10 a.m.

on Wednesday's uh June 17, 2026, meeting of governance committees called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

Councilmember Mickey Rodriguez, Councilmember Via Gran.

Here, Councilmember Mungia.

Councilmember Spears.

Mayor Jones.

Here, Mayor, we have quorum.

Great.

Is there a motion and a second to approve the minutes?

I make a motion to approve the minutes.

Great.

There's a motion and a second to approve the minutes.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carries.

Public comment.

We have one individual from the public, Jack Finger.

So you have three minutes.

Madam Mayor, I'll sign up to speak on number two.

May I speak when that matter is uh deliberated upon?

No, we're gonna actually take them all together.

So your comments now are fine.

Okay, well, here it goes.

Um, item number two.

Main Avenue is a uh main street here in San Antonio.

Many of our motors citizens travel upon it, hence the name Maine.

Um you are going to use uh five thousand tax dollars.

Five thousand taxes, go ahead count them uh to uh rename or re-honor portions of it in honor of who?

Uh a person whose name is Erica Andrews, but exactly who is Erica Andrews.

Erica Andrews was actually a male, a man born in Mexico.

As best we can tell, his his original name was Eddie Salazar.

That's who I shall refer to in my presentation.

Eddie Salazar uh moved to United States legally, illegally, we don't know.

But he decided to become uh sir.

This is about Erica Andrews, that's who we're talking about.

We don't know this other person that you're talking about.

So please use the correct title.

Otherwise, we're not gonna know what you're talking about.

Well, very good.

Uh I'm sorry you don't know that.

Madam Mayor, it is in Wikipedia, his original name, whom you refer to as Erica Andrews.

Um decided to become a woman, and uh yes, became uh, well, uh used chemicals to become a female from a male.

Uh I refer to that as a perversion in itself.

But then that person, as you say Erica Andrews, decided to become a drag queen performer.

I consider that another perversion.

And so consequently, and performing at various uh homosexual lounges upon Main Avenue, and uh so consequently uh now currently you folks decide you are going to honor this conglomeration of perversions with a portion of Maine Avenue named after whom you call Erica Andrews.

Uh this is wrong, quite frankly.

You are honoring evil, and you need to yes, stop it.

So I call upon you to quite frankly to just squelch this whole idea.

Thank you.

We'll move on to the action items.

In the interest of time, we'll take all three presentations back to back for the three CCRs.

Um go ahead, Joe Frank.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh we'll have a mean start.

Uh, and you may as well take all three back to back.

Thank you.

Good morning, Mayor.

Council.

My name is Amin Tomaz, Director of Development Services, and I'm here to present in regards to a large area rezoning for Stone Ridge area.

We received the council consideration request in May by District 10, and the request is to uh rezone large area rezone for um Stone Ridge neighborhood and two different phases area one and area two.

The main reason for this is to realign the zoning with the existing use of the property.

Today that area has um duplexes mainly, and the area is zoned at single family residential area.

So we just want to work on that and get that corrected.

So staff recommendation is to refer this to a session for consideration of resolution to initiate the large area rezoning, and the next steps will be to conduct the analysis and to bring forward appropriate plan amendments and zoning changes.

Uh also to uh bring non-conforming current land uses into conformance with the appropriate zoning.

That is my presentation.

Um I know we're gonna do all three then questions, okay.

All three together, thank you.

Go ahead.

The second item is mine as well.

The second one is in regards to a memorial designation for Erica Andrews.

We received the CCR from district one in June.

And again, the reason for it is to honor Erica Andrews for the positive impact on the queer community of San Antonio.

Mainly to designate a section of North Main Avenue with Erica Andrews Memorial Way between East Cypress Street and East Ashbury's place.

Our recommendation is to start the review process, which includes technical reviews, public meetings, historic and uh design review commission, planning commission, and finally to go for uh consideration by city council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I will note for that one in particular.

We have several letters from the public in support for this as well.

We have one from Equality Texas, we have one from Pride Center, San Antonio, Daniel Pacheco, the member of the LGBT leader within the LGBTQ community for the record.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Okay.

Good morning, members of the governance committee.

The next CCR was submitted by Councilman McKee Rodriguez and is related to the creation of a task force related to safe lodging partnership.

So one of the um issues identified in the CCR is that there are many areas of our city that are experiencing public safety and quality of life concerns associated with certain motels.

