San Antonio Audit Committee Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Audit Committee of the San Antonio City Council met on February 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Chair Villagrán presided with a quorum present. The meeting covered the approval of minutes, a public comment letter, a consent calendar, four presolicitation reports, one post-solicitation award recommendation, and an audit report on 311 customer service operations. The meeting adjourned at 11:37 AM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by voice vote without corrections.
• Public Comment Letter: A letter from Ray Cárdenas was received and noted for the record; the author was not present.
• Consent Agenda: The consent agenda item (a final internal report) was approved by voice vote unanimously.

Discussion Items: Presolicitation Reports

• Item 3 – Event Licenses for Convention Facilities (Sports Facilities Dept.): Presolicitation for event licenses at the Convention Center, Rivi González, and Alamo Dome. Estimated total $9.5 million over three years, with two one-year renewal options. Annual value $1.9 million. Funded by hotel/motel tax. Chair Villagrán asked that questions about IBW union labor and Ready to Work participation be included in the solicitation. Councilmember White requested data on the percentage of local vs. out‑of‑town contractors. Staff will provide that information at the post-solicitation stage.
• Item 4 – Legislative Consulting Services (Government Affairs Dept.): Presolicitation for up to five firms to represent San Antonio in Austin. Total $1.6 million over two years with two one-year renewal options; each firm capped at $400,000/year. Councilmember White expressed concern about using taxpayer funds to lobby against legislation such as the business personal property tax exemption, which he supported. He asked for clearer communication on the city’s policy positions before contracting lobbyists. Director Sally Bazurto and Jeff O'Celly explained the process for developing the legislative agenda and noted that a transparency portal will provide past lobbying records. Chair Villagrán stressed the need for a strategic approach given upcoming changes in the Texas Senate. Councilmember Mesa González asked about the firms' specializations and evaluation criteria.
• Item 5 – Toxicology Lab Services (Police Dept.): Presolicitation for a single‐vendor contract to provide blood testing for DWI and related cases. Estimated $5.6 million over three years with two one-year renewal options. The current contract expires September 30, 2026. Councilmember White asked why a single vendor was chosen; staff explained the District Attorney's preference for consistency in expert testimony. Councilmember Pacheco asked about the origin (domestic vs. foreign) of testing supplies; staff will follow up with UT Health regarding potential tariff impacts.
• Item 6 – Design Services for Culebra Road (Capital Delivery Dept.): Presolicitation for design services for the Culebra Road corridor from Loop 410 to General McMullen, covering five miles in Districts 5, 6, and 7. Estimated $9 million for design, funded by the 2022 GO bond and a federal grant. Construction is expected to cost over $100 million. Councilmember White asked about on‑time delivery history. Councilmember Mesa González requested coordination with utility companies to avoid delays; staff confirmed a memorandum of understanding with utility partners.

Key Outcomes: Post-Solicitation Award and Audit Acceptance

• Item 7 – Design and Environmental Services for Rittiman Road Grade Separation (Capital Delivery Dept.): Post-solicitation report recommending award to Vendor B for $6,300,299.39. The project will separate the railroad crossing on Rittiman Road in District 2, funded by $4 million in federal grants. Ten proposals were received; three were shortlisted and interviewed. The committee unanimously voted to forward the recommendation to the City Council.
• Item 8 – Audit Report AU 25-001: 311 Customer Service Operations: Audit Manager Abigail Esteves presented findings. Overall, 311 call center controls were effective, but several issues were identified:
  • Inconsistent training for call representatives.
  • Inaccurate CRM reporting metrics; for example, in January 2025, a percentage of service requests were not fully integrated from the CRM to subsystems like Chameleon.
  • Delays in reclassifying incorrectly routed service requests.
  • Inappropriate system access: four former employees (retired or transferred) still had access to Calabrio and CRM.
  • Recommendation to improve training, data accuracy, integration procedures, and access controls. 311 Director Paula Stocken acknowledged the findings and outlined corrective actions. Councilmembers White and Mesa González highlighted resident frustration when cases are closed without resolution. Chair Villagrán suggested focusing on the two departments with the most complaints (Animal Care Services and Code Compliance) and requested a follow‑up report. The committee voted unanimously to accept the audit.