Nov 14, 2023 Commissioners Court Work Session

WE HAVE A POWERPOINT.

WE DO.

UH, WHAT WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A, A LOCATION THAT WILL BE, UH, MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND, AND WILL BRING, UH, UH, JOBS TO, TO OUR, TO THE AREA.

WHILE WE'RE GETTING THAT, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US.

UM, I'M MAYOR DAN REESE FROM THE CITY OF WINDCREST.

UH, THANK YOU FOR FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO, UH, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

UH, WE, WE WANT TO THANK YOUR STAFF.

I, I SERVED THE SIX YEARS AT THE PENTAGON, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED THERE WAS, UH, ABOUT 80% OF WHAT THEY DID WAS GET THE GET LEADERS READY FOR MAKING DECISIONS.

AND YOUR, YOUR STAFF, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF AND YOUR STAFF HAVE BEEN, UH, A GREAT HELP TO US TO BRING YOU, BRING YOU THERE.

SO THANK YOU TO THE STAFF.

THANK YOU FOR THE JUDGE FOR CHAMPIONING THIS.

AND THANK YOU FOR COMMISSIONER CALVERT FOR, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR INSIGHT AND YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CITY OF WINDCREST.

I GOT A COUPLE OF, UH, SLIDES.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF WINDCREST WAS, UH, WE, WE, UH, WE HAD THIS MALL CALLED WINDSOR PARK MALL.

I'VE BEEN AMAZED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE REMEMBER WINDSOR PARK MALL, UH, IN, IN FACT, MANY PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER WHERE THERE WAS A DILLARD'S THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT HAPPENED WAS A MONUMENT, UH, OCCASION THAT CALLED THAT, THAT, UH, REPURPOSED THAT MALL INTO WHAT, WHAT WAS CALLED RACKSPACE.

THAT, UH, THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS A STATE THAT WAS A STATEWIDE AND, AND TO SOME DEGREE, A NATIONWIDE EVENT THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT CREATED THAT IT'S, AND SO THAT WAS, UH, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, UH, THE, UH, THAT MOVEMENT OF RACKSPACE TO, UH, TO SOMETHING ELSE, UH, STANDS TO REASON AS ANOTHER MONUMENTOUS EVENT FOR THE, UH, UH, FOR, FOR THE CITY OF WINDCREST.

AND SO, UH, IN, IN, IN, UH, UH, IN, IN RELATION, YOU MIGHT, UH, YOU MIGHT EXPECT THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE A BIG DEAL, BUT IT WAS TO US, OUR, OUR, THE CITY OF WIN CREST'S TOTAL BUDGET IS ROUGHLY ABOUT $10 MILLION.

THE, THE REVENUE FROM SALES TAX FROM THAT, UH, UH, FROM RACKSPACE WAS, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.

AND SO THAT WAS, THAT THE, THE, THE MOVEMENT OF RACKSPACE OUT OF THE CITY OF WINDCREST INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, HAS CREATED QUITE A, QUITE A, AN ISSUE FOR US.

AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING IS TO, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK TO CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, ABOUT THAT PROPERTY, IS WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND OR OUR CONSTITUENTS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, WAS WE DID NOT OWN THAT PROPERTY TO, TO SELL IT.

RACKSPACE, UH, COULD SELL THAT PROPERTY TO WHOMEVER THEY WANTED TO.

WE HAD A, A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH, UH, WITH RACKSPACE.

AND TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO THE CITY OF WINDCREST TO LOOK AT.

WE HAD A VERY GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, AND THEY, THEY CAME TO US WITH POTENTIAL BUYERS TO LOOK FOR A ANOTHER PARTNER FOR THE CITY OF WINDCREST.

AND, AND THEY ENCOURAGED THE, THE, THOSE PARTNERS TO COME HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE, THE DECISION PROCESS.

WE BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE HAVE NOW IN, IN, IN, UH, THIS I, THIS ICP PROJECT IS A COMPANY THAT WILL, WILL INDEED BE A, A GREAT PARTNER FOR US.

THEY, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.

THEY, THEY TAKE PROPERTIES LIKE WHAT YOU SEE AT, AT THE RACKSPACE, AND THEY, AND THEY DEVELOP IT.

SO WE, WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT PROJECT FOR NOT ONLY WINDCREST, BUT OBVIOUSLY FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

AND, AND TO, AND TO THAT DEGREE ALSO, SAN ANTONIO.

THEY ARE A AS, AS, AS YOU'LL SEE, WHEN KEITH TALKS WITH A NATIONAL DEVELOPER, UH, THEY, UH, THEY, THEY WILL, I BELIEVE, BE A GREAT PARTNER FOR US.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DEVOID IS WHAT WE HAD BEFORE A A, AN EMPTY SPACE.

THIS, THIS IS A GREAT LOCATION, AND WE BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN, WHEN KEITH COMES TO TALK TO US, TALK, TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS, IS THAT YOU'LL SEE A,

[00:05:01]

SO OBVIOUSLY, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

WINDCREST IS FULLY COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT.

WE HAVE, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE PUTTING $2 MILLION OF OUR OWN, UH, OUR OWN INTO THIS MASTER ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

UH, WE ARE PUTTING IT, UH, WE, WE ARE GETTING AN AGREEMENT THAT WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, UH, HAVE A SEVEN YEAR, UH, PROPERTY TAX INCENTIVE PASSED ON, ON ONTO THIS PROJECT.

AND, AND WE ARE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT.

AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT THAT ICP IS THE RIGHT, THE, THE, THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT, UH, THE RIGHT COMPANY FOR THE CITY OF WINDCREST, THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT COMPANY FOR BEAR COUNTY, AND, AND ALSO THE RIGHT COMPANY FOR THIS, UH, FOR THE PORTION OF, OF SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS, AS YOU KNOW, DISTRICT, DISTRICT TWO.

AND SO WITH THAT, I, I WILL, I WILL PASS THE, UH, THE TORCH OFF TO, UH, TO KEITH.

WELL, ONE, ONE MORE THING, AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I SAID ALREADY.

THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ICP WINDCREST AND BEXAR COUNTY WILL TRANSFORM THE RACKSPACE PROPERTY INTO A GROWTH GENERATOR.

ONE THING I WOULD WOULD TELL YOU THAT, UH, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO, UH, TO $40 MILLION OF, OF INVESTMENT INTO THE, INTO THIS, UH, PROJECT.

ONE THING I HAVE WILL ALSO MENTION IS THE JOBS THAT THEY WILL BRING TO THIS, UH, TO THIS PROPERTY ARE DIFFERENT JOBS.

I, UH, RACKSPACE BROUGHT, BROUGHT JOBS THAT WERE IN THE RACKSPACE, UH, UH, CRITERIA.

I BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN THEY TRANSFORMED THIS, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS AREA INTO, UH, INTO ICP WILL, WILL BE JOBS THAT ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE, TO BE A DIVERSE KIND OF JOBS THAT YOU'LL, THAT, THAT WILL BE A BETTER FIT FOR, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE AREA AROUND US.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO, UH, TO, TO KEITH FROM ICP TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND, AND WHAT THEY SEE IN THIS PROJECT.

WE LIKE DIVERSIFICATION ACROSS

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

GOOD MORNING.

THIS HAS BEEN A, UH, A JOURNEY FOR US.

WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, THIS PAST YEAR.

UM, BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, I'M KEITH BRAND WITH ICP EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT.

UH, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SOURCING OF ALL OF OUR ACQUISITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T START BY THANKING MANY OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME.

UH, THIS HAS BEEN A TRUE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO GET TO THIS POINT THIS MORNING, UH, FROM THE WORK OF THE EDC, THE CITY OF WINDCREST AND THE, AND COMPLETE BEXAR COUNTY, THIS HAS BEEN A TRUE TEAM EFFORT TO GET TO THIS POINT.

UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ICP.

UM, ICP WE'RE BASED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, BASED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WE ARE A, UH, WE'VE BEEN, WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1996, SO WE HAVE 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS REALM.

WE, UM, WE ARE A VALUE ADD DEVELOPER THAT LOOKS FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE SEE VALUE THAT WE COULD CREATE THROUGH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND THROUGH OUR TEAM.

WE HAVE, RIGHT NOW, 150 PROPERTIES ACROSS THE US, WHICH IS JUST SHY OF AROUND 50 MILLION SQUARE FEET.

UH, WE HAVE OVER 300 TENANT RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO AS EXISTS TODAY.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NAME ICP, IT'S KIND OF A MISNOMER BECAUSE IT STANDS FOR INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, BUT WE'RE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS LINES OF BUSINESS ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO.

OUR PORTFOLIO CONSISTS OF RETAIL, OF OFFICE, OF MULTIFAMILY, INDUSTRIAL IS WHAT STARTED OUR COMPANY IN 1996.

BUT WE HAD VENTURED OFF MULTIPLE LINES OF BUSINESS ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO.

WE, WE UTILIZED REAL ESTATE, REALLY AS A TOOL TO REALLY SOLVE BLIGHT AND ADD ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE, WE SPECIALIZE IN ADAPTIVE REUSE, AND IN MANY INSTANCES, WE'RE COMING INTO AREAS WHERE THERE'S BLIGHT.

AND BECAUSE THERE'S BLIGHT, TYPICALLY THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR ARE VERY STRONG IN THE PUBLIC PRIVATE SECTOR.

SO NORMALLY, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT AN, AT A, AT AN ASSET IN A CERTAIN MARKET, ONE OF OUR FIRST PHONE CALLS IS TO THE MUNICIPALITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A COMMON VISION TO SOLVE A REAL ESTATE ISSUE AND A FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC ISSUE.

AND THAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE TODAY.

WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SITE IN FEBRUARY, OUR FIRST PHONE CALL AFTER WE HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH JLL WAS LISTING BROKER WAS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY OF WINDCREST.

WE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHERE THEIR HEAD WAS AT ON SOLVING THIS ISSUE.

AND WE FOUND OUT VERY EARLY ON THAT THAT VISION WAS SHARED.

AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE AROUND 300 TENANTS ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO.

THOSE RANGE FROM FORTUNE 50 COMPANIES, WHERE YOU CAN SEE AMAZON, LOCKHEED MARTIN, GE, PPG, ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE STARTUPS.

SO WE GO AS DIVERSE AS A FORTUNE 50 COMPANY TO A DRY VERGE, WHICH IS ON THE SCREEN, WHICH IS A COMPANY BASED IN A, IN OHIO, THAT'S SPECIALIZING IN HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE VANS AND MODERNIZATION.

OUR VETTING PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO OUR CLIENTS REALLY GETS INVOLVED WITH THEIR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, THEIR BALANCE SHEET, THEIR MARKET SHARE, AND THEIR GROWTH MODEL.

WE LIKE DIVERSIFICATION ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO.

[00:10:01]

OUR ASSETS BECAUSE WE THINK IT MITIGATES RISK.

I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT ONE EXAMPLE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING AND CORPORATE SOLUTIONS AS IT RELATES TO REDEVELOPMENTS.

WE'VE DONE A FEW IN OUR BACKYARD.

ONE, ONE THAT WE'VE DONE IN AKRON, OHIO WAS THE FORMER CAMPUS OF GOODYEAR, THAT WE TOOK A 1.6 MILLION SQUARE FOOT COMPLEX, DID A COMPLETE RENOVATION.

THE ONE THAT'S ON THE SCREEN ACTUALLY SITS IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, OHIO.

UH, THIS WAS THE FORMER AMERICAN GREETINGS HEADQUARTER.

UH, THEY ANNOUNCED, UH, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE LEAVING FOR A LIFESTYLE CENTER AND MOVING THEIR HEADQUARTERS OUTTA BROOKLYN TO A SUBURB ON THE WEST SIDE.

THEY, UH, THEY EMPLOYED AROUND 2000 TOTAL EMPLOYEES AT THE TIME.

AND FOR THE HIT TO THE CITY OF BROOKLYN WAS ENORMOUS BECAUSE OF THE INCOME TAX THAT THEY WERE LOSING.

WE CAME IN, WE LOOKED AT THE OVERALL PHYSICAL PLANT OF THE SITE.

WE LOOKED AT THE MARKET, AND WE REALIZED THAT WE COULD ADD DIRECT BENEFIT AND HELP SOLVE AN ECONOMIC ISSUE THROUGH OUR EXPERTISE.

WE CAME IN AND WHAT WE DID IS WE CUT UP THE ENTIRE 1.2 MILLION SQUARE FEET INTO 13 DIFFERENT USERS.

THOSE 13 DIFFERENT USERS ARE ON THE SCREEN TODAY.

THOSE 13 USERS IN THE AGGREGATE CREATED A THOU, UH, 3000 JOBS, A THOUSAND JOBS, MORE THAN WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY WITH AMERICAN GREETINGS.

AND THERE'S A SAYING THAT WE SAY AT ICP, AND WE SEE IT TIME AFTER TIME IS ACTIVITY BREEZE ACTIVITY.

AND ONCE YOU SOLVE THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE OF THE REAL ESTATE, YOU TEND TO SEE MORE ACTIVITY IN YOUR SURROUNDING PERIPHERY.

AND WE SAW THIS HERE ONCE WE COMPLETED THE 13 TENANTS.

WE LANDED IN AMAZON ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, AND WE'RE UNDER CONTRACT TO THE SOUTH ON ANOTHER 600,000 SQUARE FOOT SPEC DEVELOPMENT.

UH, A GOOD STORY THAT, AGAIN, IN OUR BACKYARD OF CLEVELAND, WE ARE VERY EXPERIENCED, ASIDE FROM THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN CONVERTING REGIONAL MALLS.

SO THERE'S A, IT'S A HUGE GROWTH PLAN FOR US.

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1200 MALLS ACROSS THE US.

THE REALITY IS THERE'S VIABILITY IS AROUND 300 OF THOSE.

SO 900 ARE IN SOME SERIES OF DECAY, WHETHER IT'S A COMPLETELY VACANT MALL TO ONES THAT ARE 10 TO 20% OCCUPIED.

THE MALLS WORK GREAT FOR WHAT WE DO.

TYPICALLY, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SITUATED AND A REGIONAL SITE WHERE YOU DRAW FROM THE ENTIRE TRADE AREA.

THEY'RE TYPICALLY LOCATED OFF OF AN INTERSTATE.

SO THEY ADD IMMEDIATE DRAW.

THE SECOND PART FROM WHY MALLS WORK FOR US, THEY'RE, THEY OFFER HUGE PARKING FIELDS.

AND FOR WHAT WE DO, WE TRY TO UTILIZE A LOT OF THAT PARKING TO REALLY CREATE DENSIFICATION THE CITY, UH, IN THE CITY OF WINDCREST, THE RACKSPACE HEADQUARTERS CHECKS ALL THE BOXES FOR WHAT WE LOOK FOR, RIGHT OFF OF AN INTERSTATE, GREAT STRUCTURE, GREAT MARKET FUNDAMENTALS, UH, A MUNICIPALITY THAT RECOGNIZES AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE SOLVED.

SO WE WERE VERY BULLISH IN OUR DUE DILIGENCE THAT STARTED, UH, IN 2022.

I GO ONE, TWO MINUTES THAT, THAT'S NOT NEXT SLIDE, MIC.

NEXT SLIDE.

I THINK'S BACKSLIDE.

YEAH.

CAN YOU BACK, BACK UP RIGHT THERE.

LOOK AT THAT TECHNOLOGY.

IS THAT WHAT ONE VOICE COMMAND? I DIDN'T, NO.

THAT NO ONE SHOWED, SHOWED THAT WITH ME.

I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST CLICKING.

WHO KNEW? THAT'S FANTASTIC.

