Telling you everything.

Believe in his feelings.

Believe in his source.

I sit with stillness.

I'm hearing his voice.

Telling me okay.

Like of the noise.

Only steals.

Telling you everything.

Believe in his prayer.

Believe in his source.

I sit with stillness.

I'm hearing his voice.

Telling me everything's gonna be okay.

Good morning.

The time is now 9 13 a.m.

on April 16th, 2026, and the meeting of the San Antonio City Council is called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

Councilmember Cor.

Councilmember Miki Rodriguez.

Present.

Councilmember View Gran.

Here.

Councilmember Mungia.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo.

Here.

Councilmember Galvane.

Here.

Councilmember Alderete Gavito.

Here.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Councilmember Spears.

Here.

Councilmember White.

Here.

Mayor Jones.

Here.

Mayor, we have quorum.

Great.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Aldarte Gavito was recognized to introduce today's invocator.

Thank you.

Today I'm honored to introduce Mauricio Fernandez of District 7's Crossroads Baptist Church as today's invocator.

Mr.

Fernandez was born in Reynosa, Mexico, but has spent most of his life in the U.S.

He carries on a family legacy of faith and service.

And he is also following in his parents' footsteps, who studied seminary and served in in ministry.

Mr.

Fernandez serves as the youth minister at Crossroads running youth groups and guiding local young people on their spiritual path.

He is currently pursuing a double bachelor's degree in theology and human behavior at Baptist University of the of the Americas.

It's during his studies there that he met his wife, Olivia, who he married earlier this year.

Mr.

Fernandez, I'm so glad that you could be here with us today, and thank you.

Uh thank you for your time.

I'll turn it over to you.

Thank you.

Well, will you all bow your heads and pray with me, please?

Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for this day, Lord.

Thank you for the opportunity that you have given us to gather here this morning, Lord.

As we all come together to be good stewards of that which you have given us, Father.

Lord, as we gather here this morning, Lord, I just pray that your presence fill this room, Lord, that you may help us to glorify you in thought, word and deed, Father.

Um Lord, as we are gathered here this morning, we are gathered with one goal, one common goal in mind, Lord, and that is to be good stewards of that which you have given us, Father.

To those who are in a position of authority, Lord, I pray that you fill them with wisdom and um that you may help them hear and listen, Lord, and see what the people of San Antonio need, Lord, to those citizens of San Antonio, Lord, I pray that you may give them discernment, Lord, to see and listen what to what is yours and what isn't yours, Father.

As the City of San Antonio, Lord, I pray that you help us serve those humbly, Lord, who are in need.

And Father, as we gather here this morning, Lord, I just pray that um you may help this meeting, be efficient, be productive, Lord, and most importantly, Lord, that we may glorify you in everything that we do.

We thank you and we love you, and we give you all the praise and all of the worship, Lord.

And it's in your name that we pray.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Before we get in today's business, I want to recognize uh the unfortunate passing of Dr.

Manuel Berrioz Oval.

Certainly uh a pillar of our community alongside his wife.

His passing yesterday morning was unfortunately and a loss that we will feel in our community for a long time.

Manuel Philip Berriozobal, UTSA mathematics professor, was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1931.

He studied mathematics at Rockhurst College, University of Notre Dame, and University of California, Los Angeles, earning his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate.

He taught at UCLA, Loyola University of Los Angeles, and since 1976, was at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

He joined the faculty there as uh as part of the College of Sciences in 1976.

Just three years into his tenure, Dr.

Berio Zobal brought a science technology engineering and math based program which earned national recognition and became known as the pre-freshman engineering program or PREP.

As of today, the program spans seven states and has reached over 50,000 students in Texas alone.

He said he was inspired to create it after reading an article in a in a magazine, wrote anonymously that said Mexican American communities didn't produce engineers.

Dr.

Berio Zobal served as PrEPS director through 2003 and encouraged students who attended PrEP to enroll at UT San Antonio after they graduated high school.

He found that students who participated in PrEP did significantly better at the university than those who did not.

In 1998, the Washington-based Quality Education for Minorities Network named Dr.

Berio Zobal as one of the six giants in science.

Soon following this award, he became a recipient of the San Antonio I Have a Dream Foundation Endeavors Award in May of that same year.

Dr.

Betty Ozobal's additional awards and achievements include the American Society for Cell Biology, Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education in 2009, the University of Texas System Chancellor's Council Innovations and Education Award in 2007, and the Mathematical Association of America Yu Ging Gung and Dr.

Charles Y.

Hugh Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics in 2001.

Dr.

Berio Zobal was also named an inaugural fellow of the American Mathematical Society for outstanding contributions to the Creation Exposition Advancement Communication and Utilization of Mathematics in 2013.

His specific prep program accolades include the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, a Texas Higher Education Star Award, citations from the Texas legislature, and a congressionally mandated building engineering and science talent best project citation.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Dr.

Berio Zobal, the success of the program is so well regarded that other universities across the country have adopted the model, and the program now exists at 33 sites in 25 cities and seven states as of 2019.

In 2015, the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics recognized PrEP as a bright spot in Hispanic education.

I want to thanks to the tireless uh excuse me beloved by his students and fellow faculty he taught at UT San Antonio longer than most professors because of his passion for the field of mathematics and student success.

And more recently, of course, uh Dr.

Berio Zobal is now the namesake for Cafe College, which aids high school students in their path to higher education.

Our thoughts are, of course, with the entire Berriozobal family, so please join me in a moment of silence.

Make a motion to approve.

Okay, there's a motion and a second to approve.

Please vote.

Okay, the motion carries.

Thank you.

All right, we've got a couple of ceremonials.

Um I am very excited for all of them, but in particular, Texas Biomedical Research Institute's 85th anniversary, huge uh accomplishment.

So I'm going to read this.

Um, you know, as somebody that grew up on the far west side of town, I just knew this place as the as the place that have to hold my breath for 15 seconds when I drove by.

Um, not knowing the amazing uh contributions to science and health care that happened there under the now under the leadership of Dr.

Schlesinger, but really a bright spot in our community.

So it's my honor to really uh to read this congratulations.

So the city of San Antonio hereby presents its official congratulations.

And Dr.

Leslinger, if you and your team would like to stand at the podium.

Hereby presents its official congratulations to Texas Biomedical Research Institute on their 85th anniversary.

For 85 years, Texas Biomedical Research Institute has advanced the frontiers of biomedical research to protect communities in San Antonio and around the world, pioneering scientific discovery and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to global health.

Since its founding in 1941, the institute has remained dedicated to improving the welfare of humankind through innovative science, embodying the vision of its founder, Thomas Baker Slick Jr., who imagined, quote, a city of science, unquote, to drive human progress.

Internationally recognized as a leader in infectious disease research, Texas Biomed is the only independent nonprofit institute in the United States to combine high-level biocontainment laboratories with a federally designated national primate research center.

Through many the through more than eight decades of discovery, its work has contributed to transformative breakthroughs in diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies, including advancements in the fight against COVID-19, Ebola, and hepatitis C.

Texas Biomed Research also helped develop the high frequency of needle neonatal ventilator, a life-saving technology that helps babies born prematurely to breathe.

With a uniquely collaborative and entrepreneurial research environment, Texas Biomed continues to accelerate discoveries from the laboratory to real world application to address chronic and infectious disease.

These efforts confront today's most urgent public health challenges while preparing for emerging threats that will impact future generations.

The organization's endearing commitment, excuse me, enduring and endearing.

Enduring commitment to excellence, ethical research, and global collaboration has helped position San Antonio as a hub for bioscience and innovation.

Texas Biomed also inspires young people in San Antonio to become part of this world-class bioscience ecosystem through educational programs that impact over 15,000 students each year.

Though through partnerships, education, and scientific leadership, Texas Biomed continues to strengthen our local community and global health.

The members of the City Council, the City of San Antonio, join you in celebrating this momentous occasion and extend best wishes for you continued success in the years to come.

Happy 85th anniversary, and Dr.

Schleshinger, if you'd like to say a few words.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Well, on behalf of the uh senior leadership team at Texas Biomed, the Board of Trustees led by Craig Boyan, and our 500 employees at Texas Biomed, I want to thank you, Mayor Jones.

I want to thank the council members, I want to thank the city manager, Eric Walsh, for this high distinction you've put upon us this morning.

How grateful we are to have been an integral part of this community now for 85 years in counting.

Amazing to think that based on our founder's vision, Tom Slick Jr.

to move from a small ranch building on the outskirts of town, it truly was the outskirts in 1941, to an international leader in global health and an important anchor in Councilman Gavon's great West Side District.

At Texas Biomed, we work every day tirelessly to discover and develop new cures to improve public health and national security against some of the greatest infectious disease threats that we face.

Importantly, we focus on those most vulnerable to infection and the strong links between infection and the as a trigger and the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurologic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and aging.

Also, and you mentioned this to serve as a critical infrastructure to support the next generation of researchers, which I'm personally very passionate about, touching the lives of over, as you mentioned, 16,000 STEM students each year through our hands-on educational programs at the institute.

We stood together during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of your support, the city for ARPA funding to strengthen critical campus infrastructure for cyber and for the critical research we do with unparalleled resources and talent that we have at the Institute.

The Institute's proud to contribute to the city's growing life sciences and innovation economy, and in this regard, I'm especially honored to serve on your committee, uh, the Economic and Strategic Advisory Group to help shape that future, Mayor, and it's my pleasure to do so.

Going forward, we're going to continue to focus on talent.

That's number one.

Both homegrown STEM talent and attracting the best and brightest minds to the city of San Antonio.

Always with our dedication to big thinking and big ideas, building a global life sciences hub here in San Antonio, that is our goal.

That is our goal.

We'll continue our strong partnerships with Military City USA and the great things that are happening at UT San Antonio, Southwest Research Institute, the port, and our growing entrepreneurial space in the city.

So I want to thank you again for this great honor.

I've I think uh we've shared our 85 uh anniversary pin with all of you and a fact sheet.

And uh it's been a while since I've been here, but I thank you for recognizing us and the great things we hope to do for the city.

Thank you, Dr.

Schlechtinger.

Let me see if any of my colleagues would like to say something.

Anything?

No.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Vieckadon.

Uh thank you.

Um Texas Biomed was one of the first tours I did when I was elected.

And Dr.

Slechensinger, it's so good to see you in person.

And thank you so much for coming out.

Um because it's been five years, and we've all had some health crisis, some issues, but we continue to move on.

COVID was no fun.

Uh so thank y'all so much for the work you do, how you continue to serve the city, how you've inspired us to continue to move towards that um science, technology, and and your service uh on the new advisory group the mayor has.

You guys work together and you work to move this city forward and you do it where we don't we do not often bring you up for anniversaries and to sing your praises.

So thank you so much for your efforts and for what you continue to do for the community and being part of the San Antonio community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for your words.

Okay.

Um, Councilman Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you to the incredible biomed team that is here today.

I mean, I again cannot be any prouder to have uh you all in District 6 and be one of the foundational aspects of how District 6 has even grew and started uh in history.

I'm glad you brought up the the history uh Tom Slick as well.

We have a partner natural just down the road.

It's one of my favorite parts of reading uh in the loop, uh a recent book uh talking about Santo's political and economic history of how the entire West Side and Northwest side was shaped.

Um one of my first conversations uh I had here with Council Member Mesa Gonzalez, uh who's my neighbor uh at City Hall was about the connection between uh biomed essay and um the medical center, and that despite the fact that they're a little bit further away, that connection they still have to not only provide health care, but to find new advancements in healthcare and treat uh many of our folks here in San Antonio and across this the country and across the globe happens right here in San Antonio.

It's because of the work you all have done and continue to do every single day.

And again, I couldn't be proud of you in District Six and know that we are always uh available to work hand in hand in supporting your efforts and continuing to ensure that we are leading that effort here in research and uh and healthcare provide uh writing as well.

Thank you, Mayor.

Okay, Councilmember um Aldrate Gavito.

Thank you.

Um, I will have to say to my council colleague Rick, I'm jealous that y'all are in District Six.

No, thank you.

Y'all make uh San Antonio proud, and y'all are doing so much critical work um as you were mentioning uh for for so many residents, but also I love um the 16,000 students that you all impact in carrying that uh all that important work forward.

So just wanted to thank you and and and we're we're so proud and happy to honor y'all's 85th birthday with you all.

Thank you.

Councilmember Spears.

Well, congratulations.

Uh 85 years of an impact with anything is remarkable, but we are really glad that it's biomed and biomedical research here in San Antonio.

You know, for decades you've helped lead critical research and infectious disease, uh, genetics and immunology, and uh a bunch of things I know we don't know about, but we're really very thankful for the outcomes you've created and the future things you're gonna do for our city and all of the the nation and the world, quite frankly.

Um, we're grateful for your leadership and the way you've helped position San Antonio as a growing hub for biomedical innovation.

And this matters not just today, but where we're headed as a city.

And we're gonna continue to build our economy.

A lot of it is gonna be around what y'all are doing and the science and the technology and innovation, and y'all are great partners, and we're so very proud of you.

And you're helping to create a lot of pathways for talent and for our future generations.

And it's just a great opportunity here in our community, and for I know my kids and other people's children and future generations.

So thank you for that, and we're grateful for the legacy that you're building, and we wish you another 85 years rooted right here in San Antonio.

So thank you.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you.

Um, congratulations on 85 years.

You're a healthy, strong 85.

So that's always a good thing, right?

Um, because of the research that you've done and making sure that you continue to stay strong and healthy.

But you're also a district eight resident, Larry, so I feel connected to this in a lot of ways.

But thank you again for all the work that you guys have done in our community.

I think just like public service, you don't know who that research is going to affect, but know that it is doing so many good things for people that you'll never meet, right, in your life.

And so that's the work that we do every day on this dais um in our in our roles, and I know that's work that you're doing.

So just thank you again for your service and that local talent, right?

Is what we're always trying to impact.

