* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:03]
          WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE INTER-GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE. 
          UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE EVERYBODY. 
          WE'RE GONNA TAKE ROLL FIRST. 
          UM, SO CLERK, CAN YOU PROCEED WITH THAT CHAIR?  HERE. 
          CHAIR. 
          JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ. 
          HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA VIETNAM COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CLAYTON PERRY. 
          HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COMMISSIONER UH, WOLF HERE. 
          YOU HAVE A QUORUM CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, WE ARE GOING, WE'VE GOT, UH, A PRETTY FULL MEETING TODAY. 
          SO LET'S JUMP INTO APPROVING 
          [1. 20-6077 Approval of the minutes from the September 9, 2020 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee and Subcommittee.]
THE MINUTES FOR THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020 MEETING. 
          AND, UH, I'M CERTAIN THAT COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROJA GARCIA HAS READ IT TWICE. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MINUTES MOTION, KEVIN WOLF? SECONDS THE MOTION. 
          KEVIN WOLF, THE MOTION. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES. 
          AND IS, UM, AYE, AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE OPPOSED, OUR MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          OUR VERY FIRST ITEM, UM, IS, UH, THE, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNER LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. 
          BEFORE WE DO THAT, WHAT I, WHAT I WANT 
          [Additional Item]
TO DO IS, UM, I I WANT TO ASK, UH, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ ABOUT VOTER TURNOUT. 
          UH, THIS IS YOUR BABY. 
          SO I'M GONNA, UH, I WANT, I WANNA, I WANT OUR CHAIRMAN TO TELL US, UH, HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING, UH, AND, UM, I JUST, I REALLY WANT TO JUST HEAR HOW EXCITED YOU ARE. 
          'CAUSE I HEAR THAT YOU'RE EXCITED. 
          I, I'M SUPER EXCITED. 
          IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS, UH, FOR THE NEXT 18 DAYS. 
          18 DAYS OF VOTING, 18 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS. 
          UH, THANK YOU, UH, CO-CHAIR. 
          WELL, LISTEN, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN FOLLOWING THE, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE NATIONAL ELECTION, BUT, BUT, UH, LOCALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL EARLY VOTING SITES, AND YOU ALL SAW THE NEWS YESTERDAY. 
          THERE IS SIGNIFICANT TURNOUT, UH, HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, BUT ALSO ALL OVER TEXAS. 
          I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE BIT JEALOUS. 
          I THINK HARRIS COUNTY SMOKED US IN TERMS OF FIRST DAY, UH, EARLY VOTING. 
          BUT WE HAVE, UH, 17 DAYS TO REDEEM OURSELVES. 
          I THINK, UH, WE WERE SOMEWHERE AROUND 34,000 IN-PERSON VOTING YESTERDAY. 
          UM, SIGNIFICANTLY, I'LL MENTION THAT THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, THROUGH, I THINK THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WERE ABOUT 41,000. 
          AND THAT, UH, NUMBER ALREADY HAD ECLIPSED WHAT WE RECEIVED IN 2016, UM, IN MAIL-IN BALLOTS. 
          I THINK THAT WAS 39,000. 
          UM, I THINK IT EQUALED THAT 41,000 WHAT HARRIS COUNTY HAD RECEIVED. 
          UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE A BIGGER, THEY'RE A BIGGER, UH, COUNTY. 
          UH, SO I, I THINK EVERYTHING IS, UH, GOING WELL. 
          THERE'S GONNA BE SOME TWEAKS. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY THERE WAS SOME LONG LINES AND I THINK, UH, JACKIE AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING ON MAKING SURE EVERYBODY GETS THROUGH IN, IN A, IN A EFFICIENT MANNER. 
          UM, SO, SO YEAH, TELL ME A LITTLE. 
          VERY EXCITING. 
          I THINK, UH, WE CAN SUSTAIN  OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. 
          UH, CERTAINLY WE'RE LOOKING AT RECORD BREAKING NUMBERS, UH, IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, UH, HERE IN BE COUNTY. 
          SO, UH, I, I, UH, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. 
          AND, UH, HAVE YOU, THE MAIN QUESTION IS, UH, COUNCILMAN, HAVE YOU VOTED YET? YOU KNOW, I WENT YESTERDAY. 
          NO, I HAVEN'T. 
          I, I WENT YESTERDAY AND I SPENT AN HOUR AT JOHN IGO LIBRARY THANKING 150 PEOPLE IN LINE FOR COMING OUT AND VOTING AND HANDING OUT WATERS. 
          UH, THAT'S GREAT. 
          AND, UH, BUT I'M GONNA PROBABLY VOTE TODAY. 
          'CAUSE I, I PROMISED MY DAD I WASN'T GONNA DO IT WITHOUT HIM. 
          UH, AND SO, UH, BUT I'M EXPECTING THAT IT'S GONNA BE A LONG, LONG, LONG LINE. 
          MY WIFE HAS BEEN IN LINE FOR THE PAST HOUR AND A HALF, UH, AT, AT IGO OR SOMEWHERE ELSE AT IGO. 
          SHE'S BEEN TEXTING ME. 
          AND SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE COMMITTED TO VOTING THERE, YEAH, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE IN LINE. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 47 OTHER SITES AND, UH, I KNOW PARTICULARLY OVER IN PRECINCT TWO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE MEGA CENTER AT ST. 
          PAUL. 
          THERE WERE SOME LONG LINES IN THE MORNING, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST DOWN THE ROAD OVER AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE WHERE I SAW COUNCILMAN, UH, GARCIA, I SAW HER BOAT YESTERDAY. 
          UM, AND THEN FRANK GARRETT COMMUNITY CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE, SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORTER LINES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORTER WEIGHTS. 
          SO JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
          UH, BE FLEXIBLE. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TELLING FOLKS, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S TRY AND, UH, BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR, YOUR VOTING PLAN. 
          AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS JUST GET IT DONE. 
          SO. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          UM, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S JUMP IN. 
          UM, OUR 
          [2. 20-6079 Community Partner Legislative Priorities: a. San Antonio River Authority - Westside Creeks [Suzanne Scott, General Manager, SARA] b. San Antonio Water System [Donovan Burton, VP Water Resources & Governmental Relations, SAWS]]
FIRST ITEM IS GOING TO BE, UH, ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. 
          AND WE'VE GOT FRIENDS FROM SARAH AND SAS HERE TODAY. 
          UH, JEFF, YOU WANNA TEE THIS ONE 
          [00:05:01]
UP, OR, YES, THIS IS THE, UH, UH,  REQUEST OF THIS JOINT COMMITTEE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS. 
          I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU THAT AT THE, UH, END OF THE MEETING, WE'RE GONNA RUN THROUGH A TIMELINE OF THE CITY'S LEDGE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND BUILT INTO THAT, WE ARE RESUMING OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ROUND TABLE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. 
          BUT WE FIGURED A GREAT PLACE TO START WAS SAS AND SARAH. 
          AND OF COURSE, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ HAS EMPHASIZED THE FEDERAL FUNDING CONNECTION TO THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT FOR SARAH. 
          SO, UH, SAS AND SARAH HERE, AND, AND CHAIRMAN, IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHO GOES FIRST? UH, LET'S, LET'S LISTEN TO SARAH, UH, FIRST. 
          UM, AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE OUR FRIENDS FROM SASS AFTERWARDS. 
          SUZANNE, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE MUTED. 
          YEAH, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, SUZANNE, AT ALL. 
          WHY DON'T WE, UM, WHILE, WHILE SARAH GETS ITS, UM, ITS ISSUES RESOLVED, WHY DON'T WE MOVE OVER TO SAS GIVING SARAH SOME TIME TO, UM, YOU, UH, DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO. 
          OUR FRIENDS AT SASS CONNECTED? UH, YES, SIR. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. 
          THIS IS DONOVAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, YEAH, CHAIRMAN, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS STAFF. 
          THIS IS DONOVAN BURTON WITH, UH, SAS, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND, UH, WATER RESOURCES. 
          SO I GUESS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT OUR, SOME OF OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. 
          UH, DO I NEED TO SHARE, OR ARE, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE THIS, OKAY, IT'S LIKE EDDO HAS OUR PRESENTATION UP. 
          SO OUR, I'LL JUST KIND OF START OFF IMMEDIATELY. 
          AND I'M SORRY, AM I DRIVING OR ARE YOU DRIVING? OKAY, IF, WE'LL GO TO, I GUESS THE FIRST SLIDE THERE WITH THE, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, OUR, OUR PRIMARY FEDERAL, UH, FIRST INITIATIVE IS REALLY ABOUT FINDING SOME ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME, UH, INDIVIDUALS. 
          WE HAVE HAD ABOUT A 500% INCREASE IN, UH, ELIGIBLE AND CUSTOMERS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT OVER THIS PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS. 
          UM, WE, WE HAD ABOUT 5,000 INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTS, AND NOW WE'RE ALMOST, WE'RE ABOUT 30,000, UH, CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT, NOT ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILL, UH, THIS DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE, THE COVID, UH, PANDEMIC. 
          UM, AND IT'S ABOUT A 78%, I THINK, INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF BILLS. 
          SO IT'S ABOUT $19 MILLION. 
          IT'S ABOUT A $19 MILLION IMPACT, UH, TO SAWS OF NOT, NOT, UH, PAYING BILLS. 
          AND SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DEALING WITH. 
          WE, WE ACTUALLY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE BEFORE WE WERE EVEN, UH, ASKED TO, WE, WE, UH, STOPPED THE PROCESS OF SHUTTING CUSTOMERS OFF, UM, STOPPED LATE FEES AND THAT SORT OF THING, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE, THERE WERE GONNA BE THESE CHALLENGES. 
          UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP. 
          UH, WE, WE THINK IT'S A A A A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP. 
          WE THINK WE'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE ARE IMPACTS. 
          AND SO I CAN'T TALK TO HIM. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, UH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WITH OUR LEGISLATORS TO SEE HOW WE CAN PUT IN, UM, UH, SOME MONEY TO HELP THESE, UH, THESE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC. 
          UH, WE THINK THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, UH, GO THERE. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL WAIT TO SEE WHETHER CONGRESS PASSES ANYTHING. 
          THAT'S, UH, OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT, UH, OTHER PEOPLE WILL KNOW JUST AS, AS WELL AS ME. 
          UM, BUT THAT IS REALLY OUR PRIMARY FOCUS THAT WE ARE, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          UH, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ONE OF THE OTHER, UH, AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS REALLY TAX EXEMPTION CONSERVATION. 
          CONSERVATION IS, IS A, A BIG INITIATIVE. 
          IT ALSO HELPS WITH, WITH, UH, UH, BILLS. 
          WE THINK IT, UH, CONSERVATION HELPS DRIVE DOWN PEOPLE'S BILLS. 
          UH, WE WORK WITH LOTS OF CUSTOMERS, THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS, ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO, UH, UH, TO IMPLEMENT CONSERVATION WITHIN THEIR, THEIR HOUSE. 
          UM, THAT, THAT LEADS TO REBATES EVERY NOW AND THEN. 
          SO WE WILL GIVE PEOPLE REBATES. 
          AND WHEN THOSE REBATES ARE OVER $600, THEY, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TO FILE A 10 99, 
          [00:10:01]
AND THAT MEANS THE CUSTOMER HAS TO PAY AS IF IT WERE, WERE INCOME. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A DIS DISINCENTIVE FOR CONSERVATION REBATES ON THE ELECTRICAL SIDE, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, AND SO THEY HAVE AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT. 
          AND SO WE'RE WORKING TO GET THE SAME EXEMPTION THAT THEY HAVE ON THE ELECTRICAL SIDE SO THAT WHEN WE, UH, HAVE CONSERVATION REBATES FOR CUSTOMERS THAT THE CUSTOMERS DON'T GET HIT WITH THAT. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UM, MORE GENERALLY, WE, WE ARE WORKING, UH, AS WELL ON JUST INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. 
          THE, THE CONGRESS OFTEN TALKS ABOUT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. 
          WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO, 2.6 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, WATER SEWER PROJECTS, UH, ALL OVER THE CITY. 
          AND SO, UH, THERE ARE SOME FUNDS IN PLACE, AND THOSE GO THROUGH EBBS AND FLOWS IN TERMS OF, UH, OF FUNDING MECHANISMS. AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CONGRESS, THE CON, THE, I'M SORRY, THE CONGRESS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UH, PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED AND THAT THOSE, UH, UH, UH, THEY'RE AVAILABLE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR UTILITIES. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, THE OTHER ONE I WANTED TO BRING UP THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR A LOT ABOUT, UM, WE EXPECT SOME NEW, UH, LEAD AND COPPER RULES. 
          UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE ARE PARAMETERS ABOUT LEAD AND COPPER IN WATER. 
          WE DON'T HAVE LEAD LINES IN OUR SERVICE, BUT THE E P A IS REQUIRING THAT, UM, ALL COMMUNITIES PROBABLY ACROSS THE STATE DO, UH, INVENTORIES OF THEIR LINES AND TO TEST ALL SAMPLE ALL SCHOOLS AND DAYCARE CENTERS, CHILDCARE CENTERS, UH, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ISN'T ANY LEAD IN LINE LED IN, IN THE LINES. 
          AND IF THEY DO FIND LEAD LINES, THEN THOSE, THOSE NEED TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF REPLACEMENT. 
          UM, WE'RE WAITING ON SOME RULES TO COME OUT. 
          THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF DEFINITIONS IN THERE THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WANTING TO MAKE SURE HOW THEY'RE, UM, UH, HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED. 
          SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE E P A AND THEN ULTIMATELY WITH THE T C E Q, UH, ON THIS. 
          UH, THE REASON I WANTED TO BRING IT UP HERE IS THAT WE WILL, IT, IT WILL INVOLVE A, A BIG OUTREACH PROGRAM. 
          AND SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR A LOT ABOUT IT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT SAS IS OUT WORKING ON ESTABLISHING WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S LEAD, UH, LEAD LINES IN THE, IN THE, IN OUR SYSTEM. 
          AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE LEAD LINES IN OUR PRIMARY SAS SYSTEM, BUT WE WILL BE DOING A LOT OF THIS, AND WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO A LOT OF SCHOOLS IN RELATION TO THIS E P A, UH, EFFORT. 
          SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON, UH, IN THIS IM IMPLEMENT. 
          UM, I THINK THAT'S, THOSE ARE OUR SORT OF MA UH, PRIMARY, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          LOTS OF OTHER SMALLER ISSUES THAT WE, WE DEAL WITH. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THANKS TO ALL OF YOUR HELP. 
          OUR BOARD'S HELP, UM, GETTING SOME FUNDING AND GETTING PROGRAMS WORKING FOR OUR MITCHELL LAKE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN A, A, A LARGE SUCCESS. 
          AND, AND I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN GRO HAS BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON. 
          AND, UM, UH, AND ALSO OUR W SIX PROJECT. 
          THIS IS A MAJOR SEWER LINE THAT GOES, OR NOW GOING AROUND LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE. 
          THIS HAS BEEN ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, UH, VERY INVOLVED IN. 
          THE CITY'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN IT AS WELL. 
          THOSE WHO HAVE FINISHED VERY SUCCESSFULLY. 
          UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THESE OTHER ITEMS. SO I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR PASS ALONG YOUR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, CO-CHAIR RODRIGUEZ, ANY ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR SAS? NO, I'M GOOD. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU, DONOVAN, FOR THE UPDATE. 
          GREAT. 
          I SEE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UM, AND, AND THERE JUST GENERAL ONES, AND THANK YOU DONOVAN, FOR THAT EXPLANATION. 
          I KNOW YOU MENTIONED HOW MANY SAUCE CUSTOMERS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR DISCONNECTIONS. 
          HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO LAST YEAR? YES, COUNCILWOMAN, IT'S, UM, IT'S ABOUT A 500% INCREASE. 
          UH, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER FOR, FROM LAST YEAR. 
          MAYBE I DO IN A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, WE, WE HAD ABOUT 5,000 EARLIER IN THE YEAR, AND IT'S NOW ABOUT 30,000. 
          SO ABOUT A 500%, UH, INCREASE IN, UH, NUMBER OF, OF OF CUSTOMERS. 
          OKAY, THANKS DONOVAN. 
          SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, HAVE WE MADE ANY ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA? UM, I, I KNOW BACK ON MARCH THE 18TH, I SUBMITTED A C C R AND TALKED ABOUT ADJUSTING SOME OF THE, UM, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BASED ON THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS THAT SOME OF THE FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE MADE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT? YEAH, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE PUT A WHOLE LOT MORE, UH, MONEY INTO THE PROGRAM. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE, UM, UH, UH, UM, ADJUSTED OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. 
          I KNOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY, AND I THINK PARTIALLY THROUGH YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE, UM, WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, UH, KAINO RAMOS IS, IT WORKS ON THAT PROGRAM. 
          AND, UM, JUST DOING A WHOLE LOT OF WORK ON IT. 
          SO WE, I KNOW WE HAVE PUT A WHOLE 
          [00:15:01]
LOT OF MORE MONEY, A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY INTO THE PROGRAM. 
          THE BUDGET HAS BEEN INCREASED, AND IT WILL INCREASE AGAIN, UH, IN 2021 FOR THE CUSTOMERS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN MY FINAL ONE IS, SO INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR SOME, FOR WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE A PAST DUE BALANCE, IS THERE, UM, ANY PROACTIVE APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING TO MAYBE HELP, UH, RESIDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET? UH, YES, CONSTABLE, WE, WE, UM, WE ARE CONSTANTLY OUT INTO THE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY WITH OUR UPLIFT PROGRAMS. WE'VE GOT, UH, PROBABLY 12 TO 15, UH, VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT HELP DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WITH, WITH DIFFERENT ISSUES. 
          UM, AND SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY OUT IN THE COMMUNITY MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE AVAILABLE. 
          UM, WE ALSO OBVIOUSLY SEND, UM, YOU KNOW, NOTICES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE HERE, HERE'S YOUR, YOUR BILL IS, IS LATE, AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          BUT WE, WE'VE ALSO JUST RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A, UM, A, A PAYMENT PLAN OPTION ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT YOU CAN CALL IN AND, AND CHANGE, BUT WE'VE PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL SO THAT CUSTOMERS CAN GO IN AND, AND JUST CHOOSE THEIR OWN, UM, UH, PAYMENT PLAN AS WELL. 