SO, UH, WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT IN HAND? SO, AS WE TALK THROUGH FORMER WINDSOR FASHION MALL, FORMER RACKSPACE HEADQUARTER, UH, SITS WITH 1.2 MILLION SQUARE FEET ON TWO LEVELS.

UM, THE WAY THAT WE ENVISION THIS IS A SIMILAR VISION TO HOW WE VIEWED, UH, THE AMERICAN GREETINGS HEADQUARTER.

WE REALLY TAKE MORE OF A MUTUAL FUND APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO A BLUE CHIP.

UM, THE WAY THAT WE ENVISION THIS WILL BE PROBABLY ANYWHERE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 USERS.

UM, COULD BE MORE, COULD BE LESS.

THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IS WE, WE'RE STARTING WITH A BLANK CANVAS.

SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ICP MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES, WE ARE NOT MYOPIC AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR BUSINESS PARK SLASH INDUSTRIAL.

UM, IRONICALLY, OUR FIRST LOI IS A RETAIL EXPERIENTIAL OPERATOR IN 55,000 SQUARE FEET, THAT'S GONNA BE RUNNING ON WALLS AND ROAD.

UM, THE SIZES WILL, WILL VARY BASED ON THE USERS IN IN HAND, BUT THE, UH, THE ORIENTATION OF THOSE USERS WILL, WILL END UP DICTATING THE USERS THAT COME IN.

UH, OVERALL ON THE PROJECT WHERE I MENTIONED, WE HAVE HUGE BENEFIT, AND WHERE WE SEE A HUGE BENEFIT ON THIS ASSET, AND A LOT OF ASSETS THAT WE DO ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS IN THE SURROUNDING PARKING FIELDS.

THESE MALLS WERE BUILT TYPICALLY WITH A FOUR TO RUN PARKING RATIO.

SO THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ANTICIPATING HAVING, WHEN THESE WERE BUILT, YOU KNOW, 125 STORES, THREE DEPARTMENT STORES, FOUR DEPARTMENT STORES, FOR WHAT WE DO, WE DON'T NEED AS MUCH PARKING.

AND WE UTIL AND WE LIKE TO UTILIZE A LOT OF THESE PARKING FIELDS FOR DENSIFICATION ON THE SITE.

ONE IS WE ARE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND DRIVE

[00:15:01]

SIGNIFICANT SALES TAX.

SO THIS, WE VIEW AS AN OUT PARCELS, ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO EIGHT OUT PARCELS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONVERT ON THIS SITE IN THE AREA SHADED IN YELLOW.

UM, RACKSPACE WAS JUST NOT A DEVELOPER, SO THEY NEVER REALLY UTILIZED ANY OF THIS SPACE THAT WE WILL COME IN AND WE WILL TRY TO UTILIZE IMMEDIATELY.

BUT IT, IT IS A, IT'LL BE A DRIVER IN SOLVING THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IN THE INTERIOR WILL HELP DRIVE ALL THOSE OUT PARCELS ON THE EXTERIOR.

SO, A COUPLE SLIDES AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE DO.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE INHERITING A FORMER MALL, A FORMER CORPORATE HEADQUARTER.

WE COME IN, WE, WE TRY TO GREEN ALL THE SPACE UP.

SO WE TRY TO GET AWAY FROM THE SEA OF CONCRETE THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE IN A LOT OF THESE MALLS.

WE CUT IN WITH A LOT OF LANDSCAPING.

AND THEN WE DO FACADE WORK.

THIS IS JUST OBVIOUSLY ON THE EXTERIOR.

WE'LL COME IN, WE'LL CUT DOCKS BASED ON THE USERS.

WE WILL BRING IN BRAND NEW PAINT.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADD NEW, UH, FACADES ACROSS BRAND NEW ENTRANCES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMPLEX.

TO GIVE YOU AN ORIENTATION TO THE LEFT IS THE FORMER DILLARDS, AND TO THE RIGHT WOULD BE THE FORMER JC PENNEY'S.

UM, THE ONE THING THAT TO KEEP IN MIND IS WHEN RACKSPACE TOOK OVER THE COMPLEX IN 2008, THEY BUILT OUT ROUGHLY 750,000 SQUARE FEET OF A 1.2 MILLION SQUARE FEET.

A LARGE BALANCE HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCHED SINCE THEY'VE BEEN IN THAT SPACE.

UM, WE ACT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

AS A DEVELOPER, WE LOOK TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE IMMEDIATELY.

SO IN MANY AREAS, WE'RE COMING IN WHERE THERE IS BLIGHT, AND WE NEED TO SOLVE THAT BLIGHT AND REALLY CHANGE THE NARRATIVE IMMEDIATELY.

SO WE WILL START SPENDING MONEY ON DAY ONE.

YOU'LL START SEEING INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES ON THE EXTERIOR, ON THE INTERIOR, IMMEDIATELY, WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER OUR CLOSE.

AND WHAT WE FIND IS IT HELPS SPEED UP OUR STABILIZATION.

SO WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR A DEAL IN TOW.

WE START OUR WORK.

UH, THAT $40 MILLION WILL START, BE SPENT, START BEING SPENT ON DAY ONE.

AND AGAIN, IT, IT ALLOWS US TO GO AHEAD AND LEASE UP AT AN EARLIER RATE, SO IT'S NOT SITTING TO THE MARKET.

AND IRONICALLY, NEXT SLIDE.

I THINK WE'RE MISSING ONE.

UM, IS THERE ONE MORE SLIDE TO THIS? OKAY.

SO THE, ONE OF THE, THE STRONGEST SPOTS ON THIS WHOLE SITE IS THE FORMER MONTGOMERY AWARDS, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT.

SO RIGHT OFF OF 35, THAT HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED SINCE 2006, THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST SPOTS THAT WE WILL TOUCH AND REDO, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA SEND A MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE MARKETPLACE.

'CAUSE THE VISIBILITY RATE ON 35.

SO IT'S APPROACH THAT WE, THAT HAS WORKED FOR US, UH, DOING THE UPFRONT SPEND.

AND, UH, WE REMAIN EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, HUGE THANKS TO MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TO GET US TO THIS POINT.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER.

SO, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME.

AND, UH, MY STAFF AS WELL HAS BEEN VERY BUSY.

JORDANNA, THE CANS MATTHEWS HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL.

SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, SHE'S OUT OF TOWN.

BUT, UH, UH, BETWEEN SHE AND MARSHALL HOKE AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF, I KNOW THIS IS A VERY BUSY TIME.

THIS WAS HAPPENING THROUGH THE BUDGET.

SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UH, HAVE GIVEN TO US TO MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.

AND I, I WAS REMISS IN NOT MENTIONING LARRY AND GERARD, UH, ALSO DOING REALLY FAST WORK FOR US.

LARRY.

WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEAH, THANK YOU, DAVID.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT'S OUR MOTION.

GO.

IS THERE A MOTION? I HAVE QUESTIONS.

MOTION, BUT COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES.

NO, NO.

I SAID I HAVE QUESTIONS.

I HAVE, I DIDN'T MAKE THE MOTION.

SORRY.

GO AHEAD.

UM, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FROM THIS AND WHAT'S THE FINANCIAL IMPACT FOR BEXAR COUNTY TIMEFRAME? TIMEFRAME? WE ARE, UH, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ON DECEMBER 15TH.

UH, WITH THAT, WE WOULD BE STARTING OUR WORK, UH, FIRST QUARTER JANUARY ON THE PROPERTY.

WE'RE ADAPTIVE THAT WE COULD GO AHEAD AND STRUCTURE OUR CONSTRUCTION IN PHASES TO ALLOW US TO HAVE EARLIER OCCUPANCY.

AND THEN, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS THE, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE TIMEFRAME LOOK LIKE? YOU START THE WORK, AND THEN, SO WE WILL START A CONSTRUCTION IN JANUARY.

WE TYPICALLY LOOK AT THESE AROUND A THREE YEAR STABILIZATION.

SO WE WOULD START OUR WORK IN 2024.

THE MAJORITY OF 24 WOULD BE OUR CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

UM, WE, AGAIN, WE'RE DOING THE ENTIRE INTERIOR, WE'RE DOING THE EXTERIOR.

SO ALTHOUGH RACKSPACE WAS IN THERE, MOST OF THOSE ELEMENTS, FOR THE MOST PART, WOULD NOT BE UTILIZED BY, BY US.

UM, SO WE WOULD DO, UH, 2024, MORE OF OUR CONSTRUCTION.

25, 26 WOULD BE OUR LEASE UP, STABLE STABILIZATION, END OF 26.

SO OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN THREE YEARS.

WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN 2025, BECAUSE WE WOULD OPEN UP AS USERS ALREADY.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, I MENTIONED, OKAY, SO GRADUALLY, YEAH, SO I, SO I MENTIONED, UH, WE HAVE AN LOI RIGHT NOW WITH AN EXPERIENTIAL USER, UM, THAT LOI RIGHT NOW STIPULATES THAT WE WOULD TURN OVER THE SPACE IN MARCH OF 2024.

THEY WOULD OPEN IN 24.

SO IF WE HAVE LOIS OR USERS THAT NEED TO GET IN EARLY,

[00:20:01]

SO IT WOULD BE A GRADUAL OPENING OF, AGAIN, EIGHT TO 12 TENANTS THAT WOULD START, COULD START IN 24, BUT STABILIZATION IN 26, WE WOULD PROBABLY SEE CLOSE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OCCUPIED.

AND WHAT'S THE FINANCIAL IMPACT FOR BEXAR COUNTY? WHAT ARE WE GO, WHAT ARE THE HOPES THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET FROM US? SO COMMISSIONER, THIS, THIS PROJECT IS ALWAYS UNUSUAL.

WHEN THE RACKSPACE DEAL WAS STRUCK ORIGINALLY, IT'S PUT INTO A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TYPE OF SCENARIO.

SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN COLLECTING TAXES THERE SINCE RACKSPACE TOOK IT OVER.

THAT DEAL WAS SCHEDULED TO GO INTO THEIR 14 OR 15 YEARS.

AND, AND BY THE WAY, NONE OF THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES WERE COLLECTING.

UH, RACKSPACE HAD AGREED TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYMENT TO NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

MM-HMM.

UH, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, ALL THE OTHER TAXES WERE PLOWED BACK INTO THE PROJECT TO MAKE THE RACK RACKSPACE DEAL HAPPEN.

WITH THIS DEAL, THAT TERM WILL BE SHORTENED TO SEVEN YEARS.

SO IN SEVEN YEARS, IT'LL BECOME FULLY TAXABLE FOR ALL THE ENTITIES.

AND SO THAT AT THAT TIME WHEN IT'S APPRAISED, UH, WE'LL KNOW THEN MORE CLEARLY OBVIOUSLY WHAT OUR TAXES WILL BE.

BUT WHAT MAKES IT A BIT OF A CHALLENGE TODAY IS THAT IT'S AN UNDERUTILIZED ASSET AND IT'LL BE VALUED IN THE FUTURE BASED ON WHAT GOES IN THERE.

SO REALLY FROM NOW TILL THE, THE END OF THE, UH, TERM, UH, WE'LL BE SEEING THE VALUE ADDED TO THE PROJECT BASED ON THE TYPES OF TENANTS THEY BRING IN.

THAT'S WHAT WILL ULTIMATELY DETERMINE THE TAXABLE VALUE.

IT'LL BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE RACKSPACE VALUATION, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE WHAT IT IS TODAY VERSUS WHAT IT'LL BE TOMORROW, BECAUSE WHAT IT IS TODAY WAS NOT TAXABLE AND PROBABLY NOT VALUED IN THE SAME WAY.

AND WHAT IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE IS DEPENDENT ON THE TENANT MIX THAT COMES IN.

BUT THERE'S NOTHING FINANCIALLY WE ARE GIVING UPFRONT, OR WE'RE NOT, WE, WE ARE LOSING ANYTHING.

SO UNUSUAL IN THIS DEAL ALSO IS THAT THERE WAS A, I I CALL IT A, A LIQUIDATED DAMAGE AS PROVISION IN THE RACKSPACE DEAL.

MEANING IF THEY TERMINATED EARLY, WHICH THEY INTENDED TO DO, UM, THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE BACK TO THE EDC AND CERTAIN PARTNERS NAMED IN THE CONTRACT, $9 MILLION AS A LIQUIDATED DAMAGE FOR NOT CARRYING THROUGH THE CONTRACT, AS THEY ORIGINALLY SAID, UH, THE COUNTY'S SHARE THAT WAS $2.8 MILLION.

AND THAT'S THE MONEY WE'RE PLOWING BACK INTO THIS DEAL AS INCENTIVES TO BRING ICP TO THE TABLE.

SO , SO WE'RE JUST NOT COLLECTING IT? WE'RE NOT COLLECTING IT, YES, MA'AM.

THAT'S CORRECT.

I MEAN, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION, BUT THE FINANCIAL PART REALLY NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT.

UNLESS I MISS SOMETHING.

NO, MA'AM.

BUT I THINK IT'S IN SOME OF THE BACKUP, BUT, UH, WE CAN GET YOU MORE DETAILS IF YOU LIKE, BUT RIGHT.

BUT THIS IS THE PRESENTATION THAT OUR CONSTITUENCY, THEY DON'T SEE THE BACKUP.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE INCLUDED IN A PART OF THE VERY GOOD.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR COMMENT? UH, JUDGE, NO, UH, NO, NO.

UH, QUESTIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, BUT WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS.

I KNOW, UH, DAVID AND YOUR TEAM AS WELL AS, UM, UH, OUR LAWYERS LARRY, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING PRETTY HARD ON THIS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, I KNOW THIS IS YOUR PRECINCT, AND, AND THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.

UM, VERY RARELY DO YOU HAVE A, UM, HIGH PROFILE INTERSECTION, UH, FRONTAGE TYPE PROPERTY AT FOUR 10, AND 35, WHERE YOU CAN DO SOME REALLY, UH, TRANSFORMATIONAL TYPE PROJECTS.

SO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND, UH, DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE.

COMMISSIONER MOODY.

DEVELOPING THIS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WITH RENEE WATSON, WHO'S OVER OUR SMALL, UM, OUR SWIM DEPARTMENT, SMALL MINORITY OWNED VETERAN-OWNED, OR WOMEN-OWNED, UM, BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE INCLUDED.

UM, JUST, UH, A FEW COMMENTS AND, AND, UH, FOLLOW UP ON WHAT COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES SAYS.

I, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE SOFT VALUE AND BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.

UM, WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO, TO BE ABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE, THE HARD VALUES.

I'VE DONE SOME OF THOSE CALCULATIONS MYSELF, UM, BASED ON SOME ASSUMPTIONS AND, AND LISTEN CLEARLY IN THESE SORTS OF THINGS.

THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE SALES TAX REVENUES? WHAT'S THE REAL PROPERTY VALUE GONNA LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN SEVEN YEARS, UH, OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY YOU'RE GONNA GENERATE.

UM, OBVIOUSLY THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE PROJECT'S GONNA BE COMPLETE ON TIMELINE AS, AS IT'S BEEN, BEEN BRIEFED, BUT, YOU KNOW, TAKING CONSERVATIVE, UM, EXPECTATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS INTO ACCOUNT AND, AND DOING THE CALCULATION ON NET PRESENT VALUE, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A NET WIN FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

AND SO, FOR THAT REASON, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT THIS.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER COVER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JUDGE.

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR STAFF, THE CITY OF WINDCREST AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF.

UH, ICP.

THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING.

UH, IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A MARKER IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.

UH, THE, UH, AS WE KEEP REFERRING TO IT, UH, THE WINDSOR PARK MALL PROPERTY, WHICH HAS REALLY BEEN RACKSPACE FOR A LONG TIME.

UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE CAN DO IN PARTNERSHIP TO HELP THIS HAVE THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE

[00:25:01]

IS THE COUNTY.

UM, AND THE CITY OF WINDCREST AND OTHER PARTNERS IN THE REGION CAN PARTNER ON A DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT WHERE WE, WHERE WE MEET, MAYBE IN THE, THE FRONT ROOM THAT, UH, HAS BEEN USED AS A TOWN HALL AT, AT RACKSPACE.

UM, AND WE BRING THE WHOLE OF THE COUNTY'S INVESTMENT COMMUNITY INTO THE FACILITY.

WE WALK AND TALK AND IMAGINE AND TALK ABOUT THE REGIONAL ASSETS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK, UM, THAT THIS COMMUNITY SHOULD UNDERSTAND IS THE LARGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE HISTORY OF BEXAR COUNTY OCCURS AT FORT SAM WITH THE CONSOLIDATION OF MIL MILITARY MEDICINE.

AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOLDIERS TO LIVE, UH, IN THIS FACILITY.

POTENTIALLY.

THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CHANGE TOGETHER THE, THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE OF THE FRONTAGE OF 35, WHICH, IN MY OPINION, AND I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THE REGION IS BECOME A BIT INDUSTRIAL AND THE PARK SPACING OF IT, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH HAS A LONG HERITAGE AND HISTORY IN THE REGION, UH, BOTH ON, UH, PROGRAMS, SPACES.

UH, THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF NEEDS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD PUT INTO A BOND, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY LOOKING AT, UH, BONDS, VENUES, AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT I THINK REALLY GREENING UP THAT FRONTAGE, UH, AS YOU'VE SAID, YOU'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO DO, UH, IS GREAT.

AND I HOPE THE COUNTY, THROUGH ITS CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS CAN LOOK TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.

UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO AGAIN, ENGAGE THE MILITARY AS WE LOOK AT OTHER DEFENSE ASSETS THAT ARE COMING HERE AND JUST DOUBLE CHECK, UM, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDS THAT ARE, UH, PART OF THE FUTURE GROWTH THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE? UH, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SUCH A GREAT INSTITUTION THERE.

SO, UH, THIS IS A REAL BANNER DAY IN TERMS OF, UH, NOT HAVING, UH, SLIPPAGE IN TERMS OF THE PROPERTY.

UH, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLING FOR ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE ZONES, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE NOW.

IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO THINK ABOUT ITTS FROM AUSTIN HIGHWAY ALONG WALHAM ALL THE WAY OVER TO MONTGOMERY.

THE REAL ESTATE IS RIPE FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

IT'S RIPE FOR TURNING AROUND.

UM, WE'VE SEEN TSS TAX INCREMENT REFINANCE ZONES IN INVIGORATE THE INNER CITY.

UH, THEY'VE INVIGORATED PRETTY MUCH EVERY AREA, WHETHER IT'S AUSTIN HIGHWAY THAT'S BEEN REINVIGORATED, OR, UH, THE HEMISPHERE PARK THAT'S BEING REIN, REINVIGORATED, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, UH, OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE ZONES THAT HAVE, UH, REALLY COME BACK TO LIFE.

AND I THINK THAT THE 35 CORRIDOR IS A GATEWAY IN WHICH MANY VISITORS SEE OUR CITY.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS GATEWAY BE MAINTAINED AS, UH, STRONGLY AND AS BEAUTIFULLY AS IT CAN BE.

AND THOSE, THOSE ASSETS WILL END UP, UH, COMING BACK MANY FOLD.

IN TERMS OF, OF THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, THERE WAS A PARABOLA GRAPH PUT OUT OF THE REVENUE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEAR COUNTY IN THE INNER CITY TURS FROM 2014 TO 2020, UH, ONE AT THE TIME.

AND IT SHOOTS UP ALMOST LIKE A CARTOON, UH, BECAUSE WE PUT A LOT OF CONCERTED EFFORT INTO INVESTING THE TURS MONEY INTO THAT ZONE.

AND IT'S PAID OFF FOR OUR DOWNTOWN, AND IT'S LED TO TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT.

SO AS THE CORRIDOR ALONG ROOSEVELT HAS AT TIMES STRUGGLED, UH, FROM THE CAMELOT UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AREA OUT TO AUSTIN HIGHWAY.

UM, LET US BE QUITE SURE THAT IF WE COME TOGETHER AS A COUNTY IN WINDCREST AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE WORK TOGETHER ON INVESTMENT ZONES, WE CAN HAVE SIMILAR REVITALIZATION.

SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR REESE, UH, AS COUNSEL.

I SEE MAYOR PRO TEM.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ZEKI HERE.

UM, ALL OF THE STAFF WHO'VE WORKED, UM, AND ALL OF THE, UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES AND, AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REINVEST SOME OF RACKSPACE'S CLAW BACK INTO, UH, CONTINUING A GOOD THING FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EVEN, I THINK, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REACH OUT TO THE, TO THE NEW PARENT COMPANY OF RACKSPACE, WHICH IS THE APOLLO GROUP.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY'VE TRADITIONALLY CONTROLLED FROM RESTAURANTS, TO RETAIL, TO, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF STUFF.

SO TOGETHER WITH ICPS POWER AND THE POWER OF THE COUNTY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING, UH, MAKE THIS A REAL, UH, NATIONAL MODEL FOR ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE COURT FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

I, I'M SORRY, COMMENT.

I FORGOT TO MENTION.

UM, SO AS YOU GUYS ARE DE

[00:30:01]

IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS ALREADY LOOKED INTO? UH, NOT AT THE STAGE COMMISSION, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY CONNECT THEM TO RENEE SHOP AND TO MAKE SURE YEAH.

THAT WE'RE GIVING LOCAL AND SMALL BUSINESSES OPPORTUNITIES FIRST.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER.

AND I WILL, UH, MOVE APPROVAL AND EXECUTION OF A MASTER ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN BEAR COUNTY, THE CITY OF WINDCREST, THE CITY OF WINDCREST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, LLC FOR THE ACQUISITION REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE WINDSOR PARK MALL.

SECOND.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? LET ME MAKE MY FINAL, UH, FINAL STATEMENT WORDS TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, OBVIOUSLY.

MAYOR REESE, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO US AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR WHEN I STARTED AS COUNTY JUDGE, UH, THE CITY OF WINDCREST APPROACHED THE COUNTY, AND WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FUTURE, UH, FOR THE FORMER ZA PARK MALL, RACKSPACE HEADQUARTERS.

I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO RACKSPACE, UH, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION.

COOPERATION.

THEY HAVE BEEN A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN WHO HAS HELPED MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.

AND SO, UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT THE SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT OF RACKSPACE SUDDEN RELOCATION, THEY CREATED A, A DOUBT, OBVIOUSLY, AND FEAR IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

UH, BUT TODAY I THINK WE HAVE A RAY OF SUNSHINE AND, UH, AND A HOPE AND OPTIMISM FOR THAT SPACE.

I WANT TO POINT OUT, AND KEITH, THANK YOU, THAT MANY POTENTIAL BUYERS OF THIS PROPERTY WANTED TO DEMOLISH THE FOOTPRINT AND BASICALLY START ALL OVER.

BUT ICP SAW THE, THE, UH, DEPTH AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS PROPERTY HAD.

AND SO YOU HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

AND SO I WANT TO, UH, SAY THANK YOU TO ICP AND WHAT YOU DO, NOT ONLY FOR HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT WHAT YOU DO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT THE COUNTY DID, UH, DAVID AND YOUR DEPARTMENT, JORDANA, ESPECIALLY MARSHALL AND DEBBIE, Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO HELP, UH, USE THE COUNTY'S LIQUIDITY DAMAGES IN ORDER TO HELP MAKE THIS, UH, PROGRAM AND PROJECT COME TO FRUITION.

SO INSTEAD OF DEMO DEMOLISH, UH, DEMOLITION AND SIGNIFICANT DELAY, WE HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT WILL MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THIS PER, UH, IMPACT THE RACKSPACE RELOCATION AND STREAMLINE THE REVITALIZATION OF THE PROPERTY THAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT HAS POINTED OUT.

THIS WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT JUST WINDCREST, BUT ALL OF THE COUNTY BY SPURRING JOB CREATION, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND SALES TAX REVENUES.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WHEN WE PARTNER WITH OUR SUBURBAN CITIES AND LEVERAGE OUR ASSETS.

SO I WANNA SAY THE COUNTY TEAM.

THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, DAVID MARCUS JORDANNA MATTHEWS MAYOR REESE, THE WIN CREST CITY COUNCIL, MA HERNANDEZ WITH THE WIN CREST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

UH, WHO CHAIR IS, I BELIEVE JENNIFER NEWMAN.

I DON'T BELIEVE SHE'S HERE TODAY.

UH, AND SO I WANT TO CLOSE WITH THIS AND THEN ASK FOR A VOTE.

I WANT THIS AS AN EXAMPLE WHEN ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER, AND WHEN WE COMMUNICATE AND WE COLLABORATE AND WE COORDINATE, WE CAN MAKE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN.

WITH THAT, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? AYE.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES.

ONWARD AND CARRY ON.

THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.

DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION CONSIDERING APPROVAL OF AN ORDER OF ADOPTING THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSION'S COURT CANVASSING AUTHORITY REPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CERTIFYING THE RESULTS OF THE JOINT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, GENERAL SPECIAL CHARTER AND BOND ELECTION HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2023, IN BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL CERTIFY THE 14 AMENDMENT RESULTS FOR BEAR COUNTY.

AS I INDICATED EARLIER, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO,

[2. Discussion and appropriate action considering approval of an order adopting the Bexar County Commissioners Court Canvassing Authority Report for the purpose of certifying the results of the Joint Constitutional Amendments, General, Special, Charter and Bond Election held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, in Bexar County, Texas. Commissioners Court will certify the 14 Amendment results for Bexar County.]

MS. CALLEN, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS.

UM, THIS IS OUR STANDARD CANVAS REPORT.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND YOU'VE JUST SAID, WE ARE CANVASSING ONLY THE 14 AMENDMENTS, AND WE WORKED WITH THE STAFF.

WE HAD YOUR STAFF CANVAS THIS MORNING WHERE THEY WENT OVER THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED ARE BY MAIL.

WE HAVE ALL OF THIS FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

THE ONE THING I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS IS WE HAVE

[00:35:01]

PRETTY SAVVY VOTERS IN SAN ANTONIO AND IN BEXAR COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE 14 AMENDMENTS.

I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW THAT NUMBER 12 HAD TO DO WITH ABOLISHING THE TREASURER FOR GALVESTON COUNTY.

OVER 13,000 OF OUR VOTERS CHOSE NOT TO VOTE ON THAT.

THEY WERE LIKE, WHY ARE WE VOTING ON GAL GALVESTON? AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON THESE REPORTS, THERE'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF UNDER VOTES WHEN SOMEONE DOES NOT VOTE, EITHER FOR OR AGAINST, IT SHOWS UP AS AN UNDER VOTE.

WE DID HAVE AN 11%, AN 11.4% FOR THIS ELECTION, WHICH BEAT PROBABLY THE LAST 15 YEARS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IN BEXAR COUNTY.

WE'D ALWAYS BEEN IN SINGLE DIGITS.

AND SO WE ARE PRETTY SURE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX AMENDMENT BROUGHT OUT THE VOTERS.

SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU VOTE TO ACCEPT THIS.

THEN OUR NEXT DUTY IS WE MUST SEND THIS TODAY UP TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, WHERE THE GOVERNOR WOLF CANVAS WILL BECOME PART OF THE STATE CANVAS.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER? CLEAR FLORES, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING WHEN I LOOKED AT, UM, THE RESULTS ONLINE THAT ALL THE PERCENTAGES FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING GOT APPROVED EXCEPT FOR ONE, RIGHT? AND SO ALL THE PERCENTAGES WERE DIFFERENT.

SO WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW, UM, OF COURSE WE HAVE LOW TURNOUT, BUT THIS ONE'S EVEN LOWER.

'CAUSE IT'S JUST THE, THE STATE CONSTITUTION.

UM, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING.

I WAS ACTUALLY PROUD, PROUD OF OUR VOTERS BECAUSE THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE, UM, PERCENTAGES WERE DIFFERENT MEANS THAT PEOPLE WERE READING THEM AND MAKING DECISIONS WHAT TO VOTE FOR.

SO I LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT.

SUPER.

THANKS FOR YOUR WORK, JACKIE.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, BOOTY.

UM, REALLY NOTHING TO, UH, TO COMMENT ON.

THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR YOUR TEAM'S WORK, UH, IN ADMINISTERING THE, UH, ELECTION AND CANVASSING, AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.

OKAY, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

COMMISSIONER CALVER.

UH, JUDGE, NO, UH, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

JACKIE, THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.

UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO ELECTIONS.

UM, AND THAT'S THE PRO, I GUESS, PROCESSING AS, AS THE VOTES COME IN.

UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US POLITICAL NERDS HIT THAT .

YEAH, BARRY, YOU'RE GOOD.

GO BACK ABOUT A MINUTE.

IT THIS YEAR, AND EVERYBODY, WE WENT TO CROSSROADS OR WONDERLAND, AND EVERYBODY WAS, UH, UPBEAT.

REWIND.

UM, I WAS, I WAS, UH, ASKING JACKIE ABOUT THE PROCESSING OF THE VOTES AS THEY COME IN.

I WAS MENTIONING THAT A LOT OF US POLITICAL NERDS HIT THAT REFRESH BUTTON A HUNDRED TIMES, UH, TO SEE THE RESULTS COME IN.

HAS THAT PROCESS, UH, IMPROVED THAT INTERFACE AT ALL IN TERMS OF GETTING THOSE NUMBERS UPDATED? ELECTION NIGHT? YE YES, SIR.

CONSIDERABLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE POST THE EARLY VOTING NUMBERS SHORTLY AFTER SEVEN O'CLOCK, THOSE NUMBERS GO UP.

THEN WHEN THE POLLS CLOSE AT SEVEN, UM, OUR OFFICIALS HAVE BETWEEN AN HOUR AND BASICALLY AN HOUR AND A HALF TO DO ALL OF THEIR PAPERWORK, WIND ON, COLLECT THE VOTES, DRIVE TO OUR REGIONAL SENDING SITES WHERE THEY'RE TRANSMITTED INTO US.

AND WE'LL START, AS YOU SAID, ABOUT EIGHT 15.

WE'LL START TO SEE THE FIRST RESULTS FROM ELECTION DAY.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE TRY AND DO THEM AFTER WE GET LIKE 10, 20% MORE IN.

AND SO THEY'LL COME IN AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND YOU'RE SO RIGHT.

EVERYBODY JUST KEEPS HITTING THE REFRESH BUTTON, THE REFRESH BUTTON, UNTIL THEY ALL COME IN.

UM, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF OUR VOTING SITES WERE A LOT FARTHER AWAY, SO THEY HAD MORE TO TRAVEL.

WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE STUCK IN TRAFFIC.

SOME OF THEM GET A FLAT TIRE .

I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S QUITE, UH, PRODUCTION TO GET EVERYONE IN, BUT WE POST THEM YEAH.

IN INTERVALS FOR THAT REASON.

YEAH, I, I GET THAT.

I, I, I APPRECIATE IT, JACKIE.

AND, AND REALLY TO ALL OF YOUR, YOUR, UM, ELECTION TEAM AND THE VOLUNTEERS, I, I KNOW, UM, I USUALLY DO NOT WAIT TILL ELECTION DAY TO VOTE.

I'M USUALLY AN EARLY VOTER, BUT I, UM, I HAD HAD TO DO

[00:40:01]

AND YOU'RE ALWAYS, UH, DELIGHTFUL TO, TO, UH, UNDER A LOT OF STRESS RUN THESE ELECTIONS.

