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UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
IS THERE A MOTION? WERE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME CLEARLY? HOW ABOUT NOW? I, OKAY.
YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW? THANK YOU.
[1 20-6274 Approval of the meeting minutes for the September 24, 2020 Community Health and Equity Committee Meeting.]
IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 24TH? MOTION TO APPROVE.I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN TRIVINIA MOVED.
COUNCIL MEMBER SULLIVAN MOVED.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO SECONDED.
I AM MESSING WITH MY AUDIO OVER HERE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
[Public Comments]
THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT, NANCY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ THE PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED? YES, MA'AM.
WE HAVE RECEIVED A PUBLIC COMMENT AND FOR TODAY'S MEETING, AND IT IS FROM, LET'S SEE, IT IS FROM JEN CITY AND IT SAYS, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK EXCLAMATION MARK.
[2 20-6273 A briefing to update the progress made by the five work groups as a part of the COVID-19 Community Response Coalition set up by the Health Transition Team’s Implementation Plan. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager, Interim Director, Health]]
TWO, WHICH IS A BRIEFING, UH, ON THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE FIVE WORK GROUPS AS PART OF THE C OVID 19 COMMUNITY RESPONSE COALITION.I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO DR.
I AM SO EXCITED TO GET THIS PRESENTATION, AND I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL, UH, ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I'LL THANK, THANK YOU.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY, UM, CO-PRESENTER, DR.
BARBARA TAYLOR WITH UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SHE AND I HAVE CO-CHAIRED THE, UM, THE C R C AS WE CALL IT, UM, FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS.
AND, UM, SHE IS JUST SUCH AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT TO WORK WITH.
WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER AS PART OF OUR TEAM.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA TAG TEAM THIS PRESENTATION.
SHE'S GONNA DO THE SECOND HALF, AND BOTH OF US WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
SO, THE, UM, THE COVID 19 COMMUNITY RESPONSE COALITION FROM HERE ON CALLED THE C R C, UM, INITIALLY STARTED OUT IN MARCH AS THE TESTING TASK FORCE, BECAUSE YOU, YOU REMEMBER IT DURING THAT PART OF THE PANDEMIC, THE PRIMARY CONCERN WAS HOW DO WE GET MORE TESTING CAPACITY, UM, IN THE CITY? SO THIS GROUP STARTED OUT EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON TESTING.
UM, BUT AS THE PANDEMIC GREW AND MATURED, UM, SO DID THE TASK FORCE.
AND IN JUNE, UM, IT CHANGED ITS NAME TO THE CVID 19 COMMUNITY RESPONSE COALITION.
UM, THE C R C HAS, UH, FIVE OFFICIAL WORKING GROUPS AND, UM, AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO TO FOCUS ON PRE-K THROUGH 12, UM, TO HELP DR.
WU AS THE HEALTH AUTHORITY, UM, PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE ISDS.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE, UH, FIVE DIFFERENT WORK GROUPS ALONG WITH THE PRE-K THROUGH 12 CONSULTATION GROUP.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK A WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE BOTH GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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OF EACH OF THESE GROUPS.UH, FIRST I WANNA TALK ABOUT THOUGH THE, UH, STRUCTURE OF HOW THIS WORKS.
SO THE, EACH OF THESE FIVE WORK GROUPS HAVE CO-CHAIRS.
TAYLOR AND ME AS PART OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE C R C.
AS YOU'LL SEE FROM THE NEXT SLIDE, THE C R C ITSELF IS QUITE LARGE.
AND SO HAVING THIS STEERING COMMITTEE ALLOWS US TO, UM, MAKE MORE NIMBLE DECISIONS.
WE'RE FORTUNATE ALSO TO BE JOINED ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UM, BY COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.
UM, AND SO THAT IS, UH, A GOOD ADDITION TO IMPROVED COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE CO-CHAIRS FOR EACH OF THE GROUPS, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE MEMBERS, THE TESTING AND LAB REPORTING GROUP HAS OVER, UM, 80 MEMBERS.
AND SO WE DON'T LIST THOSE ALL OUT, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT IS A, UM, A NICE REPRESENTATION OF EXPERTS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THINGS EPIDEMIOLOGY, UM, POLICY PUBLIC HEALTH, ET CETERA.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT GROUP, UM, AND THEY'VE PROVIDED US WITH REALLY IMPORTANT GUIDANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN, UM, ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP FROM EITHER ELECTED OFFICIALS OR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND ALSO HELPS US WITH STAYING ON TOP OF THE LATEST AND GREATEST, UM, RESEARCH ASSOCIATED WITH RESPONDING TO A PANDEMIC.
SO, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TESTING AND LAB REPORTING WORK GROUP.
AGAIN, THAT IS THE OLDEST GROUP.
UM, THE, THE ORIGINATOR OF ALL THINGS C R C.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM OVER 80 COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, THEY CURRENTLY ARE FOCUSING ON BEST PRACTICES FOR TESTING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TESTING CAPACITY, SHOULD WE HAVE ANOTHER SPIKE.
UM, THEY WILL STAY ON TOP OF MAKING SURE THAT THAT INDICATOR THAT WE MONITOR IN OUR PROGRESS AND WARNING INDICATOR REPORT STAYS IN THE GREEN.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE DEVELOPED EDUCATIONAL TOOLS, BOTH FOR MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE A SCREENSHOT OF, UH, THE DASHBOARD THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO, UM, SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE TESTING IS HAPPENING, UM, AND WHERE TO GO AND HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GONE.
CONTINUING WITH TESTING AND LAB REPORTING WORK GROUP.
UM, HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE, UM, DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH METRO HEALTH.
SO THE, THAT FIRST ONE WAS SPECIFIC TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS ONE IS SPECIFIC TO MEDICAL PROVIDERS.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING BOTH EDUCATION FOR OUR PROVIDER COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR REGULAR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNITY.
SO, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST EFFORTS FOR THIS, UM, PARTICULAR WORK GROUP IS, UM, HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE TO GO TO GET TESTED AND MAKING SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO NEEDS A TEST CAN GET A TEST.
UM, WE HAVE TESTED OVER 16,000 PEOPLE, UM, AT ANY OF OUR FREE CITY TESTING SITES JUST IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE ALL TESTS THAT ARE OFFERED AT NO COST.
UM, ONE SITE IS BY APPOINTMENT, SO IF PEOPLE HAVE NOT A LOT OF TIME, THEY CAN GET IN AND OUT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
THE OTHER TWO SITES, UM, THAT ARE THE PERMANENT SITES ARE JUST KIND OF WALK IN AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU, YOU JUST SHOW UP AND YOU CAN GET A TEST.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME REALLY CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH, UH, CURATIVE TO OFFER KIOSKS AND MOBILE TESTING.
SO BOTH OF THOSE ARE ABLE TO BE MOVED TO AREAS WHERE THERE IS HIGHER NEED OR HIGHER DEMAND.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN MOVED AROUND SOME OF THE, I WOULD SAY, HOTSPOT AREAS OF THE CITY.
SO THE NEXT GROUP I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE INDICATOR MONITORING WORK GROUP.
THIS GROUP, UM, WORKS WITH OUR DATA TEAM TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY
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TO COMMUNICATE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DATA POINTS THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.UM, SO THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WORKED WITH US VERY CLOSELY IN THE BEGINNING ON THE HEALTH TRANSITION TEAM'S PROGRESS AND WARNING INDICATOR REPORT, UM, COMING UP WITH GRAPHIC AND CREATIVE WAYS TO DISPLAY THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, I THINK ALL OF YOU GOT THE, THE LAST EPI REPORT, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE, UM, AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
THAT WAS THROUGH THE EFFORT OF THE INDICATOR MONITORING WORK GROUP TO HELP US THINK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO DISPLAY THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SPECIFIC TO THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO THEY'VE ALSO DONE SOME THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK A LOT OF OTHER, UM, COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO, WHICH IS REPLICATE SOME OF THE ANALYSES REALLY FAIRLY COMPLICATED ANALYSES THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UM, AT THE C D C LEVEL AND ARE, UM, PROGRESS AND WARNING INDICATOR OF ARE WE EXPERIENCING A 14 DAY DECLINE, IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO WHILE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, DATA TEAM DOES ALL THE NUMBER CRUNCHING, THE INDICATOR MONITORING WORK GROUP HELPS US EXPLAIN IT AND, AND, UM, TRANSLATE THAT DATA ANALYSIS INTO ENGLISH FOR FOLKS.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN OVER THE PRESENTATION TO DR.
TAYLOR, UM, WHO WILL TAKE US HOME.
SO CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? GREAT.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL AGAIN.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A BIT, UM, BUT I, I THINK IF I AM ALLOWED TO BRIEFLY EDITORIALIZE BEFORE I CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD JUST SAY THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALLOWING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS WORK.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE ALL FEEL VERY COMMITTED TO IT.
AND ALSO I THINK ALL OF US FEEL A HESITATION.
WELL, WELL, COLLEEN AND I ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY RESPONSE COALITION.
I THINK THERE IS, I, THERE IS ALWAYS A HESITATION TO TALK ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC BECAUSE THE MOMENT WE SAY, YAY, WE'RE SO PROUD WE ARE DOING THIS, SOMETHING ELSE WILL HAPPEN AND WE WILL, UM, HAVE TO RESPOND TO IT.
AND I THINK THAT, AND SO WHILE I DEFINITELY, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I'M SUPER GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF ALL THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT THIS POINT AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS ON THE C R C I.
UM, I KNOW I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU ALL THIS, BUT IT IS NOT OVER.
UM, SO, UH, SO CONTACT TRACING WORK GROUP IS THE, OH GOSH, THIRD, I THINK NOW I'M LOSING TRACK OF NUMBER OF WORKERS.
UH, A THIRD WORK GROUP THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO THEY ARE FOCUSED ON CASE IDENTIFICATION AND CONTACT TRACING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE WANTED TO NOTE.
THE FIRST IS, YOU CAN SEE THIS INFOGRAPHIC.
SO AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, ONE OF OUR HUGE CHALLENGES WITH, IN TERMS OF CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING IS GETTING FOLKS TO PICK UP THE PHONE.
AND THEN ALSO, ONCE THEY PICK UP THE PHONE, HAVING THE CONFIDENCE TO TALK TO A CASE INVESTIGATOR ABOUT WHAT THEIR ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN AND WHO THEIR CONTACTS ARE.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS, THIS CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST WEEK.
AND SO MESSAGING AND COMMUNITY TRUST BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
THE CONTACT TRACING WORK GROUP WORKED WITH G P A TO CREATE THE GRAPHIC SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE WITH A GOAL OF HELPING THE GENERAL PUBLIC GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CONTACT TRACING IS DONE AND SORT OF WHY IT MIGHT BE DONE.
THEY ALSO RECENTLY MADE A RECOMMENDATION LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THEN TO THE FULL C R C THAT MADE KEY CHANGES TO CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING PROTOCOLS, WHICH RESULTED IN AN UPDATE TO METRO HEALTH AND THE UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WHO IS NOW DOING, UM, CONTRACTED BY FOR CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING THAT REQUIRES BOTH ASYMPTOMATIC AND SYMPTOMATIC ANTIGEN POSITIVE CASES TO BE COUNTED AS PROBABLE CASES MOVING FORWARD.
THE CONTACT TRACING WORK GROUP HAS IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR MORE INPUT FROM COMMUNITY.
RIGHT NOW IT IS A FAIRLY, UM, EXPERTISE HEAVY GROUP.
AND SO THEY ARE INCORPORATING INPUT FROM COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WITH A GOAL OF IDENTIFYING WAYS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING EFFORTS WITH THE HOPE OF CIRCLING BACK TO THE THING I FIRST SAID, INCREASING THE PEOPLE'S BUY-IN TO THE PROCESS, PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND TALK TO THE CASE INVESTIGATORS ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES.
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SLIDE PLEASE.SO, POLICY AND ALERTS WORK GROUP, UH, THEIR, THEIR JOB IS, UH, DIVERSE AND SOMEWHAT IMMENSE.
SO THEY HAVE PUT FORWARD AND GIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 DIFFERENT POLICY AND HEALTH ALERTS INCLUDING, UH, SUCH, UH, EXCITING READING LIKE HEALTH ADVISORY ON DISCONTINUATION OF ISOLATION AND RETURN TO WORK CRITERIA FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
UM, MOST RECENTLY THE RECOMMENDATION ON REOPENING BARS AS WELL AS, UH, COVID TO 19 POLICY PRIORITIES DOCUMENT, WHICH IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
SO THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON TRYING TO CRAFT POLICY THAT IS BOTH DATA INFORMED AND COMMUNITY INFORMED.
I THINK THE PROCESS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT REOPENING BARS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT BECAUSE THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF INCORPORATING COMMUNITY INPUT, DIGGING INTO THE DATA, AND THEN I THINK COMING UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS TRULY A COMPROMISE BETWEEN MANY, MANY DIVERSE VIEWS THAT PEOPLE COULD SIT WITH AND FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH RECOMMENDING.
THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, CONVENED POLICY INITIATIVE MEETINGS WITH CROSS SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH I KNOW WILL BE INTERESTING TO THIS GROUP.
AND THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO REALLY BE PROACTIVE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POLICY, NOT JUST LOCAL POLICY, BUT HOW STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEY HAVE A PARTICULAR EQUITY LENS WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE MORE TO COME AND I THINK A LOT OF INTERSECTION BETWEEN OTHER EFFORTS IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
WITH THAT, THOSE CONTINUING POLICY INITIATIVES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, UH, THE HEALTH ALERTS WORK GROUP DID WAS TO CREATE SORT OF AN EXPOSURE LEVEL MA MATRIX THAT THEY DEVELOPED TO TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE REALLY CONCRETE EXAMPLES.
I THINK ONE OF OUR CONTINUOUS CHALLENGES, AND WE'VE HAD IT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, IS TRYING TO OPERATIONALIZE HOW WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITH COVID 19.
AND THE, THE QUESTIONS GET REALLY CONCRETE AND THE DECISIONS REALLY ARE MADE ON AN INDIVIDUAL OR SMALL GROUP OR FAMILY LEVEL A LOT OF TIMES.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE, THIS IS THE EXPOSURE LEVEL OF MATRIX THAT THEY DEVELOPED, WHICH HOPEFULLY COULD PROVIDE BUSINESS OWNERS OR OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR, OR YOU ALL WITH SORT OF CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF WHAT QUALIFIES AS HIGH VERSUS LOWER RISK EXPOSURES.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE FIRST DASHBOARD STONE HERE DEPICTS THE CURRENT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PREVENTION TEAM'S OUTREACH EFFORTS.
I'M, THE FIRST THING I SHOULD SAY IS I'M MOVING ON TO ANOTHER WORK GROUP.
UM, SO THIS IS THE EDUCATION, THE ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION WORK GROUP, UH, WHICH I TEND TO CALL EDUCATION ENFORCEMENT WORK GROUP.
UH, ENFORCEMENT IS OFFICIALLY FIRST, BUT I THINK MANY OF US IN PUBLIC HEALTH PUT EDUCATION FIRST.
UM, THEY ARE DOING AS AN EDITORIAL, I THINK THEY'RE DOING REALLY, REALLY INNOVATIVE STUFF THAT IS NOT HAPPENING IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN E AND E.