          SO, LOTS OF OUTREACH ON THAT. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          YES. 
          AND THANK YOU. 
          AND BY THE WAY, RIGHT WHEN YOU GO ONTO THE SALTS WEBSITE, YOU GET THIS WONDERFUL POPUP THAT ASKS IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. 
          UM, I HAVE A, A QUESTION AS FAR AS PROCESSING TIME, HOW LONG, UH, DOES IT TAKE TO PROCESS, UH, ASSISTANCE? AND THEN ALSO WHAT'S THE AVERAGE AMOUNT THAT, UM, YOU ALL ASSIST? UM, SO PROCESSING TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL BE HONEST, I, THIS IS PROBABLY A, I PROBABLY NEED TO BRING, UH, GINO RAMOS INTO THIS DISCUSSION. 
          I THINK HE, HE RUNS THAT, THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, I KNOW IT'S A VERY QUICK, AND I, I THINK IT USED TO BE A PROGRAM THAT WE DID TOGETHER WITH THE CITY, THAT THE CITY WOULD, UH, PROCESS 'EM FOR US. 
          AND I KNOW IT WAS A VERY QUICK PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A DAY OR SO. 
          UM, AND WE'VE STARTED DOING THAT NOW. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY KIND OF, UH, UH, ISSUES ABOUT IT BEING SLOW OR ANYTHING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THE AVERAGE AMOUNT, AND, AND THEN THAT'LL BE MY LAST QUESTION, QUESTION CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AGAIN, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT, IT USED TO BE ABOUT 13, $13 FOR AN AVERAGE CUSTOMER. 
          I THINK IT'S, I, I, I, I THINK I REMEMBER A, A DIFFERENT NUMBER NOW. 
          SO I'LL, I'LL JUST HAVE TO GET THAT TO YOU. 
          OKAY, THANKS, DONOVAN. 
          THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          HEY, THANK YOU, SIR. 
          AND, UH, THANKS DONOVAN FOR, UM, THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON WHAT YOU HAVE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'LL, THAT GOING THE STATE WITH, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, HAD SOME, UM, LEGISLATIVE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE TAKEN UP TO THE STATE. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING GOING TO THE STATE? THIS? YES, COUNCILMAN? I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF OUR STATE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, UH, ONE OF OUR MAIN FOCUSES HAS BEEN ON GROUNDWATER DISTRICT, UM, RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
          UM, AND, AND THAT IS A, THAT'S A COMMON THEME. 
          WE DO THAT EVERY SESSION, EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. 
          UM, AND WE WILL, UH, WE WILL APPROACH LEGISLATURE THIS TIME, AS YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 
          THIS, UH, THIS GO AROUND IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, THERE'LL BE LIMITED NUMBERS OF BILLS. 
          UM, THERE WON'T BE THE NORMAL WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS AND, AND WORKING ON, ON THESE THINGS. 
          AND SO I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF LIMITING WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. 
          I THINK ONE BIG ISSUE THAT, THAT WE'LL SHARE PROBABLY WITH THE CITY, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE MAYOR HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON IT AT TIMES, IS, UM, WHAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, PARTICULARLY ON DISCONNECT. 
          SO THIS KIND OF RELATES TO THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PE PEOPLE WHO REQUEST INFORMATION ON WHO, WHO SPECIFICALLY, UH, IS BEING DISCONNECTED. 
          AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO, THEY TAKE THOSE LISTS, WE HAVE TO GENERATE A LIST FOR THEM, AND THEY TAKE THOSE LISTS AND, AND, UH, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN'T SAY THEY PREY ON THEM, BUT, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DO, UH, CALL THESE PEOPLE AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE ON HARD TIMES AND WORK TO, UM, UH, MAYBE TRY TO SELL THEIR HOME, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          UH, SO WE THINK THAT'S A, A COMMON GOAL THAT WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS SESSION, UM, TO SEE WHAT KINDA LIMITATIONS WE CAN PUT ON THOSE DISCONNECT IN, UH, INFORMATION ON DISCONNECTS, UM, AS WELL. 
          AND THESE TWO ISSUES MAY MERGE, YOU MAY KNOW THAT WE'RE STARTING OUR AUTOMATED METERING PROCESS. 
          THAT AUTOMATED METERING PROCESS IS GONNA BE A, A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMERS. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME IS IT'S GONNA PROVIDE A WHOLE, JUST A WHOLE MEGA AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE WILL HAVE, UM, THAT WILL, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF USED IN CERTAIN WAYS, YOU CAN ALMOST TRACE EXACTLY THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION. 
          SO I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME, UH, SOME PRIVACY EFFORTS THAT CAN WORK 
          [00:20:01]
WITH OUR A M I SYSTEM AS WELL TO RECOGNIZE THE CHANGES IN, IN, UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT INFORMATION. 
          SO I THINK THOSE TWO EFFORTS WILL PROBABLY BE TO BE TOGETHER. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I, I, MY EXPECTATION FOR THIS MEETING TODAY WAS TO ACTUALLY BE BRIEFED ON, ON THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL, BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE, LEGISLATURE IS GETTING READY TO GET STARTED HERE AGAIN. 
          AND, UM, I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL, AND BEING PRESENTED WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE STATE WITH. 
          SO, MR. CHAIR, I HOPE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AT POINT IN TIME THAT WE CAN, UH, SAW AND THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SEE EVERYBODY ELSE THAT ARE THEIR DATE WITH, UH, JEFF  WANTS TO JUMP IN HERE, COUNSEL. 
          TWO, TWO QUICK THINGS. 
          UM, FIRST THING IS, UH, BOTH SAWS AND SARAH HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, WILLING TO COME FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT THIS, UH, SORT OF IN ADVANCE OF THEIR APPROVAL PROCESSES. 
          JUST LIKE US, THEY'VE GOTTA RUN THEIR AGENDAS THROUGH THEIR BOARDS, UH, AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED ENTIRELY YET. 
          SO, UM, THEY WERE, THEY WERE GRACIOUS TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF TALK ON THE FRONT END ABOUT WHAT THEY ANTICIPATE BEING, UH, OUR TIMELINES ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT. 
          SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN PUTTING OUR AGENDA TOGETHER IS TRY TO INCORPORATE A COUPLE OF THE REAL BIG PICTURE PRIORITIES FROM EACH OF THEM, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN OUR AGENDA. 
          BUT THEN WE ALSO GIVE A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PARTNERS SO THAT AS OTHER ISSUES COME UP, SO LONG AS THEY'RE NOT A CONFLICT WITH US, WHICH THEY RARELY, IF EVER ARE, UH, WE EXPRESS OUR, OUR SUPPORT TO HELP THEM. 
          AND I, I PERSONALLY WORK WITH DONOVAN, UH, AT THE CAPITOL ALMOST DAILY, UH, ONCE WE'RE THERE. 
          I JUST, WHILE I HAVE THE MIC HERE, JUST ONE LAST COMMENT ON DONOVAN'S LAST POINT ABOUT THE PRIVACY ISSUE, THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR, UH, HAS RAISED AS WELL. 
          WE ALSO GET OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR UTILITIES CUT OFF. 
          WE DON'T HAVE HAVE THAT INFORMATION. 
          SAWS AND C P S ARE THE KEEPERS OF IT, BUT C P S HAS A PROTECTION IN STATE LAW AS A POWER UTILITY, UH, UNDER A, A, A SECURITY, UH, PROTECTION. 
          THEY DON'T HAVE TO RELEASE THOSE SAWS DOES NOT HAVE THAT SAME PROTECTION. 
          AND SO THE MAYOR, UH, FOR ONE ANYWAY, HAS EXPRESSED TO US THAT HE WOULD LIKE US TO WORK WITH SAS AND SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HELP KEEP THAT INFORMATION PRIVATE SO THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR CONNECTIONS CUT OFF ARE NOT, UH, UH, PREDATORY, UH, TARGETS. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE ALL THAT, JEFF. 
          BUT AGAIN, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO THE STATE THIS, THIS YEAR. 
          AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SCHEDULING THING. 
          LET'S GET A MEETING SCHEDULED SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT FROM ALL OF OUR, UM, OPERATIVE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          SO, UM, I, I HEAR YOU WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE, UM, BRIEFED THAT INFORMATION BEFORE EVERYBODY TAKES OFF TO THE STATE CAPITOL DOING THEIR THING. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR. 
          THANK, THANK YOU, SIR. 
          UH, WE, WE'VE GOT KEVIN WOLF WITH HIS HAND UP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, HEY, DONOVAN, YOU AND SAS, UH, HAVE, HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO THE MAIN PROVIDER IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AS WELL. 
          I WANTED TO ADD ON, UH, SOME COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA'S, UH, THOUGHTS. 
          UH, BUT ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, UH, BECAUSE WE AS GOVERNMENT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS IN REGARDS TO, FOR INSTANCE, SAWS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF MANDATING WE'RE NOT GONNA DO CUTOFFS DURING THIS TIME, ET CETERA, THAT ALSO MEANS THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. 
          UH, AND FOR YOU TO HAVE SUCH A DRAMATIC INCREASE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MORE OF A, A STATEMENT AND A WARNING THAN IT IS A QUESTION, UH, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR, FOR THOSE THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, OF THAT CURRENT POLICY AND MANDATE AND JUST NOT PAYING THE BILL BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY WON'T GET CUT OFF. 
          UH, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE PUT ANY, ANY PROTECTIONS IN PLACE IN REGARDS TO THAT, BUT JUST LOOK OUT FOR, THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE, UH, WE WE'RE AWARE OF AND FOCUSED ON. 
          UM, IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT. 
          WE CAN'T, UH, GO OUT AND INTERROGATE CUSTOMERS AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          ONE, ONE EFFORT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, LOOKING AT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED WE HAVE ABOUT 30,000 CUSTOMERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE OUT THERE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT 30,000 CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON OUR AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM. 
          AND SO, UH, WE, WE, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT ARE THOSE REALLY THE SAME PEOPLE? ARE THE, ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CUTOFFS, THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE ON OUR AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM? UM, AND OUR FIRST BLUSH ANALYSIS OF THAT IS ACTUALLY NO, UM, THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE IN, IN AREAS THAT ARE, WE CONSIDER SORT OF MI MIDDLE CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY IN ON OUR AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS. AND SO, UM, UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE ANALYZING THAT. 
          [00:25:01]
I THINK OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THOSE ARE DIRECT IMPACT IMPACTS TO, YOU KNOW, JOB LOSSES AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, A SUBSET OF THOSE WHO ARE JUST NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS ON TIME, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SUBSET OF THOSE WHO ARE JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION. 
          SO IT, IT IS DIFFICULT. 
          AND ULTIMATELY, IT, IT GOES BACK TO EVERYONE'S RATES. 
          YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE DON'T ULTIMATELY BRING INTO THE, THE SYSTEM, UM, GETS SPREAD OUT THROUGH THE REST OF THE SYSTEM, BUT, UM, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OF HURT OUT THERE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS IT. 
          AND I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, UH, EFFORT THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE CONTINUED AND THAT WE'RE TAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE DO HAVE THE MEANS TO, TO, UH, PAY BILLS. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YEAH. 
          UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? MM-HMM. 
          ? YES, MA'AM. 
          UM, SO ONE, UH, MANY OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED, AND TWO DONOVAN. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW IMPORTANT IT'S TO CONTINUE TO UTILIZE US WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE ANTIQUATED E P A REGULATIONS OR THOSE THAT NEED TO CHANGE. 
          AND WHEREVER WE NEED TO PUT, UH, PUSH ON THE PRESSURE POINTS THAT WE NEED TO IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, OUR MITCHELL LAKE. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COUNCILWOMAN DONOVAN, EXCELLENT WORK. 
          I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, TO, UM, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND MR. PUENTES FOR, UH, FOR ALWAYS BEING INVOLVED IN HELPING US FASHION, UH, OUR, UH, LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN AUSTIN WITH US, UH, AND IN DC UM, THE PARTNERSHIP IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          UM, WE, UH, ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO SUZANNE SCOTT NOW, UM, AND SHE RAN ALL THE WAY TO RADIO SHACK TO GET A NEW MICROPHONE. 
          I THINK, UH, SUZANNE, THE SHOW'S YOURS. 
          CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME NOW? YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          YES, FOR SOME REASON, ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UM, UM, SYSTEMS THAT WE USE, THEY ALWAYS CONNECT. 
          AND THEN TODAY, FOR SOME REASON IT DIDN'T THOUGH, SORRY ABOUT THE FRUSTRATION, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. 
          BUT I WAS SAYING WHEN I WAS MUTED, UH, THAT, UM, I WANTED TO SAY BEFORE I GET INTO TALKING ABOUT THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT, I DID WANT TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE AGAIN TO THIS GROUP FOR EVERYBODY SUPPORT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS FOR THE MISSION REACH REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE'VE ALL WORKED SO HARD TO GET OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT BRINGING THAT MONEY BACK TO SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO ALLOW FOR OTHER PROJECTS ALONG RIVERS AND CREEKS THAT THE COUNTY IS INVOLVED IN RIGHT NOW TO PROCEED. 
          SO, UH, AGAIN, THAT, UH, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT THE COUNCILMAN PERRY WORK TALKED ABOUT WITH ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO, ON COMMON ISSUES, UH, IS ALSO, UH, HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD BENEFIT HERE, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH, UH, THE SUCCESS ON THE MISSION REACH REIMBURSEMENT, AND BRINGING THAT MONEY BACK TO SAN ANTONIO. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA START ON THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, WHICH IS THE NEXT, UM, UH, PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. 
          SO I DO HAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT I THINK WILL BE BROUGHT UP. 
          OKAY, TERRIFIC. 
          SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, AS Y'ALL ALL KNOW, UH, WE, UH, COLLABORATIVELY, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE RIVER AUTHORITY HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR MANY YEARS ON VARIOUS PROJECTS ALONG THE WEST SIDE CREEKS. 
          AND JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF IDENTIFYING THOSE CREEKS, THAT'S AL AMAZON, APACHE MARTINEZ, AND SAN PEDRO, AND THEN ZAMORA CREEK AS WELL. 
          SO I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. 
          SO THAT CAN GIVE A FOUNDATION FOR THEN WHY THIS WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT IS NOW REALLY READY TO BE TEED UP. 
          SO, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY, UM, TRAIL SYSTEM HAS BEEN INVESTING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THE WEST SIDE CREEK TRAILS, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. 
          AND I'LL GIVE YOU A TALLY ON HOW MUCH THAT IS HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR MAP, UH, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLETED, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOW UNDER DESIGN, OR THE DESIGN IS COMPLETED, AND THEN, UH, THE, WHICH ONES ARE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EFFORT, UH, IN THE INVESTMENT OF TRAILS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR ARE UNDERWAY THROUGH THE HOWARD P GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM. 
          AND JUST TO KEEP A NOTE, AND WE CAN KEEP A NOTE AND WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS MAP IF WE NEED TO, BUT JUST NOTE THAT THE SAN PEDRO CREEK, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, GOES DOWN ALL THE WAY TO MISSION REACH. 
          AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE ABOUT THE SAN, OR A COUPLE OF SLIDES ABOUT THE SAN PEDRO CREEK THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING UP, THAT THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON, THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN. 
          BUT THAT 
          [00:30:01]
PROJECT THAT THE COUNTY IS FUNDING AND THE CITY HAS ALSO PUT FUNDING INTO, DOES CONNECT TO THIS GREENWAY TRAIL NETWORK. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, JUST TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A TALLY OF ALL THAT INVESTMENT THAT'S BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST, UM, FEW YEARS, UM, HERE IS THE KIND OF THE, UH, TRAIL INVESTMENT THAT WAS MADE SORT OF IN THE PHASE ONE OF THE FUNDING, WHICH WAS, UH, IN THE, LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO OR SO, AND HOW MUCH WAS COMPLETED ON EACH OF THOSE TRAILS. 
          AND THEN WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHAT WE'RE CALLING PHASE TWO AND HOW MUCH HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED. 
          SO YOU ESSENTIALLY HAVE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $25 MILLION THAT'S BEEN INVESTED AND, UH, COMPLETING 11.6 MILES OF TRAILS. 
          SO AGAIN, THOSE, THAT'S PART OF THE LINEAR TRAIL NETWORK AND WAS ALL PART OF THE PLANNING OF THAT NETWORK, UH, FOR THE WEST SIDE CREEKS. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE SAN PEDRO CREEK PROJECT, OF COURSE, UH, AS Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR, THIS PROJECT STARTS UP NEAR, UH, KIND OF WHERE THE, WHERE FOX TECH AND NOW THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HEADQUARTERS ARE LOCATED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHERE THE SAN PEDRO CREEK HAS A CONFLUENCE WITH THE AL AMAZON, APACHE MARTINEZ, I MEAN, THE AL AL AMAZON AND APACHE CREEKS THAT KIND OF COME IN, AND THEN IT TAKES THE BEND AND GOES DOWN SAN PEDRO CREEK THEN CONNECTS TO, UH, THE MISSION REACH THIS. 
          UH, SO WE ARE IN VARIOUS, UH, PARTS THAT WE FINISHED SOME SUMMERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, OTHER PART, OTHER PHASES ARE UNDER DESIGN. 
          BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, THE OVERLAPPING SECTION OF THE FEDERAL PROJECT IS THIS, WHAT WE'RE CALLING PHASE THREE, WHICH IS PART OF THE PHASE THREE SAN PEDRO CREEK PROJECT, AND ALSO PART OF THE WEST SIDE CREEK'S RESTORATION PROJECT. 
          THAT IS THE OVERLAP SECTION, WHICH FOR THE PURPOSES OF ORIENTING YOU TO THIS MAP, BASICALLY GOES FROM ALAMO STREET DOWN TO WHERE THE CREEKS CONNECT AS THEY COME IN FROM THE WEST SIDE UNDER 35 THERE, UH, ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF DOWNTOWN. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          PLEASE. 