SO I WANTED TO THANK ALL YOUR TEAM, ELECTION WORKER TEAM, UH, FOR, FOR DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB, UH, THIS CYCLE.

AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES.

THERE.

MOTION MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, SECOND.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

JACKIE, LEMME SAY THANK YOU TO YOU.

YOUR ELECTION JUDGES, YOUR STAFF, UH, FOR WORKING THIS, UH, AND MAKING SURE THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN THIS ELECTION WAS CARRIED OUT AND YOU FULFILLED YOUR FIDUCIARY DUTIES.

UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, I VOTE EARLY, BUT ON THIS, FOR SOME REASON, I GUESS THINGS, I'M, I'M A VERY BUSY PERSON NOWADAYS.

AND SO I HAD TO VOTE ON EDAY.

AND SO I WENT TO A POLLING SITE THAT HAD LONG LINES, AND I WAS A BIT SHOCKED ABOUT THE LONG LINES.

BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IT PROCESSED VERY QUICKLY.

AND I WAS VERY PROUD TO SEE HOW, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE BIT PUT, NOT PUT OFF, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXPECT THE LONG LINES ALONG WITH ME.

IT, IT WAS PAINLESS.

AND IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR, UH, PREFERENCE AND OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AS, ESPECIALLY IN THESE IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE VOTERS.

I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT.

I KNOW THAT THE PERCENTAGE WAS LITTLE OVER 11%, UH, AS ALWAYS, EVERY ELECTION JACKET, I HOPE THAT THOSE PERCENTAGES WOULD CONTINUE TO RISE.

AND, UH, I WILL ASK THIS COURT TO CONTINUE TO STRATEGIZE THE, HOW WE GET EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

AND SO THEREFORE, THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THEIR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNAL BY SAYING, AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? AYE.

ALRIGHT, LET'S NOW TAKE UP, I

[4. Discussion and appropriate action regarding Bexar County's: a. Legislative Program for the 118th United States Congress, and b. Fiscal Year 2024/25 Community Funding Request.]

BELIEVE THE LAST MATTER OF THE MORNING DISCUSSION.

APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING BEX COUNTY'S A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 118TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND B, FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 25 COMMUNITY FUNDING REQUEST.

MS. SHANNON.

SECOND, LET ME, UH, OPEN WITH SOME COMMENTS.

I'VE BEEN KIND OF WAITING TO MAKE THE LAST COMMENTS, BUT HERE, I, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE I THINK EARLIER THIS YEAR, MS. SHANNON, UH, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS AS TO THE PRIOR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO FUNDING REQUESTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS EARMARKS.

AND I THINK WE HAD A LIVELY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.

AND SO I THINK WE'RE HERE NOW IN ORDER FOR THE NEW SESSION TO COME IN, FIRST OF THE YEAR.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH WHAT I ASKED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AND SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS FOR THE COURT.

FIRST.

I WANT TO HOPEFULLY GET INPUT FROM THE ENTIRE COURT AS TO WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE.

'CAUSE I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM YOU AND THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE TEAM IS THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL NEED.

HOMELESS SERVICES, INCLUDING SHELTER SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAMS. AND I THINK ALSO, LET'S NOT EVER FORGET THAT WE ARE MILITARY USA AND LET'S SUPPORT OUR MILITARY MISSIONS IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN.

YOU NEED GUIDANCE, YOU NEED CLARITY.

UH, YOU NEED PRIORITIES.

SO I WANNA STATE WHAT I BELIEVE IS MY PRIORITIZATION AND SPECIFICS.

UH, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE PUT TOGETHER A SPREADSHEET, SO TO SPEAK, OF THE PRIORITIES.

I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ITEMS THAT I SAW ON THE DRAFT LIST.

I THINK THERE'S SOME TWEAKING THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND THIS, I WANT THE COURT TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS STILL A DRAFT, AND I BELIEVE IT'S YES, SIR.

A LATER MEETING.

WE WILL THEN HAVE A MA A DOCUMENT TO COME FOR FORMAL APPROVE AND VOTE.

CORRECT.

SO I BELIEVE WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THE ITEMS, UH, ON THIS LIST AND ADD MORE SPECIFICS.

IF WE'RE TALKING TO CONGRESS, WE SHOULDN'T BE SPEAKING IN GENERALITIES.

IT IS THE COURT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE EXACTLY WHAT WE BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE.

SO IN REGARDS TO WHAT I BELIEVE THE PRIORITIES FOR BEXAR COUNTY ARE, ONE, PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH MEANS SEEKING FUNDING FOR MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND OUR JAIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

AS COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES ALWAYS SUPPORTS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, COMBATING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC, INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND SERVICES AND PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE BROADBAND AND DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES AND WHATEVER ELSE WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE, UH, THE, AND CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.

TRANSPORTATION, TRANSIT, ROADWAY SAFETY, PRESERVING AND EXPANDING GREEN SPACES LIKE OUR PARKS AND OUR LINEAR TRAILS, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND MORE HOUSING STOCK

[00:45:02]

AND SO WHATEVER INFRASTRUCTURES WE CAN SUPPORT JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO, UH, I WILL SUPPORT, UH, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.

UH, MY EMPHASIS FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FORMERLY EARMARKS ARE, AS I SAID, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

I WANT TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EVERYONE WHO HAS SUBMITTED THE PROPOSALS WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY.

I BELIEVE THAT BEXAR COUNTY IS MOST FORTUNATE IN HAVING CONGRESSMAN HENRY QUIRE AND TONY GONZALEZ BOTH SERVING ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.

SO IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE SEND THEM OUR BEST PROPOSALS.

SO I'M ASKING THAT WE START THE CONVERSATION, UH, THAT WE HAVE A, PERHAPS EVEN A ROBUST DISCUSSION AS TO WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND HOW WE CAN GIVE OUR TEAM THE CLEAREST DIRECTION THEY NEED.

SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN UP, UH, THE MATTER UP FOR DISCUSSION.

WHO, WHO WOULD WISH.

YEAH.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A HIGH LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF OUR COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS WITH RESPECT TO OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS.

SO CAN YOU, CAN YOU OR YOUR TEAM GIVE US AN INDICATION OF HOW MANY DOLLARS WE HAVE GOTTEN OVER, LET'S JUST SAY THE LAST FIVE YEARS FOR, UH, THE COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAM? WELL, THE CURRENT YEAR, THE HUNDRED AND 18TH CONGRESS THAT WE'RE IN, WE DON'T HAVE, WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM CURRENTLY TO MEASURE THE LOBBYIST AGAINST.

UM, THERE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, 2324, THERE ARE TWO REQUESTS IN FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.

AND I'LL GET INTO THOSE IN A MOMENT.

THE PROBLEM IS, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IT WHEN THE CONSULTANTS GET UP TO SPEAK, UM, THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE A BUDGET AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

WE'RE UNDER CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE THE LAST SEVERAL, UH, CONGRESSES THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE.

UM, THIS, TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS THAT WE HAVE REALLY, UM, HAVE A PROCESS.

SO THAT'S WHAT JUDGE WAS REFERRING TO.

UM, WE'VE DONE EARMARK REQUEST WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO IN THE PAST, AND NOW WITH THE NEW CPF COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, BUT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FULL-BLOWN PROCESS THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING.

UM, SO WE NEED TO GET A PROGRAM AND THEN WE CAN MEASURE THE CONSULTANTS AGAINST THAT PROGRAM HAVE DELIVERABLES.

SO YEAH, IT SOUNDS IT'S NOT SO MUCH, I, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A REALITY CHECK IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ACTUAL OUTCOME CAN BE.

I, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REASONABLE ABOUT IT.

I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL OF THE EFFORT.

I, MY, UH, ANALYSIS IS WE WOULD BE BETTER SERVED HAVING, UH, A ROBUST GRANT WRITING PROGRAM TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

UM, BECAUSE EARMARKS ARE DIFFICULT.

THEY'RE VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT, VERY LIMITED, AND THEY'RE VERY COSTLY POTENTIALLY IN TERMS OF CAMPAIGN SLOSHING AROUND.

SO, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING IN LIGHT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ACT AND THE LARGE AMOUNTS OF FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS, AND THEY, THEY, THEY WANT TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY CAN'T GET ENOUGH REQUESTS FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

UH, SO IT'S NOT THAT I'M AGAINST AN EARMARK.

I LOVE A GOOD EARMARK, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S THAT WE, WE, WE NEED TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT IS LIKELY.

'CAUSE WE MAY ONLY GET ONE PROJECT PER CONGRESS FUNDED.

SO ROUGHLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN WEST SIDE CREEK'S MONEY.

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE GOT IT? ROUGHLY ONE 55 MILLION.

WHAT? ONE FIVE 5 MILLION, ONE 55 MILLION.

IS THAT AGGREGATE OVER MANY YEARS? YES, SIR.

TASKED TO GO CHASE WAS THE $60 MILLION THAT THE COUNTY FRONTED, UH, FOR MISSION REACH.

SO HOW MANY YEARS WAS THAT? 'CAUSE THAT WASN'T THE LAST, THAT WASN'T THE LAST APPROPRIATION.

THAT WAS THE LAST APPROPRIATION WAS LIKE, THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE, WHEN WE WERE REIMBURSED FOR THE FUNDING THAT WE HAD FRONTED.

WELL, THAT WAS, WASN'T THAT THE ACCUMULATION OF THE MISSION REACH FUNDS? UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BAZAR, CERNER, FOR THE RECORD, I PROBABLY HAVE, UH, GOOD HISTORICAL ANALYSIS.

I'VE BEEN PROBABLY BEEN THE FEDERAL LOBBYIST HERE AT THE COUNTY FOR THE LONGEST TIME.

AND SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY AND, AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORICAL DATA, AND DAVID SMITH AND, AND MELISSA REMEMBER THIS, BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WERE, WE WERE, UH,

[00:50:01]

UH, AND THAT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, IT TRICKLED DOWN, UH, FOR A FEW YEARS.

THE CORPS WAS GIVING US FIVE MEN.

AND BACK THEN THERE WAS, THERE WERE NO EARMARKS.

UH, SO THERE WAS NO EARMARKS TO GO CHASE.

SO WHAT WE CONCENTRATED ON AT THE TIME WAS GETTING BACK THE $60 MILLION THAT YOU HAD FRONTED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH WASN'T EASY.

UH, AND, AND WE CHASED GRANTS.

ONE OF THOSE GRANTS WAS $750,000 THAT WE HELPED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GET FOR BODY CAMERAS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO EARMARKS.

EARMARKS HAVE ONLY BEEN IN PLACE FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

UH, THEY'VE BEEN BROUGHT BACK.

THEY, THEY WENT AWAY IN 2010 AND THEY'VE JUST NOW COME BACK.

UM, THEY CAN BE HELPFUL IF YOU'RE ORGANIZED AND READY TO PURSUE 'EM.

AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TWO APPROPRIATORS, IT'D BE CRAZY NOT TO GO CHASE 'EM WITH TONY GONZALEZ ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE AND HENRY ON THE, ON THE, UH, DEMOCRATIC SIDE.

BUT THEY ARE HARD TO GO GET, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT WE'RE UNSURE ABOUT.

BUT WE SH WE SHOULD STILL HAVE 'EM.

AND, AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT WE HAVE CERTAIN REQUESTS READY TO GO.

UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, AS WE SUBMIT THESE REQUESTS, BECAUSE THAT'S A YEAR LONG PROCESS, YOU WON'T GET THOSE FUND FUNDS UNTIL END OF 25 OR BEGINNING OF 25 IF THE BUDGET PROCESS GOES WELL.

BUT WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE LOOKING FOR GRANTS FOR THESE SAME PROJECTS BECAUSE GRANTS ARE, ARE EVOLVING ALL THE TIME.

UH, YOU HEARD RECENTLY THAT THE CITY GOT A HIRING, UH, COPS GRANT.

UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT BECAUSE THAT'S A COMMITMENT ON Y'ALL'S PART TO FUND A NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

BUT THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL FUND, UH, UPFRONT MONEY FOR SOME OF THOSE, UH, POLICE OFFICERS THAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

UH, SO, UH, WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE GRANTS.

AS TO THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, WHAT, 17 MILLION? THE LAST ONE? UH, FROM, FROM THE, FOR THE COUNTY? I BELIEVE SO, UH, I DUNNO IF YOU MEAN FOR THE CITY.

UH, WELL, IT WAS, I THOUGHT IT WAS A 17 MILLION FEDERAL APPROPRIATION.

Y YEAH.

I I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT ON, ON THE WEST SIDE CREEKS YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT WAS, UH, WE WORKED WITH SARAH TO GET THAT INTO THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET.

MM-HMM.

, UH, THROUGH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

AND THEY FUNDED THAT, THAT PROJECT OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN, IN FUNDS THAT THE CORPS IS WORKING THROUGH AND HAS AWARDED SARAH TO, TO DEVELOP THESE WEST SIDE CREEKS.

THERE ARE STILL QUITE A BIT OF TRAILS, UH, THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED.

UH, AND I, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT LINEAR CREEK'S, JUDGE AND, AND TRAILS.

UM, AND THAT'S, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THROUGH THE GRANTS PROCESS AND ALSO THROUGH, UH, COMMUNITY FUNDED PROJECTS AS WELL TO FINISH OFF SOME OF THOSE PORTIONS OF WESTSIDE CREEKS.

AND THEY'D BE FUNDED.

BUT I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORICAL DATA, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE THE LONGEST AND THE THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON, UH, WE DID GET EVERY PENNY OF YOUR $60 MILLION BACK.

THAT WAS A BIG AND, UH, CONGRESSMAN CUE AND HELPED A LOT WITH THAT.

UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT BACK.

AND THEN WE'LL ALSO GO THROUGH THAT SPREADSHEET, COMMISSIONER CALVERT FOR THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.

WELL, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPARE IN TERMS OF LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM TO, YOU KNOW, TARRANT COUNTY? JUST KIND OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT JUST OTHER TEXAS COUNTIES, TRAVIS? DO, DO WE, I KNOW YOU'RE PART OF THE BIG COUNTY'S CAUCUS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.

AND IN TERMS OF SOME, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE INVOLVED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND SOME AREN'T.

UM, I KNOW HARRIS COUNTY, THE LADY THAT RUNS THEIR PROGRAM DOES FEDERAL AND STATE LIKE I DO.

UM, WE CAN CHECK ON THAT AND, AND COMPARE, BUT ALSO REMEMBER THAT I DON'T MANAGE GRANTS EITHER, RIGHT.

SO I DON'T KEEP TRACK OF THAT DATA.

I SHARE THE DATA OUT WITH WHATEVER GRANTS I'M AWARE OF.

I SHARE THAT DATA OUT WEEKLY, IN MY WEEKLY EMAIL.

BUT I DON'T MANAGE THAT PROCESS NOR HAVE ANY, UM, HISTORICAL DATA THERE EITHER.

AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR GRANT WRITING IS NARROWER IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT OUR GRANT DEPARTMENT DOES.

I AM, I DON'T KNOW, DAVID, IS IT JUST, I'M NOT AWARE SIR.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, JUST CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRANTS THAT THE COUNTY, CORRECT.

SO YEAH, I MEAN, I, I KNOW WE'RE PAST THE BUDGET AND WE DIDN'T EXPAND IT, BUT I DO HAVE KIND OF A QUESTION ABOUT THE REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER.

IF, IF WE, I'VE, YOU WANNA GO THROUGH CAN YEAH, IF WE COULD GO THROUGH THE POWERPOINT, LET'S GO AND I'LL, YES.

SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY IS I'LL GET THE CONSULTANTS TO COME UP HERE IN A SECOND AND GO OVER JUST WHAT THE FEDERAL LANDSCAPE IS RIGHT NOW WITH THE NEW SPEAKER.

AND THEY'LL JUST SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON IN DC AT THE MOMENT.

THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UH, WHERE WE'VE GONE, UH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TO DATE TO GET HERE, UM, TALK ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.

I'LL GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL ON THAT.

[00:55:01]

AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL GIVE YOU THE NEXT STEPS.

SO AT THIS POINT, I'LL HAVE, UM, OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANTS COME UP.

YOU'VE JUST HEARD FROM WALTER SERNA.

THEN WE HAVE MARK WILLIAMS AND JAMES FITZ WITH ROC STRATEGY.

SO I KNOW THAT SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE MET CHRISTINA WITH ROCS, AND MARK IS HER COUNTERPART AT ROC.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THEM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, I'VE INTRODUCED MYSELF ALREADY, BUT, UH, AS A SEGUE INTO MARK WILLIAMS AND HIS INTRODUCTION, UH, YOU DO HAVE TWO PENDING COMMITTEE FUNDED PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.

AND THOSE ARE, UH, IN AND COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES'S DISTRICT, UH, ONE OF THEM BEING THE, THE SOUTH SAN, UH, CIVIC CENTER.

THERE'S A RAMP, UH, THERE FOR SENIORS THAT, UH, $750,000, AND THEN THERE'S $250,000 FOR YOUR, UH, B TO TECH, UH, OVER AT THE LERMA, UH, UH, UH, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE B TO TECH AT THE LAMA, UH, UH, FACILITY.

AND SO THOSE ARE PENDING RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S A FEDERAL GRANT.

THOSE ARE APPROPRIATIONS, OR NOT APPROPRIATIONS, BUT, UH, EARMARKS THAT ARE SITTING RIGHT NOW IN CONGRESS.

MM-HMM.

WAITING TO BE PASSED.

SO ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS THAT ARE STILL IN PLAY.

AND WE'VE CHECKED, THEY'RE STILL IN PLAY, BUT I'LL LET MARK, UH, WILLIAMS INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND, AND HOW THIS PROCESS IMPACTS POSSIBLY THE EARMARKS YOU HAVE.

I WANT TO, UH, THANK, UH, THOMAS GUEVARA AND MELISSA FOR, FOR GETTING US WAY AHEAD, JUDGE.

AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAT, UH, ONE OF YOUR FIRST MEETINGS, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE, WE PUT THIS ALL IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, UH, TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THIS, BUT WE'RE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME.

WE'RE TALKING 2025 EARMARKS ALREADY, UH, SO THAT WE DON'T MISS ANY OF THOSE, UH, WINDOWS, BUT I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO MARK.

THANKS WALTER, FOR THE RECORD, MARK WILLIAMS, UM, FAIR PRINCIPLE AT FAIR STRATEGIES, BORN AND BRED TEXAN, AND FOR THIS YEAR, A, UH, PROUD TEXAS LONGHORN.

WE'LL SEE IF I'M STILL THAT WAY AFTER THE WEEKEND.

UM, IT'S AN INTERESTING TIME IN, IN DC OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE FUNDING FIGHTS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE COME AND GONE.

THAT LED TO THE OUSTER OF KEVIN MCCARTHY AS AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

UM, THAT LED TO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BRINGING IN MIKE JOHNSON AS THE NEW SPEAKER.

UM, THEY'RE SLATED TO VOTE TODAY ON A TWO-TIERED CONTINUING RESOLUTION.

UM, IT, IT, IT'S AN INTERESTING SETUP.

WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN, IN DC BEFORE.

BASICALLY, IT'S A TRANCHE OF APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.

THE FIRST TRANCHE WILL GO THROUGH WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 19TH.

AND THOSE ARE THE LEAST CONTROVERSIAL SET OF BILLS THAT YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL SEE TAKING UP IN UNTIL EARLY OR MID-JANUARY.

AND THEN IN FEBRUARY, YOU'LL SEE A TRANCHE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ONES THAT WILL BE SET TO EXPIRE IN IN FEBRUARY.

SO WHAT THIS DOES, IT EXTENDS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH CHRISTMAS, THROUGH THE NEW YEAR, AND SETS UP SPENDING FIGHTS IN, IN, IN THE NEW YEAR.

UM, WHAT YOU WILL SEE THEN HAPPEN IS BOTH BODIES START TO CONFERENCE, UM, ALL OF THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS, HOPEFULLY TO GET THROUGH SOME SORT OF FINALITY.

WHETHER THAT HAPPENS, I THINK THAT'S A, UH, THAT'S A 50 50 GAMBIT AT, AT BEST RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE CURRENT CURRENT CLIMATE IN IN DC.

UM, BUT I THINK IT'S EVERYONE'S EXPECTATION THAT IN EARLY IN THE YEAR THAT ALL THE FY 24 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS WILL BE PASSED AND FINISHED.

WHAT, WHAT THAT THEN LINES UP IS, OKAY, FY 24 IS SET TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.

THAT ALSO PUTS YOU AT THE PRECIPICE OF STARTING THE FY 25 PROCESS.

UM, AGAIN, I THINK BOTH OF THESE PROCESS WILL GET INTERMINGLED WITH EACH OTHER, BUT IF THEY CAN GET THROUGH KIND OF THIS CURRENT SET WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT SHUTTING DOWN, I THINK THAT SETS 'EM UP FOR A GOOD, UM, SETUP IN FY 25.

MOVING, MOVING FORWARD.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT KIND OF THE, THE CURRENT CLIMATE AND WHERE IT'S IT'S HEADED? WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WALTER WAS MENTIONING, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR ONE OF THE THINGS I'M TRYING TO GET PAST IN MY PRECINCT.

SO IS THAT HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL GET THAT THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT MARK IS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE CR WITH THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION.

THOSE, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET, I, WE'LL GET TO TALK ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, BUT THEY'RE IN THE BUDGET CURRENTLY.

SO YEAH, THEY'RE SITTING THERE.

IS IT LIKELY THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OR WE DON'T KNOW? UH, I, I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO MID-JANUARY, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA, BUT THEY ARE CURRENTLY INCLUDED, SO WE DON'T KNOW YET.

WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT WE'LL HAVE THAT'S SO HELPFUL.

RIGHT? WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE MORE CLARITY AS, NO, I KNOW YOU CAN, CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S CLEAR AS MUD, RIGHT? LIKE TO TOTALLY CLEAR AS MUD.

BUT AS THEY GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS SPECIFICALLY TODAY, AND WE SEE WHAT THE FINAL

[01:00:01]

PRODUCTS ARE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS OR INTO THE NEW YEAR, THEN WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE CLARITY ON, ON WHERE OUR PROJECTS STAND.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE CONSULTANTS FEDERAL LANDSCAPE.

OKAY, PERFECT.

SO THIS SLIDE JUST TALKS ABOUT OUR PROCESS.

THIS WAS A PROCESS THAT WE LAID OUT, UM, BACK IN JUNE, I BELIEVE.

UM, WE HAVE, WE HAD A KICKOFF PROGRAM WHERE ALL OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS COUNTYWIDE, EVERYONE WAS INVITED TO COME TO THAT KICKOFF.

THAT OCCURRED JULY 24TH.

THEN, UM, IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, WE STARTED OUR MEETINGS WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

SO WE'VE MET WITH, UM, YOU AND OR YOUR STAFF, UM, TO DISCUSS YOUR PRIORITIES AND WHAT YOU WANTED TO SEE OUT OF THE FEDERAL PROCESS.

UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD, WE'VE BRIEFED THE CHIEFS, YOUR CHIEFS OF STAFF, UM, ALONE.

UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ITEM THAT WAS TO OCCUR WAS, UM, I'M SORRY, I GOT, I GOT TURNED AROUND.

SO THE KICKOFF EVENT WAS ACTUALLY AUGUST 24TH, NOT JULY 24TH.

UM, THEN BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS WERE DUE TO TURN IN THEIR CPF REQUESTS, THEIR COMMUNITY PROJECT REQUEST.

UM, AND THEN DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WAS WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THOSE REQUESTS WITH, UM, THE FEDERAL CONSULTANTS AND MY OFFICE.

SO NOW, PART OF THE PROCESS WAS THE, THE FEDERAL PROGRAM.

SO THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE WITH, UM, ALL OF YOUR SIGNATURES THAT ARE ON THE FRONT.

SO YOU'LL SEE THE DRAFT DOCUMENT, UM, WHERE IT'S GOT A SPACE, IT'S A THREE PAGE DOCUMENT.

THESE ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE OUR OVERARCHING STRATEGIES.

THIS IS WHAT GUIDES MYSELF AND THE FEDERAL CONSULTANTS IN, IN HOW WE ACT UPON CERTAIN ISSUES.

SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, THE JUDGE LAID OUT WHAT HE WANTED HIS PRIORITIES TO BE.

THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THOSE ITEMS. SO THIS IS STRICTLY A DRAFT DOCUMENT.

THESE ARE JUST ITEMS BASED ON VARIOUS MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH YOUR OFFICES.

UM, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN HERE IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU MAY MENTION SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

THAT'S WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS.

SO I HAVE NO PRIDE IN OWNERSHIP.

THIS IS JUST A DRAFT DOCUMENT THAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH TODAY AND DECIDE, DO YOU WANT IT LAID OUT IN THIS MANNER? DO YOU WANT IT LAID OUT IN PRIORITY BUCKETS? AND, YOU KNOW, SUBCATEGORIES BELOW THAT.

BUT THIS IS OUR STRATEGY DOCUMENT THAT DRIVES WHAT THE, UH, MYSELF AND THE CONSULTANTS ARE ABLE TO WORK ON.

SO I CAN GO THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE, OR, OKAY.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE.

I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE LINK PROJECT, I THINK IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DELINEATE BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE CREEKS AND TRAILS FUNDING.

SO I JUST, YOU KNOW.

YES.

SO YESTERDAY, UH, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, YOUR OFFICES COMMISSIONER CALVERT BROUGHT UP FOUR ITEMS THAT HE WANTED ADDED, UM, TO THE PROGRAM YESTERDAY.

SO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AROUND LUNCHTIME, ONE-ISH OR SO, I EMAILED YOUR OFFICES THIS INFORMATION.

SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT YET.

ONE OF THE ITEMS IS ON, IT'S NOT ON THIS DOCUMENT, BUT IS IT IN, IT IS INTENDED TO BE ON THIS DOCUMENT, IS THE LINK PROJECT.

AND I'LL LET COMMISSIONER CALVERT BRIEF YOU ON THAT, BECAUSE I'M, IT'S HIS, HE'S THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.

WHAT HE'S REFERRING TO IS, UM, THAT I HAD PUT IT IN THIS LIST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER AS A SEPARATE PROJECT.

HE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE UNDER THE CREEKS AND TRAILS ITEM.

SO ON PAGE TWO OF THIS DOCUMENT, THERE'S A CREEKS AND TRAIL STRATEGY.

AND HE WOULD LIKE THE LINK TO BE ADDED THERE.

MELISSA? I, I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE, UM, PROGRAM AT THIS POINT, HAVING LOOKED AT IT FOR NINE YEARS, IS, UM, FAIRNESS IN HOW WE GO ABOUT ALLOCATING FUNDS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CERTAIN PRECINCTS HAVE GOTTEN YOUR EARMARKS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND OTHER PRECINCTS GET NOTHING.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IN THE, IN PRIOR

[01:05:01]

YEARS, THE COURT WOULD ROTATE.

THEY WOULD SAY, OKAY, IF MY PRECINCT GOT IT, I'LL WAIT AND LET ANOTHER PRECINCT GET IT.

UM, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF POINT THAT OUT.

I, I, I, I DID SOME REVENUE ANALYSIS WITH THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT PRECINCT THREE IS THE, FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, THE LARGEST.

UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM GET, UH, MUCH OF AN EARMARK LATELY.

AND PRECINCT FOUR IS THE SECOND LARGEST REVENUE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE COUNTY, AS I PREDICTED IT WOULD COME OUT THAT WAY.

UM, AND I, I JUST THINK WE SHOULD BE LEVERAGED.

THAT'S ALL.

I THINK THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IN PRIOR YEARS, WHETHER IT'S IN OUR BUDGET OR WHETHER IT'S IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, COMMISSIONERS WOULD WAIT THEIR TURN.

AND, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND ONE YEAR, ONE SESSION MIGHT BE YOUR FOCUS, BUT THE FOCUS CONTINUES NOT TO BE CERTAINLY IN THREE AND FOUR OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT.

UM, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE FAIRNESS.

WHAT, WHAT I WILL SAY IN DEFENSE OF THAT COMMISSIONER IS I'VE BEEN IN THIS JOB SINCE 2016, AND THESE ARE THE FIRST EARMARKS WE'VE EVER DONE SINCE 2016.

WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.

AND MAYBE I WAS, UH, BROAD WITH THE TERM EARMARK, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT FEDERAL DOLLARS DELIVERED EITHER THROUGH THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS OR OTHER, UH, BUDGETARY.

I DON'T KNOW, WALTER, YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? AND THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE ITEMS THAT, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AGREED TO.

I, I UNDERSTAND.

SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST MAKING A POINT.

MENTAL HEALTH, THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE GONNA BE BIPARTISAN AND HAVE THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS, RATHER THAN ASKING FOR EARMARKS THAT COULD CREATE GAPS WITHIN OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.

PART OF THE REASON THAT I, IF YOU REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO HAVE THE MEETING IS BECAUSE I KIND OF THREW MY HANDS UP AT WHAT, WHAT'S THE POINT? 'CAUSE WE ALWAYS GET LEFT OUT.

BUT DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING, WALTER? I'LL SAY SOMETHING.

COMMISSIONER, UH, IN DEVE IN DEFENSE OF THE PROCESS, AND SO, AND, AND THIS IS WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE NEED OUR COMMISSIONERS IS WHEN IT COMES TO EARMARKS.

AND, AND MARK WILLIAMS WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING.

IT'S UP TO THE, THE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER TO DECIDE WHICH EARMARK HE WANTS TO PUT FORWARD.

CONGRESSMAN CUE IS YOUR DISTRICT.

HE'S, HE'S TOLD US POINT BLANK THAT ANY EARMARKS THAT HE PUTS FORWARD HAVE TO BE IN HIS DISTRICT.

SO WE NEED YOUR HELP IN FINDING THOSE PROJECTS THAT CONGRESSMAN CUE, UH, IS GONNA BE INTERESTED IN.

FOR THESE TWO, THESE TWO EAR MARKS THAT WE HAD, WE TOOK AT LEAST 10 OF 'EM TO CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.

'CAUSE HE SAID, BRING THEM TO ME BECAUSE HE REPRESENTS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF, OF, OF SAN ANTONIO.

AND HE WENT THROUGH THE 10 AND DECIDED, THESE ARE THE TWO THAT I THINK WILL FIT.

AND ALSO IT'S AN ANALYSIS ON WHICH OF THESE PROJECTS YOU THINK WILL GET TO THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT FIT INTO PARTICULAR ACCOUNT.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED EACH OF YOUR HELP.

IF YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN GONZALES IS GREAT AS WELL, CONGRESSMAN CHOIR, WE HAVE GREAT DELEGATION, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE NEED YOUR HELP.

ESPECIALLY IF IT'S, IF IT'S, IF IT'S REAL, SOMETHING YOU REALLY WANT, WE NEED YOU TO BE THERE WITH US TELLING CONGRESSMAN SQUARE, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO PRECINCT FOUR.

WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE NOTED MANY PROJECTS NOW WITH HIS OFFICE, SEPARATE FROM THIS PROCE PROCESS.

