR OF, OF, UH, A POOR ATTITUDE ON THIS, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UH, TO, TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THAT, THAT, LET'S, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN MY REQUEST HERE, AND I THINK THE REQUEST OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AND WE SHOULD DO THAT BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS REALLY NOT ABOUT FINDING THE SILVER BULLET, BUT ABOUT LESSENING THE IMPACT, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE, UH, AREN'T SUFFERING.
UH, I THINK THAT'S OUR, OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL HERE.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT, UH, THE, THE MORE WE LOOK INTO THIS, UH, THE MORE WE, WE CAN ACTUALLY AFFECT, UH, THE, THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT.
I ALSO WANNA FOLLOW UP BEFORE I CLOSE THAT RECENTLY, UH, LEGAL AID STAFF SHARED SOME CONCERNS THAT ONE OF, UH, THE JP COURTS WAS NOT ACCEPTING DECLARATIONS IN THE MANNER THE OTHER THREE, UH, JP COURTS WERE.
SO CAN STAFF PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON, ON THIS CONCERN, PLEASE? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IF AND HOW THIS COMMITTEE CAN ASSIST.
SO, UH, YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT, UH, QUESTION.
UM, JP TWO IS THE ONLY COURT THAT'S NOT ACCEPTING, UH, EMAILED OR FAX DECLARATIONS.
THE OTHER JP COURTS ARE, WE'RE COORDINATING WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE IF WE CAN, UH, OPEN UP A DIALOGUE WITH THAT JP COURT TO DO THE SAME.
UM, BUT YES, IT, IT IS POSING TO BE A BARRIER THAT THEY ARE ONLY ACCEPTING IN-PERSON DROP-OFFS FOR THOSE DECLARATIONS THAT WASN'T CLARIFIED IN THE, UH, TEXAS SUPREME COURT ORDER.
SO, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY I DON'T KNOW IF IF THERE'S A, A VIOLATION THERE, BUT, UM, WHAT WE WANNA TRY AND DO AS A COMMUNITY IS MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO GET THOSE DECLARATIONS IN.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THE COUNTY AND THE JP COURT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME, UH, SOME PROGRESS ON.
WELL, AND, AND, AND, AND IF ALL THE OTHER COURTS ARE DOING IT, I MEAN, AREN'T WE SETTING UP A, A, A NORM THAT I THINK, UH, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, COURT CAN MAYBE, UH, AT LEAST TRY TO FOLLOW.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I THINK, UH, MY REQUEST IS TO, TO GIVE US SOME OPTIONS AND FIND WAYS THAT THIS, THIS COMMITTEE, UH, CAN, CAN ASSIST AND, AND PUT OUR RESOURCES, LIKE YOUR DEPARTMENT AND RIGHT TO COUNSEL, UH, TO WORK ON PROVIDING US A POTENTIAL PATH FORWARD, AGAIN, TO, TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF, OF THIS, THIS PANDEMIC.
UH, SO AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
WE KNOW THIS IS JUST A BRIEFING, BUT EXPECT TO BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA OF, UH, CULTURE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND WE'LL MAKE YOU THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM.
UH, IF YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK, I DO LIKE THE SUGGESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GERRAN THAT MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT FROM THAT POINT, MOVING THAT OVER TO A B SESSION.
UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE SOME U T S A STUDENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME THAT I MENTIONED, I THINK WOULD BE VERY POWERFUL TO, TO HEAR, UH, OF THE INCREDIBLE NEED THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO, UM, LET'S, LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FIND, FIND, UH, THAT SOLUTION.
I THINK, UH, THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE
[5. 20-5969 Briefing and possible action on the ForEveryoneHome Anti-displacement Initiative with Grounded Solutions Network, including a proposed memorandum of agreement in the amount of $120,000.00 to increase public outreach and the development of an additional anti-displacement implementation strategy. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services]]
[02:15:01]
WILL BE TABLED, UH, UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING, OR I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS FOR THAT.YES, WE'LL DO INDIVIDUAL BRIEFINGS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ITEM FROM THAT THAT NEEDS TO GO TO COUNCIL.
SO, UM, BUREAU STAFF WILL BE SCHEDULING THAT WITH YOU ALL.