          ALSO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE THAT THERE'S ALSO BEEN SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN ALMANOR LAKE, WHICH IS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE WEST SIDE CREEK TRAIL OR THE, THIS FEDERAL INITIATIVE, BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU OTHER INVESTMENT THAT'S BEEN MADE, UH, HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NOW OPEN AND, AND ENJOYED BY THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY AT ELMENDORF LAKE. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT'S $14.2 MILLION THAT'S BEEN INVESTED IN THE ELMAN LAKE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          NOW AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THE FEDERAL PROJECT, THE WEST SIDE CREEK'S ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT, THIS PROJECT, UH, WAS, UH, WE WERE PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO TRY TO SEE HOW WE COULD LOOK AT THE RESTORATION OF THESE CREEKS, UH, SIMILAR, NOT AS EXTENSIVE, BUT A SIMILAR CONCEPT AS WHAT WE'VE DONE ON THE MISSION REACH OF THE RIVER OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER. 
          THAT WAS A MORE SUBSTANTIAL, UH, ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT. 
          WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THOSE SAME TECHNIQUES AND APPLYING THEM UP TO THESE TRIBUTARIES. 
          AND THESE WERE ALL PART OF THE ORIGINAL SAN ANTONIO CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, WHICH WAS A CORE OF ENGINEERS PROJECT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY AUTHORIZED IN 1954. 
          AND OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN IN ONE STAGE OR ANOTHER OF ITS DEVELOPMENT. 
          MOST OF THESE CREEKS, OF COURSE, WERE FINISHED WITH THEIR FEDERAL INVESTMENT BACK IN THE SIXTIES AND THE SEVENTIES. 
          NOW WE'RE COMING IN WITH A, UH, THEY'VE DONE A REEVALUATION OF THESE PARTICULAR CREEKS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION BECAUSE, UH, THE CONGRESS BACK IN THE, IN 2000, GAVE AUTHORIZATION TO COME BACK INTO THE MISSION REACH AND WEST SIDE CREEKS TO LOOK AT ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION SO THAT YOU COULD STILL PROVIDE FLOOD PROTECTION, BUT SEE IF YOU COULD DO IT IN A MORE ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY AND MORE STABLE MANNER THAN THE ORIGINAL PROJECT THAT WAS DONE FOR FLOOD CONTROL PURPOSES ONLY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND THIS IS 14 MILES OF CREEKS. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE USED, UH, REGARDING THE, THE RESTORATION. 
          AND EACH CREEK HAS A DIFFERENT, I I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS OF IT NOW BECAUSE IT, IT COULD TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, BUT JUST SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT EACH CREEK HAS DIFFERENT, UH, RESTORATION TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO IT. 
          SOME MORE, MORE RESTORATION, SOME WILL HAVE LESS RESTORATION, DEPENDING UPON THE FLOOD CARRYING CAPACITY, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THESE CREEKS. 
          WE CAN'T PUT IN RESTORATION IF IT CAUSES MORE FLOODING. 
          SO WE'RE BALANCING THESE ISSUES TO ENSURE CONTINUED PROTECTION OF THE WEST SIDE CREEKS COMMUNITIES, BUT WE ARE PUTTING IN EITHER NATIVE VEGETATION, UH, WE'RE PUTTING IN MORE, UH, CHANNEL STRUCTURES THAT MAKE IT MORE STABLE, UH, ALLOWS FOR IT TO, UH, HAVE MORE HABITAT 
          [00:35:01]
DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA. 
          SO IT'S BALANCING A VARIETY OF USES, FLOOD WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS, ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE, THE PROTECTION OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES FROM FLOODING. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO FROM THE FEDERAL AGENDA PERSPECTIVE, WE SORT OF GOT A MULTI-STEP PROCESS, AND MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT JUST TO KIND OF GO THROUGH IT, TYPICALLY YOU FIRST START WITH THESE PROJECTS TO SEE IF IT CAN GET INTO THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET. 
          UM, THESE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS TYPICALLY HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET FOR MANY, MANY, UH, UM, ADMINISTRATIONS. 
          THIS HAS BEEN, WE, THE MISSION REACH PROJECT WAS NEVER IN A PRESIDENT'S BUDGET EITHER. 
          SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST TYPICAL WITH ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS. 
          THE BIG ONES USUALLY MAKE IT LIKE EVERGLADES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THESE SMALLER, MORE URBAN TYPE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS DON'T TYPICALLY AREN'T IN THE, IN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET. 
          UH, SO THEN YOU GO DOWN INTO THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS THAT, UH, IS THAT CONGRESS IS, IS, IS LOOKING AT THROUGH THESE ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILLS. 
          SO WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 
          OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE NO EARMARKS, UH, RIGHT NOW THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT CHANGING SOME OF THAT, BUT GENERALLY YOU CAN'T GO IN AND SAY, WEST SIDE CREEKS GIVES X AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          IT'S USUALLY LANGUAGE THAT WILL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE THAT KIND OF ENCAPSULATES THE, THE PROJECT THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR FUNDING THAT DEFINES THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET FUNDING FROM IF IT WAS AUTHORIZED IN BOTH, UH, BILLS, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. 
          AND THEN WE MOVE, THEN WE TAKE THAT AUTHORIZATION, AND THEN WE MOVE DOWN INTO THE WORK PLANS THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS DOES, DOES ON A ANNUAL BASIS THAT TAKES THE AUTHORIZATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN BY CONGRESS AND THEN PUTS IT TOWARDS SPECIFIC PROJECTS. 
          THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE PROJECT SPECIFIC DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE WORK PLAN, WHICH IS THROUGH O M B AND THE CORE HEADQUARTERS. 
          AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE ONE OTHER OPTION THAT WE'RE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERE TODAY, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT, UH, THERE IS AN, THERE IS A SECTION OF  THAT DOES REAUTHORIZE, UH, THIS SECTION 10 43, WHICH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY, IT'S ANOTHER OPTION, ANOTHER, UH, TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY USE FOR WEST SIDE CREEKS. 
          WE ARE ASKING FOR REAUTHORIZATION OF THIS CHECK, THIS 10 43 SECTION, WHICH ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR A PROJECT TO BE GIVEN UPFRONT IN ITS WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THINKS WOULD, UH, FULLY FUND THE FEDERAL SHARE OF THE PROJECT. 
          IT'S MANAGED LOCALLY, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR MISSION REACH, BUT ALL THE RISK IS ON THE LOCAL PARTNERS. 
          SO IF FOR SOME REASON THERE'S COST OVERRUNS OR ANYTHING ELSE, THAT'S ALL BORNE BY THE LOCAL SPONSORS. 
          WHEN YOU GET INTO A SECTION OF 10 43, IT'S IN BOTH VERSIONS OF WORD OF RIGHT NOW, HOUSE AND SENATE. 
          WE ARE SUPPORTING THIS JUST AS ANOTHER TOOL AND TOOLBOX. 
          IF IT DOES GET PASSED AND THE COMMUNITY DECIDES THE PARTNERS IN THIS PROJECT, WE COULD GO AND, UH, ASK FOR, UH, TO BE CONSIDERED TO APPLY THIS TO THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT, IF THIS IS THE STRATEGY THAT WE WANNA USE. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP ALL STRATEGIES OPEN AT THIS POINT. 
          SO MOVING INTO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS IS, UM, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE, UH, ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL. 
          THIS LANGUAGE, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS GENERAL. 
          IT SAYS, FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION OR COMPLIANCE WITH AUTHORIZED PROJECT PURPOSES, THE COURT SHALL ALLOCATE NO LESS THAN $7 MILLION FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT ARE MODIFICATIONS TO FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECTS, AUTHORIZATIONS TO ADDRESS DEGRADED CONDITIONS DUE TO PRIOR FLOOD PROTECTION WORK THAT SAYS WEST SIDE CREEKS, BECAUSE IT WAS A FORMER, UH, FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT THAT HAD ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. 
          THIS PROJECT, UH, THESE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE. 
          UM, SO, UM, AND THEN WE ALSO REMIND THE, THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO IS REMINDED THAT ANY PROJECT THAT MOVES INTO THIS, UH, WHAT IS CALLED PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PHASE, IS NOT CONSIDERED A NEW START. 
          UH, SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DESIGNATION. 
          THIS LANGUAGE HAS BEEN IN BILL'S, UH, FOR, FOR THE LAST FEW, UH, YEARS, JUST TO GIVE, UH, TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT A NEW, NEW FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A NEW START, WHICH IS IMPORTANT IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE CORE. 
          SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE HOUSE VERSION OF THIS BILL. 
          THE ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL HAS $2 MILLION IN IT, NOT $7 MILLION. 
          THE SENATE IS, HAS NOT DONE THEIR BILL, AND THEY 
          [00:40:01]
ARE, CORNIN STAFF IS STILL ASKING FOR THE $7 MILLION AS IS INDICATED IN THIS, UH, LANGUAGE THAT HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY, IF ONE HOUSE HAS 2 MILLION AND THE SENATE HAS SEVEN, THEN THERE'LL BE SOME COMPROMISE, AS YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          SO THEN, UM, IF, WHEN WE, WHATEVER THAT AUTHORIZATION NUMBER IS FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PROJECT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS, ALTHOUGH WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PUSHING IT. 
          THERE COULD BE OTHER PROJECTS THAT FALL WITHIN THAT NARROW DEFINITION. 
          AND, UM, IF SO, THEN WE WOULD BE COMPETING WITH OTHER PROJECTS. 
          BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY WITH OUR DELEGATION AND WITH THE CORE OF ENGINEERS THAT WE'RE SAYING THAT IS FOR OUR PROJECT. 
          AND WHAT WE NEED TO GET STARTED IS $2.34 MILLION TO INITIATE PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT. 
          AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT FIRST PIECE OF MONEY, THEN IT WILL BE ABLE TO COME MORE REGULARLY YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
          BUT IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S JUST GETTING THAT FIRST TRANCHE OF MONEY TOWARDS THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          UM, SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS IT RELATES TO, UM, WEST SIDE CREEKS, THE AUTHORIZATION, THE ACTUAL MONEY IN THE, IN THE, UH, CORE WORK PLAN. 
          AND THEN, UH, ALSO WORKING THE , THE WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ACT STRATEGY OF HAVING ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UH, FOR, UH, THE ABILITY TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD, UM, IF WE WERE ABLE TO BE SELECTED FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          SO WITH THAT, UM, THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE WITH WEST SIDE CREEK. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? THANK, THANK YOU, SUZANNE. 
          UM, LET'S, UH, GO AROUND THE HORN STARTING WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN BIRAN. 
          ANY QUESTIONS, MA'AM? UH, YES, YES, I HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          UM, HI. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH SUZANNE, AND CONGRATULATIONS, SUZANNE, ON, UH, YOUR NEXT BIG STEP WITH YOU'RE HEADING, UH, WE'RE SORRY WE'RE GONNA LOSE YOU AT THE RIVER AUTHORITY, BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING SOME GREAT THINGS, UH, THERE, UM, AT AT A LARGER LEVEL. 
          UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRAILS? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED ONE. 
          I WOULD LIKE THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UH, BUT TWO, WHEN YOU SAY THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, YOU MEAN ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT TRIBUTARIES? CORRECT. 
          UM, THE ZA THE APACHE, ET CETERA, CORRECT, YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN THERE'S THE ONE, IT'S PART OF THE SAN PEDRO CREEK, BUT IT'S ALSO, I GUESS IT'S NEAR, UM, THE CONFLUENCE OF WHERE IT COM, UH, THE CONFLUENCE TWO, UM, A MISSION REACH AND NEAR CONFLUENCE PARK AND NEAR C**N, THAT SECTION THERE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          YES. 
          UM, IT'S ALREADY BEEN BUILT OUT AS A TRAIL. 
          YES. 
          BUT IT IS, IS THAT PART OF YOUR ASK FOR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR DESIGN? YES, MA'AM. 
          IT IS PART OF THE, UM, IT IS PART OF THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT. 
          UM, AND, UH, RIGHT NOW, AND AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CORE AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UH, AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHERE DO WE START FIRST. 
          RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE MONEY, BUT, UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH JUSTIN, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ REGARDING, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE STRATEGY OF, OF WORKING ON THIS. 
          BUT, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE SAN PEDRO CREEK PROJECT, UH, THE, THE, THE PROJECT DOWNTOWN IS, IS UNDERWAY AND THE COUNTY IS ALREADY MAKING DECISIONS RIGHT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR, THE DESIGN OF THE, UH, CULTURE PARK ASPECTS OF THAT PHASE THREE, WHERE I HAD THE CIRCLE AROUND THE AREA THAT OVERLAPS. 
          AND THAT DOES CONNECT RIGHT DOWN SECTION TO THE SECTION, THE BEND, UH, UNDERNEATH THE HIGHWAY AND COMES DOWN, THERE'S ABOUT A TWO MILE SECTION THAT GOES FROM WHERE THE WEST SIDE CREEKS COME IN, TAKES THE CURVE, AND THEN GOES DOWN TO MISSION REACH WHERE THE TRAILS ARE. 
          NOW, THAT PART IS, UH, IS INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE FEDERAL PROJECT. 
          SO IF, YEAH, IF YOU WOULD GO TO, UM, YEAH, THAT, AND THEN THE, IF YOU GO TO THE  BEFORE THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND THIS, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, UH, KEEP GOING UP OR THAT ONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN GOING DOWN, UH, TO, UH, THE MISSION REACH AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE THAT DOES OVERLAP WITH THE FEDERAL PROJECT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, THAT, THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          BECAUSE IT'S, IT SAYS GREEN LIKE EXISTING AND IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, BUT IT'S NOT TRULY ALL COMPLETED BECAUSE WE'RE STILL DOING THE RESTORATION PROJECT. 
          RIGHT? AGAIN, AS AS IT GOES WITH THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM, THE TRAILS ARE COMPLETED. 
          REMEMBER THE TRAILS DON'T TOUCH THE CREEK THEMSELVES. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          RIGHT? IT'S BUILT 
          [00:45:01]
OUT THE TRAIL, BUT THE CREEK, ET CETERA. 
          BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THE MESSAGING THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH OUR COMMUNITY, UM, MANY OF THE PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHY DOESN'T IT LOOK LIKE THE MUSEUM REACH? WHY DOESN'T IT LOOK LIKE THIS WAY? YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. 
          AND, AND WHAT WE CAN SAY IS, WELL, WE NEED YOUR ADVOCACY, UM, TO OUR, TO OUR LEGISLATORS TO TELL THEM TO PUSH THIS SO WE CAN GET THE DESIGN AND THE MONEY FOR THE DESIGN COMPLETION. 
          OKAY? YES MA'AM. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A SIMILAR APPROACH ON MISSION REACH. 
          REMEMBER THE CITY HAD FUNDED TRAIL SYSTEMS DOWN MISSION REACH, THE MISSION TRAILS, UH, BACK IN THE DAY. 
          UH, SO WE GOT PEOPLE THERE AND THEN THAT DROVE THE RESTORATION PROJECT. 
          SIMILAR STRATEGY HERE, GET PEOPLE THERE WITH THE TRAIL NETWORK AND THEN THE RESTORATION SORT OF FOLLOWS AND WE'VE MADE SURE, I DO WANNA SAY WE'VE MADE SURE IN ALL OF THE DESIGNS OF THE TRAILS, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY, WE MANAGE THOSE PROJECTS IN THEIR IMPLEMENTATION ON THE HOWARD PETE GREENWAY. 
          WE'VE MADE SURE THAT THE TRAIL PLACEMENT IS IN SUCH A PLACE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE DISTURBED OR RIPPED OUT WHEN WE COME BACK AND DO THE RESTORATION. 
          WE DESIGNED IT SO THE RESTORATION CAN COME IN AND NOT HAVE TO UNDO THE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY'S ALREADY MADE IN THE TRAIL NETWORK. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS, DO YOU ALL HAVE, UM, LIKE A COUNT OF, OF HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THE WEST SIDE CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM SO FAR? DO Y'ALL KEEP RUNNING? I THINK THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOES HAVE A COUNTERS. 
          WE HAVE COUNTERS ON MISSION REACH. 
          I DON'T HAVE COUNTERS ON THE TRAIL, UH, THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY, BUT I BELIEVE THE CITY DOES. 
          UM, MAYBE, UM, SO, UM, OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, JEFF, JEFF, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN FIND, I JUST GET WHATEVER DIRECTION WE CAN OR I THINK I SAW CARLOS ON, UH, THE CALL. 
          CARLOS, YOU'RE MY ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CONTACT, SO, UH, IF WE CAN GET THOSE, THOSE DATA POINTS, THAT'D BE HELPFUL. 
          BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, SUZANNE, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANY QUESTIONS? NO, NO QUESTIONS. 
          GOOD JOB, SUZANNE. 
          I'M GONNA MISS YOU AND, UM, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN ADRIANA GARCIA ROCHA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, CHAIR AND THANK YOU SUZANNE. 
          AND YES, CONGRATULATIONS. 
          I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS, CAN YOU SEND ME A BREAKDOWN OF ANY UPCOMING, UM, PROJECTS, UH, INCLUDE MAYBE THE FUNDING  THE LOCATION AND, AND PROJECT, AND THEN START DATES? UM, PLEASE, I JUST WANNA BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS. 
          UM, BUT THEN ALSO, HOW ARE THE TIMELINES OF THESE PROJECTS? HOW DO YOU ALL ACCOUNT FOR THEM? IS IT BASED ON COMPLEXITY, LIKE SCOPE OF WORK TYPE THING? IS IT AVAILABLE FUNDING? UM, HOW DO YOU ALL I, I GUESS, PRIORITIZE OR, OR SORT, SORT THROUGH THESE THINGS? JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT. 
          ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, THE RESTORATION PROJECT OR THE FINISHING OF THE TRAILS TRAIL? UM, TRAIL? WELL, ACTUALLY BOTH. 
          HOW DO YOU ALL, OKAY. 
          SO IF YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND BOTH. 
          SURE, ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, IS DRIVING THE PRIORITIES ON THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, UH, THE TRAIL NETWORK, THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY, AND AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN FUNDED OVER YEARS. 
