* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:01:14] GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF AUGUST THE EIGHTH, 2018. COUNCIL MEMBER TNO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SALDANA IS ON HIS WAY. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL IS ON HER WAY. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION A. UH, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, UH, [1. Briefing on the Strategic Planning Process for the San Antonio Symphony [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Debbie Racca-Sittre, Director, Arts and Culture]] STARTING WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. SO I'LL TOSS IT TO OUR CITY MANAGER, CHERYL SCULLY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TO THE VIEWING AUDIENCE, OUR PUBLIC. YES. THE FIRST ITEM ON THIS AFTERNOON'S AGENDA IS AN UPDATE WITH REGARD TO THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. THIS IS A BRIEFING. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY COUNCIL ACTION TODAY, BUT IT'S A POSITIVE MEANING AND CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE SYMPHONY NEEDS. AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO HAS BEEN CLOSE TO THIS ISSUE AS WELL AND HAS ATTENDED A NUMBER OF THE MEETINGS, AND SOME OF THE OTHERS OF YOU HAVE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROCESS. YOU'LL RECALL BACK IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CREATED THIS SYMPHONY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, HOW WE CAN CREATE A PLAN THAT WILL BE SUSTAINABLE FOR THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY, A FINANCIAL PLAN. AND THAT WAS CHAIRED THAT GROUP BY DENNY WARE AND OF COURSE, DID INCLUDE COUNCILMAN TREVINO WHO WORKED WITH THE TASK FORCE AND, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER PAUL ELIZONDO. UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE INCLUDED, UH, ELIZABETH FARO FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SUHAIL LATO, UH, FROM THE CITY, NISA DUNN FROM THE CITY, MIKE DE LA GARZA FROM BEXAR COUNTY, LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON, UH, FROM BEXAR COUNTY, AND DR. ALICE OLOFF FROM A BEAR FROM BEXAR COUNTY APPOINTED BY BEXAR COUNTY. SO THE CHARGE, UH, TO THE TASK FORCE WAS TO DEVELOP A SYMPHONY ORCA ORCHESTRA STRATEGY THAT THE CITY AND BEXAR COUNTY PROVIDE A ROADMAP FOR BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO PROVIDING SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC IN SAN ANTONIO. AND MAYOR, I KNOW THAT WHAT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS A LONG-TERM STRATEGY THAT IS NOT HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF TODAY'S FINANCIAL CHALLENGE, BUT RATHER, WHAT CAN WE PUT IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP OUR SYMPHONY, UH, BE A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE? SO TO ASSIST, UH, IN THIS EFFORT, THE CITY AND COUNTY CONTRACTED WITH MICHAEL KAISER OF THE DEVOSS INSTITUTE OF ARTS MANAGEMENT. MICHAEL'S HERE THIS AFTERNOON, AND HE'S GOING TO BE MAKING A PRESENTATION IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. MICHAEL IS AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR WHO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS FROM 2001 TO 2014 IN WASHINGTON DC AND HE'S EARNED INTERNATIONAL RENOWNED FOR HIS EXPERTISE IN ARTS MANAGEMENT, AND WE'RE VERY HONORED TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF THE TEAM HELPING US DEVELOP THIS STRATEGY. SO TO DO THAT, MICHAEL CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M SURE HE SPOKE WITH SOME OF YOU. UH, I KNOW HE'S TALKED WITH OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS, ARTS PATRONS, THOSE WHO [00:05:01] HAVE DONATED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE SYMPHONY AS WELL AS SYMPHONY BOARD MEMBERS, THE MUSICIANS AND STAFF AS WELL. AND THE TASK FORCE COMPLETED THEIR WORK IN JUNE. AND SINCE EARLY JULY, MICHAEL KAISER HAS BEEN SERVING AS THE INTERIM C E O OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY AND WILL ASSIST THE SYMPHONY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TASK FORCE'S RECOMMENDATIONS. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY APPLIED FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE ARTS FUNDING PROCESS. THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 PROPOSED BUDGET DOES INCLUDE $460,000. UH, THE DISBURSEMENT OF ANY FUNDING, OF COURSE, AS CONTINGENT UPON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SEVERAL MILESTONES. AND THERE WILL BE A PERFORMANCE CONTRACT THAT WOULD BE, UH, PROPOSED, DEVELOPED BY STAFF WITH MICHAEL KAISER AND THE SYMPHONY BOARD, UH, BEFORE THAT FUNDING, UH, WOULD BE CONSUMMATED. OF COURSE, THAT IS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND SO IT WILL BE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS. NOW, MICHAEL KAISER IS HERE THIS AFTERNOON ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE. MIKE MICHAEL IS GOING TO BRIEF YOU ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE, THE WORK THAT HE HAS DONE TO DATE IN HIS SHORT TENURE AS THE INTERIM C E O. UH, BUT HE IS VERY QUALIFIED AND HAS DONE GREAT WORK, AND WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO HELP US WITH THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK LORI HOUSTON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND DEBBIE ROKA, OUR ARTS DIRECTOR FOR THEIR WORK, UH, WITH THE TASK FORCE AS WELL IN SUPPORT OF PUTTING TOGETHER, UH, THIS STRATEGY. SO WITH THAT, LET ME INTRODUCE MICHAEL KAISER TO THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET HIM, HE'S GOING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION AND THEN IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH THE TASK FORCE AND THE STAFF THAT HAVE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER. MICHAEL, WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. IT'S A GREAT PLEASURE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE, BUT ALSO THE WORK OF THE SYMPHONY BOARD AND STAFF OVER THESE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. UM, THIS TASK FORCE DID AN AWFUL LOT OF RESEARCH INTO THE ARTS. WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SYMPHONY WORLD? WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ARTS IN SAN ANTONIO? I'M GONNA PRESENT VERY, VERY MODEST AMOUNT OF DATA TODAY. UM, BUT, BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF WHAT WE LOOKED AT. WE STARTED, OF COURSE, AT LOOKING AT THIS GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IT'S A GROWING CITY. IT'S A LARGE CITY, AND IT'S A CITY THAT WANTS AND NEEDS AND DESERVES A VERY STRONG ARTS ECOLOGY. YOU HAVE A GREAT RANGE OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS CITY. THIS CHART SHOWS YOUR MAJOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. THE BARS ARE THE BUDGET SIZES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, AND YOU SEE YOUR, YOUR ARTS WORLD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS LED BY A GROUP OF LARGER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. THE GREEN BAR REPRESENTS THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY, WHICH IS THE LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS PRODUCING ORGANIZATION. AND I'D LIKE TO DIFFERENTIATE A PRESENTING ORGANIZATION LIKE THE TOBIN CENTER, ONE THAT BRINGS ARTISTS IN, SHOWS GREAT WORK, AND THE ARTISTS THEN LEAVE FROM A PRODUCING ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS ONE THAT MAKES ART. THEY LIVE IN THE CITY, THEY ARE PART OF THE CITY, AND THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY IS THE LARGEST PRODUCING, PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATION IN THIS CITY. WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW LARGE OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES. AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS CHART ARE A SERIES OF SIX COMPARATOR SMS, A, UM, SMS A THAT FEEL SIMILAR IN SOME RESPECTS TO THE SAN ANTONIO, UM, S M SS A. AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT THE LARGEST ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN EACH OF THE MAJOR ARTS CATEGORIES. AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE THE LARGEST ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, LARGEST MUSEUMS, LARGEST SYMPHONIES, LARGEST THEATER COMPANIES. AND YOU SEE IT FOR THESE VARIOUS, UM, CITIES. AND WE DID THIS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE A SENSE OF HOW LARGE OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE AND HOW WELL THEY'RE PERFORMING. AND I THINK IT DOES BEAR MENTIONING THAT THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OF SAN ANTONIO TODAY ARE ON THE MODEST SIZE COMPARED TO OTHERS IN MAJOR CITIES. WE ARE A GREAT GROWING CITY, BUT WE HAVEN'T YET BUILT THE ARTS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAYBE WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE YEARS AHEAD. I THINK THE MAJOR REASON FOR THAT IS WE HAVEN'T BUILT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT GIVE $500 A YEAR OR A HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE THE BREADTH OF ARTS DON DONATIONS IN THIS CITY THAT WE MIGHT SEE IN SOME OTHER CITIES. WE'RE VERY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER CITY IN THIS CHART, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY OF ORLANDO, UM, WHICH ALSO HAS A RELATIVELY MODEST IZED ARTS ECOLOGY. AND, UM, AGAIN, SIMILAR PROBLEMS. DONE A LOT OF WORK IN ORLANDO. SIMILAR ISSUE. WE HAVE SOME MAJOR FUNDERS. WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS CITY AND A VERY GENEROUS COUNTY. [00:10:01] SOME LARGE FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATE DONORS, A FEW MAJOR INDIVIDUALS, BUT NOT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ULTIMATELY SEE IN, IN A CITY AS IT GROWS. AND SO, ONE OF THE CHARGES TO US AS WE THINK ABOUT BUILDING THE HEALTH OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONIES, HOW DO WE BUILD THAT CADRE OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS? HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO GIVE A $500 A YEAR GIFT OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR GIFT? SO WE'RE LESS RELIANT ON CITY AND COUNTY FUNDING AND LESS RELIANT ON THOSE FEW MAJOR FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS WHO ARE SO GENEROUS TO THE ARTS. WE DUG DEEPLY INTO THE SYMPHONY WORLD, AND WE WANTED TO SHOW THESE NEXT TWO PAGES TO YOU BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT THE LARGEST SYMPHONIES IN AMERICA. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED OF THE TASK FORCE WAS, CAN WE AFFORD 72 MUSICIANS? CAN WE AFFORD 30 WEEKS OF, OF EMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE MUSICIANS? AND I WANTED TO SHOW THESE NEXT TWO PAGES BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE LARGEST SYMPHONIES IN AMERICA. AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT WE'RE ON THE SECOND PAGE. THEY'RE ABOUT 34 CITIES THAT HAVE LARGER SYMPHONIES THAN WE DO, THAT HAVE AT LEAST AS MUCH WEEKS, MANY WEEKS OF WORK THAT HAVE AT LEAST AS MANY MUSICIANS, MOSTLY HAVE FAR HIGHER MINIMUM SALARIES. OUR MUSICIANS ARE HIGHLY TRAINED IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THEIR SALARY IS IS SET AT $31,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS VERY, VERY MODEST FOR THIS COMING SEASON. UM, BUT THERE ARE MANY CITIES, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NEW YORKS AND THE CHICAGOS AND THE LOS ANGELES. I'M THINKING OF CITIES LIKE ROCHESTER OR BUFFALO OR OTHER CITIES THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN SAN ANTONIO, BUT DO MAINTAIN SYMPHONIES OF A, OF A REASONABLE SIZE. THAT MADE ME THINK AS I STARTED TO LOOK AT THE DATA OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY, WHETHER WE WOULD LIKE TO ASPIRE TO KEEP OUR 30 WEEKS OF WORK AND OUR 30 MUSICIANS AND OUR 72 MUSICIANS, EVERY ORCHESTRA IN THE COUNTRY IS, IS FACING MAJOR CHALLENGES. AND WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT THOSE CHALLENGES, AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE AS WE COME UP WITH A APPROPRIATE STRATEGY FOR THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. WE HAVE, AS MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW, A VAST REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF ARTS EDUCATION IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS HAS DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT THE ARTS, WHO'VE EXPERIENCED THE ARTS, AND WHO WANT TO CONSUME THE ARTS. WE'VE JUST GENERATED FROM COLLEGE, OUR FIRST GENERATION OF, OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO KNOW VERY, VERY LITTLE ABOUT MUSIC, POETRY, DANCE, OPERA, BALLET, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAD ALMOST NO ARTS IN THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION. WE ALSO ARE SEEING AN AGING OF THE TRADITIONAL DONOR BASE. UM, IN MOST CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO, THERE WERE A GROUP OF MAJOR FUNDERS, UM, 10 20 FAMILIES WHO PROVIDED THE VAST MAJORITY OF FUNDING TO THE ARTS. THAT GROUP IS AGING. UM, AS THEY TURN THEIR PHILANTHROPIC DECISIONS IN THE FAMILY OVER TO THEIR CHILDREN, IN MANY CASES, THEY'RE NOT GIVING TO THE ARTS IN THE WAY THEIR PARENTS DID. THAT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. AND WE ALSO SEE, OBVIOUSLY, A GREAT RISE IN NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTE FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION, ELECTRONIC FORMS FROM PLAYING ANGRY BIRDS TO WATCHING YOUTUBE TO BINGE WATCHING GAME OF THRONES. THERE'S SO MANY WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ENTERTAINED. WE'RE NOW BEING TRAINED TO DEMAND ENTERTAINMENT WHERE WE WANT IT, WHEN WE WANT IT. WE CAN BE IN AN AIRPORT, WE CAN BE IN OUR LIVING ROOM. IT CAN BE THREE IN THE MORNING. IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE DON'T WANNA NECESSARILY SHOW UP IN A THEATER AT SEVEN 30 TO SEE A CONCERT. SO THESE ARE CHALLENGES AT ALL ORCHESTRAS. IN FACT, ALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE FACING THE SYMPHONY WORLD IS FACING SPECIFIC CHALLENGES OF THEIR OWN. THE RECORDING INDUSTRY IS, IS BASICALLY DEAD. AND THE RECORDING INDUSTRY MADE STARS OUT OF CONDUCTORS, OUT OF STAR SOLOISTS THAT WE COULD THEN HIRE AND WE'D HAVE A BUILT-IN KNOWLEDGE BASE IN THE, IN OUR AUDIENCE. NOW, THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST ANYMORE. SO WE HAVE TO CREATE OUR OWN STARS. WE HAVE TO DO A LOT MORE MARKETING THAN WE EVER HAD TO DO IN THE PAST. THERE'S REDUCED DEMAND FOR CONCERTS. SO WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER IN OUR MARKETING. WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR PERFORMANCES MORE INTERESTING, FRANKLY. AND THERE'S A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AMOUNT OF FUNDRAISING NEEDED. TWO YEARS AGO WAS THE FIRST YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE ORCHESTRAS IN TOTAL HAD TO RAISE MORE MONEY THAN THEY EARNED AT THE BOX OFFICE. SO NOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING TO RAISE MORE THAN WE'RE EARNING. AND SO THIS ALL MEANS THAT THERE'S A REAL NEED FOR INNOVATION. WHAT KIND OF CONCERTS ARE WE GONNA OFFER? WHAT ARE THE FORMATS WE'RE GONNA OFFER? HOW DO WE USE NET NEW TECHNOLOGY? HOW DO WE EMBRACE IT RATHER THAN FIGHT IT? AND WHAT WILL AN ORCHESTRA DO TO SURVIVE IN THE FUTURE? TO ADDRESS ALL OF THESE CONCERNS, WE STUDIED SEVERAL MODELS OF WHAT MIGHT WE LOOK FOR FOR THIS SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY? AND WE ULTIMATELY REJECTED ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT FOR THE LAST WE LOOKED AT WOULD A SMALLER SYMPHONY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? AND WHAT'S BEEN TRUE OF CITIES THAT HAVE REDUCED THE SIZE OF THEIR SYMPHONY SUBSTANTIALLY [00:15:01] IS YOU HAVE A CONCOMITANT REDUCTION IN CONTRIBUTIONS AND IN TICKET SALES. IT'S NOT A, YOU DON'T SAVE YOUR WAY TO HEALTH IN THE ARTS WORLD. UM, IT'S BEEN TRIED, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK. UM, WE LOOKED AT CREATING A CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OUT OF A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA THAT WOULD BE AN ORCHESTRA OF 25 OR 30 MU MUSICIANS. AND AGAIN, WHERE THERE, WHILE THERE ARE SO MANY, MANY WONDERFUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRAS IN THIS COUNTRY, THEY'RE NOT PERFORMING WELL FINANCIALLY. UM, I, I POINT OUT THE MAJOR ONE, WHICH IS THE ST. PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. A GREAT CHAMBER ORCHESTRA HAD A DEFICIT LAST YEAR OF ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. UM, WE STUDIED WHETHER WE SHOULD MERGE THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY. DO YOU MERGE TOGETHER THE BALLET AND THE OPERA AND THE SYMPHONY? IS THAT A PATH TO HEALTH? AND THE TRUTH IS, WHEN YOU MERGE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, YOU SAVE EXTRAORDINARILY SMALL AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON A FEW STAFF POSITIONS, BUT YOU INTRODUCE A RANGE OF COMPLICATIONS. AND RIGHT NOW, EACH OF US, OF THESE THREE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS ARE FACING THEIR CHALLENGES AND MERGING THREE CHALLENGED ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER DOES NOT NECESSARILY YIELD ONE HEALTHY ONE. I MEAN, THEN WE LOOKED AT THE MODEL THAT MIAMI HAS ADOPTED. MIAMI HAS NO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. WHAT THEY DECIDED TO DO MANY YEARS AGO WAS TO IMPORT THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA SEVERAL WEEKS A YEAR, AND TO SEE IF HAVING AN OUTSIDE ORCHESTRA COMING A FEW WEEKS A YEAR COULD, COULD SATISFY THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WHAT'S HAPPENED IS BECAUSE THE ORCHESTRA ISN'T OF THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THERE YEAR ROUND, UM, THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA WENT FROM THREE WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION TO TWO WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION TO NOW IT'S ONE WEEK OF PARTICIPATION. AND IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE THEM AT ALL TWO YEARS FROM NOW IN MIAMI. SO WHAT IS TRUE IS THAT YOUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS REALLY WANNA BE OF A CITY. THEY WANT TO WORK WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES. THEY WANT TO BE SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY WANT TO SERVICE THE COMMUNITY. YOU CAN'T JUST SHOW UP FOR A FEW CONCERTS A YEAR AND BE SUCCESSFUL. SO THE MODEL, THE TASK FORCE REALLY LOOKED LIKE WAS HOW DO WE CREATE A HEALTHIER SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY? TO DO THAT, WE HAD A FIRST LOOK AT OUR STRENGTHS AND OUR WEAKNESSES, STRENGTHS. WE HAVE GREAT MUSICIANS. UM, THE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE IS EXTREMELY HIGH, EVEN THOUGH THE MUSICIANS ARE BEING PAID SUCH A MODEST AMOUNT. WE HAVE BIG IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING THAT. UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY'S EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM IS THE TALK OF THE SYMPHONY WORLD BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF THE WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENING. AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES IN A FEW MOMENTS. UM, OUR AUDIENCE IS EXTREMELY LOYAL. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL NEW VENUE IN THE TOBIN CENTER. WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY DEDICATED NEW BOARD AND A WONDERFUL BOARD CHAIR, KATHLEEN VEIL, WHO'S HERE TODAY, UM, WHO HAS DONE ASTONISHING WORK. I I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY THIS LAST IN THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WILL END, END IN THREE WEEKS, ACTUALLY EARNED A $200,000 SURPLUS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY, THEY ARE BEING ADDRESSED BY A VERY, VERY STRONG AND WONDERFUL BOARD. UM, THERE'S INCREDIBLE CIVIC SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD A SURPLUS THIS LAST YEAR, AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING REAL FUNDRAISING SUCCESS. WE ARE, WE ARE INTRODUCING MANY, MANY NEW DONORS, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING A HEALTHY INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES. WE HAVE WEAKNESSES. MANY IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE LOST TRUST IN THIS ORCHESTRA, AND WE HAVE TO REBUILD THAT. IT'S ON US. WE HAVE A REPUTATION AS A FAILING INSTITUTION. WE HAVE TO MARKET OUR RECENT SUCCESSES. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CASH SITTING AROUND, ALTHOUGH FOR THE FIRST YEAR IN MANY, WE DO ENTER THE NEW FISCAL YEAR WITH A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT. SO THAT MEANS WE'RE NOT RUNNING AROUND BEGGING FOR CASH WITH A KIND OF DESPERATION THAT HAS CHARACTERIZED SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF RECENT YEARS. WE HAVE TOO MUCH STAFF TURNOVER. OUR STAFF IS EXTREMELY SMALL FOR AN ORCHESTRA OF OUR SIZE AND CALIBER, AND OUR STAFF WORKS EXTREMELY HARD. BUT WHAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HOLD ON TO OUR STAFF, AND WE PARTICULARLY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HOLD ON TO AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I TRULY AM THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND ONE OF MY BIG JOBS IS TO WORK WITH KATHLEEN AND THE BOARD TO IDENTIFY MY REPLACEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU HAVE A PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ENDOWMENT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE $2 MILLION OR SO OF FUNDS THAT ARE HELD, UM, IN VARIOUS FOUNDATIONS IN THE CITY, IN DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS THAT FUNCTION LIKE AN ENDOWMENT. UM, WE GET THE INCOME FROM THOSE FUNDS EACH YEAR. UM, OUR BOARD NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED, UM, AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. KATHLEEN HAS SUCCESSFULLY ADDED FIVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS IN THE LAST MONTH. UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT ACTIVITY HAPPENING HERE. I'M NOT GONNA CHALLENGE YOUR EYESIGHT, UM, WITH THIS VISION STATEMENT. UM, OR I PROBABLY, I AM CHALLENGING IT. BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH A VISION FOR THE SYMPHONY, AND IT'S REALLY QUITE SIMPLE TO [00:20:01] DESCRIBE. NUMBER ONE, WE'RE GOING TO EMBRACE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT A SYMPHONY THAT IS AN ELITIST ARTS ORGANIZATION. WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH EVERY COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY. AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES IN A MOMENT OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. WE'RE GOING TO CREATE SOME MORE DYNAMIC AND EXCITING PROGRAMMING. UM, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT COMING UP AS WELL. WE'RE GONNA USE THIS EXCITING PROGRAMMING AND DYNAMIC EMBRACE OF THE COMMUNITY TO BUILD A MUCH STRONGER FUNDRAISING BASE FOR THE ORGANIZATION, A MUCH STRONGER BOARD. AND IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL AT DOING THAT, WE WILL START TO SEE THE REVENUE WE NEED TO SURVIVE AND TO THRIVE. THE CHALLENGE OF THE SYMPHONY HAS NOT BEEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT'S BEEN A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. I'M ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED IN A CITY OF THIS SIZE AND CALIBER AND GROWTH THAT WE CAN RAISE THAT EXTRA MONEY. BUT IT'S ON US TO DO THE KIND OF PROGRAMMING THAT EXCITES PEOPLE AND TO DO THE KIND OF MARKETING THAT ENGAGES PEOPLE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S I'M GONNA PRESENT. WHAT DO WE NEED TO CHANGE? WE NEED TO CHANGE A LOT. WE NEED PERMANENT STAFF LEADERSHIP. WE NEED STRONGER GOVERNANCE ON OUR BOARD. WE NEED MUCH MORE DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING. I'LL GIVE YOU EXAMPLES IN A MOMENT. WE NEED REAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND, AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. MY TEAM AND I RIGHT NOW HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO CREATE A MUCH STRONGER FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND A REAL BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR THAT IS BASED ON TRUE FACTS AND, AND NOT ON WISHES. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON. UM, WE NEED TO BUILD OUR FAMILY OF DONORS. WE DO NEED TO EMBRACE THIS WHOLE DIVERSE COMMUNITY. WE, WE STUDY THIS COMMUNITY QUITE EXTENSIVELY IN OUR WORK AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE AS GOOD A JOB AS WE NEED TO TO EMBRACE EVERYONE. AND WE ALSO NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE OTHER GREAT EDUCATIONAL AND ARTISTIC ENTERPRISES IN THIS CITY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE COMING SEASON, WE'RE DOING A PERFORMANCE WITH THE GUADALUPE DANCE COMPANY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE OF AND WE WILL BE DOING MORE OF IN THE YEARS AHEAD. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IDEAS? WELL, ON THE ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING SIDE, WE WANNA REALLY, AS I SAID, COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PERFORMANCE THAT WORKS WHERE WE WORK WITH THE SYMPHONY AND THE BALLET, UM, TOGETHER TO CREATE ONE MAJOR PERFORMANCE THAT EXCITES PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE WOULD LIKE TO DO A LOT OF WORK THAT SPEAKS TO THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULD LOVE TO BRING ONE OF THE MAJOR MEXICAN ORCHESTRAS HERE AND DO WHAT'S CALLED A SIDE BY SIDE WHERE EACH MUSIC STAND HAS ONE MEMBER OF OUR ORCHESTRA, ONE MEMBER OF THEIR ORCHESTRA, AND YOU PLAY TOGETHER. AND THEN WE WANT TO TAKE THIS WHOLE PROGRAM AND MOVE IT TO MEXICO AS WELL. BUT WE'D, WE'D LIKE TO REALLY SHOWCASE OUR STRONG TIES TO THE MEXICAN COMMUNITY. I'M HOPING TO BRING PSY TO DOMINGO HERE TO CONDUCT A ZARZUELA CONCERT. HE HAS HIS BACKGROUND, HIS HISTORY AS A, AND HIS PARENTS WERE ALL GREAT ZARZUELA SINGERS IN MEXICO CITY. THAT'S WHERE HE STARTED. HE LOVES THE ART FORM. I THINK IT WOULD BE A FANTASTIC THING FOR US TO DO HERE. I WOULD LOVE TO, TO BRING TOGETHER AND DO A BIANNUAL FESTIVAL OF TEXAS ORCHESTRAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BRING SOME OF THE GREAT PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRAS AND SOME OF THE GREAT COLLEGE ORCHESTRAS AND COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS TO TOWN TO PLAY, TO PLAY TOGETHER, TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES AND TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO CON TO TO USE YOUR ROLE AS A CONVENER, WHICH YOU DO SO WELL, AND TO REALLY DO THAT, TO BRING TOGETHER TEXAS ORCHESTRAS. YOU SHOULD KNOW THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY IS THE OLDEST PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA IN THE STATE. SO WE HAVE A CLAIM ON THE ROLE AS CONVENER. I WANNA DO, I WANNA USE TWEETING. UM, I'VE TRIED THIS ELSEWHERE WHERE YOU HAVE A CONDUCTOR PRERECORD TWEETS, UM, THAT RELATE TO THE MUSIC THAT'S BEING PLAYED. AND THEN AS THE PERFORMANCE GOES THROUGH, THOSE TWEETS ARE RELEASED. SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO, WHO MAY BE A LITTLE UNFAMILIAR WITH SYMPHONY AND WANT TO LEARN CAN SIT THERE AND ACTUALLY READ THE CONDUCTOR'S, UH, COMMENTS AS YOU GO THROUGH WHAT TO LISTEN FOR, WHY THIS, THERE'S SOME HUMOR IN THE MUSIC HERE, HOW THIS MOVEMENT RELATES TO THE MOVEMENT BEFORE. BUT IT STARTS TO BRING PEOPLE IN WHO MIGHT BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE TWEETING THAN ACTUALLY GOING TO A SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE. WE WOULD NEXT YEAR. WE'RE PLANNING TO DO A BIG MUSICAL IN CONCERT. WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO JUST START. WE ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY, WE DID DO THAT MANY YEARS AGO. WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN A WHILE. WE ARE GOING TO, AGAIN, DO MUSICALS IN CONCERT TO ADDRESS ANOTHER PART OF THE AUDIENCE. SO WE'RE GONNA BRING SOME REAL DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING INTO THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. AS I SAID, THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY ALREADY IS THE PRIDE OF THE ORCHESTRA WORLD IN THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IT DOES, BUT MANY OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW IT BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN MARKETED WELL ENOUGH. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO A WONDERFUL PROGRAM CALLED QUILL. WE STARTED THIS LAST YEAR WHERE WE TEACH LITERACY AND WHERE STUDENTS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE LEARNING TO READ, ARE LEARNING TO SPEAK. UM, IT'S ACTUALLY BASED ON A, ON A YOUNG PEOPLE'S VERSION OF SHAKESPEARE'S MIDSUMMER NIGHT STREAM WHERE THEY LISTEN TO THE MUSIC AND THEY ACTUALLY LEARN TO READ. AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE A SPANISH LANGUAGE, UM, VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM AS WELL. SO WE'LL BE DOING IT [00:25:01] IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE'RE DOING A COLLABORATION WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. THIS YEAR. WE ARE GONNA PERFORM FREE CONCERTS IN EVERY PUBLIC LIBRARY IN SAN ANTONIO. SO EVERYONE IN SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO OUR WONDERFUL MUSICIANS. YOU MAY KNOW THAT WE GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS. WHAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW IS EVERY YEAR 40,000 STUDENTS FROM YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS COME TO HEAR FREE PERFORMANCES OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. IT'S THE LARGEST OUTREACH ACTIVITY IN THE ARTS IN THIS CITY. 40,000 YOUNG PEOPLE. UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING FREE CONCERTS, UM, ON VETERANS DAY AND MEMORIAL DAY, AND CELEBRATE OUR ROLE AS MILITARY CITY. UM, THOSE WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYBODY. IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA DO 10 FREE PERFORMANCES ACROSS THE CITY IN THE COMING SEASON. UM, SO WE ARE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS OUTREACH ACTIVITY REALLY GROW, AND WE HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR EXPANDING THAT ACTIVITY. BUT ALREADY IT IS THE MOST DYNAMIC EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT I BELIEVE EXISTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE ARTS. I MENTIONED WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN OUR BOARD, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WE ARE WORKING TO BUILD A VISION FOR THE KIND OF BOARD WE WANT TO HAVE AND ARE WORKING HARD TO BUILD THAT. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LARGER BOARD. WE'D LIKE TO SEE A BOARD THAT BETTER REPRESENTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITY. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BOARD THAT BETTER REPRESENTS THE LEADING CORPORATIONS, LEADING FOUNDATIONS, AND LEADING PHILANTHROPISTS OF THE CITY. SO UNDER KATHLEEN'S LEADERSHIP, WE'RE WORKING TO BUILD THE STRENGTH OF OUR BOARD. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR STAFF. WE NEED TO ENGAGE A PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE SEARCH FIRM RIGHT NOW, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT PERSON IDENTIFIED BY THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER, AND THAT THIS PERSON COULD APPEAR SOMETIME IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WHEN I WOULD HAND OVER, UM, RESPONSIBILITY TO THAT INDIVIDUAL. WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH REAL EXPERIENCE, RUNNING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, SOMEONE WHO'S A TRUE ARTS ENTREPRENEUR, WHO CAN HELP TO BUILD THE DONOR BASE AND THE AUDIENCE BASE FOR THIS ORGANIZATION, WHO DOES IT WITH SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE. AND TO DO THAT, WE ARE ENGAGED IN A TRULY NATIONAL SEARCH. ALL OF THIS NEEDS MUST INVOLVE OUR MU WONDERFUL MUSICIANS. WE HAVE A GREAT MUSICIAN GROUP. THEY ARE THE CENTRAL STRENGTH OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND THEY MUST BE INVOLVED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. WE'RE TALKING WITH THE MUSICIANS, AND I MET WITH THE MUSICIANS COMMITTEE ON MONDAY NIGHT. I'M IN MY THIRD WEEK AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. SO, UM, I'M STILL MEETING LOTS OF PEOPLE, BUT WE MET MONDAY NIGHT TO START TALKING ABOUT MAYBE HAVING ONE CONCERT A YEAR THAT IS PROGRAMMED BY THE MUSICIANS. UM, THEY'RE A VERY CREATIVE BUNCH, AND I THINK THEY WOULD REALLY ENJOY HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. WE'RE ENGAGING OUR MUSICIANS MORE IN FUNDRAISING. UM, THEY HAVE OFFERED TO GO OUT ON FUNDRAISING CALLS. WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THEM UP ON THAT IN THE COMING YEAR. WE NEED TO INVOLVE 'EM IN OUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR KEY ASSET AND THEY'RE INCREDIBLY INTERESTING AND ENGAGED CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WE NEED TO BUILD THE INTERACTION BETWEEN OUR BOARD AND OUR MUSICIANS MORE SO THAT THEY'RE REALLY GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S ROLE AND WHAT THEY NEED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ORGANIZATION. THIS IS ANOTHER CHART THAT REALLY WILL TEST YOUR EYES, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE SYMPHONY'S PUT TOGETHER A REMARKABLE SEASON THAT'S ABOUT TO BEGIN. UM, OUR, WE'RE WE'RE BEGINNING WITH, UM, FREE PERFORMANCES AT HAVEN FOR HOPE. WE ARE THEN GOING TO THE MAIN METHODIST HOSPITAL TO DO WHAT ARE CALLED CORRIDOR CONCERTS IN THE ONCOLOGY WARD OF, OF THE HOSPITAL. WE'RE THEN, UM, ACCOMPANYING THE SAN ANTONIO OPERA OR OPERA SAN ANTONIO, EXCUSE ME. WE ALSO WILL ACCOMPANY OP, UM, BALLET SAN ANTONIO THIS YEAR WHEN THEY DO NUTCRACKER. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR OPENING NIGHT. UM, IN THE THIRD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE ANDRE WATTS, THE, THE ARGUABLY THE GREATEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN, UM, CLASSICAL MUSICIAN OF ALL TIME, UM, WHO WILL BE OPENING OUR SEASON PLAYING THE GREEK, UM, PIANO CONCERTO. UM, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AS WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE TOBIN, WE NEED TO COLLABORATE MORE WITH THE TOBIN, BUT WE'RE COLLABORATING ON A PERFORMANCE OF STAR WARS, A NEW HOPE, THE MOVIE, THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE, WHERE THE SYMPHONY WILL BE ON STAGE PLAYING THE MUSIC LIVE AS THE, AS THE MOVIE PLAYS. UM, IT'S ONE OF OUR SEVERAL MOVIE NIGHTS A YEAR THAT WE DO AT THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY. AND ON AND ON AND ON. AS YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS WE'RE EMBRACING ALL OF SAN ANTONIO IN THE YEAR AHEAD. THAT IS GONNA BE OUR MANTRA. THAT IS GOING TO BE WHAT WE DO IN THE YEARS AHEAD. UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO END THE SEASON BY CELEBRATING OUR 80TH ANNIVERSARY. AGAIN, WE ARE THE OLD SYMPHONY IN THE STATE, AND I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS A VERY DIFFERENT, UM, APPROACH. THE SYMPHONY, A VERY DIFFERENT STORY. AND ABOUT THE SYMPHONY A YEAR FROM NOW WHEN YOU SEE A SYMPHONY THAT HAS REACHED OUT ACROSS THE CITY, REACHED [00:30:01] OUT IN MANY FREE PERFORMANCES, REACHED OUT IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS, REACHED OUT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WITH THE NATURE OF THE WORK WE DO, AND IS GOING TO ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET, WHICH I THINK WILL PLEASE EVERYONE. THERE'S LOTS TO DO. WE'RE COMPLETING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. WE ARE WORKING TO HIRE OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THESE OTHERS ARE, ARE, ARE PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON THE, I'LL JUST POINT TO THE VERY LAST ONE. UM, UNLIKE THIS YEAR WHERE WE ARE ONLY MARKETING OUR SUBSCRIPTION FOR THIS YEAR NOW, UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO HAVE NEXT SEASON COMPLETED BY JANUARY. AND WE'LL BE MARKETED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH. SO WE'RE GONNA GET A JUMP ON ON. SO WE CAN BE OUT IN PUBLIC A LOT QUICKER THAN WE HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY. WE ALSO DID A FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST. UM, OUR BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, UM, IS CHANGING IN VERY MODEST WAYS AS MYSELF AND MY TEAM DIG INTO IT AND START TO FIND THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO CHANGE. BUT THIS DOES GIVE A GOOD PICTURE OF WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE IN FISCAL 19. THAT STARTS IN SEPTEMBER 1ST AND MOVES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WE BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE A SYMPHONY THAT GROWS MODESTLY, BUT WELL, THAT CAN BUILD SUPPORT, THAT CAN USE ITS EXCITING PROGRAMMING TO BUILD A STRONGER AUDIENCE THAT CAN USE ITS COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO REACH MORE PEOPLE. AND IF WE CAN MAINTAIN CONTROL IN OUR EXPENSES, WE BELIEVE WE CAN BUILD A SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY AND VIBRANT AND SUCCESSFUL SYMPHONY, A SYMPHONY THAT THIS CITY DESERVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHAEL, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I, I, UH, APPRECIATE THE IRONY OF YOUR PRESENTATION TOO ON THE ARTS COMMUNITY. AND YOU GIVE US A, A SLIDE DECK WITH BLACK TEXT ON WHITE BACKGROUND . UM, BUT IT IS ABOUT THE CONTENT AND IT, IT'S VERY GOOD WORK. UH, THAT WAS DONE BY THE COMMITTEE. UM, LOTS OF THANK YOUS TO GO AROUND, INCLUDING COUNCILMAN TREVINO, WHO WORKED ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMITTEE AS WELL AS LORI HOUSTON, WHO REALLY DID A WELL OF A JOB WITH, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS COMING TOGETHER, UH, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR. UM, KATHLEEN, UM, GREAT JOB. UH, YOU KNOW, THE STORY WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN JANUARY, BUT Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB CIRCLING THE WAGONS AND, AND GETTING THE FUNDRAISING DONE TO COMPLETE A SEASON DURING THE TRICENTENNIAL. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. UH, AND REALLY TO EVERYBODY ON THE COMMITTEE, WE HAD A VERY DIVERSE GROUP. UH, LINDA, UH, YOU BROUGHT A REALLY IMPORTANT VOICE TO THIS. IT WAS A REMINDER THAT, UH, SYMPHONY MUSICIANS ARE REALLY THE, THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE ORGANIZATION. AND, YOU KNOW, WE ASK A LOT FROM THE MUSICIANS. UM, AND ONE THING THAT DOES GO UNHEARD IS THAT IF WE WANT THE, THE TRADITION OF THE ARTS AND THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE CITY TO CONTINUE, THE MUSICIANS ARE PERFORMING THAT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PLAYING THE ROLE OF EDUCATOR AND, UM, PATRON. SO THANK YOU RICH AND ALL YOUR GROUP, UH, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO PUT ON THESE SHOWS. UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANTED TO REAFFIRM WHERE, WHERE WE WANT TO GO FROM HERE. UH, AND MICHAEL, YOU'VE BECOME THE, THE ED WHITAKER OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY, IT SEEMS. AND SO I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE. AND I, I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE STEPPED INTO THE IMPORTANT ROLE AT AN IMPORTANT TIME OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND I HOPE YOU STAY AS LONG AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. UM, WE DON'T WANT A ONE YEAR FIX. WE WANT A SUSTAINABLE PATH. WE WANT A, AN EQUITABLE PATH BECAUSE THE SYMPHONY IS NOT THE ONLY ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT'S SUFFERING FROM THESE SAME ISSUES IN SAN ANTONIO. AND I KNOW THAT, UH, DEBBIE ROCKET SITTER AND HER GROUP IS WORKING ON THE COMMUNITY PLAN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE AND WELL-FUNDED ARTS COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE DOING OUR PART AS A CITY. UM, THERE, THERE ARE MANY PATHS I THINK WE COULD TAKE TOWARDS THAT SUSTAINABLE SYMPHONY, BUT NO, THE ONLY PATH THAT WE KNOW DOESN'T WORK IS CUTTING. IF WE WANT TO DEVELOP THE ARTS, IF WE WANT TO SEE A MORE VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY, UH, THE PATH THAT WE DON'T TAKE IS TO CUT BACK ON PROGRAMMING. SO, UM, I GUESS I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IF YOU COULD BOIL DOWN THE MESSAGE OF THIS, UM, TASK FORCE REPORT INTO A SIMPLE ONE SENTENCE, UM, TELL US WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR. I THINK TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY SYMPHONY, WE HAVE TO PRODUCE REALLY VIBRANT PROGRAMMING MARKET THAT PROGRAMMING WELL AND WELCOME EVERYONE IN THE CITY TO PARTAKE. I THINK THAT'S THE REAL MESSAGE OF THE TASK FORCE REPORT. BUT I'D SAY THERE'S A PREAMBLE TO THAT. I'D SAID, YOU SAID ONE SENTENCE, SO I'M GONNA VIOLATE THEN GIVE ONE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS THAT I DO THINK OTHER ARTS INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY DO SUFFER FROM SIMILAR ISSUES. AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK FOR SOME, UM, APPROACHES THAT MIGHT HELP ACROSS [00:35:01] ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST FOR SINGLE ENTITIES. OKAY. AND THE ROLE OF THE CITY. AND, AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE SYMPHONY, UH, OR THE CITY, UH, AND THE COUNTY ALONE, UH, ARE NOT THE SAVIORS TO THE SYMPHONY. ABSOLUTELY. IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, WE'RE GONNA DO IT TOGETHER OR IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. AND SO THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS A HUGE ROLE IN, IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SUSTAINABLE CITY SYMPHONY IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, THAT BEING SAID, THE, THE PATH FORWARD THAT'S BEEN GIVEN THIS YEAR HAS BEEN, UH, OR THIS COMING YEAR, IS THAT THE SYMPHONY IS ON BOARD, UH, AND IS COMMITTED TO A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE FUNDRAISING, UH, PROGRAM. AND THE CITY'S DOLLARS ARE COMMITTED, BUT WILL BE RELEASED IN TRANCHES AS THE FUNDRAISING IS IS COMPLETED. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE QUARTERLY OR, OR SOME OTHER PERIOD OF TIME CHECK-INS. UH, IS THAT, IS, AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECT? THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT. AND, AND, AND JUST TO, UM, BE CLEAR, THE FUNDRAISING TARGET FOR THIS NEW SEASON COMING UP IS THE SAME AMOUNT THAT'S BEEN RAISED THE LAST FOUR SEASONS. SO WE'RE NOT HAVING A BIG INCREASE IN WHAT WE HAVE TO RAISE. WE HAVE TO RAISE IT, WE KNOW IT, BUT THE HISTORY, THERE IS A HISTORY THERE FOR THE SYMPHONY RAISING. OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $4.1 MILLION. WE'VE RAISED $4.1 MILLION EACH OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SO IT'S NOT A BUDGET THAT'S EXPANSIVE. AND THAT'S, UM, TO SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOT REALISTIC. WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY REALISTIC AND TRYING TO SHOW TO, TRYING TO RAISE EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE RAISED THE LAST FOUR YEARS. YEAH. SUE HALE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU STILL HERE? UM, I WAS GONNA ATTEMPT TO QUOTE YOU, YOU WERE QUOTING WINSTON CHURCHILL THIS WEEKEND, AND I'D LOVE TO ASK YOU TO COME TO THE FRONT AND SAY THAT QUOTE ONE MORE TIME. UH, JUST TO WRAP UP, UM, SUE HALE WAS ON THE TASK FORCE AS WELL. YOU KNOW, THE QUOTE I'M TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, YEAH. CHURCHILL WAS ONCE ASKED TO CUT ARTS FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF THE WAR EFFORT, AND HE RESPONDED BY SAYING, THEN WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR? YEAH. AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TO, TO HELP IN, IN SUSTAIN AN ARTS COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, THANK YOU, SUHAIL. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. I'LL TURN NOW TO, UM, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO CREATE THIS TASK FORCE. UM, THANK YOU, MICHAEL. UH, AS ALWAYS, IT'S, IT'S REALLY GREAT WORKING WITH YOU. IT'S A, A REAL HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE, AND WE LEARNED QUITE A BIT. I WANT TO THANK MY TASK FORCE MEMBERS AS WELL FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. AND AT THE HEART OF THIS, I WANNA SAY YOU, WE TACKLED THIS, UH, AT LEAST, UH, THINKING ABOUT WHAT OUR ROLE WAS IN, IN, IN TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALWAYS KEPT THE SYMPHONY BOARD AND THE MUSICIANS IN MIND, THAT WE REALIZED THAT OUR ROLE WAS NOT IN PLACE OF, OF THOSE FOLKS, BUT TO HELP 'EM OUT AND TO FIND A WAY FORWARD, A PATH FORWARD. AND I GUESS I WOULD SUM THAT BY, SUM THAT UP BY SAYING, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GREAT TRICENTENNIAL STORIES WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN WE STARTED OUR TRICENTENNIAL YEAR, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE TRICENTENNIAL GONNA BE ABOUT? AND I SAY THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STORIES. UM, THE, THE, THE FACT THAT WE INVESTED IN SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR, THAT WE'RE, UH, WORKING VERY HARD TO, TO FIND A WAY TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. AND, UH, AS YOU SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE SEEING. BUT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT CAN'T JUST BE ABOUT THIS ONE ISSUE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS FOR OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, AND HOW WE CAN CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ARTISTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, WE'RE A CITY THAT THRIVES ON ARTS, ON CULTURE AND ITS HISTORY. AND, UH, WE, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT THAT AND TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND TO HONOR THAT. AND SO, I'LL, I'LL GIVE ONE OTHER QUOTE. AND THIS ONE'S FROM, I BELIEVE IT'S FROM PLATO, AND IT'S, UH, A, A COUNTRY CANNOT HONOR WHAT IT DOES NOT CULTIVATE. AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE'VE DONE TODAY. UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. UM, JUST TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP, THANK YOU TO THE TASK FORCE. THANK YOU TO THE MUSICIANS FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU, YOUR ARTISTRY IS, IS A GIFT TO ALL OF US AND, UH, TO ALL OTHER ARTISTS. YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SET THE TABLE SO THAT THOSE GIFTS CAN BE GIVEN [00:40:01] TO THE CITY, UH, IN A, IN A PLENTIFUL FASHION. UM, SO I ONLY HAVE ONE LITTLE IDEA, ONLY BECAUSE I SEE CARLOS OVER THERE, AND I JUST ASKED HIM, UM, I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE A TRICENTENNIAL, UH, NEW YEAR'S CONCERT WITH A SYMPHONY. JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE. THANK YOU GUYS. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANT TO COMMEND, UH, THE BOARD AND, AND YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER IN THIS PRESENTATION, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO FAR THIS YEAR. UH, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE I, I DID WANT TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THOUGH, PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE. UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUDGET DO YOU PROJECT TO COME FROM ATTENDEES OR SUBSCRIBERS? DURING A, DURING A YEAR, IT'S ROUGHLY 40 TO 42% OF THE FUNDING OF, OF THE REVENUE COMES FROM TICKET SALES OR FROM THE FEES WE GET FOR ACCOMPANYING THE BALLET AND THE, UM, THE OPERA. SO IT'S SORT OF WHAT YOU'D CALL EARNED INCOME IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. MM-HMM. IT. DO YOU HAVE WHAT YOU CONSIDER AN AVERAGE COST TO FILL EACH SEAT IN IN A PERFORMANCE? IT'S VERY HARD TO MEASURE THAT BECAUSE OF THE OUTREACH WORK OF THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH ISN'T THE SAME, UM, AS FILLING A SEAT. SO I WOULD HAVE TO REALLY GO BACK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT IT COSTS. BUT I WOULD GUESS THAT THE COST, IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY $80 OR SO PER SEAT TO FILL, AND WE GET ROUGHLY HALF OF THAT OR A BIT MORE ON THE AVERAGE TICKET. DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 50%, ABOUT 50% ATTENDANCE AT, AT THE, UH, NO. OH, NO. THAT WOULD BE 50% OF THE COST OF DOING A CONCERT WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE TICKET HOLDER, AND THE REST WE HAVE TO RAISE. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT. UH, HOW, HOW WELL DO WE FILL THE CONCERT HALL WHEN WE'RE DOING WELL? AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT NEW TOBIN CENTER DIFFERENT THAN PAST HISTORY. IT DEPENDS ON THE REPERTORY. AND HERE'S WHERE, AGAIN, THE NOTION OF A SMALLER ORCHESTRA IS, IS A CONUNDRUM WHEN PEOPLE SAY A SMALLER ORCHESTRA WOULD BE CHEAPER. THE PROBLEMS WITH A SMALLER ORCHESTRA, YOU CAN'T DO WORKS. LIKE BEETHOVEN'S NINTH, WHEN THE SYMPHONY DID BEETHOVEN'S NINTH THIS PAST JUNE, THEY SOLD EVERY SEAT MM-HMM. , UM, THE TWO PERFORMANCES. SO IN FACT, WE BROADCAST ON SCREENS OUTSIDE, SO PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T GET TICKETS COULD SEE THE SHOW, SEE THE PERFORMANCE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT IN, IN, IN ALL ART, BUT CERTAINLY IN THE SYMPHONY WORLD, DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE REP. UM, WE DON'T AVERAGE FILLING OUT, SELLING EVERY SEAT, SO THERE'S A LOT OF MARKETING PLAN THAT ISN'T, THAT I DIDN'T SHARE TODAY. BUT FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE PLANNING TO DO A GREAT DEAL OF WORK WITH, UM, WITH GROUP SALES THIS COMING YEAR. AND TO REALLY PUSH THAT, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT MY FAVORITE GROUP IS THE GIRL SCOUTS. UM, THERE ARE 18,500 GIRL SCOUTS IN YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL. UM, WORKING WITH THEM, CREATING A MERIT BADGE. YOU CAN SELL AN AWFUL LOT OF TICKETS AND FILL EMPTY SEATS. SO THAT'S ONE TECHNIQUE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON IN THE COMING YEAR. MM-HMM. . UM, WHAT'S YOUR FORECAST FOR PAID PERFORMANCE DATES THIS YEAR? UM, THIS YEAR DATES YOU'LL BE ACTUALLY HAVING THE WHOLE ORCHESTRA THERE PAYING THEM FOR THEIR PERFORMANCES. OH, WELL, WE'RE DOING 14 CLASSICAL IN OUR CLASSICAL SERIES TWO PERFORMANCE EACH, WE'RE DOING SIX POPS, UM, BUT THEN WE'RE DOING 10 FREE PERFORMANCES. AND THEN, SO IT, IT ADDS UP WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT ALL OF THE PERFORMANCES. AND THEN WE DO ALL OF THE OUTREACH PERFORMANCE AS WELL, AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS, 10 OF THOSE. WELL, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO BREAK. 