AND, AND SO THE SOLAR LIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE COUNTY, HE REPRESENTS EAST CENTRAL.

A LOT OF THOSE RURAL AREAS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTING, UH, UH, BECAUSE CPS DIDN'T DO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE, WITH THE COUNTY 70 YEARS AGO.

UM, AND HE REPRESENTS THOSE RURAL CONSTITUENCIES.

AND, UH, IT'S GROWING AND, AND IT'S A VERY MUCH NEED NOW HOW THE COUNTY ADMINISTERS AND DEVELOPS THAT.

UM, 'CAUSE IT'S TAKEN US TWO YEARS AND WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN A SINGLE LIGHT BULB INSTALLED.

THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER OVERSIGHT MATTER.

SO, JUDGE, HOLD ON.

LET ME, COMMISSIONER MOODY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

UM, AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE, THE TIMING HERE.

I, I HAD SOME COMMENTS SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

AND, AND FIRST JUST IN, IN RESPONSE TO, UH, SOME OF THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS, I'M GLAD WE HAVE THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW.

UM, I THINK IT'S, UH, A BIG IMPROVEMENT.

UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GOT TO THE TWO, UH, EARMARK REQUESTS LAST YEAR.

UM, MAYBE SOME OF IT HAPPENED BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME.

UM, I THINK WE, WE HAVE A BETTER PROCESS HERE.

I DO THINK, THOUGH, THAT AS WE, WE MAKE THESE REQUESTS OR AS WE WHITTLE DOWN THIS LIST, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE, BUT ALSO TO WALTER'S POINT, THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS MOST LIKELY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FROM CONGRESSMAN QUARE, FROM CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.

SO, UM, I THINK AS YOU GO THROUGH THESE HIGHLIGHTING PRIORITIES LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UM,

[01:10:02]

AND THAT WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL IN, IN TRYING TO SECURE THOSE, THOSE EARMARKS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.

AND I'VE MADE THESE COMMENTS TO YOU, MELISSA, BUT, BUT FOR THE BROADER GROUP, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S NECESSARY TO BE HONEST.

UM, YOU LOOK AT THIS, TO ME IT SEEMS MUCH MORE LIKE A, A POLITICAL MESSAGING DOCUMENT THAN IT IS, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING TO SPECIFIC ASKS OF THE FEDERAL DELEGATION.

AND TO ME, THAT IS KIND OF, WE CAN COVER THAT IN OUR EARMARK REQUESTS, OR WE CAN COVER THAT IN BULLETED LIST OF, WE WANT TO SEE THE ARPA DEADLINES EXTENDED BY SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT OR, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS THAT, THAT WE'RE BEHIND.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS NOT A, A HIT ON YOU OR YOUR TEAM, IT'S, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT VIEW.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO OUR CONSULTANTS IN DC WHAT CONVERSATIONS AND, AND WHAT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN BASED ON, YOU KNOW, A A LAUNDRY LIST OF, OF, UM, FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

SOME MORE TRANSPARENCY.

BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE IMPACTING ANY SPECIFIC BILLS WITH THAT.

WE'RE NOT GOING AROUND TO OUR, OUR DELEGATION AND SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THOSE ITEMS. CORRECT.

I'LL SAY ONE THING AND THEN I'LL ALLOW THEM TO ELABORATE.

THE ISSUE IS THAT SOME OF THESE ITEMS COME UP SO QUICKLY THAT WE NEED TO REACT QUICKLY.

SO IF WE HAVE KIND OF AN OVERARCHING, THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE NEED THIS DOCUMENT, AND EVEN IF IT'S AN OVERARCHING KIND OF GENERAL STRATEGY, WE KNOW YOU, YOU SUPPORT OR YOU'RE OPPOSED TO THESE ITEMS. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS, IF A BILL'S FILED AND IT'S MOVING QUICKLY, Y'ALL MAY NOT, MAYBE THIS COMES UP ON A WEDNESDAY AND Y'ALL JUST HAD COURT THE DAY BEFORE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA MEET AGAIN FOR TWO WEEKS TO TAKE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AN ITEM OR OPPOSING.

SO THIS GIVES US DIRECTION, KIND OF BUMPERS TO, TO GO BETWEEN.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT WE, I DO FEEL LIKE WE DO NEED AN OVERARCHING STRATEGY COMMISSIONER, SO WE KNOW WHAT THE COURT'S POSITION IS, AND IF IT'S THE JUDGE'S BUCKETS THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIORITY BUCKETS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE NEED SOME DIRECTION TO BE ABLE TO GO AND TALK TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.

UM, SO I, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WE DO NEED IT.

I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO QUESTION, AND I WANNA HEAR EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS, BUT WE'RE USING VALUABLE TIME IN THOSE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES AND ON THE FLOOR, WHEREVER TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE ITEMS. YES.

I, I MEAN, WELL, I'M QUESTIONING THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO, IF, IF I'M A MEMBER OF THIS COURT, I WOULD SAY IF YOU HAVE A MEETING WITH, UH, SPEAKER JOHNSON, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY THING THAT WE WOULD BRING INTO THAT WE'RE NOT BRINGING THIS IN TO HIS OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT 20 THINGS.

THERE'S ONE OR TWO ITEMS THAT ARE CRITICAL THAT WE WANNA PRESS.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY, AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK WE SHOULD BE VERY TARGETED AND FOCUSED AND NOT HAVE JUST A, YOU KNOW, A, A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS. I, I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU ONE BIT ON THAT, BUT WE KNEW DO NEED A DOCUMENT.

WE DO NEED THOSE BUMPERS TO BE ABLE TO SET THEM FREE.

THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS FOR US, REALLY FOR THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY'VE NOT HAD A PROGRAM TO FOLLOW.

SO IT'S JUST BASED ON, WELL, I THINK WE'RE DOING THIS, AND I THINK SO IN THEIR DEFENSE.

SO, SO JUST TO, TO PROVE OUT MY POINT TO, TO MARK, LIKE WHEN HAVE WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RED FLAG LAWS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? YOU, YOU HAVE NOT.

RIGHT.

OR WHEN HAVE WE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND RAISE THE AGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? THE COURT HAS NOT.

BUT THIS IS A DRAFT DOCUMENT.

THESE ARE JUST DRAFT DOCUMENTS BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD IN THE COURT.

SO THIS IS ME, IT'S NOT THEM.

THIS IS ME PUTTING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE MAJORITY OF THAT I'VE HEARD.

YEAH.

SO, WELL, AND, AND SO I UNDERSTAND IF, IF YOU BRING UP THESE ISSUES AND WE TAKE A VOTE ON THEM AS FAR AS WHO SUPPORTS THEM AND WHO'S OPPOSED TO THEM.

I, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALIGNED, RIGHT? BUT MY POINT IS, IF WE'RE PUTTING THIS FORWARD AS A FEDERAL LIKE DOCUMENT TO TRY TO LOBBY OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE WASTING OXYGEN ON THINGS THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC AND TARGETED TO WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR BEXAR COUNTY.

AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR FROM YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES

[01:15:01]

FOR CONSENSUS ON THIS.

SO, OKAY.

AND I'LL JUST CHIME IN REAL QUICKLY.

UH, COMMISSIONER, THIS IS MORE OF A RESOLUTION SAYING THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GONNA CONCENTRATE ON IN THE NEXT CONGRESSIONAL, UH, UH, UH, UH, YEAR OR NEXT COUPLE YEARS.

AS, AS THESE AS, AS A LAW COMES MORE SPECIFIC.

LET'S SAY THAT THERE WAS A, UH, A BILL THAT'S FLOATED TO RAISE, RAISE THE AGE TO 21 WHEN IT COMES TO AR FIFTEENS.

ANY ONE OF YOU COULD BRING IT AND SAY, OR WE COULD, WE COULD ALERT YOU AND SAY, HEY, THERE'S A BILL ON THE FLOOR.

DO Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE A POSITION ON IT? DO YOU WANT TO, IS THERE A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THAT? JUST LIKE MELISSA DOES IT ON THE STATE SIDE, WHEN SHE BRINGS YOU A SPECIFIC BILL AND SAYS, HEY, BY THE WAY, THIS BILL'S CAUGHT SOME TRACTION.

THERE'S BILLS FILED EVERY DAY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT ONLY CERTAIN, UH, NUMBER OF BILLS WILL MAKE IT TO THE FLOOR.

'CAUSE THERE'S A LONGER PROCESS THERE.

BUT IT, IT WOULD, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LET MELISSA KNOW.

MELISSA WOULD BRING IT TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT? DO YOU WANT TO PASS A RESOLUTION, SUPPORT OF IT AND LET YOUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION KNOW THAT YOU'VE 100% YOU'RE BEHIND THIS, THIS BILL.

IT, IT'S, IT.

THIS JUST GIVES US AS, AGAIN, SHE SAYS, THE BUMPER GUARDS TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS INTERESTED IN.

BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE CONGRESSIONAL, UH, UH, SESSION THING A YEAR, THINGS WILL GET MORE SPECIFIC THAT WE WILL BRING TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, BY THE WAY, THERE'S THIS MENTAL HEALTH BILL.

UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? DO YOU GUYS WANNA PROVE IT? IT MAY BE, IT MAY BE A FOUR TO ONE VOTE.

IT MAY BE A, A THREE TO TWO VOTE.

SOMETIMES IT'S A WE'RE FOR IT.

NO, NO.

WE'RE AGAINST IT.

JUDGE.

YES, I HAD COMMENTS TOO.

HOLD ON.

LET, LET'S GO TO COMMISSIONER CLAY FLO.

AND THEN COMMISSIONER, UH, DOES COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, HE STAY HERE.

DID MARK HAVE A RESPONSE? UH, DID YOU, WHERE DO YOU NEED TO RESPOND? DID MARK, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO, I, THE, THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT THIS IS JUST MORE OF A ROADMAP FOR US FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, NEXT TWO YEARS.

RIGHT.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO KNOW WHAT CONGRESS IS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON IN THE, IN THE NEXT CONGRESSIONAL POSITION.

CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC, PLEASE? SORRY.

AND AS, AS THOSE ISSUES POP UP, WE'LL OBVIOUSLY BRING THEM TO MELISSA AND TO Y'ALL.

AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE, UM, THEN WE CAN, WE CAN ACTIVATE ON THAT.

BUT AS FAR AS THIS GOES, THIS IS AGAIN, BUMPERS ROADMAP, WHATEVER VERNACULAR YOU WANT TO USE, THAT'S THE WAY THAT, THAT I SEE THIS LIST.

AND, AND WE CAN, WE CAN CUT THIS DOWN TO FOUR OR FIVE ITEMS. THIS IS, I THREW EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK IN HERE.

SO, SO MARK JUST MENTIONED AS THINGS COME UP, HE COMMUNICATES WITH WALTER, HE COMMUNICATES WITH YOU, MELISSA.

YES.

IN TURN, MELISSA SENDS OUT EMAILS WITH UPDATES AND CALLS OUR OFFICES FOR MEETINGS.

I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MY OFFICE AND MY STAFF.

WE RESPOND, WE SET UP MEETINGS, I RETURN CALLS.

THAT'S HOW I FIGHT AND ADVOCATE FOR MY COMMUNITY.

I WORK WITH MY CONGRESSMAN, EVEN MY REPUBLIC CON REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TONY GONZALEZ.

I HAVE THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

A LOT OF THE CONGRESSMEN COVER MY AREA AND I HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF THEM.

AND THAT'S HOW I FIGHT FOR THE CONSTITUENTS OF PRECINCT ONE.

I CANNOT WAIT MY TURN AS THE FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR IN BEXAR COUNTY.

IF I WAITED MY TURN, I WOULD NOT BE IN DECEIT.

AND MY COMMUNITY HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR FAR TOO LONG.

AND I'M SICK OF BAND-AIDS AND SICK OF EATING THE CRUMBS THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, MELISSA.

THANK YOU, MARK.

THANK YOU, WALTER.

CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICES.

I WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND.

I WILL CONTINUE TO MEET.

IF I'M NOT AVAILABLE, MY STAFF WILL MEET.

I WILL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO MY CONGRESSMAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CATCH UP.

'CAUSE PRECINCT, THE ONE IS WAY BEHIND.

SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP US POSTED.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, YOU STILL WITH US? I, I'M HERE, JUDGE.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, THEY'RE SWITCHING.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, SIR.

YEP.

UM, I'LL BE BRIEF.

I KNOW, UH, TECHNOLOGY'S NOT OUR FRIEND TODAY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M GETTING DELAYED.

BUT, UM, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS AND, AND THERE'S SOME OVERLAP.

BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE GO INTO A HIGH LEVEL MEETING, WHETHER IT'S YOU JUDGE OR UH, COMMISSIONER MOODY, UH, WE WANT THOSE MEETINGS TO BE HYPER-FOCUSED AND, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, CAN Y'ALL TURN UP THE VOLUME? ASK? CAN Y'ALL HEAR 'EM WELL, CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN SPEAK UP A LITTLE LOUDER, COMMISSIONER.

THAT WHEN WE GO INTO THESE HIGHER LEVEL MEETINGS, WHETHER IT'S YOU JUDGE OR ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I THINK WE DO HAVE TO, TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ON AN ASK, UM, AND NOT COME IN WITH OUR LONG LIST OF LEGISLATIVE, UM, AGENDA ITEMS. THAT IS, I THINK, A VALUE STATEMENT ON WHERE, UH, WE STAND AS A COMMUNITY ON CERTAIN ISSUES.

UM, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS

[01:20:01]

AND, AND ARE WE ALL GONNA AGREE ON THOSE ISSUES? PROBABLY NOT.

BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, TO USE THE EXAMPLE COMMISSIONER MOODY MENTIONED, UM, IN THE WAKE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN, UM, COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO IN TEXAS AND ALDI AND SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE A VALUE STATEMENT ON RED FLAG LAWS AND RAISING THE AGE.

UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN AGENDA, WHICH IS, UM, THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT WE VALUE AS A COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT I DO THINK SEPARATELY WE HAVE TO HAVE A MORE FOCUSED, UM, PRIORITY LIST SO THAT WHEN WE GO INTO OUR LEGISLATOR'S OFFICES, WE CAN VERY CONCRETELY SAY, THESE ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF DELIVERING, WHETHER IT'S AN EARMARK OR AN APPROPRIATION REQUEST.

SO, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.

I KNOW WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA AGREE, UM, EVERYONE ON THIS, ON THIS COURT, ON WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE VALUES ARE, BUT I THINK WE CAN GENERALLY HAVE A CONSENSUS ON THOSE.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST FOOT FORWARD HAVING BEEN ON, UH, NOT IN IN WASHINGTON, BUT HAVING BEEN ON THE SIDE OF A LEGISLATOR, UH, IN AUSTIN.

I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN FOLKS COME TO SEE THEM, THAT, UM, WHEN THEY ASK WHERE DOES BE COUNTY STAND? OR WHERE DOES THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STAND ON THESE ISSUES THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVE ZEER CAN GIVE THEM A VERY SPECIFIC RESPONSE.

SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

JUDGE.

COMMERCIAL COWARD.

YEP.

I JUST, UM, UH, WANTED TO POINT OUT ON, UH, NUMBER EIGHT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I'M DISTURBED THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REPRESENTED, UH, 2.956 MILLION FOR FOUR TRAINING FACILITIES WHEN THE COUNTY STAFF ISN'T EVEN RECOMMENDING GETTING THE $6 MILLION DEFICIT IN THE LAST BUDGET.

AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT THE BROOKS ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TRAINING CENTER WAS FINISHED FIRST, IT WOULD ACTUALLY TO COMMISSIONER MOODY'S POINT, BE A BRILLIANT, UH, MOVE IN IN WASHINGTON BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF RECOMMENDED CHIPS MANUFACTURING, AND THERE'S A HUGE POLITICAL BATTLE OVER CHINA DEVELOPING AMERICAN CHIPS.