          UM, AND THE WEST SIDE CREEK'S TRAIL NET WEST SIDE CREEK'S FUNDING BEGAN, NOT THIS LAST ONE, THIS NOT, NOT THE LAST, UM, UH, APPROVED, UH, INITIATIVE PROPOSITION, BUT THE ONE BEFORE, THAT'S WHY IT WAS IN TWO PHASES. 
          SO WE STARTED WITH THOSE THEN BASED ON, UH, WHAT RIGHT OF WAY WAS AVAILABLE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES WOULD BE THE EASIEST TO, TO GET DONE. 
          AND I THINK THAT THEY PRIORITIZED THOSE FIRST. 
          THAT'S WHY WE STARTED WITH THE PHASE ONE THAT I, THAT WAS SHOWN BEFORE MM-HMM. 
          , AND THEN THE PHASE TWO CAME IN AFTER THAT, UH, BASED ON FILLING IN AND ADDING IN THE TRAILS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WHOLE NETWORK WAS COMPLETED. 
          WE DID HAVE TO WORK AROUND SOME SAWS WORK THAT WAS GOING ON ALONG, UM, SOME OF THESE TRAILS. 
          SO WE WANTED TO WAIT ON THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE WANTED TO GET THE SAWS WORK DONE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LOT OF REPLACEMENT SEWER LINES GOING ON IN THIS AREA. 
          SO, UH, WE WANTED TO PRIORITIZE THOSE PROJECTS AFTERWARDS. 
          SO YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A, LOOKING AT COMPLEXITY, WHAT COULD BE MOVING, UH, FASTER AND, UH, HOW COULD WE MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD DELIVER ON THE TIMEFRAME OF THE MONEY. 
          SO THAT'S HOW THAT, THOSE WERE DONE. 
          AND AS FAR AS THE WEST SIDE CREEK'S PRIORITIES, WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WORK WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS FROM THE IDEA OF THE TECHNICAL, WE DON'T WANNA BUILD AN ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT THAT IF WE HAD A MAJOR STORM EVENT OR A FLOOD DURING CONSTRUCTION, THAT THAT WOULD BE BLOWN OUT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET DONE IN, IN A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE. 
          SO WE TRY TO PLAN AND STRATEGIZE 
          [00:50:01]
ON, UH, TECHNO USING THE BEST ENGINEERING THAT WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT AS THESE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD, THEY STILL HAVE TO FUNCTION AS A FLOOD CHANNEL, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CAUSE ANY TROUBLE, UH, TO FLOODING DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RESTORATION. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING THOSE HAND IN HAND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, SUZANNE. 
          AND YOU REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING AND, AND I, UM, HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DRIVE AROUND IN QUITE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT THERE WAS A PROJECT BY, UM, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY AND SAS WAS WORKING ON, ON SOMETHING THERE, BUT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. 
          AND SO, SO UM, UM, SO THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE THAT YOU'RE ALSO WORKING WITH SAS, BUT I'D LOVE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT, BUT IT ALSO REMINDED ME THAT THERE'S PARTS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE, UM, MORE AGED INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? AND SO, I MEAN, DISTRICT COVER, I JUST MENTIONED OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, BUT, UM, THERE'S OTHER PARTS AS WELL. 
          AND SO HOW DO YOU ALL TAKE THAT PRIORITIZATION, LIKE WITH AGED INFRASTRUCTURE? DOES THAT MEAN THAT, BECAUSE IT, IT'S, HOW DO YOU ALL, I GUESS, HELP ME, UH, UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL DECIDE, OKAY, WELL THIS IS, UM, EASY, SO LET'S JUST DO THIS. 
          BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE OLDER PARTS THAT, UM, REALLY NEED HELP? LIKE THEY WOULD BE GETTING WORSE, RIGHT? AND, AND WORSE. 
          AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          WELL, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT SA IS DOING, UH, THEY ARE PRIORITIZING THAT BASED ON, UM, WHERE THEY'RE SEEING, UH, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OF THEIR, UH, STORM OF THEIR, UH, WASTEWATER SYSTEM. 
          AND I, I'M SURE THAT DONOVAN COULD GIVE AN UPDATE TO THIS COMMITTEE ON THEIR CONSENT DECREE AND HOW THEY'RE PRIORITIZING THAT. 
          UH, AND WE'VE WORKED WITH IT BECAUSE ON MARTINEZ CREEK, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL CONFLICTS WITH, UH, THE TRAILS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD TO WAIT ON THE TRAIL. 
          IF YOU NOTICE, IT JUST SAYS DESIGN IS CO COMPLETED. 
          WE CAN'T GO IN AND DO THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF  INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEING REPLACED IN THAT SECTION BECAUSE IT'S A VERY OLD AND DEGRADED. 
          SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE DONE FIRST, THEN WE CAN COME IN WITH A TRAIL. 
          AND FORTUNATELY THOUGH, WE'VE PLANNED THAT INFRASTRUCTURE RE REPLACEMENT SO THAT THOSE PIPES WILL BE AT A LEVEL THAT WE CAN COME IN AND DO THE RESTORATION. 
          WHEN THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS DID THEIR INITIAL STUDY ON THIS, THEY DID NOT, THEY WERE NOT GONNA DO A VERY SIGNIFICANT RESTORATION ON MARTINEZ CREEK BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS TOO MANY UTILITY CONFLICTS. 
          NOW WE'VE REMOVED THOSE UTILITY CONFLICTS LOCALLY THAT WILL ALLOW FOR MORE RESTORATION TO OCCUR ON MARTINEZ. 
          SO WHEN WE MOVE INTO THE DESIGN PHASE WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, WE ARE GOING TO ASK THEM TO REVISIT THE RESTORATION ON MARTINEZ, BECAUSE NOW THE CONFLICT THAT THEY WANTED TO AVOID BECAUSE IT WAS TOO COSTLY HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN OVER TIME ON THESE PROJECTS. 
          AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE, UH, HOW WE CAN, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO LOCALLY AND THAT WE'RE COORDINATING ON THESE PROJECTS. 
          BECAUSE THE WORST YOU COULD DO AND, AND THE SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY IS YOU JUST PLAY, YOU PLACE THE SEWER LINE AND THEN YOU DO ANOTHER PROJECT AND YOU TAKE IT OUT AGAIN. 
          THEY'RE GOING, THAT'S MY DOLLARS. 
          WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? UH, WE WANNA BE COGNIZANT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE TAKE ALL OF IT INTO CONSIDERATION, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S FUNDING IT, IT'S ALL THE SAME PEOPLE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANKS, SUZANNE. 
          NOW THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO, UH, COMMISSIONER WOLF. 
          ANY QUESTIONS, SIR? I HAVE NONE OTHER THAN TO SAY THANK YOU TO SUZANNE AS WELL, AND CONGRATULATIONS. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          NOW I'LL BE BRIEF. 
          UH, SUZANNE, THANK YOU. 
          SHE AND I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, SO, UH, I THINK A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. 
          THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK, UH, JUST TO REMIND ME, SUZANNE, ON THE 2.34 MILLION, UH, ASK, IS THERE A LOCAL MATCHING REQUIREMENT FOR THAT? AND IF SO, UM, HAS THAT FUNDING BEEN IDENTIFIED YET? UH, YES, THERE IS A LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT ON THAT. 
          AND, UM, WE ARE, UM, WORKING ON THAT REGARD THROUGH THE RIVER AND CREEK PROGRAM THAT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. 
          I JUST HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH DAVID TO, UH, HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, LOCAL MATCH IS PART OF THAT RIVER AND CREEK PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THE 2.34 IS THE, THE, UH, FEDERAL PORTION WE'RE REQUESTING? YES, SIR. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          GOTCHA. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN, SUZANNE. 
          APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK. 
          WE'RE YOU, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M GONNA BE, UH, HARASSING OVER THERE NOW, UH, ABOUT WEST SIDE CREEKS, BUT JUST MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ME THEIR NUMBER. 
          OH, DON'T WORRY. 
          , . 
          THERE'S PLENTY HERE TO, THEY'RE READY TO BE HARASSED BY YOU. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          , THANKS AGAIN, SUZANNE. 
          GOOD LUCK TO YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU, UH, AND SUZANNE, THANKS SO MUCH. 
          UH, AS ALWAYS, UH, EXCELLENT WORK. 
          UH, I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS THAT SARAH IS, UH, 
          [00:55:01]
POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION IN SAN ANTONIO, AND YET SO FEW PEOPLE REALLY KNOW, UH, WHAT GOES ON OVER THERE. 
          AND I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU COME OUT AND LET US LOOK UNDER THE HOOD. 
          UM, AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GET BACK TO THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON 
          [3. 20-6080 Bexar County River and Creek Program [Melissa Shannon, Director of Governmental Affairs, Bexar County]]
TO OUR SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UH, WHICH IS THE BEXAR COUNTY RIVER AND CREEK PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND MELISSA, SHANNON, UH, IT SAYS THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING THIS ONE. 
          ARE YOU READY? IT'S THE COMMISSIONER'S ITEM, I HOPE. 
          THE, THE COMMISSIONER'S ITEM? YES. 
          YEAH, SO, SO THIS, I THINK IF SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THIS COMMISSIONER, I'M SURE, UH, KEVIN WILL, WILL CHIME IN. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA VERY BRIEFLY AND, AND, UH, GIVE YOU ALL A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION THAT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT PASSED, UM, I GUESS IT WAS LAST WEEK OR WEEK BEFORE MM-HMM. 
          , UM, RELATED TO FUNDING OF THE LINEAR CREEK WAYS. 
          UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE SHIFTED FROM, UM, THE FUNDING PERSPECTIVE. 
          UM, WHILE WE HAVE NOT YET IDENTIFIED, UM, HOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, UH, WE, WE DID, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS PRE PANDEMIC ABOUT, UH, THE COUNTY KIND OF TAKING THE BATON AND, UH, COMMITTING TO CONTINUING THE FUNDING FOR, UH, THOSE PROJECTS. 
          SO THE RESOLUTION KIND OF MEMORIALIZES THAT. 
          WHAT, UH, IN SOME IT DOES IS, UH, DIRECT OUR STAFF, OUR, OUR BUDGET STAFF TO COME BACK TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT WITH A PLAN OF FINANCE, UM, IN EARLY PART OF 2021. 
          'CAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW AT THAT POINT, UH, WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BETTER IDEA OF WHERE TAX VALUATIONS ARE, UM, IN THE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND, AND SO, UH, THERE'S A COMMITMENT THERE OBVIOUSLY TO, TO MAKE SURE WE FULFILL, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT WAS STARTED YEARS AGO BY THE CITY. 
          UM, AND, AND I THINK IN PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. 
          IT COULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GO OUT, UH, WITH THE BOND INITIATIVE TO HELP WITH, WITH, UH, THE FUNDING, UH, SUSTAINABILITY. 
          IT COULD BE, UM, MUCH LIKE THE COUNTY DID, AND KEVIN PROBABLY HAS MORE INSIGHT ON THIS, BUT I GUESS IT WAS OH 7 0 8, WHERE THE COUNTY COMMITTED TO A, UH, SIGNIFICANT FLOOD CONTROL PROGRAM THAT WAS PAID OVER TIME, A 10 YEAR PRO, A 10 YEAR PROGRAM, $500 MILLION, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, ISSUING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. 
          UM, SO, SO WE WILL KNOW MORE, UH, I GUESS DEFINITIVELY ABOUT THE FUNDING SOURCE, HOW IT MAY OR MAY NOT IMPACT THE TAX RATE AND, AND THE, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGETS GOING FORWARD. 
          UH, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL WERE AWARE OF THE COUNTY'S COMMITMENT. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS, WE'LL GET OUR BUDGET STAFF TO GET THOSE OVER TO YOU. 
          BUT, BUT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE, THIS ITEM WAS. 
          UH, IN PARTICULAR, UH, COMMISSIONER WOLF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING. 
          YEAH, JUST, JUST SOME QUICK PIECES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE COVID WE HAD THIS SORT OF SET UP AND READY TO GO, UH, AND OF COURSE THAT'S KIND OF THROWN A KINK INTO EVERYTHING. 
          UH, WHAT, WHAT THE COURT DID TO JUSTIN'S POINT EARLIER WAS SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, RECERTIFY OUR COMMITMENT. 
          UH, HOWEVER, LET ME THROW A NOTE OF CAUTION IN THERE. 
          WE, WE WON'T BE TAKING, OR THE COURT WON'T BE TAKING ANY ACTION UNTIL, YOU KNOW, NEXT APRIL AS WE SEE HOW THINGS COME OUT. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY THE COURT IS CHANGING, UH, IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND CHICO. 
          UH, AND ONE OF THE REASONS I LEFT CITY COUNCIL IS ON CITY COUNCIL. 
          I KNEW THAT YOU HAD TO BE ABLE TO COUNT TO SIX IN ORDER TO GET ANYTHING DONE. 
          SO I WENT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT WHERE I ONLY HAD TO COUNT TO THREE. 
          UH, THAT'S ME TELLING YOU GUYS THAT AS WE GET PAST THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP PRESSURE ON JUSTIN'S NEW COLLEAGUES, UH, IN REGARDS TO WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN NEXT APRIL. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S VERY WELL PUT. 
          UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES? UH, COUNCILMAN VRAN HAD HER HAND UP BEFORE YOU DID. 
          CLAYTON, YOU'RE NEXT. 
          GOTTA GET EVERYTHING IN ORDER. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, CO-CHAIR COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FOR, UM, SHARING THIS INFORMATION AND JUST CUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT WHERE YOU ALL ARE AND JUST CLARIFYING THAT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TO WORK TOGETHER, CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER AS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. 
          AND I AM, UM, I KNOW THERE'S STILL AN ELECTION DAY THAT HAS TO, VOTING ENDS ON NOVEMBER 3RD, SO, UM, I'M GLAD THAT MY, UH, ONE OF THE MEMBERS AT LEAST RUNNING IN 
          [01:00:01]
MY, UH, PRECINCT IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANNA, UM, UM, KIND OF REMIND EVERYBODY AGAIN WHAT COMMISSIONER WOLF SAID. 
          THERE IS AN ELECTION AND, UH, THEY HAVE A, THE COUNTY HAS A BUDGET, JUST LIKE WE HAVE A BUDGET AND, UH, TO TAKE ON NEW REQUIREMENTS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO WITH THAT. 
          AND, UM, UM, IT'LL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE COUNTY FOLLOWS UP THIS RESOLUTION, UM, FROM, FROM THEIR POCKETBOOKS AND WHAT, WHAT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE FROM THE COUNTY SIDE. 
          SO, UH, IT'LL ALL BE INTERESTING. 
          IT'LL ALL COME OUT IN THE WASH. 
          SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL THIS AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH, UH, A COMPLETE SYSTEM HERE. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN GARCIA, ROCHA, ANYTHING? JUST, UH, ECHOING MY THANKS TO, UH, COMMISSIONER . 
          I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE. 
          COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          WELL, THAT BRINGS US TO THE, UH, END OF THE, UH, COUNTY, CITY JOINT PORTION OF THIS MEETING. 
          WE'RE GONNA BREAK OFF, UM, AND TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME CITY ISSUES AND, UH, TAKE SOME VOTES. 
          AND SO TO OUR FRIENDS FROM THE COUNTY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AGAIN. 
          HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT WEEK. 
          BE SAFE. 
          GO VOTE. 
          BYE, Y'ALL. 
          THANKS. 
          [4. 20-6081 Federal Representation Services Contract Renewals [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
ALL RIGHT. 
          OUR NEXT ITEM, UM, IS, UH, JEFF, OUR FEDERAL, UM, LOBBYING CONTRACT RENEWALS. 
          YES, WE ARE, UH, COMING FORWARD WITH A REQUEST AND RECOMMENDATION TO RENEW, UH, THE CONTRACTS OF OUR EXISTING FEDERAL TEAM. 
          SALLY'S GONNA DO THIS, UH, PRESENTATION TO RECAP THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE PAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF, WHICH HAS BEEN A CONGRESSIONAL TERM, UNLIKE ANY OTHER WITH THE PANDEMIC. 
          UH, AND THIS ALSO GIVES US A CHANCE TO, AS THE YEAR IS WINDING DOWN HERE, AND THIS CONGRESSIONAL TERM IS WINDING DOWN, TO GIVE A A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON, UH, SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, ACHIEVED. 
          SO, SALLY, TAKE IT AWAY. 
          HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, JEFF. 
          UH, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS A BRIEFING, AS JEFF SAID, ON THE EXECUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATION SERVICES CONTRACT, UM, AND THE OPTION TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT WITH OUR TWO YEAR RENEWAL OPTION WITH CLARK HILL, THE NORMANDY GROUP, AND WALTER SERNA. 
          EDUARDO, CAN YOU BRING UP THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE? THANK YOU. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          PART OF THE PRESENTATION, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          I WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE SUCCESSES THAT JEFF INDICATED, UM, WITH THE GREAT ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAM. 
          AND THEN I WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ONGOING ADVOCACY WORK. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          HERE ARE SOME FAMILIAR FACES FOR YOU. 
          OUR CURRENT, UH, FEDERAL TEAM, UH, KEVIN KELLY, LAUREN LIPPEN. 
          UH, THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE CLARK HILL TEAM IS SHADY ADE WALTER CERNA, HENRY BONILLA, AND RON ANO. 
          THIS TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR ABOUT 16 MONTHS NOW, AND I SHOULD SAY THAT, UH, THE ONSET OF 2020, UM, UNTIL NOW, WE'VE KEPT 'EM VERY, VERY BUSY. 
          AS JEFF SAID, THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARILY, UH, DIFFERENT AND ACTIVE YEAR ON CAPITOL HILL. 
          UH, WE STARTED THIS YEAR WITH THE LARGEST ESSAY TO DC GROUP FROM THE CSA TEAM, AND THEN WE CAME BACK TO HANDLE, UM, THE LACKLAND EVACUEES ISSUE. 
          WE ALSO HAD A VERY BUSY APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS. 
          EVERY SPRING, THE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS OPEN UP THEIR RESPECTIVE PROCESSES TO ACCEPT APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS. 
          IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS, AND WE SUBMITTED VARIOUS REQUESTS. 