SO FIRST DASHBOARD DEPICTS THE CURRENT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PREVENTION TEAM OUTREACH EFFORTS IN DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FIVE.
THESE DISTRICTS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF COVID 19 CASES AND DEATHS IN ADDITION TO HAVING THE HIGHER, HIGHEST OVERALL EQUITY SCORES FOR THE CITY.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY ARE, ARE FOCUSED UPON.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 12 COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATORS WORKING IN THOSE AREAS WITH A PLAN TO ADD EIGHT MORE IN TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
THEY HAVE ALREADY MADE OVER 1400 INDIVIDUAL CONTACTS SINCE OCTOBER 1ST.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PROVIDING INFORMATION ON COVID.
THEY'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON FLU PREVENTION WHILE PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE OF FLU SHOTS, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
THEY'RE ALSO SHARING A RESOURCES HANDOUT THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT, UH, BY D H S WITH INFORMATION ON RENT AND MORTGAGE AND UTILITY AND FOOD ASSISTANCE.
SO I KNOW MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THIS EFFORT, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.
THE SECOND IMAGE IS THE ENFORCEMENT DASHBOARD.
THIS INCLUDES LAST MONTH'S DATA INDICATING THE NUMBER OF CALLS WITH A RESULT OF HOW MANY CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUES ISSUED.
UM, THE C H P TEAM BACK TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PREVENTION TEAM IS WAITING FOR A DELIVERY OF THERMOMETERS, AND ONCE THEY DO, THEY'RE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE CARE PACKAGES TO FOOD PANTRIES IN
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DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FIVE, WHICH CAN THEN PROVIDE CARE PACKAGES TO FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.THESE INCLUDE FACE MASKS, SANITIZER, A THERMOMETER, DIS INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE A BOX FAN AND FILTER TO IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND INFORMATION ON COVID AND FLU PREVENTION AND PROMOTING A FLU VACCINE.
SO THERE IS ANOTHER TEAM TO E AND E, THE EDUCATION TEAM THAT IS DOING THE TRAINING FOR THE COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FROM THE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM AND WORKING ON PEER GROUP DEVELOPMENT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING STUFF HAPPENING THAT IS VERY MUCH COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND PEER TO PEER.
SO THIS IS, UH, E AND E WORK GROUP WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH METRO HEALTH MARKETING AND G P A DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING MESSAGES, UH, THAT ARE CUTE ABOUT HOLIDAY WEEKENDS.
UH, THEY DID AN AN EFFORT FOR THE 4TH OF JULY.
THEY DID LABOR DAY, AND NOW WE'RE OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON HALLOWEEN.
AND THE E N A WORK GROUP ALSO HAS A CURRENT SUBCOMMITTEE WORKING ON C OVID 19 VACCINE PLANNING AND MESSAGING.
THERE'S A PROVIDER SURVEY UNDER FINAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL BE SENT TO PROVIDERS WHO ARE VACCINE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE THEM TO SIGN UP WITH A STATE C OVID 19 PLANNING PROGRAM.
THIS IS ALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH METRO HEALTH'S EFFORT IN TERMS OF PLANNING FOR OUR HOPEFUL EVENTUAL COVID VACCINE.
THE PRE-K THROUGH 12 CONSULTATION GROUP IS AN AD HOC WORK GROUP WITHIN THE C R C.
IT, UH, SORT OF MEETS AND, AND CONVENES AS NEEDED.
THEIR FIRST SORT OF CONVENING ALLOWED FOR DR.
JUN DE WU ON AUGUST 7TH TO ISSUE AN HEALTH DIRECTIVE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR THAT HELPS PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR PHASE RESTARTING OF IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
THE DIRECTIVE APPLIES TO ALL PUBLICS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS FROM PRE-K THROUGH 12, AND THEY, PRIOR TO THE DIRECTIVE, THEY HOSTED A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ON AUGUST 5TH.
SINCE THAT, THERE'S BEEN A SERIES OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS LISTED ON THE COOL SCHOOL INFORMATION PLATE PAGE, AS WELL AS RESOURCES TO ASSIST STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND THIS DASHBOARD, WHICH IS SPECIFIC FOR SCHOOLS AND CURRENTLY, UH, SCHOOLS ARE IN A YELLOW ZONE INDICATED A INDICATING MODERATE SCHOOL RISK LEVEL.
SO THAT IS A, SO A WHIRLWIND OVERVIEW OF WHAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE DOING.
UP UNTIL NOW, OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING TO REVIEW PRIORITIES WITHIN EACH OF THE WORK GROUPS.
THIS HAS BEEN REALLY EXCELLENTLY FACILITATED BY METRO HEALTH STAFFERS, UM, TO REESTABLISH COMMITMENT TO THE GROUP BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE COVID FATIGUE AND SOME PEOPLE'S PRIORITIES.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, JOBS DESCRIPTIONS ARE CHANGING SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO SOME PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO STEP ON OR STEP OFF OF VARIOUS WORK GROUP RESPONSIBILITIES.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO SORT OF REESTABLISH COMMITMENT BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND TO PRIORITIES, AND THEN IDENTIFY NEW PRIORITIES AS THEY ARISE.
IF THERE'S EVERY, ANYTHING WE'VE LEARNED FROM COVID IS THAT EVERY WEEK BRINGS A NEW CHALLENGE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON INCREASING ACROSS ALL WORK GROUPS, COMMUNITY MEMBER ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK THE C R C RIGHT NOW FOR ALL OF OUR STRENGTHS IS PRETTY, UM, GEEK HEAVY, I WOULD SAY.
SO IT'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF ACADEMICS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY VOICES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED.
WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT EQUITY IS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL OF THIS WORK.
I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY A CORE VALUE FOR EACH OF THE WORK GROUPS.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE C R C IS AVAILABLE THROUGH JUNE OF 2021.
SO WE ARE ALL IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THE C R C SUSTAINABLE, HOW TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE, AND HOW TO MAKE IT, UH, SORT OF DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE REALLY WELCOME COMMENT ON THAT.
AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTORS BRIDGER AND DR.
I'VE, UH, I'LL START WITH JUST A FEW COMMENTS, UH, AND THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, TO THE COLLEAGUES HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, I, UH, UM, I WANNA TELL MY COLLEAGUES THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE BROADER MEETINGS OF THE C R C AND SOME OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE
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MEETINGS, AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED BY HOW DEDICATED EVERYBODY IS ON IN THAT GROUP.AND THEY ARE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY MANAGE TO KEEP THEIR DAY JOBS IN ORDER AND STILL DEDICATE THE TIME THAT THEY DO TO OUR CITY AND THIS EFFORT.
SO I JUST WANNA SEND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE MEMBERS.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL DO A ROUND ROBIN.
UH, WE'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START WITH COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE'S.
COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
SO I, UM, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT TOP OF MIND IS, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING UP HERE VERY SOON WITH HALLOWEEN.
UH, YOU TOUCHED ON IT WITH THE GRAPHICS AND LATA.
UM, SO CAN, CAN YOU TELL, WALK US THROUGH, UH, THE PROCESS, UM, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF GETTING US TO SOME OF THE DECISION MAKING AROUND THAT AND, AND WHAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE AND, AND JUST, UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE CONSIDER THOSE KINDS OF EVENTS IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER ALLOWS AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO MEET INDOORS, BUT STILL CAPS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN MEET OUTDOORS AT 10.
IN HIS ORDER, HE KNEW THE MAYOR TO GIVE WAIVERS TO OUTDOOR EVENTS, EVENTS THAT ARE GREATER THAN 10.
SO THE CITY STAFF IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAVE COME UP WITH A PROCESS WHERE D S D, METRO HEALTH CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE STAFF MEET AND REVIEW EVERY APPLICATION.
WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER WHO THEN MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO THE MAYOR.
SO YOU MENTIONED THE MAITA EVENT.
THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE USE TO GET TO THE RECOMMENDATION TO ALLOW MAITA TO OPEN WITH, UM, A NUMBER OF SAFETY MEASURES PUT IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT, DR.
SO I, I GET THE, I GET THE LEGAL PORTION OF THAT, OF ALL THAT AND THE PROCESS.
I'M ASKING ABOUT THE HEALTH CONCERNS.
SO, UH, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW WE ARRIVE TO OR, OR THE, THE LEGAL, UM, PROCESS TO GET TO THAT DECISION.
BUT AGAIN, TELL US ABOUT, UH, HOW THE HEALTH CONCERNS CAN, CAN, UH, CAN, UH, BE HIGHLIGHTED OR, OR ADDRESSED.
AND WOULD THAT CHANGE, UH, DEPENDING ON, UH, SORT OF A DAY BY DAY ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PANDEMIC.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR LAST QUESTION IS, YES, IT WILL CHANGE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE LOW RISK ZONE FOR COVID 19 AT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IF THAT GOES UP TO A MODERATE LEVEL, THEN WE WILL SCALE BACK EVENTS THAT WE ARE APPROVING.
THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT, UM, TRANSMISSION OUTDOORS IS INCREDIBLY LESS LIKELY TO HAPPEN THAN TRANSMISSION INDOORS.
AND SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE MAYOR APPROVED UNLIMITED PEOPLE GATHERING INDOORS AND CAPPED, UM, FOR PEOPLE ABLE TO GATHER OUTDOORS FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE.
THE GOVERNOR'S APPROVED, WHAT DID I SAY? THE MAYOR? THE GOVERNOR? NO, IT WASN'T THE MAYOR WAS THE GOVERNOR.
UM, SO THAT, UM, IS WHAT WE'RE LIVING WITH.
BUT OUTDOORS WITH MASKS, SOCIALLY DISTANCED, UM, APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT, THOSE ARE NOT HIGH RISK EVENTS, BUT COULD CHANGE, UH, DEPENDING ON THE, THE STATUS THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, WE MIGHT SEE DAY TO DAY.
IF OUR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CHECK IN ON THOSE PROGRESS AND WARNING INDICATORS ONCE A WEEK.
UM, AND IF THEY MOVE UP TOWARDS THAT MODERATE, THEN WE'LL START TO SCALE BACK ON EVENTS THAT WE APPROVE.
AND WHAT ABOUT HALLOWEEN? SO HALLOWEEN, UM, AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE C R C, WE HAVE PUT OUT IN, UM, CONJUNCTION WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE C D C, SO THE FEDERAL ORGANIZATION, UM, WE'VE PUT OUT SAFER HALLOWEEN PRACTICES.
AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT THE MAJORITY OF HALLOWEEN HAPPENS OUTDOORS.
AND SO WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO KEEP THOSE EVENTS OUTDOORS AND AGAIN, USE THEIR MASKS, KEEP SOCIALLY DISTANT IF THEY CAN DO THAT.
[00:30:01]
THE RISK FOR COVID-19 TRANSMISSION IS LOW, BUT, BUT THERE ISN'T A, THERE'S NOT AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM, IS THERE? NOT FOR HALLOWEEN, NO, SIR.I I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TWO EVENTS.
UH, WHILE THEY'RE, I KNOW THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
UM, I JUST, I, I, I, I HOPE WE HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS, UH, OVER THE NEXT, UH, WEEK ABOUT THESE EVENTS.
'CAUSE IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IN, IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, FOR EXAMPLE, HALLOWEEN, UH, THEY TRADITIONALLY SEE A, A LOT, A LOT OF, UH, TRICK OR TREATERS.
AND I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S AN IMPORTANT TRADITION.
I KNOW THAT, UH, SOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY REALLY ARE LOOKING FOR A LOT OF GUIDANCE, UH, SINCE, UH, WE KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA REALLY PROVIDE A WHOLE LOT OF ENFORCEMENT.
UM, TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COUNCILMAN TRAVINO WAS SPEAKING ON, I KNOW A LOT OF THE TRADITION FOR HALLOWEEN HAS GONE TO A DRIVE-THROUGH, UM, CONCEPT.
JUST LIKE WITH THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION, JUST LIKE WITH THE P P E DISTRIBUTION, UM, DR.
BRIDGER, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SAFETY ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH, UM, HALLOWEEN EVENTS, UM, AND HOW THEY SHOULD LOOK? SO DRIVE THROUGH TRICK OR TREATING IS ON OUR LIST OF SAFER WAYS TO DO TRICK OR TREATING.
UM, SO WE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE MOVE TO THOSE SAFER WAYS OF, OF DOING THINGS THAT THEY STILL THINK ARE FUN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE WHOLE PHILOSOPHY HERE IS THAT WE CAN'T STAY SHUT DOWN FOR SIX MONTHS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS THINK ABOUT SAFER WAYS TO DO THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY LOVES TO DO, UM, AND NOT PUT PEOPLE AT RISK OF, OF COVID.
SO THAT'S WHY OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON RISK REDUCTION.
BRIDGER, ON THAT POINT, ARE WE LOOKING TO PUT IN STRATEGIC PLANS AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS, UM, AND HOW THOSE GUIDELINES SHOULD LOOK AND IN THE WAKE OF C AND HOW WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, UM, SOME OF THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE INCREASING, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WERE IN JULY, THANKFULLY.
UM, SO ARE WE LOOKING TO PUT IN THOSE STRATEGIC PLANS? WE ARE, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THE COMMUNITY MESSAGING SPECIFIC TO THANKSGIVING.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT HOLIDAY THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WHERE IT'S GETTING COLDER OUTDOORS, ARE SEEING, UM, SPIKES IN THEIR CASES.
AND SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING TRAVELING, MAYBE TO SOME OF THESE AREAS, UM, TO PERHAPS RECONSIDER THAT THOUGHT.
UM, AND THEN AS, AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD, UM, WITH ALL OF OUR GREAT THINGS, I KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL THE CONVERSATION ON, OF COURSE, UM, WE SAW IN THE PAPER THIS MORNING THE CONCERN FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE THERE IN LOBBY ITA, UM, WITH THE OKAYING OF THIS, UM, EVENT, AND THEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE WITH THE M L K JUNIOR COMMISSION, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE WE'RE GONNA SEE PEOPLE MARCHING, UM, REGARDLESS OF IF WE'RE HAVING A VIRTUAL MARCH OR NOT.
UM, SO WE WANNA SPEAK TO HOW ARE WE GONNA REALLY, UM, LOOK AT THAT ASPECT WHEN WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THE TRADITIONS, EVEN IF WE AS A CITY ARE NOT IMPLEMENTING THEM.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA REGULATE THOSE, UM, THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THIS? WELL, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT BECAUSE THE, UM, THE LAIKA EXAMPLE IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT DID EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THE BOOK.
THEY SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION, THEY MADE CHANGES TO THEIR PLAN BASED ON OUR HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEY ARE ENSURING ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO THAT ONE'S EASIER FOR US TO ENSURE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ARE HAPPENING WHEN A GROUP OF CITIZENS COMES TOGETHER, UM, WITHOUT ANY SORT OF APPLICATION OR NOTIFICATION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE READY TO DO JUST IN TIME ENFORCEMENT.
UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE HEARING THE SAME THING.
YOU ARE HEARING THAT THERE MAY BE SOME IMPROMPTU MARCHES AND, UM, WE'LL BE READY TO, TO ADDRESS THAT.
