* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] ALL RIGHT, THE TIME IS NOW, UH, 5:00 PM UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR, OUR WORKSHOP. UH, TODAY IS, UH, TUESDAY, APRIL 2ND. [1. Workshop on the Strategic Housing Implementation Program] AND OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM IS, UH, WORKSHOP ON STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. ALRIGHT. UH, SO MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, MAYBE MAKE A COMMENT OR TWO OF THE INTENTION OF THE WORKSHOP. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS NEW AND AT STAFF'S REQUEST THAT WE PUT ITEMS IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL FOR GENERAL DISCUSSION. IT IS A POSTED MEETING, SO WE COULD HAVE ALL YOU, ALL OF Y'ALL IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME. AND WE CAN LEGALLY AND COMPLYING WITH TEXAS O BIG MEETINGS ACT HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS. THE HOPE IS THESE, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP OR INITIATED FROM COUNSEL, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THROW THOSE IDEAS OUT, GET THE DISCUSSION AND GENERAL DIRECTION FROM IF THE, IF GENERAL DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL TO MOVE FORWARD, NOT MOVE FORWARD, MAYBE TAKE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, ET CETERA. SO, THE INTENTION IS THAT WE WOULD DO THESE ON A PERIODIC BASIS, WHENEVER REALLY AN AD HOC BASIS. WHENEVER THE COUNCIL, UM, HAS, I, WHENEVER WE HAVE ITEMS TO BRING TO THE COUNCIL, WE'VE LISTED, I'VE LISTED FIVE I FIVE ITEMS HERE. NOT REALISTICALLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH ALL FIVE AND 45 MINUTES, UNLESS THINGS JUST MOVE ALONG REALLY QUICKLY. IF WE DON'T GET THROUGH ALL OF THEM, THE REMAINDER WILL JUST ROLL TO THE NEXT TIME. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, COUNSEL IS GIVEN THE DIRECTION TO PUT ONE WORKSHOP ON PER MONTH. AND THIS IS BEING LIVE STREAMED AND RECORDED SO OUR CITIZENS CAN SEE IT AS WELL. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION ON, ON THIS WORKSHOP. I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT, WE DO HAVE A HARD STOP AT 5 45 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE A, A CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT STARTS AT 6:00 PM SO WITH THAT, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, LET'S DISCUSS, UH, WORKSHOP ITEM NUMBER ONE, UH, MAYOR, BEFORE WE DISCUSS WORKSHOP ITEM NUMBER ONE, CAN I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT FOR THE FUTURE WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAVE, WE PROBABLY DO THEM ON A COUNT ON A NIGHT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE COUNSEL. LIKE THE SECOND TUESDAY OR THE FOURTH TUESDAY, SO THAT WE'RE NOT JAM PACKED. ALRIGHT. UH, WE CAN PUT THAT AS A WORKSHOP. DISCUSSION ITEM FUTURE WORK. I MAKE A MOTION VOTE. WELL, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. NO, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. WE CAN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING. IT'S ON THE AGENDA. SO I, THE POINT IS TAKEN, BUT THERE WON'T BE ANY DISCUSSION . SO WHAT WE CAN PUT ON THE NEXT AGENDA, MA'AM. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. UH, UH, OKAY. SO I'LL START OFF. THIS IS ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK'S ITEM YOU ON THE AGENDA. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE NAME OF IT AS WELL AS WHO INITIATED IT AND THE POTENTIAL STAFF SUPPORT IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE, THE PERSONNEL THAT WOULD SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. SO, IN THE BACKGROUND YOU CAN SEE AND, UH, IN, I DON'T WANNA READ IT TO YOU ALL, BUT COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK'S HERE. SO, UH, THIS IS A HOUSING PROGRAM. IT'S A STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. THERE IS A LINK IN THE AGENDA TO THE BACKUP INFORMATION, WHICH IS A LINK THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S WEBSITE, WHICH HAS INFORMATION ON THE, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. PERFECT TIMING. SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST ITEM, SORRY. AND EXPLAIN MAYBE THE RATIONALE. OH, YEAH, YEAH. I KNOW YOU JUST WALKED IN. SORRY. THERE'S NOTHING, DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING ON THE, UH, ON THE WEBSITE? NOPE. WE'VE ALL LOOKED AT IT. YOU'VE ALL LOOKED. SO LONG STORY SHORT, THE, UH, THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS AFTER THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN PLANNING SESSION WE HAD OUT AT THE, UH, AT THE THING. THIS WAS MORE ABOUT PUTTING EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF TERMINOLOGY AND WHERE WE STOOD TODAY, RIGHT? SO IT WASN'T ABOUT, I THINK WHAT YOU SEE ON THERE ONLINE IS A LITTLE BIT FARFETCHED FOR THE CITY OF SHIRTS. BUT WHAT THIS DOES DO IS PUT US ALL IN TERMS OF, UM, COMPLIMENTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, LAND USE PLAN, PUTTING MORE MEAT ON THE BONE, A LITTLE BIT LEVEL, LOWER LEVEL, DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR, UH, FRAMEWORK, ESSENTIALLY HOUSING MOVING [00:05:01] FORWARD. AND SO WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME DEAL. 'CAUSE I THINK IF WE ASK EACH OTHER HERE, UH, WHAT THE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, IT MIGHT DIFFER. IT MIGHT DIFFER BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO, AUSTIN AND OR EVEN SHIRTS. SO IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE ABOUT THE SAME DEAL AND HAVING A FRAMEWORK MOVING FORWARD. I THINK THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO INVOLVED, UM, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS, WELL, DEVELOPERS, REALTORS, UM, JUST ABOUT ALL STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THAT, UH, TOWN. IT TOOK 'EM A LONG TIME. BUT, UM, I THINK IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS, UM, IT WOULD HELP US PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, JUST PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT ON THE BONE FOR THE, UM, FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN. AND SO HERE'S THE DEAL, AND I THINK I SPOKE TO SOMEBODY ON ABOUT THIS WAS THERE WAS A, I WAS STUDYING A STUDYING FOR PROMOTIONAL TEST, AND THIS ONE GENERAL SAYS, HEY, PLANS ARE USELESS, BUT PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL. SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S MORE BENEFICIAL TO DISCUSS SOMETHING, UM, TO DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIPS AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND SEE WHERE WE ALL STAND ON A CERTAIN SUBJECT THAN THE, THAN HAVING A OUTCOME ITSELF. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. YEAH, I MEAN, I, I CAN SEE WHERE, WHERE, WHERE COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK IS GOING WITH THIS. I'M JUST NOT QUITE SURE. I, I SEE THE NEED FOR IT WITHIN CHURCHS. UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND, AND THEIR HOUSING NEEDS WHEN THEY'VE GOT 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE. UH, AND THE CITY OF SHIRTS AT ABOUT 42, 40 3000 PEOPLE. UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IN, IN, IN, IN ALL MY YEARS ON COUNCIL. AND LOOKING AT, UM, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH PLANNING AND ZONING AND FOLKS ADDRESSING PLANNING ZONING REGARDING VARIOUS TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT WE WOULD GET ANYWHERE WITH ANY KIND OF A STEERING COMMITTEE. UH, AND THEN FURTHER CON, EVEN LIKE SAN ANTONIO DID WITH A CONTRACTED FACILITATOR, BUT, BUT A STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, THAT'S COMPOSED OF, UM, LOCAL RESIDENTS AND DEVELOPERS. YOU KNOW, TO ME, I, WHAT I, WHAT I SEE COMING OUT OF THIS, IF WE DID IT AT OUR LEVEL FOR, FOR A COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE, THE DEVELOPERS ARE GONNA BE TELLING US WE NEED TO DEVELOP ALL KINDS OF STUFF. AND THE RESIDENTS ARE GONNA TELL US WE'RE DEVELOPING TOO FAST. UH, I DON'T SEE HOW A COMMITTEE'S GOING TO COME UP WITH ANY KIND OF A VISION TO GO FORWARD WITH REGARDS TO HOUSING. UM, WE JUST DID THE COMP PLAN, AND I THINK THE COMP PLAN SIMPLIFIED A LOT OF THE ASPECTS OF OUR PROJECTED DEVELOPMENT OR PROJECTED GROWTH GOING FORWARD. UH, AND UNLIKE OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND US, WE HAVE A HOUSING AUTHORITY IN THE CITY OF SHEZ. UH, SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND, UH, AND, AND THINGS ALONG THOSE, I, THOSE, UM, AVENUES, THAT'S WHY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY EXISTS. UH, THERE'S A BOARD ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEY'RE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR. UH, THEY PROVIDE A ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH HAS A DIRECTOR, AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO GO DOWN THAT PATH. AND AS HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING ACTION TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT ADDING YET ANOTHER COMMITTEE AND ANOTHER STAFF WORKLOAD, UM, I'M, I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE THIS IS GONNA GET US ANY, ANY SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FOR OUR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, UH, PRETTY MUCH ECHO SOME OF THE SAME THINGS I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, SHORT'S, HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL. UH, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED, BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, A CITY OF 47,000 PEOPLE, WE CAN ONLY TARGET SO MANY PEOPLE WITH OUR, WITH OUR INCOME AND BUDGET. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE BILLION DOLLAR, UH, BUDGET THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOES. AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AS WELL AS THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF STAFF, LET ALONE THOUSANDS OF WORKERS THAT THEY HAVE, THAT THEY HAVE, UH, IN THERE. UH, AGAIN, THE COMP PLAN, IT ADDRESSES, UH, THE, THE MAJOR, UH, OVERARCHING, UH, GOALS AND, AND, AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT. UH, AND LIKE YOU SAY, WHO IS TO DEFINE WHAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING IN A AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S A $2,500 A MONTH, TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT. UH, WHO'S THAT AFFORDABLE TO? UH, IT'S AFFORDABLE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY TO THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ASSUME, OKAY, I HATE TO USE THAT WORD, BUT THAT YOU ASSUME, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS TARGETED FOR, [00:10:01] UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DEMOGRAPHIC, THE CITY OF SHIRTS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, UH, TO WORK ON. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A NEED FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH RENTALS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE LIVABLE, HABITABLE IN GOOD SHAPE, AND WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THOSE. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, NO DEVELOPER IS GONNA COME IN AND DO THAT. THAT'S WAY DOWN. I MEAN, THAT'S GOTTA BE JUST A GOAL OF THE COMMUNITY IS TO ENCOURAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE AND, UH, OF THESE OLDER CLASS BCD PROPERTIES. UH, SO THEY STAY IN, IN A REASONABLE, UH, SHAPE THAT PEOPLE DON'T MIND LIVING IN THEM. UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE A, A SLUMS OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, UH, BUT KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS A, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR CITY'S GOALS ARE, OUR CITY'S IDEAS ARE, ARE TO HAVE A, A HIGHER LEVEL, EVEN AT THE LOW END. UH, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO TARGET THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED FOLKS THAT, UH, WOULD EVEN BE QUALIFIED FOR THAT IN THE CITY. AND WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, WHAT USED TO BE CALLED SECTION EIGHT HOUSING. WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS. UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY CALL IT RIGHT NOW. IT'S SECTION 11. IT'S FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, FIXED INCOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THAT SEEMS TO WORK AROUND HERE. 