          I PRESENTED AN UPDATE OF THOSE TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER LAST MONTH DURING THE I G R COMMITTEE, AND I'LL SHARE A SNAPSHOT OF THOSE, UM, AS WELL TODAY. 
          THEN LATER IN THE SPRING, C O V I D, UH, LANDED IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND WE HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY BUSY DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF, OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR, UH, FEDERAL, UH, TEAM, UM, IS VERY WELL AWARE OF ALL THE MOVING 
          [01:05:01]
PARTS, THE NEEDS, AND THE CHALLENGES OF SAN ANTONIO, SO THAT THEY CAN CONVEY THE APPROPRIATE MESSAGING IN WASHINGTON DC NOT ONLY TO OUR FEDERAL, UM, DELEGATION GROUP, BUT NON DELEGATION AS WELL FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FEDERAL AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES, AND AS WELL AS THE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          I HAVE TO ADD THAT I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING EXTRAORDINARILY WELL TOGETHER. 
          THEY'RE VERY TALENTED, AND THEY, UM, WORKED COHESIVELY, AND THEY'RE VERY COLLABORATIVE TEAM. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THESE ARE OUR CONTRACT TERMS, BUT BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          IN THE FALL OF 2018, WE LAUNCHED IN COORDINATION WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND R S P PROCESS. 
          WE, UH, AS PART OF THE COMMUNICATION TO ENSURE THAT WE, UM, HAD OUR R F P NOTICE, UH, OUT, UH, WIDE, UM, IN WASHINGTON AND LOCALLY, WE IDENTIFIED OVER 45 WASHINGTON DC FIRMS. AND, UH, THE CONTRACTS TEAM SHARE THE R F P NOTICE. 
          THESE WERE 45 WASHINGTON DC BASED FIRMS FROM THE TOP 25 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          SO FINANCE SHARED OUR R F P NOTICE WITH THOSE TOP 45 FIRMS. ULTIMATELY, WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 12 SUBMISSIONS, OR 12 PROPOSALS, AND AFTER AN EXTENSIVE MULTI-MONTH PROCESS, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE THREE CONTRACTS FOR CLARK HILL, THE NORMANDY GROUP, AND WALTER CERNA ON JUNE, 2019. 
          THAT EXECUTED THE INITIAL TERM THAT STARTED JUNE, 2019, AND IT CONCLUDES DECEMBER 20TH, 20TH. 
          TODAY, WE ARE, UH, SPEAKING TO YOU AND PROVIDING IN THIS BRIEFING, THE OPTION TO RENEW THE ONE TWO YEAR TERM THAT WILL RUN FROM JANUARY, 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER, 2022. 
          UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ALIGNED THESE TERMS WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL SESSIONS. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THE A HUNDRED AND 16TH SESSION CONCLUDES AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND WE WILL BEGIN THE A HUNDRED AND 17TH CONGRESSIONAL SESSION, WHICH IS A TWO YEAR TERM, SO THEY ALIGN PERFECTLY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE CONTRACTS INCLUDE CONTRACT DELIVERABLES AND VERY SPECIFIC SCOPE OF WORK. 
          UM, ONE OF THE KEY DELIVERABLES PART OF THE SCOPE OF WORK IS ADVOCACY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES OR GRANTS YOU'LL RECOGNIZE MOST, UM, ALL OF THESE, UH, FUNDING SUCCESSES. 
          OUR CONSULTANTS TEAM WAS VERY CRITICAL AND INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUMMER OF 2019 DURING THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY FOR THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER. 
          UH, WE HAD, UM, A LAUNDRY LIST OF OPERATIONS REIMBURSEMENTS THAT WE BELIEVED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REIMBURSING, UH, THE CITY AND OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          OF COURSE, UH, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY. 
          OUR CONSULTANTS LED THE WAY TO COORDINATE AND DEVELOP LANGUAGE THAT COVERED THE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE CITY UNDER THE HOMELAND SECURITY HUMANITARIAN, UH, EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL BILL, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH CONGRESSMAN CUELLAR TO DRAFT THE LANGUAGE. 
          UM, KEVIN LAUREN AND TEAM WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN REVIEWING THE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS COVERED THROUGH TWO, UH, DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS. 
          ONE, THE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE SENATE AND ULTIMATELY, UM, SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT, UH, AN EMERGENCY, UH, FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD GRANTS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED. 
          WE SUBMITTED TWO APPLICATIONS AND SUCCESSFULLY RECEIVED TWO APPROPRIATIONS THAT TOTALED 624,000. 
          SO THAT WAS A GREAT WIN FOR US, AND A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT, AND SAN ANTONIO'S TEAM LED LED THE WAY TO WORK ON THE THAT APPROPRIATIONS LANGUAGE. 
          UM, THE NEXT BOX IS THE, UM, ONE THAT FUNDING THAT WE KNOW WELL, THE CARES ACT, WHICH, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF ADVOCACY DONE, UH, FOR THIS FUNDING. 
          WE HAD A VERY AGGRESSIVE, UH, LOBBY PLAN IN PLACE THAT IS STILL ONGOING TODAY AS NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE FOR AN ADDITIONAL PACKAGE. 
          AS YOU RECALL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECEIVED 270 MILLION, AND AS WELL AS APPROXIMATELY 107 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL CARES, GRANTS, AND COVID FUNDING. 
          MANY OF THESE WERE CAPTURED THROUGH THE SPREADSHEET THAT WE WERE DISTRIBUTING UPDATES THROUGH THE, UM, WORK GROUP, UH, GRANTS SPREADSHEET. 
          THE NEXT ONE IS ALSO A FAMILIAR ONE, THE U A C GRANT, THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE. 
          THIS IS AN ONGOING, UH, ANNUAL CHALLENGE, AND, BUT FOR US, WE WERE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT 
          [01:10:01]
WE RECEIVED AN INCREASE OF $500,000 THIS YEAR, UP TO 3.5 MILLION. 
          WE ARE INCHING UP, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL, UH, HAVE, UH, THE FUNDING ALLOCATION THAT WE BELIEVE SAN ANTONIO DESERVES, UM, BASED ON THE POPULATION AND THE THREAT, UM, INDEXES. 
          THE NEXT ONE IS THE COPS HIRING GRANT, THAT'S ONE OF THE NEWEST GRANTS THIS PAST SUMMER. 
          WE DID A LOT OF ADVOCACY WORK FOR THIS ONE, TOO. 
          IT'S A VERY HIGHLY COMPETITIVE GRANT. 
          THE COPS GRANT, UH, AWARD IS 3.1 MILLION, AND IT WAS THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          SO FOUR VERY GREAT SUCCESS STORIES FOR SAN ANTONIO AND OUR, UM, CONSULTANTS WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US PREPARE AND ADVOCATE FOR ALL THIS FUNDING SUBMISSIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ON THE F Y 21 APPROPRIATIONS FRONT, YOU'LL SEE SOME FAMILIARITY HERE. 
          I PROVIDED, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, AN UPDATE IN THE, DURING THE SEPTEMBER I G R MEETING. 
          WE PUT A LOT OF WORK IN THE SPRING DURING THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, SOME OF OUR MILITARY JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO PRIORITIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FLIGHT TRAINING SIMULATOR WAS INCLUDED IN THE MILCON BILL FOR 19.5 MILLION. 
          THE MILITARY TRAINING DORMITORY AT BLACKLAND, UM, AT A PRICE TAG OF 36 MILLION ALSO IN MILCON. 
          AND THE LAST ONE IN MILCON IS THE F 16, UH, TRAINING, UH, CENTER AT 10.8 TO BILLION. 
          WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL TO INCLUDE AN INCREASE, UH, FOR C D B G FUNDING LEVEL EVERY YEAR. 
          THE ADMINISTRATION WIPES OUT, UH, THE C D B G AND OTHER HUD PROGRAMS. SO IT'S A FIGHT EVERY YEAR DURING THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT WE HAVE TO WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MONEY IS, UH, PUT BACK INTO C D B G AND OTHER HUD GRANTS. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL TO INCLUDE REPORT LANGUAGE, UH, FOR C D C, DIRECTING THEM TO COMPILE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FAMILY VIOLENCE DATA, UH, THAT WILL BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR, UH, LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS AND SUBMISSIONS OF APPLICATIONS. 
          UM, THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE, UM, H H S . 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, THIS PROVIDES YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE ONGOING ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES. 
          AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EACH OF THE CONTRACTS INCLUDES CONTRACT DELIVERABLES AND A SCOPE OF WORK. 
          UM, THERE ARE ACTIVITIES THAT, UM, HAPPEN IN A MUCH MORE FREQUENT BASIS. 
          THE FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES REPORTS TRADITIONALLY WILL NORMALLY HAPPEN TWO TO THREE TIMES A MONTH, OR IF OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC GRANTS THAT WE ARE, UM, TRACKING AND MONITORING. 
          AND OUR CONSULTANTS DO A GREAT JOB OF PROVIDING US THOSE UPDATES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FORECAST FROM THE AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA OPEN UP. 
          THEY ALSO ASSIST, AS, YOU KNOW, TO ARRANGE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER AND AGENCY MEETINGS DURING WASHINGTON DC VISITS. 
          THEY'VE HAD TO THINK, UM, A LOT MORE OUTSIDE THE BOX, UH, DURING C O V I D SINCE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE IN-PERSON MEETINGS. 
          AND SO A LOT SATURDAY ZOOM MEETINGS, SUNDAY CALLS WITH AGENCY OFFICIALS, ET CETERA. 
          UM, SO WE'VE REALLY KEPT THEM ON THEIR TOES. 
          UH, THEY ALSO PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, THE I G R COUNCIL COMMITTEE UPDATES, EITHER THROUGH THE MEMOS AS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET FOR THE MEETING TODAY, AND ALSO, UH, VERBAL, UM, UPDATE, UM, AS PART OF THIS COMMITTEE. 
          UH, ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT THAT THEY PROVIDE IS LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY RESEARCH. 
          WHEN CONGRESS, UH, FILES NEW BILLS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IN THAT LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE. 
          AND ALSO, THE REGULATORY RESEARCH IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN THOSE BILLS ARE ULTIMATELY PASSED, AND THEN THEY'RE HANDED OFF TO THE FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND THEN THEY INTERPRET THAT LANGUAGE, AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T INTERPRET THE LANGUAGE THE WAY THAT CONGRESS INTENDED. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION THAT HAPPENS WITH THE AGENCIES AND COORDINATION WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INTENT, UM, ROLLS OUT AS, UM, EXPECTED. 
          SO LOTS OF WORK THERE ON THE ONGOING, UM, ADVOCACY OF THEIR WORK. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA TODAY. 
          UH, WE STILL HAVE A FEW MONTHS LEFT IN 2020, AND THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING COLLECTIVELY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, AS YOU SAW TODAY, THROUGH THE HAWS AND SARAH PRESENTATIONS THAT WILL BE ONGOING AS THEY CEMENT THEIR ISSUES, UH, FURTHER, AS JEFF SHARED EARLIER, 
          [01:15:01]
UH, LATER IN THE YEAR. 
          AND, UM, THIS MONTH, OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANTS, WE WILL BE HOLDING, UH, DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DISCUSS THOSE PRIORITY ISSUES AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES THAT WILL BE PART OF THE DRAFT PROGRAM THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU NEXT MONTH. 
          UM, THAT POST-ELECTION REPORT, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS OF NOT JUST THE SEATS, UH, LOCALLY IN TEXAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT IT'LL HELP US TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE COMMITTEES, UH, IN CONGRESS LAND, WHO, UM, WHERE THERE WILL BE MOVEMENT AND WHO'S GONNA LAND WHERE. 
          ALSO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS STIMULUS FUNDING NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING. 
          AND SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND IS IS ESPECIALLY ALSO THROUGH 2021, WE DON'T SEE AN, AN END IN INSIDE AND ADVOCATING FOR, UH, C R S FUNDING AND OTHER, UH, COVID RELATED GRANTS FOR THE CITY. 
          THE F Y 21 APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE. 
          AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR THE CR EXPIRES, UH, DECEMBER 11TH. 
          SO THIS CONTINUES TO BE, UM, AN ONGOING TRACKING AND MONITORING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS REMAIN, UH, DURING THE END OF YEAR NEGOTIATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, UH, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF THE 12 SENATE BILLS OR A MASSIVE OMNIBUS BILL. 
          SO WE'LL BE TRACKING OUR APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS AND OTHER, UH, FUNDING STREAMS VERY CLOSELY, UH, THROUGH THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS, UH, I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, THE EXECUTION OF THE TWO YEAR RENEWAL OF THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATION SERVICES CONTRACT FOR THE FIRMS OF CLARK HILL, THE NORMANDY GROUP, AND WALTER SERNA. 
          THAT TERM WILL RUN JANUARY 1ST, 2021, AND IT WILL BE ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2022. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS ALIGNS WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL SESSION. 
          THEY WILL BE KICKING OFF IN JANUARY THE A HUNDRED AND 17TH. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, CARLOS, I JUST WANNA ADD, ADD ONE THING, MS. CHAIRMAN. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WE NORMALLY WOULD DO THIS WOULD BE A REQUEST OF A REFERRAL TO THE COUNCIL WITH AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE I G R COMMITTEE FOR THAT, FOR THAT, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY, LET'S START WITH YOU. 
          OH, ALRIGHT. 
          START WITH THE LAST, ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, NOW THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SALLY. 
          THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          IF YOU COULD PULL UP FIVE. 
          OKAY. 
          MAYBE THAT WASN'T IT. 
          UM, WELL, I, I GUESS LET ME TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          UH, FUNDING SUCCESSES, AND THEN HE FOLLOWED UP WITH A SLIDE, UM, FY THE, UM, UM, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM WHERE WE HAD SOME SUCCESSES ALSO . 
          YEAH. 
          UM, THE, UM, UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL GREAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE I'VE BEEN COMING FROM FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, TWO TIMES BEING ON THE I G R WAS, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET MORE INTEGRATED WITH THE MILITARY AT THE, AT THE PENTAGON LEVEL? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR BIGGEST INDUSTRY IN SAN SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND I, I, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE EVEN THOUGH WE MAKE TRIPS UP THERE, WE VISIT THE, THE HIGHER UPS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. 
          I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS, THE ACTION OFFICERS AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING AT THE LOWER LEVELS THAT REALLY DO ALL THE WORK, UM, UP THERE AT THE PENTAGON. 
          AND HOW ARE WE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? AND WHAT IS THE MILITARY COMPONENT OF THIS TEAM THAT IS ABLE TO GET INTO THE DOORS? UH, AND AND I REALIZE RIGHT NOW COVID HAS A STOP ON ALL THAT, BUT THAT WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND WHO DO, WHO DOES THIS TEAM HAVE THAT CAN GET INTO THAT PLACE AND GET DOWN AT THE WORKING LEVELS TO, UH, WORK ISSUES FOR SAN ANTONIO 
          [01:20:02]
LOBBY FOR THESE PROJECTS THAT WE, UH, REALLY, REALLY NEED FOR THESE, THESE INSTALLATIONS THAT ARE, THAT REMAIN IN SAN ANTONIO? SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION. 
          AND I REALLY DIDN'T HEAR A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE MILITARY SIDE. 
          I, I CAN TRY TO TAKE THE FIRST ANSWER TO THAT. 
          UM, UH, BOTH TEAMS, UH, BOTH OF OUR DC BASED TEAMS HAVE GOOD, UH, MILITARY EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, UH, FORMER CONGRESSMAN BONIA OBVIOUSLY HAS WORKED IN A NUMBER OF ISSUES ON BEHALF OF THE BASIS HERE. 
          HE'S, UH, VERY CLOSE TO THE, UM, FORMER HOUSE CHAIR OF ARMED SERVICES WHO IS NOT CHAIR BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN PARTY LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE. 
          UM, HE'S HELPED ON THAT FRONT, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, KEVIN KELLY AND HIS PAST EXPERIENCE AS WELL, AND I'M, BUT I'M SPEAKING WITHIN CONGRESS, OUR MAIN, UH, UH, ENTREE TO THE PENTAGON HAS BEEN JUAN AALA, AS YOU KNOW, ON STAFF. 
          UM, HE'S CLOSE WITH A LOT OF THE FOLKS AT THE PENTAGON, UH, SCHEDULED A NUMBER OF THOSE HIGH LEVEL MEETINGS. 
          HE'S ALSO, UH, REALLY ESTABLISHED STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE J B S A LEADERSHIP. 
          AND I WILL SAY THAT THESE ITEMS HERE, UH, HAVE ALL BEEN SUBMITTED AS APPROPRIATIONS ASKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH J B SS A, THESE HAVE BEEN THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY HAVE STRESSED. 
          UM, AND AS WELL, I WOULD SAY IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO, JUAN HAS REALLY IMPROVED THE COORDINATION WITH THE E D F. 
          SO, E D F FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, IS NOW VERY MUCH ENGAGED IN, UM, MILITARY ISSUES, THE SPACE FORCE BEING THE, THE MORE RECENT, UH, PURSUIT. 
          UM, SO THAT SAID, THAT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR JUAN, AND I THINK WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SCHEDULE SOME TIME IN A FUTURE I G R IF WE WANT TO TALK MORE SPECIFICS WITH HIM. 
          YEAH. 
          HE'D BE BETTER EQUIPPED THAN ME TO ANSWER. 
          I THINK I'M, I AM NOT, I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING AGAINST THE GENERAL, HE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB IN HIS POSITION THERE, BUT I STILL THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR LOBBY TEAM WHO HAS PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THERE IN DC HAVE THAT, UM, IMMEDIACY, IF YOU WILL, TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE PLACE WORK ISSUES, LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, FUTURE BACKGROUNDS. 
          WHAT, HOW IS SAN ANTONIO STACKING UP AGAINST OTHER, OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE US? WHAT, WHAT MISSIONS OUT THERE ARE AVAILABLE THAT MAYBE COULD RELOCATE TO SAN ANTONIO? THAT KIND OF THING. 
