OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

San Antonio Public Safety Committee Meeting - August 31, 2026

Council Committees — Monday, August 31, 2026
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionCouncil Committees
DateMonday, August 31, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:16:31

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

All right, good afternoon.

0:04

The time is now 2.08 p.m.

0:06

and we're gonna go ahead and call our public safety committee meeting to order.

0:09

Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?

0:15

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez.

0:17

Present.

0:17

Councilmember Castillo?

0:19

Here.

0:19

Councilmember Spears.

0:21

Councilmember White.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Chair Core.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Ma'am, we have a quorum.

0:26

Okay, great.

0:27

The first item on the agenda is approval of minutes from June 16th, 2026, 2026 meeting.

0:34

Any uh comments or changes that need to be made to the minutes?

0:39

The motion and a second.

0:41

All in favor?

0:43

Aye.

0:43

Any opposed?

0:44

No abstentions.

0:45

Motion carries.

0:46

Okay.

0:47

Second item on the agenda is a briefing and possible action on uh city council action requests the Love and CCR looking out for our vulnerable impacted neighbors.

0:55

We know we have a lot of stakeholders here, so we'll get to public comment in just a second, but we'll hear the presentation first, and then um folks that are here for public comment will have three minutes to speak.

1:11

Good afternoon, Council members.

1:13

My name is Dr.

1:14

Jennifer Matha.

1:15

I am here to present on the looking out for vulnerable impacted neighbors or the Love and CCR.

1:21

It was assigned to my department, the Compliance Opportunity and Access Department.

1:27

The Love and CCR was submitted by Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez on April 9th, 2026.

1:34

The CCR request seeks to protect transgender, non-binary, and intersex Sanitonians from discrimination and barriers to services.

1:45

The request includes exploring programs to allow for both self-selected name and self-selected gender options and ensuring residents can obtain accurate forms of ID.

1:56

Also, ensuring city personnel protect personal health information or personally identifiable information of transgender, non-binary, or intersex individuals seeking health care or access to public facilities and services.

2:11

Lastly, it encourages the addition of more single-user restrooms and changing facilities in city-owned and privately owned buildings and spaces, which benefits all people by creating additional spaces where people can use facilities privately and safely, in addition to ensuring that city policy reflects that every person is able to access public facilities.

2:33

The CCR was assigned to COA, and we will need to include coordination with departments that oversee specific items in the request.

2:41

These include DHS, Metro Health, HR, BESD, and ITSD.

2:48

COA presented the to the governance committee on May 13th, 2026.

2:53

The governance committee recommended referral to the Public Safety Committee.

2:59

Privacy and protection of personal and health data.

3:04

Metro Health protects all protected health information or PHI in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA and the HighTech Act.

3:16

Additional protections include AD 4.67, equal employment opportunity, anti-harassment affirms the city's commitment to foster a work environment free from employment discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment, including but not limited to gender identity and gender harassment, gender expression harassment.

3:38

This AD also stipulates that all persons shall be addressed according to their expressed gender preference, including chosen names and pronouns.

3:47

Refusal to do so may be considered a violation of the city's AD.

3:52

When an employee's chosen name differs from their legal name, the city will make every reasonable effort to keep legal and former names confidential.

4:01

AD 7.12 data governance, a comprehensive establishes a comprehensive framework for managing, securing, classifying, and sharing data across all city operations.

4:13

This directive sets clear standards to ensure the quality, integrity, usability, and accessibility of city data while emphasizing the protection of individual privacy.

4:24

AD 7.12 also provides structured protections for personally identifiable information or PII and sensitive personally identifiable information or SPII, including medical.

4:39

These data types are classified and confidential data and safeguarded under federal and state laws such as HIPAA, HITEC, and the Texas Medical Privacy Act.

4:50

The directive strictly prohibits the release of SPII, including medical information under the Texas Public Information Act by minimizing the collection of personal data, enforcing strong security controls, and requiring compliance with privacy regulations.

5:06

AD 7.12 ensures that sensitive personnel and medical information is protected throughout city operations.

5:16

Facility and restroom access.

5:25

Just wanted to point that out that we do have the standing NDO.

5:29

In anticipation of the effective date of the legislation, SB8, the city coordinated efforts across departments, including including compliance opportunity and access, building and equipment services, human resources, city attorney's office, communications and engagement, and information and technology service.

5:49

Key actions included posting standardized notices about the city's compliance with state law, an SB8 webpage, and an inventory of single user restrooms.

