* 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. [00:00:04] OKAY, THE TIME IS [ Call to Order] NOW, UH, SIX 30. OUR SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 23RD IS NOW IN SESSION. NOW, FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS THE HEARING THE RESIDENTS, AND I SEE THAT NO ONE SIGNED UP. SO WE'RE GOING STRAIGHT INTO BUSINESS. AND THAT IS ITEM NUMBER ONE. DISCUSSION [1. Discussion on the Schertz Young Leaders Program's application process (Mayor Gutierrez)] ON THE SHIRTS, YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM AND APPLICATION PROCESS. AND BEFORE I OPEN IT UP, UH, I DO WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS. NOW I WANNA TAKE THIS MOMENT TO JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MEANINGFUL THIS INVESTMENT IS AS A CITY TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM, UH, THE CHURCHS YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM. AND LET ME BEGIN WITH ONE IMPORTANT POINT. WE ARE NOT CANCELING THE PROGRAM, AND WE ARE NOT SUSPENDING IT. THIS PROGRAM, IN FACT, IS GOING TO REMAIN, AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE WAYS WE PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. LEADERS WHO WILL ONE DAY GUIDE OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR BUSINESSES, AND PERHAPS OCCUPY THESE SEATS. THE QUESTION BEFORE US TONIGHT, IS IT WHETHER OR NOT THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE? BECAUSE IT WILL. THE REAL QUESTION IS, WHO SHOULD THIS PROGRAM PRIMARILY SERVE, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE IT FULFILLS ITS TRUE PURPOSE? THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY, AND IT HAS GROWN SUCH A REPUTATION THAT STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE SHIRTS ARE EAGER TO PARTICIPATE. THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE PROGRAM ITSELF, THE QUALITY AND THE IMPACT IT HAS. BUT IT ALSO PRESENTS A CHALLENGE WITH, WITH ONLY 12 SEATS AVAILABLE EACH YEAR, DEMAND IS NOW EVEN GREATER THAN EVER. AND THIS YEAR ALONE, WE RECEIVED 24 APPLICATIONS, AND NINE OF THESE CAME FROM STUDENTS WHO DO NOT LIVE IN SHIRTS. IF WE CONTINUE, AS IS NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF THESE SEATS COULD GO TO STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S SHIRTS, RESOURCES, TAX DOLLARS, AND THE VISION THAT MADE THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE. THIS PROGRAM CARRIES OUR CITY'S NAME. THIS REFLECTS OUR CITY'S VALUES, AND IT IS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE THE TOOLS AND EXPERIENCES TO BECOME TOMORROW'S LEADERS. SO TONIGHT, WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT CHOICE. DO WE ENSURE THIS INVESTMENT CONTINUES TO PRIORITIZE OUR CHURCH YOUNG, GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY THEY DESERVE? OR DO WE OPEN UP MORE SEATS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR OWN STUDENTS? MY VISION IS CLEAR SHIRTS, YOUTH SHOULD COME FIRST. AND COUNSEL, THIS ISN'T ABOUT FILLING THE 12 SEATS. IT'S ABOUT SHAPING THE LEGACY AND THE LEADERSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS TO COME. AND THAT'S WHY YOUR VOICES AND YOUR GUIDANCE TONIGHT IS SO CRITICAL. AND WITH THAT, WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UH, UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I, I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. UH, AND, AND I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, OF THE MINDSET THAT SHIRTS COMES FIRST, UH, WHENEVER WE DO SOMETHING AS, AS A COUNCIL, UM, AS THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. BUT I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE TWO CONCERNS, OR TWO QUESTIONS, NUMBER OR TWO CONCERNS. NUMBER ONE, I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO CHANGE OUR POLICY OR OUR PROGRAM MIDSTREAM. UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 25, 26 APPLICATIONS. UH, WE PUT THOSE NOTICES OUT IN GOOD FAITH AND FOLKS SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS IN GOOD FAITH. AND NOW AT THE LAST MINUTE TO SAY, WELL, OH, BY THE WAY, YOU DON'T LIVE IN CHURCH, SO SORRY. HAVE A NICE DAY. I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO THE YOUTH THAT THAT TOOK THE TIME TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION IN GOOD FAITH. UM, MAYBE GOING FORWARD, UH, FOR THE 26, 27, AND WE ADVERTISE IT AS SHIRTS ONLY THAT, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT AND DISCUSS. BUT THE CHANGE COURSE MIDSTREAM, I THINK IS, IS A DISSERVICE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S, WELL, THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE REPRESENTATION THAT I WANNA OFFER TO ANY OF OUR, OUR YOUTH IN, IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. UM, LIKE I SAID, WE ADVERTISE THIS AS, AS TO S-C-U-C-I-S-D. WE PUT IT OUT THERE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO, TO HONOR THAT APPLICATION. THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE GOING FORWARD IS, IS WE HAVE 12 SEATS. UH, [00:05:01] SO IS THE PLAN, IF WE, IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THE RULES GOING FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS EVERY YEAR GO UP AND DOWN. UH, IF WE GO TO 12 SEATS AND IN 26, 27, WE ONLY HAVE 11 APPLICANTS, BECAUSE WE SAID IT'S FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SHIRTS ONLY. DO WE ONLY DO 11 AND NOT FILL A 12TH? OR, OR, OR WHAT? I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT, THAT CASE WHERE DEPENDING ON WHO'S OUT THERE AND WHO'S INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAM, WE COULD VERY WELL IN 26, 27 HAVE, YOU KNOW, 10 APPLICANTS THAT ARE NOT SHIRT'S RESIDENTS AND FIVE THAT ARE SHIRT'S RESIDENTS. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT THE YOUTH OF TODAY OR TOMORROW ARE GONNA DO, AND WHO'S GONNA BE INTERESTED AND WHO'S NOT. SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE WOULD'VE TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL, UH, GOING FORWARD IF WE DO CHANGE THE RULES. NO, AND, UH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT WELCOME. MAYBE THAT WE NEED TO SET UP A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT, HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL BE FROM SHIRTS AND HOW MANY FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN WORK INTO. UH, LIKE I SAID, THE POSSIBILITY IS NINE OF THEM COULD BE ON THIS PROGRAM AND ONLY THREE FROM SHIRTS IF WE HAVE A PERCENTAGE OF 50 50 OR 75 25. WHETHER IT MIGHT WORK IS WHAT I'M LOOK IS, UH, SOMETHING I WOULD CONSIDER IS, UH, GIVING AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO THIS RESIDENTS THAT ACTUALLY RESIDE IN SHIRTS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD. SO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WHEN WE SET UP THIS PROGRAM, IT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PARTNERSHIP WITH S-C-U-C-I-S-D. SO IF IT WAS WITH S-C-U-C-I-S-D, THAT MEANS THERE WOULD BE STUDENTS THAT LIVE IN ST. HEDWIG, SELMA UNIVERSAL CITY THAT ARE GOING TO THE SCHOOLS IN CHURCH. SO IF WE HAD THAT PARTNERSHIP IN MIND, AND WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT YOU HAD TO BE A CHURCH RESIDENT, THEN AN I AM AGREEMENTS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS THAT WE DON'T CHANGE THIS MIDSTREAM. I ALSO THINK LOOKING AT A BIGGER PICTURE IS BECAUSE WE DID THIS PARTNERSHIP, AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE YOUNG LEADERS AND ARE COMING TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO BE A LEADER IN LEARNING ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT. I LOOK AT THAT AS A BIG PICTURE OF THESE ARE KIDS THAT WE CAN PULL, MAY COME BACK TO THE CITY OF CHURCH AND BE A APPLICANT POOL FOR THOSE THAT ARE SITTING IN ONE, EITHER COUNCIL SEATS OR TWO IN SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT SEATS AS, UM, STAFF BECAUSE THEY'VE LEARNED ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT. 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT DO NOT KNOW THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN CITY GOVERNMENT WHERE THEY CAN WORK. UH, THEY DON'T FIND OUT UNTIL LATER, OR THEY NEVER FIND OUT. AND THEN KNOWING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE GO. AND I THINK BECAUSE WE SAID WE PARTNER WITH S-C-U-C-I-S-D, WE SHOULD STICK WITH THAT. I ALSO THINK ABOUT, UM, WE HAVE OTHER STUDENTS THAT LIVE IN THE CITY THAT ARE AT THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY AS WELL. SO WHEN WE GET CANDIDATES, WE JUST NEED TO SAY, THESE ARE THE CANDIDATES. BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THERE IS A CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THESE STUDENTS WHEN THEY ARE PICKING THEM. I DON'T THINK THE STAFF IS GOING OUT AND SAYING, WELL, THESE KIDS ARE FROM THIS CITY, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA PICK 'EM. I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING AT A CRITERIA OF WHAT WAS SET IN THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT'S A PROGRAM. THE OTHER THING I THOUGHT ABOUT IS, YES, IT IS SHIRTS, TAX DOLLARS, BUT THEN WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, IF EVERYONE PAID TAXES, WE HAVE ABOUT 16,000 HOMES IN THE CITY OF SHIRTS AND IT'S COSTING US $12,000, UH, A YEAR FOR THE PROGRAM. THAT'S LIKE 75 CENTS FROM EACH RESIDENT. TO ME, THAT'S KIND OF HENIS IS SAYING, WE'RE WE'RE SPENDING 75 CENTS ON A PROGRAM THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IN GETTING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY NEED TO, TO BE THE LEADERS THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN BE. UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE TAKE UP NEXT YEAR, IF THAT IS A THING. BUT IF WE LIMIT AND SAY SO MANY CHURCH RESIDENTS, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SAID, AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE THOSE STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST IN CHURCH, THEN WHAT DO WE DO? DOES THIS PROGRAM STILL BE, WILL THIS PROGRAM STILL BE SUCCESSFUL IF WE'RE TRYING TO PRODUCE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM? WE JUST HAVE TO SAY WE HAVE 12, 12 POSITIONS AND THOSE THAT APPLY. AND THEN ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY OFFERED UP COUNCIL TO LOOK AT THE APPLICATION. SOME OF US DID, SOME OF US DIDN'T. SOME OF US DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO COMMIT TO THAT. AND SO WITH HAVING COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THAT COMMITTEE, THEY GOT, THEY WERE PART OF MAKING THE CHOICE OF WHICH STUDENTS WE WERE LOOKING TO SETTLE ON IF THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT DECISION. SO I THINK WE [00:10:01] HAVE A REPRESENTATION FROM COUNCIL THAT CAN MAKE THAT DECISION ON THESE STUDENTS. SO I THINK NOT CHANGING THIS NOW, WE SHOULDN'T, I THINK IT NEEDS TO STAY THE WAY IT IS. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. YEAH, I'LL, I'LL START WITH AGREEMENT IN, IN THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR THIS YEAR AND NOT TO CHANGE IT AT THIS POINT. UH, YEAH, IT'S NOT FAIR TO ANYBODY THAT'S APPLIED OR IS IN THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT. UH, LEADERSHIP IS OBVIOUSLY LEADERSHIP TRAINING. LEADERSHIP SKILLS ARE OBVIOUSLY IN HIGH DEMAND, NOT JUST AT THE, UH, UH, YOUNG, UH, FUTURE LEADER LEVEL. BUT I MEAN, OUR, OUR CHAMBERS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS, IS HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER. UH, I KNOW OUR, OUR TEXAS REALTORS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS, IS A, UH, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM, UH, WITH, UH, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE TRYING TO GET INTO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, UH, I'LL, I'LL USE OUR SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS. IT'S SIMILAR TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. YOU HAVE MEMBERS THAT LIVE IN ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT AREAS, OKAY? BUT THEY CAN APPLY, OKAY? AND THEY ALWAYS LEAVE ROOM FOR, UH, A CERTAIN NUMBER. AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT CERTAIN NUMBER DOESN'T APPLY, THEY, THEY DON'T FILL IT, BUT THEY LEAVE ROOM FOR FOLKS FROM OTHER AREAS THAT ARE LESS, UH, UH, SERVED, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, UH, TO, TO COME AND, AND ATTEND THESE THINGS. AND AGAIN, LEADERSHIP SCHOOLS, LEADERSHIP TRAINING, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, VERY HIGH DEMAND BECAUSE YOU JUST, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T TRAIN IT ANYMORE. SCOUTS AREN'T AS ORGANIZED, I GUESS, AS THEY USED TO BE, FOR EXAMPLE. UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A, IT'S A HIGH DEMAND, UH, HIGHLY COVETED AND, AND, UH, SHOULD BE VERY, UH, COMPETITIVE THROUGH, THROUGH THAT SELECTION, UH, PROCESS AS WELL. SO WE SHOULD BE, AS ALLISON SAID, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO CHOOSE THE, THE BEST, THE BRIGHTEST, THE ONES THAT GIVE US THE MOST FUTURE RETURN ON INVESTMENT. UH, BECAUSE WE ARE INVESTING IN THEM. UH, WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE KIDS IS GONNA TURN AROUND AND COME BACK AS A COACH OR A TEACHER OR, OR A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE A BETTER CITIZEN FOR IT. AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A A, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? A, AN ADVOCATE FOR THE CITY. ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND I SAY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. 'CAUSE IT IS, IT'S SHIRTS, IT'S AU IT'S IN UNIVERSAL CITY. IT'S ST. HEDWICK, YOU KNOW, SELMA, UH, WE WE'RE ALL BENEFICIARIES OF, OF THE PROGRAM. SO AGAIN, DON'T WANNA SEE ANY CHANGES AT THIS POINT, UH, THROUGH THIS. IF, IF WE WANNA CHANGE THINGS FOR THE FUTURE, LET'S PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP AND, UH, UH, DO IT. BUT IT'S A, IT'S GOING TO BE A HIGH HIGH DEMAND PROGRAM. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. YES, MAYOR. SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, CHIME IN AND SORT OF FORM A CONSENSUS BEHIND THE IDEA THAT, UH, WE SHOULDN'T CHANGE A MIDSTREAM. IT'S ALREADY BEEN ADVERTISED. THEY'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS. LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS AS IS. UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF SAY THAT, YEAH, SHIRTS SHOULD BE FOR SHIRTS. THERE SHOULD BE AN EMPHASIS. MAYBE IT SHOULD GO TO A TIE BREAK. I DON'T KNOW. IN THE FUTURE, LIKE, UH, TO COUNCILMAN BROWN SAYS MAYBE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FORM A COMMITTEE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO STAFF, LET 'EM DEVELOP A POLICY, UM, A MEMBER OF SHIRTS VERSUS A MEMBER OF ST. HEDWIG. THERE SHOULD BE A TIE BREAK, SHOULD GO TOWARDS SOME MEMBER OF SHIRTS. UM, HOWEVER, I WOULD ALSO THINK THAT CITY OF SHIRTS IS INTERESTED MUCH TO COUNCILWOMAN HAYWARD'S. UH, POINT IS WE'RE DEVELOPING LEADERS NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE. AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, UM, LEADERSHIP. AND THAT'S THE KEY. SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND. MAYOR, THERE'S NO QUESTION REGARDING THE STUDENTS AND THEIR CAPABILITIES OF BEING LEADERS. UH, THE QUESTION IS, UH, THE RESOURCES, THE, THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY, UH, THE CITY FUNDS THIS PROGRAM. UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS COMING FROM, IS THAT, UH, AT LEAST, AT LEAST, UH, 50% OF THE KIDS SELECTED SHOULD BE FROM THE CITY OF SHIRTS. UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER MACALUSO. YEAH, I DON'T HAVE MUCH DIFFERENT TO SAY THAN WHAT THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, HAVE STATED. I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT YOU SHOULDN'T GO RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE HERE AND CHANGE THE RULES ON IT. UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO THINK THAT SHIRT'S RESIDENTS SHOULD GET, UH, PREFERENTIAL, UH, CONSIDERATION. AND WHETHER THAT IS A, A 75 25 SPLIT, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, I, I, I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, ENSURING THAT THE SHIRTS RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, GET THE, GET THE OPPORTUNITY OVER SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WATSON. UM, I THINK WE'RE ON BASICALLY ALL THE SAME [00:15:01] PAGE. UM, WE WANT SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO PRIORITIZE, UM, SHIRTS AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE GONNA BE GREAT. UM, BUT RIGHT NOW I THINK CHANGING IT MIDSTREAM IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BE, YOU CAN DEFINITELY DISCUSS IT THE YEAR AFTER AND THEN GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD ON THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER GUERRERO, I, I ALSO AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE COUNCILMEN HERE. UM, UH, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN MACALUSO AS FAR AS, UH, TRYING TO GET SOMETHING, UM, 75 OR 20 TO 25 IN FAVOR OF SHIRTS. 'CAUSE THIS IS A SHIRTS YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM. IT'S FUNDED BY THE CITY OF SHIRTS, NOTHING AGAINST ANYBODY ELSE. UM, I AGREE WITH ALSO COUNCILMAN, UH, TIM BROWN AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ELLISON, THAT LEADERS HAD, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM, LEADERS OR LEADERS. AND WE DEFINITELY NEED 'EM, WHETHER THEY'RE FROM SHIRTS OR FROM ANYBODY ELSE. BUT, UH, I DO AGREE THAT, UH, IF THIS IS FUNDED BY THE CITY OF SHIRTS, UH, 75 25, I AGREE WITH THAT IN FAVOR OF SHIRTS. OKAY. NO, UH, FROM WHAT I'M GATHERING, UH, I I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA TOUCH THE PROGRAM, BUT I DO AGREE IF THE COUNCIL AGREES THAT IF THERE IS A TIE BREAKER, THE TIE BREAKER SHOULD BE THIS SHIRTS RESIDENT. AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE SHOULD KNOW THAT ANY TIEBREAKERS WILL BE GIVEN TO A SHIRTS RESIDENT. ALRIGHT. UH, AND FROM MY, ALSO GATHER FROM THE CONSENSUS HERE IS THAT THE, THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT, AT THE PERCENTAGES, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE 50% SHIRTS AND 50 FROM OTHER CITIES, OR 75% SHIRTS AND 25. THAT'S SOMETHING THIS COUNCIL WILL DECIDE. ONCE WE GET THAT, UH, UH, WE START WORKING ON THE PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S SELECTION SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THERE IS A CONSENSUS, UH, REGARDING THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS. AND ALSO, UM, TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS INDICATED, IF THERE'S MORE FROM OTHER CITIES, FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT. IF WE CAN'T MEET THE 50% OR THE 75%, UH, WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HAYWARD, I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO REMEMBER WE PART, WE DID THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH S-C-U-C-I-S-D. AND IF WE DID THIS IN PARTNERSHIP, I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT, THAT WE HAVE KIDS THAT GO TO CLEMONS THAT DO NOT LIVE IN THE CITY OF SHIRTS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT JEOPARDIZING THAT PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THEY SEND THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND THEY BRING THE STUDENTS HERE, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET HERE. AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT TO ME, IF WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO WITH EDUCATION, BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT ONCE COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK WANTED US TO LOOK AT A COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION, THIS IS PART, TO ME, THIS KIND OF, IT GOES IN LINE WITH WHAT HE WAS LOOKING AT. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SEND US THE TOP PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING. SO WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE APPLYING, WE'RE GETTING THE BEST OF THE BEST. THE CREAM OF CROP. I'M NOT SAYING THAT RESIDENTS FROM CHURCH ARE NOT, BUT THOSE THAT ARE APPLYING, THEY HAVE THE CRITERIA AND WE'RE GETTING THE CREAM OF THE CROP. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. NO MATTER WHERE THEY'RE FROM, THEY ARE GOING TO BE LEADERS AND IT BENEFITS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. SO JUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN WE START MAKING THESE DECISIONS. MR. WILLIAMS, DID YOU WANNA GO OVER THOSE, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU INDICATED? UH, JUST ON THE DAAS, CASSIE PLACED JUST THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS THAT WERE RESIDENTS VERSUS NON-RESIDENTS AND THE NUMBER OF, UH, PARTICIPANTS SELECTED INTO THE PROGRAM BASED ON RESIDENTS, NON-RESISTANT RESIDENT, AS WELL AS THE COST OF THE PROGRAM EACH YEAR. AND THE FIRST YEAR IT WAS SEVEN AND THAT, THAT WERE ACCEPTED IN THE CLASS. WE HAD SEVEN APPLICANTS, AND THEN IT, IT'S BEEN 12 FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND THEN AT 12 AGAIN THIS YEAR. BUT THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS HAS INCREASED. SO ESSENTIALLY THE RATIO FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, WELL, OF COURSE IT WAS THE SAME 'CAUSE EVERYBODY WHO APPLIED WAS ACCEPTED. THE NEXT YEAR IT WAS 41% TO 42% ROUGHLY. AND THEN THIS LAST YEAR IT WAS 30, ALMOST 38% OF THE APPLICANTS WERE NON-RESIDENT. BUT NON-RESIDENT, [00:20:01] ONLY 25% NON-RESIDENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM. AND SO THIS YEAR, THE RATIO AGAIN, IS 38% OF THE APPLICANTS ARE NON-RESIDENTS. SO IT JUST KIND OF, IF YOU CAN SEE HOW THE NUMBERS PLAY OUT, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO CODIFY THAT SOMEHOW, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S ENTIRELY A POLICY DECISION. SO WHAT OTHER CITY WAS, WHAT THE APPLICANTS FOR THE OTHER CITIES, WAS IT JUST SLO OR CAN YOU NO, IT DOESN'T SAY, IT DOESN'T SPECIFY. SPECIFY DON'T, I MEAN, WE COULD GO BACK AND RESEARCH THAT, BUT IT'S, NO, IT'S NON-CHURCH RESIDENTS. YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS ST HEDWICK CONVERSE. YEAH, SELMA, THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY REASONABLE. I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL UNDER 50%. UH, THE QUESTION IS THAT IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD ESCALATE TO A 75%. AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PROGRAM AND TRY TO FIND A CONS. AND LIKE I SAID, HAVE THIS COUNCIL DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT PERCENTAGE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH. AFTER A WHILE WE REPRESENT THIS, UH, OUR CONSTITUENTS HERE IN SHIRTS. UH, SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE GOT CLEAR GUIDANCE OF WHICH WAY WE WANNA GO. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE CAN BRING SOMETHING BACK FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION. I DON'T, IS THAT YEAH, YEAH. THIS SELECTION PROCESS, WE'LL, WE'LL PROCEED AS SCHEDULED AND THEN THE FUTURE ONES, WE WILL LOOK AND, UH, WE'LL BRINGING IT UP TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR FINAL DETERMINATION, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S PERCENTAGES THEY WANNA GO OR THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF BODIES THEY WANT IN THERE. UH, SO THAT WILL BE, OR EVEN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE, UH, PARTICIPATE. LIKE I SAID, IT'S THE PROGRAM IS, THE PROGRAM ITSELF, UH, IS, IS VERY MEANINGFUL. IT PROVIDES A LOT OF THE SKILLS TO FUTURE, UH, FUTURE LEADERS. UH, AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MACALUSO COMMENTS. YEAH. JUST ONE QUICK NOTE JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT SCUC IS, IS A PARTNER, BUT THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY ARE FROM THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PARTICIPATE. SO I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO MISCONSTRUE THAT THAT WAS ANYTHING THAT SHE WAS SAYING. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK FOR CLARIFICATION SHIRTS, UNIVERSAL CITY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A PREMIER DESTINATION DISTRICT. UM, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE. UM, WHEN, WHEN ARE APPLICATIONS DUE? LIKE NEXT SEASON, NEXT START OF THE NEXT CYCLE? WHEN ARE THEY DUE? UH, AROUND THIS TIME NEXT YEAR? NO, WHEN DID THEY BEGIN? WHEN? WHEN THEY BEGIN IN AUGUST. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR? YEAH. FOR NEXT YEAR? NO, THIS YEAR. YEAH. YEAH. NOT THIS YEAR. I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR THE NEXT CYCLE. OH, THE NEXT, IT'D BE THE SAME TIMETABLE. ESSENTIALLY JUNE. IT'S RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL STARTS. SO HOW SOON DO WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE BEFORE PEOPLE START SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S LEADERSHIP CYCLE? PROBABLY EARLY SUMMER, JUNE OR SO, SO JUNE BACK DATE. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE MAYBE THREE MONTHS BEFORE. SURE. YEAH. THAT SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. SPRING TALK ABOUT IT. JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS ON THE PARTNERSHIP. AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT WHEN I CAME UP HERE IN 2022 AND PRESENTED THE PROGRAM, WE DID, UH, HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH S-C-U-C-I-S-D THAT THEY WOULD GIVE COCURRICULAR EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO THE STUDENTS. SO THAT WAS SORT OF THEIR INPUT TO THE PROGRAM. THERE IS A COST TO THEM TO DO THAT AS WELL. UM, IT IS OPEN TO OTHER SCHOOLS IN SHIRTS OF, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOMESCHOOL, HOMESCHOOL. IT'S OPEN TO, UM, KIDS THAT LIVE IN COM, ISD AND MAYBE GO TO DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOL. WE JUST DON'T HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH COMA. LISD. THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPAL. WE WERE HAPPY TO FACILITATE THAT FOR THE APPLICANT AS WELL, IF THEY NEEDED IT. UM, BUT YEAH, SO THE, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS LIKE MANY OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITY TYPE PROGRAMS, WE ARE VERY INTERTWINED HERE. LIKE WE'RE AT THE SENIOR CENTER AND OTHER PLACES WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM SLO AND MARIAN AND ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE'VE BEEN SORT OF OPEN TO ALL. AND THAT HAS BEEN THE PHILOSOPHY AND DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL IN THE PAST. IF WE NEED TO ADJUST THAT, WE CERTAINLY CAN. UM, ONE RECOMMENDATION I WOULD GIVE, INSTEAD OF GOING TO A PERCENTAGE TYPE OF A, OF A PROGRAM WHERE YOU MIGHT RUN INTO THAT ISSUE WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO FILL THE SLOTS, UM, IS TO JUST ADD IN A POINT OR TWO ON THE SCORING RUBRIC FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CITY LIMITS. AND THAT WOULD GIVE THEM THAT EXTRA EDGE OVER THE OTHER APPLICANTS. AND THAT WAY, UM, THAT WOULD BUMP UP ANYBODY THAT WAS FROM SHIRTS. UM, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE BEHOLDEN INTO A PERCENTAGE OF HOW MANY STUDENTS NEED TO BE IN SHIRTS. THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION. OKAY. SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WHEN [00:25:01] WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. COUNSEL, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. I THINK WE HAVE, UH, DIRECTION WHERE YOU ARE PROCEEDING AS SCHEDULED AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT UP TO COUNSEL. ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, THE TIME IS NOW 6 56. WE STAND, ADJOURN. * 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.