          SO I NOT, NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM GENERAL AYALA, UM, AND HE'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT HE DOESN'T, HE DOESN'T LIVE AND OPERATE OUTTA D CITY. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S, I, I BROUGHT THAT UP BEFORE HAVING SOMEBODY THERE THAT'S MORE AVAILABLE AND BEING ABLE TO QUOTE, WALK THE HALLS, IF YOU WILL, UM, MEETING FOLKS AND, AND GETTING THAT DATA AND INFORMATION FOR US TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM, JEFF, AND, AND I'M, I'M STILL NOT, I'M STILL NOT HEARING THAT. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO, UM, HEAR SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT'S THE PLAN ON THE PENTAGON? 'CAUSE AGAIN, THAT IS OUR SINGLE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO PUT MORE EMPHASIS THERE AT, IN DC AND AGAIN, NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM GENERAL OLOGY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB, BUT I JUST FEEL THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT, THOSE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CAN I ADD JUST ONE STATEMENT? YES. 
          YES. 
          COUNCILMAN, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, PUT WORDS IN JUAN'S MOUTH, BUT I HAVE HEARD HIM SAY DURING VARIOUS TIMES THAT, UM, TWO OF OUR STRONGEST AMMUNITIONS TO NOT JUST ATTAIN THE MEETINGS AT THE PENTAGON, BUT ALSO TO OPEN THOSE DOORS OF COMMUNICATION IS THROUGH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS SUCH AS YOURSELF. 
          YOU'VE JOINED, UH, GENERAL AYALA DURING THOSE VISITS, UM, AT THE PENTAGON. 
          AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THOSE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY CRITICAL AND HAVE RENDERED, UH, SO MANY GREAT RESULTS. 
          AND NOT JUST IN THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE NETWORKING, UM, BUT TO ESTABLISH THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION. 
          SO I IMAGINE THAT GENERAL AYALA WILL, UM, RE-STATE THAT AGAIN AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR ADVOCACY, YOUR SUPPORT AND UH, YOUR AVAILABILITY TO JOIN US AT THE PENTAGON, UH, WILL BE CRITICAL IN THE, IN THE MONTH TO COME TO SUPPORT NOT JUST THESE INITIATIVES, BUT OTHERS. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, AND THAT ALL SOUNDS GREAT, SALLY, BUT AGAIN, I THINK SOMEBODY ON OUR FEDERAL TEAM IN DC ON OUR LOBBYIST TEAM SHOULD HAVE THAT, THAT SAME, BE ABLE TO REACT AND VISIT AND, AND HAVE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, IF YOU WILL, FOR THAT. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION AND HEAR, HEAR WHAT THE PLAN IS GOING FORWARD 
          [01:25:01]
WITH, UH, THESE TEAMS. SO, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIEGO. 
          QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YEAH, I THINK, UH, JUST TO START OFF, UM, SO I'LL BE HONEST HERE. 
          I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. 
          SOMETHING ISN'T SETTLING FOR ME VERY WELL RIGHT NOW. 
          AND I THINK IT HAS TO START WITH, UM, I, I, UM, LEVEL OF EXPECTATION OF SERVICE AND DELIVERABLES TO US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, US AS I G R MEMBERS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AND I WILL SAY, I THINK, UH, AS MY EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, DOWNS AND, AND HIS, UH, AS HE WAS THE FEDERAL ONE IN DC AND JUST THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND THE LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION THAT ARE RECEIVED, AND I DON'T SEE THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION WHEN IT COMES TO OUR DC BASED, UM, FEDERAL, UM, LOBBYIST RIGHT NOW, HONESTLY. 
          I MEAN, I, I SAW THE LETTER IN THE BACKUP, AND IT WAS GIVEN WHAT, OCTOBER 9TH, WHEN IT WAS SENT, WHEN THE, THE DATE IT WAS DRAFTED. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE APRIL AND ONGOING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GETTING THIS AT G P A OFFICE, BUT, AND I WAS GETTING DAILY UPDATES FROM THE N L C TEAM FROM BROOKS, UM, BROOKS' LOBBY TEAM  STRATEGIES ALMOST EVERY, IF NOT EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S A LEVEL OF EXPECTATION I ANTICIPATED, UM, WITH THIS NEW CONTRACT OF, OF THE DC LOBBYIST. 
          AND, UM, MAYBE IT'S THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM ENOUGH TO DO ALL OF THAT, OR IF THEY ARE COMMUNICATING TO OUR, OUR TEAM AND THE MESSAGE ISN'T JUST GETTING DOWN TO US. 
          UM, I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FOR THE, THAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT, THAT KIND OF, UM, DELIVERABLE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR, I I WILL SAY, I ALSO WANNA KNOW, AND, AND THIS IS A, YOU GAVE A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, DELIVERABLE, AND I KNOW THAT'S COMPREHENSIVE, AND THEY'RE ALL A TEAM TOGETHER ON THIS. 
          UM, SO ARE THEY ALL A TEAM TOGETHER, OR ARE THEY SUBS AND CLARKS BROUGHT ON NORMANDY AND BROUGHT ON, UH, CERNA AND CERNA? IS THAT THE WAY THAT THIS IS A PACKAGE? AND HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING? UM, NO, THERE, THERE, IT'S NOT A PRIME SUB ARRANGEMENT. 
          UM, IT, IT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, UH, A SUB REQUIREMENT, UH, FOR IT TO HAVE A LOCAL FIRM, UH, WHICH IS HOW, FRANKLY, WALTER SERNA AND HIS FIRM GOT INVOLVED WITH THE CITY IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF LOCAL FIRMS THAT ARE DC PLAYERS. 
          WALTER HAS FRANKLY GAINED A LOT OF THAT EXPERIENCE THROUGH WORKING WITH THE CITY. 
          AND SO, IF YOU RECALL, WHEN WE DID THIS R F UM, WE DID NOT WANT TO RELY ON ONE OF THE DC FIRMS TO PICK A LOCAL LIAISON THAT WAS SATISFACTORY TO US. 
          WE WANTED TO PUT THE BEST TEAM TOGETHER OURSELVES THAT WE COULD. 
          SO THESE ARE ALL SEPARATE CONTRACTS. 
          THEY ABSOLUTELY OPERATE AS A TEAM. 
          OUR, OUR BIWEEKLY CALLS WITH OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS INVOLVED INCLUDE ALL OF THEM. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, CARLOS AND SALLY AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT GOING INTO THIS NEXT CONGRESSIONAL TERM, IS EXPANDING THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR NORMANDY. 
          WE HAD THEM, UH, REALLY HEAVILY FOCUSED ON AIRPORT. 
          AND THE AIRPORT HAS, UH, HELPED SUPPLEMENT OUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO, UH, AFFORD THIS TEAM. 
          AND, UH, W WITHOUT THE F A A REAUTHORIZATION, NOT THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN IMPORTANT AIRPORT ISSUES, THERE HAVE, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN A NEED FOR, BEEN A NEED FOR FULL-TIME FOCUS ON THE AIRPORT. 
          AND WE THINK THERE'S OTHER VALUE THAT NORMANDY CAN ADD BY, BY PULLING THEM INTO MANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO DO THAT. 
          BUT WE'D LIKE TO SORT OF FORMALIZE THE, THE FACT THAT IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR EVERYTHING AS OPPOSED TO DIVIDING UP THE WORK AMONGST THEM. 
          UM, BACK TO THE COMMUNICATIONS PIECE, UM, WE DO GET, UH, REGULAR, UH, UH, PLAY BY PLAY UPDATES FROM THEM AS WELL. 
          UH, CARLOS AND SALLY AND I TALK REGULARLY ABOUT WHAT TO PASS ON TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          AND OFTEN WE, WE WIND UP NOT WANTING TO, TO OVERWHELM YOU WITH DAY-TO-DAY DEVELOPMENTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY BETWEEN SUBCOMMITTEE VOTES AND HOUSE VOTES AND SENATE VOTES. 
          WE TRY TO KEEP OUR UPDATES TO, TO BIG PICTURE WHEN THERE, WHEN THERE ARE REAL SUBSTANTIVE DEVELOPMENTS. 
          UM, BUT WE ARE GETTING THEM FROM OUR CLARK HILL TEAM. 
          UH, AND 
          [01:30:01]
IF YOU WANNA SEE MORE OF THAT, UM, UH, I'M AWARE OF THE, THE REGULAR EMAILS THAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM OTHER FIRMS THAT ARE NOT CONTRACTED WITH THE CITY, WE'RE GETTING THEM TO. 
          IF YOU WANT A MORE STEADY CADENCE OF UPDATES, WE CAN, WE CAN REQUEST THAT FROM OUR TEAM. 
          BUT, BUT WE'VE TRIED TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A FILTER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE RECEIVING THE REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND, AND, UM, AND NOT, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY REPORTS FROM DC AND ACTUALLY, UH, MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, WE CAN JUST PROVIDE THE ONES WE GET TO YOU NOW, WE CAN JUST SEND 'EM TO YOU. 
          AS JEFF SAID, WE GET 'EM REGULARLY, PROBABLY THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK. 
          UH, SOME OF IT'S RESPONDING TO THINGS, INQUIRIES THAT WE, THAT SALLY AND TEAM ASK FOR, BUT MOST OF IT'S JUST AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. 
          HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON, AND HERE'S HOW IT AFFECTS YOU. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S ON US FOR NOT PROVIDING IT TO, TO THE COMMITTEE, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          AND THEN TO COMPLIMENT, ADD ON TO WHAT JEFF'S SAYING, WE WANT TO USE ALL THE TEAMS ACROSS ALL OF THE ISSUES. 
          INITIALLY WE THOUGHT WE WOULD FOCUS ON AVIATION FOCUS AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          SO WE THINK THERE'S VALUE IN, IN BLENDING ALL OF THAT. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ON A GO FORWARD BASIS. 
          USE AN I UNDER, I UNDER I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          AND I THINK, BECAUSE I THINK HAVING, UM, A NORMANDY GROUP THERE AND ONLY HAVING HAD THEM WORK ON ONE SIDE WAS NOT UTILIZING AND MAXIMIZING THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          JUST LIKE, I WILL SAY AGAIN, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK I SAID IT BEFORE, I MEAN, WE HAD THE LARGEST ESSAY AT DC GROUP, BUT IT WAS, BUT WHICH I ALREADY SHARED WITH YOU ALL, UM, THAT I FELT IT WAS UNDERWHELMING, AND I DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS ORGANIZED OR, UM, MAXIMIZED OUR OPPORTUNITY OF ALL OF US THERE. 
          UM, I THINK IT WAS, AND THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE DIDN'T, UH, WE DIDN'T EXECUTE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF THAT WAS, THAT, UH, CLARKS DIDN'T HAVE, DIDN'T SET UP ALL OF THOSE AGENCY MEETINGS OR ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US THAT WERE GOING TO BE THERE. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND, UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS JUST SO DIFFERENT. 
          BUT I THINK I'VE, I'VE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT, UH, WITH YOU ALL BEFORE. 
          UM, I'VE ALREADY SHARED MY, MY THOUGHTS ON THAT BEFORE. 
          AND, UM, SO THESE ARE SOME THOUGHTS. 
          I MEAN, I'M NOT, UH, I THINK MY, I, I BELIEVE, AND I WILL SAY THE, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE DELIVERABLES THAT WERE HAPPEN WERE MORE ONE GROUP THAN ANOTHER WHEN IT COMES TO APPROPRIATIONS, WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING THESE THINGS. 
          I KNOW IT WAS ONE GROUP MORE THAN ANOTHER. 
          SO, UM, I, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE. 
          SO HOW MUCH IS THIS AGAIN, IF WE EXTEND IT, IT'S FOR ONE, TWO YEAR TERM? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? HOW LONG AND HOW MUCH MONEY? SALLY, DO YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU? SURE, ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO A COUNCILWOMAN, AS INDICATED IN THE MEMO, THAT'S PART OF THE PACKET, THE COMPENSATION, THE MONTHLY COMPENSATION FOR CLARK HILL IS THAT 16,666. 
          THE MONTHLY COMPENSATION FOR THE NORMANDY GROUP IS, UH, 10,000 EVEN. 
          AND THE MONTHLY COMPENSATION FOR WALTER SERNA IS 3,750. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND IT WAS IN THE PACKET, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT VERBALLY ON THE RECORD ON TELEVISION AS WELL. 
          SO, UM, OKAY. 
          AND SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN MAYBE REMOVE OR SHIFT MORE DOLLARS TO ANOTHER, UM, GROUP AND PUT MORE RESPONSIBILITIES ON THERE? IS THAT POSSIBLE, JEFF? I, YEAH, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE. 
          UM, THOSE ARE, WELL, I'M NOT SURE ACTUALLY. 
          THOSE ARE THE NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS, SO I GUESS TO RENEW WE, RIGHT? CORRECT. 
          SO, YEAH, SO THAT'S MY QUESTION. 
          WE WOULD, SO THOSE ARE THE NEGOTIATED TERMS. SO EITHER WE RENEW IT AS IT IS, OR WE DON'T RENEW IT AT ALL FOR ANY OF THESE GROUPS. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          HMM. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT, AND STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO, IS TO BLEND THE WORK, UH, BUT NOT TO, NOT TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE COMPENSATION BECAUSE WE, WE DO RELY ON ONE MORE THAN ANOTHER AND WE DO RELY ON FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES. 
          SO WE, UM, SO YOU WANT THEM TO BLEND THE WORK, BUT THEN NORMANDY WOULD STILL GET 10,000 A MONTH? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WELL, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. 
          I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE CONVERSATION AND FROM YOU AS WELL, CHAIR. 
          SO THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          AND SO I 
          [01:35:01]
WANNA START OFF FIRST BY SAYING THAT I THINK THAT OUR TEAM OF CONSULTANTS DO PROVE TO BE AN INVALUABLE PARTNER WITH US, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO POTENTIAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES LIKE GRANT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. 
          UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, AND I ASKED THIS A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD PARTNER WITH SOME OF THE, UM, OTHER AGENCIES MAYBE THAT ARE DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK, UH, LOBBYING. 
          AND SO WE HAD SPECIFICALLY REFERENCED MAYBE A TIE IN WITH THE COUNTY. 
          AND THE REASON THAT I'M SO INTERESTED IN THIS IS BECAUSE BUDGETING, UH, PURPOSES, RIGHT? IF WE THINK ABOUT IT, UM, SOME OF THE LEADING ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD LOBBYISTS, LIKE THE US TRAVEL ASSOCIATION, THE N R A, THE US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THEY'VE ALL CUT THEIR LOBBYISTS OR, OR RESHIFTED SOME OF THEIR FOCUS, AT LEAST BY 20%. 
          AND THEN AS I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH PREPARING FOR THE MEETING, I ALSO NOTICED THAT, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ABOUT, UH, 16 NEW LOBBYIST TERMINATIONS IN GENERAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          AND SO, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT FOR EVERY NEW ONE THAT WAS BEING ADDED, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE A SMALLER AGENCY, THERE WAS A, A, A, A TWO CUT. 
          AND SO I WAS A LITTLE BIT WORRIED ABOUT THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING, OR, OR, AND MAYBE YOU ALL ARE, BUT HELP ME UNDERSTAND IF WE ALREADY LOOKED AT THAT, HOW ARE WE INVESTING, HOW ARE WE WORKING TOGETHER? UM, DO WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN PERHAPS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS? LIKE WHAT C P S IS DOING? WHAT SAUCE IS DOING WHAT SARAH, WHAT VIA WITH MAJOR EMPLOYERS LIKE U S A A AND NEUSTAR AND VALERO AND TOYOTA, UM, HOW ARE THEY SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON LOBBYING AS WELL AS CHAMBERS? AND SO HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPLETE TEAM. 
          AND SO WE SEEM TO BE LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIPS IN OTHER AREAS, LIKE WITH THE COUNTY, WE JUST HEARD THIS, THIS GREAT PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY'VE, UH, COMMITTED TO, TO LOOKING AT, AT FUNDING, RIGHT? FOR A MAJOR PROJECT. 
          AND WE DO THE SAME THING. 
          AND SO I MIGHT BE TAKING THIS A LITTLE BIT FROM CLINTON PERRY'S, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, CHOICE OF WORDS BY SAYING THAT WE NEED TO TIGHTEN THE BELT AND HOW ARE WE TIGHTENING THE BELT IN THIS REGARD? AND SO I'M JUST, AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE SOME INFORMATION SO THAT WE COULD JUST REALLY BUILD SOME ADDITIONAL TRUST WITH, UM, WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND, AND JUST REALLY PROMOTE SOME TRANSPARENCY. 
          LIKE WHAT IS IT, WHAT ARE OTHERS WORKING ON? IS THERE ANY OVERLAPPING CONS, CONSTITUENCY THAT MAYBE WE COULD LEVERAGE AND WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY AND MAYBE NOT SPEND AS MUCH MONEY? UM, HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH N L C? HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH T M L? AND I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO BE HERE IN A, IN A, A COUPLE OF HOURS, UM, LOOKING AT THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COUNCILMAN PALAIS, UH, SERVED AS CO-CHAIR. 
          THERE'S 127 PAGE DOCUMENT. 
          AND SO HOW ARE WE LEVERAGING THEIR LOBBYIST SCHEME SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, AGAIN, LIKE CLAYTON PERRY SAYS, TIGHTEN THE BELT. 
          UH, I'LL START WITH THE ANSWER, AND, AND CARLOS AND SALLY CAN CHIME IN AS NEEDED. 
          WHAT, WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING COUNCILWOMAN IS, UH, IS ABSOLUTELY ON POINT AND SOMETHING WE ATTEMPTED A FEW YEARS AGO, UNSUCCESSFULLY. 
          SO GOING BACK TO THE MAIN POINT, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ALSO DEPLOY FEDERAL LOBBY TEAMS. UM, UH, DURING ONE OF THE RFPS FOR OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANTS SOME YEARS AGO, UH, WE PROPOSED TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE ALL POOL OUR RESOURCES AND COLLECTIVELY SELECT, UH, OR, OR BUILD ONE TEAM THAT REPRESENTS ALL OF US. 
          SO THAT WAS SAWS, C P S, THE RIVER AUTHORITY VIA PORT AND BROOKS, I BELIEVE, OF ALL OF THEM. 