6:00

QR code stickers with a list of single user spaces on city properties were also posted in restrooms.

6:07

The SB8 facility inventory indicated that there are 406 single user bathrooms across city property.

6:20

Future work in this area could include the inventory of restroom facilities in city leased buildings or privately owned buildings who receive city funding.

6:30

In addition, the inventory may need to be reviewed to determine restroom facilities that are restricted to staff use and public use.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████████████20%
Art And Graffiti Regulation███████████████15%
Disability Rights█████████████13%
Public Health█████████████13%
Restroom Access██████████10%
Diversion Center███████7%
Procedural██████6%
Code Enforcement████4%
Mental Health Awareness███3%
Summary of Proceedings

San Antonio Public Safety Committee Meeting - August 31, 2026

The San Antonio Public Safety Committee met on August 31, 2026, at 2:08 PM, with a quorum present. The meeting covered three major items: a "Love and CCR" to protect transgender, non-binary, and intersex residents; a pilot diversion center program for low-level offenders; and a clarification of the graffiti ordinance regarding chalk. All items were approved and forwarded to the full City Council for action.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes from June 16, 2026: The committee unanimously approved the minutes without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Love and CCR: Multiple residents and organization representatives spoke in strong support. Speakers included:
    • Sofia Sepoveda (Equality Texas, District 1 resident) – argued the ordinance protects privacy and safety, especially for trans and immigrant communities.
    • Drew Norris (District 10) – described being questioned in women's restrooms and urged support.
    • Dominique Huerta (ACLU of Texas) – emphasized safety and privacy benefits of single-user restrooms.
    • Rachel Cundy (District 7, medical student) – noted health consequences of avoiding care due to privacy fears.
    • Kate Sanchez (Planned Parenthood South Texas) – called the ordinance a simple, evidence-based solution.
    • Tracy Bradley (District 8, retired RN) – highlighted privacy needs for people with medical conditions.
    • Nico Bonner (District 1) – argued public safety includes proactive environment design.
    • Ananda Thomas (Act for SA) – connected privacy to public safety, citing documented risks.
  • Diversion Center Pilot:
    • Alex Hester (UT Health Houston, contractor for feasibility study) – supported the pilot, noting that other Texas diversion centers recommend moving quickly to a pilot to tailor operations.
  • Graffiti Ordinance:
    • Pedro Ruiz (Project Unida) – supported removing chalk from graffiti definition, citing mutual aid and public art.
    • Joshua (self-identified as frequent recipient of chalk-related citations) – noted SAPD has not cited him for chalk since 2024, but San Antonio Park Police have; argued the ordinance is overly broad.
    • Michael Pacheco (General Manager, Centro San Antonio) – raised concerns about maintenance, sanitation, and hate speech, recommending restrictions in the downtown PID.

Discussion Items

  • Love and CCR (Looking Out for Vulnerable Impacted Neighbors): Presented by Dr. Jennifer Matha (Compliance Opportunity and Access Department). The CCR seeks protections for transgender, non-binary, and intersex individuals, including self-selected name/gender options on IDs, privacy of health/personal information, and expansion of single-user restrooms. Key points: The city already has administrative directives (AD 4.67, AD 7.12) protecting privacy and anti-discrimination; SB8 compliance already identified 406 single-user restrooms in city facilities. The recommended action is to add single-user restrooms in future city construction and major renovations. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez (sponsor) noted the issue was necessitated by state attacks. Councilmember White questioned scope and cost; staff clarified the recommendation is for city facilities only, not private businesses. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez argued that taxpayer-funded private projects should also comply. Councilmember Castillo urged moving quickly for inclusion in bond projects. The committee voted to forward to A session with individual briefings.
  • Diversion Center Pilot: Maria Vargas (Deputy City Manager) introduced an update on an ad hoc city-county committee exploring a pre-arrest diversion center. Center for Health Care Services (CHCS) presented a pilot program: 15 beds at Josephine Recovery Center for non-residential criminal trespass and theft under $100, targeting downtown and central SAPD substations. The pilot would cost about $625,000 from the city (funded via Westside TIRZ) for a six-month period (total $1.9 million split among city, county, and University Health). CHCS noted 78 individuals per month with mental health needs in low-level trespass cases; SAPD cited 1,700 criminal trespass arrests in 2025, with many having mental health/unsheltered flags. StRAC would convene governance. Councilmember Castillo (co-chair of ad hoc committee) emphasized pre-arrest diversion reduces jail costs. Councilmember White asked for defined success metrics; staff agreed governance group would set them. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez raised concerns about the service area not covering the facility's neighborhood (Government Hill) and suggested adding Intercity TIRZ funding. Compromise: CHCS will return in three months with a progress update. Motion to approve and forward to September 10th A session passed.
  • SAPD Graffiti Ordinance Clarification: Chief Salome presented recommended removal of chalk from the definition of "graffiti implement" (paint stick). The current ordinance could treat chalk as a graffiti implement; enforcement data showed only 12 possession citations from 2024-2026 (22% conviction rate). The change clarifies that implements must leave an indelible mark. The committee discussed that hate speech or obscene chalk could still be addressed under disorderly conduct or criminal mischief. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez noted the conflict is between Centro and a single activist, and that the ordinance change does not resolve underlying tensions. Councilmember White and Castillo supported the clarification but emphasized mutual respect. Motion to forward to September 10th A session passed.