And we are working on an economic development plan.

We know that biomedicine and biosciences have to be at the top of that.

So thank you again for everything you're doing.

Councilman White.

Yeah, I don't want to, you know, repeat a bunch of what my colleagues said, but uh congratulations again, and I do want to echo the comments on what we can do here in terms of economic development for our city and creating jobs.

And I think here in San Antonio, I was just reading about 180,000 or more jobs we have here in biosciences and in healthcare, and um moving forward, this is an area that we need to continue to invest.

Uh, when you look at the nation as a whole, uh people always think about Boston and San Francisco as really the bioscience uh hubs of America, but what's going on here with BiomedSA, with y'all's work, everything else that's happening at Velocity, Texas over there, um, we have the opportunity to be a hub right here.

So thanks for all the work.

Ultimately, if we stay focused in this sector, these are high-paying jobs, technology is the future, so I I love the comments.

I want to thank all the council members.

I also want to say we win with people.

The people around me are fantastic, and they make the place run.

Uh, and I'm really proud to be working alongside them.

Finally, uh, if you haven't been to the institute, please come.

Uh, we'd welcome you.

We have new buildings on campus.

The mayor was just there uh for the ribbon cutting of our health center.

Uh, and um, and we're excited about the growth uh that can come with that and uh bringing the next generation along.

Thank you, Mayor.

Great, thank you.

Yes, I encourage you to visit if you haven't already.

It's uh it's a wonderful um outfit.

Um, and most importantly, you also get to meet some of the folks doing the work that are really proud to work there as I got to hear.

So thank you, Dr.

Schlesinger, and of course, thank you for your service on the Economic Security Advisory Group.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

All right, it's also National Library Week.

Um, I will now read a proclamation for National Uh Library Week.

Whereas the City of San Antonio recognizes that the San Antonio Public Library sparks creativity, fuels imagination, inspires lifelong learning, offering welcoming spaces where individuals of all ages can find joy through exploration and discovery.

And whereas libraries serve as vibrant community hubs that connect people with knowledge and technology, foster civic engagement, critical thinking, and cultural enrichment, and provide free and equitable access to books, digital tools, and innovative programming to ensure all individuals, regardless of background, can learn, connect, and thrive.

And whereas libraries strengthen communities by partnering with schools, businesses, and organizations to maximize resources, expand access to essential services, and empower job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners with tools and opportunities that support professional development and economic success.

And whereas libraries nurture young minds through story times, diverse programs, and literacy initiatives, alongside protecting the right to read, think, and explore without censorship, without censorship.

Standing as champions of intellectual freedom and free expression.

And whereas dedicated librarians and library workers create inclusive and inspiring environments for discovery, collaboration, and creativity, and join colleagues nationwide in celebrating National Library Week.

Now, therefore, I, Gina Ortiz Jones, mayor of the City of San Antonio, do hereby proclaim April 19th through 25th, 2026 to be National Library Week here in San Antonio, Texas, and encourage all residents to visit the San Antonio Public Library, any one of them, uh, explore its resources and celebrate the many ways libraries inspire and strengthen our community.

Um the director of the library, uh Mr.

Goswami is recognized to speak.

Good morning, Mayor Jones and member of City Council.

I'm Sukrid Goswami, director of your San Antonio Public Library.

On behalf of our staff and the thousands in our community we serve every day, thank you for this declaration of National Library Week in San Antonio.

National Library Week has been celebrated across the nation since 1958.

It was born from a simple yet powerful idea that free access to books, information, and ideas is essential to a strong and thriving society.

That belief continues to guide our work every day in San Antonio.

This year's National Library Week's theme is find your joy.

And there will be plenty of joy to find at the San Antonio Public Library next week.

On Sunday, residents can search each of our branch locations to find hidden golden eggs that can be exchanged for a free limited edition Fiesta Medal.

Throughout the week, we are also inviting our community to share their library stories through reflection murals, capturing what the library means to them.

And as always, our libraries will be active, welcoming, and full of life.

We will offer story times, art exhibitions, health and wellness programs, technology classes, music bingo, tabletop gaming, and hands-on activities, including crafting mini pinaras.

And it's worth noting that is just a portion of what is happening on the very first day of National Library Week.

Across our system, we will host more than 180 free programs next week.

That is the San Antonio Public Library present in every part of our community and accessible to all.

Thank you again for recognizing the vital role libraries play in San Antonio.

We are proud to serve and we look forward to continuing this work together.

It is now my pleasure to welcome Jaspreet Kore, Chair of San Antonio Public Library Board of Trustees to the podium.

Thank you.

Good morning, Mayor Jones, members of City Council, and CM Walsh.

I'm just Brit Kor, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees.

And on behalf of the entire board, I want to thank you for this proclamation.

The visibility the library receives through public recognition like this proclamation helps advance the mission of the library and connect more of our residents to the life-changing resources that we offer throughout our library system.

This week we celebrate not only libraries, but the people who make our libraries great, our dedicated staff, that's all many of them are here, our partners, our supporters, and the thousands of residents who walk through our doors or use our digital tools every day.

Libraries are more than just places to borrow books.

They're a vibrant community anchors where people of all ages come to learn, connect, and grow.

And since 1903, the San Antonio Public Library is a place where people discover the joy of reading, where students find the resources to succeed, where job seekers gain new job-related skills, and where neighbors come together for a shared purpose.

Libraries provide access to technology, support lifelong learning, preserve and promote local history and culture, and create welcoming spaces for everyone, regardless of background, regardless of their personal circumstance.

Simply put, strong libraries build thriving, healthy communities.

Great libraries make great cities.

Thank you all for your continued and sustained support of this invaluable community resource and Viva Fiesta.

I want to congratulate you, your whole team on how well you all put on the San Antonio The Bookfest.

114 authors from 114 authors, what I thought was particularly significant is that a third of them were from San Antonio.

So that was great, as well as international as well as folks from all over the country.

But congratulations, not only for that, but of course, for all the work that you do to make sure that these facilities are safe and clean and of course welcoming.

Thank you.

Let me see if any of my colleagues would like to say something.

Okay, Councilman Viegadon.

Thank you.

And on behalf of Macrelis Mission and Pan American, the three libraries that sit in District 3.

I am excited about this day.

Smarty, thank you for coming out.

I do want to encourage people.

I did get the Fiesta Medal, and I didn't have to look for a gold egg, but I do encourage you to go look for it because it's a very cute medal.

And so you have the opportunity to get it.

So I it's somewhere.

It's somewhere.

But um, you know, this is one of the things that residents are uh using the libraries, they uh the teens use the libraries, the programming at the libraries.

I cannot I can keep on going on and on about how the community in district three and citywide uses and cherishes the library.

And I just I I did the whole um card with my face on it.

Not the most flattering picture, but thank you for that option.

I experienced that.

Um the other thing is Libby and Canopy, uh digital online, that's just a great option too.

So you continue to innovate and you continue to lead, and I hope you continue to get the recognition that y'all deserve, not just here in San Antonio, but nationally.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember uh Mungia.

Thank you all so much for what you do all year and should be library year, right?

All year round.

Uh and I wanted to just give a shout out to uh Andrea who represents District 4 on the board.

Um and I actually ran into um Ms.

Joan Harris at the State of the City, right?

And she was so excited the mayor said library in her speech because she was like, no one ever talks about the libraries, right?

So that's just a reminder that we need to always do that because it's a great community resource.

My dad is a fixture at Cortez Library, he loves going there.

Uh I pop in a Johnston and Cortez and just ask librarians how are things going?

How do you all have what you need here?

Um so y'all have great community resources for folks uh free, of course, which is fantastic.

So keep up the great work and thank you for what you do.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Sikh Rit and team for all the work that y'all do in ensuring that San Antonio residents have access, as you mentioned, not just books to so much more.

I'm grateful that we get to share spaces as both of our field offices are located in our public libraries, and because of that work and the programming that the library team provides, it allows us an opportunity to provide robust constituent services to constituents who typically aren't engaged in terms of what the role of city council is in services and access and so on and so forth.

But I just wanted to highlight and thank both the team members at Las Palmas and Car Collins Garden.

Um, but particularly Leela, because she helped curate a housing uh section over at the Las Palmas Library in honor of Fair Housing Month.

My understanding is all the books that were in that little section are checked out, so that's great.

Uh and it's great to hear that folks are interested in learning more about Fair Housing in the city of San Antonio.

Um but just grateful for the work that each and every one of you all continue to do.

Thank you.

Councilmember Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you uh all for the work you do every single day in our libraries across the entire city, providing information and access and education and uh recreation space and a calming space and a study space and all these wonderful things uh that are desperately needed across our community.

And you do it with grace, with excitement, with energy.

Uh the all the folks who go through uh our libraries desperately need, and I am a huge fan, of course, of the libraries.

I'm from a background of educators, of course, and so I spend a lot of time uh maybe or maybe not returning books and visiting uh the Great Northwest Library in particular in District Six.

Um I spent a lot of time there as a kid, and even of course on the campaign trail, so a lot of time there.

Apologies to Stephanie, the librarian there.

I know I spent a lot of fun days there.

Um but I think that's uh it speaks to something there, right?

Not only at Gata Library or the Potenco Library, um, or Northwest, the district six, all the above, um, that they don't only just serve right as places to enjoy or to spend some time at uh or to learn at, but they're true bastions of democracy.

Not just because they host elections there, right?

Of course, that's maybe something that's important to all of us, but in particular, right?

Providing access information means that our folks are able to stay civically engaged at any time at any pace that they would like to be at.

Whether it's the newspaper clippings or it's through the information digitally, or it's through books on historical changes in politics here locally and across uh across our country.

Um it's something that's really uh incredible, frankly, that we have something like the libraries here and that our city has done such an incredible job investing in them so that all of our neighborhoods have access to them.

One of my favorite things to do when I go travel uh to any city is to go visit the libraries.

Um it's just take a moment.

Sometimes see some of the the older infrastructure and architecture that some of them have and some of the older cities in our country, but also to see how how big is the network here.

And it's interesting to see how much our city is just leading the effort and making sure that every single neighborhood has access to one almost entirely.

Um and I think it's just an incredible feat on its own uh to be able to share.

Um one last thing I wanted to say about the libraries in district six in particular.

Of course, Petrenko is the newer one.

I'm very grateful to be able to live down the street from it.

There's some time there pretty frequently.

But for Geta and for Great Northwest to be able to be a part of our district, um, and to be almost, if not exactly as old as I am.

Speaks volume is about not just about the fact that I'm young, but more so about how our district has grown and the opportunities that our city's provided for the past 25 plus years to the neighborhoods around the area and across the city.

It's just it's always incredible when I recognize that, along with the schools that were growing around the same time too.

Seeing that the growth was there, our city made it a concentrated effort to make sure that no matter where they were, there's a library there for your kids to enjoy, for the families to enjoy, and for our seniors too to enjoy.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilmember Aldrate Gabito.

Thank you.

You know, it's so nice.

Uh I'm so excited to celebrate along with you all.

Sucrete, you do an amazing job leading the team.

Um Just Prit, thank you so much for all that you do to lead uh the board of directors.

I have to give a shout out to Michelle Robledo, our appointee, but the board in general is phenomenal.

We also have Del McNeil and Jessica Sarita, who are part of the library team.

So it's so nice to see and celebrate all of you all together.

Um, but also too uh it's a testament to all the work that you do.

I mean, I think you're hearing it from most of us, um, from all of us that um our library is one of our core services, and our residents um depend on it, um, not only for learning, but for Wi-Fi for um taking their education to the next level.

And it just provides so much to our city.

So thank you for the tireless work y'all do day in and day out.

Um I know for me and my little girls, um, they're constantly in the libraries because that's where all the neighborhood meetings are, you know.

So um it's awesome that they get to grow up um in and out.

We may have one or two outstanding books, but we'll figure it out.

Um, but but thank y'all so much because uh it is a true act of service, and and um it it's so meaningful to so many in our city.

So thank you.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thank you for everything that you all do.

We've got IGO Library and um Cody Library um in District 8.

So I wanna uh highlight those branch managers, Mr.

Haluana at IGO Library, and Teresa Garza at Cody Library.

Um we vote there.

There's that's a babysitting area for folks from like three to five.

I just picked up uh a book at Cody Library a couple of months ago for a last minute book report that my son had that I just learned about.

So uh just thank you all so much for the work that you're doing every day for our residents.

Um everybody knows where their library is in San Antonio, and so congratulations and thank you for always making uh the library feel so welcoming and open to anybody and everybody in our community.

Thank you.

Councilmember Spears.

I'm gonna say a lot of what's already been said, but shout out to Bert Quintania for being here from District 9 on the board.

But um, yeah, y'all have saved me several times.

The kids forget their book, and I just get on the digital one and pull it up.

So I'm it's like nine at night, and we're getting that book report done.

So um grateful for your digital library.

And also um we have Broccolo and Parman and Encino and ours.

We have are we the only drive-thru?

Yeah, that's super cool.

Um we have a drive-thru at the Encino Library.

You go online, reserve your book, and just drive through and pick it up.

And um, so I just love the library.

When my kids were little, we would go all the time because it's air conditioned, and we could sit in there and I could relax, and they could go crazy, read all the books.

And we still go because they have to meet their reading log, you know, measurements for school.

So the services you provide and the voting locations, that's where everyone knows to go to vote.

Um, I grew up going to the Broccolo Library, but now we go to the Encino a lot, and Parman is great as well.

The selection is excellent.

So again, just thank you for all that you're doing and the way you're pouring into the hearts and minds of young people and the seniors and keeping them sharp too.

And we're just grateful for everything that y'all do.

And I know it's a lot, and it's all y'all always have to be quiet.

So today you don't, you can be loud about it.

Thanks.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, and thank you all so much for everything that you do in a state where literacy is a crisis, and our state leaders uh would rather rather than bolster support for libraries and for educators.