This could include a high calls for service to our 911 system and our 311 system, nuisance complaints, and other disturbances that affect the residents in the neighborhoods of our city.

However, this motels also provide short-term lodging services and temporary houses housing for some members of our community.

So they're also uh valuable partners to our city.

So what the CCR specifically is asking that we explore our partnership with this motels and extended state operations in those areas of the city that where what we have identified high calls related to our 911 system or 311 system, that we also look into um evidence-based uh programs, if perhaps in other areas of our city and other uh areas of the country where we can model and and perhaps do a pilot program to be able to uh target those high priority quarters or other properties for an initial deployment that we would establish metrics for success and the evaluate evaluate the estimated costs and potential uh funding sources for this program.

So um additionally, the the CCR requests that we do an equity and community impact assessing strategies to avoid displacement of vulnerable populations and develop community engagement.

What we are uh proposing is that this CCR move forward to our public safety committee to give us time to staff to evaluate what other cities in the country are doing and provide some recommendations and an assessment of the CCR to the public safety committee, and then from there bring that back to the full council.

Thank you, Mayor.

That concludes my presentation.

Thank you, Maria.

Okay.

So we've uh received the presentation of all three.

Um we'll take the uh discussion and vote though by each individual item.

So um item two was a CCR by Councilmember Mark White, who is um who is not here on a large area rezoning for the Stone Ridge neighborhood.

Is there a motion and a second to approve the staff recommendation or another motion?

I may I make a motion to approve the staff recommendation.

Second, great.

Is there any further discussion on that item?

We have a motion and a second to approve the staff recommendation.

Um, all in favor say aye.

All in favor say no.

Okay, motion passes.

Item three is the CCR uh by Councilmember Secor on a memorial designation of Erica Andrews' way on a portion of North Main Avenue.

Is there a motion and a second to approve the staff recommendation or another motion?

I make a motion to approve staff recommendation.

Second.

Okay.

Uh, is there any uh there's a motion and a second?

Is there any further discussion on this item?

I I'd like to just uh uh I mean uh as we go through this process, we did this in uh we did this on Pleasanton also uh for uh one of the doc uh the doctors there.

So I really want to make sure that this kind of streamlines the that we we have like a check list for people before we do this.

I I don't know if there's a way we could take designations directly to uh planning um and or start the steady process, or if it always does it always have to come for governance, and I don't know if that's uh a mean question or uh Andy question.

Did do these designations always have to come to governance?

So right now, any any CCR needs to come to governance to be decided on where they're gonna go next.

But in terms of designations, do we need to do a CCR to do get a a memorial designation?

I think that's the the way that we originate memorial designations for streets now.

If we want to have a larger conversation about that process, I think we can, but that's the current way is that if if there's want to do a memorial designation for a street that a CCR is generated and we're off to do the work.

Is there any way we can Andy?

Is there any way we can't uh the answer is yes, uh, councilwoman, but as Jan referred to that would be a discussion with the city manager um and probably others in terms of coming up with a streamlined process, but in terms of what the charter and ordinances, yes, there's flexibility there.

Okay, I just wanted to make sure it was in the charter and ordinance we could look at flexibility.

Thank you.

Because I did I just don't think it's necessary for people who don't know what they're talking about to get up and talk in public comment.

They can they can save that for Wednesday night.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Councilman Wing.

Agreed.

Councilman Via Grant.

Uh, and so I would say that I think that we should develop a process because especially considering when you rename uh a park or a uh city facility, you don't have to do a CCR for that.

That's a separate process.

Same thing honestly with the last item at large area rezoning.

Why is that a CCR process?

It should be something development services does with the council members.

So we can avoid um CCRs based on just these two items.

But uh happy to have signed on on this request.

Um, and I think it's important to to recognize folks who made a difference in different communities.

So I applaud Councilwoman Corps' efforts uh to do this in the face of hate and and ugly vitriol also.

So thank you.

Um I mean we'll come back to the other recommendation.

I think there's similar appetite for the large area rezoning things, similarly not having to come here if they don't have to, right?

Um, okay.

Any other comments on on this item?

Okay.

Uh there's a motion and a second to approve the staff recommendation.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, no.

None.

Okay.

Motion carries.

Thank you.

The final item is a CCR by Councilmember um Jalen McKee Rodriguez for a safe lodging partnership task force to collaborate with motel operators on public safety and neighborhood concerns.