Key Outcomes

  • Love and CCR: Motion carried to forward to an A session (September date not specified in transcript) with staff individual briefings to council members. (Vote: all in favor, none opposed).
  • Diversion Center Pilot: Motion carried to approve funding from Westside TIRZ and place on the September 10, 2026 A session agenda. (Vote: all in favor, none opposed). CHCS to begin outreach to neighborhood businesses.
  • Graffiti Ordinance: Motion carried to send the ordinance clarification to the September 10, 2026 A session. (Vote: all in favor, none opposed).

Meeting Transcript

All right, good afternoon. The time is now 2.08 p.m. and we're gonna go ahead and call our public safety committee meeting to order. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Councilmember McKee Rodriguez. Present. Councilmember Castillo? Here. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember White. Here. Chair Core. Here. Ma'am, we have a quorum. Okay, great. The first item on the agenda is approval of minutes from June 16th, 2026, 2026 meeting. Any uh comments or changes that need to be made to the minutes? The motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? No abstentions. Motion carries. Okay. Second item on the agenda is a briefing and possible action on uh city council action requests the Love and CCR looking out for our vulnerable impacted neighbors. We know we have a lot of stakeholders here, so we'll get to public comment in just a second, but we'll hear the presentation first, and then um folks that are here for public comment will have three minutes to speak. Good afternoon, Council members. My name is Dr. Jennifer Matha. I am here to present on the looking out for vulnerable impacted neighbors or the Love and CCR. It was assigned to my department, the Compliance Opportunity and Access Department. The Love and CCR was submitted by Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez on April 9th, 2026. The CCR request seeks to protect transgender, non-binary, and intersex Sanitonians from discrimination and barriers to services. The request includes exploring programs to allow for both self-selected name and self-selected gender options and ensuring residents can obtain accurate forms of ID. Also, ensuring city personnel protect personal health information or personally identifiable information of transgender, non-binary, or intersex individuals seeking health care or access to public facilities and services. Lastly, it encourages the addition of more single-user restrooms and changing facilities in city-owned and privately owned buildings and spaces, which benefits all people by creating additional spaces where people can use facilities privately and safely, in addition to ensuring that city policy reflects that every person is able to access public facilities. The CCR was assigned to COA, and we will need to include coordination with departments that oversee specific items in the request. These include DHS, Metro Health, HR, BESD, and ITSD. COA presented the to the governance committee on May 13th, 2026. The governance committee recommended referral to the Public Safety Committee. Privacy and protection of personal and health data. Metro Health protects all protected health information or PHI in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA and the HighTech Act. Additional protections include AD 4.67, equal employment opportunity, anti-harassment affirms the city's commitment to foster a work environment free from employment discrimination, harassment, and sexual harassment, including but not limited to gender identity and gender harassment, gender expression harassment. This AD also stipulates that all persons shall be addressed according to their expressed gender preference, including chosen names and pronouns. Refusal to do so may be considered a violation of the city's AD. When an employee's chosen name differs from their legal name, the city will make every reasonable effort to keep legal and former names confidential. AD 7.12 data governance, a comprehensive establishes a comprehensive framework for managing, securing, classifying, and sharing data across all city operations. This directive sets clear standards to ensure the quality, integrity, usability, and accessibility of city data while emphasizing the protection of individual privacy. AD 7.12 also provides structured protections for personally identifiable information or PII and sensitive personally identifiable information or SPII, including medical. These data types are classified and confidential data and safeguarded under federal and state laws such as HIPAA, HITEC, and the Texas Medical Privacy Act.

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