Uh, they instead ban books and the drag queens who read them.

Uh it is a breath of relief and fresh air that um you all serve as conduits and stewards of um access to education information.

Uh I'm grateful for each and every employee and volunteer with the library, your gifts to our city, and we adore you.

Um my district is extremely excited.

We have Molly Pruitt Library, Schaefer Library, and Carver Library, and uh my district is extremely excited about the expansion of the Carver Library.

They would love for it to be done next month, and we had to explain to them that that's not how that works.

Um we featured the Carver Library Design as the center fold in our newsletter this past month, and we've gotten calls and people are really anxious with anticipation, excitement and looking forward to a phase two already.

Um I say all that to say that um I think it's gonna be incredibly important that as a part of this next bond that we have discussions about that.

We include our libraries as uh major projects because they are in need of love, they are in need of support, they're in need of renovation, many of them, many, many, many of them.

Uh, and so I will be an advocate for you all, and I look forward to uh identifying seeing those lists and seeing those needs that that y'all have and hopefully fulfilling as many of them as possible because again, our community expects and deserves them.

So thank you all so much.

Thank you, Councilman Maki Rodriguez.

Um, Councilwoman Spears' comments on the uh on the drive-thru made me also think about um the one library that I've seen in our community that has stationary bikes in it.

Um I don't know the name of that one, but it's it's it's you know, and so you know, thank you.

But it did um um highlight as Councilman McKee Rodriguez noted the ways in which we've got to bring an equity lens also to these libraries.

Uh I think that's the only the only library, right that has the stationary parks and the drive-thru.

Um I don't that's not that's not at the park and right, is it, Councilwoman?

It's across the street.

All right.

Well, we're working on these things.

Um, but thank you for all that you do.

And and please, um, you know, as we are having our not only our budgetary discussions, but as mentioned the longer term ones about the bond, uh, we do want to make sure we hear from each of you about how we can best support the very important work you do in our community.

Thank you so much.

Okay, and our final proclamation um is regarding second chance month.

I'll read a proclamation.

And if those that are here with that group would like to come forward, thank you.

Right.

Whereas the City of San Antonio recognizes that all people have the right to dignity and respect and affirms its commitment to compassion, understanding, and second chances for those who have been detained, jailed, or imprisoned.

And whereas justice impacted individuals face more than 44,000 legal barriers and collateral consequences as they work to reintegrate into their communities.

And whereas nearly one in three American adults has a criminal record, limiting access to employment, housing, and other resources needed to build a stable future.

And whereas Alice, asset limited, income constrained while employed, so with the working poor, uh, research highlights the difficulty that many working households face to meet basic needs.

And in San Antonio, poverty and limited access to fair chance hiring can contribute to cycles of recidivism, while stable employment, basic needs, and community support are proven to reduce reoffending.

And whereas designating April as second chance month raises awareness of collateral consequences and promotes opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives.

Now, therefore, therefore, be it resolved that the city of San Antonio one designates April 2026 as second chance month, and secondly, honors the efforts of community organizations, institutions, employers, and individuals working to remove unnecessary barriers.

And thirdly, calls upon the people of San Antonio to observe second chance month through actions and programs that raise awareness of these barriers and support successful re-entry for individuals with criminal records.

Now, therefore, I, Gina Ortiz Jones, mayor of the City of San Antonio, in recognition thereof, do hereby proclaim April 16th, 2026 to be second chance month in San Antonio, Texas.

Thank you, Councilwoman Castillo, for bringing this forward, and uh you're recognized this week.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning, everyone.

I want to thank Amanda Cassidy through Ihoe with Unite Unity Recovery for reaching out to our office and bringing Second Chance April to our attention due to her advocacy.

We are recognizing the first ever Second Chance April in the city of San Antonio.

I would also like to recognize the re-entry project program manager, Ida, as well as Miss Parientes.

I also want to highlight Nino, who is here with Chrysalis Ministries for showing us what intentional second chance workforce training and counseling care can look like, as well as the leadership of Lazicanthu of TTTX for providing a holistic approach to training and hiring our formerly incarcerated.

And great to see Adrienne of Texas Workforce here as well.

This model was the case study, and the work of many of the individuals here today was the case study that our team based our second chance hiring incentive council consideration request on.

So I want to thank each and every one of you all for your work as well as the work of grassroots groups, organizations like all of us or none, and big homies street mentoring ministry who are out in community educating our youth and formally incarcerated on their rights, fighting discrimination, and connecting them to resources and community that support them from recidivism.

I would also like to highlight the work of Tommy Acosta, who uh led Big Homies and of course served as uh a mentor by the interruptor with the city of San Antonio's Metro Health Stand Up SA program who passed not too long ago.

Uh and he started Big Homies and dedicated his life to supporting the justice impacted community through his lived experience.

And I had the honor of volunteering with big homies prior to being elected and during the pandemic, and we help connect those who were incarcerated with resources and with their loved ones.

I want to thank each and every one of you all for not being just only being present today, but so much you do for the justice impacted community.

San Antonio has approximately 60% justice impacted population, and it's all of our responsibility to build the necessary safety nets of basic needs to prevent more people from becoming justice impacted and to fully support those reintegrating into our communities by offering them opportunities and dignified living wage jobs.

Thank you to all of the work that you do and onward to building a strong and healthy community.

But I wanted to highlight, I see a lot of folks in the crowd that sit on a lot of great boards and make a lot of great impact.

And I ask that you continue uh to work and reach out to the Bear County Re-entry Center to help connect those who are being released.

Because in the state of Texas, there are roughly 40,000 individuals that are released from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice looking to correct course correct and looking for opportunities.

So I encourage that you go back to your board uh and talk about connecting with the Bear County Reentry Center.

Um but with that, I'll hand it over to Manda and we'll work our way through the individuals here present today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you and good morning.

Thank you, Councilwoman Castillo, Mayor Jones, and City Council for this opportunity.

It truly means a lot to not just me, but to so many people in our community who are working every day to rebuild their lives after incarceration.

As someone who is personally navigated re-entry in this city, I can say this recognition is not just symbolic, but it is deeply meaningful.

Second Chance Month is about something simple but powerful.

The belief that people can change and that our communities are stronger when we give them the opportunity to do so.

For many individuals, re-entry isn't just about coming home, it's about navigating barriers to housing, employment, health care, and support, often all at the same time.

And what makes the biggest difference is access to community, people who believe in them, spaces where they are treated with dignity, and resources that help them move forward, not backward.

At Unity Recovery, where we provide free peer support services, we see every day what happens when those supports are in place.

People don't just survive, they begin to thrive.

This recognition matters because it sends a message that San Antonio believes in second chances and that we are willing to stand behind people as they rebuild their lives.

But for many, a second chance still depends on whether the system allows it.

So while today is a celebration, it is also a call to action to continue breaking down the barriers that make re-entry harder than it needs to be, and to ensure that second chances are not the exception but the expectation.

Because when we get this right, it doesn't just change individual lives, it strengthens our families, our communities, and our city as a whole.

Thank you for your leadership and for making this moment possible.

Ms.

Parientez.

Hello, I want to thank you all for having us here today.

It's truly an honor to be standing in front of all of you guys.

And I just want to say yesterday we threw the annual second chance uh job fair, the Bear County Second Chance Job Fair.

We had over uh 800 job seekers show up looking for for jobs there and close to 60 employers, about 30 um resources as well.

One of the resources standing behind me, uh, Unity Recovery, as well as the businesses, uh, Leslie Kantu here for Toyota Tetsu.

Um, they are a national gold star standard for really what second chance hiring looks like and how we can implement that in our community.

Um, you know, I just want to say there's a lot of talent out there, you know.

Ping off of what Castillo said, there's a lot of people who are needing work and not a lot of employers that are opening those doors, right, for them.

So that's something that the re-entry center is here to say if we have employers right in our communities that are willing to open their doors to those who are justice impacted.

That's what the re-entry center is doing currently.

We're trying to bridge that gap between talent, right, and um job opportunities.

So if there's any employers in the community, um please come to the re-entry center so we can bridge that gap for them.

Thank you.

Mesley, if you'd like anything to add.

Good morning, Mayor and Council members.

Thank you so much for having us today.

Um, it's an honor to be here.

Um, Toyotetsu, Texas is committed to being an engaged and uh employer in our community.

We're all about it providing opportunities for meaningful careers, and that is especially true for our justice impacted population.

We uh have been in this space since about 2018 and have hired over 300 justice impacted individuals since then.

Um, and we feel like we've created a national best model that has worked and we continue to share that information.

So we are happy to be a resource to our community to other employers that are looking to get into the space, and just want to say thank you for um all of your support um and the efforts that um to to help individuals that are looking for meaningful work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nino and Adrian, uh, do you have anything to add?

Wonderful.

Well, thank y'all so much.

We appreciate y'all's advocacy and all the work that y'all do.

Uh, and again, this is a call to action, right, to encourage employers to uh connect with the Bear County Reentry Center.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilwoman Castillo for bringing this item to our attention and for that call to action to all employers.

And of course, thank you all for what you do.

Um again, thank you for uplifting a very much needed conversation.

Um, and it really is about second chances, of course, especially as it relates to who gets arrested and jailed and has their life ruined versus who gets arrested and resumes business the next day.

Um how are we as a city upholding systems that prevent second chances for those who need it most?

Uh would you mind reading your shirt for me real quick?

My glasses did not go with my outfit today, apparently.

It's treatment not prisons, housing not prisons, health care not prisons, recovery not prisons, progress, not perfection or not prisons.

Perfect.

So when you invest in treatment, housing, health care, recovery, and progress, uh, you don't need the prisons.

And when we in we can either, and I I'll be a little bit more direct in what I'm saying is we can either create a police state where we jail everyone for every uh every little thing that we do, we survey them and we look for we look out for everybody who's doing something bad in our community and we lock them away, or we can create a community where everyone has access to treatment, housing, health care, transportation, workforce, it all of the things that make our city great and vibrant.

If we invest in those things, we won't need the prisons, we won't need the jail, we won't need to invest in hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of more officers every other month.

So I would issue that call to action as well.

Is when we're talking about this upcoming budget and we're making cuts, how do we prevent cutting the things that our community needs the most, which are treatment, housing, and health, all the things that I've listed.

Uh so thank you again for for that.

Thank you for the call to action.

And um, that's my call to action to my colleagues as we uh begin our budget discussions next month.

Thank you.

Councilmember Via Gadon.

Thank you.

And I'm gonna try not and get to get emotional, but um, district three, those of you who are familiar with district three, you know the environment, and you know if you have a family, which my my family did, uh my dad's family did have over 10 kids.

One of them is um justice involved.

And to think about my uncle, who when he'd come out, just didn't have any hope.

He thought the only alternative for him was to go back to the lifestyle that he had.

And that was I mean, you he's my uncle, so he was a lot older, he passed, but that was his life.

And so when I'm in the community now that I represent that he grew up in that I grow up in, and I know that they can start at a Pizza Hut and they're hustling there, and I can tell them, hey, have you heard about ready to work or Alamo Workforce?

And they and I know that even though they were probably just as involved, they're gonna get a shot there.

It's not gonna be told no, you can't do that.

When I go to Taco Cabana, and I know the people working, the drive-thru were just as involved, and I'm like, this is just theirs.

I I think to myself, this is just their start.

What's next for them?

We have a program that's going to make their life better.

And so thank you so much for being here today.

Thank you, Councilman Castillo.

What we're doing is really meeting a need that is in our community.

Uh I am seeing the results.

My uncle went back and forth and back and forth from jail to prison because when he got out, there was nothing for him.

And this was a decorated Vietnam veteran.

So, but once you're in this system, I know how hard it is to get out, and you guys are here living testimony that there is hope.

So, thank you so much for being here today.

Thank you for serving my community, and I look forward to celebrating this day next year also.

Thank you.

Councilmember Cor.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you so much to Councilman Castillo for bringing this forward.

It's the chair of public safety.

We often talk about what public safety looks like, and that we just can't focus on one issue, but it has to be a holistic issue.

And the third part of our one of our programs that we're working on with violent crime right now is how do we provide supports for our nonprofit organizations that are doing the work in areas to help really provide the what community members need.

And I feel like it's the one that we have been dragging our feet on the most.

And so it's the one that I hope during this budget session, we can truly put some dollars behind and put our money where our mouth is and what we all talk about is as important.

But the second thing I asked for a shirt, and I was uh so graciously offered one, and I I would like to add on to the back of mine that education, not prisons as well.

Um, and as I know Councilmember Hilvon is the chair of the educational opportunities committee, but the other thing that we know is when we can truly provide that comprehensive education at a young age, we can prevent a lot of what's happening for families, so that they wouldn't even end up having to go in in the first place.

So thank you all so much for the work you do.

And the last thing I'll say is it's also really hard when we have conversations with people in communities, just our residents that are so opposed to living next to someone that's been incarcerated to working with someone.

So I think we still have more to do as a community as a whole to truly build that compassionate San Antonio that we talk about, because until we can all see compassion for that individual, we're not going to be able to have every single employer in San Antonio accept second chances, and that's that would be an ideal goal, I think, if we got there.

So thank you again.

Thank you.

Councilman.

So I want to say thank you to all of you for your advocacy and work, and thank you to Councilman Castillo for not just bringing this up uh on the special day, but she really does bring this up often, right?

When we can in conversations where it's important to have that.

And I echo what everybody said, and thank you, Councilwoman, for sharing your story.

And uh I also have so many a few different relatives who have gone through the system, right?

And then being able to get a job after that has been the success story for them.

Um and so I think we have to ensure people get to work.

I mean, people want to have a job, they want to have a family and grow.

Uh and so I think as soon as someone gets out of the system, there should be a caseworker right there saying, where are you gonna work, where you're gonna live, here's how we can help you, here's how we can get you on your feet.

Um, because that's the most important thing we can do.

If we send folks to jail and then say, hey, after that, you're on your own.