          THE ONLY TAKER WE HAD WAS THE PORT, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE AT THE TIME, THEY HAD THE SAME LOBBYISTS THAT WE DID. 
          WHAT WE FOUND WAS EVERY ENTITY REALLY FELT LIKE THEY WANTED, UH, FOCUSED EFFORT ON THEIR PARTICULAR ISSUES. 
          THEY WERE UNSURE HOW THEY WOULD HAVE A CONSULTANT TEAM, HOW RESPONSIVE A CONSULTANT TEAM WOULD BE TO THEM, IN PARTICULAR, IF THEY WERE ONE OF A HALF DOZEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CLIENTS BUILT INTO ONE. 
          SO, UH, WE TRIED FOR A GOOD SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS. 
          THIS WAS WHEN MAYOR CASTRO WAS HERE, AND, AND IT DIDN'T WORK. 
          AND SO, UM, WHAT WE DID INSTEAD WAS DEVELOP THE I G R ROUNDTABLE. 
          UM, THAT IS A, UH, MONTHLY GATHERING OF OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF OF ALL OF THESE ENTITIES. 
          WE'VE EXPANDED IT OVER THE YEARS TO ADD CHAMBERS. 
          PERIODICALLY WE'LL BRING IN, UH, MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN TOWN LIKE U S A AND TOYOTA, SOME OF THE ONES YOU'VE MENTIONED. 
          BUT THE IDEAS FOR US TO BE AROUND THE TABLE TOGETHER, TALKING ABOUT WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN GET OUR TEAMS IN DC TO, TO JOIN FORCES ON SPECIFIC ISSUES AND, AND LOBBY TOGETHER. 
          UM, UH, IT'S A, IT'S AN ONGOING EFFORT FOR US. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO N L C, UM, WE ARE VERY MUCH PLUGGED INTO THAT. 
          OBVIOUSLY, COUNCILMAN VERAN IS OUR REP ON THE, ON THE BOARD. 
          UH, SALLY IS IN CONTACT WITH N L C ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THEY'RE REGULARLY ASKING US FOR, YOU KNOW, UPDATES ON HOW WE'VE 
          [01:40:01]
SPENT C D B G MONEY OR WHAT OUR BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR TO HELP THEM MAKE THEIR ARGUMENT FOR MORE STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING IN THE RELIEF PACKAGES. 
          UM, WE'RE, WE'RE UTILIZING THEM TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, BUT WE'RE ONE OF MANY MEMBERS THERE, AND SO WE'RE SORT OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE COLLECTIVE GOOD WHEN WE WORK WITH THEM. 
          UM, I'LL PAUSE THERE. 
          CARLOS, SALLY, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, SALLY CAN GET INTO THE DETAIL OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND NLC, BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T EXCELLENT. 
           THAT WE'VE DONE. 
          I JUST WANNA COMMENT ABOUT TWO THINGS. 
          ONE, WE HAVE, UNLIKE OTHER, UH, PARTNERS, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES INTERNALLY. 
          WE'VE CHOSEN TO BUILD THE RESOURCES INTERNALLY. 
          WE'RE THE ONLY ONE WITH THE MILITARY AFFAIRS OFFICE, AND SO WE UTILIZE OUR INTERNAL RESOURCES FOR THAT. 
          WE'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAVE A, HAVE A, A ROBUST I G R STAFF. 
          IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S BIG, BUT THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. 
          AND THEY INTERFACE DIRECTLY AND DIRECT DIRECTLY ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES OF ALL OF OUR LOBBYISTS. 
          AND THANKS TO THE WORK OF, UH, OF OUR CHAIRMAN, POLITE, AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER WOLF, AS YOU RECALL, THEY BROUGHT TOGETHER THE PRIVATE SECTOR TEAM. 
          WE, WE TRIED TO WORK WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TEAM, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS, TRYING TO GET TOGETHER ON, ON COMMON INITIATIVES. 
          AND FRANKLY, THEIR INITIATIVES ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY. 
          AND THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP BECAUSE IT IS BENEFITS THE COMMON GOOD, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AS FORTHCOMING, UH, ON THEIR INITIATIVES AND HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN INITIATIVE. 
          MM-HMM. 
           THAT, THAT WORK THAT THE CHAIRMAN DID WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER WOLF REALLY DID ALIGN US IN A DIFFERENT WAY. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE, CONTINUE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT GOING FORWARD. 
          AND ALLY, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE N L C AND . 
          SURE. 
          CARLOS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF MORE INFORMATION, OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ALSO SOME OF THE NON-PROFITS, WHEN WE IDENTIFY THOSE KEY COMMUNITY ISSUES THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE GROUP CAN STAND BEHIND, UM, THEY HAVE GIVEN US LETTERS OF SUPPORT. 
          THEY HAVE MADE PHONE CALLS TO THE MEMBERS ON CAPITOL HILL. 
          AND SO, AS CARLOS SAID, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT, UM, THEY WILL NOT, UH, SUPPORT, UM, AS AGGRESSIVELY AS OTHERS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR THEIR CHOICE TO DETERMINE THAT. 
          AS FAR AS, UM, N L C AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, I'M OFTEN TOLD BY BOTH ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A MODEL CITY. 
          WE ARE OFTEN, UM, CALLED UPON, UM, TO HAVE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN SENATE BRIEFINGS IN, UH, WORK SESSIONS AND PANELS. 
          UM, COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT WILL BE, UH, PRESENTING, UH, DURING THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES CONFERENCE, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR, UM, AND OTHER MEMBERS AS WELL. 
          I KNOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL INVITATIONS COMING, UM, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES. 
          IT'S ALWAYS VERY MUCH A STRONG PARTNER FOR US. 
          THEY ALWAYS PUT SAN ANTONIO AT A NATIONAL PLATFORM, AND I'M VERY PROUD, UH, TO SAY THAT AGAINST SAN ANTONIO MODEL CITY AS AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, OUR PLATFORM ON CAPITOL HILL. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          AND, UM, SO I KNOW THAT JEFF MENTIONED THAT WHEN, UH, JULIAN CASTRO WAS MAYOR, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE A DECADE AGO OR SO, RIGHT? AND SO I DON'T LIKE THAT ANSWER, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS ALSO PRE COVID. 
          SO WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE SEE THIS RESURGENCE OF EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CHANGES ANYTHING, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH AT LEAST THE ASK, AND I WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT JUST MAKING THAT ASK. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO, UM, I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, AND YOU MENTIONED THIS, I THINK IT WAS, UM, . 
          SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE WORKING AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE'VE CREATED ENTIRE DEPARTMENTS TO BE ADVOCATING FOR US. 
          SO I'M WONDERING, I WANNA KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY COSA UM, WORKERS, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE WE PAYING TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, THIS ADVOCACY WORK, UM, TO WORK ON GRANTS? LIKE, UM, IS IT JUST A SEAL OF APPROVAL THEN THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE, OR, OR, OR ARE LOBBYISTS, UH, YOU KNOW, DRAFTING AND THEN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS? AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTAND MISUNDERSTANDING THAT I HAVE, AND MAYBE WE CAN WORK OFFLINE AND AGAIN, UH, TO COUNCILWOMAN, UH, REBECCA VIA GRAND'S POINT. 
          YEAH. 
          IF WE GET INFORMED, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL. 
          IF THE MORE INFORMATION FOR ME, THE BETTER, RIGHT? I JUST WANNA, UM, KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL SORTS OF THINGS GOING ON. 
          AND, AND CARLOS MENTIONED THAT HE, UH, WOULD SEND INFORMATION. 
          I KNOW, JEFF, THAT IT'S VERY SENSITIVE TO, UM, YOU ALL ARE REALLY GOOD AND BEING SENSITIVE TO OVERWHELMING US WITH TONS OF EMAILS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          BUT MAYBE IT'S A MONTHLY UPDATE OR SOMETHING THAT WE GET. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT TIME, UM, THAT WE'RE LIVING IN. 
          AND SO AGAIN, IF WE HAVE, UM, THE US TRAVEL ASSOCIATION, THE N R A, THE US CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE THAT ARE DOING THIS 
          [01:45:01]
AND, AND LOOKING AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, MAYBE IT'S A, A TIME FOR US TO KIND OF RECONSIDER THIS. 
          AND I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. 
          I AGAIN APPRECIATE THE WORK. 
          I RESPECT WALTER SERNA AND, AND I RESPECT THE OTHER LOBBYIST TEAMS. I JUST HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS STILL THAT I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL WOULD, UM, ALSO ASK. 
          AND THEY EXPECT ME TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS AS A MEMBER OF I G R, BECAUSE IF THEY SAY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IF FLEW PASSED, I G R, LIKE, DIDN'T YOU ASK THESE QUESTIONS? LIKE, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. 
          RIGHT? AND SO I DON'T KNOW, SURE. 
          WHAT CAN BE DONE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT TAKES MAYBE HAVING ANOTHER MEETING AND, AND MAKING THIS A STANDALONE ITEM. 
          AND, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD, CAUSE IF WE DELAY THIS TODAY, LIKE, DO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TODAY? OR DO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, LIKE WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE? CAN WE TAKE THIS UP IN ANOTHER MONTH? LIKE, UH, JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND FROM THE PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, I GUESS. 
          UM, I'M, I'M LOOKING TO MAKE CHAIR FOR, FOR PRODUCTION, JEFF. 
          SURE. 
          UM, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE APPROVED TODAY. 
          THE, UH, THE CURRENT CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE EXPIRES DECEMBER 31ST, 2020. 
          SO WE HAVE TIME TILL THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD NOW THOUGH, BECAUSE, UH, IF WE WERE NOT TO RENEW, WE WOULD NEED TO LAUNCH AN R F P PROCESS, AND THAT'S A MULTI-MONTH EFFORT. 
          UH, SO THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION SOONER, UH, RATHER THAN LATER. 
          UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'VE, I SUMMARIZE WHAT I THINK I'VE HEARD. 
          NUMBER ONE, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, YOU'D LIKE US TO ASK OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHETHER THEY WOULD WANT TO RECONSIDER A, A, A JOINT CONTRACT, UH, FOR, FOR DC REPS, IS THAT YEAH. 
          OR AT LEAST THE COUNTY, OR FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAN, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE COUNTY GOES AND HIRES FOR THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE, MAYBE WE DO IT FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE. 
          AND I GUESS THE, THE, THE ALARMING THING THAT I HEARD EARLIER TODAY WAS THAT, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO OUR, UM, FEDERAL, UH, DELEGATION WITH A, A MULTITUDE OF, OF ENTITIES THAT ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE SAME ISSUE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT TO ME, IS US DOING OUR HOMEWORK FOR OUR LOBBYISTS. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE LOBBYISTS CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE IN, IN, IN SOME OF THE ITEMS, RIGHT? AND SO, AND AGAIN, NOT KNOWING, NOT SEEING, UM, YOU KNOW, A REPORT, A MONTHLY REPORT, I MIGHT FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF, IF YOU ALL SEND ME, YOU KNOW, BACKUP INFORMATION OF ON WHAT HAPPENED, UH, YOU KNOW, OR WHAT'S HAPPENED EVEN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, I MIGHT SAY, OH MY GOSH, OUR LOBBIES ARE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          BUT NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. 
          I CAN'T SAY THAT, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M JUST ASKING THESE QUESTIONS. 
          I, I COULD TOTALLY BE PROVED WRONG. 
          I COULD BE JUST SWEPT OFF MY FEET BY WHAT THE LOBBYISTS ARE DOING THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. 
          THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO, TO KNOW, SO THAT WE COULD BE TRANSPARENT WITH OTHERS AS WELL ON IT. 
          THAT'S ON US COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          WE'LL PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMATION. 
          AND, AND, UH, SHEP INDICATED WE'RE NOT RUNNING UP AGAINST A DEADLINE RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. 
          I'LL SAY, OBVIOUSLY OTHER ENTITIES HAVE CONTRACTS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT TERMS. SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ALIGN, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A FEATURE INITIATIVE. 
          BUT WE'LL TAKE THAT ON. 
          WE'LL TALK TO PEOPLE AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SORRY, I THINK I INTERRUPTED YOU, JEFF, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          NO, I, I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK WE, WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY BACKTRACK AND SHOW AND PROVIDE FOR YOU PAST UPDATES. 
          UM, SO YOU SEE THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THEY'RE PROVIDING REGULARLY TO US. 
          SALLY PUT TOGETHER A PRETTY DETAILED SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES, UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF IN THE MEMO FOR THIS ITEM. 
          WE, WE CHOSE TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION A LITTLE MORE FOCUSED ON THE ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE FUNDING RECEIVED, ET CETERA. 
          BUT, BUT IT'S A PRETTY GOOD SUMMARY OF WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON OVER THE PAST YEAR. 
          AND MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THAT EXTENSIVE SUMMARY. 
          I SAW A NICE CHART WITH A TIMEFRAME SINCE AUGUST, 2019 UNTIL, UM, SEPTEMBER OF 2020. 
          BUT I DIDN'T SEE LIKE THE, IF YOU CAN HELP ME WITH MAYBE, UM, SEEING LIKE THE, THE UPDATES THE MONTHLY, I, I OBVIOUSLY THINK THAT YOU ALL SHOULDN'T BE IN THE BUSINESS OF MICROMANAGING THE LOBBYIST, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I'M SURE THAT THEY SEND THAT INFORMATION. 
          'CAUSE TO ME, THAT CHART WASN'T COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH. 
          AND SO, I MEAN, I SEE A CHART THAT'S ABOUT, UH, ONE AND A HALF PAGES OR, OR MAYBE TWO PAGES, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT MORE DETAIL. 
          AND AGAIN, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, JUST, JUST IF, IF WE'RE EXTENDING THIS CONTRACT DURING THESE TOUGH BUDGET TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD TO CUT EVERYWHERE ELSE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, LEVERAGING OUR DOLLARS, RIGHT? OR, OR MAYBE WORKING WITH OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO DO OTHER THINGS. 
          AND, AND MAYBE, UM, I DON'T KNOW. 
          NOW I'M JUST, I, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS AND LIKE, I, I DON'T SEE, UH, OTHER THAN 
          [01:50:01]
THAT. 
          AND I LIKE THE CHART, BY THE WAY, SALLY, I THINK THAT YOU DID A, A GREAT JOB, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ENOUGH DETAIL FOR ME STILL TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE WANTING TO SEE THEIR WRITTEN WORK PRODUCT IS WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING. 
          YEAH, AND IT'S, YEAH, AND IT, I MEAN, AND IT JUST TAKES A COPY. 
          LIKE, I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I REALLY LIKED WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE COUNTY AND THE CITY JOINT. 
          UM, WE GOT UPDATES LIKE EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY. 
          AND I WAS LOVING THAT. 
          AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE READING. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE WOULD READ THROUGH IT, BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT. 
          I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT FROM OUR TEAM. 
          I KNOW YOU ALL GET IT, BUT I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER SEEN IT. 
          I SEE A RECAP OR A SUMMARY, UM, AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT SALLY DOES THAT FOR US. 
          BUT, UH, I JUST, I JUST WANNA SEE, SORRY THAT THAT WAS A CHAIR. 
          I MIGHT BE RAMBLING NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU, JEFF. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, ADRIANA, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF, UH, OF THESE, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, IS THESE ARE WORKING, THESE ARE WORKING MEETINGS. 
          AND SO, UH, YOU'D INDICATED EARLIER THAT YOU GOT A TON, UM, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO UN UNBURDEN YOURSELF OF SOME OF THOSE. 
          YEAH, IT'S OKAY. 
          WELL, SO, UH, JEFF'S GONNA SEND INFORMATION AND SO LET ME LOOK AT WHAT HE HAS THERE FIRST, UH, CHAIR. 
          BUT THOSE ARE, UM, THOSE ARE MY, MY INITIAL QUESTIONS. 
          AND LET ME, I, I'M SURE THERE'S GREAT THINGS IN THERE THAT WILL ANSWER A WHOLE LOT OF MY QUESTIONS. 
          SO I'LL, I'LL JUST WAIT FOR THE INFO FROM JEFF AND TEAM. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, DO YOU WANT TO, UH, JUMP IN AGAIN? IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE SENDING ME SOME BODY LANGUAGE THERE. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, I JUST WANNA ADD IN, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE S A TO DC TRIP. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE GOING TO THESE THINGS, AND I'VE BEEN ASKING EVERY YEAR THAT COULD WE COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A SUMMARY OF ACTION ITEMS, PEOPLE THAT WERE VISITED, THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED UP ON THINGS THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED, UH, THAT KIND OF THING. 
          AND IT, IT IS NOT JUST A CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS SPONSORED BY THE CHAMBER, BUT AGAIN, I, I, I STILL THINK THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT WE COULD SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING, WHAT ACTION ITEMS ARE OUT THERE TO THAT NEED TO BE DONE, WHAT FOLLOW UP NEEDS TO BE DONE, SO ON AND SO FORTH. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE ONE THIS YEAR, BUT THAT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT I'LL, I'LL BE ASKING FOR AGAIN, TO GET TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND WORK THOSE KIND OF, UM, PACKAGES OR SINGLE PACKAGE TOGETHER TO SHOW THE RESULTS OF SENDING A LOT OF PEOPLE UP THERE TO DC AND WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHO'S DOING WHAT. 
          AND I'M STILL, STILL KIND OF ASKING FOR THAT. 
          SO THAT'S MY LAST COMMENT. 
          YEAH, I GET IT. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN , DO YOU WANT A SECOND ROUND? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. 
          UH, JEFF, DO YOU, DO YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THAT AND ANSWER? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, WE, WE DID A RECAP OF OUR TRIP, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, SALLY, BUT THE CHAMBER THIS YEAR DID NOT PRODUCE A POST, UH, TRIP THEY DID THE YEAR BEFORE AFTER YOUR REQUEST, COUNCILMAN. 
          UM, I THINK WE UNDERSTAND ENTIRELY WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT, UM, AS, AS A, AS A WHOLE, I THINK THAT'S THE CHAMBER RESPONSIBILITY TO SUM UP THE BIG GROUP'S EFFORTS, UH, WHILE WE'RE ON THE S A D C, BACK TO COUNCILMAN VIE GRAND'S, UH, COMMENTS. 