TAYLOR WANTS TO ADD, THIS MAY NOT
[00:35:01]
NEED TO BE SAID, BUT I KNOW THAT FROM A HEALTH EDUCATION STANDPOINT, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY HAVE A MUCH GREATER IMPACT FOR INFORMAL THINGS LIKE GATHERINGS AROUND THANKSGIVING OR PEOPLE WANTING TO MARCH WHO FEEL MOVED TO MARCH.IF WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY MESSENGERS IN THIS AND HAVE COMMUNITIES, MESSAGE COMMUNITIES ABOUT HOW TO MITIGATE RISK, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS HAPPEN WITHOUT A LOT OF INFECTIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE MASKING AND PEOPLE WERE OUTDOORS, AND PEOPLE GENERALLY STAYED RELATIVELY FAR APART.
AND SO I THINK THERE ARE RE EVERYTHING'S A RISK EQUATION, RIGHT? THERE ARE RELATIVELY SAFE WAYS TO MARCH AND ADVOCATE, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA TELL PEOPLE.
I, I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANNA TELL PEOPLE, NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
UM, SO IT'S OUR, OUR JOB AND SPEAKING OUR JOB AS LIKE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATORS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT SAFELY.
UM, I, I KNOW MY TIME HAS EXPIRED, SO IF WE HAVE ANOTHER ROUND, I DO HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS OR WE CAN DO IT OFFLINE.
COUNCILWOMAN VRAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.
UM, I'M GONNA SWITCH VERY QUICKLY, BUT I WILL GO BACK TO THE OTHER, OUR TOPIC, UH, THAT TOPIC ON SLIDE NUMBER 11, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE POLICY ALERT, TASKFORCE GROUP, TASKFORCE GROUP, UM, AND THE CROSS SECTOR.
I THINK THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT GROUP, UM, FOR OUR POLICY ALERTS, JUST LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR NONPROFITS, OUR, ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR SMALL BUSINESS.
ONE THING I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY IN THE ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WE, UH, DISCUSSED A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY GROUP.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING THAT GROUP TOGETHER, THIS COMMISSION TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE OUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THIS POLICY ALERT TASK FORCE.
AND JUST INFORMING, OR, UM, JUST LIKE WE DID WAY BACK IN, WAY BACK IN APRIL WHEN WE WERE HAVING OUR WORKING GROUPS DOING THE DIFFERENT PHASING, HAVING MEMBERS FROM A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY GROUP WOULD BE SO HELPFUL.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS, AND I THINK THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY MEASURES AND HEALTHY AND HEALTH CONCERNS, UM, YES, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT IS, AS YOU SAID, DR.
TAYLOR, UM, SMALL GROUPS, PEOPLE ARE STILL LETTING THEIR GUARDS DOWN, UM, AT BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AT, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMAL GATHERINGS IN HOUSES, ET CETERA.
UH, FOR SOME REASON WE THINK THAT, OH, BECAUSE THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND, NOTHING IS GONNA HAPPEN.
UH, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR, OUR DILIGENCE.
BRIDGER, I THINK WE DO MAYBE JUST IN MAKE AN ALERT FOR ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS AND ALL COUNCIL OFFICES TOO, BECAUSE I KNOW OUR OFFICE WAS TRYING TO GET A VIRTUAL, A HYBRID VIRTUAL, AND IN-PERSON FIVE K TO BE DONE.
AND 'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL FIVE K IN NOVEMBER, SO WE WERE GOING TO A HYBRID, HALF VIRTUAL AND HALF, UH, OR A PORTION IN PERSON.
AND WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING PHASING ROLLING FA ROLLING GROUPS TO GO FORWARD, UM, WEARING FACE MASKS, EVEN GETTING FACE MASKS WITH OUR LOGO ON IT, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT WE WERE TOLD NO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T BY CITY ATTORNEY, BUT I THINK HAD THIS PROCESS OR, OR HAD MORE CONCRETE DISCUSSION OR THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.
SO ALL OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO IF OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS FROM, FROM THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICTS WANTED TO KNOW, WE COULD SET THEM ON THE PATH TO, TO GO WHICHEVER WAY WE NEED TO GO.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DO.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE G P A SEND OUT EMAILS, UH, CITYWIDE.
I THINK THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT, UH, UH, GETTING THE ALERT BEING TOLD LIKE, NO, WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING OUTDOORS AND TRYING TO PUT IN PRO SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE FOR 250 PEOPLE.
AND THEN I SEE SOMETHING WITH A THOUSAND PEOPLE GET APPROVED.
[00:40:01]
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, IT NEEDS MORE EXPLANATION.SO I'M, SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE EXPLAINING IT NOW, BUT THAT NEEDS MORE CLARIFICATION.
SO THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY.
UM, I THINK FOR, FOR THAT ONE, IF I, IF I MAY MAKE A SUGGESTION AND, AND I'M ALSO OPEN TO THE SUGGESTIONS OF OUR, OF OUR DOCTORS HERE.
WHAT IF WE GIVE YOU THE TYPE OF EVENT WE WANT TO HAVE AND YOU CAN TELL US HOW IT CAN BE HAD SAFELY.
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? SO, SO YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, COME UP WITH A MODIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS FOR COUNCIL OFFICES AND WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE PART OF THE FAMILY, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE QUITE SO FORMAL.
SO, UM,
I DO NEED TO SAY THOUGH, COUNCILWOMAN
UM, THERE IS A MORATORIUM ON ALL FIVE KS, UM, AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT IS THAT IF YOU'RE AT A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF TRANSMITTING COVID, IF YOU ARE BREATHING HARD.
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, TAKE ON THAT RISK OF HAVING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UM, AND BREATHING HARD.
SO YES, THERE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT'S GONNA COME OFF THE PROHIBITED LIST ONCE WE CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT FARTHER DOWN THE GREEN.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S, THERE IS A PROHIBITION ON THAT, I THINK, AND IS THAT A STATEWIDE, HOW MANY FIVE KS HAPPEN IN SAN ANTONIO? AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT US TO CHANGE THAT.
UM, AND WE JUST, WE NEED TO GET THAT POSITIVITY RATE, JUST THE TIP BIT LOWER, AND THEN I THINK WE'LL FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT IT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO PRACTICE A LOT.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE, UH, PRE-K SCHOOL SLIDE? AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, UM, DR.
TAYLOR'S STILL WITH US, BUT I JUST, I MISSED THAT MY CALL DROPPED AND I GOT INTERRUPTED ON THIS SIDE, BUT THIS IS A PART THAT HAS BEEN LIKE A, A GREAT CONCERN OF MINE.
UM, SO CAN YOU REVIEW THIS AGAIN, PLEASE? YEAH, CERTAINLY.
SO THE PRE-K CONSULTATION GROUP IN SOME WAYS DEMONSTRATES HOW THE C R C RESPONDS, UH, I THINK RELATIVELY QUICKLY TO SOME PRETTY, UH, TO URGENT COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO THIS CAME IN THE, I WOULD SAY, SORT OF POLITICAL HUBBUB OF THE, UM, T E A TURFING TO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS ABOUT OPENING SCHOOLS.
AND SO THE PRE-K TO 12 CONSULTATION GROUP WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE INPUT BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH INPUT, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY INPUT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS TO DR.
WU, WHO HAD TO PUT TOGETHER RELATIVELY QUICKLY A HEALTH DIRECTIVE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE GONNA GO, UM, BACK TO SCHOOL OR NOT.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, THE, THOSE, THE POLICY DECISIONS AROUND THAT CHANGED LIKE THREE TIMES AS THIS PROCESS WAS HAPPENING, WHICH LED TO, UM, A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
BUT WHAT WOUND UP HAPPENING WAS THAT THE CONSULTATION GROUP WAS FORMED.
THEY HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WHERE THEY GAVE FEEDBACK.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE LOST, I MAY HAVE LOST COUNSEL GONZALEZ AGAIN.
UM, ANYWAY, AND THEN SHE, AND THEN THERE WAS A TOWN HALL, AND THEN SHE MADE HER AMENDED HEALTH DIRECTIVE.
AND SINCE THEN THEY'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, WITH F A Q AND F A Q INFORMATION HAS BEEN PUT OUT.
AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE DIALOGUE ACTUALLY BETWEEN DR.
WU AND METRO AND THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A PRINCIPAL WHO SERVES ON THE C R C COUNCILWOMAN.
ARE YOU WITH US? COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.
WELL, I'M GONNA WAIT FOR YOU TO HOP BACK ON AND SHARE A, A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, I, I LOVE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INTEGRATING MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO THE PROCESS.
COUNCILWOMAN, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? COUNCILWOMAN
[00:45:01]
GONZALEZ? I'M SORRY, I'M HERE.UM, SO I, I GUESS, UM, AND DO WE, DO YOU HAVE A, AN UPDATE ON WHERE, WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THE SCHOOLS? 'CAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE WE'RE HANGING IN THERE.
I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE ON THIS END.
THAT'S TOTALLY ANSWER, BUT I UNDERSTAND STATUS QUESTION.
UM, SO WE, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOLS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD TWO OUTBREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS, UM, SINCE SCHOOLS WERE ALLOWED TO RESUME IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
UM, SO THERE HASN'T BEEN THIS TREMENDOUS, UM, COVID 19 INFECTION THAT SOME OF US FEARED.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASKING, AND SANITATION.
SO, UH, YEAH, I, I, I, UH, I, IT WAS ACTUALLY HAS BEEN MY GREATEST CONCERN BECAUSE, UH, ESPECIALLY IN EDGEWOOD, WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 30% OF OUR KIDS BEING RAISED BY GRANDPARENTS.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN ON THE TOP OF MY MIND, UH, ALL THIS TIME.
BUT THIS SEEMED LIKE WE'RE HANGING IN THERE.
ALTHOUGH EDGEWOOD HAD A DELAYED START.
THEY MAY JUST HAVE STARTED, UH, UNLESS THEY HAD SOME CHANGE IN THERE.
BUT, UM, UH, AND I GUESS JUST MY FINAL QUESTION IS, UH, REGARDING, UM, WE HAD SET UP SOME CARE KITS TO DISTRIBUTE TO FAMILIES.
DID THAT HAPPEN YET, OR, I KNOW THAT WE WERE, I I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE DID THAT ALREADY, OR IS IT STILL PENDING? NO, WE'RE WAITING ON THE THERMOMETERS.
THERMOMETERS, WERE BACKLOGGED.
ONCE WE GET THOSE THERMOMETERS, WHICH THEY TOLD ME THIS MORNING WOULD BE THIS WEEK, YOU, WE WILL START DISTRIBUTING THOSE, UM, CARE PACKAGES.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY A GREAT CONCEPT, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, JUST GIVE PEOPLE, UH, SOME HANDS ON SUPPORT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I FEEL LIKE THIS, OF COURSE, UH, DOOR TO DOOR COMMUNICATION AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO SAFELY IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT, UH, IS BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT, UH, BUILDS COMMUNITY TRUST.
AND SO WE REALLY DO HAVE TO START THERE, UM, UH, WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ONCE WE GET, WE, WE MAKE THAT ONE CONTACT, IF IT'S COVID RELATED OR SOMETHING ELSE, WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH ALL THE SERVICES IF THEY NEED SUPPORT WITH FOOD, UH, IF THEY NEED, UH, UTILITY ASSISTANCE OR RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR WHATEVER THEY NEED, ONCE WE MADE THAT CONTACT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD.
SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT.
ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS OF GETTING THEM SUPPLIES, UH, IT GIVES THEM A, UH, A RESOURCE.
SO, UM, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
HOPEFULLY WE GET THAT DONE FAIRLY QUICKLY AND CAN START DISTRIBUTING.
REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT WE MEAN BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SOMETIMES AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE THINK THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ANYONE WHO'S NOT ON THE CITY STAFF, OR SOMETIMES WE THINK IT'S A RESIDENT.
SO COULD I HEAR FROM YOU TWO, UH, SORT OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WHEN YOU'RE OPENING THIS UP TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS? SURE.
I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE WITH THE CONTACT TRACING WORK GROUP.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH CASES AND, UM, HIGH CASE FATALITY RATES ARE BEING ASKED TO BRING A COMMUNITY MEMBER WITH THEM, UM, TO THE CONTACT TRACING WORK GROUP.
SO IT'S TWO PEOPLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S A PAIR SO THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBER FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE BEING IN A GROUP OF QUOTE UNQUOTE EXPERTS.
SO THEY, THEY'RE THERE WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UM, REPRESENTING THEIR COMMUNITY, THE TWO OF THEM.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THAT AREA, POSSIBLY A NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT OR, OR A RESIDENT WHO YES, WHO LIVES IN THAT AREA.
BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T WANNA DO IS JUST HAVE THIS OPEN INVITATION FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE COMMUNITY MEMBER TO COME, BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE, THEY FEEL KIND OF OVERPOWERED AND OVERWHELMED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO HAVE THEM CONNECTED TO THOSE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO HELP EMPOWER THEM TO SPEAK UP AND SHARE THEIR, THEIR THOUGHTS.
THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE, IF, IF YOU COULD TAKE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES WALKING US THROUGH THAT ADVISORY PROCESS.
SO, UH, A FEW DAYS AGO, THE C R C WAS WORKING ON THE GUIDANCE FOR REOPENING BARS, AND I, I HAD SOME BRIEF COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNCIL
[00:50:01]
MEMBERS, UH, AND I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, AND I REALIZED I WASN'T ENTIRELY SURE.SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST WALKING US THROUGH FROM LIKE, THE BEGINNING TO WHEN IT GETS TO THE JUDGE, OR, OR, I THINK THAT'S THE END POINT, RIGHT? I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
YOU GUYS CAN DECIDE WHO, WHO TAKES THAT ONE.
SO, UM,
UM, SO WHEN THE GOVERNOR CLARIFIED THAT, UM, BARS COULD BE OPENED BY JUDGES, UM, THAT VERY DAY, THE JUDGE SAID TO, UH, TO US IN THE FOUR 30 CALL, UM, COULD THE C R C GROUP GIVE ME A RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT? SO, UM, I TOOK THAT BACK TO THE, UM, THE POLICY GROUP AND ASKED THEM TO PLEASE CONVENE AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THEY MET A COUPLE OF TIMES AND INCLUDED, UM, THE BAR ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATION IN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS A VERY HEATED DISCUSSION.
THERE WERE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ON BOTH SIDES.
TAYLOR CHARACTERIZES IT AS A COMPROMISE THAT IS, IT IS INDEED A COMPROMISE.
UM, AND SO THEY WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK.
WE, WE TOLD THE JUDGE, YOU NEED TO GIVE US A WEEK.
UM, THEY WORKED FOR A WEEK, THEY PROVIDED THE RECOMMENDATION TO METRO HEALTH.
METRO HEALTH, TWEAKED IT A LITTLE BIT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, AND THEN WE PRESENTED THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE JUDGE, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TWEAKED IT SOME MORE.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE, THE, THAT WAS THE FINAL RESULT WAS, UM, THAT, THAT LAST TWEAKING BY THE COUNTY M P, UH, ATTORNEY.
SO THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE INVOLVED IN CRAFTING THAT RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE SAID WITH ALL THINGS, AS WE START TO ROLL BACK SOME OF THESE RESTRICTIONS, IF WE START TO SEE A SPIKE, WE WILL CHANGE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
TAYLOR, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO, TO ADD? I, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I THINK THE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT BAR OPENING IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE PROCESS, BUT LIKE EVERYTHING, AS ALWAYS WITH COVID, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
LIKE, THIS CAME FROM THE JUDGE TO US.
SOMETIMES THE, THE ADVISORY ALERTS COMMITTEE SAYS, WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOMETHING ABOUT THANKSGIVING, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEN WE WORK, WE DEVELOP IT TOGETHER.
BUT I THINK THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, AND REALLY IT IS NOT BAD TO HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT SIDES IN A ROOM TOGETHER DEBATING, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S A WAY WE GET A ROBUST HEALTH RECOMMENDATION THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT, I THINK IS A, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT I WOULD SEE AS THE PROCESS WORKING.
WELL, I, I WANNA THANK THE C R C FOR, FOR TAKING CARE OF THAT AND, AND THEIR ROLE IN THAT.
AND THEN, UH, ONE LAST COMMENT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN AND I, UH, MET YESTERDAY WITH, UH, A FEW PEOPLE ON THE CITY STAFF WITH METRO HEALTH, WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, AND TALKED ABOUT, UM, A LOT OF THINGS, BUT BASICALLY HOW WE MOVE FORWARD ON A POTENTIAL HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE, HOW WE MOVE FORWARD ON THE RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS RESOLUTION, AND HOW WE, UH, HOW, HOW THAT CAN COMPLEMENT THE WORK OF THE C R C.
SO, I, I KNOW YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD, RETHINKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THIS NEXT ITERATION OF THE C R C GONNA BE NOW THAT WE'RE IN THIS MORE STABILIZED, UH, POSITION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO, TO BE AWARE OF.
AND, UH, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE C R C, THAT YOU ALSO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, AND I THINK THAT'S Z AND, UH, KATHY SHIELDS, UH, BOTH, BOTH WORKING ON THAT.
AND, AND KATHY IS OF COURSE, UM, ONE OF YOUR, YOUR FIRST STRINGERS ON THE, ON THE C R C.
UM, AND, UH, I'M, I'M GONNA GO BACK FOR A COUPLE MINUTES TO COUNCILWOMAN.
ANDREW SULLIVAN, YOU HAD A FOLLOW UP.
UM, SO I ONLY HAD LIKE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
ONE WAS WITH THE C R C OR THROUGH THE C R C, ARE WE MONITORING FOR ANY RECONFIRMED, OR ARE WE LOOKING FOR ANY, UM, CASES THAT WERE OR BROUGHT BACK OR DUPLICATE, UM, CASES OR INDIVIDUALS
[00:55:01]
WHO HAVE BEEN REDIAGNOSED? UM, IS THAT BEING FOLLOWED THROUGH THE C R C? SO NOT THE C R C, BUT METRO HEALTH? UM, AND SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A, IT'S A PRETTY STRINGENT DEFINITION.SO SOMEBODY HAS TO TEST P C R POSITIVE, UM, THEY HAVE TO GET BETTER, UM, THEN IT HAS TO BE THREE MONTHS LATER AND THEY HAVE TO GET SICK AGAIN, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER P C R TEST.
UM, AND SO WHAT WHAT WE'RE MOSTLY SEEING ARE PEOPLE WHO NEVER REALLY COMPLETELY CLEARED THE VIRUS FROM THEIR SYSTEM.
AND SO THEY'RE STILL GETTING P C R TESTS COMING BACK POSITIVE, BUT THAT'S FROM THE INITIAL INFECTION.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE GENOTYPE OF THE VIRUS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
IT HAS TO BE A DIFFERENT GENOTYPE.
SO THEY GOT INFECTED WITH ONE TYPE OF VIRUS, AND THEN WHEN THEY GET THE OTHER P C R, WE'LL DO A GENOTYPING ANALYSIS ON THEM.
AND IF IT HAS TO BE DIFFERENT.
BRIDGER, HOW MANY GENOTYPES ARE THERE? OH, LORD, I DON'T KNOW.
TAYLOR, DO YOU KNOW? SO IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE
UM, SO, SO WHAT THERE, THE, THE TRUE WAY TO CONFIRM REINFECTION IS WHAT DR.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE THIS PROBLEM THAT I, I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN SOMEBODY P C R POSITIVE THAT LASTED FOR OVER THREE MONTHS.
UM, BECAUSE THE P SOME OF THE PCRS ARE INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE, AND YOU WALK AROUND WITH DEAD VIRUS IN YOUR NOSE, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY R N A IN YOUR NOSE, IT POPS POSITIVE.
SO WE HAD, WE CARED FOR SOMEBODY WHO 12 WEEKS LATER WAS STILL TESTING P C R POSITIVE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S ALL OF THAT WITH THE P C R TESTING FOR, SO TO GET BACK TO THE GENOTYPE QUESTION, FORTUNATELY FOR US SO FAR, SARS COV TO TWO DOES NOT MUTATE THAT MUCH.
SO THERE'S REALLY ONLY A 99.8, IT'S THE ORIGINAL VIRUS FROM WUHAN IS ONLY, IT'S LESS THAN 1% DIFFERENT FROM VIRAL STRAINS, UH, CIRCULATING NOW.
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR REINFECTION IS REALLY, THEY'RE COMPARING THE SEQUENCES OF THE VIRUS SIDE BY SIDE AND LOOKING FOR SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN THE, THE GENETIC SEQUENCE.
SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A, USUALLY A WHOLE DIFFERENT GENOTYPE.
OFTEN IT'S LIKE VERY SMALL MUTATIONAL CHANGES THAT TELL US THAT SOMETHING IS TRULY A REINFECTION.
UM, IT'S NOT A TEST THAT ANY OF US ARE GONNA BE DOING AT HOME ANYTIME SOON,
I THINK THE REASSURING THING FROM THE SCIENCE STANDPOINT IS WE HAVE, SO THIS, WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR NINE MONTHS, AND THE DOCUMENTED CASES OF REINFECTION ARE, ARE VERY SMALL, AND THAT COULD CHANGE.
BUT THERE WERE ENCOURAGING DATA PUBLISHED JUST THIS PAST WEEK ON DURATION OF NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY RESPONSES.
AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE IN A VERY LARGE COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES STAYED POSITIVE FOR SIX TO NINE MONTHS, WHICH IS REALLY, IT GIVES US HOPE FOR NOT SO MUCH REINFECTION AND FOR VACCINES.
AND THEN, UM, ONE LAST AND FINAL QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK.
JUST ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, UM, UH, SO ARE THERE ANY NEW RELATED SYMPTOMS TO COVID? I KNOW THAT IN THE EARLIER STAGES IT WAS THE SMELL AND THEN IT PROGRESSED TO, UM, SENSATION OF, OF FEELING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY NEW, UM, SYMPTOMS THAT SHOULD BE, UM, SPOKEN OF OR EDUCATED ON WHEN IT COMES TO COVID? AS OF THIS TIME? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I THINK AS WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT COVID, WE'RE LEARNING MORE, MORE OF THE NEW SYMPTOMATIC STUFF.
IT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES, SORT OF THE LONG HAULERS AND THE SYSTEMIC EFFECTS THAT THE, THE INFLAMMATION CAN HAVE OVER TIME.
SO THE, THE INITIAL PRESENTATION DEFINITION HASN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH.
LIKE, IT STILL INCLUDES THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME PEOPLE JUST HAVE RIGHT RUNNY NOSE AND A SORE THROAT.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE MOSTLY GI SYMPTOMS, BUT THAT SORT OF CLINICAL PICTURE LARGELY REMAINS THE SAME.
I THINK THE THING THAT WHERE WE'RE
[01:00:01]
SORT OF LEARNING MORE ARE THE LONG-TERM HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING NEUROLOGIC CONSEQUENCES AND CARDIOVASCULAR CONSEQUENCES THAT ARE, I THINK, REALLY CONCERNING TO US ALL.'CAUSE THERE'S A, THE, UH, SORT OF DRUMBEAT FOR, IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL, UM, IS TRUE FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT IS NOT TRUE FOR PROBABLY AT LEAST 30% OF PEOPLE WITH COVID.
AND 60% OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEVERE COVID STILL HAVE AN, UH, STILL HAVE SYMPTOMS AFTER 12 WEEKS.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT.
AND THEN I'LL CLOSE IT OUT, MADAM CHAIR.
WHEN, UM, SOMEONE, UH, OR WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL OR STAKEHOLDER STEPS OFF OF THE C R C, UM, WILL WE BE, UM, PROVIDED WITH THAT INFORMATION AND WHO WILL FILL IN OR WHO WILL STEP UP INTO THEIR SPOT? SO COUNCILWOMAN, THE C R C WAS, UM, A VOLUNTARY GROUP THAT WAS CONVENED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SO IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL COUNCIL SPONSORED COMMITTEE.
UM, AND SO PEOPLE COME AND GO AS THEY PLEASE.
UM, WE ARE REALLY JUST ASKING THEM TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE.
WHEN THEY HAVE DONE ALL THEY CAN, THEN THEY STEP OFF, SOMEBODY ELSE MAY STEP ON.
IT'S, IT'S MUCH, UM, IT'S PRETTY INFORMAL.
WELL, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE HAVING YOU.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN UPDATE IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING US, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
AS, AS ONE OF OUR COMMENTERS SAID,
[3 20-6047 A briefing on the current state of recycling and future recycling contracts, recycling goals and potential program changes. [David W. McCary, CPM, Assistant City Manager; David Newman, Director, Solid Waste Management Department]]
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, TO THE NEXT ITEM.UM, MR. MCCAREY, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE THE, THE ITEM? YES, PLEASE.
UH, WE HAVE DAVID NEWMAN HERE TODAY FROM OUR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
UH, HE HAS THE DISTINCT HONOR OF SHARING WITH US KIND OF THE UPDATE, UH, TO RECYCLING AND DIVERTING WASTE AND OUR PROGRAM AS A WHOLE.
SO HE IS GOT SOME GREAT INTEL FOR ALL OF US.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DAVID NEWMAN, OUR SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT OUR RECYCLING PROGRAM.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR GOALS, UH, SOME SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY CHANGES AND HOW THAT IMPACTS US, AS WELL AS OUR CITY CONTRACT FOR RECYCLING.
THIS IS A PRIVATE, UH, UH, BUSINESS THAT ACTUALLY DOES THE PROCESSING OF OUR RECYCLABLES, EVEN THOUGH IT EXPIRES FOUR YEARS FROM NOW.
THERE'S SOME ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE, UH, THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE NEXT SLIDE.
ABOUT A, A LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS AGO, OUR RECYCLE RATE WAS 7%, WHICH IS PRETTY LOW, UH, COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES AND, AND ESPECIALLY SOME PROGRESSIVE CITIES.
SO OUR DEPARTMENT CREATED THE RECYCLING AND RESOURCE RECOVERY PLAN.
THIS PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
IT HAD SEVERAL STRATEGIES, AND IT HAD THREE GOALS.
UH, ONE OF THE GOALS WAS TO, UM, HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO RECYCLING FOR MULTI-FAMILY, UH, FOR APARTMENTS.
THE, UM, UH, WE DRAFTED, UH, WITH THE, UH, UH, REAL ESTATE GROUP.
UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED THAT ORDINANCE BACK IN 2010, AND THAT EFFECTIVELY MANDATES RECYCLING FOR MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING.
UH, SO THIS, THIS GOAL'S ACTUALLY BEEN MET.
WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR COMPLIANCE, SO WE'RE STILL VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH IT, BUT IT IS COMPLETE.
THE SECOND GOAL WAS TO IMPROVE RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
IN 2018, WE DEVELOPED THE REWORKS SA PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT WHERE WE WORK WITH BUSINESSES AND TRY TO ASSIST THEM IN RECYCLING.
WE, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THEM, WE CERTIFY THEM AS AS RECYCLERS.
UH, AND TO DATE, WE HAVE ABOUT 130 THAT ARE CERTIFIED.
THIS IS, WE CONSIDER THIS COMPLETE BECAUSE WE'VE ADDRESSED THIS, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH IT.
IN FACT, WE'RE ENHANCING THE REWORKS SA PROGRAM THIS YEAR TO ADD WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION, UH, TO THE LIST OF THINGS TO BE, UH, CERTIFIED.
THE THIRD GOAL IS THE 60% RECYCLE RATE BY THE YEAR 2025.
AND I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL ABOUT THIS, BUT I, I WANT TO SAY THAT SPECIFIC TO THIS RECYCLE RATE, AND THIS IS A RECYCLE RATE FOR THE MATERIAL THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COLLECTS.
UH, WE HAD FOUR PRIMARY STRATEGIES INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
AND WE'VE ADOPTED, WE'VE, WE'VE ACTED ON ALL OF THESE
[01:05:01]
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.UH, THE BRUSH AND BULKY PROGRAM WAS CHANGED SEVERAL YEARS AGO SO THAT THEY'RE SEPARATE AND SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE BRUSH AND WE CAN MULCH IT AND IT, AND DIVERT IT AWAY FROM THE LANDFILL.
THE ORGANICS PROGRAM WAS CREATED SO THAT WE TAKE ORGANICS MATERIAL THAT'S PLACED INTO THE GREEN CART, AND WE COMPOST THAT, AND THEREFORE IT DOESN'T GO TO THE LANDFILL.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST STRATEGY, AND THIS IS A BIG ONE, IS THAT WE CHANGED OUR BILLING SYSTEM TO A PAY AS YOU THROW SYSTEM WHERE, UH, A CUSTOMER CAN, CAN USE A SMALLER CART, PAY A SMALLER FEE, AND BY USING A SMALLER CART THAT ENCOURAGES MORE RECYCLING.
SO THE 60% GOAL, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE, THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT THERE, WE'RE AT 36%.
WE'RE A LITTLE OVER HALFWAY THERE.
WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROS, UH, UM, SOME, SOME PROGRESS SINCE WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY, BUT WE'RE STILL A, A WAYS AWAY.
THIS IS A WEIGHT-BASED GOAL, UH, AS I, AND, AND, AND I, I WANT TO JUST BACK UP A BIT TO SAY THAT, THAT ESSENTIALLY HOW THIS IS MEASURED IS THAT APPROXIMATELY 200,000 TONS OF WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CRUISE COLLECT IS EITHER COMPOSTED, UH, MULCHED, OR IT'S RECYCLED FROM THOSE THREE CARTS.
AND WE DIVIDE THAT BY THE OVERALL AMOUNT THAT WE COLLECT.
UH, AND THAT AMOUNT IS ABOUT 550 TO 600,000 TONS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE COME UP WITH THE 36%.
WE, WE KNOW THAT THE 60% GOAL IS A GOOD GOAL.
UH, BUT IT IS, IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE IN A VERY PERFECT SCENARIO.
WE DID A WASTE CHARACTERIZATION STUDY, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
UH, WE LOOKED IN THE DIFFERENT CARTS TO SEE, UH, UH, WHAT WAS BEING PUT WHERE.
AND BASED ON THAT STUDY, THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINED THAT, UH, 60% IS POSSIBLE.
UH, HOWEVER, AS I JUST MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THERE, ESPECIALLY IN FIVE YEARS.
SO WHY IS THAT? WELL, THE COMMODITIES, THE THINGS THAT WE RECYCLE, HAVE CHANGED OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE ON THE RIGHT OF A, OF A COFFEE CAN.
IT WAS ONCE ALUMINUM, THEN IT KIND OF PROGRESSED TO PLASTIC.
