OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Economic and Workforce Development Committee Meeting - September 24, 2025

Council Committees — Wednesday, September 24, 2025
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionCouncil Committees
DateWednesday, September 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:25:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Okay, good morning everyone.

0:07

The time is now 2.03 p.m.

0:10

on September 24th, 2025, and the meeting of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee is now called to order.

0:18

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

0:21

Councilmember Galaban.

0:23

Councilmember Spears.

0:26

Chair Viegeran.

0:28

Here.

0:28

Chair, we have quorum.

0:30

All right.

0:31

The first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes.

0:34

Are there any corrections to the minutes?

0:37

Can I get a motion and a second to approve the minutes?

0:41

Can I get a second?

0:43

Second.

0:44

We've got a motion and a second.

0:46

All those in favor say aye.

0:48

Aye.

0:48

All opposed say no.

0:50

Motion carries.

0:52

Madam Clerk, are there any citizens signed up to speak on the item for public comment?

0:56

No, Chair, we have no public comment.

0:59

Great.

0:59

Okay, so the remaining agenda items, uh, some are for action.

1:04

We've got two for action, and I think two for briefing.

1:07

So we're gonna start with item number two is a review of the procurement process.

1:13

And is there a staff presentation?

1:16

Great.

1:17

Troy, the floor is all yours.

1:19

Thank you, Chair.

1:19

And uh good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee.

1:21

My name's Troy Elliott.

1:23

I'm the chief financial officer.

1:25

And today, you know, as the chair mentioned, we'll be talking a little bit about the procurement process and our proposal for conducting a review.

1:31

Before moving into the presentation, just to give you a little bit of context.

1:35

Um, I've been doing procurement for about 14 years now.

1:38

I started on October 1st of 2011, and I remember that day very well because Riverview Building actually caught on fire and burned down.

1:46

And um that was my first day on the job as in conducting procurement.

1:50

Um why that's important is purchasing and finance used to be two separate departments, and on that day we came together as one department.

1:58

Sheryl Scully actually um asked me if I had take over procurement.

2:02

I said yes.

2:03

I was a little to be honest, I was a little naive about purchasing.

2:06

I always thought that purchasing something that's very simple.

2:10

You uh you buy something.

2:12

Um I don't think that could be further from the truth.

2:14

It's highly regulated depending on the type of procurement that you're conducting by state statute.

2:19

We also have a rigorous procurement process in place to make sure that it's a fair fair process, and everybody gets uh, I guess a bite at the apple, so to speak, and that we have solid outcomes at the end that we're presenting to you as city council.

2:34

We have about a little less than 80 people in the procurement division.

2:40

It's led by Anhelicum Mata, our assistant finance director over here.

2:47

Jennifer Johnson, Charisma Sparza, Jonathan Miranda, and Laura Sombrano.

2:53

And together that team conducts about approximately a little less than 400 procurements a year that are over $50,000.

3:00

For FY24 is to the tune of about $2.4 billion in actual awards that we actually made during that year.

3:06

So I wanted to provide that that bit of context before we um before we actually move forward with the presentation.

3:14

As part of the as part of the um charge by the mayor, um she focused on the procurement review as one of those charges.

3:24

Uh she asked that this committee come back in concert with a diverse set of stakeholders from the business community, um, lead a review of the city's procurement processes to ensure that we may consider the full pool of talent available.

3:37

The mayor also asked that as this committee, and we'll be making our recommendations today on how to approach this review, but the committee come back to the full city council no later than October 1st with an update on how the proposing to conduct this review.

3:52

So, as part of our recommendation, we're look really looking at three categories or three areas of focus for the procurement review.

4:00

In total, it kind of breaks it down into I think manageable bytes based on I think you as a committee and you as a council would be interested in.

4:07

Those area focus that I propose focus in, and I'll go into more details on the next couple of slides are gonna be supplier engagement, our capacity building of our suppliers, then also the procurement process in general.

4:19

And then to sum things up, I'll go through kind of a timeline of how we um as staff are recommending that we actually get to the end of the recommendations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development███████████████████████████████████████39%
Procurement and Contracting█████████████████████████25%
International Relations███████████11%
Small Business Support███████7%
Public Engagement███████7%
Local Business Support█████5%
Procedural███3%
Workforce Development██2%
Data Analysis█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Economic and Workforce Development Committee Meeting - September 24, 2025

The Economic and Workforce Development Committee met on September 24, 2025, from 2:03 PM to 3:29 PM. The meeting covered four agenda items: a review of the procurement process, establishment of a working group for Spain flight connectivity and World Cup base camp, amendments to the Small Business Advisory Commission composition, and a briefing on the economic development strategic framework refresh. All action items were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by unanimous voice vote. No corrections were offered.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

1. Review of Procurement Process (Briefing & Action)

  • Staff Presentation: Troy Elliott, Chief Financial Officer, presented a proposal to conduct a review of the city's procurement process, focusing on three areas: supplier engagement, capacity building, and the procurement process itself. He noted that the procurement division has about 80 people and completed approximately 400 procurements over $50,000 in FY24, totaling about $2.4 billion in awards. The timeline includes presenting the FY26 annual procurement forecast to the Audit Committee in November 2025 and to the full council in December, with in-depth presentations in February 2026 and a final comprehensive plan by July 2026.
  • Councilmember Discussion: Chair Viegeran emphasized the need to distinguish truly local vendors (produced locally, employing locals) from pass-throughs, and to identify gaps in local industry. She requested that the review include explanations of payment timelines, definitions of high-profile procurements, and updates on city manager delegation changes. Councilmember Galvan asked for inclusion of trades unions in stakeholder engagement, and for data on bid counts, contract geography, and employment impact. Councilmember Spears supported the focus on local impact, insurance barriers, payment timelines, veteran engagement, and suggested setting tangible benchmarks. All councilmembers agreed on the need to address barriers like insurance and payout timelines.
  • Outcome: The committee approved a motion to move forward with the procurement review incorporating the discussed focus areas (unions, veterans, insurance barriers, payment timelines, local impact metrics, and data collection). The motion passed unanimously.

2. Canary Island/Lanzarote Sister City Ad Hoc Working Group (Briefing & Action)

  • Staff Presentation: Brenda Hicks Laurenson, Economic Development Director, briefed the committee on the recently established sister city relationship with Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The proposed working group would focus on two objectives: exploring direct flight connectivity between San Antonio and Spain, and positioning San Antonio as a base camp for the 2026 World Cup. Recommended members include the Honorary Council of Spain, Aviation, Economic Development, Visit San Antonio, Greater SATX, and EWDC appointees. The group would sunset in January 2027 or upon completion of the charge.
  • Councilmember Discussion: Councilmember Spears expressed enthusiasm and asked about diversifying opportunities (e.g., technology, water ideas) and including local small businesses. Councilmember Galvan supported the sports and transportation lenses, mentioned Toyota Field as a proposed venue, and suggested involving universities and ISDs. Chair Viegeran requested updates via memo and possible future meetings.
  • Outcome: The committee approved a motion to establish the ad hoc working group for the specified purposes, with a sunset date of January 2027 or upon completion. The motion passed unanimously.

3. Small Business Advisory Commission Composition (Briefing & Action)

  • Staff Presentation: Alfred Brewer, Assistant Director for Economic Development, presented a recommendation to amend the ordinance to reduce the Small Business Advisory Commission (SBAC) from 15 members to 11. The change would remove four at-large positions, maintain mayor and council district appointments, and require at least one member from each of five categories (trade organizations, nonprofit providers, small businesses with <10 employees, small businesses with 10-50 employees, and targeted industry representatives). The mission and purpose of SBAC would remain unchanged.
  • Councilmember Discussion: Chair Viegeran supported the change, noting that the at-large positions had caused quorum issues. Councilmember Galvan asked about the distinction between SBAC and the Sabeta committee; staff clarified that Sabeta focuses specifically on the small business procurement program, while SBAC covers broader small business issues. Councilmember Spears reiterated her interest in measurable goals and benchmarks.
  • Outcome: The committee approved a motion to recommend an ordinance amendment to the full council to reduce the commission size to 11 members and adjust category requirements. The motion passed unanimously.

4. Economic Development Strategic Framework Refresh (Briefing Only)

  • Staff Presentation: Brenda Hicks Laurenson provided an update on the 2022 Economic Development Strategic Framework, highlighting progress in four goal areas: innovation and industry, placemaking and real estate, talent and workforce, and capacity and resources. She proposed a refresh for FY26, which would include a small business ecosystem evaluation, international strategy, target industry review with supply chain gap analysis, and site identification study. The timeline would involve issuing a solicitation soon, with stakeholder engagement in spring 2026, and a final work plan by fall 2027.
  • Councilmember Discussion: Chair Viegeran expressed concerns about launching the solicitation immediately, preferring to first gather data on program effectiveness and to brief new council members on the framework's goals, especially given the creation of new city departments and the changing economic environment. She requested a follow-up next month with clearer goals and cost estimates. Councilmember Spears echoed the need for measurable outcomes, construction timelines, and coordination across departments. Councilmember Galvan emphasized internal data analysis, equitable economic outcomes, and the importance of aligning citywide goals. All councilmembers agreed that the refresh should proceed only after council alignment and understanding.
  • Outcome: No action taken. The chair directed staff to brief council members individually and return with a more detailed plan and cost estimate.

Key Outcomes

  • Procurement Review: Motion to proceed with the review including focus areas on unions, veterans, insurance barriers, payment timelines, local impact metrics, and data collection. Unanimous approval.
  • Spain/Lanzarote Working Group: Motion to establish ad hoc working group for flight connectivity and World Cup base camp, sunset January 2027. Unanimous approval.
  • SBAC Ordinance Amendment: Motion to recommend reducing commission size to 11 members and adjusting category requirements. Unanimous approval.
  • Strategic Framework Refresh: No action; staff to brief council members and return with a refined proposal.
  • Next Steps: Staff will provide a memo on benchmarks and schedule meetings with council members for the strategic framework refresh. The committee will prioritize small business construction grants data for a future agenda.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, good morning everyone. The time is now 2.03 p.m. on September 24th, 2025, and the meeting of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee is now called to order. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Councilmember Galaban. Councilmember Spears. Chair Viegeran. Here. Chair, we have quorum. All right. The first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes? Can I get a motion and a second to approve the minutes? Can I get a second? Second. We've got a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say no. Motion carries. Madam Clerk, are there any citizens signed up to speak on the item for public comment? No, Chair, we have no public comment. Great. Okay, so the remaining agenda items, uh, some are for action. We've got two for action, and I think two for briefing. So we're gonna start with item number two is a review of the procurement process. And is there a staff presentation? Great. Troy, the floor is all yours. Thank you, Chair. And uh good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. My name's Troy Elliott. I'm the chief financial officer. And today, you know, as the chair mentioned, we'll be talking a little bit about the procurement process and our proposal for conducting a review. Before moving into the presentation, just to give you a little bit of context. Um, I've been doing procurement for about 14 years now. I started on October 1st of 2011, and I remember that day very well because Riverview Building actually caught on fire and burned down. And um that was my first day on the job as in conducting procurement. Um why that's important is purchasing and finance used to be two separate departments, and on that day we came together as one department. Sheryl Scully actually um asked me if I had take over procurement. I said yes. I was a little to be honest, I was a little naive about purchasing. I always thought that purchasing something that's very simple. You uh you buy something. Um I don't think that could be further from the truth. It's highly regulated depending on the type of procurement that you're conducting by state statute. We also have a rigorous procurement process in place to make sure that it's a fair fair process, and everybody gets uh, I guess a bite at the apple, so to speak, and that we have solid outcomes at the end that we're presenting to you as city council. We have about a little less than 80 people in the procurement division. It's led by Anhelicum Mata, our assistant finance director over here. Jennifer Johnson, Charisma Sparza, Jonathan Miranda, and Laura Sombrano.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com