AND SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE AN ITEM THAT TONY GONZALEZ AND HENRY QUAR CAN WORK TOGETHER ON, IT'S THE DOMESTIC TRAINING AND PRODUCTION OF CHIP MANUFACTURING, WHICH WE HAVE AT ABOUT 20 DAYS, BY THE WAY, UM, DAVID, BEFORE THE COST OVERRUNS, UH, BEGIN POTENTIALLY, BECAUSE OUR ESTIMATE BECOMES OVER 60 TO 90 DAYS FROM THE, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER.

SO I, I MEAN, BY WAY OF PROCESS AND BY WAY OF STAFF MANAGEMENT, I AM DISTURBED THAT AT A TIME THAT WE'RE JUST DAYS AWAY FROM THAT TRAINING FACILITY, UH, AND IT'S ESTIMATE NOT GOING, UH, TO BE, UH, FUNDED AND PRICES GOING UP AND LABOR AND, AND, AND IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT AT THE STAFF LEVEL, IT'S JUST WE, WE WILL WASTE $3 MILLION IN ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, AND, UM, AND OTHER THINGS.

SO ANYWAY, I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE, I MEAN, IT SHOULD BE IN THE GENERAL FUND.

WE'VE GOT A $45 MILLION SURPLUS.

BUT, UH, THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SITUATION, DIDN'T WE JUST GET SOME MONEY FROM THE VW OR ACOG ADMINISTRATION ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES FROM THE STATE SETTLEMENT? WE ARE, WE HAVE OTHER MONIES FOR THAT.

I'M NOT CERTAIN ON THAT, SIR.

BUT CAN WE GO BACK TO THE AGENDA? WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THE, THIS LIST COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING YEAH.

LIST.

BUT IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE AGENDA, WHAT AGENDA YOU REFER TO THE, THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

OH, WELL, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MOODY.

WE, WE'LL JUST BE SPECIFIC.

I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'LL WORK WITH THE BUMPER PADS, BUT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON, ON IT.

'CAUSE I DON'T, I MEAN, I, IT'S, IT'S, OKAY.

SO I, I NEED SOME SORT OF, UM, DIRECTION FROM COURT.

ARE WE GOING TO STICK WITH THIS DOCUMENT THE WAY IT IS? WELL, DO WE WANT TO GO WITH JUDGE? I'VE ALREADY, I'VE ALREADY SAID THE LINK DOESN'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, PUT OUT BECAUSE IT'S INCLUDED.

IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN CREEKS AND TRAILS, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S, I'M TRYING TO YES, SIR.

I, I FULLY, YES, I, I HEAR THAT.

UM, WHAT I NEED DIRECTION FROM THE COURT ON IS I CAN MOVE, ARE

[01:25:01]

WE LOOKING TO DO THE, WHAT I'M SAYING IS BUCKETS, SO THE PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO? LIKE JUDGE SAI MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING? DO WE WANNA LEAVE IT THIS FULL DRAWN OUT LIST? I, I, I CAN MOVE APPROVAL OF THE, OF THE RESOLUTION IS DRAFTED BY YOU.

I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

IT'S, SO I FINE.

THERE'S NO ACTION TODAY.

WE, BUT I NEED DIRECTION FROM Y'ALL HOW YOU WANT THIS STRUCTURED.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WELL, YOU'VE MET WITH, OH, HOLD ON, COMMISSIONER MOODY.

SORRY, I JUST, I GUESS FOR THE RECORD, I, I SHOULD, UH, HIGHLIGHT THIS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM.

YES, YOU HAVE.

HAVE WE EVER NOT RESPONDED TO ANY REQUESTS FOR MEETING OR SIT DOWN? NO, SIR.

YOU HAVE NOT CALLS, TEXTS.

I'VE MET WITH YOUR OFFICE TWO OR THREE TIMES.

AND WALTER, SAME WITH YOU.

HAVE WE EVER NOT RESPONDED OUR OFFICE? THANK YOU.

I, UH, WENT TO S-A-D-D-C LAST YEAR ON TRIP, SAT DOWN WITH MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

UH, I ALSO LEFT EARLY TO GO TO LANGLEY TO ADVOCATE FOR MILITARY MISSIONS AND ALSO GO TO THE PENTAGON TO SPEND A DAY THERE ADVOCATING FOR OUR MILITARY EMISSIONS AS WELL.

I RECENTLY WENT BACK TO THE PENTAGON FOR ANOTHER TRIP TO ADVOCATE FOR BEXAR COUNTY AND FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

UM, WE ALSO WENT UP TO AUSTIN DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND ADVOCATED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, FOR THE JAIL AND FOR, UH, MENTAL HEALTH BEDS, UH, OF WHICH WE DID GET $15 MILLION REINVESTED IN THE STATE HOSPITAL.

SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN VERY ENGAGED ON THIS FRONT, FIGHTING FOR OUR PRECINCT, FIGHTING FOR BEXAR COUNTY, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

I THINK WHENEVER WE CAN LEVERAGE STATE DOLLARS AND FEDERAL DOLLARS, WE SHOULD.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PROGRAMS OUT THERE.

I KNOW COMMISSIONER CALVERT MENTIONED GRANTS.

UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE PURSUING.

BUT JUST WANNA MAKE THOSE COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.

CLEAR FLORES.

I FORGOT .

IT'S JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE.

SO I FORGOT.

UNLESS I HEAR DIFFERENTLY FROM THIS BODY AT THIS MOMENT, WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL TAKE THIS DOCUMENT BACK.

I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN A PRIORITY HOLD.

I, I HAVEN'T FINISHED.

COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

SO DON'T GO THERE YET.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MOODY? COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

I GOT PLENTY, BUT I'LL HOLD THEM.

IT'S A CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATION.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

UM, I STARTED THIS RIGHT IN THE EARLIER YEAR.

I SAID, NO, I DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THE PROCESS WAS.

AND REALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE IS SPENT, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN WORTHWHILE, THANK YOU, THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION THAT PERHAPS HAS NOT BEEN HAD.

LET'S RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEXITIES THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EARMARKS HAVE GONE ON.

AND SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT LET'S NOT FORGET, AND I'M TRYING TO KEEP THE DISCUSSION AT A, THE HIGHEST LEVEL SO THAT WE DON'T GET STUCK.

WE'RE GETTING STUCK ON EITHER INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, DIRECT FEEDBACK STRATEGIES, WHICH PROJECT, WHAT FORMAT ARE WE GONNA USE.

BUT JUST TO PULL EVERYBODY BACK AND AFTER HEARING ALL THE COMMENTS IS WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THIS DISCUSSION IS.

AND, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK IS FEEDBACK FROM THE TEAM IS THAT THESE ARE REQUESTS THAT I PRESUME BE EITHER BY DEPARTMENT HEADS OR THE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, OR THE COUNTY JUDGE OR WHOMEVER HAVE SAID THIS IS A WISHLIST.

I PRESUME IT'S A NEED THAT THE COUNTY HAS.

AND SO LET'S NOT LIMIT THE POSSIBILITIES BY CHASING EARMARKS.

'CAUSE WE, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE TEAM, EARMARKS ARE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED.

IT AIN'T OURS.

ALL WE CAN DO IS ASK, IT'S UP TO THE CONGRESS PERSON OR HIS STAFF TO FIGURE OUT, I JUST WANT IT IN HIS, IN IN THEIR DISTRICT.

CAN THEY CONSIDER A PROJECT THAT MIGHT HAVE COUNTYWIDE IMPLICATIONS? I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE NEEDS OF EACH PARTICULAR PRECINCT.

AND SO WE NEED TO BALANCE THAT OUT AS TO WHAT IS FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

ULTIMATELY, THAT COMMON GOOD MAY HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE AS TO WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO PUSH FORWARD.

'CAUSE WE ALSO HAVE INDIVIDUAL OPINIONS AS TO THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE LIST.

SO HAVING SAID THAT, AND TO TRY TO HELP NOW COME BACK TO YOUR QUESTION OF WHAT DO, WHAT, WHAT DO Y'ALL NEED? AND YOU'RE SAYING JUST GIVE US FEEDBACK.

I, I WILL KIND OF TAKE, IT'S

[01:30:01]

NOT ISSUE, BUT I THINK WE'VE GIVEN YOU THE, OUR OVERARCHING STRATEGIES.

IT'S ALREADY SPELLED OUT.

WE'VE HAD, WE'RE PROVIDING YOU GUIDANCE, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT VERY CLEAR, AND AT LEAST I CAN TELL YOU IT'S NOT CLEAR.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S ILLUSTRATED THEIR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS EITHER AS COUNTY COMMISSIONER NOW AS COUNTY JUDGE.

SO THE QUESTION I HAVE TO THE TEAM, AND I'M GONNA GO TO MARK.

MARK, WHAT DO YOU NEED? I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE ARGUING FOR EARMARKS, AND LET ME PREFACE THIS BECAUSE IT'S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENT HEAD NEEDS AND WE'VE GOT COUNTY COMMISSIONER NEED, COUNTY JUDGE NEEDS.

I THINK WE, WE SHOULD DO IS THIS, THIS LIST IDENTIFIES WHAT WE ALL SHOULD BE STRIVING FOR AND NOT THEN BOOTSTRAPPING IT, SO TO SPEAK TO EARMARKS.

THAT'S A VERY LIMITED VISION AND LIMITED PROCESS.

'CAUSE IT AIN'T A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY.

AND IT'S SUBJECT TO MUCH SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION OF EACH ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE ROOM.

AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT HERE ON THE DIES.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO INSTRUCT BOTH THE LEGISLATIVE TEAM AND THE BUDGET OFFICE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS STRATEGIZE WHAT ARE, WHAT, WHAT FITS WITHIN THE EARMARK PARAMETERS, WHAT FITS UNDER GRANT PARAMETERS, WHAT FITS UNDER GENERAL APPROPRIATION, UH, AND WHAT OTHER TRENCHES OF MONEY ARE THERE SO THAT WE CAN BE STRATEGIC FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM.

AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE TO START.

'CAUSE ULTIMATELY TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AS IT'S GOING, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ANYTHING.

'CAUSE WE HAVE MIXED MESSAGING.

AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M GOING TO LEGISLATIVE TEAM IS I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES, I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES, BUT WHAT DO YOU NEED IN ORDER FOR YOU TO CLEARLY ARTICULATE TO THE POWERS TO BE WHAT YOU, WHAT WE NEED AND HOW DO WE GET IT? 'CAUSE ULTIMATELY WE CAN DO THE TALKING, BUT TALKING IS CHEAP.

AND SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED FROM THE COURT.

I NEED CLARITY AND SPECIFICITY.

SO WOULD PRIORITY YES.

PRIORITIZING.

AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A HUGE LAUNDRY LIST.

LIKE IN ORDER FOR ME TO GO FIGHT THE FIGHTS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A TARGETED LIST THAT'S CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

AND I THINK THE MORE CLARITY, THE MORE SPECIFICITY THAT WE CAN HAVE, THE BETTER CHANCE FOR, FOR GOOD RESULTS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE IN THE END, HAVING REVIEWED THIS SPREADSHEET.

CORRECT? YOU'VE REVIEWED THIS YES, SIR.

ARE ALL APPROPRIATE FOR EARMARK DESIGNATION OR SOME, YOU KNOW, IT DON'T, IT DON'T FIT IT, IT BEST GO THROUGH GRANT PROCESS, APPROPRIATION PROCESS.

I I, I THINK YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF THESE.

THE, THE PROBLEM THAT WE GET INTO, AND AGAIN, IT, IT GETS TO DOLLAR AMOUNTS, RIGHT? AND IF WE WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, COMMUNITY FRONTED PROJECTS CAN'T BE LARGE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

AND SO AGAIN, AS WE START TO PARE THEM DOWN, WE WANT THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONNA BE TARGETED TO, TO THE COUNTY AND THAT HAVE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR SUCCESS.

I THINK IT'S, AND SO THAT, THAT A LOT OF THIS, YES, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, UM, PARE IT DOWN A A LITTLE BIT MORE.

W WOULD YOU SAY IT'S A STRETCH THAT YOU THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE US MONEY FOR A COUNTY JURY ROOM? I THINK THAT'S A STRETCH.

IF IT WERE A FEDERAL COURTHOUSE OR IF WE WERE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A STRETCH.

I I DON'T THINK IT'S A STRETCH FOR OUR COUNTY IN A RICH COUNTY LIKE BEXAR COUNTY.

I, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S A STRETCH.

ESPECIALLY IF WE, IF WE GET OUR CHAMPIONS TO, TO CHAMPION ON OUR BEHALF.

AND THAT'S ALL PART OF THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? WE IDENTIFY WHAT WE NEED AND WE HAVE OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS OUT THERE ADVOCATING ON OUR BEHALF, THEN NO, I DON'T THINK IT'S A STRETCH FOR THE PRE-DESIGN AND THE SITE INVESTIGATION.

WELL, I MEAN, YOU'RE THERE ALL THE TIME.

I'M I'S AN HONEST QUESTION.

I MEAN, YOU WOULD BE, YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED IF YOU FLIP OPEN THE COMMUNITY FUNDED PROJECTS.

I, I BELIEVE YOU CAN FIND IT IN, IN A LOT OF, UH, GRANT APPLICATIONS, BUT AN EARMARK FOR THAT.

SURE.

IS THIS, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, THE SECOND PHASE IS GOING TO THOSE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? SO WALTER, YOU WANT TO CHIME IN JUST REAL QUICK? JUDGE, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THE ONLY THING, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A LIST TO WORK OFF OF.

AND SO I WANT TO, LIKE I SAID, COMMEND MELISSA AND THOMAS FOR HAVING THAT LIST.

BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA BE LOOKING FOR EARMARKS, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR GRANTS THAT FIT THESE PROGRAMS TOO.

YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, THINGS COMING DOWN THE PIKE ON BIDEN'S BILL ON THE ENERGY BILL THAT HE JUST PASSED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FILL.

UH, CHECK THIS OFF THE LIST OF GRANTS.

UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING I'LL TELL YOU IS THIS IS A LIST THAT WE CAN TAKE TO GET INTO, TO COMMISSIONER MOODY'S, UH, POINT THAT WE CAN TAKE TO CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND SAY, HERE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

DO YOU HAVE INTEREST? DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO FUND? THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SECOND PART OF THIS THING.

THE FIRST PHASE

[01:35:01]

DO YOU HAVE INTEREST IN THIS? I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE THERE, UH, COMMISSIONER AND ESSAY TO DC CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ SAYS, WELL, BEFORE I'LL, I'LL FUND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.

I I ACTUALLY WANNA SEE THEM, I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT 'EM.

SO WE HAVE THAT TIME WHILE TONY, UH, COM, UH, CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ IS DOWN HERE FOR THE HOLIDAYS, MAYBE TAKING THEM TO SEE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT SOME OF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED IN TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT THIS TO EARMARK.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO WALTER, WHAT I'VE HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT WITH THE CLARITY AND THE PRIORITIZATION, WE THEN CAN REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE STRATEGIC EARMARKS TO, TO, TO SEEK AND TO HAVE CONVERSATION.

AND THEN WHAT ARE THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND INSTRUCTING OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM, ULTIMATELY OUR, OUR THE COUNTY STAFF AS TO WHAT ARE THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.

AND ULTIMATELY, THIS BUDGET MAY NOT LIKE TO HEAR THAT, BUT WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY TO BE SEEKING GRANTS.