          YOU KNOW, PART OF THE BALANCING ACT HERE THAT IT, THAT WE'RE STRIKING IS THE CHAMBER'S DESIRE TO HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS PARTICIPATING IN THEIR EVENTS. 
          SO IN PAST YEARS, WE'VE DEVELOPED A VERY ROBUST, UH, SORT OF OFF AGENDA FOR THE I G R MEMBERS. 
          AND, AND FRANKLY, THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR CITY REPS BE PARTICIPATING IN THE, IN THE MEETINGS THAT THE CHAMBER PUTS TOGETHER. 
          OUR GOAL, OUR OUR, UH, SORT OF TAKEAWAY FROM THIS YEAR WAS, UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO DEVELOP MORE SEPARATE I G R TRIPS THAT ARE CITY ONLY, THAT ARE OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR, UH, THAT ARE NOT DURING SA TO DC SO THAT YOU ALL CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE SA TO DC AGENDA WHILE YOU'RE THERE, BUT WE CAN STILL ACCOMPLISH OUR BUSINESS. 
          UH, AT OTHER TIMES COVID CHANGED ALL THAT. 
          SO THERE HASN'T BEEN A DC TRIP SINCE SA TO DC IN FEBRUARY. 
          UH, I THINK THE NEXT ONE PLANNED AS A, IS A PENTAGON TRIP HERE SHORTLY. 
          UM, SO THAT'S THE BALANCE WE'RE TRYING TO STRIKE. 
          I DON'T, I WOULDN'T PUT PERSONALLY THAT ON THE LOBBY TEAM, THEY FOLLOW OUR DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANT TO SCHEDULE WHILE WE'RE THERE, UH, AND, AND THEY DID SO WELL. 
          UM, BUT, BUT OUR, OUR, AS A STAFF, WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THAT, UM, SORT OF DESIRE FOR THE CHAMBER TO HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM MANY OF YOU IN, IN THEIR MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY? SO, UM, HERE'S, HERE'S SOME THOUGHTS. 
          UM, ONE, I LOOK AT OUR LOBBYING, UM, CONSULTANTS THE SAME WAY I WOULD LOOK AT OUR ATTORNEYS, UH, HIRED BY, UH, 
          [01:55:01]
ANDY SEVE'S TEAM. 
          UM, REALLY THE STANDARD, UH, OR THE EXPECTATION THAT WE'VE GOT AS, UH, AS A COUNSEL, UH, FOR THOSE ATTORNEYS IS, DID YOU WIN THE CASE OR DIDN'T YOU? UM, AND HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU COST ME? UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU SETTLED THE CASE, THEN HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU SAVE ME? RIGHT? UM, THE STANDARD'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THAT DIFFERENT FOR OUR LOBBYISTS, WHICH IS WHAT, HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU BRING HOME, RIGHT? AND, UH, WERE YOU ABLE TO HEAD OFF DISASTER AND TELL OUR STORY, UM, IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS COMPELLING ENOUGH TO HELP US WITH OUR GRANTS OR, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATIONS OR WHATEVER. 
          UM, I, WE NEVER ASKED ANDY SEGOVIA TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF HIS, YOU KNOW, UM, LAWYERS BASED ON HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, UPDATES THEY GAVE US, AND REPORTS THEY GAVE US ON, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW WELL THE DEPOSITION WENT AND HOW WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS IS GOING, RIGHT? I KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENCE HERE BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO BE A LITTLE MORE HANDS ON WITH, WITH OUR LOBBYISTS, BUT, UM, THE DIFFERENCE ISN'T THAT BIG, UH, WHEN REALLY WHAT YOU CONSIDER, UH, THE ONLY METRIC OF SUCCESS FOR A LOBBYIST IS HOW MUCH MONEY THEY CAN BRING HOME. 
          NOW, IF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SALLY'S SLIDES, THEY BROUGHT HOME A TON OF MONEY, UH, ESPECIALLY DURING ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT YEARS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE PAY THEM IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THEY BROUGHT HOME IS NOMINAL, UH, AT BEST. 
          AND SO, UH, I'M, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR. 
          I, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THAT THE OX GROUP, UH, IN, IN DC HAS CERTAINLY SET THE BAR, THE BAR VERY HIGH FOR EVERY OTHER LOBBYIST IN, UH, IN DC ALL LOBBYISTS IN DC BECAUSE THEY SEND US, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, RIGHT? AND THEY'VE FILLED OUR INBOX WITH VERY INTERESTING STUFF. 
          AND SOMETIMES THINGS THAT ARE JUST, ARE QUITE HONESTLY NOT RELEVANT, LIKE RECAPS OF HOW THE DEBATE WENT, YOU KNOW, UH, AND ALL THAT. 
          AND, UH, AND IT'S OKAY, RIGHT? I MEAN, CLEARLY IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT MARKETING, UM, TOOL FOR THEM. 
          UM, AND I, I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE HEARING JEFF LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HUNGRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DATE, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE UPDATES. 
          UM, I'M HEARING FROM YOU THE COMMITMENT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT FILTER AS MUCH, UH, AND TO RELEASE SOME OF THAT TO US, UH, A LITTLE WITH A MORE FREQUENCY. 
          I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 
          UM, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF BROOKS AND CARLOS, YOU AND I SERVED TOGETHER ON THAT BOARD, THERE WAS THAT ISSUE THAT CAME UP. 
          UH, MAYOR CASTRO, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS INSISTING THAT ALL OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE AUTHORITIES VIA PORT BROOKS, ET, THAT WE ALL, UM, POOL OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND USE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SAME LOBBYIST. 
          AND AT THAT TIME, I THINK IT WAS HOLLAND AND KNIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          UM, AND THERE WAS A WHOLESALE REJECTION OF THAT IDEA, AND I WAS ONE OF THE LOUDEST, UM, ADVOCATES FOR REJECTING IT. 
          UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVING UP THAT, UM, DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY OR OUR ABILITY TO CONTROL THOSE LOBBYISTS OURSELVES MEANT THAT IT WOULD PUT THE LOBBYISTS IN A SITUATION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE REALLY ONLY ONE MASTER, RIGHT? WHICH WAS, UM, CHERYL SCULLY AND HER HENCHMAN, JEFF COYLE AND CARLOS CONTRERAS. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, AND, UH, THAT WE WANTED, AND WE DIDN'T AT BROOKS WANNA COMPETE AGAINST THE PORT FOR THE EXACT SAME, UH, APPROPRIATIONS AND THEN PUT THE, PUT THE LOBBYISTS IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO GO CHASE THE SAME PILE OF MONEY AND HAVING TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHICH ONE THEY WERE GONNA ADVOCATE, UH, MORE ZEALOUSLY FOR THAN, THAN THE OTHERS. 
          RIGHT? AND, UH, I, I THINK THERE WAS, THERE JUST WAS MISTRUST OF, OF, OF THAT IDEA, RIGHT? UM, AND WE, WE DIDN'T GO THERE. 
          UM, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WENT WITH THEIR OWN SEPARATE LOBBY TEAM. 
          BUT THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD IS THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE AGENCIES COLLABORATES WHEN IT COMES TO LOBBYING ANYWAY, AS SEEN IN A TO DC TRIPS, YOU'VE SEEN RIGHT? BROOKS AND THE PORT AND VIA AND SAWS AND C P S ALL TEAM UP TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ESSAY TO DC TRIPS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTED HEAVILY. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND THAT WE'RE DOING A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB UP THERE. 
          BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK YOU'RE ALSO HEARING JEFF, UH, AND, AND CARLOS FROM THIS PHONE CALL AND, AND SALLY, IS THAT, UH, AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN ROCHA, AND THAT IS MAYBE A DASHBOARD, RIGHT? UM, SHOWING WHAT EVERYBODY'S ACTIVITIES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT WE CAN TRACK, YOU KNOW, WHO'S DOING WHAT AND FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE ALL MOVING FORWARD IN THE EXACT SAME DIRECTION. 
          I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. 
          RIGHT? THE QUESTION IS, UM, IS THESE ASKS, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONED UPON, I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE, THESE ASKS OF YOU ARE, UM, 
          [02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, A PREREQUISITE TO EXTENDING THE CONTRACT. 
          LIKE, I, LIKE ONE, I I I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS THERE BETWEEN THE CONTRACT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE'VE GOT A CHOICE, UM, AND THAT IS TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT, BUT HOW LONG DO WE HAVE JEFF TO EXTEND IT BEFORE WE HAVE TO, BEFORE WE'RE PUT IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO ISSUE AN ? WELL, AGAIN, UH, THE, THE CURRENT CONTRACTS COME TO AN END DECEMBER 31ST, RIGHT? UH, SO WE'VE GOT THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. 
          TECHNICALLY, UH, IF WE WERE TO NOT, IF YOU ALL WERE TO DECIDE YOU DO NOT WANNA RENEW THESE CONTRACTS, WE WOULD BEGIN AN R F P PROCESS, WHICH WILL TAKE, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS. 
          I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN EXACT TIME, BUT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THE SCHEDULING OF PRE-AUDIT AND POST AUDIT PRESENTATIONS AND SO FORTH. 
          UM, NOW THE NEXT CONGRESSIONAL TERM WON'T REALLY BEGIN IN EARNEST UNTIL THE THIRD WEEK IN JANUARY WHEN THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS ARE SWORN IN FOLLOWING THESE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. 
          THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF THE WINDOW THAT WE'RE OPERATING IN HERE. 
          BUT OBVIOUSLY, IF WE DELAY THIS FURTHER AND THEN ULTIMATELY DECIDE NOT TO RENEW, IT WILL PUSH THE TIMELINE BACK FURTHER THAT WILL, THAT IT WILL TAKE FOR US TO WORK THROUGH A FULL, UH, R F P E SOLICITATION. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO HERE'S MY CONCERN. 
          MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO ISSUE RFPS, I THINK WE'LL HAVE DONE A DISSERVICE TO THE MOMENTUM THAT WE'VE CREATED IN DC ESPECIALLY DURING THIS COVID TIME. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE WHITE HOUSE AND, UH, THE SENATE AND THE THE HOUSE ARE FINALLY REENGAGED IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF, UH, STIMULUS FUNDING. 
          UH, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT RESTAURANTS AND BARS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE EXPECTING US TO BRING HOME, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF RELIEF PACKAGE FOR THE F AND B INDUSTRY. 
          AND, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT OUR ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE'S GONNA BE TAKING THAT ON SOON. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT MONEY, UH, IS GONNA BE FEDERAL MONEY. 
          UH, AND SO IF WE'RE NOT AT THE TABLE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING CONCERNS OVER THE CONTRACT AND ALL THAT, I, I, I FEAR THERE'S THE OLD ANNE RICHARD SAYING, RIGHT, THAT IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE, THEN YOU'RE ON THE MENU. 
          UH, AND, UM, I, I'D HATE FOR US TO ALLOW OTHER CITIES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR, UH, OF THE LOSS OF MOMENTUM, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN RIGHT NOW. 
          AND SO HERE'S, I, I'M GONNA THROW OUT AN IDEA, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW BY BODY LANGUAGE OR NOT, BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A TWO YEAR EXTENSION, RIGHT, JEFF, THAT'S, THERE'S ONLY ONE, TWO YEAR OPTION IN THIS CON CURRENT CONTRACT, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, BY MOTION, WE COULD, AT THIS MEETING MOVE FOR A ONE YEAR EXTENSION AND THEN PENDING, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS TO BUTTON UP ALL THE ITEMS THAT WERE, UH, BROUGHT FORTH TODAY. 
          AND SO, UM, THE, IF YOU WANT, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOW ME, YOU KNOW, SHOW ME THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE, ARE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN. 
          IF NOT, UM, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE, WE'VE GOT SUPPORT FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, AN EXTENSION TODAY AND THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CALL IN VERY, VERY SHORT ORDER A SECOND MEETING. 
          SO, CLAYTON, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WELL, UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH EXTENDING THE CONTRACT. 
          I THINK EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, CAN BE WORKED OUT. 
          I, I THINK THERE'S, UH, WE GOT A, GOT A GREAT TEAM HERE, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION FLOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, PUSHING THIS ONTO COUNCIL, UH, FOR A VOTE VOTE TO, UH, EXTEND THIS CONTRACT. 
          SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST BASICALLY AN INFORMATION FLOW IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          AND I, I THINK THAT ALL CAN BE WORKED OUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER, AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AWARD OF THIS, UH, I THINK THE CONTRACTORS WOULD BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH US AND, UH, PUT TOGETHER WHATEVER WE WANNA SEE AND, UH, WORK WITH US EVEN CLOSER. 
          AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS. 
          I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MOVING THIS ON TO COUNCIL. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, COUNCILMAN VRAN, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M ASKING YOU TO, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, UH, WELL, AND ANYWAY, YOU UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE. 
          UM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SUPPORTING AN EXTENSION TODAY? OR IS, IS IT IN YOUR MIND REQUIRED FOR US TO COME BACK AFTER JEFF HAS ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS TO YOU DIRECTLY AND BACK TO THE COMMITTEE? I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, SHORTLY AFTER NOVEMBER 3RD. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD HELP. 
          UM, REALLY JUST SETTING THE TRAJECTORY OF WHERE WE'RE GOING IF WE HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 31. 
          [02:05:01]
I MEAN, I THINK THAT GIVES US TIME TO SET SOMETHING EVEN ON THE AGENDA BEFORE IT CAN GO FORWARD IF WE DO GET THE ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS. 
          AND IT, I WOULD SAY IT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT IS MORE FOR ME THAN JUST A COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM OR COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE. 
          SO I PERSONALLY CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, ONE OTHER MEETING. 
          I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ALL FLEXIBLE WITH ADDING COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ALL, ALL DAY LONG WHEN WE CAN. 
          AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE URGENCY OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          SURE, SURE. 
          UH, COUNCIL ROCHA LAST, LAST CHANCE, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE OUR NEXT STEP. 
          OH, I, I'D LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING CHAIR AND I, I JUST SENT YOU ALL MY REST OF THE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE WE'D BE HERE TILL LIKE ONE O'CLOCK. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          SO, UM, I, I THINK JEFF, UH, AND CARLOS AND SALLY, YOU'RE HEARING THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA TABLE THIS, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER COMMITTEE, UH, MAYBE SOONER THAN LATER. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, IF I CAN ASK YOU GUYS, UM, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, PRESS THE GAS BOTTLE ON THIS ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT MY, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION. 
          JEFF, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, UH, TO SUMMARIZE WHAT WE'LL DO ON OUR PART, AND YOU GUYS TELL ME IF I AM, UH, MISSING SOMETHING HERE. 
          WE WILL SEND A LETTER TO OUR OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNER, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFFS, ASKING THEM IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN REVISITING THE IDEA OF JOINING FORCES. 
          UM, WE WILL, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH A, UH, A SORT OF BACK, UH, BACKLOG OF THE PAST MEMOS AND, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS FROM OUR LOBBY TEAM THAT WE, AT THE STAFF HAVE RECEIVED, AND WE'LL CHANGE GOING FORWARD IMMEDIATELY. 
          UH, THE FACT THAT WE WILL JUST PASS ALONG, UH, ALL, ALL THE COMMUNICATIONS WE RECEIVE FROM THEM, FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, WHATEVER OTHER PENDING QUESTIONS, UH, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, OR OTHER MEMBERS SUBMIT. 
          UM, WE'LL, WE'LL ADDRESS THOSE. 
          THERE IS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED I G R MEETING ON NOVEMBER 11TH, SO IT FITS COUNCILMAN GANS, UH, TIMELINE FOLLOWING THE ELECTION. 
          UH, SO WE CAN, WE COULD WORK ON THESE THINGS OVER THE NEXT THREE, FOUR WEEKS AND THEN, AND THEN REVISIT THE CONVERSATION THEN, IF THAT SOUNDS OKAY. 
          TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          I THINK THAT SOUNDS FINE, JEFF. 
          UH, 
          [5. 20-6082 Bexar County ESD No. 2 Request to Incur Debt. [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
SO LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT TOPIC THEN, UM, WHICH IS THE E S D. 
          WHEN DOES, AND LEMME TELL YOU WHY. 
          I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M CONCERNED WE'VE GONE OVER A LOT OF TIME, UH, AND, UH, I'VE GOT A TV STATION IN THE OTHER ROOM, UH, WAITING TO LISTEN TO MY VERY, VERY INFORMED OPINION. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY INTERVIEW ME. 
          UH, THE, UH, BUT, UH, JEFF, DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW OR CAN, CAN IT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ROUND? WELL, WE'VE PUSHED THIS BACK A MONTH. 
          IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LAST MEETING, THE E S D TWO REP, UH, RUDY RODRIGUEZ IS HERE ON THE CALL. 
          HE IS BEEN SITTING ALONG WITH US. 
          NO, NO. 
          IN THAT CASE, RUDY, SHOOT. 
          NOW LET, LET'S TAKE CARE OF IT. 
          LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST SUGGEST THIS. 
          WE, THERE, WE, UH, EDUARDO PROVIDED A WRITTEN FOLLOW UP TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          IF THERE ARE STILL ISSUES, WE'RE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH IT AND TALK ABOUT IT. 
          IF THAT HAS ADDRESSED THE QUESTIONS, IT'S PROBABLY JUST A SIMPLE VOTE TO MOVE IT ON. 
          IT'S UP TO YOU AS A COMMITTEE. 
          COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, I, I'M ACTUALLY READY TO, UM, A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UM, PROPOSAL WITH E S D. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          WE GOT A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN VRAN, UH, CO COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          COUNCILMAN VRAN, ANY DISCUSSION? OR ARE YOU GUYS OKAY? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE GOT A, WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          GREAT. 
          NOT HEARING ANY OPPOSITION THAT, UH, IS APPROVED. 
          RUDY, GREAT JOB. 
          THANKS FOR, UH, THE PATIENCE AND THANKS FOR  . 
          YEAH, BUT YOU GOT, YOU GOT THE JOB DONE. 
          ALRIGHT GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD MEETING. 
          GOOD DISCUSSION. 
          JEFF, SALLY, CARLOS, THANKS FOR, UH, HEARING US OUT. 
          TAKE CARE EVERYBODY. 
          BYE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.