OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - December 4, 2025

City Council — Thursday, December 4, 2025
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, December 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 37:23

Transcript — Verbatim
1:15

Okay, good morning.

1:16

The time is now 910 a.m.

1:18

and we'll call a session to order.

1:19

Madam Clerk, could you please call the roll?

1:23

Mayor Jones.

1:26

Councilmember White is here virtually.

1:29

Councilmember Spears.

1:31

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

1:33

Present.

1:33

Councilmember Aldarete Gavito.

1:35

Here.

1:36

Councilmember Galvan.

1:37

Here.

1:37

Councilmember Castillo.

1:39

Here.

1:39

Councilmember Mungia.

1:41

Present.

1:41

Councilmember Via Gran.

1:42

Here.

1:43

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez is here virtually.

1:46

Mayor Pro Tim Corps.

1:48

Here.

1:48

Mayor Mayor Pro Tim, we have quorum.

1:50

Great.

1:51

Councilmember Gauvan's going to introduce our invocator for today.

1:56

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim.

1:58

I'd like to welcome uh Reverend Dwayne Thomas to the podium.

2:01

Reverend Wayne Thomas was born in March 24th, 1960, in the farming community of Waterproof, Louisiana.

2:06

He is the 15th of 17 children born to the late Deacon Dennis, Charles Thomas Sr.

2:10

And Mrs.

2:11

Perline Mae Thomas.

2:12

He graduated from high school in 1978 and entered the United States Air Force that August.

2:17

During his 30-year career, he served in many foreign countries and stateside locations, including both Gulf Wars.

2:22

He attended Park University, majoring in business management, and retired from the military in September 2008 as a chief master sergeant.

2:28

Feeling the need to draw closer to the Lord, Reverend Thomas joined West Ridge Park First Baptist Church in June 1997 in the Edgewood area in District 6 in the community workers' council neighborhood and was baptized by the late Dr.

2:39

E.

2:39

L.

2:40

Hewitt Jr.

2:41

Entering God's call to ministry, he began to men he began mentorship under Reverend Ray A.

2:45

Weathers.

2:46

He was named an associate minister and licensed to preach in May 2007.

2:49

And after years of faithful service, he was ordained on September 30th, 2012.

2:53

Reverend Thomas continues to serve the Lord dedication and a commitment to reaching the lost.

2:57

Through his service and love for God's people, he was called to become the fifth pastor in the rich history of West Ridge Park First Baptist Church and has been serving for the past twelve years in the proud place called District Six.

3:07

Thank you very much.

3:08

Please do the prayer.

3:11

Thank you, Councilman Galvania for those kind words.

3:14

Thank you, City Council, for inviting me down to be able to come and give the invocation down here to Mayor Jones in her absence.

3:31

And the awesome responsibility that you have for leading God's people is a hard one.

3:36

But in times of those times, the Lord will always be with you on those things.

3:40

Shall we pray?

3:41

Heavenly Father, we thank you right now, Lord, that you brought us, Lord, into a brand new day this morning.

3:46

We thank you, Lord, for new mercy and new favor, Lord, that you bestowed upon us, Lord.

3:50

Thank you for the grace of your son Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord.

3:54

We pray right now.

3:55

Thank you for sending the power of the Holy Spirit in places here, even in the country that you will protect them, guide their families as we come upon the holidays right now, Lord.

4:04

I pray that you will lay your hands upon them and bless them.

4:07

Bless Mayor Jones in her absence, Lord, her leadership, Lord, these leaders that are here this morning.

4:12

I pray over them, Lord, and I pray that you touch each and every one of them.

4:16

Bless them now and their families in their work.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement███████████████████████████████31%
Public Education████████████████████████24%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Transportation Infrastructure██████████10%
Public Safety█████████9%
Transportation Safety███3%
Waste Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary - December 4, 2025

The City Council of San Antonio convened a session on December 4, 2025, at 9:10 a.m. with a quorum present, despite the absence of Mayor Jones. The meeting featured an invocation by Reverend Dwayne Thomas, the unanimous approval of meeting minutes from early November, and several public recognitions, including congratulations to Superintendent Gerardo Soto of Harlandale ISD and a tribute to the late Samuel Guido. The council reviewed and approved the Consent Calendar, followed by discussion items highlighting various appointments, construction contracts, and community programs. The session concluded with a City Manager's employee spotlight and a brief celebration of staff birthdays before adjourning at 9:47 a.m.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The council unanimously approved the minutes for meetings held on November 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th.
  • Approvals: The council motioned and voted to approve the full Consent Calendar items, including the 18-acre, $XXM police substation construction contract at 8811 South Florida Street (Item 5) and the extension of the Visit San Antonio tourism PID (Item 30). The motion carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Honoring Superintendent Gerardo Soto: The council and Superintendent Soto exchanged views on the educational achievements of Harlandale ISD.
    • Councilmember Castillo expressed strong support, citing community partnerships with Avance, Community First, and the San Antonio Food Bank, and highlighted the district's 90% average daily attendance as a credit to Soto's leadership.
    • Councilmember Jacob praised Soto's resilience during the pandemic and his focus on sustainability and resiliency, noting the community's rally around the district.
    • Councilmember Biffida emphasized the district's role in the personal and workforce journeys of community members, thanking Soto for his openness in communicating with stakeholders.
    • Superintendent Soto expressed gratitude for the partnership between the City and the ISD, stating that the fight for public education is "the beginning" and that they will continue to march forward.
  • Tribute to Samuel Guido: Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez honored the late Samuel Guido, a 59-year volunteer for the Christopher Columbus Italian Society.
    • Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez described Guido's dedication to the annual spaghetti dinner and his immigrant values, expressing a position of deep respect for his legacy of tradition and unity.
    • Family members, including his wife Patty, expressed gratitude for the recognition and the large Italian community turnout, describing him as a backbone of the West Martin Street community.
    • Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez noted the family's support for the young women's leadership academy and heritage partners as a testament to their impact.

Discussion Items

  • Board Reappointments (Item 24): Councilmember McKee Rodriguez highlighted the reappointment of board members to the Inner City Tours Board, including Mohammed Russell, Juan Garcia, Alex Brunell, and Mario Salas. Positions regarding the new appointments included full support for Valerie Reifert (Radical Registrars/MLK Commission Vice Chair) and Justin Munoz (Visit San Antonio/LGBTQ Chamber) for bringing leadership and care to the Eastside community.
  • Police Substation Construction (Item 5): Councilmember Via Gran championed the construction of a 26,000-square-foot police substation in District 3. She expressed that the item addresses a "huge need" in the city and District 3, noting that community members had expressed a specific need for increased police presence. The project, a result of the 2022 bond program, is anticipated to begin construction in Fall 2025 and complete by Spring 2027.
  • Multimodal Planning Study (Item 6): Councilmember White highlighted a study on Harry Wurzbach Road to ensure safety and efficiency for military families and Fort Sam residents, specifically supporting the evaluation of congestion, crash data, and pedestrian/bike access.
  • Longhorn Quarry Land Swap (Item 8): Councilmember White expressed support for the land swap, viewing it as a coordinated development opportunity for housing, real estate, and office space.
  • Digital Divide & Wi-Fi Hotspots (Item 13): Councilmember Castillo highlighted the continuation of lending Wi-Fi hotspots at District 5 libraries, expressing full support for bridging the homework gap and information gap for students and job seekers.
  • Mobile Integrated Health Care (Item 35): Councilmember Castillo highlighted the PIC team program, which brings SAPD, Fire Department, and mental health clinicians together. She expressed support for the program's success in reducing emergency detentions and freeing up psychiatric ER space.
  • Multimodal Transportation Commission Appointments (Item 18): Multiple council members expressed full support for new appointees:
    • Councilmember Gilbert and Councilmember Via Gran honored Dr. Jesse Harasta for his grassroots advocacy for rail and multimodal transportation.
    • Councilmember Castillo expressed support for William Long ("Gedmore"), a longtime cycling advocate instrumental in the city's bike network plan.
    • Council成员 highlighted the appointment of Jim Bailey, Sarah Vierrial, and Lily Tedon to various advisory committees to lead on infrastructure priorities for District 1.
  • Employee Spotlight: The City Manager presented a video featuring Daniel Gonzalez, a 22-year veteran of the solid waste division. Gonzalez expressed that he enjoys the physical nature of the work and the ability to provide for his family, while issuing a position of request for residents to utilize free bulky drop-off sites rather than illegal dumping.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous Approvals: The minutes for November meetings were approved; the full Consent Calendar was approved.
  • Appointments Confirmed:
    • Inner City Tours Board: Mohammed Russell, Juan Garcia, Alex Brunell, Mario Salas, Valerie Reifert, Justin Munoz.
    • Multimodal Transportation Commission: Dr. Jesse Harasta, William Long, Jim Bailey, Joey Pollock.
    • Capital Improvements Advisory Committee: Sarah Vierrial.
    • Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks Advisory Committee: Lily Tedon.
  • Construction Authorization: Approval granted for the construction of a new police substation at 8811 South Florida Street, with construction scheduled to begin in Fall 2025.
  • Program Extensions: Approval granted for the one-year extension of the tourism PID for Visit San Antonio (Item 30).
  • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:47 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, good morning. The time is now 910 a.m. and we'll call a session to order. Madam Clerk, could you please call the roll? Mayor Jones. Councilmember White is here virtually. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Present. Councilmember Aldarete Gavito. Here. Councilmember Galvan. Here. Councilmember Castillo. Here. Councilmember Mungia. Present. Councilmember Via Gran. Here. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez is here virtually. Mayor Pro Tim Corps. Here. Mayor Mayor Pro Tim, we have quorum. Great. Councilmember Gauvan's going to introduce our invocator for today. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim. I'd like to welcome uh Reverend Dwayne Thomas to the podium. Reverend Wayne Thomas was born in March 24th, 1960, in the farming community of Waterproof, Louisiana. He is the 15th of 17 children born to the late Deacon Dennis, Charles Thomas Sr. And Mrs. Perline Mae Thomas. He graduated from high school in 1978 and entered the United States Air Force that August. During his 30-year career, he served in many foreign countries and stateside locations, including both Gulf Wars. He attended Park University, majoring in business management, and retired from the military in September 2008 as a chief master sergeant. Feeling the need to draw closer to the Lord, Reverend Thomas joined West Ridge Park First Baptist Church in June 1997 in the Edgewood area in District 6 in the community workers' council neighborhood and was baptized by the late Dr. E. L. Hewitt Jr. Entering God's call to ministry, he began to men he began mentorship under Reverend Ray A. Weathers. He was named an associate minister and licensed to preach in May 2007. And after years of faithful service, he was ordained on September 30th, 2012. Reverend Thomas continues to serve the Lord dedication and a commitment to reaching the lost. Through his service and love for God's people, he was called to become the fifth pastor in the rich history of West Ridge Park First Baptist Church and has been serving for the past twelve years in the proud place called District Six. Thank you very much. Please do the prayer. Thank you, Councilman Galvania for those kind words. Thank you, City Council, for inviting me down to be able to come and give the invocation down here to Mayor Jones in her absence. And the awesome responsibility that you have for leading God's people is a hard one. But in times of those times, the Lord will always be with you on those things.

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