'CAUSE ESPECIALLY WITH THE MILITARY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A VERY FIXED INCOME. ALRIGHT, SO YOU TARGET THE RATE, UH, THE RENTAL RATES TOWARDS THAT. UH, AND IT SEEMS TO WORK. SO, UH, AGAIN, SHOULD WE TAKE THAT ON AS A CITY AND ADD THAT TO OUR STAFF, UH, WORKLOAD, I THINK WE NEED TO LET WHAT WE HAVE WORK AND, AND MAYBE GIVE IT A LITTLE POLICY GUIDANCE AND MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR SOMETHING, UH, AS THINGS GO ALONG. BUT AS DEVELOPERS COME IN, WE ASK THEM TO DO CERTAIN THINGS AND IT'S UP TO THEM AND THEIR PRIVATE MONEY, UH, TO, TO TAKE IT. OH, GOOD. GOOD POINT. UH, EVEN, EVEN WITH THE WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, THE CITY, THE CITY DIDN'T WANT THE CHALLENGES AND THE OBSTACLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFFORDABLE THE WORKFORCE HOUSING, THEN THAT'S WHY WE MOVED IT OVER TO THE, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, FOR THEM TO MANAGE IT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A WORKLOAD FOR OUR STAFF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. THAT'S THE ACTION THIS COUNCIL DECIDED TO DO BACK THEN. UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OTHER THING IS LIKE, UH, YOU, SAN ANTONIO'S A BIG CITY, FEDERAL FUNDS ARE COMING IN FOR, FOR THOSE REASONS. UH, WE DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AT THIS POINT. UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT TOPIC. IF WE, THERE WERE $10 MILLION THAT WAS PLACED IN OUR LAP, IT'D BE SOMETHING CONSIDER, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO FULLY FUND TO DO SOMETHING TO THIS MAGNITUDE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD. AND I THINK IN TALKING WITH SOME OF OUR, UM, HOUSING, UM, BOARD, THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB AT IDENTIFYING WHERE THEY THINK THESE, THE WORKFORCE, OR AS WE WOULD CALL IT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD BE. AND THEY'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY THAT POSSIBLY NEED TO GO. SO I THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. AS YOU SAID, WE DIDN'T WANNA TAKE ON THE WORKFORCE OURSELVES AND GAVE IT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT. AND THEN THE COMP LAND USE THE LAND USE COMP PLAN, IT KIND OF GIVES US AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT CAN GO WHERE. WE DON'T NEED TO GET DOWN IN THE WEEDS AND THE SPECIFICS AND LET THINGS GO THE WAY THEY'RE GOING. COUNCIL MEMBER BROOK. ALRIGHT, SO TO CLARIFY, UM, I WAS NOT, HOW DO I PHRASE THIS? IT WAS, THIS WASN'T ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THIS WAS ABOUT THE OVERALL, TRYING TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT ON THE BONE IN TERMS OF COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN. I THINK THE DISCUSSION WE HAD, UM, AT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION WAS THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER THE CITY OF SHIRTS HAD ENOUGH OR NOT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THOUGHT MAYBE WE WERE DIS, WE WERE DE SORT OF DISCUSSING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. AND I, MY CONTENTION WAS THAT WE DID HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE IN SHIRTS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE WERE GOING. I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME, SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S WHERE IT WAS GOING. NOT THAT I WANTED MORE AND OR LESS. I THOUGHT WE HAD HAD ENOUGH. THAT'S WHERE IT WAS GOING. IT WAS JUST ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR MOVING FORWARD AND HAVING THE SAME COMMON LANGUAGE ON THE SAME PAGE. THAT'S WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? [2. Workshop on the Ambassador Summer Internship Program] ALRIGHT, LET'S, UM, MOVE ON THEN TO OUR ITEM NUMBER TWO WORKSHOP ON [00:15:01] THE AMBASSADOR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. MY TURN, I, I BELIEVE ALL, ALL THESE ARE IN THE YEAR. OH YEAH. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. YES. JUST SO JUST FOR THE RECORD IS LIKE, IN THE PAST, I SEE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE NOVEL IDEAS, NOT NECESSARILY THAT IF THEY WOULD FIT FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR TOWN, BUT SOMETIMES THEY'RE WORTH DISCUSSING. I THROW 'EM OUT THERE, THROW SPAGHETTI AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT STICKS. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I'M AT, IS JUST SORT OF AN IDEATION FOR THOSE WHO, ANYWAY, IT'S AN IDEATION TYPE BUILD THING FOR ME. SO THE STARTING POINT BEHIND THE AMBASSADOR, WHAT WAS IT? AMBASSADOR? YEAH. INTERNSHIP. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WAS BASICALLY IS SORT OF NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST SAN ANTONIO C SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES IT. UM, WAS DEVELOPING LOCAL TALENT BASICALLY FROM HERE, ESPECIALLY COLLEGE TALENT. PEOPLE WHO'VE, WHO'VE GONE TO, UH, CLEMONS AND OR STEEL BASICALLY TO SORT OF HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER, UM, FOR THEM TO LEARN ABOUT CIVIC SERVICE, GOVERNMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT. ONE, UM, PAID INTERNSHIPS I DIDN'T THINK WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE ONE, AND I THOUGHT IT PRODUCED A BETTER, BETTER VALUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY ONLY BECAUSE WE WOULD BE DEVELOPING LOCAL TALENT. UH, THERE ARE STANDARDS, RIGHT? HAVING A 2.5 GPA, UH, MAYBE CERTAIN, UM, CERTAIN DEGREES SITUATIONS. SO THERE'S STANDARDS FOR IT. BUT THIS WAS SORT OF IDEALLY, I THINK AT 45,000, I I THINK THE LARGEST DISCUSSION IS SOMEWHERE 45,000 NOW. BUT AT WHAT POINT IN TIME DOES THE CITY OF SHIRTS SORT OF TRY TO IMPLEMENT A CONS CONSTITUENT SERVICES TYPE DEAL? UM, SOME POINT IN TIME. I DON'T THINK IT'S SHOULD BE THE CITY MANAGER'S JOB TO FILL, UM, QUESTIONS OR I TOO MUCH WHEN WE'RE IN A GROCERY STORE AND SOMEBODY SAYS, HEY, DO YOU HAVE A, UH, INTERNSHIP PROGRAM? NO, NO, WE DON'T. WHY DON'T YOU HAVE IT? I DON'T KNOW. I CAN BRING IT UP. UM, IF SOMEBODY COMES UP TO ME THAT SAYS, HEY, WHERE DO I GO FOR THIS OR THIS OR THAT ONE, DO YOU HAVE A 3 1 1 PROGRAM, CONTACT THE CITY MANAGER. UM, IS THERE AN APP, UH, CONTACT THE CITY MANAGER AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WHETHER IT'S 50,000 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND. UM, WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN THE ROAD OF HAVING CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND OR HAVING, UH, LACK OF A BETTER TERM CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT IT WON'T BE A CHIEF OF STAFF. IT'LL JUST BE MAYBE TWO PEOPLE THAT SORT OF THE, A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. MAYBE TWO OF THEM SPLIT, UM, THE MAYOR AND ONE THROUGH PLACE, ONE THROUGH THREE AND THE OTHER ONE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. BUT THIS IS THE PATH I WAS TRYING TO GO DOWN IS JUST TO SORT OF ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF HAVING A PAID INTERNSHIP, PAID INTERNSHIP WITH THE, UH, LONG-TERM VISION OF MAYBE HAVING CONSTITUENT SERVICES ONE DAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER GIBSON. UM, I ACTUALLY, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM BECAUSE THEN IT ACTUALLY CREATES A, ANOTHER WAVE OR FUNNEL, IF YOU WILL, FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT, BECAUSE WE ONLY SPECIFICALLY LIKE HAVE CITY EMPLOYMENT IF THEY APPLY. BUT IF WE HAVE SOME SORT OF A LIKE, OH, YOU CAN COME AND WORK WITH US FOR THE SUMMER SITUATION. HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY WE DO HAVE THE SHIRTS YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A COLLEGE PROGRAM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT COULD ACTUALLY PLAY OFF OF THAT AND KIND OF BE MORE OF AN EXPANDED ORDEAL, IF YOU WILL, UM, TO THEN ALLOW US TO KIND OF FILL SOME GAPS. LIKE, I KNOW FOR INSTANCE, LIKE IF WE NEED A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE OR SOMETHING, I THINK A LITTLE PAID INTERNSHIP COULD ACTUALLY HELP ALLEVIATE SOME TREMENDOUS COSTS. AND ACTUALLY IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE, BUT USUALLY INTERNS DON'T MAKE A FULL A FULL ROBUST SALARY HA BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO IN A LEARNING PERIOD. SO I THINK THAT THIS COULD ACTUALLY HELP BRIDGE SOME THINGS THAT WE MAY FIND, YOU KNOW, SOME HIGH VACANCIES. UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE ON HERE WERE MOSTLY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. UM, I THINK THAT I WOULD, I WOULD WANNA KIND OF DECREASE THAT UP FOR A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF KIDS IN SURROUNDING SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN LIKE WELDING PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN KIND OF BRIDGE SOME OF THAT IN OUR, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES OR PARKS AND RECS OR WHATEVER CATEGORY THAT IS. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. I'M OFF THE MIC. UH, I'M, I'M ALL FOR AN INTERN PROGRAM. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION. I'M [00:20:01] NOT QUITE LOOKING AT IT FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, UH, OR WHERE SAN ANTONIO'S TALKING ABOUT THEIR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, WHERE IT INVOLVES GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, NONPROFIT AGENCIES, AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS. HOWEVER, FROM A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AREA, I DON'T THINK A, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM OF SOME TYPE IS A BAD IDEA, DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A PAID ONE. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE CITY COULD GET INVOLVED, AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE AT ONE POINT, BUT GET REENGAGED WITH THE SKILL BRIDGE PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY THAT ARE SEPARATING TO USE THEIR LAST 180 DAYS, SIX MONTHS OF, UH, LEARNING OTHER SKILL SETS THAT WOULD HELP THEM TRANSITION TO THE CIVILIAN SECTOR. UH, IN THAT CASE, THOSE INTERNS UNDER THE SKILL BRIDGE PROGRAM ARE PAID FOR BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UH, SO IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH THOSE, LEAVING THE MILITARY AND LOOKING FOR THEIR NEXT CHAPTER OF THEIR LIFE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY, UH, POTENTIALLY TO LOOK FOR, UM, HARD TO FILL POSITIONS. WE TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT, UH, THE INABILITY TO FIND ENGINEERS, UH, AND, AND, AND, UH, OTHER KEY THINGS LIKE MAYBE IN FINANCE OR IN PLANNING. YET THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE MILITARY THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE IN PLANNING AND ENGINEERING THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT CHAPTER. UM, CONVERSELY IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO DO THE SAME THING WITH A CITY SPONSORED PAID INTERNSHIP, UH, WHERE WE'RE BRINGING IN A COLLEGE GRADUATE TO START AT THE ENTRY LEVEL IN ENGINEERING OR, OR SOME OTHER FACET OF OUR, OF OUR CAREER POOL THAT WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING. UH, AND BEYOND THAT, I MEAN, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SKILL SETS, THERE'S ALWAYS PARTNERING WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL COLLEGES BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF COLLEGE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS THAT ARE PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM, UH, TO GIVE THEM PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, UH, IN, IN VARIOUS FIELDS. UH, AND THAT MIGHT EVEN BE APPLICABLE TO SOME OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS ENTITIES OUT THERE. UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRADE SCHOOLS OUT THERE THAT ARE TEACHING WELDING AND, AND ALL OTHER TYPES OF THINGS, THEY MAY, THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN A, IN A, IN A PARTNERSHIP THAT THAT ALLOWS AN INTERN RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH THE CITY TO, TO FURTHER THAT, THAT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. I I, I JUST THINK IT'S A MATTER OF THE STAFF COMING BACK WITH A FORMAL PROPOSAL OF WHERE THEY THINK THEY COULD USE INTERNS AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT AVENUES ARE AVAILABLE OUT THERE, WHETHER IT'S A PAID PROGRAM OR WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING LIKE SKILL BRIDGE OR WHETHER IT'S PARTNERING WITH ONE OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSITIES OR TRADE SCHOOLS. COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE PROGRAM FOR INTERNSHIP, BUT THEN I STARTED THINKING WHEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SAID, PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITY, WE COULD POSSIBLY PARTNER WITH SOME UNIVERSITIES AND LET THAT BE A CAPSTONE PROJECT. SO THEN IT'S PART