40 OF THOSE, EXCUSE ME, 40 OF THOSE. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ACTUAL TYPICAL PERFORMANCES FOR TYPICAL AUDIENCES, ARE YOU PLANNING ON PAYING SUBSCRIPTION TYPE AUDIENCES? YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, 14 AND SIX, ROUGHLY 40. OKAY. AND, AND THEN YOU'RE DUPLICATING THAT ALMOST IN FREE PERFORMANCES IN THE COMMUNITY? THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT. ARE THE, ARE THE, UH, MUSICIANS PAID FOR THOSE FREE PERFORMANCES? THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE PAID FOR THOSE FREE PERFORMANCES. SO YOU'RE REALLY PAYING MUSICIANS TO PERFORM 80 TIMES OR SO. WE'RE PAYING THE MUSICIANS TO PAY DO MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THEN THEY PERFORM IN SMALLER GROUPS AS WE DO SOME OF THE OUTREACH WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ALL OF THE LIBRARIES. SO THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THAT NUMBER OF 80 PERFORMANCES. OKAY. 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE SEASON LENGTH, AND IT'S BY WEEKS, BUT I GUESS THERE'S MULTIPLE PERFORMANCES. THERE'S MULTIPLE PERFORMANCES IN A WEEK. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CUR, COUNCILWOMAN VERAN. UH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. WELL, FIRST JUST COMMENTS AND THEN I HAVE ACTUALLY A QUESTION FOR CHERYL AND MAYBE LORI. [00:45:01] UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE AND REALLY DUG IN DEEP AND, UM, HAD TO FACE THOSE DIFFICULT, UM, YOU KNOW, REFLECTIONS ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT I HAD TO TAKE A TASK FORCE IN ORDER FOR US TO SAY THAT OUR SYMPHONY NEEDS TO REACH OUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND BRING IT IN. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, CHERYL OR LORI, UM, BECAUSE Y'ALL, Y'ALL GET HOUSED AT THE TOBIN, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE TOBIN. IF YOU COULD SHARE INFORMATION, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, JUST IF YOU COULD PLEASE PASS ON THAT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY HISPANIC OR LATINX PROGRAMS OR PROGRAMMING DOES THE TOBIN CENTER DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. IF YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT, UM, INFORMATION FOR US, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. COUNCILWOMAN, WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MM-HMM. , THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GRO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHAEL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [2. Briefing on implications and next steps regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's marginal nonattainment designation for ozone standards in Bexar County [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Douglas Melnick, Office of Sustainability; Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager; Colleen Bridger, Director, Health]] CHAIR, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO. YES, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THE SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSING THE CITY'S NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, UH, A NON-ATTAINMENT DESIGNATION FOR OZONE IN BEXAR COUNTY. SO ON JULY 18TH, THE E P A, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY DESIGNATED BEXAR COUNTY IN MARGINAL, THEY HAVE VARIOUS CATEGORIES, BUT MARGINAL NON-ATTAINMENT, UH, OF THE FEDERAL OZONE STANDARDS. AIR QUALITY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THEREFORE, I HAVE ASKED OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, DR. COLLEEN BRIDGER, TO LEAD OUR WORK AS A CITY GETTING BACK INTO OZONE ATTAINMENT. OF COURSE, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. WE'LL BE WORKING WITH BEAR COUNTY AND WITH OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN MAKING OUR AIR CLEANER. UH, WE HAVE BEEN ACT ACTIVELY IMPLEMENTING OUR AIR QUALITY PROGRAM. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ADOPTED A HEAVY VEHICLE, ANTI IDLING ORDINANCE AND INTERNAL CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ANTI IDLING ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVES. WE'VE ALSO TRANSITIONED THE CITY'S FLEET TO MORE FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH NATIONAL AIR QUALITY EXPERT DR. HARVEY JEFFRIES, WHO IS CURRENTLY RESEARCHING LOCAL CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO GROUND LEVEL OZONE FORMATION IN SAN ANTONIO. DR. BRIDGER WILL BE TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THAT STUDY, BUT IT WILL TAKE NUMEROUS CITY DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, OUR TRANSPORTATION, AND BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER. THIS IS NOT JUST A CITY GOVERNMENT ISSUE, BUT RATHER FOR ALL OF US PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE COUNTY TO ADDRESS. SO IN THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET, THERE IS ADDITIONAL MONEY BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO FUND THE CITY'S EFFORTS ON AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. DR. BRIDGER, OUR DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, WILL PROVIDE A PRESENTATION ON OZONE THIS AFTERNOON AND NON-ATTAINMENT IN SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS OUR NEXT STEPS AS A CITY TO MEET THE EPAS OZONE STANDARD OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS. SO WITH THAT, LET ME INTRODUCE, UH, DR. BRIDGER TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON. AND THEN WE AND OTHER STAFF WHO ARE HERE, UH, TODAY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. COLLEEN, THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OZONE NON-ATTAINMENT IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFORMATION. ONE IS A COPY OF THE SLIDES, UH, ONE IS A, UH, HIGH LEVEL, ONE PAGE FACT SHEET, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, AIR QUALITY RELATED INITIATIVES. WE DON'T. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU BY THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. UM, SO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION. UM, SO LET'S DO A QUICK RECAP ON WHERE OZONE COMES FROM. SO, UM, OZONE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, OXIDES OF NITROGEN, OR AS WE CALL THEM, NOX, VOCS, HEAT AND SUNLIGHT COMBINE. SO THERE'S A CHEMICAL REACTION THAT HAPPENS AND THAT CREATES OZONE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE EACH OF THOSE THINGS IN ORDER TO HAVE [00:50:01] OZONE. PARDON? UM, WHERE DO NOXS AND VOCS COME FROM? UM, CARS, UM, GASOLINE VAPORS, INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, UM, ANY PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE COMBUSTION, UH, THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR SOURCES OF BOTH NOX AND, UM, VOCS. SO WHAT'S GOING ON? WELL, THE E P A OZONE STANDARD IS 70 PARTS PER BILLION, AND OUR THREE YEAR AVERAGE IS 74. SO WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 24TH OF THIS YEAR, SAN ANTONIO BEXAR COUNTY WILL BE IN MARGINAL OZONE NON-ATTAINMENT. THAT MEANS THAT WE NOW HAVE THREE YEARS TO COME BACK INTO ATTAINMENT, MEANING REACHING THAT 70 PARTS PER BILLION STANDARD, OR WE WILL THEN BE MOVED TO THE NEXT CATEGORY, WHICH IS CONSIDERED MODERATE TO NON-ATTAINMENT. AND WE WANT TO AVOID THAT BECAUSE IF WE GO TO MODERATE NON-ATTAINMENT, WE WILL FACE MORE STRINGENT REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. SO HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF STANDARDS LOOK LIKE. AGAIN, WE'RE IN THAT TOP CATEGORY, THE CLOSEST ONE TO ATTAINMENT, UM, WHICH IS MARGINAL. AND, UM, AGAIN, THOUGH WE HAVE THREE YEARS, IF WE DO NOT MOVE OUT OF MARGINAL NON-ATTAINMENT, WE WILL MOVE DOWN TO THE MODERATE LEVEL. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? UM, THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY FOUR REQUIREMENTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN NOW THAT WE ARE IN MARGINAL NON-ATTAINMENT. UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A BASELINE EMISSIONS INVENTORY. UH, WE NEED TO GO THROUGH A TRANSPORTATION CONFORMITY PROCESS. THERE NEEDS TO BE EMISSIONS STATEMENTS FOR EMISSIONS GREATER THAN A HUNDRED TONS PER YEAR. AND THEN, UH, THERE WILL BE NEW SOURCE REVIEW FOR BUSINESSES OR BUSINESS EXPANSIONS THAT INCREASE EMISSIONS BY MORE THAN A HUNDRED TONS PER YEAR. SO THERE WILL BE ECONOMIC COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH BEING IN NON-ATTAINMENT. UM, AND THESE COSTS ARE LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO PERMITTING AND PROJECT DELAYS AS A RESULT OF THESE, UM, FOUR NEW, UH, STANDARDS OR CHANGES FOR US. UM, BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE HERE IS THAT OTHER NON-ATTAINMENT CITIES HAVE LEARNED HOW TO MINIMIZE THESE DELAYS AND CONTINUE TO SHOW ECONOMIC GROWTH. SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THIS SPAGHETTI SLIDE AS IT'S BECOME, UH, FONDLY REFERRED TO, IS ESSENTIALLY A LOOK AT THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT AUSTIN, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, HOUSTON, AND SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE SHOWS MAJOR, UM, THE MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT IN THESE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS. AND IF YOU JUST TAKE THE SPAGHETTI OUT OF IT AND YOU JUST KINDA SQUINT YOUR EYES AND THINK ABOUT THIS FROM A TREND ALIGNED PERSPECTIVE, THERE YOU GO. I CAN SEE COUNCILMAN BERAN DOING IT. UM, WHAT YOU, IF YOU SEE THE TREND LINES, THE TREND LINES ARE SAYING TO YOU THAT CITIES WHO ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT AND CITIES WHO ARE IN ATTAINMENT ARE FUNCTIONING VERY SIMILARLY WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIFIC TO MANUFACTURING. UM, NOW THIS INFORMATION IS THROUGH MAY. IT'S VERY UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION. UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S THE TREND THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, JUST SHOWING THAT CITIES LIKE HOUSTON AND DALLAS AND FORT WORTH WHO HAVE BEEN IN NON-ATTAINMENT FOR A WHILE HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONTINUE THEIR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ESPECIALLY SPECIFIC TO MANUFACTURING AND ARE DOING OKAY. SO WE WANNA LEARN FROM THEM AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HIT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THE NEXT IS A LITTLE LESS SPAGHETTI ISH, BUT STILL, UM, LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION. SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE FOLKS ARE WORRIED ABOUT. HOW WILL THIS IMPACT, UM, CONSTRUCTION? AGAIN, IF YOU STRAIGHTEN THIS INTO TREND LINES, WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT THOSE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS THAT ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT ARE NOT SUFFERING ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES ON THEIR CONSTRUCTION, UH, AS A RESULT OF BEING IN NON-ATTAINMENT. FINAL SPAGHETTI SLIDE, UM, LOOKS AT OVERALL EMPLOYMENT GROWTH RATE. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE TREND LINES FOR ALL OF THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE HEADING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. SO, SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH [00:55:01] DIRECTOR, SO I DO HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. UM, WE KNOW THAT OZONE EXPOSURE IS KNOWN TO CAUSE INCREASE MORTALITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE ELDERLY. UM, IT CAUSES INCREASES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, RESPIRATORY DISEASE, ASTHMA ATTACKS, ABSENTEEISM FROM SCHOOL AND FROM WORK. UM, SO REGARDLESS OF THE REGULATORY, UH, CHALLENGES, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FOLKS HAVE FRESH, CLEAN AIR TO BREATHE. UM, YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE. JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WE COMMISSIONED HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, AND IT LOOKED AT, WELL, IF WE GO INTO NON-ATTAINMENT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MORTALITY? AND IT SAID, YOU COULD SEE, UH, 19 ADDITIONAL DEATHS PER YEAR, AND IF WE CAN BRING IT DOWN AND, AND INTO ATTAINMENT, THEN UM, WE COULD ACTUALLY SAVE 24 LIVES AS A RESULT. AND THEN THIS STUDY QUANTIFIED THE COST OF THOSE DEATHS TO BE ABOUT $220 MILLION. SO SOMETHING I, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE, UM, THIS DESIGNATION APPLIES TO BOTH BEARER COUNTY AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS OZONES IMPACT ON CROP YIELDS. SO WE HAVE SOME FARMERS IN BEAR COUNTY, UM, WHO MIGHT NOT BE THINKING THROUGH A PUBLIC HEALTH LENS, BUT WHO ARE THINKING THROUGH A CROP YIELD LENS AND EVERY SINGLE CROP THAT WE GROW HERE IN TEXAS AS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY EVEN A SMALL INCREASE IN OZONE. SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON. ANOTHER THING THAT WE SOMETIMES DON'T THINK ABOUT FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE, THE OUTCOMES FROM HAVING HIGHER OZONES. SO WE WANNA GET OUR OZONES BACK INTO THE 70 AND BELOW BECAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR OUR CROPS TOO. WE KNOW ATTAINMENT IS POSSIBLE. WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, BEAUMONT, PORT ARTHUR, UM, IN 2012, THEY WERE AT 80 AGAIN, WE'RE AT 74, THEY WERE AT 80. UM, BY NOW THEY'RE DOWN TO 67. SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE DONE. UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN REPLICATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID AND WE WANNA GET INTO ATTAINMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CITY THAT I LIKE TO LOOK AT IS, IS HOUSTON. THEY'RE NOT QUITE YET INTO ATTAINMENT, BUT THEY'VE MADE PHENOMENAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR OZONE. ONE OF THE REASONS WE HIRED DR. JEFFRIES AS, UM, CHERYL WAS MENTIONING, IS BECAUSE HE WAS THEIR PRIMARY RESEARCHER AND HELPED THEM IDENTIFY POINT SOURCES OF BOTH NOX AND VOCS TO DECREASE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA DECREASE YOUR OZONE. SO WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT HOUSTON HAS DONE AS WELL. SO THIS IS JUST A, AN EXAMPLE AGAIN, OF THE, THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN TEXAS, UM, WHERE YOU CAN SEE HOW PEOPLE HAVE, WHERE THEY WERE IN 2015 OR 2006 AND WHERE THEY ARE TODAY. ALL OF US ARE TRENDING DOWN, ALL OF US ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SOME OF US ARE GOING FASTER THAN OTHERS. SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THOSE CITIES THAT ARE GOING MORE QUICKLY THAN WE ARE AND LEARN FROM THEM. THIS IS SPECIFIC TO SAN ANTONIO AND CAN SHOW YOU YEAR BY YEAR WHAT OUR OZONE LEVELS WERE AND HOW THOSE OZONE LEVELS COMPARE TO THE CHANGING STANDARDS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDS IS THAT THE REASON WE ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT NOW IS NOT BECAUSE OUR AIR QUALITY HAS GOTTEN WORSE, IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOWERED THE STANDARDS NOW, THEY LOWERED THE STANDARDS BASED ON RESEARCH THAT SHOWED THAT YOUR BEST SWEET SPOT BETWEEN THE COSTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES WAS THAT 70 PARTS PER BILLION. BUT IT'S BEEN A GRADUAL LOWERING OVER TIME. AND, UM, SO HAS OUR OZONE BEEN GRADUALLY LOWERING OVER TIME? WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH A MORE CONCERTED EFFORT. I BELIEVE WE CAN GET THERE IN THESE NEXT THREE YEARS WE'VE BEEN. OKAY. SO, UM, STUMBLED OUT OF THE GATE WITH THE, YOU SHOULD HAVE, DO YOU HAVE NOW THE, UM, LIST OF DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN UNDERGOING? UH, STILL NO. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW. UM, SO IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE THAT. IT'S GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION ON IT. UM, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT TO YOU. UM, SURE. THANK YOU. SO, UM, THIS IS SLIDE COVERS SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH ARE, [01:00:01] UM, BROKEN INTO THREE CATEGORIES, INTERNAL OPERATIONS, UH, PARTNERS AND POLICY. SO, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING MORE OF ANYBODY ELSE THAN WE ARE ASKING OF OURSELVES. UM, SO WE'RE TAKING A LOT OF, UM, INITIATIVE IN IMPLEMENTING CHANGES TO LOWER OUR EMISSIONS OF VOCS AND NOX IN ORDER TO DECREASE OZONE. UH, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, THE, THE M P O, ACOG VIA C P S, UM, ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAN AIR. AND THEN, UM, CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED SEVERAL POLICIES LIKE THE ANTI-IDLING ORDINANCE, UM, TO DECREASE AGAIN, THAT THOSE EMISSIONS OF, UH, VOCS AND NOX. SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY. SO AGAIN, THE POINT OF DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY IS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE THE VOCS AND THE NOX COMING FROM IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, AND WHAT HE HAS FOUND. THESE ARE THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. I WILL BRING YOU THE FULL, HE WILL BRING YOU THE, THE FULL REPORT IN THE FALL. BUT THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ARE THAT THE DAYS THAT WE HAVE HIGH OZONE, UM, ARE DAYS WITH VERY LITTLE WIND. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW. UM, ONE OF OUR MONITORS IS AFFECTED BY WINDS FROM THE NORTH, AND ANOTHER ONE OF OUR MONITORS IS AFFECTED BY MORNING WINDS FROM THE WEST. SO WHEN WE START TO THINK ABOUT PERHAPS WHERE SOME OF THE KNOCKS IS COMING FROM, IT'S COMING FROM THE NORTH A LITTLE BIT AND COMING FROM THE WEST A LITTLE BIT. UM, AGAIN, KNOX IS COMING PRIMARILY FROM CARS AND TRUCKS. AND THIS IS THE REALLY CRITICAL PIECE, AND THIS IS WHERE RESEARCH IS GETTING BETTER, UH, IN UNDERSTANDING THE REACTIVE VOCS. SO, REACTIVE VOCS ARE SHORT LIVED, UM, AND THEY ARE OFTEN BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. UM, THEY ARE ONLY PRESENT DURING SHORT PERIODS WHEN THESE RELEASES ARE OCCURRING. UM, AND SO IF WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE POINT SOURCES, WE CAN, UM, REALLY DECREASE THE EMISSIONS OF VOCS AND THEREFORE DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF OZONE THAT'S BEING PRODUCED. UM, ONE OF THE STORIES THAT DR. JEFFRIES LIKES TO TELL IS THE STORY ABOUT HOW IN, UH, IN HOUSTON, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID TO REDUCE VOCS WAS THEY CAME TO AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE TRAIN COMPANIES. UM, THE PREVIOUS WAY THAT THEY TRANSPORTED CHEMICALS THAT WERE HIGH IN VOCS WAS AFTER EVERY TRANSPORT, THEY CLEANED OUT THE CONTAINER AND THEN FILLED IT WITH A DIFFERENT CHEMICAL THE NEXT TIME, AND THEN CLEANED OUT THAT CONTAINER. EVERY TIME THEY CLEANED OUT THAT CONTAINER, THEY WERE RELEASING VOCS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND INCREASING THEIR OZONE. SO THEY CAME TO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH COMPANY WOULD, WOULD RESERVE ITS TANKER FOR A SPECIFIC KIND OF CHEMICAL AND KEEP THAT CHEMICAL CONSISTENT TIME AFTER TIME, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN THOSE TANKERS. AND THAT WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF VOCS BEING EMITTED. I LOVE THAT STORY BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE NOBODY HAD TO PASS A LAW. NOBODY HAD TO, YOU KNOW, DROP THE HAMMER. THIS WAS EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER AT AN AHA MOMENT DOING SOMETHING RELATIVELY SIMPLE AND RELATIVELY SMALL TO MAKE A PRETTY BIG DIFFERENCE IN VOCS. SO, UM, LIKE ALL GOOD RESEARCH, UH, YOU CAN'T HAVE A RESEARCH STUDY WITHOUT IT SAYING, WE NEED MORE RESEARCH. UM, AND SO THE, UH, THE, THE PRELIMINARY GAPS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ARE THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE V O C CHEMICAL DATA, UM, WHEREAS IT COMING FROM WHICH TYPES ARE MOST REACTIVE, HOW CAN WE WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND THAT? UM, AND THEN WE ALSO NEED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE WIND'S COMING FROM. WE HAVE THREE REGULATORY MONITORS. ONE IS ON A LAKE, SO THERE'S WIND ALL THE TIME. UM, BUT THE OTHER TWO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WIND IS COMING FROM THE NORTH AND THE WEST. UM, SO WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THE WIND IS COMING FROM ON SOME OF THESE OTHER MONITORS AS WELL, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT THE REGULATORY MONITORS. SO WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON THAT. SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? UH, WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH AN OZONE ATTAINMENT ACTION PLAN. UM, A COUPLE OF US HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, OH, WE NEED TO HAVE A NON-ATTAINMENT PLAN. AND I'M LIKE, NO, NO, WE DON'T NEED A NON-ATTAINMENT PLAN. WE NEED AN ATTAINMENT [01:05:01] PLAN. UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO COME UP WITH AN ATTAINMENT ACTION PLAN, UH, AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA STEAL A LITTLE BIT FROM THE SYMPHONY AND USE THE ANALOGY THAT, UM, THIS PLAN WILL BE LIKE THE SCORE THAT THE CONDUCTOR USES WITH THE SYMPHONY. SO EACH OF THESE, UM, ENTITIES, T C E Q, ACOG, M P O BUSINESSES, THE CITY, WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS. BUT THE, THE, THE MASTER ACTION PLAN WILL BE THE SCORE THAT WE'RE USING TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE'RE IN SYNC AND THAT WE'RE IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER AND WE KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY'S DOING AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER. UM, WE WILL HAVE THAT PLAN DEVELOPED BY MARCH 1ST, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT UNTIL MARCH 1ST TO START WORKING ON STUFF. UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA START WORKING ON, UH, AN INTERNAL COSA WORKING GROUP. AGAIN, WE NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. SO LET'S MAKE SURE THE CITY IS DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN DO, UM, TO LOWER ITS EMISSIONS AND, UM, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. SO WE'RE GONNA START THAT IMMEDIATELY. UM, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT WHO THE PARTNERS FOR THIS, UM, ATTAINMENT TASK FORCE SHOULD BE. THAT'S GONNA BRING TOGETHER EVERYBODY FROM THAT SCORE, FROM THAT MASTER PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING REGULARLY AND MOVING THAT PLAN FORWARD. UH, WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN, UM, AIR QUALITY INITIATIVES AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO TOGETHER TO LOWER EMISSIONS. AND THEN WE'VE GOT A GREAT WEBSITE, THE BREATHE TODAY, I SAY TOMORROW WEBSITE. WE'RE GONNA FLUFF THAT UP AND BUILD THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TO BE AS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN POSSIBLY BE SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, AND IF WE'RE MAKING, ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS. UM, FINALLY, NEXT STEPS FROM A LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE. UM, THERE WILL BE TWO DOCUMENTS THAT COME TO YOU FOR APPROVAL. ONE WILL BE, UM, FUNDING SPECIFIC LEGISLATION LOOKING AT, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE CAN PUT TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE ACTION STEPS IN THE PLAN. UM, AND THEN WE WILL LOOK FOR OTHER LEGISLATIVE OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS, UM, ADVOCATING TO MAINTAIN THE, THE CURRENT FUEL EFFICIENCY OR THE CAFE STANDARDS. UH, WE DON'T WANT TO, TO LOSE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING, UM, BY RAISING THE, OR LOWERING THE, UH, THE STANDARDS FOR FUEL EFFICIENCY. SO WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT NEXT IS A PRESENTATION BY DR. JEFFRIES. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LOVED HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CHEMISTRY, YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REALLY DIDN'T, I AM SORRY. UM, BUT THAT'S GONNA COME IN FALL. AND THEN WE AGAIN, WILL HAVE THE PLAN TO PRESENT TO YOU MARCH 1ST, AND THEN WE WILL DO REGULAR UPDATES, UM, TO LET YOU KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING WITH OUR ACTION STEPS AND ALSO HOW WE'RE DOING WITH OUR OZONE. AND THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE A TON OF EXPERTS, UM, IN THE AUDIENCE, THANK GOODNESS. AND SO, UM, I HOPE IT WILL BE OKAY IF YOU ASK ME A QUESTION. IF I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, I'M GONNA ASK FOR ONE OF OUR EXPERTS TO COME UP AND ANSWER IT. GREAT. THANK YOU, DR. BRIDGER. AND, AND LEMME JUST START BY SAYING THAT I'M, I'M SO GLAD THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS A PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR THAT IS EMPOWERED ENOUGH TO SAY THAT YOU'RE THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, AND THAT AIR QUALITY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE START THE CONVERSATION ON THAT, ON THAT TONE, AND THAT REGARDLESS OF THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN BECAUSE OUR FOLKS NEED CLEAN AIR. SO, UM, THANKS FOR THE WORK. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSCORED HERE WAS SOMETHING YOU SAID A LITTLE BIT IN JEST ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN ATTAINMENT STRATEGY. YES. THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET US UNDER, UM, THE, THE STANDARD, UH, OF AIR QUALITY THAT THAT WOULD PUT US INTO A MARGINAL OR MODERATE LEVEL OF NON-ATTAINMENT. SO KNOWING THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME POLICIES AND THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BRING, BRING TO US PERIODICALLY TO RECOMMEND, UM, IS THAT ACHIEVABLE? AND IS THAT CONSIDERING THE GROWTH, UH, THAT SAN ANTONIO'S INCURRING RIGHT NOW? OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE UNDER UNDERGOING A PRETTY EXTREME LEVEL OF GROWTH CURRENTLY. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, IT IS ACHIEVABLE. WE NEED TO GO FROM 74 TO 70. WE CAN DO THAT IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, UH, WITH [01:10:01] A CONCERTED EFFORT. WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS. WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON ACOG, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BRING TOGETHER THE REGION AND COME UP WITH A PLAN, UM, BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT JUST US, BUT YES, IT IS ABSOLUTELY DOABLE. OKAY. UM, NOW YOU'RE A PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR. WE KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND DEBATE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GOT TO THE STANDARD THAT WE GOT TO IN 2016 OR 2017, WHICH IS NOW 70 PARTS PER BUILDING. WE, BILLION, WE CAME FROM 75. MY UNDERSTANDING IS ACCORDING TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, THAT WAS NOT NEARLY LOW ENOUGH, UH, TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH. NOW IS THE STANDARD THAT WE'RE SHOOTING TO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE REGULATORY, UM, NATURE OF THIS, OR ARE WE INTENDING TO OVERSHOOT THAT? ARE WE INTENDING TO DO, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE MEDICAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD? WELL, IF I, I THINK WE CAN HAVE OUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO HERE. I, I THINK WE CAN GET TO THAT 70 IN THE THREE YEARS MM-HMM. , AND THEN I THINK WE WILL CONTINUE THE DOWNWARD TREND. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER CITIES THAT ARE RAPIDLY GROWING WHO HAVE GOTTEN THEIR ARMS WRAPPED AROUND THE ISSUE OF OZONE. I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE THE DECREASE IN OZONE EVEN BELOW 70. OKAY. SO I THINK WE CAN DO BOTH. ALRIGHT. AND, AND I WOULD JUST SAY, UH, I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA HELP US WITH IMPLEMENTATION. UM, OUR SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT, M P O IS HERE. UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A, A TEAM EFFORT TO DO THIS. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA START NOW. WE'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER THE TASK FORCE, AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WOULD HAVE A, A PRETTY STRONG ROLE IN THAT. UM, WE KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE EFFORTS ON MULTIPLE FRONTS. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT, UH, RESOURCES AND PEOPLE IN PLACE TO, TO GET TO WORK ON THIS RIGHT NOW? OR, OR WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET? SO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, IN CONSULTATION WITH DR. BRIDGER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR WORK WITH DR. JEFFRIES. UH, AND, UH, WE'LL BE COMING TO YOU WITH CONTINUING RECOMMENDATIONS AS THOSE ARE NE NECESSARY, BUT WE DO HAVE FUNDS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET OKAY. TO BEGIN TO BEGIN THE WORK. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND, YOU KNOW, AND TO, TO WRAP IT UP, I BELIEVE THAT W WE HAVE GOOD GUIDANCE FROM SA 2020 AND NOW FROM SA TOMORROW, THAT WOULD ESTABLISH AIR QUALITY IS BEING ONE OF THE KEY INDICATORS FOR WHETHER OR NOT ALL THESE SYSTEMS ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION, IN, IN WORKING IN, IN A SYSTEM, UM, PROPERLY AIR QUALITY. IF WE'RE DOING OUR MASS TRANSIT, UH, PROGRAMS CORRECTLY, IF WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, BETTER LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, UH, SHOULD BE WORKING, ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE LEADING IN A DIRECTION OF, OF PROPER AIR QUALITY. SO, UM, AS IT RELATES TO WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AS POLICY MAKERS, I WOULD WANT TO REASSERT, UH, THE METRICS THAT ARE IN SA TOMORROW AND SA 2020 AS AS A PART OF OUR, UM, GUIDING GUIDING PRINCIPLES. UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UH, AND DR. BERGER, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU AND THE TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING ON THIS. UH, I WAS NOTICING IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND IN YOUR COMMENTS THAT IF WE DON'T IMPROVE OUR, UH, CURRENT RATING, GET IT BELOW 70 IN, IN THREE YEARS, THAT WE WILL MOVE UP TO MODERATE. UH, BUT I NOTICED THAT THE LEVEL FOR MODERATE WAS A 81 PARTS PER BILLION. IF WE STAYED AT 74 3 YEARS FROM NOW, WOULD WE STILL BE RAISED EVEN THOUGH WE'RE STILL AT A LOW LEVEL? YES. SO THE, IT'S A, IT'S AN EITHER OR SCENARIO. SO EITHER YOU MOVE IF, IF YOU'RE IN MARGINAL FOR WHATEVER SCORE, WHATEVER SCORE YOU HAVE, UM, IF YOU CAN ONLY STAY IN MARGINAL FOR THREE YEARS, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ATTAINMENT WITHIN THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, THEN YOU GET BUMPED DOWN TO MODERATE. AND THE REASON THEY BUMP YOU TO MODERATE IS SO THEY CAN IMPLEMENT MORE STRINGENT REGULATORY, UM, ACTIONS. SO, YEAH, IT'S AN, IT'S AN EITHER OR. SO EITHER YOU DO IT BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET OUT OF MARGINAL IN THREE YEARS, OR YOU DO IT BECAUSE YOUR OZONE IS IN THOSE CATEGORIES. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU INDICATED THAT. WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE THEIR AIR QUALITY INITIATIVES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT [01:15:01] OF INFLUENCE OVER UTILITIES. BUT THE OTHERS, BESIDES AUTOMOBILES THAT WE ALL DRIVE, UH, IS WHAT COMES OUT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES, WHAT COMES OUT OF, UH, THE, THE PLANTS LIKE TOYOTA OR THE, THE CME REFINERY OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT CREATE A LOT OF NOX OR, OR VOCS. AND SO HOPEFULLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TAKES A SERIOUS ROLE IN DEVELOPING WHAT THEY THINK IS A GOOD WAY OF TRYING TO MANAGE THIS. AND, UM, I JUST, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO THEM TO DEVISE THEIR OWN METHODS OF, OF WORKING WITH THIS. THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE THOUGH, IS HOW DOES THIS INTEGRATE WITH OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON? I MEAN, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING. ARE WE TALKING AT IT FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS? HOW WILL THEY WORK TOGETHER? WELL, UM, DOUG AND I JOKE THAT IT'S THE, DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S CLIMATE OR OZONE, IT'S EITHER THE DOUG AND COLLEEN SHOW, OR THE COLLEEN AND DOUG SHOW. UM, SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY ON THOSE TWO ISSUES, THOSE TWO PLANS. UM, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLKS SITTING ON THE GROUP THAT'S WORKING ON THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. AND, UM, DOUG AND I TALK DAILY ABOUT THE OZONE ISSUE. SO WE ARE, THOSE TWO, UM, UNITS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE SYNERGY BETWEEN ACHIEVING BOTH OF THOSE GOALS. WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAY, MAY I ADD, MAYOR, IF YOUR QUESTION IS, IS IT DUPLICATIVE? YEAH. UH, THE ANSWER IS NO. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IS A MUCH BROADER PLAN, UH, COVERING A NUMBER OF DISCIPLINES. THIS IS ONE ASPECT. AIR QUALITY IS ONE ASPECT OF A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND VERY SPECIFIC TO E P A REGULATION. SO THIS IS A COMPONENT OF THE BIGGER PICTURE AND ALL OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE AFFECTED ALONG WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND BEXAR COUNTY, WILL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE BECAUSE THERE ARE PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, NON-ATTAINMENT AND AIR QUALITY. AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO LIVE UP TO AND FOLLOW THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IS SOMETHING THAT IS MORE VISIONARY IN STRATEGIC FOR THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO BE IN TERMS OF A VAST ARRAY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. OKAY. OKAY. WELL, I HOPE THAT THEY WORK TOGETHER AND WE DON'T GET CROSS PURPOSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CURS. COUNCILWOMAN VIRON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, DR. BRIDGER. UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION. I FEEL LIKE I AM GONNA TAKE A TEST. SO I WILL BE STUDYING, UM, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION. I DO HAVE SOME QUE FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, IN SLIDE NUMBER NINE, IT HAS THE MAJOR METRO AREAS EMPLOYMENT GROWTH RATE. SO OUT OF ALL OF THESE NINE, HOW MANY ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT IN THE SUIT? THREE. THREE OF 'EM. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO BRING JEFF COYLE TO THE DOUG AND, UH, COLLEEN SHOW RIGHT NOW. SO JEFF, UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BECAUSE IN THE, IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION NOW WE HAVE THREE AREAS THAT ARE IN A NON-ATTAINMENT IN THE STATE, AND THE STATE DID CUT SOME FUNDING RIGHT. THAT WE NEEDED TO. AND SO, MOVING FORWARD IN THE NEXT LEDGE AGENDA, ARE WE GONNA REQUEST THIS WHEN I THINK WE SHOULD BE REQUESTING THIS MONEY AGAIN, UH, FROM WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS THAT ARE GONNA PROTECT OUR CITY? AND THEN, UM, WHAT ARE, WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS IN MAYBE THE INTERIM THAT WE CAN BE EXPECTING IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE? SURE. UH, GREAT QUESTIONS WE'RE IN, UH, DR. BRIDGER MENTIONED TWO PROGRAMS ARE GONNA BE COMING BEFORE YOU, OUR STATE AGENDA MM-HMM. FOR NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, OUR FEDERAL AGENDA FOR THE NEXT CONGRESS THAT BEGINS IN JANUARY. AND WE'LL SEEK TO INCLUDE AIR QUALITY THINGS IN BOTH OF THEM, WHICH WE'RE RESEARCHING NOW. UM, WE FOR YEARS HAVE BENEFITED FROM A, UH, A FUND WITHIN THE STATE BUDGET THAT WAS INTENDED FOR NEAR NON-ATTAINMENT COMMUNITIES. SO, UM, SO WE MONEY OFTEN FLOWED FROM THE STATE TO TDOT FOR, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, TO ACOG FOR MODELING AND FOR, UH, LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT HELP AIR QUALITY. UH, NOW THAT WE ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT, WE'RE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THAT POT OF MONEY. THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE. THE UPSIDE OF IT IS THE GOVERNOR VETOED THAT POT OF MONEY, LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IT WAS ABOUT $6 MILLION, ONE AND A HALF MILLION WOULD'VE COME HERE. AND HIS VETO BASICALLY SAID THAT HE FELT THAT NEAR NON-ATTAINMENT STRATEGIES WERE BETTER FUNDED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND THAT STATE RESOURCES OUGHT TO BE DEDICATED TO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT, TRYING TO GET OUT OF NON-ATTAINMENT, AND THEREFORE, [01:20:01] UH, OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. UH, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE THE GOVERNOR'S EMPHASIS IS ON THAT VETO. BUT WE WANT TO TAKE THAT VETO STATEMENT AT ITS WORD, UH, AND, AND GO SEEK AN OP OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS THAT ARE IN NON-ATTAINMENT, TO SEEK SUPPORT FROM THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS AND HOW WE DO THAT, YET WE'RE NOT IN ENTIRELY CLEAR, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, RISEN TO, UM, A PRIORITY LEVEL FOR US AS WE LOOK AT OUR STATE AGENDA. OKAY. GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. MM-HMM. . THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN GRO, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO, UM, COLLEEN, I WONDER IF YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE JUST APPROVED AN $850 MILLION BOND PACKAGE, AND 450 MILLION OF THAT GOES TO STREET MAINTENANCE. SO DOES THAT KIND OF STREET MAINTENANCE IMPACT THE AIR QUALITY? THAT LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION ART, ART KNOWS I'LL AT LEAST MAKE SOMETHING UP IF I, UH, COUNCILWOMAN THE, THE BOND PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE M P O TO, UH, INCLUDE PROJECTS IN MAINLY FOCUSED ON ADDED CAPACITY TYPE PROJECTS. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF PROJECTS, UM, THAT NEED TO BE MODELED AND DETERMINED, UM, AS PART OF THE CONFORMITY PLAN THAT THE M P O IS WORKING ON, IF THERE WOULD BE AN IMPACT OR NOT. SO, UM, MAINTENANCE REHAB PROJECTS ARE, ARE NOT THOSE TYPE, IT'S MORE OF THE AT CAPACITY PROJECTS THAT WILL LONG-TERM IMPACT AIR QUALITY. UH, BUT WHAT ABOUT IN THE SHORT TERM? WHILE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, IT'S NOT SO MUCH, UH, OF LIKE PARTICULATE COMING OFF OF DUST OR THINGS LIKE THAT AS IT'S BEING BUILT, IT'S LOOKING AT, UH, CONGESTION EFFECTS FROM THE, THE CAPACITY, UM, IN, IN THE VOLUME OF VEHICLES THAT ARE THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDORS. OKAY. SO, UM, NO SHORT TERM IMPACT, I GUESS, FROM A LOT OF, UH, AND I'M ASKING YEAH, ONLY BECAUSE EVEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOT MORE ACTIVITY. WE HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY, UH, IN THE AREA FOR A LOT OF YEARS. AND SO I NOTICED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DUST AND DIRT IN THE AIR, WHICH THERE WASN'T RIGHT BEFORE THIS CONSTRUCTION STARTED. SO, AS YOU KNOW, HOW DOES, I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S MY QUESTION. HOW DOES, HOW DO THOSE SMALL PROJECTS IMPACT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD? OR DO THEY? WELL, I THINK THAT THAT'S A DIFFERENCE IN, IN GENERAL AIR QUALITY VERSUS THE OZONE, UH, DISCUSSION THAT'S GOING ON. SO, UM, THERE IS, THERE IS A IMPACT TO AIR QUALITY, BUT IT'S NOT THE, UM, OZONE AFFECTED AIR QUALITY. IF YOU WANNA, COLLEEN, COULD I ASK YOU TO TALK A MINUTE ABOUT THOSE, UH, POINTS WHERE THE MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN? SO THEY, IT'S NOT AS IF, UM, THE REGULATORS DRIVE AROUND THE CITY AND TAKE, BUT THEY HAVE DESIGNATED AREAS WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY MEASURING AIR QUALITY. AND AS ART WAS TALKING WHEN HE DISCUSSED CAPACITY, WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE WIDENING A ROAD FROM MAYBE FOUR TO SEVEN LANES WHERE IT'S THREE IN EACH DIRECTION WITH THE TURN LANE, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT EXISTS TODAY THAT IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT CONSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO ABOUT THEN THE CAPACITY OR THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT THEN ARE ABLE TO DRIVE ON THIS NEWLY EXPANDED ROAD CONTRIBUTING TO AIR QUALITY, AIR POLLUTION. AND THAT'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. IT WILL BE BEFORE THEY BUILD THE PROJECT. 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ASKING A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE M P O. YEAH. UM, UH, ABOUT THAT AND WHY MANY OF US HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO ANY ADDITIONAL ROAD CAPACITY BECAUSE, UM, WELL, I SHOULD BETTER SPEAK FOR MYSELF. WHAT I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO MM-HMM. ADDING CAPACITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT DOES CREATE, UH, NEG IT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS AIR QUALITY AS WE INC UM, AMA TRAVELED. RIGHT. SO IN SHORT, THE THE PROJECTS, THE REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS, LIKE THE MANAGER MENTIONED, THOSE BIGGER PROJECTS, UM, HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PRELIMINARY MODELING THAT THE NM P'S WORKING ON. THERE'LL BE A FULL BRIEFING IN A COUPLE WEEKS AT THE POLICY BOARD BY THE NMM P O. UM, BUT THAT'S BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR TO LOOK AT, UM, BASICALLY AT THE TIME THE PROJECT OPENS, WHAT THE IMPACTS WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO EMISSIONS. OKAY. GREAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION, COLLEEN, JUST ABOUT, THERE'S NO STUDY OR ANYTHING THAT SHOWS WHAT THE AIR QUALITY IMPACT IS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN WE DO PROJECTS? NO, BECAUSE AS THE MANAGER POINTED OUT, THERE ARE ONLY THREE REGULATORY MONITORS. UM, AND SO THEY ARE NOT LOCATED IN NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND SO THAT WOULD BE HARD INFORMATION TO GET. AND, AND I THINK THE, THE POINT OF THIS IS LONG-TERM AIR QUALITY. SO THERE [01:25:01] MAY BE SOME, SOME SPIKES DURING INTENSE CONSTRUCTION PERIODS, BUT IF THAT ULTIMATELY WILL RESULT IN, YOU KNOW, FEWER TRAFFIC JAMS, THEN THAT WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN LESS KNOCKS AND V O C ADMISSIONS. OKAY. GREAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M JUST GETTING SOME NUMBERS HERE. UH, 'CAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF MATH INVOLVED . UM, SO, UH, I, I, IT'S KIND OF TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ'S POINT, UM, THE PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR INITIATING ROOF REPAIR SAN ANTONIO UNDER OWN ROOF. AND, AND OF COURSE YOU'RE WEARING A WHITE COAT, WHICH MAKES SENSE ON A VERY HOT DAY, AND WHICH IS WHY WE PROMOTE WHITE ROOFS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WORK WITH DR. HAS ALI OF U T S A, AND I WOULD, I WOULD ASK OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY TO REALLY, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GRASP ONTO SOME OF SOME OF THIS DATA. AND WANNA POINT OUT THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WE WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE SOMEWHERE OVER NORTH OF 514 HOMES DONE. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, AND WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT THIS IN, IN THIS DISCUSSION WITH REGARDS TO OZONE AND NON-ATTAINMENT? WELL, UH, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE ENERGY SAVINGS OF, OF THESE HAVE BEEN CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 669 MEGAWATTS. RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT REALLY OFFSETS THE GREENHOUSE, UH, EFFECT AND GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS. UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I, I BELIEVE IS, IS NORTH OF 50 HOMES TOTAL THAT BASICALLY WE WOULD KIND OF ELIMINATE, UH, UTILIZING POWER THROUGHOUT ONE YEAR. AND I WOULD ASK, ARE WE LOOKING AT, ARE WE LOOKING AT ANY, ANY OF THAT IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, THE, WHAT WE'RE BUILDING IN OUR CITY AND HOW WE'RE APPLYING THAT CAN HELP WITH YOUR EFFORTS IN THIS, UM, ATTAINMENT STRATEGY? UH, SO THAT, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IN A THRIVING, GROWING CITY LIKE THIS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING MORE STRATEGIES THAT DON'T EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM ANY FURTHER. I MEAN, THERE IS MORE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON, AND THERE IS DATA, LOCAL DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING THROUGH U T S A BECAUSE WE'RE MONITORING EACH HOME, UH, WITH U T S A, UH, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DR. HAEM, RASH ALI. I THINK THAT'S VERY USEFUL DATA. WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH THEM. WE NEED TO UTILIZE THAT IN, IN OUR RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND HOW THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, UH, IMPACT IS, IS, IS A PART OF, UM, A POTENTIAL OVERALL STRATEGY. SO I GUESS I WOULD ASK, AND WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN, IN THE PAST, UH, HOW CAN, HOW CAN THIS BE PART OF YOUR STRATEGY? AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT WILL GO ONTO MY EVER-GROWING LIST OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE WE FIGURE OUT. OKAY. WELL, I, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO, UH, FURTHER POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER REASON WHY WE WANNA SUPPORT, UH, PROGRAMS LIKE THE UNDER ONE ROOF. SO I WANNA THANK THE, THE CITY MANAGER FOR INCLUDING THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, COMING UP BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S GOT A LAYERED EFFECT. I, ITS PRIMARY CONCERN IS TO SAVE HOMES, BUT IT, IT IS PROVING TO SAVE ENERGY IN, IN A, IN A VERY BIG WAY AND COLLECTIVELY CAN PROVIDE, UM, AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF YOUR STRATEGY MM-HMM. FOR, FOR ATTAINMENT IN THE CITY. UH, OF COURSE, WITH THAT COMES MORE SHADING DEVICES, MORE, UH, CONTINUING WITH THE TREE FUND FUND THAT WE'VE STARTED TO PLANT MORE TREES. UNDERSTANDING THAT CONSTRUCTION DOES NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING PROTECTIVE OF, OF RUNOFF AND, AND CERTAIN, UH, ISSUES THAT MIGHT EXACERBATE AIR QUALITY LOCALLY OR AT, AT LEAST IN, IN THE AREA THAT, THAT THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING. UH, SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO AND WE CAN CONTROL, AND WE'VE PROVEN CAN IMPACT, UH, THE CITY IN, IN, IN A, IN A BIG WAY. SO I HOPE WE CAN, WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR STRATEGY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PALIS. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. OH, I'M SORRY. . I'M LOOKING AT MY SCREEN HERE. THANK YOU, MAN. SCREEN HERE. I'M USUALLY A COVET. AND YOUR NAME DISAPPEARED. UH, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. COUNCILMAN PALIS. THANK YOU. UM, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PUSH BACK ON, ON MY FRIEND COUNCIL AND COURAGE JUST FOR A SECOND. 'CAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT I, I NEED TO CLEAR [01:30:01] SOMETHING UP. UM, WE COULD ACTUALLY LEARN AND NEVER STOP LEARNING FROM COMPANIES LIKE TOYOTA AS TO HOW TO REDUCE NOX AND V O C EMISSIONS. UH, I'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREENEST PLANTS ON THE PLANET. UM, AND WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE CHOSE THAT SITE, WE SPECIFICALLY CHOSE IT BECAUSE IT WAS NEXT TO A RIVER TO SET OURSELVES A CHALLENGE THAT WE CAN COEXIST WITH NATURE AND HARMONY, RIGHT? AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE PLANTS THAT HAS LED THE WAY IN ZERO LANDFILL OF TECHNOLOGY AND ZERO EMISSIONS. IN FACT, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST MODERN PLANTS ON THE PLANET WITH REGARDS TO WATER TECHNOLOGIES, THE TRAP PARTICULATES, IT'S A ZERO SMELL PLANT. UM, SO THE IDEA WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY LOCATED THEIR VERY FIRST PLANT EVER IN AN URBAN AREA, SO THAT TO PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT YOU CAN MANUFACTURE IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T IMPACT YOUR ENVIRONMENT NEGATIVELY. AND SO, UM, I'LL CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU GUYS TO, TO COME WITH ME ONE DAY AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN V AGRONOMY MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS THE CASE. I MEAN, THESE PEOPLE, UM, WE PROBABLY COULD, IF WE IMPLEMENTED A LOT OF TOYOTA WAY, UH, AS WE COULD PROBABLY SOLVE OUR E P A NON-ATTAINMENT PROBLEM TOMORROW. BUT, UM, TO THE POINT I, I DID WANNA MAKE EARLIER IS I WANT TO, UM, GO BACK, MA'AM AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, ASTHMA. YES. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, UH, THE ASTHMA COALITION. UH, AND I, I MET WITH A DR. ERICA REYES YESTERDAY, AND SOME SCIENTISTS AND SOME MDS WHO CAME AND WERE SHOWING ME THAT SPECIFICALLY THERE ARE HOTSPOTS IN SAN ANTONIO, CERTAIN ZIP CODES WHERE WE'RE SEEING HIGHER INCIDENTS OF ASTHMA, UM, AND HIGHER INCIDENTS OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, AIR QUALITY AND ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE POPULATIONS WHO ARE VULNERABLE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF LACK OF INFORMATION. RIGHT. AND SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE HOPING WE DO LONG TERM WITH REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUR ARMS AROUND THIS ASTHMA PROBLEM? OKAY. SO, UM, JUST A REMINDER, WHEN I PRESENTED THE AIR QUALITY UPDATE IN JANUARY, I POINTED TO A SLIDE THAT SHOWED THAT OUR PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION RATE FOR ASTHMA WAS ABOUT TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE. UM, AND THE SOUTH TEXAS ASTHMA CO COALITION, UM, MET WITH SOME OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ASTHMA EXPERTS, AND HAS COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR A PILOT TO START TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DECREASE HOSPITALIZATIONS IN KIDS DUE TO ASTHMA. UM, WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR ME TO PRIORITIZE MY BUDGET ASKS, HOWEVER, UM, I, I PRIORITIZED ONE THING, AND THAT WAS ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. SO THE ASTHMA INITIATIVE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN MY BUDGET THAT I PRESENTED, UM, TO O M B AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE INITIATIVE THAT THEY HAVE. I THINK IT WOULD, UM, PUT A DENT INTO ASTHMA HOSPITALIZATIONS. UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CUT FROM MY BUDGET IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UM, SO I GUESS MY MESSAGE IS TWOFOLD. YES, WE HAVE AN ASTHMA PROBLEM, AND YES, THIS INITIATIVE, UM, I BELIEVE IS AN IMPORTANT PILOT FOR THAT. UM, BUT SO IS A LOT OF OTHER STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLIS. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR THA THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. UH, P I WAS ALSO, UH, WONDERING ABOUT THAT, THAT PROGRAM REGARDING REGARDING ASTHMA. I SAW THE PROPOSAL AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE COULD BE A LOT OF, UH, OF BENEFIT TO, TO THAT, BUT WE'LL LEAVE THAT DISCUSSION FOR, FOR ANOTHER DAY. UM, SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU AND THE STAFF, UH, AND DOUG HAVE PUT INTO PREPARING THIS. UH, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF PHONE CALLS THAT, THAT HAD TO BE MADE, A LOT OF INFORMATION TO, TO BE GATHERED. AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU TO C P S, UH, FOR HELPING US OUT OR HELPING THE REGION OUT. UH, WHEN THE LINE ITEM VETO CAME THROUGH, UH, TODAY WE KNOW WHAT OUR AIR QUALITY IS, WHAT THE LEVELS ARE, THANKS TO THE FUNDING THAT C P S PUT INTO THOSE AIR QUALITY MONITORS. IN ADDITION, WE DID NOT HAVE A MONITOR COVERING THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND YOU PUT UP THE NEW GOVERNMENT CANYON, UH, MONITOR. SO NOW WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE, AND IT'S A GOOD THING. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE SOME ACTUALLY HIGH POLLUTION LEVELS THERE. SO ALL OF THAT IS HELPING US MANAGE, UH, THIS PROBLEM. UM, I, I WANTED TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THIS IS, UH, DOABLE. UH, I'VE, UH, AS, UM, MOST OF YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I TALK ABOUT MYSELF A LOT, I'VE SPENT, UH, [01:35:01] SOME, SOME TIME WORKING IN AIR QUALITY, AND THERE ARE JUST A LOT OF OPTIONS OUT THERE THAT AT THIS POINT WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED AS A CITY. AND I WOULD CALL THEM LOW HANGING FRUIT, OR IF YOU WANNA BE SILLY, SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE FRUIT THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE GROUND, AND WE MAY JUST BE TOO LAZY TO PICK THEM UP. SO THERE, THERE ARE OPTIONS OUT THERE, UM, THAT COULD GIVE US MULTIPLE BENEFITS, UM, AS WELL. SO, UH, I THINK THERE IS A GOOD SYNERGY WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. THAT GROUP THAT DOUG IS LEADING, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, OPTIONS FOR REDUCING, UH, POLLUTION THAT CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE. AND IN DOING SO, THERE WILL BE AN EVALUATION OF COST AND ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT COME WITH THAT. AND I THINK, UH, WE WILL PROBABLY DO A SIMILAR EXERCISE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE'S GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OVERLAP BECAUSE COMBUSTION CONTRIBUTES TO OZONE AND COMBUSTION CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT CARBON AND, AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT THAT WE GLEAN FROM THAT. UH, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING SOME OF THESE COST EFFECTIVENESS NUMBERS, UH, FROM THIS BECAUSE I, I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME OF OUR FRIENDS IN, IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR WHO, WHO MAY BE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT COSTS THESE ARE GONNA BRING. BUT I, I DO WANNA, UH, TELL PEOPLE OR, OR TELL FOLKS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, THAT REST ASSURED THERE ARE MANY TOOLS FOR US TO EVALUATE AND FIND WHAT IS MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND, UH, I HAD SOME COMMENTS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, UH, POLLUTION, BUT THAT'S A LONGER DISCUSSION AND WE CAN, ALRIGHT, I'LL GIVE YOU A TIDBIT. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ? YES, THERE ARE IMPACTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND COUNCILMAN ELIAS HAS ADVOCATED FOR MORE LOCAL LEVEL MONITORING WITH THE KIOSKS. AND EVEN THOUGH THAT CAN'T BE USED IN A REGULATORY SETTING, WE CAN USE IT TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE EXPERIENCING. SO WE, WE DO HAVE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. UH, THERE, THERE ARE EMISSIONS OF DIESEL PARTICULATE, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY HARMFUL AND, UH, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THAT STANDARD. UM, OR FOR THE PARTICULATE MATTER STANDARD, THERE ARE EMISSIONS OF DIESEL, BUT ALSO OF KNOCKS, UH, IN THAT AREA TOO. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE GREATEST THING TO BREATHE, BUT WITH PROPER VENTILATION, THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE OKAY. I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS PROBABLY FOR THE, FOR THE WORKERS AND MAKING SURE THAT, THAT THEY'RE OKAY. UM, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU DR. BRIDGER. THANK YOU. UM, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE. UM, EXPLAIN THE TRANSPORTABLE ISSUE AND HOW THAT AFFECTS SAN ANTONIO AND BAYER COUNTY. SO, UM, THAT GOES TO THE SLIDE, UM, FROM DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY. SO THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY BECAUSE WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE TWO COMPONENT PARTS THAT MAKE OZONE. SO AGAIN, UM, OZONE DOESN'T TRAVEL FROM LONG DISTANCE TO HERE. UM, IT'S THE COMPONENT PARTS THAT WE WORRY ABOUT COMING TOGETHER OVER THE CITY AND CAUSING THAT GROUND LEVEL OZONE. UM, SO HIS STUDY IS DIFFERENT FROM ACOG'S MODELING, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE HE'S LOOKING AT ACTUAL DATA. SO HE'S USING THE HOUR BY HOUR OZONE READINGS, UM, FROM OUR REGULATORY MONITORS AND OTHER MONITORS TO PUT TOGETHER A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND LEVEL OF OZONE THAT WE HAVE, WHICH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO WHAT FOLKS CALL THE TRANSPORT ISSUE. SO, UM, THE THOUGHT THAT, WELL, SOME OF OUR OZONE PROBLEMS ARE COMING FROM OTHER PLACES, AND SO WE CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THAT. DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY IS GONNA HELP US BETTER QUANTIFY HOW MUCH OF THAT IS. UM, SO I'VE HEARD ESTIMATES THAT IT'S UP TO 70%. HIS PRELIMINARY RESULTS ARE SAYING IT'S NOWHERE NEAR 70%. UM, AND I'LL LET HIM SHARE HIS ACTUAL PERCENTAGES, BUT I GO BACK TO THE RESULTS ON THAT SLIDE, WHICH SAYS THAT WHEN WE HAVE HIGH OZONE, WE HAVE LOW WIND. AND SO IT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THINK THAT WHEN YOU HAVE LOW WIND, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE COMPONENT PARTS BLOWING IN FROM OTHER AREAS. UM, SO THAT TO ME IS THE, THE BIGGEST DATA POINT THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO HERE IN THE CITY TO [01:40:01] DECREASE KNOCKS AND VOCS AND DECREASE OZONE. SO THE LETTER THAT ACOG PUT TOGETHER THAT, UH, WENT BACK TO THE, TO THE E P A TO EXPLAIN THIS WHOLE SITUATION. YOU'RE SAYING IT WASN'T CORRECT. I THINK MAYOR, YOU, YOU ACTUALLY SIGNED THAT LETTER OR LETTER SIMILAR TO WHAT ACOG PUT TOGETHER. UH, SO LET ME, LET ME ANSWER THE TECHNICAL THING AND, AND THEN, UM, SO THE INFORMATION THAT ACOG HAD WAS BASED ON MODELS. SO THEY USED PHOTOCHEMICAL MODELING TO COME UP WITH ESTIMATES BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA FROM DR. JEFFRIES. AND SO WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE HOUR BY HOUR ACTUAL ANALYSIS, THEN YOU RELY ON COMPUTERS TO COME UP WITH AN ESTIMATE. AND SO IT WAS THE BEST WE HAD AT THE TIME. WE NOW HAVE BETTER INFORMATION BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WE'LL HAVE EVEN BETTER INFORMATION. SO I, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO, UM, SAY, OH, THAT WHAT THEY SUBMITTED WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, TERRIBLE. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE POINT. THE POINT IS THEY WERE USING MODELS, WERE USING ACTUAL DATA. THAT ACTUAL DATA IS GIVING US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAN THE MODELS COULD. I GUESS I'M CONFUSED 'CAUSE I THOUGHT ACOG WAS USING ACTUAL DATA BECAUSE THEY, UM, THEY USE THE DATA THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY COLLECTING FROM THOSE, FROM THOSE STATIONS AROUND SAN ANTONIO. AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THEY DIDN'T USE ANY OF THAT DATA. THEY USED IT TO INFORM THE MODEL, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS, WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, PROBABLY IT'S BETTER TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WHEN WE HAVE THE FULL RESULTS FROM DR. JEFFREY'S STUDY. UM, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE IS THAT ON DAYS WHEN WE HAD HIGH OZONE, WE HAD LOW WIND. WELL, I, I MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE BASE OUR, A LOT OF OUR, UH, ACTIONS ON ARE, IS MODELING STATISTICS, THAT KIND OF THING. AND, UM, I, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT, UH, WE, WE SIGNED LETTERS TO THE E P A SAYING WE NEED TO BE UNCLASSIFIABLE BECAUSE MAINLY BECAUSE OF THAT TRANSPORT ISSUE COMING ACROSS SAN ANTONIO, IF YOU TOOK THAT AWAY, WE WOULD BE WELL WITHIN THE NUMBERS THAT ARE SET FORWARD BELOW THE 70, UH, IF WE TOOK THAT AWAY. SO, UH, I, UH, THIS IS, UH, UM, VERY COMPLICATED. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WE, WE WENT ON RECORD, YOU KNOW, PUSHING BACK ON THE E P A AND ASKING THAT WE BE, UM, RATED AS UNCLASSIFIABLE, UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE REASONS, AND FOR THE FACT THAT WE WERE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS OVER THE YEARS. I MEAN, UH, WE'RE ALREADY ESTIMATED ON BASED ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. UH, AND, AND OUR CURRENT TREND LINES AS, AS YOU SHOWED ON THE, ON THE SLIDES, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE THERE WITHIN TWO OR THREE YEARS ANYWAY. SO I GUESS ALL THE ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN TO DATE, WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, ADDITIONAL, UM, RE STRINGENT THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA KEEP PUTTING ON BUSINESSES HERE THAT WILL, I THINK, HURT THE CITY AS A WHOLE. BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, IT'S ONLY BAYER COUNTY THAT'S IN NON-ATTAINMENT. NOW, OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE NOT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE WITHIN THE ACOG REGION, WHAT'S GONNA CONVINCE A COMPANY TO LOCATE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO VERSUS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF OUR, UH, BEARER COUNTY LINE IN THESE OTHER, UH, COUNTIES THAT ARE ENTERTAINMENT. SO THIS, THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED, BUT I, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT ON THIS WHOLE THING IS, ARE WE JUST GONNA ACCEPT THIS? ARE WE LOOKING TO WORK WITH BEXAR COUNTY OR ANYBODY TO PUSH BACK ON WHAT THE RULING HAS BEEN AT THIS POINT? UM, YOU KNOW, CAN WE TAKE 'EM, TAKE 'EM TO COURT? CAN WE FILE A LAWSUIT? CAN WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY? UH, IS THAT EVEN ON THE TABLE? HAVE WE DISCUSSED THAT AT ALL? NOT SURE IF I'M THE RIGHT ONE TO ANSWER IT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE, THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH E P A IN THE PAST IS THAT, UM, E P A, WHEN THEY ISSUED THEIR DESIGNATIONS, UH, A YEAR OR SO AGO, DID NOT INCLUDE, UH, OUR COUNTY. UH, THEY, THEY PUSHED OURS BACK AND PART OF THE REASON THEY STATED WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID, WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS. THEY WERE STUDYING THE TRANSPORT ISSUE, UH, AND BOUGHT US AND, AND ASKED AND, AND TOOK [01:45:01] SOME TIME, ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE GOVERNOR, UM, UH, SEIZED ON THAT AND, AND WROTE SEVERAL TIMES TO E P A, UH, MAKING AN ARGUMENT FOR KEEPING US UNCLASSIFIABLE. UM, NOT TO SAY THAT THE DATA WAS RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT THAT, BUT LET US CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND GET THERE. UH, ULTIMATELY THAT'S NOT WHAT E P A DID. UH, THEY ULTIMATELY DID DESIGNATE THE REGION, AND SO THE POSITION WE'RE IN NOW, THEY, THERE CAN BE A DISCUSSION IN, IN WHATEVER OTHER ACTIONS, UH, ARE ON OR, OR OFF THE TABLE. I'M NOT SURE I CAN ANSWER, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE NOW DESIGNATED AND WE'RE IN THE POSITION WHERE WE'VE GOTTA GET THERE IN THREE YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHER FACTORS MAY BE, UH, MAY BE A PART OF THAT. IS THAT A FAIR SUMMARY? CHERYL? DID, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, IT'S NOT ON THE TABLE. FROM OUR STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING AIR QUALITY IN THE, IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND BEXAR COUNTY. SO UNLESS THE COUNCIL GIVES US DIRECTION TODAY TO DO, OTHERWISE, WE'RE NOT PURSUING LITIGATION WITH THE E P A. OKAY. IS THE, IS THE COUNTY, HAS ANYBODY TALKED TO THE COUNTY ABOUT THAT? THE COUNTY'S CONSIDERING WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO? UM, CLAYTON, I THINK THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THIS IS THAT ON ONE HAND YOU DO HAVE E P A REGULATION AND, AND NO ONE LIKES TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO IS REGARD WITH REGARD TO AIR QUALITY. THE POINT OF THIS DISCUSSION THOUGH, AND, AND THE REASON WHY I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT DR. BRIDGER BRIDGER LED OFF WITH THE FACT THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY FROM A COMMUNITY HEALTH STANDPOINT, REGARDLESS OF THE FEDERAL REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, WHAT WE ARE POSITIONED TO DO, BY VIRTUE OF ALL THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME INTO US FROM CITIZENS THROUGH SA 2020 THROUGH SA TOMORROW AND FROM THIS DIOCESE OVER THE NUMBER OF YEARS, IS THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH IS A PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY. AND AIR QUALITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON. SO OUR AIR QUALITY ACTION PLAN WILL MOVE FORWARD. IT WILL MOVE FORWARD AGGRESSIVELY BECAUSE OF THAT FACT, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE BEING FORCED TO BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND, UH, I THINK OUR ACTIONS ARE SPEAKING LOUDER THAN WORDS WITH HOW THE TREND LINE IS CURRENTLY GOING AND WHERE, WHERE IT'S HEADED TOWARDS IS TO MEET THAT, THOSE NUMBERS AT THE E P A, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UH, UM, WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR PLANS WITHOUT HAVING THE, THE, UH, THREAT OF ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS OVER US, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING THOSE, THOSE REQUIREMENTS OR THE 70 PARTS PER BILLION AT THIS POINT, UH, LOOKING AT LOOKING AT THE DATA AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I THINK IF THE COUNTY IS CONSIDERING THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO BE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNTY ALSO TO, UH, SEE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE IN REGARDS TO THE E P A AND HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY HAVE NOW CLASSIFIED US VERSUS GOING, UH, LIKE I SAID, UH, I THINK YOU WERE THE ONE THAT SIGNED THE LETTER, UM, SAYING, WE NEED TO BE UNCLASSIFIABLE AND LET US MEET THOSE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS TODAY. CORRECT? YES. AND, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY THAT ALSO IS THAT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE WE, UH, WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE THE TREND LINES GO DOWN. IT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE DID THINGS LIKE BAN COAL, TAR SEALANTS, LIKE PASS ANTI-IDLING RESTRICTIONS LIKE IN INVEST AND ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR FLEETS, LIKE DEVELOP, UH, BETTER LAND USE PATTERNS. THESE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE WERE DELIBERATE ABOUT THEM. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING BY 66 PEOPLE PER DAY. WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TO 70 JUST BY HANGING BACK AND WAITING FOR IT. AND THE, AND THE PURPOSE OF ME BRINGING UP THE STANDARD ITSELF WAS THAT THERE ARE MANY MEDICAL EXPERTS, AND I THINK PROBABLY DR. BRIDGER INCLUDED THAT WOULD SAY THAT 70 IS THE REGULATORY BRIGHT LINE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE BRIGHT LINE FOR MEDICAL EXPERTS. WE LOST WHAT, 52 PEOPLE, UM, IN ONE YEAR IN BEXAR COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION BECAUSE OF AIR POLLUTION. AND THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR GREAT TREND LINES. SO THERE'S STILL MORE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO. I TOTALLY AGREE. I'M SAYING THAT WE HAD A VERY STRONG CASE, IN MY OPINION, ABOUT BEING GRADED AS UNCLASSIFIABLE TO LET US CONTINUE TO DO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND TO MEET THOSE NUMBERS WITHOUT THE E P A ADDING RESTRICTIONS THAT I THINK WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UM, OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES HERE TO SAN ANTONIO, BUT WITH THIS ADDED, UH, REQUIREMENT, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT [01:50:01] BUILD RIGHT ACROSS THAT COUNTY LINE? AND THEY, AGAIN, THEY ARE NOT IN A, THEY ARE NOT BEING CLASSIFIED THIS WAY. WE ARE HERE IN BAYER COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE NOT. SO THAT TO ME IS, IS THE BIGGER ISSUE AS WHAT IT'S REALLY GONNA COST THIS CITY AND THE COUNTY. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. CHERYL, YOU'RE STILL ON THE QUEUE HERE. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD? OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. SURE. LEARNING THE NEW SYSTEM, . OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. UM, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO, TO ADD A, A FEW COMMENTS. UM, UH, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MEDICAL EXPERTS, AND I'M NOT EXACTLY ONE, BUT I CERTAINLY SPENT A LONG TIME IN THE LIBRARY AND, UH, STUDYING UNDER SOME, SOME EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EXPERTS ON, ON AIR QUALITY. AND SO WHAT I LEARNED IN THAT TIME, WHICH I'M GONNA SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND YOU'VE HEARD ME TELL THIS STORY BEFORE, I'M SORRY, BUT I LOVE IT. I HAD, UH, A PROFESSOR OF AIR QUALITY, UM, WHEN I WAS GETTING MY MASTER'S IN AIR QUALITY MODELING OR AIR POLLUTION MODELING, UH, WHO HAD LIVED IN LA DURING THE TIMES OF REALLY BAD SMOG, WHICH WE'VE, UH, HEARD ABOUT, UM, IN THE, IN THE EIGHTIES. AND HE SAID THAT HE CHANGED HIS WINDSHIELD WIPERS ABOUT EVERY SIX WEEKS, THAT THAT'S WHAT HE HAD TO DO. AND HE CHANGED HIS WINDSHIELD WIPERS EVERY SIX WEEKS BECAUSE THEY WERE FALLING APART BECAUSE OF, UH, THE DEGRADATION BY THE AIR QUALITY, BY THE SMOG. AND SO OZONE IS A PRIMARY COMPONENT OF SMOG. SO IF THAT IS WHAT SMOG OR OZONE IS DOING TO RUBBER, UM, YOU CAN IMAGINE, OR WHAT IT DOES TO YOUR LUNGS ISN'T MUCH NICER. SO EVEN THOUGH OUR LEVELS ARE A LITTLE BIT LOWER, WE STILL RUN THE RISK OF HAVING THAT INFLAMMATION IN OUR AIRWAYS. AND PEOPLE WITH EMPHYSEMA, CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA, REALLY SUFFER WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO THAT. UH, IN PARTICULAR, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT CHILDREN WHOSE LUNGS ARE STILL DEVELOPING, IF THEY'RE EXPOSED TO HIGH LEVELS OF OZONE, THEIR LUNGS WILL NOT FULLY DEVELOP. UH, THEY WILL, THEY JUST WON'T GROW AS BIG AS THEY WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE. SO THAT MEANS THAT WHEN THAT CHILD GETS OLD AND HAS LUNG FUNCTION DECREASE, AS WE ALL WILL HAVE, OUR LUNGS WILL NOT WORK AS WELL. THEY WILL DECREASE FROM A LOWER POINT AND THEY WILL DIE SOONER. IT, IT IMPACTS THE, THE LIFESPAN. SO FOR ME TO SAY THAT THE OZONE IS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, SORT OF IGNORES THE FACT THAT OUR LUNGS ARE HERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO, TO PROTECT. UM, DR. BRIDGER, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE 2018 DESIGN VALUE IS RIGHT NOW FOR OZONE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S OUR THREE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE? IT'S STILL 74, RIGHT? 2016 THROUGH 2018. 2016 THROUGH 2018, WE'RE AT A 72. WOULD THAT BE ABOVE THE CURRENT STANDARD? YES. OKAY. SO WE'RE NOT SURE THAT WE'LL BE BELOW 70 IN THREE YEARS IF WE DON'T TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT. RIGHT? I WOULD SAY, I, I AGREE WITH YOU. WOULD SO, AND I AGREE WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, THAT, UM, WE'RE COMBATING GROWTH AS WELL. AND SO JUST DOING WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IS NOT GOING TO GET US BELOW 70. RIGHT. BUT IF WE GO INTO MODERATE, UH, IF WE DON'T GET, IF WE, SO I'VE, I'VE THOUGHT OUT IN MY MIND THE THE PROPOSAL OF OF COUNCILMAN PERRY AND, UH, TO, TO NOT DO ANYTHING, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING. NO, NO. THAT WASN'T TO, TO NOT CLEAN THE AIR. NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID. TO LET IT TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I, I THINK I WAS AGREEING WITH THE ACTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING AND FUTURE ACTIONS. WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE RESTRICTIONS THAT THE E P A IS GONNA BE PUTTING ON BUSINESSES, ON EXPANDING ON COMING TO SAN ANTONIO AND OUR ISLAND OF BAYER COUNTY BEING SURROUNDED BY OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE NOT UNDER THOSE RESTRICTIONS. AND WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO FOR THE GROWTH OF SAN ANTONIO AND BUSINESSES AND KEEPING PEOPLE EMPLOYED HERE. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE ISSUE. I THINK THAT'S A BAD SITUATION AS WELL. I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING, SHOULD WE CONSIDER TALKING WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, FILING A LAWSUIT, GOING AFTER THE E P A BECAUSE OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED TO THEM. SO IF I MAY ASK, WHILE WE, IF WE WERE TO FILE THIS LAWSUIT, WHAT WOULD WE DO IN TERMS OF AIR QUALITY IN THE MEANWHILE? OH, SORRY, WE CAN'T TALK, WE CAN'T TALK STRATEGY. RIGHT. DON'T WE HAVE ANDY, UH, WAY INTO THIS ISSUE OF, OF A LAWSUIT, AND YES, COUNCILMAN PERT ADDRESSED YOUR QUESTION, ACTUALLY. UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT WERE CONSOLIDATED [01:55:01] AGAINST THE E P A WHEN THEY REVISITED THE STANDARDS BACK IN 2015. THEY WERE CONSOLIDATED UNDER A CASE CALLED MURRAY ENERGY. AND NOT TO GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THEY WERE ASSERTING THAT THE, UH, E P A SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT STUDIES BEFORE THEY CHANGED THE STANDARDS. AND, UH, THE FOURTH CIRCUIT RECENTLY RULED. AND THEN WHAT THEY TRIED TO APPEAL IT TO THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH DENIED THE APPEAL, BUT THE FORCED CIRCUIT RULE THAT THE E P A HAD A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND DISCRETION IN TERMS OF ENFORCING THE CLEAN AIR ACT. UM, AND AS THEY PROMULGATE THESE STANDARDS, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, PROCESS INVOLVED TO IT IN TERMS OF, UH, COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY COMMENTS, ET CETERA. UH, THERE WAS THAT LETTER THAT YOU REFERRED TO WHERE, WHERE, WHERE, UH, PEOPLE WHO MAY BE AFFECTED AND ENTITIES THAT MAY BE AFFECTED CAN PROVIDE COMMENTS AND, AND, AND PROVIDE THEIR ARGUMENTS TO THE E P A. UH, SO IT'S VERY PROCESS LADEN. UH, SO LONG STORY MADE SHORT, IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO, UH, LAUNCH A, A LEGAL CHALLENGE, UH, ONCE THE E P A MAKES ITS, UH, DETERMINATION. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WHO HAVE TRIED IT. UH, THE ONES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL USUALLY ARE LINKED TO A SPECIFIC PROVISION IN THE CLEAN AIR ACT THAT SAYS IF YOU CAN POINT TO SPECIFIC SOURCES IN A NEIGHBORING STATE, UH, THAT COME OVER TO YOUR STATE, UH, MAYBE THERE'S A CHANGE. BUT IT WOULD BE A REAL, REAL CHALLENGE TO, UH, TO LAUNCH A LEGAL BATTLE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANDY. UM, SO I GUESS WHAT, WHAT I WAS THINKING, UH, COUNCILMAN AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES IS IF, IF THAT CHALLENGE WERE LOST, WE WOULD, AND IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THAT AIR THAT WE MEET ATTAINMENT, THEN WE WOULD BE IN NOT IN MODERATE NON-ATTAINMENT. AND THAT SITUATION IS FAR MORE PRESCRIPTIVE FROM THE POINT OF THE, OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM READING THE, THE CLEAN AIR ACT. UM, SO, AND, AND I DO WANNA CLARIFY THAT IT'S NOT EVERY BUSINESS, RIGHT? IT'S BUSINESSES THAT EMIT MORE THAN A HUNDRED TONS. UM, AND THERE'S LESS THAN A DOZEN, THERE'S FIVE CURRENTLY, UM, BUSINESSES THAT WOULD FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY NOW. SO WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO, UM, DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHICH BUSINESSES NEED TO BE, UM, COVERED UNDER THIS NEW REGULATION VERSUS THE VAST MAJORITY OF OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT. I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. AND I SEE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR HERE IN, IN THE AUDIENCE. SO SHOULD THERE BE ANOTHER BUSINESS WHO WANTS TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND IS PLANNING TO EMIT OVER A HUNDRED TONS OF OZONE FORMING POLLUTION, OR, UH, ONE OF THOSE FIVE BUSINESSES WANTS TO EXPAND? UH, I THINK THERE IS SOME, UH, SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT. WE CAN BE CREATIVE ABOUT THE EXPANSION. WE CAN BRING DOWN SOME OF THE LOW HANGING FRUITS YES. AT A 1.1 OFFSET RATIO. I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S DOABLE. MM-HMM. . UM, BUT, BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO, TO MENTION THAT IN, IN CASE ANYBODY'S WONDERING, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES WERE NOT DESIGNATED IN NON-ATTAINMENT, AND THAT IS REALLY RARE FOR NON-ATTAINMENT DESIGNATION. WE HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT, UM, TO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE ANYWHERE ACROSS THE US AND ANY OTHER METROPOLITAN AREAS. HOWEVER, OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES DO NOT HAVE REGULATORY OZONE MONITORS. SO THAT IS POSSIBLY A REASON WHY THEY WERE NOT NON-ATTAINMENT OR WERE UNCLASSIFIABLE BECAUSE THE, THE DATA WASN'T THERE. AND YOU KNOW, IN OUR CASE WE DID, WE DID HAVE THE MONITORS. SO, UM, I THINK I'M GOING TO STOP THERE BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG THANK YOU MAYOR . THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU DR. BRIDGER. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, I DO, I JUST WANTED TO REINFORCE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINTS, UH, ON JUST A COUPLE OF KEY ITEMS. UH, NUMBER ONE, AS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, BECAUSE HE RAISED A VERY VALID POINT ABOUT THE DISAGREEMENT WITH ACOG. UM, AND I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE DATA FEEDS, THE MODELING. THE MODELING IS THIS, YOU'RE DEALING IN DATA. SO THERE'LL COME A TIME WHEN THERE'LL BE ACTUALS. 'CAUSE FRANKLY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THERE IS THE DIFFERENCE. I'M WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY ON THAT POINT. IT'S, IT'S WARRANTED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE TAKING THE LEAD ON A REGIONAL ISSUE LIKE THIS. UH, AND MANY OF US SIGNED A LETTER THAT SUPPORTED THOSE FINDINGS IN THERE. AND IF IT WAS ON ERRONEOUS DATA OR THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DISAGREED WITH IT, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT EVER, WHAT THAT DIDN'T COME UP WHEN WE WERE SIGNING THOSE LETTERS AND PUSHING THAT INFORMATION. I NEED TO PLEASE CLARIFY THAT THAT WAS THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA AT THE TIME. SO IT, IT, I, I DON'T WANNA PORTRAY A SITUATION WHERE STAFF RECOMMENDED TO THE MAYOR TO SIGN THIS LETTER KNOWING THAT WHAT HE WAS SIGNING WAS WRONG. IT WAS THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA AT THE TIME BASED ON MODELS. AND IN THE FALL, WE WILL PRESENT YOU A BETTER, MORE GRANULAR STUDY. OKAY. AND I JUST WOULD LIKE [02:00:01] TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCES, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY ON THIS, YOU ARE THE ORGANIZATION. YOUR TEAM AND, AND DOUG HAVE BEEN ON DIFFERENT SIDES THAN ACOG. JUST, IT'S JUST BEEN HISTORICAL. I MEAN, THEY'VE, THEY'VE COUNTERACTED QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT POINTS. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS MADE ON THIS FACT. AND IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS SAYING THERE YOU'RE WRONG OR INCORRECT. I THINK THEY JUST PRESENTED IT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN USING DIFFERENT DATA, BUT THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY NOT BEEN IN CONCURRENCE WITH THE CITY'S POSITION ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. IT'S JUST, AND THAT'S NOT EVERYTHING. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHY IS THERE AN ONGOING DIFFERENCE WITH ACOG AND IN HER OPINION AND, AND DIANE AND HER TEAM. IT JUST, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT'S IT. UH, I ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT COUNCILMAN PERRY THAT IF WE HAVE A MEMBER THAT'S ASKING FOR POTENTIAL OPTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, TO FIGHT THESE TYPES OF THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS A MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE LONG TERM STABILITY OF OUR CITY. UH, AND WE'VE SUED ON OTHER ITEMS AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF LITIGIOUS ACTIONS AND OTHER ITEMS BECAUSE OF LONGSTANDING FUTURE COST INDUCED ITEMS. SO IF WE'VE SUED ON OTHER STUFF, IF WE'VE FOUGHT OTHER ITEMS, I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT AVENUES OR PARTNERSHIPS WITH EITHER WITH THE COUNTY OR THROUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM ARE AVAILABLE TO US TO, UH, TO INTERACT WITH THE EPA A OR TO SEE WHAT THOSE THINGS LOOK LIKE. I THINK IT'S A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK AND WARRANTS AT LEAST A RESEARCH OR SOME OPPORTUNITY OR TIME TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT, YOU KNOW, ITEMS ARE ON OUR WAY. I THINK JUST SIMPLY ROLLING OVER AND, AND, AND SAY, OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN WE JUST GO OFF AND DO IT. BECAUSE THE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT, I ALSO, I DIDN'T IN ONE INSTANCE THINK YOU WERE SAYING ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, DO NOTHING. I THINK WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO POINT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THAT SUCCESS HAS BEEN ONGOING. THE MODELING INDICATES SUCCESS GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, REACHING AND ATTAINING THE GOAL IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. UH, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT THE MAYOR MENTIONED THAT ARE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. AND I DON'T FRANKLY THINK THAT THE FIGHT OR, OR DEBATE IS TODAY, I THINK IS WHEN YOU COME OUT AND YOU'RE GONNA TROT OUT WHOEVER THE ORGANIZATION'S GONNA LEAD ON THIS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN OR WHATEVER, AND THEN THOSE SPENDING REQUIREMENTS, THOSE ASKS THOSE FINANCIAL REQUESTS, THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION IS REALLY GONNA COME, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S HOW, HOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR ALL THESE THINGS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE COST, UH, AND PRIORITIES OF THE CITY. SO RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE BRIEFING AND YOU'RE, IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NOT DOLLARS OR VALUE BEHIND IT, UH, IN THAT CASE. AND DOUG AND I, WE'VE TALKED FREQUENTLY ABOUT ANYTIME SOMETHING COMES UP, JUST LET'S TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL IMPACT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR IT. AND THAT'S WHERE THE REAL, UH, ISSUE IS GONNA COME FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, WHICH IS HOW DO WE PAY FOR A LOT OF THESE, UH, PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN A BIG SCHEME OF A CITY THAT'S GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON AND A LOT OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCILMAN'S POINT ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING TO FIND WAYS TO PARTNER AND PUSH BACK AGAINST THIS ARE ONGOING. UM, YOU KNOW, I, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS, I'M SURE THAT WERE VERY HAPPY TO SEE A NON-ATTAINMENT, UH, DESIGNATION 'CAUSE IT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO OPEN A DOOR TO A GREATER LEVEL OF, UH, REGULATION THEY'VE BEEN BEGGING FOR. SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO OFF THAT CLIFF LIKE A BUNCH OF BUFFALO RUNNING AND SAYING, UP HERE WE GO. I JUST WANNA SLOW IT DOWN, MAKE SURE WE ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. WE REMEMBER THAT THERE'S A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THIS. UM, AND THAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WE'RE MINDFUL OF THESE FOLKS THAT ARE PROVIDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN MANY OTHER AREAS. WE DON'T CUT THAT SHORT. SO I'D LIKE TO MAYBE CONTINUE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION WHEN THE REAL DATA COMES AND WE'RE SITTING DOWN AND RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, FAIR TO DEBATE OVER THE MODEL. IT'S FAIR TO DEBATE OVER THE FACTS WHEN THE TIME COMES. SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION AND, AND, AND AMEN. HEY, I'M GLAD YOU COULD UNDERSTAND ME. IT'S OKAY. THANK YOU. IT'S OKAY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY YOU GOT PUSHED BACK, MAN. BUT HEY, YOU ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, SO THAT WAS GOOD. THAT'S RIGHT. AT LEAST YOU HAD QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN ROCK HOUSE, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, A GOOD POINT THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP THAT MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPLORE IS THE FACT THAT IF WE GO INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF ATTAINMENT, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE RESTRICTION ON ALL OF US, WHETHER WE'RE DRIVING OUR CARS OR, OR WHETHER WE'RE, UH, A BIG BUSINESS. AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD EXPLORE WHO ARE THOSE LARGE BUSINESSES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK RIGHT NOW? I THINK DOUG MAY KNOW THE ONES THAT CURRENTLY ARE EXCEEDING THE 100 PARTICLES PER MILLION OR BILLION THAT, THAT THEY'RE PRODUCING IN NOX OR VOX. WHO ARE THOSE COMPANIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE MOST AT RISK THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT? COULD YOU SHARE THAT WITH US? UM, I DUNNO IF WE WANT TO POINT ANYBODY OUT SPECIFICALLY. I MEAN, BASICALLY IT'S IT'S ENERGY GENERATION. UM, IT'S, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, CEMENT KILNS, CEMENT PRODUCTION, IT'S SOME OF YOUR BIG, BIG INDUSTRY. UH, AND THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW. I THINK IF WE TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES WHEN YOU START LOOKING FURTHER DOWN THE LIST, UH, THERE'S QUITE A FEW BELOW A HUNDRED TONS PER YEAR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE CONSEQUENCES FOR THEM WANTING TO EXPAND? BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'LL REITERATE WHAT'S BEEN SAID. YOU KNOW, CLEAN AIR ACT IS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE ADDRESS THAT AND THERE'S COST ASSOCIATED WITH NOT TAKING ACTION ON THIS. OKAY. AND IS TOYOTA [02:05:01] ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES? UM, TOYOTA IS, UM, ON THAT LIST AND I, I ALSO POINT OUT IT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION THROUGH T C E Q. AND HOW ABOUT KAME, UH, REFINERY? LET'S SEE. YES THEY ARE. OKAY. AND THOSE ARE, AND IT'S, IT'S, AND IT'S BROKEN BETWEEN THOSE THAT EMIT, UH, NOX OR VOCS, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT RISK. IF WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE REGULATIONS, MORE THAN LIKELY IS THAT RIGHT? IT POTENTIALLY WOULD, UM, INFLUENCE SOME OF THEIR DECISION MAKING GOING FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. COURAGE. UM, BRIDGER, UH, DR. BRIDGER, GREAT JOB. UH, YOU AS WELL, DOUG. UM, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS YOU'VE HEARD, DEBATE WILL CONTINUE ABOUT THE REGULATORY, UM, ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALL THIS IS TAKING PLACE. BUT WHAT'S NOT UP FOR DEBATE IS THE FACT THAT THIS CITY, UH, THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR CITIZENS AND THROUGH THIS COUNCIL, WILL CONTINUE TO BE AGGRESSIVE WITH AIR QUALITY MEASURES FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. BRIDGER. THAT'S EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT. COUNCILMAN, DO YOU WANT TO CHIME? YES, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, MARY, JUST SO I CAN EXTEND THIS FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, I KNOW THAT SSID MARTINEZ IS HERE, AND I, I DON'T WANT HIM TO ESCAPE WITHOUT TAKING THE MIC FOR A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, IMPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR N P O LARGE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHETHER THEY'RE HIGHWAY OR NOT, BUT, UH, SOMETHING THAT SAN ANTONIO CARE A LOT ABOUT. IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT, UH, YOUR ENVIRONMENT, WHICH YOU SHOULD, IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR LUNGS, WHICH YOU SHOULD, UH, THERE'S EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO ACHIEVE AS SOMEBODY WHO MANAGES MULTI A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF INFRASTRUCTURE HIGHWAY PROJECTS. UH, SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE WAY THAT YOU'VE REACTED AND SEEN, UH, FROM YOUR SHOP? SURE. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRETTY DETAILED, UH, PRESENTATION. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AS WELL. OH, YEAH, SURE. MY NAME IS S MARTINEZ. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALAMO AREA, M P O. AND WE ALMOST GOT OUTTA HERE WITHOUT HAVING TO WALK UP HERE, SO . UM, AND JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT AIR QUALITY, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE, YOU'RE READY TO GET OUTTA HERE, BUT, UH, AS, AS A COUNCILMAN JUST NOTED ON THE M P O SIDE, WE DEAL WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF BIG PROJECTS. AND SO THE REGULATORY ARM OF, OF THIS NON-ATTAINMENT STANDARD FOR TRANSPORTATION HAPPENS ON THE M P O. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED THOUGH, UH, WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FOR DECADES, AND SO WE'RE READY TO MEET THE CHALLENGE AND WE THINK WE WILL FOR SURE. IT'S GOOD TO GET YOUR ENDORSEMENT OF THAT, UH, UH, SID, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT, WHAT IS A TAKEAWAY FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN FOR MY EVERYDAY LIFE? LIKE I SAID, THERE'S VERY SIMPLE, EASILY EXPLAINABLE REASONS TO SOMEBODY'S HEALTH, BUT THINGS LIKE A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR TWO YEARS MAY TAKE NOW THREE YEARS. AND THAT'S, UH, IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE BECAUSE THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE, YOU, YOU HAVE TRIED TO BE 10 YEARS PROACTIVE, UH, ON THIS UNDERSTANDING THE WAY THAT YOU, YOU'RE LAYING OUT PROJECTS, UNDERSTANDING HOW, WHAT STUDIES OR ENVIRONMENTALS NEED TO BE, UH, CHECKED OFF THE BOX BEFORE THEY MOVE. WE'RE ALREADY LIVING IN THAT WORLD, UH, WITH N P O. SO I, WHEN I SAY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK, UM, AND TO REALLY REINFORCE, UH, WHAT, WHAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WAS SAYING, WHICH IS THAT ON AN ISSUE LIKE THIS, WE CAN, WE CAN CHEW GUM AND WALK AT THE SAME TIME. UH, THERE IS, THERE IS EFFORTS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS OR SLOW THEM DOWN IF THAT'S OUR INTENTION. BUT WHAT WE SHOULDN'T SLOW DOWN ON, UH, ARE THE EFFORTS THAT ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PAID BACK RE REALLY QUICKLY, EITHER IN POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE WAYS IF WE DON'T ACT TO THE, THE LUNGS OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T AVOID THAT FACT. SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN TO, YOU KNOW, DESCRIBE TO US THAT WE CAN DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE. I APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, DEFINITELY. AND, AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER LAWSUIT SHOULD BE FILED. AND I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU WHETHER YOU SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT ALMOST EVERY AREA WHO'S GONE INTO NON-ATTAINMENT IN THE PAST HAS EITHER CONSIDERED A LAWSUIT OR FILED WHEN IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS HAVE LOST. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL BASED ON SCIENCE AND IT'S BASED ON NUMBERS. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE E P A WOULD HAVE DESIGNATED AS NON-ATTAINMENT IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO. AND I THINK THEY KNEW THAT IF THEY DIDN'T, THEY WOULD BE SUED MORE THAN LIKELY ON THEIR END, IT WOULD'VE LOST BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S BASED ON CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS, UH, AND, AND EXISTING LEGISLATION. AND SO NOT DESIGNATING SAN ANTONIO WOULD'VE DEFINITELY CAUSED LAWSUITS ON THE OTHER END. AND SO, IF THAT LETS ANYBODY KNOW, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU YOU SHOULDN'T FILE A LAWSUIT OR WHAT, WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DO, BUT PLENTY OF AREAS HAVE TRIED. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT DESIGNATIONS HAVE OCCURRED. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE FOURTH TIME, PROBABLY SINCE THE 1990S THAT THE STANDARD HAS BEEN LOWERED, AS YOU NOTICE IN SOME OF THE, THE PREVIOUS, UM, PRESENTATIONS. AND SO, UM, OTHER AREAS HAVE TRIED GETTING OUT OF IT. WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY, UH, FOR DECADES THAT WE HAVE BEEN THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, STILL IN, UH, ATTAINMENT FOR AIR QUALITY STANDARDS. AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH A BUNCH OF THE WORK THAT, THAT PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE DONE. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE DONE TO KEEP US OUT OF THAT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK AT, AT THIS POINT, UM, THE STANDARD IS SET AND WE HAVE NOT MET IT. AND SO AT THIS POINT, THE, THE RE REGULATORY ARM HAS REACHED OUT TO US AND IT'S OUR, OUR JOB NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUT OF THAT. GREAT. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN DONYA. UM, THANKS SSID. THAT'S IT. UH, WE DON'T HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, SO, UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED. [02:10:01] MAYOR, WE DO A REMINDER, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT SIX, AT 6:00 PM AND WE DO NEED A QUORUM. SO YES, OMEGA MAN PLAYING WITH, HE'S ALREADY TRIAL ON GET. GOOD EVENING [3. Public Hearing to gather community input on the proposed paid sick leave ordinance. [Andy Segovia, City Attorney]] EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEAT SO WE CAN BEGIN OUR PUBLIC HEARING. YEAH, JUST A MINUTE. HERE'S PAGE ONE. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO GATHER COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE PROPOSED PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL READ THE ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 15, HEALTH OF THE CITY, CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO CREATE A NEW ARTICLE. ONE SECOND, I'M SORRY. YEAH, UH, IF EVERYONE CAN TAKE THEIR SEATS, PLEASE. UH, WE'LL BEGIN TO READ THE ORDINANCE, UH, AS PART OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING. BUT FIRST, IF I CAN HAVE, UH, THE VIDEO OF OUR TRANSLATION SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS THEM. ALRIGHT, MADAM CLERK AT THIS TIME, ANDY SEGOVIA, CITY ATTORNEY WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, THIS IS THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, UH, PROPOSED SICK LEAVE, UH, PETITION AND ORDINANCE. UH, BEFORE THE CLERK ACTUALLY READS THE, UH, ORDINANCE, PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE, UH, COUNCIL, UH, AND THOSE HERE IN ATTENDANCE, SOME BACKGROUND AND A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT EXACTLY THE ORDINANCE, UH, IS ASKING THE, UH, CITY TO DO. UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GET, UH, STARTED. IF I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO TO THE NA, OH, HERE WE GO. ON MAY 24TH, THE, UH, CLERK RECEIVED THE INITIATIVE ON THE EARNED, UH, PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. UH, THE CLERK DID CERTIFY THE SIGNATURES, UH, ON AUGUST 2ND, 2018. UH, AND UNDER THE, UH, LAW, THE, UH, THEN THE CHARTER, OUR CHARTER REQUIRES A READING OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, WHICH THE CLERK WILL DO SHORTLY. UM, AND IT ALSO REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WE'RE HAVING THIS EVENING. UH, AND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY THOUGH READ THE ORDINANCE AND HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, WE DO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A QUICK REVIEW OF THE TERMS OF THE ORDINANCE SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS CALLING FOR. THE ISSUE PER THE, UH, WORDING OF THE ORDINANCE THAT IT'S TRYING TO ADDRESS IS PUBLIC HEALTH. UH, AS YOU SEE THERE PER THE, UH, PETITION, UH, IT SAYS DENY EARN SICK, UH, PAID SICK TIME IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UH, AND, UH, THE ORDINANCES PROPOSED APPLIES TO ALL EMPLOYERS EXCEPT GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UH, IT HAS AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, 2019, BUT I WANNA MAKE AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. ALTHOUGH THE ORDINANCE, UH, GOES INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, 2019, IF ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OR IF ADOPTED BY THE ELECTORATE. [02:15:01] UH, THE COMPLIANCE DATES IN WORDS, THE DATES ON WHICH EMPLOYERS HAVE TO COMPLY BY THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, AUGUST 1ST, 2019, FOR EMPLOYERS THAT ARE OVER FIVE EMPLOYEES. AND FOR THOSE EMPLOYERS THAT ARE FIVE EMPLOYEES OR LESS, THE EFFECTIVE DATE WILL BE AUGUST 1ST, 2021. SO FOR THOSE, UH, EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE VERY FEW EMPLOYEES, THEY'RE GIVEN A MUCH MORE TIME IN TERMS OF COMING INTO COMPLIANCE. SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE, UH, EARNED SICK LEAVE, UH, UH, PRO REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO DO? IT REQUIRES THEM TO PROVIDE ONE HOUR OF EARNED SICK, UH, TIME LEAVE FOR EVERY 30 HOURS WORKED, AND THAT'S, UH, FOR, UH, AND THERE'S A YEARLY CAP OF 64 HOURS FOR MEDIUM AND LARGE EMPLOYERS AND 48 HOURS FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS. UH, NOW SMALL EMPLOYERS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE 15 EMPLOYEES OR LESS. SO AGAIN, THE CAP OF 64 APPLIES GENERALLY TO EMPLOYERS. UNLESS YOU'RE A SMALL EMPLOYER, THEN THE CAP IS 48 HOURS PER YEAR, UH, AND EARNED SICK, UH, PAID SICK TIME IS AVAILABLE, IT ACCRUES AND IS AVAILABLE AS SOON AS IT ACCRUES. SO IN OTHER WORDS, ONCE SOMEBODY WORKS FOR 30 HOURS, UH, THEY CAN APPLY FOR ONE HOUR OF SICK TIME. UH, WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR? UH, FOR THE EMPLOYEE ITSELF, IT COULD BE USED FOR MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, UH, AND, UH, IT ALSO CAN BE USED BY THE EMPLOYEE, UH, TO PROVIDE CARE AND SERVICES, UH, FOR A FAMILY MEMBER. UH, AND THOSE CURRENT AND SERVICES CAN BE RELATED TO VICTIMIZATION FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, OR STALKING, INVOLVING, AGAIN, EITHER THE EMPLOYEE OR A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE EMPLOYEE. UH, THE ACTUAL, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE, UH, COMPENSATION LEVEL IS, IS WHATEVER THE COMPENSATION THE EMPLOYEE WOULD'VE GOTTEN HAD THAT EMPLOYEE WORKED FOR THAT ONE HOUR, UH, EXCLUSIVE OF OVERTIME TIPS OR COMMISSIONS. SO BASICALLY THE EARNED TIME IS EQUAL TO WHATEVER THEIR HOURLY PAY IS, UH, IF THEY'RE HOURLY PAID, WHAT IS A FAMILY MEMBER UNDER THE ORDINANCE? UH, A FAMILY MEMBER IS AN EMPLOYEE'S SPOUSE, UH, THEIR CHILD, A PARENT, UM, OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL RELATED BY BLOOD OR WHOSE CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE EMPLOYEE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. UM, SO IT'S A PRETTY BROAD DEFINITION OF WHAT A FAMILY MEMBER IS. UH, NOT ONLY THOSE THAT ARE RELATED BY BLOOD, BUT AGAIN, IF A CLOSE ASSOCIATION IS EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, THEN IT WOULD ALSO FALL THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL ALSO QUALIFY AS A FAMILY MEMBER TO USE THE, UH, PAID SICK TIME. THE EMPLOYEE MUST MAKE A TIMELY REQUEST. HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYER MUST, UH, ACCOMMODATE, UH, THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE, UH, IT'S EITHER AN EMERGENCY OR AN UNEXPECTED, UH, UH, REQUIREMENT IN TERMS OF, UH, SICK LEAVE OR VICTIMIZATION OR ANY OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT FALL WITHIN THE EARNED SICK TIME. SO ALTHOUGH, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A TIMELY REQUEST, THE ORDINANCE DOES REQUIRE THE EMPLOYER TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS. IF SITUATIONS THAT HAVE COME UP THAT ARE UNEXPECTED, UM, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT PREVENT AN EMPLOYEE FROM USING EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR UNQUALIFIED, AGAIN, AN UNQUALIFIED OR UNFORESEEN ABSENCE. AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO TRACK AND PROVIDE THE EMPLOYEE A MONTHLY STATEMENT AS TO HOW MUCH EARNED SICK TIME THEY HAVE EARNED OVER THAT MONTH AND WHAT THEIR STATUS IS IN TERMS OF ACCUMULATED OR ACCRUED SICK TIME. THAT'S ON A MONTHLY BASIS THAT THE EMPLOYER HAS TO DO THAT. UNDER THE ORDINANCE, IT'S THE DIRECTOR OF METRO HEALTH, UH, THAT IS TASKED WITH ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE, UH, SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. UM, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TASKS THAT ARE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY ASSIGN TO THE METRO HEALTH, UH, DIRECTOR, INCLUDING EDUCATING EMPLOYERS ON WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE OF THE ORDINANCE. UH, IN TERMS OF THERE'S, WHETHER THERE'S ANY INTERPRETATION NEEDED IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE, IT WOULD BE THE METRO HEALTH DIRECTOR THAT WILL PROVIDE THAT INTERPRETATION, UH, IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE. AND ALSO THE, UH, DIRECTOR WILL ADOPT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT'LL HELP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND AGAIN, HELP EMPLOYERS, UH, APPROPRIATELY COMPLY, UH, WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. PENALTIES, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MAY IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY OF UP TO $500, AND THAT'S PER VIOLATION, SO IT'S $500 PER VIOLATION. UH, THERE ARE ACCOMMODATIONS THOUGH IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE BEFORE A CIVIL PENALTY IS ASSESSED. [02:20:02] AND WITH THAT, UH, UH, OVERVIEW NOW THE, UH, THE CLERK WILL READ, UH, THE ACTUAL, UH, LANGUAGE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 15, HEALTH OF THE CITY, CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO CREATE A NEW ARTICLE TI ENTITLED SECTION 11, EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE TIME TO REQUIRE THAT CERTAIN EMPLOYEES IN SAN ANTONIO BE PROVIDED, EARNED, PAID, SICK TIME FOR USE IF AN EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO BE ABSENT FROM WORK BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEE OR THE EMPLOYEE'S FAMILY MEMBER EXPERIENCES ILLNESS, INJURY, STALKING, DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR OTHERWISE REQUIRES MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE, INCLUDING PREVENTIVE CARE AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE, ESTABLISHING NOTICE POSTING AND RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS, ESTABLISHING ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY, ESTABLISHING CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND SETTING THE EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS MOST WORKERS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL AT SOME TIME DURING EACH YEAR, NEED LIMITED TIME OFF FROM WORK TO CARE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH AND SAFETY NEEDS OR HEALTH AND SAFETY NEEDS OF A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER. AND WHEREAS DENYING EARNED PAID SICK LEAVE OR TIME TO EMPLOYEES IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WHEREAS THE LACK OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTES TO EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND UNEMPLOYMENT AND HARMS THE LOCAL ECONOMY. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS A HOME RULE MUNICIPALITY HAS THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS MATTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND NOW FINDS THAT ESTABLISHING EARNED PAID SICK TIME REQUIREMENTS IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SECTION ONE, CHAPTER 15, HEALTH OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IS HEREBY AMENDED BY ADDING THE UNDERLINED LANGUAGE AND DELETING STRICKEN LANGUAGE. SECTION TWO, CHAPTER 15, HEALTH OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IS HEREBY AMENDED BY ADOPTING A NEW ARTICLE 11 ENTITLED, EARN PAID SICK TIME TO READ AS FOLLOWS, ARTICLE 11, EARNED PAID SICK TIME, SECTION 15 DASH 2 69. DEFINITIONS IN THIS ARTICLE, CITY MEANS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS DEPARTMENT MEANS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT DIRECTOR MEANS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT OR THEIR AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE. EARN PAID SICK TIME MEANS A PERIOD OF PAID LEAVE FROM WORK ACCRUED BY AN EMPLOYEE. IN ACCORD WITH THIS ARTICLE, EMPLOYEE MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PERFORMS AT LEAST 80 HOURS OF WORK FOR PAY WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN A YEAR FOR AN EMPLOYER, INCLUDING WORK PERFORMED THROUGH THE SERVICES OF A TEMPORARY OR EMPLOYMENT AGENCY. EMPLOYEE DOES NOT MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. ACCORDING TO TITLE 40, SECTION 821.5 OF THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE EMPLOYEE DOES NOT MEAN AN UNPAID INTERN. EMPLOYER MEANS ANY PERSON, COMPANY, CORPORATION FIRM PARTNERSHIP, LABOR ORGANIZATION, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OR ASSOCIATION THAT PAYS AN EMPLOYEE TO PERFORM WORK FOR AN EMPLOYER AND EXERCISES CONTROL OVER THE EMPLOYEE'S WAGES, HOURS, AND WORKING CONDITIONS. THE TERM DOES NOT INCLUDE NUMBER ONE, THE UNITED STATES. NUMBER TWO, A CORPORATION WHOLLY OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NUMBER THREE, THE STATE OR ANY STATE OR AGENCY OR NUMBER FOUR, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, OR ANY OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OR OTHER STATE AGENCY THAT CANNOT BE LEGALLY REGULATED BY CITY ORDINANCE. FAMILY MEMBER MEANS AN EMPLOYEE, SPOUSE, CHILD, PARENT, OR OTHER INDIVIDUAL RELATED BY BLOOD OR WHOSE CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE EMPLOYEE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. MEDIUM OR LARGE EMPLOYER MEANS AN EMPLOYER WITH MORE THAN 15 EMPLOYEES AT ANY TIME IN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS, EXCLUDING FAMILY MEMBERS. PREDECESSOR MEANS AN EMPLOYEE OR AN EMPLOYER THAT EMPLOYS AT LEAST ONE INDIVIDUAL COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE. AND FOR WHICH A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN SUCH EMPLOYER OR A RECOGNIZED DIVISION OF SUCH EMPLOYER IS ACQUIRED BY A SUCCESSOR SMALL EMPLOYER MEANS ANY EMPLOYER THAT IS NOT A MEDIUM OR LARGE EMPLOYER. SUCCESSOR MEANS ANY EMPLOYER THAT ACQUIRES A CON CONTROLLING INTEREST IN A PREDECESSOR OR A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN A RECOGNIZED [02:25:01] DIVISION OF A PREDECESSOR YEAR MEANS A REGULAR AND CONSECUTIVE 12 MONTH PERIOD AS DETERMINED BY THE EMPLOYER. SECTION 15 DASH TWO 70 SCOPE AND INTENT OF VERTICAL TO PROVIDE EMPLOYEES WITH THE ABILITY TO ACCRUE AND USE EARNED PAID SIX TIME WHEN THEY NEED TO BE ABSENT FROM WORK BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEE OR EMPLOYEE'S FAMILY MEMBERS SUFFER ILLNESSES, INJURY, STALKING, DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR OTHERWISE REQUIRE MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE INCLUDING PREVENTIVE CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE. SECTION 15 DASH 2 71 DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE DIRECTOR. THE DIRECTOR IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO CARRY OUT AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE TO EDUCATE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ABOUT THIS ARTICLE TO RENDER INTERPRETATIONS OF THIS ARTICLE AND TO ADOPT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO CLARIFY AND ADMINISTER THE APPLICATION OF THIS ARTICLE'S PROVISIONS SUCH INTERPRETATIONS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SHALL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE. SUCH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SHALL NOT HAVE THE EFFECT OF WAIVING REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ARTICLE. SECTION 15 DASH 2 72 EARN PAID SICK TIME REQUIREMENTS. A GENERAL, AN EMPLOYER SHALL PROVIDE AN EMPLOYEE WITH EARNED PAID SICK TIME THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE IN AN AMOUNT UP TO THE EMPLOYEE'S AVAILABLE, EARNED, PAID SICK TIME, THE EMPLOYER SHALL PAY, EARN PAID SICK TIME IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO WHAT THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE EARNED IF THE EMPLOYEE HAD WORKED THE SCHEDULED WORK TIME. EXCLUSIVE OF ANY OVERTIME PREMIUM TIPS OR COMMISSIONS, BUT NO LESS THAN THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE B ACCRUAL REQUIREMENTS AND YEARLY CAP ONE, AN EMPLOYER SHALL GRANT AN EMPLOYEE ONE HOUR OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR EVERY 30 HOURS WORKED FOR THE EMPLOYER IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. EARN PAID SICK TIME SHALL ACCRUE IN ONE HOUR UNIT INCREMENTS. THERE SHALL BE NO ACCRUAL OF A FRACTION OF AN HOUR OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME UNLESS AN EMPLOYER CHOOSES SUCH SMALLER INCREMENT. TWO, EARN PAID SICK TIME SHALL ACCRUE STARTING AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OR THE DATE OF THIS ARTICLE IS EFFECTIVE, WHICHEVER IS LATER. NUMBER THREE, THE ARTICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE AN EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE AN EMPLOYEE WITH MORE EARNED PAID SICK TIME IN A YEAR THAN THE YEARLY CAP PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE AN EMPLOYER TO ALLOW AN EMPLOYEE TO ACCRUE MORE THAN THE YEARLY CAP OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME IN A YEAR. AN EMPLOYER MAY INFORM AN EMPLOYEE THAT LEAVE REQUESTED IN EXCESS OF THE EMPLOYEE'S AVAILABLE, EARNED PAID SICK TIME WILL NOT BE PAID. THE YEARLY CAP FOR EARNED SICK TIME UNDER THIS ARTICLE IS LETTER A. 64 HOURS PER EMPLOYEE PER YEAR FOR MEDIUM OR LARGE EMPLOYERS, UNLESS THE EMPLOYER CHOOSES A HIGHER LIMIT AND B 48 HOURS PER EMPLOYEE PER YEAR FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS UNLESS THE EMPLOYER CHOOSES A HIGHER LIMIT. NUMBER FOUR, ALL AVAILABLE EARN PAID SICK TIME UP TO THE YEAR YEARLY CAP PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CARRIED OVER TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR. PROVIDED THAT AN EMPLOYER MAKES AT LEAST THE YEARLY CAP OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME AVAILABLE TO THE EMPLOYEE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR UNDER THE PURPOSE AND USAGE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE IS NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY OVER EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR THAT YEAR. NUMBER FIVE, A WRITTEN CONTRACT MADE PURSUANT TO TITLE 29, SECTION 1 5 8 SUBSECTION D OF THE UNITED STATES CODE BETWEEN AN EMPLOYER AND A LABOR ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING EMPLOYEES MAY MODIFY THE YEARLY CAP REQUIREMENT ESTABLISHED IN THIS SECTION FOR EMPLOYEES COVERED BY THE CONTRACT IF THE MODIFICATION IS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE CONTRACT. NUMBER SIX, A SUCCESSOR MUST PROVIDE TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO WAS EMPLOYED BY A PREDECESSOR AT THE TIME OF THE ACQUISITION AND HIRED BY THE SUCCESSOR AT THE TIME OF THE ACQUISITION. ALL EARNED PAID SICK TIME AVAILABLE TO THE EMPLOYEE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE ACQUISITION C C USAGE REQUIREMENTS. HELLO, C USAGE REQUIREMENTS. ONE EARNED PAID SICK TIME SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR AN EMPLOYEE TO USE IN ACCORD WITH THIS ARTICLE AS SOON AS IT IS ACCRUED. PROVIDED THAT AN EMPLOYER MAY RESTRICT AN EMPLOYEE FROM USING EARNED PAID SICK TIME DURING THE EMPLOYEE'S FIRST 60 DAYS OF EMPLOYMENT. IF THE EMPLOYER ESTABLISHES THAT THE EMPLOYEE'S TERM OF EMPLOYMENT IS AT LEAST ONE YEAR. TWO, [02:30:01] AN EMPLOYEE MAY REQUEST EARNED PAID SICK TIME FROM AN EMPLOYER FOR AN ABSENCE FROM THE EMPLOYEE'S SCHEDULED WORK TIME CAUSED BY A, THE EMPLOYEE'S PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ILLNESS OR INJURY, PREVENTATIVE MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE OR HEALTH CONDITION, OR B, THE EMPLOYEES NEED TO CARE FOR A FAMILY MEMBER'S, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ILLNESS, PREVENTATIVE MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE INJURY OR HEALTH CONDITION OR C. THE EMPLOYEES OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS' NEED TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION, SEEK RELOCATION, OBTAIN SERVICES OF A VICTIM SERVICES ORGANIZATION, OR PARTICIPATE IN LEGAL OR COURT ORDERED ACTION RELATED TO AN INCIDENT OF VICTIMIZATION FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING INVOLVING THE EMPLOYEE OR THE EMPLOYEE'S. FAMILY MEMBER THREE AND EMPLOYER MAY ADOPT REASONABLE VERIFICATION PROCEDURES TO ESTABLISH THAT AN EMPLOYEE'S REQUEST FOR EARNED PAID SICK TIME MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. IF AN EMPLOYEE REQUESTS TO USE EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR MORE THAN THREE CONSECUTIVE WORK DAYS, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT ADOPT VERIFICATION PROCEDURES THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING, ILLNESS, INJURY, HEALTH CONDITION, OR OTHER HEALTH NEED WHEN MAKING A REQUEST FOR EARNED PAID SICK TIME UNDER THIS SECTION. NUMBER FOUR, AN EMPLOYER SHALL PROVIDE EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR AN EMPLOYEE'S ABSENCE FROM THE EMPLOYEE SCHEDULED WORK TIME. IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS AVAILABLE EARNED PAID SICK TIME AND MAKES A TIMELY REQUEST FOR THE USE OF THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME BEFORE THEIR SCHEDULED WORK TIME. AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT PREVENT AN EMPLOYEE FROM USING EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR AN UNFORESEEN QUALIFIED ABSENCE THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. NUMBER FIVE, THIS SECTION DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY EMPLOYER TO ALLOW AN EMPLOYEE TO USE EARNED PAID SICK TIME ON MORE THAN EIGHT DAYS IN A YEAR. NUMBER SIX, AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS HIRED BY AN EMPLOYER WITHIN SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING SEPARATION FROM EMPLOYMENT FROM THAT EMPLOYER MAY USE ANY EARNED PAID SICK TIME AVAILABLE TO THE EMPLOYEE AT THE TIME OF SEPARATION. LETTER D REQUIRING EMPLOYEES TO FIND A REPLACEMENT TO WORK SCHEDULED TIME PROHIBITED. AN EMPLOYER SHALL NOT REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT TO COVER FOR THE HOURS OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME AS A CONDITION OF USING EARNED PAID SICK TIME. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER FROM ALLOWING AN EMPLOYEE TO VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE HOURS OR VOLUNTARY TRADE SHIFT WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE OR PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER FROM ESTABLISHING INCENTIVES FOR EMPLOYEES TO VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE HOURS OR VOLUNTARILY TRADE SHIFTS. LETTER E DONATING UNUSED EARNED PAID SICK TIME. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER FROM PERMITTING AN EMPLOYEE TO DONATE AVAILABLE EARNED PAID SICK TIME TO ANOTHER EMPLOYEE LETTER F EMPLOYEE TRANSFER. NEITHER THE TIME OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME NOR THE RIGHT TO USE EARNED PAID SICK TIME SHALL BE AFFECTED BY AN EMPLOYEE'S TRANSFER TO A DIFFERENT FACILITY LOCATION, DIVISION, OR JOB POSITION WITH THE SAME EMPLOYER. SECTION 15 DASH 2 73, NO CHANGE TO MORE GENEROUS SICK LEAVE POLICIES. A AN EMPLOYER MAY PROVIDE PAID LEAVE BENEFITS TO AN EMPLOYEES THAT EXCEED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE AN EMPLOYER WHO MAKES PAID TIME OFF AVAILABLE TO AN EMPLOYEE UNDER CONDITIONS THAT MEET THE PURPOSE ACCRUAL YEARLY CAP AND USAGE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EARNED PAID SICK TIME TO THAT EMPLOYEE. B. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE AN EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL EARNED PAID SICK TIME TO AN EMPLOYEE IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS USED PAID TIME OFF THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE FOR A PURPOSE NOT SPECIFIED IN SECTION 15 DASH 2 72 C. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER FROM GRANTING EARNED PAID SICK TIME TO AN EMPLOYEE PRIOR TO ACCRUAL BY THE EMPLOYEE. SECTION 15 DASH 2 74 NOTICE RECORD KEEPING AND SIGNAGE REQUIREMENTS. A MONTHLY NOTICE TO EMPLOYEE ON NO LESS THAN A MONTHLY BASIS AN EMPLOYER SHALL PROVIDE ELECTRONICALLY OR IN WRITING TO EACH EMPLOYEE A STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF THE EMPLOYEES AVAILABLE, EARNED, PAID, SICK TIME. THIS SECTION DOES NOT CREATE A NEW REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFIED PAYROLL. B. NOTICE AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK. AN EMPLOYER WHO PROVIDES AN EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK TO ITS EMPLOYEES MUST INCLUDE A NOTICE OF AN EMPLOYEE'S RIGHTS [02:35:01] AND REMEDIES UNDER THIS ARTICLE IN THAT HANDBOOK. C, RECORD KEEPING FOR THE PERIOD REQUIRED FOR MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS UNDER TITLE 29, SECTION 516 A OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AN EMPLOYER SHALL MAINTAIN RECORDS ESTABLISHING THE AMOUNT OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME ACCRUED AND USED BY EACH EMPLOYEE D POSTING OF SIGNS. IF THE DIRECTOR MAKES SUCH SIGNAGE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE, AN EMPLOYER SHALL DISPLAY A SIGN DESCRIBING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE OR PLACES WHERE NOTICES OF TWO EMPLOYEES ARE CUSTOMARILY POSTED, THE DIRECTOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PRESCRIBE THE SIZE CONTENT AND POSTING LOCATION OF SIGNS REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION. THE SIGNS DISPLAYED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE IN EMPLOYEE'S ABSENCE. OH SHALL BE IN EMPLOYEE'S, SHALL BE IN ENGLISH, ENGLISH, AND OTHER LANGUAGES AS DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTOR. SECTION 15 DASH 2 75 RETALIATION PROHIBITED. AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT TRANSFER DEMOTE, DISCHARGE, SUSPEND REDUCE HOURS OR DIRECTLY THREATEN THESE ACTIONS AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE BECAUSE THAT EMPLOYEE REQUEST OR USES EARNED PAID SICK TIME REPORTS OR ATTEMPTS TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE PARTICIPATES OR ATTEMPTS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INVESTIGATION OR PROCEEDING UNDER THIS ARTICLE OR OTHERWISE EXERCISES. RIGHTS AFFORDED BY THIS ARTICLE, SECTION 15 DASH 2 76, INVESTIGATIONS OF COMPLAINTS LETTER A. AN EMPLOYEE MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT MAY INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS INCLUDING ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS ALLEGING A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE. LETTER B, A COMPLAINT ALLEGING A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE MUST BE FILED WITH THE DEPARTMENT BY OR ON BEHALF OF AN AGGRIEVED EMPLOYEE WITHIN TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE VIOLATION. LETTER C. AN EMPLOYER SHALL TIMELY PROVIDE RELEVANT INFORMATION AND TESTIMONY WHEN REQUESTED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINING COMPLIANCE OF THIS ARTICLE. RELEVANT INFORMATION AND TESTIMONY INCLUDES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO ONLY THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE HAS OCCURRED. LETTER D THE DEPARTMENT MAY INFORM EMPLOYEES AT A WORK SITE OF ANY INVESTIGATION OF A COMPLAINT AT WORK SITE ALLEGING A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE. SECTION 15 DASH 2 77 ENFORCEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE, SECTION 15 DASH 2 78 VIOLATIONS. CIVIL PENALTIES, VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE LETTER, A CIVIL PENALTY. THE DEPARTMENT MAY IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALTY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $500. VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE. EACH VIOLATION OF A PARTICULAR SECTION OR A SUBSECTION OF THIS ARTICLE CONSTITUTES A SEPARATE OFFENSE IF THE DEPARTMENT FINDS AFTER INVESTIGATION OF A TIMELY COMPLAINT THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE HAS OCCURRED OR EMPLOYER SHALL RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE VIOLATION AND CIVIL PENALTY ASSESSED IF ANY SUCH WRITTEN NOTICE IS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ON THE FIFTH DAY AFTER THE NOTICE IS MAILED. B. VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. IF THE DEPARTMENT FINDS AFTER INVESTIGATION OF A TIMELY COMPLAINT THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE HAS OCCURRED, THE DEPARTMENT MAY SEEK VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FROM THE EMPLOYER TO REMEDY ANY VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE BEFORE COLLECTING ANY CIVIL PENALTY. IF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IS NOT ACHIEVED WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS FOLLOWING THE EMPLOYER'S RECEIPT OF THE WRITTEN VIOLATION, NOTICE THE EMPLOYER SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY ASSESSED CIVIL PENALTY C FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE THAT OCCURS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ORDINANCE FROM WHICH THIS ARTICLE DERIVES. BUT BEFORE APRIL 1ST, 2020, THE DEPARTMENT MAY ISSUE A NOTICE TO THE EMPLOYER THAT A CIVIL PENALTY MAY BE ASSESSED FOR A VIOLATION THAT OCCURS ON OR AFTER APRIL 1ST, 2020. PROVIDED THAT A CIVIL PENALTY FOR A VIOLATION OF SECTION 15 DASH 2 75 RETALIATION PROHIBITED, MAY BE ASSESSED ANY TIME AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ENABLING ORDINANCE D. THIS SECTION DOES NOT CREATE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. SECTION 15 DASH 2 79 ANNUAL REPORT. THE DIRECTOR MAY PUBLISH AN ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF COMPLAINTS REPORTED. INVESTIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS, FOUND COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED AND PENALTIES ASSESSED IN THE PRIOR YEAR, INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS WITH HIGH RATES OF COMPLAINTS [02:40:01] AND VIOLATIONS AND A DISCUSSION OF THIS ARTICLE'S IMPACT ON EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES. THIS REPORT MAY ALSO INCLUDE THE DIRECTOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS ARTICLE, SECTION 15 DASH TWO 80 EFFECTIVE DATE. THIS ARTICLE SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 1ST, 2019, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION LETTER B, DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION FOR VERY SMALL EMPLOYERS. THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 1ST, 2021 FOR THE EMPLOYERS HAVING NO MORE THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES AT ANY TIME IN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS. SECTION THREE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN HEALTH DISTRICT IN CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AS APPROPRIATE MAY DESIGN AND PROVIDE A MULTILINGUAL PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO INFORM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ORDINANCE, SUCH AS CREATING A WEBSITE WITH BEST PRACTICES FOR EMPLOYERS AND AN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH STRATEGY TO INFORM EMPLOYEES AND CITY RESIDENTS OF THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THIS ARTICLE. SECTION FOUR, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MAY DETERMINE WHERE FUNDS GENERATED BY THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE DEPOSITED. WHEREVER POSSIBLE FUNDS GENERATED BY THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE USED TO IMPLEMENT AND CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE. SECTION FIVE, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE MAY SUBJECT TO CONCURRENCE BY THE CITY MANAGER OR THE CITY MANAGER'S DESIGNEE CORRECT ALLOCATIONS TO SPECIFIC SS A P FUND NUMBERS SS A P PROJECT DEFINITIONS SS A P W B S ELEMENTS SS A P, INTERNAL ORDERS S A P FUND CENTERS SS A P, COST CENTERS SS A P, FUNCTIONAL AREAS SS A P FUNDS, RESERVATION DOCUMENT NUMBERS AND SS A P GL L ACCOUNTS AS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE. SECTION SIX, SHOULD ANY ARTICLE SECTION, PART, PARAGRAPH, SENTENCE, PHRASE, CLAUSE, OR WORD OF THIS ORDINANCE FOR ANY REASON BE HELD ILLEGAL, INOPERATIVE OR INVALID OR OF ANY EXCEPTION TO OR LIMITATION UPON ANY GENERAL PROVISION IN THIS ORDINANCE BE HELD TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR INVALID OR INEFFECTIVE. THE REMAINDER SHALL NEVERTHELESS STAND EFFECTIVE, AS VALID AS IF IT HAD BEEN ENACTED AND ORDAINED WITHOUT THE PORTION HELD TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR INVALID OR INEFFECTIVE. SECTION SEVEN, NO OTHER PROVISION OF THE CITY CODE IS AMENDED BY THIS ORDINANCE. ALL OTHER PROVISIONS REMAIN IN EFFECT. SECTION EIGHT, THE CITY CLERK FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MAY PUBLISH NOTICE OF THIS ORDINANCE IN A NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AS REQUIRED BY ARTICLE TWO SECTION 17 OF THE CITY CHARTER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, SECTION NINE. THE PUBLISHERS OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO ARE AUTHORIZED TO AMEND THE CITY CODE TO REFLECT THE CHANGES ADOPTED IN THIS ORDINANCE, TO CORRECT TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TO INDEX FORMAT NUMBER PARAGRAPHS AND TO CONFORM TO THE EXISTING CODE. SECTION 10, ACCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION TWO. THIS ORDINANCE IS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2019, PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS BLANK DAY OF BLANK 2018. THAT CONCLUDES THE RATING OF THE ORDINANCE MAYOR. THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN OUR PUBLIC HEARING NOW. UM, SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, IN FACT WAY OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE. SO, UM, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, EVERYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES. THERE WON'T BE ANY EXCHANGING OF TIME AND I'M GONNA CALL UP THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK AND I'LL CALL THE SUBSEQUENT TWO PEOPLE SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED AND START MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM. SO WE'LL BEGIN NOW AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH SECRETARY JULIAN CASTRO, FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE TRU AND SELENA BANEZ. GOOD EVENING MAYOR NURNBERG AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE BACK IN THIS CHAMBER. HAVEN'T BEEN BACK SINCE I LEFT AS MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO JUST START OFF BY THANKING, UH, MICHELLE AND TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT AND MOVE AND THE COALITION OF FOLKS WHO HAVE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU SIGNATURES ON A PETITION TO PUT, UH, THIS PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE ON THE TABLE A FEW YEARS AGO IN 2010, AS YOU KNOW, AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF SAN ANTONIANS CAME TOGETHER TO DREAM ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SPOKE TO LOUD AND CLEAR LOUDLY [02:45:01] AND CLEARLY WAS THE NEED TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO HEALTHIER AND MORE PROSPEROUS. WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU WITH THIS PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE IS AN ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF EVERYDAY HARDWORKING SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES IN A VERY REAL AND CONCRETE WAY. IT'S WELL THOUGHT OUT, IT'S FEASIBLE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST 75 MILES UP THE ROAD, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ALREADY DONE. UH, IT MAKES ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE SMALL. UH, IT MAKES ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING A GOOD RUNWAY UNTIL IMPLEMENTATION IS EFFECTIVE. UH, IT IS A WELL THOUGHT OUT ORDINANCE AND MY HOPE IS THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS CITY COUNCIL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THE LIVELIHOOD OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE KIND OF ORDINANCE THAT WOULD POSITIVELY IMPACT FOLKS IN DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH 10 ALL OVER THE CITY FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE THAT Y'ALL WILL VOTE TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE. UH, AND I THINK THAT IF YOU DO THAT, THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY. UH, I BELIEVE IF THIS ORDINANCE DOES GO ON THE BALLOT, THAT IT'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF FOLKS TO THE POLLS. IT'S GONNA BE VERY POPULAR. FOLKS ARE GONNA VOTE YES FOR THIS ORDINANCE IN NOVEMBER IF IT'S AT THE BALLOT BOX. UH, SO MY HOPE IS THAT, THAT YOU WILL PASS THIS, UH, AND DO GOOD FOR SO MANY SAN ANTONIANS THAT ARE WORKING HARD AND REALLY MAKE OUR COMMUNITY WHAT IT IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SECRETARY. ALL RIGHT, ONE SEC. ALRIGHT. IT'S GONNA BE A LONG NIGHT Y'ALL. SO, UM, IF YOU CAN PLEASE KEEP DOWN YOUR APPLAUSE SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THEIR NAME BEING CALLED AND THEY CAN MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE DAIS. SO AFTER MICHELLE, WE HAVE SELENA BANEZ, FOLLOWED BY DREW GALLOWAY. MR. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MICHELLE TOYO AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT AND A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE WORKING TEXANS FOR PAID SICK TIME COALITION AS WELL AS TOPS 49,000 MEMBERS IN SUPPORTERS IN SAN ANTONIO, MANY OF WHOM DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EARNED PAID SICK TIME. IN MARCH, WE STARTED COLLECTING THE SIGNATURES NECESSARY TO PUT EARNED PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE ON THE BALLOT. THE RESPONSE FROM VOTERS WAS FORCEFUL SANTON UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A DAY'S PAY AND TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES OR A FAMILY MEMBER WHEN THEY GET SICK. THESE ARE THE FAMILIES WHO FEED CLEAN AND BUILD OUR CITY, AND WHO LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. THESE ARE THE FAMILIES WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD TO MISS A DAY'S PAY. IN ADDITION TO OUR COALITION, YOU WILL ALSO HEAR FROM THOSE WHO OPPOSE THIS ORDINANCE, THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE THAT ALL WORKING PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES OR A SICK FAMILY MEMBER. SOME WILL ASK YOU TO PUT THEIR RIGHT TO MAKE A PROFIT ABOVE THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF THE EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE THEIR PROFITS POSSIBLE. THEY WILL TRY TO CREATE CONFUSION AND FEAR AND ASK YOU TO IGNORE THE NUMEROUS STUDIES THAT SHOW ENACTING EARNED, PAID SICK DAYS HAS YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS FOR BOTH BUSINESSES AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THEM. FORTUNATELY FOR YOU, WE AREN'T ASKING YOU TO PICK A SIDE. WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING YOU TO NOT DELAY AND TO HONOR THE COMMITMENT. MOST OF YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE TO TAKING A VOTE ON AUGUST 16TH. YOU CAN PASS THIS AS AN ORDINANCE OR WE CAN WIN THIS FOR OURSELVES AT THE BALLOT BOX IN NOVEMBER. EITHER WAY, WE WILL BE HAPPY. WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE UNDER AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO DELAY AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP YOU HAVE SHOWN THIS FAR IN RESPECTING THE WILL OF THE VOTERS IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ASK YOU TO STICK WITH US THROUGH AUGUST 16TH AND TAKE A VOTE. 354,000 HARDWORKING SAN ANTONIANS ARE DEPENDING ON YOU TO TAKE ACTION NOW. DON'T LET US DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MEO. SELENA BANEZ, FOLLOWED BY DREW GALLOWAY. ALRIGHT, FOLKS, PLEASE KEEP YOUR APPLAUSE DOWN SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THEIR NAMES. I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE COME TO THE PODIUM SO THAT THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH DELAY IN BETWEEN SPEAKERS. SO WE HAVE SELENA BANEZ, FOLLOWED BY DREW GALLOWAY AND LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON. HELLO, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MADELINE SANTEZ AND I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY COUSIN THIS EVENING. UM, 'CAUSE SHE'S OUT OF TOWN, SO, UH, I'LL READ WHAT SHE WROTE. MY NAME IS SELENA SANTEZ GIBSON AND I RESIDE IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO. MY [02:50:01] HUSBAND EDUARDO AND I OWN A G P S DRYWALL. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WE DEPEND ON OUR WORKERS TO BE HEALTHY AND SAFE IN ORDER TO DO QUALITY WORK ON THE JOB SITE. IN ONE INSTANCE, A TEAM MEMBER OF OURS CAME TO WORK SICK, AND SUBSEQUENTLY A FEW OTHER OF OUR GUYS GOT SICK AS WELL, INCLUDING MY HUSBAND. I WOULD RATHER HAVE PAID FOR OUR EMPLOYEE TO RECOVER SAFELY AT HOME THAN TO HAVE TO LOSE PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME ON THE JOB SITE. MY HUSBAND EDUARDO WORKS ALONGSIDE OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE FATHERS, SONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. OFTEN IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA, WE BELIEVE THAT PAID SICK DAYS ARE AN INVESTMENT IN OUR TEAM THAT WILL INCREASE EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND ALSO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR WORKING FAMILIES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, WE WOULD HAVE, WE HAVE A GROWING LABOR SHORTAGE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND OF SOUTH TEXAS. IF WE DO NOT, IF WE DO NOT TAKE CARE OF OUR TRADESMEN AND ATTRACT OTHERS TO THIS AREA OF WORK, WE'LL NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. BANEZ. DREW GALLOWAY, FOLLOWED BY LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON AND MIA IBARRA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS H DREW GALLOWAY AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MOVE TEXAS, A GRASSROOTS, NON-PARTISAN, NON-PROFIT BUILDING POWER AND UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH COMMUNITIES THROUGH CIVIC EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND ISSUE ADVOCACY. AS A YOUNG BOY GROWING UP IN RURAL GEORGIA, I REMEMBER WATCHING MY YOUNG SINGLE MOTHER GO TO WORK ILL JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET FOR OUR FAMILY, LACKING HEALTHCARE AND BENEFITS. SHE WOULD STAY HOME WITH US WHEN WE WERE SICK, RISKING A TIGHTER MONTHLY BUDGET FOR HER TWO SON'S, COMFORT AND WELLBEING. NOW, AS A PARENT MYSELF, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE FINANCIAL STRESS SHE WAS UNDER. YOU SEE, I'M FORTUNATE TO WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT PRIORITIZES MY HEALTH AND THE WELLNESS OF MY FAMILY BY PROVIDING OUR EMPLOYEES WITH PAID SICK TIME. FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I'VE HAD COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS OUR GREAT CITY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF A CITYWIDE PAID SICK TIME POLICY ON EVERYDAY LIVES MOVE. TEXAS'S YOUNG ORGANIZERS HAVE KNOCKED HUNDREDS OF DOORS AND HAD THOUSANDS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHY PAID SICK TIME IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR CLASSMATES, OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR EMPLOYEES, AND OUR BUSINESSES. PAID SICK TIME IS A CITIZEN INITIATED POLICY GROUNDED IN THE VALUES OF OUR CITY ITSELF. EQUITY, JUSTICE, AND COMPASSION. WE CAN'T CALL OURSELVES EQUITABLE WITHOUT PAID SICK TIME. WE CAN'T CALL OUR CITY JUST WITHOUT PAID SICK TIME AND WE CAN'T BE COMPASSIONATE WITHOUT PAID SICK TIME NEXT WEEK AS YOU GET READY TO CAST YOUR VOTE FOR PAID SICK TIME. REMEMBER MY MOM, REMEMBER YOUR SERVER FROM DINNER LAST NIGHT. REMEMBER YOUR RECEPTIONIST AT YOUR LAST HOTEL STAY. AND REMEMBER THE 144,000 VOICES THAT SAID, BRING PAID SICK TIME TO SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU MR. GALLOWAY. LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY MIA IBARRA AND MARI MARIA SALAS. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. MR. MAYOR. MY NAME IS LINDA CHAVEZ THOMPSON. I'M THE RETIRED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL A F L C I O. AND TODAY I REPRESENT THE SAN ANTONIO, A F L C I O LABOR COUNCIL HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10. THE CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL REPRESENTS THE INTEREST OF OVER 50,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS IN SAN ANTONIO AND BAYAR COUNTY. ON BEHALF OF THE LABOR LABOR COUNCIL, WE SAY VERY EMPHATICALLY THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THIS ORDINANCE AND ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERSHIP, WE SAY PLEASE, TO THIS COUNCIL TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE. WHETHER AS THEY, IT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE THROUGH ORDINANCE OR BY PETITION. SAN ANTONIO WORKERS, MANY OF THEM ARE IN VERY LOW PAYING JOBS. THEY STRUGGLE EVERY DAY TO MAKE ENDS MEET PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK WITH ONE DAY LOST ON SICK LEAVE WITHOUT PAY. THAT FAMILY'S, UH, WELFARE IS AT STAKE BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BUY THE FOOD OR PROVIDE THE MEDICATION THAT IS NEEDED FOR SOMEONE WHO IS SICK. WE ASK TODAY THAT 144,000 PEOPLE ASKED YOU, ASKED YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEM. TODAY, I REPRESENT LABOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. THEY HAVE GOOD BENEFITS, THEY HAVE GOOD WAGES, THEIR UNIONS HAVE HAVE NEGOTIATED THAT FOR THEM. I'VE SPENT 50 YEARS OF MY LIFE SINCE DECEMBER OF 1967, REPRESENTING, ADVOCATING, MARCHING, [02:55:01] RAISING A LITTLE HELL, UH, TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR WORKERS. IT'S BEEN FUN, BUT I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED IN THIS LAST FEW MONTHS SINCE THIS PETITION BEGAN IS TALKING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO REALLY, HONESTLY, ARE BEGGING FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AS WELL. DIGNITY, FAIRNESS AND RESPECT IS DESERVED BY ALL WORKERS AND JUSTICE DEMANDS THAT WORKERS BE TREATED THE SAME. AND IN, IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT ALSO HAS BEEN TRUE. THANK YOU MS. CHAVEZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR THIS PASSAGE OF EITHER THIS ORDINANCE OR, ALRIGHT. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, YOUR COURTESY THE NEXT FOLKS, OUR, OUR TIMER BUZZER IS NOT WORKING. SO I'LL BE GENTLE AND REMIND YOU THAT YOUR TIME IS UP. UH, ALSO IF ANYONE IS, UH, CURIOUS AS TO WHERE THEY STAND IN THE LIST, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE, IT'S POSTED IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. AND FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING IN THE B ROOM, IT'S POSTED IN THERE AS WELL. SO WE'LL START AGAIN WITH, UM, MIA IBARRA, FOLLOWED BY MARIO SALAS AND MARIA ESQUIVEL. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS MIA IBARRA. I'M DEPUTY LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY DIRECTOR FOR THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES. C P P IS AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC POLICY ORGANIZATION THAT USES DATA AND ANALYSIS TO ADVOCATE FOR SOLUTIONS THAT ENABLE ALL TEXANS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL BY IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND FINANCIAL STABILITY OF WORKING FAMILIES. WE BELIEVE PAID SICK DAYS CAN HELP US ACHIEVE THE VISION OF MAKING TEXAS THE BEST STATE FOR WORKING FAMILIES. AND WE'VE EXAMINED PAID SICK TIME, PAID SICK DAYS, EARNED SICK TIME POLICIES IN, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN OVER 40 CITIES, COUNTIES, AND STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND TODAY I WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT CITIES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES WITH DIFFERENT ECONOMIES AND DIFFERENT COMPETITIVE FORCES AT PLAY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR JOB AND CARING FOR A CHILD WHO'S SICK OR BETWEEN PAYING THEIR BILLS AND GETTING THE MEDICAL ATTENTION THEY NEED. AND THEY'VE MADE THAT WORK BECAUSE WHAT'S GOOD FOR WORKING FAMILIES IS ALSO GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY. EN FORCING WORKERS TO MAKE THOSE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICES PUTS US ALL AT RISK. AND WHILE THERE ARE SOME MINIMAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PAID SICK TIME, WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THOSE ARE USUALLY MUCH LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED. THIS IS BECAUSE THE AVERAGE WORKER TENDS TO USE ONLY ABOUT THREE DAYS OF PAID SICK TIME. THAT'S PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS, AND THAT'S ABOUT TWO DAYS FOR PERSONAL USE AND ONE DAY FOR A FAMILY MEMBER. MEANWHILE, THE BENEFITS OF PAID SICK TIME TO BUSINESSES CAN ALSO HAVE A BOTTOM LINE EFFECT. AND THOSE BENEFITS INCLUDE REDUCING THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS AT WORK. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL STUDIES THAT CONCERN CONFIRM THAT HAVING PAID SICK TIME, UM, INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THAT A WORKER WILL STAY HOME WHEN THEY HAVE THE FLU, ESPECIALLY. THANK YOU, MS. IBARRA. MARIO SALAS, FOLLOWED BY MARIA ESQUIVEL AND PETTA. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, THE LAST TIME I CHECKED GERMS AND VIRUSES DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SICK LEAVE, NOR DO THEY KNOW WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS. SO IT JUST STANDS TO REASON THAT HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET SICK AND THEY STILL NEED TO WORK IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SIMPLE. MOST OF YOU, UM, HAVE ASKED OR WILL ASK, UM, WHEN YOU LEAVE COUNCIL AND OR APPROACH TO FOR A JOB BY PRIVATE FOLKS, UH, YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO ASK OR HAVE ASKED, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS JOB? AND YOU'RE GOING TO ASK, OR YOU HAVE ALREADY ASKED IN YOUR JOB OR WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY OR WHATEVER. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ME DOING THIS? SO IT'S QUITE SIMPLE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO LOBBIED YOU AND WHO MAY HIRE YOU AFTER YOU LEAVE HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO ASK 'EM THAT VERY QUESTION. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THE VERY LOW END, THE MOST VULNERABLE. MANY OF, UM, COMPANIES LONG AGO AND COUNTRIES LONG AGO HAVE SAW THE BENEFITS OF PAID SICK LEAVE. AND I JUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WHEN I WAS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FOR ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER, A NONPROFIT, THEY HAD PAID SICK LEAVE WHEN I WAS A PLUMBER. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WAS, THEY HAD PAID SICK LEAVE WHEN I WAS A WELDER. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WAS, THEY HAD PAID SICK LEAVE WHEN I WAS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER. THEY HAD PAIGE SICK LEAVE AND AS A PROFESSOR, THEY HAVE PAIGE SICK LEAVE. SO WHY CAN'T WE HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE [03:00:01] IN OUR SOCIETY? WHEN YOU PUT IN THE TIME, WHEN YOU PUT IN THE SERVICE, YOU OUGHT TO BE HELPED OUT AS A RESULT OF YOUR SERVICE. AND SO THOSE BENEFITS, I THINK ARE MORE, WE ARE MOST WELCOME IN TERMS OF NOTHING MORE, IF NOTHING, MORE HUMAN RIGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. SALAS. MARIA ES ESQUIVEL, FOLLOWED BY PETRA MATA AND PETIA CASTILLO ES MAY. UM, THANK YOU MS. ESQUIBEL. ALRIGHT, UM, CAN WE ROLL THE TRANSLATION TAPE AGAIN? AND, AND MA'AM, WHEN, WHEN THERE ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS WHO COME UP, JUST APPROACH THEAS AS WELL. BUT CAN WE RUN THAT TRANSLATION VIDEO AGAIN FOR ANYONE WHO DIDN'T HEAR IT? INTERPRET. ALRIGHT. PATIA CASTILLO, DID UH, MARIA ESQUIVEL SPEAK ALREADY? WE NO. IS SHE NOT HERE? OKAY. PATIA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY YVONNE GUTIERREZ AND THEN ROSA ROSALES. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS PATRICIA CASTILLO. I WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE PEACE INITIATIVE AND PEACE STANDS FOR PUTTING AN END TO ABUSE THROUGH COMMUNITY EFFORTS. I LIVE IN COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE'S DISTRICT, AND I WORK AND HAVE PROPERTY IN, UM, SHIRLEY GONZALEZ'S DISTRICT. I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY AND JOB SECURITY IS IMPERATIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH ISSUES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AS YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF THE PEACE INITIATIVE IS TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, ELDER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND THE WAY THAT WE ACHIEVE RELIEF IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS GETTING IT ADDRESSED BY NONPROFIT PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, BY HEALTHCARE, BY THE FAITH COMMUNITY, AND BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. IF YOU'RE INJURED, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE CLINIC, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. SOMETIMES YOU EVEN HAVE TO BE HOSPITALIZED. PRESSING CHARGES IS SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS SURVIVORS TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE RELIEF FOR THEIR SITUATION. AND HOLDING PERPETRATORS ACCOUNTABLE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE EXPECT SURVIVORS TO DO, BUT ALL OF THAT TAKES TIME. [03:05:01] THEN YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS AS NEEDED. THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS YOU TO COOPERATE. THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS YOU TO PARTICIPATE AND MAKE ALL OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS. THEY ALSO EXPECT YOU TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO APPLY FOR PROTECTIVE ORDERS, WHICH IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF INTERVENTION. AND THIS COULD TAKE UP TO A WHOLE DAY FOR A SURVIVOR TO ACHIEVE. THIS TOO REQUIRES COURT HEARINGS THAT YOU MUST ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN, AND OFTENTIMES A LOT OF THOSE COURT HEARINGS GET RESET OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THANK YOU, MS. CASTILLO. YVONNE GUTIERREZ, FOLLOWED BY ROSA ROSALES AND ANDREA FIGUEROA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS YVONNE GUTIERREZ AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD TEXAS VOTES. MY JOB IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MORE THAN 120,000 PLANNED PARENTHOOD PATIENTS IN TEXAS, INCLUDING THE TENS AND THOUSANDS RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. TODAY IN MY HOMETOWN OF SAN ANTONIO, THERE ARE MORE THAN 350,000 WORKING WOMEN AND MEN THAT DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN PAID SICK DAYS. EVERY YEAR, THE STATE CONTINUES TO RESTRICT WOMEN'S HEALTH AND RIGHTS, BUT SAN ANTONIO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR ALL PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE HEALTHCARE THEY NEED. THIS INCLUDES TAKING TIME TO SEEK LIFE SAVING CANCER SCREENINGS, TIME TO TAKE CARE OF A HEALTH CONDITION AND TIME TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION OR TAKE LEGAL ACTION FOLLOWING INCIDENT OF DOMESTIC VIEWS OR SEXUAL ASSAULT. EVERY PERSON WHO WORKS IN SAN ANTONIO SHOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, WHETHER THEY WORK AT A BIG COMPANY OR FOR A SMALL BUSINESS. TODAY, PLANNED PARENTHOOD TEXAS VOTES CALLS ON CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE 144,000 SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WHO WANT AND NEED PAID SICK LEAVE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GUTIERREZ ROSA ROSALES, FOLLOWED BY ANDREA FIGUEROA AND ANNA GONZALEZ. HONOR ANIMAL COUNCIL. MAYOR FIRST, LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. YOU KNOW, UH, YOU DON'T GET PAID ENOUGH, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK. NEXT, I'M HERE TO ASK SUPPORT FOR THIS PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. THE HANDS OF JUSTICE ARE IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT FOR OVER 40 YEARS. I'VE BEEN IN LULAC FOR 40 YEARS ALSO, WHICH IS A VOLUNTEER. I AM THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CHAIR FOR THE NATIONAL OFFICE OF LULAC, THE LARGEST HISPANIC ORGANIZATION IN THE NATION, AND THE OLDEST OF VOLUNTEERS. SO I'M HERE TO ASK EACH AND EVERYONE, PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR PLACE IN REPRESENTING WORKERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS AND NATIONWIDE, ADDRESSING ISSUES OF LABOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS. ONE THING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS TO HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. HOW MANY WORKERS TODAY, JUST TODAY GO TO WORK SICK BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PAID SICK LEAVE? AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE ONE DAY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE OR GOING HUNGRY OR NOT PAYING THEIR BILLS. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION. DON'T WAIT TO PUT IT IN THE BALLOT. YOU ALL HAVE THAT POWER TODAY TO MAKE THE DECISION AND PASS THAT ORDINANCE AND YOU'LL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER. YOU WILL MAKE HISTORY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND EVERYONE WELL APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF THOSE THAT HAVE NO PAID SICK LEAVE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND BELIEVE ME, THERE'S PLENTY OF THOSE MU GRACIA. THANK YOU, MS. ROSALES. ANDREA FIGUEROA, FOLLOWED BY ANNA GONZALEZ. AND JUAN AM AMIA. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL FOR HAVING THIS HEARING AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UH, MY NAME IS ANDREA FIERRO. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MARTINA STREET WOMEN'S CENTER. AS AN ORGANIZATION, OUR VALUES ARE EMPOWERMENT, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE. AND FOR OVER 18 YEARS, WE HAVE SERVED WOMEN IN GIRLS ON THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDES OF SAN ANTONIO BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO VITAL PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN, WE KNEW IT MADE SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR STAFF BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THEY'RE ONE AND THE SAME. WE KNOW ALSO THAT THERE'S A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON WOMEN WHERE FAMILIES LOSE WORKDAYS DUE TO SICK CHILDREN. THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CAN GO A LONG WAY TO ALLEVIATE THAT STRESS AND FINANCIAL LOSS. AS AN ORGANIZATION. CURRENTLY, WE DO OFFER PAY [03:10:01] TIME OFF FOR PART-TIME STAFF, BUT AT A LOWER RATE THAN IS REQUIRED BY THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE. BUT BECAUSE OF THIS CAMPAIGN, WE WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES IN THE NEXT YEAR TO RISE TO THE STANDARD THAT THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE SEEKS TO CREATE. WE ASK THAT THE CITY PARTNER WITH US AND OTHER NONPROFITS LIKE US TO ENSURE THAT SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS ARE HEALTHY AND THRIVING. PROVIDING PAID SICK DAYS ARE ONE SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT THING THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. FIGUEROA. ANA GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY JUAN AMAYA AND ALEX BURNELL. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANA GONZALEZ WITH THE WORKERS' DEFENSE. AND ALSO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF WORKING TEXAS FOR PAID SICK TIME TO SPEAK ON THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WORKERS OFFENSES, A STATEWIDE MEMBER-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES AND EMPOWER LOW WAGE WORKERS TO ACHIEVE FAIR EMPLOYMENT THROUGH EDUCATION, DIRECT SERVICES, AND POLICY. WITH A FOCUS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. WE KNOW THAT WORKING FAMILIES IN TEXAS ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR STATE'S ECONOMY. TODAY, TOO MANY TEXAS FAMILIES ARE WORKING HARD AND STILL STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR BILLS, TO PAY RENT, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THE INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN'S POLICY RESEARCH HAS DOCUMENTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 39% OF WORKERS IN SAN ANTONIO LACK ACCESS TO PAID SICK TIME IN CONSTRUCTION, 58% OF THOSE WORKERS DON'T RECEIVE PAID SICK TIME. SO IF SOMEONE OF THEIR FAMILY, IF SOMEONE OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS GET SICK, OR IF THEY'RE INJURED OF THE JOB, THEY HAVE TO BE FORCED TO MAKE A CHOICE, TAKE A PAY CUT IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF A LOVED ONE, OR GO TO WORK SICK. IT IS AN ESTIMATED THAT TEXAS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SHIFTS MORE THAN 800 MILLION IN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INJURY AND ILLNESS ONTO TEXAS FAMILIES AND TAXPAYERS. ALLOWING AN INDIVIDUAL TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF THEIR HEALTH PROVIDER TO STAY HOME AND RECOVER CAN HELP REDUCE THIS TAKE TAXPAYER BURDEN. UH, STUDIES ALSO SHOW THAT WORKERS THAT HAVE ACCESS TO EARN SICK TIME, UH, HAVE A 28% LOWER CHANCE OF INJURY AT WORKERS' DEFENSE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE PROFIT WHILE ALLOWING WORKING TEXANS THE ABILITY TO WORK HARD TO GET INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS. 44 MUNICIPALITIES THAT INCLUDE CITIES, COUNTIES, AND 10 STATES HAVE PASSED EARNED SICK TIMES SINCE 2006, WHERE THIS LAST HAVE PASSED. WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES DO BETTER. COMMUNITIES DO HEALTHIER AND BUSINESS CONTINUE TO GROW, CREATE JOBS AND THRIVE. MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ASK YOU TO TAKE ACTION AND PAY SICK TIME FOR THE OVER 350,000 WORKERS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT DON'T HAVE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. GONZALEZ. JUAN AMAYA, FOLLOWED BY ALEX BURNELL AND TC CALVERT. TC JUAN AMAYA. OKAY. ALEX BURNELL, FOLLOWED BY TC CALVERT AND THEN RYAN COX. JUST GIMME ONE SECOND. YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ALEX BURNELL. I'M THE ADVOCACY MANAGER AT MOVE TEXAS, AND I'M WITH WORKING TEXAS FOR PAID SICK TIME. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THIS CHAMBER TONIGHT. COMMUNITY GROUPS, UNIONS, TEACHERS, ORGANIZERS, WORKERS, AND PEOPLE LISTEN TO THE LANGUAGE WE'RE USING HARD WORK, BARELY MAKING ENDS MEET TOUGH CHOICES MADE UNDER DURESS. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO EARN THEIR DUE. DESPITE THIS DIVERSITY, AND DESPITE THESE STORIES, BUSINESSES HAVE CONTINUED TO USE A LANGUAGE WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH. DON'T PASS ONE SIZE FITS ALL POLICIES. LET'S LET THE MARKET ADDRESS THE NEEDS, UH, UH, FOR PAID SICK TIME ORGANICALLY. MANY OF THESE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE STATED THAT THEY VOLUNTARILY HAVE A PAID SICK TIME WORK POLICY THAT MEETS OR EXCEEDS THE MINIMUM STANDARDS WE'RE FIGHTING FOR HERE TONIGHT. BUT THAT CROWD IS A RED HERRING EVERY TIME YOU HEAR. LET THE MARKET SOLVE IT AS IF IT'S SOME MAGIC SKELETON KEY ALTERNATIVE TO LEGISLATING. REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE 354,000 PEOPLE, COLLEGE STUDENTS, UH, WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR WORKERS IN OUR SERVICE INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND CARE INDUSTRIES THAT THE MARKET ISN'T DOING MUCH FOR. I THINK THE MARKET. PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT NORMS OF DECENCY AND FAIR TREATMENT MANIFEST ON THEIR OWN. DID WE GET THE EIGHT HOUR WORKDAY FROM THE MARKET? NO. UNDER PEER MARKET CONDITIONS, WE USED TO WORK EXPLOITATIVE 15 TO 16 HOUR WORKDAYS. THEN COMMUNITY GROUPS. COALITIONS OF UNIONS, MUCH LIKE TONIGHT, FOUGHT TO STRUCTURE THE CONDITIONS OF MODERN WORK. THE IDEA OF THE NINE TO FIVE IS NOW A NATURALIZED FEATURE OF WORK, A NORM. ALL THIS IS TO SAY THAT LAWS HELP PRIME SOCIETY FOR WHAT WILL EVENTUALLY FEEL LIKE A NORM OF THE WORKPLACE. LET'S HELP NATURALIZE. NO ONE MAKING THE CHOICE BETWEEN [03:15:01] GETTING PAID AND SELF-CARE. LET'S GET THIS PASSED. SO TONIGHT, WE CAN MAKE THIS CITY A DECENT PLACE FOR WORKING CLASS PEOPLE. AS FOR THE BUSINESSES, LOOK AT THE COST BENEFIT EVIDENCE OVER OVER 40 JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, GREATER PRODUCTIVITY, EMPLOYEE RETENTION, LESS WORKPLACE ERRORS TO EMPLOYERS AND TO YOU, THE COUNCIL. YOU CAN'T ABOLISH SICKNESS. YOU CAN ONLY DECIDE INTELLIGENTLY AND HUMANELY TO DEAL WITH IT. THANK YOU, MR. A POLICY, POLICY THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO THAT IS HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. BRUNELL. TC CALVERT, FOLLOWED BY RYAN COX, MAYOR OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TCE CALVERT HERE REPRESENTING A NEIGHBORHOOD FIRST ALLIANCE, WHICH IS CELEBRATING OVER 46 YEARS OF ORGANIZING IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THOSE YOU REPRESENT. WILL THIS CITY COUNCIL GO ON RECORD FOR THE NATION TO SEE THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE CITY COUNCILS THAT WENT ON RECORD TO REPRESENT THE 345,000 PEOPLE IN THIS CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE? WILL YOU BE THAT CHAMPION? WILL YOU BE THAT CHAMPION? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS, MOST OF 'EM, ARE ONLY MAKING $10 AN HOUR. SOME OF 'EM AREN'T EVEN MAKING $8 AN HOUR. THEY'RE ONLY GONNA BE ALL FOR THREE DAYS. BROTHER SHAW, WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT $280 OR SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MISS FROM SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE GONNA GET UP HERE AND GIVE YOU A BUNCH OF FALSE INFORMATION. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. WHEN PEOPLE CATCH THE FLU, THEY ONLY GET OUT THREE OR FOUR DAYS OR A WEEK. SO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. WILL THIS CITY COUNCIL BE THE CHAMPION FOR THE REST OF THE NATION TO REPRESENT THESE INDIVIDUALS? I THINK YOU WILL BE, AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE HEART TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND WE WANT YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING. GOD BLESS YOU. LET'S DO THIS AND LET'S DO IT NOW. 'CAUSE I'M GONNA TELL YOU, IT'S GOING TO PASS IN NOVEMBER. IT'S GOING TO PASS IN NOVEMBER. PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THEY'RE GONNA VOTE YES, EVEN SOME BUSINESS PEOPLE. SO YOU CAN EITHER DO IT THE HARD WAY OR WE'LL JUST GO TO THE STREETS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CALVERT. RYAN COX, FOLLOWED BY SARWAT HUSSEIN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME'S RYAN COX. I'M A, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT. UM, I PRIMARILY ASKED TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL TODAY, UM, TO OFFER MYSELF AS A RESOURCE FOR ANY COUNCIL PERSON WHO MIGHT BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THIS ORDINANCE WHEN IT, WHEN IT, UM, IS FINALLY, UH, PUT INTO PLACE. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME, UM, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY WOULD SURVIVE, UH, COURT CHALLENGES. AND I, I WANT, I I WANT TO ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE ANY, UH, ANY ONE OF YOU WOULD VOTE AGAINST THE ORDINANCE, UM, ON THIS BASIS TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS. I'VE SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, UM, INCLUDING, UM, UH, FIGHTING TO DEFEND THE, THE, UH, THE VERSION OF THIS ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED IN AUSTIN BACK IN FEBRUARY. AND, UM, SO I REALLY WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO ME. SECONDLY, I WANT TO, UH, QUICKLY ADDRESS, UM, UH, OR TAKE EXCEPTION WITH A DOCUMENT THAT, UH, UH, RELATEDLY, UH, THAT WAS SENT TO THIS COUNSEL BY THE, UH, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. IT CLAIMS SPECIFICALLY THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE ILLEGAL. UM, I, ONE, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S COMPLETELY NOT TRUE. AND LIKE I SAID, I I, I'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU ALL ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. BUT SECONDLY, I I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE FIGHTING TO DEFEND THE AUSTIN ORDINANCE THAT WAS, UH, IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ORDINANCE THAT, THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT HERE. THE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT ALREADY REJECTED MANY OF THOSE ARGUMENTS, UM, THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PUT FORWARD TO THIS COURT AND THE, AND THE MAN THAT WROTE THAT, THAT, UH, LETTER TO THIS, UH, COUNSEL MAN NAMED DAVID HACKER, A GREAT LAWYER, BUT HE KNEW THAT THAT HAD ALREADY, UH, BEEN REJECTED BY THE COURT BY THE TIME HE WROTE THAT LETTER. UH, I HOPE YOU'LL, UH, PASS THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. COX SARWAT HUSSEIN, FOLLOWED BY REBECCA FLORES AND DR. ALITA CANTU, SARWAT HUSSEIN, REBECCA FLORES, MS. FLORES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DR. ALITA CANTU AND ROSIE BACCA, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS REBECCA FLORES. I LIVE IN COUNCIL MEMBER SHIRLEY GONZALEZ'S DISTRICT. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL SUPPORT FOR THE EARNED SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. BUSINESSES, SMALL OR LARGE, SHOULD TAKE [03:20:01] CARE OF THE LABOR FORCE BECAUSE THESE EMPLOYEES, THEIR EMPLOYEES, ARE THE BACKBONE OF THEIR BUSINESSES. IF NOT FOR THESE WORKERS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND LIVE IN THE NICE HOMES THAT THEY HAVE OR DRIVE IN THE NICE CARS THAT THEY OWN. WHEN SOME EMPLOYERS OFTEN TALK ABOUT HOW THEY PULL THEMSELVES UP BY THEIR BOOTSTRAPS, THEY SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR WORKERS ARE THE HANDS THAT PULL THEM UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS AND SHOULD COMPENSATE AND TREAT THEM ACCORDINGLY. IN MY 30 YEARS WORKING WITH FARM WORKERS IN TEXAS, I WOULD'VE WELCOMED ANY ONE GROWER'S SUPPORT FOR PROVIDING BASIC AMENITIES SUCH AS TOILETS, DRINKING WATER, HAND WASHING FACILITIES, BUT NOT ONE EVER DID. THEY ALSO SAID THAT WE WOULD RUN THEM OUT OF BUSINESS, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE WORK FOR THE WORKERS, BUT ALL THE TIME THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE HIRED LOBBYISTS WHO WOULD WORK NIGHT AND DAY TO DEFEAT THE LEGISLATION, AND WERE SUPPORTED BY LEGISLATORS IN AUSTIN, WHO ALSO AGREED THAT WORKERS HAD NO RIGHT TO DIGNITY AND DECENT TREATMENT. IT SEEMS THAT SOME BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM THESE GROWERS IN SOUTH TEXAS. I SAY THAT IF YOU CANNOT COVER YOUR BUSINESS COSTS, YOUR ELECTRICAL AND WATER BILLS, YOUR CITY TAXES, YOUR ADVERTISING, AND ALSO YOUR LABOR, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN BUSINESS. IN CLOSING, JUST LET ME RESTATE THAT. I SUPPORT THE EARNED SICK TIME ORDINANCE AND URGE YOU TO PASS THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. FLORES. DR. ALITA CANTU, FOLLOWED BY ROSIE BACCA. AND PLEASE, FOLKS, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP YOUR NOISE DOWN SO THAT THE NEXT PEOPLE CAN HEAR THEIR NAMES CALLED GOOD EVENING MAYOR COUNCIL. AS A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE THAT HAS WORKED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR OVER 30 YEARS, I KNOW THAT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THUS THE POPULATION OF THIS COMMUNITY IS LINKED TO WHERE WE WORK, LIVE, AND PLAY. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON OUR POLICY MAKERS TO CREATE STRUCTURES WHERE WE WORK, LIVE, AND PLAY THAT SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING. THERE IS A REASON THAT EVERY DEVELOPED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD GUARANTEES THE RIGHT TO PAID SICK LEAVE. IF SOMEONE FALLS ILL OR HAS TO CARE FOR A SICK FAMILY MEMBER. RESEARCH SHOWS US THAT WORKERS WITHOUT PAID SICKLY, UH, SICK DAYS ARE NEARLY 1.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN THOSE WITH THEM TO GO TO WORK WITH A CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS. AND THIS INCLUDES THE RETAIL FOOD INDUSTRY. THIS GREATLY IMPACTS PUBLIC HEALTH STUDIES OF THE 2009 H ONE N ONE PANDEMIC SHOW THAT ACCESS TO PAID SICK DAYS CORRELATED WITH LOWER WORKER INCIDENTS OF ILLNESSES AND SHORTER OUTBREAKS IN WORKPLACES. WORKERS WITH PAID SICK DAYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO VISIT THE DOCTOR AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR AND TO GET THE SCREENINGS FOR BREAST, CERVICAL, AND COLON CANCER AT RECOMMENDED INTERVALS. WORKERS WHO CAN GET REGULAR CARE ARE MORE LIKELY TO IDENTIFY HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SEEK TREATMENT EARLY BEFORE CONDITIONS WOULD BECOME MORE COSTLY AND BURDENSOME FOR THE WORKER, FOR THEIR EMPLOYER. AND THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WORKERS WOULD PAY SICK DAYS ARE LESS LIKELY TO USE COSTLY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR CARE THEY COULD SEEK ELSEWHERE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE US THAT, THAT THE US UH, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSURANCE SYSTEMS, COULD SAVE 1.1 BILLION ANNUALLY TO IN AVOIDING EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS. CURRENTLY, THE FEDERAL, IN THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE SEE SO MANY EXAMPLES OF NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING OF POLICIES THAT DO NOT SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING. I URGE THANK YOU, DR. URGE, THE COUNCIL TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU, DR. CANTU. ROSIE BACCA, FOLLOWED BY DAVID VANOS AND JOE GREEN. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROSIE MA BACCA. I AM THE PARENT OF TWO ADOPTED GRAND GRANDCHILDREN THAT I AM RAISING. I AM A SINGLE PARENT. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I WANNA SUPPORT FOR PAID SICK DAYS. I HAVE WORKED IN NONPROFITS AND OTHER JOBS THAT DO NOT HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. IT IS HORRIBLE TO WORK ABOUT GETTING SICK OR MY, IF MY GRANDDAUGHTER OR MY GRANDSON GETS SICK. IT IS VERY HARD TO BE AT WORK AND NOT TO BE AT WORK BECAUSE YOU DON'T GET PAID IF YOU DON'T GO TO WORK. AND IF YOU GO TO WORK, YOU GO SICK 'CAUSE THE CHILDREN IS SICK. SO YOU'RE SICK. NOW. I AM A HARD WORKER AND JUST LIKE MANY OF, UH, OF THE OF US HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, I BELIEVE WE DESERVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE GOOD HEALTH, STABLE INCOME, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE CITY. IF WE TAKE CARE OF OUR CLASS, OUR WORKING CLASS FAMILY, THEN WILL WE SEE OUR COMMUNITIES GROW STRONGER. I ASK CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE HONOR ALL OF US WHO [03:25:01] HAVE SIGNED A PETITION AND WANT TO SEE PAY SICK DAY, A REALITY FOR OUR FAMILIES. DO NOT DELAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BCCA, DAVID VAN OS AND JOE GREEN, FOLLOWED BY RICK TREVINO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DAVID VAN OSS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE. I OWN A SMALL BUSINESS. I EMPLOY SIX EMPLOYEES, AND I GUESS I'M ONE OF THE ONES THAT THEY SAY VOLUNTARILY ALREADY DOES THIS BECAUSE ANY OF MY EMPLOYEES WHO STAYS HOME SICK IS GOING TO GET PAID, PERIOD. NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS. BUT I WANT THIS ORDINANCE TO PASS BECAUSE THE STANDARDS NEED TO BE UNIFORM. AND BECAUSE I WANT EVERYBODY IN AMERICA TO KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A GREAT CITY. I WANT MY EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THAT THEY LIVE IN A GREAT CITY. AND A GREAT CITY IS MEASURED NOT JUST BY HOW IT TREATS THE OWNERS AND THE BUSINESSMEN AND THE INVESTORS AND THE EXECUTIVES, BUT BY HOW IT TREATS THE LEAST OF US. AND THIS IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S A NO-BRAINER IF WORKER A HAS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE AND COMES TO WORK BECAUSE SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HOME FROM WORK AND MISS A DAY'S PAY. THAT'S NOT FAIR TO WORKER B WHO MAY NOT WANNA GET SICK WITH WHATEVER WORKER A HAS. IT IS PURELY SAFETY AND HEALTH. IT'S PURELY EQUITY, IT'S PURELY JUSTICE, AND IT'S PURELY ABOUT THIS CITY, SAN ANTONIO, THIS GREAT CITY BEING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ENOS. JOE GREEN. JOE GREEN IS FOLLOWED BY RICK TINO AND JOLENE GARCIA. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO SPEAK. JOE GREEN IS MY CAMPAIGN MANAGER. I'M STEVEN CLING. I'M CANDIDATE FOR SENATE DISTRICT 25. I FEEL COMPELLED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, NOT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S THE BUSINESS OF STATE OFFICIALS TO WEIGH IN ON THE AFFAIRS OF CITY GOVERNMENTS, BUT BECAUSE PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. I'M ONLY HERE BECAUSE OFFICIALS OF OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY GOVERNOR ABBOTT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND MY OPPONENT, SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL, HAVE DECLARED AN UNUSUALLY AGGRESSIVE INTENTION TO OVERRIDE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND THEIR, IF THEIR VOTE IS IN FAVOR OF WORKING FAMILIES, THEY CLAIM IT WILL HURT BUSINESS AND SCARE AWAY EMPLOYERS FROM LOCATING THEIR COMPANIES HERE. BUT I ASK YOU NOT TO SEEK THE COUNSEL OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THIS ECONOMY FROM THE THIRD TO THE 21ST IN THE NATION IN JUST ONE TERM. AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE ASKING OURSELVES, DO WE REALLY WANT TO BE ATTRACTING THE KIND OF COMPANIES THAT THINK SO LITTLE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY WOULD, THAT THEY WOULD NOT, UH, ALLOW THEM, UH, EARN SICK LEAVE, OR TO ASK THEM TO COME TO WORK SICK? EARN SICK LEAVE IS SAFER AND PROVIDES LONG-TERM, UH, PROVIDES LONG-TERM SAVINGS TO EMPLOYERS. ACCORDING TO A STUDY OF THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, THE ODDS OF AN OCCUPATIONAL ENERGY IN INJURY WERE UP 28%, UH, FOR THOSE WHO WOULD, WHO DID NOT HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE POLICIES. AND YOU DON'T NEED A MEDICAL DEGREE TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF SOMEONE MAKING YOUR SANDWICH, WHO DOESN'T COME TO WORK WITH THE FLU. EARNED SICK LEAVE IS IN LINE WITH FAMILY VALUES THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO SUPPRESS. EVEN THE MERE DISCUSSION OF THE INITIATIVE MEANT TO ALLEVIATE STRESSES AND INSECURITIES FELT BY OUR WORKING FAMILIES SPEAKS VOLUMES AS TO WHO THEY REPRESENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE COST AND BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES, THE PUBLIC, AS A WHOLE, DESERVE TO BE WEIGHED AND CONSIDERED IN A TRANSPARENT AND OPEN PROCESS. AND THE DECISIONS OF THIS COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO MUST BE HONORED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GREEN. ALRIGHT, FOLKS, YOU MUST, YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN ORDER TO SPEAK AT THE PODIUM. I'M ONLY GONNA REMIND FOLKS ONCE THE NEXT TIME THAT HAPPENS, I'M, I'M GONNA TURN OFF THE MIC SO YOU HAVE TO BE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. NO REPLACEMENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON NOW TO RICK TREVINO, FOLLOWED BY JOLENE GARCIA AND MOHAMMED ALAM. THANK YOU GUYS. UM, I JUST WANNA BRING SOME CONTEXT INTO THIS DEBATE. RIGHT NOW, SAN ANTONIO IS STILL ARGUABLY THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ALSO, LAST YEAR THERE WAS A, A HORRIFYING STUDY SHOW THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU LIVE SOUTH OF HILDEBRAND, YOUR LIFE EXPENSES MIGHT BE AFFECTED. 15, 20%. THINK ABOUT THAT. WHY IS THAT? IT HAS TO DO WITH THINGS LIKE THIS. YOU GUYS HAVE POWER. YOU DO. THE CITY DOES, AND YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A VOICE. ALSO, NOTICE WHO HAS SPOKEN AGAINST THIS? THEY DO THEIR TALK OFF [03:30:01] STAGE. THIS IS REALLY FOR WORKING PEOPLE. THIS IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THEY EVER HAVE TO TALK TO YOU GUYS. SO NOW, I MEAN, WE'RE FACED WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS. 7, 8, 2, 3, 7, EDGEWOOD 7 8 2 0 2. MR. SHAH, I TAUGHT IN THAT DISTRICT. I KNOW I SEE IT EVERY DAY. I CAMPAIGN ALL AROUND THE CITY TO, TO SEE THIS, TO SEE PEOPLE SICK. AND THERE'S 300,000 WORKERS THAT DON'T HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE. I MEAN, THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. AND AGAIN, YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE THAT USUALLY DON'T HAVE A VOICE. AND ANOTHER THING, A LOT OF THE TALKING POINTS THAT I'VE SEEN, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, SAY IT COMES FROM THIS PLACE CALLED THE EMPLOYMENT POLICIES INSTITUTE. YOU GUYS SHOULD LOOK THAT UP. LOOK UP A GUY NAMED RICK BERMAN. HE'S ONE OF THE MAJOR LOBBYISTS IN WASHINGTON THAT'S EMPLOYED BY THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY, BY THE FOOD INDUSTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE STAYS $2 AND 13 CENTS FOR WAITERS. I WAS A WAITER FOR FIVE YEARS. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TO BE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. INTIMIDATION. I GET SICK. OH, IT MIGHT MEAN THAT I LOSE A SHIFT. AND I WAS A COLLEGE KID. AND I, I, WELL, ADULTS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE KIDS, THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. AND FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, SHAME ON YOU FOR ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN. THE MARKET'S NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS. IT'S GONNA TAKE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE TO CHANGE THIS. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. TINO. JOLENE GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY MOHAMMED ALAM AND RICARDO GAR BRIANIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS JOLENE GARCIA AND I LIVE IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX. I JUST WANTED TO, UM, JOIN THE MANY VOICES THAT I SEE HERE TODAY IN FAVOR OF PAID SICK TIME. AND, UM, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I SAT, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR INVITATION, I SAT AND SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE CHAMBERS, THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, AND I SPOKE WITH THEM ALONG WITH OUR, UM, TEAM, AND WE EXPLAINED TO THEM WHY WE WERE DOING THIS CAMPAIGN AND WHAT THEY ASKED ME LATER. AND I, I SAT WITH SMALL BUSINESSES TOO. UH, THEY ASKED ME, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS DRIVING YOU TO, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN? AND I SAID, BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED. I'M A SINGLE MOM. AND IT SCARES ME TO KNOW THAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK AND FOLKS THAT ARE IN MY SITUATION, IF THEY DON'T HAVE PAID SICK TIME, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? YOU KNOW, I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT MY KIDS. AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT FOR THE ADULTS AND THE WORKERS, WHICH YOU SHOULD ALREADY, THIS IS REALLY AFFECTING, UH, FAMILIES AND PARENTS. BUT YOU SHOULD AT LEAST DO IT FOR THE KIDS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE HURTING WHEN A PARENT IS LOW ON THEIR INCOME AND CAN'T MAKE RENT, OR IS HAVING TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS IN THEIR, IN THEIR ACCOUNT BECAUSE THEY HAD TO MISS DAYS AT WORK. AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WANNA BE WITH OUR KIDS. WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE TIME TO BE WITH THEM WHEN THEY'RE SICK AND TO HELP SUPPORT THEM. UM, THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE HAVE 15 SMALL BUSINESSES THAT STAND PROUDLY WITH US IN SUPPORT OF PAID SICK TIME. SO THE FACT THAT BUSINESSES ARE SIGNING UP TO SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN AND THE PAID SICK DAYS POLICY, I THINK SHOULD SHOW THAT. UM, THERE IS SUPPORT OUT THERE BOTH FOR WORKERS, FOR FAMILIES, AND FOR BUSINESSES. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. MOHAMED ALAM, FOLLOWED BY RICARDO BRIANIS AND JESSICA AZUA. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND, AND THE, THE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MOHAMMED AAM. I'M THE MEMBER OF THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. I'M FROM DISTRICT SEVEN. ALSO, I HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ON DISTRICT FIVE. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I REALLY SUPPORT THIS, UH, AUDIENCE BECAUSE THE, THE EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER RELATIONS SHOULD BE AS A FAMILY MEMBER. IF THE EM, EM EMPLOYEES FEEL BETTER, THEN EMPLOYEE GONNA WORK BETTER FOR THE, THE ORGAN, THE, THE, THE COMPANY OR ANY BUSINESS. SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS MOVEMENT. AND ALSO I'M ASKING ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MEL ELAM. JESSICA, OR EXCUSE ME, RICARDO BRIANIS, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA AZUA. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. HOW ARE YOU DOING? UM, MY NAME'S RICARDO. BRIAN. I'M A LIFELONG, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE. AND, [03:35:01] UH, I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. I AM IN SUPPORT OF PAID SICK TIME. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE, UH, WORK, A LITTLE MORE PAPERWORK, A LITTLE MORE CALCULATIONS, A LITTLE MORE LIABILITY, MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW, I AM FOLLOWING, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT DOES PROTECT MY WORKERS. IT DOES PROTECT MY BUSINESS. AND, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. UM, SAN ANTONIO, YOU KNOW, OUR ECONOMY, A BIG PART OF IT IS THE TOURISM ECONOMY. A BIG PART, PART OF ITS HOTEL INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, THE BACKBONE OF THAT IS OUR SERVICE WORKERS, OUR WAITRESSES, OUR WAITERS, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, HOTEL WORKERS. THEY'RE LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, THE BACKS THAT THIS ECONOMY IS, IS BUILT ON. AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM. YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE EASIER, I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO. AND AS A CITY, WE NEED TO KIND OF PAY HOMAGE AND, YOU KNOW, RESPECT A LOT OF PEOPLE'S WHOSE LIVES ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ORDINANCE. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BRIANIS. JESSICA AZUA, FOLLOWED BY DR. ANA RAMIREZ AND LUCAS VALDEZ. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS JESSICA AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN WITH COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALEZ. I'M ALSO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M GONNA SIT MY TWO MINUTES, UH, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, I WANT TO SAY THAT I FULLY SUPPORT PAY SICK TIME, AND THAT I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE DO NOT DELAY THE VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MS. AZUA. DR. SUSANNA RAMIREZ, FOLLOWED BY LUCAS VALDEZ AND DANIELA TAPIA. MS. DR. SUSANNA RAMIREZ. HERE. ALRIGHT, FOLKS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CUE AT THE PODIUM SO WE CAN MOVE IT ALONG. UM, LUCAS VALDEZ, YOU'RE AFTER DR. RAMIREZ, FOLLOWED BY DANIELLA TAPIA. ARE YOU, UM, LUCAS VALDEZ VALEZ? YES, SIR. OKAY, WHY DON'T YOU GO? AND THEN DR. RAMIREZ, YOU'LL BE NEXT. OKAY. UH, HELLO. FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK Y'ALL. MY NAME IS LUCAS VALDEZ. I'M A MOVE TEXAS FELLOW. I'M ALSO A KIND OF LIMO BROWN BARRETT INTERN, AND I ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO. UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK. IT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE ALL, UH, TRULY REPRESENTATIVES OF THIS SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY, OF WHICH HAS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS WHO ATTEND THE 31 HIGHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES THAT ARE RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. MANY OF THESE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE GROWING AT A FASTER RATE COMPARED TO OTHER ONES ACROSS THE STATE AND THE NATION. AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. UH, IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. A VAST POPULATION OF THESE COLLEGE STUDENTS WORK PART-TIME IN THE SAN ANTONIO'S FOOD AND SERVICE INDUSTRY, AND ARE NOT OFFERED BENEFITS SUCH AS PAID SICK TIME. UH, THIS CITY ORDINANCE WILL BENEFIT THE STRUGGLING COLLEGE STUDENT, THE EMPLOYER, AND THE GUESTS WHO DECIDES TO EAT AT THESE DEFINED ESTABLISHMENTS. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU, MR. VALDEZ. DR. SUSANNA RAMIREZ, FOLLOWED BY DANIELLA TAPIA AND ANGIE GARCIA. OKAY, I'M READY. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DR. SUSANNA RAMIREZ. AND I'M ALSO, I MEAN, ALSO I'M SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND ALSO AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE. UM, I'M ALSO SPEAKING, UM, ON BEHALF OF, UH, AS A BOARD MEMBER OF SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION. BUT I THINK ALL ACCOLADES ASIDE, WHAT I'M REALLY HERE FOR IS FOR MY FATHER AS A CHILD. I WITNESSED MY FATHER GO TO WORK UNDER TERRIBLE CONDITIONS. SOME THAT I, I CAN'T EVEN, UM, EXPRESS HERE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, FROM ANYTHING FROM FEVER, DIARRHEA, TO PHYSICAL INJURIES, AND STILL GOING TO WORK IN THESE WAYS, HE DID NOT MISS A DAY SO THAT I COULD PURSUE MY EDUCATION SO THAT ONE DAY I COULD BE THE DOCTOR THAT STANDS HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. AS A CHILD, I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP HIM, BUT HERE I AM AS AN ADULT HERE, I HOPE THAT I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY AND IN THE VOTING BOOTHS, I ASK THAT YOU SHOW SUPPORT FOR THIS ORDINANCE SO THAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH UNFATHOMABLE SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DR. RAMIREZ. DANIELLA TAPIA. IS DANIELLA TAPIA HERE? NO. OKAY. ANGIE GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY ANITA FERNANDEZ AND MARIA . ANGIE GARCIA. AND I AM, UH, UH, IN LULAC. AND I ALSO AM A SENIOR ADVISOR FOR LULAC. AND, UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU 'CAUSE YOU HAD THE GUTS TO HAVE OUR HEARING. THIS IS WONDERFUL. [03:40:01] SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. SO I BELIEVE IN YOU, AND I THINK, LOOK, IF YOU WANT YOUR HAT C CONSCIENCE, SO LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE THIS IS NEEDED. AND AGAIN, I WORK THE CAMPAIGNS. I'M A PRECINCT CHAIR, AND I DO VERY WELL WITH IT. SO REMEMBER, YOU'RE GOING TO BE UP PROMOTING AGAIN. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF VOTES THERE. LOT OF VOTES. BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO DO THIS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA. ANITA FERNANDEZ, FOLLOWED BY MARIA VAL AND JOHANNA BRIANIS. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. COUNCIL MANAGER SCULLY, THANK YOU, UH, FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING. I AM HERE. I SERVE AS CHIEF OF STAFF FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DIEGO AL. I'M HERE ON HIS BEHALF THIS EVENING TO READ A LETTER THAT HE PENNED, UM, REGARDING THE ORDINANCE. UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE. HE'S IN AUSTIN FOR A PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE. HEARING. DEAR MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE. EVERY DAY, OUR MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO ARE HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS. THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS BETWEEN TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES OR A SICK FAMILY MEMBER, OR RISKING LOSS OF A DAY'S PAY, OR WORSE THEIR JOB. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS, AND YET MORE THAN 350,000 WORKERS CURRENTLY LACK EARNED, PAID SICK TIME IN SAN ANTONIO WITHOUT EARNED PAID SICK TIME. IF A LOW WAGE WORKER GETS SICK FOR THREE DAYS AND MISSES WORK, THE WAGES THEY LOSE CAN EQUAL A FAMILY'S ENTIRE GROCERY BUDGET FOR ONE MONTH. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS THE ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN KEEPING THEIR JOB AND PAYING THEIR BILLS OR CARING FOR THEMSELVES, A SICK CHILD OR A RELATIVE. SINCE 2006, 44, MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES AS WELL AS 10 STATES HAVE PASSED EARNED SICK TIME POLICIES. AND THOSE PLACES, WORKERS AND FAMILIES DO BETTER. COMMUNITIES ARE HEALTHIER, AND BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO GROW, CREATE JOBS, AND THRIVE. LET'S MAKE SAN ANTONIO THE 45TH MUNICIPALITY TO GUARANTEE EARNED PAID SICK TIME FOR THE WORKERS THAT OUR ECONOMY IS BUILT ON. TOGETHER WE CAN IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SINCERELY, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE DIEGO AL HOUSE DISTRICT 1 23. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. FERNANDEZ. MARIA, VAL. MARIA. VAL. IS SHE HERE TONIGHT? OKAY. JOANNA BRIANIS. JOANNA BRIANIS, FOLLOWED BY JULIO LOPEZ AND JOSEFA MORENO. HELLO, I'M JOANNA BRIAN, AND I'M A STUDENT AND RESIDENT OF CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE. FOR SEVEN YEARS, I WAS A SINGLE MOTHER WHO LIVED PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. I DIDN'T RECEIVE CHILD SUPPORT AND HAD NO FAMILY SUPPORT. WHEN COLD AND FLU SEASON CAME, I WAS OFTEN LEFT WITH A VERY DIFFICULT CHOICE TO MAKE, TO GET WELL AT HOME AND RECEIVE A SMALLER PAYCHECK OR SUFFER THROUGH THE WORKDAY. AS I EXPOSE EVERY COWORKER AND EVERY CUSTOMER THAT I INTERACTED WITH TO MY ILLNESS, I OFTEN CHOSE THE LATTER BECAUSE PROVIDING FOR MY DAUGHTER WAS MY PRIORITY. BY NOT PAYING SICK LEAVE, EMPLOYERS ARE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC ECONOMIC AND HEALTH CRISIS. WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS SICK, IT WAS EVEN WORSE FOR US BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEND HER TO SCHOOL, AND I HAD NOBODY WILLING TO EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO MY SICK DAUGHTER. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I HAD TO BEG FOR MONEY TO PAY FOR MY RENT, AND I DIDN'T ALWAYS GET THE MONEY I NEEDED TO KEEP OUR HOME. FOUR YEARS AGO, WE LOST OUR HOME WHEN I BROKE A BONE IN MY FOOT AND I HAD TO TAKE A WEEK AND A HALF OFF MY JOB, WHICH REQUIRED BEING ON MY FEET FULL TIME. I'M NO LONGER A LOW WAGE EARNING SINGLE MOTHER WHO IS BEING MOST AFFECTED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF EMPLOYEES TO PAY SICK LEAVE. BUT I AM SOMEONE WHO REMAINS COMPASSIONATE. FOR THOSE WHO ARE, I HOPE THAT THE MAYOR, THIS, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT BEING DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY UNPAID SICK LEAVE, CAN ALSO BE COMPASSIONATE AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TO THOSE WHO ARE, WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BRIANIS. JULIO LOPEZ FOLLOWED YO BY JOSEFA, MARTI MORENO AND SEAN RIVERA. UH, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL FOR, UH, BEING PRESENT, UH, TO HEAR THE VOICES OF PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITIES YOU REPRESENT. MY NAME IS JULIO LOPEZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN. UM, AND I OWN A BUSINESS IN DISTRICT ONE. I STAND [03:45:01] HERE, UM, AS WELL REPRESENTING MY PARENTS AND ALL THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT ARE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE LACK OF FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES IN THE WORKPLACE. AND OF COURSE, THE REST OF THE 350,000 WORKERS AND FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO. WOMEN, CHILDREN, POOR COMMUNITIES, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION, ARE GROUPS THAT STAND TO BENEFIT MOST FROM THIS. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, THE, WITH THE SER IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE AREAS OF WORK THAT OFFERS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF WORKER PROTECTIONS, I RECOGNIZE THAT OUR SUCCESS GREATLY DEPENDS ON THE EFFORTS OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND WE CHOOSE TO STAY TRUE TO OUR FAMILY VALUES. I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE MIGHT BE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS WE MIGHT HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS A BUSINESS, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO PUT, UH, FORTH THE EFFORT AND CREATIVITY TO ADAPT TO THIS NECESSARY AND CHANGE MANY OF THE VOICES. UM, YOU HEAR IN OPPOSITION. HERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE AL THAT ALREADY HAVE PAID SICK TIME. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF SAN ANTONIO? AS A BUSINESS, WE CHOOSE TO CARE MOST ABOUT THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE OF IT OVER OUR PROFITS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. LOPEZ. YOU'LL SEE FROM MARTI MORENO. JOSEFA MORENO. OKAY. FOLLOWED BY SEAN RIVERA AND SELENA FLORES. I THINK WE'LL NEED THE TRANSLATOR. UH, FORWARD MORENO. HANG ON ONE SECOND. OH, GONZ ENGLISH. WILL YOU EXPLAIN IN ENGLISH? I'M NO , I'M HERE THE ORDINANCE. AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I FIND MYSELF IN THE RESTAURANTS, IN THE SUPERMARKETS, IN A LOT OF PLACES WHERE THE WORKERS ARE SICK WITH FLU AND STAPH TALKING. I TOLD, PLEASE GO HOME AND GO REST 'CAUSE YOU'RE VERY SICK. AND THEY, AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME I CANNOT LEAVE BECAUSE IF I DON'T GO HOME, THEY WON'T PAY ME. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WERE THEY'RE GETTING OTHER PEOPLE SICK. MANY, MANY TIMES WHEN I WORKED AND I'VE BEEN, WHEN I WAS WORKING, I WOULD GO WORK. AND VERY PRESTIGIOUS COMPANIES, WORKERS OF THE BENEFITS, THEY DON'T IMPLEMENT THEM THE RIGHT WAY. AND IF THEY HAVE THEM, THEY DON'T TELL US. AND ONE IS HAPPY BECAUSE THEY WILL FIRE YOU AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL PAY YOU TO GO. AND THESE ARE BIG COMPANIES. I WORKED FOR 15 YEARS COMPANY AND ONLY ONE TIME IN 15 YEARS, I GOT SICK. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY TOLD ME, THREE TO FOUR DAYS THEY'LL PAY. BUT THE DAYS THAT I GOT SICK, THEY NEVER PAID ME. THAT'S WHY I'M IN FAVOR THAT THIS ORDINANCE PASSES. PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW THE BENEFITS, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THEM. AND THAT'S WHY I'M IN FAVOR OF THE BASIC TIME. I'M, I'M IN FAVOR. I'M NOT WORKING ANYMORE, BUT I'VE LIVED THROUGH THIS MANY TIMES AND I HOPE THIS PASSES IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE THE, UM, YOU HAVE THE POWER. THANK YOU TO VOTE BUSINESS OWNERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MORENO. SEAN RIVERA IS SEAN RIVERA HERE. [03:50:01] SEAN RIVERA, SELENA FLORES, MS. FLORES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY HENRY RODRIGUEZ AND LUIS ALONSO. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SELENA FLORES AND I'M A MOTHER OF THREE AND I WORK IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. AS YOU KNOW, THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING WORK ENVIRONMENT. UM, SICK LEAVE AND BENEFITS ARE UNHEARD OF IN THIS INDUSTRY YET IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN RESTAURANTS ARE WELL. SO MANY PEOPLE GO INTO WORK SICK AND FEAR THAT THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE THEIR JOB. THIS PUTS THE PUBLIC AT RISK. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE COME TO WORK SICK. AND FRANKLY IT'S DISTURBING. PEOPLE PUSH THEMSELVES REALLY, REALLY HARD. IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE CALLED IN THREE TIMES. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD OF. MY CHILDREN ARE NEVER GREETED BY MY FACE WHEN THEY ARE SICK. AND I SOMEBODY HAS TO PICK THEM UP FROM SCHOOL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FIND EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING, BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE. IT IS A GENERAL THEME IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY THAT IT IS THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE ACCEPTED THAT AS THE WAY THAT IT, THAT IT IS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE 'CAUSE IT ABSOLUTELY IS NOT NECESSARY. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO THIS. WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE SICK PEOPLE WORKING OVER FOOD. THERE IS NO REASON WHY MOTHERS AND FATHERS CANNOT BE THE ONES THAT PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN OR TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN. I HOPE THAT I, UM, SO I URGE THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE PAID SICK DAYS A REALITY FOR MY FAMILY AND MANY WORKERS IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. FLORES. HENRY RODRIGUEZ, FOLLOWED BY LUIS ALONSO AND RICH RICHARD ALGO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HENRY RODRIGUEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LOU LAN CONCILIO PATISTA. I RUN MY COUNCIL, MY DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE WEST SIDE, DISTRICT FIVE SYDNEY LANIER HIGH SCHOOL. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I AM, I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF OUR FORMER MAYOR JULIAN CASTRO, FOR HIS VERY POSITIVE COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF THIS ISSUE HERE. I HAVE TO REMIND YOU THAT IT WAS PEOPLE LIKE US BACK THEN, 1977, THAT MOST OF YOU'RE SITTING HERE BECAUSE OF SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON THE GOOD OLD BOY SYSTEM ANYMORE. THE GOOD GOVERNMENT LIQUID. I DON'T SEE ANY, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT IT. ALSO TERM LIMITS. INCUMBENTS WOULD BECOME COMPLACENT IN THEIR SEATS. AND NOW IT'S MUCH EASIER, IF YOU WILL, FOR YOU TO BE HERE. NOW THE OTHER THING, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF WE THE PEOPLE. PEOPLE LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE RIGHT NOW. ALSO, YOU ARE GETTING PAID NOW BECAUSE WE VOTED SO THAT YOU COULD GET PAID. WHEN UM, WE COME HERE, WE SAY WE THE PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING, I CAN JUST HEAR YOU SAYING, I WILL BE TRANSPARENT. I WILL LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. NOW WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. YES. YOU KNOW, ALSO, UNIONS HAVE MADE AMERICA GREAT. UNIONS HAVE GIVEN THE WORKERS POWER. THEY HAVE GIVEN THE WORKERS DIGNITY. WITHOUT UNIONS, IT WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS TODAY. BUT THOSE BIG BUSINESSES AND THOSE POLITICIANS BASH THE UNIONS AT EVERY TURN. AND WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JOIN THEM IN DOING SO. BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. LUIS ALONSO, FOLLOWED BY RICHARD HIDALGO AND GABRIEL GALLOWAY. HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LUIS ALONSO FROM DISTRICT SEVEN. I'VE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY AS A SIXTH GRADE MATH TEACHER AND AS A FINANCIAL COUNSELOR AT HAVEN FOR HOPE. A VAST MAJORITY OF [03:55:01] OUR POOR ARE WORKING IN SAN ANTONIO. PART OF DOING BUSINESS SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF EMPLOYEES. PERIOD. I'M GONNA SAY THAT AGAIN. IN SAN ANTONIO, PART OF DOING BUSINESS SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF EMPLOYEES. IN 2017, U S A A POSTED RECORD PROFITS, THEY MADE $2.4 BILLION FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF 2017. VALERO CORPORATION ALSO MADE 2.4 BILLION IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2017. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION MADE $22 BILLION IN PROFITS IN 2017. THEY'RE NOT HURTING. PAID SICK LEAVE IS ECONOMICALLY MORAL, ECONOMICALLY FAIR, AND ECONOMICALLY JUST. I EXPECT CITY COUNCIL TO START PROTECTING WORKERS' INTEREST HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WHO ARE YOU HERE TO REPRESENT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ALONSO. RICHARD HIDALGO, FOLLOWED BY GABRIEL GALLOWAY AND GERONIMO GOMEZ. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RICHARD ALGO. I'M THE MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SMART LOCAL 67. WE REPRESENT THE SHEET METAL WORKERS IN THIS, UH, SAN ANTONIO. AND UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE UNIONS HELPING THE, UH, WORKING MEN. AND WE ARE FOR PAID SICK LEAVE BECAUSE IN MY POSITION I'VE SEEN THE MEN DOING CONSTRUCTION THAT ARE NOT ORGANIZED, GETTING MISTREATED BY THE EMPLOYEES AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AT EVERY TURN. AND THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM AT LEAST GET THIS, THAT THAT CAN'T BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN THIS POSITION IN THE PAID SICK LEAVE. THEY'RE ALREADY BEING ABUSED AS FAR AS PREVAILING WAGES NOT GETTING THEIR OVERTIME THAT THEY SHOULD. AND THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE Y'ALL CAN STEP IN AND TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE WHERE WE AS UNION OFFICIALS DON'T HAVE TO PATROL IT 'CAUSE THEY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF BY Y'ALL. AND I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT. THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. HILDAGO. GABRIEL. GABRIEL GALLOWAY, FOLLOWED BY GERONIMO GOMEZ AND JILL AND JACKSON. HEY FOLKS, MY NAME IS GABRIEL. UH, I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT SAN ANTONIO'S ELECTRICIANS UNION INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 60. WE HAVE ABOUT 1,300 ACTIVE WORKING MEMBERS IN THE CITY AND HUNDREDS MORE WHO ARE, UH, RETIRED THROUGHOUT EVERY DISTRICT IN THE CITY. WE ARE ONE OFFICIALLY 100% BEHI, UH, BEHIND THIS PAID SICK LEAVE INITIATIVE. AND OUR MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE THOUSANDS WHO SIGNED IT. THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR MEMBERS, UH, WHO WHEN WE OURSELVES, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE, YOU KNOW? OH, UH, WE FEEL THAT. I KNOW. I FELT THAT EVEN RECENTLY. WHAT WE ALSO FEEL IS SOLIDARITY WORTH A WORKING CLASS OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIO WORKERS WHO WILL BE, WHOSE LIVES WILL BE CHANGED IN A VISIBLE MATERIAL WAY. AND OUR ACTIVE MEMBERS AND LABOR PASSIONATE RETIREES ARE PREPARED TO MOBILIZE TO MAKE THIS A REALITY FOR, UH, FOR OUR CITY IF NEED BE. AND I REALLY WANT TO IMPLORE TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO ASK WHO ARE WE REALLY BUILDING THE CITY FOR? ARE WE BUILDING FOR THE SMALL CLASS OF BUSINESS OWNERS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPERS? OR ARE WE BUILDING FOR, AND, UH, MAKING ACCUSTOMED TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FORMED THIS UNIQUE CULTURE, THIS WARM CULTURE THAT WE'VE TAKEN SUCH PRIDE IN IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, THE WORKING CLASS WHO'VE MADE IT THROUGH 300 YEARS, YOU KNOW, OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO THROW THAT ALL AWAY. JUST TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD APPEAL TO THE SMALL, UH, SMALL MINORITY OF BUSINESS OWNERS WHO JUST WANT TO MAXIMIZE THEIR PROFIT MARGINS. UH, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. GALLOWAY. GERONIMO GOMEZ, JILLIAN JACKSON, SOPHIA SEPULVEDA, AUSTIN DOLAN, MS. SEPULVEDA. OKAY. YOU'RE FOLLOWED BY AUSTIN DOLAN AND THEN ERNEST SERRANO. HI, MY NAME IS SOPHIA AND I'M A RESIDENT DISTRICT NINE. AND I AM HERE TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE BASIC TIME AND YES, LIKE RICK VENO SAY, SHAME ON THE BUSINESSES. YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO SAY, TO STAY AT HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONES WHEN THEY ARE SICK. BUT YOU ARE REFUSING TO GIVE THIS RIGHT TO THE SAN ANTONIO WORKERS. I URGE YOU TO NOT [04:00:01] DELAY IT, PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, PASS IT AS AN ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HILDA AUSTIN DOLAN, FOLLOWED BY ERNEST SERRANO AND DEANNA LOPEZ. IF YOU BOTH, UH, IF ERNEST AND DEANNA COULD COME FORWARD TO QUEUE AT THE PODIUM, WE'LL JUST KEEP MOVING ALONG. MY NAME IS AUSTIN DOLAN. I'M AN ISSUE ADVOCACY FELLOW WITH THE GROUP MOVE TAXES. I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR PAID SICK TIME 'CAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR WORKERS AND IT IS ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. WITH OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THIS CITY, MOST OF THESE STUDENTS FALL INTO CATEGORIES OF WORKERS WITH LOW RATES OF PAID SICK TIME CALLED STUDENTS TYPICALLY WORK PART-TIME JOBS ONLY 22% OF WHICH HAVE ACCESS TO PAID SICK TIME CALLED STUDENTS ALSO TYPICALLY WORK IN SERVICE OCCUPATIONS, WHICH ONLY 38% HAVE ACCESS TO PAID SICK TIME. MILLENNIALS ALREADY FACE MANY ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE, INCLUDING LIMITED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, LACK OF LACK OF BENEFITS, ALONG WITH BEING FURTHER BURDENED BY THE LACK OF PAID SICK TIME WHEN THEY MAKE SENSE FOR A POLICY THAT WOULD DIRECTLY BENEFIT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND STUDENTS IN YOUR CITY AND SHOW THESE STUDENTS THAT THIS CITY IS ONE THAT TAKES CARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE. NOW, DON'T BE MISTAKEN. THIS POLICY IS NOT JUST FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS, THE FIGHT FOR PAID SICK TIME IS AN INTERSECTIONAL FIGHT. THIS IS A FIGHT FOR GENDER JUSTICE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, A FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN A CITY THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BENEFITED OFF OF CLASS AND RACIAL OPPRESSION. THIS POLICY IS MORE ABOUT THAN JUST TAKING CARE OF WORKERS, BUT IT'S ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE NEGLECTED WORKING CLASS THAT MAKES UP THE BACKBONE OF OUR CITY. THIS POLICY IS A CHANCE FOR THE CITY TO TRULY ADV ADVOCATE FOR EQUITY. AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE ALL PREPARED TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO NOVEMBER, IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, I THINK IT SHOULD BE NOTED WHO, WHO CLAIMS TO BE CHAMPIONS OF EQUITY, BUT DON'T SUPPORT THIS POLICY. YOU CANNOT BE A REAL ADVOCATE FOR EQUITY WHILE TURNING YOUR BACK ON DIRECT POLICY THAT ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTES TO A MORE EQUITABLE SOCIETY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. DOLAN. ERNEST SERRANO? NOT HERE. OKAY. UH, DEANNA LOPEZ, FOLLOWED BY AVARO DEL NORTE AND THEN RAVEN DOUGLAS. HI, THIS IS, I'M ACTUALLY KIMBERLY ON BEHALF OF DEANA. I'M ON THE LIST, UM, THAT SIGNED UP, BUT, UM, I'M WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU, MA'AM? 98. I BELIEVE I'M IN THE LATTER OF THE LIST. KIMBERLY ? YES. YES. OKAY, GO AHEAD. SO I'M HERE REPRESENTING SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION AS WELL AS SA STANDS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I WORK IN DISTRICT TWO. SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS WHY THEY SHOULD BE PASSED AND MOST OF OUR COMMUNITY AND AND YOUR FELLOW CONSTITUENTS HAVE GIVEN A LOT OF GREAT TESTIMONY AS TO WHY THEY SHOULD PASS OR WHY YOU SHOULD PASS THIS ORDINANCE. I CAN ONLY SPEAK THROUGH MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND LET, AS A MOTHER WHO HAS, IS RAISING CURRENTLY A ONE YEAR OLD, I BENEFIT GREATLY AND I'M PRIVILEGED TO HAVE PAID SICK TIME. I NEEDED PAID SICK TIME WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, UM, AND AFTER BIRTH AS A NECESSITY FOR HOSPITAL VISITS, AS WELL AS WHEN MY SON, UM, IS SICK. HE'S ACTUALLY CURRENTLY SICK RIGHT NOW AT THE MOMENT, , BUT I, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN REGARDS TO THE, THE COUNTLESS MOTHERS, UM, THAT DO NOT HAVE PAID SICK TIME. AS MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW IN YOUR DISTRICTS, THERE IS AN ALARMING RATE OF, UM, INFANT MORTALITY RATE. AND THOUGH THERE IS A WIDE SPECTRUM AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, PAID SICK TIME COULD BENEFIT THOSE MOTHERS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE TIME OFF TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND PROVIDE THE ACQUIT AMOUNT OF TIME TO HEAL AND TO, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. SO IN SHORT, I HOPE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO PASS THIS BECAUSE IT IS A REPRODUCTIVE RIGHT. AND THIS WOULD BENEFIT AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY THRIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. REDONE ALVARO DEL NORTE. ALVARO DEL NORTE. OKAY. RAVEN DOUGLAS. MS. DOUGLAS, YOU'RE FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH LUTZ AND THEN JESUS GARCIA. HI, MY NAME IS RAVEN DOUGLAS. I'M THE LEADERSHIP MANAGER AT MOVE TEXAS AND ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE POSITIVE HEALTH IMPACTS CREATED BY ACCESS TO PAID SICK TIME. WORKERS WITH ACCESS TO PAID SICK TIME ARE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE PREVENTATIVE CARE, PREVENTATIVE CARES AND MAJOR FACTOR IN INCREASING LIFE EXPECTANCY. AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, IN THE CITY, THERE ARE RADICALLY UNEQUAL LIFE EXPECTANCIES, WHERE SIMPLY RESIDING IN A CERTAIN ZIP CODE IS ENOUGH TO PREDICT HOW LONG SOMEONE IS LIKELY TO LIVE. IF YOU LIVE ON THE NORTH SIDE, YOU LIVE 20 YEARS LONGER THAN IF YOU LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY AND REDLINING AND SEGREGATION IN THIS CITY, THE POOR PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO ARE CONCENTRATED IN SPECIFIC AREAS AND THAT POVERTY IS RACIALIZED. THE PEOPLE IN THESE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRIES. THEY'RE IN THE CARE [04:05:01] INDUSTRIES, TOURIST INDUSTRIES, THOSE ARE THE JOBS WITHOUT PAID SICK TIME, 37% OF BLACK WORKERS LACK IN THIS CITY ACCESS TO PAID SICK DAYS. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WITHOUT A HABIT OF PREVENTATIVE CARE. THIS IS THE GO TO WORK SICK, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. CROWD. THE CROWD, LIKELY THE CROWD LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK WITH RENT TO COVER, AND BILLS TO PAY PAID SICK TIME IS ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE THAT CHOICE BECAUSE IN THIS WORLD, CHOICES ARE TIED TO MONEY. IF WE FAIL TO PASS PAID TICK TIME, WE'RE SAYING THE POOR, THE POOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T DESERVE THE CHOICE. COVERING THAT CHOICE FINANCIALLY FOR THESE PEOPLE IS HEALTH AND RACIAL JUSTICE. LET'S NOT BE COLOR AND GENDER BLIND AT MOVE. WE'RE NOT. AND WE SHOWED UP TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE NOT EITHER STAND WITH WORKING TEXANS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. DOUGLAS. ELIZABETH LUTZ. OKAY. JESUS GARCIA. MR. GARCIA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DINA SERRANO AND THEN MEREDITH MCGUIRE. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE PRESENT. MY NAME IS JESUS GARCIA AND I LIVE IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX. I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MY SPORT FOR PAID SICK TIME IN THE WORKPLACE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WHY? BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. EVERYONE DOES, DOES THE LACK CHANGE? BUT GUESS WHAT? IT'S TIME TO CHANGE. THIS CHANGE WILL HELP THE BACKBONE OF EVERY ONE OF YOUR BUSINESSES, AND IT IS EVERYONE'S OBLIGATION TO HELP THE WORKING CLASS. SO I URGE YOU TO VOTE YES AND SUPPORT THE PAID SICK TIME PROPOSITION. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. DINA SERRANO, FOLLOWED BY MEREDITH MCGUIRE, THE MAYOR, LOU RESENDEZ. HELLO, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ALL HERE, UH, FOR THIS IMPORTANT DAY FOR OUR CITY. UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX AND ALSO A CONSTITUENT THAT LIVES IN THE ZIP CODE 7 8 2 3 7, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR POOREST ZIP CODES IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AS A EDUCATOR IN THE EDGEWOOD DISTRICT, I SAW PLENTY OF TIMES WHERE, UM, OUR STUDENTS WERE SICK AND THE PARENTS WOULD HAVE TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL, UH, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PAID SICK TIME. AND IT WAS AN INJUST TO THE CHILDREN THAT THEY HAD TO ENDURE THAT GOING TO SCHOOL WHEN THEY SHOULD BE AT HOME. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THEY COULDN'T BE AT HOME 'CAUSE THEIR PARENTS COULDN'T TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK. SO I AM HERE ASKING IF YOU COULD PLEASE PASS THE ORDINANCE OR, UM, HAVE THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER SO WE COULD DECIDE, UM, FOR PAID SICK TIME TO BE ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. MS. SERRANO. MEREDITH MCGUIRE, FOLLOWED BY MARY LOU RESENDEZ AND LORI BETH RODRIGUEZ. HELLO, I'M MEREDITH MCGUIRE, A PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY. I WAS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT BOTH THE HEALTH, UH, CONSEQUENCES OF, OF THIS MEASURE AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC ISSUE. HOWEVER, DR. KTU ALREADY STOLE MY THUNDER AND SHE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF TALKING ABOUT THE SWINE FLU AND, AND EPIDEMIC PROBLEMS. SO I'M GOING TO GO, GO QUICKLY THEN TO THE ISSUE ABOUT THE ECONOMIC ISSUES. I THINK THAT IT'S COMPLETELY DISINGENUOUS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PER SPOKESPERSONS WHO WERE QUOTED IN THE PRESS, UH, TO CLAIM THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD CRUSH THE PROFIT MARGINS OF SAN ANTONIO BUSINESSES. THE KINDS OF BUSINESSES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. UH, SOME OF THE HEALTHCARE PARTS OF THE INDUSTRY SUCH AS NURSING HOMES AND, UM, AND HOME HEALTH, UH, CARE AGENCIES, AND ALSO A, A LARGE NUMBER OF, OF OTHER BUSINESSES THAT MAKE A GOOD DEAL OF PROFIT BY HIRING PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATE ENOUGH TO TAKE THEIR JOBS. UH, AND SO I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THE CITY'S G D P HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HAS TOUTED THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT IT'S BROUGHT INTO OUR ECONOMY. UH, WE HAVE TO THANK TWO OF MY TRINITY UNIVERSITY COLLEAGUES WHO ROUTINELY DO A STUDY FOR THE, UH, CHAMBERS TO SHOW THEM ABOUT HOW MUCH THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS BRINGING IN. HOWEVER, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY APPEARS NOT TO WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH THE CITIZENS. SO I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE NOT ONLY FAIR WAGES FOR THE WORKERS, BUT [04:10:01] ALSO A PAID SICK DAYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU DR. MCGUIRE. MARY LOU RESENDEZ, FOLLOWED BY LORI BETH RODRIGUEZ AND MARK PEREZ. HI, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MARY LU RESENDEZ. I AM IN SUPPORT OF PAID SICK LEAVE. I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE AND I'M HERE SUPPORTING THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. ONE IN FOUR WOMEN WILL BE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND AS THE PEACE INITIATIVE MENTIONED, UH, WOMEN THAT ARE FLEEING VIOLENCE ARE USUALLY GOING INTO SHELTERS. THEY'RE GOING INTO, UH, NEW HOMES AND THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING TO ESCAPE THE SITUATION. 60% OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS. THEY WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS FOR SIMPLY ASKING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS OFF OR TAKING DAYS OFF TO, TO FLEE THE SITUATION. SO I AM IN FAVOR OF PAID SICK TIME AND LEAVE, UH, PUTTING THEM OUT OF A JOB PUTS THEM IN A VERY VULNERABLE SITUATION. MOST OF THEM WILL HAVE TO RETURN BACK TO THE PERPETRATOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO FINANCIAL MEANS TO, TO FIND A NEW HOME. SO THAT I HOPE THAT TODAY YOU WILL VOTE FOR PAID SICK, SICK TIME TO SUPPORT VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. FINDING, UH, FINANCIAL MEANS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON AND HAVING THE TIME AND THE ABILITY TO TAKE THAT TIME THAT IS MUCH NEEDED FOR THEM TO FLEE VIOLENCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. RESENDEZ. LORI BETH RODRIGUEZ, FOLLOWED BY MARK PEREZ AND EMMA HILBERT. WELL, GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DR. LORI RODRIGUEZ, AND I AM HERE AS A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND AN EMPLOYEE OF DISTRICT FOUR. AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY COMPLETE SUPPORT FOR THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE. IN AUGUST OF 2015, I WAS THE VICTIM OF A DOMESTIC ASSAULT SO SEVERE THAT IT REQUIRED ME TO BE TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THIS INCIDENT REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT TIME OFF OF WORK RELATING TO ONGOING DOCTOR VISITS WITH VARIOUS MEDICAL SPECIALISTS, NUMEROUS APPOINTMENTS WITH DETECTIVES, LAWYERS AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS, THE APPLICATION FOR A RESTRAINING ORDER, WHICH TOOK A FULL DAY OF WORK, A DETAILED INJURY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION FULL AND HALF DAYS OFF WITH, UH, FOR CONTINUANCES. WITH MY RE MY TRIAL BEING RESET TWICE DURING THIS TIME, I WAS EMPLOYED PART-TIME AND LOST WAGES FOR MISSED TIME OFF OF WORK. LUCKILY, MY EMPLOYER WORKED WITH ME, BUT MANY OTHERS ARE NOT SO LUCKY. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY VICTIMS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AS MINE HAVE HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY OR THAT OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS OR CHILDREN FOR THEIR OR THEIR JOB. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A CHOICE ANYBODY SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE. SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE VOTE FOR THE EARNED, THE EARNED PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE IN SUPPORTING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. RODRIGUEZ. MARK PEREZ, EMMA HILBERT. QMARK. TORIN. ALRIGHT, MR. TORIN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MAUREEN GALINDO, THEN RICHARD PEREZ. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS GUAM RIN. I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ANTONIO, AND I'M A FELLOW AT MOVE TEXAS. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT PAID SICK TIME. MY MOM WORKS 12 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THE FIRST TIME I SEE HER FOR THE DAY IS AT MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT. SHE DOESN'T HAVE PAID SICK TIME. FAMILY TIME IS IN BETWEEN EXCEPT BREAKFAST ON SUNDAYS WHEN HER MOM GETS SICK, SHE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO GO TO WORK. WE GO VISIT HER, BUT SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HOME. CITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO HAVE SHOWN THAT IMPLEMENTING PAID SICK TIME MAKES A HEALTHIER CITY, A MORE PRODUCTIVE CITY AND AN ECONOMICALLY FAIR CITY. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE LIVES OF 350,000 WORKERS THAT WOULD RESULT IN A BETTER SOCIETY FOR SAN ANTONIO. THE TIME FOR DEBATE IN CONSULTING, SO-CALLED ECONOMIC EXPERTISE, HAS LONG PAST MANY CITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS. THE WORKING CLASS OF SAN ANTONIO HAS DETERMINED WHAT IS BEST FOR OURSELVES, NOT THE BUSINESS CLASS. THIS IS TRUE DEMOCRACY. WE WORRY WE CAN MAKE A LIVING AND NOT PUT OUR BODIES AT RISK. NOT WHETHER THE LOCAL WALMART WILL HAVE TO USE ITS PROFITS TO TREAT US WITH WHAT MANY CONSIDER A COMMON SENSE POLICY. WE WANT FREEDOM OVER OUR LIVES IN A RESPECTABLE SOCIETY AND ACTION AGAINST THIS POLICY AND THIS ATTACK ON THAT. YOU SIT HERE IN YOUR SEATS THROUGH OUR DEMOCRATIC POWER. WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUARANTEE US OUR BEST LIFE POSSIBLE AND NOT THE BEST REVENUE POSSIBLE. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, I BET THEY'RE NOT HERE A LOT OF THE TIME. WE'RE THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY. THIS SAYS A LOT, THIS IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE REPRESENT US. THANK [04:15:01] YOU, MR. TORIN. MAUREEN GALINDO, RICHARD PEREZ, CHRISTINA ALDRETE, SUSANNA RAMIREZ. I THINK THAT'S DR. RAMIREZ. WE ALREADY CALLED HER LIZ FRANKLIN. LIZ FRANKLIN IS FOLLOWED BY ROMERO CAVAZOS AND JOHN AGATHER. HOW YOU DOING? LIZ FRANKLIN, DISTRICT TWO. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME OTHER DISTRICTS I REALLY WANNA LIVE IN WHEN I LEAVE THERE. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SPEAK TONIGHT. I'M NUMBER 67. NUMBER 67 66 PEOPLE BEFORE ME, AND NOBODY IS OPPOSING IT. AND WE COULD EVEN BE IN DEBATE ABOUT IT IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION, REALLY. IT IS, BUT I'M NOT THAT BRIGHT. REALLY. THE IDEA THAT SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN EAT IN SAN ANTONIO IF YOU'RE HUNGRY. THERE IS PLENTY OF PLACES. BUT WHAT'S REALLY AT RISK HERE ON A BIGGER PICTURE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THINK ABOUT THAT. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT LOSE THEIR JOB? BECAUSE THAT THIRD DAY, THEY JUST CANNOT, CANNOT SEND THEIR KID TO SCHOOL AGAIN OR LEAVE THE KID WORK S**T. BE IN AN ETHICAL OR A MORAL DILEMMA TO LEAVE THAT KID HOME. 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T MISS ANOTHER DAY OF WORK. NOW THEY'RE OUT OF A HOUSE. AND THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON HOUSING IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS YOU WILL EVER DO WHEN YOU'RE SHORT. SHORT TWO YEARS, SHORT TWO YEARS. I NEED SOME OF YOU TO GET BACK IN THERE, BUT I NEED SOME OF YOU TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. IT'S A BIG UMBRELLA. OKAY? LIVING WAGE IS WHY I EVER STARTED THIS CONVERSATION. TO ME, PAID SICK TIME IS, I DON'T WANNA GO ON THE ENEMY SIDE, BUT YOU KNOW, I NEED A LIVING WAGE. I NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOBODY. IF IT ISN'T FOR US, THEY'RE AT THEIR SECOND JOB. I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS. THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL NOVEMBER. THIS CAN PASS NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. FRANKLIN. RAMIRO CAVAZOS, FOLLOWED BY JOHN AGATHER AND STEVE HUERTA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR NUREMBERG, MEMBER CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR HOSTING THIS CITIZENS TO BE HEARD SESSION THIS EVENING. MY NAME IS RAMIRO CAVAZOS. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. FOR 90 YEARS, WE HAVE REPRESENTED THE INTEREST OF OUR MEMBERS. WE HAVE 1200 MEMBERS AND ABOUT 80% OF OUR MEMBERS ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. WE ARE OPPOSED TO MANDATING PAID SICK LEAVE THROUGH A CITY ORDINANCE. WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT OF, UH, COMPETITIVE WAGES AND HAVE SUPPORTED LIVING WAGES AND OF COURSE BENEFITS FOR OUR INDUSTRY LEADERS, WE KNOW THAT AS A CITY, THAT MARKET FORCES SHOULD DICTATE THE COMPETITION BETWEEN WHERE THOSE JOBS SHOULD GO AND EDUCATION AND PREPARATION AND WORKFORCE WILL ALLOW US TO BE THE CITY THAT WILL GROW TO BE NOT JUST THE LARGEST AND FASTEST CITY IN AMERICA, BUT ONE THAT HAS THE BEST WAGES AND THE BEST BENEFITS. ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND OUR 1200 MEMBERS, UH, WE ARE OPPOSED TO MANDATING PAID SICK LEAVE THROUGH A CITY ORDINANCE. I ALSO SPEAK AND REPRESENT, UH, THE, UH, THIS EVENING, THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, RICHARD PEREZ, CHRISTINA RETE WITH THE NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER, AND ARIOLA WITH THE SOUTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER. THANK YOU MR. CAVAZOS. JOHN AGATHER. UH, MR. MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOHN AGATHER. I'M THE CHAIRMAN ELECT OF THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I WILL BE MERCIFULLY SHORT AND NOT REPEAT WHAT MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUE JUST SAID. UH, PRIOR TO ME BEING HERE, I WILL SAY THAT WE HELD A BOARD VOTE ABOUT THIS AND, UH, IT WAS UNANIMOUS IN OPPOSITION. AGAIN, WE DON'T OPPOSE THE CONCEPT, BUT, UH, TO DO THIS THROUGH A CITY ORDINANCE IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T THINK A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SITUATION. SO, UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UH, HEARING OUR OPINION. THANK YOU, MR. AGATHER. STEVE HUERTA. STEVE HUERTA. OKAY. CHRISTIAN ODA. MR. ODA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NAZARITE. RUBEN FLORES PEREZ AND [04:20:01] THEN MARISSA GONZALEZ. WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? JUSTICE. I'M SORRY. JUSTICE . WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU, SIR? 71. OKAY. WE'RE NOT 71. OKAY. UH, I SKIPPED OVER YOU. UM, YOU'LL BE NEXT. HELLO, MY NAME'S CHRISTIAN . I'VE GONE THROUGH SITUATIONS WHERE MY MOTHER AND SIBLINGS ARE SICK WITH THE FLU, BUT WE HAVE NO HEALTHY PERSON TO STAY HOME. 'CAUSE IN REGARDS TO THAT, IT WOULD COST MY FATHER'S A JOB. I'VE GOT CALLS FROM MY MOTHER SAYING THAT MY AUNT IS A POTENTIAL, IS POTENTIALLY LOSING HER HOUSE DUE TO HAVING TO STAY IN THE HOSPITAL AND NOT BEING PAID. I'VE BEEN, I'VE GONE TO THE BACK OF MY WORK WHEN HAVING TO RESTOCK THE SHELVES TO SEE COWORKERS CRYING, SAYING THAT LIKE THEY CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE THEIR KIDS AT HOME. WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT EXPECTS THE RESIDENTS TO INVEST BACK INTO THE CITY THAT THEY LIVE IN. WHAT WE EXPECT THE CITY TO INVEST BACK INTO OUR WELLBEING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MR. ELA. JUSTICE. YOU'RE NEXT, FOLLOWED BY NAZARITE RUBIN FLORES PEREZ, AND THEN MARISA GONZALEZ. ALRIGHT, UH, SO JUSTICE LEVIN, DISTRICT ONE, DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE 1200 MEMBERS. UH, WE HAVE MOBILIZED RATHER MORE THAN ONE TONIGHT. SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH A JOKE. WHY DID THE BUSINESS OWNER JUMP OFF A BRIDGE BECAUSE THE MARKET TOLD HIM TO? IT'S A GOOD JOKE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MARKET DOESN'T ACTUALLY WORK THAT WAY. THAT IT'S NOT A THING. IT'S AN INTELLECTUAL TOOL THAT ECONOMISTS USE TO DESCRIBE. PLEASE, SIR, I'M TALKING. THEY USE IT TO DESCRIBE BEHAVIORS. UM, BUT LIKE, FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY DESCRIBING IS THE WAY THAT INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE DECISIONS. ALL RIGHT, SIR, PLEASE SHOW RESPECT TO THE PERSON AT THE PODIUM. IF ANYONE HAS ANY OUTBURSTS, WE WILL ASK YOU TO LEAVE. SO PLEASE UP. CAN I GET THAT TIME BACK, PLEASE? IS THERE ANY WAY FOR ME TO LIKE, KEEP GOING AFTER THE BUZZER? LIKE, COOL. OKAY. SO, UH, THE WAY THIS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN FRAMED THUS FAR IS FLAWED BECAUSE IT'S MAKING IT OUT AS THOUGH CITY COUNCIL IS THE ONE EXERCISING POWER HERE. BUT IN REALITY, IT'S THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXERCISING POWER AND THEY'RE DOING SO IN A FUNDAMENTALLY UNDEMOCRATIC WAY. THERE'S NEVER ANY DISCUSSION UP TO THIS POINT ON WHO SHOULD BE THE ONE MAKING A DECISION WHETHER A PERSON OR IS SICK ENOUGH OR NOT TO STAY HOME FROM WORK. UH, SO IN ORDER FOR YOU TO VOTE NO ON THIS BILL, OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, ORDINANCE, UH, WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO, UH, IS HERE AN ARGUMENT FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT JUSTIFIES THEM DISRUPTING THE AUTONOMY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK FOR THEM IN ORDER TO, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY OUGHT TO COME TO WORK. UH, ULTIMATELY THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY LIMITED VERSION OF THAT AUTONOMY ANYWAY. LIKE EIGHT DAYS IS NOTHING. IF PEOPLE ARE SICK, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK. THE ECONOMIC COERCION THAT ULTIMATELY LEADS THEM TO DECIDING TO IS, YOU KNOW, PROFOUNDLY IMMORAL. UM, LET'S SEE. OH, THAT MIGHT BE EVERYTHING I HAD. UH, YEAH. UH, BUT COOL. SOCIALISM IS GOOD. F**K THAT GUY. NAZARITE RUBEN IN FLORES PEREZ. NAZARITE. REUBEN FLORES PEREZ. DID CHRISTIAN OTA SPEAK? YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MARISSA GONZALEZ. MS. GONZALEZ, YOU BE FOLLOWED BY ISSA CANTU AND THEN LAKITA CON GARCIA. HELLO, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS MARISSA GONZALEZ. I, I GREW UP IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I WORK IN DISTRICT SEVEN, BUT NOW LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE. I, UH, REPRESENT THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER. I'M AN EDUCATOR AT THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER. AND, UM, UH, IF WE SEE PEOPLE SIMPLY AS LABOR, WE ARE COMMODIFYING AND DEHUMANIZING PEOPLE. ONE IN FOUR WOMEN AND ONE IN SIX MEN EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT OR ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT. SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE NEED THE TIME TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. IF SOMEONE EXPERIENCES SEXUAL VIOLENCE OR ANY TRAUMA, THEY WILL BE FAR LESS LIKELY TO GET THE HELP THEY NEED IF THEY ARE IN FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOB OR EVEN JUST MONEY. UM, I'M GONNA READ A STATEMENT FROM A SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR. MY NAME IS BARBIE. I'M A SEXUAL, I'M A NON BI, NON-BINARY QUEER IMMIGRANT, AND I'M A SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR. NEARLY 20 MILLION EXPERIENCED, INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, AND STALKING BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER. EVERY YEAR IN THE US. WOMEN OF COLOR AND THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED. SURVIVORS LIKE MYSELF NEED FINANCIAL STABILITY TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AND SEEK HELP. IF WE CANNOT AFFORD, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE DAYS OFF WITHOUT PAY TO CARE FOR, FOR PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND MENTAL HEALTH. DUE TO VIOLENCE, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE FIRED FROM OUR [04:25:01] JOBS FOR SEEKING HELP. AFTER EXPERIENCING SEXUAL ASSAULT OR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, OR EXPECTING A SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR TO TAKE UNPAID SICK DAY IS A FORM OF VICTIM BLAMING. NO ONE SHOULD RISK LOSING THEIR JOB AND THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION, WHETHER IT'S FOR MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH AS A RESULT OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. IS THAT MY TIME? UM, IN THE PAST I'VE HAD TO USE MY LUNCH HOUR TO GO TO THERAPY. I'VE HAD TO TAKE AN UNPAID DAY OFF TO DEAL WITH MY MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS OF MY ASSAULT. WE NEED COMPASSION. WE NEED TO BE TREATED LIKE HUMANS. WE NEED PAID SICK LEAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. GONZALEZ. HULI, CANTU, ULISA, CANTU, LATA GARCIA, SERGIO VEDA, MR. SBE. OKAY. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JULES CANTU, THEN SOPHIA LOPEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I'M HERE TO READ A QUICK BRIEF STUDIES THAT YOU ALL HAVE COPIES OF, UM, OVER. UH, MY NAME IS GIO. I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX, AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, AND I'M HERE TO FAVOR OF PAY SICK TIME. UM, OVER 40 JURISDICTIONS, CITIES, COUNTIES HAVE PASSED EARNED PAY SICK TIME ORDINANCES. UH, WE HAVE, WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONCERNS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE, THE FOLLOWING THAT SHOWS THAT A POSITIVE IMPACT TO BUSINESSES, AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BUSINESS CONCERNS AND AN ANALYSIS OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN NEARLY 20 JURISDICTIONS WITH PAY SICK TIME POLICIES DID NOT FIND INCREASES IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AS A RESULT OF PAY SICK TIME LOSS. IN 2016, A COMPREHENSIVE ACADEMIC STUDY ANALYZED DATA FROM EVERY US LOCALITY WITH A PAY SICK TIME POLICY TO EVALUATE A CLAIM THAT THIS LOSS COSTS DECREASED EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES. THE AUTHORS FOUND WITH AT LEAST 90% OF STATISTICAL PROBABILITY THAT WAGES AND UNEMPLOYMENT DID NOT DECREASE MORE THAN 1%. YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF ALL THESE STUDIES. I WILL REALLY HOPE THAT YOU GUYS READ IT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, AND PLEASE DO NOT DELAY FOR THE RESIDENCE OF SAN ANTONIO. PAY MEDICAL SICK LEAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. VEDA. LAQUITA GARCIA. LAKITA GARCIA, ARE YOU BACK IN THE CHAMBER? OKAY. ALRIGHT. JULES CANTU, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, MA'AM? JULES CANTU. YOU'RE MS. CANTU. OKAY. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY SOPHIA LOPEZ. THEN LUKE AMPLE. UH, GOOD EVENING. GROWING UP WITH A SINGLE MOTHER, MY MOM MADE A LOT OF SACRIFICES JUST TO MAKE SURE I GREW UP HEALTHY AND LOVED. SHE GAVE UP ON HER DREAMS SO THAT ONE DAY I COULD FULFILL MINE. AND WHILE MY MOM WORKED HARDER THAN ANYONE I'VE EVER SEEN, SHE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK SOMEPLACE WHERE SHE DIDN'T NEED TO PUT THE NEED TO WORK FOR A PAYCHECK OVER HER OWN HEALTH. MY MOTHER AND I GREW UP WITH PAID SICK TIME. I SAY BOTH OF US BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BOTH OF OUR LIVES. IT MEANT MY MOM DIDN'T NEED TO PUSH HERSELF TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION. SHE COULD REST AND BE HAPPY WHEN SHE NEEDED TO BE, AND THAT MEANT WE COULD BE HAPPY AND I COULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. THIS SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO THE CURRENT WORKING CLASS POPULATION OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO THEIR KIDS AND FAMILY. I URGED CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT PAID SICK TIME SO THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN BECOME A BETTER SAN ANTONIO FOR EVERYONE WHO WORKS HERE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CANTU. SOPHIA LOPEZ, FOLLOWED BY LUKE FLT AND BRIANNA RERA. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. UH, MY NAME IS SOPHIA LOPEZ. I AM A DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE, BUT, UH, MANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS DON'T AND MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS DON'T. AND CONVERSATIONS I HAVE WITH MY NEIGHBORS RECENTLY HAVE CENTERED ON RISING COST OF LIVING, RISING RENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND PEOPLE'S VERY REAL CONCERN ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS. IF THEY CAN'T, UM, IF THEY, IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUE LIVING IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND SOMETHING LIKE A [04:30:01] PA A A DAY OFF THAT ISN'T PAID IT, IT CAN HAVE CA CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. I AM A COMPLETE DATA NERD. RIGHT? SO, UM, LOOKING AT CENSUS DATA, THOSE 300,000 RESIDENTS, MORE OR LESS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARN UNDER $20,000 A YEAR. UM, AND ACTUALLY THAT'S NOT INDIVIDUALS. THAT'S HOUSEHOLDS. I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE ENDS MEET ON THAT LITTLE MONEY IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, AND SO I, I JUST WANT TO SAY I CAN'T EXPRESS THIS ANY BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO THEMSELVES HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE. UM, BUT I, I THINK GIVEN ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE ON WITH THE HOUSING TASK FORCE, IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO PASS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. LOPEZ. LUKE FLT, FOLLOWED BY BRIANNA RERA AND THEN ERNEST HERRERA. HI FOLKS. MY NAME'S LUKE FLT. I'M A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AT LUTHER BURBANK HIGH SCHOOL. I'M A MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO ALLIANCE. I FRAME MY US HISTORY CLASSES AS ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT, SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PAST AND HOW WE GOT HERE IN MY CLASS. STUDENTS CONFRONT THE FACT THAT THEY LIVE IN A TIME OF ALMOST UNPARALLELED INEQUALITY IN AMERICA. THEY COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNTRY THEY CALL HOME UNDER, THEY ARE TAUGHT TO SEE AS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF LIBERTY. INEQUALITY IS NOT ONLY THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SPECIES, BUT ALSO THE MOST UNEQUAL DEVELOPED NATION IN THE WORLD. THEY LEARN THAT SOCIAL MOBILITY IS LOWER HERE THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE, AND THAT WE ARE ONCE AGAIN REACHING LEVELS OF INEQUALITY NOT SEEN SINCE THE GILDED AGE. THEY LEARN THAT AMERICANS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN EVER, ARE WORKING LONGER HOURS, AND YET ARE NO BETTER OFF AND OFTEN POORER THAN THEY WERE 40 YEARS AGO. THEY LEARNED THAT THE FUTURE REMAINS UNWRITTEN, BUT THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM HAS NEVER BEEN HARDER TO ACHIEVE FOR MANY MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO TAKE A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A FUTURE THAT WE SHOULD ALL BELIEVE IN FOR OUR CITY, FOR TEXAS, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES. A FUTURE IN WHICH EVERYONE, INCLUDING ALL OF MY STUDENTS, IS ABLE TO LIVE A LIFE OF DIGNITY FREE FROM THE SCOURGES OF PRECARITY AND POVERTY. AMIDST ALL THIS WEALTH, OUR SOCIETY IS WEALTHY BEYOND IMAGINING, AND OUR WEALTH IS SOCIALLY PRODUCED BY ALL OF US. AND WORKING PEOPLE DESERVE ALL OF OUR SUPPORT WHEN THEY'RE SICK. I TELL MY STUDENTS EVERY DAY THAT WE HAVE TO LOVE AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THOSE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO MOST NEED IT BY SUPPORTING PAID SICK TIME, A SMALL STEP TOWARDS BUILDING A SAN ANTONIO FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW. THAT'S THE SAN ANTONIO AND THE FUTURE THAT MY STUDENTS DESERVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. AMPLE. BRIANNA RERA, FOLLOWED BY ERNEST HERRERA AND ANTONIO DIAZ. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BRIANNA BARRERA AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA, AS WELL AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. I AM HERE TO EXPRESS MY TOTAL SUPPORT FOR THE PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE. SIX TO EIGHT DAYS OF EARNED PAID SICK TIME, SIX TO EIGHT DAYS FOR PEACE OF MIND, FOR HEALTH, FOR FAMILY MATTERS, FOR BEING A PERSON. THAT'S IT. IF A BUSINESS CLAIMS THE NEED TO WITHHOLD BENEFITS BECAUSE OF LOST PROFITS, THEN THAT BUSINESS DOESN'T DESERVE TO EXIST. PROFIT SHOULD NEVER COME BEFORE THE WELLBEING OF A PERSON. WORKERS DESERVE THIS ORDINANCE AND MUCH, MUCH MORE BECAUSE IT IS OFF THEIR LABOR THAT THIS CITY IS FED, IS CLOTHED, IS CLEANED, IS HOUSED, IS HEALED, IS BUILT, IS TAUGHT, IS CARED FOR. LABOR IS WHAT TURNS THIS CITY INTO A HOME, AND LABOR IS ENTITLED TO ALL THAT IT CREATES. WHY IS IT OKAY FOR SOME OF US TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE BENEFITS? WHY 350,000 SAN ANTONIONS DO NOT. WHY CAN SOME PEOPLE STAY HOME WITH A SICK CHILD, WITH A COLD, THE FLU, DEPRESSION WITH THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE, PASS PRESSING LEGAL MATTERS OR REALLY ANYTHING AT ALL AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LOSING SOME OR ALL OF THEIR INCOME. BUT 350,000 WORKERS DON'T HAVE THE SAME ACCESS. IN MY FIELD OF WORK, I HEAR THE WORD COMMUNITY OFTEN FROM FELLOW ORGANIZERS, ACTIVISTS, REPORTERS, NONPROFITS, POLITICIANS, AND CITY OFFICIALS, AND EVEN FROM BUSINESSES. BUT BEING IN A COMMUNITY MEANS CARING ABOUT THE WELLBEING OF THOSE YOU ARE IN COMMUNITY WITH. THE DAY YOU TOOK OATH TO ENTER OFFICE IS THE DAY THAT YOU SWORE TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WELL, WE'RE HERE. YOUR COMMUNITY TELLING THAT YOU, THAT YOU CAN HELP US DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND PASS THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, MS. BARRERRA. ERNEST HERRERA, FOLLOWED BY ANTONIO DIAZ AND DEANNA REGAS. UH, GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK. UH, MY NAME IS ERNEST RERA. I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO. UH, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO. I HAVE LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS. AFTER [04:35:01] RETURNING FROM SCHOOL AND WORK OUT OF STATE, UH, I CAME BACK, UH, TO WORK AS A CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER, VOTING RIGHTS LAWYER, EDUCATION LAWYER. AND BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE A PART OF A CITY THAT WAS NOT JUST GROWING IN SIZE OR ECONOMY, BUT BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE A CITY PROGRESSING IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ITS POOREST RESIDENTS. I SPEAK TODAY AND THERE ARE MANY GREAT ARGUMENTS ALREADY. SO I'LL SHORTEN MIND TO, I SPEAK TODAY AS A RESIDENT, UH, PARTICULARLY OF MY ZIP CODE 7 8 2 0 8. AND SO I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, STATS THERE. UH, IN MY ZIP CODE IN DISTRICT TWO, 30% OF MY NEIGHBORS LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. UH, THE PER CAPITA INCOME, UH, MEDIUM INCOME IS $17,300 A YEAR. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE 7% UNEMPLOYMENT. PEOPLE ARE WORKING, UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL. PAID, UH, PAID SICK TIME IS ONE WAY TO HELP LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND ALLOW PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE AND A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. UH, SAN ANTONIO IS GROWING ECONOMICALLY AND BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, AND THE CENSUS STATISTICS SHOW US THAT. BUT ONE THING THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IS THAT SAN ANTONIOS ARE NOT ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THAT GROWTH. THE MEDIAN WAGE HAS NOT RISEN VERY MUCH, AND IT'S CURRENTLY MUCH LOWER THAN THAT OF THE AMERICAN MEDIAN WAGE. MEDIAN WAGE, UH, PAID SICK, UH, PAID SICK LEAVE IS ONE MORE WAY, UH, THAT CAN LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. . ANTONIO DIAZ. DEANNA ORGA. PEDRO RUIZ? YES, SIR. OKAY. MR. RUIZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY A GROUP. JANNI FLORES, MARISA RAMIREZ, AND SUSANNA SURA. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I THINK YOU GET TWO MINUTES, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. ALRIGHT, COOL. I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, BRING UP THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE ABOUT PAID SICK LEAVE. I HAD AN ISSUE ONE TIME WITH, UH, THIS EMPLOYER NAMED MEDICAL INSURANCE COMPANY. I WAS WORKING FOR THEM, AND THEN I HAD A BRONCHITIS. SO I HAD, UH, DOCUMENTATION. I WENT TO THE VA CLINIC, AND THEN THEY FOUND OUT I HAD X-RAYS, UH, PNEUMONIA IN ONE OF MY LUNGS. SO WHEN I WENT BACK, UH, I WAS FIRED FROM THAT EMPLOYER. AND SO I TOOK THAT CASE TO, UH, TEXAS WORKFORCE, AND THEN THEY STILL HAD TO GO AHEAD AND REVIEW IT. THEN I HAD TO FIGHT THEM IN AUSTIN, UH, DOING KIND OF LIKE A CONFERENCE CALL BACK TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR WORKMAN'S, UH, COMPENSATION, UH, FOR BENEFITS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF HURDLES, UH, AND EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE, UH, THESE TYPE OF BENEFITS FOR PAID SICK LEAVE. AND IT, IT WAS A PAINFUL PROCESS, JUST MONTHS JUST FIGHTING IT. AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO GO THROUGH THAT. BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY SAD, ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS IN YOUR FAMILY, YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO PAID SICK LEAVE, UH, ESPECIALLY A, A MISCARRIAGE OR JUST ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT AND I'VE SEEN IT. AND WE NEED THIS FOR ALL THE CITIZENS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, I, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON IT NEXT WEEK, AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN VOTE YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RUIZ. AND WE HAVE A GROUP, JANNI FLORES, MARISSA RAMIREZ, AND SUSANNA URA. Y'ALL WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES AS A GROUP, AND THEN WE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEANNA REGAS AND OR ANTONIO DIAZ. AND THEN DEANA ORGA RE MY NAME IS JEANNETTE FLORES, AND TODAY WE'RE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BU DEZA. WE ASK YOU TO TAKE ACTION ON A PAID SICK TIME POLICY IMMEDIATELY. BU ARE THE LOW INCOME AND WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES OF SAN ANTONIO. HISTORICALLY, WE ARE THE UNDERPAID AND OVERWORKED. THE REALITY IS THAT OUR PEOPLE MAKE UP A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKERS WITHOUT PAID SICK TIME IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS AFFECTS EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES. I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE PAID SICK TIME, AND THIS HAS BEEN AN IMMEDIATE, UH, RELIEF IN MY LIFE. I'M NOT AFRAID TO BE SICK IF I HAVE THE FLU OR IF I HAVE BRONCHITIS. ALL TOO COMMON IN MY LIFE, I'M ABLE TO STAY HOME AND KNOW THAT I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE RENT. I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY MY STUDENT LOANS, AND I'M DEFINITELY GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE MY CAR PAYMENT TOO. [04:40:02] THE AMOUNT OF RELIEF THAT THAT BRINGS TO MY LIFE IS IMMENSE. I AM NOT, BUT THIS HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. I WORKED IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY SINCE THE MOMENT I COULD GET A JOB. I'VE BEEN A SERVER FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT BEING A SERVER, THERE'S NO PAID SICK TIME OFF. YOU DON'T GET TO STAY HOME IF YOU'RE SICK. AND YOUR EMPLOYER DEFINITELY DOES NOT CARE IF YOU'RE SICK. THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD, I DON'T HAVE A SINGLE MEMORY OF MY FATHER EVER TAKING A SICK DAY OFF. THIS ISN'T BECAUSE HE'S SUPER A MAN, ALTHOUGH I THINK HE IS. THIS ISN'T BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE A DAY OFF OR BECAUSE HE DIDN'T NEED TO TAKE A DAY OFF. THIS IS BECAUSE HE CAN'T TAKE A DAY OFF LIKE A LOT OF OUR ENTE, HE WORKS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, SIX TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, EIGHT TO 12 HOUR SHIFTS. I'VE SEEN HIM GO INTO WORK WITH THE FEVER. HE SPRAIN WRIST AND BRONCHITIS. HE ALWAYS SAYS MHA NOAH N BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT IT IS. HE WORKS OVERNIGHT IN THE HEAT AND IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES. HE WORKS THROUGH THE RAIN EVERY NIGHT. NO REST FOR THE WORKING CLASS, RIGHT? BUT WE DESERVE SELF-CARE TOO. WE DESERVE TO STAY HOME IF WE'RE SICK. THE REALITY IS, UM, NO WORK MEANS NO PAY FOR US. THIS MEANT NO MONEY FOR RENT, GROCERIES, OR GAS. THIS MEANT HIS CHILDREN WOULDN'T HAVE FOOD ON THE THEIR TABLE. AND THAT'S NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON MY FATHER IS. WE ASK YOU TO THINK OF OUR WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY OF THOSE WHO BUILD THIS CITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. THOSE WHO WAKE UP AT DAWN AND HEAD TO WORK, WORK ALL THE WAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT. WE ASK YOU TO GUARANTEE THEM PAID SICK TIME. IF YOU DON'T, WE WILL DO SO IN NOVEMBER. OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT, AND THEY WILL TURN OUT BE THE COMPASSIONATE MAYOR, THE COMPASSIONATE COUNCIL THAT WE DESERVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND AS A SIDE NOTE, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IT IS OUTRIGHT DISRESPECTFUL HOW TO CUT PEOPLE'S TIMES FROM THREE MINUTES TO TWO AND UP FOR A GROUP TO NINE OF NINE TO FIVE. IF OUR OF OUR PEOPLE ARE TURNING OUT, IF THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT, THEY DESERVE TO BE HEARD. YOU ARE ALL BEING PAID TO SIT THERE. WE ARE NOT. THANK YOU, MS. FLORES. ANTONIO DIAZ, FOLLOWED BY DEANNA REGAS. MS. URIEGAS, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY BELINDA DELMONTE, CARMEN FRANKS AND MARCUS JACKSON, A GROUP. GO AHEAD. MR. UH, GO AHEAD. MR. DIAZ NCY. UH, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE BECAUSE, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE, AGAIN, I I, I'VE GROWN UP WORKING SINCE I WAS A CHILD, AS FAR AS I REMEMBER. AND THERE WAS NEVER ANY PAID SICK LEAVE. YOU WORK THROUGH YOUR ILLNESS OR INJURIES OR YOU WERE TERMINATED. SO I THINK IT'S A JUST THING TO DO. AND TO PUT IT ON, ON YOUR AGENDA TO VOTE ON AGAIN, IS, IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE POPULATION OF THE CITY. SO I'LL GIVE MY TIME TO DIANA RODIER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DIAZ. DIANNA ORGA, HI MAYOR AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL. UH, YOU WANNA STAND HERE WITH YOU? I, UH, CAME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M FOR THIS PAY SICK LEAVE. 'CAUSE I WAS FIRED FOR GETTING SICK. UH, SO I TRIED TO GET ANOTHER JOB AND, UH, APPARENTLY HAD TO LEAVE THAT JOB BECAUSE I WAS, I GOT SICK AGAIN AND I DIDN'T HAVE NO PAY SICK LEAVE ON THAT. THEN I, I GOT BETTER AND I WENT TO GET ANOTHER JOB, AND I GOT SICK AGAIN. UH, LIKE I SAY, I HAVE THIS BANDANA ON BECAUSE MY BRAIN SWELLS SOME INJURED, AND I DIDN'T GET ANY HELP FOR, YOU KNOW, [04:45:01] ANY OPERATIONS FOR IT. SO I HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS. I WISH Y'ALL WOULD HAVE COMPASSION FOR THE HUMAN BEINGS, FOR ALL OF US, BECAUSE AT ONE POINT WE'RE ALL GONNA GET INJURED OR HURT OR IN AN ACCIDENT, AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WORK. YOU HAVE TO CALL THE TIME. YOU HAVE TO CALL THE TIME TO REPORT. YOU CAN'T COME IN BECAUSE YOU'RE INJURED. IF YOU HAVE KIDS, THEY SUFFER TOO. EVERYBODY SUFFERS FROM THE WHOLE FAMILY. AND YOUR BILLS KEEP GOING UP AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY, UH, MONEY TO PAY 'EM. YOU LOSE EVERYTHING. IF YOU'RE RENTING STUFF, YOU LOSE IT. YOUR PAYMENTS FOR YOUR CAR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, APARTMENT. YOU'RE ON A LEASE. REMEMBER, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES? IF YOU DON'T, UH, YOU WANT US TO WORK FOR YOU AND YOU DON'T WANNA TAKE CARE OF US WHEN WE'RE INJURED OR SICK OR WHATEVER. THANK YOU, MS. URIEGAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND GOD BLESS YOU. WE HAVE A GROUP, BELINDA, HOPE TO VOTE AGAINST IT. DE BELINDA DELMONTE. CARMEN FRANKS AND MARCUS JACKSON. ARE YOU ALL HERE? BELINDA DELMONTE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'VE GOT, I'M GONNA NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS ONE. IT'S, UH, SONYA AVENDRA MONON. SONYA, ARE YOU HERE? CAROL A G**O. CAROL A G**O. PEDRO ARZA. MR. ARZA, YOU'RE UP, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY TURNER ADAMS, AL ARIELA JR. AND THEN A GROUP, RICK BURNETT, CHANEL DEAN AND KELLY HUDSON. HELLO, UH, NEXT TIME WE'LL DO THIS IN MY ALPHABETICAL ORDER. MY NAME IS PETE ARAIZA. I'M THE OWNER OF ARAI AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED. WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS 34 YEARS, AND WE, WE HAVE ALWAYS PROVIDED BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE, PAID VACATION, THE USUAL LUNCHES, HAPPY HOUR. WE DO WHAT WE CAN. ALL THIS IS A MATTER OF ECONOMICS. IF I MAKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS PROFIT, DO I KEEP THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS? DO I SHARE IT WITH MY EMPLOYEES? IN OUR BUSINESS, WE LIKE TO SHARE OUR PROFITS SINCE WE DO ACCOUNTING WORK AND INSURANCE. I KNOW SOME OF THE BUSINESSES, SOME OFFICES, DOCTOR'S OFFICES DO PROVIDE BENEFITS. SOME DO NOT. AND THE ONES THAT DO NOT JUST MANAGE TO KEEP MORE OF THE PROFITS IN THEIR POCKET, THAT'S ALL IT IS. IT'S ECONOMICS. UM, IF YOU WANT LOYAL, GOOD EMPLOYEES, LONGTIME EMPLOYEES, YOU NEED TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR PROFITS. IN THE END, IF YOU LOOK AT IT AS THE OWNER, I AM BETTER OFF THAN MY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE MAKING. I DO TAKE LONGER VACATIONS. I DRIVE NEWER CARS. SO I, AND I TAKE NAPS AT TWO O'CLOCK IN, IN THE AFTERNOON, SO I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND I'VE HAD EXPERIENCE COMPANIES IN MEXICO. I'VE REPRESENTED COMPANIES IN MEXICO, AND THEY DO NOT SHARE THE PROFITS OVER THERE. THE OWNERS OF THE COMPANIES TEND TO KEEP MORE OF THE MONEY TO THEMSELVES AND SHARE VERY LITTLE WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES. EVEN THE SECOND IN COMMAND, YOU WOULD SEE THAT THERE'S A BIG GAP IN WHAT THE OWNERS HAVE AND WHAT THE, UM, EMPLOYEES HAVE. BUT PLEASE, THAT'S ALL IT AMOUNTS TO IS ECONOMICS. SHARE THE PROFITS IF YOU'RE A COMPANY OWNER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. ARAIZA. TURNER ADAMS, FOLLOWED BY AL ELLA JR. THEN THE GROUP, RICK BURNETT, CHANEL DEAN, AND KELLY HUDSON. HI, UM, MY NAME IS TURNER ADAMS AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. AS A STUDENT AT U T S A, I FEEL IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT SOME BUSINESSES IN THIS COUNCIL CONTINUE TO DRAG THEIR FEET. WHILE THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF 350,000 [04:50:01] WORKERS REMAINS AT THE MERCY OF THEIR EMPLOYERS. THE REASON YOUR BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO THRIVE IS BASED SOLELY ON THEIR LABOR, AND IT IS INCREDIBLY UNJUST IN POOR BUSINESS PRACTICE TO NOT PROVIDE PAID SICK LEAVE TO WORKERS. THERE IS NO REASON THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY AND PAYING OUR BILLS. DO WHAT IS RIGHT. PASS THIS NOW AND SHOW US YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT THE WORKERS OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. MS. ADAMS. AL ALA JUNIOR. OKAY. THE GROUP. RICK BURNETT, CHANEL DEAN, AND KELLY HUDSON. OKAY, YOU ALL HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MABEL DIAZ AND ISABEL RAMOS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHANEL DANE, AND I'M REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN STAFFING ASSOCIATION AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WHO HAS SEVERAL STAFFING OWNERS WHO OWN BUSINESSES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I PERSONALLY AM A SMALL WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OPERATING HERE THAT EMPLOYS HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE OFFER THEM ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE GOALS OF SECURING THEM FULL-TIME JOBS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS WHILE EMPLOYED WITH OUR FIRM. MY EMPLOYEES DO HAVE BENEFITS. THEY HAVE VACATION PAY, MEDICAL BENEFITS, AND MORE. TO COMPLY WITH THIS ORDINANCE AS A SMALL BUSINESS, I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PASS ON THESE COSTS TO MY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURERS WITH INCREASES. MYSELF AND MY CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HIRE LESS EMPLOYEES, REDUCE VACATION BENEFITS, REDUCE PAY RAISES, AND CUT BACK ON OTHER BENEFITS, PAID SICK LEAVE POSES, AND ESPECIALLY COSTLY BURDEN ON STAFFING FIRMS. WE MUST TRACK HOURS FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ON SHORT-TERM JOBS FOR LEAVE ACCRUAL USAGE AND CARRYOVER PURPOSES. THE SYSTEMS TO TRACK AND REPORT THIS AS THE ORDINANCE STATES IS OVERWHELMINGLY COSTLY. I URGE YOU TO SAY NO TO THIS ORDINANCE. AND I'M RICK BURNETT, UH, FROM THE A S A COUNSEL. WE BASICALLY OPPOSE THIS PREDOMINANTLY BECAUSE THE TEXAS ATTORNEY'S GENERAL OFFICE HAS ALREADY STATED THAT THE ORDINANCE IS PREEMPTED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS LAW. IT'S ALREADY IN COURTS IN AUSTIN, SO WHY NOT WAIT TILL THE COURTS DO IT VERSUS GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE LAW AND SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY INTO IT, DOING THE SAME THING ON THE SECOND THING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE EXEMPTIONS OF THE UNION UNDER THIS ORDINANCE, HAVING THE P S L IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VIOLATES OUR EQUAL PROTECTION AS WELL. WE RECOMMEND THAT THE TEMPORARY STAFFING INDUSTRY IS ALSO EXCLUDED FROM THIS ORDINANCE. OUR ORGANIZATION, OBVIOUSLY, IS A BRIDGE FOR EMPLOYEES TO GET JOBS. LAST YEAR, WE, WE BASICALLY IN, IN SAN ANTONIO, WE, UH, FOUND 628 PEOPLE JOBS THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION. THROUGH THAT PROCESS, 292 WOULD ACTUALLY WOULD'VE GONE THROUGH AND QUALIFIED FOR THIS OUT OF THAT, THAT SHORT TIME THEY LIVED. THEY, THEY WORKED FOR US. THEY MAKE BASICALLY ACCUMULATED 13 HOURS. 13 HOURS. IT WOULD COST OUR ORGANIZATION OVER 65% OF OUR PROFITS. AS WE TALKED ABOUT DRIVING OUR PRICES UP. IT WOULD COST, IT WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PRICES BY A DOLLAR AN HOUR. AND THE CITY USES TEMPORARY STAFFING AND YOUR BUDGETS WHEN YOU CAN KIND OF GO, OKAY. THE TEMPORARY STAFFING INDUSTRY IS, IS A BRIDGE FOR EMPLOYMENT TO HELP INDI INDIVIDUALS FIND IT. THEY'RE BASICALLY, THEY'RE GONNA PULL BACK AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE USING US AS MUCH. THAT'S HURTING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HELP FIND PEOPLE JOBS. WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER IS THE, UH, STRUCTURE OF THE ORDINANCE. UH, GOING FORWARD. UH, WE ARE AGAINST IT, BUT, UH, UH, DISTRICTS OF COLUMBIA HAVE ENACTED PAID SICK LAWS AS OF MAY, 2018. ALMOST EVERY JURISDICTION THAT HAS ENACTED PAID SICK LAW, INCLUDING THE MOST PROGRESSIVE REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, REQUIRE AT LEAST 90 DAYS OF EMPLOYMENT. CHICAGO 180, SEATTLE 180 NEW YORK, 120 VERMONT UP TO ONE YEAR, AND OURS IS 80 DAYS. THAT PUTS AN ONEROUS BURDEN ON THE TEMPORARY STAFFING INDUSTRY. DUE TO OUR FLUID WORKFORCE, WE ARE A BRIDGE TO EMPLOYMENT. WE HELP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO FIND JOBS SO THEY CAN GET BENEFITS. AND, UH, SO WE URGE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AN EXCEPTION FOR ANY PAID SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT FOR EMPLOYERS OR TEMPORARY WORKERS AS CONNECTICUT AND MARYLAND HAVE DONE. AT THE VERY LEAST, THE ORDINANCE SHOULD REQUIRE NO LESS THAN 90 DAYS OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE CALENDAR YEAR BEFORE ANY EARNED LEAVE CAN BE USED. MOREOVER, TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH OTHER JURISDICTION, THE MAXIMUM HOURS OF LEAVE THAT CAN BE USED IN A YEAR SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 40. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. MABEL DIAZ, FOLLOWED BY ISABEL RAMOS AND JAIME ESTRADA, [04:55:01] MAYOR NUREMBERG AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MABEL DIAZ AND I'M A SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD TEXAS VOTES. I'M ALSO CONSTITUENT WITH DISTRICT ONE. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL SUPPORT FOR PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE. MOST OF MY WORK AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER HAS BEEN AROUND HEALTH ADVOCACY. I'VE HAD, I'VE, I HAVE HEARD FOLKS TELL ME THAT THEY'VE GONE TO WORK SICK POWERED THROUGH WORK, DESPITE HAVING CONTAGIOUS ILLNESSES HAVE DROPPED OFF. SICK KIDS AT A DAYCARE, ALL BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO TAKE A PAY CUT. SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE TAKEN A PAY CUT HAVE STRUGGLED TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH AS A WHOLE. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO, NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SEEKING THE HEALTHCARE THEY NEED OR TAKING CARE OF A LOVED ONE AND LOSING THEIR JOBS. THE MOST VULNERABLE LOW WAGE WORKERS, WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE THE ONES THAT CAN LEAST AFFORD TO LOSE A DAY'S WAGES TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES OR A LOVED ONE WHEN THEY'RE SICK. 354,000 WORKERS CURRENTLY LACK PAY SICK TIME. IN OUR GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE REQUEST THE CITY COUNCIL HONOR THE VOICES OF THE, OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND TAKE ACTION ON PAID SICK TIME WITHOUT DELAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. DIAZ. ISABELLE RAMOS, FOLLOWED BY JAIME ESTRADA AND RAY CHAVEZ. CHE, GOOD EVENING. FIRST OF ALL, IF THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT THINK THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING A LOT, THEY'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH IF YOU CAN'T, PROVIDES HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES. AND I KNOW THE CITY PRICE ITSELF AND BEING A CITY OF GROWTH, AND IT HAS MADE A GREAT PUSH TO BRING MORE COMPANIES INTO THE CITY. HOWEVER, HOW CAN WE SAY WE ARE A CITY WHO WELCOMES BUSINESSES WHEN WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE WORKERS OF THESE BUSINESSES? IT'S A NARRATIVE THAT CONTRADICTS ITSELF AS A CITY, AS A CITY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS VALUE AND CARETAKING, CARETAKING OF THE SELF, CARETAKING OF OUR FAMILIES, CARETAKING OF OUR COMMUNITY, AS MIKE COMRADES HAVE ALREADY SHARED. THIS IS A, AN INTERSECTIONAL ISSUE, AN ISSUE OF WORKERS' RIGHTS, REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, GENDER JUSTICE SURVIVOR'S, RIGHTS, FAMILIES, AND A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. SO PLEASE PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND ALLOW US TO EARN AND FIGHT FOR OUR WELLNESS, BECAUSE IT WILL NOT BE PROVIDED JUST BY, BY ITSELF. WE'RE GONNA BE EARNING THAT WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND ALWAYS, PLEASE REMEMBER, PEOPLE, THE ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS OVER PROFITS OVER ALL OF Y'ALL'S PROFITS. THANK YOU, MS. RAMOS. HI, ME, ESTRADA. HI, ME ESTRADA RAY CHAVEZ, FOLLOWED BY DAVE CAMPBELL AND PATRICK GARCIA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, EVERYBODY HERE. I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT ABOUT DEMOCRACY. I THINK IT'S BEEN FANTASTIC THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE ALL HERE TOGETHER TO DISCUSS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND ALLOWING US TO HAVE THIS GOOD DISCOURSE TO GET THINGS SQUARED AWAY FOR PAID SICK LEAVE. LEMME MAKE ONE THING CLEAR. I WANT, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT PAID SICK LEAVE, WE ARE FOR IT. WE THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, VET IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOOD TO GO. BUT THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED RIGHT NOW, IT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE SAN ANTONIO MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION. BASICALLY, SAM RECOGNIZES THAT MANY SUPPORTERS OF THIS REGULATION OFFER THEIR SUPPORT WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS. HOWEVER, SUCH AN AN ORDINANCE WOULD HURT THE VERY EMPLOYEES. THESE ORGANIZATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS ARE STRIVING TO HELP BY FORCING EMPLOYERS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN P S L AND CREATING ADDITIONAL JOBS. MANDATORY P S L IS NO USE TO SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A JOB. YOU ARE GIVEN A PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE GOT FOR YOU, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINES THAT WE HAVE, WE WANT TO BE, UH, UH, COSMIC OF EVERYBODY'S TIME. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SPEED THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANNA GIVE SOME REASONS WHY WE ARE, UH, NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE P S L. I CAN TELL YOU THAT MANUFACTURERS ALREADY PROVIDE SICK LEAVE AND BENEFITS. MANY HAVE GENEROUS BENEFITS PACKAGES AND WORK WITH EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HAVING A HARD TIME CAN USE SICK LEAVE. THEY CAN USE VACATION PERSONAL DAYS. AND F M L A FIXED PRICING CONTRACTS CANNOT BE RENEGOTIATED. AND THAT MEANS IF YOU'VE GOT A CONTRACT WITH A HOTEL OR UH, AVIATION INDUSTRY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THOSE CONTRACTS ARE ALREADY LOCKED. YOU CANNOT, UH, CHANGE THEM AT ALL. THE ONE THING I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND WITH THE THE CITY COUNCIL IS OUR [05:00:01] EDUCATION, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. OUR ESSAY WORKS. WE GOT 20,000 INTERNS. THANK YOU MR. CHAVEZ. WE WANT BY 2020, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FULFILL THAT. I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN OVER. THANK YOU, MR. CHAVEZ. DAVE KIMBALL, FOLLOWED BY PATRICK GARCIA AND DOUG KARLBERG. GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'VE BEEN IN MANUFACTURING MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I LIKE AN INDUSTRY WHICH IS ABLE TO PAY EMPLOYEES WELL. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET WE HAVE IN OUR, OUR COMPANY AND IN THE INDUSTRY IS OUR EMPLOYEES. AND WE LIKE TO TREAT THEM VERY WELL. HOWEVER, WE'RE LIMITED BY MARKET FORCES, USUALLY NATIONAL AND OFTEN INTERNATIONAL. WE, UH, ARE OFTEN NOT, MOST MANUFACTURERS AREN'T ABLE TO PASS ON ANY COSTS THAT WOULD ACCRUE FOR ADDITIONAL COSTS. IF THIS, THIS ORDINANCE, UH, WERE TO PASS, WE WOULD NEED TO CUT SOMEWHERE. AND LIKELY THAT WOULD BE VACATION PAY OR PAY RAISES OR REDUCED BENEFITS. EACH MANUFACTURER DECIDES WHAT MIX OF PAY AND BENEFITS IS, IS BEST FOR THEM. MY HEART REACHED OUT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS, BUT THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IS TO GET HIGHER PAYING JOBS. AND THIS SENDS A MESSAGE. THIS SENDS A MESSAGE THAT SAN ANTONIO IS NOT BUSINESS FRIENDLY, AND IT'S GONNA CHASE GOOD PAYING JOBS AWAY. THANK YOU, MR. CAMPBELL. PATRICK GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY DOUG KARLBERG AND DAVID FRY. I DO WISH THAT ALL THE BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO WERE LIKE THE TOYOTA AND THE VALERO AND THE USAS, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT NOT ALL THE BUSINESSES HAVE DEEP POCKETS IN SAN ANTONIO. OUR BUSINESS PROVIDES PERSONAL TIME OFF VACATION, SICK LEAVE, 4 0 1 K, DENTAL VISION, AND LIFE INSURANCE. WE ARE ALSO, UH, NOT VIOLATING ANY LAWS IN REGARDS TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. WE IMPLEMENTED IT FOR ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, 349 EMPLOYEES. AND THE PROBLEM IS, MY BANKERS TELL ME THAT YOU NEED TO RAISE YOUR PRICES BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF INCREASED COST. UM, WE PLAN THE 4 0 1 K, WE PLAN THE DENTAL, WE PLAN THE VISION AND THE LIFE INSURANCE. WHAT WE DIDN'T PLAN WAS AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE ACT. IN OUR MODEL PRICING MODELS, WE DIDN'T FORECAST THAT SICK LEAVE WOULD BECOME MANDATORY FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. SO THAT BEING SAID, YES, THERE'S MANY CORPORATIONS, SMALL AND LARGE THAT HAVE FIXED PRICES. AND YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO HONOR THE PRICES AS LONG AS FIVE YEARS, VERY LITTLE BUILT IN PRICE INCREASES. OKAY, I WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT. I BELIEVE THAT ALSO MY EXPERIENCE WITH IMPLEMENTING SICK LEAVE ACT IS THAT WE HAVE HAD 82% OF OUR DAY SHIFT WORKFORCE TAKE 102 DAYS OF SICK LEAVE. I HAVE PAID OUT 6,000 HOURS IN SICK LEAVE ALREADY. THE EX THE, THE PROBLEM, THE, THE PROBLEM IS THIS, I HAVE 10 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, SOME WORTH 20,000, 50,005 CALL-INS. MAYBE THREE MACHINES WILL BE NOT OPERABLE BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO STAFF IT. I TRY TO BRING PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE OFF. THAT MEANS I HAVE TO PAY OVERTIME IF I CAN FIND SOMEBODY ALSO. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ORDINANCE, THANK YOU MR. GARCIA. BY OH, DOUG KARLBERG. SORRY ABOUT THAT. FOLLOWED BY DAVID FRY AND LARO DE LEON. GOOD EVENING. I'M THE OWNER OF A SERVICE DISABLED DEFENSE CONTRACTOR HERE IN TOWN, SMALL BUSINESS. UM, WE'RE A SUPPLIER TO LOCKHEED MARTIN BELL HELICOPTER, RAYTHEON, JUST TO NAME A FEW. AS YOU WOULD THINK, UH, THESE ARE WELL-PAID JOBS AND HIGH TECH JOBS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. BUT WHAT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE ON A FIRM FIXED PRICE CONTRACT. IN ALL THESE CONTRACTS, MOST OF THEM RUN ANYWHERE FROM FOUR TO SIX YEARS. I CANNOT GO BACK AND RENEGOTIATE 'EM. SO THIS BRINGS UP THE, UH, CONCERN ABOUT THIS P L S ORDINANCE. AS IT'S WRITTEN TODAY, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS IT'S WRITTEN AND PROPOSED TO CITY COUNCIL TODAY, IT WILL FORCE A LOT OF US TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS. DO WE REDUCE OUR BENEFITS TODAY? WE DO OFFER PERSONAL TIME OFF OR P T O AND WE PAY 80% OF OUR HEALTH BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, PLUS A LOT OF OTHER BENEFITS. OR DO WE MAKE OTHER DECISIONS? DO WE STAY IN SAN ANTONIO OR DO WE MOVE OUT? THIS IS ALREADY OCCURRING IN AUSTIN. JUST PAY ATTENTION DOWN THE ROAD. [05:05:01] 25 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR HARRIS CORPORATION, I MOVED OPERATIONS FROM CALIFORNIA OUTTA CALIFORNIA, AND A, A NUMBER OF 'EM MOVED INTO SAN ANTONIO. WHY? 'CAUSE IT SETS REGULATIONS AND TAXATION AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE TODAY, IF THIS GOES THROUGH, IT'S GONNA IMPACT BEARER COUNTY AND ALSO SAN ANTONIO. I'M VERY ACTIVE ON THE CHAMBER'S AEROSPACE SUBCOMMITTEE. WE'RE TALKING TO A NUMBER OF COMPANIES TRYING TO GET 'EM TO MOVE INTO SAN ANTONIO TO GROW THE AEROSPACE BUSINESS, CREATE HIGH PAYING JOBS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS GONNA BE A DEAL BREAKER THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN TODAY. SO, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE CHOICES. WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S RIGHT FOR SAN ANTONIO AND WHAT'S GONNA MAKE SAN ANTONIO GROW. I JUST WISH MORE PEOPLE THAT WERE TALKING HERE TODAY KNEW WHAT IT TOOK TO RUN A BUSINESS AND WHAT IT TAKES TO SIGN. THANK YOU, MR. KARLBERG. IN FRONT OF THE PAYCHECK, NOT THE BACK. THANK YOU, MR. KARLBERG. DAVID FRY, FOLLOWED BY LARO DELEON. THANK YOU. WELL, PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF, I THINK THAT WHAT OUR POSITION WOULD BE. I'M NOT AN AN OWNER. I AM AN EMPLOYEE AT COX MANUFACTURING IN NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO. AND WHAT WE WOULD ASK FOR IS THAT THIS WOULD BE PUSHED TO BE ABLE TO BE VETTED FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND NOT PASS IT AND THEN HOPE TO AMEND IT. WE DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. YOU DON'T WRITE A CONTRACT WITH A CUSTOMER, HAVE A CERTAIN PRICE, AND THEN SAY, WELL, WE'LL SIGN IT, BUT THEN WE'LL JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT THE DETAILS LATER, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST, NO MATTER WHAT THE DATE OF DELIVERY AND THAT SORT OF THING NEEDS TO BE VETTED AND UNDERSTOOD AND, UM, UM, SCRUTINIZED AND ANALYZED AND, AND DONE WELL BEFORE IT WOULD BE PUT FORWARD. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, I, UH, ALSO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT IS VERY, UM, VERY KIND TOWARD EMPLOYEES. I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR MY EMPLOYER. I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR, FOR MY COWORKERS. UM, WE, UM, RECENTLY PAID, UM, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT A A MAN IN OUR COMPANY DIED AS A RESULT OF CANCER. AND THE OWNER, UM, INVITED THE EMPLOYEES TO RAISE AN AMOUNT OF MONEY. THEY RAISED SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. HE MATCHED THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. HE PAID FOR A FUNERAL. HE DID LOTS OF THINGS. AND IT'S NOT AN UNCOMMON STORY FOR WHAT HAPPENS AT COX MANUFACTURING. YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I'M VERY THANKFUL TONIGHT LISTENING HERE TO ALL THESE THINGS. I'M THANKFUL FOR HAVING THANKFUL PARENTS. I JUST WANNA SAY THAT MY MOTHER AND FATHER WORKED VERY HARD. I DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT UPBRINGING IN TERMS OF WEALTH, BUT THEY WORKED AND THEY, THEY MADE THINGS WORK AND THEY DIDN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. AND THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR THINGS, AND THEY WERE THANKFUL AND THEY WERE HAPPY. THEY WERE REALLY HAPPY. AND I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE BEEN IN A FAMILY THAT WAS A HAPPY FAMILY THAT MADE THINGS WORK. THANK YOU, MR. FRY LARO DE LEON, FOLLOWED BY NOAH ESCAMIA AND LOUIS BARRIOS. MY NAME IS LARO DE LEON. I LIVE IN LIST DISTRICT SIX. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THE COUNCILMAN. LET ME TELL YOU REAL QUICK OF WHAT TRANSPIRE. A FEW YEARS AGO, A FEW YEARS AGO, PEOPLE WOULD COME TO WORK AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND DIDN'T GET OFF TILL ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. WHY WAS THIS? BECAUSE THERE WAS A, UH, A SPACING THERE WHERE THEY DIDN'T NEED YOU. SO THEY SEND YOU HOME. YOU HAD TO COME BACK AND FINISH YOUR OTHER FOUR HOURS. I STOOD HERE BEFORE THIS CITY COUNCIL FROM THIS, UH, FROM SAN ANTONIO, OF COURSE, UH, THERE WERE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT THAT TIME. AND, UH, IT TOOK THE CITY COUNCIL TO PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT IF YOU WENT TO WORK, YOU PUT IN YOUR EIGHT HOURS IF YOU WANT, UH, TO KEEP HIM, YOU HAD TO PAY HIM OVERTIME. I HAVE BEEN A UNION ACTIVIST. I HAVE WORKED FOR, UH, FOR DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT VALUE THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE HARDEST TIME THAT I HAD WHILE WORKING AT THE N C O CLUB AS A NIGHT MANAGER WAS TO SEND PEOPLE HOME BECAUSE THEY WERE SICK. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO HOME. AND I HAD THE REGULATIONS THAT SAID THAT YOU, IF YOU'RE SICK, YOU HAVE TO GO HOME BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO CONTAMINATE OTHER PEOPLE. [05:10:01] AND IT'S NOT FUN TO GO TO A AND, UH, HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAS A COLD OR A FLU SNEEZE IN FRONT OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DELEON. NOAH GARCIA. NOAH ESCAMILLA. NOAH ESCAMILLA. OKAY. FOLLOWED BY LOUIS BARRIOS AND MADELINE BANEZ. HELLO ALL. UM, MY NAME IS NOAH CAMILLA, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I'M AN ARTIST AND A MUSICIAN WITH FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCE, UM, IN ALMOST EVERY SCENE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, THESE ARTISTS ARE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP PART OF THE 54% OF SAN ANTONIO WORKERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF P T O OPTION, ANY TYPE OF PAID, UH, SICK LEAVE OPTION TO USE IN, YOU KNOW, IN, UM, TIME OF NEED. UM, MANY OF THESE ARTISTS STRUGGLE UNDER STRESSES OF POVERTY, OF BA, YOU KNOW, LACK OF BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF CITY OFFICIALS AND MUSIC LEADERS WHO ARE HOPELESSLY OUT OF TOUCH WITH, UH, THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, AND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE AN ACTUAL MUSICIAN, AN ACTUAL ARTIST IN THIS CITY. UM, UH, A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY AND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, AND THEY CONTINUE TO CREATE, DESPITE THE PERSONAL AND PHYSICAL AND OFTEN MENTAL TOLL IT TAKES ON THEM. AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY TIRING TO CONTINUOUSLY SEE FAULTY AND CLUMSY MUSIC POLICY BEING ENACTED, UH, THAT DOES NOTHING TO ACTUALLY HELP ARTISTS IN THE SCENE. UM, I SORT OF WANTED TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE, OF, UH, ARTISTIC CONTEXT TO THIS. UM, BUT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT HERE. UM, THE ORDINANCE, THIS ORDINANCE IS A SMALL BUT VIABLE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO MAKE REAL, TANGIBLE DIFFERENCES IN OUR LIVES, UH, IN THESE FOLKS LIVES WHO HAVE GENERATION AFTER GENERATION SPENT PRECIOUS TIME AND ENERGY CREATING THE RICH AND LASTING AND VIBRANT, YET OFTEN OVERLOOKED, UH, CULTURAL HISTORY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO, UH, TO SEEING SAN ANTONIO ARTS DEVELOP AND GROW PER ESSAY 2020, THEN STOP PATRONIZING US. UM, WE DON'T WANT EMPTY GESTURES. UH, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO PLAY OUR MUSIC IN YOUR CITY HALL. IF YOU CANNOT STAND UP FOR US AND ENACT THIS ORDINANCE NOW, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL COME TO THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER AND WE'LL MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ESCAMILLA. LOUIS BARRIOS, FOLLOWED BY MADELINE BANEZ AND ALAN RIVAS, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. I COME WITH YOU WITH A VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. I WAS 19 YEARS OLD AND A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE WHEN MY WIDOWED MOTHER STARTED LOS BARRIOS WITH $3,000 IN 1979. MY MOTHER WORKED SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK FOR 30 YEARS, BUILDING HER BUSINESS ROUGHLY A HUNDRED HOURS PER WEEK. THE MAIN REASON SHE WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP HER BUSINESS IS THAT SHE DID THE EQUIVALENT OF 10 JOBS EVERY DAY. SHE COOKED, PREPPED, SERVICED THE LINE, BUSED TABLES, CHARGED AT THE CASH REGISTER, WASHED DISHES, CLEANED THE RESTROOMS, AND DID MANY CLERICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE JOBS IN THEIR BUSINESS. SHE SACRIFICED HER LIFE TO PROVIDE FOR MY TWO SISTERS AND I, APPROXIMATELY FOUR DAYS A WEEK, THE BANK OF SAN ANTONIO WOULD CALL HER AND SAY, MRS. BARRIOS, YOU'RE OVERDRAWN. WE'VE COVERED THOSE CHECKS. WHAT TIME CAN YOU GET HERE TO PAY US? SO EVERY DAY AFTER THE LUNCH RUSH, WE WOULD TAKE, GO TO THE BANK AND PAY THE BANK OF SAN ANTONIO. WHEN I TOOK OVER THE BUSINESS AT THE AGE OF 26, SHE HAD 35 EMPLOYEES AND DID ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUES PER YEAR. AND THE, THE ISSUE WITH THE BANK OF SAN ANTONIO WAS STILL VERY PRESENT. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, NINE OUT OF 10 OR 90% OF RESTAURANTS HAVE FEWER THAN 50 EMPLOYEES. WOMEN OWN OR CO-OWN. HALF OF ALL RESTAURANTS, MORE WOMEN MANAGERS THAN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, MORE MINORITY MANAGERS THAN EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY. WHEN YOU CONSIDER ALL THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES IN THE ECONOMY, THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS BY FAR THE POOREST. WE HAVE THE LOWEST PROFITABILITY PER EMPLOYEE COMPARED TO EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY. WE ARE THE LARGEST EMPLOYER OF 16 TO 24 YEAR OLDS, AND 60% OF OUR WORKFORCE ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 TO 26. WE'RE THE FIRST GRADE OF THE WORKFORCE. IF YOU ENACT PAID SICK LEAVE, YOU WILL PLACE MORE BURDENS ON PEOPLE LIKE MY MOTHER. THESE RISKS TAKING ENTREPRENEURS WILL HAVE TO COVER THOSE EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES, EVEN IF THEY THEMSELVES ARE SICK. WHERE IS THEIR SAFETY NET? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BARRIOS. MADELINE BANEZ, FOLLOWED BY ALAN REVIS AND EDWIN DIAZ. MA MADELINE BANEZ. ALAN RIVAS, EDWIN DIAZ. SARAH DONALDSON. CECILIA CASTANO. ARE YOU COMING FORWARD, MA'AM? I'M WHAT'S YOUR NAME? NAME? SARAH DONALDSON. [05:15:01] SARAH DONALDSON. OKAY. COME ON UP. CECILIA CASTELLANO IS NEXT. AND THEN ARABELLA DANIELS. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SARAH DONALDSON. I'M AN EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE. UM, I'VE TRIED TO KEEP QUIET AS MUCH AS I CAN TONIGHT, BUT IT'S HARD TO KEEP QUIET HEARING ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE SPEAKING SO MUCH TRUTH. AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU THAT YOU LISTEN TO THAT TRUTH, YOU DO THE RIGHT THING, AND YOU PASS THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. IT'S A NO-BRAINER. AS AN EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING MANY LOW WAGE WORKERS WHO HAVE HAD TO MAKE THE KINDS OF CHOICES THAT MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM HAVE NOT HAD TO MAKE. BETWEEN KEEPING A JOB AND CARING FOR A KID BETWEEN WORKING HURT AND THEIR FAMILY GOING HUNGRY BETWEEN GETTING TREATMENT FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND FEEDING THEIR FAMILY THESE TOUGH CHOICES CREATE AN UNHEALTHY CITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, PASSING AN ORDIN ORDINANCE SUCH AS THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE PROPOSED HERE WILL STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND ENSURE THAT THE WEALTH IN OUR CITY AND THE GROWTH AND OUR CITY IS SHARED BY THE WORKING PEOPLE THAT YOU ALL REPRESENT. MOREOVER, IT'S GOOD FOR BUSINESS. IT'S GOOD FOR THE CONTINUITY OF THE WORKFORCE, HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND WORKING WORKER PRODUCTIVITY. WHAT BUSINESS IS THIS BAD FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL? UM, THOSE WHO PUT THEIR BOTTOM LINES OVER THE HEALTH OF EMPLOYEES, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. UM, THIS MEANS THAT IF THERE IS A CITY ORDINANCE LIKE THIS, THOSE KINDS OF BUSINESSES WON'T HAVE AN UNFAIR COMPETITIVE BUSINESS ADVANTAGE OVER EMPLOYERS WHO PUT THEIR EMPLOYEES FIRST. THAT'S THE KIND OF MARKET THAT WE WANNA CREATE HERE. UM, WE USED TO HAVE A MARKET IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE YOU COULD PAY YOUR WORKERS WHATEVER YOU WANTED. UM, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LAWS TO CORRECT THAT MARKET FAILURE. UM, YOU ALL REPRESENTS THE INTEREST OF, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT. THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE HERE, BUT MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT HERE. THEY DON'T HAVE CHILDCARE FOR THEIR KIDS. YOU ALL REPRESENT THOSE PEOPLE. PLEASE PASS THIS ORDINANCE OR WE'LL REMEMBER NEXT ELECTION. THANK YOU, MS. DONALDSON. CECILIA CASTELLANO, FOLLOWED BY ARABELLA DANIELS AND CAITLYN BRENNER. HELLO, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS CECILIA CASTANO. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF AZTECA DESIGNS AND I GET VERY EMOTIONAL, SO I'M SORRY, I'M IN DISTRICT SIX. MY HUSBAND AND I, WE STARTED AZTECA DESIGNS TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE FOR OURSELVES. THE WORD SAYS THAT EVERY GENERATION SHALL, SHALL INCREASE, BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY CAUSED STRESS AND SICKNESS ON OURSELVES AND WE'VE MISSED MANY, MANY EVENTS FOR OUR CHILDREN. YES, THIS IS OUR DECISION TO HAVE GONE INTO BUSINESS. HOWEVER, IT MUST BE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. WE BELIEVE AN EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE IS A TEAM AND SHALL WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE GREATER THINGS. AZ TECH IS NOT ONLY A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, BUT WE ARE A BUSINESS THAT EMPOWERS PEOPLE TO DO BETTER FOR THEMSELVES, TEACH THEM NEW THINGS WHILE, WHILE GETTING PAID, NOT ON A FREE INTERNSHIP. WHEN MY LITTLE ONE IS SICK, HE COMES TO WORK WITH ME. HE LAYS IN A SMALL OFFICE. AZ TECH ALREADY OFFERS PAID SICK. WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, WHETHER THEY ARE SICK, NEED TIME OFF. WE DON'T NEED AN ORDINANCE TO TELL US HOW TO RUN OUR BUSINESS. SO WE OPPOSE PAID SICK ORDINANCE FOR THREE REASONS. NUMBER ONE, THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE FAIR CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALLOW SMALL BUSINESSES TO SCALE UP, TO GROW OUR BUSINESS, TO OFFER MORE BENEFITS. IF BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE A FAIR PLAYING FIELD, HOW CAN WE PROVIDE A PLAYING PLAY, A PLAYING A FAIR PLAYING FIELD FOR EMPLOYEES? THE CITY, HISTORICALLY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO HOLD LARGER EMPLOYERS ACCOUNTABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES. I'M NOT CONFIDENT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROPOSED OFFICE TO BE THE WATCHDOG WILL SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFY A FINE LARGER EMPLOYERS WHO CAN AFFORD, I'M SORRY, TO HIRE LABOR LAWYERS, TO SKIRT THE ORDINANCE IF PASSES. I HAVE ONE LAST ONE, BUT MOST OF, I WANTED YOU TO HEAR THAT. IN APRIL, I WAS APPROACHED BY SOME OF THESE ACTIVISTS TO SUPPORT THIS. AND IN APRIL I LOST MY FATHER. I WAS WORKING ON FOUR BIDS, ONE BEING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I ALMOST LOST MY FATHER THAT NIGHT. AND I HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION WHETHER I WAS GONNA CONTINUE MY BID OR IF I WAS GONNA STAY WITH MY DAD AT THE HOSPITAL. I CHOSE TO STAY WITH MY DAD. SO I LOST THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO WHERE IS THE SUPPORT FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS? THANK YOU, MS. YOU, MS. CASTANO, ARABELLA DANIELS. ARABELLA DANIELS, CAITLYN BRENNER. MS. BRENNER, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MONICA CRUZ AND JESSICA GUERRERO. [05:20:01] RO HELLO, MY NAME'S CAITLYN BRENNER AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. UM, IN 1968, C B SS RELEASED THIS DOCUMENTARY HUNGER IN AMERICA, WHICH DEPICTED THE DAILY LIFE AND STRUGGLE OF SOME OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION. IT FEATURED, UM, SAN ANTONIO'S VERY OWN 7 8 2 0 7 ZIP CODE. UM, I WORKED TOGETHER GATHER SIGNATURES FOR THIS PETITION IN THAT VERY ZIP CODE, UM, WITH AN OFFICE THAT WAS BASED, UH, RIGHT ACROSS GUADALUPE PLAZA. IT'S BEEN 50 YEARS, BUT VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED. SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITIES IN AMERICA. ONE WHERE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IS LARGELY DETERMINED BY THIS ZIP CODE IN WHICH YOU WERE BORN AND ENACT THIS ORDINANCE AS A SMALL BUT VERY NECESSARY STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO LEVELING THAT PLAYING FIELD. UM, MAYOR NUREMBERG, I CANVASSED FOR YOUR, UH, MAYORAL CAMPAIGN, YOU CAMPAIGN ON THE SLOGAN OF FOR, UH, FOR THE CITY THAT YOU DESERVE. WELL, I THINK THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY DESERVE A CHANCE FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES. 40% OF ALL EMPLOYEES IN SAN ANTONIO DO NOT HAVE ANY FORM OF PAID SICK LEAVE. UH, HOWEVER, FOR THE LOWEST EARNINGS BRACKET, UH, FOR FULL-TIME WORKERS, UH, THOSE MAKING $15,000 OR LESS, THAT NUMBER SHOOTS UP TO 69%. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WE DESERVE BETTER. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CARE FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OUR FAMILIES WITHOUT SACRIFICING EARNED INCOME. UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG, I WANT YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIGHT FOR THE CITY. WE DESERVE ONE IN WHICH THE WORKING CLASS AND WORKING FAMILIES CAN THRIVE. THANKS. THANK YOU, MS. CRUZ. UH, MS. JESSICA GUERRERO, FOLLOWED BY ZANE NORDQUIST. YOUR NAME MS. CRUZ. I'M SORRY. OKAY. MS. MONICA CRUZ, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA GUERRERO. YES, GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING. UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. MY NAME IS MONICA CRUZ, AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF AND IN FAVOR OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. UM, MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN AND ALREADY PROVIDED MANY GOOD AND SIGNIFICANT POINTS IN SUPPORT OF PAID SICK LEAVE. UM, ONE A FEW MORE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT. UM, THE NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY, ONE OF THE WELL-RESPECTED HEALTH SURVEYS THAT IS CONDUCTED ACROSS THAT MANY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS REFER TO WHEN WE LOOK AT UP THE EFFECTS OF POLICY AND HEALTHCARE POLICIES HAVE SAID, AND NOTICE THAT WHEN THEIR ANALYSIS OF SOME OF THESE, UH, SURVEYS SAY THAT WORKERS WITH PAID SICK LEAVE ARE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THAT CAN LEAD TO EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES PAID SICK TIME WILL ALSO KEEP EMPLOYEES FROM UTILIZING HEALTHCARE COSTS AFTER HOURS, UM, AND PREVENT THEM FROM USING EMERGENCY CARE. WE ALL KNOW HERE, THERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, ANYBODY WHO USES OUR HOSPITAL OR UNIVERSITY OR PUBLIC HOSPITAL BE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, OR THE ONLY TIME THEY CAN DO IS UTILIZE IT AT AFTER EVENING HOURS. WE ALL PAY AS A COMMUNITY. WE ALL PAY WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE CARE. I UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE CONCERNS OF THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, AND I APPLAUD THOSE BUS BUSINESSES THAT WHO, UH, RUN THEIR BUSINESSES IN A COMPASSIONATE MANNER, OFFERING SERVICES AND PAID SICK LEAVE TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. BUT NOT EVERYBODY DOES THAT. AND IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE MUST NOT FORGET THAT THE RECENT FEDERAL TAX OVERHAUL PASSED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTS BUSINESSES. SO HOW WILL THOSE BUSINESSES THEN SHARE THAT WEALTH WITH EMPLOYEES? AND THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. SO MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, TO DATE STATES AND CITIES HAVE BEGUN TO TAKE MATTER INTO THEIR OWN HANDS TO DATE, EIGHT STATES PLUS 29 CITIES AND TWO COUNTIES HAVE PASSED THESE LAWS. MS. SAN ANTONIO BE ON THE LIST OF VISIONARY CITIES THAT SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CRUZ. MS. JESSICA GUERRERO. JESSICA GUERRERO, FOLLOWED BY ZANE NORDQUIST. JESSICA GUERRERO. OKAY. LET'S HAVE, UH, ZANE NORDQUIST, FOLLOWED BY JESSE GLORIA. HOWDY. UM, MY NAME IS ZANE NORDQUIST. I'M A STUDENT, A TECH WORKER, AND A FORTNITE STREAMER. UM, SO I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, ONE THING THAT I'VE NOTICED ABOUT SAN ANTONIO IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BRAIN DRAIN GOING ON IN SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, TECH SAVVY AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE EDUCATED. A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO GREW UP HERE, GREW UP AROUND HERE, ARE MOVING OUTTA SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO DOESN'T OFFER THEM ANY INCENTIVES TO STAY INCENTIVES LIKE AUSTIN HAS WITH THEIR PAID SICK TIME INCENTIVES, LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PLACES AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE UNITED STATES HAVE. UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A, UH, GREAT MOVE TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION EDUCATED MINDS, YOUNG PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, IS TO, YOU KNOW, PASS THIS BILL. THANK YOU, MR. NORDQUIST. [05:25:02] JESS, JESSE GLORIA, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER HERRING. SORRY. UM, HELLO, GOOD KNIGHT , MAYOR NUREMBERG AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JESSE GLORIA. I'M A DAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT, AND ALSO I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT TWO. TODAY. I WAGGLED HERE BECAUSE, UM, I WAS FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY, LIKE I SAY, AND I GOT ATTACKED BY A DOG WHILE BLOCK WALKING. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY. TODAY I WANNA START WITH MY COMPLETE SUPPORT FOR THE PAID SICK TIME ORDINANCE. WHEN MY MOTHER CAME TO THE UNITED STATES, SHE DID NOT KNOW HER RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE. NONE OF THE DOCUMENTS WERE IN SPANISH. FAST FORWARDING TO HER THIRD YEAR IN HER WORKFORCE THAT YEAR, MY BROTHER'S FATHER BECAME VERY VIOLENT. MY MOTHER ESSENTIALLY BECAME A PUNCHING BAG, UH, FORCED TO TAKE BOTH VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. I CAN RECALL HER SAYING, NORO, WE DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO LEAVE. WE HAD NO WAY OF LEAVING, NO SALVATION. THIS IS WHY THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD PASS, BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE MY MOTHER LOST HER HOUSE AND WE LIVED IN THE WOMEN'S BAT, THE BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER FOR TWO WEEKS. THE CITY ORDINANCE GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALL PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS SAN ANTONIO'S. DIVERSITY WAS FUELED IN A GREAT PART BY IMMIGRANTS. IMMIGRANTS MAKE US STRONG AND MORE CONNECTED AS A COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GLORIA. CHRISTOPHER HERRING, FOLLOWED BY JANIE GONZALES. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. I'M CHRISTOPHER HERRING. I'M THE OWNER OF NEW HORIZON SCHOOL, WHICH IS A CHILDCARE CENTER. UM, I'M ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR GLOBAL CHAMBER SAN ANTONIO. I CHAIR THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBERS. UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO STAND AGAINST THE, UH, THE PROPOSAL. UH, NAMELY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, DOESN'T MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE. UH, I MET WITH, I MET WITH THE ACTIVISTS AND MANY OF THEM PERPETRATED TO BE BUSINESS OWNERS. IN FACT, THEY MAY HAVE RAN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BUT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT BUSINESSES. IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE COUNT 30,000 PLUS BIT SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COUNT. WE DON'T COUNT NONPROFITS. SO SOMETIMES THE ACTIVISTS WILL DISGUISE THEMSELVES AS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT. AND SO, TONIGHT I'VE HEARD ALL OF THE ISSUES OF ENTITLEMENT. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF ENTITLEMENT. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF THE BOTTOM LINE. WE'RE GONNA CREATE A NEW HEADLINE, WHICH IS GONNA SAY, SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS. WHY? BECAUSE NO ONE BACK THERE HAS OWNED A BUSINESS THAT KNOWS WHAT BEING A BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT. SO, WHILE I SAY THIS MESSAGE, AND I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND I'LL WRITE ABOUT IT, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO, UM, TO GIVE ENTITLEMENTS BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT. MOST OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I KNOW ARE MOM OR POP WHEN THEY'RE OUT OF BUSINESS, NO ONE COMPENSATES THEM. SO UNLESS WE GO TO THE T W C FOR HELP, I JUST DON'T SEE A PROVISION WHERE WE CAN PUT A BURDEN ON SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BACK. ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE DONE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND WE SIMPLY CAN'T TAKE IT. MOST PERCEPTIONS ARE SMALL. BUSINESS OWNERS ARE RICH. I'M SORRY, WE'RE NOT RICH. THAT'S A LIE. THAT'S A PERCEPTION. IT'S A PERCEPTION THAT KEEPS FURTHERING ITSELF. THE LAST YOUNG LADY SPOKE ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HELPING, UH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT SMALL BUSINESS THAT HE'S HELPED, HE'S HELPED BIG BUSINESS. SO IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT THIS, THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE, THEN DO IT WITH YOUR BIG BUSINESS. BUT GET OFF THE BACK OF SMALL BUSINESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HERRING. JANIE GONZALEZ. GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG EVENING FOR ALL OF YOU. MY NAME IS JANIE GONZALEZ. I'M ALSO C E O OF WEB HEAD TECHNOLOGIES. I OVERWHELMINGLY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE WORKERS WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE UP TIME OFF WITHOUT PENALTY OR NOT HAVING ACCESS TO SICK LEAVE. AS A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER, I BROKE THE CYCLE OF POVERTY WITH EARNING A DEGREE, STARTING A BUSINESS, WORKING VERY HARD, AND THE DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF MY FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY THAT I SERVE. I HAVE REMAINED FAITHFUL TO MY FAMILY, EMPLOYEES, AND THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY FOR 24 YEARS TO PROVIDE GOOD HIGH PAY WEIGHT, UH, HIGH PAYING WAGE JOBS, PAID SICK, PAID SICK, LEAVE, PERSONAL TIME OFF HOLIDAYS, HEALTH INSURANCE, AMONG OTHER BENEFITS. NOT ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE EVIL AND CHOOSE PROFITS OVER THE WELLBEING OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. [05:30:01] OVER THE YEARS, I'VE CUT MY PAY MANY TIMES, WORK SICK, RETURN BACK TO WORK WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER HAVING MY CHILDREN, TOOK OUT SEVERAL LOANS, CASH SAVINGS TO MAKE SURE WE MET OUR BUSINESS GOALS, PROTECT JOBS, AND STAY IN BUSINESS. MY CONCERN IS THAT PAID SICK LEAVE IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT EQUALITY IN OUR CITY. THE EQUALITY OF OUR INNER CITY STEMS FROM OUR CITY'S HISTORY OF ATTRACTING LOW WAGE EMPLOYERS, LACK OF QUALITY OF EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE ANTIQUATED OR OUTDATED, AND NOT ENOUGH TO PROPEL AN INDIVIDUAL. THIS ORDINANCE WILL NOT SOLVE THE INEQUALITY. IT WILL CREATE NEW OBSTACLES FOR HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS. WE HAVE CHRONIC PROBLEMS THAT ARE SYSTEMIC AND THAT WILL NOT BE SOLVED OVERNIGHT. I URGE YOU THAT WE APPROACH THIS DIFFERENTLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. GONZALEZ. TONY VILLA VILLANUEVA, FOLLOWED BY TREY IBARRA AND RODNEY KIDD. MY NAME IS TONY VILLANUEVA. I WORK AS A PROFESSOR AT A LOCAL COLLEGE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE PAID SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE MAKES SENSE. YOU'VE HEARD MANY TONIGHT, AND I'M GONNA ADD TO THE LIST. CONSIDER THIS. TODAY IN MY CLASSROOM CLASSROOM OF YOUNG AND OLDER ADULT STUDENTS, I ASK HOW MANY OF THEM ARE WORKING IN EITHER FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME JOBS. THREE QUARTERS OF THE STUDENTS IN A CLASS OF 20 RAISE THEIR HANDS. THEN I ASK OF THOSE WHO WORK, HOW MANY OF YOU RECEIVE PAID SICK LEAVE? 100% OF THE STUDENTS SAID THEY DO NOT RECEIVE PAID SICK LEAVE BENEFITS. 100%. I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT IF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY WERE TO BE CARRIED OUT, WE WOULD FIND THAT MOST STUDENTS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES DO NOT RECEIVE PAID SICK LEAVE. SOME ARGUE THAT PAID SICK LEAVE WOULD HURT LOCAL BUSINESSES. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL HELP IN THE LONG RUN OUR WORKFORCE, COMPETITIVENESS, AND OVERALL ECONOMY. IN THE LONG RUN, WE HAVE TO THINK AHEAD. SO WHEN I THINK OF OUR, OF THIS ORDINANCE, I THINK OF MY STUDENTS AND THE GREAT THINGS THEY WILL DO WHEN THEY FINISH COLLEGE. BUT WE COLLECTIVELY MUST SUPPORT THEM. WE MUST SUPPORT THEM. THEY CAN USE ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET. YOU. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF COMPLETING COLLEGE. TO BE THE GREAT CITY THAT WE ASPIRE TO BE. WE MUST SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE, THAT WE CARE ENOUGH TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS. THANK YOU, MR. VILLANUEVA. TREY IBADA. TREY IVANA. RODNEY KIDD, FOLLOWED BY BETTY ECKERT AND ALICIA ARRADONDO. HELLO. THANKS, CITY COUNCIL. THANKS. UH, CITIZENS. UH, I ALSO WANNA GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO, UH, FORMER MAYOR CASTRO. UH, MR. DREW GALLOWAY WITH MOVE, UH, ROSA ROSALES WITH LULE TC CALVERT. MR. CALVERT, UH, SARWAT HUSSEIN. I KNOW SHE WASN'T HERE FROM DISTRICT EIGHT. UH, DAVID VANNAS AND, UH, RICK TREVINO. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THESE LEADERS HAVE COME HERE, TAKEN THEIR TIME AND RESPECT Y'ALL ENOUGH TO, UH, TO GIVE YOU THEIR INPUT. UH, I'VE OWNED A SMALL BUSINESS SINCE 1998. UM, I'VE EMPLOYED PEOPLE. I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T CAN'T AFFORD THIS. REALLY WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS HAVE A BUY-IN. BUSINESS. OWNERS HAVE TO HAVE BUY-IN TO LET THESE EMPLOYEES KNOW WE WANT TO, TO, UH, EXEMPLIFY BEST PRACTICES FOR THEM. THE BENEFITS OF THAT WILL PROVIDE A HEALTHIER CITY. IT WILL IMPROVE HEALTHCARE IN OUR SCHOOLS. UM, IT WILL HELP OUR EX, OUR TOURISTS WILL HAVE A BETTER EXPERIENCE. THEY WILL NOT GET SICK. THEY WILL NOT SEE SAN ANTONIO AS A COMMUNITY THAT'S SICK. THEY WILL SEE HAPPY WORKERS, HAPPY EMPLOYEES, HAPPY PEOPLE IN THE RIVER WALKS SERVING THEIR FOOD. UH, THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON IS, IS I HAVE SEVERAL RELATIVES THAT HAVE, THAT ARE DOCTORS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, DR. JOE KIDD AND DR. RODNEY DESMOND KIDD. BOTH HAVE CLINICS HERE. WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AND WE ALL KNOW THAT SAVING ON THE FRONT END OF HEALTHCARE COSTS THE CITY LESS. INVESTING ON THE BACKEND COSTS MORE. SO IF WE CAN ESTABLISH A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, HAVE OUR BUSINESSES HAVE [05:35:01] BUY-IN, THEIR EMPLOYEES WILL NOT GET SICK. THEY WILL WORK WITH THEM TO HAVE THEM HEALTHIER, TO HAVE YOUR CITY HEALTHY. AND WHAT ARE WE INVESTING IN? WE'RE INVESTING IN A TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY. WE'RE DOING SOME THINGS THAT HOSPITALS, THANK YOU, MR. KIDD. RIGHT? SO PLEASE VOTE FOR BETTY ECKERT FOCUSING. PLEASE VOTE FOR YOUR TIME'S THROUGH MR. KIDD. BILL. THANK YOU, SIR. BETTY ECKERT, FOLLOWED BY ALICIA ARRADONDO AND RAY AVILA. OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I AM OPPOSED TO THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST COMPLICATED ORDINANCE I'VE EVER SEEN. I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT IT WILL TAKE NUMEROUS ATTORNEYS TO REPRESENT IT. SO MAYOR BERG, SHAME ON SAN ANTONIO. ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE, THE WHOLE, ALL OF SAN ANTONIO IS SICK. I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD BE ADDRESSING WHAT WE COULD DO TO HAVE BETTER, BETTER HEALTH IN SAN ANTONIO. BUT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT BRINGING BUSINESSES IN. YOU'RE NOT DOING THE JOB THAT REPRESENTING SAN ANTONIO. THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, IS BRINGING BUSINESS INTO SAN ANTONIO. INSTEAD OF DEVELOPING IT AND GETTING READY FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO COME HERE. THEY WILL NOT HAVE JOBS. WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR IT? OFFER THE BACKS OF THE SENIORS. THAT'S WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR IT. THIS HEARING WAS NOT A D A COMPLIANT IT. YOU DO, DO NOT WANT SENIORS HERE, BUT I'M HERE ANYWAY. I MADE IT ANYWAY, DIDN'T I? AND I'M STANDING UP FOR THE SENIORS OF SAN ANTONIOS. YOU CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND GIVE AWAY ALL THE MONEY OF SAN ANTONIO AND PROMOTED WITH THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GOING TO DEVELOPERS IN BUILDING NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SHAME ON YOU, RON NEWBERG. SHAME ON YOU. YOU WERE TO BE THE LEADER IN SAN ANTONIO. YOU WERE VOTED IN. ACTUALLY, WE ONLY, WE SHOULD ONLY HAVE TWO PEOPLE. WE SHOULD HAVE A MAYOR AND A CITY MANAGER. WE DON'T NEED THE REST OF THE COUNCIL. YOU SHOULD BE PROMOTING SAN ANTONIO AND BRINGING BUSINESSES IN, AND THESE PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE DOWN HERE AND FACED WITH THIS PROBLEM TONIGHT. THANK YOU MS. ECKERT. YEAH. AND THANK YOU. ALICIA ARRADONDO, FOLLOWED BY RAY ZLA AND RACHEL TUCKER IS ALICIA ARRADONDO. HERE. YOU'RE UP, MA'AM. FOLLOWED BY RAY AVILA AND RACHEL TUCKER. ALICIA ARDO, PRECINCT NINE. RETIRED FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION 25 YEARS. WE ARE SAN ANTONIO. PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF HOPE AND TALENT SEEKING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATION. PEOPLE OF ALL COLORS ARE ADDRESSED DAILY BY CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH EXCUSES AND EX EXCLAMATIONS, EXCUSE ME, EX EXPLANATIONS TO DENY US WORK BENEFITS THAT THEY LEGISLATE AND LEGALIZE FOR THEMSELVES. YOUR DENIAL WILL OVERWHELMINGLY FAVOR THE WEALTHY. AGAIN, REMEMBER, COLLECTIVELY WE CAN AND WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THAT IS NOT A THREAT, THAT IS A TRUTH. IF THE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. UM, I JUST WANNA ADDRESS THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL. YOU GAVE OUR CITY MANAGER, UM, MS. SCULLEY A $25,000 BONUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WAS THAT [05:40:01] MONEY AVAILABLE? THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED IN A DIFFERENT WAY? OF COURSE. THANK YOU, MS. ARADONDO. LET ME FINISH, LET ME FINISH. HAD TWO MINUTES. ONE SENTENCE. YOU HAD TWO MINUTES. YOU HAD, AND THEN YOU, YOU AWARDED HER WITH $75,000. MA'AM, YOUR TIME IS TRUE IN A SALARY. WE HAVE TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE. SO RAY ZLA, COME ON UP. POWER TO THE PEOPLE. RACHEL TUCKER ARE YOUR PEOPLE. AND WE ARE IN THE, THE HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE. MR. ZLA, COME FORWARD, SIR. THANK YOU. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY RACHEL TUCKER, THEN GIOVANNI REYES. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, THE ROOT EVIL CAUSE OF ALL THESE PROBLEMS IS YOU THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOUR LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BUSINESS, A NEW BUSINESS COMES TO TOWN, WE GIVE 'EM TAX BREAKS. WELL, WE SHOULD BE PUTTING A REQUIREMENT. YOU WANT A TAX BREAK? WELL, GUESS WHAT? YOU ALSO INCLUDE HEALTHCARE AND MAYBE LIFE INSURANCE FOR THOSE THAT, THAT ARE COMING IN TO, UH, BRING IN THEIR BUSINESS. BUT YOU, YOU DON'T DO THAT. YOU DON'T HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE. BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, COME NEXT MAY, SOME OF YOU WILL BE HELD RE ACCOUNTABLE AND YOU WILL NOT BE HERE THE FOLLOWING JUNE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. AVILA. RACHEL TUCKER. OKAY. WE HAVE A STATEMENT FROM MS. TUCKER TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD. YES, MADAM. UH, MS. TUCKER HAD TO LEAVE AND LEFT THIS STATEMENT WITH ME. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RACHEL TUCKER. I LIVE IN WORK IN DISTRICT THREE. I'M A TEACHER WITH THE EAST CENTRAL I S D. AND FIRSTHAND, I SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PARENT CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE A DAY OFF OF WORK TO CARE FOR THEIR SICK CHILD. EVERY TIME A CHILD CANNOT STAY HOME, WHEN IT, WHEN SICK, IT CAUSES THOSE IN CLOSE QUARTERS TO BE PRONE TO CONTRACT THE ILLNESS. IN MY CLASS ONE STUDENT WAS IDENTIFIED WITH HAND, FIST AND MOUTH DISEASE AT SCHOOL WITH A FEVER. LATER THAT WEEK, TWO OTHERS CAUGHT THE SAME DISEASE. SAME GOES FOR ANY VIRUS, PINK EYE, ET CETERA. FAMILIES ARE BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE AGAINST THEIR BETTER JUDGMENT BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING PAID SICK LEAVE. A COUPLE YEARS BACK, MONEY WAS ALLOCATED TO PASS A $3.2 BILLION WATER EXPANSION PROJECT, VISTA RIDGE, WITH NO PUBLIC INPUT. THESE EFFECTS ARE FELT BY ALL SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR WATER RATES. PASSING PAID SICK LEAVE IS BEST FOR SAN ANTONIO WORKERS. AND PERHAPS FINDING THE MONEY TO HELP THOSE MICRO BUSINESSES STAY AFLOAT WOULD ALSO BE BENEFICIAL SO THAT THOSE EMPLOYERS CAN PROVIDE THEIR WORKERS GOOD, GOOD LABOR PRACTICES. PLEASE PASS PAID SICK LEAVE. THANK YOU RACHEL TUCKER. THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. GIOVANNI REYES IS GIOVANNI REYES HERE, LAQUITA GARCIA. MS. GARCIA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY A STATEMENT TO BE READ IN THE RECORD BY THE CLERK. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THIS SERMON. I'M SORRY I WASN'T HERE EARLIER. UM, SO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, MY NAME IS LAQUITA GARCIA AND I'M A COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL ORGANIZER FOR THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT. UM, I BELIEVE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT HAVE SAID WHY WE SHOULD PASS THIS ORDINANCE. AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE PAID SICK DAY INITIATIVE BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO WORKED MINIMUM WAGE JOBS AND THAT DID NOT PERVA PROVIDE PAID SICK DAYS. AND MANY TIMES I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOING TO WORK AND EARNING A DAY'S PAY OR STAYING HOME AND TAKING CARE OF MY CHILDREN. AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY MOTHER SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION BETTER YET, ANYONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION. UM, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ASKING THAT YOU DO NOT DELAY THIS MATTER ANY FURTHER. AND TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY HONORING THE VOICE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE SAID THEY WANT AND NEED PAID SICK DAYS RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S IN YOUR HANDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT. I JUST WANNA CLOSE BY SAYING, I HEARD SOMEONE HERE TONIGHT SAY HOW HAPPY THEIR FAMILY WAS BECAUSE THEY KEPT THEIR HEAD DOWN AND THEY NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING. BUT YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT MAKES MY FAMILY HAPPY. THAT'S STANDING UP, LOOKING YOU IN YOUR EYES, AND NOT ONLY ASKING YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT DEMANDING THAT WE HAVE A FAIR WORKFORCE FOR ALL. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MS. GARCIA. I'M GONNA ASK NOW, UM, THE STATEMENT, UH, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD READ A STATEMENT IN THE RECORD SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL. YES, SIR. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL. [05:45:01] THERE ARE STRONG PASSIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE, AND I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING. TWO KEY POINTS NEED TO BE MADE AND CONSIDERED BEFORE THE COUNCIL VOTES. FIRST, THIS IS A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM. 80% OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PAID TIME OFF THE 20% THAT DON'T EITHER WORK FOR MOM AND POPS THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT, OR ARE EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRIES WHERE THE PROBLEM IS EASILY SOLVED BY WORKERS VOLUNTARILY EXCHANGING SHIPS WHO IS LESS LIKELY TO HAVE IT PART-TIME WORKERS. HOWEVER, THE VERY NATURE OF THE PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT ALLOWS FOR PLENTY OF TIME OFF AND AGAIN, SCHEDULES CAN BE ACCOMMODATED AND ARE BY MOST BUSINESSES ABLE TO WORK AROUND AN ILLNESS. TO WRITE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL POLICY, FORCING ALL BUSINESSES TO OFFER PAID SICK LEAVE TO EVERY PART-TIME EMPLOYEE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. IT TIES THE HANDS OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS, JOB CREATORS, AND TAXPAYERS ALL, AND REQUIRES THESE BUSINESSES TO SET ASIDE MONEY THAT CAN OR COULD INSTEAD BE USED TO REWARD EMPLOYEES WITH BONUSES, RAISES HEALTHCARE, RETIREMENT COMPENSATION, AND OTHER BENEFITS. THE BIGGEST JOB CONTRIBUTORS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE OPPOSED TO THIS ORDINANCE, AND IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO THINK WE KNOW THEIR BUSINESS AND THEIR COSTS BETTER THAN, THAN THEY DO. LET'S NOT PENALIZE JOB CREATORS. WE MAY FIND THEY STOP CREATING JOBS. SECONDLY, THERE ARE LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. WE DO NOT WANT TO PUT AN ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS THAT MAY BE UNLAWFUL AND UNENFORCEABLE. IT SERVES OUR DEMOCRACY BEST TO BE PRUDENT AND METICULOUS IN FOLLOWING THE LAW FIRST, THEN PUTTING FORTH ILLEGALLY CLEARLY REFERENDUM. THANK YOU, RESPECTFULLY. SENATOR DONNA CAMPBELL. THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TODAY AND FOR DEMONSTRATING RESPECT TO THE SPEAKERS AT THE PODIUM. UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE IS HEREBY CLOSED, AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. AND AS THE SAME, UH, WITH THE HEARING PREVIOUSLY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK AND I'LL CALL THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE ONLINE. IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, WE CAN MOVE, UH, FORWARD EFFICIENTLY. SO THE FIRST SPEAKER IS PAUL GEEL, FOLLOWED BY MARK PEREZ AND SUSAN GREEN. AND IF YOU'RE LEAVING THE CHAMBERS, I'D ASK IF YOU CAN JUST, UM, BE AS QUIET AS YOU CAN SO, UH, WE CAN MOVE ON WITH OUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. THANK YOU. THAT'LL WORK. ALL RIGHT, YOU READY TO START? OKAY. SO, UH, IT'S BEEN ABOUT A WEEK SINCE I SAW YOU GUYS. WE WERE HERE LAST WEDNESDAY. AND ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THOUGH I DID NOT GET THE CHANCE TO BRING UP LAST TIME WAS FOUR MEETINGS IN JULY THAT WE WERE PROMISED THAT WE ONLY WERE DELIVERED ON ONE IN MS. SANDOVAL'S DISTRICT. AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THAT PRESENTATION. IT WAS BARELY LEGIBLE AND IT WAS RUSHED ALSO. ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE SYNTA FOR, FOR THAT MATTER, ANYTHING THAT WASN'T PRETTY MUCH ARCHEOLOGICAL INFORMATION WAS NOT SPOKEN ABOUT. AND I CAN GATHER THAT THE FIRST FOUR MEETINGS WERE PROBABLY THE REASON FOR THAT BECAUSE OF OUR DISRUPTIVENESS DUE TO US BEING SHUT OUT AND NOT ABLE TO SPEAK. ALSO, DUE TO YOU MAYOR NUREMBERG FOR, UH, GIVING YOUR STATEMENT THAT THURSDAY PRIOR, BACK IN, WAS IT JUNE, WHERE THE FIRST FOUR MEETINGS SAID, WHERE YOU SAID IT WAS A DONE DEAL PRIOR TO. SO AGAIN, WHERE IS THE POINT OF HAVING OPEN HEARINGS AND HAVING FEEDBACK ON AN ISSUE IF IT'S AN ALREADY A DONE DEAL? NOW, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO CATCH ME AND LANE AFTER THE MEETING OUT IN THE HALLWAYS AND TRY TO SWAY US TO YOUR SIDE, BUT THE FACT IS WE BOTH STALEMATE AT EACH OTHER 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BUDGE ON THIS AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP, CONTINUE FIGHTING. ACTUALLY, I COMMEND DONNA CAMPBELL FOR HER WORDS ON YOU PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND YOU COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE FOR YOUR STANDING UP TO THIS TYRANT THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON THE DAILY. IT SEEMS THAT THIS COUNCIL AND THIS MAYOR THAT WE HAVE ELECTED, SADLY, AND I CAST MY VOTE FOR, WITH A FULL, FULL SYMPTOMS OF VOTER'S REMORSE. IT IS A VERY NEW FEELING. SO THAT IS WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT DOING WHAT I'M DOING. I'M ASHAMED TO VOTE FOR YOU. I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN. THAT'S AN OBVIOUS STATEMENT. WE WERE ALSO PROMISED FOUR MORE MEETINGS IN AUGUST. WE ARE HERE ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH THE MONTH, AND WE HAVE NO ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IT. WILL WE GET THEM? PROBABLY NOT. AND IF WE DO, IT'LL PROBABLY BE ON VERY SHORT NOTICE. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS COUNCIL OR YOU, MR. MAYOR, YOU NEED TO RESIGN FROM RESPONSIBILITY ON THE ALAMO PLAZA PROJECT. THANK YOU MR. G. MARK PEREZ, MARK PEREZ, [05:50:02] SUSAN GREEN, SUSAN GREEN, LEE WHITE, MS. WHITE. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CARRIE HILLIER AND JOANNE HENRY. GOOD EVENING. I'VE, UH, SPOKEN TO YOU A FEW TIMES. I WOULD THINK, UH, LAST WEEK I HAD MENTIONED MAYBE AN ALTERNATIVE TO MOVING THE SYNTA AND I'M HOPING THAT SOME OF YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, UH, BECAUSE THE SYNTA, AS I HAD EXPLAINED LAST WEEK, IS VERY INCLUSIVE OF ALL PEOPLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN ALL ETHNICITIES. UM, AND IF, IF YOU WON'T RECONSIDER THAT, PLEASE STOP AND THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT THE SENATE TASK TOOK A YEAR TO BUILD. THIS IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT, YOU KNOW, JOHNNY AND HIS TRUCK KIND OF MOVE. THIS IS GONNA HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFULLY DONE. I'VE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYNTA AND HOW IT WAS CONSTRUCTED, AND IT'S A RUBIK'S CUBE. SO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT THAT. UH, AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE READ THE ASSESSMENT, IT, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE MOVED THAT SIMPLE OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS WANNA MOVE IT. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT. UM, YOU BASICALLY SAID THAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT NO MATTER WHAT. EVEN THOUGH IN THE BEGINNING OF THESE MEETINGS YOU HAD SAID, BRING US THE PEOPLE. WE WANNA DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANNA DO. WELL, WE HAVE OVER 12,000 PEOPLE IN A PETITION, AND THERE'S MORE THAN ONE PETITION, BUT JUST IN ONE SIMPLE PETITION, WE HAVE OVER 12,000 PEOPLE THAT SAY, DON'T MOVE IT ANY PARTICULAR TIME. YOU'RE TALKING TO FOLKS OUT ON THE PLAZA OR ANYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE. THEY'RE LIKE, WHY DO THEY WANNA MOVE IT, LEE? WHY? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY OTHER THAN YOU JUST DON'T LIKE THE LOOKS OF IT. THAT'S ALL I KNOW. UM, WE WANNA KEEP IT IN A SACRED SPOT. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT SACRED. WE WANT IT TO BE, WE WANT THE, WE WANT THE PLAZA TO BE SACRED. WE DON'T LIKE ALL THE TRASH AROUND THERE. I AGREE. THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY I WANNA KEEP THE SENATE OUT RIGHT WHERE IT IS. DON'T THROW US OUT TO THE TRASH. THANK CARRIE HILLIER. MS. HILLIER. YES. OKAY, YOU'RE UP. FOLLOWED BY JOANNE HENRY, THEN LAMAR HENRY. OKAY, SO AFTER I, UM, FINISHED MY TIME IN THE ARMY, I BECAME A TEACHER. I TAUGHT FOR 30 YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO I'VE BEEN ON MY SHARE OF COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES, AND IF SOMEONE HAD SUGGESTED PROJECT X, FOR EXAMPLE, MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, WELL, HOW MUCH IS PROJECT X GOING TO COST? AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION FOR OVER A YEAR. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO MOVE THE CAF? WHERE IS THE FEASIBILITY STUDY SHOWING THAT IT CAN EVEN BE DONE WITHOUT DAMAGING THE CAF FOR OVER A YEAR? I'VE BEEN ASKING THAT QUESTION. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ANYONE ON THIS CITY COUNCIL WOULD POSSIBLY VOTE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE MOVING A 60 FOOT MONUMENT WITHOUT ASKING HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA COST? IS IT WORTH THE COST TO TAXPAYERS? COULD THAT MONEY BE USED PERHAPS TO GIVE RELIEF TO SOME OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO COME HERE EVERY WEEK SEEKING RELIEF FROM THE CITY COUNCIL? HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? DO YOU EVEN KNOW? I'VE PUT IN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST SILENCE NOT EVEN AN ANSWER BACK. I KNOW I CAN'T ASK YOU QUE WELL, I CAN ASK YOU QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN'T EXPECT YOU TO ANSWER THEM. BUT I WOULD ASK YOU EACH TO ASK YOURSELF, HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST? DO YOU KNOW? AND IF NOT, WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN TOLD? HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MUCH OF YOUR TAXPAYER'S MONEY IS GONNA BE SPENT? TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE AN IRRESPONSIBLE CHOICE FOR A COMMITTEE PERSON OR A COUNCIL PERSON TO MAKE. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? THANK YOU, MS. HILLARD, JOANNE HENRY. JOANNE HENRY FOLLOWED BY LAMAR HENRY, THEN CRYSTAL ROSS. I USUALLY GIVE MY MINUTES TO MY HUSBAND. THAT'S WHY I COME, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT TALKING TO YOU GUYS. UM, BUT THIS EVENING THERE WAS A SPANISH LADY UP HERE. SHE TALKED SPANISH, AND WHEN [05:55:01] SHE GOT THROUGH, YOU INTERPRETED IN SPANISH. NOW WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT? I NEVER KNOW ANYTHING. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON. OKAY? I DON'T WANT THE SENATE HALF MOVED. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON TO DO IT. YOU HAVE GOT ALL THESE PLANNERS THAT HAVE CHARGED YOU ALL KINDS OF GOOD MONEY. THEY COULD MAKE IT A PLAN TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT'S AT. THANK YOU MS. HENRY LAMAR. HENRY LAMAR HENRY, FOLLOWED BY CRYSTAL ROSS, THEN RAYLIN SCHLUTER EVENING COUNSEL, I'M HERE ONCE AGAIN, SPEAK ABOUT THE SENATE AND THIS TIME REVERENCE. OR MAYBE IT'S THE LACK THEREOF. UH, I GOT A LITTLE ANALOGY. IF A RICH DUDE CAME OVER AND TOOK OVER MY MOTHER'S GRAVE SITE, POSSIBLY FROM OUTTA STATE MAYBE AND EAST SIDE, HE IS GOING TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE, SAY A VIDEO ARCADE ON TOP OF IT. I'D BE PRETTY ENRAGED. I THINK PROBABLY Y'ALL WOULD BE TOO. THIS WOULD BE CALLOUS AND INDIFFERENT AND INSULTING TO THE MEMORY OF MY MOTHER. AND THEN IF HE PRETENDED TO SHOW REVERENCE BY MOVING HER, LET'S SAY 500 FEET DOWN THE STREET SOMEWHERE, I BELIEVE I'D BE EVEN MORE IRRITATED. AND Y'ALL OUGHT TO BE THE SAME WAY. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS THING, THIS, THIS ANALOGY IS THE SAME KIND OF SCENARIO BEING PLAYED OUT AT THE ALAMO AND THE SENATE. HERE WE HAVE THE ALAMO DEFENDERS, THE BATTLEFIELD, THE EMPTY TOMB MONUMENT TO THE DEAD, THE OUTER STATE INVESTORS, ALONG WITH THE LOCAL PLAYERS JUST AS CALLOUSING, INDIFFERENT AS IN MY ANALOGY, CALLING TO MOVE THE MONUMENT OUT OF THEIR WAY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT THEIR AGENDA ACCORDING TO THE PLAN. LET US SHOW REVERENCE TO THE FALLEN DEFENDERS BY COMPLETELY BEING IRRELEVANT IN MOVING THEIR TOMB TO ANOTHER LOCATION. THEN ISN'T THIS PRETTY PRECIOUS? YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T JUST FALL OFF THE TURNIP TRUCK. THEY CATCH ON TO THIS STUFF AND THEY'RE STARTING TO CATCH ON TO IT MORE AND MORE AND MORE. MAKES ME WONDER WHERE Y'ALL GOT THESE PEOPLE OUT OF STATE AND OUTTA COUNTRY TO COME OUT HERE AND DO THIS RE-IMAGINING PLAN IN THE FIRST PLACE. I DOUBT ANY TEXAN WOULD WANT TO HAVE ANY PART OF IT. I CAN SEE WHY THERE'S NOT MANY OF THEM IN IT. THE SENATE TAF IS NOT JUST A STATUE. IT'S, IT'S MORE, IT'S NOT ANY MORE THAN A TOMBSTONE, IT'S JUST A GRANITE ROCK. THIS CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER OFFICIALS HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP THIS. TRAVIS STEVE FROM BEING FORCED ON. THANK YOU, MR. HENRY CRYSTAL ROSS, FOLLOWED BY RAYLON SCHLUTER, THEN CORINNE SNO SCHLUTER. UH, THIS EVENING I WILL BE READING A SMALL EXCERPT FROM A RECENT COMMENTARY MADE BY A LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY, SEAN REMA. IT'S CALLED THE RAPE OF THE ALAMO. FOR ME, THE PROPOSED AND ALREADY DECIDED UPON MOVING OF THE SYNTA 500 FEET FROM WHERE IT STOOD SINCE THE LATE 1930S REPRESENTS NOT ONLY EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG AND MISGUIDED ABOUT THE RE-IMAGINING OF THE ALAMO PLAZA, BUT ALSO EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG WITH CITY HALL. MOREOVER, I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE STORY OF TEXAS WAS IN A SENSE, THE STORY OF AMERICA IN THIS WAY. CITY HALL, AN EMBARRASSMENT TO BE SURE IS A REFLECTION OF EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG WITH OUR CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM. LIKE ITS BIGGER AND MUCKER VERSION INSIDE THE BELTWAY CITY HALL IS A GURGLING SWAMP OF UNREMARKABLE WEIRDOS, LIARS, PIMPS, AND HACKS, MOST OF WHOM ARE SO FAR UP THE BACKSIDE OF THE PROGRESSIVE ESTABLISHMENT THAT THEY CAN'T SEE A SINGLE RAY OF SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE TREES. IF WE USE SUNLIGHT AS A METAPHOR FOR TRUTH, THEN IT IS EASY TO OBSERVE HOW BLIND OUR CITY LEADERSHIP HAS BECOME TO THE REAL WORLD NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. IT DOESN'T REALLY STAND, THE SYNAP DOESN'T REALLY STAND OVER THE DEAD BODIES OF THE DEFENDERS THEY CLAIM. THEREFORE, ITS PLACEMENT IS ARBITRARY ODD THAT I HAVE LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW, AND I HAVE YET TO MEET A SINGLE PERSON WHO BELIEVES THAT IT DOES, INCLUDING FOLKS WHO WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE. MOST FOLKS I KNOW HOLD THE SYNAP IN REVERENCE, NOT BECAUSE IT PHYSICALLY MARKS A GRAVE SITE, BUT RATHER BECAUSE IT MEMORIALIZES AN OBSERVABLY DIVERSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES. OF COURSE, THE BIGGER THING IS NOT JUST THE REGION THAN KNOWN AS TEJAS, BUT RATHER AN IDEA, A PESKY IDEA THAT MOST MODERN LIBERAL PUKES ARE A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH. AND THAT IS FREEDOM. AND THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF IT. AND I'M SURE THIS IS NOT HOW YOU WANT TO BE REVIEWED, BUT THAT IS HOW THE PUBLIC VIEWS YOU. GOODNIGHT. THANK YOU, MS. ROSS. RAYLIN SCHLUTER FOLLOWED BY CORINNE [06:00:01] SCHLUTER, THEN AURELIA IRAY. GOOD EVENING MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. AND THANK FOR ALL OF Y'ALL THAT CONTINUE TO STAY. UM, I DON'T HAVE FORMER MAYOR CASTRO HERE TO STAND BEHIND ME. I DON'T HAVE ANY STRONG POLITICAL ACTIVIST GROUPS HERE. THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY IS MY FAMILY PAID THE PRICE FOR TEXAS FREEDOM WITH BLOOD SO THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US CAN BE HERE TODAY. I ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO HONOR THESE MEN BY LEAVING OUR SYNAP THERE. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE MOVED. Y'ALL HAVE A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT SHOWS FOR FOUR YEARS AGO IT COULD BE MOVED. YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE HASN'T MADE IT. ANY, ANY MENTION OF THIS? UH, IF IT WERE GONNA BUILD A GOLF COURSE, WE WOULD BUILD THE GOLF COURSE AROUND THE CEMETERY. WE WOULDN'T DIG IT UP. LEAVE THE SENATE TAP WHERE IT IS. I'M SURE ALL YOU GUYS WILL BE GOOD. COME MAY WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE. I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA BE P****D OFF WHEN THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT FOR THEM EITHER. BUT THAT'S NOT MY FIGHT. THINK HARD ABOUT THIS. WHY MOVE THE CTAP? YOU CAN CLOSE THE ROADS DOWN. TAKE THE LITTLE AREA FOR THE LITTLE REENACTORS WHERE THEY CAN PLAY AROUND AND SCURRY AROUND ON THE LAST WEEK ON THE TALK RADIO SHOW BETWEEN THE THREE RADIO HOSTS. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE THAT'S FOUR OTHER THAN FOUR IS BAEZ. THAT'S ON YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT'S WON THE LITTLE GEORGE P BUSH'S LITTLE PUPPY HOUNDS. SO, AND THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. DON'T MOVE THE SENATE TAP. THANK YOU, MR. SCHLUTER. CORIN SCHLUTER, FOLLOWED BY AURELIA AGUIRE, THEN BRANDON BURKHART. HELLO. I JUST HAVE A FEW SHORT WORDS. REMEMBER THE ALAMO NOT REIMAGINE THE ALAMO. NOT ONE INCH ON THE CAF. THAT CAF IS THE, AS MY HUSBAND JUST BEFORE ME, IS A DESCENDANT, WHICH MEANS THAT MY KIDS AND MY GRANDKIDS ARE ALSO DESCENDANTS. MY GRANDKIDS HAVE NEVER VISITED IT YET. THEY'RE NOT OLD. THEY'RE NOT VERY OLD. AND I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO VISIT IT WHERE IT SETS NOT ONE INCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LUTER. AURELIA AGUIRE, FOLLOWED BY BRYN AND BURKHART, THEN LUPE ROBERTA. FIRST OF ALL, I'M IN DISTRICT NINE AND I WANNA THANK, UH, MR. COURAGE FOR PUBLICLY COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE SENATE TAF. UM, SO I'M GONNA READ SOME COMMENTS, UH, FROM, UH, PEOPLE AND, UH, AND IN SUPPORT OF THE SENATE T THIS IS FROM TERRY BECKMAN IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS. THE SENATE TAF IS A SACRED MEMORIAL TO THE DEFENDERS WHO DIED AT THE ALAMO. IT IS SIMILAR IN IMPORTANCE TO TEXANS AS A TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIERS IS TO AMERICANS MOVING THIS MONUMENT RISK DAMAGING OR DESTROYING IT. AND IT SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CAF MATT RUSSELL FROM CALIFORNIA. ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN GLENDORA, CALIFORNIA, I MAKE THE POINT THAT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE IMPACTS THE ENTIRE NATION AND NOT JUST TEXAS AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BOTH OF WHICH I LOVE DEARLY. THE ALAMO AND THE SYNTA ARE HISTORICAL ICONS, SYMBOLIC OF HEROISM THAT IS UNIQUELY AMERICAN AND PERTAINS TO ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND MUST NOT BE DESECRATED. THE AV DOES NOT BLOCK THE VIEW. IT IS THE VIEW INDEED, UH, THE ALAMO AND ALL ITS ASSORTED HISTORY, NOT ONLY SYMBOLIZES THE VERY HEART AND SOUL OF TEXAS, BUT OF THE NATION AS WELL. TEXAS IS SPARTA. AND I AM HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT A SPARTAN'S GREATEST STRENGTH IS A WARRIOR NEXT TO HIM. MILLIONS OF PATRIOTS ACROSS THE NATION STAND WITH YOU. NOT ONE INCH. LINDA LOWRY FROM ATLANTA, TEXAS DO NOT MOVE THE SENATE. T THESE GROUNDS ARE WHAT MAKES TEXAS WHAT IT IS. THESE SOLDIERS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THIS COUNTRY, FOR THIS GREAT STATE. THEY WILL NOT BE TRAMPLED ON. I OR MY FAMILY CAN GO TO ANY LOCAL CEMETERY. AND WE DO NOT STEP ON THE GRAVE OF ANYONE RESTING THERE. WE RESPECT THOSE GONE BEFORE US. YOU CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT WANT TO ERASE THE HISTORY OF TEXAS OR THIS GREAT COUNTRY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD TO CALL MYSELF AN AMERICAN AND A TEXAN, BUT IT IS A SHAME. PEOPLE IN THIS GENERATION ARE NOT PROUD OF THE COUNTRY. I DO NOT WANT MY CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. THANK YOU, MR. AGUIRE. BRANDON BURKHART, FOLLOWED BY LUPE RIVERA AND ANTONIO DIAZ. YOU, [06:05:03] I AM GONNA CONTINUE READING FROM THE TEXANS THAT HAVE SENT US THESE STATEMENTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. BUT I WANT TO BRING UP ONE QUICK THOUGHT FOR YOU GUYS BEFORE I START. YOU GUYS GET READY TO VOTE ON THE SENATE TT. AND THIS GOES FOR EACH AND EVERY COUNCILMAN ON HERE. ARE YOU VOTING FOR THIS OR ARE YOU VOTING FOR THIS? AND I WANT YOU TO THINK LONG AND HARD FOR THAT BECAUSE THE MONEY AIN'T WORTH IT. I'LL START WITH MARGARET MCGEE USED TO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO. MY FAVORITE THING WAS TO GO TO THE ALAMO TO HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED THERE. A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE AND A TEACHING ONE SINCE MY CHILDREN WERE THERE WITH ME TO STAND AND LOOK AT THE SYNAP AND TO KNOW THAT IT WAS A MEMORIAL TO THE MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR FREEDOM. AND THE FEELING IS BEYOND WORDS. I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE IT MOVED ANY MORE THAN I WOULD WANT TO SEE THE MEMORIAL OF THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER MOVED. PLEASE LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS SO THAT MY GRANDCHILDREN CAN LEARN, UNDERSTAND, AND OUR ANCESTORS, AND THAT OUR ANCESTORS WERE TRUE HEROES. MATT VINES SAYS, KEEP YOUR GRUBBY MITTS OFF OF OUR HISTORY. DON'T MAKE HIM COME DOWN HERE, SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. DEBBIE MASTERMAN SAYS, DO NOT MOVE THE SENATE. T CONROE, TEXAS. LYNN MCLEAN SAYS, DO NOT REMOVE THE SENATE TAF. SO MANY OF OUR SYMBOLS OF HISTORY ARE BEING REMOVED. THIS IS A SYMBOL OF PRIDE OF TEXAS. INDEED. IT NEEDS TO STAY WHERE IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO. AND OSBORNE WALL SAYS, ONE OF THE SAN ANTONIO'S BIGGEST DRAWS IS, IS THE ALAMO AND THE SENATE TAF. YOU REMOVE THE SENATE TAF AND THE ALAMO HAS LOST SOME OF ITS MEANING. TEXAS HAS PRIDED ITSELF ON ITS RICH HISTORY. START REMOVING THAT MUCH LIKE DALLAS AND OTHER CITIES, AND WE WILL HAVE NOTHING BUT HUFFMAN TEXAS. I, UH, DEBBIE ROWLAND BUNCH SAYS, I REMEMBER VISITING THE ALAMO FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A CHILD OVER 50 YEARS AGO. AND EVEN THEN I FELT I WAS ON SACRED GROUND WHEN I STEPPED IN FRONT OF THE PRESENCE OF THE SENATE TASK. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE IT. THANK YOU, MR. BURKHART. LUPE RIVERA, FOLLOWED BY ANTONIO DI DIAZ AND DEANNA ORGA. GOOD EVENING. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG ONE. THANK YOU FOR STAYING HERE AND LISTENING TO US. I'M LUPE RIVERA. I'M HERE AGAIN SPEAKING ABOUT THE SENATE TAF. I PUT UP THIS PICTURE HERE HOPING, UH, I CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION TO LOOK AT IT. PLEASE LOOK AT IT. I'M ASKING EACH ONE OF YOU TO PLEASE LOOK AT IT. UH, THESE WERE REAL MEN FLESHING BLOOD BONES. THEIR ASHES ARE THERE ON THAT GROUND, ON THAT SACRED GROUND. AND WHAT REASON DO YOU HAVE FOR WANTING TO MOVE THE SENATE? LIKE MY COLLEAGUE SAID, IS IT THE DOLLAR BILL OR ARE YOU REALLY GONNA GO FOR TEXAS? AND THAT'S WHY I'M PUTTING THIS PICTURE UP IN HERE FOR US TO REALIZE, FOR YOU ALL TO REALIZE THAT THEY WERE REAL. THIS WAS SOMETHING VERY REAL BECAUSE NOW THE ALAMO WAS JUST PUT ON AS SOMETHING AS, UH, UH, A TOURIST ATTRACTION. WELL, LEMME TELL YOU, I SPENT FIVE DAYS OUT THERE WALKING BY THE SENATE TAF AND I SPOKE TO A LOT OF THE TOURISTS AND THEY WEREN'T HAPPY AT ALL. NOT HAPPY AT ALL AS TO WHAT I TOLD THEM. AND I'M SURE YOU ALL GOT SOME PHONE CALLS BECAUSE I GIVE OUT TELEPHONE NUMBERS, GEORGE P. BUSH AND TO CITY HALL. I ASKED THEM TO BE RESPECTFUL. AND HOPEFULLY THEY WERE. BUT ONLY YOU ALL KNOW, KNOW. Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. RIVERA. ANTONIO DIAZ, FOLLOWED BY DEANNA ORGA AND PEDRO RUIZ. I'M SPEAKING IN AWA. I HAVE AWA BLOOD, BUT I ALSO HAVE BLOOD. P MEANS MY ANCESTORS WERE HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND USED TO HAVE HOMES WHERE THAT MISSION NOW SITS. AND THAT MISSION WAS ERECTED [06:10:01] BY MY ANCESTORS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. THEY WERE FORCED TO DO THAT. THEY WERE ASSIMILATED, COLONIZED. AND YET ALL THAT HISTORY SEEMS NOT TO HOLD ANYTHING COMPARED TO AN 1836 BATTLE GLORIFIED BY THAT C SYNTA, WHICH A BATTLE AS IF YOU GET EDUCATED ABOUT THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS AND READ THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, YOU'LL FIND THAT IT WAS TO MAINTAIN SLAVERY. SO IF YOU WANNA HONOR THAT AND WHITE SUPREMACY, GO FOR IT. I ALSO HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT SOME LANGUAGE HAVING TO BE TRANSLATED. WELL, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THIS IS NOT A MONOLINGUAL COUNTRY. SO THAT SHOWS THE RACIST ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THIS ROOM. AND IT IS NOT ONLY IN THIS ROOM, IT IS IN THIS CITY, IT'S IN THIS COUNTY, IT'S IN THIS STATE. IT IS IN THIS NATION. THANK YOU, MR. DIAZ. YOU MUST BE ADDRESSED. THERE'S NO EXCHANGING OF TIME TONIGHT, MR. DIAZ. DEANNA, DO YOU WANT TAKE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. GO AHEAD. NO, TAKE THE TIME, DEANNA. SINCE THEY DON'T WANT ME TO SPEAK MISSOURI, I GUESS. ALRIGHT FOLKS. TOP ONE, QUIT YALING. SHE'S GOING TO TALK. DEANNA, QUIT YA WHITE SMAC. SHE'S GOING TALK. WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE MORE? DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE TIME? THE TWO MINUTES YOU HAVE SIGNED UP. ALL RIGHT, DEANNA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY PEDRO RUIZ. AND THEN, UM, I HAVE A MOLLY HERE, BUT THERE'S NO LAST NAME. OKAY. MS. RGAS. HI. YES. UH, I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THEY, THEY SHOULD ABOUT OCCUPY ICE OCCUPIED. OKAY? UH, THEY SHOULD, UH, LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE, UH, IMMIGRATION. A LOT OF THEM ARE HURTING THEIR PEOPLE TOO. UH, AND ALSO, UH, THE REMOVAL OF THAT STATUE, THAT STATUE WAS PUT THERE AND IT USED TO BE A CEMETERY. YOU KNOW, WE GOT PEOPLE, UH, BURIED THERE, OUR PEOPLE. SO IT'S OKAY. YOU COULD REMOVE IT. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INJUSTICE IN THIS, UH, WORLD. I GET RACE RACIST WITH THIS THING ON MY HEAD. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR WORK. ANYBODY GOT A JOB FOR ME? I HAVE TO WEAR THIS THING ON MY HEAD, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE AND THEY WON'T HIRE ME WITH THIS THING ON MY HEAD. I GOT LUCKY WITH ONE OF THE, THE JUDGES 'CAUSE I GOT CALLED THROUGH, UH, TO SERVE IN THE JURY AND I SPOKE TO HIM AND HE LET ME, UH, SERVE, WHICH IS GOOD. BUT WILL ANYBODY HIRE ME LIKE THIS? I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR WORK. I DON'T WANNA GET ANY BENEFITS. I I'M NOT ON FOOD STAMPS, I'M NOT ON WELFARE. I'M NOT, UH, I'M NOT GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT. THANK YOU, MS. REGAS. PEDRO RUIZ? NO, YOU'RE AFTER MR. RUIZ. GO AHEAD, MR. RUIZ. AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MOLLY. AND THEN FRANK CARAWAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF US SIGNED UP EARLIER FOR THE PREVIOUS MEETING, AND THIS IS CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. SO ALSO YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS MEETING. [06:15:01] SO THAT'S WHY SOME OF US SIGNED UP TWICE. THANK YOU. ON JULY 17TH, 2018, A SMALL GROUP OF ACTIVISTS STARTED OCCUPYING AT ICE, WHICH IS AT 35 23 CROSSPOINT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 7 8 2 1 7. ON AUGUST 7TH, 2018, THEY WERE TOLD BY SS A P D THAT THEY HAD TO VACATE THE CAMP THAT WAS MADE TO BRING AWARENESS OF ISIS ACTIONS AGAINST IMMIGRANTS GRINS. I WENT LAST NIGHT TO SEE WHAT WAS LEFT OF OCCUPY ICE, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND EVERYTHING WAS GONE. I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP A FEW ITEMS SUCH AS CHALK TENT STEAKS, A PAINTING BRUSH, SOME ROPE, AND A SMALL TOY HORSE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE CAMP WAS ALL GONE. MANY EVENTS TOOK PLACE FROM JULY 17 TO AUGUST 7TH. ON JULY 28TH, 2018, ON SATURDAY MORNING, A RACIST FASCIST GROUP CALLING THEMSELVES THE PATRIOT FRONT, ATTACKED THE CAMP AT OCCUPY ICE, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE PATRIOT FRONT STARTED TO TEAR THE CAMP APART AND USED ORANGE SMOKE TO INTIMIDATE THE OCCUPIERS. THEY GLADLY POSTED THEIR ATTACK AT THIS WEBPAGE, WWW.BLOODANDSOIL.ORG BACK SLASH OC OCCUPY THE HYPHEN OCCUPANTS. THEN A FEW DAYS AGO, ICE PICKED UP SERGIO, A LEAD ACTIVIST AT THE CAMP OCCUPY SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND THREW HIM IN THE VAN AS OF BEING KIDNAPPED BY AUTHORITIES, THERE HAS BEEN MANY INCIDENTS AT THE CAMP TO INTIMIDATE THE ACTIVISTS, OCCUPYING THE CAMP BY RACIST AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT AS OF YESTERDAY, IT WAS SS A P D WHO USED THEIR POWER TO FORCE THE ACTIVISTS TO LEAD THE CAMP. THANK YOU MR. RUIZ. THANK YOU. SO MOLLY, FREE THE CHILDREN, FOLLOWED BY FRANKIE CARAWAY AND THEN IRENE HOWARD. HI, I'M HERE TO BRING LIGHT TO WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY ON CROSSPOINT. I WAS THERE. I SAW EVERYTHING. UM, I WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS THE REASON SS A P D GAVE DISMANTLING, UH, WHY THEY DISMANTLED THE OCCUPY ICE CAMP? DID THEY HAVE THE ORDERS OR THE RIGHT TO, BECAUSE I HAVE THIS EMAIL FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE RIGHT HERE GRANTING PERMISSION AND SAFETY FROM HARASSMENT FROM THE S A P D. OKAY, THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM YOUR OFFICE STAFF THAT SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PERMISSION TO DO THAT, AND THEY DID. SO ACCORDING TO THIS EMAIL FROM THE SAN ANTONIO MAYOR STAFF OFFICE, SS A P D IS PROMISED TO NOT INTERFERE. SO LONG AS THE GROUP DOESN'T DO ANYTHING DANGEROUS ON THE PROPERTY, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WERE DANGEROUS WERE THE RIGHT SUPREMACISTS WHO RAN THROUGH THE STREETS, TEARING DOWN THEIR TENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND EVEN WHILE THEY WERE DOING ALL THIS AND HARASSING AND BULLYING THE PEACEFUL PROTESTORS AND DEMONSTRATORS, THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BACK IN RETALIATION. THEY JUST LET THEM DO THEIR THING. THAT'S PRETTY PEACEFUL TO ME. SO MY QUESTION IS, WILL YOU DENOUNCE THE DEPARTMENT HOMELAND SECURITY FOR BULLYING COMMUNITIES OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT? OR ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS TYPE OF BULLYING? BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO USED SS A P D OFFICERS, SORRY TO BULLY. AND TOGETHER WITH THE FEDERAL ICE AGENTS SILENCE, THE CALM DEMONSTRATORS WHO WERE PROVIDED PERMISSION TO STAY ON THE PROPERTY AS LONG AS THEY REMAIN CALM AND PEACEFUL AND NOT A THREAT TO ANYBODY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. FRANKIE CARAWAY. MR. CARAWAY HERE. IRENE HOWARD. IRENE HOWARD LANE WOODS, MR. WOODS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LEO ETAN AND THEN NAZARIE RUBEN FLORES PEREZ. GOOD EVENING. UH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE. UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN. UM, WHAT I WANNA SAY FIRST IS, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PATIENCE, UH, THAT YOU'VE SHOWN TONIGHT. UH, I I CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO WHAT Y'ALL DO NOT FOR FIVE MINUTES. UM, IT GOES BACK TO WHEN YOU SPOKE TO ME LAST WEEK, UM, MR. NUREMBERG, MAYOR NUREMBERG, EXCUSE ME. AND, UM, WHAT YOU SAID WAS THAT YOU WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ME AND I WAS COM CAUGHT COMPLETELY OFF GUARD BY THAT. [06:20:01] UM, YOU TOLD ME THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, THAT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE GOOD-HEARTED PEOPLE AND Y'ALL HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT. BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO SEE SOME ACTION INVOLVED IN THE PLAN, KEEPING THIS IN A T IN PLACE. YOU KNOW, I'M COMPLETELY AGAINST ANY RE RELOCATION OF THE INTA, EXCUSE ME, ANY RELOCATION OF THIS INTA WHATSOEVER. AND WHAT YOU SAID TO ME AFTER I ASKED YOU WHY DOES IT NEED TO BE MOVED, YOU SAID THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE, UH, MIDDLE OF, UM, WHAT WAS, UH, I GUESS THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WHOLE, UM, I GUESS RE-IMAGINING THAT YOU SPEAK OF. AND THEN YOU WENT ON TO SAY THAT WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE MOVED IS GONNA BE THE FOCAL POINT. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS IF THE SYNAP IS IN THE VERY MIDDLE OF THIS, RE-IMAGINING THE ALAMO WITH THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, IF IT WOULD BE IN THE MIDDLE, WOULDN'T THAT BE THE FOCAL POINT? I WOULD REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF Y'ALL COULD PUT SOME SORT OF EFFORT OR ANYTHING INTO WORDS, ANYTHING INTO WRITING ON JUST SOMETHING THAT GOES THROUGH WITH THE PLAN WITHOUT THE SYNTA MOVING. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO SPEAK TO Y'ALL. THANK YOU, MR. WOODS. LEO ETAN, MR. ETTI HERE. NAZARRE, RUBEN FLORES PEREZ, RAYMOND ZAVALA. YOU ALREADY SIGNED UP MR. ZAVALA. ANITA ZAVALA. YOU ALREADY HAD YOUR TWO MINUTES. MR. ZAVALA. WAIT A MINUTE. THAT WAS IN THE PUBLIC HEARING. OH, OKAY. COME ON UP, RAY. COME ON UP RAY. UH, AND THEN YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ANITA. UH, I MEAN, I REALIZE WE'RE ALL GETTING OLD AND WE'RE KIND OF LOSING OUR MEMORY, BUT GOOD GRIEF. READ YOUR NOTES. ANYWAY. I HEARD HER TALK ABOUT THE CENTER TAB. WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE IT? WHY ARE WE GONNA SUFFER THROUGH THE SAME, GO AROUND LIKE WE DID WHEN WE, THE STATUES AT THE COMPETITOR WERE MOVED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT A COST OVERRUN. WHAT MORE RUN OR MORE RUNS SIGNED THAT CONTRACT WITH A ENGINEERING COMPANY AND THEN WE WERE OVERCHARGED. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I DOUBT IT. BUT THEN AGAIN, I'M NOT WHERE YOU'RE AT. I'M NOT IN YOUR LITTLE KINGDOM. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M OFFENDED BY ALL THESE PICTURES ON THE WALLS IN CITY HALL IN CHAMBERS. I'M OFFENDED. WHY DON'T WE JUST TAKE THOSE DOWN? WHY DON'T WE ADD LITTLE FLOWERS AND LITTLE AIRPLANES AND MAKE SENSE. A THREE YEAR OLD KID COULD DROP SOME PAINTBALLS ON THERE AND CALL IT ART. WE'VE ALREADY WASTED ENOUGH MONEY WITH THAT $1 MILLION PROJECT DOWN THERE AT, UH, THE, UH, UM, TEXAS, UH, PLACE RIGHT THERE ON, ON 37 AND, UH, AND DURANGO OR, UH, WHAT IS IT? TEXAS CULTURE INSTITUTE, 1 MILLION BUCKS. AND I CALLED IT ART. OH, BY THE WAY, COULD YOU, UH, I NEED TO SHOW MR. UH, TREVINO SOMETHING REAL QUICK BECAUSE IT'S IN HIS DISTRICT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT, UH, IF IT DOESN'T TAKE, UH, AN ARCHITECT TO, UM, TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS NOT, THAT THIS IS A POTHOLE. REALLY? THAT IS NOT A POTHOLE. THAT IS A, A, UM, SINKHOLE. THANK YOU MR. ZAVALA. YEAH, ANITA ZAVALA. COME ON UP, MA'AM. YEAH, YOU'RE NEXT. AND THEN ALICE CANERO GARCIA FOLLOWED BY RAYMOND GARZA. WELL, USUALLY I DO NOT TALK. OKAY. YOU KNOW THAT, BUT MR. REINO , YOU ARE TRYING TO GET ALL THE SENIORS OUT OF THEIR HOMES TO REBUILD AND SURELY, AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS RAISED THE RENT, THE TAXES ON EVERYTHING. AND WHAT ARE THE SENIORS SUPPOSED TO DO? THEY, WE DIDN'T GET ANY RAISE, DID WE? AND YOU'RE JUST INTERESTED [06:25:01] IN DOWNTOWN, NOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AREA THAT YOU HAVE. 'CAUSE YOU'RE OUR COUNCIL PERSON, RIGHT? AND ON THE CITY SIDE THAT YOU WANNA MOVE THE STATUES, THAT YOU MOVE THE MIDNIGHT. ARE YOU GONNA DO THIS, UH, THE SENECA MOVE THEM AT AT NIGHT TOO? LIKE WHAT YOU DID WITH THE OTHER ONES? WE ARE HERE IN TEXAS. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE BEFORE? WE HAVE HISTORY AND WHERE THE FIRST, UH, BATTLE WAS WON? WE HAVE, UM, CASTRO WAS THE ONE THAT, UH, HAD THE, I'M SORRY THAT I STILL HAVE 16 MINUTES. OKAY. AND WE NO LONGER HAVE WHERE THE BATTLE WAS FIRST WON FROM TEXAS. NOW WE HAVE BASEBALL FIELDS AND THE BUILDINGS. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. VALLOW, ALICE KENTARO GARCIA, RAMON GARZA, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL GARZA, AND THEN SABRINA GARZA. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. TRYING TO CALM DOWN FROM THAT ONE INCIDENT WITH THOSE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT ABOLISH EYES. SO PERSONALLY, I'M, I'M TRYING TO CALM DOWN. I WANT TO, UH, CONTINUE READING THE LIST THAT, UH, BRANDON AND ANDREW TALKED. WERE READING EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THE FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, ABOUT NOT MOON TAP, BUT I WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THIS PAST WEEKEND, I SPENT, UH, THE WEEKEND OUT OF IN WEST TEXAS, TALKED TO, UH, SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY HALL REPRESENTATIVES WHERE I WAS AT. AND THEY FEEL JUST LIKE WE DO, THIS IS TEXAS. TEXAS PRIDE. DON'T MOVE THAT SENATOR TAF. THEY'RE SAYING IT SHOULDN'T BE DONE BECAUSE, UH, IT'S ALL ABOUT HISTORY. AND THEY'RE WAY UP IN WEST TEXAS, FOUR OR FIVE HOURS AWAY FROM HERE. THEY SAID, DON'T MOVE IT. I TOLD 'EM THEY NEED TO CONTACT THIS OFFICE THEN. OH, SORRY. I'M TRYING TO GET THIS RIGHT THERE. THERE WE GO. SKY YOAKUM FROM, UM, ORANGE, TEXAS SAYS, MOVING ONE INCH AND SLEEPING GIANT ARMY OF TEXAN WILL STAND TALL AGAINST THE ATROCITIES OF YOU SO-CALLED ELECT ELECTED OFFICIALS. AMBER BECKHAM FROM ARLINGTON, TEXAS, BORN AND RAISED WITH DEEP TEXAS PRIDE. I LOVE VISITING THE ALAMO AND REMEMBERING THOSE WHO FOUGHT SO HARD FOR THE AMAZING STATE. THE MEN DIED FIGHTING FOR THE ALAMO, LOVE TEXAS, AND GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR OUR AMAZING STATE. YOU WILL NOT WANT SOMEONE TO MOVE THE TOMBSTONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES. THESE MEN DESERVE THE RESPECT AND HONOR OF LEAVING THE CENTER TAF WHERE IT STANDS. REMOVING IT WOULD BE THE DISRESPECT TO THESE AMAZING AND DIS AND THE HONORABLE MEN. LEAVE THE C TAF ALONE. SUSIE ALONZO FROM CORPUS CHRISTI. I FEEL LIKE MOVING THE A I FEEL LIKE MOVING THE ALAMO OR C TAF IS A REAL PUNCH IN THE GUT TO ALL OF US WHO WERE BORN AND RAISED IN TEXAS, AS WELL AS THE OTHERS WHO GOT HERE AS SOON AS THEY COULD. THANK YOU MR. GARZA. THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH. THANK YOU. MICHAEL GARZA. MICHAEL GARZA, SABRINA GARZA. ARE YOU MICHAEL GARZA? I'M GENTLEMEN. OKAY. SABRINA GARZA WILL BE NEXT, FOLLOWED BY SLOANE ROGERS. I JUST WANNA TAKE OFF MY JACKET AND MAKE SURE Y'ALL ARE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL FEEL SAFE AROUND ME. UM, I WASN'T HERE LAST WEEK. UH, I WAS OUT OF TOWN. UH, I KNOW THE PO UH, POSTER WAS BROUGHT OUT HERE. THAT WASN'T FROM TIFF, THAT WASN'T FROM THIS TEXAS SUPREME FORCE THAT WAS FROM AN OTHER GROUP. UM, I AM TEXTING. I DIDN'T PUSH ANYONE TO SIGN IT. I ASKED THEM IF I HAD THEIR PERMISSION TO, AND I GOT 57 RESPONSES ON THE FIRST DAY. I HAD 13 ON THE SECOND DAY. AND THEN THE DAY AFTER RALLY, I HAD 23 EXTRA. UM, THESE ARE A BUNCH OF TEXANS AND NON TEXANS, PEOPLE FROM UNITED STATES. AND EVEN I GOT SOME RESPONSES FROM GERMANY THAT ARE UPSET ABOUT THE SAME TAF. UM, I'M JUST GLAD TO BE BACK HOME. I'M WILLING TO HELP OUT WITH THE CITY HOW Y'ALL NEED ME TO, AGAIN, I DO MY TRAVELS ON THE WEEKENDS, SO IF Y'ALL WANT SOME INFORMATION, Y'ALL CAN COME TO ME. I JUST HELPED OUT A FEW HOMELESS PEOPLE LAST WEEK. UH, THE HEAT'S BEEN KILLING THEM. UM, SO IF WE CAN HELP THOSE PEOPLE OUT TOO, THAT'D BE AKAY. UM, [06:30:01] UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND, HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU, MR. GARZA. SABRINA GARZA, SLOAN ROGERS, CHERYL GDO, DENISE ANI, JAMES SCLAFANI. GOOD EVENING. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. WE'RE A LONG DAY. UM, I'M A NEW YORKER. I MOVED MY FAMILY HERE 13 YEARS AGO AND I WAS PROUD TO DO SO, AND I WAS REALLY GOOD, VERY HAPPY. I DON'T HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME. LIKE, LIKE EVERYBODY BACK HERE AS FAR AS MY ANCESTORS ARE CONCERNED, THEY CAME FROM ITALY AND PUERTO RICO. BUT THE SITUATION IS WE ARE LOSING OUR HISTORY. WE'RE LOSING IT THERE IN NEW YORK. WE'RE LOSING IT HERE. WE'RE LOSING IT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW DON'T HAVE THE BEST REPUTATION. YOU GUYS MOVED TO STATUE, COST A LOT OF MONEY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT DIDN'T DO NOTHING BUT MAKE BAD WILL AND BAD FEELINGS ALL AROUND. NOW YOU'RE GONNA MOVE THIS DISSENT HALF. NOW I WENT TO THE DISTRICT SEVEN MEETING AND ALL I'M HEARING WAS ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA MOVE THE STREETS AROUND AND HOW THEY DUG HOLES FOR ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS. 50 YEARS RUNNING. PLUS YOU'RE GONNA LOWER 18 INCHES OF THE, OF THE SURFACE FOR WHAT PURPOSE. I MEAN, YOU GUYS SEEM LIKE YOU, YOU'RE JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE MONEY. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE MONEY, I WOULD LEAVE THE SENATE STAFF RIGHT WHERE IT IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA COST ANYTHING TO MOVE IT. DON'T DO ANY REPAIRS ON IT. THAT'S GONNA SAVE YOU A TON OF MONEY RIGHT THERE. IT'S GOOD FOR 30, 50 YEARS STILL. YOU PUT THAT MONEY AFTER YOU DO YOUR RE-IMAGINED PLAN, WHICH I THINK IS A JOKE 'CAUSE THAT'S DISNEYLAND. AND THEN TAKE THE PROFITS AND THEN DO SOMETHING MORE BETTER WITH IT THAN, THAN SPENDING IT ON MOVING SOMETHING THAT DON'T NEED TO BE MOVED. HAVE REVERENCE TO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. NOW REMEMBER, I'M A NEW YORKER. I DON'T HAVE THAT SAME LOVE OF TEXAS PER SE, BUT I'M AN AMERICAN. I'M PROUD TO BE THERE. AND THIS NONSENSE IS BEING PULLED. IF YOU'RE WORRYING ABOUT THE MONEY, LEAVE IT WHERE IT STANDS 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA SAVE YOU A BUNCH. AND THEN SPEND IT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF POCKETING FILLING EVERYBODY ELSE'S POCKETS. THANK YOU, MR. BHAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE HAVE A GROUP, CODY CRISPIN, CHRISTIAN LEE, AND DUSTIN SELLER. Y'ALL HAVE FIVE MINUTES, YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME. UM, I JUST HAD AN INTERACTION WITH THE, UH, MOVE TEXAS PEOPLE LEAVING IN THEIR SHIRTS. UM, HANGING UP THERE WITH, UH, PAUL GESSEL. UM, WE GET CALLED RACIST. UM, YOU HAVE TWO BEARS IN HERE, INSINUATING THAT, UH, THE SENATE HALF IS WHITE SUPREMACY. AND AGAIN, INSINUATING THAT PEOPLE DEFENDING IT ARE RACIST. UM, I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THAT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE. THAT IS SO MESSED UP. UM, SO YOU WANNA, SORRY, I'M JUST REALLY SHOOK UP ABOUT THAT, THAT THAT HAD TO HAPPEN HERE. UM, SCIENCE, SCIENCE OF THE SENTENCE, HALF, IT'S MADE OF ALUMINUM. THE FRAME IS ALUMINUM. WHEN IT OXIDIZES, YOU GET ALUMINUM OXIDE, WHICH IS STRONGER. IT MAKES IT STRONGER. SO, UM, IT'S, IT, IT IS BEYOND ANYTHING OF ITS TIME THAT WAS BUILT BACK THEN. UM, IT'S LITERALLY, IT'S IT'S SCIENCE OF THE THIRTIES. UM, DON'T DESTROY THAT. UM, THAT WOULD BE REALLY CRAZY. UM, I DO THINK THAT MOVING THE SENATE HALF CLOSER TO, UM, THE TORCH IS REALLY, REALLY INSENSITIVE. UM, CONSIDERING IT IS A MEXICAN CONSULATE FUNDED TORCH. AND WHAT THE SENATE TAF CONVEYS IT IS THE EMPTY TOMB OF THESE MEN THAT WERE TORCHED. AND I REALLY FEEL THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO BACK ME UP ON THIS, THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE THAT TORCH. THE TORCH. I'VE MADE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND EVEN THE NEWS CALLED US FAKE NEWS. I HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT GREAT IDEAS FOR IT. UM, THEY COVERED. AND, UH, IT'S WRONG. IT'S WRONG TO MOVE IT TOWARDS THAT. THE SYMBOLISM IS ALL OFF. UM, IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN, UM, UNLESS IT'S PART OF THE MASTER PLAN TO MOVE THAT TO THE, UH, MEXICAN CONSULATE. AND, UH, SINCE THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO MY EMAILS, I DON'T THINK THEY WANT IT EITHER. UM, [06:35:05] IT REALLY SUCKS. IT REALLY DOES. I, I'M, I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HURT BY WHAT HAPPENED HERE JUST NOW. AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH WITH THIS MASTER PLAN IS GONNA TORMENT A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND, AND THESE PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE RECOGNIZED. I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT REVERENCE. THERE'S A, A, UH, SHOW ON COMEDY CENTRAL CALLED DRUNK HISTORY. THEY DID AN ALAMO EPISODE, AND WHEN THEY PULLED THE GUY PLAYING DAVY CROCKETT OUT AND SANTA ANA HAVING ONE OF HIS GUYS SHOOT HIM, UM, I FELT REVERENCE BECAUSE I, I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVEY CROCKETT. IT, IT, IT CAME FROM A LITTLE SILLY SHOW, LITTLE SILLY SHOW, BUT I STILL FELT IT. I FELT OVERWHELMED. I FELT LIKE IT, IT ALMOST BROUGHT ME TO TEARS. AND, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST A LITTLE SHOW, YOU CAN A LITTLE GOOFY LITTLE SHOW, YOU CAN STILL FEEL REVERENCE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE OUTSIDE, IT'S WHAT, IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE. IT'S HOW YOU FEEL. AND OBVIOUSLY ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST HANGING OUT WITH MY BUDDY BACK THERE AGAIN. WE'RE CALLED RACISTS JUST FOR STANDING THERE TRYING TO SAVE A SENATE. T YOU KNOW, UM, THE TAKING ROBERT E. LEE OUT OF THE CITY IS RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING HE FOUGHT AGAINST THE CONFEDERATES. HE FOUGHT AGAINST THEM AT THE ALAMO FOR THE SECOND FALL OF THE ALAMO. AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT E. LEE SHOULD BE RESPECTED HERE, ESPECIALLY FOR THAT. AND I STILL REALLY LOVE TO SEE A BEAR SHAPED BLIMP CALLED THE BEAR BLIMP. , I WANNA SAY SOMETHING BIG. MAYOR EHRENBERG COUNCIL, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR P FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE MAYOR, CONSIDERING THE ANNEXATION OF THE PROPERTY AROUND LOCKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, AS WELL AS CAMP BULLIS BRAVO. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALSO CRITICIZING YOUR COUNCIL FOR YOUR FELLOW COUNCILMAN AND THE MAYOR IN REGARDS TO HOW THE COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS WAS DONE. AND THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. AND LADIES, IF YOU ARE NOT TOO CAREFUL OF HOW THIS PROCESS WITH THE ALAMO SENATE IS GOING TO BE PRESSED FORWARD, YOU ARE GOING TO END UP WITH ONE OF THE POLITICAL, WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST POLITICAL EMBARRASSMENTS THIS CITY HAS EVER SEEN SINCE 1998. YOU WOULDN'T ASK, YOU WOULDN'T ASK ME TO MOVE THE FAMILY HEADSTONES OF YOUR ANCESTORS. DON'T REMOVE MINE. I'M A PROUD LINEAL DESCENDANT OF SERGEANT ISAAC WHITE WHO FOUGHT AT THE ALAMO AND DROP ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU. I'M THE PROUD LINEAL DESCENDANT OF SAMUEL JAMES MCCULLOCH, JR. FIRST TO TAKE THE MUSKET BALL OVER THE WALL AT THE BATTLE OF GONZALEZ, FIRST TO SHED BLOOD FOR THIS TEXAS STATE. AND I AM OFFENDED THAT YOU WANNA PROPOSE MOVING, UM, A WAR MEMORIAL. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE THIS EVENING. THIS ENDS OUR PUBLIC HEARING. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.