You know, we see what that is with the rate of recidivism uh and what that happens in our society.

So I think that's really the true way to do it.

And I will also take a shirt if you have any extra.

So thank you.

Thank you, yes, thank you.

But yes.

But thank you all so much.

I think that's a really good way to accelerate our community.

So thank you.

Councilmember Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilwoman Castillo, for bringing this uh to today's A session.

It's something that is strikes in my heart very uh deeply.

Uh a lot of folks in my life as well who have been impacted by the incarceration system.

Um it's not always right when turns of re-entry to looking at uh plugging back into the workforce, of course.

That's sometimes what the conversation has to be around or is the goal, but there are folks, right, who are struggling with different kinds of issues in their back end that people don't know about, people can't see visibly either.

That makes it hard for them to return to the workforce, but they still are deserving, just as deserving of that treatment and that care and support system they often don't have.

Because that's what it's been like for a lot of the folks in my life who will try their best, but because of different extenuating circumstances, there's something that they need a bit more support on.

And they may not be able to be uh the same kind of position that maybe everybody wants them to be.

But being out of that system, being into a system of support is what's gonna get them to be able to live healthy and faithful lives.

Um so thank you for the work you do every single day.

Um I'm also very proud uh of Council Member Castillo's initiative uh for starting off the mental health uh diversity center here in Barrett County.

Another additional step to addressing this kind of larger systemic issue here and a true start, right, of those efforts.

Of course, there's been a lot of efforts in our city to do this, but this is the one big way uh that I'm very excited to see uh begin this conversation a bit in a bit more deeper way.

When I think about this issue, I also think about uh the folks that's impacting the most, right?

Or a significant demographic in this field.

People who look like me, young brown men, who often don't get the opportunities that everybody else gets, or that maybe don't have the full support system to get there.

Um and they become just as involved in some way, but they are just as deserving of that investment in care to reach their full potential too.

No matter if they've been incarcerated or on that pathway to, unfortunately, for different reasons.

They're deserving of the intervention and that care too.

And so I I love the shirts, of course.

And it reminds me of other slogans I've heard across the city and across the country when I think about this of how this particular initiative, these initiatives, are key parts of not just economic development, but societal progress too and human relationships here in our city in our community.

I think of these big three education, not incarceration, treatment, not trauma, and of course, progress, not prisons.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember Aldar de Gavito.

Thank you.

Um, I also do want to um thank uh my colleague, Councilwoman Castillo, because this is something that she is constantly pushing, um, and not just raising awareness at uh for today for for this month, but you know, she's constantly reminding us of the importance of this, of the importance that um that we have in that that you all have in the community, you know, and the importance of us um, you know, having action around this.

So, Amanda and Nija, thank you all so much for your comments.

Leslie uh with Toyota, thank you so much for being an example, you know, uh of Toyota and their hiring practices.

I think that you know, we need that sometimes we need that first example so that other corporations, big corporations, big and small businesses can follow.

So really appreciate uh you all and Toyota's leadership in that.

Um, and and yeah, take I think we you know, I think so many of my colleagues have said that we need to take you all up on on the call to action and work with our what with each of our district's businesses, both big and small, um, um uh about this issue and kind of tackle it together.

And I do want to um highlight what what my colleague, Councilwoman View Grand mentioned about this is just the start, you know, and and getting to that start is so uh critically important and it and it's incumbent on all of us to do.

And um I also have to give a shout out to the shirts because it's just so clear.

I mean, whoever designed y'all shirts, I mean that it it's amazing because it is very clear um what the mission is and and of course we can all do that together.

So thank you.

And thank you, Councilwoman Castillo.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you.

Just wanted uh quickly thank you guys for all the work that you're doing in our community.

Um, and thank you to Councilmember Castillo, my colleague.

Um, she is a fierce advocate.

Um, you have a fierce advocate in your corner.

I think you heard the support here on the dais, but uh really you have someone that um when I think about second chance hiring, I think of Terry, because she is always always uh pushing this issue.

And so uh again, thank you for I see Adrian um with uh workforce Salamo Solutions, and we just had this conversation yesterday with Ready to Work and with Pre-K4SA, all these programs matter.

Um, and so this is an ecosystem that we just talked about yesterday.

So thank you again for everything you're doing, and to Councilwoman Castillo.

Councilmember Spears.

I'm gonna echo a lot of what my colleagues have said.

But yes, Councilwoman Castillo is is a fierce advocate for second chances, and she's very passionate about it, and so we are grateful for your leadership in this space.

You know, um consequences are important, and recidivism is a grim reality.

But a second chance brings hopefulness and belonging.

And we I think it's important that it's important for our community, it's important for our legal system and the prison system, right?

But it's important to the families and their loved ones that they feel supported, and most of all to those who need that second chance.

And where we can provide treatment, that I'm super excited about the diversion center.

I think there's a lot there that we can do.

Um, the peer support, number one thing we can do is provide peer support and jobs.

So, Adrian, yes, thank you for being here.

But jobs, you know, no, you can't underestimate the feeling of hopefulness for your life.

So it's really important work, and it's important for our community, and it is the holistic approach.

Um, you know, we need our law enforcement, we fully support them, but we need to do this too.

So thank you for all the hard work you're doing.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay, um, we've got a couple of points of privilege.

Um, I'll recognize Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I'm happy to welcome back South Texas Blood and Tissue to recognize April as donate life month.

The district aid office is proud to help coordinate with city staff to illuminate City Hall and blue and green, joining landmarks across San Antonio to honor those who have given the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation.

This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the medical community and advancing initiatives that improve health outcomes for our residents.

Everyday patients in our medical center and across the country are waiting for a second chance at life.

By raising awareness and encouraging donor registration, we are advocating for a stronger, healthier community.

I'd like to give James Murphy a moment to speak on behalf of the organization.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Good morning, Mayor, Council members, and members of the community.

Before this, I spent roughly 10 years in the U.S.

Army.

In the military, you learn very quickly that service is about something greater than yourself.

It's about sacrifice, commitment, and taking care of others, no matter the cost.

What I didn't feel fully realize at that time is that those same values would carry over into the work that I do today.

Every donor we encounter represents the ultimate act of sacrifice.

In their final moments, they give others a second chance.

Restoring sight, healing injuries, and improving lives in ways most of us will never see firsthand.

In many ways, they are heroes.

Donate Life Month is a reminder that we all have the ability to serve, even after we're gone.

One decision can impact dozens of lives, families, and futures.

My time in the Army taught me to serve with purpose.

This work has shown me what that purpose truly means.

Have the conversation with your family, register as a donor, and consider the legacy you want to leave behind.

Because the greatest gift any of us can give is a chance for someone else to live.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had another speaker.

Please go ahead.

Good morning, everybody, and uh thank you for giving me this opportunity.

My name is Emmanuel Casasola, and I have the privilege of working and serving at BioBridge Global in South Texas Blood and Tissue.

Umate Life Month is deeply personal to me.

My dad, Jose Casasola, was a caring and loving man.

He made the brave decision to immigrate us from Mexico and to join the San Antonio community.

He pushed me to go to school, to work hard, to love this community, and to always remember to give to others when they're in need.

He taught me to play the guitar, played soccer with me and my brother.

And was the best example of a good husband and a good dad.

And in 2018, my father passed away.

And in that moment, he became a tissue donor.

What could have been only grief became something more.

And that perspective has shaped me.

Not only who I am, but the work that I get to be a part of every day.

Through South Texas Blood and Tissue, we are connected to over 400 families every year.

Families who, in their most difficult moment, make the courageous decision to give to others.

And it's a mission that we don't just talk about, but we carry with us every single day.

And what I've learned in this, donating donation is not just about what is lost, but it's about a continuation.

It's about the lives healed, the hopes restored, and the invisible threads that connect us all through acts of generosity.

So today, as we recognize Donate Life Month, I ask that we all take a moment to reflect, to have a conversation with our families, and to consider the impact that we can have because one decision and one act can carry a legacy far beyond ourselves.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Galvano recognized for a point of personal privilege.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, for the students and families, uh, please come up to the podium.

Today we're gonna highlight uh some incredible district six students.

Of course, today is the first day of Fiesta.

Um, and so we have some incredible District Six students from both Edgewood Fine Arts and for Rob Elementary in Edgewood and North Side ISDU who have contributed to making um Fiesta a bit more colorful this year.

Um first and foremost, I want to highlight Adrian Jimenez and his family.

Um Adrian Jimenez, also known as AJ Lemonate Kid, is a sophomore at Edward Fine Arts Academy.

He won the 2026 Fiesta Metal Design for COSA Pot Hole Patrol for the second year in a row.

And I believe we have some uh some of the slides here as well.

With the here we go.

Um I think the next one has the uh high school one.

There we go.

I'm proud to wear it as well.

Um Adrian is pursuing a career as a local artist and barber.

He is passionate about helping those in need and has participated in initiatives such as feeding the homeless and raising funds for gifts for children and shelters.

Once he obtains his barber's license, he plans to dedicate part of his time to these initiatives themselves.

And he assured me he can also do a scissors cut for folks with curly hair.

Adrian credits his parents with teaching him the value of hard work, and in addition to his art and service, he runs a small grass cutting business that provides him with entrepreneurial experience with his parents' help, of course.

Agent also wanted me to highlight his mother Cynthia, who is also here with Public Works, who supervises the city's pothole program and inspired him to create a beautiful Fiesta Medal, not only this year, but also last year too, uh, and to believe that anything is achievable with a termination.

Jacob Bunyos, to the right over here, is a fifth grader at Robert Elementary who won the grand prize in the Texas Cavaliers 2026 River Parade cover contest, which I believe many of us will be a part of this year, and we'll be able to see uh his art displayed um on the boats themselves.

Jacob was selected by his teacher, Miss Gonzalez, to participate in this contest.

He embraced the challenge with enthusiasm using his artistic skills to push himself and create this best work yet.

Fun fact, he spent over 20 hours on this work itself, um, which is an immense amount of uh of diligence and effort that I don't think I had the patience for as a fifth grader, and so it's really exciting to see uh Jacob do this.

He wanted to capture this artwork the spirit and history of Fiesta uh and the Santana's culture in a way that felt alive and celebratory.

He thoughtfully incorporated meaningful elements such as the military, the state flower, the Alamo, and the river walk, along with music, dancers, and iconic monuments.

Jacob is a curie student with uh and who is driven with uh a wide range of interest.

He enjoys staying active through running, basketball, and karate, where he has on track to earn his black belt.

He is also a pass has a passion for learning.

Uh he loves math, especially math games, and is actively involved in robotics where he enjoys coding and building through his robotics club at Rob Elementary.

Outside the classroom, this is one of my favorite parts about Jacob.

Uh he collects Pokemon cards and has begun recently competing in tournaments, which for the record is a very tall task for uh a young person like himself to compete with adults, and I know he's doing a great job at that.

Not that I would know personally.

He is a gift, he's also part of the GT program uh at RABA and has earned several accomplishments, including winning this year's spelling bee, being elected student council president, and being accepted into the Jones Science and Engineering Magnet School, also in District 6.

He was also recently invited to speak on student panel for the Northside STEM Advisory Board, an opportunity he's incredibly proud of.

And we also have Evelina Algiji is a fourth grader at Rabba Elementary.

Uh, she's the runner out for the Texas Cavaliers 2026 parade cover contest.

Um and she also has some artwork to display.

I don't know if we can get it over here with the uh the overhead.

Um this is Evelina's first year in the afterschool art club, and she is extremely happy to have one runner up.

She worked very hard on the artwork, 20 hours as well.

Uh and she would like to thank her art teacher, Miss Gonzalez, for believing in her and her art uh and pushing her to go part of this program.

Evelina has loved creating uh since she was little, and it's been her favorite thing to do uh in her free time.

She enjoys making art, spending time in nature and reading.

And I wanted to highlight both of them because of this really well, first of all, their artwork's incredible.

And second of all, because the fact that they're at the same school in Northside ISD, they have earned over 10,000 for their school.

Um, thanks to the Fiesta Cavaliers.

I'm so proud of each of these incredible district six students uh who are making Fiesta season just a bit more colorful and exciting for all of us.

Do any of y'all have something you want to share?

I know.

If not, no worries.

I also want to say really quick thank you to all the parents and the family members as well who made this possible for them.

We they wouldn't be here without you all, and so thank you for bringing them here today to be recognized not only at their schools and in their neighborhoods, but here at the city of San Antonio too.

Thank y'all thank you and congratulations.

Councilmember Corps is recognized.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, I'd like to bring up the folks that are here representing Autism Community Network as well as any baby can.

So April is known as Autism Awareness Month.

And in 2007, April 2nd was signified as World Autism Day.

And the purpose of this month is to share and create more inclusivity and acceptability for folks that are working and living with autism every day.

And so I wanted to honor two nonprofit organizations that are doing some amazing work.

We have here folks from the Autism Community Network, and we also have um Officer Rang Hell, who is going to uh who works for Northside ISD previously, Bear County Sheriff's Department as a liaison for working with folks that have autism.

And then we also have board members from AnyBaby Can.

This Saturday, they're hosting a Fiesta event, and it's an autism walk that will be on April 18th.

If you are around, please join us.

We'll be there in the afternoon.

Thank you all so much for the work that you do, and I'll pass it over to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning, and good morning, Council members.

Thank you sincerely to Councilwoman Core for allowing us to be up here and to share the stage with our colleagues at AnyBaby Can.

My name is Courtney John.

I'm the chief development officer at Autism Community Network.

Like Councilwoman Core mentioned, uh Mr.

Rodney Ron Hell and his son are clients of Autism Community Network.

Um and he functions as a uh autism liaison, which is incredible.

And I have our chief of programs, Adrian Gaither and Emerson and Tracy Saunders and their team uh behind.

And so they'll talk in just a few seconds.

But um what we do at Autism Community Network is we provide neuroaffirming care.

Um we served 3100 individuals from 107 counties in Texas last year, and we are in great company with any baby can.

And um I'm I'm sure they share in the same sentiments that April is Autism Awareness Month, but for us that's every day, and that's every month.

And um, I'm incredibly proud of what we do.

We wouldn't be able to do and serve our mission and serve the 3100 individuals without City Council support.

So thank you sincerely, and I will pass it over to Emerson and Tracy.

Let's do this.

Hello, Mayor and Count City Council.

My name's Emerson Quigley.

I'm 19 years old.

I was diagnosed with autism by ACN 17 years ago.

At the time I could not talk or communicate, but I finally started talking in complete sentences when I was six years old.

And today I have a lot to say.

From the start.

ACN has been with me for 17 years.

ACN has taught me so many things over the years speech, obviousational therapy, and even cursive, so I could write my name.

Signatures are important when you're a grown-up.

We also had fun.

Camp Awesome, Cloning Camp, Mission Games, and of course the sensory room.

I even tackled Henry the puffy taco and threw the opening pitch one year.

I have many amazing childhood memories with ACN.

As an adult, I'm so proud to be an ACN ambassador.

I have many interests, including music, language, geography, and video editing.

Autism awareness month is a time to listen to autistic people.

I love autism community network because they always listen and help.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Always happy about the thank you, Emerson.

What a ray of light.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council members, and of course, to Emerson, one of our ambassadors supporting our agency.

In honor of Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month, and to dovetail on what Ms.

John shared about Autism Community Network.

I would like to mention that early diagnosis of autism leads to early access to neurodiversity affirming care and supports.

Children can be diagnosed as young as 14 months of age, but the national average, shockingly, is 4.5 to 5 years old.

We at ACN are proud to report that our average age at diagnosis is only 38 months.

We are striving to make that even younger with the decreased wait times for testing that we offer and the way we triage children to appropriate diagnostic tracks.

Thank you so much for having us today and continuing to support our work through the city.

Thank you good morning.

Thank you, Council, Mayor, everyone.

They've basically said everything I wanted to say.

Uh other than just simply um I'm I was here originally because I wanted to thank you all for uh affordable housing funding.

It's on the agenda uh later, the good cent.

But I was found out from the wonderful people at uh District One that uh they were celebrating Autism Awareness Month, and I felt I had to say something on that as behalf of my my day job as affordable housing, but I divide my heart between that and friends and family and any baby can.

So uh it's really important that uh that y'all know that y'all notice uh obviously autism awareness month.

Um, and again, I just wanted to echo what she said about uh the walk for autism.

It's gonna be this Saturday at Ratama.

Uh we'll be celebrating the families that we and ACM serve.

So uh without going any further, just simply thank you guys.

Thank you.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

The next item uh is the city manager's report.

Eric, over to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh uh Mayor Council.

Uh this morning we've got three quick items.

Uh, one I wanted to share with the council that uh we are celebrating our 30th anniversary of our uh own San Antonio Public Uh Art Ordinance.

Uh we were uh adopted in 1996 to position San Antonio as one of the first Texas cities with a comprehensive public art program.

So for over three decades, public art uh has shaped our city's identity uh through projects, neighborhoods, uh a living canvas that stretches uh throughout facilities and greenway trails and community centers, the airport and and the river walk.

Um and uh wanted to share most of you probably have already seen it to celebrate that uh 30 years.

Uh we are uh the department's 30 years of public art commemorative Fiesta Medal, which incidentally is the city's official um the public art uh uh medal annually is always our official City of San Antonio Fiesta Medal.

So we have plenty of those.

I know we've distributed them, um, get them while they're hot um because there's a limited supply, but uh congratulations to our um art um folks and our stakeholders uh to continue this program.

Uh the second item is uh just a quick report on uh some weekend events.

Um ACS held their uh paw Changa uh adoption fiesta over the weekend uh where we had 213 dogs and cats adopted.

Uh residents were able to enjoy uh two days of Fiesta out at ACS off of 151 uh with live music, uh Fiesta favorites um and an artisan market.

I want to thank um all of our partner agencies, our partner shelters, rescue organizations, and and over 200 volunteers that helped us over the two-day um event.

And um uh with 213 dogs and cats adopted, uh, that um was uh was a huge milestone, and we'll continue to to do that.

And I wanted to thank the department and the community.

And then lastly, in keeping uh with animal care services this week, we are celebrating animal care appreciation week.

Um, and it's a time to recognize the hardworking employees uh of animal care services who make an impact um on people and pets in our community, both from a safety standpoint and an animal welfare standpoint.

Um happy to report uh this month's uh quarterly report or this month's uh report that uh that John shared with me.

Uh we had a 94.3% uh critical call response rate, which um is um vastly improved over the last couple of years with the support of the council and the investment in our animal care service uh department.

We have we're we're at an 89 and a half percent live release rate and adoptions are up year to date.

So looking forward to sharing those full stats with the council as we go into budget.

Though our ACS workers, regardless of what they do, um, are important from an enforcement, a safety, an adoption, and the care of animals, and uh certainly want to thank them.

Today's uh video is gonna spotlight um uh one of our employees, Chrissa Brooks, who is one of our animal care supervisors, um, who's a big part of this mission um and she's got a dual role.

She also is one of our state certified animal care officers instructors who trains our employees um specifically ACS officers.

She's also a proud uh mom of a dog and cat.

And um, and uh let's roll the video.

Do you guys like paw patrol?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So we're kind of like paw patrol.

So we're like the animal police.

I knew ever since I was a kid that I wanted to work for animals growing up.

I know it seems stereotypical.

I wanted to grow up and be a veterinarian.

I knew animals were where my heart lied.

I recognize a need for more proactive enforcement and education.

So transitioning to field operations allowed me to set people up for success and set animals in the right direction before they end up here in the structure.

A big part of our mission is education and providing resources to community, especially underserved communities.

We are constantly coming up with new ways to connect services to residents.

All of the city core values really guide how our team trains and develops.

Teamwork is at the forefront.

We need to work together and maintain the trust, not amongst our peers, but the community.

Thank you.

Moving on to the consent agenda.

Items five through 28 are on the consent agenda.

This means they will be considered as a group, and there will not be a staff presentation unless pulled for individual consideration.

Are there any items council members would like to pull from the consent agenda to be heard individually?

Councilman White.

Okay, Councilmember White would like to pull item number 19.

Any others?

Okay.

I'd like to note that item 20, Mr.

Nick Cannon has withdrawn his application from the airport advisory board.

The item will stay on consent with this correction.

Okay.

Okay.

Um item 19 has been pulled for individual consideration.

We'll move on to uh the public comment portion here.

We have several individuals that have signed up.

Uh Mr.

Antonio Diaz.

Antonio Diaz.

Antonio Diaz.

Okay.

Followed by Diana Flores Uriegas.

And then Renee Gonzalez.

Please line up and you each have three minutes.

Sir?

Correct.

That's right.

I signed up for several several items.

Uh sir.

You signed up for 22 and 26, uh, but you'll be allotted three minutes for both.

So we're cut me out of six minutes, I guess.

Anyways.

My my concerns, because I came yesterday and and uh during the public hearing and uh and addressing how those uh HUD funds would be used for affordable housing.

I had a question.

I don't I still don't see a presentation, so I don't know what specifics there are to those funds being transferred from one pocket to the other.

Still don't know it.

I don't know, maybe they'll be used for uh affordable housing at the Robert E.

Lee or what what it exactly will how that money will be transferred and spent for affordable housing.

I just do hope uh was reading some on the Robert Lee affordable housing effort.

That's there is a a percentage of people that would be allowed with 30 percent of uh the median income.

So that's that's good news.

But uh affordable housing is is a is a great issue and has uh big impact on a lot of low-income families in San Antonio, which there are extensive uh percentage of low-income families in San Antonio, so it's so it's a major issue.

Also uh the other items, I don't know if it is uh by the numbers as you said them, you since you didn't re read what exactly the item was, but I signed up for those items.

Um police working together with with ICE as far as uh information uh technologies.

So again, we were talking about how we Sir that's um that's number 19.

Uh you've also signed up to the but it was that was pulled.

Well that's pulled, so when I call up folks to speak for that item, you can speak during that.

Okay.

And and and the other one is for the uh changing of uh I think on the charter for fire code for the new new infrastructure, such as uh detention centers.

So I am glad to see that there'll be some supervision of detention centers being built in San Antonio.

So that's item nine nineteen.

You can also so they're both the same.

Correct, nineteen anything related to the detent detention facility ordinance is item 19, and you'll have three minutes for that item.

Okay.

Well, I'll be able to, if it's continued, I guess today's on a today's agenda, I'll be able to address that at that time.

But this these are things that are very important to me as far as freedom is concerned for our population, and instead of being arrested and detain simply for the color of our skin.

Thank you.

Diana Flores Uriegas.

I gave my time.

Okay.

Okay.

Both of you are you'd like to speak, sir.

Okay, go ahead.

Well, I guess I'll continue.

Okay.

I thought I was gonna have you taper.

Uh again, these these issues on housing and and and and uh since item 19 is pulled, I I guess I'll just concentrate on the on the on the affordable housing issue, which is uh again, as I keep saying.

We we had uh you had a uh a proclamation on on second chance opportunities, and so we we know there's a major impact as far as people trying to have housing and and and be able to afford it through through employment and I I uh used to be on the second chance uh organizations through our through our nonprofit and work with Tommy Atkinson when he was forming that.

My my concern was more towards uh the legislation that just being able to find employment in housing is hard enough, but actually being treated as an as an equal, being that there's such a high population of people uh returning back from uh incarceration is is something to work on.

Texas is very oppressive as far as we're talking about second chances, but we're treated as second-class citizens along with getting the second chance.

There's you you cannot like uh get professional type of employment or seek that employment because of the uh history of incarceration, and that that that is one of the things that I think affects housing.

Uh we've practically done away with public housing, which that that is one of the standards, I believe, to be able to apply for public housing is if you have uh previous history of incarcerations.

So all these of uh impact housing, and I guess it'll continue to as far as if the city gets into affordable housing, what the standards would be for someone being able to qualify for that housing.

So again, it's not just when I guess major is economics.

So whether you have employment and you have employment that is as some statistics are that median income is somewhere about 80 to 70,000 in San Antonio, which I continue to refute.

I believe it's more like 30,000 or 20, because if you're getting paid ten dollars an hour and you have to have two or three jobs to accomplish being somewhere about 30,000 a year, it's it's very difficult, and especially if you have 60 or so percent of the people that are ex-incarcerated, trying to find employment that pays them 30 to 40,000 a year, that's nearly impossible.

Lassukamati.

Renee Gonzalez.

Okay.

Okay.

Sir, you have six minutes followed by Michael Taylor and then Jack Finger.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is René Gonzalez, and I am the general manager of the Esperanza Community Land Trust.

I'm here to speak in support of the recommendation made by NHSD to fund the proposal submitted by the Esperanza Community Land Trust and to ask all the City Council members to vote to accept the recommendation.

Next slide.

The Esperanza Community Land Trust was founded in 2022 as a tool to preserve and build affordable housing in the historic west side of San Antonio, historically one of the most disinvested and poor neighborhoods in the city.

The land trust focus on those earning 30% and below of the area and median income is important precisely because the population that the SHIP data identifies as having the greatest housing need in our city is that at 30% or below the median income.

This was the neighborhood that gave San Antonio its unique cultural identity, both initially and for at least 200 years.

Next slide, please.

Even now, the influence of the Mexican American community and culture remains strong.

However, the legacy of its cultural roots and its legacy residents are threatened by inattentive economic development, general generational population displacement, new immigration patterns, gentrification, and municipal bureaucratic indifference.

While in the past, that neighborhood had one of the highest homeownership rates in the city, lack of investment in its economic development, education, people, and housing and transportation infrastructure have had a severe negative impact, such that it is now one of the poorest and with an extremely low median income.

Next slide, please.

Many of the houses in the neighborhood were built before 1950 and are suffering from age-related material deterioration.

The neighborhood's geographic proximity to downtown and recent decisions by the city regarding development have also made its older homes and lots an attractive area for out-of-town investors and developers.

Next slide, please.

The result has been a surge in the value of the property on the historic west side.

The recommended award is a start to address not only the needs of the neighborhood, but also one of the lowest performance areas in the strategic housing implementation plan.

Housing for low and extremely low-income San Antonians.

While the need for affordable housing is great across all income levels, it is greatest for those in the low income levels, for they will often be displaced, made homeless, have to move into substandard housing or move further out to find affordable housing.

Next slide, please.

One of the goals of the Esperanza Community Land Trust is to work with and help develop building contractors from the community and those familiar with working in the community.

This is a goal that we expect will not only serve the community, but help build and support small businesses in the community and larger areas.

The land trust's focus on preserving existing houses.

Next slide, please, is one founded on basic cost logic.

An existing home is cheaper to rehab and repair than building a new one.

This logic holds even as building and labor costs have increased significantly since COVID.

Next slide, please.

This focus also supports the Esperanza Community Land Trust's goal of preserving affordable housing for its current and legacy residents, thereby helping to preserve the neighborhood's cultural legacy.

While the cost reimbursable nature of the award presents a strong challenge to nonprofits, especially small community-based ones, we are grateful for NHSD's recommendation, and we pledge to fulfill the contract.

Next slide, please, to provide affordable housing for our community.

And we hope that in discussion to come about the possibility of a future housing bond that you remember the people of the historic Westside community.

Thank you, and we look forward to your vote.

Michael Taylor, followed by final speaker, Jack Finger.

Good morning, Mayor and members of City Council.

My name is Michael Taylor.

I'm the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio.

And I'm speaking today on item 28, and I want to request City Council approve the funding to support affordable housing development.

I have to be honest, working with federal funds can be challenging, so we always appreciate their support and guidance.

For 47 new affordable single family homes for hardworking low and very low income families in a new neighborhood that we're calling Runcho Verano.

Uh, we are very excited about this neighborhood that is on the booming south side and within walking distance to an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

Um, these grant funds will leverage millions more in donations from individuals, faith and civic groups, and the business community to make home building possible.

Um, land acquisition and and land development costs remain high.

Um, the city funds cover these costs and really set the stage for home building so we can continue to sell habitat homes at no profit and finance them for 15 to 25 years at zero percent interest.

Um, with all of this, it means that the monthly payments for habitat homes with taxes and insurance are about $900 a month for three or four bedroom home, and that's really exceptionally affordable in these days, and we could not do that without the city's support.

Um, over the next year, several years we'll be building homes in neighborhoods in District 2, District 3, uh, District 5 and District 4, and uh we're very happy to be able to provide homeownership opportunities in many different parts of the city.

Um, and just uh a special reminder this is a really special year for Habitat.

It's actually our 50th anniversary.

Um, and I've been saying this a lot lately.

The very first habitat home in the world is actually built here in San Antonio on the west side.

Um, the family that purchases it 50 years ago is still living there today.

Um, so this is a year of celebration for us.

One of the um uh really fun things we're gonna do, a little bit crazy.

We're gonna build a house in 50 hours uh this summer, July 16th, 17th, and 18th.

So it's gonna be a party, and it's really an opportunity to get the community involved in providing an affordable housing solution for a family in need.

So hope many of you will be involved.

Um, just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today, and um I just hope you'll support these grant awards.

Thank you.

Jack Finger Well, Madam Mayor, other members of our illustrious San Antonio City Council.

For the record, my name is Jack M.

Finger.

You know, a long time ago, uh the question arose.

Well, before I get into that, let me suggest this.

You, the city council, you approve all kinds of contracts that the city uh contracts with uh all kinds of organizations, both profit and nonprofit.

Um but the question has always arisen what happens when those organizations, their shareholders, give you you the city council people as candidates for your position, all kinds of campaign finance contributions.

Doesn't that like amount to uh conflict of interest?

You know, I mean giving you money to to uh for your your campaign so that you in turn will vote for their contracts that they can uh profit from when doing business with the city.

And so we'll say, well, no, it's not really conflict of interest, but we really should report who's getting what kinds of money from what kinds of people.

Okay, well, that's fine, but how do you report that?

Well, knowing that you don't really want people to see it, you say, well, uh we'll just have the city clerk's department just report it in some sort of gobbledygook fashion so that the average citizen can find out.

So, yeah, I uh noticed an item 28, which is some of us have already spoken upon there, you know, is about uh the idea of the city council get giving all kinds of uh uh paying finance contributions from uh no, it's about the city doing affordable housing, which I call, of course, call welfare housing.

Um Mr.

Audio Vision Man, blow up that top part there so they can see just basically what it's all about there.

Yeah.

And it says, yeah, basically just uh uh authorizing eight awards to various companies who are going to give affordable housing.

And below that, all the blue lettering, Mr.

Audiovisual.

Yeah.

Uh though how somewhere along the way, those are the uh organizations that have given you campaign finance contributions.

But how would anybody know?

What is CDF even mean?

It means what is it, uh contract disclosures.

Okay, but uh who's given what?

Well, I looked into those and I found out that uh by golly, return the camera if you would.

That uh you what I call conflict of interest is every single one of you, every single one of you has given gotten several almost several thousand dollars in campaign finance contributions there from the various people in there.

And uh now, of course, Rick Galvon, you only got about uh 457 bucks.

I would get mad at them, sir, and just simply say, no, uh you you you guys better start start uh paying if you want to play.

So and then the real question is what happens if y'all do the right thing and abstain?

They wouldn't get a thing.

Okay.

Those are all the individuals that have signed up to speak on the consent agenda.

Is there a motion to approve the balance of the consent agenda?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to approve the balance of the consent agenda.

Council members, are there any highlights or questions about the consent agenda?

Okay, I've got a couple.

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh I'm surprised to see I finally made the list.

Um I'm excited to highlight item 10 approving a construction contract for the Peggy Drive drainage uh area project.

Uh, this is an incredibly exciting step we are taking today so we can finally begin the long-needed construction of this drainage project that will forever change the East Gate neighborhood for the better.

Uh when the bond proposition passed, there was a get together at uh Miss Sylvia Alaniz's home where she and her neighbors held a watch party for the bond election results.

Uh waiting as the results of the proposition rolled in, and I was so happy to be there.

Uh there was karaoke and dancing and fun, and it was probably the most exciting bond election watch party you could have.

Um they've also been engaged in the design process, which will include art, which I'm so excited about.

It's gonna be sandblasted.

Uh so I I'm so thankful for the neighbors who brought the need for this project to my attention and to uh the then public works staff, but now public works capital delivery.

Um and especially for the neighbors so that they could advocate for it to be a part of the bond program and for those who continue to advocate for the well-being of their neighbors.

Uh I'm also excited to highlight item 20, approving the at-large appointees to the airport advisory commission.

Congratulations to Bailey Onchondo, Ellie Smith, Roger Dillard and Michael Fry, Ryan Fender, Brett Finley, Earl Jackson, and Deborah O'Moale Jarman.

It was a wonderful experience listening to them present their passion for San Antonio and to uh learn just how much the airport means to our local residents.

Each and every one of these appointees had an impressive level of commitment to the creation of a high-quality, uniquely San Antonio experience for all who enter the doors of our airport.

Uh they also represent diverse experiences and perspectives, which is sure to make for lively discussions, reflective and representative of that same diversity and beauty in our community.

Uh, most of all, I thank each of you for uh giving your time so generously to our community.

Uh Jesus, I believe these appointees will make wonderful additions to the airport team, and I look forward to the next 308-slide presentation about the new airport terminal.

Uh, and we'll work to fill that uh that last vacancy as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember Messi Gonzalez, Councilmember Gavito.

I'll def the Gabito.

Thank you.

Um I have two items I want to highlight.

Um I'd like to highlight item number nine, approving a construction contract for the Culebra Park area streets.

I'm so excited to see these long-awaited street repair projects throughout the Calibra Park neighborhood come to life.

This area of District 7 has had historic challenges and has been ignored for too many decades.

With this funding, F-rated streets like Brendell, Petas, Rita, and Laven will finally get the improvements these neighbors deserve.

On top of that, I am proud to have successfully advocated for additional funding for sidewalks and other F-rated streets in the area to be constructed in conjunction with this project.

After construction is completed, there will have been a total of over $8.5 million in improvements to this neighborhood.

I want to thank the neighbors and and the leaders of the Calibra Park Neighborhood Association who worked hard over the past several years to ensure that these projects became a reality.

I'm glad to have worked alongside them to make it happen.

I also want to highlight item number 20, uh A and B in appointing the at-large members to the airport advisory commission.

Specifically, I want to shout out Ellie Smith and Dr.

Michael Fry, who are both district seven residents.

I'm so excited to have not one but two district seven residents being appointed.

Ellie has a background in aerospace engineering and research and currently serves on the Port San Antonio board representing District 7.

Dr.

Fry is a tenured professor of electrical engineering at you at UIW and has a background in avionics, flight controls, and rotorcraft vehicles.

Both Ellie and Dr.

Fry are impressive and knowledgeable members of our community.

Each of their respective expertise will add so much value to the commission.

I also want to thank Mark Flessler for his uh board leadership over the past 14 years.

I'm so proud to have these great minds contribute to this commission, and I can't wait to see their sick success.

Thank you.

Councilmember Mungia.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to actually highlight number uh item number 28, uh, which is some great, really fantastic projects.

We have a rehab project for one of us traveled.

We have productions for districts four and district two.

We also have uh homeownership, which again um habitat's the only provider in in the whole area doing uh affordable single family housing, which is so important um to our communities for districts four and five.

And then of course, we also have our community land trust, which are really important.

So thank you to everybody who applied.

Thank you to the housing trust for your work.

Thank you to NHSD and the whole team who I see here today for all your hard work on this and for the council support.

And I will just add that if you're gonna come up here and criticize us, try to spell our names correctly.

So thank you very much.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

This morning I'm very eager to highlight item number seven, which is approving the contract for construction at Garciano Park.

I'm extremely grateful, of course, for the parks team for engaging in community and ensuring that community input is integrated into the proposed plan.

Uh, extremely grateful for our 2022 Bond Committee members who advocated to have this park added to the list uh by meeting with constituents from different districts to demonstrate the need of West Side Parks particip, particularly uh Castillano Park.

So just very excited to see uh that these dollars will go to include improvements for a pool house, a new aquatic amenity, a playground, and so much more.

Um, but I wanted to highlight that the parks team uh was very successful at applying and obtaining an additional 1.5 million dollar grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for Cassiano Park.

So this was truly uh a team community effort.

Extremely grateful again for the parks team, and it's going to be phenomenal.

And right down the creek, uh the parks team in our office celebrated uh the opening of the all-wheels park down at Benavides Park.

And I text Homer, I was like, hey, there's like over 45 people in this all-wheels park, all ages on all different types of wheels, and it was just amazing, and I was just in awe about the amount of individuals like using the amenity, just amazing.

So thank you, Homer, and your team for all that y'all do for our parks in the city of San Antonio.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilwoman Spears.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I want to highlight item six.

It's the drainage project out in Oakhaven area streets in Kentwood phase two.

This is really important because um it focuses on the behind the scenes infrastructure work, and it's important for the drainage in District 9.

You know, we're over the recharge zone, and so anything we can do to trap water over the recharge zone is important.

And this is one of those projects, and I appreciate the strong coordination with SAS and CPS Energy here and aligning to work on this project.

Um it's also a great example of of the 2022 bond program delivering meaningful improvements in our community, and I appreciate the hard work on this.

I'm also equally excited about item number eight, which is the Evans Road um drainage project.

This is a big one for us because it improves the safety and line of sight for traffic and will improve traffic flow.

It's also important for again drainage for our residents and just the safety of the area.

So I really do appreciate all the hard work done there.

Again, a 2022 bond project uh commitment coming coming to fruition.

So thank you for that.

And I also want to do wanted to highlight um item number 15, which is at the airport, yay airport for the uh lease with the Texas Air Museum.

I encourage everyone to go visit the Texas Air Museum.

It highlights how Texas and specifically San Antonio, their involvement in military air power and development of military air power for the United States.

It's volunteer run and it really tells a meaningful story.

And this past Friday, I was part of I got to attend the uh World War II veteran who was returned home uh after 81 years.

Uh his remains were returned home to his family, and they came in on our airport.

Um Southwest flew a uh flight in, and it was just so moving.

I'll never be a part of anything like that.

And his name was Staff Sergeant Dayton Pulvado and his family members were there, and none of them knew him because this happened so long ago.

Because this happened so long ago.

But it just I can't tell you what it felt like to see him finally return to home.

So his funeral procession is tomorrow, and it's in Johnson City, and it's a it's gonna be a big um celebration for him.

But just wanted to say thanks to our airport for for bringing bringing him home.

Thanks.

Okay.

Any other questions or highlights on the consent?

Okay.

There being no further discussion, there's a motion and second to approve the consent agenda except for item number 19, uh, which has been pulled for individual consideration.

Please vote.

Okay.

The motion carries.

We'll move to the item that was pulled from consent for individual consideration, which is item 19.

Madam Clerk, please read the caption.

Item 19 is an ordinance approving amendments to Chapter 6 buildings, Chapter 10, building related codes of the City of San Antonio, Chapter 11, fire prevention, and chapter 35, unified development code of the city of San Antonio, in order to regulate the construction or operation of detention facilities within the city limits.

Okay, thank you.

This is our motion and a second for approval, so we may begin discussion.

Okay.

It has been moved and second to approve item number 19.

Councilman White, would you like a staff presentation?

I don't know that we need it unless y'all want it.

I am gonna have a couple of questions for staff, but I think it's up to my colleagues.

Is there anyone else that would like a staff presentation?

Okay.

Okay.

Uh, if there's no need for a staff presentation, I'll call up the individuals that have signed up to speak on this item.

The first individual is Sarah Cruz.

Sarah Cruz.

Okay.

You'll have three minutes to speak, followed by Antonio Diaz, Diana Flores, Uriegas, and then Jack Finger.

Go ahead.

Hi, good morning, Mayor Jones and City Council members.

Thank you for bringing forward this proposal and for the opportunity to provide testimony.

My name is Sarah Cruz, and I am here on behalf of the ACLU of Texas to urge you to support this ordinance.

San Antonio residents have been clear.

We need action to protect our community.

This ordinance, if passed, is a great first step, and we hope it doesn't stop here.

For those on City Council who may hesitate to use your local authority because of a retaliatory state and federal government, we urge you to be bold.

You can play a critical role in protecting San Antonio residents and help keep families together.

Attorneys on our team have heard firsthand from people detained by ICE about the unsafe conditions and physical abuse inflicted upon them by guards while at the East while at the Camp East Montana detention facility.

We understand the city has been placed into a difficult position, that your options are limited, and that you may have a lot of competing priorities.

But helping protect constitutional rights of your residents should be among the top.

Mayor Jones, we are grateful that you expressed opposition to the administration about its plans for the East Side Detention Center.

But we ask that in addition to supporting this ordinance that you utilize to the full extent all the tools and options at your disposal to stop that facility and continue fighting for San Antonio.

Thank you.

Antonio Diaz.

Followed by Diana Flores Uriegas and then Jack Finger.

Yes, so this is the one on the charter change, right?

For as far as uh codes for fire protection and detention or build new buildings, especially the detention centers.

So again, I I am glad that you will have some sort of uh I guess way of keeping an eye on what ICE is doing within this facilities and how it's treating people with I see it as as as the federal government is supposed to be having laws and such to protect us, but instead with this administration in office right now, it's inflicting injury.

So again, I I am glad that you will have some sort of uh I guess way of keeping an eye on what ICE is doing within these facilities and how it's treating people if I see it as as the federal government is supposed to be having laws and such to protect us, but instead with this administration in office right now, it's inflicting injury and ice or our city police having to work with ice and all this ordinances, legislations by our state that prohibit cities from being able to actually govern.

I'm glad that you're able to do this at least because it's not very much, but it's something to be able to at least uh say, can I go in there and and then and and check on your fire protection and make sure that it's adequate for the population that you have in there because it's all this racist actions that this government is taking, both state and federal to incarcerate.

I would say my ethnic group of brown people, regardless of what nationality that we are, we were colonized and separated and treated as we were foreigners in our own land, being deported, removed continually and incarcerated.

So with this measure, at least to be able to make sure that they aren't burnt up because of inadequate fire protection, is very minimal, but it's something.

So I'm glad that you all will institute this, and I hope you pass it and approve it.

This is at least one avenue to be able to check and make sure that our people that are being incarcerated for I guess national interest or racist interest by this government have some protection.

So uh I thank you.

You wanna you take your time.

I really have nothing to say anymore.

This is I'm just glad that you all doing some something.

It's very minimal, but it's something hello.

Uh on this, I hope you like the asset.

Uh look into it, follow up on all these people they put in there.

Who knows?

It might be me or anybody else, because sometimes I go to the store and I forget my wallet, you know, and it's it happens to everybody, and us we're targeted more, even though we've been here for a long time, all our lives.

We were born here, and our parents were born here, and everybody we've been here.

I need to check up on them because they're they're really hurting these people in there, even the little kids, you know, raping and all that.

That's not right.

Even though they're they're uh our leaders and everything, you know that's not right.

No meets money no enough is enough.

Put yourself in their place.

Would you like to be in there and be mistreated?

No, I don't think so.

Even though you're from here, or you became a citizen.

Check up on it, please.

And the charters, hey, they're there, don't change them.

It's like those uh mediums that y'all put on the on the highways, the streets.

They have a charter on that.

It's it's it's got an ordinance that's not supposed to be out there anymore, but yet y'all put them back up there.

Hey, y'all ain't checking up on stuff.

You need to do your work.

We put you up here to do your work.

Check up and follow up.

All of you councilmen.

You work for the mayor.

Yeah, you do.

She's the mayor.

She's in she's in charge of the whole city.

And y'all supposed to report to her.

Yeah, you are.

You just don't want to follow up on you how you're supposed to do things.

Yeah, uh create uh damages, and y'all don't fix them.

It's like Miss Viagran.

She's always missing in citizens to be hurt.

A lot of uh our restaurants are over there at Taviacoro now.

There's a restaurant there that they broke their her drive-thru.

Yep.

I mean her their parking to drive in.

Thank you.

And they haven't even been fakes.

Thank you, ma'am.

The rest of your comments you can submit for the rest of the thank you.

Uh Jack Finger is our final speaker.

Madam Mayor, other members of our illustrious San Antonio City Council for looking.

My name is Jack M.

Finger, and uh, you know, today I'm wearing my sheriff's hat.

I I'm not really a sheriff, but uh sometime today.

I think I'll play well on TV here.

Yeah, uh I want to read item number 19.

And I want to see if you, the uh the viewer, can uh read between the lines on this one.

Number number 19.

Ordinance approving amendments to Chapter 6 buildings, Chapter 10, building related codes of the City of San Antonio, Chapter 11, fire prevention and chapter 35.

You know, the development code of the city code in order to regulate the construction or operation of detention facilities within city limits, etc.

etc.

Now, who would have thought that would have meant you trying to say to the federal authorities, don't build that detention facility on the east side.

Yeah, uh why?

Well, you see, you see, Mr.

McKee Rodriguez, and just for your information, sheriffs uh do not arrest everybody, just the bad guys.

Yeah, um the uh the feds see all these people coming across the border.

Yeah, you have a new sheriff in town up at the White House, and he says this is gonna stop, and he's already made progress.

And and part of that progress is having this facility on the east side, and uh incarcerating them and eventually deporting them.

So um you folks do not like that because essentially it's taking away votes from you guys.

Yeah, yeah.

You can't have that.

My guy, what would happen to the makeup of the city council?

Heaven forbid.

Anyway, but these some people who with some sense uh thought this was a bad idea.

The um the zoning commission, Mr.

Audiovision Man, yeah.

If you can, it's kind of bleached out there where that star is right there.

See if you can blow it up a little bit and see what did they decide when this issue came to their desk there.

And they got the date wrong.

It was April, so this month there recommended denial.

Okay, return the camera if you would.

So why did they recommend denial?

Well, they saw through this game that you are playing.

Yeah, they know that this is not this has nothing to do with that.

In fact, if it did, uh Ms.

Castillo, how many tickets has the current jail been on your in your district there?

Oh, maybe almost as 50, 70 years, 70 years.

How many?

I don't know.

Uh, but why wasn't this brought up long before now if it's such a major concern?

Huh?

It's all showing.

Okay.

Uh that's all the uh members of the public that have some to speak up on to speak on this item.

Um, I will note from my colleagues' reference.

Um, I did send a letter to our economic development leaders on this topic asking formally for their feedback on this ordinance change.

Um, you have hard copies of the two letters of support for this ordinance change that were provided.

Uh, one from Leo Gomez at Brooks, and then the second one is from James Norty at Sage.

Umrigally we did have uh a later timeline by which they could provide input, so some may still do that.

But for today's discussion, these are the two that are submitted in support of today's um ordinant proposed ordinance.

So you have hard copies of that as well as the status of uh replies from the others that were uh whose feedback was requested.

Okay.

Um Councilman White, you're recognized to speak.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um on that last point that you just made regarding business community input, it also says on your sheets you gave us here that there were some emails and things that were received that that I don't think we have printouts of.

You don't um to clarify, no thanks for doing that.

Um because they the comments were acknowledged receipt of your request uh to clarify for everybody.

We acknowledge receipt of the request to do so, but no formal positive or negative or neutral were provided in those, so they weren't they were just again an acknowledge of receipt.

Would it would it be possible to get copies of emails?

Of course, yeah.

And that would be great.

Um listen, Liz, if I can if I can uh ask you a couple of questions off the get-go.

Uh this new ordinance here uh will have absolutely no effect on um the current facility that that has been widely reported that the federal government has purchased here in San Antonio, is that right?

As we understand it, Councilman, that's correct.

Okay, and um if a private group was to own a facility here in San Antonio, and then the federal government um was to lease it from that group uh and then conduct these these same activities, this ordinance wouldn't apply there either, right?

That is correct.

We would take a look at exactly what control and administration they purport to have, but it would be after that evaluation.

But generally, you're correct.

Right.

Okay.

And um take taking a look at at this ordinance here, um, or I guess in in the recitals in the beginning, uh, it says here a vast majority of detained immigrants of the United States are inheld in buildings operated by private corporations, some of which are uh here within the city limits of San Antonio, or maybe.

Do we have any knowledge right now?

I don't know if this is for John of any um private detention facilities being operated within the city limits right now.

Councilman, we don't know of any private detention facilities inside the city limits.

We we don't know of any.

Okay.

So, you know, that that recital there, not sure why we have that in there.

And then below that, John, this is for you again.

It says that um these detention facilities um limit economic growth opportunity and um you know things like that.

Um did we do any sort of study over the past I don't know, couple of months since we've been looking at that that that tells us that these limit economic opportunities?

Uh there was no official study, councilman.

There was no official study done.

And do we have any studies from anywhere around the country where it says that?

Um I I'm not aware of any studies.

I I don't know if anyone has uh the whereas it where that comes from.

Okay.

No.

All right.

So you know, these recitals that we're putting in here, again, not sure, we're not sure why why those are in there because I would tell you I don't think those are true.

And the facility that we're talking about here in San Antonio, of course, uh that the federal government has purchased.

Uh is it your understanding, John, that that was actually empty prior to the federal government's purchase?

Yes, sir, I believe it was a vacant.

Okay.

Uh and so now we may actually have activity there.

There may be jobs created and and things like that.

And um I'm gonna think I think Liz has a piece there.

Yeah.

So, Councilman, just to be sure and level set with everybody in terms of the whereas clauses, those did come from academic journal studies, and that's where the Warhouse Clause came from, in addition with that specific property, because it is now occupied by the feds.

There is no tax collected on that piece of property.

Right.

But what did you say?

Academic journals?

Correct.

Okay, well, I mean, uh I mean again, an academic journal can say whatever it wants, but the facts on the ground are we don't know of any of these private facilities that are within the city limits of San Antonio.

Correct.

Right?

So uh I mean uh again, look, um each of us up here appoints a zoning commissioner as well.

And as was stated in the public comment, I I believe the vote was 10 to 1 against doing this.

Is that right?

That's correct, yes, sir.

It it was 10 to 1.

And what were the reasons that the zoning commissioners gave for voting this down 10 to ?

I think there was an initial discussion for continuance, councilman.

Um I think the chair asked um that they go ahead and take up the item that day.

It was it was last week on the 7th.

And and uh, you know, the discussion centered around that this was a political decision that the council should make.

Um and they did not want to visit it again, so that's how they ultimately got to the denial.

Well, they what they said many of them was that they did not see the merits in the case.

Uh point of order.

Um can the councilman paraphrase something that's on record that we could get through minutes.

I I would prefer the actual minutes of that meeting than um than a what they actually said.

Thank you, Councilman.

Um councilman.

You can make your points, and we can make sure that anything that is in the record is provided to everybody.

Sure.

And the meeting was open to the public, and people could watch it on TV and people could attend it.

And what happened on that day was that the zoning commission didn't feel like the merits of changing the code um existed.

Um again, that was a 10 to 1 vote.

Each of us has a zoning commissioner.

Uh, and and I hope we would have all talked with them before we came up here today.

Uh the reality of this moment is that this is about politics and the time and city resources that has been used to come up with and create this new ordinance and this change to the code is a flat out waste of taxpayer dollars.

What is being attempted here today is to use our code and change it to make a political statement, a political statement regarding federal immigration enforcement activities.

And to use our code for those purposes are simply wrong.

All the the additional notification provisions and things that uh that these amendments will make, uh I don't really have uh any problems with them.

Uh but what I do have a problem with is my colleagues who again, I respect all of the work that we do up here, and I understand all the heat, all the pressure you have from folks in the community, um, your your voters who are upset about what the federal government is doing in terms of immigration enforcement.

But sometimes, rather than placating to those folks, you have to look at them and say, quite simply, we do not have jurisdiction over these matters.

The answer is not to direct city staff to use time and money to come up with something simply so that you can show it to these folks and say, hey, we did something.

This new ordinance here doesn't do anything.

This is a political statement that you want to make.

And Councilman McKee Rodriguez led this effort, and he's good at ginning things up like this.

You are.

Uh on this item today.

Okay.

Uh that was Jackfinger.

Um to uh remind my colleagues, please, when you're making your comments, don't direct them to any individual up here, but more for for public um consumption direct them.

Okay.

You can direct them toward me.

I'll gladly take them.

The um I do want to to that point, in fact.

Um the two letters um that were submitted uh in case it inform and informs anyone else's comments.

Again, you have the hard copy, but for the benefit of the public that is watching.

Um the the letter from uh Leo Gomez, president and CEO of Brooks.

Um, I will read just one sentence of it.

The introduction of a detention facility would be inconsistent with Brooks's mission to foster a vibrant, inclusive, and economically thriving community.

James Norty, um, head of Sage, the CEO of Sage San Antonio for Growth on the East Side, um elaborates further.

Certain facilities such as adult-oriented businesses, alcohol sales, heavy commercial or industrial operations, or incarceration and detention facilities will very likely have disastrous effects on the economic mobility and social cohesion of nearby residents and local businesses.

The proposed notification requirements ensure that any entities seeking to construct, convert, or operate a potentially harmful facility engages with the city early in the process, allowing for proper review, oversight, and coordination across departments responsible for public safety and infrastructure.

And finally, as Mr.

Norti notes, taken together, these amendments strengthen the city's ability to manage land use, safeguard community well-being, and uphold transparency in government decision making.

They strike an appropriate balance between local regulatory oversight, the supremacy of federal law, and the need to center the interests of San Antonio residents.

I did want to um introduce those in light of uh the councilman's comments about there being potentially a lack of input from folks that would be uh sufficiently aware and sufficiently um uh able to comment on their understanding as economic leaders in our community of what this ordinance would do.

Councilman uh McKee Rodriguez, Mayor, I find it comical that the district and council member uh councilman white literally just asked if there were any studies about economic impact and then scoffed at the idea of an academic journal, the very thing he was asking about.

Uh and mayor, I find it comical, laughable that he called this a waste of time uh when the eight minutes that he just spent trying to get a quote in the paper uh was in fact a waste of taxpayer time and rest resources.

Uh this is an incredibly simple concept.

Uh we are now requiring notification if a private entity seeks to build, convert, or operate a detention facility and creating zoning standards and regulations, all things perfectly within our purview.

Umy percent of detained immigrants are held in a privately operated facilities, and ICE often turns to privately operated uh facilities when their own facilities exceed capacity, as we imagine will happen with uh the massive warehouse that will not have the sewage capacity that they're looking for.

Uh we have not seen the heights of cruelty and trauma that can and will be inflicted by ICE.

It has been horrendous thus far, and it will only get worse under this administration.

These private detention operators are right now working to reopen their idling facilities, and they will begin looking at cities with increased ICE presence to operate new facilities.

It would be foolish to think that just because there aren't any full facilities now that there won't be in the future.

For those with any sort of business acumen, you can imagine when actions happen at the state or federal level, it shapes the investment and actions of various industries, including the private detention industry.

They are going to be predatory, and this is an opportunity to shut that down before it starts.

I'll give you an example.

Vision Quest, an operator that detains youth, an entity accused of sexually abusing, assaulting, and harming youth, sought to operate in district two in 2019 as a result of increased immigration enforcement.