'CAUSE I, I BELIEVE WHAT I JUST HEARD ARE THERE IS GOING TO BE WITH THE BIDEN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL PROBABLY COVER SOME OF THE WISHLIST ITEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THIS LIST, CORRECT, WALTER? CORRECT.

I MEAN, CPS JUST GOT A $30 MILLION BILL FROM, UH, THAT SAME, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT GRANT ROLLED OUT TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.

SO THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE STARTING TO TRICKLE DOWN NOW.

THEY'VE TAKEN A WHILE TO COME OUT.

BUT THAT ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLE, UH, IS, IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GO LOOK FOR.

GRANT FOR THAT.

AND JUST AS YOU'RE ASKING FOR CLARITY AND PRIORITIZATION, I NEED FEEDBACK AS TO WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW DO WE GO GET IT? LET'S QUIT EARMARKING IT AND LET'S GO DOWN TO GRAND OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? OR IS IT AN APPROPRIATION WRITER THAT WE CAN THEN ARGUE, OR DO WE NEED TO GET THE ENTIRE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TOGETHER SO THAT THEY'RE ALL BY BUY IN? OR CAN THEY WORK ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS WITHIN A PRECINCT AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THAT EVERYBODY MAY AGREE TO? I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT ALSO DISCUSSION HERE OF WHERE THOSE PRIORITIES SHOULD GO WITHIN OUR COUNTY.

BUT SO LET'S ALSO REMEMBER THAT WE GOTTA DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

AND I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENTS ON EQUITY AND I BOTH, I'M A TRUE BELIEVER IN EQUITY AND COMMITTED TO EQUITY.

BUT ALSO WE NEED TO DO WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS HOW WE GET THE JOB DONE.

AND SO I'M LOOKING FOR THIS INCREASED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COURT, THE TEAM AND STAFF, AND ALSO INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE ALSO, 'CAUSE I ASSUME THE CENTRAL JURY OR THE VOIR DIRE ROOM IS AN ISSUE THAT THE, UH, JUDICIARY NEED.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S SOMETHING WE MAY EITHER HAVE TO SEE IF AN EARMARK OR DAVID, WE ARE GONNA SEE IF THAT'S A, A GENERAL REVENUE APPROPRIATION WE NEED TO DO OR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THAT WE NEED TO DO.

SO LET'S LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT CAN BE DONE.

AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I WANT THIS CONVERSATION TO CONTINUE AND TO BE ROBUST.

WHAT I WILL SAY, JUDGE, IS LOOK AT WHAT I ALWAYS TELL EVERYONE ON HOW I OPERATE.

I REPRESENT THE COUNTY.

HOWEVER, IF ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL DOES NOT AGREE WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DIRECTED BY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, I ULTIMATELY REPRESENT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

IT'S ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL'S PREROGATIVE TO GO TO THE STATE, GO TO THE FEDERAL DELEGATION AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE, ASK FOR FUNDING.

THAT MAY NOT BE THE PRIORITY OF THIS COURT, OR IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BUILD UP LEGACY COSTS FOR THE FUTURE THAT THIS COURT MAY BE AGAINST.

SO I, I NEED DIRECTION SO I KNOW WHAT YOU AS A BODY CAN AGREE TO.

AND THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT OR COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, THEY MAY HAVE AN INDEPENDENT ITEM THAT THEY MAY WORK ON ON THEIR OWN.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I REPRESENT THIS BODY AND WHAT YOUR APPROVED PROGRAM IS.

SO THAT KIND OF HELPS GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY TO WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR A, AN OVERARCHING DOCUMENT, MELISSA, AND TO THE COURT.

I THINK THERE IS ONE MAJOR ISSUE THAT, UH, MAY, MAY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN A, UH, CLAUSE IN THIS OVERALL PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS IS A BIG ISSUE.

AND, UH, THE TRANSITION OF THOSE BUILDINGS, UH, THERE MAY BE MONEY FOR FOR THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A, A ISSUE THAT HAPPENS IN MULTIPLE STATES.

BUT OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS CRYING OUT.

I THINK 20 SCHOOLS IN S-A-I-S-D JUST GOT CLOSED YESTERDAY OR SO.

AND SO,

[01:40:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A ROLE THE COUNTY CAN PLAY IN HELPING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO FIGURE OUT NEW COMMUNITY USES FOR THESE FACILITIES.

AND, UM, I ALSO THINK THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THERE'S, THERE'S TWO KIND OF OVERARCHING THEMES THAT I WOULD PROBABLY, UH, INCLUDE FOR SAN ANTONIO.

WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, HUGE LITERACY ISSUES AND SPECIAL, UH, SPECIAL LEARNING DISABILITY ISSUES.

SO WE'VE GOT, LIKE I'VE SAID, A HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES, 25% OF OUR ADULT POPULATION READS AT A FIFTH GRADE LEVEL.

WE AS A ECONOMY CANNOT SURVIVE, UH, IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY WITH OUR LITERACY RATE BEING SO LOW.

AND THE FINAL THING I WOULD SAY IS WE NEED TO BE MUCH MORE COGNIZANT AS A COURT ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR PEOPLE.

THERE'S A LOT OF BUILDINGS AND A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN THESE THINGS.

UM, BUT I THINK AS ONE OF THE POOREST, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE ARE THE POOREST METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AR AREA IN THE UNITED STATES.

WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ALLEVIATE POVERTY? AND THAT THAT MEANS HELPING PEOPLE WITH FOOD COSTS, HELPING PEOPLE WITH HOUSING COSTS, HELPING PEOPLE WITH, UH, THE COST OF EDUCATION AND, UH, DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS, NOT JUST BUILDINGS.

UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT THAT, THAT WE NEED TO GET MORE FOCUSED ON THAT.

WELL, WHAT I HEARD, MELISSA, IS WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION.

UH, I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO BRING THIS THING MATTER BACK.

UH, WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

I ASSUME YOU WANT SOME DIRECTION CLARITY.

SO, SO SHOULD WE PUT THIS DAVID SMITH, SHOULD WE PUT THIS ON THE DECEMBER THE 12TH MEETING? THE SIXTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH? IS IT THE SIXTH? NO, IT'S, IT'LL BE THE THAT MEETING'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

THAT'S WHAT OUR PLAN WAS, IS TO BRING THIS BACK ON.

BUT I STILL, I'M, AND I'M APOLOGIZE, I STILL DON'T HAVE CLARITY FROM THIS BODY HOW YOU WANT THIS DOCUMENT TO BE FORMATTED.

LEAVE IT AS IS.

WELL, I THINK IT'S A GOOD DOCUMENT DRAFT.

THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MOCK UP A FEW THINGS WITH RESPECT TO TRANSITIONING SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T, MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ALREADY IN THERE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I REALLY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN IT COULD WHAT, SO WHAT NORMALLY WHAT DRIVES BOTH OUR STATE AND OUR FEDERAL AGENDA ARE ITEMS THAT HAVE A FISCAL IMPACT TO THE COUNTY, WHETHER THAT IS ACTUAL MONEY OR IF THAT'S PERSONNEL COST.

BUT WE, THAT'S JUST ALWAYS BEEN THE GENERAL DRIVER BECAUSE IF NOT, WE CAN GET SO FAR OUT WITH ITEMS. UM, BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T ADD IT.

THAT'S WHY I'M SO THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COURT.

YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M GIVING YOU THE LEEWAY TO GO BACK HERE AND SEE IF IT'S ADDRESSED ALREADY.

IT MAY BE ADDRESSED ALREADY.

IT'S IN VER IN VERBIAGE.

NOT REALLY.

IT'S NOT.

WELL, WILL WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE.

LET ME, LET, LET ME, LET ME GIVE DIRECTION.

THEN MY SUGGESTION IS THAT'S Y'ALL'S JOB.

Y'ALL PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND PUT IT TOGETHER AS TO WHAT BEST HELPS YOU GET YOUR MESSAGE AND GET DIRECTION.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GET THE RIGHT YOUR OWN DIRECTIONS AND THEN GIVE IT TO US AND WE'LL DETERMINE WHETHER INDIVIDUALLY WE HAVE PROBLEMS OR IS THERE A MAJORITY VOTE TO APPROVE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT TOGETHER.

I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY.

INSTEAD OF US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE BEST COMMUNICATE, YOU'RE THE EXPERTS, YOU KNOW, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH, UH, THE PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON DC I DON'T.

GOT IT.

SO PUT IT IN THE THEIR LANGUAGE, PUT IT IN THEIR FORM, PUT IT IN THEIR MINDSET AS TO HOW WE BEST CAN GET THE THINGS THAT WE CAN NEED AND ARE DOABLE.

SO LET'S CLOSE THIS OUT.

UH, DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY ACTION.

COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, ANY FINAL COMMENTS? I OH, DID YOU, WE STILL HAVE THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING TO GET THROUGH.

IS WHERE WE WENT OUT TO ALL OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS.

SO IF I CAN GO BACK TO THE POWERPOINT.

ALL RIGHT, WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? SO, SO NEXT ITEM, AND I'M GONNA HIT ON THESE VERY QUICKLY.

THESE ARE THE TWO ITEMS THAT YOU APPROVED.

YOU APPROVED ACTUALLY FOUR ITEMS IN FEBRUARY, EARLIER THIS YEAR, JANUARY, FEBRUARY.

THESE WERE THE TWO ITEMS THAT MADE IT INTO THE BUDGET.

SO THE BIBLIOTECH LEARN OF PARKING LOT REDEVELOPMENT, 250,000, AND THEN THE SOUTH SAN CIVIC CENTER, 750,000.

THESE ARE THE TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY PENDING IN THE BUDGET.

WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE.

SO THEN NEXT ARE THE NEXT ROUND OF CPF SUBMISSIONS.

SO THESE ARE SUBMISSIONS THAT ARE GOING INTO 24 25, UM, FISCAL YEAR.

THIS

[01:45:01]

EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT THE, UM, DEPARTMENTS ON THE SCREEN.

WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT SUBMITTED COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES, BCIT, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

THOSE WERE THE ONLY OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED REQUESTS FROM.

SO GETTING TO THAT LIST THAT YOU HAVE THE, UM, LEGAL DOCUMENT IN YOUR HAND, WE ENDED UP WITH 14 DIFFERENT SUBMISSIONS.

THE FIVE THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLETE SUBMISSIONS.

IF WE HAD TO SUBMIT IT TODAY, WE WOULD BE READY TO GO.

SO LOOKING AT THIS LIST, WE'VE GOT THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE, UM, CHARGING STATIONS, THE PUBLIC RADIO REPLACEMENT, THE REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER, PLANNING DOLLARS.

THIS IS NOT TO BUILD THE FACILITY.

WE'RE NOT AT SEEKING FUNDING FOR THAT.

WE'RE SEEKING PLANNING DOLLARS, FEASIBILITY, UM, THIS, UH, SOLAR PV, UM, ARRAYS.

CAN I, CAN I JUST MAKE A SUGGESTION? UM, IF IT'S 27 COUNTIES ON THE REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER, A LOT OF THOSE COUNTIES WOULD QUALIFY FOR USDA.

AND USDA ALWAYS HAS MORE MONEY THAN THEY'RE ABLE TO SPEND.

I PERSONALLY THINK THE COUNTY REQUESTING THAT AS AN URBAN COUNTY WHEN USDA IS A LOW HANGING FRUIT, POTENTIALLY IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST.

I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT FOR, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT USDA IS.

THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF STUDY MONEY FOR THAT FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES.

ANYWAY, JUST SAYING.

AND THEN LAST IS A VOIR DIRE CENTER, ALSO PLANNING DOLLARS FOR THAT TO FEASIBILITY.

SO WE ALSO HAD SOME ITEMS, VARIOUS ITEMS THAT WERE SUBMITTED THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY, UM, A BEAR COUNTY PROJECT.

SO THE WAY I LOOK AT THIS IS ULTIMATELY THE ENTITY THAT WOULD SEE THOSE DOLLARS IS AN ENTITY THAT'S NOT BEAR COUNTY.

SO IT'S BASICALLY A PASS THROUGH.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR PROCESS TO, WE'VE GOTTA ENTER INTO A LEGAL DOCUMENT TO PASS THAT MONEY THROUGH.

THAT INVOLVES LARRY'S, UM, OFFICE.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THAT.

SO MY OPINION ON THESE FOUR ITEMS HERE, THEY WOULD BE SUPPORT ITEMS. IF THAT ENTITY, UM, THEY CAN TAKE OUR DOCUMENTS AND USE THOSE AND SUBMIT TO THEIR MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

IF THEY SEEK THIS FUNDING, THEN WE CAN ALWAYS SUPPORT IT.

YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL ELECTED OFFICIAL CAN WRITE A SUPPORT LETTER.

WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU WITH A RESOLUTION FOR THE WHOLE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO SUPPORT THESE.

SO THESE ITEMS WON'T BE INCLUDED IN OUR LIST.

UH, CURRENTLY THERE ARE ALSO SOME ITEMS IN THE LIST THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT AREN'T ON THE SCREEN THAT ARE PENDING.

SO, UM, COMMISSIONER, YOU MENTIONED THE E COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

I OWE DEBORAH.

DEBORAH AND I NEED TO SIT DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THAT I NEED FURTHER INFORMATION FROM HER ON TO, TO COMPLETE THIS, UM, DOCUMENT.

AS LIKEWISE, THERE ARE FOUR PROJECTS THERE FROM YOUR OFFICES.

I NEED, UM, THE SUBMISSION DOC.

I'VE GOT A SUBMISSION DOCUMENT FROM DEBORAH.

THERE'S A FEW ITEMS THAT I NEED TO CLEAN UP WITH HER AND I'VE JUST NOT DONE THAT YET.

SO THAT'S ON ME ON THE FOUR ITEMS THAT CAME FROM YOUR OFFICES.

IF Y'ALL ARE SEEKING, YOU DO WANT THIS TO BE PART OF OUR CPF, OUR EARMARKED REQUEST.

I NEED THE DOCUMENTS COMPLETED FROM YOUR OFFICE.

SO THEN, UM, NEXT STEPS IF WE CAN GET THERE.

SO NEXT STEPS, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON DECEMBER 12TH.

SO BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER 12TH, I WILL WORK WITH YOUR OFFICES ON THIS DRAFT AGENDA, FINALIZE THE CPF DOCUMENTS AND ANY, IF THERE ARE ANY LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UM, THAT WE WANNA DO FOR THESE SUPPORT CPFS.

SO BETWEEN THE NEXT MONTH, I'LL BE WORKING ON CLEANING UP THE OVERALL AGENDA AND THE CPF SUBMISSIONS.

SO THAT IS IT, JUDGE.

THANK YOU JUDGE.

MOVE FOR ADJOURNMENT.

MOVE ADJOURN.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER CLAY FLOOR.

SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY TO ADJOURN.

ARE THERE ANY RECOGNITIONS IN THE ADJOURN TO ADJOURN? COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES.

[01:50:01]

NONE AT THIS TIME.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

COMMISSIONER MOODY.

OH, THERE HE IS.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

COMMISSIONER MOODY.

NO, I'M GOOD JUDGE.

YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF EMMA JIMENEZ.

UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFFS GRANDMA WHO PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT.

YEAH, SO SORRY.

COMMISSIONER CALVERT.

JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS PROCESS ON THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.

I THINK, UM, IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO ALL OF US.

ONE OF THE THINGS, AS WE COME BACK IN THE NEXT, UH, REVISIONS, WE MAY LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN SPENT ALREADY IN TERMS OF SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES.

LIKE THE COUNTY HAS SET ASIDE MONEY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE STUFF.

PERHAPS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, MAKE SURE IT'S BEEN SPENT EQUITABLY, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, OR WHETHER IT'S STILL STUCK IN A BUDGETARY THING.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL.