San Antonio Audit Committee Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Audit Committee of the San Antonio City Council met on February 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. The meeting included approval of minutes, routine consent, several pre-solicitation briefings for upcoming contracts, a post-solicitation briefing for a design contract, and acceptance of an audit report on 311 customer service operations. A written public comment from Mr. Ray Cardinus regarding 311 was entered into the record. Key discussions included workforce development, local preference, performance metrics, and customer satisfaction.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from previous meeting (motion carried unanimously).
• Accepted one final internal audit report on the consent agenda (motion carried unanimously).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Written comment from Mr. Ray Cardinus concerning 311 customer service operations was distributed to the committee and entered into the record. No members of the public spoke in person.

Briefing Items (Pre-Solicitation)

• Item 3: Temporary Electrical and Plumbing Services for Events Patricia Musquis Gantor, Director of Convention and Sports Facilities, presented a pre-solicitation briefing for an RFQ for multiple contractors to provide temporary electrical and plumbing services at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the Alamo Dome. Estimated total value: $9.5 million over three years with two one-year renewal options. The evaluation committee includes multiple city officials and an Encore representative. Councilmember Via Gran asked about including questions on apprenticeships and journeymen to support workforce development. Councilmember White inquired about documenting percentages of local versus out-of-town businesses. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez confirmed it is an on-call, multi-contractor model. The item was for briefing only.

• Item 4: State Legislative Consultant Services Sally Basurto, Director for Government Affairs, presented a pre-solicitation briefing for an RFQ to contract up to five firms for state legislative consulting services, with a maximum value of $400,000 per year (total $1.6 million over two years with one two-year renewal option). Evaluation criteria include 75 points for experience, qualifications, and background. Councilmember Via Gran emphasized the need for strategic outreach to smaller jurisdictions and understanding the changing political landscape post-November elections. Councilmember White expressed concerns about taxpayer-funded lobbying, citing a past example of opposing a business personal property tax exemption. He requested better communication and a B-session with the full council to discuss legislative policy. Other members asked about return on investment, methodology for forecasting, and experience of evaluators. Director Basurto noted that the city does not register as a lobbyist but has transparent processes including a bills tracker dashboard. The item was for briefing only.

• Item 5: Toxicology Laboratory Services for SAPD Rick Riley, Assistant Director of SAPD, presented a pre-solicitation briefing for a single-contractor RFP for toxicology lab services (DWI, DUI cases) to replace a DPS contract. Estimated value: $1.1 million annually, $5.6 million over five years. A single vendor is required for chain of custody. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez asked about separating this from employee drug testing (it is separate due to court testimony requirements). Councilmember White asked why single vendor (DA preference for chain of custody). Councilmember Pacheco asked about evaluating the proposed plan and about vetting for chain of custody. There was also a question about medical device sourcing (made in US). The item was for briefing only.

• Item 6: Planning and Schematic Design Services for Culebra Road Mike Shannon, Director of Capital Delivery, presented an RFQ for design services for Culebra Road from Loop 410 to General McMullen (districts 5,6,7). Estimated value: $9 million, funded by 2022 bond and a federal RAISE grant. Evaluation criteria include 45 points for experience, 35 points for management plan, and 20 points for past performance. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez emphasized utility coordination and accountability for on-time performance. Shannon noted milestones and incentive/penalty clauses. Councilmember Via Gran supported using contractors with on-time history. The item was for briefing only.

Post-Solicitation Briefing

• Item 7: Rittiman Road Grade Separation Project Post-solicitation briefing for design and environmental services. 10 vendors responded; 3 shortlisted; after interviews, Vendor B was selected. Estimated value: $6,300,299.39. Councilmember approved proceeding to city council consideration (motion carried unanimously). Councilmember Via Gran praised the in-person interview process.

Discussion Item: Audit of 311 Customer Service Operations

• Item 8: Audit Report AU 25-001 Abigail Esteves, Audit Manager, presented results of an audit of 311 customer service operations. The audit found effective controls for call handling, training, knowledge base updates, and backup. However, recommendations were made in four areas: CSR coaching (inconsistent for those with unmet metrics), aging reports (SLAs in CRM not accurate), reclassified service requests (not addressed in a timely manner), and system access (inappropriate access for former employees). Paula Stalk, Director of 311, accepted the findings and noted ongoing improvements.

  Councilmember Pacheco raised concerns about the lack of customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores and issue resolution metrics, noting that tickets are often closed without resolution. Councilmember White echoed residents' frustrations about closed cases without satisfactory resolution. Discussion included communication gaps between departments and residents, particularly with Animal Care Services and Code Compliance. Jeff Coyle (City Manager's Office) noted the 311 survey shows 91% satisfaction, but acknowledged room for improvement in communicating closure reasons. Councilmember Via Gran suggested piloting CSAT scores with ACS and Code Compliance, and forming a subcommittee to address the issue. The audit was accepted (motion carried unanimously). The meeting adjourned at 11:37 a.m.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
• Pre-solicitation briefings (Items 3-6): Noted as briefings; no votes. Staff will incorporate committee feedback.
• Post-solicitation (Item 7): Approved to proceed to City Council for contract award (motion carried unanimously).
• Audit (Item 8): Accepted unanimously. Chair Via Gran will send a memo to follow up on CSAT scores and consider a subcommittee for 311/ACS/Code issues.
• Next steps: Post-solicitation briefings for pre-solicitation items scheduled for August 5, 2026. State legislative consultant contracts will be negotiated June-July, with a post-solicitation briefing in August.

(Note: The meeting date is February 4, 2026, as instructed.)