This is real, so let's not play dense, please.

I look forward to supporting this item today.

Thank you.

Um, during our pre-brief, you you characterized uh the zoning committee meeting where the individuals voted on this.

Would you please share that with my colleagues?

Yes, Mayor, there was a discussion, I think a healthy discussion about the code changes before uh the zoning commission.

Um there was uh some discussion about a delay and a rehearing of the item, um, which ultimately did not pass.

Ultimately, the chair urged that um there was action um last week, and that action was a denial um with the idea that um this was a political item for the council to decide and that if they were to come back they'd be back at the same spot.

So they they offered their denial and sent it to you for consideration.

Thank you, John.

Councilwoman Spears.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I too just had a couple of questions.

Um there any detention facilities that hold people against their will without a government nexus?

How would you hold someone without the government being involved?

Um I don't think that would be legal.

It's not, right?

Yeah, correct, Councilman.

Sorry, I think the last one was nexus, and I was I was working through it in my head.

I apologize.

Yeah.

Yep.

Or a reason the government being involved.

Sure.

Um would another migrant processing facility be exempt under this.

Would another migrant processing facility be exempt?

Like the one that's a good idea.

If you're talking about something that was similar to what we helped set up, councilwoman, the distinction here, and we're very clear about how we define what we are regulating here and detention facilities is effectively those that do not have the capability of being able to exercise free will.

So this would not govern the type of support system that we establish with the migrant resource center.

So this does not apply to a migrant resource center.

No, councilwoman, it does not.

Okay.

I I feel like this item just raises concerns for me about overreach and inconsistent application and singling out certain facilities which are hard to identify for me and excluding others.

The zoning commission voted this down 10 to 1, and as Councilman White said, we each got to appoint a zoning commissioner.

And they voted this down as overly broad and not well reasoned.

And this should make us all think about why they did that, and then why staffs are recommending approval.

We need to be cautious about creating a framework that places an undue burden in on lawful business operations and invites constitutional challenges.

This proposed moratorium appears to presume noncompliance unless the business can prove exemption, which may not hold up under scrutiny.

As drafted, this does not establish clear, enforceable and equitable standards, and instead creates ambiguity and potential liability for the city.

We have also seen in other Texas cities like Houston how decisions in this space can escalate into state level conflicts with real financial consequences, and we must avoid putting San Antonio in this position.

And regardless of your personal views, and I truly understand the pressure many of my colleagues are facing, and many people feel in our community.

The immigration policy is an this approach is legally unsound and it misrepresents what we can do at City Council.

This is just not in our lane.

Under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution, local governments do not have the power to veto or obstruct lawful federal actions.

Cities cannot nullify federal enforcement, and suggesting otherwise creates false expectations for our residents.

And it in my mind, this is undermining what we can do as a local government.

This is this is not something we can enforce, regulate.

Very important issues that we have a lot of work to do, and we need to be focused on those things.

Responsible governance means respecting the limits of our local authority and being honest with our residents about what city council can and cannot control.

But turning City Hall into a parallel immigration tribunal is not lawful or productive in a path forward.

San Antonio deserves clarity, lawful leadership, and focus on delivering real results for our neighborhoods.

Federal matters should be handled at the federal level.

And local government should remain focused on serving the people of this city.

Councilmember Viegos.

Mayor, if you may interject just before we go on with council discussion to be sure the record is clear that what is proposed before you today recognizes both the supremacy of state law and federal law and is within the purview of what the city is authorized to do.

Thank you, Liz, for that clarification.

Councilmember Viegeron.

Yes, thank you.

Huge fan of the U.S.

Constitution.

But this uh and my my uh planning and zoning committees.

However, this is a decision that is supposed to be made here at the dais.

It is not strictly about immigration.

This is about our code and our zoning.

And advancing this item today is a necessary step to align our regulatory framework with the clear policy direction established by the city council following through on what we heard from our community and not just what we heard on March 5th.

But we knew this conversation started before.

It started with the with the kids in cages during the Obama administration.

It started with the conversation we were having about what we do with our youth in hotels.

Do we make them stay there?

Our unaccompany uh our minors, do we make them stay there?

Do we let them how do we regulate that?

Who do who does that regulate?

And yes, it does come from the state.

But the state is not hiring more state officials, more state um employees or federal employees to do this job.

They are they are creating a market, they are creating a private market for this.

So what we are doing today is exactly what, and you can Google it or AI, chat GPT, it is saying what we have, which is looking at our zoning and our land use.

And we are a city.

The sixth or seventh, depending on what you Google, largest city here in San Antonio, and we understand that we have some infrastructure issues, we have some resource issues, and if all these private facilities were coming in nine and ten where infrastructure is great, have at it, but that's not where they're coming from.

They're coming to they're coming to district two, they're coming to district three, and we are trying to be aligned with our growth and how we move forward.

The proposed amendment strikes an appropriate balance between regulatory clarity, public safety, and community trust.

By establishing uniform notification requirements across code, building and fire departments, the city ensures early awareness, interdepartmental coordination, and operational transparency for an entity seeking to construct, convert, or operate a detention facility here in San Antonio.

The inclusion of a specific use authorization requirement further reinforces our oversight role, providing a structured case-by-case review that incorporates public input and policy considerations.

We are not saying no, we are saying you need to go into the community.

Equally important detention facilities would also be prohibited within a thousand feet of residential areas, primary or secondary schools, places of worship, and public parks.

Uh although city council could still authorize through the rezoning process, it demonstrates a thoughtful approach to land use compatibility and community impact.

The addition of a clear definition of detention facility reduces ambiguity and supports enforceability unless and until a valid exemption is established.

So Jack, next time you come up here and you talk about a thousand feet, let's talk about the detention facilities you just promoted.

From a policy and a human-centered perspective, this is about listening to our neighbors.

That's what we were elected to do.

They have come out and forced to do that.

We have two businesses that already said, yeah, this doesn't work for us business wise.

Nobody is saying, I want to move into that subdivision right next to the detention facility.

Ask Kirby, ask D Lee.

That is all we're doing here.

And I believe that the other business communities, once they have the conversation, because this isn't about one side or the other.

This is about being Texan.

And Texans life like nice things.

And Texans don't want to live next to detention facilities.

So I think it is important that we move this forward today, and I will be voting in support of it.

Councilmember Mugia.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I would just say that every decision that is made up here is political.

So the fact that this is more political than something else, I don't buy that.

Everything we do is political up here.

Um and in the letter, I don't want to highlight the letter that the mayor's office shared with us from DHS to Henry Queer's office, that the current detention facility they they purchased here in San Antonio, they want to house a daily population of 500 to 1,500 quote unquote aliens, also known as people, uh here in San Antonio.

Uh and I go to my neighborhood and talk to my residents, had a safety town hall in Marbach area with Councilman Galvan.

Uh didn't come up as a concern.

As a safety concern, right?

That people are afraid of immigration issues.

So that's not at the forefront here.

Um when it comes to zoning, so many of my colleagues often say that we as individual council members know what's best in our own district.

Uh and so this gives our oper gives ourselves an opportunity to deny zoning for things that we do not want in our district.

And if everybody wants some one of these facilities, go for it.

I also want to highlight uh thank you to Brooks and um Sage for their letters.

Also, while some people didn't respond, I also didn't see anybody saying that this is good for business and that they want this here.

In fact, as you all recall, Greater SETX came here and told us that some of the headwinds for business development here in San Antonio was because of federal immigration policies and federal tariffs that are being led by this current uh administration.

So we know that that is documented bad for business here.

Um so if you don't think this is helpful or gonna be effective, then it doesn't hurt um to pass this.

But I will support this.

I thank everybody who came down to City Hall and advocated for themselves and for people who were too afraid to be here.

So thank you very much.

Look forward to passing this.

Thank you.

Councilmember, think of Vito.

Thank you.

Uh first I want to thank DSD for working diligently to get these recommendations done quickly.

Thank you for it.

And thank you, Liz, for um allowing us to be clear on what is and and is not in our control.

I think that uh and in our purview, thank you.

I I think that's important for us to know.

Um, you know, all of us are feeling the impacts of ice in our city.

There's concern for our neighbors, um, our families, our friends.

Um actually, in the community health meeting that was chaired by Councilman Galvan, it was noted that San Antonio has 344,100 immigrants living in our city.

That is 12.7 percent of San Antonio's population.

And these numbers are important because it illustrates the impact that our immigrant population has on our city.

I think, and I and I might be wrong on this.

I think they said something like 24% of them were entrepreneurs, you know, and so um the the impact that that our immigrant population has, um, not only because our neighbors and our friends, but because they're also um starting businesses and employing others.

You know, it's it's felt in all aspects uh of our lives.

ICE detention facilities create harm not only for the people detained in them but for surrounding communities.

So, you know, Councilman White, I hear you that today's action will have zero impact on the uh detention center coming on the east side.

But what's important is that we must we have to continue the fight for the rights of all those living in San Antonio, regardless of their immigration status.

So I'm proud to support this item today, and I look forward to continuing the work uh to protect our community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember uh Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thank you to DSD and to City Attorney's Office for working so quickly on this item.

Um, as a governing body, I think we have the responsibility to provide oversight on land use and public safety matters.

Uh this ordinance, I believe, would give us a framework to ensure that these facilities are not operating in a vacuum, but rather in alignment with city code and community expectations.

Let me be clear, this is not about limiting lawful operations, it's about accountability.

If a facility is going to exist within our city, I think it should do so transparently and with appropriate safeguards in place for both the individual housed there and the surrounding neighborhoods.

I view this as a proactive step by clearly defining requirements up front.

I like council members have mentioned, we reduce ambiguity, avoid future conflicts, and ensure that operators understand their obligations from the start.

So ultimately, I think this ordinance strikes a reasonable balance, allowing for lawful operations while ensuring they align with expectations and standards for our community.

I respectfully res uh support this ordinance moving forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Castillo.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, John, for the presentation.

Just a couple of short notes, right?

In terms of uh city council staying within our lane, uh city council and the city of San Antonio own the lane, paved lane, right, through the UDC code and building and standards process.

So what we have in front of us here are amendments to um building related codes for the city of San Antonio, fire fire prevention code as well as the unified development code.

So uh with that I will be supportive.

And while it is true, right, that the city of San Antonio currently does not have a private uh system here.

What we know is there is a shift, right?

Whether it's housing, health care, or education to privatize many of these industries, and that includes these facilities.

So with that, I'll be supportive of this item.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilmember Corps.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just very briefly, I'd like for us to not think about the work that we do based on city hour time.

Because if we calculated every single request that we made at each one of our meetings, I'm pretty sure we would be in the millions of dollars, probably district one office alone with DSD alone.

And so I don't think we should be able, I don't think we should make the merits of an argument for what's best for our community based on the wastage of city staff time, because then we would argue that every single thing we do up here could be a wastage on city staff's time, particularly if it doesn't move forward.

As we go into budget, I think we should focus on what is best for our community at large, and let's make the merits of arguments based on whether this is going to help our community or not help our community based on what we as our are elected to do our constituents would want to say.

You can disagree about what you think your constituents might say, but let's focus on the merits of the issue.

I'll support this item.

Thanks, Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilmember Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just really quick, just want to say thank you to the city staff who worked really hard on putting this together.

I think it's a very solid um uh recommendation to have and uh update to our ordinances here.

Um I think it's very similar to other conversations we have regularly around UDC and zoning changes and what we want to have in our neighborhoods, around our neighborhoods, throughout our city, etc.

Um just really quickly.

Uh I am glad to hear that some folks you know don't see academic journals uh or research as valid for us to utilize when we have conversations around things that we do up here at City Council.

Um I hope those things never change and don't shift uh during budget conversation or any other conversations we have on different topics.

Matter of fact, I don't know if we could play a clip really quick.

Now we split too much time.

Too much extra time to be spent on that.

My bad, my bad, my bad.

Overall, though, uh I also think related to the zoning commission, absolutely respect um their perspective on this, as we do, I think, for all of our zoning decisions.

And I wonder if there's any record of people voting against any approvals that zoning commission has had or disrupted that they've had, um, and maybe on the council committee or our council conversation we have at zoning if there's just different decisions made.

Um I think it just happens sometimes.

Turns out we have the ultimate authority on zoning uh pieces, and this is what uh this new ordinance would give us the opportunity to do is have that ultimate authority about new facilities coming in here, particularly ones that are privately run.

Um nothing out of the ordinary to me.

Anywho, uh support this uh this initiative and thank you, Mayor, for the time.

Okay.

Has everyone that would uh like to speak on this issue spoken?

Okay.

Um thank you again uh to the staff, thank you to legal uh for doing such a good job and and making sure that we have crossed all the T's and dotted all the I's to ensure that we are uh squarely uh within what we are able to do as a municipality.

I also want to thank the business leaders that took the time to very quickly articulate from their um standpoint uh what this would mean.

And I think it is uh as has been referenced by some of my colleagues, um not it is worth noting um that we are talking about Sage on the east side and Brooks on the south side.

Understanding where these uh uh private detention facilities would likely set up if they chose to come into our community.

Um so this is you know, our I'm not normally uh a NIMBY person, uh, but certainly this is a zoning um action that I think makes sense.

I think it's also important that we think about this in the context of our property taxes.

Um better uh utilizing and determining where these facilities will go will help to ensure that we are best protecting our property tax values as best stable as we recognize uh its property tax values that is uh in part contributing to the significantly lower bond capacity that we will have.

So being smart about where these facilities can and cannot go is not only good for certainly the communities they would impact, but um of course also our property tax, which helps us to fund all the other items that are so important in our community.

Okay.

Uh there being no further discussion, there's a motion second for approval of um item number 19.

Um please vote.

Okay.

The motion carries no exact yeah, just confirming.

Thank you.

Um that is the conclusion of uh business.

The time is now 11 56, and this meeting is adjourned.