AND NOW MOST COFFEE COMES IN A, UH, A FOIL POUCH, WHICH IS NOT RECYCLABLE.
UM, MOST OF THE THINGS THAT ARE RECYCLABLE, UH, PROBABLY ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE RECYCLABLE IN OUR SYSTEM ARE, ARE PACKAGING MATERIAL, AND THOSE MATERIAL, THAT MATERIAL IS LIGHTER.
THE O THE OTHER EXAMPLE THAT I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU IS NEWSPAPERS.
IT USED TO BE 10 YEARS AGO THAT NEWSPAPERS, WHICH ARE VERY HEAVY, MADE UP A BIG CHUNK OF OUR RECYCLING.
AND TODAY, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU CAN'T FIND ANY NEWSPAPERS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY FEW THERE.
UH, AND LASTLY, THE MARKET IS MORE SELECTIVE.
AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
IN 2017, CHINA, WHO WAS THE, THE BUYER OF, UH, GLOBALLY, THEY WERE THE LARGEST BUYER OF RECYCLABLES, UH, ACROSS THE GLOBE.
UH, THEY ENACTED IN 2017, A NATIONAL POLICY, WHICH ESSENTIALLY WAS, UH, THE ADOPTION OF A CLEANLINESS STANDARD FOR RECYCLABLES.
THE, THE WAY RECYCLING WORKS IS THAT YOU, YOU RUN THE RECYCLABLES THROUGH A SYSTEM, AND, AND WE HAVE A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR THAT DOES THIS FOR US, AND THEY SEPARATE OUT ALUMINUM CANS, AND THEY SELL ALUMINUM CANS AT A CERTAIN RATE.
THEY SEPARATE OUT PAPER OR CARDBOARD, AND THAT, AND THAT CARDBOARD IS SOLD AT A CERTAIN RATE.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT OF, OF TRASH MIGHT GET MIXED INTO IT.
AND IF YOU HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TRASH GOING INTO THE SYSTEM, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA GET A WHOLE LOT OF TRASH COMING BACK OUT.
SO CHINA SAID, STOP SENDING US TRASH.
AND WHEN THAT HA, AND BY THE WAY, THEY STILL WANT RECYCLABLES.
THEY JUST WANT IT TO BE CLEAN AND, AND GOOD FOR THEM.
UH, BUT WHEN THEY ENACTED THOSE STANDARDS, YOU CAN SEE THE GRAPH ON THE LEFT THAT THE AVERAGE COMMODITY REVENUE DROPPED FROM ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A TON.
UH, TODAY IT'S ABOUT, UH, 60 OR $65 A TON.
SO, UH, SO THAT DROP HAS OCCURRED AND IT'S SOMEWHAT STAYED THAT WAY TODAY.
SO WITH THAT DROP IN THE MARKET, UM, THAT HAS AFFECTED CONTRACTS, UH, CERTAINLY ACROSS THE NATION, IF NOT ACROSS THE WORLD, BECAUSE, UH, PRIOR TO THIS TIME, THE REVENUE HELPED TO OFFSET THE PROCESSING COST.
AND IN OUR, OUR CASE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, THE CITY WAS, WAS NETTING MONEY WAS NETTING A POSITIVE, UH, UP UNTIL ABOUT 2017.
I'LL SHOW YOU ON, ON ANOTHER SLIDE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPH, SAN ANTONIO'S ON THE FAR LEFT, THE, UH, BAR AND THE GREEN,
[01:10:01]
WE PAY A TIPPING FEE OF JUST UNDER $50.UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT $49 AND THE 13, THAT'S, THAT'S SHOWN IN THE BLUE.
THAT'S WHAT'S OFFSET BY THE REVENUE.
SO TODAY WE ARE NETTING A $13 COST FOR RECYCLING.
NOW, THAT'S STILL PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE THE DASHED RED LINE AT $25, THAT'S OUR LANDFILL DISPOSAL RATE.
SO WE'RE STILL, UH, WE'RE STILL UNDER THAT RATE, AND THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
BUT AS, AS THESE CONTRACTS EXPIRE, AND SOME LIKE FORT WORTH HOUSTON, AND I KNOW NEW BRAUNFELS RECENTLY SIGNED A NEW CONTRACT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE GREEN BARS ARE GOING UP.
UH, AND MANY OF THOSE BLUE BARS, THE NET O THE NET, UH, TO NET COST TO THEM IS ALSO GOING UP.
SO, SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN TO US, ESSENTIALLY.
AND THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT, UH, SHOWS IT.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT CLEANER WITH THE LANDFILL COST OF $25 AND THE NET RECYCLING INCHING ITS WAY TOWARDS THAT, THAT AMOUNT.
I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT THINGS THAT WERE RECYCLABLE AND HAD A HIGH VALUE ON THE MARKET 10 YEARS AGO TODAY, THE VALUE HAS DROPPED.
UH, AND IN MANY CASES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SELL SOME OF THOSE MATERIALS.
UH, AND FOR EXAMPLE, PLASTIC BAGS AND MIXED PLASTICS ARE DIFFICULT TO SELL.
AND THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT, UH, THAT'S THE, IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT MIXED PLASTICS ARE, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS, UH, THERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF IT.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU AN, AN EASY WAY TO IDENTIFY THE MIXED PLASTICS FROM THE OTHER TYPES OF PLASTICS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO WITH OUR CONTRACT EXPIRING FOUR YEARS FROM NOW, WE DO NEED TO MAKE A DECISION IN THE SPRING, UH, AND, AND WE WANT TO EVALUATE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE SO THAT WE CAN MITIGATE, UH, MITIGATE THE EXPENSE TO US.
AND SO WE DO HAVE SOME OPTIONS.
ONE IS THAT WE COULD, UH, AND OUR VENDOR, WHICH IS REPUBLIC WASTE, UH, HAS DISCUSSED WITH US AN EXTENSION.
I KNOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT, UH, BUT THAT'S AN OPTION.
ANOTHER OPTION IS TO DRAFT A, A CONTRACT JUST LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE TODAY, AND PUT IT OUT ON THE STREET AND SEE WHAT THE MARKET WILL BEAR.
BUT ANOTHER OPTION, AND ONE THAT WE'RE COMPARING ALL OF THESE AGAINST IS TO BUILD OUR OWN FACILITY, UH, POTENTIALLY OPERATE IT WITH CITY RESOURCES OR POTENTIALLY OPERATE IT WITH AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR.
AND, UH, AND SO WE ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING THIS.
UM, AND, AND ONCE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION IN THE SPRING, WE'D LIKE TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, IF THAT'S OKAY, UH, TO DISCUSS THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I MENTIONED PLASTIC BAGS, AND I WANTED TO, TO SHOW THIS PICTURE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS A COMMON SITE IN RECYCLING BUSINESSES, UH, ACROSS THE GLOBE.
UH, PLASTIC FILM PLASTIC BAGS THAT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINERY.
UH, AND THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON AT, AT THE FACILITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL.
IN FACT, IT CAUSES THEM TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE EQUIPMENT DAILY TO, UH, TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC BAGS.
SO HOW WELL ARE WE DOING ON RECYCLING? I MENTIONED THE 60% RECYCLE RATE, AND WE'RE AT 36%.
UH, JUST FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, AUSTIN IS CURRENTLY AT 41%.
UH, I'VE REACHED OUT TO HOUSTON.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE AT, BUT THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THEY WERE IN THE TEENS.
UH, SO I WOULD RATHER COMPARE OURSELVES TO AUSTIN.
BUT, UH, BUT THE RECYCLE RATE, THAT'S A GOOD GOAL.
IT'S A GOOD ASPIRATIONAL GOAL OF 60%.
UH, CAPTURE RATE IS ONE THAT I WANT TO DISCUSS.
AND THE GRAPH ON THE LEFT THAT SHOWS 48%, THIS CAPTURE RATE IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF CITIES ARE STARTING TO USE, AND IT MEASURES HOW WELL OUR CUSTOMERS ARE, ARE PUTTING THE, THE MATERIAL, PUTTING THEIR, THEIR PRODUCT IN WHATEVER THEY HAVE INTO THE RIGHT, UH, THE RIGHT CART.
UM, AND SO IN THIS EXAMPLE, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ACTUAL ACTUALLY THE, UH, 48%, UH, FOLKS ARE PUTTING IT INTO THE BLUE CART AND GETTING IT CORRECTLY.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT MEANS THAT 52% OF THE MATERIAL THAT COULD HAVE GONE IN THE BLUE CART WENT INTO THE BROWN CART.
ANOTHER GOOD METRIC, AND ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW IS HOW MUCH WE LANDFILL ON A PER HOUSEHOLD BASIS.
10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ABOUT 1.32 TONS PER HOUSEHOLD.
[01:15:01]
FINISHED AT 1.06 TONS.UH, IT LOOKED UP UNTIL FEBRUARY OR MARCH ANYWAY, THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY BE BELOW 1.06.
BUT THEN, UH, CORONAVIRUS HAPPENED AND WE SAW INCREASES IN, IN, IN GARBAGE, UH, PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES.
SO, SO THIS TONS PER HOUSEHOLD INCREASED, I THINK FOR OBVIOUSLY PRETTY GOOD REASON THOUGH.
UH, THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT MEASURING, RECYCLING IS THAT, UH, I, I THINK EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE SATISFACTION RATE OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
THE CITY PUTS OUT A, UH, SURVEY EVERY TWO YEARS, AND, AND WE CONSISTENTLY GET GOOD, GOOD HIGH MARKS FOR SATISFACTION IN THE VALUE OF THE SERVICE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW A PLUGIN FOR THAT AS WELL.
SO, SO TALKING ABOUT TONS AND, AND PERCENTAGE, UH, AND THIS QUANTITY OF RECYCLING THAT WE CAN, CAN POSSIBLY RECYCLE, THAT'S GOOD AND IT'S A GOOD GOAL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO FOCUS ON QUALITY.
UH, WE NEED, WE NEED THE, THE SYSTEM IS A LITTLE BIT BIT DOWN RIGHT NOW, AND WE ALSO NEED TO FOCUS ON QUALITY JUST AS MUCH AS, AS THE QUANTITY.
AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE BELIEVE IT'S WITH SIMPLER MESSAGING.
UH, THE CORE FOUR, AS WE CALL IT, ARE PAPER AND CARDBOARD, METAL CANS, GLASS BOTTLES AND JUGS AND NARROW MOUTH PLASTIC BOTTLES AND JUGS.
THESE FOUR THINGS ARE WHAT WE ACCEPT IN THE PROGRAM.
THESE FOUR THINGS HAVE HIGH VALUE.
AND WHEN I MENTIONED MIXED PLASTICS BEFORE, UH, YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR THAT PLASTICS HAVE A NUMBERING SYSTEM.
ONES, TWOS, THREES, FIVES, WHATEVER.
UH, THERE'S P V C, THERE'S P E T, THERE'S ALL TYPES OF PLASTICS.
BUT WE'VE FOUND THAT IF WE FOCUS ON USING THE PHRASE A NARROW MOUTH, PLASTIC BOTTLES, AND JUGS, IT ACTUALLY CUTS THROUGH A LOT OF THAT AND CAPTURES THE, THE PLASTICS THAT ARE ACCEPTED IN OUR OUR SYSTEM.
SO, IN CONCLUSION, UH, I BELIEVE MY DEPARTMENT BELIEVES THAT RECYCLING IS A GOOD THING.
UH, THE COSTS ARE INCREASING, BUT I ALSO ASK THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THAT RECYCLING IS MORE THAN JUST A DISPOSAL OPTION, THAT IT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
IF WE RECYCLE AND IF WE PURCHASE PRODUCTS WITH RECYCLED CONTENT, THEN WE CAN HELP CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES, WE CAN REDUCE WHAT WE LANDFILL.
UM, RECYCLING HELPS SUPPORT THE CLIMATE STRATEGIES AS WELL.
SO, UH, I, I, I WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE I SAID THAT.
AND, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I, I TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR, OUR PROCESSING CONTRACT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A CONTRACT OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT WE WANT TO DO THROUGH OUR OWN, UH, CITY.
I THINK THAT'S CLOSE TO THE END THERE.
UM, WE'LL TAKE COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME AND I'LL GO IN REVERSE ORDER, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GOT A LITTLE, UH, DISTRACTED OVER HERE.
DID YOU TALK ABOUT THE ORGANICS? UM, I DID NOT.
SO I THOUGHT, LIKE, DID I MISS YOUR PART? ORGANICS,
SO YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT TODAY? NO, NOT TODAY.
WELL THEN I'LL LEAVE IT FOR A, A FUTURE CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT I, I, AND I'LL JUST, I'LL, WHAT, WHEN WE FIRST WENT INTO, UH, COVID AND, AND ALL THE RESTAURANTS CLOSED, AND THERE WAS THIS BIG SHIFT TO, UM, DISPOSABLE EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, EVEN IF YOU DID HAPPEN TO GO INSIDE A RESTAURANT, THEY WOULD STILL GIVE YOU DISPOSABLE THINGS.
AND YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE WAS AN UPTICK IN, IN THAT.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE SINCE FOUND AND IS SORT OF IN RELATION TO THE OTHER, UM, UH, MEETING, UH, WAS THAT IT'S TURNING, I GUESS WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO USE ALL THIS, THOSE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS THAT CONTINUING TO EAT ON REGULAR PLATES AND USING REGULAR UTENSILS ARE REAL, UH, UTENSILS ARE, UM, ARE OKAY, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT.
SO IS THERE, UM, I MEAN, PERHAPS IT KIND OF RELATES TO THE OTHER MEETING, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY,
[01:20:01]
UM, THOUGHTS ABOUT IT? BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE WASTE MM-HMM.UM, SO I DON'T KNOW ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? I, I CERTAINLY HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MR. MCCARRY AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
UH, AT FIRST WHAT WE SAW, AND I BELIEVE THIS TO CONTINUE TO BE TRUE, IS THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME.
AND THE AMOUNT OF GARBAGE THAT WE, LET ME BACK UP TO SAY THAT IN THE SUMMERTIME WHEN KIDS ARE HOME OR SPRING BREAK TIME, WHEN KIDS ARE HOME, WE SEE MORE GARBAGE.
AND SO JUST THE ACT OF PEOPLE BEING HOME MORE OFTEN, I BELIEVE GENERATES MORE GARBAGE IN THEIR HOME GARBAGE CONTAINER.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S SOME MORE, UM, UH, FAST FOOD OR FOOD THAT'S BEING BROUGHT IN.
BUT IF, IF PEOPLE ARE HOME AND IF IT, MAYBE IF THEY WERE AT WORK, THEY MIGHT BE EATING AT SOME OTHER LOCATION AT A BUSINESS, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE BRINGING THAT MATERIAL HOME.
SO I'M, I'M TRYING TO SAY TWO THINGS.
ONE, WE SEE MORE PEOPLE AT HOME, AND JUST IN GENERAL, MORE PEOPLE AT HOME GENERATES MORE TRASH, BUT IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING MORE FOOD PRODUCTS, UH, AND CONTAINERS AND, AND THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD, UH, TO THE HOME.
AND, AND THAT'S JUST JUST OUR OBSERVATION, BUT, UH, FOR GARBAGE, WE SAW ABOUT A 12% INCREASE, UH, IN THE, UM, IN THE, IN THE TONS.