OF THE ACADEMIC, SO THEN IT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO DO TO COMPLETE TO GET THEIR DEGREE. SO THEN THAT WAY THEY GET IN AND SEE WHAT THE GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTAL, UM, WORK IS LIKE BEING, WORKING FOR CITY, I SHOULDN'T SAY GOVERNMENTAL, BUT IT IS, UM, WORKING FOR CITY. AND SO THAT'S PART OF THEIR DEGREE PLAN. AND SO IT'S AN ACADEMIC THING. AND SO THEN IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY BECOME A PAID POSITION BECAUSE IT'S A CAPSTONE PROJECT AND THERE ARE PROBABLY UNIVERSITIES AROUND AND THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH, UM, THAT CAN GET US THERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCSO, THE ONLY CONCERN I WOULD HAVE IF IT WAS A PAID INTERNSHIP, IF WE STARTED LOOKING WITH THE UNIVERSITIES AND ALL IS IF IT'S A, A NON SHIRTS RESIDENT, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S THE WAY WE SHOULD REALLY GO. I THINK IF IT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN SHIRTS TO HELP THEM FOR THEIR FUTURE, NOT INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY NEVER STEP FOOT IN SHIRTS OTHER THAN FOR THE INTERNSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. MY QUESTION IS TO THE STAFF, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WOULD THAT ENHANCE YOUR OFFICES? WOULD IT ENHANCE YOUR RECRUITING? WOULD IT ENHANCE YOUR RETENTION? UH, WE CAN SIT UP HERE WITH ALL, ALL KINDS OF GOOD IDEAS AND ALL THAT DOES IS ADD TO YOUR WORK WORKLOAD WITHOUT ANY BENEFIT. I WOULD ASK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS NOT NECESSARILY BE GENERATED BY THE STAFF, BUT THAT THE STAFF IS THE ONE THAT IS REALLY GONNA, UH, UH, BUY INTO IT AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD REALLY USE AND I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS, VERSUS US TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, IF I MIGHT RESPOND. SO I'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF RUNNING INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS IN, IN, IN CITY GOVERNMENT THROUGHOUT MY, AT DIFFERENT [00:25:01] LEVELS OF MY CAREER. AND, UH, IN, IN ONE EARLY IN MY CAREER, WE WOULD PARTNER WITH THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. IT'S THE EQUIVALENT TO ACOG HERE. AND WE WOULD GET GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM MPA PROGRAMS AND BRING THEM INTO THE BUDGET OFFICE AND HAVE THEM BE PART OF THAT PROCESS. AND IT WAS GREAT. WE PAID 'EM A NOMINAL AMOUNT. I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I HA I HATE TO EVEN SAY WHAT IT WAS BACK THEN, BUT IT WAS A VERY NOMINAL AMOUNT, . UM, AND THEN AS THINGS PROGRESSED AND THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, MOST RECENTLY WE RAN AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WHERE WE WOULD HAVE A COLLEGE STUDENT OR, AND IT WAS MORE FOCUSED TOWARDS GRADUATE STUDENTS, BUT THEY WOULD COME IN AND THEY WOULD ROTATE AMONG MY NINE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND, AND SPEND DIFFERENT TIME. I, I WOULD SAY IT'S IN INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS ARE EXCELLENT. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT CITIES. CITIES HAVE VERY DIVERSE FUNCTIONS, SO WHAT LAUREN'S DOING IN PARKS IS REALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT JIM'S DOING IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THEY REALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IN INTERNS, IT, IT HELPS IF THEY'RE MORE SPECIALIZED TO WHAT THOSE OPERATIONS DO. AND I, I AM SUPPORTIVE AND, AND HIGHLY, UM, WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IF WE CAN PUT SOME SORT OF OPPORTUNITY INTO PLACE FOR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD HESITATE TO MAKE IT TOO STRUCTURED OR TOO, UH, PUT IT TOO MUCH IN A BOX AND ALLOW THE DIFFERENT FINANCE MIGHT WANNA BRING IN AN INTERN, BUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WILL BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ONE THAT'S IN PLANNING OR THE LIBRARY, ET CETERA. SO MAYBE WE COULD BRING BACK A PROPOSAL AS A, UH, FOR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT. WE CAN, I CAN GO BACK AND TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WE CAN DISCUSS WHICH ONES MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN IT IN STARTING AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND HAVE THEM PUT THEIR BEST PROPOSAL FORWARD AND WE CAN ORGANIZE THAT INTO AN EXPANDED PROGRAM REQUEST FOR THE NEW BUDGET YEAR. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. YES. I, I MEAN THEM SAYING, HEY, I GOT A POSITION THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US AND, AND MAYBE PROVIDE A FUTURE, YOU KNOW, POSITION ABSOLUTELY. VERSUS JUST SAYING, OKAY, E EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET AN INTERN. I, I MEAN, I, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE IT. ONE OF, ONE OF MY FORMER INTERNS IS THE CITY MANAGER OF FLOWER MOUND, THE OTHER ONE IS THE CITY MANAGER OF KELLER, AND THE OTHER ONE IS HIGH UP IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO IT'S, IT'S VALUABLE. IT, IT HELPS BUILD YOUR WORKFORCE, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE GUYS WORKED FOR US FOR, FOR A TIME AND GALS AND DID A GREAT JOB. SO, UM, I I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT MAYOR. OKAY. IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. NO, IT'S, UH, DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO LOOK AT. BUT YOU MENTIONED ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUDGETING. YES, SIR. SO THIS COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE A BUDGET TOO FOR THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM INSTEAD OF THE SET AMOUNT, SO THAT, UH, IT'S PART OF OUR PLAN AT THAT POINT. YES, SIR. WHETHER, WHETHER OR NOT THE FUNDS ARE USED, IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, BUT WITHOUT THE BUDGET, WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD ON IT. UM, WITH THAT ALL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MACALUSO YEAH, I'LL BE BRIEF. I THINK IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS IF YOU'RE DOING IT TO HELP THE CITY FILL SOME SHORTFALLS OR IF YOU'RE DOING IT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO GIVE SOME EXPERIENCE TO OUR STUDENTS. I THINK THOSE ARE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS AND, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD VIEW THEM AS SEPARATE AND BE MORE INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTS THAN SOMEONE THAT'S NOT, UNLESS THE CITY FOUND THAT THEY REALLY HAVE A NEED FOR THAT. WELL, I, I, AND I GUESS I COULD CLARIFY WHAT I MEANT WAS IS THAT EACH DEPARTMENT HAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH. WE POTENTIALLY IN THE EASIEST WAY TO TOUCH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND HAVE THEM BE INVOLVED IS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. OR ONCE YOU START RE MOVING INTO THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL AND GRADUATE SCHOOL LEVEL, IT'S HARDER AND HARDER TO IDENTIFY THAT POOL OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO YOU. SO IN, IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE IN BEING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE HAD AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THROUGH IT FOR THE SUMMER, AND THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD BRING IN HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND BASICALLY TEACH THEM. UH, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD DO REALLY, UM, THEY WOULD HELP THE DEPARTMENT AND THEY WOULD LEARN A PRACTICAL TRADE AND THEY WERE LOCAL AND THEY GOT PAID. SO MAYBE THAT'S AN OPTION, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. ALRIGHT, I THINK, UH, WE HEARD FROM ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS, UH, TOPIC? [3. Workshop on the onboarding of newly elected Councilmembers] WE'LL MOVE ON TO TOPIC NUMBER THREE IS THE WORKSHOP ON ONBOARDING FOR NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK, I THINK, WELL, SHEILA'S, OH, THESE ARE YOURS BY THE WAY. . WELL, I THINK SHEILA ACTUALLY WAS, IF WE COULD SKIP THIS ONE. YEAH, OKAY. SHE WAS, SHEILA'S PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER, BUT SHE IS IN THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING. YEAH, DEFINITELY. YEAH. YEAH, WE WERE WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT, UH, AND AS WE MOVE ON THROUGH OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE ANNOTATE AND PUT INTO THAT ONBOARDING, BUT, UH, CAN I [00:30:01] JUST, WE'LL COME BACK ON THAT ONE. CAN I NOTE SOMETHING REALLY QUICK? YES. AS I SAW ON THE ATTACHMENT REALLY QUICK IS THAT THOSE ARE MORE ACTIONABLE ITEMS OF WHAT SHEILA HAS TO DO. THOSE ARE NOT ACTIONABLE ITEMS OF WHAT COUNCIL SHOULD BE DOING. SO IF WE COULD ACTUALLY JUST FOCUS ON, UM, WHAT ONBOARDING COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BE, AND NOT FROM HER PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM WHAT WE WILL NEED TO BE ONBOARDED. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT TOPIC THEN. [4. Workshop on creating a City Council Project Fund] ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WORKSHOP ON CREATING A CITY COUNCIL PROJECT. FUND COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. UM, IT BASICALLY IN A NUTSHELL, TRYING TO FIND A WAY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, BLOCK GRANTS OR NOT FOR THE CITY OF SHIRTS, BUT OCCASIONALLY I DON'T, I THINK EVERY CITY COUNCIL PERSON HAS BEEN APPROACHED WHETHER THE CITY ASSURES COULD SUPPORT ONE FUNCTION OR ONE IDEA OR ONE THING OR ANOTHER, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT THIS HAPPENED TO COME UP WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WAS EVERY COUNCIL PERSON GETS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT, OBVIOUSLY WAY MORE THAN WHAT WE COULD AFFORD, BUT EVERY COUNCIL PERSON, UM, HAS THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT A PROJECT AND OR, OR AN ORGANIZATION AS LONG AS THEY ARE NONPROFIT. TRANSITIONING TO CITY OF SHIRTZ WAS, IF IT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM, IF EVERY CITY COUNCIL PERSON HAD 500 OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR TO SUPPORT A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THEIR CHOICE IF IT MET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT IN A NUTSHELL, IS SORT OF A WAY OF SUPPORTING DIFFERENT PROJECTS RATHER THAN JUST, UM, TRYING TO BUDGET FOR IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. IT WAS JUST A WAY THAT WE COULD DO IT PIECEMEAL OR INDIVIDUALLY. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE HAVING A CITY, UH, PROJECT, UH, FUND OUT THERE. UH, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE TAILORING IT, UH, DOWN ANY FARTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, CITY IN GENERAL. UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. YOU GOT WHAT, 10, 11 DISTRICT, UH, 11 DISTRICTS. YEAH. COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL NEED THEIR VOTES, SO THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, I BROUGHT YOU A MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, OR WHATEVER IT IS. YOU KNOW, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT, NOT THE VOTES. SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S MY CUT ON IT. COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD, I, I, I DON'T MIND THE IDEA, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING 500 OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS, TO ME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD COME OUT OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL POCKET. I HAVE A HARD TIME THINKING ABOUT TAKING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO FUND A PROJECT OF THIS, KNOWING THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT THE RESIDENTS NEED FIXED ROADS. GRANTED IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT BIG OF AN IMPACT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, I THINK USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO SUPPORT A NONPROFIT WHEN WE CAN DO THAT ON OUR OWN, I THINK IS A GOOD THING. I THINK WE DO A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN THE CITY THAT TRY TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THOSE. WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO THAT WE SUPPORT. AND EVEN IF WE SUPPORT WITH JUST THE LABOR, WE'RE OUT THERE, WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S ABOUT THE WAY I LIKE TO DO IT, IS TO KEEP IT GOING IN THAT DIRECTION, NOT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER GETTING A CERTAIN BLOCK OF