Is there a motion and second to approve the staff recommendation or another motion?

Second.

Okay, there's a motion and a second.

Um, Councilman McKee Rodriguez, would you like to say a few words?

Yes, thank you so much, Mayor, and thank you uh for the presentation and for uh your diligence on uh the CCR.

Uh we did check in with the integrated the Office of Integrated Community Safety uh to get feedback before filing and submitting and wanting to have a conversation about you know sort of the impetus behind um this request and largely you know the number of DAR operations and safety concerns that that exist at certain motels uh require us to be a little bit more proactive in engaging all of these motel operators to encourage and uh incentivize even safety precautions like fencing, lighting and increasing communication with public safety departments, but ultimately I consider this a first step in another layer of uh our ultimate violent crime prevention plan.

And so I look forward to this moving along in the process and thank my colleagues for their support.

Thank you.

Um Maria, for for clarity, we've talked about some of these items that are um may be a little bit more of a um a budget lift, right?

Once implemented, so the full scope of that will come out of whatever discussion happens at public safety so that we can, I don't know if I don't know if we'd incorporate or consider it rather as part of 27 or um if they're able to to address it that quickly, but this does seem like something that would come with significant budgetary um potential budgetary um considerations.

So I want to make sure that we are managing expectations about if this is even something that we'd look at at 27 or if the public safety committee could look at it that quickly.

I guess what I'll convey is that convening folk other than staff time and resources doesn't come with the the funding request.

There may be conversations that happen as a part of the the work that you know individual items may be considered for funding, but I don't think the request itself isn't necessarily necessitates budget conversation just yet.

Um given that the timing where we are in the process, our next public safety committee will be in the month of August.

So we'll start the conversation and um and explore what options are out there.

Um perhaps an ordinance that that may they may put some requirements uh if we wanted to do that.

So a lot of work to do, mayor.

I don't think we'll be prepared for the 2027 budget to provide an estimated cost, and at this point we don't know exactly what if there's gonna be or the extent of any cost.

So I think in the event, um, depending on how we develop that process and the community engagement, um, that's something that we can come back and update the council.

Thank you.

I mean, I just think about the conversation we had yesterday, which was the pre-brief for the budget discussion tomorrow, where we actually outline some of the things that are potentially for consideration for cut that would actually be key to implementing something like this.

I want to make sure we're talking about both of those at the same time, as well as understanding what other cost considerations may be involved.

Councilman Viegeran.

I yeah, I I like the spirit in the idea of the task force, and I don't mind sending it to public safety, but again, this has been something I've been asking for because I've got Pressa, I've got Roosevelt, I've got military drive.

There's always a price tag.

And for me to go and ask me my small businesses to do any of these recommendations is going to cost, and they're gonna ask me how are they supposed to pay for that.

So I really feel like when we have these conversations, we need to begin at the root effort in terms of working with the hotel owners and seeing what their appetite to is because if I if they're making more doing stuff that is in the gray area, they're not gonna do the things we ask for them to be safety.

I I've had to come with code.

Like this is my other thing, is I've had to come with code.

I've had to come with SAPD to try and make these things safer.

So I do I I am in agreement with the mayor is that we ask for these things, but we don't have where is the pilot money coming from?

If I pilot a program, I pay for that program.

And that that's my my concern here is that who who where is where's the where are the dollars gonna come from?

Is it going to come from our our funds and what sort of funds do we get as council members, whether it's through our I I don't think NAMP's available.

I don't think where we have this to pilot a program.

Anything that that is piloted should be we should know where that funds going to come when that um when that price comes to it.

So I'm I'm pleased that public safety is going to address this issue, but again, we need to be willing to to find the funds to to pay for this.

Um because I know in my area in particular, it's gonna it's a really big ass to ask them to implement this when we're not providing any uh incentive to do so.

So um yeah, that that's my my frustration too, and I we just we do need to look at our budget, and I I'm hoping tomorrow's conversation um comes with some very um solid ideas in terms of how we're going to work this budget out.

Thank you.

Councilman Mungia.

Yes, thank you uh Maria for the presentation.

I did sign on this because I am supportive.

I do have some, you know, smaller operators on on my side of town, also on the south side, and I I often wonder, you know, what happens and goes on there.

And I think, you know, it's not necessarily money solution, and what I see in the CCR is a lot of like engage with people, explore voluntary adoption models, identify work with research institutions, um, you know, making sure people are aware of the programs that are available.