BUT I, I GUESS I DIDN'T, I I DIDN'T HEAR, YOU KNOW, JUST RELATED TO COVID.
I MEAN, DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION NOW THAT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT LIKELY TO GET IT BY FORKS? AND, UM, AND, AND SO IS THERE ANY INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT IS TELLING PEOPLE THAT, OR IS IT, IS THERE STILL A CHANCE THAT YOU COULD CATCH IT BY USING THOSE THINGS AND THEREFORE NOT NEEDING TO USE SO MUCH DISPOSABLE NEWMAN? ON THIS ONE, I WOULD REALLY TURN IT OVER TO DR.
BRIDGER AND THEIR TEAM TO SEE IF THEY'VE HEARD ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, IN OUR HIERARCHY, WE ALWAYS TRY NOT TO GENERATE THE WASTE TO BEGIN WITH.
BRIDGER, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT? SORRY.
UH, UH, COLLEEN, TO BRING YOU BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION, BUT I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD ANY, WE, WE DO HEAR NOW OF COURSE, THAT THE MOST LIKELY WAY TO TO CATCH IT IS THROUGH FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT, BUT, UH, MAYBE THESE TWO ISSUES ARE UNRELATED AND THAT, BUT, UM, AND THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT LIKE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE IN A DISPOSABLE CONTAINER.
EVERYTHING DOES NOT, NOT HAVE TO BE IN A DISPOSABLE CONTAINER.
THE, THE, ABOUT THE ONLY TIME WE RECOMMEND DISPOSABLE UTENSILS IS IF SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO ISOLATE IN A HOME WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
SO IF YOU'RE STUCK IN ONE ROOM, UM, AND SOMEBODY'S BRINGING YOU FOOD AND YOU'RE EATING IT, AND WE, WE RECOMMEND DISPOSABLE UTENSILS AND BOWLS AND SPOONS SO THAT NOBODY HAS TO THEN COME BACK AND HANDLE THAT AND CLEAN IT.
UM, BUT IN A COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO USE DISPOSABLE, UM, UTENSILS BECAUSE THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR SANITIZING UTENSILS WOULD KILL COVID.
COUNCILWOMAN
UM, I THINK THEY'RE REALLY IN THE WEEDS RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS RESURGENCE OF, OF MORE, UH, TRASH TO THE LANDFILLS IS NOT SURPRISING SIMPLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HOME AND THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF CLEANING OUT OF THEIR HOUSES RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU SEE THAT, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, WE HAVE SEEN SUCH THE INCREASE OF DISPOSABLE WEAR.
I KNOW, UM, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, I WILL TELL PEOPLE, NO, DO NOT GIVE ME A STRAW.
DO NOT GIVE ME UTENSILS IF I'M JUST TAKING THE STUFF HOME, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T NEED THAT.
UM, I DID WANNA ASK, JUST AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK AND INCREASE OUR, OUR AMOUNT OF, OUR PERCENTAGE OF, OF RECYCLING, IS THAT JUST A PERCENTAGE WITH RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING
[01:25:01]
OR IS THIS IN GENERAL LIKE AT CITY FACILITIES AS WELL? IT IS, IT IS JUST THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT WE COLLECT FROM.AND THAT'S PRIMARILY, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO, AGAIN, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECYCLING, UH, MAKE A PITCH FOR RECYCLING RECEPTACLES COURSE AT ALL CITY FACILITIES TO INCLUDE OUR GOLF COURSES, BECAUSE NOT ALL OF OUR GOLF COURSES HAVE SOME, AT LEAST I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE SAN PEDRO DRIVING RANGE IN A WHILE, BUT THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECYCLING RECEPTACLE.
SO JUST WANTING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN
WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES ALL CITY FACILITIES TO OFFER RE TO HAVE RECYCLING SET UP.
SO IF WE HAVE A PARK THAT DOESN'T HAVE RECYCLING, THEN THAT'S A VIOLATION OF OUR ORDINANCE AND WE JUST NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT'S NOT COUNTED IN THE, THE RESIDENTIAL RATE FOR RECYCLING, BUT IT IS A POLICY THAT THEY DO RECYCLE.
UM, AND THEN, SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A BASIC QUESTION.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE I'VE
UM, SO WHAT DOES CHINA DO WITH THE PLASTIC COMMODITY? BY SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE IN TEXAS AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY, MOST OF OUR, ACTUALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE MATERIAL THAT WE RECYCLE STAYS IN NORTH AMERICA.
SO IT'S EITHER RECYCLED IN THE US OR MEXICO.
UM, UH, UH, QUITE A BIT OF, AND THE, THE PLASTIC ONE IS A DIFFICULT, UH, QUESTION FOR ME TO ANSWER PERSONALLY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FIBER, THE CARDBOARD BECOMES NEW CARDBOARD.
UM, MUCH OF THE PAPER MAY BECOME, UH, PAPER TOWELS OR, OR TISSUE TYPE OF PAPER.
UM, ALUMINUM CANS BECOME AN ALUMINUM CAN, I THINK IN ABOUT SIX WEEKS OR EIGHT WEEKS.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE, UH, EXAMPLE OF HOW QUICKLY SOMETHING BECOMES, UH, CAN, CAN BE RECYCLED AND BECOME A NEW PRODUCT.
UH, THE PLASTIC THEMSELVES, UH, THEY, THE PLASTIC GETS CLEANED, IT GETS CHIPPED UP.
UH, AND, AND AT THAT POINT, IT'S A MATERIAL THAT CAN BE REUSED.
AND, AND I, I, I SUPPOSE, MELTED DOWN AND, AND MADE INTO MANY OTHER PRODUCTS, BUT, UH, SURE.
AND THEN, UM, MY LAST QUESTION, AND, AND YES, I DO CHAIR, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHATEVER KIND OF, UH, CONTINUING WITH RECYCLING IN OUR CONTRACT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I WOULD, AGAIN, UM, IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THAT THE, THE COST OR THE, THE, UM, AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE PLASTIC RECYCLING ISN'T AS HIGH AS IT WAS BEFORE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A HUGE DEAL AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS.
UH, BUT I ALSO THINK, I ALSO WANT SOME CLARIFICATION ON, THIS IS SO FUNNY.
I'M SO GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, THESE PLASTIC BAGS THAT PEOPLE BUY, BECAUSE NOW YOU CAN PUT YOUR PLASTIC IN THE PLASTIC BAG.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? THESE NEW BAGS THAT PEOPLE ARE BUYING, 'CAUSE THEY SAY THAT THEY'RE RECYCLABLE, THEY'RE PLASTIC, AND YOU PUT YOUR PLASTIC, UM, UH, WATER BOTTLE IN A PLASTIC BAG AND YOU THROW 'EM INTO THE RECYCLING BIN.
IS THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THOSE.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I'M AWARE OF.
SOME CITIES HAVE A BLUE BAG PROGRAM WHERE YOU PUT BAG PROGRAM WHERE YOU PUT YOUR RECYCLING IN THE BAG, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW WE DO IT HERE.
IT, IT HAS TO BE PUT IN LOOSE.
LET ME, LET ME ADD ONE THING TO THE PLASTIC JUGS REAL QUICK.
UH, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT MILK JUGS ARE AT A HIGHER VALUE THAN ALUMINUM CANS.
I JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE NOW AT THE, YOUR LOCAL TARGET OR WHATEVER, THESE MAIN MAJOR BRANDS ARE SELLING PLASTIC BAGS THAT YOU PUT YOUR OTHER PLASTIC IN, AND, BUT WE'RE NOT, IT HAS TO BE LOOSE.
THAT ADD, THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION ON THAT BECAUSE THERE'S ALSO COMPOST BAGS.
THERE'S BAGS THAT, THAT, UH, ARE SUPPOSED TO DECOMPOSE, UH, OR THEY'RE MADE OUT OF VEGETABLE OIL.
UH, ALL OF THAT LEADS TO A LOT OF CONFUSION.
AND THE, THE PLASTIC BAGS IN GENERAL ARE, ARE VERY DIFFICULT.
[01:30:01]
CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINERY.UH, BUT WE DO NOT WANT THE BAG, WE DON'T WANT THE RECYCLABLE PLACED INTO THE BAG BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO GET TORN APART.
AND, AND THEN RECYCLED, IT ENDS UP BEING, UH, BEING THROWN AWAY AS TRASH.
UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IN RELATION TO, UM, THE RECYCLING PART OF IT IS ARE, ARE WE LOOKING AT ANY OTHER INDUSTRY AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR THESE RECYCLABLE ITEMS? SO INSTEAD OF SHIPPING OVERSEAS AND INSTEAD OF GOING OUTSIDE THE CITY, WHAT RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY ARE WE USING TO KIND OF MAXIMIZE OUR RECYCLING, UH, AVAILABILITY THROUGH OUR CURRENT CONTRACT, WE DON'T TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE RECYCLABLES.
SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT WHERE WE ESSENTIALLY DELIVER IT TO REPUBLIC.
THEY RECYCLE IT, AND THEY SELL IT ON THE OPEN MARKET.
AND SO THERE'S, WE, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THAT, UH, THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH WASTE TO ENERGY.
UH, WE HAVE CEMENT KILNS AND, AND WE'VE HAD OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO US, UH, RELATIVE TO ITEMS THAT MIGHT HAVE A HIGH B T U VALUE.
SO THERE, THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS, BUT CURRENTLY UNDER THIS CONTRACT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, LOOKING AT DEVELOPING OUR OWN FACILITY, DO WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF COSTS, UM, THAT WOULD INCUR? WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THE, THE COST ESTIMATE AS WELL AS THE TIMEFRAME.
AND, AND HONESTLY, WE'RE A LITTLE UNDER THE GUN ON THAT, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE WERE TO MAKE THAT DECISION IN THE SPRINGTIME, THAT WE COULD HAVE A FACILITY.
AND WE HAVE A LOCATION, UH, THAT, UH, IS A FORMER, UH, IT'S A CITY FACILITY, A CITY LAND THAT WE WOULD, WOULD SET IT ON.
BUT, UM, UH, THOSE COSTS, WE'RE STILL SCRUBBING THOSE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT A LITTLE MORE DETAILED AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLASTIC BAGS, UM, ARE, ARE THERE OTHER RECYCLING OPTIONS FOR SPECIFICALLY THE PLASTIC BAGS OR, UM, ARE THERE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN START MAKING TO MAYBE EVEN SEE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BAN THE, THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS AND ONLY HAVE A, A PAPER BAG, UM, SITUATION TO WHERE WE'RE NOT HAVING, UM, OUR MACHINES BREAKING DOWN, UM, CAUSING A DELAY IN RECYCLING? UH, TWO THINGS ON THAT.
ONE IS THAT THE, UH, H E B AND MANY RETAILERS, UH, I KNOW TARGET AND MAYBE WALMART, BUT MANY RETAILERS WILL TAKE PLASTIC BAGS.
THEY GO THROUGH A COMPLETELY SEPARATE SYSTEM.
AND SO THEY'RE TAKING PLASTIC BAG, PLASTIC FILM IN GENERAL, A DRY CLEANING BAG, UH, WHATEVER THEY HAVE THEM RIGHT AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOOR.
SO I WOULD ADVOCATE THAT IF SOMEONE HAS PLASTIC BAGS TO TAKE THEM TO THEM, UM, RELATED TO A BAN, I, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, SEVERAL CITIES DID A ADOPT, UH, PASS AN ORDINANCE TO BAN PLASTIC BAGS.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UH, AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN, BUT THEY, THEY, UH, HAVE A, UH, A LAW THAT SAYS THAT THAT'S INVALID.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR THAT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE CLOSE TO THE, THE COASTLINE.
I THINK THAT THAT, UM, SPEAKS TO HOW WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CONTROL.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW PLASTIC BAGS REALLY AFF AFFECT OUR WATER QUALITY, UM, WHEN THEY GET INTO THESE SYSTEMS AS WELL.
HAVE WE DONE A STUDY ON PLASTIC BAGS AND HOW THEY'VE, UM, GONE FROM BEING A RECYCLED TRASH ITEM INTO OUR SAN ANTONIO RIVER AND, UM, OUR CREEK WASTE? OR DO YOU KNOW HOW COLLECT OUT OF THE CREEK WAVES? UH, YEARS AGO, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT DID A STUDY AT TO, AND WENT TO DIFFERENT LITTER SPOTS AND TRIED TO CATEGORIZE WHAT TYPES OF LITTER THEY FOUND THERE.
AND PLASTIC BAGS DON'T WEIGH VERY MUCH, WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY GET CAUGHT UP IN TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CIGARETTE BUTTS AND, AND OTHER TRASH.
IT WAS SO LONG AGO, I CAN'T REMEMBER IT, BUT I, I, WE CAN RESURRECT THAT AND TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU THOUGH.
[01:35:01]
REMEMBERS, I, I, I BELIEVE NEWMAN, IT WAS IN 2011, SO IT'S ALMOST 10 YEARS OLD.SO IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO, UH, REEVALUATE THAT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN, CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST AND FINAL QUESTION IS, IF WE ARE ABLE TO BRING OUR OWN FACILITY TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, HOW MANY JOBS WILL THAT PRODUCE? WELL, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE DETAILED QUESTIONS.
AND WELL, CAN WE, CAN WE GO TO SLIDE NUMBER SIX? UM, I'LL, I'LL TAKE A SHOT AT THAT NEWMAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO IF, IF WE CAN PULL UP SLIDE SIX, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S COMPARING OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE PAYING NOW, UH, FOR THE SERVICES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, NEWMAN WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO COME BACK FOR B SESSION, PROBABLY IN THAT SAME SPRING.
AND AT LEAST FROM THERE, EVALUATE, UH, CONDUCT A PERFORMER BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE SOME MORE RESEARCH TO DO IN TERMS OF COST.
AND A PART OF THAT ASSESSMENT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, SPEAKING TO THE, THE COST NUMBER OF JOBS, UH, NUMBER OF TONS.
WHAT ARE OTHERS, CITIES OR LOCAL AREAS THAT MIGHT NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THAT SLIDE AT NEW BRONZEVILLE, THE, THE REASON I'M CONCERNED ABOUT US NOT TAKING CONTROL AND REALLY EVALUATING OUR OWN, UH, MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY, THEY'RE PAYING A COMPANY $91 A TON TO, TO RECYCLE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR, THEIR FEE.
AND THEN AFTERWARDS, YOU SEE IN THE BLUE, OF COURSE, IS, UH, NET FEE, UH, AFTER, UH, REVENUES.
BUT IF YOU COMPARE THAT TO, TO WHERE WE ARE AT $49, UH, I THINK THERE'S SOME, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE NOT ONLY THE ONE THAT PROVIDES THAT SERVICE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN WE USED TO RECYCLE AT ONE TIME, OUR PARTNERS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE WOULD SPLIT THE COST ON THE FRONT END AND SHARE THE REVENUE ON THE BACK END.
NOW YOU'RE SEEING THESE COMPANIES ON THAT GREEN CHART WANTING TO, UH, GET THEIR COSTS OUT THE WAY AND COVERED ON THE FRONT END, AND THEY WANT THE CITY TO PULL BACK AND UTILIZE MORE ON THE BACK END.
SO I, I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SCALE, THAT'S TELLING TOO, THE FACT THAT NOW WE'RE NOT SENDING ANYTHING OVERSEAS, AS NEWMAN HAD POINTED OUT, IS ALL LOCAL.
AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, UH, MEXICO, WHERE SOME OF THESE COMMODITIES ARE GOING, UH, WE'RE NOTICING THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT SENDING IT TO CHINA, WE'VE SEEN SAMPLE EXAMPLES WHERE THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE PURCHASING, UH, LAND HERE IN AMERICA TO POSSIBLY OPEN UP SOME TYPE OF, UM, FACILITY WHERE THEY CAN TRANSFER THINGS TO CHINA.
SO IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE WATCHING.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DETAILS AT THIS TIME, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY BE BUYING LAND HERE IN AMERICA AS A PART OF THEIR STRATEGY TO SEND IT OVER IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO WE JUST NEED TO BE MINDFUL.
I I'M ONE OF THOSE THAT BELIEVES IN CONTROLLING OUR OWN DESTINY.
UH, SO JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO, TO KNOW THOSE TWO, UH, ADDITIVES AND WE WILL GET SOME COST, UH, ONCE WE GET WITH FINANCE AND DO AN ACTUAL PERFORMER ON THAT.
AND IF, IF I MAY ADD JUST ONE THING BRIEFLY, IS THAT THERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO US OWNING AND OR RUNNING THIS FACILITY.
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY INVOLVED.
UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE COST AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON SOME THINGS.
UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
ESSENTIALLY, OUR DEPARTMENT IS A TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH EXPERIENCE IN.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS AS WE EVALUATE THAT, UM, THAT POTENTIAL OPTION.
UM, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, UH, MR. MCCARRAN.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD HAVE, HAVE BEEN ASKED, AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, APPRECIATE ALL THAT, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES.
UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ASSISTANCE, UH, ESPECIALLY RECENTLY AS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP, UH, THIS, THIS AREA
[01:40:01]
FAIRLY CLEAN.AND SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK, UH, YOU'RE KIND OF PART OF THIS RECYCLING EFFORT IS REALLY ALSO, UH, AN EFFORT TO, TO, UH, INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO JUST SIMPLY, UH, KEEP, KEEP AREAS MUCH CLEANER THAN, THAN, THAN, UH, THAN THEY HAVE BEEN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE PLASTICS CAN, UH, BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CLEAN UP BECAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T, THEY SIMPLY DON'T, UH, BIODEGRADE.
AND, UH, AND SO I THINK THE MESSAGE IS REALLY, IS REALLY GOOD.
I, I WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND AS WE'VE BEEN PICKING UP AROUND HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THAT, THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY ARE RELYING HEAVILY ON YOUR DEPARTMENTS.
UH, YOU, DAVID, UH, DAVID MCCAREY, THANK YOU AGAIN.
UH, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, GREAT PARTNERS IN HELPING US TO ADDRESS, UH, VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, STAY, STAY VERY, VERY CLEAN.
UH, I GUESS THE ONLY THING I WOULD ASK IS THAT MAYBE WE CREATE A CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE FOLKS ABOUT THOSE PLASTICS.
UH, WE'VE HAD OTHER GREAT CAMPAIGNS ABOUT RECYCLING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FACT IS, IS THAT THEY'RE STILL, WE STILL SEE A LOT OF LITTLE PLASTIC BOTTLES HERE AND THERE, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE LAYING AROUND, AND THEY CAN BECOME, UH, CAN BECOME A, A, A NUISANCE OR JUST A, A REAL BLIGHT ON, ON, ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND CERTAIN CORRIDORS.
UH, SO I THINK JUST KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP AND PARTNERSHIP, AND, UH, I THINK, UH, LIKE I SAID, IF WE SIMPLY GET THE WORD OUT TO FOLKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE WE TOSS ALL OUR PLASTICS IN THE RECYCLE BIN, IT WOULD BE, UH, TREMENDOUS HELP FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS, COUNCILMAN.
AND, AND WE, I, I WAS TRYING OUT THE NARROW MOUTH PLASTIC BOTTLES AND JUGS ON, ON THIS GROUP.
SO THAT'S OUR, THAT'S HOW WE'RE TRYING TO DELINEATE THE TYPES OF PLASTICS THAT GO IN THE BLUE CART.
UH, WE USED TO SAY, WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT, BUT MOST PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO IN THERE.
I'M, I, I LEARNED THAT TODAY TOO, SO I WAS PERFECT.
ALRIGHT, DAVID, YOU JUST RUINED MY DAY.
I KNOW THAT I CANNOT RECYCLE, UH, COTTAGE CHEESE CONTAINERS, SOUR CREAM CONTAINERS, UH, BUTTER CONTAINERS.
WHAT ELSE? HUMMUS CONTAINERS, NONE OF THAT STUFF.
WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE IT ALL FROM SCRATCH AT HOME SO THAT I DON'T USE THAT PLASTIC CONTAINER.
UM, A COUPLE OF, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UH, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEN I SAW THIS, UH, PRESENTATION AND, AND THE MEMO, I, I WAS NOT HAPPY AT ALL.
I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIRECTION THIS IS TAKING.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS NOT YOUR FAULT IN ANY WAY.
UM, I JUST WONDER, EVEN IF WE DO BUILD OUR OWN FACILITY, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC GETTING CAUGHT IN THE MACHINERY, RIGHT? UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT, THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.
SO I THINK EVEN IF WE DO GO THAT ROUTE, WHICH I, I THINK THAT THAT ROUTE SOUNDS GOOD, BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM TO, TO DEAL WITH.
AND I REALLY LIKE THAT AT LEAST TWO OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR MAYBE MORE OF THEM ARE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE A BIGGER PICTURE, NOT JUST THE RECYCLING, BUT THE USAGE AS WELL.
SO I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO ASK IS, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR, UH, MAYBE TO CALL IN THE ASSISTANCE OF THE NEW CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEES THAT ARE BEING FORMED TO ASSIST WITH THIS? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHETHER A PLASTIC BAG IS RECYCLED OR WHETHER IT'S THROWN IN THE DUMP, IT COMES EMBODIED WITH ENERGY, WITH WATER THAT'S, IT TAKES TO PRODUCE IT WITH GREENHOUSE GASES.
AND IT SEEMS THAT THAT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE IN CONFLICT WITH OUR CLIMATE ACTION GOALS IF, IF WE DON'T RECYCLE THOSE OR EVEN USING THEM.
SO, COUPLE OF THINGS, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
UH, THE FIRST PART IS, IF BY CHANCE WHEN NEWMAN COMES BACK, UH, WITH A B SESSION IN THE SPRING, THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO TAKE THE PLASTIC SINGLE USE BAGS OUT, THEN THAT SOLVES THAT PROBLEM FOR THE PLASTIC BAGS GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE STAR SYSTEM.
UH, THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE IN THE INDUSTRY IN ITSELF, BUT, UH, ONLY IN OUR OWN STILL WOULD BE THE PART THAT WE WOULD NEED TO EVALUATE TO SEE WHAT OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT WOULD BE.
[01:45:01]
IS ANOTHER FACTOR.UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND HAVE ALREADY ENGAGED WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IS WE HAVE PERIODIC, UH, MEETINGS WITH, UH, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND DOUG'S GROUP, UH, DAVID NEWMAN AND DOUG ARE ALREADY, UH, CO-WORKING ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS, UH, ALREADY.
AND THEY'RE MAKING CERTAIN THAT ALL OF THOSE ACTION ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED UNDER SOLID WASTE THAT THEY'RE DELIVERING.
SO THERE'S ALREADY A, A COMMITMENT AND, UH, INDIVIDUAL STAFF MEMBERS FROM BOTH SIDES ALREADY WORKING ON THAT.
UH, YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD NEWMAN MENTION ABOUT THE BUSINESS, UH, COMMUNITY AND POSSIBLY DOING SOMETHING MORE THAN THE RECYCLE FOR THE BUSINESS.
SO THE GOLD AWARDS AND THOSE RECOGNITION CERTIFICATION, UH, THEY'RE DIVING EVEN MORE SO IN THAT, I THINK SOLID WASTE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST DEPARTMENTS THAT REACHED OUT TO THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, UH, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY WERE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEM.
SO YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY, YOU'LL SEE SOME SYNERGY ON THAT, AND HOPEFULLY AS DOUG COMES BACK AND PRESENTS, HE CAN SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THEY'VE WORKED ON.
UM, COUNCILMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN MENTIONED, UH, SOMETHING REGARDING, UH, LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR HANDS ARE A LITTLE BIT TIED, UH, GIVEN THE CONDITIONS AT THE LEGISLATURE.
SO I'M WONDERING IF, IF THE COMMITTEE WILLS IT, COULD WE CONSIDER, UH, A RECOMMENDATION AS PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO, TO EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS? AND I'M, I'M WILLING TO TAKE, UH, A MOTION IF ANYONE HERE WOULD LIKE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
OOH, WE'VE GOT A FIRST AND A SECOND.
I HAVE A QUESTION COUNT, UH, CHAIR, UM, SEND WHAT, UH, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS TO, TO BE INCLUDED.
I DIDN'T GET THAT CLARIFICATION.
MAY, MAY I OFFER UP SOMETHING REAL QUICK, COUNSELOR? SURE.
THE, UH, THE, THE E P A RECENTLY SENT OUT, UM, SOME, UH, JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ON, ON RECYCLING, KIND OF THE STATE OF RECYCLING AND WAYS TO INCREASE RECYCLE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, ACTUALLY, WE, WE COMMENTED ON SEVERAL THINGS, BUT, UH, MORE INCENTIVES FOR, UH, BETTER TECHNOLOGY FOR SORTING WAS ONE ANOTHER.
ONE WAS SIMPLY, UH, UH, MORE RECYCLED CONTENT, PERHAPS MANDATING HIGHER RECYCLED CONTENT AND PRODUCTS.
WE REALLY NEED IT TO BECOME FULL CIRCLE, UH, SO THAT WE GET MORE RECYCLED PRODUCTS IN THE STORE.
AND IF PEOPLE ARE BUYING THAT AND TURNING IT AROUND, UH, IT, IT WILL INCREASE THE RECYCLING.
IF YOU CAN INCREASE THE MARKET, THEN, THEN THE, THE REST WILL COME.
IF I COULD, UH, UH, RECOMMEND THAT IF WE HAVE THESE IDEAS AND THESE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT THAT I, I BELIEVE, UH, I BELIEVE NEWMAN OR DAVID, YOU'VE ALREADY, IF YOU CAN SEND THAT TO THE I G R, UH, OR OUR I G R COMMITTEE, SO WE CAN, UM, SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORTH, AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF MARK IT UP THAT WAY.
MAYBE CHAIR, IS THAT AN OPTION? UH, YEAH, I'D, I'D LOVE IT IF, UM, I THINK ULTIMATELY WE WANNA SEND IT TO I G R, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THIS COMMITTEE HAD MAYBE A SLATE TO REVIEW AND PRIORITIZE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO WASTE OR MAYBE EVEN OTHER, OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS THOSE.
SO MAYBE WE CAN AGENDIZE THAT FOR A FUTURE ITEM TO REVIEW.
WE'LL JUST PUT THAT AS A, AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA WRAP UP THAT ITEM.
OH, YES, COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
I APOLOGIZE, COUNCILMAN TREVINO HAS A HARD STOP.
BUT JUST ONE QUICK LAST QUESTION.
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND, AND, UM, RECYCLING THE ITEMS THAT ARE PICKED UP FROM THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH IS BEING PICKED UP? UM, IF IT'S RECYCLED ONCE WE ARE PICKING UP THE ENCAMPMENTS? UM, IF, IF I CAN JUST GET THAT FOLLOW UP INFORMATION, THAT'LL BE GREAT.
WE ALL HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU, DAVID, UH, APPRECIATE THE,
[01:50:01]
THE FORETHOUGHT.UH, YOU'RE COMING TO US WITH AMPLE TIME, SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA LOSE COUNCILMAN TRIVIO IN, IN A MINUTE, BUT, UH, WE'LL WRAP UP AND MOVE ON TO THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS, OH, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT, COUNCILMAN? NO.
[4 20-6280 Briefing on the Community Health & Equity Committee’s plan to review policing practices and policies as they relate to racial and gender equity and mental health de-escalation, as per the Mayor’s charge.]
UH, BRIEFING ON COMMUNITY HEALTH INEQUITIES PLAN TO REVIEW POLICING PRACTICES AND POLICIES, UM, AS RELATED TO, AND YOU GUYS CAN READ THE REST OF THE THING ON THE MEMO, SO I'M GOING TO BE, UH, SHARING A FEW IDEAS WITH YOU.SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND START IN, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTIONS.
AND IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, MAYOR NUREMBERG ISSUED A MEMO CHARGING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WITH SOME THINGS CHARGING I G R WITH SOME THINGS.
THEY ALSO CHARGED THIS COMMITTEE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE LINE THAT YOU SEE HERE, EVALUATE BEST POLICING PRACTICES TO HELP PROMOTE RACE AND GENDER EQUITY AND OUR COMMUNITY AND REVIEW HEALTH DEESCALATION MEASURES.
UH, SO WE ARE GOING TO PICK UP THAT CHARGE, AND I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A SUGGESTION FOR HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
BRIDGER WILL ALSO ADD ON TO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT FOR, FOR DISCUSSION TO NEXT SLIDE.
SO, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO EDUCATE OURSELVES BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE BRING FORWARD, UH, SOME PEOPLE WHO CAN, UH, SHARE WITH US THEIR EXPERTISE.
THEY COULD BE, UM, SCHOLARS, THEY COULD BE PRACTITIONERS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL IN EACH OF THESE TOPIC AREAS.
UM, AND THEY COULD ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE.
I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IN THE FORM OF A DIALOGUE.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, AND WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES YOU DON'T GET THE FULL, UH, THE FULL CONVERSATION WHEN YOU HAVE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
SO THIS WOULD BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, OF FORMAT.
AND THEN WHAT WE COULD DO IS AFTER RECEIVING THOSE, UH, THOSE PRESENTATIONS AND THOSE, AND THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE CITY MANAGER TO INCORPORATE INTO THE BROADER, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, IT'S THREE COMMITTEES THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THIS MEMO.
UH, THIS WOULD BE OUR, OUR PART IN IT.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.
TO, UM, CLOSE, CLOSE UP THIS CONVERSATION.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT, UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED IS THAT THE CITY STAFF, UM, ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES.
AND SO, UM, AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AS HE PUTS TOGETHER HIS FINAL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UM, WE WILL HELP FACILITATE THIS WHOLE PROCESS, UM, HELP IDENTIFY EXPERTS.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, AROUND THE MENTAL HEALTH DEESCALATION, UM, I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK IN THAT AREA, AND SO I CAN HELP BRING SOME EXPERTS TO THE TABLE.
UM, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY CAN HELP BRING SOME EXPERTS TO THE TABLE ON EQUITY ISSUES, DIVERSITY ISSUES, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, STAFF STAND READY TO HELP WITH THE LOGISTICS OF THE EVENT, THE IDENTIFICATION OF EXPERTS, UM, THE FACILITATION OF THE COMMUNITY LEVEL CONVERSATION, AND THEN THE, UM, COMPILATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMITTEE TO BE SHARED WITH THE BIGGER GROUP THAT'S WORKING ON THE BIGGER OVERALL REFORM, UH, DOCUMENT.
UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, GO TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY REACTIONS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
AND I'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
SO, UM, DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE? UM, THERE WILL BE STARTING THE PROCESS, OR DOES CITY STAFF, UH, KNOW WHICH AREA WE'LL REACH OUT TO? IS THIS GONNA BE SUBCOMMITTEES
[01:55:01]
A A FULL COMMITTEE? UM, JUST WANTED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HOW WE WOULD, UH, SHAPE THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE, UM, GOING FORWARD TO, TO GET TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, ENGAGEMENT PIECE.UH, THIS IS PRECISELY WHY WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IT.
THE, THE, WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT WE MATCH UP WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S DEADLINE.
BRIDGER CORRECT ME, BUT I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGER WAS LOOKING FOR AN APRIL, UH, WRAP UP.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, READY FOR IN ADVANCE OF THAT, PERHAPS FEBRUARY, MARCH AT THE VERY, VERY LATEST.
SO I WOULD SAY WE DON'T LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR.
WE, WE MIGHT EVEN, UH, BE ABLE TO DO THE PANELS THEN.
I, I THINK IT MIGHT BE TYPED TO FIT THEM IN, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
MY SUGGESTION WAS GOING TO BE TO HAVE THE PANELS OPEN TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, YOU CAN TALK TO ME EITHER NOW OR OFFLINE.
IF YOU THINK YOUR, YOUR AVAILABILITY WILL BE LIMITED, THEN WE CAN CONSIDER, UH, DOING A SUB COMMITTEE AS WELL.
BRIDGER, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD TO THAT? NO.
AND, AND, UM, THE LAST QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS, AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ARE WE GONNA BE RECOMMENDING FROM A CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, OR IS THIS GONNA BE ALL CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
BRIDGER AND I ARE, UM, JUST STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
BRIDGER, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? ACTUALLY, LET, LET ME, LET ME, UH, TALK FIRST.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE'RE ABLE TO SEND A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD TO, UH, TO COUNCIL AND JOINTLY WORK WITH STAFF ON WHAT, OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD.
DO WE REALLY WANT TO SEE INTEGRATED? SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE BOTH SIDES BECAUSE WE CAN HEAR FROM THE OUTSIDE FROM EXPERTS OR FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK WE WILL NEED TO SPEAK WITH STAFF DIRECTLY ABOUT WHAT'S FEASIBLE INTERNALLY.
BRIDGER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
NO, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION, AND, AND I'LL WRAP UP HERE, MADAM CHAIR, IS AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH WITH THE POLICIES AND POLICING AND, AND, AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, BRINGING IN COMMUNITY AND AND EXPERTS, ARE WE GONNA HAVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BREAK DOWN, UM, WHAT'S RECOMMENDED WITHIN OUR CHARTER, WHAT'S RECOMMENDED WITHIN OUR ORDINANCES, WHAT'S RECOMMENDED WITHIN THE POLICE MANUAL? AND THEN DO COMPARISONS AS WE GO FORWARD TO LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY? I THINK THAT'S A SUGGESTION.
UH, I, I'M HEARING IT LIKE A SUGGESTION, AND I THINK, UH, DR.
BRIDGER AND I CAN TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PANEL.
SHOULD, SHOULD THE COMMITTEE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS I HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCILWOMAN VIA, THANK YOU.
UM, GLAD TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
COULD YOU GO TO THE OTHER, UM, THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE? WHOMEVER'S IN CONTROL, RACE AND GENDER EQUITY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND REVIEW MENTAL HEALTH DEESCALATION MEASURES? OKAY.
YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE OTHER ONE.
UM, SO I THINK FIRST, UH, CHAIR IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE, IF WE COULD LOOK AT THIS ALSO IN THE SCOPE OR HAVE OUR OVERARCHING THEME TO BE OUR, UM, RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE MM-HMM.
UM, I WOULD ALWAYS LIKE TO MAYBE HAVE THAT WHATEVER SECTION IT IS OF OUR DELIVERABLES, OF OUR, OR OUR ACTION POINTS, IF WE COULD HAVE THAT THERE AND ALWAYS LOOK AT THESE THINGS TOGETHER FOR THE DEESCALATION OF THE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH OPTIONS, UH, OR IDEAS.
UM, YES, I DO BELIEVE WE, UM, IT, WELL, HIS DEADLINE WAS MID-YEAR.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT ON OUR BUDGET, THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE ACTION ITEMS READY TO GO.
KIND OF LIKE, WHAT IS OUR SAYING? SHOVEL READY? AND IF WE COULD BE SHOVEL READY ON THIS, IF THERE'S SOME DOLLARS AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE THAT AVAILABLE.
AND, UM, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YES, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH THE COMMITTEE'S CONVENING PANELS.
[02:00:01]
I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE, IF WE CAN GET THE CON I I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING THIS, UM, EQUITY, WHEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF EQUITY, UM, YES, INSIDE SAN ANTONIO EXPERTS AND THOUGHT, BUT ALSO OUTSIDE SAN ANTONIO, EXPERT IN THOUGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, EQUITY AND JUST SYSTEMIC STRONGHOLDS THAT WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN.UM, NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING AT IT AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT AS SYSTEMIC.
UM, AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHY.
AND MY OTHER TWO COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, AND NOT GONZALEZ, BUT THE OTHER TWO, WHAT WAS VERY TELLING FOR ME AT OUR TIME, AT THE PUBLIC, AT THE POLICE ACADEMY DURING THE SIMULATIONS AND THE OTHER SITUATIONS THAT WE WERE PUT INTO IS, IS JUST EVEN THE, THE TRAINING THAT GOES IN PLACE, AND ALSO HOW WE AS HUMANS ARE SO PROGRAMMED IN THINKING ONE WAY.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEESCALATION AND NOT JUST EVEN FOR OUR, YES, WE'RE POLICE, BUT HOW CAN WE EVEN INCORPORATE THIS IN ALL AREAS OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES WITH, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT DOGS? OR IF AN ANIMAL CARE OFFICER HAS TO TAKE A PET FROM AN OWNER WHO DOESN'T WANT TO THEM TO TAKE IT BECAUSE MAYBE THAT PET WAS BIT SOMEBODY OR HURT SOMEBODY.
I THINK IF THERE ARE WAYS, WE'LL START WITH POLICING.
BUT IF WE ARE LOOKING AT DEESCALATION MEASURES THROUGHOUT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY, MY THOUGHTS ON THIS.
AND I GUESS FOR, OF COURSE, PRACTITIONERS, EXPERTS, UM, EVEN OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHEN THEY GO OUT, HOW ARE THEY PART OF A DEESCALATION SCENARIO, UM, TO HAVE THIS TRAINING HERE? SO I THINK THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO BE DOING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UH, THANK YOU.
AND SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, THESE ARE, UM, WOULD THESE BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR REGULAR MEETINGS OR ARE THESE IN ADDITION TO, OR, UM, AFTER HOURS OR WHAT, UM, HAS THAT BEEN DETERMINED? WE HAVE NOT DECIDED.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT'S OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF OUR REGULAR MEETING, UH, BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO YOUR PREFERENCES.
UM, IF WE DO WANNA MAKE THIS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, HELPFUL TO HAVE IT IN THE EVENING, UH, HOURS POSSIBLY.
BUT DEFINITELY OPEN TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN.
SO THAT WAS JUST SORT OF MY THOUGHT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE,
UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY WANT, UH, MY SENSE IS THAT THIS IS SLIGHTLY SEPARATE WORK.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE DOING SOME PLANNING, UM, UH, THE PLANNING THAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE, UH, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANT IT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE COMMITTEE WORK OR NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM, BUT THAT WE COULD, THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO JAM IT INTO ONE MEETING OKAY.
IS, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PERHAPS IT'S DONE ALMOST INDEPENDENTLY OF COMMITTEE WORK.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MANY WAYS I FEEL LIKE SORT OF INDEPENDENT OF STAFF.
SO, UM, AND THE REASON I, I THINK I SAY THAT IS THAT, UM, IT, IT, IT IS LIKE QUITE A, QUITE A WORKLOAD.
UM, AND IF WE REALLY, UM, ARE, UH, TRYING TO, UM, PERHAPS APPROACH IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF IT WERE NOT SO STAFF DRIVEN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I EVEN SEE HERE, COMMITTEE AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS, WELL, WHO'S REALLY GONNA DO THAT? IT ENDS UP HAVING TO BE THE STAFF BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO COMPILE THE INFORMATION AND COMPILE THE DATA UNLESS WE DO IT INTERNALLY, WHICH, UH, CAN ALSO BE, UH, QUITE A LOT OF WORK.
SO, UM, I SAY THAT, UH, ONLY, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK ANYWAY AND, AND SO, UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WE JUST DON'T SORT OF GET OVERWHELMED OR BOGGED DOWN WITH, UM, THE DAY-TO-DAY.
'CAUSE THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND IF IT NEEDS TO BE MORE OF A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, UM,
[02:05:01]
YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IT, IT, IT DOES GET DONE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.UM, BUT I, I DO FIND THAT, UM, THIS FORMAT, UH, WORKS PRETTY WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WELL, I'M SURE THAT YOU'LL HAVE A WAY TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, BUT WE ARE FINDING, I THINK MORE AND MORE THAT PEOPLE REALLY LIKE THIS FORMAT.
IT DOES ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE ARE GETTING USED TO IT.
UH, AND SO, UM, I KNOW LIKE, AGAIN, WE SAY ALL THE TIME, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE FACE-TO-FACE, UM, UM, UH, COMMUNICATION.
BUT, UM, JUST GIVEN, UH, I, I, I THINK THE POTENTIAL, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN EXPERTS, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT FROM SAN ANTONIO, THEN IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO USE THIS FORMAT.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE COMMENTS I HAVE.
SO, UH, LET ME JUST MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU, UH, CORRECTLY.
YOU, YOU WOULD ADVOCATE FOR HAVING THE MEETINGS, UH, SEPARATE FROM OUR REGULAR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, AT, AT ANOTHER TIME, AND MM-HMM.
UH, BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY YOUR COMMENT REGARDING, UH, STAFF DOING THE WORK OR COUNCIL DOING THE WORK.
WOULD YOU MIND RE REITERATING YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON THAT? WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU SEE, YOU HAVE HERE, COMMITTEE HOSTS A COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ON IDEAS THAT COME OUT OF THE PANEL AND THEN COMMITTEE AUTHORS RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT ISN'T THAT REALLY STAFF DOING THE RECOMMENDATIONS,
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THE COMMITTEE'S ACTUALLY LIKE WE DO IT INTERNALLY, UH, IF THAT CAN BE DONE TOO, I, I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN MY STAFF'S ABILITY TO DO THAT WORK.
UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UM, AND THEN WE CAN, UH, UM, MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, BUT IF THE STAFF, IF THE STAFF IS GONNA DO IT, THEN IT JUST ENDS UP LOOKING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR WAY, RIGHT? I MEAN, OF DOING THINGS AND, AND NOT, NOT GOOD OR BAD, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY.
LIKE, YOU HAVE A PROCESS THAT YOU USE TO GET WORK DONE.
UM, IT, IT'S NOT A NEGATIVE COMMENT, IT'S JUST THE REALITY.
SO HOWEVER YOU WANT TO, AND THEN COMMITTEE PRESENTS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY MANAGER TO INCORPORATE INTO HIS INPUT PROCESS.
SO, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST DIRECTION OF WORK.
I'D SAY, I'D SAY THAT I'M HEARING CONSENSUS ON ITEMS ON BULLETS ONE AND TWO IN THIS LITTLE CHAIN.
AND THEN I THINK AS WE GET CLOSER, UH, TO HAVING RECOMMENDATIONS, WE CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW, HOW TO, HOW TO DO THAT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO TEASE MY, MY STAFF BECAUSE THEY WROTE THIS, THIS LINE.
SO I'M GONNA SAY YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR WRITING ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY JUST GAVE THEMSELVES A BUNCH OF WORK, BUT
I THINK THE NEXT STEPS ARE, UH, WE'LL TAKE THIS FEEDBACK AND BEGIN, UH, LAYING OUT OR STAFF WILL HELP US LAY OUT, UH, THE SPEAKERS AND THE TIMELINE.
WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO YOUR OFFICES FOR AVAILABILITY, SO FOR, FOR WHAT WORKS.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE FEEDBACK.
I DO HAVE A COMMENT HERE FROM COUNCILMAN TREVINO WHO HAD TO, UH, LEAVE US FOR, FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND HE ASKS, WHAT CAN WE AS POLICYMAKERS DO ON THE FRONT END OF THIS EFFORT TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK IS EXPLICITLY STATED IN THE FINAL POLICY? AND HOW DO WE ENSURE VOICES OF THE MARGINALIZED DO NOT GET DROWNED OUT BY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS? SO I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT POINTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S ASKING ME OR IF HE'S ASKING DR.
BRIDGER, BUT I WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A STAB AT THIS.
I WOULD SAY THAT AS WE DESIGN THE COMMUNITY DIALOGUES, WHAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE EXPLAIN TO THE STAKEHOLDERS WHAT SORT OF FEEDBACK WE'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW WE PLAN TO INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO DO, IS IF WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO PROCESS SOME OF THAT, UH, FEEDBACK.
AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO TELL THE PUBLIC OR WHOEVER PARTICIPATED HOW THE POLICY IS, IS DIFFERENT OR MODIFIED
[02:10:01]
AS A RESULT OF WHAT THEY TOLD US, SO IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEIR INPUT GOES INTO A BLACK BOX.THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION, UH, ON THAT PART.
AND I'LL, UM, IN TERMS OF THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, I THINK, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A SPECIAL EFFORT TO, TO REACH OUT TO, UH, TO TARGETED PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HEAR FROM THEM, UH, WHETHER AT THIS DIALOGUE OR IN ANOTHER FORMAT.
AND I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
BRIDGER IF SHE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THAT OR, OR TO ANYONE ON THE COMMITTEE AFTER DR.
YEAH, THE ONLY THOUGHT I HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT, UM, THE LOUDEST VOICE ISN'T THE ONE THAT WE HEAR.
UM, BECAUSE OFTEN THAT'S A SMALL MINORITY OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
SO WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGING PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE QUIETER VOICES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICES WEIGH EQUALLY AMONG THOSE WHO ARE LOUD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER JUST IS, THIS IS SHIRLEY.
JUST TO BUILD ON THAT, IT'S ALSO WHY I THINK THIS FORMAT WORKS PRETTY WELL, UH, BECAUSE YOU, IF YOU'VE NOTICED SINCE WE'VE GONE TO THESE FORMATS, YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE GRANDSTANDING, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS, UH, APPEALING, UM, TO GRANDSTAND IN THIS FORMAT AS IT IS IF YOU'RE IN PERSON AND THEN YOU STEAL THE SHOW.
AND THEN, SO, UH, THAT'S WHY, UM, IT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I THINK THIS FORMAT WORKS WELL.
UM, PEOPLE CAN, UH, UH, PUT INTO THE CHAT THE QUIETER VOICES AND THEY'LL STILL GET THEIR QUESTION ASKED.
SO, UM, OR, OR, UH, IN SOME OTHER WAY.
UM, WELL, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR, FOR YOUR INPUT.
UH, WE'LL GET TO, TO WORK ON THIS MUCH APPRECIATED.
AND IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, I THINK WE CAN ADJOURN.