MONEY TO PUT SOME AT SOME NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. AND THEN THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, IF WE'RE GETTING THAT MONEY TO PUT THERE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH CLAIMING IT BECAUSE IT ENDS UP COMING TO US COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PUT THIS? WE TYPICALLY DO TAKE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND SPEND THEM ON THINGS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY. MY, MY CONCERN IS MIGRATING THIS DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER LEVEL. UH, WE ALREADY DO TAKE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO SUPPORT VARIOUS NONPROFITS AND LOCAL LOCAL INITIATIVES. WE HAVE A, A PROGRAM WHERE WE ASSIST THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UH, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE, UH, ASSIST THE PRESCRIPTION, UM, PROGRAM THAT, THAT AIDS OUR, SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS. UM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT BLOCK GRANTS, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL 'EM FOR, OR INCENTIVES, UH, FOR CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN AREAS LIKE MAIN STREET, UH, UH, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE DO IT HERE IS ALL OF THOSE ITEMS COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AS A GROUP. UH, AND WE HAVE A, A SOMETIMES A SPIRITED DISCUSSION ON THE, THE VALUE OF, OF EXPENDING THAT MONEY. UH, AND WE DON'T TAKE ANY OF IT LIGHTLY. UH, I, I, MYSELF PERSONALLY, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH, WITH LOOKING AT DIFFERENT GRANTS OR PROGRAMS OR, OR OTHER INCENTIVES, UM, THAT WE CAN EXPLORE. BUT I, [00:35:01] I WOULD RATHER KEEP IT AT THE LEVEL WHERE IF SOMEBODY HAS A PROPOSAL, UH, THEY CAN PRESENT IT TO THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL HAS TO DISCUSS IT AS A GROUP AND APPROVE IT AS A GROUP VERSUS, UH, JUST ARBITRARILY HAVING A BLOCK OF MONEY THAT'S ADMINISTERED BY A COUNCILMAN OR A COUNCIL PERSON INDIVIDUALLY WITH THAT. UH, I, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UM, GIVING IT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER. IT JUST DOESN'T SIT WELL. BUT AS A GROUP, WE CAN DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A $20,000, UH, PROJECT FUND. UH, MAYBE THIS COUNCIL CAN DECIDE WHERE, WHAT, WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO AS A GROUP AND NOT INDIVIDUALLY. UH, IT MIGHT BE LESS THAN THAT. UH, TAKE FOR INSTANCE, UH, THE SKATE PARK, UH, WHAT WAS IT, 10,000 FOR FOR THE LIGHT, MAYBE LESS, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OR, OR EVEN THE, UH, THE DOGGY PARK, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO A PROJECT THAT IS NEEDED WITHIN THE CITY THAT THE COUNCIL, ME COUNCIL DECIDED THIS HAS A PRIORITY. IT'S UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. THIS IS WHERE THE PROJECT, UH, THAT, UH, WE DECIDE TO FOCUS ON THIS YEAR WOULD BE. UH, BUT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I, I JUST, I I, I THINK THERE, THERE'S SOME, UH, ISSUES THAT I WOULD HAVE, UH, PROVIDING THAT TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO DO A, A SPECIAL PROJECT BY THEMSELVES. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. HEY, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE. I THINK THIS WAS GENERATED SOME, SOME DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS THE POINT. AND UH, I THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WHETHER IT'S, WE VOTED ON IT AS A GROUP SET ASIDE X NUMBER OF DOLLARS PER YEAR AND WE ALL VOTED ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS. UM, IT WAS JUST THE IDEA OF DISCUSSING IT, BUT I THINK, UH, EITHER WAY, LIKE YOU SAID, THE CITY SHIRTS GIVES BACK AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL EITHER WAY. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH SO MAYOR TO, WELL, TO TO CLARIFY, I THINK IT WOULD BE NEED TO BE THINGS THAT SERVE A PUBLIC PURPOSE AND THAT WE WOULD OTHERWISE MAYBE DO OURSELVES. UM, IF, BUT IT'S PROVIDED THROUGH SOME OTHER ENTITY ALSO, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT MAYBE WE BRING BACK A LUMP OF MONEY DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND, AND CAN PROPOSE THAT AS PART, AS THE, UH, AS PART OF THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET. ALRIGHT. AND THEN, UH, THE COUNSEL WOULD DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE FUNDS ARE USED THAT HERE OR NOT. I THINK THAT THAT'S TRUE. YOU, I, I GUESS AT THAT TIME YOU COULD CHOOSE TO HAVE IT BE A, A A A POOLED AMOUNT THAT YOU COULD HEAR PROPOSALS AND DECIDE ON, OR WE COULD, IT COULD COME IN THE FORM OF AN EXPANDED PROGRAM REQUEST FOR SPECI SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU DISCUSSED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. YES. ALRIGHT, [5. Workshop to discuss the implementation of a Women's History Month program] WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. UH, WORKSHOP DISCUSSION, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM, COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. I'M MAKING IT FOR ALL THE TIMES I DIDN'T GET TO, UH, TO MAKE A, MAKE A MOTION OR A SECOND AND GETTING ALL MY SPEAKING TIME IN. UH, ANYWAY, SO LONG STORY SHORT, UM, MARCH IS OBVIOUSLY, UH, WOMEN'S APPRECIATION MONTH. UM, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS SET UP A PROGRAM, BUT I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AROUND CHURCH OR SLO, UM, THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, THE BENEFIT OF, HOW DO I SEE IT PROGRAMS AND ARE HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE THAT WOMEN, UM, PLAY IN SHIRTS AND OR CILO IS PROBABLY CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. UM, I THINK THEY'D BE HELPFUL TO MAYBE HAVE ONE OR TWO PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S A BANQUET, A LUNCHEON, UM, MAYBE A HEALTH AND WELLNESS SEMINAR, BUT SOMETHING JUST TO SORT OF APPRECIATE, UH, THE ROLE THAT WOMEN PLAY. UH, WE HAVE, I I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE FIRST WOMAN ON THE CHURCH CITY COUNCIL WAS. IT, WAS IT YOU? NO, NO. UM, BUT JUST SOME OF THE HISTORY IN THIS REGION AND THE ROLES, WHETHER IT WAS, UH, MAN, IT, IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE. SO THAT'S JUST MY TAKE IS PUTTING A DOLLAR ASIDE AMOUNT, MAYBE THIS GOES BACK TO NUMBER FOUR, PUTTING ASIDE A DOLLAR AMOUNT AND, UM, MAYBE WE AS A GROUP, AS A CITY OF CHURCH, TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN, UM, BEST APPRECIATE AND, UH, PROMOTE WOMANHOOD DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH. COUNCIL MEMBER GIBSON, UM, I, I SEE THE, THE CELEBRATION OF WOMEN BEHIND THIS. I UNDERSTAND, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IS THE MONTH OF MARCH. SO IS, YOU KNOW, THE MONTH OF APRIL IS MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD. I DO THINK THAT'S A, IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO NETWORK IN THERE, BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT LIKE, SETTING ASIDE MONEY FOR SOMETHING LIKE [00:40:01] THIS, I THINK OF MORE OF SOMETHING KINDA TAKE IT, TAKE IT BACK ONE STEP. LIKE EVEN IN MY CORPORATE OPINION, WE HAVE LIKE WOMEN IN TECH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THAT AND THAT'S HOW YOU KIND OF TIE IT ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE CITY. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN IN THESE PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE IT MAY BE MORE OF A MALE DOMINATED, UM, CAREER FIELD, I CAN SEE US KIND OF MORE SUPPORTING IT IN THAT FASHION AND NOT TO SINGLE ANYONE OUT OR SOUND, UM, WELL, IN OTHER WORDS, SEXIST IN THE WAY, EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE TABLE OF WOMEN AND THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD, SO OUR SHIRTS, PUBLIC LIBRARY DOES A PROGRAM FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. I THINK THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB. WE LET THEM CONTINUE THAT. HOWEVER, FOR ME, WHEN I THINK ABOUT WOMEN HISTORY MONTH, IT WAS DONE BACK IN THE, IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN WOMEN WERE STARTING TO GET OUT INTO THE WORKFORCE AND IT WAS SOMETHING TO SAY, WE'RE CELEBRATING WOMEN AND THEN NOW WE'RE, WE'RE FAST FORWARD WHERE WOMEN ARE IN DIFFERENT ROLES THAT WE PLAY. AND SO IN THOSE ROLES, WOMEN AREN'T HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THEY HAD IN THE SEVENTIES. I ALSO THINK ABOUT, IT REMINDS ME OF THIS, WHERE THEY JUST KIND OF GOING, OH, WOMEN, YOU HAVE ONE MONTH TO CELEBRATE ALL THE HISTORY THAT YOU'VE PARTAKEN IN, IN THIS COUNTRY. HOW COME WE CAN'T STOP SAYING WOMEN? HERE'S A MONTH. AND YOU JUST MAKE IT INTEGRAL. IT'S SORT OF LIKE YOU'RE MAKING US A SUBSET OF HISTORY WHEN WE ARE HISTORICALLY WE HAVE DONE THINGS THROUGHOUT THE SPAN OF TIME, SO WHY AREN'T WE CELEBRATING THAT? AND JUST GIVING ME A MONTH TO REGULATE TO, I THINK IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT AND FOCUSING ON PUTTING WOMEN IN HISTORY BOOKS AND TALKING ABOUT WOMEN ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE. WE SHOULDN'T JUST HAVE TO BE RELEGATED TO A MONTH AND WE SHARE THAT MONTH WITH COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS THAT JUST THE TWO DON'T GO TOGETHER. TO ME. THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK ABOUT IS THAT WE'RE JUST, I GUESS FOR ME IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T APPRECIATE WOMEN'S MONTH, IT'S JUST DON'T GIVE ME A MONTH. MAKE IT INTEGRAL PART AND MAKE US BE A PART OF ALL THAT. BECAUSE TO ME, IF I'M CELEBRATING WOMEN'S MONTH, THEN I GOTTA LOOK AND THEY'LL, I CAN'T JUST DO WOMEN'S, I GOTTA LOOK AT MEN'S AND THEN PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, WE SHOULDN'T CELEBRATE MEN OR WE SHOULDN'T DO THESE THINGS. AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, WE DO IT. BUT I THINK HAVING SOMETHING LIKE WHEN WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT PROCLAMATIONS THAT WE READ, WE CAN POINT OUT THE WOMEN THAT ARE IN THESE ROLES BECAUSE WE HAVE WOMEN IN THOSE ROLES. AND SO WE'RE DOING IT ALL YEAR LONG, NOT JUST IN A MONTH. AND I GUESS I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THAT WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO RELEGATE ME TO A MONTH AND GO, DON'T DO THIS. I MEAN, JUST GIVE US THE WHOLE YEAR. JUST LIKE I SEE SOME OTHER THINGS. WE ALWAYS WANNA REGULATE AND THEN WE ALWAYS WANNA SAY WE'RE ONE NATION UNDER GOD. HOW ARE WE ONE NATION UNDER GOD WHEN WE'RE JUST GIVING WOMEN A SUBSET INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM THEIR DUES THE WHOLE YEAR LONG FOR BEING A PART OF HISTORY THROUGHOUT. AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF TRYING TO PUT IT IN HISTORY BOOKS AND SAYING, HEY WOMEN, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. THEN WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY PUT UP WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED, THIS WAS LIKE HARRIET TUBMAN. SHE REALLY DID MORE ABOUT HUMANITY, NOT NECESSARILY WOMEN. SHE JUST MADE HUMANITY DIFFERENT. UM, MAYA ANGELOU MADE HUMANITY DIFFERENT. IT WASN'T LIKE THEY, THEY DID A LOT FOR THE WOMEN. NOT SAYING THEY WEREN'T WOMEN AND THEY DID THINGS, BUT THEY CHANGED HOW WE THOUGHT AS A, AS A HUMAN RACE. AND SO THEY SHOULD BE REGULAR, SHOULDN'T BE REGULATED TO A MONTH EITHER. THEY SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE WOMEN ARE, ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS NATION AND WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THEM ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST IN A MONTH. SO I THINK WE LET THE LIBRARY KEEP DOING THEIR FANTASTIC ROLE AND CELEBRATING IT. AND THEN IF WE WANT TO INCORPORATE THINGS FROM RESIDENTS AND SIT AND, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THOSE ROLES, THEN THEY CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT. BUT I THINK AS A CITY, WE LEAVE IT TO THE LIBRARY 'CAUSE THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB WITH EVERY MONTH AND EVERY, I THINK EVERY MONTH THEY ACTUALLY CELEBRATE SOMETHING AND THEY HAVE A BIG DISPLAY IN THE LIBRARY, LET'S GO AND PARTAKE OF IT. SO LET'S GET EVERYBODY GOING TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THAT GETS PEOPLE IN. THEY GET TO READ A BOOK, PARTAKE A MOVIE HOME, AND THEN WE GET MORE PEOPLE GOING INTO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. AND WITH THAT COMMENT, IT IS NOW 5 45. I HAVE TO UH, UH, REMIND COUNSEL, WE HAVE A HEARTBREAK HERE, UH, ITEMS NUMBER THREE AND FIVE. WE'LL COME BACK FOR A WORKSHOP DISCUSSION AT OUR NEXT MEETING. WE'RE ADJOURNED. * 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.