So what I kind of see in this is not even if there are nefarious things happening at certain motels, it may not be with the permission or acceptance of the owner.

I think sometimes the owner may not even be there.

It might be a manager, or there might be, you know, uh homeless folks who are staying at some of these low-cost motels as an option and how are dealing with other activities there as a result of them staying.

So I think it's a it's a very complicated situation.

I think most of the what happens there, if it's nefarious or bad things are, you know, very low-income folks or no income.

I think it's probably, you know, lack of uh workforce opportunities.

There's probably things that have happened to where people are doing those things instead of it just being a budget option, is it's turning into maybe something else.

And so we want to make sure the owners know, like, hey, if you do have somebody who's staying here who seems to be homeless, there are all these other options available to these folks.

We can come back with our city staff and connect with people who are there.

So I don't think it necessarily is a cost, but I do understand if we're gonna have staff reductions, that's gonna be a conversation.

But I think this is a worthwhile thing to explore uh and make sure that people are safe uh in these different places.

So definitely support this and hopefully we can work with you all to identify some spots in district four that we think might be good candidates to have a conversation with.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I of course support in general the idea of um one reduced workload for Chief McManus.

I mean, I'll never forget last budget.

He stood up right there and I said, what is the greatest contributor?

What is your ask based on?

He said workload.

And so if we have things, for example, that are a crime-free lodging certification, that seems like it would reduce the workload of Chief McManus and the officers can be focused on other things, while we are also um working to address as you know, as you point out, councilman, the the critical partner they are in addressing homelessness for for many in our community.

Um, the uh the overall picture, and I think we are scrutinizing this not just because we want it to work very well, but also as mentioned by a couple of folks, we know that there are costs associated not just with the implementation of it, but even the those folks that we would be pulled off from other things to even figure out what this looks like in practice, right?

On top of then identifying what the incentive itself may be, et cetera, et cetera.

And so as we balance that, Maria, um, with you know, here's the cost to implement it, here are then the things that are voluntary, right?

So it's a lot of infrastructure for for voluntary, and I think just look, just given the fiscal environment that we're in, I think it's fair to ask those questions.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Is it a noble intent?

I completely agree it is if there are folks that want to to um to dive into it.

But there is the reality of of what councilwoman Viewedan just described as well, which is um, well, the reality of some of these business operators that have other activities that are going on there.

Um, so um any other additional comments on on this topic?

No, okay.

So sending this to uh to public safety is the is the recommendation.

Um with some, because it is worthwhile, some kind of more full sum understanding of what the cost profile of something like this might be would be beneficial, as well as the things that don't necessarily come with it.

And who are some of the other partners in the community that could help us um ensure this is as successful as possible?

Okay, and mayor, if it's helpful, um we have a program that we started a couple of years ago, good neighbor program that it focusing is focusing on residential homes.

We have an apartment complex um program to address those upram and complexes that are problematic through our code enforcement um office.

We have the DART uh program that is led by our city attorney's office that identified properties that have set meet certain criminal thresholds that we address.

So we are looking at all those programs, and um, my dear Vargas's team has started the research with other uh cities across the country that have attempted attempted to do something similar.

So we're exploring those um options that are out there, uh, but we'll definitely come back to the public safety committee with that evaluation and some options uh taking into account our budget constraints.

Does this is this something that could be wrapped into what Dr.

Smith is doing?

His efforts, the crime prevention.

It is is different because the crime prevention is focusing primarily on um what we call hot spot areas with high crime.

This could be part of that, but not necessarily.

Um, so we'll evaluate that that option.

Now the solutions for those properties is we do the uh hotspot policing first, and then we do the uh place-based uh policing where we interact with all the bring other city departments, animal care services, code enforcement to connect individuals to services.

Um, so it could work as part of all those programs that we're doing, but based on the number of calls may not be selected to be one of those hotspots that we're addressing through that plan.

Thanks, Maria.

Just given how one successful that program is and all the infrastructure already associated with it.

If you could dovetail on that, it seems like could be um useful and efficient.

Thank you.

Okay, any other discussion on this item?

There's a motion in a second to approve the staff recommendation to send this to public safety with all the considerations noted.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Okay, the motion carries.

Okay, great.

Happy pride.

The time is 10 34 a.m.

and the meetings adjourned.